# This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning



## Njaco (Aug 27, 2014)

As we all know, the previous daily thread began with America's entry into the war but didn't cover the beginning in September 1939. This thread will correct that. It will keep the same format as my BoB thread and the Day by Day Europe thread but I will be adding pics that were taken on the day in question. I ask that anybody wanting to contribute please PM me and I can add your information to that day.

I will do my best to make this as accurate as possible without any personal opinion but some may sneak through. Understand that much of this information I am taking from a failed book venture I started 15 years ago on a Day by Day account of the Luftwaffe so if it seems very German oriented I apologize. But again, I will do my best to be objective.

Again, I am listing my sources and will be adding as the days go on. Hopefully this will be enjoyable for all!

The Sources:

The Luftwaffe, 1933-45

Tony Wood

http://lesliesawyer.com/claims/tonywood.htm

Friday, September 1, 1939

1939 Timeline | World War II Database

WWII Day-By-Day: June 1

About Us | Imperial War Museums


“Jagdwaffe: Attack in the West-May 1940 -Luftwaffe Colours Volume One” by Eric Mombeek 2001
“Jagdwaffe: Battle of Britain - Luftwaffe Colours” by Eric Mombeek 2001
“Jagdwaffe Volume Three, Section 1: Strike in the Balkans April-May 1941 (Luftwaffe Colours)” by Eric Mombeek 2003
“Jagdgeschwader 52: The Experten (Aviation Elite Units)” by John Weal 2004
“Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' (Aviation Elite Units)” by John Weal 2006
“Pictorial History of the Luftwaffe” by Alfred Price ( 1992)
"The Epic of Flight: The Luftwaffe" Time/Life Books 1982 ISBN 0-8094-3339-7
"The Epic of Flight: The RAF At War" Time/Life Books 1982 ISBN 0-8094-3293-5
"World War II: The Battle of Britain" by Leonard Mosley, Time/Life Books 1977 ISBN 76-45540
"The Narrow Margin" by Derek Wood Derek Dempster, Hutchinson and Company 1961 ISBN 0-85052-915-8
"The Battle of Britain" by Marcel Jullian, Grossman Publishers 1967 ISBN 67-12933
"Jagdwaffe: The Battle of Britain" by David Wadman Eddie J. Creek, Classic Publications 2001 ISBN 1-903223-05-9
"Defenders of the Reich: JG 1 1939-1942" by Eric Mombeek, Classic Publications 2001 ISBN 1-903223-01-6
"Bf 109 D/E Aces 1939-41" by John Weal, Osprey Press 1996 ISBN 1-855324-87-3
"The JG 26 War Diary: 1939-1942" by Donald Caldwell, Grub Street 1996 ISBN 1-898697-52-3
"JG 53: 'Pik As'" by John Weal Osprey Press 2007 ISBN 13-978-1-84603-204-2
"Luftwaffe Fighter Units: Europe 1939-41" by Jerry Scutts Osprey Press 1977 ISBN 0-89402-019-6
"German Bombers Over England" by Bryan Philpott, Patrick Stephens Limited 1978 ISBN 0-85059-339-5
"Hurricanes of the 40 Days" by Harold Calin, Belmont Productions 1968 
"Duel of Eagles" by Peter Townsend, Simon Schuster 1971 ISBN 79-116510
"Eagle Day" by Richard Collier, Avon Books 1966 ISBN 66-19248
"Strike From the Sky" by Alexander McKee, Lancer Books 1960 
"The Sky Suspended" by Drew Middleton, Pyramid Books 1960
"The Luftwaffe War Diaries" by Cajus Bekker, Ballantine Books 1964 ISBN 0-345-28799-1
"A History of the Luftwaffe" by John Killen, Berkley Medallion Books 1967 ISBN 425-01760-5
"Hitler's Luftwaffe" by Tony Wood and Bill Gunston, Crescent Books ISBN 0-517-22477-1
"Hitler's Stuka Squadrons" by John Ward, MBI Publishing 2004 ISBN 0-7603-1991-X
"The Hardest Day" by Dr. Alfred Price, Rigel Publications 1979 ISBN 1-898-80012-X
"The Luftwaffe Data Book" by Dr. Alfred Price, Greenhill Books 1977 ISBN 1-85367-293-9
"Finest Hour" by Tim Clayton and Phil Craig, Simon and Schuster 1999 ISBN 0-684-86930-6
"Spitfire vs Bf 109: Battle of Britain" by Tony Holmes, Osprey Press 2007 ISBN 978-1-84603-190-8
“Barbarossa: The Russian-German Conflict, 1941-45” by Alan Clark (Jun 25, 1985)
“The Illustrated History of WWII” by John Ray (2003)
“The Hutchinson Atlas of World War II Battle Plans” by Stephen Badsey (Feb 1, 2000)
“Hitler's Blitzkrieg Campaigns” by J.E. Kaufmann and H.W. Kaufmann (Sep 15, 2002)
“German Army 1933-1945” by Matthew Cooper (Oct 1, 1990)
“The Campaigns of World War II Day-by-Day” by Chris Bishop and Chris McNab (Jul 1, 2003)

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## herman1rg (Aug 27, 2014)

Looking forward to this


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## Crimea_River (Aug 27, 2014)

Chris, looking forward to this as well. Should be moving up to the Polish border about now.

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## Wurger (Aug 28, 2014)




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## Njaco (Aug 31, 2014)

The Order of Battle on Aug 31, 1939.

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## Njaco (Sep 1, 2014)

*1 September 1939*



> “Soldiers of the Luftwaffe! Comrades! For weeks and months past, with clenched fists and gritted teeth, you have had to endure the outrages and unbelievable provocations which a so-called state, itself a product of the insanity of the Treaty of Versailles, has had the affrontery to offer the Greater German Reich. Now the cup is full. The German people can no longer tolerate the criminal activities to which hundreds and thousands of our fellow countrymen in the former German eastern provinces have already fallen victim. Any further hesitation would be tantamount to abandoning the holy rights of the German nation.”
> “The Fuhrer has called. Your hour of greatness has arrived. The Luftwaffe – for many years past the most effective instrument in the Fuhrer’s political pursuance of peace – must now demonstrate its readiness, at this decisive moment, to fulfill the enormous tasks being asked of it. The trust, which the Fuhrer and the German people have placed in you, knows no bounds. As your Commander-in-Chief I am both proud and happy, for I know with rock-like certainty that each and every one of you will be worthy of that trust in every way.”
> “Aircrew! With lightning-fast attacks you will destroy the enemy, wherever he stands to fight, or whether he will be in full retreat. With your selfless devotion to duty you will wear down and crush all resistance.”
> “Comrades! I look each one of you straight in the eye and charge every single one of you to give his all for Volk and Fatherland. At your head our beloved Fuhrer, behind you the entire German nation united in national socialism. For us there can be only one solution. Victory!”
> Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring



*POLAND:* The Luftwaffe begins the Second World War at 0426 hours when Junkers Ju.87 ‘Stuka’ dive bombers of 3./StG 1, led by Oblt. Bruno Dilley, bomb the railway bridge over the Vistula River at Dirscham. Dilley’s mission is to sever the detonation cables that the Poles have wired to blow the bridge in case of attack. If the bridge is blown up then the ground assault will be delayed. Although the Stukas are able to cut some of the wires it doesn’t prevent the Poles from blasting the bridge.

At 0445 hours, Germany formally invades Poland on the pretext of Polish aggression on German soil (dead "Poles" are German prisoners dressed in Polish uniforms shot). The German battleship "_Schleswig-Holstein_" fires the first naval shots of WWII and shells the fortress guarding the port of Danzig. The heavily wooded Westerplatte peninsula had been a popular park but now contained an ammunition depot. The Polish garrison of only 182, armed mainly with machine guns and mortars, was to make a heroic stand, fighting against overwhelming odds for over a week.

The Germans allot 52 divisions for the invasion (some 1.5 million men), including the 6 armored divisions and all their motorized units. The Wehrmacht cross the frontier at several points under the command of General Walther von Brauchitsch, divided into two Heeresgruppen, Heeesgruppe Nord commanded by General Fedor von Bock, and Heeesgruppe Sud commanded by General Karl Rudolf von Rundstedt. The individual armies are commanded by General's Günther von Kluge, 4.Armee; Georg von Küchler, 3.Armee; Wilhelm von List, 14. Armee; Walter von Reichenau, 10.Armee; and Johannes Blaskowitz, 8.Armee and the armoured formations are commanded by general Heinz Guderian, XIX Corps, Erich Hoepner, XVI Corps, and Paul von Kleist, XXII Corps. Simultaneously the Luftwaffe have two Luftflottes in service; Luftflotte 1 commanded by Albert Kesselring, and Luftflotte 4 command by Alexander Löhr, , which have around 1,600 aircraft. Heeresgruppe Sud, advancing from Silesia, is to provide the main German attacks. The 8.Armee on the left is to move toward Poznan, the principal thrust is to be delivered by 10.Armee which is to advance in the center to the Vistula River between Warsaw and Sandomierz, while 14.Armee on the right moves toward Krakow and the Carpathian flank. The 4.Armee from East Prussia is to move south toward Warsaw and the line to the Bug River to the east; 3.Armee is to cross the Polish Corridor and join 4.Armee in moving south.

Classic blitzkrieg tactics of dive bombers, fast moving panzers and armored infantry divisions decimate the unsuspecting Polish forces on the borders. The Poles have 23 regular infantry divisions prepared with 7 more assembling, 1 weak armored division and an inadequate supply of artillery. They also have a considerable force of cavalry. The reserve units were only called up on August 30th and are not ready for combat. Heavy bombers damage major Polish cities (panicking the citizens) and destroy airfields, railways and bridges, plus railway stations full of mobilizing Polish soldiers. In the air, almost all the 500 Polish planes are obsolete and prove unable to blunt the impact of the German attack. The Polish Air Force is mostly destroyed on the ground. But at Mokra, near Częstochowa, the German 4.Panzerdivision attacked two regiments of the Wolynska Cavalry Brigade. The Polish defenders drew the Germans into a tank trap and destroyed over 50 tanks and armored cars.

The Polish Commander in Chief, Marshal Rydz-Smigly, has deployed the stronger parts of his army in the northwestern half of the country, including large forces in the Poznan area and the Polish Corridor. He hopes to hold the Germans to only gradual gains.

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## Njaco (Sep 1, 2014)

_1 September 1939 continued....._

The battle in the Polish Corridor was especially intense. It was here that the myth of the Polish cavalry charging German tanks was born. As Gen. Heinz Guderian’s panzer and motorized forces pressed the weaker Polish forces back, a unit of Pomorska Cavalry Brigade slipped through German lines late in the day on Sept. 1 in an effort to counterattack and slow the German advance. The unit happened on a German infantry battalion making camp. The Polish cavalry mounted a saber charge, sending the Germans fleeing. At that moment, a group of German armored cars arrived on the scene and opened fire on the cavalry, killing several troopers and forcing the rest to retreat. Nazi propagandists made this into "cavalry charging tanks" and even made a movie to embellish their claims. While historians remembered the propaganda, they forgot that on September 1, Gen. Guderian had to personally intervene to stop the German 20th Motorized Division from retreating under what it described as "intense cavalry pressure." This pressure was being applied by the Polish 18th Lancer Regiment, a unit one tenth its size.

At 0445 hours, Lt. Frank Neubert of I./StG 2 “Immelmann”, scores the first aerial victory of the war when he shoots down a PZL 11 of the No. 121 Eskadra (Polish Fighter Squadron) over Balice. Lt. Neubert and his kette of Stukas were attacking the airfield at Krakow when the Polish fighter crossed in front of him and Capt. Medwecki, the Commanding Officer of the Cracow Army Fighter Wing was killed. 2nd Lt. Wladyslaw Gnys managed to evade the attack, and damage one of the Stukas. A few minutes later, having climbed, he attacked two Dornier 17E’s of KG 77 returning from a raid on Cracow, scoring several hits on each of them. After his second dive, he lost visual contact with them and returned to the airfield not knowing that he had just scored the first two victories over the Luftwaffe in World War 2. The two German bombers collided after his attack and fell to the ground near the village of Zurada.

One hour later, bombers of III./KG 3 bomb the town of Dirschau. Fog delays the great offensive blow by the Luftwaffe so much that only six Gruppen of bombers from Luftflotte 1 make it off the ground all morning. 

Due to the fog, at 0550 hours Generalfeldmarschall Göring cancels “Operation SEASIDE”, a concentrated attack by every Geschwader on the Polish capital, Warsaw. One Gruppe of bombers from II./LG 1 do make the flight and raid the hangers and factories of the PZL aircraft works outside Warsaw. 

The Luftwaffe’s second Lehrgeschwader, Major Hanns Trübenbach’s I(J)./LG 2 flying Bf 109s begin the day several hours late because of the fog. At 1000 hours they fly the first of four escort missions for the day but encounter no Polish aircraft. Henschel Hs 123 biplanes of II./LG 2 take off at dawn from Altsiedel airfield to attack the village of Panki (Pryzstain) just ahead of the German 10.Armee. This is the first instance in World War II of direct support by the Luftwaffe of an attack by ground troops. 

Alarmed by the well-organized network of observation posts, the Pursuit Brigade in full force (52 aircraft) intercepted a large formation of He 111 bombers from KG 27 escorted by Bf 110s of I./LG 1. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Martin Mettig tries to contact the bombers by setting off a flare but the flare malfunctions, going off in his cockpit. Wounded in the hand and thigh and blinded by the smoke, he jettisons the canopy which takes off his aerial mast and antenna. Unable to contact the bombers he is forced to return to his base at Rostken. Several pilots follow their Gruppenkommandeur back to base. The rest of the fighter formation continues and make claims for four Polish PZL 11 fighters, including the first victory for Lt. Gustav Rödel. No Messerschmitts are lost from the Gruppe during the dogfight. As a result of the well-executed attack, six He 111s were shot down at the expense of one actual P.11c, which crashed during a forced landing. What was supposed to be Der Spaziergang uber Warshau – a ‘stroll over Warsaw’ – turned into a bitter escape for the Luftwaffe bomber crews. During the fighting, 2nd Lt. Borowski of 113 Eskadra shot down a stray Bf 109, which became the first aircraft of that type destroyed in World War 2.

At 1100 hours Generalmajor Freiherr von Richthofen, the Commander-in –Chief of the air support forces, takes off in a Fiesler Storch to survey the action around Panki. Flying too low he is shot at by Polish ground forces and barely makes it back to friendly lines.

The Luftwaffe concentrates on hitting Polish hangers and runways, aircraft dispersal areas and aviation factories. During the day bombers from KG 1 raid the Polish naval air base at Putzig-Rahmel, KG 152 bombs the flak defenses and petrol dumps at the airfield at Thorn, KG 26 destroys buildings and rail installations at Posen-Luwica, KG 53 attacks runways and hangers at Gnesen and II./KG 3 hit an ammunition dump south of Graudenz. Stukas of I./StG 76, led by Hptm. Walther Sigel, raid the airfield at Wielun and those of StG 77 attack the Lublinitz airfield.

One unique unit operating on the Polish front, TrGr 186 (a unit of the naval Tragergruppe [carrier wing] for the unfinished aircraft carrier ‘_Graf Zeppelin_’) is unable to carry out a planned aerial cover of the German World War I battleship ‘_Schleswig-Holstein_’ sitting in Danzig’s Harbour Canal because of the mist and fog. The unit has a mix of two Staffeln of Bf 109s and one of Ju 87 Stukas. The Messerschmitt Staffeln instead fly escort missions for the Stuka Staffel.

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## Njaco (Sep 1, 2014)

_1 September 1939 continued....._


The Ju 87 Stukas of 4(st.)/TrGr 186 and Bf 109s of IV./LG 1 attack the Polish Naval base at Hela. Two Bf 109s are lost to anti-aircraft fire. At 1400 hours more Stukas from I. and II./StG 2 and IV(Stuka)./LG 1 attack the harbour and succeed in sinking the torpedo boat ‘_Mazur_’ and setting fire to the Polish minelayer ‘_Gryf_’ which is caught in dry-dock.

Heavy fighting over Warsaw resumed in the afternoon, when a second large German raid, escorted by both Bf 110 and Bf 109 fighters, was intercepted by the Pursuit Brigade. This time the escorts were able to engage Polish fighters before they reached the bombers, and soon the first German bombs fell on Warsaw. Before they were able to enter the fight, four P.7s of 123 Eskadra were shot down in a surprise attack by Bf 110s of I./LG 1. Capt. Olszewski, the C/O was killed and the other three pilots bailed out, two of them shot at and heavily wounded by the Germans after opening their parachutes. The fighting was fierce, and Germans lost two Bf 109s, one of them shot down by Lt. Col. Leopold Pamula, deputy C/O of the Brigade, who himself had to bail out soon afterwards. Polish losses amounted to three P.11s.

In the afternoon ninety Stukas of I./StG 1 and I./StG 77 and bombers from I./KG 77 decimate a Polish cavalry brigade on the road outside of Wielun. Bombers of KG 2 raid Plozk, Lida, and Biala-Podlaska. I(Z)./LG 1, flying Bf 110 twin-engined fighters, down five PZL 11s and PZL 7s of the Polish Pursuit Brigade over Warsaw at night while covering a flight of He 111’s of II./KG 1 sent to bomb the Polish airfield at Okecie. The day ends when a formation of Heinkel He 111 medium bombers, returning from a raid on Poland, startle citizens of Berlin and cause them to run to bomb shelters in a false alarm.
*GERMANY*: Walter Krupinski, a worker in the Reich Labor Service, is drafted as a Fahnenjunker (Cadet) in the Luftwaffe.

Oblt. Müller is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of the night-fighting unit of IV(N)./JG 2 based at Straussberg and Oblt. Martin Fiebig is posted as Kommodore of KG 4. The bomber crews of KG 1 ‘Hindenburg’ get a new Kommodore when Obstlt. Ulrich Kessler is posted to the unit.

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## Crimea_River (Sep 1, 2014)

Great post Chris. Thanks for the time you're taking to put this together.

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## Marcel (Sep 2, 2014)

Good luck Chris, another great effort.


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## parsifal (Sep 2, 2014)

*01 SEPTEMBER 1939*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-32, u-35

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-20

At Sea 1 September 1939

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
The first shots of the war were fired by German battleship SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN at the Polish Gdansk (Danzig) fortifications of Westerplatte. She had arrived six days earlier when Hitler seized the Polish port of Gdansk for Germany, renaming it Danzig.




_Near sister SCHLESIEN_

_German naval forces_–
For the invasion of Poland were under the Command of Naval Group Command East (Adm Conrad Albrecht):

Commander Reconnaissance Force (Vice Adm Hermann Densch) had under his command CLs KÖLN, LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG.

Officer Commanding Torpedo Boats (Konter Adm Gunther Lutjens) commanded DDs BERND VON ARNIM, BRUNO HEINEMANN, ERICH STEINBRINCK, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, FRIEDRICH IHN, GEORG THIELE, LEBERECHT MAAS, RICHARD BEITZEN, WOLFGANG ZENKER and S-Boat flotilla 1 with S.10, S.11, S.12, S.13, S.18, S.19 and depot ship TSINGTAU.

BRUNO HEINEMANN had a water feed pump break down and was forced to withdraw for repairs at Wilhelmshaven.

Officer Commanding MSWs (KptzS Friedrich Ruge in old torpedo boat T.196) commanded escort ships F.7, F.8, F.9, F.10, MSWFlot 1 with MSWs M.1, M.3, M.4, M.5, M.7, M.111, M.132, the Experimental Barrage Command with old MSWs ARKONA, NAUTILUS, OTTO BRAUN, PELIKAN, SUNDEWALL and MSW Flot 3 with coastal MSWs R.33, R.34, R.35, R.36, R.38, R.39, R.40.

Uboats committed to the attack included U.5, U.6, U.7, U.14, U.18, U.22, U.31, U.32, U.35, U.57.
Under the control of U-boats East (FKpt Oskar Schomburg). U.5, U.6, and U.7 patrolled the Kattegat near Laeso. U.22 patrolled inside the Irben Strait.

U.31, U.32, U.35 were off the Gulf of Danzig for minelaying and U.14 and U.18 on patrol off the Gulf of Danzig.

U.57 patrolled off Libau.

_Polish naval operations_ –
The Polish Fleet (prefix ORP) sortied from Gdynia, but not before the loss of *TB MAZUR (ORP 340 grt)*sunk in German air attacks. DD WICHER, ML GRYF, and MSWs CZAJKA, CZAPLA, JASKOLKA, MEWA, RYBITWA, ZURAW were able to leave port to conduct the mining of Gdansk Bay, code named Exercise RURKA.





In Puck Bay, near Gdynia, the Polish force was attacked by LW Ju-87s, and ML GRYF and MSW MEWA seriously damaged. GRYF was forced to jettison her mines to prevent the explosion of those still on deck and was unable to begin Exercise RURKA. MEWA was towed to Hela by RYBITWA.

ORP Submarines ORZEL and WILK departed Gdynia for patrol in the Gulf of Gdansk and RYS, SEP, ZBIK also sailed from Gdynia for patrol in Puck Bay off Hela to attack German surface ships.

WILK attacked Kriegsmarine (prefix DKM) DD ERICH STEINBRINCK unsuccessfully and was then damaged by DCes dropped by her and FRIEDRICH IHN, but was able to continue on patrol.

*Northern Waters*
BB RAMILLIESdeparted Scapa Flow for escort duties from Devonport.

*Channel*
CV COURAGEOUS with DD STURDY, after departing Portsmouth on 31 August, arrived at Portland at 1700. DDs ARROW arrived there at 1550, ACASTA, which had departed Portland at 0640 that morning, and ANTHONY arrived at 1615, and ACHATES at 1745.

CVL HERMES, sailing from Plymouth, arrived at Portland at 2015, and DD ACHERON on the 2nd. Here they joined DD ANTELOPE which was already at Portland.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs DOUGLAS and WISHART departed Gibraltar for patrol. French DD BASQUE also left Gibraltar.

CA EXETER arrived at Freetown from Devonport and later the same day, departed for Cape Verde Island.

CA CUMBERLAND, which had departed Plymouth on 31 August after EXETER, was also en route for Freetown.

*Mediterranean* -
DD ICARUS was damaged in collision with Greek steamer MICHALIS off Alexandria, while they were alongside each other at sea. ICARUS's hull was stove in, and she and the Greek steamer were escorted to Alexandria by DD INTREPID. Following temporary repairs, ICARUS proceeded on the 10th for repairs at Malta completing on 8 October.

*2 SEPTEMBER 1939
UBOATS*
Arrivals
Memel U-57
Wilhelmshaven: U-31

Departures
Wilhelmshaven : U-13, U-16, U-24

At Sea 2 September 1939
U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-23, U-24,U-26, U-27 (+), U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-39 , U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59.

38 boats at sea

KTB-BDU (Kriegstagebücher - War Diary)


> Radio intelligence reports show that there is a rendezvous for inward-bound steamers in the Bristol Channel. This seems to point to there being no protection for merchant shipping as yet further out to sea. It is not possible to bring the boats up yet, as on the orders of Naval War Staff, they may not leave their waiting positions.
> 
> Supreme Command of the Navy abandoned the idea of using the recovery vessels at present with the U-boat school as S/M chasers under Group Baltic, after I had made representations. The vessels are urgently needed in Neustadt for training.



*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
On the 2nd, U.22 and U.57 were withdrawn to provide relief for the other patrols. Both boats proceeded to Memel.

For a few days DKM retained subs in the Polish operations area. There was concern that remaining Polish forces in the Baltic might run amok in the vital Baltic sea trade routes

For a few days DKM retained subs in the Polish operations area. There was concerns that remaining Polish forces in the Baltic might run amok in the vital Baltic sea trade routes

U.31, U.32, and U.35 were in the Baltic near Hela to mine the approaches to the Gulf of Danzig. However, the escape of the Polish destroyers made (Operation “Peking” ) rendered these operations unnecessary and they were transferred from the Baltic to the Atlantic, first arriving at Wilhelmshaven. From there:

U.32 set out on patrol on the 5th,

U.31 and U.35 on the 9th,

U.31 and U.35 were ordered to patrol areas west and south of England, respectively, and U.32 to lay mines off the Bristol Channel on the 17th.

*ML GYDNIA (ORP 538 grt)* was attacked and sunk by stukas from IV / LG.1 in the Gulf of Gdansk . At approximately around 1130 hrs the ship was anchored in the Bay of Puck approx. 2-3 nautical miles from Jastarnia. With approximately 100 people on board were killed. 35-40, including the commander, who died in hospital The precise numbers of casualties is not known because of the lossof ship documentation regarding the number of persons aboard..





*ML GDANSK (ORP 538 grt) *was also sunk at the same time.






ORP SS SEP unsuccessfully attacked German DD FRIEDRICH IHN at 1238 with one torpedo, north of Heisternest. SEP was damaged in the counterattack, but able to continue on patrol.

DKM CO Recon Fces with CLs KÖLN, LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG in the Baltic was ordered to the North Sea, as the German Admiralty began to shift forces to face the Allied naval threat. Allied naval Power however, was not going to be able to affect the outcome in Poland.

*Channel*
BC RENOWN escort DD SARDONYX dep Portsmouth for Scapa arriving on the 4th.

CV COURAGEOUS escort DD STURDY dep Portland before dawn, and arrived at Plymouth later that day.

DD ENCOUNTER dep Portland and arrived at Plymouth later the same day .

_Fr Force de Raid, Atlantic_
- the Brest-based Force of BCs DUNKERQUE, STRASBOURG, CLs GEORGES LEYGUES, GLOIRE, MONTCALM and Contre Torpilleur DDs L'AUDACIEUX, LE FANTASQUE, LE MALIN, LE TERRIBLE, LE TRIOMPHANT, L'INDOMPTABLE, MOGADOR, VOLTA was ordered to Casablanca at high speed to protect the North African ports from attack from the sea. DesDiv 2 (DDs FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, L'ADROIT) and Desdiv 5 (DDs BRESTOIS, BOULONNNAIS, FOUDROYANT) cleared Brest on the 2nd as local escort and to carry out an ASW sweeps in the local approaches. The local escort returned to Brest on the 3rd.

ML LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE (former PLUTON), also at Brest, sailed with the Force de Raid to lay a defensive minefield off the Moroccan coast. She was detached on the 4th and arrived, unescorted, at Casablanca on the 5th, where she remained until her loss on the 13th.

French movements to an extent were driven by a fear of LW attacks on their fleet bases. When intelligence revealed the threat did not exist, the operations were cancelled and the forces arrived back at Brest on the 6th. They received an additional escort from the DesDiv 4 with DDs BOURRASQUE, ORAGE, OURAGAN, which dep Brest on the 5th.

*Med/Biscay*
Fr Bat Sqn 2 with BBs PROVENCE, BRETAGNE, LORRAINE with nine DDs of DesFlot 1 dep Toulon 31 August, arrived at Oran on the 2nd. The Squadron carried on and arrived at Gibraltar on the 3rd. The French in the Med were concerned mostly with a possible Italian pre-emptive attack





_The three French dreadnoughts in the Med were of the Bretagne Class. Un-modernized, they were vulnerable to air attack and outclassed by the Italian modernized BBs they faced
_
The French 3rd Squadron arrived back at Toulon on the 2nd after covering convoy R.3.

Later that day, CAs, ALGÉRIE, COLBERT, DUPLEIX, FOCH, TOURVILLE with DesDiv 5 with Contre Torpilleur DDs CHEVALIER PAUL, TARTU, VAUQUELIN, DesFlot 7 with Contre torpilleur DDs GERFAUT and VAUTOUR, DesDiv 9 with Contre Torpilleur DDs CASSARD, KERSAINT,MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ dep Toulon and arrived at Oran on the 3rd.

CL ARETHUSA and the DesFlot 3 (less IMOGEN and ICARUS) dep Alexandria to patrol between Cape Matapan and Crete.

The DD diverted to Malta on the 4th, where they joined IMOGEN which earlier had been sent to Marseilles with dispatches, reaching Malta on the 3rd. All the DDs then carried on to Gib, arriving on the 5th to carry out ASW duties in the Atlantic.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DURBAN dep Gibraltar for Freetown where she arrived on the 8th with CVS ALBATROSS.





_CVS Albatross was designed and built in Australia for the RAN but was sold back to the RN because of budget issues during the depression_

AB.1 of British tkrs BRITISH ARDOUR , BRITISH LOYALTY , BRITISH PRINCESS , BRITISH MOTORIST , BRITISH PROGRESS and steamers CITY OF HEREFORD , CITY OF SHANGHAI ROWANBANK dep Gibraltar for Capetown. BRITISH FAITH had broken down just after weighing anchor and did not proceed with the convoy. CL DAUNTLESS and DESPATCH (Cru Sqn 9) dep Gib and proceeded with the convoy. DesFlot 13 DDs DOUGLAS, WATCHMAN, WISHART, WRESTLER joined the convoy at 2200/2nd and carried out ASW, before leaving the convoy on the morning of the 3rd. CL DAUNTLESS was detached on the 11th and arrived at Freetown on the 13th operating independently. On the 13th DESPATCH turned the convoy over to DURBAN which had departed Freetown on the 12th.

DESPATCH reached Freetown on the 14th. DURBAN reached Capetown on the 29th.

*Sth Atlantic*
RNZN CL ACHILLES en route to the West Indies from New Zealand received orders to patrol off the west coast of South America.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DDs DECOY, DEFENDER, DELIGHT, DUCHESS dep Hong Kong on 28 August, left Singapore on the 2nd en route to join the Med Flt.

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## Wurger (Sep 2, 2014)

Cool.


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## Njaco (Sep 2, 2014)

*2 September 1939 Saturday
POLAND*: Troops of German Heeresgruppe Sud (Rundstedt) are already over the Warta River in many places after rapid but expensive victories in the frontier battles. Krakow is now near the front line. In the north, 4.Armee (Kluge) makes contact with the 3.Armee (Kuchler) from East Prussia. Two Polish divisions are destroyed while attempting to pull back through the Corridor. The Polish regular troops have been stationed too far forward so the German advance is soon in their rear areas, preventing movement of reserves and completely dislocating any communication left unscathed by the repeated German air strikes in support of the ground forces. There are 6 air raids on Warsaw.

The Luftwaffe continues its mission from the day before – destroying the Polish air force on the ground. By the end of the day the OKW issues its report for the day with these words:


> “All aircraft existing in hangers or in the open were set on fire. From this it can be assumed that the Polish air force has received a mortal blow. The German Luftwaffe has won undisputed mastery over the whole of Poland.”


And the legend of the Stuka dive-bomber is made. With remarkable precision forty Stukas of I./StG 2 and I./StG 76 destroy the railway station of Piotrkow at the very moment Polish troops are detraining. The Stukas of StG 77 launch attacks on enemy columns near Radomsko. The Gulf of Danzig is revisited by Stukas from IV./LG 1 and sink the Polish ships ‘_Gdynie_’ and ‘_Gdansk_’.

Hptm. Hannes Gentzen, Gruppenkommandeur of Jagdgruppe (JGr) 102 and the highest scoring pilot of the Polish campaign, scores his first victory,


> “I was leading the Staffel near Lodz at about 1,000 meters and widely echeloned when we spotted two Polish fighters ahead of us, one at a higher altitude. I myself attacked the nearest Pole. My shots must have hit his motor because he immediately started to glide downwards. We followed close on his tail and discovered to our amazement that the spot where he obviously intended to land was a well-camouflaged airfield. We would never have discovered it had we not come down so low, but at this altitude we could clearly make out a row of five enemy bombers, their green-brown camouflage blending perfectly with the earth of the field.
> “Meanwhile the aircraft I had damaged nosed over on landing and burst into flames. The pilot jumped out and ran for cover. We flew over the line of bombers at low level shooting them up. They too went up in flames. Then we spotted a suspicious looking haystack right in the middle of the field. Could it conceal a fuel tanker? Another strafing run. They hay started to burn and revealed four brown-painted fighters hidden underneath. They also caught fire as ground crew ran in all directions like a disturbed ants’ nest.
> “All this took place on the outskirts of Lodz, right in the middle of some allotments. We must have put on quite an air display for the local citizens!
> “In the meantime, the other Pole who had been circling above us, spiraled down on one of my comrades, who evaded him and banked away. The Pole was then attacked and shot down by the others.”


JGr 102 led by Oblt. Waldemar von Roon, was a temporary fighter squadron, originally a Zerstörergruppen flying Bf 110’s but equipped with Bf 109’s for Polish action. On the return flight to their base at Gross-Stein, the Messerschmitts come upon four Polish bombers and shoot them down also. JGr 102’s tally for the day is sixteen aircraft destroyed - two fighters and five bombers shot from the sky and four fighters and five bombers destroyed on the ground.

In the afternoon, about twenty Bf 110s of I./ZG 2 clash with six Polish PZL 11 fighters. Two Polish fighters are shot down, one by Lt. Helmut Lent - his first victory - and another by Lt. Nagel, but the Gruppe loses three of their own.

The Messerschmitts and Stukas of the Staffeln of TrGr 186 fly two more missions for the day before the Bf 109s are withdrawn to Gutenfeld in East Prussia.

*GERMANY*: A new heavy fighter-bomber, the Messerschmitt Me 210 – designed to replace the Bf 110 - makes its first flight. Chief test pilot, Dr. Hermann Wurster, after flying the Me 210 V-1, code D-AABF, states that the new aircraft possesses very poor flying characteristics.

In an effort to bolster its Western front forces, the Luftwaffe moves Oberst Gerd von Massow’s Stab./JG 2 and Oblt. Carl Vieck’s I./JG 2 from Fürstenwalde to a new airfield at Döberitz.

The Germans began the construction of Stutthof Concentration Camp with labor of 65,000 Polish Christians.

Germany annexed the Free City of Danzig. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier issued a joint ultimatum to Germany, demanding the withdraw of troops from Poland within 12 hours. Adolf Hitler advised the United Kingdom and France that he would withdraw from Poland if allowed to keep Danzig and the Polish corridor. The German government announces that Norwegian neutrality will be respected, provided that Britain and France do the same. Hitler rejects an offer to mediate the German-Polish dispute, made by Mussolini on August 31st and the proposal for a peace conference.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The British RAF Advanced Air Striking Force arrives in France. Some 10 bomber squadrons are involved in the deployment.

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## Njaco (Sep 3, 2014)

*3 September 1939 Sunday
POLAND*: Britain and France declare war on Germany. At 0900 hours, British Ambassador in Germany Nevile Henderson delivered the British declaration of war to German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, effective at 1100 hours; British Commonwealth nations of New Zealand and Australia followed suit. France would also declare war later on this day, effective at 1700 hours. In the afternoon, Adolf Hitler issued an order to his generals; again stressing that German troops must not attack British and French positions. Finally, Hitler also sent a message to the Soviet Union, asking the Soviets to jointly invade Poland.

The Polish Lodz Army is now in retreat after being beaten in the frontier battles with Heeresgruppe Sud. By 3 September, when Günther von Kluge in the north had reached the Vistula River (some 10 km (6.2 mi) from the German border at that time) and Georg von Küchler was approaching the Narew River, Walther von Reichenau's (10.Armee) armor was already beyond the Warta river. 14.Armee (General List) troops are converging on Krakow. The city of Czestochowa falls to German forces. Some Polish units penetrate into East Prussia but their position becomes untenable as German forces cut them off to the south. The Polish air force ceases to exist as an effective fighting element. In Warsaw, there are pro-British demonstrations.

55 Polish peasants at Truskolasy, Poland were executed.

Hptm. Gentzen scores two more victories - two Polish PZL 11 fighters - bringing his total to three kills. Two of Hptm. Gentzen’s fellow pilots at ZG 2 score their first victories against Polish aircraft. Oblt. Josef Kellner-Steinmetz of 3./ZG 2 destroys a PZL 23 2 km south east of Strzoikow while Lt. Reinhold Meßner, also of 3./ZG 2 downs a PZL 23 over Przysiela. On a Freie jagd over Tschenstochau, a half dozen Bf 109’s of I./JG 76 overtake three PZL 23 Karas light bombers over Petrikau. Diving to the attack, the Bf 109s overshoot the bombers and have to try a second time. With the Polish bombers dropping almost to ground level, the second attack also overshoots the Polish targets. On the third pass, the Messerschmitts lower their flaps and slow their speed. Lt. Rudolf Ziegler of the Stab I./JG 76 shoots one down from a height of only 30 meters from the ground. Uffz. Willi Lohrer of 3./JG 76 also downs one of the Polish bombers for his first score of the war. Dietrich Hrabak, Staffelkapitän of I./JG 76 is hit by return fire from the two remaining Polish bombers and crash lands but returns to friendly lines. The same problem faced Lt. Karl-Gottfried Nordmann of I./JG 77 who destroys a PZL 23 Karas bomber by lowering his under-carriage, but not his flaps, so as not to overshoot his target. The bomber goes down in flames near the Wielum–Prosna area.

In an air battle over Warsaw, thirty PZL 11 Polish fighters engage fighters of I./LG 1 and lose five aircraft while the Gruppe loses only one warplane. But the Polish are not running from battle as several fighters from the Polish “Army of Lodz” are able to shoot down a number of German army observation planes.

The Stukas of 4(st)./TrGr 186 fly missions over the harbour at Hela and continue their success against Polish shipping. The Stukas of Karl-Herrmann “Charly” Lion and Oblt. Rummel score hits on the destroyer ‘_Wicher_’ and the minesweeper ‘ _Mewa_’, sinking both ships. Later in the day the unit transfers to Gutenfeld in East Prussia.

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## Njaco (Sep 3, 2014)

_September 3 Sunday continued....._

*GERMANY:* The threat from Britain and France forces several Jagdgeschwader and Lehrgeschwader within Germany to move closer to the French border. On this date, Major Otto Heinrich von Houwald’s I./JG 3 moves from Brandis to the airfield at Schafstädt. The Heinkel He 111s of Oberst Dr. Robert Knauss’ Stab./LG 1 move from Neuhausen to the airfield at Greifswald along with Major Dr. Ernst Bormann’s III./LG 1. Major Kurt Dobratz’s II./LG 1 moves its He 111s from Powunden to an airfield near Hannover. The Stukas of IV(Stuka)./LG 1 led by Hptm. Peter Kögl transfer from the airfield at Stolp-Rietz to the airbases at Grieslienen and Lyck.

German government issued orders that executions by members of the SS were to be carried out in concentration camps, effective 20 Sep 1939.

The first RAF operation flight over Germany was a reconnaissance mission, but later in the night RAF bombers would conduct a leaflet raid. The British aircraft drop 6 million leaflets on cities in northern Germany and the Ruhr in the first of a series of propaganda raids.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-30 torpedoed British passenger liner “_Athenia_” in the Atlantic Ocean. There are 112 dead including 28 American citizens, of some 1400 passengers including some 316 Americans. The German government is unaware of the action of the U-boat until later in the month. Britain believes that this is the start of unrestricted submarine warfare. At this time, 39 of the German fleet of 58 U-boats are at sea. Admiral Doenitz, the German Kreigsmarine Commander, had hoped for a fleet of 300 before contemplating war with Britain.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Chamberlain broadcasts to announce that the war has begun. Chamberlain forms a War Cabinet, which includes Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty (which is signaled to all Royal Navy ships and installations with the message "Winston is back") and Eden as Secretary for the Dominions. Churchill and Eden have been the most prominent opponents of an appeasement policy. A Ministry of Economic Warfare is established. The British government also announces the implementation of a blockade of Germany. At 1135 hours, as if to confirm the state of war, there is an air-raid warning in London but it is a false alarm.


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## T Bolt (Sep 3, 2014)

This is going to be great Chris!

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## Crimea_River (Sep 3, 2014)

Really appreciate these posts Chris.


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## nuuumannn (Sep 3, 2014)

Yep, great stuff Chris. An addition; barely two hours after war is declared, the British suffer their first military casualty when Plt Off John Isaac of No.600 Sqn crashed his Blenheim IF near Hendon.

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## Shortround6 (Sep 3, 2014)

Can you bacon a whole thread?

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## Njaco (Sep 4, 2014)

*4 September 1939 Monday
POLAND:* In the north, the Polish Modlin Army begins to retreat after putting up a stubborn defense around Mlawa. A German column of tanks led the attack supported by the Luftwaffe but could not push through Polish lines. The initial assault was repelled by Polish-made 37mm Armata ppanc.wz 36 anti-tank guns. The commander of the German army ordered his troops to attack the Polish units several times in a row but all attacks were repelled and by nightfall the Germans were forced to return to their original positions. The Germans opened fire on Rzehnow on the right flank for over two hours continuously until the Polish units started to waver. Polish counter-attacks were unsuccessful. The Commander of the Polish Modlin army ordered his Division to regroup further eastward to establish a defense of it's right flank between the villages of Debsk and Nosarzewo. Meanwhile the Germans were preparing for a counter-attack. The Manzovian Cavalry Brigade was also in the area and vulnerable to German attack. The Polish Commander ordered his Brigade to split into two forces and attack from different directions, but conflicting information about German positions disrupted the plan and led to chaos among his troops. By evening most of the Polish units were destroyed but the 21st Infantry Regiment of Colonel Stanislaw Sosabowski managed to withdraw from the battlegrounds towards Modlin Fortress. Despite being able to capture several bunkers on the left flank of the Polish forces, the Germans could not move farther. German attacks on the right flank proved more successful and by late evening the German units had broken through the lines of the Polish 79th Infantry Regiment. Rather than face the risk of being surrounded, General Emil Krukowicz-Przedrzymirski ordered his troops to withdraw towards Warsaw and Modlin abandoning their fortified positions. The Polish regiment retreated to the south of Mlawa but because the area is lightly forested their position was easily detected and they were bombed and strafed continuously by the Luftwaffe. Near Tschenstochau, the first mass surrender, that of the 7th Polish Division, takes place due to the constant Luftwaffe air attacks.

In the south, the German 10.Armee (General Reichenau) forces have already advanced more than 50 miles.

Germans executed 1000 Poles near Bydgoszcz, including a number of Boy Scouts. German troops occupied Czestochowa seizing all property and making mass arrests of Jewish Poles. They were led to public areas where hundreds were systematically executed in broad daylight in a massacre that has been referred to as "Bloody Monday."

Over Lodz, German Bf 109 fighters reportedly destroy 11 Polish fighters and 3 bombers. Major Hanns Trübenbach’s I(J)./LG 2 shoot down three Polish PZL 11 fighters over the Poczalkowo area including the first victories for Lt. Klaus Quaet-Faslem, Fw. Hugo Frey and Ofw. Hermann Guh. Several Bf 109Ds of I./ZG 2 battle Polish fighters over Lodz. Eleven Polish fighters are shot down and three more destroyed on the ground. Victory claims go to Oblt. Waldemar von Roon (one PZL 37), Lt. Hans Nocher (one PZL 37), Uffz. Hans Katzmann (two PZL 37s) and Uffz. Karl Schuch (two PZL 37s). The Gruppe also destroy one of the modern Polish “Elk” bombers in the air.

The Zerstörer fighters of LG 1 clash with Polish aircraft and come away victors. Oblt. Joachim Glienke of 1(Z)./LG 1 destroys a Polish aircraft as does Lt. Hans Busching of 3(Z)./LG 1.

The 1st Staffel of JG 1 starts withdrawing as the entire Gruppe is removed from the Polish Front prepatory to moving to the Western Front.


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## Njaco (Sep 4, 2014)

_4 September Monday continued....._

*WESTERN FRONT:* The first clash between British bombers and Luftwaffe fighters. Ten RAF Blenheims of RAF No. 110 and No. 107 Squadrons bomb the Pocket Battleship ‘_Admiral Sheer_’ while nineteen RAF Wellingtons attack the battleships ‘_Scharnhorst_’ and ‘_Gneisenau_’. Bf 109’s of II./JG 77 attack the Wellingtons. Fw. Alfred Held and Fw. Hans Troitzsch shoot down two of the bombers, the first RAF aircraft destroyed by the Luftwaffe. Fw. Held becomes known as “the Victor of the Jade Bight” and describes his action:


> “With the rest of the Staffel still quite a way behind me, I already had the Englishman in my sights. I fired my first rounds into the aircraft, but the rear gunner gave as good as he got. Time and again we flashed past each other, machine guns hammering and engines howling. We had strayed far out over the Jade Bight when the Englishman dived to gain more speed and escape my fire. I forced the Tommy lower and lower and suddenly a long flame shot out from the left side of the bomber. It seemed to be out of control and wallowing about. One final burst was enough. The aircraft dropped its nose and fell. I circled to follow its descent, but already there was just a burning pile of debris in the water which disappeared a few seconds later.”


Seven of thirty aircraft were shot down and the handful of bombs that hit their targets failed to explode. RAF No.107 Squadron from Wattisham lost four out of five Blenheim bombers, which was the RAF's first fatalities. One Blenheim is shot down and crashes into the cruiser ‘_Emden_’ killing several sailors, causing the first casualties of the war for the German navy. 

There are reports of skirmishing in "No Man's Land" between the French Maginot Line and the German Siegfried Line. Advance elements of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) land from destroyers at Cherbourg.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler forbade any further attacks on passenger ships. In an article published in the official newspaper of the NSDAP, the Volkischer Beobachter, Goebbels claims that the sinking of the SS “_Athenia_” was arranged by Churchill to create an incident between Germany and the United States.

In Germany, a War Economy Decree was published which laid down guidelines for the rapid mobilization of civilian resources and the conversion of the economy to war.


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## Wurger (Sep 4, 2014)

Great. But a note there though. None of Polish Fighter or other squadrons used PZL P-24. It is quite typical mistake made in German reports.

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## Njaco (Sep 4, 2014)

I believe I got that off Tony Wood's claim files.


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## nuuumannn (Sep 4, 2014)

*3 September 1939*: The first RAF sortie of the war; Fg Off A. McPherson flew Blenheim IV N6215 of 139 Sqn, RAF Wyton on a photo recon sortie over Wilhelmshaven at an altitude of 22,000 ft. The next day, McPherson was up again over Wilhelmshaven photographing German warships, but weather forced him to an altitude of 250 ft. This sortie was over 4 hours in the air from McPherson and his crew. He received a DSO for his two flights. Following this flight, that afternoon 29 (not thirty) RAF bombers took off for a raid against shipping in harbour. This was the RAF's first operational raid against German targets as described above.

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## Njaco (Sep 5, 2014)

*5 September 1939 Tuesday
POLAND:* The German 10. and 14.Armees cross the Vistula River, breaking through the cordon of Polish armies. Polish rear guards and armed civilians offer determined resistance at Bydgoszcz, on the southern end of the Polish corridor, before yielding to the units of the German III Korps. German troops find hundreds of German residents of the city massacred by the fleeing Poles. Such incidents are used to provide support for earlier claims by Hitler justifying the invasion. On entering Piotrkow, German forces set fire to the Jewish district. The Polish supreme command orders a general retreat behind the Vistula.

Meanwhile, German bombers destroy the town of Sulejow, southwest of Warsaw. The Polish High Command, fearing Warsaw was threatened, decided to relocate to southeastern Poland. This proved a huge mistake as the commanders soon lost contact with their major field armies. Warsaw itself was thrown into panic at the news. Warsaw's AA Defense is beginning to crumble. Polish Command has ordered the immediate withdrawal of 11 AA military batteries from Warsaw to Lublin, Brzesc, and Lwow. In a private conversation, German generals Franz Halder and Walther von Brauchitsch both agreed that the war against Poland was effectively won.

At Westerplatte fighting continues. German forces have launched several probing attacks to assess Polish strength. Despite continued efforts by the German naval infantry, Danzig SS, and the Wehrmacht were again repelled by Polish fire. At 0300 hours, the Germans sent a fire-train against the land bridge but failed when the terrified driver decoupled too early. It failed to reach its target and burst into flames igniting the forest around it. The flames gave Poles the perfect opportunity to pick off their targets one by one. German casualties are very high. Polish Major Sucharski held a council to urge his men to surrender to the Germans. In the afternoon the Germans made a second attempt to use the fire-train but failed again. Polskie Radio has been transmitting the same message every morning since September 1 - "Westerplatte still fights on!"

Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov responded to the German invitation to jointly invade Poland in the positive, but noted that the Soviet forces would need several days to prepare; he also warned the Germans not to cross the previously agreed upon line separating German and Soviet spheres of influence.

A future Experte and Schwertentrager, Lt. Hans ‘Fips’ Philipp of 1./JG 76 scores his first victory of the war, a PZL-24 shot down seven kilometers south of Radomsko. Hptm. Hannes Trautloff of I./JG 77, with four kills while with the Legion Condor in Spain, scores his Gruppe’s second victory - a Polish PZL 23 ‘Karas’ bomber. Another notable pilot getting his first kill this day is Oblt. Wolfgang Falck of 1./ZG 76 who destroys a PZL-P.23 bomber over Dalikow.


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## Njaco (Sep 5, 2014)

_5 September Tuesday continued...._

*WESTERN FRONT:* France aimed limited offensive at Saarbrücken.

*GERMANY: *Test plane Me 210V-3 crashes during tests with Flugkapitän Fritz Wendel at the controls. The Messerschmitt test pilot survives the accident.

A night-fighting Staffel is formed. The 10 (Nacht)./ZG 26 is formed at Jever with Oblt. Bernhard Mielke posted as Staffelkapitän. The small unit uses Arado Ar 68F biplanes and Bf 109Ds for operations.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* An Avro Anson aircraft of No. 500 Squadron RAF made the first attack of the war on an enemy submarine.


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## Wurger (Sep 5, 2014)

The tank above was called TK or TKS. Actually it wasn't a tank but just an armoured recce vehicle also know as the whippet or tankette.

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## Njaco (Sep 5, 2014)

Thanks Wurger. And I removed that bogus PZL-24 reference. All these pics were taken on the day posted - as much as I can verify with any accuracy!


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## Wurger (Sep 5, 2014)

No problemo Njaco. A couple of years ago I read that the German pilots were said that the most dangerous Polish fighter they could meet with , was the PZL P-24. Unfortunately the plane was produced for export only. To make the assambling of the plane easier many of main parts of the PZL P-11C was used. As a result both of planes were very similar. And the fear doubles all.


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## parsifal (Sep 6, 2014)

*03 SEPTEMBER 1939
Declarations of war* - Great Britain and France declared war on Germany at 1115 and 1700, 03 September 1939 respectively. Australia, New Zealand, and British India also declared war.

*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ML HMS HAMPTON (M-19), Minelayer HMS Shepperton (M-83)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer NAPHTHA SHIPPER (UK 5897 grt)* was seized by German forces at Hamburg and renamed ALTENGAMME in German service.

Fishing Vessel (FV) *NORDSTRAND* (Den 30 grt) was sunk 70 miles west of Horn Reef Light by a mine.

_Loss of British liner Athenia_ –
U.30 torpedoed *Liner ATHENIA (UK 13,581 grt) *south of Rockall Bank.. Soon on the scene were DDs ELECTRA, ESCORT, American steamer CITY OF FLINT, Norwegian steamer KNUTE NELSON, and Swedish pleasure yacht SOUTHERN CROSS. Lost with ATHENIA, which sank on the 4th, were 93 passengers and 19 crew members. The 376 survivors were picked up by SOUTHERN CROSS and of these, 220 were transferred to CITY OF FLINT and the other 156 to the destroyers. KNUTE NELSON took the survivors to Galway and the rest were taken to Greenock. CITY OF FLINT later took 223 American survivors to Halifax, arriving on the 13th, and escorted into port by US Coast Guard cutters BIBB and CAMPBELL.

As ATHENIA was an unarmed passenger ship, the attack violated the Hague conventions and the London Naval Treaty of 1930 that allowed all warships including submarines to stop and search merchant vessels, but forbade capture as prize or sinking unless the ship was carrying contraband or engaged in military activity. Even if this was the case, and if it was decided to sink their ship, it was required that passengers and crew must be transferred to a "place of safety" as a priority. Especially true if the ship was not within a zone declared for unrestricted warfare, such as was the case for the ATHENIA. Although Germany had not signed the 1930 treaty, the German 1936 Prize Rules (_Prisenordnung_) which bound their naval commanders, copied most of its restrictions. Lemp of _U-30_ did none of these things, choosing instead to fire without warning. It remains an issue of intense disagreement.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Memel: U-57

At Sea 3 September 1939
U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-23, U-24, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,
40 Boats

U.12, U.36, U.56, U.59, U.58 were on a patrol line off Great Fisher Bank and U.13, U.15, U.17, U.21, U.23 in the southern North Sea. U.16, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd, laid mines in Tees Bay off Hartlepool on the 5th. Before returning to Wilhelmshaven on the 8th, she reconnoitred the approaches to Scapa Flow in the Pentland Firth. U.20 was on passage for patrol in the northern North Sea off Utsire. U.23, off Flamborough to lay mines, was recalled to Wilhelmshaven before the minefield was laid. They were laid by U.15 on the 6th. U.24 had departed Wilhelmshaven on the 2nd to lay mines off Dunkirk, but the operation was cancelled, and she returned to Kiel on the 5th.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
ORP DD WICHER and ML GRYF, along with other smaller Polish units, were anchored at Hela, when they were attacked and damaged by DKM DDs LEBERECHT MAAS and WOLFGANG ZENKER. MAAS sustained some damage and four dead from a shore based battery hit and the German ships were forced to withdraw without destroying the Polish ships. MAAS was repaired at Swinemünde, completing on the 10th.

Norwegian steamer BJORNVIK was damaged by gunfire from the German ships at Gdynia. Failing to deal with the Polish ships, the DKM DDs called in the LW which sank a number of Polish ships, listed as follows:

*DD WICHER (ORP 1540 grt)*, In the morning of 3 September 1939, while moored in harbour, GRYF and WICHER were attacked by two DKM DDs, Z! LEBERECHT MAAS and Z9 WOLFGANG ZENKER, firing at a range of 9 nautical miles. Polish warships and a shore battery repulsed the attack, with GRYF scoring two hits. After that the German squadron put up a smoke barrier and withdrew. Later that day WICHER, still in harbour, repulsed two air raids. However, in the third attack at approximately 1500 hrs she was attacked by two groups of planes. The LW scored four hits. Two bombs hit amidships, one hit the bow and the other was a near miss, yet managed to fracture the hull in several places on the starboard side. WICHER started to sink. The crew abandoned ship and made it ashore, where they joined the land defence of Pomerania. One sailor was killed and 22 wounded in the air attack.

In November 1939 the Germans raised the wreck and hauled it to shallow waters. They had the intention of was to be that she be raised, repaired and commissioned into the DKM under the name of SEEROSE. However, these plans were never carried out, and WICHER's wreck survived the war as a wreck.

After WWII, in 1946, she was again raised and hauled outside the port to the area of Jastarnia. There she served as a target for aerial bombardment practice until 1955. In 1963 she was finally scrapped.





*ML GRYF (ORP 2227 grt)*, was involved in the same combats as the WICHER scoring at least two hits on the German ships. In the third air attack she suffered two bomb hits and caught fire. The ship burned for two days the fires were finally extinguished and crews reboarded to salvage two of the main armament guns. These were finally able to re-enter action on the 30th September. The Germans used her as a target after the surrender.





*Jaskolka Class MSW MEWA (ORP 183 grt)*, after being hit and damaged 1 september was again hit and this tie sank at her moorings on the 3rd September, succumbing to LW attacks.




_ORP MSWs RYBITWA, CZAJKA, MEWA, JASKÓŁKA; so-called birdies (ptaszki)._

*Gunboat GENERAL HALLER (ORP 342 grt) *On 1 September 1939, the ship was patrolling the port of Gdynia, where she was damaged by the LW. On 2 September, the gunboat was sent to the naval port at Hel. There she was turned into a floating battery, until on 3 September, after major bomb damage, all the guns were stripped and added to the defences on land. She was left floating until the wreck was finally sunk on 6 September

Polish submarine WILK laid twenty mines east of Hela at 54-31N, 18-48E.

*North Sea*
_British East Coast_ –
Coastal ML PLOVER laid mines off Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth in Operation BRM.

DDs BROKE, WANDERER, WHITEHALL from DesFlot 15 departed Rosyth for patrol. WANDERER and WHITEHALL carried out an anti-submarine sweep off Blyth, both destroyers arriving at Scapa Flow on the 4th.

*Trawler SOPHIE BUSSE (Ger 215 grt)* was seized by British forces at Grimsby and renamed ELSIE CAM in British service.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Destroyer WITCH of DesFlot 17 departed Rosyth for Harwich on 31 August. The remainder of the flotilla was at Milford Haven in the west for escort duties

DD WHITLEY and sloop PELICAN departed Harwich on the 3rd

*Steamer POMONA (Ger 3457 grt)* was seized by British forces at London. Although the crew set her on fire, the ship was saved and renamed EMPIRE MERCHANT in British service. In allied service the ship was renamed EMPIRE MERCHANT and was lost 16 august 1940 to U-100.





_Humber Force_ –
CLs GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and DDs JERVIS, JACKAL, JAVELIN, JERSEY had departed the Humber on the 1st and were sweeping off the Norwegian coast for German shipping. DD JANUS and JUNO arrived in the Humber for operations on the 3rd after completing their work ups. Destroyer JUPITER was at Grimsby repairing defects and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th. The Humber Force arrived at Rosyth on the 7th after this patrol.

_British North Sea submarine patrols_
Patrols began off Horn Reef, in the approaches to the Kiel Canal and Wilhelmshaven, and on the extension of the Montrose-Obrestad air patrol line - the last sixty miles of which was beyond the range of the Anson aircraft then in service.

Operating off the Norwegian coast and stationed twelve miles apart were 2nd Flotilla submarines SEAHORSE, which had departed from Dundee on 24 August, SPEARFISH from Portland on 25 August, STURGEON from Portland on 27 August, SWORDFISH, also from Dundee. SPEARFISH was attacked by a U-boat on the 3rd but dived when torpedo tracks were seen and escaped unharmed.

STURGEON was bombed by friendly aircraft at 1620 and 1642 on the 4th but was not damaged.

SEAHORSE was also attacked by friendly aircraft, a RAF Coastal Command Anson of 233 Squadron, east of Dundee, at 2007/5th. She sustained minor damage, a claim made by the aircraft, but the Anson herself crashed into the River Eden because of fuel leaking from a damaged tank. The crew were rescued from their dinghy.

Submarines STERLET, OXLEY, and TRITON departed Dundee on patrol on 3, 4, and 5 September, respectively.

Submarines H.32, L.26, L.27, UNDINE, UNITY, URSULA of the 6th Flotilla departed Blyth on 31 August for patrols in the Heligoland Bight, being withdrawn for refuelling at dusk on the 11th and arriving back at Blyth after dawn on the 13th.

_German minelaying operations_
DKM CLs EMDEN, KÖLN, KÖNIGSBERG, LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG and sloop GRILLE covered minelaying operations from Terschelling 150 miles northward into the Heligoland Bight. DD HANS LODY was damaged on the 4th by an explosion of her anti-sweep device while loading mines. Her stern was damaged.

There was a minelaying operation on the 4th with three groups: First group – KÖLN, KÖNIGSBERG and DDs DIETHER VON ROEDER and HANS LÜDEMAN; second group - sloop GRILLE with DDs HERMANN KÜNNE and KARL GALSTER; third group - MLs COBRA and ROLAND with DDs ERICH GIESE and THEODOR RIEDEL.

Minefield F (Martha Hans) was laid by COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL from Cuxhaven on the 4th, where they returned after the operation.




_Aux ML COBRA_

*Northern Patrol*
_Home Fleet_
Adm Forbes was some 400 miles west of the Hebrides having just completed a sweep to the west to cover the trade routes with his battlefleet and DDs were SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN (defects corrected), ESKIMO, PUNJABI, TARTAR of DesFlot 6 and FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND of DesFlot 8. ASHANTI and SOMALI had refuelled at Scapa Flow on the 2nd and the rest of the DDs departed earlier on the 3rd, also after refuelling at Scapa.

DDs MASHONA and MATABELE of the DesFlot 6 and FAME, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY of DesFlot 8 departed Scapa Flow that evening to join Forbes at sea., FORESTER and FURY carried out ASW attacks at 2140, WNW of Rockall.

Adm Forbes was also looking for German liner BREMEN which was known to have departed New York on 30 August.

DD SOMALI did capture *steamer HANNAH BOGE (Ger 2372 grt)* which had departed Shediac Bay in New Brunswick on 26 August. She was intercepted in the Northern Patrol area whilst running for home, taken to Kirkwall, arriving on the 5th, and later renamed CROWN ARUN in British service.






The admiralty produced a report that evening at 1840, on German warships leaving Schillig Roads, the Home Fleet was deployed to the east of the Fair Isle Channel, arriving on station at 0600 on the 5th.

During the evening of 3 September, destroyer ESKIMO experienced a turbine problem and was returning to Scapa Flow alone when she encountered FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE and FOXHOUND. She was at first taken for German, but no shots were fired and the encounter ended uneventfully. ESKIMO safely arrived at Scapa Flow and the defects were corrected on the 11th.

*Northern Waters*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived at Scapa Flow, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, ESKIMO, TARTAR. DD VALOROUS and sloop ENCHANTRESS departed Rosyth on the 2nd for patrol in the Pentland Firth.

*Western Approaches*
In the Western Approaches Command, DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA of DesFlot 12 departed Portland for patrol on the 2nd. ENCOUNTER departed Portland on the 2nd to join sister ship ECLIPSE at Plymouth, and EXMOUTH and ESCAPADE, also of the 12th Flotilla departed Portland on the 3rd. DD KEITH of DesFlot 17 departed Plymouth on the 3rd.

*Channel*
DDs CODRINGTON, BASILISK, BEAGLE, BLANCHE, BOADICEA, BOREAS, BRAZEN, BRILLIANT departed Dover on 31 August for patrol in the Channel. The patrols were divided into two sectors - a north patrol area between Goodwin Sands and Sandetti Bank, and a south patrol area between the South Goodwins and Ruytingen Bank.

DDs MALCOLM, VANSITTART, WIVERN, of DesFlot 16 arrived at Le Havre on the 3rd.

*Central Atlantic*
CLs CAPETOWN and COLOMBO departed Gibraltar for patrol west of Portugal and arrived back on the 12th.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL DANAE departed Freetown for Simonstown, arriving on the 11th.

CL AJAX sailed from Rio de Janiero on 30 August and on the 3rd in 33‑30S, 53‑30W captured *Steamer OLINDA (Ger 4576 grt)* which had departed Montevideo on the 2nd. As AJAX could not spare a prize crew, OLINDA was sunk with scuttling charges after the crew was placed aboard British tanker SAN GERALDO. AJAX had the distinction of firing the first British shots of the war.





*Pacific/Australia*
_Australian Navy_
The Imperial war telegram was received in Canberra at 2150. It read; ‘Total Germany, repeat, total Germany’. At 2115 in a radio broadcast, Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced; ‘It is my melancholy duty to inform you officially, that in consequence of a persistence by Germany in her invasion of Poland, Great Britain has declared war upon her and that as a result, Australia is also at war’.

LCDR E.A. Feldt, RAN, was appointed Staff Officer, (Intelligence), at Port Moresby. Feldt directed the Coastwatcher organisation in Papua and New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, until relieved because of ill health in 1943.

The strength of the RAN at the commencement of hostilities in WWII was 2 CAs, ; 4 CLs; 5 DDs, 2 sloops; 1 survey vessel, 2 AMCs. Three liners, MORETON BAY, ARAWA, and KANIMBLA, were converted into armed merchant cruisers and manned by Australians, but as units of the RN. Eight smaller vessels were requisitioned and equipped as minesweepers. The permanent naval forces totalled 5440 and the reserve naval forces totalled 4819 personnel

CA CANBERRA departed Garden Island, Sydney for patrol late on the 2nd, followed by CL HOBART and DD VOYAGER on the 3rd. HOBART patrolled the trade route between Gabo Island and Wilson's Promontory and VOYAGER in the vicinity of Cape Howe. DD VENDETTA, also after departing Garden Island, and on patrol 100 miles east of Port Stephens sighted steamer SPEYBANK, but could not intercept.. DD VAMPIRE was on patrol off Cape Otway looking for Italian steamer ROMOLO which later arrived at Brisbane.
Sloops SWAN and YARRA carried out ASW sweeps off Sydney.


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## Njaco (Sep 6, 2014)

*6 September 1939 Wednesday
POLAND: *German troops captured the Upper Silesian industrial area in Poland. The German 10.Armee (Reichenau) continues to lead the advance, having already penetrated to the east of Lodz. Armored spearheads of the German forces capture Tomaszow and Kielce, southwest of Warsaw. Krakow is taken by troops of the German 14.Armee (List). The Polish government and supreme command leave Warsaw. The government is relocating to the region of Luck-Kremieniec, while the supreme command moves to Brzesko on the Bug River. The Polish supreme command issues orders for all Poles capable of fighting, in and out of uniform, to retire to the line of the Narew, Vistula and San rivers. Meanwhile, Hitler visits the headquarters of the German XIX Panzerkorps (Guderian), on the northeastern front.

The Stukas of 4(st.)./TrGr 186 return to Hage on the North Sea coast from East Prussia and fly another mission – their last - over the seaport of Hela. The Polish gunboat ‘_General Haller_’ is sunk and her sister ship lying alongside of her, ‘_Komendant Pilsudki’_ is so badly damaged that she is scuttled on 1 October.

The Polish Pursuit Brigade shot down a total of 43 German bombers over the past few days, while anti-artillery units have shot down a similar number of enemy aircraft. The Poles have 9 unconfirmed victories, and damaged 20 German planes.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* German aircraft attacked Great Britain for the first time.

The Royal Navy forms the Northern Patrol consisting of 8 cruisers. The first British eastern convoy sails.

The first Royal Air Force fighter pilot is killed during the War. Two RAF Spitfires shoot down 2 RAF Hurricanes in error during the first air raid warning, which turns out to be false. The incident becomes known as the "Battle of Barking Creek."

Rates of pay in the RAN were:- Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class, (under 17 years of age), 1/9d per day; Able Seaman, 7/- per day; Chief Petty Officer 11/- per day. Rates for tradesmen were at a higher scale:- Chief Mechanician 1st Class, Chief Engineroom Artificer, and Chief Shipwright 1st Class, 14/6d per day. A marriage allowance of 4/6d for the wife, and 3/- for the first child, 2/- for the second, and 1/6d for the third and all others, was also paid. _(info provided by parsifal)_

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## parsifal (Sep 6, 2014)

*04 SEPTEMBER 1939
UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-23

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-3, U-4

At Sea 04 September 1939 
U-3, U-4, U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-24, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,
41 Boats
*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Coaster LIANNE (Ger 125 grt)* was lost between Graverne, Sweden, and Hamburg about this time. She reportedly scuttled herself after sighting British CLs GLASGOW and SOUTHAMPTON sweeping in the area. However, it appears she was lost in a German minefield on the 7th, as reported by Greek steamer KOSTI herself damaged earlier in the same field. There were no survivors from LIANNE.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ORP submarine SEP on patrol east of Hela fired two torpedoes at DKM MSW M.4 of the MSWFlot 4. M.4 was not hit, counter-attacked with depth charges and damaged SEP. Notwithstanding the damage the Polish submarine was able to continue her patrol.

DKM MLs HANSESTADT DANZIG and TANNENBERG, escorted by R Boats of MSWFlot 5 laid minefield Undine II the southern entrance to the Sound. Training ship BRUMMER, escorted by MSWs M.75, M.84, and M.85, laid minefield Undine III. On the 5th, TANNENBERG laid Undine I.

ML PREUSSEN laid mines in minefield Grosser Bar at the entrance to the Great Belt. Greek steamer KOSTI was damaged on a mine in this field, two miles SE of Falsterbo Light Vessel after ignoring warnings from German patrol boats.

*North Sea*
RAF attacks on German naval units were carried out at Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel. Five Blenheims each of Nos 107, 110, and 139 Squadrons and six Wellington bombers each of Nos 49 and 83 targetted Schillig Roads, while six Wellingtons of 9 Squadron and eight from 149 Squadron targetted Brunsbüttel. BCss SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU at Brunsbüttel were attacked but escaped any damage.

At Wilhelmshaven, CL EMDEN, just entering port followed by U.23, was damaged by splinters from two near misses and a Blenheim crashing into her bows. Nine crew were killed but EMDEN was completely repaired by the 16th.

At Schillig Roads, CS ADMIRAL SCHEER was hit by three 250 pound bombs which failed to explode and caused no damage. SCHEER had problems with her main engines, but was ready for sea by 10 October. She continued to have difficulties and started an extensive overhaul in February 1940 lasting into October 1940. DD DIETHER VON ROEDER, next to SCHEER was near missed, but not damaged.

Of the aircraft involved, ten, including all five of 139 Squadron failed to find the target and returned to base, one bombed Esbjerg, Denmark, and three attacked HM ships in the North Sea without success. Losses amounted to seven - two Wellingtons of 9 Squadron, four Blenheims of 107 Squadron, and one Blenheim of 110 Squadron shot down.

DD JACKAL attacked a submarine contact NE of Flamborough Head U.13 laid mines off Orfordness during the night of 4/5 September. Two merchant ships were sunk and one damaged in this field. U.17 laid mines in the Downs coastline. DDs assigned to the Eastern Area for the Polish campaign transferred to the North Sea to cover minelayers laying the "West Wall" minefield in the Heligoland Bight.

German MTB S.17 of S-Boat Flot 2 was badly damaged by rough seas during Nth Sea operations, paid off on the 8th and used for spares. A number of other S-boats were less severely damaged in these operations.

*Steamer JOHANNES MOLKENBUHR (Ger 5294 grt)* was intercepted by SOUTHAMPTON and scuttled herself 17 miles west of Stadlandet. DD JERVIS took off the crew, landing them at Invergordon on the 6th, while JERSEY finished off the sinking ship.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
DD FORTUNE attacked a U-Boat contact 30 miles south of Munken Rock

*Northern Waters*
BBs ROYAL OAK and ROYAL SOVEREIGN departed Scapa Flow, escorted by DDs BROKE WANDERER, WHITEWALL for patrol in the North Sea. WANDERER attacked a U-Boat contact 90 miles east of the Orkneys, SE f Sumburgh Head, and rejoined the escort on the. DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY departed Scapa Flow on the 5th and joined the BBs on the 6th. The force returned to Scapa Flow on the 6th.

*Channel*
DD ACHERON departed Portland with a MA/SB on ASW exercises with submarine H.31. Later that day at 1350, DD KELLY, which was working up nearby in Weymouth Bay, reported being attacked by a submarine which turned out to be the H-31. KELLY and ACHERON attacked a contact at 1550. H.31 was not damaged.

DD WESSEX carried out two ASW attacks off Eddystone Light during the day. CV COURAGEOUS departed Plymouth at 0845 on ASW patrol with DDs ANTHONY, ACASTA, AMAZON, ARDENT. Destroyer ECLIPSE attacked a U-boat contact near COURAGEOUS off the Eddystone. After the attack, she joined the screen. ECLIPSE made another attack that evening. The force returned to Plymouth the same day..

DD CODRINGTON, French TB L'INCOMPRISE and a French seaplane attacked a submarine contact off Gravelines.
DDs VENOMOUS, WREN, DesFlot 16 embarked an advance party of the GHQ of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), arriving at Cherbourg and disembarked their troops that evening, returning to Portsmouth on the 5th. Steamer BLAIRBEG was abandoned after a U-Boat attack, although no damage was done. DD WALKER attacked a contact SW of The Smalls, now with VANQUISHER stood by the steamer while the crew re-embarked and continued their passage to Glasgow.

*Med/Biscay*
CA SUSSEX and DDs COSSACK_,_ MAORI, NUBIAN, ZULU departed Alexandria to relieve CL ARETHUSA and her DDs on patrol. The patrol was discontinued on the 7th, and SUSSEX was instructed to send her DDs to convoy Green 1.

*Nth Atlantic
Steamer CHRISTOPH V DOORNUM (Ger 3751 grt)* was seized by RCN at Botwood, Newfoundland, and renamed EMPIRE COMMERCE in British service.





*Sth Atlantic
Steamer CARL FRITZEN (Ger 6594 grt)* had departed Rotterdam on 10 August for Buenas Aires. She was due to make landfall off Cabo Polonio on the 4th, but was intercepted by CL. As with OLINDA on the 3rd, AJAX was forced to scuttle CARL FRITZEN.





*Pacific/Australia*
HMAS KURUMBA, (fleet oiler), was commissioned.

*05 SEPTEMBER 1939
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ASW Trawler KINGSTON TURQUOISE (4.91)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ASW Trawler NORTERN ISLES (4.25)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.47 sank *steamer BOSNIA (UK 2407 grt)* to the north of Cape Finisterre whilst on passage from Licata, Sicily, to Liverpool. A crew of 33 was embarked, 1 of whom would be lost in the attack. The ship was transporting sulphur when hit. At 0815 hrs the unescorted BOSNIAwas stopped by U-47 with gunfire about 120 miles NNW of Cape Ortegal and sunk at 0938 hrs by one torpedo.Survivors were picked up by Norwegian tanker EIDANGER and taken to Lisbon. They returned to England in steamer HIGHLAND BRIGADE.





U.48 sank *steamer ROYAL SCEPTRE (UK 4853 grt)* NW of Cape Finisterre, whilst on passage from Rosario to Belfast. Carrying wheat and maize. A crew of 33 was embarked, 1 of whom would perish in the attack. At 1200 hrs U-48 opened fire with the deck gun for 25 minutes at the unescorted ROYAL SCEPTRE about 300 miles NW of Cape Finisterre. The ship had sent distress signals when the U-boat was sighted and tried to escape. She was sunk by a coup de grace at 1338 hrs after the crew had abandoned ship in the lifeboats. The master was killed and nine crew members were wounded by gunfire. The PETROFINA and the Danish motor ship ERRIA heard the distress signals and searched for survivors, but they had been picked up by the BROWNING and landed at Bahia, Brazil on 26 September. The ship had been stopped by the U-boat at 1505 hours the same day. The crew first abandoned ship in panic, but they were ordered to reboard their vessel and to pick up the survivors of ROYAL SCEPTRE.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-24

At Sea 05 September 1939
U-3, U-4, U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Polish submarine WILK on patrol in the Baltic was damaged by DCs dropped from a DKM MSW of MSWFlot 1, but was able to continue patrol.

*North Sea*
Minefield A (Martha Ida) was also laid DKM ships COBRA, ROLAND, GIESE and RIEDEL sailing from Cuxhaven on the 5th.

Sloop PELICAN was involved in a minor collision with steamer STARLING in the Thames, but was able to continue her duties.

Three torpedoes were fired at CLs SOUTHAMPTON and GLASGOW 20 miles north of Utvaer, which were in company with DDs JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS. SOUTHAMPTON carried out her own DC attack.

German steamer FREIBURG (5165grt) had departed El Ferrol on 29 August disguised as Russian steamer EBRO and now reached Bergen, before continuing and arriving safely at Kiel on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
While entering Scapa Flow to refuel, DD MATABELE found Switha Gate closed and instead headed through the emergency gate, running aground in the process and damaging her propellers. She was refloated by the boom vessels that evening, and departed on the 6th for repairs at Chatham.

DD SOMALI operating with BC HOOD attacked a submarine contact in Fair Isle Channel. DD FURY, also in company, dropped DCs.

*West Coast*
Sloop KINGFISHER attacked a submarine contact off Ailsa Craig in the Clyde estuary.

_Convoy GC.1_
Eleven passenger liners departed the Clyde escorted by DDs VIVACIOUS, VANESSA, VANQUISHER, WAKEFUL. As they headed south, they were joined by DDs VERITY, VOLUNTEER, WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE of DesDiv 30 sailing from Milford Haven.

BB RAMILLIES and DDs EXMOUTH and ESCAPADE departed Portland on the 5th to join them as the ocean escort group.

*Channel*
DD BLANCHE made an attack on U.17 laying mines off the North Goodwins. After investigating the area, a floating mine was sighted 8½ miles north of the Goodwins and the minefield reported back.

DD SHIKARI departed Devonport and arrived at Portsmouth the same day.

DD STURDY departed Devonport escorting outward-bound American steamer CAPPER, and arrived back on the 6th.

DDs KEITH, VENETIA, WESSEX, investigating a submarine contact off Eddystone, carried out an attack.

Fr Contretorpilleurs JAGUAR, LÉOPARD, and PANTHÈRE of Fr DesDiv 2 departed Brest, called at Cherbourg and arrived at Dunkirk on the 7th to cover ML ops off the Pas de Calais. PANTHÈRE arrived three hours after the first two after suffering a propeller problem en route.

*Med/Biscay*
DD WRESTLER sent Yugoslav steamer JURKO TOPIC, carrying a cargo of bauxite for Germany, into Gibraltar for contraband control - the first ship sent into Gibraltar during the war.

*Central Atlantic*
U.40 unsuccessfully attacked an Allied convoy west of Gibraltar.

DDs HUNTER, HYPERION and sloop BRIDGEWATER attacked a submarine contact 24 miles west of Cape Sierra Leone Light House. DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR departed Freetown for South America Station.

*Steamer INN (ger 2867 grt) *departed Belem on 25 August for Hamburg and on the 5th, was captured by CL NEPTUNE 400 miles SW of Teneriffe, Canary Islands. After the crew was taken off, INN was scuttled and NEPTUNE arrived at Dakar on the 8th.





*Pacific/Australia*
CA AUSTRALIA caught fire alongside the dock, at Garden Island Sydney. A brazier of burning pitch was overturned, setting alight the deck and destroying a 27 foot whaler.

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## Lucky13 (Sep 6, 2014)

Another top thread Chris!
Maybe it's time to be Knighted, Sir Pop-Tart Whisperer?
Agree, can you bacon the whole thread??


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## vikingBerserker (Sep 6, 2014)

Another awesome thread!


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## Njaco (Sep 7, 2014)

*7 September 1939 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The first British Atlantic convoys set out. The convoy system has already been reintroduced on the East Coast. Although escorts can only be provided as far as 12.5 degrees west, they do provide effective protection against U-Boats. Many of the faster ships and some particularly slow ones do not sail in convoy at this stage or later in the war. During 1939, almost all U-Boat successes are from such "independents." 

*POLAND:* The Polish naval base at Westerplatte, a enclave in Danzig, surrenders after renewed German bombardment after being besieged since September 1st. At 04:30 Germans opened fire again at Westerplatte while flamethrowers decimated Guardhouse 2 and damaged 1 and 4. According to Polish Captain Mieczyslaw Slaby the WST Medical Officer, the garrison is running out of water and medical supplies and he is unable to provide medical care to his soldiers. At 09:45 the white flag appeared. The Polish garrison at Westerplatte has surrendered to the Germans after enduring a week of vicious fighting. Since the initial attack by the '_Schleswig-Holstein_' on September 1st a small Polish garrison led by Major Henryk Sucharski were heroic in their ability to repell German attacks and managed to maintain control of the Gdansk Post Office enclave for several days before losing it to the Germans. After capitulation the Germans arrested wireless operator Kazimierz Rasinski and interrogated him. He was executed moments later for his refusal to reveal Polish radio codes.

The city of Lwow, an important cultural center located in eastern Poland is in danger of a German assault. Polish General Wladylsaw Langner urgently started plans to defend the city. Initially Polish forces were to defend the Belzec, Rawa Ruska, Magierow line against the advancing Germans. No defence was considered for Lwow, as the Polish Command assumed the city was safe deep behind Polish lines, and that Lwow was too important to be risked in warfare.

The Polish command decides that it will be impossible to hold the line of the Narew River although the order to do so has only been in force for one day. The forces in the Narew area are to retire to the Bug River.

The German battleship ‘_Schleswig-Holstein_’ begins daily bombardment of Hela, a Polish naval base. German troops captured Kraków, Poland. Over 3,000 soldiers of the Grupa Obrony Wybrzeza (Polish Defense Group) unit under Kapitan Stanislaw Zwartynski, defended the area despite overwhelming odds.

As the German Army advances so do the Luftwaffe aircrews. On this date Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 moves from its airfields at Juliusburg and settle at a new airbase at Gleiwitz.

*GERMANY:* The maiden flight of the first production Junkers Ju 88 A-1 bomber is made.

Hitler meets with Admiral Erich Raeder, Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine, and orders that;


> "…in order not to provoke neutral countries, the United States in particular, it is forbidden to torpedo passenger steamers, even when sailing in convoy. Warfare against French merchant ships, attacks on French warships and mine laying off French ports is prohibited."


 The order is in response to the sinking of the “_Athenia_”. Concurrently the German government decreed the death penalty for anyone "endangering the defensive power of the German people."

British planes bomb the German island of Sylt, north of the western end of the Kiel Canal.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French patrols cross the frontier into Germany near Saarbrucken, marking the beginning of the Saar offensive. A total of 11 divisions advance along a 32 km frontage. There is negligible German opposition. The French mobilization is too slow and their tactical system too inflexible to permit any grander offensive operation. These gentle probes continue until September 17th when a larger advance is supposed to be made but is in fact cancelled because the Polish collapse makes it pointless.

General Viscount Gort, VC, is appointed to command the British Expeditionary Force.



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## parsifal (Sep 7, 2014)

*06 SEPTEMBER 1939
Losses*
U.38 sank *steamer MANAAR (UK 7242 grt)* NW of Cape St Vincent. The ship was on passage from Liverpool to Rangoon. A crew of 70 were embarked of which 7 crewmen were lost. A cargo of agricultural goods and govt stores was embarked. The survivors of the attack were rescued by Dutch steamer MARS, Italian liner CASTELBIANCO and Portuguese liner CARVALHO ARAUJO. DesFlot 3, less ICARUS and INTREPID, reached the area from Gibraltar on the 7th to protect shipping and hunt for submarines. INTREPID sailed to join them on the 9th. The details of the attack are that at 0600 hrs the unescorted MANAAR was ordered to stop by U-38 (Liebe) with a shot across her bow about 70 miles SW of Cape da Roca, but the ship began sending distress signals and fired back with her stern gun as the U-boat opened fire. After five hits on the vessel, killing seven crew members, the survivors abandoned ship in four lifeboats. At 0720 hrs, the U-boat fired a G7a torpedo that detonated prematurely in about 400 metres distance. Ten minutes later, a second coup de grace was fired that hit the ship underneath the bridge, shortly thereafter followed by a second torpedo at about the same place, both without much apparent effect. However, the ship then broke in two and sank after being hit by a third coup de grace at 0744 hrs.





U.47 sank *steamer RIO CLARO (UK 4086 grt)* SW of Ireland whilst the ship was on passage from Sunderland to Montevideo with a load of coal and a crew of 41, all of whom were rescued. The details of the attack are that At 1418 hrs, U-47 tried to stop the unescorted and unarmed RIO CLARO NW of Cape Ortegal by flag signals but the steamer sent distress signals, even after a shot across the bow was fired. So three shots from the deck gun were fired into the bridge. After that the crew abandoned ship and was questioned before the ship was sunk by a torpedo at 1440 hrs. The master and 40 crew members were picked up by the Dutch steam merchant STAD MAASTRICHT and landed at Fayal on 11 September.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U.13

Swinemünde; U.14
Kiel: U.36

At Sea 06 September 1939 
U-3, U-4, U-6, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-12, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,

37 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs JERVIS and JAVELIN attacked a submarine contact off Aberdeen. ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA, BURZA, GROM, departed Rosyth for Plymouth, arriving on the 9th. On passage through the Minches on the 7th in 56-55N, 07-05W, they depth charged a submarine contact.

DD SABRE departed Rosyth escorting steamer SHOAL FISHER (698grt).

U.15 laid a minefield off Flamborough (Yorkshire) during the night of 5/6 September which sank two merchant ships.

DDs JACKAL, JANUS, JUNO departed the Humber to meet Norwegian steamer BATAVIA in the North Sea bringing back the British Berlin Embassy staff from Rotterdam. JACKAL and JANUS made ASW attacks in the Thames Estuary. DD BEAGLE made two attacks on a submarine contact off North Foreland.

_Humber Force_
The two cruisers and four DDs arrived at Rosyth to boiler clean after operations in the Nth Sea.

_Convoy, FS.1_
The first of the Methil-to-Thames convoys, FS.1, departed the Firth of Forth, escorted by DD BROKE and sloops BITTERN, ENCHANTRESS, and arrived at Southend on the 8th.

*Northern Patrol*
The Patrol began with the 7th and 12th Cruiser Squadrons given the task of enforcing the British blockade and contraband work. Due to the age of the cruisers and arduous nature of the North Atlantic, only an average of three cruisers were stationed between Iceland and the Faroes, and two to the south of the Faroes. More ships were needed and armed merchant cruisers began to be assigned in mid-October.

*Northern Waters*
The Home Flt returned to Scapa Flow to refuel after completing the patrol begun on 31 August. CA NORFOLK, which departed Devonport on the 3rd, arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting.

CL AURORA was relieved by CA NORFOLK CruSqn 18. AURORA continued to serve at Scapa Flow as flagship to Rear Admiral Destroyers, Home Fleet. DD FEARLESS departed Scapa Flow for Haugesand to embark the Polish political mission and shortly after leaving, attacked a submarine contact off the Orkneys. FEARLESS reached Haugesand on the 7th and embarked the political mission.

*West Coast*
DDs ELECTRA, ESCORT, FAME departed Greenock after landing the survivors from steamer ATHENIA.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy GC.1_
On the 6th DDs ECLIPSE and ENCOUNTER left Plymouth to join them at sea, and all met up with the local escort NW of the Scillies on the 6th. The Clyde DDs then detached and returned.

The ocean escort destroyers made a number of attacks on suspected U boat contacts.

*Channel*
CVL HERMES departed Portland escorted by DDs KEMPENFELT, ACASTA, AMAZON, ANTELOPE, ARDENT to cover the first BEF troop convoy, arriving at Devonport on the 6th.





*Med/Biscay*
CL ARETHUSA and DDs HARDY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO, HOSTILE arrived at Alexandria. DDs GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM departed Alexandria for Malta for convoy duty with convoy GC.1 and French convoy L.2.

*Nth Atlantic*
_US Neutrality Patrol_
The United States instituted the Patrol around the territorial United States.

*Central Atlantic*
Fr CL JEANNE D’ARC and submarine SURCOUF, escorting a merchant ship, arrived at Barranquilla, Colombia, to embark French citizens for transport home for military service.

*Sth Atlantic*
_Declaration of war_
South Africa declared war on Germany.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DDs AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK, SIKH departed Port Said to return to Alexandria after a brief stay in the Red Sea.

CL LIVERPOOL departed Masirah island in the Arabian Sea and arrived at Aden on the 8th.

*07 SEPTEMBER 1939
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Kingfisher class PV later Corvette HMS SHEARWATER (L39, later K-39)





*Losses*
U-33 sank *Steamer OLIVEGROVE (UK 4060 grt)* in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Puerto Rico to London with a cargo of sugar. A crew of 33 was aboard, all of whom would survive. The details of the attack are that at 1555 hrs the OLIVEGROVE was hit by one torpedo from U-33 and sank about 420 miles WSW of Lands End. The ship had been stopped at 1410 hrs by a shot across her bow and the crew was allowed to abandon ship in two lifeboats, despite of having sent a distress message. The U-boat stayed with the lifeboats and fired distress rockets to guide the American passenger ship WASHINGTON to the boats after the ship had heard the distress call. The master and 32 crew members were picked up by the liner and landed at Southampton on 9 September.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-34 sank *Steamer PUKKASTAN (UK 5809 grt)* in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Capetown to Rotterdam via Devonport with a cargo of primary produce. A crew of 35 was aboard, all of whom would survive. The details of the attack are that at 1250 hrs the unescorted PUKKASTAN was stopped by U-34 with two shots across her bow SW of the Bishop Rock. After the crew abandoned ship, she was sunk by a coup de grace at 1331 hrs. The crew was rescued by the BILDERDIJK.





U-47 sank *Steamer GARTAVON (UK 1777 grt)* in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Sete (Tunis) to the Clyde with a cargo of iron ore. A crew of 25 was aboard, all of whom would survive the attack. At 1747 hrs the unescorted GARTAVON was sunk by gunfire by U-47 260 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre. All hands were picked up by the CASTOR and landed at Horta, Azores on 11 September.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Swinemünde: U-18

Departures
Kiel: U-10, U-36
Swinemünde: U-14

At Sea 07 September 1939
U-3, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-12, U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59,

38 Boats

10 German submarines on patrol in the Atlantic were ordered to return to Germany for replenishment

U.10 departed Kiel to patrol in the Kattegat, returning on the 17th, U.14 departed Swinemünde, while U.18 arrived there and departed later that day for Kiel, arriving on the 8th.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
On the 7th, the Gulf of Danzig U-boats were ordered to the North Sea.

German steamer ALBERT departed Bergen on the 5th. Although challenged by DD FEARLESS off Kristiansand on the 7th, she was able to escape into Norwegian waters and arrived safely at Hamburg on the 11th.

The Polish Westerplatte fortifications, at which DKM Pre-Dreadnought SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN had fired the first shots of the war, fell to German forces, and the bombardment of the fort ceased.

Polish submarine RYS laid ten mines off the Vistula Estuary at 54-42N, 19-04E.

U.22 in the Baltic unsuccessfully attacked Polish submarine ZBIK on patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs JERVIS and JERSEY attacked a U-Boat contact off Fidra island, Firth of Forth.

_Convoy, FN.1_
The first of the Thames-to-Methil coastal convoys, FN.1, departed the Thames Estuary, escorted by DDs WHITLEY, WITCH and sloop PELICAN, and arrived at Methil on the 9th.

DD JACKAL attacked a submarine contact in the Thames Estuary.

*Steamer VEGESACK (Ger 4061 grt)*, which had departed Santa Marta, Colombia, on 17 August, was lost when she ran aground off Jaeren, near Flatoe in the Stavanger area.
*



*

*Northern Waters*
Adm Forbes returned to sea with BBs NELSON and RODNEY, BC REPULSE, CV ARK ROYAL, CLs AURORA, SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, FURY, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, PUNJABI, SOMALI, TARTAR. DDs ESKIMO and MATABELE remained in port to repair defects and FAME, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FOXHOUND standing by at Scapa Flow. FIREDRAKE attacked a U-Boat contact that evening at dusk. FORESIGHT returned on the 8th with defects, and ASHANTI had turbine problems, arrived at Greenock on the 8th and repaired at the Denny yard at Dunbarton from the12th to 27th.

The force patrolled off the Norwegian coast as far north as 63° north to intercept any German shipping and returned to Scapa Flow on the 10th without any results partly due to poor visibility.

ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and BURZA attacked a U-Boat contact 10 miles south of Uist.

*SW Approaches*
U.37 unsuccessfully attacked steamer DEFENDER 170 miles SW from Cape Finisterre. steamer RICHMOND HILL and tanker DE TAMAHA also reported being attacked by submarines (also U.37) 140 miles NW and 145 miles SW of Cape Finisterre, respectively.

*Channel*
On the 7th, DDs VENOMOUS, WREN, having completed one transfer on the 4th, again sailed from Portsmouth and joined a convoy which was escorted to Cherbourg. They arrived back at Portsmouth that morning.

DD BRAZEN attack a submarine contact off South Foreland. DD WREN departed Portsmouth and escorted submarine NARWHAL as far as 4W. DD SARDONYX departed Portsmouth escorting submarine OBERON to join a convoy at Orfordness on the 10th. DD STURDY departed Devonport on escort duty and arrived at Milford Haven on the 10th.

Steamer BEN LOWERS was attacked by a submarine off Land's End. DDs KEITH and VENETIA were sent to hunt for U-boat.

_Convoy, OA.1_
The first of the Thames through the Channel-to-Halifax convoys, OA.1, departed the Thames Estuary for Halifax. Escorting DDs ACASTA, AMAZON, ANTELOPE left Devonport on the 7th, passed DDs BASILISK, BRAZEN, BRILLIANT. At 1855 hrs that evening , the escort met the 17 ships of the convoy.

*Med/Biscay*
DesFlot 3 less ICARUS under repair at Malta, departed Malta on the 5th and arrived at Gibraltar on the 6th. The rest of the Flotilla, less INTREPID delayed by engine room defects at Gibraltar, departed on the 7th. INTREPID was able to sail on the 9th.

ILEX, IMOGEN, IMPERIAL, IVANHOE arrived at Plymouth on the 9th.

Convoying began with those proceeding east called "Green", westbound called "Blue" and troop convoys designated "Red". Escorted convoying continued only until 16 October and was completely abandoned on 2 December.

_Convoy AB.2 Slow(re-designated Green 1)_
Convoy AB.2 Slow departed Gibraltar with 25 merchant ships on the 7th. Redesignated Green 1, it was escorted by DDs DOUGLAS, VELOX, VIDETTE, VORTIGERN from the 7th to 10th

*Central Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Freetown from Plymouth, then departed for Rio de Janiero on the 9th, arriving on the 15th.

CA EXETER arrived at Rio de Janiero and on the 8th sailed for Montevideo.

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## Njaco (Sep 8, 2014)

*8 September 1939 Friday
CHARGE OF THE LUFTWAFFE
POLAND: *The German IV Panzerdivision, spearheading the German 10.Armee (Reichenau) reaches the Warsaw suburb of Ochota, in the southeast, late in the day (having advanced 225 km in 7 days). This rate of advance is almost unheard of and illustrates the power of the new Blitzkreig tactics. The weather is unseasonably dry and favours Hitler’s mobile troops. In the western section of Warsaw, Polish forces led by General Czuma have received 2 infantry divisions supported by 64 pieces of artillery, 33 tanks, 27 Vickers E 7 T-P and R-35, and 6 TK3 and TKS tankettes. Commander-in-Chief Edward Rydz-Smigly has ordered the creation of Armia Warszawa (Warsaw Army) under Polish General Juliusz Rommel, consisting of the armed forces which defended Warsaw and Modlin Fortress, as well as all Polish units called in from Narew and Vistula. General Czuma continues to be commander of the Warsaw Defence Force which is now split into two units covering the western and eastern sections of Praga suburb. General Czuma, broadcasts a defiant Order of the Day: "_We shall fight to the last ditch!_" Some 100,000 Polish civilians in Warsaw are engaged in digging trenches on the city outskirts. The defence units of Warsaw were joined by additional units from the Prusy Army as well as new units created out of the reserves of the Warsaw-based 8th Polish Infantry Division and 36th Academic Legion Infantry Division. 

The Army Poznan under General Kutrzeba and Army Pomorze under General Bortnowski launched fierce offensive on the left flank of German forces advancing towards Warsaw. In doing so, the Poles were able to buy themselves some time to reorganize their defence of Warsaw. The Germans withdrew the 4.Panzerdivision and sent it to counter the Polish positions near Kutno, and replaced the 4.Panzerdivision with a weakened German 31. Infanterie-Abteilung.

Meanwhile, other elements of the German 10.Armee are heavily engaged around Radom, only 60 miles south of Warsaw; about 60,000 Polish troops are encircled to the west of Radom.

The German 14.Armee (List) reaches the San River north and south of Przemysl.

In the north, the German XIX Panzerkorps (Guderian) is attacking along the line of the Bug River to the east of Warsaw.

The Polish air force decides it’s hopeless to continue. In the words of Polish Major Kalinowski;


> “The supply situation had become hopeless. More and more of our aircraft became unusable. There were no spare parts. Just a few bombers continued operating until the 16th. On the 17th the remaining serviceable planes received orders to withdraw to Rumania.”


 Stukas destroy the bridges over the river Vistula at Gora Kalwarja before the German 1.Panzerdivision has a chance to cross. Other Stuka Gruppen begin flying missions against Warsaw from advanced airbases at Tschenstochau and Kruszyna. The Luftwaffe has succeeded in halting traffic on all the major routes of Poznan – Kutno – Warsaw, Krakow – Radom – Deblin, Krakow – Tarnow – Lvov and all the connecting routes.

In the evening near the river at Ilza, soldiers of the Luftwaffe Flak divisions prevent the 16th Polish Division from reaching the Vistula and escaping. At one point in the battle, the bombardiers of 5th Battery’s III Platoon fix bayonets and charge the Polish lines in an action known as “*The Charge of the Luftwaffe*”. The battle lasts all night until tanks arrive to clean up the remnants of the Polish troops. The battle earns the nickname ‘The Night of Ilza’.

German pioneers remove a barricade at the Jasiolka Bridge in Jaslo, Poland. Several mines containing mustard gas explode, killing two, injuring twelve.

German troops burned 200 Jews alive in a synagogue and executed 30 Jews in the public square in Bedzin, Poland.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French and Moroccan troops surround the German town of Saarbrucken.

The first fighter verses fighter engagement over France occurs when three Bf 109E’s of I./JG 53 attack six Curtiss Hawk 75’s of the French Groupe de Chasse 11/4 over the Saarland. Two Bf 109’s are shot down, including that of Oblt. Werner ‘Vati’ Mölders, Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 53. Oblt. Mölders makes it back to German lines with injuries. Oblt. Mölders is the highest scoring pilot of the German Condor Legion that fought in Spain and has fourteen victories in the Spanish Civil War.

During an evening patrol over the Karlsruhe area, Lt. Paul Gutbrod of 11./JG 72 shoots down a Potez 637 recon plane, the first French airplane destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the Second World War. It also becomes the first claim by JG 72, soon to be renamed JG 52.

.



.


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## parsifal (Sep 8, 2014)

*The Polish Navy September 1939*

The outbreak of World War II caught the Polish Navy off guard and in a state of expansion. Polish Naval commanders decided to withdraw main surface ships to Great Britain to join the Allied war effort and prevent them from being destroyed in a closed Baltic (the Peking Plan). On August 30, 1939, 3 destroyers (ORP BLYSKAWICA, GROM and ORP BURZA) sailed to the British naval base at Leith in Scotland. They then operated in combination with RN vessels against Germany. Also two submarines managed to flee from Baltic through the Danish straits to Great Britain during the Polish September Campaign (one of them, ORP Orzeł, made a daring escape from internment in Tallinn, Estonia, and traveled without maps). Three submarines were interned in Sweden, while remaining surface vessels were sunk by German aircraft.

On 1 September 1939, when Germans invaded Poland, The Polish Navy consisted of 1 old 19th century armoured cruiser, 4 DD, 5 SS, 1 ML and 6 MSWs, as well as 2 River GB and several other old or auxiliary vessels.

The Polish navy websitehas the following images of the Polish Navy in 1939





_Armoured Cruiser Baltyk. Sunk in September, she remained upright and visible after being abandoned and was bombed repeatedly by the LW_











_Polish Destroyers _






_ML GRYF_









_MSWs, Mostly employed as MLs_









_River G/Bs were sunk, raised and reused by the Germans in operations in SU_









_Polish submarines_

The naval bases and shore installations along the Baltic coast were defended by some 500 officers and 14,000 men of the Marines and Army detachments. Of these forces, the DDs BLYSKAWICA, BURZA and GROM were on their way to the British Isles under Operation "Peking". This hard decision of depriving the home waters of the major part of their defence had been made because of the hopeless position of these precious ships in the face of an overwhelming German superiority both on the sea and in the air. Of the remaining vessels DD WICHER was to be used in possible operations in the vicinity of Gdansk, and to act as screen for ML GRYF and the minelaying flotilla. When war began, the ML GRYF was in the naval base at Oksywie, the DD WICHER in Gdynia roads. GRYF received orders to lay mines On the first night of the war but before the order could be executed, a formation of enemy bombers attacked. GRYF and the MSW MEWA received direct hits. The ships were seriously damaged. For GRYF, the rudder jammed, the mines jumped the rails. GRYF was hit again two days later, in an artillery engagement between herself, the DD WICHER, the shore batteries of the Hel peninsula naval base, and two DKM DD LEBERECHT MAAS and WOLFGANG ZENKER. Damage was received by both the Polish vessels and the DKM ships. The same day 3.IX.1939 at about 1300 a strong bomber force attacked and sank both ships at the Hel naval base.
Some of the ships of the ML flotilla, CZAJKA, RYBITWA and JASKOLKA laid about 60 mines in the vicinity of Gdansk during the night of 6.IX.1939. When returning to base JASKOLKA shot down one Ju 87. On 15.IX.1939, in another enemy air attack, the MSWs JASKOLKA, CZAJKA and the hydrographic vessel POMORZANIN were sunk, and the MSW RYBITWA was damaged. The damaged ships were then used as anti-aircraft batteries. After fall of Hel peninsula the remaining vessels fall into German hands. Many of the ships sunk were raised and repaired and used by the germans.
The Polish submarines employed for the defence of Hela had no targets for their torpedoes, as Germans planned no landing on the peninsula. All were shifted to patrol duty in the central Baltic on 8 September 1939, but again had no targets. On 7/8.Sep.1939 Polish ML submarines placed mines which sank DKM MSW M 85. Polish submarines were not able to enter Gdynia or Hela, but had to use neutral harbours (RYS and SEP in Stavans on 17 September, ZBIK in Stavans on 27 September and ORZEL in Tallinn on 15 September). WILK escaped to Britain. All three of the other subs were interned. Of these, ORZEL dramatically escaped and sailed for Britain.

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## Wurger (Sep 8, 2014)

ORP Orzel and ORP Wilk in Great Britain 1939/40.











ORP Blyskawica 1939/40

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## Crimea_River (Sep 8, 2014)

Reading every one so far Chris. Thanks again.


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## parsifal (Sep 8, 2014)

*08 SEPTEMBER 1939
Reinforcements*
Axis New Ships
DKM MSW M13
_





M13 was a Type M1935 MSW. . An efficient, but also expensive. _

*Losses*
U.34 severely damaged *tkr KENNEBEC (UK 5548 grt)* 70 miles SW of the Bishops. She was scuttled by DD WOLVERINE when found to be beyond salvage and her crew rescued by Dutch steamer BREEDYK.





U.29 torpedoed *tkr REGENT TIGER (UK 10,177 grt)* 250 miles WSW of Cape Clear but she did not sink until the 10th i. The survivors were rescued by Belgian steamer JEAN JADOT
.





UBOATS
arrivals 
Wilhelmshaven: U.3, U.14, U.17, U.36
Kiel: U.5, U.7, U.15, U.16, U.18, U.56 .

Departures
Swinemünde: U-18

At Sea 8 September
U-4, U-6, U-9, U-10, U-12, U-19, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-27 , U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39 , U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-57, U-58, U-59.

31 boats at sea

U.26 laid a minefield off Portland on which three steamers were sunk.

*Baltic
MV HELFRID BISSMARK (Ger 727 grt)* sank in the Sound between Sjaelland and Sweden and HELGA SCHRODER (656grt) in the Baltic, both the victim of mines.





*Sailing vessel OLIVE BANK (FN 2795 grt)* sank on a mine in the North Sea, 105 miles SW of Bouvbjerg, Denmark. Fourteen crewmen were lost, with the survivors picked up by a Danish fishing boat and taken to Esbjerg.





*North Sea *.
Humber Force 
CLs GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and DDs JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS, JUPITER left Rosyth to search for German shipping dep Rotterdam for Hamburg in operation GH, which was conducted during the night of the 8th/9th. No contact was made and the Humber Force arrived in the Humber on the 9th.

_Convoy FS.2_

Convoy FS.2 dep Methil for Southend and arrived on the 10th.

DD MATABELE was docked at Chatham from the 8th to 10th to replace two propellers damaged by grounding at Scapa on the 5th. She left on the 11th to return to Scapa.

*Jan Van Amstel Class MSW WILLEM VAN EWIJK (RNeN 460 grt)* was lost off Terschelling, raised after the Dutch surrender and put into DKM service for the remainder of the war





ML WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN damaged off Den Helder when they struck Dutch mines. In May 1940 the ship escaped to the UK





Two barrages of DKM mine barrage “Martha Gustav” were laid on the 8th by MLs COBRA and ROLAND, this time with DD FRIEDRICH IHN as escort. After the operation, the ships proceeded to Emden.

*Northern Patrol - *.
Adm Horton, CinC Northern Patrol could not coordinate the activities of his cruisers from a flagship at sea, he left CL EFFINGHAM and transferred his flag ashore at Kirkwall to new headquarters named HMS PYRAMUS. Rear Adm W F Wake-Walker OBE hoisted his flag in EFFINGHAM, as Rear Admiral Cru Sqn 12.


*British Northern Waters *
Home Flt - BCs HOOD, RENOWN, CLs BELFAST, EDINBURGH, and DDs FAME, FEARLESS, FORESTER dep Scapa for patrol between Iceland and the Faroes to reinforce the blockade. DD FURY which had dep Scapa on the 7th with the NELSON force joined the HOOD at sea on the 8th. This force returned to on the 12th, and as with the NELSON ships, found that poor visibility led to a lack of sightings. The CLs were detached for patrol duties, refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 15th and did not arrive back at Scapa until the 20th.

*English Channel*
A flying boat made two attacks on submarine contacts, one in Mounts Bay and one south of the Lizard. Two DDs dep Plymouth to investigate.

DD SHIKARI departed Portsmouth and arrived at Devonport the same day to begin rearming

On the 8th, the Milford Haven DDs detached and returned to Plymouth

DDs BLANCHE and BRILLIANT attacked a submarine contact five miles NNE of North Goodwin.

*Southwestern Approaches*
DDs JACKAL, JANUS, JUNO, DesDiv14, and DesFlot7 arrived at Devonport for escort duties in the Western Approaches. DD ECHO, also DesDiv14 arrived next day from Chatham. Escorting continued until 8 October when JACKAL and JANUS arrived back at Grimsby. JUNO, delayed by defects, docked at Devonport from 30 September to 14 October and did not arrive back in the command until 17 October when she reached Rosyth. ECHO, having been relieved by new destroyer JAGUAR in DesFlot7, was transferred to DesFlot12 and remained in the Western Approaches.

U52 attacked steamer CADILLAC , 180 miles SW of Cape Clear but not damaged.

British trawler STAUNTON (283grt) 75 miles west of Ushant took to their boats when approached by a U-boat, but it did not attack. American steamer AMERICAN FARMER (7430grt) assisted the crew.

U.48 sank steamer WINKLEIGH (5055grt) 500 miles west of Ushant . Her survivors were rescued by Dutch liner STATENDAM (28,291grt).

*Med/Biscay*
Gibraltar
CL GALATEA arrived at Gib.

Med Flt instituted contraband control patrols in the Aegean, the approaches to the Adriatic, and south of the Messina Strait.

*Central and South Atlantic* –
Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs LE CHEVALIER PAUL, TARTU, VAUQUELIN of DesDiv5 dep Casablanca for Dakar for escort duties. On the 13th, convoy Number 39 with steamers AURIGNY, KERQUELEN, KILISSI left Dakar, escort DesDiv5 and arrived at Casablanca on the 18th. VAUQUELIN, TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL dep Casablanca on the 20th, 24th and 25th respectively, escorting different convoys to Marseilles.

Sth Africa - Ge MV HAGEN (5988grt) was seized at Durban by South African authorities, and renamed EMPIRE SUCCESS in British service.

*Indian Ocean*
CA CORNWALL arrived at Penang.

*Australia Station*
HMA DDs VAMPIRE and VOYAGER sailed from Port Philip to reinforce CL SYDNEY at Fremantle

The British Admiralty asked Australia to send a cruiser and five DDs for service beyond the Australia Station. The five DDs, HMA Ships VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, VENDETTA, WATERHEN and STUART (later to earn the name "Scrap iron Flotilla) were to be sent to Singapore for intensive training. The cruiser was not to proceed further west than Suez. Later, a request to send all of the ships to the Mediterranean was agreed to.








Other
In response to the war in Europe, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed a limited national emergency

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## Njaco (Sep 9, 2014)

*9 September 1939 Saturday
BATTLE of BZURA
POLAND:* Over Ilza, a force of 150 Stukas and single-engined and twin-engined fighters mop up the last Polish units. At Warsaw in a prelude to an attack by the ground forces, 140 Stukas bomb the east bank of the Vistula River where gun batteries are pounding the German forces outside the city. But the attack is halted when the aircraft are needed to relieve the 8.Armee under attack by the Polish “Army of Posen” near the Bzura River.

The Battle of the Bzura, also known as Battle of Kutno to the Germans, began; it was to become the largest battle in the Poland campaign. Army Poznań under the command of Gen. Kutrzeba which had been bypassed on the German’s quick drive toward Warsaw, counterattacked from the north against the flank of the German forces moving on Warsaw. The German IV Panzerdivision, part of the German XVI Panzerkorps, mounts an attack in the southeast suburbs of Warsaw but is beaten off. The German command believes that almost all the Polish forces have retired east of the Vistula River but in fact fresh units from the Poznan Army and part of the Pomorze Army have joined together around Kutno. About 10 Polish divisions are assembling in this area under the command of General Tadeusz Kutrzeba. The German advance halted in the face of the initial Polish success on the River Bzura. The German’s superiority in tanks and aircraft, however, allowed them to regroup and stop Army Poznań’s southward push. The counterattack turned into a battle of encirclement.

Slovak troops cease their advance into Poland, after occupying all former territory taken by Poland in 1920, 1928, and 1938.

Elsewhere, German forces captured Lodz and Radom. South of Radom, Stuka dive-bombers of Colonel Gunter Schwarzkopff's StG.77 finished off the great Polish attempt to cross the Vistula River, crushing the last pockets of resistance in conjunction with tanks;


> "Wherever they went", reported one Stuka pilot after the action, "we came across throngs of Polish troops, against which our 110-lb fragmentation bombs were deadly. After that we went almost down to the deck firing our machine guns. The confusion was indescribable."



German Gestapo ordered all misbehaving Polish citizens to be arrested and placed in Dachau Concentration Camp in southern Germany.

After only two days at Gleiwitz, Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 again moves to an airbase outside the Polish city of Krakow. The Polish airfield is full of bomb craters and the pilots and crews are forced to reside in tents on the base. In order to keep pace with advancing German 4.Armee, Major Trübenbach’s I(J)./LG 2 moves forward to the airfield at Lauenburg. During a Freie jagd over the frontlines from their new airfield, the Gruppe shoots down four Polish PWS 26 biplane trainers, two of them by Uffz. Friedrich Geisshardt and Fw. Erwin Clausen, both future Experten.

*WESTERN FRONT*: French troops advance into the Warndt Forest across the German border and occupy 3 square miles of German territory. The French complete the capture of a German salient from Saarbruecken to Saarlautern, taking the villages of Karlsbrunn, Lauterbach, Ludweiler, Grossrosseln, and Saint Nikolaus. The action is widely viewed as having more propaganda than military purpose since the region, referred to by the French as "occupied Germany," is deserted, heavily mined and booby-trapped.

Belgian fighter planes attack two British bombers over Belgian territory. One Belgian plane is shot down, both British planes are forced to land. The British government apologizes for the incident.

The last of 13 RAF squadrons arrives in a move begun on 4 September to strengthen the British Expeditionary Force.

Ofw. Walter Grimmling of 1./JG 53, flying a Bf 109 “White 8”, shoots down a Bloch 131 twin-engined bomber northeast of Saarbrucken, this being the first victory claim for JG 53. Lt. Wilhelm Hofmann of 3./JG 53 gets the second enemy plane destroyed when he shoots down a Bloch 200 in the same area in the afternoon.

The fighters of JGr 152 scores the Geschwader’s first two kills when they shoot down two French Bloch 200’s of GB II/31 near the Zweibrucken area. Hptm. Karl-Heinz Lessmann, Gruppenkommandeur of JGr 152, receives the Iron Cross Second Class for this action.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 3 "for the Conduct of the War". Action will continue in Poland until it is safe to transfer forces to the Western border. No air attacks against England, no attacks of any kind against France.

The fighters of I./JG 20 are moved to Brandenburg-Briest for the defense of Berlin.

At a German munitions factory Luftwaffe General Hermann Göring threatens reprisals against Britain if the RAF bombs Germany and boasts that Berlin will never be subjected to enemy aerial attack. He says that;


> "…the Polish Army will never emerge again from the German embrace….We will have our Nazism and the Russians their bolshevism, but we are both people who want peace and we are not going to be so silly as to smash each other's heads for Britain."


 Ribbentrop invites the Soviets to advance to their new common frontier, the Narew, Vistula and San rivers (the Bug and Pissa would eventually replace the Vistula to avoid a divided Warsaw.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Canadian Parliament accepts the throne speech, and approves of immediate support to Great Britain and France in the war against Germany. All but one member vote in favor.

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## parsifal (Sep 9, 2014)

*09 September 1939*
UBOATS

arrivals 
Kiel, Germany: U-12 , U-22 , U-58

departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-17, U-21, U-23, U-31, U-35
Kiel: U.12, U.22, U.58

At Sea 9 September
U-4, U-6, U-9, U-10, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-26, U-27 , U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39 , U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-57, U-59.

32 boats at sea

*Baltic*
Heligoland Bight 

SS URSULA on patrol in the Heligoland Bight 35 miles NW of Borkum Island fired four torpedoes at U.35 and one more at 1933, but all missed. U.23, also in the area, reported being missed by three torpedoes at 1950 and U.21 reported sighting submarine URSULA.

Norwegian waters
German MV CLARE HUGO STINNES ran aground on Raftsund in the Lofotens, refloated on the 17th . Norwegian BALDUR also ran aground near Lister, but was later salved

ORP SS ZBIK laid 20 mines NE of Heisternest,, one of which accounted for DKM MSW M.85.

*North Sea *.
British East Coast
DDs made a number of depth charge attacks on contacts off Norfolk, starting with JERVIS and JUPITER at 1042, 40 miles west of Orfordness, JAVELIN and JERSEY at 1400, one mile west of Haisborough, JERSEY at 1453, 16 miles west of Cromer, and JUPITER 1510, 24 miles north of Cromer.

FN.2 dep Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 10th.

Dutch waters
Ne MV MARK (1514grt) sank on a mine

*British Northern Waters *
the Admiralty received reports that exaggerated the capability of German bombers and decided that for the time being, Scapa Flow was too vulnerable to air attack.

Netlayer GUARDIAN dep Scapa on the 9th to put down an anti-submarine net in Loch Ewe

*UK-France convoys .*
BEF - the first BEF convoy arrived in France and by 7 October, 161,000 men, 24,000 vehicles and 140,000 tons of stores had reached France. Troops and vehicles were convoyed from Southampton, tanks, guns, ammunition and stores from Newhaven and petrol from Poole and Fawley. Among the British MVs involved were ACHILLES, BELLEROPHON, EURYMEDON, GLENEARN. GLENSTRAE, LYCAON, MARON, RHESUS. GLOUCESTER CITY was among six fitted to carry ammunition.

* English Channel*
ML ADVENTURE and Aux ML HAMPTON and SHEPPERTON arrived at Dover for operations.

DD KEITH attacked a submarine contact near Wolf Rock
.
*UK-outbound convoys*
OA.2 sailed from Southend and DDs JACKAL, JANUS, JUNO from Devonport on the 9th to escort the convoy, but JUNO ret on the 10th. JACKAL and JANUS joined up on the 11th, the convoy dispersed on the 12th and the DDs returned to Devonport on the 13th.

OB.2 dep Liverpool on the 9th escort DDs VANQUISHER, WALKER, WINCHELSEA, but WINCHELSEA was soon detached to escort convoy OB.3 on the 11th.

*Southwestern Approaches*
CV COURAGEOUS with DDs KEMPENFELT, ARDENT, ECHO left Plymouth for ASW duties in the Western Approaches in Operation AS.2. At 1030/10th, COURAGEOUS’ a/c attacked a sub contact 280 miles W by S of Ushant made another attack 270 miles west of Ushant. During these operations, a Swordfish of 822 Squadron was unable to locate the carrier at the end of its patrol on the 10th and lost with its crew, Lt W A H Playfair, Sub Lt (A) H A Wheatman, Naval Airman 1/c F Frizzel. COURAGEOUS arrived at Milford Haven late on the10th, dep on the 11th and all ships arrived back at Plymouth on the 14th.

U.48 unsuccessfully attacked MV JAMAICA PROGRESS SW of Ireland.

*Med/Biscay*
DD GRENVILLE made a submarine contact, but was relieved by DDs MOHAWK and SIKH so she could continue on to Malta.

DD WISHART attacked on a submarine contact off Gibraltar.

Blue 1 dep Alex and Port Said with twenty ships, escort DDs HARDY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO, HOSTILE and sloop ABERDEEN which all departed Port Said on the 9th. On reaching Gib on the 19th, the convoy was redesignated HG.1 for passage to England.

*Indian Ocean*
DD STRONGHOLD dep Plymouth on 26 August for duty with the China Force. She then dep Malta on the 2nd, Suez on the 6th, and reached Aden on this date, the 9th. Arriving at Bombay on the 13th, she dep on the 15th, reached Colombo on the 17th, left the 18th and arrived at Singapore on the 23rd.

CL GLOUCESTER dep Mombasa on patrol and arrived back on the 15th.

CL MANCHESTER dep Colombo on patrol and arrived back on the 14th.

*China Station*
CA DORSETSHIRE dep Shanghai and arrived at Hong Kong on the 18th.

*Australia Station*
HMA DD STUART, (CMDR H. Waller, RAN), received the following signal while exercising off Sydney; ‘_Submarine reported to have been sighted off Terrigal. Stuart to proceed with all despatch and investigate_’. Asdic contact was made with a submerged object, and depth charges were dropped without positive results. HMA DD WATERHEN, (destroyer), continued the investigation next day, and slight oil slicks were observed. The bay was later dragged without result.
Following are (i) line drawing of STUART as constructed, (ii) VOYAGER and VAMPIRE in what I believe to be the drydock at malta, circa December 1939








_HMA Stuart Section plans and HMA VAMPIRE VOYAGER in Malta Drydock 

RaumBootes
Germany entered the war with 41 modern purpose MSW craft. They added two main categories, the seagoing types, or M Bootes, and the Coastal types, or Raum Bootes. In the Raum Bootes there were 9 subcategories, of which the 129 R41 class were built in the time period for this thread. I don't know the exact commissioning dates for these ships, but by April 1940, 12 new boats had been added to the 40 prewar already on strength. From September 1939 through to the end of March, about two per month were being added to the DKM OB.

Raumen is the German verb 'to clear or 'to remove', hence the Raumboot or R-boat type of coastal minesweeper. These craft were of such a useful size, however, that they also did duty as minelayers and, suitably rearmed, as escorts to convoys, in which guise they were involved in frequent brushes with British craft.

The original group, R1-16, was constructed in the early 1930s. Like the S-boats, they were built of wood on metal framing with round bilges. They were, however, of only 60-ton displacement and 26-m (85.3-ft) length. Propulsion was by twin-screw diesels for a modest 17 kts although one unit, R8, was fitted with Voith-Schnider cycloidal propellers, which made for great manoeuvrability at the cost of some speed. This experiment was deemed successful, and over 100 R-boats were eventually so fitted.

From R17 onwards dimensions were very similar to those of the S-boats, though with extra beam, and increased draught by virtue of their greater displacement. Even with progressively improved diesels, the average R-boat never much exceeded 20 kts and, when not actually involved in the minesweeping for which the type had been designed, was employed defensively. The exceptions were the dozen so-called GR-Boote (G for Geleit, or escort), R301-312, built to a stretched 41-m (134.5-ft) design displacing 175 tons. They had triplescrew propulsion for 24 kts and were fitted with a pair of torpedoes. Though used in something like the role for which the British employed MGBs, their firepower was little enhanced, and 88 more projected craft were cancelled



_

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## parsifal (Sep 9, 2014)

*10 September 1939*
UBOATS
arrivals 
Kiel: U-17

At Sea 10 September 1939
U-4, U-6, U-9, U-10, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-26, U-27, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39 , U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-57, U-59.

32 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
a small German fishing vessel was sunk on a mine off Trelleborg, S Sweden and the survivors rescued by another German trawler. I have no further details on this loss.

*North Sea *.
HMS Oxley (ex-HMAS Oxley) is sunk in error by HMS Triton. This was the first loss for the British submarine force. On the Montrose-Obrestad air patrol line, SW of Stavanger, TRITON sighted OXLEY. After repeated challenges to which OXLEY failed to respond, TRITON fired two torpedoes at 2100 believing her to be an enemy. One torpedo struck and sank OXLEY. Only the commanding officer Lt Cdr H.G. Bowerman and AB H S Gluckes survived. The casualties were Lt R P Coppinger, Lt FK Manley RNR, Sub Lt W H Palmer, Warrant Engineering Officer R W C Robertson and forty nine ratings. Lt Cdr Bowerman (Oxley CO) was not held at fault for the loss and assumed command of destroyer WALPOLE on 21 November.






British east coast
steamer GOODWOOD (2796grt) was sunk by a mine, one mile southeast of Flamborough Head, laid by U.15 on the 6th. One member of the crew was lost.

FS.3 dep Methil and arrived at Southend on the 12th.






Dutch waters
ML DDs ESK and EXPRESS dep Portsmouth early on the morning of the 10th and laid 120 mines that night in minefield AA off Terschelling before returning to Immingham. Next night, the 11th/12th, they laid field QQ in the Bight .

*Carribbean *
CL ORION arrived at Kingston.

*Northern Patrol - *.
CL EMERALD joins the Northern Patrol and arrived back at Scapa on the 17th.

*British Northern Waters *
DD FEARLESS at sea with BC HOOD was detached from the screen to investigate a merchant ship which proved to be Swedish.

*UK-France convoys .*
steamer MAGDAPUR (8641grt) sailing in ballast to Southampton to embark BEF equipment for France was sunk on the 10th off Orfordness by a mine laid by U.13 on the 4th. Six crew were lost.
(Source: Magdapur (British Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net)






MVs BRIGHTON, CANTERBURY, MAID OF ORLEANS, PARIS (in convoy, designation unknown) dep Southampton on the 9th and anchored in the Solent overnight before setting of with troops for Cherbourg. MAID OF ORLEANS was damaged in a minor collision with the escort at the start, but was able to continue.

MB.1 of six slow cargo ships dep Southampton escort DDs SARDONYX and two others (possibly VENOMOUS and WREN) from Portsmouth Command, arriving at at Brest on the 12th.

* English Channel*
CVL HERMES and DD ILEX, IMOGEN, ISIS dep Portland on ASW patrol, arriving at Plymouth on the 12th.

DD JACKAL attacked a submarine contact 10 miles S by W of the Needles, Isle of Wight.

*Southwestern Approaches*
Patrol Sloop (PC) PUFFIN (Kingfisher Class) attacked a submarine contact off Barmouth in Cardigan Bay. no result




_Kingfisher class corvette , were armed with a single 4" gun, the other smaller AA were added at later refits. They were too lightly built to face the rigours of the North Atlantic. _

*Bay Of Biscay/Med*
U.34 ship log records attackby an Allied a/c with a single bomb in the Bay, but no damage was done.

DDs COSSACK, MAORI, NUBIAN, ZULU dep Alex on the 4th and after a patrol off Crete reached Malta. Dep Malta on the 8th, they joined AB.2 (Green 1) on this date, the 10th. Sister ships AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK, SIKH sailed from Alex on the 11th for escort duties and returned on the 17th. AFRIDI, GURKHA, SIKH left again on the 19th and headed for Malta. These duties continued until 7 October when DesFlot4 was ordered to return to England.

*Australia Station*
HMA CAs AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA and CL ADELAIDE searched for suspected German minelayers off Gabo Island until the 13th.




_HMAS Adelaide. she remained in Home waters for the war, due to her age_

*Pacific*
RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, dep Vancouver on 31 August, passed through the Panama Canal en route to Halifax where they arrived on the 15th.

Ge MV TACOMA (8268grt) arrived at Talcuhuano, Chile to avoid RNZN CL ACHILLES on patrol off the west coast of Chile. There she joined steamers OSORNO (6951grt) which had arrived on the 1st and FRANKFORT (5522grt) on the 6th. ACHILLES made a 70 mile dash on this date to intercept LAHN (8498grt), but the German steamer escaped into territorial waters and later arrived at Talcuhuano on the 16th. Meanwhile, ACHILLES arrived at Valapariso late on the 10th.

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## Wurger (Sep 9, 2014)

9 .IX. 1939 near Jeżowo and Przyłęk , the 30th Polish Infantry Division fought a futile battle against German troops trying to envelop the Polish unit. 

A German tank destroyed during the battle.


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## Lucky13 (Sep 9, 2014)

Excellent work gentlemen!


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## Njaco (Sep 10, 2014)

*10 September 1939 Sunday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Battle of the Atlantic officially began. On the very same day the British Admiralty began organizing a convoy system, HMS “Oxley” became the first Royal Navy submarine to be lost in the war when she was either torpedoed or rammed in error off the Norwegian coast by another Royal Navy submarine. Only two of the fifty-three crew survived.

*NORTH AMERICA:* An article in the New York Times newspaper refers to the conflict in Poland as the "Second World War".

In Ottawa, Canada, the Governor-General of Canada, Lord Tweedsmuir, announces that Parliament has declared war on Germany, as of the start of the day. The US extends its embargo on arms shipments to Canada. The Canadians are the last of the great Dominions to declare war, however, the few days of hesitation permits the accelerated delivery from the US of large amounts of war goods which are now barred under American neutrality laws.

*GERMANY:* After seven nights of British flights dropping leaflets on Germany, the operation stops due to public criticism that Britain only dropped paper while Germany dropped bombs on Poland.

*POLAND: *German troops made a breakthrough near Kutno and Sandomierz in Poland. Polish armies are ordered to conduct a general retreat to defensive positions in the southeast. German forces broadcast a false news bulletin, announcing the fall of the capital on the same wavelength as Radio Warsaw. Meanwhile the battle at Bzura continues at Malachowicze where the Polish 17th Infantry Division is inflicting heavy strikes against the German 17.Infanterie-Abteilung.

In what was referred to as “Bloody Sunday” more than 70 German bombers took to the skies over Warsaw and pounded the city in over 17 bombing raids. Luftwaffe air attacks halt road and rail traffic in northern and eastern Poland, preventing the Polish army from reforming at Kielce. Near Piatek and Bielawy south of the Bzura River, Stukas and Henschel biplanes destroy bridges, tear up roads and wreck havoc on advancing columns of armour and troops. Bombers from KG 1, KG 26 and KG 4 also join in the destruction of the “Army of Posen”. The Luftwaffe assists the German 10.Armee in breaking through to the Vistula during the ‘Battle of the Radom Pocket’.

Uffz. Geisshardt of I(J)./LG 2 – the victor of the day before - is shot down by Polish PZL 11 fighters. After several hours in captivity he escapes during a Stuka raid and steals a horse reaching friendly lines five days later. 

SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Fritz von Roettig became the first German general to die in World War II when he was Killed in Action at Opoczno, Poland at about 1415 hours.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In reply to insistent demands by the Polish Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Smigly-Rydz, the French Chief of the General Staff, General Gamelin, announces that more than half of his active divisions are in contact with the enemy on the northeast front and that he can do no more.

Uffz. Heinrich Bezner and Lt. Claus of 2./JG 53, led by Oblt. Rolf Pingel shoots down a French Mureaux 115 from Groupe 1/520.

The first major units of BEF begin to land in France. Field Marshal Lord Gort is in command. Small advance parties have been arriving since September 4th. In the first month 160,000 men, 24,000 vehicles and 140,000 tons of supplies are sent to France.

The 1st Staffel of JG 2 is transferred to the airfield at Lyck from the Gruppe airfield at Döberitz.





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## Wurger (Sep 10, 2014)

And here a couple of shots more of the Polish Armoured Train no.13 "Gen. Sosnkowski" damaged by German Ju-87 Stuka on the 10th September 1939.

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## Njaco (Sep 11, 2014)

*11 September 1939 Monday
POLAND: *The German forces cross the River San north and south of Przemysl, in southeast Poland. The battle on the Bzura continues but the leaders of German Heeresgruppe Sud, Rundstedt and his Chief of Staff, Manstein, are already beginning to assemble reinforcements for German 8.Armee. The Polish force at Radom is destroyed with the Germans capturing 60,000 men. The German capture of the industrial area of Upper Silesia is complete. The German Luftwaffe continues its relentless bombings of Polish cities and towns including Warsaw. Polish Commander-in-Chief Marshal Rydz-Smigly ordered that Warsaw is to be defended at all costs.

Polish forces are continuing their offensive advancing on Modlna, Pludwiny, Osse, Glowno. The German 10.Armee initially underestimated the Polish advance and quickly redirected the main force of the 4. and 10.Armees, and aircraft from Luftflotte IV towards the Bzura. German air superiority became quickly apparent as Polish movements were significantly disrupted.

Polish General Rudolph Prich has been given command of the Polish forces around Lwow. A plan of defense has recently been organized for the area and Polish units are now taking positions to defend the line of the San River spreading out nests of resistance along the Zolkiew - Rawa Ruska - Janow - Grodek Jagiellonski line.

A He 111 from Stab./KG 55 and flown by Oblt. Heinz Hofer crash lands between the lines at Przemysl, east of Krakow. The crew survives and is rescued by German troops.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Air Vice Marshal Arthur Harris assumed command of British Royal Air Force Bomber Command's Lincolnshire-based No. 5 Group with his headquarters at St. Vincent's House in Grantham. No. 5 Group was the sole operator of the Handley-Page Hampden bomber with six Hampden squadrons available at the outbreak of war – RAF Nos. 44 and 50 Squadrons based at Waddington, 49 and 83 Squadrons based at Scampton, and 61 and 144 Squadrons at Hemswell. Harris would command the group for fourteen months before being appointed G. O. C. Bomber Command on 22 Feb 1942.

The British cabinet decides no further attempt to bomb Germany by air will be carried out. Meanwhile, plans for the federation of India are postponed indefinitely.

Churchill is beginning to exchange secret messages with President Roosevelt using the code name, "A Naval Person".

*GERMANY:* The British Ministry of Information announces the British Government would not conclude peace with a German Government headed by Adolf Hitler. Germany announces a counter blockade against Britain, saying that since:


> "…..economic warfare was forced on her, Germany is not only able to resist every pressure of blockade and every form of British hunger warfare, but to reply to it with the same methods."



Cipher experts crack the British merchant ship code, identifying convoy meeting points.

*WESTERN FRONT:* France notifies the League of Nations that it is at war with Germany, as of 1700 hours September 3.

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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2014)

*11 September 1939*
Axis New Ships
UJ1213




Allied New Ships
Nil
Neutral New ships
SU SS S1 (Serie IX)





UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U.53, U59

departures

Wilhelmshaven: U.13 (Korvette kapitan Karl Daublebsky von Eichhain)

At Sea 11 September

U-4, U-6, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-26, U-27 , U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39 , U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-57

32 Boats at Sea.
*Baltic*

ORP SS WILK in the Baltic was ordered to England. She was sighted by DKM DD RICHARD BEITZEN on the 14th, but identified as Sd and left alone. WILK arrived on the 20th

*North Sea *.

U.4 (Kptlt Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt) sighted an unknown British SS, but lost contact when she submerged to approach.

U.53 (Kptlt Harald Jürst) sights RN SS in the Kattegat near Samso

Humber Force 

Cover for ML in the Channel area (see below) was given by CLs SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW and DDs JAVELIN, JERSEY, JERVIS, JUPITER , returning to the Humber 14th

British east coast

FN.3 dep Harwich on the 11th escort DD BROKE and sloops BITTERN and ENCHANTRESS. BROKE attacked a submarine contact 7 miles ENE of Orfordness and BITTERN, also escorting submarine OBERON in FN.3 made another attack on a contact off Cromer Knoll Light Vessel. DDs MATABELE and SOMALI joined in the latter attack. Then 14 miles east of Orfordness, BROKE made yet another, all this still on the 11th. BROKE's asdic set went out of action and required repair, and the convoy arrived at Methil on the 12th.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL ENTERPRISE, to the Northern Patrol duty with the CruSqn12, replacing CLs CALYPSO CALEDON .

*UK-France convoys .*

CLs CERES and CARADOC dep Portland to cover a BEF troop convoy, and arrived at Plymouth on the 14th.

BC.1F of MVs FENELLA and TYNWALD dep Barry Roads escort DDs KEITH and VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Loire on the 12th.

BC.1S MVs BARON MINTO, BELLEROPHON, TRELAWNY dep Bristol Channel at the same time and arrived in the Loire on the 13th.

Fr CV BÉARN dep Brest escort DDs FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, L'ADROIT, and arrived back on the 27th.

* English Channel*

DD BLANCHE made an ASW attack on a suspected UB contact five miles NNE of North Goodwins

Dover Straits 

British ML began with a mine barrage GR laid across the Straits of Dover with a channel left open for Allied ship use off the Goodwins. Navigational markers were laid between the Goodwins and Dyck by survey ships FRANKLIN and SCOTT from 7 to 10 Sept.

The field was laid from the 11th to 16th between Galloper and North Hinder by ML ADVENTURE, coastal ML PLOVER and converted train ferries ML(aux) HAMPTON and SHEPPERTON. MS HARRIER, HUSSAR, SKIPJACK accompanied the force and CLA CAIRO and DesFlot19 (less BULLDOG in the Med) provided escort.
.
*UK-outbound convoys*

OA.3 of 3 ships and OA.3A with 12 ships, dep Southend. Escort DDs JUNO and AMAZON from Plymouth joined the convoys the same day. The convoys dispersed and JUNO returned to Plymouth on the 15th.

UK-out OB.3 - had dep Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and WINCHELSEA until this date, the 11th when they joined convoy OB.2 (see following). On the 12th, escort for OB.3 was provided by DD VANESSA and sloop PC.74.

DDs VANQUISHER and WALKER, escorting convoy OB.2, collided at 2240, 200 miles SW of Cape Clear with both ships badly damaged. Initial reports indicated VANQUISHER, with 14 ratings killed, was probably sinking and WALKER was unseaworthy. Both ships did survive however.

CV COURAGEOUS and her DDs provided cover for the damaged DDs, with KEMPENFELT detached to assist at 0540/12th, rejoined COURAGEOUS at 1000, detached again at 1430 and returned to COURAGEOUS at 1730.

DDs MACKAY and WINCHELSEA of OB.3 (see above) then joined the convoy, and MACKAY attacked a submarine contact NW of Bardsey Island.

To assist the damaged DDs, tugs NEPTUNIA and SALVONIA dep Falmouth.

With WALKER in company, DD ARDENT took VANQUISHER in tow stern first on the 13th, arriving still under tow at Plymouth on the 14th, where she was under repair until 3 January.

WALKER arrived at Plymouth on the 14th, escort DDs IMPULSIVE and IVANHOE, and she repaired until 11 November.

MACKAY and WINCHELSEA arrived back at Liverpool on the 16th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

U.38 (Ace Heinrich Liebe) sank British tanker INVERLIFFEY (9456grt) 270 miles WSW of Land's End, whose crew was rescued by American steamer R G STEWART (9229 grt).

_(Liebe Bio: Heinrich Liebe began his naval career in April 1927. Starting in 1931 he served on the line ship Schleswig- Holstein, then transferred in September 1935 to the newly formed U-boat force.

He was one of the few commanders with a long and solid pre-war U-boat experience. In October 1938 he commissioned U-38 and made a total of nine patrols with this boat. On his last patrol he sank eight ships with a total of 47,279 tons in the waters off Freetown, Africa. During this patrol he received the Oak Leaves cluster to the Knights Cross.

In July 1941 he left U-38 and served for three years a staff member in the OKM (Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine, German Navy High Command).

From August 1944 to the end of the war he served on the staff of the BdU_ (2. SKL, BdU op).

*Med/Biscay*

DD WRESTLER was slightly damaged in collision with Spanish MV NURIA R (2733grt) at Gib, dep on 16 December and arrived at Malta on the 19th for refitting and repair to the collision damage. She was under repair from 29 December to 6 March, leaving Malta on 9 March for Gib.

Med Flt - BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, MALAYA, CAs DEVONSHIRE, SUSSEX, CLs ARETHUSA, PENELOPE, and DDs AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK, SIKH dep Alex for gunnery exercises. That evening, BARHAM and PENELOPE returned to Alex and CV GLORIOUS joined the fleet from Alex, when they proceeded to the west end of Crete to cover the passage of convoys GC.1 and Green 1.

Already at sea were DDs HASTY HARDY, HERO, HEREWARD, HOSTILE of DesFlot 2 from Port Said on the 9th to escort Blue 1. CA SHROPSHIRE arrived at Malta on the 11th, dep Malta that day for Gib, and arrived on the 13th with personnel for RAF No 202 Sdn. She left the same day and reached Marseilles on the 15th. CA SUSSEX arrived at Malta on the 13th for docking.

CL GALATEA had dep Alex on the 5th and arrived at Gib on the 8th assigned to escort troop convoy GC.1 . DDs GLOWWORM GREYHOUND GALLANT, GRAFTON, GRENVILLE of DesFlot1 arrived at Malta on the 7th (last three on the 10th) and dep on the 13th also escorting GC.1 and then Fr convoy L.2 to Alex. GRAFTON and GALLANT went on to Gib. DDs GARLAND, GIPSY, GRIFFIN, GRENADE dep Alex on the 10th, arriving at Malta on the 12th, and dep the next day as escorts to Green 1.

The heavy units of the Fleet patrolled to the west of Crete until 16 Sept to cover the convoys.

*Central and South Atlantic* –

German CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE and accompanying AO ALTMARK had a near encounter with CA CUMBERLAND, which was sighted by GRAF SPEE’s aircraft only 30 miles away on an intercepting course. However, CUMBERLAND was en route from Freetown to Rio de Janiero and did not even sight the aircraft.

*North Atlantic*

Northwestern approaches

CV ARK ROYAL and DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FURY dep Scapa for an ASW patrol NW of Ireland. CVL HERMES was assigned to relieve ARK ROYAL with the Home Flt .

U.30 ((Kptlt.) Hans Cohausz) sank steamer BLAIRLOGIE (4425grt) west of Ireland Sub remained with the crew until American steamer AMERICAN SHIPPER (7430grt) was sighted The US ship rescued them.

MV FIRBY (4869grt) sunk by U-47 (Ace Gunther Prien) 300 miles WNW of Cape Wrath in 59‑40N, 13‑50W. The survivors were rescued by destroyer FEARLESS, detached from HOOD’s screen.

_(Prien bio: Günther Prien (nicknamed 'papa') joined the Reichsmarine in January 1931 after sailing some years on trade ships. After a year on the light cruiser Königsberg, he transferred in October 1935 to the U-boat force. In 1938 he was on U-26 under Kptlt. Hartmann patrolling in Spanish waters during the Civil War.

With his own boat U-47 he became famous for his 14 October, 1939 sinking of the British battleship HMS Royal Oak in the heavily defended British North Fleet main harbor at Scapa Flow. Churchill himself wrote about this outstanding feat of arms of a German U-boat commander. Prien was the first U-boat commander to win the Knights Cross.

During the next 18 months Prien proved that he was one of the best German commanders. On his sixth patrol in June 1940 he sank eight ships with a total of 51,483 tons. In convoy battles Prien often was the first who found the convoys and vectored in other boats.

For example, he took part in the convoy battle against HX-79, which he discovered and shadowed. U-47 brought in the other boats and sank four ships.

Admiral Dönitz suggested to Prien at that time that Prien should transfer to a training unit, but Prien decided to remain on his boat.

*The death of Günther Prien*

U-47 left Lorient (France) for her tenth patrol on 20 February, 1941. Just four days later they attacked convoy OB-290 and sank four ships with a total of 16,310 tons. The last radio message from U-47 was received in the morning of 7 March.

_




_Günther Prien was killed when U-47 was lost with all hands (45 men) on 7 or 8 March, 1941_

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## Wurger (Sep 11, 2014)

Por. Hieronim Dudwal's PZL P-11C of the 113th Squadron captured by Germans in September 1939. The Squadron took part in defence of Warsaw. The rear, top part of the fusealge was replaced with an aluminium plate by a squadron maintence crew because of damages during struggling.


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## Slam (Sep 11, 2014)

Brilliant work. Very informative.


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## Bernhart (Sep 11, 2014)

recently there was new info that Canada declared war later as 2 of our ships were on the west coast, and wanted to go thru the Panama canal, something they couldn't do if they declared war because the US control and would not allow any warring nation thru as they were neutral


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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2014)

At the risk of upsetting Chris, we need some specialists for the RAF, Italy, France, Greece and the neutrals. ive got a basic working knowledge, but I wouldn't like to do a day to day, hands get dirty type account for these nations.

Any volunteers?

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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2014)

Wotjek, got a question from your last post. How many aircraft of the PAF did Germany capture and in general what was their fate. I know that a number were passed to Rumania, which I think were equipment-for-oil swaps, but were any retained for training or just scrapped?

Also, with regard to the p-24, I know there were none on strength 1-9-39, but weren't some on the factory floors and impressed as fighters as the battler progressed. I believe that as aircraft supplies began to dry up, the Poles returned some mothballed P-7s back into service as point defence aircraft


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## Njaco (Sep 12, 2014)

*12 September 1939 Tuesday
POLAND:* The Poles start withdrawing from the Bzura area under heavy Luftwaffe air attacks. The Polish army west of the Vistula River is trapped in the Kutno and Radom pockets, and the capital of Warsaw is almost completely surrounded.

The ‘Battle of the Radom Pocket’ ends with the Polish forces becoming encircled by the German Army and surrendering 60,000 men and 130 guns. Some of List's troops are fighting near Lvov while others are moving north from their bridgeheads over the San. German motorized units under the command of Colonel Ferdinand Schorner captured the city of Sambor 66 kilometers from Lwow, and ordered his units to move on from there to break through the weak Polish defenses to capture Lwow. The assault group was composed of two motorized infantry companies and a battery of 150mm guns. The Germans outflanked the Poles and reached the outskirts of Lwow but suffered heavy casualties from Polish gunfire. Though numerically weaker, the Polish forces repelled the German advance with only three infantry platoons and two 75mm guns. The units soon received reinforcements and held their positions until dawn. Command of the city center was given to General Francisek Sikorski, a veteran of World War I, and the Polish-Bolshevik War. The General is the brother of General Wladyslaw Sikorski.

The German 3.Armee under General Georg Von Kuchler broke through Polish lines along the Narew River and veered southward in order to cut Warsaw off from the East. Polish cavalry units under the command of General Wladylaw Anders attempted a counter-offensive which had failed. After heavy fighting Anders ordered a retreat to new positions in the south. Other Polish units fighting in the area under General Juliusz Zulauf had to retreat as well and are heading towards Warsaw.

In the continuing battle of Bzura, the Poles have reached the Strykow-Ozorkow line. On the same day, General Tadeusz Kutrzeba was informed that Army Lodz had retreated to the stronghold Modlin Fortress. Upon hearing of this Kutrzeba stopped the offensive and tried to break through to Warsaw, through Sochaczew and Kampinos Forest.

The Polish army around Poznan, the one that was to have marched on Berlin, unexpectedly turns about and attempts to take the German 8.Armee in the flank. This is the start of the violent battle of the Bzura River. Polish troops push the German forces 12 miles south of Kutno and recapture Lowicz. In Gdynia, which is now called Gotenhafen by the German occupation, Poles have started evacuating the city. Luftwaffe planes bomb Krzemieniec (Kremenets) in eastern Poland, a declared open village where the diplomatic community from Warsaw has sought refuge.

Chancellor Hitler arrived in Poland yesterday to review military strategy and called on General Rundstedt to re-organize the German 8.Armee of Heeresgruppe Sud. In the first phase of the Battle of Bzura, the 30.Infanterie-Abteilung under the command of General Kurt Von Braisen, together with 8.Armee of General Blaskowitz, were destroyed by the Polish infantry. The Poles engaged the enemy in vicious hand-to-hand combat to re-capture every plot of ground. Over 1,500 German soldiers have been killed and wounded in action, and over 3,000 German troops were taken prisoner by the Polish infantry. Since the battle at Bzura began the Poles have been gaining considerable advantage but victory did not come easily.

The Soviet Government reports three German war planes in Polish colors shot down over the Minsk region of Russia, with German crewmen.

*GERMANY:* The official German News Bureau in East Silesia issues a special report saying that :


> "Removal of the Polish Jewish population from the European domain would ... bring a solution of the Jewish question in Europe nearer.".



The German Foreign Minister, von Ribbentrop, demands that the Romanians not give asylum to Polish officials crossing the border and threatens military action in case of noncompliance.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French forces have now advanced about 5 miles (8 km) into Germany on a 15-mile (24 km) frontage in the Saarland region. The French claim that the action has forced the Germans to withdraw 6 divisions from Poland, although British observers express doubts. The advance places the front within half a mile of the Siegfried Line and a frontal assault on this defensive system is considered to be out of the question. General Gamelin calls an end to the Saar offensive.

The Anglo-French Supreme War Council meets for the first time at Abbeville. Meanwhile, a Czech army-in-exile is formed.

.



.


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## parsifal (Sep 12, 2014)

*12 September 1939 *
Axis New Ships
UJ1214 (Aux sub chaser)
Allied New Ships
RN DD JAGUAR




Fr MSW CHEVREUIL (Chamois Class)l





Neutral New ships
Nil
UBOATS

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven U.40 (Kptlt. Werner von Schmidt) .

departures

Kiel U.56 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Zahn)

At Sea 12 September

U-4, U-6, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-26, U-27 (+), U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-37, U-38, U-39 (+), U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-56, U-57.

33 boats at sea.

*Baltic*

DKM experimental ship OTTO BRAUN was damaged by a Polish coastal defense battery at Hela, she was later written off as a total loss (contemporary western reports incorrectly claim it was battleship SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN).

Kattegat 

DKM DD RICHARD BEITZEN and TB T.107 conducted an anti-shipping patrol in the Kattegat from the 12th to 14th,

*North Sea *.

U.13 on patrol in the central North Sea near Orfordness picked up four men from a downed German Do.18 aircraft.

East Coast 
FS.4 dep Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS, WALLACE, WANDERER. WANDERER attacked a submarine contact near Inner Dowsing, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

Sloop BITTERN attacked a submarine contact 18 miles off Flamborough.

Sloop ENCHANTRESS attacked a submarine contact off Flamborough Head.

*Northern Waters*

Home Flt
BB NELSON, BC REPULSE, and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, PUNJABI, TARTAR (DesFlot 6) cleared Scapa for Loch Ewe.
NELSON, REPULSE, MASHONA and SOMALI arrived at Loch Ewe (the small port of Aultbrea, designated Port A for security reasons) at 0730/13th. BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, TARTAR were detached on ASW patrol, joined by ESKIMO which cleared Scapa on the 11th did not reach Loch Ewe until the 15th.

CL AURORA and SHEFFIELD dep for Sullom Voe, arriving on the 12th.

CL NEWCASTLE dep Plymouth on completion of refit, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 13th to work up and joined 18th CruSqn on the 15th.

*Carribbean *

CL ORION and CL PERTH (RAN) dep Kingston on patrol and ret 18th

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs CALEDON and CALYPSO dep Scapa Flow for Northern Patrol, ret on the 19th.

*UK-France convoys .*

DB.1 of one fast steamer, escorted by DDs SCIMITAR and VANSITTART departed Southampton for Brest, arriving on the 13th.

Fr DD SIROCCO dep Brest escorting SS SIDI FERRUCH to Cherbourg, arriving on the 13th. SIROCCO returned the 16th.

* English Channel*

Dover Straits 

DDs of Desflot 19 attacked a submarine contact near Kentish Knock.

DD BRAZEN’s condenser problems were repaired at Chatham beginning on the 12th and completing on the 19th.

DD BRILLIANT struck the Dover breakwater on the 12th, docked at Dover for temp repairs then proceeded to Chatham, where she arrived on the 15th. Repairs complete on 16 October.
.
*UK-outbound convoys*

No reports

*Southwestern Approaches*

No Reports

*Med/Biscay*

Fr DDs BORDELAIS, L'ALCYON, TROMBE of the DesDiv8 cleared Marseilles escorting Convoy Number 14 to Oran, arriving on the 14th.




_These ships were all of the L'Adroit Class of Destroyers. They were smaller and slower than the Contre Torpilleurs_

*Central and South Atlantic* –

No Reports

*North Atlantic*

Northwestern approaches

CV ARK ROYAL a/c attacked a submarine 150 miles NW of Cape Wrath. DDs FAULKNOR and FIREDRAKE detached to search, but failed to make contact. DDs FAME and FORESTER were despatched to search the area. The DDs returned to Scapa later that day.

*Central Atlantic*

CL DURBAN dep Freetown for Capetown, arriving on the 28th to repair defects

*Indian Ocean*

CVL EAGLE dep Colombo on raider hunting duties for a week around Ceylon, the Maldives, and Seychilles

*Pacific*

CL ACHILLES (RNZN) arrived at Valparaiso for refuelling and then departed on the 13th on patrol.

_T107 Class (DKM) 

Dimensions) 71,10-72,50 m × 7,6 m × ~3 m

(Displacement) Max 697-753 t

(Armament) 2 × 8,8 cm L/35
4 × TT 45cm

(Propulsion) 2 Vulcan, AEG or Schichau turbines, 2 shafts, 15986-17109 shp

(Speed) 32,9-34,0 knots

(Range) 1050-1150 miles at 17 knots, ~490 miles at 29 knots

(Crew) 80-84_


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## Wurger (Sep 12, 2014)

parsifal said:


> Wotjek, got a question from your last post. How many aircraft of the PAF did Germany capture and in general what was their fate. I know that a number were passed to Rumania, which I think were equipment-for-oil swaps, but were any retained for training or just scrapped?
> 
> Also, with regard to the p-24, I know there were none on strength 1-9-39, but weren't some on the factory floors and impressed as fighters as the battler progressed. I believe that as aircraft supplies began to dry up, the Poles returned some mothballed P-7s back into service as point defence aircraft





The German sources say that about 350 Polish planes were captured including 63 unusable ones. But the number seems to be a little bit exaggerated. Most of them were civilian kites or not assembled fully in factories. Usually military planes were devastaing by maintenance crews if there wasn't any way to repair them or just there was a lack of fuel. This prevented against capturing by Germans. Taking that into consideration , not too many of Polish, serviceable military planes was captured. Most of these aircraft were derelicted and just scrapped. However a certain number of operational planes was used by Germans for training or recce flights. Also I don't think Romania received any of captured Polish planes from Germany. The majority of them was left there by Polish pilots who evacuated themself via Romania , Hungary etc.. to France. These were expropriated unrightfully. Of course the Romanian AF used Polish planes that had been bought in Poland before the war started. 

The PZL P-24 wasn't provieded for being the main Polish fighter plane. The aircraft was designed because of French idea of attaching of an French Gnome-Rhone engine to the PZL P-11 and possible interest of the Armée de l'Air in a such plane. Also the P-24 was intendend for export only. The main Polish fighter machine for 1940-1944 was going to be PZL P-50 Hawk. The PZL factory made almost all ordred P-24s and sent them to their owners. The last , foreign order was the Bulgarian one ( in 1938 ) for 26 PZL P-24F. In July 1939, 22 of them were assembled and sent to Bulgaria although there was an idea to retain them in Poland because of the upcoming war. The rest of the Bulgarian planes was destroyed during an air raid on the PZL factory. Therefore none of P-24s was used during the September Campaign by Poles.
As far as the PZL P-7 is concerned.. the plane was still in service when the WW2 started. The 123rd, 151st and 162nd Squadrons and a couple of extemporaneous units were equipped with the type of the PZL fighter. Initailly these were used as fighter planes but later as the recce and liaison ones. Totally 70 of P-7s were used operationally. 40 P-7s were used by flying schools and 35 at technical maintenance and supply. 54 planes were lost ( 22 during struggling ). Several of P-7s was evacuated to Romania where were "pocketed". Russians collared about 20 P-7s.

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## Wurger (Sep 12, 2014)

12.09.1939... Polish tankettes captured at Łomża Zambrów area.

the pic source ... the net.


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## Augsburg Eagle (Sep 12, 2014)

That´s a great thread, I´m impressed

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## parsifal (Sep 13, 2014)

*13 September *
Neutral New ships
USN DD402 MAYRANT (Benham class)






UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U-6 (Kptlt. Ludwig Mathes).

departures

U-14*(Kptlt. Horst Wellner), U-16 (KvtKptn Hannes Weingärtner) , U-24 (KvtKptn Udo Behrens)
From Wilhelmshaven: U-3 (Ace Joachim Schepke)...

*Baltic*

Greek steamer KATINGO HAJIPATERA (3661grt) was damaged on a mine off Falsterbo, Sweden and ran aground. She was refloated and proceeded the same day to Copenhagen escorted by a Swedish MS.

During the night of the 13th/14th, Polish MS JASKOLKA, RYBITWA, CZAJKA laid 60 mines south of Hela to prevent KM BB SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN shelling the Hela Peninsula.

*North Sea *.

German trawler STOLP (122grt) was sunk in accidental collision with TB LUCHS in the North Sea.

Nor MV RONDA (5136grt) was mined and sunk off Terschelling , with 17 crew lost. The survivors were rescued by Italian steamer PROVVIDENZA (8459grt).

British East Coast

U-boat operations, Scottish east coast - the last three Type IIB submarines departed Germany to operate off the Scottish coast against British warships (U-3, U-14 and 24). Previously on the 7th, U.36 had left Kiel for Wilhelmshaven, and then with U.21, U.23, U.31 and U.35 left that port on the 9th. On the same day, U.36 sighted submarine SEAHORSE.

On the 13th, both U.14 and U.24 left Kiel, initially for operations in the Moray Firth area. U.14 went on to reconnoitre Scapa until the 25th and U.24 stayed in the Moray Firth area until the 27th. By then, of the total seven U-boats– three were deployed off the Firth of Forth, one east and one southeast of Moray Firth, one in the North Sea between Shetlands and Norway, and U.24 in the Moray Firth area.

U.21 attacked a DD off the Firth of Forth on the 22nd, U.14 a submarine off Duncansby Head on the 24th, and U.24 DD FORESIGHT off the Shetlands, also on the 24th, but all failed due to torpedo defects.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL DELHI joined CruSqn12 on Nthn Patrol.

*British Northern Waters *

DD MATABELE escort tanker MIXOL dep Rosyth for Scapa. SS OBERON proceeded in company and was detached at Dundee. MATABELE and MIXOL arrived at Scapa on the 14th.

*UK-France convoys .*

DDs VENOMOUS, WREN escorted MB.2 from Southampton to Brest from the 13th to 14th. The following convoy, MB.3 was cancelled.

* English Channel*

DD MALCOLM attacked a submarine contact 22 miles east of Guernsey.

DD WALLACE was badly damaged in a collision with steamer REDRIFF (1577grt) off Lowestoft and reported in danger of sinking. WALLACE was attended by DD WANDERER and met by tugs, temporarily repaired at Yarmouth, then taken to Hull where repairs were completed on 23 October.

Sloop WESTON ran aground on the Shipwash, was refloated without assistance and was able to proceed to Rosyth. The only damage was to her anti-submarine dome and she was soon back to duty.

Convoy FN.4 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 14th.

DD SHIKARI departed Portsmouth and arrived at Devonport the same day to begin rearming

Dover Straits 

DDs JAVELIN, JERSEY , attacked suspected submarine contact near the East Goodwin Light Vessel.

DD BLANCHE attacked a submarine contact five miles east of Dungeness.
.
*UK-outbound convoys*

OA.4 and OB.4A of 31 ships, cleared Southend. DDs ANTELOPE and ACASTA cleared Plymouth and escorted the convoys from North Foreland from the 13th to 16th, before arriving back at Plymouth on the 17th.

Convoy OB.4 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs WHIRLWIND and WARWICK until the 16th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

U.35 (Kptlt. Werner Lott) was attacked by a British aircraft which dropped three bombs west of Ireland. No damage was done.

U.29 (Ace . Otto Schuhart (Knights Cross)) sank tug NEPTUNIA (798grt) SW of Ireland at 49‑20N, 14‑40W. She was en route to tow DD WALKER. Her 21 man crew was rescued by steamer BRINKBURN (1598grt) after spending 28-30 hours in the ship's boat.

U.26 (Kpt Klaus Ewerth) sighted a submarine, presumably French, south of Ireland, but was not able to attack. U-26 was carrying out Minelaying Operations at the time

*Med/Biscay*

Casablanca
Fr ML cruiser LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE was offloading mines at Casablanca when a mine being disarmed accidently exploded, setting off a chain reaction that blew up and destroyed the ship at anchor.






EV 1/c A E H Pugliesi-Conti was killed and CV Dubois, LV H G E O L'Hertier, Commander of Marine Detachment Lt Marc, Doctor 1/c Tarello CH MO, Reserve Officer EV 1/c Merlen, IGM 2/c Salle, Supply Officer 2/c Levaique, Reserve Officer EV 1/c Lepeque and Doctor 3/c F Brunet went missing. Two officers were wounded and some two hundred ratings killed or missing. Many of the rest of her crew of 17 officers and 407 ratings were wounded.

Trawlers ETOILE DU MATIN, SULTAN, MARIE MERVEILLEUSE were lost and a number of other ships in the harbour damaged by the explosion. Auxiliary MS CHELLAH (70grt), GOSSE (300grt), and CHARCOT were badly damaged and not repaired. ALCOR and GRODIN were damaged.

DDs GRENADE, GRIFFIN, GARLAND, GIPSY, of the Desflot1 dep Malta to escort Convoy Green 1 en route to Alex. On the 16th, GARLAND was damaged by the explosion of one of her depth charges dropped while steaming. The explosion not only damaged her stern but wrenched loose another depth charge on the DC thrower. The second DC was thrown into the water and exploded under the ship. GARLAND was towed to Alex by GRIFFIN, arriving on the 17th. Additionally, four of GARLAND's more seriously wounded crewmen were transferred to CL GALATEA which also arrived at Alex on the 17th. GARLAND was taken to Malta in October for repair, which lasted until 16 May 1940.

CA SUSSEX struck a submerged wreck with her propeller in the Ionian Sea and docked at Malta on the 13th.

*North Atlantic*

U.27 (Oberlt Johannes Franz) sank British trawler DAVANA (291grt) 21 miles NNW of Tory Island. Survivors were rescued by steamer WILLOWPOOL (4815grt).


*China Station*

CA KENT departed Hong Kong on patrol, and arrived back on the 28th.




_HMS kent as she appeared in 1942_

_Joachim Schepke Bio: Joachim Schepke began his naval career in April 1930. He spent two years on the cruiser Deutschland before, like Günther Prien, he transferred to the U-boat force in October 1935. Later he spent 18 months as an instructor in the torpedo-school at Flensburg, but in 1938 he became commander of the training U-boat U-3. With U-3 he achieved his first successes, before leaving the U-boat in January 1940.

He then took command of U-19 and sank nine ships with a total of 15,715 tons.

In May 1940 he commissioned U-100, a Type VIIB U-boat. On his first patrol from Kiel to Lorient in August 1940, he sank six ships with a total of 25,812 tons and damaged one ship.

But Kapitänleutnant Schepke became well known as commander of U-100 in September 1940. On his second patrol with this boat, in two days he sank seven ships with a total of 50,340 tons. Two days later he received the Knights Cross.

Also outstanding was the day of 23 November, 1940, when Schepke sank seven ships totaling 24,601 tons. One week later he was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross.

In 1940 he published a book, U-Boot Fahrer von heute (U-boat men of today), describing life on a U-boat in simple terms. This book is illustrated with his own paintings.

Schepke, a handsome young man, was nicknamed Ihrer Majestät bestaussehender Offizier (Her Majesty's best-looking officer. The expression Ihrer Majestät is used to indicate the country's leader, and is not referring to royalty in this case!).

In February 1941 he spoke in the Berlin Sportpalast to thousands of young Germans about the U-boat war.

Joachim Schepke was killed when U-100 was sunk at 0318hrs on 17 March, 1941 southeast of Iceland in approximate position 61N, 12W after being rammed and depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc (Niestlé, 1998 ). Vanoc spotted U-100 with her early radar in heavy fog and chased the contact. 38 men were killed, including Schepke, who is said to have been caught on the bridge when the boat was rammed. Six crew members survived.

Otto Schuhart Bio:Otto Schuhart began his naval career in April 1929. Later he spent two years on the battleship Schleswig-Holstein. In 1936 he joined the U-boat force. On his first war patrol he sank the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous . This was the first outstanding sinking of the U-boat arm, and the whole crew received the EK II (Iron Cross) and as commander Schuhart received both the EK I and the EK II._
I_n 1941 he became an instructor in the 1st ULD (Unterseeboots-Lehr-Division), and in June 1943 became commander of the 21st Flotilla. The last months of the war he spent in the Marineschule Flensburg-Mürwik.

Otto Schuhart joined the Bundesmarine in 1955, retiring in 1967 with a rank of Kapitän zur See._

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## Marcel (Sep 13, 2014)

parsifal said:


> At the risk of upsetting Chris, we need some specialists for the RAF, Italy, France, Greece and the neutrals. ive got a basic working knowledge, but I wouldn't like to do a day to day, hands get dirty type account for these nations.
> 
> Any volunteers?


I could of course provide some info from the Netherlands, but I cannot promise to provide info every day.

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## Wurger (Sep 13, 2014)

On the 13th September 1939 Hitler visited Lódź city. He came there by his Ju-52 that possible landed at the Lublinek airfield.






On the same day the Nazi Luftwaffe bombed Frampol town. There weren't any military targets in the town. However the layout of it allowed to rate the bombing accuracy. Just for training.... incredible.







PZL 37 Łoś damaged at the Mielec airfield.


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## parsifal (Sep 13, 2014)

Marcel said:


> I could of course provide some info from the Netherlands, but I cannot promise to provide info every day.




Whatever you would like to contribute would be appreciated marcel. For the RAF Ive got Foremans books for February to July 1941 and January 1942 to July 1943. Doesnt cover the med....just ETO....and then we still have gaps in both time and also geographically . Chris might have it covered......i know he did a fantastic piece on the BOB. Plus, this stuff is a fair bit of work. So the trick is not to overcommit and try and cover everything......

For me naval stuff is reasonably straight forward. Ive got pre-written notes, and there are plenty of electronic sources. other stuff is not so straight forward.

The up side is that you get to contribute to a really cool project, and you can have your say on your piece of history. You get the editorial control over that piece of the project....hopefully the information is good though.

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## Njaco (Sep 13, 2014)

*13 September 1939 Wednesday
POLAND:* The 60,000 survivors in the Radom Pocket in Poland surrendered. A small German infantry force begins to cross the Vistula just south of Warsaw. The Bzura battles are now going badly for the Polish forces. The heaviest fighting will be over by September 15th but some engagements will continue until the 19th. Although the Germans will take their largest single haul of 150,000 prisoners in this battle, by September 19th, units of two Polish brigades and elements of others will manage to escape to Warsaw.

In the morning, a Luftwaffe reconnaissance plane circles the JGr 102 airfield at Debrica and finally drops a bundle of two handkerchiefs tied with a message:


> “Airfield at Brody full of enemy aircraft.”


 All the available aircraft are scrambled along with Oblt. Josef Kellner-Steinmetz’s 3./JGr 102 returning from a patrol. Approaching the airfield near the Soviet border, Hptm. Hannes Gentzen finds a flight of eight Polish bombers flying at tree-top level. Diving to the attack, Hptm. Gentzen destroys four of the bombers as the rest of the Gruppe shoots down the rest of the formation.

But the attack on the bombers alerts the Polish airfield and the anti-aircraft guns open fire on JGr 106 as they strafe the ground. Uffz. Fritz Linder is shot down but escapes to friendly territory. Several Polish aircraft including a number of P-37 ‘Los’ bombers are destroyed on the airfield.

‘*Operation SEASIDE*’ is ordered to commence on 17 September by Generalfeldmarschall Göring. The directive reads: _“Priority of attack shall be given to public utilities (water, gas, and power sources), barracks and ammunition dumps, the Woywod building, citadel, ministry of war, inspectorate general, traffic centers and known battery positions.” _Generalmajor Freiherr von Richthofen is ordered to use all his Stuka Gruppen as well as the bomber Gruppen. The US ambassador to Poland, Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., reports that German bombers are attacking the civilian population. He says;


> "..they are releasing bombs they carry even when they are in no doubt as to the identity of their objectives.”



A He 111 from Stab./ KG 55 flown by Uffz. Karl Rathmann is shot down.

Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 move yet again from its base outside Krakau to an airfield at Krosno.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The crew and pilots of 1./JG 2 return to Döberitz from Lyck and rejoin the Gruppe.

The French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier, forms a War Cabinet in which he is responsible for foreign affairs as well as retaining the portfolios of war and national defense. The former foreign minister, Georges Bonnet, is appointed Minister of Justice. Raoul Dautry is appointed Minister of Armaments and Georges Pernot is appointed Minister of Blockade, both are new portfolios related to the war effort. Daladier is keen to have a war cabinet that will enable France to put recent divisions aside and fight the war with a spirit of national unity.

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## Marcel (Sep 13, 2014)

Okay, I don't have extensive day-by-day source about the mobilisation time in The Netherlands ( I don't think there is any ), but I'll do my best. By fortunate accident, this is an interesting day:

13 September
Incident with the R-5
around 14.00h a group of 6 He115's of I./106 started from Nordeney for reconnaissance over the North Sea. At 14.20h He M2 + LH flies 5 miles north of Ameland (own claim) when suddenly an unknown aircraft approached. This actually was Fokker T-VIIIW R-5 of the Dutch Navy. It was doing a neutrality patrol over territorial waters. The Dutch had had the He115 in their sight for some time. When they identified it as a German floatplane, they turned back to the mainland. The He115 M2 + LH however opened fire and damaged the T-VIIIW. The Dutch floatplane did and emergency landing on the water where it toppled over because of the heavy seas. Being wounded, the crew climbed on the wing to save themselves. The He115, still oblivious of the nationality of their victim, landed to capture the crew. One of the floats however was damaged, so the He115 could not take of again. They radioed for help. A Do18D of 2./106 tried to help, but they got a leak when landing and floated to the Dutch coast. At 16.55h, He59 D-APIE came to the rescue, but the He115 already was able to take off again. The resue aircraft was called back. At 17.17h, the He115 M2 + LH arrived at Nordeney with the 4 Dutch crew members as passengers.

The incident however was not over. 3 D-XXI's from Eelde had taken off and intercepted the Do18, which was trying to take off. Warning shots were given, injuring one of the crew and the Do18 turned back to Ameland. There, crew was taken prison.

This incident caused the Dutch to abandon the roundel for orange triangles in order to prevent confusion with the British roundel in future. 





Do18D on the beach of Ameland.

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## Wurger (Sep 13, 2014)




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## Crimea_River (Sep 14, 2014)

Great reading guys.

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## Njaco (Sep 14, 2014)

*14 September 1939 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The new aircraft carrier, HMS “_Ark Royal_”, was operating west of the Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom when lookouts spotted the tracks of torpedoes passing astern. Her escorting destroyers counter-attacked and sank the German submarine U-39. 43 German crewmen are captured.

*POLAND:* German troops enter Gdynia (the only Polish seaport), west of Danzig. Its port includes Gdansk and Sopot. Originally a small German fishing, Gdynia was transferred to Poland after World War I. Since then it was developed into an important rail center including industries producing metal and machinery. It has become a leading Baltic port, main naval base and shipbuilding center for Poland. German authorities have renamed the port Gotenhafen. Polish mayor Skupien surrenders Gydnia to German General Magnus Eberhardt.

German forces attacking from East Prussia reach open country when they cross the Narew River near Modlin and sweep around Warsaw to begin the encirclement of the Polish capital. The Polish units under General Zulauf which have just reached Warsaw, have been incorporated as the core of the defence forces of the burough of Praga. The German IV.Panzerdivision positioned just outside Warsaw has retreated. Alerted to a possible threat, General Wladyslaw Bortonowski ordered an immediate retreat of the 26th Infantry division after they had just crossed the Bzura near Lowicz. The Polish 4th Infantry reached the road linking Lowicz with Glowno while the 16th Infantry crossed the Bzura near Lowicz.

Lwow is cut off by German attacks. The German XIX Panzerkorps (Guderian) reaches Brest-Litovsk. Ethnic Ukrainians begin an uprising in Lwow and Stanislawow, attacking small Polish army units in the vicinity.

A He 111 from 1./KG 55 force lands near Radow, southeast of Warsaw. Stukas sink the Polish minesweepers ‘_Czapla_’ and ‘_Jaskolka_’ in the harbour at Hela.

Soviet news agency Tass reports repeated violations by Polish military airplanes over Soviet land. Some chased out, some are forced down.

Over the Brody airfield, Bf 109s of JGr 102 return and destroy more Polish aircraft on the ground. During the two days of attacks, JGr 102 destroys twenty-six Polish aircraft in the air and on the ground at the airfield.

The Hungarian government refrains from declaring its neutrality on the grounds that it is not threatened by Hitler.

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## Wurger (Sep 14, 2014)

A destroyed German tank during the Battle of Bzura.







The Polish 37 mm wz 1936 Bofors armor-piercing gun was able to destroy all German tanks used by them during the September Campaign 1939.







A revenge... a damaged Polish light 7TP tank.

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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2014)

*The Fleet Air Arm*

Britain went to war with one priceless advantage relative to the KM. it possessed a viable fleet air arm, with multiple carriers to support the main fleet. but in 1939, and for a very long time after that this advantage was theoretical rather than real.

Great Britain went to war with seven carriers in service, and six more in various stages of construction. when the war broke out the brand new CV ARK ROYAL and the veteran Carrier FURIOUS (equivalent to a CVL) were with the Home Flt, CV GLORIOUS was assigned to the Med, EAGLE was in the Far East. HERMES and COURAGEOUS were still in reserve. ARGUS was assigned the Training role. All but the ARK ROYAL had been launched more than 20 years previously, and most had limits in their spot rates (rate that aircraft could be launched or recovered) and refuel capabilities. They were all rather vulnerable, except the ARK ROYAL. All, including the Ark Royal were very limited by the number and capability of the aircraft they carried, though the Swordfish, affectionately known as the "Stringbag" was to carve an enviable record over the next six years.

Britsh Carriers went to war with the following complements

ARK ROYAL: 18 Skua, 42 Swordfish GLORIOUS: 12 Sea Gladiators 36 Swordfish COURAGEOUS: (On return from Reserve) 24 Swordfish FURIOUS: 18 Swordfish HERMES: (On return from Reserves) 9 Swordfish EAGLE 18 Swordfish (when she transferred to the Med in 1940, she received 3 Gladiators hurriedly transferred and converted from RAF reserves)

The RNAS was receiving the pitiful total of 16 new pilots _per year_ in 1939, so rapid change to this situation would take some time to rectify.

The FAA did enjoy some advantages. in 1939, it was one of only two nations with a viable air launched torpedo. Long aware of the shortcomings of its strike aircraft, the Fleet Air Arm had received training in the difficult night strike area. Swordfish were also credible dive bombers and possessed excellent rough weather capability. conversely ther was no ASV, and no specialised ASW capability, and no refined methodologies to work with ASW escorts






_HMS Ark Royal 1939_






_HMS Glorious early 1930's_




XX

_HMS Courageous 1935_






_HMS Furious 1935_






_HMS Eagle prewar_






_HMS Hermes_




XX

_HMS Argus 1939_

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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2014)

*14th September 1939*
Allied New Ships
Fr MSW CHEVRUIL, RN DD KINGSTON








North Sea - British trawler HAWARDEN CASTLE (210grt) was lost to the 20mm gunfire of U.17 (Korvettenkapitan Harald Jeppener-Haltenhoff) (believe that the ship was set alight and then sank)

U-30 (Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp) (Type VIIa). After stopping the British freighter Fanad Head, the boat was attacked by three British Blackburn Skua aircraft (FAA-Sqdn 803) from HMS ARK ROYAL, but two of them were lost to their own bombs. Three crew members were wounded by splinters (according to one source).

other sources say that when U-30 attacked steamer FANAD HEAD (5200grt) 280 miles WNW of Malin Head in 56‑43N, 15‑21W, the Steamer gave a contact report that was received and responded to by ARK ROYA and her escortL launched the three Skuas of 803 Squadron at 1440 and dispatched TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI to assist. FANAD HEAD was sunk before help arrived.

The Skuas attacked U.30, but two of them were lost from the explosion of their own bombs in the sea. Both gunners, PO Airman J Simpson (Griffiths' aircraft) and PO Airman G V McKay (of Thurston's) were killed, but both 803 Squadron pilots, Lt R P Thurston (aircraft L 2957) and Lt G B K Griffiths RM (L 2873), were picked up by U.30 and made prisoners.

U.30 was damaged, headed for Reykavik while making emergency repairs and arrived on the 19th, landing a wounded crewman. Next day, the 20th September, she departed for Germany.

TARTAR picked up the survivors from the steamer and ARK ROYAL launched six more Swordfish at 1655 - three each from Nos 818 and 821 Squadrons. One of 821’s aircraft attacked a submarine contact. Destroyers FAME and FORESTER later arrived on the scene after the survivors of FANAD HEAD had already been rescued.

Steaming towards FANAD HEAD's position, ARK ROYAL escorted by destroyers FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE was attacked by U.39 NW of Ireland at 1507, but the torpedoes exploded prematurely. FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE counter-attacked and sank U.39 at 1546 in 58‑29N, 11‑50W. FAULKNOR picked all the submarine's 42 man crew.

U-30. After sinking the British freighter Fanad Head, the boat was bombed by six Swordfish aircraft (FAA-Sqdn 810 and 821) from HMS ARK ROYAL and depth charged by HMS BEDOUIN and HMS PUNJABI for 4 hours before Lemp managed to escape according to german sources). However this is at odds with British sources, and we do know that U-39 was sunk in that same area, after being attacked by Swordfish and depth Charged by ARK ROYALs screen

U.28 (Kptlt. Günter Kuhnke (Knights Cross)) sank steamer VANCOUVER CITY (4955grt) SW of Ireland in 51‑23N, 07‑03W, with three crew lost. American steamer PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT (13,869grt) headed for her to rescue survivors, but received a signal that a Dutch tanker had picked them up and continued on her way.

U.29 sank steamer BRITISH INFLUENCE (8431grt) SW of Ireland in 49‑43N, 12‑49W. Norwegian steamer IDA BAKKE (5455grt) rescued her crew.

U-39 (Kptlt. Gerhard Glattes) sunk 14 Sept 1939 north-west of Ireland, in position 58.32N, 11.49W, by depth charges from the British DDs FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND and FIREDRAKE assisted by a/c from ARK ROYAL 44 survivors (no casualties). U-39 was the first U-boat sunk in the war, after an unsuccessful attack against the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (premature magnetic-pistol torpedo explosions).

KTB/SKL* TRANSLATED DIARY ENTRY 22nd September;

"U-53, U-32 heading back. Only two U-boats (U 31, U 35) remain in the operational area. There has been no word from U-39. According to plan, this U-boat should have returned home by now; the lack of response from U-39 (Commander Kapitänleutnant Glattes) in spite of multiple requests to transmit location is cause for grave concern. The fate of the U-boat may well be linked to a British radio transmission regarding the arrival of the first German Navy prisoner at a London railway station".

* SKL = Seekriegsleitung = German Supreme Naval Command


Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp was the central figure of one of the most controversial incidents of the Battle of the Atlantic when, as commander of U-30, he spotted a large blacked-out ship zig-zagging at high speed on 3 September 1939. Lemp took an educated guess that this vessel was an armed merchant cruiser (an AMC, a converted liner fitted with deck guns to protect merchants), as passenger liners were not supposed to be zig-zagging like this one was, and he managed to hit it with two torpedoes, sinking the ship. The vessel turned out to be the passenger liner Athenia; 112 of her passengers died in the sinking.

Lemp achieved great success in U-30, sinking 17 ships and damaging two, including the British battleship HMS Barham (04). She was the first U-boat to make use of the French bases in July 1940, and on 14 August 1940 Lemp, aged 26, was the seventh U-boat commander to be awarded the Knights Cross.

Lemp's first patrol in the newly-commisioned U-110 was a disappointment after his previous success, and the second proved disastrous. The boat was captured east of Cape Farewell, Greenland in position 60N, 33W by the British destroyers HMS Bulldog, HMS Broadway and the British corvette HMS Aubretia. (Niestlé, 1998). The boat's Enigma machine and current code books were captured, with grave consequences for the Germans. Kptlt. Lemp was killed in action.

Kptlt. Günter Kuhnke: Günter Kuhnke joined the Reichsmarine in April 1931. After some months on the cruiser Admiral Scheer, he transferred in September 1935 to the newly formed U-boat arm and received the intensive prewar U-boat officer training. In October 1938 he took command of the Type VIIA U-boat U-28.

After the start of the war in September 1939, he made seven mostly successful patrols including some minelaying operations. He left U-28 in January 1941 and two months later commissioned the Type IXC U-boat U-125. After two patrols he turned the boat over in December 1941 to Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers, who took part with U-125 in operation Paukenschlag a month later.

In January 1942 Günter Kuhnke became the commander of the 10th flotilla based in Lorient. In August 1944 he left Lorient with one of the last flotilla U-boats and headed back to Flensburg, where he arrived in October 1944. In Flensburg he took command of the 33rd flotilla and served in this position to the end of the war.

In 1955 he joined the Bundesmarine, commanding the destroyer Z-2 and in 1966 becoming Chef des Marineamtes (chief of Navy department). He retired in 1972 as Konteradmiral and was highly decorated after the war with the Star of the Great Federal Merit Cross.

DD KINGSTON – commanded by Lt Cdr P Somerville completed, and after working up at Portland, joined the Desflot 5 19 October.

United States - 68 Four Piper DDs ordered recommissioned from mothball reserve status for Neutrality Patrol duties.

British northern waters - BB RODNEY, BC HOOD, DDs TARTAR, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI dep Scapa evening of the 14th and arrived at Loch Ewe next morning. En route, three of the destroyers detached to join ARK ROYAL (see above).

DD MATABELE dep Scapa and arrived at Loch Ewe later the same day.

ARK ROYAL group, NW approaches - TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI joined the screen of aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL at daylight on the 14th.

British east coast - Convoy FS.5 dep Methil and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

Norwegian waters - on patrol off Norway at 56-22N, 1-28W, submarine STURGEON sighted SWORDFISH, which like OXLEY on the 10th, was off station. Failing to identify SWORDFISH as friendly, STURGEON fired three torpedoes at 0043 which all missed. As a result of these potentially fatal problems, the distance between patrol stations was increased to 16 miles.

Baltic - German Stuka bombers attacked Jastarnia Harbour and sank Polish MSW JASKOLKA, damaged MSW CZAPLA and RYBITWA, and caused minor splinter damage to MSW CZAJKA and ZURAW.

Polish SS ORZEL arrived at Tallinn, Estonia, escorted by Estonian TB SULEV, to land Lt Cdr Kloczkowski to hospital. The submarine was interned by confisdcation of ships charts, but the estonians neglect to undertake any further precautiuons.

English Channel - CL CARADOC departed Plymouth on patrol and arrived back on the 16th. DDs KEMPENFELT and ECHO dep Plymouth on escort duties at 0703 on the 14th.

DD SKATE arrived at Cherbourg.

SW approaches - CVL HERMES dep Plymouth with DDs IMOGEN and ISIS for ASW patrols in the Western Approaches west of 12-00W and south of 250° from Land's End. They were joined on the 16th by DDs IMPERIAL and ILEX. On the 17th, IMOGEN attacked a suspected submarine contact. The group returned to Plymouth on the 18th when these operations were suspended.

Sierra Leone-UK (SL) convoys - the first of the convoys, SL.1, dep Freetown, escorted by CL DAUNTLESS, then by CL CAPETOWN, which had departed Gib on the 17th. until the 24th when she returned to Gib. .

Central and Sth Atlantic - from 14 September to 12 October, French SSs PERSÉE and PONCELET, (Subdiv6) and AGOSTA and OUESSANT, (Subdiv 8) from det from Admiral West and patrolled the Azores area for German blockade runners. Following this operation, PERSÉE and PONCELET headed for Cherbourg for long overhauls lasting until mid-June 1940, while AGOSTA and OUESSANT proceeded to Martinique, arriving on the 29th.

CL DANAE dep Simonstown .

Indian Ocean - DD DARING arrived at Singapore on the 3rd while sister ships DUNCAN and DAINTY, which had departed Hong Kong on the 10th, arrived on the 13th. All three departed Singapore on the 14th to join the Med Flt.

HMAS Perth in Culbra Cut Panama Canal 29 November 1939


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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2014)

RAN - HMAS PERTH Before the outbreak of war, it had been intended that Perth would be sailed to Australia before the end of 1939. When war appeared imminent at the end of August the ship was in the West Indies. Pending the arrival of RN ships, she was ordered to protect oil tankers operating between Trinidad and Venezuela. For the next two and a half months Perth carried out escort and patrol duties in the West Indies and Western Atlantic.

Late in November 1939 the ship passed through the Panama Canal and proceeded to Cocos Island with orders to fuel the Royal Canadian Navy destroyers Ottawa and Restigouche. At the end of the month Perth returned to the Atlantic and proceeded for Kingston, Jamaica. Escort and patrol duties continued until early March 1940. The ship again passed through the Canal on 2 March 1940 and sailed for Sydney the following day. She secured alongside at Garden Island on 31 March.

*14 - 15 September 1939 *

Khalkin Gol Ceasefire 

Local Lieutenant General Komatsubara gathered his forces for a counterattack in early September, but he was frustrated by messages from Tokyo requesting him to hold his position. Concerned not only at the sharp military reverses, but also at the apparent collaboration between Germany and the Soviets, Japan sought peaceful solution to this bitter border dispute. In early Sep, politicians of the two nations successfully negotiated an agreement, and a ceasefire was signed in Moscow, Russia on 15 Sep 1939. The Soviet Union and Japan agreed that the border between the break-away state of Mongolia and the puppet state of Manchukuo was to be at Nomonhan, which was what the Mongolians perceived as the border at the start of the conflict. Japanese Army claimed that it had suffered 8,440 killed and 8,766 wounded in series of engagements out of the 75,000 men committed, but actual number of troops killed might be in the 20,000s or 30,000s. The Soviet Union claimed that it had suffered 9,284 casualties out of the 57,000 men committed, but the Soviets might had understated the figure as well; the actual number of casualties might be between 21,000 and 24,000. For his success, Georgy Zhukov was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and was promoted to the rank of general.

This battle was known in Japan as the Nomonhan Incident, Battle of Khalkhin Gol in the Soviet Union, and the Battle of Halhin Gol in Mongolia.

The result of the battle significantly influenced the future direction of Japanese expansion.


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## Njaco (Sep 15, 2014)

*15 September 1939 Friday
POLAND:* German troops captured Gdynia, Poland. Meanwhile, Polish troops failed to break out of the Kutno Pocket. German troops are reducing the Polish Poznan Army encircled at Kutno. Brest-Litovsk, 120 miles east of Warsaw, is surrounded. Only a strip of land connecting Kampinos Forest and Modlin Fortress remain in Polish hands. The relentless bombing of the city has left it in complete ruin. Great exoduses of people have fled the city yet many are trapped and unable to escape. The Warsaw military commander, Polish Major General Juliusz Rommel, refuses to discuss a surrender proposal from the Germans.

With Warsaw surrounded by German troops, the Polish Army was ordered to the Romanian border to hold out until the Allies arrive; the Romanian government offered asylum to all Polish civilians who could make it across the border; Polish military personnel who crossed the border, however, would be interned. Polish infantry units were immediately disarmed and interned by the Romanians. Poland and Romania had been allies since 1921, having ratified the Polish-Romanian Alliance Pact, which was presumed to be valid. The Polish government had recently transferred the treasury of the National Bank of Poland to the Romanian government for safe-keeping. The first shipment consisted of 1,261 crates containing 82,402 kilograms of gold while the second shipment totaled 3,057,450 kilograms, both escorted by the Romanian Navy.

Battle of Bzura continues with heavy losses on both sides. Polish Army Pomorze took up defensive positions at Kutno, Zychlin, Gabin and Sochaczew on the northern bank of the Bzura River. General Stanislaw Grzot-Skotnicki's unit was between Kutno and Zychlin. General Michal Karaczewicz -Tokaczewski's unit was near Gabin. And parts of the Army Poznan by the Bzura near Sochaczew. From there they commenced their drive towards Warsaw. The Germans engaged most of the 10.Armee to encircle the Poles. The Germans deployed 2 armored, 1 motorized and 3 light divisions, totaling 800 tanks. The Poles were forced out of Sochaczew and trapped in a triangle of Bzura, Vistula and German forces. After crossing the Bzura (between Sochaczew and Brochow), the German Panzer Division engaged the Polish 25th infantry and managed to capture Ruszki, and after a bloody battle they stopped their advance. The Polish 25th unit had crossed the Bzura near Vistula north of Sochaczew and and are heading towards Warsaw. In the process however, they had to abandon most of their heavy artillery. Meanwhile, the Poznan Army at Kutno has reported extensive casualties.

Four crewmembers of an He 111 from 1./KG 55 are killed when the bomber crash-lands near Chyrov. In order to keep pace with the advancing German Armies the Luftwaffe continues with moving air units forward. Major Hanns Trübenbach’s I(J)./LG 2 is moved yet again to Pultusk, only fifty kilometers from Warsaw.

*GERMANY:* A new Gruppe I./JG 54 is formed from the old I./JG 70 and is led by Major Hans-Jurgen von Cramon-Taubadel. Along with a new Gruppenkommandeur, the Gruppe trade in their old Bf 109Ds for new Bf 109Es. The Gruppe is based at Herzogenaurach.

In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop asked the Soviet Union for a definite date and time when Soviet forces would attack Poland.

German radio broadcasted today interviews with British and New Zealander aircrew captured during the Wilhelmshaven raid on September 4th.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The first British trans-Atlantic convoy sets sail from Halifax, Nova Scotia. From now on all ships carrying vital supplies of Canadian wheat and US munitions are to travel in convoys scheduled and protected by the British and Canadian navies. The first convoy organized during the war sailed from Gibraltar on September 2nd. The vital Glasgow-Thames coastal trade is now moving in convoys as well.

*EASTERN FRONT:* An armistice agreement is signed between Japan and the USSR ending their four-month-old "Nomonhan Incident" consisting of protracted fighting on the borders of Manchukuo (Manchuria) and Mongolia. Both sides have been under pressure from Germany to settle the dispute since the signing of the German-Soviet non-aggression pact. Peace talks were initiated by the new Japanese cabinet, appointed two weeks ago, after Japan lost 17,000 troops in one battle.

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## parsifal (Sep 15, 2014)

*15 September 1939*
Allied New Ships
Fr MSW COMMANDANT RIVIERE (Elan Class)




Neutral New ships[/U
USS DD 413 (MUSTIN) SIMS CLASS




Kiel: U-9 , U-19 (Fregattenkapitän Hans Meckel), U-45 (Kptlt. Alexander Gelhaar), U-46 (Korvettenkapitän Herbert Sohler), U-47
Wilhelmshaven: U-37 (Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Schuch)

At Sea 15 September
U-3, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-16, U-18, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-24, U-26, U-27 (+), U-28, U-29, U-30 (damaged), U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-38, U-40, U-41, U-48, U-52, U-53, U-56, U-57.
29 boats at sea.
+ lost during patrol

*North Sea *– U.36 sank steamer TRURO (974grt) 130 miles ENE of Rattray Head in 58‑20N, 02‑00E. Survivors were picked up by a Belgian trawler.

U.53 (Korvettenkapitän Ernst-Günter Heinicke) seriously damaged British tanker CHEYENNE (8825grt) 150 miles WSW of Fastnet at 50‑20N, 13‑30W. The crew was picked up by Norwegian steamer IDA BAKKE (5455grt) which was directed to the tanker by U.53. As U.53 was scuttling CHEYENNE with gunfire, destroyer MACKAY, 11th Flotilla arrived and drove her off. Finding CHEYENNE beyond salvage, MACKAY finished off the tanker with gunfire.

Heinicke is worthy to note. In March 1945 he was assigned as Baubelehrung commander of the new Type XXI electroboat U 2561, but the boat was still uncompleted at the end of hostilities, and was afterwards broken up on the stocks.

U-26 unsuccessfully attacked steamer ROTHESAY CASTLE (7016grt) 120 miles SW of Fastnet,

*Western Atlantic* - After travelling via the Panama Canal Cdn DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT arrived at Halifax for escort duties.

Kingston, Jamaica-UK (KJF) convoys - the first of the series, KJF.1, sailed escorted by CL ORION. this convoy series only continued until 8 October 1939 with three more KJF’s leaving Kingston, all unescorted -

Northern Patrol - CL DUNEDIN departed Scapa for Northern Patrol duties ret 18th.

British northern waters - BB NELSON dep Loch Ewe , escorted by DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, MATABELE for Scapa .

DD FURY, joined CV ARK ROYAL at sea on ASW patrol.

CA NORFOLK dep Scapa

CLA CALCUTTA dep Scapa ret on the 16th.

Coastal Command A/C bombed a submarine contact 60 miles east of Aberdeen. DD SABRE was already hunting in the area and was joined by DD FORESIGHT.

DD BROKE attacked a submarine contact off Flamborough Head.

CL NEWCASTLE relieved CL SHEFFIELD for duties with the Humber Force, although SHEFFIELD continued in CruDiv18 for another week.

DDs JERVIS, JAVELIN, JERSEY, JUPITER dep Humber to search for a reported damaged German submarine in the North Sea. There was no contact, and the ships were badly battered by heavy weather. JUPITER and JAVELIN also attacked a submarine contact three miles NE of Flamborough. British trawler SILURIA (207grt) passing between them during their hunt, rode over a submerged object which she reported as a suspected submarine. On return, JERVIS boiler cleaned and repaired at Rosyth from the 17th to 22nd and JERSEY docked at Chatham from the 18th to 20th.

DD VALOROUS attacked a submarine contact 10 miles east of Lowestoft.

Convoy FN.5 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 16th.

*English Channel* - DD WREN made two attacks on a submarine contact off Cherbourg.

Belgian liner ALEX VAN OPSTAL (5965grt) sank on a mine laid by U.26 on the 8th off Shambles Light ½ mile east of Weymouth and Greek steamer ATLANTICOS (5446grt) rescued her survivors.

UK-France convoys - BC.2 dep Barry, escort by DDs WOLVERINE and WAKEFUL, and arrived at Quiberon Bay on the 16th. The convoy was also escorted by French super DDs MOGADOR and VOLTA from 0600 to 2000 on the 16th.





_Contre Torpilleur DD Mogador_

DB.2 dep Southampton with one personnel ship for Brest, escorted by DDs WREN and VENOMOUS and arrived on the 16th. The following DB.3 was cancelled.

UK-out convoys - OA.5 of two ships, and OA.5A of twelve, departed Southend. DDs JANUS, JACKAL and Polish GROM dep Devonport to escort them until 18th, when the convoy dispersed.

OB.5 departed Liverpool escort by DDs VERSATILE and VIMY and VIVACIOUS


*Central and South Atlantic* – CL COLOMBO dep Gib for Casablanca ret 17th.

CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Rio de Janiero with DD HAVOCK and HOTSPUR. After refuelling and reprovisioning, the DDs dep that night and CUMBERLAND next day. CUMBERLAND was ordered to commence escort duties with HAVOCK from Rio de Janiero, while CA EXETER with HOTSPUR was to escort outbound shipping from Montevideo.

*Chinese waters* - sloop SANDWICH dep Tienstin under tow because of low water, ran aground at Taku. She was towed off by five tugs, but a towing line fouled a propeller. With tug ST BREOCK in attendance, SANDWICH left the area.


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## Njaco (Sep 16, 2014)

*16 September 1939 Saturday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The first transatlantic Allied convoy of the war, HX-1, sails from Halifax, Canada, escorted by Royal Canadian Navy destroyers ‘_Saguenay_’ and ‘_St. Laurent_’ for 350 miles at sea, and British cruisers ‘_Berwick_’ and ‘_York_’.

In the first German submarine attack on an Atlantic convoy the merchantman SS ‘_Aviemore_’ was sunk off Land's End, England, United Kingdom by U-31.

U-27 attacked British trawler ‘_Rudyard Kipling_’ 190 kilometers (120 miles or 100 nautical miles) west of Ireland at 0353 hours. The crew of U-27 boarded ‘_Rudyard Kipling_’ and destroyed the ship with scuttling charges. U-27 rescued the survivors, gave them food and warm clothing, and sent them off in lifeboats.

*POLAND:* Warsaw is now surrounded but a German ultimatum is rejected by the Polish garrison, led by General Czuma, and the civil population. Polish troops counterattacked, destroying 22 tanks of the Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler" regiment. This day is also the eve of the Jewish New Year and Luftwaffe planes dive-bomb the Jewish quarter of the city. In a desperate attempt to encircle and destroy Polish units, German Command allocated most of their own 10.Armee, including 2 armoured, 1 motorized, and 3 light divisions, escorted by 800 tanks and fleets of Luftwaffe. They have been attacking Polish positions continuously on all sides.

German General Blaskowitz attempted to capture Praga today but was repelled by Polish counter-attacks. After intense fighting for the Grochow area, the German 23. Infanterie-Abteilung was completely annihilated by Polish forces of the 21st "Children of the Warsaw" Infantry Regiment under Col. Stanislaw Sosabowski.

Elsewhere in Poland, German troops captured Brest-Litovsk. Part of List's army is still fighting west of Lvov while other units are advancing north to link with Guderian's forces, who are maintaining their attack along the Bug. Polish general Józef Kustron was killed in the village of Ulazow, Poland; he was the second general-rank officer to be killed in action during the European War.

Polish bombers have been intensifying their defense in a desperate attempt to stem the tide of German advancements. With Warsaw surrounded and the refusal of surrender by Polish General Walerian Czuma, German assaults are escalating, leading to greater casualties of Polish infantry and civilians.

In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov proposed that the Soviet Union would enter the war on September 17 to "_...protect the Ukranian and Belorussian minorities._" Reaction is mixed among Poles. Germany complained that it singled out Germany as the lone aggressor.

A dozen He 111s of I./KG 4 drop a million leaflets over Warsaw asking the population to leave the city in 12 hours through the eastern section the city before the Wehrmacht begins to attack.

The crews and pilots of Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 and JGr 102 are transferred from Poland to the Western Front area. They begin the withdraw this date by moving from Krosno to an area near Olmütz.

Adolf Hitler ordered five action squads into Poland, following German armies, with instructions to murder tens of thousands of officials, priests, intellectuals, to deprive Poles of their ruling class.

*GERMANY:* The small night-fighting unit, 10(Nacht)./ZG 26 moves its Ar 68Fs and Bf 109Ds from Jever to Wunstorf.

Hptm. Hans “Gockel” von Hahn is appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 53.


*WESTERN FRONT*: German forces begin large counterattacks on French forces at the France-Germany border: in the Moselle Valley, the Nied Valley, around Saarbrüken, and in the Vosges Mountains.

Germany closes the frontier with the Netherlands.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British Government announced the appointment of the Duke of Windsor as liaison officer with the French Army. This has raised eyebrows in many circles if not outrage. In 1937 the Duke and Duchess met - against the advice of Parliament - with Adolf Hitler at his retreat at Obersalzburg, located 120 kilometers southeast of Munich. The Duke was seen giving Nazi salutes. In a letter to Hitler, a fellow Nazi Albert Speer wrote,


> "I am certain that through him permanent friendly relations could have been achieved. If he had stayed everything would have been different. His abdication was a severe loss for us."



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## parsifal (Sep 16, 2014)

*16 September 1939*
Axis New Ships
FI SS LEONARDO DA VINCI (Marconi Class), IJN B1 Class Sub I-19







Allied New Ships
RN SS TRIAD (Prewar T Class Group)




Neutral New ships[/U
NE CL HEEMSKERK





Uboats enjoyed success in tonnages sunk, damaged or captured on this day

U-13 City of Paris (damaged) (Mine) 10,902 GRT (br) The Steamer was in convoy FN.6 was damaged 3.5 miles ENE of Aldeburgh hit a a mine laid by U.13 on the 4th, U-27 Rudyard Kipling 333 GRT (br)...the ship was sunk 100 miles west of Donegal. The entire crew were towed in their boats by the submarine to within five miles of the coast. DDs SOMALI and MATABELE and CC a/c were ordered to the area to search for the submarine. U-31 (Kptlt. Johannes Habekost) Aviemore 4,060 GRT (br)......the steamer was sunk at 0815, 350 miles west of Land's End . She was sailing as an independent crossing ahead of convoy OB.4 and not a member of the convoy as frequently reported. 23 crew lost and 11 survivors were rescued by DD WARWICK. Another ship in OB.4 was attacked by U.31 at 0040 but was not damaged. WARWICK was then missed at 0827 by a torpedo from U.31 , but in the counter-attack, the submarine sustained light damage, U-33 (Kptlt. Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky) Arkleside 1,567 (br) ...U.33 sank the steamer 150 miles SW of Land's End, U-41 (Kptlt. Gustav-Adolf Mugler) Suomen Poika (captured) 1,099 GRT (fin), U-41 Vega 974 GRT (captured) (fin)

Halifax, Nova Scotia-UK (HX) convoys - the first of the convoys, HX 1, departed Halifax at 1400 with Canadian DDs ST LAURENT and SAGUENAY as local escorts. On the 17th, 353 miles east of Halifax, the convoy was turned over to CAs YORK and BERWICK. The cruisers arrived back at Halifax on the 20th, while the convoy reached Liverpool on the 30th.

Scottish west coast - British trawler WELLVALE (271grt) was lost to unknown cause.

British east coast – convoy FS.6 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 18th.

DD WANDERER attacked a submarine contact 10 miles E by S of Flamborough Head. Sloop HASTINGS also attacked a contact, but this time 38 miles E by S of Flamborough Head.

DD VALOROUS attacked submarine contacts 10 miles east of Lowestoft and also 32 miles SW of Spurn Point.

Br SS H.34, carrying out experiments off Harwich, was bombed by a friendly aircraft. No damage was done.

Convoy FN.6 departed Southend and arrived at Methil on the 18th.

Humber Force - CL GLASGOW and SOUTHAMPTON departed the Humber and arrived at Rosyth on the 17th. SOUTHAMPTON boiler-cleaned from 17th to 19th, GLASGOW from 19th to 21st.

Dover Straits - steamer BRAMDEN (1594grt), inbound from Dunkirk, was sunk on a British defensive minefield, 3 crew lost.

Southwestern approaches - CV COURAGEOUS dep Plymouth for ASW in the Western Approaches. She was joined outside the breakwater at 0930 by DDs INGLEFIELD, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE. INTREPID. IMPULSIVE attacked a submarine contact at 2035 and INGLEFIELD went to assist. At 2150, the search was abandoned as a "non-sub" contact.

CL CARADOC and CERES with new DD KELLY dep Plymouth on ASW patrol in the Western Approaches. The cruisers ret on the 18th.

DD WHIRLWIND attacked a submarine contact 330 miles WSW of Land's End.

DDs KEMPENFELT and VESPER attacked a submarine contact ESE of Fastnet.

RFA BACCHUS (5150grt) was missed by a torpedo, 170 miles SW of Fastnet at 2242.

British northern waters - CL DRAGON arrived at Scapa, DD MATABELE dep Scapa Flow and arrived at Loch Ewe on the 17th., DD ESKIMO arrived at Loch Ewe. DD FORESIGHT dep Scapa Flow to assist DD SABRE hunting a submarine reported by CC aircraft. FORESIGHT oiled at Rosyth on the 17th and arrived back at Scapa on the 18th.

CV ARK ROYAL and DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FEARLESS, FURY, FORESTER, FORTUNE arrived at Loch Ewe to refuel. Destroyer FOXHOUND, also with ARK ROYAL’s screen, arrived at Scapa Flow for her refuelling.

Med - CA SHROPSHIRE arrived at Malta for docking, dep on the 18th and reached Alex on the 20th.


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## parsifal (Sep 16, 2014)

*17 September 1939*

Loss of the carrier Courageous

On September 15 1939, a convoy contact was made due west of the English Channel, in an area the British called the Western Approaches. The sea lanes were abuzz with traffic and some successes against British shipping had occurred in the early days of the war. To provide at least some form of protection for these ships, the Admiralty had deployed the old aircraft carrier HMS Courageous with a destroyer escort screen to conduct anti-submarine patrols.

Launched in February 1916 and commissioned in January 1917, the HMS Courageous was originally laid down as a Battle Cruiser, being converted into an aircraft carrier between June 1924 and May 1928. A hangar and flight deck were installed aft of the hull with the original armament of two twin 15-inch guns being removed and replaced with 4.7 inch anti-aircraft guns. The light armament meant that she had to rely on her screening escorts for protection against surface ships.

When Donitz received word of the convoy contact, he ordered all boats in the Western Approaches to converge on the convoy. That included Otto Schuhart in U-29 and Ernst-Gunther Heinicke in U-53. Searching for the convoy on September 17, Heinicke found and attacked the 5,000 ton British freighter, Kafristan with a combination of gunfire and torpedoes. The ASW fleet of the HMS Courageous was close by. Two of her destroyer escorts (out of four) and Swordfish biplanes from the Courageous were dispatched to the area of the Kafristan sinking to hunt Heinicke.

Meanwhile to the east, Schuhart in U-29 was still searching for the convoy. While running submerged, he spotted a Swordfish biplane instead. A Swordfish 300 miles out in the open sea could only mean one thing – that an aircraft carrier had to be close by. Keeping a sharp watch, at 1800 hours a puff of smoke was spotted on the horizon. It was the carrier Courageous. Schuhart sent his crew to battle stations and adjusted for an interception course.

But he could not mount an attack. Planes were circling over the carrier and the two remaining destroyer escorts were clearly visible. He later wrote in his log “At that time it looked like a hopeless operation. Because of the aircraft, I could not surface and my underwater speed was less than 8 knots while the carrier could do 26. But we were told during our training to always stay close and that is exactly what I did, following him submerged”.

Schuhart trailed on for another one and a half hours, all the while losing distance with the carrier. Then suddenly at 1930 hours, the carrier turned into the wind to launch aircraft, inadvertently placing the ship in perfect position for a torpedo attack. By 1940 hours, U-29 was in position and Schuhart fired all three forward torpedoes from less than 3,000 yards. Schuhart logged “the vast size of the target upset all normal calculations and in any case, I was looking straight into the sun”.

ust 500 yards away, while the torpedoes were still making its run, Schuhart observed through his periscope lens as one of the destroyers sailed by, still unaware of the impending attack. To evade, he dived deep – to a depth of 180 feet, the deepest he had ever dived. Then, in the creaking silence of U-boat’s pressure hull, the crew heard two resounding explosions. Two torpedoes had it the target and exploded with such force that Schuhart thought he had been attacked. The crew cheered, although they all knew what was to follow next – an impending depth charge attack.

They braced themselves for the attack and minutes later, one of the destroyers picked up the U-29 on sonar. The second destroyer rushed to the location to join the hunt and both attacked with such fury and ferocity that during the pounding, Schuhart thought he had lost the U-29. The boat reeled and creaked under the force of the explosion which lasted for hours. Then at 2340 hours, the last depth charge exploded. Both destroyers had expended all depth charges and were now weaponless in attacking the enemy down below. Silently easing away, Schuhart in the U-29 made good his escape. As soon as he surfaced, he radioed to Donitz, “Courageous destroyed. U-29 homebound”.

Meanwhile, back at the sinking of the Courageous, a Dutch passenger liner Veendam was passing nearby. Eye witnesses account that a huge white cloud had engulfed the Courageous. They thought it was a smoke screen and paid little attention until two tremendous explosions ripped through the carrier. Pieces of steel and dismembered aircraft shot upwards as with the flames and oil slick which soon followed. The Courageous sank in less than 15 minutes with the loss of 519 lives, including her commander Captain W T Makeig-Jones. Her total complement was 1,260 officers and ratings (including air group), and two squadrons of Fairey Swordfish aircraft (24 planes, she is often reported as carrying 48, but this was her maximum capacity). The Veendam and a British freighter Collingsworth 
participated in the rescue, fishing survivors from the oily waters.


By the next morning of September 18, news of the sinking had been broadcasted worldwide. The sinking of the HMS Courageous was the first U-boat offensive against the Royal Navy, and more importantly, Schuhart’s victory prompted the Admiralty to withdraw all three remaining carriers from the Western Approaches. The first naval engagement turned out to be a resounding victory, as carriers were not to be seen in those waters for another four years. It was foolhardy in the extreme to use such high value targets as fleet carriers in ASW operations. 

This was precisely what Donitz had wanted, as the withdrawal of ASW vessels allowed his U-boats to continue with their sinkings unabated. Politically, Hitler was neither pleased, nor displeased. He was still hopeful of a diplomatic solution with Great Britain and did not want to further antagonize the Western Powers by sinking a major capital warship. However, no specific orders had been issued otherwise and in fact, the Kriegsmarine was ecstatic. Donitz noted gleefully in his diary “A wonderful success”.

Schuhart was awarded the Iron Cross First Class and the entire crew the Iron Cross Second Class. In tonnage sunk for a single patrol, his tally was 41,905 tons which was to stand as a record high for a very long time.

The U-29 was a Type VIIA U-boat, an oceangoing boat which had four bow and one stern torpedo tube.

HMS Courageous was sunk on September 17 1939 at 1940 hours at the Western Approaches (Southwest of Ireland), 150nm WSW of Mizen Head, Ireland. Her sister ship, the HMS Glorious and her two escorting destroyers, Ardent and Acasta was to suffer the same fate on June 8 1940, during an attack by two German battle cruisers, Gneisenau and Scharnhorst.


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## Njaco (Sep 17, 2014)

*17 September 1939 Sunday
POLAND:* Poland is invaded by Russia. Russian armies cross the entire eastern frontier of Poland, claiming the Polish State no longer exists, and _"...to protect our own interests and to protect the White Russian and Ukranian minorities"._ Soviet newspapers have been making claims of "brutal treatment" of national minorities in Poland, especially Ukrainians and Belorussians. The Soviet government promises to respect Finnish neutrality and recognizes Slovakia as an independent state. Naturally because of the German attack there is almost no defense in the east. The Soviets employ two army groups or Fronts. The Poles have only 18 battalions in the east of their country. Just before dawn, the Red Army invades along the entire 800-mile (1300 km) border. Poles are surprised and Soviet forces advance virtually unopposed.

The Polish army is largely defeated; German forces reach the Vistula and encircle Warsaw. St. John's Cathedral is bombed during mass; the dead are buried in public parks because the cemeteries are full. East of Warsaw, Heinz Guderian's XIX Panzerkorps of Heeresgruppe Nord made contact with XXII Panzerkorps of Heeresgruppe Sud, just to the south of Brest-Litovsk; virtually the whole Polish Army (or what remained of it) was now trapped within a gigantic double pincer. Warsaw is completely isolated. Some 40,000 Polish prisoners have been captured by the Germans at Kutno and Brest-Litovsk is taken after a bitter 3-day battle, taking 600 prisoners. German troops are given a stop line because of the Soviet invasion in the east.

‘Operation SEASIDE’ is again postponed so that negotiations can commence for the evacuation of the city of Warsaw.

Polish President Ignaz Moscicki and a government party of 57 cross into Rumania, evacuating from the border town of Kuty -- the fifth and last temporary seat in the Polish provinces. All surviving Polish aircrew fly to Romania.

The Iron Cross Second Class is awarded to members of I./JG 21 for operations over Poland. Included in the group is Lt. Gustav Rödel.

*GERMANY:* Fw. Held of II./JG 77 and known as “The Victor Of The Jade Bight”, is killed in an airfield accident at Nordholz.

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## Wurger (Sep 17, 2014)

On 17th September 1939 , following the secret supplement to the Ribbentrop–Molotov Pact, USSR attacked Poland. 

Russian soldiers destroying the Polish boundary post and fortification...

















A line of Soviet cars crossing the Polish-Russian border...











The Russian BT tanks and armoured vehicles invading Poland.

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## Wurger (Sep 17, 2014)

A Soviet set of postage stamps issued for the commemoration of liberation of fraternal nations of West Belarus and Ukraine on the 17th September 1939.
What a falsehood...

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## parsifal (Sep 17, 2014)

*17 Septeember 1939*
Axis New Ships
None
Allied New Ships
None
Neutral New ships[/U
SU DD GROZYASCHIV GNEVNYI Class




U-53. Swordfish torpedo bombers from the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous fired on the boat and forced her to dive. Some gunners who were left topside perished. Later that day HMS Courageous was sunk by U-29. U.53 attacked steamer KARIFISTAN (5193grt) at 1445, 280 miles WSW of Fastnet She was able to get off a radio report before being sunk by U.53. Six crewmen were lost and the survivors were picked up by American steamer AMERICAN FARMER

U-29. Following her sinking the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous (see post #80) , British destroyers pursued U-29 for four hours, until they ran out of depth charges. The boat escaped with minor damage. U.29 left her patrol area for Wilhelmshaven for refuelling with only one torpedo left.

U-36. (Kapitän zur See Klaus Ewerth) British SS Seahorse fired a spread of three torpedoes at U-36, which had just stopped to question a neutral Danish steamer. The U-boat was lucky to escape harm, as one of the torpedoes passed directly underneath her (British claims are that there was one torp hit, but failed to explode). U.36 examined neutrals Norwegian steamers IRIS (1177grt) and ELDRID (1712grt), Swedish steamer NORMA (1287grt) and Danish steamer OSLO (1412grt) on the 17th.

U.32 (Fregattenkapitän Paul Büchel) laid mines in Bristol Channel, which sank two merchant ships.

(Paul Büchel joined the German Navy (Reichsmarine) in 1925. He began his U-boat training in May 1937. Upon completing the training in late August he took command of U-32.

During the second patrol of U-32, a mine-laying in Bristol Channel, during Sept 1939 Büchel sank 2 vessels by torpedoes and two large freighters were damaged in the otherwise unproductive minefield.

On completing the third patrol with U-32, a planned mine-laying in the dangerous waters of Firth of Clyde, on 22 Jan 1940 Chief of U-boats Dönitz was unhappy with Korvettenkapitän Paul Büchel's decision to abandon the intended destination just a few miles off and putting his 8 mines in deeper waters (where they did not explode). This mission had been designed to sink a capital ship with the new and powerful TMC mines. Dönitz wrote that the explanation from the commander had been "unconvincing" and the mission had been "a difficult one - too difficult for this commanding officer" (BdU War diary).

Büchel was thus relieved of command from U 32 on 11 Feb 1940 and served in several training staff positions until taking command of the larger U-860 on 12 August 1943. On 15 June 1944, 66 days into his first patrol, en route to the Far East as a Monsun boat, the boat was sunk by aircraft from the escort carrier USS Solomons. Büchel and 19 of his men survived but 42 died).

Norwegian Sea - German steamer CLARE HUGO STINNES I (5294grt) which had run aground on Raftsund on the 9th was refloated on this date and taken to Trondheim to offload her cargo on the 21st. With a damaged bottom, she remained at Trondheim until early October when she left for repairs at Tingvold arriving on 6 October. She underwent repairs until 7 April 1940, then left Tingvold for Ulvik in Hardangersfjord. This move did not save her during the Norwegian campaign as she was soon captured by Norwegian forces, but only until 20 April when she was recaptured by German naval forces.

U.41 captured Finnish merchant ships VEGA (1073grt) and SUOMEN POIKA (1099grt) in the North Sea and sent both ships back to Germany with prize crews.

North Western approaches - CV ARK ROYAL with DDs FURY, FORESTER, FORTUNE, FEARLESS dep Loch Ewe for her second anti-submarine patrol NW of Ireland. DDs SOMALI and MATABELE sailed ahead to search for a reported submarine in the area of Tory Island, later joined by DD FORTUNE.

On the 17th seven miles west of Tory Island, steamer BARON LOVAT (3395grt) was attacked by a submarine and ARK ROYAL's aircraft sent to search the area.

With the loss of CV COURAGEOUS , CV ARK ROYAL and escorts were ordered to return to Loch Ewe at 1400/18th. Still on the 18th, ARK ROYAL’s aircraft sighted a submarine in the afternoon, which FURY unsuccessfully depth charged. along with the withdrawal of the remaining carrier Furious from Home waters, there were to be no British carriers actively engaged in ASW work in Home Waters for 3 years.

DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, FORTUNE rejoined the force at 1545/18th. SOMALI and MATABELE were again detached at 2047/18th to assist British trawler LORD MINTO which was under attack. ARK ROYAL arrived in harbour at 0950/19th.

northern waters - CA NORFOLK dep Scapa on patrol. Retg on the 20th, she was ordered to proceed through Fair Isle Channel, due to submarine activity in Pentland Firth and arrived back on the 21st.

BB NELSON dep Scapa unaccompanied, and arrived at Loch Ewe that evening.

DD MASHONA arrived at Scapa.

DD FAME dep Scapa escorting British tanker SAN ALBERTO (7397grt) to Invergordon. FAME arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 18th with tanker MONTENOL.

British west coast - PC.74, operating as decoy ship CHATGROVE, was damaged in a collision with British trawler TOM MOORE (194grt) at Liverpool. PC.74 was repaired at Liverpool completing on 4 October.

British east coast - sloops BITTERN and ENCHANTRESS, both escorting an east coast convoy, separately attacked submarine contacts off Flamborough Head.

Baltic - Polish SS SEP (Lt Cdr Salamon), with two compartments flooded and diving planes inoperative, arrived at Landsort, Sweden, for internment.

Dover Straits - patrol sloop KITTIWAKE struck a British mine at 1900 in the Goodwins-Ruytingen minefield two miles east of South Goodwin Light Vessel and only a few cables from minesweepers sinking shallow mines. She was badly damaged with one rating killed and four missing from the blast. Cdr E R Conder was blown off the bridge and later picked up by a trawler. MSW HARRIER took 39 crewmen on board and towed KITTIWAKE to Dover. On 7 October she was towed by tugs GONDIA and SIMLA to Sheerness and under repair until 18 January 1941.

English Channel - ML-cruiser ADVENTURE, escorted by DD BEAGLE, dep Dover ret Portsmouth.

UK-France convoys - DB.4 dep Southampton with troops and arrived at Brest on the 19th.

MB.4 dep Southampton with eight cargo ships carrying war materials and arrived at Brest on the 19th.

BC.1F of steamers FENELLA and TYNWALD departed Quiberon Bay escorted by DDs KEITH and VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived at Barry Roads on the 19th.

BC.1S of steamers BARON MINTO, BELLEROPHON, and TRELAWNEY dep the Loire, escorted by DD ELECTRA and ESCORT. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 19th.

UK-out convoys - OA.6 departed Southend, while DDs JUNO and AMAZON dep Devonport to escort the convoy from the 17th to 20th. The destroyers ret to Devonport on the 21st.

OB.6 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers WINCHELSEA and WALPOLE.

CLs CARADOC and CERES and DD KELLY investigating a possible submarine contact off Land's End received the COURAGEOUS SOS and sped to the scene to rescue survivors. INGLEFIELD arrived back at 2335.

American steamer COLLINGSWORTH (5101grt), steamer DIDO (3554grt), Dutch liner VEENDAM (15,450grt) rescued survivors from the lost CV. DIDO picked up 23 officers and 195 five ratings. The survivors were transferred from the merchant ships to INGLEFIELD and KELLY, and arrived at Devonport on the evening of 18 September. INTREPID escorted steamer DIDO to Liverpool. Cdr C W G M Woodhouse was rescued, but never recovered from his injuries and died on 27 July 1940 while attached to HMS DRAKE.

Southwestern approaches - DD ANTELOPE JACKAL attacked a submarine contact 15 miles SSW of Land's End. KELLY, 70 miles SW of Land's End made three further attacks on submarine contacts early on the 17th.

Spanish and Portuguese coasts - Fr super DDs LE FANTASQUE, LE TERRIBLE, L’AUDACIEUX patrolled off the Spanish coast from the 17th to 19th.

CL CAPETOWN dep Gibraltar as escort with SL.1 and arrived back on the 27th.

Med Flt - arrived back at Alexandria after covering Mediterranean convoys GC.1 and Green 1.

Indian Ocean - CL GLOUCESTER dep Mombasa and arrived at Aden on the 22nd.


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## v2 (Sep 17, 2014)

...


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## Lucky13 (Sep 17, 2014)

Fantastic work lads!


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## parsifal (Sep 18, 2014)

German Intell advantages


In general, German performance in code breaking was weak due to the fragmentation of responsibility and specialized personnel. The Navy's B-Dienst was an exception to the rule, although its successes largely ended when the Allies began using more sophisticated encryption methods by 1943.


The B-Dienst, created in the early 1930s, had broken the most widely used British naval code by 1935. When war came in 1939, B-Dienst specialists had broken enough British naval codes that the Germans knew the positions of all British warships, and most of the merchant shipping fleet as well. They had further successes in the early stages of the war; the British were slow to change their codes. The B-Dienst could regularly read the British and Allied Merchants Ships (BAMS) code, which proved valuable for U-Boat warfare in the early phases of the Battle of the Atlantic. In February 1942, B-Dienst broke the code used for communication with many of the Atlantic convoys.

Before the US entered the War at the end of 1941, B-Dienst could also read several American codes. This changed after April 1942, when the US Navy changed their code systems; before that, however, the ability to read American message traffic contributed to the success of "Operation Paukenschlag" (Operation Drumbeat), the successful U-boat attacks off the American East Coast in early 1942.

In 1941, the US Navy refused, for security reasons, to equip the British Navy with their ECM Mark 1 encryption devices, so the British Admiralty introduced the "Naval Cypher No. 3" for Allied radio communication and convoy coordination in the Atlantic. The B-Dienst concentrated on deciphering the new code, and were finally successful in September 1942. From December 1942 to May 1943, 80 percent of the intercepted radio messages were read. However, only 10 percent of them were decrypted in time to take effective action. This appears to be more or less the situation for all of the preceding time as well....the germans had the ability to read more or less all the traffic, but because of the limited resources, could only act on a small fraction of that information. This was in stark contrast to the Allied efforts, who lavished vast resources in acting upon their available Intell. 

The British "Naval Cypher No. 5" is also known to have been broken by the B-Dienst, as were various low-grade British Naval and Air codes, including COFOX, MEDOX, FOXO, LOXO, SYKO, Air Force code and Aircraft Movement code. The US "Hagelin" field cipher machine and the French "Anglp" code were also often read. In addition, B-Dienst cracked Soviet and Danish code systems.

Apart from the notable successes of the German navy's decryption services, there were also some results from the other institutions. For example, the Reichspost was able to descramble scrambled voice transmission of the transatlantic telephone connection between the USA and Great Britain. For this purpose, an interception and descrambling facility was built in Noordwijk, in occupied Holland. From 1940, the Mail Service's descrambling specialists intercepted and understood classified telephone conversation between President Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. After the facility had to relocate to Germany in 1944, the interception potential decreased, so did the number of phone calls intercepted. This was not classic codebreaking since none was involved; instead it was the exploitation of knowledge about a sophisticated technology.

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## Njaco (Sep 18, 2014)

*18 September 1939 Monday
POLAND:* Soviet forces have advanced 100 km into Poland, meeting little resistance. The Russians reach Vilna and Brest-Litovsk in Poland, and meet with German forces. The Soviets report an advance along a 500-mile front, capturing thirteen additional towns and villages, including Stanislawow in Ukraine. A joint German-Soviet military commission meets to draft plans for partition. German forces capture Drohobycz in southern Poland, center of rich oil fields. Members of the Polish cipher bureau, with vital knowledge of the German Enigma code, flee the country and head for Paris.

More leaflets are dropped on Warsaw by Luftwaffe bombers. When this was ignored, the Germans began a general assault, which was again repelled by the Polish fighters. The German 3. and 10.Armees begin attacking Warsaw.

The Battle at Bzura has taken a deadly turn for the Poles. German troops started their drive towards the south along both banks of the Bzura River, supported by more than 300 aircraft and heavy artillery. German infantry have dug into positions on high ground along the Vistula's Right Bank giving them complete control of the region. Armed with howitzers, the Germans have been shelling Polish positions all day. Polish casualties are extremely high.

The Polish president, Moscicki, and the Commander in Chief, Rydz-Smigly, enter Romania and are interned. They leave behind messages telling their troops to fight on.

*GERMANY:* The He 111s of I./LG 3 are reformed as II./KG 1 with Major Benno Koch posted as Gruppenkommandeur. The bomber unit is based at Pinnow-Plathe.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* SS ‘_Kensington Court_’ is shelled and sunk by German U-32 submarine near the English coast. Before she sank, an SOS was sent out and 34 men jumped ship. Within minutes they were rescued by two RAF Sunderland flying boats.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In simultaneous announcements, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland declare that they intend to continue trading with all belligerents to protect their economic existence.

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## parsifal (Sep 18, 2014)

*18 September 1939*
Axis New Ships
S-18-25 SBoote




Allied New Ships
None

Neutral New ships[/U
USN CL50 HELENA (Brooklyn Class)





Departures 
Kiel U-7 (Kapitänleutnant Werner Heidel)

Returns: 
Kiel: U-57 (Ace Korth*) Return from training duties
Wilhelmshaven: U-38 , U-40 (Kptlt. Werner von Schmidt)

U.35 and other U-boats in Northwestern approaches - U.35 sank British *trawlers ARLITA (UK 326 grt)* 22 miles WNW of St Kilda and *Trawler LORD MINTO (UK 295 grt)* off the Butt of Lewis, 30miles NW of St Kilda on the 18th. The survivors were picked up by British trawler NANCY HAGUE (299grt), which was in company and spared by the submarine to rescue the other two crews.

At 0409/19th, U.35 stopped trawler ALVIS (279 grt) 29 miles north of St Kilda. She was ordered to dismantle her radio and proceed to Fleetwood. .

At 0600/19th, trawler NEIL MACKAY (209grt) was chased by an unknown U-boat, 22 miles W by N of the Butt of Lewis.

These attacks put into motion a major anti-submarine operation by destroyers beginning on the 19th.

U.23 (Ace Otto Kretschmer** (Knights Cross)) laid mines in St Andrews Bay between Dundee and the Firth of Forth.

U.32 sank *steamer KENSINGTON COURT (UK 4863 grt)* with gunfire 70 miles SW of Fastnet. The submarine was attacked by British aircraft, but was not damaged. DD KELLY was dispatched to assist, but before arriving on the scene, the crew had been picked up by a Sunderland flying boat of RAF 204 Squadron.

* _Kptlt Claus Korth began his naval career in April 1932. During his officer training he was one of the few survivors when the sailing school ship Niobe sank in a training accident. In March 1936 he joined in the U-boat force and received a solid pre-war training. In the autumn of 1937 he was I WO on U-37 for two months in Spanish waters during the civil war there._

_In December 1938 he commissioned the Type IIC U-boat U-57. Her first successes were scored on her fourth patrol when she sank two ships. Outstanding was the sinking of the British tanker Gretafield of 10,191 tons in February 1940. Korth left the U-boat in June 1940 and commissioned U-93 in July of the same year._

_On five patrols he sank eight ships with a total of 43,392 tons and in May 1941 received the Knights Cross. In October 1941 he left U-93 and became the 3rd Asto in the BdU org.

In June 1942 he became training officer in the 27th Flotilla. During the last year of war he was in the torpedo trial institution (TVA) Eckernförde. After the surrender Claus Korth spent six months in Allied captivity._

_In 1955 he joined the Bundesmarine where he was for nearly four years the head of the torpedo trial station (Marine-Torpedo-Versuchsstation). He retired in 1970 with a rank of Kapitän zur See._


_** Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer (Knights Cross)The greatest u-Boat ace of the war, before the 17-year-old Otto Kretschmer began his naval career he spent eight months in Exeter, England where he mastered the English language. Beginning in April 1930 he went through the usual officer training, spending three months on the sailing school ship Niobe and more than a year on the light cruiser Emden. He served on the light cruiser Köln starting in December 1934, and in January 1936 transferred to the U-boat force. Here he received a solid pre-war training as a U-boat officer. His first command was on U-35 and there he participated in a patrol in Spanish waters in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. In September 1937 he left U-35 and took over the Type II U-boat U-23. After the outbreak of the war he won his first successes with U-23 on some patrols in the North Sea in the area of the English and Scottish east coast.

In November 1939 he laid nine mines in Moray Firth, Scotland. The first great success for Otto Kretschmer was the sinking of the Danish tanker Danmark (10,517 tons) on 12 January 1940. Just over a month later he sank the British destroyer HMS Daring (1,375 tons).

He left U-23 in April 1940 and in the same month commissioned U-99. After two months of training U-99 left Kiel for her first patrol in June 1940. In the course of the next patrols Otto Kretschmer became famous on his U-99 for his night-time surface attacks against convoys, and there his motto "One torpedo ... one ship" was created! Especially notable was the sinking of three British Armed Merchant Cruisers, Laurentic (18,724 tons), Patroclus (11,314 tons) and Forfar (16,402 tons) in November 1940 with a total of more than 46,000 tons. At that time Silent Otto became the "tonnage king" among U-boat men, never to be dethroned._

_On his last patrol he was also very successful and attacked 10 ships. He was captured after scuttling U-99 at 0343hrs on 17 March, 1941 (Schepke was lost in the same battle) south-east of Iceland in approximate position 61N, 12W after depth charge damage inflicted by the British DD WALKER. Kretschmer managed to surface his badly damaged boat and save 40 out of his 43-man crew (his chief engineer died) before the boat sank again for the last time.After his capture he spent more than six and a half years in British captivity. For more than four years he was held in Canada in Camp 30. In December 1947 he returned to Germany._

_In 1955 Otto Kretschmer joined the Bundesmarine (postwar German navy), in 1957 becoming commander of the 1. Geleitgeschwader (1st Escort Squadron). In November 1958 he became commander of the Amphibische Streitkräfte (Amphibian Forces). Starting in 1962 he served in several staff positions before becoming Chief of Staff of the NATO Command COMNAVBALTAP in May 1965, a position he held for four years. He retired in September 1970 with a rank of Flotillenadmiral.

During a vacation during the summer of 1998 Otto Kretschmer died in hospital in Bavaria after an accident._






*British nthn waters*
CL AURORA, EDINBURGH, BELFAST, and SHEFFIELD dep Sullom Voe after refuelling and arrived at Scapa 20th.

*Northern Patrol*
CL CARDIFF departed Scapa on Northern Patrol duties, ret on the 22nd.

CLA CALCUTTA with DD FOXHOUND dep Scapa for patrol in Fair Isle Channel, stopping Danish steamer MAROCCO (1641grt) on the 18th and sending her into Kirkwall for inspection. At 2029/18th, FOXHOUND attacked a submarine contact east of the Orkneys and on the 20th detached to investigate another contact. During this hunt, FOXHOUND experienced a defect to her depth charge thrower and repaired at Scapa.





_"C" Class Cruiser configured as a CLA_

CL DELHI arrived at Scapa.

CL ENTERPRISE dep Scapa and arrived back on the 21st.

Convoy FS.7 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 20th.

DD JUPITER made an attack on U.21 off Dunbar, but no damage was done. The submarine was also attacked unsuccessfully by aircraft.

DDs EXPRESS and ESK arrived at the Humber after escorting convoys off Flamborough Head.

Convoy FN.7 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 20th.

*North Sea*
DD BOREAS on patrol was near missed by German bombing, but not damaged.

*Baltic*
Polish SS ORZEL, commanded by Lt Grudzinski, escaped internment at Tallinin and began a 16 day patrol in the Baltic before heading for England.

Polish submarine RYS, with damaged periscopes and low on fuel, arrived at Stavnas, Sweden, for internment.

*English Channel*
DD JAGUAR and VANOC attacked a submarine contact off St Albans Head, Dorset.

CL CERES and CARADOC dep Plymouth on escort duties and arrived back on the 20th.

DD VANOC attacked a submarine contact SW of Eddystone.

DD ISIS attacked a submarine contact 20 miles south of the Lizard, Cornwall.

*UK-France convoys*
BC.3S of 16 steamers including BARON GRAHAM, BARON MACLAY, NEW TEXAS (Cdre), and TREWORLAS dep Bristol Channel escorted by DDs MONTROSE, VENETIA, and VISCOUNT. The convoy safely arrived in the Loire on the 20th.

*UK-Turkey*
Polish DD BLYSKAWICA dep Liverpool with steamer CLAN MENZIES (7336grt) carrying military stores for Turkey. Both ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 22nd and continued on to Malta. From Malta on the 27th, the steamer proceeded to Istanbul and BLYSKAWICA returned to Plymouth, arriving on 1 October.

*Southwestern approaches *
DD INTREPID attacked a submarine contact 30 miles N by W of Land's End.

*Gibraltar*
DDs EXMOUTH, ENCOUNTER, ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE dep Gib to return to England after escorting convoy GC.1, and arrived at Plymouth on the 20th.

The French 2nd Battle Squadron PROVENCE, BRETAGNE, LORRAINE with four DDs (LE PALME, LE MARS, and TEMPÊTE of the DesDiv1, and one other - the other destroyers of the Squadron were with GC.1) dep Gibraltar to return to Oran.

*Med *
CLA COVENTRY dep Alex on patrol.

DDs DECOY, DEFENDER, DELIGHT, and DUCHESS arrived at Suez, passed through the Canal and arrived at Alex next day to join the Med Flt.

*Central and South Atlantic*
the French instituted a Canary Islands submarine patrol. SS ARGO and CENTAURE of SubDiv4 dep Casablanca on the 22nd to begin the patrol, followed in rotation by SS LE CENTAURE, ARGO, PASCAL, HENRI POINCARÉ, also of SubDiv4.

CL DANAE dep Simonstown on patrol and arrived back on the 21st.


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## Njaco (Sep 19, 2014)

*19 September 1939 Tuesday
POLAND:* Early this morning the first Soviet armoured tanks arrived in the eastern outskirts of the city of Lwow and the suburb of Lyczakow. After a brief battle the Soviets were pushed back by Polish gunfire. Since then Soviet forces have joined units of the German army and encircled the city during the night. Polish defense in the area consists of field fortifications and barricades constructed by local residents under the supervision of military engineers. General Sikorski has ordered a defense of the outer city rim as well as inner defenses. Early this morning, Soviet envoys arrived and started negotiations with Polish officers. Colonel Ivanov, commander of the Soviet tank brigade assured the Polish envoy, Colonel Bronislaw Rakowski that the Red Army entered Poland to help it fight the Germans and that his top priority was for Soviet units to enter Lwow. Following this ruse, the German commander then sent his envoy and demanded that the city be surrendered to Germany. When the General Sikorski refused he was informed that a general assault would begin on September 21st and the city taken by force.

The Soviet advance reaches the Hungarian frontier. Soviet Navy blockades Estonia's coast, claiming Polish and other submarines are hiding in neutral Baltic ports.

In the north Vilna (Wilno) is taken by the Soviets. Yesterday Polish troops received reports that Soviet forces were approaching rapidly from Oszmiana. Most were armoured scouts who clashed intermittently with Polish units. Polish Col. Okulicz-Kozaryn ordered his men to fall back towards the Lithuanian border and sent out the more experienced unit, the Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza. Although the first Soviet attack was repulsed by Polish infantry, Soviets easily advanced into the city and quickly surrounded it. They secured the airport, city, and Rasos Cemetery. This morning Polish units were defending the bridges in an attempt to delay the Soviet advance but their defense quickly collapsed. Soviet armored units are in control of the city and have been reinforced with infantry and cavalry. Reports indicate that Polish infantry units have dispersed, or have surrendered, their whereabouts unknown.

The Soviets link up with the Germans at Brest Litovsk, which is given up to the Soviets according to the provisions of the secret agreement of August 23, 1939. Initially it was called the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact but the title was changed to Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, about 30,000 Polish troops reach Warsaw after fighting their way out of Kutno. The Polish naval base of Gdynia falls to German forces.

German bombers being a continuing assault on Warsaw, initially striking utilities and other essential public facilities. Meanwhile, over 30,000 Polish troops reach Warsaw after fighting their way out of Kutno. In eastern Poland, German forces surround Lvov.

The battle of Bzura ends with the surrender of 100,000 officers and men of the defeated Polish Pomorze and Poznan armies (consisting of 19 Polish divisions) to German Heeresgruppe Sud.

Hitler makes a triumphal entry into the formerly free city of Danzig and makes a foreign policy speech that seems to offer conciliation with France and Britain, suggesting that the war could be concluded on the basis of the German territorial gains already achieved. He also swears that Danzig will be German forever and that Germany will fight to the bitter end, if necessary.

Hptm. Hannes Trautloft takes over as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 20 from Major Siegfried Lehmann. Warsaw again sees leaflets dropped by the Luftwaffe.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The first British army corps lands in France. Just before dawn German infantry make an assault on French positions outside Saarbruken.

A couple of firsts for JG 53. Oblt. Schulze-Blanck of 4./JG 53 claims that Staffel’s first victory of the war, a French Potez. Uffz. Dill of 3 Staffel is the first pilot of JG 53 to be killed in action when his plane crashes for unknown reasons.

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## Wurger (Sep 19, 2014)

A couple of pics more with the destroyed Panzer IV in I found via the net.

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## parsifal (Sep 19, 2014)

*19 September 1939*
Allied New Ships
FR MSW CHAMOIS (Chamois Class)





Neutral New ships
SU DD GBESHPOSHCHADNYI(?) GNEVNYI Class






UBOATS

To Kiel: U-10 , U-56 (Kptlt. Wilhelm Zahn)

Dep Wilhelmshaven U-4 (Kptlt. Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky)

At Sea 19 September

U-3, U-4, U-7, U-13, U-14, U-16, U-18, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-24, U-26, U-27 (lost this patrol), U-28, U-29 (returning), U-30 (returning), U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-53.

23 boats at sea.

*North Sea *.

DD WANDERER attacked a submarine contact off Flamborough.

DD WALLACE attacked a submarine contact 10 miles east of Cromer Knoll.

*Western Atlantic*
UBOAT report in Neutrality Area off Nova Scotia, American DD LEARY (DD.158) dep Boston to search . After several hours of unsuccessful search, LEARY ret to Boston on the 20th.

Convoy HXF.1 dep Halifax at 1400 escorted by Cdn DDs FRASER and SAGUENAY, with cover provided by CAs BERWICK and YORK on the 19th and 20th. In the Western Approaches, the convoy was escorted on the 27th to 29th by DD AMAZON, which had escorted OA.9. Convoy HXF.1 arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Kingston, Jamaica-UK (KJF) convoys *

Convoy KJ.1 dep Kingston escort CL ORION from the 19th to 22nd. In Home Waters, the convoy was escorted by DD VIVACIOUS from 10th to 11th October, when the convoy arrived.

CLs ORION and HMAS PERTH dep Kingston on patrol. ORION arrived back on the 23rd.





_Line drawing of CL ORION, which a slightly different profile to the Perth_

*British northern waters *
DDs FORESIGHT and FAME dep Scapa on patrol.
DDs FORTUNE, ESKIMO, TARTAR, PUNJABI departed Loch Ewe on patrol.

*English Channel*
DD VANOC attacked a sub contact 15 miles SW of Eddystone.

*UK-France convoys .*
MB.5 dep Southampton with six cargo ships, escort by DD ACHATES, SARDONYX, and ACHERON arrived at Brest on the 21st.

BC.3 F.of steamers FENELLA, ST JULIEN, and ULSTER PRINCE dep Bristol Channel and arrived at Quiberon Bay on the 20th. The convoy with the same ships dep Quiberon Bay on the 21st and arrived in Bristol Channel on the 22nd.

*UK-outbound convoys*
DDs JANUS ACASTA dep Plymouth on the 19th to escort OA7, consisting of 28 ships, which had left Southend on the 19th. They were joined on the 20th by DD ARDENT, the convoy dispersed on the 22nd and the destroyers returned to Plymouth.

OB.7 dep Liverpool, escorted by DD WHIRLWIND until the 20th. She was relieved by DD MACKAY as escort from the 20th to 22nd, and MACKAY by WARWICK escorted the convoy from 19 to 22 September.

*Southwestern Approaches*
RAF CC dropped bombs on a submarine contact 30 miles N by W of Land's End. DD INTREPID was sent to investigate.

DD INGLEFIELD and KELLY attacked a submarine contact 70 miles southeast of Fastnet. This was later determined to be the wreck of steamer KENSINGTON COURT (4863grt) sunk on the 18th.

*Morrocco/Biscay*
French unnumbered convoy of steamers MARRAKECH, KERGUELEN, KILISSI, KATIOLA dep Casablanca escorted by DDs BRESTOIS and FOUDROYANT. The convoy arrived at Bordeaux on the 23rd.


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## parsifal (Sep 19, 2014)

Im not able to give a fully detailed description of the day by day events for the RAF or land forces for the british empire, but i thought it appropriate to at least give a thumbnail description of what the RAF (and to an extent the army) was doing during this period. im sure that for the main events, chris and others have far better information than i, and Im very happy if they want to post on those events. but the war was so much more than just the big events, and even though i cant do a complete job, something is better than nothing

Chris, if this is not what you want, or youve already covered these event, please amend or delete as you would like

This information is mostly from the RAF and BC websites.

RAF - RAF Timeline 1939 

3 Sep 1939 - A Bristol Blenheim of No. 139 Sqn, Wyton, carries out the RAF's first operational sortie of the war - photographic reconnaissance of the German naval base of Wilhelmshaven.

3/4 Sep 1939 - 10 Whitley bombers of Nos. 51 and 58 Sqns carry out the first RAF raid over Germany, dropping some 6 million leaflets over Hamburg, Bremen and the Ruhr - 10 Whitley bombers of Nos. 51 and 58 Sqns carry out the first RAF raid over Germany dropping some 6 million leaflets over Hamburg, Bremen and the Ruhr.

4 Sep 1939 - The RAF records its first losses of the war when five Wellingtons of No. 9 Sqn are shot down during a raid on German warships in the Elbe estuary

6 Sep 1939 - South Africa declares war on Germany. Also on this day is the Battle of Barking Creek, when a error in identification in the Chain Home Radar system led to RAF aircraft engaging each other over the Thames Estuary. Blenheims, Hurricanes and Spitfires, not physically unlike the German Ju 88 and Bf 109, reported seeing enemy aircraft and several claims were made.

10 Sep 1939 - The British Expeditionary Force (BEF), consisting of some 158,000 men, leaves for France. Canada joins the list of Commonwealth countries to declare war against Germany.

20 Sep 1939 - Sgt F Letchard, a gunner in a Fairey Battle, claims the first RAF victory of the war after claiming shooting down a German Bf 109 during a patrol near Aachen.


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## GrauGeist (Sep 20, 2014)

parsifal said:


> ...and even though i cant do a complete job, something is better than nothing


You are doing an great job and I am following the timeline with great interest.

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## Njaco (Sep 20, 2014)

*20 September 1939 Wednesday
POLAND:* In a stunning turn of events, Polish armies in the city of Lwow find themselves trapped. German units that were positioned to the north and south of the city have suddenly withdrawn all their forces and in their place are now Soviet infantry. Reports indicate that many Poles have either been forcibly conscripted into the Red Army or have done so willingly. No confirmation has yet been received from the Polish Commanders.

Russians occupy Grodno, Poland, 90 miles southwest of Vilna in northeast Poland near the Lithuanian border. German and Russian troops meet at Upper Dniestr, cutting off Polish troops' escape to Romania. The remaining Polish troops at Gdynia surrender.

The Polish Armies of Poznan and Pomorze, which were defeated by German troops yesterday at Bzura, have reached the outskirts of Warsaw to provide reinforcements. Over 120,000 Polish troops have converged and broken through the German encirclement at Warsaw and Modlin. German units numbering over 175,000 soldiers were prepared for the assault. Casualties were high on both sides.

German Colonel General Walther von Brauchitsch informs the German Army that;


> "…operations in Poland are completed".


 In twenty of days of war, German forces occupied 100,000 square miles of territory, capturing 400,000 prisoners.

I(J)./LG 2 is withdrawn from the Polish front due to decreasing aerial opposition. It returns to its bases at Garz.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In response to Hitler's so-called peace offerings, France and Britain proclaimed that they "_will not permit a Hitler victory to condemn the world to slavery and to ruin all moral values and destroy liberty."_ Despite their concerted bravado, Britain and France have still not deterred Germany's drive for territorial expansion across Europe. With the exception of occasional military skirmishes along the Maginot Line, the Allied Front remains weak. Both Britain and France have promised to come to Poland's aid but have failed to take any action. The Polish government is concerned that Poland will follow the same fate as Czechoslovakia.

The Luftwaffe clashes with the British Advanced Air Striking Force for the first time. In a battle with Bf 109s of JGr 152, two out of three Fairey Battles of RAF No. 88 Squadron are shot down at the cost of one Messerschmitt. Oblt. Mölders, back from his injuries suffered on 8 September, starts his scoring by shooting down two French Hawk 75s of GC II/5 over Merzig.

Swiss anti-aircraft guns fire on two French warplanes near Basle.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Meanwhile in the British House of Commons, the Conservative Government under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain has come under heavy criticism from the Labour Party Opposition for his policy of appeasement and for failing to provide assistance for Poland's defence after the September 1st invasion by Germany.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finnish Government makes preparations to evacuate civilians from Helsingfors and other centers in case of emergency.

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## Wurger (Sep 20, 2014)

The battle at Bzura river is over... the landscapeafter the battle ....


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## parsifal (Sep 20, 2014)

*20 September 1939*
Axis New Ships
DKM CA BLUCHER IJN A1 Class Sub I-10







Allied New Ships
None
Neutral New ships
USS DD HUGHES (410) (Sims Class)




UBOATS

To Kiel:

U-20

Dep Wilhelmshaven 

U-15

At Sea 20 September

U-3, U-4, U-7, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, U-21, U-23, U-24, U-26, U-28, U-29 (returning), U-30 (returning), U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-53 (returning). Only known returns are recorded....others may be returning as well.
22 boats at sea.

U-27 (Oberleutnant zur See Johannes Franz). Sunk 20 Sept 1939 approx 200nm west of Scotland, by depth charges from the British DDs FORTUNE and FORESTER. 38 survivors (no casualties).

*North Sea *.

SS STARFISH and STURGEON were withdrawn from patrol areas off the Norwegian coast which was meant to be patrolled by CC from the the outset of the war to . A/C now took over the patrol, starting with Hudson bombers on the 18th. SS SEAHORSE and TRITON remained on patrol for the time being off the Norwegian coast to intercept German merchant ships. The submarines were then deployed in the Heligoland Bight, off Jutland, and in the Skagerrak.

Polish SS WILK arrived at Rosyth from the Baltic, then departed for Scapa on the 21st, escorted by DD STURDY.

Convoy FS.8 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

Convoy FN.8 departed Southend, arrived at Methil on the 22nd.

*British northern waters *

_Home Fleet_ - BBs NELSON and RODNEY, BCs HOOD and REPULSE, CV ARK ROYAL, and DDs FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, TARTAR, PUNJABI dep Loch Ewe at 1915/20th. DD FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FURY, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FORESIGHT dep Scapa on the 20th and joined the arriving force.

(_the RN reports on the sinking of U-27_)

after U.35 sank British trawlers off the Butt of Lewis (see 18 Sep), an ASW hunt began on the 19th. DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, PUNJABI, TARTAR, ESKIMO of the DesFlot 6 and FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FURY, FORESTER of the DesFlot 8 departed Loch Ewe on the 19th for the hunt. Two of these destroyers were employed on Fair Isle Channel patrol and the other two divs of DDs were off the Butt of Lewis.

FAME unsuccessfully attacked U.27 at 0100/20th, 10 miles WNW of Fair Isle. FORTUNE and FORESTER then sank U.27 at 0342 off the Butt of Lewis . FORTUNE, which was able to retrieve secret documents from the submarine before the submarine sank, FAULKNOR, and FURY rescued the entire crew of four officers and 34 ratings which were transferred to FEARLESS.





_HMS Fortune (PN H-70 - Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, RN) _





_HMS Forester (PN H-74 Lt.Cdr. Edward Bernard Tancock, RN_

FAULKNOR attacked another contact at 1112/20th, 20 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis.

FOXHOUND had problems with her depth charge thrower during the U.27 hunt and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th. The defects were repaired alongside CL AURORA.

FIREDRAKE attacked a submarine contact at 0945/21st, 312° from Dunnet Head, assisted by FORTUNE.

The fleet, joined at sea by DDs MATABELE, MASHONA, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN, arrived at Scapa for refuelling on the 21st. DDs FAME and SOMALI also arrived at Scapa on the 21st.

DDs FORESTER, FURY, FAULKNOR, and MASHONA again dep Scapa for further patrols.

*English Channel*

CVL HERMES dep Plymouth with DD KELLY on flying exercises ret to Plymouth and KELLY went on to Portland to join DD KINGSTON which was working up.

CL CARADOC dep Plymouth on escort duties and arrived back on the 21st.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.2 of steamers CITY OF PRETORIA and HARMATTAN dep the Loire escorted by DDs MONTROSE and WAKEFUL, and safely arrived in Bristol Channel on the 22nd.

DB.5 dep Southampton with three personnel ships, escorted by DDs VANSITTART and SCIMITAR, and arrived at Brest on the 21st.

*UK-outbound convoys*

No reports

*Southwestern Approaches*

two Anson bombers attacked a submarine off Lundy Island. DDs WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, VOLUNTEER, VERITY dep Milford Haven at 0055/21st to hunt for the submarine as well.

Other CC a/c attacked a contact 40 miles WSW of the Scillies. DD ILEX was sent to investigate, but did not regain the contact.

*Med/Biscay*

CLs ARETHUSA and PENELOPE dep Alexandria for patrol south of the Otranto Straits. They refuelled at Malta on the 25th/26th, sailed on the 27th and patrolled Kithera Channel. They arrived back at Alexandria on the 30th.

Convoy Blue 2 dep Port Said with 10 merchant ships. DDs GREYHOUND, GLOWWORM and sloops FLEETWOOD and ABERDEEN escorted the convoy from the 20th to 30th, and were joined by French DD TROMBE and TB POMONE from the 26th to 29th.The convoy arrived at Gib on the 30th.

*Central and South Atlantic* –

convoy SLF.1 was escorted by CL NEPTUNE, dep Freetown on the 20th. The cruiser was detached on the 23rd and proceeded to Dakar. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

CA EXETER dep Montevideo to patrol off Rio de Janiero.

*Indian Ocean*

CVL EAGLE dep Colombo for a week of raider hunting in the Indian Ocean.

*Australia Station*

CMDR B. M. Long, LCDR E. Feldt, and LCDR R. B. A. Hunt, set up the organisation for the RAN’s Coastwatcher Service.

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## parsifal (Sep 20, 2014)

*The Iron Route*

Upon the beginning of hostilities on 3 September 1939, Britain and France enacted a repeat of the blockade of Germany system used to great effect throughout the previous war. They were able to do this because they had vastly more powerful naval forces at their disposal than Germany, a country lacking in natural resources and heavily reliant on large scale imports of a wide range of goods. One important strategic material was iron. Germany required a steady supply of which was imperative in the creation of steel to sustain her war effort and general economy.

Prewar iron ore supplies to Germany (1938)

Source	tons (in millions)

Germany	10
Sweden	9
Other 3
Total 22

Further German iron ore was of low grade quality and needed to be mixed with high grade material from other countries such as Sweden, which annually supplied her with 9 million tons: 7 million from Kiruna and Gällivare in Lapland and 2 million from the central Swedish ore fields north-west of Stockholm.

With the declaration of war and the start of the blockade, many of these foreign supplies were lost to Germany, and although she retained access to 3 million tons per annum from neutral Norway and Luxembourg, supplies from Morocco and Spain were lost to her, and so the remaining supplies from neutral Scandinavia became of crucial importance. Grand Admiral Raeder, head of the German navy, declared that it would be "_utterly impossible to make war should the navy not be able to secure the supplies of iron-ore from Sweden_". There is debate about the real extent of german dependence, and just how crucial the Scandinavian supplies were to Germany, but they were of considerable importance at minimum. 

Britain, who itself imported large quantities of iron ore , was fully aware of the Swedish exports to Germany and through its system of Contraband Control was routinely stopping ships of all nations to ensure they were not delivering important supplies to the enemy. Germany considered the allied blockade illegal, and to counter it embarked upon a system of unrestricted submarine warfare (from the end of September 1939) whereby enemy and neutral ships could be attacked without warning. As a result, during the first nine months of the war a large number of neutral ships were sunk with considerable loss of life.

While the allies were keen to maintain the moral high ground and stressed at every opportunity the difference in impact between their approach compared to their enemy’s, they were mindful that many neutral mariners relied upon the Germany trade for their livelihoods, and so during the opening stages of the war they were careful not to be too strict with non-combatant vessels for fear the blockade would alienate neutral nations into joining the war on the side of Germany.

From May to November, ore from the Northern region was shipped from the port of Lulea down the Gulf of Bothnia to the German north Baltic ports at Lubeck, Swinemunde, and Stettin. Outside these months, the Gulf of Bothnia froze over, severely restricting supplies, and although an alternate port was available at Oxelosund, south of Stockholm for the transport of iron ore from the mines in Bergslagen, this facility was unable to supply the full amount required by Germany, and in any case froze over from January to March each year. Luleå remained outside the reach of Royal Navy's patrols but it was estimated that when Luleå and the Baltic ports of Oxelösund and Gävle were open it could only supply around 8m tons per annum, whilst the southern ports might provide capacity for another 2-3 million tons. This was below the import levels being sought by Germany at the time who wanted roughly double those amounts . 

This meant that during the winter months of the war, Germany had no choice than to transport the majority of its ore along the much further route down Norway’s heavily indented Western coast from Narvik...the so called iron leads, if it wanted to retain current import levels.Agreement with the Soviets in 1939 went some way to finding an alternative to this problem. Germany also was promised under the secret accords with the Soviets, access and control over Lithuania in the baltic, which would have helped somewhat in the shortages of iron ore. As it turned out, in 1940, the Soviets reneged on this agreement, with disastrous long term consequences.

The port of Narvik, was open for iron ore shipments all year round. But the Atlantic coast of Norway also provided another extremely useful geological feature for Germany in her attempts to continue shipping the ore and beating the allied blockade.

Immediately offshore from Norway's western coast lies the Skjaergaard, a continuous chain of some 50,000 glacially formed skerries (small uninhabited islands) sea stacks and rocks running parallel to the shore. A partially hidden sea lane (which Churchill called the Norwegian Corridor) exists in the area between this rocky fringe and the coastal landmass proper. Inside this protected channel it is possible to navigate the entire 1,600 km length of the Norwegian coast from North Cape to Stavanger. Such coastlines, sometimes known as Leads — a rough English translation for the common Norwegian nautical term Ledene (shipping lane) are common around Scandinavia — Skjaergaard also exist along the Swedish and Finnish Baltic coasts and off Greenland.

The Germans made great use of the Norwegian Corridor to avoid the attention of the vigilant Royal Navy and RAF. In the winter of 1939–1940 a steady stream of their specially-constructed iron ore vessels made the long trip south from Narvik, sometimes within the three mile curtilage of neutral Norwegian territorial waters, sometimes just outside if the way appeared hazardous or the sea particularly turbulent. At the southernmost point the iron ore captains had to make a choice:

Follow the Skjaergaard around the coasts of Norway and Sweden, down through the Kattgat and finally into the north German N Baltic ports of Lubeck and Stettin. This route was safer because it brought them much closer to the protection of the German naval patrols and Luftwaffe air cover but involved hauling the very bulky and heavy iron ore the long way overland to the industrial centres on the overburdened German railway system
Leave the safety of the Skjaergaard and make a dash south across the Skagerrak, (the sea channel north of the Danish Jutland peninsula) and hurry down the west coast of Denmark to Hamburg and Bremen. This was the preferred route because it allowed the ore to be taken straight along the efficient inland waterways to the industrial heartlands of the Ruhr and the Rhineland where it could be processed. It was much more hazardous, putting the ships and their cargo at the mercy of allied submarines and patrolling destroyers of the Contraband Control. A number of German ships were sunk in this area.


From the beginning of the war, Winston Churchill expended considerable energies trying to persuade his colleagues in the British government to take action to stop the iron ore traffic. On 16 December 1939 he issued a memo to the cabinet:

_It must be understood that an adequate supply of Swedish iron ore is vital to Germany…the effectual stoppage of the Norwegian ore supplies to Germany ranks as a major offensive operation of the war. No other measure is open to us for many months to come which gives so good a chance of abridging the waste and destruction of the conflict, or of perhaps preventing the vast slaughters which will attend the grapple of the main armies. The ore from Luleå (in the Baltic) is already stopped by the winter ice, which must not be broken by the Soviet ice-breaker, should the attempt be made. The ore from Narvik must be stopped by laying successively a series of small minefields in Norwegian territorial waters at the two or three suitable points on the coast, which will force the ships carrying ore to Germany to quit territorial waters and come on to the high seas, where, if German, they will be taken as prize, or, if neutral, subjected to our contraband control._

Although in late 1939 many of Churchill’s cabinet colleagues agreed with the need to take action to disrupt the iron ore traffic, they decided against the use of mines. At the time negotiations into the British chartering of the entire Norwegian mercantile shipping fleet were at a delicate stage and the British Foreign Office made convincing arguments against breaking Norway’s neutrality. In 1915 (during WWI) Britain had been forced to apologise to Norway for the violation of her territorial waters by British warships following the seizure of a German steamer inside the three mile limit. Near the end of WWI the British, Americans and French had induced the Norwegians to allow the Skjaergaard to be mined in order to prevent German ships and submarines from using their territorial waters as a way around the Great Northern Barrage, a massive minefield laid from Scotland to Norway as part of the earlier allied blockade strategy.


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## parsifal (Sep 20, 2014)

*The Iron Route - Britian moves to mining of the Leads*

Despite the ongoing diplomatic exchanges, Britain informed the Norwegians that the Skjaergaard was about to be mined in January 1940, but the plan was postponed following protests from both Norway and Sweden. Yet another diplomatic dispute over alleged abuse of Norway’s territorial waters broke out in February 1940 between the respective governments of Britain, Norway and Germany following the Altmark Incident. A German tanker, attempting to return home via the cover of the Norwegian Corridor carrying British prisoners of war was spotted by British aircraft and pursued by destroyers, eventually being forced onto rocks.

On the evening of 21 March 1940 the British submarine HMS Ursula, (which had damaged the German cruiser Leipzig in Heligoland Bight the previous December) intercepted the German iron ore ship Hedderheim, en route from Narvik, and sank her eight miles off the coast of Denmark, although the crew were all saved. At the time it was seen as an early indication that Britain was at last taking steps to end the iron trade and over the next few days several other German ships were sunk at the entrance to the Baltic. Following reports that strong British destroyer and submarine forces were stationed in the Skagerrak, Berlin ordered all her ships along the iron ore route to port immediately.

By now it was clear to all concerned that the Phoney War was about to end. Antagonised by the German mining of their own waters with deadly new magnetic mines and a general concern that Germany was managing to overcome the worst effects of the blockade, the Supreme War Council met in London on 28 March 1940 to discuss an intensification of the economic warfare strategy. On the 3April authorisation was given to commence mining operations within the territorial limits of Norway.


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## Njaco (Sep 21, 2014)

*21 September 1939 Thursday
POLAND:* In Lwow, the situation for Polish fighters is hopeless. General Sikorski has decided to surrender to the Soviets. Though the Polish army reserves and war materiel are in good supply, the General stated that further defence of the city was pointless resulting in greater civilian casualties. Surrender talks with the Soviets will begin tomorrow.

German forces continue to bomb key areas of Warsaw today, closing in on pockets of resistance still held by Polish insurgents. The Armia Krajowa (Home Army) is firmly entrenched and show no signs of weakening, although urgent appeals are being made for ammunition and weapons.

Nazi authorities have conducted widespread arrests rounding up Jews from Danzig and cities throughout western Poland for deportation to central Poland. In a mandate named the Heydrich Plan, the German Chiefs of the Einstazgruppen of the Security Police have been given full authority to deal with the Jews in Occupied territories. While the first step of the Plan is currently underway, there are only inferences concerning the objectives of the Nazi regime, mentioning only that; "_…the final aim will require extended periods of time."_

*EASTERN FRONT:* In Bucharest, the Romanian Prime Minister Armand Calinescu has been assassinated by members of the Iron Guard, a fascist organization. The assassins blocked the path of his car with a wooden cart and shot the Prime Minister and his bodyguards. After a forced entry into the radio station they broadcast the announcement on air "_The death sentence on Calinescu has been executed"._ In their attempt to escape they were shot where the Prime Minister had been gunned down moments earlier. Romanian Officials declared that the dead bodies of the gunmen are still lying in the street and will not be removed until tomorrow. In a communique sent by the Iron Guard, the assassination was in retaliation for the liberal policy of the Romanian government towards the Polish government and for accepting Polish military and civilian refugees.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In Washington President Roosevelt addressed a special joint session of Congress and urged that the provisions of the Neutrality Act preventing sales to belligerent countries be repealed immediately. He stated that;


> "Our acts must be guided by one single hard-headed thought...keeping America out of this war." He argued that allowing arms to be sold on a "cash-and-carry basis" would be "better calculated than any other means to keep us out of the war."



Newspaper reports in the US allege that senior officials of the Nazis including Goebbels and Hess have foreign investments worth over $12 million US.

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## Wurger (Sep 21, 2014)

Russian BT tanks of the 24th Light Tank Brigade entering Lwow...







A Russian soldier and the PZL.23 Karaś nr 5 (44.211) of the 55th Squadron damaged at the Lwow-Skniłow airfield, September 1939.

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## parsifal (Sep 21, 2014)

*21 September 1939*
UBOATS

To Kiel: 

U-23 

Dep Wilhelmshaven  

None

At Sea 21 September

U-3, U-4, U-7, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, U-21, U-24, U-26, U-28, U-29 (returning), U-30(returning), U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-53(returning). 

21 boats at sea.

*North Sea *.

DDs ESK and EXPRESS arrived at Invergordon from the Humber to escort tanker SAN ALBERTO (7397grt). They arrived at Scapa 21st.

CL CAIRO and DDs CODRINGTON, BEAGLE, BLANCHE, BOADICEA were involved in operation CL, a sweep towards Texel to intercept German merchant steamers. Following this operation, these ships covered convoy FN.9.


*Western Atlantic* 

No reports

*Kingston, Jamaica-UK (KJF) convoys *

*Baltic*

KM aux AS vessel UJ.171 (trawler NETTELBECK) was wrecked in the Baltic. Casualties unknown

*Northern Patrol - *.

No Reports

*British northern waters *

No reports 

*English Channel* 

CL CERES dep Plymouth returns the same day.

*UK-France convoys .*

MB.6 of seven cargo ships, escort DDs ARROW, ANTHONY, SALADIN, dep Southampton, and arrived Brest on the 23rd.

BC.4F of steamer TYNWALD dep Barry in the Bristol Channel escort DDs ESCORT, ELECTRA, VIVACIOUS and arrived Quiberon Bay 23rd. Not long after sailing, ESCORT and WESSEX attacked a submarine contact 30 miles SW of Swansea. BC.4 departed Bristol Channel at the same time with steamers BARON KINNAIRD and CLAN MONROE and the two convoys arrived together.

*UK-outbound convoys* 

DDs JANUS, JACKAL and Pol DD GROM dep Devonport to escort convoy OA.8, after it had dep Southend with 22 ships. JACKAL and GROM were with the convoy from the 21st to 24th, and JANUS from the 22nd to 24th, when the convoy dispersed. The DDs arrived back at Devonport on the 25th.

Convoy OB.8 departed Liverpool escort DDs VERSATILE and VIMY to the 24th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

U.35 torpedoed and damaged steamer TEAKWOOD (6014grt) from convoy OA.7 south of Land's End . The damaged ship was taken to Falmouth, escort by DD ARDENT. En route to Falmouth, DD VESPER relieved ARDENT which returned to the convoy. DD ECHO, which dep Plymouth on the 21st, with IMPERIAL and KEMPENFELT searched the area. No contact

*Med/Biscay*

during the night of 21st/22nd, Fr convoys L.1, escort by Contre Torpilleur DDs VAUTOUR and GERFAUT, and L.3, escort by Contre Torpilleur DDs GUEPARD and VERDUN, linked up 80 miles west of Malta.

French liner MARIETTE PACHA (12239grt) with L.3 involved in a collision. Her bow is damaged and she proceeded to Malta, escort by liner EL D'JEZAIR. French liner CHENONEAUX (14825grt) with L.1 also in collision and was towed to Malta by tug ROYSTER, arriving on the 23rd. Contre Torpilleur DDs VAUTOUR with L.3 and liner EL D'JEZAIR with L.1 also collided.

On the 28th, MARIETTE PACHA dep Malta escort by DDs HOSTILE, HERO, HEREWARD, HASTY for Marseilles. The DDs remained with the liner until the 30th, then returned to Malta, arriving 2 October. CHENONCEAUX was under repair at Malta for four months.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

Convoy SL.2 dep Freetown on 21st, escort by CL DESPATCH and DD HUNTER, but HUNTER was ordered to return to Freetown at 1500/21st. DESPATCH remained and then parted company at 0600/28th, arriving back on 2 October. The convoy reached Liverpool on 7 October.

During the night of 21st/22nd September, German Blockade runners CAP NORTE (13,615grt), TIJUCA (5918grt), and CURITYBA (4969grt) dep Pernambuco to return to Germany. They are not noticed as they depart

*Indian Ocean* 

CL MANCHESTER arrived at Bombay

*China Station*

DD DIANA dep Hong Kong on the 21st, Singapore on the 25th, and Colombo on the 29th en route to the Medi Flt. She arrived at Suez on 11 October
.
*Australia Station*

CL HMAS HOBART arrived at Sydney.

*Pacific*

Just before hostilieis, German steamer LEIPZIG (5898grt) dep Christobal just prior to CL HMAS PERTH arrived, and reached Guajaquil, Ecuador on 8 September. On the 20th, a short time before CL HMNZS ACHILLES arrived off the port, she left Guajaquil and arrived at Callao, Peru on the 21st. ACHILLES dep the same day.

other Events

Members of the Iron Guard, a Fascist organization, assassinated Premier Armand Calinescu of Romania. The assassination led to a series of cabinet crises in Romania until Jorge Tatarescu became the new Romanian prime minister on November 24th.

U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt called for a special session of Congress to revise the Neutrality Act of 1937 and repeal the arms embargo to Allied countries.


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## parsifal (Sep 22, 2014)

*22 September *

UBOATS

No arrivals or departures

At Sea 22 September

U-3, U-4, U-7, U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, U-21, U-24, U-26, U-28, U-29 (returning), U-30(returning), U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-53(returning).

21 boats at sea.

U.7 sank steamer ARKENSIDE (2694grt) 25 miles SW of Bergen . Her entire crew was rescued.

U.4 captured Finnish steamer MARTTI RAGNAR (2262grt) 50 miles off Arendal, Norway, took her in tow scuttled her with explosive charges 5miles south of Arendal. No crew were lost.

*North Sea *.

Operation SK - CLs SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW, SHEFFIELD with DD JERVIS, JERSEY, JAVELIN, JUPITER of DesFlot 7 dep Rosyth in conjunction with CL AURORA with DDs TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ESKIMO dep Scapa to attack German shipping off the Norwegian coast. Adm Forbes in Command

Cover force provided by BCs HOOD and REPULSE with DDs FAME, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE all from Scapa. Soon after sailing, FORTUNE got a submarine contact which was confirmed by DD FIREDRAKE, attacks against this contact were unsuccessful . BB NELSON and RODNEY, CV ARK ROYAL, and DDs FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, MATABELE, MASHONA, SOMALI also dep Scapa as part of the cover group, somewhat later.

DDs FURY and FORESTER dep Newcastle to join Forbes at sea, and 15 miles off the mouth of the Tyne, depth charged a submarine contact. DDs ESK and EXPRESS also dep Scapa to join the operation.

DDs JAVELIN and JERSEY collided later on the 22nd, 120 miles WSW of Lister Light , the raid was abandoned. JAVELIN could only steam at 10 knots and was escorted by JERVIS and JUPITER to Newcastle. Meanwhile JERSEY headed for Leith at slow speed escorted by MASHONA and ESKIMO, which arrived back at Scapa on the 24th.

DDs FURY and FORESTER attacked a submarine contact 15 miles off the mouth of the Tyne, while destroyer EXPRESS sighted a floating mine off the port side of battlecruiser HOOD, came up and exploded the mine with gunfire. On the 23rd, when an explosion was felt four miles from HOOD, destroyers FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, MASHONA, MATABELE were sent to investigate and also fired on sighted mines.

JERSEY repaired at Leith, returning to service on 9 October, and JAVELIN at Newcastle. She left the Tyne on 21 October for further repairs at Hartlepool, but was damaged in another collision en route.

convoy FS.9 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 24th.

British tng submarine L.26 was damaged in collision with Blyth Pier.

DD WREN attacked a submarine contact six miles WSW of Owers Light Vessel.

MSW HUSSAR and MSW trawlers MASTIFF and CEDAR attempted to locate and examine a German mine after steamers MAGDAPUR and CITY OF PARIS were mined off Orfordness.

Convoy FN.9 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 24th.

*Western Atlantic*

CA BERWICK dep Halifax on escort duties.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs CALYPSO and DUNEDIN dep Scapa on Northern Patrol duties. CALYPSO was missed by a torpedo at 2340 .

CL ENTERPRISE dep Scapa on Northern Patrol duties, and arrived back on the 28th.






_E Class CL profile_

*British northern waters *

CL DELHI arrived at Scapa .

*English Channel*

DD JAGUAR investigated ASDIC reading off Portland, which indicated a possible submarine in the area.

DD JACKAL with DD ECLIPSE attacked a submarine contact 4.5 miles S by E of Start Point..

CL CERES and CARADOC dep Plymouth on escort duties and arrived back the next day

*UK-France convoys .*

DB.6 departed Southampton with two personnel ships, escorted by DDs VANSITTART and VENOMOUS, and arrived at Brest on the 23rd.

*Med/Biscay*

Convoy Green 2 (AB.3) dep Gibraltar with 18 ships for Port Said, escorted b DDs HARDY, HERO, HEREWARD, HASTY, HOSTILE from the 22nd to 27th. The DDs proceeded to Malta.DDs COSSACK, MAORI, NUBIAN, ZULU provided escort from 27 September to 2 October when it arrived at Port Said.

Fr SSs ACHILLES, CASABIANCA, PASTEUR, SFAX of the SubDiv2 under Adm West were stationed in turn near Cape Ortegal to keep watch on German merchant ships in northern Spanish ports. patrols ended 3 Nov.

*Central and South Atlantic* –

Fr SSs AGOSTA and OUESSANT of SubDiv 8 left their patrol areas off the Azores for Martinique, arriving on the 29th, to guard the Antilles passages against German blockade runners.

DD HAVOCK dep Montevideo with the first outbound local convoy, consisting of steamers SUSSEX, ROXBY, EL CIERVO, and Falkland Island Company ship LAFONIA (1961grt). They were covered by CA EXETER. At dusk, the convoy dispersed and HAVOCK escorted steamer LAFONIA, carrying troops for the defense of the Falkland Islands, to Port Stanley.

*Indian Ocean*

CL LIVERPOOL dep Aden for Bombay, arriving on the 27th.

*China Station*

CA DORSETSHIRE dep Hong Kong on escort duties and arrived back on 13 October for docking prior to transferring to the East Indies Station.

Other Events

Representatives of the American republics announced the establishment of a "safety zone" around the Western Hemisphere in an attempt to isolate the Americas from the world war. The waters surrounding the Western Hemisphere for a distance of 300 miles from shore and as far north as Canada constituted "sea safety zones." No hostile actions were to take place in these zones by non-American belligerents. The delegates at the conference also adopted a General Declaration of Neutrality of the American republics.


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## Njaco (Sep 22, 2014)

*September 22 1939 Friday
POLAND:* “Battle of the Bzura”, also known as Battle of Kutno to the Germans, has ended in a Polish defeat; it was the largest battle of the Polish campaign during which more than 18,000 Polish troops and about 8,000 German troops were killed. Rapidly advancing Soviet troops capture Lvov and Bialystok. Lwow was taken by the Soviets after an act of surrender was signed by Polish General Wladyslaw Langner. The Soviets agreed to all Polish conditions permitting privates and NCOs to leave the city, registering themselves with Soviet authorities before they go home. Polish officers were also told that they were allowed to keep their belongings and go to whatever country accepted them. But In a brutal twist of fate, the Soviets suddenly reneged on their promises. The infamous NKVD began arresting Polish officers and escorted them to Tarnopol from where they were deported to Starobielsk among other gulags in Russia to await their fate. Over 210,000 Poles surrender to the Soviets, but at the Battle of Kodziowce the Soviets suffered heavy casualties.

German troops hand over Brest-Litovsk to the Soviets under strange circumstances. German General Heinz Guderian is moving part of the XIX Panzerkorps forward on a train into the Soviet zone when the commander of the Soviet 29th Tank Brigade Semyon Krivoshein blocks the tracks, claiming his tanks have run out of gas. They negotiate a joint victory parade in Brest-Litovsk before a German withdrawal back to the West. Amid huge crowds military divisions of the Red Army and Werhmacht rolled past the Victory Arches decorated with stars and swastikas. Soviet and German generals were seen paying homage to each other. The parade was intended to display the power of the new Soviet-Nazi alliance. After the parade without undue ceremony, the Germans withdrew to the western bank of the Bug River and the Soviets took control of the city as well as the rest of eastern Poland. General Konstanty Pilsowski, commander of the Polish forces who defended the city from German attack, was arrested by the Soviet NKVD and sent to prison camp at Starobielsk.

In preparation for the final assault on Warsaw, German forces cross the Vistula River at Modlin, isolating the garrison in the Fortress Modlin and cutting the last lines of communication with Warsaw. They begin attacks on the Warsaw district of Praga on the Eastern bank of the Vistula. Hitler visits the front, observing the shelling of the Warsaw suburb of Praga. Among the weapons used were heavy guns and mortars. Two entire air fleets took part in air raids targeting military and civilians. Meanwhile, Colonel General Werner von Fritsch, former German Army Commander in Chief and an outspoken opponent of the Nazis government, is killed by a Polish sniper outside Warsaw.

Josef Frantisek and his Polish Air Force squadron were evacuated to Romania. The Rumanian Government executes 100-200 members of the Iron Guard.

*GERMANY:* Many of the German fighter and bomber units are renamed. I./JG 20 is redesignated III,/JG 51 with Hptm. Hannes Trautloft as Gruppenkommandeur. I./ZG 2 is redesignated I./JGr 102, II./ZG 1 is temporarily redesignated JGr 101 and I./KG 25 is redesignated I./KG 30 and is equipped with new Ju 88 As.

The Bf 109Es of Major Otto Heinrich von Houwald’s I./JG 3 leave the airbase at Schafstädt and transfer to the airbase at Zerbst.

Oblt. Wolf von Stutterheim is posted as Kommodore of KG 77 in place of Oblt. Heinrich Seywald who left the Kampfgeschwader on 13 September.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A German submarine torpodoes Finnish steamer “_Martti-Ragnar_” off the coast of Norway, on route to Britain. A German submarine boards Finnish steamer _“Haalow Lighthouse_” off the coast of Norway, blowing it up with dynamite.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The second meeting of the Allied Supreme War Council takes place. Although the meeting is supposed to be secret, a large crowd gathers outside the building in which the Allied leaders meet. British Prime Minister Chamberlain, with Lord Halifax, the foreign secretary, and Lord Chatfield, the minister for coordination of defense meet French Premier Daladier, with General Gamelin, the Commander in Chief on the Western Front, Admiral Darlan, the Chief of the French Naval Staff, and M Dautry.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Netherlands and Belgium flood part of their territory bordering Germany as a defensive measure.

Swiss anti-aircraft guns fire on two or more German planes over Schaffhausen.


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## Wurger (Sep 22, 2014)

Dudes...












Dudes' military parade in Brześć Litewski on the 22nd September 1939.



























Lublin on the 22nd September 1939.. Nazi German soldiers looking over Russian armoured vehicles.

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## parsifal (Sep 23, 2014)

*23 September *
Allied New Ships
FR MSW [Elan class}




Neutral New ships
US DDHughes (405)(Sims Class)




UBOATS

No arrivals

departures

Willhelmshaven U-12 (Kptlt. Dietrich von der Ropp)

At Sea 23 September

U-3, U-4, U-7, U-12 (+), U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, U-21, U-24, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-53.

(+) lost this patrol

U.4 captured Finnish steamer WALMA (1361grt) off Smagen on the west coast of Sweden and scuttled her off Hallo . The entire crew was saved.

OKM issues orders to sink immediately any ship (including neutrals) using their radios when stopped even when searching for contraband.

*North Sea *.

DDs FORTUNE and FIREDRAKE attacked U.14, 40 miles NNE of Peterhead, no damage. OKM war diaries confirm this attack

*Western Atlantic*

convoy HX.2 dep Halifax at 0900 escort by CA YORK and local escort RCN DDs ST LAURENT, FRASER, and SAGUENAY

*Carribbean *

CL HMAS PERTH south of Jamaica received a direction finding bearing NW of her of a German vessel, most probably DKM DEUTSCHLAND.

*British northern waters *

BBp ROYAL SOVEREIGN dep Scapa 2330, escort DDs ESK and EXPRESS, to refit at Portsmouth. At 1750/24th, the DDs detected and attacked a submarine contact 25 miles off the north coast of Ireland. The three ships arrived at Portsmouth at 0930/26th.

*UK-France convoys .*

MB.7 of seven cargo ships departed Southampton, escort DDs ACHATES, SARDONYX, and ACHERON, and arrived at Brest on the 25th.

BC.3S of 21 steamers, including BARON GRAHAM, BARON MACLAY, NEW TEXAS (Cdn) dep Quiberon Bay escort DDs WOLVERINE and WESSEX, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 25th.

BC.4F of steamer TYNWALD dep Loire Bay escort DDs ESCORT and ELECTR, also arriving in Bristol Channel on the 25th.

*UK-outbound convoys*

OA.9 of 32 ships dep Southend. DDs JUNO and AMAZON dep Devonport as escort for the convoy and were with it from the 23rd to 26th. The DDs then detach to convoy HXF.1 before arriving back at Plymouth on the 29th.

OB.9 dep Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and WHIRLWIND until the 26th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

DD JACKAL attacked a submarine contact 20 miles SW of Land's End. ECLIPSE attacked the same contact at 1027. Destroyer EXMOUTH (D.12) was ordered to continue the hunt with EXMOUTH, ECLIPSE, ENCOUNTER, ESCAPADE, JACKAL.

SS TRIDENT completed and dep Liverpool for trials in Gareloch Bay, escorted by MSW GLEANER.

*Indian Ocean*

CL MANCHESTER departed Bombay.

other
Midshipman J C Casey and Midshipman R M B Kettle, flying Harvards of the RAF No 1 Flying Training School at Netheravon, Wiltshire were killed when their aircraft collided NE of the airfield. 10% of flying trainees lost in single stroke! Soon after this, new aircrew inductees are increased to an annual intake of 80.


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## Njaco (Sep 23, 2014)

*September 23 1939 Saturday
POLAND:* The siege of Warsaw continues. Polish forces have issued a communique demanding re-enforcements and shipments of ammunition and medical supplies. Warsaw is running out of food and potable water supplies are all but depleted. Though Warsaw is completely surrounded by the Germans, Polish insurgents are still showing signs of strong resistance having repelled numerous attacks. Meanwhile in Berlin the German government is claiming that Poles have ceased fighting and state that "_In a connected series of destructive battles, of which the greatest and most decisive was in the bend of the Vistula, the Polish Army of a million men has been defeated, captured or routed. No single Polish active or reserve division escaped this fate. Only fractions of individual groups were able to avoid immediate destruction by fleeing into the swamps of eastern Poland. They succumbed there to Soviet troops. Of the entire Polish army only an insignificant remainder still is fighting at hopeless positions in Warsaw, Modlin and on the Hela Peninsula."_ The Poles fight on courageously against all odds.

Warsaw is out of food and water after 8 days of siege, plus artillery shelling and aerial bombing. The citizens are starving, reduced to carving flesh from horses killed by the German bombardment, and there is little available drinking water as the main water pumping station has been destroyed by bombing. Fires burn out of control as there is no water to extinguish them.

Further East between the Vistula and Bug Rivers, fighting continues between the outer pincers of the German encirclement (Kuchler’s 3.Armee from East Prussia and List’s 14.Armee from Slovakia) and the trapped Polish forces. The “Battle of Tomaszów Lubelski” is the second largest engagement, after the “Battle of Bzura”, and the largest tank battle of the war in Poland as Polish troops try to follow Marshal Rydz-Śmigły’s orders and break out of the German pocket towards the Romanian bridgehead in Southeast Poland.

Chairman of Presidium of Supreme Soviet orders troops remain mobilized until further notice.

*GERMANY:* The fighter Gruppe III./JG 26 is formed from parts of II./ZG 26 and other parts of JG 26. Future Experte, Oblt. Fritz Losigkeit becomes Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 26. Oblt. Eduard Neumann becomes Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26 which is redesignated as such from the old 4./JG 26. Oblt. Gerhard Schöpfel becomes Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 26. Hptm. Karl Ebbighausen becomes Staffelkapitän of the new 4./JG 26. Lt. Klaus Mietusch is transferred from 2./JG 26 to 7./JG 26.

Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar of 1./JG 1 receives the Iron Cross Second Class. At this time Oblt. Balthasar already has seven victories in Spain while flying with the Legion Condor.

*MEDITTERANEAN:* Premier Benito Mussolini has confirmed the Italian intention to remain neutral unless attacked. He stated that Italy is following a policy to;


> "….strengthen our army in preparation for any eventualities and support every possible peace effort while working in silence."


 He also suggested that the "liquidation" of Poland would facilitate a European peace settlement.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Antony Herman Gerhard Fokker, the designer of many of Germany’s and the Luftwaffe’s early successes in aviation, dies in New York City, United States of America. He is later buried at Haarlem in the Netherlands.

.

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## Lucky13 (Sep 23, 2014)

Outstanding work guys!


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## Wurger (Sep 23, 2014)

On the 23rd September 1939 Mjr. Henryk Dobrzański alias "Hubal" organized the first partisan troop in Poland.






The siege of Warsaw.. the German attack on Warsaw streets and destroyed German tanks ....
















Hitler, Rommel and Reichenau watching the battle of Warsaw...






On this day the Mayor of Warsaw , Stefan Starzyński held his last speech in the Polish Radio. Soon after the afternoon the radio station Warszawa stopped broadcasting.

Stefan Starzyński.

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## parsifal (Sep 23, 2014)

I shouldnt say this....but the Poles were very gallant and brave, and they deserved better from the war. we let them down badly

Stefan Starzyński is now known to have been murdered by the gestapo between December 21 and 23 for being a member of polish intelligentsia.


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## Njaco (Sep 24, 2014)

*September 24 1939 Sunday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Swedish freighter “_Gertrud Bratt_” is torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine, ten miles off the south Norwegian coast carrying timber, as is a British steamer the “_Kafristan_”.

*POLAND:* German forces isolate Modlin Fortress, north of Warsaw. Reports from Warsaw suggest heavy casualties among those in the city including wounded in hospitals. In preparation for the final assault, General Johannes Blaskowitz Commander-in-Chief East (Oberbefehlshaber Ost) takes command of all German units. 1,150 German planes bomb Warsaw to soften up the city.

Meanwhile, Soviet forces enter the Galician oilfields. The towns of Boryslaw, and Drohobych located on Poland's oilfields were much coveted by the German forces who had to relinquish their control to the Soviets according to the Molotov-Ribbentrop agreement.

German Einsatzgruppen murdered 800 members of Polish intelligentsia at Bydgoszcz, Poland.

*GERMANY:* French bombers strike the German Zeppelin base at Friedrichshafen. British aerial leaflet drops over Germany resumes, with home publicity emphasizing night reconnaissance.

Official German radio broadcast declares that with the redrafting of Poland's frontiers, Germany's war is over.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The “_American Farmer_” arrives in New York harbor with 29 survivors of the crew of the British steamer “_Kafristan_”, sunk by a German U-boat. Passengers and the master of the American Farmer said that while the survivors were still in their boats a British airplane swooped down on the German submarine, spraying its deck with machine gun fire and dropping bombs, one of which fell on the conning tower.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* USSR exploits aggression in Poland to gain land and other concessions from the Baltic States, to improve its defense of the Baltic coastline. The Soviet Government informs the Finnish Government that passage through Leningrad via Neva River would now be closed to Finnish vessels. The route was allowed by agreement of 1923, allowing for closure in case of war danger. The Soviet Union also gave an ultimatum to the Estonian Foreign Minister in Moscow, Russia, demanding land to build a Soviet military base in Estonia. Soviet aircraft fly in Estonian airspace (following blockade of the harbor of Tallinn, the capital on 19 September). Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov warns Estonian negotiators in Moscow that USSR will use "more radical actions" to obtain military bases.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French artillery fires on the German border.

Lt. Hartmann Grasser of JGr 152 begins his victory total by destroying a Hawk 75. His wingman, Lt. Horst Elstermann also shoots down a Hawk 75.

Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 leaves the airbase at Olmütz and arrives at Breslau-Schöngarten.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 24, 2014)

*24 September *

Ships commissioning: DD Z22 Anton Schmitt S24 S Boote (S18-25 class)







Adm Raeder lifts restrictions on attacks of French shipping. Uboats can from this point attack French shipping with no warning.

UBOATS

arrivals 
:
Kiel: U-18 (11 days)
Wilhelmshaven: U-3

departures

None

At Sea 24 September

U-4, U-7, U-12 , U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-21, U-24, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-53.
20 boats at sea.

U.33 (Kptlt. Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky) sank British trawler CALDEW (287grt) north of the Hebrides . The survivors were picked up by Swedish steamer KRONPRINCESSAN MARGARETA (3789grt), but she was stopped by KM DD FRIEDRICH IHN and KM TB ILTIS in the Skagerrak and the 11 British seaman taken off. They spent the war in Stalag XB.

French merchant ship PHRYNE (2660grt) was sunk 3.5 east of Aldeburgh Light Vessel on a mine laid by U.13 on the 4th. Survivors were rescued by DDs BRAZEN and BOREAS and reached the Tyne that evening.

U.34 took in prize Estonian steamer HANONIA (2534grt) off the Norwegian coast. She was taken to Hamburg, later commissioned as Schiff 11 by the German Navy and used in minelaying off the English coast.

U.4 sank Swedish steamer GERTRUD BRATT (1510grt) ten miles off Jomfruland, SE Norway off Lillesand .

U.31 sank steamer HAZELSIDE (4646grt) 10 miles SE of Fastnet in 51‑17N, 09‑22W. Twelve crewmen were lost and 22 injured and rescued. DDs VIMY and VERSATILE were sent to search for the submarine, and at 1352/25th, a Sunderland flying boat (from no 10 sqn RAAF) dropped seven bombs on U.31, ten miles SE of Fastnet. Three were reported as direct hits, but no damage was done.

*North Sea *.

SS SPEARFISH (LT J H Eaden) was damaged off Horns Reef by German ASW forces and unable to submerge. Moving slowly along the neutral Danish coast, she was able to radio for help at 0510/25th.

CLs SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW of the Humber Force dep Rosyth at 0723 and joined DDs JERVIS and JUPITER off May Island at 0910. They were to operate off the Norwegian coast with DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, MASHONA, and ESKIMO, already off the Norwegian coast in order to cover SPEARFISH’s return.

DDs FORESIGHT and FAME with one other destroyer were on Fair Isle Patrol. CLs AURORA and SHEFFIELD, also at sea, proceeded well into the approaches of the Skagerrak and met the SPEARFISH to provide cover.

The rescue force was supported by BCs RENOWN and HOOD, CA NORFOLK, CLs NEWCASTLE, EDINBURGH, and DDs FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FORESTER, FEARLESS, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE

BBs NELSON and RODNEY, CV ARK ROYAL, and DDs BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, TARTAR, FURY dep Scapa on the 25th to cover the Humber Force returning with SPEARFISH. FAME and FORESIGHT which had been at sea since 24 September joined the NELSON force at sea. MASHONA and MATABELE also later joined at sea. FORESIGHT attacked a submarine contact north of the Orkneys.

Only destroyer ASHANTI which was having turbine repairs was absent from the operation.

At 1724, MATABELE was detached to investigate Danish steamer OVE TOFT (2135grt) and did not rejoin the Fleet until after dark. At 1925, SOMALI and ESKIMO were detached to join SPEARFISH, reaching her at 0100/26th and escorting her towards Rosyth screened by the Humber Force.

There German air attacks on the British forces, the screening GLASGOW was able to drive off an attack on SPEARFISH reporting having shot down two a/c. ARK ROYAL was near missed and HOOD was struck by a glancing bomb that failed to explode. LT B S. McEwen, flying a Skua of ARK ROYAL’s 803 Squadron, shot down a Do.18 aircraft whose aircrew was picked up by SOMALI. Finally SHEFFIELD was bombed, but sustained no damage.





_Photo of the Dornier brought down by 803 sqn_





_Blackburn Skuas photographed prewar_

250 miles North West of the German North Sea fortress island of Heligoland when a Dornier 18 flying boat was sighted and at 11:00 hrs three Skuas of 803 Squadron were launched to intercept it. They claimed this Dornier as damaged near position 57.36N 02.36E. Another Dornier was sighted soon afterwards and another three Skuas of 803 were launched at 11:30Hrs. This Dornier was shot down by Lt BS McEwen and PO BM Seymour, the 4 crewmen of the stricken aircraft were picked up the RN and taken prisoner. A third Dornier then appeared and another three Skuas, this time of 800 Squadron, were launched at 12:30 and they claimed this third Dornier as damaged. One Dornier crashed in Dutch coastal waters during this period and it is likely this was one of the aircraft driven off by the Skuas.

The shooting down of the Dornier 18 is often cited as the first kill by a British Aircraft in World War II - In fact the first was by Sgt F.A. Letchford, an observer/gunner in a Fairy Battle Bomber of 88 Sqdn RAF on the 20th September 1939. Sgt

The Humber Force, SPEARFISH and destroyers ESKIMO and MATABELE, covered by AURORA, SHEFFIELD, SOMALI and BEDOUIN, arrived safely at Rosyth late on the 26th. SPEARFISH docked at Newcastle for repairs lasting until 4 March 1940.

German newspapers claimed the Ark Royal as sunk, one of the many claims made of sinking this crucial ship. Sarcastically German radio stated "where is the Ark Royal?" a claim found amusing by many British sailors

Shortly before arriving at Scapa and after a submarine attack on BC HOOD was reported, DDs FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, ESKIMO, TARTAR, BEDOUIN detached to search for the submarine. FIREDRAKE, in company with PUNJABI and FORTUNE had been hunting since midnight for a submarine reported by FAA aircraft at 1812/26th. Then at 0255/27th, 20 miles east of Scapa, FORTUNE attacked a contact. There is no mention of this arttack in the KM war diiaries.

The Main Fleet arrived at Scapa later that day. FORTUNE immediately started boiler cleaning which was completed on the 29th.

After a submarine was reported by aircraft 55 miles ENE of Rattray Head, FURY, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, ASHANTI left Scapa to search.

DDs TARTAR and BEDOUIN arrived early on the 28th. Later that day, TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, SOMALI, MASHONA, MATABELE, FEARLESS, FORTUNE, FAME, FORESIGHT dep Scapa on an ASW sweep.

convoy FS.10 dep Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 26th.

DDs JUPITER and WHITLEY attacked a submarine contact six miles north of St Abbs Head. WHITLEY, escorting an east coast convoy, again attacked a submarine contacts 45 miles NE of Blyth and then five miles SE of the Farne Islands.

Convoy FN.10 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 26th.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL DELHI with DUNEDIN dep Scapa for Northern Patrol duties, and arrived back on 1 October.

*British northern waters *

_Northwest Approaches_

Ge steamer MINDEN (4318grt) which had dep Rio de Janiero on the 6th and was now 330 miles NW of Cape Wrath , scuttled herself when intercepted by CL CALYPSO. CL DUNEDIN, also arrived at the scene alerted by CALYPSO's contact report, but MINDEN had already scuttled. The crew was taken aboard DUNEDIN

CC a/c attack a submarine contact two miles NE of Fairhead, NE Ireland. Patrol sloops SHELDRAKE, SHEARWATER, KINGFISHER, WIDGEON dep Belfast on the 24th to join the hunt.

*English Channel*

No activity reported

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.5F of steamer BEN MY CHREE departed Bristol Channel escort DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA, and arrived in the Loire on the 5th. The convoy was also escorted by Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs MOGADOR and VOLTA from 0600 to 2000 on the 25th.

BC.5 of 12 steamers, including BEAVERDALE (Cdre), CITY OF DERBY, DELIUS, LOWICK, TREHATA, VOLO dep Bristol Channel escort DDss VIVACIOUS, VISCOUNT, VENETIA, VANESSA,

DB.7 dep Southampton of two personnel ships, escort DDs VANSITTART and VENOMOUS, and arrived at Brest on the 25th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

see entry for U31

*Central and South Atlantic* –

CL AJAX sailed north from the Falklands to Rio de Janiero to relieve CA CUMBERLAND which was heading towards Ascension Island on a sweep for suspected German supply ships.


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## Njaco (Sep 25, 2014)

*September 25 1939 Monday
POLAND:* After three weeks of heavy German attacks the Polish forces in Warsaw continue to put up a tough resistance. German Command has issued a second ultimatum which has also been ignored by the Poles. German forces outside Warsaw capture Fort Mokotowski. To the east, Soviet troops captured Bialystok, Poland. Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin proposed to the Germans that the Soviet Union would take Lithuania which was previously within the German sphere of influence; in exchange, the Soviets would give the portions of Poland near Warsaw which were previously within the Soviet sphere of influence but had already been overrun by German troops.

After several attempts to force the Polish surrender, ‘Operation SEASIDE’ is finally given the go ahead. Hitler wishes to complete the conquest as soon as possible and since the garrison is fairly strong, it is necessary to force them to submit by terrorizing the civilian population. At 0800 hours the attack begins. Some 400 Luftwaffe bombers and Stuka dive bombers make repeated sorties, starting significant fires. Reservoirs and water works, granaries and flourmills, natural gas tanks and power plants have been destroyed by now, depriving the city of water, food and power.

In addition to the bombers and dive-bombers, thirty Ju 52s drop incendiary bombs, shoveled out of the transports by two soldiers on each aircraft. This indiscriminate way of attack leads to several bombs landing among German troops and the catch phrase “bombing by coal-shovels”. These bombs start fires that cover the city in so much smoke that the Generals of the Army complain to Hitler about the problem created by the Luftwaffe. After hearing their complaints, Hitler turns to Richthofen and states, “Carry on!” Nothing more is said. The Luftwaffe attacks continue and by evening the city is in flames.

Casualties in the city are now estimated at 40,000 dead. Although military defenses are well prepared for the German ground attack, the civilian situation is so dire that it is clear the city cannot hold out much longer.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Guns of the French Maginot Line and German Westwall along the 80-mile front from Lauterbourg to Basle exchange fire for 24 hours.

Four Bf 109Ds from 4./JG 52 attack a French recon patrol and shoot down a French Potez 637, the claim for the kill being given to Staffelkapitän Heinz Schumann. Hptm. Lothar von Janson of JG 53 scores his first kill, another French Potez 637. Hptm. Douglas Pitcairn of 4./JG 53 scores his first kill. One of the most successful of all fighter pilots, Fw. Heinz Bär of 1./JG 51 begins his victory scoreboard with a French Hawk 75.

*GERMANY:* Bread and flour rationing is introduced. The distribution of food ration cards is completed.

Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 4 "for the Conduct of the War", concerning the final steps in Poland: secure the Demarcation Line with Russia, halt the flow of refugees west of the Line. No attacks on or over land are to be made in the West. Attacks on English and French merchant shipping are to be made. Franz Halder noted in his diary that he believed Adolf Hitler was ready to plan a war with France and Britain.

*NORTH ATLANTIC:* After a near miss in an air attack, German propaganda claims that the British aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” has been sunk. This is the first of several such false claims during the coming months. The attack also marks the debut of the German Ju88 bomber.

In reality, HMS “_Ark Royal_” and battleship HMS “_Nelson_” this day rescue the submarine HMS “_Spearfish_” (damaged by German warships on 24 September off Horns Reef, Denmark and unable to dive) and escort her back to Rosyth, Scotland.

Off Stavanger, Norway, a German submarine sinks Swedish freighter “_Silesia_”, carrying cargo to England.

.

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## Wurger (Sep 25, 2014)

On the 25th September 1939 the Luftwaffe was bombing Warsaw for 11 hours. Over 400 Nazi German planes took part in the air attack, dropping nearly 630 tons of incendiary and high explosive bombs. Almost 10000 people were killed and 35000 were wounded. The day has been named the Black Day or the Cast Monday

Bf 110 over Warsaw...






He-111 bombing Warsaw...






Smoke over Warsaw...

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## Wurger (Sep 25, 2014)

The American correspondent Julien Bryan filming constriction of fortifications in Warsaw 1939. He was the brave foreigner who had the courage to stay in Warsaw during the siege and inform the USA about the horrifying slaughter of Poles by Nazi Germans.






forum.fotopolis.pl ? Zobacz w?tek - Julien Bryan


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2014)

*25 September *
Axis New Ships
DKM Aux SC UJ 1101, UJ 1102, UJ 113
IJN CL KASHIMA (Katori Class)




Allied New Ships
RAN Aux MSW DOOMBA
300586 | Australian War Memorial




C.1940. Aerial Port View Of The AUX MSW HMAS DOOMBA (EX HMS WEXFORD) alongside Port Melbourne pier. At that stage she was armed with a 4 inch gun on a bandstand forward. protective plating has been fitted to her bridge supersructure and a searchlight position placed amidships. NOTE also the 4 inch gun mounted on the defensively equipped merchant ship (dems) in the left background. on the right are the bows of the AMC HMS HECTOR, with two of her 6 inch guns prominent.
(NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION)
UBOATS

arrivals 
:
None

departures

None

At Sea 25 September

U-4, U-7, U-12 , U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-21, U-24, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-34, U-35, U-36, U-53.
20 boats at sea.

U.36 sank Swedish merchant ship SILESIA (1839grt) 45 miles WNW of Egersund.

*North Sea *.

DDs BRAZEN and BOREAS attacked a submarine contact 10 miles east of Sunderland.

Sloop BITTERN attacked a submarine contact off Flamborough Head.

Sloop ENCHANTRESS attacked a submarine contact 20 miles SE of the Humber.

*Western Atlantic*

HXF.2 dep Halifax escorted by RCN DDs SAGUENAY and FRASER, before they detached on the 26th. The convoy reached Liverpool on 4 October. There, were no HXF.3, HXF.4, or HXF.5.

*Baltic*

Pol SS ZBIK interned at Sandhamn, Sweden.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLA CALCUTTA temporarily attached to CruDiv 7 whilst on Northern Patrol.

*British northern waters *

CLs DIOMEDE and DRAGON arrive at Scapa .

_Northwest Approaches_

sloop KINGFISHER attacked a submarine contact 10 miles NE of St John's Point, Ireland.

*English Channel*

RN started laying a deep minefield between Folkestone and Cap Griz Nez to close the Straits to German submarine traffic. MLs ADVENTURE, PLOVER and aux MLs SHEPPERTON, HAMPTON laid 3636 mines and completed the field on 23 October.





_HMS adventure in a later war camo scheme_





_HMS Plover_

Only U.31 was able to pass successfully through the Dover Strait during the war, on the 11th/12th September. U.35 attempted to pass through at approximately the same time, but was forced to abandon the attempt and instead proceeded to her patrol area by the north-about route. U.12 was lost in the field on 8 October, U.40 on the 13th, and U.16 badly damaged and ultimately lost on the 24th.

DD JAGUAR completes working up at Portland, arrives at Grimsby on the 26th. She left there on the 28th and arrived at Rosyth the same day to join Humber Force.

CL CARADOC began repairing defects at Devonport, which were completed on 6 October.

*UK-outbound convoys*

OA.10 dep Southend with 42 ships, escort DDs ACASTA and ARDENT from the 23rd to 28th, when the convoy dispersed.

OB.10 dep Liverpool escorted by destroyers WINCHELSEA and WALPOLE until the 28th.

*Central and South Atlantic* –

SLF.2 dep Freetown without an escort on the 25th and arrived at Southend on 6 October.

DDs HYPERION and HUNTER of Desdiv4 sailed from Freetown on the 25th to an area SW of Ascension Island to intercept suspected German raiders. On the 28th, they joined CAs CUMBERLAND, which dep Rio on the 25th, and CL NEPTUNE from Freetown on the 26th, but no enemy shipping was found. CUMBERLAND and NEPTUNE headed for Freetown and arrived on 2 October. Following refuelling, CUMBERLAND departed on the 3rd to return to South America Station, arriving on the 9th. 

BR Sunderland German Blockade runners Chemnitz and Amasis, Fr CL Duguay Trouin and SS Poncelet are sent to investigate

*Pacific*

CL HMNZS LEANDER dep Auckland and headed into the seas south of New Zealand for Auckland and Campbell Islands. She reached the area on the 28th and after carrying out an inspection, sailed for Wellington, arriving on 1 October. A second inspection of the area was conducted in November 1939. Suspected raider activity turned out to be a totally erroneous report




_HMS Black Prince Aux ML, the same class as the Shepperton and Hampton_

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## parsifal (Sep 26, 2014)

*26 September *

UBOATS

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven, U-26 , U-29 , U-34. U.30 escorted by minesweeper M.7. 

departures

Kiel: U-10 

At Sea 26 September

U-4, U-7, U-10, U-12 , U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-21, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-35, U-36, U-53. 
18 boats at sea.

OKM issues the following orders to the two surface raiders: 
"_1. Resume commerce warfare according operational orders by attacks in operational area. Previous special orders respecting France lifted. Proceed as against Britain.
2. SKL assumes Deutschland North Atlantic, Admiral Graf Spee South Atlantic. If correct do not signal but operate in intended operational area.
3. Report position and intentions on contact with enemy warships or if reported by merchant shipping"_

Search and board rules still apply at this stage

*Baltic*

Kattegat/Skagerrak/Baltic – DKM DDs HANS LODY, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK and four torpedo boats of the TorpedoFlot 6 inspected 45 merchant ships in the Kattegat from the 26th to 28th.

DKM DDs WILHELM HEIDKAMP, BERND VON ARNIM, ERICH GIESE, DIETHER VON ROEDER, HANS LÜDEMANN, HERMANN KÜNNE, KARL GALSTER stopped 58 merchant ships in the Skagerrak from the 28th to 30th. Nine were sent to Kiel as prizes and ARNIM captured two Danish steamers with cargo bound for England. On the 30th, ROEDER, LÜDEMANN, KÜNNE, GALSTER proceeded to Swinemünde and HEIDKAMP, ARNIM, GIESE to Kiel.

Beginning on the 30th and continuing through 6 October, German DDs and TBs and inspected 72 merchant ships for contraband in the Skagerrak and Kattegat. They seized Swedish steamer ASPEN (1304grt) on the 30th, and Finnish steamer ORIENT (4160grt) and Latvian steamer IMANTA (1233grt) on 1 October for contraband violations. German DDs MAX SCHULTZ, BRUNO HEINEMANN, and PAUL JACOBI were detached from exercises in the Baltic to escort the prizes into port

*North Sea *.

convoy FS.11 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 28th.

Convoy FN.11 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 28th.

CLA CAIRO dep Dover and arrived at Grimsby docks later the same day.

*Carribbean *

convoy KJ.2 dep Kingston escorted by CL ORION from the 26th to 29th and French SS SURCOUF from the 26th to 17 October. DeDs MALCOLM, VANOC, WARWICK, VANESSA joined the escort on the 15th. VANOC, WARWICK, VANESSA detached on the 17th, and MALCOLM on the 18th, when the convoy arrived.

*British northern waters *

German submarines were deployed off the Orkneys to intercept British naval units - U.10 from 26 September to 15 October, U.22 from 28 September to 16 October, U.23 from 2nd to 16th October, U.20 from the 1st to 17th, and U.18 from the 3rd to 16th. On 29 September, U.22 fired at a submarine east of Dogger Head, but the attack failed due to torpedo defect.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.4 dep Quiberon Bay and arrived in Bristol Channel on the 28th.

BC.5F of steamer BEN MY CHREE departed Quiberon Bay with DDs ECLIPSE, ENCOUNTER, ESCAPADE, EXMOUTH and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 27th.

*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar
The first of the series, HG.1, dep Gib with 27 ships and local escort provided by DDs GRENVILLE, GIPSY, GRIFFIN, GRENADE. Pol DD BLYSKAWICA joined the escort from the 26th to 28th and CL COLOMBO from the 26th to 5 October.

After leaving convoy OG.1, DDs IMOGEN and ILEX were escorts from 3 October until the 4th, and ISIS and IMPERIAL, from the 3rd to 5th. DDs INTREPID and ECHO joined on the 5th until the 6th when the convoy and tankers ABBEYDALE and SERBOL arrived at Liverpool.

COLOMBO and IMPERIAL arrived at Devonport on the 5th and ECHO on the 6th.

Convoy HGF.1 dep Gibraltar with steamers SCYTHIA (19,761grt), ORFORD (20,043grt), MEMNON (7506grt), and ORCADES (23,456grt) and no escort. They arrived at Liverpool on 1 October.

Sloop FOWEY arrived at Alexandria from the East Indies


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## Njaco (Sep 26, 2014)

*September 26 1939 Tuesday
POLAND:* Stukas begin pounding the last Polish garrison holding out at the fortress of Modlin, dropping 318 tons of bombs in two days.

A general assault on Warsaw began early this morning on all fronts surrounding the besieged city of Warsaw. The western part of the city is under attack by 5 German divisions (10th, 18th 19th, 31st, and 46th) while 4 divisions (11th, 32nd, 61st and 217th) are attacking the eastern part of the city. 70 field artillery batteries, 80 heavy artillery batteries plus I and IV Luftflotten pound Warsaw continuously. However, the German forces are repelled and retreat to the starting point. The German 8.Armee, under the command of the German Army Commander in Chief, von Brauchitsch, joins the attack on Warsaw. The massive artillery bombardment of Warsaw leaves the city center in flames. Poles recapture Mokotow Airport and in 6 hastily rebuilt aircraft fly out during the night.

*NORTH ATLANTIC:* The first major mission of the newly formed KG 30 is to attack the British Home Fleet consisting of the battleships HMS “_Nelson_” and HMS “_Rodney_”, the battle cruisers HMS “_Hood_” and HMS “_Renown_” and the aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”. The fleet is sighted by three Do 18 flying boats north of the Great Fisher Bank. Nine Blackburn Skua fighters of 803 Naval Air Squadron are launched from the British carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” to attack the three flying boats. One is shot down and makes a water landing then is sunk by the destroyer HMS “_Somali_”. Three Skua aircraft were collectively credited with the first confirmed British kill in the war. Meanwhile the nine He 111s of the ‘Lion’ Geschwader, KG 26 and four Ju 88s, the full strength of the “Eagle’ Geschwader, KG 30 bomb the HMS “_Ark Royal_” . The attack does little damage as the SC 500 bombs fail to detonate. Anti-aircraft fire forces four planes to jettison their bombs in the sea, but the fifth dives in to drop its 2000-pound bomb. The ship turns to avoid it, but smoke from the carrier's funnel leads the pilot to believe he scored a direct hit. Not long afterward a German reconnaissance flight was made but only two ships were spotted - not the “_Ark Royal”_. Later German propaganda proclaims, “_German Luftwaffe sinks Britain’s latest aircraft carrier. And with a single bomb!”_

*WESTERN FRONT:* In the Freiberg area, Lt. Martin Mund of 4./JG 52 shoots down a Bloch MB 131 of the French GR II / 55.

Oblt. Carl Vieck, the Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 2 is posted as Kommodore of JG 3 in place of Oblt. Max Ibel who is posted to a new unit forming in the next month. Werner Mölders was relieved of his duty as the commanding officer of 1./JG 53 as he was named the commanding officer of III./JG 53.

French artillery fires on the forward defenses of the German Siegfried Line.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In the House of Commons, First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, claims that Britain is winning the U-boat war. He says that one tenth of the German submarine fleet was destroyed in the first two weeks of the war and that the losses are probably a quarter and perhaps a third by now.

*GERMANY:* Former German Army Commander-in-Chief Werner von Fritsch was buried in Berlin, Germany. Neither Adolf Hitler, nor Joachim von Ribbertrop, nor Heinrich Himmler attended the ceremonial state funeral.

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## Wurger (Sep 26, 2014)

On the 26th September the 27th Regiment of the Nowogródzka Cavalry Brigade attacked a German infantry battalion at Morańce village . It was the last charge of the Polish Cavalery during the September Campaign of 1939.

The Polish cavalryman with an armour-piercing gun UR.






On the same day the battle at Tomaszów Lubelski was ended. Actually there were two battles. The fist one was on 17-20 September. Polish losses - 929 killed, 1174 wounded and 36 tanks. German lost 870 killed soldiers and 720 injured.
On the 22nd September started the second battle ... the Polish losses - 1023 killed and 997 wounded. The German ones - 886 killed and 700 injured.

The Polish Vickers tanks gathered by Germans after the battle...







The Polish Vickers E light tank damaged near Trzciana village during the September Campaing 1939....


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## parsifal (Sep 26, 2014)

*27 September *

UBOATS

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: U-30

departures

Kiel: U-19(Fgtnkpitn Hans Mecke), U-22 (Ace Kptlt. Werner Winter (Knights Cross)*
Wilhelmshaven: U-3

At Sea 27 September

U-3, U-4, U-7, U-10, U-12 (+), U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-19, U-21, U-22, U-24, U-28, U-31, U-32, U-33, U-35, U-36, U-53.
20 boats at sea.

U.10 on patrol in the North Sea was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance of the Orkneys area.

U.36 sank Sd steamer ALGERIA (1617grt)

*_Werner Winter began his naval career in April 1930. He served on the line ship Schlesien and then on the light cruiser Emden before transferring to the U-boat force in July 1935. At the outbreak of the war he commanded the U-22 he took command of this boat in October 1937, and during the fall of 1939 made two brief and unsuccessful patrols.

In November 1939 he was attached to the BdU Op staff. In July 1941 Winter took over command of U-103 from the famous ace Viktor Schütze and made three successful patrols, earning him the Knights Cross.

In July 1942 he took command of the Subflot 1 stationed in Brest. He was captured after the surrender of Brest in August 1944, returning home from Allied captivity in November 1947.

After the war he served in the Bundesmarine and retired as Kapitän zur See in March 1970._

*North Sea *.

DD VALOROUS and sloop HASTINGS were attacked by German bombers in the Firth of Forth, but neither were damaged.

CL GLASGOW and DD JERVIS dep Rosyth to investigate an enemy vessel report 220 miles ENE of Rosyth. They returned that evening without contact.

*British northern waters *

_Northwest Approaches_

DDs FURY and FORESTER on Fair Isle Channel Patrol were informed of a possible submarine in the south side of Fair Isle Channel.

DD FOXHOUND screened the attempted salvage of Norwegian steamer SARDINIA (1975grt) which had run aground off the Burness Peninsula, north of Kirkwall, Orkneys.

*English Channel*

CVL HERMES in refit at Devonport prior to transfer overseas.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.6 of steamers ADJUTANT, BAHARISTAN, BARON MINTO, BELLEROPHON (Cdre), BIELA, CAIRNGORM, CUSTODIAN, DALEMOOR, DIPLOMAT, ENA DE LARRINGA, GOLDFINCH, HARMATTAN, JACINTH, SANDHILL, TRELAWNY, and TREVERBYN dep Bristol Channel escort DDs EXMOUTH, ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER, ECLIPSE, and WESSEX. The convoy arrived in the Loire on the 29th. Escort was also provided by French Contre Torpilleur DDs INDOMPTABLE, TRIOMPHANT, MALIN on the 28th.

DB.8 of two personnel ships, escort DDs VANSITTART and VENOMOUS, dep Southampton, and arrived at Brest on the 28th.

Convoy MB.7 departed Southampton with seven cargo ships, escorted by destroyers ARROW and INTREPID and also arrived at Brest on the 28th.

*UK-outbound convoys*

OA.11 of 11 ships dep Southend. DDs KEMPENFELT and ECHO dep Devonport for escort, with ECHO returning 2 October.

OB.11 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and VIMY until the 30th.

*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar - British cableship RETRIEVER, escort DD VELOX dep Gib to carry out undersea cable repairs.

Malta

DDs COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU, NUBIAN dep Malta escort for convoy Green 2.

Transport of Polish gold form the Levant 

The gold being carried from Poland to prevent it falling into German hands arrived at Paris via Beirut and Toulon, sea transport provided by Fr Navy. Fr CL ÉMILE BERTIN and Contre Torpilleur DDs VAUBAN and ÉPERVIER dep Toulon 19th and arrive at Beirut 23rd, BERTIN embarked 57 tons of gold and the DDs 18 tons. The ships dep 24th, and arrived at Toulon on the 27th. The gold was sent on to Paris, arriving 24 October.





_Emile Bertin at speed. I believe this to a post war photo, as she has only one anchor at the bow_





_Emile Bertin early and late war profiles. The ship had a reputation of exceptional speed, as were the Guepard class DDs _





_L'Epervier_

*Indian Ocean*

CA CORNWALL arrived at Colombo, then dep on the 28th, arriving Calcutta on 1 October.

CL LIVERPOOL arrived at Bombay.


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## Njaco (Sep 27, 2014)

*27 September 1939 Wednesday
POLAND:* Warsaw surrenders after two days of intensive air and artillery bombardment. The Germans renewed the barrage and ground attack this morning but again this is repelled by Polish military and civilian defenders. Over the past several weeks the Polish military has been locked in combat showing no signs of weakening. Polish General Czuma has managed to gather additional forces and war materiel that could prolong the battle for several weeks longer. While the Polish units may hold out indefinitely, the civilian population of Warsaw is in a state of desperation with water, food and medical supplies having run out. The siege has resulted in the deaths of some 2000 Polish soldiers and 10,000 civilians. A total of 40,000 people are believed to have been killed or injured. About one eighth of the buildings in the city have been destroyed. There is not sufficient water to even extinguish fires that are burning throughout the city caused by the constant bombardment. Hitler remarked to a journalist;


> "That is how I can deal with any European city."


At 12.00, General Blaskowitz accepts the surrender of the Polish garrison and a cease fire agreement is signed in a railway car on the edge of Warsaw. Several Polish units dispersed throughout Warsaw, refused to put down their weapons and obey the ceasefire. Their commanding officers were visited by General Czuma and Rommel bearing news of surrender. German forces take about 150,000 prisoners. General von Blaskowitz, allows the Polish officers to keep their swords and promises that the troops will only go into captivity for as long as it takes to _"...dispose of the necessary formalities."_ The terms of the capitulation provide for the immediate relief of the civilian population and the wounded. The Luftwaffe has lost 743 men and 285 aircraft, including 109 bombers and Stukas along with sixty-seven Bf 109s during the campaign. The last bombs of the Polish campaign are dropped at midnight by Stukas over Modlin.

*GERMANY:* Hitler tells his service chiefs that he plans to attack in the west as soon as possible and sets the date as November 12th. He has reached this decision entirely on his own. Army representative oppose the decision. Meanwhile, Hitler establishes the Reichssicherheitshauptamt [Reich Chief Security Office] (RSHA) under Reinhart Heydrich, who now heads the Gestapo, the Criminal Police (Kripo) and the Security Service (SD).

*EASTERN FRONT:* The Government of Bulgaria outlaws membership in Nazi-like organizations.

*NORTH ATLANTIC:* A German destroyer stops Swedish Johnson Line's motorship “_Kronprincessen Margareta_” just outside Swedish territorial waters, ordering the transfer of crew of eleven from the torpedoed British trawler “_Caldes_”. A submarine torpedoes and sinks the Soviet steamer “_Metallist_” in Narva Bay, off the coast of Estonia.

*WESTERN FRONT:* For the first time, German guns of the Westwall fire over the Maginot line on villages behind French fortifications.

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## Njaco (Sep 28, 2014)

*28 September 1939 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Swedish steamship “_Nyland_” is torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea, off Kvitsoey, near Stavanger.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Talks between German foreign minister Ribbentrop and Stalin continue. Meanwhile, a Soviet-Estonian Pact is signed, giving the USSR the use of bases in Estonia. This pact is the first in a series designed to ensure Soviet control of the Baltic.

*GERMANY:* The crew and personnel of I./JG 52 are moved to Bonn-Hangelar airfield.

*POLAND:* The remaining Polish government in Warsaw capitulates. As Warsaw is subdued, one of the last centers of Polish resistance, the garrison of the massive Fortress at Modlin (under attack by the Germans since Sept 13 but bypassed in favor of besieging Warsaw) sees no point to continue fighting. The last Polish holdouts from the Battle of Bzura around the town of Kutno also surrender. The 10 Polish divisions have been encircled in the city of Modlin, and the area of Kutno, since September 10th. Under the command of Brig. General Emil Krukowicz Przedrzymirski, the army consisted of 2 infantry divisions and 2 cavalry brigades, as well as 28 infantry battalions, 37 cavalry squadrons, 180 artillery pieces, 12 anti-air artillery pieces, 1 armoured train and 28 planes.

During the Battle of Mlawa, the German 3.Armee pushed the Modlin Army back towards the Narew and Bug Rivers. Despite receiving reinforcements of Operational Group Wyszkow under General Wincenty Kowalski, it was insufficient to prevent from falling back. On September 10th, the Polish army abandoned it's position near Warsaw. Some of its' troops joined the Warszawa Army and took part in the final defense of Warsaw. Other units were pushed to the southeast near the Romanian bridgehead and took part in the Battle of Tomaszow Lubelski from September 21 to 26.

The Soviet occupation of Eastern Poland is almost complete. Approximately 9000 Polish troops, trapped between the Soviets and Germans, offer battle with the Red Army and rout the Soviets (Battle of Szack). In the aftermath, armored troops of the Soviet 4th Army under General Vassili Chuikov surprise the Polesie Brigade near the village of Mielnik. The Poles surrender but, in a sign of things to come, all the Polesie officers and NCOs (about 500) are then executed by the Red Army.

Vsevolod Merkulov sent his superiors in Moscow, Russia a report, noting his NKVD Operational Group No. 1 had arrested 923 Polish officers, policemen, land owners, Ukrainian nationalists, etc. in eastern Poland.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Guns of French Maginot Line and German Westwall exchange fire along the 15-mile sector from the Luxembourg border to Mondorf. German infantry and tanks launch an attack outside Saarbrucken. French artillery and machine gunners beat back the attack.

While the fighting in Poland slows, clashes with the Allies increase along the western borders. Lt. Josef Bürschgens scores JG 26’s first victory of the war by shooting down a French Curtiss Hawk 75 of GC II / 5. The fighters of I./JG 1 get their first victory of the war when Fw. Klaus Faber shoots down a Blenheim on a reconnaissance mission over Osnabrück.

Uffz. Georg Pavenzinger of 2./JG 51, flying Bf 109E ‘Red 9’ W.Nr. 3326 becomes disoriented and makes an emergency landing at Geuterheim. Made a prisoner of war, Uffz. Pavenzinger's Messerschmitt becomes the first complete Bf 109E to fall into Allied hands.

After several days at Breslau-Schöngarten, Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 leaves the airfield for new quarters at Oedheim.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British Admiralty declares that "_no British ship has been damaged nor any casualties incurred from German aircraft."_ The statement is in response to German radio reports of recent successes against British warships in the North Sea.

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## parsifal (Sep 28, 2014)

*28 September *
Reinforcements
Axis
SPERRBRECHER XI





_This is a shot of Sperrbrecher XII escorting BC Scharhorst near Brest, 1941. This was a primary function of these mine clearance vessels_
UBOATS

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: U-33

departures

None

At Sea 28 September

U-3, U-4, U-7, U-10, U-12 (+), U-13, U-14, U-15, U-16, U-19, U-21, U-22, U-24, U-28, U-31, U-32, U-35, U-36, U-53.

19 boats at sea.

U.18 and U.22 were ordered into the approaches to Scapa

Norwegian waters 

U.32 sank Norwegian steamer JERN (875grt) 65 miles west of Skudesnes . No crew were lost and her 14 survivors rescued by the Swedish CALEDONIA.

U.16 sank Swedish steamer NYLAND (3378grt) off Kvitsoey, 45 miles SW of Stavanger. Her survivors were rescued by Norwegian minelayer OLAV TRYGGVASON.

U.7 sank Norwegian steamer SOLAAS (1368grt) 25 miles SW of Lister Light by mines she had laid some days earlier. ( The German "Seekrieg" states that SOLASS was sunk next day on the 29th by Luftwaffe I/ZG26 in the North Sea. According to "Axis Submaríne Successes" by Rohwer, U.36 stopped SOLASS on the 28th, released her, but she sank next day, possibly mined). Uboat net gives the kill to U7 and attributes the loss to mines).

*North Sea *.

Br East Coast

CC A/C report submarine off the coast, DDs FURY, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, ASHANTI commence ASW search and destroy operations 55 miles ENE of Rattray Head.

Convoy FS.12 dep Methil and arrived at Southend on the 30th. There was no FS.13.

CL SOUTHAMPTON and DDs JERVIS and JUPITER attacked a submarine contact outside May Island.

Convoy FN.12 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 30th. There was no FN.13.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs CARDIFF and DRAGON dep Scapa for Northern Patrol , return 5 October.

*British northern waters *

Northwest Approaches

*English Channel*

Heavy storms in the channel on this day, causing some accidents for RN ships

DD KEMPENFELT, escort convoy OA.11, but collided with steamer HESTER (1199grt) off Newhaven. She was taken to Devonport for repairs completing 7 Nov.

DD IMPULSIVE on patrol in the English Channel was damaged by heavy seas, and taken to Devonport for repairs completed 23 October.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.6F of steamers FENELLA, ST JULIEN, TYNWALD, ULSTER PRINCE dep Barry Roads escort DDs KEITH and MONTROSE and arrived safely at Quiberon Bay on the 29th.

*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar

DDs GRENVILLE, GRENADE, GIPSY, GRIFFIN dep Gib to providen escort for convoy Green 3, consisting of 15 ships. DDrs GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM were also at Gibraltar on this date, but remained in harbour. The four escorting DDs were relieved on 3 October by DDs GRAFTON, GALLANT and sloop DEPTFORD which continued with the convoy to Alex, arriving on the 7th.

*Central and South Atlantic* –

French SS PONCELET (along with CL Duguai Trouin sent to intercept, see 25th September) sighted German merchant ship CHEMNITZ (5522grt) at 0830, shortly after she dep Las Palmas, Canary Islands to return to Germany. She was stopped at 1305 and escorted to Casablanca, arriving 3 October. CHEMNITZ was renamed SAINT BERTRAND in French service and served in the French Merchant Marine until the fall of France when she returned to German hands. Between the 25th and 1 October, CL DUGUAY TROUIN had been searching for CHEMNITZ as well as steamer AMASIS, both of which had been reported departing Las Palmas early on the 24th





_Fr SS poncelet was launched 10.4.29, and displaced 1384 tons SD. main armament was 9x 21.7" TT_





_CL DUGUAY TROUIN_

Convoy SL.3 dep Freetown on the 28th September, escort by CL DAUNTLESS, both arriving at Gib on 9 October. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 15th.

DDs of DesDiv4 were ordered home from the Sth Atlantic. However, the order was cancelled on 1 October because of German raider activity in the Sth Atlantic.

CL DANAE dep Simonstown on escort duties and arrived back on 2 October.

*Indian Ocean*

CL BIRMINGHAM arrived at Singapore.

*Pacific*

HMNZS CL ACHILLES arrived at Buenaventura, Colombia and departed on the 30th, escorting steamer ORDUNA (15,507grt) to Callao, where they both arrived safely on 4 October.

*Other* 6th Aus Div (AIF) is raised with Gen Thomas Blamey in command. It will ransfer to palestine in Februay 1940, and was intended to join the BEF in France, but did not go into action until January 1941.

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## Njaco (Sep 29, 2014)

*29 September 1939 Friday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Off Bergen, Norway, Norwegian freighter “_Takstaas_” is stopped by a German submarine and sunk. Off Norway, Norwegian steamship “_Solaas_” strikes a mine and sinks. Norwegian cargo ship “_Jern_”, en route to Great Britain, is stopped by a German submarine and blown up with dynamite.

*GERMANY:* Eleven Hampdens of RAF No. 144 Squadron fly a recon mission of the German Bight and attack several German destroyers. The raid was in two waves. In the first, 6 Hampdens attacked two German destroyers but did no damage. The second wave fall victim to fighters of I./ ZG 26, including two claimed by Oblt. Günther Specht. Two German Bf 109 planes are shot down.

The Ju 87B Stukas of IV(Stuka)./LG 1 led by Hptm. Peter Kögl leave the airfield at Grieslienen and transfer to the airbase at Barth as do the Stukas of I./SKG 1 led by Major Werner Rentsch who transfer to Insterburg.

Generalmajor Robert Fuchs is posted as Kommodore of KG 26 ‘Löwen’ in place of Generalmajor Hans Siburg.

*POLAND:* Germany and Russia conclude the Treaty of Frontier Regulation and Friendship, to regulate the partition of Poland. The agreement is signed in Leningrad by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyadieslav Molotov. Russia gains control of Lithuania, in exchange for extension of the German area of Poland; the frontier moves from the Vistula River to the Bug. Germany receives nearly 73,000 square miles of Polish territory, the USSR, 78,000 square miles. While Soviet Union gets slightly more land, the Germans now control the majority of the population (some 22,000,000) and fifty percent of all Polish industry as well as substantial mining centers. All of Lithuania is transferred to the Soviet sphere of influence. An economic agreement is also signed which includes a Soviet promise to provide Germany with the entire oil output of the Dohowicz fields. This marks the 4th time in history that the nation of Poland has been partitioned by its neighboring enemies, Germany and Russia. After the third partition on October 24, 1795, Poland ceased to exist as a nation for 123 years. It was not until after World War I, at the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, that Poland regained it's nationhood and independence. Since the Soviet invasion began almost two weeks ago, hundreds of thousands of Polish men, women and children have been rounded up and deported to Siberia. Those who survive the long treacherous journey will be subjected to hard forced labour.

Fearing USSR aggression, the Baltic States begin caving in to Soviet demands. The Estonian Foreign Minister, in Moscow to discuss commercial cooperation, is bullied by Stalin into a military “alliance’ which allows the Soviets to occupy Estonian naval bases. Latvia and Lithuania will soon follow but Finland resists, leading to the “Winter war” with USSR.

Russian Premier and Foreign Commissar Vyacheslaff Molotoff and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop issue a joint statement that there is no need to continue hostilities. If Britain and France continue, Germany and Russia would consult about necessary steps to take.

Adolf Hitler issued a repatriation order for the 86,000 ethnic Germans living in Estonia and Latvia, knowing that the Soviet Union would soon demand the Baltic States.

Romania strengthens its defense forces on the Bessarabian border facing the Soviet Union.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In New York city, Fritz Kuhn, the leader of the pro-Nazi German-American Bund, is imprisoned. Kuhn served Germany during World War I as Infantry Lieutenant and was decorated with an Iron Cross. He moved to the United States in 1928 and in 1934 became a naturalized citizen. On March 19, 1936 Hitler personally selected Kuhn to be the leader of the newly formed German-American Bund.

*SOUTH ATLANTIC:* Captain Hans Langsdorff of the pocket-battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” receives orders to attack Allied merchant shipping.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Future Experte Fw. Heinz Bär of 1./JG 51 scores another kill, a French Hawk 75.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In the House of Commons, Neville Chamberlain says that Britain and France went to war to stop Nazi aggression and nothing has changed that position. Chamberlain is believed to be referring to recent private contacts between German and British representatives that have suggested formal peace negotiations may begin. Two days ago Chamberlain in an address to the House of Commons said;


> "How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas-masks because of a quarrel in a far away country between people of who we know nothing. It seems still more impossible that a quarrel which has already been settled in principle should be the subject of war."


 Meanwhile, a national census was conducted in Britain to assess rationing and mobilization efforts.
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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2014)

*29 September *

UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U-4, U-14, U-24
Wilhelmshaven: U-28

departures

Kiel: U-20, U-23

At Sea 29 September

U-3, U-7, U-10, U-12, U-13, U-15, U-16, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-22, U-31, U-32, U-35, U-36, U-53.

16 boats at sea

Norwegian waters 

U.7 torpedoed Norwegian steamer TAKSTAAS (1830grt) 16 miles off Bergen and a Norwegian TB rescued the crew. The abandoned TAKSTAAS remained afloat, taken in tow by Norwegian salvage tug HERKULES (124grt), but broke in half. The aft part half was taken into port and later scrapped.

*North Sea *.

Br East Coast

CLA CALCUTTA departed Scapa escort duty and arrived at Grimsby 29th.

Training ship CALEDONIA (ex-White Star liner MAJESTIC, 56,551grt) was gutted by fire and sank at Rosyth. There were no casualties. The hulk was broken up in situ beginning in October 1942.

DDs JERVIS, JUPITER, JAGUAR attacked a submarine contact in the Firth of Forth, three miles from Fidra. At 1544, JUPITER and JERVIS attacked a contact five miles from Inchkeith Light. This search continued on the 30th.

CLA CAIRO dep Grimsby on escort duties and ret back on 2 October.





_profile Of HM ship CAIRO as she appeared in 1939_

*Western Atlantic*

CA YORK returned to Halifax after convoy HX.2 escort duty.

*UK-France convoys .*

DB.9 dep Southampton with two personnel ships, escort DDs VANSITTART and VENOMOUS and arrived at Brest on the 30th.

BC.5 of 15 steamers, incl BEAVERDALE (Cdre), BULLFINCH, CITY OF DERBY, DELIUS, LOWICK, TREHATA, TREWORLAS, VOLO dep the Loire escort DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO, ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER, and ECLIPSE. The convoy arrived safely in Bristol Channel on 1 October.

MB.9 dep Southampton with six cargo ships, escort DDs ACHERON and ACHATES, also arriving at Brest on the 30th.

*UK-outbound convoys*

OA.12G dep Southend with 21 ships, escort DDs IMPERIAL and ISIS to 3 October and CL CERES to the 8th. OB.12G dep Liverpool escort DDs ILEX and IMOGEN to 2 October, when both convoys became OG 1.

SO.19 dep Portsmouth, from Spithead, with steamers ALCANTARA (22,209grt), ATHLONE CASTLE (25,564grt), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (21,833grt), FRANCONIA (20,175grt), escort DDs INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 3 October without the escorts, which had been separated by heavy weather, and arrived separately the same day. The convoy headed into the Med as Convoy Red 2.

*Indian Ocean*

CL LIVERPOOL dep Bombay and arrived at Colombo on 3 October.

CVL EAGLE dep Colombo on raider hunting duties.

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## Wurger (Sep 29, 2014)

On the 29th September because of the depletion of ammo, food and water, the Modlin fortress capitulated. The Polish forces defending the fortress included the armoured train 'Śmierć' (Death), and the Modlin anti-aircraft battery was credited with shooting down more Luftwaffe planes than any other in the entire September campaign. During the battle about 1300 Polish soldiers were killed and 4000 wounded.

The Modlin fortress from bird's eye...











The Modlin fortress - random pics..
















Smoke over the fortress...












The capitulation...

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## Wurger (Sep 29, 2014)

The No.15 Polish armoured train "Śmierć" captured after the capitulation of the Modlin fortress at the Modlin railway station...

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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2014)

*30 September*

Summary of shipping losses for the month of September

Sources

S.T. Caldew FD347 : The Bosun's Watch
Jern (Norwegian Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net
WRECK WRAK EPAVE WRACK PECIO On this Day
State library of NSW
Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
Sjöhistoriska Museet, Stockholm
Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore

...and others I forgot to note. i profusely apologize. Hopefully the following transpose as i intended them to be....

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## parsifal (Sep 30, 2014)

*Ships lost to other causes September 1939*
1 Sep 1939
*Gunnery Training Vessel MAZUR (ORP 340 grt)* (ORP = Polish Navy): The gunnery training vessel was bombed and sunk at Oksywie by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of about 40 crew




(wiki)

2 Sep 1939
*Aux GDYNIA (Pol 6852 grt)*: The auxiliary ship was bombed and sunk in the Baltic Sea off Gdansk by Luftwaffe aircraft




3 Sep 1939
*Gunboat GENERAL HALLER (ORP 342 grt)*: The gunboat was bombed and sunk at Hel by Luftwaffe He-59s at Hela
[url=http://shipbucket.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=357&p=5992&hilit=wicher]Shipbucket.com ? View topic - "Great days of the small fleet" Polish Navy 1918 - 1945





*ML GRYF (ORP 2227 grt)*: The ML was bombed and sunk at Hel by Luftwaffe aircraft after enganging the destroyers Z1 Leberech Maassand Z9 Wolfgang Zenker (both Kriegsmarine). Raised by the Germans and later sunk as a target
Shipbucket.com ? View topic - "Great days of the small fleet" Polish Navy 1918 - 1945





*MSW MEWA (ORP 1831 grt)*: The MSW was bombed and sunk at Hel by Luftwaffe aircraft




*DD WICHER (ORP 1540 grt)*: The DD was bombed and sunk at Hel by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of one crew member
[url=http://www.polishnavy.pl/PMW/ships/destroyers/wicher/index.html]



*Trawler NORDSTRAND (Den 350 grt(est)*: The trawler struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 70 nautical miles (130 km) west of the Horn Reef Lighthouse
(NO AVAILABLE IMAGES)

*MV OLINDA (Ger 2875 grt)*: the cargo ship was intercepted by HMS Ajax in the South Atlantic off the River Plate, Argentina and sunk by Ajax as no prize crew was available



4 Sep 1939
*MV GERRIT FRITZEN (Ger 4065 grt)* The cargo ship was intercepted in the Sth Atlantic off Montevideo, Uruguay by CL AJAX and scuttled because no prize crew was available.
[url]http://www.wrecksite.eu/imgBrowser.aspx?20242





*MV IMANTA (Lat 1233 grt)*: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Malmö, Sweden with the loss of all 22 crew. Russian sources say this ship was sunk 22.07.41. Likley the ship was raised then sunk again.
see Soviet Merchant Marine Losses in WW2 - SN Guides
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*MV JOHANNES MOLKENBUHR (Ger 4022 grt) *The cargo ship was intercepted in the Norwegian Sea 17 nautical miles off Stadlandet, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway by CL SOUTHAMPTON who attempted to board but the ship was scuttled before this could happen . The ships crew were rescued by DD JERVIS. 
D2976 JOHANNES MOLKENBUHR : der Reederei Hugo Stinnestrifft Eisberg auf dem\r Nordatlantic - Delcampe.net





*MV KOSTI (GK 3826 grt)*: The cargo ship struck a mine in the Øresund, Sweden and sank. All 29 crew were rescued by Poseidon ( Finland).





5 September
*MV INN (Ger 3500 grt)*:The cargo ship was captured in the Atlantic Ocean 400 nautical miles (740 km) south west of the Canary Islands, Spain by the HMS Neptune ( Royal Navy) and was scuttled.

7 September 1939
*MV LIANNE (Ger 1200 grt(est)*: The coaster struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Norway.
[IMAGE FOUND]

*MV VEGESACK (Ger 4061 grt)*: The cargo ship ran aground at Midtfjora, Tananger, Rogaland, Norway and was a total loss.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/imgBrowser.aspx?27490





8 September

*Blockship CAPE ORTEGAL (UK 4896 grt)* The requisitioned cargo ship was scuttled in Skerry Sound, Scapa Flow as a Block Ship.
http://www.scapaflowwrecks.com/wrecks/blockships/ss-cape-ortegal.php





*MV HELFRID BISMARK (Ger 721 grt)* The coaster struck a mine and sank in the Skagerrak.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?6092





*MV HELGA SCHRODER (Ger 850 grt (est))* The coaster struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea.
(no image found)

*Sailing Barque OLIVEBANK (FN 2824 grt)* The barque struck a mine and sank in the North Sea at 55°53′N 5°07′E with the loss of 14 of her 21 crew. The survivors were rescued by Tallona ( Estonia).
http://collections.ncc.nsw.gov.au/k...rn=34757&QueryPage=/keemu/pages/nrm/Query.php





9 September 1939

*MV MARK (NL 3500 grt (est))* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Nth Sea 120 nautical miles sw of the Danish Coast





10 September 1939

*Sub HMS OXLEY (RN 1350 grt)* The Odin-class submarine was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Stavanger, Rogaland, Norway by Triton ( Royal Navy) with the loss of 52 of her 55 crew.
http://www.maritimequest.com/daily_event_archive/2005/sept/10_hms_oxley.htm





11 September 1939

*MV BRENDONIA (UK 313 grt)* The coaster collided with another ship in The Downs, Kent and sank.





13 September 1939

*Aux MSW CHARCOTM (Fr 35 grt (est)) *, *Aux MSW ETOILE DU MARTIN (Fr 35 grt (est))*, *Aux MSW MARIE MARVEILLEUSEUM SULTAN ((Fr 35 grt (est))* The aux MSWs were all damaged beyond repair by the explosion of Pluton ( French Navy)
(NO IMAGES FOUND) 

*ML PLUTON (Fr 5300 grt)* The ML cruiser was sunk by an explosion whilst unloading mines at Casablanca. Approx 200 casualties.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_minelaying_cruiser_Pluton





*MV KANTICO HADAITATERA (Gk 2500 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and was grounded off Falsterbo, Sweden. Refloated later that day and proceeded to Copenhagen, Denmark under escort from a Royal Swedish Navy minesweeper.
(NO IMAGE)

*Cargo Liner RONDA (Nor 5136 grt)* Cargo liner struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Terschelling, with the loss of 17 of the 37 people aboard. The survivors were rescued by It Provvidenza 





*Trawler STOLP (Ger 550 grt (est))* The trawler collided with Luchs ( Kriegsmarine) in the North Sea and sank.
(NO IMAGE FOUND)

14 September 1939
*MSW JASKOLKA (ORP 183 grt)* The Mewa class MSW was bombed and sunk at Jastamia by Junkers Ju 87s 
http://www.polishnavy.pl/PMW/ships/index_39.html





*Type IXA U-39 (DKM 1140 grt)* was depth charged and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Rockall, Inverness-shire by DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE and FOXHOUND. She was the first U-boat lost to enemy action during the war. All 42 crew were rescued by FAULKNOR.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_submarine_U-39_(1938)#mediaviewer/File:U37_Lorient_1940.jpg




_U37 an identical boat to U39 at Lorient 1940_

15 September1939
*MV ALEX VAN OPSTAL (Be 5965 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the English Channel 5 nautical miles off the Shambles Lightship ( UK) . All 57 people on board were rescued by ATLANTICO (Gk).
http://bob.plord.net/Ships/MS-3/Belgium/AlexVanOpstal.html





*MSW CZAPLA (ORP 183 grt)* The Jaskółka-class MSW bombed and sunk at Jastarnia by LW a/c.
(see above for image of jaskolka)

*Tug LECH (ORP 25 grt (est))* The tug was bombed and sunk at Jastarnia by the LW.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW POMORZANIN (ORP 2281 grt)* The MSW was bombed and sunk at Jastarnia by the LW.
http://www.polishnavy.pl/PMW/ships/index_39.html





16 September 1939

*MV BRAMDEN (UK 1594 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Dunkerque with the loss of three crew.
(NO IMAGE)

18 September1939

*Monitor WARSZAWA (ORP 110 grt)* The river monitor was scuttled on the Pripyat River to avoid capture. Raised, repaired and put in Soviet service as Vitebsk ( Soviet Navy
(Source:ORP Warszawa (1920)” autorstwa Topory - Praca własna. Licencja CC BY 3.0 na podstawie Wikimedia Commons - 





21 September 1939
*SC UJ-171 (DKM 550 grt)*: was wrecked in the Baltic Sea
(NO IMAGE)

24 September 1939
*MV MINDEN (Ger 5500 grt(est)* The cargo ship was intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean sth of Iceland by CL CALYPSO and was scuttled by her crew. 
(NO IMAGE)

30 September
*MV CLEMENT (UK 5050 grt) *The cargo ship was captured and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 75 nautical miles se of Pernambuco, Brazil by DKM GRAF SPEE. All crew survived.





*MV HARTBRIDGE (UK 350 grt (est))* The cargo ship ran aground on Seal Island, Nova Scotia and was wrecked.
(NO IMAGE )

*Gd Ship KOMENDANT PILSUDSKI (ORP 550 grt)* The Filin-class guard ship was sunk by enemy action. Subsequently salvagd by the Germans and entered Kriegsmarine service as Heisternest.

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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2014)

September 1939..

Destroyed German Sd.Kfz. 231....






Damaged German Sd.Kfz. 232....







Destroyed PZL.23 Karaś "White5" of an unknown squadron...






Captured PZL P-7 of the 151st Fighter Squadron...


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## Njaco (Sep 30, 2014)

*30 September 1939 Saturday*

*GERMANY:* Because of his success in Poland, the commander of Luftflotte 1, General der Flieger Albert Kesselring is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 5. The Demarcation Line through former Polish territory is to be constantly strengthened and built up. There are to be no limitations on the war at sea against French warships. Germany notifies Britain that armed merchant ships will be sunk without warning. The decision is claimed to be based on incidents of British merchant ships attacking German submarines.

Oblt. Carl Vieck’s Stab./JG 3 with their Bf 109Es leave the airfield at Brandis and move to new quarters at Münster-Handorf.

*SOUTH ATLANTIC:* Off Pernambuco, Brazil, the German pocket battleship “_Graf Spee_” sinks its first merchant ship, the British steamship “_Clement_” (commanded by Captain F. Harris). The “_Clement_” (bearing 20000 cases of kerosene from New York to Salvador, Brazil) is fired on by an Arado seaplane from “_Graf Spee_” and radioed to stop. After taking to the lifeboats, “_Clement’s_” Captain is rescued by “_Graf Spee_” while the crew is given bearings for Brazil. Although torpedoes are embarrassingly ineffective, fire from “_Graf Spee’s_” 6 and 11 inch guns sinks “_Clement_”. Later in the day, “_Clement’s_” Captain is transferred to the neutral Greek steamer "_Papalemos_". As a final gentlemanly gesture, the “_Graf Spee_” radios a message to Pernambuco “._..to save the lifeboats of the ‘Clement’._” and their location. “_Graf Spee”_ is quickly repainted and sails East to seek further quarry, disguised under a French flag. Before the battle of the River Plate, in December, “_Graf Spee” _will only sink 9 ships of 50,000 tons altogether.

*POLAND:* The evacuation began in Warsaw today of Polish forces to German POW camps. Polish President Ignance Moscicki presently interned in Romania has resigned his post.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A new Polish government in exile has been formed on French soil. Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz has taken a constitutional oath at the Polish Embassy and has become the new President of the Republic of Poland. He has appointed Wladyslaw Sikorski to be Prime Minister and Edward Rydz-Smigly the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces. Despite the German-Soviet occupation of Poland, Britain and France recognize the legitimacy of the newly formed Polish government. There are presently over 80,000 Polish armed forces stationed in France consisting of army and navy personnel. Many more are arriving every day having escaped Romanian custody. They are not refugees but combatants with the military objective of regrouping their forces to continue fighting for Poland`s freedom. Most arrived by ship, train or car. Many more have made the dangerous passage on foot or skied across the Carpathian mountains.

French forces on the French-German border fell back to the Maginot Line in anticipation of a German invasion.

Fighters of 2./JG 53 shoot down five Fairey Battles of RAF No. 150 Squadron while fighters from I./JG 53 shoot down two Moranes and a Curtiss Hawk for the loss of six Bf 109s. Victors on this day are the Gruppenkommandeur of II Gruppe, Hptm. Günther von Maltzahn, and future Experte Wolfgang Lippert and Josef Wurmheller.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Deaths in automobile accidents in Britain at night in the month of Sep 1939 increased from 617 in the previous month to 1,130; night time blackout was blamed.

.



.

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## Njaco (Sep 30, 2014)

> ...Germany notifies Britain that armed merchant ships will be sunk without warning. The decision is claimed to be based on incidents of British merchant ships attacking German submarines.



Counter this with parifal's post on the number of ships sunk during September..........


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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2014)

The cape of the Hel peninsula from bird's eye. The naval port Hel of the Polish Navy can be seen.






ORP Mazur sunk at the Oksywie harbour.
















S.S. Gdynia, after the mobilization - ORP Gdynia...






ORP General Haller...

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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2014)

ORP Gryf sunk at the Hel naval port ... her cannons of the main artillery were dismounted and moved to the land as a reinforcement of the Hel defence.

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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2014)

ORP Mewa with her twins ORP Rybitwa, Czajka and Jaskółka ...






ORP Mewa ....












ORP Wicher sunk at the Hel naval port...

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## parsifal (Sep 30, 2014)

wurger, those are some fantastic shots of Polish naval vessels. I didnt know just how intense the fighting, on sea and land, and of course in the air, the fighting at Hel actually was.

EDIT: Summary Of losses at Sea

Allied:

Naval: 23850grt (RN), 5480 grt (Fr Navy), 9612 grt (Pol)

Mercantile

136400 grt (UK), 2660 grt (Fra), 6852 (Pol)

Total Allied losses 30942 (naval) + 145912 (mercantile) = *176854 grt*


Neutral

No Naval tonnage lost

Mercantile
41035 grt


Allied + Neutral tonnage lost
217889 grt


Axis

Naval: 1650 grt
Mercantile: 27344 grt

Total 28994 grt


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## parsifal (Sep 30, 2014)

Njaco said:


> Counter this with parifal's post on the number of ships sunk during September..........



German official policy was to observe the rules of war at sea until the latter part of the month, but in reality, from the beginning of the war, many Uboat skippers chose to ignore the board and search rules. it infuriated the germans that British ships in particualar would not observe radio silence when ordered to do so, and this led as a precursor to unrestricted attacks (as policy) initially to sink without warning any ship stopped for search that used their radios. in my opinion, the Germans had a bit of a point....transmitting your position and who was attacking you was just a bit cheeky...then again the germans were stomping around the ocean shooting at just about everything......neither side was playing maquis of queensbury rules.....

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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2014)

That's true Micheal. The defence of the Hel Fortified Area lasted from the 1st September to the the 2nd October 1939. Polish losses - 200 killed and 150 wounded. About 2000, other sources 3500 , Poles became the POW. German losses - 35 planes, the minesweepr M-85.
The main strong point at the Hel Fortified Area was the Battery no.31 consisted of four Bofors 152,4mm, wz.30 cannons. Also there was a couple of other batteries equipped with cannons of smaller, different calibers including 75mm AA guns. The Battery no.31 fought a duel twice against Schleswig-Holstein and Schlesien battle ships on the 25th and 27th September, hitting the Schleswig-Holstein.











The main entry to the shelter of the Battery No.31.






The Schleswig-Holstein strafing the Polish coast in September 1939. Below the battle ship hit by the Polish battery.


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## Lucky13 (Sep 30, 2014)

Outstanding work gentlemen!


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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2014)

And one more pic of the Schleswig-Holstein under the fire of the No.31 Battery.


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## parsifal (Sep 30, 2014)

*30 September *

UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U-36 , U-53 
Wilhelmshaven: U-22 , U-23 , U-32 

departures

none

At Sea 30 September

U-3, U-7, U-10, U-12, U-13, U-15, U-16, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-31, U-35. 

12 boats at sea

DDs PAUL JACOBI and BRUNO HEINEMANN, which had recently completed refitting and repairs at Wilhelmshaven, were attacked by British bombers in the German Bight, but neither was damaged. DDs of DesFlot 1 in the Jade prepared to sail in support, but the attack ended before they sailed.





_These Zerstorers were both from the Z5 1934A class of Destroyers_
German supply ships - merchant ships CHARLOTTE SCHLIEMANN (7747grt) and CORRIENTES (4565grt) at Las Palmas at the outbreak of the war were assigned to replenish U-boats for operations off Gibraltar. 

Danish waters 
U.3 sank Danish steamer VENDIA (1150grt) 35 miles NW of Hanstolm and Danish steamer GUN (1198grt) 30 miles NW of Hanstolm, in rapid succession. VENDIA lost 11 crew, while U.3 picked up six survivors and Danish steamer SVAVA (1193grt) rescued the rest. The crew of GUN was picked up by Danish steamer DAGMAR (844grt).

Dutch waters 

Dutch MSW JAN VAN GELDER was badly damaged by a mine off Terschelling, with 3 of her crew seriously injured
(image from Wiki)




*North Sea *.

Change to German U-Boat policy for North Sea Operations

officially, prize regulations were lifted for German U-boats operating in the North Sea. unrestricted attacks on all ships located were from this date authorised. in reality, not a lot was changed

Br East Coast

SS THISTLE dep Scapa for patrol in the North Sea and still on the 30th, unsuccessfully attacked a German submarine.

SS H.34, on patrol with MSW trawler EURYALUS (242grt), fired torpedoes at U.3 at 0220, 15 miles north of Kinnaird Head, all torps failed to contact.

DD JERVIS damaged by DD JUPITER berthing alongside at Rosyth. JERVIS was repaired in three days at Rosyth.

FS.14 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on 2 October.

Convoy FN.14 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on 2 October.

DD ESKIMO arrived in the Tyne for repairs at North Shields. These were completed on 6 October, ESKIMO left on the 7th and arrived at Scapa the same day.

CLA CALCUTTA, now assigned to the Humber Force, dep Grimsby dock on escort duties, arriving back on 1 October.

*Western Atlantic* 

HX.3 dep Halifax at 0800 escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, and was joined at sea by four unescorted steamers which had dep Halifax as HX.3S on the 29th. CA BERWICK provided heavy close cover five miles ahead of the convoy. The DDs were detached on 1 October and BERWICK on the 2nd. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 14th October, no losses.

Steamer HARTBRIDGE (5080grt) sailing independantly was lost after grounding on Seal Island near Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. 

*Carribbean *

KJ.(B)1 dep Kingston, unescorted most of the way, but was joined by DD WINCHELSEA from 12 to 14 October, when the convoy arrived in England. There was one other KJ.(B) convoy, KJ.(B)2 which dep Kingston on 8 October and arrived on the 22nd, also unescorted at the start. Both convoys consisted of three banana boats each.

Australian CL PERTH dep Kingston on patrol duties entering the Panama canal some time later.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN dep Scapa for Northern Patrol duties, with DUNEDIN returning 7 October

*English Channel* 

CL CERES dep Plymouth on escort duties and arrived back later the same day.

DD MONTROSE attacked a submarine contact 31 miles south of Plymouth, and was joined in the search by DDs ACHATES, ACHERON, ARROW, INTREPID, KINGSTON

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.7S of 17 steamers, including BARON MACLAY and NEW TEXAS (Cdre) departed Bristol Channel, escort DDs VIVACIOUS, VISCOUNT, ESCORT, ELECTRA and arrived in the Loire on 2 October. 

BC.7F of steamers BEN MY CHREE, LADY OF MANN, ST PATRICK departed Bristol Channel escort DDs WAKEFUL and VENETIA. The convoy arrived in the Loire on 1 October and was also escorted on that day by Fr Contre Torpileur DDs LE FANTASQUE, LE TERRIBLE, and L’AUDACIEUX.

*Med/Biscay*

Blue 3 dep Port Said with 24 ships. Escort by DDs DUCHESS, DEFENDER and sloops GRIMSBY and FOWEY from the 30th to 5 October, when off Malta DUCHESS and DEFENDER were relieved by DDs GRENADE and GRIFFIN. GRENADE and GRIFFIN detached off Algiers on the 8th to ret to Malta and the convoy continued without escort from Algiers to Gibraltar.

DDs DUNCAN, DAINTY, DARING, transferred to Suez via Colombo on the 17‑19 Sep and Aden on the 26‑27 Sep trf to the Med Flt. 

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

German CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE sank steamer CLEMENT (5051grt) off Pernambuco . The crew was put into boats until GRAF SPEE stopped Greek steamer PAPALEMOS (3748grt) and put on board CLEMENT’s Master and Chief Engineer. They were put ashore at Cape Verde Island on 9 October. One boat with 13 crew was picked up by Brazilian steamer ITATINGA (2114grt) on 1 October and taken to Bahia, arriving on the 3rd. The other three boats with the rest of the crew reached Maceio on the 4th




_Graf Spee_

Miscellaneous
At the end of September, the following DD were under repair - AMAZON at Plymouth with defects, BLANCHE at Chatham repairing, BOADICEA at Chatham repairing, BRILLIANT at Chatham repairing, DIAMOND at Singapore repairing, ESKIMO at Newcastle with defects, GARLAND at Alexandria repairing, GRAFTON at Malta repairing, ORP GROM at Plymouth with defects, ICARUS at Malta repairing, IMPULSIVE at Plymouth with defects, JAVELIN at Newcastle repairing, JERSEY at Leith repairing, JERVIS at Rosyth repairing, JUNO at Devonport with defects, KEMPENFELT at Plymouth with defects, PUNJABI at Scapa Flow boiler-cleaning, VANQUISHER at Plymouth repairing, VETERAN at Chatham repairing, WALKER at Plymouth repairing, WALLACE at Hull repairing, WINDSOR at Portsmouth repairing, ORP BURZA at Plymouth with defects.


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## Wurger (Oct 1, 2014)

I have found a couple of interesting pictures at the FOTO - wojna - Gdynia Oksywie - Forum - www.MojeOsiedle.pl .

The Oksywie naval base.... please notice the shipwreck protruding from the water right of the central quay . It is the wreck of the ORP Mazur.






Here the shipwreck of the ORP Mazur, probably in the Winter of 1939/40.







Hitler visiting the Oksywie area and watching one of two 100 mm naval cannons Canet wz.1891 used for defense of the Gdynia harbour and Oksywie.







Wreckage of a Ju-87 shot down over the Oksywie ....












And Hitler inspecting the same location ...

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## Njaco (Oct 1, 2014)

*1 October 1939 Sunday
ASIA:* Japanese 6th Division began to fall back from Changsha, Hunan Province, China across the Laodao River. The Japanese 11th Corps begins withdrawing from northern Hunan province, ending an abortive attempt to capture Changsha and the Tungting Lake area. The fighting is known as the first battle of Changsha and it is a major victory for the Chinese Nationalists led by Chiang Kai-shek.

Several senior officers of the Kwantung army, the Japanese army stationed in nominally independent state of Manchukuo (formerly Manchuria), have been dismissed in the wake of the agreement signed in Moscow, settling the border war with the USSR.

*GERMANY:* German Führer der U-Boote Karl Dönitz asks submarine commander Gunther Prien if he would make an attack on the British Royal Navy at Scapa Flow. Prien immediately replies that he will.

Several new Jagdgeschwader and Gruppen are formed. The fighter unit, JG 27 officially becomes a Luftwaffe Geschwader with Oblt. Max Ibel posted as Kommodore and Hptm. Helmut Riegel appointed as Gruppenkommandeur of I Gruppe. The unit is based at Münster-Handorf flying Bf 109Es on operations.

The second new fighter unit is Stab./JG 77 joining I. and II./JG 77 which were formed in May 1939. Based at Neumünster along with II./JG 77, Oblt. Eitel Roediger von Manteuffel is appointed as Kommodore of the group. The Bf 109 ‘Emil’ is used by the unit for operations.

Another Gruppe, III./ JG 53 is formed, led by the now Hptm. Werner Mölders. 

Walter Nowotny, destined for fame in the years to come, enlists in the Luftwaffe. Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller is appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 51.

The I./JG 2 gets a new Gruppenkommandeur when Hptm. Jürgen Roth is posted as the commander of the 'Richthofen' Geschwader in place of Oblt. Carl Vieck who left on 26 September to take Oblt. Max Ibel’s place as Kommodore of JG 3 (whose crews and aircraft of the Stab./JG 3 move from Brandis to Münster-Handorf on this date).

The Zerstörer Geschwader II./ZG 26 led by Major Friedrich Vollbracht, moves its Bf 109Ds from Werl to Störmede and begin converting to twin-engined Bf 110s.

Theodore Osterkamp, the Kommodore of JG 51 is promoted to Oberst. Adolf Galland was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class medal and was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann. 

*POLAND:* German troops enter Warsaw and begin disarming the Polish garrison (estimated to number 100,000 officers and men). Polish garrison, commanded by Admiral Unrug, on the Hela Peninsula surrenders after a gallant fight. As well as land attacks they have endured a considerable naval bombardment.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Walter Adolph of JG 1 begins his scoring by shooting down an RAF recon Blenheim over Osnabruck.

Polish cryptologists arrive in France with a cargo of two Enigma machines.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British men between the ages of 20-22 became eligible for conscription.

The first news of the German pocket-battleships, “_Graf Spee_” and “_Deutschland_”, reaches the British Admiralty.

Winston Churchill makes his first radio broadcast of the war, saying the Soviet Union has "pursued a policy of cold self-interest" in Poland. He adds that; "


> …we could have wished that the Russian armies should be standing on their present line as the friends and allies of Poland instead of invaders. But that the Russian armies should stand on this line was clearly necessary for the safety of Russia against the Nazi menace."


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## Wurger (Oct 1, 2014)

The capitulation of Warsaw....











Polish arms gathered on Warsaw streets after the capitulation...


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## Wurger (Oct 1, 2014)

The Nazi German troops entering Warsaw on the 1st October 1939 ... the monument seen in the fisrt image on the right is a monument of airmen commemorating Polish aviators.


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## parsifal (Oct 1, 2014)

*1 October*

UBOATS

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven, U-19, U-21 

departures

Wilhelmshaven, : U-23 

At Sea 1 October

U-3, U-7, U-10, U-12 (+), U-13, U-15, U-16, U-20, U-23, U-31, U-35. 
11 boats at sea

*Baltic*

DKM MSW M.85 of the 7th MSW Flotilla struck a mine NE Heisternest and sank. This mine was laid by ORP SS ZBIK on 9 September. 24 men on M.85 were lost. DKM MSW M 122 and some R Bootes rescued 47 survivors.




_1916 type MSWs of the same type as M-85_

*Carribbean *

CL ORION dep Kingston for patrol in the Curacao area.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN, dep Scapa on 30 September, on Northern Patrol . CLs CARDIFF and DRAGON, dep Scapa on 28 September, were also on Northern Patrol.

*British northern waters *

CA SUFFOLK dep Portsmouth 29 September escort DD EXPRESS. The cruiser arrived at Scapa on the 1st to relieve CL EDINBURGH in CruSqn18. EDINBURGH was then attached to CruSqn2 of the Humber Force. CA NORFOLK arrived at Rosyth on the 3rd. After completing the replacement of a gun at Rosyth, both cruisers proceeded to the Med. NORFOLK dep Rosyth on the 7th and SUFFOLK dep Scapa on the 8th. En route in heavy weather on the 11th, NORFOLK's Walrus was washed off the catapult and lost and her catapult trolley badly damaged. Both cruisers arrived at Gib on the 12th and dep on the 14th. They arrived at Alex on the 18th.

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BCs HOOD, REPULSE, CV ARK ROYAL, CL NEWCASTLE and DDs ASHANTI, MASHONA, MATABELE, SOMALI, FAME, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and FIREDRAKE dep Scapa for Loch Ewe arrived on 2nd.

*UK-France convoys .*

DB.10 dep Southampton with two personnel ships, escorted by DDs ARROW and INTREPID, and arrived at Brest on the 2nd.

MB.10 dep Southampton with six cargo ships, escort DDs ACHERON and ACHATES, and arrived at Brest on the 2nd.

* English Channel*

OA.13 dep Southend escort DDs JACKAL and JANUS, and dispersed on the 4th.

CL CURLEW dep Portland for a work up at Scapa which was completed on the 21st.

DD ECLIPSE attacked a submarine contact in the Channel

BC.6F of steamers FENELLA, ST JULIEN, TYNWALD and ULSTER PRINCE dep the Loire without escort, and safely arrived in the Bristol Channel.

*UK-outbound convoys* 

U.35 stopped Belgian steamer SUZON (2239grt). The ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 42 nautical miles north west of Ouessant, Finistère, France . The crew were rescued by HMS ACHERON







_Dramatic shots of the u-35 sinking the SS Suzon_

*Southwestern Approaches*

OB.13 dep Liverpool escort DDs VERSATILE and WARWICK to 4 October

*Med/Biscay*

CL GALATEA and DDs AFRIDI, GURKHA, MOHAWK and SIKH dep Alex on patrol duties. AFRIDI refuelled at Malta arriving on the 4th and dep on the 5th to return to patrol. SIKH arrived at Malta on the 5th, was found to have stripped a turbine and began long repairs there. MOHAWK refuelled at Malta, arriving on the 6th and dep on the 7th for Gib. GALATEA refuelled at Malta arriving on the 7th and departing the same day to return to patrol. AFRIDI and GURKHA refuelled at Malta arriving on the 7th and dep on the 10th for Gib.

DDs NUBIAN and ZULU attacked a submarine contact 

At this time, French Med escort groups were as follows:

Fr DesDiv1 - VAUBAN, LION, AIGLE







_VAUBAN and LION were Gueard Class and AIGLE was the lead ship of that class _
Fr DesDiv 7 - VAUTOUR, GERFAUT, ALBATROS
Fr DesDiv 9 - MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, KERSAINT, CASSARD





_These ships were from the Vauquelin Class_
Fr DesDiv 11 – ÉPERVIER, MILAN
Group G.1 - LA PALME, LE MARS, HMS GREYHOUND




_LA PALME, LE MARS were from the L'Adroit Class_
Group G.2 – TRAMONTANE, TORNADE, British GLOWWORM




_TRAMONTANE, TORNADE, from the Bourasque class_
Group G.3 - TIGRE, TEMPÊTE, TYPHON

In mid-October, DDs LE FORTUNE, SIMOUN, LA RAILLEUSE of DesDiv 3 arrived to reinforcet . At the beginning of November, the forces were redistributed.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

Orders to return to the Home Fleet were suspended for DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR of the South America Station and HYPERION and HUNTER of the Freetown Force. Due to the threat of raiders operating in the South Atlantic, they were ordered to remain on station and the remaining units of the DesFlot 2 in the Med were ordered to join them in the Sth Atlantic.

*China Station*

CA KENT dep Hong Kong, and arrived back on the 21st. She was docked on the 24th and was in dock until the end of the month.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 1, 2014)

Appreciating everyone's work here. Great contributions.


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## parsifal (Oct 1, 2014)

*2 October*
Reinforcements
Axis
SPERRBRECHER I II








_These mine-exploding vessels sailed in front of other ships and cleared the way by detonating mines on their path. The Germans eventually empoyed more than 100 of them.They were vital ships for the Germans and generally successul _
UBOATS

Grossadmiral Raeder removed prize restrictions for U-boats off French and British ports and further extended this new freedom of action to include all shipping as far west as 15W° on the 4th .

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: U-31

departures

Kiel: U-18
Wilhelmshaven: U-21, U-22, U-42 (lost 12 days later) 

At Sea 2 October

U-3, U-7, U-10, U-12 , U-13, U-15, U-16, U-18, U-20, U-22, U-23, U-35, U-42. 

13 boats at sea.

DKM continued its survey of the approaches to Scapa assigning U.10 (west of the Orkneys), U.20 and U.23 (approaching the area) , and U.18 (dep Kiel for patrol in the area).

*Baltic*

BALTIC ( Fn) The schooner struck a mine and sank in the Kattegat.

ORP CZAJKA ( Pol): The MSW was scuttled at Hel, Poland. Refloated the next day, salvaged and repaired and entered DKM service as _Westernplatte_.

ORP KOMENDANT PILUDSKI ( Pol) The Filin-class guard ship was scuttled at Hel. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered DKM service as _Heisternest_

ORP MEWA ( Pol) The MSW was scuttled at Hel. Later salvaged by the Germans and entered DKM service as _Putzig_.

ORP RYBITWA ( Pol): The MSW was scuttled at Hel. Later salvaged by the Germans and entered DKM service as _Rixhoft_.

ORP ZURAW ( Pol) The MSW was scuttled at Hel. She was refloated the next day, repaired and entered DKM service at _Oxhoft_

*North Sea *.

Submarine SEAHORSE reported a submarine contact off the Firth of Tay in 

DDs KEITH and MONTROSE attacked a submarine contact 

Steamer LINDISFARNE (1004grt) was challenged off Hook of Holland by Ne TB Z.7. In the ensuing confusion, the ships collided. Light damaged was sustained by LINDISFARNE and Z.7 was undamaged.

East Coast Britain

FN.15 dep Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 4th. There was no convoy FN.16.

FS.16 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 4th.

*Western Atlantic* 

CA YORK dep Halifax on escort duties, and arrived back on the 4th.

*British northern waters *

CLs EFFINGHAM, EMERALD, ENTERPRISE dep Scapa for Plymouth, where they arrived late on the 3rd. At Plymouth, EMERALD and ENTERPRISE embarked gold for transfer to Canada, while EFFINGHAM underwent repairs completed on the 9th.




_E Class Cruisers_
SS H.34 and MSW trawler EURYALUS (renamed HOVERFLY, 242grt) dep Scapa in an exercise together to see if trawlers could effectively patrol with submarines. The exercise proved ineffective.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.6S with steamers ADJUTANT, BAHARISTAN, BARON KINNAIRD, BARON MINTO, BELLEROPHON (Commodore), BIELA, CARINGORM, CUSTODIAN, DALEMOOR, DIPLOMAT, GOLDFINCH, HARMATTAN, JACINTH, MERKLAND, SANDHILL and TELAWNY dep the Loire escort DDs VIVACIOUS, VISCOUNT, VANESSA, ELECTRA and ESCORT. arrived in Bristol Channel on the 3rd.

BC.7F of steamers BEN MY CHREE and LADY OF MANN dep the Loire without escort, and safely arrived in Barry Roads on the 3rd.

* English Channel*

French sloop AMIRAL MOUCHEZ, escorting French tanker LOT under tow, was missed by torpedoes near the Cotentin peninsula and counter-attacked at 2337.

*Southwestern Approaches*

SLF.3 departed Freetown unescorted and arrived at Liverpool on the 13th.

*Med/Biscay*

The first of the UK to Gibraltar convoys, OG.1, of 37 ships was formed from two convoys. CL CERES dep Plymouth on the 1st to escort OG.1 to Gib and act as convoy commodore. (1) OA.12G was escorted by CERES and DDs IMPERIAL and ISIS, (2) OB.12G was escorted by DDs ILEX and IMOGEN. The four destroyers were detached on the 3rd and joined convoy HG.1. On the 8th, the convoy was joined by DD VELOX from Gib, when, still escorted by CERES, it arrived at Gibraltar.

BB RAMILLIES, CL CAPETOWN, and DDs KEPPEL and WATCHMAN dep Gibraltar to join liner ATHLONE CASTLE and escort her to Freetown. After leaving harbour, RAMILLIES suffered condenser problems and ret to Gib with the DDs. CAPETOWN continued on for seven hours, then suffered rudder defects, but was able to meet the liner and take her back to Gibraltar, both arriving on the 3rd.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

The Admiralty received their first notice that a German raider was operating off Pernambuco when news of the sinking of the CLEMENT by CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE reached England. They responded with the immediate dispatch of CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN to Freetown. ARK ROYAL and DDs ASHANTI and FORESIGHT dep Loch Ewe on the evening of the 2nd, while RENOWN and DDs TARTAR and BEDOUIN dep Scapa the same day, and joined at sea. Following their escort duties, the DDs ret to Scapa on the 4th (lacking range to operate effectively that far from home bases) . To relieve CV ARK ROYAL with the Home Flt, CVL FURIOUS, which was being used as a training aircraft carrier at Rosyth, was ordered to join the Home Fleet for operations at Loch Ewe. FURIOUS dep Rosyth on the 1st escort DDs JERVIS, JUPITER, JAGUAR and STURDY. On the 2nd, JERVIS and JAGUAR attacked a submarine contact off Bell Rock, River Tay. 





_Furioous spent most of her wartime service attached to the Home Flt. she was variously nicknamed "Curious, "Spurious" or sometimes "the covered wagon"_

Initially 818 sqn was embarked from Oct 1939-May 1940, equipped with 9 Swordfish I, and 816 sqn from Oct 1939-Sept 1940 also with Swordfish I. Reports that 9 Skuas were embarked don't appear correct, the first fighter CAGs embarked were 801 sqn (with 9 Skua IIs) May 1940-Feb 1941, and 804 sqn (with 4 Sea Glads) May 1940

816 sqn was formed from training assets aboard HMS FURIOUS in October 1939 with 9 Swordfish

818 sqn was formed at Evanton as a tsr sqn with 9 Swordfish Is in Aug 1939, 2 months prior to the original planning due to the threat of war, where it embarked on CV ARK ROYAL. it was tranfered to FURIOUS Oct 1939 on activation of the latter as a front line carrier unit. 





_Fairey Swordfish 818 sqn HMS Furious, April 1940_ 


At this time, the South America Station was composed of CAs EXETER and CUMBERLAND operating as a Hunter Force, and CL AJAX with DDs HOTSPUR and HAVOCK covering outbound shipping from Rio de Janiero. After a sweep in the area of Ascension Island, CUMBERLAND, CL NEPTUNE, and DDs HYPERION and HUNTER arrived at Freetown

*Indian Ocean* 

CA CORNWALL dep Calcutta on escort duties to Singapore, and returned to Colombo, arriving on the 6th for docking.

*China Station*

Beginning 2 October the RN began a withdrawal of her River Patrol gunboats. Gunboats DRAGONFLY, GRASSHOPPER, APHIS, COCKCHAFER and LADYBIRD on the Yangtse were ordered to Singapore for duty as patrol boats and MSWs in a move to free manpower and ships for Europe. This freed the 2nd MSW Flot for transfer to the Mediterranean where they relieved the 3rd Flot, which in turn, transferred to Home Waters. The transfer also satisfied a Japanese government request of 5 September 1939 to remove these gunboats from Chinese territorial waters, by then a full war-zone, to prevent any more incidents such as those involving CRICKET, SCARAB and the bombing of the USS PANAY in December 1937. A full list of gunboat movements follows:

In late October, APHIS and LADYBIRD dep Shanghai for Hong Kong, arrived at Saigon on the 29th, but returned to Shanghai as guardships in November where they stayed until the end of 1939.

In December, TERN, PETEREL, GNAT were also withdrawn from the Yangtse to Shanghai.

At the end of 1939, COCKCHAFER was at Nanking, GNAT at the Kiangyin Barrier, SCARAB at Shanghai, APHIS and LADYBIRD at Singapore to convert, and DRAGONFLY and GRASSHOPPER at Singapore.

On 2 January 1940, SCARAB and CRICKET were also withdrawn.

With the completion of this movement, only FALCON remained at Chungking, CRICKET and PETEREL at Shanghai, and GANNET and SANDPIPER laid up in January 1940 at Chungking and Changsha, respectively.

COCKCHAFER and GNAT had gone to Singapore then to the East Indies, APHIS and LADYBIRD departed Singapore on 1 March for the Mediterranean, and DRAGONFLY, SCORPION, GRASSHOPPER, SCARAB, TERN were employed around Singapore.

ROBIN was used as a boom defence vessel at Hong Kong and MANTIS was laid up prior to disposal.


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## Wurger (Oct 2, 2014)

On the 2nd October the battle of Kock began. It lasted until the 6th September. The Polish Polesie Independent Operational Group, led by General Franciszek Kleeberg, fought the German 14th Motorised Corps, led by General Gustav Anton von Wietersheim. It was the last battle fought during the September Campaigh 1939 by Polish Army.

German armoured vehicles destroyed during the battle... pic source... dws.org.pl ? Zobacz temat - Kock 1939 - nowe spojrzenie






















General Kleeberg saying goodbye to his soldiers after the battle.







General Franciszek Kleeberg, commander of the Independent Operational Group "Polesie".






His latest film from captivityin in Oflag IVB in the Königstein fortress... He died on 5 April 1941 in a military hospital in the Weisser Hirsch and was buried in a cemetery in Neustadt. In 1969, General Franciszek Kleeberg ashes were brought to Poland and filed on October 5 at the war cemetery at Kock.


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## Njaco (Oct 2, 2014)

*2 October 1939 Monday*

*GERMANY:* The German government advises the United States that all merchant ships in international waters will be subject to boarding by German naval forces to search for contraband.

The RAF makes its first nighttime leaflet raid on Berlin, telling of the private fortunes of the Nazi leaders. A total of 13 tons of leaflets have been printed for this mission.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt has declared the Panama-American Security Zone to be in effect. This comes after the Inter-American Conference convened in Panama. Twenty-one nations of the Americas have agreed to set a security zone from 300 to 1,000 nautical miles off the American coast. Any hostile act would be interpreted as an act of war against that nation. Within this zone US naval ships will be escorting convoys bound for the United Kingdom.

*POLAND:* The last major battle in Poland begins near the town of Kock, 50 miles Southeast of Warsaw. About 18,000 Polish troops under General Franciszek Kleeberg have been harried by Guderian’s Panzers for two weeks in a fighting retreat towards the Romanian bridgehead in Southeast Poland. On September 30, Kleeberg’s light cavalry (Uhlan) captured the town of Kock from the Germans.

General Paul Otto (commander of the German XIII Motorisierte Infanterie-Division) is under orders from 10.Armee’s General von Reichenau to destroy Polish force between the Bug and Vistula Rivers. Otto believes the Polish forces are demoralized to the point of surrender and sends a single German battalion to take them to a prisoner but the Poles mount a spirited counterattack, starting the Battle of Kock. Over the next 5 days, two German divisions (XXIX and XIII Motorisierte Infanterie-Division) numbering 30,000 men assault the Polish positions.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Special tribunals begin to deal with an estimated 50,000 enemy aliens registered in the London area. About six hundred have been classed as "A" and are considered high security risks. They have been immediately interred by the British government for interrogation. Class B numbers approximately 6,500 and are doubtful cases, but are still subject to restrictions. The remainder are grouped in Class C, and do not constitute any danger. Most are Jewish refugees.

The Freighters “_Ethan Allen_” and “_Ipswich_” have been released from British custody. The US ships were intercepted and searched by British Naval authorities ten days ago for contraband. Cargo destined for Bremen and Hamburg have been seized but no information has been provided as to its contents.

Since September 18th the Polish Navy has been attached as auxiliary to the Royal Navy under British Admiralty and assigned a number of destroyers under a lease scheme: “_The Garland_”, “_Piorun_”, “_Krakowiak_”, “_Kujawiak_”, “_Slazak_”, “_Orkan_”, as well as three submarines (“_Sokul_”, “_Jastrab_”, and “_Dzik_”), 6 motor torpedo boats, and two cruisers (“_Dragon_” and “_Conrad_”). The Polish Navy has been serving in the theatre of operations ranging from escorting convoys in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, action in the North, as well as special tasks.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A Franco-Czech agreement is signed providing for the raising of a Czech National Army in exile.

.

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## parsifal (Oct 2, 2014)

Squadrons of HMS Ark Royal (1939-40)

800 Sqn 

In 1939, 800 Sqn was flying primarily Blackburn B-24 Skuas and a few Blackburn Rocs from ARK ROYAL. The Sqn was transferred to Admiralty control on 24 May 1939, and soon thereafter assigned to the new carrier. In 1939, whilst embarked on the carrier her compement was 9 frontline aircraft. The Sqn had an additional 3 aircraft that generally remained shore based on a training mission ( in common with most other squadrons of the FAA) 





_Skuas preparing for launch 1939_

810 Sqn 

On the outbreak of war, the squadron was operating from HMS ARK ROYAL with 12 Swordfish on anti-submarine searches, unsuccessfully attacking a U-boat on 14 September 1939.

821 Sqn

821 Naval Air Sqn was a carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 with the transferral and amalgamation of the Fairey III aircraft from 446 and half of 455 Flight (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flights RAF. 

The Sqn was upgraded to use the Fairey Seal a/c, and then embarked aboard HMS COURAGEOUS in May 1933. The Abyssinian crisis in August 1935 caused the squadron to be briefly transferred to the Med, but it returned to the UK in February 1936. It then transferred its Seals to 822 Naval Air Sqn and received as replacements Blackburn Shark IIs, which it used to take up the role of Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance (TSR). By September 1937 the Sharks had been replaced by Fairey Swordfish and the Sqn transferred to the new CV HMS ARK ROYALRoyal in November 1938. They sailed to the Med in spring 1939, and as war loomed they were finally transferred to Admiralty control on 24 May 1939.

Operating off ARK ROYAL the Sqn was co-responsible for the first allied U-boat kill of the war, when they sank U-39, after she had unsuccessfully tried to torpedo ARK ROYAL. The Sqn sailed with the carrier to the Sth Atlantic and Indian Ocean, searching for German shipping and commerce raider DKM GRAF SPEE.





_Swordfish of 821 squadron in the colour scheme applied when serving on the COURAGEOUS_

818 Sqn

818 Naval Air Sqn was formed in August 1939. It served on a number of the Navy's aircraft carriers during the Second World War, serving in most of the theatres of the war, before decommissioning at the end of the war

The sqn was initially equipped with 9 Fairey Swordfish Is, and then embarked on HMS ARK ROYAL at the navy's base at Scapa Flow. When ARK ROYAL was deployed to search for enemy shipping off Norway. 818 Squadron then transferred to HMS Furious. In April 1940, after the German invasion of Norway aircraft from the sqn attacked two German destroyers in Trondheim Fjord

820 Sqn 

820 Naval Air Squadron was formed in April 1933 with the transferral of the Fairey III aircraft from 405 Flight Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm. It has operated, with a number of brief gaps, up to the present day and continues in service, today flying out of RNAS Culdrose.

The squadron's first assignment on its formation was to provide spotter-reconnaissance duties for CV HMS COURAGEOUS. They were later re-equipped with Fairey Seals and Blackburn Sharks, eventually receiving Fairey Swordfish in autumn 1937.The Sqn was reassigned in November the following year to the new CV, HMS ARK ROYAL. The Sqn operated from here for the next 3 years, initially on ASW duties, but later as surface search and torpedo-attack aircraft. The Sqn went with ARK ROYAL to the Atlantic, and by April 1940 they were supporting allied operations during the Norwegian campaign, where they bombed Vaernes airfield





_Aircraft of 820 Sqn photographed over ARK ROYAL just prior to outbreak of war_





_Profile of aircraft of 820 sqn_

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## parsifal (Oct 2, 2014)

*3 October*

UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U-3 , U-7 , U-13 , U-21 , U-22 

departures

Kiel: U-46 

At Sea 3 October

U-10, U-12 , U-15, U-16, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-42 , U-46. 
10 boats at sea

*Baltic*

DKM DDs HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK and TBs GREIF, FALKE and ALBATROS conducted anti-shipping patrols in the Kattegat and Skagerrak from the 3rd to 5th.







_DD Hermann Schoemann Z7 and DD Erich Steinbrinck Z-15_




_TBs Albatros Class_
*North Sea *.

East Coast Britain

CLAs CALCUTTA dep Grimsby on patrol and arrived back on the 4th, while CAIRO dep and arrived back later the same day.

FS.16 dep Methil, arriving at Southend on the 5th. There was no FN.16 convoy.

*Western Atlantic* 

CA BERWICK arrived at Halifax.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.8S dep Bristol Channel, escort DDs EXMOUTH (S.O.) and EXPRESS. The convoy was also escorted by Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs L'INDOMPTABLE, TRIOMPHANT and MALIN on the 4th and 5th, and arrived in the Loire on the 5th.





_L'INDOMPTABLE, TRIOMPHANT and MALIN were ships of the Le Fantasque Class _
SA.10 of one cargo ship dep Southampton, escort by DD ANTHONY, and reached Brest on the 4th.

* English Channel*

OA.14 of seven ships dep Southend escort DDs KELLY, KINGSTON, MONTROSE from the 3rd to 6th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

OB.14 dep Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and WHIRLWIND until the 5th

About 15.40 hours on 3 Oct 1939 the DIAMANTIS (Master Panagos Pateras) was hit by one torpedo from U-35 and sank 40 miles west of the Scilly Islands. She had been stopped in bad weather by the U-boat at 13.15 hours and the crew was ordered to abandon ship. After the first two G7a torpedoes fired exploded prematurely, a G7e torpedo was fired and worked correctly. Because the lifeboats were not suited for use in the bad weather, Lott decided to take all crew members aboard and landed them the next day in Dingle Bay, Ireland.






According to Panagos Pateras, master of the DIAMANTIS: 

"_When we were about 40 miles off Land’s End on Tuesday the U-boat came to the surface about 1.30 p.m. The commander hailed us and we stopped. He then told us that he was going to sink the Diamantis. He did not ask for our papers.
He ordered us to abandon ship, but when he saw that the sea was so rough that our small boats could not possibly live in it he took us aboard the submarine. Four of us were taken across at a time, this necessitating seven trips as there were 28 of us. We were not allowed to take our belongings. When we got aboard the submarine three or four torpedoes were fired at our vessel and she sank in about 20 minutes.
Many of us were wet to the skin and the submarine’s crew dried our clothes and gave us hot food and cigarettes.
Most of the members of my crew were able to sleep a little although all the time we were wishing that we were out of the submarine. The captain of the submarine spoke English and I was able to talk to him for short periods when he was off duty.
When we had been on board for about 34 hours we came to the surface off the Irish coast at about 5:30 yesterday evening. A collapsible boat was lowered and again seven trips were made to the shore. The submarine remained about 50 yards off the shore, which appeared to be deserted. Immediately the submarine had taken the boat aboard she submerged and that was the last we saw of her.
The crew waved good-bye to us. We were taken charge of by local policemen and the local people looked after us very well_ 

U-35 was featured in the 16 October issue of "Life magazine"





In 1977, Lord Mountbatten wrote to Werner Lott: 

"_I should like to take the belated opportunity of congratulating you on your magnanimous behaviour when you landed the crew of the Greek ship, DIAMANTIS, in a remote bay In Ireland about the 4th October 1939, at considerable risk. Those were the days when the two navies behaved particularly well to each other and to others at sea during the war_."

When the U35 returned to Germany in October 1939, the crew were celebrated, and Werner Lott was decorated with the Iron Cross. On its next mission, however, the U35 was sunk in the North Sea on November 29, 1939. 

Damaged by depth charges, Lott brought the stricken vessel to the surface and ordered the crew to abandon ship. The commander of the pursuing British flotilla, Lord Louis Mountbatten, ordered that the German submariners should be picked up. It was only afterwards that he learned they were the crew of the U35. 

Lott was in the cold water so long that he was too weak to hold on to the rope thrown to him, so the British took the extraordinary step of stopping and lowering a boat with men to lift him out of the sea. They did not usually stop to pick up the enemy in the water, so Lott was lucky, but then he really deserved that luck. 

Some days later Lott got a chance to express his appreciation to Mountbatten. “I thanked him for the extraordinary efforts his destroyer made to pick us up,” Lott recalled. 

“That is how life is,” Mountbatten replied. “You were extraordinary picking up the Greeks.” 

“I could not help thinking,” Lott later wrote, “why are we fighting each other?” 

All too often the gore and barbarity of war are remembered and the humanity is forgotten. 

*Med/Biscay*

SO.19 escort AMC (Armed merchant Cruiser) ALCANTARA (22,209grt) and steamers ATHLONE CASTLE (25,564grt), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (21,833grt) and FRANCONIA (20,175grt) arrived at Gibraltar. DDrs INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE arrived separately that day after being separated in heavy weather. From there, the convoy proceeded as Convoy Red 2 escort DDs GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM, later joined by sister ships GRENVILLE and GIPSY

CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE, dep Suez on the 3rd for the Red Sea. They reached Aden on the 6th and dep the same day for duty in the Indian Ocean, arriving at Simonstown on the 13th.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

CA CUMBERLAND and CL DESPATCH dep Freetown for South America, with DESPATCH arriving at Bermuda on the 15th for docking.

DDs GRENVILLE, GIPSY, GRENADE, GRIFFIN from Convoy Green 3 and DELIGHT and DECOY from other escort duties arrived at Malta. DELIGHT and DECOY dep the next day, while GRENADE and GRIFFIN left on the 5th to relieve DDs DUCHESS and DEFENDER escorting convoy Blue 3. DUCHESS and DEFENDER reached Malta on the 5th.

*China Station*

M/S HøEGH TRANSPORTER 4914 grt Struck British mine on Oct. 3-1939 and sank at the entrance to Singapore, when inward bound from Saigon,7.7 cables from Outer Shoal Beacon. 1 died. 
Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945, Hø

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## Njaco (Oct 3, 2014)

*3 October 1939 Tuesday
ASIA:* Seeing that the Japanese assault on Changsha, Hunan Province, China was beginning to falter, an order for general counter offensive was given. Chinese troops pushed Japanese troops to Jinjing and Fulinpu, while Chinese aircraft bombed the Japanese airfield at Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

*GERMANY:* The night-fighting unit of ZG 26, 10(Nacht)./ZG 26, led by Oblt. Bernhard Mielke, transfer from Wunstorf to Oldenburg. The Staffel uses Ar 68Fs and Bf 109Ds for night operations.

Generalmajor Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen is appointed the commanding General of VIII Fliegerkorps.

British leaflet drops over Germany again halt, due to complaints from Belgium, Holland, and Denmark about airspace violations.

*POLAND:* The last significant units of the Polish army surrender near Luck. The Germans have taken 700,000 prisoners and the Soviets 200,000. Polish casualties have been severe. The Germans have lost 10,000 dead and 30,000 wounded. Many Poles have escaped and will gradually find their way to the west. Although tank units have played a notable part in the campaign, it is interesting to note that the contemporary German official appreciation lay more stress on the traditional-style infantry battles. The tank forces are seen at this stage, except by enthusiasts like Guderian, as little more than useful auxiliaries who can help the infantry do the real work. The first plans for the attack in the west will reflect this official attitude. Meanwhile, the German 10.Armee begins to redeploy from Poland to the west. The Red Army has begun dismantling the factories including the radio station for shipment back to the Soviet Union.

‘Operation Tannenberg’, the elimination of Polish intellectuals, activists, scholars, actors, former officers, and civic leaders by Reinhard Heydrich’s SS-Einsatzgruppen, is in full swing. From mid-September to the end of October, 20,000 Polish civilians are killed in over 750 mass executions. This is the beginning of a ruthless slaughter of Polish civilians, particularly Jews. 6 million Poles will die between 1939 and 1945 (over 20% of Poland's population).

*WESTERN FRONT:* The British 1st Corps of the BEF take over responsibility for an appropriate section of the Franco-Belgian frontier. French forces complete their withdrawal from advanced positions in German territory (the Warndt Forest and the Saarbrucken Salient).

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## parsifal (Oct 3, 2014)

*4 October*

UBOATS

arrivals 

None

departures

Kiel: U-48
Wilhelmshaven: U-19

At Sea 4 October

U-10, U-12 , U-15, U-16, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-42 , U-46, U-48. 
11 boats at sea.

*Baltic*

DKM DDs HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK and TBs GREIF, FALKE, ALBATROS operated in the Skagerrak and Kattegat on contraband control duties. Sd steamers BRITT (1544grt) and MERCIA (1184grt) were taken in prize by German warships 12 miles south of Hano in the Baltic and taken to Rendsburg. They were renamed LEBA and TRAUTE FAULBAUM, respectively, for German service.




_TBs involved in this operation were all from the Mowe class. These were launched 1926-28_
*Carribbean *

KJ.3 dep Kingston escort CL ORION, which was relieved by CA BERWICK on the 8th, and later HMAS CL PERTH, both of which were relieved on the 15th by CL EFFINGHAM. PERTH then proceeded towards Bermuda, suffering weather damage in a hurricane en route , but arriving safely. CLs NEWCASTLE and GLASGOW joined the escort on the 22nd and remained until the 24th.

On the 22nd, Fr BC DUNKERQUE, CLs GEORGES LEYGUES, MONTCALM, and DDs L’INDOMPTABLE, LE MALIN and LE TRIOMPHANT dep Brest, with local escort by destroyers CYCLONE and MISTRAL. The battle group joined the convoy on the 24th, but later that day, the cruisers were detached to escort convoy HX.5. On the 25th, the BC and remaining DDs arrived back at Brest, again with local escort by CYCLONE and MISTRAL. The cruisers arrived back on the 28th, this time local escort was by destroyers MOGADOR and VOLTA.

DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY joined the escort on the 24th, GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM from the 25th to 26th, and VOLUNTEER and VERSATILE from convoy OB.23 on the 25th. KJ.3 arrived off southern Ireland on the 25th, with EFFINGHAM reaching Devonport on the 26th for boiler cleaning, and the convoy arriving on the 28th with WOLVERINE, VERITY, VOLUNTEER and VERSATILE

_The Dunkerque class battlecruiser was a type of warship constructed for the French Navy in the 1930s.
The Dunkerques were designed to counter the German Deutschland class pocket battleships. Their main armament was two quadruple 330 mm turrets forward, with a 225 mm (8.9 in) thick armored belt. They were smaller, with a 26,500- to 27,300-ton standard displacement and a smaller main artillery caliber, than the battleships authorized by the Washington Naval Treaty, but their speed was 7 knots higher than all the battleships built from 1920 to 1937. When they were commissioned, only the last existing BCs of the Royal Navy and the IJN were their equals. Given their characteristics, they were alternatively classified as fast battleships, small battleships,battlecruisers,and even as "ships of the line" (Fr. navires de ligne).

Two ships, DUNKERQUE and SRASBOURG, were completed. Together they formed the 1ère Division de Ligne ("1st Division of the Line"), and saw service during the early years of WWII . While they never encountered the German pocket battleships they were designed to counter, they suffered the British attack of Mers-el-Kebir, and stayed under the Vichy authorities control until they were scuttled at Toulon in November 1942.

On 2 September 1939, the day after Germany invaded Poland, the Force de Raid sortied from Brest, since the Deutschland-class cruisers were reported to be operating in the Atlantic. After four days at sea, the squadron returned to Brest.In October, DUNKERQUE was assigned to Force L, along with CV BEARN and three cruisers; the squadron was based in Brest. The ships were tasked with hunting down the cruiser Admiral Graf Spee, and in this way formed the first modern Task Force in history.

On 25 November, Vice Admiral Gensoul ordered DUNKERQUE, the French 4th Cruiser Division, and the BC HOOD to intercept the DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU, which had sunk the AMC RAWALPINDI on 23 November. While the German battleships attempted to break into the Atlantic, DUNKERQUE suffered bow damages in a huge North Atlantic tempest and had to be docked for repairs on 3 December. On 11 December, DUNKERQUE and Fr CL GLOIRE carried a shipment of part of the Banque de France's gold reserve to Canada. The ships arrived on 17 December and covered a troop convoy on the return voyage.After returning to Brest on 4 January 1940, DUNKERQUE underwent another period of maintenance, which lasted until 6 February. The ship then conducted sea trials and training maneuvers through March._





_Photo of the Dunkerque_








_The other element of the Force Du Raid was the CV BEARN. The French had under construction a further carrier, the JOFFRE_

*British northern waters *

The unescorted MV GLEN FARG (876 GRT) was hit by a G7a torpedo from U-23 about 60 miles south-southwest of Sumburgh Head. The ship had been spotted at 04.45 hours and was stopped with machine gun fire. The Germans re-opened fire when the radio was used and waited for the crew to abandon ship before sinking her with the torpedo. The survivors were picked up by HMS FIREDRAKE (H 79) (LtCdr S.H. Norris, RN) and landed at Kirkwall the next day

(NO IMAGE AVAILABLE).

DDs FEARLESS and FOXHOUND arrived at Scapa

SS SWORDFISH began a refit at Dundee completed on 12 February 1940, and arrived at Blyth on the 13th. The same day, she proceeded to Scapa via Rosyth to work up.

* English Channel*

Fr SS BÉVÉZIERS dep Cherbourg for Brest, escort Contre Torpilleur DD JAGUAR.

*UK-outbound convoys* 

*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar

DDs INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE dep Gib to return to Plymouth after escort duty with convoy SO.19.

Oran

Fr CAs ALGÉRIE, DUPLEIX and DDs MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ and VAUQUELIN dep Oran for Dakar, as part of the hunting groups searching for the DKM raiders arriving on the 14th.








_CAs Algerie and Dupleix_
*Central and South Atlantic* – 

CL DURBAN dep Capetown for Simonstown, arriving on the 6th.

*Indian Ocean* 

SS SEAL dep Aden arriving at Alexandria 

*China Station*

CL BIRMINGHAM dep Singapore on patrol and arrived back on the 22nd.

*Pacific*

HMNZS CL LEANDER dep Wellington for Auckland.


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## Njaco (Oct 4, 2014)

*4 October 1939 Wednesday*

*ASIA:* Chinese troops captured Miluo and Xinshi near Changsha, Hunan Province, China.

*GERMANY:* Hitler pardoned all German military personnel who had been involved in war crimes in Poland.

*POLAND:* Nikita Krushchev (Secretary of the Ukrainian Communist Party) announces the "Communisation" of eastern Poland. Vast numbers of Polish citizens have been arrested by the NKVD, falsely accused of committing "crimes against revolution" or for staging "counter-revolutionary activities." The Polish intelligentsia and military officers have been the prime targets. Between 230,000 and 450,000 Poles have been taken as prisoner, many of whom have been executed. Polish currency has been withdrawn from circulation without exchange for Russian roubles. All state-owned and private Polish property has been nationalized and re-distributed. All Poles in Soviet occupied territory are expected to consent to Soviet citizenship. Those who refused to comply have disappeared, their whereabouts unknown. 

Soviet authorities have refused to allow the Red Cross to survey the conditions of Polish POWs on the grounds that Russia has not signed the 1929 Geneva Convention on the treatment of POWs and does not recognize the Hague Convention. According to Soviet authorities, the Polish POWs are not subject to the same Regulations for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, as they had been turned over to the NKVD by the Soviet military. They have been sentenced under the clauses of the Soviet Penal Code which include charges of treason and counter-revolution.

While the Battle of Kock continues in the middle of Poland, the German army mops up remaining pockets of resistance. Of most significance is the withdrawal of Polish troops, fighting German and Soviet forces in the South of Poland, to the Romanian Bridgehead.

At this stage, Romania provides substantial aid to the Poles, despite later alliances with Hitler and Stalin. Up to 120,000 Polish troops escape through neutral Romania and Hungary to France and Britain where they form the Polish Armed Forces in the West. This is larger than the armies of France and Britain, an embarrassing indication of their current lack of preparation. Ships from the Romanian Navy escort the shipment of 82,000 kg of gold from the port of Constanţa on the Black Sea to Western Europe, to prevent interception by Soviet Navy. The Romanian National Bank also hid the remaining treasury of the National Bank of Poland, totaling 3,057,450 kg, which was returned to Poland in September 1947.

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## parsifal (Oct 4, 2014)

*5 October*
Allied reinforcements
AUX MSW HMAS TONGKOL 





_Starboard side view of the AUX MSW HMAS TONGKOL after conversion for naval service. A 12 pounder gun has been mounted forward. She retains her name on the bow and her identification letters (tk) are not painted up. _
(NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION)

UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U-16, U-19

departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-37 

At Sea 5 October
U-10, U-12 , U-15, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42, U-46, U-48. 

11 boats at sea

*North Sea *.

SS SEAWOLF fired two torpedoes at DKM TB FALKE , but missed. The target was reported as a CL of the NÜRNBERG class.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs CALYPSO and CALEDON to Northern Patrol. CALYPSO ret Scapa on the 11th and CALEDON on the 13th.

*British northern waters *

Scapa

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BCs HOOD, REPULSE, and CV FURIOUS escort DDs (?) dep Loch Ewe for Scapa 

CL SHEFFIELD to Invergordon, arriving on the 6th. She was back at Scapa the same day.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.7S of 17 steamers including NEW TEXAS (Commodore), dep Quiberon Bay escort DDs EXPRESS, ESK, ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE, and arrived safely in Barry Roads on the 8th.

* English Channel*

DD ECHO dep Plymouth to Dover on the 6th.

*UK-outbound convoys* 

OA.15 of six ships dep Southend escort DD ANTELOPE from the 5th to 8th, when the convoy dispersed.

Survey ship FRANKLIN sights a sub 9 miles 310° from Calais High Light, DD BRAZEN carried out an unsuccessful search.

*Southwestern Approaches*

MV MARWARRI (8,063 tons) was damaged by a mine, laid on 17 September by U-32 3,5 miles 190° from Scarweather Light Vessel in the Bristol Channel. She was run aground in Mumbles Bay, salvaged the same month and towed to Swansea. Later repaired at Newport and eventually returned to service in February 1941.
Pic from Uboat Net





OB.15 dep Liverpool escort DDs WALPOLE and WINCHELSEA until the 8th.

*Med/Biscay*

Fr DDs CASSARD and KERSAINT arrived at Gib to exchange convoy escort duty with DDs GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM.

Steamers ALCANTARA (22,209grt) and FRANCONIA (20,75grt) of convoy Red 2 collided between Gib and Malta. The convoy proceeded to Malta where FRANCONIA was repaired completing on 14 November, while ALCANTARA after temporary repairs and escorted by DD GRIFFIN, was able to proceed on the 13th for Alex, arriving on the 16th. DD GRENVILLE continued with steamer EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, and DD GIPSY, no longer needed to escort ALCANTARA, headed for Alex.

HGF.2 dep Gib with liners CIRCASSIA (11,136grt) and DERBYSHIRE (11,660grt), and arrived at Liverpool on the 9th. Both liners were taken in hand for conversion to armed merchant cruisers (AMCs).

HG.2 of 13 ships dep Gib escort DDs DOUGLAS and VELOX. Ocean escort was provided by AMC ALAUNIA which sailed with the convoy from the 5th to 13th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE captured MV NEWTON BEECH (UK 4651grt) in the South Atlantic. Langsdorf had intended to use her as an auxiliary supply ship, but she was shown to be too slow for this pourpose, and, after her cargo and crew were transferred, she was scuttled late on the 8th.
Picture by Michael Pocock MaritimeQuest - Main Page




_Newton Beech sailing along with the Graf Spee between 5 and 8 Oct 39_

*North Atlantic*

DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND sank steamer STONEGATE (UK 5044grt) east of Bermuda after the crew had been taken off. Later, when American steamer CITY OF FLINT was captured, STONEGATE’s crew was transferred to her.
WRECKSITE, ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED BY Bateson John25/06/2010










_CS DEUTSCHLAND AS SHE PRESENTED WHEN RENAMED lutzow_

_As a result of the sinkings by German surface raiders, the Admiralty ordered the organization of further Hunter Groups along the lines of the ARK ROYAL-RENOWN force.

BB RAMILLIES in the Med was ordered to join the North Atlantic Escort Force, dep Gib , escort DDs WISHART and VORTIGERN, but was recalled at 2233/6th to replace BB MALAYA, due to leave the Med. RAMILLIES, WISHART and VORTIGERN arrived back at Gib on the 8th. RAMILLES stayed in the Medi until November when she was transferred to the East Indies, serving with the 3rd Battle Squadron at Aden from November until May 1940.

CAs NORFOLK, SUFFOLK and CL EFFINGHAM were detached from the Home Fleet to operate in the Denmark Strait (at that time only GRAF SPEE had been identified. They were there to keep other raiders from going into the South Atlantic or returning to Germany). EFFINGHAM proceeded to Plymouth to repair defects, and left again on the 9th.

CLs COLOMBO and CERES of the CruSqn 11, previously attached to the Northern Atlantic Command at Gib and the Channel Force based at Portland respectively, replaced EFFINGHAM in the Northern Patrol. CruSqn 12, Northern Patrol was redesignated the CruSqn 11, 

CAs NORFOLK and SUFFOLK proceeded to the Med, where they served in CruSqn 1 until arriving back in England on 11 November. They left Portsmouth on 16 and 18 November respectively, called at the Clyde, and were both on Northern Patrol on the 22nd. _


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## Njaco (Oct 5, 2014)

*5 October 1939 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German pocket-battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” sinks “_Newton Beach_” east of Ascension Island. Eight British and French hunting groups are formed to hunt for the “_Graf Spee_”. At this stage the British and the French can afford to divert considerable forces to such a task. Meanwhile, the German pocket battleship “_Deutschland_” sinks the SS “_Stonegate_”.

*ASIA:* In a downed aircraft, Chinese troops discovered General Yasuji Okamura's order calling off the offensive on Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Nearby, Chinese 23rd Division attacked a Japanese Navy anchorage at Yingtian (now Miluo), damaging several vessels.

*EASTERN FRONT:* The Soviets continue their moves to strengthen their position in the Baltic by asking the Finnish government for new talks on altering their boundaries. Meanwhile, a Soviet-Latvian Pact is signed, giving the USSR the use of sea and air bases in Latvia. This pact is the second in a series designed to ensure Soviet control of the Baltic.

*GERMANY:* In preparation for Hitler's planned announcement for the invasion of the Low Countries and France, the Luftwaffe regroups and renames its air divisions. Fliegerdivisionen become Fliegerkorps. General von Richthofen's command is renamed VIII Fliegerkorps. Along with this renaming is a bolstering of the fighter units within the border units. The pilots and crews of I(J)./LG 2 are moved from the east to Luftflotte 2 and those of I./JG 77 and JGr 102 are transferred to Luftflotte 3 on the western front.

The Nazi anti-Semitic weekly, ‘Der Sturmer’, publishes a "Hymm of Hate" calling England the "curse of the world."

*NORTH AMERICA:* Franklin Roosevelt spoke to Winston Churchill for the first time over the telephone. Roosevelt, who initiated the call, engaged Churchill in a discussion on the German attempt to attack American shipping as an attempt to sabotage British-American relations; such an effort would later found to be a mere rumor.

US Navy formed the Hawaiian Detachment and based it at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. Joseph Rochefort arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii with the US Navy Scouting Force.

*POLAND:* Hitler tours the conquered capital of Warsaw, reviewing the victory parade, before returning to Berlin. Hitler warns that the same will happen to the cities of other countries that resist Germany.

Meanwhile, German Heeresgruppe Sud were still battling the Poles in the town of Kock. (Pronunciation: Kotsk ) The town is located 45km north of Lublin, and 120 km southeast of Warsaw between the Vistula and Bug Rivers. For the past three days German forces have been trying to encircle the Poles but fail. Polish units have consistently repelled all attacks. At 16:00 hours the last German advance began but after a hard fight they was forced to withdraw into the forest. Ground has been lost and regained repeatedly by both German and Polish forces. A Polish infantry regiment led attacks on a German unit using artillery support and the bayonet with which one of the Germans had attempted to fire against the Poles. It was successful: the German units tried to escape being chased by Polish infantry and cavalry. The Poles captured the Poznan village including a German artillery battery. The artillery later had to be destroyed when Polish cavalry was forced to withdraw under heavy fire from another German artillery battery. Despite initial gains made by the Polish infantry and cavalry they eventually were forced to withdraw to the south of the town of Kryzywda. They have retreated to Krakow and the Vistula River. From there they took the route from Warsaw to Sandomierz and then to Lublin.

*WESTERN FRONT:* An He 111P of 2(F)./122 reconnoitered the Moray Firth, but was driven off by Spitfires of the Royal Air Force’s 72 Sqdn.

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## Wurger (Oct 5, 2014)

The next shot of Hitler in Warsaw on the 5th October...

Reactions: Like Like:
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## parsifal (Oct 5, 2014)

*6 October*
Reinforcements
Axis
RaumBoote (unsure of the number)





Allied Reinforcements
AUX MSWs HMAS OLIVE CAM KOROWA







Aux MSW HMAS KOROWA, aerial port bow view. Was fitted with a bow mounted 12 pounder gun forward and MSW floats on the quarterdeck. Her identification letters (ko) are painted on her bow. Later fitted out also as an ASW trawler

Starboard bow view of the Aux MSW HMAS OLIVE CAM. She has been armed with a 12 pounder aa gun forward and two single 20 mm oerlikon aa guns aft. Note the minesweeping float on the quarterdeck and depth charges on the stern. Note her identification letters (oc) on the bows.

The RAN used these types of vessels extensively throughout the war, the most famous usage being the exploits of the HMA KRAIT sinking or incapacitating nearly 8 vessels in Singapore harbour in 1943

(NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION)

UBOATS

arrivals 

none

departures

None

At Sea 6 October

U-10, U-12, U-15, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42 , U-46, U-48. 
11 boats at sea.

*North Sea *.

FN.17 dep Southend and reached Methil on the 8th, while FS.17 dep Methil and arrived at Southend on the 8th.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs CARDIFF and DELHI dep Scapa for Northern Patrol, returning on the 13th. At this time, six cruisers were at sea on Northern Patrol.

CL CAPETOWN, due to be assigned to the Northern Patrol, left Gib for Malta at 1730/6th, and arriving on the 8th, commenced repairs which completed on the 21st.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.9S of nine steamers, including BARON GRAHAM (Commodore), CERVANTES and TASSO, dep the Bristol Channel escort DDs WESSEX, VANESSA (SO), VENETIA and VISCOUNT, and safely arrived in the Loire on the 8th.

SA.11 of one steamer dep Southampton, escort by DD VIVACIOUS, arriving at Brest on the 7th.

* English Channel*

MV MAHRATTA The cargo ship was attached to Convoy HG.1, but ran aground on Fork Spit, Goodwin Sands, Kent and was wrecked. All crew were rescued 
shipwrecks Archives - Urban Ghosts ? Urban Ghosts





*Southwestern Approaches*

MV LOCHGOIL struck a mine laid on 17 September by U-32 about five miles off Scarweather Light Vessel in the Bristol Channel. She was run aground in Mumbles Bay, salvaged on 28 November and repaired at Swansea.

The badly damaged vessel was taken over by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), rebuilt in 1940 as CAM ship EMPIRE ROWAN (9545 grt) and returned to service in July 1941. On 27 Mar 1943, the ship was in convoy KMS-11 and torpedoed by an Italian SM79 north of Philippeville. She was beached northwest of Bone and declared a total loss. 
(Source including photo Photo from City of Vancouver Archives)






*Med/Biscay*

DD ICARUS dep Malta after completing her collision repairs, left Gib on the 8th and arrived at Plymouth on the 11th.

*North Atlantic*

USN DD BORIE (DD 215, ) off the north coast of St Thomas, Virgin Islands, reported a submarine on the surface, which submerged on her approach. It turned out to be one of the French submarines in the Caribbean.

*Australia Station*

The Australian Government agreed to the detachment of 2 cruisers and 5 destroyers of the RAN for service abroad. A proviso in the agreement stipulated that the ships were to be returned if a threat in the Far East developed.

To partially offset the loss of local forces the AMC HMAS KANIMBLA, (CAPT F. E. Getting, RAN), was commissioned. KANIMBLA was laid down in Harland Wolff Ltd, Belfast, Northern Ireland, for McIlwraith McEacharn Ltd of Melbourne, and launched on 15 December 1935. KANIMBLA was requisitioned for the RN on 5 September 1939, and fitted out at Garden Island Dockyard, Sydney. The ship was manned largely by Australian reservists.





_KANIMBLA as she appeared in 1939. She is armed with seven 6 inch guns of which three can be seen forward on the forecastle and in the well deck. two of the three after guns can also be seen, immediately behind the superstructure and on the poop. unlike the forward guns the after guns are not shielded. a 3 inch aa gun is mounted abreast the funnel. windows at the corner and sides of her bridge structure have been plated in. range finders have been fitted fore and aft on her superstructure. she remains painted in her owners' colours. _

(naval historical collection)

The Australian Government would subsequently lay down destroyers frigates and ASW sloops


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## parsifal (Oct 5, 2014)

*Canadian Navy (RCN or HMCS) in 1939*

Canada’s navy in September 1939 included only 3500 personnel, both regular force and reserve, and six ocean-going warships, the ‘River’ class destroyers His Majesty’s Canadian Ships (HMCS) Fraser, Ottawa, Restigouche, Saguenay, St Laurent, and Skeena. A seventh ‘River,’ HMCS Assiniboine joined the fleet in October. All these ships were British built, Saguenay and Skeena according to special Canadian specifications. Destroyers were among the smallest full-fledged, ocean-going warships, but the ‘River’ class were thoroughly modern — fast and powerfully armed. In the early months of the war, the Canadian destroyers escorted the convoys, and also large Allied warships, within Canadian coastal waters.
Both British and Canadian authorities believed in 1939 that Canada’s navy could expand on only a modest scale, and mainly for operations along the North American seaboard

the R.C.N, felt that it could perform a useful service by providing A.M.C.'s on its own account. An offer was accordingly made to convert the three Prince ships, 
of which two belonged to the Canadian National Railways, on condition that twelve of the 6-inch guns which had been set aside for Admiralty A.M.C.'s might be used. The Admiralty, having decided not to ask Canada to fit out any more merchant cruisers for them, gladly presented the required guns, and by November 26 work had begun on the Prince Robert and Prince David. 

In September 1939, the task of stiffening and defensively arming merchant ships which were going to continue their peace-time function of carrying passengers and freight, came under the direction of the Mercantile Equipment Officer who was at first on the staff of D.N.I, in his capacity as head of the Division which was taking charge of "Trade" matters. Two D.E.M.S." officers, as they were later called, were appointed, one for the Maritimes and the other for the west coast.

When war was seen to be imminent there was an immediate need to control merchant shipping. The naval control organization was therefore one of the first components of the Naval Service to begin functioning. On August 22, when the Admiralty informed N.S.H.Q. that they intended to warn officers selected for Naval Control Service duties to be ready to proceed to their posts, it was decided that the Canadian officers should receive a similar warning. Four days later an Order in Council directed the R.C.N, to take control of Canadian-registered ships and other merchant ships in Canadian ports 
HMCS FRASER (FL 20513)





_"River" class RCN DD HMCS Fraser. Other members of the class were similar_


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## Njaco (Oct 6, 2014)

*6 October 1939 Friday*

*ASIA:* Chinese forces repel Japanese forces to win the First Battle of Changsha. Over 40,000 Japanese troops are estimated to have died in the 11-day battle in which the Japanese expeditionary force suffers its first major setback against Chinese Nationalist forces since the fighting began 2 years ago. As well as heavy troop losses, the 120,000-strong Japanese force has also lost large quantities of arms as it was ambushed by Chinese troops defending Changsha, the capital of Hunan province.

*GERMANY:* In a major speech to the Reichstag, Hitler speaks of his desire for peace with Britain and France. Hitler says that up to now he has done nothing more than correct the unjust Versailles Treaty and that he has no war aims against France or Britain. He blames warmongers like Churchill for the present state of affairs and calls for a European conference to meet and resolve the few remaining differences. His warped logic implies that since Poland no longer exists, France and Britain have no need to go to war in Poland’s defense.

A new unit, II./JG 51, is formed from I./JG 71 with Hptm. Ernst-Günther Burgaller posted as Gruppenkommandeur. The unit is based at Fürstenfeldbruck flying Bf 109Es.

The Bf 109Es of Major Hanns Trübenbach’s I(Jagd)./LG 2 transfer from the base at Uetersen to the airfield at Neumünster.

*POLAND:* The last Polish troops cease fighting. The last remnants of the Polish Army, some 8,000 men of the Samodzielna Grupa Operacynja Polesie (Independent Operational Group Polesie), surrender to German forces at Kock, in southeastern Poland. At 10 AM, General Kleeberg surrenders his Polsie Independent Group, surrounded and out of ammunition and food. His captors, with peculiarly German logic, believe he should be shot for prolonging the fighting, since Warsaw has already fallen. He is imprisoned, isolated from other inmates, refused medical help and fed starvation food rations. He loses his sight and is given a dog. He loses the ability to walk and is allowed to make short walks with crutches. He dies a humiliating death for an honorable soldier, in prison, in April 1941.

German losses in Poland: about 8100 dead, 28,000 wounded, 5100 missing, 217 tanks destroyed, 564 planes destroyed or damaged beyond repair; Polish lost 433 aircraft.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The new policy of using observers to direct fighter interceptions by radio appears to work as Lt. Berthel of 2./JG 52 is directed to an Allied formation by radio and shoots down a French bomber, a LeO 45.

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## Wurger (Oct 6, 2014)

After the Battle at Kock.... the Polish soldiers of the Independent Operational Group Polesie going to the POW camp.


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## parsifal (Oct 6, 2014)

*7 October*

UBOATS

At Sea 7 October

U-10, U-12 (+), U-15, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42 (+), U-46, U-48. 

11 boats at sea.

*North Sea *.

German trawler SKOLPENBANK (381grt) was lost.

(No Images found)

British East Coast

MV BINNENDIJK (Ne 6,873 tons) Carrying 1000 tons of Oil and general cargo, the cargo ship struck a mine laid on 10 September by U-26 and was damaged 2 nautical miles south east of the Shambles Lightship. No casualties, crew taken off. She sank 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) north of the lightship early the next day. The wreck was dispersed on 10 October
Binnendijk (Dutch Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net






CLA CALCUTTA dep Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back the same day.

MSWs SELKIRK and NIGER sweeping mines 35 miles ENE of Cromer were strafed by German flying boats, no damage.

Dutch Coast
DKM PV (Patrol Vessel) V-804 (1930, 337 GRT), The Vorpostenboot ("Outpost Boat") struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Friesland, Netherlands. Unknown casualties. Vorpostenboots typically carried one or two medium-calibre guns (e.g. 88 mm), many light automatic anti-air artillery pieces (20-40mm), and a varying number of machine guns. For ASW they were also fitted with depth charges. Crewed by sixty to seventy men, most of whom were weapons personnel taken from the naval reserve, the Vorpostenboots became particularly feared by the Royal Navy for their firepower and efficiency in battle and Vorpostenboots were able to engage and defeat light naval forces – such as MGBs. 
auxiliary patrols and minesweepers converted from fishing vessels in WWII - Kriegsmarine (Germany)









_V404 of similar appearance to V804_

*Carribbean *

CA BERWICK called at Bermuda, dep again the same day, and arrived back on the 18th.

*British northern waters *

DD ESKIMO arrived at Scapa after repairs in the Tyne.

*UK-France convoys .*

No Reports

* English Channel*

BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN dep Portsmouth escort DDs SALADIN and SCIMITAR and arrived at Devonport same day to complete her refitting.

DD ECHO dep Dover and arrived at Devonport on the 12th.

DD WREN attacked a submarine contact off Brighton.

Fr PV (Patrol Vessel) BELFORT attacked a submarine six miles 100° from Cape Barfleur.

*UK-outbound convoys* 

OA.16G of 27 ships dep Southend, escort DD ECHO from the 7th to 9th, and merged with OB.16G escort DD VIMY and patrol ship/MSW GLEANER to the 10th, on the 11th to form OG.2. This convoy reached Gib on the 17th.


*Med/Biscay*

Major re-deployments to home commands

DesFlot4 , with CLA COVENTRY, and sloops FLEETWOOD and GRIMSBY, ordered to sail for Portland with moderate dispatch.
CL COVENTRY dep Portland on the 14th, and arrived at Portsmouth that night, left on the 19th for the Humber and reached Immingham on the 20th. DD COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU dep Portland immediately after refuelling and proceeded to the North Sea for escort duties.

FLEETWOOD dep Gib on the 7th and arrived at Portland on the 11th. GRIMSBY was with convoy Blue 3, arrived at Gib on the 11th and dep that day for Portland. Enroute she attacked a submarine contact.

CL GALATEA and DDs MOHAWK, AFRIDI, GURKHA, SIKH dep Alex on the 1st on patrol. The DDs called at Malta in turn to refuel, . In addition, SIKH entered the dockyard at Malta on the 5th for turbine repairs. MOHAWK dep Malta on the 7th and Gib on the 9th to return to England, reached Portland on the 11th, refuelled at Harwich and arrived at Humber on the 12th to join Rosyth Command.

GALATEA dep Malta on the 7th for Alex, arriving on the 10th. AFRIDI and GURKHA reached Malta on the 7th, left next day en route to England, dep Gib on the 10th and arrived at Portland on the 13th for duty with the Home Fleet.

DDs COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU, NUBIAN arrived at Alex on the 2nd from escorting convoy Green 2, and after refuelling left Alex on the 7th for Malta. COVENTRY left Alex on the 7th and arrived at Malta on the 9th. All five ships then sailed from Malta on the 9th, arrived at Gib on the 11th and left the same day, arriving at Portland on the 14th without NUBIAN which reached Portsmouth the same day.

Fr SSs FRESNEL, LE GLORIEUX and REDOUTABLE dep Toulon and arrived at Gib on the 10th escort DD LA RAILLEUSE. They dep that day, escort DD LYNX and arrived at Casablanca on the 13th. LA RAILLEUSE left Gib on the 11th to return to Toulon.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

MV ASHLEA (UK 8000 grt) was captured and sunk in the South Atlantic between Cape Town and Freetown. The crew of the ASHLEA was transferred to the NEWTON BEECH. After a small part of ASHLEA’s cargo of sugar was seized, the ASHLEA was sunk by DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE
8)SHIP SUNK ASHLEA - SOUTH ATLANTIC (24 Pages/ 118 Images) - GERMAN RAIDERS * - Articles - Sixtant - War II in the South Atlantic





_ASHLEA shortly after being stopped by the GRAF SPEE _
Picture by Michael Pocock MaritimeQuest - Main Page





_Crewmen seen from GRAF SPEE observe the last moments of merchant ASHLEA when scuttling charges begin to explode. Another merchant captured by GRAF SPEE, the NEWTON BEEC is seen in the background._ 
Picture by Michael Pocock MaritimeQuest - Main Page





_ASHLEA heels over starboard side and sinks in mid south Atlantic. Photo by Michael Pocock _MaritimeQuest - Main Page 

SL.4 dep Freetown escort CL NEPTUNE, and on the 23rd was joined by DDs MACKAY, VENETIA, VESPER and VIMY. VESPER was relieved by DD WIVERN on the 25th and the convoy arrived on the 26th, still with four destroyers.

CL DANAE dep Capetown on escort duties.

*North Atlantic*

BBs REVENGE, RESOLUTION and CVL HERMES, (814 Sqn 9 Swordfish embarked), escort DDs WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, VOLUNTEER and VERITY dep Portland , and CLs EMERALD, ENTERPRISE, CARADOC, escort DDs INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE, dep Plymouth, all on 7th. At 1910/7th both forces rendezvoused for passage to Halifax for escort duty. CARADOC had been at Plymouth since 25 September repairing defects refit completed on the 6th.




_CVL HERMES_
HERMES and CARADOC proceeded to Brest and en route, HERMES was met by Fr DDs BOURRASQUE, ORAGE, and MISTRAL, which had also dep Brest on the 7th. The French ships ret on the 8th.

CARADOC rejoined the force on the 10th, and all ships arrived safely at Halifax on the 16th escort by HMCS DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT which joined on the 15th. In addition to their convoy escort duties, REVENGE and RESOLUTION were carrying a large amount of British silver to Canada. 

Fr BC STRASBOURG and Contre Torpilleur DDs LE FANTASQUE, LE TERRIBLE and L'AUDACIEUX dep Brest, still on the 7th, to join HERMES for operations as Hunter Group N and set out that evening for Dakar. CAs ALGÉRIE and DUPLEIX joined en route and Group N arrived at Dakar on the 14th, where after refuelling, the Force was due to proceed to the West Indies.











_FR BC STRASBOURG, CAs ALGERIE and DUPLEIX_
*Indian Ocean* 

CL LIVERPOOL dep Colombo and arrived at Bombay on the 9th.


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## parsifal (Oct 6, 2014)

*RADAR at sea to 1939*

*Royal Navy*

Type 79Y

Although the Royal Navy maintained close contact with the Air Ministry work at Bawdsey, they chose to establish their own RDF development at the Experimental Department of His Majesty’s Signal School (HMSS) in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on the south coast.

The HMSS started RDF work in September 1935. Initial efforts, under R. F. Yeo, were in wavelengths ranging between 75 MHz (4 m) and 1.2 GHz (25 cm). All of the work was under the utmost secrecy; it could not even be discussed with other scientists and engineers at Portsmouth. A 75 MHz range-only set was eventually developed and designated Type 79X. Basic tests were done using a training ship, but the operation was unsatisfactory.

In August 1937, the RDF development at the HMSS changed, with many of their best researchers brought into the activity. John D. S. Rawlinson was made responsible for improving the Type 79X. To increase the efficiency, he decreased the frequency to 43 MHz (7 m). Designated Type 79Y, it had separate, stationary transmitting and receiving antennas.

Prototypes of the Type 79Y air-warning system were successfully tested at sea in early 1938. The detection range on aircraft was between 30 and 50 mi (48 and 80 km), depending on height. The systems were then placed into service in August on the HMS CL SHEFFIELD and in October on the HMS BB Rodney. These were the first vessels in the Royal Navy with RDF system, and were the only major warships fitted to the end of 1939.

ASV Radar

When radar was developed in Britain in the late 1930s it was clear that any airborne radar had to be vastly different from the gigantic "Chain Home" radar masts that gave early warning to Britain's fighter defense. A dipole antenna operates best when its length is half the wavelength of the radar beam, and to direct the beam in any direction a large array of dipoles is required. Obviously, the number and length of the dipoles would be very limited in an airborne installation. However, at that time there was no sufficiently powerful source of short waves. To be useful, an airborne radar also needed to have a short minimum range, that is, it had to guide the aircraft close enough for its crew to see the target. This could be achieved by using shorter pulses than land radars.

There was little difference, at that time, between the development of AI (airborne intercept, i.e. radar for nightfighter) and ASV (airborne surface vessel, radar for maritime patrol aircraft). In 1938 and 1939, ASV radar had the higher priority.

On 17 August 1937, the very first British airborne radar was flown. Based on the Western Electric 316A valve, it generated 100 Watts of power at a wavelength of 1.25 meters, and was later improved by increasing the wavelength to 1.5 meters. Installed in an Anson , this radar proved that it was capable of tracking the aircraft carrier HMS COURAGEOUS, the BB RODNEY, and the CL SOUTHAMPTON, in weather conditions that would have made conventional reconnaissance impossible. It even detected aircraft taking off from HMS Courageous.

However, the radar was still not ready for widespread installation. Development was delayed by what Dr E.G. "Taffy" Bowen, head of the airborne radar group, described as "totally inadequate resources and virtually no administrative back-up." Finally, two antenna configurations were developed for ASV radar. One used a dipole transmitting antenna with a reflector to give a broad beam in the forward direction. The two receiving antennas were on the aircraft's wings, and their polar diagrams overlapped. The direction of the target was determined by comparing the signals from the two receivers, displayed together on a cathode-ray tube, one to the left of the (vertical) baseline and the other to the right. If the target was on the right then the right receiver gave the stronger signal. The vertical timebase indicated the distance to the target. This system gave a range of 10 miles on a 1000 ton ship, and up to 40 miles on a coastline with steep cliffs.

This was introduced as the first ASV radar (Mk.I), and installed on the Hudsons of Coastal Command. By the end of 1940 it was fitted in 24 Hudsons and 25 Sunderlands. About 200 sets were produced. Experience with it was not very good. The radar was unreliable and new equipment, and the manufacturing standard of many components left a lot to be desired. The problems of maintenance and training were enormous. Its usefulness and popularity were increased by Sqdn. Ldr. Lugg, who installed a 1.5 meter beacon at Leuchars. ASV Mk.I then was, at least, useful navigation equipment.

ASV Mk.I was not intended to detect submarines, but after an enquiry from admiral Somerville in late 1939 tests were conducted with one of the Hudsons of No.220 Sqdn and the submarine L 27. It was demonstrated that, flying at 1000 feet, the submarine could be detected at 3 miles, broadside on, and this under experimental conditions...that means that the crew of the Hudson knew exactly where the submarine was. Further tests revealed that when flying at 6000 feet, the range was increased to 6 miles.

A notable improvement was achieved with what called Long Range ASV. LRASV was based on the second antenna configuration developed. It was a sideways-looking system. The transmitter was an array of ten dipoles, installed in five (later reduced to four) pairs on top of the fuselage of the aircraft. The receiving antennas were Sterba arrays, fitted to the sides of the fuselage. Because the transmitter array was a dipole array 18 feet long and the two receivers were arrays 12 feet long, a much better resolution and range could be achieved. The first installation was on a Whitley bomber, in late 1939. LRASV had a range 2.5 times better than the forward-looking system; it could detect submarines at 10 to 15 miles.

*Germany*

A radio-based device for remotely indicating the presence of ships was built in Germany by Christian Hülsmeyer in 1904. Often referred to as the first radar system, this did not directly measure the range (distance) to the target, and thus did not meet the criteria to qualify as a radar detection system. it was not adopted or progress beyond a research level. .

Over the following three decades in Germany, a number of radio-based detection systems were developed but none were true radars. This situation changed before World War II. 

GEMA

In the early 1930s, physicist Rudolf Kühnhold, DKM Scientific Director (NVA—Experimental Institute of Communication Systems) in Kiel, was attempting to improve the acoustical methods of underwater detection of ships. He concluded that the desired accuracy in measuring distance to targets could be attained only by using pulsed electromagnetic waves.

During 1933, Kühnhold first attempted to test this concept with a transmitting and receiving set that operated in the microwave region at 13.5 cm (2.22 GHz). The transmitter used a Barkhausen-Kurz tube (the first microwave generator) that produced only 0.1 watt. Unsuccessful with this, he asked for assistance from Paul-Günther Erbslöh and Hans-Karl Freiherr von Willisen, amateur radio operators who were developing a VHF system for communications. They enthusiastically agreed, and in January 1934, formed a company, Gesellschaft für Elektroakustische und Mechanische Apparate (GEMA), for the effort. From the start, the firm was always called simply GEMA.

Work on a Funkmessgerät für Untersuchung (radio measuring device for reconnaissance) began in earnest at GEMA. Hans Hollmann and Theodor Schultes, both affiliated with the prestigious Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin, were added as consultants. The first apparatus used a split-anode magnetron purchased from Philips in the Netherlands. This provided about 70 W at 50 cm (600 MHz), but suffered from frequency instability. Hollmann built a regenerative receiver and Schultes developed Yagi antennas for transmitting and receiving. In June 1934, large vessels passing through the Kiel Harbor were detected by Doppler-beat interference at a distance of about 2 km (1.2 mi). In October, strong reflections were observed from an aircraft that happened to fly through the beam; this opened consideration of targets other than ships.

Kühnhold then shifted the GEMA work to a pulse-modulated system. A new 50 cm (600 MHz) Philips magnetron with better frequency stability was used. It was modulated with 2- μs pulses at a PRF of 2000 Hz. The transmitting antenna was an array of 10 pairs of dipoles with a reflecting mesh. The wide-band regenerative receiver used Acorn tubes from RCA, and the receiving antenna had three pairs of dipoles and incorporated lobe switching. A blocking device (a duplexer), shut the receiver input when the transmitter pulsed. A Braun tube (a CRT) was used for displaying the range.

The equipment was first tested at a NVA site at the Lübecker Bay near Pelzerhaken. During May 1935, it detected returns from woods across the bay at a range of 15 km (9.3 mi). It had limited success, however, in detecting a research ship, Welle, only a short distance away. The receiver was then rebuilt, becoming a super-regenerative set with two intermediate-frequency stages. With this improved receiver, the system readily tracked vessels at up to 8 km (5.0 mi) range.


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## parsifal (Oct 6, 2014)

*Radar*(contd)

In September 1935, a demonstration was given to the DKM CinC. The system performance was excellent; the range was read off the Braun tube with a tolerance of 50 meters (less than 1 percent variance), and the lobe switching allowed a directional accuracy of 0.1 degree. Historically, this marked the first naval vessel equipped with radar. Although this apparatus was not put into production, GEMA was funded to develop similar systems operating around 50 cm (500 MHz). These became the Seetakt for the DKM and the Freya for the Luftwaffe (German Air Force).

Kühnhold remained with the NVA, but also consulted with GEMA. He is considered by many in Germany as the Father of Radar. During 1933-6, Hollmann wrote the first comprehensive treatise on microwaves, Physik und Technik der ultrakurzen Wellen (Physics and Technique of Ultrashort Waves), Springer 1938.


At the start of World War II in September 1939, both the United Kingdom and Germany knew of each other's ongoing efforts in radio navigation and its countermeasures – the "Battle of the beams". Also, both nations were generally aware of, and intensely interested in, the other's developments in radio-based detection and tracking, and engaged in an active campaign of espionage and false leaks about their respective equipment.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 6, 2014)

What a gold mine of info this is. Great stuff guys!


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## Njaco (Oct 7, 2014)

*7 October 1939 Saturday*

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler appoints SS Chief Heinrich Himmler to take charge of establishing a New Order in Eastern Europe. His task is to eliminate "inferior" peoples from the Reich. Meanwhile, Hitler issues a decree ordering Poles to be evicted from western Poland or killed.

German submarine U-47 leaves a German port, destined for the British Royal Navy at Scapa Flow.

The German Army reported to Adolf Hitler that there was a general shortage of steel, ammunition, and other war materials necessary to wage war against Britain and France.

*POLAND:* The SS has arrested hundreds of thousands of Polish leaders and intelligentsia for execution - politicians, engineers, scientists, professors, and the cream of Polish society. Polish soldiers have been deported to concentration camps. All Polish schools and universities have been shut down, with the exception of the lowest grades. Poles are now forbidden to attend cinema, restaurants, and churches, and Polish media has been taken over by the Nazis. Radio sets and gramophones are forbidden at risk of death. A 36-page memorandum submitted by Dr. Erich Wetzel and Dr. G. Hecht on the orders of the NSDAP Office for Questions of Racial Policy, include numerous other recommendations. Its main objective is to eradicate every trace of Polish cultural and economic life.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US State Department announces that the United States government will continue to recognize the Polish government-in-exile, presently located at Angers in France.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Hitler’s antagonism of communism is well known and Stalin fears an attack despite their non-aggression pact. He moves to shore up his Baltic borders to protect the city of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) exposed on the Gulf of Finland, close to the Finnish border. He uses success in Poland to cow Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland into giving up territory and access to key strategic bases. Molotov, in fury at the discourtesy of receiving no reply to his Oct 5 negotiation invitation to the Finns, threatens the Finnish ambassador Yrjo-Koskinen with ‘other means’ if they do not negotiate terms.

*SOUTH ATLANTIC:* British steamer “_Ashlea_” (with a cargo of sugar) is stopped by “_Graf Spee_”, disguised as a French merchant ship, again near the British island of St. Helena 1200 miles off Africa. “_Ashlea’s_” crew is taken on board the prison ship _“Newton Beach_” (captured two days before) and “_Ashlea_” is sunk by scuttling charges.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The world is watching in shock after the tragic collapse of Poland. Despite the failure of Britain and France to intervene, the Polish Armed Forces are firmly committed to joining their Allies in the war against Germany. After the invasion of Poland, thousands of military had escaped to Hungary and Romania, after which they made their way to France. There are currently 85,000 Polish troops stationed at bases at Coetquidan and Parthenay. Despite their readiness only a fraction of Polish troops are being utilized, due to inefficient French logistics and policies. French Command has been continually plagued by insufficient or missing equipment and chronic delays in delivery of war materiel. At this time there are only 2 Polish infantry divisions that are fully operational, as well as 2 independent brigades, and one air squadron. Surprisingly, only a few Polish pilots have been assigned by French Command, but to smaller units. There is only one large Polish squadron, the Groupe de Chasse Polonaise l/145, stationed at Mion airfield. However, they are not combat ready due to lack of airplanes, the earliest delivery expected by May 1940.

The transportation of the British Expeditionary Force is completed in France -- without loss -- under the protection of British and French naval forces. A total of about 161,000 troops, 24,000 vehicles and tanks and 140,000 tonnes of supplies have been delivered to France. Originally established by British Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane following the Boer War, the main purpose of the BEF was to provide Britain with a military force ready to be deployed quickly in the event of an overseas war. After the invasion of Poland on September 1st, the BEF was sent to the Franco-Belgian border. It consists of roughly 10 infantry divisions in three Corps, a tank brigade, and about 500 RAF aircraft. The BEF earned an appropriate nickname, the "contemptible little army", coined by a senior German Commander after World War I. It has since been adopted by the BEF which now proudly refer to themselves as the "Old Contemptibles".

The Maginot Line is considered impenetrable by the French who appear convinced of its effectiveness in deterring the enemy. A marvel of ingenuity, it consists of a complex underground rail network protected by 142 ouvrages (fortresses), 352 casemates (bunkers), 78 shelters, 17 observatories, and 5,000 blockhouses. Irregardless, sources indicate that a number of small German forces have already begun attacking on the French lines between the Moselle and Saar Rivers.

French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier rejected Adolf Hitler's proposal for a multi-power conference for peace on the previous day.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Polish Navy miraculously escaped German capture during the invasion. Currently stationed in Britain are three Polish destroyers, the "Blyskawica", the "Grom" and the "Burza" as well as two submarines. They are taking part in Allied maneuvers under British Command. Reports indicate that additional ships have been lent to the Polish navy in light of their superb seamanship. British shipyards are rapidly constructing more ships to add to the Polish fleet.

.

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## parsifal (Oct 7, 2014)

*8 October*
*Reinforcements*
Axis
T.8 Type 1935 Torpedo Boats





UBOATS

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: U-15 

departures

Kiel: U-47

At Sea 8 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42 (+), U-46, U-47, U-48. 

10 boats at sea.

*North Sea *.

Sortie by DKM ships BC GNEISENAU, CL KÖLN, and DD PAUL JACOBI, MAX SCHULTZ, BERND VON ARNIM, WILHELM HEIDKAMP, FRIEDRICH IHN, DIETHER VON ROEDER, ERICH STEINBRINCK, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT and KARL GALSTER from Kiel to operate off the south coast of Norway. They were to sink Allied shipping and entice the British Home Fleet into the range of Luftwaffe bombers. DDs HANS LODY and ERICH GIESE were to have sailed but suffered equipment defects. In addition, U.10, U.18, U.20, U.23 were deployed in a patrol line to attack the Home Fleet.





_DKM Leichte Cruiser Koln _
In response, Admiral Forbes, informed of these movements by a RAF Coastal Command Hudson sighting, put out from Scapa with the Home Fleet. BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BCs HOOD, REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, CLs AURORA, SHEFFIELD, NEWCASTLE and DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, ASHANTI, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, FAME, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and FIREDRAKE. Heavy weather damaged FORTUNE at the start and she detached to the Clyde arriving on the 9th, and repairing until 2 November.

HOOD, REPULSE, AURORA and SHEFFIELD with SOMALI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, ASHANTI sailed for a position 50 miles NW of Stadlandet. At the same time, NELSON, RODNEY, FURIOUS and NEWCASTLE with FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, FAME, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE, PUNJABI and BEDOUIN sailed for a position north of Muckle Flugga . Both forces were to reach their positions by dawn on the 9th, then steam towards each other in a pincer movement.

CLs SOUTHAMPTON, EDINBURGH, GLASGOW with DDs JERVIS, JUPITER, JAGUAR dep Rosyth, while DDs JACKAL and JANUS departed Grimsby and joined at sea to operate off the mouth of the Skagerrak , before sweeping north. At 0605/9th, JAGUAR was detached to Rosyth for refuelling and en route, was attacked by German bombers, but not damaged. JERVIS and JUPITER were ordered to search for Danish steamer TEDDY (557grt) which had picked up the crew of a German Dornier flying boat shot down on the 8th. They too were attacked by German bombers at 1518, but again without damage. However, JUPITER broke down at sea at 1650 and was taken in tow by JERVIS.

Reported LW activity suggests that 126 He111s of KG26 attacked ships of the Humber Force on this day. Similarly, 21 Ju88s of I/KG30 are claimed to have attacked the Home Flt, including Furious and other heavy ships. The attacks were fairly uncoordinated 
There was no damge recorded for any RN ships from these attacks. The LW used high level bombing to attack these ships. 

SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW, EDINBURGH and JACKAL and JANUS of the Humber Force were heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe between 1120 and 1645/9th off the mouth of the Skagerrak. SOUTHAMPTON and GLASGOW were near missed, but neither was damaged. Shortly before arriving at Scapa on the 10th, JUPITER was able to proceed on her own, screened by SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW, JACKAL and JANUS.

FN.18 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 10th. There was no convoy FN.19.

FS.18 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 10th. There was no convoy FS.19.

U.15 completed a survey of the English east coast and Straits of Dover lightships and buoys.

Dutch Coast

Cargo ship INDRA (Fn 2026 grt) was badly damaged by a mine near Terschelling; six crew were injured and they, together with 14 other crew were taken to Ymuiden, where INDRA was towed for repairs.

*Carribbean *

KJ.4, the last of the KJ series dep Kingston. Because of German raiders in the Atlantic, ships from the Caribbean now went north along the American coast (taking advantage of the Neutrality Zone) and joined the HX convoys from Halifax before beginning the Atlantic crossing.

*Northern Patrol - *.

No reported activity

*British Northern Waters *

MV HANSI (Nor 5000 grt est) (Note details on this ship are very sparse....i do not even know the GRT of this ship. Records show that it was built in 1931). Carrying wood pulp from Hommelvik to Ellesmere Port. Was proceeding to Kirkwall for inspection when she had engine failure and went aground at Reefdyke in the Orkneys. Refloated, but finally went aground at Linklet Bay, N Ronaldsway. Abandoned by crew Nov. 6-1939, in own boats and assisted ashore by the locals. Ship became a total loss. 

(no images found)

Sd MV VISTULA (1018 GRT) stopped by U-37 with a shot across her bow about 45 miles north of Muckle Flugga, Shetlands. Ship[ was boarded and searched, and found to be carrying contraband to England. Vessel was sunk with 14 rounds from the deck gun . The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, was provided by the Germans with food and then set sails for the nearby Shetlands.

(no image found)

BB ROYAL OAK with DDs MATABELE and STURDY sortied from Scapa to patrol to the west of the Shetlands in Fair Island Channel, but in heavy seas, the DDs lost touch and the BB and returned to Scapa, arriving on the 10th.

After a possible periscope was sighted six miles 180° from St Catherines, DD SALADIN was sent to investigate.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.8S of steamers BARON MACLAY, CLAN MONROE and TRELAWNY dep the Loire escort DDs WESSEX, VISCOUNT and VENETIA, and arrived safely at the Bristol Channel on the 10th.

* English Channel*

U-12 : The Type IIB Uboat struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off Dover with the loss of all 27 crew
404 Not Found




_Type II Uboat_

*Med/Biscay*

OG.2 was formed from the merging of OA.16G and OB.16G. The 30 ships proceeded to Gib without an ocean escort, but were met by DDs WATCHMAN and VELOX and escorted into Gib on the 17th.

Green 4 dep Gib with 39 ships, including 14 from OG.1, escort Fr DDs CASSARD, KERSAINT and British sloop ABERDEEN. The French ships were relieved on the 13th by British DD GRENADE, and the convoy reached Port Said on the 17th escort DD GRENADE and ABERDEEN.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

DKM ADM GRAF SPEE, finding the MV NEWTON BEECH unsuitable as a support ship, due to her slow speed, sink s the prize ship. All 71 prisoners being held on the ship are transferred off prior to the scuttling. 

*North Atlantic*

HX.4 dep Halifax , escort CA YORK and HMCS DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, the latter detaching on the 8th. YORK and FRASER detached on the 10th with YORK arriving back on the 13th. The bulk of the dispersed ships of the convoy reached Liverpool on the 22nd and one ship on the 24th.


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## Lucky13 (Oct 7, 2014)

Absolutely fantastic work gentlemen! 
How do you bacon a whole thread?


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## Njaco (Oct 8, 2014)

*8 October 1939 Sunday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* A RAF reconnaissance plane shot down a German flying boat conducting reconnaissance over the North Sea.

British steamer “_Newton Beach_”, captured by “_Graf Spee_” on Oct 5, is found to be too slow for use as a prison ship and sunk, after her prisoners are transferred to “_Graf Spee_”.

*ASIA:* Chinese 195th Division pursued the retreating Japanese troops in the Miluo River and Sinchiang River region in Hunan Province, China.

*GERMANY:* The I Gruppe of LG 1 is designated as V(Z)./LG 1, a Zerstörer Gruppe using Bf 110s and a new I Gruppe is formed flying Heinkel He 111 medium bombers. Based at Jever, Major Walter Grabmann becomes Gruppenkommandeur of the V(Z)./LG 1 while Major Eduard Teske becomes the new Gruppenkommandeur of the I Gruppe.

*POLAND:* Fighting in Poland is over. The country ceases to exist although Poland never officially surrenders. A Government-in-Exile (in Paris, then Angers France, finally in London) under Prime Minister (also General) Władysław Sikorski commands Polish armed forces operating outside Poland. 100,000 Polish troops escape via Romania and Lithuania, but 70,000 are dead and 130,000 wounded. Civilian losses are estimated at 150,000–200,000. 694,000 Polish troops become German prisoners of war. 217,000 go into Soviet captivity, most never to return. German losses are modest and more accurately recorded; 10,572 dead, 30,322 wounded, 3409 missing. Soviet casualties are minimal; 1000 dead, 2400 wounded.

The first Jewish ghetto was established in Piotrkow, Poland.

In a decree issued today, Hitler proclaimed that "_where 12 million Poles now live, is to be populated by 4 to 5 million Germans."_ He referred to central Poland which has come under the command of the Nazi General Gouvernement. Western areas of Poland, in addition to the former Free City of Danzig, have been annexed to Germany. As a result, Germany's eastern border has been extended some 200 kilometers into Polish territory. German citizens are flocking into areas formerly part of Western Poland, as part of Hitler's policy of lebensraum, displacing the Poles who were living there.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: German and Latvian representatives sign an agreement for the patriation, to the Third Reich, of German-speaking citizens of Latvia. An estimated 50,000 ethnic Germans are involved.

The Finnish government accepts a Soviet invitation to send a delegation to Moscow to discuss border disputes. Finland also declares its determination to maintain its independence and its neutrality in the war.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Canadian government announces that a division of 20,000 troops will leave for overseas early next year.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The prototype of the Percival Proctor, designed to British Air Ministry Specification 20/38 for a communications and radio training aircraft, made its maiden flight.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 8, 2014)

*9 October*
Known Reinforcements
Allied New Ships
RAN Aux MSWs GOORANGI and ORARA









UBOATS

arrivals 

None

departures

Kiel: U-45
Wilhelmshaven: U-15

At Sea 9 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-42 , U-45 , U-46, U-47, U-48. 

11 boats at sea

*North Sea *.

MOUNT IDA (Gr) 4202 GRT: The ship ran aground on the Ower Bank. All 29 crew rescued but one later died from injuries sustained during the rescue. The vessel was carrying grain and timber, , left Vancouver, bound for the port of Leith, Scotland. On 9 October she was close to the north-east coast of Norfolk. This area has many sand banks.

Despite being equipped with direction finding equipment and an echo sounding device MOUNT IDA ran aground on a sandbank. At 0625 hrs the coastguard told the coxswain of the Cromer lifeboat, Henry Blogg, that the ship was aground and asked that the lifeboat be sent to assist her. Since the outbreak of the War a month earlier, RNLI lifeboats had been under RN control , and this was only the second rescue effort by the Cromer lifeboat under this arrangement.

The Cromer lifeboat H.F. Bailey was launched and set off towards Haisborough Sands, which is where Coxswain Blogg had been told the MOUNT IDA was aground. The lifeboat had been at sea for an hour when the coastguard informed Blogg by radio that MOUNT IDA was not on Haisborough Sands but in fact was grounded 19 miles (31 km) further north-east, on Ower Bank.

The stricken vessel was reached around 1230 hrs. By this time the ship's starboard lifeboat had been carried away, she was listing heavily to starboard and lying head on to the seas, and her position offered no lee for the lifeboat to come alongside. The H.F. Bailey made an attempt to throw a line to the stricken vessel but was twice struck by the heavy seas and flung back. Coxswain Blogg made another attempt to come alongside, before deciding that it was too dangerous and that he would have to wait for the sea to slacken.

By 1415 hrs conditions had improved and Blogg, using the lifeboat's powerful engines with great skill, was able to maintain a steady position alongside the ship for over an hour. During this time all 29 crewmen were brought off successfully. 





_silhouette of the MOUNT IDA_

MV SALTAIRE (UK): 202 GRT. The trawler ran aground at Spurn Point, Yorkshire. Salvage attempts failed and she was declared a total loss

DD WOOLSTON completed conversion to a fast escort vessel (reduced firepower, increasede ASW weaponary and sensors, enhanced range and seakeeping, reduced speed due to removal of one boiler) ), and following working up at Portland, was assigned to Convoy C of the Rosyth Command.

CLA CAIRO dep Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back on the 11th.

CLA CALCUTTA dep Grimsby on escort duties and arrived back on the 10th





_CLAs CALCUTTA AND CAIRO were of similar appearanbce_

Dutch Coast

MV INDRA ( Fn) 1999 GRT : The cargo ship sank in the North Sea off Terschelling. Cause unknown 

*Northern Patrol - *.

6 cruisers were on their Northern Patrol stations.

CL BELFAST dep Scapa on the 1st for Northern Patrol. On the 8th, she stopped Sd steamer LILJEVALCH (5492grt) but allowed her to continue after inspection, and next day, stopped Nor steamer TAI YIN (7077grt), sending her into Kirkwall to check for contraband.

Shortly after sending off TAI YIN, BELFAST sighted another steamer which proved to be German liner CAP NORTE (13,615grt) carrying German reservists from South America. She was captured 50 miles NW of the Faroes and CL CALYPSO, also on Northern Patrol in the area, arrived to assist. CAP NORTE was sent off towards Kirkwall under a prize crew consisting of Lt Cdr A G L Seale in command, Gunner (T) D E Wright and twenty ratings, and at 0730/10th, was turned over to CL DELHI. They were joined off the Orkneys by armed boarding vessel NORTHERN ROVER (655grt) and CAP NORTE, DELHI, and NORTHERN ROVER reached Kirkwall on the 12th. CAP NORTE was renamed EMPIRE TROOPER for British use as a troopship. After dealing with her, BELFAST, her prize crews depleted, returned to Scapa, arriving at 1500/13th.

From 29 September to 12 October, 64 ships were sighted by the Northern Patrol. Of these 26 were eastbound and 20 of them were sent to Kirkwall for inspection. CAP NORTE was the only German ship intercepted in this period.
The SS CAP NORTE – the German liner captured by the HMS BELFAST at the beginning of WW 2 | Cruising The Past






*UK-France convoys .*

Fr Contre Torpilleur DD PANTHÈRE collided with Belgian trawler VAN EYCK near Boulogne, and was repaired at Cherbourg, completing at the end of October.




_Panthere and Tigre were of the same class and appearance_

BC.10F of troopship ULSTER PRINCE dep Bristol Channel escort DDs EXPRESS and ENCOUNTER, and arrived safely in the Loire on the 11th.

BC.10S of steamers BEAVERDALE, BELLEROPHON (Commodore), BRIARWOOD, CITY OF DERBY, DORSET COAST, EILDON, ERATO, FLORISTAN, LYCAON, MERKLAND, PEMBROKE COAST, RAMON DE LARRINGA and VOLO dep Bristol Channel escort by DDs EXMOUTH, ECLIPSE, MONTROSE and VIVACIOUS. The convoy safely arrived in the Loire on the 11th.

SA.12 of two steamers dep Southampton, escort DDDs VENOMOUS and ANTHONY, and reached Brest on the 10th.

*UK-outbound convoys* 

OA.17 of eleven ships dep Southend escort DDs ACASTA and ARDENT from the 9th to 11th.

OB.17 escort DDs IMOGEN and ILEX dep Liverpool, the DDs remaining with the convoy until the 12th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

DDs VIVACIOUS and ESCAPADE were involved in a collision leaving Milford Haven. ESCAPADE was docked at Newport completing repairs on the 20th, while VIVACIOUS was only very slightly damaged and did not require repair. 

DDs WALPOLE, AMAZON and WINCHELSEA dep Milford Haven to escort convoy KJ.1B.

*Med/Biscay*
CV GLORIOUS, CL PENELOPE, and DDs DUNCAN, DARING, DAINTY, GRAFTON, GIPSY, GALLANT and BULLDOG exercised off Alex. BB MALAYA with GLORIOUS, BULLDOG and DARING were then detached to Socotra to arrive on the 16th




_BB Malaya as she appeared in 1943_
DD DEFENDER arrived at Malta on the 5th and was out of service for 7 days with perforated boiler tubes.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN, sailing as Force K and en route to Freetown, encountered a merchant ship which identified herself as the American DELMAR. Lacking destroyers, the merchant ship could not be boarded and she was allowed to go on her way. Later intelligence revealed that the genuine DELMAR was in New Orleans and this had been German supply ship ALTMARK.
bergen_seite_04-altmark




_DKM Altmark_





_HM Renown 1942_

CL DANAE departed Capetown on escort duties.

*North Atlantic*

DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND stopped American steamer CITY OF FLINT (4963grt) in the North Atlantic off the Newfoundland Banks. Captured British crew from steamer SOUTHGATE were put aboard, and the American ship received a prize crew, and disguised as Danish steamer ALF, she sailed initially towards Murmansk (but this changed several times).

To avoid the Royal Navy, the prize crew headed for Tromso, arriving on 20 October 1939. The Norwegians, neutral at the time and disturbed by the sinking of the MV LORENTZ W HANSEN, refused entry to the Germans, giving them 24 hours to leave. The Norwegian DD Sleipner escorted the City of Flint out of Norwegian territorial waters at 1620hrs the next day.

The prize crew then sailed again for Murmansk, claiming havarie (the privilege of sanctuary for damage caused at sea). The ship lay in Murmansk harbor under the control of the German prize crew for several days and was eventually sent out by the Russians, who stated that if the Germans claimed havarie, the American crew could not be prisoners of war.

The prize crew then tried Norway again, the port of Haugesund. The Norwegian government again refused entry, describing the German crew as "kidnappers". The approaching Royal Navy left the prize crew no choice, though; on 3 November they entered the harbor.

The ship anchored in Norway, and no one could claim the ship was making her right for passage. By consequence the Norwegian Admiralty dispatched ML OLAV TRYGGVASON and boarded the CITY OF FLINT with its second in command, Cpt B. Dingsor and 30 armed sailors, who on 6 November returned CITY OF FLINT to Captain Gainard's command. He unloaded his cargo in Bergen and set sail in ballast for the US. The German prize crew was interned at Kongsvinger Fortress (I believe they were liberated in April the following year).

City of Flint continued in service in the Atlantic until she was sunk on 23 January 1943 by the German submarine U-575.
_Photo from City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-4009_


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## Njaco (Oct 9, 2014)

*9 October 1939 Monday*

*ASIA: *There is a Chinese victory at Changsha.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The US cargo ship, "_City of Flint_", is captured by the German pocket battleship "_Deutschland_". The Germans search the ship and seize it when contraband supplies for Britain are found on board, under the Prize Rules for war at sea. The unarmed SS "_City of Flint_", clearly marked as neutral, was carrying general cargo from New York to Great Britain when, with the battleship's guns trained on her, she was ordered to stop. The Nazis decided lubricating oil in her holds was "contraband," and put on a "prize crew" which took the ship via a circuitous route to Norway. Norwegian commandos eventually freed the ship and crew. This incident influences American public opinion in favor of modifying the Neutrality Act, currently being debated in Congress.

*GERMANY:* Eager to continue Germany's success against his enemies, Hitler signs his Directive No. 6 For The Conduct Of War ( http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/06.html ) outlining his attack against France and the Low Countries, codenamed ‘FALL GELB’. Its message is simple:


> "Should it become evident in the near future that England and, under her influence, France also, are not disposed to bring the war to an end, I have decided, without further loss of time to go over to the offensive. . . . an attacking operation on the northern wing of the western front, through the areas of Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland. This attack must be carried out with as much strength and at as early a date as possible . . . "


He determines to defeat the French army and their allies, by striking before the arrival of large numbers of British troops, while French border defenses are not fully organized. He knows the British army is currently weak from the Soviets, who negotiated with the British before their pact with Germany. Hitler plans to occupy as much territory in France, Belgium and Holland as possible, then launch an air and sea war to bring Britain to terms. The offensive is to be directed across the Low Countries and is intended to defeat strong sections of the French and British armies when these arrive to help the Dutch and the Belgians. The ground taken is to provide protection for the Ruhr and to give bases for the air war against Britain. The aims of the plan are, therefore, limited when compared with the Schlieffen Plan of 1914 or with the scheme which is actually adopted in May 1940. There is no mention of completely defeating France. This order is a further blow to the autonomy of the German army. Their view is that, although it lies within Hitler's authority as head of state and Commander in Chief of the Wehrmacht to order an attack to be prepared as soon as possible, the army should be asked where and how this attack should take place. Even Keitel argues against Hitler on this issue. Preparations are begun within the Luftwaffe to get ready for the invasion. Hitler gives detailed instructions on the proposed war in the West to the commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He orders General von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the German Army, and General Halder, chief of staff of the High Command, to prepare a plan for invasion before the end of 1939.

The personnel and crew of I./JG 21 are transferred to the Western Front.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finland calls up military reservists in response to Soviet pressure for border revisions. Juho Kusti Paasikivi leaves Helsinki for Moscow to negotiate Soviet territorial demands. As an architect of Finnish independence, he won concessions from Stalin in the 1920 Treaty of Tartu.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The crew and planes of I./KG 30 finally arrive at the airfield at Westerland and are immediately dispatched on another attack against the British Home Fleet. Aircraft from KG 26, KG 30 and LG 1 totaling 127 He 111s and twenty-one Ju88s are committed. The operation again ends in disappointment for the Luftwaffe. Two of the new Ju 88A-1s of I./KG 30 are shot down, including that of the Gruppenkommandeur, becoming the first Luftwaffe Ju 88 bombers to fall in combat.

In Paris thirty-five of the 46 Communist deputies in the French parliament are arrested for agitating against the war.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 9, 2014)

*10 October*
Axis New Ships
None
Allied New Ships
RN DD KANDAHAR (JKN Class)




Neutral New ships
None
UBOATS
In a report signed v. Fischel, prepared by the German Naval Office for Hitler, it was stated that considerably more raw materials, man-power, and works capacity would be needed to carry out the increased U-Boat building programme.
Its execution should take precedence over all other tasks and services. Requirements of raw materials were given. These must be kept up for the duration of the war.

The following figures represented extra indispensable man-power:
Ship and ships' engines construction 29,000 men.
Torpedo and mining 60,000 men.
Fine mechanical and optical instruments 5,000 men.
Other jobs 35,000 men.
Total for the most important work 120,000 men.
Source: U-boat Archive - Admiralty CB 4051 - History of U-boat Policy
arrivals 

None

departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-40 (lost 4 days later)

At Sea 10 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-40, U-42, U-45 , U-46, U-47, U-48. 
12 boats at sea.

The first attempt to conduct a U-boat wolfpack group operation with a tactical commander on board (KKpt Werner Hartman, Commander of Submarine Flotilla 6, on U.37) was begun. Of the 9 SS designated, only three finally took part. U.25 and U.34 could not complete repairs in time, U.47 was detached for the operation against British units at Scapa , and U.42 departed Wilhelmshaven on 30 September, U.48 on the 4th, U.37 on the 5th, U.46 on the 8th, U.45 on the 10th, and U.40 on the 11th. However, U.42, U.45 and U.40 were lost before the operation could be mounted. Only U.37, U.46 and U.48 were left to attack convoy HG.3 on the 17th.

*Baltic*

GNEISENAU force arrived back at Kiel , with DD FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT arriving separately at Swinemünde. The Germans on this occasion had not achieved any worthwhile result. 

*North Sea *.

Upon receiving news of the German's return at 1454, Admiral Forbes returned to port.

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BC HOOD, and DDs FAULKNOR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, FURY, FORESTER and FIREDRAKE returned directly to Loch Ewe.

DDs FOXHOUND and FEARLESS dep Scapa on the 10th to escort the fleet into Scapa , arrived on the 11th. The ships concerned were BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, CLs AURORA, NEWCASTLE and DDs ESKIMO, SOMALI, MASHONA, ASHANTI, FAME, FORESIGHT, MATABELE, STURDY, FOXHOUND and FEARLESS, plus the Humber Force, less CL EDINBURGH which had been detached and went directly to Rosyth.

CL SHEFFIELD had detached from the main force late on the 9th to patrol in the Denmark Strait and arrived back at Loch Ewe on the 15th. DD FAULKNOR was weather damaged and repaired in the Clyde until 2 November, while JANUS and JACKAL were in a minor collision at Kirkwall.

UK East Coast

Trawler SALTAIRE (UK 202 grt):Vessel ran aground at Spurn Point, Yorkshire. Salvage attempts failed and she was declared a total loss


*Carribbean *

Forces disposed in the West Indies for patrol and escort duties were (1) Jamaica Force – RN CL ORION, the HMAS CL PERTH and RCN DD SAGUENAY, (2) Antilles Force - French training CL JEANNE D'ARC, DE VILLE D'YS, submarine AGOSTA, (3) Oil Supply Protection Force – British sloops DUNDEE, PENZANCE and French submarine OUESSANT.








_CL Jeanne D' Arc and DE of the Bougainville Class_

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL DIOMEDE and DRAGON left Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol duties.




_D Class Cruiser_

*Med/Biscay*

CL CERES dep Gib with turbine defects and arrived at Plymouth on the 13th for repairs completed on the 27th.

CL DAUNTLESS dep Gib and arrived at Malta on the 13th, en route to the China Station.

DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT dep Alex for Gib to escort BB RAMILLIES, due to sail on the 15th for Alex.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE captured steamer HUNTSMAN (8196grt) in the South Atlantic . HUNTSMAN and German supply ship ALTMARK met on the 16th, her cargo was transferred, and crew taken off on the 17th, after which HUNTSMAN was scuttled 
COASTERS OTHER SHIPS REVIVED » Steamers Over 4000 TDW ? H






HMNZS CL ACHILLES arrived at Valapariso for two day self maintenance to correct engine room defects.

*North Atlantic*

*Indian Ocean* 

MV MARLY (Nor): The cargo ship foundered in a cyclone in the Indian Ocean with the loss of all 46 crew
(No Image found)

*Australia Station*

HMA CAs AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA and CL ADELAIDE searched the Gabo Island area for German ships believed to be laying mines until the 13th.

HMA Ships SWAN and YARRA, (sloops), commenced the first minesweeping operations on the Australian coast in WWII, following reports of an unidentified ship being sighted off Gabo Island.





_The last stand of HMAS Yarra(II) - Painting courtesy of artist David Marshall. Oil on canvas, 2012. Original on display in HMAS Creswell's Gunroom, where i first saw it. She was sunk in action 4 March 1942 with 3 Japanese CAs off Timor, whilst successfully covering the withdrawal of a convoy._


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## Wurger (Oct 9, 2014)

On the 9th October 1939 in the forester's lodge Podgórze near Łagowo at Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Mjr. Henryk Dobrzański alias Hubal decided to stay with his troop in Poland and continue struggling against the German invaders until the allied , spring offensive at the West.

Mjr Henryk Dobrzański ....






Mjr. Hubal and his soldiers...





































Mjr. Hubal was killed in April 1940.

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## vikingBerserker (Oct 9, 2014)

Awesome information gents!


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## Njaco (Oct 10, 2014)

*10 October 1939 Tuesday*

*ASIA: *Chinese troops recaptured all territory in Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi Provinces in China that the Japanese had captured as part of the recently-failed advance on Changsha, Hunan.

Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki was named the chief of staff of Admiral Shigetaro Shimada at Kure Naval District, Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* “_Admiral Graf Spee_” captures the British liner “_Huntsman_” (with a cargo of tea) near the British island of St. Helena, 1200 miles off the coast of Africa. “_Huntsman_”, with sleeping and galley facilities, is well suited to replace “_Newton Beach_” as a prison ship. “_Huntsman’s_” passengers are now joined by “_Graf Spee’s_” other prisoners. “_Graf Spee_” uses “_Huntsman’s_” radio to deceptively report attack by a submarine at a false location and both boats steam off to meet “_Graf Spee’s_” support ship “_Altmark_”.

*EASTERN FRONT:* In Moscow, a Pact of Mutual Assistance is signed between the Soviet Union and Lithuania, allowing Soviet occupation of stations of military importance. Stalin and Molotov threaten Juozas Urbšys, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, with invasion to force the signature of a “mutual assistance pact” allowing Soviet army, air and naval bases in Lithuania. Stalin wants 50,000 soldiers there; Urbšys concedes 28,000 Red troops. In return, Lithuania gets the city of Vilnius, annexed by Poland in 1920 and recently taken by USSR. These are cynical gestures by Molotov and Stalin, as Lithuania will be annexed by USSR in 1940.

*GERMANY:* With the failure of the attack against the British Home Fleet the day before fresh on his mind, Generalfeldmarschall Göring issues a challenge to the pilots of the Luftwaffe to destroy the Royal Navy. He proclaims;


> “We’ve got to score a success!”


 Admiral Raeder mentions to Hitler for the first time the possibility of invading Norway to secure naval and especially submarine bases. Churchill is, at this time, arguing in the British Cabinet that Norwegian coastal waters should be mined to interfere with German iron-ore traffic.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finns call up their reserves and begin the evacuation of some frontier districts, including Helsinki and Viborg.

The Estonian government resigns. Uluots is appointed the new Prime Minister and Piip becomes the new Foreign Minister.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The United Kingdom removed 303 sacks of letters destined for the United States from the freighter _"Black Gull"_ to censor any potential intelligence useful for the Axis.

The highly successful Empire Air Training Scheme was set up to train Australian, Canadian and New Zealand aircrew.

Recruitment to the Women's Land Army is suspended after 25,000 have enrolled.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German patrols are reportedly active and artillery exchanges take place.

The French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier, formally rejects the German peace proposals, made by Adolf Hitler on October 9th, in a national radio broadcast. He states that France will continue to fight for a definite guarantee of security in Europe.



.

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## parsifal (Oct 10, 2014)

*11 October*
Neutral New ships
Nor TB BALDER (Odin Class)




UBOATS

arrivals 

None

departures

None

At Sea 11 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-40, U-42, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48. 
12 boats at sea

*Northern Patrol - *.

Three cruisers were on Northern Patrol duty, while CL SHEFFIELD was on a special patrol between Iceland and Greenland.
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Cruisers (UK) > HMS Sheffield (1940)




_HMS Sheffield_
*British Northern Waters *

DD BEAGLE attacked a submarine contact 
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Destroyers (UK) > HMS Beagle (Destroyer) (1940)





_HMS Beagle. The A to E classes were all of very similar appearance_
*UK-France convoys .*

BC.10F of troopship ULSTER PRINCE dep the Loire escort DDs EXPRESS and ENCOUNTER, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 12th.

* English Channel*

OA.18 of nine ships departed Southend and dispersed on the 17th, possibly escorted by DDs MONTROSE and VIVACIOUS which dep Milford Haven on the 9th.

*Southwestern Approaches*

DDs WINCHELSEA and WALPOLE with convoy KJ.1B attacked a submarine contact 11 miles from Great Ormes Head, later determined to be a wreck.





_WINCHELSEA and WALPOLE were ships from the V&W class. built during or just after WWI, they were an extremely modern design for their time, but by WWII were only suitable as convoy escorts. Many were taken in hand for conversion to long rage escots with reduced speed and power, reduced firepower, but greater range and better seakeeping _

OB.18 dep Liverpool escort DD VERSATILE and MACKAY until the 14th.

*Med/Biscay*

CA DEVONSHIRE dep Alex for Malta, arriving on the 13th for repairs, which were completed on the 21st. She left on the 24th and arrived back at Alex on the 26th.





_HMS Devonshire was a London Class Heavy Cruiser. The RN abandoned 8" armed cruisers in favour of better protected 6" cruisers such as the Southampton Class_

Blue 4 dep Port Said with 29 ships on the 11th, escort by DDs DAINTY and DUNCAN. MSW SUTTON brought two ships from Alex on the 12th to join the convoy. DUNCAN dep at 0545/16th to refuel at Malta and rejoined in the Malta Channel at 1415/16th with Fr DD KERSAINT.

DAINTY and MSW SUTTON left in the Malta Channel on the 16th, and DUNCAN and KERSAINT were relieved by DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT on the 17th. The two G-class destroyers remained until the 18th when Med convoying was discontinued. The convoy arrived safely at Gib on the 21st.

DD DIANA arrived at Suez from Singapore to reinforce the Med Flt.




_D class DD_
*Central and South Atlantic* – 

DDs HARDY, HASTY, HOSTILE, HEREWARD and HERO dep Malta on the 2nd and Gib on the 5th for duty with the Sth Atlantic Command at Freetown. HEREWARD and HERO, escorting liner ATHLONE CASTLE, arrived at Freetown on the 11th, while HARDY, HASTY, HOSTILE joined CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN also on the 11th. These ships arrived at Freetown on the 12th and after replenishment put back to sea on the 14th in search of raiders.





_H class DD_

HGF.3 departed Gibraltar with steamer NARKUNDA (16,632grt) the only ship in the convoy

PO T E Clark was killed when his Sea Gladiator of 802 Squadron from aircraft carrier GLORIOUS crashed in Lake Maruit, Alexandria.

_Just prior to the outbreak of war the sqn was serving with HMS GLORIOUS in the Med with 12 Sea Gladiators (Acquired from RAF reserve stocks). The squadron ceased to exist with the loss of HMS Glorious, sunk by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8 June 1940 during the defence of Norway.

Reformed from part of 804 sqn in November 1940 with Martlet Is the squadron sub-flights embarked on HMS AUDACITY in July 1941 (with martlet IIs), and on HMS Argus in August, and in the following month the whole squadron was involved in Gib escort convoys from HMS Audacity from which it shot down 4 FW200s. The CO L/C JM Wintour RN was shot down in November 1941. While escorting Convoy OG-74, outbound to Gib, the first Fw-200 was shot down on September 21. Eric Brown, later known as one of the foremost test pilots in history, got his first Condor - the sqn's third kill - on November 7, 1941, during the second trip to Gib; his Martlet had a slightly-bent prop, but there were only 4 aircraft left aboard "Audacity" by then. Returning from Gib, he scored his second Condor kill on 19 December 1941.

The sqn was lost on 21 December 1941 when HMS Audacity was sunk by U-741. HMS "Empire Audacity" was a priority target for the U-boats by this time; the ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-751 on December 21, 1941, with heavy loss of life. Brown and Lt. "Sheepy" Lamb were the only survivors of 802's pilots.

The squadron was re-formed in February 1942 with Sea Hurricane Ibs embarking on HMS AVENGERr for escorting PQ18 Arctic convoys in September during which time 5 enemy aircraft were shot down and 17 damaged, in conjunction with 883 squadron.

In September, the sqn again embarked on HMS AVENGER and provided fighter cover on the Algerian component of the TORCH invasion beaches, and on convoy work UK bound was torpedoed on 15 November 1942 by U-155.

The squadron lay dormant till May 1945 when reformed at Arbroath with 24 Seafire L.IIIs. By VJ day, the squadron had spent a short period in HMS QUEEN, and had been anticipated to leave for the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) with 9th Carrier Air Group. _
© Rick Kent FAUCONBERG AEROGRAPHICS





_GLOSTER SEA GLADIATOR I, N5519 "G6A", 802 Sqn RN, HMS Glorious, August 1939_
*North Atlantic*

*Indian Ocean* 

CA CORNWALL dep Colombo on patrol and arrived back on 3 November.

CL LIVERPOOL dep Bombay to search for German raiders in the Seychelles area, Amirante Group, and Providence, Farquhar, Aldabara anchorages. Returned 13 November .

Other

SS SEAL, passing through the Med en route to the Home Flt, escorted damaged DD GARLAND which was towed by netlayer PROTECTOR, from Alex to Malta where they arrived on the 11th. General submarine movements at this time were as follows:

Group 1, PORPOISE, CACHALOT, SEAL departed Malta on the 11th, escorted by PROTECTOR as far as Galita Island. PROTECTOR returned to Malta to meet Group 2, SEALION, SALMON, SHARK and SNAPPER and escorted them later the same day to Galita Island. Both groups reached Gib on the 15th and left on the 16th for Portsmouth, with Group 1 arriving on the 20th and Group 2 on the 22nd.

SNAPPER went directly into dock with engine problems which had caused problems on passage from Gib. Repairs completed on the 28th and she went to Sheerness for docking from 2 to 11 November. CACHALOT and SEAL were shortly sent to Halifax to escort convoys, while PORPOISE arrived at Chatham on the 24th for refitting.

SEALION, SALMON, SHARK were almost immediately deployed off the Dogger Bank on a patrol line, which ended on 4 November when they were ordered to Rosyth. SEALION, SALMON, SHARK, SNAPPER, along with SUNFISH, STERLET of the 2nd Submarine Flotilla and depot ship CYCLOPS, formed the 3rd Submarine Flotilla. The Flotilla was based at Harwich and began operations in late November.

General Events

U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt met with Albert Einstein and other scientists regarding the development and deployment of an atomic bomb. This meeting lay the ground work for an American effort to complete an operational nuclear weapon before the Axis powers.


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## Wurger (Oct 10, 2014)

The extermination of Poles had started as soon as the Nazi German Wehrmacht invaded Poland. The main goal was to divest the Polish nation of the Intelligentsia and murder all of Poles who come out against Germany in the past and present including scouts, Posnanian and Silesian insurgents. On the 5th October 1939 a firing squad killed defenders of the Polish Post Office in Gdańsk. On the 10th October the first mass execution was carried out in the Bydgoszcz Death Valley. About 3000 people were killed there.

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## Njaco (Oct 11, 2014)

*11 October 1939 Wednesday*

*GERMANY:* The dive-bomber Staffel for the carrier unit TrGr 186 reforms as a new 4./TrGr, using Bf 109Es flying from airfields near Jever.

The radio station in Berlin, Germany reported the false rumor of the fall of the British government, and that the new government was to offer Germany peace terms. Reported journalist William Shirer:


> "Old women in the vegetable markets tossed their cabbages into the air, wrecked their stands in sheer joy and made for the nearest pub to toast the peace".



Wilhelm von Leeb wrote a note to Walther von Brauchitsch and other German Army leaders, noting that Germany should not invade neutral Belgium due to moral reasons.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Fearing war between the USSR and Finland, President Roosevelt appeals to Soviet President Mikhail I Kalinin for restraint and to;


> "…make no demands on Finland which are inconsistent with the maintenance and development of amicable and peaceful relations between the two countries, and the independence of each."



Leó Szilárd and Albert Einstein's letter (sent on 2 Aug 1939) reached Franklin Roosevelt, who agreed to establish a committee for the research of nuclear energy as a weapon. In that letter, the two physicists warn that the Nazis are achieving results in the investigation of a nuclear weapon based on atomic fission. This led to Roosevelt's decision to establish the Uranium Advisory Committee - a precursor of what will be the Manhattan Project - shortly after.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The War Office moves to increase weekly production of mustard gas from 310 to 1200 tons. Britain now has 158,000 troops deployed in France, according to the British Secretary of War, Leslie Hore-Belisha. Meanwhile, in a by-election at Clackmannan and East Stirling, a pacifist candidate draws 1060 votes.

Polish government-in-exile foreign minister, August Zaleski, consults with the British prime minister and Lord Halifax. Meanwhile, a commercial agreement is signed by the British and Soviet governments by which timber will be imported in exchange for rubber and Cornish tin.

An aircraft belonging to the RAF, operating from Acklington airfield and piloted by a Sergeant Pilot crashed at Cheviot Hill near Goldscleugh, Kirknewton, Wooler.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Russia demanded from Finland rights to establish airfields on Finnish territory as well as ceding of large amounts of Finnish soil; Finland rejected the demands.

In large towns in Finland, machine-guns and anti-aircraft guns are being mounted.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Édouard Daladier (Prime Minister of France) dismisses Hitler’s Oct 6 peace proposal, saying;


> "We took up arms against aggression. We shall not put them down until we have guarantees for a real peace and security, a security which is not threatened every six months."


 This closes the door on any diplomatic moves by Britain and France to negotiate with Germany to buy time to prepare for war. However, Hitler is in no mood to wait as Germany currently has the strategic initiative, numerical supremacy and better weaponry to overrun the undermanned and poorly organized Allied defenses. He is already planning to invade France (Führer Directive 6, October 9).

British Expeditionary Force finishes initial landings in France. They deploy a total of about 158,000 troops.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 11, 2014)

*12 October*
Axis New Ships
None
Allied New Ships
None
Neutral New ships
Ne DD CALLENBURGH




UBOATS

arrivals 

None

departures

None

At Sea 12 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-35, U-37, U-40, U-42 , U-45 , U-46, U-47, U-48. 
12 boats at sea

*North Sea *.

FN.20 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 14th. There was no convoy FN.21

FS.20 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL DUNEDIN joined Northern Patrol. Four CLs on Northern Patrol, with CL SHEFFIELD still on special detachment in the Denmark Strait. 

*British Northern Waters *

BC REPULSE, after degaussing at Kirkwall, dep with DDs FAME and FORESIGHT for boiler cleaning at Rosyth

CLs GLASGOW and NEWCASTLE were detached from the Home Flt to cover convoys in the Western Approaches.

CL EDINBURGH dep Rosyth.

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.9S of six steamers, including CERVANTES and GUELMA (Commodore) departed the Loire, escort DDs EXMOUTH and ECLIPSE, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 14th. 

* English Channel*

DDs AMAZON, WAKEFUL, ARROW, ACHATES, ACHERON, WREN and sloop FLEETWOOD were on ASW patrol.


DD ECHO ran aground as she entered Plymouth in a heavy fog, damaged her stern and repaired at Plymouth, completing on 17 Nov.

*Southwestern Approaches*

U.48 sank Fr tkr EMILE MIGUET (14,115grt), a straggler from convoy KJ.2, 190 miles SW of Fastnet. Ship was carrying 137.000 barrels of gasoline and crude oil. She caught fire and was abandoned with one crewman killed and one missing. Survivors were rescued by US steamer BLACK HAWK (4988grt) and she was scuttled by gunfire from DD IMOGEN.
Photo from Uboat net





*Central and South Atlantic* – 

SLF.4 dep Freetown unescorted and arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

*North Atlantic*

DDs FURY, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, WOLVERINE were on ASW NW pf the Hebrides.

U.37 sank Greek steamer ARIS (4810grt) two crew were lost and 27 survivors rescued by Danish steamer SICILIEN (1654grt). U-37 tried to stop the unescorted and neutral Aris west of Ireland, but she did not stop and used the radio because they had transported war materials to Britain according to the master. At the time of her sinking the ship was outbound and carrying ballast. U-37 should not have sunk her, however the use of radio was in breach of KM policy. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats after a round hit the funnel at 18.20 hours. At 19.45 hours, the U-boat fired one G7a torpedo which passed underneath the keel. She was sunk by a second torpedo after shells fired into the waterline did not sink the ship. 

The U-boat then towed the lifeboats 80 miles towards the Irish coast
Photo from the Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart


----------



## Njaco (Oct 12, 2014)

*12 October 1939 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-48 sank French tanker “_Emile Miguet_” and British freighter “_Heronspool_”. 

*GERMANY:* The deportation of Jews from occupied Austria and Czechoslovakia to occupied Poland begins under the direction of an SS administration headed by Eichmann.

Hitler meets with the High Command of the Luftwaffe and orders an increase in the production of munitions, and has abandoned the hope of peace, at least with the British. The Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, orders German newspapers to stop talking about peace prospects.

Fedor von Bock was appointed the commanding officer of the German Army Group B (Heeresgruppe B).

*POLAND:* Hitler named Hans Frank as Governor General of Poland, with absolute control over civil affairs in the districts of Warsaw, Lublin, Radom and Krakow (ie, the Poland that the Reich has not been officially annexed .) Hans Frank is an advocate of the old guard of the NSDAP, who was legal adviser to Hitler and currently chairs the Academy of German Law. As Governor General of Poland, Frank will report to Himmler, and the first mission is to prepare receiving concentration of Polish Jews in the ghettos of major cities.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finnish delegation arrives in Moscow by train and meets with Stalin and Molotov. The Soviets want the cession of some territory near Leningrad, control of the islands in the Gulf of Finland, use of the port of Hanko and other rearrangements of the border in the far north near Murmansk. In return they offer rather more land than they demanded in the Suomussalmi area. The Finns only feel able to offer a much smaller range of concessions. Molotov issues vague threats of military action, which have previously worked with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Finns, however, refuse. Negotiations will continue but the Finnish army is mobilized and children are evacuated from Finnish cities.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Chamberlain officially rejects the call for a European conference, to meet and resolve differences with Germany, made by Hitler on October 6. He says that to consider such terms would be to forgive Germany for all aggressions and he warns that Germany must choose between permanent security arrangements in Europe and;


> "...war to the utmost of our strength." Furthermore, he states that "past experience has shown that no reliance can be placed upon the promises of the present German government."



*WESTERN FRONT:* The British Expeditionary Force is now fully deployed along the Franco-Belgian border, between Maulde and Halluin.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 12, 2014)

*13 October*
(Note: i made some errors with dates for ship losses for the 12th October. Some occurred on the 13th. ive corrected those errors). 
UBOATS

arrivals 

None

departures

None

At Sea 13 October

U-10, U-18, U-20, U-23, U-24, U-37, U-45 (+), U-46, U-47, U-48. 
10 boats at sea.

*Baltic*

No Reported Activity

*North Sea *.

MV GRESSHOLM (Nor 660 grt): Carrying Timber, the coaster struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 90 nautical miles (170 km) north west of Texel, North Holland. The ship has some minor conflicts as to her movements during her final voyage. The most plausible manifest was that she was on a voyage from Kristiansand (another source says Kristiansund, which is another city altogether) to Antwerp with a cargo of 600 tons sulphite and wood pulp. 3 crew died.The aft section of the ship remained afloat and the 8 survivors remained here until they managed to lower a lifeboat. They rowed directly to the Finnish steamer EMMI which was around 6 to 7 nautical miles away. In the Finnish ship the crew was very well treated before being put ashore in Amsterdam Monday lunchtime. 
(No images available) 

OA.19 of 13 ships cleared Southend escort DDs ELECTRA and ESCORT until the 17th, when they detached to HG.3.

*Carribbean *

No Reported Activity

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL CALYPSO cleared Scapa to join the Northern Patrol, and returned to Sullom Voe on the 20th

*British Northern Waters *

CL SOUTHAMPTON and DD MATABELE, JERVIS, JUPITER, JACKAL and JANUS cleared Scapa for patrol 

CVL FURIOUS sailed Loch Ewe from Scapa, escort DDs FEARLESS and FOXHOUND.

DD SABRE, was rammed and heavily damaged by AMC JERVIS BAY whilst at anchor in Rosyth and sank to deck level. She was taken to Grangemouth for repairs, completing on 6 May 1940.

CL BELFAST deployed to Scapa.
Edinburgh light cruisers (1939) - Royal Navy (United Kingdom)




_BELFAST was an Edinburgh Class Light Cruiser. This was their appearance in 1941_

CLs DELHI and CALEDON arrived at Scapa Flow
Danae (1918) and Delhi (1919 - 1922) light cruisers - Royal Navy (United Kingdom)





*UK-France convoys .*

DD ECLIPSE and EXMOUTH, escort for BC.9S from Quiberon Bay to Barry attacked a submarine contact off the Lizard. 

* English Channel*

DDs AFRIDI, and GURKHA, attacked a submarine contact 3.4 miles 173° off Beachy Head. Salvage ship TEDWORTH conducted diving operations and discovered it had been a wreck.

DD KELLY, escorting a convoy in the Channel, attacked and claimed to have sunk a submarine. She and sister ship KINGSTON arrived at Dover on the 15th.

U-40 The Type IX submarine struck a mine in the English Channel and sank with the loss of 45 of her 48 crew. Survivors were rescued by DDs BOREAS and BRAZEN 
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Submarines (Germany) > DKM U-123 (U-Boat Type IXB)




_U-40 was a type IXA. The image is of the very similar type IXB. U.40 was sunk by the dense minefield laid by the RN MLs some weeks earlier, including HMS Adventure_
*UK-outbound convoys* 

ASW trawlers BLACKBURN ROVERS (422grt) and GRIMSBY TOWN (422grt) attacked a submarine contact.

*Southwestern Approaches*

A fierce convoy battle developed in the SW Approaches

MV LOUISIANE (Fr) 6904 GRT Carrying general cargo and was part of Convoy OA 17: The ship also straggled behind the convoy. She was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 240 nm south west of the Fastnet Rock by U-48 with the loss of one crew member. Survivors were rescued by DD IMOGEN.
Louisiane (French Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net





_LOUISIANE as she is sinking_
MV HERONSPOOL (UK) 5202 GRT, carrying an outbound cargo of coal was part of Convoy OB 17S. The cargo ship straggled behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and sunk 260 nautical miles south west of the Fastnet Rock by U-48 . one torpedo sank her, however, the vessel had been missed by five torpedoes fired by the U-boat previously . All crew were rescued by the US MV PRESIDENT HARDING
Photo from City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-2292






DDs ILEX and IMOGEN encountered U.48 on the surface 400 miles west of Land's End at 1016, and drove her down with gunfire, but without inflicting any damage. Finally the escort enjoyed some success, but not against their main tormentor. However, by forcing U.48 to dive, the now dispersed convoy was able to evade the Uboat. 





_I Class DD_

U-42 The Type IXA sub was depth charged and sunk by DDs IMOGEN and ILEX with the loss of 26 of her 46 crew. The Boat dep Wilhelmshaven on 30 September for her first war patrol. She damaged steamer STONEPOOL (4803grt) from dispersed convoy OB.17 with gunfire . The escorts had left to join inward convoy HX.3, but returned after receiving word of the continued attacks and counter-attacked. DDs IMOGEN and ILEX delivered the fatal attack, 290 miles SW of Fastnet at 1928. Twenty five crew were lost, and another died of injuries (I think) and ILEX picked up three officers and 14 ratings. IMOGEN escorted the STONEPOOL to Barry, and both DDs reached Plymouth on the 15th
COASTERS OTHER SHIPS REVIVED » STONEPOOL ? 1928 ? IMO 0000000




_MV STONEPOOL damaged during the battle and forced to return to England for repairs. She was eventually sunk by U.207 on 11/09/1941_
OB.19 cleared Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and WARWICK from the 14th to 16th

*Med/Biscay*

HG.3 of 25 ships cleared Gib escort DD KEPPEL and WISHART. After attacks on the 17th while it was only under aircraft protection, DD ELECTRA and ESCORT joined the convoy on the 18th from OA.19, leaving on the 19th with the Channel section of HG.3 after being relieved. DD KEITH joined that same day, the 19th and stayed until the 21st. Before then, Fr DDs LE TRIOMPHANT and LÉOPARD had been with the convoy from the 17th, arriving back at Brest on the 20th. DDs ACASTA, WAKEFUL and ASW trawler LORD WAKEFIELD joined on the 20th and remained until the 21st, DDr WREN joined the same day, and the convoy arrived at Liverpool, still on the 21st.

CV GLORIOUS, BB MALAYA, DDs BULLDOG and DARING were detached from the Med Flt for operations in the East Indies, arriving at Aden on the 13th.

CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE arrived at Simonstown after sailing from the Med via Suez.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

CL DURBAN cleared Simonstown for Mauritius

*North Atlantic*

Patrol sloops PC.74, KINGFISHER and anti-submarine trawler LADY BERYL (417grt) were assigned ASW hunting off Liverpool.

*Pacific*

RNZN CL ACHILLES cleared Valparaiso to join Commodore Harwood on the South America Station. She refuelled from British AO ORANGEMOOR off Coquimbo on the 15th, passed the Straits of Magellan on the 19th and arrived in the Falklands on the 21st. Leaving on the 23rd after refuelling; ACHILLES rendezvoused with CA EXETER off Lobito Island on the 26th. They joined CA CUMBERLAND on the 27th and all three operated together until 5 November.

Other

On 27 August 1939 the passenger ship MORETON BAY of the Aberdeen Commonwealth Line Ltd, London was requisitioned by the Admiralty and taaken in hand at Barrow On Furness for conversion to an AMC. Conversion was completed on 13 October 1939.
Displacement: 14193 BRT , Armament: 7x 152mm, 2x 76mm, Speed: 15 knots
Career:
Passenger-cargo steamship built by Vickers, Barrow for Commonwealth Line of Steamers. Twin scew, steam turbine making 16 knots. 1928 purchased by Aberdeen-White Star Line, 1933 transferred to Aberdeen Commonwealth Line. 
October 39 - August 40: China Station
September 40: South Atlantic Station
October 40 - June 41: Freetown Escort Force
On 20 August 1941 returned and used as troopship by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 1945 returned to owner and scrapped 1957.
FLOTILLA AUSTRALIA


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## Njaco (Oct 13, 2014)

*13 October 1939 Friday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German pocket battleship “_Deutschland_” sank Norwegian freighter “_Lorentz W. Hansen_” 420 miles east of Newfoundland.

Admiral Donitz attempts his first 'wolf pack' deployment of U-boat tactics. Groups of submarines engage in sustained attacks on a convoy, but without success.

U-47 enters Scapa Flow. From the Log of Gunther Prien, commander of U-47:


> “It is a very eerie sight. On land everything is dark, high in the sky are the flickering Northern Lights, so that the bay, surrounded by English mountains, is directly lit up from above. The blockships lie in the sound, ghostly as the wings of a theatre. I am now repaid for having learnt the chart beforehand, for the penetration proceeds with unbelievable speed. In the meantime I had decided to pass the blockships on the Northern side. On a course of 270 I pass the two-masted schooner, which is lying on a bearing of 315 in front of the real boom, with 15 meters to spare. In the next minute the boat is turned by the current to starboard. At the same time I recognize the cable of the northern blockship at an angle of 45 degrees ahead. Port engine stopped, starboard engine slow ahead, and rudder hard to port, the boat slowly touches bottom. The stern still touches the cable, the boat becomes free, it is pulled round to port, and brought on to course again with difficult rapid maneuvering, but; we are in Scapa Flow.”



*NORTH AMERICA:* In a radio broadcast, Colonel Charles Lindbergh questions the right of Canada;


> "…to draw this hemisphere into a European war because they prefer the Crown of England to American independence."


He appears to meet charges that he is pro-German by calling for both Nazi and Communist influence in America to be "stamped out." He also says that British and French colonies in the Caribbean should be handed over to the US to pay war debts.

*GERMANY:* General Wilhelm List was named the commanding officer of the German 12.Armee.

With the offer for peace rejected by the French on 7 Oct and by the British on 12 Oct, Germany announced that the western powers desired war, and Germany could not be blamed for military action on the German-French border.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet and Finnish representatives continue to meet to discuss border revisions.

The King of Sweden invites the sovereigns of Denmark and Norway and the president of Finland to a conference.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Bletchley, three people die when two express trains collide in the blackout.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Skirmishes are reported east of the Moselle River. French forces demolish three bridges over the Rhine River.

*POLAND: *Following the division of Poland, 2 million Jews reside in German-controlled areas and 1.3 million in Soviet areas. Western Poland (roughly West of Danzig) is incorporated into Germany and over 1 million Poles are expelled; many are taken to Germany as forced labor but most are sent East into the German-controlled centre of Poland which will become the General Government (a German puppet state). Jews are forced to live in ghettos or deported to concentration camps. In their place, German nationals and Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Volkdeutsche (Balts of German descendent) are settled in Western Poland. They are given homes and businesses by the German administration.

.




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## parsifal (Oct 13, 2014)

*14 October*
Allied New Ships
AMC MANOORA (See Australoia Station)

UBOATS

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: U-24 

departures

Kiel: U-19: 

At Sea 14 October

U-10, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-37, U-46, U-47, U-48. 

9 boats at sea.

*Baltic*

RN SS STURGEON (Lt. G.D.A. Gregory, RN) fired three torpedoes at U-23 in the Skagerrak some 20 nautical miles west-north-west of Skagen, Denmark . All three missed their target
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Submarines (UK) > HMS Sturgeon (Submarine)





Swedish waters 
German steamer MARION TRUBER (2334grt) was lost by grounding near Oxelosund. 
(No image)

*North Sea *.

ORP SS ORZEL, which escaped internment at Tallinn on 18 September, was met in the North Sea 30 miles east of May Island by DD VALOROUS and escorted into Rosyth.

British east coast 

FS.21 cleared Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN, WHITLEY, WITCH and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 16th. 

Dutch waters

*British Northern Waters *

U.47 in one of the most daring and courageous Uboat operations of the war, penetrated the defences at Scapa and sank the BB ROYAL OAK (Flagship Rear Admiral H E C Blagrove, Captain W G Benn) at 0058 whilst at anchor. Prien also attempted to hit what he identified as BC REPULSE. Prien escaped unharmed. Rear Admiral Blagrove, Lt Cdr S D Roper, Lt J E Moore, Captain H E Balls RM, and over 800 sailors were lost. 

ASW operations were conducted in the harbour by DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, ASHANTI until the 22nd, but without result as U.47 had escaped the area shortly after sinking ROYAL OAK. The first attack made was by DD ASHANTI at 1030/13th, long after the submarine had departed. Fortunately, most of the Fleet was at Loch Ewe. However, old seaplane tender PEGASUS was in the berth next to ROYAL OAK and, although identified by U.47 as BC REPULSE, was not damage.

Unjustifiably some beleived that treachery had been involved and blamed several of the locals, including a local jeweller. The accusations were completely unjustified and without foundation. The truth was that the RN had allowed the defences and blockships at Scapa to fall into some disrepair, a spin off from years of penny pinching and cost savings. 

German submarine U-47 (1938) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




_U47 returns to a heroes welcome. BC Scharnhorst in the background_
HMS Royal Oak British battleship sunk by U47 1939 Scapa Flow Orney 








_These shots of the wreck of the ROYAL OAK were taken around the time of the 60th anniversary of her sinking and have just been released prior to the 70th anniversary in 2009_

CLs AURORA and BELFAST next morning and most of the fleet auxiliaries in the Orkneys left for Loch Ewe, arriving on the 14th. CLA CURLEW was able to proceed there on the 16th.

Remaining at Scapa were: base ship IRON DUKE, accommodation ship VOLTAIRE, DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, ASHANTI which were standing by for convoy duty, DD TARTAR with serious defects and MSWrs HAZARD, HEBE, SEAGULL, SHARPSHOOTER, SPEEDY.

CL CALEDON arrived at Kirkwall on the 18th, and COLOMBO at Sullom Voe on the 18th.

*UK-France convoys .*

Fr DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS dep Brest for Cherbourg, where BRESTOIS began refitting. The third destroyer of the DesDiv 5, FOUDROYANT, was on escort duty in the Atlantic and joined the other two on 2 November.

*Southwestern Approaches*

U.48 sank steamer SNEATON (3678grt) 150 miles SW of Fastnet, with the loss of one crewman. The survivors were picked up by Belgian tanker ALEXANDRE ANDRE (5261grt). The ship was stopped by U-48 with gunfire and was sunk by a torpedo 20 minutes later after the crew abandoned ship. 
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart





Elements of KJF.3, en route to France and escorted by Fr SS SURCOUF, were attacked by U.37, U.45, U.46, U.48, south of Ireland early on the 14th, after SURCOUF lost touch in a storm (in any event it is doubtful that SURCOUF could have done much in what was to follow). U.45, on her second war patrol, sank two ships from the group. French liner BRETAGNE (10,108grt) went down 130 miles SW of Fastnet , and her survivors were picked up by DDs IMOGEN and ILEX, arriving Plymouth on the 15th. 
liner Bretagne
_(I found this image after a lot of searching......)_






British steamer LOCHAVON (9205grt) was torpedoed 230 miles SW of Fastnet early on the 14th, sinking at 1800/16th, 150 miles SW of Fastnet. She lost seven crew with her survivors rescued by destroyer ISIS, which had left Plymouth on the 8th for escort duty with sister ship IMPERIAL. 
LOCHAVON CARGO SHIP 1938-1939





MV KARAMEA (8457grt) was also attacked by U.45, 100 miles SW of Fastnet, but escaped unharmed. U.45 was then sunk south of Ireland by DDs INGLEFIELD, IVANHOE, INTREPID and ICARUS, which cleared Plymouth on the 13th for ASW patrol in support of KJF.3. All 38 crew of U.45 were lost.
German submarine U-45 (1938) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





*Med/Biscay*

CL DAUNTLESS cleared Malta and reached Port Said on the 16th.

DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT reached Gib to escort BB RAMILLIES, and DD DUCHESS to escort Green 5.

Gibraltar

DDs COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU cleared Gib on the 11th, arrived at Portland. Sister ship NUBIAN, left with the other three, and reached Portsmouth on the 14th. Because of turbine defects, she was towed to Southampton on the 20th and was under repair until 23 November, but did not leave Portsmouth until the 30th for duty with the Home Flt. The final unit of the DesFlot 4, DD SIKH, remained in the Med with turbine defects until 20 December and did not arrive at Dover until the 23rd.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

RN CVL HERMES and Fr BC STRASBOURG arrived at Dakar having departed Plymouth and Brest, respectively, on the 7th

*North Atlantic*

DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR arrived off Montevideo for refuelling and left again that evening

CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE of British Force H, dep Simonstown and swept the southern half of the Capetown to Freetown route. On the 22nd, they returned to refuel - SUSSEX at Simonstown and SHROPSHIRE at Capetown. 

*North Atlantic* 

DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND sank Norwegian steamer LORENTZ W HANSEN (1918grt) east of Newfoundland , with the loss of three crew. The survivors were put aboard Norwegian tanker KONGSDAL (9959grt) stopped later the same day. 
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?135710





*Australia Station*
The Australian coastal passenger liner MANOORA was requisitioned by the RAN, and converted to an AMC. In 1943 she was converted to a landing ship infantry.
HMAS Manoora (I) | Royal Australian Navy





HMA CL HOBART cleared Sydney late on the 13th, with HMA DDs STUART, VENDETTA and WATERHEN leaving at 0900/14th (local time) and all four proceeded in company. HOBART reached Darwin on the 21st, left the same day and proceeding via Lombok Strait, arrived at Singapore on the 26th. Meanwhile, the three destroyers reached Brisbane on the 15th to refuel and shelter from heavy weather, dep on the 16th, refuelled at Townsville on the 18th, arrived Darwin on the 22nd, dep on the 23rd and reached Singapore on the 29th. 
http://www.charveyart.com/www/content/default.aspx?cid=786




HMA DDs VOYAGER and VAMPIRE also left on the 14th, from Fremantle, and proceeded to Singapore via the Sunda Strait, arriving on the 21st. All six ships were initially assigned to convoy duty from Singapore. On 13 November, the destroyers left Singapore for Colombo. 

Other
New York Times reports that the US rejects Nazi peace feelers. hitler after this date all but abandons any hope of making peace with the British in particular

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2362046/posts
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## Njaco (Oct 14, 2014)

*14 October 1939 Saturday
ASIA:* Chuichi Nagumo was placed on a committee studying capital ship bridge design.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Senator Key Pittman of Nevada, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, and the New York Herald Tribune, as well as many Canadians, protest the comments made by Charles Lindbergh in a radio broadcast last night.

*GERMANY*: Lieutenant General Kurt Student of the 7.Bordabteilung (Airborne Division), is given the mission of preparing a plan of attack for the Fort Eben Emael in Belgium.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The first group ethnic German Latvian citizens leave for the Third Reich by sea.

In Moscow Soviet and Finnish representatives conclude the talks to discuss border revisions. There is little change in the terms offered by either side. Finnish counterproposals for a land exchange on their mutual border are refused by the Soviet negotiators. Stalin instead threatens a return to Russian Tsarist borders, eliminating Finland, saying presciently of Germany; “


> we now have good relations, but everything in this world can change”


. The Finns beg for more time and take the train home.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Germany brings the war to the British Isles. At 0130, the British battleship, HMS _“Royal Oak_” (29,150 tons), is sunk at anchor in the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow, in the Orkney Islands, by U-47 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Prien. Three of 7 torpedoes hit and in 13 minutes the ship capsized. There is a loud explosion, roar, and rumbling. Then come columns of water, followed by columns of fire, and splinters fly through the air. British losses are about 800 dead (786-810) and 414 survivors of a crew of 1200. German aerial reconnaissance photographs had revealed a 50-foot gap in the defenses at the entrance to Kirk Sound -- wide enough for a U-boat. This is a major blow to British prestige as well as an indication of a very serious real weakness in the defenses. Meanwhile, the Polish submarine “_Orzel_” reaches British waters after a daring escape from the Baltic Sea. From the Admiralty:


> ‘We consider that Captain W.G. Benn and his officers did all that was possible to save their Ship. Captain Benn remained in the ship until the last possible moment, until in fact the ship left him, and his behaviour was in the best traditions of the service.’



*WESTERN FRONT:* General Gamelin, French Commander-in-Chief, issues an Order of the Day predicting a massive German offensive "_at any moment._"

The escaped Polish Intelligence team resumes code-breaking operations with their highly secret replicas of the German "Enigma" machine.



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## parsifal (Oct 14, 2014)

*By 15 October*


By mid October, the British and French Admiralties had organized the following Hunter Groups which were formed on the 5th in response to sinkings by German raider activity:

Force F - CAs BERWICK and YORK stationed in the West Indies and North America. YORK was detached from the America and West Indies Station, but did not serve in Force F. She was maintained for Halifax convoy cover)







_CA York in 1941 and Berwick in 1945_

Force G - CAs CUMBERLAND and EXETER stationed off South America with RNZN CL ACHILLES detailed on the 5th to join them.













Force H - CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE near the Cape of Good Hope.







_Sussex as she appeared in 1942 and Shropshire early in the war_

Force I - CVL EAGLE, CAs CORNWALL and DORSETSHIRE off Ceylon.












Force J - CV GLORIOUS and BB MALAYA off Aden in the approaches to the Red Sea.








Force K - CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN near Pernambuco.







Force L - Fr BC DUNKERQUE, CV BÉARN, CLs GLOIRE, MONTCALM, GEORGES LEYGUES at Brest.
















Force M - French heavy cruisers DUPLEIX and FOCH at Dakar.







Force N - Fr BC STRASBOURG, CVL HERMES, Fr CA ALGÉRIE and RN CL NEPTUNE to be based at Jamaica, but reassigned to Dakar.














STRASBOURG, DUPLEIX and ALGÉRIE travelled in company to Dakar.

Force N was never formed. FOCH did not arrive at Dakar until mid-November, then as Force X with DUPLEIX.

Enormous firepower and strength was being poured into the hunt for the two DKM ships. It was only a matter of time......


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## Njaco (Oct 15, 2014)

*15 October 1939 Sunday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Since Sept 26, “_Graf Spee_” has sailed 2000 miles east from the coast of Brazil to the African side of the Atlantic, sinking 3 British merchant ships and taking several prisoners. She now sails west back into the middle of the Atlantic to rendezvous with her waiting support ship “_Altmark_” and refuel. “_Almark_”, disguised as a Norwegian merchant ship "_Sogne_", is readied for the transfer of prisoners. _“Graf Spee’s_” captain, Hans Langsdorff, is prevented from hunting convoys by orders to avoid confrontation with the Royal Navy (a lesson learned from WWI when German vessels were thrown into battle with superior British forces). He aims to sow confusion and tie up as many Royal Navy ships as possible by acting in widely dispersed locations, in addition to disrupting Britain’s supply lines. “_Graf Spee_” will sail into the Indian Ocean and back to South America in the next few weeks.

*GERMANY:* Walter Krupinski began flight training.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Sweden, Denmark, and Norway issue a joint declaration that a Russian attack on Finland would be considered an attack on the whole north.

A German-Estonian treaty is signed providing for the transfer to the Third Reich of Estonians of German ethnic origins.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German forces are reported massing behind the lines. Reconnaissance forces are active on the whole front.

The Polish minister protests to the Lithuanian government against the incorporation of Vilna, on the grounds that the Soviet Union has no right to dispose of this territory.



.

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## parsifal (Oct 15, 2014)

*15 October*
In a memorandum, Raeder stated that at present the war on merchant ships was waged according to the following rules:
(a) Unarmed enemy merchant ships sailing independently: stop, search, bring in; if this is impossible, sink.
(b) Neutral merchant ships sailing independently with contraband for enemy powers: stop, search, bring in; if this is impossible, sink.
(c) Enemy merchant ships in convoy, likewise neutral merchant ships in enemy convoy: sink without warning.
(d) Troop transports: sink without warning.
(e) All merchant ships which offer resistance to capture, or threaten German ships: sink without warning.

12 (a). U-Boats were now entitled to sink without warning:
(i) All identified armed enemy merchant ships.
(ii) All darkened enemy and neutral craft in enemy coastal waters, which were acting suspiciously.
(iii) All ships which were making use of their W/T when the U-Boat surfaced, or when captured.
The following were also top be stopped and searched:
(iv) All unarmed enemy merchant ships sailing independently.
(v) All neutral merchant ships sailing independently, or in neutral convoy.

12 (b). For the present, the following were excepted from a capture and sinking:
(i) The merchant ships of friendly neutral states; Italy, Spain, Japan and Russia.
(ii) Passenger steamers, and steamers which might carry a considerable number of passengers, even when sailing in enemy convoy.
(iii) Neutral ships sailing independently without contraband. On account of the British Admiralty's instructions to merchant ships to ram all U-Boats, U-Boats should sink without warning all enemy merchant ships, wherever encountered. The British Admiralty had also announced their intention to arm all merchant ships.
Source: U-boat Archive - Admiralty CB 4051 - History of U-boat Policy

UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U-10. 

departures

None: 

At Sea 15 October

U-18, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-37, U-46, U-47, U-48. 

8 boats at sea.

*North Sea *.

CLs EDINBURGH, SHEFFIELD escort destroyer WHITLEY from the 15th to 23rd, then transferred to Loch Ewe

British east coast 

DD BROKE and sloop FLEETWOOD ASW patrols off Blyth and on the 16th, attacked a contact. DDrs COSSACK and MAORI attacked a submarine contact 6 miles 83° from Coquet Island. DD MOHAWK attacked a submarine contact 4 miles NNW from Flamborough Head. Sloop STORK ASW attack on suspected submarine contact 6.5 miles NNE from Scarborough Rock

Norwegian Coast
HN.0 of five Polish, one French and one Greek steamer had departed Bergen on the 14th, and was met in the North Sea on the 15th by CL SOUTHAMPTON, which left Rosyth on the 13th, and DDs JERVIS, JERSEY, JACKAL, JANUS. Early on the 16th, SOUTHAMPTON, JERSEY, JACKAL and JANUS detached and destroyer MOHAWK joined. JERVIS and MOHAWK then escorted the convoy into Methil arriving on the 16th with SOUTHAMPTON reaching Rosyth the same day.

*Northern Patrol - *.

Five cruisers were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, four AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and four AMCs in the Denmark Strait. The AMCs were ASTURIAS, AURANIA, CALIFORNIA, CHITRAL, RAWALPINDI, SALOPIAN, SCOTSTOUN and TRANSYLVANIA. Following this patrol, ASTURIAS proceeded to Halifax for escort duty and SALOPIAN to Plymouth en route for the South Atlantic.

*British Northern Waters *

MV WANJA( Nor): The cargo ship ran aground off North Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands, United Kingdom and was wrecked
COASTERS OTHER SHIPS REVIVED » Search Results » wanja





Admiral Forbes departed Loch Ewe with BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BC HOOD, CVL FURIOUS, CLs BELFAST, AURORA and DDs BEDOUIN, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND and FURY.

CL SOUTHAMPTON and DD MATABELE escorted steamer ST CLAIR (1637grt) from Lerwick to Aberdeen until the 14th, MATABELE left on the 14th and called at Scapa. DDs MASHONA, PUNJABI, FIREDRAKE left Loch Ewe, also on the 14th, arrived at Scapa later the same day, and then with MATABELE, sailed from Scapa on the 15th to join Forbes at sea.

DD FORESTER cleared Scapa on the 16th and also joined Forbes, FAME was boiler cleaning until the 22nd, and TARTAR repairing defects until the 23rd, both at Scapa .

The sortie took the Fleet north of Iceland, 150 miles into the Arctic Circle, to block a reported sortie into the Atlantic DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND and to support the Northern Patrol. The Admiralty was still unaware that two raiders were loose. The DDs refuelled from the capital ships on the 17th.

BC REPULSE with DDs JERVIS, JERSEY, COSSACK and MAORI cleared Rosyth on the 18th, with COSSACK and MAORI arriving back on the 19th and REPULSE, JERVIS and JERSEY joining Forbes at sea on the 20th. The two DDs were detached for refuelling at Sullom Voe on the 21st and afterwards carried out an ASW patrol off Muckle Flugga. They then left the patrol area to search off the Norwegian coast for American steamer CITY OF FLINT (which had been seized by DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND). .

DDs JERVIS and JERSEY arrived at Rosyth on the 25th without making contact.

*UK-France convoys .*

AXS.1 of one steamer departed Fowey, escort DD WAKEFUL and arrived at Brest on the 17th

* English Channel*

OA.20G dep Southend escort DDs KELLY and KINGSTON from the 15th to 17th, and by DDs AMAZON and ANTELOPE from the 17th to 18th. Convoy OB.20G also left Liverpool escort DDs WHIRLWIND and WALPOLE, the two convoys merging on the 17th as OG.3.

*Southwestern Approaches*

PC KINGFISHER and PC.74 on ASW patrol off Liverpool, and were relieved on the 16th by escort vessel/MSW GLEANER

*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar

BB RAMILLIES dep Gib escort DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT for duty with the 1st Battle Squadron at Alex

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

SL.5 dep Freetown escort DDs HASTY and HOSTILE, and joined by Fr CL PRIMAGUET, DDs MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ and VAUQUELIN, which cleared Dakar on the 19th and arrived at Casablanca on the 25th. DDs TIGRE, TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL dep Toulon, also on the 19th, and reached Casablanca on the 22nd ready to relieve the French DDs already with SL.5. They left on the 25th and joined that day. RN DD GRENADE sailed from Gib on the 24th, also to join the convoy. PRIMAGUET, escorted by CHEVALIER PAUL detached and reached Lorient on the 28th, while TIGRE and TARTU after being relieved by British DDs, reached Brest on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 November.


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## Njaco (Oct 16, 2014)

*16 October 1939 Monday
ATLANTIC OCEAN*: “_Duguay-Trouin_” intercepted German merchant ship “_Halle_” 320 kilometers southwest of Dakar, French West Africa; “_Halle_” was scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* For the first time since the beginning of the war a German bomber unit flies over the United Kingdom. Nine Ju88A-1 bombers of I./KG 30 led by Hauptmann Helmuth Pohle are sent to bomb the British battle cruiser HMS “_Hood_” in the harbour at Rosyth in the Firth of Forth. When the German bombers arrived, HMS “_Hood_” was already in the dockyard and as Hitler had stated “_no civilians were to be attacked._” they instead dive bombed HMS “_Edinburgh_” and HMS “_Southampton_” lying at anchor to the east of the Forth Railway Bridge. Spitfires from RAF No.603 Squadron Turnhouse (now Edinburgh airport) and RAF No.602 Squadron from Drem attacked the raiders, forcing the German pilots to go down to roof top level to make it more difficult for the faster Spitfires to shoot them down. RAF No.602 Squadron pilot Flight Lieutenant George Pinkerton gained the second kill of the Second World War. During the low level chase, construction worker John Ferry was shot in the leg as he worked at an anti aircraft gun site at West Pilton. He became one of the earliest civilian casualties of the war. F/L Gifford was leading a section of three planes from RAF No.603. On patrol near Dalkeith, they found themselves confronted with a fleeing German bomber heading towards them, which had been caught by another 603 section. F/LGifford fired the last shots into it before it flopped into the sea, not far from Prestonpans. British Royal Navy Commander R. F. Jolly, despite being seriously wounded in the air attack steadfastly refused medical treatment or requests that he left the bridge of HMS “_Mohawk_” until some eighty minutes later when he had finally brought his damaged destroyer into the safety at Rosyth. Taken ashore he lived on for another five hours before his death in hospital at South Queensferry, Scotland. For his heroism Commander Jolly was awarded, a week later, with a posthumous Empire Gallantry Medal (later replaced by a George Cross, a decoration only second in precedence to the Victoria Cross).

*GERMANY:* German warships receive modified instructions for attacking:


> "All merchant ships definitely recognized as enemy ones (British and French) can be torpedoed without warning. Passenger steamers in convoy can be torpedoed a short while after notice has been given of the intention to do so."



The German High Command announces the official end to the Polish Campaign. Some Polish regulars continue to resist in remote areas. The Polish embassy claims that Polish troops continue to hold out against German and Soviet invaders in Suwalki, in the Carpathian Mountains, and in the Pripet Marshes at Bialowieza.

A factory defense squadron is established at the Fiesler aircraft factory at Kassel equipped with Bf 109Es.

Kommodore Oblt. Ulrich Kessler’s Stab./KG 1 along with Gruppenkommandeur Oblt. Dipl. Ing. Robert Knauss’ I./KG 1 and Gruppenkommandeur Major Benno Koch’s II./KG 1 transfer their He 111s medium bombers from Kolberg to areas nearer the Front. The Stab goes to Fassberg as does the II./KG 1 while the I Gruppe moves to Lüneburg .

*NORTH AMERICA:* Five warships from England arrive in Halifax, Canada, carrying about 10 million Pounds Sterling in gold from Britain and other Allied nations, for safekeeping during the war.

The carrier USS “_Ranger_” and cruiser USS “_San Francisco_” were dispatched by US Navy to locate the German tanker recently departed from Mexico to supply German pocket battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_”.

*WESTERN FRONT*: German troops cross the extreme western end of the German frontier to France, losing twenty tanks in the battle. Initially, German forces strike along a 4-mile frontage immediately east of the Moselle River. French gunfire is credited with ending this advance. Later in the day, German forces attack on a 20-mile frontage east of the Saar River. The French "covering forces" retire, according to plan. Within 48 hours, the Germans push the French back from the gains of the Saar offensive in September. There are few casualties on either side though the Allies claim German forces suffer 5000 casualties in the operations.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 16, 2014)

*16 October*
OKM Orders and notes, based on post war interrogations

13. Attacks on Merchant and Passenger Shipping
At a meeting between Raeder and Hitler, the Fuehrer approved:
(a) The torpedoing without warning of all merchant ships identified with certainty as enemy vessels (British or French).
(b) Passenger steamers in convoy could be torpedoed shortly after being warned. Raeder remarked that passenger steamers were already being torpedoed, if they were darkened.
(c) The Italian, Russian, Spanish and Japanese Governments should be requested to declare that they would carry no contraband, otherwise they would be treated as other neutral nations. (This was being done).

13 (a). Russians Offer a Base
Raeder announced that the Russians had placed a base west of Murmansk, in which a repair ship would be stationed, at the disposal of Germany.
Group Headquarters West war log ( diary by Donitz as the battle unfolded)
"The general impression in the Atlantic is as follows:
Position "GELB" was a very happy choice. Now that a few more reports of sinkings have been received, the total tonnage sunk in the last 3 days has risen to nearly 56,000. The enemy then immediately changed merchant shipping route and sent anti-S/M forces to this area. There is therefore no purpose in remaining long in this position. The boats will be ordered to proceed on to area "SCHWARZ". During the last few days the British news service has several times stated that several German U-boats had been sunk, including 2 of the largest and newest type. In spite of the many sinkings in area "GLEB"(sic), only U 37 and U 48 had reported. U 42, 45 and 46 were therefore ordered to give their position and situation report. There were no misgivings about this order, as the boats are leaving their areas and their presence has in any case become known through their activities. U 46 reported, but U 42 and U 45 did not. It can therefore only be taken for certain that U 37, U 46 and U 48 are proceeding on".

UBOATS

Kiel: U-23 

departures

None 

At Sea 16 October

U-18, U-19, U-20, U-37, U-46, U-47, U-48. 

7 boats at sea

*North Sea *.
Norway 
German steamer TIJUCA (5918grt) arrived off Kopervik, Norway, encountered Nor SS B.3 but continued on, reaching Hamburg on the 25th.

British east coast

ASW Activity on the East Coast

DD AFRIDI attacked a submarine contact in the Firth of Forth off Inchkeith Light, and was later joined by DDs WOOLSTON, VALOROUS and sloop HASTINGS. Destroyers INTREPID and ICARUS attacked a submarine contact in 49‑42N, 9‑59E. DD MOHAWK and sloop STORK attacked a submarine contact ESE of Scarborough. DD COSSACK attacked a submarine contact north of Blyth. DD BEAGLE attacked a submarine contact in 51‑20N, 01‑40E. Separately DD BROKE and sloop FLEETWOOD attacked a submarine contact off Blyth.

First major air raid of the Britlsh Isles

In the first significant LW attack inshore of the British Isles, LW a/c attacked anchored ships in the Firth of Forth. CL SOUTHAMPTON was hit by a 1000 pounder that fortunately failed to explode and passed through the bottom of the ship. The bomb penetrated three decks and came out of the bottom without exploding, but injuring three crew, one rating dying of wounds. CL EDINBURGH was slightly damaged by splinters from the near miss of three 500 pound bombs with eight crew wounded and Gunner G J Mitchell and one rating dying of wounds. SOUTHAMPTON's damage required only three days to repair while EDINBURGH remained in service. DD MOHAWK, suffered heavy damage however. The ship was just arriving in the Firth from convoy duty, and was bombed one and a half miles from May Island with substantial damage sustained to her topsides. CO Cdr R F Jolly was killed (and awarded the Albert Medal), the ship's first officer Lt E J O'Shea and ten ratings killed and 33 crew, including her navigator, Lt A L Harper, wounded. MOHAWK berthed at Rosyth for temporary repairs and then repaired at Newcastle from 22 October to 9 December (_as an interesting aside, when MOWHAWK was sunk in May 1941, in the Med, she settled on a shallow sandbank, Supermarina sent out divers and recovered valuable papers and information from the wreck that allowed them to make their attack into Alex late in 1941_). BC REPULSE was still at Rosyth on the 16th boiler cleaning, and this prevented the LW a/c from attacking her because there were still standing orders in place not to carry out attacks that endangered civilian lives.

9 Ju88s took part in the raid, which was undertaken at the extreme range limits. This first raid took British air-defence completely by surprise. No alarm was sounded, until well after the attack was under way and the performance of the early-warning system gave serious cause for concern.

The raid was so close to the shore that AA gunners on the Forth could engage the intruders. Some time later, Spitfires of 603 Squadron ‘City of Edinburgh’ were scrambled from Turnhouse Aerodrome, as was 602 ‘City of Glasgow’ Squadron based at Drem in East Lothian. They shot down two bombers over the the water and a further bomber was claimed off the May Island. The crew of a local fishing boat picked up two German survivors. These were the first enemy aircraft of the war to be brought down over Britain.

*Northern Patrol - *.

4 CLs were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, 4 AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and 3 AMCs in the Denmark Strait..The northern patrol was shifting its search emphasis from detecting ships breaking out, to ships trying to return to Germany. For the moment its success was limited.

*British Northern Waters *

U.23 laid mines off Cromarty 

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.11 of steamers ADJUTANT, BALTARA, BARON CARNEGIE, BARON KINNAIRD, BLACKHEATH, BOTHNIA, COXWOLD, HARMATTAN, JADE, KINGSBOROUGH, LOCHEE, LOTTIE R, MARSLEW, NIGERIAN (Commodore) and SODALITY dep Bristol Channel, escort DDs EXMOUTH, ESK, WESSEX, and arrived safely in the Loire on the 18th.

* English Channel*

Convoy SA.13 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort DDs ACHATES and VENOMOUS, and arrived on the 17th.
Convoy FN.22 dep Southend and arrived at Methil on the 18th. 
.
*UK-outbound convoys* 

OG.3, totalling 33 MVs, was formed from OA.20G which departed Southend on the 15th escort DD KELLY and KINGSTON, relieved by DD AMAZON and ANTELOPE, and OB.20G which clearedLiverpool on the 16th escort DDs WHIRLWIND and WALPOLE. AMAZON was damaged in a collision on the 18th and the other DDs remained with the convoy until the 19th. Fr DDs FOUGUEUX and L'ADROIT, which dep Brest on the 17th, joined the convoy on the 19th which arrived at Gib on the 23rd.

*Southwestern Approaches*

MSW/escort ship GLEANER attacked a submarine contact 17 miles 184° from Great Ormes Head

FR MV VERMONT (5186 GRT), Carrying Ballastm enroute le havre to New Orleans. U-37 stopped the unescorted VERMONT by two shots across her bow. The crew abandoned ship so hastily that one of the lifeboats capsized and several men fell into the water. A boarding party went on the ship and placed explosive charges but when they failed to detonate a G7a torpedo had to be fired into the ship and some rounds from the deck gun were also used to accelerate the sinking. Two men died in the water. 
MV IONIC STAR (UK) (5994 GRT): The cargo ship ran aground in Liverpool Bay off Southport, Lancashire. Her cargo was salvaged but the ship was a total loss. Wreck is still visible
Image from the state Library of NSW, AND IONIC STAR CARGO SHIP 1917-1939







_MV VERMONT_ _MV IONIC STAR_

*Med/Biscay*

Fr DDs CYCLONE and MISTRAL on escort for KJ.2, attacked a U-boat in the Bay of Biscay

CL DAUNTLESS cleared Suez for Colombo.

Green 5 dep Gib escort DD DUCHESS and sloop FOWEY until the 17th, when convoying in the Med was abandoned and the escorts withdrawn. DUCHESS arrived at Malta on the 20th.

Fr DD MILAN and ÉPERVIER cleared Marseilles with three troopships for Beirut.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 
Ger MV Halle (5888grt) The blockade runner cargo ship was intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Dakar, Senegal by FR CL DUGUAY TROUIN and was scuttled by her crew
HALLE CARGO SHIP 1921-1939





*North Atlantic*

DDs INGLEFIELD and IVANHOE attacked a submarine contact in the Western Approaches.

*Indian Ocean* 

German steamer UHENFELS (7603grt) slipped from Lourenco Marques (Mozambique) on the 13th, but was acquired and shadowed by sloop EGRET. However the sloop was short of fuel, and only marginally faster than the Grman ship and was forced to abandon the chase down. CLs LIVERPOOL and DURBAN, also in the area were unable to find her the blockade runner, but because of the naval activity, UHENFELS returned to Lourenco Marques.


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## stona (Oct 16, 2014)

Lindbergh's comments about the US taking control of UK and French colonies needs some context. I don't much like Lindbergh but he was reflecting a popular attitude of the time. 

Enough of this debate had seeped into the general public domain by the following year that in July ('40) Gallup conducted a poll on the question of the US seizing European possessions near the Panama canal.

The poll was conducted against the background of the US sponsored Havana Conference at which the twenty one American republics debated the fate of these territories. The results of the Gallup poll were unusually clear cut. A huge majority, 87%, was in favour of seizing these territories should Britain be defeated. 84% were prepared to fight to keep the Germans out of these territories. 81% thought that the USA and the American republics should buy these territories from the British, should Britain need more money to prosecute the war.

Cheers

Steve


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## parsifal (Oct 16, 2014)

dont know about any of that steve, but I was kinda hoping you would make submissions either for the BOF or the BOB from the allied perspective........


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## parsifal (Oct 17, 2014)

*17 October*
Known Reinforcements
Allied New Ships
AMC Arawa SS TRIBUNE (TClass - early group)







OKM (German Admiralty) notes and orders 
"Operations Division, Naval Staff, ordered U-Boats in the North Sea and Baltic to cease attacks on merchant shipping, as generally the danger incurred while observing the "Prize Law" was considerable. Operations against convoys, troop transports, etc., however, were to continue, if these ships endangered the U-Boats. Armed merchant ships could be attacked without warning.

On 17.10.39, an order was issued to U-Boats to attack all enemy merchant ships by whatever means. This order was justified by the danger of ramming, or other active resistance by enemy ships. Enemy ships were not first to be boarded, but to be sunk by torpedo. Action by gunfire was to be avoided". This effectively removed all restriction in UBoat Attacks 

Group West Daily diary (referred to as BdU KTB...Donitz's observations at the time)

Radio signal from U 46 reporting the sighting of a large cruiser, course north, 14 knots. It could not be gathered whether the boat was shadowing or trying to regain contact. U 34 sailed for her operations area.
0851: U 46 reported a convoy of 20 ships escorted by 12 destroyers, on a main course northeast. Boat was shadowing, lost contact for a while, regained it and shadowed until afternoon. Then English coastal radio stations received reports of the torpedoing of 2 ships. At 2000 U 37 reported: convoy scattered, one ship sunk. She must therefore have reached the convoy. After the convoy had scattered, contact was lost. In order to regain it, U 37 ordered a reconnaissance line to be formed the following morning which is intended to pick up the convoy from the northeast.

UBOATS

arrivals 

Kiel: U-20 

Wilhelmshaven: U-47 (returned to a heroes welcome after sinking the Royal Oak) 

departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-34

At Sea 17 Otober

U-18, U-19, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48. 
6 boats at sea

*Baltic*

DKM DD PAUL JACOBI, THEODOR RIEDEL, HERMANN SCHOEMANN and TB LEOPARD, ILTIS, WOLF conducted an anti-shipping patrol in the Skagerrak from the 17th to 19th.







_TB WOlf Class and DD 1934A Class Paul Jacobi Z5_

*North Sea *.

DD BEAGLE attacked a submarine contact on the Eastern coast.

DKM DDs HERMANN KÜNNE, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, DIETHER VON ROEDER, KARL GALSTER and HANS LÜDEMAN, escort by DD WILHELM HEIDKAMP sailed from Wilhelmshaven to lay mines in the North Sea off the Humber on the night of the 17th/18th. Seven merchant ships grossing 25,852 tons were sunk in the field. It was the beginning of a daring and successful change in the minelaying activities of the KM. 




_DD Frederic Eckoldt Z16_
This was the first minelaying operation by German Commodore Bonte's destroyers between the Thames and the Tyne. By February 1940, 1800 mines had been laid, and destroyer JERSEY torpedoed and badly damaged during one of the minelaying operations. All the German destroyers, except LEBERECHT MAAS, GEORG THIELE, PAUL JACOBI, THEODOR RIEDEL and HERMANN SCHOEMANN were employed in at least one operation.

U.19 laid mines off Inner Dowsing near Yarmouth during the night of the 16th/17th, on which three merchant ships were sunk.

*Northern Patrol - *.

4 CLs were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, 4 AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and 3 AMCs in the Denmark Strait. The armed merchant cruisers were ASTURIAS, AURANIA, CALIFORNIA, CHITRAL, RAWALPINDI, SCOTSTOUN, and TRANSYLVANIA.

CL SHEFFIELD dep Loch Ewe for Northern Patrol in the Denmark Strait, arriving back on the 22nd after capturing German steamer GLORIA.

*British Northern Waters *

Destroyer JUNO fired on German aircraft shadowing her SW of Farne Island. British aircraft came to her assistance and shot down a Dornier flying boat.

Interesting contrast to Chris's account, the RN account of the LW attack on Scapa is slightly different. 3 LW a/c bombed Scapa , one of which was shot down by DD ESKIMO. Two near misses damaged old battleship IRON DUKE (now demilitarised and used as a Base Ship which took a heavy list and bomb blast damaged her electrical installations. She was towed into shallow water, settled onto the sea bed and ESKIMO provided electric power. DDs SOMALI and ASHANTI were also at Scapa at the time , and later in the day, four more aircraft attacked, near-missing ASHANTI, but causing no damage.




_Iron Duke as she appeared as a Dreadnought_

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.10S of steamers BARON GRAHAM, BEAVERDALE, BELLOROPHON (Commodore), CITY OF DERBY DORSET COAST, EILDON, ERATO, FLORISTAN, GLAMIS, GLYCAON, MERLAND, PEMBROKE COAST, TASSO and VOLO dep the Loire, escort DDs MONTROSE and VIVACIOUS, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 19th.

* English Channel*

Fr Contre Torpilleur DD LÉOPARD, which had been covering minelaying in the Pas de Calais area, returned to Brest on the 17th. Contre Torpilleur DD JAGUAR sailed from Dunkirk on 1 November and with Contre Torpilleur DD PANTHÈRE, which had been at Cherbourg under repair, also arrived at Brest, but on the 2nd.

CLA CALCUTTA departed Grimsby and arrived back on the 18th.

*UK-outbound convoys* 

*Southwestern Approaches*

OA.21 of 21 ships dep Southend escort DDs VANSITTART and WIVERN, remained with the convoy until it dispersed on the 22nd.

*Med/Biscay*
HG.3 is subjected to further sustained attacks. Convoy was unescorted at the time of this attack
MV CLAN CHISOLM (7256GRT) Destination Liverpool carrying 3300 tons of tea, 1900 tons of jute, 1750 tons of pig iron and 2600 tons of general cargo, including coconuts and cotton. Was torpedoed from astern by U-48, who suffered a further torpedo failure with the first torpedo. 4 of the 71 crew were lost 
Source Uboat Net





Steam Passenger Ship YORKSHIRE (10.183grt)(with Convoy commodore aboard) carrying a mixed cargo of general cargo, and Parrafin, enroute from Burma to Liverpool with 118 passengers (military famillies) aboard was hit by two stern torpedoes from U-37 and sank about 160 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre. 58 of the 281 people on board lost their lives. 105 crew members and 118 passengers were picked up by the US MV INDEPENDANCE HALL and landed at Bordeaux on 20 October. 
Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart





MV CITY OF MANDALAY (7028grt) enroute from a number of ports in the far east, carrying general cargo, including tea, rubber and sago. U-46 attacked the YORKSHIRE in the unescorted convoy with four rounds from her 8.8cm gun, no hits were scored and as the vessel fired back the U-boat dived.
At 16.30 hours, U-46 heard a detonation, this was the hit on the YORKSHIRE by U-37 . 20 minutes later U-46 fired a G7e torpedo at the CITY OF MANDALAY, observed a hit amidships in the engine room and saw the ship listing. A second torpedo fired at 17.00 hours detonated prematurely.

The target sank a short time later 360 miles west-northwest of Cape Finisterre. Two crew members were lost. The master, 76 crew members and a passenger were picked up by the American steam merchant Independence Hall and landed at Bordeaux. 





Belatedly, DDs WAKEFUL, ELECTRA and ESCORT were ordered to attack a submarine reported near the convoy from just after the time YORK was lost. The last steamer was CLAN CHISHOLM (UK 7256 grt) sunk by U.48, Survivors from all three ships, including Rear Admiral Bedford, were picked up by American steamer INDEPENDENCE HALL and taken to Bordeaux. ELECTRA and ESCORT had dep Dover on the 13th and joined the convoy on the 18th from OA.19. In addition, DDs ARDENT and ACASTA cleared Dover on the 20th and joined.

Convoying in the Mediterranean was discontinued. 

DD DUCHESS and sloop FOWEY, awaiting Green 5, were sent from Gib to Malta, arriving on the 20th. DD DIANA and sloop DEPTFORD, en route to Port Said from Blue 5, were sent to relieve DDs GRENVILLE and GIPSY on contraband patrol. DD DUNCAN from Blue 4 was transferred to escort BB RAMILLIES, relieving DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT. DDs DAINTY and DEFENDER cleared Malta on the 18th to escort RAMILLIES, which reached Alex on the 20th. Fr DDs CASSARD and KERSAINT returned to Bizerte. DDs DECOY and DELIGHT were at Malta. After refitting, DELIGHT reached Gib on the 31st for escort duty, and DECOY, her refit completed on 3 November, dep Malta to escort steamer NEVASA to Marseilles.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

MV HUNTSMAN (8196) is sunk by DKM GRAF SPEE. .






*North Atlantic*

HX.5 dep Halifax escort CA YORK and RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT. RCAF flying boats accompanied the convoy until 1800/17th. ST LAURENT was detached at 0830/18th, FRASER at 1630/19th, and YORK at 1000/19th, arriving back at Halifax the same day. CL EMERALD dep Halifax on the 17th as ocean escort, and she arrived at Portsmouth on the 29th. YORK cleared Halifax again on the 22nd to support the convoy and search for DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND. DDs GRAFTON, GALLANT, WESSEX escorted the convoy on the 28th and 29th, when it arrived at Liverpool.


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## Njaco (Oct 17, 2014)

*17 October 1939 Tuesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN*: British liner SS “_Huntsman_” has been used as a prison ship since her capture by “_Graf Spee_” on Oct 10. About 35 prisoners are transferred to “_Altmark_” (“_Graf Spee’s_” supply ship) and “_Huntsman_” is sunk. Diary of Captain Albert Horace Brown of SS “_Huntsman_”;


> ‘Late this night we heard six explosions then another much heavier one which we presumed was a torpedo sinking my ship. I was pleased it was done at night so I could not see her go as I was very fond of her and very much attached to her. Our Prison Officer confirmed "She died hard."’



*EASTERN FRONT:* Turkish representatives break off talks for a defense treaty with the Soviet Union. While the prolonged Turkish-Soviet negotiations end without agreement there are professions of mutual friendliness. Soviet representatives paid tribute to Turkish Foreign Minister Sarajoglu before his departure. Last minute Soviet proposals conflicted with Turkish engagements to Britain and France and these were rejected by Sarajoglu.

*GERMANY: *The Ministerial Council for the Defence of the Reich issued the "Decree relating to a special Jurisdiction in Penal Matters for members of the SS and for members of Police Groups on Special Tasks" which, in effect, was to free the armed SS from the legal jurisdiction of the Wehrmacht.

Major Dr. Ernst Bormann’s He 111 equipped III./LG 1 transfer from Greifswald to new accommodations at Jever.

Reinhard Heydrich ordered all Gypsy populations to cease travelling or face a concentration camp.

German Naval Staff gave orders for U Boats to attack all enemy ships, except liners, without warning - this restriction on liners was lifted on 17th November.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The French report sharp infantry engagements on the front near Saarbrucken. The Germans report "absolute quiet" on the Rhine Front. A lone German soldier was accidentally killed by falling shrapnel from a German anti-aircraft gun.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Four Ju88s of KG 30 are sent to raid the Royal Navy at Scapa Flow. They find no capital ships in the harbor. Unknown to the Luftwaffe, the British Admiralty has ordered the Home Fleet to withdraw to the Clyde, near Glasgow, Scotland. The bombers do manage to hit the island of Hoy; the first part of the British Isles to receive a German bomb in World War II, and the obsolete training battleship HMS “_Iron Duke_” (which was the flagship of Admiral Jellico -- 1914 to 1917 -- during World War I) has to be beached in shallow water because of damage. One of the bombers - a Ju88A-1 coded 4D+EK of 1./KG 30 - crashed at the mouth of Pegal Burn on the Isle of Hoy. Very early in the attack, before dropping any bombs this aircraft was fired upon by anti aircraft guns on Rysa Little (a small island off Hoy). No.226 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery on the little island of Rysa had its Battery No 1 gun fired and its 4.5 inch shell blew the glazed nose clean off. The aircraft was hit and caught fire almost immediately; the gunner was almost certainly killed by this AA fire as his compartment was virtually destroyed. The nose landed by the gun crew while the aircraft fell at the mouth of the Pegal Burn, Isle of Hoy. Uffz. Ambrosius released the upper escape hatch which was dragged away from the aircraft by the slip stream, with him still holding onto the release handle. Once clear of the aircraft he was able to open his parachute. This aircraft was the first German aircraft to be brought down on British soil. It has often been overlooked and an He111 which was shot down near Edinburgh is sometimes quoted as being the first - that aircraft was the first to be shot down over the mainland and the first by fighter aircraft over land.

A Dornier Do 18 was shot down by three Gladiators of B flight, RAF No.607 Squadron, some 30 miles off Blyth and it ditched in the sea alongside the Destroyer HMS “_Juno_”. The crew were taken prisoner and the aircraft sunk by gunfire. The Gladiators returned to Acklington at 14:10. After the war a Jumo 205 engine was recovered from the sea NE of the Tyne and it is believed that it originated from the above aircraft. The engine is now in the North East Aircraft Museum. A second Do 18 was shot down off Berwick and the crew killed.

The German destroyers '_Galster_', '_Eckholdt_', '_Lüdemann_', '_Roeder_', '_Künne_' and '_Heidkamp_' assembled in Wilhelmshaven Navy Yard, took on their cargo of 60 mines each (Except 'Heidkamp' which as an escort carried none) and sailed at about midday on the 17th, racing at first, northwards from the Shillig Roads at 30 knots as a deception, then at dusk turning westwards for the target area, the mouth of the Humber. In the early hours of the 18th the five destroyers began their task, between the Humber Estuary and the Withernsea Light - the '_Heidkamp_' standing by. Nothing untoward happened and on completion, the destroyers steamed for home at high speed, undetected. This minefield of 300 mines, eventually claimed seven ships.



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## Njaco (Oct 18, 2014)

*18 October 1939 Wednesday
ASIA:* Representatives from Britain, Japan, and the United States reached an agreement regarding the presence of troops of all three powers in and near the Gulangyu island international zone near Xiamen, China since May 1939; all three pledged to withdraw troops from the international zone and to suppress anti-Japanese activities in the international zone.

*POLAND:* Jews in Wloclawek, Poland were forced to wear the Star of David. On the same day, the first Jewish ghetto was established in Lublin, Poland.

General Johannes Blaskowitz sent a message to Adolf Hitler, complaining of SS atrocities in Poland.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 7 "for the Conduct of the War" ( http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/07.html). Hitler announces that ‘FALL GELB’ is set to begin on 12 November and not a day later, despite objections from his Generals on a winter campaign. After numerous arguments about his Directive No. 6, he orders preparations for the assault. As first presented by General Halder and General Von Brauchitsch, the attack on the West proposed only a small portion of the Netherlands would be occupied by the Germans. But in the weeks that followed his Directive No 6, Generalfeldmarschall Göring of the Luftwaffe pleads his case that Holland could be used as airbases for RAF bombers and fighters who could attack the German forces. ‘FALL GELB’ is eventually changed to include the occupation of the whole of Holland in an effort to deny the British Holland's airfields. The plan is to use a total of 102 Divisions with nine armoured and six motorized. The Navy may attack passenger ships in convoys or without running lights. If Anglo-French forces invade Belgium, the German army may enter Luxembourg. Attacks endangering the civilian population are forbidden in Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg.

The staff of Generalmajor Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's VIII Fliegerkorps moves its Headquarters to Koblenz while the Messerschmitts of 2./JG 3 transfer to Zerbst. This move brings a total of forty-six Stafflen of aircraft under Generalmajor von Richthofen's command including the whole of JG 53 and its fighters.

The Stuka Gruppe, I./StG 1 receives a new commander when Major Paul-Werner Hozzel is posted to replace Major Werner Rentsch. The unit is based at Köln-Wahn.

Germany and Soviet Union conducted a prisoner exchange.

The War Merit Cross second class bronze with swords (Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. klasse mit Schwertern) also known as the KVK 2 was instituted by Hitler. This award could be awarded to military personal as well as to civilians for bravery not directly connected with frontline actions.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_California_” stopped and captured German merchant ship “_Borkum_” in the Denmark Strait.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The president of Finland meets with the kings of Denmark, Norway and Sweden to consider the threat resulting from Soviet demands for a revision of the Finnish-Soviet border. Hitler has already assured the Swedes that Germany will remain neutral in a war between Finland and the USSR and strongly advised the Swedes to do the same. The Finnish army continues mobilizing, utilizing limited resources to fortify the Red Army’s most likely route of attack across the Karelian Isthmus. Concrete blocks and boulders are placed to slow tank movements. They clear paths in the forests to corral infantry into fields of fire that are ranged by artillery, strung with barbed wire and then densely sown with mines (which are cheap and plentiful). This will prove deadly to advancing Red Army troops.

The first Soviet forces enter Estonia and the Baltic Germans start leaving. Eventually 12-13,000 will migrate by ship from ports in Estonia to Danzig, for resettlement (Umsiedlung) in Polish territory annexed by Germany. They occupy homes and businesses left by deported Poles. This is part of the Nazi plan for Germanisation or cultural and economic assimilation of Polish regions into greater Germany to provide living space (Lebensraum) in the East.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Prime Minister Chamberlain announces that 8 German aircraft have been shot down, and Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, claims that one in three of the German submarine force have been sunk.

German aircraft reportedly approached Scapa Flow, the base of the British Home Fleet, but no bombs were dropped. The planes were engaged by anti-aircraft fire. An He 111H of 2(F)./122 was attacked by Spitfires of No. 41 Sqdn RAF over the North Sea, the Heinkel was shot down approx. 20 miles off Whitby.

Dutch liner “_Simon Bolivar_” struck a German magnetic mine in the English Channel 10 miles east of Harwich, England, United Kingdom at 1030 hours; the mine was laid in this shipping lane without warning on the previous day; 86 were killed. The Netherlands made an official protest to Germany regarding this violation in international shipping law.

A Whitley bomber taking off from Driffield airfield, stalled at 100 ft, then crashed. It was carrying stores and men from Catterick to Drem, and was found to be too heavily loaded. Seven men were killed and two injured.

*MIDDLE EAST:* General Wavell, commander of British land forces in the Middles East, and General Weygand, former chief of the French General Staff, arrive by air for talks with the Turkish General Staff. Meanwhile, the German Ambassador to Turkey, von Papen, is recalled by his government.


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## parsifal (Oct 18, 2014)

*18 October*
Allied Ships
PC Whaler type Buttermere





UBOATS
BDU KTB (Uboat Command Summary report)
"At 0029 U 48 sighted the enemy again. She reported: _A straggler sunk. A second straggler steering a northerly course in square 6789 BE. All torpedoes used._. The boat shadowed this ship. At 0500 U 37 gave the order to act on U 48's report, thus canceling the order for a reconnaissance line. At first light U 48 again sighted the convoy, which had apparently reassembled meanwhile. At 0630 a second U-boat was reported in sight of a ship. Therefore at least one more boat had reached the enemy on U 48's report. Towards midday a/c appeared, contact was lost. U 37 ordered the boats which had been driven off to go to position "SCHWARZ". Reports received show that 5 ships were sunk for certain, probably 4. But again torpedo failures were reported. 2 explosions at the end of the run, 2 surface runners and 2 explosions at the end of the safety range. It is first in attacks on such strongly escorted convoys that these can have the most unpleasant and serious consequences for the boat, because they give it away, quite apart from the approach made for nothing and which can often not be repeated for many hours. U 48 has been ordered to start back as she has no more torpedoes. An enquiry elicited the fact that U 37 and U 46 will only have 30 and 5 tons of fuel respectively when they reach position "SCHWARZ". U 46 has therefore been allocated an operations area closer to. (off Lisbon)". 

U 25 sailed for her operations area.

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: U-19 

Kiel: 

departures

Kiel: U-16 (lost 8 days later)
Wilhelmshaven: U-25 

At Sea 18 October

U-16, U-18, U-25, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48. 
7 boats at sea.

*North Sea *.

British East coast 
DD AFRIDI attacked a submarine contact 3.2 miles NE off St Abb's Head. Whilst AFRIDI NARKED WITH BOUYS the position of the so-called submarine, DD WHITEHALL was ordered to stand by the location. 

*Northern Patrol - *.

AMC RAWALPINDI intercepted the German Blockade runner TKR GONZENHEIM(4,574 grt) in the Denmark Strait. The German ship had left Buenos Aires on 14 September. The tanker was scuttled by her crew before a boarding party could get on board 








_Model of the RAWALPINI, and photo of Tanker Gonzenheim _
sources wiki and Forum Schiff ? Thema anzeigen - Die URAG und die Frankfurter Metallgesellschaft

*British Northern Waters *

CL CALEDON cleared Kirkwall, and arrived at Sullom Voe on the 20th.

* English Channel*

DD AMAZON, was damaged in collision with steamer ARACATACA (5378grt) whilst moving to rendezvous with OG.3 . AMAZON had closed to pass information and the steamer altered course without warning. She was under repair at Portsmouth from 20 October to 28 November.

Dover Straits 

DD BOREAS was attacked north of the Goodwin Sands by a German seaplane. 
.
*Southwestern Approaches*

MV IMPERIAL STAR (10,733grt) was attacked by a U-boat, 60 miles west of the Scillies. DD INTREPID was sent to assist.

*Med/Biscay*

HG.3 reported continued attacks, but no results for the attacking Uboats. MVs SAGAING (7968grt), GARBRATTAN (1811grt), CITY OF GUILDFORD (5157grt) and CLAN MCBEAN (5000grt) reported they were attacked on the 18th but undamaged. DD ESCORT joined SAGAING which had straggled and escorted her from the area.

Blue 5 dep Port Said on the 18th, but was dispersed and travelled without escort

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

CL DANAE cleared Lagos for St Helena, where she arrived on the 22nd.

SLF.5 dep Freetown, unescorted, and arrived at London on the 30th.


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## Njaco (Oct 19, 2014)

*19 October 1939 Thursday
GERMANY:* General Halder (German High Command chief of staff) and OKH issues Fall Gelb (Case Yellow) in response to Directive No. 6 issued by Hitler on October 9th. It provides for a holding action on the French border with the main attack being sent through central Belgium and some attention being devoted to the Dutch. “Case Yellow” is a pedestrian drive through Belgium to the North Sea (based on WWI’s Schleiffen plan) designed to separate the British Expeditionary Force from the French army. Halder is possibly trying to deter Hitler from attacking at all and he estimates this will cost hundreds of thousands of German casualties and not deliver a full invasion of France until 1942. This is not the quick mechanized thrust into France that Hitler wants, with the element of surprise limiting German casualties. Hitler is not pleased; however, his impatience will quickly lead him to endorse this plan and order its execution. Generals von Rundstedt and von Manstein soon get wind of this and devise their own plan. Meanwhile, Hitler officially incorporates western Poland into the German Reich.

*MIDDLE EAST:* In Angora, Turkey signs a Treaty of Mutual Assistance with Great Britain and France. If Turkey enters the war, France and Great Britain commit to providing assistance. The term of the treaty is 15 years. The Turks pledge to aid the Allies if the war reaches the Mediterranean, but not if such aid could bring Turkey into conflict with the Soviet Union. In return, Turkey receives control of the disputed Sanjak of Alexandretta from French Syria.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Two German airmen, half the crew of a bomber shot down over the North Sea on Tuesday, drifted ashore in a collapsible rubber boat near Whitby.

In London the Ministry of Transport announces that in September, first month of the black-out, the total number of persons killed on the roads of Britain was 1130, compared with 617 in August.

*NORTH AMERICA:* American gunboat “_Erie_” arrived off Manzanillo, Mexico on neutrality patrol to monitor movements of German freighter “_Havelland_”.

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## parsifal (Oct 19, 2014)

*19 October*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Kagero Class DD AMATSUKAZE




OKM Submarine Division (not the same as KTB BDU….more to do with Raeder)

Prize regulations for U-boats were lifted for shipping as far west as 20°.

UBOATS

KTB-BDU (Kriegstagebücher - War Diary)

“Still no report from U 40 on her Channel passage. This fact, added to radio intelligence reports on the 14th that 4 U-boats had been sunk, one of them by French forces, gives rise to the suspicion that U-40 and U 12 (see F.O. U/B West's War Log) have been lost in the Channel. According to radio intelligence reports 2 boats were sighted in the Channel west of the Straits of Dover, so it must be assumed that the boats got through the mined Dover-Calais narrows and were lost west of this. I view the question of the Channel passage as follows:
1.	U 31 passed the Dover-Calais narrows once, U 15 twice, probably also U 12 and U 40 once each.
2.	U 35 did not have to turn back, her doing so does not disprove the possibility of getting through the Channel.
3.	Danger from mines must be regarded as the most dangerous aspect of the Channel passage. In all probability however, there have not been any victims of mines as yet, possibly U 12 on her way back.
4.	Losses of boats so far have been 2 in the Atlantic or North Sea (U 27, 30), 2 probably in the Atlantic (U 42, 45), 2 perhaps in the Channel. These losses do not preclude the Channel passage.
5.	The danger of surprise air attack is no greater in the Channel than in the open sea area, as boats have to proceed submerged by day anyhow.
6.	I am therefore loath at present to give up the enormous advantage of the short approach route through the Channel. But the question will have to come up for constant consideration.
U 46 encountered a fresh convoy of 15 ships, but she was soon driven off by destroyers and lost contact. On the orders of Naval War Staff, the area in which unrestricted action can be taken against darkened ships has been extended to 300 west".

arrivals 

Kiel: U-18

departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-19

At Sea 19 October

U-16, U-25, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48. 
6 boats at sea

*SU Northern Flt *.

Soviet SS SC-424 The Shchuka-class submarine collided in Kola Bay with trawler RT-43and sank





*North Sea *.

MV CITY OF LONDON (UK) (GRT unknown, but she was a coaster, so probably < 5000GRT): The coaster collided in the River Thames with a Dutch vessel and was beached at World's End

(No images found))

DD WHITEHALL and sloop WESTON attacked a submarine contact three miles ENE of St Abb's Head.

OA.22 of nine ships departed Southend escort DD VESPER, which stayed until the convoy dispersed on the 21st.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs CARDIFF, DIOMEDE, DRAGON dep Sullom Voe for Northern Patrol. There were on this day, two cruisers on Northern Patrol between the Shetland and the Faroes, AMCs AURANIA, CALIFORNIA, CHITRAL between the Faroes and Iceland, and CL SHEFFIELD and AMCs RAWALPINDI, SCOTSTOUN, TRANSYLVANIA in the Denmark Strait.

Ger Tkr BISKAYA (6386grt) had departed Hamburg on 13 August for Port Arthur, Texas, but with the start of war, found refuge at Las Palmas until 7 October when she attempted to return to Germany. She was captured on the 19th by AMC SCOTSTOUN on Northern Patrol in the Denmark Strait, taken to Leith by a prize crew commanded by Lt Cdr R H A Clark RNR, and renamed EMPIRE UNITY in British service.





*British Northern Waters *

DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, IVANHOE arrived at Loch Ewe and sister ship IMPULSIVE at Scapa on the 25th, all for duty with the Home Fleet. DD ILEX, ISIS, IMPERIAL joined the 22nd Flotilla at Harwich on the 31st, were released from the Flotilla on 5 November and rejoined the 3rd Flotilla operating with the Home Flt – IMOGEN, after completing repairs, and IMPERIAL on 8 November, ILEX and ISIS on the 14th, and INGLEFIELD, also after completing repairs, on the 16th.

* English Channel*

While in dock at Devonport, DD KEMPENFELT was transferred to the RCN as HMCS DD ASSINIBOINE. She had been there since 29 September repairing collision damage from the day before. As ASSINIBOINE, she dep Plymouth for Halifax on 7 November.




.
*UK-outbound convoys* 

OB.22 dep Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and VIMY, the DDs detaching on the 22nd to escort SL.4.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

Fr Convoy 9B of steamers STRASBOURGEOIS, MAROC, JUMIEGES and POITIERS after leaving Brest on the 7th October, as well as SAINT NAZAIRE, escorted by sloop CHEVREUIL after leaving Quiberon, also on the 7th escort Fr DD FOUDROYANT arrived at Casablanca.

Separately, DD BOURRASQUE reached Casablanca on the 17th with convoy 3.K of steamers MARRAKECH and KERGUELEN. They had left LeVerdon on the 13th. Both DDs then departed Casablanca and arrived at Gib on this date.

*China Station*

CA DORSETSHIRE dep Hong Kong for Singapore and duty with the Crusqn 4 in the East Indies Station. She left Singapore on the 22nd for Colombo.

Other
On October 19, 1939 Turkey agreed to a mutual-assistance treaty with Britain and France, but Turkey did not have to fight in the war unless its interests were threatened. Turkey was also loaned £16 million in gold and given a credit of £25 million to buy military equipment. The National Defense Law passed in January 1940 gave the government the right to fix prices, requisition materials, and impose forced labor
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## Njaco (Oct 20, 2014)

*20 October 1939 Friday
GERMANY:* The German government warns that neutral merchant ships joining Allied convoys will be sunk without warning. It is also announced that Hitler has signed a decree by which 3,000,000 Jews now living in Poland will get their own territory in eastern Poland, with a Jewish capital at Lublin.

Maximilian von Weichs was made the commanding officer of German 2.Armee.

*WESTERN FRONT:* There is patrol and reconnaissance activity between the Moselle and the Saar rivers.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The war office recommends that soldiers at the front read both ‘Mein Kampf’ and the ‘Communist Manifesto’.

The SS ‘_Sea Venture_' (2,327t) cargo ship, carrying coal from the Tyne to Tromso in Norway was sunk by torpedo and gunfire from U 34 east of the Shetlands. _(see below)_

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: While diplomacy continues between Finland and USSR, both countries’ armies mobilize. The Finns prepare proposals which they hope will placate USSR, although falling far short of the Soviet demands. Stalin, in contrast, is going through the motions of diplomacy only as a prelude to war. He hopes to acquire the Baltic republics and Finland to reestablish the pre-1918 Tsarist borders, which he now views as best providing security to Russia’s Northwest corner, with the twin goals of protecting Leningrad and preventing German access to launching points for a land attack. He intends to conquer Finland all the way to the Swedish border - and possibly beyond to take the valuable Swedish iron ore mines, only 50-70 miles the Finnish border. The Red Army begins assembling 450,000 men along the Finnish border.

The German-captured US freighter “_City of Flint_ “ arrived in neutral Norway. The Norwegians refused entry and told the German prize crew that they have 24 hours to leave.

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## parsifal (Oct 20, 2014)

*20 October*

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
" There is so much damage to U 32's engines that they will have to be exchanged. The boat was to have sailed within the next few days. Now she will be out of action for several weeks. She was just about to load mines. This will have far reaching consequences.

U 31 will have to take over her operation and will thus not be able to sail until 3 days later. The operation originally assigned to this boat will have to be postponed. This is an excellent example of what happens almost all the time. Again and again plans are reversed because completion dates for the boats are postponed. One thing is certain: the M.A.N. engines have not proved their worth because their casing is too light. Presumably things will not improve until all the boats have been fitted with the new casings".

arrivals 

Kiel: U-19 . 

departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-47

At Sea 20 October

1939
U-16, U-25, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48. 
6 boats at sea.

*Baltic*

Danish waters 

DKM V-701 vorpostenboot struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Møn, Denmark with the loss of 70 of her 75 crew
Vorpostenboot: V 701 ESTE, pomocniczy patrolowiec niemiecki





Gk steamer OMONIA (3699grt) was seized in the Baltic by DKM warships, taken to Swinemünde and later renamed OLSA for German use.
OLSA CARGO SHIP 1908-1944




(_ORMONIA after she was renamed OLSA, pictured in 1944, before she was bombed and wrecked by the VVS near Kirkenes _

Norwegian Waters

MV GUSTAF ADOLPH (Sd 926 grt) Carrying wood pulp, At 06.00 hours on 20 Oct 1939 the neutral Gustaf Adolf was stopped by U-34 about 50 miles northeast of Sullom Voe, Shetland Islands. The ship was enroute from Goteborg to Bristol, therefore its cargo was contraband and the vessel was sunk by gunfire at 07.32 hours, after the crew abandoned ship. The U-boat took the lifeboats in tow, and commenced towing the boats to Norway. Enroute U-34 stopped the Norwegian steam merchant BISCAYA with two shots across her bow at 10.30 hours. The survivors were picked up by the ship and taken to Moss, Norway.
Photo courtesy of Sjöhistoriska Museet, Stockholm





MV SEA VENTURE (br 2327 GRT) Carrying coal from Tyne to Tromso,, sailing unescorted. U-34 tried to stop the vessel with three shots across the bow about 50 miles northeast of the Shetland Islands, but the ship returned fire inaccurately and tried to escape so the U-boat shelled her until the crew abandoned ship at 11.23 hours. She was sunk by a coup de grâce at 13.40 hours. The master and 24 crew members were picked up by the Lerwick lifeboat and landed at Lerwick. There were no casualties.
Photo from UBoat Net





British east coast 

AZARIAH ( UK): (Displacement unknown, guessed at 350 tons). A sail powered lighter barge, or Thames barge, sank in the North Sea off Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex. Unknown causes

(No mage)

FN.24 dep Southend. Escorting sloop PELICAN was damaged when she struck submerged wreckage shortly after departure. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 22nd.




_PELICAN was an Egret Class escort vessel, roughly in the same capability as a US DE_

FS.24 dep Methil, escort DD BROKE, sloops BITTERN and ENCHANTRESS, and arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

*Carribbean *

CLs CARADOC DESPATCH arrived at Bermuda, and left the same day for Kingston, Jamaica.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs COLOMBO, DRAGON and DELHI cleared Sullom Voe for Northern Patrol.

Northern Patrol had attached on this day: 2 CLs between the Shetlands and the Faroes, CL COLOMBO and AMCs AURANIA, CALIFORNIA, CHITRAL between the Faroes and Iceland, and CL SHEFFIELD and AMCs SCOTSTOUN, RAWALPINDI, TRANSYLVANIA in the Denmark Strait.

Ger MV BIANCA (1375grt) dep Rotterdam pre-war for Lisbon, called at El Ferrol and refuelled in an attempt to return to Germany before the start of the war. She reached Reykjavik on 7 September and remained there until 18 October when she made her attempt. At 1150/20th in the Denmark Strait she was captured by AMC TRANSYLVANIA, taken to Kirkwall by a prize crew commanded by Lt Cdr D M MacLean RNR, and renamed EMPIRE WARRIOR in British service.





*UK-France convoys .*

DD VIVACIOUS escorted BC.10S and attacked a submarine contact whilst en route 

*Med/Biscay*

CL GALATEA cleared Alex on patrol, reached Malta on the 27th, left again on the 28th and arrived back at Alexandria on the 30th

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

DDs HOTSPUR and HAVOCK were ordered from the South America Station to the West Indies. 
[
*Indian Ocean* 

CL DURBAN dep Mauritius for Colombo to examine the Cargados, Caarajos and Chagos groups (sw of the subcontinent) for German raider activity


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## Njaco (Oct 21, 2014)

*21 October 1939 Saturday*

*ASIA:* Nobutake Kondo was named the deputy commander of the Navy General Staff in Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British light cruiser HMS “_Orion_” and Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Saguenay_” located German tanker “_Emmy Friedrich_” in the Yucatán Channel, and began to move to intercept.

The French Force de raide (including the world's fastest destroyers) escorts a large Atlantic convoy and intercepts the German SS “_Sante Fe_”.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Soviet elections are held in the Soviet controlled western Ukraine and western Belorussia (formerly Polish territory).

*GERMANY:* General Erich von Manstein, Chief of Staff of Heeresgruppe A, obtained a copy of “Fall Gelb” whilst passing through Berlin, Germany on his way to set up Heeresgruppe A Headquarters at Koblenz. He found little to admire in the plan, considering it to be too much like the strategy of 1914, and even predicting that the advance would bog down at the same place – on the Somme River in France. Von Rundstedt and his chief of staff, von Manstein, prepare an alternative to Halder's plan. They find fault with Halder's lack of manoeuver and encirclement of the main Allied forces. They propose an alternative plan to achieve these goals by attacking through the Ardennes forest which, coincidentally, lies in von Rundstedt's sector, strengthening his Heeresgruppe A at the expense of von Bock’s Heeresgruppe B advancing into the Low Countries. Because of Manstein’s hand in this plan and his advocacy of the strategy to Hitler at a later meeting, it becomes known as the Manstein Plan.

The Stab./JG 77 led by Oblt. Von Manteuffel leaves its parent airfield at Neumünster and transfer to Köln-Ostheim. Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 transfer from their airbase at Oedheim and settle at Frankfurt / Rhein-Main.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* An agreement is signed by the German and Italian governments for the transfer to the Third Reich of ethnic Germans in South Tyrol.

*MIDDLE EAST:* In Ankara British General Wavell and French General Weygand leave at the conclusion of successful talks with the Turkish General Staff.

In India the Congress Party declines to support the British war effort and condemns British imperialism.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Juho Kusti Paasikivi (Ambassador to Sweden) and Väinö Tanner (leader of the Social Democratic Party) lead the second Finnish delegation to discuss Soviet territorial demands, leaving Helsinki by train for Moscow.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Uranium Advisory Committee in the United States, headed by Lyman Briggs of the National Bureau of Standards, met for the first time. The committee had a budget of US$6,000 at this time.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Hawker Hurricane had its baptism of fire. This day, “A” Flight of RAF No.46 Squadron took off from North Coates satellite airfield, on the Lincolnshire coast, and was directed to intercept a formation of nine Heinkel He 115B floatplanes from 1./KaFlGr 906, searching for ships to attack in the North Sea. The Heinkels were already attacked and had been damaged by two RAF No. 72 Squadron Spitfires when six RAF No.46 Sqdrn Hurricanes intercepted the Heinkels, which were flying at sea level in an attempt to avoid fighter attacks. Nevertheless, the Hurricanes in rapid succession, shot down four of the enemy (46 Squadron claiming five and the Spitfires pilots' two). Two of them crashed into the sea off Norfolk, one in Denmark and one crashed into the sea 5 miles E of Spurn Head at 13.00. The bodies of three crew members of the last mentioned plane were washed ashore and were buried at Happisburgh, on 2nd November 1939.

SS ‘_Orsa_' (1,478t) struck a mine and sank about 20 miles off Flamborough Head, with the loss of sixteen of her crew. She was on a voyage from the Tyne to Bordeaux with a cargo of coal.

*WESTERN FRONT:* General Gamelin, the Allied Commander-in-Chief, says that he has no intention of attacking the Germans. He has issued orders that if the Germans attack in strength, the French should retreat behind the Maginot Line fortifications.

Sporadic artillery exchanges take place in heavy rain. The no-man's-land on the Moselle-Rhine is described as a sea of mud.
.



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## parsifal (Oct 21, 2014)

*21 October*

*DKM War diary*
The DKM war Diary reveals the german Admiralty enjoyed an amazing degree of knowledge concerning Allied fleet movemkents. This intell came from various sources, including their radio intercept B-Dienst Service
https://archive.org/stream/wardiarygermanna21939germ#page/137/mode/1up
Of particular note are the orders issued to Graf Spee. Though the raiders mission was primarily of political importance, and the diversion of the vast allied resources to hunt worked in perfectly with that strategy, DKM was becoming concerned for the ships safety, particularly after the transfer of the RENOWN and ARK ROYAL to Freetown. Consequently the following message was sent to GRAF SPEE 






UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

"U 31 and U 53 sailed for their operations areas. U 31 to mine Loch Ewe with TMB in accordance with operations Order No. 9 (the operation originally intended for U 32). U 53 is to proceed first to an area southwest of Ireland. She is to operate there against merchant shipping until U 26, which is sailing on 22.10, has had time to carry out her minelaying operation".

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: U-47 (Engine defects after only 2 days at sea) 

departures

Kiel: U-53
Wilhelmshaven: U-31 

At Sea 21 october

U-16 , U-25, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48, U-53. 

8 boats at sea

*Northern Waters*

Scapa 

The crew of the Nor MV LORENTZ W HANSEN arrived on Norwegian tanker KONGSDAL (9959grt) at Kirkwall and brought news proving that there were two german surface raiders, DKMI CS's ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE and DEUTSCHLAND at sea. It had been thought up until that time that all the sinkings to date had been due to a single ship.

MV LAKE NEUCHATEL (1300grt): The cargo ship was scuttled as a blockship in Kirk Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands. Salvaged in 1948
Blockships | Defences in and around Scapa Flow | 1914 to 1945 - two world wars | The 20th Century | Archaeology and History | Scapa Flow Landscape Partnership Scheme





_Blockships in the Holm channel, where the LAKE NEUCHATEL was expended as a Blockship_

*North Sea *.

British east coast 

A convoy off the midlands with CLAs COVENTRY CAIRO and CALCUTTA attached were subjected to a determined LW air attack There were no reported losses with the convoy, which was escorted to Flamborough Head. COVENTRY experienced a steering gear defect and returned to Immingham, docking on the 26th for repairs completed on 14 November. She then left next day for duty at Sullom Voe.

Fr MV CAPITAINE EDMUND LABORIE(3087grt) : Carrying Ballast, the cargo ship struck a mine previously laid by U.19 October 16 and sank in the North Sea 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km) east of the Inner Dowsing Lightship . All crew were rescued by the Gorleston Lifeboat . 

(No image located) 

Nor Tkr DEODATA (3255 grt) Carrying Ballast, the tanker struck a mine laid by U.19 and sank in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk All crew were rescued by the Gorleston Lifeboat. Built in 1897 as a sailing Barque converted in 1926 to a engine driven whale oil tanker
WRECK WRAK EPAVE WRACK PECIO On this Day




_Deodata, an image taken before she was converted in 1926, when the ship was the Fr four-masted barque Le Quevilly _

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL DIOMEDE left port for Northern Patrol between Shetlands and Faroes, and arrived back on the 25th.

Ger MV POSEIDON (5864grt) dep Rio on 1 September within intent to run for Germany, but was forced to put into Mar del Plata on the 5th to avoid contact with CL AJAX. She was finally able to leave for Germany on 1 October, but was captured during the afternoon of the 21st by AMC SCOTSTOUN north of Iceland in the Denmark Strait Heavy weather prevented a boarding party from being put aboard at that time, and it was not until the afternoon of the 22nd that Py/Lt C W Armstrong RNR and his men were able to go across. SCOTSTOUN then escorted POSEIDON for 29 hours before losing touch in thick snow. AMC TRANSYLVANIA finally found the missing ship early on the 25th, but she was incapable of steaming, taken in tow and proceeded towards Reykjavik with CL SHEFFIELD in company. When Icelandic waters were reached, SHEFFIELD detached and returned to Sullom Voe, being relieved on Northern Patrol by CL SOUTHAMPTON (now fitted with radar, according to one source). However, before reaching Reykavik, TRANSYLVANIA’s tow line parted in a gale and she was forced to sink POSEIDON with gunfire on the 27th.

(NO IMAGE FOUND)

Ger Blockade Runner MV GLORIA (5896grt), had departed Buenos Aires on the 6th, was captured by CL SHEFFIELD on Northern Patrol in the Denmark Strait, whilst attempting to avoid detection by hugging the coast six to ten miles off the north coast of Iceland. GLORIA was taken to Kirkwall by a prize crew commanded by Sub Lt S Phillips. GLORIA was renamed EMPIRE CONVEYOR in British service.

(No Images found) 

*UK-France convoys .*

OB.23 dep Liv escort DDs VOLUNTEER and VERSATILE, which detached to KJ.3 on the 24th.

* English Channel*

MV ORSA (1478grt) was sunk 15 miles 150° from Flamborough by a mine laid by U.15 on 6 September, with the loss of 16 crew.

(NO IMAGE FOUND) 
.
*UK-outbound convoys* 

OA.23 of 15 ships dep Southend escort DDs ACASTA and ARDENT from the 21st to 23rd, and the convoy dispersed on the 26th.

*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar

CL GALATEA arrived at Gib.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

Hunter Force M with Fr CAs DUPLEIX and FOCH, and Force N with Fr BC STRASBOURG and CVL HERMES, were reassigned to cover the Dakar to Pernambuco route. Later, HERMES, DUPLEIX and FOCH worked togther, forming Force X. this group became effective in mid-November. STRASBOURG, with French CL DUGUAY TROUIN and the British NEPTUNE were formed into Force Y .

*Indian Ocean* 

CLs GLASGOW and NEWCASTLE, already at sea escorting a convoy, were reassigned to escort convoy KJ.3, then en route from the West Indies. They detached from KJ.3 on the 24th and the convoy arrived at Land's End on the 25th. NEWCASTLE reached Portsmouth on the 26th and GLASGOW on the 27th.

*Far EasStation*

MV NEW MATHILDE (tonnage unkown) ( US): The cargo ship foundered in the South China Sea 3 nautical miles off Kwangchowan, French Indo-China

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## Njaco (Oct 22, 2014)

*22 October 1939 Sunday

ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German pocket-battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_”, still cruising around in the mid-Atlantic, stops the British steamer “_Trevanion_” (cargo of ore concentrates) and machineguns her bridge and upper deck when she radios a distress message. “_Trevanion’s_” crew is taken on board before she is scuttled. German Naval Command is aware of British warships massing in the mid-Atlantic to hunt “_Graf Spee_” and orders her into the Indian Ocean. This will keep “_Graf Spee_” out of contact with British warships and add to British confusion about the number and location of German raiders.

American freighters “_Endicott_” and “_West Gambo_” were detained by France; portions of their cargo were deemed contraband and confiscated.

*GERMANY: *Joseph Goebbels publicly accused Winston Churchill of ordering the passenger liner “_Athenia_” attacked so that he could blame Germany and persuade the United States to join the Allies.

Hitler wants preemptive action in France before the French and British have time to improve and man their defenses. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for Halder’s “Fall Gelb”, he knows that time is on the Allies side and he demands that the attack is launched by Nov 12.

*POLAND:* Western Byelorussia, Western Ukraine, and the Soviet-occupied areas of Poland held elections.

Polish currency was replaced with Soviet rubles, Polish Industries moved into Russia, and the Soviet Union began phasing out Polish education, language, and religion.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* He 111 of 1(F)./122 was chased by aircraft of RAF No.603 Sqdn after overflying a convoy off St. Abb’s Head. The aircraft was attacked as it headed out to sea. This He 111 crashed into the sea 7 miles off St. Abb’s Head, Berwickshire. The remainder of the crew, including their commander – Oblt. G-A. Awater, - were picked up by HMS “_Ghurka_”.

SS ‘_Whitemantle_' a (1,692t) cargo ship, carrying coal from the Tyne to London was sunk by a mine near the Withernsea Light. Fourteen of her crew lost their lives.

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## parsifal (Oct 22, 2014)

*22 October*

*DKM War diary*
https://archive.org/stream/wardiarygermanna21939germ#page/137/mode/1up
DKM Operatiuons do not receive word of the GRAF SPEES success until the following day. They continue to enjoy an Intell bonanza, from various sources, but BDienst is of particular note, the following is just an example





UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
" U 26 sailed for Gibraltar. After minelaying (Operations Order No. 6) it is intended to send her to the western Mediterranean together with U 25 and U 53. As she is first to carry out a mining operation she may only be issued with absolutely essential confidential books and cypher material. (Standing War Order No. 17). The consequent disadvantages and difficulties when working together with other boats have to be accepted, as the risk of the confidential books and cypher material falling into enemy hands if the boat is lost in shallow water is too great. This point has to be taken into account in all operations in shallow water".

arrivals 

Wilhelmshaven: 

departures

Kiel: U-21, U-59
Wilhelmshaven: U-26

At Sea 22 October

U-16, U-21, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48, U-53, U-59. 

11 boats at sea.

*Northern Waters*

Captured US MV CITY OF FLINT, (captured by DKM DEUTSCHLAND on the 9-10-39), arrived at Murmansk.

Home Flt 

Home Flt (Adm Forbes) arrived at Loch Ewe at 0800 and then detached or moved elements as follows: . 

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BC HOOD, and DDs INTREPID, IVANHOE, ICARUS, KELLY and KINGSTON sortied to cover the movement of convoy NV.1 of twelve British iron ore ships from Narvik. CLs EDINBURGH dep Rosyth on the 23rd and joined the escort off Muckle Flugga at noon on the 24th, and CL AURORA dep Loch Ewe, also on the 23rd, and joined off the Norwegian coast on the 26th. DDs SOMALI, ASHANTI, TARTAR and FAME also joined from Scapa.En route to the Firth of Forth, DD FAME and two merchant ships were detached to join an Atlantic convoy.

Some days later at 0630 on the 30th, DDs SOMALI and TARTAR depth charged a submarine contact near Kinnaird Head. TARTAR then linked up with DD ASHANTI which by now was shepherding the convoy away from the area. DD FAME arrived in the contact area, taking over the attacks on the submarine and suppressed the contact for some hours, whilst the convoy cleared the area. The contact remained stationary even whilst subjected to further DC attacks which continued until 0915. NV.1 arrived safely on the 31st.

DD IMPULSIVE left Plymouth on the 23rd, reached Scapa on the 25th, and left next day to join Forbes at sea, KINGSTON detached from the force to Scapa with defects, and FIREDRAKE joined on the 29th.

*North Sea *.

British east coast 

MV Collier WHITEMANTLE ( UK 1692 GRT): The ship with a full load of coal struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 5 to 6 nautical miles off the Withernsea Lighthouse with the loss of 14 crew
WHITEMANTLE CARGO SHIP 1920-1939





*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs DUNEDIN, DELHI and CALYPSO joined the Northern Patrol, CALYPSO proceeding to the Iceland-Faroes Channel. This brought the numbers of ships on patrol to two cruisers between the Shetlands and the Faroes, four cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. Operational tempo in the command was increasing as German blockade runners made runs for home

*UK-France convoys .*

BC.12 of MVs ANGLIAN COAST, BALTRADER, BARON NAIRN, CISCAR, CITY OF KEELUNG (CC), CLAN MONROE, DEVON COAST, FABIAN, KERMA, MARGALAU, PACIFIC COAST, PIZARRO, RONAN, TREVERBYN and YEWMOUNT dep the Bristol Channel escort DDs EXPRESS and WESSEX, and arrived safely in the Loire on the 24th

AXS.2 of one steamer carrying munitions for the BEF dep Fowey, escort DD WAKEFUL, and reached Brest on the 24th.

* English Channel*

DD JAVELIN was badly damaged in collision with MV MOIDART (1262grt) off Whitby. DD AFRIDI, escorting convoy FN.24 nearby, was sent to assist, and two tugs and two ASW trawlers left the Tyne at 0400. JAVELIN was towed by destroyer JUPITER to Middlesbrough and repaired until 1 January.

U.16 laid mines in the Straits of Dover, on which one aux MSW was to subsequently stumble into and sink

Fr BC DUNKERQUE, CLs GEORGES LEYGUES, GLOIRE, MONTCALM and Contre Torpilleur DDs MOGADOR, VOLTA, L'INDOMPTABLE, LE MALIN and LA TRIOMPHANT cleared Brest to provide cover for the incoming KJ.4. 





_J Class DD_

Whilst providing escort for FN.25 (which had cleared Southend) DD GURKHA attacked a submarine 13 miles 68° from Orfordness on the 22nd. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 24th. Meanwhile, FS.25 departed Methil, escort DDs MAORI, WHITEHEAD and sloop WESTON and arrived at Southend on the 24th.

*Atlantic* 

CA YORK, CL ENTERPRISE dep Halifax to support convoy HX.5 which had left on the 17th, and carried out searches for DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND.

*Med/Biscay*

CA NORFOLK dep Alex and arrived at Malta on the 23rd.

Gibraltar

DDs GRAFTON and GALLANTm GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM, rendezvoused at Gib and then proceeded in company to Plymouth aarriving on the 22nd. Assigned to duty at Harwich, they were due to be joined by ORP DDs GROM, BURZA and BLYSKAWICA.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

MV TREVANNION (Aus 5299 grt): Often referred to as a british ship, it was in fact owned and crewed for the most part by Australians. The The Australian MV TREVANION was sunk by the DKM GRAF SPEE, in the South Atlantic, about midway between St. Helena and the west coast of Africa. TREVANION was the first Australian ship sunk in WWII. The ship was enroute to the UK from from Port Pirie, South Australia, with a cargo of zinc concentrates.

During the next six days GRAF SPEE steered to the sw away from the trade routes and on 28th October met the ALTMARK near Tristan da Cunha, roughly midway between the Cape of Good Hope and the east coast of South America. After fuelling from ALTMARK, the crew of the TREVANION were transferred to ALTMARK (Officers were kept aboard the GRAF SPEE) , and GRAF SPEE set course to the Indian Ocean, as per DKM HQ instructions. On the 22nd October Union-Castle liner LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE reported that she had intercepted a signal from an unidentified steamer stating that she was being shelled in a position ‘16 deg. South, 4 deg. 3 min. East at 1400 G.M.T.’
This was the last transmission from TREVANION. 

master of the ship Captain J. H. EDWARD, a well educated man from the exclusive Sydney suburb of St Ives was interrogated intensively by the officers of the GRAF SPEE. 

Cpt Edwards’ he told in an interview after being liberated how when questioned by German officers he replied with characteristic Australian forth-rightness: “Find out !”




_View of the Travanion as she is being sunk_

HG.4 of 41 ships left Gib, escort DDrs GRENVILLE, GIPSY and MSW LEDA, and Fr DDs BOURRASQUE and FOUDROYANT from the 22nd until their arrival at Brest on the 29th. DDs WISHART and VIDETTE provided local escort, detached on the 23rd and patrolled off Cadiz. The convoy after Brest arrived at Liverpool on the 29th, with GRENVILLE, GIPSY and LEDA arriving on the 30th.

*Cairibbean*

HMA CL PERTH departed Bermuda.

Ger MV EMMY FRIEDRICH (4372grt) dep Tampico, Mexico, during the night of the 19th/20th to act as a supply ship for DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE. Allied warships began a search for her in the Gulf of Mexico almost immediately, and were joined by USS CV RANGER (CV.4) acting as part of the as part of the Neutrality Patrol, in the Caribbean. CL ORION, dep Kingston on the 21st and RCN DD SAGUENAY sighted EMMY FRIEDRICH on the 22nd in the Yucatan Channel and she turned away, back into the Gulf of Mexico. The contact report from ORION enabled CL CARADOC, to intercept her early on the 23rd. EMMY FRIEDRICH was scuttled and CARADOC picked up her crew of 33 and took them to Bermuda, arriving on the 27th. ORION returned to Kingston on the 26th.








_German EMMY Friedrich and CV RANGER CV4_


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## parsifal (Oct 23, 2014)

*23 OCTOBER*
Axis New Ships
IJN Gunboat HASHIDATE




_Hashidate was witheld from full fleet entry until 4 June 1940, due to defects. She served mostly as an ASW escort She had one sister, the UJI._

Allied New Ships
RN AMC Ranchi





Neutral New ships
USN SS Seadtagon (SS194)





*DKM War diary*










UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
....."On the subject of U-boat losses: of the Atlantic and North Sea boats, U 27, U 39 and U 12 are definitely lost, U 42 and U 45 probably, U 40 possibly. The following is known about the boats: U 27 reported on 19.9 that she was leaving her operations area. There is no information on U 39 since she sailed. One major part of both crews are prisoners of war. This means that the boats were probably surprised on the surface and attacked with gunfire and possibly also by a/c. It is possible that they were so damaged as to be unable to dive, so that the crews had to abandon the boats in the face of the enemy and sink them. The large number of survivors cannot be explained in any other way. If they had been destroyed underwater the losses would have been much greater. U 12 passed the line Dover-Calais and was operating west of this; this is proved by a number of sightings and attack reports, which on the whole have proved very accurate apart from the first weeks of war, during which they were not very reliable. A radio intelligence report suggests that the boat may have been rammed"...... .

Actual fates of the Boats questioned by the Uboat chief:

U.12 Sunk 8 Oct 1939 in the English Channel near Dover, position not known, by a mine. 27 dead

U.27 Sunk 20 Sept 1939 in the North Atlantic west of Hebrides, in position 58.35N, 09.02W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Fortune and HMS Forester. 38 survivors (no casualties).

U.39 Sunk 14 Sept 1939 in the North Atlantic west of Hebrides, in position 58.32N, 11.49W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Faulknor, HMS Foxhound and HMS Firedrake. 44 survivors (no casualties).

U.42: Sunk 13 Oct 1939 in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland in position 49.12N, 16.00W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Imogenand HMS Ilex. 26 dead and 20 survivors.

U.45: Sunk 14 Oct 1939 south-west of Ireland, in position 50.58N, 12.57W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Inglefield, HMS Ivanhoe andHMS Intrepid. 38 dead (all hands lost).

U.40: Sunk 13 Oct 1939 in the English Channel east of Dover, in position 51.07,5N, 01.48E, by a mine in the British barrage C3. 45 dead and 3 survivors.

departures

Kiel: U-56, U-58
Wilhelmshaven: U-24

At Sea 23 OCTOBER 

1939
U-16 , U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59. 

14 boats at sea.

*Baltic*


Norwegian Coast 

Ger MV CURITYBA (4969grt) sighted Nor DD DRAUG off Bergen where she arrived on the 24th. Setting out again, she arrived via Drogden, at Hamburg on the 30th.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CL SHEFFIELD dep Loch Ewe for Northern Patrol and arrived back on the 26th.

*British Northern Waters *
Home Flt

CVL FURIOUS and BC REPULSE with DDs BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE left Loch Ewe for the Clyde, arriving on the 25th.

CLA CURLEW and DDs FURY, FOXHOUND, FEARLESS and MASHONA dep Loch Ewe for Scapa. The DDs were then assigned for convoy escort.

CL AURORA sailed from Loch Ewe and DDs SOMALI, ASHANTI, TARTAR and FAME from Scapa to escort an iron ore convoy from Narvik.






_Aurora was one of four ships in the Arethusa Class. They resembled the Leander class, with one less turret_
CL EDINBURGH dep Rosyth to rendezvous with Commodore D in CL AURORA 20 miles north of Muckle Flugga.

A Roc fighter of 803 Squadron from Hatston, failed to return from patrol off Wick. Petty Officer L R Tregillis and Naval Airman R E Eason were lost.

*North sea.*
ALBANIA (Sd 1200GRT): The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off the Humber Lightship ( United Kingdom) with the loss of two crew. Survivors were rescued by MV CHANNEL FISHER 

(NO IMAGE FOUND)

KONSTANTINOS HADJIPATERAS (Gk 5962 grt) Fully laden with Scrap iron, the ship struck a mine laid on 16 October by U-19 and sank near Inner Dowsing Light vessel. The survivors were picked up by the Gorleston lifeboat Louise Stephens.





*UK-France convoys .*

SA.14 of two steamers cleared Southampton, escort DDs VANSITTART and VENOMOUS, and arrived at Brest on the 24th.

*Channel.*

DD GALLANT attacked a submarine contact 90° off the Lizard, and was later joined in the search by DDs KANDAHAR, ACASTA, ARDENT, which made attacks 20 miles south of Portland. ACASTA was missed by a torpedo. The search continued into the next day for DDs ACASTA and ARDENT. 

*UK-outbound convoys* 

OA.24G dep Southend escort DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA, while OB.24G dep Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and WARWICK. They merged on the 26th as OG.4.


*Southwestern Approaches*
*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar

U.37 conducted a reconnaissance of the Straits of Gibraltar during the night of the 23rd/24th.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

SL.6 dep Freetown escort DDs HYPERION and HUNTER, which left the convoy early on the 26th to take twelve ships into Dakar where they arrived early dawn on the 27th. Before then, on the 26th, French CL DUGUAY TROUIN cleared Dakar to join SL.6 on the 27th, not arriving back until 2 November, while DD GRIFFIN dep Gib on the 30th and joined on 8 November in Home Waters, escorting the convoy to the UK. In the Western Approaches, the convoy split into SL.6, escort DDs ELECTRA and ESCORT, and SL.6B, escort DDs WALPOLE and VANOC, the latter transferring to SL.6 on 8 November. Dispersed ships of the main convoy arrived at Liverpool starting on the 10th.

CA SHROPSHIRE dep Capetown on escort duty, and arrived back the next day

*North Atlantic*

CA BERWICK dep Bermuda, and arrived back on the 26th for docking where she underwent repairs until 3 November.


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## Njaco (Oct 23, 2014)

*23 October 1939 Monday

ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British light cruiser HMS “_Orion_” and Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Saguenay_” intercepted German tanker “_Emmy Friedrich_”; “_Emmy Friedrich's_” crew scuttled the ship to avoid capture.

SS ‘_Albania_' (1,200t) a Swedish ship, sank in the North Sea, near the Tyne, after being mined. She was built in 1903.

Two British ships ‘_Sea Venture_’ and ‘_Whitemantle_’, were reported sunk. The first was torpedoed off the north coast of Scotland; the second lost after an explosion due either to a mine or a submarine.

*ASIA:* The Japanese G4M “Betty” bomber made its maiden flight. Destined to be the main Japanese land based bomber for the entire war, it was, like other Japanese planes, state of the art at the beginning of the war and grossly overmatched by later American models later. Made by Mitsubishi, its performance was about on par with the American B-25 as far as speed and climb, and it had better range.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finnish delegates Paasikivi and Tanner arrive in Moscow by train and go to the Kremlin to negotiate with Molotov and Stalin. The Finns are prepared to give up 6 islands in the Gulf of Finland and they offer to move the border near Leningrad 13 km North, giving some protection to USSR’s second city. Stalin continues to demand a border move of 70 km, as well as a ‘lease’ on the entire Hanko peninsula to station 5000 troops and a naval base. He adds ominously that there will be no haggling but the Finns are not authorized to make these concessions and the meeting breaks up acrimoniously, with each side accusing the other of provoking war. Paasikivi and Tanner return to the Kremlin at 11 p.m. to hear Stalin’s final offer to reduce the Hanko garrison to 4000 but conceding this is still beyond their remit. They agree to take the Soviet terms (which, in reality, are not much different from those presented Oct 12) back to Helsinki for discussion by the Finnish government. While the Finns engage in more diplomacy, USSR prepares for war.

North of Murmansk, a German prize crew steers the US ship “_City of Flint_” into Kola Bay. The steamer was seized as contraband by a German cruiser.

The British Home Fleet escorts an iron ore convoy from Narvik, Norway (arriving on October 31st).

*WESTERN FRONT:* Patrolling units engage in combat in the region west of the Saar.

In Paris Sir Eric Phipps, the retiring British Ambassador, leaves.

.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 23, 2014)

Keep it coming guys. Great stuff.

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## parsifal (Oct 24, 2014)

*24 OCTOBER*

*DKM War diary*
Select extracts...











UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
"U 37 reports: 2 ships sunk today off Gibraltar, one Q ship hit. Depth charged for 9 hours. Fuel running out. Starting return passage. Presumably the boat went up close to Gibraltar. Her observations of this area are important for U 26 and U 25 and 53. She has been ordered to report her experiences as soon as circumstances permit".

departures

Kiel: U-61

At Sea 24 OCTOBER 

U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-48, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
14 boats at sea.

*Baltic*

Fn MV RHEA (1424grt) was seized in the Baltic by German warships and taken to Kiel.

(NO IMAGE FOUND)

Ge trawler SATURN (194grt) was sunk in a collision near Kiel.

(NO IMAGE FOUND) 


*Northern Patrol - *.

On Northern Patrol were CL CALYPSO and one other cruiser between the Faroes and the Orkneys, two cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CLs COLOMBO and DRAGON had dep Sullom Voe on the 20th, DIOMEDE on the 21st, and DUNEDIN, DELHI, CALYPSO on the 22nd. DIOMEDE, DRAGON, CALEDON, COLOMBO, CARDIFF called there to refuel and left on the 25th. The AMCs in the patrol lines were CHITRAL, SCOTSTOUN and TRANSYLVANIA.

*British Northern Waters *

Home Flt

ML ADVENTURE dep Sheerness for the Humber to lay mines in the North Sea in Operation AD, arriving on the 25th at Grimsby. From there, she laid mines, escort two DDs and MSW SPHINX, off Flamborough Head in operations completed on the 29th. CL SOUTHAMPTON dep Sullom Voe for patrol SE of Norway, arrived at Scapa on 6 November, then left for Rosyth, arriving on the 7th.

*North sea.*

DD GURKHA, as escort for FN.25, attacked a submarine contact 13 miles bearing 068° from Orfordness. FN.26 dep Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 26th. FS.26 departed Methil,and reached Southend on the 26th

SS PORPOISE arrived at Chatham for refitting completed on 18 January.

*Channel.*

U.16 (Kptlt. Horst Wellner) a Type IIB Boat had dep Wilhelmshaven on the 17th, and after completing a minelay op near Dover, was detected by the St Margaret's Bay indicator loop station. Attacked by PCs PUFFIN and ASW trawler CAYTON WYKE (373grt), she was damaged and as she evaded further attacks, struck a mine and was even more badly damaged forward of the conning tower, running aground on the Goodwin Sands . The body of an officer was picked up off Folkestone by minesweeping trawler ST MELANTE (358grt), and on the same day U.16 was discovered with only the conning tower above water and the crew all dead. The 28 bodies of the crew were removed and taken to Dover for burial. All classified gear had ben removed prior to the mission, so there was no material of intell value in the Boat 






*Med/Biscay*

Gibraltar
DDs GRENADE and GRIFFIN dep Gib to escort convoy SL.5, but GRIFFIN was ordered back to stand by for SL.6. She arrived there on the 26th and dep with SL.6 on the 30th.

U.37 enjoyed great success off Gib. After sending an intell report she proceeded to sink three vessels, details as follows:

U-37 torpedoed and sank MV MENIN RIDGE (UK 2474 grt) carrying Iron ore from Algeria to England via Gib, the ship was hit on the port side below the bridge by one torp while steaming at 9 knots. U.37 had spotted the ship eight hours earlier but the UB skipoper had postponed his attack because he feared the ship was armed. Due to the heavy cargo, the ship broke up and sank immediately after being hit and only five crewmen managed to get clear and await rescue by by clinging to wreckage. The master and 19 crew members were lost. The U-boat remained submerged after the attack because a ship was seen to approach the sinking position. about 98 miles west of Gibraltar and shortly afterwards spotted the unescorted and unarmed LEDBURY 
Photo Source Uboat net




_Menin Ridge under her former name Pentirion_
MV LEDBURY (UK 3528 grt) Fully laden with a cargo bauxite en route to England from Toulon. After the U.37 sank the MENIN RIDGE, LEDBURY proceeded to carry out rescue operation of the crewmen in the water. The U-boat then fired two torpedoes at her but missed because the ship was constantly changing courses during a careful approach at 7 knots. However, her lookouts failed to notice the attack, so the ship continued to search and rescue crewmen. They had picked up the five survivors in their lifeboat and returned to the ship after half an hour, but before they could be taken aboard U-37 surfaced off the starboard quarter a short distance away and fired a shot across the bow of LEDBURY . The master gallantly signalled the lifeboat to cast off, turned towards the U-boat and sent a distress signal that was received by Gibraltar and other stations. The use of the radio forced Hartmann to immediately open fire with the deck gun on the steamer. The steering gear was smashed by the first round, two others struck the bridge and set it on fire and two more hit the engine room, but the most of the 34 rounds fired during the attack were aimed at the waterline on the starboard side and caused the ship to sink after about 15 minutes. The ships confidential papers were destroyed was almost trapped when a shell wrecked his cabin when he tried to get the ship’s papers from there. He then abandoned ship in the port lifeboat together with 25 crew members and the survivor who had been picked up earlier. Despite the continuous shelling there was only a sibngle light injury. Subsequently the Germans questioned the occupants of the starboard lifeboat and when the chief officer told them that the master was in the other boat, he was asked by Hartmann to deliver the following message: "_Tell the Captain I am sorry to shell him but he used his wireless and that is forbidden. It is the fault of Winston Churchill and the money grabbers in London. We don’t want war_".
Photo source Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart





The presence of U-37 was now known to the local commands due to the distress signal and Hartmann decided to leave the area to the southwest. Doing so he first spotted a tanker heading for Gibraltar, but the ship suddenly reversed course, presumably after receiving a U-boat warning.

At 10.30 hours, the Germans sighted the TAFNA (1462 GRT) which had observed the shelling from a distance of 10 miles and unsuccessfully tried to avoid the U-boat, but was eventually torpedoed and sunk at 11.19 hours. The torpedo explosion was heard by the survivors of the two sunken ships before they were rescued by the American SS CROWN CITY which had received the distress signal and was led to the boats by a French aircraft. The ship hurriedly picked them up and left the empty lifeboats adrift in order to get to the torpedoed ship as soon as possible, but she then just proceeded to Gibraltar to land the survivors after two DDs were observed in the area. 
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&...LaESpEiZb7f6pWCucw8_Ibog&ust=1414238974438940





Subsequently , the submerged UBoat was depth charged by several aircraft after attacking TAFNA about 100 miles WSW of Gib. U-37 went to 105m (345ft) and avoided damage from the DCs. Hartmann wisely decided to run silent at a depth of 80m (263ft) and ordered most of the crew to lie down and rest, because shortly afterwards DDs KEPPEL, VIDETTE and Watchman arrived from Gib and began an intense ASW operationan. Later, DD KEPPEL dropped a full pattern of five depth charges set for 250ft (76m) after obtaining a good ASDIC contact and observed an air bubble and possibly oil rising to the surface afterwards, but failed to regain contact. The UBoat had switched off the hydrophones and were caught off guard by the accurate detonations, which were felt as severe blows in the boat, which then dived to 95m (312ft). As dusk arrived DD WATCHMAN dropped a single DC set for 150ft (46m) from the port thrower on an Asdic contact but lost contact after dropping the remaining four DCs of the pattern in a follow up attack. Hartmann heard these detonate at some distance, but knew that they could not stay submerged all night as the crew had already begun to use the rebreather cartridges, so ordered the boat to be prepared for scuttling before surfacing with all guns manned at 21.45 hrs. However, the DDs were no longer nearby and the boat was able to leave the area undetected, somewhat damaged. 

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN arrived at Freetown for refuelling, thereafter commencing raider hunting ops from the 28th l.

*North Atlantic*

HMA CL PERTH dep Kingston, to intercept a German warship deemed present from intercepted signal traffic. She altered course to intercept, but no contact was made. Halifax was reached on the 28th.

HXF.6 dep Halifax at 0800, escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, with BB REVENGE as distant cover. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 November.


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## Njaco (Oct 24, 2014)

*24 October 1939 Wednesday

NORTHERN EUROPE:* A Soviet-German trade agreement is signed. The USSR agrees to supply 1 million tonnes of grain and fodder to Germany.

Paasikivi and Tanner, the Finnish delegation to negotiate the border dispute with USSR, leave Moscow by train for Leningrad and then Helsinki. The talks are public knowledge but the topic of acquisition of bases and territory by USSR is top secret. The New York Times speculates that either the Finns are negotiating a loan to make up for trade revenues with Britain lost as a result of German sinking of neutral vessels, or that Tanner as head of the Finnish Socialist party is reporting to Moscow on the attitude of Finnish workers. This secrecy will not be maintained for long.

In Danzig the Nazi Foreign Minister, Ribbentrop, delivers a speech in which he accuses the British government of systematically preparing, over a period of years, to make war on Germany.

The Greek Steamer ‘_Konstantinos Hadjipateras_’ was sunk by a U-boat in the North sea.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank British steamships “_Menin Ridge_” by torpedoes and “_Ledbury_” by gunfire off Gibraltar.

*POLAND:* Nowy Sącz is a town in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the district capital of Nowy Sącz County. During the invasion of Poland starting World War II, Nowy Sącz was occupied by Nazi Germany. At the outbreak of the war over a third of the population of the Polish town of Nowy Sącz (or Neu-Sandez in German) were Jewish. It had been an important Hasidic centre for centuries. Their persecution began with petty bureaucratic measures. Among them, issued on October 24, 1939:


> “Neu-Sandez Municipal Administration. Neu-Sandez, 24 October 1939. Notice. It is hereby ordered that all shops whose owners are Jews must be kept open on Saturdays too. Those acting otherwise will be severely punished. The Chief Burgomaster as Town Commissioner: Dr Hein”



*UNITED KINGDOM:* In London the Polish Consul-General announces that Poles in Britain will be mobilized for service in the Polish Army in France.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Raids and ambushes were reported from various parts of the Western Front, and fairly sharp engagement towards the south-eastern border of the Forest of Warndt, where a German attack on a French outpost was driven back.

In Paris the Polish gold reserves arrive. The value of the gold is estimated at over £15,000,000. 82,000 kg of Polish gold has traveled from the Romania port of Constanţa on Sept. 16 to Istanbul in Turkey on Sept. 19, and then on to Beirut, Lebanon where it was loaded on French warships bound for France.

.


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## Wurger (Oct 24, 2014)

The Polish submarine ORP Sęp interned in Sweden, 1939..












A postage stamp issued by the Polish Government in London, 1941 to commemorate the Polish Navy in the Great Britain.







And a set of postage stamps with ORP Piorun, ORP Orzeł and ORP Garland issued after the war..

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## Njaco (Oct 25, 2014)

*25 October 1939 Wednesday

ASIA:* Mitsubishi delivered the second Zero fighter prototype to the Japanese Navy for testing.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* French cruiser “_Dupleix_”, destroyer “_Le Fantasque_”, and destroyer “_Le Terrible_ “attacked and captured German freighter “_Santa Fé_” west of French West Africa.

U-16 is sunk by HMS “_Cayton Wyke_”, a requisitioned trawler converted for minesweeping, and patrol vessel HMS “_Puffin_”.

Five British ships were reported sunk by enemy action: ‘_Ledbury_’, ‘_Menin Ridge_’, and ‘_Tafna_’ all in the North Atlantic. ‘_Stonegate_’ attacked and sunk by German battleship ‘_Deutschland_’ and ‘_Clan Chisholm_’ sunk off the Spanish coast.

*GERMANY:* Hptm. Riegel’s I./JG 27 transfer from their base at Münster-Handorf to new accommodations at Hopsten.

German General Gerd von Rundstedt is appointed Commander in the West.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Three U-boats are dispatched to the Mediterranean; only U-26 arrives and has no success.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In Mexico City, Leon Trotsky is reported to have said that;


> "Stalin is afraid of Hitler, and is right to be so."



*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Paasikivi and Tanner change trains in Leningrad. Ominously, they see significant concentrations of Red Army troops around Leningrad. North of the city, on the Soviet portion of the Karelian Isthmus, construction of additional road and rail connections is underway. While it might seem careless for the Soviets to allow their preparations to be observed, the obvious route of Soviet attack into Finland is across the Karelian Isthmus (a 30 mile wide strip between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Lagoda) and the Finns are already fortifying the Mannerheim Line to defend against this. Unknown to the Finns, the Red Army is also planning to attack along the entire 800 mile border running North from Lake Lagoda to the Barents Sea.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Handley Page Halifax bomber makes its maiden flight.

The Air Ministry announced that reconnaissance carried out by the RAF during the preceding 24 hours included night flights over Berlin, Magdeburg and Hamburg.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French troops reportedly repulse a German detachment in the region close to the Moselle. As a whole, conditions on are reported to be quiet.



.


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## parsifal (Oct 25, 2014)

*25 OCTOBER*

*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

"U 48 entered Kiel. She sank:
French tanker "Emile Miquet" 14,115 t
English S.S. "Herouspool"
English S.S. "Sueaton"
Unidentified ship from a convoy believed it to be "City of Mandalay"3,667t
Therefore certainly more than “29,897” t
and probably “36,911” t

A very successful patrol, especially as it only lasted 3 weeks. U 48 used all her torpedoes, but reports 5 failures, which caused her to lose several ships which would otherwise have certainly been sunk. It is unnecessary to go into the causes and results of these failures again. The Torpedo Inspectorate is being kept informed, and the importance stressed: B.d.U. is in close contact with the Inspectorate.

U 46 sighted a convoy from her position 60 miles northwest of Lisbon. U 25, which was assumed to be off the southwest corner of Ireland, was ordered to take action. Provided contact is maintained, it might be possible for her to reach the convoy, as for the time being the enemy's course is restricted by the coast line. This is an experiment to discover if it is any good to have a few boats working together over a large area. Contact was lost after 4 hours".

arrivals

Kiel: U-48 

departures

Kiel: U-13, U-57 

At Sea 25 OCTOBER 

U-13, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

15 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol - *.

Ge Blockade runner MV RHEINGOLD (5055grt), had departed Bahia on 27 September, was captured in the Iceland-Faroes Channel by CL DELHI, west of the Orkneys. RHEINGOLD arrived at Kirkwall with the prize crew, on the 27th and later renamed EMPIRE MARINER for British service. DELHI arrived at Sullom Voe on the 28th.





CLs COLOMBO, CARDIFF, CALEDON dep Sullom Voe, with CARDIFF and CALEDON returning on the 31st.

Two cruisers were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, four cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CL SOUTHAMPTON (now with radar) was sailing to relieve sister ship SHEFFIELD in the Denmark Strait.

*North sea.*

UK East Coast

DD VIVIEN completed conversion to DDA (Anti Aircraft DD, with 4x4" QF, 4 x 20mm, retaining 30-45 DC 1665 t disp, oil fuel reduced to 325 tons.6 other "V" class were simialarly converted ) , and following working up, was attached to Convoy C in the Rosyth Command.





_V Class after conversion to short range AA role_
CLA CALCUTTA dep Grimsby for Harwich, and arrived on the 26th. DD MASHONA was docked at Newcastle for repairs from 25 October to 10 November. DD PUNJABI brought Panamanian tkr PHOEBUS (8863grt) into the Clyde, but after examination, she was allowed to continue. DD FURY was damaged by heavy weather, and repaired in the Clyde, completing on 17 November.

*UK-France traffic*

OB.25 dep Liverpool escort DDs WHIRLWIND and WALPOLE until the 28th. BC.11 of steamers ADJUTANT, BALTARA, BARON CARNEGIE, BATNA, BLACKHEATH, BOTHNIA, BRIARWOOD, COXWOLD, ERATO, FRAMLINGTON COURT, HARMATTAN, JADE, LLARNARTH, LOCHEE, LOTTIE R, LURIGETHAN, MARSLEW, NIGERIAN (Commodore) and PEMBROKE COAST dep the Loire escort DD EXPRESS, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 28th.

*Channel.*

OA.25 of 19 ships dep Southend escort DD ANTELOPE and VISCOUNT from the 25th to 28th.

DD WIVERN provided escort for SL.4A into Dover with ASW trawlers ARCTIC RANGER and KINGSTON CORNELIAN, before leaving Southend on the 27th in company with DD WITCH as escort to convoy OA.26. When a submarine was reported, WIVERN was detached to search for what was later determined to be TRIDENT (see below).

*UK West Coast*

OA.26 dep Portsmouth consisting of SS TRIDENT for Oban (a small port on the western coast of Scotland), steamer BONIFACE (4928 tons), and base ships MANCHESTER CITY and MASHOBRA, escort DDSs SALADIN, VANSITTART, VENOMOUS and SCIMITAR as far west as the Eddystone Light. DD VANESSA relieved the Portsmouth DDs at 1650 and was joined by sister ship VIVACIOUS after a short delay. On the 27th, TRIDENT and VIVACIOUS detached to Oban.

*Med/Biscay*

U.25, U.26, and U.53 were assigned for operations in the Med between 25 October and 15 November – Only U.26 was able to enter the Med for a patrol lasting from 8 to 18 November. A planned minelay off Gibraltar was prevented by gales, and she carried out attacks off Oran. On the 13th, she claimed to have finally sunk a steamer, but this is not confirmed. However French steamer LOIRE (4285grt) departed Oran for Dunkirk on 12 November and was not heard from again, so a probable victim of U.26, which arrived back at Wilhelmshaven on 5 December. Of the other two submarines, U.53 left her patrol area off Gib on 13 November to refuel, and U.25 after patrolling off Gibraltar, reached Wilhelmshaven on 27 November in a damaged condition.

Alexandria

BB RAMILLIES, CL PENELOPE and DDs DAINTY, DIANA, DEFENDER cleared anchorage on a 15-inch gun shoot. The exercise was repeated on the 27th with the same ships less DAINTY.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

Fr BC STRASBOURG, CAs ALGÉRIE, DUPLEIX, DDs LE TERRIBLE and LE FANTASQUE and CVL HERMES dep Dakar to carry out a sweep to the southwest. They arrived back on the 29th.

Ge steamer SANTA FE (4627grt), had departed Rio de Janiero on the 13th, was captured 5N, 34W by French Contre Torp[illeur DDs LE FANTASQUE and LE TERRIBLE, supported by Force M CA DUPLEIX. BC STRASBOURG, with CVL HERMES undertaking searches. CAs ALGÉRIE, DUPLEIX together with LE FANTASQUE and LE TERRIBLE put to sea from Dakar to search for SANTA FE from the 23rd to 29th. She was renamed SAINT ANDRE in French service, but returned to German service after the fall of France resuming her former name.

In 1943 the ship transferred to the Black Sea. recomissioned again as the Santa-Fe. In 1943 this transport was dispatched to the Black Sea. November 23, 1943 convoy Wotan sailed from Constantsa, Romania for the port of Sevastopol in Crimea. The SANTE FE was escorted by DD MARASTI, the Q-ship LOLA, in company with the ML ADMIRAL MURGESCU and DKM MSWs R-165, R-197 and R-209. She had 12 StuG III assault guns, 2 Jagdpanzer tank destroyers and 1278 tons of different war material ( shells, air bombs, petrol in casks ) in her cargo. Early in the morning an explosion sounded near the fore hold. The transport caught fire. This was followed by a second explosion inside theship, which broke her into 2 pieces and sank within some minutes. 28 crew members were killed while 16 missing. 

There are no known photos of the ship whilst afloat, but there are several I could locate of the wreck 
BLACK SEA WRECK CLUB






Ge steamer TOGO (5042grt) dep Duala (West Coast of Africa), and evading patrols by Fr SSs AJAX and CENTAURE in the vicinity, reached Hamburg on 23 November.

*North Atlantic*

HX.6 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDrs FRASER and ST LAURENT. They detached on the 27th and the convoy continued with BB RESOLUTION as ocean escort. On 6 November, DDs WHIRLWIND and WARWICK rendezvoused HX.6 from OB.29, and DDs GRENVILLE, GRENADE, GIPSY and GLOWWORM from Plymouth. Next day, RESOLUTION, GRENVILLE and GRENADE detached to Devonport, and the convoy reached Liverpool on the 10th.

*Indian Ocean*

CA DORSETSHIRE cleared Colombo on patrol duties, and arrived back on the 28th.

*Far East*

DDs THANET and THRACIAN laid mines off Hong Kong in the West Lamma and North Lantau Channels, and again on the 26th and 27th. THANET carried out a lay southwest of Papai Island on the 31st.





_DDs THANET and THRACIAN were among the oldest DDs in the RN and were classified as Reserve Destroyers_


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## Njaco (Oct 26, 2014)

*26 October 1939 Thursday

EASTERN EUROPE:* Jozef Tiso was declared the President of Slovakia.

The Soviet government denies the British claim to have a right to stop Soviet merchant ships bound for Germany. But Soviet authorities order the release of the American steamer “_City of Flint_”.

*GERMANY:* Several more Luftwaffe units are moved to bolster the Western front. Major von Berg’s I./JG 51 leave their airfields at Speyer and transfer to the airbase at Mannheim-Sandhofen. The Bf 109Es of 3./JG 51 remain at their base at Eutingen. Joining I./JG 51 at Mannheim-Sandhofen are the planes and crews of the Stab./JG 52 led by Kommodore Major Hubert Merhart von Bernegg who leave the airbase at Böblingen. Hptm. Hans-Günther von Kornatzki’s II./JG 52 also leave Böblingen and transfer to Mannheim-Stadt airfield and re-equip with Bf 109Es.

An Austrian ‘Freedom’ radio stations began sending out anti-Nazi broadcasts.

It was, officially confirmed in Berlin that Hitler intended to bring back all German minorities from all countries.

*POLAND:* Hans Frank, a dedicated Nazi, is given rank of SS Obergruppenführer and appointed Governor-General of the General Government for the occupied Polish territories “Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete” (or simply General Government). A decree imposes compulsory labour on all Jews aged 16 -60. General Government is a German police state “colony”, with no Polish representation, and Hitler plans for complete Germanification within 15-20 years. This area (approximately 95,000 square km with a population of 12 million) lies between Western Poland, annexed into Germany, and Eastern Poland, now occupied by USSR. Frank is responsible for segregating Jews into city ghettos and exporting Polish civilians to Germany as forced labour. He will eventually be found guilty of war crimes at the Nuremberg trials and hung on October 16, 1946.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A Do 17P of 4(F)./122 suffered an engine failure while on a sortie to the English East Coast. The aircraft force-landed in Holland. Uffz WendtFw. R. Diesterweg and Fw. J. Hundenborn were all interned by the Dutch. The aircraft was taken to Soesterberg for examination by the RNAF.

Chamberlain responds to claims made by the Nazi Foreign Minister Ribbentrop that Britain sought and plotted for war with Germany. He says;


> "…the whole world knows that this is not true."



The Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps is formed.

The wreck of a U-boat, containing more than 50 dead, is washed up on the Goodwin Sands.

At 20.45 a runaway barrage balloon fell on some houses in Bradford. Damage was done to some roofs and telegraph wires.

Air Ministry announced that it was now known that at least seven out of twelve German aircraft failed to return to their base after last Saturday’s attack on a British convoy in the North Sea.

The Naval, Military and Air situation up to 12 noon on October 26, 1939, as reported to the War Cabinet, inter alia, the following:



> German Army.
> 
> Morale.
> The following notes have been made from a French General Staff report on German morale obtained by questioning prisoners of war. The statements of these prisoners, all of whom came from the Maine -Wiesbaden district, may to some extent have been made in order to get better treatment, and should therefore not be taken as the general attitude of the German soldier on the Western front: -
> ...



*WESTERN FRONT:* Wintry conditions prevail with much rain and snow. Minor encounters between patrols and artillery fire from both sides is reported.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 26, 2014)

*26 October*

*Known Reinforcements*

Allied New Ships
ML M1 "M" Class, and DD KASHMIR JKN Class







_The JKNs were "budget price" fleet destroyer, and represented a move away from the "super destroyer concept_
*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...

















UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

As U 46 did not regain contact, but reported that she was leaving her operations area because of lack of fuel, it was no longer possible for U 25 to operate against the convoy. Meanwhile this boat had come a long way south. She was allocated a new operations area northwest of Cape Finisterre.

The following boats are expected to be ready for operations next:

U 33 on 29.10, U 38 on 8.11, U.43 1.11, U.28 8.11, U.41 2.11, U.29 11.11, U.49 4.11, U.47 13.11, U.35 13.11

I consider the following mining operations to be of next importance:

1)	inside the Bristol Channel, north of the Foreland
2)	off Swansea
3)	off Milford Haven.

Information available suggests that they would be very successful. But as they mean entering an area which is probably strongly patrolled, they must be carried out as soon as possible, before anti-S/M defenses reach their full extent.

U-boats of the 2nd U-Flotilla must be considered for this, because of their range; i.e. U 33, U 28, and U 29. Boats at operational readiness will therefore have to be divided into a mining and an operational group.

I intend to assemble the latter, up to 4 boats, in the area southwest of Ireland. They are then to take up an attacking disposition south and west of Portugal with the purpose of intercepting traffic north-bound from Gibraltar. Later a disposition is planned northwest of Cape Finisterre at about the time when U 47 should have arrived (Operations Order No. 11)".

N arrivals or departures on this date

At Sea 26 October

U-13, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

15 boats at sea

*Baltic*

Sd Steamer JUPITER (2152grt) was seized in the Baltic by German warships and taken to Kiel. Gk steamer MARIETTA NOMIKOU (5241grt) was seized in the Baltic by German warships and taken to Pillau.

*North Sea *.

CL BELFAST arrived at Clyde for Refitting completed on 8 November. CLA CALCUTTA departed Harwich and arrived at Grimsby on the 27th.

*Northern Patrol - *.

Two cruisers were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and AMC TRANSYLVANIA in the Denmark Strait. Meanwhile, CL SHEFFIELD was returning to Sullom Voe. From the 13th to 26th, Northern Patrol sighted 56 eastbound ships, sent 53 into Kirkwall for inspection and dealt with six German Blockade Runners.

*British Northern Waters *

Home Flt

BC REPULSE and CVL FURIOUS, escort DDs FORESTER, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE cleared the Clyde to cover the Atlantic convoy routes, including Halifax convoys already at sea. Following these convoys' safe passage, they were stationed to the south and the east of Newfoundland to continue covering the route, the DDs arriving back in the Clyde on the 28th.

* English Channel*

FN.27 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 28th. There was no FN.28. FS.27 departed Methil, escort DDs JUNO, WALLACE, WHITLEY and sloop STORK, reaching Southend on the 28th.

.
*Southwestern Approaches*

OG.4, totalling 40 ships, was formed from OA.24G, escort DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA, and OB.24G which departed Liv escort DDs WARWICK and VANOC. The convoy safely arrived at Gib on 1 Nov, escort by that time Fr destroyers CHACAL and MISTRAL, which dep Brest on the 26th and joined on the 27th.

*Med/Biscay*

DD DUCHESS abandoned her Kithera patrol 24 hours early to take an injured man to Malta. Blue 6 of 15 ships dep Port Said and proceeded without escort.

*China Station*

MTB.11 was accidentally hit by a round from a 6-inch shore battery at Hong Kong, fired to warn her to keep clear of a newly mined area. She was towed into harbour between MTB.9 and MTB.10.




_MTB 11 was commissioned in 1938, as one of the original 60' Class MTBs. she was later adapted to carry DCs as well as Torps_


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## Wurger (Oct 26, 2014)

On the 26 October 1939 Hans Frank announced creating of the Generalne Gubernatorstwo (Generalgouvernement für die besetzten polnischen Gebiete ) consisted of a part of Poland. The rest of the Polish area was annexed to the Third Reich.












Sets of postage stamps issued for the Generalgouvernement in 1940.

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## parsifal (Oct 26, 2014)

Id imagine those stamps would be worth quite a bit no to collectors


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## Wurger (Oct 26, 2014)

Initially the GG stamps were "captured" the pre-war Polish ones. Later they issued their own. I don't remember how much these are worth but collectors try to find them for their collections.


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## Njaco (Oct 27, 2014)

*27 October 1939 Friday
GERMANY:* A secret meeting between Hitler, Kurt Student, the commander of VII Fliegerkorps and Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel. Discussion centers around why Hitler’s new secret weapons, the paratroopers, were not used in Poland and how they would be utilized in the coming operation on the Western Front. Student outlines his proposal on the effective use of his troops including the plan for attacking the Eben Emanuel Fortress. These plans are given the code name “Gkdos Chefsache”.

The crews of I./JG 51 under Major Ernst Freiherr von Berg are transferred to Mannheim-Sandhofen airfield along with the Stab of JG 52, led by Major Hubert Merhart von Bernegg. After only a few days at Hopsten, the crews of I./JG 27 transfer to Plantlünne. These air units are now based at airfields north of Cologne near the Belgium and Holland borders and are tasked with preventing any reconnaissance by Allied aircraft.

Hitler again commands his generals to prepare for the western offensive. Heinz Guderian was awarded the Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Senate approves amendments to the Neutrality Act, repealing the arms embargo provision.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The US Consul at Gibraltar met with British authorities to protest the detention of American merchant ships by the United Kingdom.

*POLAND:* Piotr Sosnowski, a deacon from Byslaw, Poland, was executed in what is thought to be the Tuchola Forest. On October 27, 1939, a group of Polish prisoners was transported to an execution spot two kilometers outside of town. When the trucks reached the forest, the prisoners were ordered to empty their pockets and dig a large grave. After the grave was completed, Deacon Sosnowski gave the men absolution before the commanding SS officer, Colonel Wilhelm Theodor Richardt, ordered his men to shoot the Poles as reprisal for the burning of two barns owned by ethnic Germans. Altogether, 45 Poles, including Sosnowski, were killed.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vicomte Davignon, Belgian Ambassador in Berlin, reports to the Belgian Government that he had learnt from a reliable source that Adolf Hitler intended to invade Belgium soon. King Leopold III, in a broadcast to the USA, declares that Belgium is determined to defend its neutrality. The Treaty of London, signed on 19 April 1839 by the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Prussia, Russia and the Netherlands, guaranteed the independence and neutrality of Belgium and committed the signatories to guard that neutrality in the event of invasion. Newspaper commentaries complain about anti-Nazi propaganda in Belgian newspapers and suggest this is a breach of Belgian neutrality.

There are reports of German troops massing in the Saar, along the Belgian, Dutch and Swiss frontiers and along the German North Sea coast.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 27, 2014)

*27 October*

*Known Reinforcements*

Allied New Ships
Lake Class ASW Trawler HMS THIRLMERE
Photo Uboat net




_THIRLMERE was one of six vessels in the Lake class. Hasty conversions such as this was one way to try and make good the serious shortages in ASW escorts _
*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...













UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
Donitz from his diary entry appears to have some concerns about own losses
"In order to lessen our losses and based on the reflections set out in the War Log on 23.10, I have decided to issue the following orders:

1)	Boats may not board ships which have been stopped, for examination.
2)	Ships are to be sunk by torpedo only, even when they are only attacked after examination (which can now only consist in looking through the papers) or after resistance has been quelled with gunfire".

Arrivals

Kiel: U-48 

At Sea 27 October

U-13, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

15 boats at sea.

*Baltic*


*North Sea *.

U.24 laid mines in Hartlepool Bay, on which one steamer was sunk.

*Northern Patrol - *.

Two cruisers were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, one cruiser between the Faroes and Iceland with three cruisers en route to the area, and one CL and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. Between 27 October to 9 November, 26 eastbound ships were sighted and 20 sent into Kirkwall for inspection. CLs COLOMBO and DIOMEDE dep Sullom Voe for Northern Patrol duties, both arriving back on 3 November.

CL CERES departed Plymouth for duty with the Northern Patrol, and arrived at Kirkwall on the 31st.





_HMS Ceres was a "C" Class cruiser_
* English Channel*

OA.26 of nine ships dep Southend escort DDs WITCH and WIVERN from 27 October to 2 Novembe
.
*Southwestern Approaches*

MV BRONTE (UK 5,317 GRT), Inbound and carrying general cargo and chemicals embarked with a complement of 42. Ship was torpedoed and stopped,, She was taken in tow, but the UBoat (U.34) attacked a second time, this induced the convoy escorts (HMS WALPOLE and HMS WHIRLWIND ) to sink the stricken vessel with gunfire. All 42 of the crew were rescued. 
Photo State Library of New South Wales 





OB.26 dep Liverpool escort DDs WINCHELSEA and WITHERINGTON until the 30 October.

*Med/Biscay*

Fr Contre Torpilleur DD VAUQUELIN dep Casablanca escorting submarine CENTAURE, and arrived at Brest on the 30th.

*Central Sth Atlantic*

CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE dep Simonstown and Capetown respectively, to sweep towards St Helena presumably in response to the loss of the TREVANNION. They returned to Capetown on 7 November.


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## Njaco (Oct 28, 2014)

*28 October 1939 Saturday

ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German pocket battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” received fuel from and transferred British prisoners to tanker “_Altmark_” near Tristan de Cunha in the South Atlantic. At midnight, “_Graf Spee_” sets sail for the Indian Ocean. Captain Brown of SS “_Huntsman_”, already a prisoner on “_Altmark_”, records in his diary;


> “"Graf Spee” returned after nine days absence. We were not allowed on deck as she was oiling from the ‘Altmark; and storing by motor boats. Fine weather, sea smooth. Capt. Edwards, Chief Officer and Ch. Engineer of ‘Trevanion’ were ushered into our quarters. Now thirteen in our quarters thirty-four in the Officers deck.”



*EASTERN EUROPE:* German police fire on student demonstrators in Prague marking the 20th anniversary of the former Czechoslovakian independence. Street fighting later breaks out in the city center with ethnic Germans clashing with Czech nationalists. One student is killed and a total of 16 casualties are reported. Some 3500 people are arrested.

Molotov -- in a speech before the Supreme Soviet -- asserts that the USSR has a right and duty to adopt strong measures to insure security and publicly demands territorial concessions from Finland.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler intervenes in war plans to change a limited operation into a strong focused drive to cut Belgium in two.

Himmler issues his Lebensborn decree, urging single German women to dispense with the "bourgeois custom" of marriage to bear racially pure children.

The Stab./JG 77 led by Oblt. Von Manteuffel are again moved, this time transferring from Köln-Ostheim to the airfield at Bonn-Hangelar.

RAF aircraft carry out night reconnaissance missions over southern Germany. This was the first flight in severe weather. All aircraft returned.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A Heinkel He-111H, W.Nr.5449 1H+JA of KG 26 attempting reconnaissance in the Firth of Forth area was intercepted by British fighters and forced down, the first to crash on British soil. F/L Archibald McKeller of RAF No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron based at nearby RAF Drem attacked the Heinkel He-111. After he had caused it considerable damage, he was then interrupted by the arrival of three Spitfires from No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron. The Heinkel 111 crashed near the village of Humbie, Scotland. Although argument rages to this day as to which squadron let alone pilot was the victor, the 'kill' was credited to McKellar. The day's efforts were a kill each for 602 and 603 Squadrons and the first victories for the Supermarine Spitfire in combat. Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding, Commander-in-Chief Fighter Command sent the following message to both squadrons the next day:


> "Well done. First blood to the Auxiliaries"



*WESTERN FRONT:* The British Expeditionary Force is reported to have enough food to feed its nearly 200,000 troops for 46 days. The Germans are reported to have massed 65-80 divisions behind the lines from the North Sea to Switzerland.


.


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## parsifal (Oct 28, 2014)

*28 OCTOBER*


*DKM War diary*
Matters of vital strategic importance were discussed in the German Admiralty on this day
Selected extracts...


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## parsifal (Oct 28, 2014)

*28 OCTOBER*
*Known Rerinforcements *.
Allies
Armed Merchant Cruiser Andania
HMS Andania (7.8.2005)





Patrol vessel Guillemot (L 89 / K 89) - 
New! HMS Guillemot - Kingfisher Class Patrol Sloop in Other WWII Royal Navy and Allied Ships - Images Forum





Armed Merchant Cruiser Queen of Bermuda (F 73)
Furness, Withy Co - Ocean Liner Postcards




_Queen Of Bermuda as she appeared whilst employed as an AMC_

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
"U 37 reported a convoy near the coast off Finisterre, course northeast. Contact lost after an hour. 
The French Admiralty announced the sinking of a German U-boat in the Atlantic. Corpses were said to have been salvaged".

At Sea 28 OCTOBER 

U-13, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

15 boats at sea

*Baltic*

DKM DDs MAX SCHULTZ, FRIEDRICH IHN and ERICH STEINBRINCK of the DesFlot 1 and BERND VON ARNIM, HANS LODY and KARL GALSTER of the DesFlot 4 attempted a shipping sweep into the Skagerrak. However after encountering heavy weather they were forced to abandon it. SCHULTZ was badly damaged by the weather and mechanical breakdown, lost power and IHN and STEINBRINCK unsuccessfully attempted to tow her. However, SCHULTZ was finally able to regain partial power and returned to Wilhelmshaven for repairs completed in late January 1940.





_DD MAX SCHULTZ was from the 1934 class of Zerstorers,_

*Northern Patrol - *.

Two British cruisers were on Northern Patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers on patrol between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two armed merchant cruisers in the Denmark Strait.

*Northern Waters*

DDs ZULU and GURKHA attacked a submarine contact off St Abbs Head. ORP DD BLYSKAWICA attacked a submarine contact off the Mull of Galloway. PC SHELDRAKE and aircraft were searching for a reported submarine off Oban, which was in fact RN SS TRIDENT.

U.31 laid mines in Loch Ewe during the night of the 27th/28th, on which two aux MSWs were sunk and BB NELSON badly damaged.

At 03.15 hours, U-59 stopped the illuminated Trawler ST NIDAN (UK 565 grt) with gunfire across her bow and ordered the crew to abandon ship. At 04.25 hours, the LYNX II (UK 250 grt) appeared and the U-boat tried to stop her also by gunfire, but the crew abandoned vessel only after three shots were fired into the bridge. The second trawler was sunk by scuttling charges at 06.55 hours and the first at 08.30 hours.

(No Image Found for St Nidan)

Hearts of Oak - Grimsby Trawlers - Lynx/II






_Lynx II_

*North sea.*
What the DKM Admiralty had assumed was an offensive move by the RN into the central North Sea was in fact reactions by the RN to perceived and imminent offensive moves by the KM. 
A British sub Picket Line was established off the Dogger Bank and in effect from 29 October to 6 November with the following SS. L 26, STARFISH, SUNFISH and THISTLE, which departed Rosyth on patrol on the 28th. 










There they were joined by SS CACHALOT and SEAL, which had already come directly from Portsmouth, 







also departing on the 28th, and by SS SEALION, SALMON and SHARK, again sailing from Portsmouth. SS UNDINE, which had left Rosyth on the 22nd, was ordered to reconnoiter north from Heligoland. Her patrol ended on 4 November.

Other submarines on patrol, all of which departed Rosyth on the dates given, were - L 27 on the 20th, off Utvaer; L.23 on the 21st, off the southwest coast of Norway; and SEAWOLF on the 26th and URSULA on the 28th, both in the Skagerrak. UNDINE assumed patrol off Horns Reef.




SS TRIAD, which had departed Rosyth on the 14th, returned to Blyth and SEAHORSE, also from Rosyth but on the 17th returned there on the 31st as this deployment began.

UK East Coast

FS.28 dep Methil, escort DDs MAORI, WHITEHALL and sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, and arrived at Southend on the 30th.

*UK West Coast*

DDs EXMOUTH and GREYHOUND were attempting to intercept a reported submarine in the Western Approaches.

*Central and South Atlantic* – 

CL DANAE arrived at Simonstown, providing escort for troopship ATHLONE CASTLE (25564grt) from St Helena where they departed on the 22nd.

*Indian Ocean*

CLs DAUNTLESS and DURBAN departed Colombo and arrived at Singapore on the 31st.

CV GLORIOUS lost a Swordfish of 825 Squadron was lost in a forced landing at sea; the crew were rescued.

*Far East*

CL BIRMINGHAM dep Singapore for patrol in the Sunda Strait, was relieved by CL DAUNTLESS on 4 November, and arrived back at Singapore on the 7th.

HMA CL HOBART departed Singapore on patrol, and arrived back on 4 November.


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## Njaco (Oct 29, 2014)

*29 October 1939 Sunday
ASIA:* Reflecting the rising number of Chinese defections to the Japanese, the US military attaché reports that there are 100,000 armed Chinese serving as Huang Hsieh Chun (Imperial Assisting Troops).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The British steamer “_Malabar_” is sunk by a U-boat.

*GERMANY:* OKH issues a revision to Fall Gelb (Case Yellow) with the main thrust shifted slightly south and less strength being sent against Holland. There is an ongoing debate as to how it should be modified further. Also, German warships and U-boats are given permission to attack passenger ships in convoys. During the German planning for the invasion in Western Europe, the Netherlands was briefly dropped as a target. Von Rundstedt, supported by his deputy, Von Manstein, argues that Fall Gelb No. 2 is based on outdated concepts of maneuver warfare and does not adequately reflected the lessons of Blitzkrieg. Von Rundstedt asks that his Heeresgruppe A be strengthened at the expense of Heeresgruppe B,- which will operate in the north - in order to make a break from the front and to release the Panzer divisions. Of course, the position of von Rundstedt opposed most of the OKW, which end up accepting the No. 2 Fall Gelb as an interim plan. However, Von Rundstedt will not give up: Fall Gelb will continue to be revised during the following months and spur Von Manstein, to conduct his own version.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The first contingent of Soviet troops begins occupation of bases allotted by the Latvian-Soviet agreement. Soviet troops continue mobilizing and Finnish troops dig in along their shared borders.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In Paris an official French communique reports all quiet generally during the day while an increasing number of British heavy artillery is moved into position on the frontlines.



.


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## Wurger (Oct 29, 2014)

The captured and damaged Polish planes of the CWL-1 Dęblin in 1939...





















Ju-52s at the CWL-1 airfield ...


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## parsifal (Oct 29, 2014)

*29 October*
No known Reinforcements
*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...





UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Naval War Staff has ordered that passenger ships in enemy convoy be attacked. U 33 sailed for a minelaying operation north of the Foreland. U 25 and U 34 were ordered to make a situation report. I must know whether the French Admiralty's claim concerns one of these boats. It might of course be U 40, but she could not answer, as presumably her transmitter is out of order (see 22.10). After going into the question of keeping losses down again, I have decided only to order the boats to keep a sufficient distance in gun actions, and not to go all out. I do not think it necessary or justifiable to restrict the use of guns further, e.g.
> 
> a)	to order the boats to avoid all gun actions, i.e. to leave the enemy as soon as opposition is encountered, or
> b)	to renounce the use of guns altogether.
> ...



Arrivals

Wilhelmshaven: U-24 

Departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-33 

At Sea 29 October

U-13, U-21, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

15 boats at sea

*North Sea *.

MV VARANGMALM ( Nor): The cargo vessel on a voyage from Kirkenes to Antwerp with a cargo of iron ore was sunk after she struck a mine. 1 died.ship sank in the North Sea (53°50′N 0°17′E). Survivors were rescued by the trawler CONIDA
Ship-Pics: Ships in Barrow Page





DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, JERSEY, JUPITER, JACKAL dep the Humber on operation AG. They swept off the Dutch coast, but made no contact with enemy shipping, although JERSEY was near missed by LW airstrikes. The ships arrived back in the Humber on the 30th. CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Rosyth for refit, and departed on 9 November.

ORP DD BLYSKAWICA attacked a submarine contact in 54‑45N, 5‑12W.

OA.27 of thirteen ships dep Southend escort DDs WANDERER and WAKEFUL from the 29th to 31st

Harwich

Strong reinforcement of the UK East Coast (but some complicated to-ings and fro-ings to get there

DesFlot 22 was formed at Harwich for East Coast Defence with DDs EXMOUTH, KEITH and the ORP DDs BURZA, GROM and BLYSKAWICA. Reinforced on the 31st by DDs ILEX, ISIS, IMPERIAL after these ships completed repairs. ILEX and ISIS were at Harwich at the end of the month and IMPERIAL at Plymouth preparing to depart. ILEX and ISIS dep Harwich on 2 November, arrived at Plymouth on the 3rd and departed the same day for Gib to escort BB WARSPITE. After this duty, they arrived at Scapa on the 14th. Meanwhile IMPERIAL dep for Harwich on 1 November, but was ordered to Scapa for duty with the Home Flt, arriving on the 4th. Cpt R S Benson (D.12) in EXMOUTH was named CO of DesFlot 22 on 2 November and continued in this capacity until the 11th, when he and EXMOUTH returned to Devonport. Destroyer BOADICEA joined DesFlot 22 on 5 November.

The three I's and all the destroyers, except BOADICEA, on 5 November to return to their respective commands. The B's (except BOADICEA) returned to the 19th Destroyer Flotilla. On 11 November, Cpt G E Creasy in DD GRIFFIN with GREYHOUND, GIPSY, GLOWWORM, KEITH, BOADICEA and ORP GROM, BURZA, BLYSKAWICA joined D.22. Creasy was named flotilla CO. On the 22nd, GRAFTON and GALLANT joined the flotilla, replacing KEITH and BOADICEA. Submarine depot ship CYCLOPS, was allocated as a support ship 1 December to give the flotilla greater range and flexibility 

Also, at Harwich, Des Flot 23 was formed with DD CODRINGTON (Cpt Simson) as leader, with BOADICEA, ANTHONY, VANSITTART, VENOMOUS forming the flotilla as DesDiv 45, and BASILISK, BLANCHE, BEAGLE, BRAZEN as DesDiv 46.

In addition, destroyers BOREAS, which was repairing at Portsmouth until 13 November, and BRILLIANT were assigned to DesFlot 19 also at Harwich.

*Northern Patrol - *.

CLs CARDIFF and CALEDON were on Northern Patrol duties between the Orkneys and the Faroes, CLs DRAGON, DIOMEDE, COLOMBO between the Faroes and Iceland, and CL SOUTHAMPTON and AMCs CHITRAL and AURANIA in the Denmark Strait.

*British-France *

OB.28 dep Liverpool escort DDs VIMY and MACKAY to 1 November

*Southwestern Approaches*

MV MALABAR (UK 7,976 grt) 75 crew, General cargo, including lumber and tobacco en route to the West Coat with HX5A. U-34 fired two torpedoes at two steamers and one destroyer in convoy HX-5A about 180 miles west of Lands End and claimed two hits. In fact, only the ship of the convoy commodore, the Malabar (Master Henry Herbert Armstrong), was hit and sunk. Five crew members were lost. The master, the commodore (Rear Admiral G.W. Taylor, RNR), two naval staff members and 66 crew members were picked up by HMS Grafton (H 89) (Cdr M.S. Thomas, RN) and landed at Plymouth.
Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart






*Med/Biscay*

BB WARSPITE dep Alex escort DDs DAINTY and DIANA, and arrived at Malta on the 31st. DDs relieved by DD ISIS and ILEX east of Gibraltar on the 6th and WARSPITE arrived at Gibraltar later that day.
The-Blueprints.com - Blueprints > Ships > Ships (UK) > HMS Warspite [Battleship] (1939)





_WARSPITE IN 1939_
HG.5 of 40 ships dep Gib escort Fr DDs FOUGUEUX and L'ADROIT, from 29 October until their arrival at Brest on 6 November, and RN DDs DOUGLAS and VORTIGERN. The convoy arrived at various English ports on the 6th.


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## Njaco (Oct 30, 2014)

*30 October 1939 Monday

ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Royal Navy battleships HMS “_Nelson_” and “_Rodney_”, cruiser HMS “_Hood_” and destroyers HMS “_Icarus_”, “_Impulsive_”, “_Ivanhoe_”, “_Intrepid_” and “_Kelly_” are escorting iron ore ships from Narvik to the Firth of Forth. The battle group, under Admiral Charles Morton Forbes (Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet), encounters German U-boats west of the Orkney Islands. U-56 hits HMS “_Nelson_”, the flagship of the Home Fleet, with three torpedoes but none explode. However, U-57, U-58 and U-59 do not engage the British ships.

*GERMANY:* A delegation of Russian officials are shown what the Luftwaffe is calling its best fighter, the Heinkel He 100. But it is a propaganda tool as only twelve He 100s are ever produced. The He 100s that are available are constantly being repainted so as to resemble different Geschwaders within the Luftwaffe and making other nations believe that there are more aircraft than really exist.

Hitler is impatient with Halder’s lack of progress for an aggressive plan to invade France. He suggests to Generaloberst Alfred Jodl (Chief of Operation Staff, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) that a tank force should advance through the Ardennes Forest. Although this is initially deemed impractical, Hitler's idea will find form in the plans being developed by Manstein.

A German-Latvian treaty for the evacuation of Germans from the Baltic regions is signed.

*NORTH AMERICA:* On October 30, 1939 the German American Bund had a parade on East 86th St., New York City. The German American Bund or German American Federation (German: Amerikadeutscher Bund, also Amerikadeutscher Volksbund) was an American Nazi organization established in the 1930s. Its main goal was to promote a favorable view of Nazi Germany.

*POLAND:* The USSR formally annexes the occupied Polish territories.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The first war film of the conflict, 'The Lion Has Wings', is premiered, featuring newsreel of a British air attack on a German fleet.

A government white paper exposes Nazi brutality towards dissidents and Jews, including the concentration camp system.

At 17.20 a mine was washed ashore and exploded against the sea wall at Bridlington. There were no casualties, but windows, doors and roofs of 9 or 10 detached houses were damaged.

The SS ‘_Cairnmona_' (4,666t) a cargo ship sailing from Montreal to the Tyne, was sunk by U 13, E of Stonehaven.

The Admiralty announced that a destroyer flotilla was in action with German bombers south of the Dogger Bank. No damage was done to the ships.

Crews of the trawlers ‘_St Nidan_’ and ‘_Lynx II_’ sunk on Friday night by a U-boat, were landed on the Scottish coast by the trawler ‘_Lady Hogarth_.’ The crew of the British steamer ‘_Malabar_’ sunk by a U-boat on Sunday, were also landed.

*WESTERN FRONT:* With the surrender of Poland, the world turns its attention to the border of France and Germany while the Allies and Germans muster their forces. Known as the “Phoney War” in England or “Sitzkrieg” to the Germans, the time is spent with small minor clashes between the Allies and Germans. One of the first clashes occurs along the Moselle. The British send three Blenheim bombers of RAF No. 18 Squadron to recon the north western area of Germany. Up for a patrol in the area are a dozen Bf 109s of III./JG 53. Hptm. Werner Mölders leads his Messerschmitts onto the British bombers and claims III Gruppe’s first and his second personal victory, shooting down one of the Blenheims over Trier. The remaining two Blenheims continues on to Osnabrück when they are pounced by a rotte of fighters from I./JG 21. Hptm. Franz-Heinz Lange shoots down one of the bombers while flying one of the new Bf 109Es or 'Emil' recently delivered to the Gruppe.

A Dornier Do 17 becomes the first German aircraft shot down by the RAF of the war over Germany when a Hurricane from RAF No 1 Squadron flown by Pilot Officer (P/O) R. N. Mould catches up to the bomber and destroys it over Toul.


.


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## parsifal (Oct 30, 2014)

*30 October*

*Known Reinforcements*

None

*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...




UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> Situation reports received from U 25 and U 34, thus the French Admiralty's claim can only refer to U 40, whose radio is apparently out of action. It is not at all impossible however, that the reports are connected with the loss of U 16 off Dover (see F.O. U/B West's War Log). U 25 has only observed slight neutral single-ship traffic and torpedo boats or patrolling destroyers.
> 
> U 34 sank a steamer from a convoy off the west entrance to the Channel, torpedoed 3 others, but could not observe results owing to anti-S/M activity. She is returning because of a crack in the inner compensating tank.




Arrivals

None

Departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-24

At Sea 30 October

U-13, U-21, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
15 boats at sea

*North Sea *.

FN.29 dep Southend, and arrived at Methil on 1 November. FS.29 dep Methil escort DD VIVIEN and sloops BITTERN and FLEETWOOD, and arrived at Southend on 1 November.

MV JUNO ( FN 1241 grt) Enroute from London to Viipuri. Cargo manifest shows she was fully laden with tin ingots, brass tubing, tin sheeting, hides, electric motors, aircraft engines and paper. This would have been a prcious cargo for the Finns The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Withernsea, Yorkshire with the loss of all crew memebers (about 20). 
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?137350





*Northern Waters*

BB NELSON had a very lucky escape. As the Home Flt was returning from its escort mission of the convoy of ore ships returning from Narvik to the Firth of Forth, ships in company being BBs NELSON and RODNEY, BC HOOD, and DDs ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, IVANHOE, INTREPID and KELLY ran into a U-boat line west of the Orkneys. U.56 fired three torpedoes at NELSON and while all three struck the target magnetic exploders failed to detonate. U-boats U.57, U.58, U.59, also in the area, did not contact the Home Flt units. Admiral Forbes arrived back at Loch Ewe on the 31st without further interference.






MV CAIRNMONA	(UK 4,666 grt) Carrying general cargo, including wool, copper and grain , enroute from Toronto and Halifax to Newcastle. Attached as part of HX5. The ship had dispersed from HX5 and was torpedoed and sunk by U-13 three miles ENE of Rattray Head. Three crew members were lost out of a crew of 45 
Image from Uboat Net





U.59 sank armed boarding vessel NORTHERN ROVER (UK 655grt), just after bringing in the Danish ship NAJADEN (1963grt) to Kirkwall for examination. The vessel left the danish ship at the gate for entry to the port and returned to patrol. There was no further contact and she was lost with CO, XO and Navigator and twenty three ratings.





*Central and South Atlanticl - *.
CA EXETER arrived in the Falkland Island after leaving her patrol on the Sth American east coast on the 27th.

*Caribbean North Sea *.

CL ORION dep Kingston, and arrived back on 8 November.

*Southwestern Approaches*

MV THRASYVOULOS (Gk 3,693 grt) carrying nuts and 2158 tons of anthracite cobbles enroute from Halifax to Swansea via Britol or Liverpool. The neutral THRASYVOULOS was stopped by signals from U-37 and the inspection of the papers revealed that she was carrying contraband. The ship was sunk by a torpedo at Midday after the crew had abandoned ship. 





*Britain - France *

BC.13S of fifteen ships, including DELIUS (Commodore), GRETA FORCE, GWENTHILLS and SANDHILL dep Bristol Channel escort DDs EXPRESS and VIVACIOUS, and safely arrived in Quiberon Bay on 1 November. AXS 3 of one steamer dep Fowey, escort DD VESPER, and arrived at Brest on the 31st. SA.15 of two steamers dep Southampton, escort DDs SCIMITAR and SARDONYX, and arrived at Brest on the 31st.

*India - *.

On the 30th, the Subflot 8 was formed at Colombo with SS OLYMPUS, OTUS and ODIN under the command of Commander S M Raw for operations against German raiders and supply ships thought to be operating in the Indian Ocean. The three submarines departed Singapore on the 24th and arrived at Colombo. Submarine REGENT departed Singapore to join the Flotilla on the 30th. However, on arrival at Colombo, she was found to have defects and was ordered back to Singapore. She departed Colombo on 6 November and arrived back on the 11th.
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## Wurger (Oct 30, 2014)

ORP Błyskawica was made by the yard James Samuel White Co.. Ltd.., Cowes (Great Britain) together with her twin ORP Grom. Establishing keel - September 11, 1935. Launched - January 10, 1936.

ORP Błyskawica and Grom under construction...






Launching of the ORP Błyskawica....
















Arming of the twins... at the yard...










ORP Grom... Cowes 1936...







The twins in Great Britain at the end of 1939...







ORP Błyskawica... a late shot of her.

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## Njaco (Oct 31, 2014)

*31 October 1939 Tuesday

ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Royal Navy begins a world-wide hunt for the German pocket-battleship Graf Spee. Four battleships, 14 cruisers and 5 aircraft carriers are engaged in the effort.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* At a meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, Molotov lectures Britain and France for continuing the war but gives no more than moral support to Germany. He stresses that the Nazi-Soviet agreements provide that the USSR shall be neutral if Germany is at war.

The first of three further sets of discussions between the Soviets and the Finns over the recent Soviet demands for border revisions begins (the final meeting ends November 9). To increase pressure on Finland, Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet Foreign Minister, makes a speech to the Supreme Soviet publicly announcing negotiations which have so far been secret. This successfully isolates Finland from potential international support (e.g. Sweden) but fails to cause the expected uprising of the Finnish public against their government. Instead the Finns are proud of their hard-won independence and rally behind their leaders. This is not the last time the Soviets miscalculate the Finnish people. Soviet negotiators demand strategic territory in the Karelian Isthmus, the Hango naval base and the ice-free port of Petsamo in the Arctic in exchange for Soviet territory along the eastern border. No agreement is reached. Molotov also gloated over the dissolution of Poland, "ugly offspring of the Versailles Treaty", by the combined Soviet-German attack. Additionally he accused the British of aggressive acts.

*GERMANY:* Erich von Manstein’s first memorandum on the invasion of France arrives at Army High Command (Oberkommando des Heeres or OKH). It will be quickly rejected but 5 more memoranda will follow. He has been working on an armored thrust through the Ardennes Forest and along the River Somme, to isolate the Allied forces in Northern France and Belgium. Although Manstein does not know it, his plan is completely in line with Hitler's thinking.

The commanding officer of the German Wehrkreis IV district in Dresden, Germany gave the order to convert Colditz Castle to a prisoner of war camp named Offizierslager IV-C, or Oflag IV-C for short.

Major Otto Heinrich von Houwald leaves his position as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 3 based at Merseburg. The I Gruppe of JG 51 also receive a new Gruppenkommandeur when Hptm. Hans-Heinrich Brustellin is posted as commander in place of the departing Major Ernst Freiherr von Berg.

Oblt. Carl Schumacher’s II./JG 77 leave Neumünster and settle at airfields around Dünstekoven.

Another unit on the move is Jagdgruppe 152, soon to be known as I./ZG 52, who transfer their Bf 109Ds from Biblis to Odendorf led by Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Karl-Heinz Lessmann.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In Rome Mussolini reshuffles his cabinet, replacing pro-Nazi members with neutral members. Six ministries and several secretariats change. Starace is no longer Secretary of the Fascist Party. Count Ciano remains Foreign Minister. Grandi, who is sympathetic to the British, remains head of the Department of Justice. Mussolini believes in occasional "shuffling" of government posts, and these changes are not believed to reflect a change in foreign policy.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Germans use their heavy guns for the first time, firing at targets eight miles behind the French lines. Paris reported greater artillery activity on both sides.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* The Prime Minister of Australia announced the abandonment of the plan for an Australian expeditionary air force in favour of a general reconnaissance squadron for service in and around Great Britain.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 31, 2014)

*31 October*

*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...














Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 31 entered port. She encountered no patrol off Loch Ewe. There is however, a net barrage in the bay, in which the boat was entangled for some time, as she did not see the flat buoys until too late. There was a hospital ship inside, but nothing else. As it did not seem possible to get inside, the boat laid the mines across the entrance to the bay at the minimum safety distance. The position of the mines is excellent. Success seems certain, but it is doubtful if we shall hear anything about it.
> 
> U 25 reported a convoy northwest of Finisterre. This is the second convoy reported within a few days in this area, fairly close to the coast. This too was steering a main course to the north. It is remarkable that all the 4 convoys reported so far have been north-bound. South-bound traffic apparently keeps further to the west.
> 
> The problem of torpedo failures is unfortunately still far from being solved. U 25 reports 4 failures at one stopped ship, shots at short range. The Torpedo Inspectorate's instructions were observed. There is therefore no longer any doubt that the Torpedo Inspectorate themselves do not understand the matter. At present torpedoes cannot be fired with non-contact firing units, as this has led to premature detonation. Their depth setting has to be 2 meters less than the draught of their target. There depth may not be less than 3 meters, as otherwise there may be surface runners in which especially the engines of the G7a may be damaged. Exact instructions are given for setting the safety range and these are observed. Nevertheless at least 30% of the torpedoes are duds. They either do not detonate at all or they detonate in the wrong place. There does not seem to be any sense in issuing new instructions to the boats as they never lead to the desired results. The Commanding Officers must be losing confidence in their torpedoes. In the end their fighting spirit will suffer. The torpedo failure problem is at present the most urgent of all the problems of U-boat warfare.



Arrivals

Wilhelmshaven: U-31 

At Sea 30 October

U-13, U-21, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

14 boats at sea

*North Sea *.

CL EDINBURGH began repairs at Rosyth, which were completed on 3 November. CLs GLASGOW and NEWCASTLE, escort DDs ANTHONY, BASILISK, BRAZEN dep Portsmouth for Rosyth, and arrived on 1 November.

Steamer STARCROSS (4662grt) in a Norwegian convoy off Rattray Head, reported she rammed what she thought was a U-boat. DD BROKE was sent to investigate.

Coastal steamer KINDIESEL (339grt) reported she was being chased by a submarine, DD JUPITER was detached from convoy FS.29 to assist.

*Northern Patrol*

Three cruisers were on Northern Patrol duties between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland, and CL SOUTHAMPTON and AMCs CHITRAL and AURANIA in the Denmark Strait.

*Northern Waters*

CLs CALYPSO, DELHI, DUNEDIN dep Sullom Voe. CALYPSO was in a minor collision with Admiralty drifter SEA BREEZE, but there was no damage to her, and she arrived back at Sullom Voe on 6 November. CL CERES dep Kirkwall for Scapa Flow. CLA CURLEW dep Scapa, and arrived at Rosyth on the 31st

*North Atlantic*

HXF.7 dep Halifax at 0200 escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT. Ocean escort was AMC ASTURIAS, which detached on 11 November. She was in collision with a merchant ship while leaving Halifax, but able to continue. The convoy was joined on 10 November by DDs ANTELOPE and VISCOUNT from convoy OA.31 and WINCHELSEA and WITHERINGTON from OB.31. The latter remained with the convoy until it arrived at Liverpool on the 12th, the same day ASTURIAS reached the Clyde.

CA YORK and RAN CL PERTH dep Halifax for Bermuda, and arrived on 5 November. YORK remained for the repair of boiler defects completed on 13 November.

*Central and South Atlantic - *.

CA SUSSEX on patrol in the South Atlantic lost her Walrus reconnaissance aircraft when it failed to return from patrol. A three and a half day search for the aircraft was set in motion, but the aircraft was never found. The crew of three, pilot Lt (A) S M Bird, observer Lt C H E Osmaston and the telegraphist air gunner, Airman W H Brown, were lost.
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/album/profiles/p20546-supermarine-walrus.html




_Supermarine Walrus of 712 Sqn aboard the HMS SOUTHAMPTON 1938. The Walrus was a workhorse for the RN, and affectionatyely nicknamed "Pussers Duck" _

SL.7 dep Freetown escort by AMC MONTCLARE and DD WREN (joined the convoy on 16 November) and it arrived later that day with both escorts.
isabel_ross_1





*Bay Of Biscay-Med *.

OA.28G of 14 ships dep Southend escort DDs VENETIA and ACASTA from 31 October to 2 November. DD ARDENT joined the escort later 1 November and remained until the 2nd. On the same day, OA.28G merged with OB.28G, escort DDs VERSATILE and VOLUNTEER to the 3rd, to become OG.5.

MV BAOULE (Fr 5,874 grt) 44 crew, Cargo manifest indicates it was carrying Palm kernels, cotton, cocoa, coffee and rubber. Part of Fr Convoy 20-K, enroute from Cameroon to Bordeaux. U-25 fired two G7e torpedoes at the first two ships in the French convoy 20-K about 45 miles west-northwest of La Corunna. Both torpedoes hit and sank the ship. 13 crew killed or missing. 
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?15156





Submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE, escort DD DEFENDER, dep Alexandria and arrived at Malta on 3 November.


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## parsifal (Oct 31, 2014)

*Summary of Losses at Sea October 1939 *

Allied Warships
ORP MSW CZAJKA (ORP 183 grt) , ORP PC KOMENDANT PILUDSKI (ORP 342 grt) , ORP MSW MEWA (ORP 183 grt), ORP MSW RYBITWA (ORP 183 grt), ORP MSW ZURAW (ORP 183 grt), BB ROYAL OAK (RN 29970 grt), Base Ship IRON DUKE (RN 18200 grt).
708 grt (Polish), 48170 grt (RN), 48878 grt (Allied total)

Allied Shipping
MV GLEN FARG (UK 876 grt), MV MARWARRI (UK 8,063 grt), MV NEWTON BEECH (UK 4651grt), STONEGATE (UK 5044grt), MV MAHRATTA (UK 5000 grt est), MV ASHLEA (UK 8000 grt), MV SALTAIRE (UK 202 grt), HUNTSMAN (UK 8196 grt), Tkr EMILE MIGUET (Fr 14,115grt), MV LOUISIANE (Fr 6904 grt), MV HERONSPOOL (UK 5202 grt), MV SNEATON (UK 3678 grt), MV LOCHAVON (UK 9205 grt), Liner BRETAGNE (10,108grt), MV VERMONT (Fr 5186 grt), MV IONIC STAR (UK 5994 grt), MV CLAN CHISOLM (UK 7256 grt), Liner YORKSHIRE (UK 10.183 grt), MV CITY OF MANDALAY (UK 7028 grt), CLAN CHISHOLM (UK 7256 grt), MV CITY OF LONDON (UK 5000 grt est) , MV SEA VENTURE (UK 2327 grt), MV LAKE NEUCHATEL (UK 1300 grt), MV CAPITAINE EDMUND LABORIE(Fr 3087 grt), MV ORSA (UK 1478 grt), MV (Collier) WHITEMANTLE ( UK 1692 grt), MV TREVANNION (Aus 5299 grt), MV MENIN RIDGE (UK 2474 grt), MV LEDBURY (UK 3528 grt), MV TAFNA (UK 1462 grt), MV BRONTE (UK 5,317 grt), Trawler ST NIDAN (UK 565 grt), Trawler LYNX II (UK 250 grt), MV MALABAR (UK 7,976 grt), MV CAIRNMONA (UK 4,666 grt), boarding vessel NORTHERN ROVER (UK 655grt), MV BAOULE (Fr 5,874 grt) 
*Tonnage Sunk: 184097 tons *(UK 148930 t , Fr 35167 t, Aus 5299 t) , plus 48878 (Naval) 232975 tons (Naval + Mercantile). 

(US CITY OF FLINT not included)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Neutral Warships
SS SC-424 (SU)

Neutral Shipping
MV SUZON (Be 2239 grt), Schooner BALTIC ( Fn 350 grt?), DIAMANTIS (Gk 4990 grt), HøEGH TRANSPORTER (Nor 4914 grt) , BINNENDIJK (Ne 6,873 grt), MV HANSI (Nor 5000grt est), MV VISTULA (Sd 1018 grt), MOUNT IDA (Gk 4202 grt), MV INDRA ( Fn 1999 grt), ARIS (Gk 4810 grt), MV GRESSHOLM (Nor 660 grt), LORENTZ W HANSEN (Nor 1918 grt), MV WANJA( Nor 1500 grt est), MV OMONIA (Gk 3699 grt), MV GUSTAF ADOLPH (Sd 926 grt), Tkr (Whale Oil) DEODATA (Nor 3255 grt), ALBANIA (Sd 1200 grt), MV KONSTANTINOS HADJIPATERAS (Gk 5962 grt), MV RHEA (Fn 1424 grt), MV VARANGMALM ( Nor 3000grt est), MV JUNO ( FN 1241 grt), MV THRASYVOULOS (Gk 3,693 grt) 
*Tonnage Sunk: 64873 tons *(Be 2239 t, Fn 5014 t, Gk 27356 t, Nor 20247 t, Ne 6873 t, Sd 3144 t). 
*Combined Allied and Neutral Shipping Sunk:248970 tons, 297848 (Total Naval + Mercantile) *
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Axis Warships
MSW M-85 (DKM 553 grt), PC V-804 (DKM 550 grt), PC V-701 (DKM 550 grt) 
Type IIB U.12 (DKM 290 grt) ,Type IX U.40 (DKM 1052 grt), Type IX U.42 (DKM 1052 grt), Type VII B U.45 (DKM 753 grt), Type II B U.16 (DKM 290 grt)
5090 grt Total 

Axis Shipping
CAP NORTE (Ger 13,615 grt), Trawler SKOLPENBANK (Ger 381 grt), MARION TRUBER (Ger 2334 grt), MV HALLE (Ger 5888 grt), Tkr BISKAYA (Ger 6386grt), MV BIANCA (Ger 1375 grt), MV POSEIDON (Ger 5864 grt), MV GLORIA (Ger 5896 grt), Trawler SATURN (Ger 194 grt), MV RHEINGOLD (5055grt) , SANTA FE (Ger 4627 grt…recaptured in 1940)

*Tonnage Sunk or captured: 51615 grt (Mercantil + 5090 grt (Naval), 56705 (Total) *


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## parsifal (Nov 1, 2014)

*1 November 1939 Wednesday
GERMANY:* Major Ernst von Berg takes command of the newly formed III./JG 26 and Oblt. Werner ‘Vati’ Mölders, is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53 and promoted to Hauptmann.

At the airfield at Marienehe, General Ernst Udet and Erhard Milch watch the test flight of the Heinkel He 178, the first turbojet in aviation history. But General Udet is for the most part, bored with the performance of Heinkel's little jet. Even though the aircraft can reach a speed of 435 miles per hour, the engine, produced by engineer Hans von Ohain, is a gas guzzler and can keep the plane aloft for only ten minutes at a time. Despite this problem, work continues on the He 178 and its stablemate, the He 280.

Germany formally annexes western Poland, Danzig and the Polish Corridor. This adds the new districts of Posen, Greater East Prussia and Danzig West Prussia to the Third Reich.

*POLAND:* The USSR formally annexes part of occupied eastern Poland and incorporates it into the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, following the results of plebiscites (possibly rigged) in which the majority of the inhabitants living in the territory reputedly favored annexation.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In Holland the government proclaims a state of siege in frontier areas and flood zones.

In Switzerland contingency plans are laid in case of an invasion.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finnish delegates Paasikivi and Tanner leave by train for Moscow to negotiate again with the Soviets. The Finnish position has not changed and they do not intend to give up any more territory than the Gulf islands already offered on October 23. Their goal is to keep the negotiations alive, in order to delay military action by the USSR, as they have been informed by Field Marshall Carl Gustav Mannerheim (Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish army) that the Finnish army is not ready to fight. Political belief in Finnish neutrality has blinded them to Soviet ambitions to reclaim ‘lost Russian’ territory and the antebellum Army is grossly under prepared. The Finnish army numbers about 200,000 men, with no tanks, little heavy artillery (except coastal batteries on the Gulf of Finland and Lake Lagoda), about 100 Bofors anti-tank guns and precious little ammunition for any of these weapons.


.



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## parsifal (Nov 1, 2014)

*1 November *

*Known Reinforcements*

Neutral
USS DD TRIPPE (403)





Allied reinforcements
HMS Armed Yacht VALENA 

*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...








UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> Naval War Staff informed me that U 25 could not be supplied on the Spanish coast, as Spain had recently made political difficulties. Supply could only be arranged in Farrol in a case of extreme necessity. I have decided not to send the boat there, in order to have this possibility in hand for really urgent cases. I am not surprised at this development; I always regarded this matter as very uncertain.



Departures

Kiel: U-23

At Sea 1 November

U-13, U-21, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
15 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol*

MV MIM ( Nor 4996grt ): sent to Kirkwall by CL COLOMBO under guard, but ran aground on Reef Dyke Skerry,Orkney Islands, and broke up the next day. She wasa reportedly on her maiden voyage. Norwegian steamer HANSI (1028grt) which was going into Kirkwall voluntarily, also ran aground at the same location; her crew was taken off by Swedish steamer CASTOR (8714grt). This vessel was apparently salvaged however, as it does not appear on any reported loss sheets

[no image found] 

*North Sea *.

DDs KELLY, ESKIMO, MATABELE, BEDOUIN, FEARLESS and FOXHOUND cleared Sullom Voeon to search for US steamer CITY OF FLINT coming down the Norwegian coast. 

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, BC HOOD, DDs ICARUS, INTREPID, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE, FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and PUNJABI cleared Loch Ewe to provide heavy cover for the convoys returning from Norway and ON.1 which departed Methil on the 5th. FEARLESS and FOXHOUND of the CITY OF FLINT operation joined NELSON at sea. DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, IMPERIAL and KANDAHAR, after refuelling at Scapa on the 4th, dep to rejoin the Home Flt on the 5th. DD FAME also dep Scapa on the 5th to join the main force. ICARUS and IMPULSIVE were detached for refuelling at Kirkwall on the 7th. Very early on the 9th, HOOD was detached with FEARLESS, and passed Dunnet Head westbound as the rest of the fleet turned south for Rosyth. HOOD arrived for refit at Devonport on the 11th escort DDs ISIS and ILEX, and completed on the 24th.

East Coast

FN.30 dep Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 3rd. There was no convoy FN.31. FS.30 dep Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WHITLEY and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd. DD JUPITER and PC FLEETWOOD dropped depth charges suspected submarine. 4 DDs 9names unknown) from Harwich were on patrol off Smith's Knoll, NE of Yarmouth, searching for vessels reportedly cooperating with U-boats

*Central and South Atlantic - *.

DDs HYPERION, HUNTER, HOTSPUR and HAVOCK dep Pernambuco for Trinidad. HAVOCK stripped a turbine and was diverted at sea to Freetown, arriving on the 9th. DD HEREWARD from Freetown was designated to replace her in DesDiv 4 on the Sth America Station. HAVOCK dep Freetown on the 16th with convoy SL.9 and arrived at Gib on the 27th. She then departed Gib on 12 December, arrived at Sheerness on the 16th, and was under repair at Chatham until mid-March, arriving in the Clyde for duty on 26 March. Fr SS REDOUTABLE fired four warning shots at steamer EGBA (4989grt) at 0736 in 32-40N, 13-23W thinking she was a German blockade runner. EGBA replied with gunfire forcing the submarine to submerge. The attack was broken off when REDOUTABLE received the steamer's distress signal revealing her identity.





_Redoutable Class submarines carried 9 x 21.7 in and 2 x 15.7 TT, the smaller tubes intended for enemy merchant ships _

*Channel*

CLs GLASGOW and NEWCASTLE, after convoy escort in the Atlantic, dep Portsmouth on 31 October, escort DDs ANTHONY, BASILISK, BRAZEN, and arrived at Rosyth on the 1st. The cruisers dep Rosyth that day to provide cover for these DDs.

*Southwestern Approaches*

DDs VERSATILE and VOLUNTEER undertook ASW searches after a merchant ship in convoy reported a submarine 10 miles west of Holyhead. DD BROKE searched for a submarine reported by D/F, 40 miles east of Buchan Ness . PC GRIMSBY attacked a submarine contact four miles east of Whitby. After a submarine was reported by British fishermen off Londonderry, PCs WIDGEON and SHELDRAKE searched for it unsuccessfully.

MV MERVYN ( UK 5000 grt est ): The cargo ship collided with another vessel and sank in the Bristol Channel off St Davids, Pembrokeshire.

[image not found]

*Britain - France *

BC.12S of 14 ships, including BALTRADER, BARON KINNAIRD, BARON NAIRN, CITY OF KEELUNG (Commodore), CLAN MONROE and TREVERBYN dep the Loire, escort DD EXPRESS, and safely arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 3rd.

*Med Flt*

Admiral Cunningham transferred his flag ashore at Malta from BB WARSPITE, which was to leave his command for the Home Flt

DD DELIGHT cleared Gib for Marseilles escorting liner LANCASHIRE which had arrived at Gib in convoy OG.4. The two ships later departed Marseilles on the 6th and arrived at Malta on the 8th. French convoys 11.B of steamers ANDRE MOYRAND, SENNEVILLE, ONTARIOLITE, DJURJURA, DOUAISIEN, ANGE SCHAIFFINO and CAMBRADSIEN, which departed Brest on 26 October, and convoy 6.X of steamers PRESCAGEL, PIERRE CLAUDE, PALLAS, OPHELIE and ENSEIGNE MAURICE PRECHAC, escorted by MSW GAZELLE, from Le Verdon also on 26 October, merged on the 27th. They were joined by steamer AIN EL TURK, escorted by MSW COMMANDANT BORY. On 1 November, six steamers from 11.B were taken into Gib by the two sloops, which returned to the convoy as it continued on to Casablanca. AIN EL TURK and 6.X arrived at Casablanca on the 2nd.





_MSWs GAZELLE and COMMANDANT BORY were both from the effective Chamois Class _
*India - *.

*Caribbean *

CL DESPATCH departed Panama on patrol.

*Far East*.

S class DD SCOUT dep Singapore for duty at Hong Kong.

*Australia Station *

RADM John George Crace, CB, an Australian-born officer of the RN, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Squadron, taking over from CDRE W. Patterson, RN. His flagship was HMAS AUSTRALIA. He was the first Australian to be given a sea command at flag rank. He commanded the Australian-United States Support Force, Task Force 44, at the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942.


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## Njaco (Nov 2, 2014)

*2 November 1939 Thursday
WESTERN FRONT:* A He 111H-2 of 2(F)./122 from Münster was chased and shot down by Hurricanes of 87 Sqdn flying out of Lille-Seclin. It belly landed at Stables near Hazebrouck. One crewmember was killed and one wounded, two unhurt. (Oblt. W. Ohmsen) all surviving crew made POW by the French. The aircraft was dismantled by the French who noted that the aircraft codes were “crudely” applied, this suggested that the aircraft had just been received from the depot and had been rushed into service. 2(F)./122 also dispatched a He 111H on a reconnaissance sortie to northern France.

German shock troops raid French lines. French patrols are active between the Blies and the Rhine.

*GERMANY:* Hitler recalls his ambassadors from Moscow and Rome for consultations.

The first transport of Polish women arrived at Ravensbrück Concentration Camp in Germany.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* King George decorates 5 RAF pilots, leaders of a raid on the Kiel Canal.

A mine washed up at Aldbrough (10 miles N of Withernsea) and exploded, causing damage to the windows of 25 bungalows.

*POLAND: *Part of eastern Poland is incorporated into Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, following the results of a plebiscite in which the majority of the inhabitants living in the territory reputedly favored annexation. This completes the incorporation of all Polish territory occupied by the USSR.

Joseph Goebbels visited Lodz, Poland.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* As Finnish diplomats try to avert war by extending negotiations, the Soviet leadership has a clearer view of the situation. Unlike Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, which quickly granted Soviet access to bases, the Finnish government has resisted both subtle and direct threats of invasion and seems unlikely to change tack now. Stalin has rejected Chief of the General Staff Boris Shaposhnikov’s plan for a direct but prolonged charge up the Karelian Isthmus to the Finnish capital Helsinki. Instead, he prefers the plan of Kirill Meretskov (Commander of the Leningrad Military District) to cross the entire 800 mile border. He believes blitzkrieg tactics and the desire of the Finnish people to be liberated by their Soviet neighbours will lead to a swift victory. The Finnish terrain (lakes, forests and marshes) and the will of the Finnish people prove both assumptions to be incorrect.

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.


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## parsifal (Nov 2, 2014)

*2 November *

*Known Reinforcements*

[Allied reinforcements
RN Aux ML PRINCESS VICTORIA





*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...









UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U.49's operational readiness will be delayed a few days. U 47 also will not be ready until very late, not before the middle of November. There is a choice between letting the boats sail alone at long intervals or keeping the first ones back until they can all operate together. I have decided on the latter course, because I would like for once to have several boats out and off Gibraltar. So far such an operation has been planned, but never carried out, as events took a different turn. But the attack on the convoy by U 37, 46 and 48 opened up possibilities which I want to see used to the full. If this is successful there will be every justification for holding boats back.
> 
> U.26 reported that she had passed 450 north. The other 2 boats of this wave (U 25 and U 53) will be kept in their operations areas for about another 3 days in order to give U 26 enough time in hand to carry out her operation.



At Sea 2 November

U-13, U-21, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
15 boats at sea

*Northern Waters*

CL GLASGOW located American steamer CITY OF FLINT and her escort, Nor ML OLAV TRYGGVASON, NW of Stavanger inside Norwegian waters. The minelayer illuminated GLASGOW with searchlights and ordered her out of the territorial waters. CITY OF FLINT put into Haugesand almost immediately. 






CLA CURLEW dep Rosyth after covering the Narvik iron ore convoy passage and arrived at Scapa later the same day. By this stage she had been fitted with radar as she took over the duties of radar direction finding while the Netherbutton radar station was out of service for 24 hours for repair. The radar station resumed operation on the 8th. 

*Northern Patrol*

CLs CALEDON and CERES dep Sullom Voe on Northern Patrol duties, and arrived back on the 9th. 

On Northern Patrol, light cruisers DELHI, DUNEDIN and CALYPSO were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, light cruisers COLOMBO, DRAGON, DIOMEDE and AMC SCOTSTOUN between the Faroes and Iceland, and light cruiser SOUTHAMPTON and AMCs CHITRAL, AURANIA and RAWALPINDI in the Denmark Strait

*North Sea *.

MV CANADA ( Den 11100 grt): Carrying a cargo of Soya Beans destination unknown. The cargo liner struck a mine in the North Sea off Holmpton, and sank. All 64 crew were rescued by MV RINGHORN (Nor).

[Image not found]

East Coast

OA.29 of 12 ships dep Southend escort DDs ARDENT (Att for the 2nd only), WOLVERINE and VERITY from the 2nd to the 7th. 

CLAs CALCUTTA and CAIRO dep Grimsby on local escort duties and arrived back later the same day. 

A submarine was sighted east of Margate Buoy and DDs KEITH, BLANCHE and GURKHA spent some time searching. After the search was abandoned, KEITH and BLANCHE patrolled between North Goodwins and Edinburgh Channel. DDs GREYHOUND and GRENVILLE were searching for a U-boat 17 miles 213° from Start Point. Steamer BRUGES (Be 4984 grt) reported at 1500 that she was stopped by a U-boat with a skull and crossbones painted on the conning tower. At 0230/3rd, Steamer KORTHION (Gk 2116 grt) was stopped in 44-32N, 8-12W and reported she had been stopped by the same submarine. For East Coast Defence, available ships of the DesFlot 4 were ordered to Rosyth for escort duties. MAORI proceeded direct and ZULU and GURKHA departed Grimsby escorting convoy FN.30 en route. DDs JERVIS, JERSEY, JAGUAR, JACKAL and JUPITER were in the Humber. Of the 19th, 22nd and 23rd Destroyer Flotillas, eight British and one Polish DD were at Harwich, two were on patrol off Lowestoft, two on East Coast convoy duty, and BASILISK, BEAGLE, BLANCHE, BOADICEA, BRAZEN and VANSITTART were proceeding from Harwich to Dover to cover minelaying mission HW which took place at 1400/2nd. Operation HW was carried out by aux MLs HAMPTON, SHEPPERTON and PLOVER laying 502 mines between Tail of the Falls and Sandettie Bank. The 5th Minesweeping Squadron swept ahead, screened by the DesFlot 19 destroyers. 

*Britain - France *

OB.29 dep Liverpool escort DDs WREN and ESK on the 2nd, and DDs WARWICK and WHIRLWIND to the 5th, when they detached to convoy HX.6.

*Med Flt*

DDs GRENADE and GRIFFIN dep Gib on 25 October to escort convoy SL.5 to England. However, GRIFFIN returned to Gibraltar on the 26th to await convoy SL.6. GRENADE arrived at Plymouth on the 2nd for duties with the DesFlot 1 at Harwich.

*Atlantic *

HX.7 dep Halifax escorted by RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, which detached on the 3rd. Ocean escort was CL ENTERPRISE which dep Halifax with the convoy. The convoy was joined on the 14th by DD GRAFTON and PC ENCHANTRESS which remained until its arrival on the 17th. ENTERPRISE arrived at Portsmouth on the 15th and the convoy at Liverpool on the 16th. 

*Indian Ocean *

CL DANAE dep Simonstown for Mauritius.

*Far East*.

CL DAUNTLESS, now attached to the 5th Cruiser Squadron, departed Singapore on patrol duties. CL DURBAN dep Singapore for Hong Kong, arriving on the 6th for refit and docking, which was completed on the 24th.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 3, 2014)

*3 November 1939 Friday
EASTERN EUROPE: *Talks continue between the USSR and Finland on Soviet requests for an exchange of territory and border alterations. The Finnish delegates Paasikivi and Tanner again met with Molotov and Stalin at the Kremlin. Finnish counterproposals were presented, stating it recognized Soviet security needs but that Finland has now gone as far as its _"independence, security and neutrality permit._" The Finnish position has not changed since Oct 23; they offer islands in the Gulf of Finland but the Hanko peninsula (guarding the mouth of the Gulf) is not for discussion. The Finns refuse to allow the Soviets a military base in Finland. The Soviet position has not changed either; Molotov warns “_now is the turn of the military to have their say_”. A few hours earlier, the Russian news organization “Pravda” made a violent verbal attack on Finland, which later was broadcast.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* After complaints from employers and trades unions, the blackout is reduced by an hour. It now runs from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.

Allied Contraband Control organization have now intercepted and detained over 500,000 tons of contraband suspected of being destined for Germany.

*AFRICA:* The South African Prime Minister, General Smuts, promises to defend British colonies in Africa if required.

*GERMANY:* Franz Halder sent a message to Ludwig Beck telling him to be ready to move against Adolf Hitler on or shortly after 5 Nov 1939, which was the date the plans for the invasion of France, was supposed to be made known to top German military leaders. Meanwhile German Commander-in-Chief von Brauchitsch rejects Manstein’s first memorandum on the invasion of France; however, he does allocate more tanks to General Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe A (Manstein’s superior). Undaunted, Manstein will revise his plan and submit more memos to Brauchitsch.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Hunted by Royal Navy destroyers, the German-captured US freighter "_City of Flint_" entered the harbour of Haugesund, Norway where she was boarded and seized by sailors from the Norwegian minesweeper "_Tryggvason_".

*NORTH AMERICA:* USA neutrality law, preventing trade in arms and war materials, loans or credits to belligerent parties in a war, is an isolationist policy to insulate America from oversees wars. This is revised in the Neutrality Act of 1939 to allow arms trade with belligerent nations on a cash and carry basis.

.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 3, 2014)

*3 November *

*Known Reinforcements*

Neutral Reinforcements

USN DD RUSSELL (DD 414) Sims Class DD. Spent most of the war in the Pacific





[Allied reinforcements
RN Sloop (DE) FLAMINGO Black Swan Class. Only a few of this type were built, because they relied on turbine propulsion, but they were very effective ASW escorts, because they were fast enough to chase down a surfaced Type VII or Type IX. UBoat killer Capt ("Johny") Walker used this type extensively. 





RAN Aux MSW UKI





*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...









UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> Naval War Staff requested B.d.U to go into the question of attacking England's timber imports from north Russian ports. These imports are regarded as of great importance.
> 
> I had in any case planned to operate U 36 against those timber transports in the area east of North Cape. I think that chances of success are good in this area, but nevertheless I cannot decide further until I get information of the situation from this operation.
> 
> ...



Arrivals

Kiel : U-13 

At Sea 3 November

U-21, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

14 boats at sea

U-37. The boat suffered slight damage after an air attack

*Northern Waters*

The saga of the City of Flint continued. MV CITY OF FLINT (US 4963 grt) after departure Murmansk during the night of 26/27 October, called at Tromso on the 30th and was ordered to leave, escorted by Nor DD SLEIPNER. On the 2nd she had been spotted by an RN CL, and on the 3rd, she was interned at Haugesand by Nor ML OLAV TRYGGVASON after entering the port without permission.

Whilst the local RN forces were pre-occupied with shadowing the CITY OF FLINTm Steamer NEW YORK (Ger 22,337 grt) successfully ran the blockade. She dep Murmansk on 31 October and successfully ran the blockade , arriving at Hamburg on the 12th escort by 3 MSWs and aircraft. Steamer SCHWABEN (Ger 7773 grt) had departed Santos on 26 September and passed through the Denmark Strait on 21 October. She entered Haugesand shortly after the CITY OF FLINT and was allowed to continue, arriving safely in the Weser on the 8th.

Light cruiser GLASGOW and DDs KELLY, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO and MATABELE had been involved in trying to intercept CITY OF FLINT and NEW YORK as they came down the Norwegian coast. All four DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 5th after sustaining severe weather damage. GLASGOW arrived at Rosyth that day with her forecastle dropped by two inches from the effect of the weather. DD KELLY, after emergency repairs at Kirkwall dep with DD ICARUS for temporary repairs from depot ship GREENWICH at Scapa, before proceeding to Hebburn for permanent repairs. She was back in service on 14 December. ESKIMO dep Scapa Flow on the 6th and arrived at Newcastle on the 7th, repairing until the 24th. MATABELE and BEDOUIN dep Scapa on the 7th, MATABELE arriving at Rosyth on the 8th and reaching Newcastle on the 10th, where she repaired until the 25th, while BEDOUIN arrived at Rosyth on the 8th for boiler cleaning and repairs.

*Northern Patrol*

CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Sullom Voe on the 3rd for refuelling, then joined the Northern Patrol. CLs DRAGON, COLOMBO, DIOMEDE arrived at Sullom Voe. On Northern Patrol were CLs CALEDON and CERES between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CL SOUTHAMPTON was returning to Scapa from Denmark Strait patrol

*North Sea *.

CLA CALCUTTA departed Grimsby on local escort duties and arrived back later the same day. FS.31 dep Methil escort DDs VALOROUS, WOOLSTON and sloop HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 5th. There was no convoy FN.31.

*Caribbean*

CL CARADOC departed Kingston for duty in the Pacific Ocean.

*Med Flt*

OA.28G departed Southend on 31 October escort DDs ACASTA and ARDENT, while OB.28G dep Liverpool on the 1 November escort DDs VERSATILE and VOLUNTEER. On the 3rd, the convoys with 33 ships merged as OG.5, and were joined in the Western Approaches by French Contre Torpilleur DDs VAUQUELIN and TARTU the same day. The British escorts were relieved and returned to England. The convoy and the French escorts arrived at Gibraltar on the 9th. 

CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK dep Alexandria and NORFOLK Malta on the 5th. All three cruisers called at Gib on the 7th and 8th, and left on the 8th, escort DDs DOUGLAS and KEPPEL. The DDs were relieved by DDs ISIS and ILEX which had escorted battleship WARSPITE from Gib on the 6th. DEVONSHIRE and NORFOLK arrived at Plymouth on the 11th and SUFFOLK at Portsmouth on the 12th. NORFOLK reached the Clyde on the 18th and departed the same day on Northern Patrol duties. SUFFOLK arrived in the Clyde on the 19th and also departed later the same day for Northern Patrol. DEVONSHIRE repaired at Devonport until the 21st, and then arrived at the Clyde on the 22nd for duty with the Home Flt. DD DECOY departed Malta after refitting, and escorted steamer NEVASA to Marseilles. The DD returned, escorting ocean boarding vessel VAN DYCK and reached Malta on the 7th. DDs ISIS and ILEX, which had departed Plymouth, arrived at Gib for escort duties with BB WARSPITE and later, with cruisers of CruSqn 1. 

SS OSIRIS was damaged by a motor room fire at Alex. She dep Alex on the 8th escorted by anti-submarine trawler CORAL and arrived at Malta on the 13th, where she was under repair and refit until 30 December.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 4, 2014)

*4 November 1939 Saturday
NORTH AMERICA: * A modification of the neutrality legislation passes into law. Although by its terms the ban on American ships and civilians in clearly defined war zones is confirmed, it does provide for supply of arms to belligerents on a "cash and carry" basis. Such arms must be ordered from private companies, paid for up front and transported to the war zone in the in ships provided by the purchaser. British naval strength means that, as is intended, only the Allies will benefit from this. Within a few days both the British and the French establish purchasing missions in Washington.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Captain Hector Boyes, British Naval Attaché in Oslo, receives an anonymous letter offering German technical secrets. He is requested to signal interest by changing the BBC World Service's German broadcast announcement to "Hullo, hier ist London". He arranges this and a week later receives a parcel with a 7-page typewritten report (which becomes known as the "Oslo Report") and components of a prototype proximity fuse. They come from physicist Hans Mayer, director of the Siemens communications laboratory, who hopes to weaken the Nazi regime by revealing details of military secrets. Mayer arrived in Oslo on October 30, on a business trip, and typed the letter and report on a typewriter borrowed from his hotel. The Oslo Report is initially considered a fake by British intelligence but is ultimately accepted. Mayer is sent to a concentration camp in 1943 for criticizing the Nazi regime but never suspected of spying. He survives the war.

Norwegian Admiralty announces that the “_City of Flint_” had reached Haugesund and the German prize crew has been interned

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Rear-Admiral Hugh Sinclair, head ("C") of British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), dies of cancer. He is succeeded by his deputy, Colonel Stewart Menzies.

Bodies of five German sailors were washed ashore in Kent.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Huge new order of wartime supplies were confirmed by British and French agents and shipment was to start immediately.

Paris reported that on both sides light reconnoitering units had been active between the Moselle and the Saar.

.

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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2014)

*4 November *

*Known Reinforcements*

Axis l Reinforcements
DKM U.44 (Type IX)






[Allied reinforcements


RAN Boom Defence Vessel KOALA
(Photo from RAN Navy News)





*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...





UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> 18th to 23rd November have been submitted to Naval War Staff as target dates for the first supply in the Northern base for U 36.
> 
> U 25 reported that she was returning as the crosspiece of her forward torpedo hatch had broken. She might not be capable of diving if depth charged. The Commanding Officer has therefore acted correctly. His position is northwest of Cape Finisterre.
> 
> Naval War Staff informed me that 10 German steamers would be ready to sail from Vigo about the middle of November and requested that they be given U-boat protection on their way home in as far as possible. This is a task for which the U-boat is imperfectly suited. If she is forced to dive, which is always the case if a/c appear, she cannot maintain the speed of the steamers. They will have to stop, or else contact will be lost. The U-boat is not very effective against destroyers as it is. Also on escort duty, starting from Vigo means that afterwards the boat or boats cannot be used elsewhere as their fuel stocks will be exhausted. While the value of the escort is doubtful the disadvantage for the U-boat war as a whole would be considerable. I must therefore advise against a close escort. Remote protection will be available if the steamers sail at such times as there are U-boats in the vicinity (position "ROT") in accordance with operations Plan No. 11. These times will be communicated to Naval War Staff for onward transmission to the steamers.



Departures

Kiel: U-60

At Sea 4 November

U-21, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61. 

15 boats at sea

*Baltic*

Ore Ship MERCIA ( Sd 3500 grt est) The ship struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Bornholm, Denmark
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wrecked-on-this-day.aspx





Steamer OTAVA (Fn 1290 grt) was seized in the Gulf of Bothnia by German warships and taken to Swinemünde.

[IMAGE NOT FOUND]

*Northern Waters*

DD BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MATABELE were belatedly ordered to rendezvous with CL GLASGOW off Stadtlandet in the search for German vessel NEW YORK.

*Northern Patrol*

2 CLs between the Orkneys and the Faroes, 3 CLs and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait. When a London flying boat from depot ship MANELA was reported missing, the five Northern Patrol cruisers carried out a search.
Saunders-Roe A.27 London - flying boat





_These flyingboats carried out sea patrols over the North Sea and the Mediterranean, some aircraft being fitted with a large dorsal fuel tank to increase their range. Bombs, depth charges and (occasionally) mines up to a total weight of 907kg could be carried under the lower wing roots. Indeed, the old biplanes undertook a considerable share of the patrol work over the North Sea, keeping watch for the likely breakout into the Atlantic by German surface and submarine raiders as well as the return to German port by blockade runners. Gradually maritime reconnaissance aircraft such as the Lockheed Hudson came to assume these responsibilities while Short Sunderland flying-boats equipped the squadrons flying over the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The Londons were replaced on No. 201 Squadron in April 1940, followed two months later by those on No. 240 Squadron. Only No. 202 Squadron continued to fly Londons at Gibraltar until June 1941._

*North Sea *.

CLA CAIRO departed Grimsby and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th.

MSWs HUSSAR and SPEEDWELL were involved in a minor collision. SPEEDWELL repaired in the Tyne, completing on 10 December.
John Lambert Minesweeper plans from Cornwall Model Boats





_These ships were from the Halycon Class of MSWs_

The first of the Methil-Bergen ON convoy series dep Methil with 5 British merchant ships. Convoy ON.1 put to sea escorted by DDs FAME, TARTAR, ASHANTI and SOMALI. At sea, FAME was replaced by DD PUNJABI, which had been refuelling at Scapa. The convoy was given AA support by CLA CURLEW, which dep Scapa on the 5th, and close cover by CL EDINBURGH, which dep Rosyth, later refuelled at Scapa and departed on the 6th, joined the Home Flt at sea. and arrived back at Rosyth on the 9th. En route to Bergen, ASHANTI was detached from the convoy for refuelling and to repair defects at Sullom Voe and did not rejoin until the start of the return convoy. ON.1 arrived at Bergen on the 7th without incident.

U.21 laid mines in the Firth of Forth during the night of the 4th/5th, on which one merchant ship and one netlayer were sunk, and CL BELFAST badly damaged . U.61 later tried to reinforce the minefield, but could not get through the patrol lines.

MV SIG (Nor 1342 grt) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank off the mouth of the Humber with the loss of three of her 19 crew. Survivors were rescued by trawler ELLEN 
WRECK WRAK EPAVE WRACK PECIO





*Channel*

OA.30 of 12 ships dep Southend escort DDs GREYHOUND and GALLANT from the 4th to 6th, and dispersed on the 7th.

MV NICOLAOS M EMBIRICOS (Gk 5295 grt) was sunk on a British defensive minefield off the Goodwins, 15 miles east of Dover near the Sandettie Light Vessel. One crewman was lost and the survivors picked up by the North Goodwin Light Vessel and a Dutch boat. They were transferred to British lifeboats.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?31555





*Southwestern Approaches*

RCN DD ASSINIBOINE, working up prior to departing for Canada, attacked a submarine contact northwest of Guernsey.

*Western Approaches*

Steamer BRANDON (UK 6668 grt) was attacked by a U-boat 120 miles W of the Hebrides. Submarines TRIUMPH and TRIDENT were sent to investigate and carry out a search.

*Britain - France *

OB.30 dep Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and WHIRLWIND to the 7th.


*Far East*.

CL BIRMINGHAM was relieved by CL DAUNTLESS in the Sunda Strait on the 4th and arrived at Singapore on the 6th.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 5, 2014)

*5 November 1939 Sunday
WESTERN FRONT: *In a clash with French fighters over the "Sitzkrieg" front, Oblt. Hans-Karl Mayer of 1./JG 53 gets his first victory of the war when he destroys a Potez 63 west of Losheim in the afternoon.

Churchill, British First Lord of the Admiralty, visits the French Marine Headquarters.

*GERMANY: *A plot to arrest or even kill Adolf Hitler, hatched by of his most senior military staff, collapsed. Led by General Franz Halder, the architect of the invasion of Poland, many Generals were appalled by Hitler's plans to continue the conflict by invading Belgium and the Netherlands and feared that the adventure would founder in another Great War quagmire. After plotting with Halder and Beck to arrest Hitler, unless he relents on the plan, the Commander in Chief of the German Army, von Brauchitsch, meets Hitler to discuss the plans for an attack in the west. He argues very strongly that it should not take place as scheduled on November 12th because of weaknesses in the army. In addition, von Brauchitsch asks Hitler to allow Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) to supervise military operations without interference. Hitler loses his temper during the meeting but is unconvinced by the arguments. He asserts that the General Staff are disloyal and cowards, and insists the attack goes ahead. Brauchitsch loses his nerve and returns to OKH headquarters at Zossen, where the conspiracy collapses. Meanwhile, Colonel Hans Oster of the Abwehr (German Military Intelligence) -- one of the Zossen conspirators -- warns Colonel Bert Sas, the Dutch military attaché in Berlin, of the impending invasion of the Low Countries. He will do this more than twenty times as the invasion is repeatedly delayed and rescheduled. Sas informs the Belgian military attaché.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Oslo the German government lodges a protest against the release of the interned "_City of Flint_" and the German prize crew. The protest is rejected.

Swedish government protests about the extension of German minefields off the Swedish coast

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Finnish-Soviet negotiations continue. The Finnish delegation reports to Helsinki and asks for further instructions.

*ASIA:* Shigeru Fukudome was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 5, 2014)

*5 November *

*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...









UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 25 reported a convoy, apparently making for the Channel on a northeast course. There were no further shadower's reports.
> 
> U 53 was ordered to continue her passage south, as U 26 must be by now far enough ahead to carry out her minelaying operation. The "City of Flint", once taken in prize by the "Deutschland", has been detained in Bergen. The prize crew is said to have been interned there and the prize ship herself released. As the Naval War Staff attaches great importance to her recapture, U 34, U 37 and U 46 on their return passage, have been ordered to take such action as their fuel stocks permit. .



Arrivals

Kiel: U-57

At Sea 5 November

U-21, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
14 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol*

On Northern Patrol, two cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and an AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. AMCs TRANSYLVANIA dep the Clyde for Northern Patrol duties and AURANIA dep her patrol station for the Clyde to overhaul her guns. Armed boarding vessels NORTHERN ISLE, NORTHERN PRINCESS and NORTHERN FOAM relieved armed boarding vessels NORTHERN CHIEF and KINGSTON BERYL on patrol in the vicinity of Muckle Flugga.

*North Sea *.

DD VANSITTART was sent to the Tongue Light Vessel to investigate a report of a fast motor boat, but the order was later cancelled and she returned to normal patrol. SS L.26, on Dogger Bank patrol, reported sighting a suspicious merchant ship . The submarine was ordered by Rear Admiral Submarines to follow the ship.

U.33 laid mines off Nth Foreland, on which two ships were sunk and one damaged.

East Coast

FN.32 dep Southend, escort DDs WHITLEY, WALLACE and sloop STORK. DDs WOOLSTON, VALOROUS and sloop HASTINGS dep Harwich and relieved the original escort which proceeded to Rosyth. The convoy arrived on the 7th. FS.32 dep Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloops BITTERN and FLEETWOOD. Six merchant ships left at 1200, despite fog, and the rest departed somewhat later. DDs JUNO and JUPITER were at sea to act as a fighting force from daylight on the 6th. DD JAGUAR remained at Methil until ordered to proceed and overtook the convoy. JUNO and JUPITER were detached at dark on the 6th to proceed to Rosyth where they joined ML ADVENTURE and escorted her to the Humber. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th. Danish steamer TEKLA (1469grt) reported sighting a U-boat four miles SE of Flamborough Head. DD JUNO was sent to search.

*Channel*

After a D/F bearing on a suspected submarine 150 miles SW of Ushant, DDs ACASTA, ESCAPADE, VERSATILE and GRENVILLE conducted searches in the area.

*South Atlantic*

Force K, consisting of CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, CL NEPTUNE, and DDs HARDY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO and HOSTILE dep Freetown on 28 October. HERO was detached on escort duties shortly after the first of the month. 300 miles WSW of Freetown on the 5th, ARK ROYAL aircraft sighted MV UHENFELS (Ger 7603 grt) which had departed Lourenco Marques, Portuguese Mozambique, on her third attempt to escape back to Germany and after evading sloop EGRET patrolling off the port. HEREWARD was detached from the screen to investigate and UHENFELS attempted to scuttle herself. However, she was captured, Force K and prize arrived at Freetown on the 6th, and UHENFELS was taken for British service and renamed EMPIRE ABILITY. She arrived in the Thames for duty on 5 April 1940.
(Image source wiki)





*Western Coast*

DD ANTHONY, dep the Clyde on the 4th, was escorting base ship MANCHESTER CITY to Rosyth, where they arrived early on the 6th. Later that day, ANTHONY left for Plymouth.

*Caribbean*

RAN CL PERTH dep Bermuda and arrived at Kingston on the 9th.


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## Wurger (Nov 5, 2014)

Rien à signaler .... the November 1939.


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## parsifal (Nov 6, 2014)

*6 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Ne MTB TM-51 (class leader) 





_TM-51 escaped to England, but 4 others were completed and trtansferred in 1942 to the Bulgarian Navy. The type also served as the pattern design for the Rumanian Vantul Class MTBs_
Allied Reinforcements
RN AMCs FORFAR LETITIA
(image Uboat net) HMS Letitia - Warships 1900-1950







_HMS FORFAR (left) LETITIA (right)_

RN DD KHARTOUM (JKN Class)




_Following working up at Portland, she joined DesFlot 5 operating with the Home Flt on 1 December._

*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...








UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> It is still not known what bases the British fleet is using at present. The ban on anchoring within certain limits in the Firth of Clyde make it likely that it is intended to base in these ports. Lough Swilly would be a good, well-protected berth. According to information available to B.d.U. it is a base used by the British fleet. Operations planned here some time ago however, were vetoed by Naval War Staff on the grounds that it stretched into Irish territory in parts and that Irish neutrality was not to be violated at any cost.
> 
> After renewed pressure Naval War Staff has promised to obtain information on the political aspect of this area via our Ambassador in Ireland. U 43 sailed for her operations area (Operations Plan No. 12).



Departures
Kiel: U-15, U-19, U-20
Wilhelmshaven: U-43

At Sea 6 November

U-21, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
15 boats at sea

*Baltic*

Finnish steamer JESSIE (1405grt) was seized in the Baltic by a German warship, and taken to Kiel.
[NO IMAGE LOCATED]

*Northern Waters*

MV HANSI (Nor 1540 grt) carrying Wood Pulp to the UK, the ship ran aground in the Orkney Islands, United Kingdom and was wrecked. All crew survived. 
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?59409





DDs INTREPID and IVANHOE arrived at Scapa , and after refuelling, departed for Plymouth, arriving on the 11th. They departed later that day and anchored in the Medway on the 12th, before reaching Chatham on the 13th for conversion to ML DDs. On 4 December, the conversions were completed and both destroyers departed Chatham for Sheerness. At this time, INTREPID and IVANHOE were detached from DesFlot 3 and re-assigned to Desflot 20.

*Northern Patrol*

On Northern Patrol, there were three cruisers on patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CLs CARDIFF, COLOMBO and DRAGON dep Sullom Voe on Northern Patrol duties, and arrived back on the 12th. CLs DUNEDIN, DELHI, CALYPSO arrived at Sullom Voe from Northern Patrol. 
Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN DUKE received instructions to take over a merchant ship from light cruiser CERES and escort her into Kirkwall.

*North Sea *.

SS SEALION on Dogger Bank Patrol fired six torpedoes at U.21. All Torps missed

Rosyth Command

DD AFRIDI, completed repairs in the Tyne, departed port, and arrived at Rosyth on the 7th for operations. CLAs CAIRO and CALCUTTA arrived at Rosyth to strengthen the AA defences at Rosyth while the Home Flt was refuelling there (Donitz guess is correct). Sloop FLAMINGO, en route from the Clyde to Rosyth, was ordered to attempt to locate an aircraft down in the sea 20 miles northeast of Fraserburgh. She was unable to locate it and arrived at Rosyth on the 8th. ORP SS ORZEL, escorted by DD WHITEHALL, dep Rosyth for Dundee for docking. After the escort duty, WHITEHALL arrived back the same day.

*Channel*

OA.31 of 16 ships dep Southend escort DDs ANTELOPE and VISCOUNT from the 6th to 10th, after that time the convoy was dispersed, and the DDs attached to the inbound HXF.7.

*UK - France*

OB.31 dep Liverpool escort DDs WINCHELSEA and WITHERINGTON until the 9th. AXS.4 of one steamer dep Fowey, escort DD WAKEFUL, and arrived at Brest on the 7th. Of the next three convoys, AXS.8 arrived at Brest on 11 December. SA.16 dep Southampton with one steamer, escort DDs SALADIN and SARDONYX, and arrived at Brest on the 7th.

OB.31 dep Liverpool escorted by destroyers WINCHELSEA and WITHERINGTON to the 9th.

*Med -Biscay*

French Contre Torpilleur DD MILAN passed Gib east to west.

BB WARSPITE escort DDs DAINTY and DIANA arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. WARSPITE dep Gib the same day escort DDs ISIS, ILEX, DAINTY and DIANA and crossed the Atlantic arriving at Halifax on the 14th. She remained there until the 18th when she left as heavy escort for HX.9. HG.6 dep Gib with 34 ships, escort by DDs WATCHMAN, VORTIGERN and the Fr CHACAL and MISTRAL. The French ships were escorts from the 6th. On the 13th, they arrived at Brest. DD ISIS, after joining with captured German steamer LEANDER, was with the convoy from the 12th to 14th. Submarine depot ship CYCLOPS travelled in convoy returning to England for duty in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 14th. CL GALATEA departed Port Said, arrived at Haifa on the 7th, and Alexandria on the 8th.

*Western Approaches*

HX.6 of 52 ships, escort BB RESOLUTION was met by 8 DDs, including WARWICK and WHIRLWIND. The convoy split on the 7th. RESOLUTION with two DDs proceeded directly to Plymouth, leaving the two convoy sections each escorted by three DDs.

*Nth Atlantic*

AMC ASCANIA carrying £2,000,000 in gold bullion arrived at Halifax, escorted into port by RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 6, 2014)

*6 November 1939 Monday
WESTERN FRONT:* The Jagdwaffe suffers its costliest day in one of the largest engagements to date when a flight of twenty-seven Bf 109s from Major Gentzen’s JG2 102 clash with Hawk 75s of the French GC II./5 over the River Saar. On a patrol of the river, the Messerschmitts come upon a formation of nine of the American-built French fighters escorting a Potez 63 on a reconnaissance mission over the same area. An attempt to bounce the French in formation soon dissolves into a series of individual clashes. When the battle ends the final score is eight Bf 109s shot down including the Messerschmitts of Staffelkapitän Oblt. Von Roon and Kellner-Steinmetz. Major Gentzen claims one Hawk 75, his Gruppe’s sole victory. Upon returning to base, Major Gentzen is ordered to Berlin to explain how he could lose twenty-five per cent of his force against a French force only one third of its size. It’s concluded that the Bf 109D is not superior to the Hawk 75 despite the success in Poland with the type. The Gruppe is withdrawn a few days later and begin converting to Bf 110 twin-engined Zerstörers.

A few pilots of JG 53 begin their victory tallies in several clashes with the French near the Western borders. At 1045 hours, Uffz. Eduard Koslowski of 9./JG 53 is forced to belly land his fighter after shooting down a French Mureaux 117 of GAO I./506 near Merzig. Twenty minutes later Lt. Frank-Werner Rott of 3./JG 53 battles with the British and destroys a Blenheim near Kreuznach for his first kill. Finally in the early afternoon, Lt. Jakob Stoll of 9./JG 53 gets his first kill when he brings down a French Mureaux over Saarlautern.

King Leopold, accompanied by M. Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister, arrived at The Hague just before midnight, and conferred with Queen Wilhelmina and her Foreign Minister, M. van Kleffens.

Future Experten, Lt. Max Stotz of I./JG 76 scores his first victory by destroying a Blenheim of RAF No. 57 Squadron shot down near Frankfurt.

*PACIFIC: *Australia agrees for its five destroyers at Singapore to be moved to the Mediterranean, to release British destroyers for anti-submarine work in the Atlantic. In return, two British cruisers would be sent to Australia as protection against armed raiders. (The cruisers never arrive.)

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Norway the American cargo ship, “_City of Flint_", is returned to her captain, Joseph H. Gainard in Haugesund. Since October 9th, the ship has journeyed under the command of a German prize crew from the “_Deutschland_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Moscow in a speech, Molotov says that the Soviet Union is committed to a policy of peace and blames the war on the forces of capitalism.

Meanwhile, the Communist International issues a manifesto in which the German Government is classed with those of Britain and France as being hostile to the workers.


.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 7, 2014)

*7 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis Reinforcements
DKM MSW M7 (Type 35 MSW)





Allied Reinforcements
RN AMC ANTENOR, RN ASW Whaler Wastwater
Tyne Built Ships Shipbuilders









*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...















UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 46 grounded in the Little Belt, but got away again under her own power after several hours. U 41 sailed for her operations area.
> 
> According to Naval War Staff it is again questionable whether U 36 can be supplied in the Northern Base in November, as requested.
> 
> U 46 entered Kiel. She sank one steamer of about 5,000 tons. The result is rather meager, but the C.O.'s verbal report tells quite another story of the patrol. The boat was in convoys 3 times. On one occasion the C.O. fired at a wall of several overlapping ships - failures. She had a stationary cruiser at inclination 90 off her bows. Again several failures, which finally warned the cruiser and she made off. 7 shots were quite definitely failures and not attributable to errors in drill. In spite of this, due to the C.O.'s determination, the boat still went on searching for the enemy and attacking. The boat could have sunk 30 or 40,000 tons; she actually sank 5,000. The crew are naturally somewhat depressed. Several patrols like this will turn keenness into indifference, if all efforts are to no purpose.



Departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-41 

Arrivals

Kiel: U-46
Wilhelmshaven: U-15 , U-19 , U-20 

At Sea 7 November

U-21, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-41, U-43, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
15 boats at sea

*Norway*

HN.1 of six British and one Polish steamer dep Bergen and was joined just outside Norwegian territorial waters by DDs TARTAR, SOMALI and PUNJABI. Sister ship ASHANTI joined the escort at daylight on the 8th. Four steamers were detached to their destinations on the west coast and the remainder of the convoy arrived safely at Methil on the 10th.

*Northern Waters*

DDs COSSACK, MAORI and ZULU cleared Rosyth for Scapa at 1745 to escort the west coast section of convoy HN.1. COSSACK was damaged in collision with steamer BORTHWICK (UK 1097 grt) off May Island in the Firth of Forth, and five ratings killed. ZULU assisted COSSACK in rescuing one of the crew trapped in plating curled back in the collision. Sister ship AFRIDI took COSSACK's casualties ashore, while MAORI and sloop GRIMSBY assisted COSSACK. She was towed stern first by two tugs to Leith where she repaired until 15 January. MAORI and ZULU left to escort the convoy, joined later by sloop FLAMINGO.

*Northern Patrol*

Three cruisers were on patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and CL NEWCASTLE and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CL SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Rosyth after Northern Patrol duties.

*North Sea *.

SS SEAL, returning from Dogger Bank patrol, was bombed by a German seaplane while waiting for submarines CACHALOT and L.26 off Orfordness.

FN.33 departed Southend escort DD VIVIEN and sloops BITTERN and FLEETWOOD. On the 8th, DDs JERVIS and JERSEY of DesFlot 7 and KEITH and BOADICEA of DesFlot 22 dep Immingham, and ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA, BURZA, GROM from Harwich to reinforce the convoy, which was being shadowed by German aircraft, and to counter an anticipated German surface attack. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 9th without further incident. 

Rosyth Command
ML ADVENTURE dep Rosyth, was met by DDs JUNO and JUPITER off Inchkeith, and safely escorted to Grimsby. DD STURDY departed Rosyth, via the Humber for Portsmouth to escort CVE ARGUS to Toulon. ARGUS at this time was the RNs training carrier






Harwich

HXF.7 was delayed due to bad weather, and during the afternoon of the 7th, only four ships out of the 13 in convoy were in company. Escorting AMC ASTURIAS sustained minor weather damage which required dockyard repair.

ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and GROM on patrol 70 miles east of Lowestoft were attacked by German torpedo planes. No damage resulted in this first recorded aircraft torpedo attack of the war. Returning to Harwich, they fouled the buoy, GROM's port propeller was damaged, and she required docking. BLYSKAWICA was docked for examination as well after GROM completed her repairs.

*Channel*

DDs GRENVILLE and GRENADE collided at Devonport during the night of the 7th/8th. GRENVILLE's starboard side was damaged below the water line and number three boiler room flooded; she repaired at Devonport completing on 1 December. The stem of GRENADE was twisted and the fore peak flooded; her repairs at Falmouth were completed on 9 December. CL EFFINGHAM dep Devonport after boiler cleaning, and arrived at Halifax on the 15th.

HG.5A in rough weather had difficulty making the Downs, and MV CITY OF MELBOURNE (6630grt) ran aground on the South Goodwins.. She later was floated free, but required repair 

*UK - France*

BC.14 of steamers ADJUTANT, BATNA, BELLEROPHON (Commodore), BRIARWOOD, COXWOLD, HARMATTAN, JADE, LOCHEE, OUSEL, PACIFIC COAST and PEMBROKE COAST dep the Bristol Channel escort DDs EXPRESS, VIVACIOUS and VESPER. The convoy safely arrived in the Loire on the 10th.

*Med -Biscay*

Depot ship MAIDSTONE dep Malta escort sloops ABERDEEN and DEPTFORD, and arrived at Gib on the 10th. On the 12th, they dep Gib, accompanied by CL CAPETOWN. West of Gib, the sloops were detached and proceeded to England for duty in Home Waters. CAPETOWN escorted MAIDSTONE halfway to Freetown where she was relieved by CL NEPTUNE. CAPETOWN returned to Gib while MAIDSTONE and NEPTUNE proceeded to Freetown, arriving on the 16th. CL CAPETOWN departed Malta for Gibraltar where she arrived on the 9th.

Sloop FOWEY arrived at Malta en route to England from Alexandria. She was delayed by boiler defects and did not leave for Gib until the 12th, arriving on the 15th. She dep on the 16th, escorting ammunition stores ship (ASIS) PACHECO to Freetown.

*West Coast UK*

DDs GRENADE, EXMOUTH and WREN were engaged in ASW ops. GRENADE attacked a contact at this location, but no results.

*Caribbean*

CA BERWICK departed Bermuda and arrived at Portsmouth for docking on the 14th, where she was under repair until 9 December. She departed Portsmouth the same day to join CruSqn 1.

*Other*

Hermann Göring met with American journalists at the Soviet embassy in Berlin, Germany and mocked the quality and quantity of the US-built aircraft that would soon arrive in Britain.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 7, 2014)

*7 November 1939 Tuesday
WESTERN FRONT:* Lt. Joachim Müncheberg of Stab III./JG 26 begins his scoreboard of the war when he shoots down a Blenheim I of RAF No. 57 Squadron into the Rhine near Opladen at 1345 hours for his Gruppe’s only victory of the ‘Sitzkrieg’. The Blenheim was on a photographic and visual reconnaissance over north-west Germany. Two hours later, fighters from 9./JG 53 engage French fighters near Saarbrücken. Three French fighters are shot down including one for the first victory for Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, the Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 53 and friend of Lt. Münchberg. Also getting a first victory is Fw. Franz Gawlick while Lt. Jakob Stoll destroys a Potez 63 for his second score.

On a patrol over the border, a Dornier Do-17 is shot down by the Allies.

Queen Wilhelmina of Holland (the Netherlands) and King Leopold III of Belgium issue an appeal for peace and offer to mediate between the combatants which was rejected by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

*GERMANY:* Severe and harsh weather forces Hitler to postpone his “FALL GELB” invasion. No new date is set. This pattern - planned launch of the attack then postponement by the weather - is repeated many times through November and December 1939 and into January 1940. Hitler does not get his early pressure on the Allies and the Phony War continues.

Hermann Göring met with American journalists at the Soviet embassy in Berlin, Germany and mocked the quality and quantity of the US-built aircraft that would soon arrive in Britain.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A double agent, Paul Thummel, passes details of the planned German western offensive to the Czech government-in-exile.

The Admiralty announced that, in the southern part of the North Sea, some British light forces, including two Polish destroyers, were in action with German aircraft. No damage was done to any ship.

The Air Ministry announced that a number of air actions took place over the North Sea. A German aircraft approaching the Shetlands was driven off by anti-aircraft fire and then chased away by British aircraft. Other aircraft were sighted and two were engaged by RAF patrols many miles out over the North Sea, but escaped in cloud.

.


----------



## Wurger (Nov 7, 2014)

On the 7th November 1939 the Prime Minister of the Polish Government-in-Exile, General Władysław Sikorski became the Commander in Chief and General Inspector of the Polish Armed Forces.










Winston Churchill with General Władysław Sikorski, Prime Minister of the Polish Government-in-Exile and Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Armed Forces and General Charles de Gaulle, General Officer Commanding French Forces, following a Cruiser Mk IIA CS (A10) tank demonstration.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 8, 2014)

*8 November 1939 Wednesday
WESTERN FRONT:* More clashes with the Allies bring continued success for the Luftwaffe fighter units stationed at the border. Shortly after noon, Oblt. Heinz Schumann of 4./JG 52 destroys one of the barrage balloons over Weissenburg and is given credit for a kill, his first. At 1422 hours, Lt. Karl Faust of 5./JG 52 destroys a French Morane northeast of Bitsch, for his first kill of the war. Thirteen minutes later, Hptm. Johannes Gentzen of Stab./JGr 102 gets his eighth victory when he downs a French Morane northeast of Edenkoben. Another barrage balloon over Weissenburg is destroyed by Oblt. Erich Groth of 2./JGr 102 for his first credited kill.

A single-handed action was fought by a New Zealand pilot at a height of five miles over an RAF aerodrome in France, and a German reconnaissance machine was brought down.

Reports of German movements on the Dutch border cause the government to widen the defensive flooding zone.

Belgian King Leopold III revealed to Dutch Queen Wilhelmina that Belgium was aware of a German plan to invade the Low Countries, and it could be launched as soon as within a few days.

*GERMANY:* The annual "Old Fighters" convention meets in Bürgerbräukeller in Munich, Germany. Adolf Hitler speaks for about an hour, accusing Great Britain of fighting for her own imperialist motives. A bomb explodes in Bürgerbräukeller, fifteen minutes after Adolf Hitler left the building. Eight are killed, sixty-three injured. George Elser set the bomb in a gap under a wood panel, possibly arranged by Heinrich Himmler. Hitler cuts short his speech to catch the train back to Berlin as it is too foggy for him to fly. The bomb explodes at 21:20, exactly as Elser planned, but Hitler had left 13 minutes earlier. In actuality, however, the bomb had been planned by Hitler to elevate his own standing in Germany and to create a situation where he could blame the western powers for an assassination attempt. Elser is arrested in Konstanz, trying to cross the border into Switzerland. He is transferred to Gestapo headquarters in Berlin where he confesses under torture. He will eventually be held at the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps until April 1945, when Hitler orders his death to prevent liberation by the advancing Allies. (In January 1946, General Georg Thomas of the German Army General Staff accuses Reinhard Heydrich of staging the explosion to end the peace movement of high army officers.)

*POLAND:* Hans Frank, Governor of the General Government, in that part of former Poland occupied by the Germans but not annexed, consolidates plans to transport 600,000 Jews and 400,000 Poles from the incorporated territories in the General Government. The operation is to begin December 1st.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Finnish negotiators reject Soviet proposals for border revisions. The Finnish negotiators wish to accept some concessions but their government sees the Soviet attempts to bargain as a sign of weakness. Marshal Mannerheim opposes this view.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Hull trawler '_Kingston Arogonite_' was lost. A balloon was also reported to be adrift near Hull.

Air Ministry announced that three German aircraft were engaged in combat over the North Sea by two reconnaissance aircraft of RAF Coastal Command. One of the enemy aircraft, a Heinkel seaplane crashed on the water and sank. Another was seen to fall partially out of control.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: It was reported that the German supply ship ‘_Uhrenfels_’ had been captured and taken to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 8, 2014)

*8 November *
*Known Reinforcements*

Allied Reinforcements
ASW Whaler Windermeyer






*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...






UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 28 sailed for her operations area (Operations Order No. 10). U 37 entered port. She sank:
> 
> S.S. Vistula 1,018 tons Swedish, S.S. Asis 4,810 tons Greek, S.S. Vermont 5,186 tons French, S.S. Yorkshire 10,183 tons English S.S. Menin Ridge 2,474 tons English, S.S. Ledbury 3,528 tons English, S.S. Tafna 4,413 tons English, S.S. Thrasyroulos 3,693 tons Greek
> Total:35,305 tons.
> Very good work. On her way out the boat encountered a battleship of the Royal Sovereign class and a cruiser of "C" or "D" class between the Orkneys and the Hebrides. She could not attack, as weather conditions did not permit keeping at attacking depth. This confirms the impression that this sea area is often used by the Home Fleet. Information hitherto has been obtained from U 56's observation (see F.O. U/B West's War Log), from radio intelligence and odd agent's reports. All Atlantic boats have therefore been ordered to alter course so as to pass through this area, even if it means delay.



Arrival

Kiel: U-21 

Wilhelmshaven: U-37 

Departures

Wilhelmshaven: U-28 

At Sea 8 November

U-23, U-25, U-26, U-28, U-33, U-34, U-41, U-43, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
14 boats at sea

*Northern Patrol*

On Northern Patrol, were two cruisers between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and light cruiser NEWCASTLE and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CLs DUNEDIN, DELHI and DIOMEDE departed Sullom Voe. DUNEDIN and DELHI relieved CLs CALEDON and CERES which then returned to Sullom Voe on the 9th. DUNEDIN, DELHI and DIOMEDE all arrived at Loch Ewe on the 15th, DUNEDIN with rudder trouble and DIOMEDE with weather damage to her upper deck. DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN reported sighting a periscope in Yell Sound and DUNEDIN dropped a depth charge on the contact, after which DD KELLY searched unsuccessfully for the U-boat. Coast watchers reported a submarine in Yell Sound during the afternoon of the 9th and five DDs were eventually detailed to search. As a result of these sightings, the Northern Patrol cruisers were ordered to use Loch Ewe instead of Sullom Voe.

*North Sea *.

Planned minelaying operations during the night of the 8th/9th in the Thames and 10th/11th in the Humber by DKM DDs KARL GALSTER, HANS LÜDEMAN and HERMANN KÜNNE, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT and FRIEDRICH IHN, PAUL JACOBI, THEODOR RIEDEL and HERMANN SCHOEMANN, were cancelled due to defects in KÜNNE.

Harwich

Sloops GRIMSBY and FLAMINGO, on passage to Harwich, searched for a submarine six miles ENE of Hartlepool. OA.32G of 23 ships departed Southend escort DDs VENETIA and WIVERN from the 8th to the 10th, and DDs WAKEFUL and WHITEHALL from the 10th to 11th. On the 11th, the convoy merged with OB.32G, which was escorted by DDs MACKAY and VIMY until the 11th, becoming OG.6.

*Halifax*

HXF.8 departed Halifax at 1400 escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, which detached on the 10th. Ocean escort was AMC ASCANIA, which detached on the 19th and then returned to Halifax. The convoy was escorted in Home Waters by DDs WINCHELSEA and WARWICK from OB.35, and ACASTA and ARDENT from OA.35 from the 19th to 20th. The convoy arrived at Dover on the 21st.

*Med -Biscay*

Fr TBs BALISTE and LA POURSIVANTE arrived at Gib from Toulon, departing on the 9th for Casablanca.




_These ships were both from the La Melpomene Class. The continental Navies at various times tried to exploit a clause in the naval treaties that placed no limits on surface warships below 600T. The results were generally mixed at best_
*Sth Atlantic* 

SL.8 departed Freetown escort AMC CILICIA. On the 23rd, DDs VANQUISHER, VERSATILE and WITHERINGTON from convoy OB.39 joined the convoy, which arrived next day.

*West Coast UK*

Steamers DUNKELD (UK 4944 grt) and FERNPOOL in convoy SL.6B collided . DD WALPOLE escorted the damaged ships to Bristol Channel, and then returned to the convoy on the 9th.

*India*

Sloops EGRET departed Durban and ROCHESTER from Aden, both to return to Home Waters, via Suez.

*Far East *

CVL EAGLE, RAN CL HOBART and DD WESTCOTT departed Singapore for Colombo on convoy duty, arriving on the 12th.

*Other*

Belgian King Leopold III revealed to Dutch Queen Wilhelmina that Belgium was aware of a German plan to invade the Low Countries, and it could be launched as soon as within a few days.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 9, 2014)

*9 November 1939 Thursday
WESTERN FRONT:* A plane from FuG 122 has its compass destroyed by ice and inadvertently flies over Belgium. No Allied fighters intercept the plane and it makes it back to base unharmed.

In Holland two British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) officers, Major Richard Stevens and Captain S. Payne Best, are kidnapped by the Gestapo while attempting to contact members of the German resistance to the Nazis. The two British agents have been meeting with a "Major Schaemmle" who claims to represent German Army officers plotting to overthrow Hitler. (He is actually Walther Schellenberg, a Gestapo officer.) Their meetings have been at Venlo, 5 miles (8 km) from the German border. Today, they are to meet at a cafe a few yards from the border. Upon arriving, their car is hit by machinegun fire, they are overpowered by German security forces and forcibly taken across the border. Himmler ordered the kidnapping immediately after the Munich bombing incident. One of the officers is carrying a list of British agents with him and from this and other indiscretions as well as from their interrogation, the German authorities are able to arrest many British agents in former Czechoslovakia and other occupied territory. The Venlo Incident is a serious setback for British Intelligence. Both officers remain imprisoned until April 1945.

Paris reported increased activity on the front between the Rhine and the Moselle. Anxiety was caused by movements of German cavalry and supplies of petrol on the Dutch border. Armed clashes took place on the Dutch frontier at Venlo, in Limberg, one man, believed to be Dutch, being killed.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Finnish government responds to continued Soviet demands for land concessions and military bases by rescinding their offer to yield the Gulf of Finland islands. Their embarrassed delegates, Paasikivi and Tanner, still in Moscow, are left to communicate this. At 6 PM they meet Molotov and Stalin for the final time. Before they leave, Stalin, incredulous, asks;


> “Nothing doing”?


At midnight, Molotov enquires whether Finland will sell the Hanko peninsula to get around this impasse. The Finns pack their bags for the last time. Nothing doing. In Helsinki the government restates its position that Finland;


> "...cannot grant to a foreign military power military bases on her territory and within the confines of her frontiers."



*GERMANY:* The press and radio accuse Britain of organizing the attempted assassination of Hitler in Munich on November 8th.

Adolf Hitler again postponed the invasion of France; the next date for decision was to be 13 Nov 1939 for a possible invasion date of 19 Nov 1939.

*AFRICA:* An alleged Nazi plot by armed black shirts to sabotage vital industries in Johannesburg and Pretoria is revealed.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* An RAF plane which crashed in Cambridge Road, Middlesbrough, with total loss of personnel and machine, caused fires in three houses. One fireman is reported injured; no other civilian casualties. The aircraft mentioned by Home Security was Hudson N7290 from No 220 Squadron. The two crew were: Pilot Officer Augustus Ryan (pilot), Sergeant Rex Mitchell (second pilot), ACI Albert Wade (crew), with Pilot Officer Douglas Robertson on board as a passenger.

SS '_Carmarthen Coast_' (961t) on a voyage from Methil to London, was mined and sank three miles off Seaham Harbour. Two of the crew were lost.

.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 9, 2014)

*9 November *

*DKM War diary*
Selected extracts...


----------



## parsifal (Nov 9, 2014)

*9 November *
*Known Reinforcements*

None

*DKM War diary*
See preceding entry.

UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 49 sailed for her operations area in accordance with Operations Order No. 11. U 36's operational readiness postponed for another 8 days.



Arrival

Kiel: U-23 , U-59 

Departures

Kiel: U-49 

At Sea 9 November

U-25, U-26, U-28, U-33, U-34, U-41, U-43, U-49, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61. 

13 boats at sea

*Baltic*

Steamers GEISHA (Nor 5113 grt) and SUSANNA (Nor 810 grt) were seized by German warships in the Baltic for contraband violations. GEISHA was released and provided service to the allies in the war. SUSANNA was released, but continued under German control. Damaged on Aug. 11-1940 during air attack in Korsfjordin (2 dead) (See M/S Geisha - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 and Norwegian Homefleet - Ships starting with So through Sø )

*Northern Patrol*

Two cruisers between the Orkneys and the Faroes, four cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CL SHEFFIELD departed Rosyth on patrol, and arrived at Loch Ewe on the 21st.

*Home Flt*

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, CLA CAIRO, and DDs FAULKNOR, FAME, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, FEARLESS, KINGSTON and IMPERIAL arrived at Rosyth at 0700 for refuelling. KINGSTON had developed a leak in her reserve fuel tank and required repair.

*North Sea *.

Norway

MV SNAR (Nor 3176 grt). Carrying Pulpwood to Rouen, ship was stopped and searched by U-34. Uboat Net claims she was taken to Fredrickshaven and searched there, and state the ship was released soon after. This is corroborated by the Norwegian website below. In my opinion, the ship should not be counted as a loss 
D/S Snar - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945





Scottish East Coast

MV CARMARTHEN COAST (UK 961 grt) Granite kerbstones and linoleum floor coverings. 17 crew. struck a mine, laid on 26 October by U-24 and sank by the stern after about ten minutes about 3 miles east of Seaham harbor. Two crew members on watch below were killed and six men injured. 
(Uboat net)





*UK- France*

MV PACIFIC COAST (UK 1,210 grt) motor cargo ship that was severely damaged by fire on 9 November 1939 at Brest and broken up in 1940. 6 crew killed
http://www.wrecksite.eu/img/wrecks/pacific_coast_mv.jpg





East Coast

FN.34 departed Southend, escorted by sloops GRIMSBY, WESTON, FLAMINGO, which had arrived from Rosyth for this duty. The convoy arrived at Rosyth on the 11th. FS.34 departed Rosyth, escort DDs VALOROUS, WOOLSTON and sloop HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.

*Nth Atlantic*

Steamer ASHANTIAN (4917grt) reported sighting a submarine, and DD ECLIPSE was detailed to search. There was a further separate sighting of a U-boat 250 miles SW of Fastnet, and DDs BROKE and ECLIPSE were sent to search. There were no results from either search

*Sth America*

Steamers LAHN (Ger 8498rt) and TACOMA (Ger 8268 grt) departed Talcuhuana, Chile, and arrived at Montevideo on the 23rd

*Med -Biscay*

DD GRIFFIN of DesFlot 1 departed Malta on 20 October and arrived at Gib on the 22nd. She left on the 25th with sister ship GRENADE to escort SL.5, but returned to Gib. She left again with SL.6 on the 30th and arrived at Plymouth on the 9th November. This completed the transfer of the DesFlot 1 to home waters, now based at Harwich with the three Polish DDs. SL.6A was escorted by DDs ELECTRA and ESCORT into the Downs. Fr DDs TARTU and VAUQUELIN arrived at Gibraltar to escort HG.7. 

MV LEANDER (Ger 989 grt) dep Vigo to return to Germany. 100 miles west of Vigo she was captured by DD ISIS, joined convoy HG.6 which ISIS was escorting, arrived at Falmouth on the 13th, and was renamed EMPIRE CRUSADER for British service. She had attempted to reach Germany disguised as a Russian merchant ship. When captured her captain attempted to scuttle the ship, but was forcibly prevented from doing so by the rest of her crew. Employed in Coastal traffic she was hit repeatedly in later service by German air attacks

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*West Coast UK*

SS H.43 and trawler COMET (formerly TAMURA, 301grt) dep Devonport and exercised off the west coast of Ireland to ascertain the effectiveness of these two ship classes working together. 

U.33 laid mines off North Foreland in Bristol Channel, but no shipping was sunk or damaged. from these mines

*Other*

German newspapers noted that the attempted assassination on Adolf Hitler which took place on the previous day in Munich, Germany was the work of British secret service agents. In actuality, it was a plot by Hitler to elevate his own standing. Forewarned of the plan to blow up his speaking venue, he and his entire entourage simply left the venue early, allowing many casualties to occur in the audience. 

Adolf Hitler issued directive No. 9 which called for German aircraft and submarines to attack British shipping and port facilities on an unrestricted basis. 

In Moscow, Russia at 1800 hours, Finnish diplomats Paasikivi and Tanner met with Joseph Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov in the final attempt to avoid war. They did not reach an agreeable conclusion.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 10, 2014)

*10 November *
*Known Reinforcements*

Neutral
Fleet Tug USS CHEROKEE 
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/39/093906612.jpg





_The Allies found fleet tugs to be invaluable in both amphibious operations and general convoy work. USS CHEROKEE was to prove her worth on many occasions _

Allied
Tree Class ASW Trawlers WHITETHORN and WISTARIA 
Source Wiki





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts.










UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 38 will also be delayed for several days. Meanwhile U 26 must have decided whether or not she can carry out her operation off Gibraltar. There is no news from the boat and no reports of her being sighted by patrols. Freight rates and risk premiums in the Mediterranean have been reduced, therefore presumably there is thought to be less danger from U-boats. The appearance of a U-boat there should cause great alarm. The next few days should show.



Arrival

Kiel: U-58

At Sea 10 November

U-25, U-26, U-28, U-33, U-34, U-41, U-43, U-49, U-53, U-56, U-60, U-61. 
12 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol*

Two cruisers between the Orkneys and Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait. The Northern Patrol, from the 10th to 23rd, sighted 57 eastbound ships and sent 50 into Kirkwall for inspection. Nine German ships were sighted and seized. No german ships were now permitted to pass, and this wass causing a great deal of annoyance in Germany. The war at sea was toughening up. AMCs RAWALPINDI arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol duty, and CALFORNIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. AMC SCOTSTOUN was damaged by an ice flow which buckled her frame and loosened some hull plates, but she was able to continue patrol in the Iceland-Faroes Channel for the time being.

*Northern Waters*

DD IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort steamer MARYLYN (4555grt), but when it was found the steamer would not be ready to sail until the 13th, she returned to Scapa.

*North Sea *.

Humber
DDs JUNO, JANUS, JAGUAR and JERSEY departed Immingham.

Rosyth Strike Force

CLs GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON, AURORA and BELFAST and ten destroyers were formed as a Striking Force at Rosyth. The new force was designated Humber Force, though it based at various ports. For CL BELFAST, following a refit, she departed the Clyde on the 8th and on the 10th transferred from CruSqn 18. 











Southend

OA.33 of 12 ships departed Southend escort DDs WREN and WITCH on the 11th and 12th. SSs CACHALOT and SEAL departed Gosport and escorted the convoy from the 10th to 15th. The convoy was dispersed on the 15th and the submarines proceeded independently to Halifax where they arrived on the 25th for escort duty.

*UK- France*

OB.33 departed Liverpool escort DDs VERSATILE, VOLUNTEER and MONTROSE until the 13th. BC.13S of steamers ATLANTIC COAST, BARON GRAHAM, BRISTOL CITY, BRITISH COAST, CERVANTES, CITY OF DERBY DELIUS (Commodore), DORSET COAST, GRETA FORCE, GUELMA, LYCAON and SANDHILL departed the Loire escorted by destroyers VIVACIOUS and VESPER. The convoy safely arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 12th.

*Channel*

Fr SSs ORPHÉE and ANTIOPE departed Brest escorted by Aux PC HEREUX.

*Nth Atlantic*

CA YORK, repairing boiler defects at Bermuda, then entered a further yard period to repair A-turret scheduled to be completed by the end of the month. HX.8 departed Halifax at 1200 escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, which detached on the 11th. Ocean escort for the convoy was BB REVENGE. Convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

*Sth Atlantic*

CA CUMBERLAND departed Buenos Aires patrolling en route to Capetown, but was diverted on the 18th to Rio de Janeiro, leaving there on the 22nd for the Rio de la Plata area. CA EXETER departed Mar del Plata to repair at Capetown, but was recalled for patrol in the Rio area. RNZN CL ACHILLES arrived at Rio de Janiero, then left on the 12th for local patrol. She was ordered on the 17th to patrol in the Rio de la Plata area. Netlayer PROTECTOR arrived at Freetown on the 10th to lay indicator nets. The lay was completed in mid-February 1940 and she departed Freetown on the 17th to return to England.

*Med -Biscay*

Fr CL LA GALISSONIÈRE dep Casablanca, escort Contre Torpilleur DD CHEVALIER PAUL and later arrived at Brest; her escort being detached at sea.







*West Coast UK*

DDs GIPSY and GLOWWORM were searching 60 miles south of Milford Haven for a reported submarine.

*Indian Ocean*

CL MANCHESTER departed Bombay en route to the Home Flt, calling at Aden on the 13th‑14th and arriving at Port Said on the 17th. Vice Adm Geoffrey Layton, commanding BatSqn 1 , Med Flt, was ordered to the Home Fleet to command CruSqn 18 and embarked on CL MANCHESTER which called at Malta on the 18th‑20th. She departed Gib on the 22nd, with DD KEPPEL as local escort, and arrived at Portsmouth on the 25th to begin a refit lasting until 21 December ( i believe radar was added in addition to general repair). She departed Portsmouth on 22 December, arrived at Scapa on the 24th, and left on the 26th on patrol. CL DANAE departed Mauritius for Colombo, where she arrived on the 18th. CAs DORSETSHIRE and CORNWALL departed Colombo to join CVL EAGLE and RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN on patrol at sea. The Force arrived back at Colombo on the 18th.

*Other*

The Dutch Army canceled leave and reinforced its border defenses. 

British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Anthony Eden met with French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier and Commander-in-Chief General Maurice Gamelin in Paris, France, joined by representatives from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India. For Australia, one of the spinoff effects of this meeting was An Australian Government order-in-council that was signed, and transferred all vessels and personnel of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, and personnel of the RAAF, to the King’s Naval and Air Forces. Effectively it placed thgese forces at the British disposal. Army deployments remained subject to an earlier agreement separating the AIF from the militias. 

The transfer did not stipulate the duration of the service, nor did it cover ships subsequently acquired or built. However, further transfers of ships and personnel were made between 1940 and 1943.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 10, 2014)

*10 November 1939 Friday
WESTERN FRONT:* The only German claim for the day comes when Oblt. Wilhelm Hobein of 2./JGr 176 downs a barrage balloon east of Mainz.

Over Tourcoing, a Dornier is bounced by a Hurricane of RAF No. 87 Squadron. The British plane fails to damage the German bomber and runs out of fuel, force-landing in Belgium and the pilot taken prisoner. 

The Dutch reinforce border troops, cancel all Army leave and prepare to flood the "inundation area" by opening sluice gates. These steps are reported to be precautions against invasion. The Dutch believe the date of the invasion is November 12, due to Hans Oster’s leak to their military attaché. The US consulate advices Americans to leave the Netherlands.

German forces conducted local probing attacks which were met with infantry and artillery fire. German reinforcements are reportedly moving up to the Siegfried Line.

British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Anthony Eden met with French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier and Commander-in-Chief General Maurice Gamelin in Paris, France, joined by representatives from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stays home in London suffering badly from gout. Chamberlain will recover from gout but things only get worse for him. Six months from now he will resign as Prime Minister and in a year he will be dead from cancer.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Admiralty announced that HMS “_Rover_”, a small auxiliary vessel, was considerably overdue and must be presumed lost, with her crew of four officers and 23 men.

The Luftwaffe loses a Dornier Do 18 of 3. / K.Fl.Gr.406 when it is intercepted by two Hudsons of RAF No. 220 Squadron and is shot down into the sea near Scarborough The Do.18 capsized becoming the first German aircraft to be shot down by a Coastal Command aircraft. The crew were rescued by the Dutch with one member listed as missing.

.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 11, 2014)

*11 November 1939 Saturday
WESTERN FRONT:* French Colonel Charles De Gaulle urges the staff of the French Armed Forces that tanks are to be framed in armored divisions, emulating the tactics of the Wehrmacht organization, tested with success in Poland. The suggestion will be rejected and the French tanks remain scattered among all units as infantry support.

British, French, Belgian and German troops mark the twenty-first anniversary of the Armistice, at 11 AM on November 11 1918, on the very battlefields where their fathers fought The Great War (World War One, as it would soon be known). Many in Britain hope that Germany’s expansion in Europe will not bring another general war. Others, including Churchill, believe the storm has not passed and that Hitler will continue his plans for European domination. As Armistice Day falls on a Saturday, the two-minute silence of remembrance in Britain is moved to Sunday to avoid disrupting war production. This begins the new tradition of Remembrance Day on the Sunday closest to November 11. Sales of the symbolically pacifist white poppies drop from 85,000 in 1938 to almost nil.

The Belgian Army cancels military leaves. Belgian police along the French border receive orders to clear roads to allow for French forces entering into Belgium.

Portuguese Foreign Ministry issues dispatch Number 14 instructing consuls to issue visas (to Portugal) only to those with tickets on ships out of Lisbon, no visas to Czechs, Russians, and Jews.

Paris reported a quiet day on the Western Front. During the night aircraft flew over North-Eastern France.

*GERMANY:* In Berlin the Reich foreign ministry repeats earlier assurances that the neutrality of Holland and Belgium will be respected.

Adolf Hitler attended the funeral of those killed in the staged 8 Nov 1939 assassination attempt in München, Germany.

RAF made successful reconnaissance flights the preceding night over towns in South-West Germany, including Stuttgart, Mannheim, and Nuremberg. One aircraft failed to return.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In England, Dr. R.V. Jones submits ‘The Hitler Waffe’ report, listing seven possible secret German weapons, with #5 being long-range guns and rockets.

Queen Elizabeth broadcasts a message to the women of the Empire, from Buckingham Palace. She says women;


> "…have real and vital work to do" and assures women that they are "keeping the Home Front, which will have dangers of its own, stable and strong."


Armistice Day messages were exchanged between the King and the French President.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Czechoslovakia, the funeral of Czech student Jan Opletal, killed earlier during the Czech independence celebrations, turned into a demonstration, which was crushed by German troops. Czech universities were closed; 1,200 students are sent to camps, and 9 are sentenced to death.

.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 11, 2014)

*11 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Kagero Class DD TOKISUKAZE IJN C1 Class Sub I-24








*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> Analysis of information on the whereabouts of the British battle fleet shows that it is probably distributed over various places outside the North Sea. The possibilities if mining these places with TMB's must therefore be considered. The main difficulties will probably be navigational. It is hardly likely that all these places are under constant strong patrol, or that local defenses are very extensive. The first area to be considered is the Bay of Oban. The battleship Rodney was lying there some time ago. Information received so far on the effects of the minefields laid by U-boats shows that not all the ships which ran into the fields were sunk. We must therefore try to lay the mines in shallow water and reduce their sensitivity so that they are only exploded by largish ships.



Departures Arrival

None

At Sea 11 November

U-25, U-26, U-28, U-33, U-34, U-41, U-43, U-49, U-53, U-56, U-60, U-61. 
12 boats at sea

*Northern Patrol*

Two cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CL GLASGOW was en route to patrol in the Denmark Strait while CL DIOMEDE was escorting Swedish steamer DROTTNINGHOLM (11, 055grt), which had been intercepted in the Faroes-Iceland patrol, towards Kirkwall. DIOMEDE requested a trawler to take over, and armed boarding vessels NORTHERN ISLE and NORTHERN FOAM were dispatched. DIOMEDE lost track of the steamer before they arrived, but AMC CALIFORNIA located her late on the 11th. The trawlers could not make the rendezvous due to bad weather. AMCs AURANIA and CHITRAL arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol duties.

*Northern Waters*

DD MAORI departed Scapa to rendezvous with submarines TRIUMPH and TRIDENT for escort. They arrived at Rosyth on the 12th. DD ZULU searched for a submarine reported NW of Holbourn Head. DDs IMOGEN, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE departed Scapa on anti-submarine patrol and returned the next day.

*North Sea *.

East Coast

Trawler SOUTHWARD HO (204grt) reported a submarine five miles SE of the Tyne. ASW trawlers OLVINA (425grt) and CAPE COMORIN (504grt) carried out a search and during the night of the 11th/12th, CAPE COMORIN ran aground near the Tyne. She was refloated and repaired. DDs KEITH and BOADICEA were on East Coast patrol. BOADICEA was detached to Harwich to refuel and KEITH was relieved by ORP DDs BURZA and GROM on the 11th. 

The Humber Force, consisting of CruSqn 2, DesFlot 7, and specially attached DDs MASHONA, BEDOUIN, TARTAR, GURKHA of DesFlot 4 were placed under direct Admiralty control to counter a possible sea invasion of Holland thought to be due. CLs GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON, AURORA, BELFAST, with MASHONA, TARTAR and GURKHA departed Rosyth on the 11th to join the Humber Force at Immingham. BEDOUIN was delayed three hours and arrived later. On the 12th, MASHONA, BEDOUIN and TARTAR were relieved by DDs AFRIDI, MAORI and ZULU, with MASHONA departing Rosyth on the 14th, escorting SS H.34 and AO WAR PINDARI to Scapa and Loch Ewe, respectively. BEDOUIN proceeded to Scapa, while TARTAR escorted steamer MARYLYN (4555grt), departing Aberdeen on the 14th for Scapa.

Southend - Methil

FN.35 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloops PELICAN and HASTINGS. DDs JUNO and JUPITER were at sea as a fighting force for this convoy and for FS.35. Seven steamers became detached from FN.35 and ORP DDs GROM and BURZA escorted them into the Humber. GROM afterwards returned to Harwich. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 13th, WOOLSTON and PELICAN at Rosyth mid-day, and HASTINGS which had lost touch, two hours later. FS.35 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE, WHITLEY and sloops STORK. STORK attacked a submarine contact 9.9 miles off St Abbs Head. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 13th.

*UK West Coast*

PCs KINGFISHER and WIDGEON departed Belfast and arrived in the Clyde later the same day.

*Channel*

CL EMERALD departed Portsmouth with another shipment of gold for Canada, via Plymouth, and arrived at Halifax on the 21st. DD WIVERN arrived at Chatham after boiler cleaning at Plymouth. CVE ARGUS and DD STURDY after short refit in the preceding days departed Devonport for Toulon where better weather conditions would allow the carrier to conduct training exercises for new pilots. DD GALLANT departed Portsmouth on the 13th and joined the Carrier. STURDY was to carry on and join the local defence DD flotilla on the China Station, but was retained in the Med as attendant DD for ARGUS. The three ships arrived at Gib on the 17th with GALLANT detaching on the 17th and returning to Plymouth on the 21st. Convoys OA.32G, departed the Thames on the 8th, and OB.32G, which had departed Liverpool, merged on the 11th as OG.6 with 43 ships. They were escorted by DDs MACKAY, VIMY, WHIRLWIND, WREN and WAKEFUL from the 8th to 11th, and Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs TIGRE and PANTHÈRE from the 11th to 16th, when the convoy arrived at Gib. ASW trawlers SPANIARD (455grt), TURCOMAN (455grt) and KELT (455grt) were with the convoy at its arrival from the 11th to 16th.

*Nth Atlantic*

A group of German steamers that had been trapped in the port of Vigo (Portugal) escaped to attempt to returns to Germany.

MV CORDOBA (Ger 4611 grt) passed through the Denmark Strait on the 22nd, sighted an armed merchant cruiser but was not seen and arrived at Narvik on the 28th. MV LAHNECK (Ger 1663 grt) successfully passed through the Denmark Strait and arrived at Hamburg on 16 December. MV LIVADIA (Ger 3094 grt) passed through the Iceland-Faroes passage on the 16th, arrived in Honningsvaag on the 27th, and reached Hamburg on 9 December. LUDOLF OLDENDORFF (Ger 1953 grt) passing the Iceland-Faroes passage on the 24th was sighted and stopped by CL SHEFFIELD. However, she was able to convince SHEFFIELD she was Danish steamer EDITH and arrived at Haugesand on 6 December. PALOS (Ger 997 grt) passed through the Denmark Strait on the 23rd, and arrived at Hamburg on the 29th. SEBU (Ger 1894 grt) passed through the Denmark Strait on the 24th, and arrived at Hamburg on 18 December. TANGER (Ger 1742 grt) passed the Iceland-Faroes Passage on the 20th, and arrived at Hamburg on 9 December.

Finally, the last ship of the group, KONSUL HENDRICK FISSER (Ger 4458 grt) was captured attempting to pass the Iceland-Faroes Passage on the 23rd.






*Sth Atlantic*

CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE departed Simonstown and Capetown respectively, to sweep towards St Helena. While departing, SUSSEX was in a minor collision with AO ATHELPRINCE (8782grt) at Simonstown. The cruisers arrived back on the 23rd. CL NEPTUNE departed Freetown on patrol, met depot ship MAIDSTONE, and returned on the 16th to join CV ARK ROYAL.

*Med -Biscay*

BB RAMILLIES and DD DELIGHT departed Port Said to relieve BB MALAYA and DD DARING off Aden. CL PENELOPE departed Alexandria on patrol, and arrived at Malta on the 25th.

The 1st MTB Flotilla left Malta on the 11th with base ship VULCAN (trawler, 623grt) for Bizerte and Ajaccio, en route to Portsmouth via French overland. The Flotilla consisted of the same units it had at the beginning of the war. DD DAINTY followed the flotilla to escort returniing to Malta on completion. several MTBs were delayed due to heavy weather. Meanwhile also as part of this transfer, Liner FRANCONIA, carrying MTB.2, MTB.5, MTB.17, departed Malta on the 16th escort DD DUCHESS. The liner was damaged by heavy seas, but was able to reach Marseilles on the 19th. On the 24th, the flotilla now reconstituted departed Marseilles, travelled up the Rhone River, in spectacular fashion, and was then towed through the canals to the Seine. In the Seine, once again under their own power, they again put on an impressive show, sailing through Paris and out to sea arriving at Portsmouth on 6 December. After refitting, the Flotilla was based at Felixstowe and became operational in January 1940.

*Caribbean*

Fr SS SIDI FERRUCH arrived at Port of Spain after patrol in the Caribbean.


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## Njaco (Nov 12, 2014)

*12 November 1939 Sunday
GERMANY:* In an effort to protect the German navy from British fighters and bombers, German fighter forces in the Heligoland Bight are reorganized. Major Carl Schumacher, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77 is promoted to Obersleutnant and given control of the newly formed Stab./JG 1. Under his command is Major Harry von Bülow of II./JG 77, Hptm Heinrich Seeliger of II(J)./JG 186, Oblt. Johannes Steinhoff of 10(N)./JG 26 and Major Reichardt of JGr 101. The Stab is headquartered at Jever after being withdrawn from the North Sea coastline.

Hundreds of dissidents and Jews are arrested in the search for the Munich bombers. Among the thousands of persons arrested following the Munich bomb explosion were said to be Monarchists, Jews, Social Democrats and members of the Gestapo itself. Meanwhile, ration cards for clothing are issued.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British King George VI replies to the appeal for peace issued by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and King Leopold of Belgium. The British King along with the French government politely rejected the offer to mediate toward the end of the war. Meanwhile, Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, says in a radio broadcast that if the British get through the winter without any serious setback, the first campaign of the war will have been won. He states;


> “….conscripts are being crowded in vast numbers upon the frontiers of Holland and Belgium. To both these States the Nazis have given most recent and solemn guarantees. No wonder anxiety is great. No one believes one word Hitler and the Nazi Party say…. If words could kill, we should be dead already!”



*WESTERN FRONT:* The Dutch and Belgian foreign ministers meet at Breda. French President Lebrun also responds negatively to the Belgian-Dutch mediation offer.

The first ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) concert is given for British and French troops in France, starring Maurice Chevalier and Gracie Fields.

Several units of Dutch soldiers are deployed at various strategic points throughout the country, especially at the bridges of Maastrich, after being informed by spies of the German invasion plans of the Third Reich.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-41 (Kapitänleutnant Gustav-Adolf Mugler in command) sank British trawler “_Cresswell_” by gunfire off the Outer Hebrides, Scotland at 0700 hours; 6 were killed, 8 survived and rescued by U-41. At 1000 hours, U-41 struck again, sinking Norwegian tanker “_Arne Kjøde_” (cargo of gas oil, en route to Denmark) with one torpedo. Note that both Denmark and Norway are neutral at this time.; 34 survived in 2 lifeboats, but one of them would soon capsize, killing 5. 34 survivors will be picked up on Nov 14 by the British trawler “_Night Hawk_” and the Royal Navy destroyer HMS “_Isis_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Soviet government announces that it is not satisfied with the progress of the negotiations with Finland.

Jews in Lodz, Poland were ordered to wear the yellow star of David.
.



.


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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2014)

*12 November *
*Known Reinforcements*

Neutral Ships
Soviet Serie IX or M Class SS M97





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts




UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 36 will not be ready for another week and operations against the timber transports will get more difficult as it gets darker, I have therefore decided to send U 38 up there. This boat was to have operated together with U 41, U 43 and U 49, but her sailing has been delayed so long that only a partial cooperation would be possible now. U 36 will then be the second boat to go north. Chances of success will be considerably improved if the boats are disposed in quarterline in the direction of the traffic, about 100-120 miles apart, as then there would always be at least one boat on the steamer route by day.
> 
> U-34 entered port. She sank:
> 1)	S.S. Gustav Adolf 935 tons Swedish contraband , 2)	British Sperrbrecher 1,200 tons British 3)	S.S. Malabar 7,976 tons British 4)	Steamer type Cairnona 4,666 tons 5)	S.S. Bronte 5,317 tons 6)	Tanker 6-7,000 tons Total 26,094 tons. She also brought in the Norwegian "Snar", 3,176, tons, timber, as prize.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-34 

Departures 
Kiel: U-57 

At Sea 12 November
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-33, U-41, U-43, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60, U-61. 
11 boats at sea

*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers between the Orkneys and Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and light cruiser NEWCASTLE and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CLs CALYPSO, CALEDON and CERES departed Sullom Voe on Northern Patrol duty. CALEDON suffered damage to her upper deck in heavy weather on the 15th.

*Northern Waters*
A German air attack on Sullom Voe and Lerwick destroyed two Sunderland flying boats at Lerwick. Tkr ARNE KLODE (Nor 11,019 grt) Carrying Oil and Gas, the ship was torpedoed by U-41 (Mugler) northwest of Scotland en route from Aruba to Nyborg, Denmark (both neutral at the time), via Kirkwall with a cargo of gas oil. She had left Aruba on Oct. 27. DD ISIS and net layer GUARDIAN came to her aid and took the stern portion of the ship in tow and were later joined by DD KASHMIR. However, the tanker was beyond saving. ISIS rescued the survivors and sank the stern on the 15th, while AMC CHITRAL(which had also arrived that day) sank the fore section with gunfire 5 men, including the captain killed. Survivors were taken to Newcastle
M/T Arne Kjøde - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945





Trawler CRESSWELL (UK 271 grt) he unescorted and unarmed Cresswell was stopped by gunfire from U-41 while fishing 18 miles northwest by west of Flannan Isles, Outer Hebrides. The Germans ordered the crew to abandon ship and they then shelled and sunk the trawler from some distance, suspecting a Q-ship. Eight survivors were picked up by the U-boat, but one died of wounds and was buried at sea. Mugler planned to put them on another ship later on.

At 09.55 hours, they witnessed the sinking of the Arne Kjøde and were transferred to the British trawler Phyllisia at 16.42 hours. The survivors were landed at Fleetwood on 14 November.
(NO IMAGE FOUND) 

*North Sea *.

Rosyth
BBs NELSON, RODNEY, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FAME departed Rosyth to carry out full calibre firings before proceeding on patrol between the Faroes and Norway to cover ON.2 and HN.2. The force was joined by DD FURY at sea. ON.2, departed Methil escorted by DDs IMOGEN, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE. CL AURORA left Immingham to provide close cover and CLA CURLEW was ordered to guard ON.2, but the order was changed and CAIRO was assigned in her place. CAIRO joined at daylight on the 14th and arrived back at at Rosyth on the 17th. ICARUS, IMOGEN and IMPULSIVE refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 14th, and ON.2 arrived without incident at Bergen on the 15th. The big ships arrived at Loch Ewe on the 17th, departed on the 20th after refuelling and reached the Clyde on the 21st. CL EDINBURGH and DDs AFRIDI and MAORI departed Rosyth for the Humber, arriving that afternoon. DD KINGSTON departed Rosyth for repairs at Leith, completed on the 19th. Destroyer IMPERIAL departed Rosyth for boiler cleaning. SS SEAHORSE departed Blyth for a patrol off Terschelling, arriving back on the 28th. CLA CALCUTTA departed Rosyth and arrived in the Humber on the 13th. CLA CURLEW departed Rosyth and arrived at Grimsby on the 13th. DDs ESK, EXPRESS, BLANCHE and BASILISK departing Rosyth for the Humber but were held up by fog near Outer Dowsing. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Rosyth with SS SEALION, SHARK, SNAPPER and SUNFISH for passage to Harwich, arriving on the 14th.

East Coast
On East Coast patrol, DD KEITH was off Orfordness and the ORP DD BURZA off the Sunk.

ASW Trawler CAPE COMORIN The naval trawler ran aground at Whitby, Yorkshire and was wrecked. Later salvaged, repaired and returned to service

Steamers APPLEDORE (UK 5218 grt), CLAN MACGILLIVRAY (UK 6464 grt), DEERPOOL (UK 5167 grt) SAINT MARGARET (UK 4312 grt), MAIHAR (Uk 7563 grt) and tanker ATHELKING (UK 9557 grt) of convoy FN.35 all ran aground off Lowestoft, each following the next one on to the shore. Steamer FLIMSTONE (4674grt), managed to avoid this fate but only after colliding with SAINT MARGARET.
Steamers APPLEDORE, CLAN MACGILLIVRAY, DEERPOOL Other ships No Image Found











Harwich
DDs GRIFFIN (D.1), GIPSY, GREYHOUND and GLOWWORM arrived at Harwich from Plymouth. DD GIPSY and GREYHOUND were in a collision which caused minor damage to both ships. GIPSY repaired at Harwich and GREYHOUND at Sheerness. GLOWWORM escorted HXF.7A to the Sunk. DD VIMY on patrol reported a split in her hull which contaminated her fuel, and was forced to return to port.

Southend - Methil
OA.34 of 14 ships departed Southend escort DDs ELECTRA and ESCORT from the 12th to 14th.

Thames Estuary
DKM DDs KARL GALSTER, HERMANN KÜNNE and HANS LÜDEMAN, escort DD WILHELM HEIDKAMP laid 288 magnetic mines in the Thames Estuary during the night of the 12th/13th. DDs ERICH GIESE, THEODOR RIEDEL and HERMANN SCHOEMANN also sailed, but when RIEDEL and SCHOEMANN broke down, they were escorted back by GIESE. On their return, they were met at sea by CLs KÖLN, NÜRNBERG and TBs LEOPARD, SEEADLER, WOLF, ILTIS. DD BLANCHE and thirteen merchant ships for 48,725grt were sunk in this field during the following days.

On the 12th, ML ADVENTURE struck a mine laid by the DKM DDs that morning and was badly damaged; She was able to proceed under her own power at five knots to Chatham assisted by tugs DORIA and SALVA from Ramsgate and LADY BRASSEY from Dover. Sixty two wounded were transferred to BASILISK, which led ADVENTURE in to Sheerness. She was taken to Chatham for temporary repairs, departed on 19 December for Plymouth and arrived there on the 21st for permanent repairs lasting until 18 September 1940.

Later that morning near the same spot at one mile 80° from North East Spit Buoy, DD BLANCHE towing one of the rescue tugs, struck another mine. BLANCHE had one rating killed, one rating missing, and Midshipman C L Byrne RNR, Act/Sub Lt D L Davenport, Warrant Engineer G F D Dunn and nine ratings injured. survivors were rescued by tugs FABIA (151grt), LADY BRASSEY (362grt) and trawler KESTEREL (75grt). BLANCHE sank two hours after striking the mine.






Destroyer GLOWWORM was stationed east of the Tongue Light Vessel to redirect Thames-bound shipping, and trawler MYRTLE redirected shipping coming out of the river, but the following vessels were mined and sunk in the field.

Other losses in this minefield were 
On the 13th, steamer PONZANO (UK 1346 grt). On the 13th, steamer MATRA (UK 8003 grt) from HXF.7, one mile east of Tongue Light Vessel. On the 15th, steamer WOODTOWN (UK 794 grt) 3/4 mile off North East Spit Buoy, Margate. On the 19th, steamer GRAZIA (FI 5857 grt), five miles north of North Foreland. On the 23rd, steamer HOOKWOOD (UK 1537 grt) in convoy FS.40, 3½ miles ENE of Tongue Light Vessel. On the 27th, liner SPAARNDAM (Ne 8857 grt), two miles NE of Tongue Light Vessel. On the 28th, steamer RUBISLAW (UK 1041grt), 1½ miles ENE of Tongue Light Vessel, four cables SW of Knock South Buoy. On the 30th, steamer SHEAF CREST (UK 2730 grt). On 1 December, steamer DALRYAN (UK 4558 grt), 2½ miles SW of Tongue Light Vessel. On 2 December, tanker SAN CALISTO (UK 8010 grt), 2½ miles NNE of the Tongue Light Vessel. On 6 December, steamer PARALOS (Gk 3435 grt), two miles ENE of Tongue Light Vessel. On 8 December, steamer MEREL (UK 1088 grt), 270° from Gull Light Vessel, one cable north of No. 22 North Gull Buoy near Ramsgate. On 15 December, steamer URSUS (Sd 1499 grt), off Margate. 190 casualties in total

*UK West Coast*
OB.34 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANESSA until the 13th, and DDs WARWICK and WHIRLWIND until the 15th.

*Nth Atlantic*
MV MECKLENBURG (Ger 7892 grt) had left Pernambuco on 14 October disguised as Dutch steamer HOOGKERK. She was intercepted on the 12th in 62‑37N, 10‑36W by light cruiser DELHI and scuttled to avoid capture NW of the Faroes in 63‑09N, 11‑38W. DELHI arrived at Sullom Voe with her 56 man crew on the 15th.


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## Njaco (Nov 13, 2014)

*13 November 1939 Monday
EASTERN EUROPE:* Finnish delegates, led by Paasikivi, leave for Helsinki after negotiations, over an exchange of territory and border revisions, break down. The Finns are especially unwilling to meet the Soviet demand for the cession of Hanko because it would give the USSR complete control over the Gulf of Finland and the most important part of the country. Meanwhile, in response to the breakdown of the talks, Stalin orders preparations for war against Finland. Paasikivi will return to surrender in March 1940. Tanner is tried in 1946 for war crimes and spends 3 years in jail.

In Bucharest King Carol of Romania offers himself as a secret mediator between the British and French and the Germans. He too is viewed as acting for Hitler.

*GERMANY: *Britain resumes aerial leaflet drops over Germany. The drops continue until April 9, 1940, when German forces invade Denmark and Norway.

Adolf Hitler again postponed the invasion of France; the next date for decision was to be 22 Nov 1939.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* German destroyers Z20, Z18, Z19, and Z21 mined the mouth of the River Thames in southern England before dawn. At 0526 hours, British cruiser HMS “_Adventure_” hit one of the mines and was damaged, killing 23. At 0820 hours, British destroyer “_Blanche_” also hit one of the mines and was badly damaged, killing 1 and wounding 12; as “_Blanche_” sank while under tow by tugboat “_Fabia_”, she became the first British destroyer lost to enemy action in WW2. Two merchant vessels SS “_Ponzano_” and SS “_Matra_” are also sunk by these mines. Charles Carlson's (_An excellent website dedicated to the mining of HMS “Adventure” and HMS “Blanche”, maintained by the grandson of a casualty on HMS “Adventure”. Includes photographs of the damage to HMS “Adventure” and accounts from the captains of both HMS “Adventure” and HMS “Blanche”.)_

In the Shetland Islands, German bombers drop bombs on British territory, for the first time, in a strike targeting naval vessels and flying boats. No significant damage is done. A rabbit is reported to have been killed.

In London General Henry Crerar sets up the Canadian military headquarters.

The Air Ministry announced that an attack on a U-boat was made on Sunday by a British reconnaissance aircraft of the Coastal Command.

The Admiralty announced that two German steamers, ‘_Mecklenberg_’ and ‘_Parana_’ intercepted by British warships had been scuttled by their crews. After rescuing the crews, the warships finally sank the ships by gunfire to prevent their being dangerous to navigation.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Activity of aircraft on both sides was reported from the Western Front. German reconnaissance planes reached the outskirts of Paris and were met by anti-aircraft fire.

.

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## Njaco (Nov 14, 2014)

*14 November 1939 Tuesday
WESTERN FRONT:* A raid by German bombers on the Shetland Islands succeeds in destroying two British float planes.

The British and French military commands (after secret, inconclusive discussions with the Belgians) agree to an immediate advance to the "Meuse-Antwerp Line," south and east of Brussels, in Belgium if the Germans invade. This agreement is referred to as "Plan D" (the "Dyle Plan").

*GERMANY:* In Berlin initial reaction to the offer of mediation made by Queen Wilhelmina and King Leopold is reported to be negative.

The Netherlands was added back to the German invasion plan for Western Europe as the Luftwaffe stressed the importance of having airfields in the Netherlands.

Theodor Eicke was named the commander of all SS Death's Head units; Richard Glucks was to take over Eicke's former position as the inspector of concentration camps.

In Vienna, Austria detachments of the SS-Verfügungstruppe placed stocks of hand grenades at Jewish synagogues preparatory to setting fire to the buildings.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Occupied Czechoslovakia Police are reported to have broken up a Czech Fascist demonstration in Prague, 12 persons being injured.

While the Finnish Army of 175,000 – 200,000 troop dig in on the Karelian Isthmus in anticipation of a Soviet invasion, the Red Army musters about 4 times as many along the entire Finnish border.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In London General Sikorski, the head of the Polish government-in-exile based in France, arrives.

Medals of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire were awarded to two airmen for gallantry in helping comrades.

Survivors of the Fleetwood trawler ‘_Cresswell_’ sunk by U-boat shell-fire off the North of Scotland, were landed by another trawler after spending over six hours in the submarine.

*ASIA:* Kenkichi Ueda was dismissed from the Japanese Army General Staff.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Phony War is in full swing. Not much happens in mainland Europe but men are still dying in the Battle of the Atlantic. Norwegian tanker ‘_Arne Kjode_’ is reported sunk by a U-boat.The Admiralty announced the loss of a destroyer through striking a German mine.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 14, 2014)

*13 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied Ships
RN AMC AUSONIA Fr Le Hardi Class DD SIROCCO








*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 40 declared missing today. There is definite news of a member of the crew being prisoner of war. It must now be assumed after all that she was lost in the Channel. Otherwise she would have reported that she had got through. Meanwhile further information has been received of the other missing boats, which give a different view of the circumstances of their loss.
> 
> Letters from prisoners, whose names have gradually been given out over the English wireless, show:
> 
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel U-56

At Sea 13 November
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-33, U-41, U-43, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60, U-61. 
11 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
DKM MSW M.132 was badly damaged by DCs from MSW M.61 in an ASW operation near List in the North Sea, and was beached, She became a total loss.
M 132 Minesweeper, Minensuchboot





*Northern Patrol*
Three cruisers between Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland, and two cruisers and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. Two further LW air raids on Sullom Voe and the Northern Patrol cruisers there did not cause any damage. The air raids and the U-boats reported off Sullom Voe resulted in CruSqns 7 11 of the Northern Patrol being ordered divert to Loch Ewe when they returned.

Steamer PARANA (Ger 6038 grt), which had departed Buenos Aires on 7 October, was intercepted on the 12th by CL NEWCASTLE west of Iceland and scuttled herself . The wreck was sunk by gunfire from NEWCASTLE which then left her Denmark Strait patrol station at 2000/13th with the German survivors. Steamer HUGO OSTENDORFF (Ger 3986 grt), which had departed San Juan del Puerto on 25 October, was not far astern of PARANA. Realizing her consort was being intercepted, she took evasive action and diverted to Hafnarfjoedr (Hvammasfjord) on the south coast of Iceland, set off again on the 24th and arrived at Stettin on 5 December.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/img/wrecks/parana_1908.jpg





*North Sea *.
Southend - Methil
FN.36 departed Southend, escort DDs WHITLEY, WALLACE and sloop STORK which had arrived from Harwich. The convoy reached Methil on the 15th. FS.36 departed Methil, escort sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON. Sloop FLAMINGO, which had been on other escort duty, joined off the Tyne, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 15th.

*England-France*
SA.17 of two steamers departed Southampton, local escort DD SKATE and SCIMITAR, and arrived at Brest on the 14th.

*West Coast*
Sloop ENCHANTRESS attacked a submarine contact. U.28 laid mines in Bristol Channel, on which one merchant ship was lost.

*Caribbean*
CL ORION departed Kingston on patrol and arrived back at Kingston on the 25th. Fr tanker SAN JOSE (6013grt) was chased by an unidentified submarine, seven miles from Willemstad (Curacao). The submarine was later identified as one of the French submarines based at Martinique.

*Sth Atlantic *
In operations in the South Atlantic, a Swordfish of 814 Squadron from aircraft carrier HERMES crashed into the sea on landing. Lt J H Dundas and crew were picked up by Fr Contre Torpilleur DD LE FANTASQUE.
Sqn Markings 802-1435_P




_814 sqn markings 1939_

*Far East*
Liner SIRDHANA (Indian 7745 grt) was sunk on a British defensive minefield in Singapore Roads, 3½ miles 148° from Fort Canning Light; twenty crew were killed.
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&...O5QZU81CC3aMDERf0wVx2iGA&ust=1416147230719165




CL BIRMINGHAM departed Hong Kong on patrol in Chinese waters. RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, VENDETTA and WATERHEN departed Singapore for Colombo. On the 17th, VAMPIRE and VOYAGER detached to Trincomalee to join Force J (CA KENT and the Fr CA SUFFREN) in the Nicobar Island area. STUART and WATERHEN arrived at Colombo on the 18th and VENDETTA on the 19th. WATERHEN was attached to Force I, while VENDETTA was employed in ASW patrols off Colombo. On the 25th, STUART departed Colombo for Madagascar to join CL GLOUCESTER and French sloop RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY.

German propaganda Minister was to describe the Australian Destroyers on their arrival into the operational ‘a consignment of junkthat would be consigned to the scrap heap’, and ‘Australia’s Scrap Iron Flotilla’. Goebels may have been a master at manipulating German mindsets, but in this situation he completely misread the Australian Psyche. The comments were designed to demoralise the Australian crews and society, instead, the ships enthusiastically adopted the name as their own, and in doing were to write some of the most memorable chapters in Australian naval history, and they became symbols and rallying point to australian resistance to axis aggression . The five WWI DDs, HMA Ships STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN, emblazoned the name on their ships and brought respect from friends and foe alike as the "Scrap Iron Flotilla" under the command of CAPT H. M. L. Waller, RAN.

Goebels did not learn from his miscalculation. He later was to refer to the defenders of Tobruk as being caught like "rats in a cage". The main defenders, the 9th Australian Division immediately adopted the name "Rats Of Tobruk" , and other elements of the Western Desert Force became "the desert rats". The 9th Division were to deliver the first strategically significant defeat on the panzerwaffe and were never defeated by the German Army

The Nazis never quite learned the Australian Psyche to bullying. 

*Other*
Sub Lt D Copsey, part of the FAAs expanded aircrew training program was killed when his RAF Harvard of the RAF No.1 SFTS crashed near Netheravon airfield. Flight Lt T I Hammond of the RAF was also killed on the same day.


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## parsifal (Nov 14, 2014)

*14 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
None

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts




UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 38 and U 29 sailed for their operations areas. Attacks on English timber traffic and minelaying off Milford Haven. (Operations Orders No. 10 and 12). Professor Cornelius visited B.d.U. He was nominated "Torpedo Dictator" some days ago, with wide powers, which give him a great deal of scope to reorganize and develop torpedoes. His duties are of major importance for the U-boat Arm. It is to be hoped that he will be completely successful. His duties cover 3 main fields 1)	to eliminate the faults in the pistols 2)	to ensure that the torpedoes will keep perfect depth 3) to ensure adequate production. While at present the torpedo can in no way be regarded as a front-line weapon of any use, the TMB has proven a very effective weapon for U-boats. It has nevertheless been found: 1)	that large ships are not sunk for certain at depths of about 30 meters 2) that the mines are fired by smaller ships than intended.
> 
> This has led me to go into the question of the use of mines again with a specialist. The following are the results of a conference with Commander Lucht:
> 
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel U-61

Departures 
Wilhelmshaven U-15, U-19, U-29, U-38

At Sea 14 November
U-15, U-19, U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-33, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60. 
14 boats at sea

*Baltic*
Steamer VERNA H (Fn 983 grt) was seized in the Baltic by German warships and taken to Swinemünde.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea *.

Belgian fishing vessel MAURICE MARGUERITE (28grt) was sunk on a mine off Dyck Light Vessel, outside Gravelines, with the loss of three crew.
[No Image]

*Nth Atlantic*

RCN DD FRASER was damaged in a collision with RCN Aux MSW trawler BRAS D'OR (221grt) at Halifax. FRASER was repaired at Halifax completing on 4 December. Off the Azores, Fr AMC KOUTOUBIA captured German steamer TRIFELS (6198grt) which had departed Ponta Delgada on the 12th carrying 21,000 cases of gasoline. TRIFELS was taken to Casablanca and renamed SAINT LOUISE for French service, but later returned to German service after the fall of France.




Fr Subs CASABIANCA, SFAX, PASTEUR and ACHILLE of the 2nd Submarine Division departed Brest escorting French armed merchant cruiser QUERCY, and arrived at Halifax for escort duty on the 25th.

*Channel*
MV DOTTEREL (UK 1385 grt) and Steamer ALASKA (Fr 5399 grt) collided seven miles east of St Catherine. DOTTEREL was able to proceed to Southampton, but ALASKA sank early on the 15th.
http://www.wrecksite.eu/wrecked-on-this-day.aspx





*Med - Biscay*
HG.7 departed Port Said on the 3rd, Malta on the 5th, and left Gib on the 14th with 31 ships, escort DDs VELOX, VIDETTE and also Fr DDs TARTU and VAUQUELIN from the 14th to 21st when they arrived at Brest. DD WOLVERINE escorted convoy HG.7A – the east coast portion - from the 21st to 23rd, and on the 21st, 28 miles 200° off Start Point, steamers DUNBAR CASTLE (10002grt) and CLAN MACFARLANE (6193grt) were in collision. DUNBAR CASTLE proceeded to Southampton for repairs. HG.7 arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd, while HG.7A arrived in the Downs on the 23rd with WOLVERINE.


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## Njaco (Nov 15, 2014)

*15 November 1939 Wednesday

ASIA:* Japanese forces capture the port of Pakhoi. Repair ship "_Akashi_" was assigned to the Combined Fleet.

Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya succeeded Vice Admiral Ichiro Sato as the commanding officer of the Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China. Rear Admiral Isamu Takeda was named Hosogaya's chief of staff. Koichi Shiozawa was promoted to the rank of admiral. Chuichi Nagumo was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. Captain Teruo Akiyama was named the commanding officer of "_Naka_" Captain Zensuke Kanome was named the commanding officer of "_Tenryu_". Masafumi Arima became the commanding officer of Yokohama Naval Air Corps. Captain Kaku Harada was named the commanding officer of "_Settsu_". Captain Sukeyoshi Yatsushiro was named the commanding officer of Nachi. Vice Admiral Tamotsu Takama was named the chief of staff of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea. Vice Admiral Ibo Takahashi was named the commanding officer of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan. Rear Admiral Akira Matsuzaki was named his Chief of Staff. Raizo Tanaka stepped down as the Chief of Staff of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Occupied Czechoslovakia there are large-scale demonstrations at the funeral of Jan Opletal, a medical student who was mortally wounded in Prague on October 28th. Police forces (possibly including elements of the Gestapo) make numerous arrests of Czech nationalist protesters. Casualty reports range from 12 injured to suggestions of summary executions.

Jews living in Reichsgau Wartheland (former Polish territory, annexed into Germany) began to be deported into the General Government region of former Poland.

*GERMANY:* German Foreign Minister, von Ribbentrop, formally rejects the offer of Belgium-Dutch mediation made by King Leopold and Queen Wilhelmina in meetings with official representatives. He states that as a result of the "blunt rejection" of the German peace appeal by Britain and France, the German government considers the matter closed.

Anticipating Adolf Hitler's wishes, Erich Raeder asked his staff officers to evaluate the possibility of an invasion of Britain.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The pilots and crew of I./JG 2 “Richthofen” are finally removed from guarding the city of Berlin and transfer to the Western Front, arriving at the airfield at Frankfurt-Rebstock.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German pocket-battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” has been cruising trade routes in the Indian Ocean since Nov 3 and needs a kill to register her presence. However, the expected prey does not materialize as wool clipping season in Australia is late and cargo ships await loading in Australia. “_Graf Spee_” sights SS “_Africa Shell_”, a tiny British oil tanker belonging to the Shell Company of East Africa, 6 miles off Zabora Point Mozambique (at the southern end of the channel between Madagascar and Mozambique). “_Africa Shell_” is empty, sailing to port in Delagoa Bay (now the capital Maputo). “_Africa Shell’s_” crew are taken off by “_Graf Spee’s_” launch and she is sunk by shell fire. The Allies will soon know that a raider is at large in the Indian Ocean. MaritimeQuest - Africa Shell (1938) Page 1 (_Very nice account of the stopping and sinking of the SS “Africa Shell” by German pocket battleship “Admiral Graf Spee” on November 15, 1939, including a series of photographs taken from “Graf Spee”. Notably, one photo shows a launch taking the crew off Africa Star before she is sunk. This gentlemanly behavior ensured that no lives were lost on any of the ships sunk by “Graf Spee”._)

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Dr Paasiki, head of the Finnish delegation, which had returned to Helsinki, stated that Russia had made military demands which could not be granted. Violent propaganda against Finland was broadcast from Moscow.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The King received General Sikorski and other members of the Polish Government. Mr. Eden and the Empire envoys returned to London after their tour of the Western Front. M. Paul Reynaurd, French Finance Minister, who had paid a two-day visit to London at the invitation of Sir john Simon, returned to Paris.

British steamer, ‘_Woodtown_’ reported blown up, with the loss of nine lives.

.

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## parsifal (Nov 15, 2014)

*15 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis Reinforcements
DKM MSW R37




Allied Reinforcements
RN ASW Trawler ULLSWATER (Lake Class)




*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts










UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 43 reported from the area southwest of Ireland that the weather was so bad that she could take no offensive action. According to metrological observations it is not likely to improve in the near future and conditions are much quieter on the Portuguese coast; U 41, 43 and 49 have therefore been ordered to proceed on to position "ROT". U 53 reported a convoy west of Gibraltar. During the last few days Radio Intelligence Service has provided some very useful reports on convoys, no action could be taken as there were no boats in the areas concerned. Today several more reports were received on which the boats may in fact be able to act. Reports of enemy surface forces have also now reached such a degree of accuracy that they are of practical value, which was only seldom the case to begin with. It is however, desirable that they be confined to hard facts, without any inferences from individual radio stations; those inferences make it more difficult to sift the material. Reports can only be evaluated by a unit which is adequately informed on the whole situation and can take all factors into account. It would be much easer for the operational units to make use of the material if it were sifted by a central department and passed on by them to units concerned. It would be necessary of course to work very quickly; comprehensive and connected situation reports are of less value than a collection of connected reports and dependent operations.
> 
> A radio message from U 45, intercepted by another boat on 14th October, has now reached B.d.U. It was not received here.
> "B.d.U. from U 45: 3 large darkened steamers, 15 knots, sunk. Am chasing a 4th steamer 3366 to 3355 BRT."
> ...



Departures
Kiel: U-13, U-18, U-22

At Sea 15 November
U-13, U-15, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-33, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60. 
17 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
Trawler ELSE (Ger 141 grt) was lost near Skargaard.
Steamers PANEVEZYS (Li 1607 grt) and NIDA (Li 945 grt) were sunk on mines near Tallinn.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]
Norway
HN.2 of eight British and one Finnish steamer departed Bergen and were escorted by DDSs ICARUS, IMOGEN and IMPULSIVE from outside the territorial limit. Distant Cover was provided by BBs NELSON and RODNEY and accompanying forces which departed Rosyth on the 12th. DDs ISIS and KANDAHAR were assigned to escort the three steamers of the west coast section of HN.2 when it arrived off the Shetlands. KANDAHAR had departed on the 15th to join the Home Flt at sea, but was recalled for this escort duty. DD WALLACE was assigned to escort the Tyne section of HN.2 but because of fog, had to anchor off the Tyne for an hour. A submarine contact on the 17th did not hamper the convoy's progress and HN.2 arrived safely on the 18th with IMOGEN, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE. The battle force arrived at Loch Ewe on the 17th, departed on the 19th and arrived in the Clyde on the 21st.

DKM CS DEUTSCHLAND arrived in German waters and was renamed LÜTZOW to prevent the possibility of a ship bearing the name of the Fatherland being sunk. She anchored at Gdynia on the 17th.

*Northern Patrol*
Three cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait.

*Northern Waters*
MV BAIKALl (SU 2500 grt est) The cargo ship struck a rock and sank in the Arctic Sea off Spitsbergen, Norway
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea *.

East Coast
MV GEORGIOS (Gk 2216 grt) The cargo ship struck the wreck of Canada ( Denmark) in the North Sea 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off Holmpton, Yorkshire and sank. All 23 crew were rescued by the Grimsby lifeboat




MV WOODTOWN(UK 794 grt) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea north of Margate, Kent. Eight lives were lost
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Southend - Methil
FN.37 departed Southend for Methil, escort sloops GRIMSBY, FLAMINGO, WESTON. CLA CALCUTTA, DDs JUNO and JUPITER departed Grimsby in support. FS.37 departed Methil escort DDs VIVIEN, VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN. MSW TEDWORTH sailed with the convoy for the passage south. 

*UK-France*
BC.15 of ten steamers, including BARON CARNEGIE, BLACKHEATH, DEVON COAST and NIGERIAN (Commodore) departed Bristol Channel, escort DDs VIVACIOUS, VESPER and VANESSA, and safely arrived in the Loire on the 17th.

*Channel*
U.20 was attacked nine miles 90° from Tongue Light Vessel (at tghe entrance to the Princes Channel, part of the approaches to the thames) by CC a/c and DDs KEITH and GRIFFIN. DD GREYHOUND later joined in the search, but U.20 escaped serious damage and was able to lay mines off Newarp Light Vessel on the 22nd.

*Nth Atlantic*
RCN DDs OTTAWA and RESTIGOUCHE departed Esquimalt for Halifax after being relieved in the Pacific by British light cruiser CARADOC. 

*Sth Atlantic*
Admiral in command Fce K trf flag to BC RENOWN, to allow CV ARK ROYAL to leave for England to refit and receive new aircraft. When news of the sinking of AFRICA SHELL reached the Admiralty on the 17th, ARK ROYAL was ordered back to Freetown.

*Med -Biscay*



*Caribbean*

*Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART departed Colombo and arrived at Bombay on the 18th. CA SUSSEX arrived at Durban. CL LIVERPOOL departed Colombo on the 15th and arrived at Singapore on the 19th for patrol duties on the China Station. She proceeded to Saigon and arrived at Hong Kong on 10 December.

DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE sank steamer AFRICA SHELL (706grt) 10½ miles SW by S of Cape Zavora Light in Mozambique Channel . SS OLYMPUS on patrol in the Indian Ocean set off in pursuit, but failed to make contact.




_Africa Shell sinking_

*Other*

Raeder requests his staff officers to evaluate the possibility of an invasion of Britain.


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## Njaco (Nov 16, 2014)

*16 November 1939 Thursday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* The British naval attaché in Oslo, Norway, receives a seven-page anonymous report on German radar and weaponry, including naval rockets, and mentioning Peenemünde as a location of research. (he report is generally regarded at the time as a German hoax.

In Finland the armed forces are mobilized as the talks over Soviet demands for an exchange of territory break down in acrimony. The Soviets are seeking to protect naval bases at Leningrad and Murmansk from possible attack by demanding cession of strategic Finnish territory and the lease of Finnish ports in exchange for land in the desolate swamps and forests of Karelia. The Finns refuse.

*EASTERN EUROPE*: In Occupied Czechoslovakia an uprising in Prague is quelled. German authorities declare martial law in Prague. There are reports of many arrests, shootings and deportations. In Bucharest an offer of mediation made by Romanian King Carol is rejected by both sides.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In Egypt, Major General Michael O'Mare Creagh replaced Major General P. C. S. "Hobo" Hobart as GOC of the Mobile Division (Later 7th Armoured).

*INDIAN OCEAN: *German pocket battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” stops the Dutch vessel SS “_Mapia_” about 350 miles Southwest of Madagascar. “_Graf Spee’s_” captain, Hans Langsdorff, permits “_Mapia_” to proceed due to Dutch neutrality, allowing her to report his identity and position upon reaching port. His goal is to confuse Allied warships hunting him as to the number and location of German sea raiders. Langsdorff decides that, given the lack of targets, his work is done in the Indian Ocean and he sets sail for The Cape of Good Hope to go back to the Atlantic.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported that formidable defense in front of the Maginot Line had been completed. A German plane which flew over Dunkirk on November 11th is now known to have been shot down by French batteries. The French Minister of Economic Warfare stated that from the outbreak of war to November 10th the French Navy and seized 223,297 tons of contraband goods.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The German steamer, ‘_Leander_’ was brought into a West Country port after the crew had prevented the captain from scuttling her.

General Sikorski discussed with Mr Burgin, Minister for Supply, proposals for the equipment of Polish forces designed to co-operate with Allied forces.

The SS ‘_Arlington Court_' (4,915t) steamer, (Rosario, Argentina to Hull with a cargo of grain) was sunk by U 43 off the Irish coast, Five of her crew were lost. Another German U-boat torpedoed the tanker “_Sliedrecht_” near Ireland.

.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 16, 2014)

*16 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
None

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



















*UBOATS*

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 47 sailed for her operations area in accordance with Operations Order No. 11. The next boats to be ready for operations will be:
> U 31 and U 35 18 November, U , 25, 36 and 48 and on 20 November. I intend to send U 31 and 35 to the sea area south of Ireland and to allow them considerable freedom of action there. They must be able to approach the coast or move further out to sea according to weather conditions and patrol. Cooperation will only be possible to a limited extent and will probably be confined to an exchange of individual reports rather than shadowing for any length of time. At first U 28 and 29 will be in the same area. U 48 is a boat with wide radius of action. She is therefore to operate west of Spain and Portugal, where U 47 will also be and possibly U 49. This area has 2 great advantages:
> 1)	The weather is better here in the winter than it is further north.
> 2)	There is less patrol, especially air patrol. If there is any air activity at all it must be very slight. The traffic situation is very favorable.
> ...



Departures 
Kiel: U-47

At Sea 16 November
U-13, U-15, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-33, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60. 
18 boats at sea

*Northern Patrol*
three cruisers between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and two AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CL CALYPSO captured a merchant ship (Ger SALMANN 2500 grt est) and was en route with her to Loch Ewe. She requested a trawler to meet her in West Ray Firth to take over the escort. Armed boarding vessel KINGSTON JACINTH was delayed by weather, but did so, and both ships arrived at Loch Ewe. CL cruiser CARDIFF departed Sullom Voe and arrived at Loch Ewe on the 20th to repair weather damage.
[No Image of the SALMANN....may be incorrect name]

*North Sea .*
Sloop FLAMINGO, escorting convoy FN.37, was damaged in a collision with steamer LOWLAND (974grt). She arrived at Leith on the 17th and was docked for repair, completed on 10 December.





OA.36G (part) of 19 ships departed Southend on the 16th escort DDs WAKEFUL and WHITEHALL on the 16th and 17th, and DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY on the 18th and 19th. OB.36G(part) also departed Liverpool on the 17th, escort DDs WALKER and VANOC, which remained with the convoy until the 19th. ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY (655grt) was with the convoy on the 17th only. The Bristol section of OB.36G was escorted by DD MONTROSE which remained until the 20th. Accompanying OA.36G were ASW trawlers ARCTIC RANGER (493grt), KINGSTON CORNELIAN (449grt), LORD HOTHAM (464grt) and LEYLAND (452grt) on passage to Gib for local ASW duties. These escorts were with the convoy from the 17th to 24th. OA.36G rendezvoused with OB.36G on the 19th and became convoy OG.7 with 43 ships. It was then escorted by Fr DDs CHACAL and MISTRAL from the 19th and destroyer KEPPEL from the 20th. The convoy reached Gibraltar on the 24th.

*Central Sth Atlantic*
SL.9 departed Freetown escort AMC SALOPIAN. Machinery damaged DD HAVOCK travelled with them and detached to Gib on the 25th, arriving on the 27th. On the 2 December, DDs MACKAY, VIMY, ACASTA, and ARDENT met the convoy in Home Waters, which arrived later that day.

*Channel*
Minelaying operation FE was completed on the 15th/16th and 16th/17th between the English end of the Folkestone-Cape Griz Nez field and the shore off Dover by Aux ML HAMPTON escort two DDs. Survey ship FRANKLIN laid navigational buoys. Italian steamer VELOCE (5464grt) ran aground near Dungeness Light. There is no confirmation that this ship was lost. 

*Southwest Approaches*
MV ARLINGTON COURT (UK 4915 grt) Full cargo of Maize, 35 crew, enroute to UK West Coast. The vessel was a straggler from convoy SL-7A, and was hit by a G7a torpedo from U-43 about 320 miles 248° from the Cornish Coast. The ship sank in 30 minutes. Six crew members were lost and the chief engineer died from exposure in one of the lifeboats. The master and 21 crew members were picked up by the Dutch steam merchants ALGENIB and 6 others a week later by the SPINANGER. 
_Photo from City of Vancouver Archives,_ 





Tkr SLIEDRECHT (Ne 5133 grt) carrying 6600 tons of benzine, kerosene and gas oil, 31 crew, enroute from Abadan to Solvaer (Norway). Had been stopped by the UK authorities in Gibraltar and ordered to Kirwall for a full examination. Enroute, U-28 stopped the neutral Sliedrecht about 200 miles south of Rockall and examined the documents of the ship. They showed that the tkr intended movements, which qualified har as a contraband ship. Kuhnke therefore ordered the crew to abandon ship and sank her with a torpedo. Five crew members in one lifeboat were picked up by the British trawler MERESIA, but the other lifeboat containing 26 survivors was never seen again.
Sliedrecht (Dutch Motor tanker) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net





*Western Approaches*
HOPESTAR (5257grt) was attacked by a submarine, DDs BROKE and ECLIPSE were able to interven and prevent her loss. The Uboat, which has not been identified escaped. 

*Med - Biscay*
MTB 6 (RN) foundered in bad weather off Sardinia after colliding with DD DAINTY
Motor Torpedo Boats MTB's




_MTB 6 was one of the original 70' types of which this is an example_

DD WATCHMAN boarded Italian liner VULCANIA (24,469grt) outside Portuguese territorial waters. She was permitted to pass. Fr DDs TIGRE and PANTHÈRE arrived at Gibraltar for convoy escort duty.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 17, 2014)

*17 November 1939 Friday
WESTERN FRONT:* A Czechoslovakian National Committee is established in Paris under the leadership of the former President of Czechoslovakia, Eduard Benes. The group is recognized by Britain and France in mid-December.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* At the third meeting of the Supreme Allied Council Supreme War Council, they agree to an immediate advance to the River Dyle between Antwerp Line and Brussels if the Germans invade (the Dyle Plan or "Plan D"). However, the French turned down proposals to bomb industrial targets in the Ruhr fearing Luftwaffe retaliation against Britain and France.

German destroyers, Z11 “_Berndt von Arnim_”, Z19 “_Herman Künne_” and Z21 “_Wilhelm Heidkamp_” lay magnetic mines in major shipping lanes in the English Channel. No notification is made, contravening International law and leading to catastrophic results the next day.

A Do 17 of 1(F)./122 flew a sortie to Scapa Flow and was tasked with keeping a watch on the British Home Fleet. The Dornier was slightly damaged by AA fire. Another German reconnaissance plane flew over South-west Lancashire, Cheshire and North Wales. No bombs were dropped. Anti-aircraft guns were in action. The Air Ministry later announced that daylight reconnaissance over North-west Germany were carried out and an important naval base successfully photographed.

General Sikorski, Polish Prime Minister, visited Scotland and presented war decorations to members of Polish naval units.

*ASIA:* Japanese troops landed at Fangcheng and Beihai in Guangxi Province, China.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The pocket battleship “_Deutschland_” arrives in Gdynia (in occupied Poland) after her Atlantic raiding cruise in which 2 ships were sunk.

In Occupied Czechoslovakia SS forces occupy all universities (during the night of November 16-17) and 9 student leaders are executed; some 1200 are sent to concentration camps. This event becomes the basis for marking November 17th as "International Students Day."

*GERMANY:* U-36 set sail for Basis Nord, a secret base on the Kola Peninsula in northern Russia provided by the Soviet Union. As part of the Molotov-Ribbontrop pact extension following the partition of Poland, the USSR offered Germany a northern base ‘Basis Nord’ to support their blockade of Britain. Naval High Command sent U-36 and U-38 to scout the proposed location at Zapadnaya Litsa on the Kola Peninsula, 25 miles from Mumansk.

.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 17, 2014)

*17 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Nor DD ODIN (Sleipner Class) 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
















_CL EMDEN was used mostly for training during the war. She was scuttled 3 May 1945_

*UBOATS*

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> C-in-C Home Fleet is in the area north and northwest of Scotland. U 29 is approximately north of the Shetlands. She has been informed. U 53 reported another convoy off Lisbon, 18 ships in 4 columns, 5 destroyers escorting. Speed 7-8 knots, main course north. It is clearly the same convoy that the Radio Intelligence Service picked up on 16 November and fixed several times. It is valuable to have the radio intelligence report confirmed by the U-boat. If reports continue to be as accurate and to arrive in such good time they will be of great use in the conduct of the war. U 41 and U 43 are still very far north. It is known from experience that it is too early to order them to operate against this convoy yet; but they are proceeding south and should be on a level with it in 2 days time. U 53 is shadowing and reporting at intervals of several hours Order received from Naval War Staff to the effect that unrestricted action can be taken against passenger ships which are seen to be armed. As most passenger ships are already armed, this will mean a great step forward.



Departures 
Kiel: U-52

At Sea 17 November
U-13, U-15, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-33, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-49, U-52, U-53, U-57, U-60. 
19 boats at sea

*Baltic*
Steamer VALAPARISO (Sd 3759 grt) was seized by German warships for contraband violations in the Baltic.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
CLs EDINBURGH, BELFAST, GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and AURORA arrived at Rosyth. CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa Flow for Loch Ewe, leaving there on the 21st for Northern Patrol. CL CARDIFF departed Loch Ewe after refuelling and repairing damage sustained in heavy weather, and arrived back on the 20th from the Northern Patrol. CLs DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN departed Loch Ewe on Northern Patrol duties, with DIOMEDE arriving back on the 21st. AMC AURANIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol duties. 

On Northern Patrol as of the 17th were two cruisers between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and two AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait.

Steamer HENNING OLDENDORFF (Ger 3986 grt), had departed Huelva, Spain, on the 2nd disguised as a Russian ship, was captured by CL COLOMBO near Iceland . The German ship, the Royal Navy's 19th prize of the war, was taken in to Kirkwall by a prize crew commanded by Lt Cdr L A Lambert on the 19th due to insufficient coal for the voyage to Leith. She was later renamed EMPIRE INDUSTRY for British service.





*North Sea .*
MV KAUNAS (Li 1,566 grt) crew 16 Carrying Ballast, enroute Ghent to Hartlepool , the unescorted and neutral Kaunas was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-57 and sank by the stern after seven minutes 6.5 miles west-northwest of the Noord Hinder light vessel. The ship was attacked without warning because no nationality markings were visible. The survivors, one of them injured, abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were saved. 1 dead. 





MSW trawler CORENA (352grt) reported sighting a U-boat , and DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY sailed to investigate. DD WALLACE attacked a submarine contact 10 miles NE of Blyth. ASW trawler CAPE ARGONA (494grt) attacked a submarine contact 1½ miles 010° from Outer Dowsing. Steamer COREA (751 grt) sighted a submarine , and DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY undertook an ASW Sweep of the area. U.15 laid mines off Lowestoft during the night of the 16th/17th, on which one merchant ship was sunk.

ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA, BURZA, GROM arrived at Rosyth for a visit by the Polish Prime Minister, and left on the 18th to return to Harwich. DDs ESK and EXPRESS arrived at Harwich for minelaying in the Thames approaches in operation RG. When they departed Harwich they were accompanied by MSW vessels SKIPJACK and LEDA. ESK and EXPRESS laid more mines in this field on the 29th assisted by MSWs HARRIER and HUSSAR, followed on 1 December by Aux ML HAMPTON and four DDs which laid another line of mines, assisted by MSWs SKIPJACK and LEDA. DD FURY departed the Clyde with base ship MASHOBRA on the 16th. FURY was relieved by DD INGLEFIELD later on the 17th which took MASHOBRA on to Rosyth, arriving on the 19th. FURY proceeded to Loch Ewe, and after refuelling, joined the Main Fleet at sea. ASW trawler DRANGEY (434grt) was damaged in a collision at Rosyth.

FN.38 departed Southend, escort DDs VIVIEN, VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN. On passage, VIVIEN was damaged in collision with an unknown merchant ship, which carried on without stopping, arrived at Harwich on the 17th and was later taken to North Shields for repairs completed on 5 December. DD JERVIS, which had been searching the Outer Dowsing area joined the convoy on the 18th from dawn to dark, and the convoy arrived at Methil on the 19th. FS.38 departed Methil, escort DDs WHITLEY, WALLACE and sloop STORK. Seaplane carrier PEGASUS travelled in company. DDs JAGUAR and JUNO operated in the area of FS.38 from dawn to dark on the 18th, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.

DKM DDs HERMANN KÜNNE and WILHELM HEIDKAMP of DesDiv 5, escorted by DD BERND VON ARNIM, laid 180 magnetic mines in the Thames Estuary during the night of the 17th/18th. Returning to Wilhelmshaven, they were met off Terschelling by CLs LEIPZIG, NÜRNBERG and TBs LEOPARD, ILTIS, and SEEADLER. Seven merchant ships grossing 27,565 tons were sunk and one more damaged in the field:

On the 18th, Steamer SIMON BOLIVAR (Ne 7906 grt) 84 passengers and crew went missing. Survivors were rescued by DD GREYHOUND, ASW trawlers MAN O'WAR (517grt), CAPE WARWICK (516grt), DANEMAN (516grt), WELLARD 514grt), LADY ELSA (518grt), and tug FAIRPLAY II (282grt).





On the 18th, steamer BLACKHILL (UK 2492grt), 7½ cables 145° from Longsand Head Light Vessel ; one crewman was lost and destroyer GIPSY rescued the survivors.





On the 18th, tanker JAMES J MAGUIRE (10, 525grt) of convoy OA.37 was severely damaged 

On the 19th, steamer TORCHBEARER (UK 1267grt), two miles 25° from Shipwash Light Vessel; four crew were lost and DD GREYHOUND rescued the eight survivors.





On the 20th, naval trawler MASTIFF (520grt, Lt Cdr A A C Ouvry) one mile off the Tongue; five ratings went missing and one rating died of wounds. The survivors were rescued by the Margate lifeboat and minesweeping trawler CAPE SPARTEL (346grt).





On the 21st, liner TERUKUNI MARU (Jpn 11,930grt) all 206 passengers and crew were picked up by trawler GAVA (256grt) and other small craft.





On the 22nd, steamer GERALDUS (2495grt), three miles WNW of Sunk Light Vessel; DD WIVERN rescued the survivors.





On the 22nd, steamer LOWLAND (924grt) two miles ENE of Northeast Gunfleet Buoy; nine crew were lost and msw trawler MYRTLE (550grt) rescued three survivors.





On 10 December, AUX MSW RAY OF HOPE (98grt, Skipper W Hayes RNR) off Ramsgate; four crew were killed and five missing. Auxiliary minesweeper SILVER DAWN (85grt) sweeping in company with RAY OF HOPE picked up Cdr C E Hamond DSO, DSC Rtd of VERNON, Hayes and the mate
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.19 laid mines off Orfordness during the night of the 17th/18th. DD GIPSY and Steamer CARICA MILICA (Yu 6371 grt see entry for 18/11)) was lost , sunk on the 18th, 3½ miles 005° from Shipwash; the entire crew was rescued.
HMS Gipsy





*Nth Atlantic*
BC REPULSE sustained damage to her breakwater and CVL FURIOUS had engine trouble which limited her speed to 23 knots while at sea out of Halifax. HXF.9 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ST LAURENT until detached on the 18th. Ocean escort was AMC ALAUNIA, and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Central Sth Atlantic*
SLF.9 departed Freetown escorted by sloop AUCKLAND, and was joined on the 29th by DDs ESCAPADE, GALLANT and GRAFTON. The convoy arrived later that day and AUCKLAND reached Portsmouth on the 30th.

*Channel*
DDs BROKE and ECLIPSE were submarine hunting and joined by destroyers VANESSA, VESPER and VIVACIOUS, released from the escort of convoy BC.15.

*Pacific and East Asia*
CL CARADOC arrived at San Diego, California, for refuelling, the first foreign warship to visit a US port since the start of the war. CL DESPATCH , which entered the Pacific through the Panama Canal on the 1st, arrived at Callao, Peru with steamer LOBOS (6479grt). CL GLOUCESTER, attached to Force I from the 16th, departed Rangoon, and on the 18th sailed from Colombo to patrol north of Madagascar.

*Med - Biscay*
CVE ARGUS, and DDs STURDY and GALLANT arrived at Gib. GALLANT left to return to Plymouth and was ordered en route to search for German merchant ships reported leaving Vigo.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 18, 2014)

*18 November 1939 Saturday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German forces begin deploying new magnetic mines in the ocean. German planes parachute the mines into British coastal waters for the first time. Four merchant ships are sunk by magnetic mines off the eastern coast. SS ‘_Blackhill_' (2,492t) steamer, (Tees from Salta Caballo), was sunk by a mine in the Thames Estuary. One member of the crew died. The Dutch liner “_Simon Bolivar_” is sunk by a German magnetic mine with 86 killed of about 400 passengers and crew aboard. Public opinion is outraged because the mine which sunk the “_Simon Bolivar_” was in a major traffic lane. International law requires notification of any such mine-laying.

German merchant ship SS “_Borkum_”, running supplies to Germany through the British blockade, is stopped in the Denmark Strait by the British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_California_”. A British prize crew is put on board and sails “_Borkum_” towards Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands.

*GERMANY:* Hitler receives a memo from General Blaskowitz, Wehrmacht Commander in Poland, complaining about SS and Einsatzgruppen atrocities and the effects on ordinary soldiers. The memo annoys everyone from Hitler and Himmler to Chief of Staff Alfred Jodl. Blaskowitz is blacklisted from command in the invasion of France.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Martial law declared in Prague and other big Czech towns. Further executions took place. Dr Hacha, President of the Protectorate, broadcast an appeal to the Czechs to refrain from disturbances or resistance to authority.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German aircraft were sighted in Dutch territorial waters and returned the fire of Dutch planes which went in pursuit.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Enemy aircraft were reported off the East Coast and the Firth of Forth area. They disappeared when British fighters went up.

Members of the crew of ‘_Africa Shell_’ identified the raider which sunk her off the East African coast as the German ‘pocket’ battleship ‘_Admiral Scheer_’.

The Irish Republican Army exploded three bombs in Picadilly Circus.

.


----------



## Wurger (Nov 18, 2014)

On the 18th November 1939 Nazi Germans issued an ordinance forcing all Hebrews older than 12 years and living in the Kraków Ghetto to wear the Star of David sign on the right sleeve of clothes.


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## parsifal (Nov 18, 2014)

*18 November (Part I *
*Known Reinforcements*
None

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
https://archive.org/details/wardiarygermanna31939germ
















































_In mid November 1939, the Germans were making ready to use their two Battlecruisers for the a major incursion into the Denmark Straits_

*UBOATS*

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 31 and 35 sailed for their operations area in accordance with Operations Order No. 13. U 53 continued to shadow the convoy. If contact is maintained it may be possible to bring up U 41 and 43. The last 24 hours prove that it can be maintained. U 41 and 43 have been ordered to operate against the convoy. U 31 had to enter port again because of engine trouble.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 19, 2014)

*18 November (Cont'd) *
*UBOATS*
Departures 
Wilhelmshaven: U-20, U-35 (lost 12 days later) 

At Sea 18 November
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-22, U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-33, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60. 
19 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol*
Two cruisers between the Orkneys and the Faroes three cruisers and three AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and two AMCs in the Denmark Strait. CLs CALEDON, CERES, CALYPSO arrived at Loch Ewe from Northern Patrol. On loosely similar patrol duties, but not part of the northern Patrol as such were the Armed boarding vessels NORTHERN PRINCESS, NORTHERN FOAM, NORTHERN ISLE. 

MV BORKUM (Ger 3670 grt), had departed Montevideo on 9 October, was captured by AMC CALIFORNIA on 18 November in the Denmark Strait. Under a prize crew, BORKUM headed for Greenock via Kirkwall, but on the 23rd was attacked by U.33 and damaged by torpedo and gunfire near the Orkneys. Four German crew members were killed, but the rest of the Germans and British were rescued by armed boarding vessels KINGSTON BERYL and KINGSTON ONYX. The steamer was abandoned, drifted ashore in Papa Sound on the 25th and refloated on 18 August 1940, but as a total loss. She was taken to Rosyth and scrapped.





MV EILBEK (Ger 2185 grt), had departed Ponta Delgada in the Azores on the 10th, was captured by AMC SCOTSTOUN in the Iceland Faroes-Channel. DD PUNJABI departed Greenock at daylight on the 20th to join SCOTSTOUN as she escorted EILBEK to the Clyde. SCOTSTOUN arrived at midday on the 20th and PUNJABI and the German ship on the 21st. EILBEK was renamed EMPIRE SCOUT for British service.





*Northern Waters*
U.18 sank MV PARKHILL (UK 500 grt); carrying a load of coal from blyth to Kirkwall, 9 crew; ship was hit by a G7e torpedo and immediately sank after a heavy explosion north-northwest of Kinnairds Head. The ship had been missed by a first G7e fied earlier . The master and eight crew members were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea .*
(See entry for 17 November) MV CAPRICA MILICA (YUG 6371 grt) carrying Coal to Dubrovnik from the midlands' the vesel struck a mine laid by U-19 and sank 3.5 miles 5° off the Shipwash lightvessel. The wreck was later dispersed. No details have been found as to casualties





Steam Trawler WIGMORE (UK 345 grt) U.22 fired two G7e torpedoes at the second and third ship in the convoy IFC and missed. Four minutes later, the U-boat fired another G7e at the sixth ship and hit. The WIGMORE (Skipper Walter Bore) sank within three minutes after being hit about 25 miles northwest of Rattray Head. All 16 crew were lost





DD ISIS departed Rosyth to collect tanker ATHELKING (9557grt) at Invergordon and escort her to Methil to join FS.40. ISIS arrived on the morning of the 19th and departed that afternoon with the tanker and DD KELLY, en route to the Tyne for refit. DD INGLEFIELD, after delivering MASHOBRA to Rosyth, relieved KELLY. ISIS and the tanker arrived at Methil on the 20th, while KELLY reached the Tyne on the 21st.

OA.37 of 24 ships departed Southend escort DDs GRAFTON and ENCHANTRESS from the 18th to 20th. The convoy was dispersed on the 21st. OB.38 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers MACKAY and VIMY to the 21st. the two convoys linked up sometime around that time. 

DKM DDs ERICH STEINBRINCK and FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT of DesFlot 4, with DD HANDS LODY acting as escort, laid mixed contact and more magnetic mines off the Humber during the night of the 18th/19th. Returning, they were met by CL LEIPZIG and TBs ILTIS, SEEADLER, LEOPARD and WOLF. The British were still not aware that the Germans were using magnetic mines, against which they had no defence or sweeping capability, and it was not until the 23rd that a magnetic mine was recovered at Shoeburyness. Seven merchant ships grossing 38,710 tons were sunk and one more damaged in the field.

On the 19th, Steamer BORJESSON (Sd 1586 grt) six crewmen were lost, and the survivors rescued by MSW trawler ROSE OF ENGLAND (222grt) and trawler FRASCATI (220grt).





On the 19th, MV RHUYS (Fr 2921 grt) 2½ miles south of the Humber Light Vessel; sixteen crewmen were lost and 17 survivors rescued.





On the 24th, Steamer MANGALORE (UK 8886 grt), 1½ miles 288° from Spurn Light House.





On the 26th, liner PILSUDSKI (Pol14,294 grt), 26 miles 314° off Outer Dowsing; ten crewmen were lost, DD VALOROUS rescued 79 survivors.
MS PILSUDSKI - ** TS/S STEFAN BATORY, Polish Ocean Liner 1968-1988





On the 30th, Steamer REALF (Nor 8083 grt); one crewman was lost and the survivors rescued by Italian steamer SANTAGATA (4299grt). The wreck did not sink until 1 December.





On 4 December, steamer HORSTED (UK 1670 grt) in convoy, five crewmen were lost DD JACKAL picked up the survivors.





An additional vessel of 1270 tons was lost on this minefield. This could possibly be Norwegian steamer GIMLE (1271grt), reported lost on 3 December off the east coast of England, although her sinking is generally credited to U.31. norwegian sources attribute the loss to mines





On 28 December, Tkr SAN DELFINO (8072grt) was damaged off Holme Ridge Buoy in the Humber Estuary, but refloated and berthed on 1 January 1940. she was repaired and returned to service

*Nth Atlantic*
Following a D/F report, DDs ACASTA, ARDENT, WINCHELSEA and WALPOLE, on their way to meet a homecoming Halifax convoy, conducted an ASW sweep 150 miles SW of Berehaven. DDs ECHO and WANDERER conducted a similar operation further to the nth

*Central Sth Atlantic*
Force K of CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, CL NEPTUNE, and DDs HARDY, HERO, HOSTILE and HASTY departed Freetown to operate south of Freetown along the convoy route in search of DKM CS GRAF SPEE.

HX.9 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and ST LAURENT until they detached on the 20th. Ocean escort was BB WARSPITE, which detached on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 December. Fr Contre Torpilleur DD CHEVALIER PAUL and TBs FLORE and BOUCLIER were on placed on patrol in the SW Approaches 

*Indian Ocean*
BB RAMILLIES and DD DELIGHT joined Force J in the Indian Ocean. RAMILLIES was to relieve BB MALAYA which was due to go to Malta for rearming and refit. However, these plans were suspended after the sinking of steamer AFRICA SHELL in the Indian Ocean. DELIGHT was also to relieve DD DARING which was to return to the Med for refit, but her return too was suspended.

*Med - Biscay*
CVE ARGUS, and DDs STURDY and DOUGLAS departed Gibraltar for Toulon. DOUGLAS arrived back on the 23rd. CL CAPETOWN departed Gibraltar and arrived at Malta on the 20th. Fr DD BORDELAIS and SSs CAIMAN, MORSE and SOUFFLEUR passed Gibraltar westbound.


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## Njaco (Nov 19, 2014)

*19 November 1939 Sunday
GERMANY:* The maiden flight of the four-engined Heinkel He 177 ‘Grief', the Luftwaffe’s only serious contender of a heavy bomber, lasts only twelve minutes before engine temperatures soar, forcing the aircraft to cut short its flight time. The flame out of the engines is the beginning of a long saga of problems for the promising four-engined 'Ural Bomber'. Another problem is the failure of the bomber to meet the Bomber A requirement with its max speed of 285 miles per hour and short range.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Occupied Poland the first barricades are erected around the Jewish quarter in Warsaw.

In Occupied Czechoslovakia some 50,000 people are reportedly under arrest. Nazi authorities execute 3 more dissidents. It was reported that 120 Czech students had been executed by the Gestapo, and many thousands transported, following riots on Independence Day.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In response to Germany laying magnetic mines in the English Channel, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill wants mines dropped by air into the Rhine in the Ruhr area to disrupt river shipping. He also proposes launching time-activated mines into the Rhine along the French/German border between Strasbourg and the Lauter River, to float downstream.

Six enemy aircraft were sighted off South-East Coast, and unidentified planes over the Firth of Forth area.

Five more ships reported sunk by German mines off the East Coast, namely Swedish ‘_B.O. Borjesson_’, British ‘_Blackhill_’, Italian ‘_Grazia_’ and Yugoslav ‘_Carica Milica_’. SS “_Torchbearer_' (1,267t) a collier bound for London from Seaham, was sunk by a mine, off Harwich, with the loss of four of her crew. Captain Knudsen, master of the Danish vessel ‘_Canada_’ sunk on November 4th near the Humber, declared that his was due to a ‘magnetic’ mine.

SS “_Stanbrook_' (1,383t) left Antwerp yesterday in ballast for the Tyne, 8 miles from her destination she was torpedoed by U-57. None of her crew of twenty survived.

*ASIA:* The Nationalist government at Chungking orders a winter offensive against the Japanese. Japanese troops overran the Xiaodong defensive line in Guangxi Province, China, advancing toward Nanning.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* A deadly game of cat and mouse in the Bay of Biscay. U-41 hunts the British steamer SS “_Darino_”. Over 8 hours U-41 misses with 3 torpedoes. At 1:50 AM, “_Darino_” is sunk by a fourth torpedo (16 lives lost). 11 crew are picked up by U-41, transferred to an Italian merchant ship and later landed at Dover. Nearby, U-49 stalks Convoy HG-7 from Durban to Dunkirk via for 3 hours. U-49 fires 2 torpedoes that miss the British steamer SS “_Pensilva_” (cargo of maize) but a third torpedo sinks her at 12.19 PM. The Captain and crew are rescued by the destroyers HMS “_Echo_” and “_Wanderer_” and returned to England.

*WESTERN FRONT: * Paris announced that in the last four weeks the tonnage of German merchandise captured exceeded by the several thousand tons of French merchantmen lost through enemy action.

The Lithuanian vessel ‘_Kaunas_’ reported sunk by a mine near Zeebrugge.

Mr Eden broadcast a speech in French on his visit with Dominion Ministers to France.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 19, 2014)

*19 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
None

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts




UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Contact with the convoy was lost after it altered course, shortly before first light, just at the critical moment. By afternoon the other boats could have been there. Enemy destroyers drove U 53 off. Although this was very regrettable, the C.O.'s achievement in shadowing for 36 hours must be recognized.
> 
> At 1330 the boat had made contact again however. The others should have been in the vicinity. It must be taken into account that they have been in operations areas in the north for several days in bad weather. Considerable errors in E.P. were to be expected. U 53 was therefore ordered to make beacon signals. The danger of her being D/F'd was small; it would have been impossible from shore and unlikely from the convoy. At 1820 contact was lost again, but only an hour later U 41 sighted the convoy. It had come off; a second boat had been brought up to the convoy. Soon U 53 was also there again. The boat's error in EP was about 6-8 miles; this is not much. Nothing was heard of U 43, but this does not necessarily mean that she was not there. She had no cause to report, as the enemy was under constant observation.
> 
> After a long silence U 26 reported from west of Gibraltar. She has not carried out the minelay. U 49 reported a premature detonation with the adapted pistol. This is so far an isolated case and no judgment can be made.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-25

Departures Arrival
Wilhelmshaven: U-15, U-31 

At Sea 19 November
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-33, U-35 , U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60. 
19 boats at sea

*Baltic*
steamer TORAS (FN 1016 grt) was captured by a German warship in the Baltic, taken in prize, and renamed FIDUCIA for German service.
KOOPVAARDIJ: 13-3-14





*Northern Patrol*
Two cruisers between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers and three AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait.

*Northern Waters*
DDs FURY and MASHONA departed Loch Ewe on ASW Sweeps, and were joined by DDs PUNJABI and ASHANTI which also departed Loch Ewe later.

East Coast
MV BOWLING (UK 793 grt) carrying general cargo to Antwerp from England, 14 crew. The ship was hit in the foreship with one G7a torpedo about 6 miles north-northeast of Longstone, Outer Farne Islands. There was a massive explosion that broke the ship in two and caused her to sink within 40 seconds. The target was reported as darkened tanker of about 2000 tons with a full cargo, this must have been the Bowling, which had her machinery aft.





MV STANBROOK (UK 1351 grt) carrying Ballast and returning to Blyth from Antwerp, 20 crew. the unescorted STANBROOK was hit in the stern by one G7a torpedo from U-57, broke in two and sank quickly west-northwest of the North Hinder Lightship, Tyne. The master and 19 crew members were lost. The torpedo had to be launched by manual override due to the close range of the targetat the time of the launch. 





Southend - Methil
FN.39 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE, WHITLEY and sloop STORK. The convoy was met off Cromer Knoll by DD JERSEY on the 20th, and arrived at Methil on the 21st. FS.39 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloops HASTINGS and PELICAN, and was met off Flamborough by DD JUPITER on the 20th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.

*UK-Francce*
BC.14 of eleven steamers, including ADJUTANT, BATNA, BELLEROPHON (Commodore), BRIARWOOD, HARMATTAN, JADE, LOCHEE, OUSEL and PEMBROKE COAST departed the Loire, escort DD VESPER, and safely arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 21st.

*Nth Atlantic*
CL EFFINGHAM departed Halifax and arrived at Bermuda on the 21st.

*Med -Biscay*
MV DARINO (UK 1351 grt) general cargo, including port wine, sardines and tin ore, enroute from Lisbon to London, 27 crew, U-41 spotted the unescorted DARINO west of Cape Ortegal and fired a torpedo on the surface at 19.02 hours, but missed. The U-boat dived after the attack, but accidentally went down to 123 metres (well beyond her safe diving limit) before surfacing again and doggedly giving chase for four hours to that now distant merchant ship. At 00.43 and 01.15 hours on 19 November, a second bow torpedo and a stern torpedo missed. At 01.50 hours, the ship was hit by the fourth torpedo and sank almost immediately. The master and 15 crew members were lost. Eleven crew members were picked up by the Germans, transferred to the Italian steam merchant CATERINA GEROLIMICH the same day and landed at Dover.




Steamer CLAN BUCHANAN (UK 7266 grt)) was approached by a Fr AMC 250 miles west of Portugal. Both, unsure of each other's identity, regarded the other as an enemy. The AMC attempted to stop, then chased the British ship for some time. CLAN BUCHANAN finally outdistanced her and later discovered what had actually happened. Fr DD BORDELAIS and SS LA PSYCHÉ, MÉDUSE and LE GLORIEUX which had departed Casablanca, passed Gibraltar. They arrived at Oran on the 20th, where LE GLORIEUX entered a repair period.

*Sth Western Approaches*
MV PENSILVA (UK 4,258 GRT), Enroute Sth Africa to France, carrying Maize, the unescorted PENSILVA was hit by one torpedo from U-49 NW of Cape Ortegal and sank slowly by the stern. The ship had been previously sighted that morning and missed with one bow torpedo and a stern torp some minutes later that had been fired. The master and the crew were picked up by HMS ECHO, transferred to HMS WANDERER and landed at Plymouth. No Crew losses. 





HG.7 was escorted by Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs TARTU and VAUQUELIN when a U-boat was reported shadowing the convoy. 
Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs CHACAL and MISTRAL were investigating a contact 120 miles 315° from Cape Finisterre, and DDs GALLANT, WALKER, VANOC, WOLVERINE, VERITY were ordered to join them. Steamer ROTHESAY CASTLE (UK 7016 grt) was attacked 300 miles WSW of Ushant. DDs ECHO and WANDERER were patrolling in the area and were joined by DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY which detached from OA.36G.

*Pacific/Far East*
CL DAUNTLESS departed Singapore on patrol, and arrived back on the 28th.


.


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## Wurger (Nov 19, 2014)

A ground plan of the Warsaw Ghetto published on the 15th October 1940 by the newspaper "Nowy Kurier Warszawski".


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## Njaco (Nov 20, 2014)

*20 November 1939 Monday
WESTERN FRONT: *Nine He 59 floatplanes of 3./KuFlGr 906 are sent to drop mines in the Thames Estuary. Only four of the planes reach the area as the others are forced to return because of poor navigation.

A German airplane is shot down by Dutch Air Patrol. German reconnaissance planes made a number of flights over France, including Normandy and Rhone Valley.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 8 "for the Conduct of the War". Code-words for the day prior to attack on the West will be Danzig (proceed) and Augsburg (delay). If Holland shows no resistance, the invasion is to take on the character of a peaceful occupation. Centres of population in Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg are not to be attacked without strategic military necessity. (http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/08.html )

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Occupied Czechoslovakia SS troops are reportedly in control of Prague.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The commander of U-33 Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky has a busy, if undistinguished, day. U-33 sinks 3 tiny unarmed British trawlers off Tory Island on the northwest coast of Northern Ireland. SS “_Thomas Hankins_” is sunk at 10:30 AM. The crew take to the lifeboat and is rescued by another trawler 10 hours later. They report being hit with 5 shells from U-33’s deck gun without warning. SS “_Delphine_” is sunk at 4 PM and the crew of 13 makes land the following day after the chief engineer blocks a hole in their lifeboat with his foot for 22 hours. SS “_Sea Sweeper_” is sunk at 5 PM and the crew is rescued by the trawler “_Lois_”. British Trawler ‘_Wigmore_’ was reported sunk.

Reported from Capetown that the German liner ‘_Windhuk_’ has slipped out of Lobito, Portuguese East Africa, refitted with full armament of a raider.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Navy Chief of Naval Operations ordered the Commandant of the US Marine Corps Fourteenth Naval District to plan a Marine garrison at Midway.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* While attempting to collect a magnetic mine which was drifting near the Thames estuary, the armed trawler HMS “_Mastiff T-10_” was destroyed when the mine unexpectedly exploded. The mine laid the night before by the German destroyers Z-21 “_Wilhelm Heidkamp_”, Z-19 “_Hermann Kahnne_” and Z-11 “_Bernd von Arnim_”, apparently broke free of it's mooring and was floating around aimlessly when the “_Mastiff_” happened along to pick it up. Six crewmen were killed, the survivors were picked up by Margate lifeboat and trawler HMS “_Cape Spartel_”

The Admiralty announced that German aircraft made an unsuccessful attack on a British destroyer in the North Sea. German aircraft, seen over Kent, Essex and the Thames estuary, were chased out to sea by British fighters. One, a Heinkel bomber, was later proved to have been shot down. No bombs were dropped. Enemy plane appeared over the Orkneys and was beaten off by anti-aircraft fire.

Twenty-two survivors of British steamer ‘_Arlington Court_’, torpedoed off the Irish Coast on November 16th, were landed.

Reported by London agents of Royal Netherlands Steamship Co. that the number of those lost in the ‘_Simon Bolivar_’ totaled 83.

Canteen for service men and women opened on Platform 8 at Newcastle Central Station.

.



.


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## Njaco (Nov 20, 2014)

*21 November 1939 Tuesday
UNITED KINGDOM: *Two Do 17Ps of 3(F)./122 were sent off from Groslar to perform a sortie over the Channel. One was shot down by some Hurricanes of 79 Sqdn RAF.

During the night came the first definite evidence that enemy mines were being laid from the air, when aircraft believed to be Heinkel He 115s operating from bases in the islands of Sylt and Borkum were seen to drop mines in the Humber and in the estuaries of the Stour and the Thames. Observers reported that the mines looked like sailors kit-bags suspended from a parachute. The shipping on all three rivers was held up until the secrets of the new German magnetic mine was revealed by Lieutenant Commander Ouvry and his team shortly afterwards. Degaussing gear was not long in following to counter the threat.

The Brand-new British cruiser “_Belfast_” strikes a magnetic mine in the Firth of Forth. The mine makes only a small hole in the hull but causes severe internal damage, injures 21 crew and keeps her out of action until 3 Nov 1942. The destroyer “_Gypsy_” is sunk by a magnetic mine. The Japanese passenger liner “_Terukuni Maru_” is struck by a German mine as well, in the Thames estuary. SS ‘_Geraldus_' (2,494t) steamer, (Tyne to Bruges) was sunk by a mine off the 'Sunk Lightvessel'.

Prime Minister Chamberlain announces that German merchant shipping will be seized in retaliation for indiscriminate mine warfare. All goods in Britain, earmarked for shipment to Germany, are confiscated.

German cargo steamer ‘_Rheingold_’ brought as a naval prize into a Scottish port.

*GERMANY:* German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” leave German ports. Battleships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” are the pride of the German fleet. They are the largest (32,000 tons, 235 m long, 30 m beam) and best armed (9 11-inch guns, 12 6-inch guns, 14 4-inch guns, 6 torpedo tubes, 3 Arado seaplanes) ships in the Kriegsmarine. “_Gneisenau_” was built at Kiel, Germany, launched on December 8, 1936 and commissioned on May 21, 1938. “_Scharnhorst_” was built at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, launched on 3 October 1936, and commissioned on 7 January 1939. After months of sea trials, they are finally ready to face the Royal Navy. They sail into the Iceland-Faroes passage on their first wartime sortie, with light cruisers “_Köln_” and “_Leipzig_”.

Lufthansa's Do 18F flying boat, upgraded with BMW 132N radial engines and redesignated Do 18L, took its first flight after the upgrade work. After two days of testing, it was found that the BMW engine suffered overheating problems.

Heinrich Himmler announced that the United Kingdom was responsible for the 8 Nov 1939 attempt on Adolf Hitler's life. Two British agents were kidnapped in the Netherlands several days prior, who were blamed for plotting the attack. The attack, however, was actually planned by the Germans as means to raise Hitler's standing within Germany.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In a treaty signed with Germany, Slovakia is given 225 square miles of former Polish territory (which Poland had progressively annexed from Czechoslovakia in 1920, 1924 and 1938 ).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-33’s captain has developed a taste for small fry. After sinking 3 fishing boats yesterday, he sinks 2 more. SS “_Sulby_” is sunk at 8:30 AM after a warning shot, 50 miles north of Ireland in heavy seas. A lifeboat with 7 survivors is rescued the following day but the captain and 4 men are lost. SS “_William Humphreys_” is sunk at 9:30 AM; 13 crew take to the lifeboat but they are never found.

After 18 days in the Indian Ocean, “_Graf Spee_” passes The Cape of Good Hope seeking better hunting back to the Atlantic.

At 12.50 PM, French trawler “_Les Barges II_” is sunk by U-41 in the Bay of Biscay. The crew escapes and are picked up by a Spanish trawler. U-41 stops 17 other trawlers; all are neutral Spanish vessels.

Finnish steamer ‘_Asta_’ seized by German warship near the Aaland Islands. This was the 16th Finnish ship detained by Germany.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Paris reported air engagements on Western Front. German reconnaissance plane brought down over French lines. Two fighters brought down in flames over enemy lines. Heinkel bomber pursued out to sea and brought down by British fighter.

.

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## parsifal (Nov 21, 2014)

*20 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Soviet Serie IX or M Class SS M-95, USN Benham Class DD STACK (405) 







Allied
RN Tug FABIA (No Image Available) RAN AMC KANIMBLA




_KANIMBLA in 1941_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 55 lost the convoy when it altered course. U 41 was still there however, and made beacon signals. It is odd that there is no news of sinkings yet after such a long pursuit. U 55 attacked and heard 2 explosions. It must be assumed that U 41 also attacked. No failures have been reported. Probably the boats have not been able to observe results after firing. Perhaps the enemy is purposely not making any losses known, as has happened before. If he has had losses however, he should by now have strengthened the escort and sent out a/c. The convoy is only 200 miles away from the French coast. As it is so near the coast it will not be possible to attack it for much longer. Boats taking part will have to have new operating areas. Nothing is known so far of U 43 and U 49. According to a French report, a German U-boat is said to have been sunk. Both boats have been ordered to report their positions and intentions. Later U 43 made a radio message. She was ahead of the convoy, but not yet in sight of it and was waiting for daylight to make an attack.



(These reports in fact relate to Convoy KS27, see below)

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-19 

Departures 
Kiel: U-48

At Sea 20 November
U-13, U-18, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-33, U-35 , U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53, U-57, U-60. 
19 boats at sea

*Baltic*
SS STURGEON fired four torpedoes at 1555 at two German ASW VorpostenBootes. One of them sank Vp.209 (trawler GAULEITER TELSHOW, 428grt) northwest of Helgoland in the Heligoland Bight, the first sinking of an enemy vessel by a British submarine in World War 2.







_VP209 on the left and HMS STURGEON, a unit of the Swordfish Class, designed as training Boats in the early 1930's with saddlebag style ballast tank system. Their internal arrangement were complicated and the disappearing gun mount added unnecessary top weight for little gain._

Norwegian Waters
CL GLASGOW and DDs ZULU and MAORI departed Rosyth in an attempt to intercept German liner BREMEN as she slipped down the Norwegian coast to Germany. ZULU, experiencing mechanical problems at the start, was delayed seven hours and joined the force at sea.

*Northern Patrol*
MV BERTHA FISSER (Ger 4110rt) was intercepted by AMC CHITRAL, SE of Iceland . She had departed Pernambuco on 24 October, in mid-Atlantic was intercepted and challenged by a British warship, but her disguise as Norwegian steamer ADA was successful and she was allowed to continue. This time, she scuttled herself and her 32 man crew was picked up by CHITRAL.





*Northern Waters*
DD BEDOUIN departed Rosyth for Scapa. DD KASHMIR departed Scapa to intercept a reported suspicious merchant ship near the Faroes. DD KANDAHAR departed Scapa to patrol off Shapinsay. U.18 attacked destroyer INGLEFIELD off Rattray Head without success at 0010. DDs IMOGEN, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE departed Rosyth and searched for U-boats in the Rattray Head area. 
DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO and MONTROSE were hunting in the northern waters area for a reported damaged U-boat. MV BENGUELA (534grt) reported sighting a submarine.

*North Sea*
ASW trawler MAN O WAR (517grt) reported a U-boat and attacked it. The ship was later joined by DD GRIFFIN and GIPSY 
DD BOADICEA, carrying out an ASW sweep in company with DD KEITH in the North Sea, was near missed in a LW bombing attack, but escaped damage. DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO and MONTROSE were ordered to carry out an ASW search and destroy. MSW HUSSAR, sweeping near Humber Light Vessel, exploded a mine in her sweep, and sustained some damage. German a/c (I believe He 59s of the german Naval Air Service) laid parachute mines in the Thames Estuary. Magnetic mines laid by a/c were ultimately to be thye undoing of the highly successful Mine warfare campaign off the English east coast. 

Rosyth
CL BELFAST with DDs GURKHA and AFRIDI departed Rosyth for gunnery exercises, and arrived back later that day. FS.40 departed the Tyne escorted by PCs VALOROUS and BITTERN. Included with the convoy were AO ATHELKING and SS STERLET, which was detached in the Tyne for refit, arriving on the 21st.

*UK-Francce*
SA.18 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort DD WINDSOR, and arrived at Brest on the 21st.

*Channel*
ML PLOVER laid mines in North Inchkeith Channel on the 20th, and on 14 and 16 December, laid more mines in South Inchkeith Channel. Netlayer BAYONET was lost in one of the South Inchkeith Channel fields. Fr Aux MSW SAINTE CLARE (57grt) was sunk on a mine laid by U.16, 10 miles SE of Folkestone on 22 October; eleven crewmen were lost. 

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

Sloops PELICAN and HASTINGS with FN.40 attacked U.19 off Cromer Light. DDs KEITH and BOADICEA joined them, but U.19, which had been laying mines in the Inner Dowsing area on the 17th, escaped.

*Caribbean*
RAN CL PERTH departed Kingston for Colon.

*Med -Biscay*
Fr convoy KS.27, en route from Oran and Casablanca to Brest and St Nazaire, escort Fr DDs SIROCCO, FRONDEUR and sloop CHEVREUIL, was attacked by U41, U.43 and U.49 off St Nazaire. ThE convoy had been sighted by U.53 on the 15th, but air support and the DDs were able to hold off the submarines leading to the CO of U.53 (or U.55) being relieved of command after this patrol for not pressing home the attack. U.49 attempted an attack on the afternoon of the 16th November, but without success. Fr Contre Torpilleur DD CHEVALIER PAUL was sent out to reinforce the escort. None of the U-boats were able to do any damage to KS.27, but U.41 and U.43 were each able to sink four independents or stragglers while en route to the convoy on other days. SIROCCO attacked U.49 on the 20th, and damaged her bow tubes in the depth charge attack. Fr DDs INDOMPTABLE, MALIN and TRIOMPHANT were also proceeding to the convoy.

*Western Approaches*
U-33 sank three trawlers with about five rounds from the deck gun each near Tory Island (NW of Derry). The Trawlers at the time were working the Fleetwood Fishing Banks. At 10.30 hours the THOMAS HANKINS (UK 276 grt) 14 miles northwest of Tory, at 16.00 hours the DELPHINE (UK 250 grt) 18 miles north-northeast of Tory and at 17.05 hours the SEA SWEEPER (UK 322 grt) 25 miles west-northwest of Tory. All 37 crew of the three trawlers were rescued 

The images of these ships shows that whilst they were armed, the Uboat gave them no chance to retaliate. There are conflicting accounts about the circumstances of these attacks. Some sources say the ships were attacked without warning, but the dedicated Trawler sites, which i think are more credible, state the crews were removed before sinking. This would be consistent with Dresky's (the UBoat skipper) earlier behaviour and the fact that there were no casualties also suggests they were removed before sinking. 











_from left to right: THOMAS HANKINS , DELPHINE , SEA SWEEPER _

*Sth Western Approaches*
OA.38 of 14 ships was escort DDs WREN and WITCH (until the 21st), and dispersed on the 23rd. OB.39 departed Liverpool escort DDs VERSATILE and WITHERINGTON until the 23rd, when they detached to join convoy SL.8.

*Pacific/Far East*
CL DANAE departed Colombo for Singapore, arriving on the 26th. CL CARADOC arrived at Esquimalt (near Vancouver) for extensive yard work which was 15 April 1940. RAN CAs CANBERRA and AUSTRALIA arrived at Melbourne after patrol.


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## parsifal (Nov 21, 2014)

*21 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN AMC Worcestershire 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 49 did not report until much later. She was damaged by D/C's, and her bow torpedo gear unserviceable. As she has only one stern torpedo left serviceable, she has been ordered to return. U 41's gyro is temporarily out of action due to D/C's. The attack on the convoy must be regarded as ended. The boats have been given a new operations area between 50 and 480 north, east of 120 west. The disposition originally planned cannot be carried out now as U 49 has to return home and the other boats have only a limited amount of fuel left. U 53 reported that she was starting on her return passage. U 31 and U 48 sailed, for the first time with anti-mine escort through the declared area. In connection with a large-scale operation by our own battleships U 35, U 47 and U 33 have been kept back in the area west of the Orkneys. According to a sighting report, not entirely reliable, from an a/c, the Home Fleet is supposed to be in Scapa.


Arrivals
Kiel: U-60

At Sea 21 November
U-13, U-18, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-33, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53, U-57. 
18 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU departed Wilhelmshaven at 1310 hours under the command of Vice Admiral Marschall to raid in the North Atlantic and relieve pressure on the DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE in the South Atlantic. They were accompanied by CL KÖLN, LEIPZIG and DDs ERICH GIESE, BERND VON ARNIM and KARL GALSTER until late on the 21st. The escorting ships then joined CS LÜTZOW (former DEUTSCHLAND) and TBs LEOPARD, SEEADLER, ILTIS for demonstration operations in the Skagerrak during the night of the 21st/22nd. However, heavy weather forced a cancellation of the Skagerrak operation and these ships returned to Wilhelmshaven.





_Scharnhorst in her 1939 livery_

]







_Koln and Leipzig_

*Northern Patrol*
Two cruisers between the Orkneys and the Faroes, three cruisers and one AMC between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and three AMCs in the Denmark Strait. AMC CALIFORNIA reported she had a slightly damaged bow due to ice. CLs DELHI, CALYPSO and CERES departed Loch Ewe on Northern Patrol duties. MV TENERIFE (Ger 2436 grt), which had departed Vigo on the 9th, scuttled herself when intercepted by AMC TRANSYLVANIA west of Iceland . The crew of 12 officers and 61 ratings were taken prisoner, aboard the British ship.





*Northern Waters*
DDs IMOGEN, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE were searching for the U-boat responsible for sinking trawler WIGMORE on the 18th off Rattray Head. DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA were searching for a submarine one mile 180° from Rame Head. DD WARWICK and patrol sloop GUILLEMOT were submarine hunting. MSWs SKIPJACK and LEDA were searching for a submarine one mile south of Cross Sands. 

*North Sea*
DD GIPSY (Lt Cdr N J Crossley) and the ORP BURZA departed Harwich to rescue a downed German aircrew, who were picked up and returned to Harwich. That evening, DDs GRIFFIN, KEITH, GIPSY, BOADICEA and ORP GROM departed Harwich for a sweep in the North Sea in operation GT.1. Leaving Harwich Harbour, the DDs ran into a minefield laid by U.19 on the 17th and GIPSY struck a mine and was badly damaged. She was run aground a total loss and KEITH and GRIFFIN picked up the survivors. One crewman died of injuries, 29 crewmen were missing, and Lt Cdr Crossley died of injuries on the 27th. Py/Lt J B Rigg RNVR, Py/Midshipman M A J Landon RNR and nineteen ratings were wounded, one seriously. Consideration was given to salvaging and repairing GIPSY, but she had been too badly damaged.(see entry for 17 Nov)

DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, JANUS and JERSEY departed Immingham and were on a patrol in the North Sea, designated operation BT.2. Following the patrol, JANUS joined convoy FS.40 and JAGUAR joined FN.40. JAGUAR was attacked by a German bomber, but was not damaged. ORP DD BLYSKAWICA investigated suspicious vessels southwest of Shipwash (in Suffolk).

Rosyth
BBs NELSON and RODNEY with DDs FURY, FAME, FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE and FORESIGHT arrived in the Clyde from Loch Ewe.

CLs SOUTHAMPTON and BELFAST with DD AFRIDI departed the Firth of Forth on gunnery exercises. At 1058 near May Island, BELFAST struck a mine laid by a U.21 on the 4th. Badly damaged and with a broken back, she was towed back to Rosyth by tug KROOMAN (230grt). Tug BRAMHAM soon joined and later, tugs GRANGEBOURNE, BULGER and OXCAR also met BELFAST. Twenty one crew were wounded, with one rating dying of wounds on the 30th. DDs GURKHA and ICARUS put out from Rosyth to search off Fiora for the submarine thought responsible. They were joined by escort vessel WHITLEY and sloop STORK and later by DDs ISIS and BEDOUIN. DDs IMOGEN, IMPULSIVE and IMPERIAL were also recalled from patrol off Rattray Head to assist in the search, refuelling at Invergordon on the 22nd en route. Escort vessel VIVIEN remained in company with BELFAST after she passed through the gate. After temporary repairs, BELFAST left Rosyth on 28 June 1940 for Devonport, arrived there on 3 July and was repairing until 3 November 1942 – almost three years later. 




_BELFAST'S profile in 1942_

Southend - Methil
FN.40 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON, and sloops PELICAN and HASTINGS. DD JAGUAR provided support on the 22nd, while WOOLSTON detached when the convoy was abreast the Tyne to join the escort of FS.41. FN.40 arrived at Methil on the 23rd. FS.40 departed the Tyne, escorted by escort ship VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN. Destroyer JANUS provided support on the 22nd, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 23rd.

*Channel*
DD WIVERN was relieved on patrol by DD BRILLIANT. Then on the 21st, WIVERN was ordered to make runs at high speed along the line from the wreck of the Dutch steamer SIMON BOLIVAR and that of British steamer BLACKHILL to detonate any magnetic mines. ASW trawlers WELLARD and LADY ELSA took off non-essential crewmen and stood by should WIVERN be mined in the attempt. Four runs were made, but no mines detonated. This was repeated on the 23rd with similar results, and after one run, a leak developed in the stern gland and she returned to Chatham. ASW trawlers BEDFORDSHIRE (443grt), WARWICK DEEPING (445grt) and CAMBRIDGESHIRE (443grt) attacked a submarine contact three miles from Bull Point.

*Nth Atlantic*
CL EMERALD arrived at Halifax with another shipment of gold bullion from England, ecort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and ST LAURENT, 

*Western Approaches*
U.33 sank trawlers SCULBY (or SULBY) (287grt) and WILLIAM HUMPHRIES (276grt) 73 miles NW of Rathlin Island. Five crewmen were lost from SCULBY, and the seven survivors landed at Tobermory.







_ WILLIAM HUMPHRIES (left) and SULBY_

DDs PUNJABI, ASHANTI, SOMALI and MASHONA departed Greenock for Belfast to escort the fleet tenders A (dummy battleship REVENGE - decoy ship PAKEHA) and B (dummy battleship RESOLUTION - decoy ship WAIMANA) to Rosyth to help divert the Luftwaffe's attention away from Scapa. The group was designated Force W and included fleet tender C as dummy aircraft carrier HERMES – decoy ship MAMARI. DDs SOMALI, ASHANTI and MASHONA departed Belfast to search for a submarine 70 miles NW of Rathlin. They were joined by sister ship PUNJABI.

*Med -Biscay*
U.41 sank MV LES BARGES II (Fr 296 grt) ; survivors were picked up by Spanish fishing vessel PAZ Y TRABAJO, and landed at Pasajes.

[IMAGE NOT FOUND]

Fr BC STRASBOURG and CA ALGÉRIE of Force Y departed Dakar, escort DD LE FANTASQUE and LE TERRIBLE. They were joined by DDs GUÉPARD, VALMY and VERDUN of the DesDiv 3, which had departed Toulon on the 17th. The DDs, ContreTorpilleur DD LION and DD LA RAILLEUSE, departing Casablanca on the 23rd, joined them on the 24th and later arrived at Brest on the 30th. Later on the 24th, CA ALGÉRIE, DDs LE FANTASQUE, LE TERRIBLE, LION and LA RAILLEUSE separated from the group and arrived at Toulon on the 26th. LE FANTASQUE and LE TERRIBLE reached Brest on the 30th. West of Spain on the 25th, STRASBOURG was joined by DDs LE MALIN and LE TRIOMPHANT of DesDiv 8 which had departed Brest on the 23rd. DDoyer L’INDOMPTABLE departed with her two sister ships, but was delayed by a storm on the 24th, then reassigned. GUÉPARD, VERDUN, VALMY, LE MALIN, and LE TRIOMPHANT escorted the BCr, and on the 27th, there was an aerial mining alert. Still escorted by the five DDs, she arrived at Brest on the 29th for refitting.

DD L’AUDACIEUX departed Dakar with turbine defects on the 22nd escorting a convoy of steamers JAMAIQUE, LIPARI, and BELLE ISLE for Casablanca, and arriving on the 27th. She left there on the 30th, arrived at Oran on 1 December and Toulon on the 4th for repairs.

To relieve Force Y, Force X was formed with CAs FOCH and DUPLEIX. A number of ships joined CA DUPLEIX at Casablanca. Contre Torpilleur DD MILAN departed Bizerte on the 2nd and arrived on the 6th. Contre Torpilleur DD CASSARD departed Toulon on the 3rd escorting submarines LE HÉROS, LE CONQUÉRANT, ACHÉRON and arrived on the 7th. Finally CA FOCH and DD LION departed Oran on the 7th to reach Casablanca on the 8th.


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## Njaco (Nov 21, 2014)

*22 November 1939 Wednesday
WESTERN FRONT:* A Bf 109E of I./JG 76 becomes the second Messerschmitt fighter to fall into Allied hands intact when it lands by mistake at Strasbourg-Woerth airfield in France because of fog. The pilot, Fw. Karl Hier, is captured. Bf 109E “White 1” W.Nr. 1304 is later shipped to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, United States as AE479 where it is destroyed on November 3, 1942 after numerous tests.

Oblt. Hermann-Friedrich Jöppien of I./JG 51 shoots down a Morane-Saulnier MS 406 for his first victory. But he is forced to crash land when his Bf 109 is badly damaged in the combat. He survives the landing.

The “Richthofen” Geschwader, JG 2, fly its first mission since the end of World War I, a border protection patrol with two recon Dorniers south of Saarbrücken. Intercepted by French fighters, Lt. Helmut Wick and Ofw. Erwin Kley of 3./JG 2, each destroy a Hawk 75 of GC II / 4, the first for each pilot. Lt. Wick describes his first kill to the Luftwaffe magazine, 'Der Adler',


> " . . . As the French did not cross the German border very often, my wingman and I decided for once to visit them. A tailwind from the east helped us on our way. Near Nancy I suddenly saw a gaggle of aircraft at an altitude of some 6000 metres. Realizing immediately that they were not German, we began to circle. Two aircraft detached themselves from the bunch above and swooped down on us. Now I could recognize them - Curtiss fighters.
> We dived away and, just as we had anticipated, the two Frenchmen dived after us. I went into a climbing turn with one of the Frenchmen right on my tail. I can still clearly remember how I could see his red, white and blue roundels when I looked behind me. At first, the sight of them was rather exciting, particularly as the Frenchman was firing away with everything he had. But then the realization that somebody is behind you and shooting at you is very unpleasant.
> I pushed the nose down again and, with my superior speed, quickly lost him. When my Frenchman was no longer to be seen, I looked up to my left to find the others. Not a thing in sight. I glanced up to my right and could hardly believe my eyes. I was staring straight at four radial engines all spouting little red flames. A ridiculous thought flashed through my mind - 'are they really allowed to shoot at me like that?'
> But then I was all concentration. Should I try to get away again? No! Now's the time to tackle them. One has got to go down. Clenching my teeth, I hauled the stick and rudder to the right and turned into them.
> ...


It is the first of many victories for Lt. Wick.

Later Dr. Eric Mix, of Stab III./JG 53 engages French fighters near Saarbrücken and shoots down two Moranes to bring his score to three kills.

Over Quackenbrück-am-Rhein, a He 111 of the Stabstaffel of KG 4 is bounced by two Hawk 75 fighters from the French GC I / 4. Caught in the dogfight the Heinkel is shot down and crashes near Torhout with only the pilot surviving.

The French government announces reprisals, similar to those announced by the British government, concerning the German use of mines.

Paris announced that two U-boats had been sunk by a French torpedo-boat.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Between 8 and 9 PM, a low-flying Heinkel He111 is seen dropping magnetic mines by parachute in the Thames Estuary at Shoeburyness. A German magnetic mine lands in mud off Shoeburyness, England. It is recovered, stripped, and evaluated by a team from HMS “_Vernon_", revealing the secret of its magnetic polarity. The underwater mine is activated when subjected to a magnetic field of 50 milligauss. British ships can now install degaussing systems to make them invisible to the mines. These mines have caused the loss of 50,000 tons of shipping since October 16 and countermeasures are crucial.

Italian steamer ‘_Fianona_’ struck by mine during Tuesday night off SE Coast of England, but did not sink.

A national savings scheme is launched under the slogan "Lend to Defend the Right to be Free."

Navicerts, warrants first issued in 1915 to neutral ships carrying cargos not harmful to the Allies, are reintroduced.

The Admiralty announced that German freighter ‘_Bertha Fisser_’ which had been masquerading as ‘_Emden I_’ was also known as “_Norwegian Iceland_”. Her crew tried to scuttle her, the ship ran on the rocks, and her crew were picked up by the intercepting warship.

Six Germans aircraft made a bombing attack on the Shetlands. An RAF seaplane lying in its moorings was set on fire. No British casualties.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* In the Bay of Biscay, U-43 torpedoes French merchant ship SS “_Arijon_”, en route from Antwerp for Buenos Aires (cargo of steel bars).

.



.


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## parsifal (Nov 22, 2014)

*22 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
none

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts










UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 38 lay off Westfjord for a few days. The weather was very bad and the boat observed no traffic. In accordance with orders she reported that she was proceeding north.


 
At Sea 21 November
U-13, U-18, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-33, U-35 , U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53, U-57. 
18 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol*
MV ANTIOCHA (Ger 3106 grt ) Intercepted by AMC LAURENTIC and scuttled by own crew. The cargo ship had departed Ponta Delgada on the 12th. First sighted south of Iceland and soon thereafter intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean south of Iceland. 





*Northern Waters*
DDs IMOGEN, IMPULSIVE and IMPERIAL arrived at Invergordon to refuel after their ASW patrols off Rattray Head. DDs KASHMIR and KANDAHAR arrived at Scapa. Two flights of LW a/c attacked Sullom Voe and seaplane depot ship MANELA, but were driven off by fire from CLA COVENTRY. However a London flying boat was destroyed, there was no other damage. Incendiary bombs were also dropped over Lerwick Harbour with no result.

*North Sea*
MV NICOLAOS PIANGOS (Gk 4499 grt) was sunk in a collision with Norwegian steamer BRARENA (6996grt).





U.20 laid mines during the night of the 21st/22nd near Newarp Light Ship, east of Yarmouth, on which two merchant ships were lost.

Southend - Methil
OA.39 of four ships departed Southend escort DD ARDENT from the 22nd to 24th.

*Channel*
MV ELENA. R (Gk 4,576 grt) Enroute from Roario (Argentina) to Antwerp, full cargo of grain embarked. 24 crew struck a mine laid on 10 September by U-26 and sank two miles south of Shambles Light Vessel (near Southampton). The survivors reached the Light Vessel on their own.




Aux MSW trawler ARAGONITE (UK 315 grt), was mined and sunk near South Brade Buoy off Deal (near Dover), ; four men were wounded in the explosion.




DDs WIVERN and ORP GROM and BLYSKAWICA departed the Nore for Kentish Knock to search for for moored mines. DD MASHONA was searching for a submarine located by D/F. Former destroyer leader BRUCE, of the Scott class which had been paid off and disarmed prior to the war, was sunk as an aircraft torpedo target south of the Isle of Wight.

*UK West Coast*
DD FOXHOUND left Greenock during a submarine alert and shortly after ran aground, suffering minor hull damage. She was able to get off under her own control, but was re-docked at Greenock until 11 December. OB.39 departed Liverpool escort DDs VOLUNTEER and WARWICK until the 25th.

*Western Approaches*
Sloop PC.74 and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE with two ASW trawlers undertook ASW sweeps off northern Ireland in the general area where THOMAS HANKINS , DELPHINE , SEA SWEEPER had been lost. 

*SW Approaches*
DD MONTROSE dropped DCs west of Breat

*Med -Biscay*
MV ARIJON (Fr 4374 grt) Outbound Enroute from Antwerp to Buenos Aires, full cargo of steel bars, sheets, section hoops and paper 41 crew embarked. The ship was in convoy 14-BS and was hit forward of amidships by one torpedo from U-43 and sank within a few minutes in the Bay of Biscay. 14 crew members and two gunners were lost. The survivors were rescued by the French armed trawler Cap Nord.




HG.8, departed Port Said on the 11th, left Gib on the 22nd, escort DDs KEPPEL, VIDETTE and the Fr TIGRE and PANTHÈRE from the 22nd. The French ships arrived at Brest on the 29th. Cable ship MIRROR departed with the convoy and escorted by VIDETTE carried out cable repairs to the SW of Gib. These ships arrived back at Gib on the 26th. The convoy reached Liverpool on the 30th. Fr DDs L’INDOMPTABLE, LE MALIN and LE TRIOMPHANT carried ASW Sweeps in the Biscay area.

*Sth Atlantic*
CLs AJAX RNZN ACHILLES searched for German merchant ships off Cape San Antonio. Both refuelled from tanker OLYNTHUS at San Boroborn Bay on the 23rd and then set off northwards. CA EXETER departed Rio de Janiero for the Rio de la Plata, then left the area on the 26th for the Falklands, arriving on the 30th. Liner ADOLPH WOERMANN (Ger 8577 grt) departed Lobito (a port in Portuguese Angola) on the 16th, and Forces H and K were dispatched to hunt her down. MV WAIMARAMA (UK 12,843 grt) reported sighting a suspicious merchant ship at 0842/21st and CL NEPTUNE of Force K was detached to investigate. On her approach, ADOLPH WOERMANN scuttled herself off Ascension Island and NEPTUNE picked up the crew. DDs HARDY, HASTY, HERO and HOSTILE, also of Force K accompanied NEPTUNE to Freetown for refuelling, arriving on the 25th. The German crew was taken to England by AMC CARNAVON CASTLE attached to SLF.10.
SS Adolph Woermann - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





*Caribbean*
DD HOTSPUR cleared Kingston with orders to intercept MV ARAUCA (Ger 4354 grt), reported leaving Vera Cruz.

*Indian Ocean*
DD DARING departed Aden on the 10th and arrived at Suez after operations in the East Indies which started on 13 October. DARING departed Port Said on the 23rd and proceeded to Malta where she arrived on the 25th for refitting. Her Indian Ocean duties were taken over by her sister After being relieved by DD DELIGHT

*Far East/Pacific*
CL BIRMINGHAM departed Hong Kong on the 22nd after submarine RAINBOW reported a darkened ship leaving Kobe. No contact with the ship was made and BIRMINGHAM returned to Hong Kong some days later.


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## Wurger (Nov 22, 2014)

On the 22nd November 1939 , in the Vickers-Armstrong Ltd shipyard at Newcastle-on-Tyne, U.K there was laid down the keel for the Type II HUNT-Class Escort Destroyer ORP Kujawiak ( ex-HMS OAKLEY ).

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## Wurger (Nov 22, 2014)

The 22nd November 1939 in Angers, France , the French guard of honour salutes before Prime Minister Sikorski.


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## parsifal (Nov 23, 2014)

*23 November (Part I of II)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-30 S Boote





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 43 made contact with a convoy 60 miles north of Cape Ortegal. Unfortunately there are no other boats in the vicinity. U 26 is the nearest, approximately in the latitude of Porto. As she has been in her operational area for a very long time, she presumably has only little fuel remaining. Cooperation must be attempted however. Unfortunately U 26 has only AFB on board, and shadower's reports will therefore have to be made with this clumsy and slow cypher system. By evening U 43 was driven off and contact lost.


Arrivals 
Kiel U-18, U-57 

At Sea 23 November
U-13, U-20, U-22, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-33, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53.
16 boats at sea

*Northern Patrol*
MV BORKUM (Ger 3,670 grt) sunk by U-33 (refer 18 November)

Denmark Strait - CAs NORFOLK, SUFFOLK and AMCs CALIFORNIA, TRANSYLVANIA and AURANIA; Iceland-Faroes Channel - CLs NEWCASTLE, DELHI, CERES, CALYPSO and AMC RAWALPINDI (AMC CHITRAL departed the Clyde on the 14th for this station, but was now returning with the crew from German steamer BERTHA FISSER). Meanwhile DELHI was pursuing German steamer LUDOLF OLDENDORFF (1953grt) but was unable to stop her. She was stopped the next day by CL SHEFFIELD, but disguised as a Danish steamer, was allowed to continue; south of the Faroes - CLs CALEDON, CARDIFF and COLOMBO.

DKM BC SCHARNHORST sighted AMC RAWALPINDI southeast of Iceland at 1507. The AMC tried to outrun SCHARNHORST and at 1551 radioed that an enemy battlecruiser had been sighted, adding a few minutes later that the warship was CS DEUTSCHLAND which was still believed to be at sea.

The skipper of the RAWALPINDI was 60 year Cpt Kennedy. After identifying the second ship as the BC Gneisenau, he was heard to say "We’ll fight them both, they’ll sink us and that will be that. Good-bye!" With that statement the fate of the Rawalpindi was sealed. It was a sentiment to be repeated often by the RN in the coming months. On the foretop of the Scharnhorst Captain Kurt Cäsar Hoffmann ordered a third signal to be flashed to the Rawalpindi. This time Scharnhorst flashed the signal to "Abandon your ship". Hoffmann was stunned when this signal was also ignored. He thought the Captain of the Rawalpindi to be mad. Surely he (Kennedy) could not believe that Rawalpindi's eight World War 1 era six inch guns were in any way a match for the eighteen modern eleven inch guns of the two German ships. Hoffmann would get his answer after the signal to abandon your ship was sent twice more. With no response from the Rawalpindi, Hoffmann had no alternative but to order the sinking of the ship. As Hoffmann prepared to give the order to open fire, Captain Kennedy's answer to Hoffmann's earlier signals came in the form of a salvo of six inch shells that rained down on the Gneisenau. A second salvo was directed at Scharnhorst. At 15:45 the Scharnhorst opened fire on the Rawalpindi. The first salvo hit the Rawalpindi on the boat deck, just under the bridge, killing almost everyone on the bridge and destroying the radio room. However Kennedy miraculously survived. The second salvo from Scharnhorst destroyed the main gun control station and knocked out one of her starboard guns. The third salvo found the engine room, this knocked out the dynamos that provided the electric power to the ship’s systems. With the shell hoists unable to operate Kennedy ordered Chief Petty Officer Humphries to alert the seven remaining gun commanders to continue to fire independently because the main fire control system was out of action. Humphries was to also enlist all available hands to carry the six inch shells from the magazine to the turrets. There was no thought of surrender or abandoning the ship whilst she could still resist. 

The shells from the German's kept coming. One by one the guns on the Rawalpindi were knocked out of action. Below deck's the power was out and on deck things were dreadful. Rawalpindi was burning from stem to stern, live shells and cordite sticks rolled freely on deck next to burning debris. Cpt Kennedy and two men now went to the after part of the ship to lay a smoke-screen. Soon after this one of the men reported to Chief Petty Officer Humphries that the Captain was dead. The Rawalpindi was also dead in the water. Fire everywhere, fire suppression systems had failed and the ships steering gear was jammed, it was now time to abandon ship. One lifeboat with forty wounded men was lowered, but it overturned pouring the men into the freezing water. Other boats were being lowered...according to German reports, Scharnhorst's guns now found the forward magazine. The Rawalpindi exploded, broke in two and went down very quickly. Those in the lifeboats were swamped when Scharnhorst swung hard about to avoid the sinking ship. However, the Scharnhorst returned rapidly to rescue survivors. The crew of the Scharnhorst recovered 38 survivors from the Rawalpindi, but sadly 238 were killed in the action. CL NEWCASTLE on Northern Patrol next to RAWALPINDI picked up the SOS and steamed to her position. NEWCASTLE actually sighted GNEISENAU at six and a half miles, but both German ships escaped unharmed in the worsening weather. According to the RN after action report RAWALPINDI was still afloat at that stage, although afire when NEWCASTLE and CL DELHI located her. She finally sank around 2000. Lost with her were approximately 280 officers and men which again differs from the German sources. AMC CHITRAL, returning to the Clyde, picked up eleven more survivors from a lifeboat 36 hours later.

The Home Flt were finally presented with an oppotunity to destroy the german battle sqn, but they had to have been dissapointed by the outcome. Admiral Forbes with BBs NELSON, RODNEY, CA DEVONSHIRE and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE and FURY of Desflot 8 put to sea from the Clyde for a position off the Norwegian coast to intercept the German ships, still believing the attacker to be CS DEUTSCHLAND returning to Germany. DDs FAME and FORESIGHT joined the force at sea, off the Clyde. Heavy seas badly battered FORTUNE, FAME and FORESIGHT, and FORTUNE was detached to Pentland Firth Patrol, arrived at Scapa the 28th and was later taken to Liverpool for repairs, completed on 5 January. FAME and FORESIGHT returned to the Clyde arriving on the 24th and were under repair there until 28 December. CLs SOUTHAMPTON, EDINBURGH and AURORA with (the larger) Tribal DDs AFRIDI, GURKHA, BEDOUIN, as well as ISIS and KINGSTON departed Rosyth for Fair Island Channel.

South of the Faroes on Northern Patrol were CLs CALEDON of CruSqn 7, and CARDIFF and COLOMBO of CruSqn 11, later joined by Dundein. They were joined by Cls DIOMEDE (CruSqn 7). All took station off North Rona to patrol the approaches to the Fair Island Channel. However, DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN had just arrived in Loch Ewe from patrol and both soon had to detach for refuelling. CLs CALYPSO and CERES were stationed five miles due north of Kelso Light to act as a night attack striking force. CL DRAGON (CruSqn 7) had just arrived at Loch Ewe on the 19th to repair weather damage and boiler clean, and did not depart until the 24th. CL SHEFFIELD departed Loch Ewe and proceeded towards the reported position of the German battleships. CAs NORFOLK and SUFFOLK in the Denmark Strait were ordered to proceed towards Bill Bailey Bank. CL GLASGOW and DDs MAORI and ZULU, at sea since the 20th, looking for German liner BREMEN, were to the northeast of the Shetlands. Convoy ON.3 departed the Firth of Forth at 1530, but was recalled, and its escorts, DDs INGLEFIELD, IMPERIAL, IMPULSIVE and IMOGEN joined the GLASGOW force off Muckle Flugga. DD BEDOUIN of the SOUTHAMPTON force was detached to patrol Pentland Firth until relieved by DD FORTUNE.




The concentration of Home flt assets continued. DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, ASHANTI and PUNJABI, recently departed Belfast with Force W, the dummy battleships, were ordered to join Forbes at sea off the Mull of Kintyre. Force W returned to Belfast. DDs TARTAR, KANDAHAR and KASHMIR sortied from Scapa with orders to locate and shadow the German force. AMC CHITRAL arrived in the Clyde on the 24th with survivors from the RAWALPINDI. AMCs TRANSYLVANIA, CALIFORNIA, AURANIA rendezvoused at the Butt of Lewis and returned to the Clyde. They arrived at Loch Ewe on the 24th. CALIFORNIA then reached the Clyde on the 27th and the other two on the 28th. BB WARSPITE escorting HX.9, was ordered to leave the convoy and take blocking positions in the Denmark Strait. CVL FURIOUS and BC REPULSE departed Halifax on the 24th to cover HXF.10 and HX.10, but when REPULSE sustained damage to her Y turret in heavy weather, both ships returned to Halifax.


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## Njaco (Nov 23, 2014)

*23 November 1939 Thursday
WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53 scores his third victory of the war, a French Morane.

The fighters of JG 51 get their first taste of Western pilots when a flight from I./JG 51 become engaged with French fighters near Zweibrücken. Shortly after 1500 hours, fighters from the Geschwader shoot down three French Moranes. Victory credits go to Lt. Friedrich Eberle and Lt. Hermann-Friedrich Joppien of 1./JG 51 for their first kills while a Morane is credited to Lt. Georg Claus of Stab III./JG 51 for his first kill. One of the Messerschmitts is so badly damaged that it crash lands back at base.

A French Morane shot down by Lt. Werner Methfessel of Stab V(Zerst)./LG 1 near Verdun is later denied to the pilot.

The Polish government-in-exile is established at Angers, in the west.

Multiple sorties were operated by the Aufkl. Gr. 122 on this day. A Do 17P of 4(F)./122 was chased in the vicinity of Commercy by Hurricanes of 1 Sqdn AASF. The Hurricanes made contact and the Dornier was shot down. A 2(F)./122 He 111 was returning from a mission to the Lille-Arras-Valenciennes area when it was intercepted by more 1 Sqdn Hurricanes. The Heinkel was eventually shot down in the Saarbrücken area. A 4(F)./122 Do 17P operating over the Verdun-Metz area was attacked by even more 1 Sqdn Hurricanes. Finally, 5(F)./122 - now based at Köln-Wahn - lost a Do 17P to Moranes of GC III/6 at Bras-sur-Meuse.

The battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” attempted to break out into the North Atlantic, in support of which eight He 111s of FAG 122 flew reconnaissance over the British Fleet bases in the Clyde, Moray Firth, Shetlands and at Rosyth and Scapa Flow. One 1(F)/122 aircraft was intercepted by aircraft of 85 Sqdn RAF over the eastern end of the English Channel as it headed south, this caused the Heinkel some damage before it escaped into cloud with a wounded air gunner; the aircraft had suffered 40% damage. In addition another 1(F)./122 He 111H was damaged on landing at Fp.Uetersen. Later in the evening, British armed merchant cruiser “_Rawalpindi_” (armed with only four 6 inch guns) sights the “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” between the Faeroe Islands and Iceland. They battle, and the “_Scharnhorst_” sinks the “_Rawalpindi_”, killing 238 crew. The Germans rescue 37 survivors and HMS “_Chitral_” saves 11. As “_Rawalpindi_” radioed their position, “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” terminate their raiding mission. They evade searches by many British ships during the next few days and return to base safely. Their escape is aided by the German ability to read many of the British naval codes.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In the early morning hours, two Royal Engineers officers, mine experts, succeed in defusing a German magnetic mine stranded in the Shoeburyness mud flat and manage to recover it for study. Between 1 - 3.30 PM, LtCmdr Ouvry and CPO Charles Baldwin defuse and recover the 7 ft long German magnetic mine (660 lbs of explosive) using specially-designed non-magnetic brass tools. It can therefore be examined to devise countermeasures. These mines have been in use since October 16th and already they have been responsible for the loss of 50,000 tons of shipping. Churchill hosts a party at the Admiralty. Ouvry, Lewis and Baldwin will receive medals from King George VI; the first Royal Naval decorations of the war. Meanwhile, bacon and butter are rationed..

Six vessels were reported sunk by mine or U-boat action around British coasts; British steamers ‘_Geraldus_’, ‘_Lowland_’, ‘_Darino_’, and trawler ‘_Sulby_’; Greek steamers ‘_Elena R_’; French trawler ‘_Saint Claire_’. Admiralty announced that HM minesweeper ‘_Argonite_’ had been sunk by a mine.

*GERMANY*: In a speech before his senior generals, summoned to the Reich Chancellery, Hitler says that he has led the German people to great heights, while they have only shown a lack of faith.


> "I am irreplaceable," a frustrated Hitler states. "I shall attack France and England at the earliest moment. My decision is unchangeable."



Food rationing for pets is announced.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Dr. Frank, governor of the Government General in Nazi occupied Poland, orders all Jews over the age of ten to wear armbands marked with the Star of David. Within a year, the Star of David is introduced in all of the countries under German control except Denmark.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-33 torpedoes German merchant ship “_Borkum_” (captured by HMS “_California_”, Nov 18 ), killing 4 German sailors but none of the British prize crew. U-33’s commander von Dresky finds no glory on this sortie; in addition to “_Borkum_”, he has sunk only 5 tiny trawlers, picking up no survivors.


.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 23, 2014)

*23 November (Part II of II)*
Northern Patrol (Cont'd)
BC HOOD with DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO and ECLIPSE departed Plymouth on the 25th and rendezvoused with Fr BC DUNKERQUE, CLs MONTCALM, GEORGES LEYGUES and Contre Torpilleur DDs MOGADOR and VOLTA which departed Brest on the 25th to relieve CVL FURIOUS and BC REPULSE on the Halifax station. After receiving news of the DKM operation, this force swept for the German battleships through to the end of November. At sea, EXMOUTH, ECHO and ECLIPSE were detached and returned to the Clyde on the 29th, while MOGADOR and VOLTA arrived at Belfast for fuelling, also on the 29th. After refuelling at Sullom Voe on the 28th, DD SOMALI, PUNJABI and MASHONA joined HOOD, and arrived at Loch Ewe late on 2 December. 

Subs in the North Sea failed to make contact with the German force. THISTLE was on patrol off the Skaw, TRIAD off Lindesnes, STURGEON off Horn Reef, and L.23 southwest of Lister Light. UNDINE and STARFISH departed Blyth, and TRIUMPH and TRIDENT from Rosyth, all on the 23rd to reinforce the hastily re-aligned Patrol Line. In all the confusion searching for the German warships, MV ENTRERIOS (Ger 5179 grt), was able to pass through the Denmark Strait unobserved, and arrived safely at Narvik on the 29th. 

The DKM BCs had been foiled in their attempt to break into the Nth Atlantic, and in the coming days, dissatisfaction with Fleet Commander Marschalls operational control was to be manifested in oblique criticisms by Gross Admiral Raeder in particular. 

*North Sea/Baltic*
MV GERRIT FRITZEN (Ger 4128 grt) was lost by grounding near Borkum. 





Southend - Methil
FS.41 departed Methil, escort sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON joined off the Tyne by DD WOOLSTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th. 

*Med/Biscay*
Sloop WELLINGTON arrived at Port Said from the Indian Ocean, en route to England, departing next day for Malta. Sloop LEITH arrived at Port Said on the 24th and left on the 25th for Malta. Both ships were on station in New Zealand at the start of the war. 

*UK West Coast*
BC.16S of steamer BARON KINNAIRD departed Bristol Channel escort DDs MONTROSE and VESPER, and arrived in the Loire on the 24th. 

*Hunter Killer Groups status 23 November*
Force F - CA YORK at Bermuda preparing to sail for Halifax. YORK had sustained damage to her A-turret in heavy weather and had been under repair at Bermuda since early November. CA BERWICK had been detached on the 7th and arrived at Portsmouth for docking on the 14th prior to joining the Home Fleet. DDs HUNTER, HYPERION, HOTSPUR and HEREWARD were attached to this force as convoy escorts. The four DDs were respectively at Bermuda with defects to complete repair on the 29th, at Halifax, at Kingston, and at Trinidad on this date. 
Force G - CAs EXETER and CUMBERLAND were along the east coast of South America, with CL AJAX off Montevideo and the RNZN CL ACHILLES off Rio de Janiero. 
Force H - CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE were stationed along the west and south coast of Africa. 
Force I - CVL EAGLE and CA CORNWALL were at Colombo, CA DORSETSHIRE was at sea in the Ceylon area, and RAN CL HOBART was south of the Arabian Sea. CL GLOUCESTER and Fr sloop RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY, due to be joined by RAN DD STUART from Colombo on the 25th, were north of Madagascar sweeping towards the Seychelles Islands. In addition, RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN were operating as convoy escorts, and submarine OLYMPUS was in the Maldives and Chagos Archipelago area. 
Force J - BB MALAYA and CVL GLORIOUS with attendant DD BULLDOG departed Aden on the 10th and were at sea in the area. BB RAMILLIES and DD DELIGHT departed Aden on the 16th and were at sea off Aden near Socotra. 
Force K - CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN were en route to Madagascar. 
Force L - CVL FURIOUS and BC REPULSE were refuelling at Halifax. 
Force M - CA KENT, Fr CA SUFFREN, and RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VOYAGER were escorting convoys off Sumatra in the Nicobar Islands area. 
Force X - CVL HERMES and Fr CAs FOCH and DUPLEIX were patrolling between Pernambuco and Freetown. 
Force Y - Relieved by Force X and en route to France. 

*Med -Biscay*
Sloop WELLINGTON arrived at Port Said from the Indian Ocean, en route to England, departing next day for Malta. Sloop LEITH arrived at Port Said on the 24th and left on the 25th for Malta. Both ships were on station in New Zealand at the start of the war.

*Indian Ocean*
CA KENT arrived at Nancowrie in the Andaman Is.

*Australia Station*
CL SYDNEY arrived at Geraldtown.


----------



## Njaco (Nov 23, 2014)

*24 November 1939 Friday
ASIA: *Japanese 5th Division captured Nanning, Guangxi Province, China, despite fierce resistance by some 100,000 Chinese Nationalist troops. Loss of the city represents a setback for the Chinese winter offensive and the first Japanese victory since forces advanced west into Kwangsi province in a bid to break Chinese links with Indochina.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Finnish Prime Minister Aimo Cajander has refused to believe that USSR would attack Finland, relying instead on existing treaties, diplomacy and Finnish neutrality. In a speech to the nation, he makes an about face. He reviews Soviet actions in Poland and the Baltic nations, then again rebuffs Soviet demands for bases. He warns that each Finn “has his own guard post” and “must learn to plow carrying rifles”. Commander-in-Chief Field Marshall Mannerheim spreads the woefully under strength Finnish Army of 200,000 across the Karelian Isthmus (40 miles). The Soviets, however, prepare to cross the entire Finish border and deploys 800,000 men from the Gulf of Finland to the Arctic Circle. Red Army supplements the supply of troops by sending press gangs out in St. Petersburg. One middle-aged man with no military training is ‘recruited” while out shopping for shoes for his wife. He still has her shoes in his kitbag when he is captured by the Finns weeks later.

Gestapo executed 120 Czech students accused of participating in an anti-Nazi conspiracy. Total of dead in Bohemia and Moravia following suppression of Czecho-Slovak demonstrations is said to be 1,700.

*GERMANY:* The government takes in trust the property and financial interests of Fritz Thyssen -- the iron and steel magnate and a key supporter of Hitler in earlier years -- who fled to Switzerland in September 1939.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The government of Belgium addresses a note to the British government concerning British reprisals against German mine-laying.

On the Yorkshire coast, over 200 drifting mines wash ashore.

The British Steamer SS ‘_Mangalore_' (8,886t cargo ship), at anchor in the Hawke Roads, Spurn, was struck by a drifting mine and broke in two.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Five survivors of the Dutch tanker “_Sliedrecht_” sunk by a U-boat, are picked up after 7 days in an open boat.

German liner ‘_Watussi_’ thought to be a supply ship for the raider in East African waters, left Mozambique on Thursday night.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Paris announced that a small French submarine chaser had sunk a U-boat.

It was revealed that two British subjects Mr Best and Major Stevens, kidnapped at Dutch frontier on November 21st by Gestapo for alleged complicity in Munich bomb explosion, are believed to have been authorized by the British Government to inquire into genuineness of certain German peace proposals.

First RAF man to be decorated by France for gallantry in this war died in hospital. Sergeant-Observer J Vickers, was awarded the Medaille Militaire.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 24, 2014)

*24 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN B1 Class Sub I-23





Allied
RN AMC MALOJA





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS

Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
U


> 33 reported that she had sunk a Q ship. Radio Intelligence reports received late this afternoon indicate that an enemy unit may have been sunk in connection with the operation of our surface forces, begun on the 22nd, north of the line Shetlands-Norway. Thus the enemy must know that there are German forces in this area. It remains to be seen what his reaction will be. As there is no clue as to what he will do, the 4 boats off the Orkneys and Shetlands have been left in their present positions. The deterioration in weather conditions will probably mean that the U-boat's action will be restricted.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-20 , U-22 

At Sea 24 November
U-13, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-33, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53. 
14 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
DKM CSp LÜTZOW, CLs KÖLN, LEIPZIG, DDs BERND VON ARNIM, BRUNO HEINEMANN, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK, KARL GALSTER and TBs LEOPARD, SEEADLER, ILTIS and WOLF resumed operations in the Skagerrak during the night of the 24th/25th.

*Northern Patrol*
Northern Patrol from 24 November to 7 December sighted 34 eastbound ships and sent 23 into Kirkwall for inspection.

*Northern Waters*
Admiral Forbes redisposed his fleet off Utvaer, Norway, to intercept the German BCs. CLs CERES, CALYPSO, CARDIFF, CALEDON, COLOMBO, NEWCASTLE, SHEFFIELD, GLASGOW, EDINBURGH, SOUTHAMPTON and DD KINGSTON, which was deployed just off the Norwegian coast, were disposed in a patrol line respectively, west to east, . Meanwhile CL AURORA and DDs AFRIDI, GURKHA, INGLEFIELD, BEDOUIN, ISIS, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE were stationed as a strike force to the south of the patrol line. DD MAORI was detached to Scapa on the the 24th to refuel and returned to patrol that day. KINGSTON patrolling just off shore was relieved by DDs ZULU and IMOGEN. DDs TARTAR, KANDAHAR, KASHMIR were ordered to join the AURORA group late on the 24th, but fears of mistaken identity caused their rendezvous to be delayed until daybreak on the 25th. En route TARTAR's rudder was damaged by weather and she was sent to Scapa and then on to the Clyde for repair late on the 24th. BBs NELSON, RODNEY and DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, PUNJABI, FAULKNOR, FURY, FIREDRAKE and FORESTER remained at sea behind this line.At 1201/25th, a D/F bearing NNW of the Faroes caused CAs NORFOLK, SUFFOLK and CL DELHI to be sent to investigate. However, DELHI was low on fuel and could not take part in the search. The patrol line, now reinforced by joined by NORFOLK, SUFFOLK and CLs DRAGON, DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN early on the 25th, was moved north at 0700/25th, but all these efforts were unsuccessful and SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU slipped the net under cover of bad weather and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 27th with only storm damage.

Refuelling of the cruisers began on the 25th. One cruiser from each of the squadrons were sent in turn to refuel - ships of the 1st, 2nd, 18th Cruiser Squadrons to Scapa and those of the 7th and 11th Squadrons to Sullom Voe.

Both German ships had suffered only light damage during the operation. GNEISENAU was repaired at Kiel, completing on 4 February 1940 and SCHARNHORST with similar defects returned to service shortly thereafter. Both ships immediately went to Wilhelmshaven on completion of repairs to prepare for Operation NORDMARK.

DDs ICARUS and ILEX departed Rosyth to investigate a submarine report six miles 320° from Rattray Head, and returned to Scapa Flow the next day.

East Coast
DD JUNO was damaged in a collision alongside an oiler at Immingham, repaired there and returned to service on the 30th. MV SUSSEX (UK 13,647 grt) was damaged SE of Southend in North Channel on a mine laid by U.33 on the 5th. Depot ship CYCLOPS and submarines SHARK, SEALION, SNAPPER, SALMON departed Sheerness for Harwich where they arrived that day. SubFlot 3 began operations next day when SNAPPER departed Harwich on a patrol off Terschelling. 

OA.40G of 21 ships departed Southend, escort DDSs VERITY and WOLVERINE from the 24th to 26th. The convoy merged on the 26th with OB.40G, escort DDs WINCHELSEA, WALPOLE, VIVACIOUS and sloop ENCHANTRESS, to form OG.8 with 44 ships. OG.8 was escorted by WALPOLE from the 24th to 26th when she detached to SL.10, and WINCHELSEA and VIVACIOUS from the 24th to 28th. ENCHANTRESS was with the convoy from the 24th to 27th. Other escorts were Fr DDs TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL from 27 November to 3 December after they had departed Brest on the 26th, and DD VORTIGERN from 2 to 3 December. OG.8 arrived at Gibraltar on 3 December.

*Nth Atlantic*
CL EFFINGHAM departed Halifax and arrived at Kingston on 1 December with RAN CL PERTH.

*Sth Atlantic*
SL.10 departed Freetown escort sloop LONDONDERRY, and was joined on 10 December by DDs WALKER, WHIRLWIND, WHITEHALL and sloop ENCHANTRESS. The convoy arrived later that day, while LONDONDERRY reached Devonport on the 12th.

*Med -Biscay*
CL GALATEA departed Alexandria and arrived at Malta on 3 December.

*India*
CL GLOUCESTER departed Diego Suarez on patrol duties and arrived back on the 29th.


.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 25, 2014)

*25 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN AMC CORFU

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> There is still no indication as to what steps the British C-in-C is taking. Weather conditions preclude air reconnaissance. As it can no longer be assumed however, that the British Fleet is in the Clyde, the 2 western boats - U 47 and U 35 - were ordered to move further to the northeast, off the Pentland Firth and Fair Island Passage. Here also they will be in a better position to cut off the fleet east of the Shetlands if this should become necessary.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-13 

At Sea 25 November
U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-33, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53. 
13 boats at sea

*Baltic*
DKM V-301 (Ger 350 grt est) The vorpostenboot struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Langeland, Denmark





*SW Approaches*
MV ROYSTON GRANGE (UK 5,144 grt) Buenos Aires - Freetown - Liverpool , General cargo and grain, crew numbers unknown, in forming part of SL-8B, ship was hit by one torpedo from U-28 and sank about 50 miles southwest of Lands End. The master and crew were picked up by the British trawler ROMILLY and landed at Swansea. no casualties 





UK West Coast
MV CHARLES LIVINGSTON (UK 3500 grt est) the cargo ship came ashore at Ainsdale, Lancashire in a gale. Ten crew rescued, 23 killed

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.10 departed Halifax at 0900 local escort by RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SKEENA, which left Halifax at 0800/25th ocean escort for the passage was provided by AMC LETITIA. In the approaches the convoy was met by DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY from OA.44 providing escort from 4 to 9 December and DDs VERSATILE and WITHERINGTON also OB.44, from 4 to 6 December. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 9th. 

*Sth Atlantic*
SLF.10 departed Freetown ocean escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE, and was joined in the approaches 7 December by DDs BROKE, ESCAPADE, VETERAN, WALPOLE. The convoy arrived in the UK next day. CL NEPTUNE departed Freetown on patrol duty. Fr CA ALGÉRIE and DDs LE TERRIBLE and LE FANTASQUE departed Dakar on the 21st passed Gibraltar and arrived at Toulon on the 26th. The third member of DesDiv 10, DD L’AUDACIEUX left Dakar on the 22nd and rendezvoused at Toulon on 4 December. The DDs then entered scheduled refits. In operations in the South Atlantic , two Swordfish aircraft of 810 Squadron from CV ARK ROYAL collided. Lt H Pardoe was rescued, but Leading Airman E H Shayler and LAC A Lawson RAF were lost in one aircraft. Lt A W Stewart, Leading Airmen L M Lloyd and A B W Freik from the other were rescued. 

Caribbean
RAN CL PERTH carried out a reconnaissance in the SW Caribbean, and arrived at Kingston on 1 December

*Med -Biscay*
MV UCKSMOUTH	(UK 2,483 grt) Sunderland - Monaco Cargo of coal, 25 crew U-43 opened fire with the deck gun at the unescorted Uskbridge (Master Henry Hunter) about 120 miles west-northwest of Cape Finisterre, after two G7a torpedoes fired at 22.38 and 22.45 hours malfunctioned. As the ship began to burn, the Germans had to cease fire due to a defect on the gun. At 23.11 hours, they fired a G7e torpedo as coup de grâce but missed and shelled her again until 00.12 hours. A total of 149 rounds had been fired as the U-boat left the completely burning and slowly sinking ship. Two crew members were lost. The master and 22 crew members were picked up by the Italian steam merchant Juventus and landed at Ramsgate on 30 November. 




_Scale model of the UCKSMOUTH_

*Indian Ocean*
CA CORNWALL departed Colombo on patrol duty in Force I.


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## Njaco (Nov 25, 2014)

*25 November 1939 Saturday
GERMANY:* RAF carried out successful flights over North-West Germany, including Wilhelmshaven Heglioland.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German forces lay mines off the southwest coast of Sweden, inside the 4-mile limit of Swedish territorial waters.

Two bombing attacks by German aircraft were made on HM ships in North Sea. No hits were obtained and there were no British causalities. Enemy aircraft were seen over the Orkneys and Shetlands.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The governments of Italy, Japan, Denmark and Sweden make representations to the British Foreign Office regarding the policy of reprisals.

After attempts to save New Forest ponies in the blackout by painting them like zebras, they are removed to safe pastures.

British refrigerator ship ‘_Sussex_’ damaged by a mine in the English Channel, was able to reach port.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* A new Romanian cabinet is formed by Tatarescu. A smaller pro-German element is reported.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 13.19 hours, U-28 hits the British merchant ship SS “_Royston Grange_” (carrying general cargo and grain) with one torpedo. “_Royston Grange_”, sailing from Buenos Aires to Liverpool with convoy SL-8B, sinks about 50 miles southwest of Lands End. The crew are rescued by the trawler “_Romilly_” and taken to Swansea. U-28 also lays mines in the Bristol Channel on this patrol, which causes the sinking of the 9,577 ton SS “_Protesilaus_” on 21 January 1940.

Between 22:00 hours and midnight, U-43 repeatedly attacks British steamer SS “_Uskmouth_” about 120 miles northwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain. Her first 2 torpedoes malfunction and then U-43 shells “_Uskmouth_” with her deck gun. At 2300 hours, U-43 fires another torpedo which misses. They continue shelling (firing 149 rounds in total) until “_Uskmouth_” sinks at midnight. Two men die but the captain and 22 crew are rescued by Italian merchant vessel SS “_Juventus_” and landed at Ramsgate on 30 November.

German liner ‘_Adolph Woermann_’ is scuttled by her crew in South Atlantic in order to avoid capture.

Swedish tanker ‘_Gustaf E Reuter_’ struck a mine off Scottish coast and was badly damaged. A German mine-layer sank after striking a mine near Danish island of Langeland.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 25, 2014)

*26 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
none

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Bad weather continues. It is very doubtful if light forces will still be at sea; they have probably sought shelter off the coast. It is also possible that they have had to put into protected places to refuel, as they have been at sea for some time. The 4 boats were therefore ordered to search the east coasts of the Shetlands and Orkneys especially Lerwik. Another good reason for giving this order was the fact that, in this weather at sea, boats will probably not be able to attack, where as on the leeward coast it might still be possible. U 33 entered port; she laid mines according to plan and encountered little patrol. There was no traffic in her operations area off the North Channel, and in the end she attacked fishing trawlers before she left in order not to come home empty-handed. The C.O.'s report shows that this was a well-conducted patrol and it is not the fault of the boat that she had so little success.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-33 

At Sea 25 November
U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53. 
12 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
MV CYRIL (Den 2116 grt) was seized by German warships in the Baltic for contraband violations and taken to Swinemünde. She was later commandeered

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
CL DRAGON departed Loch Ewe on Northern Patrol , and arrived back on 2 December. CLCERES departed Sullom Voe .

*Northern Waters*
CL CARDIFF arrived at Scapa. 
U.48 sank steamer GUSTAFE REUTER (Sd 6336 grt) 14 miles WNW of Fair Island. One crewman was lost and eight survivors picked up by Northern Patrol armed boarding vessel KINGSTON BERYL. The steamer was taken in tow but broke in two, the fore part sunk, while the stern was towed towards Kirkwall but scuttled by HM ships on the 28th, when it was decided salvage would be too difficult.





*North Sea*
SS TRIAD was crippled off Lindesnes by a fractured hydroplane shaft. SS TRIUMPH soon joined to assist and SS UNITY was ordered into the area. DD MAORI also arrived on the scene and took TRIAD in tow, escort DD INGLEFIELD, but both DDs had defective asdic installations. TRIAD arrived at Fosteroey, south of Bergen, on the 30th, but the DD were obliged to leave Norwegian territorial waters which they did on 1 December. Tug BANDIT was dispatched to assist TRIAD, but due to extremely heavy weather, was recalled to Scapa. After emergency repairs, TRIAD was able to leave Fosteroey at 1315/2 December under her own power, escorted by Norwegian TB TRYGG and was joined outside Norwegian waters by INGLEFIELD and MAORI. All arrived safely at Rosyth at 0700/4 December. TRIAD repaired in the Tyne, completing on 12 December and returned to service.

CLA CAIRO departed Rosyth on escort duty and arrived in the Thames on the 28th. MV QUENAST(Be 569 GRT) The cargo ship foundered in the North Sea 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) north of the Noord Hinder Lightship with the loss of 3 of her five crew. Survivors were rescued by MV PARIS ( Norway)





FN.42 departed Southend, escort sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, and arrived at the Tyne on the 28th

Southend Methil 
ON.3 of six British ships departed Methil escort DDs ESKIMO, ICARUS and ILEX. DD MATABELE departed Newcastle on the 27th and joined the convoy at sea, while CLA CAIRO provided close cover. The convoy arrived at Bergen on the 30th. OA.42 of nine ships departed Southend escort DDs BROKE and ANTELOPE on the 26th and 27th. DD BOREAS was with the convoy on the 27th and WREN on the 28th. 

*UK West Coast*
During a gale at Ardrossan (A small border port town in SW Scotland), DD GRIFFIN and PC.74 moored alongside were damaged by bumping. GRIFFIN was holed and required docking, and PC.74 was also later drydocked for repairs. 

SW Approaches
OB.42 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALKER and VANOC until the 29th. Steamer LOCH LOMOND (5452grt) was attacked in the Bristol Channel, 10 miles west of Lundy Island. DDs MONTROSE and WALPOLE were assigned to conduct a sweep in the same area and WALPOLE attacked a contact 

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.10 departed Halifax at 1000 LOCAL escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SKEENA, which detached on the 28th. Ocean escort CA YORK which joined on the same day and proceeded through with the convoy. DD WAKEFUL proved escort in the Western Approaches from 8 December and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 10th. YORK reached Liverpool on the 9th and started a refit completed on 10 February 1940. She then left on 21 February for Scapa and the 1st Cruiser Squadron for duty with the Northern Patrol. CL EMERALD departed Halifax for Bermuda, and arrived back on 7 December

*Med -Biscay*
In training operations in the Mediterranean, a 770 Squadron a/c from CVE ARGUS crashed, killing the pilot Act/Sub Lt (A) M R Pike. CL CAPETOWN departed Malta on escort duty and arrived back on 5 December. 

*Australia Station *
RAN CL SYDNEY docked at Fremantle after patrols.


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## stona (Nov 25, 2014)

The painting of New Forest Ponies was a serious attempt to save them from injury or death as a result of collisions with motor vehicles. The ponies have a right to roam freely which has origins in 11th century laws passed by William Rufus (William II).
The Times reported on efforts to paint the horses on 9th November 1939 and the clerk to the New Forest Verderers Court confirmed that experiments had taken place. Unfortunately it turned out that foals refused to go anywhere near their painted mothers and 'family life' was being disrupted. The experiment was abandoned, 500 ponies were sold off at two separate auctions and the rest moved to enclosed pastures in direct contravention of the ancient law. The safety of motor vehicle passengers and also that of the ponies was considered more important than some ancient right.
Cheers
Steve

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## Njaco (Nov 26, 2014)

*26 November 1939 Sunday

NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finland rejects the Soviet demand for military bases on her territory.

*THE MAINILA INCIDENT: *The Mainila incident takes place. At 1430 hours, the Red Army stages a border incident to justify the coming invasion of Finland. They fire 7 mortar shells into a field near the village of Mainila on the Karelian Isthmus, half a mile inside Soviet territory. Fortunately, they clear the area beforehand and no one is hurt. Unfortunately, they are observed by Finnish border guards. At 2100 hours in Moscow, Finnish ambassador Yrjo-Koskinen is summoned to the Kremlin to be informed that “Finnish artillery shelled the area, killing 4 Soviet border guards and wounding 7 more”. The Finns are asked to withdraw their forces 20 – 25 km from the border. The government describes the presence of Finnish troops in the area as a "hostile act." This flimsy pretext does not fool international observers. John Colville, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s private secretary, notes the similarity with Hitler's excuse for invading Poland, calling it;


> “....a technique which does not gain in dignity for being second-hand”.



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Polish trans-atlantic liner “_Pilsudski_” on charter to the Royal Navy, is torpedoed and sunk; 10 die.

It is reported that Germans have laid mines within Swedish four-mile zone at southern entrance of the Sound, leaving a channel only 16 feet deep.

Danish steamer ‘_Cyril_’ carrying coal from Britain to Stockholm, was seized by Germans. This was thought to be the first capture by Nazis of a neutral ship sailing from Britain to a neutral port.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, makes his first radio broadcast of the war, saying that the British know the secret of the German magnetic mines and denouncing the indiscriminate laying of mines by German forces.

Admiralty announced that British steamer ‘_Hook-wood’_ was sunk by mine on Tuesday.

.


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## Wurger (Nov 26, 2014)

On the 26th November 1939 , an ocean liner of the Polish Merchant Marine, M/S (ORP) Piłsudzki sank during her first wartime voyage , sailing out of Newcastle. It is most likely the ship struck two mines off the coast of Yorkshire, which had been laid by a destroyer of the German 4th Destroyer Flotilla or was torpedoed (lack of confirmation in German sources). She was the older sister ship to Poland's most famous ocean liner, the M/S Batory. The M/S Piłsudzki was built by the CRDA shipyard at Monfalcone, Italy and launched in December 1934. She was completed and started regular servicing on the Gdynia—New York run in 1935. The Pilsudski's first and only skipper was Master Mariner Mamert Stankiewicz who died from hypothermia and heart stroke after being rescued from a life raft. Also the Fourth Engineer Officer Tadeusz Piotrowski was killed. The Chief Mate Karol Olgierd Borchardt, later a writer, was hurt seriously at his head and barely saved. In 1960 the Captain of the Polish Merchant Marine, Karol Olgierd Borchardt wrote and issued a book titled "Znaczy Kapitan".The title of the book is very difficult to translate into English. It is tribute to his captain – Mamert Stankiewicz who was named with the nick by his subordinates. However the book and all his other ones describe fascinating adventures at sea in a humorous and informative way and they are valuable additions to the record of Polish maritime history.

The launching of the M/S Piłsudzki in 1934 ...







M/S Piłsudzki at the Gdynia harbour...












M/S Piłsudzki ....












The Master Mariner Mamert Stankiewicz ...







M/S Piłsudzki at the New York ...











and docking at the NY seaport ...

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## Njaco (Nov 27, 2014)

*27 November 1939 Monday
UNITED KINGDOM:* Dutch liner “_Spaarndam_” strikes a mine in the Thames estuary and sinks.

The British government orders the seizure of German exports on the high seas in reprisal for the magnetic mine campaign.

Douglas Bader made his first solo flight since his 1931 air accident that cost him both of his legs.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Nobel Committee of the Norwegian parliament announces that no Nobel peace prize is to be awarded for 1939.

Following the shelling of Mainila and the Soviet accusation of Finnish aggression, the Finns naively reply with a diplomatic note. They claim they could not have fired the shots, having previously withdrawn their guns out of range to avoid just such an incident. In response to the Soviet request on the previous day for Finnish troops to fall back 20 to 25 kilometers from the border, Finland suggested Soviet troops to do the same.

The Swedish government protests the laying of mines within Swedish territorial waters by German forces.

*ASIA:* Japanese forces complete the capture of Nanning, an important rail junction in the southwest.

*GERMANY:* "Aryans" are given 12 months to divorce Jewish spouses.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-48 damaged Swedish tanker “_Gustaf E. Reuter_” near Fair Isle northwest of Scotland. One man is killed but 32 others are rescued by the Royal Navy trawler HMS “_Kingston Beryl_”. SS “_Gustaf E. Reuter_” is taken under tow but she breaks up in a gale overnight.

Two German merchantmen, ‘_Borkum_’ and ‘_Konsul Hendrik Fisser_’, were captured. The latter was brought into port; the former was sighted and shelled by a U-boat, killing four Germans, but none of the prize crew. The ship was abandoned.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported local infantry and artillery engagement east of the Moselle.


.

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## parsifal (Nov 27, 2014)

*27 November *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN Sub SEALION (SS195)





Allied
RN DD KELVIN




_After work up, KELVIN joined the Desflot 5 operating with the Home Flt from 10 January 1940_
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
Ever the pragmatist, Donitzs diary provides an interesting juxtaposition to language of the preceding war diary....


> Air reconnaissance identified several groups of light and heavy naval forces at midday in the Shetland-Norway Straits, with varying courses. Contact was lost after 2 hours, owing to the shadowing a/c's lack of fuel. It is nevertheless plain that the enemy intends to take up a cutting-off position here. Search along the leeward coast apparently led to no success. A temporary slight improvement in the weather is forecast. I decided to let the 3 boats off the Shetlands coast reconnoiter to the east as far as the Norwegian coast.
> 
> Reasons:
> 1)	Searching the coast did not lead to anything; there is apparently nothing there.
> ...



Departures
Kiel: U-21, U-56

At Sea 27 November
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53, U-56. 
14 boats at sea

*Baltic*

*Northern Waters*
DD ASHANTI on Fair Isle Channel Patrol developed a leak in her reserve fuel tank which reduced her speed. CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow to refuel and departed the next day to rejoin the Main Fleet at sea. CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Scapa Flow to refuel. CL GLASGOW departed Scapa Flow and proceeded to Rosyth to boiler clean from 28 November to 5 December.

*Northern Patrol*
CL COLOMBO departed Sullom Voe on Patrol duties and returned to Loch Ewe on 2 December. CL CALEDON arrived at Scapa after Northern Patrol in the Faroes-Shetland passage. CL CARDIFF departed Scapa Flow for Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD VEGA completed conversion to a fast escort vessel (SR AA ship). Following working up at Portland, she joined Convoy Command C operating from Rosyth. Beginning this day, East Coast FN and FS convoys would run only between Southend and the Tyne. Ships going further north would then proceed independently the following night. U.58 laid mines off Lowestoft. 

*France - UK*
SA.19 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort DDs VENOMOUS and WINDSOR, and arrived at Brest on the 29th.

*Channel*
CL MANCHESTER was used for degaussing tests on the 27th while at Portsmouth for refit.

*SW Approaches*

*Western Approaches*
DD VIVACIOUS on patrol in the Western Approaches developed an urgent engine room defect and was forced to return to Port. She was repaired at Plymouth

UK West Coast*
DDs ECHO and ECLIPSE spent the day off Northern Ireland undertaking further ASW Sweeps.

Nth Atlantic
BC REPULSE and CVL FURIOUS, her turbine defects corrected, departed Halifax with DD HYPERION to cover HXF.10 and HX.10. A Swordfish of 818 Squadron from CVL FURIOUS failed to return from patrol, but Lt S G J Appleby and his crew were rescued and returned to the ship.




Swordfish using the Lift on HMS FURIOUS 

Med -Biscay
Sloop EGRET arrived at Port Said from the Indian Ocean and departed for Malta, en route to England. Fr Contre Torpilleuir DD AIGLE arrived at Gibraltar and left for Oran that afternoon.

Indian Ocean
A Swordfish of 824 Sqn from CVL EAGLE crashed into the sea on ASW patrol off Colombo. The pilot Sub Lt M R Maund, Leading Airman J Manning, and Telegraphist Air Gunner J C Mardlin were picked up by RAN DD WATERHEN.







Colour Markings for 824 Swfish 1937-42 HMAS WATERHEN as she appeared in 1939*


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## Njaco (Nov 28, 2014)

*28 November 1939 Tuesday
WESTERN FRONT:* Paris announced that two German freighters, ‘_Trifels_’ and ‘_Santa Fe’_, had been captured by French warships.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *To observe the correct diplomatic etiquette before declaring war, the Soviet government renounces the non-aggression pact with Finland, signed in 1932. Claims of Finnish troops firing on Soviet forces around Leningrad are made. Meanwhile, orders are issued to the Red Army to invade Finland on November 30th.

In Occupied Poland Dr. Frank orders the setting up of Judenrat (Jewish council) in each ghetto, to carry out Nazi orders.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A Finnish investigation reveals that Soviet artillery fired the 7 shells at Mainila on November 26th. Finland presented a witness, a Finnish border guard, who saw that it was the Soviets who fired the mortar rounds. The Soviet government is informed.

*AUSTRALIA:* The Australian Cabinet approves the dispatch of the 6th Division to the Middle East, after completing basic training. After then receiving further training, the Division would be sent to France to counter an expected German offensive in the spring.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government declares all German exports to be contraband.

British steamer ‘_Rubislaw_’ sunk by a mine off South East Coast.

Three RAF pilots were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

*GERMANY: *At 1630 hours a formation of Blenheim Bombers attack the airfield at Borkum causing slight damage. After leaving the airfield the bombers return over the North Sea and attack the German steamers "_Asien_" and "_Stadt Emden_". None of the attacking planes are shot down. All British aircraft returned safely.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British Royal Navy trawler HMS “_Kingston Beryl_” scuttled the stern section of Swedish tanker “_Gustaf E. Reuter_” in the North Sea. “_Gustaf E. Reuter_” had been attacked by German submarine U-48 on the previous day, and the bow section had sunk overnight during an unsuccessful towing attempt.

British steamer ‘_Usk-mouth_’ sunk by a U-boat in Bay of Biscay.

.


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## Wurger (Nov 28, 2014)

On the 28th November 1939 Gen. Władysław Sikorski ordered Gen. Józef Zając who succeeded Gen. Ludomił Rayski as the Commander of Polish Air Force, to oganize the constant and secret air transportation with Poland ( Warsaw, Cracow Lvov and if possible Poznań ).

General Józef Zając ( in the uniform) talking to pilots ... pre-war pictures.

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## parsifal (Nov 28, 2014)

*28 November*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
PC PINTAIL (Shearwater Class, a sub group of the Kingfisher Class)





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts







_This extract from the German Admiralty archives is astonishing for the lack of communication that was occurring between the LW and DKM. It was a situation that was to continue_

UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Air reconnaissance again identified enemy forces in the Straits. Soon after U 35 reported a London class cruiser and then U 47 reported a hit on another cruiser of the same class. The decision to send the boats into the Straits was therefore correct.


The diary is referring to the straits where the Home flt had been deployed to try and block the return of the two Derman BCs



> As there is no indication that the enemy knows that C-in-C Fleet has returned home, it is to be expected that he will remain in his cutting off position again tomorrow. I have decided to let the U-boats remain in the same area.



Departures
Kiel: U-61

At Sea 28 November
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-35, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-53, U-56, U-61. 
15 boats at sea.

*Northern Waters*
DDs SOMALI, PUNJABI and MASHONA after refuelling at Sullom Voe left to join BC HOOD. DDs ZULU and IMOGEN were still on patrol off Stadlandet, AFRIDI, GURKHA and ISIS refuelling at Sullom Voe, TARTAR departed Scapa for repairs in the Clyde, and ASHANTI, after repairing her fuel system defects, was returned to Fair Isle Channel patrol. West of Bergen, CA NORFOLK was attacked by U.47, but the torpedoes exploded in the cruiser's wake and no damage was done.




_BC HOOD remained unmodernized until her loss. She remained the pride of the RN nevertheless. _

*Northern Patrol*
CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa , departed the same day for Northern Patrol and arrived back on 6 December.

*North Sea*
CLA CURLEW arrived at Chatham. DD GLOWWORM attacked a submarine contact after it was sighted by aircraft in the North Sea. A submarine was sighted by aircraft and DD KANDAHAR and two ASW trawlers were dispatched for ASW patrols. MSW LEDA also prosecuted a U-Boat contact near FN.43. Submarine TRIBUNE was in the area and the surface escort may have been attacking this ship. Tankers BIRCHOL and BROOMDALE departed the Clyde for Loch Ewe escort PCs KINGFISHER and SHELDRAKE. The latter 
was a replacement for escort ship PC.74, damaged by heavy weather at Ardrossan on the 26th before departing. On the 29th, 

BIRCHOL (UK 7000 grt est) ran aground on Uist in the Hebrides. Tug ENGLISHMAN was dispatched, but BIRCHOL was lost.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

OA.43 ships of 13 ships departed Southend, escort DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA from the 28th to 30th, and dispersed on 1 December. FN.43 departed Southend, escort by sloops PELICAN, HASTINGS joined a few hours later by DD JANUS which put out from the Humber to cover this convoy and FS.43. FN.43 arrived at the Tyne on the 29th. FS.43 departed the Tyne, escort by destroyers WALLACE and WOOLSTON, which had left Rosyth on the 27th for this duty, joined later by the JANUS (as explained above) and arrived at Southend on the 30th.

*Channel*
DD FEARLESS, her repairs completed, departed Plymouth for Liverpool and from there to to return to the Home Flt. She left Liverpool on the 29th escorting AO ADELLEN (7984grt) for Scapa.

UK West Coast*
OB.43 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and VIMY until 1 December. ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN (655grt) and NORTHERN GEM (655grt) provided local escort from Liverpool.


Caribbean
CL ORION departed Kingston on patrol and arrived back on 5 December.

Med -Biscay
BB BARHAM departed Malta after a dockyard period to correct defects, then proceeded to Port Said escort DDs DAINTY and DEFENDER. MSWs DUNOON and DUNDALK arrived at Gib, then departed on the 29th for Plymouth, and duty in Home Waters. Fr DDs LA PALME and LE MARS (both from the Adroit Class) collided near Salins d'Hyers during exercises. LE MARS was escorted by DDs TORNADE and LA PALME to Salins.




The L'Adroit Class were more conventional destroyers launched 1926-29 

Indian Ocean
Force K rendezvoused with Force H off South Africa to sweep towards Mozambique. RAN CAs CANBERRA and AUSTRALIA departed Melbourne on the 23rd and Sydney on the 25th (respectively), escorting steamer KATOOMBA (9424grt). They patrolled off Cape Leeuwin from 28 November to 2 December. RAN CL SYDNEY departed Fremantle to patrol off the northwest coast of Australia.

Pacific - Far East
CL DURBAN departed Hong Kong on patrol. CL BIRMINGHAM arrived at Hong Kong escorting liner ANDRE LEBON (Fr 13,682 grt).
MV WAIKOUAITI (UK 3599 grt est ): The cargo ship ran aground on Dog Island, New Zealand and was wrecked. Her crew survived




*


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## parsifal (Nov 29, 2014)

*29 November (Part I of II)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN MS Trawler BLACKTHORN 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2014)

*29 November (Part II of II)*
UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Again air reconnaissance identified light naval forces and a convoy northeast of these in the same area. The weather continues very stormy. Apparently the U-boats have not been able to fire. As it must now be taken that C-in-C Fleet's return cannot remain unknown to the enemy for much longer, there is no point in the boats remaining in the Shetland-Norway Straits for another day, especially as there are believed to be many destroyers in the vicinity. U 47 and 48 will continue on their passage to the North Atlantic. U 31 and 35 have been ordered to occupy the operations areas on the east coast of England. Their radius of action is too small to make it worthwhile for them to go into the Atlantic after the operations of the last few days. They are to report their stocks of fuel when leaving.
> 
> A radio message received from U 29. She does not consider that the minelaying operation off Milford can be carried out in the present circumstances. (She had orders not to carry out the operation if undue risks were involved). The boat was allocated an operations area in the Bristol Channel. U 49 entered port. She only managed to fire one torpedo during the short time she was in the Atlantic, at an escorted steamer which probably sunk. The boat suffered considerable damage from D/C's. There are no further details. The propaganda organization has exaggerated U 47's hit on a cruiser to a sinking. From the service man's point of view these inaccuracies and exaggerations are undesirable. Radio message from U 38: No shipping sighted off Lola Bay. No successes. This boat was sent there on the orders of Naval War Staff, in the belief that there was considerable traffic in the area. Later information received by Naval War Staff indicated that these hopes were unjustified. Now the boat herself has confirmed this. In the circumstances it is pointless to keep the boat there any longer. She has been ordered to return. U 31's fuel report received, but not U 35's. The boat was again ordered to report.
> 
> U 53 entered port. This is the boat which shadowed the convoy west of Portugal and Biscay from the 17th to the 19th and the operations orders of which were to penetrate into the Mediterranean. She sank nothing on this patrol. The C.O.'s report shows that she had many chances to attack but did not make use of them. The boat did not show enough fighting spirit. I have therefore decided to relieve the C.O.


Arrivals
Kiel: U-49

Departures
Kiel U-58 

At Sea 29 November
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-61. 
14 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
Norwegian Coast
U-35 was sunk this day in the North Sea, NW of Bergen in the vicinity of the main body of the Home Flt. U.35 was on her second war patrol. She was sighted near convoy ON.3 and DD ICARUS made unsuccessful attack. Forbes detached DDs KINGSTON and KASHMIR and working in conjuction with the ICARUS, the three DDs sank U.35 . None of the crew were lost, but all were taken prisoner, with KINGSTON picking up the commanding officer and 11 ratings and KASHMIR three officers and 28 ratings.





_U-35 was a Type VIIA boat along with U.27 to U.36_

BBs NELSON, RODNEY, CA DEVONSHIRE and seven DD were sweeping nth off the Norwegian coast when RODNEY suffered a serious rudder failure. Adm Forbes ordered her to the Clyde, arriving on 1 December with DDs GURKHA, PUNJABI and KANDAHAR. Escorted by DDs IMPULSIVE, IMPERIAL and GURKHA, RODNEY left on the 6th for Liverpool to repair, and arrived on the 8th. IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE remained at Liverpool until RODNEY was safely docked, when it was found that about one third of her rudder had been torn away by the very heavy seas. GURKHA went on to Southampton, arriving on the 10th for repairs to her turbines lasting into January 1940. IMPERIAL was to have undergone repairs at Liverpool, but returned to the Clyde on the 9th. Later, when BBp NELSON was docked for mine damage, she was found to have sustained storm damage similar to RODNEY during the sweep.






*Northern Waters*
CA SUFFOLK departed the Clyde and arrived at Scapa later the same day.

*Northern Patrol*
CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa , departed the same day for Northern Patrol and arrived back on 6 December. CL CARDIFF, which had departed Sullom Voe on the 28th, arrived back after heavy weather carried away her main topmast and part of her main mast port antenna.

*North Sea*
FS.44 departed the Tyne, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 30th. ORP SS WILK departed Rosyth on her first war patrol from England. DD KELVIN departed the Clyde for Portsmouth, arriving on the 30th. DDs JUPITER and JAGUAR attacked a submarine contact on the East Coast.

Steamer IONIAN (UK 3114 grt) from convoy FS.43 was sunk 1½ miles 132° from Newarp Light Vessel on a mine laid by U.20 on the 22nd; sloop HASTINGS rescued the entire crew. 






*Channel*
AMC FORFAR departed Portsmouth for the Clyde, escort DD MALCOLM.

UK West Coast*
DD VANESSA was sent to search in Bally Cotton Bay, for a reported submarine.

Pacific - Far East
CL DANAE departed Singapore for Hong Kong, and arrived on 3 December for refitting, completed 14 February 1940.*


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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2014)

*30 November*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Liuzzi Class Sub RM CONSOLE GENERALE LIUZZI (Precise comissiokning date uncertain) 






Allied
AMC RANPURA, Fr Elan Class MSW La Gracieuse








*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> On 30.11 B.d.U. reported to C-in-C Navy in Berlin on the results of the mining war and further intentions:
> 
> The mining war has 2 aims.
> 1) To attack military bases (in continuation of the attack on Scapa Flow) with the object of driving the enemy out of ports near the North Sea. Acting on these lines, B.d.U. carried out minelays in the beginning of November in Loch Ewe, off the entrance to Invergordon, and at the entrance to Rosyth in the Firth of Forth.
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel: U-53

Departures
Kiel: U-59 

At Sea 29 November
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
14 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
The radio station in Kronstadt began to send codeword "FAKEL" on 30 November at 00.58. This was repeated through the whole red navy. On the sea front war began at 07.45 by aerial and naval bombardment of the outer islands. The personnel of Lavansaari Coast Guard station tried to escape to Someri, but their motor boat AV 45 was sunk by a Soviet DD. All four men lost their lives. At about 10 o'clock Soviet troops landed on Seiskari and Peninsaari and afternoon on Lavansaari. 

Steamer AUVO (Fn 195 GTR) was captured and seized by the Soviet DD GROZYASTCHYI (Gnevnyi Class), with support of SC MO-111 (Finnish source wrongly said Steregushchyi). Soviet DD GORDYI (Gnevnyi Class) sunk the small Finnish coast guard motorboat AV-45 at Lavansaari island (4 kia) that was occupied by Soviet forces.

[no images of the ships lost]








_Profile of Gnevnyi Class DD and the Mo-4 class subchasers _
Finnish motor vessels JAAMERI (299grt) and SYVARI (237grt) were lost at Liinahamari. Uncertain if these losses were due to Baltic Flt operations
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Norwegian Coast
The Patrol line searching for the reported German ships off Norway, were ordered to to steer west until 1300 and then head south. During this time (1) BB NELSON, CL AURORA and nine DDs were 100 miles to the SW of the western end of the line, (2) BB RODNEY, and destroyers ASHANTI and GURKHA were to the west of Fair Isle Channel, (3) BB WARSPITE to the west of the line, and (4) BC HOOD, the Fr BC DUNKERQUE and DDs SOMALI, PUNJABI and MASHONA 100 miles west of the Faroes. DKM did its best to shadow these forces with its own aircrafdt, but owing to the terrible weather were unable to maintain contact and lost at least 5 a/c. mostly Do 18 flying Boats under direct control of the Navy




_Dornier 18D 2. Ku.Fl.Gr.506 _

The RN final reports states that on the evening of the 30th, "_CinC Home Flt turned south with his fleet on the 30th and on 1 December ordered the resumption of normal shipping movements_".....in other the RN was forced to concede that the DKM BCs had slipped the net laid for them.. 

Convoys to and from Norway were resumed. HN.3 of 11 British ships, one Finnish, and two Estonian departed Bergen escort by DDs ILEX, ICARUS, ESKIMO and MATABELE (all escorts had to wait outside the territorial limit). CA SUFFOLK, which left Scapa on the 30th and CL SOUTHAMPTON provided close cover. Later when SUFFOLK was relieved for refuelling, CL GLASGOW took her place. The convoy arrived safely at Methil on 4 December. Before then, on the 2nd, DDs KANDAHAR and ISIS departed Scapa to escort the four ships of the west coast portion of the convoy. 

*Northern Waters*
CL CALEDON departed Scapa for the Tyne and arrived on 1 December for docking Repairs completed on the 19th December , and the ship sailed to Plymouth on the 21st. I believe she was given a radar fitout at that stage, but am not certain 

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs ANDANIA, AURANIA, SCOTSTOUN and WORCESTERSHIRE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol duties.

*North Sea*
FN.45 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop STORK, and arrived at the Tyne on 1 December. FS.45 departed the Tyne, escort sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, and arrived at Southend on 1 December. Steamer ASTRONOMER (8401grt) arrived at Rosyth from the Tyne escort DD WALLACE.

Steamer BEVERWIJK (Ne 2948 grt) was damaged by grounding off Terschelling in the declared mine area. DKM Vorposdten boote VP.704 (trawler CLAUS WISCH, 256grt) was badly damaged in a defensive minefield off Trelleborg and run aground, a total loss.





_General or typical outline of a DKM Vorposten Boote _

*Channel*
DD NUBIAN departed Portsmouth after repairs and rejoined the Main Fleet at Loch Ewe.

UK West Coast*
DD FORTUNE attacked a submarine contact in the Irish Sea. OB.44 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VERSATILE and WITHERINGTON until 3 December, when they detached to the inbound HXF.10.

Med -Biscay
HG.9, which departed Port Said on the 19th, left Gibraltar with 53 ships (the lagest of the war to this point) , escort DDs VORTIGERN and WISHART, and also the Fr CHACAL and MISTRAL from the 30th November until they arrived at Brest on 8 December. Trawler VULCAN of the 1st MTB Flotilla proceeded to England with the convoy, which arrived at Liverpool, also on the 8th.*


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## Njaco (Nov 30, 2014)

*29 November 1939 Wednesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The German freighter “_Idarwild_” is sunk by the British warship “_Diomede_” off the coast of the United States. The USS “_Broome_” had been following the “_Idarwild_” until the British warship arrived. The “_Broome_” does not intervene in the destruction of the freighter. American behavior in this incident goes unchallenged by Berlin.

British destroyers HMS “_Kingston_”, HMS “_Icarus_”, and HMS “_Kashmir_” forced German submarine U-35 to surface and surrender in the North Sea with depth charges. U-35's crew scuttled the submarine to prevent capture but all 43 men survive and are interred briefly at the Tower of London and before going to P.O.W. camps.

At 0935 hours a He 111 of Stab./KG 26 is intercepted by Hurricanes of RAF No. 111 Squadron over the North Sea. Shot down into the sea near Amble, the Sea Rescue conducts a search of the area but find nothing.

A Dornier Do 18 flying boat of 2./KuFlGr 406 is lost over the North Sea.

British steamer SS ‘Ionian’ (3,114t) steamer, India to London and Hull was sunk by a mine off the Newarp Lightvessel in the North Sea.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Another He 111 is caught by Spitfires from RAF Nos. 602 and 603 Squadrons and shot down over Lothian in Scotland becoming the first German aircraft to be lost over the island.

It is reported that the chancellor has received family jewels, gold and gifts from foreigners to help finance the war effort.

Government of Eire decided to put into commission some motor torpedo boats and armed trawlers.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 9, "Instructions for warfare against the economy of the enemy" (http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/09.html). Tasks of the Navy and Air Force against England include mining, blocking, and destroying ports, attacks on merchant shipping, destroying storage facilities for oil, food, and grain, and destroy industrial plants. London, Liverpool, and Manchester are listed as handling 58% of total imports.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finnish government offers to enter into renewed discussions over the territorial dispute, suggesting conciliation or arbitration, in accord with the non-aggression treaty. The Soviet government breaks off diplomatic relations with Finland. Molotov warns that the Red Army must be prepared for any eventuality. At midnight, Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov orders the invasion of Finland.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, informs the press that the United States is prepared to mediate the dispute between Finland and the USSR.

Fritz Kuhn, the leader of the German-American Bund, is found guilty of grand larceny and forgery.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Paris reported two successful reconnaissance by French troops into territory held by the Germans in the Vosges.

.


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## Njaco (Nov 30, 2014)

*30 November 1939 Thursday

THE WINTER WAR
NORTHERN EUROPE: *The Winter War begins. Soviet forces invade Finland. Helsinki and Viipuri are bombed. The Finnish army can only muster about 150,000 men in 9 divisions, with a tenth being formed. There are also a number of smaller independent units but their reserves of manpower are small. They have little heavy equipment and virtually no tanks. They are handicapped here in having relied on their limited domestic arms production since late 1938 in their attempt to confirm their neutrality. There is an ammunition shortage. The air force has about 100 obsolete planes. These weaknesses are partly offset by the training and moral of the Finnish troops. There are also some fairly strong fortifications in this area but the system is by no means comprehensive. Field Marshal Mannerheim (aged 72) is appointed "Defender of Finland" and Commander-in-Chief. At the start of the invasion, the Soviets employ 26 divisions (not all at full strength), in four armies. Soviet divisions are larger, with artillery components three times as strong as their Finnish equivalents and accompanied by more tanks than the entire Finnish army possesses. Independent tank and artillery units provide additional support. The Soviet 7th Army, the strongest with 12 divisions, attacks the 5 Finnish divisions defending the Karelian Isthmus. The Soviet 8th Army advances in the area immediately north of Lake Ladoga, the Soviet 9th Army attacks from Soviet Karelia in the direction of the head of the Gulf of Bothnia and the Soviet 14th Army moves out from Murmansk in the far north. The strength of the Soviet forces is greater than expected by the Finns. However, the Soviets are not well prepared for winter conditions and the coordination between their infantry and other arms is not at all good. Their preparations have been rushed. The Soviets announce that their action is in support of the Finnish People's Government whose existence is now announced. This Soviet sponsored government is led by Otto Kuusinen, an exile, who has long been a member of the Comintern.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* RAF fighters encountered an enemy aircraft north of Firth of Forth and chased it out to sea.

British steamer SS ‘_Sheaf Crest_’,(2,730t) steamer, Tyne to London, was sunk by a mine in the Thames Estuary.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Six survivors of a Greek steamer sunk west of Ireland were picked up after four days in their lifeboat.

It was reported that two British destroyers, one towing a damaged submarine, had anchored off Mastrafjord, near Stavenger. The destroyers left later, and the submarine was taken to a ship yard for repair.


.


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## Wurger (Nov 30, 2014)

The Winter War 1939-1940..

Finnish Heavy Machine Gun position...

















A crew of a Russian armored car BA-10 at the Karelian Isthmus getting orders ....







A Russian SB-2 light, quick bomber shot down in Finland, 1939.












A Soviet, Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance bomber shot down and examined by Finnis in 1940.












A Polikarpov I-15bis figther biplane taking off ....







Damaged and abandoned Finnish Vickers 6-Ton (Mk.E) light tanks ...












Damaged and captured Soviet T-26 light tanks...












A frozen Soviet soldier killed by a Finnish sniper.


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## Njaco (Nov 30, 2014)

*1 December 1939 Friday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* Helsinki is bombed by Soviet aircraft. Casualties amount to 80 killed. Stalemate continues on the Karelian Isthmus as Red Army infantry advance though dense mine fields and are mown down by Finnish crossfire. Soviet tanks operate independently from infantry, occasionally penetrating Finnish defenses (Finnish soldiers have never seen tanks before and often are terrified) but to little effect. North of Lake Lagoda, Finnish forces panic and retreat, presenting a dangerous opportunity to the Red Army. A Soviet flotilla sails towards Taipale on Lake Lagoda, at the eastern end of the Isthmus. They are to shell Finnish shore batteries and land at Taipale, turning the Mannerheim Line. However, the Finnish guns fire first, forcing the battleship "_Orangenbaum_" onto a sandbar (she remains useless for several weeks). Similarly, Soviet cruiser “_Kirov_” is shelled at a range of 24km trying to attack Finnish coastal batteries on the Hanko Peninsula. Damaged by near misses, “Kirov” returns to Liepāja for the rest of the Winter War. Finnish communique claimed that 1,200 prisoners were captured, a destroyer was sunk by a Finnish coast battery, 19 tanks destroyed and at least 16 planes shot down.

A Soviet sponsored Democratic Republic of Finland is established under Finnish Communist Otto Kuusinen at Terijoki on the Gulf of Finland. The Kuusinen government calls on all Finns to "overthrow the oppressor" (i.e., the government in Helsinki) and welcome the "liberators" (of the Red Army). A treaty is signed with the USSR giving the Soviets everything that has previously been demanded, in exchange for the whole of Karelia.

The TASS news agency claims that in Finland; "


> …the people already rose in various parts of the country and proclaimed the formation of a democratic republic. Port of the soldiers of Finland's army already have sided with the new government, backed by the people."



The legitimate Finnish government is reorganized. A coalition government is formed with Dr. Ryti as Prime Minister and Tanner as Foreign Minister.

*ASIA:* Chinese 3rd Army Group cut the Lung'hai Railway line at several locations and attacked highways, both actions interrupted Japanese logistics. Meanwhile, troops of the Chinese 81st Division attacked the cities of Kaifeng and Lanfeng.

“_Tenryu_” was assigned to Maizuru Naval District, Japan for service as a guard ship and training vessel for the Japanese Navy Engineering Academy.

*GERMANY:* The third group of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 bomber wing was established.

The title "Waffen-SS" became official. This organization embraced the SS Verfugungs Division, the Liebstandarte, the SS Totenkopf Division, the SS Polizei Division, the SS Junkerschulen (training schools), together with their training and replacement units. Service in these formations would count as active military duty.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British steamer ‘_Darylan_’ was mined off the South-East Coast and the Finnish steamer ‘_Mercator_’ was mined off the Scottish coast.

It was announced that a full Royal Australian Air Force squadron would be ready for active service with Coastal Command early in the New Year.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2014)

*November 1939 - Summary of ship losses*
Allied
Allied Warships
DD BLANCHE (1500 tons)m MTB 6 (RN 20 tons est), AUX MSW RAY OF HOPE (98grt), DD GIPSY (UK 1500 grt), Aux MSW trawler ARAGONITE (UK 315 grt), Fr Aux MSW SAINTE CLARE (57grt)
*Total Naval 3490 grt*

Allied Shipping
MV CARMARTHEN COAST (UK 961 grt), MV PACIFIC COAST (UK 1,210 grt), Trawler CRESSWELL (UK 271 grt), Steamers APPLEDORE (UK 5218 grt), CLAN MACGILLIVRAY (UK 6464 grt), DEERPOOL (UK 5167 grt) SAINT MARGARET (UK 4312 grt), MAIHAR (Uk 7563 grt) and tanker ATHELKING (UK 9557 grt), , PONZANO (UK 1346 grt), MATRA (UK 8003 grt), WOODTOWN (UK 794 grt), HOOKWOOD (UK 1537 grt), RUBISLAW (UK 1041grt), SHEAF CREST (UK 2730 grt), Liner SIRDHANA (Indian 7745 grt), steamer AFRICA SHELL (UK 706 grt), MV ARLINGTON COURT (UK 4915 grt), steamer BLACKHILL (UK 2492grt), steamer TORCHBEARER (UK 1267grt), naval trawler MASTIFF (UK 520 grt), steamer GERALDUS (UK 2495 grt), steamer LOWLAND (UK 924 grt), MV PARKHILL (UK 500 grt), Steam Trawler WIGMORE (UK 345 grt), Steamer MANGALORE (UK 8886 grt), MV RHUYS (Fr 2921 grt), liner PILSUDSKI (Pol14,294 grt), HORSTED (UK 1670 grt), MV BOWLING (UK 793 grt), MV STANBROOK (UK 1351 grt) MV DARINO (UK 1351 grt), MV PENSILVA (UK 4,258 GRT), THOMAS HANKINS (UK 276 grt), DELPHINE (UK 250 grt), SEA SWEEPER (UK 322 grt), trawlers SCULBY (or SULBY) (287grt) WILLIAM HUMPHRIES (276grt), MV ARIJON (Fr 4374 grt), MV ROYSTON GRANGE (UK 5,144 grt), MV CHARLES LIVINGSTON (UK 3500 grt est), MV UCKSMOUTH (UK 2,483 grt), MV WAIKOUAITI (UK 3599 grt est), IONIAN (UK 3114 grt)
*Tonnage Sunk:140812 tons *(UK119,166t , Fr 7352t, Pol 14294t). 144302 grt (Mercantile + Naval) 

Neutral
Neutral Warships
None

Neutral Shipping
MV MIM ( Nor 4996grt ), MV CANADA ( Den 11100 grt), Ore Ship MERCIA ( Sd 3500 grt est), MV SIG (Nor 1342 grt), MV NICOLAOS M EMBIRICOS (Gk 5295 grt), MV HANSI (Nor 1540 grt), MV SNAR (Nor 3176 grt), Tkr ARNE KLODE (Nor 11,019 grt), GRAZIA (FI 5857 grt), liner SPAARNDAM (Ne 8857 grt), Steamers PANEVEZYS (Li 1607 grt) NIDA (Li 945 grt), MV BAIKALl (SU 2500 grt est), MV GEORGIOS (Gk 2216 grt), Tkr SLIEDRECHT (Ne 5133 grt), MV KAUNAS (Li 1,566 grt), Steamer SIMON BOLIVAR (Ne 7906 grt), liner TERUKUNI MARU (Jpn 11,930grt), Steamer CARICA MILICA (Yu 6371 grt), Steamer BORJESSON (Sd 1586 grt), Steamer REALF (Nor 8083 grt), GIMLE (Nor 1271 grt), TORAS (FN 1016 grt), MV NICOLAOS PIANGOS (Gk 4499 grt), MV ELENA. R (Gk 4,576 grt), steamer GUSTAFE REUTER (Sd 6336 grt), MV QUENAST(Be 569 GRT), AUVO (Fn 195 GRT) 
*Tonnage Sunk: 110680 tons *(Be 569t, Fn 1211t, Gk 16586t, Nor 28477t, Ne 13039t, Sd 11422t, Denmark 11100t, Italy 5857t, Lithuania 4118t, Soviet 2500 t, Japan 11930 t, Yugoslav 6371 t). 
*Combined Allied and Neutral Shipping Sunk: 251492 tons (Mercantil), 3490 grt (Naval), 254982 grt (Total Naval + Mercantile) *


Axis
Axis Warships
Vp.209 (trawler GAULEITER TELSHOW, 428grt), DKM V-301 (Ger 350 grt est), DKM U-35 (700grt), DKM Vorposten boote Vp.704 (trawler CLAUS WISCH, 256grt), DKM MSW M.132 (500 grt)
2234 grt (Naval)

Axis Shipping
MV UHENFELS (Ger 7603 grt), MV LEANDER (Ger 989 grt), KONSUL HENDRICK FISSER (Ger 4458 grt), MV MECKLENBURG (Ger 7892 grt), Steamer PARANA (Ger 6038 grt), Steamer TRIFELS (Ger 6198grt), Trawler ELSE (Ger 141 grt), MV SALMANN (Ger 2500 grt est), Steamer HENNING OLDENDORFF (Ger 3986 grt), MV BORKUM (Ger 3670 grt), MV EILBEK (Ger 2185 grt), MV BERTHA FISSER (Ger 4110rt), MV TENERIFE (Ger 2436 grt), MV ANTIOCHA (Ger 3106 grt), Liner ADOLPH WOERMANN (Ger 8577 grt), , 
*Tonnage Sunk or captured: 54148 tons, Total Naval + Mercantile 56382 grt *


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## parsifal (Dec 1, 2014)

*1 December 1939*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
MSW M-14 (M-35 class), TB T-1 (T 1935 Class), AMC WIDDER












Neutral
USS PLATTE (AO 24)(Cimarron Class), USS SEAWOLF (S197)








*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts







UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> The second order to U 35 has remained unanswered. As every radio message is made at various times on long and short wave, it is out of the question that the boat did not receive it. Either her radio is out of order or something has happened to her.



At Sea 1 December 1939
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
14 boats at sea

*Baltic*

Russian SS L.1 laid mines off Finnish Coast near Nyhamn. 





_L class were also known as Leninets class or Serie II subs. they were dedicated minelayers capable of carrying up to 20 mines. they were based on a British WWI L class minleayer, hence the class name_

The rock islands Someri and Narvi were occupied by the Soviets on this day. 

Naval activity during the Winter War was low. The Baltic Sea began to freeze over by the end of December, which made the movement of warships very difficult; by mid-winter, only ice-breakers and submarines could still move. The Baltic Fleet was technically strong; it had two BBs, one CA, almost 20 DDs, 50 MTBs, 52 subs and other vessels. 

The Finnish Navy was a coast defense force with two coastal defence ships, five subs, four gunboats, seven MTBs, one ML and six MSWs. The two coastal defence ships, Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen, were moved to the harbour in Turku where they were used to stiffen the air-defences. Their anti-aircraft guns knocked down one or two planes over the city, and ships remained there for the rest of the winter war. Beside the coastal defense, the Finnish Navy also protected Aland islands and merchant vessels in the Baltic sea—only a minor part of the fleet could engage in offensive military action.

The coastal artillery included three regiments and two separate units. The Coastal Artillery Regiment 1 (RTR 1) was stationed in Helsinki area. RTR 2 protected the right flank of Karelian Isthmus, and RTR 3 was stationed on Lake Ladoga. The coast from Utö to Karelian Isthmus was relatively well defended. The Ahvenanmaa islands, outer islands and west coast of Karelian Isthmus from Koivisto eastwards were not fortified. The coastal artillery had 152, 254 and 305 mm guns that had been left in Finland after World War I. The Finnish Naval Forces had no own air arm.

Soviet a/c bombed Finnish vessels, harbours and dropped mines to seaways more or less at will. Still, the Finnish merchant ship losses were low as only 5 ships had been lost to Soviet action. Finnish shipping was roughly handled by the kriegsmarine, who for the time being viewed it as a hostile neutral. 

Trawler MAGDA (Ger 137 grt) was lost north of Heligoland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Norwegian Coast
BB RODNEY, BC HOOD, DDs PUNJABI, GURKHA, KANDAHAR and NUBIAN arrived in the Clyde, while BB NELSON and DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FIREDRAKE and FORESTER were north of the Faroes to cover AMCs returning to Northern Patrol. CA DEVONSHIRE and CL NEWCASTLE continued patrolling between Norway and the Shetlands. CLs SOUTHAMPTON, EDINBURGH and AURORA with DDs ZULU, AFRIDI and ISIS were returning to Rosyth, with SOUTHAMPTON refuelling at Scapa en route and the ship arriving at Rosyth on the 2nd. DD FORTUNE arrived from Scapa for repairs. The C and D-class CLs were returning to port. CARDIFF departed Scapa on the 1st and arrived at Loch Ewe on the 2nd, along with DIOMEDE, DRAGON, DELHI and COLOMBO early on the 2nd. DUNEDIN and CERES reached the Clyde on the 2nd, COLOMBO and CALYPSO arrived in the Tyne for refit, and CALYPSO refitted prior to transfer to the Med (now with radar), completing on the 21st.

Fr BC DUNKERQUE was joined by Contre Torpilleur DDs MOGADOR and VOLTA, after they refuelled at Belfast, and then proceeded down the west coast of Ireland, returning to Brest. They were joined on the 2nd by DDs GUÉPARD, VALMY, VERDUN and LE TRIOMPHANT, which departed Brest on the 1st. LE TRIOMPHANT then escorted CL MONTCALM to Cherbourg for repairs, arriving on the 3rd. The rest of the force arrived at Brest on the 3rd.

*Northern Patrol*
After the loss of the RAWALPINDI and the escape of the DKM Heavy ships, despite the elation of DKM and undeniable success, the situation retuned to more or less what it was...AMCs ANDANIA, ASTURIAS, AURANIA, SCOTSTOUN and WORCESTERSHIRE arrived on their patrol lines south of Iceland, while FORFAR arrived in the Clyde from Portsmouth. DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO and ECLIPSE, had departed the Clyde on 30 November, were dispatched to investigate a possible German supply ship detected by W/T procedure in the Denmark Straits. No ship was located and the destroyers returned to Clyde on the 4th escorting BB WARSPITE.

*North Sea*
DDs IMOGEN, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE carried out ASW searches after reports received of a sighting in the Edinburgh Channel. IMOGEN returned when her asdic was found to be faulty. DDs FEARLESS and later ASHANTI, which was detached from the Pentland Firth patrol, were also involved in the search. When weather conditions made asdic operations unreliable, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE returned to Scapa and FEARLESS to Loch Ewe, all on the 2nd. OA.44 of 19 ships departed Southend escort DDs WAKEFUL and WHITEHALL from the 1st to 2nd, and sister ships WOLVERINE and VERITY from the 2nd to 3rd. The convoy was dispersed on the 3rd, and WOLVERINE and VERITY joined HXF.10. FN.46 departed Southend, escort sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd. FS.46 departed the Tyne, escort sloops PELICAN and HASTINGS, and reached Southend on the 2nd.

U.29 was to have mined the approaches to Milford Haven, but the lay was abandoned due to the port defences. U.29 withdrew when she was detected by ASW forces.

MV DALRYAN (UK 4558 GRT ) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km) south west of the Tongue Lightship 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV MERCATOR (Fn 4260 grt) 36 crew sailing independantly enroute Buenos Aires - Leith - Helsinki general cargo, including 1270 tons of coffee, maize, wheat, linseed, casein and groundnut meal ,ship was hit near the foremast by one G7a torpedo from U-21 about 12 miles southeast of Buchan Ness and sank after six minutes. One crew member was lost. The U-boat had spotted the ship only 13 minutes earlier and attacked because no national markings were visible. The RNLI lifeboat JULIA PARK BARRY and the motor fishing vessel BREAD WINNER out from Peterhead to rescue the survivors. 19 men in a lifeboat and a raft lashed alongside it with four others were picked up by the fishing vessel three miles east-northeast of Peterhead and brought to the port. The twelve remaining survivors in a second boat rowed towards shore and made landfall at Boddam during the morning. one crewmwn was killed in the incident. 





MV ARCTURUS (Nor 1277 grt) 17 crew sailing independantly Burntisland (Scotland) - Trondheim; General cargo, including tea, gas stoves, steel wire, cardboard folders and diaries, boots, shoes and machinery, the ship was hit on the port side in the bow by one torpedo from U-31 and sank within three minutes east of Aberdeen. The master and eight crew members were lost. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 05.50 hours, but without visible national markings and missed with a first torpedo at 09.27 hours. Both lifeboats went down with the ship and the eight survivors rescued themselves on two rafts that floated free after she sank. They tied the rafts together and were spotted the next morning by a CC a/c which directed the Danish steam merchant Ivar to their location. The survivors were picked up and landed at Fredrikshavn, Denmark, and then repatriated. . 
D/S Arcturus - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945





*France - UK*
BC.17 of steamers ATLANTIC COAST, BARON GRAHAM, CLAN ROSS (Commodore), COXWOLD, DUNKWA and GUELMA departed Bristol Channel escort DDs MONTROSE and VESPER, and arrived in the Loire on the 3rd.

*Channel*
Steamer FLORIDE (Fr 7030 grt) was mined and sunk 1600 yards from Dunkirk Light House off Dunkirk, with the loss of two crew. She was beached at Malo les Bains where the hull broke in two and the ship became a total loss.





Schooner GRETHE (Den 500 grt est) ran aground on South Goodwins. A DD rescued seven crew and landed them at Ramsgate. (The Admiralty War Diary identifies the DD as BULLDOG however this ship in the Indian Ocean at the time.)





DD KELVIN was damaged in a collision with steamer ST HELIER (1952grt) at Portsmouth. Her repairs were completed there on the 11th. DD KHARTOUM departed Plymouth and arrived at Belfast, then continued, reaching the Clyde on the 2nd. DD VERITY attacked a submarine contact outside Plymouth breakwater. DD VETERAN was ordered to assist later in the afternoon. DDs GLOWWORM and BOADICEA unsuccessfully searched for a U-boat near Kentish Knock and the Tongue Light Vessel.

*SW Approaches*
ASW trawler PICT (462grt), escorting OG.8, reported striking a submerged object . Fr Contre Torpilleur DD CHEVALIER PAUL with the convoy slowed after sighting a periscope.

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## Wurger (Dec 1, 2014)

On the first day of the Winter War the Russians bombed Helsinki with 9 planes, 91 Finnish people were killed. 

























































Scraps of VVS bombs dropped at Helsinki...







Talvisota alkoi ( the Winter War begins ) 30.11.1939 ...






A column of Soviet vehicles and tanks on way ...







The Finnsh winter camo...






The Finnish gun at position ...






The Finnish soldiers ..






A frozen Soviet soldat ....







Destroyed Russian vehicle columns ...
















A pile of frozen corpses of the Red Army soldiers ...






The comrade Stalin on his way to Finnland ....







Another Russian SB-2 light bomber shot down....

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## parsifal (Dec 2, 2014)

*2 December 1939*
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
U


> 47 and 48 have also been ordered to report their fuel stocks. It is necessary to find out how far south they could still operate, as weather conditions off the Channel seem very unfavorable.



Departures
Kiel : U-36

At Sea 2 December 1939
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-36, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61. 

15 boats at sea

*Baltic*
The Finnish forces on Karelian Isthmus were protected by the heavy guns in Koivisto area. These batteries included:
• Saarenpää: six 254 mm Durlacher (254/45 D), two 152 mm Canet (152/45 C) 
• Tiurinsaari: four 152 mm Canet (152/45 C) 
• Humaljoki: four 152 mm coastal gun (152/35 Mk), two 152 mm Canet (152/45 C) 
On the Bay of Vyborg area were:
• Ristniemi: two 305 Obuhov (305/52 O) 
• Satamaniemi: four 152 mm Canet (152/45 C) 
• Tuppura: four 152 mm Canet (152/45 C) 
• Ravansaari: two 152 mm Canet (152/45 C) 
Further batteries were located in Hanko and the Aland islands. SU CA KIROV escort 2 MSWs (probable type were Tral Class ocean MSWs) undertook a bombardment of the Finnish coastal batteries at Hanko. Fire was reported as "Innaccurate" by the Finns, who managed 2 hits on the Soviet Cruiser, causing her to withdraw. On the return voyage the ship struck a mine (believed to be of Soviet origin) causing moderate damage. She had to be towed back to Kronstadt and was out of commission for 5 months. 5 more Soviet subs (types unknown) put to sea in the baltic, laying mines in the southern baltic area.







_Kirov Class Cruisers were based on an Italian design, with better levels of protection. The escort for this operation were probably Tral Class MSWs_
The Swedish navy, now fully mobilised maintained neutraloity patrols to try and keep Soviet sea power out of the Gulf of Bothnia. They reinforced this by laying minefields as far south as the Aland Islands 

*Northern Patrol*
Six AMCs on Northern Patrol duties, while AMC MONTCLARE from Scapa and LAURENTIC from Liverpool were enroute to join them. CL SHEFFIELD joined Northern Patrol for operations in the Denmark Strait.

*North Sea*
MV ESKDENE (UK 3,829 grt) Crew 39, Fully laden with coal enroute Hull - Buenos Aires, ship became separated from HN.3 in bad weather an was hit by a torpedo from U-56. ESKDENE was abandoned by her crew, and all 29 picked up by Norwegian steamer HILD (1356grt). ICARUS and ILEX then searched for the steamer, but without success, and although aircraft located her at 1530/4th, surface ships could still not find her. Finally she was located, again by aircraft, at dawn on the 7th and towed to Shields on the Tyne on the 8th by tug BULGER screened by sloop STORK, and finally beached on Head Sands. The Ship was salvaged and returned to service in October 1940, , eventually sunk April 1941 by U 107.. 

The bad weather caused the loss of steamer RUDOLF (SD 2119 grt) off Dundee in the Firth of Tay (this is disputed). RUDOLF lost nine crew, with six survivors rescued by Aux MSW trawler FIREFLY (394grt) and eight by trawler CARDEW (208grt).





CL AURORA arrived at Rosyth. CL DUNEDIN arrived in the Clyde to refit, completed on the 22nd. FN.47 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 3rd. FS.47 departed the Tyne, escort by sloops PELICAN and HASTINGS, arriving at Southend on the 3rd. ASW trawler LOCH DOON (534grt) reported four unidentified ships as apparently DDs, five miles east of Coquet Light steering north. British a/c later sighted five Danish fishing smacks 90 miles east of Flamborough Head, and DDs JERSEY and JAGUAR were sent to investigate. OA.45G of 24 ships departed Southend escort DDs ANTELOPE, AMAZON and sloop ENCHANTRESS. The sloop detached on the 4th and the DDs transferred to HG.9 on the 6th. OA.45G merged with OB.45G to become convoy OG.9, escort DD VOLUNTEER and sloop DEPTFORD until the 5th. U.61 laid mines off Newcastle during the night of the 1st/2nd, on which one steamer was sunk and one damaged. U.58 laid mines off Lowestoft, on which no shipping was sunk or damaged. 

*Northern Waters*
DD PUNJABI was badly damaged at 0200 in collision with steamer LAIRDCREST (UK 789 grt), off Holy Island, off the coast of Arran in the Clyde estuary as PUNJABI was escorting BC HOOD into port. She was towed stern first into the Clyde from Cumbrae, and repaired at Govan from 8 December to 29 February 1940. BC HOOD and DDs KINGSTON, KHARTOUM and KASHMIR departed the Clyde at 1910 to patrol north of the Faroe Islands. CLs DIOMEDE, DRAGON, DELHI, COLOMBO and CARDIFF arrived at Loch Ewe, from operations off the Norwegian coast

*Western Approaches*
U.28 and U.29 were reported radioing each other. DDs ANTELOPE, VETERAN and WHITEHALL searched to the west of the location, and DDrs GRENVILLE, VEGA, ACHATES and WINDSOR to the east. The search continued until the 3rd without success. 

*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.11 departed Halifax at 1000 escorted by RCN DDs ST LAURENT and SKEENA, which detached on the 3rd. Ocean escort was provided by AMC ASCANIA and Subs NARWHAL and SEAL. On the 3rd, 70 miles from Halifax, steamers MANCHESTER REGIMENT (UK 5989 grt) and OROPESA (14,118grt) collided with the former lost in mid-afternoon, and the crew taken aboard OROPESA. 




ASCANIA detached on the 12th, while DD MACKAY from OB.49 was attached as incoming escort for the convoy from the 12th to 15th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Sth Atlantic*
Following reports from an SAAF Ju86, Force K received a sighting report of a suspicious vessel in the area south of Cape Agulhas, 74 miles 167° from Cape Point. BC RENOWN and CA SUSSEX went to the position to investigate and found Liner WATUSSI (Ger 9522 grt) which had departed Mozambique on 22/23 November. WATUSSI scuttled herself when approached by SUSSEX, and the 196 passengers and crew were picked up by her. To hasten her sinking, BC RENOWN used the hulk for target practice for the main armament. The crew and passengers were taken to Simonstown on SUSSEX, arriving at 2359/2nd and there taken prisoner. Britains new blockade policy no longer permitted repatriation of civilians





CL AJAX departed Port Stanley for Rio de la Plata, and CA CUMBERLAND, when relieved, patrolled southward before herself entering Port Stanley. SL.11 departed Freetown escort sloop FOWEY was slightly damaged in collision with steamer GRAINTON (6341grt) , and on arrival at Southampton began a dockyard repair period. The convoy arrived on the 18th.

DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE sank steamer DORIC STAR (UK 10,086 grt) in the South Atlantic. When war was declared the Doric Star, a 12-knot, 10,000 ton steamer built in 1921 and commanded by Captain William Stubbs, was on passage from the Panama Canal to Auckland, New Zealand. Laden with a full refrigerated cargo of mutton, lamb, cheese and butter from New Zealand and Australia, with a quantity of wool in bales in the 'tween decks, she sailed for England by way of the Indian Ocean and the Cape of Good Hope. Noon on December 2nd, 1939, found her in the South Atlantic on her way home some 1,200 miles from the Cape of Good Hope and 660 miles roughly East by South of St. Helena.After first sighting the vessel," Captain Stubbs continues, "I ordered the Wireless Operator (Mr. William Comber) to transmit the raider distress call, also signaled the engine-room for all possible speed. After the second shot I realised it was impossible to escape, so stopped the engines and ordered the wireless operator to amplify the message and state battleship attacking. By this time I could read the daylight morse lamp from battleship signaling "Stop your wireless," but I took no notice of this signal As the battleship approached I gave orders to the engine-room to stand by for scuttling, and as it appeared that our distress call had not been heard I ordered Chief Engineer (Mr. W. Ray) to start and scuttle. A few minutes later the wireless operator reported that our message had been repeated by another British vessel and also a Greek vessel, so I countermanded the orders for scuttling, then threw overboard all confidential papers and books, breech of gun, ammunition and rifles, also all papers about cargo. After distress call had been transmitted I ordered the wireless operator to cease transmitting, as the battleship was exhibiting a notice," Stop your wireless or I will open fire." The Doric Star, a 12-knot ship with one anti-submarine gun right aft, had no alternative but to obey".






*Med -Biscay*
CL PENELOPE departed Malta on patrol duties and arrived back on the 12th. DD DECOY was refitting at Malta for corrosion to her bulkheads. Fr BB BRETAGNE entered the dock at Toulon and was under repairs from 2 December to 3 March 1940. She sailed on 10 March.




_Profile of Bretagne after her refit. Bretagne blew up at Mers El kebir _

*Indian Ocean*
CA KENT arrived at Colombo.


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## Njaco (Dec 2, 2014)

*2 December 1939 Saturday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The British steamer “_Doric Star_” (Blue Star Line), homeward bound from New Zealand and Australia, is attacked and sunk by the German pocket battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_”. “_Graf Spee’s_” Arado seaplane spotted the “_Doric Star_” (cargo of meat, dairy products and wool) near St. Helena. “_Doric Star_” is stopped with 2 long distance shells but the crew radios a distress message and sabotages her engines. After transferring her crew, “_Graf Spee_” sinks “_Doric Star_” with shell fire and a torpedo.

German liner “_Watussi_” is stopped by battleship HMS “_Renown_” and cruiser HMS “_Sussex_” and scuttled 80 miles South of Cape Town. "_Watussi’s_" crew of 155 and 43 passengers are rescued by HMS “_Renown_” and will spend the rest of the war in South Africa.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Geneva, Finland appeals to the League of Nations to mediate in their quarrel with the Soviets.

There are Soviet landings with naval support near Petsamo and other units of 14th Army are attacking overland nearby. Elsewhere the slow advance of the Soviet forces continues. The Finnish defenses have not yet been reached in most areas. In the far North, a handful of Finnish troops (10th Separate Company and 5th Separate Battery, part of the Lapland Group) face 2 Soviet divisions (104th crosses the border on foot while 52nd takes Petsamo by boat). Finns claimed that since the invasion 36 soviet tanks had been destroyed and 19 planes shot down.

Swedish Government called up reserves. A German Press campaign is launched against Sweden.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee announces the abandonment of the Helsinki Olympic Games, planned for 1940.

A French communique reports:


> "A quiet day on the whole front... the air forces, on both sides, were completely inactive."



*MEDITERRANEAN: *Pro-Finnish demonstrations take place in Rome while the Pope condemns Soviet aggression.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Conscription is extended to all men between 19 and 41 years of age, with limited occupational deferments.

It is reported that a former Grimsby trawler had sunk a U-boat off the East Coast. Forty-two U-boat prisoners are landed at a Scottish port.

SS ‘_San Calisto_' (8,010t tanker, Hull to Houston, Texas), was sunk by a mine off the Tongue Lightvessel.

British Imperial Airways and British Airways merged to form BOAC.

*NORTH AMERICA:* New York's Municipal Airport began operations as an airliner from Chicago landed at one minute after midnight. The North Beach Airport opened in Queens, NYC, with 2 levels for passenger circulation. It was renamed LaGuardia on March 31, 1940.

.


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## Wurger (Dec 2, 2014)

The Nazi German battleship "Admiral Graf Spee" ...







The British steamer “Doric Star” ...












The steamer "Doric Star" seen from the "Admiral Graf Spee" ...












The "Doric Star" being hit by 5.9" shells from the "Admiral Graf Spee" ...







The "Doric Star" hit by a torpedo from the "Admiral Graf Spee" ...








pic source - the Internet.


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## parsifal (Dec 3, 2014)

*3 December 1939*
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> According to reports received U47 and U48 could still operate south of Finisterre for a few days. No decision can be reached until we see what the weather is like when they arrive off the Channel, not before 5.12. In itself it would be better to have them off the Channel, as they could operate there longer.
> 
> U 38, on her way back from Kola Bay, was ordered to occupy the Westfjord as operations area and to attack the ore exports to England, outside the 3 mile limit. There have been many reports of this traffic, which is fairly heavy. English ships take a large part. Apparently the ships do not sail individually, but assemble off Loedingen and sail together, escorted by English forces. It is not known whether close escort is provided or whether the escorting vessels merely remain in the vicinity.
> The main difficulties of intercepting this traffic are:
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-29 

At Sea 3 December 1939
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-36, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59. 
14 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
The occupation of Suursaari was a larger affair, compared to the assaults that had occurred in the opening days of the war. After heavy bombardment 1550 Soviet marines stormed the island on 3 December. The few Finnish defenders had already left the island during the night 1/2 December. A smaller unit was sent to take the island Suur-Tytärsaari. 

Russian SS SC.323 (Serie X Boat) damaged steamer OLIVA (Ger 1308 grt) with gunfire off Uto. She was damaged again by Russian SS S.1 off Rauma on the 10th. Steamer KRETINGA (Li 542 grt) was seized by German warships as a prize in the Baltic and renamed MEMELLAND for German service

[IMAGE NOT FOUND] 

*Northern Patrol*
A suspected German battleship was "detected" using land based D/F in northern waters. BC HOOD and her DDs were ordered to proceed as fast as her escorts could steam without damage. Six AMCs from the Northern Patrol between Iceland and the Faroes were also to proceed south, but no contact was made. CA DEVONSHIRE and CL NEWCASTLE were on patrol to the northeast of the Shetlands. CA SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow for Northern Patrol in the Denmark Strait, and arrived back in the Clyde on the 14th.

*North Sea*
MV OVE TOFT (Den 2,135 grt) 21 Crew, Enroute from Immingham to Goteborg with a cargo of coal. the unescorted and neutral vessel was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-31 and sank within four minutes about 100 miles east of the Tyne. The ship had been spotted at midday, identified and was attacked because "her course was suspicious". 





Submarine SNAPPER, returning to Harwich from patrol in the North Sea, was struck by a British 100 pound anti-submarine bomb, dropped by a “friendly” Anson aircraft. A direct hit was scored at the base of the conning tower, but the explosion only shattered four light bulbs. British AS bombs were an inneffective weapon at this time.

OA.46 of 19 ships departed Southend escort DDs KEITH, WIVERN and VETERAN from the 4th to 5th. On being released, WIVERN proceeded to escort OA.47. FN.48 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN with some support from DDs JACKAL, JANUS and the ORP DD BLYSKAWICA. The Polish ship detached that night, and the convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 4th.
FS.48 departed the Tyne, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 4th. DDs ICARUS and ILEX carried out an ASW sweep on their way back to Rosyth after a ship had been detected crossing the May Island indicator loop. DDs AFRIDI and ZULU searched inshore of May Island, and then proceeded to Rosyth after being relieved by ICARUS and ILEX. DD VEGA attacked a submarine contact 9 miles SW of St Catherines. DDs ACHATES and WINDSOR joined in the search.

Steamer MOORTOFT (UK 875 grt) was lost in the North Sea to an unknown cause.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
Home flt began to repair the damage it had suffered during the Norwegian operations. DD ASHANTI departed Scapa for Liverpool to refit a leaking feed tank. CL SOUTHAMPTON had problems with leakage in several oil fuel tanks and marked vibration at high speed. She entered the dockyard in the Tyne on the 24th to repair. In summary, DD out of service on the 3rd were.... ASHANTI with leaking feed tanks, COSSACK repairing collision damage, FAME repairing weather damage and refitting to complete on the 24th, FORESIGHT repairing weather damage and refitting to complete on the 24th, FORTUNE repairing weather damage, FOXHOUND repairing and refitting to complete on the 11th, GURKHA with turbine defects en route to Southampton, INGLEFIELD to dock at Leith with defects on the 8th, IMOGEN docking to repair asdic, IMPERIAL at Scapa with engine room defects (after escorting BB RODNEY, IMPERIAL was to repair at Liverpool), INTREPID and IVANHOE refitting to ML DDs to complete on the 9th, KELLY repairing damage and refitting to complete on the 12th, KELVIN repairing collision damage to complete on the 12th, MOHAWK repairing bomb damage, PUNJABI repairing collision damage; other DDs not attached to the Home Flt or northern ops; SIKH at Malta with turbine defects, and TARTAR refitting and repairing rudder damage to complete on the 15th.

*France - UK*
BC.16S of four steamers, including BARON KINNAIRD, departed the Loire escort DDs MONTROSE and VESPER, and arrived in Bristol Channel on the 6th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.46 departed Liverpool escort DD WALPOLE until the 3rd and DD ESCAPADE until the 5th.

*Sth Atlantic*
SLF.11 departed Freetown on the 3rd escort AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE and sloop MILFORD, the latter with the convoy for the day only. On the 18th, DUNOTTAR CASTLE developed engine problems and was sent to Gibraltar. She was joined on the 20th by DD KEPPEL and on the 21st by Fr DD MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 22nd. DDs WHITEHALL and WIVERN joined the convoy when it entered the Home Commands areas. 

DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE sank steamer TAIROA (UK 7983 grt) in the South Atlantic. Tairoa was intercepted at 6.0 a.m. , December 3rd, about 170 miles south-west of where the Doric Star had been sunk. The prisoners on board the Graf Spee, who now included all the officers and men from the DO0RIC STAR, first heard the alarm buzzer calling the Germans to action stations, and then the reports of what sounded like 5.9 inch guns. Next came the "pom-pom-pom" of a heavy machine gun, followed after about an hour by another series of heavy shots. 





CA SHROPSHIRE arrived at Simonstown and Force K arrived at Capetown. After refuelling, Force H departed the same day and Force K on the 4th to patrol the Capetown-St Helena trade route. CL NEPTUNE departed Freetown and arrived at Dakar on the 4th. Fr Contre Torpileur DD L’AUDACIEUX proceeded to Dakar to repair minor defects. 

Caribbean
CL EFFINGHAM departed Kingston and arrived at Halifax on the 6th. However a serious leak had been discovered in the starboard condenser on the 5th, and she had to return to Kingston for repairs

*Med -Biscay*
Sloop LEITH departed Malta for Gibraltar, en route to England.


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## Njaco (Dec 3, 2014)

*3 December 1939 Sunday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finns evacuate Helsinki.

The Soviet 8th Army achieves a small success near Suojarvi. The Finns pull back a little in this sector. Some Finnish units withdraw to the Mannerheim Line. They also send a small reinforcement to the forces opposing the advance of the Soviet 54th Division of 9th Army near Kuhmo. Finns claimed that they had retaken Petsamo. Soviet claimed capture of islands Hogland, Seiskari, Lavansaari, and Tytarsaari in the Gulf of Finland.

In Sweden, Army reservists are called up and a minefield is laid off the east coast.

Through the Swedish Government the New Finnish Cabinet inquired whether the Soviet Government was prepared to open peace negotiations.

*GERMANY:* Twenty-four Wellingtons from RAF Nos. 38, 115 and 149 Squadrons attack two German cruisers near Heligoland. Oblt. Günther Specht of I./ZG 26 loses an eye after being shot down by return fire from a Wellington which he is given credit for shooting down. It is his third victory. Despite being intercepted by Luftwaffe fighters and anti-aircraft fire, the Wellingtons sink a minesweeper and down a German fighter plane. Despite Oblt. Specht’s claim, no British planes are shot down. One RAF Wellington bomber accidentally drops a bomb on Heligoland. The bomber, part of RAF No.115 Squadron, suffers a "hang up" when one of its bombs fails to drop over the targeted German shipping. The bomb later falls off on the island of Heligoland, the first bomb of the war to land on German territory. British Bomber Command planes also attack the German seaplane bases at Hornum and Sylt.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German pocket-battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” sinks “_Taiora_” southeast of St. Helena.

The Royal Navy battle cruiser “_Renown_” and aircraft carrier “_Ark Royal_” arrive in Cape Town.

RAF patrol plane destroyed a U-boat in the North Sea. Reports were to hand of the destruction of three other U-boats and the capture of a fourth in the Bristol Channel.

The Swedish steamer ‘_Rudolf_’ was sunk off the British coast.

SS ‘_Moortoft_' (875t steamer), was lost by an unknown cause in the North Sea after leaving the Humber for Calais. All thirteen of her crew died.

The Norwegian steamer '_Gimle_', en route from West Hartlepool to Gothenburg with a cargo of coke nuts, was torpedoed and sunk by U-boat U-31 150 miles east of Aberdeen. The crew members were rescued from their lifeboat on 7th December and taken to Norway.

.


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## Wurger (Dec 3, 2014)

On the 3rd December 1939 the British S.S Tairoa was sunk by the Nazi German ocean raider "Admiral Graf Spee" .

The S.S Tairoa ...


















The Albion steamer seen from the battleship ...

















The S.S Tairoa being shelled by the ocean raider ...
















and being aflame ...







The raider's torpedo hits the British steamer ...

















The battleship Admiral Graf Spee leaves the area. The S.S Tairoa can be seen about to sink.








the image source - MaritimeQuest - Tairoa (1920) Page 1

Reactions: Like Like:
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## parsifal (Dec 3, 2014)

*4 December 1939*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
AMCs DERBYSHIRE and PRETORIA CASTLE

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 43 reported that she was starting her return passage and added that a southwest gale was raging off the Irish Sea. U 47 and U 48, which will be arriving there soon, will hardly be able to do anything in such weather conditions. U 47 was ordered to report if weather made action impossible. In this case I intend to send the boats south of Finisterre in spite of the short time they will be able to remain there. Letters from captured members of her crew indicate that U 40 struck a mine. This is the first proof of mines in the Channel. Air reconnaissance of the Dover-Calais Straits has not so far been carried out. Buoys and lightships have been laid off the English coast, showing that minefields have been laid, but nothing certain is known of their position and type. I must now give up this route into the Atlantic; there must not be losses on passage. With so few boats, each loss means such a considerable reduction in strength that it outweighs the disadvantages of a long and fruitless passage. With regard to the boat's operations as such, I do not see any other way of conducting them if successes are not to decrease. It will be necessary to carry on in the same way as at present and accept the inevitable losses. It is only thus that the small U-boat arm, pitted against far superior forces, can hold its own as a part of the war as a whole.



Departures
Kiel: U-60

At Sea 4 December 1939
U-21, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59. 
13 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
DKM CL NÜRNBERG laid mines in the Skagerrak off Kristiansand from the 4th to 6th. 

Finn Sub VETEHINEN was sent on 4 December to Libau to attack Soviet icebreaker JERMAKIN. The sub was damaged enroute (cause and extent unknown), but nevertheless reached the vicinity of Libau on the 7 December Jermakin. Low visibility and smoke prevent the sub locating the target. VETEHINEN continued searching until 12 December as far west as Hiiumaa , but could not find its target.





Norwegian Coast
DKM Aux SC UJ.117 (trawler GUSTAV KORNER, 450grt) sank on a German defensive minefield in the Belt. Later, in June 1940, she was salved and repaired. 

*Northern Patrol*
Six AMCs were ordered to search for a suspected DKM Heavy ships on the 3rd were returning to their patrol stations between the Faroes and Iceland. Heavy cruiser SUFFOLK and AMC LAURENTIC were west of the Shetland Islands, proceeding to the Denmark Strait. CA BERWICK departed Portsmouth for duty with the Northern Patrol, reached Scapa and departed for patrol on the 12th. 

*North Sea*
MV PRIMULA (Nor 1024 grt) crew 15, carrying ballast, enroute Oslo to the UK, the unescorted and neutral vessel was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-31 and sank within two minutes after breaking in two about 120 miles east of Stonehaven. The survivors had to jump overboat because both lifeboats were destroyed and the motor boat got stuck. Seven crew members, three of them injured, rescued themselves on a raft and were picked up by the Danish steam merchant Wm.Th. Malling, which landed them at Methil, Scotland. No reason was given in the U-31s log for the attack. 8 of the 15 crew were lost. 





Subs TRITON and TRIBUNE departed Rosyth on patrol. DDs ESKIMO MATABELE ICARUS and ILEX searching for a submarine in the Firth of Forth. OA.47 of nine ships departed Southend escort DD WREN and sloop ABERDEEN from the 4th to 7th. DD WATCHMAN was with the convoy from the 4th to 5th, and sister ship WIVERN, from OA.46, joined on the 5th, and remained until the convoy dispersed on the 7th. FN.49 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. FS.49 departed the Tyne, escort sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON. Due to increased German activity in the North Sea, the convoy was supported by DDs JUNO and JUPITER. It arrived at Southend on the 5th. DDs ESKIMO, MATABELE, ICARUS and ILEX departed Rosyth to carry out ASW searches for a suspected submarine in the Firth of Forth.

*Northern Waters*
At 07.52 hours on 4 Dec 1939, BB NELSON was badly damaged by a mine laid on 27 October by U-31 at the entrance of Loch Ewe. The BB was en route with CA DEVONSHIRE, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FIREDRAKE and FORESTER. The explosion seriously damaged her and injured 52 crew members.

Her machinery was not affected, but she could not be moved for repairs before the area was searched for further mines. The ship proceeded to to Portsmouth, under heavy escort, where she was repaired from 14 January to 8 June. The damage to NELSON also forced sister ship RODNEY to remain at the Clyde deferring her docking at Liverpool until NELSON's status was determined. Also, the CLs of the Northern Patrol in Loch Ewe could not sail until minesweeping operations cleared the harbour. Attempting to clear the field, armed patrol drifters GLEN ALPYN (82grt) and PROMOTIVE (78grt) were mined and sunk on the 23rd. Five more mines were swept and it was not until 4 January 1940 that NELSON could be safely moved. CLA CALCUTTA departed the Thames and arrived at Loch Ewe on the 5th to provide protection for damaged BB.

BB WARSPITE arrived in the Clyde, escort DDs EXMOUTH, ECLIPSE and ECHO, which had departed the Clyde on 30 November. The BB had been originally ordered to go to Portsmouth, but orders were changed in early December due to RODNEY's rudder defect and NELSONs mine hit. DDs IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE arrived at the Clyde from Scapa.

SS SALMON departed Harwich on the 2nd for patrol, and on this day fired six torpedoes at U.36 (Type VIIA 915 tons) and sank her 75 miles SW from Lister Light ; forty crew were lost (no survivors). U.36 had been sailing for northern Norway, where she was to join U.38 on patrol and then proceed to a base at Zapadnaya Litsa Bay in Northern Russia for replenishment. At it happened, the base was never used by U-boats. 





*France - UK*
OB.47 departed Liverpool escort DDs WINCHELSEA and VANOC until the 7th. SA.20 of one steamer departed Southampton, escort DD ANTHONY, and arrived at Brest on the 5th 

*West Coast UK*

*Channel*
CL ENTERPRISE arrived at Portland from Portsmouth. DD VETERAN, departed Plymouth on the 3rd, was damaged in a collision with steamer MIRIAM (1903grt) in the Channel. VETERAN suffered minor damage, arrived back at Plymouth on the 4th but was able to depart again on patrol on the 5th. She arrived at Dover on the 9th after convoy duty. DD BROKE investigated a sub contact near Dartmouth. Fr Contre Torpilleur DD LE TRIOMPHANT departed Cherbourg escorting CL GLOIRE to Brest, arriving on the 5th. 

*SW Approaches*
Steamer HAMSTERLEY (UK 2160 grt) in FN.48 was damaged by collision off Great Yarmouth, with one crewman lost. She was still afloat the next day but seriously damaged. Steamer TONGARIRO (UK 8719 grt) reported she had a disabled rudder 180 miles SW of Land's End. DDs VERITY and WOLVERINE from the Plymouth command were ordered to assist. She was taken in tow, but broke away. At 1957/10th, she was 15 miles off the Lizard and as a tug could not tow her, DD KEITH was ordered to, escorted by WOLVERINE. 

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.11, escort DD HYPERION and RCN DDs ST LAURENT and SKEENA, departed Halifax at 1000. HYPERION was detached early on the 5th and at 1600/5th the Canadian ships turned over the convoy to ocean escort BB REVENGE and French submarines SFAX and CASABIANCA as protection against German surface raiders. The subs were detached off the Lizard on the 16th and arrived at Brest on the 17th, being escorted into port by French sloop COMMANDANT RIVIERE. Meanwhile DDs WOLVERINE, WANDERER, WALPOLE and ARDENT provided escort in Home Waters from the 16th to 18th, when the convoy reached Liverpool. 

*Med -Biscay*
DD DELIGHT departed Aden to return to the Mediterranean Fleet. Sloop WELLINGTON departed Malta for Gibraltar, where she arrived on the 8th. Next day, she sailed for Freetown to escort convoy SL.13 to the UK. MSWs SUTTON and ELGIN arrived at Gibraltar from Malta, and departed on the 8th for Portsmouth. Fr convoy 34.KF of four steamers had departed Casablanca on the 3rd, but next day, still near Casablanca, DD ORAGE was damaged in collision with Fr steamer MARRAKECH. The convoy turned back and arrived on the 6th. Steamers JAMAIQUE and LIPARI left with 37.KF on the 8th, and MARRAKECH and MALGACHE with 38.KF on the 10th. ORAGE was able to leave on the 28th for repairs at Bizerte, arriving on the 30th

*Indian Ocean*
CA KENT departed Colombo on escort duties, and arrived back on the 14th.

*Pacific - Far East*
DD DIAMOND, having completed her refit, departed Singapore en route to the Mediterranean. The 20th Minesweeping Flotilla, HMA Ships SWAN, YARRA, ORARA, and DOOMBA, commenced operations on the east coast of Australia.




_Yarra was a Grimsby Class Sloop roughly similar to a USN DE_


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## Njaco (Dec 3, 2014)

*4 December 1939 Monday
UNITED KINGDOM: *The British battleship, HMS “_Nelson_” -- the flagship of the Home Fleet -- is damaged by a magnetic mine off Loch Ewe. This is the last major success for this weapon. The Germans have been employing this and other types of mines to good effect. By the end of the year, the Allied shipping lost to mines will amount to 79 ships of 262,700 tons.

British Government notified their intention of being represented at the meeting of the League of Nations Council on December 9th, when the Finnish Appeal will be considered. The Soviet Government refused to attend.

SS ‘_Horsted_' (1,670t on a voyage from London to Sunderland), struck a mine and sank SE of Flamborough Head.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Soviet government rejects a Swedish offer to mediate in the war with Finland.

Finnish terrain of deep impenetrable forests and long parallel glacial lakes forces Red Army onto the few roads, churned into frozen ruts by heavy tracked vehicles and clogged with horses, men and machines. This road strategy slows their advance everywhere and, worse, forces them into minefields and ranged killing zones in front of the Mannerheim line on the Isthmus. The Soviets grind forward days behind schedule, their hopes for blitzkrieg dashed. North of Lake Lagoda, Soviet 8th Army advances slowly with little resistance but comes in range of Finnish shore batteries at Taipale which pulverize them with higher firing rate and greater accuracy than mobile artillery.

Finns fortify Aaland Island in the Gulf of Bothnia. Only about 50,000 people remain in the Finnish capital of Helsinki which is being evacuated because of Soviet bombing.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British King George VI arrives to inspect the British Expeditionary Force and RAF units deployed in France.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-36 is two days out of Wilhelmshaven (heading to the Kola Peninsula 25 miles from Murmansk to scout a proposed submarine base) when she is sighted on the surface by British submarine HMS “_Salmon_” near Stavanger, Norway. “_Salmon_” sinks U-36 with one torpedo (all 40 lives lost).

.


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## parsifal (Dec 4, 2014)

*5 December 1939*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-26 S Boote




Allied
RN AMC ESPERANCE BAY

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> C-in-C Navy paid a short visit to Group Headquarters and to B.d.U. U 26 entered port. She did not carry out her minelaying operation off Gibraltar as the weather there was too bad. She was afterwards in the Mediterranean, as ordered, but apparently struck a poor time for traffic. The result of her patrol is one steamer sunk. Very little for 44 days. The stormy weather is mainly to blame. The C.O. cannot be blamed for not carrying out the minelaying operation because he did not consider it possible in view of local conditions. These things can only be judged at the time. But he did not take long enough to make his observations; he should have at least made one more attempt in different weather conditions. It was a mistake to send U 25, U 26 and U 53 into the Mediterranean. U 25 had to return before she ever got there, U 53 did not get through and U 26 hardly encountered any shipping worth mentioning. This patrol shows all the disadvantages of a long outward passage. The boat can only operate for a few days and the operation is without success if she does not come upon any traffic in those few days.


Arrivals
Kiel: U-21 , U-56 , U-58 
Wilhelmshaven: U-26

Departures
Kiel: U-23, U-57 

At Sea 5 December 1939
U-23, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-59. 
10 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
Flotilla leader MINSK and two DDs shelled Saarenpää battery. Finn MTBs Isku, Raju and Syöksy arrived on the scene, but they did not attack. 

Danish Coast
Steamer ALEXANDRA (Den 1463 grt) was seized off Esbjerg by two German armed trawlers, and taken to Germany during the night by three DKM DDs.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
seven AMCs were on patrol between the Faroes and Iceland, with CL SHEFFIELD eastward of them as close cover and BC HOOD with DDs KINGSTON, KASHMIR and KHARTOUM north of the Faroes as distant cover. CA SUFFOLK was proceeding east of Iceland and AMC LAURENTIC was west of Iceland to patrol the Denmark Strait.

*North Sea*
FN.50 departed Southend, escort sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 6th. FS.50 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and WOOLSTON, arriving at Southend on the 6th. ON.4 of seven British ships departed Methil escort DDs ESKIMO, MATABELE, ICARUS and ILEX. CLs GLASGOW and EDINBURGH departed Rosyth on the 6th to provide close support, while BC HOOD, and DDs KASHMIR and KHARTOUM, which departed Scapa on the 6th, gave heavy support. Destroyers KANDAHAR and KINGSTON arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel on the 7th, and left on the 8th to relieve KASHMIR and KHARTOUM for refuelling. The convoy safely arrived at Bergen on the 8th, while GLASGOW and EDINBURGH arrived back at Rosyth on the 11th.

FS.50 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and WOOLSTON, arriving at Southend on the 6th. U.59 laid mines off Great Yarmouth in Cross Sands near the Cockle Light Ship, on which two steamers were lost.

steamer KABINDA (Belg 5182 grt) ran aground and broke in half on the English coast





*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa and arrived at Belfast on the 6th, where she began repairing defects, completed on the 21st December

*West Coast UK*
steamer EGYPTIAN REEFER (Den 3159 grt) ran aground on the west coast of Scotland, but was later refloated and brought into port
U.28 laid mines in the Bristol Channel, but no shipping was sunk or damaged.

*Channel*
CLA CAIRO departed the Thames and arrived at Loch Ewe on the 7th to provide protection for damaged battleship NELSON. ASW trawler KINGSTON ANDALUSITE (415grt) attacked a submarine contact off Folkestone, and the attack was later joined by DD BOADICEA.

*SW Approaches*
MV NAVASOTA (UK 8,795 grt) 82 crew, Liverpool to Buenos Aires, carrying ballast. the ship was in convoy OB-46 when hit by one torpedo from U-47 and sank about 150 miles west of Bishop Rock. The master and 36 crew members were lost. 37 crew members were picked up by DD ESCAPADE and eight more crew members by the British steam merchant CLAN FARQUHAR, who took them all the way to Capetown before disembarking them. DD WALPOLE was ordered to search and was later joined by DDs ESCAPADE and WINDSOR. U.47 was attacked at 1515, suffering light damage. ESCAPADE and WINDSOR were then ordered to meet arriving SLF.10 on the 7th.





*Sth Atlantic*
Steamer USSUKUMA (Ger 7834 grt) had departed Hamburg for India before the start of the war, and took refuge at Lourenco Marques (in Portuguese Mozambique) , before leaving for Bahia Blanca (Argentina) where she arrived on 13 October. She was ordered by the port authorities to leave within three days, but various extensions were gained and she did not finally leave the port until 4 December. On the 5th, USSUKUMA was intercepted by CA CUMBERLAND and CL AJAX, and scuttled herself rather than be captured. AJAX embarked the crew of 23 officers, some on passage returning to Germany, and 84 men. No personnel were returned to Germany, all were taken prisoner and interned





*Indian Ocean*
OA.45G and OB.45G with a total of 44 ships merged as OG.9. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy on the 5th and DDs AMAZON and ANTELOPE from the 5th to 6th. Fr DDs TIGRE and PANTHÈRE, which departed Brest on the 4th, joined from the 6th to 11th, and DD VOLUNTEER from the 5th to 9th. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 11th with the Fr DDs and also DDs HAVOCK and WATCHMAN, which had joined on the 10th.

*Pacific - Far East*
CL DANAE was taken in hand for repairs at Hong Kong, completed on 14 February 1940. CL DESPATCH captured Steamer DUSSELDORF (Ger 4930 grt) off Punta Caldera, Chile and took her to Antofagasta, Chile, before leaving on the 14th for the Panama Canal with a prize crew for the voyage back to Britain. Despite neutralist protests, she passed through the Canal on the 25th, arrived at Bermuda on 12 January 1940 and was later renamed EMPIRE CONFIDENCE for British service.

NO IMAGE FOUND


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## Njaco (Dec 5, 2014)

*5 December 1939 Tuesday
UNITED KINGDOM:* German submarine U-28 lays several mines off Swansea, England.

Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, tells the House of Commons that Germany has descended to;


> "...the lowest form of warfare that can be imagined."


He says that the Germans first abandoned the gun for the torpedo and had now dropped that for the mine.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Forward units of the Soviet 7th Army reach the main Finnish defenses, the Mannerheim Line, on the Karelian Isthmus where it is garrisoned by the Finnish 2nd Corps. Marshal Mannerheim is the Finnish Commander in Chief. Already the Finns are learning to exploit poor management of the Soviet advance. They are developing tactics to master the Soviet tanks by separating them from their supporting infantry and emerging from concealed positions during the night to destroy them in close combat. Finnish Blenheim bombers raid the Soviet airbase at Murmansk. It was claimed that in three days fighting on the Karelian Isthmus 64 Russian tanks had been taken. Also that the Finnish air Force had brought down 24 Russian planes in the past two days.

The Soviet government rejects a League of Nations proposal to end the war with Finland. USSR claims that it is no longer at war, having concluded a peace with the Finnish Democratic Republic, which it claims requested intervention on December 1st.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Germany announced that the former Polish port of Gydnia (called Gotenhafen) is now a naval base.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* After sinking _“Royal Oak_” on their amazing Oct 14 sortie into Scapa Flow, Gunther Prien and U-47 are at sea again. Departing Kiel on November 16, U-47 is now in the Bristol Channel just South of Ireland. U-47 sinks British merchant ship SS “_Navasota_” (in ballast from Liverpool to Buenos Aires) in convoy OB-46 with one torpedo (37 lives lost). 37 others are picked up by HMS “_Escapade_”. 8 more, rescued by British steamer SS “_Clan Farquhar_”, are taken to Capetown, South Africa 22 days later. One survivor, Albert Newbury of Wales was previously torpedoed on board SS “_Lochavon_” by U-45 on October 14. Whether Albert stayed in Capetown or returned to sea is unknown.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The British king visited the troops and went up to front line positions.

Report from the Western Front stated that the enemy attempted a number of raids all of which failed.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 5, 2014)

*6 December 1939*
*Known Reinforcements*
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts




UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> B.d.U. requested Naval War Staff to extend the limits within which darkened ships may be attacked without warning. This is desirable:
> 1) in view of U 38's present operation off and in the Westfjord. It is most probable that the English ships there are darkened. Nearly all of them are painted grey, to make them less visible, and are armed.
> 2) for U-boat operations in the Mediterranean and off the Portuguese coast. Returned boats say that they sighted darkened ships there and were never certain what to do. Action according to prize law is very difficult and dangerous for the boat especially near Gibraltar.
> 
> Naval War Staff would not give their approval, as there might be German ships off the Norwegian and Spanish coasts.



At Sea 5 December 1939
U-23, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-41, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-59. 
10 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol*
CL SHEFFIELD and seven AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and CA SUFFOLK and AMC LAURENTIC in the Denmark Strait. CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
MV AGU (Estonian 1,575 grt), 18 crew, Tyne - Gothenburg carrying Coal. sailing independantly, we only have a report from U-31, which does not positively identify the ship. U-31 fired one torpedo at a small steamer and observed how the ship sank immediately after being hit amidships about 90 miles northeast of Blyth. The victim was probably AGU which had cleared Tyne on 5 December and was never heard of again. There were no survivors. 





MV VINGA (Sd 1,974 grt) 22 crew, Tyne - Gothenburg carrying a cargo of coal. The unescorted and neutral VINGA was hit in the foreship by one G7a torpedo from U-31 about 100 miles east of Dundee and sank slowly within 20 minutes. The survivors were picked up by the Danish steam merchant TRANSPORTER. All crew were rescued.





Aux MSW trawler WASHINGTON (UK 209 grt) was sunk off Caister near Great Yarmouth on a mine laid by U.59 on the 5th; seven crew were lost and there was only one survivor.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV PARALOS (Gk 3400 grt ) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 7 nautical miles (13 km) north east of North Foreland, Kent with the loss of three of her 25 crew. 






DKM DDs ERICH GIESE, BERND VON ARNIM and HANS LODY departed Wilhelmshaven to lay mines off Cromer. En route, ARNIM had a mechanical breakdown and returned to port, but GIESE carried out her lay during the night of the 6th/7th escorted by LODY. While the minelay was in progress, HM DDs JERSEY and JUNO, patrolling in the area, were sighted four miles SE of Cromer Knoll Light. RN DDs remained ignorant of the presence of the DKM surface units. GIESE worked into an ideal firing position, and torpedoed JERSEY at 0235/7th and left her badly damaged with 10 crew and officers killed. The British believed that had been hit by a uboat. JERSEY was towed by JUNO, and screened by JACKAL, which departed the Humber at 0600. JANUS, also in the Humber, did not leave until later in the morning when the visibility improved. Tug YORKSHIREMAN (251grt) later took over JERSEY and took her to Immingham. JUNO and JACKAL attacked a "submarine contact" near the location of her torpedoing. JERSEY received temporary repairs at the Humber Graving Dock until 7 January and then proceeded to Amos Smith Dock, Hull where she was under repair until 23 September 1940. Two British steamers were sunk and one damaged on this minefield. 

*Northern Waters*
U.20 sank steamer FOINA (Nor 1674 grt) in the North Sea NW of Rattray Head, The ship was in ballast and from Sarpsborg to Grangemouth to load Coking Coal and then return to Oslo. Probably torpedoed off the northeast coast of Scotland. The entire crew of 18 men perished, and thus there is also no survivors who can tell what happened. Only sign was a lifeboat that was found on 12 December 1939 half full of water and with the bodies of two fatalities. with the loss of 18 crew





CL AURORA was released from escort duties to Norway, and entered the Clyde for refit. She departed Rosyth, arriving on the 7th for repairs that continued until the 31st. Meanwhile, depot ship WOOLWICH departed Portsmouth on the 16th, escorted by DD BRAZEN, but the latter developed mechanical defects and was detached at Plymouth. DD BASILISK relieved her and WOOLWICH reached the Clyde on the 18th, with Rear Admiral Destroyers transferring to her on the 19th. DD IMPERIAL arrived at Rosyth from Scapa. 

DDs WARWICK and VIMY arrived at Loch Ewe with portable pumps for damaged BB NELSON, and sailed later that day for Liverpool, arriving on the 7th. OA.48 of 11 ships departed Southend escort DDs ACASTA and ARDENT from the 6th to 8th, and DD WHITEHALL and sloop ENCHANTRESS from the 8th to 9th, when they detached to OA.49. 

*West Coast UK*
Force W consisting of Fleet Tenders A and B (the dummy battleships) and their DD escorts. MASHONA and SOMALI arrived at Belfast on the 2nd from escort duty, and BEDOUIN and NUBIAN, which departed the Clyde on the 4th, were to rendezvous off Belfast Lough when Force W departed. The Force was to have departed Belfast on the 4th, but was held until the arrival of the ESCORT and ELECTRA, which left Portsmouth on the 5th. They finally departed Belfast at 0600/6th escorting Force W to Rosyth, where they arrived on the 9th. OB.48 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALKER and WHIRLWIND until the 9th. 

*Channel*
MTB Flotilla 1 arrived at Portsmouth on the 6th, with base ship VULCAN (trawler, 623grt) reaching there on the 8th after coming from Gibraltar in convoy HG.9. After refitting, the Flotilla was based at Felixstowe and became operational in January 1940.




_MTB Flotilla 1 was equipped with 60 foot Hard Chine Boats. These types were to be roughly handled by the larger DKM S Bootes_

Aux MSW trawler ST DONATS (349grt) was positioned 9 miles S of Cromer Knoll Light Vessel to divert southbound shipping away from the mine area, while minesweeping trawler PELTON (358grt) diverted northbound traffic. DD VANSITTART, escorting a convoy, was in a collision with a transport in the English Channel. She was repaired and refitted at Portsmouth, completing on 19 January. 

*SW Approaches*
Tkr BRITTA (Nor 6,214 grt) 31 crew, enroute Antwerp to Curacao. Carrying Ballast on the outbound journey. the neutral BRITTA was hit aft by one torpedo from U-47 and sank 45 miles southwest of Longships Lighthouse (Longships Lighthouse is a navigation aid about 1.25 mi off the coast of Lands End in Cornwall, England, UK). 6 Crewman were lost. The survivors were picked up by the Belgian trawler Memlinc. 
M/T Britta - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 





*Western Approaches*
ASW trawler LOCH TULLA (423grt) attacked a submarine contact 14.4 miles 105° from Sule Skerry (a small rock with a lighthouse NW of Scotland). 

*Med -Biscay*
BB BARHAM departed Alexandria on the 1st escort DDs DAINTY and DEFENDER. The DDs were relieved off Malta by sisters ships DUNCAN and DUCHESS, later departing Gib on the 6th for the Clyde. Fr BB PROVENCE, escort three DDs, arrived at Gibraltar with Vice Amiral Ollive onboard to take command of the Casablanca command. They should have sailed that evening, but a wire wrapped itself around PROVENCE’s propeller shaft preventing her leaving. Amiral Ollive embarked in submarine depot ship JULES VERNE, escort DDs BORDELAIS and LA RAILLEUSE, which arrived on the 11th from Casablanca. JULES VERNE departed that day, escort DDs ALBATROS and VAUBAN, while PROVENCE was able to leave Gibraltar on the 12th for Toulon for repairs escort sloops BORDELAIS and LA RAILLEUSE. 

*Pacific - Far East*

CL BIRMINGHAM departed Hong Kong on the 6th after receiving a report that German steamer BURGENLAND (7320grt) had departed Kobe on the 5th. No contact was made and she patrolled with submarine PANDORA and AMC MORETON BAY in the area of Kii Channel. However BIRMINGHAM did stop a Dutch freighter which was allowed to continue after inspection.


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## Wurger (Dec 5, 2014)

Gdynia ( Gotenhafen ) ... initially a small fishing village at the Baltic coast near Gdańsk. In 20' Poland started building of a new city with a harbour together. The reason for the construction was the need to have the Gdańsk independent docks.

Gdynia - initial appearence in 1922 ...






and in 1926 ...






Gdynia under construction ...











Soon the new city and harbour appeared ....
















... and becoming the Polish Naval Base as well.






On the 1st September 1939 Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Gdynia was defended for two weeks. Earlier they had reconnoitred the area using reconnaissance planes and took pictures.











Nazi Germans on Gdynia streets ...










Graves of Polish defenders.





The extermination of Poles started immediately Gdynia was captured.

Polish city dwellers picked up and gathered at Gdynia ...











The Gdynia under the Nazi's occupation ...
















In 1942 the Gotenhafen Naval Base became a target for a RAF recce unit.






Being a base for the German Navy, Gotenhafen "hosted" a couple of well know Nazi German ships ...

Tirpitz..






Gneisenau ...






Scharnhorst ...







Also Hitler visited the city and Naval Base ...












Hitler Visiting the Bismarck battleship in 1941

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## Njaco (Dec 6, 2014)

*6 December 1939 Wednesday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Finland Independence Day is celebrated. Some 50 aircraft arrive from Italy.

In Helsinki President Kallio receives a message of sympathy from American President Roosevelt.

Soviet forces complete a series of landings on seven islands in the Gulf of Finland. There are heavy Soviet attacks on the Mannerheim Line defenses. Fighting continues in the Karelian Isthmus as the Finnish forward defensive troops fall back to the Mannerheim Line. The Soviets already have a taste of the Finnish defenses as their losses mount attempting to cross the Taipale River at the eastern end of the Mannerheim Line.

*GERMANY:* SS forces kill the inmates of Stralsund and Chelm mental asylums.

A note is issued to the Foreign Press in which neutral countries, especially Holland, are condemned for a lack of resistance to the British blockade.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* During the night, German seaplanes and destroyers lay mines off the eastern coast. The British destroyer HMS “_Jersey_” is engaged and torpedoed by German destroyers during the operations.

First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill honored the officers and crew of “_Rawalpindi_”:


> "…whose glorious fight against overwhelming odds deserves the respect and honour of the House [of Commons] and of the nation".



U-47 sinks the neutral Norwegian ship MV “_Britta_” 50 miles off Land’s End, England (6 dead). 25 survivors are picked up by the Belgian trawler “_Memlinc_”. The Greek steamer ‘Paralos’ is sunk in the Thames estuary.

FAGr 122 dispatched eight He 111s on sorties to the Moray Firth and the Firth of Forth – three of these aircraft were lost. An He 111 from 1(F)./122 crashed shortly after take-off from Ütersen. The entire crew were killed.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Before heading to Germany for repairs, “_Graf Spee_” goes hunting in shipping routes of the River Plate estuary (South America). However, the Admiralty has learned of “_Graf Spee’s_” merchant ship sinkings near St. Helena, off the coast of Africa (December 2 and 3). Commodore Henry Harwood, Royal Navy’s expert in engagement of a battleship by smaller vessels, guesses correctly that the German raider will head to the River Plate. He sails his cruiser squadron Force G (HMS “_Exeter_”, “_Ajax_” and “_Achilles_”) from the Falkland Islands.

German ship ‘_Ussukama_’ is captured by British warships in the South Atlantic.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 7, 2014)

*6 December 1939- Additional Information*
*DKM War diary- Additional Extracts for this day*
The German Admiralty discussed some critically important issues on this day 
Selected Extracts


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## Njaco (Dec 7, 2014)

*7 December 1939 Thursday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* Having advanced 40km in 7 days above Lake Lagoda, Soviet 8th Army (7 divisions) threatens to turn the Mannerheim Line but is held by 2 Finnish divisions at the River Kollaa. Here they will remain until the end of the Winter War; “_Kollaa Holds_” becomes a rallying cry for the Finns. Farther north, Soviet troops enter Suomussalmi on the east side of Lake Kianta after it has been evacuated by the Finns, sparking the worst Soviet disaster of the Winter War. The Soviet government announces a naval blockade of the Finnish southern and western coasts.

Sweden, Norway and Denmark declare their neutrality in the Winter War.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 800 miles East of Rio de Janeiro, German pocket battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” sinks her last victim 3,895-ton British steamer SS “_Streonshalh_” (cargo of wheat). “_Graf Spee_” stops “_Streonshalh_” and takes the crew of 32 on board before sinking her with scuttling charges and 6 inch shells fired at the waterline. Papers captured from “_Streonshalh_” tell “_Graf Spee’s_” Captain Hans Langsdorff that a convoy of 4 ships is leaving Montevideo on December 10. He heads for the estuary of the River Plate to intercept them. Captain Langsdorff has followed the rules of sea warfare throughout and no lives have been lost on any of the 9 ships sunk. 61 prisoners now held on “_Graf Spee_” (crew of “_Streonshalh_” plus the captains and officers of the other 8 ships) are in for a stormy ride. 305 more British Merchant Navy crewmen are held on the “_Altmark_” in mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, a British cruiser squadron sails towards the River Plate estuary, anticipating an interception of the German warship.

At 5 AM, U-47 mistakes neutral Dutch freighter MV “_Tajandoen_” (cargo, cement, iron and steel) for a tanker and sinks her with one torpedo (6 lives lost) 50 miles south of Land’s End. Belgian steamer “_Louis Scheid_” rescues 62 survivors and, in fear of being torpedoed, runs for the shallows off the Devon coast in a gale.

At 5 PM, U-38 sinks British freighter SS “_Thomas Walton_” (13 lives lost) 80 miles from Narvik, Norway. U-38 also fires a torpedo at the German ship SS “_Sebu_” which rescues 31 survivors, taking them to Bodo, Norway.

In the North Sea, the destroyers HMS ‘_Juno_' and HMS ‘_Jersey_' were attacked by the German destroyers '_Erich Giese_' and '_Hans Lody_' which had been laying mines off Cromer. HMS ‘_Jersey_' was damaged by a torpedo and was towed into the Humber by the HMS ‘_Juno_'.

*WESTERN FRONT: *British King George VI has lunch with President Lebrun and the French Prime Minister, Edouard Daladier.

Patrol activity was reported from the Western Front, German raiding parties showing great persistence.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy publicly reaffirmed neutrality in the war.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Nine German aircraft driven off by RAF fighters in the Firth of Forth area, five being hit. Two German planes were engaged off North-East coast by RAF fighters and pursued out to sea; one was hit.

SS ‘_Eskdene_' a ship built in 1934 (3,829t), with a cargo of timber, was reported to have been damaged by a mine or torpedo but was still afloat, seventy miles NE of the Tyne entrance. The tugs '_Hendon_' and '_George V_', escorted by the sloop HMS ‘_Stork_' set off in mid afternoon of the 6th, and having to steam around minefields, eventually spotted the '_Eskdene_' at 07.00 hours on the 7th. The damaged vessel was a sorry sight, her stern was under water, she had a list to starboard, it appeared that it was only her deck cargo that was keeping her afloat and she had been abandoned. Three of the eight crew members of the '_Hendon_', using the tug's boat, managed to rig a tow up to the two tugs and the tow started at 09.30 hours. The escort at this time was an RAF plane, HMS ‘_Stork_' had left shortly before. The voyage to the Tyne was hazardous to say the least, they survived rain, fog, a gale that made the tow roll so badly that the speed had to be reduced to 1½ knots, their escort leaving them through the bad weather that nearly drove the vessels ashore and finally an explosion aboard the '_Eskdene_'. This happened in the morning of the 8th as they were nearing the Tyne entrance, as the stricken ship settled further down in the water, it was decided to make a dash for it, ultimately passing between the piers at 11.30 and finishing the task of beaching her at Herd Sands, South Shields at 15.30 hours. The cargo was eventually unloaded and the '_Eskdene_' refloated and repaired.

Air Ministry announced that in an engagement over the North Sea on December 6th two Dornier seaplanes were attacked and damaged by aircraft of the Coastal Command, one British aircraft failed to return.

Two Polish submarines, ‘_Wilk _‘ and ‘_Orzel_’ escaped from the Baltic and joined the British Navy.

.


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## Wurger (Dec 7, 2014)

Carl Gustaf Mannerheim , the commander-in-chief of Finland's defence forces during World War II, Marshal of Finland ... he was the originator of building of a defensive fortification line against the Soviet Union on the Karelian Isthmus known as the Mannerheim Line.

The Marshal of Finland ...







The commander-in-chief of Finland's defence forces in 1940 ...







Stone barriers and barbed wire in the line ....






















Finnish defeners of the Mannerheim's line ...






The Soviet 8th Army in Finnland at the beginning of the December of 1939.












A Russian T-26 light tank in Finland.

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## Crimea_River (Dec 7, 2014)

A great thread guys. I'm reading every one, though it may not look like it. Chris, just a small thing: a number of times you mention "Lake Lagoda". It's in fact Lake *Ladoga*.


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## parsifal (Dec 7, 2014)

*7 December 1939*
*Known Reinforcements*
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
U


> 29 reported that she was returning. The boat could not carry out her minelaying operation because of anti-S/M activity and weather conditions (11 days of gales) and now has to return home as her fuel stocks are exhausted. Thank God our fears for her safety were without foundation.
> U 41 entered port. She sank: 1) Trawler Creswell 275 tons; 2) Tanker Arne Kjode 11,500 tons; 3) S.S. Darine 1,350 tons; 4) Trawler Les Barges 290 tons. Total: 13,415 tons
> On her way out the weather was bad and sometimes stormy and she did not encounter much shipping. Northwest of Cape Finisterre in good weather, she came upon the convoy reported by U 53, but could not maneuver into a good attacking position. She fired a number of failures and misses, reasons for which are being investigated. She still had the old type pistols. The results of her patrol were only fair, due to these failures, but nevertheless shows ability and determination.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-41 

Departures
Kiel: U-20
Wilhelmshaven: U-57, U-61 

At Sea 7 December 1939
U-20, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-59, U-61. 
12 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
Soviet Marines, with some support from the Baltic Red Banner Fleet, overrun the outlying Finnish Islands of Hogland, Lavansaari and Tytere. Heavy air support is called in to support the fleet operations. These islands are located in the Gulf Of Finland midway between Helsinki and Leningrad 

U.23 sank Steamer SCOTIA (Den 2400 grt) . Danish steamer HAFNIA (2031grt) was nearby and searched unsuccessfully for any survivors. She also observed U.23 searching. 





Norwegian Coast
MV THOMAS WALTON (UK 4,460 grt) 44 crew, in ballast, enroute Port Talbot (a port town in Wales) to Narvik, U-38 fired a spread of two G7a torpedoes at the unescorted THOMAS WALTON inside Norwegian territorial waters south of Svolvaer and hit her with one torpedo forward of the bridge, causing the ship to break in two and sink. 13 crew members were lost. Two hours later, a G7e torpedo was launched at another unidentified steamer that stopped to rescue the survivors but it became a circle runner that detonated at the shore after 8 minutes. Shortly after this attack the UBoat discovered that this was the German steam merchant SEBU, which picked up the master and 30 crew members and landed them at Bodo, Norway. They were eventually repatriated.





*Northern Patrol*
CL SHEFFIELD and seven AMCs were between the Faroes and Iceland, and CA SUFFOLK and AMC LAURENTIC in the Denmark Strait. Other light and support ships closer to Home waters. From the 8th to 21st, 38 eastbound merchant ships were sighted by the Northern Patrol and 24 sent in for inspection. The low numbers was partly due to the fact that from the 9th to 17th, the armed merchant cruisers had been withdrawn from the Patrol. In this respect, there was some tangible benefit arising from the DKM BC sortie. 

*North Sea*
MV ESKEDEBE(UK grt (est)): The cargo ship was damaged by a mine 70 nautical miles (130 km) off the mouth of the River Tyne. She was beached at South Shields, Co Durham. Later repaired and returned to service

WHINTOWN (UK 734 grt) (formerly Swedish SS BEGONIA) The cargo ship collided with LEO (UK) in the North Sea 4 nautical miles south of the Haisboro' Lightship and sank





FS.51 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS, VIVIEN and sloop BITTERN, arriving at Southend on the 8th. Convoy FN.51 was delayed 24 hours due to the danger of mines. 

*Northern Waters*
CinC Home Flt (Adm Forbes) transferred his flag to BB WARSPITE in the Clyde. At this time, his only other capital ship was BC HOOD, badly in need of attention after her scheduled refit in November had been cut short. CLA CAIRO departed Scapa for Loch Ewe. DD IMPERIAL arrived in the Clyde from Rosyth. DD INGLEFIELD escorted tkr DAGHESTAN (5742grt) from Invergordon to Scapa. 

*West Coast UK*
BB RODNEY, DDs IMPERIAL, IMPULSIVE, GURKHA, three more DDs and two tugs departed the Clyde for Liverpool. 

*SW Approaches*
MV TAJANDOEN (Ne 8,159 grt) crew 68, Amsterdam + Antwerp to Batavia, general cargo, including cement, iron, steel and glass, the unescorted and neutral vessel was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-47 and sank in flames after a heavy detonation, only a few minutes after the hit. Six crew members were lost. The U-boat had spotted the ship only four minutes before firing and misidentified the type as tanker. The master, 47 crew members and 14 passengers abandoned ship in the lifeboats and had to avoid burning fuel on the water surface. 6 on board lost their lives.





The steam merchant LOUIS SCHEID (Be 6057 grt) witnessed the attack and picked up the survivors, despite of the fear of her master of also being torpedoed. After the men were picked up, the ship immediately headed on full speed for the nearest land and by dusk she found herself off the Devon coast in heavy rainfall and a gale. The ship struck a hidden rock near Warren Point in the early hours of 8 December and was destroyed by the seas. The Salcombe lifeboat made several dangerous trips and rescued all survivors from both ships.





*Sth Atlantic*
DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE sank steamer STREONSHALH (UK 3895 grt) south of Trinidad . GRAF SPEE stops the cargo ship and takes the crew of 32 on board before sinking her with scuttling charges and 6 inch shells fired at the waterline. Papers captured from STREONSHALH tell GRAF SPEE’s Captain Hans Langsdorff that a convoy of 4 ships is leaving Montevideo on December 10. He heads for the estuary of the River Plate to intercept them. It is a fateful decision and the british local Commander, Commodore Harwood will work on a brilliant hunch and hope that Langsdorf makes that very decision.....

Captain Langsdorff has followed the rules of sea warfare throughout and no lives have been lost on any of the 9 ships sunk. 61 prisoners now held on GRAF SPEE (crew of STREONSHALH plus the captains and officers of the other 8 ships) are in for a stormy ride. 305 more British Merchant Navy crewmen are held on the DKM ALTMARK in mid-Atlantic.

CAs EXETER and CUMBERLAND were on patrol in the Falkland Island area. The Admiralty anticipated that DKM CS GRAF SPEE might attack Port Stanley on the anniversary of the Falkland Island naval battle . When the attack did not materialize, they entered Port Stanley on the 9th. EXETER left late that morning to escort Falkland Island Company ship LAFONIA (1961grt) to Rio de la Plata






*Med -Biscay*
CL ARETHUSA, departed Alexandria on the 1st on patrol, arrived at Malta for refitting from the 7th to 18th.

*Pacific - Far East*
CL DAUNTLESS, now attached to CruSqn 9, departed Singapore on patrol, arriving back on the 23rd. Sloop LOWESTOFT completed her lengthy refit in Hong Kong on the 2nd, and sailed on the 7th. Reaching Singapore on the 13th and Colombo on the 18th, she departed Bombay on 2 January 1940 and arrived at Port Said on the 13th. She arrived at Malta on 18 January and Gibraltar on the 28th, and made Plymouth on 5 February for further refit, completed on the 21st. 

After leaving the East Indies Command, sloop EGRET completed a refit at Malta on the 7th, arrived at Gib on the 10th and departed on the 11th to reach Freetown on the 16th. She sailed on the 19th escorting SLF.13 and arrived at Cardiff on 2 January 1940 for duty with Convoy Cmd.


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## Wurger (Dec 8, 2014)

On the 7th december the battle at Suomussalmi started. It was lsting until the 8th January 1940. The Finnish Army won a wictory over the more numerous Soviet military. About eleven thousand of Finnish soldiers stopped fifty thousand of Russians. The Finland lost 1000 killed soldiers and 1000 wounded. Russian losses are estimated at about twenty-seven thousand and a half killed people, 2100 POWs and 43 destroyed tanks.

The wrecks of Soviet T-26 light tanks and cars on a forest road. Two Russian Infantry Divisions and an Armoured Brigade were bottled up there by three Finnish regiments and destroyed ...






A Russian T-26 light tank abandoned during the battle ...






... and other stuff...











Finnish troops against Russians in 1939 ...








On the same day .... in Nowe Miasto Lubawskie , 15 Polish hostages were executed by a Nazi Selbschutzu firing squad ...








There were laied down two M-Class destroyers at a shipyard of the Fairfield Shipbuilding Engineering Co. in Govan, Scotland. One of these ships was the HMS Myrmidon, launched on the 2nd March 1942 and loaned to the Polish Navy and commissioned as ORP Orkan on 18 November 1942. 

ORP Orkan ... images taken in 1942 ...

















The Polish destroyer transferred the body of the Polish Supreme Chief General Władysław Sikorski from Gibraltar to England on the 10th July 1943.

ORP Orkan docking in the Gibraltar harbour for transferring of Gen. Sikorki's body ... 






ORP Orkan in the Plymouth harbour with Gen. Sikorski's body aboard ...
















... transferring of the coffin with Gen. Sikorki's body ashore with the military company of honour ....

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## parsifal (Dec 8, 2014)

*8 December 1939*
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> An indication of the presence of U 47 and U 48 off the Channel and south of Ireland is given in the first reports of ships sunk. U 38 has fired 12 torpedoes and has reported that she is returning.She had new type pistols. It remains to be seen how many of these shots were failures.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-59

At Sea 8 December 1939
U-20, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-31, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-61. 
11 boats at sea.

*Baltic*
On the 8 the Soviet DDs, led by Flotilla Leader MINSK carried out further bombardment of the Karelian coastal batteries. Finnish MTBs put out to intercept, but poor weather forced them back. 

Norwegian Coast
HN.4 of nine British ships departed Bergen with escort by DDs ESKIMO, MATABELE, ICARUS and ILEX, but the convoy made slow progress in bad weather. DDs ELECTRA, ESCORT, NUBIAN and MAORI departed Rosyth on the 10th to relieve the escorts and on the same day, heavy weather forced ESKIMO, ILEX and three steamers to heave to. MATABELE lost touch and patrolled until daylight before attempting to rejoin the convoy. DD ISIS arrived at Scapa on the 9th to escort the four ships of the west coast section with one of the convoy DDs. Then on the 11th, ELECTRA, ESCORT, NUBIAN and MAORI relieved ESKIMO, ILEX and ICARUS which went on to the Clyde, arriving on the 12th. The convoy reached Methil safely on the 12th.

*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers and one AMC in the Denmark Strait, and seven AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland. CLs DRAGON, COLOMBO, CARDIFF, DELHI and DIOMEDE departed Loch Ewe for Northern Patrol at 1700. DRAGON and COLOMBO arrived at Scapa on the 12th, CARDIFF and DELHI on the 15th via Loch Ewe, and DIOMEDE on the 16th, also via Loch Ewe. CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa for Northern Patrol to relieve CL SHEFFIELD, and arrived back on the 17th. AMC MONTCLARE arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
MV COREA(UK 800 grt (est)) The cargo ship was on passage from Boulogne to Goole (an inland port in Yorkshire, some 45 miles from the coast, access via the confluence of the rivers Don and Ouse), with a general cargo including wool, copper and motors, when she struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Cromer, Norfolk. with the loss of eight of her 15 crew. The survivors were rescued by H F Bailey III





OA.49 of 11 ships departed Southend escort DDs KEITH, WHITEHALL, WREN and WITCH, although WHITEHALL was detached to HX.10 on the 9th. Sloop ENCHANTRESS joined on the 8th from OA.48 and stayed until the 11th when she also detached to HX.10. WREN and WITCH detached on the 9th, followed by KEITH on the 11th. FN.51 departed Southend, after a24 hour delay, under escort by DDs WALLACE and WOOLSTON. They arrived in the Tyne on the 9th.

*Northern Waters*
DD ECHO arrived in the Clyde. DD INGLEFIELD arrived at Leith for docking. Repairs were completed on the 11th and she arrived at Rosyth the same day. Subs TRIDENT and TRIUMPH arrived at Rosyth, while STARFISH arrived at Blyth after patrols. PC.74 and KINGFISHER collided at Eglinton with slight damage to both ships.

*West Coast UK*
OB.49 departed Liverpool escort DD MACKAY until the 10th and WARWICK until the 11th. Steamer ULSTER HERO (UK 483 grt) reported sighting a submarine 16 miles from Ramsey, Isle of Man. Escort sloop MALLARD and ASW trawler KING SOL (486grt) were sent to investigate. DD WANDERER attacked a submarine contact between Land's End and Penzance.

*Channel*
MV ADOUR (Belg 1105 grt) The cargo ship ran aground on rocks at Îles de Glenan, Brest, France and sank





Coaster DINARD (Fr 350 grt (Est)) The coaster collided with SWYNFLEET ( UK) and sank in the North Sea off Deal, Kent





Steamer MEREL (UK 1088 grt) was sunk on a mine near Gull Light Vessel near Ramsgate. 16 of the 18 crew were lost

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MIDDLESBRO' (UK 989 grt) was sunk in a collision with the wreck of steamer GOODWOOD (UK 2796 grt) one mile north of Flamborough Head. The crew were rescued by steamer RUNEBORG (Sd 472 grt).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CL ENTERPRISE departed Portland for Halifax, NS, arriving on the 15th. 

*SW Approaches*
MV BRANDON (UK 6,668 grt) In ballast, Enroute Cardiff - Port Everglades, Florida , a straggler from OB48. The ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 80 miles southwest of Fastnet. Nine crew members were lost. The master and survivors were picked up by the Belgian trawlers MARIE JOSE ROSETTA and TRITTEN and landed at Milford Haven. U-48 misidentified her victim as the NAVASOTA, but this ship had been sunk by U-47 (Prien) three days earlier.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Western Approaches*
HX.10 arrived at Liverpool escorted by CA YORK, which began a refit there. After British aircraft bombed a submarine contact, DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA, detached from Force W and searched 85 miles NW of Cape Wrath. U.43 was badly damaged in the air attack, but was able to reach Wilhelmshaven on the 14th. DD ISIS later joined in the search

*Sth Atlantic*
RNZN CL ACHILLES refuelled at Montevideo, left on the 9th for the Plate and joined sister ship AJAX on the 10th. The two then joined CA EXETER on the 12th and the three took up patrol in the Plate estuary.

A Skua of 800 Squadron, landing on CV ARK ROYAL, missed the landing wires and crashed into the sea. Sub Lt P T Bethell was killed, but Leading Airman J B Taylor rescued.





_BLACKBURN SKUA II L2933 K, 800 Sqn RN CV ARK ROYAL November 1939_

*Med -Biscay*
Steamer OUED TIFLET (Fr 1194 grt) arrived at Cartagena after being damaged on a nearby defensive minefield.

*Indian Ocean*
CA CORNWALL and CL GLOUCESTER departed Diego Suarez for Simonstown, after which CORNWALL was to transfer to the South Atlantic Command and GLOUCESTER to join Hunter Force I.
.


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## Njaco (Dec 8, 2014)

*8 December 1939 Friday
GERMANY:* Admiral Raeder again talks to Hitler of invading Norway. Rosenberg, the Nazi Party's political and racial expert also introduces the head of the tiny Norwegian National Unity Party to Hitler. His name is Vidkung Quisling.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Red Army is at a standstill. 7th and 13th Armies are held on the Mannerheim Line, a series of unconnected concrete bunkers and granite/earth/timber forts between the lakes on the Isthmus (meager compared to the mighty Maginot and Seigfreid Lines). 8th army stalls at the River Kollaa. 9th Army’s thrusts across the frozen lakes out of Suomussalmi are repulsed. Only 14th Army makes progress in the far North region of Petsamo, against 3 Finnish companies led by Captain Antti Pennanen.

Russia declared a blockade of Finnish coast along Gulf of Bothnia.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Fascist Grand Council confirms the Axis alliance, but votes to remain out of the conflict.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* It is decided that Polish squadrons are to be attached to the RAF.

Belgian ship “_Louis Scheid_” (which rescued 62 survivors from “_Tajandoen_” on December 7) ran aground and broke up in front of the Thurlestone Golf Club, Warren Point, Devon, England, United Kingdom before dawn. As she breaks up in very heavy seas, all survivors from “_Tajandoen_” and “_Louis Scheid_” are rescued by the Salcombe lifeboat.

British cargo-boat ‘_Merel_’ was mined off South-East Coast. SS ‘_Corea_' (751t steamer, Humber from Boulogne) hit a mine and sank off Cromer. Eight of her crew died.

1(F)./122 flew a sortie to the Scottish coast – a convoy was spotted that was subsequently attacked by He 111s of I./KG 26.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The American government protests the British blockade of Germany, stating:


> "Whatever may be said for or against measures directed by one belligerent against another, they many not rightfully be carried to the point of enlarging the rights of a belligerent over neutral vessels and their cargoes, or otherwise penalizing neutral states or their nationals in connection with their legitimate activities."



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 11.55 hours, U-48 sinks a straggler from convoy OB-48, SS “_Brandon_” (9 lives lost). Survivors are picked up by 2 Belgian trawlers and landed at Milford Haven, Wales.

British cargo steamer ‘_Navastota_’ torpedoed in Atlantic.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The King in the course of his tour of the BEF visited aircraft units and decorated Flying Officer RC Gravely and Sergeant FH Gardiner.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 8, 2014)

*9 December 1939 Part I *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
AMC ORION




_ORION in one of her disguises as the the Dutch flagged ALMAMA_

*DKM War diary*
Special Selected Extracts. KM decides to use air assets to lay mines, knowing that they are an inhernetly inaccurate means of delivery. Air laid mines prove the undoing of this highly effective weapon












Admiralty considers the latest Fuhrer discussions held on the 8th December


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## parsifal (Dec 9, 2014)

*9 December 1939- Part II*
UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 30 sailed for her operations area. Minelaying off Liverpool.



Departures
Kiel: U-13
Wilhelmshaven: U-30

At Sea 9 December 1939
U-13, U-20, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-61. 
13 boats at sea

*Baltic*
Saarenpää 152 mm battery exchanged fire with 3 SU DDs. They layed a smokescreen and retreated . The temperature had dropped to -10 oC and Koivisto Sound was becoming ice-covered. 


*Northern Patrol*
CinC Home Flt (Adm Forbes) ordered the AMCs on the line withdrawn temporarily. The threat of German mining, brought home by the damage to BB NELSON, prevented his heavy ships from leaving and entering port, and therefore were unable to cover the Northern Patrol ships. Seven AMCs left the Patrol line for the Clyde and Liverpool. CL SHEFFIELD was en route to the Tyne, passing Fair Island Channel at 2100/9th while CL NEWCASTLE proceeded to Scapa then on to relieve her on Northern Patrol duties. CAs SUFFOLK and BERWICK moved from the Denmark Strait to SE of Iceland. The regular cruisers were ordered to use their speed in the event of a re-appearance by the DKM heavy ships. 

CA DEVONSHIRE departed the Clyde to relieve BERWICK on Northern Patrol, and arrived at Scapa after patrol on the 22nd.

*North Sea*
FN.52 departed Southend, escort DDs VIVIEN, VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. FS.52 departed the Tyne escort DD WHITLEY and sloop STORK, arriving at Southend on the 10th.

*Northern Waters*
MV MAGNUS (Den 1,339 grt) crew 19 Denmark to Methil, In Ballasat. The unescorted and neutral MAGNUS was hit in the forward hold by one torpedo from U-20 about 40 miles east-northeast of Peterhead. The foreship settled quickly and the vessel sank bow first within 90 seconds. The ship had been missed at 18.41 hours with a first torpedo. There was one survivor who was picked up by the British steam trawler Philippe on 13 December. 






*France - UK*
BC.18 departed Bristol Channel, escort DDs MONTROSE and VESPER, and arrived in the Loire on the 11th. The convoy returned, departing on the 13th and arrived back in the Bristol Channel on the 15th.

*West Coast UK*
SLF 10 sailed into Liverpool and were followed by the damaged BB RODNEY, escort DDs ECLIPSE, GURKHA and FEARLESS. BC HOOD and DDs KINGSTON, KANDAHAR, KASHMIR and KHARTOUM left their patrol area covering HN.4 and proceeded to the Clyde, arriving on the 10th. CA YORK began refitting at Liverpool. CL CERES departed the Clyde, and arrived at Scapa on the 16th. AMC CHITRAL also arrived in the Clyde.

DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO and ECLIPSE departed the Clyde to rendezvous and escort arriving BB BARHAM. DD IMOGEN drydocked at Govan (in the Clyde) to repair defects.

*Channel*
CLA CURLEW departed Chatham for Invergordon, arriving on the 10th.

*SW Approaches*
Tkr SAN ALBERTO (UK 7,397 grt) crew 37 in ballast, enroute Clyde to Trinidad. Forming part of OB-48m the ship was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-48 about 120 miles south of Cape Clear and broke in two. She had been missed by the first two torpedoes at 06.44 and 06.46 hours. The forepart sank first but the stern hung on and was reboarded but had to be abandoned in worsening weather and was scuttled by gunfire on 11 December by DD MACKAY, which took over the master and 35 crew members from the Belgian tanker ALEXANDRE ANDRE and landed them at Plymouth. One crew member was lost.





*Sth Atlantic*
NW of Mossamedes (a port in Portuguese Angola), CA SHROPSHIRE of Force H encountered Steamer ADOLF LEONHARDT (Ger 2990 grt), which had departed Lobito (also in Portuguese Angola) on the 8th. She scuttled herself off South Africa rather than be captured, and her six officers and 19 crew were picked up by SHROPSHIRE.




Profile of the SHROPSHIRE





CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Simonstown.

Caribbean
CL EFFINGHAM arrived at Bermuda for refitting, completed on the 23rd. MV NORDMEER (Ger 5671 grt) departed Curacao, and despite efforts by Fr sub OUESSANT to intercept her in Mona Passage on the 15th, was able to reach Vigo (Portugal) on 5 January 1940.

*Med -Biscay*
HG.10 departed Gib with 62 ships, escort DDs WATCHMAN, ACTIVE, HAVOCK and the Fr CHEVALIER PAUL and TARTU. The French ships remained with the convoy from the 8th to 16th when they arrived at Brest. ACTIVE was detached that evening, still on the 9th. HAVOCK and WATCHMAN detached to OG.9 on the 10th and escorted that convoy for one day before returning to Gib . HAVOCK then left on the 12th to return to Sheerness for repairs. On the 15th, the convoy was joined by DDs VISCOUNT and ANTELOPE from OG.10 and also DD VIVACIOUS. All three were with the remaining ships of the convoy when it arrived at Liverpool on the 16th. French sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC attacked a submarine contact 2.5 miles 357° from Cape Spartel.


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## Njaco (Dec 9, 2014)

*9 December 1939 Saturday
GERMANY:* Following an order for the removal of all First World War veterans from flying positions and commands, Major Hans-Hugo Witt is made Kommodore of JG 26 in place of Oberst Eduard Ritter von Schleich.

*WESTERN FRONT:* 27-year-old Corporal Thomas Priday of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry is killed leading a patrol. He is the first British soldier to be killed in the Second World War.

The King visited the troops on the frontier and inspected a sector of the Maginot Line.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The news agency TASS carries an erroneous report that Germany is sending supplies to Finland. In fact, the Germans are not sending supplies, but Italy is shipping material to Finland through Germany. Moscow-Berlin relations are strained by the report.

Near Suomussalmi, the Finns bring Soviet attacks to a halt. A brilliant night attack is also mounted on the 9th Army units near Kollaa. Finns repulsed new attacks on Karelian isthmus. Soviet bombers raided Hangoe.

The League of Nations begins a meeting to consider intervention in the conflict between Finland and the USSR.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Some 200 Polish Jews cross over the Bug river into Soviet occupied Poland after surviving being deported by the Nazis -- and forced marched -- from their homes in the cities of Hrubieszow and Chelm. About 1800 Jews began the trek.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German cruiser “_Admiral Graf Spee_” sails towards the River Plate estuary (separates Uruguay and Argentina) to attack a convoy of 4 ships thought to be leaving Montevideo. “_Graf Spee’s_” Captain Hans Langsdorff is acting on information captured from British steamer SS “_Streonshalh_” (sunk on Dec 7). Meanwhile, Royal Navy Force G (light cruisers HMS “_Ajax_” and HMS “_Achilles_”) are already heading to River Plate, following Commodore Henry Harwood’s hunch that “_Graf Spee_” will try the busy shipping lanes of South America. Harwood makes the wise decision to order the heavy cruiser HMS “_Exeter_” (currently refitting in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands) to join them in the River Plate estuary. Another heavy cruiser, HMS “_Cumberland_”, remains refitting in Port Stanley.

.

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## parsifal (Dec 9, 2014)

*10 December 1939 *
*DKM War diary*








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> There is no news of U 28 and some cause for concern. If so far she has not been able to lay her mines because of the weather and the moon, she must at least be able to decide now, with a new moon and calm weather, whether she can lay them at all. In any case her fuel stocks should have forced her to return by now.



At Sea 10 December 1939
U-13, U-20, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-31, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-61. 
13 boats at sea

*Baltic*
Saarenpää fortress was shelled by BB OKTJABRSKAYA REVOLUTSIA. The ship was escorted by flotilla leader DDs LENINGRAD and MINSK, and regular DDs STEREGUSHIJ and ARTEM, four sweepers and six MO patrol boats. DDs ENGELSs and VOLODARSKIJ provided additional cover. OKTJABRSKAYA REVOLUTSIA shot 30 two-gun salvos at the Finnish 254 mm battery. The Finns counted 41 groups of heavy shells. The sea was covered by fog and the Finnish battery had no visual contact. Few shots were fired and enemy ceased fire. The flotilla leaders and STEREGUSHIJ shelled then Tiurinsaari, where the Finnish 152 mm battery did not return fire. Sub SAUKKO and two MTB´s tried to attack, but freezing of air vent prevented Saukko and one of the MTB's run in. The fortress had its first casualties, two killed and three wounded. 

Soviet sub S.1 (renamed to SHCH101) sank Steamer BOLHEIM (Ger 3324 grt) with gunfire off Rauma (Rauma is a town on the west coast of Finland, 92 kilometres north of Turku, and 50 kilometres south of Pori).








Soviet subs SC.322 and 323 (both Serie X Boats) respectively sank steamers REINBEK (Ger 2884 grt), en route from Leningrad to Oskarshamn on the west coast of Sweden, in the Gulf of Finland, and steamer KASSARI (Est 379 grt) off Uto with the loss of one member of crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE REINBEK]








*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Shetlands, and four cruisers between the Shetlands and Iceland. AMCs TRANSYLVANIA, WORCESTERSHIRE, ASTURIAS and ANDANIA arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol duties. SCOTSTOUN was due to arrive with them, but was delayed by weather and only reached the Clyde on the 11th. AMC CANTON and DERBYSHIRE departed the Clyde for Portsmouth.

The old C and D-class light cruisers began to be withdrawn from the Northern Patrol as they were relieved by armed merchant cruisers. The first ones to leave for less arduous stations were CARDIFF, CERES, COLOMBO and DRAGON. All the ships were refitted and by the spring of 1940 had been reassigned:

*North Sea*
MV WILLOWPOOL (UK 4,815 grt) 36 crew fully laden with a cargo of iron Ore, enroute Bona (a small port north of Trondheim) to Middlesborough. The ship, dispersed from HG-9, ut struck a mine shortly there after whichhad been laid on 21 November by U-20 3 miles east from Newarp Lightship and sank . All of the crew were rescued, picked up by the Gorleston lifeboat. 





CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Wallsend for docking from the 11th to 17th for repairs, leaving on the 18th. DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JAGUAR, JANUS and JUPITER departed the Humber to carry out an ASW Sweep off Terschelling. No contact was made and they arrived back on the 11th. After delivering Force W to Rosyth, DDs SOMALI and BEDOUIN proceeded to the Clyde. Sister ship MASHONA escorted tkr DAGHESTAN from Invergordon to Scapa, and then also proceeded to the Clyde.

OA.50G departed Southend with 36 ships escort DDs VISCOUNT and ANTELOPE, and on the 11th merged with OB.50G, escort DDs WITHERINGTON and VIMY to form OG.10 - a total of 56 ships. VISCOUNT, ANTELOPE, WITHERINGTON and VIMY were all with the convoy from the 11th to 13th when VISCOUNT and ANTELOPE detached to HG.10. Fr DDs JAGUAR and LÉOPARD, which departed Brest on the 12th, joined the escort force from the 13th to 18th, when the convoy arrived at Gibraltar. The day before, the 17th, DD WISHART had joined off Gibraltar.

Steamer IMMINGHAM (Ne 398 grt) struck a mine off Kallautsoog, off the Dutch coast and sank on the 11th; her crew of seven was rescued





Steamer JOTUN (Nor 534 grt) was lost by grounding south of Berwick

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast UK*
DD WOLVERINE, escorting steamer TONGARIRO , attacked a sub contact . She was joined by DD KEITH, but the contact was not regained. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Leith at 1300 for Rosyth after completing repairs following her November collision. She joined sloop PELICAN off Inchkeith and both proceeded toward the Tyne.

Steamer FIRE KING (UK 758 grt) was sunk in collision with steamer DUKE OF LANCASTER (3814grt) in the Irish Sea off the Isle of Man.






*Channel*
HM King George VI took passage in DD CODRINGTON from Dover to Boulogne escorted by DDs BASILISK, BEAGLE, BOADICEA, BOREAS and BRILLIANT. The King and the ships arrived back at Dover that night. Sloop ABERDEEN, on convoy escort with DD WAKEFUL, attacked a submarine contact 24 miles from the Owers and then rejoined the convoy. DD ACHERON was sent to investigate, but in St Helen's Bay on the 11th, the starboard engine failed and put her out of action. DD GURKHA arrived at Portsmouth for docking.

*SW Approaches*

*Western Approaches*
Patrol sloop PUFFIN attacked a submarine contact. DD FORESTER also attacked a submarine contact Nw of PUFFIN. Patrol sloop KINGFISHER also searched the area.

*Nth Atlantic*
Canadian troop convoy TC.1, consisting of troopships MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt), EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (42,348grt), DUCHESS OF BEDFORD (20,123grt), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt) and AQUITANIA (45,647grt) carrying 961, 1,303, 1,312, 1,235 and 2,638 troops respectively, departed Halifax. The convoy was escorted out of Halifax by RCN DDs OTTAWA, FRASER, RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT, and BB RESOLUTION provided heavy support. BC REPULSE and CVL FURIOUS had just arrived at Halifax escorting liner DUCHESS OF RICHMOND (20,022grt), carrying British civilians being evacuated to Canada. REPULSE, FURIOUS, CL EMERALD, and DDs HUNTER and HYPERION departed Halifax and steamed ahead of the troop convoy to sweep for German raiders. HUNTER and HYPERION were detached at dusk on the 10th and rejoined at 0800/11th. Because of the severe cold, FURIOUS was unable to launch aircraft due to frozen hydraulic lines until the 11th, but then fog soon curtailed operations. Once out of the Halifax approaches, the local escort, HUNTER and HYPERION returned to Halifax, while at sea on the 14th, EMERALD was relieved by CL NEWCASTLE. 

HXF.12 departed Halifax at 0900 escort by RCN DD SKEENA, which was detached on the 12th. Ocean escort was AMC ALAUNIA and Fr sub ACHILLE. ALAUNIA detached on the 22nd and ACHILLE arrived at Brest on the 22nd, escorted into port by sloop COMMANDANT RIVIERE. DD WALKER escorted the convoy in Home Waters from the 23rd and HXF.12 arrived at Liverpool on the 24th. 

*Sth Atlantic*
SL.12 departed Freetown escorted by sloop ROCHESTER and arrived on the 26th. 

*Med -Biscay*
Fr CA ALGÉRIE arrived at Casablanca. CL GALATEA departed Malta on patrol and arrived back on the 19th. Fr DD TEMPÊTE passed Gibraltar east to west. Fr CAs TOURVILLE and COLBERT, assisted by sloop D'IVERVILLE, departed Malta for contraband control duties off the west of Greece. The cruisers arrived at Beirut on the 12th. 

*Indian Ocean*
Sub OLYMPUS departed Diego Suarez to check Prince Edward Island in the southern Indian Ocean for suspected German raiders, but made no sightings. 

K.6 departed Bombay with troopships RAJULA (8478grt), D'ARTAGNAN (15,105grt), ROHNA (8602grt), CAP TOURAINE (8009grt), LANCASHIRE (9557grt), TAIREA (7933grt) and TALAMBA (8018grt), escorted by RAN CL HOBART and AMCs MALOJA and RANCHI from the 10th to 15th. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 20th and Port Said on the 21st, and was escorted by RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VOYAGER from the 21st to 24th. They were relieved on the 24th by RAN sister ships VENDETTA and WATERHEN from the 24th to 26th when the convoy reached Marseilles. 

The troops being transported are from the Indian Army (4th Indian Div I believe). The first contingents of the AIF do not depart Australia until 9 January 1940


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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2014)

*10 December 1939 Sunday
NORTH AMERICA: *The first Canadian troop convoy leaves Halifax destined for Britain. 7400 men of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division leave on five ocean liners, escorted by Royal Canadian Navy destroyers “_Ottawa_”, “_Restigouche_”, “_Fraser_”, and “_St. Laurent_”.

The American government grants Finland a $10 million credit for agricultural supplies, a gesture largely due to Finland being the only country to have paid war debts from World War I to the United States.

*GERMANY:* Vidkun Quisling of Norway meets with Adolf Hitler and many others in Berlin, over eleven days. They agree that Germany should aid Quisling and his Nazi party to seize control of Norway at a favorable moment.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The government of Finland issues a general appeal for aid, stating that it has been attacked by the Soviet Union;


> "…without the slightest cause," adding that "our position as the active outpost of western civilization gives us the right to expect the active resistance of other civilized nations."



The Finns successfully halt Soviet divisions, north of Lake Ladoga, in the battle of Kollaa begun December 7th. Despite primitive construction, the Mannerheim Line is remarkably effective. Cleared paths in the forest funnel Soviet troops into minefields and fields of fire pre-ranged for both machine guns and the limited Finnish artillery. Adjacent pill boxes provide mutually-supporting fire. Granite blocks and other obstacles block the killing fields to prevent tanks advancing on the Line. The Finnish batteries on the islands in the Gulf of Finland prevent the Soviet Baltic Fleet from landing troops behind the Mannerheim Line.

Soviet 7th Army, while attacking Finnish defense fortifications, received flanking fire from coastal batteries on the island of Saarenpää; in response, Soviet battleship “_Oktjabrskaja Revolutsija_” bombarded the island, but failed to hit the batteries due to heavy fog. Baltic Fleet submarines sink three ships including two German vessels; SS “_Reinbeck_” in the Gulf of Finland (off Helsinki) and SS “_Bolheim_” in the Gulf of Bothnia. The Soviet submarine S-1 sinks the German ship “_Bolheim_” in error. Most ships attacked by Soviet submarines are German although USSR and Germany are allies. The Estonian steamer ‘_Kassa_’ was torpedoed in the Gulf of Finland.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops launched an attack on Henglingguan Pass south of Jiangxian in northern China; the Japanese troops at the strong point would be driven off by the month's end.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The King returned to London after his tour of the Western Front.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Soviet Government handed a Note to the British Ambassador in Moscow protesting against Britain’s two-way blockade.

Soviet Government refused offer of service of International Red Cross Committee in Geneva on grounds that Russia is not at war with Finland.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Four neutral ships were reported sunk: Swedish Steamer ‘_Vinga_'; Dutch motor-ship ‘_Immingham_'; Danish collier ‘ _Scotia_'; Norwegian steamer ‘_Gimle_’. HM Drifter ‘_Ray of Hope_’ was sunk by a mine. SS ‘_Willowpool_' (4,815t steamer, Bona, Algeria to the Tees), hit a mine and sank E of Newarp Lightvessel.


.


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## Wurger (Dec 10, 2014)

And a couple of pics more of the battleship Bismarck there ... the image source Tagi â€¢ pancernik - Sadistic.pl

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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2014)

*11 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
MSW M-20 (M-35 Class)





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 30 reported from the northern North Sea that her port exhaust valve would not close. The boat was in the dockyard from 9.10 to 5.12, during which time her engine casing was changed and her diving tanks altered. She sailed on 9.12. If the exhaust valve cannot be repaired at sea, the boat will be unable to dive and therefore forced to break off her patrol. This means that the operation will have to be postponed until the next new moon. After that long dockyard period it is hardly too much to ask that the exhaust valve should be in working order. If U 30 has to break off her operation I shall demand a thorough investigation by the dockyard to determine who is to blame.
> 
> U 47 reported that she is starting her return passage. She too has had several dud electric torpedoes, though the nature of the failure is not mentioned in the report. One thing is certain now, however; the steps which the Torpedo Inspectorate promised themselves would remove the cause of these failures have not led to the desired results.
> 
> ...


. 

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-31 

At Sea 11 December 1939
U-13, U-20, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-61. 
12 boats at sea

*Baltic*
The Saarenpää fort had assisted the land front with 18 shots of heavy 254 mm guns during 10 and 11 December. These had a devastating effect on the Finnish side, because after these shots all 254 mm guns were unusable. The barrel of number six 254 mm gun cracked. 

Norwegian Coast
MV GAROUFALIA (Gk 4,708 grt) 29 crew in ballast, Oslo - Trondheim - Kirkenes. The neutral GAROUFALIA was hit by one torpedo from U-38, while proceeding inside the Norwegian territorial waters. The torpedo struck in the engine room and killed the crew on watch below. She was sunk with a second torpedo 30 minutes after the first. The survivors, among them two Norwegian pilots, were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant Tellus. They had observed the U-boat before the attack and this proved to both British and Norwegian authorities that German U-boats operated inside Norwegian territorial waters. This was a huge propaganda blunder for the Germans and they did not send other U-boats on such patrols. U-38 was perhaps the worst offender for not observing neutrality protection. She operated as far east as Murmansk and KptLt Liebe disregarded all respect of neutral shipping or warning before attack. But most torpedoes failed or missed. 





*North Sea*
MV STORFJELD (Nor 2199 grt) The cargo ship ran aground on the Seaton Rocks, Northumberland. 





CL EDINBURGH arrived at Rosyth. Ex German merchant ship ILSENSTEIN (8216grt), acquired pre-war, departed Rosyth escort DD ESCORT and escort ship WOOLSTON for Loch Ewe. After reaching the Pentland Firth, WOOLSTON returned to Rosyth. DD ELECTRA was ordered to join ESCORT, but ILSENSTEIN was unable to clear port in the heavy weather. DD MOHAWK was in collision with a tug as she made passage down the Tyne. Temporary repairs were completed in the Tyne on the 14th. ORP DD BLYSKAWICA fired on an unidentified aircraft off Harwich. DD BEDOUIN managed to clear Rosyth with tkr DAGHESTAN (5742grt) for Invergordon, then proceeded to Scapa and on to the Clyde, arriving on the 12th. OA.51 departed Southend on the 11th escort DDs VETERAN and BROKE until the 13th when they were relieved by DDs WHITEHALL and WIVERN. After the convoy dispersed on the 14th, WHITEHALL and WIVERN joined SL.11. FS.53 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE and sloop HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 12th. FN.54 was delayed for 24 hours, but DD WHITLEY and sloops FLAMINGO and STORK guarded the ships overnight and were joined by DD GREYHOUND the next day. U.61 laid mines off the Firth of Forth.

*Northern Waters*
CL GLASGOW arrived at Scapa Flow.

*France - UK*
BC.17 of steamers BARON GRAHAM, CLAN ROSS (Commodore), DUNKWA and GUELMA departed the Loire escort DD VESPER, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 12th. SA.21 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort DD WINDSOR which reported a submarine contact enroute. The convoy arrived at Brest on the 12th.

Convoy AXS.8 of one steamer, escorted by destroyer VIVACIOUS, arrived at Brest from Barry.

*West Coast UK*
OB.51 departed Liverpool escort DD VOLUNTEER and sloop DEPTFORD.

*Channel*
BB VALIANT departed Plymouth on trials after refit, escort DDs ACASTA and ARDENT. She was to have arrived back on the 11th, but due to submarine activity in the area, remained at sea overnight with DDs ENCOUNTER, ARDENT, ACASTA and GRENADE. She then headed for Portland, reaching there on the 12th and leaving on the 14th for Bermuda. VALIANT was met by DD HYPERION on the 21st, 240 miles 70° from Mount Hill Light and reached Bermuda on the 22nd for working up after the refit. She arrived back at Bermuda on the 25th. A U-boat was sighted in the vicinity of the Plymouth indicator loops. Exercises were cancelled and submarine H.43 was ordered to return to harbour on the surface. DD WOLVERINE and sloop LONDONDERRY hunted 60° and 320° respectively from a position 4 miles 45° from Eddystone, and WOLVERINE also took DD BRAZEN under orders to join in the search. A tug reported bumping a submerged object inside the loop at 1115. DDs ENCOUNTER, GRENADE, WHITEHALL and sloop LONDONDERRY searched without success but WOLVERINE did make a contact 6.5 miles 112° from Rame Head. A U-boat was reported in the Channel near Portsmouth and DDs ACHERON, VEGA and WHITSHED were ordered to search.

Fr BC DUNKERQUE with 100 tons of gold for deposit in Canada and CL GLOIRE departed Brest at 1700 for Halifax escort Contre Torpilleur DDs MOGADOR, VOLTA, LE TRIOMPHANT, LE TERRIBLE and VALMY. VALMY detached on the 12th and the rest of the destroyer force on the 13th. DUNKERQUE and GLOIRE arrived on the 17th.

*Med -Biscay*
BB MALAYA, which had been escorted by RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN in the Red Sea, arrived at Suez for refit after duty in the Indian Ocean. Sub OSWALD departed Alexandria for patrol in the Mediterranean until the 23rd.


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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2014)

*11 December 1939 Monday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet 163rd division’s nightmare begins, having advanced 10-30 km since crossing the border. 662nd regiment is held by the Finnish 9th Brigade at the North end of Lake Piispajarvi by Finnish 16th battalion. To the South, 81st and 759th regiments are held up in Suomussalmi by a company of 58 Finnish border police, since Dec 7. Suomussalmi village is a critical road junction sitting in a network of lakes. Beyond, easier terrain and a rail junction at Puolanka provide the Red Army access to the Gulf of Bothnia. To prevent this, Finnish 27th regiment (4500 men traveling on skis, no artillery, no anti-tank or anti-aircraft guns) attacks the Soviet supply line along the Raate Road, isolating Soviet troops in Suomussalmi.

In Geneva after Finland asks for concrete aid, "not merely words of encouragement," the League of Nations agrees to intervene in the conflict between Finland and the USSR. This is one of the few times that the League has attempted to take a decisive stand. The League urges the Soviet Union to cease hostilities in Finland within 24 hours and accept mediation.

German submarine U-38 commits a political blunder, sinking neutral Greek freighter SS “_Garoufalia_” (4 lives lost) in neutral territorial waters of Norway. 25 survivors, including 2 Norwegian pilots, are picked up by Norwegian steamer SS “_Tellus_” and report the sinking.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Admiralty stated that four British steamships ‘_Ashlea_’, ‘_Newton Beech_’, ‘_Huntsman_’ and ‘_Trevanion_’ were now long overdue and must be considered lost. British steamer ‘_Willowpool_’ hit mines in the North Sea.

A German barrage balloon came down in Shetlands.


.



.


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## parsifal (Dec 11, 2014)

*12 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
U-50 Type VIIB UBoat





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 30 has not been able to repair her exhaust valve and is returning.
> The fate of U 35 is now known. A newspaper picture from Scotland shows the C.O. and some members of the crew. The British radio has given out several names of members of the boat's crew.
> The boat has been declared missing with effect from 12 December.
> U 47 reported that she was starting on her return passage. She has had 6 torpedo failures. U 48 is now the only boat left in the Atlantic operations area



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-60

At Sea 12 December 1939
U-13, U-20, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-60, U-61. 
13 boats at sea

*Baltic*
SU sub SC.322 damaged Steamer HELGA BOGE (Ger 2181 grt) with gunfire, four miles north of Revalstein. 

Danish East Coast
Steamer TORO (Sd 1467 grt) was sunk on a mine 35 miles S of Copenhagen, off Malmo between Trelleborg and Falsterbo.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
three cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, and four cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland. There was no patrol in the Denmark Strait on this date. CLs COLOMBO and DRAGON arrived at Scapa

*North Sea*
MV MARWICK HEAD (UK 496 grt) crew 10 enroute Bo’ness - London, cargo of coal , the vessel struck a mine, laid on 5 December by U-59 and sank 0.5 miles south of North Caister Buoy. Five crew members were lost. The master and four crew members landed at Great Yarmouth.





Sub SALMON sighted liner BREMEN (Ger 51,731 grt) at 0930 , but British submarines at this time were not permitted to sink merchant ships without warning. Instead, SALMON attempted to stop her 70 miles SSW of Lister Light , but BREMEN ignored her and an arriving German Do.18 aircraft forced SALMON to dive. BREMEN arrived safely at Wesermünde midday on the 13th. 





FN.53 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloops FLAMINGO and STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. FN.53, after being delayed a day by weather, was escorted from the south by DD GREYHOUND with close escort by escort vessel WHITLEY, sloops FLAMINGO and STORK. The convoy was especially important as it included six tankers.

GERMAN DESTROYER MINELAYING OFF THE TYNE
DKM DDs HERMANN KÜNNE, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK, RICHARD BEITZEN and BRUNO HEINEMANN laid the minefield off the Tyne near Newcastle during the night of the 12th/13th. On the return, HEINEMANN had a fire in her turbine room and had to stop, STEINBRINCK standing by, but she was able to restart and carry on. Destroyers IHN and STEINBRINCK later suffered equipment defects and were detached to Wilhelmshaven. Eleven Allied merchant ships grossing 18,979 tons were sunk and destroyer KELLY and a large tanker badly damaged in the field:


*Northern Waters*
Sube UNDINE arrived at Blyth for repairs until the 23rd. U.13 laid mines off Dundee in the Firth of Tay, on which one ship was sunk.

*West Coast UK*
DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO and ECLIPSE departed the Clyde to escort BB BARHAM. Meanwhile BARHAM and DDs DUCHESS and DUNCAN, which had departed Gib on the 6th for service with the Home Flt, were 9 miles west of the Mull of Kintyre when DUCHESS was run down at 0437 in an accidental collision with BARHAM. Struck abreast the forecastle, DUCHESS capsized and then exploded killing many men in the water. She sank at 0503 with the loss of 6 officers (including the CO) and 124 ratings. Only one officer and 22 ratings were rescued by ECHO and ECLIPSE. EXMOUTH and DUNCAN screened BARHAM's entry into the Clyde while ECLIPSE and ECHO stood by at the location of the sinking until daylight.




_The loss of the DUCHESS and heavy loss of life was a significant embarrassment for the RN _

DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, and ILEX arrived in the Clyde. 

*Channel*
Aux patrol trawler EMILION (201grt) was damaged in a collision with teamer MONTE NAVAJO (Sp 5754 grt) near the Goodwin Buoy. She sustained slight damage. The Spanish ship continued without taking any action or offering any assistance as was customary under the international lore of the sea. Trawler VALERIA (189grt) reported sighting a suspicious vessel near 5A Buoy off Lowestoft, course ESE. ORP DD BLYSKAWICA was dispatched to assist, but ordered to return to Harwich at daylight if no contact was made. 

Lt R H M Heriot-Hill, Petty Officer M Fortrum, Leading Airman M McLoughlin (RAF) and Air Mechanic L Moorhead were killed when their Walrus of 754 Squadron struck a balloon cable near Southampton. 





_Sqns that operated the walrus in the RN included Nos 700,701,702,710,711,712,714,715,716,718,720,722,728,730,733,737,740,742,743,747,749,751,754,757,763,764,765,771,772,773,777,778,781,782, 783,787,788,789,796, 836, 1700_

British minefield SC was laid on the 12th, 18th and 27th December, 16 January and 14 February by auxiliary minelayer HAMPTON westward of Folkestone Gate. 


*Western Approaches*
ARRIVAL OF CANADIAN TROOP CONVOY TC.1
DDs ESKIMO, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, SOMALI, KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM, KINGSTON, KASHMIR, FEARLESS, ILEX, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE departed the Clyde to sweep ahead of Cdn troop convoy TC.1 as it approached the British Isles and bring it into the Clyde. However, IMPERIAL was held up and did not join, and DD MATABELE joined the escort force at sea. 

Sub SALMON and RAF Coastal Command aircraft sighted German destroyers HERMANN KÜNNE, FRIEDRICH IHN, ERICH STEINBRINCK, RICHARD BEITZEN and BRUNO HEINEMANN in the North Sea en route to the Tyne on a ML mission. Adm Forbes, concerned for the safety of convoy TC.1, departed Greenock with BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, BC HOOD, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, IMOGEN, IMPERIAL, ISIS and FOXHOUND on the 13th. DDs FORESTER and FIREDRAKE departed Loch Ewe and joined the force off the Mull of Kintyre. CAs BERWICK, DEVONSHIRE and CL GLASGOW on Northern Patrol patrolled further south than usual to cover the convoy. Light cruisers SOUTHAMPTON and EDINBURGH departed Rosyth, called at Scapa, proceeded to Fair Island Channel and then patrolled between the Shetlands and the Faroes. DDs AFRIDI, MAORI and NUBIAN departed Rosyth and swept north at 25 knots. CLs DIOMEDE, CARDIFF, CERES and DELHI on Northern Patrol were to concentrate 10 miles 180° from Myggenoes Light in the Faroes, where they were joined by CLs COLOMBO and DRAGON which were proceeding to patrol stations. 

Subs SEAHORSE, STURGEON, UNITY and L.23 departed Blyth around midnight on the 12th/13th, SUNFISH and SNAPPER departed Harwich on patrol, and SHARK, already on patrol, was moved to a position off the mouth of the Jade River. 

TC.1's only incident of the voyage occurred on the 17th off Northern Ireland as the convoy neared its destination. Outward-bound liner SAMARIA (19,597grt) entered the eastbound convoy in fog and collided with aircraft carrier FURIOUS, carrying away several antennas and lifeboats and grazing liner AQUITANIA. On arrival in the Clyde, CVL FURIOUS and BC REPULSE returned to the command of Admiral Forbes, who reached the Clyde on the 17th after escorting TC.1 into port. 

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.12 departed Halifax at 1000 escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA. At 1800/14th, they handed the convoy over to an ocean escort consisting of Fr sub PASTEUR which detached on the 20th, and AMC AUSONIA, which left on the 25th. PASTEUR was joined by Fr Contre Torpilleur DD VALMY and sloop GAZELLE on the 23rd, and later arrived at Brest. DDs WANDERER and WALKER escorted the convoy from the 24th to 27th, when it arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

*Sth Atlantic*
SLF.12 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CILICIA and arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

Allied Hunter Groups in the South Atlantic were disposed late on the 12th as follows:

Force G - CA EXETER, CL AJAX and the RNZB CL ACHILLES off the Uruguay coast near Rio de la Plata.

Force H - CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE sweeping off the west coast of Africa.

Force I - CVL EAGLE, CA CORNWALL, CL GLOUCESTER arrived at Durban on the 12th, low on fuel, after chasing into the Indian Ocean on a false raider report. EAGLE and GLOUCESTER were expected to need a week to boiler clean at Simonstown.

Force K - CVr ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN in the Pernambuco area.

Force X - CVL HERMES, Fr CAs DUPLEIX, FOCH, and RN DDs HARDY, HOSTILE and HERO were north of St Paul Rocks. RN CL NEPTUNE joined Force X on the 12th.

Additionally, heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND was in the Falklands, boiler cleaning and refitting on short notice. Sister ship DORSETSHIRE was at Simonstown, preparing to relieve heavy cruiser EXETER on the South America Station. Submarine SEVERN was halfway between St Helena and Bahia en route to the Falklands, and sister CLYDE approaching Dakar.


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## Wurger (Dec 11, 2014)

Frozen Soviet soldiers in Finnland during the Winter War.


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## Njaco (Dec 11, 2014)

*12 December 1939 Tuesday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet forces capture Salla, Kirovsk, and Kandalaksja. The Finns launch a series of attacks against the Soviet 8th Army. Finnish attacks near Kollaa meet with less success. The battles of Tovaajarviand and Kitela, both north of Lake Ladoga, begin. Soviets suffered heavy casualties near Tolvajärvi, Finland as Finnish troops wiped out two Soviet divisions.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Churchill speaks in favor of an Allied invasion of Norway. In his speech he says that;


> "…it is humanity, and not legality, that we must look to as our judge."



*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Soviet government rejects an appeal, made by the League of Nations, for a ceasefire with Finland and mediation of the dispute.

*GERMANY:* Hitler orders the production of sea mines and ammunition to be almost doubled. He also postponed the decision to invade France to 27 Dec 1939; if he was to launch the attack, the date of action was to be 1 Jan 1940. Since the decision was to be made after Christmas, he permitted the granting of Christmas leave.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Tyne was the assembly point for the southbound East Coast convoys between November 1939 and February 1940 and at various times during this period it received some attention from German minelaying destroyers. On Tuesday 12th December a force of German destroyers which consisted of the '_Beitzen_', '_Steinbrinck_', '_Heinemann_' and '_Ihn_', each loaded with 60 contact mines, sailed from their assembly point at Shillig Roads, together with the '_Künne_' as escort. Making their usual feint northwards till dusk then westwards to the target area off the mouth of the Tyne. The 240 mines were laid without incident. Unbelievably coastal lights were still burning in the Tyne area and the destroyers were able to fix their positions by the lights on Coquet Island, Curry Point, North Shields and elsewhere. Their task finished, the destroyers headed for home at top speed. On the way, a fire in '_Heinemann's_' No 2 turbine room caused her to stop engines to put it out, the '_Steinbrinck_' stood by. On the other side of the North Sea an escort consisting of the light cruisers '_Nurnberg_', '_Leipzig_' and '_Koln_' was awaiting the return of the destroyers when HM Submarine ‘_Salmon_' entered the fray. Lieutenant Commander Bickford fired six torpedoes at long range, at 11.24 hours, '_Leipzig_' was hit amidships by a single torpedo which wrecked her forward boiler room. Ordering a 90 degree turn Konteadmiral Lutjens turned the squadron right into the path of another torpedo which blew the bows off the '_Nurnberg_'. The '_Salmon_' escaped. “_Leipzig_” will only return to service in 1941 but solely as a training ship. “_Nurnberg_” will be out of action until May 1940. The five destroyers after being subjected to an attack made in error by German aircraft, were still some 130 miles away, they were ordered to form an anti-submarine screen around the cruisers with all dispatch, but shortly afterwards the '_Ihn_' and '_Steinbrinck_' were diverted to Wilhelmshaven because of machinery breakdowns. The remaining destroyers reached the cruisers at 13.57 hours together with two 'F' class escort vessels and four 'M' boats. Zig-zagging down the Danish coast, the German naval force sailed into the patrol area of HM Submarine '_Ursula_'. Eight miles S of Heligoland, Lieutenant Commander Phillips also launched a six torpedo attack, two of them struck the escort vessel 'F 9' at 12.33 hours. She sank three minutes later with a heavy loss of life. The questions asked at Kriegsmarine afterwards about a cruiser escort for destroyers, led to a disagreement between Admiral Raeder and the C-in-C Admiral Boehm, it resulted in the latter's resignation.

After hitting the “_Leipzig_” and “_Nurnberg_”, Submarine HMS “_Salmon_” tries to stop the German liner SS “_Bremen_” (which is known to have no passengers) off Norway but an escorting seaplane attacks forcing her to dive. “_Salmon_” does not torpedo the liner to comply with existing Anglo-German naval treaties, a decision that likely delays German unrestricted submarine warfare. After British submarine “_Salmon_” permits the 52,000 ton liner “_Bremen_” to proceed, the German liner arrives in Bremerhaven from Murmansk, having mostly evaded the British blockade.

9 miles off the coast of Scotland at 0400 hours, battleship HMS “_Barham_” collides with an escorting destroyer in dense fog. HMS “_Duchess_” is cut in half and sinks (124 lives lost, 25 survivors).

“_Graf Spee_” and Royal Navy cruisers converge on the River Plate estuary from different directions. Despite orders to avoid battle, Captain Langsdorff expects escorted convoys. As “_Graf Spee_” will return home to refit engines and other systems after 4 months at sea and thousands of miles, he is willing to take minor damage. He strips “_Graf Spee_” for battle, removing fake funnels and dumping damaged equipment such as the Arado seaplane’s engine.

British vessel ‘_King Egbert_’ was sunk in the North Sea and British collier ‘_Marwick Head_’ was mined off the East Coast.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2014)

*13th December - Battle Of the River Plate*

On December 13 at 0610 smoke was sighted to the northwest. Admiral Graf Spee had already sighted mastheads and identified Exeter but initially suspected that the two light cruisers were smaller destroyers and that the British ships were protecting a merchant convoy, the destruction of which would be a major prize. Since Graf Spee′s reconnaissance aircraft was out of service, Langsdorff relied on his lookouts for this information. He decided to engage, despite having received a broadly accurate report from the German naval staff on December 4 outlining British activity in the River Plate area. This report included information that Ajax, Achilles, Exeter and Cumberland were patrolling the South American coast.

Langsdorff realized too late that he was facing three cruisers. Calling upon the immediate acceleration of his diesel engines, he closed with the enemy squadron at 24 kn (28 mph) in the hope of engaging the steam-driven British ships before they could work up from cruising speed to full power. This strategy may seem an inexplicable blunder. Langsdorff could perhaps have maneuvered to keep the British ships at a range where he could destroy them with his 11 in guns while remaining out of the effective range of their smaller 6- and 8-inch guns. On the other hand, he knew the British cruisers had a 4-6 kn (4.6–6.9 mph) speed advantage over Graf Spee and could in principle stay out of range should they choose to do so – standard cruiser tactics in the presence of a superior force – while calling on reinforcements.

The British executed their battle plan: Exeter turned northwest, while Ajax and Achilles – operating together – turned northeast to spread Graf Spee′s fire. The German vessel opened fire on Exeter at 19,000 yd with her six 11 in guns at 0618. According to the Exeter's gunnery officer, Exeter opened fire at 0620, Achilles at 0621, Exeter′s aft guns at 0622 and Ajax at 0623.

[Throughout the battle the crew of the Exeter thought they were fighting the Graf Spee's sister ship Admiral von Scheer. But it was of course the Graf Spee.]

From her opening salvo, Graf Spee′s gunfire proved fairly accurate, her third salvo straddling Exeter. At 0623, an 11 in shell burst just short of Exeter, abreast the middle of the ship. Splinters from this shell killed the torpedo tubes' crews, damaged the ship's communications, riddled the ship's funnels and searchlights and wrecked the ship's aircraft just as it was about to be launched for gunnery spotting. Three minutes later, Exeter suffered a direct hit on her "B"-turret, putting it and its two guns out of action. Shrapnel swept the bridge, killing or wounding all bridge personnel except the captain and two others. In addition the ship's communications were wrecked. Communications from the aft conning position were also destroyed, the ship had to be steered via a chain of messengers for the rest of the battle.

Meanwhile, Ajax and Achilles closed to 13,000 yd and started making in front of Graf Spee, causing her to split her main armament, and otherwise use her 5.9 in guns against them. At 0632, Exeter fired two torpedoes from her starboard tubes but both missed. At 0638, Exeter turned so that she could fire her port torpedoes, and received two more direct hits. One hit "A"-turret and put it out of action, the other entered the hull and started fires. At this point Exeter was severely damaged, having only "Y"-turret still in action under 'local' control with the gunnery control officer on the roof shouting directions to those inside. She also had a 7° list, was being flooded and being steered with the use of her small boat's compass. But Exeter had dealt the decisive blow; one of her 8 in shells had penetrated two decks before exploding in Graf Spee′s funnel area – destroying her raw fuel processing system and leaving her with just 16 hours of fuel, insufficient to allow her to return home.

[Thus, from 0638, Graf Spee was doomed; she could not make the fuel system repairs (of this complexity) under fire. Two-thirds of her anti-aircraft guns were knocked out as well as one of her secondary turrets. There were no friendly naval bases within reach, and nor were any reinforcements available. She was not seaworthy and could make only the neutral port of Montevideo.]

t approximately 0636, Graf Spee hauled around from an easterly course, now behind Ajax and Achilles, toward the northwest and laid smoke. This position brought Langsdorff roughly parallel to Exeter. By 0650, Exeter listed heavily to starboard, taking water forward. Nevertheless, she still steamed at full speed and fired with her one remaining turret. Forty minutes later, water splashed in by an 11 in near-miss short-circuited her electrical system for that turret, forced the Exeter's captain to break off the action. This action presented the German captain with the opportunity to finish off Exeter. Instead, the combined fire of Ajax and Achilles drew Langsdorff's attention as both ships closed with the German ship.

At 0656, Ajax and Achilles turned to starboard to bring all their guns to bear, causing Graf Spee to turn away and lay a smokescreen. Fourteen minutes later, the two British cruisers turned to reduce the range from 8 miles, even though this meant only their forward guns could fire. At 0716, Graf Spee turned to port and headed straight for the badly damaged Exeter, but fire from Ajax and Achilles forced her to turn and fire her main batteries at them, while they turned to starboard to bring all their guns to bear.

Ajax turned to starboard at 0724 and fired her torpedoes at a range of 4.5 miles, causing Graf Spee to turn away under a smokescreen. Shortly thereafter, Ajax was hit by an 11 in shell that put "X"-turret out of action and jammed "Y"-turret, causing some casualties. By 0740, Ajax and Achilles were running low on resources and the British decided to change tactics, moving to the east under a smokescreen. Harwood decided to shadow Graf Spee and try to attack at night when he could attack with torpedoes and better utilize his advantage of speed and maneuverability while minimizing his deficiencies in armor. Ajax was again hit by an 11 in shell that destroyed her mast and caused more casualties. Graf Spee continued on a southwestward course.

From this point on, the battle became a pursuit. For the next 13 hours, the Achilles and Ajax kept sight of the Graf Spee, as it headed for the nearest neutral harbor, which was Montevideo in Uruguay. The German vessel docked just after midnight. Capt. Langsdorff then requested permission to take two weeks to make repairs. British diplomats at first lobbied to have the German ship expelled immediately. However, when it was learned no reinforcements had arrived, British intelligence released false reports which kept the Graf Spee from sailing. The British embassy also induced a number of British and French merchant ships to leave Montevideo harbor, which also kept the Graf Spee in the harbor (under the terms of the Hague convention).

During the pursuit, a message was sent to the HMS Cumberland, requesting its presence to reinforce the badly-mauled Force G. The cruiser arrived late on the evening of December 14, after sailing for 36 straight hours from the Falklands. In addition, other British ships – including the battlecruiser HMS Renown and the carrier HMS Ark Royal – were steaming to reinforce the Ajax and Achilles.




_RNZN ACHILLES (background) seen from deck of RN AJAX Photograph taken during the battle of the River Plate_
Photograph from archives of the Imperial War Museums, UK


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2014)

*13 December 1939 *
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts









UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> An English S/M successfully attacked some of our light surface forces in the North Sea. So that as extensive a S/M hunt as possible can be organized, all boats in the North Sea were ordered to make their positions. All the Atlantic boats reported, except U 38. There is some clue to her position however, because of a sinking report near the west coast of Norway.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-20

Departures
Kiel: U-22 

At Sea 13 December 1939
U-13, U-22, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-60, U-61. 
13 boats at sea

*Baltic*

Steamer ALGOL (SD 978 grt) was damaged on a mine. The ship foundered, but was eventually raised, repaired and returned to service Six of the crew were rescued.

Sub SALMON on patrol 130 miles W of Jutland in the North Sea sighted German light cruisers KÖLN, NÜRNBERG and LEIPZIG at 1036 while they were covering the five DKM DDs returning from the ML mission off the Tyne. She fired six torpedoes at 1124, hitting LEIPZIG amidships with two torpedoes and NÜRNBERG with one. At 1357, the cruisers were joined by DDs HERMANN KÜNNE, RICHARD BEITZEN and BRUNO HEINEMANN of the Tyne force, two F-boats and four M-boats. After she got home, LEIPZIG was laid up for a time and decommissioned for repairs on 27 February 1940 which did not complete until 1 December 1940. Even then, she did not return to active duty and with some guns removed and a maximum speed of 22 knots, was relegated to training duties. NÜRNBERG's bow was blown off and her repairs were not completed until late May 1940.







_HM Submarine SALMON, and DKM LEIPZIG in 1931_

Norwegian Coast
MV DEPTFORD (UK 4,101 grt) 39 crew, enroute Narvik - Middlesbrough. the unescorted vessel was struck by one torpedo from U-38 in the foreship 0.24 miles north-northwest of Honningsvaag, and sank within five minutes. The master, 31 crew members and two Norwegian pilots were lost. Four crewmen were picked up by the Norwegian fishing vessel FIRDA, which observed the periscope of the U-boat. One other man and two bodies were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant NORDNORGE. A search carried out by the Norwegian steam merchant SEKSTANT was unsuccessful. All survivors were brought to Lakanger and then via Maalöy to Bergen. 





*Northern Patrol*
CL COLOMBO departed Scapa on Northern Patrol duties and arrived back on the 18th.

*North Sea*

MV steamer ASHKHABAD (SU 1173grt, formerly Estonian MINA as she is usually identified) 17 crew, in ballast, London - Hull - Gothenburg. The unescorted vessel was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-57 off Cross Sand and broke in two. The stern part sank immediately and the fore part within 30 seconds. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 19.03 hours. All the crew were lost





DDs AFRIDI, MAORI and NUBIAN from Rosyth; JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, JAGUAR and JUPITER from the Humber carried out ASW sweeps in the midlands coastal regions. DD KELLY departed Rosyth to relieve DD BASILISK escorting destroyer depot ship WOOLWICH. Escort ship WOOLSTON departed Rosyth to search for a submarine reported by aircraft. It was found to be the ORP Sub WILK, and WOOLSTON returned. CLs SOUTHAMPTON and EDINBURGH departed Rosyth and arrived at Scapa later the same day. DD VANITY, departed Rosyth on the 12th for the Humber, was in a collision in the North Sea with steamer WELSH TRADER (4974grt) in FS.54. VANITY was able to continue to the Humber where she received emergency repairs. She left on the 17th for permanent repairs and conversion to an AA escort ship at Plymouth, arriving on the 19th.

FN.54 departed Southend, escort DD WALLACE and sloops PELICAN and HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne on the 14th. FS.54 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS, VIVIEN and sloop BITTERN, arriving at Southend on the 14th. There was no convoy FS.55 as it was delayed by fog and later cancelled.

*West Coast UK*
DD DUNCAN departed the Clyde escorting steamer DUFFIELD (8516grt) to Liverpool, and arrived back on the 14th.

*Channel*

ASW trawler CAPE SIROTOKO (590grt) attacked a submarine contact five miles 170° from Portland Bill. Patrol sloop PINTAIL attacked a submarine contact seven miles 164° from Portland Bill. ASW trawler LADY ELSA (518grt) attacked a submarine contact six miles NNE of Kentish Knock. A DD stood by at the location as well. British minefield SC was laid on the 12th, 18th and 27th December, 16 January and 14 February by Aux ML HAMPTON westward of Folkestone Gate. 

*Western Approaches*

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.12 departed Halifax at 1000 escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA. At 1800/14th, they handed the convoy over to an ocean escort consisting of Fr sub PASTEUR which detached on the 20th, and AMC AUSONIA, which left on the 25th. PASTEUR was joined by Fr Contre Torpilleur DD VALMY and sloop GAZELLE on the 23rd, and later arrived at Brest. DDs WANDERER and WALKER escorted the convoy from the 24th to 27th, when it arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

*Sth Atlantic*
[See preceding entry for account of the Battle Of the River Plate)

British Force H with CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE arrived at Capetown for refuelling before setting off for Rio de la Plata. Allied Force X with CVL HERMES and Fr CAs FOCH and DUPLEIX arrived at Dakar for refuelling, also before setting off for Rio de la Plata. In night flying operations off Dakar on the 16th, Lt B E Coombs was killed when his Swordfish of 814 Squadron from HERMES ditched at sea. The pilot and air gunner were rescued.




_CVL HERMES with Swordfish of 814 Sqn embarked June 1940. CA DORSETSHIRE in the background_

*Med -Biscay*
DDs DOUGLAS and VIDETTE departed Gibraltar to conduct a night-time patrol off Cadiz.

*Pacific - Far East*
RAN CLs SYDNEY and ADELAIDE, escorting liner STRATHALLAN (23,722grt) with elements of the the 2nd AIF embarked to the Middle East, SYDNEY detached after being was was relieved by ADELAIDE which continued the escort round the Leeuwin Promontory into the Indian ocean before returning to Fremantle. SYDNEY arrived at Sydney on the 18th for a refit that lasted from then until the 5 January.

Sub REGULUS departed Hong Kong on the 13th and patrolled off the Soviet Pacific port of Vladivostok to check if U-boats were using it. She spent Christmas Day in Bosfor Vostochny Strait, the channel leading to Vladivostok and reported "_The patrol was disappointing. No German merchant ships were sighted_", before arriving back on 4 January.

Prison Transport INDIGIRKA (SU 2864 grt) the ship cleared Magadan (a far northern port in Siberia) to return to Vladivostok under Captain Nikolai Lavrentevich Lapshin. It contained 39 crew, 249 fishermen and their families, 50 prisoners in chains and under guard, and 835 prisoners with technical skills who had been released to work for the war effort. These prisoners were locked in the hold, but were not chained. On 13 December 1939 at 2:20 am (other reports place the event on 12 December 1939) the ship ran aground in a blizzard off the Japanese coast near Sarufutsu while trying to enter the La Perouse Strait. As the ship turned over, the guards sealed the hold entrances and prevented the escape of the prisoners from the holds, and the ship came to rest in shallow water on its side. The Japanese rescued the captain and most of the crew, guards, and fishermen, but it took three days for any rescue of the trapped prisoners to begin. 16 December, when the Japanese rescue team then finally opened the hull with acetylene torches, only 28 survivors (one of whom later died) were found among more than 700 dead prisoners. Overall 741 people perished. Even by Soviet standards this was an attrocity, and cause for great embarrassment with the japanese. Stalin ordered severe action to be taken. Captain Lapshin was tried and executed for abandoning the ship; chief of NKVD convoy who locked the prisoners in a sinking ship was sentenced to eight years. Other members of the guard detail were given lesser sentences. A cenotaph at Sarufutsu commemorates the tragic end of the ship


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## Njaco (Dec 12, 2014)

*13 December 1939 Wednesday
THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE
ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The Battle of the River Plate takes place. British Commodore Harwood has brought his squadron to the River Plate estuary hoping that the German pocket battleship “_Graf Spee_” will come hunting there. Harwood has the heavy cruiser, “_Exeter_”, and the light cruisers, “_Ajax_” and “_Achilles_”. Early in the morning “_Graf Spee_” spots the British squadron. Intent on battle, Capt. Langsdorff closes rapidly ignoring safer options (pick off the smaller ships with his longer range guns or outrun the warships). At 0618 hours, Harwood opens fire on the heavy cruiser “_Exeter_” from 11 miles. Commodore Harwood’s plan is to spread his ships and split “_Graf Spee’s_” fire. All three cruisers return fire by 0623 hours. “_Ajax_” and “_Achilles_” 6-inch shells rake “_Graf Spee’s_” topside but do not penetrate ”_Graf Spee’s_” armor. “_Achilles_” is hit (4 dead) and “_Exeter_” is badly damaged by seven 11-inch shells (61 crew killed) but continues firing. At 0638 hours, 8-inch shell from “_Exeter_” penetrates “_Graf Spee’s_” armor, wrecking her fuel processing system. With only enough fuel for 16 hours, “_Graf Spee_” heads for Montevideo, where under international law the warship is permitted temporary neutral sanctuary, to make quick repairs and have his wounded treated. “_Ajax_” and “_Achilles_” take station off the port.

*GERMANY:* I./ZG 76, fresh from its successful campaign in Poland, is posted to Oblt. Schumacher’s JG 1 fighter group at Jever.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British House of Commons meets in secret session for the first time since 1918. According to a tense statement issued seven and a half hour of debate, the Members of Parliament discussed;


> "…the organization of supplies for the prosecution of the war."



The minesweeping trawler '_William Hallet_' (202t) struck a mine and sank off the Tyne. The exact position of the wreck is unclear, but it is thought to be off Whitley Bay.

Air Ministry announced that two aircraft of Coastal Command attacked two Dornier flying-boats over North Sea and damaged them.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finns continue a series of attacks on the Soviet 8th Army. Finns have alleged to have recaptured Salla. They were also successful in heavy fighting north of Lake Ladoga.

*ASIA:* In China, troops of the Chinese 47th Corps captured the Taihang Mountain and cut the Taosin Railway by taking the stations at Poshan and Changkou. Chinese troops launched an offensive in eastern Shanxi Province in China, nearly encircling the Japanese 36th Division.


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## parsifal (Dec 13, 2014)

*14 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN MSW Trawler ROWAN, Le Hardi Class DD BISON 
[NO IMAGE FOR THE ROWAN]





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts

















(Addendum)

Tkr INVERLANE (UK 9141 grt ) Attached to FN 54: The tkr was sunk by a mine in the North Sea off Sunderland, with the loss of 37 of her 40 crew. Her bow section was salvaged, converted to a blockship and sunk at Scapa 




_Painting with title" HMS 'WHITLEY' Coming to the Rescue of 'MV Inverlane', Badly Damaged and on Fire after the Convoy Entered a Mine Field in the North Sea, 14 December 1939" by Harold Wyllie_


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## parsifal (Dec 14, 2014)

*14 December 1939 Part B *
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 38 reported her position off Utsire. U 30 and U 43 entered port. U 43 sank:
> 1) steamer unidentified 6 - 8,000 tons
> 2) tanker, unidentified 10 - 12,000 tons
> 3) S.S. Uskmouth 2,483 tons
> ...


Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-30 , U-43 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-59 

At Sea 14 December 1939
U-13, U-22, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-38, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
12 boats at sea

*Baltic*
Until the events of 13/14 December RN Submarines had not achieved much, but these two days saw some change in the tempo of operations. At 1131, six miles SW of Heligoland, sub URSULA made contact with the German cruiser force which SALMON had attacked and damaged the day before. URSULA fired four torpedoes at CL LEIPZIG which missed and hit escort ship F.9 sinking her with heavy casualties. DD RICHARD BEITZEN rescued fifteen survivors. Sub SHARK was ordered into the Bight and at 1045/14th, sighted a CL and four DDs , but was unable to attack. A further attempt was made on the 18th when RAF Coastal Command bombers were sent to attack German warships in the Heligoland Bight and around Schillig Roads and Wilhelmshaven. However nothing was accomplished and the bomber force suffered heavy losses.




_F9 was a unit of the "F" Class Escort Boats, sunk this day by Submarine URSULA_
Norwegian Coast
DKM TBs JAGUAR and SEEADLER operated in the Skagerrak from the 14th to 16th, and captured six merchant ships carrying contraband before returning to port.




_TB Seeadler was a member 0f the class of TBs known simply as 1923 Type_

*Northern Patrol*

*North Sea*
Desflot 20 was formed with DDs EXPRESS (SO), ESK, IVANHOE, INTREPID, IMPULSIVE and ICARUS. DDs EXMOUTH, ECHO and ECLIPSE arrived at Rosyth. OA.53 departed Southend escort sloop ENCHANTRESS from the 14th to 16th when it dispersed. DD WHITEHALL from SL.11 joined from the 15th to 16th.

*West Coast UK*
CA SUFFOLK arrived at the Clyde. ASW trawler LORD WAKEFIELD (418grt) attacked a submarine contact off Swansea. OB.53 departed Liverpool escort DDs WINCHELSEA and VANOC until the 17th, when the convoy dispersed. DDs WINCHELSEA and VANOC attacked a submarine contact five miles NW of Holyhead (a major Irish Sea port in the county of Anglesey in Wales). DD WARWICK joined the search on the 15th.

*Channel*
DD GRENADE attacked a submarine contact 12 miles 172° from Portland Bill (Headland midway between Plymouth and Portsmouth on the sout coast of England) . DDs VEGA and WHITSHED later in the sweep. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA departed Portsmouth for minelaying Operation "GF" escort DDs EXPRESS and ESK. They were joined off Dover by DDs BASILISK and BOREAS and the field was completed on the 15th. PRINCESS VICTORIA, EXPRESS and ESK, escorted by DDs CODRINGTON and BRAZEN laid another line on the 22nd.

*Nth Atlantic*
Fr Fce Z of BB LORRAINE, CLs JEAN DE VIENNE and MARSEILLAISE, departed Halifax escorting Steamers INDOCHINOIS (Fr 6500 grt), LOUIS L D (Fr 5795 grt), JEAN L D (Fr 5795 grt), and British CITY OF PRETORIA (UK 8046 grt) carrying aircraft for France. DDs MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, KERSAINT, VAUBAN and BISON departed Casablanca and joined the convoy at 1050/22nd, and TEMPÊTE, TYPHON and TORNADE, also from Casablanca joined at 0815/23rd. At 0650/24th, Fce Z escorted by MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, KERSAINT, VAUBAN and ALBATROS left the convoy to the other DDs, which accompanied it to Casablanca, and then proceeded to Oran arriving at 1000/25th. Force Z reached Toulon at 0800/27th.

*Sth Atlantic*
British Force I, consisting of CVL EAGLE, CA CORNWALL and CL GLOUCESTER which had arrived at Durban on the 12th, put to sea on the 14th when it was reported that DKM CS ADM GRAF SPEE was in Montevideo harbour. However, after a few hours steaming, the force was recalled for escort duty in the Indian Ocean and arrived back at Durban on the 15th. CA CUMBERLAND , cut short a refit in the Falkland Islands, joined cruisers AJAX and ACHILLES off Montevideo at 2200/14th.

Caribbean
RAN CL PERTH departed Kingston on patrol duties, and arrived back on the 31st.

Liner COLUMBUS (Ge 32,581 grt) departed Vera Cruz, Mexico. USN DDs BENHAM, LANG, JOUETT and BAGLEY were stationed off Vera Cruz to watch for German merchant ships there. When COLUMBUS set out, LANG and JOUETT immediately began screening her. Meanwhile RAN CL PERTH was at that point in the Yucatan Channel screened by USN CA VINCENNES and DDs EVANS and TWIGGS of DesDiv 64. On the 16th, DDs PHILIP and LEA relieved JOUETT and LANG as COLUMBUS sailed north along the US coast. On the 17th, DDs COLE (DD.155) and ELLIS (DD.154) of Desdiv 60) relieved PHILIP and LEA. At 2000/17th, French tkr SHEHERAZADE (13,467grt) reported COLUMBUS in 30-25N, 79-31W steering course 040°. On the 18th, USN DDs UPSHUR and GREER of DesDiv 61 relieved COLE and ELLIS. On the 19th, USN CA TUSCALOOSA and DD BABBITT of DeDiv 53, which had departed Norfolk on the 16th, relieved UPSHUR and GREER.

On the 19th, off Cape May, off the southeast tip of New Jersey COLUMBUS was challenged by RN DD HYPERION which had departed Bermuda and was led to COLUMBUS by plain language radio reports from the US ships. The liner was trapped thanks to the assistance by the USN and she scuttled herself and the 597 man crew was picked up by TUSCALOOSA and BABBITT. HYPERION left the rescue to the American ships and arrived back at Bermuda on the 22nd.




_Liner COLUMBUS on fire and sinking after the scuttling charges had been detonated. _

Steamer ARAUCA (Ge 4354grt) was similarly tracked by the USN on departing Vera Cruz. Ships involved included DD TRUXTON (DD.229) making plain language reports which alerted French warships in the area. Also alerted by three American naval patrol aircraft, CL ORION, which had departed Bermuda on the 9th and had been patrolling near Nassau, intercepted her off Florida. However, ARAUCA reached American waters and that afternoon, a boarding party from American DD PHILIP went aboard and checked her. Later that day, ARAUCA moored in Port Everglades. ORION, joined by DD HEREWARD, patrolled for a time offshore, but ARAUCA never sailed again under the German flag. She was taken over by the American authorities in August 1941 and on 20 April 1942, was commissioned as USS SATURN . The German crew were interned.


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## nuuumannn (Dec 14, 2014)

Great stuff Parsifal and Chris, just a wee detail;



> RNZN ACHILLES (background) seen from deck of RN AJAX Photograph taken during the battle of the River Plate



HMS Achilles was still an element of the Royal Navy (New Zealand Division) at this time as technically the Royal New Zealand Navy wasn't formed until 1941. Only after then did it become HMNZS Achilles. Also, the Admiral Scheer was not a 'von'. Nit picking I know, but with such excellently detailed work I _had _to throw my tuppence in. On with the highly detailed accounts from both of you...

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## Njaco (Dec 14, 2014)

Bring it on and thanks for the correction! As you can see, its a lot of stuff to research and some mistakes are bound to get through. Thanks!


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## Njaco (Dec 14, 2014)

*14 December 1939 Thursday
GERMANY:* Hptm. Wolfgang Falck is made Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 1 flying Bf 110s.

British submarine Ursula sinks a German cruiser in the mouth of the Elbe River.

Near the mouth of the Elbe River, twelve Wellingtons of RAF No. 99 Squadron are sent to attack the German cruiser “_Leipzig_” and the light cruiser “_Nürnberg_” which have been damaged from a British submarine in the outer Jade. Five Wellingtons are shot down when intercepted by fighters from II./JG 77. Even though the British claim only five bombers lost, victory credits are given for eleven bombers. Pilots from 4./JG 77 given kill credits are Fw. Erwin Sawallisch for two bombers and single victories given to Lt. Friedrich Braukmeier, Oblt. Helmut Henz and Lt. Heinz Demes. Victors in 5./JG 77 are Lt. Edgar Struckmann with two kills, Lt. Heinz Kalbach, and future Zerstörer Experten, Utz. Herbert Kutscha. A sixth bomber crashes returning to England.

Norwegian politician Vidkun Quisling meets with Adolf Hitler in Germany. He suggests Germany launch a pre-emptive strike on Norway. Quisling says he would take control of the Norwegian government through a coup. Adolf Hitler issues an order that Denmark and Norway be seized and occupied during the upcoming attack on the West, to gain control of Norwegian territorial waters. He orders his Armed Forces High Command (OKW) to prepare plans for the invasion of Norway, (codenamed Studie Nord) to protect crucial supplies of iron ore from Sweden.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The League of Nations, meeting in emergency debate, expels the Soviet Union after naming the USSR an aggressor in violation of treaties with Finland, the League Covenant and the Pact of Paris. The League also calls on its members to give all possible help to the Finns and agrees to coordinate international aid programs for the Finns.

French communiqué announced sharp engagements between reconnaissance units in the Voges and along the Blies.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finns continue a series of attacks on the Soviet 8th Army. Soviet forces launch a new drive near Petsamo. Finnish fortress at Uto was attacked by two Soviet destroyers; one of the Soviet destroyers was lost.

*ASIA:* Chinese Nationalist forces occupy the town of Ningxian after a bitter clash with Chinese Communist forces.

*NORTH AMERICA:* German freighter “_Arauca_” and the German liner “_Columbus_” (33,000 t) leaves Vera Cruz in an attempt to run home. The American cruiser “_Tuscaloosa_” shadows the ships, while on neutrality patrol, and broadcast their location on open radio.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German pocket battleship ‘_Admiral Graf Spee’_, badly damaged, took refuge the preceding night in Montevideo harbour. Capt. Langsdorff releases 61 prisoners held on “_Graf Spee_”. He requests two weeks for repairs in Montevideo. British naval attaché, Henry McCall, presses Uruguay to expel “_Graf Spee_” within 24 hours, per international law. Uruguay compromises and gives “_Graf Spee_” 3 days. Royal Navy’s Harwood is furious at the prospect of “_Graf Spee_” sailing against his depleted cruiser force. Fortunately, heavy cruiser HMS “_Cumberland_” arrives at 2200 hours to replace the damaged HMS “_Exeter_”, sailing directly from the Falkland Islands in 34 hours.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Admiralty announced loss of HM destroyer ‘_Duchess_’ by collision with another British warship. HM trawler ‘_William Hallett_’ was sunk by a mine. The trawler '_James Ludford_' on Admiralty service, was mined and sank off the Tyne in 44 metres of water on colliery spoil.

SS ‘_Inverlane_' a tanker (9,141t built in 1938, on a voyage from Abadan to Invergordon), was under way in the North Sea, when a huge explosion, thought to be caused by a German mine, ripped through her hull. Four of her crew were killed and many more injured, the ship was abandoned and left to sink, but she drifted through stormy seas for 36 hours, to eventually appear on the shore at Seaburn. The 'Inverlane' burned for five days and was used as a marker by German bombers searching for the entrance to the Tyne. When a salvage team got aboard, as the stern had settled on a sandy bottom, it was decided that the fore section (over 300ft) could be refloated. This was done and it was first taken to South Shields and then to Blyth to be converted into a blockship. Over 3,000 tons of rubble and stone were put into the hull, which was then towed up to Scapa Flow to be sunk in Burra Sound, where she lies to this day.

In the afternoon of the 14th, the tanker SS ‘_Atheltemplar_' (8939t) and built in 1930, struck a mine and was lying helpless eleven miles off the Tyne. The tugs '_Joffre_' and '_Langton_', lying at Blyth and the tug '_Great Emperor_' from the Tyne, set off to help the tanker, they were met by the destroyers HMS ‘_Kelly_' and HMS ‘_Mowhawk_' acting as the escorts. It nearly dark when the '_Atheltemplar_' was reached, her stern was high out of the water, her forecastle was awash and she was rolling badly. A short distance away the tanker SS ‘_Inverlane_' was lying derelict, having also struck a mine. Whilst deciding what course of action to take, over the casualties, the '_Kelly_' then had the misfortune to hit a mine. The '_Kelly_' was to be taken in tow by the '_Great Emperor_', after the tow was made fast it was found possible to maintain a speed of about three knots. Reaching the Tyne just before mid-night, with the assistance of the tugs '_Robert Redhead_' and '_Washington_', the '_Kelly_' was taken to her builders, Hawthorn-Leslie's shipyard, for repairs. Meanwhile the tugs '_Joffre_' and '_Langton_' were having difficulty in making fast the tow for '_Atheltemplar_' until some of the '_Mowhawk's_' crew boarded the tanker to lend a hand. This done, the tow commenced, they reached the Tyne entrance at 23.00, only to be told not to enter, so they towed the stricken ship another two miles to a location between the river entrance and Souter Point and stayed there throughout the night.

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## parsifal (Dec 14, 2014)

Thanks guys. Calling the Achilles a KIWI ship aint too bad (most of the crew were Kiwis) in my book but missing the Inverlane was a bit of a problem. I dunno how I missed it. Fixed now due to Chris's post alerting me to my error.

Chris, i dont think the germans lost a CL at this time, though LEIPZIG was all but a write off. URSULA fired at her, but missed, but one of the torps sped on and hit the escort vessel F9, sinking it

Edit German Admiralty GRAF SPEE SITUATION REPORTS

*DKM War diary 15 December*
Selected Extracts














It is significant that the DKM Admiralty are NOT reporting limitations on the ships radius of action. the contrary actually. There were other problems with the ship however

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## nuuumannn (Dec 14, 2014)

> As you can see, its a lot of stuff to research and some mistakes are bound to get through.



Heck yes! With the time such work takes, you guys obviously don't have small children! Great work and both your efforts are HUGELY appreciated.

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## parsifal (Dec 14, 2014)

*15 December 1939 *

*Known Losses*
MV GERMAINE(Gk 5217 grt); no crew details, cargo of Maize, transported Maine (NY) to Cork. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by U-48 . DDs WANDERER, WALPOLE, WOLVERINE and ARDENT arrived on the scene about four hours later, but failed to find the attacker. The crew were picked up by WANDERER and transferred to Dutch liner PENNLAND (16,381grt). WOLVERINE and ARDENT continued their ASW Sweeps until the 16th, without success.





MV HARFRY (909grt) was sunk in collision off Dunkirk with Portuguese steamer LUSO (6207grt) which was damaged. 
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Steamer H C FLOOD (Nor 1907 grt) with a cargo of coking coal, The cargo ship struck a mine (laid by DKM DDs on the 12/13 December) and sank in the North Sea with the loss of four of her 21 crew.





ROSA (Be 3500 grt (est)) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank off St Mary's Island 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV RAGNI (Nor 1264 grt) 19 crew, Struck a mine near Hartlepool on Dec.15-1939 when on a voyage Hull-Malmö with a cargo of coal and coke. 6 died. 





STRINDHEIM (Nor 321 grt) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank off the mouth of the Tyne on the same minefield as the above ships. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

URSUS ( Sd 2000 grt(est)) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea north of North Foreland, Kent with the loss of nine of her 20 crew. Survivors were rescued by the Ne trawler BRINDUS .

[NO IMAGE]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> "Graf Spee" is damaged and has put into Montevideo after her action in the South Atlantic. Naval War Staff has asked B.d.U. what support U-boats could give the pocket battleship off the mouth of the La Plata. I have assured Naval War Staff that I will do all I can and I am determined to try everything possible, in spite of the great difficulties which an operation of this kind with U-boats involves.
> 
> 2 U-boats (U 44 and U 46) can be got ready in time to reach the La Plata at the beginning of February. The operation depends mainly on the question of supply. It will be necessary to refuel on the way out, on the way back and in the operations area. Naval War Staff promises supplies in the Canaries and off the La Plata from "Altmark". This means that the operation can be attempted. It means going into the Tropics and there is no experience of U-boats in these areas. Preparations must be made accordingly.
> 
> Special attention will have to be paid to victualling supplies, clothing and medical matters in view of the changes of climate, high temperatures and strong sun. Torpedo pistols, electric torpedo batteries and ammunition are also likely to be effected. The necessary steps are being taken immediately.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-13 , U-23 

At Sea 15 December 1939
U-22, U-28, U-29, U-38, U-47, U-48, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
CL DRAGON departed Scapa on Northern Patrol and finished on the 18th for refitting at Chatham, arriving on the 21st. Her refit began on the 22nd December, completed on 24 February and on the 26th, she was transferred to the Med.

*North Sea*
Subs SEAHORSE, STURGEON and UNITY arrived at Blyth after patrol. Submarine TRIAD arrived at Rosyth after patrol. DDs JERVIS and JANUS attacked a submarine contact north of Cromer Lighthouse. 

FN.55, escort DDs VIVIEN, VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN and FS.55, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON were delayed due to fog. The FN.55 escorts proceeded to Sheerness to wait, but FS.55 was later cancelled.

ASW trawler NOTTS COUNTY (541grt) made a submarine contact SW of Pladda (a small islet in the Firth of The Clyde) and depth charged the contact, but without success.

U.22 laid mines off Blyth, on which one ship was lost.

*Northern Waters*
BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM and BC HOOD with nine DDs were 250 miles west of Malin Head. CAs DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK and CL GLASGOW were 480 miles W by N of Malin Head. CLs SOUTHAMPTON and EDINBURGH were on patrol between the Orkneys and the Faroes. CLs DIOMEDE, DELHI, CERES and CARDIFF were concentrated off the Faroes. If no further enemy reports were received, the battle fleet was directed to cover the Canadian Troop convoy, and the cruisers to return to Northern Patrol except SOUTHAMPTON and EDINBURGH which were to proceed to Scapa for refuelling. 

An aircraft bombed a subm off Buchan Ness, and DDs ESCORT and ECLIPSE were ordered to carry out a sweep of the area. On the 16th, ESCORT made an attack. The search continued until dark on the 16th when they relieved trawlers escorting captured German steamer CAP NORTE. The German ship, ESCORT and ECLIPSE arrived at Rosyth on the 18th.

*Channel*
Coastal Cmd a/c report a submarine in the Channel, DD BASILISK is directed to the area and attacked U.57, 17 miles east of North Foreland (the famous white cliffs of Dover). PC SCOTT (ex-DD) carried out a search in Mounts Bay after a submarine was report was received.

*SW Approaches*
DDs VIMY and WITHERINGTON attacked a submarine contact 120 miles WSW of Land's End. DD ESCAPADE returning to Plymouth was ordered to assist in this sweep.

*Sth Atlantic*
CAs SUSSEX and SHROPSHIRE arrived at Capetown, but departed the same day for the Plate. DDs HARDY, HOSTILE, HERO arrived at Pernambuco from Freetown, refuelled immediately, and departed for Rio de Janeiro

Visual Records of the Damage sustained By GRAF SPEE. Shots are taken whilst she is at anchor in Montevideo





_View of the after part of the ship's superstructure, port side, taken while she was in Montevideo harbor, Uruguay in mid-December 1939, following the Battle of the River Plate. Note the burned-out remains of an Arado Ar 196A-1 floatplane on the ship's catapult and the German naval ensign flying from the mast mounted atop the after rangefinder. _





_Close-up view of the port side of the ship's forward superstructure, taken at Montevideo, Uruguay in mid-December 1939, following the Battle of the River Plate.
A shell hole in the tower side plating is visible aft of the searchlight platform.
Note the ship's pattern camouflage, antenna of a "Seetakt" radar mounted on the face of the main battery rangefinder, foremast and 15cm broadside guns._





_View of the ship's forward superstructure, starboard side. Note the shell fragment scars and splinter damage in the hull in her side plating. _.





_Ship's port bow, taken while she was anchored in Montevideo harbor, Uruguay in mid-December 1939, following the Battle of the River Plate. The critical Hit by Exeter, which some sources say wrecked her fuel feed system is visible to the right . This was the hit that purportedly sealed her fate, but there is some doubt about that, as the German Admiralty reports dont mention it as a critical factor_


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## Njaco (Dec 14, 2014)

*15 December 1939 Friday
GERMANY: *The II Gruppe of JG 2 ‘Richthofen’ is formed at Zerbst with Hptm. Wolfgang Schnellmann appointed Gruppenkommandeur. Oblt. Hans ‘Assi’ Hahn (not to be confused with Oblt. Hans von Hahn of JG 53) leads the 4th Staffel.

Erich Raeder suggested that the pocket battleship “_Lützow_” and the blueprints for the Bismarck-class battleships could be made available for sale to the Soviet Union if the Soviet Union was willing to pay a good price.

RAF planes bombed enemy seaplane bases of Borkum, Norderney, and Sylt during the night of 14th 15th.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finns wreck metal mines and withdraw from Salmijärvi. The Finns conclude a series of attacks on the Soviet 8th Army. The 139th Division at Tolvajarvi is virtually destroyed and the 75th Division is also hard hit. The Finns also capture much valuable equipment. The Battle of Soumussalmi begins. Red Army assaulted Taipale. Meanwhile, the Finnish government decided to bring fallen Finnish soldiers of the Winter War to their home towns for burial.

The Finnish Foreign Minister broadcasts an offer to reopen negotiations to the Soviet Foreign Minister. He says that any design to annex Finland will be resisted to the last:


> "…the Finns will never submit to a foreign yoke."



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* “_Graf Spee_” has 2 days to leave Montevideo. Captain Langsdorff buries his 36 dead sailors; released British prisoners lay wreathes at the funeral. “_Graf Spee_” readies to leave, taking on fuel from a German tanker while the crew repairs damage. As only HMS “_Cumberland_” and the damaged light cruisers “_Ajax_” and “_Achilles_” are positioned to prevent a break out, British diplomats spread rumors that several vessels including battleship “_Renown_” and aircraft carrier “_Ark Royal_” are nearby. British ships start leaving Montevideo at regular intervals to prevent “_Graf Spee_” sailing (she is required to give enemy merchant ships 24 hours head start). SS “_Ashworth_” sails at 1700 hours.

Southwest of Ireland, U 48 stops neutral Greek steamer SS “_Germaine_”. The crew is ordered into the lifeboats and rescued by Norwegian SS “_Vinland_”. As her cargo is destined for Britain, “_Germaine_” is torpedoed.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Three British infantry brigades sent to France in October are formed into the British 5th Division, BEF. This division is deployed south of Lille along a fortified line which is being extended and strengthened. The British Expeditionary Force is only in direct contact with German forces around Metz. Prime Minister Chamberlain visits the BEF.

*ASIA:* 5,000 Japanese troops launched a counter-attack against recent Chinese offensives in northern China.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The morning brought dense fog and by mid-day it was thought to be too risky to bring the tanker '_Atheltemplar_' into the Tyne so it was decided to beach her south of the river. With the assistance of two more tugs, the '_Great Emperor_' and the '_George V'_ the task was completed by 1915 hours, the tugs standing by again throughout the night in case she refloated. The '_Joffre_' and '_Langton_' were not yet finished with the '_Atheltemplar_' for after some of her load was recovered and the ship lightened, she was able to be towed by them into the Tyne where the rest of the cargo was salvaged and the ship then towed to a repair yard.

SS ‘_Strindheim_' (321t) a Norwegian ship, struck a mine off the entrance to the Tyne and subsequently sank on a seabed of shale and colliery spoil. She is upright, lying in an E to W direction and is intact except for the mine damage. SS ‘_Rosa_' (1,146t) a Belgian ship struck a mine and sank, 8.3 miles from St Mary's Island. SS ‘_Ragni_' a Norwegian ship struck a mine and sank off the mouth of the Tyne, with the loss of six lives. SS ‘_H.C. Flood_' a Norwegian ship was mined and sank in the North Sea off the Tyne. Norwegian steamer ‘_Foeina_’ was sunk by mine off Scotland. British tanker ‘_Inverlane_’ reported mined.

,



.



.


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## parsifal (Dec 15, 2014)

*16 December 1939 *
SPECIAL GERMAN ADMIRALTY REPORT ON GRAF SPEE


*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


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## Njaco (Dec 15, 2014)

*16 December 1939 Saturday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* Sweden declares itself a non-belligerent, and allows 12,000 volunteers and arms to cross the Gulf of Bothnia to aid the Finns.

The main forces of Soviet 7th Army have now advanced to the Mannerheim Line and a major Soviet attack, therefore, begins. Waves of Soviet infantry and tanks, with air support, attempt to overrun the Summa area (the First Battle of Summa). These initial efforts are subsidiary moves against the northeast end of the Finnish defenses. They continue for two days without success. Soviet ‘road strategy’ fails to get men and equipment in force to the point of contact. Finnish resistance becomes a rout in places. Finnish IV Corps, having scattered Soviet 139th division in Tolvajärvi on Dec 12, meets Soviet 75th division marching to the rescue and puts them to flight also. As the Finnish noose tightens on the surrounded 163rd division in Suomussalmi, Soviet 44th Division advances slowly up the Raate Road to rescue them. Disaster awaits them.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Count Galeazzo Ciano, the foreign minister in the government led by Benito Mussolini, attacks the Soviet Union in a speech to the Fascist assembly. The tone reflects that of the Italian press and radio. Since the Soviet invasion of Finland, Italy has sent volunteers to fight with the Finns and large quantities of military equipment.

*GERMANY: *The repatriation of about 51,000 ethnic Germans (or Baltic Germans), from the Baltic state of Latvia to the "Incorporated Territories" of former Poland, is completed.

Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" received the order to relocate from Stuggart, Germany to Jever, Germany.

*ASIA:* In China, troops of the Chinese 81st Division captured the city of Kaifeng in Henan Province, while troops of the Chinese 5th Division began to advance toward Kunlun Pass, Guangxi Province in southern China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* In Montevideo, British diplomats play for time to contain “_Graf Spee_”, dispatching another merchant vessel from Montevideo at 1700 hours to prevent “_Graf Spee_” sailing for another 24 hours. However, Uruguay insists the British cease this ploy as “_Graf Spee’s_” stay of 3 days expires at 0800 hours tomorrow. _“Graf Spee_” continues her rapid repairs. Commodore Harwood refuels his ships in anticipation of renewed battle. Harwood receives news he is promoted to Rear-Admiral and knighted. A signal from the Admiralty stated Commodore Henry Harwood was promoted Rear Admiral from the 13th. of December, and the King bestowed the Knight Companion of the Bath ( KCB ) on him, and the Companion of the Bath ( CB ) on the three cruiser Captains, C.H.L Woodhouse in “_Ajax_”, W.E. Parry in “_Achilles_”, and F. S. Bell in “_Exeter_”. There is much rejoicing in the British ships lying in wait off the River Plate.

German merchant ship ‘_Teneriffe_’ scuttled after being intercepted.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* One British and four neutral ships reported mined: British steamer ‘_Amble_’, Norwegian Steamers ‘_Ragni_’ and ‘_HC Flood_’, Swedish vessel ‘_Ursis_’ and Greek Steamer ‘_Germaine_’. The trawler '_Sedgefly_' (520t) on HM service hit a mine and sank, 1 mile off the Tyne. The armed trawler '_Evelina_' (202t) on Admiralty service was mined off the Tyne.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 16, 2014)

*16 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SU Subs K2 K3 (K Class or Serie XIV)





Allied
AMC RAJPUTANA





*Known Losses*

TKR AMBLE (UK 1162 grt): World War II: The tanker struck a mine and was damaged in the North Sea off Sunderland, Co Durham. The crew were rescued by DD WALLACE. AMBLE drifted ashore between Sunderland and Whitburn. She was refloated on 25 December but declared a constructive total loss and scrapped.
(new photo source) The SS Amble passing the sunken Raymond, Warkworth Harbour





_AMBLE passing the sunken RAYMOND, Warkworth Harbour mouth, 1930, which was refloated and employed during the war (lost in 1943) _

ASW Trawler EVELINA (UK 202 grt ): The Naval Trawler was sunk by a mine off the mouth of the River Tyne with the loss of all nine crew.
[NO IMAGES LOCATED]

MV GLITREFJELL (Nor 1,568 grt): 18 (5 dead and 13 survivors): In Ballast: Oslo to Tyne: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-59. Survivors were rescued by ICARION (GK) and RN DD ICARUS 





MV LISTER (SD 1,366 grt):19 (0 dead and 19 survivors):Cargo Of Wood : Skutskär (Sweden) - Antwerp: The ship was hit in the bow by a torpedo from U-59 and sank about 130 miles off Newcastle. The Germans spotted the Swedish flag only after firing the torpedo. Six survivors were picked up by DD ECLIPSE on 21 December. The 13 remaining survivors made landfall in a lifeboat on the Danish coast.





ASW Trawler SEDGEFLY ( UK 502 grt): World War II: The Naval Trawler struck a mine and sank off the mouth of the Tyne with the loss of all 16 crew
[NO IMAGE LOCATED]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
[SEE PRECEEDING ENTRY]

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> The U-boat operation in support of "Graf Spee" has been cancelled. Apparently political considerations make it necessary to decide the pocket battleship's fate sooner.
> U 29 and U 38 entered port. U 29 has had an unfortunate patrol. The boat sank nothing and did not carry out her minelaying operation. The C.O. obviously made the mistake of thinking all activity of enemy patrol vessels and suspicious craft was directed specifically against his boat, so he did not achieve anything. He will be given a similar operation next time in order to overcome this mistake.
> U 38 sank: 1) S.S. "Thomas Walton" 4,500 tons; 2)	S.S. "Garonfalia"	4,700 tons; 3) S.S. "Bredford" 4,000 tons; 13,200
> tons (total). She observed lively neutral single traffic on the Norwegian coast. No convoys or English warships seen. Little traffic off Kola Bay, medium patrol. Adequate lighting from aurora borealis.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-57 
Wilhelmshaven: U-29, U-38 

At Sea 16 December 1939
U-22, U-28, U-47, U-48, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*

Eastern Baltic
SU sub SC.322 (Serie X Boat) damaged steamer GILLHAUSEN (Ger 4339 grt) with gunfire south of Hanko.

*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers were between the Shetlands and the Faroes, and three cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland.

*North Sea*
ON.5 of nine British ships departed Methil escort DDs AFRIDI, MAORI, NUBIAN and sub TRIAD. DD MOHAWK departed the Tyne on the 18th, but was delayed by the German mining of the port but later joined at sea. The convoy was due to leave Methil on the 14th, but was also postponed due to sub and mine activity. ON.5 arrived safely at Bergen on the 19th without incident. Return HN.5 was delayed 48 hours and meanwhile, the DDs went to Sullom Voe to refuel. Sub TRIAD carried out a diving patrol. FS.55 departed Southend escort DDs VIVIEN, VALOROUS and sloop BITTERN, and arrived at the Tyne on the 17th. OA.54 departed Southend escort DDs WREN and WITCH until it dispersed on the 19th

Steamer SANYO MARU (Jpn 970 grt) departed Rotterdam after a week in port and arrived at the Tyne on the 16th. She carried German nitrates and machinery along with a Dutch cargo to challenge the British blockade but left the contraband control station at the Downs on the 18th, her cargo intact.

*Northern Waters*
The Home Flt (with BBs WARSPITE , BARHAM, BC HOOD and nine DDs) was 300 miles west of Malin Head at 0730 covering arriving Canadian Troop Convoy TC.1. The 12 DDs which had sailed on the 12th to meet the convoy failed to make contact on the 15th due to fog, but met it during the morning of the 16th. Troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA was separated from the convoy on the 15th again because of the fog, but rejoined on the 16th.

British a/c attacked a submarine contact, followed up by a sweep by DD ESCORT off Buchan Ness. CL CERES arrived in Scapa , departed the same day and arrived back on the 25th. Sloop FLEETWOOD, which had returned home from the East Indies in November, completed a refit on the 16th at Dundee and joined Convoy Cmd






_(WARSPITE off normandy 1944. note X turret not operational a result of bomb hits off Salerno in 1943 - Maritime Quest)_

*SW Approaches*
OB.54 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALKER and WHIRLWIND until the 19th when the convoy dispersed.

*Sth Atlantic*
DDs HARDY, HERO, HOSTILE departed Pernambuco early on the 16th and arrived in the Plate during the morning of the 22nd.
.
*Med- Biscay*
Fr DDs SIROCCO and LA RAILLEUSE, escorting convoy 40.KS, attacked a sub contact 25 miles 245° from Cape Spartel ( in Morocco).

HG.11 departed Gib with 52 ships for Britain and two more for Oporto, escort DD DOUGLAS and the Fr DDs TIGRE and PANTHÈRE, the latter from the 16th until they arrived at Brest on the 23rd. DOUGLAS detached on the 19th to patrol off Cadiz-Huelva-Cape Santa Maria, and the convoy continued escorted by sloop SANDWICH from the 16th to 24th, when it arrived at Liverpool. 

DD WRESTLER departed Gibraltar for refitting at Malta.


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## parsifal (Dec 17, 2014)

*17 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*

LUFTWAFFE ATTACKS ON NORTH SEA SHIPPING

German bombers of the FliegerKorps X attacked and sank shipping, primarily British trawlers, in the North Sea off the British coast.

On the 17th, five trawlers were sunk: 

SERENITY (UK 487 grt) eight miles ENE of Whitby, 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

PEARL (UK 198 grt) 65 miles E by S of Outer Dowsing Light Vessel, with one crewman lost and the survivors, three wounded, picked up by an accompanying trawler, 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

COMPAGANUS (UK 270 grt) 150 miles E by N of May Island (she was abandoned 100 miles E by S of Aberdeen), with one member of crew lost and the survivors picked up by trawler COLLEAGUE (207grt) which had been fishing in company, 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

ISABELLA GREIG (UK 210 grt) 145 miles E by N of May Island with the survivors, two wounded, picked up by a drifter, and 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

ZELOS (UK 227 grt) 110 miles E by N of May Island, but without casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

EILEEN WRAY (UK 227 grt) was badly damaged off Hartlepool and CRAIGIELEA (211grt) northeast of Aberdeen. Two were wounded on CRAIGIELEA, but there were no casualties on EILEEN WRAY which was towed to Hartlepool but sank in harbour. Sixteen other trawlers and Estonian steamer MARVI (244grt) were attacked but not damaged.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Loss Of the Graf Spee
DKM ADM GRAF SPEE (Ger 11700 grt ) after transferring her crew to German steamer TACOMA (8268grt), the ship was scuttled in the Rio de la Plata Estuary off Montevideo.Battle of the River Plate rather than engage with the Allies or be interned. 





_The wreck of the GRAF SPEE. The scuttled ship burnt for three days after being scuttled, before setlling into the fine mud of the harbour and then breaking in two _


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciPoIz1qqNg_

Other Shipping losses
MV BOGO (Den 1,214 grt):20 (17 dead and 3 survivors): In Ballast: Gothenburg - Methil . The neutral vessel was hit by one G7a torpedo from U-59 and sank after breaking in two 75 miles east of May Island. Three survivors were picked up by the British trawler RIVER EARN , which was herself sunk two days later by German a/c. All on board were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant ROGALAND and taken to Kopervik. 






MV JAEGERSBORG (Den 1,245 grt): 18 (18 dead - no survivors):Cargo of Agricultural products:Copenhagen - Leith :The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-59. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts














*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 47 entered port. She sank: 1) Unidentified steamer about 12,000 tons 2) tanker (Norway) about 10,000 tons 3) tanker (Holland) about 9,000 tons
> about 31,000 tons
> 
> She also scored one certain hit on a London class cruiser east of the Shetlands on 28.11. Apparently however, the cruiser did not sink. This was a good patrol. There is nothing in particular to say about it.



Departures
Kiel: U-21

At Sea 17 December 1939
U-21, U-22, U-28, U-47, U-48, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
Baltic
Red Flt sortied in strength undertaking intensive bombardments in the Summa area to support the stalled assault by 7A. BB OCTOBER REVOLUTION and MARAT fired at Saarenpää batteries on 18 and 19 December. In both battles the Finn batteries were worn down to a single heavy gun due to malfunctions, but also in both battles one or two near misses caused the BBs to retreat. Ice prevented further naval operations in the eastern Gulf of Finland after this. 

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs are sent back to sea to counter a possible attempt by a number of German merchant ships to run the blockade to Germany. Four of them sailed from the Clyde to stations on the Northern Patrol, while CA BERWICK headed for the Denmark Strait. C in C Home Flt Adm Forbes returned to Greenock to refuel his DDs on the 17th. That morning on the 17th, his force was BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, BC HOOD, and destroyers ISIS, ICARUS, IMPERIAL, FOXHOUND, SOMALI, INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN. CVL FURIOUS, BB RESOLUTION, BC REPULSE, and DDs BEDOUIN, MASHONA, ESKIMO, MATABELE, FEARLESS, ILEX, IMPULSIVE, KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM, KASHMIR and KINGSTON arrived at Greenock at midday on the 17th. 

*North Sea*
DDs IVANHOE and INTREPID of DesFlot 20 and GRENVILLE, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN and ORP DD BLYSKAWICA from Harwich carried out an ASW sweep from the Thames entrance to Yarmouth between 1245 and 1515. IVANHOE and INTREPID then laid a field of 240 mines off Borkum in the mouth of the River Ems at 0200/18th in Operation IB, while GRENVILLE, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN and BLYSKAWICA provided cover. After the lay, the Harwich DDs carried out another ASW sweep and arrived back at dusk on the 18th. U.60 laid mines off Cross Sands near Lowestoft. One steamer was lost on this minefield. 

AMC JERVIS BAY departed the Tyne, north-about for Portsmouth, escorted as far as the Pentland Skerries by DD ECLIPSE. 

*Northern Waters*
CL DELHI departed Scapa or Belfast arriving on the 21st to dock and refit, completed on 8 January. DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JAGUAR and JANUS, which departed Grimsby on the 16th, left Scapa and refuelled at Sullom Voe. JUNO was held up with defects, but the other three arrived off Tranoy late on the 18th to escort iron ore convoy NV.2 of six British and one Greek ship from Narvik, with CLs SOUTHAMPTON and EDINBURGH in support. JUNO sailed on the 19th to rejoin the convoy. On the 23rd, JAGUAR developed defects and was sent to Scapa Flow. One steamer was detached to the west coast and the convoy arrived safely at Methil on the 24th still with JERVIS, JUNO and JANUS. 

*West Coast UK*
AMC LAURENTIC departed Liverpool for Northern Patrol, while AMCs TRANSYLVANIA, CHITRAL and MONTCLARE left from the Clyde. 

*Channel*
DD KEITH ran aground and required docking at Plymouth. Steamer AGNITA (3552grt) was near-missed and badly damaged by German bombing SE of the Isle of Wight. Italian steamer VALENTINO CODA (4486grt) was also attacked in this raid, but not damaged. 

*UK - France*
BC.19 of steamer BARON CARNEGIE departed Bristol Channel escort DD WESSEX, and arrived in the Loire on the 19th. The convoy returned with BARON CARNEGIE, leaving on the 24th and arriving in the Bristol Channel on the 25th. 

*Sth Atlantic*
CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN arrived at Rio de Janeiro, refuelled and put back to sea the same day. CL NEPTUNE refuelled at Santos and also departed the same day. Meanwhile, DKM CS ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE, after transferring her crew to German steamer TACOMA (8268grt), scuttled herself in the Rio de la Plata Estuary off Montevideo. The ARK ROYAL force, steaming at high speed towards Montevideo, had not gone far when word of SPEE's scuttling was received. Joined by DDs HARDY, HERO and HOSTILE and later by NEPTUNE, they began sweeps to try and locate supply ship ALTMARK. French CL DUGUAY TROUIN, Fr AMCs CHARLES PLUMIER, KOUTOUBIE, subs ACHÉRON, FRESNEL, LE HÉROS and REDOUTABLE also searched from 19 December to 19 January. ARK ROYAL’s force then proceeded to Freetown, arriving on the 24th, CLs AJAX and ACHILLES left the Plate Estuary and proceed to Port Stanley, while heavy cruiser CUMBERLAND remained off Montevideo. 
.
*Med- Biscay*
DD DIAMOND departed Aden on the 14th and arrived at Suez on the 17th completing the transfer of DesFlot 21 from China to the Med.

RAN DD STUART, which had arrived at Aden from duty in the Indian Ocean on the 10th, reached Malta on the 17th for duty in the Mediterranean. RAN DDs WATERHEN and VENDETTA, escorting BB MALAYA with DD DEFENDER, had arrived at Malta on the 14th followed by two more RAN DDs, VAMPIRE and VOYAGER on the 24th. The latter ships were dry docked for refit. 

These ships, with CLs ARETHUSA, PENELOPE, GALATEA, CAPETOWN and DesFlot 21, which the Australians relieved for duty elsewhere, and submarines OSIRIS and OSWALD, comprised the entire operational Mediterranean Fleet at that time. From 2 January 1940, the RAN DDs were organised as the DesDiv 19. 

Very shortly, CLs CALEDON and CALYPSO arrived from the Home Flt and ARETHUSA and PENELOPE departed for Home Waters. CALEDON arrived at Gib on the 24th, departed on the 26th, and reached Malta on the 28th for duty with CruSqn 3. CALYPSO arrived at Gib on the 27th, departed on the 28th, and arrived at Malta on the 31st, also for duty with the CruSqn 3. 
DesFlot 21 was divided in two, with one half returning to Home Waters and the other going to the South Atlantic. In addition, in February, CL GALATEA also departed the Med for Home Waters. As a replacement for the departures of RAN DDs from Far East Station, CLs COLOMBO and CERES were sailed in February after completing their refits. Sloop SCARBOROUGH departed Port Said after arriving from the Indian Ocean en route to England, arrived at Malta and departed on the 26th. 
French Contre Torpilleur DD AIGLE was damaged in a collision with French auxiliary patrol vessel LEZARDRIEUX in Toulon Roads. The damage took a month to repair. 

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL BIRMINGHAM, while refuelling, collided with tanker FRANCOL (5620grt) at the Saddle Islands off Shanghai. Her port bow was holed, but after emergency repairs, she was able to continue patrol and arrived at Hong Kong for docking on the 27th. Repairs took two days.


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## Njaco (Dec 17, 2014)

*17 December 1939 Sunday
GERMANY: *Hptm. Reinicke’s I./ZG 76 begins arriving at Jever to fill the void left by the departing ZG 26 from Oblt. Schumacher’s ad-hoc JG 1 Geschwader on the North Sea coast.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Canada's Prime Minister William King signs the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, providing facilities for airmen in the Commonwealth to train. Price of the plan is $1.281 billion.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Battle-cruiser ‘_Renown_’ and aircraft carrier ‘_Ark Royal_’ arrived in Rio de Janeiro. Hitler cables Captain Langsdorff to fight his way out of Montevideo or scuttle “_Graf Spee_” instead of internment in Uruguay. As he can only leave port between 1700 - 2000 hours and cannot outrun the superior British forces, he decides to save his crew and scuttle “_Graf Spee_”. At 1815 hours, "_Graf Spee_" sails 4 miles out, off the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay. German sailors open seacocks and set off a series of explosions, scuttling the ship at sunset in 7 meters of water. Her topside protrudes above the water for many years. SS “_Tacoma_” and two other vessels take 1055 of crew. Langsdorff and his crew are taken to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Red Army has made little progress on the Karelian Isthmus since the Finns fell back to the Mannerheim Line on Dec 6. Soviets assault the village of Summa, which provides road and rail access North to the centre of Finland (“gateway to Viipuri”). Despite heavy artillery bombardment, the Finns are ready and mow down the advancing Soviet troops. Some Soviet tanks penetrate Finnish defenses but are isolated and destroyed.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Mr. Chamberlain continued his tour of the British area in France.

There was an increase in Activity of German reconnaissance parties on the Western Front and that British troops on the Maginot Line had suffered their first casualties.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Germany begins unrestricted air warfare on shipping. A formation of German planes attack the cargo ship SS "_Serenity_" sailing out from London. The ship is sunk by the attack east of Whitby. British trawler ‘_New Choice_’ sunk off East Coast by bombs and machine guns from Nazi planes. British aircraft drive off raiders.

Admiralty announced that five officers and 56 ratings of HMS ‘_Exeter_’ were killed in action of December 17th. Commodore Harwood in command of British actions against _‘Graff Spee_’ awarded K.C.B. and promoted to Rear Admiral, Captains of ‘_Achilles_’ and ‘_Exeter_’ appointed C.B.

.



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## Wurger (Dec 17, 2014)

On the 17th December 1939 the badly damaged German Nazi pocket battle ship Admiral Graf Spee left the Montevideo harbour. The crew souttled her at the Montevideo port shipping lane. Sinking of her was the result of the naval battle at the Atlantic Sea on the 13th December 1939. During the battle the German battleship was fighting against the HMS Exeter - a heavy cruiser , the HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles - light cruisers. The battle was named - the Battle of the River Plate.

The participants in the battle ...

The Deutschland-class heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee .... here docking at the Montevideo harbour following the battle,







The York-class heavy cruiser HMS Exeter ...







The Leander-class light cruiser HMS Ajax ...







The Leander-class light cruiser HMS Achilles ...







The Nazi German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee leaving the Montevideo harbour ....






and her scuttling ...










































And her wreck ...

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Crimea_River (Dec 17, 2014)

Anyone know the fate of this project to raise the Graf Spee? Started in 2004.


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## parsifal (Dec 17, 2014)

I did find these

BBC NEWS | Americas | Graf Spee's eagle rises from deep

Graf Spee emerges from its River Plate grave - Telegraph

Salvagers struggle to raise Nazi ship - Technology science - Science | NBC News

Battleship Graf Spee surfaces - World - www.theage.com.au


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## Njaco (Dec 17, 2014)

*18 December 1939 Monday
“THE BATTLE OF THE GERMAN BIGHT”
GERMANY: *24 British Wellington bombers were launched to attack German shipping during daylight; only 22 flew to the target area because 2 developed technical problems shortly after takeoff. They reach their target safely but find only ships in harbor which they do not bomb to avoid German civilian casualties. German forces intercept radio messages and tracked the incoming planes, launching fighters to intercept them. Returning home, the bombers are attacked by about 50 Messerschmitt fighters. Flak quickly broke up the bomber formation, then the German Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters came to the ships' defense. German pilots claimed 34 kills for the loss of 2 fighters during combat and another crashed at landing; the German Air Ministry confirmed only 26. British pilots also overestimated their kills, claiming 13 definite and 12 probable. Fifteen British Wellington bombers from RAF Nos. 9, 37 and 149 Squadrons were shot down by fighter elements of 10(N)./JG 26, JGr 101, II./JG 77 and I./ZG 76. Victories go to Lt. Helmut Lent of ZG 76 (three Wellingtons), Bf 110 leader Hptm. Wolfgang Falck (two Wellingtons), Fw. Willy Szuggar (one Wellington), Lt. Uellenbeck of JG 77 (who is wounded in the neck by return fire), Fw. Hans Troitzsch of 6./JG 77 (two Wellingtons), Lt. George Schirmbock of 6./JG 77 (one Wellington), Lt. Winfried Schmidt of 5./JG 77 (one Wellington) and Oblt. Schumacher himself (one Wellington). The Jagdwaffe pilots are starting to learn how to attack bomber formations, using a new side attack instead of an attack from astern. Still, two Bf 109s from JG 77 are shot down. RAF suspends daytime bombing until April 1940.

Oblt. Ernst Exss is made Kommodore of the bomber group KG 1 in place of Oblt. Ulrich Kessler.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet assaults on the Mannerheim Line around the village of Summa gain no ground with further heavy losses. North of Lake Lagoda, the line at Kollaa holds and Finnish IV Corps pushes Soviet 75th and 139th divisions back to Ägläjärvi. In the far North, 3 Finnish companies under Captain Pennanen (retreating since Nov 30) hold Soviet 52nd division at Höyhenjärvi where they will stay frozen for two months. Soviet 273rd Infantry regiment retreated in the face of attacks from Finnish 40th Infantry Regiment.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Lavrentiy Beria ordered first mass deportation of Poles to Soviet Union.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The first Canadian troops arrived in Britain.

Admiralty and Air Ministry issued joint statement on attacks by enemy aircraft with bombs and machine-guns fire on merchant and fishing vessels in North sea. Announced that only 10 ships out of 1,100 entering or leaving ports have been lost round British coasts during first ten days of December.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops captured Longhua, near Yicheng, Hubei Province, China. To the south, Chinese 5th Division captured Kunlunguan Pass in Guangxi Province.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Captain and some of the crew of the ‘_Graf Spee_’ landed at Buenos Aires. Four others arrested by Uruguayan authorities, charged with blowing up their ship.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German troops reported to be massing on Luxembourg frontier.

.


----------



## Crimea_River (Dec 17, 2014)

Thanks Michael. I did hear of those earlier recoveries of parts up to the time they raised the eagle crest in 2006 but nothing after that. Almost sounds like they gave up.


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## parsifal (Dec 17, 2014)

*18 December 1939 *

*Known Losses*

Trawler ACTIVE (UK 279 grt): The trawler was bombed and sunk in the Moray Firth 30 nautical miles (56 km) north by west of Rattray Head, Aberdeenshire, by aircraft of X Fliegerkorps (FK X), with the loss of one crew member. Survivors were rescued by CARIBINEER II (UKi)
[NO IMAHE FOUND]

Trawler TRINITY N B (UK 203 grt): The trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea off Kinnaird Head, Aberdeenshire by a/c of FK X, with the loss of two crew. Survivors were rescued by SMART (Den)






*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 28 entered port. She carried out her minelaying operation off Swansea well. She also sank: 1) tanker "Sliedrecht" 5,130 tons. 2) steamer from convoy presumably "ROYSTON GRANGE" 5,144 tons
> 10,274 tons



Arrivals
Kiel: U-47 , U-61 
Wilhelmshaven: U-28 

At Sea 18 December 1939
U-21, U-22, U-48, U-59, U-60. 
5 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
Baltic
Air attacks began at 10.07 hours against Finn positions . BB OCTOBER REVOLUTION appeared from southeast 12.18 and opened fire 12.25. The battleship was escorted by DD Leader MINSK, DDs STEREGUSHIJ (Project 1938 class), ex DD ARTEMIEV (rated as a Patrol Vessel), old DDs KARL MARX, ENGELS (in 1941 grouped under the "Sverdlov Class, was built as a subclass of the Novik class which had widely varying profiles by 1940. She ex-DESNA 1915, - renamed the ENGELS in 1922, she struck a mine in 1941) and LENIN (Also from the Sverdlov" class; known as KAPITAN IZYYLMETYEV in 1914, - renamed the LENIN in 1922). Additional cover was given by four escorts, four sweepers and six MO patrol boats . A seaplane was circling above the battery and spotting. The Finnish heavy battery opened fire 12.39. Fire was checked after seven minutes, but recommenced again 13.04, but at 13.37 all guns were silent because of carriage failures or dirt thrown by close hits of 12 inch shells. BB October Revolution checked fire 13.50, came closer and opened fire again 13.55. At 14.00 the number 4 gun of Finnish battery was able to open fire. The gun kept firing till 14.21 and OCTOBER REVOLUTION fired till 14.25. After this the battle was over, except few air attacks. The Finnish side estimated that 400 heavy shells and 200 bombs had landed on the battery area, in front and behind it. The Soviet BB had shot 209 shells . Finnish losses were five wounded and ammunition consumption was 49 254 mm shells and 39 152 mm shells. 







_Patrol Vessel ARTEMIEV (left), and typical Sverdlov (ex Novik) class profiles_



*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers between the Faroes and Iceland, and CA BERWICK in the Denmark Strait. CL SHEFFIELD departed the Tyne on Northern Patrol duties, and arrived at Scapa on the 28th.

*North Sea*
CL CALEDON departed the Tyne for Devonport. FS.56 departed the Tyne escort sloops PELICAN, WESTON, HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 19th. DD WALLACE and sloop STORK departed Methil with a group of merchant ships for the Tyne to join FS.57.

DKM DDs FRIEDRICH IHN, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT and HERMANN SCHOEMANN departed Wilhelmshaven to lay mines off Orfordness. When they arrived and found the British navigational lights extinguished, they returned as the mines could not be accurately laid.

*Northern Waters*
CL EDINBURGH departed Scapa for Portsmouth, and left Portsmouth on the 22nd after refuelling and docking briefly .


*UK - France*
SA.22 of two unescorted steamers departed Southampton, arriving at Brest on the 19th.


*Sth Atlantic*
SL.13 departed Freetown escort sloops WELLINGTON and LEITH, the latter detaching on the 19th. On 4 January, WELLINGTON was relieved by sloop ENCHANTRESS and DD WITHERINGTON. The convoy arrived on 6 January.
.
*Med- Biscay*
CL CAPETOWN departed Malta on patrol duties, and arrived back on the 26th.


----------



## parsifal (Dec 18, 2014)

*19 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
AMC ATLANTIS





Allied
DD HAVANT 




MTB 24 (75ft Thornycroft Design)
new Photo Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/leifsoderman/3950281756/ 





*Known Losses*

[Liner COLUMBUS (GER) See entry for 14 December]

Steamer CITY OF KOBE (UK 4373 grt) in convoy FS.56 was sunk off Cross Sands on a mine laid by U.60 on the 17th; one crewman was lost, and 18 survivors rescued.





Trawler DANEDEN (UK 250 grt (est)): World War II: The trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea east south east of the Shetland Islands by aircraft of X Fliegerkorps, Luftwaffe.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

MV JYTTE ( Den 1916 GRT): The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 18 nautical miles (33 km) off Souter Point, 
Northumberland, with the loss of ten of her 18 crew. Survivors were rescued by MV AVANCE (Den).

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Trawler RIVER EARN (UK 350 grt (est))) The trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea east north east of Kinnaird Head by a/c of X Fliegerkorps. All on board were rescued by MV ROGALAND (Nor).

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Steamer UKO (Fn 757 grt) sunk by a/c from FK X 80 miles south of Utsire; three crew and two passengers were wounded. Survivors were picked up by Steamer SIR ERNEST CASSEL (SD 7739 grt) and landed at Kopervik.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 25 and U 46 sailed. Originally U 46 should have put to sea earlier, but her sailing had to be postponed owing to engine trouble. Both boats are going to the sea area off the west coast of Portugal.
> 
> U 48 has reached the North Sea via the Fair Isle Passage, and thus there are no German U-boats in the Atlantic. A concentration of about 15 boats can however, be expected in January and February.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-59 , U-60 

Departures
Kiel: U-46 

At Sea 19 December 1939
U-21, U-22, U-46, U-48. 
4 boats at sea.

*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and four AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and CA BERWICK and one AMC in the Denmark Strait. AMCs ASTURIAS and WORCESTERSHIRE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol duties.

*North Sea*
Elements of the Home Flt (including BB BARHAM, BC REPULSE and DDs INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, ICARUS, ISIS and KHARTOUM) put to sea to cover HN.5 and NV.2. Off Holy Island at 1700, KHARTOUM reported a torpedo was fired at her. ISIS attacked a submarine contact, and KHARTOUM made three attacks later in the afternoon. KHARTOUM, in company with ASW trawler LORD SNOWDEN (444grt), made a submarine attack off Arran at 0725 on the 20th. Patrol sloops MALLARD and PUFFIN assisted, but the attack was unsuccessful. DDs IMPULSIVE, MATABELE, MASHONA, BEDOUIN and ESKIMO departed Greenock to assist in the sweep . MATABELE joined ISIS and also made attacks. KHARTOUM was ordered to rejoin the BARHAM screen. The Sweep continued until liners AQUITANIA and EMPRESS OF BRITAIN passed the area southbound. IMOGEN and KHARTOUM refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 23rd, while MASHONA arrived at Loch Ewe on the 24th with defects. ICARUS and ISIS refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 25th. During this time, the FK X launched another air raid against Sullom Voe and the DDs assisted CLA COVENTRY in driving off the attack. INGLEFIELD refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 27th. MATABELE, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO returned to the Clyde in time for convoy TC.2 escort.

Large numbers of drifting mines were reported by DD GRAFTON. FN.56 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY. The convoy had been delayed 24 hours, and arrived in the Tyne on the 20th. OA.56 departed Southend, escorted by DDs WHITEHALL and WIVERN from the 19th to 21st, and joined by DD VESPER on the 21st, when the convoy dispersed.

*West Coast UK*
DD DUNCAN attacked a submarine contact. OB.56 departed Liverpool escort DDs VIMY and WITHERINGTON to the 21st, when the convoy dispersed.

*Channel*
DD HAVANT was commissioned . After work up at Portland, she was the first unit of the new DesFlot 9 and operated with the Home Flt.

*Western Approaches*
DDs WITHERINGTON and VIMY attacked a probable submarine contact in the Western Approaches. They rejoined their convoy the next morning when relieved by destroyer VOLUNTEER.

*SW Approaches*

*Nth Atlantic*
CL EMERALD arrived at Halifax after escorting troop convoy TC.1. HXF.13 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA, which detached on the 20th. CL ENTERPRISE departed Halifax as the ocean escort on the 19th, detached on the 28th and arrived at Portsmouth on the 29th. DD WREN escorted the convoy from the 28th to 30th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*
SLF.13 departed Freetown escort sloop EGRET until 2 January when she was relieved by DD ARDENT and BROKE. The convoy arrived in home ports on the 3rd.
.
*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Sub REGENT departed Singapore for patrol in the Java Sea off Saband and Mentawei. On the 24th, she bottomed off Pulo Simalar and was badly damaged with damage to her hydroplanes. She was ordered to return to Singapore on the 25th and arrived back, repairing until 28 February. REGENT then proceeded to Hong Kong, arriving on 18 March, for a refit completed on 19 June.


----------



## Njaco (Dec 18, 2014)

*19 December 1939 Tuesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Captain Hans Langsdorff shoots himself in Buenos Aires. He symbolically goes down with the “_Graf Spee_” (writing in his final letter “for a captain with a sense of honor …. his personal fate cannot be separated from that of his ship”), an honorable death for a man who sunk 9 ships with no lives lost and spared the lives of his crew. History will brand him incompetent for taking on Harwood's cruiser squadron and a coward for failing to fight out of Montevideo.

Argentine government issues a decree saying Germans from the “_Graf Spee_” are to be interned in Buenos Aires.

British light cruiser HMS “_Orion_” intercepted German freighter “_Arauca_” off Miami, Florida, United States; the German crew sailed into Port Everglades, Florida to avoid capture as the United States was still a neutral nation.

HMS “_Hyperion_” intercepted German passenger liner “_Columbus_” 450 miles east of Cape May, New Jersey, United States; “_Columbus_'” crew scuttled the ship to prevent capture.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet tanks exploit a swampy gap near Summa to get behind the Mannerheim Line. Without infantry support, they are quickly destroyed with satchel charges and Molotov cocktails. In their attack on Summa, the Soviet Army lost 20 of 100 tanks. As Soviet 44th division advances slowly up the Raate Road to rescue the 163rd division trapped in Suomussalmi, the Finns build a hidden ice road parallel on the lake. Another Soviet division starts to disintegrate as Finns surround 75th division at Ägläjärvi.

*ASIA:* Japanese troops captured Kunlun Pass 59 kilometers northeast of Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Using the mine recovered by Ouvry and Lewis on Nov 23, British scientists Goodeve and Bullard devise a method demagnetize ships to prevent from detonating magnetic mines (“degaussing”).

Eleven more cases of bombing and machine-gunning of fishing, trawlers made known. Of these ‘_Active_’ and ‘_Zealous_’ were sunk. British steamer ‘_City of Kobe_’ sunk by mine after surviving bombs and bullets from aircraft. Three neutral ships reported sunk through enemy action: Norwegian steamer ‘_Glitrejell_'; Danish steamers ‘_Jytte_’ and ‘_Bogoe_’. 'SS _Jytte_' a Danish ship, en route for the Tyne, struck a mine and sank 18 miles off Souter Point. Eight survivors of the '_Jytte_' were landed at Tynemouth at 13.00, two of them were taken to Preston Hospital, North Shields.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Prime Minister returned from visit to B.E.F. after meeting of Supreme War Council in Paris.

.

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## parsifal (Dec 19, 2014)

*20 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Kagero Class DD SHIRANUHI





Allied
AMCs ALCANTRA, CIRCASSIA DUNVEGEN CASTLE and HECTOR

[NO IMAGES PROVIDED]

*Known Losses*
Steamer MARS (SD 1877 grt) was sunk one mile east of St Marys Light Vessel near Blyth on a mine laid by U.22 on the 15th; seven crew were lost, and 15 survivors rescued
Photo source Sjöhistoriska Museet, Stockholm





Tug NAPIA (UK 155 grt) was sunk on a mine off Ramsgate. The entire crew of eight were lost.
Print Page - Claxton Co. Ltd.





Steamer VEGA (Sd 1300 grt) was badly damaged on a mine, and ran aground at Westergronden on the 21st near Ijmuiden a total loss. Seventeen survivors were picked up by Swedish steamer VENERN (1171 grt). VEGA and VENERN had been in convoy together from the German Bight.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ADOLF BRATT (Sd 1323 grt) was sunk on a mine. Five crew were lost, 16 survivors rescued by Latvian steamer AUSEKLIS (1309grt).





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 48 entered port, she sank: 1) tanker "Gustav Reuter" 6,336 Tons ;2) S.S. "Navasota" 8,795 tons; 3) tanker "San Alberto" 7,397
> tons; 4) S.S. "Germaine" 5,217 tons; 27,745 tons
> 
> This is the C.O.'s third successful patrol. He has sunk 80,380 tons since the beginning of the war.
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel: U-48 

Departures
None

At Sea 20 December 1939
U-21, U-22, U-46. 
3 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic
Soviet BB MARAT escorted by two DDs carried out a bombardment of parts of the Finn fortfied positions that had stalled the land assault (Soviet sources say this attack occurred on the 19th against the Koivisto Artillery Battalion, a fixed CA position 

In response the Finns sortied with their Sub VESIKKO which was sent to the area to try to attack MARAT. There was no contact , but MARAT is reported to have suffered some minor concussion damage during the shoot. The Soviet TG was well clear of the battle when VESIKKO arrived. 

The Soviets deployed 1st and 2nd Submarine brigades in their blockading operations of Finland. 









*Northern Patrol*
A cruiser between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and six AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait. CA SUFFOLK departed Clyde on Northern Patrol duties, and arrived back on the 29th.

*North Sea*
A German warship, identified as DEUTSCHLAND, was sighted northbound in the Belt. IUt was later determined to be the CS LUtZOW. CL GLASGOW returning from Northern Patrol was ordered to refuel and join CL NEWCASTLE on Fair Island Channel Patrol to screen an attempted breakout. Sub H.34 on trials with DD ENCOUNTER in company in Pentland Firth was ordered to patrol in the Firth to cover any action against Coastal traffic . Submarines L.23 and STURGEON were doing likewise 10 and 25 miles south of Rjyvingen Light, respectively. Submarine THISTLE was 80 miles WSW of Ryvingen Light also ordered to join this picket line.

CinC Home Flt ordered that if German warships were sighted in the North Sea, the Commander of the CruSqn 2 (CLs EDINBURGH and SOUTHAMPTON) was ordered to take BB BARHAM, BC REPULSE, and CLs GLASGOW and NEWCASTLE under his command, as well as any available DDs from Desflot 12 led by CL NEWCASTLE. The destroyers of the DesFlot 8 at Loch Ewe were put on one hour's notice. On 21 December, DEUTSCHLAND was sighted steaming south back towards Germany. GLASGOW arrived at Rosyth on the 22nd and NEWCASTLE at Scapa with DD ESCAPADE on the 23rd. DD ESCAPADE was sent to search for a submarine reported at the entrance to Kirkwall. Sloop FOWEY attacked a submarine contact in the same area.

FN.57 departed Southend, escort sloops PELICAN, WESTON and HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne on the 22nd. FS.57 departed the Tyne, escort DD WHITLEY and sloops STORK and FLAMINGO, and arrived at Southend on the 22nd. OA.57 departed Southend escort destroyers WOLVERINE and ARDENT from the 20th to 21st. DD WINDSOR was escort from the 21st to 23rd, when the convoy dispersed. OB.57 departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER and WALPOLE to the 23rd, when they detached to HX.12.

U.22 laid mines off Blyth near Newcastle, on which one merchant ship was sunk.

*Northern Waters*
ASW trawler ARCTIC EXPLORER (501grt) attacked a suspected submarine contact in Shapinsay Sound in the Orkneys. The same submarine was sighted again later and armed boarding vessel NORTHERN ISLES made another attack.

*West Coast UK*

*Channel*
CL CARDIFF departed the Clyde for Portsmouth, and arrived on the 23rd for refitting, completed on 30 January. CL DIOMEDE was refitting at Plymouth until 10 January.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.13 departed Halifax at 1000 escorted by RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT. Off Halifax, RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA took over the escort and were detached on the 22nd. The convoy was turned over to Ocean escort CL EMERALD which departed Halifax with the convoy and did not detach until 3 January. The Canadian DD returned to Halifax the morning of the 23rd. DDs MACKAY and WARWICK from OB.62, together with WOLVERINE and VERITY escorted the convoy from 2 to 4 January, when it arrived at Liverpool. EMERALD arrived at Portsmouth on 4 January to repair defects, completed on the 11th.


----------



## Njaco (Dec 19, 2014)

*20 December 1939 Wednesday
WESTERN FRONT: *Fw. Franz Willinger of 1./JG 51 destroys a Potez 63 about 4 km south of Pirmasens for his first victory of the war.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish 27th regiment, now reinforced and renamed 9th Division, continues finishing off Soviet 163rd division at Suomussalmi and awaits the arrival of Soviet 44th division from Raate. Finnish "Group Talvela" (16th Infantry Regiment plus four separate infantry battalions and one battalion of Artillery) attacks Soviet 75th division surrounded at Ägläjärvi. Red Army continues attacking the Mannerheim Line but lose the initiative in the First Battle of Summa. With temperatures as low as -20C (-4F), the engines of tanks and other vehicles have to be run continuously to prevent freezing up. Fuel runs out, tanks are stranded and Red Army infantry goes forward unsupported. Taipale sector of the Line is noticeably quiet after daily WWI-style artillery/infantry attacks abruptly stopped on Dec 17. From Nov 30, Red Army troops have been marched into a terrible slaughter of accurate Finnish machinegun, mortar, field artillery and coastal battery fire on well-plotted ground.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Cruiser ‘_Tuscaloosa_’ arrived in New York with 579 survivors from scuttled German liner, ‘_Columbus_’.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Admiralty announced sinking by enemy aircraft of fishing trawlers ‘_Pearl_’ on December 17th and ‘_Trinity_’ on December 18th. H.M. trawlers ‘_Evelyn_’ and ‘_Sedgefly_’ were overdue and presumed lost. Swedish steamers ‘_Mars_’ and ‘_Adolf Bratt’_ were sunk by mines. SS ‘_Mars_' (1,877t) a Swedish ship, en route from Kopmaholnen to London was mined and sank off Whitley Bay in 90ft of water. Nine survivors of the '_Mars_' were landed at North Shields at 16.30. Four of the crew members were injured and were taken to the Royal Jubilee Hospital, Tynemouth.



.


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## Njaco (Dec 21, 2014)

*21 December 1939 Thursday
WESTERN FRONT:* Maj. Hans-Jürgen von Cramon of the Stab I./JG 54 gains his first victory of the war when he destroys a French Morane east of Colmar.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Spitfires from RAF Nos.602 and 72 at Drem attacked 2 bombers and shot them down into the Forth. Sadly the bombers were Hampdens from RAF No.44 Sqn en route to Waddington. A British Hampden bomber, shot down in error by Spitfires of 602 Squadron, crashed on to the Church of Christ, Togston Terrace, North Broomhill. The church was demolished. One person was killed and one was injured. Of the bomber's crew, one was uninjured, one was seriously injured and two were killed.

The British RAF Bomber Command issued Operational Instruction 21, which in part noted the following that reflected the reluctance to end daylight bombing missions despite of the heavy losses sustained thus far: "_With the intention of combining useful training and operations, sweeps will continue to be carried out.... If enemy aircraft are encountered, gunners will be able to practice shooting at real targets instead of drogues."_

Luit-Commander Bickford of HM Submarine ‘_Salmon_’ awarded D.S.O.

Newly arrived Canadian division had their first ceremonial parade at Aldershot.

Minesweeping trawler '_Dromio_' was lost in a collision with an unnamed vessel north of Whitby.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Between 0725 and 1016 hours, German submarine U-21 sank two neutral Swedish ships "_Mars_" and SS "_Carl Hencke_l" with one torpedo each. The German submarine did not pick up any survivors; only 8 out of the 36 floating in the water survived until when help arrived on the next day.

Italian ship ‘_Comitas_’ mined off North Holland.

*EASTERN EUROPE*: Russia celebrated Joseph Stalin's 60th official birthday. His actual birthday is 18 Dec 1878, but was changed to 21 Dec 1879 after he came to power in 1922.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Soviet attacks on the Mannerheim Line weaken. Finns attack at Suomussalmi and Ägläjärvi. In Lapland, Soviet 122nd division is stopped at the villages of Pelkosenniemi and Kemijärvi (having advanced 45 miles since Nov 30) and will gradually be pushed back 20 miles to Salla (Battle of Salla). The Red Army had planned to be in Helsinki by Stalin’s birthday but the Finns clearly have the advantage. Enemy bombers twice raided Helsinki and did damage in the hospital quarter. Other open towns were also bombed. General Hugo Österman, Finnish commander on the Karelian Isthmus, boldly presents Field Marshall Mannerheim with a plan for a counterattack on the Isthmus (prepared by II Corp’s commander General Harald Öhqvist).


.



.


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## parsifal (Dec 21, 2014)

*21 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
U-62 (Type IIC)





TB 7 (Type 1935)





Allied
DD Kimberley (JKN Class) 





MA/SB 6 (Reclassified MGB 6 in January 1941)





_Unsure of even what class this boat belongs to, but in numbering it is close to the fairmile Type MGB 003, which is pictured_

*Known Losses*

MV CARL HENCKEL (SD 1,352 grt) 17 (10 dead and 7 survivors): Cargo of Coal: Leith - Malmö - Stockholm : The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 90 nautical miles (170 km) off Aberdeen, Scotland . The survivors were rescued by MV HOP (Nor).

Steamer COMITAS (Italy 3482 grt): World War II: The cargo ship struck a mine and was damaged in the North Sea off the coast of Belgium. She was beached off Vlissingen, Zeeland, Netherlands. She later broke in two, a total loss.[91]

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Boom defence vessel BAYONET (UK 605 grt) was sunk on a mine in South Inchkeith Channel off Leith in the Firth of Forth, laid by U.21 on 4 November. Barron and two ratings were lost and 28 crew injured.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tug DANUBE IV (UK 190 grt (est)): The tug collided with SOUTHERN PRINCE (UK) in the Clyde and sank.

MV RUDOLF (Nor 924 grt):15 (0 dead and 15 survivors): In Ballast: Gothenburg - UK: Completed in 1893, this old steamer was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-46. Survivors were rescued by BIARRITZ and BJERKA (both Nor).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

SOUTHERN PRINCE (UK): The ship collided with Danube IV( United Kingdom) in the Clyde and was beached. She was refloated on 23 December, repaired and returned to service

MSW trawler DROMIO (UK 380 grt) was sunk in a collision with Steamer VALDARNO (It 5696 grt) four miles due north of Whitby. There were no casualties on either ship.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 25 entered port and docked. U 46 is the only Atlantic boat still at sea.



At Sea 21 December 1939
U-21, U-22, U-46. 
3 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
After being delayed 48 hours, HN.5 with eight British, five Norwegian, two Swedish, six Finnish, three Estonian and one Latvian ship departed Bergen escort DDs AFRIDI, MAORI, NUBIAN, MOHAWK with DD ESCAPADE closing to join at sea while the convoy was en route. NUBIAN and MOHAWK were detached to escort the six ships of the west coast section of the convoy and arrived at Greenock on the 24th. HN.5 arrived at Methil without event on the 24th with MAORI, AFRIDI and ESCAPADE. On the 25th, MAORI and AFRIDI departed Rosyth and arrived in the Clyde on the 27th. 

*Northern Patrol*
Two cruisers between the Orkneys and Faroes, one cruiser and five AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait. CLs NEWCASTLE and COLOMBO departed Scapa separately on Northern Patrol duties, and both arrived back on the 22nd. 

*North Sea*
DDs EXMOUTH, ELECTRA and new sloop FLEETWOOD departed Rosyth escorting a convoy from Methil to the Tyne. CL CALYPSO departed the Tyne for Plymouth in preparation for transfer to the Med Flt.

Submarine UNITY departed Rosyth on patrol.

*Northern Waters*
ASW trawler CAPE WARWICK (516 grt) reported a submarine seven miles 52° from North Foreland , and made an attack on the contact. Sloop ABERDEEN also attacked a submarine contact. DD WOLVERINE attacked a submarine contact 20 miles 90° from Start Point. DD ARDENT later joined her in the sweep.

*Med- Biscay*
OA.55G and OB.55G merged as OG.11 with 46 ships. At various times the following warships provided escort: DDs ACASTA, WINDSOR VANESSA, AMAZON, MACKAY and WARWICK of OB.55G, (which departed Liverpool on the 18th). Fr DDs GUÉPARD and VERDUN, which departed Brest on the 20th, escorted the convoy from the 21st to 26th. DD VORTIGERN escorted the convoy on the 25th and 26th, when it arrived at Gib. CL CALEDON departed Plymouth and arrived at Gib on the 24th for duty with the Med Flt. She left on the 26th for Malta. BB MALAYA, escort DDs DIANA and DELIGHT, departed Malta for Gib with DD WATCHMAN providing local escort. She was en route to Halifax, and the DDs for service in Home Waters.

Fr CAs TOURVILLE and COLBERT patrolled in the Greek Islands for two days on passage from Beirut to Bizerte. On the 25th, they arrived at Malta.

Lt P L Hocking and Lt A A C Gage, both Fleet air Arm (FAA) officers on the China Station at the start of the war, were lost in a commercial airliner accident from Sollum to Malta. A third officer Lt W. Ashton was picked up by Maltese fishing boat SAN GORG (615grt) on the 23rd.

*Indian Ocean*
Fr CA SUFFREN arrived at Trincomalee


*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL DURBAN arrived at Singapore. Sloop FOLKESTONE, which completed her long refit on the 13th, departed Hong Kong on the 21st. She left Singapore on the 28th for patrol in the Malacca Strait, departed Penang on 3 January and Colombo on the 8th arriving at Aden on the 14th. FOLKESTONE left Aden on 19 January, Port Said on the 24th, and boiler cleaned at Malta beginning on the 27th. She arrived at Gibr on 5 February and departed the same day, escorting HG.16, and reaching Portsmouth on the 14th for duty in the Western Approaches, assigned to Convoy Cmd.


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## Wurger (Dec 22, 2014)

The 22nd December 1939... on the day...

The Red Army in Finland .... 







Wilhelmshaven - U-Boot , shipment of torpedoes ....

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## parsifal (Dec 23, 2014)

*22 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*

*Known Losses*
Steamer GRYFEVALE (UK 4434 grt) Crew numbers unknown, no casualties: Alexandria - Leith: Cargo of cotton seed, oil cake and 250 tons of rice. The ship was badly damaged three miles east of the Tyne Piers, off Whitby Bay on a mine laid by U.61 on the 2nd. She was towed into the Tyne and beached to prevent her sinking. Her ultimate fate is unknown, but she is not subsequently mentioned in any manifests. this suggests she was at some point a total loss. 





MV LONGSHIPS (UK 1582 grt): The Clyde Shipping Company cargo ship ran aground on the Seven Stones Reef, between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. All crew were rescued by the St Mary's lifeboat Cunard (RNLI FLAG.png Royal National Lifeboat Institution). She broke in two a week later.
New Photo Source: Leaving Newhaven in 1932. | SS LONGSHIPS (1917-1939) | CROSS CHANNEL FERRIES | SHIPS BOATS | PORT AND HARBOUR | Our Newhaven





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 22 December 1939
U-21, U-22, U-46. 
3 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers were between the Orkneys and Faroes, one cruiser and five AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and two cruisers and one AMC in the Denmark Strait. In addition, one additional cruiser and two AMCs were en route for the patrol line between the Faroes and Iceland. CA DEVONSHIRE arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol, refuelled, and left again that same day for the Patrol.CL GLASGOW arrived at Rosyth from Nthn Patrol.

The Northern Patrol from 22 December to 4 January 1940 sighted 43 eastbound ships of which 35 were sent into Kirkwall for inspection.

*North Sea*
OA.58 departed Southend escort DD BROKE and sloop ABERDEEN. The DD was detached on the 24th, and the sloop on the 25th, when the convoy dispersed. 

*Northern Waters*
CL MANCHESTER departed Portsmouth for Scapa , arriving on the 24th. DDs FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, FAME and FEARLESS with the MSW Flot 1 arrived at Loch Ewe. 

Newly completed DD KIPLING continued her work and shake down cruise eventually she joined DesFlot 5 operating with the Home Flt, on 18 January 1940. KIPLING was to have been completed in September, but turbine problems required the gears to be re-cut.

*West Coast UK*
OB.58 departed Liverpool escort DD WINCHELSEA and sloop DEPTFORD to the 25th, when the convoy dispersed.

*Nth Atlantic*
Cdn troop convoy TC.2 departed Halifax with troopships BATORY (14,287grt), ANDES (25,689grt), ORMONDE (14,982grt), ALMANZORA (15,510grt), ORAMA (19,840grt), CHROBRY (11,442grt) and REINA DEL PACIFICO (17,702grt) carrying 806, 1358, 1269, 1284, 935, 1045 and 1455 troops, respectively. The convoy was escorted from Halifax by RCN DDs OTTAWA, FRASER, RESTIGOUCHE, ST LAURENT and the British HUNTER. BB REVENGE (Vice Admiral Holland aboard returning to England to assume post on Admiralty-Air Ministry staff), Fr BC DUNKERQUE and CL GLOIRE were ocean escort.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL and CL GLOUCESTER departed Durban. CORNWALL arrived at Simonstown on the 26th, while GLOUCESTER proceeded to Mauritius.
.


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## Njaco (Dec 23, 2014)

*22 December 1939 Friday
WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Werner Mölders of III./JG 53 and Staffelkapitän Oblt. Hans von Hahn of 8./JG 53 both shoot down Hurricane I’s of RAF No. 73 Squadron over the Saar during an escort mission for a pair of Do 17s. It is Hptm. Mölder's third victory and Oblt. von Hahn's first kill. The pair became the first German fighter pilots to shoot down British Hurricane fighters.

M Daladier announced that the Maginot Line has been extended on the Northern and Jura Frontiers.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish 9th division chips away at Soviet 163rd division entrenched at Suomussalmi. 163rd has put up solid resistance despite having been surrounded for 10 days; however, time is on the Finns side as temperatures drop and Soviet supplies run out. Soviet 44th division is within a few km of Suomussalmi, having struggled 9 days up the road from Raate to relieve 163rd.

Finnish "Group Talvela" overruns Soviet 75th division in hand to hand combat at Ägläjärvi. 75th division retreats pell mell back down the road towards the Russian border. Group Talvela, part of IV Corps, has now put 2 Red Army divisions to flight in 10 days.

As Red Army attacks on the Karelian Isthmus falter, Finnish Commander in Chief Field Marshall Mannerheim takes the initiative. He hastily agrees to Öhqvist and Österman’s plan to counterattack to deal a demoralizing blow to the weary Soviet forces.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Navy awarded a US$7,000,000 contract to build two new graving docks at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii; the future Dock No. 2 was to be large enough to hold a battleship, while Dock No. 3 was to be made for destroyers and submarines.


.



.


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## Njaco (Dec 23, 2014)

*23 December 1939 Saturday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* At 0630 hours, four Finnish divisions counterattacked on a 28-mile front on the west side of the Karelian Isthmus, trying to trap resting Soviet forces in a massive encirclement. They immediately run into the Red Army in force and are repulsed. Soviet tanks are brutally effective against Finnish troops without antitank or artillery support. General Öhqvist calls off the attack at 2.40 PM, at a cost of 1300 dead and wounded (+ 200 cases of frostbite). The Finns have more success further North. Captain Mäkinen’s 2 machine gun companies (9th division) attack the arriving Soviet 44th division, consisting of about 15,000 men, strung out over several km of the Raate road. 44th is back to front; 25th rifle regiment leads, followed by artillery and tanks, with mobile reconnaissance units at the rear. 25th regiment, unsure of Finnish numbers and unable to bring up guns and armor, stops and takes up defensive positions. The whole column grinds to a halt, never to move again.

Russian planes bombed towns on southern coast of Finland and dropped leaflets over Helsinki with a message from the ‘puppet’ Prime Minister.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British Military Intelligence Section 9 (MI9) was established under the command of Major Norman Crockatt. It was charged with aiding resistance fighters in enemy occupied territory and recovering Allied troops, including downed airmen and prisoners of war.

An IRA gang stole the Irish Army's entire reserve of small arms ammunition - more than one million rounds - from an ammunition fort in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Most of it was recovered over the following days.

Admiralty announced intention of laying a mine barrage of nearly the full length of the East Coast as a reply to German action.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* German SS organization decreed that Polish workers who left their workplace without permission were to be arrested and sent to concentration camps.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported intense air activity on Western Front. Allied planes were busy photographing German lines.

The oxygen system of a He 111H from 4(F)./122 failed at 9600 meters while on a high altitude recce over northeastern France, and Lt. F Jordan was killed.

*NORTH AMERICA:* USA and 20 other American Republics made a protest, in the form of a joint neutrality declaration, against the activities of belligerent warships in American waters.

Anthony H.G. Fokker, Dutch airplane builder, died at age 49 in New York from pneumococcal meningitis, after a three-week-long illness. He is most famous for the fighter aircraft he produced in Germany during the First World War such as the Eindecker monoplanes, the Dr.1 triplane and the D.VII biplane. In 1940, his ashes were brought to Westerveld Cemetery in Driehuis, North Holland, where they were buried in the family grave.

.


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## Njaco (Dec 24, 2014)

*24 December 1939 Sunday
NORTHERN EUROPE: *In Finland, the Red Army has little to show for 24 days of fighting, only having pushed the Finns back to prepared defenses on the Isthmus. Stavka had planned 12 days to conquer Finland, making political assumptions that the Finnish populace and army would rebel against the Capitalist government and welcome the Soviet liberators. Consequently, the Soviet troops are running out of food, fuel and ammunition. Worse, they do not have winter clothing. Not only do they freeze but their dark uniforms stand out clearly against the snow making easy targets. Soviet 163rd division tries to break out of Suomussalmi but is pushed back. 44th division, now stationary for miles along the Raate Road, hears the guns but inexplicably does not move out in support. Finnish "Group Talvela" pursues beaten Soviet 75th and 139th divisions back across the Russian border. The Finns are briefly in possession of Soviet soil. Finns claimed to have shot down a least 14 Russian aircraft.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *After blazing for a week, the hulk of the ‘Graf Spee’ has burnt out.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: '_SS Pandora_' renamed '_Dolphin_' (4,580t) was heading for Blyth under tow to start her new career as a submarine accommodation ship for the submarine base at Blyth, when she struck a mine. Much of the wreck still remains and lies 19 metres of water.

An air raid siren at the Nurses Home on Westgate Road was sounded. It appears that someone was meddling with the siren control switch and accidentally set it off. As it sounded for less than 30 seconds, the 'All Clear' was considered unnecessary.


.


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## parsifal (Dec 24, 2014)

*23 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*

Repair Ship DOLPHIN (RN 3,099 grt): The decomisioned former repair ship struck a mine laid on 20 December by U-22 and sank 1.5 miles south-southeast of Blyth. The ship had been used as floating workshop in Portsmouth Dockyard and was being towed to Hughes Bolckow at Cambois to be stripped of all machinery prior to being sunk as blockship at Scapa. All seven crew were rescued.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

MV KIZILRMAK (Tu 1500 grt(est)) The cargo ship sank in the Black Sea 6 nautical miles (11 km) off the Sinop Lighthouse.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

Aux MSW PROMOTIVE (RN 78 grt):The auxiliary minesweeper struck a mine and sank in Loch Ewe in the same incident as GLEN ALBYN All 7 crew were rescued.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

Aux MSW GLEN ALBYN (RN 82 grt): The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in Loch Ewe. All 7 crew were rescued

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts














*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> The reason for the oil leak in U 25 has not yet been discovered. All the external fuel tanks will have to be hydraulically tested, which will take until about December 30.
> 
> Damage caused by D/C's in U 43 inspected. Damage to plating of bow-caps - this could be improved. Damage to one external fuel tank, aft of the conning tower, to starboard - as far as can be gathered in retrospect, D/C exploded about 3 meters away.Skin plating dented, several small holes, a few cracks. Pressure hull shows no effects of the explosion. Supports of upper deck containers for torpedoes bent. General impression: material and construction of this type of boat stood up remarkably well. This impression is confirmed by the experience of the commanding officer, who says that the boat was absolutely pressure-tight at depths far exceeding normal maximum diving depths. U 30 sailed.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-30

At Sea 23 December 1939
U-21, U-22, U-30, U-46. 
4 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
AMC CALIFORNIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
BB RESOLUTION and DDs ILEX, KINGSTON, KASHMIR departed the Clyde to cover convoy TC.2. CL EDINBURGH arrived at Rosyth to boiler clean and refit, and was under repair from 29 December to 30 January when she was able to depart for escort duty. DDs EXMOUTH and ELECTRA arrived at Rosyth after Tyne-Methil convoy escort duty.

FN.58 departed Southend at 1500, but was ordered to anchor in the Downs for the night. The escort was sloops FLAMINGO and STORK, joined by DD VEGA. The convoy was cancelled on the 24th, and FLAMINGO and STORK ordered to proceed to Rosyth if weather permitted. FS.58 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloops FLEETWOOD and GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 24th.

*Northern Waters*
DD ESCORT with ML PLOVER and sub H.34 arrived at Dundee from Scapa en route to Rosyth. MSW HAZARD departed Loch Ewe for the Clyde, and was joined by DD FORESTER for escort.

*UK - France*
BC.20 of steamer BARON KINNAIRD departed Bristol Channel escort DD VIVACIOUS. They arrived in the Loire on the 25th, and returned, departing on 4 January and reaching Barry on the 6th.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA SHROPSHIRE had departed Capetown on the 15th for Montevideo, but was diverted en route and on the 23rd arrived at Rio de Janeiro.
.
*Med- Biscay*
DD SIKH, which departed Malta on the 17th and Gib on the 20th, arrived at Dover completing the transfer of DesFlot 4 from the Med to Home waters. She moved on to Chatham arriving on the 26th for refitting and repairs until 10 January 1940.

*Indian Ocean*
Fr CA SUFFREN and RN AMC CATHAY departed Trincomalee for patrol duties

*RN Naval Awards*
the first list of British naval awards and honours of the war was gazetted:

Harwood and the three cruiser captains of the River Plate Battle, Bickford and crew members of the submarine SALMON for the sinking of submarine U.36, Gregory of the submarine STURGEON for his "successful action" against a U-boat were listed.

Certain officers and ratings of submarine SPEARFISH and destroyer MOHAWK were listed for the incidents in which their ships were damaged.

Commanding officers of the following DDs were awarded DSO's for "successful action" against U-boats - AFRIDI, BROKE, ECLIPSE, ECHO, EXMOUTH, FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, INGLEFIELD, KINGSTON and SOMALI.

COs of the following warships were awarded DSC's for "successful action" against U-boats - DDs EXPRESS, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, ILEX, IMOGEN, INTREPID, IVANHOE, VESPER, WALPOLE, WINCHELSEA, sloop PUFFIN, and ASW trawlers CAYTON WYKE and LOCH TULLA.

COs of the following DDs were mentioned in dispatches for "successful action" against U-boats - ESK, FAME, FOXHOUND, KASHMIR, VOLUNTEER, WHIRLWIND and WOOLSTON.

Also, two officers and two ratings of VERNON were decorated for their work on magnetic mines.


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## parsifal (Dec 24, 2014)

*24 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*
Liner PEGU (UK 8183 grt): The passenger ship ran aground off Southport, Lancashire. All 103 passengers rescued by lifeboats. The ship was declared a total loss






*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts






*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Conference with Admiral Superintendent of the Dockyard.
> 
> 1) It was agreed on 15.12 that U 28 and U 29 could also be repaired in the West dockyard, as there was no lack of skilled labor.
> 2) In actual fact it appears that there is not enough skilled labor to deal with the boats already in the dockyard. U 32, 30 have been delayed. Mr. SPERLING (West's dockyard's request for skilled workmen was not conceded by the main dockyard). B.d.U. himself therefore transferred U 28 and U 29 to Hamburg (Deutsche Werft and Stuelken), so as not to overburden the West dockyard any more.
> 3) Admiral Superintendent gave assurances that he would see to it that the West dockyard got the necessary labor.



Arrivals
Kiel, Germany: U-21 , U-22 

At Sea 24 December 1939
U-30, U-46. 
2 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*Northern Patrol*
two cruisers were between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and seven AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait.

*North Sea*
CA NORFOLK departed Belfast and arrived in the Clyde on 1 January. CL SOUTHAMPTON arrived in the Tyne for repairs from 28 December until 23 January 1940. DD WALLACE departed Rosyth in the tow of two tugs for Leith. Sub TRIAD arrived at Rosyth after patrol. DDs GREYHOUND and GRENVILLE attacked a submarine contact in the North Sea.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ECHO and ELECTRA departed Inchkeith escorting tankers to Loch Ewe (the largest oil storage farm was located underground in huge storage tanks at Loch Ewer. They were not finally decommissioned until 1982). DDs FURY and FIREDRAKE departed Loch Ewe and joined DDs FEARLESS, KASHMIR, KINGSTON, ILEX, NUBIAN and MOHAWK in the Clyde.

*Channel*
CL CALYPSO departed Plymouth for Gib where she arrived on the 27th for duty with the Med Flt.

*SW Approaches*
OB.59 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VOLUNTEER and VENETIA to the 27th when they detached to SL.14. Convoy OA.59 did not sail

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed Simonstown on the 13th for Montevideo to join CLs AJAX and the ACHILLES. En route, DORSETSHIRE was diverted on the 18th to the Falklands. She arrived, refuelled from tanker OLYNTHUS on the 22nd in San Boroban Bay and on the 24th arrived in the Falklands to embark the prisoners from German steamers KARL FRITZEN and USSUKUMA. Off the Plate, ACHILLES departed on the 18th for the Falklands where she arrived on the 21st to land her wounded, and after refuelling, left to arrive back off the Plate on the 24th. CA CUMBERLAND arrived in the Falklands on the 24th.
.
*Med- Biscay*
BB MALAYA and DDs DELIGHT and DIANA arrived at Gib, and left the same day with DD WATCHMAN. MALAYA proceeded to Halifax, and DELIGHT and DIANA to Portsmouth and Dover respectively, arriving on the 30th. DIANA carried on to Chatham, arriving for refit on the 31st.

HG.12 of 48 ships departed Gib, escort Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs JAGUAR and LÉOPARD, from the 24th until the DDs arrived at Brest on 1 January, and also by destroyer KEPPEL. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 January.


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## Crimea_River (Dec 24, 2014)

With thanks to Falke Eins. FalkeEins - The Luftwaffe blog






On 24 December 1944 the acting Kommandeur of II.(Sturm)/JG 300, Klaus Bretschneider was shot down and killed by Mustangs. Call sign Specht Anton - Bretschneider- scrambled at the head of JG 300 against an 8th AF raid - was easy prey for the aces of the 357th FG. His Schwarm had been directed right into the path of the aggressively flown P-51 Mustangs. His Sturmbock Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 682204) was a specialist bomber destroyer variant fitted with cockpit armour and 30mm cannon and entirely unsuited to dogfighting. The hapless German pilot plummeted to earth near Kassel, almost certainly dead at the controls. His loss was a hard blow for his pilots. Klaus Bretschneider flew Wilde Sau sorties with JG 300 in July 1943 with 6. Staffel then 5. Staffel, claiming 14 victories by night. Before being appointed Kapitän of 5. Staffel and serving as acting Kommandeur, Klaus Bretschneider served also in Stab II./JG 300 and Stab/JG 300 and by the time of his death he had claimed 20 additional victories against US aircraft by day. The 'eternal Leutnant' had been promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant and, by late 1944, was a rare Defence of the Reich fighter leader to wear the Knights Cross.

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## Njaco (Dec 24, 2014)

Thanks CR but its 1939.


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## Njaco (Dec 25, 2014)

*25 December 1939 Monday
NORTHERN EUROPE*: After a lull in the fighting since Dec 17, Red Army resumes attacking the Taipale sector of the Isthmus. At 5-7 AM in darkness, snow and mist, Soviet 4th Rifle Division crosses the frozen Suvanto River and gains 3 bridgeheads. Finnish artillery and machine guns take a heavy toll and Soviet troops are pushed back across the ice at Patoniemi and Volossula. The Soviets dig in on the shore near the village of Kelja (now Kelya in USSR) and hold on throughout the night. Soviet 163rd division attempts another break out but is again penned up in Suomussalmi. Some desperate Soviets try to cross frozen Lake Vuonanlahti to escape West further into Finland. They are rapidly picked off by the Finns due to their dark clothing. The forward elements of 44th division on Raate Road, still with no artillery support, again fail to come to the aid of the trapped 163rd division.

Twenty-three Russian bombers attempted to raid Helsinki, but were driven off by anti-aircraft guns. Other large flotillas of bombers attacked Viborg, inflicting considerable damage. There were also raids of Borga, Tampere and Turku. Enemy planes bombed Koivisto coastal batteries repeatedly. Koivisto was also shelled by Russian warship ‘_Marat_’.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The King broadcast a Christmas message to the people of the Empire.

Minesweeping trawler '_Loch Doon_' hit a mine and sank, off Blyth, with the loss of fifteen of her crew.

The Admiralty announced that a minefield, 500 miles long and 35 miles wide, down the east coast has been completed.

.



.

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## Njaco (Dec 25, 2014)

*26 December 1939 Tuesday
GERMANY:* Shortly after 1300 hours, six British Blenheim bombers are sent to bomb targets in the Deutsche Bucht area. Intercepted by the defending German fighter forces for the area, one Blenheim bomber is shot down by Kommodore Obstlt. Schumacher of JG 77 and JG 1 near Wangerooge. It is his second and last victory of the war. The other bombers return to England safely before they reached the coast.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The first squadron of Royal Australian Air Force on active service lands in England. The first Royal Australian Air Force personnel arrived by boat at Pembroke, Wales, United Kingdom for anti-submarine duty in Sunderland flying boats with No. 10 Squadron.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish 9th Division received artillery support and began bombarding the Soviet 163rd Division trapped in Suomussalmi, Finland. Elsewhere in the Taipale sector, near Lake Lagoda, on the Eastern end of the Karelian Isthmus, Soviets and Finns battle over the Soviet foothold on the Finnish side of the Suvanto River near the village of Kelja. Soviet infantry supported by tanks attempt to cross the frozen river but are turned back by shelling from Finnish artillery and shore batteries at the Kekinniemi fort. The Finns attack twice in company strength at 07.30 and 16.15 hrs but fail to dislodge the dug in Soviets.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Reported that three more neutral ships were sunk during the week-end: Swedish vessel ‘_Carl Henkel_'; Norwegian cargo-boat ‘_Lappen_'; and Spanish steamer ‘_Perez_.’

*ASIA*: At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese attack the Japanese near Kunlunkuan. The Chinese 5th War Area attacks around Hsinyang. The Japanese 21st Army crosses the North River in the Chinese 4th War Area.


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 25, 2014)

Excellent job fellas!


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## parsifal (Dec 26, 2014)

*25 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*
Collier EDENWOOD (UK 1167 grt), From the Admiralty war diary. Voyage, Seaham to Portsmouth. Was sunk in a 
collision with HMS DERBYSHIRE on 25 December 1939. The Log book of HMS DERBYSHIRE records the time as 22.59 1/2 23rd Dec. DERBYSHIRE was undamaged.

[NO IMAGE LOCATED]

Steamer STANHOLME (UK 2473 grt) 24 (12 dead and 12 survivors); Cardiff - London : cargo of Coal: the ship was sunk in the Bristol Channel on a mine laid by U.33 on 5 November. The survivors picked up by a Norwegian steamer and landed at Barry.






Steamer LAPPEN (Nor 563 grt), en route Oslo to the Tyne, was lost after an internal explosion ten miles outside Brandasund, west of Bergen. The loss was later attributed to sabotage. The crew was landed at Bergen.

[NO IMAGE LOCATED]

Aux MSW trawler LOCH DOON (RN 534 grt) sunk eight miles east of Blyth on a mine laid by U.22 on the 22nd. There were no survivors - one officer and 14 ratings lost.

[NO IMAGE LOCATED]

TANGER (Ger 1742 grt) was sunk in a collision at Brunsbüttel

[NO IMAGE LOCATED]

Coastal Steamer TORWOOD(Nor 850 grt (est)): This ship was a wooden hull steam coaster but of relatively modern construction (either 1929 or 1935). Had a cargo of carbide when she struck a mine west of Karmoy, Norway. The crew was able to keep her afloat until the next morning, but then all 11 left the ship in 2 lifeboats, 4 in one, 7 in the other. Only the 7 survived, rescued by the Nowegian HILD and taken to Skudenes. 
New image source: http://www.warsailors.com/norships/torwood.jpg





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 25 December 1939
U-30, U-46. 
2 boats at sea.
*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
Finnish Coast Defence Ship Ilmarinen damaged by Soviet Land based Naval Air units with 1 KIA, 2 WIA 





*Northern Patrol*
one cruiser was between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and seven AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait.

Of the ships engaged on Northern Patrol, CA BERWICK arrived in the Clyde for a period of rest and refit; CL CERES arrived at Scapa after patrol; CL DUNEDIN arrived at Scapa after her refit in the Clyde, and left for Northern Patrol; and AMC JERVIS BAY arrived at Portsmouth.

*North Sea*
DDs MAORI and AFRIDI departed Rosyth for the Clyde. Sub TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth after patrol.

The following submarines were on patrol in the Heligoland Bight and the North Sea: STURGEON which had departed from Blyth on the 17th and whose patrol ended on the 29th when she left the area to return, THISTLE which had departed from Rosyth on the 20th and was on patrol at entrance to Oslofjord, TRIUMPH from Rosyth on the 23rd, TRUANT from Rosyth on the 25th, SEALION from Harwich on the 12th, SNAPPER from Harwich on the 19th, UNITY from Blyth on the 21st, and L.23 from Blyth on the 17th to patrol in the area of Kristiansandfjord.

FS.59 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS, VIVIEN and sloop BITTERN. After a sube was sighted by aircraft close to Spurn Point on the 25th, the three escorts were sent to investigate, and VALOROUS attacked a contact; two ASW trawlers were also searching in the area. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ECHO and ELECTRA conducted an ASW Sweep off Rattray Head. 

*West Coast UK*
BB REVENGE, escort DDs MOHAWK, MASHONA, KHARTOUM and KINGSTON, departed the Clyde and proceeded to Plymouth arriving at 1200 on 1 January for refitting, completed on 23 January. The escort DDs, less MASHONA, returned to the Clyde. MASHONA sailed to Chatham for repairs.

*Channel*
Sloop FLAMINGO attacked a submarine contact in the Knock Deep off the mouth of the Thames.

*Western Approaches*
Cdn TC.2 was in mid-Atlantic when Adm Forbes ordered the sortie of twelve Home Flt DDs to escort it through the Western Approaches and into the Clyde. DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MATABELE, MOHAWK, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FURY, IMPERIAL and IMPULSIVE departed on the 25th and KINGSTON and KASHMIR on the 26th, all from Greenock and joined the convoy at sea on the 28th. On the 29th, DDs FAME and FORESIGHT conducted an ASW sweep off Ailsa Craig, after which, FAME arrived back in the Clyde on the 30th and FORESIGHT went to Loch Ewe. Also on the 29th, the Fr ships (BB DUNKERQUE and CL GLOIRE) were detached, escort DDs FEARLESS, FURY, FIREDRAKE and joined later in the morning by Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs MOGADOR, VOLTA, LE TRIOMPHANT, LE FANTASQUE, and LE TERRIBLE, which had departed Brest on the 26th. The DDs were detached before the French ships arrived at Brest on the 30th. On the 29th and 30th, convoy escort was supplemented by escort vessels PUFFIN, JASON, GLEANER and SHEARWATER.

At 0900/30th, TC.2 arrived safely in the Clyde escorted by BB REVENGE and DDs SOMALI, IMPERIAL, MOHAWK, KINGSTON, KASHMIR, MATABELE, BEDOUIN, FEARLESS, FURY, FAME and FIREDRAKE.

*Med- Biscay*
Sloop BIDEFORD arrived at Suez on her passage from the China Station to the UK. She left Port Said on the 30th for Malta escorting steamer ETTRICK. Off Malta on 1 January, destroyer VOYAGER relieved her and the steamer was taken to Marseilles. BIDEFORD arrived at Malta that day.

*Indian Ocean*
Fr CA SUFFREN and sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA began escorting three French troopships from Achin Head. British CVL GLORIOUS, DD BULLDOG and RAN CL HOBART departed Colombo on the 29th. They joined the convoy and escorted it to Cape Guardafui. GLORIOUS and BULLDOG proceeded on to Suez arriving on 9 January, while HOBART arrived back at Colombo on 10 January 1940.


----------



## parsifal (Dec 26, 2014)

*26 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*
Steamer GLUCKSBURG (Ger 2680 grt), had departed Cadiz on the 25th, was intercepted by DD WISHART off Chipiona Light ( Spain). She turned into Spanish waters pursued by WISHART which was warned off by Spanish gunboat LAURIA. However GLUCKSBURG went aground at San Luca de Barrameda and was lost; her hull broke up in the surf on 4 January 1940. The crew was picked up by Spanish fishing boat CUIDAD DE MELILLA.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Radio Intelligence Service fixed the position of a convoy on the west coast of Portugal. U 46 informed.



At Sea 26 December 1939
U-30, U-46. 
2 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
One cruiser and one AMC were in the Denmark Strait, two cruisers and eight AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and two cruisers between the Faroes and the Orkneys. AMC CANTON departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol

*North Sea*
Sub TRIUMPH departed Rosyth on patrol on the 26th. In the Skagerrak 250 miles east of Rosyth, she struck a mine which left her badly damaged, unable to submerge and with 18 feet of her bow blown away. There were no casualties. Submarine TRUANT joined TRIUMPH to assist, while DDs EXMOUTH, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER and ECHO were dispatched from Rosyth and joined TRIUMPH on the 27th. TRIUMPH and her escorts arrived safely off May Island in the Firth of Forth on the 28th. She was taken to Chatham for repairs lasting until 27 September 1940. On arrival at Rosyth, ELECTRA entered the dock at Rosyth for repairs and refit.




_HMS THUNDERBOLT sister to the damaged TRIUMPH. Shot taken early 1941 _

DD JACKAL arrived in the Humber. Sub SEAHORSE departed Blyth on patrol. ORP Sub WILK departed Rosyth on patrol. FN.59 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloops FLEETWOOD and GRIMSBY. Convoy and escort arrived in the Tyne on the 28th.

*Channel*
After a sub was reported in the English Channel, DD MALCOLM and sloop FOXGLOVE carried out a Sweep of the area. Tkr ADELLEN (UK 7984 grt) was badly damaged on a mine 16 miles NE of North Foreland, but the vessel did not sink. She entered the Thames next morning for repair. 

*UK - France*
Convoy SA.23 of two steamers departed Southampton, escorted by sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 27th.

*SW Approaches*
A submarine was reported sighted on the surface by DD VENETIA (this could only have been U-46, but the sighting is slightly different to the reported position of the Uboat that day) , escorting an outward bound convoy with DD VOLUNTEER. VENETIA made an attack on the contact 180 miles SW of Berehaven (Berehaven Harbour is located in Bantry Bay, West Cork. It was an RN Naval Base in Eire until abandoned in 1938). DDs WREN and WITCH in the area were advised of the sighting.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.14 departed Freetown escort sloop LEITH until 12 January. On 28 December, CVL HERMES, Fr CAs FOCH and DUPLEIX, and Fr DDs MILAN and CASSARD departed Freetown and joined the convoy on the 30th. On 10 January, convoy HG.14F was merged with SL.14. Sloop BIDEFORD joined on 10 January, and on the 11th, the convoys split with the northbound portion becoming SG.14B. On the same day, DDs WANDERER, WITCH and WARWICK joined SG.14B. LEITH arrived at Penarth for refitting on the 13th, while the convoy arrived on the 15th. There is no record of HERMES docking in the UK, I am usure of her whereabouts at that time, but suspect she diverted to Gib.

*Med- Biscay*
Sloop SCARBOROUGH departed Malta for UK for duty in Home Waters.

*Indian Ocean*
CL GLOUCESTER departed Mauritius and arrived at Port Victoria, Seychilles, on the 29th


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## parsifal (Dec 26, 2014)

Great Information CR, but the format is to do each day as it comes by. We are still only at December 1939.

Id really like to extend an invite for anyone to contribute. Its hard to cover all the areas in the deatail it deserves. Doesnt matter if is just one isolated post, or fifty, So get your information and images ready and please feel encouraged to contribute. its my way of getting the facts out ther, and paying my respects to people i can never repay,m and for which there is a very great debt.


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## Crimea_River (Dec 26, 2014)

Njaco said:


> Thanks CR but its 1939.



D'oh!!!! I'll be back in five years. Sorry!!!!!

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## Wurger (Dec 27, 2014)

On the 27th December Nazi German invaders murdered without trial 107 dwellers of Wawer town near Warsaw. The murder was a collective responsibility for killing of two Nazi soldiers of the no. 539 Construction Battalion in Antoni Bartoszek's restaurant. The owner of the restaurant was severely beaten and hanged on doors of his pub without any judgement.












Graves of murdered Poles in 1939...






The graveyard in 60' ...


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## parsifal (Dec 27, 2014)

*27 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
DD BAKU Project 38 Class (Leningrad class 2nd Gp)




_BAKU was the lead ship of the Project 38 class, an improved design of the original Project 1 "Leningrad" Class. Inspired by the French Contre Torpilleurs, neither class were considered successful, suffering from endemic structural failures, machinery that did not deliver the expected power outputs and dangerous levels of top heaviness. Despite these serious flaws, Baku survived the war, not being decommissioned until 1963._

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Sailing of U 32 again delayed. Exhaust valve leaky.



Departures
Kiel: U-56, U-58

At Sea 27 December 1939
U-30, U-32, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
5 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
One cruiser and one AMC were in the Denmark Strait, two cruisers and AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser between the Orkneys and the Faroes. CL MANCHESTER relieved sister ship SHEFFIELD on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD JACKAL escorted tanker BEDALE H (493grt) from Killingholm to Middlesborough, and sister ship JUNO joined later in the day. Sub TRIDENT departed Rosyth to establish a patrol off Murmansk to observe German activities from that port. OA.61 departed Southend escort DDs VESPER and VISCOUNT from the 27th to 29th, when they detached to join SL.14. DDs BROKE and ARDENT escorted the convoy from the 29th to 30th, when the convoy dispersed. 

*Northern Waters*
BC HOOD and DDs MAORI, NUBIAN and AFRIDI departed the Clyde to relieve BB BARHAM and BC REPULSE on patrol NE of the Shetlands. AFRIDI and MAORI had just arrived in the Clyde that morning. DD ILEX joined the TG that evening after refuelling at Scapa.

*Channel*
DD WREN and WITCH were ordered to attack a submarine contact reported in the English Channel.

*SW Approaches*
DDs VENETIA and VOLUNTEER attacked a submarine contact in 49-58N, 12-56W.

*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.14 departed Halifax at 0900 escort by RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA, which detached on the 29th. The ocean escort was AMC ASCANIA, which left on 5 January. DD VERSATILE and sloop DEPTFORD from OB.64 joined HXF.14 from 5 to 8 January, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.14 departed Freetown escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE until the 8 January. CVL HERMES accompanied the convoy on the 1st, and DDs ACASTA from the 4th to 8th, VESPER from the 8th to 9th, and WINDSOR from the 9th. The convoy arrived on the 11th.

CL ORION departed Kingston on patrol.

*Sth Atlantic*
Force K arrived at Montevideo. Since 18 November, the Force had been at sea almost constantly and ARK ROYAL had spent only 36 hours in port in that period, stretching for more than a month.
.
*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL BIRMINGHAM arrived at Hong Kong for repairs to her 17 December collision damage and to replace a propeller. She was undocked two days later and was able to depart on 3 January for her return to UK.


----------



## parsifal (Dec 27, 2014)

*28 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*

Naval Trawler BARBARA ROBERTSON (RN 325 grt): U.30 sank armed patrol trawler with gunfire, 35 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis in one rating was lost. DD ISIS was dispatched to assist, and guided to the area by British seaplanes. rescued the 16 survivors. She then went on to assist damaged BB BARHAM (see entry below) 




_BARBARA ROBERTSON was a Mersey Class Trawler of which the above (HMS FOYLE) is an example_

Coastal Steamer HANNE (Den 1,080 grt): 17 (15 dead and 2 survivors): In Ballast: Copenhagen - Blyth. The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) east of Blyth, Northumberland 
Photo originally from Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore, used in Uboat Net





Trawler RESEARCHO (UK 258 grt) was lost in a minefield laid six miles SE by E of Flamborough Head by U.15 on 17 November. The entire crew was rescued. DD JACKAL later reported the trawler abandoned and still afloat 7½ miles east of Flamborough Head. The vessel was however a constructive total loss.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Coastal steamer WILPAS (Fn 775 grt) The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the Gulf of Bothnia by ShCh-311 ( also known as SC 311) off Vaasa







_Shch-311 was a Series V-bis-2 Shchuka of the Baltic Fleet_

BB BARHAM, BC REPULSE, and DDs NUBIAN and ISIS were NW of Flannan Island when U.30 attacked. BARHAM was torpedoed at 1449 hours, and U.30 was able to escape the fierce counterattacks by the DDs. A and B shell rooms and magazines, and the pom-pom magazine were flooded and the forward bulkhead of the 6 inch magazine was leaking. Four ratings were killed.

REPULSE left her escort and proceeded at high speed, unaccompanied, into the Clyde arriving early on the 29th. DDs FAULKNOR and MASHONA departed Loch Ewe at 2300 to join the damaged BARHAM. Additionally, DD FOXHOUND departed Loch Ewe several hours later. After the submarine hunt FOXHOUND, FAULKNOR and ISIS were sent into Loch Ewe and DD NUBIAN joined the screen of BC HOOD. The patrol sloops of the 1st and 2nd Anti-Submarine Striking Forces departed the Clyde to assist. At 1404/29th, DDs INGLEFIELD and ICARUS attacked a submarine contact near BARHAM. Escorted by DDs FAME, ICARUS and IMOGEN, the damaged BARHAM was brought at 12 knots into the port of Liverpool at 2335/29th. She entered Gladstone Dock at 0245/30th for repairs which lasted until 1 July when she left for Scapa.

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 32 at last ready towards evening. Sailed in accordance with Operations Order No. 16.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-32

At Sea 28 December 1939
U-30, U-32, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
5 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
One cruiser and one AMC were in the Denmark Strait, two cruisers and seven AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser between the Orkneys and the Faroes. AMC MONTCLARE arrived in the Clyde and CL COLOMBO reached Scapa. CL CERES departed Scapa for Northern Patrol duties, and arrived back on 3 January.

*North Sea*
Sloops PELICAN, WESTON, HASTINGS after exercising in the Firth of Forth, escorted steamer CORDELIA (8190grt) to the Tyne. DDs INTREPID and IVANHOE of DesFlot 20 departed Portsmouth at 2330, and early on the 30th, laid minefield LA east of the Farne Islands in the North Sea. They were given close escort by six MTBs. OA.62 departed Southend escort sloop ENCHANTRESS and DD WINDSOR from the 28th to 30th. The convoy was then escorted by DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY from the 30th to 31st, when it dispersed.

FN.60 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS, VIVIEN, BITTERN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 29th. FS.60 departed the Tyne, escorted by DD VEGA and sloops HASTINGS and PELICAN, which had departed Rosyth on the 27th to join. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.62 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY, WARWICK and VIMY to the 31st, when they detached to the inbound convoy HX.13.

*Channel*
ASW trawler CAPE ARGONA (494grt) attacked a submarine contact 21 miles 114° from Flamborough Head.

*UK - France*

*Central Atlantic*
AMC MALOJA sighted a submarine in 44-28N, 13-00W. DD DELIGHT was advised. Sub SEVERN was at Freetown with a defect to the engine exhaust pipe. Repairs took 14 days.

*Med- Biscay*
OG.12 was formed from OA.60G and OB.60G totalling 44 ships. DDs VANESSA and AMAZON escorted OA.60G from the 26th to 28th, while WHITEHALL, WIVERN, VANOC and WHIRLWIND from OB.60G escorted OG.12 from the 28th to 29th. Fr DDs VALMY and CHEVALIER PAUL, which departed Brest on the 28th, escorted the convoy from 29 December to 4 January when it reached Gibraltar.

CL CALYPSO departed Gibraltar and arrived at Malta on the 31st for duty with the 3rd Cruiser Squadron.


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## parsifal (Dec 27, 2014)

After more than 40 years of studying this war, i still have difficulty in understanding the brutality it brought out in people.


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## Njaco (Dec 27, 2014)

*27 December 1939 Wednesday
GERMANY:* ‘FALL GELB’ is again postponed and rescheduled to take place between 9 and 14 January 1940.

The US Consul General in Hamburg states that the German authorities there have released all but 7 neutral vessels previously seized. At one time, there were estimated to be about 125 ships there.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Finland, Soviet 4th division desperately tries to reinforce it’s bridgehead on the Finnish side of the Suvanto River, at the Eastern end of the Karelian Isthmus. But the attempts were detected by Finnish forces, which attacked them with artillery and machine guns, killing many. Thousands of Soviet troops crossed the ice in bright moonlight and were punished by Finnish artillery and machinegun fire, leaving the ice “littered with piles of bodies”. Finnish artillery shells the dug in Soviet troops on the bridgehead. Finnish 6th battalion attacks at 11.45 AM and clears the trenches in several hours of close combat. Battle of Kelja is over at 6 PM with 2000 Soviets dead. Finns have 400 dead and wounded but capture 6 anti-tank guns and hundreds of machineguns and rifles.

Elsewhere, in Suomussalmi, Finnish 9th division, supported by the newly-arrived four 1902 76-millimeter cannon and two Bofors 37-millimeter anti-tank guns, began to assault the encircled Soviet 163rd Division. Despite cold, hunger and poor leadership, the Soviet troops hold out in fierce hand to hand combat. 44th division hears the battle but again fails to march to the sound of the guns.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Royal Navy plans to seed a defensive minefield from Moray Firth to the Thames Estuary.

Convoy OA 61 departs from Southend, Convoy SL 14F departs from Freetown, Convoy HXF 14 departs from Halifax.

Royal Air Force coastal command forces attack shipping, including two destroyers and eleven patrol vessels, in the North Sea, disabling a German patrol boat.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Indian troops arrive in France to join the BEF.

*ASIA*: In the Battle of South Kwangsi, in the last gasps of the Winter Offensive, the Chinese are still attacking the Japanese 5th Infantry Division. At the Lien River, the Japanese 21st Army crosses against light resistance from the Chinese 4th War Area. A Japanese force also counterattacks the Chinese 5th War Area near Chunghsiang.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 28, 2014)

*29 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*
Liner CABO SAN ANTONIO (Sp 12275 GRT): The cargo liner caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean 400 nautical miles (740 km) west of Conakry, French Guinea and was abandoned with the loss of five passengers. Survivors were rescued by a French ship. The vessel was subsequently scuttled by a French warship as she was a danger to navigation.





Steamer VENTA (Latvian 1886 grt) was seized in the Baltic by a German warship, and later renamed UNDINE for German use. 
New Photo Source Cundall 1908




_Built in 1908, and in British service known as the CUNDALL, sold in 1925 to the Latvian National carrier, renamed VENTA_

Coastal Steamer NEPTUN (Ger 727 grt) was lost by stranding on the Swedish coast near Varberg in the Kattegat.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 30 reported an attack on a battleship of the Repulse class on the 28th northwest of the Herbrides. She fired 4 torpedoes and scored one probable hit. According to Radio Intelligence, this is "Barham". She could however, still make 12 knots and probably proceeded to the Clyde. Shortly after U 30 reported that she had sun



At Sea 29 December 1939
U-30, U-32, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
5 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
One cruiser and one AMCs were in the Denmark Strait, two cruisers and seven AMCs between Iceland the Faroes, and one cruiser between the Faroes and the Orkneys. AMC DERBYSHIRE arrived in the Clyde.

*North Sea*
Sub L.23 arrived at Rosyth after patrol. She was supposed to go to Blyth, but that port was closed due to mining. She was able to proceed to Blyth next day and arrived on the 31st.Some sources suggest sub SEAHORSE, which departed Blyth on patrol on the 26th, was sunk on a mine on this date. However, it appears that the 7 January attack on a submarine was more likely the cause of SEAHORSE's loss (see entry for 7 January).

ON.6 of three British and three Finnish ships was due to depart Methil, but was held up until the next day. The convoy departed Methil on the 29th escort DDs EXMOUTH, ECLIPSE, ENCOUNTER, ESCAPADE and ORP sub ORZEL. ML RINGDOVE and British steamer HIGHLANDER (1216grt) left the convoy near Aberdeen and proceeded to Scapa. DD ECLIPSE and ASW trawler ARCTIC EXPLORER (501grt) also detached from the Convoy. Close cover was provided by CLs EDINBURGH and GLASGOW which departed Rosyth on the 30th. Heavy distant cover was supplied by BC HOOD and DDs MAORI, NUBIAN and AFRIDI operating southeast of the Faroes. DD ILEX after refuelling at Scapa joined the HOOD screen the next day. ON.6 arrived safely at Bergen on 1 January.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.14 departed Halifax at 0900 escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA, which detached on the 30th. The DDs arrived back at Halifax on the 31st. CL EFFINGHAM and RN sub CACHALOT departed Halifax with HX.14 as the ocean escort, EFFINGHAM detaching on 9 January. DDs WHITSHED, WALKER, VIMY and ANTELOPE escorted the convoy from 9 to 12 January, when it arrived at Liverpool. On the convoy’s arrival, the use of submarine escorts with HX convoys was suspended. EFFINGHAM reached Portsmouth on the 10th to refit, completed on 13 April 1940.

*Central Atlantic*
Steamer HIGHLAND PATRIOT (UK 14,172 grt) was attacked by Fr sub FRESNEL off the Canary Islands, believing her to be a German blockade runner. FRESNEL was driven off by gunfire and fortunately neither vessels was damaged.
.
*Sth Atlantic*
CL AJAX and CA DORSETSHIRE departed the Falklands for patrol off Rio de la Plata. DORSETSHIRE set off for Simonstown searching for German tanker ALTMARK en route, and arrived back at the Falklands on 18 January. Sister ship CUMBERLAND departed Port William, Falklands on the 29th for Simonstown, via Tristan da Cunha. She arrived at Simonstown on 11 January for docking and refit completed on 10 February, and was declared ready for sea on the 13th.

*Med- Biscay*
HGF.13 departed Gib with ten ships, escort DDs WISHART and ACTIVE from 29 December to 3 January, and WANDERER and VETERAN from convoy OGF.13 on 3 January. VETERAN was detached the same day, but WANDERER remained until the 5th when the convoy arrived.

*Indian Ocean*
Fr CA SUFFREN arrived at Trincomalee at 0200, and at 0950, departed with RN CV GLORIOUS and AMC CATHAY.


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## Wurger (Dec 28, 2014)

The Winter 1939/1940 ... damaged Nazi German tanks and vehicles gathered at Świdnik airfield , Poland.

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## Njaco (Dec 28, 2014)

*28 December 1939 Thursday

ASIA*: The Japanese bomb the Chinese military supply depot at Lanchow.

The Chinese 3rd War Area interdicts boat traffic on the Yangtze River.

Chinese 5th War Area takes Yuntankang. The Japanese are attacking it at Loyangtien, Tzepakang, Tuchungshan, and Hsuchiatien. Japanese troops take Changshoutien from it.

In the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Chinese are attacking the Japanese Fifth Infantry Division at Kunlunkuan.

*GERMANY:* The crews of I(J)./LG 2 transfer from Koln to Hage on the North Sea Coast.

The British lose a reconnaissance plane over northwest Germany during the night.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Joseph Stalin ordered the Soviet troops in Finland to hold position as his generals worked on a new offensive plan against the surprisingly resilient Finnish defenses. The Soviet troops enveloped within Finnish lines was thus abandoned and left to be eliminated by the Finnish forces. The Soviet invasion plans assumed the political and military collapse of Finland in 12 days but they have few gains to show after a month of fighting. Only 14th Army in Lapland has achieved its objectives. Stalin pragmatically and ruthlessly abandons Meretskov’s plan and orders a ‘temporary defensive posture’ prior to concerted attacks on the Mannerheim Line. He similarly abandons the elements of the Red Army currently on the border from Lake Lagoda to Lapland. 14th Army and 9th Army (122 Div) held in Lapland, 9th Army (163 44 Div) trapped around Suomussalmi and 8th Army held North of Lake Lagoda are left to the mercy of the Finns. There is no plan to reinforce, resupply or evacuate them; retreat or surrender will be punished by death when they return to the Soviet Union. Comrade Zelentsov in Suomussalmi gathers his men of the 163rd Rifle Division together at dawn. The troops form a 4 kilometer-long column on the ice of Kiantajärvi lake and head away from the doomed village they have been defending for weeks. The two regiments, the 81st Mountain Rifles, and the 759th Rifle Regiment receive elaborate Red Air Force protection, and tanks assist on the ground. By evening, they have made good progress toward safety that lies 20 km to the northeast, taking with them 2000 men, 48 trucks, 20 field guns, and 6 tanks. Zelentsov's division actually has three regiments, the third being the 662nd Rifle Regiment. It remains back forming a defensive perimeter by the road, oblivious to the departure of the men it had been guarding. Regiment commander Sharov and commissar Podhomutov - both having equal authority - sneak out on their men and leave them to their fate, making their way together through the forest to safety. Virtually everyone they leave behind is annihilated. Both Sharov and Podhomutov are immediately arrested and executed in front of the few of their troops that also survived.

Aside from recapturing the village and eliminating a substantial Soviet formation, for the Finns it also is a huge strategic victory because now they can turn all of their attention to the stranded and immobile Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the Ratte road. The beleaguered division is stretched over 20 kilometers on what essentially is a rough logging road through deep forests. The division is oriented to proceed west to Suomussalmi, but now there is no need to go there. The division's only rational destination is where it came from, but the best troops are at the wrong end of the 20 kilometers. The division headquarters (kombrig Vinogradov and commissar Parkhomenko) is all the way back on the Soviet side of the border. Orders to the division: no retreat. Stalin essentially writes off the Soviet formations in Finland and prepares a completely new plan. The new mission for Soviet 8th, 9th and 14th Armies essentially is to stand their ground for as long as they can, with no permission to retreat and no plans to resupply or reinforce them. Soviet liquidation squads are ready for any commanders that return from the front without orders or success.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British Ministry of Food announced that sugar would be rationed from 8 Jan 1940 and meat from a date still to be fixed. The Minister of Food William Morrison said this would release foreign exchange and provide shipping space for the importation of armaments and raw materials.

SS ‘_Hanne_' (1,080t) a Danish ship, struck a mine about 1 mile E of Blyth Pier and sank in shallow water with the loss of fifteen lives. She was built in 1905, her remains are in two pieces 30ft apart, the engines and boiler sections are very close to the surface.

Mines were washed up at Cowbar, Staithes and at a point ½ mile N of Runswick Bay.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-30 sank British submarine trawler HMS “_Barbara Robertson_” in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0400 hours, killing 1; the German submarine radioed Swedish merchant ship “_Hispania_” to pick up the survivors. Later on the same day, at 1545 hours, she spotted and damaged British battleship HMS “_Barham_” with one torpedo, killing 4; she was chased off by destroyers HMS “_Isis_” and HMS “_Nubian_”. HMS “_Barham_” limps to dock in Liverpool but is out of action for 6 months for repairs.

Eight survivors (out of 43) of British freighter ‘_Navasota_’ torpedoed early in December, landed at Capetown.

Danish freighter '_Hanne_' (2,473 tons) hits a mine and sinks just one mile off of Blyth Pier, Scotland. Fifteen crew perish and only two survive.

British fishing trawler '_Resercho_' (258 tons) hits a mine and sinks southeast of Flamborough Head, England.

Convoy OA 62 departs from Scotland, OB 62 departs from Liverpool and OG 12 forms at Gibraltar.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Nazi authorities announced that entire population (70,000) of Polish town of Kalisz were to be deported to make room for ethnic Germans "returned" from the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

*NORTH AMERICA: * First flight of the XB-24 Liberator at Lindbergh Field, San Diego.

.


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## Wurger (Dec 28, 2014)

The U-30, a type VIIA U-boat in pre-war images ...

















The Queen Elizabeth class battleship HMS Barham in pre-war pictures ...

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## michaelmaltby (Dec 28, 2014)

Very graceful ship ....


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## parsifal (Dec 28, 2014)

*30 December 1939 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Type A ASW Escort HACHIJO, IJN CVS NISSHIN








Neutral
Liuzzi Class Sub RM ALPINO BAGNOLINI




(precise commissioning date uncertain. This ship enjoyed early success when she sank RN CL CALYPSO, only to suffer the dubious honour of being the first significant casualty of the war for the REM herself when she was forced to surface and surrender on Juner 12 1940). 

Allied
AMCs CARINTIA and COMORIN, Fr Elan Class MSW Commandant Delage
[NO IMAGE OF CARINTHIA]





*Known Losses*
Steamer TELMA (FN 2032 grt): The cargo ship struck some submerged ice and foundered in the Gulf of Bothnia off Oulu.




_TELMA was an old ship, built in 1883 by Short Bros, and transferred to the Finnish state carrier in either 1925 or 1929_

PC V-704 (DKM 350 grt (est)) The vorpostenboot struck a mine and sank

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 25 will not sail for at least another day. There are still traces of oil. Enemy news service gave a description of the sinking of a German U-boat off the west coast of Spain. No date given. If this is not an old report, it can only refer to U 46, the last direct news of which was received on the 24th (weather report from west of Ireland). Several sighting reports of 28th and 29th appear to refer to this boat.



At Sea 30 December 1939
U-30, U-32, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
5 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
Two cruisers were between the Orkneys and Faeroes, two cruisers and eight AMCs between the Faroes and Iceland, and one cruiser and one AMC in the Denmark Strait. AMC CORFU departed Portsmouth for the Clyde, while CA BERWICK, escort DD FORESIGHT, departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol, returning to Rosyth on 10 January. CL COLOMBO departed Scapa for Northern Patrol and arrived back on 6 January.

*North Sea*
Sub STURGEON returned to Blyth after her North Sea patrol. FN.61 departed Southend, escort DD VEGA and slops FLAMINGO and STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 31st. FS.61 departed the Tyne, escort sloops PELICAN, WESTON, HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 31st.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA departed Rosyth escorting base ship MANCHESTER CITY and steamer ASTRONOMER (UK 8401 grt) to Scapa. DDs FEARLESS and FURY escorted tkr ATHELEMPRESS (UK 8941 grt) to the oil storage facility on the Clyde. On the 31st, they were ordered to return to Scapa escorting tkr ARNDALE (UK 8296 grt) which departed the Clyde the same day.

*West Coast UK*
DD MASHONA put into Belfast with defects. ASW CUTTY SARK attacked a submarine contact 14 miles NW of Liverpool. DD WESSEX was sent to assist. ASW trawler ARSENAL (389grt) attacked a submarine contact 28 miles SSW of Calf of Man.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL ACHILLES departed the Falklands and joined light cruiser AJAX. On 3 January, they parted company and ACHILLES went to Buenos Aires and AJAX to Montevideo..


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## Wurger (Dec 28, 2014)

Finnish tanker photographed standing next to a captured Soviet T-28 tank. This machine is one of the two captured by Finnish troops in December 1939, from the 20th Heavy Tank Brigade Kirov.


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## parsifal (Dec 29, 2014)

*29 December 1939 Friday
NORTH AMERICA:* Consolidated Aircraft Corporation’s chief test pilot, William B. (“Bill”) Wheatley, made the first flight of the XB-24, 39-556, at San Diego, California. This airplane was the prototype of the B-24 Liberator bomber. The U.S. Army Air Corps had approached Consolidated to set up a second production line for Boeing’s B-17 Flying Fortress four-engine heavy bomber. After looking at Boeing’s Seattle operation, Consolidated chief executive Reuben H. Fleet told the Army that they could build a better, more modern bomber. Over 18,000 of these planes were built in six years for World War II, making this plane the most produced American military aircraft. 

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* After being trapped and constantly attacked in Suomussalmi for 22 days, Soviet 163rd division evacuates on an ice road ice over Lake Kiantajärvi. 2000 men, 48 trucks, 20 field guns and 6 tanks head 20 km northeast towards their own lines in a 4 km long column. Finnish 9th Division overpower the remaining Soviets at Suomussalmi. They capture 11 tanks, 25 guns and 150 trucks. The Finns kill the stragglers in the town and send some men to pursue the ones who left on the ice. Soon the Finnish troops turn complete attention to the doomed Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the Ratte road leading into the town. Overnight, the Finns start to chase the slowly-moving column. The 44th Rifle Division could probably get away; at least large portions of it. However, its orders are to stay put. 

Stalin endorses Chief of the Staff Shaposhnikov’s plan for a massed attack on the Karelian Isthmus towards Viipuri and Helsinki. Commander of Kiev Military District Semyon Timoshenko volunteers to lead the new operation. Kirill Meretskov, his all-frontier plan having failed, is demoted from overall command to lead 7th Army on the Isthmus. Meretskov survives this humiliation and finds glory defending Leningrad and, ironically, fighting Germans in Finland. He will become a Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Finnish ‘Suicide Company’ of 250 picked ski troops first sent forward to attack railway, reported to have penetrated as far as Kandalasksha, an important Russian base on arm of White Sea. The Detachment of Finnish troops reached and damaged Lenningrad-Murmansk railways at three points.

Soviet troops at Salla, which have been under relentless Soviet pressure for weeks, are refusing to follow orders to perform what they consider to be suicide missions. This is not the first time this has happened during the Winter War.

The Finns lodge a diplomatic protest with the Estonian government about the presence there of Soviet destroyers. They are there pursuant to the recent Soviet/Estonian basing agreement.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British Steamer ‘_Moortoft_’ reported sunk. British Trawler ‘_Resercho_’ sunk by mine in North Sea. British Trawler ‘_Adam_’ reported having been bombed and machine-gunned by German seaplanes.

Convoy HG 13F departs from Gibraltar, and HX 14 departs from Halifax.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* At 03.30 an explosion, probably a mine or a torpedo, damaged the sea wall and some property at Sandsend near Whitby. Apart from the sea wall and a house roof, the damage was mainly broken windows at the Sandsend Hotel and the Beach Hotel. There were no casualties.

*GERMANY*: Responding to Fritz Thyssen's critical comments about Hitler in Switzerland, the Reich police issue a warrant for Thyssen's arrest. Of course, it cannot be executed, as Thyssen is in Switzerland - for now.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 29, 2014)

*30 December 1939 Saturday

ASIA*: In Hanoi, Chinese leader Chingwei signs an agreement with the Japanese. Chingwei is a former foreign minister of the Kuomintang who has left China because he lost a power battle with Chiang Kai-shek. Chingwei is convinced that the Nationalist Chinese cannot beat the Japanese, and thus he is agreeing to set up a rival Nationalist government under Japanese overlordship. He hopes to have the undisputed rule over China as a Japanese satrap after the Japanese win the war.

The Nationalist Chinese Air Force, which Claire Chennault has been working on, sends 40 fighters into the air over Liuchow. They encounter 13 Japanese Type 96 fighters. The Chinese apparently need more practice, because they lose 14 planes to none by the Japanese.

In the continuing Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 5th Infantry Division escapes from Kunlunkuan during the night.

Japanese 21st Army captures Wongyuan in the Chinese 4th War Area.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Count Ciano, Italian Foreign Minister, tells Belgian Princess Marie-José to warn her brother King Léopold that Adolf Hitler would soon invade Belgium.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Battle of Suomussalmi ends. Finnish 9th division destroys the remnants of Soviet 163rd division retreating over the ice of Lake Kiantajärvi. A platoon led by Capt. Kuistio in 2 trucks (armed with 4 MGs, one twin anti-aircraft MG and various sub-MGs) harass the end of the Soviet column at the northern end of Lake Kiantajärvi, killing 500. Finnish artillery and Bristol Blenheim Mk I bombers blast Soviet troops, horses, trucks, guns and tanks through holes in the ice into the freezing water. An entire Soviet division is gone (estimated at 10-15,000 dead). Finnish casualties are 420 dead/missing and 600 wounded but they capture much valuable materiel. The total war booty from Suomussalmi brought back to headquarters is staggering for the poorly armed Finns: 625 Rifles, 33 LMG's, 19 MG's, 2 Anti-Aircraft-MG's (four barrels), 12 Anti-Tank guns, 27 Field and Anti-Aircraft-guns, 26 Tanks, 2 Armored cars, 350 Horses, 181 Trucks, 11 Tractors, 26 Field kitchens, 800,000 rounds of 7.62 mm rifle ammo, 9,000 artillery shells, a field hospital, and a bakery. (These figures are items that were counted and transported away from the front. In addition, hundreds of rifles, LMG's and MG's were taken into use immediately and thus never counted.) 9th division commander Colonel Siilasvuo turns his attention to Soviet 44th, stationary on the Raate road. After 6 days of inactivity, their engines are seized and gun-oil in the standard Red Army 1902 model Moisin-Nagant 7.62 mm rifles is frozen. Men and horses huddle for warmth.

Soviet General Stern has been brought west from the Soviet Far Eastern Army to direct operations north of Lake Ladoga.

Soviet bombers attack Hango and drop about 60 bombs.

Soviet battleship '_Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya_' and destroyers bombard Finnish shore batteries at Saarenpaa.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In the Wardley District of Pelaw on Tyne, a trailing Barrage Balloon cable fouled certain feeders, and for a short time interrupted the electrical supply of the Monkton Coke Works and Jone's Brickworks.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* HM Submarine ‘_Seahorse_' which had sailed from Blyth on the 26th December for a patrol in the Heligoland Bight, was sunk, presumably by German minesweepers.

In a distant echo of the '_Admiral Graf Spee_' drama, the Uruguayan government gives the German freighter '_Tacoma_' 24 hours to leave Montevideo. It believes the freighter was assisting the German pocket battleship (including embarking her crew after she was scuttled) and thus is a military vessel.

Convoy OA 63 GF departs from Southend, and Convoy OB 63 departs from Liverpool.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 29, 2014)

*31 December 1939 *
*Known Losses*
Trawler ADELINE(Be 43 grt):The fishing vessel was bombed and sunk in the North Sea off the Noordhinder Lightship.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV BOX HILL(UK 5,677 grt) (Note:the ship was a shelter deck cargo steamship named GLENTWORTH built in 1920 by Hawthorn Leslie Co. in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England for R.S. Dalgliesh and Dalgliesh Steam Shipping Co. Ltd. After the Great Depression affected UK merchant shipping in the first years of the 1930s, Dalgliesh sold the ship to a company controlled by Counties Ship Management (an offshoot of the Rethymnis Kulukundis shipbroking company of London) who renamed her SS BOX HILL)

The ship sailed from St John, New Brunswick bound for Hull with a cargo of wheat. On New Year's Eve she was in the North Sea 9 nautical miles off the Humber lightship when she struck a German mine. The explosion broke her back and she sank almost immediately with 20 of her 32 crew lost. Survivors were rescued by DD IVANHOE and another ship. 





Steamer LUNA (Nor 959 grt) crew unknown, casualties unknown , cargo General cargo, including rubber hose, zinc plates and hessian cloth enroute London - Trondheim; The neutral and unescorted LUNA was hit aft by one torpedo from U-32 and sank slowly by the stern. The Germans reported that the nationality markings were not visible in the dark. The crew was picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant Colombia and taken to Kopervik.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 25 sailed. Weather forecast indicates a very cold spell. The Kaiser Wilhelm Canal and the entrances to the Baltic may be expected to freeze up. If this is so, U-boat warfare will probably be affected.



At Sea 31 December 1939
U-30, U-32, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
5 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
one cruiser was between the Orkneys and the Faroes, two cruisers and five AMCs between the Faeroes and Iceland, and one cruiser was in the Denmark Strait. CL COLOMBO departed Scapa and AMC DERBYSHIRE the Clyde, both for Northern Patrol, while CL DUNEDIN returned to Scapa .

*North Sea*
DD VIVIEN and sloops FLEETWOOD and BITTERN departed Rosyth for the Tyne to escort convoy FS.62, which had been due to leave the evening of the 31st, but was postponed until next day. Subs TRUANT departed from Rosyth and UNDINE from Blyth both on Nth Sea patrols.

*Northern Waters*
U.58 attacked a V W class DD of Convoy C off Kinnaird Head (off the aberdeen shire coast northern scotland).

*West Coast UK*
BB RODNEY, after repairing her rudder defect at Liverpool, departed dock on the 30th with DDs ICARUS and IMOGEN in attendance and rejoined the Home Flt at Greenock on the 31st. Adm Forbes re-hoisted his flag on her on 1 January 1940.

*Channel*
A/C reported a submarine seven miles south of Dover, DD BRAZEN proceeded to investigate.

*SW Approaches*
DDWALKER attacked a submarine contact 70 miles SW of Scillies. DD VIMY later joined to assist in the search.

*Med- Biscay*
CL CALEDON departed Malta on patrol duties. DD DARING departed Malta on the 27th and arrived at Gib on the 30th. On the 31st, sloop SCARBOROUGH, which had arrived from Malta on the 29th, dep Gibraltar escorting AMC DUNOTTAR CASTLE to Belfast with DARING in company. On 2 January off Cape Roca, DARING attacked a submarine contact. She reached Belfast on 7 January and Portsmouth on the 10th. CL ARETHUSA departed Malta. Calling at Gib on 3 January, she arrived at Portsmouth on the 6th, left again on the 26th and arrived at Scapa on the 29th for duty with the Home Flt. ARETHUSA and sister ship PENELOPE (which was at Malta and departed station on 5 January) in the Med, were relieved by CL CALEDON and CALYPSO which arrived at Malta from Home Waters on 28 and 31 December, respectively. DD DAINTY departed Malta for Gib for duty in the Sth Atlantic. Sister ships DIAMOND departed Malta on 7 January on the same duty, DEFENDER was prevented from sailing for the Sth Atlantic due to a perforated superheater on the 13th, and DECOY and DEFENDER were able to depart Malta after repairs on the 27th. 

HG.13 of 30 ships departed Gib escort by ASW ARCTIC RANGER (493 grt) as local escort and Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs GUÉPARD and VERDUN from 31 December to 7 January. The Fr destroyers arrived at Brest on the 9th. DDs VANOC and VISCOUNT were with the convoy from the 7th to 10th, and VENETIA from convoy OG.13 and VOLUNTEER from SL.14 from the 8th to 10th, when the convoy arrived.

*Indian Ocean*
CL GLOUCESTER departed Port Victoria, Seychelles, for Colombo, arriving on 8 January for refitting, completed on the 22nd.

*Miscellaneous*

When 1939 ended, 120 days had elapsed since the declaration of war.

DDs SOMALI and BEDOUIN held the record for days at sea with 104 underway out of the 120. Following were DD HOTSPUR with 103 days, CL ORION on 102, CL PERTH, DDs MAORI and ISIS with 99, DD FIREDRAKE with 96, CL EMERALD with 95, CL DUNEDIN with 92 days, and CLs NEWCASTLE and SHEFFIELD with 88 days. Of DesFlot 19 in the Nore, DD CODRINGTON was underway 93 days, BASILISK for 89, BEAGLE for 86, BOREAS for 82, BRAZEN for 69, and BRILLIANT for 67. BB NELSON was at sea 74 days of the 93 days until she was mined.


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## parsifal (Dec 30, 2014)

> HM Submarine ‘Seahorse' which had sailed from Blyth on the 26th December for a patrol in the Heligoland Bight, was sunk, presumably by German minesweepers.



This is certainly a possibility, but there is also some doubt as to her actual loss date and cause of loss. Two scenarios are thought the more likely. 

On 26 December 1939 she sailed from Blyth for patrol off the east coast of Denmark. Four days later she shifted position to the entrance of the Elbe. She did not return on her due date of 9 January 1940. The British Admiralty at first thgought that she had been mined but German records, examined after the war, disprove this. The most likely cause of loss suggest she was the victim of the German First Minesweeper Flotilla which reported a sustained depth charge attack on an unidentified submarine on 7 January 1940.

If the sub was lost on the earlier date of 29 December, it was not to the German Minesweepers. On this date it is however possible that she was rammed and sunk by the German Sperrbrecher IV south east of Helgoland. which is entered as an event in the DKM war diary.
\
The most likley date of her loss is thought to be 7th January, at the hands of the German MSW depth charge attacks.

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## Njaco (Dec 31, 2014)

*31 December 1939 Sunday
NORTHERN EUROPE: *The Russian 163rd Division on the middle of Finland fails, with the division virtually annihilated by the Finns. Finnish 9th Division secured the village of Suomussalmi after four days of heavy fighting, capturing 625 rifles, 33 light machine guns, 19 medium and heavy machine guns, 2 anti-aircraft machine guns, 12 anti-tank guns, 27 field and anti-aircraft guns, 26 tanks, 2 armored cars, 350 horses, 181 trucks, 11 tractors, 26 field kitchens, 800,000 rounds of 7.62mm rifle ammunition, 9,000 artillery shells, a field hospital, and a bakery. With Suomussalmi cleared, General Siilsavuo has his men scout out the Raate road from the parallel ice road he has had them build on Lake Voukki. They find Soviet 44th division is now stationary, stretched for 30 km along the Raate road. Captain Mäkinen of Group Kontula is blocking the road at the western end with just two machine companies, which the Soviets believe is a far greater force because they have more than enough firepower to level the Finns there, including artillery. The Soviet armor is bunched up in front of this blockade but is immobile. Finnish scouts find the largest concentration of tanks and artillery entrenched just East of the roadblock set up by Captain Mäkinen’s MG companies, which has been holding 44th Division since Dec 23. Siilasvuo decides to begin his attacks here. The commander of the Soviet 44th Rifle Divison, Kombrig Vinogradov, and his commissar Parhomenko both advance to the regimental headquarters (still on Soviet territory) from their position far behind the lines.

Twenty-eight Russian planes flew over Jyväskylä and several residential buildings, the railway station and the plywood factory got hit. Air raid shelters were bombed causing 20 civilian deaths along with 25 civilians injured. Altogether 149 buildings were damaged. It was the second raid in two days.

The British and French inform the League that they will be providing as much assistance to the Finns as they can. Many British volunteers have been sailing to Finland.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 0947 hours, U-32 sinks the neutral Norwegian vessel SS “_Luna_” (cargo of rubber hose and zinc plates from London to Trondheim) with one torpedo. The crew is picked up by the Norwegian steamer “_Colombia_” and taken to Kopervik.

SS ‘_Box Hill_' (5,677t) steamer, St John, New Brunswick to Hull was sunk by a mine in the North Sea, off the eastern coast. Twenty on board perished.

The German freighter '_Tacoma_' complies with the order of the Uruguayan government and moves its anchorage outside of Uruguayan waters.

*ASIA: *Chinese declared victory at Kunlun Pass 59 kilometers northeast of Nanning, Guangxi Province, China, although the remnants of Japanese troops trapped in the region would not capitulate until mid-Jan 1940.

In the Chinese Winter Offensive, the Chinese East Route Force continues routing the Japanese 5th Infantry Division: it captures Kunlunkuan and Tienyin.

The River North Army of the Chinese 5th War Area retreats across the Han River.

The Japanese 21st Army advances to Yingteh against the Chinese 4th War Area. The Chinese 2d War Area takes possession of Peishe.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The blackout has been murder on the highways. For the war months between September - December 1939 there have been 4,130 road deaths. In addition, 15,626 people have registered as conscientious objectors. In some rare acts of defiance, New Year's celebrants shine torches despite the blackout.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In Canada, the second convoy of Canadian troops arrives at a west coast port.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler gives a New Year's Proclamation, stating the British are "war-mongers and war-declarers" and that Germany's primary war aim is the defeat of "British tyranny."


> "We shall only talk of peace when we have won the war. The Jewish-capitalistic world will not survive the twentieth century."


He also talks about "the existence or non-existence of the German people," which strikes a somewhat equivocal tone that he has maintained since the beginning of the war.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 1, 2015)

*Decemberr 1939 - Summary of ship losses*
Allied
Allied Warships
Aux MSW WASHINGTON (UK 209 grt), ASW Trawler EVELINA (UK 202 grt ), ASW Trawler SEDGEFLY ( UK 502 grt), Boom Defence Vessel BAYONET (UK 605 grt), MSW trawler DROMIO (UK 380 grt), Aux MSW PROMOTIVE (RN 78 grt), Aux MSW GLEN ALBYN (RN 82 grt), Aux MSW trawler LOCH DOON (RN 534 grt), PV BARBARA ROBERTSON (RN 325 grt) 
*(2917 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Allied Shipping
MV DALRYAN (UK 4558 GRT ), MV ESKDENE (UK 3,829 grt), Steamer FLORIDE (Fr 7030 grt), MV MANCHESTER REGIMENT (UK 5989 grt), DORIC STAR (UK 10,086 grt), MV MOORTOFT (UK 875 grt), TAIROA (UK 7983 grt), HAMSTERLEY (UK 2160 grt), MV NAVASOTA (UK 8,795 grt), MV THOMAS WALTON (UK 4,460 grt), WHINTOWN (UK 734 grt), STREONSHALH (UK 3895 grt), MV COREA(UK 800 grt (est)), Coaster DINARD (Fr 350 grt (Est)), MEREL (UK 1088 grt), MIDDLESBRO' (UK 989 grt), Tkr SAN ALBERTO (UK 7,397 grt), MV WILLOWPOOL (UK 4,815 grt), FIRE KING (UK 758 grt), MV MARWICK HEAD (UK 496 grt), MV DEPTFORD (UK 4,101 grt), Tkr INVERLANE (UK 9141 grt), MV HARFRY (UK (?)909 grt), TKR AMBLE (UK 1162 grt), SERENITY (UK 487 grt), PEARL (UK 198 grt), COMPAGANUS (UK 270 grt), ISABELLA GREIG (UK 210 grt), ZELOS (UK 227 grt), EILEEN WRAY (UK 227 grt), ACTIVE (UK 279 grt), TRINITY N B (UK 203 grt), CITY OF KOBE (UK 4373 grt), DANEDEN (UK 250 grt (est)), RIVER EARN (UK 350 grt (est)), NAPIA (UK 155 grt), DANUBE IV (UK 190 grt (est)), Steamer GRYFEVALE (UK 4434 grt), MV LONGSHIPS (UK 1582 grt), DOLPHIN (RN 3,099 grt), Liner PEGU (UK 8183 grt), Collier EDENWOOD (UK 1167 grt), STANHOLME (UK 2473 grt), RESEARCHO (UK 258 grt), MV BOX HILL(UK 5,677 grt) 

*Allied Tonnage Sunk or captured: 114970 tons * (2917 Naval, 7030 Fr, 105023 UK)

Known New Construction 1939 fourth quarter
UK- 11 ships - 76000 tons
Canada- 3 ships -8-9000 tons
Prize Vessels: DUSSELDORF (Ger 4930 grt)

Neutral
Neutral Warships
None

Neutral Shipping
MV MERCATOR (Fn 4260 grt), MV ARCTURUS (Nor 1277 grt), Schooner GRETHE (Den 500 grt est), steamer RUDOLF (SD 2119 grt), Steamer KRETINGA (Li 542 grt), MV OVE TOFT (Den 2,135 grt), MV PRIMULA (Nor 1024 grt), KABINDA (Belg 5182 grt), MV AGU (Estonian 1,575 grt), MV VINGA (Sd 1,974 grt), MV PARALOS (Gk 3400 grt ), FOINA (Nor 1674 grt), Tkr BRITTA (Nor 6,214 grt), SCOTIA (Den 2400 grt), MV TAJANDOEN (Ne 8,159 grt), LOUIS SCHEID (Be 6057 grt), MV ADOUR (Belg 1105 grt), MV MAGNUS (Den 1,339 grt), KASSARI (Est 379 grt), IMMINGHAM (Ne 398 grt), JOTUN (Nor 534 grt), MV GAROUFALIA (Gk 4,708 grt), MV STORFJELD (Nor 2199 grt), TORO (Sd 1467 grt), MV steamer ASHKHABAD (SU 1173 grt), INDIGIRKA (SU 2864 grt), MV GERMAINE(Gk 5217 grt), ROSA (Be 3500 grt (est)), MV RAGNI (Nor 1264 grt) STRINDHEIM (Nor 321 grt), URSUS ( Sd 2000 grt(est)), MV GLITREFJELL (Nor 1,568 grt), MV LISTER (SD 1,366 grt), MV BOGO (Den 1,214 grt), MV JAEGERSBORG (Den 1,245 grt), MV JYTTE ( Den 1916 GRT), UKO (Fn 757 grt), MARS (SD 1877 grt), VEGA (Sd 1300 grt), ADOLF BRATT (Sd 1323 grt), MV CARL HENCKEL (SD 1,352 grt), COMITAS (Italy 3482 grt), MV RUDOLF (Nor 924 grt), MV KIZILRMAK (Tu 1500 grt(est)), LAPPEN (Nor 563 grt), TORWOOD(Nor 850 grt (est)), HANNE (Den 1,080 grt), WILPAS (Fn 775 grt), Liner CABO SAN ANTONIO (Sp 12275 GRT), VENTA (Latvian 1886 grt), TELMA (FN 2032 grt), ADELINE(Be 43 grt), LUNA (Nor 959 grt) 

*Neutral Shipping sunk 117774 tons* 19458(Nor), 15937(Be), 14778 (SD), 13325 (Gk), 12275 (Sp), 11829 (Den), 8557 (Ne), 7824 (FN), 4037 (SU), 3842 (Italy), 1954 (Est), 1886 (Latvian), 1500 (Tu), 542 (Li), 
*Combined Allied and Neutral Shipping Sunk* 
*232714 grt*

Prize Vessels 
ARAUCA (Ge 4354grt, renamed USS SATURN)

Axis
Axis Warships
U.36 (Type VIIA 915 tons), DKM ADM GRAF SPEE (Ger 11700 grt ), V-704 (DKM 350 grt est) 
*(12965 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Axis Shipping
Trawler MAGDA (Ger 137 grt), Liner WATUSSI (Ger 9522 grt), Steamer USSUKUMA (Ger 7834 grt), DUSSELDORF (Ger 4930 grt), ADOLF LEONHARDT (Ger 2990 grt), BOLHEIM (Ger 3324 grt), REINBEK (Ger 2884 grt), Liner COLUMBUS (Ge 32,581 grt) , ARAUCA (Ge 4354grt), TANGER (Ger 1742 grt), GLUCKSBURG (Ger 2680 grt), NEPTUN (Ger 727 grt) 

Captured
Steamer KRETINGA (Li 542 grt), VENTA (Latvian 1886 grt, as the German UNDINE)
*Tonnage Sunk or captured: 82398 tons *(12965 Naval, 69433 Ger)


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## parsifal (Jan 1, 2015)

*1 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Steamer JOHANN SCHULTE (Ger 5254 grt) lost her propeller, went aground near Trondheim and her crew were rescued by a Norwegian steamer. The cargo ship was wrecked and subesquently sank
Unusual photo source: rp4531 - Canadian Cargo Ship - Canadian Scottish , built 1921 - photo 6x4 | eBay




_Until 1937 the ship was known as the SS CANADIAN SCOTTISH. The ship was sold that year to Germany and renamed _

MV LARS MAGNUS TROZELLI (Sd 1,951 grt): Crew 22 (7 dead and 15 survivors): In Ballast: Route Norrköping, Sweden - Köpenhamn, Denmark - Blyth . The neutral cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-58 . The survivors were rescued by MV ASK(Nor).
Photo from Sjöhistoriska Museet, Stockholm, obtained from UBoat net





MV LEO (FN 1243 grt) The cargo ship was bombed and sunk off Turku, Finland by Soviet aircraft.





MV TURKAN (Tu 1500 grt(est)): The Turkish cargo ship foundered in the Black Sea with the loss of all 20 crew
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM Supply ship TACOMA (DKM 8268 grt) was interned at Montevideo by the Uruguayan authorities, for failing to sail in accordance with the notice given to the ship’s Captain.

The ship remained off Montevideo due to British Naval Forces being off the mouth of the River Plate. On 1 January 1940 the Uruguayan Government interned the vessel as it had adjudged her to have acted under the orders of the Captain of the GRAF SPEE and thus to be a German Naval Auxiliary which had been in a neutral port for a period in excess of that allowed. The German Government claimed that her actions in saving the crew of the GRAF SPEE was through humanitarian motives. 
| eBay




_Tacoma can just be seen in the background. Shot taken in Montevideo harbour 1942_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> During January the following boats will become ready:
> Date/Boat/Intended Operation
> * 6.1/U 44/West of Spain and Portugal. Torpedoes
> 11.1/U 34/Falmouth. TMC
> ...



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-34

At Sea 1 January 1940
U-30, U-32, U-34, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
AMC MONTCLARE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol

*North Sea*
Sloop HASTINGS collided with ASW trawler BRADMAN (452grt) off Lowestoft, both returning to Sheerness on the 2nd with BRADMAN escorting HASTINGS. HN.6 of four British, 17 Norwegian, eight Swedish, six Finnish and one Panamanian ship departed Bergen escort DDs EXMOUTH, ECLIPSE, ENCOUNTER, ESCAPADE. On the 3rd, U.58 sank Swedish steamer SVARTON (see entry for that date). Seven ships in the convoy detached to the west coast of Britain and the rest reached Methil without further incident on the 4th. OA.64 departed Southend escort DDs WITCH and WREN from the 1st to 3rd. DDs AMBUSCADE and VANESSA joined from the 3rd to 4th when the convoy dispersed. FN.62 departed Southend, escort sloops PELICAN, WESTON, HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd. FS.62 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN, sloops FLEETWOOD and BITTERN, and arrived at Southend on the 2nd. DD MONTROSE, escorting a convoy west of Hartland, attacked a sub contact without success. CITY OF FLINT (US 4963 grt) was damaged in collision with steamer BARON BLYTHSWOOD (UK 3668 grt) at Narvik, but was able to leave on the 7th for Baltimore.

*Northern Waters*
A German air raid on Sullom Voe caused little damage to either port facilities or the ships in the harbour, at this time CLA COVENTRY as guard ship was effective, DD AFRIDI was scheduled to refuel, but this was delayed to allow her to contribute to the defences, Tkr WAR DIWAN (5551grt), and MANELA as a depot ship for sea planes were undamaged. COVENTRY did suffer minor damage arising from concussion from a near miss which unseated machinery.
Image source from; HMS Coventry by Ivan Berryman. - Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk





_HMS Coventry by Ivan Berryman.HMS Coventry comes under air attack from aircraft off Tobruk, 14th September 1942 (where her luck finally ran out). As well as losing the CLA Coventry, the Allies also lost HMS Zulu and six coastal craft sunk by bombing as they were returning from Tobruk. HMS Coventry was rated as one of the most effective AA ships in the entire RN, downing more aircraft than any other ship. _

*West Coast UK*
DD ILEX departed the Clyde for Liverpool for routine maintenance involving docking. OB.64 departed Liverpool escort DD VERSATILE and sloop DEPTFORD until the 4th.

*Channel*
BB REVENGE and DDs MOHAWK, MASHONA, KHARTOUM and KINGSTON arrived at Plymouth. MASHONA went on to Chatham arriving on the 2nd for repairs, while the other three DDs departed on the 3rd and arrived back at the Clyde on the 4th. REVENGE began a refit which completed on the 23rd.

*UK - France*
SA.24 departed Southampton with two steamers, escorted by sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 3rd.

*Nth Atlantic*
Rear Adm Bonham-Carter hoisted his flag in BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN on the 1st and relieved Vice Adm L E Holland as CinC Halifax Force, built around BatSqn 3. At this time the Force consisted of BB RESOLUTION, REVENGE, CLs EMERALD, ENTERPRISE and AMCs ASCANIA, ALAUNIA, AUSONIA and LACONIA. Of these, REVENGE and ENTERPRISE were refitting in Home Waters. After repairing at Devonport, ROYAL SOVEREIGN left on the 15th for Halifax and BB MALAYA, which arrived shortly at Halifax, departed on the 14th for convoy duty with HX.16.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.15 departed Freetown, escort AMC SALOPIAN from the 1st to 16th, and on the 14th was joined by convoy SLF.15 along with its escorts, AMC PRETORIA CASTLE on the 14th and sub CLYDE on the 15th. DDs VANOC, VERITY, VETERAN, WINCHELSEA relieved the AMCs and submarine on the 16th and stayed until SL.15 arrived on the 19th.

*Med- Biscay*
OG.13F of 25 ships was formed from OB.63GF out of Milford Haven escort DDs WANDERER and WITHERINGTON, and OA.63GF out of Southend escort DDs WOLVERINE and WHITSHED. WANDERER and WITHERINGTON were with OG.13F from the 1st to 3rd, when WANDERER joined HG.13F. Sloop ABERDEEN and DD WATCHMAN escorted the convoy from 30 December to 7 January. En route, 11 steamers from OG.13 joined OG.13F, which arrived at Gibraltar on the 7th.

*Indian Ocean*
CA SUSSEX had departed Simonstown on 27 December, and transferred to Force I in the Indian Ocean replacing CA CORNWALL. She arrived at Mauritius on the 1st.


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## Njaco (Jan 1, 2015)

*1 January 1940 Monday
GERMANY:* Hitler finally decides that ‘FALL GELB’ will commence on 17 January at dawn, with no further delays.

A very busy day for the Luftwaffe. Three fighter commands, known as Jagdfliegerführer, are established. Major Schumacher, Kommodore of JG 77 and JG 1 will command Jäfu 1, Jäfu 2 is to be commanded by Generalmajor Kurt von Doring, based at Dortmund and Jäfu 3 is led by Generalmajor Hans Klein, based at Wiesbaden.

New fighter Gruppen formed are the II Gruppe of JG 27 with Hptm. Erich von Selle as Gruppenkommandeur and the III Gruppe of JG 3 led by Hptm. Walter Kienitz as Gruppenkommandeur. The bomber Geschwaders also expand. KG 28 is formed with Generalmajor Karl Angerstein appointed as Kommodore. Obst. Hans Behrendt again is made Kommodore of KG 27 in place of Generalmajor Richard Putzier. Oblt. Behrendt was the Kampfgeschwader’s first Kommodore, appointed at the start of the war, on September 1, 1939.

Several command changes occur within the other frontline fighter units. Hptm. Erich Groth is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./ZG 76 in place of Hptm. Schmidt-Coste. Oblt. Hans-Jürgen von Cramon-Taubadel, the Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 54, is appointed Kommodore of JG 53, replacing Major Hans Klein. Hptm. Hubertus von Bonin, a four victory Experte in Spain, takes over command of I./JG 54 in place of Oblt. von Cramon-Taubadel.

Among those promoted this day is Generalmajor Robert Ritter von Greim, who is promoted to Generalleutnant. Generalleutnant von Greim is the commander of V Fliegerkorps.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Having destroyed the Soviets in the village of Suomussalmi, the Finns decide that now is a good time to start finishing off the trapped Soviet relief column on the Ratte road. The Finns for a change have numerical superiority. They deploy the 64th, 65th, and 27th Infantry Regiments, and the 22nd Light Unit, 1st Ranger Battalion and 15th Detached Battalion. The Soviets on the Ratte road only have 7 battalions, but they have extensive armor and artillery - which is virtually useless in the forest except as immobile shelter. The Finnish 9th Division begins attacks at 1400 hours on the Soviet 44th Division, breaking it into small pieces. The Finnish 1st Ranger Battalion and the 1st Battalion 27th Infantry Regiment attack the Soviet 2nd Battalion, 146th Rifle Regiment (Captain Pastukhov). The Soviets hold their position (they have nowhere to go) and inflict heavy casualties on the Finns. Late in the day, the attack resumes, and this time the Finns do better. The Soviets sustain heavy casualties (211 killed or wounded) and Pastukhov has to withdraw down the road. The nearby 146th Rifle Regiment sends its 1st Battalion, which manages to restore the situation, but after they Pastukhov and his men are completely isolated and on their own, without supplies or reinforcement. Meanwhile, General Siilasvuo sends 1000 skiers of the 1st Battalion of the 27th Infantry Regiment under Captain Eino Lassila 5 km down the ice road parallel to the Ratte road. They then traverse three miles of forest and deep snow until, at 2300 hours, they finally are in position on a hill overlooking the stranded 3rd Battalion of the 122nd Artillery Regiment (Captain Revchuk) of the Soviet 44th Rifle Division, a large Russian tank and artillery concentration on the Raate Road. The Soviets have insufficient sentries and their security arrangements are lacking, assuming the deep forests protect them. After eating a hot meal, they move three miles north through thick woods and deep snow. The Finns attack a 500 m section with 6 Maxim machine guns and wipe out the Soviet 9th Battery to the last man. Many of the remaining Soviets flee into the woods. Captain Revchuk tries to fire the artillery himself with a few remaining men, then runs down the road toward the nearby 146th Rifle Regiment. He brings back two T-20 Komsomolets gun tractors, but is refused infantry support (the 146th is between two separate outfits being attacked). The Finns quickly destroy the two T-20s, and Revchuk and his remaining men flee back to the 146th Rifle Regiment. In summary, the Finns have begun separating the different sections of the 20-km long Soviet convoy and destroying it in detail.

The Soviets attack Turku and burn down the historic castle.

The _'City of Flint_' (now a Norwegian vessel) collides with British freighter '_Baron Blytheswood_' at Narvik and sustains minor damage.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Age of conscription increased to 27 in the United Kingdom, thus adding two million potential conscripts for military service. Two million men aged 20 to 27 are now liable for call up. 19 year olds will register, but will not be called up until they are 20. The first to be summoned, on 1/3/40, will be the 23 year olds. All those eligible will be in uniform by end of year.

Gunner LAC T. Gibbin became the first airman from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom to be killed in World War II when Spitfire fighters from No. 602 Squadron intercepted returning Hampden bombers and, mistaking them for German aircraft, shot down two of the bombers. The other seven crewmen were picked up by fishing boats.

German Dorniers and Junkers bomb RAF Coastal Command (18 Group) at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands, Scotland, which flies Catalina and Sunderland flying boats in search of U-boats. Light cruiser HMS “_Coventry_”, also in Sullom Voe, is nearly hit by a bomb and damaged. Two Ju 88 dive bombers are engaged by Gloster Gladiators of RAF Shetland Fighter Flight from Sumburgh Aerodrome. One Ju 88 is shot down into the sea.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-58 sank neutral Swedish steamer “_Lars Magnus Trozelli_” with one torpedo 50 miles northeast of Aberdeen at 1100 hours, killing 7. The survivors were picked up Norwegian merchant ship “_Ask_”.

The Kriegsmarine, acting pursuant to instructions from Adolf Hitler, orders U-boats to attack all Greek merchant ships in the zone surrounding the British Isles which was banned by the United States to its own ships and also merchant ships of every nationality in the limited area of the Bristol Channel.

British authorities detained several American ships at Gibraltar to search for contraband. US freighter '_Exeter_' is detained at Gibraltar by the British.

The German freighter '_Tacoma_' returns to Montevideo and is interned due to its assumed previous assistance to the '_Admiral Graf Spee'_.

Convoy OA 64 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 64 departs from Liverpool, Convoy 13F departs from Milford Haven, and Convoy SL 16 departs from Freetown.

*ASIA: *The Chinese Winter Offensive picks up steam again after a late-year lull. Chinese 1st War Area captures Hsincheng. Chinese 4th War Area counterattacks the Japanese 21st Army near Wongyuan. Chinese 9th War Area cuts Japanese supply lines. The Japanese, despite the resumption of Chinese attacks, remain feisty. 10,000 Japanese troops launched a counter-attack in eastern Shanxi Province in China in an attempt to relieve the nearly-surrounded Japanese 36th Division. It would be driven back by stiff Chinese resistance within the next two days. The Japanese also prepare for an offensive at Paotou against the Chinese 8th War Area around Wuyuan. At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese clear Kunlunkuan and surrounding areas, inflicting severe casualties on the Chinese 5th Infantry Division and killing a brigade commander.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Spain and France re-open rail links, which were closed in 1936 due to the Spanish Civil War.

In Denmark, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister address the nation and give a pessimistic view of the likelihood of retaining the country's independence.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Following anti-Soviet demonstrations in Rome due to the Winter War, the Soviets recall their ambassador to Italy, and the Italians recall theirs from Moscow.


.



.


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## parsifal (Jan 2, 2015)

*2 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
AMC PATROCLUS

*Known Losses*
MSW R-5 (DKM 60 grt): The R-1 class minesweeper was crushed by ice and sank off Stolpmünde, Germany.





S-2 (SU 840 grt):The S-class submarine (also known as a Serie IX boat) entered Swedish territorial waters in the Sea of Åland where it hit a Swedish naval mine (some sources say it was a mine laid by the Finnish Navy), and sank on January 2, 1940 with the loss of all 53 crew members.




Article on the finding of Soviewt Submarine S-6 , a series IX bis class which followed the Serie IX class
Submarine wreck found: Soviet sub lost since WW2 found in Baltic sea | Daily Mail Online 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 46 reported that she was returning, as one main engine was out of order. In her case it has been shown that the enemy's sinking reports are not very reliable unless they contain definite statements of prisoners taken.
> 
> The following agreement has been reached on the ice situation:
> Station North will request Supreme Command of the Navy for the old battleships to give assistance with ice on the Elbe, where conditions are most difficult especially off Brunsbüttel. F.O.I.C. North Frisia has been put in charge of ice-breaking on the Elbe, and Naval dockyard with ice-breaking on the Jade. Station Baltic has taken similar steps for the Baltic independently.
> ...



At Sea 2 January 1940
U-30, U-32, U-34, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa for Northern Patrol. Shortly after leaving, she reported a submarine contact, which DDs FURY and FEARLESS, aided by Walrus aircraft, searched for. DDs ISIS and IMPULSIVE also joined in, while DD FAME kept watch on the outer patrol. The search was discontinued on the 3rd when FEARLESS returned to Scapa to refuel and FURY was ordered to the Clyde. AMC CHITRAL arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol. AMC CORFU departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. CL DUNEDIN departed Scapa Northern Patrol, and arrived back on the 9th.

*North Sea*
DDs IVANHOE and INTREPID departed Immingham to countermine a German minefield in the Heligoland Bight in operation EW. Seven DDs of DesFlot 1 from Harwich were nearby in support. DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA arrived at Invergordon. 

*Northern Waters*
DD ECHO departed Rosyth for escort duties between Invergordon and the Tyne.

*UK - France*
BC.21 of steamer BARON GRAHAM departed Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived in the Loire on the 4th. The convoy returned with BARON GRAHAM, departing on the 12th and arriving in Bristol Channel on the 14th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL ORION departed Kingston for Bermuda where she arrived on the 5th for docking and refit, completed on 3 February.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL HAWKINS completed her refit and ran trials on 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th from Portland. She left on the 9th for Freetown, arriving on the 16th, left on the 17th, arrived off Rio de la Plata on the 29th and then spent February in the Falklands carrying out further refitting. CA CORNWALL departed Simonstown on patrol, and arrived back at Capetown on the 11th.
.
*Med- Biscay*
Sub OTWAY, escorted by ASW trawlers AMBER and JADE, departed Malta for Gib. After ASW practice and docking, she was to proceed to the UK in February.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 3, 2015)

*3 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN ASW Trawler KINGSTON CRYSTAL - RN Submarine TAKU 








*Known Losses*
Tkr MOTORINA (Gk 2355 grt): Enroute from Constanza to Iskerendum will full load of motor spirit (petrol) The tanker ran aground on Chios and was wrecked.





Steamer SVARTON (SD 2574 grt) 31 crew, Narvik - Middlesbrough with a cargo of iron ore. Was part of HN.6, but failed to maintain station, becoming a "Romper" (steamed ahead of the convoy). The vessel was attacked by U-58, and hit amidships by a G7e torpedo, broke in two and sank quickly off Kinnaird Head. The master 19 crew members and a Norwegian pilot were lost. The 11 survivors were picked up by Aux MSW trawler OAK northeast of the Firth of Forth who were later transferred to the Fraserburgh lifeboat.





Steamer IRIS FAULBAUMS (Latvia 1675 grt) was seized in a German port, and renamed WALLY FAULBAUM in German service. Ship was carrying a load of timber to another neutral port. German authorities decide to commandeer the ship and expropriate its cargo on march 4 





Steamer KIRUNA (Sd 5484 grt) was lost to unknown cause in the Bay Of Biscay area. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> According to dead reckoning U 30 is now in the Irish Sea. She may be expected to carry out the operation within the next days.



At Sea 3 January 1940
U-30, U-32, U-34, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA DEVONSHIRE cleared the Clyde on Northern Patrol, and arrived back on the 10th. CA SUFFOLK and CL CERES arrived at Scapa after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
CLs EDINBURGH and GLASGOW and HN.6 arrived at Rosyth. Sloop AUCKLAND arrived at Rosyth from Portsmouth for duty in Convoy Cmd. OA.65G departed Southend escort DDs WHITEHALL and WIVERN from the 3rd to 5th when they detached off the Lizard. (Sister ships VESPER and VISCOUNT escorted a coastal portion to Liverpool from the 5th to 7th.) By then, B.65G had departed Liverpool escort DDs VENETIA and WINCHELSEA, and then merged with OA.65G to form OG.13 on the 6th. VENETIA and WINCHELSEA continued the escort until the 8th. Finally Fr DDs TARTU and VAUQUELIN provided escort from the 6th to 11th, when the convoy arrived at Gib. FS.63 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, and arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
Steamer MORMACSUN (US 4996 grt) was taken into Kirkwall for contraband inspection. The US protested so strongly about a neutral ship being sent into a war zone that the British government ordered the Admiralty to cease taking suspect American ships into contraband control stations. The US at this time was still carrying out trade with Nazi Germany, which i suspect was the real reason for the protest. 

*West Coast UK*
Tanker BEACONSTREET (UK 7467 grt) with DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA departed Invergordon for Liverpool. After delivering her, the DDs went on to Plymouth for refitting.

*Central Atlantic*
Sloop WELLINGTON, escorting a homeward bound Sierra Leone convoy, attacked a submarine contact 350 miles west of Ushant. 
Steamer BOGOTA (Ger 1230 grt) departed Guayaquil, Ecuador, and arrived at Coquimbo, Chile on the 11th.

*Med- Biscay*
RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN departed Marseilles escorting convoy K.6 consisting of troopships ROHNA (8602grt), TAIREA (7933grt), DEVONSHIRE (11,275grt), DILWARA (11,080grt), RAJULA (8478grt) and TALAMBA (8018grt). They were relieved on the 5th by RAN DDs STUART and VAMPIRE, and proceeded to Malta. The convoy, less VAMPIRE detached to Port Said on the 7th, arrived at Haifa on the 9th, and departed on the 12th, escorted by STUART. DD VOYAGER, with repair ship RESOURCE from Alexandria joined the convoy at sea, and arrived at Malta on the 15th. The convoy was transporting Indian contingents to the ME 

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL BIRMINGHAM departed Hong Kong on the 3rd. Calling at Singapore on the 8th and Colombo on the 11th, she arrived at Aden on the 16th. Reaching Suez on the 19th, she was attached to the Med Flt as the Commander in Chief's Flagship. She arrived at Malta on the 21st, and refitted from 22 January to 5 February, on which day she left for Alexandria. At Alexandria from 6 to 11 February, BIRMINGHAM then patrolled in the Med before departing Malta on the 19th for the Home Flt. Admiral Cunningham hauled down his flag and BIRMINGHAM left the Med, passing Gibraltar on 21 February and arriving at Portsmouth on the 24th. On 6 March, she was attached to the Portsmouth Command while refitting there.


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## parsifal (Jan 4, 2015)

*4 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
AMCs BULOLO and VOLTAIRE 







_The merchant ship Bulolo (shown left) prior to being requisitioned for service as an armed merchant cruiser and later as a combined operations headquarters ship._

*Known Losses*
MV ARDONGORM (UK 5200 grt): The cargo ship ran aground near Dodman Point, Cornwall and was wrecked.




_This is a painting of the sister ship COQUET, lost in 1916_

MV MAIGUE (Eire 5400 grt (est)): The cargo ship ran aground on Cape Clear Island in fog. She was severely damaged and subsequently scrapped.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Departures
Kiel: U-19

At Sea 4 January 1940
U-19, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs WORCESTERSHIRE and ANDANIA arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
FN.63 departed Southend, escort sloops BITTERN and FLEETWOOD. Southeast of Shipwash Light Vessel BITTERN attacked a submarine contact. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. FS.64 departed Rosyth with tankers BRITISH UNION and BRITISH CONSOL for the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN. Sloop BITTERN replaced VIVIEN on the 5th, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th. Tug SWARTHY sank at Portsmouth, but was later salved. Minesweeper SALTBURN alongside was damaged at the time. Sub THISTLE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. OA.65 departed Southend escort DD BROKE from the 4th to 6th. Destroyer AMAZON escorted the convoy from the 5th to 6th, when it dispersed.

*Northern Waters*
Sub H.34 departed Dundee for Rosyth escorted by Aux MSW trawler CRANEFLY (312grt).

*West Coast UK*
BB NELSON finally was able to leave Loch Ewe following her mine damage in December. Old German steamer ILSENSTEIN sailed from Loch Ewe ahead of her to detonate any remaining mines. Escorted by DDs FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND and IMPULSIVE, NELSON proceeded to Portsmouth, arriving on the 7th for repairs which began on the 14th. FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND and IMPULSIVE were ordered to remain at Portsmouth for two days, then return to the Clyde. DDs ISIS, FAME and FORESIGHT proceeded independently at the same time to Devonport and returned to the Clyde with FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, and IMPULSIVE. NELSON was repairing until early June 1940 at Portsmouth, arrived at Greenock on 8 June for refitting and departed on the 29th to rejoin the Home Fleet at Scapa. CLAs CAIRO and CALCUTTA completed their anti-aircraft guard duty of the stricken BB at Loch Ewe and departed, arriving at Sheerness on the 6th for other duties. Sloop EGRET was in a collision with steamer SEA VALOUR (1950grt) at 0808/4th. The steamer only received minor damage, while EGRET’s was repaired at Cardiff in three weeks.

BB RODNEY, BC REPULSE and DDs INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, ICARUS, MOHAWK, BEDOUIN, KINGSTON, FIREDRAKE and MATABELE departed Greenock on patrol. DD FEARLESS departed Scapa to relieve MOHAWK, which was sent to Portsmouth for repairs. DDs FORESIGHT and SOMALI also departed Greenock on the 4th for repairs at Plymouth and Middlesbrough respectively. After the patrol, MATABELE went to Plymouth for refitting. CL AURORA departed the Clyde after refitting, and arrived at Scapa on the 5th.

*Channel*
CL ENTERPRISE departed Portsmouth, and arrived at Halifax on the 10th.

*SW Approaches*
OB.66 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and VOLUNTEER, and after it dispersed, the two DDs joined HG.13 on the 6th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.15 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs FRASER and RESTIGOUCHE, which detached on the 6th. Ocean escort was AMC LETITIA, which detached on the 13th. The convoy was joined in Home Waters by DD WHITEHALL from the 12th to 15th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Dakar and BC RENOWN at Freetown for refuelling. Departing on the 7th, ARK ROYAL joined RENOWN off Sierra Leone on the 8th after she had left earlier that day with DDs HERO and HASTY. They searched unsuccessfully for German supply ship ALTMARK in the South Atlantic until arriving at Freetown on the 19th. DD DAINTY departed Gibraltar for Freetown and briefly joined RENOWN for transfer of mail before arriving on the 10th at Freetown for escort duties.

Steamer QUITO (Ger 1230 grt) departed Guayaquil, Ecuador, and arrived at Coquimbo, Chile on the 12th. The only German ship remaining at Guayaquil was steamer CERIGO (1120grt) which was later scuttled on 1 April 1941 and salved as 29 DE MAYO for Ecuadorian use.


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## Njaco (Jan 4, 2015)

*2 January 1940 Tuesday
ASIA*: The Chinese 4th War Area captures Wongyuan, while the Chinese 1st War Area ceases offensive operations and begins withdrawing.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Fight over North Sea near German coast between three RAF bombers and 12 Messerschmidt long-range fighters. One fighter shot down in flames; two others driven down and probably lost; one-British machine shot down and another missing. Hptm. Georg Meyer of 2./JG 51 puts a claim in for shooting down a French Morane over the Western Front lines.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* *Battle of the Raate Road:* Fierce winter snowstorms blanket the Karelian Isthmus, halting most operations. However, the Finns continue carving up the long 30 km Soviet column stretched out on the Ratte road. Siilasvuo’s 9th division sets about cutting it into mottis (Finnish word for logs), as they can destroy the column more easily by dividing it into isolated elements. Captain Lassila creates blockades on the Ratte road by felling trees and placing land mines. At midnight, after one hour of preparations, Finnish Army Captain Eino Lassila launched an attack on a 500 meter section of Russian artillery on the Raate Road (parked 5 km East of Mäkinen’s roadblock). Six Maxim MGs rake each end of the section, while infantry move up the middle and fan out East and West. Soviet gunners cannot fire back as the field guns face up the road and they cannot level antiaircraft MGs down at the Finnish troops. Lassila brings up 9th Division’s only two Bofors antitank guns just in time to repel Soviet counterattack at 0700 hours. Seven tanks are destroyed which further deepens the roadblock. The Finns are prepared and have brought tents and ways to heat their food, whereas the Soviets are sitting in steel tanks without fuel to keep warm - or out in the open. While Soviet troop shiver in fear, the Finns relax in warmed tents with hot food.

The Finns attempt to encircle the Soviet 122nd Division of the 9th Army at Sallaa, where they have been pushing back the Soviets for weeks. Success here and nearby has greatly relieved pressure on the vital railway line from the port of Oulu to Nurmes/Joensuu.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano sent a secret message to Belgium and the Netherlands, warning them of the German invasion plan. The Germans intercepted this message.

*GERMANY:* Report from Berlin stated that Stalin had applied to German Government for 200,000 experts to reorganize Russian economy. Later denied.

Freezing of Danube had cut off Germany from over three-quarters of products supplied to her by Balkans.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The King visited an Army Division in the Southern Command and made an 80 mile tour of various units.

A survey shows that 20% of respondents have had some sort of accident due to the blackout. Road deaths since the beginning of the blackout top 2000, some 1700 above average for peacetime.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In the United States, the State Department issues a press release stating that it issued a "vigorous protest" on 27 December 1939 to the British regarding their seizure of US mail:


> "It cannot admit the right of the British authorities to interfere with American mails on American or other neutral ships on the high seas nor can it admit the right of the British Government to censor mail on ships which have involuntarily entered British ports. . . ."



Charles Edison becomes the US Secretary of the Navy.


.


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## Njaco (Jan 4, 2015)

*3 January 1940 Wednesday
ASIA*: The Chinese 4th War Area attacks Yingteh north of Canton, while a Japanese relief force attacks the Chinese 2nd War Area near Changze and Tunliu.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF reconnaissance planes were forced down in Belgian territory after being engaged by three enemy fighters over the frontier between Germany and Belgium. A Blenheim from RAF No. 18 Squadron crashes in flames near Raeren-lez-Eupen. Several crew members survive the crash. Fw. Gotthard Goltzsch of 1./JG 77 is given credit for the kill, his first enemy aircraft destroyed of the war.

The French ambush two German detachments in the Vosges Forest and take prisoners.

French Premier Daladier reiterated that the French would assist the Finns as much as possible.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-25 secretly moors next to German merchant ship “_Thalia_” in the Spanish port of Cadiz, for refuelling and restocking. It spends four hours taking supplies from the German ship, then returns to the sea. This is the first instance of a U-boat taking advantage of the Spanish agreement to allow such reprovisioning in Spanish ports. It is a particularly bold move because of the proximity of Cadiz to the British base at Gibraltar.

US freighter '_Mormacsun_' is forced into Kirkwall, Scotland by a British patrol. The British detain US freighter '_Nashaba_' at Gibraltar, where they release US freighter '_Executive_'.

Soviet submarine S-2 was sunk after hitting a naval mine in the Sea of Aland; all 50 aboard were lost.

HMS ‘_Ajax_’ arrived at Montevideo, and HMS ‘_Achilles_’ at Beunos Aires, for refuelling and provisioning. Both ships received a tumultuous welcome.

U-58 (Herbert Kuppisch) torpedoes and sinks 2,475-ton Swedish freighter '_Svartön_'. Eleven crew survive, 20 perish. The freighter had been sailing with Convoy HN-6.

Convoy OA 65G departs from Southend and OB 65 departs from Liverpool.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* *Battle of the Raate Road:* Soviet 44th division stubbornly resists further attacks and the Finns do not manage to cut the stationary column. The immobilized Soviet troops desperately try to stay warm in sub-zero temperatures, flocking to field kitchens for warm food and huddling around log fires cut from the expansive forests. In simple but stunningly effective tactics, the Finns target the kitchens and fires to wear down the Soviet soldiers with cold and hunger as Finnish snipers select Red Army officers. Soviet troops have received permission to butcher horses for food. The most advanced Soviet units are running short of just about everything. Colonel Volkov, a Soviet commander within the column, requests air resupply from Ninth Army. The Ninth Army has neither the items requested nor the available planes to fly them in. General Chuikov has four TB-3 and R-5 planes, but they are grounded due to the weather. He looks for alternative sources of supply, such as by truck via the taiga north of the road, but promises nothing. General Vinogradov, commander of the trapped Soviet division, who is behind the Soviet border, orders the doomed Soviet division to break out and re-establish communications to the USSR. He also sends armored vehicles from the Scout Battalion in the USSR to breakthrough. Both attempts fail, as the Finns have been working hard on blocking the road by felling trees and planting mines. Colonel Siilasvuo prepares for coordinated attacks on 44th division’s extended flanks. He sends two regiment-size Task Forces (TF Kari and TF Fagernas) skiing along his ice road as far as 20 miles to the Soviet border, just south of Raate.

Finnish air force raided Soviet base at Uhtua, opposite Finnish ‘Waistline’ and also Murmansk and Russian base at Liina-hamari, port in Petsamo region. The Finns turn the tables on the Soviets and drop 3 million leaflets on Leningrad. They claim to have destroyed 400 Soviet tanks and 150 Soviet planes.

*GERMANY:* Germany said to have warned Scandinavian countries that if Allies gain advantages there ‘under pretence of’ helping Finland she will interfere.

A 1(F)./122 He 111H-2 crashed at Fp.Uetersen due to engine trouble sustaining 50% damage.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Unity Mitford, Hitler's erstwhile British companion known as the "Storm Trooper Maiden", returns to the UK via Switzerland. She had shot herself on the outbreak of war, and Hitler paid for her return home. The bullet remains lodged in her skull and she is immobile. 

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Mussolini sends Hitler a letter trying to smooth over his previous critical comments about the Ribbentrop/Molotov Pact. He states:


> "the solution of your Lebensraum is in Russia and not elsewhere."


 The implication appears to be to leave France alone.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US President Roosevelt opens the third session of Congress. He warns that isolation is impossible and that he intended to further peace through trade cooperation. He requests $1.8 billion for national defense in his proposed budget.

.


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## Njaco (Jan 4, 2015)

*4 January 1940 Thursday
ASIA*: In the struggling Chinese Winter Offensive, the Chinese 4th War Area captures Kuantan.

At the Battle of South Kwangsi, Chinese forces advance five miles south of Kunlunkuan and take Chiutang.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax sent a diplomatic note to Norway, with a copy sent to Sweden, asking for permission to send British Royal Navy ships into Norwegian waters, citing German sinking of British merchant ships. Britain and France develop plans to send troops to Finland overland via Norway and Sweden (requiring, of course, permission from these two neutral countries). They have a hidden agenda to seize Swedish iron ore mines at Gällivare which supply much of Germany’s war needs.

Admiral Max Horton is appointed Flag Officer, Submarines.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Support for the Finns continues to pour in from abroad. The first Norwegian volunteers departed Oslo, Norway for Finland. Great Britain and France are formulating plans to send troops to Finland via the Narvik railway. That line extends from the port to Oulu and Helsinki, but it passes through Sweden. Swedish iron ore at Gällivare, which is typically shipped from Narvik, is on the priority list for seizure by both sides, so there may be ulterior motives behind these troop transfer requests. Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax asks Norway for permission to use the port, but curiously only copies Sweden on the request - when the Swedes have complete control over the line. It is as if he considers Swedish acquiescence a foregone conclusion. He cites German sinkings of British freighters as a pretext. Sweden has been holding on to its neutrality with an iron fist, though if anything it leans toward the British and French.

Finns give Soviet 44th division another day to suffer in the subzero temperatures while they prepare for an assault on Raate Road. They drag guns and munitions into place and Task Force Kari clears Soviet flank forces from the village of Eskola. Soviet troops are suffering in the worst of the winter weather. They are freezing to death, dying of starvation, suffering frostbite, and have all sorts of weather-related maladies that require amputations. Dry gangrene is common as limbs quickly mortify from frostbite and minor wounds. Amputated limbs pile up.

General Vinogradov orders - or, more aptly stated, permits - the trapped 44th Rifle Division to try to break out again. Just as on the 3rd, this attempt fails miserably. General Chuikov in command of the Ninth Army is running out of options. He cannot get supplies to the trapped men, and he discovers that, contrary to false assurances from Colonel Volkov on the Ratte road, they have no connection to the outside world. Chuikov informs the Stavka that a disaster is brewing. He manages to get a plane in the air, which drops bags of dry tack. He tentatively plans for a full-scale relief attempt on the 5th. The trapped Soviets, meanwhile, realize their predicament completely. Captain Pastukhov of the 2nd Battalion, 146th Rifle Regiment, whose troops have not eaten in four days, leaves his own position to consolidate his troops with the headquarters of the nearby 305th Rifle Regiment. He explains that he has no more ammunition anyway. Since this leaves a hole in the Soviet defenses, General Vinogradov orders him to return. Before he can get back there, though, the Finns move in and cut the road where his troops had been. This produces another Motti (log).

The Soviets attack the vital Finnish railway line that heads through Sweden to Narvik.

The Finns bomb Soviet island bases on Oesel and Dagoe.

The Finns seek German mediation. Germany, of course, has secretly allocated Finland to the Soviet sphere in the Ribbentrop/Molotov agreement.

*GERMANY:* Hermann Goering is appointed to head the German war economy, which he has been leading off and on for years. His primary mission is to find ways around the British blockade. He studied economics in school.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported that in Lower Vosges enemy detachment of 100 was surprised and machine gunned by French patrol.

The British 48th Infantry Brigade moves to join the BEF in France.

France agrees to provide and maintain the Polish Army-in-exile at its own expense. The agreement between Premier Daladier and General Sikorski will equip 85,000 Polish troops currently interned in Hungary, Romania and the Baltic states.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *British trawler ‘_Daneden_’ feared lost with crew of nine.

Reported that British liner ‘_Tuscan Star_’ had been bombed and machine gunned by German airplanes shortly after leaving England. Raider was driven off by ship’s anti-aircraft guns.

German cruiser '_Karlsruhe_' captures Swedish freighter '_Konung Oscar_'. It has 41 Polish refugees on board.

Kriegsmarine armed merchant cruiser '_Schiff 20_' sinks an Estonian freighter.

The British at Gibraltar detain the US freighter SS '_Exiria_'.

Convoy OA 66 departs Southend, Convoy OB 66 departs from Liverpool, and Convoy HXF 15 departs from Halifax.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 4, 2015)

*5 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Soviet submarine SC.311 sank Steamer FENRIS (SD 484 grt) off Sydost Brottens Light Vessel in the Gulf of Finland. The crew was rescued and the wreck of the steamer drifted ashore NW of Sydost Brotten Light Vessel.





ASW trawler KINGSTON CORNELIAN (RN 449 grt), was sunk in accidental collision with French liner CHELLA (8920grt) east of Gibraltar. One or more depth charges exploded in the water and all hands - one officer and seventeen ratings, were lost. CHELLA had to go into Gibraltar for repairs.
New Photo Source: KINGSTON CORNELIAN H75





Steamer ROTHESAY CASTLE (UK 7016 grt) went ashore off Sanaig Point, Islay; the crew were taken off by tug ENGLISHMAN.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Group Command has requested B.d.U. to name a suitable time for a combined operation by surface forces and U-boats about the end of January.
> 
> Reckoning that the boats will need about 7 days for the outward passage, as far as can be seen at present the 30th would be the earliest possible date for the first day of the operation.
> 
> U 32 off the Clyde, according to dead reckoning. Nothing to report.



At Sea 5 January 1940
U-19, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
The Northern Patrol from 5th to 18th sighted 48 eastbound ships of which 30 were sent into Kirkwall for inspection. CA NORFOLK arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol. CL CERES departed Scapa on Northern Patrol, and left her station on the 11th for Belfast where she arrived on the 13th. There she repaired and refitted until 7 February.

*North Sea*
DDs ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE, escort ship VEGA (former DD) and sloop LONDONDERRY escorted a MT convoy from Methil to the Tyne. Sloop STORK was to be part of the escort, but fouled the boom at Inchkeith in fog and had to return for repairs. After this duty, the two DDs proceeded to Immingham to escort ML PRINCESS VICTORIA. DD ECHO and cable ship ROYAL SCOT arrived at Newcastle from the south to repair the cable between Newcastle and Scandinavia. Armed yacht PRINCESS sighted a U-boat on the surface off Bull Point. DD VIVACIOUS joined her, but contact was not regained.

OA.67 departed Southend and dispersed on the 8th. No details on escort provided. FS.65 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop FLAMINGO, and arrived at Southend on the 7th. DDs ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE departed Methil with a group of merchant ships for the Tyne.

*West Coast UK*
BC HOOD and DDs AFRIDI, IMPERIAL, MAORI and NUBIAN docked at Greenock. Submarine UNITY arrived at Blyth while TRIBUNE departed Rosyth and and STARFISH each departed Blyth for patrol. OB.67 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALPOLE and VERITY until the 9th

*Central Atlantic*
CL NEPTUNE arrived at Dakar. SLF.15 departed Freetown escorted by AMC merchant cruiser PRETORIA CASTLE and sub CLYDE. On the 14th, the convoy merged with SL.15 and the SLF.15 escorts detached on the 16th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th, and CLYDE at Portsmouth on the 21st.

*Sth Atlantic*
RNZN CL ACHILLES sailed from Buenos Aires on the 5th and British sister ship AJAX from Montevideo after refuelling on the same day, and met CAs DORSETSHIRE and SHROPSHIRE off Rio de la Plata. ACHILLES relieved AJAX as Flagship of the South America Station, and went on to the Falklands, arriving on the 14th. AJAX went to Plymouth arriving on the 31st and on to Chatham for repairs lasting until mid-July 1940.
Achilles crew march through Auckland | NZHistory, New Zealand history online




_The officers and crew of HMS Achilles march through Auckland on 23 February 1940. A crowd of 100,000 people turned out to welcome home the heroes of the Battle of the River Plate._
.
*Med- Biscay*
CL PENELOPE departed Malta, arrived at Gib on the 7th and Portsmouth on the 11th. After refitting, she left Portsmouth on the 29th for duty with the Home Flt. HG.14F departed Gib with 15 ships, escort DD VIDETTE from the 5th to 8th, sloop BIDEFORD from the 5th to 15th, and sloop ABERDEEN from the 9th to 15th. On the 10th, HG.14F merged with SL.14 as SG.14, and was escorted by sloop LEITH (from SL.14) from the 10th to 12th. On the 11th, DDs WANDERER and WARWICK joined from convoy OG.14 and remained until the 15th, and WITCH joined on the 11th and remained until the 15th, when the convoy arrived.


*Soviet Preparations for Counterattack in Finland*

Finland had achieved an amazing victory over the inept Soviet Ground forces command by late December, On the 5th January STAVKHA, the Soviet high command, met to formulatre a plan to retake the initiative and win the war. it would take some weeks to organise the forces and develop the plan, which was not unnleqashed until 6 Feb, but the main elements of the Soviet plans had been worked out by early January. 

The high command of the Red Army, after the attacks in December were repulsed, noted serious flaws in their own organization and armed forces in general. The doctrines and theories, that had been used until now weren't usable in the Finnish terrain. Air Support had not proven decisive for the Soviets, and the level of artlllery support inadequate. That said, it was noted in STAVKHA that the artillery was the most effective arm of the Red Army, so a concentrated mass barrage was considered the best way of breaking the back of Finn resistance. Similar tactics were to be used against the germans in 1943-4. The Soviets began the laborious task of concentrating artillery assets, and setting up massive reserve stores from which a sustained grinding artillery assault could be delivered. 

After the large scale attacks on the Isthmus were canceled in late December - early January, the high command started to the preparations to win the war. Because the Karelian Isthmus offered the fastest way to victory, it was decided to concentrate the needed forces there.
In the first instance, the leadership was rearranged. In the isthmus a new northwestern front (Army Group) was formed with Army commander 1st Class S. K. Timoshenko as the commander. K. A. Meretskov continued as the commander of the 7th army on the west side of the isthmus and Army commander 2nd Class V. D. Grendal was still on charge of the 13th Army, formed in 25th December.

By the end of January, Soviet preparations had seen the build up of the following reserves for the upcoming offensive. These ar3e all additional to those already engaged 
(7A/13A/Total)
Infantry divisions , 12/9/21
Army group artillery regiments 7/6/13
Corps artillery regiments 4/3/7
Super heavy artillery battalions 2/2/4
Tank brigades 5/1/6
Machine gun brigades 1/1/2
Separate tank battalions 2/2/4
Aircraft regiments 10/5/15
Cavalry regiments 1/1/2

It was to be the greatest concentration of artillery since Verdun.


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## Wurger (Jan 4, 2015)

On the 4th January 1940 , after reaching a compromise with the French Governement, there was signed a new, Polish-French military treaty that allowed to recreate the Polish Armed Forces in France. Operationally , the Polish units were submitted to the French commanding system. On the 15th January 1940 the Commander in Chief of The Polish Army, Gen. Sikorski, determined the basis of the manpower of the Polish Armed Forces in France on 120 000 soldiers. The main military camps for Polish formations were in Coëtquidan and Parthenay in France. The base of the new Polish Army was the infantry. Following the French arrangement of such units , the Polish troops got more firepower and became more resistant to the enemy's armor. Generally the Polish Army numbered about 71, 331 soldiers. By the June 1940 there were organized the following units :

The 1st Grenadier Division , the Commanding Officer - Gen. Bronisław Duch.
The 2nd Infantry Fusiliers Division , the Commanding Officer - Gen. Bronisław Prugar-Ketling.
The Polish Independent Highland Brigade , the Commanding Officer - Gen. Zygmunt Szyszko-Bochusz.
The 10th Brigade of Armored Cavalry , the Commanding Officer - Gen. Stanisław Maczek.
The Polish Independent Carpathian Brigade , the Commanding Officer - Gen. Stanisław Kopański.
The Polish 4th Infantry Division , the Commanding Officer - Col. Tadeusz Zieleniewski.
The Polish 4th Infantry Division , the Commanding Officer - Gen. Rudolf Dreszer.

The Polish Air Force was orgaized in France and the Great Britain simultaneously. There were created three squadrons and several fighter flights, two special duty squadrons and a bomber unit. However, the only complete unit created before the German attack on France was the GC I/145 "Warsaw" fighter squadron, flying Caudron C.714 light fighters. It was the only unit operating the C.714 at the time. The Polish pilots were also deployed to various French squadrons and numerous flights of industry defence, flying on all types of French fighters, mostly on the MS.406. After the surrender of France, many of these pilots managed to escape to Britain to continue the fight against the Luftwaffe. The total number of Polish aviators in France reached the 9556 of soldiers.

The Polish Navy was based in the Great Britain and was attached to the Royal Navy, not the French command, and as such are not counted as the part of the Polish Army in France. It consisted of a destroyer unit with 3 destroyers (ORP Błyskawica, ORP Grom, and ORP Burza), a submarine unit ( ORP Orzeł and ORP Wilk ) and a training unit. In general , 1370 seamen.

In 1940 the general number of the members of the Polish Armed Forces was about 84, 000 soldiers.


The Polish volunteers of the 2nd Infantry Fusiliers Division in the military camp in Parthenay, January 1940 ...
















and in the in Coëtquidan camp ...











Gen. Sikorski visiting Polish units in 1940 ...

















The Polish MS.406 fighters ...






The Polish Renault Caudron CR.714s ...


























The Polish Dewoitine D.520 shot down in June 1940 flown by mjr. Mieczyslaw Mumler servicing in the 3th Squadron of the GC II/7.

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## stona (Jan 4, 2015)

Those sailors were not supposed to be wearing a "cap band" (actually a cap ribbon officially and unofficially a cap tally) with the ship's name on. They were replaced with ribbons just bearing HMS. There is plenty of evidence that many did indeed continue to wear ribbons with the ship's name on well into the war. 
Maybe the agent did see sailors wearing _Nelson_ ribbons, but what they were doing in Liverpool whilst the ship was at Loch Ewe having struck a mine on 4th December '39 I don't know.

_4th - At 0752 hours when entering the Loch at 13 Knots NELSON, when in position 5.4 cables 38 degrees from Rudha nan Sasan triangulation station, passed over and detonated a type TMB magnetic mine; although the massive explosion did not kill anyone 73 were injured, of whom 52 suffered lacerating injuries to delicate parts of their anatomies when ceramic toilet pans shattered in the blast. She took on a list to starboard and drew 39 ft forward. Before she could anchor in an appropriate position the light cruiser DRAGON who was fouling the berth had to be moved. At 1210 hours, with the destroyers VIMY and WARWICK secured to starboard and port she finally anchored._

_Nelson_ sailed for Portsmouth for repair on 4th January '40.

_4th - At 1430 hours preceded by the steamer ILSENSTEIN, acting as a mine detonator, the NELSON escorted by the destroyers FAULKNOR, FAME, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, ISIS and IMPULSIVE sailed from Loch Ewe for Portsmouth for repair._

She arrived on the 8th.

I wouldn't fancy being aboard_ Ilsenstein_ as I definitely don't like the sound of 'acting as a mine detonator' 

Cheers

Steve

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## parsifal (Jan 4, 2015)

It may also be possible that the agent was a "double agent" and was feeding false information to the German admiralty. There was heavy damage suffered by a British sub at this time, and she only made it back to port with great difficulty. NELSON was nowhere near the sub at the time, and the British might be hoping to give the impression she was still operational. Bad information ias as good at disrupting enemy plans as no information.


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## stona (Jan 4, 2015)

parsifal said:


> It may also be possible that the agent was a "double agent" and was feeding false information to the German admiralty.



A good point. Whether there was another large British warship in Liverpool at the time I don't know. I very much doubt any of _Nelson's _crew were 

Cheers

Steve


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## Njaco (Jan 5, 2015)

*5 January 1940 Friday
ASIA*: The Chinese Winter Offensive heats up again: 2nd War Area in fierce battles around Yenchang, Hsia Hsien, Wenhsi, and Anyi, and it captures Hsiushan, Tashan, and Nanchia; Chinese 4th War Area captures Chingtang and Yingteh; Chinese 5th War Area battles around Wangchiatien and the 31st Army Group launches attacks around Hsuchiatien, Hsintien, Yuchiatien, Huashan, Tamiaofan, and Pingchingkuan; The Japanese counter-attack the Southern Honan Army of the Chinese 5th War Area near Pingchangkuan. In the Battle of South Kwangsi, there is a temporary lull as the Chinese consolidate recent gains.

*GERMANY:* At Jever, 10(Nacht)./ZG 26 is redesignated 10(N)./JG 26 with Oblt. Bernhard Mielke as Gruppenkommandeur.

Germany forbade the transport of any form of aide into Finland across German territory.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Annihilation of Soviet 44th division begins. Colonel Siilasvuo’s Finnish 9th division attacks along the entire 20 mile length of Raate Road. They meet surprisingly strong Soviet resistance and take heavy casualties. Captain Lassila’s battalion, which has been manning a 500 meter roadblock for 3 days, takes 96 casualties (10% of its strength).The Finns only manage to cut the Raate Road once when Task Force Fagernas blows up the strategically important Purasjoki River bridge 5 miles from the border at 2200 hours. Equally important, Task Force Fagernas prevents the arrival of NKVD 3rd regiment reinforcements. 44th division is now isolated and cannot move forward or retreat back into USSR.

In the evening, the Finns destroy the HQ of the 25th Rifle Regiment, which had been leading the way west. They also attack the HQ of the 146th Rifle Regiment, which has been a source of strength in the middle of the column and wipe it out. The commander sends a last radio message, "God help us, we are dying here." Many of the Soviet men escape through the woods but have nowhere to go.

The Finns encircle the Soviet 18th Division.

More volunteers continue flooding into Finland. As the first Norwegian volunteer fighters left Oslo for Finland, the first Swedish volunteers arrived. In light of these events, Soviet Union accused Norway and Sweden of pursuing "unneutral" policies by allowing their citizens to volunteer to fight for Finland.

Soviet warship ‘_Kiroff_’ damaged by Finnish coastal batteries, towed into port for repairs.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary of State for War, falls victim to a political purge and resigns. The rap against him is that he is a "warmonger" who cannot get along with the Generals such as Lord Gort, the leader of the BEF. He also feels that the troops should be treated better. There is some opinion that the fact that he is Jewish and thus has an unusual stake in prosecuting the war has led to much of the opposition to him. He is replaced by Oliver Stanley, Lord Macmillan, Minister of Information. Sir Andrew Duncan joins the Board of Trade. Sir John Reith became Minister of Information in place of Lord MacMillan.

*WESTERN FRONT:* There is German artillery shelling along an extended 125-mile section of the front.

The first Indian troops start manning the B.E.F. front lines. Part of the first Indian contingent to join the B.E.F. had reached the British forward zone.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Swedish steamer ‘_Fearis_’ shelled and sunk by Soviet submarine in Gulf of Bothnia.

Convoy OA 67 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 67 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 14F departs from Gibraltar, Convoy SL 16F departs from Freetown.

German tanker Nordmeer completes a journey from the Dutch West Indies to Vigo, Spain.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Grand Mufti Mohammad Amin Al-Husayni, who is an admirer of the Germans, closes Palestine to anyone with a German passport. This affects primarily Jewish refugees.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Colonel Eisenhower arrives in San Francisco from the Philippines aboard the liner President Cleveland. He is ordered to report for staff duty at 4th Army HQ.


.


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## Wurger (Jan 5, 2015)

Ship Class Kirov-class Light Cruiser
Country Russia
Builder #189 Ordzhonikidze, Leningrad, Russia
Laid Down 22 Oct 1935
Launched 30 Nov 1936
Commissioned	26 Sep 1938
Displacement	7890 tons standard; 9436 tons full
Length 628 feet
Beam 58 feet
Draft 19 feet
Machinery Six Yarrow-Normand boilers, Ansaldo geared turbines, two shafts
Bunkerage 610t oil normal, 1,290t oil full
Power Output	113500 SHP
Speed 36 knots
Range 3,750nm at 17.8 knots
Crew 872
Armament 9x180mm/57 MK-3-180 guns, 6x100mm/56 B-34 DP guns, 6x45mm/46 21-K guns, 4x12.7mm DK machine guns,
6x533mm 53-38 torpedoes, 96 mines, 20 depth charges
Armor 50mm belt, deck, turrets, barbettes, and transverse bulkheads; 150mm conning tower
Aircraft two KOR-1 floatplanes
Peacetime Crew	734
Sold for Scrap	22 Feb 1974

The Soviet cruiser Kirov in 1938/1939 ...






The Kirov in 1940 ...






The Kirov in 1941 ...
















The main turrets of the Kirov ...

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## parsifal (Jan 5, 2015)

*6 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN AMC LACONIA 





*Known Losses*
MV BELTHINGE (UK 3500 GRT (est): The cargo ship ran aground at Les Sables d'Olonne, Vendée, France and was wrecked.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tanker BRITISH LIBERTY (UK 8485 grt) was sunk on a British defensive minefield two miles NE of Dyck Light Vessel; twenty four crew, including a Marine gunner, were lost.





MV ETA (UK 81 grt): The vessel struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary 6 nautical miles (11 km) north west of the Outer Gabbard Lightship . All crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

SS GLOREDA (AUS 250 grt (est): The ship caught fire and sank in Hervey Bay, Queensland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer FRANKENWALD (Ger 5062 grt) was lost by stranding near Bratholmen and Felsen (Norway). All 48 crew were rescued.
New source: Frankenwald





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts











*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 44 sailed for her operations area in accordance with Operations Order No. 18



Departures
Kiel: U-20, U-24
Wilhelmshaven: U-44

At Sea 6 January 1940
U-19, U-20, U-24, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs ANDANIA, CHITRAL and WORCESTERSHIRE departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol. CL COLOMBO arrived at Scapa, returning from northern patrol.

*North Sea*
ON.7 of one British, one Norwegian and four Finnish ships departed Methil escort DDs ESKIMO, TARTAR, KASHMIR, KHARTOUM and sub TRITON. KASHMIR had departed the Clyde on the 4th to join the escort and arrived at Rosyth on the 6th, while KHARTOUM had left the Clyde on the 5th and refuelled at Scapa on the 6th before proceeding to Rosyth. ESKIMO developed defects and was relieved by DD ENCOUNTER until joined by DD KANDAHAR which departed Scapa at midnight on the 7th. CLs GLASGOW and EDINBURGH left Rosyth on the 7th to cover the convoy, which arrived safely at Bergen on the 9th. FN.64 departed Southend, escorted by DD WOOLSTON and sloops GRIMSBY and WESTON, but was cancelled when progress was impeded by fog. FS.66 departed the Tyne, escort DD/escort vessel VEGA and sloop LONDONDERRY. Sloop STORK was intended to join them, but (as noted on the 5th) fouled the boom net at Inkeith and had to return to harbour. VEGA collided with steamer REGFOS (1548grt) on the 8th, but was was able to continue with the convoy, which arrived at Southend on the 8th. After temporary repairs at Sheerness, VEGA departed on the 9th and proceeded to Rosyth, but as there were no facilities available for her there, went on to Dundee, arriving on the 12th for repairs which completed on the 24th.

During the night of the 6th/7th, DKM DDs of Desflot, (FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, ERICH STEINBRINCK and FRIEDRICH IHN, supported by KARL GALSTER, RICHARD BEITZEN and HERMANN SCHOEMANN) laid mines in the Thames Estuary. DD GRENVILLE and six merchant ships for 21,617 tons were lost in the field.

*Northern Waters*
MV CITY OF MARSEILLES (UK 8,317 grt) 164 (1 dead and 163 survivors);General cargo, including jute ; Calcutta - Colombo - Port Said - Gibraltar - London; the ship was damaged by a mine, laid on 12 Dec 1939 by U-13, 1.5 miles southeast of Tay Fairway Buoy, River Tay. The ship had just taken a pilot aboard when the mine exploded under her bridge, stopping the engines and causing a starboard list of 15° . The crew began to abandon ship, but two lifeboats had been destroyed by the explosion and another capsized during launch, throwing the 14 occupants into the water. One crew member was lost. Screened by a Hudson aircraft (224 Sqn RAF), the survivors were picked up by the pilot cutter, a RAF crash launch from Tayport and the Broughty Ferry lifeboat Mona and landed at Broughty.

The abandoned vessel did not sink however. She was re-boarded by crew members of ASW TrawlerS CRANEFLY , STURTON and the harbour defence patrol craft SUILVAN soon thereafter her officers and a pilot returned to the vessel aboard vessel MONA. The next day, the vessels towed her to Dundee where temporary repairs were made. The ship then continued to the Clyde for repairs and returned to service in April 1940. 





*West Coast UK*
DD FOXHOUND, escorting damaged BB NELSON, attacked a submarine contact south of Wolf Rock. AMC LAURENTIC, returning to the Clyde, went aground southwest of Islay. Tug ENGLISHMAN was carrying some of the survivors of steamer ROTHESAY CASTLE (7016grt) and had to transfer them to a DD before she could assist. However, LAURENTIC got off without assistance and proceeded to Belfast arriving on the 7th. She was under repair until 25 May. U.30 laid mines in Liverpool Bay, on which four merchant ships were sunk and one badly damaged.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.15 departed Halifax at 0900 local escort RCN DDs FRASER and RESTIGOUCHE, which detached on the 7th. Ocean escort was BBp RESOLUTION which detached on the 18th, and proceeded to Plymouth, arriving on the 19th for refitting. DDs WREN, VANESSA and VANQUISHER were with the convoy from the 18th to 19th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
Steamer BAHIA (Ger 4118 grt) departed Bahia, arrived at Narvik on 6 February, and continued on to Hamburg which she reached on the 17th. Steamer RIO GRANDE (Ger 6062 grt) departed Rio Grande del Sol, Brazil, but returned on the 7th to avoid contact with light cruiser AJAX.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
PASSAGE OF FIRST ANZAC CONVOY TO NORTH AFRICA

The first of the ANZAC troop convoys, (US.1), departed Wellington with liners ORION (23,456grt), EMPRESS OF CANADA (21,517grt), STRAITHAIRD (22,284grt) and RANGITATA (16,969grt) carrying troops for North African service, and escorted by BB RAMILLIES and RAN CA CANBERRA from Wellington. New Zealand based CL LEANDER departed Wellington on the 4th, arrived at Lyttleton on the 5th and after collecting liners DUNERA (11,162grt) and SOBIESKI (11,030grt) left again the same day. They joined the main group of the convoy in Cook Strait off North Island on the 6th. On the 9th, liners ORCADES (23,456grt), STRATHNAVER (22,457grt), OTRANTO (20,032grt) and ORFORD (19,941grt) escorted by RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed Sydney and joined the convoy on the 10th off Sydney. CL LEANDER arrived at Sydney on the 11th. RAN CL SYDNEY joined the convoy on the 11th and was detached on the 12th in Jervis Bay. Liner EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt) from Melbourne joined on the 12th. Earlier, on the 8th, CA KENT and the Fr CA SUFFREN departed Colombo and arrived at Fremantle on the 17th. On the 20th they relieved the escorting Australian cruisers, which arrived in Fremantle for refuelling. On the convoy's arrival at Colombo on the 30th, KENT and SUFFREN were in turn relieved by Force I - CVL EAGLE, CA SUSSEX (Flag Murray) and RAN CL HOBART. Force I had been conducting sweeps in the Indian Ocean since 15th January when it departed Colombo, arriving back on the 18th. It left again on the 25th, reached Trincomalee on the 28th, and sailed on the 30th to meet the convoy. Reaching Colombo on the 30th together, both force and convoy sailed for the Middle East on 1 February. DD WESTCOTT departed Singapore on the 28th, arrived at Colombo on 1 February and left the same day as a convoy escort. Fr liner ATHOS II (15,276grt) joined the convoy at Colombo. The convoy was also screened by subs OTUS and OLYMPUS, patrolling submerged in Nine Degree Channel between the Laccadives and Minicoy after investigating the Maldives, Addu and Chagos groups. The convoy's entry into the Red Sea on 8 February was preceded by ASW sweeps by RAN DD VENDETTA, which had been detached from the Med Flt, and WESTCOTT, which reached Aden on the 8th. The convoy escorts were detached on the 10th and US.1 arrived safely at Suez on 12 February.
First Echelon | NZETC


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## Njaco (Jan 6, 2015)

*6 January 1940 Saturday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* Early in the morning, the Finnish 12th and 13th Infantry Divisions attack the Soviet 8th Army north of Lake Ladoga

Time to finish off the reeling Soviet 44th Rifle Division. At 0300 hours, Finnish troops cut the Soviet column on Raate Road in Finland at several locations. They attack 5 miles east of Mäkinen's original roadblock near Suomussalmi. Soviet troops become demoralized and many fled into the nearby forest where the Finns on skis track them down. Soviet tanks began to counterattack to but little effect. Task Force Fagernas holds the Purasjoki River crossing against NKVD tank counterattack and also manages to cut the road again further East near the border, frustrating the arrival of any reinforcements. Comrade Vinogradov, in command of Soviet 44th Rifle Division, radios Chuikov at 9th Army HQ that his men can only return through the forest and must leave all their equipment behind. Chuikov replies that the men must wait where they are until relief forces arrive. However, Chuikov himself asks the Stavka for instructions, requesting a breakout without the heavy equipment. Division headquarter has lost all contact with the Division on the Ratte road except with the 122nd Artillery Regiment and the 305th Rifle Regiment. Late in the day, the Finns construct a barrier near the border. As his division is being chopped into ever smaller mottis, Vinogradov breaks down at 1600 hours and tells his subordinates to break out at 2200 hours. Everything is put into the effort, which is led by two rifle companies of the 25th Rifle Regiment under Major Plyukhin. Two batteries of artillery, tanks, and the rest of the Division follow along. The vast majority of the wounded are left behind on the road. The breakout begins sometime during the night and failed immediately. The Soviets abandoned their heavy equipment and ran north of the road, into the woods. The vast majority of the heavy equipment remained intact. The fleeing Soviet troops then headed eastward through deep snow, about 2-3 kilometers away toward the border. One group, the 305th Regiment, escaped without opposition. Vinogradov, who had joined the column at some point, escapes guarded by two rifle companies and a Guard Platoon.

A group of Ilyushin bombers is flying over Utti, 60 miles northeast of Helsinki, when two Finnish Fokker D.XXI fighters intercept them and shoot seven of them down. Finnish pilot Jorma Sarvanto shoots them down in 25 minutes. Sarvanto shoots down six of seven attacking Russian DB-3F bombers.

In Sweden and Norway, the governments there reasserted their neutrality, both rejecting British requests to operate in their waters. They rightly suspect this would lead to aggressive moves by Germany both at sea and on land to protect vital supplies of Swedish iron ore.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The United States liner “_Manhattan_” was detained at Gibraltar by the British Contraband Control. A protest was made by the American government.

British trawler ‘_Eta_’ sunk by mine in North sea.

British liner ‘_City of Marseilles_’ struck a mine off east coast of Scotland, but was safely towed into port.

The Kriegsmarine issues orders to its U-boats to "_make immediately unrestricted use of weapons against all ships_" in an area of the North Sea the limits of which were defined.

Royal Navy submarine HMS '_Undine_' (Lt. Cdr. Alan Spencer Jackson) is captured by Kriegsmarine minesweepers in the Heligoland Bight but sinks due to demolition charges before it can be boarded. Commander Jackson had attacked three trawlers which turned out to be heavily armed German auxiliary minesweepers.

Convoy OG 13 forms at Gibraltar, HX 15 departs from Halifax.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Dogs are reportedly wearing bicycle reflectors on their collars to boost their visibility in the blackout.

.



.


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## Wurger (Jan 6, 2015)

On the 6th January 1940 , a Finnish pilot Lt. Jorma Sarvanto flying Fokker D.XXI FR-97 , shot down six Soviet DB bombers in just five minutes. He was a pilot of the 4th Flight of the 24th Fighter Squadron defending Jyväskylä i Kuopio towns against russian air raids.

Luutnantti Jorma Sarvanto ... 









Lt. Jorma Sarvanto in the cockpit of Fokker DXXI FR-97 ...






Lt. Jorma Sarvanto showing a remnant of the Soviet DB-3 bomber ...







The Soviet DB-3 bombers destroyed over the Finland ..

















The Finnish Armoured Train 2 at the Sortavala railway station on the 1st January 1940 ...







The Russian T-34 tank , model 1940 ...

A version equipped with the cast turret and the gun L-11 ...







A version equipped with the welded turret and the gun L-11 ...

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## parsifal (Jan 6, 2015)

*7 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
MV CEDRINGTON COURT(UK 5160 grt): Full load of steel embarked; The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Goodwin Sands, Kent 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north east of the North Goodwin Lightship. All 34 crew were rescued.






MV DICIDO (SD 1475 grt): with a cargo of Pyrites, enroute from Thamshaven to Helsingborg, the cargo ship ran aground at Tjoroneset and was wrecked.





Submarine SEAHORSE (RN 730 grt) of subflot 6 departed Blyth on 26 December. On the 7th January (but date uncertain), she is believed to have been sunk was sunk by DKM MSWs of the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla in a 24 hour long and bitter attack in the Heligoland Bight. Damage to the submarine early in the attack provided a considerable oil leak to guide the attacking vessels. The entire 36 man crew were lost . The German 1st Minesweeping Flotilla was composed at this time of minesweepers M.1, M.3, M.4, M.7, M.8 and M.14. Some recent sources indicate that SEAHORSE may have been lost by mining in 55‑26N, 07‑02E on 29 December, or perhaps 30 December. According to Seekrieg, she was sunk by M.122 and M.132. The currently accepted version of her loss is however, as described above
New photo Source: HMS Seahorse - Pencil Drawing




_Pencil drawing of the HMS Swordfish leaving Portsmouth in 1933_

MV TOWNELEY (UK 2475 grt) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea north of Margate, Kent. All crew were rescued by the Margate lifeboat.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aux sloop BARSAC (Fr 1145 grt) was lost when she ran aground on the Isle of Onza near Vigo.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine UNDINE (RN 630 grt) whilst on patrol in the Heligoland Bight, 15 miles from Heligoland, was attacked and badly damaged by DKM Aux MSWs M.1201, M.1204 and M.1207 after she had unsuccessfully attempted to attack two of the trawlers at 1100/7th. Early next morning, UNDINE was scuttled and the entire crew were taken prisoner. M.1204 took off the crew and M.1201 attempted to capturee the sinking hulk and take it in in tow. UNDINE sank, however, and several crew members of M.1201 that had boarded her were lost whilst on board. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts








*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 7 January 1940
U-19, U-20, U-24, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-46, U-56, U-58. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs TRANSYLVANIA and AURANIA arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol. CL CERES escorted Steamer TROMA (Nor 5029 grt) brought in for contraband search off North Rona.

*North Sea*
FN.65 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop STORK, but was obliged to anchor in Knock Deep due to fog. The convoy left on the 8th, and arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. Submarine depot ship TITANIA departed Rosyth for the Tyne with two tugs and escorted by sloop AUCKLAND, and arrived with the tugs on the 8th. Sub TRIUMPH, after emergency repairs, departed Rosyth escort DD EXMOUTH for Chatham. Off the Humber, DD GRIFFIN relieved EXMOUTH which returned to Rosyth escorting convoy FN.67. DD ESKIMO departed Rosyth for refitting at Southampton

*West Coast UK*
DD NUBIAN, departing the Clyde, was damaged in a collision with another vessel two miles off Greenock. She required drydocking and was under repair unril the 24th January, after which she returned to duties with the Home Flt. DD AFRIDI departed the Clyde to join sister ship TARTAR escorting HN.7 from Scapa. U.32 laid mines off Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde, but no shipping was sunk or damaged.

*Channel*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN departed Plymouth, escort DDs WITCH and WIVERN on work up.

*Central Atlantic*
Steamer CONSUL HORN (Ger 8384 grt) departed Aruba and evaded blockading Fr sub AGOSTA near St Martin. She was later sighted by an American PBY flying boat from San Juan (the US a/c provided a report to the Allied forces in the area), The vessel was then located by CL ENTERPRISE on the 27th in 46‑51N, 42‑50W, but CONSUL HORN, disguised as a Soviet steamer, was able to convince the British cruiser she was a neutral. CONSUL HORN arrived at Trondheim on 6 February and reached Hamburg on the 19th.

*Med- Biscay*
OB.68GF departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER and WARWICK, and on the same day OA.68GF, with DDs VETERAN and WHITSHED left Southend. The two groups merged on the 10th to form OG.14F of 29 ships, and on the same day, WANDERER and WARWICK detached to HG.14F. Sloop ENCHANTRESS was with OG.14F from the 10th to 13th, when she detached to convoy HG.15F. The OG convoy was joined by DDs VELOX and VORTIGERN from the 13th to 15th, and arrived that day at Gibraltar.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Submarine RAINBOW departed Hong Kong on the 7th to patrol off Vladivostok from the 13th to 19th. At the time, SubFlot 1 had the following units in refit: depot ship MEDWAY at Singapore, submarines PARTHIAN, PHOENIX and PANDORA at Hong Kong, REGENT, ROVER, RORQUAL and GRAMPUS at Singapore, while PROTEUS was en route to Hong Kong to refit.

RAINBOW arrived back at Hong Kong from Vladivostok on the 25th and confirmed the results of submarine REGULUS's patrol in the same area that no German submarines were using the Soviet port. Due to RAINBOW's difficulties with heavy icing, there was no Vladivostok patrol in February, but PROTEUS did leave Hong Kong at the end of the month for a repeat patrol.


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## Njaco (Jan 7, 2015)

*7 January 1940 Sunday
ASIA*: Chinese 5th War Area (31st Army Group) captures Huashan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The '_City Of Flint_', now flying under the Finnish flag, departs from Narvik for Baltimore under its original captain, Joseph A. Gainard. He is awarded the Navy Cross for his actions during the ordeal.

Royal Navy submarine HMS '_Seahorse_' is sunk by Kriegsmarine minesweepers in the Heligoland Bight. This is in addition to the minesweepers' sinking of the HMS '_Undine_' the previous day.

German freighter '_Konsul Horn_', interned in Aruba, escapes. It disguises itself as a Soviet merchant freighter to evade US neutrality patrols.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Soviet 44th Rifle Division on the Ratte road collapses. The western end of the column disintegrates, with the Soviet survivors fleeing aimlessly into the frozen woods which are hip-deep in the snow. The day begins with heavy fighting and ends with a complete rout of Soviet 44th division. At 0300 hours, the mottis at the Western end (the head) of the Soviet column collapse completely. As the day progresses, Soviet 44th division gradually gives up the entire length of Raate Road with soldiers trying to RETREATback to safety in the USSR or scattering into the woods. Finns again hold their positions where Raate Road crosses the destroyed Purasjoki River bridge, limiting the Soviet retreat. Finnish troops at the village of Raate near the border block an attempt to relieve 44th division with fresh troop from USSR. Only a few pockets of Soviet troops remain to be mopped up by the Finns. The survivors are not greeted warmly on the Soviet side of the border. The 305th Rifle Regiment (Captain Chervyakov), the only relatively intact Soviet formation to make it back, is immediately ordered to man the border against the nearby Finns. Many the men no longer have rifles, and some 40% have no gloves or mittens. There is no food at the border for the troops of the 44th Rifle Division that escaped. They had abandoned their own field kitchens and supplies to the Finns. The Soviets behind the lines do not believe in helping losers.

On the same day, General Semyon Timoshenko took command of Soviet Army forces in Finland. In the fighting north of Lake Ladoga the Finnish pressure on the Soviet 18th and 168th Divisions continues. Finnish claims estimate 50,000 Soviet troops have perished in the last five weeks.

*GERMANY:* In separate incidents near Heligoland, German Minesweepers and A/S trawlers sink Royal Navy submarines. At 0940 hours, British submarine HMS “_Undine_” spotted three trawlers 20 miles west of Helgoland, Germany and moved in to attack. The trawlers, actually minesweepers, counterattacked, forcing “_Undine_” to dive. A depth charge attack caused damage to “_Undine's_” hydroplanes, leading to the scuttling. The crew of 27 was later rescued by the German minesweepers. Vessels of German First Minesweeper Flotilla sank British submarine HMS “_Seahorse_” southeast of Helgoland, Germany. Entire crew of 36 was lost.

*WESTERN FRONT:* First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill visits the BEF in France.

Paris reported patrol activity at different points of the front. Artillery action east of the Blies.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Forces program started broadcasting nationally - It will play dance music on Sundays, the BBC has banned this since starting in 1922.

SS ‘_Towneley_' (2,888t) steamer, Tyne to Rouen was sunk by a mine near Margate.

SS _‘Cedrington Court_' (5,160t) cargo ship, Buenos Aries to Hull with a cargo of wheat, hit a mine and sank NE of the North Goodwin Lightship.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 7, 2015)

*8 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
DD WESTMINSTER completed her conversion to fast escort vessel. Following working up at Portland, she joined Convoy Cmd operating from Rosyth, arriving on the 30th.
Phot uplifted from wiki, but source is Oscar Parkes - This is photograph FL 21568 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 8308-29)




_HMS WESTMINSTER underway (after WAIR refit). Reclassified as an Ocean escort (involving reductions in armament, increased bunkerage and reductions in top weight for open ocean work) this shot was taken in 1942._

*Known Losses*
MV ATLANTIC SCOUT(UK 4533 grt): No crew details, but no casualties listed; no cargo manifest available; The cargo ship ran aground 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) north east of Cap Gris Nez, Pas-de-Calais, France and was wrecked. She was refloated and beached at Boulogne, where the wreck was broken up in 1949.





MV MANX (Nor 1,343 grt):19 (13 dead and 6 survivors): West Hartlepool - Drammen, carrying coal. he unescorted and neutral Manx was hit by one torpedo from U-19 off Kinnaird Head and sank within two minutes. Eight survivors managed to grab hold of an upturned lifeboat, but were scantily clad and in the stormy weather four of them gave up. After 8 hours the remaining four survivors were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant LEKA. Two other survivors were rescued from a raft by the Norwegian steam merchant ISIS.





Steamer TYNEHOME (628grt) collided and then sank in fog with GITANO (3956grt). Ten survivors were picked up by GITANO.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts










*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 32 reports that she cannot carry out her minelaying operation off the Clyde. She has observed fixed listening stations and encountered strong patrols. She has not apparently succeeded in penetrating into the inner firth. She also reports traffic observed close inshore south of Ailsa Craig Island, at water depths at which mines could be laid. She suggested making this alternative position and has been given orders to carry out the operation there. Until I hear the Commanding Officer's verbal report I shall not be satisfied that the first operation was really impossible.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-58 

Departures
Kiel: U-23 

At Sea 8 January 1940
U-19, U-20, U-23, U-24, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-46, U-56. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK and AMC SCOTSTOUN departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. CL COLOMBO departed Scapa for Northern Patrol, which she left on the 12th for Devonport and arrived on the 14th. With her departure from Scapa, CruSqn 11 ceased to exist. CLA CAIRO arrived at Chatham.

*North Sea*
Subs SEAWOLF and SEALION departed Rosyth on patrol. ORP su WILK arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Subs SEAL and NARWHAL departed Gosport, via the Downs where they spent the night of the 8th/9th, for Rosyth. They arrived on the 10th escorted by sloop FLAMINGO for duty as convoy escorts on the ON/HN convoy routes. NARWHAL departed Rosyth on the 15th with convoy ON.8. OA.69 departed Southend escort DD VANESSA from the 9th to 11th. DD WIVERN also joined until detached on the 11th.

FS.67 departed the Tyne, escort sloops AUCKLAND and STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 9th. U.56 laid mines off Cross Sands near Yarmouth on which one steamer was lost.

*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK departed the Clyde for Rosyth where she arrived on the 10th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.69 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and WITHERINGTON until the 12th. The convoy dispersed next day on the 13th.

*Central Atlantic*
BC RENOWN and DDs HERO and HASTY departed Freetown and joined CV ARK ROYAL off Sierra Leone. The DDs detached on the 10th for refuelling. CL NEPTUNE departed Dakar on patrol, and stopped and boarded Q-ship LAMBRIDGE (armed steamer BOTLEA (RN 5119 grt)) off Freetown without discovering her true identity. After her patrol, NEPTUNE arrived at Freetown on the 20th.

*Sth Atlantic*
Convoy SL.16 departed Freetown escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY until the 25th. Next day, sloop DEPTFORD joined the convoy as escort until its arrival on the 27th.

Steamer SAO PAULO (Ger 4977 grt) had departed Pernambuco on 16 November 1939 and arrived at Cabedelo the next day. Leaving there on 8 January, she safely arrived at Cuxhaven on 3 March.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.14 departed Gibraltar with 33 ships escort DD KEPPEL. The convoy was turned over to ocean escort Sloop ENCHANTRESS and Fr DDs VALMY and CHEVALIER PAUL outside the Gib approaches, and arrived on the 17th.

Fr CL ÉMILE BERTIN departed Toulon on the 8th and proceeded to Casablanca, joined by DD ÉPERVIER which departed Bizerte on the 9th. Both ships arrived at Casablanca on the 12th. They then relieved CAs DUPLEIX, FOCH and DD CASSARD, and conducted a surveillance patrol off the Canary Island en route and arrived at Dakar on the 19th. On the 20th, they set off for another patrol off the Canaries. Meanwhile, DUPLEIX and FOCH left for Halifax on escort duty with a convoy at the beginning of February, while CASSARD departed Dakar on the 21st and arrived at Casablanca on the 25th, where she was under repair until 14 February. She then departed Casablanca and arrived at Toulon on 17 February. DD MILAN remained on station

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL DAUNTLESS departed Singapore on patrol duties as a unit of CruSqn 5, and arrived back on the 17th.


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## Wurger (Jan 7, 2015)

The Swedish voluteers in Finland ,1940 ...







Finnish reindeers at the Winter War ...

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## parsifal (Jan 8, 2015)

*9 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Liner DUNBAR CASTLE(UK 10002 GRT): The ocean liner struck a mine off North Foreland, Kent. Skipper Cpt Causton was fatally injured in the explosion, which disrupted the abandon ship procedures. The ship sank with the loss of 152 lives





Collier MONTAUBAN (Fr 4,191 grt) was on a voyage from the Tyne to Marseilles with a cargo of coal, when she came ashore on the Saltscars near Redcar, there she was battered by heavy seas and broke up. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine STARFISH (RN 730 grt) of the Subflot 6 arrived in the Helgoland Bight to relieve submarine SEAHORSE (sunk 7 January, but as yet unknown) which was due to return to Blyth. There she attacked DKM MSW M7 of the 1st MSW Flotilla. M.7 was undamaged, and in return badly damaged STARFISH. The sub was scuttled to avoid capture and the crew were taken prisoner.





Steamer TONIA CHANDRIS (Gk 3161 grt) was lost when she ran aground off Unst. Tug ST MELLONS was sent to assist her and the crew was rescued by the Lerwick lifeboat.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Coastal Steamer TRUIDA (Ne 350 GRT (EST)): The coaster struck a mine and sank in the North Sea west of Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom. All crew were rescued by Friso.





German bombers of the FliegerKorps X attacked British shipping off Stonehaven and other locations along the coastal shipping routes. The attacks were mostly undertaken in cover of darkness, targets being illuminated with flares, and preventing countermeasures by the RAF. The RAF lacked any effective means of defence for night fighting at this time.

The Luftwaffe sank the following:

Coastal Steamer GOWRIE (UK 689 grt) four miles east of Stonehaven (Aberdeenshire). All 12 crew members were saved
New photo source: http://www.benjidog.co.uk/allen/Images/Images D/DUPELO05.jpg




_Note; This may be an image of a later GOWRIE, which was launched in 1942_

MV OAKGROVE (UK 1985 grt) seven miles WNW of North Leman Buoy (Norfolk). One crewman was killed. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer UPMINSTER (Ne 1013 grt) was badly damaged by German bombing nine miles east of Hammond Knoll Light Vessel, and sank on the 10th with the loss of three of her crew . 




_Model of the UPMINSTER_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> C-in-C Navy visited headquarters. Made a report to him on the state of the U-boat war and future intentions.



Departures
Kiel: U-15, U-60

At Sea 9 January 1940
U-15, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-24, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-46, U-56, U-60. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL DUNEDIN arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol, and AMC ASTURIAS at the Clyde. AMC CORFU also arrived at the Clyde for duty with the Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
AMC VOLTAIRE departed the Tyne for Portsmouth and transfer to the Med. Submarine SALMON arrived at Harwich after patrol. DD ENCOUNTER with TKR BRITISH PRUDENCE (8620 grt) departed Invergordon for the Tyne, and both arrived on the 10th. DDs ECLIPSE and ESCAPADE arrived at Invergordon with ML PRINCESS VICTORIA.

HN.7 of 2 British, 19 Norwegian, 5 Swedish, 8 Finnish and 4 Estonian ships departed Bergen escort DDs KASHMIR, KHARTOUM, KANDAHAR and TARTAR. DD FORESTER departed the Clyde on the 8th and joined the convoy at sea. DD AFRIDI departed the Clyde on the 7th to relieve TARTAR, but was reassigned en route and MAORI departed the Clyde on the 9th to relieve TARTAR instead. CLs GLASGOW and EDINBURGH, which departed Rosyth on the 7th provided distant cover for this convoy and also for ON.7, moving simultaneously. On the 9th, CLs EDINBURGH and GLASGOW(RN CLs could carry DCs) both dropped depth charges in separate incidents on suspected submarine contacts. All ships and escorts for HN.7 arrived safely at Methil on the 12th. KHARTOUM took the west coast section of five ships, and escorted Tkrs SCOTTISH AMERICAN (6999 grt) and ARNDALE (8296 grt) on to the Clyde.
FN.67 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS, VEGA and sloop LONDONDERRY. DD EXMOUTH proceeded northward with the convoy until dark on the 10th, and arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY departed Methil for the Tyne for duty escorting FS.68.

FKX air attacks damaged Steamer IVAN KONDRUP (Den 2369 grt) east of Stonehaven 
New Photo source: Ivan Kondrup - IMO 5537538 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker




_van Kondrup passing the Nord-Ostsee Kanal. This photo was taken around 1960 near Rendsburg, before the opening of the tunnel which replaced the bridge visible behind the Ivan Kondrup._

Air attacks delivered on this day by FKX simultaneously sank or damaged a number of ships along the coast, including damage to steamer NORTHWOOD (1146grt) off Whitby, 

NO IMAGE FOUND]

Another airstrike by FKX simultaneously damaged steamer RECULVER (683grt) off Great Yarmouth, RECULVER was taken in tow by trawler TAMORA (275grt). With the crew of a recently relieved lightvessel on deck. 55 men are wounded, and Second Officer George Purvis is killed. She was repaired and sent out, but was attacked again by aircraft on 12 July in the Harwich area.
New image source: January | 2014 | Trinity House History | Page 2 





The air attack by FKX was an excellently co-ordinated and delivered series of attacks on other ships. One of the strikes damaged trawler CHRYSOLITE (251grt) eight miles NNW of Smith Knoll Light Vessel. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
German bombers of the FliegerKorps X damaged MV FEDDY (UK 955 grt) two and a quarter miles ESE of Aberdeen

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast UK*
DDs SIKH and DUNCAN departed Sheerness for the Clyde after repairs. DD MAORI departed the Clyde to relieve sister ship TARTAR in HN.7.

*Channel*
DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA with defects docked at Falmouth for refit and repair.

*UK - France*
SA.24 with two steamers departed Southampton escort DD SHIKARI, and arrived at Brest on the 11th.




_SHIKARI was ordered from Doxford Shipyard in April 1917 as part of the first batch of 24 S-class destroyers. The S class were intended as a fast 36 knot DDs for service that would be cheaper than the large V-class destroyers that preceded them and so able to be ordered in larger numbers_

*SW Approaches*
Southwest of Eddystone, sloop SCARBOROUGH made a submarine contact. DD KELVIN, en route from Portland to Greenock joined the ASW sweep as did DD WINDSOR from Plymouth. DDs ACASTA and VISCOUNT also joined to hunt the contact, but all without success. DD VESPER attacked a separate contact south of Scilly Isle.

*Med- Biscay*
Sloop BIDEFORD, escorting HG.14F, attacked a submarine contact 175 miles west of Cape Finisterre. DD WATCHMAN was taken in hand at Gibraltar to repair defects.


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## Wurger (Jan 8, 2015)

The 8-9th January 1940... 

The Battle of Suomussalmi is over. Finnish 9th Division takes possession of Raate Road at dawn, as the last dug-in Soviet troops surrender around Lakes Kuivasjarvi and Kuomasjarvi. Col. Hjalmar Siilasvuo's soldiers destroyed two Russian divisions. 25 000 Soviet troops were killed in the Battle of Suomussalmi. Finns capture 2000 prisoners of war, more than 6000 rifles, 300 machine guns, 41 AT cannons, more than 90 field and AA guns, 400 vehicles. Finns did not manage to catch the Soviet generals. Andriej Zielencov commander of 163th Divion was never found, probably dressed in the uniform of private soldier was killed during the retreat of his division. Aleksjej Winogradov, commander od 44th Divion running away with the two officers to Russia. NKVD agents kill all three of them for treason. The Finnish forces suffered casualties: nearly 900 killed and 1770 wounded.

After the battle ...

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## Wurger (Jan 8, 2015)

After the battle ...






A Soviet I-15 Bis fighter shot down during the battle ..







The Russian SHCH-class serie X submarine Щ-324 ( SHCH-324 ). She was awarded with The Order of the Red Banner for participating in the Winter War.

The Щ-324 in 1939 ...







The Щ-324 in 1941 ...







The coning tower of the Щ-324 ...


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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2015)

*10 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN AMC WOLFE





*Known Losses*
ASW Trawler AXEL (DKM 373 grt): sunk as a result of a collision with TS GRILLE (DKm 2560 grt).





Steamer BAHIA BLANCA (Ger 8558 grt) departed Hamburg pre-war, arrived at Rio de Janiero on 11 September 1939 disguised as a Greek ship, and then on 6 December attempted to run the British blockade back to Germany. On the 10th, evading the blockade, she ran onto the ice pack in the Denmark Strait, and began to sink as a result of damage suffered. Her crew was rescued by Icelandic trawler HAFSTEIN (313grt). CL NEWCASTLE, which departed Scapa on the 2nd, was diverted from Northern Patrol to assist and sank the German ship with gunfire because of the navigational hazard she posed. NEWCASTLE arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 14th. Fate of the German ships crew is not known





MV HERTHA (Nor 1500 grt (est)): The cargo ship collided with a French vessel off the Welsh coast and was beached. She appears to have been taken back to Norway, as a ship by this name was recorded as captured and used by the Germans after Weserubung. 
She is reported as damaged, by the RNoN MTBs MTB-620 and MTB-623 which in that action also damaged the German S/S Harvesthude in Nov.-1942. (R. Jordan says she was sunk north of Bergen Nov. 27-1942. Reported as raised and under repair in Aug.-1943. Reported at Bergen in Aug.-1944. Reported at Østfjorden, Bergen in March-1945). She should be classified as captured from April 1940 in my opinion





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts










*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 46 entered port. She only sank one 3,000 ton steamer, then fired several misses and failures and received numerous D/C's. In spite of the small result, the C.O. cannot be accused of slackness. He went to it, but his firing skill apparently requires perfecting. I have decided to give the boat a period of firing practice before her next patrol.
> 
> U 30 reported that she had completed her operation off Liverpool. This is very good work and will certainly lead to success.
> 
> U 32 reported that she had carried out her operation in the alternative position. She has been allocated an operations area off the east coast of England further remaining torpedoes.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-46

At Sea 10 January 1940
U-15, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-24, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-56, U-60. 
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CAs BERWICK, NORFOLK, DEVONSHIRE arrived at Rosyth from Northern Patrol for de-magnetization

*North Sea*
DDs SIKH and DUNCAN arrived in the Clyde. Later that day, DDs IMPERIAL and DUNCAN with DDs ISIS and IMPULSIVE departed the Clyde for Rosyth. ISIS and IMPULSIVE were detached en route to assist AMC CANTON (see below). IMPERIAL, DUNCAN, ISIS and IMPULSIVE arrived at Rosyth on the 12th. Early on the 10th, DDs INTREPID and IVANHOE of DesFlot 20 laid a small numbers of mines in minefield IE‑1 in channels through the German minefields in the Heligoland Bight. Sub URSULA departed Blyth on patrol. FS.68 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.

DKM DD MINELAYING OFF NEWCASTLE and CROMER

On the night of the 10th/11th, DKM DDs KARL GALSTER, ANTON SCHMIDT, RICHARD BEITZEN, FRIEDRICH IHN, escort DDs WILHELM HEIDKAMP and FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, laid a minefield off Newcastle. On the return, IHN broke down and was escorted back by BEITZEN. On the 11th, the minefield claimed its only victim, trawler LUCIDA (251grt) with the loss of one crewman.

On the night of 10/11 January, DKM DDs BRUNO HEINEMANN, WOLFGANG ZENKER, ERICH KOELLNER laid a minefield off Cromer. Three merchant ships for 11,155 tons were lost on this minefield. 

*Northern Waters*
AMC CANTON ran aground off Barra Head, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. AMC CALIFORNIA stood by until tugs ENGLISHMAN and BANDIT arrived from Campbeltown and Ardrossan respectively. However CANTON got off on the 12th without assistance and headed towards the Clyde escorted by DDs FAME, ISIS, FORESIGHT and IMPERIAL. DDs FORESTER, FORTUNE and FURY came out from the Clyde and met DDs FAULKNOR and FOXHOUND to screen CANTON's passage. On the 12th, FORESIGHT attacked a submarine contact NNW of Inishtrahull. On the 13th, CANTON and BANDIT arrived in Rothesay Bay en route for the Clyde. On the 17th, at the head of Holy Loch, CANTON was intentionally beached when her pumps failed to control the flooding. She was eventually docked, and repaired. 




_CANTON as she appeared in her mercantile configuration_

CL DELHI departed Belfast for Scapa, where she arrived on the 11th.

*Channel*
DD MATABELE arrived at Plymouth for docking and refitting.

*UK - France*
BC.22 of steamers BARON CARNEGIE, BATNA, COXWOLD and DAVID LIVINGTONE (Commodore) departed Bristol Channel, escort DD WESSEX, and safely arrived in the Loire on the 12th. Convoy AXS 9 of one steamer arrived at Brest from Fowey, escort DD BROKE.

*Med- Biscay*
DD DIAMOND departed Gib for Freetown arriving on the 15th for patrol duties. CL GALATEA departed Malta and arrived at Alexandria on the 13th, left next day and arrived back at Malta on the 17th.


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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2015)

*11 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Trawler DIETRICH HASSELDIECK (Ger 172 grt) was lost in the Baltic off Pakdiski on a minefield laid by Finnish submarine VESIKKO on 27 December, off Paldiski, Estonia.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]





_Submarine Vesikko_
Tkr EL OSO (uk 7267 grt) of convoy HX.14B was sunk off Mersey Light, six miles 280° from Bar Light Vessel on a mine laid by U.30 on the 9th, with the loss of three of her 35 crew. Survivors were rescued by HMS WALKER. whilst WALKER undertook the SAR operation DD VIMY, later joined by DDs FAULKNOR and FOXHOUND moved to undertake guardship duties against possible uboat attacks. This activity was triggered when, shortly after midnight on the 12th, ASW trawler KING SOL (486grt) sighted a submarine on the surface near Bar Light Vessel. She chased the submarine for more than an hour, but lost it in the darkness. DDs VIMY, VERSATILE, sloop DEPTFORD, ASW yacht CUTTY SARK and two other ASW trawlers were also patrolling in the area. At 0345, VIMY attacked a submarine contact 12 miles 300° from the Light Vessel. An ML submarine was suspected and DDs FAME, ISIS, FORESIGHT and IMPERIAL patrolled across North Channel to try to intercept her.





Steamer FREDVILLE (Nor 1150 grt) 16 crew (11 dead and 5 survivors), ship was travelling in ballast when lost. Drammen - Methil (enroute to obtain a cargo of coal for Oslo). The ship was torpedoed by U-23 about 100 miles east of the Orkney Islands and broke in two. The forepart remained afloat and five survivors left their lifeboats several times to go back on board and look for more surviviors. The survivors were picked up by a Swedish ship and taken to Kopervik.
(Source carries the following picture credit "Picture received from George Robinson, the webmaster of Riversea International")
D/S Fredville - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945





Steamer LEONARD PEARCE (UK 1571 grt). Whilst travelling as part of HX14, the ship collided with BLAIRMORE (UK) and sank in the Bristol Channel off the Bull Point Lighthouse, Devon. All 17 crew were rescued.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MSW LOCOTENANT LEPRI REMUS ( Romanian Naval Forces 374 GRT): The Capitan Dumitrescu class minesweeper was sunk in the Danube Estuary off Sulina by a mine. 





Trawler LUCIDA (UK 251 GRT): The trawler struck a mine and sank off the mouth of the Tyne with the loss of one crew member.





ASW yacht PRINCESS (RN 730 grt) and steamer BLAIRMORE (4141grt) collided near Elswell Bay, Bristol Channel. PRINCESS sank, and her crew picked up by BLAIRMORE.





MV TRAVIATA (Italy 5123 grt) The cargo ship struck a mine in the North Sea 8 nautical miles (15 km) south east of the Cromer Knoll and sank. All on board were rescued






_German X Air Corps flew anti shipping sorties again in the night with He111's of KG26, Ju88's of KG30, and two reconnaissance squadrons flying He59's or Do17's. They succeeded as follows_

Steamer KEYNES (UK 1706 grt) was attacked by German bombers early in the evening but escaped serious damage. However, later that same night, German bombers sank her in a further attack, the entire crew of 17 was rescued.





Trawler CROXTON (195grt) was sunk but her entire crew rescued. Two other vessels were simultaneously attcked and damaged but were not sunk. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 34 sailed in accordance with Operations Order No. 19. Ice conditions are gradually becoming more difficult. Boats can no longer make trial runs in the Jade. These have to be carried out off Heligoland. Boats are piloted in and out by Sperrbrecher and 2 tugs.
> Boats are also protecting their sensitive bow-caps by a wooden shoe which is brought out while proceeding through ice.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-56

At Sea 11 January 1940
U-15, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-24, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-60. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC MONTCLARE arrived at Belfast from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
OA.70G departed Southend escort DDs VESPER and VISCOUNT from the 12th to 13th, when they were detached off the Lizard. DDs KEITH and ARDENT escorted the convoy from the 13th to 14th. Meanwhile, OB.70G departed Liverpool escorted by DD VERSATILE and sloop DEPTFORD. The two convoys merged on the 14th as OG.14 with a total of 48 ships. VERSATILE and DEPTFORD escorted the convoy on the 14th, and then joined HG.14. Fr DDs TIGRE and PANTHERE escorted OG.14 from the 14th to 19th, and arrived at Gib on the 19th. FN.68 departed Southend, escort sloops AUCKLAND and STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 12th. FS.69 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and arrived at Southend on the 12th.

Airstrikes by FKX that sank the CROXTON at the same time damaged two other vessels; 
Trawler FLAVIA (UK 202 grt) was damaged 90 miles NE by E of Buchanness, 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Steamer PITWINES (UK 932 grt) was damaged 25 miles SE by E of Flamborough Head. .






Other Airstrikes by FKX
Aux MSW trawler OLYMPIA and armed patrol trawler VENTURE were attacked by German bombers off Haisborough. OLYMPIA had one rating killed, and because of damage from near misses, both trawlers had to be towed in.

*Northern Waters*
Midshipman (A) J D W Barr and Leading Airman G E Uren died of injuries after their Skua of 803 Squadron force landed at Tor Ness Point, Stronsay in a training accident.

*West Coast UK*
DD FORTUNE departed Liverpool for Glasgow.

*Channel*
DD KIMBERLEY departed Portland after trials for Greenock, where she arrived on the 12th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL AJAX, returning to England, put into Rio de Janiero.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Steamer SELENGA (SU 2492 grt), carrying a cargo of wolfram from Japan to Germany, was seized shortly after leaving Manila by CL LIVERPOOL, and taken to Hong Kong. She was held for about a month, released, and then recaptured by the RAN AMC KANIMBLA in March and sent back to Saigon under escort by Fr CL PRIMAGUET. After that fat is not known.


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## Wurger (Jan 10, 2015)

On the 10th January 1940 , the Nazi Selbstschutz did the last mass execution in the "Barbarka" forest near Toruń. The massacre was a part of the Intelligenzaktion at the Pomerania region. The main goal of the action was to deprive the Polish nation of the intelligentsia. It is estimated that there were murdered 600-1200 Poles.








The Polish Navy submarine ORP Orzeł returning to her depot ship at Rosyth ... the pic taken between 1 January 1940 and 23 May 1940 ....

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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2015)

*8 January 1940 Monday
ASIA:* The Chinese Winter Offensive grinds on: Southern Honan Army of the 5th War Area launches a counterattack around the Pingchangkuan - Hsiaolintien - Kungchiafan sector. Japan claims to have killed 25,000 Chinese in battle north of Canton.

The Japanese cabinet establishes a puppet government over occupied China. It is headed by Ching-Wei, who previously had lost a power struggle with Chiang Kai-shek for control of the Nationalist government and now seeks to control China by another route.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Soviet 44th Division ends all attacks on Finnish forces. Finnish 9th division takes possession of Raate Road at dawn, as the last dug-in Soviet troops surrender around Lakes Kuivasjarvi and Kuomasjarvi (near Captain Mäkinen’s original roadblock). Mopping up stragglers in the woods will take several days. The Finns now have completely eliminated what had been considered the most dangerous advance into their country. Finns capture 43 tanks, 70 field guns, 278 trucks and other vehicles, 300 machine guns, 6,000 rifles 1,170 horses. Another entire Soviet division is gone, estimated at 10-15,000 dead (not even the Soviet know how many men went onto the Raate Road; the Finns do not bother to count the frozen bodies). Finns take only 1000 prisoners and another 700 make it back to USSR. Many of those retreating are shot by NKVD and when Finland returns the prisoners, they are also executed for ‘treason’. Finnish casualties in the Battle of Raate Road are 2,700 dead, missing and wounded.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Rationing begins, and at first the allowances were - 4oz. of butter, 4oz. of bacon or ham and 12oz. of sugar, per head, per week. Extra sugar will be allowed for marmalade making. Obtaining rationed food from Ireland is punishable by six months in prison, except for small gifts. Ration books that were prepared in 1938 and issued in September 1939 came into use on this day.

General Wavell departs for an inspection tour of British Somaliland and French Somaliland.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *A Wellington 1A bomber is converted into a magnetic mine killer with DWI (Directional Wireless Installation). It is powered by a Ford V8 engine driving an electrical generator. By flying over the mines, it makes the explode. The installation is an awkward aluminum coil inside a balsa wood ring with a diameter of 51 feet. Operating from Manston, Kent, England, the bomber must fly low (60 feet) and slow. If it flies lower than 35 feet, it risks damage from the exploding mines. It makes its first sortie over the North Sea. This is one solution to the magnetic mines, the other is degaussing of individual ships, but that will take longer to implement and is much more costly.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Benito Mussolini sent a message to Adolf Hitler, cautioning against waging war with the United Kingdom.

*WESTERN FRONT:* New German Army HQ said to have been established at Recklinghamhausen, 10 miles from Dutch frontier.

Sir Edmund Ironside and Lord Gort decorated with Grand Cross of Legion of Honour by General Gamelin.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2015)

*9 January 1940 Tuesday
ASIA*: The Japanese forces near Huangyan begin to receive reinforcements. They are opposite the Chinese 5th War Area. The reinforcements will bring the force to 3 full regiments. Japanese units withdraw from the Pingchangkuan - Hsiaolintien - Kungchiafan sector, pushed by the Southern Honan Army of the Chinese 5th War Area.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German bombers sank three Allied merchantmen in the North Sea. British steamers, ‘_Oakgrove_’, and ‘_Upminister_’ sunk; steamer ‘_Northwood_’ attacked and trawler ‘_Crystalite_’ disabled. Danish ships ‘_Ivan Kondrup_’ and ‘_Feddy_’ also attacked but reached port. German aircraft attack a British convoy heading from Hull to Aberdeen and sink the cargo ship HMS “_Gowrie_” east of Stonehaven. British tanker ‘_British Liberty_’ sunk. British trawler ‘_River Earn_’ reported sunk by Nazi bomber in North Sea.

The British lose a third submarine in the Heligoland Bight in only a few days. British submarine “_Starfish_” attacked German minesweeper M-7 off Helgoland, but the torpedoes misfired. M-7 counterattacked with depth charges for hours, causing damage. “_Starfish_” escapes to bottom but with water pouring in, Lt. Thomas Turner orders “_Starfish_” to surface at 1820 hours. All hands escape and are taken as POWs. “_Starfish_” sinks. This loss led to the Royal Navy's decision to suspend submarine operations in Helgoland Bight.

At 0221 hours, Norwegian merchant “_Manx_” is torpedoed by U-19 off Northeast Scotland and sinks rapidly with 9 hands lost. 8 men escape on an upturned lifeboat but Norwegian steamer “_Leka_” rescues only 4 survivors 8 hours later. Norwegian merchant “_Isis_” rescues 2 men on a raft.

British liner SS “_Dunbar Castle_” hit a naval mine and sank off Ramsgate in southeastern England, United Kingdom. 9 were killed immediately, including the captain. Chief Officer Herbert Robinson of “_Dunbar Castle_” was later awarded the Order of the British Empire for evacuating 189 survivors.

German blockade runner '_Bahia Blanca_' hits an iceberg and sinks northwest of Iceland, assisted by Royal Navy cruiser HMS '_Newcastle_'.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The planes and crews of German AufklrGr 122 begin conducting night reconnaissance missions over the Western Front.

Repeated warning from Italian Foreign Minister to Belgian Princess of imminent German attack on Belgium.

First Colonial contingent from Cyprus land in France to join B.E.F.

Creation of a Royal Air Force Command in France announced, with Air-Marshal A.S. Barrat as Commander-in-Chief.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finns destroy the remains of the Russian 44th Division at Lake Kianta, taking 1000 prisoners. The Finns once again stage a secret operation and cut the Leningrad-Murmansk railway. The Soviets issue a communiqué admitting that they had to retreat from Suomussalmi.

Soviet bombers raid six small towns in Finland.

There are unofficial peace talks in Stockholm between Hella Wuolijoki, an Estonian-born Finnish writer, and Alexandra Kollontai, the Soviet ambassador to Sweden. Both had been friends of Lenin. In addition, the Finnish Foreign Affairs Committee seeks US mediation.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Admiralty announced that out of 5,911 ships – British Allied and neutral-convoyed by British Navy, only 12 were sunk while in convoy.

Prime Minister Chamberlain makes the first in a series of "morale-boosting" speeches by Cabinet Ministers. Meanwhile, there is public surprise that, after only 4 months of war, the British employment figure for January stands at 1.6 million (about 120,000 higher than the average for 1939). This increase is despite of the call-up of 1.5 million men for military duty.

SS ‘_Montauban_' (4,191t) was on a voyage from the Tyne to Marseilles with a cargo of coal, when she came ashore on the Saltscars near Redcar, where she was battered by heavy seas and broke up. Her remains now lie in 6 metres of water with her bow pointing south.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy made representations to Germany concerning detention in German ports of war supplies sent by Italy to Finland.

*GERMANY:* The West Prussian SS chief reports the successful elimination of 4000 incurable mental patients in Poland.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2015)

*10 January 1940 Wednesday
ASIA*: Chinese 4th War Area captures Chingyuan. Chinese 9th War Area attacks to the rear of Japanese positions and cuts their communications. At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 18th Infantry Division and Konoye Division move to assist the Japanese 5th Infantry Division near Nanning.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Luftwaffe sinks the British freighter '_Upminster_'.

*THE MECHELEN AFFAIR
WESTERN FRONT:* ‘FALL GELB’ suffers a disastrous setback. Major Helmut Reinberger, carrying the invasion order of operations for Luftflotte 2, is given a lift by Major Erich Honmanns in a Bf 108 on a special mission to Cologne. Flying to Koln airfield, Major Honmanns becomes lost in the clouds and tries to locate the Rhine river. In his attempt to get back on course he cuts off the fuel to the small plane and it stalls and dives to the ground. The plane and its passengers crash at Mechelen in Belgium with both Majors surviving. As frontier guards rush to the crash sight, Major Reinberger tries to burn the documents of his briefcase. He fails. The two men are taken by Belgian border guards to a border guardhouse. Still somehow in possession of the papers, Reinberger tries to stuff them in a burning stove, but one of the border guards seizes them. The documents, including the plans of “Gkdos Chefsache” from 27 October, are captured and partly reveal the invasion plans to the Allies. Enough of the papers survive for the Belgians to see that they are copies of a secret plan to invade their country, along with Holland and France. The countries involved study the plan and adapt their defenses accordingly. When Hitler learns of this misfortune, he flies into a rage and dismisses Major Reinberger’s commander General der Flieger Hellmuth Felmy, the commander of Luftflotte 2 and his chief of staff, Oberst Josef Kammhuber. ‘FALL GELB’, scheduled for 17 January, is again postponed.

Artillery action and air activity were reported from the Western Front.

At 0730 hours, six aircraft of Stab./KG 26 take off to attack a convoy reported by a spy leaving the harbour at Stadt-Landet. They fail to find any ships. Later planes from JG 1 patrol northwest of Heligoland but report no contact.

At 1215 hours, Oblt. Reinhard Seiler, Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 54 scores his first kill, a Potez 63 near the Swiss border.

At 1300 hours a formation of fighters from I./ZG 76 find a flight of nine RAF Blenheims flying at a height of 1500m. Descending from 2500m, the Zerstörers bounce the bomber formation and within twelve minutes shoot down three of the British planes. Hptm. Wolfgang Falck is given credit for one of the Blenheims, his fifth victory. The Messerschmitts suffer no casualties except some damage to the Staffelkapitän’s aircraft.

In one of the last actions of the day, Lt. Walter Radlick of the Stab flight of III./JG 53 destroys a French Morane south of Perl around 1457 hours. It is his first victory.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Unofficial peace talks began between the Soviet Union and Finland, but the fighting continued. The Soviet command is consumed with recriminations about the defeats suffered to date. It is not a time for grand operations. Much of the rest of January is consumed with court-martials, command changes and replacement of lost troops.

Sweden passed emergency laws giving Government wide powers in case of war. The Swedish government rejects the Soviet claim that Sweden is pursuing an "unneutral" policy. (A claim made on January 5th.)

Some 350 Hungarian men begin military training. They are to be formed into the Hungarian Volunteer Detached Battalion. It will be commanded by Lieutenant Imre Kémeri Nagy and have 24 officers, 52 NCOs, 2 doctors, and 2 Padres.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Widespread complaints about train delays are excused by the Railway Executive on the grounds of the blackout, which prolongs the loading of goods vans and makes for late starting. It also blames unexpected arrivals at ports of shipments of fresh foods, which have to be distributed hurriedly by commandeering trains. Troops movements are also a factor.

The German destroyers '_Schmitt_', '_Galster_', '_Beitzen_' and '_Ihn_' between them laid another 240 mines in the Tyne approaches. The operation went off smoothly, but once again the now familiar engine problems affected the '_Ihn_' this time, she was escorted by the '_Beitzen_', they made their own way home.

General Sir Alan Cunningham becomes commander of the 66 Infantry Division.

*GERMANY:* The RAF mounts a bombing raid on the German seaplane base at Sylt. There is a running battle with Bf 109s over the North Sea that costs each side one plane, with damage to two other German planes.


.


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## parsifal (Jan 11, 2015)

*12 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Cruiser CARLISLE completed her conversion to a CLA at Devonport and later headed for the Med. Following work up at Malta from 10 February to 26 March, she arrived at Gib on 29 March to return to England, where she was assigned to CruSqn 20 working with the Humber Force.




_"C" Class profile after conversion to the AA role_
Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-5 (estimated comm date) 





*Known Losses*
Tkr DANMARK (Den 10,517 grt): 40 (0 dead and 40 survivors): Fully laden with a cargo of POLs: On passage from Aruba - Nyborg. 
The ship was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-23 when lying at anchor in Inganess Bay, Kirkwall. The ship exploded, broke in two and drifted ashore. The after part sank on 21 January, but the forepart was later refloated, taken to Inverkeithing and used as a storage hulk for fuel oil.





MV GRANTA (UK 2719 grt): The cargo ship struck a mine in the North Sea 11 nautical miles (20 km) off the Cromer Knoll Lightship. with the loss of 12 crew. The survivors were rescued by HMS STORK and the fishing vessels FULHAM IV and ROBUR VIII 





MV KASTOR (Est 1000 grt (est)): The cargo ship ran aground off Lysekil, Sweden.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Vessels sunk By FKX_
Patrol trawler VALDORA (RN 251 grt) was sunk by aircraft of FKX A/C off Cromer with the loss of her entire crew of one officer and nine ratings.
NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler WILLIAM IVEY (UK 202 grt) was sunk 15 to 16 miles north, one half mile east, of Longstone Light House,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts










*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-19, U-24 

At Sea 12 January 1940
U-15, U-20, U-23, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-60. 
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CLs DUNEDIN and DELHI departed Scapa on Northern Patrol duties, with both arrived back on the 17th.




_"D" Class profile in 1940_

*North Sea*
Aux ML PRINCESS VICTORIA, escort DDs ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE, conducted operation PA 1. MSWs HARRIER and SKIPJACK accompanied this force, which arrived back at Rosyth on the 13th. DD EXMOUTH relieved DD ECHO on escort duty with cable ship ROYAL SCOT. Sub TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. OA.71 departed Southend escort DDrs ACASTA and WINDSOR from the 12th to 14th. DDs VETERAN and VERITY escorted the convoy from 14th to 16th, when it dispersed to join SL.15. SL15 later merged with OB.71, which had departed Liverpool, escorted up till then by DDs VANOC and WINCHELSEA. The two convoys merged on the 16th. 

FN.69 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. FS.70 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops FLEETWOOD and BITTERN, and arrived at Southend on the 13th. DD ASHANTI made two attacks on a submarine contact NNW of Great Orme's Head, joined later by ASW yacht CUTTY SARK. 

ASW yacht ANNA MARIE (344grt) sighted what was taken to be a periscope feather off Bull Point, and dropped depth charges on a presumed submarine contact. Steamer MELLO (Pt 4020 grt) also sighted a submerged object near this location about the same time. It was later determined that the contact was the wreck of steamer LEONARD PEARCE sunk in a collision on the 11th.

_Ships damaged by FKX Attacks_
Steamer BLYTHMOOR (UK 6582 grt) damaged in 54‑16N, 00‑10W, 





Trawler PERSIAN EMPIRE (UK 195 grt) damaged seven miles east by north of Filey.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
AMC CALIFORNIA arrived in the Clyde after standing by armed merchant cruiser CANTON.

*West Coast UK*
Sub L.23 departed Blyth on patrol.

*Channel*
CL EMERALD departed Portsmouth for Halifax where she arrived on the 18th.




_"E" Class standard recognition profile_

Patrol yacht SHEMARA (RN 834 grt) and ASW yacht VALENA (RN 882 grt) were exercising with submarine H.50 off Portland Bill, and made attacks on a submarine contact. Harbour Defence Vessels (HDVs) Number 3 and 6 were also searching in the area. SHEMARA escorted H.50 back to harbour.

*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.16 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs OTTAWA and SAGUENAY, which detached on the 13th. Ocean escort was provided by AMC AUSONIA, which detached on the 21st. The convoy was escorted in Home Waters by DDs MACKAY and WANDERER from convoy OB.74 and DDs ANTELOPE and VESPER, and arrived at Dover on the 21st.

*Med- Biscay*
CL CAPETOWN was refitting at Malta beginning on this date and completing on the 30th.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL DURBAN departed Singapore on escort duty, and arrived back on the 20th.


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## Njaco (Jan 11, 2015)

*11 January 1940 Thursday
ASIA:* Captain Tomozo Kikuchi was named the commanding officer of light carrier “_Hosho_”.

The Chinese 4th War Area takes Tsunghua.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-23 torpedoed and sank Norwegian coal carrier “_Fredville_”, which had just picked up coal from Methil, Scotland, about 100 miles east of the Orkney Islands at 1632 hours. 11 men were killed, 5 men were rescued by a Swedish ship.

The Fleet Landing Exercise No. 6 began in the Caribbean Sea, participated by US Navy and US Marine Corps personnel. The Marine participants were the 1st Marine Brigade and the 1st Marine Aircraft Group under the command of Brigadier General Holland M. Smith, taking part.

British oil tanker SS “_El Oso_” hit a naval mine and sank 6 miles west of the Bar Lightship, Liverpool, England, at about 1100 hours. 3 men were killed, 32 were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Walker_”.

The British cargo ship HMS “_Keynes_” is sunk north of Spurn Point, England after two attacks by German aircraft. She had also been attacked earlier in the day by enemy aircraft.

The RAF coastal command attacks three Kriegsmarine destroyers off Jutland, and also protected three British cargo vessels in the same area from Luftwaffe attack.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish IV Corps (12th Infantry Division and 13th Infantry Division) surrounds the 34th Tank Brigade, Soviet 168th Division and 18th Rifle Division of Soviet 8th Army in the "Great Motti of Kitilä", North of Lake Lagoda. This does not precipitate a battle of destruction as happened to Soviet 44th division on Raate Road, but 168th division is immobilized, rendered ineffective and gradually broken into smaller mottis by 4th Jaeger battalion led by Major Matti Aarnio of the 4th Jaeger battalion and becomes famous as "Motti-Matti". Finns beat off reinforcements attempting to break through to the encircled Soviet 168th Division (north of Lake Ladoga). The weather is good enough for the Soviets to supply the pocket by air, but the men inside are miserable and immobilized. There is a new Soviet attack in the area of Salla (in the "waist" of the front), toward the Kemijarvi-Tornio railway. 

Meanwhile, the Swedish volunteer air group, Flygflottilj 19, begins operations from the frozen Lake Kemi, with 12 Gladiator fighters and 4 Hart light bombers. They are a good match for Soviet airplanes, however, which in general are also obsolete by current standards. The Flygflottilj 19(F19) destroyed 12 Soviet planes by the end of the war while losing 6 planes, 2 due to enemy action and 4 in accidents.

Training began for 350 Hungarian men to fight in Finland. Nearly 25,000 others waited for the approval for their volunteer service. They will ultimately become Hungarian Volunteer Detached Battalion commanded by Lieutenant Imre Kémeri Nagy with 24 officers, 52 NCOs, 2 doctors and 2 padres.

Kombrig Vinogradov, Commissar Parkhomenko, and Chief of Staff Volkov of the 44th Rifle Division each are found guilty by a court-martial and sentenced to death. The charges are irrelevant, the outcome was preordained by the military defeat, but they are accused among other things of leaving behind wounded to die. They are executed in Vazhenvaara by firing squad in front of what remains of their troops. The commissar of the Ninth Army, Furt, is appointed the acting commander of the 44th Rifle Division, which must be completely rebuilt.

*GERMANY:* In a fit of pique, Hitler fires General Helmuth Felmy, commander of the air fleet (2d Luftlotte) involved, and also his chief of staff Josef Kammhuber. For the moment, Fall Gelb remains on the docket for 17 January, because nobody knows yet how much the Belgians learned. The Belgians attempt to trick Reinberger into thinking they didn't learn anything from the papers so that he will tell that to the German ambassador. This does work for now. In fact, the Belgians had basically all the information. General Raoul van Overstraeten concludes that the documents are genuine. King Leopold informs the French, via General Gamelin, and the Belgians give them a copy. They also tell Lord Gort, in charge of the BEF. Everyone considers a German attack imminent. Several German senior officers burn their hands throwing papers into stoves and then retrieving them to see how much remains legible. Hitler issues Fundamental Order No. 1 about the handling of military secrets.

Karl von Le Suire was awarded the Sudetenland Medal.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Women's Section of the Air Transport Auxiliary delivers its first airplane from factory to depot. This is one more indication of women's increasing usefulness in the war effort, but not everybody likes it. There has been considerable public protest against the use of women pilots while men are kept idle on the waiting list for the RAF.

It was shortly after 1000 hours that South Shields felt the first impact of warfare by the Luftwaffe. The Air Ministry announced:


> "Enemy aircraft crossed the coast near Newcastle today. No bombs were dropped. Fighter patrols were sent up and Anti-aircraft guns opened fire".


Shrapnel fell in the streets of South Shields. Large black smoke puffs were seen in the sky, concentrated on a plane travelling in a westerly direction. After apparently completing a wide circle, it appeared again and was fired on. Six British fighters went in pursuit.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In France the government announces that Friday will be a "meatless day" and that no beef, veal or mutton will be sold on Mondays or Tuesdays.

A Heinkel 111 crashlands in Holland after being shot up by RAF fighters.

.


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## Wurger (Jan 11, 2015)

A Finnish ski patrol at the Mannerheim line in January 1940 ..







The expelling of Polish farmers at the Great Poland, the Poznań area in the Winter 1940 ...


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## parsifal (Jan 11, 2015)

Did the people that were forcibly expelled and which survived able to return to their land after the war, and/or,, after the collapse of the post war communist regime? And roughly how much of western Poland was affected by this injustice?


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## Wurger (Jan 11, 2015)

All the Western Poland , I mean the Great Poland , Pomerania and Silesia, was covered by the process of people displacement.. we can say all pre-war Polish territories that were incorporated into the Third Reich. But the Eastern Poland too. Generally, all Polish areas where Germans were going to be settled down.
The Nazi deportations of the Polish population were another method of population policy in order to eliminate the polish population on the ground. The deportation started after September 1939 and were at first carried out in a chaotic way, however very soon they were given organized forms. 620 000 Poles were deported from so-called Wartheland ( The Great Poland ) to the General Gouvernement. Before they were transported to the General Gouvernement they were placed in special assembly camps for a few weeks. The deportations occurs on a ruthless, and extremely violent. Transport to the General Gouvernement were in goods wagons, taking several days. By the end of February 1940 Nazi Germans deported about 138 000 Poles and 20 000 Jewish people. The total number of forcibly expelled Poles from incorporated areas into the IIIrd Reich is estimated to be more than 1 million people. The Great Poland and the District of Łódź were the most seriously affected areas where 630 000 people were displaced. The Pomerania - 124 000, the Silesia - over 81 000, the Bialystok area - over 28 000, the Mazovia - 25 000 and from Żywiec area - about 20 000 Poles. 
I'm not sure if the number of returned , forcibly expelled Poles can be known. It seems that it isn't possible to find out because of losses of the Polish citizens during the WW2. But it can be said that many of these who survived got back their homes. For instance, most of deported Gdynia ( Gotenhafen ) Polish city dwellers returned homes as soon as the Red Army and the Polish People's Army liberated the city.

A pass issued by the Nazi Polizei ( Police ) in Gdynia ( Gotenhafen ) to a Polish expelled family, allowing to pass the borderline between the Third Reich and General Government ( Generalgouvernement ).

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## Njaco (Jan 12, 2015)

*12 January 1940 Friday
ASIA:* Japan notifies the Netherlands it is terminating their treaty in which each party agreed to settle disputes peacefully.

Chinese 4th War Area captures Pachiangkou and Yuantan.

*WESTERN FRONT:* South of Saarbrücken, Lt. Bernhard Malischewski of Stab flight of I./JG 76 destroys a Blenheim for his first victory of the war.

*GERMANY: *The capture of German invasion plans at Mechelen on Jan 10 has several consequences. France is alerted to the planned attack. The Belgians continue trying to convince the Germans that they learned nothing. General Gamelin holds a meeting with his military subordinates, and the consensus is that, regardless of the authenticity of the documents, this is a good excuse to pressure the Belgians to allow the stationing of French troops on their territory. The Dutch also are skeptical because they have not been told of the exact source - the Belgians are being very cagey with their allies. Hitler learns of the breach and has gone berserk, foaming at the mouth at Luftwaffe incompetence. Hitler believes that the Allies have the documents despite all assurances to the contrary. He blames Luftflotte 2 commander General Hellmuth Felmy and replaces him with General Albert Kesselring. The two men in the plane, Majors Reinberger and Hoenmanns are sentenced to death in absentia - which is the lawful punishment for what they did. Hoenmann is beyond the Gestapo's reach, but not his wife. Hoenmanns wife dies under interrogation by the Gestapo. The commanding General of Luftflotte 1, General der Flieger Albert Kesselring, is made commander of Luftflotte 2, taking over from General der Flieger Hellmuth Felmy, who was dismissed. In addition to these duties he is also made Commander-in-Chief North. Kesselring had done good work in support of army operations during the Battle of Poland but does not have a lot of knowledge about strategic air campaigns.

The RAF conducts night reconnaissance over Western Germany and flies missions over German seaplane bases on the Heligoland Bight. There also is a targeted raid on minelaying infrastructure at Rantum Bay.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 0650 hours, U-23 hits Danish oil tanker SS “_Danmark_” (anchored in Inganess Bay, Orkney Islands, Scotland) with one torpedo. “_Danmark_” breaks in two and drifts ashore; her crew of 40 escapes. She is carrying 14000 tons of fuel from Aruba in the Caribbean, depriving the Allies of valuable fuel supplies.

Convoy OA 71 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 71 departs from Liverpool, Convoy OB 71M departs from Liverpool, and Convoy HXF 16 departs from Halifax.

*NORTHERN FRONT: *The battle of Taipale begins. The Soviets of 7th Army, now under Kirill Meretskov, attempt to cross the River Taipale, which is ice-bound. They choose a 16 km area between Taipale and the Munasuo swamp. They use an armored wedge to force a breakthrough, followed by infantry and other forces. They have built up their tank force and drastically increased manpower. The ultimate aim is Viipuri.

There is a secret meeting between Finnish representatives and Madame Kollontai, the Soviet ambassador to Sweden, in Stockholm.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Owing to the presence of enemy aircraft, AA guns were in action, some pieces of shrapnel fell in the streets of Southwick, a suburb of Sunderland. There were no casualties or damage.

SS ‘_Granta_' (2,719t) steamer, London to Blyth was sunk by a mine off the Wash. Ten of her crew were lost.

.


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## Wurger (Jan 12, 2015)

On the Friday, the 12th January 1940 Nazi Germans murdered 440 patients of a psychiatric hospital in Chełm, Poland. It wasn't an accident but it was a part of a large-scale operation started with the beginning of the WW2. On the 1st September 1939 , Hitler's Decree Law about the "euthanasia" triggered the E-Aktion or Aktion T4. This was the operation against the physically and mentally disabled people, not only in the invaded Poland but also in the Nazi Germany and other occupied teritories. The E-Aktion name means the "Euthanasia of Disabled People", the name T-4 is more known one and is an abbreviation of the address of the project office that was located at the Tiergartenstraße 4 street in Berlin.

Mentally disabled childern in the Schönbrunn insane asylum. The picture was taken by a SS officer in 1934.






The image source : Wikipedia/cc/Bundesarchiv.

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## parsifal (Jan 12, 2015)

*13 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Escort Vessel AURA II (FN Navy (Merivoimat) 446 grt): The escort vessel and former presidential yacht was sunk by one of her own depth charges as it exploded in its thrower while she was attacking Shch-324 ( Soviet Navy) off Märket Island, Baltic Sea with the loss of 26 of her 41 crew.






MV FIRE KING (UK 500 grt(est)): The coaster collided with DUKE OF LANCASTER (UK) off the Isle of Man and sank with the loss of one crew member.





MV SYLVIA (Sd 1,524 grt): Crew 20 (20 dead - no survivors). Enroute Hull (9 Jan) - Aberdeen (12 Jan) - Gothenburg. Fully laden with general cargo and coal. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea north east of Aberdeen by DKM U-20. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts














(Interesting that the DKM Operations Division thought a British invasion of Norway unlikely, and also likely to be costly to the DKM should they attempt invasion. An accurate prediction. Raeder in his enthusiasm to invade disregarded the advice of his own staff!!) 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 25 sailed in accordance with Operations Order No. 18. Naval War Staff has extended the orders for the conduct of the war in certain areas. U 44, which should at present be southwest of Ireland, has been ordered to remain off the western approach to the Channel for a few days, and then proceed to the west coast of Spain at about the same time as U 25.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-25

At Sea 13 January 1940
U-15, U-20, U-23, U-25, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-60. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML DDs IVANHOE and INTREPID of DesFlot 20 laid minefield IE‑2 in the German channels of the West Wall minefield in the Heligoland Bight. They returned to the Humber on the 14th after this operation. 

MSW NIGER attacked a submarine contact in Knock Deep (a channel outside the Thames estuary, roughly south of Felixstowe). Sloop GRIMSBY escorting a convoy attacked a submarine contact off Scarborough. DD COSSACK departed Leith on the 10th to prepare for high speed trials. Lying in the stream, she was involved in a collision with cable ship ROYAL SCOT, escorted by DD EXMOUTH, in the Firth of Forth on the 13th. COSSACK returned to Leith for repairs and was able to carry out her gun trials on the 15th.

FN.70 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 14th. FS.72 departed the Tyne, escort sloops AUCKLAND and STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 15th. Sloop BITTERN found a German mine which she towed towards Sheerness. It was secured to the Nord Buoy and beached from there by harbour defence patrol yacht GLALA (51grt).

*Northern Waters*

*West Coast UK*
DDs FAME, FORESIGHT, FURY, FORESTER arrived in the Clyde. Sub TRIBUNE was missed by two torpedoes. There is no German record of this attack and submarine SHARK was exercising at this time in the area, but did not report an attack on a submarine.

Liner DUCHESS OF YORK (UK 20021 grt): The ocean liner ran aground off the west coast of Scotland and was severely damaged. She was refloated on 17 January, repaired and returned to service.





*Channel*
CL DIOMEDE departed Plymouth for Rosyth.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.16 departed Freetown escort AMC CHESHIRE, DDs HARDY, HOSTILE and submarine SEVERN. The DDs and sub were returning for duty in Home Waters. HARDY and HOSTILE left the convoy on the 20th and called at Gib. Sloop ROCHESTER and DD VISCOUNT joined on the 24th relieving the AMC and sub. SEVERN reached Portsmouth on the 24th, while the convoy arrived in port on the 27th.

*Med- Biscay*
HG 15F of thirteen ships departed Gibraltar 13 January, escorts: 
13th DDs BROKE, KEPPEL, WALPOLE, WALKER from Gib. Also sloop ENCHANTRESS from OG.14F
14th As above
15th DD AMAZON joined, DD KEPPEL detached when she was damaged in collision with Fr DD JAGUAR
19th DDs WALPOLE, WALKER detached
20th DD ENCHANTRESS
22nd Convoy arrives

*Indian Ocean*
CVL GLORIOUS departed Trincomalee on 29 December and arrived at Aden on 7 January, Suez on the 9th and Alexandria on the 13th. She proceeded to Malta on the 15th escort RAN DDs VENDETTA and RN BULLDOG, and arrived on the 17th for refitting, completed on 25 March. BULLDOG also refitted at Malta, until the 24 February. On 26 March, GLORIOUS, escorted by DD WESTCOTT and RAN DD STUART departed Malta for flying-off exercises.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*


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## parsifal (Jan 12, 2015)

*14 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*

Steamer ALBERT JANUS (Ger 1598 grt) departed Vigo on the 13th to return to Germany. On the 14th, 75 miles west of Vigo off Cape Finisterre, she was intercepted by Fr AMC VICTOR SCHOELSCHER and scuttled to prevent capture.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV HULLGATE (UK 409 grt): Sank after a collision with ss MOYLE near Borsele in the River Scheldt on a voyage from Bruges to Antwerp in ballast

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler ST LUCIA (UK 300 grt (est)):The trawler struck a mine in the North Sea and sank with the loss of all 12 crew

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

After sub SALMON on patrol off Terschelling reported that shipping was moving along the Dutch Coast between Germany and Holland, patrols were ordered to intercept this traffic. DDs GLOWWORM, GREYHOUND, GRENVILLE of DesFlot 1 from Harwich and Aux MSW trawlers WILLIAM WESNEY (364grt), RIVER CLYDE (276grt), STELLA LEONIS (345grt) operated off the Dutch coast on operation ST 1 during the night of the 14th/15th, resulting in the Steamer *PHAEDRA* (Ge 619 grt) being located and seized captured off the Dutch coast near Ijmiuden by GREYHOUND. Steamers SVANHOLM (Den 1321 grt) and KNUD (Den 1944 grt) were sent to the inspection station in the Downs escorted by RIVER CLYDE, and two Dutch and one Swedish ship were stopped, but after inspection allowed to continue. PHAEDRA was renamed EMPIRE SENTINEL for British service .

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts









For the first time mention is made of the broken fule oil separators in the SPEE. Admiralty do not acknowledge this as a reason contributing to her loss, though by now the loss of the ship had become political in Germany. 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Departures
Kiel: U-59

At Sea 14 January 1940
U-15, U-20, U-23, U-25, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-59, U-60. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*West Coast UK*
DD WESSEX was in a collision in the Bristol Channel with steamer THISBE (Fr 1782 grt) which stood by. WESSEX was holed before the bridge and one rating killed. DDs HYPERION and HOTSPUR were in the convoy escort with WESSEX, which arrived at Milford Haven for repairs. At the end of the March, repairs were delayed due to a strike by shipwrights, but completed on 8 April. DDs HOTSPUR and HYPERION departed on the 4th. They attacked a U-boat contact west of Lundy Islandwhich had been reported on the 13th to them and DD WESSEX which was also investigating. Both HOTSPUR and HYPERION arrived at Portsmouth on the 14th. HYPERION went into dock there for refitting and repairs until 2 March, prior to joining the Home Flt, while HOTSPUR sailed for Chatham on the 15th for docking and refitting, completing on 27 February, before also joining the Home Flt.





ASW trawler LOCH MONTEITH (RN 531 grt) attacked a submarine contact in Liverpool Bay.

*Nth Atlantic*
CL ENTERPRISE departed Halifax and arrived at Bermuda on the 17th. HX.16 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs OTTAWA and SAGUENAY. The DDs turned over the convoy to ocean escort BB MALAYA and detached on the 15th. The BB detached on the 23rd. DDs VENETIA and WINDSOR escorted the convoy in local waters from the 25th to 28th, when the convoy reached Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr DD FOUGUEUX attacked a submarine contact off Oporto. Liners DUCHESS OF ATHOLL (20,119grt) and ETTRICK (11,279grt) departed Marseilles escort Fr DDs SIMOUN and TEMPÊTE to Malta. They then departed Malta on the 16th, escort RAN DD WATERHEN for Alexandria and Port Said, respectively.

Sloop LOWESTOFT departed Port Said for Malta en route for England. After repairs at Malta, she sailed on the 24th for Gib.


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## Njaco (Jan 13, 2015)

*13 January 1940 Saturday
GERMANY:* The fighters of II./JG 52 move with their brand new Bf 109Es and crews to Speyer.

The Kriegsmarine takes over planning the invasion of Norway and begins revising and expanding Studie Nord. They considerably increase the commitment of troops from one division to a full army corps (mountain division, airborne division, motorized rifle brigade and two infantry divisions) and propose a simultaneous occupation of all strategic targets to reduce the threat of Norwegian resistance (and retaliatory British intervention). To achieve coordinated arrival of troops along the Norwegian coast and increase the element of surprise, they will use German warships as troop transports instead of the much slower merchant ships or air transports with limited range. This bold plan assures operational success but risks exposing ships and troops to attack by the Royal Navy. The German Navy Operations Division reported that while Norway presented strategic importance, Germany should not invade the neutral country if there was little risk of a British violation of Norwegian neutrality.

Forecasts of poor weather force Hitler to postpone the western offensive to January20th. Meanwhile a fall in the size of the German male workforce is causing the regime to reconsider the Nazi doctrine, fostered since 1933, that a woman's place is firmly at home. The idea of employing more women is opposed by senior Nazi Party leaders.

The RAF conducts extensive surveillance over the Reich. It also drops propaganda leaflets over Vienna and Prague.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Belgian Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Édouard van den Bergen broadcasts at 2230 hours an immediate recall of all 80,000 Belgian troops on leave. Based on captured German plans and other information, Belgian army commanders are told a German attack on January 14 is "quasi-certain". Lieutenant-General van den Bergen also orders all barriers on the southwest border with France removed immediately to allow quicker entry of English and French troops. He risks displeasure for these dramatic acts because he has acted entirely on his own initiative, without requesting permission from the Crown, which takes a very active role in public affairs. Holland declares a "state of readiness." The Germans in fact have been considering moving the attack date forward from the 17th, as contemplated in the lost plans, to the 14th. This is because that would give the Allies less time to shift their own forces to meet the attack. However because the Belgians have temporarily convinced the German high command that they did not have the plans, the issue is not a priority. Before talking to Hitler, General Jodl postpones the date tentatively to the 15th or 16th, depending on further news. When everybody sits down to hash it out, Hitler ultimately intervenes and definitively postpones the attack until 20 January, supposedly due to the weather. By now, though, in light of the frantic Allied military moves, it should be clear that the Allies know all about the plan.

A Franco-Spanish Trade Agreement is signed. Spain is to receive French wheat, fertilizers and manufactured goods in exchange for iron ore and other minerals.

There is artillery fire west of the Vosges Forest and east of the Moselle.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-20 (Oberleutnant zur See Karl-Heinz Moehle) torpedoed Swedish steamer “_Sylvia_” at 0430 hours northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland. “_Sylvia_” sank within a minute, taking the lives of the entire crew of 20.

Soviet submarine ShCh-324 attacked an Axis convoy in the Sea of Aland, but all torpedoes missed. Finnish Navy converted yacht “_Aura II_” retaliated with depth charges, but the wooden yacht was destroyed when one of the depth charges exploded in the thrower, killing 26. Finnish escort vessel “_Tursas_” picks up 15 survivors. ShCh-324 escapes back to home port.

The British at Gibraltar detain the US freighter '_Narbo_'. They release US freighter '_Tripp_', though not with all her cargo.

Convoy OA 72 departs from Southend, OB 72M departs from Liverpool, and HG 15F departs from Gibraltar.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Yakovlev YA-26 prototype, later to become the Yak-1 fighter, took flight. It suffers from oil overheating issues. This prototype would be lost in an accident in April 1940.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* At Sallaa, Finland the Soviet 9th Army orders the 122nd Division to retreat to the Märkäjärvi village. This helps the two prongs of the Soviet effort, on the north and south forks of the road, to form a tighter overall perimeter.

The Soviets bomb Helsinki, Turku, and nearby towns.

Increases in defense expenditures produces the largest government budget in Norwegian history.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* 1(F)./122 flew a sortie to the Firth of Forth. An He 111, flown by Ofw H. Brauer, was intercepted by 602 Sqdn’s Red Section. The Spitfires chased the Heinkel until it escaped into cloud. Spitfires from 111 Sqdn then took up the chase and finally brought the plane down in the sea near Farne Island. Only the pilot Ofw. H. Brauer survived to become a POW.

*EAST AFRICA:* General Wavell's Middle East Command takes charge of East Africa.

.



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## Njaco (Jan 14, 2015)

*14 January 1940 Sunday
ASIA:* Faced with serious and unexpected reverses in China from the Chinese Winter Offensive, the Abe government resigns. Admiral Mitsumasa Yonai replaces him and forms a new government. 

The Chinese 5th War Area is still on the attack. It launches probes against Kaocheng, Shihlingszu, Wangchiatai, Sunchiatien, and Chuchiamiao.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The British government replies to the concerns of the American governments that have complained about violations of neutrality during the Battle of the River Platte. British Minister to Panama submits a diplomatic note stating that:


> "The British "reserve their full belligerent rights in order to fight the menace presented by German action and policy and to defend that conception of law and that way of life, which they believe to be as dear to the peoples and Governments of America as they are to the peoples and Governments of the British Commonwealth of Nations."



Royal Navy destroyer HMS '_Greyhound_' captures German freighter '_Phaedra_'.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Severe weather with extreme temperatures and heavy snow halt most major air operations over Europe until mid February.

While Hitler has postponed his invasion, the Allies still anticipate it. On the morning of the 14th, Dutch Supreme Commander Izaak H. Reijnders cancels all pending leaves, closes strategic bridges and plants them with explosives. Belgian King Leopold messages Winston Churchill asking for guarantees should the Germans invade. The mood does not improve during the day, and General Gamelin orders his troops to advance to the Franco-Belgian border during the night. This causes a diplomatic row between France and Belgium, which had never consented to French troops on its neutral territory. Meanwhile, Belgian Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Édouard van den Bergen, who acted precipitously on the night of the 13th to cancel leave in a dramatic national broadcast, falls into disgrace when the invasion he expects on the 14th fails to occur. Belgian troops at the southwest border and in the Ardennes area are forbidden to fire on French or English troops. In essence, the Mechelen Incident is turning into one of the most successful, albeit completely unintended, subversive operations to unnerve and split the enemy of the entire war.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British cryptologists at the Government Code and Cypher School, Bletchley Park deciphered the German Enigma code with help of Polish experts.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Warsaw, deaths, mainly from starvation, in the Jewish ghetto are estimated to be running at 70 per day.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In the United States eighteen members of the pro-Nazi Bund organization are arrested for conspiracy.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet bombers apparently mistakenly violate Norwegian airspace and drop bombs on Lulea, Sweden. Norway and Sweden issue diplomatic protests over the incidents involving Soviet aircraft engaged in the war against Finland. Another flight of 40 planes bombs the Petamo front in the far north, and Helsinki is bombed twice.

*GERMANY*: The plan for the invasion of Norway was Admiral Raeder's idea originally. Hitler delegates proposed Operation Weserubung off to the Kriegsmarine to work up (it is still called Studie Nord). The operation is scaled larger, with an increase from just one division to a full oversized army corps (mountain division, airborne division, motorized rifle brigade & two infantry divisions). The planners also expand the initial targets to suppress resistance and forestall British intervention. Denmark is added as a target to create a land bridge in the direction of Norway. Warships are to be used as troop transports to speed and the element of surprise. The plan becomes more comprehensive but also exposes the force to potential Royal Navy attacks.

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## parsifal (Jan 14, 2015)

*15 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
MV ARENDSKERK (Ne 7,906 grt); Crew 65 (0 dead and 65 survivors), general cargo, including barb wire, galvanised sheets, nails, iron, brass tubes and mail, enroute Rotterdam - Antwerp (13 Jan) - Capetown - Durban , the vessel was spotted by U-44 about 100 miles southwest of Quessant and tried to escape when the U-boat was sighted. The Germans fired seven shots across her bow to stop the vessel. When the papers were checked it became clear that she carried contraband and the crew was ordered to abandon ship. At 10.10 hours, the U-boat fired one torpedo that struck in the engine room and broke the ship in two. The after part sank, but the forepart remained afloat and had to be sunk 30 minutes later by 18 rounds from the deck gun. The survivors were picked up by the Italian steamer FEDORA, transferred to the motor merchant POELAU BRAS(Ne) and landed at Lisbon. 





MV FAGERHEIM (Nor 1590 grt); Crew 20 (15 dead and 5 survivors), Djidjelli, (Algeria) - Middlesbrough, vessel was hit by one torpedo from U-44 about 80 miles southwest of Quessant, broke in two and sank. The survivors were rescued and taken to Vigo, Spain. .





U.44 also sank Steamer PANACHANDROS (Gk 4661 grt) west of Brest in the same action. She was on route from Antwerp to Key West and the Gulf Of Mexico at the time she was sunk. 





Trawler NEW HAVEN (UK 162 grt) was sunk on a mine eighteen miles SSE of Lowestoft
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV MEUSE (Be 1500 grt (est)): The cargo ship departed from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, United Kingdom for Bruges, West Flanders, Belgium. No further trace was heard of her and the cause of her loss is unknown
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-23

Departures
Kiel: U-22, U-61
Wilhelmshaven: U-31 

At Sea 15 January 1940
U-15, U-20, U-22, U-25, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ON.8 departed Methil with six British, three Norwegian and one Finnish ship escort DDs DUNCAN , IMPULSIVE, IMPERIAL, ISIS and sub NARWHAL. DD EXMOUTH departed the next day and escorted aircraft transport FOSSBECK (UK 4918 grt) and cable vessel LASSO to Scapa. CLs EDINBURGH and GLASGOW left Rosyth on the 17th to cover this convoy. On the 17th, DUNCAN collided with Steamer HAUKESFJELL (Nor 2495grt) of the convoy and was badly damaged. She was towed by IMPULSIVE, screened by EXMOUTH, to Invergordon arriving at Cromarty on the 18th. DUNCAN was relieved by DD KIMBERLEY, and after towing in the damaged ship, IMPULSIVE returned to the convoy. At Invergordon, EXMOUTH and MSW SPHINX went alongside DUNCAN to take off ammunition to lighten ship. The convoy arrived at Bergen on the 19th without enemy interference. 

DDs ECHO, ECLIPSE and ENCOUNTER departed Methil escorting a MT convoy to the Tyne. The convoy was forced to disperse from bad weather and ECHO and ECLIPSE each took half the convoy and escorted them back to Methil on the 16th. The three DDs departed again on the 17th with this convoy for the Tyne and again was forced to return. The convoy finally left Methil the evening of the 18th. 

CLA COVENTRY departed Sullom Voe for the Humber where she arrived later the same day. She went on to Chatham and arrived on the 16th for docking and repairs. These were completed on 29 April, and she left that day for Sheerness to take on ammunition. 

Convoy OA.72 departed Southend escort DDs WHITEHALL from the 13th to 15th and ANTELOPE from 14th to 15th, when the convoy dispersed. FN.72 departed Southend, escorted by sloops FLEETWOOD and BITTERN. Gales forced the convoy to shelter in the Humber, and it arrived in the Tyne on the 18th. FS.73 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and arrived at Southend on the 17th. DDs ECHO, ECLIPSE, ENCOUNTER escorted merchant ships from Methil to the Tyne. 

DDs GRIFFIN and GRAFTON and the ORP DD BLYSKAWICA swept off the Dutch coast in Operation ST 2 during the night of the 15th/16th, supported by DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, JACKAL, JAVELIN and JUPITER. GRAFTON sent Latvian steamer RASMA (3204grt) in for inspection. 


*West Coast UK*
OB.72 departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER and WALPOLE, and dispersed on the 18th. 

MV GRACIA (UK 5642 grt) of OB.71 was badly damaged on a mine laid by U.30 on the 9th five miles WSW of Bar Light Vessel. Destroyer VOLUNTEER attacked a submarine contact in Liverpool Bay while investigating the damage, and dropped depth charges. GRACIA was finally lost a year later to air attacks by an FW200 of KG40. 





*Channel*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN departed Devonport after refitting, escorted by DDs ACHATES, ARROW and ANTHONY for Halifax. On the 16th, the escort was relieved by DDs WINDSOR, VISCOUNT, VANQUISHER. DD HEARTY was completed, and following working up at Portland, joined DesFlot 9 operating with the Home Flt. On 27 February, she was renamed HESPERUS to avoid phonetic confusion with destroyer leader HARDY.Sub CACHALOT was refitting at Chatham until 21 March, leaving on 29 March for Portsmouth. 




_HMS HEARTY was at this stage of the war commanded by Lcdr (later Cdr) Donald George Frederick Wyville MacIntyre DSO, DSC, Destroyer captain and Escort Group Commander, responsible for the destruction of three of the leading Uboat Aces, including Priens U-47 (German sources strongly refute this, saying U-47 was lost to unknown causes. U-47 was at least in close proximity to MacIntyre's group at the time of its loss) _

*Med- Biscay*
Convoy "CAVALRY" departed Malta on the 15th, reached Marseilles on the 18th, left again on the 23rd, returning to Malta on the 25th, and then proceeded to Haifa. The convoy consisted of liners DILWARA (UK 11,0880 grt), ROHNA (UK 8602 grt), DEVONSHIRE (UK 11,275 grt), TALAMBA (UK 8018 grt), LANCASHIRE (UK 9557 grt), and RAJULA (UK 8478 grt). LANCASHIRE did not go to Haifa, but proceeded independently to Bombay after leaving Malta. RAN DD VOYAGER departed Malta with the convoy on the 15th, sister-ship VAMPIRE joined the next day, and they remained with the convoy until its arrival at Marseilles. VAMPIRE and VOYAGER rejoined the convoy on the 23rd when it left Marseilles, and RAN DD VENDETTA joined off Malta on the 25th. 




_In 1933 the Admiralty agreed to loan the Flotilla Leader Stuart (I) and four V and W Class destroyers (Vampire, Vendetta (I), Voyager (I) and Waterhen (I)) to the Royal Australian Navy as replacements for the S Class destroyers (Stalwart, Success, Swordsman, Tasmania and Tattoo) and the Flotilla Leader Anzac, then due for scrapping. Vampire and the other four ships commissioned in the Royal Australian Navy at Portsmouth on 11 October 1933 to form the Australian Destroyer Flotilla, later to become famous as the 'Scrap Iron Flotilla'. Vampire was commissioned under the command of CMDR Harry L. Howden RAN. This shot is of VAMPIRE embarking wounded of the 9th Div AIF at Tobruk spring 1941_


----------



## parsifal (Jan 15, 2015)

*16 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Tkr INVERDARGLE (UK 9,456 grt); Crew 49 (49 dead - no survivors), Fully laden with Aviation Spirit (12.554 tons), Enroute Trinidad - Halifax - Avonmouth; the unescorted INVERDARGLE struck a mine laid on 9 Nov 1939 by U-33, broke in two and sank in the Bristol Channel southwest of Nash Point. 





MV CHILE (Den 1500 grt (est)): The cargo ship ran aground in the Kattegat.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE (Be 3422 grt): The cargo ship struck a mine in The Downs, Kent, and sank with the loss of four crew. The survivors were rescued by MV MICKLETON (UK).




_According to Lloyds register, in 1939, the Belgian Mercantile Marine consisted of 200 vessels totaling 408418 grt_

MV MANDROS (Gk 3500 grt(est)): The cargo ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean north west of County Donegal, Ireland.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV PELINAION (Gk 4261 grt):Carrying and export cargo of iron ore to the US, the cargo ship ran aground off St. David's Head, Bermuda and was wrecked.




_Lloyds register has the Greek mercantile marine in 1939 at 607 vessels, totalling 1,789,666 grt_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
_U 44 reports passage from the sea area west of the Channel that she has sunk 3 steamers, including the Dutch S.S. "Arendskork". She has started on her passage south, as her position is known._

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-20

Departures
Kiel: U-9, U-55 , U-57 

At Sea 16 January 1940
U-9, U-15, U-22, U-25, U-30, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-55, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK departed Rosyth on patrol duties, and arrived in the Clyde on the 23rd. CLs NEWCASTLE DIOMEDE AMCs DERBYSHIRE CALIFORNIA departed Scapa on patrol and arrived back on the 18th.

*North Sea*
Sub SUNFISH departed Harwich on patrol, whilst Sub H.34 departed Rosyth to exercise in the Firth of Forth, and off Inchkeith, rendezvoused with sloop FLAMINGO.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURLEW departed Scapa Flow for the Humber, and on passage arrived at Rosyth on the 16th. DDs IVANHOE and INTREPID were to conduct ML operation IE-3 in the North Sea, but it was cancelled due to bad weather. DDs KIMBERLEY and KELVIN collided at sea SE of Barra between the Clyde and Scapa. KIMBERLEY was not damaged, but KELVIN was taken to the Clyde for repairs, escorted by DD BEDOUIN. Repairs were completed on 2 February. DD EXMOUTH and cable ship ROYAL SCOT arrived at Rosyth after an unsuccessful attempt in bad weather to repair the Danish cable. DDs SIKH and MOHAWK departed the Clyde escorting base ship MASHOBRA to Scapa. They arrived at Scapa on the 18th, and the DDs went on to Rosyth arriving later that day.

*West Coast UK*
Salvage ship TEDWORTH, escorted by MSW JASON departed the Clyde for Liverpool.

*Channel*
Steamer PREMUDA (It 4427 grt) collided with a Lightship and was run aground on Goodwin Sands to prevent her sinking.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

(There is uncertainty if this vessel was saved or written off as a result of this accident).

*Central Atlantic*
SL.17 departed Freetown escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE and DD DAINTY. The AMC was with the convoy until the 31st, but the DD was detached in the local approaches. On 2 February, sloop ROCHESTER and DDs VISCOUNT and WALKER joined the convoy and escorted it until its UK arrival on 4 February.

Steamer HIGHLAND PRINCESS (UK 14,133 grt) departing La Cruz, Canary Islands, was attacked by Fr sub PASCAL which mistook her for a German blockade runner. No damage was done.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL ACHILLES departed the Falkland Islands for patrol near Rio de Janiero.
.
*Med- Biscay*
HG.15 departed Gibraltar with 37 ships on the 16th, escorts from 16th DD WITHERINGTON, Fr DDs TARTU, VAUQUELIN, RN sloop WELLINGTON, from 19th WITHERINGTON detached to OG.15, from 23rd Convoy split, WELLINGTON escorted HG.15B, from 25th TARTU, VAUQUELIN, convoy arrived on the 25th







_Photo and line drawing of Fr DD TARTU_

Fr CL DUGUAY TROUIN and DD RAILLEUSE departed Casablanca with steamer DE LA SALLE (Fr) for Lorient, and Fr steamer BRAZZA departed Casablanca at the same time, escorted by DD BASQUE for Bordeaux. The DDs were relieved on the 17th by contre Torpilleur DD JAGUAR, which had departed Brest on the 15th, and DD BOUCLIER from Lorient.


----------



## Njaco (Jan 16, 2015)

*15 January 1940 Monday
ASIA: *The Winter Offensive has run its course for the 9th War Area, which winds down its attacks. The offensive has regained vital territory and brought down the Japanese government.

*GERMANY:* General Jodl of OKW advises Hitler that the weather is too poor for an invasion and it should be called off indefinitely, not just postponed for a few days now and again. Hitler, still set on an early invasion, decides to think it over and gives no firm decision.

Generalfeldmarschall Göring issues to General Kurt Student, commander of VII Fliegerkorps, the new revised plans for ‘FALL GELB’ that include the parts of the old plan for assaulting the Eben Emael fortress, which was not lost and compromised among the documents captured on 10 January.

Kapitän zur See Ernst Kretzenberg took command of cruiser “_Köln_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At midnight, U-44 sinks Norwegian steamer SS “_Fagerheim_” with one torpedo (15 lives lost). 5 survivors are rescued and taken to Vigo, Spain. Later, at 0700 hours, Dutch MV freighter “_Arendskerk_” tries to outrun U-44 but is stopped with seven shots across her bow. The crew is ordered to abandon ship and “_Arendskerk_” is sunk with one torpedo and shells from the deck gun. All 65 crew are picked up by the Italian steamer “_Fedora_”, transferred to the Dutch passenger-freighter “_Poelau Bras_” and landed at Lisbon, Portugal.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British government revealed that nearly twice as many people had been killed on the roads than the number of people killed in enemy action. The blackout was among the chief reasons.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Finnish and Soviet Armies face each other along the entire frontier but there is little movement. The Soviets no longer take the Finns lightly. Whereas during the first days of the invasion in December they blithely waltzed in expecting no serious opposition, now they prepare their attacks more carefully. On the Karelian Isthmus, the Red Army shells the Mannerheim Line to wear down the Finns and chip away at their defenses. Such bombardments are typically a prelude to a set-piece attack, but such an attack is nowhere in sight yet. Elsewhere, the Soviet armies are largely on their own. Stalin has no big tasks for them, and instead is focusing on new, better-planned operations with fresh troops. Red Army divisions have been abandoned by Stalin and are freezing all the way North from Lake Lagoda. Held at Salla, Raate and Kollaa, they are isolated and chopped into mottis by the Finns. But the bombardment provides the Finns no rest and damages their fixed fortifications.

Soviet bombers attack Viipuri and other Finnish cities.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Mechelen incident of January 10th has been followed by much diplomatic activity. For a time the British and French have believed that they will be invited to move troops into Belgium even before a German attack but this possibility is now firmly ruled out by the Belgian government. The British respond to the Belgian request for guarantees first thing in the morning in a manner that is considered weak. The Belgians stop removing border obstacles on the French border. At noon, Premier Daladier tells Pol le Tellier, Belgium's ambassador to France, that Belgium must invite French troops into Belgium by 2000 hours or he would pull all French and British troops from the border. The Belgians not only do not respond, but they begin replacing the barriers on the French border. General Raoul van Overstraeten, King Leopold's military adviser, instructs the Belgian border troops to "repulse by force any foreign unit of whatever nationality which violated Belgian territory," which is not what the French were looking for. The Belgians also have given a negative reply to the same request previously by the British. Once again, the threat of a German invasion has not drawn the Allies together, but rather thrown them further apart. By forbidding the entry of French troops, the Belgians maintain their neutrality but also force the other Allies to rely on them for the defense of the section of the Front not covered by the Maginot.

The Germans request that the Danes blackout their island of Roenoe, which the British are using as a guide to the German base on Sylt. The Danes comply.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* General Sir Archibald Wavell is appointed the British Commander-in-Chief Middle East.

.


----------



## Njaco (Jan 16, 2015)

*16 January 1940 Tuesday
ASIA:* Kichisaburo Nomura stepped down as Foreign Minister of Japan.

The Chinese 4th War Area recaptures Yinchanao north of Canton.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Still in the Bay of Biscay, German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank the Greek ship “_Panachrandos_” in the Bay of Biscay at 0611 hours. She sank within three minutes, killing all 31 aboard.

The Admiralty finally announces the loss of the HMS '_Seahorse_', HMS '_Undine_' and HMS '_Starfish_' on 7-9 January. The Germans then chime in that they have rescued parts of the crew from two of the British boats.

German blockade runner '_Albert Janus_' is intercepted by French armed merchant cruiser '_Victor Schoelcher_'. The crew scuttles it.

Convoy OA 73 GF departs from Southend, OB 72 departs from Liverpool, OB 73 departs from Liverpool, SL 17 departs from Freetown, and HG 15 departs from Gibraltar.

*GERMANY:* Bitter cold and heavy snow force postponement of the planned German invasion of France, Holland and Belgium scheduled for Jan 17. At 1900 hours, Hitler finally decides that Jodl is right and the weather is too poor for an invasion. He postpones Fall Gelb indefinitely. He also fears that the plans fell into Allied hands following the plane crash at Mechelen-sur-Meuse, Belgium on Jan 10 (the Mechelen incident). Part of his reasoning may be the frantic defense preparations of the Low Countries and France in recent days. Mobilization of Belgian and Dutch troops convince the Germans that the plans have been recovered intact, despite Allied deception that the plans were successfully burned by Luftwaffe Major Reinberger after the crash.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Soviet artillery pounding of Summa continues without respite. Stalin considers artillery to be the "Queen of Battle." In extremely frosty weather, the Soviets launch more raids on southern Finland. Since 12 January, the Soviets have dropped almost 3,000 bombs on 50 cities. That is tiny by later standards, but Finland is a small country.

*EASTERN EUROPE*: The Polish Government-in-exile prepares a report on German atrocities in Poland. The Germans have shot 5000 people in Poznan alone, and thousands more are being housed in concentration camps. Poland has become a true police state, with mass arrests of suspect individuals such as college professors. Particularly hard hit are Jews and Gypsies.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British tanker “_Inverdargle_”, with 12,000 tons of aviation fuel aboard, struck a naval mine in the Bristol Channel just 30 miles from her destination at Avonmouth Docks. All 49 aboard were killed.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French Premier Daladier has been extremely critical of the communist subversion of the war effort. Today, 66 communist deputies are ejected from the Chamber of Deputies.

A report which vividly describes Nazi atrocities in Poland is presented to the Polish government-in-exile in France. It contains graphic accounts of public executions, forced labor, looting and hostage-taking on a vast scale. In Poznan, for example, the German occupation forces are said to have shot 5000 Poles. Thousands more are being held in makeshift concentration camps. Mass arrests of prominent Poles are commonplace and Germans are said to take precedence over Poles for food, clothes and housing. The Jews and Gypsies in Nazi-occupied Poland are said to suffer brutal persecution and indignities.

*MIDDLE EAST: *General Wavell embarks on an inspection tour of Palestine and Iraq.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 17, 2015)

*17 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
MSW M-17 (M1935 Class) 





Allied
RAN AMC WESTRALIA 





*Known Losses*

Lightship BRAKE (UK 250 grt (est)) : The Lightship sank off Goodwin Sands, Kent after being rammed by ERNANI (It). All 12 crew were rescued by the Ramsgate and Margate lifeboats





MV CAIRNROSS (UK 5,494 grt):Crew 48 (0 dead and 48 survivors): Cargo: General cargo, including coal and earthenware; Route: Tyne - Leith - Liverpool - St.John, New Brunswick. the CAIRNROSS atteched to OB-74 struck a mine, laid on 6 January by U-30 and sank seven miles 276° from the Bar Lightvessel, Liverpool. The master and 47 crew members were picked up by the DD MACAY and landed at Liverpool.

MV ENID (Nor 1,140 grt): Crew: 16 (0 dead and 16 survivors): Cargo: Woodpulp : Route: Steinkjær, Norway - Trondheim - Dublin . U-25 sank this ship and the POLZELLA (See below) 6-7 miles north of Muckle Flugga, Shetland Isles. The Uboat and fired one torpedo at 12.35 hours that missed the first ship, the Enid (Master Wibe). Ten minutes later, another torpedo was fired at the POLZELLA, and hit her near the bridge. POLZELLA sank in 12 seconds with the loss of all men. The Norwegian ship went to her assistance and the order was given to lower the boats, but the U-boat surfaced and fired a shot across the bow to stop her. When the ship turned away they opened fire and after three shots the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats. Then the U-boat fired 21 rounds from the deck gun and hit seven times, setting her on fire. The ship refused to sink from gunfire, so finally a coup de grace was fired that broke the ship in two. The forepart sank immediately while the burning stern remained afloat and was later scuttled by DD FIREDRAKE which was sent to the area to hunt for the U-boat together with DD FORTUNE and several A/S-trawlers. Eight survivors in one lifeboat made landfall after 3 hours at Burra Firth on Unst. The master and seven crew members were picked up by the Danish motor merchant Kina and taken to Las Palmas, arrving on 23 January.





MV POLZELLA (UK 4,751 grt): Crew: 36 (36 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Iron ore , Route:Narvik - Middlesbrough . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea approximately 6 nautical miles (11 km) north of Muckle Flugga, Shetland Islands by U-25 ( Kriegsmarine) with the loss of all hands. 





Steamer GRATIA (Ger 2068 grt) was stranded and lost at Aussenems.
[NO IMAGE FOUND}

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 30 entered port. She sank a patrol vessel type Agatha on her way out and scored a hit on "Barham". The minelay off Liverpool went off well and according to plan. It required a lot of dash, thought, ability and determination. It was carried out in shallow water strongly patrolled. By the 16th 3 mined areas had been declared off the port.
> 
> On the day of his return the Commanding Officer had the satisfaction of knowing that the whole of Liverpool harbor had been temporarily closed because of mines.
> 
> ...


Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-30

Departures
Kiel: U-14, U-51 

At Sea 17 January 1940
U-9, U-14, U-15, U-22, U-25, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-51, U-55, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
15 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub TRIBUNE fired 8 torps at a submarine at the mouth of the Kattegat, , but there was no German submarine in the area.

*Northern Patrol*
CL DUNEDIN arrived at Scapa. AMCs ANDANIA arrived in the Clyde and on the same day CALIFORNIA departed the Clyde. 

*North Sea*
OA.74 departed Southend escort DDs WHITEHALL and WIVERN from the 17th. WIVERN was detached on the 19th and WHITEHALL on the 20th, both to HGF.16. FN.73 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY. In a gale, the convoy had to turn back just off the harbour entrance, but finally arrived in the Tyne on the 20th. FS.75 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 19th.




_HMS LondonDeerry_
Steamer ERNANI (It 6619 grt) collided with Lightship BRAKE in the Thames Estuary. BRAKE sank and ERNANI was badly damaged. 




_ERNANI was sunk 29 June 1941 by U103. She was a disguised blockade runner at the time. At first U103 did not believe the ship was Italian, but eventually was convinced, but adviseed they were no longer permitted to help stricken vessels._

*Northern Waters*
DD KANDAHAR arrived at Scapa, and Sub SNAPPER departed Blyth on patrol. DDs MAORI, TARTAR, INGLEFIELD and FORESIGHT were sent to patrol off the Norwegian coast to intercept German ore ships.

*West Coast UK*
OB.74 departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER and MACKAY which later transferred to HXF.16. Steamer CAIRNROSS was mined and lost (see above) 

*Central Atlantic*
Steamer SANTOS (Ger 5943 grt) departed Rio de Janiero for Hamburg where she safely arrived on 16 March.
.
*Med- Biscay*
Fr Contre Torpilleur JAGUAR collided with RN DD KEPPEL 100 miles SW of Vigo. KEPPEL had been escorting HG.15F until 16th when she turned the convoy over to sloop ENCHANTRESS. She was badly damaged and escorted to Gib by Fr DD LA RAILLEUSE and the RN DD VORTIGERN, also screened by Fr CL DUGUAY TROUIN. KEPPEL arrived at Gib on the 20th, departed on 10 February and was repaired in the dockyard at Malta from 14 February until 5 April. She arrived back at Gib on 19 April. JAGUAR was repaired at Brest.





_Contre Torpilleur Jaguar. Ordered under the 1922 program, it featured a new design 5.1" main armament with ranges in excess of 20,300 yds. The rotating hand worked rotating breech of the design was poor and kep effective rof down to below 5 rds per min. _


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## Njaco (Jan 17, 2015)

*17 January 1940 Wednesday
ASIA*: Japanese 21st Army retreats to Canton, and the Chinese 4th War Area lets them go and digs in about 50 miles north of there. The 31st Army of the Chinese 5th War Area battles the Japanese near Wanchiatien, Chientingmiao, Lohanting, and Huashan. Japanese forces around Yehchiachi and Lochiachi attack the 13th Infantry Division of the Chinese 5th War Area. The Chinese are under pressure with their backs to the Han River.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-25 torpedoed and sank British steamer “_Polzella_” near the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. When the Norwegian ship “_Enid_” came to rescue any potential survivors, U-25 shelled, torpedoed, and sank her. “_Polzella's_” entire crew was killed, while “_Enid's_” crew of 16 were later rescued by British trawler “_Granada_” and Danish merchant ship “_Kina_”.

An unknown U-boat (or perhaps Soviet submarine) has a narrow escape. British submarine HMS '_Tribune_' spots a mystery sub in the Skagerrak Strait, fires six torpedoes, and all miss. Nobody knows what submarine it was.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Belgium revealed to the German ambassador that Belgium had learned German plans and not-yet-executed orders for the invasion of Belgium.

The German Enigma code is first broken by Polish and French cipher experts at Poste de Commandement Bruno (Chateau de Vignolles at Gretz-Armainvillers, 40 km northeast of Paris) and Dilly Knox’s team at Government Code and Cypher School (Bletchley Park, England), using a German transmission intercepted by the Poles on 28 October 1939.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *It is a brutal winter, so brutal that the waters between Sweden and Denmark are said to have frozen over. In Moscow, 79 degrees of frost are recorded. The mercury drops to −43°C (−45°F) on the Karelian Isthmus, −45°C (−49°F) further north in Summa. At noon it is −39°C (−38°F) in Taipale. Lake Lagoda freezes over completely. It is frosty across Europe, and it would have been a terrible day for Hitler's Fall Gelb. On the whole, it benefits the Finns, who have mastered the skill of staying warm while the Soviet soldiers often freeze to death, but everyone on both sides has a hard time with the brutal weather. Soviet troops freeze to death while Finns stay warm in heated tents and mobile saunas. However, frostbite leads to thousands of casualties on both sides.

Patrol activity north-east of Lake Ladoga in which Finns routed an enemy company. In Salla area Russians were driven back about 12 miles and were still in retreat, Finns recaptured Kursu. The Soviets keep pounding away with their artillery at Summa.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* It was reported that a 300 mile moat, 40 ft wide, had been completed around Russia, Poland and Hungary.

RAF Whitley bombers make night leaflet raids on Prague and Vienna.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* An anonymous individual comes up to the Finnish Minister in London, Mr. Gripenberg, hands him £5,000, and walks away.

The British Foreign Office brushes off US protests about impounding US mail bound for the Continent, stating:


> *His Majesty's Government find themselves unable to share the views of the United States government that their [the British] action in examining neutral mail in British or neutral shipping is contrary to their obligations under international law.*


The British at Gibraltar detain both the US passenger liner '_Manhattan_' and the US freighter '_Excambio_'.

.


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## Njaco (Jan 18, 2015)

*18 January 1940 Thursday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Kriegsmarine orders unrestricted U-boat warfare on Britain and France. This follows months of warfare bound by the international Law of Prize, though the first British passenger ship was sunk on the very first day of the war, 3 September 1939 (apparently mistaken for a warship). U-boats are authorized to sink, without warning, all ships "_in those waters near the enemy coasts in which the use of mines can be pretended_." Exceptions were to be made in the cases of the United States, Italian, Japanese and Soviet ships. This marks the institution of full and illegal unrestricted submarine warfare for the first time since 1918. 

German submarine U-44 sank the Danish vessel “_Canadian Reefer_”, sailing for Britain with fruit, in the Bay of Biscay. The crew of 26 were rescued by a Spanish trawler.

German submarine U-25 sank Swedish merchant ship “_Pajala_” with three torpedoes in the North Sea at 1625 hours. Escort HMS “_Northern Duke_” rescued 35 after unsuccessfully depth charging U-25.

German submarine U-55 sank Swedish merchant ship “_Foxen_” in the North Sea, killing 17, at 1745 hours. There are only 2 survivors. U-55 does not return from its patrol.

German submarine U-9 attacked Swedish merchant ship “_Patricia_” with two torpedoes in the North Sea at 2353 hours, but the torpedoes went astray, hitting and sinking “_Flandria_” instead. Norwegian merchant ship “_Balzac_” would rescue four survivors two days later.

Danish steamer ‘_August Thyssen_’, sailing without pilot, sunk by Swedish mine off Stockholm.

A rush order for buoyant electrical cable is delivered to the Admiralty by the British Insulated Callendar's Cable Company. It is to be used by wooden trawlers dragging it along behind, with the magnetic field sufficient to detonate nearby magnetic mines. This gives new hope to Allied shipping which has been taking a beating from the magnetic mines.

British authorities in the Bermuda Islands remove European-bound mail from the Lisbon-bound Pan American Airways Boeing 314-ton '_American Clipper_'. The US consul on hand issues a written protest.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Having already destroyed Soviet 163rd and 44th Divisions, Finnish Army Colonel Siilasvuo was ordered to take the Finnish 9th Division 30 miles south to Kuhmo to attack the Soviet 54th Division under the command of Chuikov. The Soviet 9th Army at Salla completes its withdrawal. The Russians retreated nearly 30 miles on Salla front, reaching vicinity of Maerkajaervi.

Soviet bombers raid the port of Kotka, damaging Finnish icebreaker '_Tarmo_'. The Finns claim to have brought down five Soviet bombers. Finnish communiqué announced that eleven Soviet bombers had been brought down.

*NORTH AMERICA:* “_Tatsuta Maru_” departed San Francisco, California, United States; 512 civilian seamen from the scuttled German liner Columbus were supposed to be aboard, but they canceled their journeys at the last moment in fear of possible British interception of the liner which might lead to their imprisonment.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Western Front reported mutual artillery action in region west of the Saar.

Dutch royal decree proclaimed state of siege in several coastal areas.

*GERMANY:* Berlin announced the rescue of four officers and 26 men of the three submarines lost in Heglioland Bight.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Crew of British steamer ‘_Cairnross_’ mined of the West Coast of England on January 17th, were landed. Eight of the crew of Norwegian steamer ‘_Enid_’ shelled and torpedoed by U-boat on January 17th, reached port.

In a series of explosions, five employees are killed at the Waltham Abbey explosives factory in Essex. Nazi saboteurs are blamed.

A British company delivers the first of a very large admiralty order for buoyant electrical cable. It is to be used in the fight to remove the threat of magnetic mines to British ships. When the cable is towed behind a wooden trawler, a current generated by the ship will produce a magnetic field around it sufficient to detonate a mine.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Warsaw, the Nazi Gestapo executes 250 Jews in woods outside the city following the arrest of the Jewish-born Catholic resistance leader Andrzej Kott.


.



.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 18, 2015)

*18 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
U63 (Type IIC Boat)





Neutral
Destroyer Tender USS DENEBOLA (AD-12)




_Held in reserve since 1924, this ship was returned to service as the US moved to re-commission more than 70 of its mothballed DDs. Another 50 were eventually to be turned over the RN as early Lend Lease aid _

*Known Losses*
MV PAJALA (SD 6,873 grt): Crew 35 (0 dead and 35 survivors), Cargo: 9150 tons of grain and cattle food : Route : Buenos Aires - Kirkwall - Gothenburg: U.25 sank Swedish steamer ten miles 72° from North Rona (UK Northern waters). The crew of 35 was picked up by armed boarding vessel NORTHERN DUKE, at the time escorting her to Kirkwall for inspection. NORTHERN DUKE attacked the sub, and DDs ASHANTI and KIMBERLEY were dispatched to assist her. U-25 escaped unharmed. 





MV CANADIAN REEFER (Den 1,831 grt): Crew 26 (0 dead and 26 survivors): Cargo: Oranges and grapefruits: Route: Haifa - Glasgow 
U.44 sank Danish steamer 25 miles NE of Cape Villano, but her crew was picked up by trawler JOSE IGNACIO DE C. (Sp 300 grt).





MV FOXEN (SD 1,304 grt): Crew:19 (17 dead and 2 survivors): Cargo: Pit coal : Route: Garston (UK) - Gothenburg. The ship broke in two after an explosion and sank within 90 seconds about 85 miles from Pentland Sound. On 24 January, one survivor was picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant LEKA. Another survivor had been rescued earlier by another unrecorded Norwegian ship and taken to Bergen. There is no corresponding attack report from a U-boat, but it is likely that the vessel was sunk by U-55 which did not return from her patrol.




_FOXEN under her former name ASKO. Photo source Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore (taken from Uboat Net_ 

MV FLANDRIA (SD 1,179 grt): Crew:21 (17 dead and 4 survivors) : Cargo:General cargo and paper : Route: Gothenburg - Amsterdam. U.9 sank the steamer, 100 miles off Ymuiden. The four survivors rescued by steamer BALZAC (Nor 963 grt).





Steamer AUGUST THYSSEN (Ger 2342 grt) was sunk on a mine off Aland Island in the Baltic, part of a Swedish field. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 
. 
_Air Attacks By Soviet Fleet Aviation_

Troop Transport VALAMON LUOSTARI (Fn 133 grt) was sunk in Lake Ladoga 






*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> There is still uncertainty about the actual possibilities of supplying in Spain and a practical experiment is therefore necessary. U 44, at present off the west coast of Spain, can be used for this; she can then operate together with boats which are sailing up to 14 days after her. Supply has therefore been ordered for 25/26 in Cadiz.



Arrivals
None

Departures
(Un-recordedd departures: U-15 and U-18)

At Sea 18 January 1940
U-9, U-15, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-51, U-55, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
17 boats at sea 

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic
Icebreaker TARMO (Fn 1574 grt):This vessel was damaged by Soviet air attacks. After the Soviet troops had captured the island of Sommers in December 1939, a small transport ship had become trapped in ice near the island. On 16 January TARMO was ordered to sink the ship, KAZAKHSTAN, before the Soviet icebreakers could release the icebound vessel. TARMO was also ordered to transport 80 Finn troops to retake the island. TARMO was unable to complete either mission, despite two attempts. The extreme cold made it impossible to fire her guns. She eventually returned to her anchorage at Kotko. During her operations she had been spotted by Soviet Icebreaker YERMAK mistaking her for the Finn VAINAMOINEN. 

The Soviets called in airstrikes to deal with this perceived threat. TARMO was attacked by Soviet a/c several times, with no initial success. At 13:15 a lone Soviet SB-2 bomber flying at 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) dropped three 100 kg (220 lb) bombs on TARMO. Two bombs hit the ship, one of which peenetrated the deck plating and exploding in the mess where meals were being served to the crew. The blast immediately killed 38 crew members and wounded ten, one of whom died later in hospital, and started a fire that quickly spread aft. It took several hours to bring the fires under control By 18:00 the fire was contained and the ship remained afloat and hull intact. However additional damage had been suffered by ammunition in the ready use lockers "cooking off" 

The failure to capture this island was a blow to the Finn defensive position. The outer islands had been in Soviet hands from the beginning of Winter War. In the beginning of March 1940 the provided base for large scale infantry attack over ice to southern coast of Finland.










*Northern Patrol*
AMC WORCESTERSHIRE arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol, while CARINTHIA arrived in the Clyde from Portland for duty with the Patrol. CAs DEVONSHIRE and BERWICK, after undergoing alterations, departed Rosyth for Northern Patrol.




_CA BERWICK as she appeared when first constructed. Wartimne additions included radar, additional AA and DC racks on the stern. BERWICK was to acquit herself well in Norway, not least because she had increased AA firepower_

*North Sea*
FN.74 departed the southern terminus escort DD GREYHOUND and sloop AUCKLAND, with GREYHOUND being relieved by sloop STORK, which had been delayed at the start. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 19th. DDs AFRIDI and BEDOUIN departed Rosyth to provide anti-aircraft protection for the merchant ships at Methil.

ORP sub ORZEL departed Rosyth on patrol. DD IMOGEN arrived at Rosyth from ON.8.

*Northern Waters*
DDs INGLEFIELD and FORESIGHT arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel prior to joining HN.8. DD KIPLING arrived at the Clyde from Portland. 
DDs MAORI and TARTAR were sent to hunt for a submarine reported in 63-30N, 7-30E.

BB WARSPITE and BC HOOD with DDs FURY, FAME, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE of DesFlot 8 departed Scapa. FORESTER and FIREDRAKE attacked submarine contacts on the 20th, east of the Faroes , and FORESIGHT attacked a contact NE of the Faroes on the 20th. The force returned to Scapa on the 24th.




_BC Hood Profile and plan view in 1940. She was little changed at the time of her loss_

*West Coast UK*
CA NORFOLK's Walrus of 712 Squadron crashed on landing at Cadder, near Bishopbriggs, Glasgow. Lt (A) E F Pope and Leading Airman J Baxter were killed.




_Colour profile of 712 sqn Walrus_

*Channel*
DDs BROKE, WALKER, DIANA were sent to investigate a report of a U-boat on the surface west of Lizard Head. DIANA dropped DCs on a submarine contact.

*UK - France*
SA.26 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort sloop ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 19th. Sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY were escorting a convoy bound for Brest when a tanker going in the opposite direction advised them of a submarine contact. FOXGLOVE subsequently attacked a contact north of Alderney. BC.23S of steamers BALTRADER, BARON KINNAIRD, BRITISH COAST, DUNKWA (Commodore) and FABIAN departed Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE, which attacked a submarine contact west of Hartland Point. The convoy arrived safely in the Loire on the 20th

*Western Approaches*
OB.73GF had departed Liverpool on the 15th, and OA.73GF from Southend on the 16th escorted by DD BROKE from the 16th to 18th. On the 18th, the two convoys merged as OG.15F, totalling 26 ships. Escort was sloop ABERDEEN and DD DOUGLAS from the 18th to the 23rd, when the convoy arrived at Gib. .

*SW Approaches*
DD VERITY, escorting a convoy, attacked a submarine contact south of Scilly Island

*Sth Atlantic*
CAs DORSETSHIRE and SHROPSHIRE arrived at Port Stanley from Rio de Janiero to escort CA EXETER to England..


----------



## parsifal (Jan 19, 2015)

*19 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RB ML M-2

*Known Losses*
During the night of the 18th/19th, operation ST.3 was carried out off the Dutch coast with DDs GRENVILLE, GRENADE, GRIFFIN and escort vessel WHITLEY. Two Dutch, one Norwegian and one Swedish ship were sent in for inspection. Returning to Harwich, DD GRENVILLE (RN 1350 grt) was sunk by mine at 1250 off Kentish Knock (at the mouth of the Thames). Seventy six ratings were lost, and the survivors picked up by accompanying GRENADE and GRIFFIN.




_GRENVILLE in 1937_

MV KAIJA (FN 398 grt) The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Koivisto (some sources say the attack occurred near Turku) , Finland by Soviet aircraft (some sources say the attackers were 22 SB-2 Bombers).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MILE END (UK 859 grt) Crew 16 (5 lost): The cargo vessel was sunk in a collision with trawler FARADAY (UK 322 grt) off the mouth of the River Tees. Sloop STORK picked up the survivors.

[NO IMAGE FOUND[

Steamer PATRIA (1188 grt); Crew:23 (19 lost): The ship was torpedoed by U-9. Nineteen crew were lost and the survivors rescued by steamer FRIGG (SD 1248 grt).





MV QUIBERON (Fr 1,296 grt): Crew:unknown, all hands lost: Cargo: Unknown : Route:Rouen (16 Jan) - Boston, Lincolnshire : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk United Kingdom by U-59 ( Kriegsmarine).




_This vessel was originally ATLAS until sold in 1939 _

MV TELNES (Nor 1,694 grt): Crew:18 (18 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: General cargo : Route: New York (9 Jan) - Rotterdam - Antwerp. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean north west of the Orkney Islands by German submarine U-55 ( Kriegsmarine). 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 19 January 1940
U-9, U-15, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-51, U-55, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
The Northern Patrol sighted 56 eastbound ships from the 19th to 31st, and 30 were sent into Kirkwall for inspection. Warships arriving back from Patrol were AMCs CALIFORNIA and CHITRAL in the Clyde and CL SHEFFIELD at Scapa after being relieved by CL MANCHESTER. CL DUNEDIN departed Scapa on Patrol, but was recalled on the 25th and arrived back on the 26th. Also arriving at Scapa were CAs BERWICK and DEVONSHIRE from Rosyth and CL DELHI.

*North Sea*
Operation ST.4 was carried out by DDs GREYHOUND, GLOWWORM, GRAFTON and the ORP DD BLYSKAWICA during the night of the 19th/20th. One Norwegian and one Swedish ship were sent in for inspection. In the four ST operations, DDs GRENVILLE (ST.1 and ST.3), GREYHOUND (ST.1 and ST.4), GLOWWORM (ST.1 and ST.4), GRAFTON (ST.2 and ST.4), GRIFFIN (ST.2 and ST.3), GRENADE (ST.3) and BLYSKAWICA (ST.2 and ST.4) had taken part in the sweeps. ASW trawlers STELLA LEONIS, WILLIAM WESNEY, RIVER CLYDE, ARKWRIGHT, STELLA RIGEL, CAPE MELVILLE, PYROPE, EDWARDIAN and MILFORD PRINCESS were also involved.

CLAs CALCUTTA and CAIRO departed Sheerness on escort duties, and arrived in the Humber on the 20th. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA departed Rosyth escorted by CLA CURLEW, DD ESCAPADE and escort ship WHITLEY with an MT convoy for the Humber. DD BEDOUIN departed Rosyth.

DD COSSACK arrived at Rosyth from Leith after repairs. Sub THISTLE departed Rosyth on patrol. 

HN.8 of two British, 28 Norwegian, three Swedish and five Finnish ships departed Bergen and was joined at sea by DDs ICARUS, IMOGEN, ISIS, INGLEFIELD, KASHMIR, KHARTOUM and KIMBERLEY. CLs GLASGOW and EDINBURGH departed Rosyth on the 17th to provide a covering force. On the 18th, EDINBURGH dropped depth charges on a submarine contact ESE of Sumburgh Head . On the 19th, KHARTOUM and KASHMIR were detached to hunt for a submarine in Moray Firth and attacked a contact. On the 20th, the two DDs again attacked a contact in Moray Firth. Nine steamers were detached to ports on the west coast, and arrived at Methil early on the 22nd escorted by KASHMIR, ICARUS, ISIS and IMPULSIVE; the last two DDs reinforcing the convoy on the 19th after the submarine contact. FS.76 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops BITTERN and FLEETWOOD, and arrived at Southend on the 20th.

*Northern Waters*
DD EXMOUTH departed Invergordon escorting tkr HORN SHELL (UK 8272 grt) as far as Cape Wrath, and then returned to Aberdeen on the 20th to escort steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (1988grt) to Scapa. Destroyer ASHANTI departed Loch Ewe with salvage ships ANCHORITE and DISPERSER for Scapa Flow.

*Channel*
DD VETERAN attacked a submarine contact off Owers Light (near Sussex).

MV KIRKPOOL (UK 4842 grt): The cargo ship was reported driven ashore in the south west of England. However http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?15685 places this ship as being lost in 1942. I am unsure, but suspect the ship was driven ashore as reported, but refloated and repaired All crew were rescued.


----------



## Njaco (Jan 19, 2015)

*19 January 1940 Friday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-9 torpedoed and sank Swedish merchant ship “_Patricia_”, which escaped U-9's first attack on two hours prior, in the North Sea at 0145 hours. 19 men were killed; 4 survivors were later picked up by Swedish merchant ship “_Frigg_”.

German submarine U-55 sank Norwegian vessel “_Telnes_” off the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom; 18 lives were lost.

German submarine U-59 torpedoed and sank French steamer “_Quiberon_” off Great Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom at 2100 hours. All men aboard were killed.

German submarine U-44 began tracking Greek steamer “_Ekatontarchos Dracoulis_” at 2200 hours in the Bay of Biscay. Around midnight, U-44 fired a torpedo at the Greek ship, but the torpedo detonated prematurely before reaching the target.

British submarine “_Sunfish_” fired 4 torpedoes at German submarine U-14 off Helgoland, Germany; all torpedoes missed.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British destroyer “_Grenville_” hit a naval mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, United Kingdom at 1250 hours, killing 77. 108 survivors were rescued by two destroyers that braved the minefield.

The collier '_Mile End_' (859t) was on a voyage from London to Sunderland in ballast when she was in collision with the armed trawler '_Faraday_' off the Tee. Five of her crew were killed. She was built in 1911. She lies in 30 metres of water, on her side, her stern section intact.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The weather stays chilly with 45°C (81°F) of frost recorded north of Lake Ladoga. Even as far south as Italy, there is 20° of frost, all of Europe is covered by a massive cold front.

Severe fighting in ‘waistline’ area of Finland, where Russians were still in retreat. There is an unsuccessful Finnish attack against the positions of the Soviet 122nd Division at Salla. Meanwhile, some 18,000 Soviet troops of the 18th Division have either been killed or captured while encircled north of Lake Ladoga, where they have been trapped since February 19th. The Russian division, under command of General Grigori Stern, also began to retire. Russian attacks on Finnish position at Taipale, south of Lake Ladoga were repulsed.

Soviet bombers raided outskirts of Helsinki. Finnish communiqué reported that Swedish volunteer pilots had bombed Soviet troops.

Germany declines to mediate in the USSR/Finnish Winter War.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Denmark expressed, for the first time, intention of preserving neutrality by force of arms if necessary.

The British 50th Motor Division begins embarking for France to join the BEF.

.


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## Wurger (Jan 19, 2015)

The HMS Grenville was sunk on the 19th January 1940 during return passage by a mine at the position 51.39N 02.17E (23 miles east of Kentish Knock LV).
The ship was a G-class Flotilla Leader including Convoy Escort Movements ordered from Yarrow's of Scotstoun under the 1933 Programme on 15th torch 1934. The ship was laid down on 29th September that year and launched on 15th August 1935 as the 3rd RN warship to carry the name which dates from 1763 and last used for a Flotilla Leader sold in 1931. The name commemorates the name of the Admiral, Sir Richard Grenville (1541 - 1591) and his famous action off the Azores in 1591 in HMS REVENGE. Build was completed on 1st July 1936 at a cost of £275,412, excluding Admiralty supplied equipment such as guns, ammunition and radio communications equipment. She served in the Mediterranean before the outbreak of war. The Pennant Numbers - H03,H27. 

Displacement: 1478 t (2086 t). 
Speed: 36 knots. 
Armament: 5x120 mm/L50 (5xI) type QF Mark IX, 8 MGs 12,7 mm (2xIV), 8 torpedo launchers (2xIV) 533 mm; 20 depth charges and 2 chutes. 
Propulsion: Parsons' turbines - 28000 kW, 2 propellers, 3 Admiralty water-tube boilers.
Fuel supply: 455(480) t.
Range: 5530 NM/15 knots. 
Dimensions: Length - 100,6m. Beam - 10,5m. Draft - 3,9 m. 
Complement: 175.

The HMS Grenville ...

















The Grenville destroyer is sinking ...












The HMS Garland was a destroyer of the same G-class ordered from the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering shipyard, Govan, Scotland. The Pennant - H37

Laid down: 22 August 1934
Launched: 24 October 1935

She was loaned to the Polish Navy on the 3rd May 1940 and became ORP Garland. ORP Garland was returned to Royal Navy on the 24th September 1946.

The HMS Garland ...






The ORP Garland ...

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## parsifal (Jan 20, 2015)

*20 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Kagero Class DD YUKIKAZE





*Known Losses*
Tkr CARONI RIVER (UK 7,807 grt):Crew:55 (0 dead and 55 survivors): Cargo:Ballast: Route:Falmouth - Falmouth Bay. The ship struck a mine laid the day before by U-34 and sank in the Falmouth Bay, while carrying out paravane trials and defensive armament tests. The master, 42 crew members, Cdr J.G. Bradshaw RN and eleven naval personnel were picked up by the Falmouth lifeboat and a naval cutter and landed at Falmouth.




_Carani River sinking after being mined_

Ex-Cargo Liner DURHAM CASTLE (UK 8240 grt): The ex-cargo liner struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Cromarty, Ross and Cromarty whilst under tow to be sunk as a blockship at Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands. Some sources say she was lost 26th January





MV EKATONTARCHOS DRACOULIS (Gk 5,329 grt) Crew: 28 men (6dead) Cargo: wheat and general cargo Route: Rosario - Tyne. the unescorted vessel was hit by a stern torpedo from U-44 west of Portugal. The U-boat had chased the ship for more than 8 hours before being able to achieve a viable firing solution. It had fired a G7e torpedo earlier at around midnight that detonated prematurely. After the ship was hit , the UBoat commander observed how the crew abandoned ship and decided not to fire another torpedo due to the lifeboats still being so close to the vessel. The U-boat then left the area because the ship was in a sinking condition.





MV MIRANDA (Nor 1328 grt):Crew:17 (14 dead and 3 survivors). : Cargo: Coal : Route: Blyth (19 Jan) - Oslo. The ship was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-57 about 30 miles northwest of Peterhead. The U-boat had spotted a group of five steamers and an escort and tried to attack the leading ship, but the distance was too short so they fired a torpedo with a magnetic fuze at the second ship. The explosion broke the keel of MIRANDA and caused her to sink within five minutes. Three survivors were picked up the next day by the British armed boarding vessel HMS DISCOVERY II and taken to Kirkwall.
D/S Miranda - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945





steamer NAUTIC (Est 2050 grt) was lost NW of Bergen (other sources say off the Shetlands) to unknown cause.
Strangely All crew were rescued

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts










*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Ice is beginning to have a direct effect on plans for operations. Firing and diving training in the Baltic will have to be suspended for the present. There is a choice between delaying the operation of several boats with new C.O.'s until the cold spell is over or sending them on to operations before they have completed the scheduled working up and firing practice periods. As they are all officers whom I believe already capable of handling difficult situations, I have decided to send them on to operations immediately. They will first of all go to operations areas where comparatively little patrol is to be expected. As soon as possible all boats will be transferred from the Baltic to the North Sea.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-15 

Departures
Helgoland: U-14
Kiel: U-58 

At Sea 20 January 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-51, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61. 
18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs SIKH, MOHAWK, IMPERIAL and IMOGEN departed Rosyth for a sweep in the North Sea. On the 21st, IMPERIAL was in a minor collision, but was able to continue, and then on the 22nd attacked a submarine contact off Buchan Ness. She was ordered to remain at the location until relieved by DDs ENCOUNTER and ESCAPADE from Rosyth. Repairs to IMPERIAL were completed on the 26th. Sub TRIBUNE arrived at Rosyth from patrol with engine trouble, and was docked from 21 January to 22 March. Subs TRIDENT, SEAL, TRITON departed Rosyth for patrol on this date, but TRIDENT and SEAL arrived back next day.

FN.76 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 22nd. FS.77 departed the Tyne, escort sloops FLAMINGO, WESTON and ML PLOVER, and arrived at Southend on the 21st

*Northern Waters*
CL DELHI departed Scapa for Portsmouth where she arrived on the 22nd. When she left Scapa, CruSqn 7 was dissolved for the time being. CL MANCHESTER stopped Norwegian steamer LISA and sent her to Kirkwall for inspection. Destroyer ASHANTI arrived at Rosyth from Loch Ewe, via Scapa Flow. DDs FAME and FURY arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel. DD KIMBERLEY sailed for the Clyde after unsuccessfully searching for the submarine that sank Swedish steamer PAJALA.

*West Coast UK*
AMC SALOPIAN, en route from Devonport to the Clyde, was in a collision with Finnish steamer SAIMAA (2001grt) in the Firth of Clyde, and was grounded in the Clyde on the 21st. ASW trawlers KINGSTON CYANITE (433grt), KINGSTON CORAL (433grt) and KINGSTON CRYSTAL (433grt) were en route from Belfast to Portland. Off Lizard Head , they attacked a submarine contact.

OB.76 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK and sloop DEPTFORD until the 23rd.

OA.76 departed Southend escorted by DDs VERITY and VETERAN until the 23rd when the convoy dispersed.

*Channel*
Liner LLANDAFF CASTLE (10,786grt) departed London and was involved in a collision with an unknown vessel off Beachy Head. She returned to port but was able to continue her voyage to North Africa after a week's repair.

*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.17 departed Halifax locally escorted by RCN DDs FRASER and RESTIGOUCHE, which detached on the 21st. Ocean escort was AMC ASCANIA, which stayed until the 29th. The convoy was escorted by DD VERITY from OA.79 and VOLUNTEER from OB.79 from 29 January to 1 February, when it arrived at Dover.

DDs HEREWARD and HUNTER departed Bermuda for Halifax.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.17 departed Freetown escort DDs HASTY and HERO in the local approaches, and AMC JERVIS BAY until the 31st. On 2 February, DD WREN joined and escorted the convoy until its UK arrival on the 4th.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr CA TOURVILLE and DDs AIGLE and VAUBAN departed Toulon on the 20th to take a shipment of gold to Beirut, where they arrived on the 25th. The gold was sent on to Ankara to support Turkish military preparations. The French ships arrived back at Toulon on the 30th, sailed again and reached Malta on 3 February. after a patrol.


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## Wurger (Jan 20, 2015)

On the 20th January 1940 the Kagerō-class destroyer "Yukikaze" - "Snowy Wind" started servicing with the IJN. The ship was laid down on the 2nd August 1938 at the Sasebo shipyard, Kiusiu island and was launched on the 24th March 1939. Early in the war she took part in the invasions of the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies. She participated in the battles of Midway, Santa Cruz, Leyte Gulf, and the Philippine Sea, as well as a lengthy stint on Guadalcanal troop runs and the naval battles around that island. Yukikaze also survived Operation Ten-Go, the abortive attack on the American force landing on Okinawa, during which the Yamato was sunk. Between these major engagements, Yukikaze participated in escort duty for ships in transit, particularly in the redeployment of Shinano during which the newly completed carrier was torpedoed by a USN submarine and sunk. She spent the last months of the war on security duty in Japanese harbors and survived many Allied air raids.


Displacement: 2,000 long tons (2,032 t) standard, 2,500 long tons (2,540 t) battle condition.
Length: 118.50 m (388 ft 9 in)
Beam: 10.80 m (35 ft 5 in)
Draught: 3.76 m (12 ft 4 in)
Propulsion: 3 × Kampon water tube boilers, 2 × Kanpon impulse turbines, 2 × shafts, 52,000 shp
Speed: 35.5 knots (40.9 mph; 65.7 km/h)
Complement: 239 (Kagerō, 1939)

Armament: (Kagerō, 1939)
• 6 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (3×2)
• 4 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns
• 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes
• 18 × Type 95 depth charges
• 2 × paravanes

Armament: (Yukikaze, July 1944)
• 4 × Type 3 127 mm 50 caliber naval guns (2×2)
• 24 × 25 mm Type 96 AA guns
• 4 × 13 mm Type 95 AA guns
• 8 × Type 92 torpedo tubes (2×4) 16 × 610 mm Type 93 torpedoes
• 36 × Type 2 or Type 3 depth charges

The Yukikaze destroyer in 1939 ...







The Yukikaze destroyer in 1940 ...


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## Njaco (Jan 20, 2015)

*20 January 1940 Saturday
ASIA:* Chinese troops captured Licheng, Shanxi Province, China.

“_Yukikaze_” was commissioned into service with Commander Kenjiro Tobita in command.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank Greek steamer “_Ekatontarchos Dracoulis_” off Portugal at 0415 hours, killing 6. U-44 had been hunting for “_Ekatontarchos Dracoulis_” for the past 6 hours. Kapitänleutnant Ludwig Mathes holds fire as the survivors take to the lifeboats.

German submarine U-57 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer “_Miranda_” 30 miles off of Scotland at 0826 hours, killing 14. Three survivors were rescued on the next day by exploration ship “_Discovery II_” and taken to Kirkwall. Estonian steamer ‘_Nautic_’ sunk off Shetlands.

British tanker MV “_Caroni River_” hit a mine laid the day before by German submarine U-34 and sank. She was on her sea trials in Falmouth Bay, England. All 43 aboard survived.

RAF aircraft dropped bombs when attacked by anti-aircraft guns from four German patrol vessels in North Sea. No damage or casualties suffered by the British aircraft.

Convoy OA 76 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 76 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SL 17F departs from Freetown, Convoy HXF 17 departs from Halifax.

*GERMANY:* Werner Hohenberg, a future JG 52 pilot and wingman for Günther Rall, enlists in the Luftwaffe and is posted at Posen for training.

Hitler orders the Wehrmacht's Fall Gelb pre-invasion countdown reduced from four days to 24 hours for security purposes. He also uses his intuition to surmise that the British are thinking of invading Scandinavia (they are). Thus, he agrees with the Generals to put off Fall Gelb until the spring but begins thinking himself more seriously about invading Norway.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, speaking to the Parliament, voiced support for Finland while criticizing brutal Soviet attacks. Churchill criticizes the ‘brutish’ Soviets and compares “Nazidom to Bolshevism”. The Finnish government presumed that this meant British support would soon arrive, but it never did. 

Meanwhile, the coldest day on record since 1881 is experienced in London with temperatures of -11°C (-20° F).

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Heavy Soviet air raids over towns in South Finland, especially Turku, where 75 incendiary and 150 explosive bombs were dropped. Soviet bombers cause large fires in Turku and Hango. There were also machine gun attacks from the air. Much material damage was done.

There is a lull in the ground fighting as the Soviets prepare for a renewed offensive. The Soviet 122d Division at Maekaejaervi on the southern prong of the Soviet advance out of Salla attempts to make a stand against Finnish attacks. One Soviet division reported to have been cut off. Soviet artillery bombardment of Summa continues.

The Soviet 18th Rifle Division has been encircled for a week north of Lake Ladoga. Soviet 60th Rifle Division attacks to relieve it.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Foreign Ministries of Yugoslavia and Romania met at Versecz, on mutual frontier to confer.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jan 21, 2015)

*21 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Steamer ANDALUSIA (SD 1357 grt) (some sources place this loss on the 23rd January. Several sources place its loss west of Ireland, but given its intended destination and point of departure this seems unlikely); Crew:21 (21 dead - no survivors): Cargo: General cargo : Route:Bordeaux (16 Jan) - Goteburg . The cargo ship last made a radio contact on this day. The ship departed Bordeaux on the 16th for Goteborg, and was lost with all hands on the 21st (or 23rd) in the North Sea (or North Atlantic) to unknown cause (torpedoed by U.55 according to Seekrieg and to Rohwer's "Axis Submarine Successes", and Uboat net. truth is, its cause of loss, even its location at time of loss is uncertain).





DD EXMOUTH (RN 1475 grt) departed Aberdeen on the 20th leading steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (UK 1988 grt). In the early hours of the 21st, she was sunk by U.22 in Moray Firth off Tarbett Ness with the loss of all 175 officers and crew. When CYPRIAN PRINCE arrived at Scapa without her escort, DD SIKH and ASW trawlers KING SOL (486 grt), LOCH MONTEITH (531 grt), ST ELSTAN (564 grt) and ST CATHAN (565 grt) of the 18th ASW Group were sent to search for her survivors.





Collier FERRYHILL (UK 1,086 grt):Crew:13 (11 dead and 2 survivors): Cargo: 1200 tons of coal : Route: Blyth - Aberdeen . 
the unescorted Collier struck a mine laid on 20 Dec 1939 by U-22 and sank 1.5 miles north of St. Mary’s Lighthouse near Blyth. Two crew members were picked up by the British M/S trawler YOUNG JACOB (FY 975) and landed at North Shields.





Liner ORAZIO (It 11,669 grt) (crew unknown, but 645 onboard, 106 lost) whilst on a voyage from Genoa to Barcelona she was stopped off Toulon and searched by the Marine Nationale. Orazio had 645 people on board, many of the passengers were Jewish refugees. The French authorities removed some German citizens (some Jewish, and sent them to internment) and after a four hour delay she resumed her voyage, in increasingly rough seas. At 05:12 she suffered a crankcase explosion in her port propulsion diesel engine, which ignited diesel fuel from the fractured fuel lines. The resultant fire spread rapidly throughout the ship. Although ships were quickly on the scene, rescue efforts were severely hampered by the worsening weather and 106 people died in the blaze. The ship sank during the night of 21/22 January 1940. Survivors were rescued by Italian liners COLOMBO (11,760grt), CELLINA (6086grt), CONTE BIANCAMANO (23,255grt), Fr DD KERSAINT, Aux PV VILLE D'AJACCIO (2444 grt), tug SIX FOURS, refrigerator ship AUSTRAL, troop ships GOUVERNEUR GENERAL CAMBON (3509 grt), GOUVERNEUR GENERAL GREVY (4565 grt), and steamers DJEBEL DIRA (2835 grt) and DJEBEL NADOR (3168 grt).
New Source: Passenger Ship Disasters - Part 2 - SN Guides




_ORAZIO ablaze and sinking_

MV PROTESLAUS (UK 9,577 grt): Crew:75 (0 dead, 75 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast: Route: Liverpool - Barry. The ship was badly damaged by a mine laid by U.28 on 13 November. The steamer was run aground off Mumbles Light House in Swansea Bay, a total loss, but later refloated and towed towards Scapa by tugs EMPIRE HENCHMAN and ABEILLE 21. En route, however she sprung a leak and was sunk by gunfire 4.9 miles 295° from Skerryvore on 13 September 1940.





MV RYNANNA (Eire 1500 grt (est)): The cargo ship ran aground on the Goodwin Sands, Kent and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Collier TEKLA (Den 1,469 grt): Crew: 18 (9 dead and 9 survivors): Cargo: Coal : Route: Burntisland (Near Rosyth) - Aarhus. The unescorted ship was hit on the starboard side in front of the bridge by one torpedo from U-22 about 40 miles north-northwest of Kinnaird Head (40 miles south of the Orkneys). The explosion killed four crew members, blew open both hatches and caused a heavy list to starboard that caused the ship to sink within three minutes. Ten survivors abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat which was then destroyed by the mast as the ship spun when it sank. Five men in this lifeboat drowned while the remaining men managed to rescue themselves onto a raft that had floated free. Four crew members abandoned ship on another raft and were picked up about two hours later by DD SIKH and then transferred to the MV IRIS (Nor), which also picked up the other survivors and landed them all in Bergen. The body of one crew member was later washed ashore and he was buried in Wick cemetery. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts










*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
(See also special diary entry below for report on Torpedo failures)


> U 34 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation off Falmouth. She has managed it very quickly.
> Further sinkings indicate the presence of U 44 off the northwest coast of Spain. Several U-boat warnings show that the enemy is taking action.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-60 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-20 

At Sea 21 January 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-32, U-34, U-44, U-51, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA BERWICK and CLs SHEFFIELD and NEWCASTLE departed Scapa on Northern Patrol duties. A British aircraft bombed a submarine contact north of Cape Wrath in the path of BERWICK, which relieved CA SUFFOLK. CL GLASGOW attacked a submarine contact east of Copinsay. CL EDINBURGH, in company with GLASGOW, attacked a contact three hours later east of Duncansby Head. AMC CARINTHIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol, while AMC FORFAR arrived back.

*North Sea*
OA.77 departed Southend escort DDs VANESSA and WREN from the 21st to 22nd, and DD ACASTA from the 21st to 24th, when the convoy dispersed. OA.75G, departed Southend on the 19th, and OB.75G merged on the 21st to form OG.15 of 49 ships. DDs WHIRLWIND and WITHERINGTON of OB.75G and KEITH were with OG.15 from the 21st to 22nd, and Fr DD CHACAL and PV CAPITAINE ARMAND from the 22nd to 27th. Two DDs from Gib escorted the convoy on the 27th, when it arrived at Gib.

FN.77 departed Southend, escort sloops FLEETWOOD and BITTERN, but was forced to anchor shortly after departure due to fog, and arrived in the Tyne on the 23rd. FS.78 departed the Tyne, escort sloops AUCKLAND and STORK, and it too was forced to anchor shortly after departure due to fog, arriving at Southend on the 22nd. U.31 extended the minefield at Loch Ewe, but no shipping was sunk or damaged.

*West Coast UK*
DDs KIMBERLEY arrived in the Clyde, as did DD DIANA from the south. DD VETERAN attacked a submarine contact off Portland Bill , and sister-ship VERITY a contact off Start Point. ASW trawler LEICESTER CITY (422 grt) attacked a submarine contact east of Douglas Head, Isle of Man. OB.77 departed Liverpool escort DDs VERSATILE and VANQUISHER until the 24th.
*Channel*

*UK - France*
BC.22 of steamers BARON BARNEGIE, BATNA, COXWOLD and DAVID LIVINGSTONE (Commodore) departed the Loire escorted by DD MONTROSE, and safely arrived off Barry on the 21st.

*Channel*
DD VERITY attacked a submarine contact off Portland Bill

*Central Atlantic*
Sloop BRIDGEWATER on passage from Lobito to Freetown attacked a submarine contact 170 miles south of Cape Palmas.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.16F departed Gib with 15 ships, escort DDs ACTIVE and WHITEHALL. WHITEHALL was with the convoy from the 21st to 27th, ACTIVE from 21st to 28th, while sloop ABERDEEN joined from 22nd to 27th and DD VANOC from 27th to 28th, on which day it arrived. DD DOUGLAS was with convoy OG.15F off the west coast of Portugal when she sighted U.44 in the path of the convoy. She reported the submarine to convoy escort sloop ABERDEEN and advised she was attacking. U.44 was driven off with minor damage 150 miles west of Oporto, but the Uboat was able to continue patrol.

A Gladiator of 769 Squadron went into the sea from CVE ARGUS, in a training accident, but Lt G R Callingham was unhurt.




_The example at the National War Museum in Malta is the only surviving Sea Gladiator in the world_

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Japanese liner ASAMA MARU (16,975grt) departed San Francisco on the 6th with 21 German and 30 other nationals employed in the Germans Merchant naval service seamen from the crew of German liner COLUMBUS. CL LIVERPOOL departed Hong Kong on the 16th to intercept the ship as it arrived off the Japanese coast. On the 21st, LIVERPOOL stopped her 35 miles off Nojima Zaki near Yokosuka and removed the 21 German sailors. After strong protests from Japan and Germany, nine were finally released and arrived at Yokohama on 29 February on RAN AMC KANIMBLA.


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## Njaco (Jan 21, 2015)

*21 January 1940 Sunday
ASIA:* British cruiser “_Liverpool_” and the cruiser HMS “_Gloucester_” stopped Japanese liner “_Asama Maru_” 35 miles off of Japan. 21 German sailors, survivors of the German liner “_Columbus_” which was scuttled off the US coast on 19 Dec 1939, were imprisoned. After Japanese diplomatic protests, 9 Germans will be returned to Japan by the British as "unsuitable for military service".

Two former associates of Wang Ching-wei, head of the Japanese sponsored Chinese government in Nanking, publish a text of an agreement, signed by Wang, giving Japan total political and economic dominion in China. Ching-wei denies the veracity of the published document that supposedly shows that he has given the Japanese complete economic and political dominion over China. Two former associates of his published the supposed agreement.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The Blue Funnel Line ship “_Protesilaus_” is damaged by a mine off Swansea, England.

The collier '_Ferryhill_' (1,086t) en route from Blyth to Aberdeen, struck a mine at 1400 hours and sank off Blyth. The 1st Mate and 2nd Engineer of SS ‘_Ferryhill_' were landed at North Shields and taken to the Preston Hospital. She was built in 1919.

SS ‘_Everene_' (4,434t) a Latvian ship was torpedoed and sunk by a U Boat in the North Sea, off Longstone Island, Farnes.

Swedish steam merchant vessel “_Andalusia_”, along with her crew of 21 men, became missing early in the morning off the western coast of Scotland; she was believed to be sunk by German submarine U-55.

U-22 has a busy morning in the Moray Firth, Scotland. German submarine U-22 attacked British merchant vessel “_Cyprian Prince”_ in the Moray Firth at 0538 hours but failed to hit her. At 0600 hours, she torpedoed and sank destroyer HMS “_Exmouth_” off Wick, killing 189, which was the entire crew. At 0711 hours, she torpedoed Danish ship “_Tekla_”, killing 4; nine crew members survived, rescued by HMS “_Sikh_” and Norwegian ship “_Iris_”.

Convoy OA 77 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 77 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HG 16F departs from Gibraltar and Convoy OG 15 forms at sea off Gibraltar.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The sinking of the HMS “_Grenville_” is announced by the Admiralty. 8 were reported killed and 73 were reported as missing and presumably dead.

Britain rejects American protests concerning the examination of mail carried aboard US merchant ships.

The Duke of Windsor (who, as Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936) takes leave after a five month tour of duty with the British Expeditionary Force in France. His duties were as a liaison between the BEF and the French government.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* A German officer shot Mr. Opacki in the streets of Kraków simply because Mr. Opacki had not shown sufficient respect when stepping out of the way for the German officer.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Soviet units on the Karelian Isthmus are using the month for training and reconnaissance of Finnish defenses. Starting from 10 Soviet rifle divisions, the number is growing to 23 during the month. More heavy artillery is brought in as well. The divisions are distributed between the 7th Army and the 13th Army. Seventh Army has 14 divisions, 13th Army has 9. Seventh Army is headed toward Vyborg, the key point on the Mannerheim Line. Soviet 8th Army launched unsuccessful attack on Finnish Group Talvela on the River Aittojoki near Ladoga, Karelia.

The Soviets continue their artillery bombardment of Summa. They are firing 7,000 shells every day to soften the Finnish line preparatory to a full-scale assault. Otherwise, the action is quiet as the weather is still frosty.

Finnish Blenheim bombers, piloted by foreign volunteers, raid the Soviet naval base at Kronstadt, near Leningrad. They also raided Russian bases in Estonia, including an air base south of Talinn. Soviet aircraft bomb Oulu, in northwestern Finland.

It was announced that since the beginning of the War Norway had lost 28 ships through German mines and warships.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Eight French war correspondents attached to B.E.F. arrived in England as guests of Ministry of Information, for a tour arranged by War Office, Admiralty and Air Ministry.

The Dutch government announces that leave for the military will soon be restored.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Pope Pius XII condemns Nazi rule in Poland in a radio broadcast to the USA which emphasizes the terror campaign against Catholic clergy.

.


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## Wurger (Jan 21, 2015)

The HMS Exmouth was the Royal Navy E-class destroyer. She was ordered on the 1st November 1932 from the Portsmouth Dockyard (Portsmouth, U.K.),Fairfield Shipbuilding Engineering Co., Govan in Scotland. Laid down on the 16th May 1933 and launched on the 7th February 1934. Her servicing started on the the 3rd October 1934.The Pennant H02. The loss position - 58° 18'N, 2° 25'W

Displacement: 1,495 long tons (1,519 t) (standard) 2,050 long tons (2,082.9 t) (deep)
Length: 343 ft (104.5 m) o/a
Beam: 33 ft 9 in (10.3 m)
Draught: 12 ft 6 in (3.8 m)
Installed power: 38,000 shp (28,000 kW)
Propulsion: 2 × shafts, 2 × Parsons geared steam turbines 3 × Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Speed: 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range: 6,350 nmi (11,760 km; 7,310 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement: 175.

Sensors andprocessing systems: ASDIC

Armament: 5 × 4.7 in (120 mm) Mark IX guns, 2 × 4 - QF 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Vickers Mark III anti-aircraft machine guns , 2 × 4 - 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes,
20 × depth charges, 1 rail and 2 throwers.




























The U-22 was built as a type IIB submarine in 1936 by the Germaniawerft AG shipyard in Köln.

Displacement	279 t (275 long tons) surfaced, 328 t (323 long tons) submerged, 414 t (407 long tons) total.
Length: 42.70 m
Beam:	4.08 m
Draught: 3.9 m
Propulsion:	Diesel-Electric
Cruise Speed: 8 knots.
Max. Speed:	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) surfaced, 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph) submerged.
Armament/Other:	3 bow tubes, 0 stern tubes, 5 torpedos or 12 TMA, various 20mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun.
Max depth: 150m, 492ft
Range: 3,100 nmi (5,700 km; 3,600 mi) at 8 kn (15 km/h) surfaced, 35–43 nmi (65–80 km; 40–49 mi) at 4 kn (7.4 km/h) submerged.
Crew: 22-24.

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## parsifal (Jan 22, 2015)

*22 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
(RN) DD HESPERUS 







_HMS HESPERUS was a modified 'GHI' class ordered by the Brazilian Navy, taken over in 1939 by HM Govt. Differences with the GHIs were minor. Carried 8 x Mk X Torps as built (later changed to Mk IVs for standardization purposes). The type carried one less 4.7", which appear to be of the SP type. They later received 1 x 3in AA and about 10 x 20mm AA. The type emphasised ASW with stowage for 110 DCs,, though, like the GHIs, they lacked cruising turbines. Profiles are of HESPERUS in 1940 and 1943_

(RN) MTB 25 (Motor Torpedo Boat of the Thornycroft 73 feet-type class)




_MTB 25 was an early unit of the 72 Vosper Thornycroft type, which began to be received from early 1940 to mid 1941. Incorporated MTBs 24, 25, 28, 49-56. They were strong and well armed (many receiving a 20mm Oerlikon in exchange for some or all of their MGs) but were far too slow to be effective, with a sustained sea speed of only 25 knots._

*Known Losses*
MV GOTHIA (Sd 1,640 grt):Crew: 23 (12 dead and 11 survivors) :Cargo: Paper pulp and sulphate : Route: Uddevalla, (Sweden dep 17 Jan) - Genoa, Italy. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk off the Outer Hebrides by U-51 





MV SEGOVIA (Nor 1,387 grt):Crew;23 (23 dead - no survivors) : Cargo:750 tons of general cargo, including 140 tons of oil, 45 tons of cork, wine and almonds : Route: Lisbon (7 Jan) - Oporto (17 Jan) - Bergen - Oslo . On 20 Jan 1940 the neutral vessel passed Lands End and was reported missing thereafter, presumed lost on this day or the 21st. It is believed that she was sunk by U-55, which did not return from her patrol. One source discusses the possibility she struck a mine, which is a possibility

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV SONGA (Nor 2,589 grt) Crew:Unknown (no casualties) : Cargo: barrels, sponges, motor tyres, copper, beans, coffee, cotton and tin : Route: Philadelphia to Rotterdam. Extract from Lloyd's War Losses, Vol I British, Allied and Neutral Merchant Vessels Sunk or Destroyed by War Causes", 1989 reprint says "she was on a voyage from Philadelphia to Rotterdam and Antwerp with a cargo of empty barrels, sponges, motor tyres, copper, beans, coffee, cotton and tin. No casualties.

[IMAGE NOT FOUNF] . 

MV SYDFOLD (Nor 2,434 grt):Crew:24 (5 dead and 19 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast: Route: Kristiansand - Newcastle . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-61 . The survivors were rescued by MV RONA (Nor 1376 grt)





Steamer KIRKPOOL (UK 4842 grt) ran aground and was a total loss on the south coast of England. (note, a ship of the same name is recorded as a victim of one of the Disguised raiders about a year later)
Ahoy - Mac's Web Log - 6 Thor Second Cruise




_Image of the KIRKPOOL as claimed by the AMC THOR approximately November 1941_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 32 entered port.She carried out her minelaying operation and also sank a steamer of 800-1,000 tons in the North Sea. The Commanding Officer's explanation of why he thought the minelay could not be carried out in the Clyde is not convincing. He pressed a long way forward and turned back when he was in the midst of anti-S/M forces and only a few miles from the position in which he was to lay the mines, although he himself did not think he had been detected. He did not make another attempt on another day. The operation was a difficult one - too difficult for this C.O. I shall arrange for another boat to carry it out.



Arrivals
U-9, U-32, U-59 (P/E uncertain) 

At Sea 22 January 1940
_(There are conflicts in my sources for Uboat movements on this day)._
U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-34, U-44, U-51, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-61. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs MAORI and TARTAR arrived at Rosyth. DDs JACKAL, JAGUAR and JAVELIN departed the Humber for ASW Sweeps following reports of increased Uboat activity. They arrived at Rosyth on the 23rd, but were ordered not to be used for convoy work. DD ECLIPSE escorted cable ship ROYAL SCOT from Leith. DDs SIKH and MOHAWK departed Rosyth to hunt for a submarine reported in the North Sea. On patrol in the North Sea, sube TRITON suffered damage to one of her valves and put into Lister for repairs, taking several days to complete. FN.78 departed Southend, escort sloops FLAMINGO and WESTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 23rd.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE arrived at Loch Ewe for refuelling. U.57 laid a minefield in Cromarty Firth during the night of the 21st/22nd, one which one merchant ship was lost.

*Channel*
Fr sloop AMIENS attacked a submarine contact off Calais.

*UK - France*
DD MONTROSE departed Quiberon Bay as escort for BC.22 on the 21st, and on the 22nd, was ordered to detach and carry out ASW Sweeps for a reported U-boat contact off Caldey Is (a small island off the northern coastline of the Bristol Channel) . She was joined by DD VANQUISHER, which did attack a submarine contact. MONTROSE then searched Carmarthen Bay and the approaches to Bristol Channel before relieving VANQUISHER at dawn on the 23rd at the location of her attacks. MONTROSE continued her searches further to the west, in the Irish Sea folowing further sightings by ASW BEDFORDSHIRE (RN 443 grt), and again joined by VANQUISHER. These searches progressed as far as the the Breaksea Light Vessel. MONTROSE returned to Milford Haven to refuel on the 24th, departing that afternoon to rejoin VANQUISHER searching in Barnstaple Bay, where the latter made an attack. Both DDs then patrolled between Bull Point and Helwick Sands the night of the 24th/25th, before MONTROSE proceeded to Milford Haven on the morning of the 25th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.17 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs FRASER and RESTIGOUCHE, and was joined by CL EMERALD, also from Halifax, as ocean escort the same day. The DDs turned over the convoy to her at noon on the 23rd. EMERALD then detached on 3 February and proceeded to England to refit - escort duty in the North Atlantic had damaged the main engines and strained and buckled her decks. She arrived at Portsmouth on 4 February and was refitting at Southampton from 15 February to 30 April. DDs VANESSA, VANSITTART, KEITH and WARWICK joined HX.17 on 7 February as escort until its arrival at Liverpool later that day.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs HARDY and HOSTILE departed Freetown on the 13th with SLF.16, and then Gib on the 22nd. HARDY reached Plymouth on the 25th for docking and repair, but was able to proceed in a few days and arrived at Greenock on 14 February for duty with the Home Flt. HOSTILE reached Dover on the 25th, before going on to Sheerness and then Chatham were she docked for repairs and refit lasting until 26 February when she also left and also joined the Home Flt.

*Sth Atlantic*
AO ALTMARK (DKM 10,850 grt) has been hiding in the far Sth. She begins her return to Germany and passed through the Faroes-Iceland Channel undetected on 11 February.
.
*Med- Biscay*
A minor fire started by a welding torch broke out on BB LITTORIO (Italy), under construction at the Ansaldo Yards at Genoa. CL GALATEA departed Malta on patrol, and arrived back on the 30th. DDs HERO and HASTY departed Freetown on the 22nd and arrived at Gib on the 29th.

*Indian Ocean*
Submarine OLYMPUS arrived at Colombo after patrolling the Seychelles area and in the Mozambique Channel.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL DAUNTLESS departed Singapore on patrol duties, and arrived at Penang on the 27th.


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## parsifal (Jan 23, 2015)

*21 January 1940 - Special Entry (Part I of II)*
KTB BDU Special Report on Findings of Torpedo Failures 
From Group West War Diary Dated 22 January 1940
Donitz gives a long diary entry on Uboat torpedo failures



> The Director of the Torpedo Inspectorate telephoned me today. Trial shots have been made against T 123, which did not fire, and magnetic measurements have been made on torpedoes in store, with the result that the Torpedo Inspectorate considers the possibility of torpedoes not firing is proven. The fact that its main weapon, the torpedo, has to a large extent proved useless in operation has been the greatest difficulty with which the U-boat Arm has had to contend with since the beginning of the war and it has had a most serious effect on results. At least 25% of all shots fired have been torpedo failures. According to statistics covering all shots up to 6.1., 40.9% of unsuccessful shots were torpedo failures.
> 1) In August 1939, before the boats left port during the emergency period, a conference held in the Torpedo
> Trials Department during which the doubts expressed by B.d.U. with regard to the proper functioning of the pistol were dismissed as unfounded by Rear Admiral Wehr, Director of Torpedo Trials Department.
> 2) On 14.9 U 29 reported by radio that 2 torpedoes had fired prematurely after covering the safety distance. The Torpedo Inspectorate first wished to make out that the U-boats had made an error in position of 30-60 miles. I would not accept this explanation. The Torpedo Inspectorate then recommended setting the pistol 2 zones lower, in order to lessen its sensitivity. This meant that they would not be certain to fire against merchant ships under 3,000 BRT if shot under and such ships would therefore have to be attacked with impact firing. An order was accordingly given to the U-boats by B.d.U. on 14.9.
> ...

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## parsifal (Jan 23, 2015)

*21 January 1940 - Special Entry (Part II of II)*



> 9) On 5.11 a new (adapted) pistol was brought out and it was hoped that, by stabilization of the needle, it would be proof against premature detonation. The pistol was designated Pi(A-B). With this pistol use of magnetic firing was again permitted. Depth was to be set at draft of target plus 1 meter. All our hopes were now centered on this pistol and further reports received of failures of the present pistol seemed less important.
> 10) U 28 and U 49 were the first boats to sail with Pi(A-B), on 8.11 and 9.11 respectively. On 19.11 U 49 reported one G7a premature detonator after the safety distance had been covered, one G7e probably failed to fire, 2 G7a detonated after covering 2000 meters. This was a bitter disappointment and our best hopes were dashed in one blow. Apparently there was no improvement on previous conditions. Further reports followed from other boats of premature detonations and failures to fire.
> 11) Some of the specialists in the Torpedo Inspectorate suggested that the pistols should be set 2 zones below the setting shown in the chart in order to reduce sensitivity and so avoid premature detonation. The depth setting should be the same as the draft of the target and the torpedo thus brought closer to the ship so that the firing field would be effective even at the reduced pistol sensitivity. I was against this and the Director of the Torpedo Inspectorate and the remaining specialists agreed with me.
> 12) Small alterations to the pistol (insulation of the copper cap, smoothing a thrust collar) did not bring any improvement. Every now and then premature detonations seemed to become fewer for a time and firing under was adhered to, because firing with impact firing units would again have meant many failures due to passing under.
> ...

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## parsifal (Jan 23, 2015)

*23 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-6 (est)




*Known Losses*
MV BISP (Nor 1000 grt) Crew:14 (14 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: Coal : Route: Sunderland - Andalsnes. At 07.01 hours on 23 Jan 1940, U-18 fired a G7e torpedo at a small steamer and observed a hit near the bridge and the sinking of the vessel in 30 seconds. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 00.50 hours that morning and missed her with a first torpedo at 06.49 hours. The unescorted and neutral BISP was reported missing en route from England to Norway. . 
View attachment 282794


MV BALTANGLIA (UK 1,523 grt):Crew: 27 (0 dead and 27 survivors). : Cargo: 1930 tons of general cargo : Route: Hommelvik, Norway - Methil (23 Jan) - Tyne - Rochester : the cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Lindisfarne by U-19 
View attachment 282795


MV PLUTO (Nor 1,598 grt): Crew: 22 (0 dead and 22 survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Bergen - Methil (23 Jan) - Middlesbrough 
In the morning of 23 Jan 1940, U-19 spotted about 20 single and unescorted steamers east of Longstone Island, apparently ships that had arrived at Methil the day before with HN-8 and were now heading south along the coast. During the mid morning, PLUTO was hit just aft of amidships by one G7e torpedo and sank by the stern within 6 minutes. BALTANGLIA (see above) steamed behind her and manoeuvered to rescue the crew, thinking the other ship had been mined. But a Finnish steamer already picked up the survivors and later landed them at Seahouses, Northumberland. At 08.55 hours, BALTANGLIA was then hit amidships and sank by the bow after 14 minutes southeast of the Farne Islands. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, which were towed in by local fishing vessels from Seahouses.





MV ONTO (FN 1333 grt):Crew: 18 (0 dead and 18 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast : Route: Zeebrugge - Tyne : The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea The crew were rescued by HMS AUCKLAND.





MV VARILD (Nor 1085 grt): Crew:15 (15 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Drammen - Horten (22 Jan) - Sunderland. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea north east of Kinnaird Head, Aberdeenshire by U-18 ( Kretschmer in comand) with the loss of all 15 crew





MV ITA (Nor 1500 grt(est)): The cargo ship came ashore on the south coast of England.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler MULHAUSEN (Ger 327 grt): The trawler struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Pillau, East Prussia.

[NO IMAGE FOUND}

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 34 and U 44 each reported a convoy in her operations area. At the moment there are so few boats in operations area - 2 off the coast of Portugal and 2 south of Ireland - that it will be a matter of great luck if these few boats, which are spread over a wide area, succeed in working together. But the attempt must be made.
> 
> In one case it was possible to achieve cooperation between boats which were at first 800 miles apart. The danger of the boat making beacon signals being D/F'd and the enemy taking action accordingly, by evasive maneuvers and anti-S/M hunts, must be regarded as much less considerable than was feared before the war. As far as it has been possible to carry out any investigations, the following has been established:
> 
> ...



Departures
Helgoland: U-20
Wilhelmshaven: U-41

At Sea 23 January 1940
U-14, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-34, U-41, U-44, U-51, U-55, U-57, U-58, U-61. 
16 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol, but arrived back on the 29th with defects. CA NORFOLK arrived in the Clyde.

*North Sea*
DDs JUNO and JERVIS departed the Humber with Aux ML PRINCESS VICTORIA for operation LB, and returned on the 24th after the operation. Destroyers ZULU and COSSACK departed Rosyth, with ZULU proceeding to Leith for repairs and refit, and COSSACK to carry out exercises on the 24th. DDs JACKAL, JAGUAR, JAVELIN and ASHANTI departed Rosyth to carry an ASW Sweep for a submarine reported off Kinnaird Head. DDs ECHO and ECLIPSE attacked a submarine contact ENE of the isle of May. Later in the day, ECHO attacked a contact ENE of Montrose.

FN.79 departed Southend, escort sloops AUCKLAND and STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 24th.

*West Coast UK*
ASW trawler BEDFORDSHIRE (443grt), escorting cable ship MARIE LOUISE MACKAY as she was repairing cables west of Lundy Island, dropped depth charges on a submarine contact. DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE joined her, but the attack was unsuccessful.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB VALIANT, CL ENTERPRISE, and DDs HUNTER and HEREWARD departed Bermuda and arrived at Halifax on the 26th.

*Med- Biscay*
CAVALRY convoy departed Marseilles escort RAN DDs VOYAGER and VAMPIRE. Off Malta, they were relieved by RAN DD VENDETTA which escorted the convoy to Haifa.


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## parsifal (Jan 23, 2015)

*24 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Torpedo Boat T-5 (1935 Class)





*Known Losses*
MV ALSACIEN (Fr 3,819 grt): Crew: Unknown (4 crew lost) : Cargo: 3550 tons of phosphate : Route: Sfax, Tunisia - Algiers - Casablanca (21 Jan) - Brest - Rouen . Completed in May 1923 as British Quernmore for Furness, Withy Co Ltd, Liverpool. 1937 sold to France and renamed ALSACIEN: She was part of Fr Convoy KS 56 when lost. The ship was hit in the foreship by one torpedo from U-44 and sank west of Lisbon. 




_ALSACIEN as she appeared in British service_

DD LJUBJANA (Yug 1685 grt), a Beograd Class DD (based on the Fr Simoun Class) , the ship, ran aground whilst entering Sebenico in a gale and was badly damaged. She was salved but was still under repair when Yugoslavia fell to the Germans in April 1941, who allocated her to the italians as war booty. She was effectively a loss for the Yugoslavs. She was rearmed and used in active service by the italians, eventually6 being sunk 1.4.43 by British a/c off Tunisia 





Steamer NOTUNG (FN 1278 grt) was sunk by Soviet Naval Air Force (Morskaya Aviatsiya , translated to Naval Aviation) bombers between Abo and Aland Island.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Helgoland: U-41 
Wilhelmshaven: U-22 

Departures
Kiel: U-13, U-48 

At Sea 24 January 1940
U-13, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-34, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-55 (+), U-57, U-58, U-61.
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub URSULA arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub H.34, ORP sub WILK and 2 DDs exercised in the Firth of Forth. Escort vessel/destroyer VEGA, her repairs completed, departed the Tay for Methil. DD JAVELIN arrived at Rosyth. DDs ESCAPADE and ENCOUNTER departed the scene of their submarine search off Rattray Head at dusk for Rosyth.

Aux ML PRINCESS VICTORIA, left the Humber early on the 24th escort DDs JERVIS and JUNO, laid 240 mines in a defensive minefield, designated LB, about 50 miles NE of Spurn Point. 

MSW SKIPJACK was in a collision with steamer RUTLAND (1437grt) and sustained minor damage. 

ON.9 of 3 British, 5 Norwegian, 1 Swedish and 4 Finnish ships departed Methil escort DDs INGLEFIELD, ISIS, KASHMIR, TARTAR and sub SEAL. TARTAR was later replaced by DD KHARTOUM which was in turn relieved by DD IMOGEN. On the 25th, CL EDINBURGH and GLASGOW departed Rosyth to join the convoy as near cover. ON.9 arrived safely on the 27th at Bergen.
View attachment 282949

_Tribal Class DDs were distinct from their predecessors n that their primary function were as gun armed fleet destroyers designed to tackle the large enemy fleet DDs in gunfights. They werfe relatively weak in Torpedo armament, AA and ASW DC capacity. The 4.7" guns were nominallyDP (with 40 deg elevation, but most shipped at least one 4.7 for a 4 in DP weapon, and the RCN types of 1944-5 were fully equiped with 4" guns_

FN.79 A departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 25th. FS.79 departed the Tyne, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 25th. FS.80 departed the Tyne, escort sloops FLEETWOOD and BITTERN, and arrived at Southend on the 26th.

DDs JACKAL, JAGUAR and ASHANTI sweeping off Tod Head attacked a submarine contact. ASW trawler FIFESHIRE (540grt) relieved them and they continued on patrol. ASHANTI then headed for Cowes for repair and refit, while JACKAL and JAGUAR returned to the location at 0300/25th, continuing their patrol at 1800.

*Northern Waters*
BB WARSPITE and BC HOOD with DDs FURY, FAME, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE arrived in the Clyde from patrol. New sub TETRARCH (not yet commissioned) arrived in the Clyde for pre-acceptance trials.

*Channel*
DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE arrived at Portsmouth. Steamer AURA (FN 4763 grt) (has same name as a smaller vessel lost in the Baltic in November) went ashore near Start Point on the 31st, but was refloated and taken to Plymouth that day.

*Central Atlantic*
CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, and DDs DAINTY and DIAMOND departed Freetown, and rendezvoused on the 29th with the CA EXETER force, where they relieved these CAs as escorts.

SL.18 departed Freetown escort AMC BULOLO from 24 January to 9 February, and a day earlier, on the 8th, merged with SLF.18. DD WINDSOR relieved the AMC on the 9th February as the convoy entered home waters, and took the convoy on to Liverpool, arriving on the 12th.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr DD BOULONNAISE attacked a submarine contact east of Pointe de Barfleur and was later joined by ASWs LA NANTAISE and LA ORIENTAISE. HG.16 of 42 ships departed Gibraltar on the 24th, escorts: (24th) ASW trawler LEYLAND (detached the same day) as local escort, Fr Contre Torpilleurs DDs PANTHÈRE, TIGRE; 31st DDs WOLVERINE, and WALPOLE reinforced from OG.16; DDs PANTHÈRE, TIGRE, divereted to Brest on 1st and 3rd respectively. Convoy arrived on the 3rd February. Sloop FOLKESTONE departed Port Said for Malta, en route to England.

Fr BB PROVENCE, CAs COLBERT, DUQUESNE, and DDs VAUTOUR and ALBATROS departed Toulon and passed Oran on the 25th. The DDs detached on the 27th, reached Casablanca on the 28th, left there on the 31st and arrived back at Oran on 1 February. The heavy ships arrived at Dakar on the 30th.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 24, 2015)

*25 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Drifter RIANT (95grt) was lost in heavy weather off Gighm on the south coast of Jura Sound.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer BIARRITZ (Nor 1752 grt) Crew (57 passengers and crew persons aboard 38 lost): Cargo: General Cargo: Route: Antwerp - Oslo. The ship was was sunk by U.14 with the loss of 25 crew and 13 passengers. The survivors were picked up by Norwegian steamer BORGHOLM (1561grt) 36 miles NW of Ijmuiden.





MV EVERENE (Lat 4,434 grt): Crew:31 (1 dead and 30 survivors) : Cargo: General Cargo : Route: Blyth - Liepaja. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off the coast of Northumberland, United Kingdom by U-19 ( Schepke) with the loss of one of her 31 crew. Survivors were rescued by Dole ( Latvia) and the fishing vessel Evesham ( United Kingdom). Sloop PELICAN, escort ships VIVIEN, WOOLSTON, VEGA, and ASW trawlers of the 19th A/S Group were ordered into the area to investigate. WOOLSTON and VEGA made unsuccessful attacks east of Farne Island on the 26th. PELICAN and VIVIEN proceeded to the "20F" buoy to turn back all northbound shipping from the Tyne. The search for the submarine continued until the evening of the 26th when WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY set off for the Tyne to escort FS.83. VEGA returned to Rosyth on the 26th to escort submarines WILK and H.34.





MV GUDVEIG (Nor 1300 grt): (Completed in May 1920 as Danish Robert Maersk for A.P. Moller, Copenhagen. 1935 sold to Norway and renamed GUDVEIG). Crew: 18 (10 dead and 8 survivors) : Cargo: Coal : Route: Tyne - Bergen. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off the Farne Islands, United Kingdom by U-19 (Schepke). The survivors were rescued by DOLE (Latvia), the Trawlers EVESHAM (UK) and VIM (Nor).





MV GLENEDEN (UK 4772 grt): The cargo ship struck a rock off Bardsey Island, Caernarvonshire and was damaged. She was beached off Puffin Island, Anglesey and declared a constructive total loss. All 60 crew were rescued





MV TOURNY (Fr 2769 grt): Crew: 17 (8 dead and 9 survivors): Cargo:General cargo : Route: French West Africa - Dakar - Bordeaux. The vessel became a straggler from 56-KS, and was was hit aft by one torpedo from U-44 west of Cape Mondego and sank after breaking in two. Since 00.55 hours, the U-boat was chasing another steamer which was missed with a torpedo at 01.11 hours. The TOURNY was spotted at 03.40 hours and the U-boat continued to follow the first steamer after sinking her, but was forced to break off the chase after five more hours when a destroyer showed up and dropped six depth charges nearby. The nine survivors were picked up by the Spanish steam merchant CASTILLO MONFORTE.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> No news of U 51 and U 55, both on their first patrol west of the English Channel.
> 
> Ice conditions are causing major delays in spite of all measures taken (see F.O. U/B West's War Log). Kiel boats can no longer be easily transferred. On some days even old battleships cannot pass the Elbe. There are delays and hold-ups a days on which many boats have to be taken in and out. In spite of ice escort, damage still occurs. U 48 damaged her propellers, even though she was being towed, and U 29 her bow caps. U 53's protective ice shoe on the bows broke and she had to turn back.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-57, U-58 

At Sea 25 January 1940
U-13, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-34, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-55, U-61. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMCs SCOTSTOUN and FORFAR and CA SUFFOLK arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD JAVELIN departed Rosyth to relieve DD JACKAL on ASW duties. DDs ESCAPADE and ENCOUNTER arrived at Rosyth from ASW Sweeps, and after refuelling, left again on the 25th with cable ship ROYAL SCOT. DD ESCORT and sloop FLAMINGO departed the Tyne escorting FS.81. OA.79 departed Southend escort DD ANTELOPE from the 25th to 26th and DD VERITY from 26th to 28th, when the convoy was dispersed. Submarine H.33 was in the convoy on passage to Portsmouth. FS.81 departed the Tyne, escort DD ESCORT and sloop FLAMINGO, and arrived at Southend on the 27th

*Northern Waters*
CL DIOMEDE departed Scapa for Plymouth where she arrived on the 30th, and later sailed to join CruSqn 8 in the North America and West Indies Station. DDs ECHO and ECLIPSE departed Aberdeen escorting steamer RUTLAND (1437grt) to Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
Tng Sub Lt G . Williamson RNVR, ferrying a Swordfish of 819 Squadron from Silloth to Ford, was killed when his aircraft crashed near Leeds in the midlands.
New source; Jeff06-Taranto Raid : the Pearl Harbor raid model and the old "Stringbag" - Model Airplane Collectors




_Image of Swordfish P4075 piloted by Lt W Morford and SubLt R Green 819 sqn, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 11 November 1940 _

OB.79 departed Liverpool escort DDs WINCHELSEA and VOLUNTEER until the 28th, when they detached to HXF.17. DD VANQUISHER investigated a submarine contact SW of Nash Point, where she was joined by DD WAKEFUL in the early hours of the 26th and later still by DD KEITH. The DDs swept westward and returned to the attack location at daylight. VANQUISHER then proceeded to Liverpool. On the 28th, WAKEFUL and KEITH, still on patrol, attacked a submarine contact. This was later determined to be the wreck of steamer STANHOLME (2473grt) sunk by a mine on 25 December. At 2215, the destroyers attacked a contact SW of Milford Haven, then at 0020/27th, proceeded on patrol.

*Channel*

*UK - France*
SA.27 of two steamers departed Southampton, escorted by sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 27th, less steamer DIDO, which ran aground off Ouessant on the 27th. She was brought into Brest on the 30th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL NEPTUNE departed Freetown to join repair ship RESOURCE en route from Gibraltar. Both ships arrived at Freetown on the 29th.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr DDs FOUGUEUX attacked a submarine contact 70 miles west of Oporto, whilst Fr DD BASQUE and sloop ANNAMITE made attacks on a submarine contact northwest of Ferrol.


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## parsifal (Jan 24, 2015)

*January 22 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Norwegian merchant vessel “_Segovia_”, with 750 tons of general cargo (including 140 tons of oil) became missing off western Scotland; her crew of 23 was never seen again. She might had been attacked and sunk by German submarine U-55.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The speech on Jan 20 by First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churhill, imploring neutral countries to support Finland (a thinly veiled invitation to Norway and Sweden to allow Allied troops passage across their territory to Finland), rebounds on him. He is reprimanded by British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax for interfering with foreign policy. Also, he is ignored by Norway and Sweden, who realize that British access to Finland is a means to choke off supplies of Swedish iron ore to Germany. They rightly suspect that Hitler would react to any Allied presence by intervention of his own. French Prime Minister Daladier favors Churchill’s plan as a way to fight the Germans away from French soil.

From today newsreels must be submitted to the ministry of information before they are exhibited. Newsreels were exempt from scrutiny by the British Board of Film Censors because they were produced to tight deadlines twice weekly. The ministry film division has appointed a liaison officer to convey guidelines for film propaganda to newsreel producers. An "editor" will view all newsreels before release. The word "censor" is not used in the announcement.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: * The Finns, with Swedes and Norwegians already fighting with them, announced the formation of a "Foreign Legion" which would include British volunteers.

In Salla sector, Russian army still is fighting a stubborn rearguard action. A new Russian offensive was started around Lake Ladoga. Russian attacks in Karelian Isthmus were repulsed.

Soviet aircraft made bombing raids over Northern Finland and were met by Swedish Volunteers in new fighter airplanes.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Goring confiscates former Polish state property.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jan 24, 2015)

*January 23 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-19 spots 20 unescorted steamers off Northumberland and sinks Norwegian SS “_Pluto_” (8.43 AM) British SS “_Baltanglia_” (8.55 AM) with one torpedo each. Finnish steamer picks up all SS “_Pluto’s_” 22 crewmen. The 27 man crew of SS “_Baltanglia_” makes land in two lifeboats.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: * The battle of Taipale ends. Finnish forces have successfully resisted the Soviet attempt to break through the left flank of the Mannerheim Line in hand-to-hand fighting. Attempt to out flank Mannerheim Line by encircling movement from north of Lake Lagoda was also repulsed by Finns, with heavy loss to the enemy. Finnish 9th Division arrived at the village of Kuhmo to prepare for a planned attack on the Soviet 54th Division. 

New Soviet commander Simyon Timoshenko completely revises plans for the invasion of Finland. He abandons Meretskov’s strategy to fight along the entire frontier. He instead concentrates all his forces in a direct assault on the Karelian Isthmus to wear down the Mannerheim line in a battle of attrition; essentially Chief of Staff Shaposhnikov’s original plan. There is no intention to continue offensives along the Northern frontier or reinforce the divisions already engaged in this region. Thousands of Soviet troops trapped North of Lake Lagoda are left to their fate, although 54th division will be supplied by airdrop.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Britain lowered the road speed limit to 20 miles per hour at night time in populated area in response to the sharp rise in night time automobile accidents due to the blackout.

Britain was gripped in the coldest winter since 1894; Southampton docks and parts of the river Thames were frozen over.

*MEDITERRANEAN: * British carrier HMS “_Illustrious_” left Malta for Alexandria, Egypt.

*WESTERN FRONT:* M. Paderewski elected speaker of Polish National Council, first meeting of which was held in Paris instead of at Anvers. All Polish parties were represented.

Britain and France warn that they will attack German shipping encountered by their navies in the Pan-American neutral zone.

Following allegations by troop entertainers that ENSA's organization in France is in a "chaotic muddle," its officials are to report to the war office.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 24, 2015)

*January 24 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank French cargo ship “_Alsacien_” 4 miles off of Lisbon, Portugul at 1140 hours, killing 4. The cargo to phosphate from Africa, destined for France, was lost.

U-23 has been hunting Norwegian steamer SS “_Varild_” (in ballast between Norway and England) since 8 PM the day before. U-23, fires 2 torpedoes but the first jams in the tube the second runs off course, becoming a kreisläufer (circle runner). U-23’s third torpedo sinks “_Varild_” at 7 PM off the East coast of Scotland (all 15 hands lost).

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Force Talvela still holds Soviet 8th Army at Kolla, with attacks and counterattacks along Aittojoki (River Aitto; joki is river in Finnish). Fierce encounters on Salla front round Maerkaejaervi, where Russians are entrenched. Soviet air raiders bombed four Finnish hospitals, 19 persons being killed.

Unconfirmed report that 30 British aircraft had arrived in Helsinki.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops captured Dongyangguan Pass, Shanxi Province, China.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A Czechoslovakian branch of the French Army was established.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Two German aircraft flew over Shetlands and dropped four bombs but did no damage.

Announced by Finnish authorities in London that two aeroplanes laden with medical supplies left London for Helsinki.

The King reviewed Canadian troops training at Aldershot.

With recurrent reports of an imminent invasion by Germany, Chamberlain reassures Belgium of Britain's pledge to assist the Belgians if they are attacked.


.


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## Njaco (Jan 25, 2015)

*January 25 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* At 1520 hours, Fw. Walter Scherer of 2./JGr. 102 gets his first kill of the war when he shoots down a British Blenheim south of Duisburg. 

The Belgian Foreign Minister rejects Churchill's appeal to join the Allies (issued in a speech on January 20th).	

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Germany tests Norwegian, Belgian and Dutch neutrality. U-14 sinks Norwegian SS “_Biarritz_”, sailing from Antwerp (Belgium) to Oslo, 36 miles off the coast of Holland. 26 crew and 11 passengers (including women and several Norwegian sailors returning home) die. 21 survivors are picked up by Norwegian steamer “_Borgholm_”. Despite this provocation, Norway remains steadfastly neutral, paralyzed by fear of German aggression.

German submarine U-19 sank Latvian ship “_Everene_” 5 miles off of the eastern coast of Britain; 1 man was killed and 30 were rescued by fishing boats “_Dole_” and “_Evesham_”. Several hours later at 0930 hours, U-19 sank Norwegian ship “_Gudveig_”; 10 men were killed and 8 were rescued.

German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank French ship “_Tourny_”, which was a part of convoy 56-KS, 20 miles off of Porto, Portugal at 0411 hours. 8 men were killed and 9 were rescued by Spanish steamer “_Castillo Monforte_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In Canada, Parliament is dissolved for an election on March 28th because of recent controversy over the alleged weakness of war preparations.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Occupied Poland, the "Goring-Frank Circular" is issued. It specifies that all material resources and manpower is to be ruthlessly exploited for the immediate benefit of the Reich. Copies of this top secret document are soon obtained by the Polish government-in-exile in France and widely publicized.

.



.

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## parsifal (Jan 25, 2015)

70th Anniversary of the liberation of that place on the 27th January 2015. it gives me bad dreams just reading about it

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## parsifal (Jan 25, 2015)

*26 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
CLA conversion of HMS CURACOA including the fitting of the first operational set of the Type 279 early warning radar. 




_In 1939, a few months before the outbreak of the Second World War in Europe, she was selected for conversion to the CLA roler and underwent a refit at Chatham Dockyard. She then served with the Home Flt during the Norwegian Campaign in 1940, until, on 24 April, she sustained heavy damage from aerial bombing and suffered 30 casualties. She returned to Chatham for repairs and resumed active duty in August, serving with the Nore Command convoy defence. _

*Known Losses*
MV FU YUANG (Nor 3359 grt): The cargo ship sprang a leak and sank in the Pacific Ocean




_Some sources say this ship was of Korean origin_

Steamer KESSU (Est 295 grt) was seized in the Baltic by German naval forces and taken to Memel

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts




















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> The supply planned for U 44, under cover name "Moro" has had to be abandoned. The boat has been pursuing a convoy and has used so much fuel that if she makes the detour to the place of supply and then meets with difficulties which prevent her taking over supplies, she may not be able to reach home.
> 
> These unforeseen difficulties will continue to cruise until practical experiment has shown that the preparations made correspond to the requirements. U 25 has been ordered to supply instead of U 44.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-14 , U-18 

At Sea 26 January 1940
U-13, U-19, U-20, U-23, U-25, U-31, U-34, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-55, U-61. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
CL DUNEDIN arrived at Scapa after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs JACKAL, ECHO and ECLIPSE arrived at Rosyth. Sub TRUANT departed Rosyth on patrol. DD GREYHOUND and ORP DD BLYSKAWICA attacked a submarine contact off Great Yarmouth. FN.80 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 27th. FS.82 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WOOLSTON and VEGA and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 28th.

*Northern Waters*
DD SIKH arrived at Scapa and after refuelling departed with DD TARTAR to relieve the escort of HN.9. DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JUPITER and IMPERIAL were on a sweep off the SW of Norway. DDs JAVELIN and JAGUAR on an ASW Sweep, were ordered into Invergordon for shelter from the gale.

*West Coast UK*
DD WANDERER attacked a sub contact off Chicken Rock, Isle of Man. OA.78GF, departed Liverpool escort DDs BROKE from the 23rd to 24th and AMAZON from the 23rd to 25th. Meanwhile OB.78GF with 23 ships departed Liverpool on the 24th escort DDs WHITEHALL and VANOC. The two merged as OG.16F on the 26th and on the same day WHITEHALL and VANOC detached to join HG.16F. Sloop SANDWICH joined the OG escort on the 26th and left on the 31st, while DDs VELOX and WISHART joined on 1 February off Gib, and arrived later that day.

*Channel*
CL ARETHUSA departed Portsmouth for Scapa, and arrived on the 29th for duty with CruSqn 2, of the Home Flt.

*UK - France*
BC.24 6 steamers, including BARON GRAHAM and MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escorted by DD MONTROSE, and arrived safely in the Loire. AXS 10 of 1 steamer escort DD VETERAN arrived at Brest from Fowey on the 26th. 

*Sth Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL departed Capetown on escort duties and arrived back on the 30th. New Zealand CL ACHILLES arrived at Montevideo.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 26, 2015)

*27 January 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Kagero Class DD KUROSHIO





Allied
Sloop BLACK SWAN





*Known Losses*
MV ADAMANTIOS J PITHIS (Gk 4537 grt): Crew: Not Known; Cargo: Grain: Route: Rosario to Sharpness The cargo ship was wrecked on Cam Rocks, near St Ann's Head, Pembrokeshire, of the west coast.





Liner PRESIDENT QUEZON (Filipino 14187 grt): The ocean liner struck a reef in the Pacific Ocean off the Ryukyu Islands, Japan and sank with the loss of one life.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.20 sank the following steamers:

MV FARO (Nor 844 grt) Crew:15 (8 dead and 7 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast : Route: Sarpsborg, Norway - Methil . 
The coaster was torpedoed and damaged in the North Sea 15 nautical miles (28 km) south east of 
Copinsay, Orkney Islands. The wreck drifted ashore the next day in Taracliff Bay, Copinsay. Seven of the 15 crew were killed.




_FARO photographed as she drifts helplessly ashore_

MV FREDENSBURG (Den 2094 grt) Crew:20 (20 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Copenhagen - Blyth . 
In the dusk light the ship was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-20 and sank in less than 10 seconds about 15 miles southeast of Copinsay, Orkneys. The ship was sailing together with the ENGLAND and were both sunk by the same U-boat when they tried to assist the torpedoed FARO in heavy weather.




_FREDENSBURG was sunk as it tried to assist the already stricken FARO_

MV ENGLAND (Den 2319 grt) Crew: 21 (20 dead and 1 survivor): Cargo: Ballast ; Route: Copenhagen - Blyth . Similar to the FREDENSBURG, he neutral ENGLAND was hit in the hull below the bridge by a G7e torpedo from U-20, broke in two and sank in less than 2 minutes about 15 miles southeast of Copinsay, Orkneys. 




_ENGLAND was also sunk as she also attempted to assist the already stricken FARO_

MV HOSANGER (Nor 1591 grt): Crew: 18 (17 dead and 1 survivor): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Tananger (26 Jan) - Leith. In a slightly separate incident, some hours after the above, the neutral and unescorted vessel was hit in the stern by one G7a torpedo from U-20 southeast of Copinsay Light. The explosion broke the stern off and caused the ship to sink within two minutes. The only survivor, Magnus Sandvik, managed to reach a raft with four others, but his shipmates froze to death while he was picked up after about 15 hours by the armed boarding vessel HMS NORTHERN REWARD. A line was thrown down on him, but he was not able to fasten it around himself, so a sailor jumped overboard to assist. He was then transferred to HMS MAGRI and taken to a hospital in Kirkwall.





_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
Trawler CAERPHILLY CASTLE (UK 374 grt)): The trawler was bombed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland by 7 He111s of LF X. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Naval War Staff has extended the areas of "A" and "B" zones and delimited the new zone "C" in the North Sea. U 31 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation in the position planned and was starting on her return passage.



Departures
Helgoland: U-41 
Kiel: U-21, U-24, U-56
Wilhelmshaven: U-58

At Sea 27 January 1940
U-13, U-19, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-31, U-34, U-41 , U-44, U-48, U-51, U-55 , U-56, U-58, U-61. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic
Steamer CLIO (FN 996 grt) was seized in the Baltic by German warships, and taken to Pillau. She was eventually released. 

*Northern Patrol*
Armed merchant cruiser SCOTSTOUN arrived in the Clyde.

*North Sea*
DD MAORI departed Rosyth escorting submarine TRITON to Scapa . After delivering her on the 28th, MAORI proceeded to search for a boat from the Norwegian steamer HOSANGER before proceeding to the Clyde, where she arrived on the 29th.

HM.9 A of 19 Norwegian, 9 Swedish, 4 Finnish, 4 Estonian and 1 Latvian ships departed Bergen escort DDs INGLEFIELD, ISIS, IMOGEN, KASHMIR (waitinng as always outside the territorial limits) and submarine SEAL. CLs GLASGOW and EDINBURGH departed Scapa on the 26th to provide a covering force for the the convoy. 12 ships in the convoy detached for ports on the west coast escorted by DDs INGLEFIELD and MOHAWK (MOHAWK joined the escort sometime later) before the remaining ships and escorts arrived at Methil on the 31st. ISIS then sailed for Falmouth for docking. Sloop AUCKLAND departed Rosyth for a refit at Dundee.

FN.81 departed Southend, escort sloops FLEETWOOD and BITTERN. Sloop EGRET joined en route and CLA CALCUTTA, which had departed the Humber, was on passage near the convoy, which arrived in the Tyne on the 28th. MSW SKIPJACK (Halycon Class)
was in a collision with Steamer KARIN THORDEN (FN 1789 grt) and sustained damage to her stern.





*Northern Waters*
BD RODNEY, BC REPULSE, and DesFlot 8 (less FORESTER still under repair), departed the Clyde to exercise west of the Shetlands. They returned on the 31st. CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa to clean boiler. CL DUNEDIN departed Scapa and arrived at Portsmouth on the 29th. DDs JAVELIN and JAGUAR departed Invergordon to rendezvous with tkr ATHELKNIGHT (UK 8940 grt) for Rosyth.

*Nth Atlantic*
DD HEREWARD was damaged by heavy weather, and repaired at Halifax until 28 February, when she left for England.

USN American CL TRENTON (CL.11), at sea with USN DDs DICKERSON (DD.157) and HERBERT (DD.160) en route from Madeira to Lisbon, made plain language reports to Fr DD CHEVALIER PAUL, which was escorting merchant ships south towards North Africa, of apparent preparations for a breakout by German steamers ARUCAS (3369grt), LA PLATA (8056grt), WANGONI (7848grt) from Vigo.







_TRENTON was a unit of the old OMAHA Class CL whilst the DDs were variants to the Wilkes/Clemson DDs many of whom were later converted to AVP role_

*Med- Biscay*
Fr CL JEANNE DE VIENNE (La Galissonniere Class)departed Malta after a visit by French Admiral Sud.


----------



## Njaco (Jan 26, 2015)

*January 26 Friday*
*PACIFIC OCEAN: *American minesweeper “_Quail_” arrived at Palmyra Atoll in the Pacific Ocean to construct a naval air station.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* HMS “_Durham Castle_” hits a mine, laid by U-57 on 21 Jan, and sinks 11 miles off the Northeast coast of Scotland. “_Durham Castle_”, an 8,000 ton former passenger ship with Union-Castle Mail SS Co. and recently requisitioned by the Admiralty, is being towed to Scapa Flow for use as a stores and accommodation ship.

*ASIA: *The American-Japanese Treaty of Navigation and Commerce of 1911 is allowed to lapse because the US government refuses to negotiate in protest against Japanese aggression in China.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Believing that Germany would not be able to directly attack Britain, about half of the 750,000 children evacuated from London, England, United Kingdom since Sep 1939 had returned to their homes in the city.

Roderick Carr was named the commanding officer of No. 61 Group RAF.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Fighting continues along the Taipale River at the eastern end of the Karelian Isthmus. Finnish 7th Division defending Taipale announces overall losses of 816 men killed and 2020 wounded, since the start of the war. Soviet losses are unknown but likely 10 times this, given the WWI-like slaughter that has taken place. Further North, the last units of Finnish 9th division arrive in the village of Kuhmo for the assault on Soviet 54th division. Russian attacks north-east of Lake Ladoga dies down after lasting six days. One estimate gave Russian casualties during this period as between 13,000 and 15,000. Marshal Voroshilov, War Minister and C-in-C of Soviet forces, was on his way to Finnish front.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paul Ferdonnet, -- the "Radio Traitor" -- a Nazi sympathizer broadcasting in French from Stuttgart (in Germany), is tried in absentia by a French military tribunal.


.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 27, 2015)

*28 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
MV BAUTA (Nor 1657 grt): (ex- CANADIAN SEALER, sold 1925) The cargo ship collided with MALAGEN (Sd) in Oslofjord and sank in shallow water. Raised in 1942, repaired and returned to service for the Germans in September 1943. She was an effective loss for the Norwegians.





MV ELENI STATATOU (Gk 5,625 grt): Crew: 33 (12 dead) : Cargo: Ballast : Route: Newport - Gulf ports : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 90 miles (140 km) south west of the Fastnet Rock by U-34 .





MV ESTON (UK 1487 grt): Crew: 18 (18 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: Ballast : Route: Hull (26 Jan) - Blyth. The ship became a straggler of FN 81: She then struck a mine believed to have been laid 20 December by U-22 and sank in the North Sea off Blyth. 





MV FLORA NOMICOS (Gk 2,980 grt): Crew: 25 (25 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Coal : Route: Sunderland (20 Jan) - Argentina. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Figuera le Foz, Portugal by U-44. U-44s after action report states the ship sank within 8 minutes after being hit aft by a stern torpedo. The Uboat does not identify the vessel, however this must have been the Flora which was reported missing after leaving The Downs on 22 January. 





_Attacks By FliegerKorps X _
FS.83 departed the Tyne, escort by DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN. The convoy was attacked 29th and 30th by FK X bombers off Cromer and later in the day off Whitby. There was no damage from either attack on the 29th, but on the 30th steamer VOREDA (UK 7216 grt) was hit and sunk by He111's of German X Air Corps. The whole crew was saved by VIVIEN, VOREDA went ashore on Winkerton Shoal, and the wreck was sunk on 5 February. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th. 

Note: German X Air Corps flew He111's of KG26, Ju88's of KG30, and two reconnaissance squadrons flying He59's or Do17's.




_Steamer VOREDA was sunk 30 January from attacks that commenced from the 28th_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
_U 34 and U 44 reported that they were starting return passage._

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-19 

Departures
Kiel: U-10
Wilhelmshaven: U-37 

At Sea 28 January 1940
U-10, U-13, U-20, U-21, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-41, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-55, U-56, U-58, U-61. 
18 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol to relieve CA DEVONSHIRE, and arrived back at Greenock on 29 February




_CA Norfolk Profile with radar fitted_

*North Sea*
CLA CALCUTTA departed the Humber, and arrived back at Immingham on the 31st. DDs ESCAPADE and ENCOUNTER with cable ship ROYAL SCOT returned to Rosyth after once again being frustrated from completing their repair mission by bad weather. DD JACKAL departed Rosyth to relieve DD JAGUAR, which then sailed for Scapa to relieve DD JAVELIN. JAGUAR arrived at Scapa on the 29th. OA.81 departed Southend escort sloop ROCHESTER and DD WREN from the 28th to 30th, when the convoy dispersed

*West Coast UK*
CL COLOMBO departed Devonport for Belfast where she arrived on the 29th, and then proceeded to the Med Flt. DDs KEITH and WAKEFUL, patrolling at the mouth to Bristol Channel, attacked a submarine contact south of Milford Haven. OB.81 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs VISCOUNT and WALKER until the 31st, when they detached to SL.17. 

*Channel*
DD WHITSHED arrived at Plymouth on the 26th after escorting SL.16 to Dover. She and DDs ACASTA and ARDENT then left Plymouth on the 27th to provide escort BB REVENGE, which was carrying £10,000,000 sterling of gold, art treasures, and some passengers, from there to Halifax. Just after midnight on the 28th, the DDs met REVENGE off Plymouth and escorted her to 14W where they detached and were ordered to meet CL AJAX arriving from the Sth Atlantic.





*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.18 departed Halifax at 0800 escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA until the 29th and with ocean escort provided by AMC ALAUNIA, which left the convoy 6 February. The convoy was joined in Home Waters by DD ANTELOPE from convoy OA.84 and sloop DEPTFORD from OB.84, and arrived at Liverpool on the 8th.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.18 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE, joined convoy SL.18 at sea on 8 February and arrived at Liverpool on the 12th.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Light cruiser LIVERPOOL arrived at Hong Kong for repairs.


----------



## Njaco (Jan 27, 2015)

*January 27 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* Hptm. Wilhelm Makrocki is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 26 when Hptm. Karl Kaschka is transferred to II./ZG 26.

Adolf Hitler ordered Wilhelm Keitel to continue with the planning of an invasion of Norway. The German plans for invading Norway are put on a more formal basis with the allocation of the code name ‘Weserubung’.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-20 destroys 4 small, empty, neutral steamers off the Orkneys. U-20 torpedoed and sank Danish ship “_Fredensborg_” (at 2052 hours, killing 20) and Danish ship “_England_” (at 2124 hours, killing 20) off the Orkneys. At 8 PM, Norwegian SS “_Faro_” is damaged by a torpedo explosion 20m away but does not sink. The crew of 15 takes to the lifeboats. 7 men in one boat reboard “_Faro_” at dawn and drift ashore in Taracliff Bay. The other lifeboat drifts away, coming ashore on Copinsay the following day with 1 man still alive (7 lives lost). At 11.13 PM, U-20 torpedoes Norwegian SS “_Hosanger_” (17 lives lost). The sole survivor, Magnus Sandvik, floats on a raft for 15 hours until he is rescued by HMS “_Northern Reward_”. Sandvik is too frozen to attach a line to himself, so a sailor from HMS “_Northern Reward_” jumps overboard to fasten it to him. He is transferred to HMS “_Maori_” and hospitalised at Kirkwall.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* At the "Motti meeting", General Hägglund orders Finnish IV Corps to attack the "Pieni-Kelivaara" and "Lemetti West" mottis to test various tactics.

*AFRICA:* The peace resolution introduced into the South African Parliament by the opposition leader General Hertzog is defeated by 81 votes to 59. In his speech to Parliament, Hertzog openly supported Hitler. The pro-British Prime Minister, General Jan Smuts, likens the speech, of his former Boer comrade-in-arms, to a chapter of Mein Kampf. He says,


> "Goebbels could not have done it better."



*UNITED KINGDOM:* Churchill (uneasy at the slow increase in war production) speaks at Free Trade Hall, Manchester:


> "….each to our station... there is not a week, nor a day, nor an hour to be lost!"


He also says he is puzzled and worried about the "phoney war" and wonders why Britain has not been bombed yet. The speech is broadcast to the dominions and the United States.

.


----------



## Njaco (Jan 28, 2015)

*January 28 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-34 torpedoed Greek merchant ships “_Eleni Stathatou_” 100 miles off of Brest, France at 0252 hours. With “_Eleni Stathatou_” keeping afloat, U-34 remained to observe. At 0421 hours, after observing that the Greek ship was now moving once again, U-34 fired her last torpedo and sank the ship, killing 12.

German submarine U-44 torpedoed and sank Greek coal carrier “_Flora_” 20 miles off Portugal at 2000 hours.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet shelling of Finnish defensive positions on the Karelian Isthmus continues, with increasing intensity. Fort Poppius and Million Fort in the Lähde sector near Summa are badly damaged by the bombardment, leading to defensive weakness in the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian Isthmus. Meanwhile, Finnish troops eliminate Soviet forces trapped in the Pieni-Kelivaara pocket on the north shore of Lake Lagoda, capturing 2 field guns, 2 anti-tank guns, 9 mortars, 9 machine guns, and 100 rifles. Dug in Soviet troops in the nearby West Lemetti motti resist a similar attack, leading to new tactics to gradually reduce mottis.

The Finnish 9th Division attacks the Soviet 54th Division near Kuhmo and succeeds in splitting the Soviet force into three separate groups. The Finns are not able to press their attacks home. They are further distracted by relief attempts by the Soviet 23rd Division.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops captured Lucheng, Shanxi Province, China while Japanese 26th Division attacked Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris announced that patrol units had been out for first time for several days.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Director of Censorship permits newspapers to belatedly reveal details of Britain's coldest winter since 1894. Britain had experienced, during the month of January, the coldest spell of weather since 1894. At Brixton 33 degrees of frost were recorded. The Thames River and the Southampton Docks were frozen and temperatures of -18° C (-33° F) were recorded at Buxton (Derbys). London’s reservoirs were covered in 12″ of ice. The Thames froze over at Kingston and for 8 miles between Teddington and Sunbury. Sea froze at many points on coast.

SS ‘_Eston_' (1,487t a P and O steamship) left Hull on Friday 26th January 1940, a bitterly cold night bound for Blyth, and was last reported to be off Blyth on this day. Several days later the body of one of her seventeen man crew and a lifeboat were washed ashore. She had struck a mine laid by U- 22 on the 20th December 1939. She was built in 1919. SS ‘_Eston_' was positively identified in 1978 and was found to be lying in 23 metres of water - east of Whitley Bay. Her bow section is still complete, 40 metres S of the bow section are the engine and boilers and the stern section can be found 70 metres SW of the boilers.

.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 28, 2015)

*29 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
MV EIKA (Nor 1,503 grt): Crew: 18 (16 dead and 2 survivors). : Cargo: Salt: Route: Spain - Aalesund . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in St George's Channel by U-51. The Uboat skipper's Log (Kvtte Kptn Knorr) reports that the ship carried no neutrality markings and mistook the freighter with the engine aft as tanker (for which unrestricted attacks applied) . Only two men survived on a raft, the 16 y o mess boy Harald Stole and the stoker Alfred Johansen. They were taken prisoner by the U-boat and landed at Wilhelmshaven on 8 February. En route Harald Stole had his 17th birthday whilst aboard and on this occasion Knorr gave him a drink and some chocolate. Both survivors were sent home to Norway one week after arriving in Germany.
D/S Eika - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945





Coastal steamer NORA (Ne 298 grt) hit a mine one miles east of the Deal Coast Guard Station, and went ashore at Deal
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Coastal steamer SKUDE (Nor 481 grt): The wooden coaster (launched 1921) sprang a leak and sank in the North Sea off the Shipwash Lightship .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV BADJESTAN (UK 5573grt): The cargo ship ran aground off Clachaig Point, Isle of Arran, Bute. All crew were rescued by HMS Maori.





_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_

EAST DUDGEON LIGHTSHIP (UK 200 grt(est)): The lightship was bombed and sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of seven of her eight crew. This event was the subject of a wartimne feature film 





MV STANBURN (UK 2981 grt):the ship was bombed and sunk by He111's of FK X, 10 miles SE by E, one half mile south of Flamborough Head. 25 crew were lost and 3 saved. 






FS.83A departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops BITTERN and FLEETWOOD and was attacked by LW bombers on the 30th. One rating on minesweeper NIGER was killed by a near miss and steamer HIGH WAVE (UK 1178 grt) sunk one mile NNE of Kentish Knock. 18 survivors were picked up by Dutch trawler RIAN (232grt), and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 31st.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts





















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 55 reported a convoy southwest of Land's End. Later radio intelligence reports showed that a 5,000 ton steamer had been sunk. The boat lost contact towards the evening. Enemy radio traffic became very active, with U-boat warnings and orders for anti-S/M forces.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-23 

Departures
Kiel: U-17
Wilhelmshaven: U-15, U-26, U-59 

At Sea 29 January 1940
U-10, U-13, U-15 , U-17, U-20, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-41 , U-44, U-48, U-51, U-55 , U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61. 
21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC LETITIA and CA SUFFOLK departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol, the latter to relieve sister ship BERWICK.

*North Sea*
Repairs on DD ILEX, were completed at liverpool, and she put to sea for Rosyth. DDs KANDAHAR and KASHMIR departed Rosyth for the Clyde. HN.9B of 3 British, 8 Norwegian, 10 Swedish, 4 Finnish and 4 Estonian ships, delayed a day because of bad weather, departed Bergen escort DDs JERVIS, JUNO and JUPITER. DD IMPERIAL departed Rosyth on the 27th to join the escort. There was no west coast section and the convoy, less ships separated in a storm, arrived safely at Methil on 2 February. OA.82 departed Southend escort DDs VANESSA and WINDSOR from the 29th to 30th.

MV GRIPFAST (UK 1109 grt): The cargo ship was bombed and damaged in the North Sea by Luftwaffe aircraft off the coast of Yorkshire and beached at the mouth of Bridlington Harbour with the loss of one crew member. She was later repaired and returned to service.




_After this attack, GRIPFAST was refloated and returned to service. She was eventually sunk by German Bombers in July 1942, off Portland Bill _

Steamer TAUTMILA (Lat 3724 grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26 five miles NW of Smiths Knoll Light Vessel.
New source: John Readhead's Shipyard Page35




_Model Of the TAUTMILA. She was originally the Highcliffe, but when sold to the Latvian state carrier, her name was changed_

Steamer IMPERIAL MONARCH (UK 5831 grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26, 10 miles 62° from Scurdyness.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
CLs AURORA, ARETHUSA and NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
OB.82 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY until the 30th and WARWICK to 1 February

*Sth Atlantic*
Cruiser HAWKINS relieved NZ CL ACHILLES as flagship of the Sth America Station. ACHILLES departed Montevideo for the Falklands where she arrived on 1 February, leaving there on the 2nd to return to NZ. Arriving at Auckland on 23 February, she was refitting and repairing until early June, and carried out trials in Hauraki Gulf from 14 June.
.
*Med- Biscay*
HG.17F departed Gibraltar with 25 ship, with a complex escort plan. She arrived at Liverpool 7th Feb. DDs DECOY and DEFENDER departed Gib on escort duties returning on 7 February. Both then sailed on the 8th for Freetown, arriving on the 15th and 18th respectively. 

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL DURBAN departed Singapore. Monitor TERROR departed Singapore on the 29th, proceeded via Penang, Colombo, Bombay and Aden, and arrived at Alexandria on 11 March and Malta on 4 April. She was to have gone on to Devonport to arrive in mid-April, but was retained in the Mediterranean.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 29, 2015)

*30 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Events leading to the olss of U-55: 
Sloop FOWEY was escorting convoy segment OA.80G to join OG.16, and tkr VACLITE and steamer BEAVERBRAE (9956grt) were straggling. 

U.55, on her first war patrol, torpedoed and sank Steamer VACLITE (UK 5026 grt): Crew: 35 (0 dead and 35 survivors) Cargo: Ballast : Route: London - New York . The ship was sunk at 0150, 100 miles west of Ushant. Italian steamer POLLENZO (Italy 6470 grt) rescued all of the crew. 
New source:Vaclite - (1938-1940)





BEAVERBRAE quickly caught up with the convoy. Then at 1105 (late morning, some 9 hrs after the loss of VACLITE), U.55 struck again and sank Steamer KERAMIAI (Gk 5085 grt) Crew:28 (0 dead and 28 survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: London - Ciudad Trujillo (Santo Domingo). The survivors were rescued by FOWEY and tkr BRITISH UNITY (UK 8367 grt). DDDs WHITSHED, ACASTA and ARDENT were escorting CL AJAX to Plymouth, received the Greek steamer's distress signals, and while ACASTA remained with AJAX, WHITSHED and ARDENT detached to assist the convoy. 





The battle moved closer to the convoy. One of the convoy escorts, Fr Contre Torpilleur DD VALMY, an a/c of RAF 228 Squadron and WHITSHED attacked the submarine, but without damaging her, but they coralled her which then led to her loss. U.55 was then damaged by DCs dropped by FOWEY, and she was scuttled SW of the Scillies. WHITSHED and FOWEY picked up the survivors - three officers and thirty eight ratings - all the crew, except the commanding officer Kptlt. Werner Heidel, who went down with his command.
New Source: Atlantic Convoy by Gerald Coulson. (GS) - MilitaryGallery.co.uk







_Atlantic Convoy by Gerald Coulson Guepard Class DD_

U-55 Type VIIB Uboat (DKM 843 grt) Sunk south-west of the Isles of Scilly (English Channel), by DC attacks from the DD WHITESHED, the sloop FOWEY, the Fr DDs VALMY and GUEPARD, and by depth charges from a British Sunderland a/c from 228 Sqn. 1 dead and 41 survivors.








U-15 Type IIB Uboat (DKM 324 grt) Sunk in the North Sea north of Heligoland, after a collision with the German TB ILTIS. 25 dead (all hands lost).








*Ships sunk by airstrikes by FliegerKorps X*
Steamer GIRALDA (UK 2178 grt) carrying coal for the Northern Patrol trawlers, was bombed and sunk by He111's three miles east of Grimness, S. Ronaldsay, Orkneys with the loss of all twenty three crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Steamer BANCREST (UK 4450 grt) was bombed by He111's, and went ashore at Wick with the loss of one crewman. DD JAVELIN rescued the survivors.








*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts






























*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 51 reported that she was returning owing to a technical defect in the bow caps. The enemy news service announced the sinking of a U-boat. According to the description of the incident, which sounds genuine, it must be U 55. The boat is said to have been unable to dive and destroyed by A/C. Some of the crew were saved.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-61 

At Sea 30 January 1940
U-10, U-13, U-17, U-20, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-41 (+), U-44, U-48, U-51, U-56, U-58, U-59. 
18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC CILICIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
Sub SEAWOLF departed Lowestoft on patrol. MT.1 departed Methil with destroyer ECHO and escort vessel VEGA. MT.2 departed Methil with DDs ENCOUNTER and ESCAPADE, but the convoy returned to Methil. DD WESTMINSTER arrived at Rosyth.

Steamer ROYAL CROWN (UK 4364 grt) was bombed and damaged by HE111's of KG26, 15 miles south of Smiths Knoll Light Vessel.




_This vessel was eventually sunk by gunfire from DKM BC GNEISENAU on the 16th March 1941_

Steamer JERSEY QUEEN (UK 910 grt) was damaged by German bombing

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Northern Waters*
DD INGLEFIELD arrived in the Clyde after escorting the west coast portion of HN.9A. DD MOHAWK returned to Scapa. DDs JAVELIN and SIKH arrived Scapa, but SIKH left the same day to assist ASW trawler SCOTTISH (558grt) which was being bombed.

*Channel*
CLA CURACOA departed Chatham to work up at Portland after conversion to an anti-aircraft ship. AMC WOLFE at Portland dragged her anchor and collided with steamer WESTERN COAST (1390 grt), which was not damaged. Both ships were operational almopst immediately.

*UK - France*
BC.23S of steamers BALTRAFFIC, BARON KINNAIRD, DUNKWA (Commodore) and FABIAN departed the Loire escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 31st.

*SW Approaches*
DD WREN attacked a submarine contact SW of the Scillies.

*Nth Atlantic*
DDs HUNTER and the RCN DDs ST LAURENT, FRASER, OTTAWA and RESTIGOUCHE departed Halifax escorting convoy TC.3 of troopships EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (42,348grt, carrying 1588 troops), MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt, 1334), EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt, 1577), AQUITANIA (45,647grt, 2733) and Polish CHROBRY (11,442grt, civilian labourers). Ocean escort was BB VALIANT, and CL ENTERPRISE which returned to Halifax on 4 February. HUNTER arrived at Plymouth on 8 February and went on to Falmouth for docking and refit until 9 March prior to joining the Home Flt.

*Med- Biscay*
German tkr THALIA (1122grt) was in Cadiz Bay to refuel U.44 in Operation MORO. U.44 did not appear, but U.25 arrived at 2200/30th, taking four hours to refuel. As per the agreement with the Spanish govt, the operation was completed clandestinely. Fr CA TOURVILLE and DDs VAUBAN and AIGLE departed Beirut for patrol and arrived at Malta on 3 February 

*Indian Ocean*

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
RAN CA CANBERRA departed Fremantle for Eastern Australian waters where she carried out patrols until April.

*Other*
Admiralty report that as of 30 January 1940, 24 German vessels had been captured for 103,037 tons and 23 ships scuttled themselves for 139,236 tons.


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## Njaco (Jan 29, 2015)

*January 29 Monday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The battle of Kuhmo begins. Finns encircle the Soviet 54th Division at Kuhmo, in the "waist" of the front. Heavy Soviet air raids target Finnish ports. At 5 AM, Colonel Siilasvuo's 9th division attacks Soviet 54th division, which has been moving slowly towards the road junction at Kuhmo. 54th division is stopped dead in its tracks, to be cut into mottis. Simultaneously, Red Army is preparing a massive assault on Finnish defenses.

A Soviet diplomatic note to the government of Sweden suggests that the Soviets are prepared to negotiate with the legitimate Finnish government and, implicitly, to abandon support for the puppet communist regime. The note states:


> "The Soviet Union has no objection in principle to a possible agreement with the Ryti government."



Soviet air raids renewed over Finland, ten localities being attacked, including coast towns on Gulf of Bothia. At Hangoe about 50 people killed and 200 injured; at Turku, 28 killed and 46 injured. Soviet airmen dropped bombs on Red Cross hospital in Karelian Isthmus, killing 23 persons.

Rome stated that Germany had released Italian planes ordered by Finland before outbreak of hostilities and detained in the Reich during transit.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Widespread German air raids on Britain were attempted, extending from Shetlands to coast of Kent. At least 13 ships were attacked, two British lightships. Fighters engaged raiders at many points. German aircraft attacked the unarmed British lightship “_East Dudgeon_”; 7 crew members died as their lifeboat capsized later. SS ‘_Stanburn_' (2,881t) was sunk SE of Flamborough Head, struck by three bombs from a German Stuka dive bomber which came suddenly out of cloud cover. Captain Lewis and twenty-five of her crew were killed in the attack, there were only three survivors.

German submarine U-51 torpedoed and sunk Norwegian ship “_Eika_”, carring salt from Spain, at 1530 hours. 14 men were killed, while 2 (Harald Støle and Alfred Johansen) were rescued by U-51 who would be delivered to Wilhelmshaven on 8 Feb 1940. Støle turns 17 on the voyage to Wilhelmshaven.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Germany renamed Reichsgau Posen, in occupied Poland, to Reichsgau Wartheland.

Official report of Polish Government estimated that about 18,000 Polish Leaders drawn from all classes, had been put to death in German-occupied Poland.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In France Premier Daladier delivers a stirring broadcast speech:


> "Germany hopes to encompass our downfall by exploiting weakness at home..."



.


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## Wurger (Jan 30, 2015)

The Polish submarine ORP Wilk at a Royal Navy base, January 1940.


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## Njaco (Jan 30, 2015)

*January 30 Tuesday*
*GERMANY:* On the 7th anniversary of the Nazi regime, Hitler speaks at the Berlin Sportpalast. He demands Lebensraum (living space) for Germans and ridicules Chamberlain, Churchill and Daladier. He says::


> "For 300 years England pursued the aim of preventing a real consolidation of Europe, just as France sought for centuries to prevent a consolidation of Germany. …. since they started the war, ...they will get all the war they want."



Heydrich orders more expulsions of Jews from the Reich to Lublin in eastern Poland. Meanwhile, Himmler authorizes the deportation of 30,000 gypsies.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German aircraft bombed shipping in the English Channel and the North Sea, sinking British cargo steamers “_Highwave_”, “_Giralda_”, and “_Bancrest_” off the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland. British ship “_Voreda_” was badly damaged and beached near Winterton, England. RAF planes were active all along East coast, but were handicapped by poor visibility. A Heinkel He 111H-2 from 4./KG 26 crashed into the sea five miles east of Coquet Island, Northumberland after combat with Hurricanes of No 43 Squadron based at Acklington, at 12.45. Fw. H. Höfer, Uffz. R. Feist, Obergefr. A. Hain and Gefr. W. Korinsky were missing. Aircraft 1H+KM sank in the sea. Another approaching the Firth of Forth was disabled.

German submarine U-55 sank British tanker “_Vaclite_”, part of convoy OA-80G, 50 miles off of Land's End in southwestern England at 0700 hours. The crew of 35 was rescued by Italian steamer “_Pollenzo_”. At 1100 hours, U-55 sank Greek ship “_Keramlai_”. Later that day, U-55 was found and depth charged by British (HMS “_Whitshed_”, and HMS “_Fowey_”) and French (“_Valmy_” and “_Guépard_”) destroyers and a No. 228 Squadron RAF Sunderland aircraft – the first confirmed U-Boat kill by an aircraft. 41 of the German crew surrendered; Kapitänleutnant Werner Heidel chose to go down with his ship.

German torpedo boat “_Iltis_” misidentified German submarine U-15 as a hostile vessel and rammed her 50 miles north of Wilhelmshaven, Germany. U-15 sank, killing the entire crew of 25.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Helsinki claimed that Finnish fighters and anti-aircraft batteries had brought down one of the 200 Russian bombers which raided Finland on Monday.

New Finnish offensive launched north of Kuhmo, Central Finland, Russian 54th Division being attacked with marked success.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* War Office issued first list of army casualties, comprising 758 names.

A national campaign is launched today to utilize almost all of the 120 million tons of household waste that are disposed of every year. Scrap iron and steel as well as waste paper are singled out as being urgently required.

.


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## Njaco (Jan 31, 2015)

*January 31 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Heinz Schumann, Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 52 is transferred to I./JG 51.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer “_Start_” about halfway between Stavanger, Norway and Aberdeen, Scotland, killing the entire crew of 16. “_Start_” was carrying coal from Sunderland, northern England.

German submarine U-21 fired two torpedoes at Danish ship “_Vidar_”, but both malfunctioned. A third torpedoed, however, struck “_Vidar_” 25 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, killing 16 and rendering her dead in the water. Danish steamer “_Disko_” rescued 18 survivors while surviving a hit from another malfunctioning torpedo from U-21. “_Vidar_” would remain afloat until the next day.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet forces gathered in the Summa sector in the Karelian Isthmus now grew to the size of 12 divisions and 400 heavy artillery pieces. Commander Timoshenko has spent 3 weeks preparing to assault the Mannerheim Line. He has 12 fresh divisions on the Karelian Isthmus and artillery lined up side by each. Opposite the Summa gap alone, he has 400 heavy artillery pieces (200 mm calibre or more) and innumerable smaller 75 and 45 mm guns, which are not camouflaged due to the Finns lack or artillery and attack aircraft. Soviet artillery has been pulverizing Finnish forts all month. Timoshenko is ready.

At least 150 bombs were dropped on Rovaniemi by Russian planes.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Desperately short of aircraft, the British made a secret approach to Italy (not yet in the war) to buy fighters. The secret British military mission orders 300 Caproni Re2000 fighters. (German intervention in April effectively vetoes the deal and British attempts to obtain the fighters through a Portuguese intermediary fail with the Italian declaration of war on June 10th.)

Sir John Simon of Britain announced that food subsidies were running at £1,000,000 per week.

Mr. Chamberlain made a speech on the rising might of Britain.

At 06.15 a mine, washed up a mile N of Berwick, exploded and damaged a housing estate sewer at its point of entry into the sea.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 31, 2015)

*31 January 1940 *
*Known Losses*
MV START (Nor 1,168 grt): Crew: 16 (16 dead - no survivors); Cargo: 1478 tons of coal : Route: Sunderland (29 Jan) - Oslo . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea north of Buckie, Aberdeenshire by U-13. 





MV VIDAR (Den 1,353 grt): Crew: 34 (16 dead and 18 survivors): Cargo: Steel bars : Route: Grimsby - Tyne - Esbjerg. The cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged in the North Sea east of the Orkney Islands, United Kingdom by U-21. The unescorted and neutral VIDAR was hit aft by a G7e torpedo from U-21 about 100 miles east of the Moray Firth and sank the next day. Earlier in the evening , the U-boat had fired a G7a torpedo that became a surface runner and detonated near the ship, which stopped apparently surrendering as Denmark and Germany were supposed to have reached an understanding foir shipping used for a neutral purpose. Germany had decided to embark on unrestricted warfare by this, and gave little weight to the agreements she had made to the neutrals. A ship in the declared area was a target at this point. 

A second torpedo had been fired two minutes later, but it also did not run due to an operating error. The Danish steam merchant DISKO, which picked up the survivors from VIDAR, was attacked with a G7e torpedo at 20.11 hours, but it also became a surface runner that detonated without damaging the ship.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts




















*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 48 sailed for a minelaying operation in accordance with Operations Order No. 22. News was received overland of supply operation under cover name "Moro". Everything went off according to plan. U 25 has now been ordered to make a surprise attack on French patrol vessels which have recently been reported several times off Vigo, so that the German steamers in Vigo will be able to sail on 6.2 as planned without difficulty. In itself this is not a suitable operation for a U-boat as the patrol consists of trawlers and destroyers, vessels which can act as S/M chasers but present a difficult target for the U-boat. In the ordinary way efforts must be made to operate U-boats in areas where there are no anti-S/M vessels, but in this case the principle has to be relaxed. It is very doubtful whether the operation will have the desired effect at all, i.e. that of drawing away the patrol vessels and it is possible that it will merely attract more such vessels. It will hardly come as a surprise, as it is known for certain that 4 German U-boats are believed to be in that area. Nevertheless, after consulting Naval War Staff, I decided to give the order, so that I shall at least have done everything possible to assist the sailing of the steamers.



Arrivals
Helgoland: U-10 , U-20

At Sea 31 January 1940
U-13, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-41, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-56, U-58, U-59.
16 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CL GLASGOW and EDINBURGH departed Rosyth. DDs ESCAPADE and ENCOUNTER arrived at Rosyth. Sub STURGEON arrived at Blyth after patrol. Sub TRIDENT departed Rosyth on patrol. DD WAKEFUL attacked a submarine contact off Bull Point. CLA CAIRO departed Immingham on patrol. FN.83 departed Southend, escort sloops FLAMINGO and WESTON, also escorted by by ML PRINCESS VICTORIA, and arrived in the Tyne on 1 February. The sloops then escorted the ML to Rosyth.

*Northern Waters*
DD SIKH and MOHAWK arrived at Scapa

*West Coast UK*
BB RODNEY, BC REPULSE and their escorts arrived back in the Clyde after exercises. DD DARING arrived in the Clyde. AMC ASCANIA arrived at the Clyde.

*Channel*
CL AJAX, escort by DDs WHITSHED, ARDENT and ACASTA arrived at Plymouth.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.18 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA, which detached on 1 February. Ocean escort was BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN which left on the 8th. Escort consisted of DD WINCHELSEA and sloop ROCHESTER from convoy OB.89 from the 13th to 16th, when the convoy arrived in Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
CL DELHI left Portsmouth for the Med, arrived at Gib on 3 February, departed next day and reached Malta on the 8th. OA.80G departed Southend on the 27th with DD WHITSHED and sloop FOWEY, and OB.80G left Liverpool on the 28th with destroyers WALPOLE and WITHERINGTON. They merged as convoy OG.16 on the 31st with 37 ships, escorts were (at various times) DDs WALPOLE, WITHERINGTON, WHITSHED, Fr DDr VALMY and patrol ship VIKING. Convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 5th


*Indian Ocean*
CL GLOUCESTER departed Colombo after refitting, called at Mogadishu on 8 February and was at Mombasa from the 9th to 11th.


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## parsifal (Jan 31, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses January 1940*
Allied
Allied Warships
ASW trawler KINGSTON CORNELIAN (RN 449 grt), Aux sloop BARSAC (Fr 1145 grt), Sub SEAHORSE (RN 730 grt), Sub UNDINE (RN 630 grt), Sub STARFISH (RN 730 grt), ASW yacht PRINCESS (RN 730 grt), Patrol trawler VALDORA (RN 251 grt), DD GRENVILLE (RN 1350 grt), DD EXMOUTH (RN 1475 grt) 

*(6395 (RN) 1145 (Fr) grt; Total 7490 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Allied Shipping
MV ARDONGORM (UK 5200 grt). Steamer ROTHESAY CASTLE (UK 7016 grt), MV BELTHINGE (UK 3500 GRT (est)), Tkr BRITISH LIBERTY (UK 8485 grt), MV ETA (UK 81 grt), SS GLOREDA (AUS 250 grt (est)), MV CEDRINGTON COURT(UK 5160 grt), MV TOWNELEY (UK 2475 grt), MV ATLANTIC SCOUT(UK 4533 grt), Steamer TYNEHOME (UK 628 grt), Liner DUNBAR CASTLE(UK 10002 GRT), MV OAKGROVE (UK 1985 grt), Coastal Steamer GOWRIE (UK 689 grt), Collier MONTAUBAN (Fr 4,191 grt), Trawler CROXTON (195 grt), Steamer KEYNES (UK 1706 grt), Trawler LUCIDA (UK 251 GRT), Steamer LEONARD PEARCE (UK 1571 grt), Tkr EL OSO (UK 7267 grt), Trawler WILLIAM IVEY (UK 202 grt), MV GRANTA (UK 2719 grt), MV FIRE KING (UK 500 grt(est)), Trawler ST LUCIA (UK 300 grt (est)), MV HULLGATE (UK 409 grt), Trawler NEW HAVEN (UK 162 grt), Tkr INVERDARGLE (UK 9,456 grt), MV POLZELLA (UK 4,751 grt), MV CAIRNROSS (UK 5,494 grt), Lightship BRAKE (UK 250 grt (est)), MV QUIBERON (Fr 1,296 grt), Steamer MILE END (UK 859 grt), Ex-Cargo Liner DURHAM CASTLE (UK 8240 grt), Tkr CARONI RIVER (UK 7,807 grt), MV PROTESLAUS (UK 9,577 grt), Collier FERRYHILL (UK 1,086 grt), Steamer KIRKPOOL (UK 4842 grt), MV BALTANGLIA (UK 1,523 grt), MV ALSACIEN (Fr 3,819 grt), MV TOURNY (Fr 2769 grt), MV GLENEDEN (UK 4772 grt), Drifter RIANT (UK 95 grt), Trawler CAERPHILLY CASTLE (UK 374 grt)), steamer VOREDA (UK 7216 grt), MV ESTON (UK 1487 grt), steamer HIGH WAVE (UK 1178 grt), MV STANBURN (UK 2981 grt), EAST DUDGEON LIGHTSHIP (UK 200 grt(est)), MV BADJESTAN (UK 5573grt), Steamer BANCREST (UK 4450 grt), Steamer GIRALDA (UK 2178 grt), Steamer VACLITE (UK 5026 grt) 

*Allied Tonnage Sunk or captured: 171633 tons* (7490 Naval, 12073 Fr, 151820 UK, 250 (Aus))

*Prize Vessels:* 
Steamer PHAEDRA (Ger 619 grt)

Neutral
Neutral Warships
S-2 (SU 840 grt), MSW LOCOTENANT LEPRI REMUS ( Romanian Naval Forces 374 GRT), Escort Vessel AURA II (FN Navy (Merivoimat) 446 grt), Troop Transport VALAMON LUOSTARI (Fn 133 grt), DD LJUBJANA (Yug 1685 grt)

*(2479 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Neutral Shipping
MV LARS MAGNUS TROZELLI (Sd 1,951 grt), MV LEO (FN 1243 grt), MV TURKAN (Tu 1500 grt(est)), Tkr MOTORINA (Gk 2355 grt), Steamer SVARTON (SD 2574 grt), Steamer IRIS FAULBAUMS (Latvia 1675 grt), Steamer KIRUNA (Sd 5484 grt), MV MAIGUE (Eire 5400 grt (est)), FENRIS (SD 484 grt), MV DICIDO (SD 1475 grt), Steamer UPMINSTER (Ne 1013 grt), Coastal Steamer TRUIDA (Ne 350 GRT (EST)), Steamer TONIA CHANDRIS (Gk 3161 grt), MV HERTHA (Nor 1500 grt (est)), MV TRAVIATA (Italy 5123 grt). Steamer FREDVILLE (Nor 1150 grt), MV KASTOR (Est 1000 grt (est)), Tkr DANMARK (Den 10,517 grt), MV SYLVIA (Sd 1,524 grt), MV MEUSE (Be 1500 grt (est)), PANACHANDROS (Gk 4661 grt), MV FAGERHEIM (Nor 1590 grt), MV ARENDSKERK (Ne 7,906 grt), MV PELINAION (Gk 4261 grt), MV MANDROS (Gk 3500 grt(est)), MV JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE (Be 3422 grt), MV CHILE (Den 1500 grt (est)), MV ENID (Nor 1,140 grt), MV FLANDRIA (SD 1,179 grt), MV FOXEN (SD 1,304 grt), MV CANADIAN REEFER (Den 1,831 grt), MV PAJALA (SD 6,873 grt), MV TELNES (Nor 1,694 grt), Steamer PATRIA (Gk 1188 grt), MV KAIJA (FN 398 grt), Steamer NAUTIC (Est 2050 grt), MV MIRANDA (Nor 1328 grt), MV EKATONTARCHOS DRACOULIS (Gk 5,329 grt), Collier TEKLA (Den 1,469 grt), MV RYNANNA (Eire 1500 grt (est)), Liner ORAZIO (It 11,669 grt), Steamer ANDALUSIA (SD 1357 grt), MV SYDFOLD (Nor 2,434 grt), MV SONGA (Nor 2,589 grt), MV SEGOVIA (Nor 1,387 grt), MV GOTHIA (Sd 1,640 grt), MV ITA (Nor 1500 grt (est)), MV VARILD (Nor 1085 grt), MV ONTO (FN 1333 grt), MV PLUTO (Nor 1,598 grt), MV BISP (Nor 1000 grt), Steamer NOTUNG (FN 1278 grt), MV GUDVEIG (Nor 1300 grt), MV EVERENE (Lat 4,434 grt), Steamer BIARRITZ (Nor 1752 grt), Steamer KESSU (Est 295 grt), MV HOSANGER (Nor 1591 grt), MV ENGLAND (Den 2319 grt), MV FREDENSBURG (Den 2094 grt), MV FARO (Nor 844 grt), Liner PRESIDENT QUEZON (Filipino 14187 grt), MV ADAMANTIOS J PITHIS (Gk 4537 grt), MV FLORA NOMICOS (Gk 2,980 grt), MV ELENI STATATOU (Gk 5,625 grt), MV BAUTA (Nor 1657 grt), MV EIKA (Nor 1,503 grt), Coastal steamer SKUDE (Nor 481 grt), Coastal steamer NORA (Ne 298 grt), Steamer KERAMIAI (Gk 5085 grt), MV VIDAR (Den 1,353 grt), MV START (Nor 1,168 grt), MV FU YUANG (Nor 3359 grt) 

*Neutral Shipping sunk 143496 (2491 Naval 141017 Mercantile tons *30352 (Nor), 4922(Be), 24205 (SD), 38420 (Gk), 20985 (Den), 8204 (Ne), 2974 (FN), , 16792 (Italy), 3050 (Est), 6104 (Latvian), 1500 (Tu), 6900 (Eire), 14187(Filipino, 

*Combined Allied and Neutral Shipping Sunk 315129 grt*

*Prize Vessels* 
DKM Supply ship TACOMA (DKM 8268 grt) 

Axis
Axis Warships
MSW R-5 (DKM 60 grt), ASW Trawler AXEL (DKM 373 grt), U-15 Type IIB Uboat (DKM 324 grt), U-55 Type VIIB Uboat (DKM 843 grt) 

*(1600 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Axis Shipping
Steamer JOHANN SCHULTE (Ger 5254 grt) , DKM Supply ship TACOMA (DKM 8268 grt), Steamer FRANKENWALD (Ger 5062 grt), Steamer BAHIA BLANCA (Ger 8558 grt), Trawler DIETRICH HASSELDIECK (Ger 172 grt), Steamer PHAEDRA (Ge 619 grt), Steamer ALBERT JANUS (Ger 1598 grt), Steamer GRATIA (Ger 2068 grt), Steamer AUGUST THYSSEN (Ger 2342 grt), Trawler MULHAUSEN (Ger 327 grt) 

Captured
Steamer KESSU (Est 295 grt)

*Tonnage Sunk or captured: 35868 (1600 Naval, 34268 Ger)*


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## Wurger (Feb 1, 2015)

The February 1940... Maj. Henryk Dobrzański "Hubal" was keeping on his fighting against the Nazi German invaders.

Mjr. Hubal ( the man wearing the scarf ) and members of his squad.....











The soldiers of the Hubal's troop , the February 1940 ...
















A Hubal's cavalryman , Corporal Franciszek Głowacz alias "Lis" ( Fox) ... February 1940 ...






A receipt issued by the Hubal's HQ for a heifer with the Mjr. Hubal's sign ...


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## Njaco (Feb 1, 2015)

*February 1 Thursday*
*GERMANY: *Several changes occur within the Luftwaffe. The Stab of JG 54 is formed and Hptm. Martin Mettig, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 21 is transferred to become its first Kommodore. Hptm. Fritz Ultsch becomes Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 21 in place of Hptm. Mettig. Oblt. Johannes Steinhoff is appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 52 taking the place of Oblt. Heinz Schumann who is transferred to JG 2. A new Gruppe, II./JG 3 is formed and based at Zerbst with Hptm. Erich von Selle from JG 27 as Gruppenkommandeur and Hptm. Walter Andres is made Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 27 in von Selle’s place. Hptm. von Selle was a Gruppenkommandeur at JG 27 for only a month having been promoted to that unit on 1 January, 1940. Major Richard Kraut is made Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 76 in place of Hptm. Wilfried Müller-Rienzburg.

Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded the Pilot's Badge.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* After weeks of artillery bombardment, Red Army begins the first phase of its renewed attack on the Summa sector of the Karelian Isthmus, where Timoshenko has concentrated most of his forces. This 12 mile stretch of open land, unencumbered by lakes and rivers, leads directly to Viipuri, Finland’s second city. A massive artillery barrage drops 300,000 shells in 24 hours on the Mannerheim Line around Summa. The Finnish 3rd Division, holding the line in the Summa area, takes much of the weight. The Soviet 7th and 13th Armies have 14 divisions and six tank brigades in the advance, with strong reserves. However, only regiment-sized probing forces are sent forward to test the effectiveness of new Soviet tank/infantry close-support tactics. This is only a dress-rehearsal of the expected main assault by the Soviets. During this round of attacks (which continues until February 8th) there is no attempt at a breakthrough by the Soviets but almost continuous heavy pressure is maintained.

Russian planes bombed Rovaniemi and Kemi, on Lapland front.

It was announced that both British and American aircraft had reached Finland and been in use for past fortnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank Swedish steamer “_Fram_” in the Aberdour Bay, Scotland at 0143 hours. 9 were killed and 14 were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Khartoum_” and armed trawler HMS “_Viking Deeps_”.

German submarine U-59 torpedoed and sank British coaler “_Ellen_” M. 20 miles east of Southwold, Suffolk, England, killing the entire crew of 9.

SS ‘_Creofield_' (638t) tanker, Southend to Middlesbrough was sunk, believed torpedoed by U 59 off Great Yarmouth. All sixteen of her crew were lost.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Russia the noted stage director, Vsevolod Meyerhold, having been tortured into confessing that he was the leader of an anti-soviet Trotskyite, was convicted in camera, and was executed on the following day.

SS-Reichsführer Himmler ordered inspections of potential sites for a planned concentration camp. Among those inspected was the camp at Oswiecim, Poland, known in German as Auschwitz.

Balkan Entente conference opened in Belgrade, Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Greece meeting to discuss questions of Balkan policy.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain, the Admiralty took over the responsibility for the building and repair of merchant shipping and concluded an arrangement to buy old cargo ships from the United States.

In the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declined to accept a suggestion by Herbert Morrison that a Minister of War Economy should be appointed on the grounds that such a post would do nothing which was not already being done.

*ASIA:* A record budget is presented to the Japanese Diet. Almost half is to be devoted to military expenditure. Meanwhile, Japan makes a diplomatic protest to Britain concerning the removal of 21 German nationals from the liner “_Asama Maru_” by British forces of the HMS “_Gloucester_” and demands they be returned. (The “_Asama Maru_” incident of January 21st.)

The Chinese Communist Mao Tse-tung calls for the US to stand firm against Japan.

.

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## Njaco (Feb 2, 2015)

*February 2 Friday*
*GERMANY:* Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring presides over a conference to consider the acceleration of the armament programme. Attending are Oberstgeneral Keitel, Oberstgeneral Milch and Reichsminister Funk. Results of the meeting are that due to shortage of raw materials there should be a ban on new aircraft designs. The main task of the German aircraft industry now is to produce the existing front-line aircraft and improve those on the priority list. This serves to hamper the Luftwaffe’s ability to keep pace with the Allies on new, modern aircraft.

Major Ernst Burgaller of II./JG 51 is killed in a crash on the shores of Lake Constantine. Major Burgaller was a former member of the ‘Richthofen’ Geschwader during World War I. His place as Gruppenkommandeur is taken by Hptm. Günther Matthes.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet troops continued to assert pressure on Finnish defensive positions on the Karelian Isthmus. Soviet shelling, aerial bombing and small unit combined infantry/armour attacks continue on the Isthmus, designed to wear down the Finnish defenders rather than penetrate the fortified defensive line. Meanwhile, Finnish 9th Division continued their attempt to encircle troops of the Soviet 54th Division near Kuhmo. In a rare example of reinforcing the trapped Red Army units, Siberian ski battalion under Colonel Vyatsheslav Dmitrievitsh Dolin is sent in to help 54th division at Viipuri Bay, but were disrupted by Finnish aircraft.

Twenty places bombed in Southern Finland, including Helsinki and Sortavala. Helsinki announced that at least five enemy planes were shot down in the Isthmus.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-59 torpedoed and sank British steamer “_Creofield_” at 0624 hours 20 miles off of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, killing 9. At 2040 hours, in the same general area, she torpedoed and sank British steamer “_Portelet_”, killing 2 with 9 survivors rescued by Finnish steamer “_Oscar Midling_”.

British tanker ‘_British Councillor_’ sunk by enemy action in North Sea. It is possible that she struck a mine.

SS ‘_Portelet_' (1,064t) sank on a voyage from Ipswich to Sunderland with the loss of two of her crew.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Balkan Entente Conference begins and includes a proclamation by the neutral states of Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey declaring a common interest in maintaining peace in southeastern Europe and the renewal of the pact.

.



.


----------



## parsifal (Feb 2, 2015)

*1 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Fr Chamois class MSW Annamite





*Known Losses*
Coaster ELLEN M (UK 498 grt): Crew: 9 (9 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Coal : Route: Immingham (1 Feb) - London : the unescorted vessel was hit in the foreship by one G7e torpedo from U-59 and sank in a few minutes northeast of Lowestoft. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV FRAM (Sd 2,491 grt):Crew: 23 (9 dead and 14 survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Stockholm - Hartlepool . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off New Aberdour, Morayshire, by U-13. The survivors were rescued by DD KHARTOUM and ASW Trawler VIKING DEEPS





Tkr PICARDIE (Fr 8298 grt): The tanker struck a submerged object in the Atlantic Ocean 450 nautical miles (830 km) north west of the Azores, Portugal and broke in two. The bow section sank. The stern section was towed to Oran, Algeria. Surviving wartime damage, it was sold to Norway in 1949, a new bow section was built and she returned to service as SIREFJEL

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The Fuehrer's latest decision not to attack ships still under construction remains in force* Chief, Naval Ordnance Division stated at the time that no decisive results could be obtained by attacking vessels while still on the slips, as they were not at a sufficiently
> advanced stage of construction* On the other hand, attacks made on ships in dock, which are almost completed, promise considerable success. But at present an R.A.F,. counterattack on Wilhelmshaven would be even more unfortunate for us than the loss of a few battleships would be for the enemy.
> 
> A telephone conversation with Chief of Staff, Group West revealed that Commander, Naval Air, »Vest apparently believes that aerial
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 26 and U 37 sailed for operations in accordance with Operations Orders No. 23 and 21. U 31 reported that she was returning


.

At Sea 1 February 1940
U-13, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-41, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-56, U-58, U-59.
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Patrol*
The Northern Patrol sighted 49 eastbound merchant ships from the 1st to 14th and sent 21 into Kirkwall for inspection. CA BERWICK and AMCs TRANSYLVANIA and CARINTHIA arrived at the Clyde after Northern Patrol duties.

*North Sea*
DDs were transferred to the Rosyth Command to assist in ASW patrols. BRAZEN and BOREAS of DesFlot 19 arrived at Rosyth from Harwich on the 1st. GRIFFIN was delayed in her departure due to DG fitting, but both she and GALLANT of the DesFlot 1 departed Harwich on the 2nd and arrived at Rosyth on the 3rd. INTREPID and IVANHOE of DesFlot 20 arrived on the 8th. DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN arrived at Rosyth escorting tkr ATHOLLKNIGHT (8940grt). CL SOUTHAMPTON departed the Tyne for Scapa after her refit.
Sloop FLAMINGO arrived at Rosyth escorting ML PRINCESS VICTORIA, which had departed Immingham at 0200/1st and joined FN.83, escorted by FLAMINGO and sloop WESTON. DDs KASHMIR and KHARTOUM departed Rosyth, escorting SARDIS (970grt) to Aberdeen, where steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE was to join for the passage to Scapa. However, because of bad weather, CYPRIAN PRINCE was unable to join. DD JUNO, escorting HN.9B, made an attack on a submarine contact.

Subs URSULA and H.34 departed Rosyth for Blyth and were escorted as far as the Longstones by DD ENCOUNTER. The subs arrived at Blyth on the 2nd and ENCOUNTER back at Rosyth also on the 2nd. FN.84 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop. FS.84 departed Methil for the Thames escorted by escort vessel/destroyer WHITLEY and sloop EGRET. The convoy consisted of 27 ships, but 2 more joined at Middlesborough and 9 more in the Humber. Off Blea Wyke Point on the 2nd, a submarine contact was made at 0820 by EGRET. WHITLEY dropped DCs and was later relieved at the scene by DD GLOWWORM and WESTMINSTER, both of which attacked the contact. DD GREYHOUND also joined the hunt, but the search was abandoned at 1400. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd. Convoy MT.1 departed Methil, escort DD WESTMINSTER and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd. PELICAN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd

*Channel*
Fr DD OURAGAN was damaged in a collision with Fr PV LOUISE MARIE which was lightly damaged. OURAGAN was temporarily repaired at Boulogne, departed on the 14th, and arrived at Brest on the 25th for completion of repairs.

*UK - France*
DD BASILISK departed Dover for Boulogne with Lord Gort, and came back later that day carrying the Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Imperial General Staff and other staff members.

*SW Approaches*
DDs VETERAN and VESPER, on an ASW sweep, attacked a submarine contact west of Scilly Island.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.19 departed Freetown escort AMC PRETORIA CASTLE from the 1st to 16th, merged with SLF.19 on the 16th, and the two convoys arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

*Med- Biscay*
CL CARLISLE lost two Royal Marines overboard, en route to Gibraltar to work up. HG.17 departed Gib with 20 ships, escort DDs VIDETTE, the Fr CHACAL and Fr PV CAPITAINE ARMANDE. CHACAL later detached and arrived in Brest on the 9th and the patrol vessel on the 10th. The convoy was escorted in Home Waters by DD VIMY from the 8th to 11th when the convoy arrived.


----------



## parsifal (Feb 2, 2015)

*2 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RCN Corvette MATAPEDIA
HMCS MATAPEDIA | Ships of the Canadian Navy





*Known Losses*
Tkr BRITISH COUNCILLOR (UK 7048 grt) struck a mine laid by U.26 off Withernsea. DDs GALLANT and GRIFFIN stood by and took off the survivors. Forty three survivors were picked up by destroyer WHITLEY. Tug YORKSHIREMAN was dispatched to assist, but the tanker sank the next day.
New Image Source: http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum Ships/Old Ships B/slides/British Councellor-01.jpg





Tkr CREOFIELD (UK 838 grt): Crew:17 (17 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: Creosote : Route: London - Middlesbrough . The un-escorted coastal tanker was hit by a single G7e torpedo fired by U-59 and sank almost immediately in the North Sea off Lowestoft, Suffolk. 





MV PORTELET (UK 1,064 grt): Crew: 11 (2 dead and 9 survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Ipswich - Sunderland . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk by U-59 . The survivors were rescued by steamer OSCAR MIDLING (FN).





MV TERESA (Sp 931 grt): The coaster ran aground at Azemmour, Morocco and was wrecked. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> A speech by the Japanese Foreign Minister Arita summarized the aims of Japanese policy as follows: Settlement of the conflict with China, improvement of relations with Russia, desire for settlement of the trade conflict with America, maintenance of
> good relations with the "Ant i- Comintern Powers". Mr. Chamberlain has announced the formation of a special committee for the increase of exports. Up to now he has been unwilling to create a co-ordinated ministry to deal with economic questions. According to special reports, General Weygand has made a forceful demand for offensive action in the Balkans by the Western Powers. This demand and its corollary requesting preparations for the operation are said to be directly opposed to the view of General Gamelin, who, it is stated, has denounced such an action in the Balkans as a mere adventure, particularly in view of the
> resultant supply difficulties.
> The following is a reasonably reliable estimate of the troops brought across to date by the Western Powers:
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to Report



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-53

At Sea 2 February 1940
U-13, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-41, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-53 , U-56, U-58, U-59. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER departed Scapa and AMCs CORFU and WORCESTERSHIRE from the Clyde, all for Northern Patrol. CA DEVONSHIRE and AMC ANDANIA arrived in the Clyde, and AMC PATROCLUS at Liverpool, all from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs BOREAS and BRAZEN departed Rosyth for ASW ops off Kinnaird Head. Sub SHARK arrived at Sheerness to refit, and completed on 26 March. Sub L.23 arrived at Blyth after patrol. Sub THISTLE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. OA.84 departed Southend escort DD VERITY from the 2nd to 4th, and also DD ANTELOPE from the 2nd to 5th, when she joined HXF.18. SA.28 of 2 steamers departed Southampton on the 2nd and travelled with OA.82 until the 3rd, when it detached without escort and arrived at Brest on the 4th.

Convoys MT.2 and MT.3 departed the Methil. Weather had delayed sailing and the number of ships was too large for one convoy. DDs ESCAPADE and JACKAL escorted the convoys, which arrived in the Tyne on the 3rd. FN.85 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 3rd. FS.85 departed the Tyne, escort DD WESTMINISTER and sloop STORK, and with submarines UNITY and H.34 in company. Destroyer VEGA replaced WESTMINSTER shortly after sailing, and on the 3rd, He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) attacked the convoy, but were driven off by VEGA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 4th. (Note: German X Air Corps flew He111's of KG26, Ju88's of KG30, and two reconnaissance squadrons flying He59's or Do17's).

*Northern Waters*
DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FURY, FOXHOUND, FAME, FORTUNE, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE, DELIGHT, DARING and DIANA departed Greenock for an ASW sweep towards the Mull of Kintyre, before joining Canadian troop convoy TC 3 in the Western Approaches. DELIGHT was diverted after sailing to escort ON.10 and was replaced by DDs KINGSTON and KELVIN. The convoy of five liners had been escorted across the Atlantic by BB VALIANT, which had completed working up the Caribbean, and supported in the Western Approaches by BC HOOD. The convoy was met on the 5th. CL ENTERPRISE had already been detached and arrived back at Halifax on the 4th. Convoy TC 3, battleships VALIANT and MALAYA and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, FAME, FURY, DIANA, DARING, KELVIN, KINGSTON and HUNTER arrived in the Clyde without event on the 7th.

CL SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Scapa, and departed the same day for North Cape in Operation WR to intercept German merchant ships attempting to return to Germany. She was ordered to return to Scapa at daylight on the 6th if no contact had been made.

*West Coast UK*
DD ILEX departed Liverpool for Rosyth after refitting. ASW trawler KINGSTON CHRYSOBERYL (448grt) attacked a submarine contact off Owers Light Vessel. 

*Channel*
AMC VOLTAIRE arrived at Gib from Portsmouth, sailed the same day for Malta and arriving, was in a collision with steamer JENNY (Den 843 grt).

*SW Approaches*
DDs VISCOUNT and WREN attacked a sub contact south of the Scilly Island

*Nth Atlantic*
Having previously arrived from Halifax, steamers LEOPOLD LD (Fr 5267 grt, carrying 47 aircraft for shipment to France), OREGON (Fr 7706 grt, carrying 34) and SAN PEDRO (Fr 5947 grt, carrying 26) left New York, escorted by CAs DUPLEIX and FOCH (Force X) for Bermuda, departing there on the 5th. Meanwhile, on the 4th, Contre Torpilleur DD MAILLE BREZE sailed from Algiers and on the 6th VAUTOUR and ALBATROS from Oran, arriving at Casablanca on the 6th and 7th respectively. The DDs then left on the 11th to meet the convoy mid ocean. DDs FORTUNE, SIMOUN and BASQUE departed Casablanca on the 12th also to meet the convoy. Late on the 15th, MAILLE BREZE, FORTUNE, BASQUE were detached to Casablanca with the merchant ships, arriving on the 16th. The other warships, DUPLEIX, FOCH, VAUTOUR, ALBATROS and SIMOUN, proceeded to the Med with SIMOUN later detaching to Casablanca and the other ships to Oran, arriving on the 16th. The cruisers carried on to Toulon reaching there on the 18th, while MAILLE BREZE arrived there on the 23rd after escorting a steamer from Casablanca.


----------



## parsifal (Feb 3, 2015)

*3 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
T-3 Type 1935 TB 





*Known Losses*

MV ARMANISTAN (UK 6,805 grt):Crew: 54 (0 dead and 54 survivors) : Cargo: Full load sugar, zinc, chemical products and iron rails Route or Convoy: Antwerp - Basrah Convoy OG 16 . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk off the mouth of the Tagus, Portugal by U-25 . All crew were rescued by MONTE ABRIL (Sp).





MV PALLAS (Nor 556 grt): The coaster collided in the North Sea off Haugesund, Rogaland with MV WIPUNEN (Fn) and sank.





Coaster REET (Est 815 grt):Crew: 18 (18 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Unknown Route or Convoy: Methil (31 Jan) - Gothenburg The coaster was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea east of the Orkney Islands, United Kingdom by U-58. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
MSW SPHINX (RN 785 grt), operating as part of MSWFlot 5, whilst undertaking mine clearance ops with MSW SPEEDWELL, was bombed and badly damaged by He111's of KG26 15 miles north of Kinnaird Head in a daylight attack. Three ratings were killed immediately, with forty five were missing, and one died of wounds. These crewman were no found (48 casualties out of a crew of 80). 3 crew members were rescued with serious wounds. SPEEDWELL attempted top take the stricken SPHINX in tow, but the tow line parted at 1045, and she was unable to regain the tow for a time. After an unsuccessful joint attempt to tow was made by MSWs SPEEDWELL and HARRIER, DD BOREAS went alongside and took off survivors but sustained light damage as she did to her hull forward in the process. SPHINX capsized in heavy weather early on the 4th and went ashore a total loss. DDs BOREAS and BRAZEN, minesweepers SKIPJACK, SPEEDWELL, HARRIER and tug WATERMEYER arrived at Invergordon on the 4th. The damage to BOREAS was repaired at Aberdeen completing on the 7th.





MV TEMPO (Nor 629 grt): The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the North Sea off St Abb's Head, Berwickshire, by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26, Luftwaffe, with the loss of five of her 14 crew. The survivors were rescued by the tug Brahmam 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> While he was in Kiel, the Chief, Naval Staff inspected the auxiliary cruiser, Ship "16 n (Captain Rogge). He was impressed with the efficient condition of the ship and paid tribute to the work of Deschimag in getting her ready. The equipment of the ship is excellent* Before sailing the ship is to have 14 days 1 training in home waters* The tour of inspection of the Minelaying Experimental Command confirmed their excellent achievements* Their labors towards creating a very effective minelaying arm have been untiring*
> 
> Chief, Operations Branch submitted the operational orders for the LUETZOW and the auxiliary cruiser Ship "16". Chief, Naval Staff gave his fundamental approval. Group V/est has ordered the proposed minelaying operations by destroyers in the river Thames (ground mines) and in the Haisbro lightship area (ground mines and EMC mines) to be carried out in the February new moon period*



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 31 entered Heligoland.



At Sea 3 February 1940
U-13, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-31, U-34, U-37, U-41, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-53 , U-56, U-58, U-59. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMCs DERBYSHIRE and CIRCASSIA arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD JAGUAR arrived at Rosyth from Scapa. DD ISIS departed Rosyth for the Clyde. DD KANDAHAR was to have sailed in company, but had so many sick cases on board she was unable to leave. ON.10 was to have sailed, but was delayed 24 hours and then another 24, and did not sail until the 5th. TM, with an escort of the 1st Anti-Submarine Group, departed Newcastle, and arrived at Methil on the 4th escorted by the trawlers of the Gp and DDs ESCAPADE and JACKAL. FS.86, escort sloops FLAMINGO and WESTON, departed the Tyne supported by DD JUNO, but was forced to anchor in heavy fog. FS.88 joined them, FLAMINGO and WESTON proceeded to Rosyth and left DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY to escort both convoys. WOOLSTON later had to detach to Sheerness as she was short of fuel. Both convoys arrived at Southend on the 9th. Steamer LAERTES (Ne 5825 grt) was damaged by mining off Royal Sovereign Light Vessel and tug BUCCANEER was to sent to assist.

U.26 recorded in her log that she made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in the North Sea.

Shipping strike by KG26 damaged the following ships

Steamer KILDALE (3877 grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps). DD JACKAL was able to drive off further attacks, Aux MSW trawler ST DONATS (349grt) took off the crew and she was towed to the Humber by tug YORKSHIREMAN.

Steamer YEWDALE (823 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps (He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) four miles NNE of Scarborough.




_The YEWTREE (pictured) is believed to be a near sister to the YEWDALE_

Steamer BEECHWOOD (4897grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) three miles east of Smiths Knoll Light Vessel.

Steamer HARLEY (400grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps (He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) eight miles SSE of Flamborough Head.

Steamer NEW MINSTER (967grt) was damaged by German bombing.

Trawler ROSE OF ENGLAND (223grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps (He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) five to six miles east of Scarborough Castle.

Trawler NAIRANA (225grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps (He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) 

Greek steamer ALEXANDRA (4355grt) was attacked and bombed by aircraft of German X Air Corps (He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) six miles off Longstone, but was not damaged.

Greek steamer NICOLAOU ZOGRAFIA (7050grt) was bombed and attacked by aircraft of German X Air Corps (He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) but not damaged.

*Northern Waters*
DDs KHARTOUM and KASHMIR arrived in the Clyde. MSW trawler FIREFLY (392 grt) was damaged when a mine being hoisted inboard exploded near Dundee. Temporary Lt A. M Maclean RNVR died of wounds on the 18th. 13 crew members were wounded but survived. She was towed to Leith by Aux MSW trawler WARDOUR (335grt) and arrived at Rosyth on the 4th.

*Channel*
CL PENELOPE departed Portland for Rosyth to arrive on the 5th, but was delayed by fog and did not arrive until the 7th.

*UK - France*

*Western Approaches*
Sloop DEPTFORD, escorting OB.84, collided with steamer ANTIGUA (US 6982 grt). The sloop sustained only slight damage.

*Med- Biscay*
OA.83GF sailed from Southend on 30 January, escort DDs BROKE and WHITEHALL. OB.83GF cleared Liverpool on the 1st with DDs VERSATILE and WINCHELSEA. On the 3rd, the two convoys merged as OG.17F with thirty ships, escorted by BROKE, VERSATILE, WINCHELSEA on the 3rd and sloop ENCHANTRESS from the 3rd to 7th. All four escorts detached to HG.17F. OG.17F was escorted by DD VELOX from the 5th to 8th, and DD HERO from the 7th to 8th, on which day it arrived at Gib. CL DELHI arrived at Gib from Portsmouth to join the Med Flt, and departed on the 4th, arriving at Malta on the 6th to relieve CL GALATEA as flagship Vice Admiral Destroyers, Mediterranean. DDs DECOY and DEFENDER departed Gib to carry out an ASW patrol off the Portuguese coast. At 2310, DEFENDER was detached to stand by steamer OREGON which had broken down. DECOY arrived back at Gib on the 8th.
Fr CA TOURVILLE and DDs VAUBAN and AIGLE arrived at Malta at 0700 from Beirut carrying out a contraband patrol in the Aegean en route, and departed Malta the next day for Toulon. Fr DDs FORTUNE, SIMOUN and sub PROTÉE departed Oran for Casablanca, passed Gib on the 4th, and were sent to investigate an explosion near the steamer JAVA (Den 8681 grt).


----------



## Njaco (Feb 3, 2015)

*February 3 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* The night-fighting unit of JG 2, 10(Nacht)./JG 2, is increased to Gruppe strength and re-formed as IV(N)./JG 2 combining with 10(N)./JG 26 and 11(NJ)./LG 2 to create the new Gruppe. Based at Jever, the Gruppe is led by Hptm. Blumensaat who takes the place of Oblt. Müller who led the unit since 1 September, 1939. The unit uses Ar 68F and Bf 109Ds for its night operations.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Reports of a British convoy bound from Sweden send bombers of 2./KG 26, (Löwen Geschwader), into the air. At approximately 0630 hours, Heinkel 111 bombers of KG 26 lifted off from their temporary base in Schleswig, North Germany, and flew due west. They took off in pairs and at three minute intervals; their task was to locate a British convoy which was southbound from Sweden and believed to be down the north-east coast of England. As the raiders flew out over the forbidding greyness of the North Sea, three Hurricanes of 'B' Flight, RAF No. 43 Squadron led by FlLt. P. W. Townsend, took off from Acklington, Northumberland, the only aerodrome in the north-east sector not snowbound. The Hurricanes arrived to discover He 111, W.Nr. 3232, which they attacked, killing Leushacke and mortally wounding Meyer, and disabling the starboard engine. The German pilot Wilms banked into the clouds for protection, and the stricken Heinkel, now trailing smoke, swooped low over the rooftops of Whitby with the Hurricanes in pursuit, causing locals to rush out of their homes. Mrs. Ruth Smailes, at home at Bannial Flatt Farm, heard the engines and looked out in time to see the doomed Heinkel snap through the telegraph wires suspended in its path and narrowly miss the roof of a barn. Then it was down, its undercarriage collapsing as the aircraft's weight settled upon it. The Heinkel crash-landed at Bannial Flatt Farm two miles to the west of Whitby, becoming the first German aircraft to crash on English soil (the first German bomber [the 'Humbie Heinkel'] crashed in October on Scottish soil). The crew set fire to the bomber but it was put out and captured damaged. Two crewmembers are killed and Fw. H. Wilms is captured. Uffz. K. Missy suffers such serious injuries that he loses a leg and later in October 1943 is returned to Germany in an exchange of POWs. Another Heinkel He 111 was shot down by Hurricanes of No 43 Squadron flying from Acklington, and crashed into the sea fifteen miles E of Tynemouth at 1115 hours. Three crewmen captured and two killed, the body of one of them was recovered from the sea and is buried at Grimsby. The aircraft was lost. A third Heinkel He 111 was shot down by Hurricanes of No 43 Squadron, and crashed into the sea at Druridge Bay near Amble at 09.30. Three bodies were recovered from the sea and are buried at Chevington, the other crewman and the plane were lost. Meanwhile the remaining German bombers attacked British minesweepers “_Sphinx_”, “_Speedwell_”, and “_Skipjack_” at 0930 hours near the mouth of the Moray Firth in northern Scotland. “_Sphinx_” was struck by a bomb on the aft deck, killing many including the captain. Survivors were taken to HMS “_Speedwell_”, and “_Sphinx_” capsized 19 hours later. Frigate HMS “_Boreas_”, summoned along with other Royal Navy vessels to provide assistance, rescues crewmembers from the foundering ship and from the sea but a total 54 lives are lost. The raid succeeds in sinking the HMS “_Alexandria_” east of Longstone Island, Farnes.

SS ‘_Tempo_' (629t) a Norwegian ship, was sunk by German aircraft off St Abbs Head. A boat containing the captain and some of the crew landed safely at Eyemouth, but another boat containing six crew members drifted further south and unfortunately ended up on the wrong side of the pier at Berwick upon Tweed. It hit the rocks and capsized before coming ashore. Four of the six were dead and a fifth died later in the Harbour Master's house.

The British Air Ministry issued specification E.28/39 to the Gloster Aircraft Company to prepare an airframe for flight testing the pioneering W.1 gas turbine designed by Frank Whittle and built by Power Jets Ltd.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-25 torpedoed and sank British steamer “_Armanistan_” at 1432 hours about 100 miles west of Lisbon, Portugal. The entire crew was rescued by Spanish vessel “_Monte Abril_” and brought to the island of Tenerife of the Canary Islands.

German submarine U-58 chased Estonian vessel “_Reet_” for 13 hours, sinking her with torpedoes in the North Sea halfway between Stavanger, Norway and Aberdeen, Scotland, killing 18.

*ASIA*: Japanese 26th Division captured Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Fighting was intense at Summa in Karelian Isthmus, this being third day of new Russian offensive. Four fierce attacks were repulsed by Finns.

Mass Soviet air raids on Finland, the worst being at Kupio. Attack went as far west as Pori, on Bothnian coast. Army communiqué stated that Finns had brought down at least 13 planes over Isthmus.


.


----------



## parsifal (Feb 3, 2015)

*4 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*

MV FLORES (Ne 650 grt (est)) The coaster struck a mine and sank in the North Sea east of Burnham on Crouch, Essex.





MV HOP (Nor 1374 grt): Crew: 17 (17 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Ballast. Route: Bergen (3 Feb) - Middlesbrough . The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-37 with the loss of all 17 crew.





MV LEO DAWSON (UK 4330 grt): Crew: 5 (35 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: Iron Ore : Route: Narvik (29 Jan) - Immingham . At 21.25 hours on 4 Feb 1940 the unescorted vessel was hit aft by one torpedo from U-37 about 15 miles east of Bressay, Shetlands.. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 21.11 hours





MV VID (Yug 3547 grt): The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by U-21 with all hands lost. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Conclusion of the Balkan Conference a For official communique see Foreign Press Report. The firm resolve of the four Balkan Pact countries to continue their peaceful policy in the European conflict and their common interest in maintaining peace and security in the Balkans were especially emphasized. The Balkan Pact was extended to seven years, '..'illingness for friendly co-operation with Hungary and Bulgaria was stressed.
> France:
> Patrolling of the Spanish coast continues; the destroyer GUEPARD has been ordered to operate to the limit of her fuel reserves.
> Two destroyers lying some 60 miles west of Cape Finisterre have been ordered to reconnoiter to a point south of Cape St. Vincent
> &nd proceed to Casablanca on 6 Feb. On the evening of 3 Feb.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 31 left Heligoland for her operations area in accordance with Operations Order No. 23. She had to turn back in the evening as her gyro was out of order. Ice conditions this winter make it clear that a base for U-boats in Heligoland is essential. It is therefore particularly gratifying to B.d.U. that steps were already taken in peacetime so that there are now some facilities, though limited. The use of Heligoland and the adjacent exercise area at present are limited by the following conditions:
> 
> 1) There are only mediocre berths for U-boats in the harbor. The structure of the harbor makes supply and refueling difficult. There are at present no facilities for extensive repairs, docking etc. It is difficult to get spare parts, as ice conditions make communication with the island difficult and subject to delays. Specialist personnel have to be sent with them from Wilhelmshaven.
> 2) The sea area around the island is not free of enemy activity. S/M hunts cannot be carried out in the U-boats training areas. Danger from the air has to be accepted without it being possible to call on local defense forces. There are not enough S/M chasers and patrol vessels.
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-31

Departures
Helgoland: U-20 

At Sea 4 February 1940
U-13, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-34, U-37, U-41, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL AURORA arrived at Scapa and AMCs ASTURIAS and CALIFORNIA in the Clyde, all from Northern Patrol. CL NEWCASTLE sailed from Scapa, and AMC CARINTHIA from the Clyde, both on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
CLA CAIRO collided with steamer LULONGA (821grt) while entering the Humber. CAIRO was not damaged, but the steamer was beached to prevent her sinking. DDs EXPRESS, IVANHOE, INTREPID, ESK arrived in the Humber at 1255 after Minelaying Operation JB in the North Sea. The minelaying was screened by MTBs Boats 22, 24, 25 recently transferred to the Humber. Subs SEAL and NARWHAL exercised in the Firth of Forth. Afterwards SEAL set off on patrol, while NARWHAL was to have joined convoy ON.10. When the convoy was delayed, NARWHAL returned to Rosyth. DD BRAZEN departed Invergordon to hunt for a submarine off Lossiemouth reported by aircraft, but was later recalled. DD JERVIS and JUPITER departed Rosyth on the 4th, patrolled in the vicinity of Farne Island and then proceeded to the Humber. DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY, waiting for convoy FS.87, also patrolled the area.

DD COSSACK departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 5th. DD KANDAHAR departed Rosyth for the Clyde, where she arrived on the 5th. DDs KIPLING and KIMBERLEY departed Greenock for Scapa with steamers KYLE FISHER (520grt) and FLORISTAN (5478grt). FLORISTAN arrived at Scapa on the 6th.

Steamer BARON RUTHVEN (3178grt) ran aground off the Tees. Norwegian steamer JERNFJELD (1369grt) ran aground off Whitby Bay.
Fr collier MARIE DAWN (2157grt) was damaged by a mine six miles NE of the Sunk with one crewman killed. She was abandoned by the survivors who reached Harwich, but then towed in by tugs.

*Channel*
DDs BASILISK, carrying the Prime Minister, the War Cabinet and the Chiefs of Staff, and BRILLIANT departed Dover for Boulogne. Both ships returned to Dover that evening. Subs UNITY and H.34 accompanied FS.85 on the 3rd and 4th, when they arrived in the Nore. They were then escorted by patrol sloop PUFFIN on to Portsmouth on the 7th.

*SW Approaches*
DDs WOLSEY, WINCHELSEA and sloop SANDWICH, escorting SLF.18 west of Ushant attacked a submarine contact.
.
*Med- Biscay*
DDs WHITSHED, HAVANT, ARDENT departed Plymouth for a position 40 miles 270° from Cape Finisterre.


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## parsifal (Feb 3, 2015)

*5 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
U.41, on her third war patrol, attacked convoy OB.84 south of Ireland and sank steamer *BEAVERBURN (UK 9874 grt)* Crew: 40 (1 dead and 39 survivors): Cargo: General cargo : Route:London - St. John, New Brunswick. In a second attack she badly damaged tkr CERONIA (Ne 8096 grt). Tkr NARRAGANSET (US 10,389 grt) rescued the survivors. Soon after the second attack the escorts achieved a combat solution. DD ANTELOPE escorting the convoy was able to sink the *Type IX A U.41 (DKM 1135 grt) * with the loss of all 49 crew. The convoy escort also claimed to have sunk a second submarine, although U.41 was the only one in the area. The second attack was at 1125 and was later determined to be the wreck of tkr SAN ALBERTO lost in December.








*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> It Is reported that conferences took place on 4 Feb, between British, French, Belgian and Dutch officers on the subject of joint operations in the event of a German attack on Holland and Belgium,
> 
> British press propaganda is trying to exploit German air attacks on merchant shipping by branding them as infringements of inter-
> national law on the part of the German war leaders. In particular the sinking of British unarmed lightships is strongly denounced.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 34 entered Heligoland. U 28 and U 33 left Wilhelmshaven for Heligoland to make trial runs etc., and will proceed from there to their operations areas.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-13 

Departures
Heligoland: U-10
Wilhelmshaven: U-9, U-33 

At Sea 5 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-44, U-48, U-51, U-53 , U-56, U-58, U-59. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ON.10 of 7 British, 10 Norwegian, 7 Swedish, 4 Finnish and 1 Estonian ship departed Methil escort DDs IMOGEN, IMPERIAL, ILEX, DELIGHT, TARTAR and sub NARWHAL. DELIGHT was ordered to Scapa on the 6th, and TARTAR was relieved by DD KIMBERLEY at sea. On the 7th , DELIGHT attacked a contact east of South Ronaldsay, and was joined by DDs GALLANT and GRIFFIN. ON.10 arrived safely at Bergen on the 8th. FS.88 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY, but before arrival, WOOLSTON was detached to Sheerness to refuel. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th with FS.86 after being considerably delayed by heavy fog. Convoy MT.4 departed Methil, escort DDs JACKAL, JAGUAR, sloop LONDONDERRY, and ASW trawlers of the 3rd Anti-Submarine Group, and arrived in the Tyne on the 6th. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA, escort DDs ECHO and ECLIPSE, was to have departed Aberdeen on the 4th for minelaying operation LD 1 during the night of the 4th/5th, but was delayed by fog. The operation was finally conducted on the 6th/7th when 48 mines were laid. OA.86 departed Southend and was dispersed on the 8th. No escorts are listed.

*West Coast UK*
DD VANOC attacked a submarine contact near Morecambe Bay (North of Blackpool). 

*Channel*
Armed patrol yacht SHEMARA (588grt) made an attack on a submarine contact off Portland Bill 

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.19 departed Freetown escort AMC MOOLTAN. Convoys SL.19 and SLF.19 merged on the 16th and SL.19’s escort, AMC PRETORIA CASTLE joined MOOLTAN. DDs VERITY, VIMY, WALPOLE and sloop SANDWICH relieved the AMCs on the 17th and took the convoys on to their destination on the 20th.

*Med- Biscay*
CLA CARLISLE arrived at Gib from Devonport to work up after conversion to AA ship, departed on the 8th for Malta, and arrived on the 10th. Sloop FOLKESTONE arrived at Gib from Malta. MSW FERMOY departed Port Said to relieve MSW GOSSAMER at Gib.

Fr CA TOURVILLE and DD VAUBAN and AIGLE departed Malta for Toulon. Fr AMC EL D'JEZAIR stopped steamer GUINE (Pt 2648 grt) in the North Atlantic and detained a German citizen. Steamer OREGON (6008 grt), which had broken down on the 2nd with boiler problems, was located off Caesces, Portugal by DD DEFENDER. She had been attacked on 30 January while sailing with convoy SL.17. DEFENDER stood by and Danish salvage tug VALKYRIAN arrived to take her in tow. DEFENDER was relieved by DD VORTIGERN on the 8th, and OREGON arrived at Lisbon on the 10th.


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## Njaco (Feb 4, 2015)

*February 4 Sunday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Consistent with Timoshenko’s small unit tactics, Soviet artillery, aircraft and tanks bombard Finnish positions in the Summa gap but Red infantry only advance on Summa village. Above Lake Lagoda, Colonel Dolin’s Siberian ski battalion arrives near the village of Kuhmo and counterattacks Finnish 9th division. After a week of pressure, Finnish IV Corps completes the destruction of West Lemetti motti, capturing 4 field guns, 2 antitank guns, 1 mortar, 32 tanks, 6 machineguns, 120 rifles and 26 trucks. Orders for the attack are notable for the first official use of the term “motti”. Helsinki stated that Russians had attacked positions newly occupied by Finns in Kuhmo sector, but had been repulsed.

Fourteen are killed and 179 injured in heavy Soviet air raids on Helsinki and the surrounding area. A total of 141 targets (towns, rail junctions, harbors) are attacked. Vilpuri suffered severe bombing raids, with some loss of life and much material damage. Other attacks were made at Ekenaes, Aabo, and Rovaniemi. Finnish communique claimed that 22 more enemy planes had been brought down.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Members of the Balkan Entente (Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Turkey) declared neutrality.

Reported that German arms were being sent by sea to Russian forces at Persamo and Murmansk.

*ASIA:* Japanese 26th Division captured Linhe, Suiyuan Province, China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 0417 hours, U-37 torpedoes Norwegian steamer SS “_Hop_” 100 miles South of the Shetland Islands (all 17 hands lost). About the same time 100 further miles South in the mouth of Moray Firth, HMS “_Sphinx_” finally sinks in heavy seas after being damaged by bombs on Feb 3.

At 2125 hours, U-37 sinks British steamer SS “_Leo Dawson_” 15 miles east of Bressay, Shetlands, after missing with the first torpedo (all 35 hands lost).

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The Grimsby Marine ARP Party went out to sea at 11.00 and brought in a British seaman and three German airmen. These men had been picked up by the trawler '_Harlech Castle_' after yesterday’s attacks on shipping. The airmen are reported to be the crew of the aircraft brought down off the mouth of the Tyne.


.


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## Wurger (Feb 4, 2015)

The Winter War in Finland ...

The Finnish Fokker D.XXI on skis ...

















A Hawker Hurricane Mk.I in Finland ...






A shot of the Turku town in Finland taken by the Russian reconnaissance aircraft in 1940 ...






The burning Tampere town, Finland after the Russian VVS air raid ...






The Soviet Tupolev SB-3 "Red4" and Iljushin DB-3 "Red14" bombers shot down over Finland ..












The Tea time break for Finnish soldiers ...


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## parsifal (Feb 4, 2015)

Breaking the Mannerheim Line 4-15 February 1940:

Timoshenko was from a peasant family in Bessarabia, a region today split between Ukraine and Moldova. In 1915 he was conscripted into a Russian cavalry regiment to fight in the First World War. When the Russian Revolution began he joined the Bolsheviks. He commanded a cavalry division in the Civil War, fighting at Tsaritsyn where he met Josef Stalin and Kliment Voroshilov, and later served with General Budyonny’s 1st Cavalry Army.
As a faithful ally of Josef Stalin (their children were married in 1944), Timoshenko was soon promoted to positions of senior military command, as well as a seat on the Central Committee of the Communist Party. During the Finnish-Soviet ‘Winter War’ of 1939-40, Timoshenko replaced the inept Vorishilov as Minister of Defence. Where his predecessor had overseen a string of humiliating reverses, Timoshenko forced a victorious end to the war. He also began much-needed reform of the Red Army.

Timoshenko could never be described as inspired, but he was trained and methodical, in contrast to the ineptitude displayed by Voroshilov

The process of the Soviet comeback was fitful and uneven. Outside Karelia, the Soviets continued to lose badly, such as at Lemetti, East of Ladoga.

On the main front, where the Soviets had focussed most of their build up. The Soviet artillery preparations in this critical sector was one of the largest in history, it is claimed it was only smaller than the Verdun artillery battle. Later battles such as Berlin did eclipse the efforts along the Mannerheim line. The artillery barrage was of a size and ferocity as to completely daze the Finns. It had proceeded for days previous, commencing on the 4th, with the assaults not beginning until the 9th, forcing the Finns to emerge by night to repair damage, and endure the massive bombardments by day, preventing them from any proper rest periods. Exhaustion rapidly set in under these conditions. The Finns had rotated forces only the day previous, and the rotated troops were not as combat experienced as those they replaced. They included Swede volunteers, which presented serious C&C and language problems for the Finn HQs. The Swedish volunteers lacked combat experience of any kind

The assaulting Soviet Infantry groups quickly captured the ruins of the Sj4 "Poppious" Bunker. This position was defended by a company under Lt Malm. In the firefight for the position, Malm's company lost over 80% of his defending troops, in just one day of fighting. Once Sj4 had fallen, Soviet armour/Infantry teams pressed hard to exploit and pushed up to the bunker at Sj6 (Torsu" Command Bunker). Soviet troops surrounded the bunker and threatened to blow it up. As the bunker was by then only occupied by wounded soldiers, the Finnish Medics made the decision to surrender.

On the right flank the "millionaire Bunker held out until the 13 Feb. Soviet attacks forced the Finns back from the trenches south of this bunker and made it to the roof of the casemate, closer to the lake, which then made it possible for Infantry elements to mount the roof of the main bunker and begin tossing rocks, and grenades down the casemate walls. They used heavy boulders to block the doors of the bunker, making it impossible for the Finns to sally out to clear the roof. . 

The soviet offensive across the Soursuo swamp commenced 11 Feb. it was preceded by a massive artillery preparation three Bns of the 24th Rifle Div pushed steadily forward across the frozen swampland on skis. These troops were properly attired in winter whites, making it harder for the Finn snipers to spot them. These troops advanced behind the cover 9often being towed along on tow llnes) behind Soviet Tanks, taking cover as needed behind armoured shields carried by the Infantry (dubbed "LBT" by the Infantry) These elite advanced elements moved forward steadily, capturing a critical section of the Finnish Trench system in the vicinity of the "K3" position , defended at that stage by the platoon under command of 2nd Lt Savinen, of the 9 company, 2nd Infantry Bde. This brigade mounted strong counte4rattacks as the position was critical to the whole Summa defensive position. Virtually the entire 2nd Brigade reserve was committed to the counterattack, but it was repulsed with heavy losses. 

On the 12th February the offensive continued. 24th Div brought forward a fresh Infantry regt, as well as further tanks in support. The renewed attacks passed through the currently defended lines captured the previous day these attacks managed to reach the shallow secondary trenches of the defence positions known as L1 and L2. Reaching these trenches, the tanks fanned out, firing both their main guns and mgs to cut off and pin the defending Finnish Infantry. Soviet supporting Infantry entered the trenches, where the position was bitterly contested.

The commander of the 2nd Brigade committed his final reserves, a 37mm ATG to try and contain the developing crisis, and temporarily at least, this manoeuvre worked. The Soviet advance was halted, but it could not halt the vicious trench clearing that was being carried out by the Soviet Regiment. By days end, 2nd brigade was in a very dangerous situation, with many of its troops fully engaged isolated and encircled, and no further reserves to redress the situation .

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## Njaco (Feb 4, 2015)

*February 5 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-41 damaged Dutch tanker “_Ceronia_” at 0330 hours. At 1310 hours, she torpedoed and sank Canadian Pacific steamer “_Beaverburn_” 150 miles south of Ireland, killing 1, with the remaining 76 rescued by British tanker “_Narragansett_”. Shortly after, U-41 was sunk by British destroyer HMS “_Antelope_”, killing all 49 aboard; it was the first time a lone British destroyer destroyed a German submarine, and Lieutenant Commander White of “_Antelope_” was awarded the DSO award. 

M. Pampunchi, French Minister of Marine, stated that 40 of Germany’s 55 submarines at sea in September had been sunk.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Allied Supreme War Council meets in Paris. France enthusiastic agrees to send British troops to Finland via landings at Narvik, seizing Swedish iron ore mines and the port of Luleå en route, despite the declared neutrality of Norway and Sweden! However, the operation is assigned only 2 British divisions, which only exist on paper and will have to be diverted from BEF in France. British Chief of Staff General Sir Edmund Ironside notes in his diary; “….everyone purring with pleasure”, unaware of detailed German plans to invade Norway with much larger forces. The plan is subject to Finland officially requesting assistance, and for Norway and Sweden to grant permission to cross their territories. BEF’s Chief of Staff General Henry Pownall is furious, recording in his diary;


> “For five months we have been struggling to make fit for action in the Spring a force that was dangerously under-equipped and untrained. There were signs that we were getting some reasonable way to our goal. If this business [the invasion of Norway] goes through, we shall be cut by 30%. Of all the harebrained projects I have heard of, this is the most foolish.”


By comparison with the contemporary, meticulous German plans, these Allied preparations are vague and irresolute. The pretext of going to help Finland is unconvincing and it is the obvious intention to devote most effort to stopping the Swedish iron ore reaching Germany.

General Reynders, the Dutch commander-in-chief, resigns over the lack of military preparedness in Holland.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Russians have gotten nearer to the Mannerheim defenses and are now 29 miles from Vilpuri. Finns have gained another big victory of which the Russian 18th Division, operating north-east of Lake Ladoga, was almost annihilated.

Russian air raids continued; objectives included churches and ambulances. Island monastery of Valamo on Lake Ladoga bombed and set on fire.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Maritime Commission announces that Britain and France are buying 113,000 tonnes of old American cargo ships.







.


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## parsifal (Feb 5, 2015)

*6 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
AMC PINGUIN







_PINGUIN as disguised as the Greek Cargo ship Kassios and as converted. She had several identitiesAs_

*Known Losses*
*MV ANU (Est 1474 grt)*: Crew: 19 passengers and crew (7 dead and 12 survivors) : Cargo: General Cargo : Route: Gothenburg - Aberdeen - Dundee . The cargo ship struck a mine laid on 12 Dec 1939, by U-13 off the mouth of the Tay, Scotland and sank with the loss of seven of the 19 people on board. 6 people on board were lost, and the ships cook died later from burns in Dundee hospital.





*MV DELFINA (Sp 3037 grt)*: The cargo ship ran aground at Bonanza, Spain and was wrecked.





*Steamer HIGHCLIFFE (UK 3247 grt)* went ashore on Fitful Head in the Shetlands, and one of her lifeboats went adrift. DDs GALLANT and GRIFFIN searched unsuccessfully for the boat.





*Fr Aux MSW VETERAN (Fr 253 grt)* was sunk in an accidental collision with British cable ship ALERT off Calais near Cape Griz Nez E. There were no casualties and ALERT's bow was only slightly damaged.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer VERBORMILIA (UK 3275 grt) *went ashore west of Fast Castle Point, Berwickshire.





*Coaster WIRGO (Sd 709 grt)*: Attacked by a pair of Soviet SB-2 Bombers from Soviet Naval Aviation whilst awaiting a channel to be made by a Finnish Icebreaker near the island of Abo. The crew were resting on the island at the time of the attack. swedish sources state the ship was damaged by splinters from near misses, heeled over and then capsized. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> 1. The Fuehrer has decided that operations by the Air Force against merchant shipping are to be extended to all shipping in the "War Channel" (original text. Tr.N. ) as far as the Thames. The only exception will be those ships marked clearly with a Maltese cross , which are obviously Danish treaty ships. By order of the Fuehrer the friendly neutrals will be given another emphatic warning.
> 2. Operation Halifax was temporarily postponed by the Fuehrer for political reasons. The German Foreign Minister has no basic objections to the execution of the operation and it is intended to approach the Fuehrer again. Chief, Naval Staff has ordered
> that all preparations for the proposed operation be continued.
> 4. Group West has informed us by teletype that a sufficient number of submarines will not be available until 14- Feb. For this reason the operation by the battleships is to be postponed till then, especially as the next convoy is not expected to put out until that date. The fresh postponement of the battleship operation until the date when the next convoy is due to sail is an unavoidable
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 50 and U 53 sailed in accordance with Operations Order No. 23. U 50 turned back towards evening owing to a trace of oil due to a burst pipe. U 34 entered Wilhelmshaven. She carried out her minelaying operation off Falmouth well and quickly. She also sank a steamer of 12,000 tons. West of North Channel she sighted 2 battleships and a cruiser steering for the North Channel, but she had no torpedoes left and would not in any case have reached firing range. Several U-boats have observed 2 battleships in company in the area west and north of Scotland. It seems probable that there is a permanent patrol here by a battle group of heavy ships, covering the approach to the North Sea from the Atlantic.
> 
> A S/M alarm on 5.2 immediately off Heligoland made it necessary to take decisive measures for boats training there.
> 
> U 29 sailed for Heligoland.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-34 

Departures
Heligoland: U-50
Wilhelmshaven: U-29 

At Sea 6 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-33, U-37, U-44, U-48, U-50, U-51, U-53, U-56, U-58, U-59. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMCs CALIFORNIA and AURANIA escort DD GURKHA, arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
CL SHEFFIELD departed Scapa, arrived at Rosyth on the 5th, then began repairs at South Shields on the 6th. These were completed on 15 March and she returned to duties with CruSqn18 from that date. CLs AURORA and EDINBURGH sailed from Scapa from Rosyth respectively, and rendezvoused to cover ON.10 at sea enroute to Norway.

Heavy fog disrupted the east coast convoys. FN.86, FS.88 and FN.87 were postponed for 24 hours, and FS.89 and FN.88 cancelled. The escort for FN.88 was to proceed to Rosyth, unless required to augment FN.89.

*West Coast UK*
BC REPULSE and DDs ISIS, KASHMIR, KHARTOUM and KANDAHAR departed the Clyde for Devonport. ISIS called in at Falmouth for refitting, while REPULSE arrived at Plymouth for repairs and degaussing.
Image acknowledgement ROYAL NAVY CROISEURS DE BATAILLE CLASSE RENOWN




_REPULSE as she appeared just prior to her loss_

*UK - France*
DD BOADICEA (D 19) carrying the PM, the First Lord, the First Sea Lord and other important persons, departed Dover escorted by DD BEAGLE for Boulogne. The two ships returned to Dover that evening. BC.25 departed Barry with steamers BARON CARNEGIE and BATNA escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived safely in the Loire.

*Med- Biscay*
OG.17 was formed just from the 23 ships of convoy OA.85G, escort DDs WOLVERINE and AMAZON. The escort was relieved off the Lizard by DD VIMY and sloop SCARBOROUGH, while the escort from the 6th to 13th was Fr DD TIGRE and escort ship MINERVE. The convoy arrived on the 14th.

HG.18F departed Gib with 33 ships. In the escort force was MSW GOSSAMER and sub OTWAY which were returning to England for service in Home Waters. Both continued with the convoy until the 13th with OTWAY reaching Portsmouth on the 14th. DD VORTIGERN escorted from the 6th to 8th, sloop FOLKESTONE from the 6th to 14th, sloop ENCHANTRESS from the 8th to 15th after detaching from OG.17F, and DD VERSATILE from the 12th to 15th after detaching from OG.18F. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 15th, by which time FOLKESTONE had reached Portsmouth.


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## Njaco (Feb 6, 2015)

*February 6 Tuesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish Army Command stated that new attacks by large Russian forces and tanks in Summa sector of Mannerheim Line were repulsed after 16 hours of fighting. Soviet shelling of the Mannerheim Line fortifications continues on the Karelian Isthmus, but probing infantry and tank attacks are restricted to Summa village and Marjapellonmäki in the nearby Karhula sector (Hill 38 ). Further North, above Lake Ladoga, Finnish 9th Division completed its encirclement of the Soviet 54th Division at Kuhmo. Reported that Russian parachute troops had been dropped behind Finnish lines both on Isthmus and at Rovaniemi, in Lapland, but were either killed or taken prisoner.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Britain launches a new poster campaign admonishing citizens not to discuss sensitive war information in public. The posters feature comical images of an eavesdropping Adolf Hitler and the slogan "Careless Talk Costs Lives."

At Euston Station, in London, a parcel bomb injures 4 people. Members of the IRA are reported to be responsible.

Notes exchanged between Britain and Japan, over removal on Jan 21 of 21 Germans from the ‘_Asama Maru_’ were published as a White Paper.

Pressure from the admiralty leads to new guidelines for BBC war reporting being agreed upon at Broadcasting House. From now on, the sinking of a small ship may be mentioned only once in a BBC news bulletin. Larger ships, like the Canadian Pacific freighter “_Beaverburn_”, sunk today, can be mentioned in consecutive bulletins. There is concern that the rising effectiveness of German U-boats, combined with zealous reporting, will give the impression that British losses are even greater than they are.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Vultee received an order from the Swedish government for 144 Vanguard fighters.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Estonian steamer “_Anu_” sank after hitting a mine 30 miles east of Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, killing the captain, his wife, the cook, and four crew members. This minefield in the mouth of River Tay was laid on Dec 12 1939 by U-13 and also caused damage to British steamer SS “_City of Marseilles_” on Jan 6 1940 (1 life lost).


.

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## parsifal (Feb 6, 2015)

*7 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Steamer ELDONPARK (UK 5184 grt) *went ashore at and was wrecked near Port Eynon, Glamorgan. Her 37 crew were rescued by the Mumbles Lifeboat. This Glasgow registered ship was bound from Bone, Algeria, for Port Talbot with iron ore when she stranded in thick weather. Badly strained she was beached at Port Eynon in a sinking condition on 7 February 1940.
Mumbles Motor Boat Fishing Club





*Liner MUNSTER (UK 4305 grt)*: Crew: 44 Crew 190 passengers (0 dead, 234 survivors) : Cargo: 190 passengers, General cargo, including eggs, animal gut, poultry, thread and textiles : Route: Belfast - Liverpool. The ship struck a mine that had been laid by U-30 and sank in Liverpool Bay . All passengers and crew were rescued MV RINGWALL (UK).





*MV ZITELLA (UK 4254 grt)*: The cargo ship ran aground at Boddam, Aberdeenshire and was wrecked





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The ARK ROYAL, RENOWN and EXETER left Freetown for Great Britain on 6 Feb. The ARK ROYAL is proceeding at 22 knots and will be about 200 miles northwest of Madeira on 11 Feb.; the two other units are proceeding at only 16 knots because of the EXETER and will be about 200 miles west of Madeira on the morning of 11 Feb. A British patrol boat was severely damaged in the Dover area in the evening.
> 
> France :
> The area off Vigo is being covered by air reconnaissance to guard against the German steamers putting to sea. One submarine is in
> ...


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 33 left Heligoland in accordance with Operations Order No. 24.



Arrivals
Heligoland: U-29 

At Sea 7 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-21, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-33 (+), U-37, U-44, U-48, U-50, U-51, U-53 (+), U-56, U-58, U-59. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM ML COBRA laid an anti-submarine mine barrier off Borkum.





*Northern Patrol*
CAs DEVONSHIRE and BERWICK departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol and relieved sister ships NORFOLK and SUFFOLK. AMCs DERBYSHIRE and CIRCASSIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD JANUS collided with DD JUPITER while berthing in the Humber. The damage to the two ships required 48 hours to repair. OA.87 departed Southend escort DDs VANESSA and WREN. VANESSA was replaced on the 8th by sloop WELLINGTON, and on the 9th, the convoy dispersed. FN.86 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop EGRET. In heavy fog, the convoy anchored for the night, and arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. FN.87 departed Southend escort DD VEGA, sloop STORK, DD JUPITER, and also arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. FS.90 departed the Tyne, escort DDs JAGUAR, WESTMINSTER and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 9th. MT.5 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN, JAVELIN, sloop PELICAN, and ASW trawlers of the 1st A/S Group, and arrived in the Tyne on the 8th. DDs JAVELIN and VIVIEN patrolled in the vicinity of Farne Island (off the Northumberland Coast) during the night of the 6th/7th. Patrol sloop MALLARD collided with sister ship PINTAIL off Harwich. PINTAIL's damage was slight and she was able to continue on patrol, but MALLARD required docking. Temporarily repaired at Harwich on the 8th and 9th, she went on to Lowestoft to repair from the 10th to 22nd.

*Northern Waters*
DDs COSSACK and SIKH carried out ASW Sweeps to the approaches of Scapa. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA and minelaying DDs ESK and EXPRESS, escorted by DDs BRAZEN and BOREAS, departed Aberdeen for minelay LD 2 in the North Sea. The minelay was successfully completed and the ships arrived at Rosyth on the 8th.

Steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (UK 1988 grt) departed Aberdeen, but due to a navigational error, DDs KIMBERLEY and KIPLING did not join her as escorts until 24 hours later. CL AURORA arrived at Rosyth from Scapa for repairs to her propellers and to undergo degaussing. Armed boarding vessel KINGSTON TURQUOISE (RN 358 grt), which had just left Kirkwall for the North Rona patrol, attacked a submarine contact off Sule Skerry (About 40 miles west of Kirkwall). DD SIKH joined her and tried to remake contact.

*West Coast UK*
OB.86 departed Liverpool escort DDs WITHERINGTON and WALPOLE. WALPOLE detached on the 8th, WITHERINGTON on the 9th, and the convoy dispersed on the 10th. OB.87 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER and DD WALKER from the 7th to 10th, when it dispersed.

*Channel*
Sub H.43 and DD VETERAN collided in Plymouth Sound. VETERAN was not damaged, but H.43 required three days to repair.




_H class Submarine Profile. H Class were launched during the Great war and were obsolete by WWII. They were mostly used for training purposes. There were 6 survivors in 1939 _

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.19 departed Halifax at 0900 local escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA and RESTIGOUCHE until detached on the 8th. Ocean escort was BB REVENGE, which was in collision with tkr APPALACHEE (8826grt) of the convoy on the 7th. The tanker was extensively damaged, and REVENGE required ten days to repair, although she was able to continue and did not detach until the 14th. The convoy was joined in Home Waters by DDs WOLVERINE and VANOC from OB.92 and DD VANESSA from OA.9 between the 19th to 22nd, when HX.19 arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
Fr CL EMILE BERTIN departed Dakar to return to France in preparation for allied operations in Finland. She arrived at Casablanca on the 11th, left on the 15th, and reached Brest on the 17th. For the operations, the cruiser would be the flagship of Contre Amiral Derrien, Commander Force Z.

*Med- Biscay*
CL CERES completed her refit at Belfast, and then proceeded to the Mediterranean for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet, arriving at Malta on the 22nd.

Fr sloop COMMANDANTE RIVIERE with subs RUBIS, SAPHIR and NAUTILUS departed Oran, and passed Gib on the 8th en route for repairs to the subs at Brest. These ships joined convoy 9R of eight steamers, escort sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA, which left Oran on the 6th. The convoy passed Gib on the 8th, and in the Atlantic, joined convoy 63 KS for the passage to Brest. 63 KS of eight steamers departed Casablanca on the 8th, escort DD CYCLONE, patrol vessel GROENLAND and submarine PASCAL.




_DD CYCLONE was a member of the Bourrasque Class_


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## parsifal (Feb 6, 2015)

> M. Pampunchi, French Minister of Marine, stated that 40 of Germany’s 55 submarines at sea in September had been sunk.



Actual losses to that date 11 boats

Images of the Bunkers and battlefield on the Mannerheim Line near Summa





_battelfiled detritus still vissible near the SJ-4 Poppius Bunker_





_Remains of the SJ-4 Poppius Bunker_





_Remains of the SJ-5 Millionaire Bunker_





_3D Drawing Of the SJ-5 Bunker_





_Schematic Plan View of the SJ-5 Bunker _

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## parsifal (Feb 7, 2015)

*8 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MTB 108 (Experimental Vosper Type)




_MTB was an experiemental; 45 foot design of which only one was made. Pictured is the "Big Brother" MTB Type 31, built 1940-45 (about 110 units completed)_

*Known Losses*
No known losses

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The question of whether the strategic situation will allow the aircraft carrier GRAF ZEPPELIN to operate in the North Sea, Northern Waters or Atlantic does not yet permit of such a definite answer as would compel a demand for work on her to be continued. On principle Chief, Naval Staff has decided that the carrier is to be completed. Reasons are as follows:
> 
> a. Naval Staff sees operational possibilities for the carrier in sorties into the Atlantic in conjunction with the battleships, especially after the completion of the BISMARCK and TIRPITZ.
> 
> ...








_The Graf Zeppelin's profile. The decision to continue her construction was short lived. In the following april a decision was taken to postpone her completion. She was partially dismantled, including the transfer of her catapult (a not particualorly successful system) to the italians to allow them the opportunity to complete their carrier the AQUILA. Work was restarted on her completion in 1942, by which time it was far too late _

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 51 entered port, having completed her first patrol. She had to return sooner than would have otherwise been necessary owing to a technical defect which impaired her ability to dive. Her results are therefore small.
> (Unidentified steamer) about 1,600 tons; (S.S. "Eika") 1,503 tons; (Total) 3,103
> 
> Nevertheless the Commanding Officer showed determination. He had the right idea. The second steamer which he sank, a Norwegian whose identity was so unrecognizable that he thought it was an English ship right up to the end, attempted to ram the U-boat when submerged. The C.O. then made a quick decision to fire in spite of the fine inclination. It was only when the steamer was sinking that he identified her as a neutral and saved 2 members of the drew, who were apparently the only survivors, in order to discover whether she really was a neutral ship or a camouflaged enemy. As in a similar case some months ago in which a Danish steamer tried to ram U 3 (see F.O. U/B West's War Log), this incident proves that greatest care is necessary even with neutrals. In this case the steamer received her first punishment.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-51, U-58, U-59 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven, Germany: U-22, U-57 

At Sea 8 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-21, U-22, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-37, U-44, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-56, U-57. 
15 U boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC ANDANIA arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol. AMC WOLFE departed the Clyde to relieve CL NEWCASTLE on Northern Patrol. AMC FORFAR arrived at Greenock from Northern Patrol. 

*North Sea*
CL SHEFFIELD arrived in the Tyne. DDs BRAZEN arrived at Rosyth, as did INTREPID and IVANHOE, and JAVELIN after dark. Subs TRUANT arrived at Rosyth from patrol, and SEALION departed on patrol . 

*Northern Waters*
DDs GALLANT and BOREAS unsuccessfully searched for a submarine reported at 2057, nine miles 207° from Sumburgh Head. DD GRIFFIN departed Aberdeen to search for a submarine SSE of Buchanness. DDs IVANHOE and ESCAPADE joined her to assist in the search. DD KIPLING attacked a submarine contact in Shapinsay Sound. ASW trawlers of the 17th Anti-Submarine Striking Force were searching for DD DELIGHT's contact of the day before – the 7th - NNE of St Abbs Head. LE TIGRE (516grt) attacked a contact and signalled CAPE WARWICK (516grt) which altered course to assist. CAPE WARWICK then struck a submerged object a glancing blow on the starboard side and dropped DCs.

DD DARING escorted tkr BRITISH GOVERNOR (6840grt) and former German merchant ship ILSENSTEIN (8216grt) to Scapa, where they arrived safely on the 10th. ILSENSTEIN was sunk as a blockship at Scapa Flow on the 18th. DDs ESK and EXPRESS arrived at Aberdeen, and BOREAS departed. Sub TRITON and MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER departed Scapa for Rosyth where they arrived on the 9th. 

HN.10 with 2 British, 19 Norwegian, 9 Swedish, 2 Finnish, 6 Estonian and 1 Panamanian ship departed Bergen escort DDs IMOGEN, IMPERIAL, ILEX, DELIGHT and submarine NARWHAL who waited for the convoy just outside Norways territorial limits. DELIGHT detected a submarine contact SSE of Copinsay, and DDs GALLANT, GRIFFIN and ASW trawlers of the 11th Anti-Submarine Group joined in the hunt. DD GURKHA and NUBIAN departed Scapa the same day on ASW patrol and attacked a contact shortly after sailing. On the 10th, DDs KIMBERLEY and NUBIAN took over the escort of the twelve ships of the west coast portion of HN.10, while DDs KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM, KASHMIR and KINGSTON departed the Clyde, also on the 10th to meet this section. At dawn on the 11th, NUBIAN and KIMBERLEY left the convoy. (After her escort duties, destroyer GURKHA was to join.) On the 12th, a U-Boat was located near the west coast portion of HN.10 and attacks by DDs GURKHA and NUBIAN prevented any damage being done to the convoy. Meanwhile, the east coast portion of the convoy had arrived at Methil safely on the 11th. FS.91 departed the Tyne at 2300, escort DDs VIVIEN and JAVELIN, and arrived at Southend on the 10th.

*West Coast UK*
AMC CIRCASSIA investigated the report of a Fleetwood trawler about the sighting of a large merchant ship in company with a submarine. U.37 landed two agents in Donegal Bay, Ireland.

*Central Atlantic*
CAs DORSETSHIRE and SHROPSHIRE arrived at Buenos Aires and Montevideo, respectively, to refuel after escorting the damaged CA EXETER.

Enemy steamers CORDILLERA (Ge 12,055 grt) had departed Livinston, Guatemala, on 25 August and arrived at Murmansk on 10 September while PHOENICIA (Ge 4124 grt) had left Curacao on the same day in August and reached Murmansk in mid-September. There, they were assigned respectively as accommodation and replenishment ships for German submarines that was planned to operate against British lumber and ore shipping out of Murmansk and Narvik. Both steamers departed Murmansk on 2 December 1939 for Zapadnaya Litsa Bay, which was to be known as Basis Nord, and fishing vessel SACHSENWALD (650grt) arrived there with supplies a day earlier. Her job was to serve as a dispatch vessel. At the end of November, U.36 and U.38 departed Germany for Basis Nord, but were reassigned for operations against British shipping off northern Norway. The base itself was never used, CORDILLERA almost immediately returned to Murmansk, and then completed her voyage home reaching Hamburg on this day 8 February. Steamer KONIGSBERG (Ge 6466 grt) departed Para, Brazi, but returned on the 16th after failing to break away from coastal patrol boats. Brazil,like the US was taking a distinctly pro-allied in the enforcement of the Pan-American neutrality zone, as opposed to Argentina, which was more pro-german

*General*
On the 8th, a Berlin communiqué admitted the following merchant shipping losses - 13,196 tons captured in enemy harbours (steamers POMONA, CHRISTOPH V. DOORNUM and HAGEN in September 1939), 82,236 tons captured at sea by the enemy, and 141,525 tons scuttled to avoid capture. (See British list of 30 January).


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## Njaco (Feb 8, 2015)

*February 7 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Belfast-Liverpool ferry boat “_Munster_”, with 45 crew and 190 passengers on board, strikes a mine in the Irish Sea and sinks. All aboard were rescued by British steamer “_Ringwal_”.

*GERMANY:* At General Gerd von Rundstedt's headquarters in Koblenz, Germany, a war game is held to consider a German armored assault through the Ardennes Forest of Belgium toward France. This plan becomes the accepted approach.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* With alarming lack of security, British and French newspapers publish Allied Supreme War Council’s decision to send aid to Finland. Naturally, this raises Finnish expectations of reinforcement, alarms Norway and Sweden (both reaffirm their neutrality) and further alerts Germany to threats to vital Swedish iron ore supplies. However, popular support for action to save Finland grows in Britain and especially France.

Douglas Bader joined the British No. 19 Squadron RAF flying Spitfire fighters.

Convicted IRA terrorists Peter Barnes and James Richards were executed at Wilson Green prison, Birmingham, England for their part in a street bombing in Coventry which killed five innocent passers-by.

MV ‘_Gercoa_' Dutch vessel had just left Blyth with a cargo of coal for the continent when she ran aground in calm weather on the Bear Back Rocks at Tynemouth. She grounded at high tide and by low water was high and dry. She was declared a total loss by Lloyds. A team of marine salvage experts repaired and refloated her a month later.

Berwick upon Tweed; Berwick schoolboy, Paul Hair recorded in his diary:


> "Great alarm in Berwick. Tales of German gas balloons drifting across N. Sea. All wardens out, advising people to carry gas masks.... Rumor started by meteorological balloons."



*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Soviet troops attacked the Summa gap in Finland for the 7th consecutive day. The daily artillery bombardment and tank/infantry attacks, followed by Finnish counterattacks, weakens the Mannerheim Line fortifications, exhausts the defenders and sucks in the Finnish reserves.
.

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## Njaco (Feb 8, 2015)

*February 8 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* To spur diplomatic moves towards peace, USSR asks Finland to choose an island in the Gulf of Finland to give up as a Soviet military base. To press home their case for a settlement, Soviets continue their daily shelling and aerial bombing of Mannerheim Line fortifications and launch attacks around Summa with tanks pulling armored sleds. The sleds contain explosives to be dragged up to the Finnish concrete bunkers and detonated. In addition, at 10.15 AM, two Soviet divisions shell the Kirvesmäki Cape and attack across the River Taipale which has been quiet for a week. They take two Finnish strongholds at Terenttilä at the extreme East end of the Mannerheim Line where the River Taipale empties into Lake Ladoga (Finnish casualties 219 men, with 32 killed). At the Lake Ladoga area in Finland, the various pockets of Soviet troops surrounded by Finnish troops were wiped out one by one. Soviet General Timoshenko did not have any plans to reinforce or rescue these pockets. Finnish 9th division annihilates 1500 Soviet soldiers in mottis from 54th division around Kuhmo. Russian battalion which attempted to come to relief of division encircled at Kuhmo, central Finland, was driven back. The Swedish brigade in Finland, consisting of 6,000 men, had been in action on the Salla front.

*ASIA:* 3 Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese aircraft en route to Mengzi, Yunnan, China at 1505 hours. One of the Chinese fighters was heavily damaged and was forced to crash land, injuring pilot Yang Tzu-fan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* French steamer ‘_Marie Dawn_’ sunk by mine in North Sea.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Third contingent of Canadian Active Service force landed at a West Coast fort.


.

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## parsifal (Feb 8, 2015)

*9 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Coaster AGNES ELLEN (UK 293 grt)* sank on a mine sailing from Holyhead to Workington on the west coast.




_Some sources say this ship was lost in March_

*MV CHAGRES (UK 5,406 grt)*: Crew: 64 (2 dead and 62 survivors): Cargo: Bananas : Route: Victoria (Nigeria) - Garston (UK): The refrigerated cargo ship struck a mine laid on 6 January by U-30 and sank 5.5 miles 270° from the Bar Lightvessel, Liverpool. Survivors were rescued by ASW Trawler MONTEITH





_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
*Naval Trawler FORT ROYAL (RN 351 grt)*: The naval trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea north east of Aberdeen by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26, Luftwaffe with the loss of seven crew. The survivors were rescued by Trawlers OHM and Thomas ALTOFT (both RN).




_A stunning image of the ASW Trawler Sarah Hide under attack by He 111s of KG 26. This shot shows dramatically how close the aircraft of KG 26 were pressing home their attacks _

*ASW Trawler ROBERT BOWEN (RN 290 grt)*: The naval trawler was bombed and sunk in the North sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) north east of Aberdeen by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of all 14 crew





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
Atlantic: 


> No reply from the supply ship ALTMARK. The ship should now be on her breakthrough through the Iceland area* The ALTMARK was informed that the steamers CONSUL HORN and BAHIA, coming from overseas, passed unnoticed 30 miles north of Iceland without meeting ice and reached Norwegian territorial waters.
> 
> North Sea :
> DesFlots 1 and 4 sailed according to plan to carry out minelaying in the Thames (Ship Wash) and at Haisbro Lightship. Commander, Destroyers is on his way with a cover force. In all, ten DDs are at sea for the operation.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 44 entered port. She sank:
> 1) A darkened steamer about 3,000 tons 2) Dutch S.S. "Arendskerk" 7,906 tons contraband 3) Darkened steamer about 4,200
> tons contraband 4) Danish S.S. "Canadian Reefer" 1,831 tons 5) S.S. "Ecatontracos Draculi" 5,329 tons 6) Darkened Steamer in convoy about 6,000 tons 7) Armed steamer 7,000 tons 8) Steamer without markings 3,000 tons. 38,266 tons
> 
> This is the most successful patrol so far, perfectly executed and rewarded with well-earned success. Boats which have recently been in contact with convoys all report very broad, not very deep cruising formations with small distances between ships. The escort was in some cases over 1000 meters ahead. In some cases the escort was close up to the convoy, around and on both wings, and the wing destroyers made circles around several ships, i.e. passed through the gaps.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-21, U-24 ,U-44 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-23 

At Sea 9 February 1940
U-9, U-17, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53 , U-56, U-57. 
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC CIRCASSIA bringing in steamer SOLFERINO (Nor 2580 grt) requested a DD, and GURKHA was detailed to take over escort. CA DEVONSHIRE brought in steamer TRAFALGAR (Nor 5542 grt) for investigation. Both ships were later released. 
AMCs PATROCLUS and AURANIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol. CL GLASGOW departed Rosyth to relieve sister ship SOUTHAMPTON on patrol off North Cape in Operation WR. SOUTHAMPTON was to proceed to Scapa for a week and then relieve another sister ship NEWCASTLE, also on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs KASHMIR, KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM departed Rosyth for the Clyde. The second half of ML operation LD 1 was conducted when 42 mines were laid the night of the 9th/10th by ML PRINCESS VICTORIA and DDs ESK and EXPRESS. DD GRAFTON of DesFlot 1 departed Harwich for Humber where she arrived later that day. She was attached to the Humber for patrol operations. 

ON.11 with 7 British, 13 Norwegian, 1 Swedish, 2 Danish, 3 Finnish and 1 Estonian ship departed Methil escort DDs ECHO, ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE and ENCOUNTER. 3 ships were detached and did not proceed to Norway, including blockship BRANKSEA (214grt) bound for for Scapa in tow of tug PRIZEMAN. Sub NARWHAL sailed with the convoy, but lost touch during the night of the 10th/11th February, and was ordered to patrol and then return to Rosyth. CLA CAIRO departed the Humber on the 10th and joined the convoy in support on the 11th. ON.11 arrived safely at Bergen on the 12th. 

FN.89 departed Southend, escort sloops FLEETWOOD, BITTERN and HASTINGS, and arrived at Methil on the 11th. FN.90 departed Southend, escort DDs WOOLSTON, JANUS and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. Convoy MT.6 departed Methil, escort DDs WHITLEY, JUPITER and sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. 

U.9 laid mines off Tarbett Ness in Cromarty Firth during the night of the 9th/10th which accounted for one merchant ship on 4 May. 

Steamer BOSTON TRADER (UK 371 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps (Note: He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) one quarter mile SE by S of Blakeney Bell Buoy. 

Hopper barge FOREMOST 102 (UK 833 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, four miles west of Bell Rock. Paddle minesweeper BRIGHTON QUEEN stood by, and the barge was towed to Dundee by minesweeping trawler EQUERRY (369grt). 

Steamer CLINTONIA (UK 3106 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, two miles east of Flamborough Head. 

Steamer LAURIESTON (UK 1304grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) seven miles east of Coquet Island. 

Steamer CREE (4791grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, five miles east of Rattray Head. Steamer DALLINGTON COURT (6889grt) stood by and was joined by DD GRIFFIN as DD ACHATES headed for them to assist. Tug STALWART was sent to take the damaged ship in tow. During this time, GRIFFIN was herself machine gunned by aircraft of German X Air Corps three miles 137° from Buchanness, and two crew wounded. 

Trawler LOWDOCK (UK 276 grt) was bombed and damaged by aircraft of German X Air Corps, two and a half miles east of Scarborough. 

Paddle minesweeper PLINLIMMON was attacked by aircraft of German X Air Corps, four miles 330° from Bass Rock. 

*GERMAN DESTROYER MINELAYING IN ORFORDNESS-SHIPWASH and CROMER KNOLL AREAS*

During the night of the 9th/10th, DKM DDs FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, RICHARD BEITZEN and MAX SCHULTZ laid 110 magnetic mines in the Orfordness-Shipwash area. DDs WILHELM HEIDKAMP, THEODOR RIEDEL, HERMANN SCHOEMANN were at sea supporting this minelay as well as one off Cromer Knoll being laid at the same time (following). Six merchant ships totalling 28,496 tons were lost in the Orfordness-Shipwash field. 

The Cromer Knoll field of 157 mines was laid the same night by DDs BRUNO HEINEMANN, WOLFGANG ZENKER, ERICH KOELLNER with three merchant ships totalling 11,855 tons being lost.

*Northern Waters*
BB WARSPITE and BC HOOD with DDs FAULKNOR, FAME, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, FURY, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE and FORESTER departed the Clyde at 1130 on patrol. FAME and FORESTER refuelled at Sullom Voe on the 11th and returned to the force, FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE refuelled on the 13th, FURY, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE on the 14th, and FORESTER again on the 15th. DDs NUBIAN and GURKHA arrived at Scapa from the Clyde. DDs KIMBERLEY and KIPLING departed Scapa for patrol. DDs GALLANT and BOREAS were patrolling in the vicinity of Rattray Head (near Aberdeen). DD TARTAR was patrolling between Muckle Flugga and a position 20 miles north. 

DD GRIFFIN departed Aberdeen and joined DDs BOREAS, IVANHOE and ESCAPADE sweeping for a submarine reported one mile SSE of Buchan Ness . During the sweep, GRIFFIN dropped DCs on a contact four miles NNE of Buchan Ness. 

*West Coast UK*
OB.89 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers WINCHELSEA and VENETIA from the 9th to 12th, when they detached to join HX.18 and HXF.19 respectively. OB.89 dispersed on the 14th. 

*UK - France*
Convoy AXS 12 departed Southampton escorted by sloop ABERDEEN, and arrived at Brest on the 11th. 

*Med- Biscay*
HG.18 with 34 ships departed Gib escort DD ACTIVE from the 9th to 10th, and Fr DD VALMY and Fr armed trawler VIKING from the 9th to 16th. The convoy split In Home Waters, with HG.18 being escort DD VISCOUNT and HG.18B by DD VANQUISHER, both from the 16th to 19th, when the convoys arrived at Liverpool. 

During the night of the 9th/10th, German steamers ROSTOCK (2542grt), MOREA (1927grt), WAHEHE (4709grt), WANGONI (7848grt), ORIZABA (4354grt) and ARUCAS (3359grt) slipped out of Vigo to attempt to return to Germany.

Polish troopship BATORY (14, 287grt) and Fr DD L'ALCYON arrived at Gib from Marseilles, and left on the 10th to return to Marseilles.


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## parsifal (Feb 9, 2015)

*10 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Type A ASW Escort ISHIGAKI (estimated date only)




0Allied
RN DD HAVELOCK 




_Destroyer HAVELOCK was completed on this day , and after working up at Portland, joined DesFlot9._

*Known Losses*
*Blockship BRANKSEA (UK 214 grt)* sank off Girdle Ness at 0500 for no apparent reason, and the mate of the tug was lost attempting to free the tow.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BURGERDIJK (Ne 6853 grt)*: Crew: Unknown but entire crew rescued : Cargo: Wheat and maize : Route: New York - Rotterdam. In the late afternoon on 10 Feb 1940 the ship was stopped by U-48 southwest of the Scillies after being followed for three hours. The master came with the papers on board and it was discovered that he had orders to go to The Downs, so the crew and passengers had to abandon ship. At 18.45 hours, the vessel was hit by one torpedo amidships and sank. The survivors were picked up by the Dutch steam merchant EDAM from the same shipping company.: 





*Ex-USS MONOCACY (USN 204 grt)*: MONOCACY was at Kiuklang protecting American neutrality during the Japanese invasion of China, when on 29 August 1938 several mines exploded within 80 yards (73 m) of the ship, showering the gunboat with fragments. She was then held at the port until the Japanese completed sweeping operations some days later. She was decommissioned at Shanghai on 31 January 1939. The veteran gunboat was towed to sea and sunk 10 February, 1940 in deep water off the China coast..





*MV SEA RAMBLER (UK 2327 grt)*: The cargo ship foundered in the Atlantic Ocean north west of the Azores, Portugal.





*MV SILJA (Nor 1259 grt)*: Crew: 16 (16 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Salt: Route: Trapani - Gibraltar - Bergen. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Ireland by U-37.





_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
*Trawler THERESA BOYLE (RN 224 grt)* was bombed and sunk by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) 115 miles east by north of Aberdeen, and her survivors rescued by minesweeping trawlers BRABANT (240grt) and ALMANDINE (295grt) after they were located by British a/c.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The German steamers in Vigo were once more ordered to attempt the breakthrough at all costs. On receipt of a signal during
> the night from the outward bound steamer ROSTOCK (2,542 tons) "Am about to be seized" - Norddeich passed on plain language
> instructions that she was to scuttle herself if there were no more hope of escape. No further reply from the ROSTOCK. According to information from Madrid the following German steamers have sailed: WAHEBE, WANGONI, ORIZABA, MOREA from Vigo, probably the
> tanker FEDANIA from Las Falmas.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

Operations against "Ark Royal", "Renown" and "Exeter" 


> On 7.2 a radio intelligence report was received stating that "Ark Royal", "Renown" and "Exeter" had left freetown and that "Ark Royal" would be in a certain indicated position about 200 miles northwest of Madeira at 000/11/2, course 150, speed 22 knots. "Renown" and "Exeter" would be about 180 miles astern of this, making 16 knots. As these positions are very far away and there is yet no indication of what port they are making for, I consider that it would be premature for the boats to take action on this report from the positions they have at present reached. The Chief Radio Intelligence station today expressed the view that a channel port was probably the port of destination, but this still does not alter my opinion. In order to be able to act on further details, more exact details from the Radio Intelligence Service, I decided however, to keep back the boats in the area south of Ireland off the Channel approach. U 26, 37 and 48 received orders accordingly, although it is not certain that these boats have actually reached this position. It is doubtful if U 26 and U 37 have got so far, and it is not known if U 48 has completed her minelaying operation. It must also be remembered that the C.O. of U 26 has had little experience and ought not, if possible, to be faced with the difficult task of operating against warships on his first patrol.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-17

At Sea 10 February 1940
U-9, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-33, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-56, U-57. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC WOLFE and FORFAR departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol, and AMC LETITIA arrived back.

*North Sea*
Subs SEAL and TRIAD departed Rosyth on a special mission to investigate the courses of German iron ore ships off the Norwegian coast. ORP sub WILK departed Rosyth on patrol. FN.91 departed Southend, escort DDs WESTMINSTER, JAVELIN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FS.92 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers WHITLEY, JUPITER and sloop EGRET. WHITLEY and EGRET attacked a submarine contact NNW of St Abbs Head, in 56-01. 5N, 2-14. 5W, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 12th. MT.7 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. 

ML PRINCESS VICTORIA with DDs ESK and EXPRESS departed Rosyth to lay 60 mines in minefield LD 2 during the night of the 10th/11th. MTBs 22, 24, 25 departed the Nore for Blyth to act under the command of Commander in Chief, Rosyth. OA.89 departed Southend escorted by sloop FOWEY. DD WITCH joined the escort on the 11th, both warships detached on the 12th, and the convoy dispersed on the 13th. Steamer GALLIA (Ne 9974 grt) was damaged on a mine off the Downs.

Aux MSW SALVO swept the first magnetic mine with an LL sweep off Sunk Light Vessel (in the Thames estuary).

*Northern Waters*
Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN ISLES (655grt) attacked U.53 north of North Rona (an island north of the mainland roughly mid way to the Faeroes). DDs COSSACK, SIKH and MOHAWK departed Scapa to escort convoy HN.10B from the Norwegian coast. DD GURKHA was involved in the escort of tanker ATHELKNIGHT (8940grt). DDs IVANHOE and GRIFFIN arrived at Aberdeen. GRIFFIN departed again that day to relieve destroyer BOREAS on patrol off the northeast coast, and BOREAS reached Aberdeen on the 11th. 

Steamer HOUSATONIC (5559grt), escort DDs DIANA and DARING, departed Muckle Flugga for Rosyth. Tanker BRITISH GOVERNOR (6840grt) joined them on passage and all four ships reached Rosyth on the 11th.




_Profile of C D Class DD_

*West Coast UK*
CA SUFFOLK was in a collision with steamer MASIRAH (6578 grt) off Little Cumbrae (a small island in the Clyde) and was badly damaged abreast B-turret with three men killed, five missing and eight injured, three of them seriously. The steamer was seriously damaged and anchored in Rothesay Bay. SUFFOLK arrived at Govan and began repairs on the 12th which were not completed until 10 April. 

DD INGLEFIELD departed the Clyde for Rosyth

*UK - France*
Convoy SA.29 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 12th. 

*SW Approaches*
DD WINDSOR made an attack on a submarine contact south of the Scilly Isles. U.26, U.37, U.48 were deployed west of the English Channel to intercept warships ARK ROYAL, RENOWN and EXETER returning to England from the Sth Atlantic. This deployment continued until the 14th, without any contact being made.




_ARK ROYAL Profile _

*Central Atlantic*
DD DECOY departed Gib for Freetown. SL.20 departed Freetown on the 10th escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY until the 25th, and SLF.20 departed Freetown on the 14th, escort AMC CHESHIRE. The two convoys merged on the 25th and were joined by DDs VANQUISHER, VANSITTART, VERSATILE and VETERAN until the 28th, when they all arrived in the UK.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HASTY and HERO departed Gib for England, screening CA EXETER as thyey proceeded, after joining her on the 13th, and searching also for German blockade runners that had left Vigo the day previous before arriving at Plymouth and Portsmouth, respectively, on the 15th. Both DDs joined the Home Flt in mid-March after refitting.


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## Njaco (Feb 9, 2015)

*February 9 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* A German bomber was shot down near Firth of Forth during raids on shipping in North Sea. Two other bombers were believed to have been damaged. Other raiders engaged at various points ranging as far north as Peterhead. The German bomber – a He 111 - was forced down over North Berwick just after midday. It narrowly missed telegraph wires as it crash-landed in the south east corner of the field behind the Lime Grove bus shelter. The Heinkel 111H-1 was shot down by a Spitfire from RAF No.602 Squadron piloted by Squadron Leader Douglas Farquhar stationed at Drem. The Spitfire fired 625 rounds at the Heinkel over Fife. With smoke pouring from its port engine and the undercarriage lowered in a sign of surrender, it turned towards the coast and made a forced landing tipping onto its nose. The rear gunner Uffz F. Wieners was hit by gunfire from the Spitfire and was taken to Drem where he died of his injuries and was buried in Dirleton Cemetery. The remaining three-man crew escaped without inquiry and spent the remainder of the war in a POW camp. The aircraft was repaired and taken to Turnhouse, given the RAF serial number AW 177 and flown by No 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight, until Wednesday. 10th November 1943, when, on his approach for a landing at Polebrook, the pilot, Flying Officer F.A. Barr, saw the Flight's Junkers Ju 88 flying towards him, steeply turning to port, the aircraft stalled, spun vertically into the ground and exploded on impact, killing seven of the eleven on board. The same Heinkel was used in the film 'Combat America', a training film for the American Air Force gunner, made by Captain Clark Gable, in July 1943.

Winston Churchill made a radio broadcast to warn Bulgaria against joining the Tripartite Pact.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Mannerheim Line starts to crack in the Summa sector. Soviet troops take a bunker near the village of Karhula, north of Marjapellonmäki (Hill 38 ). Finns are unable to retake the position despite bringing up reserves. Attacks are made not only at Summa, but also between Punnusjoki and over ice of Taipale River. Finns claimed to have improved their positions in Kuhmo sector. In far north Finnish patrols attacked Soviet positions at Salmijaervi. North of Lake Ladoga, Finnish troops surround Soviet JR 203 creating the 'regimental motti'. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German destroyers Z3, Z4, and Z16 deployed 110 mines in the Shipwash, a busy sea lane in the North Sea east of Harwich, England.

British vessel “_Chagres_”, carrying 1,500 tons of Cameroonian bananas, hit a mine deployed by German submarine U-30 on 6 Jan 1940. “_Chagres_” sank 10 miles from her destination, killing 2. The remaining 62 men were rescued by anti-submarine trawler HMS “_Loch Montreith_”.

*GERMANY:* OKH Chief of Staff Halder tires of von Manstein’s criticism of Case Yellow, his invasion plan for France, Belgium and Holland. Halder promotes Manstein to command an army corps garrisoning Poland, well away from planning forthcoming campaigns. General Manstein is appointed to command the German 33.Korps. Although this promotion is well deserved it seems that the German Army High Command hopes to shift Manstein to a less influential post than his present appointment as Chief of Staff to Rundstedt at Heeresgruppe A. He has had considerable influence in policy making and has been the leading figure arguing for a radical change in the plans for the attack on the west.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported artillery activity between the Moselle and the Saar; also a severe encounter during a reconnaissance, when losses were suffered on both sides.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt announced that he was sending Mr. Summer Welles, US Under Secretary of State, to collect information about conditions in Italy, France, Germany and Great Britain. He is to visit the belligerent countries in Europe with the aim of trying to negotiate a peace settlement.


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## Wurger (Feb 9, 2015)

Finnish soldiers riding in a snowmobile ...


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## parsifal (Feb 9, 2015)

*11 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Trawler CISNELL (UK 300 grt (est)*: The trawler was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) off the Fastnet Rock by a German submarine (not identified. the loss of this trawler is confirmed however).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV LINDA (Est 1,213 grt)*: Crew:15 (1 dead, 14 survivors) : Cargo: Coal : Route: Blyth - Gothenburg : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 100 nautical miles (190 km) west of Utsira, Norway by U-9 . The survivors were rescued by MV BIRGITTA ( Sweden).





*MV ORANIA (Sd 1854 grt)*: Crew: 24 (14 dead and 10 survivors): Cargo: Maize, bran and oil cake: Route: Buenos Aires - Malmö and Ahus : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 60 nautical miles (110 km) north east of the Shetland Islands by U-50. The U-boat had spotted the illuminated vessel at 22.40 hours, but was not able to identify her as neutral. The wife of the master was also aboard. All hands on board abandoned ship in two lifeboats, but one of them with 14 occupants was never seen again (including the master and wife). The survivors in the other boat were picked up the next day by DD FAULKNOR. 





*MV SNESTAD (Nor 4114 grt)* Crew:36 (2 dead and 34 survivors):Cargo: Ballast : Route: Bergen (9 Feb) - Philadelphia : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Hebrides by U-52. There were no casualties initially. The survivors were rescued by the steamer ALBERT L ELLSWORTH, which in turn was attacked. The torpedo detonated prematurely, but the crew abandoned ship in near panic. two crewman of the SNESTAD were left behind on the ship (along with 7 others) and drowned as they launched a raft to escape. 





*Trawler TOGIMO (UK 290 grt)*: Crew:11 (1 dead 10 survivors) : Cargo:15 tons of fresh fish : Route: Milford Haven - Fishing grounds in the Atlantic (W of Ireland) : The trawler was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Cornwall by U-37, requiring 26 rounds to sink. Firing continued after the trawler had struck her colours in surrender and the crew were clearly visible (U-37 was only 500 yards from the target, and conditions were clear) abandoning ship. The survivors were rescued 28 hours later by MV MONTE NAVAJO (Spain)
New source: TOGIMO





*Steamer ROSTOCK (Ger 2542 grt)*, which left Vigo on the 9th/10th, was captured off the Spanish coast by French sloop ELAN (see details below). A prize crew was put aboard and she was taken into Brest arriving on the 14th. Renamed SAINT MAURICE for French service, she reverted to German service after the fall of France. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
[No significant reports]

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 29 left Heligoland in accordance with Operations Order No. 22. After U 25's successful supply operation, cover name "Moro", U 41 has now been ordered to supply in the same way. This boat has been west of Vigo for the last few days in order to make use of chances of attacking enemy patrol vessels and thus make it easier for our own merchant ships to leave the port. So far no results of her activity are known. Most of the steamers have sailed however, and the operation can therefore be regarded as completed.
> U 48 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation in the main position and had also sunk the Dutch S.S. "Burgendyk" in accordance with prize law.



Departures
Heligoland: U-29
Wilhelmshaven: U-14, U-18

At Sea 11 February 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-33, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-56, U-57. 
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol. AMC ASTURIAS departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. CA DEVONSHIRE intercepted Norwegian steamer BORGLAND (3636grt) and requested a trawler to take her in to Kirkwall. 

*North Sea*
DD GREYHOUND 7 personnel off the Humber. During the night of the 11th/12th, ML PRINCESS VICTORIA with DDs EXPRESS and ESK laid minefield LD 3 (first half). OA.88GF departed Southend on the 8th, escorted by destroyer BROKE which was relieved on the 10th by sloop BIDEFORD and destroyer VETERAN, while OB.88GF sailed from Liverpool, also on the 8th with 29 ships escorted by sloop LEITH and destroyer VERSATILE. On the 11th, they merged as OG.18F. Destroyer VERSATILE escorted the convoy on the 11th before detaching to HG.18F, sloops LEITH and BIDEFORD were with the convoy from the 11th to 17th, and destroyer ACTIVE joined it in the Gibraltar approaches out of Gibraltar, where OG.18F arrived on the 17th. FN.92 departed Southend, escort DDs JUPITER, VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. FS.93 departed the Tyne at 2300 escort DDs VEGA, JAGUAR and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 13th

*Northern Waters*
Tkr IMPERIAL TRANSPORT (UK 8,022 grt): Crew:51 (2 dead and 49 survivors) Cargo: Ballast : Route: Tyne – Methil - Loch Ewe (17 Mar) – Curaçao : The tanker was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean north west of the Outer Hebrides. After being hit the vessel broke in two, and the crew abandoned ship. . The bow section sank but the stern remained afloat and the crew re-boarded. They painted a distress signal on the deck and then were able to raise stem, bring the ship to a speed just under 4 knots. 

Just before dusk on 14 Feb and after sailing the stern section more than 130 miles they met four RN DDs of which DD KINGSTON remained with the stricken ship. The next morning the weather was deteriorating and the tanker had to stop to examine the forward bulkhead and then tried to sail by the stern, but just went round in circles. After an unsuccessful attempt to take her in tow, the DD took all men off the ship for the night. On 16 February, the tug BUCCANEER and DD FORESTER arrived. The master of IMPERIAL TRANSPORT asked to be returned to the tkr for the salvage operation, but the weather was too bad so during the afternoon he and his crew were all transferred to FORESTER and landed at Scapa on 17 February

Further tugs arrived on the scene. The stern section was taken in tow by the tugs ENGLISHMAN and St MARTIN and beached at Kilchattan Bay, Bute on 26 February. A new bow section was constructed and the ship was repaired and re-entered service in 1941. The ship survived the war. 




_The beached stern section of IMPERIAL TRANSPORT._

HN.10B with 29 ships departed Bergen on the 11th, escort DDs COSSACK, SIKH, MOHAWK and TARTAR, with 12 of the ships being detached down the west coast of Britain. Next day, HN.11 with 1 British, 15 Norwegian, 10 Swedish and 1 Finnish ship left Bergen and were escorted by the same warships from HN.10B, but in this case, none of the ships were bound for west coast ports. Still on the 12th, COSSACK and GURKHA attacked a submarine contact northeast of Sumburgh Head, and on the 13th SIKH also attacked a contact, off Aberdeen. That same day, the 13th, DD DIANA departed Rosyth to relieve DDs COSSACK and GURKHA for operation DT. They reached Rosyth later in the day, as did the east bound section of HN.10B. CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA also arrived in Rosyth, on the 14th, and the later convoy, HN.11 safely reached Methil on the 15th. 

DD GALLANT, leaving Aberdeen, damaged her propellers on a submerged object, and was docked for examination. DD EXPRESS attacked a submarine contact off Flamborough Head

*West Coast UK*
DD KINGSTON conducted ASw sweeps 22 miles west by south of Dubh Artach (a remote skerry of basalt rock off the west coast of Scotland lying 18 miles (29 km) west of Colonsay and 15 miles (24 km) south-west of the Ross of Mull). ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (399grt), joined later by DD WINCHELSEA, escorting a convoy, attacked a submarine contact off the Smalls Lighthouse (rock outcrop approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Marloes Peninsula in Pembrokeshire, Wales).

*Med- Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, and DDs HASTY and HERO, which departed Gibraltar on the 10th to return to England, searched for the German ships which had escaped from Vigo (Operation VO). Other ships taking part included CVL HERMES which left Freetown at 1200/11th, CL GALATEA from Gib at 1800/12th, and Fr DDs TRIOMPHANT and FOUGUEUX already on patrol. DDs KEITH, WAKEFUL and VETERAN departed from Plymouth on the 9th, ANTELOPE on the 10th to join ARK ROYAL at 0900/12th , ACASTA, WHITSHED, VESPER at 1430/11th with ARDENT to sail as soon as possible, and WREN, WOLVERINE and HEARTY at 0830/12th. Aircraft from ARK ROYAL made critical sighting reports of several of the German steamers, leading to the capture of ROSTOCK and MOREA (see loss section above). 

*Indian Ocean*
CL GLOUCESTER departed Mombasa and arrived at Durban on the 21st. 

*General*
Trade negotiations between Germany and Russia which began in the latter part of 1939 were signed in Moscow. As part of the treaty, German handed over the incomplete CA LUTZOW, plans for BB BISMARCK, heavy naval guns, and about 30 aircraft including ME.109 fighters, ME.110 fighter bombers and JU.88 bombers. The sale of incomplete CAs SEYDLITZ and PRINZ EUGEN and turrets of two of the Z-programme battleships had also been discussed during the negotiations, but had been vetoed by Hitler on 8 December.


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## Njaco (Feb 10, 2015)

*February 10 Saturday*
*GERMANY: *The German Government warns Sweden and Norway that while sending aid to Finland was acceptable, the presence of English or French troops in transit to Finland would not be.

Jews from Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland) and Stralsund in Pommern, Germany were deported to ghettos in Lublin, Poland.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A crack opens in the Mannerheim Line. Red Army attacks again across the Karelian Isthmus from Summa to Taipale. The Mannerheim Line holds in most places but the Soviets wade across the Munasuo swamp and through several rows of barbed wire to achieve a breakthrough in the swampy but poorly fortified Merkki sector.

A force of Soviet ski troops begin an unsuccessful attempt to advance against the Finnish defenses which continues until February 13th. This force is wiped out.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Two wooden British ships HMS “_Salve_” and HMS “_Servitor_” successfully swept for magnetic mines on the sea bed, dragging a long charged electrical cable which detonated the mines in their wake.

Six German merchant ships leave Vigo, Spain to run the blockade. Allied warships intercept 4, 1 runs aground off northern Norway and 1 (Wangoni) reaches Kiel.

German submarine U-48 stopped Dutch steamer “_Burgerdijk_”, transporting grain from the United States to Rotterdam), inspected the cargo, and then sank the ship 40 miles from Land's End in southwestern England. The ship's crew, floating in lifeboats, were rescued by Dutch steamer “_Edam_” 12 hours later.

German submarine U-37 torpedoed and sank Norwegian steamer “_Silja_”, transporting salt from Gibraltar to Bergen, southwest of Ireland at 2100 hours. All 16 men aboard were killed.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In Washington DC, United States, President Franklin Roosevelt confronted a booing demonstration of 4,446 members of the American Youth Congress who had marched up Constitutional Avenue with banners condemning the prospect of the US being drawn into an imperialistic war. Angrily he told the demonstrators that American sympathy is overwhelmingly in support of Finnish efforts to stave off invasion, and warned them not to pass resolutions on subjects of which they have no complete knowledge.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* A day of terror as Russia rounds up thousands of Polish Military Settlers and loads them into cattle cars for deportation to labor camps in the Ural Mountains.

In Prague Nazi authorities order the closing of all Jewish-owned textile, clothing and leather goods stores and warn the Baron von Neurath, the German Reich Protector of Bohemia-Moravia, may order all other Jewish business to shut. Neurath has also ordered the sale of all jewelry, gold, platinum, silver and works of art owned by Jews. The measures are seen as part of a plan to eliminate Jews from the economic life of former Czechoslovakia.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Dutch government announces the decision to build 3 battlecruisers (with technical assistance from Italy) for the defense of the Dutch East Indies. (The ships are never completed.)

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## Wurger (Feb 10, 2015)

On the 10th January 1940 the Soviet Government started mass deportation of all Poles living at the Eastern territories of the pre-war Poland that were occupied by Soviets after their invasion on Poland in the September 1939. The proces of exiling was done at four phases, on the 9/10th January 1940, 12/13th April 1940, 28/29th June 1940 and 14th May 1941 . It is estimated there were about 1,350,000 Poles deported . On the 10th January the temperature hit -40°C. The NKVD troops stormed Polish homes late at night. People had several minutes for packing the most necessary things. Often they couldn't take with them anything. People were forced to board stock-cars. A cattle wagon was for 20-30 poples but there were 50 boarded usually. A trip lasted many weeks and often , for days on end. About 150 000 people died during travelling because of starvation, thirst and freezing cold. Most Poles were deported to the Siberia and Kazakhstan .

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## Njaco (Feb 11, 2015)

*February 11 Sunday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* With the Mannerheim Line weakening, Timoshenko opens his main attack with a massive artillery barrage (heard 100 miles away), then 120,000 Soviet troops attack into the 12 mile Summa gap at 1200 hours. 123rd division (an element of the Soviet 7th Army) penetrates the Lähde sector and 245th Rifle Regiment under Colonel Rosly takes Fort Poppius at 1330 hours by parking armored cars in front of the machinegun ports. Finns try to plug the gap but are cut down by Soviet tanks. Strangely, Soviets do not send in reinforcements to exploit this gap. Fighting goes on around Million Fort all night.

*GERMANY:* A comprehensive trade agreement was signed between Germany and the USSR in which Soviet raw materials and food would be exchanged for German machinery and military equipment.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The Governor-General of Canada, Lord Tweedsmuir (well-known as the author John Buchan) dies after surgery for a head injury at age 64.

The second Vultee Model 48 Vanguard prototype aircraft took its first flight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-53 sinks Norwegian MV “_Snestad_” with 2 torpedoes (all 36 crew rescued by Norwegian tanker “_Albert L. Ellsworth_”) and damages British tanker MV “_Imperial Transport_” (2 lives lost). U-9 sinks Estonian SS “_Linda_” (1 dead). U-50 sinks Swedish SS “_Orania_” 65 miles (14 lives lost). 10 survivors are rescued the next day by HMS “_Faulknor_”. U-37 sinks British trawler “_Togimo_” off Milford Haven with the deck gun (1 dead).


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## Wurger (Feb 11, 2015)

A Soviet ChT-130 (T-26) light tank with a flamethrower instead of a cannon at the Karelian isthmus in the winter 1940.

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## parsifal (Feb 11, 2015)

*12 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Destroyer VIMIERA completed conversion to fast escort vessel (AA configuration), and after working up at Portland, was assigned to Convoy Cmd working from Rosyth; Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-7 (est)











*Known Losses*
*MV DALARO (Sd 3927 grt)*: Crew: 29 (1 dead and 28 survivors) Cargo: 5400 tons of linseed in bags : Route:Rosario - Buenos Aires - Gothenburg - Malmö: The unescorted and neutral vessel was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean north west of Ireland by U-53 . The survivors were rescued by the trawler JAN DE WAELE (Belgium).





*Steamer FLANDRES (Be 5827 grt)* was sunk in a collision with steamer KABALO (Be 5186 grt) in the Fairway of the South Downs.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV NIDARHOLM (Nor 3482 grt)*: Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors): Cargo:cotton and grape fruit : Route: Tampa - Halifax - Liverpool : The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by U-26. The ship was split in two, with the bow section sinking that day and the stern section sometime afterwards. All 25 crew were rescued by MV BERTO (Norway).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing Vessel O H BEWAAR ONS (Be 61 grt)*: The vessel trawler struck a mine in the North Sea near the West Hinder Light vessel and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing Vessel STEUR (Be 62 grt)*: At the same time as above, the vessel struck a mine in the North Sea 10 nautical miles north west of the West Hinder Lightship and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Type VIIA U-33 (DKM 733 grt)*: sunk whilst attempting to lay mines in the Firth of Clyde : The Type VIIA submarine was depth charged and damaged in the Firth of Clyde by MSW GLEANER at 0440 halfway between Pladda Lighthouse and Ailsa Craig. GLEANERs electricals and ASDIC were both seriously damaged preventing completion of her DC attacks, however, U33 was also in serious trouble. The Uboat surfaced and surrendered to GLEANER, and sank after her scuttling charges went off at 0530, before all the crew could get off the boat. Twenty five of the crew were lost and 17 saved. DD KINGSTON recovered 20 bodies, one of which had the rotors of the ENIGMA coding machine on his person. 






*Type VIIA U.54 (DKM 733 grt)* set out from Wilhelmshaven on the 12th on her first patrol, which was intended to be around Cape Finisterre, and was never heard from again. It is now belived that she was lost on the 12th/13th with all 41 crew, sunk by a mine laid by the DesFlot 20 on the 9/10 January. On the 14 March, DKM VP.1101 (trawler PREUSSEN, 425grt) found one of U.54's torpedoes, and later, on the 16 April, naval auxiliary ship Schiff 37 (trawler SCHLESWIG, 433grt) found another one in the Skagerrak.





*Steamer MOREA (Ger 1927 grt)* was captured by DD HASTY. The ship had departed Vigo on the 9th/10th, off the Portuguese coast. A prize crew boarded and MOREA joined convoy HG.17, arrived at Falmouth on the 17th, and was renamed EMPIRE SEAMAN for British service. The German crew were interned for the duration of the war. The vessel was sunk as a blockship in East Weddel Sound on 30th June 1940.





*Trawler HERRLICHKEIT (Ger 268 grt)* was captured near Tromso by CL GLASGOW. HERRLICHKEIT was in poor shape, capable of only four and a half knots and had to be towed part of the way by GLASGOW. She was forced to put into Fraserburgh due to heavy weather, and finally arrived at Aberdeen on the 21st. Taken over later by the Ministry of War Transportation, she was renamed EMPIRE FISHER for British use




_Trawler HERRLICHKEIT as the EMPIRE FISHER in the foreground_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The great Russian offensive on the Karelian Isthmus is in full swing. The Russians have thrown in very strong forces and seem to have broken into the first line of the Mannerheim positions. Unless large-scale foreign help arrives soon, Finnish resistance must flag. According to a communication from the Swedish Government, Sweden will not give Finland any large-scale active support beyond the scope of her assistance to date, since her inadequate armament makes such intervention impossible and at all events Sweden wishes to avoid a break with Germany.
> 
> Operation "Nordmark" must again be postponed, since the GNEISENAU's two screws must be changed owing to the damage
> done by the ice during the passage from Kiel to Wilhelms-haven. Earliest date for "Nordmark" 16 Feb.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 54 sailed in accordance with Operations Order No. 25. Radio Intelligence Service has reports of the sinking of a U-boat in the Clyde. If this is correct, it can only be U 33. But the report's are not so definite that hope of the boat's only having been seen need be abandoned. C-in-C Navy visited Headquarters West. B.d.U. briefed him on the situation and future intentions.
> 
> Operation against "Ark Royal" etc.
> A fresh Radio Intelligence report on Ark Royal gives the A/C carrier's exact position for 0900/12/2 with her escort of 4 destroyers. According to this, she has altered course. Assuming that she is still making 22 knots, she can be expected to pass the Channel-approach about the morning of 13.2. There is further confirmation of the suspicion that she is making for the Channel. Although the exact positions of the U-boats were not known, I decided to operate the boats kept back in this area against her. It was known that U 48 is west of the Channel again and it could therefore be assumed that U 26 and U 37 will have arrived there by now at the latest. On the morning of 12.2 they were allocated operations areas in the Channel approach. Shortly after this order was given U 48 reported a convoy on a westerly course. As she was in contact with the enemy and possibly about to score a success, I did not think it right to interfere with her operations. U 37 also made a radio message. She was in a favorable position for an attack on "Ark Royal". Nothing was known of U 26's position. During the night however, she also made a radio message. She was a long way off and could not make sufficient speed against the heavy sea to reach her position in time. Meanwhile U 48 had lost the convoy.



Departures
Kiel: U-54 
Wilhelmshaven: U-61

At Sea 12 February 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-61. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol. AMC FORFAR departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
CLA CALCUTTA departed the Humber for Sullom Voe, and arrived on the 13th. DD INTREPID relieved destroyer GRIFFIN on patrol in Moray Firth. GRIFFIN arrived at Rosyth on the 13th. Submarines THISTLE and TRITON exercised in the Firth of Forth. Sub SALMON and DD ESCORT exercised off Harwich. Sub NARWHAL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Subs L.23 departed Blyth on patrol, and STURGEON for the Tyne to refit. Sub SWORDFISH departed Dundee on trials to arrive at Rosyth on the 13th, but was diverted and arrived at Blyth on that date. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA with DDs EXPRESS and ESK laid 38 mines in operation LD 3 (second half) in the North Sea. The ships then proceeded to the Thames. MT.9 departed Methil, escort sloops FLEETWOOD, BITTERN and HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. Convoy FS.94 departed the Tyne, escort sloops FLEETWOOD, BITTERN and HASTINGS, which had just arrived from Rosyth with MT.9.

*Northern Waters*
DD KIMBERLEY arrived at Scapa. Steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (UK 1988 grt) departed Stromness for Aberdeen.

*West Coast UK*
DDs KANDAHAR, KASHMIR, KHARTOUM arrived at Greenock.

*Channel*
DD HARDY departed Portland for the Clyde. Sloop ROSEMARY attacked a submarine contact ESE of Start Point (near Devon). Sloop SANDWICH passed nearby at 0840/13th, joined ROSEMARY and carried out her own attack. DD BROKE also joined in the search at 1030, and the operation continued until 1630 when ROSEMARY was ordered to return to harbour.

*UK - France*
BC.26 with six steamers, including BARON KINNAIRD, DUNKWA (Commodore) and RONAN departed the Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived safely in the Loire on the 14th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HXF.20 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT, which detached on the 13th. Ocean escort until the 22nd when she detached, was AMC LACONIA. On that day, DDs ACASTA and VENETIA attached and escorted until its arrival at Liverpool on the 25th.


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## parsifal (Feb 12, 2015)

*13 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV CHASTINE MAERSK (Den 5177 grt)*: Crew: 30 (0 dead and 30 survivors) : Cargo: Phosphate : Route: Safi, Morocco - Kalundborg, Denmark: At 0716 in thge morning U-25 fired a shot across the bow of the neutral vessel, but it took two more shots until she stopped. The Germans then ordered the crew to abandon ship in 10 minutes and shelled and sank the ship from 08.36 to 08.45 hours. The survivors were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant Hilda. U-25 had spotted the ship at 16.30 hours the day before and fired a stern torpedo that missed at 20.10 hours. 19 minutes later Schütze fired his last torpedo and observed a hit aft without effect, but the torpedo probably detonated prematurely without damaging the ship. The U-boat then chased the ship on the surface during the night and attacked with the deck gun at dawn. 





*MV NORNA (Sd 1022 grt)*: Crew: 18 (18 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: Salt : Route: Savona (23 Jan) - Gibraltar (7 Feb) - Stockholm : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of ireland by U-52. 





*Steamer WAKAMA (Ger 3771 grt)* scuttled herself to avoid capture. CA DORSETSHIRE’s seaplane sighted the vessel off Cape Frio at 1615/12th. DORSETSHIRE intercepted her next day in 22‑42S, 41‑38W, and WAKAMA which had departed Rio de Janiero on the 11th scuttled herself rather than be captured.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Conference on the Situation with the Chief. Naval Staff.
> The following points have arisen from the conferences held by the Chief, Naval Staff in Wilhelmshaven .
> 1. Since we cannot rule out the possibility that the enemy has boarded the missing patrol boat "805", the Chief, Naval Staff
> has given orders that patrol boats are to be equipped only with such confidential material as is absolutely necessary* (This
> ...


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Operations against "Ark Royal" etc....On the morning of 13.2 the situation was:
> U 37 presumably in position
> U 48 also in position, or in the immediate vicinity.
> U 26 a long way off, making little headway against the sea.
> ...



Departures
Heligoland: U-62

At Sea 13 February 1940
U-9, U-14, U-18, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-61, U-62. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ON.12 of 27 ships departed Methil escort DDs INGLEFIELD, ILEX, IMPERIAL, DELIGHT and sub THISTLE. CLs ARETHUSA and PENELOPE were originally to provide close cover, but had been assigned to Operation DT, and CL EDINBURGH sailed from Rosyth to take over. Four ships were detached before making the North Sea crossing, including Norwegian steamer FERNMOOR (4268grt) which IMOGEN took into Scapa on the 14th. IMOGEN left again on the 15th and joined CLA CALCUTTA which had departed Sullom Voe the same day to bolster AA defences. ON.12 arrived safely at Bergen on the 16th. 

Convoy OA.91 departed Southend escort DD VERITY from the 13th to 16th, when it dispersed. FN.93 departed Southend, escort DDs WHITLEY, JACKAL and sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne on the 15th. FS.95 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WOOLSTON, JANUS and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 15th. MT.10 departed Methil, escort ASW trawlers of the 19th Anti-Submarine Group, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. 

Steamer NAHALT (Ger 5870 grt) was damaged in a collision in the North Sea, and was assisted by steamer KONIGSBERG PREUSSEN (Ger 2530 grt). 

*Northern Waters*
DDs KELVIN, KINGSTON, KANDAHAR and KHARTOUM departed the Clyde on the 13th to participate in Operation WR, and rendezvoused with AMC CIRCASSIA. CLA CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow. Sub TARPON was carrying out trials in Gare Loch.

U.50 attacked tkr ALBERT L. ELLSWORTH (Nor 8309 grt) in the North Sea, NW of the Shetlands, and reported her sunk. This was an error, and the attack failed due to torpedo malfunctions. 

*West Coast UK*
OB.91 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALPOLE and VIMY from the 13th to 16th, and dispersed on the 17th

*Med- Biscay*
DD DEFENDER departed Gibraltar for Freetown. 

*Allied Hunting Gps reported on this day*
Allied Hunting Groups were reorganized as follows: 
Force G - CAs HAWKINS and DORSETSHIRE
Force H - CAs CORNWALL and CUMBERLAND
Force I - CVL EAGLE, CA SUSSEX, RAN CL HOBART
Force M - CA KENT and the Fr CA SUFFREN
Force X - F CAs FOCH and DUPLEIX
Force Y - Fr BB PROVENCE, Fr CAs COLBERT, DUQUESNE,and Fr CL EMILE BERTIN


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## Njaco (Feb 12, 2015)

*February 12 Monday*
*NORTH AFRICA: *The Australian 2nd Imperial Force and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force arrive at Suez, Egypt.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* At 0500 hours, Soviet tanks dragged sleds with explosives on board up to the Million Fort on the Mannerheim Line in Finland. When the sleds were detonated, all defenders inside the fort were killed, but the Soviet 7th Army did not pass through this breach on the Mannerheim Line. Later on this day, near the eastern end of the Mannerheim Line, Soviet troops captured the Kirvesmäki stronghold in Taipale (now Solovyovo, Russia). A counterattack late in the day by the Finnish 5th Division fails to expel the Soviet forces from their hold on the Summa position. It becomes apparent the Karelian defense line will not hold. By the end of the day, the Finnish government agreed that it has little hope other than to seek peace.

In Helsinki, during the diplomatic negotiations the Soviets raise their terms a little further to match their growing military success. The Finnish cabinet now favors peace and authorizes moves to end the war against the USSR. At the same time, Finland requests aid from Sweden (which Stockholm rejects).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British Royal Navy minesweeper HMS “_Gleaner_” located German submarine U-33 laying mines in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland at 0250 hours. U-33 was badly damaged by depth charges and surfaced at 0522 hours, but the submarine began to sink shortly after surfacing, killing 25 men, including commanding officer Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky. Despite orders to remove the rotors from the secret Enigma code machine and throw them into the sea, one man among the 17 survivors has 3 rotors in his pockets, which was sent to Alan Turing at the Government Code and Cypher School for further study.

As part of an operation to intercept 6 German merchant vessels, British Royal Navy destroyer HMS “_Hasty_” intercepted and captured German blockade runner “_Morea_” 300 miles west of Porto, Portugal. “_Morea_” had departed from Vigo, Spain and was bound for Germany.

German submarine U-53 sank Swedish ship “_Dalarö_” west of Scotland, killing the captain. 29 survivors were rescued by Belgian trawler “_Jan de Waele_”.

German submarine U-26 sank Norwegian ship “_Nidarholm_” west of Ireland. The entire crew of 25 were rescued by Norwegian ship “_Berto_” about 10 hours later.

12 miles off Cabo Frio, Brazil, aircraft from British cruiser HMS “_Dorsetshire_” spot German freighter SS “_Wakama_”. HMS “_Dorsetshire_” stops “_Wakama_” but her crew set her on fire, so that “_Wakama_” will not fall into British hands, and take to the lifeboats. 46 survivors are picked up by HMS “_Dorsetshire_”.

*GERMANY: *Erwin Rommel was named the commanding officer of the 7. Panzerdivision.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain paper rationing is introduced, with supplies cut by 40 percent.


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## Njaco (Feb 12, 2015)

*February 13 Tuesday*
*GERMANY:* German General Alfred Jodl records in his diary that due to the loss of plans, Adolf Hitler changed the main invasion point farther south, in the direction of Sedan, to capture a large group of Allies in Belgium.

Hptm. Joachim Schlichting, the Geschwaderadjutant of JG 27 assumes his new position as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 1 in place of Major Bernhard Woldenga. Hptm. Schlichting was appointed to the position on 1 February, his twenty-sixth birthday. His Staffelkapitäns with the Gruppe are Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar with 1./JG 1, Oblt. Walter Adolph of 2./JG 1 and Oblt. Max Dobislav of 3./JG 1.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-50 fired several torpedoes at Norwegian tanker “_Albert L. Ellsworth_” at 0200 hours, missing with all of them. The crew of the tanker panicked and abandoned the ship, with 2 survivors of merchant vessel “_Snestad_” (rescued on 11 Feb 1940) drowning in the process. After realizing the ship was not harmed, 42 men reboarded “_Albert L. Ellsworth_” and continued on with their journey to Bergen, Norway.

German submarine U-25 fired two torpedoes at Norwegian ship “_Chastine Mærsk_” before dawn, with both missing. At dawn, she surfaced and sank “_Chastine Mærsk”_ with her deck gun. The entire crew of 30 were rescued by Norwegian ship “_Hilda_”.

German submarine U-53 sank Swedish ship “_Norna_” west of Ireland, killing 18.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Finnish troops tried to seal the hole on the Mannerheim Line in the Lähde sector, but Soviet tanks stopped the attack. Elsewhere, Finnish troops retook the Kirvesmäki fort on the Taipale River on the Mannerheim Line. In Stockholm, Finnish Foreign Minister Tanner asked Sweden to send troops to Finland; Sweden declined in fear of invasion by both the United Kingdom and Germany as a response.

In Sweden, Finnish Foreign Minister Tanner asks Swedish Government to send troops to Finland. The Swedes declines, being too concerned with Allied plans to ‘aid Finland’ via the Swedish iron ore fields and likely German intervention to prevent this.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Senate approved in principle, by a vote of 49 to 27, a loan of US$20,000,000 to be made to Finland, with restriction that none of it to be used for "arms, ammunition or implements of war". A further two weeks however would elapse before the bill would be passed.

*ASIA:* Three Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron intercepted 27 Japanese bombers en route to bomb the bridge on the Xi River near Xiaolongtan, Yunnan, China. One bomber was claimed to be destroyed.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British government imposes strict controls over the railway network but continues to allow private ownership and operation of the railways. A Labour Party proposal to nationalize all forms of inland and coastal transport is defeated in a House of Commons vote.

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## parsifal (Feb 13, 2015)

*14 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV GIORGIO OLSEN (Ita 4156 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea with the loss of 17 of her 33 crew. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr GRETAFIELD (UK 10,191 grt)* was torpedoed by U-57 east of Wick after she straggled behind convoy HX.18. One Marine was lost and 31 survivors rescued by trawlers PEGGY NUTTEN and STRATHALLADALE. To search for the submarine responsible, DDs BOREAS and GURKHA were detailed to search off Rattray Head, while DDs KIPLING and KASHMIR were already hunting in the area. GURKHA made an attack on the 15th in Moray Firth, and was then advised with KASHMIR that if no further contact was made, they were to join in operation WR. Still on the 15th, DD KINGSTON was ordered to stand by the still floating tanker for ASW protection, but she run aground at Dunbeath. GRETAFIELD broke in two on 19 March and was declared a total loss.





*MV LANGLEEFORD (UK 4622 grt) *Crew: 34 (4 dead and 30 survivors): Cargo: 6800 tons of wheat:Route: Boston - Halifax - Tyne : The cargo ship was part of HX 18 but became a straggler behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and in the Atlantic Ocean 70 nautical miles (130 km) north west of the Fastnet Rock by U-26. The Germans questioned the survivors, handed over two bottles of rum, 100 cigarettes, bread and dressing materials and told them the course to the nearest land.





*MV MARTIN GOLDSCHMIDT (Den 2,095 grt)*: Crew: 20 (15 dead and 5 survivors): Cargo: Phosphate : Route: Safi, Morocco - Fredericia (Denmark). The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean north west of Ireland by U-53. The survivors were rescued by BERTA (Nor).





*MV SULTAN STAR (UK 12,306 grt)*: Crew: 73 (1 dead and 72 survivors): Cargo: 7803 tons of frozen meat, 1000 tons of butter and general cargo: Route: Buenos Aires (27 Jan) - Liverpool : The cargo liner was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 200 nautical miles (370 km) south west of Land's End, Cornwall by U-48. The survivors were rescued by DD WHITESHED.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The supply ship ALTMARK has reported that she is about to enter Norwegian territorial waters off Kristiansund, She requested a pilot for the inner leads as far as Koppervik and further orders. The crew, including 23 men from the ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE, are all in perfect health. The prisoners - 220(?) British, 67 Indians and 8 negroes are likewise in good health. Thus by dint of the skill and resolution of her officers the ship has accomplished the voyage from the South Atlantic to Norway unnoticed by the enemy. In accordance with the original directive, she has taken advantage of the moon and the favorable weather conditions during the
> past few days to pass the Iceland area. Group West has been entrusted with the task of bringing the ALTMARK home. For this purpose the following directive given to the Group:
> "I. The ALTI/ARK has the following orders: No false markings in territorial waters, Reich Service flag, no stopping, keep prisoners below deck. If ship is stopped, demand free passage as government ship.
> II. The ALTMARK has no recognition signals, only codes for foreign waters.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Reports have been received of several steamers sunk in the sea area south of Ireland, including a 12,000 tonner.



Arrivals
Heligoland: U-9

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-10, U-19, U-60 

At Sea 14 February 1940
U-10, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC SCOTSTOUN departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD GURKHA (later joined by DDs KASHMIR, KIPLING and BOREAS) attacked a submarine contact in Moray Firth. CLA COVENTRY departed Sullom Voe for repairs at Chatham, arriving en route in the Humber on the 15th. DDs BRAZEN and DIANA departed Rosyth and BOREAS was detached from submarine hunting off Rattray Head. All three reached Invergordon on the 15th and left again later that day to escort the collision-damaged DD DUNCAN under tow by tugs ST MELLONS and NORMAN from Invergordon to Rosyth for repairs following the collision of 17 January. BRAZEN and BOREAS were last minute replacements for SIKH and NUBIAN which were needed for DT. DUNCAN repaired at Grangemouth completing on 22 July 1940.

Subs TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth from patrol and TRIBUNE trained in the Firth of Forth. FN.94 departed Southend escort DDs VEGA, JAGUAR and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 16th. FS.96 departed the Tyne escort DDs WESTMINSTER, JAVELIN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and WESTMINSTER and LONDONDERRY attacked a submarine contact north, NNW of St Abbs Head. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
DKM ALTMARK (10,847grt) was sighted by RAF Hudson's of 220 Sqn off Trondheim as she was being escorted to Bergen by Norwegian torpedo boats TRYGG and GARM for contraband inspection. RAF 220 (Hudson) sqn from Thornaby was assigned to provide support and, greatly assisted by speeding up the search capabilities and simplifying the battle problem for the RN. .

*Central Atlantic*
SL.20 departed Freetown on the 10th escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY until the 25th, and SLF.20 on the 14th, escort AMC CHESHIRE. The two convoys merged on the 25th when they were joined by DDs VANQUISHER, VANSITTART, VERSATILE and VETERAN, all the escorts remaining with the convoys until its arrival on the 28th.

*Med- Biscay*
ASW trawler LORD HOTHAM (464grt), escorting tug BRIGAND and a battle target off Cape St Vincent attacked a submarine contact. HG.19F departed Gib with 25 ships, escort DD WISHART from the 14th to 16th, Fr DD TIGRE and Fr Aux PV MINERVE from the 14th to 21st, and DD WREN from the 21st until the 23rd, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.


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## Njaco (Feb 14, 2015)

*February 14 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German U-boats exact a heavy toll on merchant ships carrying food and fuel in British waters, sinking 4 steam merchant for a total of 29,000 tons. German submarine U-48 sank British merchant ship “_Sultan Star_” 200 miles west of Land's End, southwestern England at 1700 hours, killing 1 man. Destroyers “_Whitshed_”, “_Vesper_”, and “_Acasta_” retaliated with 22 depth charges but they did not hit U-48. 72 survivors were rescued by “_Whitshed_” and delivered to Plymouth, England on the next day.

German submarine U-57 torpedoed British tanker “_Gretafield_” 20 miles east of Wick, Scotland. 10 men were killed while 31 survivors were rescued by trawlers HMS “_Peggy Nutten_” and HMS “_Strathalladale_”. With 13,000 tons of fuel oil on board, she drifted as the oil burned, eventually running aground.

German submarine U-53 sank Danish ship “_Martin Goldschmidt_” west of Ireland at 0500 hours. 5 men were killed while 5 survivors were rescued by Norweigan ship “_Berto_”.

German submarine U-26 sank British steamer “_Langleeford_” 70 miles northwest of Fastnet, Ireland at 0800 hours, killing 4. U-26 picked up 30 survivors, interrogated them, and then sent them to County Clare, Ireland.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Winston Churchill announces an Admiralty policy of arming trawlers, to protect them from enemy attacks.

The British government agreed to allow British volunteers to serve in the Finnish armed forces.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *German pocket battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee's_” supply ship “_Altmark_” reached Norwegian territorial waters off Trondheim. It was Captain Heinrich Dau's intention to remain in neutral Norwegian waters to avoid an attack by the British. A Hudson of Coastal Command locates the German supply ship in Norwegian waters.

Finnish troops start pulling out of the Lähde sector of the Mannerheim line, withdrawing to rearguard positions and leaving a gap in the Line 2-3 km wide and 6 km deep. Kirvesmäki stronghold on the Taipale River changes hands for the fourth time in 3 days. Soviets attack with artillery, aircraft and tanks; they retake the Kirvesmäki stronghold. Finns are out of reserves and cannot mount a counterattack.

The Finnish Note (circulated to many foreign governments) accuses the USSR of adopting illegal methods of warfare, including indiscriminate bombing of unprotected towns, hospitals and railway trains and abuse of the white flag (some Soviet troops having feigned surrender before attacking).

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Not immune to the troubles in the rest of Europe, the Vatican institutes a rationing program.

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## parsifal (Feb 14, 2015)

*15 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
U-65 (Type IXB), IJN Kagero Class DD HATSUKAZE








Allied
Submarine Tetrach ("T" Class)





*Known Losses*
*MV AASE (Den 1206 grt)*: Crew:16 (15 dead and 1 survivor) : Cargo: Fresh fruit : Route: Valencia - Bristol: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Cornwall after breaking in two. The single survivor was rescued on 17 February by DD VERITY.





*Tkr DEN HAAG (Ne 8971 grt)*: Crew: 39 (26 dead and 13 survivors): Cargo: POLs : Route: Aruba - New York - Rotterdam: The tkr was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay by U-48 . The survivors were rescued by MV GLENORCHY. The U-boat had spotted the tkr about five hours earlier, but had to evade a flying boat (RAAF 10 Sqn) before an attack could be made. 





*MV MARYLAND (Den 4895 grt)*: Crew: 34 (34 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Oil cake : Route: Santos (18 Jan) - Madeira (7 Feb) - Copenhagen: the unescorted and neutral vessel was hit by one torpedo from U-50, broke in two and sank within seven minutes. A first torpedo fired at 01.54 hours had detonated prematurely. The ship was reported missing after sending her position the last time on 9 February, only a wrecked lifeboat was later found at North Uist. 





U.14 sank the following two ships at the same time:
*MV RHONE (Den 1064 grt)*: Crew:20 (9 dead and 11 survivors): Cargo: Coal : Route: Methil - Esbjerg, (Denmark): At 23.15 hours on 15 Feb 1940, U-14 spotted two steamers in a line about 50 miles north of Rattrey Head and fired at 23.40 hours one G7e torpedo at the second ship that detonated prematurely. This ship was the RHONE, which sank two minutes after being hit in the bow by a second G7e torpedo at 23.55 hours.





*MV SLEIPNER (Den 1066 grt)*: Crew: 41 Passengers and crew (13 dead and 28 survivors): Cargo: Coal : Route: Methil - Esbjerg, (Denmark). SLEIPNER stopped to rescue survivors from the sunken RHONE. She sent a distress signal, but was also hit in the foreship by one G7e torpedo at 00.00 hours on 16 February and sank after 10 minutes.

All three lifeboats from SLEIPNER had already been launched before the ship was hit and they picked up 13 survivors from RHONE, but two of them died in the boats and their bodies were placed on a raft, which was found and recovered three days later by DD ECLIPSE. 18 survivors from SLEIPNER and 11 from RHONE in two lifeboats were picked up after 9 hours by the trawler STANDARD (Sd) and landed at Wick. 12 survivors in the third boat were picked up after about 12 hours by DD KIPLING . 7 of 23 crew members and six of 18 passengers (Greek seamen to join ships in Denmark) from SLEIPNER were lost. 





*MV STEINSTAD (Nor 2447 grt)*: Crew: 24 (13 dead and 11 survivors): Cargo: Ore : Route: Fethiye, Turkey - Aalvik, Norway : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 50 nautical miles (93 km)west of County Clare, Ireland by U-26 .





*Tug WICOMICO ( USN 152 grt)*: The tug collided with US DD GOFF in Hampton Roads and sank. The wreck was later raised and scrapped.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The ARK ROYAL has probably been in Portsmouth since 13 Feb. and will go into dock there. The RENOWN and EXETER are in Plymouth, where Mr. Churchill went on board the EXETER to offer congratulations Several destroyers have been sent from Gibraltar to the Huelva area to search for German merchantmen reported there. They aresupported by air reconnaissance from Gibraltar.
> 
> The supply ship ALTMARK is proceeding southwards through Norwegian territorial waters. Ship has been detected by the enemy. According to radio monitoring, Admiralty has informed naval authorities and in particular the cruiser GLASGOW and the submarines SEAL, TRIAD and ORZEL about a report from Tromsoe stating that a large German tanker of about 10,000 tons, painted black, passed a spot in the Tromsoe area at 1215 on 12 Feb. Previous instructions for the voyage remain unchanged, since the ship
> seems to run less risk inside territorial waters than outside. The Embassy, Naval Attache and Consulates were informed some time ago about the ship's character and the fact that she carries prisoners, also that it is imperative for the ALTMARK, which so far as the Norwegian Government is concerned is a "Government Ship", to complete her passage without delay or hindrance.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> "Ark Royal", "Renown" and "Exeter" have arrived at the Channel ports. U 37 therefore required new orders. She was ordered to proceed to the west coast of Spain with U 26 and to act there as tactical leader of the group U 26, U 37, U 50, U 53, U 54 and perhaps later also U 41.
> 
> According to a radio intelligence report a convoy is to be west of Porto on 17.2 and the nearest boats, U 26, U 37 and U 53 will will first be operated against this. U 29 has been kept off the North Channel because of the "Nordmark" operation which is to take place within the next days. (see F.O. U/B West's War Log see special entry below).
> 
> U 53 reported that she had sunk 30,000 tons.


At Sea 15 February 1940
U-10, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER departed Scapa on Northern Patrol. AMC CARINTHIA arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol. The Northern Patrol sighted 61 eastbound ships between the 15th and 29th and sent 24 into Kirkwall for inspection.

*North Sea*
Sub SWORDFISH and DD IMPERIAL departed Rosyth for Scapa. From there IMPERIAL was to join the west coast section of HN.12, but on the 16th, the order was cancelled and she was ordered to the Norwegian coast. Sub TRIBUNE was exercising in the Firth of Forth. Sub SEAWOLF departed Sheerness with OA.92 for Portsmouth. DD JERVIS arrived at Rosyth from the Humber. MTBs MTB.22, 24 and 25 carried out a night patrol off Farne Island. OA.92 departed Southend, escort DDs BROKE from the 15th to 16th, and VANESSA from 16th to 18th when the convoy dispersed. Sub SEAWOLF joined the convoy for passage to Portsmouth. OA.90G sailed from Southend on the 12th escort DDs VISCOUNT and VANQUISHER, and OB.90G from Liverpool with 45 ships, also on the 12th, escorted by sloops DEPTFORD and SCARBOROUGH. They merged on the 15th as OG.18, escort Fr DD PANTHÈRE and Aux PV MERCEDITA from then until the 21st, and arrived at Gib on the 22nd, escort DD VELOX of the local escort. DD ACTIVE, also of the local escort, arrived the next day with steamer MACLAREN (UK 2330 grt), which had broken down on the 22nd. FN.95 departed Southend escort sloops FLEETWOOD, BITTERN and HASTINGS, and joined by DD JANUS on the 16th. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 17th. FS.97 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and with sub STERLET joining from Blyth for the passage south. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th. MT.11 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop PELICAN, and ASW trawlers of the 19th Anti-Submarine Group, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. MT.12 departed Methil, escorted by sloops FLAMINGO, WESTON and ASW trawlers of the 3rd Anti-Submarine Group, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. 

*Northern Waters*
CLA CAIRO departed Scapa for Sullom Voe. DD TARTAR departed Scapa to relieve AMC FORFAR. DD DARING attacked a contact NNE of Kinnaird Head. DDs KIPLING and IMPERIAL were also hunting in the area, and the search continued on the 16th. ASW trawlers NORTHERN SPRAY (SO), NORTHERN DAWN, NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN WAVE and NORTHERN PRIDE of the 12th Anti-Submarine Striking Force were on patrol north of the Shetland Islands, when NORTHERN DAWN attacked a submarine contact in that area.

*West Coast UK*
DD MOHAWK arrived in the Clyde escorting tkr MONTENOL (UK 2646 grt). OB.92 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANOC and WINCHELSEA from the 15th to 18th, when VANOC joined HX.19. 

*Channel*
DDs ESCAPADE, ECHO and ECLIPSE arrived at Rosyth, and ELECTRA separately from Dover.

CA EXETER (below- Navy Photos/Paul Simpson Ian Mort) arrived at Plymouth for repairs, screened by CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN and CL GALATEA, but without DD HERO. In the SW Approaches, she had been joined by her close DD escort, starting with HASTY on the 13th, ACASTA and WHITSHED earlier on the 14th, and ARDENT, HEARTY, WOLVERINE and WREN later in the day. ARK ROYAL also reached Plymouth on the 15th escort DDs KEITH, WAKEFUL, VETERAN and ANTELOPE, and EXETER repaired at Devonport until 10 March 1941.





*Western Approaches*
DD VENETIA, escorting the Liverpool section of a homebound convoy, attacked a submarine contact east of Fastnet.


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## parsifal (Feb 14, 2015)

*16 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ASW Trawler WISTERIA (RN)




*Known Losses*

*MV BALDUR (Ger 5805 grt)* was scuttled off Jossing Fjord near Lister Light, during the ALTMARK Pursuit (Operation "DT") after being challenged by DD IVANHOE. 





U-14 struck again at the same unescorted convoy that she had attacked the previous day, sinking two ships in less than ten minutes:

*MV OSMEED (Sd 1526 grt)* Crew: 20 (13 dead and 7 survivors): Cargo: Coal: Route: Blyth - Halmstad, Sweden: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) north of Kinnaird Head, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom by U-14 . The survivors were rescued by the trawler LOCH HOPE (UK).





10 minutes later she struck again.... 
*MV LIANA (Sd 1646 grt)*: Crew: 20 (10 dead and 10 survivors) : Cargo: Coal: Route: Blyth - Halmstad, Sweden: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea 20 nautical miles (37 km) north of Kinnaird Head, Aberdeenshire by U-14 ( Germany). The survivors were rescued by the trawler LOCH HOPE (UK) and cargo ship SANTOS (Sde).





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> In the forenoon British reconnaissance planes were over the Heligoland Bight several times. One Blenheim plane was shot down by fighters, . Intensive air reconnaissance over the North Sea, At 1115 the Admiralty sent a priority radio signal to all sea and
> shore command stations. At 1340 our air reconnaissance sighted six enemy destroyers on easterly course north of our declared area. At 1400 radio monitoring detected the cruiser ARETHUSA and destroyers of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla, according to radio
> bearings off Lindesnes. At 1318 (1630) the cruiser received a message that the supply ship ALTMARK had been sighted by a reconnaissance plane, 1500 Report from the ALTMARK, off Egeroe, that she had sighted a cruiser of the AURORA class and five destroyers. 1900 British destroyers forced the ALTMARK inshore. The INTREPID tried to come alongside.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> It seems more and more likely that U 33 has been lost. Several radio intelligence reports show that she was in action with an English minesweeper and then surrendered. Assistance was requested to rescue survivors. The English authorities assumed that mines had been laid. This is not improbable, as these events took place in the early morning hours. The boat would certainly not have chosen this time to penetrate into the Clyde and she then at latest would have been on her way out. If she really did lay the mines, the high price paid will have been worth it.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-13

At Sea 16 February 1940
U-10, U-13, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62. 
20 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC WORCESTERSHIRE arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol.

*Northern Waters*
Just after midnight, C in C Home Flt the ALTMARK be apprehended, but this was easier said than done. The British force split up to search the Leads and offshore islands south of Bergen. CL ARETHUSA made an inconclusive sighting of ALTMARK a short time later off Egero Light and DDs IVANHOE and INTREPID were dispatched to stop her. However, the Norwegian escorts intervened and ALTMARK was able to enter port. At that time, Norwegian naval units in the Fjord and nearby were torpedo boats KJELL, SKARV, TEIST and armed auxiliaries FIRERN and HVAL IV.

At sunrise, a flight of Lockheed Hudson aircraft, 220 sqn, led by 'K' and crewed by Pilot Officer McNeil and Pilot Lawrie, L.A.C. Sheekey and Cpl.Hugill were to find the ALTMARK and direct RN vessels onto her position. Their task was not simple, they had to identify her, take photographs, and pass information of ALTMARKS position and direction as soon as possible, but not to attack. Pilot Officer McNeill has heard a signal from 'F' aircraft, telling of a vessel heading South, having been seen 15 miles north of the course of his flight and at 12.55 hours on seeing a dark shape ahead he made a wide sweep to view her from broadside. After this he then flew under the bows of the ship, where clearly painted was the name 'ALTMARK, positive ID at last. Realising that unless intercepted very quickly the ship would make her escape, he instructed (against standing orders wireless operations), W/O Sheekey transmitted in plain language - 'Enemy first sighting'. He felt sure that anyone interested in the ALTMARK would understand and take action.





This message was indeed received and well understood The message also gave the position speed and course of the ALTMARK. DD COSSACK wasat that time too far south, so Vian ordered DDs INTREPID and IVANHOE to intercept at full speed, covered by CL ARETHUSA. At 14.45 hours ARETHUSA reached ALTMARK and holding a parallel course, with the two DDs coralling her from astern flashed the order to the ALTMARK to steer west (into international waters). DD INTREPID also flashed ALTMARK to heave to and tyhen fired a shot across her bows. Norwegian patrol vessels placed themselves between the ALTMARK and the RN ships to impede the British operations. With ther assistance, ALTMARK slipped into Jassingfjord. DD COSSACK arrived at dusk and, after a conference with the Norwegians, who insisted that the ALTMARK had been searched and nothing found amiss, reported by wireless to the Admiralty and awaited their reply. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, ordered that Captain Vian was to offer the Norwegians assistance to escort the ALTMARK back to Bergen to be searched again. Churchill instructed that if the offer was refused, the ALTMARK was to be boarded notwithstanding Norwegian protests and resistance. At 22.00 hours Captain Vian took COSSACK into the fjord and then gave the Norwegians the gist of Churchill's orders. They replied that they were unable to co-operate as their ships were too small to force their way through the ice! At 23.12 hours, COSSACK approached the ALTMARK and, despite evasive action and an attempt to ram, a boarding party of 3 officers and 30 ratings took her. Four Germans were killed and five wounded in the brisk resisted boarding excercise. COSSACK triumphantly sailed out of Jassingfjord at 23.55 hours with 299 merchant seamen who had been released and they were landed at Leith after a fast passage home. 




_COSSACK returning to Leith after boarding ALTMARK and rescuing the prisoners being held on board. it was the final chapter in the failure of the GRAF SPEE operation _

Subs SEAL, TRIAD, ORZEL were ordered into the area and joined SALMON and SEALION which were already there. SEAL sighted the sinking BALDUR and the DT operation ships, but the other submarines sighted nothing at all. BB WARSPITE, BC HOOD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FURY, FAME, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE and FIREDRAKE of the Home Fleet were at sea near Pentland Firth covering the operation. And after leaving Scapa on the 16th, CA NORFOLK met CLs SOUTHAMPTON, EDINBURGH and DDs DARING and IMPERIAL to provide support. There was no German Fleet reaction.

After the rescue, the SOUTHAMPTON group joined convoy HN.12 on the 17th, together with ARETHUSA in support, COSSACK and her force returned to Rosyth arriving on the 17th after which she reached Leith on the 19th for repairs, and the HOOD force arrived back in the Clyde on the 18th.

German steamer WIEGAND (5869grt) arrived in Jossing Fjord on the 21st, supposedly to tow ALTMARK, but left alone the next day. Instead, ALTMARK remained aground under the guard of Norwegian ML OLAV TRYGVASSON until 6 March when she was refloated, and headed for Sandefjord escorted by two Norwegian DDs. ALTMARK’s repairs were completed on 22 March.

(see also next post)


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## parsifal (Feb 14, 2015)

*Completion of 16 Feb Ops summary*
*North Sea*
FN.96 departed Southend, escort DDs WOOLSTON, JANUS and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 18th. Convoy FS.98 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyer JERVIS and sloops FLAMINGO and WESTON, was forced to anchor in the Humber overnight, but arrived at Southend on the 18th. 

*Channel*
CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN and DD HERO arrived at Portsmouth and Force K was dissolved. After short refits, the three joined the Home Flt.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.20 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs FRASER, ST LAURENT and the British HEREWARD. RCN DD SKEENA accompanied the convoy until it was clear of the harbour. CL ORION and liner DUCHESS OF BEDFORD departed Halifax with HX.20 and then proceeded independently to Liverpool. HEREWARD returned to Halifax on the 20th, but before then, the other DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, CL ENTERPRISE, at 1400/17th. DDs VOLUNTEER, WITCH and sloops FOWEY and ROCHESTER escorted from 29 February to 4 March, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.


*Appendix to B.d.U. Naval War Staff's War Log*
MOST SECRET
Operations against "Ark Royal", "Renown" and "Exeter"
1)	2020/7/2 radio intelligence report:
A/C carrier"Ark Royal" will be in square DH 1359, course 150, speed 22 knots at 257/10/2. Battleship "Renown" and heavy cruiser "Exeter" will be in square DH 4377, course 30, speed 16 knots at 0011/11/2.
2)	1720/9/2 radio intelligence report:
A/C carrier "Ark Royal" is expected to be in the area of the western approach to the Channel on 13/2, and heavy cruiser "Exeter" on 14.2. The units are expected to proceed to Portsmouth or Davenport. The destroyers "Diamond" and "Dainty" are probably with the ships mentioned.
3)	1100/10/2 T/P from Naval War Staff to B.d.U.:
Radio Intelligence Service's exact information on the homeward passage of "Ark Royal", "Renown" and "Exeter" appear promising for a mass operation of Atlantic boats at the western approach to the Channel.
4)	1725/10/2 radio message to U 26:
Operations area for U 26 until further orders is: square 3000 BE right half and square 1000 BF left half.
5)	1750/10/2 radio message to U 37 and U 48:
Operations area for U 37 for the present is off the Channel approach east of 90 west and south of 490 20 mins. north. U 48 will be north of this line.
6)	8050/12/2 radio intelligence report:
French patrol vessels were informed early on 12/2 by Admiral West that English A/C carrier "Ark Royal" would be in square 9191 at 0900/12/2 GMT.
7)	0900/12/2 radio intelligence report:
Additional to radio intelligence report 0845: there are English destroyers with "Ark Royal".
8)	0915/12/2 radio message from U 37:
Enemy destroyer and suspicious ship in sight. Enemy is steering a westerly course, making high speed, square 1737 BF.
9)	0920/12/2 radio message to U 26, U 37, U 48:
Proceed to channel approach between Start Point and Quessant.
10)	0945/12/2 radio message to U 26, U 37, U 48:
Take up attacking position along the line Lizard Head-Los Sept Isles, U 48 north of 490 40 mins. north, U 26 south of 490 18 mins. north, U 37 in the center "Ark Royal" is expected to pass eastbound early on 13/2, "Renown" and "Exeter" early on 14/2.
11)	Midday 12/2 received from U 48:
Enemy convoy 490 55 mins. north, 090 36 mins. west, course 2600, speed 9 knots. There followed the following radio messages with T.O.O. as given:
1307: 490 59 mins. north, 090 56 mins. west, course 2600, speed 8 knots.
1359: 400 58 mins. north, 090 53 mins. wets, course 2650, speed 8 knots.
1501: 490 58 mins. north, 100 06 mins. west, course 2500, speed 8 knots.
1730: 490 56 mins. north, 100 48 mins. west, course 2600, 9 knots.
1755: Contact lost. Last position observed:
490 55 mins. north, 100 54 mins. west.
12)	2132/12/2 radio message to U 26, U 37, U 48:
"Ark Royal" was in 450 north, 150 west at 0900/12/2, speed so far 22 knots. Expected port of destination Portsmouth.
13)	2350/12/2 radio message from U 26:
1)	Position 3592 BE, can only make 7 knots owing to weather.
2)	3 premature detonators.
14)	0819/13/2 radio message to U 26, U 37, U 48:
U 37 and U 48 make every effort to take up attacking position ordered. Until boats are dismissed from this position only particularly valuable targets are to be attacked. U 26 to occupy square 3000 BE right half and square 1000 BE left half as attack area.
15)	1215/13/2 radio message from U 48:
Position 49 03 N., 14 35 W. wind E7, 65 cbm. remaining, 3 electric torpedoes, 2 air-driven torpedoes ready. S/M chaser croup 4950 N., 11 25 W. No secret grid chart on board.
16)	1440/13/2 radio message to U 26, U 48:
U 26 to operate north of 400 30 mins. north, U 48 south of the line.
17)	2209/14/2 radio message to U 26 and U 53:
Proceed on to area "ROT". U 53 was in 500 50 mins. north, 140 30 mins. west at 1900.
18)	0015/15/2 radio message to U 37:
Move off to operations area in accordance with Operations Order IV, b).
19)	0550/16/2 radio intelligence report:
By 15/2 A/C carrier "Ark Royal" was in Portsmouth and had probably been there since the evening of 13/2. Battle cruiser )T.N.: sic) "Renown" and heavy cruiser "Exeter" entered Plymouth at 0800/15/2 GMT. Destroyer "Here" arrived at Portsmouth towards 1630/15/2 GMT.


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## Njaco (Feb 15, 2015)

*February 15 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* In reply to the British governments announcement that British merchant ships in the North Sea will be armed, the German government announces that all such ships will be treated as warships. U-boat commanders are ordered attack without warning any ship which is likely to come under British control. This directive means that any neutral ship sailing towards a British-controlled war zone -- such as the English Channel, can be attacked without warning. Any ship following a zig-zag course is also liable to be sunk without warning.

Hubert Lanz was made the Chief of Staff for XVIII Armeekorps.

Generalmajor Rommel takes command of 7.Panzerdivision. After providing Hitler's personal protection in Poland, Rommel sought a divisional command. After rejecting a specialized mountain division (Rommel’s forte in WWI), he lobbies hard for a Panzer division. With Hitler's tacit support he is given 7th Panzer.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* North of Lake Ladoga in Finland, Finnish troops destroyed the pocket of surrounded Soviet troops near the village of Lavajärvi, capturing 2 tanks, 5 field guns, 2 anti-tank guns, 8 trucks, 3 machine guns, 4 field kitchens, and rifles. Finnish 9th division surrounds Soviets “Dolin” ski brigade (Colonel Dolin is already dead; his brigade is reduced to 800 men). Finnish Commander-in-Chief C. G. E. Mannerheim ordered the II Army Corps to abandon the Mannerheim Line at 2000 hours.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Neutral shipping suffers the German blockade of Britain. 4 steam merchant (carrying ore, oil cake, oil and fruit) are sunk for a total of 16,600 tons. German submarine U-50 sank Danish ship “_Maryland_” west of Scotland at 0207 hours, killing the entire crew of 34.

German submarine U-37 sank Danish ship “_Aase_” en route to Bristol at 0545 hours, killing 15. HMS “_Verity_” would rescue the sole survivor two days later.

German submarine U-26 sank Norwegian ship “_Steinstad_” 75 miles west of Aran Island, Ireland at 0837 hours, killing 13. The 11 survivors in a lifeboat would not reach land until 20 Feb.

German submarine U-48 sank Dutch tanker _“Den Haag_” (carrying 11,800 tons of oil) 150 miles west of Ouessant at the northwestern tip of France at 1400 hours, killing 26. The U-boat had spotted the tanker about five hours earlier, but waited to evade a flying boat. British ship “_Glenorchy_” rescued 13 survivors in a lifeboat.

Italian cargo steamer ‘_Giorgio Ohlsen_’ sunk by mine off East Coast.

*NORTH AMERICA:* No. 110 Army Co-operation (Auxiliary) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for Britain.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: ‘_Exeter_’ one of the cruisers which defeated ‘_Graf Spee_‘ arrived at Plymouth.

.


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## Njaco (Feb 16, 2015)

*February 16 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* In the morning at 0840 hours, Uffz. Kurt Opolski of 5./JG 77 gets his first victory when he destroys a British Blenheim bomber, several miles north west of Borkum.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: THE ‘ALTMARK’ INCIDENT* - A Lockheed Hudson of RAF No.233 Squadron locates “_Graf Spee’s_” support ship the “_Altmark_” (suspected of carrying prisoners captured by “_Graf Spee_”) in Jøssingfjord, Norway. Captain Vian commanding destroyer HNS “_Cossack_” intercepts “_Altmark_”, which is escorted by Norwegian torpedoboats. The two Norwegian torpedo boat captains protest, but do nothing. Churchill personally orders Vian to stop “_Altmark_” and board her to free the prisoners. British destroyer “_Cossack_” pulls alongside and boards the German supply ship, freeing British prisoners. 4 German sailors are killed and 5 wounded as 299 prisoners are released. The ship entered Norwegian waters on February 14th and, according to international law the prisoners should have been released. “_Altmark's_” captain denied that he is carrying prisoners. The Norwegians made no real attempt to search and in fact provided a torpedo boat as escort. The British action is also contrary to international law. Hitler is convinced the Allied will not respect Norwegian neutrality to send aid to Finland, despite Norway’s repeated protests, and steps up his plans for a Scandinavian invasion.

Finns admitted that Russians has penetrated their forward positions at three points-one east of Summa sector, and two between Muola lake and Vuoksi river-but elsewhere all attacks had been repulsed. Following Mannerheim’s order yesterday to abandon the main defensive line, Finnish troops receive the order to withdraw to intermediate V-line positions at 3.45 PM. Near village of Kuhmo, Finnish 9th division wipes out the remnants of Soviet “Dolin” ski brigade capturing numerous automatic weapons. Of 1,800 Soviets that skied into Finland, there are only 70 survivors.

Eight more Soviet planes shot down. Finnish planes bombed Soviet railways and stations behind the lines.

The Swedish government refuses the Finnish appeal for right of passage of foreign troops and direct military assistance.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-14 sank Danish ships “_Rhone_” (killing 9) and “_Sleipner_” (killing 13) shortly after midnight; 41 survivors were later picked up by Swedish trawler “_Standard_” and HMS “_Kipling_”. Later in the day, at 2125 hours, U-14 torpedoed and sank Swedish coal ship “_Osmed_” 20 miles north of Kinnaird Head in eastern Scotland, killing 13; 7 survivors were rescued by British trawler “_Loch Hope_”. At 2135 hours, U-14 struck one more time on this date, sinking Swedish coal ship “_Liana_” with one torpedo; 10 men were killed, 2 were rescued by British trawler “_Loch Hope_”, and 8 were rescued by Swedish steamer “_Santos_”.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In Egypt, the 7th Armoured Division "The Desert Rats" was created out of the Mobile Division, with Major General Michael Creagh in command.

.



.




.


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## Wurger (Feb 16, 2015)

Deported Poles were exiled to the Siberia and Kazakhstan mostly where they became in a couple of months, starving beggars.



























They were accommodated in huts or dugouts ... at the Siberia huts were primitive log cabins with gaps caulked with moss.












All Poles had to work hard there either at the kolkhoz ( Soviet collective farms ) or in the taiga.






















The starvation was the reason for passing of many exiled people.












Many Poles were sent to labour camps at the Siberia ...












On the 30th July 1941 in London there was signed the Sikorski–Mayski Agreement. It was an attempt to re-establish diplomatic relations between Poland and the Soviet Union. Stalin agreed to release tens of thousands of Poles held in Soviet camps.

An Officer of the Polish Army released from a siberian camp in 1941 ...






Colonel B.Rakowski freed by Soviets in 1941 ...

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## parsifal (Feb 16, 2015)

*17 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV BARON AILSA (III) (UK 3656 grt)*: World War II: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea north of Inverness-shire (53°17′N 1°12′E) with the loss of two of her 36 crew. The survivors were rescued by HMT Beech ( Royal Navy).




_This vessel was built in 1936. There was another Baron Ailsa (II) built in 1916, greek registered and sunk in 1941 by DKM ADM SCHEER _

*MV EL SONADOR (Panama 1406 grt)*: Crew: ?(17 crew lost) :Cargo:713 tons of Coal : Route: Methil - Gothenburg : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk east of the Shetland Islands by U-61




_This former Dutch ships was formerly the BATAVIEN III and built 1897_

*MV KVERNAAS (Nor 1819 grt)*: Crew: 20 (0 dead and 20 survivors) : Cargo: Coke : Route: Rotterdam - Amsterdam (16 Feb) - Oslo The neutral vessel was torpedoed and sank within five minutes, four miles northwest of Schouwen Bank, Netherlands. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were picked up after 4 hours by MV ORANJEPOLDER (Ne). This vessel was en route to London, but turned back and landed the men at the pilot station in Hoek van Holland the next day. 





*MV PYRRHUS (UK 7,418 grt)*: Crew: 86 (8 dead and 78 survivors :Cargo: 4000 tons of general cargo, including whisky, golf clubs and embroidery: Route: Glasgow - Liverpool (12 Feb) - Gibraltar - Manila : Sunk NW of Cape Finnestere: Attached to OG 18 (in fact the command ship), she had spent the night rounding up other stragglers after a gale had dispersed many ships of the convoy. She was moving to rejoin the convoy when she was hit. The explosion broke the ship in two, causing the after part of about 160 feet to sink immediately. Eight Chinese crew members were lost. The master, 72 crew members (the ship was armed with one 4in and one 12pdr gun, hence the large crew), the vice-commodore and his staff of four naval ratings abandoned ship in three boats in heavy sea and swell about 20 minutes after the hit. Three stragglers were following the ship and two of them, the British steam merchants USKSIDE and SINNINGTON COURT stopped despite the danger of being torpedoed themselves, picked up the survivors and landed them at Gibraltar. The wreck of PYRRHUS was left adrift and eventually foundered two days later. 





_This attack was part of a joint Uboat operation (with U-53, U.26 and U.50 had been ordered to operate with U.37 and U.53, but were too far away to join in time), perhaps one of the first successful wolf packs._ 

*MV WILJA (Fn 3396 grt)*: Crew:27 (0 dead and 27 survivors): Cargo:General cargo, including tobacco, gum rosin, wheat and turpentine : Route: Savannah - Norfolk - Antwerp - Rotterdam : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the SW Approaches by U-48. All 27 crew were rescued by MV MAASDAM (Ne) and DD VANESSA. MAASDAM carried her survivors to Havana , whilst Vanessa dropped her survivors back in England. U-48 attacked the neutral vessel with a single G7a torpedo, hitting the vessel aft. The ship caught fire and sank after five minutes south of Bishop Rock. The U-boat had spotted an illuminated Dutch ship and a darkened vessel about 30 minutes earlier and attacked the latter. The other ship was MAASDAM, such was the luck of this battle. 




VANESSA was escorting convoy OA.92 at the time, saw the sinking and immediately attacked U.48 . She was joined by DD WREN and sloop DEPTFORD at 1230 and 1520/18th, respectively. DEPTFORD left for Gib at 1700/18th, and sloop ENCHANTRESS joined soon after.

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The German Ambassador in Oslo made a very sharp protest against the violation of Norwegian neutrality by the British destroyer COSSACK during the attack on the supply ship ALTMARK. Readiness measures in Belgium. Restrictions of leave for Army personnel. Rumors of imminent mobilization. Russian advance on the Karelian isthmus. The Finnish Foreign Minister has denied reports that Finland has requested the Western Powers for help. The Swedish Government is standing by its refusal to grant Finland any large scale active military support.
> 
> Submarine U "13" is disposed off Joessing Fiord to protect the ALTMARK and patrol the entrance. By decree of the Fuehrer, Norwegian neutrality is to be strictly observed. Propaganda is primarily directed against Great Britain, emphasizing her gross breach of neutrality and stressing the ALTMARK's character as an unarmed merchantman.
> 
> The submarines which were temporarily moved on account of the ALTMARK events have been ordered to resume the positions for which they were originally scheduled. (Except submarine U "13").



(Hitler flew into a rage over the ALTMARK issue). 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 37 reported a convoy in southwest Biscay on a southwesterly course. She pursued it for some hours and lost it again towards evening. U 53 sighted the convoy reported by the Radio Intelligence Service and was shadowing.



Departures
Heligoland: U-9, U-63

At Sea 17 February 1940
U-10, U-13, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63. 
20 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa and then departed the same day to relieve CA DEVONSHIRE on Northern Patrol. DEVONSHIRE reached Greenock on the 20th. CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa after Northern Patrol, and DD KINGSTON departed Scapa for Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs DIANA, ENCOUNTER and BRAZEN escorted two tkrs from Rosyth to Aberdeen, after which they left with steamers HIRONDELLE (1243grt) and RUTLAND (1437grt). DD KIPLING joined en route, with HIRONDELLE being taken into Lerwick and RUTLAND into Scapa . Subs TRIBUNE and TRUANT exercised in the Firth of Forth with DD ELECTRA serving as the target ship. Sub URSULA departed Blyth on patrol, but had to return with engine problems.

ON.14 with 24 ships departed Methil escort DDs ESCAPADE, ESCORT, ECLIPSE, ELECTRA and submarine NARWHAL. ECLIPSE attacked a submarine contact in the Firth of Forth , and one merchant ship detached before the North Sea crossing. CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA left Scapa on the 19th to rendezvous with the convoy at 0700/20th, and when German surface ships appeared in the North Sea, ON.14 put into Kirkwall, still on the 19th, but left next day once the German ships had returned to Wilhelmshaven, reaching Bergen on the 22nd.

*West Coast UK*
ASW trawler PEARL (649grt) attacked a contact in Lune Deep in Morecombe Bay.

*UK - France*
BC.25 of five steamers, including BARON CARNEGIE and BATNA, which had sailed from Nantes on the 13th and 14th respectively, departed Quiberon Bay on the 16th. It arrived in Barry Roads on the 17th escort DD MONTROSE.

*Western Approaches*
DD HAVANT developed defects while on escort duty

*SW Approaches*
DD WOLVERINE on convoy escort, attacked a submarine contact sw of the Scilly Isle on the 17th and the 18th. Sloop ABERDEEN, on convoy escort with OG.19F, attacked a contact southwest of Portland Bill.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.19 of 35 ships departed Gib with sloops LEITH and BIDEFORD as ocean escort from the 17th to 27th. Before then, on the 24th, the convoy split into two. HG.19 A was escorted in Home Waters by BIDEFORD and DD WHITSHED, and HG.19B by DDs WALPOLE, WHITSHED and MACKAY from the 24th to 27th when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.


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## Njaco (Feb 17, 2015)

*February 17 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* At 1610 hours in the afternoon, Hptm. Wolfgang Falck of the Stab flight of I./ZG 76 destroys a British Blenheim for his sixth victory.	

*GERMANY:* As it was customary for new corps commanding officers to dine with the Führer, Hitler's aide Colonel Schmundt arranged such a meeting for Hitler and Manstein. Manstein presented his plan for the invasion of France and the Low Countries. Hitler, searching for an alternative to Halder’s lame thrust into Belgium, is impressed and notes similarities with his own ideas. Adolf Hitler changes the attack on the West to be a main thrust through the Ardennes.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Blue Funnel Line ship “_Pyrrhus_” in Gibraltar convoy OG-18 is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-37, 100 miles off Cape Finisterre. 8 crew are killed. 77 survivors were rescued by British merchant ships “_Uskside_” and “_Sinnington Court_”, which delivered them to Gibraltar.

German submarine U-10 sank Norwegian ship “_Kvernaas_” off the Dutch coast at 0200 hours. The crew of 20, in two lifeboats, were rescued by Dutch ship “_Oranjepolder_”.

German submarine U-48 sank Finnish ship “_Wilja_” south of Bishop Rock, Isles of Scilly, southwestern England at 2036 hours. All 27 crew members were rescued by Dutch steamer “_Maasdam_” and were taken to Havanna, Cuba.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Strong British, Norwegian and German protest notes are exchanged over the “_Altmark_” incident. Norway protested British neutrality violation of attacking the German ship “_Altmark_” in Norwegian waters. British Government complained to Norwegian government of Perfunctory manner in which ‘_Altmark_’ was examined and pressed that she should now be interned.

The Soviet advance has completely cleared the Mannerheim Line. All the Finnish defenders are now established in their second line of defense. The Finnish 23rd Division, brought forward from the reserve, has been slow to arrive because of air attacks. The Red Army has assembled 35 divisions (organized under General Semyon Timoshenko) and the Finns, with 15 depleted divisions, are now on the defensive. The Finns are no match for Soviet tanks in the open snow and fall back to the V-line. The Soviet attack again grinds to a halt on prepared defensive positions.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The government plans to evacuate 400,000 children from the larger cities to rural areas.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt sends Sumner Welles, Under-Secretary of State, on a "fact-finding" tour of Europe and appoints Myron C. Taylor as his "personal representative" to the Vatican.

United States Lines sells the liner “President Harding” and seven cargo ships to a Belgian concern in an attempt to circumvent the ban on US sea borne trade with Europe, imposed by the Neutrality Act.


.


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## Wurger (Feb 17, 2015)

On the 17th February , Nazi Germans destroyed the Tadeusz Kościuszko monument in Cracow. It was the next attempt to deprive Poles of their National History and Culture. The statue is one of the best known bronze monuments in Poland. It is the work of artists Leonard Marconi, professor of Lviv University born in Warsaw, and his son in law, sculptor Antoni Popiel. The equestrian bronze statue of Kościuszko, the Polish and American hero of independence, is located along the west side entrance to the Wawel Castle in the Old Town. Its current replica, erected in 1960, is a gift to the City of Cracow from the people of Dresden, Germany. Its duplicate was also erected in Detroit, Michigan in 1978, as a gift from the people of Cracow, in celebration of the United States Bicentennial.

The monument in 1924 ...






in 1935 ...






in 1938 ...






in 1961 ...

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## parsifal (Feb 17, 2015)

The highest mountain in Australia is named in honour of this man. It was named by the Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840, in honour of the Polish national hero and hero of the American Revolutionary War General Tadeusz Kosciuszko, because of its perceived resemblance to the Kosciuszko Mound in Krakow.

The name of the mountain was previously spelt "Mount Kosciusko", an Anglicisation, but the spelling "Mount Kosciuszko" was officially adopted in 1997 by the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. The way it is pronounced is gradually changing, moving closer to the way it should be pronounced in Polish.

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## parsifal (Feb 17, 2015)

*18 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV AMELAND (Ne 4,537 grt)*: Crew: 48 (0 dead and 48 survivors) : Cargo: General Cargo : Route: Rotterdam - India : 
The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off the Maasbank Buoy by U-10 . All 48 crew were rescued by MONTFERLAN (Ne).





*MV BANDERAS (Sp 2140 grt)*: Crew: 29 (22 dead and 7 survivors) : Cargo: 3400 tons of phosphates : Route: Carla Bona (Majorca) - San Juan de Nieva - Pasajes (Northern Atlantic Coast of Spain). In the early morning hours, the neutral BANDERAS was torpedoed and sunk by U-53 8 miles northwest of Cabo Villano. DKM apparently assumed that she was a straggler from the combined French convoy 65-KS/10-RS, but was in fact just heading in the same direction astern of the convoy. The survivors, two of them badly injured, were picked up by the fishing trawler TRITONIA (sp 268 grt).





*MV RIGEL (Fn 1477 grt)*, *MV BORE III (Fn 1133 grt)* and *MV BORE IV (Fn 1659 grt)*: These cargo ships were bombed and sunk off Mäntyluoto, Finland by Soviet aircraft.

*HMS DARING (RN 1375 grt)* Whilst escorting HN 12, the D-class destroyer was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Duncansby Head, Caithness by U-23 with the loss of 157 of her 162 crew.







_Image of the crew of the HMS Daring. Nearly all the crew were lost vary soon after this shot was taken_

*MV ELLIN (Gk 4917 grt)*: Crew: ? (all survived) : Cargo: Coal : Route: Cardiff - Piraeus : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 25 nautical miles (46 km) north west of Cape Finisterre, Spain by U-37. The unescorted ELLIN was hit by two torpedoes. The first hit had not much effect, so at 01.09 hours (about 20 minutes after the first strike) a second torpedo was fired that struck amidships and caused the ship to sink immediately after breaking in two. All crew were rescued by the fishing boat MANIN (Sp) and landed at Corruna.





*Steamer PLM 15 (Fr 3,754 grt)*: Crew: 42 (42 dead): Cargo: Ore : Route: Pepel, Sierra Leone - Casablanca - Brest : U-37 fired one torpedo at the P.L.M. 15, a straggler from convoy 65-KS and observed how the ships sank within 40 seconds after being hit amidships about 30 miles from Cape Villano. Fr ASW trawlers LA TOULONNAISE (738grt) and LA SETOISE (738grt) arrived somewhat later and carried out attacks on U.37, without result.



.

*MV ILSENSTEIN (UK 1506 grt)*: also known as the Matatua: The cargo ship was scuttled as a blockship in Skerry Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands.





*MV SANGSTAD ( Nor 4297 grt)* Crew: 29 (1 dead and 28 survivors) :Cargo: Grain : Route: Buenos Aires (13 Jan) - Kirkwall (17 Feb) - Stavanger: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea east of Kirkwall by U-61. Survivors were rescued by DDs BRAZEN and DIANA 12 hours later. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Early on 18 Feb. the BCs GNEISENAU, SCHARNHORST, CA HIPPER and eight DDs sailed for a sortie into the Shetlands - Bergen. Commanding Admiral plan: Surprise sortie with the BCs, the HIPPER and three destroyers type 36 against enemy convoy traffic between Norway and the Shetlands, destruction of merchant ships belonging to or sailing for the enemy, also their escorts. Further- more the heavy ships 1 appearance in the northern North Sea should draw enemy home forces putting to sea towards our submarines in waiting disposition.
> 
> DDs are to complement the heavy ships sortie by carrying out operations against merchant shipping in the eastern Skagerrak. The BCs advance proceeded according to plan on 18 Feb, Radio monitoring did not detect any striking radio traffic and it seems that the enemy has failed to notice anything. Naval Staff thinks that enemy situation and the expected convoy traffic afford good prospects for the operation.
> 
> Air recon by Commander, Naval Air, West and 10th Air Corps as far as 61° N has not produced any reports on the enemy. Our own submarines in the Orkneys - Shetlands area, which sent some reports on enemy ships and convoys," have been allocated new attack positions appropriate to the enemy movements detected. The ZENKER, one of the destroyers participating in the operation, has had to commence the return trip. At about 1100 armed enemy reconnaissance planes unsuccessfully attacked the 6th MSW Flot.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 37 came up to the convoy reported by U 53. Apparently 2 ships were sunk. Then U 53 lost contact. Meanwhile the boats had used so many torpedoes that they had to reload from the upper deck containers. Both tried to do this, independently of one another, off the Spanish coast. Neither succeeded owing to strong patrol. They started on their return passage and reported their intention of trying again off the Irish coast. U 37 reported 43,000 tons sunk. here is no information on U 26. She was operating against the same convoy and must therefore be in the same sea area. She was ordered to go to operations area "ROT" and to report. Information was received overland that U 41 did not turn up for supply "GATA". She may have been delayed a day. U 28 sailed in accordance with Operations Order (illegible).



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-28

At Sea 18 February 1940
U-10, U-13, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63. 
21 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs GALLANT, JAGUAR, NUBIAN and SIKH departed Rosyth as convoy escorts and joined HN.12 bringing it into Methil on the 19th. ML TEVIOTBANK and DDs EXPRESS and ESK laid Deep Line S in operation DML.8 east of Outer Gabbard escorted by DDs KEITH and BOADICEA. MSW FRANKLIN had already laid the marker buoys on the 16th. After the lay, the ML ships proceeded to Immingham on the 19th.

MTBs 22, 24 and 25 dep Rosyth on patrol. Sub SEALION arrived at Harwich after patrol. OA.94 departed Southend escort DDs WITCH, ACASTA, detached on the 21st, when the convoy dispersed. MT.14 departed Methil escort 3rd ASW Gp, supported by DDs VEGA, JAGUAR and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FN.97 departed Southend, escort DD WESTMINSTER and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Methil on the 20th. FS.99 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA, JAGUAR and sloop STORK, which had just arrived from Methil with MT.14. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th. 

*Northern Waters*
DKM Operation NORDMARK with BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU, CA ADMIRAL HIPPER, and DDs KARL GALSTER, WILHELM HEIDKAMP, WOLFGANG ZENKER with the object of attacking allied shipping between the Shetlands and Bergen. ZENKER was damaged by ice and forced to return at the start. The remaining force was escorted through the Skagerrak by DDs PAUL JACOBI, THEODOR RIEDEL, HERMANN SCHOEMANN, LEBERECHT MAAS and TBs LUCHS and SEEADLER which raided in the Skagerrak after being detached. U-boats disposed to support this operation were U.60, U.61, U.57, U.23, U.22, U.62, U.19, U.13, U.63, U.18, U.14, U.18 and U.14. The force was detected almost immediately as it departed, in this regard the German Admiralty were incorrect in beliving they had surprised the RN. 

RN Sub SALMON in the Heligoland Bight was ordered to attack the German surface ships, and convoy ON.14 was ordered into Kirkwall to avoid any contact with the enemy force, arriving on the 19th. Home Flt was in the Clyde having only arrived on the 17th from supporting the ALTMARK hunt. After refuelling, the flt departed, with BB RODNEY, BC HOOD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FURY, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, HARDY, KHARTOUM, KANDAHAR and TARTAR. With the RN at sea and extreme cold immobilizing his seaplanes, Admiral Marschall was forced to return to Wilhelmshaven. On the 21st/22nd, ENE of Muckle Flugga in, HARDY attacked a submarine contact, was joined by FORTUNE, but the search was unsuccessful. CLA CALCUTTA and destroyer KELVIN arrived at Sullom Voe, refuelled and departed again later that day. ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND (497 grt) attacked a submarine contact off Aberdeen. 

*West Coast UK*
OB.94 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALKER and VENETIA. 

*UK - France*
SA.30 of two steamers departed Southampton, and arrived at Brest on the 20th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.21 departed Halifax at 0800 escorted by RCN DDs OTTAWA and SAGUENAY, which detached on the 19th. Ocean escort was AMC ALAUNIA, which left on 1 March. DDs WINDSOR and WOLVERINE escorted the convoy 2 to 4 March, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.21 departed Freetown escorted by AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE until 4 March. DDs WANDERER joined on the 4th, VERSATILE on the 5th and the convoy arrived on the 7th.

*Med- Biscay*
U.53 attacked tkr GARONNE (Fr 3533 grt) in convoy 10 RS, but malfunctioning torpedoes prevented any damage being done.


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## Njaco (Feb 18, 2015)

*February 18 Sunday*
*GERMANY:* German Army General Franz Halder, reluctantly, as ordered by Adolf Hitler, incorporated General Erich von Manstein's planned thrust through the Ardennes Forest into the invasion plans for France. Von Manstein, Hitler and even Halder will ultimately take credit for the move. Hitler signs Directive No. 10, a revised ‘FALL GELB’ plan, reversing the roles of Bock and von Rundstedt which includes the following;


> “The objective. . . is to deny Holland and Belgium to the English by swiftly occupying them; to defeat, by an attack through Belgium and Luxembourg territory, the largest possible forces of the Anglo-French Army, and thereby to pave the way for the destruction of the military strength of the enemy.”


For the attack on the West, the forces will be divided by the line Liège to Charleroi across Belgium and Luxembourg. Forces north of this line will break through Belgian defences, counter any threats to the Ruhr, and take on the strongest Anglo-French forces. Forces south of the line will cross the Meuse river between Dinant and Sedan, and advance towards the Somme estuary. The airborne attack on the fortresses of the Low Countries is kept as they are because it is believed they were not compromised during the Mechelen disaster.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The German battle cruisers “_Gneisenau_”, “_Scharnhorst_” and the pocket battleship “_Admiral Hipper_” make an unsuccessful sortie against the "HN" convoy route between Britain and Scandinavia as part of ‘Operation Nordmark’. German U-boats providing escort for the capital ships, however, sink 12 merchant ships and the British destroyer HMS "_Daring_". British Royal Navy destroyer HMS “_Daring_” (Commander Sydney Alan Cooper), whilst escorting Allied convoy HN12 from Norway, was sunk by German submarine U-23 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer) 40 miles east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, killing 157.

German submarines sank six merchant vessels that each flew French, Spanish, Greek, Panamanian, Dutch, and Norwegian flags. A total of 40 men were killed on the six vessels.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish troops destroyed a pocket of Soviet troops north of Lake Ladoga, capturing 32 field guns, 30 anti-tank guns, 1 mortar, 20 tanks, 15 machine guns, 25 trucks, and 32 field kitchen; the Soviets suffered 1,000 deaths and 250 men taken prisoner; Finnish losses were only 166 deaths. At the defensive V-line, however, the Finnish units were overwhelmed and began to be overrun at two locations.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The French government agrees to allow the reconstitution of the Polish air force on French soil.

A German infantry detachment, with heavy mortar support, makes an unsuccessful raid on a French outpost near the Moselle River.

*ASIA:* Japanese forces engaged in the city of Nanning are compelled withdraw after heavy fighting.

.


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## Njaco (Feb 19, 2015)

*February 19 Monday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The Soviet 18th Division attacked across the frozen Lake Suvanto in the Taipale Sector near Lake Lagoda in eastern Karelian Isthmus. Finnish defenders, with concentrated artillery fire, halted the attack after inflicting nearly 1,000 fatalities.

King of Sweden publicly announced that he fully supported his Government’s refusal to give military aid to Finland. He says:


> "…from the first hour I informed Finland that she unfortunately could not count on military intervention from Sweden."



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer’s rampage in U-23 continues, after sinking HMS “_Daring_” yesterday. U-23 torpedoed and sank Britisher steamer “_Tiberton_” east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland at 0405 hours. “_Tiberton_” sank in 30 seconds, taking the lives of the entire crew of 30.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler, alarmed by the “_Altmark_” Incident of 16 Feb 1940, ordered to hasten the planning of the invasion of Norway.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Secretary of State Cordell Hull extended the American moral embargo to include the Soviet Union.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Paris reported that a French detachment was ambushed east of river Nied and 20 lives lost.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 19, 2015)

*19 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*SS BUSK (UK 367 grt)*: The Admiralty requisitioned cargo ship was scuttled in Kirk Sound, Scapa Flow as a Block Ship.





*MV LYCIA (UK 2338 grt)*: The Admiralty requisitioned cargo ship was scuttled in Skerry Sound, Scapa Flow as a Block Ship.






*MV TIBERTON (UK 5,225 grt)*: Crew: 34 (34 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Iron ore : Route: Narvik (14 Feb) - Middlesbrough - Immingham: The unescorted TIBERTON was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-23, broke in two and sank in 30 seconds about 33 miles east of Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> Thanks to exhaustive radio monitoring and the excellent work of the deciphering service, which has at present very largely broken down the enemy radio codes, Naval Staff and Group West have a clear and almost complete picture of the disposition of enemy forces in the North Sea area
> 
> Early on 19 Feb. the British heavy forces were still in west coast ports. In the 'afternoon the RODNEY, WARSPITE and HOOD sail, from the Clyde to the Shetlands area to act as remote convoy escort. A partially decoded teletype revealed that an apparently important convoy must await the arrival >f the heavy ships and not sail until 20 Feb, During the forenoon of 19 Feb. however, we could not be absolutely certain as to what convoys were actually passing through the Shetlands - Norway area.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 26 reported. She is returning to her old operations area south of Ireland, as she is short of fuel.
> 
> U 25 entered port. She sank 1) Armed merchant ship about 5,000 tons, 2) Norwegian Enid 1,440 tons (attempted to escape), 3) Escorted steamer (Pajala?) 6,873 tons 4) Norwegian Sonja 2,977	tons (contraband), 5) S.S. Armanistan (English) 6,805 tons, 6) Steamer in Zone A 5,000 tons. (Total) 27,795 tons. She was also the first boat to supply under "Moro". C.O.'s report on this: Enemy patrol vessels immediately outside territorial waters. Careful, effective preparations had been made at the place of supply. No difficulty in supplying without being noticed. No moon essential.
> 
> "Nordmark" operations completed. U 29 has been ordered to continue on her passage.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-25 

At Sea 19 February 1940
U-10, U-13, U-14, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-54, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63. 
20 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Steamer START (Sd 1765 grt) was seized in the Baltic by German warships, and taken to Bremerhaven

*Northern Patrol*
DD KIMBERLEY departed Scapa on Northern Patrol. AMC WORCESTERSHIRE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. AMC ANDANIA arrived at the Clyde after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs GRIFFIN, INTREPID, IVANHOE, VALOROUS arrived at Rosyth after an ASW Sweep. DDs JAGUAR and ILEX arrived at Rosyth. OA.93GF cleared Southend on the 16th escort DD WREN and sloop ENCHANTRESS, and OB.93GF from Liverpool on the 17th escort sloops ABERDEEN and DEPTFORD with twenty eight ships. The two convoys joined on the 19th as OG.19F escorted by ABERDEEN and DEPTFORD, were joined by DD WISHART, and arrived at Gib on the 24th. A TM Convoy departed the Tyne escorted by the 19th ASW Gp and supported by DD JACKAL. FN.98 departed Southend escort sloop PELICAN and DDs VIVIEN and JERVIS, and arrived in the Tyne on the 21st. FS.100 departed the Tyne escort sloops FLEETWOOD, HASTINGS and DDs VALOROUS and JANUS, and arrived at Southend on the 21st. DD WOLVERINE joined convoy HX.19 at 0815 with DDs VANOC and VANESSA joining shortly after. WOLVERINE attacked a submarine contact WSW of Cape Clear, while the other two DDs continued with the convoy. DD WINCHELSEA joined WOLVERINE to continue the sweep. The 14th ASW Gp attacked U.13 ESE of Duncansby Head, but did no damage.

Two German 250 ton U-boats were reported five miles off Vlieland at 1000 steering northwest and one 500 ton boat was reported six miles off Ijmuiden at 1300 steering sw. Fr sloop AMIENS was ordered to join ASW trawler LADY PHILOMENA to hunt for them, but did not join. AMIENS returned to Dunkirk early on the 20th. Sub SUNFISH at 0951 fired four torpedoes at U.14. ML TEVIOTBANK was slightly damaged in collision with tug GOOLE No. 10 in Immingham Dock. U.19 attacked tkr DAGHESTAN (5742grt), but the attack failed due to torpedo defects.

*Northern Waters*
CLr GLASGOW arrived at Scapa with rudder defects and then left for refitting at Belfast, where she arrived on the 24th. She later went on to Rosyth for refitting which was completed in early April. AMC ASTURIAS boarded and sent in for inspection steamer SKRAMSTAD (Nor 4300 grt).

*Central Atlantic*
CVL carrier HERMES arrived at Dakar after VO operations, escort DDs DAINTY, DIAMOND, DEFENDER and DECOY.


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## Njaco (Feb 19, 2015)

*February 20 Tuesday*
*GERMANY:* General Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was appointed to command the German invasion of Norway. He has been selected by the Armed Forces High Command (OKW) without consulting the Army High Command (OKH).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-129 sank Norwegian ship “_Nordvangen_” 25 miles east of Trinidad at 0425 hours, killing the entire crew of 2.

German submarine U-156 torpedoed and crippled American ship “_Delplata_” 60 miles west of Martinique, at 1131 hours. The crew of 53 abandoned ship and were rescued by USS “_Lapwing_” on the next day, which also scuttled “_Delplata_” with gunfire.

German submarine U-54 became missing in the North Sea and its crew of 41 were never seen again. It was believed that she ran into mines laid by HMS “_Ivanhoe_” and HMS “_Intrepid_” in early Jan 1940.

German submarine U-96 sank British merchant ship “_Empire Seal_” 75 miles southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, killing 1. 56 survivors were rescued by British ship “_Empire Flame_”. “_Empire Seal_” was carrying steel from the United States to Belfast. At 0453, U-96 struck again, sinking American merchant ship “_Lake Osweya_” at 0453 hours, killing the entire crew of 39.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet troops began penetrating the Finnish V-line as deep as 1 kilometer in some places. Russian 164th division reported to be trapped by Finns at Kitelea, north-east of Lake Ladoga. Intense Russian air activity over southern Finland.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Representatives of the German Gestapo organization (including Adolf Eichmann) and the Soviet NKVD organization (including Grigoriy Litvinov) met at Zakopane, Poland to coordinate the suppression of Polish resistance efforts.

.

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## parsifal (Feb 21, 2015)

*20 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
He111 bombers of German KG26 (X Air Corps) attacked ASW trawlers of the 11th AS Striking Force operating 52 miles 090° from Copinsay. *ASW Trawler FIFESHIRE (RN 540 grt) * was sunk with 22 officers and crew lost. There was just one survivor. ASW Trawler AYRSHIRE (RN 540 grt) was attacked and badly damaged, and CAPE SIRETOKO (590grt) also attacked. DD INGLEFIELD departed Scapa to support them. (Note: German X Air Corps flew He111's of KG26, Ju88's of KG30, and two reconnaissance squadrons flying He59's or Do17's.)

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Report by the Chief, Operations Branch on the course of the battleship operation as far as is known. In srite of very favorable
> conditions to our deep regret the operation has been concluded without success. The Chief, Naval Staff has given orders for it
> to be repeated in the very near future. A relevant directive is to be issued to the Group.
> 
> ...



There was a long running and bitter feud between Raeder and fleet commander Marschall. it was to boil over at the conclusion of the Norwegian campaign 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.


At Sea 20 February 1940
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53 , U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63. 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub L.23 was depth charged by a German DD off the Danish coast, and sustained damage to her OF tanks. She reached Rosyth on the 22nd, left on the 23rd for Blyth and was repaired there from the 27th until March. DD ILEX was damaged at Rosyth while berthing alongside DD SIKH, and was repaired at Rosyth completing on 11 March. DDs GALLANT, GRIFFIN, INTREPID, IVANHOE departed Rosyth for Scapa to operate under the Orkneys and Shetlands Command. DD KIPLING arrived in the Tyne. DD ECHO arrived at Leith for refitting. Sub URSULA cleared Rosyth on patrol. ORP DD BURZA attacked a submarine contact east of Orfordness. MT.15 departed Rosyth escort DDs WHITLEY, JAGUAR and sloop EGRET. The three escorts joined FS.101 when it sailed from the Tyne at 2230, and EGRET attacked a submarine contact seven miles 290° from Flamborough Head. WHITLEY remained in the area for a time before rejoining FS.101, which arrived at Southend on the 22nd. Trawler LADY ELEANOR (324grt) attacked a submarine contact eight miles SE of Flamborough.

*Northern Waters*
DDs DELIGHT and INGLEFIELD arrived at Scapa. After arriving at Kirkwall on the 19th to avoid contact with the DKM BC force, ON.14 left there escorted by DDs ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE, ESCORT, ELECTRA and sub NARWHAL. It was met by CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA which departed Scapa on the 20th. CLA CAIRO departed Sullom Voe on the 21st and joined en route. EDINBURGH attacked a submarine contact east of Copinsay on the 20th, and also east of the Shetland Islands on the 21st. ON.14 arrived safely at Bergen on the 22nd. 

*Channel*
DD KEITH, alongside depot ship SANDHURST in Dover Harbour, was rammed by armed yacht GULZAR. She left on the 22nd for repairs at Chatham, after which she returned to Sheerness on the 28th. FS.100 arrived at Humber. DDs ESK and EXPRESS joined the convoy for passage to Portsmouth. Fr DD FOUDROYANT and a/c pf the FAF operated south of Colbart Ridge at dawn on ASW patrols. Cable ship MONARCH departed Dover for Calais to complete laying loops 16 and 17. The operation continued on the 22nd.

*Med- Biscay*
DD VORTIGERN departed Gibraltar to escort cable ship MIRROR. When it was found further cable repairs were needed, the DD escorted her to Lisbon and returned to Gib. Fr Contr Torpilleur DDs VAUTOUR and GERFAUT departed Oran on the 19th, escorting three French transports to Brest as convoy 1F. They passed Gib on the 20th, and were joined by Contre Torpilleur DD BISON, en route. This movement was in preparation for allied operations in Finland. Troopship CHAMPOLLION, arrived at Brest on the 23rd, escorted by the three DDs. Torpedo boats BOUCLIER, MELPOMONE, LA FLORE of the Des Div 14 departed Lorient on the 22nd and joined troopships VILLE D'ALGER and MARECHAL LYAUTEY, and they arrived at Cherbourg on the 24th. Due to turbine vibration, GERFAUT was replaced by DD VERDUN for the operation.


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## parsifal (Feb 21, 2015)

*21 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Boom defence vessel BA0RNEHURST, Fr Elan class MSW Sloop La Capricieuse , Fr SC-5 Class SC CH-8 
[NO IMAGE FOR THE BA0RNEHURST]







*Known Losses*
*MV LOCH MADDY (UK 4,996 grt)*: Crew: 39 (4 dead and 35 survivors) ; Cargo: 2000 tons of wheat, 6000 tons of timber and a/c : Route: Vancouver - Victoria BC - Panama - Halifax (7 Feb) - Leith : A straggler of HX 19: The cargo ship straggled behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and damaged in the North Sea east of the Orkney Islands by U-57 . She was taken in tow but was torpedoed and sunk the next day by U-23 . Four of her crew were killed. Thirty three survivors were rescued by DD DIANA.





*MV TARA (Ne 4,760 grt)*: Crew: Unknown (no casualties): cargo:Grain ; Route: Bahia Blanca (29 Jan) - Rotterdam : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Cape Finisterre, Spain by U-50. The Uboat skipper claimed no visible neutrality markings were on the ship. All crew were rescued by Contre Torpilleur DD LE FANTASQUE and the trawler MILIN ( Spain).





*Trawler YM 49 (Ne 250 grt)*: The trawler struck a mine in the North Sea and sank

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CL MANCHESTER and DD KIMBERLEY on Northern Patrol south of Iceland captured *Steamer WAHEHE (Ger 4709 grt)* following her escape earlier in the month from Vigo. She was towed towards Kirkwall by KIMBERLEY, joined by DD KHARTOUM during the afternoon of the 22nd and arrived in the Clyde on 8 March. WAHEHE was renamed EMPIRE CITIZEN for British service.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Reports of the appearance of British forces in Northern Waters are becoming more frequent. One of these states that a British
> cruiser squadron has been sighted in the vicinity of Petsamo. Numerous British warships are reported to be operating along
> the north coast of Norway, There is a report that an aircraft carrier has been sighted.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Heligoland: U-52 

At Sea 21 February 1940
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63 . 
17 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC LETITIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. AMC DERBYSHIRE arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol. CA YORK departed Liverpool to relieve CA BERWICK on Northern Patrol. BERWICK reached Greenock on the 21st.

*North Sea*
Subs TRIBUNE and TRIDENT exercised in the Firth of Forth. DDs BRAZEN and ENCOUNTER arrived at Rosyth. MSW trawler SOLON (RN 348 grt) was near missed and damaged by He111 bombers of German KG26 (X Air Corps) off Yarmouth, but was able to enter the port. Gillet and one rating were wounded by machine gun fire. FN.100 departed Southend escort DDs JERVIS, WESTMINSTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy was delayed off Cromer Knoll waiting for MSWs, but arrived in two parts on the 23rd. U.22 attacked trawler STRATHCLOVA (210grt) north of Fair Island, but torpedo defects allowed her to escape unharmed. OA.96 departed Southend escort DDs VERITY and BEAGLE. DD VETERAN relieved BEAGLE on the 22nd, VERITY detached on the 23rd, and VETERAN left on the 24th when the convoy dispersed

*Northern Waters*
Dd KELVIN had been escorting AMC CIRCASSIA since the 19th and on the 21st reported that side plating had split while at sea NW of the Shetlands. She arrived at Scapa on the 22nd and immediately began repairs. DD KASHMIR's ASDIC dome and oscillator were defective and docking was required to repair them. DDs GRIFFIN and GALLANT were detached from patrol to escort steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (1988grt) from Aberdeen to Kirkwall. At Kirkwall, they joined DD IVANHOE on patrol.

DDs IMOGEN and INGLEFIELD carried out an ASW Sweep five miles 346° from Noup Head for a contact reported at 0530 by armed boarding vessel NORTHERN ISLES (655grt). She claimed to have grazed a submerged object which she attacked, and had in fact lightly damaged U.19. DDs IVANHOE and INTREPID were searching for a submarine contact reported by aircraft in 58-40N, 00-30E.

MSWs HARRIER, SKIPJACK, NIGER and SPEEDWELL were sweeping off Wick when a CC a/c reported an oil patch on the water. NIGER and SPEEDWELL attacked a contact 30 miles SE of Duncansby Head and in all dropped 32 depth charges. ASW trawler STOKE CITY (422grt) attacked a submarine contact off Morecombe Light Vessel. ASW trawler SCALBY WYKE (443grt) attacked a contact in Shapinsay Sound. 

*West Coast UK*
ASW trawlers YORK CITY (398 grt) and HUDDERSFIELD TOWN (399 grt), escorting the Milford Haven section of an outbound convoy, attacked a submarine contact off Milford Haven. DD WAKEFUL relieved them and made further ASW attacks.

*Channel*
British Battle a/c en route to France reported sighting a German submarine ten miles south of Beachy Head. DD VERITY was escorting convoy OA.96 as far as 00-30W and DD BEAGLE was sent to reinforce her. DDs ACHATES and ANTHONY departed Portsmouth to search for the sighting which was later determined to have been a mine. BEAGLE was recalled and arrived at Dover at 2230.

*UK - France*
BC.27 of steamers BALTRAFFIC, BARON GRAHAM, BOTHNIA, BRITISH COAST and MARSLEW (Commodore) departed Bristol Channel escorted by DD MONTROSE, and arrived in the Loire on the 23rd.

*SW Approaches*
OB.96 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANQUISHER and VERSATILE from the 21st to 24th, when they detached to SL.20.

*Nth Atlantic*
Steamer ANTONIO DELFINO (Ger 13,589 grt) sailed from Bahia. She reached Haugesand on 23 March, Sandefjord on the 27th escorted by Nor DD ODIN and two torpedo boats, left there on 1 April, arrived at Gotenhafen and finally reached Kiel safely on the 7th.

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## Njaco (Feb 22, 2015)

*February 21 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The British Royal Navy destroyer HMS “_Gurkha_” (Commander A. W. Buzzard) and the French destroyer “_La Fantasque_” shared in the depth charging and destruction of the 753-ton German submarine U-53.

German submarine U-50 torpedoed and sank Dutch ship “_Tara_” 50 miles southwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain at 0300 hours. The entire crew escaped harm.

German submarine U-57 damaged British steamer “_Loch Maddy_” 25 miles southeast of Wick, Scotland, United Kingdom, killing 4. She would be sunk by U-23 on the following day. 35 survivors were picked up by destroyer HMS “_Diana_”.

British trawlers, attacked in North Sea by Nazi bombers, retaliated with fire from newly installed machine guns.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Blizzards, beginning of usual February snowfall, checked Russian attacked at Isthmus but the Finnish V-line on the Karelian Isthmus continued to be overwhelmed; Soviet penetrations in the line now began to move toward Viipuri, Finland.

Soviet airmen bombed Swedish town of Pajala near Finnish frontier. Finns claimed to have shot down 17 enemy planes.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler authorized the ‘Operation Weserübung’, the invasion of Norway. Lieutenant General Falkenhorst was ordered to submit his final invasion plan by 1700 hours on the same day. Having no clue he was to be assigned this commanding role prior to the meeting and given little time to prepare, Falkenhorst purchased a traveler's guide to Norway and used it to design a general invasion plan; the general plan he would devise in his hotel room in the next few hours would generally agree with the plan the OKW had come up with thus far.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Auschwitz Concentration Camp was founded in Poland. The Inspectorate of Concentration Camps reports to Himmler that Auschwitz Camp, in "Incorporated Territories" of Poland, is suitable for use as a "quarantine center."

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The government Treasury announces a token defense estimate of 100 pounds for the Army, Navy and Air Force for 1940. The actual figures are concealed for security reasons. Emergency measures to deal with a coal shortage arising from the severe winter weather includes a drastic reduction of passenger train services.

Air Ministry announced that during preceding night RAF aircraft had carried out reconnaissance over Heglioland Bight.

The first successful test of the cavity magnetron at Birmingham University provides an important advance in the development of short-wave radar.


.


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## Njaco (Feb 22, 2015)

*February 22 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *Two Heinkel bombers are shot down by RAF, one in Berwickshire, the other in sea off Northumberland coast. A Heinkel He 111P-4 of 3(F)/Ob.d.L. on a reconnaissance of Carlisle is believed brought to have been down thirty miles off the Farne Islands by fire from Hurricanes of RAF No 43 Squadron.

A Heinkel He 111P was forced to land, with smoke streaming from its port engine, near St Abbs Head, Berwickshire at 1230 hours. The aircraft landed in a field, and as Sq Ldr Farquhar (whose kill it was) wanted the authorities to examine the Heinkel, he decided to land his Spitfire beside it, to prevent the Germans from destroying their plane. He landed his plane alongside the downed bomber. The bomber’s crew looked on in disbelief as it trundled on down the hill and cartwheeled into a bog. They first hauled out their injured rear gunner and set fire to their plane, then ran down the hill to rescue the gallant Squadron Leader, who was suspended upside down by his safety harness. The bomber's crew all took part in this rescue. By then, the Heinkel was well alight so they all rushed up the hill (Sq Ldr Farquhar included) to pull the German rear gunner further from the flames. The comedy of errors was not quite over. The LDV arrived on the scene over the crest of a nearby hill and because they hadn't seen the Spitfire at the bottom of the hill, assumed that the Squadron Leader was part of the Heinkel's crew, so they arrested him too. It was only when he produced an OHMS envelope bearing his latest income tax demand that they transferred him to the side of the 'goodies'. One of the Heinkel's crew, Fw Sprigarth, was mentioned in Parliament for his part in the rescue.

Australian Prime Minister Menzies writes to High Commissioner Stanley Bruce in London, England, suggesting it is vital that a German defeat include "soft" peace terms, foreseeing a possible new alignment of nations including Britain, France, Germany, and Italy against Russia.

An IRA bomb explodes in Oxford Street, London (7 people are seriously injured). This is the last major incident in an IRA bombing campaign against mainland Britain, begun on January 16, 1939.

Barrage balloon in Western Avenue drifted north and grounded in Nuns Moor Park. Damage to chimney pots Westgate Road and Wingrove Avenue and to telephone wires at Newcastle General Hospital.


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## Njaco (Feb 22, 2015)

*February 22 Thursday continued*........
*GERMANY: *Operation Wikinger. Trawlers from the Tyne continued to use the Dogger Bank fishing ground during the war, just as they had done in peacetime. This did not go unnoticed by the German Naval Group West who planned an operation against the trawlers with the aims of eroding the morale of the trawlermen, possibly capturing some valuable auxiliaries and forcing the Royal Navy to supply escorts for the trawlers. The German destroyers '_Friedrich Eckholdt_', joined by '_Richard Beitzen_', '_Theodor Riedel_', Z3 “_Max Schultz_”, Z1 “_Leberecht Maass_” and '_Erich Koellner_' sailed from the Schillig Roads about midday. In the moonlight, they made their way through swept channel '1' (a channel 6 miles wide, providing a safe and secret passage for German warships needing to reach the North Sea) entering the minefield in line ahead at 26 knots. At 1913, a twin-engined aircraft (a He 111 aircraft of 4./KG 26) was sighted flying above the destroyers as if trying to identify them. At 1921 hours the aircraft appeared again, and on its second run, the '_Beitzen_' and '_Koellner_' opened fire and the plane sheered off. It was not seen again until 1943 hours when the '_Maass_' opened fire. The aircraft dropped 2 bombs which hit the '_Maass_' between the bridge and forward funnel. The remaining destroyers turned back towards the 'Maass' but were ordered to stand off by the flotilla leader. Suddenly the "_Maass's_" guns opened up again as more bombs were released. When the smoke had cleared, the bows and stern of the ship were visible, pointing vertically upwards, the lower parts resting on the shallow sea-bed. A period of great confusion reigned as the '_Riedel_' hearing an explosion from the direction of the '_Schultz_', dropped depth charges but was going so slowly that she badly damaged her own gyro-compass, rudder motor and all of her command elements. The '_Koellner_' seeing the '_Riedel_' dropping depth charges, ordered her picket boat to cast off (it was tied to the ships propeller guard). Under the impression that it had done so, the '_Riedel_' picked up speed, dragged her picket boat under and drowned the occupants. Then, seeing what was thought to be the conning tower of a submarine, went to ram it only to discover that it was the bows of the '_Maass_' sticking out of the sea. The flotilla leader ordered the remains of his force back to Wilhelmshaven. In all 578 German seamen were lost. A disaster of such proportions demanded an explanation, the truth gradually dawning on the Germans - they had bombed and sunk their own ships. Hitler was eventually made aware of the situation, and he ordered a full inquiry. The aircraft was part of a force sent out to attack shipping in the North Sea, an operation about which the Luftwaffe informed the Kriegsmarine, but about which the latter did not see fit to warn its own destroyers. Furthermore: the Kriegsmarine did not notify the Luftwaffe that its destroyers were at sea. So ended Operation Wikinger.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-50 sank British tanker “_British Endeavour_” 125 miles west of Vigo, Spain, killing five. 32 men were rescued by British steamer “_Bodnant_”, which landed them on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

German attacks on fishing trawlers off East Coast are driven off by machine gun fire. HM trawler ‘_Fifeshire_’ was sunk by German aircraft with loss of 21 lives.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The Gulf of Finland is frozen solid. Soviet 43rd Division attacks with trucks and tanks across frozen waters of the Gulf of Finland, capturing the islands of Lasisaari and Koivisto. Before Koivisto was given up, Finnish troops sabotaged all the gun barrels in the coastal batteries. Meanwhile, the 34th Moscow Tank Brigade, encircled near Kitelae, on the Ladoga front, eats the last of its packhorses and must now survive on starvation rations and biscuits and rusks dropped from Soviet aircraft. Russians are reported to have lost 2,000 killed in attempt to break through the left-wing of Mannerheim Line at Taipale. Fourteen Russian divisions are said to be massed in preparation of attack on Viipuri.

*ASIA:* In Tibet the six-year-old Dalai Lama, Jampel Ngawang Lobsang Yishey Tenzing Gyatso (Tender Glory, Mighty in Speech, Excellent Intellect, Absolute Wisdom, Holding to the Doctrine and Ocean-Wide) is enthroned at Lhasa.

.

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## parsifal (Feb 23, 2015)

*22 February 1940 *
*known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SD MTB T3 and T4




_Former Italian Baglietto class 500, series 1 MTBs. MAS 505 pictured. Wooden hull. They were bought by Sweden 29/2/1940 and served as prototypes for 2 classes of Swedish-built MTBs. Note the small size of the boats compared to RN and DKM types._
*Known Losses*
*MV BRITISH ENDEAVOUR (UK 4580 grt*) Crew: 38 (5 dead and 33 survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Glasgow - Abadan : The BRITISH ENDEAVOUR in OGF-19 was torpd by U-50 100 miles west of Vigo. Survivors were picked up by the MV BODNANT (UK) and landed at Funchal, Maderia on 26 February. 





_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
DKM DDs LEBERECHT MAAS , MAX SCHULTZ, ERICH KOELLNER, RICHARD BEITZEN, THEODOR RIEDEL and FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT departed Wilhelmshaven early on the 22nd on Exercise WILKINGER, an ASW sweep in the area of Dogger Bank. That evening at 1900, nw of Borkum Island, the DDs were attacked by the LW - He111's of IV/KG26 of the X Air Corps, which were not informed of the DDs' movements. Some sources cite II/KG26. *DD LEBERECHT MAAS (DKM 2223 grt)* was struck by three bombs, ran onto a British mine and sank





* DD MAX SCHULTZ (DKM 2233 grt)* evaded the bombing but also ran onto a Br mine and sank. 578 crew from both ships were lost including the entire crew of SCHULTZ. There were 60 survivors from MAAS with KOELLNER picking up 24, ECKHOLDT 19 and BEITZEN 17. Heavy fog during the 23rd made further rescue efforts unsuccessful. German auxiliary patrol boat Vp.809 (trawler KONSUL DUBBERS, 408grt) searched through the afternoon. The minefield, hitherto undiscovered, had been laid by units of the RN DesFlot 20 on the 9th/10th January. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Reports from British military circles mention the possibility that Chamberlain may be replaced by Churchill as Prime Minister in the spring and Eden may take over at the Admiralty.





> Air recon over the Dogger Bank sighted numerous neutral ships and some unidentified fishing vessels. Air combats with British planes were unsuccessful. Our own fighters drove off enemy recon planes flying in formations of three. 1 Wellington was shot down north of Norderney.





> Gp West reported plans for the next BB operation as follows:
> 
> 1. Plan 1. Since the BBs will not be ready for action again till- 25 Feb., interpose operation "Wikinger" with a DD flotilla.
> 
> ...


. 

Elsewhere in the daily situation reports, DKM operations staff noted:



> While the moon is reasonably favorable, 10th FX has been carrying out night attacks on merchant shipping between the Thames and the Firth of Forth. No successes observed in various attacks. The 26KG attacks on the British coast and also the following incident: "About 2000 spotted armed, darkened steamer of 3,000 to 4,000 tons, course 300°, near Terschelllng Bank. Several attacks were made from 1,300 meters One hit was scored on the forecastle, two hit's amidships, ship caught fire and sank No further observations due to darkness Light anti-aircraft and machine gunfire from the ship. (Margin note: Is this the sinking of the LEBERECHT MAASS and MAX SCHULTZ?").
> 
> The attack on a steamer near Terschelllng Bank is -most regrettable and contravenes the regulations issued to the LW for the conduct' of war on merchant shipping. Air attacks at sea are permitted only in a strip 30 miles wide along the British coast. Closer investigation has been ordered.
> 
> About 0032 a He 111- approaching the island of Borkum from the west was .taken as British and shot down by our naval AA guns. Investigation is in progress.


The depth of mistrust between DKM and the LW is palpable in this incident. 

*UBOATS*
At Sea 22 February 1940
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63. 
17 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC CICILIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. AMC ASTURIAS boarded steamer JONNA (Den 1517 grt) and sent her to Kirkwall for inspection.

*North Sea*
HN.14 departed Bergen escort DDs ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE, ESCORT, ELECTRA and sub NARWHAL. 22 of the original 37 ships returned to Bergen. 

CA DEVONSHIRE departed the Clyde for Rosyth where she arrived on the 23rd. DD DIANA arrived at Rosyth from Scapa for repairs.
DDs IMPERIAL and DELIGHT arrived at Rosyth after ASW Sweeps. DDs BOREAS and BRAZEN departed Rosyth for the Humber. MTBs of MTB Flot 1 (MTB22, 24 and 25) were searching for a sub off Whitby. DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE were transferred from DesFlot 3 to DesFlot 20. ML TEVIOTBANK departed Rosyth escorted by Ds BOREAS and BRAZEN on an ML op PA 1 in the North Sea. DD GREYHOUND at anchor off Outer Dowsing was damaged when steamer REX (Sd 1013 grt) hit her. Her stem was bent, and she repaired at Hull, completing on 20 March. The 23rd ASW Gp departed Methil with an MT convoy covered by sloop LONDONDERRY and DDs WESTMINSTER and JERVIS. The cover force transferred to convoy FS.103 on the 23rd. Blockship CARRON (UK 1017 grt) departed the Tyne for Rosyth escorted by DD JAVELIN. She reached Scapa and was sunk there on 3 March.

*Northern Waters*
DD FORESTER, escorting tug BUCCANEER in the Firth of Clyde, attacked a contact, which further investigation showed to be the wreck of U.33 sunk earlier. 

*West Coast UK*
ASW trawler LORD ESSENDEN (RN 464 grt) attacked a contact at 0840 in the Firth of Clyde, two miles 075° from Little Cumbrae.

*SW Approaches*
DD ACASTA, escorting a homebound convoy, attacked a submarine contact west of Scilly Isle. At roughly the same time, DDs WALPOLE and MACKAY, escorting a homebound convoy, attacked a contact SSW of the Scilly Isles . This was later determined to be the wreck of steamer VACLITE lost on 30 January.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.22 departed Halifax at 1000 escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and SKEENA, which detached on the 23rd. Ocean escort was BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, left on 2 March. DDs VANOC, VETERAN, WALPOLE and WREN escorted the convoy from 6 to 9 March, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.21 departed Freetown escorted by AMC BULOLO until 4 March. DD VANSITTART joined the same day and escorted the convoy until its arrival on the 7th.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.20F departed Gibraltar with 30 ships on the 22nd, escorts (at various times) DD VELOX, Fr DD PANTHÈRE, Aux PVl MERCEDITA, 
DDs WHIRLWIND, VANOC (from convoy OG.20F), sloop SANDWICH. CL CERES, which had sailed from Plymouth, arrived at Gib on the 19th and left the same day, now reached Malta.

Fr DD SIMOUN, escorting AUSTRAL and transport GOLO passed Gib. GOLO had departed Toulon on the 17th and Algiers on the 20th. AUSTRAL had also left Toulon on the 17th and joined at Algiers. On the 22nd, the three ships departed as convoy 2F and were joined en route by DD FORBIN. They arrived at Brest on the 27th in preparation for allied operations in Finland. Fr convoy 69.KF departed Casablanca with seven steamers, escorted by Contre Torpilleur DDs MILAN, EPERVIER and VERDUN, and arrived at Brest on the 26th. The DDs also joined the allied preparations for Finland operations.

*Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART arrived at Colombo, where she drydocked from the 25th to 29th.

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## parsifal (Feb 23, 2015)

*23 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Trawler BENVOLIO (RN 352 grt)*was sunk on a mine in the Humber, with the loss of ten of her 15 crew. , including the Skipper. 





*Coaster TORBRAND (Nor 308 grt)*: Crew unknown (no casualties. In ballast at the time of loss. enroute from Hirtshals ( seaport on the coast of Skagerrak on the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland). The cargo ship ran aground at Skudenes, Rogaland (in the fjord system leading to Stavanger) and was wrecked.





*Type VIIB U-53 (DKM 730 grt)*: DD GURKHA, picked up the Uboats trail 54 miles SSE of the Faroes and carried out a series of sustained DC attacks on the vessel. These attacks resulted in the loss of the Uboat, with all hands (42 officers and crew). During the hunt, GURKHA was assisted later by DDs KHARTOUM and KINGSTON who joined GURKHA at 0630/24th in patrolling the area and early on the 25th, KINGSTON in company with GURKHA, made a submarine contact west of Sumburgh Head. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> Russo-Finnish conflict: Further Russian successes on the Karelian Isthmus. Finland's military leaders consider that foreign help so far has been inadequate.
> 
> Well-informed German circles in Helsinki report the arrival to date of the following foreign contingents for Finland: 8,000 Swedes, 500 Norwegians, 500 Danes, 300 Canadians. A further 600 Canadians and 5,000 Hungarians are expected. Press reports also state that 5,000 Italians are still to come. The Finns have declined the offer of Polish soldiers and airmen from France,





> Conference between Commander In Chief. Navy and the Fuehrer at 1030. Points raised at discussion .
> 
> 1. Situation in the Baltic Sea: Examined the question of the line fixing the limit for German attacks on merchant shipping at 20° E.
> 2. Situation in the North Sea: Battleship operations, mining of the east coast.
> ...





> Destroyer losses during operation "Wikinger": First brief report received from Group West, Commander, DesFlot 1 reported:
> 
> "About 1915 on 22 Feb. in the course of operation "Wikinger" the rear ships fired on a shadowing plane grid square 6954 lower left quadrant. We turned about on hearing explosions. MAASS requested help. A fresh explosion split her amidships and she sank. Soon afterwards another explosion and submarine report from the KOELDTER. The SCHULTZ missing from then on. Proceeded
> out of danger zone, operation broken off. Sixty men saved from the MAASS, one man missing from the KOELLNER."





> the following supplementary order has been issued for the conduct of the war on merchant shipping:
> 
> In the area sanctioned for submarine action against darkened ships, passenger ships which show no neutral markings and at night carry no lights -other than navigation lights are to be treated as enemy armed passenger ships. Submarines are permitted full
> offensive action at once against such ships.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Ice conditions still do not permit an estimation of the dates of readiness of the next boats. It is to be expected however, that U 30, U 34, U 38 and U 52 will be ready by the end of February and U 43, U 47, U 49, U 46 and U 51 at about the same time at the beginning of March. A special operation had originally been planned for U 38 and U 43, but it has been postponed by C-in-C Navy for political reasons. Then it was intended to operate these boats in the Mediterranean in the Cape Bon sea area. This project also had to be abandoned on the orders of C-in-C Navy, for political reasons. I now intend to form an attacking group with the boats which will be ready at about the same time, i.e. U 43, U 46, U 47, U 49 and U 51. Its main task will be to intercept a convoy in the area of greatest convoy traffic. If this succeeds I think it will have better results than would the same amount of single-ship tonnage sunk. It is also necessary to get experience of controlled U-boat operations in good time, so that, when more boats are available, there will be a clear idea of the best way of conducting such operations. The subsidiary task for this group will be to rake the sea area north and northwest of Scotland for warships which have often been reported there. U 30 and U 34 cannot join this group as their radius of action is too small. They are to operate west of the Channel. This is a good area, but cooperation is difficult as it is so close to the coast. The boats will have to operate individually in the main. They can therefore sail as soon as they are ready and need not wait for one another. U 52 is a new boat. She is to make her first patrol alone in areas which are less strongly patrolled. U-38 will probably be the first boat ready and first to go to the area west of Portugal. She may later join the attacking group.



At Sea 23 February 1940
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63.
16 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa for Northern Patrol. 

*North Sea*
DD JACKAL exercised in the Firth of Forth and then left as cover for a TM convoy. Sloop GRIMSBY and DDs WOOLSTON and ENCOUNTER exercised in the Firth of Forth. Sub SEAL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SALMON stopped Belgian trawler HELENE (145grt) ten miles east of Smith's Knoll, and put a pilot crew on board, with both vessels proceeding to Harwich, arriving on the 23rd. 

Convoy ON.15 of 40 ships cleared Methil, escort DDs COSSACK, DELIGHT, DIANA, SIKH, NUBIAN and IMPERIAL. One steamer detached before the convoy crossed the North Sea. Close cover was provided by CLs AURORA and PENELOPE which departed Rosyth on the 24th and CLA CALCUTTA, which departed Sullom Voe on the 25th, while on the 24th, NUBIAN attacked a submarine north of Kinnaird Head. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 27th. OA.97 departed Southend, escort DD VANESSA, and was joined on the 24th by sloop FOWEY. Both escorts detached on the 25th and the convoy dispersed on the 26th.

FN.102 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop HASTINGS, and reached Rosyth on the 25th. FS.103 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WESTMINSTER, JERVIS and sloop LONDONDERRY, all three of which had been escorting convoy MT.16. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th. MT.16 departed Methil, escort ASW trawlers of the 23rd AS Gp. This convoy had been escorted by DDs WESTMINSTER, JERVIS and sloop LONDONDERRY before they joined FS.10. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day.

*Northern Waters*
CA BERWICK departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow. CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Scapa Flow. DDs GALLANT and GRIFFIN prosecuted U.61 with sustained DC attacks east of Copinsay and inflicted some damage to the boat. 

*West Coast UK*
OB.97 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER and DD VOLUNTEER. Both escorts detached on the 26th and the convoy dispersed on the 27th.

*UK - France*
BC.26 of six steamers, including BARON KINNAIRD and DUNKWA (Commodore) departed the Loire escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 24th.
.
*Med- Biscay*
Sloop BIDEFORD, on escort duty, attacked a submarine contact WSW of Ushant. Fr sub PROTÉE attempted to stop French steamer ARAGAZ (5009grt) in 32-10N, 11-00W, assuming her to be German. ARAGAZ opened fire and the submarine was forced to submerge.

Fr DD SIMOUN, escorting convoy 2F from Gibraltar to Brest, reported attacking and ramming a German submarine SW of Cape St Vincent. Although no submarine was reported sunk, a drydock inspection at Casablanca revealed the blades of SIMOUN's port propeller turned up and two yards of the outer keel torn away. The "submarine" may have been a submerged wreck.

*Other*
Sub-Lt G A Skinner was killed when his RAF Hart of RAF No. 1 Flying Training School crashed near Lower Clatford, Wilts.
Dinshaw Eduljee: Aircraft ProfileImages WWII IAF




_There are no known profiles of Harts of No1 FTS. This is an image of another OTU. The Hawker Hart saw service at the beginning of World War II and as then used for training at Ambala. The aircraft above was from 27 Squadron RAF (which also functioned as a Flying Training School) based at Risalpur 1939-40. This aircraft bears pre-war colours and since it was flown far from the battle front, there were no camouflage colours painted on. The squadron was re-formed in India in 1942 with Beaufighters. _


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## Njaco (Feb 23, 2015)

*February 23 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT*: At 0033 hours a German Naval anti-aircraft unit shoots down a He 111 by mistake at Borkum.

In the morning at 1025 hours, Ofw. Hermann Förster of the night-fighting Staffel 11(N)./JG 2, shoots down a British Wellington 50 km. north of Nordeney for his first victory.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Increasing the pressure on the Finns, Sweden announces it will not intervene in the conflict or even allow Allied troops to pass through Swedish territory. Strangely, this does not lead to a change in Allied planning to support Finland by just that route.

Fighting was general through the Karelian Isthmus. Russians were held before Viipuri in spite of continuous bombardment. Soviets fear the imminent arrival of foreign aid or troops in Finland. They scale back the Summa offensive towards Viipuri and offer peace terms to Finland. USSR demands the entire Karelian Isthmus (including Viipuri, Finland’s second largest city) and the areas surrounding Lake Ladoga, as well as the islands in the Gulf of Finland and a 30-year lease on the Hanko Peninsula (at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland); they will evacuate Petsamo region in the North of Finland in return. The Soviet offer will expire on March 1. 

Heavy bombing raids made by Soviet machines over Finland. Moscow denied bombing of Swedish village Pajala on February 21st.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British destroyer HMS “_Gurkha_” sank German submarine U-53 by depth charges 25 miles south of the Faroe Islands in the North Sea, killing the entire crew of 42. 

The minesweeping trawler '_Benvolio_' hit a mine and sank off the Humber.

*GERMANY: *The Imperial Regalia of the Holy Roman Empire, including relics of Christian mythology, were removed from public display in Nürnberg, Germany. They were moved after dark to a secret location for safe storage.

Air Ministry announced that RAF had made reconnaissance flights over Austria and Bohemia during night of February 22-23; leaflets were dropped over Vienna.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In a victory parade celebrating the destruction of the German pocket battleship “_Graf Spee_” in the battle of the River Plate, 700 officers and men of the cruisers HMS “_Ajax_” and HMS “_Exeter_” march through cheering crowds to Guildhall in London. The citizens of London cheered the officers and men as they returned from South American waters. HMS ‘_Achilles_’ was welcomed home in New Zealand.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *State of emergency declared in Turkey, following alleged crossing of Caucasian frontier by Soviet detachments.

.



.


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## Njaco (Feb 24, 2015)

*February 24 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* Revised orders for the attack in the west are issued. OKH has been conducting exercises throughout the winter and especially in the early days of this month because of dissatisfaction with the attack plan. Following von Manstein's conversation with Hitler on February 17th and an OKH presentation to him on the 18th it has been decided to revise the plans to emphasize the role of Heeresgruppe A and an attack through the Ardennes. As far as technique goes the plans are fairly traditional. The emphasis is still not yet fully on the possibilities of the panzer advance. Rundstedt and Bock, who will be the principal commanders, are, despite their considerable abilities, wedded to the conventional infantry-based ideas. Although the direction of the attack is certainly bold, the old school see early problems when it becomes necessary to cross the Meuse River. The tank enthusiasts, like Guderian, are more concerned about exploiting the advance after the crossing.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Future Experte Uffz. Herbert Kutscha of II./ZG 26 gets his second victory and first with his new Gruppe when he destroys a British Hudson forty km north of Ameland at 0911 hours.

RAF carried out successful reconnaissance flight over Prague during night of February 23-24 and another over north-west Germany. One aircraft lost its bearing and made a forced landing in Belgium. RAF planes also carried out daylight reconnaissance flights over Heligoland Bight and north-west Germany. One aircraft was attacked by five Messerschmitts, but returned safely.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Foreign ministers from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden reasserted the neutrality of their home countries, jointly declaring that they would not assist Finland and would not allow foreign troops to enter their territories. Ignoring this declaration, British envoy to Finland Sir George Gordon Vereker continued to promise 20,000 to 22,000 Allied fighters for Finland if Finland would make such a request by 5 Mar 1940.

Russians resumed onslaught against Viipuri, but without effect. Heavy snow hampered their tanks, and their bombers. Two Soviet detachments were stated to have been trapped inside Finnish lines on Karelian Isthmus, east of Lake Muola, and annihilated. Attacks on other parts of the Mannerheim Lines were said to have been repulsed. In Kuhmo sector (Central Finland) there were patrol encounters.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-63 sank Swedish merchant ship “_Santos_” 70 miles east of the Orkney Islands, Scotland at 2100 hours, killing 31. 12 survivors were rescued by HMS “_Gallant_” on the next day.

HM Trawler ‘_Benvoloi_’, British steamer SS ‘_Jevington Court_' (4,544t), SS ‘_Clan Morrison_' (5,936t) steamer and British ship ‘_Royal Court_’ were all reported sunk by mines. British ship ‘_Royal Archer_’ was sunk by enemy action.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain condemned Hitler's aggression but said that he was prepared to negotiate with an alternative German government.

First flight of Hawker Typhoon prototype, P5212, by Hawker's test pilot Philip Lucas.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Commander Mario Giorgini took command of 1a Flottiglia MAS, a motor torpedo boat flotilla.

In Rome, Germany and Italy sign a trade agreement giving the Italians an increased coal supply.


.


----------



## parsifal (Feb 24, 2015)

*24 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
M1935 Class MSW M-15, IJN B1 Class Sub I-21








*Known Losses*
*MV CLAN MORRISON (UK 5930 grt)* : Crew: 32 (1 lost)Route: en route from Southampton to Blyth, as part of Convoy FN 102: The cargo ship struck a mine in the North Sea north of Cromer Norfolk and sank with survivors were rescued by RN NOGI ( RN).





Drifters EJJAM, GERLIS, MERKATOR and POLARIS (All Den combined 400 grt (est)): These fishing boats were all rammed and sunk off the Dogger Bank, North Sea by M-1. 16 Fisherman lost their lives . The German ship deliberately avoided rescuing survivors. The commander, Hans Bartels, stated in his official report that no one was saved for “military reasons”. It was an outrageous and disgraceful act in an otherwise very distinguished career. 

[NO IMAGES FOUND]





*MV JEVINGTON COURT (UK 4254 grt)*: Convoy FS 103: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Cromer, Norfolk. All crew were rescued by RN DUNOON.
Jevington Court (1925)





*Passenger/Cargo Vessel ROYAL ARCHER (UK 2265 grt)*: Crew 28 (28 crew rescued, no casualties) Cargo: 600 tons of general cargo, including machinery parts and pasta: route London to Leith: The ship struck a mine in the Firth of Forth and sank. All 28 crew were rescued by DD WESTON.





Battles for Convoy HN.14
HN.14 had departed Bergen escort DDs ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE, ESCORT, ELECTRA and submarine NARWHAL, and was reinforced a little later by DDs INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN at 0700/24th. Still on the 24th, U.63, which left Wilhelmshaven on the 17th on her first patrol, attacked the convoy and sank *Steamer SANTOS (Sd 3840 grt)* . 31 crew were lost, and the 14 survivors (12 from SANTOS and two from steamer LIANA) were later picked up by DD GALLANT and landed at Invergordon on the 25th. 





At 0752/25th, NARWHAL sighted *Type IIC U.63 (DKM 350 grt)* on the surface near the convoy and signalled ESCAPADE, after which ESCORT, INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN sank her SE of the Orkneys, using a mix of guns, torpedoes and DCs. One crewman was missing, but 3 officers and 21 one ratings were picked up by INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN which arrived at Leith with them on the 27th. The east coast section of the convoy arrived on the 26th, escorted solely by NARWHAL, while ELECTRA and ECLIPSE escorted the five ships. 





*Steamer BOHUS (Sd 1761 grt) *was taken in prize by German warships in the North Sea, and renamed GERRIT FRITZEN for German service.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> During the period from 1 Jan. to 15 Feb. the following arrived from Norway (Ministry of Economics report):
> 
> 53 ships with approximately 360,000 tons of iron ore
> 26 ships with miscellaneous cargoes (herrings, train oil etc.)
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 32 sailed for her operations area, but had to enter port again on the same day because of a trace of oil. U 48 entered port. She carried out her minelaying operation quickly and well, and also sank:
> 1. Dutch S.S. Burgerdyk 6,853 tons
> 2. English S.S. Sultan Star 12,306 tons
> 3. Dutch tanker Den Haag 8,971 tons
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-18

At Sea 24 February 1940
U-13, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-57, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-63 . 
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ORP sub ORZEL arrived at Rosyth from patrol. Sub TETRARCH conducted diving trials with DD FAME. DDs IVANHOE, GALLANT and GRIFFIN carried out ASW Sweeps. ML TEVIOTBANK and DD BOREAS and BRAZEN departed the Humber for Rosyth. DDs JACKAL and WALLACE and sloop WESTON were submarine hunting in the Firth of Forth. 

A German UBoat attacked steamer BRITTA (Nor 6214 grt) 100 miles south of Queenstown. DDD ACASTA was dispatched to assist, and after being joined by DDs WAKEFUL and VESPER carried out a search off Cape Clear . Attacks were made on a submarine contact and they were joined by DD VOLUNTEER on the 25th, but the search was unsuccessful.

FN.103 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop EGRET. The convoy was delayed by fog and anchored shortly after departure in Knock Deep, but reached the Tyne on the 28th. MT.17 departed Methil and arrived later that day. CL EDINBURGH attacked a submarine contact ESE of Muckle Flugga. ASW trawler LOCH TULLA (423grt) attacked a submarine contact south of Hoxa Gate. ASW trawler COVENTRY CITY (546grt) attacked a submarine contact in Pentland Firth. ASW trawler ARSENAL (RN 389 grt) attacked a submarine contact off the Smalls. DD BOADICEA was withdrawn from patrol for repairs to her port propeller shaft.

*Northern Waters*
DD INTREPID arrived at Invergordon. DD FURY and FOXHOUND arrived at Greenock.

*West Coast UK*
BB RODNEY and BC HOOD with DDs FAULKNOR, HARDY, FORTUNE, FORESIGHT, FIREDRAKE and FEARLESS arrived at Greenock. DDs KHARTOUM and KINGSTON rendezvoused at sea with AMC CIRCASSIA.

*Channel*
Steamer RIGEL (Fn 3779 grt) was brought into the Downs by a Fr DD for examination.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs DIAMOND, DECOY, DEFENDER arrived at Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr subs MARSOUIN, NARVAL and REQUIN of the 11th Submarine Division departed Oran on the 23rd for Casablanca, and passed Gibraltar on the 24th, escorted by TB POURSIVANTE.




_These subs were all from the REQUIN Class, built 1924-7. They were the first French post war submarines, and were heavily influenced by German later designs of the Great War. They suffered from slow diving speed, poor manouvewrabily, and low surfaced speed. They were heavily armed howe3ver with a total of 10 x TT _


----------



## Wurger (Feb 25, 2015)

On the 25th February 1940 a british Bristol Blenheim light bomber landed in the frozen lake of Jukajärvi near Juva village, Finland. Finns used horses to tow the plane ashore for cover.


----------



## Njaco (Feb 25, 2015)

*February 25 Sunday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* No. 110 Army Co-operation (Auxiliary) Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, which departed Halifax, Nova Scotia on 15 February, arrives in Britain.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *British submarine HMS “_Narwhal_”, escorting convoy HN-14 from Bergen, Norway to Methil, Scotland, spotted German submarine U-63 on the surface at 0755 hours, which dove to avoid attack. Destroyers “_Escapade_”, “_Escort_”, “_Inglefield_”, and “_Imogen_” attacked the submarine with depth charges for nearly 2 hours, finally forcing her to surface at 0950 hours. U-63 was scuttled 100 miles east of Wick, Scotland. Of the German crew, 1 was killed, and 24 were captured by “_Inglefield_” and “_Imogen_”. The German prisoners of war were landed at Leith, Scotland on 27 Feb 1940; they would remain in Britain until the end of the war.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Russians have concentrated troops on Kolvisto peninsula and in the region of Kaislahti, on the coastal railway. They also hold the island off Revonsaari, in Gulf of Finland. Kaemaerae is still held by Finns. Russians had lost 25 tanks during weekend on Isthmus and another 17 north of Lake Ladoga.

Norway informed Great Britain that she will propose arbitration in ‘_Altmark_’ dispute if British Government maintains their position.


.


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## parsifal (Feb 25, 2015)

*25 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Steamer CASTLEMOOR (UK 6574 grt)* Crew 42 (42 lost) convoy HX.20 foundered in the Atlantic. The exact cause of her loss is not known. Neither is her last position known precisely 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> 1. Russo-Finnish Conflict: The Soviet advance on the Karelian Isthmus continues amid heavy fighting. According to reports
> from Great Britain, the seriousness of Finland 's situation is making the Western Powers more willing to send her auxiliary
> troops.
> 2. Agent reports speak of imminent military action by British forces along the north coast of Norway.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 26 reported that she was starting on her return passage. No news has been received of U 41. She did not turn up for supply "Cata". She should have reported if she had been prevented from carrying out the supply operation. She cannot yet be presumed lost for certain, but her loss is likely.


Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-22 , U-23 , U-57 

Departures
Heligoland: U-52

At Sea 25 February 1940
U-13, U-19, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-60, U-61, U-62. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*

Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*Northern Patrol*


*North Sea*
CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA arrived at Rosyth. Sloop WESTON departed Rosyth for Tees to refit, and arrived on the 26th. OA.95G departed Southend on the 20th and OB.95G Liverpool on the 21st, with thirty four ships, and merged as OG.19 on the 25th. No escorts are listed for either convoy at this stage, but when it arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th, it was accompanied by DD DOUGLAS, Fr DD CHACAL and Fr PVl CAPITAINE ARMANDE, which joined on the 23rd, and armed boarding vessel ROSAURA. FS.105 departed the Tyne, escorted by DD WOOLSTON and sloop GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 27th. TM.14 departed the Tyne escorted by ASW trawlers and DD JANUS. Sloop FOWEY, escorting a outward bound convoy, attacked a submarine contact off Wolf Rock. ASW yacht RHODORA (709grt), on patrol off Helwick Light Vessel, was ordered to search for a U-boat sighted off Caldy Island, and attacked a contact south of Caldy Island.

*Northern Waters*
CA BERWICK departed Scapa for Greenock. Destroyers KASHMIR with a defective asdic installation and KANDAHAR arrived at Scapa Flow. DD KHARTOUM sustained weather damage to her hull and was capable of only twelve knots.

*Channel*
DD VESPER reported her AS dome leaking, and returned to Plymouth for repairs. Midshipman T W R Wagner RNVR was killed when his Roc of 759 Squadron crashed near Botley, Hants (near Southampton) on a training exercise.




_Blackburn ROC of 803 sqn in 1939-40 colour scheme. though a failure in their designed role, they were retained until`1945 in various secondary roles such as trainer and target tug _

*Western Approaches*
DD FORESTER departed the Clyde on the 23rd and rendezvoused the same day with DD MOHAWK which was escorting tkr IMPERIAL TRANSPORT (UK 8022 grt. They met CL ORION (carrying the ashes of the Governor General of Canada) and liner DUCHESS OF BEDFORD (20,123 grt, carrying the first Squadron of RCAF to England) in the Western Approaches and arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.




_1 sqn RCAF July 1940. The squadron shipped its own Hurricanes from Canada, but these were not accepted, and trhe squadron remained inactive until August 1940_
*SW Approaches*
.
*Med- Biscay*
HG.20 departed Gib with 39 ships on the 25th Escort summary as follows:
25th: DD WISHART, Sloops ABERDEEN, DEPTFORD 
27th: (Detach) WISHART
3rd: (Add) DD WILD SWAN, DD VENETIA (from OG.20), (detach) Sloop ABERDEEN
4th: (Add) Sloop LEITH (from OG.20), (Detach) DD WILD SWAN
6th: (Detach) DD DEPTFORD 
Convoy arrived 6 March 1940 at Liverpool


----------



## Njaco (Feb 26, 2015)

*February 26 Monday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finns evacuated fortress of Koivisto. Defence of Viipuri continued, although the town was now in ruins. Soviet troops continued to attack toward Viipuri, Finland. The Finnish 23rd Division counterattacked with 8 Mark E light tanks (Battle of Honkaniemi, the only Finnish tank attack). They destroy 3 Soviet tanks but all 8 Finnish tanks break down or are destroyed and the Finns withdraw.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Newly-constructed British large passenger liner “_Queen Elizabeth_” left Clydeside, Glasgow, Scotland on the spring tide. Due to her weight, today is one of only two tides this year high enough to float her from dock. Churchill worries that Germany will attempt to sink her. He establishes an elaborate ruse to convince German spies that she is going to Southampton for final fitting. Instead she will head across the Atlantic to New York, where she will remain for 8 months before going to Singapore for refitting as a troopship. During the course of the war she will sail 500,000 miles and carry more than 750,000 troops from Australia and America to various theatres.

War Office announced that from March 11 Scotland north of Caledonian Canal would become a banned area, and that only persons especially exempt would be permitted to remain or enter.

*WESTERN FRONT: *German airplanes flew over Paris, but were driven off by anti-aircraft fire.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Swedish steamer ‘_Santos_’ reported sunk in North Sea.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 27, 2015)

*26 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
DD IMPERIAL with convoy ON.15 was in a collision at 0250 with *steamer NORDIA (Sd 1316 grt)*, which was enroute from Hull to Gothenburg, with General Cargo. The collision occurred 70 miles WSW of Feistenen. The steamer sank with the loss of two crew, and IMPERIAL, covered by CLA CALCUTTA, proceeded to Lerwick for emergency repairs, arriving on the 27th. She left on the 29th to join convoy HN.15 for passage to Rosyth. From Methil, she proceeded on 3 March in convoy MT.22 to the Tyne, where she arrived on the 5th. She did not return to service until 12 April.





*Steamer ORIZABA (Ger 4354 grt)* of the Vigo group ran aground off Skjervoy near Hammerfest on the north coast of Norway and was lost. Survivors were rescued by Finnish steamer MARGARETA (2155grt).





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> On grounds of the reports so far received from Group West on the loss of the destroyers, Chief, Naval Staff gave orders for the following statement to be transmitted to Commanding Admiral, Group West:
> "Irrespective of the results of further inquiries by the special commission, I wish to state that the 1st Destroyer Flotilla should have been informed about the mission to be undertaken by 26th Bomber Wing and 10th Air Corps should have been informed earlier about the destroyer operation. In future each arm must be adequately briefed on the other's operations and this exchange of information is to take place well beforehand. Chief, Naval Staff."
> 
> With great regret Naval Staff postponed the battleship sortie until 29 Feb. owing to the destroyers state of readiness.
> ...


 
*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 32 and U 38 left for their operations areas in accordance with Operations Orders No. 26 and 29.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-48 
Wilhelmshaven: U-19

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-23, U-32, U-38 

At Sea 26 February 1940
U-13, U-26, U-23, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-50, U-52, U-60, U-61, U-62. 
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs INGLEFIELD, GRIFFIN, GURKHA, TARTAR, INTREPID and IVANHOE were sweeping in Moray Firth when GRIFFIN made a contact. INGLEFIELD, GRIFFIN, GURKHA attacked what later turned out to be a wreck. GURKHA and TARTAR then proceeded to Rosyth arriving on the 27th. Sub STERLET was exercising off Harwich with sloop MALLARD. Sub TRIAD arrived at Rosyth from patrol.
Sub SNAPPER departed Harwich on patrol. Sub UNITY arrived at Harwich from Portsmouth. MT.18 departed Methil, escort sloop FLAMINGO and DDs WALLACE and JACKAL, and arrived later in the afternoon. JACKAL then joined TM.15, escort consisting of the 3rd ASW Gp. FS.106 departed the Tyne at 2130 escort sloop FLAMINGO and DD WALLACE with DD JUNO covering. They were to have escorted an MT convoy which was cancelled, and before leaving with FS.106 spent the day covering TM.14 and MT.18. FS.106 arrived at Southend on the 28th.

*Northern Waters*
DD ESCORT attacked a sub contact. Again, this was later found to be a wreck. DDs ECLIPSE, ELECTRA, KHARTOUM and KINGSTON arrived at Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
DDs KANDAHAR, KELVIN and KIMBERLEY departed Scapa for the Clyde, arriving on the 27th. OB.99 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALKER and WINCHELSEA until the 29th, and then dispersed next day on 1 March.

*Channel*
DD BASILISK departed Dover at 0700 for refitting at Chatham

*UK - France*
Convoy SA.31 of two steamers departed Southampton escort sloop FOXGLOVE, and arrived at Brest on the 28th.

*SW Approaches*
Sloop SCARBOROUGH, on escort duty, attacked a submarine contact SW of the Scilly Isles.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.23 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs FRASER and ST LAURENT until 1710/27th, when they turned the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC AUSONIA. She detached on 9 March. Before then, on the 28th, DD HEREWARD departed Halifax, overtook the convoy and arrived at Plymouth before going on to Portsmouth on 11 March for refitting which completed on 12 April. HX.23 arrived at Liverpool on 12 March.

*Med- Biscay*
CVE ARGUS, at that time engaged with training Cmd, lost Gladiator of 770 Sqn from when it crashed into the sea at Hyeres. Midshipman (A) R W Kearsley was rescued.




_Gloster Gladiator carrier borne equipment, 1938-40 fully converted to Sea Glad standard_


----------



## parsifal (Feb 27, 2015)

*27 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Trawler BEN ATTOW (UK 156 grt)* was reportedly sunk by a mine seven miles east, one half mile south of May Island. Seekrieg lists her as bombed and sunk by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps). As He111's were occasionally carrying torpedoes during anti-shipping missions, a torpedo hit might have been mistaken for a mine explosion. All nine crew were lost.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV PLM 25 (Fr 5391 grt)*: crew 42 (4 lost), cargo: Coal, Route Tyne to St Nazaire: Convoy FS 106: The collier struck a mine and was damaged in the North Sea . She was taken in tow by Sloop FLAMINGO but struck another mine and sank. The survivors were rescued by DD WALLACE.





Steamer STORFOS (Sd 545 grt) was accidentally sunk after a collision with DD JACKAL 12.8 miles 126° from Longstone Light. JACKAL picked up all 14 crew and escorted by DD JANUS, proceeded to the Tyne for repairs requiring three weeks. The steamer was determined to be at fault for the collision.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Group West informed us by teletype that a further postponement of operation "Schleswig" is necessary, since its execution
> later than 29 Feb. would wipe out the minelaying operations scheduled for after 4 March, as the destroyers concerned would very probably be undergoing repairs. The Group considers the mining operations more promising and therefore wishes to abandon operation "Schleswig" until this assignment is co/pleted. It may, in the Group's opinion, be necessary to postpone "Schleswig" even further should it fall too close to the sailing date of the Atlantic ships, as its possible repercussions might greatly prejudice their chances of a successful breakthrough.
> 
> In contrast to the Group, Naval Staff regards the execution of the battleship operation as the more urgent , since, with the enemy situation favoring us, a: successful attack against the Norway - Great Britain convoy traffic could be of decisive military and political importance. Psychological reasons also render it desirable to send the battleships on a fresh sortie at an early date. Moreover Naval Staff believes that even if the minelaying operation by the destroyers is canceled, the southeast coast of England
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 53 has been ordered to report her position. Since she reported her intention to reload torpedoes on the Irish coast, nothing has been heard of her. It is possible that she started on her return passage without reporting and has now been in the North Sea for some time. Operations control must know where she is. U 37 entered port. She sank:
> 1) Tanker about 6,000 tons, 2) Steamer in Zone A about 7,000 tons, 3) Steamer in Zone B about 4,500 tons, 4) Patrol vessel
> (unknown tonnage), 5) Steamer in Zone B about 6,500 tons, 6) Steamer 7,000 tons, 7)Steamer about 8,000 tons, 8) Tanker
> 6,000 tons. 45,000 tons in total.
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-37, U-61 

Departures
Heligoland: U-52
Wilhelmshaven: U-18, U-20, 

At Sea 27 February 1940
U-13, U-18, U-20, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-50, U-52, U-60, U-62. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC CORFU departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
Sloop BLACK SWAN departed Portland for Rosyth. OA.99 cleared Southend escort DDs WINDSOR and WOLVERINE, and dispersed on 1 March. A TM convoy departed the Tyne for Methil escort provided by the 3rd ASW Group and DD JACKAL. FN.104 departed Southend, escort DDs WESTMINSTER, WOLSEY and sloops BLACK SWAN and LONDONDERRY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 29th. 
Convoy FS.107 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS, sloop HASTINGS, and also DD JERVIS, joined FS.108 on the 29th and both arrived at Southend on 1 March. MT.19 departed Methil, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. Steamer ANNFIN (Nor 729 grt) reported ramming a submarine of unknown nationality outside Norwegian waters in the North Sea.

OA.98GF departed Southend escorted by DD WREN on the 24th, which was then relieved by sloop SANDWICH on the 26th, and OB.98GF departed Liverpool, also on the 24th escort DDs VANOC and WHIRLWIND. The two merged on the 27th as OG.20F. 

Steamer MIRA (ITA 3165 grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) two miles northeast of St Abb's Head.





Tkr BRITISH GOVERNOR (UK 6840 grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) off the east coast, and then escorted into port by DD JANUS.
?British Governor?





*Northern Waters*
DD KINGSTON reported her petrol compartment was leaking and she was only capable of 16 knots. ASW trawler LE TIGER (RN 516 grt) attacked a submarine contact off Fife Ness near North Carr Light Vessel, and was later relieved by sloop PELICAN.

*West Coast UK*
AMC ASCANIA departed the Clyde. ASW trawler RUBY (420grt) attacked a submarine contact in Liverpool Bay.

*Channel*
While liner ORION (UK 23,456 grt) was docking at London, she was in collision with DD GRENADE, which had just completed refit. GRENADE's sailing was postponed while the damage was assessed and she repaired at Harwich, completing on 3 April.

*Western Approaches*
ASW trawler LE TIGER (516grt) attacked a submarine contact off Fife Ness near North Carr Light Vessel, and was later relieved by sloop PELICAN.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB MALAYA, and AMC ASCANIA departed Greencock with gold for Halifax, and left the Clyde escort DDs FAULKNOR, FAME, FORESTER, FURY and MOHAWK.


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## Njaco (Feb 27, 2015)

*February 27 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The members of the carrier Gruppe II (J)./TrGr186 finally get their first victory of the war when Oblt. Gerhard Jahnny of the 6th Staffel downs a British reconnaissance bomber, a Blenheim, north west of Heligoland at 1436 hours.

The bombers of 2./KG 26 raid the convoy “Alice” off the coast of England. Spitfires from RAF No. 609 and 152 Squadrons respond and shoot down two He 111s. One bomber crashes into the sea off St. Abbs Head killing all aboard. The second He 111H-3, from 2./KG 26 was shot down by P/O J.S.B. Jones and T.S. Wildblood in Spitfires of No 152 Squadron. The Heinkel crashed the sea east of Coquet Island, Northumberland at 1255 hours. The bodies of Hptm. H-J. Helm (Staffelkapitän) and Uffz K. Lassnig were recovered from the sea (see March 1st) and buried at Chevington. Uffz H. Buchisch, Oberfw A. Thiele and Gefr W. Rixen were missing. Aircraft sank in the sea.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A bleak day for Finland. Soviet troops launched a pincer movement intended at surrounding Viipuri, Finland; at 1900 hours, Finnish Army Lieutenant General Erik Heinrichs, commander of the Finnish Army of the Isthmus, ordered his troops to fall back from the defensive positions on the V-line and withdraw into Viipuri. An orderly retreat towards Viipuri begins. Finns retreated further from Petsamo after day-long battle. Finns repulsed violent attack on Taipale.

The government of Finland requested assistance from Norway and Sweden for the war against Russia, but Norway and Sweden continued to express that they were neutral in the conflict and could not assist Finland. 

300 Finnish children are evacuated to Stockholm, Sweden.

The first British volunteers leave to aid the Finnish forces.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Air Ministry announced that during preceding 24 hours reconnaissance flights were made over Heligoland and German North Sea coast, as well as large areas of western Germany. Leaflets were dropped over Berlin, British planes returned unmolested.

In an effort to boost morale, Winston Churchill wildly overstates Britain's success on the seas, claiming that half of Nazi Germany's feared U-boats have been sunk by the Allies.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Norwegian steamer ‘_Annfinn_’ collided with a U-boat, which was probably sunk. Steamer was damaged.

U-boat was sunk by a French destroyer off Cape Finisterre.


.


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## parsifal (Feb 28, 2015)

*28 February 1940 *
*Known Losses*

*MV STOFOSS (Sd 1,508 grt) *coastal steamer sank in 40 metres of water, due to a collision 10 miles E of Beadnell, Northumberland

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> British Cabinet Ministers have appealed to British agriculture for an increase in production. The only way to win the war is to reduce imports. Britain's food supplies were described as inadequate. The Minister for Economic Warfare declared the blockade of Germany to be incomplete. Russian deliveries were breaking it. ' (Accumulation of tin and rubber in Russia for export to Germany). Necessity of tightening up trade agreements with the neutrals to cut out their transit trade to Germany.
> 
> According to (the OKW review) , certain spheres of Britain's war economy have begun to feel the pinch, but in no case is there any crisis so far .
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 53 did not report. The order has been repeated.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-18 , U-23 

At Sea 28 February 1940
U-13, U-20, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-50, U-52, U-60, U-62. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Submarine TRITON intercepted steamer WANGONI (Ger 7848 grt) off Kristiansand, north of Hantsholm, but she escaped in the dark and reached Hamburg on 1 March.

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs TRANSYLVANIA and WOLFE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
HN.15 with 42 ships departed Bergen escort DDs COSSACK, DELIGHT, DIANA, SIKH, NUBIAN. CLA CALCUTTA provided AA defences for the convoy. On 29 February, the convoy split into east and west coast sections; the eight ships of the west coast ships were escorted by DDs KHARTOUM and SIKH and the east coast section by the convoy DDs, joined by damaged DD IMPERIAL. CALCUTTA arrived at Sullom Voe on 1 March. After escorting the west coast section, DDs KHARTOUM and SIKH proceeded to the Clyde, arriving on 1 March, for boiler cleaning and gun mounting repairs, respectively. The convoy arrived without event at Methil on 1 March.

Sub STERLET departed Harwich on patrol. FN.106 departed Southend escort sloop GRIMSBY and DDs WOOLSTON and JUNO. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on 1 March. FS.108 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN. The convoy joined convoy FS.107 on the 29th and both arrived at Southend on 1 March. MT.20 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop PELICAN, ASW trawlers of the 3rd ASW Gp. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.

ON.16 departed Methil with 43 ships escort DDs ESCAPADE, ESCORT, ENCOUNTER. ASW trawlers COVENTRY CITY (546 grt) and LE TIGRE (516 grt) escorting blockship CARRON (UK 1017 grt) when abreast of Pentland Skerries was detached from the convoy to Scapa and arrived on 1 March. One other steamer was detached before the convoy crossed the North Sea. The convoy was joined by DDs ELECTRA and ECLIPSE with six steamers from Kirkwall. (These six included in sailing numbers). DD ELECTRA attacked a submarine contact south, southeast of Duncansby Head on the 29th. DDs GALLANT and GRIFFIN were sent to assist. CLA CAIRO departed Sullom Voe on 1 March to provide AA support for the convoy. The convoy arrived at Bergen without further event on 2 March.

DKM MLs ROLAND and COBRA, escorted by MSWs M.5 and M.7, laid 238 mines in an ASW mine barrier off the Ems Estuary.

*West Coast UK*
DDs KASHMIR and KINGSTON arrived at Greencock. DDs KEITH and WAKEFUL searched unsuccessfully for a German submarine off St Govan Light Vessel (at the entrance to the Bristol Channel in Wales) .

Liner ULSTER QUEEN (UK 10000 grt (est)) The passenger ship ran aground off Ramsey, Isle of Man. All on board were rescued. She was refloated on 27 March





*Channel*
21st ASW Gp, composed of ASW trawlers LADY PHILOMENA, WOLVES, GRIMSBY TOWN, THURINGIA, BLACKBURN ROVERS were withdrawn from Dover patrol to be fitted with AA protection at Hartlepool.

*UK - France*
DD BEAGLE departed Dover at 1710 with the CIGS and arrived at Boulogne at 1840.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.22 departed Freetown escorted by AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE until 11 March. The convoy merged with SLF.22 on 11 March and both convoys arrived at Liverpool on 15 March.


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## Njaco (Feb 28, 2015)

*February 28 Wednesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* At 0045 hours, Soviet High Command permitted the surrounded 34th Tank Brigade to retreat from the East Lemetti pocket in Finland. Finnish troops eased pressure and allowed 2,750 wounded Russian soldiers to escape on foot. About 1,000 out of the 1,250 who escaped to the south returned safely, but all 1500 men moving East are hunted down and annihilated by Finns on skis. Finnish attacks on the East Lemetti pocket continue overnight on the motti, which is notable for the large number of Soviet tanks (about 100 many of which are dug in as fixed artillery). On the Karelian Isthmus, however, Soviet troops were able to penetrate the second defensive line. Finnish aircraft raided Russian lines of communications.

Further North, Swedish Volunteer Corps (Svenska Frivilligkåren) takes over front line duty at Märkäjärvi in Salla. Although officially non-belligerent, 8,402 Swedes, 1,010 Danes and 895 Norwegians volunteer go to Finland. They will lose 28 dead, 50 wounded and 140 invalids with frostbite. British volunteers in Finland are to be commanded by Major Kermit Roosevelt. First Canadian Volunteers arrived in Finland.

The United Kingdom and France offered military assistance for Finland, but they were waiting for Finland to issue a formal request for such aid.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British battleship HMS “_Duke of York”_ is launched, although she will not be commissioned for active service until 4 November 1941. The first of a new class of battleship, HMS “_King George V_”, is launched.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German patrols were active on Western Front, particularly east of the Saar and in Alsace. Air Ministry announced that RAF had carried out further extensive reconnaissance flights over northern Germany. Aircraft flew over Berlin and Hanover, as well as naval bases at Kiel and Cuxhaven. Reconnaissance flights were made by both sides. Paris announced that two German airplanes reconnoitering over France had been shot down.

*GERMANY:* Germany closes factories unnecessary for the war effort.

The Nazi propaganda minister, Dr. Goebbels, tells neutral countries to "curb their public opinion" and warns Sweden against aiding Finland.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Divers recover three rotors from the Enigma enciphering machine on board the scuttled U-33, adding to the Polish-supplied information on the Enigma puzzle in the hands of the Allies.

SS ‘_Stofoss_' (1,508t) a Swedish ship sank in 40 metres of water, due to a collision 10 miles E of Beadnell.

*ASIA:* Communist troops retake Anding, near Yenan, from the Japanese.


.


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## Njaco (Feb 28, 2015)

*February 29 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The battle of Viipuri. Negotiations to end the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union began, but fighting continued. Soviet forces launch an all-out effort to crush resistance in the Karelian Isthmus by encircling the city of Viipuri and reaching the Viipuri-Helsinki highway. Russians claimed to be within four miles of Viipur and were preparing a final assault on town. Soviet troops crossed the frozen Gulf of Finland and landed 15 miles west of Viipuri in an attempt to surround the city, but they were defeated by Finnish troops, capturing only Teikari Island. Elsewhere, Finnish troops wiped out the surrounded Soviet troops in the East Lemetti pocket at 0400 hours, capturing 5 field guns, 1 anti-tank gun, 71 tanks, 12 armored cars, 6 anti-aircraft machine guns, 206 trucks, and 70 machine guns. Finns repulsed three attempts by Russians to cross Taipale river, and frustrated an attack near Pitkaerantae, north-east of Lake Ladoga.

The Finns decide that they must give in to the Soviet demands but their note to that effect is not sent immediately because of British and French reactions to the news. The French government has become deeply committed to a policy of supporting Finland and persuades the British to join in making rash promises that cannot possibly be kept.

Germany’s methods of sea warfare denounced by Professor Koht, Norwegian Prime Minister.

Estonian Government issued order forbidding Estonian merchant ships to navigate North Sea and other dangerous waters except under convoy.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-20 torpedoed and sank Italian steamer “_Maria Rosa_” in the English Channel, killing 12. 17 people were rescued.

German steamers “_Heidelberg_” and “_Troja_” left the Dutch island of Aruba in the Caribbean Sea after dark in an attempt to evade Allied patrols. “_Troja_” was intercepted 10 miles from Aruba from British cruiser “_Despatch_”; her crew set fire to the ship and abandoned her, which sank on the next day.

RMS “_Queen Elizabeth_” set sail from Scotland, United Kingdom for New York, United States.

French steamer ‘P.L.M.25′ reported sunk by mine in North Sea.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler approved Nikolaus von Falkenhorst's invasion plan for Norway.

Press Department of German Legation at The Hague issued statement warning neutrals that by accepting British system of navicerts they make themselves suspect to Germany.

The wreck of the scuttled German pocket battleship “_Admiral Graf Spee_” is sold to a local company for scrap.

*ASIA:* In Japan, Britain returns 9 of the 21 Germans removed from the “_Asama Maru_” (on January 21st) after Tokyo agrees not to transport German military reservists attempting to return home.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Food and gas rationing begins in France.

.



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## Njaco (Mar 1, 2015)

*March 1 Friday*
*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler signs the directive for “FALL WESERUBUNG” (Exercise Weser), the Invasion of Norway and Denmark.



> The development of the situation in Scandinavia required the making of all preparations for the occupation of Denmark and Norway by a part of the German Armed Forces. This operation should prevent British encroachment on Scandinavia and the Baltic; further it should guarantee our ore base in Sweden and give our Navy and Air Force a wider start line against Britain. The part which the Navy and the Air Force will have to play, within the limits of their capabilities, is to protect the operation against the interference of British naval and air striking forces.
> In view of our military and political power in comparison with that of the Scandinavian States, the force to be employed in the ‘FALL WESERUBUNG’ will be kept as small as possible. The numerical weakness will be balanced by daring actions and surprise execution. On principle, we will do our utmost to make the operation appear as a peaceful occupation, the object of which is the military protection of the neutrality of the Scandinavian States. Corresponding demands will be transmitted to the Governments at the beginning of the occupation. If necessary, demonstrations by the Navy and Air Force, will provide the necessary emphasis. If, in spite of this, resistance should be met with, all military means will be used to crush it. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/10a.html


Several new Gruppen are formed in preparation for the Invasion of France and the Low Countries. The III Gruppe of JG 52 is formed with Hptm. Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald as Gruppenkommandeur. JGr 101 resumes its original designation, ZG 1, and is re-equipped with Bf 110s. Hptm. Wolfgang Falck, to be known as “The Happy Falcon”, of ZG 76 is made Gruppenkommandeur of I Gruppe and Major Hellmuth Reichardt is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II Gruppe.

In other appointments, Hptm. Johannes Seifert is appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 26.

US Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles arrived in Berlin, Germany on a peace mission, and met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop on the first day of his visit.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Libyan 1st and 2nd Divisions were formed by the Italian Army.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Gusztáv Jány was named the commanding officer of Hungarian 2nd Army.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* USSR’s Feb 23 peace offer expires; Finns hold out for more Allied offers of assistance. Finnish ambassadors in London and Paris ask for 100 bombers and 50,000 troops. Illustrating the discord among the Allies, the French promise these assets while Britain realistically notes that these are not available. Red Army is now only 6 km from Viipuri and cuts several main roads into the city, overtaking retreating Finnish defenders. Major-General Wallenius transfers from Lapland to command a new Coastal Group defending Viipuri from attacks across the ice. He panics at the sight of the defenses and goes off to get drunk. Further North, Lieutenant-Colonel Magnus Dyrssen, commander of the Swedish volunteer battalion which took over the Salla front on 28 Feb, is killed by shellfire. Fierce aerial dog fights take place over the city. Finns bombed Russian communications including a railways junction and troop trains.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Heinkel 111s bomb and sink Norwegian D/S “_Vestfoss_” (cargo of coal) 10 miles East of the Orkneys. All 19 crew are rescued from the lifeboats by trawler “_Star of Liberty_”. At 0315 hours, U-20 stops Italian steamer SS “_Mirella_” with 1 torpedo in the English Channel (cargo of coal). U-20 returns and sinks her at 2114 hours (1 dead, 29 survivors). Norwegian Steamer ‘_Brott_’ and British fishing trawler ‘_Courage_’ bombed and machine-gunned off Yorkshire coast, but reached port. Latvian steamer ‘_Katvaldis_’ reported bombed and machine-gunned off Yorkshire coast.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The French government offers to purchase "heavy water" from Norway. There is stricter food rationing in France.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Women are urged to wear light clothes in order to save darker dyes for forces uniforms. According to BBC audience research, about two-thirds of the adult population tunes in to Lord Haw-Haw's broadcasts from Hamburg. One person in six is a regular listener to his propaganda. Some 16 million listeners hear the BBC nine o'clock news every night and about 6 million of them switch straight over to Lord Haw-Haw afterwards.

The body of a German airman, and a rubber boat were washed ashore at Whitley Bay, two lifeboats were washed ashore at Bridlington and an unidentified body was washed ashore at Mundesley. The body washed ashore at Whitley Bay was identified as Uffz Karl Lassnig. An enquiry was later received by the British Government from Germany concerning five airmen: Hptm. Hans-Joachim Helm, Uffz Karl Lassnig, Uffz Heinrich Buchisch, Oberfeldwebel Arthur Thiele, Gerfreiter Walter Rixen. Only the bodies of Lassnig and Helms were recovered. AI 1(k) linked this crew with the He 111 of KG 26 shot down on February 27th. The aircrew were, with the exception of Walter Rixen, identified by Air Intelligence as being 2./KG 26, although the aircraft itself and the Bordmechaniker (Rixen) were identified as being 3./KG 26.

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## parsifal (Mar 1, 2015)

*29 February 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements *
Neutral
Liuzzi Class Sub RM REGINALDO GIULANO (precise commissioning date uncertain)




_n the south Atlantic REGINALDO GIULIANI sank two ships with a total of 16,105 DWT. SDeized by the germans in September 1943, she was used as a transport but was sunk February 1944 in the Straits of Malacca on her first outbound mission to the japanese empireand_

*Known Reinforcements*
*Known Losses*
*Steamer MARIA ROSA (Ita 4211 grt)* Crew: 29 (12 dead and 17 survivors): Cargo: Ballast; Route: Marseilles - Hartlepool : At 22.32 hours on 29 Feb 1940 the neutral MARIA ROSA was hit in the foreship by one G7e torpedo fired by U-20 and sank by the bow. The ship had been missed by a first G7e torpedo fired at 21.45 hours.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Anxiety as to the outcome of the Russo-Finnish conflict is growing in the Scandinavian countries. In Sweden Finland's
> situation is described as increasingly serious. It is reported from German souroes in Sweden tha+. the Western Powers have lately
> been exerting stronger pressure on Sweden in favor of more effective support for Finland. Great Britain is said to be threatening Sweden with economic reprisals. Further, the impression is gaining ground in Sweden that Great Britain Intends to land troops in Klrkenes in violation of Norwegian neutrality.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> No news of U 53. Otherwise nothing to report.
> (signed): Donitz
> Rear Admiral and B.d.U.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-13 , U-60 

Departures
Kiel: U-46, U-47, U-49
Wilhelmshaven: U-17, U-61 

At Sea 29 February 1940
U-17, U-20, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-46, U-49, U-50, U-52, U-61, U-62. 
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK and YORK returned from the Northern Patrol,. proceeding to the Clyde and Scapa respectively. 

*North Sea*
Decoy ships PAKEHA and WAIMANA departed Rosyth escort DDs IMOGEN, INGLEFIELD, TARTAR, GURKHA for Scapa Flow, arriving on 1 March. Escort vessel WOOLSTON, escorting convoy FN.106, was damaged in the Humber while docking with a merchant ship. Escort vessel WOOLSTON was repaired in the Humber, completing on 5 March. Aux MSW AMETHYST (627 grt) was damaged in a collision with steamer BRAMWELL (UK 1927 grt). The Hailing Station and Tyne Boom Defense were also damaged in this collision. The trawler was repaired in fourteen days. OA.101 departed Southend escort sloop BIDEFORD and DD VETERAN, which were relieved on 1 March by DD VANESSA. DD VANESSA was detached on 2 March and the convoy was dispersed the next day. FN.107 departed Southend escort sloop FLAMINGO and DDs WALLACE and JUPITER. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 2 March. FS.109 departed the Tyne escort DD VEGA, sloop STORK, DD JUNO. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 March.

*Northern Waters*
ML TEVIOTBANK with DDs BRAZEN and BOREAS departed Immingham on the 24th for Invergordon where they arrived on the 26th. ML TEVIOTBANK escort DDs BOREAS and BRAZEN and MSWs LEDA and NIGER departed Invergordon on ML op PA 2 in Moray Firth. After the minelay, the ships proceeded to the Tyne. The ships arrived in the Tyne on 2 March and left later that day in convoy FS.10 for passage to the Humber.

ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND (497 grt) attacked a submarine contact off Dunnett Head.

*West Coast UK*
The following movements of major units represented long term redeployments intended to strengthen the capability of the Home Flt. 

CVL FURIOUS departed the Clyde on the 28th escort DDs HARDY, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, KIMBERLEY. The carrier arrived at Plymouth 29th for refitting. In the Plymouth approaches on the 29th, FEARLESS was involved in a collision with a trawler. The damage was repaired at Plymouth completing on 10 March. 
HMS Furious (CV-3), Staged first aircraft carrier attack in history




_"CV 3 FURIOUS recognition profile" published by the US Division of Naval Intelligence_

On 2 March, BC REPULSE escorted by DDs HARDY, HOSTILE, VIMY departed Plymouth for the Clyde where they arrived during the afternoon of 3 March. DD VIMY immediately returned to Plymouth, via Liverpool. 




_Repulse in the winter of 1939-40_

On 3 March, BC RENOWN with DDs ACASTA, KIMBERLEY, FIREDRAKE departed Plymouth for the Clyde where they arrived at 1230 on 4 March. ACASTA immediately departed after refuelling for Plymouth, arriving on 5 March.
37)BATTLECRUISER RENOWN 76 - ROYAL NAVY SHIPS (133 Pages / 150 Images) - THE ROYAL NAVY IN SOUTH ATLANTIC - Articles - Sixtant - War II in the South Atlantic




_Colour rendered photo HMS RENOWN, later in 1940_

DD KELVIN was ordered to proceed to Birkenhead (a dockyard near Liverpool) for refitting. Sloop BLACK SWAN, escort DD WOLSEY, arrived at Rosyth.

*UK - France*
BC.28 of steamers BARON CARNEGIE (Commodore), BATNA, KERMA, KUFRA, LOCHEE, PIZARRO departed Bristol Channel escort DD VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived at Loire on 3 March.

*SW Approaches*
OB.101 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANQUISHER and VERSATILE. Both DDs were detached on 3 March, when the convoy dispersed.

*Central Atlantic*
RAN CL PERTH and HM CL DIOMEDE departed Kingston, Jamaica, in company, for duty in the Pacific Ocean after being relieved in the Caribbean by CLs DUNEDIN and DESPATCH. Cruiser PERTH departed the Caribbean on 2 March and passed through the Panama Canal on 3 March. She arrived at Sydney on 31 March. DIOMEDE proceeded to the Far East.


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## parsifal (Mar 1, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses February 1940*
Allied
Allied Warships
MSW SPHINX (RN 785 grt), Naval Trawler FORT ROYAL (RN 351 grt), ASW Trawler ROBERT BOWEN (RN 290 grt), Trawler THERESA BOYLE (RN 224 grt), DD DARING (RN 1375 grt), ASW Trawler FIFESHIRE (RN 540 grt), Trawler BENVOLIO (RN 352 grt), Fr Aux MSW VETERAN (Fr 253 grt) 

*(3917(RN) 253 (Fr) grt; Total 4170 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Allied Shipping
(Britain) Coaster ELLEN M (UK 498 grt), Tkr BRITISH COUNCILLOR (UK 7048 grt), Tkr CREOFIELD (UK 838 grt), MV PORTELET (UK 1,064 grt), MV ARMANISTAN (UK 6,805 grt), MV LEO DAWSON (UK 4330 grt), Steamer BEAVERBURN (UK 9874 grt), Steamer HIGHCLIFFE (UK 3247 grt), Steamer VERBORMILIA (UK 3275 grt), Steamer ELDONPARK (UK 5184 grt), Liner MUNSTER (UK 4305 grt), , MV ZITELLA (UK 4254 grt), Coaster AGNES ELLEN (UK 293 grt) , MV CHAGRES (UK 5,406 grt), Blockship BRANKSEA (UK 214 grt), MV SEA RAMBLER (UK 2327 grt), Trawler CISNELL (UK 300 grt (est), Trawler TOGIMO (UK 290 grt), MV LANGLEEFORD (UK 4622 grt), , MV SULTAN STAR (UK 12,306 grt), MV BARON AILSA (III) (UK 3656 grt), MV PYRRHUS (UK 7,418 grt), MV ILSENSTEIN (UK 1506 grt), SS BUSK (UK 367 grt), MV LYCIA (UK 2338 grt), MV TIBERTON (UK 5,225 grt), MV LOCH MADDY (UK 4,996 grt), MV BRITISH ENDEAVOUR (UK 4580 grt), MV CLAN MORRISON (UK 5930 grt), MV JEVINGTON COURT (UK 4254 grt), Passenger/Cargo Vessel ROYAL ARCHER (UK 2265 grt), Steamer CASTLEMOOR (UK 6574 grt), Trawler BEN ATTOW (UK 156 grt), (France), Tkr PICARDIE (Fr 8298 grt), Steamer PLM 15 (Fr 3,754 grt), MV PLM 25 (Fr 5391 grt), 
*Allied Tonnage Sunk or captured: 126877 tons* (4170 Naval, 12793 Fr, 109,734 UK)

*Prize Vessels:* 
Steamer ROSTOCK (Ger 2542 grt), Steamer MOREA (Ger 1927 grt), Trawler HERRLICHKEIT (Ger 268 grt), Steamer WAHEHE (Ger 4709 grt)

Neutral
Neutral Warships
Ex-USS MONOCACY (USN 204 grt), Tug WICOMICO ( USN 152 grt)

*(356 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Neutral Shipping
(Sweden) MV FRAM (Sd 2,491 grt), Coaster WIRGO (Sd 709 grt), MV ORANIA (Sd 1854 grt), MV DALARO (Sd 3927 grt), MV NORNA (Sd 1022 grt), MV OSMEED (Sd 1526 grt), MV LIANA (Sd 1646 grt), Steamer SANTOS (Sd 3840 grt), steamer NORDIA (Sd 1316 grt), Steamer STORFOS (Sd 545 grt), MV STOFOSS (Sd 1,508 grt)
(Spain): MV TERESA (Sp 931 grt), MV DELFINA (Sp 3037 grt), MV BANDERAS (Sp 2140 grt)
(Norway): MV PALLAS (Nor 556 grt), MV TEMPO (Nor 629 grt), MV HOP (Nor 1374 grt), MV SILJA (Nor 1259 grt), MV SNESTAD (Nor 4114 grt) , MV NIDARHOLM (Nor 3482 grt), MV STEINSTAD (Nor 2447 grt), MV KVERNAAS (Nor 1819 grt), MV SANGSTAD ( Nor 4297 grt), Coaster TORBRAND (Nor 308 grt)
(Estonia) Coaster REET (Est 815 grt), MV ANU (Est 1474 grt), MV LINDA (Est 1,213 grt)
(Netherlands), MV FLORES (Ne 650 grt (est)), Steamer BURGERDIJK (Ne 6853 grt), Tkr DEN HAAG (Ne 8971 grt), MV AMELAND (Ne 4,537 grt), MV TARA (Ne 4,760 grt), Trawler YM 49 (Ne 250 grt)
(Yugoslavia) MV VID (Yug 3547 grt)
(Belgium) Steamer FLANDRES (Be 5827 grt), Fishing Vessel O H BEWAAR ONS (Be 61 grt), Fishing Vessel STEUR (Be 62 grt), 
(Denmark) MV CHASTINE MAERSK (Den 5177 grt), MV MARTIN GOLDSCHMIDT (Den 2,095 grt), MV AASE (Den 1206 grt), MV MARYLAND (Den 4895 grt), MV RHONE (Den 1064 grt), MV SLEIPNER (Den 1066 grt), Drifters EJJAM, GERLIS, MERKATOR and POLARIS (All Den combined 400 grt (est))
(Italy) MV GIORGIO OLSEN (Ita 4156 grt), Steamer MARIA ROSA (Ita 4211 grt)
(Panama): MV EL SONADOR (Panama 1406 grt)
(Finland) MV WILJA (Fn 3396 grt), MV RIGEL (Fn 1477 grt), MV BORE III (Fn 1133 grt), MV BORE IV (Fn 1659 grt)
(Greece) MV ELLIN (Gk 4917 grt)

*Neutral Shipping sunk 115250 (356 Naval 114894 grt Mercantile tons *20384 (SD), 6108 (SP), 20286 (Nor), 3502 (Est), 26021 (Ne), 3547 (Yug), , 5950 (Be), 15895 (Den), 4917 (Gk), 8367 (Ita), 1406 (Panama), 7665 (FN), 

*Combined Allied and Neutral Shipping Sunk 242127 grt*

*Prize Vessels* 
None 

Axis
Axis Warships
Type IX A U.41 (DKM 1135 grt), Type VIIA U-33 (DKM 733 grt), Type VIIA U.54 (DKM 733 grt), DD LEBERECHT MAAS (DKM 2223 grt), DD MAX SCHULTZ (DKM 2233 grt) , Type VIIB U-53 (DKM 730 grt), Type IIC U.63 (DKM 350 grt) 

*(7147 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Axis Shipping
Steamer WAKAMA (Ger 3771 grt), MV BALDUR (Ger 5805 grt) , Steamer ORIZABA (Ger 4354 grt) 

Captured
Steamer BOHUS (Sd 1761 grt)

*Tonnage Sunk or captured: 21077 (7147 Naval, 13930 Ger)*


----------



## parsifal (Mar 1, 2015)

*1 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV TROJA (Ger 2390 grt)*: The cargo ship was intercepted by HMS Despatch off Aruba, Netherlands Antilles and was scuttled by her crew
https://willemsubmerged.wordpress.c...g-of-the-antilla-the-lost-wreck-of-the-troja/





*Steamer MIRELLA (Ita 5340 grt)* Crew: 30 (1 dead and 29 survivors) : Cargo: Coal : Route: Tyne - Leghorn : At 03.15 hours on 1 March 1940 the MIRELLA was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-20, but did not sink. The U-boat waited submerged during the daytime, returned to the abandoned ship in the evening and sunk her at 21.14 hours by a coup de grâce. The survivors were rescued by DD WALLACE and ASW trawler CAPE ARGONA (494grt). Patrol sloops SHEARWATER and MALLARD were patrolling nearby and were joined by sloops WIDGEON and SHELDRAKE to search for the submarine.

[NO IMAGE FOUNDF] 

_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
*Steamer VESTFOSS (Nor 1388 grt)* was bombed and sunk by aircraft of German KG26 (X Air Corps) twelve miles east by south of Copinsay, Orkney Islands. After an unsuccessful attempt to tow VESTFOSS, British steamer STAR OF LIBERTY (205grt) took off the 19 crew. Tug ST MELLONS had been dispatched, but was recalled. Part of the crew from VESTFOSS arrived at Oslo on the 6th.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Koht, stated In the Storting (29 Feb. 1940) that it would be a non-neutral act to stop Norwegian shipping to Great Britain. Maintenance of trade with Great Britain was of vital importance for Norway. The conclusion of the commercial treaty with Norway was greatly endangered by the reports current about Norwegian shipping losses and the anti-German reaction caused by them. In spite of this the treaty was favorably concluded. However, there are now fresh rumors also in Norway that the Western Powers will demand from Sweden and Norway right of way f or troops to Finland . The Norwegian Foreign Ministry, now states definitely that so far the Western Powers have undertaken no diplomatic steps In Oslo or Stockholm and that no enquiries on the subject have been received ." Both countries are adhering unconditionally to their neutrality and would oppose any attempt by the Western Powers to send troops through Norway and Sweden by all the means in their power .
> 
> Report on the Fuehrer's instructions for the immediate formation of an Operations Staff for M Weseruebung , Commanding General, 21st Corps, General von Falkenhorst, is appointed head of the Operations Staff, Chiefs of Staff are appointed for the individual preparations by the three Services, (Captain Krancke for the Navy). A further order states that the forces of the Army and Air
> Force engaged in "Weseruebung" shall be subordinate to the augmented 21st Corps Headquarters. The preparations required
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report


. 

Arrivals
Kiel: U-61 
Wilhelmshaven: U-26, U-46 

At Sea 1 March 1940
U-17, U-20, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-49, U-50, U-52, U-62. 
10 boats at sea

*Northern Patrol*
CA YORK departed Scapa on Northern Patrol. CA NORFOLK moved to "WR" station off North Cape to intercept German shipping (in response to the British governments new policy of pursuit into neutral waters, following the ALTMARK incident). The flag of CruSqn 2 transferred to depot ship FORTH.

The Northern Patrol from 1 to 14 March sighted 52 eastbound merchant ships and sent 12 into Kirkwall for inspection. Four German merchant ships were encountered and all four scuttled themselves to avoid capture. AMCs ASTURIAS and SCOTSTOUN arrived at the Clyde from Northern Patrol. AMCs WOLFE and DERBYSHIRE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. Air escort from Aldergrove was supplied for DERBYSHIRE. 

*North Sea*
DD JAGUAR departed the Humber for Rosyth. On the 2nd, she was attacked by German aircraft off Longstones, but was able to drive the attack off without damage to herself, and arrived at Rosyth on the 2nd. Submarine THISTLE departed Rosyth and performed exercises in the Firth of Forth. Sloop GRIMSBY was in a collision with Italian steamer EDERA (5254grt) while berthing in the Tyne, but sustained no damage.

MT.21 departed Methil for the Tyne. In convoy MT.20, Latvian steamers ELIZABETE (2039grt) was damaged by LW bombers five miles east by south of Hartlepool Light Vessel and KATVALDIS (3208grt) off Scarborough. KATVALDIS was struck by two bombs, one of which did not explode. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd.

Steamer BROTT (Nor 1583 grt) in FS.109 was machine gunned and bombed by German aircraft off Whitby, and the crew abandoned ship. The steamer waited in Bridlington Bay for tugs. DD JUNO, escort vessel VEGA and sloop STORK were escorting the convoy, one of the escorts picking up a lifeboat from BROTT. 

Steamer DOMALA (8450grt) ran aground three cables east of Goodwin Knoll Buoy. Downs Guard Vessel GOODWIN, MSW trawler CALVI and a tug from Ramsgate stood by until she refloated herself without assistance at 1600.

OG.20 was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.100G, which departed Southend on 28 February, escorted by sloop BIDEFORD from 28 February to 2 March and destroyer WILD SWAN from 29 February to 3 March, and (2) OB.100G, which departed Liverpool escorted by sloop LEITH from 1 to 3 March and destroyer VENETIA from 1 to 2 March, with 31 ships. Both Liverpool escorts were detached to convoy HG.20. French destroyer TIGRE and escort vessel VIKINGS joined the convoy from 2 to 7 March. DD ACTIVE joined on the 6th, and the convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 7th.

*Northern Waters*
After delivering Fleet Tenders A and B (decoy ships PAKEHA and WAIMANA) to Scapa on the 1st, DD TARTAR departed Scapa Flow again that day. ASW trawler ASTON VILLA (546grt) was damaged in a collision with RFA PETRONEL at Aberdeen

*West Coast UK*
DDs FAULKNOR, FAME, FURY, FORESTER, MOHAWK arrived back in the Clyde after escorting BB MALAYA and AMC ASCANIA out of the declared area. 

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.22 departed Freetown escort AMC MOOLTAN until 12 March. On the 11th convoy SL.22 merged with convoy SLF.22. On the 12th, sloops BRIDGEWATER, ROCHESTER and DDs AMAZON and VENETIA relieved the AMC. The convoys arrived on the 15th.

*Med- Biscay*
DD WILD SWAN, escorting convoy OA.100G, lost Probationary Midshipman R. R. Tett RNR overboard. HG.21F departed Gibraltar with 36 ships. Fr DD CHACAL and aux PV CAPITAINE ARMANDE escorted from 1 to 6 and 7 March, respectively. DDs WHIRLWIND from convoy OG.21F and WITCH escorted the convoy from 7 to 10 March, when it arrived at Liverpool.

DD BULLDOG and RAN DD WATERHEN arrived at Gibraltar.

*Indian Ocean*
CA SUSSEX departed Colombo 1 March to return to Home Waters. She reached Malta on the 10th, departed on the 12th, passed Gib on the 14th, and arrived at Liverpool on the 17th. There she began a refit that continued until 18 May when she joined Crusqn 1 operating with the Home Flt. 

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD left Singapore and transferred to the Med. Fr CA SUFFREN arrived at Singapore for docking, and was undocked on the 7th.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 2, 2015)

*2 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN DD O'BRIEN (i) (Sims Class DD 415)





_DD HAMMAN (DD 412) SIMS Class, same profile as the OBrien, lost in the Pacific on 1942_
SD MTB T3 and T4 (commissioning dates uncertain (purchased Feb 1940)





*Known Losses*
*MV RIJNSTROOM (Ne 695 grt)*: Crew: 12 (12 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: General cargo : Route: London (2 Mar) - Amsterdam: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Zeebrugge, West Flanders, Belgium by U-17. U-17 reported that she had torpedoed a 9000 ton tanker, however no other ships other than the RIJNSTROOM were lost in this area at the time. Details of this loss remain sketchy however. 





*MV LAGAHOLM (Sd 2818 grt)*: Crew: 28 (1 dead and 27 survivors): cargo: general cargo, including aluminium, copper, brass, engines, chemicals and mail : Route: Baltimore - New York - Kirkwall - Gothenburg - Malmo: The LAGAHOLM and BELPAMELA had been ordered to Kirkwall for contraband inspection. U-32 had detected these ships and had initially targetted the BELPAMELA, firing three torpedoes, all detonated prematurely. The exasperated commander decided to stop the other ship with gunfire. U-32 did stop the vessel and ordered all the crew into lifeboats. They also gave the crew course and distance information to the nearest land. The cargo ship was then shelled and sunk 80 nautical miles west of the Kirkwall. Survivors were rescued by BELPAMELA (Nor).





*Steamer ALBANO (UK 1176 grt) *was sunk on a mine 7.6 miles 128.5° from Coquet Light, ; nine crew out of 29 were lost. The survivors were picked up by escort vessel WALLACE and armed trawler STELLA CARINO (440grt).





*Rescue tug FAIRPLAY II (RN 282 grt)*, was wrecked on the Yorkshire coast after she ran aground.





CL DUNEDIN intercepted *MV HEIDELBERG (Ger 6530 grt)* 60 miles WSW of the Windward Passage in the Caribbean. She had departed Aruba the day before with German steamer TROJA, which had also scuttled herself to avoid capture.




_From left to right ANTILLA, TROJA HEIDLBERG anchored at Malmok_








_MV HEIDELBERG ablaze; HEIDELBERG crew being rescued by picked up by HMS DUNEDIN_ 

*Steamer WOLFSBURG (Ger 6201 grt)* had departed Pernambuco on 5 February. Disguised as MV AUST (Nor), she scuttled herself north of Iceland when intercepted by CA BERWICK on Northern Patrol. BERWICK picked up the German crew of 11 officers and 43 men and sank the wrecked steamer with gunfire. 
Gutted Arcades of the Past: May 2012





_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
*Steamer ELZIENA (Ne 176 grt)* was bombed and sunk by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) five miles east of Coquet Island; 2 of the 5 crew were killed.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Operation "Weseruebung" is thoroughly discussed..... Naval Staff is well aware of the difficulties of carrying out "Weseruebung", involving as it does all-out operations by the whole Navy...
> 
> It is no longer solely a case of improving Germany's strategic position and gaining isolated military advantages or of weighing the pros and cons of the possibility of executing "Weserubung" and of asserting military scruples, but for the Armed Forces it is a matter of accommodation at lightning speed to political conditions and necessities.
> 
> Naval Staff is therefore of the opinion that the Fuehrers demands that the Armed Forces should solve this problem by using all the means in their power, must be fulfilled. The date for the execution of "Weseruebung" is still unknown, but it may be very soon If the weather is suitable. In these circumstances the Navy Is resolved to abandon all scruples and to sweep aside the difficulties that arise by using all its forces. The Fuehrer will, of course, be clearly informed of the difficulties standing In the way of the execution of "Weseruebung".



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 50 entered port. She sank 36,000 tons (total). Excellent work for this boat's first patrol.
> 
> Countermeasures are being prepared against an expected English operation extending into the Bight. U 52, who is to sail today for her operations area, will be kept back in a waiting position west of the declared area. For details see F.O. U/B West's War Log.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-13

At Sea 2 March 1940
U-17, U-20, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-49, U-50, U-52, U-62. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER departed Scapa on Northern Patrol duties. AMC CARINTHIA arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
*Cargo Liner DOMALA (UK 8441 grt)* was bombed and set on fire by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps), off the coast of Belgium. Dutch steamer JONGE WILLEM (1632 grt) assisted and was machine gunned and bombed, also by He111's of German KG26. Four to five bombs were dropped, but no damage was done. At 1245, DDs VISCOUNT, which was en route to pick up convoy OA.102, VENOMOUS and tug STALWART were standing by. DD ANTHONY arrived from Portsmouth shortly after to assist in driving off further air attacks. DD ACHATES, tug REVUE and ASW trawler KINGSTON AGATE (464grt) arrived. VISCOUNT picked up 120 survivors, but sustained some damage to her hull while alongside. JONGE WILLEM picked up 51 crew and three dead from lifeboats and took them to Newhaven. In total, 108 of the 291 people on board were killed. DOMALA was towed to the Solent and beached. She was requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport, converted to a cargo ship and entered service as EMPIRE ATTENDANT (lost July 1942).
mv DOMALA built by Barclay Curle Company Glasgow Clydebuilt Ships Database





OA.102 departed Southend, escort DD CAMPBELL. FN.109 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS, JERVIS and sloop HASTINGS, and arrived in the Tyne on the 4th. FS.110 departed the Tyne escort DDs WHITLEY, BOREAS and sloop EGRET. ML PRINCESS VICTORIA travelled in the convoy. Cable ship ROYAL SCOT with DDs BRAZEN and WOLSEY was involved in mending cables in Largo Bay. HN.16 28 ships departed Bergen escort DDs ESCAPADE, ENCOUNTER, ELECTRA and ESCORT. 

*Northern Waters*
DDs KHARTOUM, KELLY and SIKH arrived at Greenock from Scapa. A TG centred around BB VALIANT, BC HOOD , and DDs KELLY, SIKH and KANDAHAR departed Greenock at 1600, joined shortly after by DDs FAULKNOR (D.8), FORESTER, FAME from the Clyde to patrol and cover the progress of the ON/HN convoys at sea. 

Liner QUEEN ELIZABETH (UK 83,673 grt) departed the Clyde at 0800 escort DDs MOHAWK, PUNJABI, FORTUNE and FOXHOUND. As she was getting underway, MOHAWK was damaged in collision with steamer GARTBRATTAN (UK 1811 grt) off Greenock. However, this did not prevent her from joining the escort. DD TARTAR was just arriving from Greenock in the Clyde for boiler cleaning when she received orders to join the outbound force - the lone QUEEN ELIZABETH. TARTAR relieved MOHAWK, which returned to the Clyde, TARTAR's commanding officer becoming the senior officer of the escort. The DDs escorted the liner to 200 miles northwest of Rathlin Island before being detached. FOXHOUND and FORTUNE proceeded to Belfast to escort dummy aircraft carrier HERMES (decoy ship MAMARI) on the 3rd. All three left there on the 4th and arrived in the Clyde on the 5th. TARTAR and PUNJABI arrived back at the Clyde on the 4th. MOHAWK entered the Ailsa Shipyard at Troon on the 5th and was repairing until 19 March. QUEEN ELIZABETH arrived safely at New York on the 7th completing her maiden voyage.

*West Coast UK*
DDs FURY and KINGSTON proceeded to patrol off Pladda Island in case a U-boat sighted earlier that day was intending to mine the Clyde. OB.102 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALPOLE and VANOC, until they detached on the 5th to HX.22. The convoy dispersed on the 6th.

*Channel*
CL ENTERPRISE arrived at Portsmouth from Halifax convoy escort to refit completing on 11 April. CL GALATEA departed Portsmouth to join the Home Flt at Scapa, and arrived on the 4th. BC REPULSE with DDs HARDY, HOSTILE and VIMY departed Portsmouth for the Clyde. The ships arrived during the afternoon of 3 March and VIMY immediately returned to Plymouth, via Liverpool. DD BEAGLE went alongside DD depot ship SANDHURST in the Sub Basin at Dover for boiler cleaning and degaussing, returning to service on the 7th. DD KEITH arrived at Dover from Sheerness after repairs. After a report of a Uboat sighting off the Dutch coast, 2 Fr DDs departed Dunkirk that evening to sweep up the Belgian and Dutch coast during the night.

*UK - France*
BC.27 of steamers BALTRAFFIC, BARON GRAHAM, BOTHNIA, BRITISH COAST and MARSLEW (Commodore) departed Loire escort DD VIVACIOUS, and arrived safely in the Bristol Channel on the 4th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.24 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA and ST LAURENT, the latter returning to Halifax after dark. SAGUENAY and SKEENA turned over the convoy to BB REVENGE on the 3rd, and they arrived back at Halifax mid-morning on the 4th. REVENGE detached on the 11th. DDs VERSATILE, WAKEFUL, WALPOLE and WOLVERINE escorted the convoy in Home waters from the 14th to 17th, when it arrived at Liverpool.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 2, 2015)

*March 2 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German bombers sink the HMS “_Eliziena_” about five miles east of Coquet Island. The cargo-liner SS “_Domala_” carrying mainly British Indian subjects repatriated from Germany was bombed and machine gunned off the Isle of Wight by a German He 111 aircraft with the loss of 108 lives. Dutch ship “_Jong Willem_”, which rescued 48 of the 183 survivors, was also strafed. Beached and later repaired, she went back into service under the name “_Empire Attendant_” only to be torpedoed and sunk south of the Canary Islands in Jul 1945 with the loss of all 59 hands.

British cruiser HMS “_Berwick_” stopped German steamer “_Wolfsburg_”, which was disguised as Norwegian ship “_Aust_”, north of Iceland. “_Wolfsburg_” was scuttled by her crew of 54, who were all subsequently rescued by “_Berwick_”. “_Berwick_” sank “_Wolfsburg_” by gunfire before departure.

British cruiser HMS “_Dunedin_” stopped German steamer “_Heidelberg_” 60 miles west of Aruba in the Caribbean Sea. “_Heidelberg_” was scuttled by her crew of 25, who were all subsequently rescued by “_Dunedin_” and later delivered to Jamaica.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Shortly after noon, a flight from III./JG 53 intercepts a formation of British and French planes south east of Diedenhofen. Hptm. Werner Mölders of III./JG 53 scores his fourth victory, a Hurricane of RAF No. 73 Squadron flown by F/O Edgar James ‘Cobber’ Kain. Hptm. Mölders wingman, Uffz. Hermann Neuhoff claims a Hurricane in this action for his first victory and Uffz. Ernst Reckers of 8./JG 53 gets his first kill, a French Mureaux. Oblt. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke of 7./JG 53 also claims a Hurricane south of Bitsch, but is denied the claim.

Three Hurricanes of Belgium 2/I/2Ae Squadron intercept an intruding German Do 17 over their border. After the Belgium fighters try an initial attempt to divert the bomber to the nearest airfield, the Do 17 opens up with its full arsenal on the warplanes, hitting all three intercepting fighters at once. The leading Hurricane crashes near Bastogne killing the pilot, P/O Xavier Henrard. The second Hurricane makes an unsuccessful crash landing near Chiney and the third Hurricane manages to return to its airbase.

In France Army intelligence reveals German preparations for an attack on Scandinavia.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The United Kingdom and France once again requested Sweden and Norway to allow passage of Allied troops through their borders in order to aid Finland, should Finland formally requested such aid from the Allies. Units are intended to begin arriving by March 20th. Daladier has plans for a force of 50,000 French "volunteers" and 150 aircraft. The British force is planned to reach a level of 100,000 men eventually.

The Soviet forces begin major attacks on the new Finnish defense line under the direction of General Timoshenko. Pressure is exerted against all points but is strongest at the north and south ends. Vuosalmi in the north is attacked by Soviet 13th Army forces while the reserve corps of Soviet 7th Army is advancing over the sea ice toward the west side of Viipuri Bay. Soviet troops attempted to establish a beachhead west of the Finnish city of Viipuri across the frozen Viipuri Bay, while pressure was asserted on the city from its south and east. However, they are slaughtered by shelling until the coastal batteries at Tuppuransaari run out of ammunition. An attempt was orchestrated on 29 Feb 1940 without success; likewise, this newly dispatched unit failed to establish a beachhead, however, the Soviet troops were able to capture the coastal battery on the island of Tuppuransaari, which had caused high casualties on both attempts. Finns allowed further short retreats in Karelian Isthmus to regions of Sainio, 5 miles south of Viipuri of coast, and of Heinjoki 27 miles east of the town. Russian attacks repulsed at Taipale.

After traveling 3 weeks by train officially classified as "tourists going to ski-camp", Hungarian Volunteer Detached Battalion arrives in Finland at a training center in Lapua. They immediately began training with the Finnish Army, but they would not complete the training before the end of the Winter War.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler met with US Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles in Berlin, Germany.

Air Ministry announced that aircraft of RAF Bomber Command flew over Berlin during night of March 1-2. Leaflets and parachute flares were dropped. Ground batteries came into action, but fire went wide of mark. A high-flying RAF Spitfire photographs the entire Ruhr industrial region in one sortie.

.



.



.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 3, 2015)

*3 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV CATO (UK 819 grt)* Crew: 15 (13 dead and 2 survivors): cargo: General Cargo: Route: Dublin (2 Mar) - Bristol : The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Bristol Channel south of Nash Point, Glamorgan. The survivors were rescued by ASW Trawler AKITA ( Royal Navy).





The last German ship of the February Vigo group, *steamer ARUCAS (Ger 3359 grt)*, scuttled herself in in the Atlantic Ocean east of Iceland when she was intercepted by CA YORK. The crew were rescued, but three died. YORK arrived at Kirkwall to land the 39 survivors on the 10th.





*MV CARRON (UK 1017 grt)*: The cargo ship was scuttled as a blockship in Scapa.





*MV TIMBER RUSH ( US 6281 grt)*: The cargo ship ran aground 85 nautical miles south of Acapulco, Mexico and was wrecked

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> OKW half-yearly report for the first six months of the war contains, in addition to the great successes achieved by German naval
> warfare, the first naval losses so far, which are given as 1 pocket battleship, 2 destroyers, 6 minesweepers and patrol vessels and 11 submarines.


 (Note, this is an underestimate of actual Uboat losses. Losses were closer to 19 Boats lost by this stage. The Uboat Arm was inflicting heavy losses, but also suffering havy casualties itself)



> Italian note to Great Britain protesting against obstacles put in the way of Italian shipping and the cutting-off of
> German deliveries of coal by sea.
> 
> Wave of propaganda in the British press in favor of extending the conflict to other theaters of war. Varanger Fjord, Narvik and Batum, as specially important points, must come under British control.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
_In a radio message U 33 reported, among other things, 3 premature detonations. This type of torpedo failure became less frequent for a while, but increased again after the torpedoes had been demagnetized. It is notable that premature detonations are far more numerous with some boats than with others. U 50 had only one during her whole patrol out of 12 torpedoes fired, while U 32 had 50% prematures, barely 8 days after leaving port, with a total of 6 torpedoes. U 52 has been ordered to continue on her passage._

Arrivals
Kiel, Germany: U-13 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-7, U-14 

At Sea 3 March 1940
U-7, U-14, U-17, U-20, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-49, U-50, U-52, U-62. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC CIRCASSIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
ML TEVIOTBANK and DDs ESK, EXPRESS, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE of DesFlot 20 laid mines in Operation IE-1 in the channels through to the German mine fields in the Heligoland Bight. The ships arrived back in the Humber on the 3rd. Operation IE 2 was postponed.

ON.17 of 40 merchant vessels departed Methil at 1700 escort DDs NUBIAN, DELIGHT (SO), DIANA, ILEX and GURKHA, with AA support provided by CLA CALCUTTA. DD COSSACK was assigned to the convoy, but was held back as unseaworthy for repairs to leaking seams. GURKHA arrived at Scapa from Rosyth on the 2nd as her replacement. On the 4th abreast of Scapa, DIANA and submarine NARWHAL escorting RFA GREENAWN (RN 784 grt) were detached, with DIANA and GREENAWN arriving at Scapa on the 5th and NARWHAL on the 6th after being delayed by gales. CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA, which departed Rosyth on the 3rd, gave this convoy, as well as ON.17 A and HN.17, close support. ON.17 arrived at Bergen on the 7th without event. MT.22 departed Methil, escort trawlers of the 1st Anti-submarine Gp and sloops BLACK SWAN and GRIMSBY. DD IMPERIAL travelled in the convoy en route to the Tyne for repairs. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FN.110 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloops PELICAN and FLEETWOOD, as far as the Tyne, and arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. DD JAVELIN carried on to Methil. FS.111 departed the Tyne escort sloops BLACK SWAN, GRIMSBY and DD JERVIS, and arrived at Southend on the 5th. DDs BRAZEN and WOLSEY with cable ship ROYAL SCOT departed Rosyth for operations east of May Island. ROYAL SCOT then proceeded to Leith and BRAZEN to Rosyth, arriving on the 5th.

DDs JERVIS, JUNO and JUPITER arrived at Rosyth for escort duty with ON.17 A. Submarine TRUANT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. U.29 laid mines off Newport. Two merchant ships were lost on this minefield, starting with steamer CATO 

*West Coast UK*
AMC MALOJA departed Liverpool for the Clyde. DDs KHARTOUM and KINGSTON departed Greenock for repairs to weather damage to their hulls and refitting at Falmouth. During the evening of the 4th at 1903, WSW of Trevose Head, they attacked a submarine contact, assessed later as probably a wreck. After searching for another U-boat reported late on the 4th, KHARTOUM and KINGSTON arrived at Falmouth. Submarine URSULA arrived at Blyth after patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr CL LA GALISSONIERE, escort DDs RAILLEUSE and FORBIN, departed Oran. The DDs were detached on the 6th at Gib and the cruiser proceeded to Brest. RAILLEUSE and FORBIN then joined CL PRIMAGUET, arriving from Brest, and escorted her to Toulon, which they reached on the 8th.

*Far East*
CL DAUNTLESS departed Singapore. CL DURBAN arrived at Penang.

*Other*
Lt B E H Stranack, Lt (A) J D Stern and Naval Airman J W White of 816 Squadron were killed at Campbeltown when their Swordfish landed and collided with two stationary aircraft, a total of five aircraft being destroyed.




_Swordfish Mk III of 816 sqn late 1943, no ASV fitted (was by that time a training sqn)_


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## Njaco (Mar 3, 2015)

*March 4 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * French steamer S.N.A.1 collided with British ship “_Thurston_” 30 miles north of Land's End in southwestern England at about 0000 hours. S.N.A.1 sank, with 30 survivors rescued by “_Thurston_”. At 0523 hours, however, German submarine U-29 sank “_Thurston_”, killing 64. Only 1 French sailor survives both sinkings, rescued by a trawler after 11 hours on an overturned lifeboat.

German submarine U-29 sank British ship _“Pacific Reliance_” (carrying aircraft parts from USA) at 1239 hours, destroying the cargo of aircraft parts. The entire crew of 53 were rescued by British merchant ship “_Macville_” and delivered to Newlyn, Cornwall, England.

British trawler ‘_Ben Attow_’ sunk off the east coast of Scotland. Two more Dutch trawlers ‘_Sint Annaland_’ and ‘_Rijnstroom_’ were attacked during the weekend by Nazi bombers. Last named boat feared lost.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: * Soviet and Finnish troops continued to fight near Viipuri, Finland, particularly near the Vuoksi River near Äyräpää church. At noon Soviet troops and tanks reinforce the beachhead on the western shore of Viipuri Bay but Finnish artillery and planes take a heavy toll of Red Army soldiers advancing on the ice.

League of Nations mission arrived in Helsinki to inquire into Soviet methods of warfare.

*GERMANY: * The Chief Executive Officer of the American firm General Motors James Mooney, holder of the German Grand Cross of the German Eagle medal for his services to Germany, met with Adolf Hitler in an attempt to dissuade Hitler from escalating the war.

US Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles departed Berlin, Germany.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Air Ministry announced that RAF planes bombed a U-boat, and probably destroyed it, in Schillig Roads, Cuxhaven.

Announced that in 100 days ending March 1st, £1,000,000,000 was raised in saving certificates and defence bonds.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported increased activity Western Front and much aerial fighting during which at least one, and probably three enemy machines were brought down.

.


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## Wurger (Mar 3, 2015)

The French soldiers working on an antitank ditch near the French-German bordeline in March 1940 ...







Gen. Maurice Gamelin inspecting a Canadian unit in March 1940 ...


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## Njaco (Mar 3, 2015)

I don't know how I did it but I've lost the info for March 3, 1940! So sorry.

I do have the pics I created so......................

.


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## parsifal (Mar 3, 2015)

*4 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*

*Sailing Vessel DOUGLAS ROBERT (Cdn 81 grt)*: The sailing ship ran aground at Arnold's Point, Little Harbour, Labrador and was wrecked.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses for ships of the Dispersed Convoy OA 102 

U-29 torpedoed *MV PACIFIC RELIANCE (UK 6717 grt)*. All 53 crew of PACIFIC RELIANCE were rescued by steamer MACVILLE (666grt) and tkr SAN FLORENTINO (12,842grt). The ships was the Commodore ship. The Commodore and his 4 RN staff undertook an exemplary job ensuring all crew got off the stricken ship safely. U.29 also attacked SAN FLORENTINO but torpedo failures allowed her to escape.





*Collier SNA1 (Fr 2679 GRT)* sank after colliding with MV THURSTON. The accident occurred in the Bristol Channel off the north coast of Cornwall and sank. All 31 crew were rescued by THURSTON. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV THURSTON (UK 3072 grt)* was then torpedoed by U-29, 32 miles west of Trevose Head, with the loss of 34 crew of her 35 crew. 30 of the survivors from S.N.A. 1 were also killed. The survivor, and a survivor from S.N.A. 1 were rescued by MOYLE (1761 grt) 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Conference on the Situation with Chief ofNaval Staff - Special Items
> Urgent verbal communication from OKW:
> 
> "The Fuehrer has ordered all preparations for "Weseruebung" to be carried out as quickly as possible . Plans for the operation are to be completed by 10 March, so that from this date the Fuehrer can order the commencement of the operation at four days notice."
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Enemy news service reports an attack by a U-boat on a convoy southwest of Spain. If this report is correct, this can only be U 54. There has been no news of her since she left port.



Arrivals
Kiel,: U-50 (28 days)
Wilhelmshaven,: U-20 (7 days)

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-56

At Sea 4 March 1940
U-7, U-14, U-17, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-49, U-52, U-62. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Scapa after Northern Patrol. AMC PATROCLUS departed Liverpool on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
ON.17 A of 42 ships departed Methil escort DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JUPITER, JANUS and JAGUAR (some vessels departed from Kirkwall). CLA CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe on the 5th for AA protection. On the 7th DD JERVIS attacked a submarine contact northeast of the Shetlands. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 8th, while CALCUTTA arrived back at Sullom Voe on the 9th. 
FN.111 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA, GRENADE and sloop STORK, and arrived in the Tyne on the 6th. Convoy FS.112 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop FLAMINGO and DD WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 6th. Convoy FS.113 was cancelled.Convoy MT.23 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. CLs PENELOPE and AURORA arrived at Rosyth after covering convoys ON.15 and HN.15.

*Northern Waters*
ASW trawler NEIL MACKAY ran aground at Scapa but was later refloated. DDs INTREPID, GALLANT and IVANHOE arrived at Aberdeen to patrol. INTREPID left to investigate a submarine reported at 0530 six miles NE of Aberdeen, and DDs JUPITER and JUNO of convoy ON.17A were detached to assist. Trawler BEN CHOURN (197grt) reported an explosion in this area. It was first thought that ON.17 was under attack. It was later ascertained that the submarine was the British NARWHAL, proceeding to Scapa, and that the explosion was a DC fired by DD NUBIAN. Submarine TRIAD carried out special trials off Inchkeith.

*West Coast UK*
AMC MALOJA arrived in the Clyde from Liverpool.

*Channel*
DD VESPER departed Greenock escorting submarine TETRARCH to Portsmouth, where they arrived on the 6th. TETRARCH carried out equipment repairs, and then sailed on 13 April for a war patrol.

*SW Approaches*
Sloop LEITH, escorting HG.20, attacked a submarine contact west of Scilly Isle. DD VENETIA, also of HG.20, joined her in the hunt.

Tkr CHARLES T. MEYER (10,516grt) atached to HX.20 A, escort sloop FOWEY, struck a floating mine 15 miles south of Dungeness. FOWEY continued on with the convoy. To assist the damaged tkr, DDs BRILLIANT was ordered from Dover, BOADICEA from her patrol, and KEITH from Dover when ready. Tug LADY BRASSEY and Fr TBs and trawlers proceeded to the area. BOADICEA located the damaged tkr at 0400. At 0500, BRILLIANT joined and soon after KEITH arrived. At 0600, the tkr was taken in tow escorted by BRILLIANT and KEITH. Tugs LADY BRASSEY from Dover and FOREMOST from Newhaven arrived at 0959 and took over the tow. BRILLIANT returned to her patrol at 0700, but KEITH remained as an ASW. Tug CALSHOT departed Southampton at 1100 and Admiralty Salvage Vessel RECOVERY OF LEITH departed Dover. KEITH was released when the tow reached Sandown Bay. All units involved arrived safely at Castle Point, Cowes, on the 6th.





Steamer AUCKLAND STAR (13,212grt) reported she had sighted a submarine (U.28) in 49‑26N, 07‑27W. Sloop LEITH nearby, escorting convoy HG.20 was detached to investigate. On the morning of the 5th, DDs WILD SWAN and VENETIA were ordered into the area to assist. Later on the 5th, another report of a submarine, led to DDs WHIRLWIND, VOLUNTEER and VETERAN being ordered into the area.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL departed Freetown on patrol. CA CUMBERLAND departed Freetown. CL DUNEDIN departed Kingston on patrol.
.
*Med- Biscay*
HG.21 of 34 ships departed Gib escort DDs VELOX, VIDETTE and ACTIVE, the latter detaching on the 6th. VELOX, which had joined from convoy HG.20F, and VIDETTE were detached on the 11th to Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively. DD VIMY escorted the convoy from the 4th to 10th, when she detached to HG.21. DD WINCHELSEA joined from the 11th to 13th in Home Waters for the Liverpool section. Merchant ships not going to Liverpool were escorted by DD WINDSOR which was with the convoy from the 11th to 13th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 13th .


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## Bernhart (Mar 3, 2015)

just trying to clarify in your Mar 2 nd posting the ship that survived the beaching you have sunk in July 1945? did you mean 1944?


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## parsifal (Mar 4, 2015)

*5 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN DD PATHFINDER RN ASW Trawler SARABANDE








_DD PATHFINDER were a "P" Class DD, generically grouped as the O P Q R class because of the close similarities. They were designatd a "Utilty" Dd, which is code for a return to the smaller designs pre-Tribal. To save time, many were fitted with J style machinery (with the problem of non-unitised machinery spaces), as built they were all fitted with an additional 4in HA gun and most were also fitted with 4 x 4/45 HA guns as well, with half the TT shipped ashore. PATHFINDER was sunk in 1945 by a japanese suicide aircraft off Burma_

*Known Losses*
*MV GRUTTO (Ne 920 grt)*; Crew: 18 (18 dead - no survivors): Cargo : General Cargo : Route: Rotterdam (5 Mar) - London : Sunk in the North Sea off the Belgian Coast. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Ostend by U-17 . Wreckage washed ashore and two bodies later identified by the famillies later confirmed this loss. The war diary for U-17 for this particualalr day has never been located, but it is my understanding that post war accounts by the DKM survivors also confirm this kill for U-17. . 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Disposition of forces: According to radio intelligence the CA BERWICK (CruSqn 1), which is at present patrolling In the Denmark Strait, is to be relieved by an AMC on 7 March and to proceed to Scapa. The cruiser YORK is to leave her patrol area on 9 March without relief and likewise proceed to Scapa. The cruiser N0RF0LK will also leave the Clyde on 7 March for Scapa. The cruiser
> 
> DEVONSHIRE is apparently still in Rosyth, the SUFFOLK is probably still undergoing repairs in the Clyde. The CAs are thus following the movements of the BBs, some of which are already on the move. Scapa is again a main base. A fact specially worthy of notice
> is the almost simultaneous withdrawal of the heavy cruisers, some of which are on patrol, without their being relieved at the same time. This completely denudes the area Scotland-Iceland-Greenland of heavy ships.



DKM were cautious and wary of RN build ups at this time, given the planned operations in Norway. Neither side were as yet fully aware of the others intentions, though Germany's intell was vastly better. 



> BBs REVENGE,' ROYAL SOVEREIGN and MALAYA can be assume to be on the North Atlantic route.
> 
> The Naval Attache in Madrid reports; "The Spanish Intelligence Service reports from Gibraltar; The British reckon that there are at present two German submarines off the coast of North Africa or southern Spain. Special patrol has been Instituted in the North African bays of Benzus, Cabo Negro, the Rio Martin estuary and Bahia Alhucemas. French patrol near Chafarinas
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> B.d.U. attended a conference at Supreme Command of the Navy, in which further instructions were given for the coming operations. U 29 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation in the inner position. Particularly good results are expected from this.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-47 , U-49, U-56 
Group West were by this date recalling Boats in preparation for Weserubung

At Sea 5 March 1940
U-7, U-14, U-17, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52, U-62. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMCs SCOTSTOUN and MALOJA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. Both were given air escort as they departed.

*North Sea*
OA.104 departed Southend escorted by sloop FOWEY from the 5th to 7th. DDs JAVELIN and WOOLSTON cleared the Humber to provide escort for base ship DUNLUCE CASTLE. The group proceeded to Rosyth, arriving there on the 6th. Subs TRITON arrived at Rosyth for replenishment and re-ballasting (after depth keeping and trim issues arose in her just completed patrol) and SEALION cleared HARWICH for patrol. Sub THISTLE and the Polish ORZEL departed Rosyth for patrol in the vicinity of Devil's Hole. 

MT.24 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. OG.21F was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.103GF, which departed Southend with sloop ENCHANTRESS, and was joined by sloop SANDWICH the next day, and (2) OB.103GF of 48 ships, which departed Liverpool escort DDs WHIRLWIND and VOLUNTEER, which remained with the combined convoy from the 5th to 6th, when they detached to HG.21F. SANDWICH and ENCHANTRESS were with OG.21F from the 5th to 11th, when they were temporarily attached to DesFlot 13 as replacements for DDs WATCHMAN and VORTIGERN which proceeded to England for leave. DD DOUGLAS joined on the 9th and remained with the convoy until its arrival at Gibraltar on the 11th. FN.112 departed Southend escort sloop EGRET and DD WHITLEY, and arrived in the Tyne on the 7th. DD TARTAR was boiler cleaning and DD KIMBERLEY was shifting her asdic dome alongside DD depot ship WOOLWICH at the Tail of the Bank.

Steamer SCALTSCAR lost her propeller and was drifting on shore 10 miles off Saltburn Pier (Middlesbrough). DD VIVIEN stood by until a tug arrived.

*Northern Waters*
Sub NARWHAL arrived at Scapa for direction finding trials.. DD IVANHOE arrived at Rosyth from Scapa, via Aberdeen, for refit and yard maintenanc. DDs HARDY, HOSTILE, PUNJABI, FORTUNE and FOXHOUND cleared Greenock to escort AMCs SCOTSTOUN, LETITIA and WORCESTERSHIRE for full calibre firings. SCOTSTOUN then proceeded to her patrol area, while LETITIA arrived back at 1500, WORCESTERSHIRE at 1700 (for further work), and the DDs at 2010. WORCESTERSHIRE and LETITIA were returning from Northern Patrol at the time and proceeded to port as well.

DKMs U.52 and U.38 departed Kiel on the 2nd and Wilhelmshaven on the 9th respectively for patrol, but in the Atlantic were recalled, and with U.30, U.43, U.44, U.46, U.47, U.49, U.51 were ordered to stations (or to prepre for such deployments) on both sides of the Orkneys and Shetlands to operate against British naval units. U.30, U.46, U.47, U.51 departed Wilhelmshaven on the 11th, and U.43 and U.44 on the 13th, while U.49 departed Kiel on the 16th. The Germans pinned much hope on laying a trap for the Home Flt in the authorised ops against Norway. 

*West Coast UK*
DD WANDERER arrived at Liverpool at 1030 with defects, She was docked where the problems were repaired and she was able to sail later that day. OB.104 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and VANQUISHER from the 5th to 8th.

*Channel*
Owing to reports of floating mines 15 miles SW and SE of Beachy Head, sloop ABERDEEN with convoy HX.20 was ordered southward of the area.

*UK - France*
SA.32 departed Southampton with two steamers, escort sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 7th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.25 departed Halifax at 0800 escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 6th. AMC LACONIA was in the escort and detached on the 18th. On the 7th, the convoy was joined by BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, returning to Halifax after escorting HX.22. DDs ANTELOPE, MACKAY, VANESSA and WOLVERINE escorted the convoy in Home Waters from the 18th to 20th when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.23 departed Freetown escorted by AMC PRETORIA CASTLE. On the 19th, SL.23 and SLF.23 merged and AMC JERVIS BAY joined the escort, relieving PRETORIA CASTLE. JERVIS BAY was relieved on the 20th by DD WHITSHED for escort in Home Waters which was joined on the 22nd by AMC ESPERANCE BAY. The convoy arrived on the 22nd.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL HAWKINS departed Montevideo for Port Stanley. After a short refit, she departed on the 15th for the Plate area.
.
*Med- Biscay*
CL COLOMBO arrived at Gibraltar from England, and sailed on the 6th for Malta.

*Indian Ocean*
CL GLOUCESTER arrived at Colombo.


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## parsifal (Mar 4, 2015)

@ berhart

From Uboat Net

At 03.30 hours on 15 July 1942 the Empire Attendant (Master Thomas Grundy), dispersed from convoy OS-33, was torpedoed and sunk by U-582 south of the Canary Islands. The master, 49 crew members and nine gunners were lost.
U-582 reported her victim under the former name Domala.

Chris has made an error in the year. easily done in this pressure cooker


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## Njaco (Mar 4, 2015)




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## parsifal (Mar 5, 2015)

*6 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN AO TIPPECANOE (AO 21)




_AO TIPPECANOE was from the PATOKA Class. USN still employed Dirigibles extensively, though they tended to favour Blimps over rigid framed types. _

*Known Losses*
*Steamer URUGUAY (Ger 5846 grt)*, had departed Pernambuco on 11 February, was sighted and reported by trawler ST WISTAN northwest of Iceland. This enabled CA BERWICK on Northern Patrol to intercept her. Rather than be captured, URUGUAY scuttled herself; BERWICK rescued 14 officers and 40 men.





*HNLMS O 11 (RNN 515 grt)*: The O 9 class sub collided with the tug AMSTERDAM ( RNN) at Den Helder and sank. She was refloated on 10 March. but was still under repair when Holland fell in May, effectively making her a loss for the Dutch. DKM completed repairs and then used the sub for training. She was finally scuttled late in 1944 as a blockship outside Antwerp.





*Steamer LATVIS (Lat 1318 grt)* was seized in the Baltic by DKM warships, and renamed EDITH FAULBAUMS for German use.




_LATVIS after being renamed EDITH FALBAUMS. Im not completely sure of this photo....it might be a case of mis-identification_
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
Following the recent incident in which a DKM MSW rammed and sank four Danish fishing vessels in the Dogger Bank, DKM issued the following instruction


> The declared areas announced to date in the North Sea and Baltic are merely declared mine areas of a defensive character. Since the warning of neutral shipping in accordance with Article VIII of the Hague Covenant concerns only danger from mines, immediate action by German forces against the merchant and fishing vessels encountered in these areas Is only permissible under the circumstances stated In paras. 22 and 23 of the directive on the conduct of war against merchant shipping (use of armed force, enemy escort, transmission of intelligence, forcible resistance, use of radio, enemy troop transports, sailing without lights) especially if they transmit news of military importance or carry out actions on the enemy's behalf by minesweeping or exploration of mine-free channels.


Tacitly, DKM were acknowledging Bartels had not acted in accordance with the Hague convention. Neither side was really. 



> Conference on the Situation with Chief, Naval Staff - Report on the "Weseruebung" directive and discussion of
> various individual points.
> 
> The following subjects especially were discussed:
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 38 and U 52 will both be kept back in the areas they have now reached, so that they can, if necessary, be used in the impending operations.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-62 

At Sea 6 March 1940
U-7, U-14, U-17, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52. 
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC CARINTHIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD JUNO arrived at Rosyth from convoy duty with defects, and departed on the 9th for repairs at Hull. DD WOLSEY and cable ship ROYAL SCOT arrived back at Rosyth after cable mending all day. TM.20 escort 19th ASW Gp and DD VIVIEN departed the Tyne for Methil. FN.114 departed Southend escort sloops BLACK SWAN, GRIMSBY and DD WOOLSTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 8th.
FS.114 departed the Tyne, escort sloops LONDONDERRY and FLEETWOOD, and arrived at Southend on the 8th. DD GURKHA attacked a submarine contact ENE of Sumburgh Head , which was later evaluated as non-submarine. ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE (655grt) attacked a submarine contact north of Kinnaird Head. Shadowing sub UNITY reported DKM supply ship ALTMARK departing Jossing Fjord escort two Norwegian DDs, and was later ordered to take up a position ten miles north of Hantsholm. ORP Sub ORZEL was in a patrol area off Hantsholm, and both submarines were to intercept ALTMARK if she left Norwegian territorial waters. On the 7th, UNITY sighted three darkened DDrs two miles west of Hantsholm, but could not attack. Sub STERLET arrived at Lowestoft from patrol for reballasting.

Aircraft of X Air Corps (He111's of KG26 or Ju88's of KG30) attacked tkr SHELBRIT 2 (695grt) off Girdle Ness, steamer ROYSTON (2722grt) 10 miles north of Hartlepool, steamer JACOBUS (1262grt) 10 miles south of the Tyne, and convoy TM.20. No casualties and no hits were sustained.

*Northern Waters*
DD HOTSPUR departed Sheerness for the Clyde, arriving on the 8th. DD GALLANT arrived at Invergordon from patrol. MSWs BRAMBLE, BRITOMART, HAZARD, SPEEDY and HEBE departed Greenock for Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
AMC ASTURIAS departed the Clyde for Belfast for overhaul and refit. DD FURY cleared Clyde for Milford Haven to discharge fuel prior to arriving at Newport for refitting. On the 6th, she attacked a submarine contact southwest of Chicken Rock, which was later assessed as probably a wreck. On the 7th, she attacked another submarine contact, also a wreck, and reached Milford Haven on the 9th.

*Channel*
DD VENOMOUS collided with tug SWARTHY at 0321 in Portsmouth Harbour, was under repair at Portsmouth until 29 April, and departed on 2 May. Sloops KINGFISHER and FOXGLOVE were searching for a submarine SSE of Portland Bill. FOXGLOVE attacked a contact in this area, and DD ANTHONY later joined the sweep. 

*Central Atlantic*
Fr BB PROVENCE, CA DUQUESNE, and RN CVL HERMES with DDs DECOY and DEFENDER patrolled off the African coast and stopped two Portuguese ships, arresting two german nationals. 

*Med- Biscay*
CL DRAGON departed Portland for duty with CruSqn 3 in the Med Flt. She departed Gib on the 10th, arrived at Malta on the 12th for refitting, and reached Alexandria on 3 April.


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## Njaco (Mar 5, 2015)

*March 5 Tuesday*
*EASTERN EUROPE:* USSR has about 15,000 Polish officers held in 3 POW camps in western Belarus Ukraine. Soviet Politburo accepts the recommendation of the NKVD to execute without charge about 11,000 Polish prisoners, due to being anti-Soviet with little chance of successful re-education. The Polish officers at Kozelsk camp are shot and buried in a forest near the village of Katyn. The whole episode becomes known as Katyn massacre.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Despite heavy casualties delivered by the Finnish Air Force, Soviet forces captured more islands in Viipuri Bay in Finland and asserted more pressure on the city of Viipuri. Clearly with the upper hand, USSR renews its peace offer on the same harsh terms that expired March 1. Finnish Government accepts defeat, its defenses crumbing, and decides to open peace talks.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Canada promises to send 1000 volunteers to fight with the Finns.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-17 torpedoed and sank Dutch steamer “_Grutto_” 20 miles off Belgium at 2100 hours. “_Grutto_” sank within 6 minutes of the attack, killing all 18 aboard.

British warships detained five Italian steamers for examination in Down contraband control base.

*GERMANY: * Hermann Göring complained that he was not consulted for the planning of the Norwegian invasion.

*ASIA:* Communist Chinese troops laid siege to Yanchuan County seat, Shaanxi Province, China; the local paramilitary forces loyal to the Nationalists would quickly surrender.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German raid made on British outpost in Maginot Line, during which enemy captured 16 prisoners. Casualties on both sides. The post was later recaptured.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * The British government announces a £300,000,000 3% War Loan to aid Finland.

.

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## Wurger (Mar 5, 2015)

Dudes under the sign of the outstretched hand ...

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## Bernhart (Mar 5, 2015)

thought that was the case, but one never knows.....


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## Wurger (Mar 5, 2015)

On the 6th March 1940 the best Finnish marksman Simo Häyhä was injured at his face seriously. A Soviet bullet mangled his jaw and tore a cheek. In spite of a such grave wound he managed to survive.

He was born in the small village of Rautjärvi in what was then part of Imperial Russia ( Finland did not become independent until 1918 ), Simo Hayha was a pretty normal man. He wasn’t very tall or robust, standing just 5′ 3″. In 1925, at age 19, he did his mandatory 350 days of active service in the Finnish army but was otherwise an unremarkable soldier at the time. He remained a member of the Civil Guard (much like the US National Guard) and drilled with his reserve unit until 1939. It was in that year that the 33-year old part time soldier and full time farmer picked up his rifle and went to war to repulse a Soviet invasion of his country.

The young Simo Häyhä ....






In November 1939 over 400,000 Soviet Red Army troops invaded tiny Finland, whose own Army of some 80,000 was grossly outnumbered in what was later known as the Winter War. Hayha reported to duty and having extensive experience in hunting and target shooting was selected to be a sniper.



















Simo Häyhä was nicknamed “Belaya Smert” (White Death) by the Soviet troops he stalked, and sent no less than 505 walking on their way to the light at the end of the tunnel in less than 100 days. Infantry that he was working to support verified all these kills while another 200 kills that he took with a submachine gun at shorter range remain unofficially confirmed.

Simo Häyhä in action ...






Because of merits ,on the 17th February 1940, he was given a new rifle founded by a Swedish businessman Eugen Johansson. To that day the sniper had scored 219 confirmed kills of Russian invaders. The gun with a diploma together were handed to him by the commander of the 12th Division, Colonel Antero Svensson.



























The Fin used a standard bolt-action Finnish-made Sako Mosin-Nagant Model 28-30 rifle with iron sights, and standard issue ball ammunition some of which dated back to the Tsarist times. The 28-30 was a Finn redesign of the old school WWI Russian Mosin 91, made shorter and with better sights. He had been offered a Swedish Mauser with optics but turned it down, preferring the Mosin he had trained with.

Simo Häyhä's weapon ...






In all, he accounted for taking nearly a whole battalion of Red Army troops out of the fight. The only thing that prevented his number from climbing higher was the fact that the war ended in March 1940 after just 105 days. Simo spent the last week of the war in the hospital, his face nearly shot off by a Soviet counter-sniper. This Soviet sniper did not go home either—as a wounded Simo returned fire and took his would be assassin out.









After the war ... Simo Häyhä in quiet retirement with his hunting/service guns. Notice something missing on the guns? No scopes.....

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## parsifal (Mar 6, 2015)

*7 March 1940 (Pat I of II)*
*Known Losses*
*Steamer VECHT (Ne 1965 grt)*: Crew: 22 (22 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Ballast: Route: Rotterdam - Lobito : Sunk in the North sea, off the Coast of Belgium. The unescorted and neutral vessel was hit aft by one G7a torpedo from U-14, settled by the stern and sank after 20 minutes. The U-boat reported that she carried no neutrality markings, there were no crew alive to verfy this and no other witnesses.





_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
*Fishing vessel YOLANDE MARGUERITE (Be 26 grt) *was bombed and sunk by He111's of German KG26 (X Air Corps) off Noord Hinder.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
Items of Political Importance 


> 1. For situation In the Russo-Flnnlsh conflict see Foreign Press. Russian advance on Vlborg, where the Russians have formed a bridgehead In the northwest part of Vlborg Bay. Rumors about Swedish arbitration are increasing. There is still an urgent desire within the Finnish Government to commence negotiations with Russia. According to a Havas (?) report Russia is already said to have laid down the following conditions!
> 1. Cession of the entire Karelian Isthmus Including Lake Ladoga.
> 2. Cession of the area northeast of Lake Ladoga with Sortavala.
> 3. Cession of Hangoe peninsula.
> ...


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> The operations planned call for an extensive concentration of all available boats. U 38 has therefore been withdrawn to the sea area north of Scotland. Only U 28 and U 32 will remain in their old operations areas to carry out their minelaying. U 29 is on return passage.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-17

At Sea 7 March 1940
U-7, U-14, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52. 
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC SALOPIAN arrived at the Clyde from patrol.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 7, 2015)

7 March (cont'd) Part II of II
*North Sea*
steamer CONFID (Ne 249 grt) was bombed and damaged by He111's of KG26 (X Air Corps) 6½ miles 350° from Flamborough Head.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

steamer AMELIA LAURO (Ita 5335grt) was damaged by LW A/C. Steamer TITANIA (Ita 5397 grt) rescued the 37 crew and took them to the Downs. Sloops PINTAIL and LONDONDERRY were also involved in the rescue. The steamer did not sink and was taken to Immingham, and was still there on 10 June, when she was seized and renamed EMPIRE ACTIVITY for British use.
View attachment 286588

_Renamed the EMPIRE ACTIVITY this vessel was torpedoed and sunk in July 1941_

From 1940 to 2005, shipping in the Downs was attacked by LW a/c. Ramsgate guardship LORMONT and steamer DOVER ABBEY (958grt) were bombed by He111's of KG26 (X Air Corps), but no hits or near misses were achieved. DKM aux ML (Estonian steamer HANONIA, which had been captured on 24 September 1939, departed Wilhelmshaven and on the 9th, disguised as a neutral ship, laid mines off North Foreland. Five ships, of 14,152 tons were lost on this minefield. DKM MLs ROLAND and COBRA laid two ASW mine barriers west of Heligoland during the 7th and 8th

DD WOLSEY, BRAZEN and cable ship ROYAL SCOT departed Rosyth to repair cables. TM.21 departed the Tyne escort the 3rd ASW Gp, and supported by sloop EGRET and destroyer WHITLEY. MT.25 departed Methil escort 19th ASW Gp, supported by sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN, and arrived later that day. FS.115 departed the Tyne escort sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN, and arrived at Southend on the 9th. DD BEAGLE completed boiler cleaning and degaussing alongside depot ship SANDHURST. DD BRILLIANT went alongside SANDHURST for similar work and repairs which were completed on the 12th. British minefield DML 9 was laid by Aux ML HAMPTON, escort ORP DDs BURZA and BLYSKAWICA, and RN DDs KEITH and BOADICEA, in the English Channel. MSW FRANKLIN had already laid the mark buoys. After the operation, the DDs returned to Harwich. 

ON.18 of 43 ships departed Methil escort DDs COSSACK, ESCORT, ECLIPSE, ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER. DD KELLY departed Scapa on the 8th and KANDAHAR from Kirkwall on the 8th with a detachment of ten ships for the convoy (included in the number above). They joined the main body off Scapa, relieving COSSACK which joined convoy HN.17. On the 8th, LW a/c attacked the Kirkwall section. Two bombs were dropped, but no damage was done. Base ship DUNLUCE CASTLE and three other MVs for Scapa proceeded with the convoy. CLs EDINBURGH, ARETHUSA and CLA CAIRO provided near cover. CAIRO departed Sullom Voe on the 9th to join the convoy. DDs FAME and SIKH put out from Scapa. The DDs met four merchant ships from the convoy at 1300 and escorted them into Scapa, arriving on the 8th. The convoy arrived at Bergen without event on the 10th.

HN.17 of 29 ships departed Bergen escort DDs NUBIAN, DELIGHT, DIANA, ILEX and GURKHA. On the 9th when the convoy split, DELIGHT and DIANA were assigned the west coast section and were reinforced by DDs KIMBERLEY, from Scapa, and KELLY, detached from convoy ON.18. GURKHA obtained a submarine contact at 1412 on the 9th southwest of Fair Isle and dropped six large DC patterns. ILEX stood by the contact while the convoy continued. DD FOXHOUND arrived from Scapa at 0300/10th to relieve ILEX, which rejoined the convoy before it arrived at Rosyth. The submarine contact was later found to be sunken steamer SANTOS. At 0520/9th, KELLY reached convoy HN.17 in heavy weather ,collided with GURKHA, and GURKHA's propeller guard tore a thirty foot gash in her bow, requiring KELLY to leave the convoy for repairs. After emergency repairs at Lerwick and then from depot ship WOOLWICH at Scapa, KELLY departed Scapa on the 14th and was escorted by destroyer SIKH to Blackwall for repairs. 
GURKHA was able to continue with HN.17 and was repaired at Methil in less than a week. After suspected enemy vessels were reported four miles NE of Kinnaird Head, DD COSSACK and light cruisers EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA were ordered to investigate. No contact was made and the vessels were later determined to be DDs GALLANT and GRIFFIN. On the 10th, the convoy arrived at Methil with COSSACK, NUBIAN, GURKHA and ILEX.

DDs DELIGHT and DIANA, after escorting the five ships of the west coast portion of the convoy to Cape Wrath, arrived at Scapa . On arrival, DELIGHT reported a defect in her feed tank.

The 12th ASW Striking Force, comprised of ASW trawlers, was operating in Moray Firth. At 1500/7th, NORTHERN WAVE made a contact, which NORTHERN PRIDE and NORTHERN SPRAY attacked. At 0026/8th in Moray Firth, NORTHERN DAWN made a contact which was attacked by NORTHERN SPRAY. At 1310/9th off Buchanness, NORTHERN PRIDE made a contact which was attacked by NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN PRIDE. At 1940/9th, east of Kinnaird Head, NORTHERN DAWN made a contact which was attacked by NORTHERN SPRAY and NORTHERN DAWN. At 0955/10th, ENE of Kinnaird Head, NORTHERN PRIDE made a contact which was attacked by NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN PRIDE. At 0100/11th, north of Kinnaird Head, NORTHERN WAVE made a contact which was attacked by NORTHERN WAVE and NORTHERN SPRAY. Patrol sloop MALLARD damaged her bows in collision with an unknown ship off Harwich, and was under repair at London from 9 March to 27 April. MSW trawler CEDAR (649grt) was damaged in collision with the dockyard wall at Leith.

*Northern Waters*
ML TEVIOTBANK escort DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE departed the Humber for Invergordon, where they arrived on the 9th. DD MASHONA departed Sheerness for the Clyde, arriving on the 8th. 

BB VALIANT and BC HOOD with DDs FAULKNOR, FAME, FORESTER, KELLY, KANDAHAR and SIKH returned to Scapa in the afternoon after completion of their patrol. Prior to their entry to the harbour, dummy BBs REVENGE (decoy ship PAKEHA) and RESOLUTION (decoy ship WAIMANA) from Rosyth spent some time at Scapa testing the base's ability to resist air attacks. After VALIANT and HOOD arrived at the the anchorage, aircraft of German KG26 (X Air Corps) dropped mines in the main entrance to Scapa Flow, which ham,pered the entry of a second force from entering the habour. there was an important passenger in that second gp. .

BB RODNEY (C-in-C, Forbes) and BCs RENOWN and REPULSE with DDs HARDY, HOSTILE, INGLEFIELD , IMOGEN, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, PUNJABI and KIMBERLEY were just behind the Valiant force, this force was proceeding from the Clyde. This group of ships were outside the port at the time of the mine incident and were ordered to hold off entry, in a holding pattern, west west of the Orkneys for 24 hours while the channel was swept of mines. The port was declared mine free and entered port the next day. Winston Churchill was on RODNEY, and he transferred to KIMBERLEY, which carried him on to Scapa Flow, where he spent the night on HOOD. DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER left Scapa on the 8th and joined the Commander in Chief off Cape Wrath. RODNEY, RENOWN, REPULSE with DD HARDY, HOSTILE, INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, PUNJABI, FAULKNOR and FORESTER arrived at Scapa on the 9th.

CA NORFOLK departed the Clyde separately for Scapa. DDs INTREPID, GRIFFIN, ASW whalers BUTTERMERE and WASTWATER joined later by FAME and SIKH later) made attacks on a contact sighted by aircraft mid afternoon, ESE of Noss Head. After GRIFFIN, SIKH and FAME detached, INTREPID was left to stand by the contact, later leaving for Invergordon where she arrived on the 8th. DD GALLANT joined the search at midday on the 8th, but the search was unsuccessful.


*West Coast UK*
U.32 laid mines north of Liverpool Bay, on which one merchant ship was lost.

*Channel*
A sub contact report by ASW yacht MAID MARION (506grt) eight miles from Eddystone Light caused DDs WILD SWAN, ESKIMO and VANESSA to be dispatched from Plymouth to investigate. U.28 laid mines southeast of the Isle of Wight off Portsmouth.

*UK - France*
BC.29 of six steamers, including steamer BARON KINNIARD (Commodore) departed Bristol Channel escort DD VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Loire on the 9th.

BRITISH SUBMARINE MOVEMENTS
TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth from patrol with a damaged asdic dome, and docked later that day. She undocked on the 11th. SEAL was undocked at Rosyth. SNAPPER arrived at Harwich after patrol. URSULA was docked at Blyth to make good leaking glands, and undocked on the 8th. TRUANT was undocked at Rosyth. TRITON was docked at Rosyth for reballasting, and undocked on the 9th.
SEAWOLF departed Portsmouth under escort for Harwich. SALMON departed Harwich on patrol. L.23 was undocked at Blyth.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 7, 2015)

*March 6 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * A British patrol ship captures the German Woermann Line ship “_Wahehe_”.

British cruiser HMS “_Berwick_” intercepted German freighter “_Uruguay_” northeast of Iceland. Just as the boarding began, “_Uruguay's_” crew set the ship on fire. “_Berwick_” sank “_Uruguay_” with gunfire after withdrawing the boarding party and bringing the German crew on board.

In a propaganda disaster, Dutch submarines O9, 10 and 11 are filmed leaving Den Helder Naval Base when armored tug BV3 enters the harbor and collides with O11. A film cameraman and 26 crew escape as O11 sinks but 3 men die trapped in flooded forward torpedo room and battery room/crew's quarters. The incident is shown on newsreels.

In the North Sea, German aircraft bomb and machinegun two lightships.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Fighting continues South, East and West of Viipuri, including on frozen Viipuri Bay. Foreign Minister Tanner asks if the Allies offer of military assistance still stands. The Allies demand a formal request from Finland by March 12. In addition, Paasikivi leaves for Moscow in the evening, with the other peace delegates Prime Minister Risto Ryti, Rudolf Walden and Väinö Voionmaa, to negotiate an armistice with the Soviets.

Simo Häyhä was shot in the lower left jaw by a Soviet soldier in combat in Finland.

*GERMANY:* Based on a compromise of the original plan, modifications to the German invasion plan of the west were approved by Hitler.

Major General Wilhelm Süßmann stepped down as the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing.

A man from the 2(F)./122 ground personnel walked into a propeller and was injured at Münster-Loddenheide.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The French battleship “_Jean Bart_” was launched.

France and Italy conclude a trade agreement providing for an increase in the volume of trade between the two countries.


.



,


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## parsifal (Mar 7, 2015)

*8 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Fleet tug USS SEMINOLE (AT 65)





Allied
RN Sub TARPON 





*Known Losses*
*MV COUNSELLOR (UK 5058 grt)* Crew: 78 (0 dead and 78 survivors): Cargo: General cargo, including cotton : Route: New Orleans - Halifax - Liverpool : Convoy HX 22: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in Liverpool Bay off the Mersey Lightship in the Irish Sea. All crew were rescued by DD WALPOLE after this ships had unsuccessfully tried to take the ship in tow. 





*Tkr REGINA (Cuba 1155 grt)*: The tkr whilst under tow from Havana to New Orleans (she had been converted to a barge by this stage of her career) with a cargo of Molasses foundered in the Gulf of Mexico off Bradenton Beach, Florida United States





*Steamer HANNOVER (Ger 5537 grt)*, had departed Curacao during the night of the 5th/6th, was captured early on the 8th by CL DUNEDIN and RCN DD ASSINIBOINE off Santa Domingo in the Mona Passage. DUNEDIN took her in tow for Kingston, and while on passage ASSINIBOINE had to fight a fire onboard after the crew attempted to scuttle her. HANNOVER arrived at Kingston on the 13th with DUNEDIN and ASSINIBOINE secured on either side. Fr CL JEANNE D' ARC had also been involved in the search for this German ship and arrived at the same time. The captured ship was renamed EMPIRE AUDACITY for British service and later became HMS AUDACITY, the Royal Navy's first escort carrier.




_HANNOVER Listing and on fire as the crew attempted to scuttle her_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> BC HOOD BB VALIANT arrived in Scapa on 7 March according to plan. The heaviest concentration of forces since the war began has now been effected in Scapa through the transfer of three more BBs, together with all the CAs in operational readiness and several DesFlots. Naval Staff sees the following possibilities as a reason for the present striking concentration of the British Home Fleet:
> 
> 1. Scapa has now been protected to such an extent by comprehensive defense measures against penetration by submarines and against air raids that it has become possible to move the BBs back to Scapa. Such a transfer has been urgently desired "by the
> RN for a long time, since the materiel and personnel strength of the Fleet must have been greatly strained by the compulsion to make a detour to the west coast and by the necessity thus of maintaining some of the BBs constantly at sea. There are no calm anchorages in the open bays of the west Scottish coast and their safety is also greatly prejudiced by German naval measures (mines, submarines). In these circumstances Scapa must still be regarded as the best anchorage and the most favorably situated base for operations by the heavy ships against German forces.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-7

At Sea 8 March 1940
U-14, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52. 
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CAs NORFOLK from the Clyde and BERWICK from Northern Patrol arrived at Scapa.

*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA arrived in the Humber. DD KANDAHAR developed structural defects forcing her to dock for repairs. DD VIMIERA departed Portland for Rosyth. Sub SEAWOLF arrived at Harwich after patrol. OA.106 departed Southend escort DD VANESSA from the 8th to 9th. FN.115 departed Southend escort sloop FLAMINGO and DD WALLACE, and arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. MT.26 departed Methil escort was the 19th ASW Gp and supported by DD JAVELIN. TM.22 also departed the Tyne. When the two convoys crossed, JAVELIN detached to the north-bound TM convoy and escorted it to Rosyth. The south-bound MT convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. FS.116 departed the Tyne escort DDs VEGA, WOOLSTON and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 10th.
Steamer JULIETTE (FN 1449 grt) was brought into the Downs for inspection by Fr TB L'INCOMPRISE.

*Northern Waters*
PVs CHILTERN (324grt) and CLOUGHTON WYKE (324grt) fishing in northwest of St Kilda were attacked by a submarine with gunfire. Trawlers were now often armed which in this case allowed them to return fire which drove off their assailant with no damage to themselves or the Uboat. Boarding vessel NORTHERN REWARD (655grt) attacked a submarine contact SE of Munken Rock, Faroes, 110 miles 348° from Cape Wrath.

*West Coast UK*
OB.106 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER and DD VENETIA. On the 11th, when the convoy dispersed, they joined convoy SL.22 on the return leg.

*Channel*
Fr AXF 1 arrived at St Malo. 

*SW Approaches*
DD VIVACIOUS, escorting BC.29 dropped DCs on a sub contact 15 miles from Ushant Island.

*Nth Atlantic*
Sloop ABERDEEN, escorting HX.20, attacked a submarine contact SW of Portland Bill.
.
*Med- Biscay*
Fr CL PRIMAUGUET after repairs at Lorient departed Brest on the 3rd and arrived at Toulon on the 8th. She departed on the 11th, escorted by DD LYNX and arrived at Casablanca on the 13th, after passing Gib the same day. LYNX departed Casablanca on the 20th and arrived at Brest on the 25th, while PRIMAUGUET left Casablanca on 1 April and arrived at Fort de France on 10 April. 
Fr sub REDOUTABLE, escort DD LA PALME, which departed Toulon on the 4th, arrived at Gib. The DD continued on to Casablanca, but the sub remained at Gib for 10 days for ASW exercises with the British Gib Force escorts, and then departed on the 18th, escorted by PV ALPHEE, flying the flag of Vice Admiral Ollive.


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## parsifal (Mar 7, 2015)

*March 7 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* Ob. Alois Stoeckl is appointed Kommodore of KG 55 in place of Generalmajor Wilhelm Sussmann.

Adolf Hitler allocated 8 divisions for the invasion of Norway and Denmark.

RAF aircraft, operating from France, drop Polish language leaflets over German occupied Polish lands and German language leaflets over Leipzig and the Ruhr.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The British boarded 9 Italian ships from Rotterdam carrying German coal in the English Channel and detained all ships at The Downs, off Deal, Kent, England. This action follows a warning that Britain will seize all German coal found at sea. The ships are brought to Kent where they are anchored of the coast while the government decides whether to unload the cargoes. Four more Italian colliers have set sail from Rotterdam and a further six are loading with Rhineland coal destined for Italy where coal rationing is in force. Many Italians believe that the seizure of their ships is a deliberate attempt to force them to buy British coal on British terms. This becomes known as the "Coal Ships Affair".

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Fighting continues around Viipuri. Red Army breaks through the last defensive line in several places, threatening Finland’s second city. Prime Minister Ryti, Paasikivi, Rudolf Walden Väinö Voionmaa arrive in Moscow in the evening (via Stockholm) to discuss peace terms with the Soviets. 

Juho Kusti Paasikivi returns to Moscow in defeat (having led the failed Dec 1939 territorial negotiations with Molotov and Stalin).

*NORTH AMERICA:* RMS “_Queen Elizabeth_” arrived at New York, New York, United States.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In the United Kingdom, British Chief of the Imperial General Staff Edmund Ironside offered military assistance to Carl Mannerheim of Finland.

Sir Kingsley Wood announced that fighting strength of the RAF had doubled in last 12 months.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The French prime minister, Edouard Daladier, meets the US envoy Sumner Welles.

.




,


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## Njaco (Mar 8, 2015)

*March 8 Friday*
*GERMANY:* Hptm. Dr. Erich Mix, the Mayor of the City of Wiesbaden, a former World War I pilot and acting Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53, is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of the forming Stab of the III Gruppe of the ‘Richthofen’ Geschwader, JG 2.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Red Army closes in on Viipuri, with fighting in the suburb of Tali. They capture more islands in Viipurinlahti Bay. Meanwhile, large quantities of French arms, ammunition and aircraft (175) are now on the way to Finland.

Finnish delegates in Moscow begin negotiations in the evening with Molotov, Zdanov and General Vasilevski but not Stalin, to their disappointment. Finns ask for a ceasefire during negotiations. The Soviets know that they are about to take Viipuri and refuse, preferring to negotiate from a position of strength.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British cruiser HMS “_Dunedin_” and Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Assiniboine_” captured German steamer “_Hanover_” near Jamaica. “_Hannover_” would later be converted into escort aircraft carrier HMS “_Audacity_”.

British steamer “_Counsellor_”, flagship of Rear Admiral Franklin of convoy HX-22 convoy, struck a mine in Liverpool Bay, England. The Admiral, his 7 naval staff, and the entire crew of 70 were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Walpole_” and landed at Liverpool. The mines were laid on 6 Jan 1940 by German submarine U-30; these mines had claimed 6 ships totaling 33,000 tons.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Heinkel plane bought down by RAF Fighter Command patrol off north coast of Scotland. Two Heinkel aircraft encountered over North Sea were engaged and seen to be hit.

Air Ministry announced that machines of Bomber and Coastal Command attacked three enemy patrol vessels near Borkum.

In the course of reconnaissance, RAF aircraft flew over Posen in Western Poland; longest flight of the war.

.



.


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## parsifal (Mar 8, 2015)

*9 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Type A ASW Escort KUNASHIRI0, SC CH13 Class (precise dates for both uncertain)







Allied
ASW Trawlers HAZEL and JUNIPER, Fr Chamois Class MSW Surprise 
[NO IMAGES FOR THE HAZEL OR JUNIPER]




*Known Losses*
U.14 sank steamers *BORTHWICK (UK 1097 grt)*, *AKELD (UK 643 grt)* and *ABBOTSFORD (UK 1585 grt)* in the North Sea. A Dutch coast guard cutter assisted in the rescue of the entire crew of BORTHWICK, but all 13 crew on AKELD were lost, and all 19 crew of the ABBOTSFORD were lost. ABBOTSFORD was carrying a cargo of steel and flax Ghent - Grangemouth. AKELD was carrying general cargo Rotterdam (9 Mar) - Newcastle-upon-Tyne and BORTHWICK was carrying 




_The AKELD_

[NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE BORTHWICK]





_ABBOTSFORD under her former name Cyrille Danneels._

*Steamer ASHLEY (UK 1323 grt)* ran aground 1.4 miles 225° from East Goodwins Light Vessel. DD BEAGLE was dispatched to assist, but returned to patrol when two tugs arrived. The steamer broke up on the tide on the 11th.





*MV CHEVY CHASE (UK 1500 grt (est)) *The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off the north coast of Norfolk 53°18′N 1°13′E). All 21 crew were rescued by the trawler MONIMIA.





U.38 sank *trawler LEUKOS (Eire 216 grt)* northwest of Tory Island. On 9 March 1940 the ship was attacked without warning by U-38 about 12 miles northwest off Tory Island. At 20.00 hours, the U-boat had spotted 6 trawlers all with their lights set near Tory Island and Liebe thought that they were forming a patrol line. He decided to give one of them a warning and fired one shot from its deckgun at the Leukos from a distance of 200 metres. The shot hit the trawler in the engine room and she dissappeared in a cloud of steam and smoke. The U-boat waited until the trawler sank after one hour and then continued the patrol. All 11 crewman lost their lives





*Steamer MAINDY HILL (UK 1918 grt)* was lost in collision with steamer ST ROSARIO (4312grt) three miles NE of Hartlepool. ST ROSARIO was able to proceed to the Tees. All 23 crew were rescued.





*MV P MARGONIS (Gk 4970 grt)*: Crew: 30 (30 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Antwerp (6 Mar) - Canada : The cargo ship was torpoedoed and sunk in the Bristol Channel off the north coast of Cornwall by U-28.
View attachment 286852


_Air Attacks By FliegerKorps X_
*fishing vessel SANTA GODELIVIA (Be 33 grt)* was lost to unknown cause in the North Sea. Later research attributes her loss to attack by aircraft of KG26.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop In Rome for conversations with Mussolini and Count Ciano.
> 
> The Russians are advancing despite strong Finnish resistance. Negotiations under Swedish mediation are now said to have
> commenced officially. Russian conditions:
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 9 March 1940
U-14, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52. 
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CLs NEWCASTLE and GALATEA, departed Scapa on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD JERVIS attacked a sub contact 4.6 miles 102° from Bell Rock. Sisters ships JUPITER and JANUS hunted in the area until dark. Meanwhile JERVIS and JAGUAR, also sister ships, arrived at Rosyth after escort duty with ON.17 A, with JUPITER and JANUS reaching there on the 9th. Sub SEAWOLF departed Harwich for a special patrol in the vicinity of Outer Dowsing Light Vessel. FN.116 departed Southend with DD VIMIERA joining on the 9th for the voyage to Rosyth. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FS.117 departed the Tyne escorted by sloop EGRET and DD WHITLEY, and arrived at Southend on the 11th. Trawler JUST REWARD sighted a light nine miles NE by E of Scarborough, and considering it to be a dan buoy, approached. However, on arrival at the light, the trawler found a submarine which dived immediately.

*Northern Waters*
DD KANDAHAR departed Scapa for Hull to repair structural damage to her fuel storagel tank compartment. On passage she attacked a submarine contact east of Berwick , and another one off Filey Brig on the 10th before arriving in the Humber later the same day.

*West Coast UK*
DDs HOTSPUR and MASHONA departed the Clyde at 1200 to provide escort for armed merchant cruiser LETITIA on a full calibre firings in the Forth of Clyde. Afterwards, the destroyers carried out their own full calibre firing. LETITIA proceeded to her station on Northern Patrol, and the DDs arrived at Tail of the Bank. ASW trawler CORNELIAN (568grt) on patrol near Bar Light Vessel in Liverpool Bay attacked a submarine contact. DD WHIRLWIND and ASW yacht VIRGINIA (712grt) searched the area on the 10th in daylight, but were unable to reestablish contact.

*Channel*
DD ESKIMO departed Portsmouth on the 8th after refitting at Southampton and arrived at the Clyde on the 9th. DDs KHARTOUM and KINGSTON arrived at Falmouth for refittings.

*UK - France*
BC.28 of steamers BARON CARNEGIE (Commodore), BATNA, KERMA, LOCHEE, PIZARRO and RAMON DE LARRINAGA departed the Loire escort DD VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 11th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.26 departed Halifax at 0800 escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA. DD OTTAWA also escorted the convoy at the start. At 1800/11th, the convoy was turned over to BB MALAYA, which detached on the 22nd. DDs VANSITTART, VENETIA, VIMY and WOLVERINE escorted the convoy in home waters from the 24th to 26th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
Fr BB PROVENCE, CA DUQUESNE and RN CVL HERMES with DDs DECOY and DEFENDER departed Dakar for a sweep, returning on the 16th. Base ship EDINBURGH CASTLE arrived at Freetown. SLF.23 departed Freetown escort AMC JERVIS BAY, and on the 19th, merged with SL.23, the combined convoy arriving at Liverpool on the 22nd.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.22F departed Gib with 30 ships escort Fr DD TIGRE, PV VIKINGS and RN DD ACTIVE. The Fr ships detached on the 15th and arrived at Brest on the 16th. The convoy was escorted at sea by sloop LEITH and DD VANOC, and arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.


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## Njaco (Mar 9, 2015)

*March 9 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *At 1606 hours in the afternoon, Fw. Franz Jaenisch of 3./JG 2 gets his first kill of the war when he destroys a French Morane east of Diedenhofen. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* An Anglo-Italian compromise solution to the "Coal Ships Affair" of March 7th is achieved. The Italian colliers detained by the British are released and Italy agrees to find an alternative (overland) supply route from the German coalfields.

German submarine U-14 sank 3 British steamers 5 miles off of the Belgian coast near Zeebrugge: SS “_Borthwick_” at 0542 hours, no lives lost; SS “_Abbotsford_” at 2330 hours, killing 19; SS “_Akeld_” 2345 hours, killing 12.

German submarine U-38 fired a warning shot from its deck gun toward 6 neutral Irish trawlers 10 miles north of Aran Island, Ireland at the distance of 200 meters at 2113 hours. Trawler “_Leukos_” was hit by the warning shot, killing the entire crew of 11 during the sinking.

German submarine U-28 torpedoed and sank Greek steamer “_P. Margaronis_” 125 miles west of Brest, France at 2317 hours, killing the entire crew of 30.

The collier '_Maindy Hill_' (1,918t) while on Admiralty service, was sunk in a collision with an unknown ship off Hartlepool. Twenty-three crew members were landed at Hartlepool Dock Head the following day. The one man injured was taken to hospital. 

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviets take Tali village on the outskirts, almost surrounding Viipuri. Red Army is in control of the Western shore of Viipuri Bay and most of the islands. However, Finnish aircraft strafe Soviet troops on the ice and shoot down 3 Soviet fighters. In the evening, Finnish Government in Helsinki considers Soviet peace demands including Lake Ladoga and Salla district in Lapland. Commander-in-Chief Mannerheim suggests there is no alternative to surrender. Meanwhile, Britain and France promise Finland troops and planes to fight the Soviets provided that Helsinki makes a formal request.

One of Finland's leading gymnasts, Reserve Lieutenant Martti 'Make' Uosikkinen is killed in Kollaa.

*ASIA:* Lieutenant General Mikio Uemura was named the chief of staff of the Taiwan Army.

*GERMANY:* Admiral Raeder tells Hitler the British and French might occupy Norway and Sweden under the pretext of aiding the Finns and encourages an invasion of Norway at the earliest time.

.

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## parsifal (Mar 9, 2015)

*10 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
[Allied
ASW Trawler ELM (RN 350 grt (est))

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Official assumption of Russo-Finnlsh peace negotiations. Prime Minister Ryti In Moscow. The Western Powers are making desperate efforts to interrupt the negotiations by sudden most pressing offers of aid to Finland. According to an official statement made by Chamberlain, the British and French Governments have informed Finland that they are ready to help her jointly and Immediately
> with all the means in their power, if she requests this aid.
> 
> The reports as a whole definitely Indicate the possibility of a directly imminent large-scale action "by the Western Powers in Norway. The enemy has without doubt been making preparations for a landing in Norway and may have them finished on 11 March.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 28 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation in the main position in accordance with Operations Order No. 22.



At Sea 10 March 1940
U-14, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-38, U-52. 
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol. CA YORK arrived at Scapa Flow after Northern Patrol, whilst AMC WORCESTERSHIRE departed Greenock on Northern Patrol, and AMC CORFU arrived at Greenock after Northern Patrol. At 1710, AMC WOLFE reported sighting nine vessels, believed to be warships, which were later determined to be ice.

*North Sea*
CL GALATEA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, where she arrived on the 11th. DD DELIGHT reported her feed tank leaking. Sub THISTLE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SUNFISH departed Lowestoft for Harwich, where she arrived later that day. OA.107 departed Southend escort DD VETERAN from the 11th to 12th, although she was damaged in collision on the 11th (q.v.). The convoy dispersed on the 13th. 

HN.18 of 36 ships departed Bergen escorted by DDs ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ELECTRA and ECLIPSE. Submarine NARWHAL joined the convoy on the 11th. DD KIMBERLEY departed Scapa on the 9th for patrol and then joined the westbound section. When the convoy split into sections, DDs FAME, which departed Scapa on the 11th, and KIMBERLEY joined to escort the west coast section of 10 steamers. NARWHAL joined the convoy on the 12th. 3 steamers from the Orkneys joined for passage to east coast ports. The convoy of 25 steamers arrived at Methil on the 13th without incident, escort ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ELECTRA and ECLIPSE. On the same day, FAME and KIMBERLEY arrived at Scapa.

MT.27 of nine steamers departed Methil escort 1st ASW Gp, supported by DD JAVELIN, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. JAVELIN went on ahead to the Tyne to escort Norwegian steamer MIRA (1152grt) to Methil, where they arrived on the 11th. FN.117 departed Southend escorted by sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN, and arrived at the Tyne on the 12th. FS.118 departed the Tyne, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and GRIMSBY, and arrived at Southend on the 12th. DD FORESTER attacked a contact east of South Ronaldsay, which was later found to be the wreck of sunken collier GIRALDA. DD FOXHOUND, after standing by the scene of destroyer GURKHA's submarine attack, was ordered to return to Scapa Flow. En route, she was diverted to Rosyth, where she arrived on the 11th.

*Northern Waters*
Monitor MARSHAL SOULT, towed by three tugs, was escort DDs EXPRESS and ESK, from Sheerness to Portsmouth.




_MARSHAL SOULT at Chatham in 1934_
Sub NARWHAL departed Scapa escorted by ASW BUTTERMERE and two other trawlers of the Gp for exercises in the Fair Isle Channel. DD KELLY, on passage from Lerwick, attacked a contact at 1230 off Stronsay, which was later determined to be non-submarine. She later arrived at Scapa Flow for temporary repairs.

*West Coast UK*
DD depot ship WOOLWICH escort DDs TARTAR, ESKIMO and MASHONA departed the Clyde at 1000, and arrived at Scapa at 1700/11th. OB.107 departed Liverpool escorted by destroyers VERSATILE and WALPOLE from the 10th to 15th, when the convoy dispersed. DD HASTY, which departed Devonport on the 9th en route to the Clyde after refitting, attacked a submarine contact at 0315, SW of Chicken Rock, . The attack was unsuccessful, and the contact was later assessed as probably a collier wreck. HASTY arrived in the Clyde at 1100/10th. Sloop FOLKESTONE on convoy duty SW of Milford Haven attacked a submarine contact, which was determined to be non-submarine, and rejoined the convoy. Later at 1925/11th, FOLKESTONE, ahead of her convoy of two ships, attacked a submarine contact off Holy Isle in the Firth of Clyde.

Anti-submarine trawler JUNIPER (530grt) attacked a submarine contact at 1700 in 57-15N, 7-00W off Ushinish.
*Channel*
.
*Med- Biscay*
CL DRAGON arrived at Gibraltar from Portland and departed the same day for Malta.


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## Njaco (Mar 9, 2015)

*March 10 Sunday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish negotiators Ryti, Paasikivi, Walden and Voionmaa in Moscow again meet Molotov, Zdanov and Vasilevski at the Kremlin for 2 hours. The Finns try to revise the peace terms but to no avail. The Soviets will change ‘not a single comma’, according to Finnish Prime Minister Ryti. Meanwhile, Red Army closes in around Viiprui, Finland’s second city and gateway to the capital, Helsinki.

Russia claimed capture of Reploa north-east of Viipuri, and of two other towns. Soviet troops said to have occupied Karppila and Ruthela on western Coast of Bay of Viipuri and also certain islands.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop meets Mussolini in Italy. He informs Mussolini of Hitler’s plan to invade France (although not in great detail) and assures him of a swift victory, hoping for an Italian commitment to join the war with Germany. Mussolini is not convinced and, knowing that his forces are not ready to fight a modern war, prefers to sit on the sidelines and await the result. Mussolini promises only to intervene as soon as possible.

*ASIA:* Captain Gunji Kogure was named the commanding officer of Settsu.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Noted Russian writer and playwright, Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940), whose work Joseph Stalin liked but would not allow to be staged or read, passed away. When Bulgakov's play about Stalin's early life was turned down in 1939, he became ill and depressed, and died less than a year later. His crowning achievement, the novel ‘The Master and Margarita’, was not published until 1968.

RAF planes carried out successful reconnaissance flights over Vienna and Prague.

.



.


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## parsifal (Mar 10, 2015)

*11 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U 101





*Known Losses*

*MV AMOR (Ne 2325 grt)*:The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea. All 33 crew were rescued by MV CITY OF BREMEN (UK).





*MV CLAN STUART (UK 5760 grt)*: The cargo ship collided with ORLOCK HEAD (UK) in the English Channel 18 nautical miles south east of Start Point, Devon and sank. All 75 crew were rescued.





*Tkr EULOTA (Ne 6236 grt)*: Lost in the SW Approaches. The outbound tanker enroute from Rotterdam to Curacao, inballast at the time of her loss, was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean 120 nautical miles west of Ouessant, France by U-28 . The torpedo, fired from about 1000 meters, struck amidships, broke her in two and set her on fire. The crew abandoned ship, but returned later that morning. An Allied a/c sighted the burning tkr in the afternoon and directed DDs BROKE and WILD SWAN to the ship. The latter picked up the majority pf survivors whilst the former attempted to establish a tow, but decided to sink the wreck, which was done the next day. all 42 crew were rescued. 





_Lost by Air Attacks_
*Type VIIA U-31 (DKM 733 grt)* The Type VIIA submarine was bombed and sunk in the Jade Bight by a Bomber Command AC Bristol Blenheim aircraft of 82 Squadron, Royal Air Force with the loss of all 58 people on board. She was subsequently salvaged, repaired and returned to service July 1940, and then lost a second and final time in November
German Submarine U-31 from Sharkhunters, the original and only true history of the U-Boats.




_Propsgsnds shot of U-31 Conning Tower_





_Bristol Blenheims from 82 sqn, Bomber Command, lined up at Watton UK, some time in 1940_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> Commanding Admiral, Submarines and Group West receive the following directive (Ski. I op 287/40):
> 
> 1. As defense against any British plans, submarines provided in accordance .with B.d.U. Gkdos. 0086 Chefs (Operational Order North Sea - Atlantic No.l) under 1 and 2 are to operate off the two ports (Narvik and Trond^eim) at once . U n 31 n , "43", "44",
> n 65 n are to be disposed off Bergen and Stavanger for the present
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 38 and U 52 have been allocated operations areas on the Norwegian coast. (see Appendix 1 to War Log).
> 
> U 31 did not return from her trial runs in the Schilling Roads. Search showed that she had sunk near Black Buoy No. 12, after an attack by an English A/C. (Details of this accident are set out in Appendix 2 to War Log). It is particularly regrettable that a boat should have been lost by enemy action in the immediate vicinity of her own base, inside our own barrage defenses. Losses of this kind should be avoidable. This is the second time that an enemy A/C has flown very low over the Schilling Roads and attacked U-boats. We must have sufficient AA defenses for the approach route on the Jade so that at least the enemy is prevented from flying low undisturbed. B.d.U. has made demands accordingly.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-14 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-30, U-34, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51 

At Sea 11 March 1940
U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52. 
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
Western Baltic
DKM Raiders ATLANTIS and ORION departed Kiel for gunnery exercises in the North Sea prior to departing on mercantile raiding missions. As the Kiel Canal was still icebound, ex BB HESSEN, acting as an icebreaker, cleared the Canal for their passage to the sea. After these exercises, both returned to Kiel for final preparations and provisioning.

*North Sea*
CL EDINBURGH arrived at Rosyth. CAs NORFOLK, BERWICK and YORK, after completing their practices, were to proceed to Rosyth where they arrived on the 13th. CinC CruSqn 2 raised his flag on the CL GALATEA which became flagship. Submarine UNITY arrived at Blyth after patrol. Submarine L.23 departed Blyth on patrol. Submarine STERLET departed Lowestoft and arrived at Harwich. Submarine TRIBUNE conducted her full speed trial, which was unsatisfactory, and docked at Rosyth later in the day. Blockship JUNIATA (1139grt) departed the Tyne under the tow of tug KROOMAN, escort 1st ASW Gp and DD JUPITER. The blockship arrived at Methil on the 12th. On the 13th, JUNIATA departed Methil escorted by ASW trawlers IMPERIALIST (520grt) and ALOUETTE (520grt) for Scapa. She was later deployed at Scapa Flow. 

ON.19 of 39 ships for Norway and 1 ship for Aberdeen departed Methil escort DDs COSSACK, NUBIAN, GURKHA and ILEX. The convoy was joined by a section of 13 merchant ships from Kirkwall escort DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE which departed Scapa on the 12th. These merchant ships are included in the sailing breakdown from Methil. DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE relieved ILEX which returned to Scapa. On the 13th, east of Duncansby Head, NUBIAN attacked a submarine contact. The DD then returned to the convoy. CL EDINBURGH and CLA CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th to provide close support for the convoy. CLA CAIRO after sailing from Scapa was forced to return with sea damage. CLA CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe on the 13th to provide AA support. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 14th. 

MT.28 of 21 ships departed Methil, escort ASW Gp 19 cover DDs JERVIS and JAGUAR, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FN.118 of 27 ships departed Southend escort DDs VEGA and WOOLSTON, and sloop STORK and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. FS.119 departed the Tyne escort by sloop LOWESTOFT, HASTINGS and DD VALOROUS cover DDs JERVIS and JAGUAR. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 13th.

*Northern Waters*
Vice Admiral commanding the BC sqn raises his flag aboard the BC RENOWN. ASW exercises were conducted at Scapa with all available DDs participating under DD HARDY. ML TEVIOTBANK, DDs ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, and MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER departed Invergordon on the 11th on ML mission PA 3 off Kinnaird Head in Moray Firth. The mines were laid on the 12th. 

U.30, U.46, U.47, U.49, U.51 departed Wilhelmshaven to take stations off Norway to combat British STRATFORD operations and later support their own WESERUBUNG operation.

*West Coast UK*
CL ORION, which arrived from the West Indies in the Clyde on 25 February, completed her refitting at Devonport, and departed for Bermuda on the 14th. DDs HASTY and HOTSPUR departed the Clyde escorting tankers BACCHUS, PRESTOL and BRITISH LADY to Scapa.

*Channel*
DD VETERAN, en route from Portsmouth to Plymouth in OA.107, was sent to search for steamer CLAN STUART (5760grt), which had been damaged in a collision. VETERAN was herself damaged in collision with tanker HORN SHELL (8372grt), also of OA.107, ten miles 176° from Start Point,. Her stern was damaged, maximum speed was restricted twelve knots, and she was taken to Devonport for repairs, completed on 17 April. 

*Nth Atlantic*
Fr BB BRETAGNE CA ALGERIE, carrying 147 tons of gold to be deposited in the US, departed Toulon escort Contre Torpilleur DDs VAUBAN, AIGLE, MAILLE BREZE. The DDs returned to Casablanca on the 17th. VAUBAN and AIGLE departed Casablanca on the 21st and joined Fr AMCs EL KANTARA, EL MANSOUR, VILLE D' ORAN and EL DJEZAIR after the cancellation of Finland operations. DDs TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL departed Brest with the cruisers, VAUBAN and AIGLE passed Gib with the cruisers on the 23rd and arrived at Oran on the 24th. DD MAILLE BREZE with steamer MEDIE II departed Casablanca on the 19th and passed Gib on the 20th. They arrived at Marseilles on the 22nd with Chasseurs Alpins that had been earmarked for service in Norway being disembarked.

*Med- Biscay*
OG.21 was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.105G, which departed Southend on the 7th, escort sloop ABERDEEN, and OB.105G, which departed Liverpool on the 8th escort DDs VIMY and WINCHELSEA, with 38 ships. OB.105G was delayed due to fog and diverted to Milford Haven, arriving on the 9th. WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy from Milford Haven, and DDs BROKE and WILD SWAN escorted the OB.G section from Isle of Wight on the 9th. DD VIMY from convoy HG.21 joined on the 11th. The convoy was escorted by DDs WINCHELSEA, VIMY and BROKE until the 11th March. Fr DD PANTHERE and PV MERCEDITE joined the convoy on the 10th and DD WISHART on the 14th. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 17th. 

CLs CAPETOWN, CALEDON and CALYPSO arrived at Alexandria after a short exercise.

*Other*
Certain FAA CAGs were intensively training in Night operations. This was to deliver dividends over the next year, but learning to fly at night on combat conditions was hazardous. In night air accident, a Swordfish of 823 Squadron crashed at Hal Far. Lt T W G French, Naval Airman J O'Riley, and LAC G A Lawrence of 812 Squadron were killed.

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## Njaco (Mar 11, 2015)

*March 11 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Late in the afternoon, north east of Sierck, Oblt. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke of 7./JG 53 gets his second aerial victory when he shoots down a French Potez 63.

French battleship “_Bretagne_” and cruiser “_Algerie_”, escorted by destroyers “_Vauban_”, “_Aigle_”, “_Maille Breze_”, departed Toulon carrying 2,379 bars of gold totaling 147 tons. The gold from the French gold reserves were to be sent to Canada for safekeeping.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Soviet noose tightens around Viipuri, with fighting in many suburbs. 5 Soviet tanks reached Tammisuo Station in northeast Viipuri, Finland while Finnish delegates in Moscow negotiated peace terms. At 1800 hours, Finnish delegates in Moscow meet for final talks at the Kremlin and agree to Soviet terms to end the Winter War. The Finnish public is told for the first time about the Moscow peace talks.

British and French governments, under public pressure to do something to aid Finland, decide to send troops into Scandinavia to capture Swedish iron mines before a Soviet-Finnish peace robs them of an excuse. The Allies hope for cooperation from Norway and Sweden, despite repeated statements that they will resist. The question of whether, or how, to respond to Norwegian or Swedish armed resistance is left unanswered.

An Italian volunteer in the Finnish Air Force, Diego Manzochi is killed when his plane runs out of fuel. He had flown his own Fiat fighter to Finland in Dec 1939.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-28 torpedoed and sank Dutch tanker “_Eulota_” 125 miles west of Quessant, France at 0317 hours. The ship broke in two but remained afloat until HMS “_Broke_” and HMS “_Wild Swan_” arrived to rescue the entire crew of 42. “_Eulota_” was scuttled upon completion of the rescue.

*GERMANY:* Blenheim bombers of 82 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command attacked German submarine U-31, on sea trials, in Jade Bay near Wilhelmshaven. 2 of the 4 anti-submarine bombs hit U-31, killing all 58 (48 crew, 10 dock workers) on board. Interestingly, U-31 will be refloated later in March and sunk again by depth charges from HMS “_Antelope_” on Nov 2 1940, becoming the only German submarine to sink twice in WWII.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Meat rationing began, the allowance was 1s 10d (9p) worth of meat for everyone over 6 years of age. This was equivalent to about 1lb in weight. Young children were allowed 11d (4½p) worth. Restaurants could serve meat without asking for coupons. Poultry, game, offal, sausages and meat pies remained off the ration.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The government lifts its arms embargo to allow Britain and France to buy some P40 fighter planes.

.

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## parsifal (Mar 11, 2015)

*12 March 1940 Part I *
*Known Losses*
*MV GARDENIA (UK 3754 grt)* (Note 3rd ship in that series, Gardenia II was sold to the Russians 1929 and retained the same name this ships was lost in 1944) The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Cromer, Norfolk. All 33 crew were rescued by RN Trawler VIVIANA

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*ROSE EFFEUILEE (Fr 35 grt)* The barquentine fishing vessel struck a mine in the North Sea (51°25′N 1°45′E) and sank. All crew were rescued

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The conclusion of the Russo-Finnish peace negotiations is regarded as imminent. According to various reports, Norway and Sweden are exercising'strong pressure on Finland to accept the Russian conditions, although all the Scandinavian countries feel that they are very severe. In Scandinavia there is growing recognition of the fact that Great Britain's offer of aid to Finland was made only in her own interests and she intended to Include the Scandinavian countries in her plans. Furthermore, the Norwegian Foreign Minister informed our Ambassador that so far the Western Powers had made no official demand regarding right of way through Norway. 0ne never knows, however, what Great Britain will be so foolish as to do next. The Finnish Government's decision to commence negotiations for peace with Moscow is said to have been reached after the Swedish refusal to allow foreign troop transports to pass. Daladier made a statement in the Chamber of Deputies about French aid for Finland. From the beginning of December to date Prance has sent 145 planes, 496 guns, 5,000 machine guns and a large quantity of ammunition. France is also ready to send men. The decision about intervention was taken on 5 Feb. French troops of the Expeditionary Corps have been assembled for embarkation since 26 Feb. A considerable number of ships has been retained in two large ports on the Channel and Atlantic coasts and is ready to sail, but so far no direct official appeal has been made by Finland to France or Great Britain. They are still awaiting this. This appeal from Finland is necessary, because the Swedish and Norwegian Governments are opposing the passage of Allied troops through their territories with all their power. An appeal from Finland would have immediate effects. The reports received by Naval Staff and present suppositions about the plans of the Western Powers are fully confirmed by Daladier's statement. We must now definitely expect that:
> 
> 1. When there is an ostensible pretext for their action, the Western Powers have definitely decided to violate Norwegian neutrality and land troops in Norwegian ports.
> 
> ...




*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 32 reported that she had carried out her minelaying operation. (Operations Order No. 26). This minefield closes the gap left beside the field laid by U 30 and is therefore likely to produce good results.
> 
> U-29 entered port. She carried out her minelaying operation (Operations Order No. 22) very well, and in addition sank by torpedo:
> 1) Darkened steamer about 5,000 tons
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-29

At Sea 12 March 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52. 
10 boats at sea.


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## parsifal (Mar 12, 2015)

*12 March 1940 Part II*
*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
TM.25 departed the Tyne, escort ASW Gp 19 and supported by DD JAVELIN. FN.119 departed Southend escort DD JERVIS and WHITLEY, sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne on the 14th. DD WOLSEY was slightly damaged when she grounded alongside an oiler in the Firth of Forth. DDs WOLSEY, BRAZEN and cable ship ROYAL SCOT arrived at Rosyth after completing the work of repairing cables. Submarine URSULA departed Blyth for patrol, and on the 14th, was ordered to the vicinity of Gotenburg to attack German destroyers reported operating in the area. Submarines TRITON, TRUANT and SEAL departed Rosyth on patrol. Steamers MACGREGOR LAIRD (4015grt) and LOMBARDY (3379grt) arrived at the Clyde from the south, leaving there on the 16th to return to Newport.

*Northern Waters*
DDs HARDY, FIREDRAKE, HOSTILE, TARTAR escorted CAs BERWICK, NORFOLK and YORK of CruSqn1 on a full caliber shoot west of the Orkneys. After the shoot, the cruisers proceeded to Rosyth. The DDs INTREPID and GRIFFIN undertook an ASW Sweep for a submarine reported by aircraft at 1900 east of South Ronaldsay. DDs HARDY, FIREDRAKE, HOSTILE, ILEX, TARTAR were ordered at 2000 to join. At 2130, HARDY and FIREDRAKE attacked a submarine contact and at 2140, TARTAR attacked a submarine contact east of Copinsay. All the attacks were unsuccessful. The contact was later assessed as probably a wreck. HARDY, HOSTILE, TARTAR arrived at Scapa after the hunt on the 13th. FIREDRAKE was detailed to patrol on a line south of Canntlick Head to Sandwick Bay, South Ronaldshay. DDs ESKIMO, PUNJABI, MASHONA departed Scapa at 0030 for the Clyde for escort duties, and arrived late on the 12th. ASW trawlers LE TIGER (516grt) and COVENTRY CITY (546grt) attacked a submarine contact off Aberdeen. DesFlots 1, 7 and 12 and the "I's" of DesFlot 20 were attached to the Home Flt.

DDs ILEX, GRIFFIN, INTREPID carried out Sweeps in Moray Firth in response to a sighting report by a British a/c. INTREPID was joined on the 13th by DDs FOXHOUND and IVANHOE. FOXHOUND and IVANHOE had escorted steamers DEVON CITY (4928grt) and SPANKER (1875grt) from Methil departing at 1200/12th and arriving at Scapa Flow on the 13th. Submarines NARWHAL and SWORDFISH departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth and Blyth, respectively. Anti-submarine whaler BUTTERMERE (560grt), escorting the submarines in Moray Firth carried out DC attacks on a submarine contact. The contact was probably a buoy laid by minesweeper NIGER after her submarine attack on 21 February. NARWHAL arrived at Rosyth on the 13th. SWORDFISH continued on to Blyth where she arrived later on the 13th.

*Channel*
DD WREN was damaged in a collision with steamer LACKLAN (8670grt) 16 miles 180° off the Lizard. The stern of the DD was damaged. The steamer proceeded to Falmouth. WREN was repaired at Plymouth completing on 13 April. DD VENETIA, escorting OB.106, attacked a submarine contact west of Ushant at 1910. Sloop ROCHESTER was in company and reported an underwater explosion at 1940. Submarine PORPOISE departed Portsmouth for Rosyth, and on the 13th, left Southend attached to FN.120 for the passage north.

Lt P.G. Philcox RNVR and Able Seaman D. Lewis were killed when their Proctor of 758 Squadron crashed near Worthy Down.




_RN Proctors were mostly used for the training of observer/radio operators. Just over 250 served the RN_

*Med- Biscay*
HG.22 of 39 ships departed Gib escorted by DDs WATCHMAN and VORTIGERN from 12 to 19 March. WATCHMAN and VORTIGERN were detached to Devonport and Portsmouth, respectively, for leave. DDs VANQUISHER, WITCH, ACASTA escorted the convoy in Home Waters from 19 to 21 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd. DD WRESTLER arrived at Gib after repairs at Malta.

Fr Contre Torpilleur DDss MILAN and ÉPERVIER collided during preparations for the Finland operations. MILAN was repaired at Cherbourg completing on 4 April and ÉPERVIER at Brest, completing on 12 April.

*Indian Ocean*

*Other*
A peace treaty between the USSR and Finland was announced and signed on the 13th. British operation STRATFORD, and the companion Plan R 3, the proposed landing of troops at Narvik and Trondheim on the 20th to be followed shortly by landings at Stavanger and Bergen to relieve Finnish troops, was cancelled. The ships of the operation were released on the 15th. CAs of the CruSqn 1 returned to Northern Patrol duties. CLs GALATEA and AURORA with DDs of DesFlot 6 departed the Clyde to return to Scapa Flow. Troops (mainly the 146 Bde) were disembarked and returned to barracks, stood down from operations. it was not known, at the time, but proved to be a critical mistake


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## parsifal (Mar 12, 2015)

*13 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*

*MV IDANT (Aus 121 grt)*: The wooden coastal steamer sank off the mouth of the Camden Haven River, New South Wales.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*MV ROSSINGTON COURT (UK 6922 grt)*: Crew: 37 (some sources say 45, all survived) Cargo: Not known: Route: Newfoundland to Liverpool. Part of Convoy HX 26: According to a relative of the ships master (given in an interview for the BBC's Peoples War), SS ATHERLVIKING also in the convoy lost her steerage and collided with the vessel as a result of the very rough weather at the time. After this collision, the ship dropped out of the convoy and sank later that night. Next morning another ship in the convoy realised she was missing and backtracked, finding all the survivors packed into one lifeboat and rescuing them. She was lost in the Atlantic Ocean 600 nautical miles east of Halifax, Nova Scotia. 
Rossington Court





*Steamer ESCHERSHEIM (Ger 3303 grt)* Crew: 32 (6 lost) Enroute from Bremen to Oslo, apparently with a load of coking coal. The ship was lost near Loenstrup and Hirtshals off the coast of Jutland after hitting a submerged wreck. Flooding became uncontrollable, and she was run aground near Hirtshals, Denmark. Some records are unclear if she was salved after coming ashorem, but Lloyds register shows her as being lost. 





*MV LA CORUNA (Ger 7359 grt)*: The ship, had departed Rio de Janiero on 3 February, making a run for Germany, but was intercepted east of Iceland by AMC MALOJA on Northern Patrol. The German steamer, disguised as Japanese steamer TAKI MARU, set herself afire when she was unable to escape. The British ship rescued all 18 officers and 50 ratings of the German crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Type IXA U-44 (DKM 1135 grt)*: The Type IXA submarine struck a mine laid by destroyers EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE on the 3rd. Her entire crew of forty seven men was lost. The boat was lost off the coast of the Netherlands. 





[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The Fuehrer has ordered that preparations for "Weseruebung" are not to be carried out with extreme haste since the situation has altered because of the conclusion of the Russo-Finnish peace, but are to be accomplished quietly with special regard to secrecy.
> 
> Permission is granted, as requested by Group West, to Exchange the EMDEN for the KOENIGSBERG, since the war readiness of the EMDEN is only limited because of the cadets' state of training.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 43 and U 44 sailed in accordance with Operations Order North Sea/Atlantic No. 1



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-43, U-44 (lost same day, Uboat net says one day later)

At Sea 13 March 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC FORFAR arrived at Greenock after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
CLs ARETHUSA and PENELOPE departed Rosyth for Scapa, and arrived on the 14th. CLs GALATEA and AURORA departed Rosyth for the Clyde, and arrived on the 14th. CL EDINBURGH arrived at Rosyth after gunnery practice shoots. Submarines NARWHAL, TRIAD, THISTLE and TRIDENT departed Rosyth on patrol. Submarine SPEARFISH departed Newcastle and conducted diving trials off Blyth, escorted by a trawler, before arriving at Blyth. Submarine TRIBUNE undocked at Rosyth. Patrol sloop GUILLEMOT was damaged in a collision with an unknown ship off Southwold, and patrol sloop WIDGEON stood by. She was repaired at Great Yarmouth from 18 March to 19 April. OA.109 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL. The convoy was joined on the 14th by DDs ANTELOPE and ACASTA, with ANTELOPE being relieved on the 15th by DD VANESSA. The convoy was dispersed on the 16th with ACASTA and VANESSA in the escort at that time. MT.29 of six ships departed Methil at 0800 escorted by the trawlers of the 1st Anti-submarine Group, sloop FLEETWOOD and destroyer VIMIERA. The convoy arrived later in the day. FN.120 departed Southend escort sloops BLACK SWAN and GRIMSBY. The convoy included submarine PORPOISE on passage to Rosyth. PORPOISE was detached on the 15th and arrived on the 16th. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 15th. FS.120 of 29 ships and an additional five ships from Middlesborough and five from the Humber departed the Tyne escorted by sloops LONDONDERRY, FLEETWOOD and destroyer VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 15th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs HOSTILE and TARTAR departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde, and arrived at 1630/14th. DD SOMALI departed the Tees after refitting at Middlesborough for Scapa to conduct a high speed trial en route. She arrived in the Clyde on the 14th. 
DD JAGUAR arrived at Dundee. Due to damage to the ASW nets at Scapa, DD FIREDRAKE was detached from a U-boat search and began ASW patrols at daylight in the approaches to Hoxa Sound. At 2000, DD IMOGEN relieved FIREDRAKE on this patrol station. At 0800/14th, DD FOXHOUND relieved IMOGEN. The work on Hoxa Boom was completed at 1900/14th and FOXHOUND returned to Scapa. DDs ESKIMO, PUNJABI, MASHONA departed the Clyde with convoy NS 1 for Plan R.3. At 0233/15th, the convoy was ordered back to the Clyde to stand down with ESKIMO and PUNJABI, while MASHONA continued to Scapa escorting tkr WAR BHARATA.

*West Coast UK*
DD HUNTER arrived in the Clyde at 1935 on completion of her refitting at Falmouth. OB.109 departed Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and VOLUNTEER from 13 to 16 March, when they were detached to convoy HX.25.

*Channel*
Destroyer KEITH was damaged in a grounding near South West Goodwin Buoy. Damage was limited to her asdic dome, and she was taken to Chatham on the 15th for repairs completed on the 20th.

*UK - France*
SA.33 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY, and arrived at Brest on the 15th. AXF 2 of one steamer arrived at St Malo

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.27 departed Halifax at 0700 local escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT. Later on the 13th, RESTIGOUCHE was ordered by AMC ASCANIA to assist Fr sub SIDI FERRUCH which was having trouble getting through the ice area. On the 14th, the convoy was turned over to the ocean escort AMC ASCANIA, which was detached on the 25th. In Home waters, DDs AMAZON, VANOC, VERSATILE and WINDSOR escorted the convoy from 25 to 28 March, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
AMC RANPURA, cable ship MIRROR and PHILOMEL departed Gib, escort DDs ACTIVE and WRESTLER until dark on the 15th. The AMC and PHILOMEL headed for Freetown, via Dakar and the cable ship for St Vincent, Cape Verde Island, for cable repair. ACTIVE arrived back at Gib on the 16th after escorting the cable ship, and WRESTLER arrived back at Gib on the 17th after escorting the Freetown ships.


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## Njaco (Mar 12, 2015)

*March 12 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Three Hurricanes from Belgium 2/I/2Ae intercept another intruding Do 17. A fierce exchange of gunfire results in severe damage being caused to the three Belgian aircraft. Two Hurricanes make it back to their base while the third makes a successful emergency landing near Durbuy.

The French Prime Minister, Daladier, informs the Chamber of Deputies that an Anglo-French expeditionary force is ready to embark for Finland on receipt of a formal Finnish appeal for assistance.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *At 0900 hours, Finnish President Kyösti Kallio authorized his delegates in Moscow full powers to negotiate peace terms. Soviet representatives had drafted a document dated today, ready for the Finnish delegation to sign. The document called for Finland to give up 35,000 square kilometers of territory to Russia, which constituted about 10% of the country, including Salla, the Karelian Isthmus, and Ladoga Karelia, housing about 12% of the entire Finnish population. The Hanko Peninsula was also forced to be leased to the Soviets for 30 years for use as a military base. Finnish President Kyösti Kallio notes;


> "This is the most awful document I have ever had to sign. May the hand wither which is forced to sign such a paper."



Sweden offered Finland a defensive alliance, but it was too late to help Finland as it was about to surrender to the Soviet Union.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* A transport of 1,000 German Jews was forced to march through cold weather toward the Lublin Ghetto. 72 German Jews died of exposure.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Under Secretary for State Sumner Welles returned to the US from a fact finding mission, during which he met with one Pope, two Kings, one Führer, One Duce, and three Premieres.

Henry Arnold received a warning from Franklin Roosevelt for having voiced complaints against policies set forth by Roosevelt's cabinet.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler met with Colin Ross, whom Hitler considered to be his top adviser on the United States. Ross told Hitler that the United States, run by Jews, had imperialist tendencies in terms of foreign policy. Ross also advised Hitler that Franklin Roosevelt, who had come to power around the same time as Hitler, was jealous of Hitler's greater success thus was plotting with the Western Allies to defeat Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop continued his meeting with Mussolini in Italy, setting up a conference between Hitler and Mussolini to be held sometime on or after 19 Mar 1940.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British embark about 20,000 troops on transport ships to land in Norway. The main force of 5 brigades boards troop transports at Rosyth in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, to land at Tronheim, Bergen and Stavanger. At Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, the landing force intended for Narvik is a single brigade, which is at odds with the strategic aims of pushing through Narvik to the Swedish iron ore mines at Gällivare. The troops are an incoherent force pulled from various units held in reserve in England (10 divisions of the main British army are in France with the BEF) and many are poorly trained reservists. In addition the whole force is wildly under-equipped with little or no artillery or anti-aircraft guns. The ships do not depart, however, awaiting orders to begin the operation, while the British War Cabinet debates operational plans (especially how to deal with Norwegian or Swedish armed opposition to the landings and subsequent troop movements through their countries). British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain is still against the whole operation, particularly armed conflict with the neutral Scandinavian countries should they not welcome the British and French intervention.

The British Home Fleet returns to Scapa Flow from Rosyth and Loch Ewe after the completion of a substantial improvement of the anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defenses at the base.

SS _Gardenia_' (3,745t) steamer, Casablanca to Middlesbrough was sunk by a mine off Cromer.

,



.


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## Njaco (Mar 12, 2015)

* March 13 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Josef Fözö of JG 51 gets his first credited kill, when he downs a French observation balloon. 

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* After the Finnish delegation received formal permission from their government, the peace treaty with the Soviets is signed in the early hours of the morning. At 2 AM in Moscow, 1 AM in Finland, Finnish and Soviet delegates sign the Moscow Peace Treaty (documents are dated March 12, having been prepared by the Soviets the day before). However, the ceasefire is not scheduled until 11 AM Finnish time. This ends the 104-day war between Finland and the USSR -- the Winter War. In a vengeful act to punish the beaten and humiliated Finns, Red Army gunners shell the Finnish lines all morning, emptying their magazines as much as possible. In Field Marshal Mannerheim's last Order of the Day to the Finnish Army he states:


> "A severe peace [has been concluded] which cedes Russia nearly all the battlefields we have drenched with our blood... The deeds you have accomplished will shine for centuries in the pages of our history."


 Finns lose 26,662 killed and 41,692 wounded. Civilian casualties are 892 dead and 1,856 wounded. 65 seamen die in the Finnish merchant fleet. Soviet losses are 126,875 dead and 264,908 wounded, plus unknown numbers killed by NKVD behind Soviet lines and hospitalized with frostbite and other illnesses. The Finns kept remarkable records of their casualties, so these numbers are reliable. USSR on the other hand had no reliable records, so their casualty figure are at best SWAG (scientific wild-assed guess). In Nikita Khrushchev’s memoirs he states that 1.5 million Red soldiers went into Finland and only half a million came out. Neither of these figures is correct and the answer is somewhere in the middle. The Gulf of Finland islands and the lands in Karelia (Isthmus and areas surrounding Lake Ladoga) and at Salla, given up by Finland in 1940, continue to be Soviet territory to this day. However, USSR formally renounced its lease on the Hanko Peninsula in the Paris peace treaty of 1947. The disparity in losses suggests to Allied and Axis observers that the effects of Stalin's officer purges have still not been overcome. This impression of inefficiency contributes to Hitler's decision to invade the USSR and makes the British and Americans a little reluctant to send supplies to the Soviets when the Germans do invade because they expect that the Germans will win quickly.

Simo Häyhä regained consciousness after being severely injured in the face in combat a week prior in Finland.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Allies are robbed by the Finnish collapse of any pretext to move into Norway and Sweden. British troops march off the transport ships without having left port. The Allies do not abandon their ambition for action in Scandinavia. Churchill understands the importance of Norway to both sides and writes to British Foreign Minister Lord Halifax;


> “Whether they [the Germans] have some positive plan of their own [for Norway]… I cannot tell. It would seem to me astonishing if they have not”.



Punjabi nationalist Udham Singh assassinated the former British governor of Punjab Sir Michael O'Dwyer in London.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Fleet Landing Exercise No. 6 in the Caribbean Sea, participated by personnel of the US Navy and US Marine Corps, drew to a close.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Joachim von Ribbentrop informed the Italians that Adolf Hitler would like to push the date of the upcoming Brenner Pass meeting with Benito Mussolini up to on or about 18 Mar 1940.

.



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## parsifal (Mar 13, 2015)

*14 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fr Le Fier Class TB LE FIER




_This represents the launch date for this vessel. LE FIER and her two sisters ostensibly completed prior to the French surrender were in fact still unready at armistice and whilst the germans attempted to complete them, were not finished until post war. _

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The conclusion of the Russo-Flnnish peace is still the center of political events and world interest. Especially depressing impression in France , where Daladier»s policy has been sharply attacked and his position has been greatly shaken by the latest events.
> 
> Speaking on the radio the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Koth, repudiated Daladier's assertion that Norway refused permission for troops to pass through. An official request was not made to Norway until late on the evening of 12 March when the peace treaty
> had already been signed in Moscow. Koth also rejected reproaches that Norway was transgressing her neutrality In favor of Germany.





> On 12 March the Finnish Government asked Norway and Sweden whether their Governments would be prepared to investigate the possibility of establishing a defensive alliance of the three Nordic countries. Sweden and Norway have declared their fundamental readiness. (Such an alliance will probably come up against strong Russian resistance and break down under it. )


After her defeat, Finland was to find herself, friendless, isolated and vulnerable....



> Conference on "Weserubung " :
> Fuel supplies for the forces in the northern area seem to be assured by the prompt transfer of two tankers (JAN WELLEM, KATTEGAT) to n Nienburg w with 15,300 tons of fuel, since even when all ten destroyers have filled up completely there is
> still two-thirds of the whole left for the battle- ships. Another tanker is to be transferred to "Detmold* for the HIPPER and four destroyers. There will also be an ample surplus here for possible battleship refuelling.
> 
> The question of putting the supply ship DITHMARSCKEN into service as a further supply vessel and as a transport for "Weseruebung" is closely connected with Naval Staff's plans for warfare in the Atlantic which, in Naval Staff's view, should be kept in mlnd in spite of "Weseruebung". The DITHMARSCKEN is therefore principally scheduled as a reserve supply ship for the LUTZOW, and if the necessity arises will still be available as a transport for "Weserubung "


This decision was to have long reaching and important effects. Effectively keeping one oiler in reserve meant it was out of position and unable to assist at exactly the time she was needed. 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Preliminary regulations have been framed for the AA protection of all U-boats entering and leaving port and on trials. A minesweeper or patrol vessel will accompany every U-boat in the area which is particularly dangerous (outside the protection of
> Wilhelmshaven as far as the 30 meter line).


(Note 30m is refering to the water depth).

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-56, U-57, U-59

At Sea 14 March 1940
U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC CALIFORNIA departed Greenock on Northern Patrol, whilst AMCs CILICIA and TRANSYLVANIA docked at Greenock.

*North Sea*
DD IVANHOE departed Scapa for Moray Firth Patrol. ML TEVIOTBANK and DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE arrived at the Humber to load mines. Subs STERLET and SNAPPER departed Harwich on patrol. Submarine SEAWOLF arrived at Harwich from patrol. ORP sub WILK was undocked at Dundee. OG.22F was formed from two convoys - (1) OA.108G, which departed Southend on the 11th escort DD WITCH, and (2) OB.108G, which departed Liverpool on the 11th, escort sloops BIDEFORD and FOWEY, of 30 ships. BIDEFORD joined the convoy on the 12th and FOWEY on the 13th. DD WRESTLER joined on the 19th. Both sloops and the DD travelled with the convoy to Gib where it arrived on the 19th. The sloops were temporarily assigned to DesFlot 13 to replace sloops SCARBOROUGH and WELLINGTON. MT.30 of 23 ships departed Methil escort ASW Gp3, plus sloop PELICAN, and DDs VIVIEN and JAVELIN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later in the day. FS.121 departed the Tyne, escort sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN, and arrived at Southend on the 16th. DD JANUS and ASW Gp 1 escorted TM.26 from the Tyne. After a steamer sighted a periscope one mile southwest of Elie Ness, escort vessel WHITLEY and sloop EGRET were dispatched to investigate. They were joined by DD BRAZEN, escort vessels VEGA, WOOLSTON, sloop STORK, and ASW GP 19 . WHITLEY and STORK made attacks but further investigation showed this contact to be non submarine.

HN.19 of 35 ships departed Bergen escort DDs COSSACK, NUBIAN, GURKHA, FAULKNOR and FORTUNE. The convoy was covered by CL EDINBURGH. on the 16th, EDINBURGH made a submarine contact, southeast of Fair Isle, and she and COSSACK attacked the contact. That afternoon COSSACK attacked a contact east of Duncansby Head. This contact had been earlier attacked by CC a/c. At 2330, EDINBURGH made an attack off Tod Head. When the convoy split into two sections, FAULKNOR and FORTUNE escorted the west coast section of 15 ships to Cape Wrath where the convoy was dispersed. The DDs arrived at Scapa on the 17th. DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER anchored in Longhope pending the clearance of Gutter Sound. The convoy of 20 ships arrived at Methil without incident on the 17th. COSSACK, NUBIAN and GURKHA also arrived at Rosyth on the 17th.

U-BOAT OPERATIONS AGAINST ALLIED SUBMARINES

DKM was receiving high grade radio intercept intelligence at this time, and in response to the location of British Sub positions in the North sea, dispatached a substantial force to counter them. An unsuccessful operation was mounted by DKM submarines to hunt down RN and Fr subs in the North Sea. Submarines deployed were U.7, U.9, U.19, U.20, U.23, U.24, U.56, U.57, U.59.

U.1, U.2, U.3, U.4 were positioned off sthn Norway. On the 16th, U.1 departed Kiel for operations south of Lindesnes. On the 16th, U.2 departed Kiel for operations off Lister. On the 18th, U.3 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate in the North Sea against British submarines. On the 18th, U.4 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate in the Skagerrak. On the 20th, U.22 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate off Pentland Firth. On the 20th, U.21 and U.22 were ordered to patrol south of Lindesnes. On the 21st, U.21 departed Wilhelmshaven to operate off Pentland Firth. On the 22nd, U.1 was moved to a position outside the three mile limit off Egeroy. On the 22nd, U.2 sighted what was identified as either a CA or a CV with 5 DDs. The submarine was unable to gain a firing position. On the 23rd, U.3 and 4 were ordered to area of Lindesnes and Revingen, respectively, to attack warships and transports. On the 27th, U.4 was moved to area of Lindesnes. U.1, U.2, U.3, U.4 returned to Wilhelmshaven on the 29th.

*Northern Waters*
BC HOOD departed Scapa Flow at 1515 escorted by DDs HARDY (D.2), HOTSPUR and IMOGEN for the Clyde. DD KELLY departed Scapa for Sheerness to repair her collision damage of 9 March at Blackwall. DDs KASHMIR and FORESIGHT departed the Clyde for Scapa. DD INTREPID arrived at Invergordon from patrol.

*UK - France*
BC.30 of 7 steamers, including BATALLINN, BARON GRAHAM (Commodore), EILDON, MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escort DD VIVACIOUS, and arrived in the Loire on the 16th.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.24 departed Freetown escort AMC CHESHIRE until 29 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 31st.

*Med- Biscay*
MSWs PANGBOURNE, ALBURY, and ROSS arrived at Gib from Malta.

*Indian Ocean*
CVL EAGLE in the Bay of Bengal near the Nicobar Islands was damaged at 0730 when a 250 pound bomb exploded in the bomb room in an operational mishap. One officer, Gunner R.R. Keech, MVO and twelve ratings were killed. Five crew were wounded, one dying of wounds at Singapore. EAGLE proceeded to Singapore for repairs and completed these and a refit on 4 May. She left Singapore on 9 May for the Med.


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## parsifal (Mar 14, 2015)

*15 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV MELROSE (UK 1589 grt)* Crew: 23 (18 lost): The cargo ship struck a mine that had been laid by the captured Estonian cargo ship HANONIA now secretly in DKM service (designated SCHIFF II), and sank in the North Sea off the coast of Belgium . 





*MV SABA (Ne 389 grt)*: Route: Caen to Ijmuiden. The coaster struck a mine that had been laid by the captured Estonian cargo ship HANONIA now secretly in DKM service (designated SCHIFF II), and sank in the North Sea





*ASW trawler PERIDOT (RN 550 grt)*, was badly damaged on a mine off Dover, while on station "LD 6". ASW trawler SAON (386grt) on station "LD 7" took off the crew of the trawler. There were no casualties. DD BRILLIANT took the trawler in the tow and transferred the tow at daylight at 0825 to tug LADY DUNCANNON (181grt). However, PERIDOT sank before arriving in harbour.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Radio monitoring intercepts two very important items, which permit conclusions regarding British preparations for the occupation of Norway or the despatch of troops for Finland:
> 
> 1. The British submarine disposition in the North Sea off the Skagerrak and in the Heligoland Bight is dispersed. On 15 March some of the boats are again on return passage to their ports of departure. It may be concluded from this discovery that the
> operations planned have been postponed because of the unexpected Finnish peace.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 41 and U 53 declared missing with effect from 15.3.



Departures
Kiel: U-1, U-2

At Sea 15 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59. 
21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CAs DEVONSHIRE and NORFOLK ran several runs over the D.G. range in the Firth of Forth. The cruisers then departed Rosyth for Scapa. They were designated for Northern Patrol duties. DEVONSHIRE proceeded directly to patrol in the Denmark Strait.

The Northern Patrol from 15 March to 31 March was to sight 69 eastbound merchant ships of which 13 were sent into Kirkwall for inspection. One German ship was intercepted in this period.

*North Sea*
DDs JERVIS and JANUS arrived at Rosyth. DD WOOLSTON departed Rosyth to act in conjunction with a Bomber Command exercise in the North Sea.

ON.20 of 40 ships departed Methil escort DDs ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE. The convoy was joined at sea by DDs KASHMIR and KIMBERLEY which departed Kirkwall on the 16th with a detachment of twelve ships for the convoy (already included in the stated numbers). CLA CAIRO, assigned to this convoy, sustained sea damage and returned to Scapa. On the 17th, CAIRO arrived at Sullom Voe to repair the damage. CL SHEFFIELD departed the Tyne on the 17th and provided close cover for the convoy. The convoy arrived safely at Bergen on the 18th.

MT.31 of five ships departed Methil escorted by ASW Gp 19, DD VEGA and sloop STORK. VEGA and STORK detached at dark to escort FS.122 which departed the Tyne at 2100. MT.31 arrived in the Tyne that night. TM.27 departed the Tyne at 1700 escorted by the ASW Gp 3 and DD BRAZEN. Sub SPEARFISH departed Blyth and joined the convoy on passage to Scapa. Once the convoy was abeam Rosyth, BRAZEN took SPEARFISH on to Scapa. FN.121 departed Southend escort sloops LOWESTOFT, HASTINGS and DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 17th. 17 miles south of Needles, a civilian a/c reported a submarine. DD ISIS and ASW yacht ST MODWEN (237grt) were ordered into the area, later joined by DDs HERO and WILD SWAN. DD HERO, en route from Portsmouth to the Clyde, made an attack on a submarine contact off the Needles Channel. DDs ARROW, WILD SWAN and ANTHONY joined HERO in the search of Christchurch Bay and Poole Bay. ASW trawler STELLA DORADO (416grt) stopped Belgian trawler IBIS (160grt) and brought her to the Downs for examination.

*Northern Waters*
Heavy weather again carried away a 5-600 foot section of the ASW nets at Scapa. ASW trawler COVENTRY CITY went ashore at Longhope. DD KIMBERLEY commenced an ASW off Hoxa Boom south a line from Cantick Head to Sandwick Bay, South Ronaldsay. At 1900, KIMBERLEY was relieved by DD FORESIGHT. At 0800/16th, FORESIGHT was relieved by DD FEARLESS. The nets were repaired at 1100/16th and FEARLESS returned to Scapa.

BC HOOD with DDs HARDY, HOTSPUR and IMOGEN arrived in the Clyde from Scapa. CLA CALCUTTA arrived at Sullom Voe. DD MASHONA escorting tkr WAR BHARATA arrived at Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
DD MATABELE arrived in the Clyde after refitting at Devonport. CLs GALATEA and AURORA escort DDs SOMALI, TARTAR and MATABELE departed the Clyde for Scapa where they arrived on the 16th.

*Channel*
DDs HAVELOCK and HAVANT departed Portsmouth for the Clyde, and arrived on the 16th. They left again on the 16th escorting submarine TARPON to Portsmouth. Submarine CLYDE departed Portsmouth for Blyth, joined FN.122 on the 16th, and detached when the convoy was abreast Blyth, arriving on the 18th. Fr TBs BOUCLIER, FLORE and MELPOMENE arrived at Dover from Dunkirk for a courtesy visit. The TBs were retained to assist in covering the 10th MSW Flot operations between North Goodwin Light Vessel and Fairy Bank Buoy on 17 and 18 March. The TBs then returned to Dunkirk.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
RAN AMC KANIMBLA seized Soviet steamers VLADIMIR MAIAKOVSKY (3972grt) and SELENGA (tonnage unkown) in the Sth China Sea and Sea of Japan and took them (at separate times) into control because they were carrying a cargoes destined for Germany (VLADIMIR MAIAKOVSKY was carrying a vital cargo of copper from the United States). On the 26th, near Hong Kong she was handed over to French CL LAMOTTE PICQUET, and taken to Saigon, arriving on 1 April. The ships were not taken as prizes, but their cargoes were seized and both ships held in custody until after the Third Republics surrender.


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## Njaco (Mar 14, 2015)

*March 14 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: * The Finnish Parliament met and debated over the ratification of Moscow Peace Treaty.

The first of the over 450,000 Finnish civilians in the territories ceded to Russia per the Moscow Peace Treaty began to move into Finland. Some of them burned their homes to the ground to leave as little to the conquerors as possible.

*GERMANY:* According to Alfred Jodl's diary entry for this date, Adolf Hitler was actively searching for excuses that would justify the planned invasion of Norway.

Goring decrees that all articles made of copper, bronze, nickel and other useful metals must be given up for the war effort.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* At 7.30 AM in the Bay of Bengal near the Nicobar Islands, British aircraft carrier HMS "Eagle" is damaged when a 250 pound bomb explodes in the bomb room in an operational mishap (14 lives lost). HMS "Eagle" will be repaired and refitted in Singapore, leaving 9 May for the Mediterranean.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Russia, Viktor Abakumov was promoted to the rank of State Security Major.

The Polish government-in-exile publishes a white paper today giving a general view of Poland's relations with Germany between May 1933 and October 1939. Among the revelations is that Hitler tried to involve Poland in a plot to attack the Soviet Union. It was proposed by Goring during a visit to Warsaw in February 1935. In a discussion with the Polish leader, Marshal Pilsudski, he suggested that Poland and Germany should mount a joint invasion of the Ukraine. The Poles insist that they gave the Germans no encouragement whatsoever.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * Alan Turing’s development of the Polish "cryptologic bomb" yields the British Bombe at Government Code and Cypher School, Bletchley Park, England. The first working Bombe (named "Victory"), manufactured by the British Tabulating Machine Company at Letchworth, Hertfordshire, goes operational decrypting daily settings on the German Enigma machines.

British Foreign Minister Lord Halifax began to ask Finland to return some of the supplies that the British had given to Finland for the Winter War. He retracted the request shortly after Finnish Ambassador to London G. A. Gripenberg reminded him that Finland had paid for the relatively small amount of goods that Britain offered.

*ASIA:* Twenty-seven out of 30 Chinese fighter planes are shot down by 12 Japanese Zero fighters over Chengtu. The Japanese suffer no losses.

.


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## Njaco (Mar 15, 2015)

*March 15 Friday*
*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Romania, King Carol granted amnesty to members of the fascist Iron Guard party after they swore allegiance to him.

During the night (March 15-16), RAF bombers drop leaflets over Warsaw. During the return flight, a British Whitley bomber, low on fuel, lands by mistake in a field in western Germany. The crew speaks to some local inhabitants before taking off again before German authorities arrive. Some small arms fire is reported.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: * The Finnish Diet, meeting in secret session during the evening, ratifies the Moscow peace agreement by 145 votes to three. (52 abstentions, including Prime Minister Voionmaa who is traveling from Moscow and can not vote). Speaking before the vote, the Prime Minister, Mr. Ryti, says:


> "Finland, as well as the whole of Western civilization, is still in the greatest danger, and no one can say what tomorrow may bring. We believe that by choosing peace we have acted in the best way for the moment."



*ASIA:* Emphasizing the global nature of the growing conflict, the Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Kanimbla_” (a converted Australian passenger ship) impounds Soviet steamer “_Vladimir Mayakovsky_” carrying American copper to Germany in the Sea of Japan. She will be taken to Hong Kong, handed over to the French and sailed to Saigon, Vietnam arriving on 1 April.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* HMS “_Eagle_” arrived at Singapore for repairs for damage caused by the accidental explosion of 14 Mar 1940.

*GERMANY:* Reichsmarshal Herman Goering said 100-200 church bells are enough for Germany and smelted the rest.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 15, 2015)

*16 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fr Elan Class Minesweeping Sloop La Batailleuse





Neutral
NE DD ISAAC SWEERS (Launch date) Italian Liuzzi Class Submarine TARANTINI 








_DD ISAAC SWEERS was towed to Britain after the invasion and was completed with British equipment May 1941 as an AA DD_
*Known Losses*
*ASW Trawler MAIDA (RN 107 grt)*: The naval trawler struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Margate east of North Foreland, Kent, with the loss of six of her 12 crew, including the skipper Utting. The survivors were rescued by ASW Trawler MARE (RN 92 grt) and taken to Dover. 





*MV OSMAN (Sd 1316 grt)*: The cargo ship ran aground in the Baltic Sea off Risor, Norway and was wrecked. 10 crew were killed.





*MV SLAVA (Yug 4512 grt): *: The cargo ship struck a mine laid on 2 March by U-29 and sank 5 miles southwest of Nash Point in the Bristol Channel. One crew member was lost. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> Rumors of a Government crisis in France and Great Britain, as the result of violent criticism of previous inactive warfare, differences of opinion between Chamberlain and Churchill and also between Daladier and Reynaud. The Chamberlain Government is reproached with inactivity and lack of initiative.
> 
> The 10th Air Corps carried out the attack on Scapa that has been planned for several days. After weather reconnaissance there
> was an offensive sortie against the Orkneys, carried out by
> ...



The LW after action report was wildly optimistic. Actual damage was one bomb hit on the NORFOLK. Anumber of KG30 a/c failed to engage, releasing their bombs over the land as they retreated the scene 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> For operation and orders for the Atlantic boats, except U 28 and U 32, which are still on their way back, see Appendix 1 to B.d.U.'s War Log.



Departures
Kiel: U-3, U-4

At Sea 16 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59. 
23 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC WOLFE arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol, whilst AMC FORFAR departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs IVANHOE, INTREPID, GALLANT departed Invergordon to patrol in Moray Firth. On the 17th, they were involved in operation HSM with air cooperation. Submarines SALMON and STERLET arrived at Harwich after patrol. Submarines SEAL and THISTLE on patrol in the Skagerrak were ordered to exercise contraband control. OA.111 departed Southend, escort DD AMAZON from 16 to 18 March. The convoy dispersed on the 19th. FN.122 departed Southend escort sloops LONDONDERRY and FLEETWOOD and DD VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 18th. FS.122 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and WOOLSTON and sloop STORK, from convoy MT.31. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th. MT.32 departed Methil and arrived at the Tyne later that day. TM.28 departed the Tyne escorted by the ASW Gp 19 and DD VALOROUS.

*Northern Waters*
DD KASHMIR, escorting convoy ON.20, reported the approach of a LW air raid on Scapa. In this air raid, by32 Ju.88's of KG30, CA NORFOLK at anchor in Scapa Flow was damaged in the late dusk. The bomb striking NORFOLK struck the quarter deck near Y turret. The bomb passed through the upper, main, lower decks and exploded near Y shell room. This blew a hole in the starboard side below the water line. A fire was started and X and Y magazines were flooded. 3 officers and one NCO were killed and 7 other crewman wounded in the attack. German aircraft fleeing the battle released 19 bombs on the village of “Bridge of Waithe” on the shore of Scapa Flow wounding seven civilians and killing James Isbister, aged 27. Isbister became the first British civilian death on land

In the same air attack, old BB IRON DUKE was near missed by three bombs. Two bombs exploded astern of BB RODNEY causing no damage. CA NORFOLK was the only ship hit, but the Germans claimed hitting three BBs and one cruiser. Most of the Home Flt was at Scapa Flow at this time and this prompted the Admiralty to order Forbes to take his fleet to sea during the next moonlight period between 19 and 26 March. Gutter Sound was closed due to the danger of magnetic mining from this air raid. Gutter Sound was reopened on the morning of the 17th. 

The damaged CA NORFOLK departed Scapa on the 19th, attended by tug BUCCANEER and escorted by DDs GURKHA, COSSACK, IVANHOE, GALLANT. The tug was detached en route and returned to Scapa. DDs ESKIMO and PUNJABI escorting Tender C (dummy aircraft carrier HERMES - special service vessel MAMARI) traded charges with DDs IVANHOE and GALLANT near Cape Wrath. Cruiser NORFOLK arrived in the Clyde late on the 20th, escort DDs COSSACK, GURKHA, ESKIMO, PUNJABI. The CA entered the dockyard in the Clyde on the 27th, NORFOLK was repairing until 14 June 1940. After safely delivering the cruiser, DD GURKHA and COSSACK returned to Scapa. 






*West Coast UK*
DD HYPERION arrived in the Clyde. OB.111 departed Liverpool escort DD WHIRLWIND and sloop ROCHESTER from 16 to 19 March..

*Channel*
CL BIRMINGHAM and DD HERO departed Portsmouth for Scapa and the Clyde, respectively. 

*UK - France*
BC.29 of four steamers, including BARON KINNAIRD (Commodore) departed Loire escort DD VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 18th.

*Med- Biscay*
CL DELHI arrived at Alexandria with CINCMED aboard. RAN DD WATERHEN departed Gibraltar for Malta.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 15, 2015)

*17 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
AMC THOR





*Known Losses*
*MV ALYN (UK 350 grt)*: The coaster ran aground on Fort Island, just sth of the Isle of Man with the loss of two of her nine crew





*MV ARGENTINA (Den 5375 grt)*: Crew: 33 (33 dead - no survivors): Cargo: General Cargo : Route: Copenhagen (13 Mar) - Las Palmas - South America : The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Shetland Islands, by U-38. The ship sank 10 minutes after being hit by one torpedo. The identity of the ship was only revealed postwar.





*MV KITAFUKU MARU (Jpn 4769 grt)*: The cargo ship ran aground at off Kumejima Island (Ryuku Gp). 





DD INTREPID in an accidental collision in the Pentland Firth 50 miles northeast of Kinnaird Head sank *trawler OCEAN DRIFT (227grt)*. Eight survivors were picked up and INTREPID proceeded to Invergordon with a damaged stem for emergency repairs, escort DDs IVANHOE and GALLANT. She departed on the 18th for Southbank near Middlesbrough where repairs were completed on 28 April.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV SINT ANNALAND (Ne 2248 grt)*: The cargo ship struck a mine that had been laid by the Disguised ML Schiff 11 (former Estonian vesse; HANONIA, referred to in DKM service as the ULM). The ship sank in the North Sea off the coast of Belgium . All crew were rescued by SCHIENLAND and SCHOKLAND (both Netherlands)









_On 6 Feb 1940, the Hanonia was commissioned in the Kriegsmarine as Schiff 11/Ulm after conversion to an auxiliary minelayer was completed on the Stülckenwerft. On 9 Mar 1940, Schiff 11 laid 144 mines and 146 explosive buoys off the Dutch coast, which sank 12 Neutral ships mostly off the coast of Holland. She appears to have been lost April 1940 _

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The Pan-American President has made a protest to the British Government on behalf of the 21 American republics regarding
> the violation of the American neutrality zone in connection with the scuttling of the German steamer WAKAMA on 12 Feb.
> 
> Radio monitoring intercepts various convoy movements.
> ...




*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report



At Sea 17 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59. 
23 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub TRIDENT and ORP ORZEL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SUNFISH on patrol in the North Sea sighted two large unescorted trawlers, but RN rules of engagement prevented an attack on these unidentified ships. FS.123, delayed twenty four hours by fog, departed the Tyne escort DD WALLACE and sloop FLAMINGO. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th. Netlayer GUARDIAN departed Scapa on the 16th for Rosyth. On the 17th off Bell Rock, she was attacked by German bombers of KG26 but was not damaged, and arrived at Rosyth later on the 17th. ASW trawler STOKE CITY (422grt) was attacked by German bombers of KG26 off Girdleness, but was not damaged. Italian steamer VERBANIA (6640grt) broke down in 60-54N, 08-52W. Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN DUKE (655grt) stood by and tug WATERMEYER was dispatched to take her in tow. Steamer CARIBOU (2222grt) sighted the ship on the 21st and NORTHERN DUKE located her on the 22nd. Tug ST MELLONS was ordered to replace WATERMEYER on the 23rd, while tug BRIGAND was also ordered to proceed. On the 27th, the Italian steamer in tow of BRIGAND and escorted by armed boarding vessels NORTHERN WAVE (655grt) and NORTHERN GEM (655grt) arrived at Stornoway.

DKM submarines were ordered to positions to attack damaged British ships leaving Scapa after the 16 March air raid. U.57 and U.19 in the North Sea were ordered to the west side of Pentland Firth. U.21 and U.22 were ordered to the east side of Pentland Firth.U.22 departed Wilhelmshaven on the 20th and U.21 departed Wilhelmshaven on the 21st. On the 22nd, U.22 was ordered to assist a German ship grounded on the southern coast of Norway. On the 26th, U.22 was ordered to Moray Firth. On the 27th, U.22 was ordered to assist U.21 which had run aground. U.22 acknowledged none of the changes of orders, and was apparently lost soon after her departure from Wilhelmshaven around 23 March. The submarine was officially listed as lost lost with all twenty seven crew on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
DesFlot 7 was assigned to the, Home Flt at midnight.

Steamer BELLWYN (1670grt) collided with CA SUFFOLK in Princess Dock at Govan. CL EDINBURGH arrived in the Tyne for repairs. DD BRAZEN arrived at Scapa with Submarine SPEARFISH. DDs INGLEFIELD and ILEX departed Scapa to join DDs IVANHOE and GALLANT on Moray Firth ASW Striking Force duties. After this, INGLEFIELD and ILEX arrived at Scapa in the evening of the 18th. At this time, the Moray Firth ASW Striking Force was no longer operating. IVANHOE and GALLANT joined the Home Flt from the Orkneys and Shetlands Command on the morning of the 19th.

MLs PRINCESS VICTORIA and TEVIOTBANK, escort ML DDs ESK, EXPRESS, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, departed the Humber for Invergordon for minelaying mission PA 4. The ships arrived at Invergordon on the 19th.

*West Coast UK*
DDs HERO and HYPERION departed the Clyde with RFA tanker PETROBUS (475grt) for Scapa. En route, the tanker was sent into Stornoway and HERO and HYPERION were ordered to Scapa with dispatch, arriving on the 19th. DD IMOGEN departed the Clyde for Portsmouth for escort duties.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.23F departed Gib with 30 ships, escort DD BULLDOG, as local escort. Fr DD PANTHERE and aux PV MINERVE escorted the convoy from 17 to 23 March. DDs WINCHELSEA and WAKEFUL came from convoy OG.23F and escorted the convoy from 23 to 26 March. DD WHITEHALL joined the convoy on the 23rd and escorted the convoy until 26 March when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 16, 2015)

*March 16 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* Oblt. Kuno Wendt is posted as Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26, the ‘Adamson Staffel’ based at Mulheim.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * 32 German Ju 88 dive bombers including fifteen Ju 88s of I./KG 30 attacked the British fleet in Scapa Flow. A few hits are scored on the heavy cruiser HMS “_Norfolk_” causing no serious damage. Some planes bomb the village of Bridge of Waith in Scotland, killing James Isbister, first British civilian killed in the war. Despite the damage, HMS “_Norfolk_” will leave Scapa Flow under her own steam on March 19 for repairs in the Clyde until June 14.

*SOUTH AMERICA:* The Argentine government issues a decree saying German men of the “_Graf Spee_” are to be divided into groups and moved away from Buenos Aires. The government deports the German crew into the interior and forbids them to wear their uniforms.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In Rome US envoy and Under-Secretary of State, Sumner Welles, holds talks with Mussolini, Count Ciano, the foreign minister, and King Victor Emmanuel III on the last stop of his mission to discuss conditions for mediation or peace talks in Europe. He receives a cordial but non-committal welcome.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Yugoslavian steamer “_Slava_” hit a mine laid by German submarine U-29 on 2 Mar 1940 and sank in the Bristol Channel, killing 1. 33 were rescued.

.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 16, 2015)

*March 17 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-38 torpedoed and sank Danish merchant vessel “_Argentina_” east of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 2325 hours, killing the entire crew of 33.

*GERMANY:* Dr Fritz Todt was appointed the German Reich Minister for Armaments and Munitions.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In the wake of a German raid on Scapa Flow, the British Admiralty admitted that the Home Fleet base was vulnerable to air attacks. The fleet was ordered to depart Scapa Flow between 19 and 26 Mar. In anticipation of this move, German submarines U-57, U-19, U-21, and U-22 began to move toward Scapa Flow in an attempt to attack the departing warships.

British miners from Nottinghamshire, England voted to forgo vacations to support the war effort.

*NORTH AMERICA: *An editorial published in The Charlotte News suggests that Romania will be absorbed by Nazi Germany in the same manner as Czechoslovakia. It suggests that Hitler intends the same fate for all of the Balkans as well as Scandinavia, the Low Countries and France.

.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 17, 2015)

*18 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Spanish Eolo Class ML TRITON




_Launched 24 Feb 1940, comm date uncertain_
Allied
EX Brazillian DD HIGHLANDER, Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-9 (est)








*Known Losses*
*MV TINA PRIMO (Ita 4861 grt)*: The cargo ship struck mines laid by the DKM HANONIA (aka Schiff11 / ULM) and was damaged in the North Sea off the east coast of Kent. She was taken in tow by KENJA but struck two more mines and sank with the loss of one of her 37 crew





_Ships lost to Air Attack_
*Trawler PROTINUS (Ne 202 grt)* was sunk by LW bombers of KG26 off Ijmuiden near Middle Rough Bank. Four crew were lost and submarine UNITY rescued seven crew members on the 25th.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> Meeting between Hitler and Mussolini at the Brenner Pass. (For rumors about the subject of the conversations see Foreign Press. )
> 
> A change of Government in France is indicated as imminent. For the situation in France see Political Review No. 65, para 2.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 18 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-7, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59. 
23 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow on Northern Patrol

*North Sea*
DDs JERVIS, JAVELIN, JANUS departed the Humber for Scapa, however, whilst in transit, these DDs were diverted to pick up convoy ON.21 off Rosyth and escort the convoy to Norway. DDs COSSACK and GURKHA departed Rosyth at 1800 for Scapa where they arrived on the 19th.

DD BEDOUIN arrived at Scapa during the morning after refitting at Newcastle. DD IMOGEN reported a defective ASW transmitter. Submarines TRITON and NARWHAL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. On the 19th, submarine NARWHAL was docked at Rosyth for repairs to the muffler valves. Patrol sloops PINTAIL and SHEARWATER departed Harwich to establish an ASW patrol between Kentish Knock and a position 15 miles 130° from Kentish Knock. 

HN.20 departed Bergen with 43 ships escort DDs ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, KASHMIR, KIMBERLEY. Despite the protection of CLA CAIRO, on the 20th, LW a/c attacked HN.20 and ON.21. When the convoy split into sections, DDs ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER left the convoy with the 7 ships of the west coast section. The west coast section dispersed off Cape Wrath. On the 20th, ASW trawlers SCOTTISH (558grt) and IMPERIALIST (520grt) departed Kirkwall with three steamers for the convoy. They were ordered that if the convoy was not encountered to proceed independently to Methil. DDs ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER arrived at Scapa on the afternoon of the 21st. HN.20 arrived at Methil the morning of 22 March escort DDs KASHMIR (SO), KIMBERLEY, ESCORT, ESCAPADE.

OA.112 departed Southend escort DD WOLVERINE from 18 to 20 March and DD VANSITTART from 19 to 20 March. The convoy dispersed on the 21st. FN.123 departed Southend, escort DDs WOOLSTON and VIVIEN and sloops VEGA and PELICAN.This convoy contained 14 ships of cancelled convoy FN.124. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 20th. Escort vessel VIMIERA was damaged in a collision with steamer CLERMISTON (1448grt) off Rosyth. There was only minor damage to both vessels. Escort vessel VIMIERA was repaired at Rosyth from 25 to 30 March. MT.33 of 25 ships departed Methil escort ASWGp 3 and supported by sloops LOWESTOFT and HASTINGS and DD VALOROUS. On arrival off the Tyne, the sloops and the DD escorted FS.124 from the Tyne.

TM.29 departed the Tyne escort ASWGP 1 and DD JUPITER. DD BRAZEN, which had departed Scapa on the 17th for Rosyth, was ordered to relieve DD JUPITER which was required at Scapa. After being relieved, en route to Scapa, DD JUPITER was diverted to Rosyth to escort ON.21.

*Northern Waters*
DDs IVANHOE and GRIFFIN departed Invergordon. IVANHOE arrived at Scapa later the same day, whilst GRIFFIN arrived at Aberdeen also later the same day.

*West Coast UK*
DDs ESKIMO and PUNJABI departed the Clyde at 1000 for Scapa escorting Tender C (dummy CVL HERMES - special service vessel MAMARI). On the 19th, DDs ESKIMO and PUNJABI joined the escort of damaged CA NORFOLK. DDs IVANHOE and GALLANT were detached from cruiser NORFOLK and took Tender C to Scapa, arriving on the 20th.

OB.112 departed Liverpool escort DDs VIMY and VENETIA from 18 to 20 March. The convoy dispersed on the 23rd.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.28 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA, OTTAWA. DD OTTAWA returned to Halifax after dark. The ewmINING ddS turned over the convoy to ocean escort BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN on the 19th. The BB was detached on the 27th. DDs ANTELOPE and WARWICK joined the convoy on the 27th, on its inbound leg in home waters, joined by DDs HAVOCK and VANESSA on the 28th, DD VIMY on the 29th. DDs HAVOCK and WARWICK were detached on the 28th, DD VIMY and VANESSA on the 28th, DD ANTELOPE on 2 April, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
OG.22 was formed with forty nine ships from convoy OA.110G, which departed Southend on the 15th, escort DD WINDSOR on 15 and 16 March, DD WILD SWAN joining on the 26th, DD BROKE joining on the 17th, OB.110G, which departed Liverpool on the 15th, escort DD VANQUISHER and sloop FOLKESTONE. The convoy was later escorted by DDs BROKE and WILD SWAN from 18 to 20 March. Fr DD CHACAL and patrol vessel CAPITAINE ARMANDE escorted the convoy from 18 to 24 March. DD WISHART joined on the 21st and DD WRESTLER on the 23rd and both continued to Gib. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 24th. Sloop BIDEFORD, escortingOG.22F, attacked a submarine contact south of Cape St Vincent. Sloop FOWEY was in company also escorting this convoy. CLs CERES and COLOMBO arrived at Port Said.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 18, 2015)

*March 18 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* It was announced that a new organization had been created to maintain permanent liaison between British Colonial Office and French Ministry of Colonies.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German bombers of KG 26 attacked Dutch trawler “_Protinus_” off Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, killing several people including the captain and the first mate. 10 found their way to the lifeboat but 2 of them would perish before they were found by submarine HMS “_Unity_” 6 days later.

Italian collier ‘_Tina Primo_’ broke in two after explosion off South-East Coast of England.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler and Italian Premier Benito Mussolini meet for 2.5 hours at the Brenner Pass at the Austrian-Italian border to reaffirm their pact of Steel. In their first meeting since Munich, 1938, Mussolini makes vague promises to enter the war on the side of Germany "at an opportune moment", believing that Hitler is overoptimistic in his plans for dominance in Europe. Things will move faster than he thinks. From Rome came reports that Hitler had drawn up Eleven ‘Peace Points’ that Mr. Sumner Welles considered unacceptable, and that Mussolini arranged the Brenner meeting to get them modified.

.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 18, 2015)

*19 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
M Boote Type 1935 M-18 





*Known Losses*
*MV MINSK (Den 1226 grt)* Crew: 20 (11 dead and 9 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast: Route: Manchester - Kirkwall - Esbjerg Sunk just outside Moray Firth. At 21.35 hours on 19 March 1940, U-19 (Kptlt. Joachim Schepke) spotted two steamers and attacked the first at 22.21 hours with one torpedo, which struck in the engine room and caused the MINSK to sink within six minutes. At 22.37 hours, a second torpedo was fired, which struck the CHARKOW and caused her to sink by the stern within four minutes. Nine survivors from MINSK were picked up by DD ESK and landed at Invergordon on 19 March., 





*MV CHARKOW (Den 1026 grt)* Crew:20 (20 dead - no survivors): Cargo: Ballast : Route: Manchester (12 Mar) - Kirkwall (19 Mar) - Methil - Esbjerg ; lost just outside the Moray Firth. At 21.35 hours on 19 March 1940, U-19 (Kptlt. Joachim Schepke) spotted two steamers and attacked the first at 22.21 hours with one torpedo, which struck in the engine room and caused the MINSK (see above) to sink within six minutes. At 22.37 hours, a second torpedo was fired, which struck the Charkow and caused her to sink by the stern within four minutes.

There were no survivors from CHARKOW, only a body on a raft was found off Peterhead on 26 March and wreckage drifted ashore near Fraserburgh.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> The chief item under consideration in the whole foreign press is the conference between Hitler and Mussolini, which is occasioning the wildest rumors.
> 
> According to information so far available to Naval Staff the conference has been most cordial and agreement has been
> reached to a great extent.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-7 

At Sea 19 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-9, U-19, U-20, U-24, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59. 
22 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol. CL BIRMINGHAM arrived at Scapa Flow from refitting, soon thereafter the ship departed on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD JERVIS was involved in a collision with Swedish steamer TOR (1052grt) northeast of Blyth. DD JERVIS suffered extensive damage to her hull, both above and below the water line. Two crew were killed in the collision and fifteen crew were missing. DDs JAVELIN and JANUS stood by until DD JERVIS reached Newcastle. DD JERVIS was able to steam stern first under her own power to the Tyne. Tugs MALTA and WASHINGTON took her in tow when she arrived off South Shields. Steamer TOR was slightly damaged. DD JERVIS was repairing into the third week of June. DD MACKAY reported minor upper deck damage due to heavy weather. Sub SALMON departed Harwich and arrived that day at Sheerness. The submarine was refitting at Chatham from 21 March to 7 May.

ON.21 of 41 ships departed Methil at 1700 escort DDs JAVELIN, JUPITER, JUNO, ECLIPSE and were joined by DD JANUS which left Scapa. Submarine PORPOISE departed Rosyth to sail with the convoy. Three more merchant ships were detached prior to crossing the North Sea;one was detached at Dundee and two at Aberdeen. Tkr BRITISH TOMMY (UK 1411 grt) was to have proceeded in this convoy to salve oil from the grounded tanker GRETAFIELD at Dunbeath. ASW trawler ALOUETTE (520 grt) was to meet the tanker at sea for escort. However, on the 19th, GRETAFIELD broke up and the attempt was cancelled. DD IVANHOE escorted base ship MANCHESTER CITY from Scapa to Kirkwall. DD IVANHOE then left Kirkwall with fifteen ships for convoy ON.21. The group joined the convoy at 1900. These ships are included in the sailing breakdown from Methil. It was this portion of convoy ON.21 that was attacked by German bombers on the 20th. Despite the protection of CLA CAIRO, on the 20th, German bombers of KG26 attacked convoys HN.20 and ON.21. The convoy arrived at Bergen on the 23rd.

DD BRILLIANT covered the MSWs of the MSW Flot 10 in operations between North Goodwin Light Vessel and Fairy Bank Buoy. DD AFRIDI completed her refit began on 17 January at Hartlepool. Submarine STERLET departed Harwich for patrol. FS.124 departed the Tyne escort sloop LOWESTOFT, DD VALOROUS, sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.

TM.30 of nine ships departed the Tyne escorted by the ASW Gp 3 and DD VIVIEN. Off North Rona at 0930, ASWs ASTON VILLA (546grt) and GAUL (550grt) attacked a submarine contact. ASW trawler CAPE PASSARO (510grt) later attacked a contact at this location. At 1700, ASW trawler ANGLE (531grt) attacked a submarine contact off North Rona.

*Northern Waters*
BBs RODNEY, VALIANT and WARSPITE with DDs HARDY (D.2), HERO, HUNTER, HASTY, HOTSPUR, HYPERION, HOSTILE of DesFlot 2, and FORESTER and FEARLESS of DesFlot 8 departed Scapa at 1500. BCs REPULSE and RENOWN with DDs INGLEFIELD (D.3), ILEX, DIANA, DELIGHT of DesFlot 3, BEDOUIN of DesFlot 6, and DD FORTUNE of the DesFlot 8 also departed Scapa at 1500. While at sea, the Home Flt would cover the movement of convoys HN.20 and ON.21 and the Operation DU activities.

A German submarine was sighted near Holm Sound between 1730 and 1800 about 250 yards seaward of the blockships. DDs departed Scapa between 2030 and 2100 to carry out Sweeps of the area. DDs FOXHOUND and FIREDRAKE searched the area to seaward. DD FOXHOUND attacked a submarine contact at 2135 off Grimness. DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, MATABELE, SIKH, FORESIGHT searched Scapa with ASW trawlers. DD FAME patrolled the north end of Gutter Sound. The search was abandoned at 0030/20th. DD SIKH proceeded to the anchorage to cover ships anchored in Scapa. DD FAME assigned a station to cover the entrance to Gutter Sound.

*Channel*
CV ARK ROYAL escort DDs ARROW, ISIS, SHIKARI departed Portsmouth for Portland.

*SW Approaches*
OB.113GF departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers WAKEFUL and WINCHELSEA, merged with convoy OA.113GF, escorted by sloop LEITH, to form OG.23F of forty ships on the 22nd.

DD WAKEFUL and WINCHELSEA were detached to convoy HG.23 F. Sloop LEITH escorted the convoy to 23 March. The convoy was joined by armed boarding vessel SAGITTA from 22 to 25 March and destroyers VELOX and VIDETTE Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively, from 22 to 28 March when the convoy arrived at Gibraltar.

*Med- Biscay*
MSWs PANGBOURNE and ROSS departed Gibraltar for England for duty in Home Waters.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 19, 2015)

*20 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
RaumBootes R-44 and R-45
Image source: Raumboots, NOT S-Boots on Friday




_Raum Bootes after R-16 increased in size from the original 60foot design to sizes similoar to S-Bootes. They were slower, but more seaworthy than S Boats. They were to become a mainstay of the DKM, utilised in a wide variety of roles._

*Known Losses*
*MV VIKING (Den 1153 grt)* Crew:17 (15 dead and 2 survivors): Cargo: Ballast: Route: Frederikshavn - Blyth ; sunk outside moray Firth. U-19 had already sunk two Danish vessels in this location the previous evening (several hours previously). At 04.15 hours on 20 March 1940, U-19 spotted two steamers northeast of the Moray Firth and 20 minutes later fired a G7a torpedo that missed the first ship. At 04.57 hours, a G7e torpedo was fired that struck VIKING in the engine room and caused the ship to sink immediately. The second steamer was BOTHAL, which was hit amidships by a G7e torpedo at 05.15 hours and sank after breaking in two. 





*MV BOTHAL (Den 2109 grt)* Crew:20 (15 dead and 5 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast : Route: Frederikshavn - Blyth ; Details of this vessels loss are outlined above 





*MV AGNES ELLEN (UK 293 grt)* The coaster departed from Holyhead, Anglesey for Workington, Cumberland carrying bricks. No further trace.





ASW trawler LADY PHILOMENA (417grt) collided with *trawler LOWDOCK (UK 276 grt)* east of Todd Head. LOWDOCK sank immediately and the LADY PHILOMENA was able to rescue only one survivor.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr PHOBOS (Ne 10564 grt)*: The tanker struck a mine laid by the HANONIA (aka SCHIFF 11 / ULM) near North Goodwin, explosion took place in tanks 5 6. Contrary to many reports, she dos not sink. She was towed to Rotterdam for repairs, but fell into German hands when Rotterdam was overrun. On 26-8-1940 she was seized by Germans, during repairs at Schiedam. Renamed THANN by DKM, she finally sank 29-12-1944 after she again struck a mine (again of German origin) near Darsser port and broke in two. 
New Source: Shell tanker 'Phobos' | Helderline.nl





_Ships lost to Air Attack_
*MV SVINTA (Nor 1267 grt)*: Part of a group of 15 ships that departed to join ON 21. 9 Heinkels attacked the 15 ships on their way eastwards from Kirkwall to join ON 21. 3 of the Heinkels were driven off by 2 Skuas, which were with this section of the convoy. At 19:15 that afternoon, 15-20 bombs were dropped by the remaining 6 a/c, damaging 3 ships, which put in to Kirkwall. One of them, the SVINTA had to be towed by the tug St. MELLONS. An explosion then occurred, the reason/source for this explosion has not been positively identified. Some sources attribute this explosion to a torpedo hit from either U-57 or U-22, but there are strong reasons to doubt either of these U-Boats were in any way connected to the loss. After this explosion, SVINTA sank 4.75 nautical miles east of Copinsay, Orkney Islands. The most likely final cause for her loss is now believed to be from striking a mine. 





*MV BARN HILL (UK 5439 grt)*: Crew: 40 crew (5 lost) : Cargo: Canned Food and Aluminium Ingots : Route: London to Halifax The cargo ship was bombed and damaged in the English Channel 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) south south west of Beachy Head, East Sussex by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26. She was beached south east of Langney Point but broke her back on 26 March, a total loss.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Daladler's Government has resigned. Former Finance Minister Reynaud is entrusted with the formation of a new Government. He is endeavoring to form a coalition Cabinet. Reynaud is avowedly anti-German and is described as the greatest warmonger of the former Cabinet. He has always been in favor of the closest cooperation between France and Great Britain.
> Chamberlain stated in a debate in the House of Commons that no proofs can be produced of German violation of Norwegian
> neutrality. The British Navy end the R.A.F. had kept constant watch for this on the Norwegian coast. If the Navy had spotted
> German warships even once, it would not have hesitated to penetrate into territorial waters to attack such a ship.





> The 10th FliegerKorps attacked the convoy reported about 60 miles southeast of the Shetlands in the evening. Following reports by shadowing reconnaissance planes, 26 planes of the 26th KG were sent out and attacked 14 vessels in the convoy. Several 250 kg. and 50 kg. bomb hits were scored. Convoy split up. According to the FG X report, 6-8 ships were so severely damaged that it can be assumed they were sunk or destroyed. Further steamers suffered slight damage. Fighter and AA defense from the convoy. Strong defense by medium and light anti-aircraft guns from anti-aircraft cruisers and minesweepers. One enemy fighter shot down. One of our own planes missing. The 10th Air Corps has again achieved excellent results in guiding the bomber forces by good shadowing and by attacking with such great success. The convoy was on its way from Norway to Great Britain. It can be assumed from the nature of the hits and from the explosions that there were steamers in the convov carrying ammunition (taken over from U.S. ships in Norway). A plane belonging to the FK Xs 1 leading flight successfully attacked the steamer BARSHELL in the Channel south of Brighton. The (RN) Admiralty admits the sinking or damaging of several neutral steamers (Swedish, Norwegian) ; it denies, however, any damage to or loss of British ships.



FKX claims were again shown in postwar research to to be wildly over-optimistic. It was to become a common feature for the LW. The air forces of all nations suffered from this kind of inaccurate reporting, but the LW reporting was markedly more so than most, except the Japanese. 



> It is reported from Bergen that the transport which arrived there a few days ago with French troops - said to be about 300
> men - carried 50-100 French officers and men (Chasseurs Alpins), who were bound for Finland and are now to be transported back
> to France.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-9, U-20, U-24, U-56 , U-59

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-22

At Sea 20 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-19, U-22, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
CL EDINBURGH entered the dockyard at South Shields, Tyne, started an extensive refit for structural defects which was not completed until 20 October 1940. 

MT.34 departed Methil escort ASW Gp 19, sloop LONDONDERRY, DD VIMIERA. On arrival off the Tyne, sloop LONDONDERRY and DD VIMIERA escorted FS. 125. FN.125 departed Southend, escort DD WALLACE and sloop FLAMINGO. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 22nd. FS.125 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY from MT.34. DD BEAGLE was covering the operations of the MSW Flot 10 between the North Goodwin Light and Fairy Ban Buoy. DD BEAGLE also covered the operations on the 21st. DD KEITH arrived at Dover after repairs. Sub SUNFISH in the North Sea sighted a darkened ship, identified possibly as German training ship BREMSE. Attack was not possible. MSW Flot 5 (6 MSWs att) arrived at Dover from the Humber. .

German Naval Attache personnel in Oslo reported 60 British warships had been sighted off Egersund. All German submarines proceeding to sea were ordered to positions off the Norwegian coast. U.21 and U.22, en route to Pentland Firth, were ordered to patrol areas off Lindesnes. DD ZULU departed Leith after repairs for Rosyth, where she arrived that day.

*Northern Waters*
DD FORTUNE of BC REPULSE's screen dropped DCs on a contact northeast of Muckle Flugga. CLs ARETHUSA, AURORA, PENELOPE, GALATEA of CruSqn 2 with DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, MATABELE, SIKH, FAME, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT departed Scapa at 2330 on Operation DU. The force was divided into two groups; Force B and Force C , each 2 CLs and 4 DDs. Both Force B and C swept together off the Norwegian coast northward. The only contact of the operation was at 0922/22nd when DD SOMALI encountered small steamer BUTT (Ger 736 grt) near Obrestad. However, BUTT was able to escape into Norwegian waters. Naval whaler WINDERMERE (560grt) of the ASW Gp 10 was damaged by bombers of KG26 in Moray Firth, north of Kinnaird Head. 

*West Coast UK*
CL GLASGOW completed repairs at Glasgow. In the early morning hours, AMCs CILICIA, departing the Clyde, and CARINTHIA, arriving in the Clyde, these ships collided with each other .


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## v2 (Mar 19, 2015)

...

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## Njaco (Mar 19, 2015)

*March 19 Tuesday*
*GERMANY:* 30 Whitleys and 20 Hampden RAF bombers attacked the German seaplane base on Sylt Island, but with little effect. Meanwhile, 8 Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys of 10 Squadron No. 4 Group RAF Bomber Command dropped 1,500 pounds of bombs over the German float plane base at Hornum without causing any damage. One plane failed to return. The raid, publicly disclosed in the House of Commons by the prime minister as it was happening, is a reprisal for the German bombing of Scapa Flow three days ago in which six sailors and a civilian were killed.

Yosuke Matsuoka departed Berlin, Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-19 sank Danish steamer “_Minsk_” in the Moray Firth, Scotland at 0935 hours, killing 11. Destroyer HMS “_Esk_” rescued 9 survivors. At 1037 hours, U-19 struck again, sinking Danish steamer “_Charkow_”, killing the entire crew of 20.

British destroyer HMS “_Jervis_” collided with Swedish steamer “_Tor_” northeast of Blyth, England at 0300 hours, killing 2 aboard “_Jervis_”. She would be under repair until Jul 1940.

Ten German bombers attacked a convoy, consisting almost entirely of neutral ships, off Scottish coast. They were engaged by escorting warships and planes of the Fleet Air Arm and Coastal Command. No damage or casualties were incurred by HM ships or aircraft. Three small neutral vessels were damaged: Norwegian ‘_Svinta_’ and ‘_Tora Elise_’ and Swedish ‘_Utklippan_.’ One Heinkel was damaged as were several others during the engagement. Admiralty later announced that two more ships in the convoy had been damaged: British Steamer ‘_Northern Coast_’ and Norwegian ‘_Erling Lindoe_’

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Members of the British House of Commons debated Britain's lack of action during the Winter War and criticized Prime Minister Chamberlain. Chamberlain makes a detailed statement in the Commons on British plans and actions on Finland's behalf. A 100,000-strong Anglo-French expeditionary force could not be sent due to the refusal of entry by Norway and Sweden. Large quantities of arms ammunition, equipment and aircraft (152) had been delivered or promised. Chamberlain noted that Finland never officially requested British military aid.

It was announced that up to March 13, 12816 ships had been convoyed by the British Navy and of those only 28 sunk whilst under protection.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The French Parliament criticized Prime Minister Daladier for the French inaction during the Winter War. Daladier, the French prime minister, is forced to resign. He has been criticized for failing to bring effective help to Finland. In France this has been seen as a way for the Allies to seize the initiative in the war and take the fighting away from French soil and, by association, avoid all the horrors of World War I.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The first strong condemnation of Nazism by an official representative of the US government takes place. The American ambassador in Canada, James Cromwell, declares that Hitler's Germany is openly trying to destroy the social and economic order on which the government of the United States is based.

.


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## Njaco (Mar 19, 2015)

*March 20 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *1(F)./122 sent off a single He 111H on a sortie covering the Shetlands/Bergen/Enge area. East of Sumburgh convoy HN 20 “Alice” was spotted. The make up of the convoy was reported by the crew as a cruiser, three destroyers and forty merchantmen, the heading being reported as southwest. When Fleigerkorps X received this information it immediately dispatched a further 3 He 111s of 1(F)./122 together with 13 He 111s of I./KG 26 and another 14 He 111s of I I./KG 26. (The bomber formations departed their bases about one hour apart during the afternoon. German bombers attack the HMS “_Barn Hill_” three miles southeast of Beachy Head, England. The ship is damaged and towed to Langley Point the next day.

Towards the evening another 1(F)./122 crew spotted a convoy NE of Ratray Head and after an interval of about an hour this too was attacked, this time by another 14 He111s of KG 26.

German submarine U-19 sank Danish steamer “_Viking_” in the Moray Firth, Scotland at 0500 hours, killing 15; 2 survived. At 0515 hours, she sank Danish steamer “_Bothal_”, killing 15; 5 survived.

Norwegian ship ‘_Svinta_’ damaged whilst in convoy on Wednesday, was sunk by U-boat.

British bombers sank converted minesweeper “_Sperrbrecher 12_” (former steamer “_Altenfels_”) off the Dutch coast.

HMS “_Fortune_” sank German submarine U-44 off Narvik, Norway.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French General Maurice-Gustave Gamelin orders that if Germany attacks, seven divisions should race through Belgium to the Dutch border. 

M Paul Reynaud formed a new cabinet. Nine members are to form an inner War Cabinet. M Daladier remains as Minister for National defense and War and three Socialists are included.

*GERMANY: *German submarine U-22 departed Wilhelmshaven. Communications with the submarine was lost shortly after, its crew of 27 was never seen again.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops attacked Japanese-occupied Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Lavrentiy Beria dispatched 11 NKVD killing squads to Ukraine and Byelorussia to arrest, execute, and deport resistance elements.

The USSR forbids alliance between Finland, Norway and Sweden.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 20, 2015)

*21 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV ALGIER (Den 1654 grt)*: Crew: 23 (5 dead and 18 survivors): Cargo:General cargo, including 302 tons of copper, 228 tons of tin, 130 bottles of mercury and 11 Studebaker motor cars : Route: New York - Oslo - Copenhagen . Sunk west of the Orkney Islands. At 0105, the cargo ship was hit by a G7a stern torpedo fired by U-38. Survivors were rescued by Trawler MANX KING (UK), and landed at Scalloway.





Two hours layer at 0326 U-38 struck again. *MV CHRISTIANSBORG (Den 3270 grt)*: Crew:25 (1 dead and 24 survivors) :Cargo: 4107 short tons of maize : Route : Philadelphia - Frederikhavn - Copenhagen : Sunk west of the Orkney Islands. The after part of CHRISTIANBORG was sunk by gunfire from armed boarding vessel DISCOVERY II later the same day, who also rescued the surviving crew. These survivors were landed at Kirkwall. 





*Paddle Steamer GONDILIER (UK 250 grt):* The paddle steamer ferry was scuttled as a block ship in Water Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands.





Still adhering to the rules of warfare for submarines, on the night of the 21st/22nd March, *S.S. HEDDERNHEIM (Ger 4,947 grt)* was intercepted in the Skaggerak north east of Skagen by H.M. Submarine URSULA. After the crew were safe in their boats, in flat calm weather, the ship was torpedoed. The CO log of the URSULA provides a good profile of the difficulties faced by the RN submarine arm at this time. 2146 hours - 

_"Sighted a dim lights of a ship. Closed to investigate. When close signalled the ship to stop. This they did not do. After another attempt the ship was seen to increase speed so a practice round was fired with the gun as a warning shot. The ship now stopped and was asked to identify her self. She signalled 'Estonian'. Meanwhile Ursula crossed close astern of the ship and with the Aldis light the name 'Heddernheim - Bremen' could be read. The crew was ordered to abandon ship. Meanwhile they were also signalling. The crew eventually sent a boat over but this all took a very long time, it was obvious they were 'buying time'. Once again they were ordered to abandon ship, which they did but again very slow. A second warning round was now fired and this speeded up things a bit.". _ 

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Strong pro-British statements by U.S. President Roosevelt, who is especially in favor of large-scale deliveries of planes to the Western Powers. No hesitation in exporting even the most modern types of planes to Great Britain and France.


Pro-allied sympoathies in the US were increasing, but still restrained at this time. 



> Report by Oberregierungrat Dr. Ing. Hagemann on the assessment of British protective and defense measures against the German
> magnetic mine. The enemy is undoubtedly on the right lines in placing cable loops around the hull. Roughly 50 per cent protection can be achieved with well set loops. There are, however, great difficulties in the way of large-scale use of this protective



DKM war diary then goes into a lengthy discussion as to the options available on modifications that can be made to the LMB type, and estimates that given the need to introduce widespread countermeasures throughout the merchant fleet as well as the Navy, it would be at least a year before effective countermeasures would be available to the allies. In fact degaussing was already underway, and sweeping technologies already being introduced. Special wooden constructed minehunters were already under construction and development of magnetic towed arrays had been designed. German mine technologies were constantly being changed and improved for the remainder of the war, making them always a dangerous threat at any time, but the threat posed by the pre-war technology was rapidly being brought under control. Within weeks, the DKM would be introducing new type magnetic mines (but without of course any stockpiles for en effective "shock and awe" campaign, and always limited production capability). The "battle of the boffins" would continue until the end of the war, but mines would never again be as deadly to Allied shipping as they had been in late 1939 to early 1940. 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-20, U-21

At Sea 21 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-19, U-21, U-22, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
OA.114 departed Southend escort DD ANTELOPE from 21 to 23 March, DD AMAZON from 22 to 23 March, DD WINDSOR on the 23rd. The convoy dispersed on the 24th. OA.114 departed Southend escotted by destroyer ANTELOPE from 21 to 23 March, destroyer AMAZON from 22 to 23 March, destroyer WINDSOR on the 23rd. The convoy dispersed on the 24th.

MT.35 of 8 ships departed Methil escort ASW Gp 1 and and sloops FLEETWOOD and STORK. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.126 of 32 ships from the Tyne, fMiddlesbrough, and the Humber departed escort sloops FLEETWOOD STORK and ASW trawler LADY PHILOMENA (417grt). The convoy arrived at Southend on the 23rd. Due to increased U-boat activity in Moray Firth, DD IVANHOE and 3 trawlers on patrol in the Firth were placed under the control of Vice Admiral, Orkneys and Shetlands. DDs ESK, EXPRESS, IMPULSIVE, ICARUS were placed under the orders of Vice Admiral Orkneys and Shetlands. 

Off Fro Havet near Trondheim, DDs FEARLESS and HASTY entered Norwegian territorial waters to challenge steamer NORDLAND (Ger 1902 grt), which was travelling under the protection of Norwegian torpedo boat TRYGG. FEARLESS was ordered away, but attempted again at Hustad, again unsuccessfully, to intercept the German ship. This search continued from 0645 to 1415. Wartime press reports and some postwar accounts identify this German ship as liner EUROPA (49,746grt) which remained anchored at Bremerhaven from pre war days throughout the war. German steamer NEUENFELS (8096grt) was challenged by two DDs of Operation DU near Lindesnes on the 22nd and escaped into Rosfjord.

The Admiralty commences the implementation of a safe corridors policy along the east coast (and parts of the west coast) of Britain which incorporates a series of searched channels for mines. Checks are conducted daily in these channels for the remainder of the war. On this day eight Magnetic Mines and a larger number of contact types are found and destroyed






*Northern Waters*
Base ship DUNLUCE CASTLE caught fire at Scapa, and was beached in Ore Bay until the fire was brought under control. CLA CAIRO and DDs HOSTILE, DIANA, FORESTER arrived at Sullom Voe at 0700 to refuel. The DDs departed at 1835 to rejoin the Fleet. CLA CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe for duty as the AA ship for the Norwegian convoys. CLA CURLEW arrived at Scapa. DD JUPITER, detached from ON.21, arrived at Scapa with condenser trouble. DD JUNO arrived at Scapa after repairs and was dispatched to replace destroyer JUPITER in convoy ON.21. DDs ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER departed Scapa to Skerry Sound to guard the harbour entrance to Scapa after the Tower of Cliff battery fired on a U-boat in Holm Sound. The destroyers took up patrol in Skerry Sound to guard the eastern entrance to Scapa. ENCOUNTER attacked a contact in Stronsay Firth, later shown to be a wreck. Sub CLYDE departed Blyth for Scapa. 

Subs SNAPPER and SUNFISH were ordered to intercept German steamer CHARLOTTE CORDS (1779grt), which was reported preparing to depart Rotterdam for Germany. Submarine SEAL was ordered to intercept German steamer JOHANN BLUMENTHAL (1626grt) off Arendal on the 23rd. Neither German ship was intercepted.

*UK - France*
SA.33 of one steamer departed Southampton, escort sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY. The convoy arrived at Brest on the 23rd.

*SW Approaches*
DDs WOLVERINE, VANSITTART, VIMY, VENETIA departed Plymouth to sweep prior to meeting HX.26.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.29 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs OTTAWA and ST LAURENT. The DDs turned over the convoy to AMC AUSONIA and Fr sub SIDI FERRUCH on the 22nd. The AMC was detached on 2 April. DDs VERSATILE and WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy in home waters, and the convoy arrived at Liverpool 4 April.
.
*Med- Biscay*
HG.23 with 36 ships departed Gib and was given ocean escort by sloops SCARBOROUGH and WELLINGTON from 21 to 30 March. In Home Waters, the convoy split and convoy HG.23A was escorted by the sloops. In Home Waters, convoy HG.23 was joined by DDs CAMPBELL and WALKER from convoy OG.23 and DD VOLUNTEER from 27 to 30 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th. 
Fr DD SIMOUN arrived at Gib from Casablanca and sailed for Toulon.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL DANAE departed Singapore on patrol duties


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## parsifal (Mar 21, 2015)

*22 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV BRAVORE (Nor 2240 grt)*: Departed Tyne in the evening of March 20th 1940 in convoy for Rouen with a cargo of 1991 tons coal. According to "Nortraships flåte" she had a crew of 19 and 5 French soldiers.

At the mouth of the Thames on the 22nd the convoy was split up, with some of the ships heading for London, while BRAVORE and 4 other vessels (2 of which were French, 1 British) continued to The Downs. Captain Tjorve became the first Nortraship captain to die when BRAVORE struck an aerial mine about 4 nautical miles off Ramsgate. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> New French Government under Paul Reynaud has been formed.
> 
> "France is involved in total war. A powerful, well-organized and resolute enemy is using every means of warfare to gain his ends. He has the traitorous support of the U.S.S.R. and is carrying the battle into all areas with a destructive genius that we recognize and which is at the same time grandiose and hateful. This is a total war. Victory means to save all, defeat means to lose all." The vote of confidence was passed by only 268 votes against 156, with 111 abstentions. A Council of War has been formed within the Cabinet, consisting of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for the Colonies, the Finance Minister, the Minister for the Blockade and the Minister of National Defense (Daladier), which is to meet three times a week.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-20

At Sea 22 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-19, U-21, U-22, U-28, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMCs MALOJA and DERBYSHIRE arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol. AMC TRANSYLVANIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD ZULU after conducting a full calibre shoot in the Firth arrived at Rosyth. HN.21 with 39 ships departed Bergen escort DDs JAVELIN, JANUS, ECLIPSE and submarine PORPOISE. DD JUNO rendezvoused with the convoy later that same day. Cover for the convoy was supplied by CL SHEFFIELD. AA support was supplied by CLA CALCUTTA. Later that evening SHEFFIELD attacked a submarine contact west of Utvaer, and at 0215/23rd, a contact east of Muckle Flugga. The nine ships of the west coast ships were joined by DDs COSSACK and GURKHA, which had departed the Clyde at noon on the 21st, at daylight on the 22nd. COSSACK and GURKHA arrived at Scapa after the west coast section of the convoy had been dispersed off Cape Wrath. ECLIPSE, which had been separated in heavy weather, patrolled off Buchanness until she could rejoin the convoy.

HN.21 arrived at Methil in the late morning of the 25th with JAVELIN, JANUS, JUNO, ECLIPSE and PORPOISE. DDs ELECTRA and ESCAPADE at 1050 were ordered to hunt a U-boat reported by air near Sule Skerry. At 1830, an a/c sighted a U-boat. ELECTRA and ESCAPADE were ordered to this position and arrived on station at 2000.

Sub SEAWOLF departed Harwich on patrol. Sub TRIBUNE departed Rosyth for trials and exercises, and returned later in the day. Her engine trials were not satisfactory and she was ordered to the Clyde for repairs. 

TM.31 departed the Tyne escort ASW Gp 19 and sloop HASTINGS. FN.126 departed Southend escort sloop LOWESTOFT and DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived on the 23rd.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ESKIMO and PUNJABI departed the Clyde at 2200 escorting tkrs WAR PINDARI (5559grt) and BELGOL (2648grt) to Scapa. Tkr PETROBUS joined the convoy from Stornoway. She had been at Stornoway since 17 March when her escort was ordered post haste to Scapa. DDs DELIGHT, HUNTER, ILEX, FEARLESS arrived at Sullom Voe at 1630 for refuelling. They put to sea at 0740/23rd. Sub SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol.

ASW trawler LE TIGER (516grt) was damaged when she struck wreckage off Aberdeen. Another trawler of ASW Gp 10 was sent to assist and she safely arrived at Aberdeen later that day.

*West Coast UK*
BB BARHAM was undocked at Liverpool. CL GLASGOW departed Belfast for the Clyde where she arrived later that day.

*Channel*
CV ARK ROYAL, after deplaning at Portland, sailed from Plymouth for the Med the afternoon of 22 March escort DDs IMOGEN and ISIS which returned to Portsmouth the next day. On the 25th, ARK ROYAL was joined by DDs ACTIVE and BULLDOG, which departed Gib on the 24th. RAN DD VOYAGER departed on the 25th and relieved DD ACTIVE. ARK ROYAL, BULLDOG and VOYAGER passed Gib on the 25th and arrived at Malta on the 28th. She soon joined CV GLORIOUS for training exercises for their air crews. The training at this time was extremely intense, as some officers in the RN began to appreciate the vital significance carrier borne a/c would be playing in future operations.

DD BOADICEA was covering the operations of MSWFlot 10 between North Goodwin Bank and Fairy Bank Buoy.MSW LEDA of MSW Flot 5 with Trinity House Vessel ARGUS laid three light buoys along the North Goodwins-Wandelaar search corridor 

DDs HAVELOCK and HAVANT arrived at Plymouth. DD WHITSHED, escorting convoy SL.23, dropped DCs on a submarine contact ten miles south of Portland Bill. DD HIGHLANDER, which had arrived at Portland that day to work up, departed Portland to assist. However, with defective ASW gear, DD HIGHLANDER was recalled. MA/SBs 2 and 6 also departed Portland to assist WHITSHED.

*UK - France*
After departing Brest on the 17th and calling at Cherbourg, Fr submarine depot ship JULES VERNE arrived at Harwich with 600 ton submarines SYBILLE, ANTIOPE, AMAZONE of the Fr SubDiv 16, escort Fr DD FOUDROYANT and sloop AMIRAL MOUCHEZ. In the Downs, the Fr escort was relieved by RN DD CODRINGTON and ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA, GROM, BURZA of ORP DesFlot1. These ships were formed as the SubFlot10 to aid the British in the patrol of the North Sea. 

BC.31 with steamers BARON CARNEGIE, KERMA, LOCHEE, PEMBROKE COAST, SCHOLAR (Commodore) departed Bristol Channel escort DD VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 24th.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.25 departed Freetown escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY until 5 April. On 5 April DDs HAVANT, VANQUISHER, WALKER, WINDSOR joined the convoy and escorted it to its arrival on 8 April.

*Indian Ocean*
CA KENT completed her refit at Colombo.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 22, 2015)

*March 21 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* The Kommodore of KG 51, Ob. Dr. Johann-Volkmar Fisser is transferred to KG 77 as Kommodore in place of Generalmajor Wolf von Stutterheim.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Paul Reynaud was named the Prime Minister of France.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-38 sank neutral Danish merchant ship “_Algier_” 15 miles north of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0100 hours, killing 5; British trawler “_Manx King_” rescued 18 survivors At 0326, U-38 torpedoed another Danish ship, “_Christiansborg_”, killing 1; HMS “_Discovery II_” rescued 24 survivors from the damaged Danish ship.

A 1(F)./122 He 111H-3 ran out of fuel while spotting convoys in the Shetlands - Orkneys area for KG 26 and force landed near Flensburg on return; 2 killed and 1 injured.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops captured Japanese-occupied Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Semyon Timoshenko was made a Hero of the Soviet Union for the first time and the Order of Lenin for the second time.

.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 22, 2015)

*March 22 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *Lt. Harald Jung of I./JG 20 claims his Gruppe’s first victory by shooting down a Spitfire of the UK based Photographic Development Unit (PDU), the first reconnaissance plane of its kind to be brought down. The Spitfire, crashing northwest of Kleve at 1245 hours is also Lt. Jung's first victory of the war.

In French counterintelligence, Colonel Paul Paillole reports that Germans had suddenly begun to study routes from Sedan to Abbeville. He concludes that an attack through Belgium toward the English Channel seemed imminent.

French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud keeps his predecessor Édouard Daladier as Minister of War. Due to their opposite political views and personal animosity, Reynaud and Daladier cannot agree or cooperate on any plan, which hampers French war planning and especially complicates the alliance with the British.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines sank 7 neutral ships.

The Royal Navy increased patrols in Norwegian waters.

British Admiralty announced that on previous evening a British submarine intercepted Nazi iron-ore ship ‘Hiddernheim’ 8 miles north of Denmark and sank her, after ensuring safety of crew.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet military personnel began to arrive at the Hanko Peninsula in Finland, which had been leased by the Soviet Union as part of the Moscow Peace Treaty that ended the Winter War. The area is renamed Hangö by the Soviets.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government was warned of the possibility of a German nuclear weapon.

*ASIA: *Chinese troops secured major roads leading into Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China. A small Japanese force was immediately deployed to counterattack, with more troops being transferred to reinforce the counteroffensive.

American gunboat USS “Asheville” arrived at Gulangyu island, an international zone, near Xiamen, China.

.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 22, 2015)

*23 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-33 S Boote





Allied
Hunt Class Escort DD (for convenience referred to as TB) ATHERSTONE - Boom defence vessel BARNDALE







_ATHERSTONE was the first of a large class of escort destroyers. Following working up at Portland, she was attached to the Home Fleet. Hunt Class were good ships, but too small and too slow to operate with the fleet, and too short ranged and not good enough as sea boats to operate as ocean escorts. They also suffered by having full turbine engines, an expensive luxury that Britain could not really afford. On the other hand they were better armed than most fleet DDs for AA work. _

*Known Losses*
*EDMUND HUGO STINNES IV (Ger 2189 grt)*: en route to Copenhagen, the ship was intercepted by submarine TRUANT ( misidentified as TRIDENT in Seekrieg) in the Skagerrak six miles 306° from Bovbjerg. The submarine fired five warning shots, but the German steamer entered territorial waters, scuttled herself and was finished off by TRUANT with two torpedoes two miles 294° from Thors Minde Light House. The Master was taken prisoner.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Lookout trawler LOCH ASSATER (RN 210 grt)*: The vessel was sunk on a British defensive minefield 61 miles north east of Kinnaird Head. The entire crew was picked up by trawler STRATHTUMMEL (210grt). .


*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> 1. Conference on the state of "Weseruebung^. The LUTZOW's breakthrough to the Atlantic is adhered to in principle. The possibility of removing the LUETZCW from "Weseruebung" and replacing her by the BLUCHER is being examined. Naval Staff sees no objection to using the BLUCHER for this assignment.
> 2. The British main radio code procedure underwent a change of code on 22 March. We must expect no information from our radio monitoring for 10-14 days.
> 
> On 20 March a report was again made to Commander in Chief, Navy on the subject of the readiness of the second wave of auxiliary cruisers in connection with the necessity for deferring some auxiliary cruisers "because of the repairs to the cruiser LEIPZIG. After thorough investigations, three auxiliary cruisers will have to be given up in favor of the cruiser LEIPZIG, if on the other hand the submarine construction program is to be carried out without curtailment. CinC, Navy orders that the submarine construction program is to remain unchanged. CinC, Navy rejects the other solution - that of further deferment of the LEIPZIG in favor of the auxiliary cruisers, as considered desirable by Naval Staff, Operations Division, in view of the auxiliary cruisers 1 possible great
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 28 and U 32 entered port. The boats took a particularly long time on their return passage through the North Sea as they had very heavy head seas. U 28: Minelaying operation square 3163 BF. She carried it out according to plan on a new moon night. The position of the minefield gap was fixed by observing shipping traffic. The boat found the Channel coast darkened, including lights at sea. She encountered little traffic during the entire patrol, including the Channel. She sank:
> 1)	Darkened steamer about 6,000 tons ; 2)	Darkened tanker about 6,000 tons ; TOTAL 12,000 tons The commanding officer's way of tackling the operation was good.
> 
> U 32: Minelaying operation square AM 9322. Carried out according to plan during a new moon night. The mines are in an excellent position. So far no definite successes are known, but this is in itself unimportant and can be attributed to the fact that the enemy is gradually beginning to understand the need for more complete radio silence and other security measures.
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-19 , U-28 , U-32 

At Sea 23 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-21, U-22, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*

Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs CIRCASSIA and LETITIA arrived in the Clyde from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD EXPRESS was damaged in a collision with trawler MANX ADMIRAL (219grt) ten miles due north of Kinnaird Head. EXPRESS was taken to Hartlepool for repairs arriving on the 28th. DD BRILLIANT on patrol searched unsuccessfully for the pilot of a downed RAF Hurricane southeast of Folkestone. CLs GALATEA, ARETHUSA, PENELOPE arrived at Rosyth after Operation "DU". CL AURORA and DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, MATABELE, SIKH arrived off Scapa, but were unable to enter due to low visibility until early on the 24th. SOMALI, MATABELE, MASHONA, SIKH carried out an independent ASW sweep and entered Scapa on the morning of the 24th. AURORA and DDs FAME, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE of operation DU arrived at Scapa later that morning. 

DD NUBIAN departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow. Sloop AUCKLAND arrived at Rosyth. Subs SUNFISH and SNAPPER arrived at Harwich after patrol. MT.36 of 33 ships departed Methil escort DDs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER. DD WESTMINSTER attacked a submarine contact (which was later revealed to be U-38) 6½ miles 135° from May Island. At 1144, armed boarding vessel NORTHERN REWARD sighted thye same submarine near wreckage and empty rafts and attacked it west of Foula Island. No damage was done to U.38. Contact was later lost in rain squalls. DDs ELECTRA, ENCOUNTER and armed boarding vessel DISCOVERY II joined to assist in the hunt. DD FAULKNOR departed Scapa at 1500 to join the search. At 1705, a British flying boat dropped bombs on a contact in this area. At 0600/24th, FAULKNOR departed the search area for Kirkwall. 

After MT.36 arrived off the Tyne, DD WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER escorted FS.127. FN.127 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERIA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 24th. FS.127 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th.

ASW trawler ST KENAN (565grt) made an attack on a submarine contact off Salisker. ASW trawler ASTON VILLA (546grt) was also in the area. Off the Butt of Lewis, ASW trawler ANGLE (531grt) made an attack on a submarine contact. 

*Northern Waters*
DD ESK arrived at Invergordon. Sub SPEARFISH and DD FAULKNOR were engaged in ASW exercises from Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
Armed yacht ALICE (527grt) made an attack on a submarine contact in Liverpool Bay.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 23, 2015)

*24 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
Fr DD LA RAILLEUSE (Marine Nationale 1378 grt): The Adroit-class destroyer was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Casablanca, Morocco by the accidental explosion of its own torpedoes with the loss of 28 crew.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The German Ambassador in Oslo made representations to the Norwegian Foreign Minister on 23 March in connection with the
> harassing of German steamers by British forces in Norwegian territorial waters; referring also to numerous flights over German steamers by British planes in Norwegian territorial waters he stated that if Norway could not guarantee adequate protection against these partly attempted, partly achieved violations of International Law, this would make necessary the most serious deliberations.
> 
> The Norwegian Government sent a very sharp note of protest to London on 23 March. In addition, the Foreign Minister has drawn the attention of the British consul in Oslo to the extraordinary seriousness of the situation in which Norwsv has found herself because of the British naval and R.A.F. actions contrary to International Law. He has also informed the British Government that Norwegian forces have received strict orders if there la any repetition to open fire on any foreign warship or plane which Is guilty of actions contrary to International Law or which violates Norwegian territory.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report



At Sea 24 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-21, U-22, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Steamer OSTPREUSSEN (Ger 3030 grt) ran aground five miles 224° from Hirsthals Light. Submarine TRIAD was sent to investigate, but was not able to attack. The German steamer was refloated on the 30th. This vessel was eventually to be lost on the 22 August 1941, after being torpedoed north of Tromso by HMS TRUANT





*Northern Patrol*
AMC AURANIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol. AMC SCOTSTOUN arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
Netlayer PROTECTOR arrived at Rosyth from Plymouth. OA.116 departed Southend escort DDs WHITSHED from 24 to 26 March and MONTROSE from 25 to 26 March. The convoy dispersed on the 28th.

ON.22 of 31 ships departed Methil at 1500 escort DDs KIMBERLEY, KASHMIR, ESCAPADE, ZULU. Three ships were detached prior to the North Sea crossing; British steamers STRAIT FISHER (573grt) were detached for Scapa and HARLAW (1141grt) for Invergordon. The convoy was joined the next day by DDs FAULKNOR and TARTAR with a contingent of 8 ships from Kirkwall. CLs AURORA and SHEFFIELD and CLA CAIRO provided additional cover for the convoy. On the late afternoon of the 23rd, SHEFFIELD attacked a submarine contact west of Foula Island. ON.22 arrived without event on the 27th at Bergen. On the 29th SHEFFIELD arrived at Scapa, AURORA at Rosyth, and CAIRO at Sullom Voe.

FN.128 of 18 ships departed Southend escort sloops FLEETWOOD and STORK and DD JUNO. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 26th. MT.37 of 11 ships departed Methil escort sloops AUCKLAND and HASTINGS and ASW trawlers of the ASW Gp 19. AUCKLAND rejoined later that day off Berwick and then attacked a submarine contact. HASTINGS was detached to stand by the contact and AUCKLAND rejoined the convoy. Two trawlers were detached to assist HASTINGS in her search which lasted until late afternoon before rejoining the convoy. The contact was later assessed as non submarine. After MT.37's arrival in the Tyne, . FS.128 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop AUCKLAND and HASTINGS. The convoy became separated in fog. AUCKLAND with 15 ships was able to proceed, but HASTINGS with 25 ships anchored off Cromer Knoll. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 26th. TM.32 departed the Tyne escort ASW Gp 23, as well as sloop LOWESTOFT, DD VALOROUS.

*Northern Waters*
Steamer BECHEVILLE (UK 4228 grt) reported she was attacked by a German submarinenorthwest of the Orkneys. DD FIREDRAKE made an attack on a submarine contact in the Pentland Skerries. This contact was later assessed as non submarine. DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, SIKH departed Scapa. At 1550, MATABELE attacked a submarine contact. DDs FOXHOUND, FAME, FORESIGHT later departed Scapa to assist in the hunt for the U-boat. FAME attacked a submarine contact at 1900 east, southeast of Copinsay. DDs ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER were searching for a submarine west of the Orkneys. They were ordered to search for the submarine reported. DDs IVANHOE, ESK, ICARUS from Moray Firth Patrol were also ordered into the area. MATABELE, SIKH, SOMALI, FAME, FOXHOUND attacked contacts off Auskerry. MATABELE remained on the location of this attack. ICARUS and IVANHOE patrolled the approaches to Stromsay Firth. FORESIGHT attacked a contact at 1930, east, southeast of Copinsay, but this was later found to be a wreck. SOMALI, SIKH, FAME, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND searched the area during the night. At 0600, DD FAULKNOR departed her ASW patrol northwest of the Orkneys to proceed to Kirkwall to escort the Kirkwall section of ON.22. DD PUNJABI arrived at Scapa escorting tkr PETROBUS from Stornoway. DD NUBIAN rendezvoused off Rosyth to escort submarine TRIBUNE as far as Scapa. 
DDs HERO and HOTSPUR arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel at 0900, and departed at 1900 for ASW patrol west of Fair Island Channel.
DD IMPULSIVE arrived at Invergordon. Sub UNITY departed Blyth on patrol.

*West Coast UK*
OB.126 departed Liverpool escort DDs WITHERINGTON from 24 to 27 March, VANQUISHER from 24 to 26 March, WHIRLWIND on the 25th. The convoy dispersed on the 27th.

*UK - France*
BC.30 of 7 steamers, including BARON GRAHAM (Commodore) and MARSLEW departed Loire escort DD VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived In Bristol Channel on the 25th.
.
*Med- Biscay*
RAN DD VOYAGER arrived at Gib for escort duties with CV ARK ROYAL. After the cancelled Finland operations, Fr AMC VILLE D'ALGER and troopship DJENNE departed Cherbourg, escort Fr DD CYCLONE, arriving at Brest on the 22nd. The AMC and troopship departed on the 24th with troopships PRESIDENT DOUMER and CHAMPOLLION, escort CL EMILE BERTIN and Contre Torpilleur DDs VAUTOUR, ALBATROS, BISON, CHEVALIER PAUL. Troopship DJENNE and DD CHEVALIER PAUL arrived at Casablanca on the 27th. The other three liners and the remaining escort ships passed Gib on the 27th and arrived at Oran on the 28th. The troopship and DD departed Casablanca on the 30th to return to Brest for Norwegian operations. They arrived on 1 April. Fr AMC COLOMBIE departed Brest, escorted by Contre Torpilleur DD TARTU. The DD was detached off Gib and the AMC proceeded to Oran. TARTU arrived at Casablanca on the 27th. The AMC arrived at Oran on the 28th. The DD departed Casablanca on the 31st to return to Brest for Norwegian operations. TARTU arrived at Brest on 2 April.

*Indian Ocean*
The British Malaya Force was formed to watch German merchant ships in Dutch East Indies harbours. After the invasion of Holland DDs STRONGHOLD and TENEDOS departed Singapore on the 26th and were stationed off Sabang to watch *LINDENFELS (8457grt), MONI RICKMERS (5272grt), SOPHIE RICKMERS (7033grt), WASGENWALD (4990grt)* and *WERDENFELS (6318grt).* CL DAUNTLESS patrolled off Batavia to watch *NORDMARK (7750grt), RENDSBURG (6200grt)* and *VOGTLAND (6608grt).* CL DURBAN departed Singapore on the 25th, and patrolled off Padang to watch *BITTERFELD (7659grt), FRANKEN (7789grt), RHEINLAND (6622grt), SONECK (2191grt)*, and *WUPPERTAL (6737grt)*. CL DANAE departed Singapore on the 21st, and patrolled off Surabaya to watch *CASSEL (6047grt), ESSEN (5158grt)* and *NAUMBURG (5878grt)*. Sloop FALMOUTH watched *STASSFURT (7395grt*) at Tjilitjap.
German steamer *SCHEER (8298grt) *at Makassar and German steamer *FRIDERUN (2464grt)* at Menado were taken over as MANGKAI and MEROENDOENG, respectively, after the invasion of Holland.

Subs PERSEUS departed Singapore on the 27th and RAINBOW departed Singapore on the 25th, and were stationed in the Sunda Strait to guard the German ships' escape route. These patrols were maintained until mid April. Some six weeks later when Germany invaded Holland, all the merchant ships, except SOPHIE RICKMERS which scuttled herself in harbour, were seized by Holland for service under the Dutch flag. Steamers *BITTERFELD, WUPPTERTAL, RHEINLAND* were captured by boarding parties from Dutch cruiser JAVA in Padang.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 24, 2015)

*25 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV BRITTA (Den 1146 grt)*: Crew: 18 (13 dead and 5 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast : Route: Kalundborg, Denmark - Liverpool : Sunk east of the Shetlands. Just before dawn on 25 March 1940 the neutral BRITTA was hit forward by one torpedo from U-47 and sank slowly about 40 miles northwest of Sule Skerry. The ship had been spotted at 04.30 hours and missed by a first torpedo at 05.19 hours. The survivors were picked up by the Danish steam merchant NANCY and were taken to Swansea. 





*Tkr DAGHESTAN (UK 5742 grt)*: Crew:29 (4 dead and 25 survivors) :Cargo: 7500 short tons of crude oil : Route:Scapa Flow - Sullom Voe, Shetlands : Sunk: nine miles east of Copinsay, Orkneys. escorted by armed boarding vessel NORTHERN DAWN and ASW trawler BRONTES (428grt). At 20.11 hours on 25 March, the Daghestan was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-57 The ship caught fire, was abandoned by the crew and later sank. Survivors were rescued by the escorts. 

On 20 March 1940 the DAGHESTAN in convoy HN-20 was bombed and lightly damaged by a German aircraft off Noss Head. This time she had not been quite so lucky. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The question of a re-formation of the British Government is being discussed in the foreign press. The inclusion of representatives of the Opposition in the Cabinet and the formation of a War Council are regarded as probable developments.
> 
> 1. British activity lately Indicates the following possibilities:
> a) General striving towards more active warfare with a strong tendency to pacify the British people.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to Report



Departures
Kiel: U-13
Wilhelmshaven: U-24

At Sea 25 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-21, U-22, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL GLASGOW departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol. CA YORK departed Rosyth for Scapa, where she arrived on the 26th in preparation of setting out on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DD BRAZEN departed Rosyth for exercises, and returned later in the day.Subs THISTLE and SEAL arrived at Rosyth from patrol. Sub TRIDENT departed Rosyth on patrol. Subs URSULA and L.23 arrived at Blyth after patrol. OG.23 was formed with 51 ships from OA.115G, which departed Southend on the 23rd, and OB.115G, which departed Liverpool on the 23rd escort DDs WALKER, WANDERER, VOLUNTEER. DDs WAKEFUL and VOLUNTEER escorted the convoy from 25 to 26 March and were then detached to HG.23. WANDERER also escorted the convoy from 25 to 26 March. Sloop ABERDEEN escorted the convoy from 25 to 27 March. DD CAMPBELL escorted the convoy from 25 to 27 March. Fr DD TIGRE and patrol vessel VIKINGS escorted the convoy from 26 to 31 March. DD DOUGLAS joined the convoy on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Gib later on the 31st. MLs PRINCESS VICTORIA and TEVIOTBANK departed Rosyth for the Tyne, escort sloop FLAMINGO and DD WALLACE. The ships arrived in the Tyne on the 26th and joined convoy FS.130 for passage to Immingham. PRINCESS VICTORIA had some damage to her mine chutes to be repaired at Immingham. FS.129 departed the Tyne escort sloop FLAMINGO and DDs WALLACE and JUNO. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th.

Following the loss of the DAGHESTAN, DDs ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, FIREDRAKE and ASW Gps 19 and 21 were sent to search for the U-Boat. Tugs BUCCANEER and KROOMAN were sent to assist the tkr, 

DD ACASTA detached from her convoy on the 25th to search for a sub off Bude, and met VIVACIOUS at noon on the 26th. ACASTA attacked a submarine contact off Bull Point. ASW trawler KIRKELLA (436grt) attacked a sub contact on the 25th off Bull Point. ASW trawler BANDOLERO was in company, and ACASTA and VIVACIOUS joined the trawlers at this location. On 1 April, DD HAVANT identified a wreck at this location which was the probable target of the Sweep. Steamer DRECHTDIJK (Ne 9338 grt) went ashore on the Varne, and ASW trawler KINGSTON CRYSTAL (433grt) was sent to investigate. The steamer was refloated under her own power before midnight, and tug LADY BRASSEY escorted her to one mile northeast of Folkestone Gate to anchor and subsequently undergo repair.

*Northern Waters*
DD ESK arrived at Scapa for repair to her bow. DD ESKIMO arrived at Scapa with tkrs BELGOL and WAR PINDARI. DD IMPULSIVE departed Invergordon to relieve DD IVANHOE on the Moray Firth Patrol.

Following the sinking of the BRITTA, DDs ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER, which had been returning to Scapa proceeded to the location and ELECTRA stood by the rescue area. At 1241, ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER were ordered to return to Scapa where they arrived at 1830. DDs HOTSPUR and HERO from Sullom Voe and SOMALI, MATABELE, FAME, FORESIGHT, SIKH, FOXHOUND from ASW operations east of the Orkneys were sent to the area. DDs COSSACK, ESKIMO, PUNJABI departed Scapa that morning. The wreckage of BRITTA was later found 18 miles from the reported position.

In ASW ops on 25 and 26 March, COSSACK, SIKH, FOXHOUND, HOTSPUR, HERO were conducted repeated sweeps of the area. They were joined by DD NUBIAN after escorting sub TRIBUNE and DD FIREDRAKE after repairs from depot ship WOOLWICH. DD FIREDRAKE was then ordered to join DDs ICARUS and IVANHOE and the ASW Trawlers on the Moray Firth patrol. In ASW ops on 25 and 26 March, DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, PUNJABI searched the eastern half of a patrol area. MATABELE, FAME, FORESIGHT searched the western half of this area.

DD NUBIAN, which had completed refitting and degaussing at Rosyth on the 24th, rendezvoused off Rosyth on the 24th escorting sub TRIBUNE. Both ships arrived safely at Scapa in the early aftenoon of the 25th. NUBIAN departed Scapa and joined the DDs searching for U.47. The hunt was unsuccessful and NUBIAN damaged her asdic dome. TRIBUNE departed Scapa on the 28th and was joined off Switha Gate by DD FIREDRAKE which departed Invergordon. FIREDRAKE escorted TRIBUNE to Greenock for the repair of further defects, arriving on the 30th, and completing on 10 May. FIREDRAKE then went on to Cardiff for repairs and refit herself. Returning to Scapa, NUBIAN collided in a glancing contact DD MASHONA while changing berths requiring that NUBIAN go back into the dockyard for repairs. NUBIAN departed Scapa on the 30th for the Tyne, and left the dockyard there on 11 April for duty with the Home Flt.

*Channel*
CVL FURIOUS departed Plymouth escort DDs ISIS, HAVOCK, IMOGEN arrived in the Clyde on the 26th. The DDs, joined by DD MOHAWK, went on to Scapa.

*UK - France*
DD KEITH brought the British Chief of the General Staff (CIGS) back from Boulogne.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.30 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, RESTIGOUCHE, SKEENA, which were detached on the 26th. Ocean escort for the convoy was BB REVENGE. mid morning of the 26th, RCN DD SKEENA was detached to join BB MALAYA on the morning of the 27th. The BB was returning to Halifax after escorting HX.26. REVENGE was detached on 3 April while DDs ACASTA, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WITCH escorted the convoy in Home waters from 6 to 9 April, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.24F departed Gib with 27 ships. Fr DD CHACAL and aux PV CAPITAINE ARMAND escorted the convoy from 25 to 31 March. DDs BROKE and VANSITTART escorted the convoy from 31 March to 3 April when it arrived at Liverpool. Fr DD FORBIN stopped steamer LIMA (Pt 3881 grt) off Lisbon. A German citizen, accused of espionage, was taken off the steamer and taken into custody.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 24, 2015)

*March 23 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Dutch fighters accidentally shot down a RAF bomber near Rotterdam.

French Prime Minister Reynauld held a meeting of the Inner Cabinet at which General Gamelin and Admiral Darlan were present.

*SOUTH PACIFIC :* The British Malaya Force was formed to observe German merchant ships in Dutch East Indies. The British Malaya Force included the destroyers HMS “_Stronghold_” and HMS “_Tenedos_”, cruisers HMS “_Dauntless_”, HMS “_Danae_” and HMS “_Durban_”, sloop HMS “_Falmouth_” and submarines HMS “_Perseus_” and HMS “_Rainbow_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine (HMS “_Truant_” or HMS “_Trident_”) intercepted German merchant ship “_Edmund Hugo Stinnes IV_” 6 miles off of the western coast of Denmark at 2330 hours. The German ship sailed closer to shore before being scuttled by its crew. The abandoned ship was later torpedoed and sunk by the submarine.

British trawlers ‘_Salacon_’ ‘_Recordo_’ and ‘_Helios_’ reported attacks by machine guns and bombs from German planes. Planes, believed to be hostile, appeared off east coast of Scotland.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Deportation of Jews in German-occupied Eastern Europe continued despite of Hermann Göring's order for a temporary pause.

Officially announced in Prague that two German frontier guards had been murdered the night before at Birke.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that a Note of protest to Germany against the sinking of Norwegian ships had been delivered to the German government on March 8th. Nothing is known of any German reply.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Twenty-first anniversary of foundation of Fascist movement celebrated throughout Italy.

'


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## Njaco (Mar 24, 2015)

*March 24 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Over Zweibrücken, Fw. Ali Griena, part of a four aircraft patrol from 5./JG 52, shoots down a Potez 63. It is his first victory.

Following the Finnish capitulation, the Allies lose focus on Scandinavia and their plans diverge. The British attend to shoring up their air defenses following the bombing of Scapa Flow on March 16. Paul Reynaud’s new French government considers anything that will not involve fighting on French soil, including submarine attacks on Soviet shipping in the Black Sea or bombing Soviet oilfields at Baku on the Caspian Sea to deprive USSR and Germany of oil.

*NORTH AFRICA:* French destroyer “_La Railleuse_” suffered an accidental torpedo detonation as she was departing Casablanca, Morocco. “_La Railleuse_” was lost; 28 were killed and 24 were wounded.

*GERMANY:* RAF carried out reconnaissance flights over north-west Germany during night of March 23-24. One plane failed to return.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Helsinki reported that Red Army had taken over Hango, which was formally handed over at midnight on March 22nd.

Announced that Norwegian Government lodged protests in Berlin on March 18 and 19 against German air attacks on Norwegian steamers ‘_Lysaker_’ and ‘_Bott_.’

.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 24, 2015)

*March 25 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke of 7./JG 53 gets his third victory when he destroys a Morane at 1455 hours south west of Saarbrücken.

French Prime Minister Reynaud wrote to the British War Cabinet, proposing ideas to undermine any possibility of further Soviet expansion in Scandinavia. British Prime Minister Chamberlain refused to cooperate as he refused to build hostility with the Soviet Union. Chamberlain is horrified at the idea of any attacks on USSR, assessing Reynaud as desperate to do something to justify his new role.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Hungarian Prime Minister Pál Teleki met with Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano; Teleki voiced neutrality for Hungary.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Swiss intelligence warned Norway regarding evidence of a German invasion, but Norway chose to ignore the warning.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government forbade captured servicemen to participate in enemy propaganda radio broadcasts.

Announced that automatic light floats with lamps that burn for two months, are to replace lightships which have suffered from Nazi bombing’

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-47 sank Danish steamer “_Britta_” 30 miles north of Scotland at 0540 hours, killing 13. 5 survivors were rescued by Danish steamer “_Nancy_”. German submarine U-57 sank British tanker “_Daghestan_” 9 miles east of Orkney Islands, Scotland at 0811 hours, killing 3. 29 survivors were picked up by armed anti-submarine trawlers HMS “_Northern Wave_” and HMS “_Brontes_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States gave contractors to the US Army Air Corps the authority to sell to anti-Axis governments the most modern types of combat aircraft.

*ASIA: *By this date, the strength of the Japanese counteroffensive near Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China had grown to 3,000 men with artillery and aircraft support.

.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 25, 2015)

*26 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Steamer COMETA (Nor 3749 grt)*: Crew: 42 (0 dead and 42 survivors) Cargo: 3250 short tons of general cargo and paper: Route: Oslo - Brevik - Kirkwall (Allied control inspection) - Santos - Buenos Aires. On the evening of 25 March 1940 the neutral and illuminated Cometa was spotted by U-38 and missed with a torpedo because the vessel stopped about 65 miles northwest of Noup Head, Orkneys. The Germans then signalled by aldis lamp for the papers which were brought by the first mate, a difficult task due to the high seas and the darkness. He told Liebe that the ship had been ordered by the British authorities to go to Kirkwall for examination - she had been stopped armed boarding vessel KINGSTON PERIDOT and one officer and four ratings were placed aboard. The Germans ordered the crew to abandon ship within one hour and then fired one torpedo at 02.20 hours on 26 March. She was struck amidships and broke in two. The stern sank immediately and the forepart was sunk by a coup de grâce at 02.57 hours. The 31 crew members, 6 Swedish passengers and 5 British sailors left the ship in one motorboat and two lifeboats and were picked up by armed boarding vessel NORTHERN SKY next morning. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Conference between the Fuehrer and Commander in Chief, Navy
> Points under Discussion ;
> 
> 1. "Weseruebung" : Commander in Chief, Navy reports the state of readiness of the Navy, and states that, though at present and for the immediate future no British landing in Norway need be expected, the British will attempt to harass German trade in neutral waters and to' suppress it completely sooner or later. In Commander in Chief, Navy's opinion, Germany will sooner or later have to face the question of carrying out "Weseruebung". Commander in Chief, Navy therefore is in favor of its execution as soon as possible, possibly utilizing the next new-moon period.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-24
Wilhelmshaven: U-13

At Sea 26 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-21, U-22 , U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
Western Baltic
U.21 ran aground off Oddknuppen Island near Ryvinga, southeast of Mandel. U.1 was ordered to assist, but was unable to locate her. U.22 was also ordered to assist, but she failed to respond to wT hails, suggesting she may already have been lost. The stranded U.21 was refloated by a German trawler and taken to Evjemoen in Mandalsfjord where she arrived on the 27th. She was interned on the 31st, but was only in Norwegian hands for a short time as she returned to German control on 9 April when Kristiansand fell.

*Northern Patrol*
CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Scapa on Northern Patrol. AMCs DERBYSHIRE, WOLFE, LETITIA departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol, and were given air escort from the Clyde.

*North Sea*
Sub TRUANT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub URSULA was docked at Blyth for repairs of ice damage sustained on her patrol. OA.117 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL on 26 and 27 March and DD VANESSA on the 27th. The convoy dispersed on the 29th. 

*Northern Waters*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa for refitting in the Tyne. DD IVANHOE departed Invergordon to relieve DD ICARUS on Moray Firth patrol. DD BEDOUIN, escorting the Home Flt, attacked a suspected submarine contact ENE of the Faroes. This contact was later assessed as probably a wreck. During the early afternoon, DDs HERO and HOTSPUR, after an ASW Sweep for a reported Uboat in their area, joined the Home Flt.

DD FIREDRAKE attacked a submarine contact ESE of Copinsay. The contact was found to be non submarine. DD ELECTRA departed Scapa at 1500 for a full calibre shoot southwest of the Orkneys, and then proceeded to Rosyth. DD ESK, after repairs, departed Scapa at 1945 for a patrol station between Copinsay and Brough Head, before joining the Moray Firth Patrol on the 27th.

FN.129 of 21 ships departed Southend escort DDSs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 28th. MT.38 departed Methil escorted by ASW Gp 1, and sloop LOWESTOFT, and DD VALOROUS. On MT.38's arrival off the Tyne, FS.130, which included MLs TEVIOTBANK and PRINCESS VICTORIA, departed the Tyne escort LOWESTOFT and VALOROUS. The MLs arrived at the Humber on the 27th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th. ASW LADY ELSA (518grt) at 1550 attacked a submarine contact off Grimness, South Ronaldsay. The contact was non submarine.

ASW trawler DANEMAN (516grt) attacked a submarine contact east of Halero Head, South Ronaldsay . ASW MAN O' WAR (517grt) also attacked the contact. At 1440, ASW trawler MAN O' WAR attacked a submarine contact off Burray Ness.

*West Coast UK*
OB 118GF departed Liverpool on the 26th and merged as OG.24F. OB.119 departed Liverpool on the 26th escort DDs VERSATILE and WINCHELSEA.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DUNEDIN arrived at Kingston. DD ACTIVE arrived at Gib escorting steamer SEVILLA, carrying whale oil from Freetown. DD DIAMOND covered cable ship MIRROR repairing the St Vincent to Bathurst cable five to nine miles south of St Vincent Verde Island.


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## Njaco (Mar 25, 2015)

*March 26 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported marked increase in air activity over Western Front, particularly in Saar and Vosges regions. French machines made reconnaissance flights far into enemy territory; German aircraft flew over Northern and Eastern France. The major engagement of the day occurs shortly after 1430 hours when fighters from III./JG 53 and RAF No. 73 Squadron clash again over the Saar. Fw. Arthur Weigelt claims a Hurricane for his first kill. Piloted by F/O Edgar James ‘Cobber’ Kain, who was shot down by Hptm. Werner Mölders on March 2, 1940 and had returned to operations, the Hurricane crashes near Saarbrücken. Hptm. Mölders claims his sixth victory a short time later, a Hurricane flown by F/O N. 'Fanny' Orton, though Mölders claims this as a French Morane 406. After the battle, three Messerschmitts from JG 53 are so badly damaged they crash land back at Trier airfield.

French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud called for his country to wage total war against Germany.

Another sector of the Allied front in France is taken over by the BEF from French troops. The Highlanders being the first to replace the French.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-38 stopped Norwegian MV “_Cometa_” 65 miles northwest of Noup Head, Orkney Islands, and demands to see her papers. Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Liebe gives “_Cometa’s_” crew and passengers one hour to abandon ship. “_Cometa_” had previously been boarded by HMS _“Kingston Peridot_”; therefore, a Royal Navy officer and four naval ratings are aboard for the passage to Kirkwall, Orkneys. At 0220 hours U-38 fires one torpedo and sinks “_Cometa_” but the crew of 31, 6 Swedish passengers and the 5 British sailors take to the lifeboats and are picked up by HMS “_Northern Sky_”.

German submarine U-22 became missing in the North Sea, its crew of 27 was never seen again. It was probable that she hit a mine.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Stalin refused to meet Hitler to discuss an issue regarding a border dispute in occupied Poland.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops evacuated Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British War Cabinet debated French Prime Minister Reynaud's proposal of attacking Soviet oilfields at Baku on the Caspian Sea and Soviet shipping in the Black Sea. Agreeing with the British Prime Minister Chamberlain, the proposals were rejected by the cabinet.

*GERMANY:* The RAF has shifted focus from leaflet drops to reconnaissance missions over Germany. In a cabinet meeting behind closed doors, the British Secretary of State for Air, Sir Kingsley Wood, discussed the decision with the Prime Minister. Sir Kingsley explained that the reconnaissance missions enable bomber crews to train for forthcoming offensive bombing raids over enemy territory.

At Speyer, Fw. Walter Hoops of JG 52 is killed in a runway collision during a scramble.

Oberst Josef Kammhuber is made Kommodore of KG 51 in place of Oberst Dr. Johann-Volkmar Fisser who was made Kommodore of KG 77 on 21 March, 1940.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 26, 2015)

*27 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Boom Defence Vessel HMAS KOALA (Bar Class)






*Known Losses*
*Type IIB U-22 (DKM 324 grt) *The exact date for the loss of this U-Boat is not known, but on this day KTB BDU recorded her as lost. U-22 sailed from Wilhelmshaven to operate east of the Pentland Firth on 20 March 1940 and two days later was ordered to temporarily patrol off Ryvingen, Norway. The boat sent no messages after leaving port and it was reported missing on 27 March 1940. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> Considering the state of British preparations, Naval Staff considers intelligence regarding an Imminent British action against Norway under the pretext of assuming protection of Norwegian neutrality to be credible. Facts gained from the statements are passed on to Groups Baltic and West, Special Staff Boehm and Commanding Admiral, Submarines.
> 
> It is reported from Paris that the western neutrals are expecting an attack by Germany, because of alleged troop movements along
> the frontiers of Belgium and Holland.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to Report



Arrivals
Mandal (Norway): U-21 (Interned)

Departures
Germany: U-17 

At Sea 27 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMCs SALOPIAN and WORCESTERSHIRE arrived at Greenock from Northern Patrol. AMC MALOJA departed Greenock on Northern Patrol. CA YORK departed Scapa on Northern Patrol. AMC PATROCLUS departed Liverpool on Northern Patrol. 

*North Sea*
DD AFRIDI departed Hartlepool after repairs for Scapa, and arrived on the 28th. DD ELECTRA arrived at Rosyth from Scapa. Subs STERLET and SEAWOLF were reassigned billets in the North Sea after a report of two German K cruisers being at sea. .

HN.22 with 40 ships departed Bergen escort DDs KIMBERLEY, KASHMIR, ESCAPADE, ZULU, FAULKNOR, TARTAR. The 6 ships of the west coast section of the convoy was escorted by KIMBERLEY and KASHMIR. After the convoy was dispersed off Cape Wrath, KIMBERLEY and KASHMIR arrived at Scapa on the 29th. On the morning of 30 March, convoy HN.22 arrived at Methil, escort DD FAULKNOR, ZULU, TARTAR and ESCAPADE.

ON.23 with 25 ships for Norway and 1 for Aberdeen departed Methil escort DDs JAVELIN (SO), JANUS, JUNO, ECLIPSE and sub PORPOISE. CLA CALCUTTA departed Sullom Voe on the 29th and provided AA support for the convoy. On the 29th, DDs ESKIMO, PUNJABI, BEDOUIN departed Kirkwall and joined the convoy with the 2 ships of the Kirkwall section. These two steamers in the sailing breakdown from Methil. DD JANUS was detached for boiler cleaning and repairs. CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed Rosyth on the 28th and provided cover for the convoy. On the 28th, CLA CAIRO departed Sullom Voe to assist when German aircraft began to shadow the convoy. On the 31st, ON.23 arrived at Bergen.

FN.130 departed Southend, escort sloops AUCKLAND and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 29th. FS.131 of 31 ships departed the Tyne escort sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th.

*Northern Waters*
BBs RODNEY, VALIANT, WARSPITE and DDs FEARLESS, FORESTER, HUNTER, HASTY, HERO, HOTSPUR, HARDY , HOSTILE, HYPERION arrived at Scapa . BCs RENOWN and REPULSE and DDs INGLEFIELD, DELIGHT, DIANA, ILEX, FORTUNE, BEDOUIN also arrived at Scapa. From dawn on the 27th to 0900, DDs SOMALI , ESKIMO, PUNJABI, FAME, FORESIGHT, MATABELE swept southbound along the west coast of the Orkneys from Brough Head, then westward along the coast of Scotland before arriving arrived at Scapa in the afternoon of the 27th. DDs COSSACK, SIKH, NUBIAN, FOXHOUND remained in the northern area until ordered at 1322 to return to Scapa for shelter from heavy weather. DD GRIFFIN departed Dundee after repair for the Moray Firth Patrol. DDs IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE, FIREDRAKE, ESK on Moray Firth Patrol proceeded to Invergordon for shelter from heavy weather. DDs IMOGEN, ISIS, HAVOCK arrived at Scapa from Plymouth. DD MOHAWK arrived at Scapa after repairs from her collision in the Clyde on the 2nd.

*West Coast UK*
Sloop BITTERN departed Leith and arrived at Rosyth after refitting. Sloop ROCHESTER was damaged in collision with steamer LONGFORD (1913grt), and was repaired at Liverpool, completing on 27 June.

*UK - France*
Fr DDs FOUDROYANT and BOULONNAIS arrived at Dover with General Gamelin and Amiral Darlan, the heads of the French Military and Naval Missions respectively. After conferences, FOUDROYANT left on the morning of 29 March with Amiral Darlan and his party, and BOULONNAIS that afternoon with General Gamelin and his party.

*Med- Biscay*
Tkr TROCAS (7406grt) was disabled off the Italian coast with a broken propeller shaft, and taken in tow by RAN DD STUART which was relieved later in the day by tug RESPOND. The tkr was safely taken to Malta.

French armed trawler VICTORIA and subs ESPADON and FRESNEL departed Casablanca on the 26th and arrived at Gib. The trawler departed Gib on the 29th to return to Casablanca. FRESNEL carried on escort DD SIMOUN, arrived at Gib that day and reached Toulon on the 30th. Meanwhile, ESPADON remained at Gibraltar until 4 April for ASW exercises. MSW HUNTLEY arrived at Suez for duty with the Med Flt, and remained until May when she was transferred to the East Indies Command.

*Indian Ocean*
CLs CERES and COLOMBO departed Colombo for Australia, reached Fremantle on 12 April, and then Singapore on the 31st where both were held for convoy duty from that port.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 26, 2015)

*March 27 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Lt. Heinz Demes of 4./JG 77 shoots down a Bristol Blenheim over the North Sea near Sylt, for his second victory.

As diplomatic relations between the Allies and the Soviet Union become difficult because of Soviet aid to Germany, Paris requests the removal of the Soviet ambassador. Soviet Ambassador to France M. Souritz, was recalled after the French Government complained of contents of a telegram addressed by him to Stalin.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *New Zealand Prime Minister Michael Savage died from cancer. Mr. Savage was the first Labour prime minister of New Zealand. Originally from Australia, he journeyed to New Zealand in 1907 where he became known as ‘Joe’. In the years leading up to World War Two, the prime minister expressed dislike of Britain’s love of pomp. He gave New Zealand a strong but sensible voice, leading at times to the nation taking different views of world events to Britain. But when war finally broke out last year, the prime minister eloquently expressed his nation’s determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with the British Empire.

A dredge was towed to Midway Atoll to begin work to enlarge the basin and channels between the two main islands.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * To prepare for Supreme War Council meeting on March 28, the British War Cabinet debates Paul Reynaud’s note suggesting attacks on Soviet oilfields at Baku and shipping in the Black Sea. They unanimously reject the idea of any attacks on USSR, to avoid conflict with the Soviets in addition to Germany. The British position is communicated to General Gamelin and the other French Chiefs of Staff at a preliminary meeting. Reports of these deliberations by the French news agency Havas, apparently from official French sources, further infuriate the British and alert Germany to possible Allied intentions.

*GERMANY:* Himmler ordered the building of Auschwitz concentration camp.


.



.

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## parsifal (Mar 27, 2015)

*28 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN DD VALENTINE was completed as a short range fast escort vessel (with emphasis on AA defence). 




_Following working up at Portland, she joined Convoy Cmd at Rosyth._

*Known Losses*
*MV BURGOS (Nor 3219 grt) * Crew: 33 (No casualties) : Cargo: General Cargo : Route: Florø, Norway to Newcastle and London : Lost outside the river Tyne. She had just completed a North Sea crossing with Convoy HN 21 had arrived Methil on March 25, BURGOS continuing to Tyne the following day, departing Tyne again on March 27 in Convoy FS 131, but struck a magnetic mine. Survivors were rescued by Sloop PELICAN. According to "Battle of the East Coast", the mines had been laid by Beys DesFlot 4 on Febr. 9/10, 3 miles northwest of Dudgeon Shoal off North Norfolk. There were several sinkings due to mines in this area in February and March 1940 (BRITISH TRIUMPH, GIORGIO OHLSEN), and each was on a mine believed to have been laid by a German destroyer flotilla. Close by was another field laid by DKM DesFlot 1 to the north of that laid by the 4th. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> According to a Reuter report, the question of Norwegian neutrality and the German "violations" of Norwegian territorial waters are to be the subject of proceedings at the next meeting of the Allied Governments.
> 
> The "Temps" reports from competent circles that because of systematic violation of Norwegian territorial waters by German ships the Allies now consider themselves justified in no longer respecting the neutrality of these waters. "Havas" says in another publication that the Allies are resolved to play the role of police themselves.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 28 March 1940
U-1, U-2, U-3, U-4, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-57. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM arrived at Scapa from Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
DDs IMPULSIVE, ICARUS, ESK departed Invergordon for the Humber, where they arrived on the 29th. Destroyers NUBIAN, DIANA, FAME reported damage from heavy weather. DD IVANHOE departed Invegordon for conversion to ML at Chatham. Sub TRIAD arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub NARWHAL was undocked at Rosyth.

FN.131 of 25 ships departed Southend escort sloop FLAMINGO and DD WALLACE. LW a/c attacked FN.131 in the late afternoon of the 29th. FLAMINGO was struck by machine gun fire but sustained no casualties or damage. MT.39 of 17 ships departed Methil escorted by ASW Gp 23 and DDs VEGA and WOOLSTON. On the convoy's arrival off the Tyne, the DDs escorted FS.132, departing later that day. WOOLSTON attacked a submarine contact on the 29th off Spurn Point, which was later assessed as non submarine.
DD BRAZEN conducted I.F.F. trials in the Firth of Forth. DDs HAVANT and WILD SWAN investigated a submarine contact . Fr TBs LA CORDELIERE, BRANLEBAS, L'INCOMPRISE of the DesDiv 11 were bombed by German a/c north of Ostend, but were not damaged.

*Northern Waters*
Trawler PRINCESS ROYAL (213grt) was damaged by German bombing 40 miles SSW of Bressay Light, Shetlands. BC HOOD departed Scapa, escort DDs FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE for the Clyde. DD FORESIGHT departed Scapa with the HOOD, but was storm damaged on the 28th with damage to her gun shield and forecastle, and had to return to Scapa. On the 30th, she departed Scapa for Grimsby where she was under repair until 1 May. En route on the 28th, FORTUNE made a submarine contact off North Minch, but the search was unsuccessful. The BC and her escorts arrived in the Clyde 29th. DD KELVIN arrived in the Clyde 29th after completing repairs at Liverpool, and was ordered to escort HOOD to Devonport. The ships departed at 30th for Devonport arriving at 31st. However, defects delayed KELVIN and she did not leave until the afternoon, and then for Scapa. After retubing, HOOD was to be deployed in the Med, but she was refitting until 27 May when she sailed for Liverpool for final refit work ending on 12 June 1940.

DD FIREDRAKE was damaged whilst coming going alongside DD ICARUS at Invegordon, with ICARUS receiving superficial damage. FIREDRAKE was seaworthy except in heavy seas. Sub TRIBUNE departed Scapa on the 28th and was joined off Switha Gate mid-afternoon by FIREDRAKE which departed Invegordon 27th, and escorted her to Greenock for repairs of further defects. Arriving on the 30th, the sub's repairs were completed on 10 May. FIREDRAKE went on to Cardiff for repairs and refit. DD HASTY departed Scapa to pick up the crew of a Skua aircraft 14 miles 132° from Copinsay. They were picked up at 2200 and HASTY returned to Scapa. DD GRIFFIN arrived at Invergordon from Moray Firth Patrol.

*West Coast UK*
CA DEVONSHIRE arrived in the Clyde
*Med- Biscay*
OG.24F was formed with 28 ships from OA.118GF, which departed Southend on the 27th escort DDs WAKEFUL and BROKE, and OB.118GF, which departed Liverpool 26 March with DD MACKAY and sloop FOLKESTONE. The convoy was escorted by DDs VORTIGERN and WATCHMAN, from Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively, from 29 March to 4 April. On 2 April, DD WISHART joined the escort. The convoy arrived on 4 April at Gib.

HG.24 departed Gib with 40 ships, with ocean escort provided by sloops SANDWICH and ENCHANTRESS from 28 March to 7 April. DD WAKEFUL escorted the convoy from 4 to 7 April and DD VENETIA on 7 April. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 April. Fr subs DORIS, THETIS, CALYPSO,and CIRCE departed Oran with convoy 17.R, escorted by aux PV CYRNOS. The submarines passed Gib on the 29th and proceeded to Brest for operations from England.


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## parsifal (Mar 28, 2015)

*29 March 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*Schooner HEBRIDEAN (Cdn 300 grt (est))*: The schooner was rammed by another vessel and sank at Halifax, Nova Scotia. There were nine fatalities.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV MIMI HORN (Ger 4007 grt)*: The cargo ship had departed Curacoa on 5/6 March with German steamers HANNOVER and SEATTLE, but was intercepted in the Denmark Strait by AMC TRANSYLVANIA and was scuttled by her crew to avoid capture. All 41 crew were rescued by the TRANSYLVANIA




_A very unclear image of the MIMI HORN_





_HMS TRANSYLVANIA - The ships that caused the german freighter to scuttle. The AMC herself was to be lost in August 1940_
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The B.B.C. reports: "The German steamers NORDMARK, RENDSBURG and V0GT7 !1D are making preparations to break through from Batavia to Vladivostock. The ships are painted gray, the names removed. Other German steamers lying in various ports in the Dutch East Indies are said to be making similar preparations."
> 
> The report shows the excellent results achieved by the enemy intelligence service and the regrettably small possibility of Germany maintaining secrecy.





> Molotov's speech before the Union Congress of Soviets contains sharp criticism of Franco-British war policy and acknowledgment
> of the friendly relations between the Soviet Union and Germany. (For particulars see Foreign Press.)





> Conference between the Fuehrer and Chief , Naval Staff
> 
> Points for discussion :
> 1 Aerial mines ; The Fuehrer is in agreement with Commander in Chief's viewpoint about commencing aerial minelaying operations
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
_Nothing to Report_

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-1, U-2 , U-3 , U-4 , U-47 , U-49 , U-57 

At Sea 29 March 1940
U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-51, U-52. 
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
AMC FORFAR arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol. AMC SCOTSTOUN departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

*North Sea*
Sub UNITY arrived at Rosyth, landed the survivors of the trawler PROTINUS (Ne) and departed later in the day with sub TRITON. Submarine TRITON proceeded on patrol and UNITY headed for Blyth, where she arrived on the 30th. Sub L.23 departed Blyth for Southend, and on the 31st, left for Portsmouth.




_"L" Class profile. Launched in 1919, these vessels were used mainly for training, though early in the war they were used on active patrols. Captured examples during the Russian Civil war were used as pattern types for a number of Soviet submarine designs_

ORP sub ORZEL was docked at Rosyth. TM.35 departed the Tyne escort sloops AUCKLAND and HASTINGS, DD BRAZEN, and ASW Gp 23 trawlers. FN.132 departed Southend escort sloop LOWESTOFT and DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 31st.

*Northern Waters*
DDs AFRIDI, MOHAWK, SIKH departed Scapa for Bergen to pick up HN.23 A. DDs GURKHA and ENCOUNTER were delayed, but were able to follow 5 hours later. DDs INGLEFIELD , ILEX, DELIGHT, ISIS, IMOGEN, ENCOUNTER and submarine SPEARFISH were engaged in ASW exercises from Scapa. DD HAVOCK departed Scapa to reinforce DD GRIFFIN on Moray Firth patrol after an a/c from CC sighted a periscope earlier that morning. The search was unsuccessful and HAVOCK returned to Scapa that evening. GRIFFIN returned to Invergordon also that evening with a leak at her rudder head. DD JANUS arrived at Scapa.

Armed boarding vessel KINGSTON BERYL (356grt) attacked a submarine contact off Brough of Birsay (a small aslet off the west coast of the main island in the Sheltlands). Steamer NORTHERN COAST (UK 1211 grt) was damaged by LW bombing ten miles north, northeast of Kinnaird Head. At least one German a/c was shot down, cause unknown, as U.30 rescued the crew of a downed LW machine.

*West Coast UK*
DD KELVIN arrived at the Clyde from Liverpool.

*UK - France*
SA.35 of two steamers departed Southampton, escort sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY. The convoy arrived at Brest on the 31st.

*SW Approaches*
DD MALCOLM completed her refitting at Cardiff.

*Nth Atlantic*
Fr BB BRETAGNE and CA ALGERIE departed Halifax escorting French merchant ships LOUIS L.D. (5795grt) and WISCONSIN (8062grt). The merchant ships were carrying a/c from the US to France. Fr DDs VAUTOUR, ALBATROS, AIGLE departed Oran on 1 April to escort the French ships in home waters, and DDs VERDUN and VALMY came from Brest. The five DDs departed Casablanca on 4 April and joined on 6 April. DDs LA PALME, LE MARS, FORBIN departed Casablanca on 5 April and joined on 7 April. The steamers and VAUTOUR, VERDUN, VALMY, ALBATROS proceeded to Casablanca. The steamers subsequently proceeded to Brest departing in convoys 90 KF on 20 April and 89 KF on 17 April, respectively. The BB, CA and DD AIGLE departed Oran on 9 April and arrived at Toulon on 10 April.








HX.31 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs OTTAWA and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 30th. The two DDs arrived back at Halifax late on the 30th. The ocean escort for the convoy was AMC ALAUNIA, which detached on 9 April. DD WARWICK and sloop FOKESTONE joined the convoy on 9 April and DDs CAMPBELL and VESPER on 10 April. VESPER and WARWICK were detached on 11 April, FOLKESTONE on 12 April, and CAMPBELL on 13 April, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.
.
*Med- Biscay*
CLA CARLISLE arrived at Gib after working up in the Med, and left on the 29th for duty in Home Waters. Fr DD ORAGE was damaged in a collision with tug TABARCA at Sidi Abdallah, but repaired and returned to service on 8 April.


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## Njaco (Mar 28, 2015)

*March 28 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Anglo-French Supreme War Council meets for the 6th time in London. This is the first time that the British have had a chance to sit down and talk with the new French Prime Minister, Paul Reynaud. Reynaud became prime minister seven days ago after his predecessor was forced from office after losing the confidence of his ministers and the public. Although the United Kingdom rejected French suggestion to expand the war by attacking the Soviet Union, the two nations agreed on naval mining. During the meeting, the First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill said that Norwegian waters could be mined in twenty minutes. This surprised the prime minister who expected the operation to take many hours. Churchill hopes to provoke a German response, legitimizing Allied “assistance” to Norway with the goal of interrupting Swedish iron ore shipments to Germany. The Allies decide to lay mines in Norwegian coastal waters (Operation Wilfred). The French agree in principle to Churchill’s plan to drop mines in the River Rhine (Operation Royal Marine) pending ratification by the French War Committee. The contingency plan prepared for such an eventuality has had to be abandoned, however, because the excuse for landings in Norway was to have been a clause in the constitution of the League of Nations allowing transit for troops if they were going to the aid of a victim of aggression. This is now invalid, of course, because of the Finnish surrender. The operations are timed to start on April 5th but were later deferred to April 8th -- a vital difference in view of the timing the Germans fix for their own landings. After the meeting they declare that both governments would negotiate peace only by mutual agreement. http://ukwarcabinet.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/cab-65-56-0-0146.pdf

An RAF airplane of Coastal Command on patrol had a prolonged engagement with two Dorniers over the North Sea, and disabled one. The British plane, though damaged, returned safely. A He 111H-2 from 1(F)./122 failed to return from a recce mission having been shot down off Wick by aircraft of RAF Nos.43 and 605 Sqdns.

New blue £1 notes and mauve 10s notes were announced.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Norwegian steamer SS “_Burgos_” hit a German mine and sank 30 miles west of Skegness, England. Survivors were rescued by British sloop HMS “_Pelican_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* During night of March 27-28th, RAF carried out extensive reconnaissance flights over north-west Germany. Two planes failed to return. Three aircraft of New Zealand’s Squadron took part in such flights for first time.

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## Njaco (Mar 28, 2015)

*March 29 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* At 0915 hours in the morning, Oblt. Ernst Boenigk 9./JG 53 destroys a French Morane west of Saarlautern for his first victory.

RAF fighter patrols in France engaged strong formations of German aircraft near Metz. They drove them back into their own territory and brought down two Messerschmitts in flames. In one air battle over Metz, the Zerstörers of 14(Z)./LG 1 tangled with the British Hurricanes. The only claim for kills is made by Oblt. Werner Methfessel for two Hurricanes destroyed but the claim is denied. 

Dutch military attaché Colonel Gijsbertus Sas informs Danish naval attaché Captain Frits Kjolsen that Germany is planning on invading Denmark and Norway.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* To prepare for the planned mining of Norwegian waters, the British General Staff prepared Plan R4 to react against a possible German intervention by invading Norway. 1st Cruiser Squadron will deliver one infantry brigade to Narvik and one battalion to Trondheim from Rosyth. A battalion each will go to Stavanger and Bergen on slower transport ships. All are lightly-equipped with no heavy artillery or tanks. They will be screened by Royal Navy ships but receive no air cover from either RAF or carrier-based aircraft. Purely reactive in nature, R4 naïvely assumes Allied troops will arrive before the Germans. In contrast, Germans intend to land 2 full divisions with full naval and air cover, quickly followed by 4 more complete with artillery and tanks, in an intricate but carefully-planned feat of combined arms.

A Police Staff Officer reported that an unidentified enemy aircraft crashed into the sea at Cresswell Bay, Northumberland at about 2130 hours. The Cresswell Lifeboat put to sea but found nothing but a patch of oil on the water. This aircraft fell victim to Naval AA gunfire, and was subsequently identified as a Junkers Ju 88A. Three of the crew were recovered from the sea, one was listed as missing.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Transylvania_” intercepted German freighter “_Mimi Horn_” between Iceland and Greenland. “_Mimi Horn's_” crew of 41 scuttled the ship to prevent enemy capture. The crew were rescued by “_Transylvania_”.

Admiralty announced that German bombers were again attempting to attack convoys in North Sea, but were driven off without doing any damage. One German raider was shot down in sea off coast off Northumberland.

Survivors of bombed Dutch trawler ‘_Protinus_’ picked up after six days in open boat by British submarine ‘_Unity_’ landed at Scottish port.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov declared the Soviet Union neutral in the on-going European War. Full speech here.... Molotov's report on March 29, 1940 The Soviets want new territories. Molotov speaks to the Supreme Soviet, about "an unsettled dispute", the question of Romanian Bessarabia.

*GERMANY:* The German government released documents which it claims were seized during the invasion of Poland last year. The documents, called The White Papers, or as a collection called The White Book, suggest America has been involved in provoking war in Europe. The documents span a number of years, starting in 1938. In that year, the Polish Ambassador in Washington, Count Jerzy Potocki, apparently wrote to the Polish Foreign Secretary saying that Jewish organizations’ influence over the US government is growing. He also explained that Jewish propaganda is portraying Germany and Hitler in a negative light. The ambassador went on to claim that America is eager for war, and that the western powers are being encouraged to rearm by influential Jewish groups.


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## parsifal (Mar 29, 2015)

*30 March 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Type IXB U-122, IJN I Boat I-16








*Known Losses*
*MV THORDOC (Cdn 2158 grt)*: The ship was in ballast at the time of her loss. The cargo ship ran aground off Winging Point, 20 nautical miles (37 km) south of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia and was wrecked





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The first documents published in a German White Paper about the Western Powers 1 war guilt are causing a great sensation abroad
> 
> 2. Norway ; The Rumanian Ambassador in Oslo reports to his Foreign Ministry.... The fact that France and Great Britain may possibly alter their attitude to Norway has made a great impression in that country. He gained the impression in a conversation with the British Ambassador that far-reaching decisions regarding respect for Norwegian territorial waters would not be taken for the present in London and Paris, especially since Norway herself seems resolved to prevent the use of
> Norwegian territorial waters by Germany in order to avoid more serious British steps. The Scandinavian press is greatly influenced by the Western Powers 1 threatening attitude to the question of respect for Norwegian territorial water* and cessation of German ore
> ...


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to Report



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-30, U-34 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-37 

At Sea 30 March 1940
U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-51, U-52. 
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CL NEWCASTLE, which arrived on the 26th, began a refit and repairs in the Tyne lasting until 29 May 1940. She left on 3 June to rejoin the Home Flt.DD BRAZEN arrived at Rosyth, whilst Sub NARWHAL departed Rosyth for a dummy minelay and then proceeded to Blyth.

HN.23 A of 39 Estonian ships departed Bergen escort DDs GURKHA, AFRIDI, SIKH. CLA CALCUTTA also attended the convoy for AA protection. DD COSSACK departed Scapa on the 31st to join the convoy escort. En route, she stood by the disabled trawler SOPHOS (217grt) until another trawler arrived to take her in tow that afternoon. In the early morning of 02 April , U.38 attacked the convoy, but was driven off by COSSACK. DDs ENCOUNTER and MOHAWK escorted 14 ships of the west coast section of the convoy. ENCOUNTER arrived at Scapa 3 April and MOHAWK was detached in the evening of 2 April for an ASW Sweep. The 26 ships of convoy arrived at Methil 3 April, escort DDs AFRIDI, SIKH, GURKHA, COSSACK, after being partially dispersed in heavy weather. MT.40 departed Methil escort ASW Gp19 and DD WOLSEY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FN.133 of 29 ships departed Southend escort sloop PELICAN and DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 1 April. FS.133 departed the Tyne escort DDs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 April. Sloop ROSEMARY on convoy escort Depth charged a contact . The contact was later determined to be non submarine and she rejoined the convoy. MSW SUTTON of MSWFlot 4 from Grimsby was mined and badly damaged off Cromer Knoll. She was able to return to Immingham, and was repaired at Grimsby, completing on 21 May.

*Northern Waters*
DDs NUBIAN, FAME, FORESIGHT departed Scapa at 1745 for repairs - NUBIAN and FAME to repair their ASDIC gear in the Tyne and Grimsby respectively. DD FORESIGHT put in for refitting at Grimsby, her repairs continuing until 1 May. DDs HOTSPUR, HERO, HYPERION, HUNTER, HOSTILE, HASTY, JUPITER and sub CLYDE were engaged in ASW exercises from Scapa. DD GRIFFIN departed Invergordon for Moray Firth Patrol. DD KELVIN departed the Clyde for Scapa. Sub SPEARFISH departed Blyth, unescorted, for Scapa.


*UK - France*
BC.32S of steamers BARON KINNAIRD, DAVID LIVINGSTONE, JOHN HOLT , PIZARRO departed Bristol Channel escort DD VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived at Loire on 1 April.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.26 departed Freetown escort AMCs DUNVEGAN CASTLE and RANPURA until 12 April. On 12 April, sloop LEITH joined the convoy and DD VANSITTART joined on 13 April, providing the home waters escort, until the arrival of the convoy on 15 April.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr DDs LA PALME and FORBIN, having arrived that day on respective escort duties, departed Gibraltar westwards.


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## Njaco (Mar 29, 2015)

*March 30 Saturday*
*EASTERN EUROPE:* Germany supplied weapons to the Soviet Union.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Churchill acknowledged Soviet neutrality in the European War. In a broadcast, he said that an intensification of the war was to be expected, and gave a warning to neutrals.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French Minister of Defense Daladier persuaded the French War Committee not to ratify British proposal to mine the Rhine River. British responded by threatening to abandon the plan to mine Norwegian waters.

*ASIA:* Japan, under pressure to hold onto conquered territories in China, establishes a puppet government for China under the leadership of Wang Jingwei. The Government of National Salvation of the collaborationist "Republic of China", based in Nanking, is based on the Three Principles of pan-Asianism, anti-Communism, and opposition to Chiang Kai-shek. Wang Jingwei, 56, has a long involvement in Chinese politics. Arrested and briefly imprisoned for planning an assassination attempt on the regent of China, Wang Jingwei steadily rose through the ranks to eventually vie for leadership of the entire country. During his career he has at first opposed communism, then allied himself with prominent communists. Over the next few years Wang Jingwei worked for Chiang Kai-shek’s government as the prime minister, although he regularly had disagreements with the leader. Spending time abroad during the 30s, he met Adolf Hitler. He also believed peace should be forged with Japan. Wang will maintain contact with German and Italian officials, an attempt to link China with The Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany and Italy.

Japanese troops began to evacuate Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Dutch trawlers ‘_Viking bank_’ and _‘Is Groen_’ reported attacks by German bombers in North Sea on Thursday. German aircraft which approached Shetlands were driven off.


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## parsifal (Mar 30, 2015)

*31 March 1940 *
*Known Reinfircements*
Neutral
Liuzzi Class Sub RM CAPITANO TARANTINI (precise commissioning date uncertain) 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> Reports from Great Britain speak of an imminent large-scale re-formation of the Government. The resignation of the Minister
> of National Defense, Chat field, is probably to be expected. Meeting of the French War Cabinet. Detailed discussions between Reynaud and General Weygand. Intense world interest in the German publication of documents from the Polish archives. Great excitement in the U.S.A. Exasperation within the U.S. Government.
> 
> The (Reich) Foreign Office is endeavoring to influence the Danish Government to assess the case of the sinking of the German steamer EDMUND HUGO STINNES inside Danish territorial waters not as a solitary mistake on the part of a British submarine but as a
> highly important political .measure in the British conduct of warfare, and to resist it accordingly. The first political and economic contact between Germany and Finland since the Russo-Finnish conflict has taken place.





> A reliable agent reports from Belgium that .during -the air raid on Scapa on 16 March the battle cruiser RENOWN was severely damaged as well as the RODNEY. One of the French torpedo boats was damaged so badly during the air attack on these off Dunkirk that it had to be towed away.



German radio intercepts were of exceptionally high quality, however their efforts at espionage and traditional spying were no producing good intelligence. 

German air recon (see below was producing somewhat better results for DKM. 



> Result of Air Reconnaissance (3 planes of the 1st Group of the 122nd Gerschwader) over the Orkneys. Visual reconnaissance shows:
> Holm Sound unoccupied. Enemy fighters took off from Earth House airfield immediately after our planes penetrated the clouds.
> Reconnaissance of Bay carried out at second attempt; no heavy ships detected, only cruisers and destroyers. Anchorage northwest of Fara: 2 cruisers, 12 destroyers. Anchorage southwest of Fara: 1 cruiser, 10 destroyers. Heavy Flak defense by heavy and light shore and ships flak guns. (Later evaluation of photographic reconnaissance shows 3 cruisers (probably heavy), 20 destroyers, several auxiliary vessels and steamers)



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to Report



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-13, U-58, U-59

At Sea 31 March 1940
U-13, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-59. 
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Raider ATLANTIS departed Kiel to raid in the Sth Atlantic. She was escorted by TBs LEOPARD and WOLF in the Skagerrak and by U.37 as far as the Denmark Strait.





*Northern Patrol*
AMC CALIFORNIA arrived in the Clyde after Northern Patrol, whilst WORCESTERSHIRE departed the Clyde on Northern Patrol.

DKM U-Boats for WESERUBUNG began to depart German ports. By 6 April, the entire HARTMUTH force (the submarine deployment of the WESERUBUNG operation) was at sea.

*North Sea*
U.43 on patrol lost a crewman overboard in heavy weather.

ON.24 with 21 ships departed Methil escort DDs FAULKNOR, TARTAR, ZULU, ESCAPADE. Steamer CREE (UK 4791 grt) with engine trouble had to return. The convoy was held up in heavy weather and was joined off Kirkwall on 2 April by DDs SOMALI, MATABELE and MASHONA. Three merchant ships from Kirkwall joined the convoy. When the two groups met at 0900 on 2 April, FAULKNOR, ZULU, ESCAPADE proceeded to Scapa. CLA CAIRO from Sullom Voe provided AA protection. The convoy was unsuccessfully attacked by LW bombers which dropped four bombs during the afternoon on 2 April. At 1140 on 3 April, the convoy was attacked again by by six German bombers, again with no damage. ON.24 arrived safely at Bergen on 4 April. HN.23 B departed Bergen escort DDs JAVELIN, JUNO, ECLIPSE. 22 of the original 37 ships returned to Bergen. Only 12 ultimately sailed. The escort was joined by DDs ESKIMO, PUNJABI, BEDOUIN after they escorted ON.23 arrivfed at Bergen. On 1 April, CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA were relieved as close support by CLs SHEFFIELD and PENELOPE, which departed Rosyth on 1 April. CLA CALCUTTA maintained herself in a position to cover both convoys HN.23A and B. HN.23 B with 34 ships, escort DDs BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, PUNJABI, arrived at Methil on 4 April at 1300. SHEFFIELD and PENELOPE reached Scapa on 5 April.

DDs KASHMIR and DIANA departed Scapa escorting steamer DEVON CITY (4928grt) to Rosyth. Subs STERLET and SEAWOLF arrived at Harwich after patrol. Sub NARWHAL arrested trawler POLAR PRINCE (UK 194 grt) fishing in the East Coast mine barrage and escorted her to Methil. Fr sub SYBILLE of Fr SubFlot 10 departed Harwich on patrol. After a brief patrol off Terschelling in the North Sea, she arrived back at Harwich on 5 April to refuel prior to the start of the Norwegian campaign.

OA.120G departed Southend escort DDs CAMPBELL and WOLVERINE. Submarine L.23 departed Southend for Portsmouth in this convoy, and arrived on 2 April. OB.120G departed Liverpool, escort DDs MONTROSE and WAKEFUL and from Milford Haven on 1 April, by Fr DD VERDUN and RN ASW trawler LEEDS UNITED to 3 April. WAKEFUL was detached on 3 April to escort convoy HG.24.,and MONTROSE on 4 April. The convoys merged to form convoy OG.24 on 3 April.

FN.134 of 25 ships departed Southend escort DDs VEGA and WOOLSTON. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 2 April. MT.41 of 27 ships departed Methil escort sloop LONDONDERRY, DD VIMIERA, and ASW Gp 1. On the convoy's arrival off the Tyne, the DD and sloop took over protection of FS.134, which departed later that day. This convoy arrived at Southend on 2 April.

Armed yacht RHODORA (709grt) made an attack on a submarine contact off Bull Point. 

*Northern Waters*
DD HASTY departed Scapa with tkr WAR BHARATA (5604grt). DD HOSTILE was detailed to escort the tkr also, but fouled the buoys of the new torpedo baffle inside Switha Gate. DD FEARLESS replaced HOSTILE and departed Scapa just before dawn to join. HASTY, FEARLESS and WAR BHARATA arrived at Sullom Voe in the late evening of that day. HASTY was damaged in berthing with WAR BHARATA in a gale. On 2 April, after emergency repairs, HASTY departed Sullom Voe with WAR BHARATA, arriving at Scapa on 3 April at 1330. On 3 April at 2015, HASTY departed Scapa Flow for Dundee arriving on 4 April for repairs lasting until the third week of April. CL BIRMINGHAM and DD FEARLESS departed Scapa on Operation DV to capture German fishing vessels off the Norwegian coast and to cover British forces laying mines in early April. DD HOSTILE departed Scapa later in the day at 1350 as a replacement for DD HASTY. HOSTILE refuelled at Sullom Voe and joined BIRMINGHAM and FEARLESS 12 miles 310° from Muckle Flugga at noon on 1 April. DD JUPITER departed Scapa to reinforce DD GRIFFIN on Moray Firth Patrol. The two DDs were to rendezvous in the early afternoon.

*Channel*
DDs FORTUNE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND departed Plymouth at 1400 after escorting BC HOOD. They were soon recalled and arrived back at Plymouth in the early evening.

Fr DDs FOUDROYANT, BRESTOIS, BOULONNAIS arrived at Cherbourg from the Dunkirk-Boulogne area for operations off Norway.

*UK - France*
DD BOADICEA carried the British Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS) to Boulogne. The CIGS returned on 3 April on DD BEAGLE.

*Med- Biscay*
CVs ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS with DDs BULLDOG, WESTCOTT, RAN VOYAGER departed Malta for Alexandria where they arrived on 4 April.

A submarine report from a French steamer, causing DD ACTIVE and a flying boat to be dispatched to investigate. ACTIVE, was joined by DDs DOUGLAS and WRESTLER, sweeping 50° WSW of Cape Trafalgar and reported they had made a contact at 1828, but the attacks were unsuccessful. Fr DD MISTRAL, three Fr trawlers, and aircraft also searched for the contact, which was later determined to be non submarine and the search was abandoned later that evening.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
RAN CL PERTH was refitting at Sydney from 31 March to 15 April.


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## parsifal (Mar 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses March 1940*
Allied
Allied Warships
Rescue tug FAIRPLAY II (RN 282 grt), ASW Trawler ELM (RN 350 grt (est)), ASW trawler PERIDOT (RN 550 grt), ASW Trawler MAIDA (RN 107 grt), Lookout trawler LOCH ASSATER (RN 210 grt)
Fr DD LA RAILLEUSE (Marine Nationale 1378 grt)

*(1499(RN) 1378 (Fr) grt; Total 2877 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Allied Shipping
Steamer ALBANO (UK 1176 grt), MV CATO (UK 819 grt), MV CARRON (UK 1017 grt), MV PACIFIC RELIANCE (UK 6717 grt), MV THURSTON (UK 3072 grt), MV COUNSELLOR (UK 5058 grt), BORTHWICK (UK 1097 grt), AKELD (UK 643 grt), ABBOTSFORD (UK 1585 grt), Steamer ASHLEY (UK 1323 grt), MV CHEVY CHASE (UK 1500 grt (est)), Steamer MAINDY HILL (UK 1918 grt), MV CLAN STUART (UK 5760 grt), MV GARDENIA (UK 3754 grt), MV ROSSINGTON COURT (UK 6922 grt), MV MELROSE (UK 1589 grt), MV ALYN (UK 350 grt), trawler OCEAN DRIFT (UK 227 grt), MV AGNES ELLEN (UK 293 grt), trawler LOWDOCK (UK 276 grt), MV BARN HILL (UK 5439 grt), Paddle Steamer GONDILIER (UK 250 grt), Tkr DAGHESTAN (UK 5742 grt) 
Sailing Vessel DOUGLAS ROBERT (Cdn 81 grt), MV THORDOC (Cdn 2158 grt) 
MV IDANT (Aus 121 grt)
Collier SNA1 (Fr 2679 GRT), ROSE EFFEUILEE (Fr 35 grt), 

*Allied Tonnage Sunk or captured: 65737 tons* (2877 Naval, 57786 UK, 2360 Dominion, 2714 Fr,)

*Prize Vessels:* 
Steamer HANNOVER (Ger 5537 grt)

New Construction 1st Qtr 1940
194000 tons 


Neutral
Neutral Warships
HNLMS O 11 (RNN 515 grt)

*(515 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Neutral Shipping

MV LAGAHOLM (Sd 2818 grt)
MV OSMAN (Sd 1316 grt)
Steamer VESTFOSS (Nor 1388 grt), MV SVINTA (Nor 1267 grt), MV BRAVORE (Nor 2240 grt), Steamer COMETA (Nor 3749 grt), MV BURGOS (Nor 3219 grt), 
MV ARGENTINA (Den 5375 grt), MV MINSK (Den 1226 grt) MV CHARKOW (Den 1026 grt), MV VIKING (Den 1153 grt), MV BOTHAL (Den 2109 grt), MV ALGIER (Den 1654 grt), MV CHRISTIANSBORG (Den 3270 grt), MV BRITTA (Den 1146 grt) 
MV RIJNSTROOM (Ne 695 grt), Steamer ELZIENA (Ne 176 grt), MV GRUTTO (Ne 920 grt), Steamer VECHT (Ne 1965 grt), MV AMOR (Ne 2325 grt), Tkr EULOTA (Ne 6236 grt), MV SABA (Ne 389 grt), MV SINT ANNALAND (Ne 2248 grt), Trawler PROTINUS (Ne 202 grt), Tkr PHOBOS (Ne 10564 grt)
Steamer LATVIS (Lat 1318 grt)
Steamer MIRELLA (Ita 5340 grt), MV TINA PRIMO (Ita 4861 grt)
Fishing vessel YOLANDE MARGUERITE (Be 26 grt), fishing vessel SANTA GODELIVIA (Be 33 grt) 
MV P MARGONIS (Gk 4970 grt)
MV SLAVA (Yug 4512 grt)
trawler LEUKOS (Eire 216 grt) 
MV TIMBER RUSH ( US 6281 grt)
Tkr REGINA (Cuba 1155 grt)


*Neutral Shipping sunk 87575 (515 Naval 87060 Mercantile tons *2810 (SD), 12863 (Nor), 25720 (Ne), 1318(Lat) 4512 (Yug), 54 (Be), 16954 (Den), 4970 (Gk), 10207 (Ita), 216 (Eire), 6281 (US), 1155 (Cuba), 

*Combined Allied and Neutral Shipping Sunk 153372 grt*

*Prize Vessels* 
Nil 

Axis
Axis Warships
Type VIIA U-31 (DKM 733 grt), Type IXA U-44 (DKM 1135 grt), Type IIB U-22 (DKM 324 grt) 

*(2192 grt Naval Tonnage)*

Axis Shipping
MV TROJA (Ger 2390 grt), MV HEIDELBERG (Ger 6530 grt), Steamer WOLFSBURG (Ger 6201 grt), steamer ARUCAS (Ger 3359 grt), Steamer URUGUAY (Ger 5846 grt), Steamer HANNOVER (Ger 5537 grt), Steamer ESCHERSHEIM (Ger 3303 grt), MV LA CORUNA (Ger 7359 grt), EDMUND HUGO STINNES IV (Ger 2189 grt), MV MIMI HORN (Ger 4007 grt), 
MV KITAFUKU MARU (Jpn 4769 grt)

Captured
None

*Tonnage Sunk or captured: 95634 (2192 Naval, 46721 (Ger), 4679 (Jpn)*


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## Njaco (Mar 31, 2015)

*March 31 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Further Allied air success in France during the weekend was reported. In one encounter, a RAF fighter patrol attacked nine Messerschmitts, one of which was shot down. In another encounter, two Hurricanes, attacked a Dornier at a height of 19,000 feet and drove it back disabled over the frontier.

Fighters of II./JG 53 bounce a flight of French MS 406s at 1500 hours in the afternoon and shoot down six of the French fighters. Victories go to Lt. Gerhard Mickalski of Stab II./JG 53 (one MS 406) for his first victory, Uffz. Werner Kauffmann of 4./JG 53 for his first kill, Oblt. Heinz Bretnutz of 6./JG 53, who is given credit for the destruction of two MS 406s to bring his score to four, Fw. Albrecht Baun of 6./JG 53 for his second score and one French plane to Gruppenkommandeur Günther ‘Henri’ von Maltzahn, his second victory. Two Messerschmitts are lost during the battle. At 2000 hours, Oblt. Bretnutz gets his third victory of the day and his fifth total overall when he brings down a British Wellington. But not all the Luftwaffe pilots are successful. Throughout the day, the Luftwaffe loses three Bf 110s in combat against the Allies over the border.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British military commanders gathered at a Chief of Staff meeting to predict German reactions to the planned mining operations, and how best to respond.


> "The moment the Germans set foot on Norwegian soils or there is clear evidence that they intend to do so, our object[ive] should be to dispatch a force to Narvik to secure the port and, subsequently, the railway inland as far as the Norwegian- Swedish frontier… [and] to dispatch forces to occupy Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim, in order to deny their use to the Germans as naval and/or air bases." - British Chiefs of Staff minutes, 31st March 1940.


 But in France the government has expressed concern that laying mines could provoke the Germans and refuse to allow mining of the Rhine River. British Prime Minister Chamberlain called off the mining of the Norwegian coast in protest of the French resistance to the mining of the Rhine River. Chamberlain tells the French ambassador in London Charles Corbin “No mines, no Narvik!” This act of bravado leads to a delay which will prove to be costly. 

The British Ministry of Information introduced paper rationing to publishing and printing industries. The ration, based on consumption over the year 1938-1939, would continue until 1948.

*GERMANY:* German armed merchant cruisers (Hilfskreuzer) “_Atlantis_”, “_Orion_” and “_Widder_” depart from Kiel, with WWI battleship SMS “_Hessen_” acting as an icebreaker, for operations against Allied shipping. “_Atlantis_” will prove the most successful German commerce raider, sailing 100,000 miles and sinking 22 ships (over 140,000 tons) in a voyage lasting 602 days (until November 22, 1941). 

A Do 17P from 5(F)./122 crashed shortly after taking off from Fp.Köln-Wahn. This aircraft was due to take part as a target for searchlights.

*ASIA:* Japanese troops completed the evacuation of Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Wilhelm Behrens falls overboard from U-43 and drowns in the Atlantic.

A Spitfire fighter on a patrol east of Suffolk coast, had a duel with a Dornier 17 and drove it out to sea in a damaged condition. German planes were also driven off Shetlands and Orkneys. No bombs dropped. A Belgian fishing trawler was fired on by a German airplane.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The New York Municipal Airport, opened in October, 1939, was renamed La Guardia airport, after the mayor, who had been a bomber pilot in World War I and whose interest in aviation lasted throughout his lifetime, barely a month after it opened.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Britain undertakes secret reconnaissance flights to photograph the targeted areas inside the Soviet Union in preparation for Operation Pike, utilizing high-altitude, high-speed stereoscopic photography pioneered by Sidney Cotton. Operation Pike refers to a strategic bombing plan, overseen by Air Commodore John Slessor, against the Soviet Union by the Anglo-French alliance. The plan was designed to destroy the Soviet oil industry, to cause collapse of Soviet economy and thus deprive Nazi Germany of the Soviet resources.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Mussolini informed King Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy that Italy would soon enter the European War.

.

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## parsifal (Mar 31, 2015)

*1 April 1940 *
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> At 1330, after breakfasting in the Chancellery of the Reich with the Fuehrer and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,
> the commanders of the individual landing groups and Commander, 31st Corps also the Commanding Admirals and commanders of the
> individual naval task forces and the Air Force commanders reported on the arrangement and execution of their operations during "Weseruebung". The Fuehrer demanded most exhaustive reports from all the officers and asked many questions. In conclusion he stated his complete agreement with the preparations made a statement of his thanks for and recognition of the work performed during the preparations.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> At sea:
> a)	In the area east to southeast of Shetlands: U 38, 43, 52.
> b)	East of Pentland Firth: U 22
> c)	Approaching the entrance to Scapa: U 13, 58, 59.
> ...



At Sea 01 April 1940
U-13, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-59. 
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
The Northern Patrol between 1 and 9 April sighted 34 eastbound ships and sent twelve into Kirkwall for inspection.

*North Sea*
DesFlot 1 departed Harwich and swept to twelve miles north of Smith's Knoll. The Flotilla then swept northeast across the mine barrier for forty miles. DesFlot 1 then swept eastward reaching Smith's Knoll at dawn on the 2nd. DD CODRINGTON sighted a German aircraft at 0530/2nd, but was not attacked. Sloop PUFFIN attacked a submarine contact off Yarmouth. The contact was later assessed as non-submarine. Sub NARWHAL arrived at Blyth after patrol. Sub SHARK arrived at Harwich after refitting. Mine destructor ship BORDE exploded two mines in the Sunk area. The ship sustained leaks forward and proceeded to Chatham for docking and repairs completed on the 28th.

OA.121 departed Southend escorted by DD ARDENT from 1 to 4 April, sloop WELLINGTON from 2 to 4 April, DDs WINDSOR and VERSATILE from 3 to 4 April, when the convoy dispersed.

Convoy MT.42 departed Methil, escort DD WOLSEY, sloop AUCKLAND, and ASW Gp 3. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.135 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop AUCKLAND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.


*Northern Waters*
DD ISIS, while transferring five torpedoes to submarine CLYDE after torpedo firings in Scapa, lost her whalers and motorboat when they capsized in a heavy squall in Sandoyne Bay Orkney Is. All the men and the torpedoes were recovered. DDs SOMALI, MATABELE and MASHONA departed Scapa to pick up the Kirkwall convoy contingent and then join convoy ON.24. DD SOMALI would become Senior Officer of the Escort. During the night of 1/2 April, a strong gale scattered convoys ON.24, HN.23A, and the Kirkwall contingent of convoy ON.24 all eastwards of the Orkneys. After repairs at Dundee, DD GRIFFIN departed Invergordon on patrol on 30 March and was already on Moray Firth patrol with DD JUPITER. That morning, DD JUPITER attacked a submarine contact . Because of heavy weather, DD JUPITER proceeded to Scapa, arriving that evening and DD GRIFFIN arrived at Invergordon on the 1st. GRIFFIN departed Invergordon on the 2nd and DD JUPITER departed Scapa on the 2nd to continue the patrol.

DD ILEX cleared Scapa in the morning of this day for ASW Sweepsl while two sections of Hoxa Boom were being repaired a half mile to the south of a line from Cantick to the Nev. Bad weather delayed work on the Boom and DD ILEX returned to Scapa at 2015 to anchor north of Flotta on standby notice as the weather conditions were too bad to continue the patrol. The weather eased and DD ILEX commenced the Hoxa Sound Patrol early next morning on the 2nd. The work was completed on the Hoxa Boom that afternoonand DD ILEX returned to Scapa.

Coastal defense ships NORGE and EIDSVOLD (Nor) arrived at Narvik from Horten.








_NORGE (left) and EIDSVOLD were built in 1900 and folowed the pattern set by the Scandinavians for small "Coastal Battleships". Both were sunk by torpedoes during the german occupation of Narvik_

*West Coast UK*
OB.121 departed Liverpool escort DDs WALKER and VANQUISHER from 1 to 4 April, when the convoy dispersed. The DDs then joined inbound SL.25.

*UK - France*
Convoy BC.31R with steamers BARON CARNEGIE, KERMA, LOCHEE, PEMBROKE COAST, SCHOLAR (Commodore) departed the Loire escort DD VIVACIOUS. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 2nd.

*Central Atlantic*
CL ORION cleared Bermuda on patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr AMCs EL DJEZAIR, EL MANSOUR and VILLE D'ORAN departed Marseilles and proceeded to Oran, arriving on the 2nd. On the 4th, they departed, escort Contre Torpilleur DD BISON to return to Brest for operations off the Norwegian coast. The ships arrived at Brest on the 8th.


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## Njaco (Apr 1, 2015)

*April 1 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Paris reported heavy artillery fire in region west of the Saar, and considerable air activity on both sides.

A patrol of eight Bf 109Es from JG 52 clash with ten French MS 406s of the French GC I/2. One Bf 109E is damaged from the engagement and force lands.

Another clash with the Allies during the day brings the first victory for Lt. Dietrich Bösler of Stab II./JG 77 when he destroys a Blenheim 180 km. west of Amrun in the early afternoon.

*GERMANY:* Hitler set the date of the Denmark and Norway invasion to be 9 Apr 1940. Hitler allocates 6 divisions (including specialist mountain infantry and paratroops) 20 light tanks and 3 experimental Neubaufahrzeug heavy tanks for Norway, plus 2 divisions for Denmark. Almost every available naval vessel will be used to transport or protect these troops. Luftwaffe will provide air support and chase off Royal Navy ships trying to intercede. This is in contrast to the small, mainly reserve, force the British intend to send to Norway without air cover.

Command changes occur among the front-line units. Oblt. Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77 is appointed Kommodore of JG 2 in place of Oblt. Gerd von Massow. Hptm. Karl Hentschel is made Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77 in place of Major von Bülow-Bothkamp. Major Friedrich Vollbracht, Gruppenkommandeur of II./ZG 26, is appointed Kommodore of the newly formed Stab./ZG 2. Hptm. Ralph von Rettberg is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./ZG 26 in his place.

Command promotions are also made at OKL. The Generalinspekteur der Jagdflieger and Generalluftzeugmeister Generalleutnant Ernst Udet is promoted to General der Flieger.

The fourth group of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was established.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Almost alone among the senior British military, British Royal Navy Vice Admiral Max Horton (commanding Royal Navy home-based submarines) anticipates a German invasion of Norway. He orders 12 submarines (including 2 French and 1 Polish vessels) to patrol the southern North Sea and the seas around Denmark, to intercept warships from naval bases German coast.

British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), created by Act of Parliament on 24 Nov 1939, took over the activities of British Airways and Imperial Airways.

Home Secretary has appointed twelve regional advisory committees to reconsider cases of certain classes of aliens in Britain.

The British Broadcasting Corporation today estimated that more than 60% of all British wireless listeners tune in to Lord Haw Haw’s daily broadcast from Germany. It is estimated that 16 million Britons listen to the BBC 9 o’clock news on the radio each day, and 6 million then tune in to Lord Haw Haw’s broadcast immediately after.

*ASIA: *The towns of Ota, Kuai, Sawano, and Niragawa in Gunma Prefecture, Japan were merged to form a new town of Ota.

Chinese troops captured Wuyuan, Suiyuan Province, China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* RAF aircraft of Bomber command were actively engaged in Reconnaissance over North Sea, and were attacked enemy patrol with bombs. German Junkers 88 were engaged by a British Blenheim and damaged, its wreckage being later observed by a warship. One British aircraft was missing.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 1, 2015)

*April 2 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Three RAF fighters were engaged with nine Messerschmitts on the Western Front and were reported to have brought down three of the German aircraft. Around noon Hptm. Werner Mölders of III./JG 53 claimed a Hurricane near St. Avold from RAF No. 1 Squadron flown by P/O Palmer who managed to crash land his fighter behind enemy lines, avoiding capture. It is Hptm. Mölders seventh victory. Upon returning to base, Hptm. Mölders received the Iron Cross 1st Class award.

The Zerstörerflieger Oblt. Werner Methfessel of 14 (Z)./LG 1 continues to try to start his victory tally when he claims a French Morane destroyed near Raum Lunéville. His claim is denied again. 

Dutch border guards were placed on full alert due to detected German deployments.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Germans attacked Scapa Flow and North Sea convoys. At 00.21 hours, U-38 sinks Finnish steamer SS “_Signe_”, a straggler from convoy HN-23A (all 19 hands lost). Destroyer HMS “_Sikh_”, escorting convoy HN-23A, hears the explosion and searches for survivors.

British submarines start taking up positions to execute Vice-Admiral Horton’s plan to intercept German warships leaving naval bases at Heligoland Bight, Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven and Swinemünde. He correctly guesses that they will be bound for Norway. HMS “_Unity_” departs Blyth submarine base, Northumberland, to patrol Heligoland Bight. HMS “_Sunfish_” departs Harwich naval base for the Kattegat, between Denmark and Sweden.

Three Hurricane fighters, patrolling North Sea, fought two Heinkel raiders only 20 feet above the sea.

*GERMANY:* In the afternoon, Adolf Hitler issued the directive for the invasion of Denmark and Norway, with the planned launch date to be 9 Apr 1940. Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop was made aware of the invasion for the first time so that his office could help develop excuses for the invasion. 

*UNITED KINGDOM:* German aircraft carried out attack on Scapa Flow at dusk, and were driven off by fire of ships and batteries. Bombs dropped, but no damage done. On the return flight, the planes attack lighthouses at Duncansby Head and Stroma Island.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 2, 2015)

*RN Destroyer Command Ships not available - 1 April 1940 *
7 months of continuous use was having a toll on RN readiness rates. The DDs were being called upon to undertake operations that were very demanding on them. In early April, readiness rates slumped, which was to cause a fateful hesitation by the British in the wart of nerves around Norway. 

The following are the major destroyer formations in Home waters, and as can be seen, there were many ships unavailable for service at this time. 

DesFlot 2 - DD HARDY 
Div 3, HOTSPUR , HAVOCK, HERO , and HEREWARD 
Div 4, HYPERION, HUNTER , HOSTILE, and HASTY 

DesFlot 3 - DD INGLEFIELD 
Div 5, ISIS, ILEX, and IMPERIAL
Div 6, DELIGHT, DIANA, and IMOGEN 

DesFlot 4
Div 7, AFRIDI, GURKHA, SIKH , MOHAWK 
Div 8, ZULU, COSSACK, MAORI, NUBIAN 

DesFlot 5 
Div 9, KELLY, KIPLING, KASHMIR, KELVIN 
Div10, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, KHARTOUM, KINGSTON 

DesFlot 6
Div 11, SOMALI, ASHANTI , MATABELE, MASHONA 
Div 12, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ESKIMO, TARTAR 

DesFlot 7
Div 13, JERVIS, JANUS, JAVELIN, JERSEY
Div 14, JACKAL, JAGUAR, JUNO, and JUPITER 

DesFlot 8 FAULKNOR 
Div 15, FOXHOUND , FEARLESS , FURY, FORESTER 
Div 16, FAME, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE 

DesFlot 20
Div 39, EXPRESS, IVANHOE , ESK 
Div 40, INTREPID, ICARUS , IMPULSIVE 

Rosyth Command

DesFlot 12
Div 23, ECHO , ELECTRA , and ESCORT 
Div 24, ESCAPADE , ENCOUNTER , ECLIPSE 

Miscellaneous attached

DD DUNCAN (Grangemouth)

Convoy Cmd 

Sloops AUCKLAND (, BITTERN , BLACK SWAN, EGRET, FLAMINGO, FLEETWOOD, GRIMSBY, HASTINGS, LONDONDERRY, LOWESTOFT , PELICAN , STORK , WESTON 

Escort ships (modified V&W Class DDs) VALENTINE, VALOROUS , VEGA , VIMIERA , VIVIEN , WALLACE , WESTMINSTER , WHITLEY , WOLSEY , WOOLSTON 

Nore Command
DesFlot1
Divi 1, CODRINGTON, GRENADE , ORP BLYSKAWICA, ORP GROM and ORP BURZA
Div 2, GRAFTON , GREYHOUND, GLOWWORM, GRIFFIN , GALLANT 

Dover Command

DesFlot 19
Div 37, KEITH , BASILISK) BEAGLE , BOREAS 
Div 38, BOADICEA , BRAZEN , BRILLIANT 

Portsmouth Command
DesFlot 16 
Div 31, MALCOLM, VENOMOUS, WIVERN 
Div 32, ARROW , ANTHONY , ACHATES , ACHERON 

Western Approaches Command
DesFlot 9 
HAVELOCK , HESPERUS , HAVANT, HIGHLANDER (unattached units)

DesFlot 11 
Div 21, MACKAY, WALPOLE, VANQUISHER, WINCHELSEA, WALKER, VANOC 
Div 22, VERSATILE, VIMY, WHIRLWIND, WARWICK , and SALADIN

DesFlot 15 
Div 29, BROKE, WANDERER, WHITEHALL, WITCH, VANSITTART 
Div 30, WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, VOLUNTEER, VERITY 

DesFlot 17
Div 33, CAMPBELL, MONTROSE, VISCOUNT, WESSEX, VIVACIOUS
Div 34, WAKEFUL, VESPER, VANESSA, VENETIA 

DesFlot 18
Div 35, ACASTA, ANTELOPE, AMAZON, and ARDENT
Div 36, VETERAN , WREN, WHITSHED, WINDSOR, WILD SWAN

Not assigned or undergoing long-term conversions

Grangemouth - SABRE
London - SARDONYX
Chatham - WOLFHOUND, VERDUN 
Sheerness - WORCESTER 
Portsmouth - AMBUSCADE, SCIMITAR , WINCHESTER, SKATE, VICEROY 
Plymouth - VANITY


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## parsifal (Apr 2, 2015)

*2 April 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV SIGNE (FN 1540 grt)* Crew: 19 (19 dead - no survivors) : Cargo: Ballast : Route Gothenburg - Bergen (30 Mar) - Burntisland: U.38 sank Finnish steamer, a straggler from convoy HN.23A. DD SIKH, escorting the convoy, reported an explosion at this time, which was probably SIGNE being torpedoed. On the 4th, trawler GOOD SHEPHERD found a raft with one body from SIGNE six miles NNE of Fair Island.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Reuter announces: The possibility of a significant intensification of the blockade cannot be denied, but the Allied Cabinets and the Supreme War Council have so far announced nothing.
> 
> The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Koht, states in an interview with the press: "Norway protests with the same energy against the German as against the British violations of Norwegian neutrality. The material harm caused to Norway by Germany is deeply regrettable; Britain's violations of neutrality are, however, different and often did not affect Norwegian material interests so much as her honor and independence." Norwegian political circles appear to be expecting Great Britain to send a note to the Norwegian Government within a short time, demanding that Norway forbid ore shipments from Narvik to Germany.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Intention:
> To recall U 38, 43 and 52 as soon as U 13, 58, 59 reach the Orkney area. B.d.U. will be informed by telephone of the imminent sending of the keyword. As the boats U 38, 43 and 52 at sea and fully armed, should be well prepared for the "Weser Exercise" it is high time that they were recalled. In order to shorten their return route they have already been in the area east of the Shetlands for several days. As long as their engine equipment is ready for action a supplementation of consumable stores is still possible up to the estimated beginning of the exercise. In this connection, I have decided to order the return passage of these boats. The keyword for the "Weser Exercise" will be received in the evening. It is the 9th of April.



At Sea 2 April 1940
U-13, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-59. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
DD KASHMIR was damaged at Rosyth while coming alongside a tkr. The damage was repaired by 7 April. OA.122 departed Southend escort DDs VANESSA and ANTELOPE from 2 to 4 April. The convoy dispersed on the 5th. FN.135 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 4th. FS.136 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE and sloop FLAMINGO. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 4th.

There was a reorganization of MSWs . MSWFlot2 – ABERDARE, HARROW and modified gunboat COCKCHAFER. MSW Flot 3 - HUNTLEY, ABINGDON, BAGSHOT, FAREHAM and STOKE. MSwFlot 4 - NIGER, SALAMANDER, DUNOON, DUNDALK, FITZROY, SELKIRK, SUTTON and ELGIN. MSWFlot 5 - GOSSAMER, LEDA, ALBURY, KELLET, LYDD, PANGBOURNE, ROSS and SALTASH. MSW Flot 6 - HALCYON, SPEEDWELL, HUSSAR, HARRIER and SKIPJACK. MSWFkot 1 operating with the Home Flt was unaltered

DKM aux Schiff 11/HANONIA (steamer ULM, 3071grt) departed Schillig Roads on 31 March disguised as the Norwegian steamer OREGON EXPRESS, and laid a minefield with 90 EMC and 84 contact mines southeast of Smith's Knoll on the 2nd. Submarine SEALION, which had departed Harwich on patrol on the 1st, pursued Schiff 11 in the North Sea for some time without success.

*Northern Waters*
DDs INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, ISIS and JUPITER departed Scapa on the 2nd to search in Moray Firth for a reportedly damaged DKM submarine. The DDs made no contact and arrived back at Scapa that evening. At 2101 a report was received of an outbound DKM submarine. The CinC Home Flt ordered DDs to sea. DD MOHAWK was detached from convoy HN.23A. DD JUPITER departed Scapa at 3rd to join MOHAWK. The DDs were recalled to Scapa for other duty on the 3rd. DDs HARDY, HUNTER, HAVOCK and HOTSPUR cleared Scapa at 1930 and arrived at Sullom Voe next morning on the 3rd. Sub SPEARFISH arrived at Blyth from Scapa.

LW bombers of II/KG30 raided Scapa. 2-4 bombs were dropped near depot ship WOOLWICH, but there was no damage. 

*Channel*
Patrol sloop SHELDRAKE on patrol in the English Channel made a submarine contact. An attack was not made as the contact was found to be non-submarine. DDs FORTUNE and FORTUNE departed Plymouth for the Clyde to participate in Plan R.4, the Norwegian operation. The DDs arrived in the Clyde on the 3rd. DD FAULKNOR departed Scapa for the Clyde to participate in Plan R.4, and arrived in the Clyde on the 3rd. DD BEAGLE on Nth Goodwins patrol made an attack on a sub contact. DD BRILLIANT joined to assist and both DDs remained at the scene through the day. 

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.32 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and RESTIGOUCHE, which detached on the 3rd. Before joining the convoy, the DDs escorted BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN to Halifax from her HX.25 duty. RCN DD ST LAURENT escorted BB MALAYA from Halifax. During the duck of the 3rd, the DDs turned the convoy over to MALAYA, which detached on the 14th. On the 13th, DD VANQUISHER joined and on the 14th, DDs VERSATILE and WILD SWAN. VANQUISHER detached on the 15th, VERSATILE on the 16th, and WILD SWAN on the 17th, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.25F departed Gib with 23 ships. Fr DD TIGRE, PV VIKINGS and RN DD DOUGLAS escorted the convoy from 2 April. VIKINGS was detached that evening, DOUGLAS on the 5th and TIGRE on the 8th. DDs WITCH and VIMY joined HG.25F on the 8th and escorted the convoy until 9 April. DD VISCOUNT and sloop ROCHESTER joined HG.25F on the 8th and escorted the convoy until 11 April when the convoy arrived at Liverpool. MSW LYDD arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. On the 5th, the minesweeper departed for Plymouth.

Fr BBs DUNKERQUE and STRASBOURG, CLs GLOIRE and MONTCALM, DDs MOGADOR, INDOMPTABLE, TRIOMPHANT, MALIN and TERRIBLE departed Brest. They arrived at Mer el Kebir on the 5th.

French light cruiser EMILE BERTIN and large destroyer MAILLE BREZE departed Toulon on the 1st, then Oran to proceed to Brest for operations off Norway. The destroyer was a replacement for large destroyer VAUQUELIN which departed Brest for repairs at Toulon, where she arrived on the 10th. EMILE BERTIN and MAILLE BREZE arrived at Brest on the 5th.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Sub depot ship MEDWAY and subs PHOENIX, PARTHIAN and PROTEUS departed Hong Kong. They were at Singapore from 8 to 10 April and Colombo, Ceylon from 14 to 17 April before sailing for Aden. The ships departed Aden on the 26th and arrived at Suez on 1 May, left Port Said on 2 May and joined the Med Flt. At the same time, SubFlot 8 (ORPHEUS, ODIN, OLYMPUS and OTUS) was moving from the Indian Ocean. Submarine ORPHEUS departed Diego Suarez on 30 March and arrived at Aden on the 6th. She departed Aden on the 14th, departed Port Said on the 21st. ODIN departed Colombo on 31 March and arrived at Port Said on the 21st in company of ORPHEUS. On 26 April, they arrived at Malta and ODIN immediately commencing refit. Submarines OLYMPUS and OTUS departed Colombo on the 16th and departed Aden on the 26th. They arrived at Suez on 1 May, departing Port Said on 2 May, and arrived at Malta on 7 May. Submarine OLYMPUS immediately commenced refit.


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## Njaco (Apr 2, 2015)

*April 3 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *The Zerstörers of 15 (Z)./LG 1 clash with French warplanes east of Nancy shortly after noon. Two pilots claiming destruction of Moranes during the battle, Oblt. Werner and Oblt. Aussen, are denied the credit for the kills. 

Air reconnaissance by the 4(F)./122 over Le Havre and Cherbourg produced valuable information for the OKM; the following were detected in Cherbourg harbor - 4 destroyers of the BOURRASQUE class, 2 large destroyers, 4 submarine-chasers and several submarines, etc. There was an Anti-submarine net barrage in the western entrance of the outer mole, with one passage open.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Katyn Massacre: Over 20,000 Polish police, military officers, and intellectuals were massacred by the Soviet NKVD.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * There is a cabinet shuffle in the Chamberlain government. Lord Chatfield resigns his post as Minister for the Co-ordination of Defense. First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill becomes chairman of the Military Coordinating Committee, giving him some oversight of the Army and RAF as well as naval matters. One of Churchill's first acts in his new post is to obtain final consent for the mining of the Norwegian Leads. Also, Lord Woolton becomes Minister of Food. As a dedicated, high profile Minister of Food (April 1940 - December 1943) Lord (Frederick James Marquis, first Earl of) Woolton was responsible for selling the benefits of rationing to the British public and educating it into better eating habits. Later in the war, with plentiful vegetables being produced as a result of the success of the 'Dig for Victory' campaign, some were used as the ingredients for the legendary 'Woolton Pie'. This particular vegetable pie recipe was made from potatoes, parsnips and herbs . Alas though, this particular dish never really took off with the British public.

Flight Lieutenant Ryder of No. 41 Squadron RAF became the first RAF pilot to be shot down on home defense duties when he ditched his Spitfire fighter in the sea off Redcar, England, United Kingdom after bringing down a Heinkel 111 bomber. Ryder and the German crew were picked up safely. Flight Lt Ryder was awarded the DFC after this incident and is recorded as the first homed based pilot to be shot down by an enemy aircraft.

*GERMANY:* German supply ships began departing for the invasion of Norway. The British cabinet was warned of this action and the German concentration of troops within hours.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Polish submarine “_Orzeł_” (part of Royal Navy's 2nd Submarine Flotilla, under the command of Vice-Admiral Max Horton), departed Rosyth, Scotland, United Kingdom to patrol the coast off Kristiansand, Norway.

1(F)./122 dispatched several He 111s to search the area between the Orkneys and the Firth of Forth. At midday one of these aircraft reported a convoy off Peterhead. Several inconclusive combats took place between the Heinkels and defending Skuas and Gladiators. II./KG 26 had already dispatched 14 He 111s on an armed reconnaissance to the area between Peterhead and Flamborough Head and these attacked the convoy at the earliest opportunity.

A British Short Sunderland flying boat on patrol off Norway attacked by six Junkers Ju 88 aircraft successfully shot one down, forced another to land immediately and drove the rest off.

*ASIA:* Chinese troops secured the Wuyuan region in Suiyuan Province, China.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 3, 2015)

*Allied Operational plans for Norwegian Intervention 1 April 1940*
Message delivered in Cyper to " H.Q.C.C." from Admiralty. The message was marked "SECRET" in Admiralty dispatches, but was was intercepted by DKM and passed to Raeder 2 or 3 April. The allies were not able to keep secrets from the germans at this point in the war. 


> Following message is passed to you for information. C. in C. Home Flt repeated CinC Rosyth, F.O. Greenock, CinC Western Approaches.
> 
> The laying of mines in Norwegian waters may lead to German reaction in Scandinavia.
> It has therefore been decided to hold troops ready to occupy the Ports of Stavanger, Bergen, and Trondheim and ready to land at Narvik. The operation will be know as Plan R.4.
> ...


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## Njaco (Apr 3, 2015)

*April 4 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* Aktion 14 F 13 began; it was the first documented proof that the Nazi German regime conducted mass extermination of the handicapped in concentration camps.

Hermann Göring delivered a speech to the nation across German radio waves today. Using the radio to reach all members of the German nation, Göring spoke of the Nazi party’s plans for expansion. The head of the German Luftwaffe called on all Germans do to their bit in the war. He singled out German youths in particular, stating they will enjoy seeing German grow into the greatest empire the world has ever seen. Göring also called on all German youths to behave with decency and morality in the coming years.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British newspapers reported concentrations of troops in German ports. This seems to go unnoticed by the military.

British Vice Admiral Max Horton ordered British submarine HMS “_Snapper_” to depart Harwich naval base for the Skagerrak between Denmark and Norway and French submarines “_Amazone_” and “_Antiope_” (under British command) to depart Harwich for the Frisian Islands and Heligoland.

The British Treasury forms a company to trade with the Balkans in an effort to counter German economic penetration in the region.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Winston Churchill is dismayed by the general lack of Allied action, and French political feuding in particular, leading to inactivity in Norway. He flies to Paris, France to persuade the French on a plan to mine Norwegian waters. Unable to convince French leadership to mine the Rhine River at the same time, Churchill decided to resurrect his plan to lay mines in Norwegian coastal waters (Operation Wilfred). He concludes that;


> “Wilfred should go forward notwithstanding the French refusal of Royal Marine (mining of the Rhine)”.


 British War cabinet is informed and agrees with his assessment.

The Netherlands declared itself in a state of siege.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Norway the passenger ship “_Mira_” reaches its home port after numerous German air strikes during a six day crossing of the North Sea. None of the 107 passengers and crew are seriously injured.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 5, 2015)

*April 5 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced that a German invasion of Western Europe would not be successful. The British also receive intelligence reports that Germany will soon invade Norway, including landings at Narvik. These warnings are ignored.

British submarine HMS “_Spearfish_” departed Blyth for the Danish coast in search for potential German invasion fleets for Denmark and Norway.

The French government is informed that Britain will go ahead with Operation Wilfred (mining the coast of Norway) without Operation Royal Marine (mining the River Rhine). Even Chamberlain believes the Allies have seized the initiative, crowing that “Hitler missed the bus” – words that he will come to regret. Allies deliver diplomatic notes (“admonitions”) to Norway and Sweden warning of actions to hinder German trade with these countries. The United Kingdom informed Norway and Sweden of its intent to mine Norwegian waters; British warships departed Scapa Flow at 1830 hours for this operation. Norwegians are now convinced of an Allied invasion and forget about Germany. At 1830 hours, British battlecruiser HMS “_Renown_”, destroyers HMS “_Inglefield_”, “_Ilex_”, “_Imogen_”, “_Isis_”, “_Greyhound_”, “_Glowworm_”, “_Hyperion_”, “_Hero_” and minelayer HMS “_Teviotbank_” depart Scapa Flow to mine the Norwegian coast.

*GERMANY:* Norwegian ambassador in Berlin warned Danish and Norwegian capitals of a possible invasion, as did British intelligence.

British RAF aircraft attacked German shipping at Wilhelmshaven.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Deportations of Jews begins in Czechoslovakia.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 5, 2015)

*3 April 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 7 





_Despite being on a larger 70 foot hull (as compared to the 60' preceding design for MA/SB 1-6) and with two powered aircraft turrets (each with 4 x 0.303 MGs) , this design too was flawed in concept, and so they were converted to some of the first MGB's, with a new armament._

*Known Losses*
*Trawler GORSPEN (UK 208 grt )*: The trawler was bombed and severely damaged in the North Sea 20 miles `SE of Muckle Flugga, Shetland Islands by a Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26, Luftwaffe and was abandoned by her crew. The Luftwaffe claimed she was sunk.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing Vessel LONE EAGLED (US 57 grt)*: The fishing vessel was sunk off Point Arguello, California in a collision with USS CROSBY ( USN). Her 7 crewmen are rescued.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler SANSONNET (UK 212 grt)*: The trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea 18 nautical miles east by south of Muckle Flugga by a Luftwaffe aircraft. Approximately 7 crew were lost. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts
Items of Political Importance 



> 1. Change in the British Cabinet (according to Reuter, to coordinate more closely the work of the different Ministries). Lord Chatfield, the Minister for Coordination and Defense has resigned. Churchill becomes Senior Minister for the three Armed Services. Air Minister Kingsley Wood has been replaced by Sir Samuel Hoare. These slight alterations in the British Cabinet are on the
> whole unimportant* The resignation of Lord Chatfield, acknowledged to be a particularly sound man, indicates differences of opinion within the Government.
> 
> 2. For Chamberlain's speech about the intensification of economic warfare and increased pressure on neutrals, see Foreign Press. Great attention and anxiety among the neutrals. It is assumed that very soon Great Britain will ration severely or stop altogether all imports of raw materials from overseas
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Put out to take up position: U 7, 10, 19, 25, 30, 34, 47, 49. Otherwise no events.



Departures
Kiel: U-48
Wilhelmshaven: U-7, U-10, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-47, U-49 

At Sea 3 April 1940
U-7, U-10, U-13, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-59. 
18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs JAVELIN, JUNO and ECLIPSE departed convoy HN.23B after dark to proceed directly to Rosyth for duty escorting ON.25. DD DIANA departed Rosyth to take part in a Bomber Cmd Interception exercise. After the exercise, DD DIANA proceeded to the Humber to repair ASDIC direction gear, arriving .early on the 5th. FN.136 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 5th. MT.43 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop PELICAN, and ASW trawlers of ASW Gp 23. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.137 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN*

FIRST GERMAN SHIPPING MOVEMENTS

DKM supply ships for the Norwegian invasion began to leave Hamburg. At 0200/3rd, steamers RAUENFELS (Ger 8460 grt), ALSTER (Ger 8514 grt) and BARENFELS (Ger 7569 grt) departed for Narvik. At 2100/4th, steamer SAO PAULO (Ger 4977 grt) departed for Trondheim. At 0200/5th, steamers LEVANTE (Ger 4769 grt) and MAIN (Ger 7624 grt) departed for Trondheim. At 0200/7th, steamer RODA (Ger 6780 grt) departed for Stavanger.

DKM tkr KATTEGAT (Ger 6031 grt) departed Wilhelmshaven for Narvik to refuel the invasion Group I. DKM tkr SKAGERRAK (Ger 6044 grt) departed Wilhelmshaven on the 4th for Trondheim to refuel German invasion Group II. In addition, DKM tkr JAN WELLEM (Ger 11,776 grt) departed Murmansk during the evening of 6 April for Narvik.

*Northern Waters*
CAs DEVONSHIRE and BERWICK and DDs ZULU and KELVIN arrived at Rosyth in preparation for Norway operations. DDs ESK, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE and IVANHOE arrived at Scapa with ML TEVIOTBANK. The DDs refuelled, departed Scapa, and arrived at Sullom Voe in the evening of the 3rd.

*Channel*
DDs FORTUNE and FORESTER en route from Plymouth to the Clyde conducted an ASW Sweep after a DC attack by DDs WAKEFUL and VENETIA brought up oil. DDs FORTUNE and FORESTER arrived in the Clyde.

*UK - France*
DD BEAGLE brought the British CIGS back from Boulogne, arriving at Dover.

*Central Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE was at Simonstown with defects. On 18 April, she was able to proceed to Devonport for refitting completed on 7 June

*Med- Biscay*
OA.120G and OB.120G combined and were re-designated OG.24 with 54 ships. On the 3rd, DD WAKEFUL detached to escort convoy HG.24, and DD MONTROSE detached on the 4th. Fr DD LYNX and auxiliary PV MINERVA escorted the convoy from the 3rd to 8th. The convoy was joined near Gibraltar by DD VELOX from the 6th to 8th, when the convoy arrived at Gibraltar.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 5, 2015)

*4 April 1940*
*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Great Britain's strikingly worded statements and assurances that no military action in Scandinavian territorial waters and no landing of troops in Norway are planned, strengthen Naval Staff's conviction that in reality just such a British action against Scandinavia is directly imminent. The previous handing of notes to Norway , and perhaps also to Sweden, can be expected. "Weseruebung Nord" is beginning to develop into a "race" between Great Britain and Germany for Scandinavia.





> The following order is issued in addition to those previously given to the supercargoes of transports which have not yet sailed:
> 
> "Neither enemy nor neutral may gain an insight into the camouflaged cargo.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary
Put out to take up position: U 9, 14, 48, 56, 57, 60, 62. 

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-52

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-1, U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-9, U-14, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-62 

At Sea 4 April 1940
U-1, U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49 , U-51, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62.
28 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub NARWHAL, which departed Rosyth on the 2nd,laid mines at 0413 in the Heligoland Bight area. This minefield, designated FD.1, had no confirmed victims, but may have been responsible for U.1's loss. German trawler DEUTSCHLAND (432grt) was damaged on this field on the 13th. HN.24 with 40 cargo ships from 7 nations (principally Scandinavian) departed Bergen escort DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, MASHONA and TARTAR. CLs PENELOPE, SHEFFIELD and CLA CAIRO provided close support. DDs CODRINGTON and JANUS departed Scapa on the 5th and were ordered to search for a German submarine reported in 59‑00N, 0‑52W. At daylight on the 6th, CODRINGTON joined DD KIMBERLEY, which had departed Scapa on the 5th with ASW trawlers MAN O' WAR and LADY ELSA to escort six ships of the west coast portion of the convoy. HN.24 arrived safely at Methil on the 7th. KIMBERLEY and CODRINGTON reached Scapa esarly on the 7th after the convoy dispersed off Cape Wrath. FN.137 departed Southend, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop AUCKLAND. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 6th. FS.138 departed the Tyne, escort sloop FLEETWOOD and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th. MT.44 departed Methil, escort DD WESTMINSTER and ASW Gp 19. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. Blockship REDSTONE (3110grt) departed Rosyth at 1030 under the tow of tug IRISHMAN for Scapa Flow escorted by DDs BRAZEN and ELECTRA. The ship was joined in heavy weather on the 6th by tug BRIGAND from Kirkwall. REDSTONE arrived at Scapa at 1900/6th and was sunk as a blockship at Scapa Flow on 2 May.

*NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN*
Fr DD BISON departed Oran providing escort for AMCs EL D'JEZAIR, EL MANSOUR, EL KANTARA and VILLE D'ORAN to Brest, arriving on the 8th for Norwegian operations.

BRITISH TRANSPORTS FOR ALLIED LANDINGS
Adml Sir Edward Evans (British commander of the Narvik operation) hoisted his flag on CL AURORA which arrived in the Clyde on the 4th. AURORA and another CL cruiser at Scapa were to escort a large transport to Narvik. Another large transport with troops and supplies for Trondheim was also in the Clyde.

ALLIED SUBMARINE MOVEMENTS IN ANTICIPATION OF NORWEGIAN OPERATIONS
Composition of the Submarine Flotillas in Home waters just prior to the start of the Norwegian campaign. Vice Admiral Submarines - Vice Admiral Sir Max K Horton.
SubFlot 2
Depot ship FORTH
Subs THISTLE, TRIAD, TRIBUNE, TRIDENT, TRITON, TRUANT, TRIUMPH, SEAL, PORPOISE, ORP ORZEL and WILK refitting

SubFlot 3
Depot ship CYCLOPS
Subs SALMON refitting, SEALION, SEAWOLF, SHARK, SNAPPER, STERLET, SUNFISH

SubFlot 6
Depot ship TITANIA
Subs STURGEON, UNITY, URSULA, SPEARFISH, SWORDFISH, CLYDE, SEVERN, NARWHAL

Fr SubFlot 10
Depot ship JULES VERNE
Subms SYBILLE, AMAZONE, ANTIOPE

19 allied submarines ordered to patrol in the Kattegat, Skagerrak and sthn North Sea in anticipation of German military reaction to the British Norwegian operations. On 8 April the submarines were located as follows. French AMAZONE and ANTIOPE, which departed Harwich on the 4th, were on patrol off the Frisian Islands and Heligoland, respectively. SHARK and SEAWOLF, which departed Harwich on the 7th, were en route to patrol in the southwest North Sea, off Terschelling west of Jutland. UNITY, which departed Blyth on the 2nd, was in the Heligoland Bight off Horn's Reef. In the Kattegat or en route. TRITON, which departed Rosyth on 29 March, was north of Laeso. SUNFISH, which departed Harwich on the 2nd, was in the Kattegat north of Anholt. SEALION, which departed Harwich on the 1st, was in the Kattegat. SNAPPER, which departed Harwich on the 4th, was north of the German declared area in the Skagerrak. On patrol in the Skagerrak or en route. URSULA, which departed Blyth on the 8th, was west of the German declared mine area in the Skagerrak.

CLYDE, which departed Scapa Flow on the 7th, was en route to Egersund; she was being hindered by German aircraft and did not arrive until 0300/9th. SEVERN, which departed Portsmouth with new submarine TARPON on the 5th and joined convoy FN.39 for the passage to Rosyth. SEVERN was in the area of Hartlepool on passage to vicinity of 57-00N, 6-00E. TRUANT, which departed Rosyth on the 6th to relieve submarine TRIDENT, was off Egersund. TRIAD, which departed Rosyth on the 8th to relieve submarine TRITON, was on passage east of the Skaw. THISTLE, which departed Scapa Flow on the 7th, was west of the Skagerrak. SPEARFISH, which departed Blyth on the 5th to relieve SWORDFISH, was north of the German declared area in the Skagerrak off the northwest coast of Denmark. STERLET, which departed Harwich on the 8th, was on passage to the Skagerrak. TRIDENT, which departed Rosyth on 25 March, was in Bohus Bay off Larvik. Polish ORZEL, which departed Rosyth on the 3rd, was off Kristiansand. SEAL departed Rosyth on the 6th to patrol off the Norwegian coast between Egersund and Lindesnes. She was north of the German declared mine area in 56-00N, 5-20E on the 8th. After the loss of THISTLE on the 10th, she entered Stavangersfjord.

NARWHAL returned to Blyth from minelaying mission FD.1 on the 6th, briefly docked to correct leaks, proceeded to Immingham to embark mines for another minelay and set off on the 10th. PORPOISE arrived back from convoy duty at Rosyth on the 4th and after refuelling and repairs left on patrol on the 13th. SWORDFISH arrived back at Blyth on the 8th from patrol and again departed after refuelling and repairs on the 16th. French SYBILLE arrived at Harwich on the 5th after a six-day patrol in the North Sea. She departed on the 9th to patrol off Horn Reef. TARPON (Lt Cdr H J Caldwell) departed Portsmouth on the 5th in company of SEVERN for working up at Rosyth, but was ordered to patrol in the Heligoland Bight. TARPON was west of the Skagerrak on the 8th. TAKU (Lt Cdr V J Van Der Byl) departed Portsmouth on the 2nd for the Clyde escorted by destroyer MALCOLM. At 0730 next morning off Start Point, MALCOLM was relieved by destroyer FOXHOUND. TAKU and FOXHOUND arrived in the Clyde at 0600/5th. TAKU departed Greenock for patrol on the 11th to relieve submarine CLYDE off Egersund, but was diverted en route to Molde. TETRARCH (Lt Cdr R.G Mills) departed Portsmouth escorted by sloop FOXGLOVE on the 13th for working up at Rosyth, but en route was diverted off Flamborough Head on the 14th to patrol off Lister.

*Northern Waters*
BB WARSPITE in company with DDs GRIFFIN, MOHAWK, HERO and JUPITER cleared Scapa at 0130 for the Clyde. JUPITER was relieved later on the 4th by DD DELIGHT . DD ASHANTI slipped her moorings at the Clyde at 0400/4th to relieve HERO which returned to Scapa arriving at dawn on the 5th. The force arrived at the Clyde without incident on the 5th. Upon arrival, GRIFFIN and MOHAWK returned to Scapa. WARSPITE departed the Clyde on the 7th escort DDs HESPERUS, HAVANT, MACKAY. She was due to arrive at Gib on the 12th to return to the Med Flt, but was soon recalled due to events in Norway.

Fishing trawler FRIESLAND (Ger 247 grt) was captured by DD HOSTILE NW of Tromso, Friesland. She was taken to Kirkwall arriving on the 10th. 

*Western Approaches*
DD SALADIN sustained damage to her hull plating while going alongside another ship in the Western Approaches Command. DD SALADIN sustained damage to her hull plating while going alongside another ship in the Western Approaches Cmd.

*Nth Atlantic*
U.37 refuelled from DKM Raider ATLANTIS. The next day, U.37, was unable to keep station with ATLANTIS in heavy seas, and was detached from the escort of ATLANTIS in the Denmark Strait.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 5, 2015)

*5 April 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Flower Class Corvette ARABIS , Fr Elan Class MSW Commandant Dominé (est comm date)








*Known Losses*
*Fishing trawler BLANKENBURG (Ger 344 grt) *was captured by DD FEARLESS northeast of North Cape. She was escorted by DD FEARLESS as far as North Cape, then departed under prize crew for Kirkwall arriving on the 11th. Trawler BLANKENBURG was renamed RECOIL for use by the Royal Navy as an anti-submarine trawler.

[NO IMAGE FOUND}

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Conference on the Situation with Chief, Naval Staff
> Special Items ;
> 1. Letter from OKW;
> a) The Fuehrer has ordered that the cruiser LUETZOW is to be drown in to transport about one battalion to Trondheim, independent of her further assignment.
> ...


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Put out to take up position: U 1, 2, 4, 5, 6.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-38

Departures
Kiel: U-17, U-50

At Sea 5 April 1940
U-1, U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-50, U-51, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62. 
28 boats at sea.


*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
FN.138 departed Southend, escort DD WALLACE and sloop FLAMINGO. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 7th. MT.45 departed Methil, escort DD VALOROUS, sloop LOWESTOFT, and ASW trawlers of ASW Gp 1 . The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 6th. U.2, U.5 and U.6 departed Wilhelmshaven for patrols off southern Norway. U.4 had departed Wilhelmshaven on the 4th and U.1 departed Wilhelmshaven on the 6th. U.3 departed Wilhelmshaven on the 13th when U.2 left patrol with defects for Wilhelmshaven. 

MSWs GOSSAMER, SALAMANDER and NIGER spent the night of 4/5 April in the Downs. On the 5th, MSW NIGER proceeded directly to the Humber. The other two MSWs stopped at Harwich for work in connection with a ML op off Dover. Following the operation, MSWs GOSSAMER and SALAMANDER proceeded to the Humber. MSW LEDA was to proceed to the Humber after boiler cleaning.

*NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN*

PLANNED BRITISH MINELAYING OPERATIONS
The original British plan was to lay mines in Norwegian waters on the 5th and the first contingent of British troops for Narvik were to sail from the Clyde on the 8th. However, several factors caused the schedule to be put back three days.

ML TEVIOTBANK with DDs INGLEFIELD, ILEX, IMOGEN, ISIS departed Scapa to lay mines off Stadlandet between Aalesund and Bergen. This was the first of three minefields planned under operation WILFRED. Screening forces for these operations were BC RENOWN with DDs GREYHOUND, GLOWWORM, HYPERION and HERO sailing from Scapa at 1830 with the TEVIOTBANK force. CL BIRMINGHAM, which had departed Scapa 31 March to search for German fishing vessels, was to have escorted the ML force, but on the 5th reports were received that all four Norwegian coastal defense ships were at Narvik. At the last moment, the Admiralty decided to send RENOWN and have BIRMINGHAM rendezvous with her off the Norwegian coast. However, BIRMINGHAM was unable to make the rendezvous due to bad weather.

DKM SUPPLY SHIPS MOVEMENTS
DKM supply ship ALSTER (8514grt) and tanker KATTEGAT (6031grt), escorted by Norwegian TB STEGG, arrived at Kopervik at the pilot station. The station could not provide sufficient pilots and the German ships' progress north was delayed. The German ships spent the night at Kopervik and left the next morning towards Narvik. German steamers MAIN (7624grt) and BARENFELS (7569grt) experienced similar delays and spent the night of 6/7 April at Kopervik. German steamer SAO PAULO (4977grt) was forced to spend the night of 7/8 April at Kristiansand.

UK-NORWAY CONVOY ON.25
ON.25 with 43 ships for Norway and two ships for Aberdeen, departed Methil at 1200 escort DDs JAVELIN, JUNO, ECLIPSE, GRENADE and submarine THISTLE. CLs MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON and CLA CALCUTTA provided close support. 

Off Aberdeen, sub THISTLE was detached from the convoy with ASW trawler COVENTRY CITY (546grt) and British steamer MAGRIX (454grt) for Scapa. On the 6th, the convoy was joined at sea by DDs JANUS, which departed Scapa at midday of the 5th and JUPITER, which had departed Scapa next morning, escorting the ten ships of the Kirkwall section of the convoy. Upon joining the convoy, DD JANUS remained with the local escort and DD JUPITER was ordered to search for British drifter SEABREEZE.

On the 8th, the Admiralty recalled ON.25 due to German naval activity in the North Sea. Steamers DALVEEN, CALEDONIA, DELAWARE, ROY, DIANA, EINVIK, INGER, VESTLAND, HJALMAR WESSEL, ORANGEMOOR, FREY, CREE, BULLAREN, WAPPU, STAR and RINGULV arrived on the 9th at Kirkwall, NORDOST on the 10th at Kirkwall, SOLHAVN at Kirkwall and BERTHA at Methil on the 11th, TOPDALSFJORD at Kirkwall and NORTH DEVON at Methil on the 12th, HELDER at Kirkwall and NYANZA at the Tyne on the 13th, and IMPERIAL VALLEY at Methil on the 16th.

On the 10th, escort vessels VIVIEN, WOOLSTON and WOLSEY, which departed Rosyth on the 9th, escorted ON.25 from Kirkwall being joined en route by Sloop BITTERN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 11th. Sloop BITTERN was detached en route to round up Danish fishing vessels in Moray Firth on the 10th. Steamers MAGDALENA, LOTTE, METTE, BEGONIA, EROS, SJOFNA, IBIS, VARD, ASCANIA, HAGA, SOPHIE, SWAINBY, SARPFOSS, C. F. LILJEVALCH and STANJA of ON.25 were lost or captured when the convoy was recalled on the 8th and twenty-four ships lost touch continuing towards Bergen. Steamers VELI RAGNAR safely arrived in the Kirkenes and FORSVIK at Gothenburg.

*Northern Waters*
DDs CODRINGTON and JANUS departed Scapa at midday to search for a reported German submarine bombed by aircraft (presumably RAF Coastal Command) at 1020. The DDs made six attacks on a submarine contact in 59-11N, 1-03W. Submarine UNITY at 0848 fired three torpedoes at U.2 in 56-02N, 6-35E. All the torpedoes missed.

*Channel*
MSW Flot 6 was formed with MSWs HALCYON, SPEEDWELL, SKIPJACK, HARRIER and HUSSAR at Dover. 

*Nth Atlantic*
DDs WALPOLE, WITHERINGTON and HESPERUS which were en route to meet convoy HX.30 and destroyer HAVANT, escorting OA.122 were ordered to hunt a German submarine reported in Dingle Bay.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.25 with 37 ships departed Gib escort DD WATCHMAN from the 5th to 7th. The ocean escort was sloops FOWEY and BIDEFORD which escorted the convoy from the 5 to 15th. DDs VERITY, VIVACIOUS and BROKE joined the convoy in Home Waters on the 12th and escorted the convoy until the 15th, when it arrived at Liverpool.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 6, 2015)

*6 April 1940 *
* Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette GLADIOLUS, Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-10








*Losses*
*Trawler LEONORA (UK 217 grt)*: Crew 9 (all lost) The trawler sank in the North Sea 60 miles east of Scarborough.




_Some sources state this ship was lost 16 April 1940. A few have it listed as lost 16 April 1941. Llloyds records it as missing from 6 April 1940 _

*MV NAVARRA (Nor 2118 grt)*: Crew; 26 (12 dead and 14 survivors): cargo: Fully laden with Coal Route: Swansea - Kirkwall - Oslo : Sunk west of Kirwall: Convoy HN 10B: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Orkney Islands, by U-59. Survivors were rescued by MV ATLAS (Fn).





*Type IIA U-1 (DKM 381 grt)*: Uboat net records her loss as 6 April sunk on a British laid minefield in the Nth Sea, nth of Ne Coast near the Dogger Bank 





*Type VIIB U-50 ( DKM 780 ngrt)*: Uboat net records her loss as of this day, but date is uncertain. She was lost in the same locale as U-1. 




_Pictured is U-48, of the same class and appearance as U-50_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> (Raider) Ship "36" sails according to plan as the second auxiliary cruiser. The supply ship NORDMARK leaves for the Atlantic and proceeds via Route II.





> "Weseruebung" :
> 6 April, "Weserday" minus 5 :
> Naval ops commence as planned. Groups I and II (Narvik and Trondheim) sail at 0300 on 6 April under the command of
> Commanding Admiral, Fleet. The CS LUETZOW dropped out of the Trondheim Group at the last moment. In the afternoon the report is received from the LUETZOW about breakdowns caused by cracks in the auxiliary engine casings. Complete repairs will take several days. Provisional repair is being carried out. Sailing for operations in the Atlantic is out of the question until full repairs are completed. The ship must therefore be restored as quickly as possible, since Naval Staff attaches the greatest importance to operations in the Atlantic in order to effect a strong diversion as soon as possible after " Weseruebung". It is agreed with the 21st Army Group that the LUETZOW is not to operate to Trondhelm because of her breakdown, but is assigned to the Oslo Group. The LUETZOW is ordered to proceed through the Kiel Canal and join the Oslo Group.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> Put out to take up position: U 50 also U 64 escorting the auxiliary cruiser "Ship 36". After executing her assignment (escorting the auxiliary cruiser until breakthrough into the Atlantic) this boat is at the disposal of B.d.U. At the moment therefore 2 U-boats are detailed for escort duties with outward bound auxiliary cruisers (U 37, U 64). Their participation in the Weser operation is, it is true, intended, but does not appear certain. It is not possible to foresee the course of the duties assigned to them so exactly that almost with any reserves of time, they may be further deployed. Enemy action or adverse weather conditions could easily upset calculations and cause delay and surprise. In view of the tireless concentration demanded by the coming task I have done everything to avoid splitting up. I consider the value of U-boat protection for surface craft negligible. I see 2 possibilities in the execution:
> 
> U 38 and U 43 have put in. While U 43 observed no traffic in her operations area west and north of England and was unable to sink anything, U 38 had more luck. It sank: 5 steamers one in a convoy, of altogether 17 to 19,794 tons. Both boats report strong and hindering U-boat patrol by fishing boats in the Shetland and Orkney area. None of the three boats recently berthed are in a fit state to put out again in the next few days.
> 
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-17, U-43

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-64 

At Sea 6 April 1940
U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-64. 
26 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM Raider ORION departed Kiel for operations in the Sth Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. She was escorted in the Skagerrak by TBs SEEADLER and LUCHS, and through the North Sea by U.64 which was then detached for Narvik operations.





*North Sea*
OA.124 departed Southend escort (at various times DDs WILD SWAN, VESPER CAMPBELL. The convoy was dispersed on the 9th and DD CAMPBELL joined inbound convoy HX.31. FN.139 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 8th. FS.139 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop LOWESTOFT, and arrived at Southend on the 8th.
TM.39 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE, sloop FLAMINGO, and ASW trawlers of ASWGp 19. The convoy joined FN.138 on the 7th.

*NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN*
BRITISH MINELAYING OPERATIONS
ML DDs ESK, IMPULSIVE, ICARUS and IVANHOE of DesFlot 20 escorted by DDs HARDY, HUNTER, HOTSPUR and HAVOCK of DesFlot 2 departed Sullom Voe as Force WV to lay mines in Vestfjord off Hovden. At sea, Force WV rendezvoused with BC RENOWN and her escorts which had departed Scapa the day previous. DD GLOWWORM was detached from the RENOWN screen to recover a crewman lost overboard in heavy weather. GLOWWORM lost sight of RENOWN even as she turned, but the crewman was rescued. DDs HYPERION and HERO, also of the RENOWN force, were detached to refuel at Lerwick prior to operating as Force WB, a simulated minelay off Bud. They arrived at Sullom Voe at 1545/6th and departed at 0615/7th. If they encountered GLOWWORM, the destroyers were ordered to tell her to meet RENOWN off Vestfjord. 

Fr CL EMILE BERTIN and Contre Torpilleur DDs MAILLE BREZE and TARTU both from Fr DesDiv 5 departed Brest for Scapa Flow.

GERMAN SHIPPING MOVEMENTS
German gunnery ship BRUMMER and TBs FALKE and JAGUAR departed Cuxhaven at 0700/6th with steamers MENDOZA (5193grt), TIJUCA (5918grt) and TUBINGEN (5453grt) for Stavanger. German tkr DOLLART (233grt) departed Brunsbuttel on the 9th for Stavanger.

*Northern Waters*
DD JANUS sighted Drifter SEABREEZE in difficulty and communicated to her as to her state. The sea state was listed as "poor". . When it was ascertained that the drifter was making for a lee in the Shetland Islands, JANUS continued on her way. DD JUPITER was later ordered to search for the drifter when she made an SOS, but at 2200, JUPITER returned to Scapa when SEABREEZE was reported in the company of a trawler.

*West Coast UK*
OB.124 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK and sloop FOLKESTONE from the 6th to 9th, when they were detached to HX.31. OB.124 dispersed on the 10th.

*UK - France*
SA.36 with one steamer departed Southampton, escort DD ACHERON, and arrived at Brest on the 8th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.33 departed Halifax escort RCN DD OTTAWA, RESTIGOUCHE and SKEENA with RESTIGOUCHE returning to harbour after dark. At noon on the following day, the DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC ASCANIA and Fr sub BEVEZIERS, which detached on the 15th. DD WHITEHALL and sloop ROCHESTER escorted the convoy in home waters from the 18th to 20th, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
OB.123GF departed Liverpool escort DD VIMY and sloop ROCHESTER, while OA.123GF departed Southend escort sloops WELLINGTON and ABERDEEN. The two convoys merged as OG.25F with 57 ships. ROCHESTER escorted OG.25F from the 6th to 7th when she detached to convoy HG.25F. VIMY, WELLINGTON and ABERDEEN escorted the convoy from the 6th to 12th, and it was joined near Gib by DD WISHART which joined the escort from the 9th to 12th, when it arrived at Gib. WELLINGTON and ABERDEEN were temporarily attached to DesFlot 13 to replace DDs DOUGLAS and WRESTLER which were proceeding with convoy HG.26 to give their crews leave in the UK.


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## parsifal (Apr 6, 2015)

*7 April 1940 Part I *
*Known Losses*
DD FEARLESS captured *Aux PV VP.411 (Fmr trawler NORDLAND*; DKM 392 grt) in the North Sea, proceeded with her to Sullom Voe, arriving on the 10th, and went on to Kirkwall the next day arriving on the 11th

[NO IMAGE FOUND}


*steamer MARE (Est 1217 grt)* was seized by German forces, and renamed BUG for German use. The Estonian crew was returned to Estonia via Stockholm.

[NO IMAGE FOUND}


*DKM War diary*
1. Norway : 


> Reuter states that the notes to Norway and Sweden contain no Intimidating clauses, but that Great Britain reserves the right to take action against German attempts to use Scandinavian waters as a protected route in order to avoid the blockade*
> 
> The German Military Attache' wires from Finland that Swedish and Finnish circles are greatly perturbed about the ships concentrated in Pomeranian ports. It is concluded that Germany has hostile intentions against Sweden.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 30 and U 34 must have reached their waiting position before tomorrow.
> 
> As owing to the early intelligence of the Weser day the boats have already taken up position two days before zero hour in the harbor area, one boat (U 30) is to take over the patrol of the entrance. U 37 reported leaving escort duties with ship 16. The boat's position is so far west, that prompt occupation of the intended position near Narvik is no longer possible. (Note: I regret this very much as I considered the presence of tried and older commanders at this spot, where the greatest number of U-boats was deployed especially desirable.) U 52 has put out.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-52

At Sea 7 April 1940
U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49 (+), U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-64 . 
27 boats at sea.


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## Njaco (Apr 6, 2015)

*April 6 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* The fighters of III./JG 52 move from Straussberg to Mannheim-Sandhofen while the fighters of I./.JG 76 are renamed II./JG 54.

RAF aircraft conducted a photo reconnaissance mission over Kiel, Germany to monitor preparations for the German invasion of Norway. German Kriegsmarine's Marine Gruppe 1 departed Cuxhaven, Germany for Narvik, Norway with 2,000 soldiers on 10 destroyers escorted by battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_”. Marine Gruppe 2 departed Wesermünde, Germany for Trondheim, Norway with 1,700 soldiers on 4 destroyers escorted by cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_”. Both departures were made after nightfall to escape British detection. The battle cruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” sail with the Narvik group but are to go on to operate against shipping in the Arctic. A large part of the U-boat fleet is also involved in the campaign but they achieve very little, partly because they use torpedoes with magnetic exploders which do not function properly in high latitudes. (This error is discovered during the campaign and is later rectified.) The ships carry units of three divisions for the assault. Three more are earmarked for a second wave. Only one, 3rd Mountain Division, is regarded by the Germans as being of best quality. They have air support from 500 transport planes, over 300 bombers and 100 fighters. For this air support to be effective it will be necessary quickly to take airfields in northern Denmark and Norway itself. This difficult task will be achieved. 

German armed merchant raider “_Orion_” leaves Germany. She was on her first raiding mission.

RAF Bomber Command suspended leaflet dropping missions in Germany. Since September 3, 1939 about 65 million leaflets and "newspapers" have been dropped.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 0316 hours, U-59 sinks Norwegian steamer SS “_Navarra_” with 1 torpedo 20 miles off the Scottish coast. Six die in the explosion and another 6 when their lifeboat capsizes. 14 survivors in one lifeboat are picked up by Finnish steamer “_Atlas_” and landed at Kirkwall, Orkney Islands.

German submarine U-1 disappeared in the North Sea, and the crew of 24 were never seen again. The submarine most likely was lost to a British naval mine.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British submarines “_Truant_” and “_Seal_” departed Rosyth, Scotland for the Norwegian coast, while “_Tarpon_” was ordered to patrol the German coast near Helgoland Bight.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 7, 2015)

*April 7 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Major Johannes Gentzen, of Stab I./ZG 2, flying a new Bf 110 Zerstörer shoots down a French Hawk 75 over the Argonne. It is his ninth victory.

A Do 17 of 1(F)./122 was involved in an inconclusive combat with six H-75As of GC I/4.

Oblt. Richard Seiler of 1./JG 54 gets his second victory when he destroys a French Morane, west of Strasbourg. Also getting his second kill this day is Hptm. Wolfgang Lippert of 3./JG 53 when he destroys a Spitfire south west of Diedenhofen shortly before 1300 hours. 

*UNITED KINGDOM:* RAF night reconnaissance reports major naval activity in four north German ports and transport convoys headed toward Lübeck. Hudson reconnaissance aircraft of 220 Squadron RAF spotted a part of German Marine Gruppe 1 and reported the presence of 1 cruiser and 6 destroyers at 1325 hours, sailing in a northward direction. The British response is a disaster. 12 Blenheim and 24 Wellington bombers were dispatched to attack this group but the attack was not successful. The Admiralty assumes German surface raiders are breaking out into the Atlantic (ignoring the possibility of coastal landings in Norway) and prepares to engage the German fleet in the open sea. The Home Fleet (battleships “_Rodney_” and “_Valiant_”, battlecruiser “_Repulse_”, 2 cruisers and 10 destroyers) delays leaving Scapa Flow until 0915 hours and misses the chance to intercept the troop-laden German warships, while the 1st Cruiser Squadron disembarked the troops already on board in order to prepare for a battle on the open seas, losing the opportunity for rapid landings in response to the German invasion. The British 2nd Cruiser Squadron leaves Rosyth. Nevertheless, British submarines continued to patrol the European coast for German activity rather than going out to the open seas; HMS “_Shark_” and HMS “_Seawolf_” departed Harwich naval base to patrol off Dutch coast, while HMS “_Clyde_” and HMS “_Thistle_” departed Scapa Flow to patrol the coast of Norway.

British Naval Attaché Henry Denham sends a telegram to the British Admiralty from Copenhagen, Denmark, reporting sightings of German warships with likely destinations on Norway. 

A RAF Hampden L4054 crashed near to St. Mary's Island, Whitley Bay killing all of the crew.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 7, 2015)

*7th April Part II (cont'd)*
*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Steamer CURITYBA, (Ger 3081 grt ) on voyage from Stettin to Oslo carrying "camouflaged" elements of the Oslo Occupation group (Transport Gp 1) . Stranded North of Helsingborg on the Swedish Coast. Salvaged by S/S GARM, S/S SIGYN and S/S BIEN (all danish). DKM were very concerned the contents of the shipping manifest would be discovered. Besides the 3 Danish salvage vessels, there were also the German M/S WOTAN taking part of the Salvage. On the 8 April the Ice breaker PREUSSEN arrived . The ship was towed from her grounding place. and continued her voyage. 

*North Sea*
MiL TEVIOTBANK was recalled at 2251 on the 7th before the WS minelay was accomplished. She was ordered to cancel the minelaying and steer to the northwest. Minelayer TEVIOTBANK arrived at Sullom Voe at 1100/9th.DDs INGLEFIELD, ILEX, IMOGEN and ISIS arrived at Sullom Voe at 0830/9th. The destroyers were placed at the disposal of Admiral Forbes. The four I-class DDs, HERO and HYPERION, after refuelling, departed Sullom Voe at 0300/10th and joined Forbes at 1100/10th.

FN.140 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and WOOLSTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. MT.46 departed Methil, escort destroyer VIMIERA, sloop BLACK SWAN and anti-submarine trawlers of the 23rd Anti-Submarine Group, and arrived later that day. TM.40 departed the Tyne, escort by destroyer VIqVIEN, sloop PELICAN and anti-submarine trawlers of the 1st Anti-Submarine Group, and joined convoy FN.139 at daylight on the 8th. FS.140 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyer VIMIERA and sloop BLACK SWAN, and arrived at Southend on the 9th. Convoy SL.27 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser MOOLTON until the 21st, when sloop FOLKESTONE and destroyer VENETIA joined the escort. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 24th.

*NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN*
The German invasion of Norway, WESERUBUNG , was originally set for 20 March. However, like British operations, various delays postponed the operations and the invasion was finally set for 9 April.

GERMAN NAVAL MOVEMENTS
The first German warships had already cleared ports for Norway. CA ADMIRAL HIPPER and 14 destroyers leave Bremen bound for Trondheim and Narvik, escorted by BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU. In the evening CA BLUCHER, CS LUTZOW and CL EMDEN with eight minesweepers, two armed whaling ships and three TBs sail with their troops for Oslo. Around midnight CLs KOLN and KONIGSBERG, gunnery training ship BREMSE, a storeship and eight torpedo boats leave Wilhelmshaven bound for Bergen.

The British also have put substantial forces to sea, but their operational plan is dogged by unworkable restrictions and caveats. Whilst the Minelaying component is authorised (Operation WILFRED), the landing elements of the operation (Operation AVONMOUTH) is not permitted to commence until or unless clear evidence of German violation of Norwegian neutrality can be shown. There is no formal declaration of war issued by the germans before their invasion, and whilst elements of the invasion fleets are detected, the target of those fleet movements remain unclear. The RN is left with no choice other than for its already embarked ground troops to be returned and unloaded at friendly ports. The minelaying component of the operation is permitted to continue but eventually even this component of the operation is affected. Forbes sends the remainder of the Home Flt to blocking position in the Denmark Strait, to cover the eventuality of a possible breakout by DKM surface units into the Nth Atlantic. The British are wary of taking too much of an aggressive stance in Norway. They are winning the psychological battle against Germany regarding the Scandinavian neutrals, and are very keen to ensure the Norwegian merchant fleet gravitates to their control, which can only be achieved if germany is shown to be the true aggressor in the region. Cutting the iron route is also a major prize for the British. In the finish Britain wins the psychological and moral war against germany, gains control of the Norwegian Merchant Fleet, succeeds in significantly bloodying DKM at sea, but does not cut the iron route, and cannot save norway from Germn occupation. The Germans gain control of Norway, secure their access to the iron ore supplies and gain a flanking position to the North Sea containment area. but DKM losses are heavy, to the point that Weserubung can at best be considered a Pyrrhic victory for them. 

From the very start, the RNs cards are marked in this deadly game of "chicken". DKM has full knowledge of British strategic intentions, and even a fair amount of information of RN movements and dispositions. The RN has a poor level orf air reconnaissance, and very limited intelligence sources other that that. The Norwegian campaign was to deliver to Britain the first chinks in german security as the first elements of breaking the unbreakable enigma codes are achieved as a result of the exceptionally high levels of signal traffic sent and received by DKM. Germany was to gain control of the significant Heavy Water Plant in Norway 

HOME FLEET OPERATIONS 
Allied a/c report German naval forces east of the German declared minefield steering northwest mid and late morning. The force was later identified as one BC, one CS, three CLs, 12 DDs. The Admiralty with the information at hand is unable to exactly deduce what is happening, which causes a postponement of AVON. This set British Home Fleet other operations in motion however.

Admiral Forbes (C-in-C Home Fleet) in BB RODNEY with VALIANT, BC REPULSE, CLs SHEFFIELD, PENELOPE, Fr EMILE BERTIN, DDs ESKIMO, PUNJABI, BEDOUIN, KIMBERLEY, JUPITER, CODRINGTON, GRIFFIN, BRAZEN, ESCAPADE and ELECTRA departed Scapa. DDs TARTAR, SOMALI (D.6), MATABELE and MASHONA, which had departed Rosyth on the 7th at 2330, joined Forbes at sea. Forbes proceeded with his fleet with the intent to firstly to cover those units engaged in WILFRED, soon to commence off the Norwegian coast. Fr CL EMILE BERTIN lost touch with the Fleet and returned to Scapa Flow arriving on the 8th.

ALLIED TROOP-LANDING PLANS
In conjunction with operation WILFRED, troops were to be landed at Stavanger, Trondheim, Bergen, Narvik under operation AVONMOUTH . These troops were already embarked in British naval vessels. At Rosyth were CAs DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK and YORK of CruSqn 1 and CL GLASGOW, which had just completed refitting, of CruSqn 18 each with 90 tons of stores in addition to the troops embarked. These cruisers were to land troops at Stavanger and Bergen *but only if it became apparent that Germany intended to violate Norwegian territory*. DDs AFRIDI, GURKHA, SIKH, MOHAWK, ZULU and COSSACK of DesFlot 4 were at Rosyth to escort these cruisers. In the Clyde were troopships CHROBRY (11,442grt) and BATORY (14,287grt) with troops to be landed at Trondheim and Narvik to be escorted by light cruiser AURORA and destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESTER and FORTUNE which arrived at the Clyde on the 3rd, DDs DELIGHT, ASHANTI and FOXHOUND, which arrived at the Clyde on the 5th, destroyer MAORI which completed repairs at the Clyde on the 3rd.

OTHER ALLIED NAVY MOVEMENTS
Additionally at Rosyth were CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA. HN.24 had just arrived at Rosyth with DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, MASHONA and TARTAR. The DDs immediately put back out and joined Adm Forbes at sea. ON.25, which had put to sea on the 5th, was recalled at 1851 on the 7th and her escort of CLss MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON, CLA CALCUTTA, and DDs JANUS, JUNO, JAVELIN, ECLIPSE and GRENADE were ordered to Scapa. ON.25 was at that time in 61-20N, 1E. The convoy was ordered to reverse course and remain west of the Shetland Islands until further notice. CALCUTTA arrived at Sullom Voe and GRENADE at Scapa at 1230/9th for refuelling. DDs JANUS, JUNO, JAVELIN and GRENADE were reassigned en route, but later arrived at Scapa Flow at 1820/9th for refuelling.

CL BIRMINGHAM on patrol since 31 March was ordered to join the RENOWN group off Vestfjord. In heavy weather, she was unable to make the rendezvous and later arrived at Scapa on the 11th after refuelling at Sullom Voe on the 10th. DD FEARLESS of the group had been detached for refuelling after the capture of trawler BLANKENBURG (Ger) on the 5th, proceeded to Sullom Voe and departed after refuelling on the 7th. DD HOSTILE of this group had been detached to escort trawler FRIESLAND to Scapa Flow and later joined the British forces off Vestfjord.

CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA (CS.2) departed Rosyth with DDs AFRIDI , GURKHA, SIKH, MOHAWK, ZULU, COSSACK, KELVIN and KASHMIR, plus ORP AA DDs GROM, BURZA and BLYSKAWICA, sailed for a position 80 miles west of Stavanger to arrive at 1700/8th from whence they would sweep north.


*Northern Waters*
DDs ESCAPADE and ELECTRA departed Scapa to escort base ship MANCHESTER CITY to Kirkwall. The ships safely arrived at 1415 and the DDs returned to Scapa. 

*Channel*
BC.33 6ix steamers, including ATLANTIC COAST, BATNA, BRITISH COAST, CITY OF LANCASTER and MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 9th.
*UK - France*


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## Njaco (Apr 7, 2015)

*April 8 Monday*
*GERMANY:* The whole of the German surface fleet is now committed to Operation Weserubung, sailing at different times in six groups. They plan to land at Narvik, Trondheim, Bergen, Kristiansand, Oslo and a small detachment at Egersund. After midnight, Marine Gruppe 3 departs Wilhelmshaven for Bergen (cruisers “_Königsberg_” and “_Köln_”, transport “_Karl Peters_”, minelayer “_Bremse_” and 5 torpedo-boats carrying 1900 troops). At dawn, Marine Gruppe 4 and 6 depart Cuxhaven carrying 1250 troops for the South coast of Norway; Marine Gruppe 5 leaves Wilhelmshaven Swinemünde for Oslo (cruisers “_Blücher_”, “_Lützow_” and “_Emden_”, 8 minesweepers and 3 torpedo-boats carrying 2000 troops). 

1./KG 40, a new bomber wing solely equipped with the new combat version of the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 ‘Condor’, flies its first missions against British shipping.

Two Bf 109E’s of 4./JG 52 – “White 4” and “White 3” – collide while taxing at Speyer and are badly damaged.

German Field Marshal Keitel ordered the transfer of active military servicemen who were 50% Jewish and those who were married to women who were 50% Jewish to reserve or militia units.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Operation Wilfred begins, as British forces lay mines off the Norwegian coast. Off Narvik, British destroyers “_Esk_”, “_Icarus_”, “_Impulsive_”, and “_Ivanhoe_” mined Vestfjord at 0500 hours in preparation for landings by British and French forces at Namsos, Narvik, and Andalsnes; Norway was informed of this action at 0600 hours. The British government informs Norway that they are mining the leads along the coastal waters off Norway.

At 0800 hours, British destroyer HMS “_Glowworm_” encounters German Marine Gruppe 1 heading to Trondheim. “_Glowworm_” sinks German destroyer “_Bernd von Arnim_” off the Norwegian coast. “_Glowworm_” then discovered German Navy Marine Gruppe 1 at 0800 hours and was fired upon by cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_ “ at close range. Outgunned, “_Glowworm's_” captain decided to ram the German cruiser, which caused heavy damage for “_Admiral Hipper_” but it also led to her sinking, which killed 118, including commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope, who drowns after helping survivors put on lifejackets. “_Admiral Hipper_” is out of commission for several weeks for repairs. Lieutenant-Commander G. Roope is posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for his action, in part due to the testimony of his adversary, Captain Hellmuth Heye of the “_Admiral Hipper_”, who wrote to the British authorities via the Red Cross giving a statement of Commander Roope’s courage.

Nine He 111s of 1(F)./122 took off from Hamburg/Fuhlsbüttel to check the area east of the Shetlands. One of these aircraft sighted the 2nd Cruiser Sqdn together with 11 destroyers heading north at high speed to intercept the suspected breakout to the Atlantic of the “_Admiral Hipper_” and her escorts. Another of the 1(F)./122 Heinkels encountered a Sunderland of 204 Sqdn. A running fight ensued which resulted in the Sunderland crashing into the sea west of Bergen. The Heinkel returned to Hamburg undamaged. Further engagements took place between a number of the Heinkels and Hudsons of 233 Sqdn, these again were inconclusive.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Only Vice-Admiral Max Horton commanding home-based submarines (alone among Royal Navy brass) correctly perceives German intentions to invade Norway. He dispatched 6 more submarines to intercept additional German invasion fleets. Many of his peers, who were against this decision, believed there would not be any additional fleets being dispatched by the Germans. Among the 6 newly dispatched British submarines included HMS “_Ursula_”, HMS “_Triad_”, and HMS “_Sterlet_”, which departed to patrol the Skagerrak between Denmark and Norway. At noon, Polish submarine “_Orzeł_” (part of Horton's 2nd Submarine Flotilla, already on patrol in the Skagerrak) sinks German troop transport “_Rio de Janeiro_”. German troops rescued by Norwegian ships confess they are enroute to Bergen. However, British minelaying dominates Norwegian thinking and they are not prepared for invasion by Germany.

.



.


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## parsifal (Apr 8, 2015)

* 8 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Losses*

*Tkr BELT(Ger 850 grt) *Was attached to the Bergen invasion Gp: The coastal tanker was sunk on this date.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr DOLLARD (Ger 880 grt)* The coastal tanker was sunk on this date. Cause of the loss and other details are unclear

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr EUROLAND (Ger 869 grt)*: Attached to the Oslo invasion gp. The coastal tanker was sunk on this date in the approaches to Oslo. Some sources say the ship managed to dock and provide fuel for the invasion. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr SENATOR (Ger 845 grt (est))* Attached to the Oslo invasion Gp. The coastal tanker was sunk on this date in the port approaches, some sources claim it made it to the dock areas. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Transport RIO DE JANEIRO (DKM 5261 grt)* was intercepted by ORP ORZEL off Lillesand at 1110. After ordering the crew and troops aboard into lifeboats, ORZEL fired one torpedo at 1145 and another torpedo at 1155. The transport was sunk. RNoN DDs ODIN and GYLLER and fishing boats picked up the RIO DE JANEIRO personnel. It was learned from the troops aboard the German ship that they were en route to protect the port of Bergen. However, news of this discovery was very slow to reach the Allies.





*Steamer OKEANIA (Gk 4843 grt)* was sunk on a mine laid by Schiff 11, with the Chief Engineer missing. DD BOADICEA on North Goodwin Patrol and minesweeper HUSSAR proceeded to assist, with BOADICEA picking up twenty nine survivors and Dutch steamer BEVERLAND the remainder.





*DD GLOWWORM (RN 1380 grt)* The G-class destroyer was shelled and sunk in the Norwegian Sea north west of Trondheim, Norway while ramming the CA Admiral Hipper with the loss of 115 of her 149 crew. The GLOWWORM had stumbled upon the Trondheim/Narvik invasion groups in the vicinity of Trondheim. Engagement began with a skirmish between GLOWWORM and two of the DKM DDs, which fell back onto the HIPPER. LCdr Roope (who postumously received the first VC of the war as a result of this action....awarded in 1945 after the details of the fight were at last known, and confirmed by German records as well) knew what was happening but wanted to confirm the location of the DKM heavy units. That was achieved, and HIPPer was rammed and damaged but the Britsh DD and most of her crew were lost in the process. 





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Statements from the British and French Governments to Norway about Allied minelaying in Norwegian territorial waters.
> 
> "The Allied Governments have decided to exclude their enemy from the unimpeded use of parts of Norwegian territorial waters which are obviously of the greatest use to him. They have thus resolved to prevent the unhindered passage of ships carrying contraband through Norwegian territorial waters. They therefore announce:
> 
> ...





> During the afternoon the first news was received of steamers torpedoed in the Skagerrak. At 1815 the German Ambassador in Oslo reported that the steamer RIO DE JANEIRO of the 1st Sea Transport Unit (Bergen) was torpedoed and sank at 1420 near Lillesand between Grimstad and Risoer. Shortly afterwards the torpedoing of the steamer KRETA (of the Kristiansand Group) was asserted. She sent an SOS at noon. (Report is not confirmed later. The steamer was not torpedoed, but apparently managed to evade the enemy submarine in time. )
> 
> At 1815 the torpedoing of the tanker POSIDOUIA (present name STEDINGEN, naval supply ship) off Stave rne by the submarine
> TRIDENT was reported. The enemy submarines were apparently directed today to proceed without warning against all German merchantmen In and outside neutral territorial waters. Under these circumstances it would have been better to camouflage the
> steamers of the 1st Sea Transport Unit as neutrals (Swedes, Norwegians, Esthonians).



There was consternation in Scandinavia when it was learnt that many of the rescued survivors were German soldiers in full uniform, who statred to their rescers they were there to "protect Norwegian neutrality". This gave the Norwegians a few hours to prepare. The use of unrestricted attacks by the British submarines represented a significant change in British policy. 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 13 reports a CA and 2 DDs full speed on a NE course E of Pentland Firth. Short signal received from U 64 with contact with an AMC was lost 24 hours ago. Orders were given to proceed to Westfjord and to join UB Gp1, while U 37 is to be re-directed . The announcement of English declared areas on the Norwegian coast makes the appearance of English forces in the coastal waters appear probable. The quickest possible closing of the entrances to our own landing ports is in this case particularly desirable. U 57 reports a CA with DD on a southeasterly course east of Pentland Firth. It presumes this to be a French unit. U 38 has put out. A German transport ship was torpedoed off the south coast of Norway.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-38

At Sea 8 April 1940
U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-64 
28 boats at sea.


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## parsifal (Apr 8, 2015)

* 8 April 1940 (Part II)*
NORWEGIAN INVASION AND SUPPORT GRUPPEN 
DKM Warship Echelons: The invasion fleet consisted of 9 gruppen of U-boats and 11 gruppen of warships. The warships carried a portion of the ground forces destined for the Norwegian Coast, and they were also the surface protection for the entire invasion fleet. Of the 11 groups of warships in the Warship Echelon, 5 groups were actually destined for Denmark, but because these groups were technically a part of the Wesserubung flt. 

Gruppe 1 - Destination: Narvik, (Kpt.z.S. Friedrich Bonte); DKM DDs (Zerstorers), GEORG THIELE, WOLFGANG ZENKER, BERND VON ARNIM, ERICH GIESE, ERICH KOELLNER, DIETER VON ROEDER, HANS LUDEMANN, HERMAN KUNNE, ANTON SCHMIDT, WILHELM HEIDKAMP
Under separate command: DKM BCs GNEISENAU SCHARNHORST
Gruppe 2 - Destination: Trondheim, (Kpt.z.S. Hellmuth Heye), DKM CA HIPPER, DDs(Zerstorer), PAUL JACOBI, THEODOR RIEDEL, BRUNO HEINEMANN, FRIEDRICH ECKOLDT 
Gruppe 3 - Destination: Bergen, (KA Hubert Schmundt); DKM CLs KÖLN and KÖNIGSBERG and training ship BREMSE departed Wilhelmshaven, with TBs WOLF, LEOPARD and S-Flot-1 (S.19, S.21, S.22 and S.24) with depot ship KARL PETERS P/D (Port of Departure) Cuxhaven. Two Bns of the 69 Inf XX were embarked for the occupation of Bergen. Also attached to this group were naval auxiliary ships Schiff 9 (trawler KOBLENZ, 437grt) and Schiff 18 (trawler ALTELAND, 419grt). Shortly after rendezvous, S.19 and S.21 collided and S.19 was so severely damaged that torpedo boat WOLF had to tow her back to port. S.21 also returned to Cuxhaven but under her own power. Later on the 14th, S.23 and S.25 arrived at Bergen from Wilhelmshaven as replacements for the damaged S-boats.
Gruppe 4 - Destination: Kristiansand, (Kpt.z.S Friedrich Rieve); DKM CL KARLSRUHE, TBs LUCHS, SEEADLER, GREIF, the S-Flot 2 (S.7, S.8, S.17, S.30, S.31, S.32 and S.33) with depot ship TSINGTAU with one bn of the Regt 310 for Kristiansand.
Gruppe 5 - Destination: Oslo, (KA Oskar Kummetz); DKM CS LUTZOW, CA BLUCHER, CL EMDEN, TBs ALBATROS, MOEWE, KONDOR, MSW Flot 1 (MSWs R.17, R.18, R.19, R.20, R.21, R.22, R.23, R.24), whalers RAU VII and RAU VIII P/D Swinemunde with 2 bns of 163 Inf XX for Oslo. .
Gruppe 6 - Destination: Egersund, (KK Kurt Thomas); DKM MSWs M.1, M.2, M.9 and M.13 P/D Cuxhaven to capture the cable station at Egersund.
All ground formations for the Norwegian expedition (AG21) had had their TOE reinforced and brought to 1st wave status (equivalent to Infantrie XX 1-35) prior to embarkation. These were now among the best Infantry formations fielded by the wehrmacht. 

Minelaying Gruppe DKM MLs ROLAND, KONIGIN LUISE, COBRA and PREUSSEN P/D Cuxhaven escort MSWs M.6, M.10, M.11 and M.12 to lay two minefields west of the Skagerrak during 8 and 9 April.

DKM Tkr Echelon: The Tkr Echelon of pre-positioned vessels consisted of 9+ ships: Tkr KATTEGAT, JAN WELLEM (Narvik), Tkr MOORSUND, SKAGERRAK (6044grt) (Trondheim), EUROLAND, SENATOR (both lost - destination Oslo), BELT (lost - Bergen), Tkr Dollardt (sunk Stavanger), Unidentified Tkr (Kristiansand). The loss of these advance tkr echelon forced led to the pushing forward of the follow up echelon, consisting of Tkrs ANTARES (2593grt), IONIA (3102grt), ITAURI (6838grt), MUANSA (5472grt) and NEIDENFELS (7838grt) which arrived at Horten (I think) around the 10th.

DKM "Export" Echelon: The Export Echelon preceded the passage of the warship gps, arrying vital equipment (generally vehicles artillery and horses as well as most of the ammunition) for the troops that were to be disembarked in Norway (the warship gps were carrying the troops and their personal weapons). As with the ships of the Tkr Echelon, those of the Export Echelon were also disguised (ie mis-flagged and named) as merchant ships and attempted to put into port prior to the actual invasion. The Export Echelon consisted of 7 ships as follows: Transports BARENFELS, RAUNFELS, AlSTER (Narvik); SAO PAULO, LEVANTE, MAIN (lost) (Trondheim); RODA (possible lost), (Stavanger)

DENMARK INVASION AND SUPPORT GRUPPEN 
Gruppe 7 - Destination: Korsor and Nyborg, (Kpt.z.S. Gustav Kleikamp); Pre- Dreadnought SCHLESWIG HOLSTEIN, 12 Transports 
Gruppe 8 - Destination: Copenhagen (KK Wilhelm Schroeder), Transports HANSESTADT, DANZIG, STETIN	possibly 2 others
Gruppe 9 - Destination: Middelfart (Kpt.z.S. Helmuth Leissner); transports OTTO BRAUN, ARKONA, MSW M157 (?), VP 102 (?), MSW R6, R7, ASW trawler UJ 107, MVs MONSUN. PASSAT, RUGARD
Gruppe 10 - Destination: Esbjerg (Kpt.z.S. Friedrich Ruge); MSW M4, 20, 84, 102, 1201, 1202, 1203, 1204, 1205, 1206, 1207, 1208, Raumbootes R25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, MV KONIGN LUISE 
Gruppe 11 - Destination: (NOT DETERMINED); (Kpt.z.S. Walter Berger), MSWs M61, 89, 110, 111, 134, 136, Raumboote MSW R33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, MV VON DER GROBEN. 

FOLLOWING ECHELONS 
The final component of the invasion were the Sea Transport Echelons (Seetransportstaffeln), which consisted of 8 waves of transports carrying the bulk of the invasion troops. The first 3 Sea Transport Echelons were unique, while the remaining 5 consisted of returning ships of the initial 3 waves. The 1st Echelon consisted of 15 ships, while the 2nd consisted of 11 ships and the 3rd 13. The composition of the 1st and 2nd Sea Transport Echelons are known for sure, while the 3rd is currently unknown. The remaining 5 Sea Transport Echelons consisted of ships of the first 3, but as of yet, their exact compositin is also unknown. All ships of the Sea Transport Echelons after the 1st sailed directly to Oslo.

After the initial invasion and follow-up waves, all troops, equipment and supplies were sent to Norway via Denmark-Oslo. After the experiEnces of the first 8 Seetransportstaffeln, a move was made to complete the transport of men and material to Norway using smaller and faster ships to relieve the pressure on the larger transports. Around 270 ships and 100 smaller trawlers took part in this facet of the invasion, transporting up to 3,000 men a day at one point. Between the beginning of the invasion and June 15th, 1940, a total of 107,581 men were transported to Norway, along with 16,102 horses, 20,339 vehicles, and 109,400 tons of supplies.

LUFTWAFFE A/C USED IN WESRUBUNG April 1940
290 two-engined bombers, 40 single-engined "Stuka" divebombers, 100 SE fighters, 70 recconnaisance aircraft (including floatplanes), 500 transports

HEER FORMATIONS COMMITTED TO THE BATTLE
Infantrie Divs 69, 163, 181, 214, 3 Mtn
Independant small unit: 1/40 Pz Kompanie, 3 x para Kompanies, 3 x LAA Bns, 6 x Ind Artillery Btys, 3 Bn sized airfield construction units, 3 x ind engineer (construction) units roughly Bn size. During the campaign DKM put together a Naval Infantry regt in Narvik, using vast amounts of captureed artillery and small arms. 2 full Bns of mtn artillery were attached to thjis scratch formation. 

Composition of the Norwegian Armed Forces (April 1940)
Coast Defense Cruisers EIDSWOLD, NORGE, TORDENSKJOLD (used as trainig ship), HARALD HARFAGRE (used as training ship), TBs SLEIPNER, AEGIR, GYLLER, ODIN, GARM (WWI-era), DRAUG (WWI-era), TROLL (WWI-era), 10 MLs (including modern Minelayer/Gunboat OLAV TRYGVASON), FROYA (WWI-era), GLOMMEN, LAUGEN, TYR (launched in 1886!), 9 Subs (6 B-class, 3 A-class), 8 MSWs (including new, purpose-built OTRA and RAUMA), 17 "MTB"s (including TRYGG, STEGG, and SNOGG), 58 patrol craft, and 3 ships under construction but not yet available for combat (2 DDs, 1 TB).

Of the Norwegian Navy's 5,200 men in uniform on the eve of the German invasion , over 2,400 were serving ashore as garrisons of naval fortifications. (There were five major fortified areas under Norwegian naval jurisdiction as follows: Outer Oslo Fjord, Oskarsborg Narrows also in the Oslo Fjord but closer to the city of Oslo, Kristiansand, Bergen, and Agdenes near the entrance to the Tr ondheim Fjord - for more information, see below).

The Royal Norwegian Navy (Konglisk Norges Marine) also had a small air arm with about 35 operational a/c in April 1940, mostly floatplanes. The most modern type in service was the German-built He-115, a two-engined floatplane with a top speed of just over 200 mph, a bomb load of up to 2,200 lbs, and a defensive armament of two machineguns. 110lb and 220lb bombs were also used. . During the invasion, the Norwegian Navy air units actually managed to capture two more German He-115's and one (single-engined) Arado Ar-196 floatplane.

The Norwegian Army
The army had a nominal strength of about 6 divs. Much of this force structure never managed to form, before their depots and mobilization points were overrun, In practice, the norwegians operated mostly as independant bns. Within D+24hrs the Norwegians managed to filed 9 bns of Infantry, 7 bns of mtn infantry, a platoon of cyclist inf, 3 bns of armoured cars (there is a great deal of doubt about these formations). There were a significant number of irregular formations that fought in the south of the country, less prominent after the main centres had been overrun 

Allied Ground Forces Sent to Norway
British (Bdes): 15th, 24th Gds, 146 Inf, 148 th, 6 AA Bde
French (Regts): 5 Mtn, 13 Lt Inf, 27 Mtn
Polish (Bde) : Chasseurs Du Nord Inf
There was little artillery committed until the very end of the campaign, no construction equipment or troops.


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## parsifal (Apr 8, 2015)

* 8 April 1940 PART III *
*OPERATIONS*
Western Baltic
Sub TRIDENT on patrol in the Northern Skagerrak at 1215 stopped tkr POSIDONIA (Ger 8036 grt) on her maiden voyage off Rauer. The crew scuttled the tanker as they abandoned ship. TRIDENT finished off POSIDONIA with torpedoes at 1320 near Stavern. POSIDONIA was salvaged in June and renamed STEDINGEN.

Sub SEAL was involved in a collision with Estonian steamer OTTO (1954grt) nw of Egersund. Only minor damage was sustained with the pressure hull leaking slightly. SEAL was able to continue patrol, reconnoitering Stavangers fjord and acting as a beacon ship for the Stavanger bombardment on the 16th before returning to Rosyth on the 19th. SEAL went on to Blyth arriving on the 20th and was transferred to SubFlot 6 for ML FD.7.

At 1800, sub TRITON sighted the Gp 5 and unsuccessfully attacked it off the Skaw. She was able to fire ten torpedoes between 1758 and 1906 at CS LUTZOW but missed. TRITON was then heavily counterattacked by DKM TB ALBATROS. Sub SUNFISH also contacted the Gp 5 , but was unable to reach a position to fire torpedoes. 

*North Sea*
Scapa was bombed by the 20 He.111's of KG.26, but no damage was done. Fr DDs TARTAR and MAILLE BREZE arrived at Scapa 0900, and escorted by DD ENCOUNTER to the oilers and buoys. FOUDROYANT, BRESTOIS , and BOULONNAIS arrived at 1300 and again led in by ENCOUNTER to the oilers and buoys.

MT.47 departed Methil, escort DD WOLSEY, sloop AUCKLAND, and ASwGp 19, and arrived the next day.

*Northern Waters*
BRITISH ML OPS
Between 0432 and 0529, ML DDs ESK, IMPULSIVE, IVANHOE and ICARUS of DesFlot 20 laid a minefield in Vestfjord off Hovden escort DD HARDY, HUNTER, HOTSPUR and HAVOCK of DesFlot 2. DDs HYPERION and HERO also from DesFlot 2 simulated a minelay by dropping marker buoys off Bud near Molde. They then remained off Hustadvika to patrol their "minefield" until early on the 9th when Norwegian naval forces took over. Nor PV SYRIAN (trawler, 298 grt) arrived at 0610 and Nor TB SLEIPNER at 0748. Both RN DDs arrived at Sullom Voe at 1430/9th for refuelling and departed the next day at 0300 with DDs INGLEFIELD, ILEX, ISIS and IMOGEN to join Adm Forbes at sea.

OTHER FLT OPS OFF NORWAY
Off Vestfjord, BC RENOWN with DD GREYHOUND headed sth towards GLOWWORM's last position and ordered the ML DDs and their escorts to follow. These 8 DDs joined the RENOWN at 1715 off Skomvaer Light, about 70 miles west of Bodo. DD HOSTILE, which had been detached from CL BIRMINGHAM to escort German trawler FRIESLAND to Scapa early that day, was within 40 miles of the GLOWWORM-ADMIRAL HIPPER action. HOSTILE heading towards that location actually sighted HIPPER in heavy weather, but was not able to identify her and was in turn, fortunately not sighted. HOSTILE later joined the RENOWN force off Vestfjord.

At noon on the 8th, the DKM Gps 1 2 parted company. Damage to DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER from her encounter with DD GLOWWORM was not so severe to prevent her and the 4 Zerstorers from proceeding to Trondheim as planned.

Late on the 8th, the Gp 2 was sighted by a British flying boat while this force was steering west to adjust their arrival time at Trondheim. They were identified as a BC, two cruisers and two DDs. The Admiralty decided that this was a German squadron breaking out into the Atlantic and CAs DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK, YORK with CL GLASGOW were ordered to disembark their Avonmouth troops and head north to intercept. The cruisers departed at 1400. French CL EMILE BERTIN, Contre Torpilleur DD MAILLE BREZE and TARTU departed Scapa at 1800 with orders to join the DEVONSHIRE force off Rattray Head. CL AURORA and the DDs in the Clyde were ordered to Scapa to await further orders. However, DD DELIGHT was damaged in heavy seas and returned to Greenock that day. CLs SOUTHAMPTON and MANCHESTER, of the recalled ON.25 convoy escort, were off the Shetlands. They were also placed at the disposal of Adm Forbes. BB WARSPITE was ordered to discontinue her voyage to the Med and return to Scapa. WARSPITE arrived at Scapa in afternoon of the 9th escort DDs HESPERUS and HAVANT. DD MACKAY which had been in WARSPITE's escort was detached at 1610/8th and returned to Liverpool. In the Med, CVs GLORIOUS and ARK ROYAL were ordered to enter Alexandria and late on the 10th, escort DDs WESTCOTT, BULLDOG and RAN STUART, joined on the 11th by DD WISHART, were steaming at high speed towards Gib arriving on the 13th.

Late on the 8th, CAs YORK, DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK and CL GLASGOW, soon to be joined by Fr CL EMILE BERTIN and her DDs, were ordered to join CruSqn 2 at 0500/9th and sweep up the middle of the North Sea towards Adm Forbes' Main Force. CruSqn 18, further nth, was also ordered to sweep nth towards Forbes. Late on the 9th CLs ARETHUSA GALATEA, EMILE BERTIN, and Fr DDs MAILLE BREZE and TARTU were ordered to pin down DKM ships at Bergen and Stavanger and prevent their reinforcement. This patrol was terminated at 0400/10th. By the next evening, the Admiralty ruled interference with enemy communications in the southern areas must be left mainly to submarines, aircraft, mining, and aided by intermittent sweeps when forces allow.

Home Flt main force centred on BBs RODNEY VALIANT, with CL SHEFFIELD, DDs SOMALI, KELVIN, KASHMIR, JUPITER, MASHONA and MATABELE turned south on receipt of intelligence of ships in the Skagerrak and Kattegat to join CLs MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON which were unsupported off Norway's southern coast. This was all too late to save southern and central Norway. 

In the late evening of the 8th, the DKM Gp 1 (Narvik) reached the entrance to Vestfjord and as the DDs entered the fjord , BCs GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST turned out to sea to draw the main part of the Home Flt away from the Norwegian coast.

Late on the 8th, the Admiralty finally awoke to the true nature of the German naval activity around the Norwegian coast and decided that Narvik was threatened. BC REPULSE, CL PENELOPE, DDs BEDOUIN, KIMBERLEY, PUNJABI and ESKIMO, which had been detached to assist DD GLOWWORM, were sent north at 1956/8th to join the RENOWN force off Vestfjord. DD HOSTILE joined the REPULSE force during the night and all arrived off Vestfjord at 1130/9th. It is important to note here that the Germans had broken the British Fleet Code, which enabled the Germans to avoid nearly all RNs interception maneouvres on their way to the Norwegian ports. That is the main reason why very few intercepts were made until after the German ships reached their destinations.

*UK - France*
DD KEITH departed Dover at 1000 for Dunkirk carrying Vice Adml B. H. Ramsay CB, MVO. Ramsay was en route for a conference with Amiral Nord regarding the possibility of Fr trawlers taking over North Goodwins Patrol and Fr trawlers cooperating with British trawlers in ASW ops in the Straits of Dover. Admiral Ramsay and DD KEITH arrived back at Dover at 1800.

*Nth Atlantic*
DKM Raider ORION, breaking out during these operations, first encountered a merchant ship in the North Sea escorted by an allied DD and later ML TEVIOTBANK and her four DDs, but was able to proceed undetected.


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## Njaco (Apr 8, 2015)

*April 9 Tuesday*
*THE INVASION OF DENMARK AND NORWAY*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* ‘Operation WESERUBUNG’ is launched wherein the principal role is of denying Britain’s use of Norwegian waters and airfields in that part of northern Europe. The fear of the High Command is that the British might be able to seal off the entire North Sea from Scapa Flow to Stavanger. The Luftwaffe amasses several transports of Ju 52s, Fw 200s (of KG 40) and Ju 90s to drop paratroops over key airfields as part of the invasion. Aircraft from KG 4, KG 26, KGr 100 and StG 1 attack forts and coastal installations over Norway and Denmark. Fighter support for the campaign is limited only to the Bf 109Es of II./JG 77 and about seventy Bf 110s of I./ZG 1 and I./ZG 76.

*Denmark:* German troops crossed into Denmark at 0500 hours, with landings near Copenhagen unopposed. Motorized troops cross the border into Denmark, as amphibious landings are made on Danish islands and on the waterfront of Copenhagen.

Twelve JU 52s of 8./KGzbV 1 drop paratroops on Aalborg airfield. The airfield is captured after almost no resistance. Fighter cover is provided by II./JG 77. The entire Danish airforce, except for the Navy Flying Corps, is stationed at Vaerlose airfield and in a few minutes it is destroyed. At 0520 hours, two squadrons of Bf 110s from I./ZG 1 attack the airfield. Gruppenkommandeur Wolfgang Falck comments;


> “I could see our target, the main airfield on the outskirts of Copenhagen. On the tarmac below were ten old high-wing Fokker reconnaissance aircraft and about two dozen Fokker D-21 fighters lined up in the morning sun, and they all seemed to be warming up. If they got into the air we would have our hands full – dog-fighting with a D-21 at low altitude would be no mean task. Just then I spotted one of the recce’s taking off. As I went for the Fokker, now about 100 meters in the air, the others began strafing the now taxiing fighters as ground fire opened up on us. Firing both my cannon and MGs, the recce burst into flames and fell back to the ground as I pulled up. I banked around and saw fire and smoke billowing up from the burning aircraft on the ground.”


 The Fokker is Hptm. Falck's seventh victory of the war. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire from the ground, the attack leaves eleven planes as burning wrecks and fourteen badly damaged. The remaining Bf 110s of ZG 1 attack airfields at Esberg and Oksboel, destroying five Fokker D. XXIs on the ground, effectively eliminating the Royal Danish Air Force. At the city of Soelsted, about fifty men of a Danish anti-tank unit hold up the German 11th Motorized Regiment until Henschel Hs 126 ground-attack planes strafe the Danish force with machine guns and drop bombs. The Danes retreat.

Around 0400 hours, before the first attack, the German ambassador telephones the Dutch foreign minister with terms of surrender before operations begin. The ambassador threatens that if the conditions aren’t met then Copenhagen would be bombed. As the King of Demark and his ministers discuss the situation, several German bombers from KG 4 arrive over the city and begin dropping leaflets. This forces the King to sign surrender terms. The fighting in Denmark is over on the first day.

*Norway*: Norway does not succumb so easily as Denmark. Germans warships land troops at 4 main points in Norway. The German government claims the invasion is made to forestall a British invasion. Vidkun Quisling speaks on Oslo Radio, urging Norwegians to cease further resistance. He deposes the legal government, and appoints himself Prime Minister. The national authorities leave Oslo by train. Another train carries the country's gold reserves north. The shipment of Norway’s gold reserve from Oslo on the morning of 9 April 1940 consisted of 818 cases weighing 40 kilos each, 685 cases weighing 25 kilos each and 39 kegs weighing 80 kilos each. The total shipment weighed 53 tonnes whereas the gold bars weighed about 48.8 tonnes.

To the north, Trondheim is taken practically without a shot. German warships pretended to be British ships and sailed by the coastal batteries without being hassled, thus the city was captured with relative ease. At Trondheim airfield two squadrons of He 115s from KuFlGr 506 led by Major Minner arrive in the harbour area with light resistance.

The group of ships intended for Oslo meets increasing resistance as they sail up the Oslo Fiord. At the Oscarsborg Narrows the brand-new heavy cruiser “_Blücher_” is sunk as is the light cruiser “_Karlsruhe_”. The troops are compelled to land below this point but are, however soon in the town. Airborne units take some casualties in a simultaneous landing at Oslo airport. Later twenty-two Ju 87 Stukas of I./StG 1 attacked the rock fortresses of Oskarborg and Akershus. About 1100 hours, German troops begin arriving in Oslo, by transport aircraft.



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## Njaco (Apr 8, 2015)

*April 9 Tuesday* _continued_

Fog disrupts the German landings at Kristiansand but eventually the troops get ashore. The Norwegian coast defenses at Kristiansand surrender.

At Bergen, the coastal batteries at Fort Kvarven damaged German cruiser “_Königsberg_” and minelayer “_Bremse_”. At Bergen, aircraft of 9./KG 4 destroyed enemy batteries and bunkers in the morning. 

The primary Luftwaffe objective in Norway is the capture of four main airfields: Oslo-Fornebu, Stavanger and the Trondheim-Vaernes airfield. A small landing strip at Kristiansand is also to be occupied. Heavy fog causes several flying problems. Twenty-nine Ju 52s of II./KGzbV I, loaded with paratroopers, heads to Oslo-Fornebu airfield, but two aircraft are lost in the fog and the Gruppe returns to Aalborg. A second group of paratroops, flying in transports of KGzbV 103, ignore a return order and fly on to Oslo-Fornebu, still not captured by German forces. Eight Bf 110s of ZG 76, led by Hptm. Hansen, attack a flight of Royal Norwegian Air Force Gladiators and shoot down several of the biplanes at a loss of two Bf 110s. Lt. Helmut Lent claims a Gloster Gladiator for his fifth victory. Now down to six aircraft, the Bf 110s arrive over Oslo-Fornebu airfield, unaware that the first wave of transports has turned back. Expecting to see parachutes over the airfield, they are surprised when the second wave of Ju 52s arrive and land under heavy fire from the airfield. Being low on fuel and three of the warplanes flying on only one engine, Hptm. Hansen orders Lt. Lent and the other Bf 110s to land and assist the Ju 52s. This activity causes the Norwegians to withdraw, giving the airfield to the Germans. Oslo-Fornebu airfield is now held by a handful of men from Infantry Regiment 324, a few paratroops and the crews of the Bf 110s and Ju 52s. Hptm. Hansen radios;


> “Fornebu is in our hands. I./ZG 76.”



Further west, twelve Ju 52s of 7./KGzbV 1 head for Stavanger airfield. Fog and heavy cloud forces one Ju 52 to land in Denmark and two Bf 110s of 3./ZG 76’s covering force to return home. This leaves Gordon Gollob with only two Bf 110s to cover the paratroop landings. But once the paratroops hit the ground it takes only thirty minutes to secure the airfield. Shortly after, the Luftwaffe flies its first mission from Stavanger. When the Norwegian destroyer “_Aeger_” sinks the German steamer “_Roda_” with much of the airborne force's equipment, German bombers from Stavanger attack the destroyer and sink it with two bombs.

The most questionable part of the German plan is the move on Narvik. By a combination of luck and bad weather they pass the British patrols enroute and once up the fiord quickly sink the two old coast-defense ships, the cruisers “_Eidsvold_” and “_Norge_”, killing 276. Ten German destroyers assist the German troops in occupying the Norwegian harbor. Offshore the British battlecruiser HMS “_Renown_” intercepted German battleships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” after they had successfully escorted Marine Gruppe 1 to Narvik. “_Renown_” fired first, hitting “_Gneisenau_” three times, but received two hits before the German ships disengaged from the battle. The “_Scharnhorst_” is badly hit, but escapes. All ships survive the encounter. The westward course of the German battleships further convinces the Admiralty that the Kriegsmarine is attempting to breakout into the Atlantic Ocean. But a British destroyer force is on the way to Narvik.

In the afternoon, the Luftwaffe searches for Royal Navy ships, finding the Home Fleet and 1st Cruiser Squadron that are still searching for the Kriegsmarine’s “Atlantic breakout”. Off Bergen, for three hours, forty-one He 111s of KG 26, the ‘Lion’ Geschwader, and forty-seven Ju 88s of KG 30, the ‘Eagle’ Geschwader attack the British fleet. The destroyer HMS “_Gurkha_” is destroyed and the cruisers HMS “_Devonshire_”, HMS “_Southampton_” and HMS “_Glasgow_” are damaged. “_Rodney_” was hit by a dud 500-kg bomb, and “_Gurkha_” sank at 1600 hours, killing 15. Cruiser HMS “_Aurora_” picks up 190 survivors. Four Ju 88s of KG 30 are destroyed. Britain calls off the attack on German forces at Bergen, Norway.

Vice-Admiral Horton’s hunch pays off and his submarines are in position to attack German warships. At 1957 hours, HMS “_Truant_” is patrolling in the Skagerrak and torpedoes German cruiser “_Karlsruhe_”. “_Karlsruhe_” does not sink and is finished off at 2150 hours by the German torpedo boat “_Greif_”. Meanwhile, French submarine “_Sybille_” (under Horton’s command) departs Harwich to patrol the south North Sea, West of Denmark.

In one of the last actions for the day, Oblt. Werner Hansen of 1./ZG 76 claims a British Sunderland flying boat destroyed near Oslo. His claim is denied.

Overall the Germans have succeeded in getting their forces ashore and their established control of Stavanger airport will prove crucial. German airpower is already restricting British operations, having sunk one destroyer and damaged the battleship “_Rodney_”.

*GERMANY:* German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop issues a statement:


> "The German forces will see to it that no Englishman or Frenchman shows his nose in Norway or Denmark for the rest of the war."



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## parsifal (Apr 9, 2015)

* 9 April 1940 PART I*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Boom defence vessel BARNSTONE (Bar Class)

*Known Losses*
*Steamer ADELAIDE STAR (UK 11,000 grt) *was seized at Copenhagen and renamed SEEBURG for German use.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Also on the 9th, *Steamer GULLFOSS (Iceland 1414 grt)* was seized at Copenhagen.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DD GURKHA (RN 1854 grt)*: The Tribal-class DD was bombed and sunk in the North Sea south east of Bergen, Norway by Heinkel He 111 aircraft of KG26 and Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of KG30, Luftwaffe with the loss of 15 of her 219 crew.






*TB GYLLER (RNoN 597 grt)* After returning from a sortie, TB GYLLER was captured whilst docked at Kristiansand and served in the German Kriegsmarine for the rest of the war. The ship survived the war and was returned to Norwegian service in the late 1940s. 




_Profile of the GYLLER, in which the extra set of TTs she carried are visible_

*TB ODIN (RNoN 597 grt)*; After returning from a sortie, TB ODIN was captured whilst docked at Kristiansand and served in the German Kriegsmarine for the rest of the war. The ship survived the war and was returned to Norwegian service in the late 1940s. 





*Sub A-2 (Nor 342 grt)* The A-class submarine was attacked by DKM R-22 and R-23 in Oslofjord off Tønsberg and was damaged beyond repair.





*Sub A-3 (Nor 342 grt)* Proceeded to sea after the invasion, but could not escape after Naval Base at Horten was captured, Scuttled by own crew between 9 and 16 April 

*Sub A-4 (Nor 342 grt)* Proceeded to sea after the invasion, but could not escape after Naval Base at Horten was captured, Scuttled by own crew between 9 and 16 April 

*Coast Defence Ship EIDSVOLD (Nor 3645 grt)* The coastal defence ship was torpedoed off Narvik by Z21 WILLHELM HEIDKAMP and sunk with the loss of 175 of her 181 crew.





*Coast Defence Ship NORGE (Nor 3645 grt)*: Located deeper inside VestFjord, NORGE heard the explosion as her sister EIDSVOLD was sunk. Retreting to Narvik harbour itself, she got into a fight with two DKM DDs. BERNDT VON ARNIM sank her after three full salvoes of torpedoes had been fired. Return fire from the NORGE before she was sunk had flown over the heads of her opponents and could be seen exploding in the township behind them. There were 101 of her 191 crew lost.





*Cutter SORLAND (Nor 100 grt (est)):* Battle of Drobak Sound: The cutter was shelled and set on fire in Oslofjord by R-18 and R-19 and was beached with the loss of two of her five crew. She was a total loss

[NO IMAGE FOUND].

*PV POL III (Nor 214 grt) *encountered Gp 5 in the Drobak. She challenged the DKM ships and getting no reply opened fire with her single gun. POL III was soon overcome and sunk by DKM TB ALBATROS with the loss of 18 crew. Raised at some point, post war she became the AMOYTRANS. Not sure if she still exists. 





Norwegian *MSWs RAUMA (370 grt)*, *HAUK (58 grt)* and *Aux PVs HVAL III (246 grt)* and* BETA (168 grt) *surrendered at Horten on the 9th. *MSWs OTRA (370grt)* was seized at Filtvedt on the 10th. *MSW HVAS (58grt)* was seized at Stavern on the 12th. *Aux PVs ALPHA (235grt)* and *FURU (85grt)* surrendered at Halvorshamn on the 12th. *MSWs FALK (58grt)*. *KJAEK (58grt)* and *Aux PVs FARM (424grt)*, *SKUDD I (247grt), SKUDD II (247grt), OTER I (251grt), HVAL II (224grt), RAMOEN (299grt), SAETRE (172grt) and SARPEN (187grt)* surrendered at Tonsberg on the 13th. *ML BRAGE (236grt) *and *Aux PV TREFF (204grt)* surrendered at Melsomvik on the 14th. Whale catchers *SAIMA (217grt)* and *SOUSA (217grt) *laid up at Tonsberg were seized on the 9th. Old TBs (pre-WWI) *TB TEIST (92 grt)* , was at Farsund, when the attack took place; she, scuttled herself; *TB JO (55grt)*, was at Arendal, *TB GRIB (55grt)*, had been at Risor, and RAVN (55grt), had been at Langesund, were all scuttled. In addition, old *TBs ORN (55grt)* and *LOM (55grt)* of this div were repairing at Horten and surrendered there on the 9th. .

Nor naval vessels at Bergen were TBs STORM and SAEL, MLs TYR (281grt) at Klokkarvik, VALE at Littlebergen, ULLER at Bergen and GOR at Herdia, plus armed aux PVs HAUS (135grt), LINDAAS (138grt), ALVERSUND (178grt), MANGER (153grt) and OYGAR (128grt). DesDiv 1 was based at Bergen, with GARM , TROLL, and DRAUG. DesDiv 2 was also based at Bergen, with AEGER at Stavanger and SLEIPNER at Kristiansund. Pre-WWI TBs DJERV and DRISTIG were at Littlebergen. TBDiv1 was at Bergen, with SNOGG at Floro and STEGG at Skudesneshavn. TBDiv 4 was at at Bergen, with STORM at Hummelsund, BRAND at Bergen, and SAEL at Brandasund. TBDiv 5 was originally based at Trondheim, but was in the Bergen area with *TB SKREI (84 grt)* at Hestvika on Hita (scuttled), *SILD (84 grt)* at Kristiansand (scuttled 5 May at Svanholmen) while *TB SAKS (84 grt)* was under repair at Trondheim and surrendered on the 13th.

The following vessels were seized by DKM at Bergen and mostly renamed for DKM service. *MV GALLIA (Sd 1419 grt),* *MV FAVERVIK (Sd 1912 grt), MV MONARK (Sd 1786 grt)* was lost when the German prize crew attempted to sail her back to Germany in early May.* MV ANTON H. (Fn 1436 grt), steamer USKO (Fn 1876 grt), steamer KADLI (Est 1818 grt), steamer ARCTURUS (Est 1682 grt), steamer AKSI (Est 844 grt), steamer GERDA (Den 1151 grt)* had arrived at Bergen on the 4th, was later ordered to Stavanger, and en route, struck a mine on 8 May off Flesland and drifted ashore. *Steamer ANGLO (Pan 2978 grt)* was also captured. Steamer ALBERT (Sd 1745 grt) was seized by DKM at Kristiansand. At Trondheim, *steamer EMMI (Fn 1592 grt)* was seized by German forces and renamed SCHIRMECK for German service. At Stavanger, *steamer SPYRIDON (Gk 3527 grt)* was under repair, and seized by German forces and renamed EKENES for German service. At Narvik, *steamers BLYTHMOOR (UK 6582 grt) (sunk next day at 1st Ballte of Narvik) , MERSINGTON COURT (UK 5141 grt), NORTH CORNWALL (UK 4304 grt), ROMANBY (UK 4887 grt)* and *RIVERTON (UK5378 grt)* were seized by German forces and their crews taken prisoner and placed aboard German tanker JAN WELLEM (11,776grt). A working party from the steamer LIPPE (Ger 7849 grt) removed the deck guns from the captured steamers for coastal defense of the German positions.


*TB TOR (Nor 632 grt)*: The incomplete vessel was scuttled 9/4/1940, but was raised and completed by Germany as the TIGER, returned 5/1945, stricken 1959. Sisiter ship *TB BALDER (Nor 632 grt)* was similalry captured by the germans 




_sister ship BALDER in the 1950s_

At Boknfjord, near Stavanger, Nor TB AEGER sank steamer *RODA (Ger 6780 grt)*, carrying AA guns and ammo. The German supply ship had departed Hamburg on the 3rd, was bringing these guns and other supplies to two bns of German paras which had captured Sola airfield. 
View attachment 289337


Later on the 9th, *TB AEGER (RNoN 597 grt)* was sunk by German Ju.88 aircraft of KG.4, already based at Sola on the 9th. Seven crew were killed, one fatally wounded, and one severely wounded.
View attachment 289336


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## parsifal (Apr 9, 2015)

*9 April 1940 (Part II)*
*Known Losses (cont'd)*
*MV AMASIS (Ger 7129 grt)*: Not involved in the invasion this ship was transporting coal to Sweden. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk off Måseskär, Sweden by Sub SUNFISH. All 51 crew were rescued.
View attachment 289434


*CA BLUCHER (DKM 16974 grt):* The Admiral Hipper-class cruiser was sunk in Oslofjord, Norway by Norwegian coastal artillery and shore-based torpedoes with the loss of around 1,000 of her 1,382 crew.
View attachment 289435


*MV BOCKENHEIM (Ger 4981 grt)*: The cargo ship was scuttled off Narvik, Norway by her crew who mistakenly believed that the DKM DDs attacking Narvik were British.
View attachment 289438


*Trawler DAGNY (Sd 47 grt)*: The fishing vessel struck a mine and sank north of Hanstholm, Denmark with the loss of six crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND].

*CL KARLSRUHE (DKM 8130 grt )*: Gp 4 hoves to the Nor coast at about 0430 hrs, but due to heavy fog are not able to enter the fjord at Kristiansand until after 0600. The KARLSRUHE engages and silences the Norwegian coastal btys at Odderøya, but it is time consuming and it is not until later in the afternoon that troops are finally landed and the city secured. At 1900 hours, Karlsruhe and the TBs boats depart Kristiansand. At 1958 hours, the KARLSRUHE is torpedoed south of Kristiansand by the Sub TRUANT. One torpedo hits the starboard side amidships in the cruising turbine room. The ship loses power and the crew is then taken off by the nearby torpedo boats. At 2250 hours, the Karlsruhe is finally scuttled by 2 torpedoes from TB GREIF. 11 men die..
View attachment 289462


*Tkr KATTEGAT (DKM 8061 grt)* Was one of two naval tkrs DKM needed to use in order to quickly refuel the 10 DDs of the Gp1. On hearing of the minefield laid by the RN in Vestfjord, the captain anchored at Ornes outside the harbour. After hailing by PV NORDKAPP (which had located her), with no response (KATTEGAT was frnatically hailing for DKM assistance) the NORDKAPP was instructed to take her a s a prize, however the Nor pilots advised that the DKM crew were armed. The tkr made vary aggressive signals to the NORDKAPP, convincing her that boarding was not possible. After warning shots were ignored, firing was commenced, and registered 4x47mm hits. Before any lethal damage could be done the tkr scuttled herself. 34 of the 39 crew were rescued. This loss was to have catestrophic effects for Gp1.
View attachment 289463


Very early on the 9th, DD DRAUG (Nor 540 grt) at Haugesand captured *supply ship MAIN (DKM 7624 grt)* carrying mines to Trondheim. Later that morning, German aircraft bombed and badly damaged MAIN. DD DRAUG was forced to scuttle MAIN after taking aboard her crew of sixty seven. RN DDs MATABELE and SIKH were ordered to join DRAUG and escort her towards Sullom Voe, where she arrived on the 10th. The RN DDs then rejoined Adm Forbes' Main Force. On the 10th, Fr DD BRESTOIS departed Sullom Voe for Kirkwall with the 65 German prisoners brought there by DRAUG, and then went on to Scapa. Fr DD BOULONNAIS escorted DRAUG directly to Scapa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND OF THE DKM MAIN]
View attachment 289469


Early on the 9th, motor MSWs R.20 and R.24 landed troops at Rauoy, and R.22 and R.23 at Bolaerne. However, when R.17 and R.21 attempted to land troops at Horten, Nor ML OLAV TRYGVASSON and MSW RAUMA sank *MSW R.17 (DKM 117 grt)* and damaged TB ALBATROS and motor MSW R.21, despite covering gunfire from TB KONDOR. 
View attachment 289468


*MV SAO PAULO (Ger 4977 grt)* were lost en route; The supply ship struck a mine off Bergen and sank.
View attachment 289470


*Steamer SEATTLE (Ger 7369 grt)*, had departed Curacao on 5/6 March and called at Tromso on 31 March, arrived off Kristiansand as the German force arrived. She was sunk by gunfire from Norwegian destroyer GYLLER
SeaBotix News - Missing Divers
View attachment 289471


Supplies for the Kristiansand and Arendal invasions were embarked on *steamers AUGUST LEONHARDT (Ger 2593 grt)*, which was lost at sea en route (cause unknown, but probably a mine), KRETA (2359grt), which arrived three days late, WESTSEE (5911grt) and WIEGAND (5869grt) which had all departed Stettin at 1700/6th.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The German Ambassador in Oslo informed the Norwegian Government in writing and verbally that Germany requests Norway to place herself under German military protection. A similar note was handed to Denmark at the same time. Assurances were given that the political independence and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark would be respected now and in future. After thorough deliberation the Norwegian Government refused the German demand, since it signifies an attempt on her sovereign rights. The Danish Government decided to accept German military protection under protest.
> 
> At 0515 German naval forces arrived in Norwegian and Danish bases, forces disembarked, the Danish frontiers were crossed. Denmark prohibited firing. The Norwegian Government, which ordered increased alert for Air Force flying and maintenance personnel and coastal defenses yesterday, states that Norway will offer resolute resistance.
> 
> ...





> During the day a second Government was formed in Norway under Vidkum Quisling (former secretary to Nansen, then leader of the Norwegian National Unity Party and from 1931-32 Minister for Defense) .



The Germans, whilst finding Quisling useful, had in fact never intended to install him as the head of the Norwegian govt by force of arms. However, the loss of the cruiser BLUCHER, forced them to improvise. The ship had been carrying most of the personnel intended to take over Norway's administration, The Germans had expected the legitimate Norwegian govt to collaborate and yield as the Danes had done, and were genuinely surprised and dismayed at their defiant response. They had expected the govt to resign to allow the legitimate assumption of power to Quisling; neither happened, although the invasion itself continued. After hours of unseemly haggling, Quisling and his German supporters decided that an immediate coup was necessary, though this was not the preferred option of either Germany's ambassador Curt Bräuer or the German Foreign Ministry. In the afternoon, Quisling was told by German liaison Hans Wilhelm Scheidt that should he set up a govt, it would have Hitler's personal approval. Quisling drew up a list of ministers and, although it had merely relocated some 50 km (having ben given time to evacuate by the delaying actions by the Hans Majestie Kongen Garde (HMKG) who continued to resist in the steets of Oslo for some hrs whilst the govt escaped) to Elverum, accused the legitimate government of having "fled".

Meanwhile, the Germans occupied Oslo and at 17:30 Norwegian radio ceased broadcasting at the request of the German commander. At approximately 19:30, Quisling went on air again and proclaimed the formation of a new govt with himself as PM. He also tried to revoke an earlier order to mobilise against the Nazi invasion, which was ignored. Two orders—one to a friend in the military (Colonel Hans S. Hiorth, the commanding officer of the army regiment at Elverum to arrest the govt and another to the HMKG to cease resistance were ignored. The oslo Police also resisting did not comply either. Hitler lent his support as promised and recognised the new Norwegian government under Quisling within 24 hours. Norwegian batteries continued to resist, and had to be overrun to silence them. it was self evident that Quisling had no authority in his own country, and no Norwegians would ever obey his commands. On 10 April, Brauer (the ambassador) met with the legitmate govt and conveyed the message to King Haakon to recognise Quisling. Haakon refused saying he would prefer to abdicate if it came to it. With no popular support, Quisling was no longer of use to Hitler. Germany retracted its support for his rival govt, and on 15 april, just 5 days later, withdrew recognition of Quisling govt. 

Everywhere, the Norwegians were resisting the invasion and it had become obvious to everyone that the germans would have to assume the mantra of being an aggressor and invading power, forcing the surrender of the legitimate govt, and failing that, forcing a ceasefire as a result of full occupation. Norway never surrendered, and provided substantial support to the allies whilst for the germans they were saddled with the need to maintain substantial garrisons in Norway just to prevent revolt from occupation. 


Departures
Kiel: U-23, U-24
Wilhelmshaven: U-65

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary

At Sea 9 April 1940
U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-64, U-65. 
29 boats at sea


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## parsifal (Apr 9, 2015)

* 9 April 1940 (Part III)*
*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
GP 5 (OSLO)
Oslo was supposed to have been by small tkrs EUROLAND (869grt) and SENATOR (845grt) which had departed Hamburg on the 6th, but as indicated above these ships were actually sunk by causes Ive yet to pin down. It is not known if the fuel these small coastal tkrs were carrying was actually unloaded. In any event, additional fuel and supplies were carried by cargo ships ANTARES (2593grt), IONIA (3102grt), ITAURI (6838grt), MUANSA (5472grt) and NEIDENFELS (7838grt) which had departed Stettin at 0200/7th and arrived as soon as Oslo was secured.

They were followed two days later by 11 steamers carrying the 196th XX. These were ESPANA (7456grt), FRIEDENAU (5219grt), HAMM (5874grt), HANAU (5892grt), KELLERWALD (5032grt), ROSARIO (6079grt), TUCUMAN (4621grt), WANDSBEK (2388grt), WIGBERT (3648grt) and WOLFRAM (3648grt) which departed Gotenhafen on the 8th for Oslo, and steamer SCHARHORN (2643grt) which departed Konigsberg on the 8th for Frederikstad.

3 days later, 12 steamers (72,575grt) departed Hamburg carrying the 181st Inf XX. In this group were tkr FRIEDRICH BREME (10,397grt) which was carrying fuel for a/c based near Oslo and steamer FLORIDA (6148grt).

3 days after the 3rd group, another convoy carrying the 214th Inf XX and elements of the 196th Inf XX arrived at Oslo. In addition, independently-routed supply ships began to regularly arrived at Oslo starting with MOLTKEFELS (7863grt), UTLANDSHORN (2643grt) and URUNDI (5791grt) on the 16th, LEUNA (6856grt) and BUENAS AIRES (6097grt) on the 18th with Machine Gun Battalion 13, and ENTRERIOS (5179grt), CAMPINAS (4541grt), CORDOBA (4611grt) and SCHARHORN (2643grt) on the 22nd.

GP 6 (EGERSUND)
The cable station at Egersund and protecting torpedo boat SKARV were taken by surprise by German minesweepers M.1, M2, M.9 and M.13. Both fell into German hands with no resistance. On the 11th, submarine CLYDE was ordered to investigate the landing of troops at Egersund.

GP 4 (KRISTANSAND) 
Norwegian naval forces at Kristiansand were composed of SLEIPNER class DDs (actuially TBS) ODIN and GYLLER, sub B.2 and B.5, refitting Pre-WWI TB KJELL, (under repair), pre-1900 TBs LYN, BLINK (under repair), and KVIK. NTB SLEIPNER DesDiv 2 was at Kristiansand. DKM TB GREIF was detached to land troops at Arendal. Although landings were delayed by fog until 0900, Arendal fell without difficulty to German troops. The German Kristiansand force entering harbour was forced to retire twice under bombardment from shore batteries at Odderoy. Later in the morning, a message in Norwegian code was sent to the Norwegian commander stating that Fr DDs were coming to his aid. Expecting these, CL KARLSRUHE and TBs LUCHS and SEEADLER were allowed to enter the port by the defending Norwegian forces and the town was forced to surrender by 1700/9th. The Norwegian ships surrendered at naval station at Marvika on the 11th. Destroyers ODIN and GYLLER (previously mentioned , subs *B.2 *and *B.5 (ea: RNoN 545 grt)*, *Pre-WWI TB KJELL (94t)*, *Pre-1900 TBs LYN (38grt), BLINK (38grt) and KVIK (38grt)*, *Aux PVs W. BARENTS (205grt), FIRERN (217grt), LYNGDAL (149grt), HVAL IV (248grt), HVAL VI (248grt) and HVAL VII (247grt)* surrendered at Marvika.




_TB KJELL pre-war. Much of the the norwegian Navy was obsolete_

The two Norwegian destroyers were taken over on the 11th by DKM and commissioned on the 25th 1940 as LOWE (former GYLLER) and PANTHER (former ODIN) for duty in the TBFlot 7. This flotilla later also composed of TIGER (former TOR which had been scuttled at Horten), commissioned on 13 June 1940 and LEOPARD (former BALDER also taken at Horten), commissioned on 26 July 1940. In December 1940, the flotilla cmd was terminated and the former Norwegian vessels were transferred to the UJ (subhunter) Gp. Sub B.5 was commissioned at Kristiansand on 20 November 1940 as UC.1, and Pre-WWI TB KJEL at Kristiansand (as TIGER) and renamed KT.1 in June 1940. *Pre-WWI TB JO (55grt)*, was at Arendal, *GRIB (55grt)*, was at Risor, and *RAVN (55grt)*, which had been at Langesund, were scuttled at Lyngor on the 17th. In addition, *Pre-WWI TBs ORN (70grt)* and *LOM (70grt)* of this division were repairing at Horten and surrendered there on the 9th. *Steamer ALBERT (Sd 1745 grt)* was seized by German forces at Kristiansand.

*North Sea*
Gp 3 (BERGEN)
Gp 3 arrived off Bergen and the cruisers identified themselves as HMS CAIRO and HMS CALCUTTA and KARL PETERS identified herself as HMS HALCYON which were regular callers at Bergen since being assigned to the ON/HN convoy escorts. As such, DKM CLs KOLN and KONIGSBERG were allowed to enter the fjord, but the shore batteries at Kvarven awoke to the deception and put three eight inch shells into KONIGSBERG and one into training ship BREMSE. On KONIGSBERG 16 crew were killed and 31 wounded. Nor ML TYR hurriedly dropped eight mines between Sotra and Leroy and withdrew undetected at the mouth of the fjord. Pre-1900 TB STORM (84t) torpedoed the leading DKM TB (not identified) , but the torp failed to explode. Bergen surrendered before dawn on the 9th. All the defending Norwegian naval vessels were able to escape into nearby Hardangersfjord. The fortifications at Sandviken fired on CL KOLN at anchor in the harbour, but when KOLN returned fire, the fort ceased firing. By 0930, both Kvarven and Sandviken were in German hands.

The Norwegian and neutral vessels captured or sunk at Bergen have already been noted, but it was a considerable haul for the germans.

A RAF CC Blenheim of 254 Squadron, carrying observer Lt Cdr G. Hare RN (shipborne 712 sqn, temporarily seconded from CL SHEFFIELD to assist in ship recognition), sighted the DKM warships at Bergen during the morning. At 1900, 12 Hampden bombers of 50 Squadron, six Wellington bombers of 9 Squadron, and six Wellington bombers of 115 Squadron of Bomber Command attacked CLs KOLN, KONIGSBERG and training ship BREMSE at anchor at Bergen but did not score any hits. During the evening of the 9th, KOLN with torpedo boats WOLF and LEOPARD was preparing to leave Bergen, KONIGSBERG was unfit for sea and left behind for repairs. KOLN put to sea at 2100 with the two TBs and followed the Leads south, anchoring at Maurangersfjord until the afternoon of the 10th before continuing. Off the Elbe early on the 11th, they were joined by DKM DDs SCHOEMANN and BEITZEN which escorted them to Wilhelmshaven, arriving at 1700 that evening.

GP 2 (TRONDHEIM)

The primary defending naval unit at Trondheim was ML FROYA, which was en route from the Kirkenes to Horten. On the 9th, she was in Skjornfjord in Trondheimsfjord. Also at Trondheim was PVDiv14 with aux PVs HEILHORN (192grt) at Beiarn and STENKJAER (158grt) and FOSEN (273grt) at Agdenes. The two PVs boats at Agdenes surrendered at Hasselvika on the 9th. Finally, PV NAUMA (219grt) of this division was under repair at Trondheim and surrendered on the 13th. The Trondheim Group entered Trondheimsfjord without firing a shot. DDs JACOBI, RIEDEL, HEINEMANN were detached near the fortifications of Brettingen and Hysnes with landing parties to neutralize the forts, while CA ADMIRAL HIPPER and DD ECKHOLDT continued on to Trondheim.

CA ADMIRAL HIPPER had already passed the fortifications when the guns at Hysnes opened fire. DD RIEDEL getting underway rapidly, accidentally ran aground doing considerable damage to her hull. Return fire from ADMIRAL HIPPER sent up clouds and smoke and dust spoiling the aim of the fort's gunners. RIEDEL was able to get herself off . The DD was then beached in Strommen Bay for repairs until 20 April. HIPPER and DD ECKHOLDT anchored in Trondheim harbour and the town surrendered without a shot. *ML FROYA (Nor 595 grt)* attempted to escape from Trondheims fjord, but was damaged by German coastal artillery and forced aground where she was scuttled by her crew on the 13th. 

The Trondheim supply ships, tanker MOONSUND (321grt), had departed Brunsbuttel on the 9th, steamers MAIN (7624grt) and SAO PAULO (4977grt) were lost en route; SAO PAULO late on the 9th at Brantholm. The fourth supply ship, steamer LEVANTE (4770grt) did not arrive until 12 April. CA HIPPER departed on the 10th. She took DD ECKHOLDT with her, but the DD was forced to return to Trondheim. The other 3 DKM DDs were immobile. DD RIEDEL, had run aground, HEINEMANN, had defects, and JACOBI was too low on fuel to attempt the return trip. The non arrival of tkr SKAGERRAK (6044grt), which was delayed at Kopervik, and the loss of SAO PAULO (4977grt), was greatly affecting German DD activity. 

By mid-morning on the 9th, reinforcements had reached Adml Forbes in the form of CAs DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK and YORK of CruSqn 1, CruSqn 2 (CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA), CruSqn 18 (GLASGOW, SOUTHAMPTON and MANCHESTER), Fr CL EMILE BERTIN, DDs ELECTRA, CODRINGTON, GRIFFIN, ESCAPADE, GURKHA, SIKH, AFRIDI, MOHAWK, ZULU and COSSACK, ORP DDs GROM, BURZA and BLYSKAWICA and Fr ContreTorpilleur DDs MAILLE BREZE and TARTU. early that morning DD KELVIN ran into KASHMIR's stern forcing the latter to return to Lerwick under tow by DD COSSACK escort DDs ZULU and the damaged KELVIN.

Fr DDs BRESTOIS and FOUDROYANT dep Scapa on the 12th for Lerwick. On the 12th, destroyers KELVIN, proceeding stern first, and KASHMIR departed Lerwick for the Tyne, and were met at sea by the Fr DDs. They all safely arrived on the 13th at 2030. KELVIN arrived at Scapa after repairs on 28 May and KASHMIR returned to service on 13 June.


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## Njaco (Apr 9, 2015)

*April 10 Wednesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* With their seizure of so many of the Norway’s large towns the Germans have taken most of the stocks of arms at the Norwegian mobilization centers. The Norwegians, therefore, have even less chance for resistance than might have been expected.

The Luftwaffe continues its attacks on the fortress of Oskarborg in Norway along with enemy positions on the island of Hunhaaren and military barracks in the northern part of Oslo. Norwegian mine-layer “_Olav Tryggvason”_ hits German cruiser “_Emden_” in Oslo fjord. The landing strip at Kristiansand is taken and occupied by the Staffeln of II./JG 77.

Coming out of the rising sun at 0730 hours, 16 Skua fighter/bombers of British Fleet Air Arm 800 and 803 Squadrons divebomb German cruiser “_Königsberg_” in Bergen harbor (at the absolute limit of their range from Hatson airfield, Orkney Islands). “_Königsberg_” is hit with three 500 pound bombs (18 killed, 23 wounded) and sinks 2 hours later. German transport ship SS “_Barenfels_” is also damaged. 1 Skua malfunctions and crashes (2 aircrew lost). “_Königsberg_” was the first major warship to be sunk by dive bombing in the war.

*First Battle of Narvik:* At dawn in heavy snow, a British destroyer flotilla is launched against German forces in Narvik. 10 German destroyers were in the Ofotfjord when 5 British destroyers - “_Hardy_”,“_Hostile_”, “_Hotspur_”,“_Havock_”, and “_Hunter_” - attacked the German ships, achieving complete surprise. They sank destroyers “_Anton Schmidt_” and “_Wilhelm Heidkamp_”, and sink or destroy eight supply ships. Five strong German destroyers then approached the British destroyers from two directions. “_Hardy_” is severely damaged, and run aground to get the crew out. “_Hunter_” is hit and sinks in under a minute. “_Hotspur_” and “_Hostile_” are damaged, and with “_Havock_”, escape to return to England. The British withdraw but are not chased by the Germans who are low on fuel. All five German destroyers are damaged, delaying their departure from Narvik. Enroute from Narvik to England, destroyers “_Hotspur_”, “_Hostile_”, and “_Havock_” sink German ammunition ship “_Rauenfels_” containing the artillery, anti-aircraft guns and ammunition for Generalleutnant Eduard Dietl’s 138th Gebirgsjäger Regiment at Narvik. Both naval commanders at Narvik die in the engagement and are decorated. British Captain Bernard Armitage Warburton Warburton-Lee is killed by a direct hit to HMS “_Hardy's_” bridge. He will be posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross and, in 1942, the Norwegian War Cross. Commander of the German destroyer flotilla at Narvik Commodore Friedrich Bonte is killed when his flagship, destroyer Z21” _Wilhelm Heidkamp_”, is torpedoed and explodes. Bonte will be posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz).

The German pocket battleship “_Lützow_” is badly damaged by a submarine attack while homeward bound. Other German merchant ships from a convoy for Oslo are also sunk.

Near Narvik in northern Norway, several Ju 52 transports loaded with a mountain battery from 5./Inf. Rgt. 159 and supplies, land on a frozen lake and one transport sinks through the ice, killing seven crewmembers. This action along with the destruction of German supply ships in the harbor leave the ground units in Narvik in danger of being trapped.

British Coastal Command Wellington bombers make their first air raid on the airfield at Stavanger, Norway.

U-4 sinks HMS “_Thistle_” at 0213 hours (all 53 hands lost) at Stavanger. HMS “_Tarpon_” fires torpedoes at Q-ship “_Schiff 40/Schürbek_” but is sunk by depth charges 50 mile off the Danish coast (another 53 crew lost).

*GERMANY:* Generalmajor Alfred Bülowius is made Kommodore of LG 1 in place of Oberst Dr. Robert Knauss.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 torpedoed Swedish motor tanker “_Sveaborg_” 10 miles north of the Faroe Islands between Scotland and Iceland at 0215 hours, killing 5. Norwegian merchant vessel “_Tosca_” arrived to rescue the 29 survivors on and around the burning “_Sveaborg_”. At 0323 hours, U-37 returned and sank “_Tosca_” with one torpedo, killing 2. Survivors from both ships were later rescued by British armed boarding vessel HMS “_Northern Chief_”.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Henry Tizard established the Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee in the United Kingdom to investigate the feasibility of an atomic weapon.

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## parsifal (Apr 10, 2015)

* 9 April 1940 (Part IV)*
*OPERATIONS (contd)*
*North Sea(Contd) *
GERMAN U-BOAT OPERATIONS
DKM U-boats operated off Norway in support of Fleet operations under Operation HARTMUTH. Early on the 9th, they were deployed as following. In Vestfjord were U.25, U.46, U.51 and U.64 which had departed Kiel on the 6th and was en route. Off Trondheim were U.30 and U.34. Off Bergen were five submarines - U.9 and U.14 southwest of Bergen, U.56 due west of Bergen, and U.60 and U.62 northwest of Bergen. Off Stavanger were U.1 and U.4, with U.1 off the actual harbour entrance and U.4 off the outer channel in a position to protect Haugesand as well. Northeast of Lerwick, Shetlands were U.48, U.49, U.52. U.50 was supposed to be se of Lerwick, but had been lost on a mine on the 6th with the entire crew of forty four dead. U.38 and U.47 were to the north of the Shetlands. U.37 escorted Raider ATLANTIS as far as the Denmark Strait until being detached on the 5th, after which she arrived off the Shetlands and joined this group.

East of the Pentland Firth were U.13 and U.57 with U.58 and U.59 to the west of Pentland Firth. Off Stavanger and the Naze were U.2, U.5, U.6 and later U.3. U.2 was west, sw of Egersund,U 5 was wsw of Lindesnes,and U.6 was southeast of Lindesnes. On arrival, U.3 was stationed wnw of Lindesnes. U.2 was forced to return to Wilhelmshaven on the 12th with hydroplane defects. The sub arrived on the 15th for repairs. Se of the Shetlands were U.7, U.10 and U.19. U.7 was se of Sumburgh Head, with U.10 and U.19 east of Fair Island. At the east end of the English Channel off Rotterdam and Antwerp were U.17, U.23, U.24 and U.61. The sub group northeast of the Shetlands was dispersed on the 11th with U.50 and U.52 redeployed off Trondheim and U.38, U.47, U.48 and U.49 in Vaagsfjord. U.50, however, had already been lost on a mine on the 6th before her order for redeployment was sent. The submarine group at the east end of the English Channel was redeployed on the 13th with U.17, U.23 and U.24 were ordered to patrol off Bergen and U.61 off Trondheim.

*Northern Waters*
BATTLECRUISER RENOWN'S ENGAGEMENT WITH SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU
At 0337, BC RENOWN with DDs GREYHOUND, ICARUS, IVANHOE, ESK, IMPULSIVE, HARDY, HUNTER, HAVOCK and HOTSPUR encountered DKM BCs GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST and an action ensued. RENOWN hit GNEISENAU's main armament control system putting it out of order and forcing the German ships to retire. RENOWN began to pursue the German ships. HARDY and HUNTER were able to keep up with RENOWN for a time in the heavy weather, but the others fell behind. At 0658 the DDs were ordered to patrol the entrance to Vestfjord. RENOWN scored two more hits on GNEISENAU, one of them crippled GNEISENAU's forward turret, opening it directly to the sea. RENOWN received two hits in return. The one hit passing through the extreme stern without exploding and the second perforating the foremast, severing all internal cables, but also not exploding. The searchlights sustained minor damage by splinters. Lt Cdr M.J. Evans was the only crewman wounded. In the high speed retirement, both SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU sustained further damage from the weather in the form of flooding their forward turrets; GNEISENAU's damage being much more severe because of the shell damage to her gun house from RENOWN's hit. 3 hours after the action began, the German battleships were able to outdistance RENOWN which returned to her patrol off Vestfjord.

DDs ESCORT, JAVELIN, JANUS, JUNO and ECLIPSE departed Scapa escorting BB WARSPITE. CVL FURIOUS with DDs ASHANTI, MAORI, DELIGHT and FORTUNE departed the Clyde at 0001 on the 9th. Aircraft carrier FURIOUS flew on nine Swordfish aircraft of the 816 Squadron and nine Swordfish of 818 Squadron. Her fighter component was available but was not landed on, it was not yet RN doctrine to rely on fighters for air defence....that was soon to change. The Skuas of the 801 Squadron were not embarked. DELIGHT suffered weather damage and was forced to return to Greenock. The WARSPITE and FURIOUS groups proceeded to a rendezvous ten miles north of Muckle Flugga where they met at 0500/10th. Together, the ships proceeded to join the C in C Home Flt on course 115°, 16 knots, in 61-24N, 2W at 0700/10th.

GP 1 (NARVIK)
Norwegian naval forces at Narvik were coastal defense ships NORGE and EIDSVOLD at Narvik, submarines B.1 and B.3 of SubDiv3 at Liland near Narvik. The following merchant ships were at Narvik early on the 9th - Norwegian steamers CATE B (4285grt), ELRID (1712grt), HAALEGG (1758grt) and SAPHIR (4306grt), Dutch steamer BERNISSE (951grt), Swedish steamers BODEN (4264grt), OXELOSUND (5613grt) and STRASSA (5603grt), British steamers BLYTHMOOR (6582grt), MERSINGTON COURT (5141grt), NORTH CORNWALL (4304grt), RIVERTON (5378grt) and ROMANBY (4887grt), German steamers AACHEN (6388grt), ALTONA (5398grt), BOCKENHEIM (4902grt), HEIN HOYER(5386grt),MARTHA HENRICH FISSER (4879grt), NEUENFELS (8096grt), ODIN (5806grt), JAN WELLEM (11,776grt),LIPPE (7849GRT), FRIELINGHAUS (4339grt) and PLANET (5881grt), and Swedish tugs DIANA (213grt) and STYRBJORN (167grt).

Gp 1 less GIESE whose hull was holed in heavy weather and had fallen behind, entered Ofotfjord (the outer fjord) at 0410 without opposition. The force entered Ofotfjord and encountered Norwegian fishery protection vessels MICHAEL SARS (207grt) and SENJA (243grt). They ordered the Norwegian guard ships to turn about and return to Narvik. DD ROEDER was detached to patrol off Baroy to await the arrival of destroyer GIESE. She captured *Aux PV KELT (376grt)* while on this patrol. At the Ramnes Narrows, flotilla commander Bonte detached DDs LUDEMAN and SCHMIDT to land troops and capture the Narvik fortifications which prove to be nonexistent. Abreast of Herjansfjord, DDs ZENKER, KUNNE and KOELLNER were detached to go up the fjord to Elvegaard where the Norwegian regimental depot for the area was located. The depot was captured without resistance.

DDs HEIDKAMP , ARNIM and THIELE continued on to the harbour of Narvik where the BOCKRNHEIM then scuttled herself (see precedeing entries). The DDs encountered Norwegian coastal defense ship EIDSVOLD which HEIDKAMP sank after a perfunctory request for free passage. EIDSVOLD sank. DD ARNIM was already alongside the wharf when coastal defense ship NORGE opened fire on her, but ARNIM was able to sink NORGE without damage to herself. NORGE also sank. *Sub B.1 (RNoN 545 grt) * scuttled herself at Liland in Ofotfjord after an unsuccessful attempt to get to sea. Sub B.3 was able to escape and reached safety in a fjord further north. She eventually sailed to britiain, where she joined the RN flotilas for a short while, then was used for training.


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## Njaco (Apr 11, 2015)

*April 11 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *German success depends on reducing Norwegian Army resistance in southern Norway. The key is to link up their forces at Oslo and Trondheim via the long parallel mountain defiles. The German 196th Division moved north from Oslo up the Gudbrandsdal and Østerdal valleys in an attempt to link up with the German forces in Trondheim. They brush aside improvised Norwegian roadblocks. In an attempt to halt the German advances, the RAF attacked the Stavanger airfield in southern Norway. 

Norwegian Army General Kristian Laake was relieved of command for his failures in the opening chapters of the German invasion; General Otto Ruge took over as his successor.

But the British battle back in Norway. In the morning eighteen British aircraft from the aircraft carrier HMS “_Furious_” attack Trondheim without success. Another Allied attack with nine aircraft, on the railway system between Trondheim and Oslo cuts off the line when a tunnel is destroyed. Defense from the Luftwaffe consists of a raid by ten He 111s from III./KG 26 on the British battlefleet off Trondheim – three battleships, a carrier, two cruisers and fourteen destroyers are attacked. Two hits are reported on a cruiser and one hit by a 50 kg bomb on the carrier HMS “_Furious_”.

An Allied Expeditionary Force leaves Clyde en route to Narvik, Norway.

British Vice-Admiral Horton’s submarine deployment pays off again. HMS “_Spearfish_”, patrolling in the Kattegat, encounters the already-damaged German cruiser “_Lützow_” returning from Oslo just after midnight. “_Spearfish_” fires a spread of 6 torpedoes then runs, not realizing that “_Lützow_” is unescorted. 1 torpedo hits “_Lützow_” nearly ripping off her stern. “_Lützow_” is towed back to Kiel but is out of action until repairs are complete in June 1941. Not realizing “_Lützow_” was unescorted, “_Spearfish_” fled from the action as soon as she fired her torpedoes. A member of the crew described how Lieut. Pirie, second-in-command, and the captain stood in the conning-tower watching the approach of what was thought to be the _“Admiral Scheer”_.


> “Lieut. Pirie remarked ‘I think this is a German battleship’, but our captain at first thought it was only a destroyer. Suddenly he said to Lieut. Pirie ‘You’re right. It’s a pocket battleship.’ We were ready for anything. As the ‘Admiral Scheer’ came nearer the captain realized what a great opportunity was being presented. Lieut.-Commander Forbes had time to maneuver his ship to bring the ‘Admiral Scheer’ to a favorable position. Then came crisp orders which electrified the whole ship’s complement and earned them full reward for months of patrols without sighting a German ship. It was impossible, of course, to wait and see what damage we had done, but not a man in the ship believes the German story that the ‘Admiral Scheer’ has reached home. As we got away we distinctly heard the impact of the torpedoes on the German warship.”


 She was fortunate that “_Spearfish_” was out of torpedoes.

The crew and planes of II./JG 77 starts moving from airfield to airfield to keep up with the invasion, ending up on this date at Kristiansand-Kjevik in southern Norway. During the days to come, the Staffeln of the Gruppe are moved to other airfields and is stretched between Kristiansand and Trondheim. By the beginning of May the Gruppe is moved to Stavanger airfield. One of the first missions from Kristiansand is attacking Norwegian troops at a training area near Evjemoen. Twelve buildings are set on fire.

German collaborator Vidkun Quisling sent a message to King Haakon VII of Norway, asking him to return to Oslo; seeing through his plot to use him as a puppet, the king chose to ignore the request. Seeing a lack of response from the king and his government, German bombers attacked the village where they were hiding in a failed attempt to wipe out Norwegian leadership.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, gave instructions to the Royal Navy to occupy the Faroe Islands. An announcement was broadcast on BBC radio, and the RAF flew an aircraft over the islands. The Faroe Islands are a small collection of islands approximately half way between Norway and Iceland. They are a territory of Denmark. If occupied by the Germans they would enable the Nazis to control shipping which passes north of Scotland, along with any shipping moving towards Norway or the rest of Scandinavia.

Winston Churchill spoke at the House of Commons and used Norway as an example to urge other smaller neutral European countries to join the Allies before Germany violated their neutrality as well.

In a report to the War Office in London, British General Lord Gort of Limerick, VC, stated that his five regular-army divisions were effective, although not up to the standards of the British Expeditionary Force of 1914. The remaining eight Territorial divisions, he reported were, fit only for static warfare.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Belgian army cancels all leaves.

Three Do 17s from 5(F)./122 flew across the front. Attacked by aircraft from GC I/5, GC III/6 and GC III/7, one was shot down near Reims while another escaped with slight damage having been caught by defending fighters near St Quentin.

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## Njaco (Apr 11, 2015)

*April 12 Friday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German forces are pushing out from Oslo in all directions. They take Kongsberg to the southwest of the capital.

The British begin sending bombers to attack Luftwaffe bases in Norway. At 1200 hours, 23 Blenheim bombers, 36 Wellington bombers, and 24 Hampden bombers take off from airfields in Britain to attack German ships off Kristiansand. Only one finds a target, and is unsuccessful in bombing it. Intercepted by Bf 109s from JG 77, one Hampden is shot down by Lt. Edgar Struckmann, his first kill. A second British raid on the airfield begins at 1300 hours. Bf 109’s of II./JG 77 engage the twelve Hampden bombers from RAF Nos. 44 and 50 Squadrons, shooting down eight British bombers at a cost of five Bf 109’s with four pilots killed. Victory claims from the 5 Staffel include Fw. Robert Menge for his first, Ofw. Edgar Herfeld for his first and a second victory for Uffz. Kurt Opolski. Victors from the 6 Staffel include Fw. Ertel for his first score, Ofw. Hermann Stierle for his first kill, and a first for Oblt. Wilhelm Ruthammer. Pilots getting their second victories include Lt. Dietrich Bösler of Stab II./JG 77 and Hptm. Franz-Heinz Lange of 6./JG 77. Ten minutes after this action a rotte of fighters from the Gruppe shoot down a Coastal Command Hudson of RAF No 233 Squadron.

A formation of nine British planes attacks the harbour at Narvik without success. One of the bombers is shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Over Oslo the Luftwaffe attacks the facilities at Gardomoen. Several hits are recorded on some buildings and the harbor at Frederikstad.

Around 1700 hours a formation of British Wellington bombers attacks the airfield at Stavanger. Intercepted by aircraft from the Zerstörer unit of KG 30 and ZG 76, five Wellingtons are claimed shot down by the defending fighters. Only one bomber is given credit for being destroying and it's given to an anti-aircraft battery at Stavanger, not the pilots.

Norwegian artillery Major Hans Holtermann and 250 volunteers began reactivating the old fort at Ingstadkleiva near Trondheim, Norway, which would become known as Hegra Fortress for defense against the Germans. The fort has mothballed artillery (four 10.5 cm and two 7.5 cm in half-turrets and 4 Krupp m/1887 field guns) and plenty of ammunition. A German Major requests the fort’s surrender but Holtermann refuses.

German battleships “_Gneisenau_”, “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Admiral Hipper_” are located by air reconnaissance southwest of Stavanger on their way home. Attacks by British land-based and carrier aircraft fail. Despite this escape the German navy has lost heavily in the campaign so far.

*GERMANY: *Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring forms Luftflotte 5, under his second in command Generaloberst Erhard Milch in Hamburg, to coordinate an expanding role in Norway. Luftwaffe duties include air defenses, airlifts and offensive strikes against Norwegian defenders and the Royal Navy. Milch would soon establish his headquarters in Oslo, Norway.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The British Cyprus Regiment was established from volunteers from the Greek and Turkish communities of Cyprus.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Stancliffe_” with one torpedo 45 miles northeast of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0942 hours, killing 21. 16 survivors in one lifeboat would later make a landing at nearby Unst Island.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Two Royal Navy destroyers, including HMS “_Suffolk_”, arrived at the Faroe Islands and negotiations began concerning a formal, peaceful occupation by British troops.


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## parsifal (Apr 12, 2015)

* 9 April 1940 (Part V)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT)*
*Baltic (cont)*
Steamer KRETA (Ger 2359 grt) reported that she was under attack by a sub near Faerder Lightship in the Skagerrak. Later overdue at Kristiansand, she was presumed lost but she arrived on the 12th unharmed. Panicked, she had turned around and apparently making for home port before being ordered to turn around. aux Schiff 111 (MV JUPITER) (Ger 2152 grt) arrived at Bergen with a cargo of mines to mine the harbour

ALLIED SUBMARINE OPS
On the 9th, the Admiralty gave Vice Adm Horton permission for his subs to sink without warning any German merchant ship in the Skagerrak, the Kattegat and Heligoland Bight. At 1700, sub SUNFISH sank German steamer AMASIS (see loss section). Sub UNITY in the Heligoland Bight reported that she had been depth charged by a merchant ship. Sub TRUANT sank the Karlsruhe (previously noted). TRUANT was able to escape with only minor damage, despite a determined effort by the TBs and MTBs in a 5 hr riposte. 

*Northern Waters Sea (cont)*
MISCELLANEOUS
DDs JANUS and ECLIPSE carried out 6 DC attacks at 1355 on a sub contact. This contact was later found to be a wreck. DDs HYPERION and HERO arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel at 1430. HN.25 had departed Bergen on the 7th, but was recalled, and on the morning of the 9th was waiting in a fjord near Hovden, north of Bergen, when word was received that Bergen had fallen to German troops. When German tkr SKAGERRAK (6044grt) arrived at Hovden at noon on the 9th en route to Trondheim, the convoy departed at 1400 but was a major focus of RN covering ops. HN.25 was composed of 40 ships, so was a natural high value, high risk, target. The convoy formed into four columns . DD ZULU and ORP DDs GROM, BURZA and BLYSKAWICA were ordered to join HN.25 and escort it into the Firth of Forth, but ZULU was replaced by DD TARTAR before joining the convoy. At 1500/9th, the allied DDs joined HN.25. The last Norwegian convoy arrived safely at Methil after lunch on the 12th. A potential disaster averted, but thew allies were to endure some considerable punishment as their forces were left exposed covering the convoy as it retreated....

U.56 at 0920 sighted BBs RODNEY and VALIANT sw of Stadlandet steering south and radioed this information to the German command. At 1130, Adm Forbes dispatched CriSqn 18 with DDs GURKHA, SIKH, MOHAWK, MATABELE, MASHONA, SOMALI and AFRIDI for a raid on Bergen where the damaged DKM KONIGSBERG and BREMSE and undamaged cruiser KOLN were located. At 1400, with HN25 now clear the Admiralty cancelled the operation and ordered the force to set course to return to the Main Flt which had turned north to open the distance between themselves and German land based aircraft (LBA). As the Bergen raiding force arrived back at the Main Flt, the LW, which was alerted by U.56's report arrived on the scene with 47 Ju.88 bombers from KG.30 and 41 He.111 bombers from KG.25, sw of Bergen. The RN were about to suffer its heaviest LW attacks of the war German attacks on the British fleet continued from 1430 to 1730, and four JU.88's were downed. DD GURKHA, which had reduced speed to improve her gunnery in heavy seas, was fatally damaged by near misses aft in these attacks 100 miles sw of Bergen. GURKHA was left behind in a sinking condition as the Main Flt continued on under heavy attacks. CL AURORA, en route from Scapa to join Adm Forbes, came upon the sinking GURKHA, and fought off five air assaults while picking up 194 survivors and attempting to tow the damaged ship. DDr MASHONA picked up five survivors and one dead rating. GURKHA sank four and a half hours after receiving her fatal damage, and her survivors taken directly to Scapa.

BB RODNEY was struck by a 500 kg bomb which failed to penetrate the armour belt 10 crew. Attacks on CA DEVONSHIRE caused some splinter damage from near misses. CLs SOUTHAMPTON and GLASGOW were damaged by near misses. SOUTHAMPTON's damage was minor and no time was spent out of service. GLASGOW's damage from two near misses took 'A' turret out of action for a short time and the ship's speed was reduced for about thirty minutes. Damage to GLASGOW was repaired in two days while continuing patrol at sea. Two ratings were killed and five ratings, one dying of wounds, were wounded in GLASGOW. CL ARETHUSA and Fr DDs TARTU and MAILLE BREZE were near missed by bombs, but not damaged. Among the German claims for these attacks was the sinking of the Fr CA FOCH. In later communiques, this claim was changed to CL EMILE BERTIN which was present, but undamaged. Over the next 24 hrs, the following units were refueld at Sca or Sullom Voe DDs FAULKNOR , FOXHOUND FORESTER, GRENADE, ENCOUNTER, Fr DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS. The Fr DDs departed as escort to Tkr ALDERSDALE. 

At Trondheim, *steamer THISTLEBRAE (UK 4747 grt)* in drydock for a 4 April collision at Trondheim, was seized by German forces, renamed ALTKIRCH for German service, and later renamed INSTER. Her 33 crew was made pows. American steamer MORMACSEA (4996grt) was also at Trondheim. However, her captain would not allow German guards aboard the ship. Finally, on the 14th, MORMACSEA was allowed to sail with a hidden cargo of $4.5 million dollars in Swedish gold bullion for transport to the US for safekeeping. During the evening of 9 April, DKM DD FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT penetrated Trondheims fjord as far as Inderoy where Trondheims fjord branches into the smaller Beitstadfjord. German DD PAUL JACOBI, joined after refuelling from damaged DD THEODOR RIEDEL. 

At 1815/9th, U.49 sighted Forbes' Main Fleet steering north of the Norwegian coast northwest of Bergen. Late on the 9th, Adm Forbes ordered all his CLs and most of his DD to Scapa Flow or Sullom Voe for refuelling. The last units arrived about noon on the 11th. On the afternoon of the 10th, CLs SHEFFIELD, GLASGOW, MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON and DDs AFRIDI, SOMALI , CODRINGTON , MOHAWK, MASHONA, JUPITER, BRAZEN, ESCAPADE and ELECTRA arrived at Sullom Voe foe refuelling. CLs BIRMINGHAM refuelled at Scapa, AURORA at Rosyth., and GALATEA and ARETHUSA refuelled, all on the 11th. Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs TARTU and MAILLE BREZE arrived at Scapa with the British cruiser force in the evening of the 10th.

Off Vestfjord late on the 9th were ML DDs ESK, IVANHOE, ICARUS, HARDY, HOTSPUR, HUNTER, HAVOCK and GREYHOUND. DD IMPULSIVE with a damaged paravane boom was sent to Scapa arriving on the 11th. BC RENOWN, reinforced by REPULSE, CL PENELOPE, and DDs ESKIMO, KIMBERLEY, PUNJABI, BEDOUIN and HOSTILE which had arrived off Vestfjord at Midday on the 9th were out to seaward of Vestfjord on patrol. On orders from the Admiralty, the DDs of DesFlot 2, (HARDY , HOTSPUR, HAVOCK and HUNTER) proceeded up Vestfjord on Operation TN towards Narvik leaving the destroyers of DesFlot 20 to patrol the minefield. DD HOSTILE with the BCs at sea was detached and joined the DesFlot 2 off Tranoy. At 2022 on the 9th, U.51 sighted the five DDs of the Flotilla in Vestfjord steering westbound, apparently leaving the fjord. However, this westward movement was only to adjust the destroyers' arrival time off Narvik allowing them to arrive off that port at dawn.

*Supply ship ALSTER (Ger 8514 grt)* and tanker KATTEGAT (see loss section for the 9th) , which had been delayed at Kopervik over the night of 5/6 April, were in the Bodo area. ALSTER was stopped on the 8th by Norwegian PV SYRIAN and sent into Bodo, but was captured by DD ICARUS on the 11th. Also at Bodo was Aux PVl SVALBARD 2 (Nor 270 grt).

*West Coast UK*
OB.126 dep Liverpool escort sloop LEITH from the 9th to 12th, when she detached to SL.26. DD VENETIA and ASW trawler YORK CITY joined the escort on the 9th and 10th. 

*North sea (other Ops)*
FN.141 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop LOWESTOFT, and arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FS.141 departed the Tyne, escort sloops FLEETWOOD and AUCKLAND, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.

*UK - France*
BC.32 of 4 MVs, departed the Loire escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 11th.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr BCs DUNKERQUE and STRASBOURG with CLs GLOIRE, MONTCALM and DDs MOGADOR, L'INDOMPTABLE, L'TRIOMPHANT and LE MALIN departed Oran for Brest, arriving on the 12th. DD TERRIBLE which had come with this group from Brest departed Oran on the 11th, escorting AMC COLOMBIE, and arrived at Brest on the 15th. DD VIDETTE was taken in hand for refitting at Gib. 

*Indian Ocean*
Sub PANDORA dep Hong Kong on this date, Singapore on the 14th, Colombo on the 21st, Aden on the 29th, and was at Suez on 3 and 4 May. She arrived at Alexandria on the 5th for operations with the Home Flt.

*Other*
The Norwegian and British governments collaborate to form Notraship, the controlling authority for the crucial Norwegian merchant marine. The very large Norwegian Tanker Fleet is critical to Britiains survival, and a major factor in dictating British actions prior to the German invasion. Notraship ensures that over 90% of the available Norwegian tankers pass to Allied control. T

It was commented at the time.. " _If we had not had the Norwegian fleet of tankers on our side, we should not have had fuel transport capability to survive. Without the Norwegian merchant fleet, Britain and the allies would have lost the war_". It was not an exaggeration


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## parsifal (Apr 12, 2015)

* 10 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Losses*
FIRST BATTLE OF NARVIK
Early on the 10th, DKM DD DIETHER VON ROEDER was supposed to be on patrol across the mouth of Ofotfjord, but the approaches were unguarded. ROEDER was supposed to remain on patrol until relieved by HANS LUDEMANN, but in ROEDER's diary there was the entry "Am relieving SCHMIDT from 0300 as ASW patrol until dawn." ROEDER left her patrol area across Ofotofjord and turned towards Narvik with the RN DesFlot 2 less than a mile astern in heavy snow and mist. ROEDER anchored at Narvik at 0420. German refuelling was far behind schedule. While tkr JAN WELLEM (11,776grt) had arrived on schedule, the second tanker, KATTEGAT (6031grt) was sunk late on the 9th before reaching Narvik. LUDEMANN and HERMANN KUNNE were alongside the converted whaler JAN WELLEM when the British attack began at 0430.

DD HARDY went in first into the harbour and fired 7 torps. 1 exploded in the aft magazine of *DD WILHELM HEIDKAMP (DKM 2411 grt)* blowing off her stern; 81 crew including Cmdore Bonte were killed. Finally, on the 11th at 0600, as a result of culminating damage, HEIDKAMP capsized and sank. 





Other torps from HARDY struck MVs in the harbour. As DD HARDY withdrew, DDs HUNTER and HAVOCK entered the harbour firing torps. Torps from HAVOCK struck *DD ANTON SCHMITT (DKM 2411 grt)*, seriously damaging her. DD KUNNE, getting underway from alongside the tkr, was near SCHMITT when the torps hit and sustained damage to her engines from the concussion. SCHMITT, rolling over, settled onto KUNNE immobilising her for 40 minutes. 63 crew were killed on DD SCHMITT. DKM DD LUDEMAN had a gun knocked out from shellfire and a fire which necessitated flooding of her after magazine. 2 crew were killed. 





*Steamers SAPHIR (Nor 4306 grt)* and *ELDRID (Nor 1712 grt)* (according to Bachke Co.'s fleet list ELDRID was damaged by RN warships while waiting to load cargo. Scuttled by the Germans on May 5-1940), steamers *STRASSA (SD 5602 grt)* and BODEN (SD 4265 grt) (previously listed, see 9 April Pt III); Steamers *FRIELINGHAUS (Ger 4339 grt), HEIN HOYER (Ger 5836 grt), NEUENFELS (Ger 8096 grt), MARTHA HEINDRIK FISSER (Ger 4879 grt), AACHEN (Ger 6388 grt), ALTONA (5398grt) *were lost 










_from left to right, ELDRID (painted by, Jan Goedhart, Holland), STRASSA, NEUENFELS , No images found for SAPHIR, BODEN, FRIELINGHAUS, HEIN HOYER_





_from left to right, MARTHA HEINDRIK FISSER (4879grt) , No images found for AACHEN or ALTONA _


DDs HOSTILE and HOTSPUR had been detailed to neutralize nonexistent coastal btys on the nth shore of Narvik. Upon finding no btys, the DDs entered the harbour fight. DD HOTSPUR fired torps at numerous merchant ships in the harbour and HOSTILE went into a gun action with DKM DD ROEDER damaging her so severely that the ordewr to abandon ship was given by the German skipper. 

As the DDs withdrew, DDs HOSTILE and HOTSPUR laid a smoke screen and HOSTILE fired her torpedoes against merchant ships in the harbour. DesFlot 2 thus far had fought an excellent fight, in the finest RN Destroyer traditions, at this point the flotilla began its withdrawal out of the fjord. During this battle, 

Steamer BLYTHMOOR (UK 6582 grt) - see preceding days loss entry),





DKM DDs WOLFGANG ZENKER , ERICH GIESE , and ERICH KOELLNER in Herjans fjord, waiting to refuel, got the alarm of the RN intrusion at 0515 and got underway at 0530. They chased the RN ships up the fjord as they were on the verge of escaping as the German destroyers did not have fuel to continue the chase further. However, DKM DDs GEORG THIELE and BERND VON ARNIM, getting underway from Ballengen fjord at 0540, contacted the RN DDs and attacked. In the ensuing fray, THIELE had two guns knocked out, a magazine flooded, was set afire and ARNIM was hit 5 times and had a boiler room flooded. DDs ZENKER, KOELLNER and GIESE expended more than half of their ammunition. 15 crew were killed and 23 wounded on DD THIELE. 2 crew was killed on DD ARNIM.

In the exchange, *DD HARDY (RN 1456 grt) *was badly damaged and then lost Cptn Warburton-Lee (flotilla leader) and 18 others were killed, and 12 wounded (1 died 3 months later). *DD HUNTER (RN 1370 grt) *was also badly damaged and then lost after a collision with DD HOTSPUR. DD HOTSPUR was badly damaged by German gunfire. 101 crew were lost on the HUNTER. 46 survivors were picked up by DKM DDs. Stuart-Menteth and 37 ratings were later able to escape to Sweden. 9 crew remained pows for the duration. The remaining survivors died from their wounds and exposure.








_From left to right, DD HARDY, HUNTER _

DDs HOSTILE and HAVOCK escaped without serious damage, but HOTSPUR suffered 14 fatalities, with 3 other ratings dying of wounds, 11 other crew were wounded. Retiring from the Fjord, DDs HOTSPUR, HAVOCK, HOSTILE encountered the *AK RAUENFELS (Ger 8460 grt)* carrying the Narvik force's ammunition supplies. DDs HAVOCK and HOSTILE hit RAUENFELS several times with gunfire and a fire was started that soon detonated the ammunition and destroyed RAUENFELS. DD HAVOCK picked up the Captain and 18 crew from one boat from the German steamer. The two other boats rowed ashore and were captured by Norwegian forces. DD HAVOCK sustained some hull damage from the concussion, but the German forces at Narvik now had no reserve ammunition which was sorely needed.





*TB ALBATROS (DKM 924 grt)* Mowe Class TB, after damage by gunfire was ran aground in Oslo fjord at Bolarne. Her damaged was found to be beyond repair, and she was abandoned, towed into deep water and sunk.





*AK ANTARES (DKM 2593 grt)*: The troopship was torpedoed and sunk in the Skaggerak off Lysekil, Sweden by Sub SUNFISH. About 500 wehrmacht soldiers drowned





*AK FRIEDENAU (DKM 5219 grt)*: The troopship was torpedoed and sunk in the Skaggerak off the Pater Noster Lighthouse, Sweden by Sub TRITON. Casualties unkown, but one source simply states "heavy loss of life." 





16 Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Skuas from 800 and 803 Sqns from Hatston, attacked the *CL KONIGSBERG (DKM 6650 grt)* at Bergen sinking her with three direct hits and two near misses. Cptn Partridge and Lt E. W. T. Taylour of the 800 Squadron, Lt C. H. Filmer, Lt A. B. Fraser-Harris, Lt E. D. Mciver, RM, of the 803 Squadron made damaging attacks. One Skua of the 803 Squadron with Acting Lt B. J. Smeeton and Midshipman (A) F. Watkinson was lost. 11 were killed in the CL. The Germans were later able to refloat KONIGSBERG in 1942, but the cruiser capsized on 29 July 1944. The cruiser was stripped for equipment and scrapped after the war.
Sinking of the Konigsberg








_Dramatic series of Photos showing KONIGSBERG on fire and sinking. With the loss of KONIGSBERG and a few days later 50% of the DKM Destroyer fleet, DKM was left with just 3 battle-worthy CLs, the KOLN, NURNBERG and EMDEN, and less than 10 fleet Destroyers. . The German cruiser force would have provided a large part of the naval forces needed to carry out operation Sealion, the planned invasion of Britain in 1940. The loss of so many cruisers and destroyers of the KM in the Norwegian campaign, meant that such an operation had little chance of success._








_Blackburn Skuas from 800 and 803 sqns December 1939. Like the LW, only a select few of FAA aircrew could hit ships. The RAF was yet to prove iteslef at all in the anti shipping role. _


*Sub TARPON (RN 1095 grt)* The T-class submarine was depth charged and sunk in the Skagerrak by Naval Trawler Schiff 40 ( Kriegsmarine), a Q Ship, with the loss of all 59 crew.





*Sub THISTLEe (RN 1095 grt)*: On 9 April 1940, SUB THISTLE missed U-4 with a spread of 4 torps sw off Stavanger. The Germans had observed 1 torp passing 10 metres ahead and evaded further attacks by diving. Afterwards they managed to surprise the RN Sub on the surface some hrs later and at 02.13 hours on 10 April fired 2 torps, 1 of which hit and sank the target with the loss of all hands.


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## parsifal (Apr 12, 2015)

* 10 April 1940 (Part II*
*Known Losses(Cont'd)*

*Trawler INES (SD 100 grt (est))* The fishing vessel struck a mine and sunk in the Skaggerak north west of Hanstholm, Denmark with the loss of all six crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV MUANSA (Ger 5427 Ggrt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sunk in Oslo fjord.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV PLANET (Ger 3500 grt (est))* The cargo ship was scuttled beneath the far more vital JAN WELLEM to protect the latter against torpedoes; this occurred at Narvik, Norway.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr SVEABORG (Sd 9076 grt)*: Crew:34 (5 dead and 29 survivors) : Cargo: 6500 tons of oil gas, 4500 tons of diesel oil and 2000 tons of fuel oil: Route: Curaçao - Gothenburg : The tkr was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Faeroe Islands by U-37. Survivors were rescued by Armed Boarding Vessel NORTHERN CHIEF

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV TOSCA (Nor 5128 grt)* Crew: 34 (2 dead and 32 survivors) : Cargo: General cargo, including zinc concentrate, cotton seed, lead, wheat and beans Route: Talcahuano, Chile - Cristobal (13 Mar) - Cartagena, Columbia (15 Mar) - Eitrheim, Norway. sunk nw of the Faeroes. The unescorted TOSCA was hit on the port side near the aft mast by one torpedo from U-37. At noon on 9 April, the ship had already been NE of the Faeroes but upon hearing of the German invasion of Norway she turned around to reach Kirkwall. During the night they came across the burning SVEABORG, and decided to assist, but was herself torpedoed and sank by the stern within a few minutes. The crew managed to launch the starboard lifeboat safely, but the port boat capsized and spilled the occupants into the water, while others rescued themselves onto a raft. The men in the lifeboat rescued the survivors swimming in the water and located the swamped motorboat, which was bailed and then took the lifeboat in tow towards the Faeroe Islands. Later that morning, the survivors from both ships were picked up by the RN armed boarding vessel NORTHERN CHIEF and landed in Kirkwall.






While operating in the Kattegat SUB TRITON torpedoed and sank the German merchants (transports) FRIEDENAU (See this loss section), *WIGBERT (Ger 3648 grt)*, and the *Aux PV V 1507 / Rau 6 (DKM 356 grt)*.

TRITONs Log records "at 1726 hours - Fired 6 torpedoes from 2500 yards (the last on board). 4 hits were heard. TRITON went to 85 feet upon firing and turned stern on the convoy. Very shortly after the last torpedo explosion was heard DC attacks started. For the next hour at least 78 depth charges were dropped of which the ones dropped about 5 minutes after the last torpedo hit were the closest. These shook Triton considerably but no serious damage was done. 2115 hours - Surfaced at set course for home as TRITON on was now out of torpedoes".

The large convoy attacked by Triton was the DKM "Sea transport convoy "2"" bound for Oslo, Norway with the transports KELLERWALD (5032 grt), HAMM (5874 grt), ESPANA (7465 grt), ROSARIO (6079 GRT), TUCUMAN (4621 GRT), HANAU (5892 grt), WOLFRAM (3648 grt), WANDSBEK (2388 grt), SCHARNORN (2643 grt) and the above mentioned FRIEDENAU and WIGBERT. These were escorted by 17 escorts, the above mentioned V 1507 / Rau was one of them.

[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Political situation in Oslo still obscure. Quisling Govt has no response from the Norwegian people. The old Govt has not resigned. Hamar, seat of the fleeing Government, occupied by German troops. Further flight by the Govt. Discussion between the King of Norway and German Ambassador Brauer fruitless. King not prepared to yield. Nyggardsvold, the head of the Govt, declared before the Storting that Norway is resolved to continue the struggle for her integrity. Hambro, the President of the Storting, gave a speech over the radio in Sweden, calling foi- action, and is recruiting volunteers. The Norwegian people's resistance has been stiffened by British propaganda and assurances. Young men fit for military service are apparently prepared to offer the most stubborn resistance and to commence sniping activities. The population is everywhere passive, negative.
> 
> Denmark
> No resistance, effort to comprehend the German action. Statement by Prime Minister Stauning "The King and his Ministers have resolved, relying on Germany's assurance that she does not plan to infringe Denmark's integrity and political independence by the steps taken, to attempt to order conditions and the occupation. This course has been selected In order to spare land and people
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 49 was in contact with 2 large cruisers from 0159 to 0229. They disappeared from sight at high speed on a southerly course. U 50 and 52 were detailed to attack but did not sight them





> English destroyers attempted at dawn in mist weather and snow flurries to penetrate the Westfjord as far as Narvik. They were detected with losses to both sides. The U-boats disposed in the Westfjord could not, it seems, prevent the penetration. The reason for this will be clear when the boats put in. Without a doubt, their task is very tricky, especially opposed to destroyers which force their way through at high speed using depth charges, and twice as difficult in misty weather. The operation shows though that one cannot be strong enough for such tasks. In the course of the forenoon Naval War Staff ordered the dispatch of two boats to Trondheim and 4 to Narvik. This order crossed with a relevant suggestion of mine to the Group. There, the center point of the operation appears to have moved.This would be especially attractive to the English as an area for counter-attacks as it would be more difficult for us to be reinforced from home. This situation is tricky for our own forces, as supplies have not arrived - the destroyers are for the most part unready to sail and their putting out is now questionable owing to the enemy - one small boat has been assigned to patrol the Kors Fjord
> 
> A new distribution of boats in the northern North Sea is necessary as a result of this movement. One has the impression that the English fleet has withdrawn in a northerly and southwesterly direction. The Naval War Staff does not believe that a counter-landing on the southwest of Norway is imminent; in this connection they see no necessity for the enemy to operate near German bases from where apparently successful air attacks were carried out on 9.4. In view of the considerable losses of surface craft and the return of units still lying in the landing ports, in the near future, they (SKL) consider the U-boat's main task to consist not so much in searching for targets as in the patrol of the recently occupied areas. The new disposition shows here a concentration in the eastern section of the Shetland/Norway Straits. The Narvik boats, to whom the very difficult and decisively important task at the moment calls - that of protecting these ports against every pursuing enemy - have received orders to penetrate still deeper into the fjord so that all boats are disposed in the narrowest possible positions, abandoning outer sections which are difficult to patrol.



Subsequnetly it was established that the Uboats had sighted the RN DDs as they entered Obort Fjiord, but their torpedoes had failed once again

Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-23, U-24 

At Sea 10 April 1940
U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-64, U-65. 
29 boats at sea.


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## parsifal (Apr 12, 2015)

* 10 April 1940 (Part III (Cond))*

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM ML HANSESTADT DANZIG landed troops at Roenne to occupy the island of Bornholm.

*North Sea*
A German force was sighted off Egersund at 0721 on the 12th by a CC Hudson of 224 Squadron, but contact was then lost. 7 Blenheims of 224 and 12 of 233 Sqns of CC were airborne searching in the area. 36 Wellington of 9, 37, 75, 38 and 149 Sqns and 24 Hampton bombers of 44, 50, 61, 144 Sqns of Bomber Command (BC) ac attempted to attack but none contacted the German force due to snow, sleet, low visibility. The 12 of 61 and 144 Squadron turned back due to being unable to locate the target. 4 Hamptons of 50 Sqn and 2 of 44 Sqn, 1 Wellington bomber from 9, 1 from 38 Sqn, 2 from 149 Sqn, 1 Hudson from 233 Sqn were lost to air attacks. At 1000/12 April, the German force was joined by DKM DDrs BEITZEN and SCHOEMANN and all arrived at Wilhelmshaven during the evening of 12 April.

*Northern Waters*
Following the action at Narvik, CL PENELOPE and DDs BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, PUNJABI, KIMBERLEY hastened into Vestfjord to cover the reteating of DDs HOSTILE, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR. On meeting DesFlot 2, PENELOPE, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, PUNJABI, KIMBERLEY, HAVOCK returned to support the DesFlot 20a guarding the Vest fjord minefields. Damaged DD HOTSPUR arrived at Skelfjord at 1640 escorted by DD HOSTILE. DD HOTSPUR departed Skelfjord during the forenoon of 20 April and arrived at Scapa on the 23rd, and then departed Scapa on the 26th in the company of damaged CLA CURACOA for Chatham, arriving on 1 May, for repairs completed in mid July 1940.

DKM DDs GIESE and ZENKER were refuelled by early afternoon, but KOELLNER would not be ready until midnight. DD ROEDER was so badly damaged that she could not leave the pier, so she was assigned in an immobile harbour defence role. The other 4r surviving DDs at Narvik required much work before they would be fully combat ready; 2 days would be required to make the ships merely fit to go to sea. By then they were all destroyed. 

The evening of 10 April, DDs BEDOUIN and ESKIMO were south of Tjeldoy. DDs PUNJABI and KIMBERLEY were northeast of Tranoy. CL PENELOPE was off Tranoy Light. DDs GREYHOUND and HAVOCK were making an ASW Sweep off Rost. DDs ESK , ICARUS, IVANHOE were patrolling in Vestjord with BCs REPULSE and RENOWN out to seaward. DDs HOSTILE and HOTSPUR were anchored at Skelfjord. DDs BEDOUIN and ESKIMO on patrol at Baroy were attacked by U.25, which fired torpedoes at BEDOUIN, but they prematurely exploded. BEDOUIN was undamaged and continued patrol, thinking the explosions were detonations of a radio controlled minefield.

That evening, Kpt Erich Bey, senior surviving officer of the Gp 5 warships, took his only operational DD, GIESE and ZENKER, to sea in an attempt to break out. However, they soon encountered near Tranoy CL PENELOPE and DD PUNJABI and KIMBERLEY and were forced to return to Narvik. Bey was eventually to lose his life at North Cape, December 1943. .

RN and DKM fleet movements 7-13 April 








The Main Fleet was reinforced at about 0800 by the arrival of BB WARSPITE with DDs ESCORT, ECLIPSE, JANUS, JUNO, JAVELIN from Scapa Flow and CVL FURIOUS with DDs ASHANTI, MAORI, FORTUNE from the Clyde. Mid-morning on the 10th, CVL FURIOUS was being considered for an air strike on Bergen, but the decision was made to leave Bergen to the LBA FAA and the RAF. The FURIOUS would launch her planes against ships at Trondheim. Adm Forbes now had with him BBs RODNEY, VALIANT, WARSPITE, CVL FURIOUS, CAs DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK, YORK, DDs ASHANTI, COSSACK, ZULU, MAORI, ECLIPSE, ESCORT, ISIS, ILEX, IMOGEN, INGLEFIELD, JANUS, JAVELIN, JUNO, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FAULKNOR. With this force, Forbes steered north to a position where FURIOUS could fly strikes against Trondheim on the 11th whilst more importantly the main Force could maintain its covering brief of HN.25 to Rosyth.

CL AURORA arrived in Scapa Flow with survivors from the GURKHA during yet another air raid by LW Bombers. CLs SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW were in harbour refuelling. As on the 8th, the raid, which took place between 2102 and 2148, caused no damage.

Off Varoy DD GREYHOUND escorting DD HAVOCK attacked U.64 without success. GREYHOUND dropped one pattern of DCs and the U-Boat was presumed sunk or badly damaged, but no damage was done. DD FEARLESS arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel.

Destroyers HERO and HYPERION left Sullom Voe at 0300 after refuelling on the 10th and joined Forbes at sea. North, northeast of the Shetlands at 1007, HERO attacked a submarine contact which was later throught to have been U.50 on her second war patrol. However, the target was not a submarine and U.50 had already been lost.

OA.127 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL from 10 to 12 April. DD WILD SWAN joined on the 12th and remained with the convoy until dispersal on the 13th. OG.25 was formed from convoys OA.125G, which departed Southend, escort DDs WAKEFUL and BROKE from 8 to 10 April, OB.125G, which departed Liverpool on the 8th, escort DD VERITY. The convoy was escorted by DDs WAKEFUL, BROKE, VERITY from 10 April. On the 10th, WAKEFUL was detached to HG.25 as was DD BROKE on the 11th. DD VERITY was detached on the 11th. Fr DD CHACAL escorted the convoy from 11 to 14 April. Fr TB BATAILLEUSE escorted the convoy from 11 to 16 April. DD VORTIGERN escorted the convoy from 14 to 16 April when the convoy arrived at Gib. FN.142 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERIA and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 12th. MT.48 departed Methil, escort DDs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER, sloop LONDONDERRY and ASWGp 1 . The convoy arrived in the Tyne, later that day. FS.142 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 12th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.127 departed Liverpool escort DDs VERSATILE from 10 to 11 April and VANQUISHER from 10 to 13 April. DD VANQUISHER was detached to HX.32 on the 13th. The convoy dispersed on the 14th.

*Channel*
MSW HALCYON arrived at Dover to join the MSWFlot 6, whilst MSW LEDA departed Dover to rejoin MSWFlot 5 in the Humber. Tug FAIRPLAY and 2 lighters grounded at 1900 on the Goodwins. The vessels were refloated on the 11th by tug LADY BRASSEY. The lighters were undamaged. Tug FAIRPLAY proceeded to Ramsgate for inspection.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.34 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs OTTAWA, SAGUENAY, RESTIGOUCHE, which were detached on the 11th. At 1650, RCN DD OTTAWA returned to Halifax after colliding with Cdn tug BANSURF (175grt). The ocean escort for the convoy was BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, which was leaving the command for duty with the Med Flt. The BB was detached on the 20th. DD OTTAWA was repaired at Halifax completing on 13 June. DDs WARWICK and WINDSOR escorted the convoy from 23 to 26 April, then the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.26F dep Gib with 17 ships. Convoy escort DD VELOX from 10 to 13 April. Fr DDr LYNX and Aux PVl MINERVE escorted the convoy from 10 to 16 April. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 16 to 19 April. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th. Fr DDs TRAMONTANE, TORNADE, TYPHON departed Toulon on the 10th and proceeded to Casablanca for escort duties. DD TYPHON arrived at Gibraltar on the 15th after escorting convoy 87 KF, which departed Casablanca on the 13th. The DD departed for Casablanca on the 16th.


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## parsifal (Apr 12, 2015)

* 11 April 1940 *
*Known Losses*
*MV IONIA (DKM 3102 grt)*: sub TRIAD fired 2 torpedoes at this ship near Larvik at the mouth of Oslo fjord. 1 torpedo struck the German steamer. The steamer was taken in tow by an Aux PV DKM PVFlot 7 and was under tow towards Stavern, however the ship sank at 0705 on the 11th. 





*Ferry OSCARBORG-NARVIK (Nor 500 GRT (EST))*: The car ferry was shelled and sunk without loss of life off Narvik, Norway.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Nor ML TYR laid 16 mines near Vatlestraumen in the southern approaches to Bergen on the 9th. *Aux Schiff 9 (DKM trawler KOBLENZ, 437 grt)* and *Aux PV Vp.105 (trawler CREMON, 268grt)* were sweeping mines in this field on the 11th. Schiff 9 was lost in a mining near Bergen on this minefield. Aux PV Vp.105, going to Schiff 9's assistance was also sunk by a mine.




_Aux Schiff 9, image of either VP105 or ML TYR not located_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Roosevelt has issued a proclamation forbidding U.S. ships to enter all Scandinavian waters. The war zone laid down in the Neutrality Law is extended by the decree. According to it, U.S. ships may not traverse Scandinavian territorial waters from Bergen along the west coast of Norway up to the point 44° E, 77° N. Archangel and Murmansk are also included in this zone.


The decrees relating to the Pan American neutrality zone hurt the Allies moreso than the Axis powers, but they did work to isolate Germany and had long term economic impacts. 



> Radio intelligence detects at sea CinC, Home Flt, Commanders, Battle Cruiser Squadron and CruSqns 1 2, also DesFlots 3, 4 and 6. The presence of CVL FURIOUS with the main force led by CinC, Home Flt west ana northwest of Trrondheim was confirmed by our air report and by the "B" Dienst. Planes attacked Trondheim harbor during the morning. The former Polish steamers CHOERI (11,500 tons) and BATORY (14,500 tons), now being used as troopships, have arrived in Scapa. An agent's report from Intelligence Center, Belgium, states that there was a Fr squadron consisting of the BCs STRASSEOURG and DUNXERQJJE and the CV BEARM, escorted by 2x DesFlots and 1xsubflot. (DAUPHIN class), in the entrance to the Channel early on 10 April en route for the North Sea. Time and position are considered improbable according to B Dienst monitoring. In spite of this, the presence of the French forces in the North Sea or northern waters must be reckoned with. SIGINT intercepted a British radio message from which it appears that an operation against the Norwegian coast between 58° and 59° (area Lindesnes to Skudesnes fjord) is planned on 12 April, probably in the afternoon because of the weather. All officers concerned have been informed. A landing at the points indicated is not considered probable. In Naval Staff's opinion, this is probably a ML operation off the south coast of Norway or a large air raid on
> Stavanger / Be r gen.



DKM Radio monitoring was yielding exceptionally good SIGINT of allied disposition, strength and intentions. However thee Germans were in a tight spot in several areas, as the following excerpts show: 



> 4 DD are in complete readiness to proceed, 3 in limited readiness. The DIETER von ROEDER is not ready. (ROEDER' s radio station has been set up ashore as Narvik Naval Radio Station, guns are being dismantled for use as a barrage bty.) Commander, DesFlot 4 reports that he does not consider a break-through out of West Fjord possible as long as there are superior enemy light forces (cruisers and DDs) lying in West fjord. He considers return passage close to the coast to be unfavorable because of the joint
> British and Norwegian patrol activity.
> 
> Narvik's primary requirements from Germany are supplies of heavy armament (mountain guns, machine-guns, mortars) and ammunition. OKW and CinC, LW have issued orders accordingly. LR recon planes, type Do 26, are to operate as transport planes for all goods which cannot be dropped. They are therefore not available for LR sea recon



and some acknowledgement of mistakes in the operational plan:



> CO, (Defenses-Baltic), has put sub-chasers into action to combat the great danger from subs in the entrance to Oslo Fjord. At 1800 a sub-chaser reported the alleged destruction by DCs of a sub at the sthn entrance to Oslo Fjord. CS LUTZOW, which had been recalled from Oslo to be prepared for the Atlantic, was torpedoed and severely damaged east of Skagen during the night of 10 April. She is unable to move and is being picked up by forces of Commanding Admiral, Defenses, Baltic and towed off by tugs. The torpedoing of the LUTZOW is the most severe loss DKM could suffer at the present moment. The ship's elimination
> for some time results in the abandonment of raider operations warfare in the Atlantic at the very moment when a strong diversion would have been most useful. The ship's incorporation 'in "Weseruebung" and her despatch to Oslo have therefore turned out to be definite strategic errors . Naval Staff feels this all the more because it always recognized the despatch of the pocket battleship to the Atlantic as a strategic necessity and indicated it as such. The original plan of sending the ship into the Atlantic from Trondheim after executing her transport assignment could not be carried out since at the last moment she was reported not to be ready for the Atlantic because of trouble with her auxiliary engines. OKWs request that the troops already en route be brought to Oslo had to be fulfilled by Naval Staff, although with great misgivings. The fulfillment of this demand has proved a mistake strategically, from the point of view of naval warfare. It must be admitted, with regard to the execution of the Norwegian operation, that the presence of the troops embarked on the LUTZOW was of the greatest value for the Oslo operation, in view of the BLUCHEH's breakdown.
> 
> It can be stated in retrospect that both the use of the LUTZOW and of the latest cruiser BLUCHER in Oslo have led to extremely severe losses in naval fighting strength. It might also have been possible to carry out the landing in Oslo with a large number of small vessels (TBs, PVs, etc.) without great losses. A very large number of such vessels would, however, have been necessary
> for the troops to be transported. In Naval Staff 's opinion the incorporation of powerful ships in the Oslo operation can on no account be judged as an operational error. The use of heavy ships guns was considered a basic requirement to break down resistance in Oslo and to cover the landing. Naval Staff also previously considered the use of the old BBs in Oslo. Apart from the fact that one of these ships was limited regarding maneuverability and ability to proceed and the other was operating on the Korsoer assignment, their fighting qualities as opposed to the coastal batteries were estimated as very slight (Pencilled marginal note by Chief of Staff, Naval Staff: "*But surely greater than BLUCHER and LUETZOW?*)"



DKM were counting the cost of their surprise attack, and it was high. It was about to get higher...

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> 2 DDs of Gp1 attempted to put out of the West fjord. The attempt failed because they sighted a cruiser and a DDs when they were still in the narrow part of the fjord, and were unable to pass them in the clear night. They returned. On their report of the enemy, U 51 received orders to attack. The boat, however, did not apparently find the enemy. U 46 has has no contact with the enemy. U 51 was pursued by DDs - it fired 2 misses and 2 self detonators. U 25 reports having torpedoed 2 DDs last night in her position. The effect of the explosion not observed. Hydrophone search. Non report from U 64. Summing up the situation in the North Sea this afternoon, the Group said that imminent enemy battle fleet operations were not expected. For the time being, the enemy has withdrawn from the area apparently under the impression that there would be successful air attacks during the momentary favorable flying weather. The Gp is in favor of a concentration of U-boats around the Shetland area, in order to have reconnaissance independent of the weather, for the return of our own BCs. This task must not be underrated, it means, however, that the more promising disposition of small U-boats in the area around Scapa must be finally abandoned.
> 
> I intend to use contact detonators at least during the current operations, or at any rate in the areas momentarily especially endangered in the northerly zones. If premature detonation also occurs in the southerly areas, a general change over to contact detonators will be unavoidable if and when a return to magnetic detonators will follow depends on the results of research and trial shots.



Departures
Kiel: U-61

At Sea 11April 1940
U-2, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-64, U-65. 
30 boats at sea.


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## Njaco (Apr 13, 2015)

*April 13 Saturday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Second Battle of Narvik: At Narvik, Norway, a British naval force consisted of battleship HMS “_Warspite_” and 9 destroyers under the command of Vice Admiral William Whitworth entered Ofotfjord. A Fairey Swordfish launched from “_Warspite_” bombs and sinks U-64 (8 dead, 38 survivors make a free ascent to the surface). Germans lose 8 destroyers; 3 are sunk (100 dead) and 5 scuttled, out of fuel or ammunition including “_Diether von Roeder_”, “_Erich Koellner_”, and “_Hermann Kunne_”. German destroyers shell but do not sink HMS “_Punjabi_” (14 dead, 28 wounded) and HMS “_Cossack_”, which runs aground (9 dead, 21 wounded). British destroyer “_Cossack_” and German destroyer “_Bruno Heineman_” battle, with British destroyer “_Foxhound_” firing the shot that sinks “_Bruno Heineman_”. “_Cossack_” then runs aground, but remains in working order. British destroyers “_Eskimo_”, “_Forester_”, and “_Hero_”, force German destroyer “_Georg Thiele_” to run aground, and sink. HMS “_Eskimo’s_” bow is blown off by a German torpedo but she does not sink. Soon German destroyers “_Hans Ludemann_”, “_Wolfgang Zenker_”, and “_Bernd von Arnim_” are sunk. Three British ships were damaged in the battle. Without their ships, 2,600 German sailors went on land and served as infantrymen; Whitworth radioed London, noting that German forces at Narvik were now stranded, and a single brigade could defeat them.

The 38 survivors from U-64 are rescued by German mountain troops. Out of respect, the crew will adopt the Edelweiss as the emblem for their new submarine U-124 when they are reassigned in June 1940.

Film of the action, released as Newsreel on 25th April 1941: 
_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d_S1IFyb9M_

The Luftwaffe tries to reinforce the forces at Narvik. At 1830 hours eleven Ju 52 transports carrying troops of 2./Geb.Art.Rgt. 112 arrive at Narvik. As they approach the airfield, they are attacked by anti-aircraft guns from British ships in the harbor. Three Ju 52s are shot down. The remaining eight planes land on the frozen Hartvik lake and unload the infantry. Because there is no fuel for the planes to take off they are lost as the ice melts, allowing the planes to sink into the water. Shortly after the transports land, nine RAF aircraft attack Narvik causing light casualties.

Later twenty-two He 111s led by Oberst Fuchs try to arrive at Narvik but have to return because of poor weather. One Do 24 seaplane does succeed in bringing supplies to the city. In the evening six planes from KuFlGr 506 succeed in landing at Narvik although they are attacked by two Norwegian fighters without success.

At Kristiansand, JG 77 attack RAF Hampden and Lockheed bombers attacking the airfield. Six Hampdens and one Lockheed are destroyed at the cost of four Bf 109s destroyed. A fifth Messerschmitt believed lost later returns to the airfield.

Off Trondheim, Norwegian cruiser-minelayer “_Frøya_” was damaged by German warships while defending the Agdenes fortress; German submarine U-34 scuttled “_Frøya_” to prevent salvage.

The airfield at Stavanger is subjected to three Allied air attacks throughout the day. Five RAF Wellington bombers are shot down for the loss of one Ju 88 destroyed.

Aircraft from I./SG 1 and KG 100 report sinking two Allied submarines in the Kattegat but they are not confirmed. Four Heinkels of 1(F)./122 on patrol reported two battleships east of Aalesund. These ships were, in fact, the British light cruisers “_Sheffield_” and “_Glasgow_”.

*GERMANY:* RAF Hampden bombers of No. 44, No. 49, No. 50, No. 61, and No. 144 Squadrons began laying magnetic mines in German coastal waters.

Hitler is very worried by the situation in Norway and is only just prevented by his staff from issuing a series of very rash orders, particularly to the troops in Narvik.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British War Cabinet dithers between landings at Trondheim, to help secure southern Norway from German advance, and the original strategic goal of Narvik to interfere with Swedish iron ore traffic. Churchill presciently warns of;


> “…the grave danger that we should find ourselves committed to a number of ineffectual operations along the Norwegian coast, none of which would succeed”.



*WESTERN FRONT:* British Royal Marines climbed down from their ships and stepped onto foreign soil as part of an occupation force this morning. The marines, part of a 250-strong force, were allowed to move onto the Faroe Islands, a small collection of islands in the Norwegian Sea, after British officers negotiated the peaceful occupation with local officials. The Danish Prefect of the islands, Carl Hilbert, spoke with Royal Navy officers and accepted the occupation after the British agreed to allow the islanders to continue as before, with a peaceful occupation.

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## michaelmaltby (Apr 13, 2015)

_outstanding footage _.. fought and shot _before_ Japan becomes involved .... but released to the public _after_ the Prince of Wales sinking and related humiliations. Real Hornblower action ....

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## parsifal (Apr 13, 2015)

* 11 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS*
Map for the battles around Narvik (Acknowledged from Naval history.netl)





*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub SEVERN fired two torps at a German MV of some 6000grt near Kristiansand. Both torps missed. U.5 encountered a Sub west, southwest of Lindesnes. Sub U.7 at Marstein Island occupied the Norwegian Light House. The submarine remained at Marstein Island until 14 April. DKM MLs laid two mine barrages off the Skagerrak from 11 to 13 April.

*North Sea*
MT.49 departed Methil, escort sloops PELICAN and WESTON and ASWGp 19. The convoy arrived later that day in the Tyne. FS.143 departed the Tyne, escort sloops PELICAN and WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 13th.

CVL FURIOUS launched 18 Swordfish of her 816 and 818 Sqns pre-dawn against Trondheim with the objective of hitting HIPPER (misidentified as BLUCHER). DKM DDs RIEDEL and HEINEMANN and U.34 were the only targets found in port. Due to the shallow waters of the harbour, the torps were ineffective and no damage was done (this information was vital however to the success of Taranto, where mods were made to the torps used) to any of the German ships. U.48 contacted the British Main Force off Trondheim. At about 1230, U.48 fired torpedoes at either CAs DEVONSHIRE or BERWICK and two of the torps missed and the third failed to explode. The explosion of one of the torps was felt in both cruisers. During the early afternoon of 11 April, DDs ILEX and ISIS were detached on a reconnaissance, ordered on the 10th, made an independent approach to the mouth of Trondheim fjord.




_Fairey Swordfish 816 sqn HMS Furious, Attacks on Trondheim. 818 sqn a/c were in the same overall scheme_

ISIS searched Froy Suls and South Frohavet and intended on searching Skjoen and beyond with DD ILEX. At 1325, ISIS was fired upon by shore guns at Skjorn fjord , which had fallen to Heer troops only a few hrs before, returned fire. Although the firing of the Norwegian fortifications was wild and ineffective, their mere presence weighted heavily on later operations. The DDs were ordered at 1331 to return to the Main Force. At 1500 DEVONSHIRE and BERWICK with DDs INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, ISIS, ILEX were ordered to sweep nth from the Trondheim Leads. ISIS and ILEX were again detached. They were ordered to search Namsos fjord and the approaches to Namsos. The DDs were instructed to rejoin the CAs at 2100 on the 12th at a pre-assigned location. The DDs found no shipping in Namsos fjord and at Namsos. INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN were then sent to Indrelein.

The DDs entered and left at Buholmraasa. The DDs also had orders to meet the CAs at 2100. No shipping was found in the Inner Leads, Sves Skjervoer, Brands, Berfjorn, Skjora Fjords. At 0500/12th, ISIS and IMOGEN were detached off Kya Light to attempt to get pilots at Rovik. DEVONSHIRE and BERWICK with INGLEFIELD and ILEX worked nth. ISIS rejoined at 1530/12th. She reported no German ships of troops between Namsos fjord and Aasvaer fjord. ISIS had spoken to Norwegian fishery protection vessel NORDKAPP at Aluangen. She was informed that the Norwegians had sunk a DKM tkr (the KATTEGAT). At 2030/12th, DEVONSHIRE sighted Italian steamer VOLTA (1191grt). On the 12th, BERWICK's speed was reduced to twenty six knots due to excessive vibration in the inner HP turbine. The CAs rejoined the Main Force at 0930/13th. The DDs were detached to Skelfjord to refuel from tkr BRITISH LADY.

From 1540 to 1700 RN forces in the vicinity of Trondheim were bombed repeatedly by the LW, DD ECLIPSE of Forbes' Main Force was bombed and badly damaged at 1700 with a hit in the engine room nw of Trondheim. 3 crew were killed, and 1 died of woulds subsequent. 2 other ratings were wounded. ECLIPSE was abandoned under heavy air attacks, but was later re-boarded by men from destroyer ESCORT. She was taken in tow by ESCORT. CA YORK was detached from the CinC's Main Force to screen the retirement of ECLIPSE. YORK took off the wounded and one hundred crew from the DD. YORK soon relieved ESCORT. Towed by YORK, ECLIPSE was only able to proceed at five knots screened by DDs ESCORT and HYPERION.

At 2115 off Trondheim, U.48 was able to fire torps at YORK, but the torps all exploded prematurely. The British simply refused to give up, despite the dire situation. ESCORT took over the tow at 1200/13th. ESCORT slowly towed ECLIPSE at only one knot in poor weather towards Lerwick supported by CLA CAIRO. On 15 April, YORK arrived in Scapa. At 0145/16th, the tow parted, but it was soon regained with HYPERION's aid. Later that day, ESCORT was relieved by tug ST MELLONS (860grt) which had left Lerwick at 0840/16th, and with that, the speed of the tow increased again. DDs FURY and HESPERUS arrived with the tug and provided escort. HYPERION and HESPERUS were detached and arrived at Sullom Voe at 2100/16th for refuelling. After refuelling, HYPERION took tkr ALDERSDALE (8402grt) to Scapa. HESPERUS returned to ECLIPSE's escort. CLs SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW were involved in screening the withdrawal of the damaged DD. ECLIPSE arrived at Lerwick 17th escort DD ESCORT and FURY. FURY was immediately detached to assist damaged CA SUFFOLK. ECLIPSE later proceeded to the Clyde arriving at 1800 on 7 May for repairs completed on 7 September 1940.

On the 11th, subs were given permission to attack all ships without warning within ten miles of the Norwegian coast from Bergen south. This had already been happening for some time and the operational area considerably exceeded by RN subs. 

Convoy NP 1, composed of liners EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt), REINA DEL PACIFICO (17,707grt), MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt), escorted by repair ship VINDICTIVE and DD AMAZON, departed the Clyde for Narvik. ORP troopships CHROBRY (11,442grt) and BATORY (14,287grt) with DDs HIGHLANDER of DesFlot 9, VANOC and WHIRLWIND of DesFlot 11, VOLUNTEER and WITHERINGTON of the Desflot 15 and netlayer PROTECTOR left Greenock on the 10th and arrived at Scapa next morning. These units departed Scapa at 12th and joined NP 1 at sea. VINDICTIVE and DDs ARDENT and ACASTA arrived at Scapa on the 12th. DDs ACASTA and ARDENT had departed Plymouth on the 9th, refuelled at Belfast, before arriving at Scapa for refuelling. On 13 April, CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM, DDs ACASTA, ARDENT, CODRINGTON and repair ship VINDICTIVE which departed Scapa on the 12th and CLA CAIRO and DDs FEARLESS, BRAZEN, GRIFFIN which departed Sullom Voe on the 12th, joined the convoy for support.

*Northern Waters*
DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, MASHONA, AFRIDI, SIKH, MOHAWK, CODRINGTON, BRAZEN, JUPITER, ESCAPADE, ELECTRA, GRIFFIN and FEARLESS completed refuelling at Sullom Voe early on the 11th. SOMALI, MATABELE, MASHONA, AFRIDI, SIKH, MOHAWK, ESCAPADE and ELECTRA departed Sullom Voe to embark ammunition at Scapa where they arrived at 1300. CLs GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD with DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, MATABELE, AFRIDI , SIKH, MOHAWK departed Scapa for operations on the Norwegian coast. Sweeps of the Indreled were carried out by DDs, but no contact was made. DD CODRINGTON departed Sullom Voe at 2300 and arrived at Scapa 1200/12th. DD FORTUNE arrived at Kirkwall at 0530 with Danish steamer KINA (9823grt). DD FORTUNE continued on to Scapa.

Reports from Norwegian sources indicated that a German tkr and also perhaps a warship were at Bodo. CL PENELOPE and DDs KIMBERLEY and ESKIMO in Vest fjord were ordered to Bodo to attack the German ships. At 1500, en route to Bodo, CL PENELOPE ran aground off Fleinver near Bodo and was badly damaged. PENELOPE was towed to Skel fjord by DD ESKIMO and DD KIMBERLEY continued on alone. CL PENELOPE after emergency repairs at Skel fjord and damage from a near miss of a German air bombing on 10 May departed under tow late on 10 May for the Clyde with the protection of CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY. She safely arrived on 16 May and was undergoing temporary repairs until 2 July 1940. PENELOPE arrived at the Tyne on 26 August and was under repair until 2 July 1941.

At Bodo, DD KIMBERLEY found the steamer ALSTER (Ger 8514 grt) which had been captured that morning by DDr ICARUS (previously included in the loss tallies). ALSTER had attempted to scuttle herself and had detonated one scuttling charge , but was not seriously damaged. German steamer ALSTER was taken to Skel fjord and renamed EMPIRE ENDURANCE for British service. Earlier, late on the 9th, tkr KATTEGAT (Ger 6031 grt) had been sunk by Norwegian patrol boat NORDKAPP at Tannholms fjord near Bodo (also recorded previously in the loss section).

While maneuvering in Narvik harbour during the night of 11/12 April, DKM DDs ZENKER and KOELLNER ran aground. ZENKER damaged her propellers and was restricted to only 20 kts. KOELLNER was so badly damaged that she was unrepairable and the Germans intended to moor her at Tarstad in the same capacity as ROEDER - an immobile defense battery - once she was patched up enough to move.


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## parsifal (Apr 14, 2015)

* 11 April 1940 (Part III)*
*OPERATIONS (cont'd)*
*West Coast UK*
Troopships FRANCONIA (20,175grt) and SOBIESKI (11,030grt) left Liverpool escort DDs MACKAY and WALPOLE. They arrived in the Clyde later that day and WALPOLE returned to Liverpool. CL FIJI, completing construction at Clydebank, on trials at sea was escorted by DDs WANDERER and WALKER on 11 to 13 April

*Channel*
Sub TAKU, recently commissioned, had been escorted from Portsmouth by DD FOXHOUND to the Clyde, arriving on the 5th for working up. Sub TAKU was lent to SubFlot 2 and departed the Clyde for Scapa on the 11th escorted by ASW trawler NOTTS COUNTY in preparation of setting out on patrol.
.
*Med- Biscay*
Fr BB PROVENCE and CAs DUQUESNE and COLBERT departed Dakar. They were joined by DDr TROMBE from Casablanca. On 16 April, the BB and the DD arrived at Oran. The CAs arrived at Toulon on the 17th. Fr DD LE TERRIBLE departing Oran on the 11th escorted AMC COLOMBIE from Algier and DD ORAGE from Oran escorted steamer PRESIDENT DOUMIER from Marseille. DD FORBIN departed Casablanca on the 10th escorting steamer DJENNE, arriving at Brest on the 13th. AMC COLOMBIE arrived at Brest on the 15th and PRESIDENT DOUMIER on the 16th for Norwegian operations.


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## parsifal (Apr 14, 2015)

* 12 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Losses*
*MV STANCLIFFE (UK 4511 grt) *Crew: 38 (22 dead and 16 survivors) : Cargo: Iron Ore: Route: Narvik - Middlesbrough - Immingham . Sunk Nth of the Shetlands. At 09.42 hrs the unescorted STANCLIFFE was hit on the starboard side just ahead of the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-37 about 50 miles north-northeast of Muckle Flugga, Shetlands. The ship sank within 8 minutes after the foreship had broke off. The master and 21 crew members were lost. The U-boat went alongside of a lifeboat and took a man aboard for questioning. He was allowed to return to the boat with cigarettes and a bottle of rum. The 16 crew members in the lifeboat made landfall at Haroldswick, Unst Island, Shetlands. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*SC CHASSEUR 107 (Fr 176 grt )*: The submarine chaser collided with MV SHELSPRA (Fr 1951 grt) in the Loire and sank.




_Ch 107 was French built, of wooden construction and based on the old USN SC-1 design, of which a number including CH98 (centre) was one. This photo was hard to find, eventually tracked it down in Axis History Forum_

*Tkr MOONSUND (DKM 321 grt)*: The naval tkr was intercepted in the Skagerrak off Larvik, Norway by Sub SNAPPER and was shelled and sunk.





*Pre-WWI TB STORM (Nor 107 grt)*: The TB ran aground at Stangholmene, Norway. She was beached, and sank the next day.





*Coastal Steamer VELOCITAS (Ne 197 grt)* was lost on a mine east of Margate, Kent. Three crew were lost and two rescued by steamer MAVIS (UK 935 grt).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UJ-117 (DKM 350 grt (est))* : The SC struck a mine and sank in the Danish Straits

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer THORLAND (Nor 5208 grt)*, which had been laid up since 1937, was seized by German forces at Sandefjord.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*PV SPERM (Nor 239 grt)* : The guard ship was scuttled by her own crew at Vikedal, Rogaland, Norway, to prevent capture by the Germans.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses to air attacks
Early on the 12th, Adm Forbes joined BCs RENOWN and REPULSE off Vestfjord. The plans for destroying DKM naval forces, believed to include 2 CLs, at Narvik was to be an attack by a BB heavily escorted by DD in conjunction with an airstrike by the FURIOUS CAG . Swordfish aircraft were launched against the Narvik area by CVL FURIOUS. 818 Squadron with 9 a/c under Lt Cdr P.G. Sydney-Turner reached Narvik, despite poor weather, but was driven off by AA fire without causing any damage to the German ships, except slight splinter damage to DD GIESE. Three small Norwegian craft, taken over by the Germans were sunk, as outlined below, and *steamer BERNISSE (Ne 951 grt)* was scuttled during the attack. Two planes, piloted by Sydney-Turner with Lt W.B. Kellett, PO W.H. Dillnutt and S/Lt S.G.J. Appleby with Leading Airman E. Tapping, were shot down, but their crews were picked up by DDs PUNJABI and GRENADE, respectively. 816 Squadron with 9 Swordfish under Lt Cdr H.H. Gardner did not even reach Narvik and did not return to FURIOUS until after dark. An aircraft landing from this group, piloted by Lt M D Donati, plunged off the flightdeck of the carrier. Destroyer HERO picked up Donati and Leading Airman F.A.J. Smith.

*PV MICHAEL SARS (Ex-Nor 226 grt)*: The disarmed offshore PV was bombed and damaged by British Fairey Swordfish aircraft from CVL Furious in Narvik harbour. She sank the next day. Later raised and pressed into Kriegsmarine service.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*PV SENJA ( Ex-Nor 266 grt)*, *PV KELT (Ex-Nor 376 grt)*: The captured Norwegian offshore PVs, manned by a prize crews from DKM DD DIETER VON ROEDER, were bombed and sunk by British Fairey Swordfish a/ct from CVL Furious in Narvik harbour. 




_SENJA found, no Image located for the KELT_


*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Situation in Oslo not yet clarified. The Quisling Govt is endeavouring to govern but probably cannot last since support from the people and Armed Forces is too slight. Position rendered very difficult by the first Govt's continuous counter-orders and orders to resist.
> 
> The German action has undoubtedly evoked the greatest consternation in Holland and Belgium, where anxiety about a German invasion has again come to the fore. In spite of this there is no inclination to accept the requests of the 'Western Powers to put
> themselves under their protection. It is reported from the U.S.A. that the news of the German action was received calmly . Special importance was undoubtedly attached here to the fact that the British breach of neutrality by mine-laying in Norwegian waters preceded the German operation.
> ...


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## parsifal (Apr 14, 2015)

* 12 April 1940 (Part II)*
*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 2 reports return passage owing to damage to hydroplane. U 48 regained contact unfortunately only temporarily, with 2 large cruisers with destroyers on a southerly course, medium speed. The enemy is then, in the area northwest of Trondheim. I do not now consider a new deployment of the boats proceeding to Narvik, which must be in the vicinity, advisable. If the enemy is in this area it only is a starting off point for operations against the neighboring areas. Narvik appears especially threatened. The boats are to proceed there with the utmost speed in order to be in position when the enemy arrives. A message from U 38 indicates a change in the situation, this boat sighted 2 freighters and an escorting destroyer on a northeasterly course. Convoys of ordinary merchant ships do not now sail in this area. These units were in all probability transport ships used in connection with an enemy operation - possibly transport of material for a landing. U 38 received orders to attack, or if that is not possible, to maintain contact. It is important to know where these steamers are going. At the same time the 1st U-boat Group receives permission to attack all ships (not just warships and troop transport ships as previously) as it is practically certain that no ordinary merchant shipping now proceeds through this area.
> 
> A reliable radio intelligence report relates to the putting out of an English cruiser with 2 destroyers from Scapa for Vaagsfjord. This confirms the conjecture that the enemy plans counter operation possibly landings north of Narvik after being beaten off in Westfjord. From this I see another situation. A disposition of U-boats is necessary and promising on the strength of this report. 3 boats from the group proceeding to Narvik are to be deflected to the Vaagsfjord.
> 
> 2 other boats to protect Andalsnes and Namsos from possible landings are to be detailed. Only U 65, proceeding to Narvik is still available. The second boat will be taken from the Trondheim group which appears comparatively adequately safeguarded when the first coastal batteries there are ready for action. There is to be new distribution of positions for the Narvik boats (which U 48 joins today) and a supplementation of supplies by one boat, from the supply ship "Jan Wellem" is intended for the coming day. At the same time the boat is to hand over its small arms and machine guns to the Harbormaster for the use of the infantry. U 43 and U 61 have put out for Narvik with munitions.


. 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-3, U-43

At Sea 12 April 1940
U-2, U-3, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-19, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-64, U-65. 
32 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub SUNFISH fired a torp at a trawler, probably either Schiff 35 or Schiff 40, near Maseskar Light. The torp missed. Sub STERLET fired torps at 2130 at a convoy of 3 MVs and escorts . The torps missed.

*North Sea*
Sub TRUANT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Fr subs ANTIOPE and AMAZONE arrived at Harwich after their first patrols in Fr SubFlot 10. Fr sub ANTIOPE departed Harwich later that day to return to patrol.

Supply ship LEVANTE (Ger 4770 grt) arrived safely at Trondheim, 3 days behind schedule. Troopship ORION (23,456grt) departed Southend escort DD WHITLEY for Leith. FN.143 departed Southend, DD WOLSEY and sloop FLEETWOOD. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 14th. FS.144 departed the Tyne, escort sloops PELICAN and WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th. 

Captured German trawlers FRIESLAND, NORDLAND, BLANKENBURG under British control arrived at Aberdeen during the night of 12/13 April. Later on 18 May, trawler NORDLAND sailed for Glasgow for fitting out and BLANKENBURG departed on 19 May for North Shields for fitting out.

*Northern Waters*
DDs HAVANT and HESPERUS arrived at Scapa on the 11th. They departed Scapa late on th at day and arrived at Thorshavn on the 12th to inform the Governor of the Faroes Islands that a garrison of Royal Marines would be garrisoned there to forestall German invasion. The DDs then went back out to sea to await the arrival of CA SUFFOLK. This garrison movement was codenamed VALENTINE. Armed boarding vessels NORTHERN FOAM and NORTHERN SKY arrived at Thorshavn at 0700/13th.SUFFOLK, which departed the Clyde on the 12th, arrived early on the 13th and landed the 250 man Marine detachment. The operation was completed at 2200/13th. Following this duty, SUFFOLK proceeded to patrol off Vestfjord and HAVANT and HESPERUS arrived back at Scapa on the 14th. NORTHERN SKY returned to Northern Patrol duties. NORTHERN FOAM was left at Thorshavn to transport troops and to escort Danish, Norwegian and neutral shipping from the Faeroes to Kirkwall. This garrison was relieved on 25 May by a force carried by steamer ULSTER PRINCE (3791grt), escort DDs ARDENT and ACASTA.

DD FURY arrived at Scapa for duty after repairs at Newport. DD NUBIAN arrived at Scapa at 0600 for duty after repairs in the Tyne.

CL SOUTHAMPTON with DDs ELECTRA and ESCAPADE departed Scapa at 1320 with General Mackesy to command the Narvik ground forces en route to Narvik on convoy NP.1. CL AURORA arrived at Rosyth on the 11th from Scapa. CL AURORA departed Rosyth on the 12th with Lord Cord Orrery, Naval Commander of the Narvik Expedition.AURORA made the voyage, for the most part, unescorted.DDrs NUBIAN and FORTUNE departed Scapa at 1930 with tkr WAR PINDARI for Skelfjord, but they were diverted en route to Lillesjona. DD PUNJABI in Vestfjord engaged a Do.18 a/c. DDs ASHANTI and MAORI arrived at Sullom Voe for refueling which completed early that eveing. ASW trawlers NORTHERNSPRAY, NORTHERN DAWN, NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, NORTHERN WAVE of the 12th Antisubmarine Striking Force departed Aberdeen for Skjelfjord.

6 Skuas of 800 Squadron from Hatston attacked Bergen. Several near misses were scored on MVs and S Boote S.24 was strafed by one a/ct and sustained 3 crew wounded. A Skua of 803 Squadron forced landed in Korsfjord. PO J.A. Gardner and Naval Airman A. Todd were rescued and returned to Hatston by air on the 27th.

DDs FEARLESS, GRIFFIN, BRAZEN departed Sullom Voe to rendezvous with the northbound convoy, then screen BB VALIANT during her passage nth.

*West Coast UK*
BB RESOLUTION with DDs ANTELOPE and WITCH arrived in the Clyde from Plymouth in preparation of going to Norway.

*Channel*
CL ENTERPRISE departed Portsmouth for Scapa and service off Norway. DD BASILISK arrived at Dover to rejoin the DesFlot 19 after repairs.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr steamer MEXIQUE departed Marseilles and was escorted by DD LE MARS from Gib. The steamer arrived at Brest on the 16th.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
En route to duty in the Malaya Force, following conversion, RAN AMC WESTRALIA captured steamer FERNLANE (Nor 4310 grt) nth of Australia and sent her under a prize crew to Singapore.


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## parsifal (Apr 14, 2015)

* 13 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Losses*
*ML FROYA (RNoN 595 grt)* : When the German attack on Norway began on 8 April 1940, FROYA was en route from Finnmark to Oslo fjord and anchored near the mouth of the Trondheims fjord, then moved to protect the fortress of Agdenes. On 13 April, after some battles with German warships, the damaged ML was beached and demolished by the crew as the ship was trapped in the fjord when the fortress surrendered. The vessel became a total loss after her stern was ripped off by a torpedo fired by U-34 




_FROYA beached in the Trondheimfjord with her stern wrecked by a torpedo hit._

SECOND BATTLE OF NARVIK
DD ICARUS led the MSW sweep followed by DDs HERO, FOXHOUND and FORESTER. These ships swept for mines in Vestfjord prior to BB WARSPITE's entry into the Fjord . The Narvik attack force was composed of BB WARSPITE with destroyers FORESTER, FOXHOUND, HERO and COSSACK joining DDs BEDOUIN, KIMBERLEY, ESKIMO and PUNJABI, which formerly operated with CL PENELOPE and DDs ICARUS, IVANHOE and DD HOSTILE. These ships, while not taking part in the attack, entered the fjord after the WARSPITE force on general duties which would include screening damaged ships and picking up survivors. At 1040, U.48 was discovered by ESKIMO in Vestfjord. DDs ESK, IVANHOE, HOSTILE, HAVOCK were sent to hunt the submarine and ESKIMO continued with the WARSPITE gp. The sub was attacked, but she escaped undamaged. WARSPITE's aircraft scouting ahead of the force located *Type IXB U.64 (DKM 1430 grt)* , on her first war patrol, on the surface off Bjevik and sank her with bombs. 36 crew of the 44 man crew were able to swim ashore and were assisted by German Alpine troops. The crew of U.64 was returned to Germany commencing on the 13th on the Swedish railway and arriving on the 26th on a German passenger ship.





10 Swordfish of 816 and 818 sqns from CVL FURIOUS attacked DD HERMANN KUNNE and BERND VON ARMIM both were near missed, but not significantly damaged. 2 Swordfish of 818 Squadron were shot down by the German forces. The crew of one from 816 Squadron, piloted by Midshipman (A) D H Dammers, was rescued after the plane landed in a snowdrift. One crew were rescued by the RN, one went missing. 

U.46, 5 miles up the fjord from Baroy, made an approach at periscope depth on WARSPITE. Maneuvering submerged, she struck an uncharted rock and broke surface. U.46 was able to escape, however, on the surface as the British force was occupied with the sighting of DD KUNNE. ERICH KOELLNER, escorted by KUNNE, on her way to Taarstad sighted the WARSPITE force at 1300 as it was approaching the Narrows. KUNNE sounded the alarm and DDs HANS LUDEMAN , WOLFGANG ZENKER and ARNIM got underway. KOELLNER slowly made her way to Djupvik Bay to wait in ambush as she was in no shape to offer battle. However, KOELLNER's fate was sealed when she was located by WARSPITE's Swordfish floatplane a/c. The 2 leading RN DDs, BEDOUIN and ESKIMO, alerted by the WARSPITE scouting plane, sighted *DD ERICH KOELLNER (DKM 2200 grt)* as they rounded the point of Djupvik and sank her in a few minutes. 31 crew were killed and 40 wounded on KOELLNER. 





KUNNE exchanged shots with the British force as she retired up the Fjord, but with no hits because of the range. As KUNNE retired towards Narvik, she encountered LUDEMAN and ZENKER and they turned towards the British force. Just as they came into sight, the DKM force was strengthened by the arrival of ARNIM. RN DD PUNJABI was hit by many five inch shells and was seriously damaged with large fires. She retired for a time, putting out her fires. PUNJABI then returned to the battle, but was limited to fifteen knots and had a jagged hole in her bow. 6 crew were killed, and 17 were wounded. 1 of the wounded died of wounds. 

By this time, DDs KUNNE, ZENKER and ARNIM were all damaged by shellfire and had exhausted their ammunition. *DD HERMANN KUNNE (DKM 2411 grt)*, retiring up Herjangsfjord and pursued by ESKIMO, ran herself aground. ESKIMO fired torpedoes into KUNNE to complete the destruction. There were no casualties on KUNNE. 





*DD ERICH GIESE (DKM 2200 grt)*, now with steam up, sailed out of Narvik harbour and was sunk by gunfire from COSSACK, BEDOUIN, FOXHOUND, FORESTER, HERO and ICARUS. 83 crew were killed, many wounded, and 9 crew were captured from GIESE. 





As the RN force was nearing Narvik, they were taken under fire by DD DIETHER VON ROEDER , but the British mistook the fire as coming from the shore (ROEDER was lashed to the pier). As COSSACK made her way between the wrecks in the harbour, she was taken under fire by ROEDER and hit 8 times by 5" shells; 2 of which inflicted serious damage. One shell exploded against the fore end of the forward superstructure killing or wounding all the ammunition party inside. The other shell burst in the forward boiler room, killing the stokers and severing the leads from the bridge to the steering engine and the engine room telegraphs and fractured the main steam pipes. Without steerage or means to stop the engines, COSSACK ran hard aground on the south shore opposite the harbour. For the next 12 hrs, she remained on this perch, sniped at by General Dietl's troops. Fortunately, most of the mountain guns carried on the destroyers for Dietl were swept away in heavy seas encountered on the voyage to Narvik. 8 ratings were killed and 19 crew, 2 dying of wounds, were wounded on DD COSSACK.

COSSACK from her location, could see ROEDER had now been abandoned, and ordered FOXHOUND into the harbour to board her. As FOXHOUND neared ROEDER, a burst of machine gun fire and rifle fire from the shore erupted and FOXHOUND stood off while she returned the fire. While this exchange was going on, *DD DIETER VON ROEDER (DKM 2411grt)* exploded and was totally demolished. There were no casualties on ROEDER.





DDs ESKIMO, FORESTER, HERO, BEDOUIN and ICARUS pursued DDs ZENKER, ARNIM, LUDEMAN and GEORG THIELE up Rombaksfjord. DD ESKIMO encountered LUDEMAN and THIELE which opened up with the last of their main armament ammunition. ESKIMO was the joined by FORESTER and HERO. LUDEMAN fired torpedoes at them but they were evaded by ESKIMO and outrun by FORESTER and HERO. *DD HANS LUDEMANN (DKM 2411 grt)* was hit a number of times by shellfire from the 3 destroyers and retired up the fjord to join *DD WOLGANG ZENKER (DKM 2200 grt)*, and *DD BERND VON ARNIM (DKM 2200 grt)* where all three scuttled themselves and their crews went ashore. There were a number of casualties in the number 4 and 5 guns on LUDEMAN. There were no casualties on ZENKER and ARNIM. 










_DDs LUDEMANN, ZENKER, and the wrecks of ZENKER and ARNIM _


*DD GEORG THIELE (DKM 2200 grt) * fired torps at the RN ships and then, ran aground and capsized. 




_The wreck of the THIELE_

One of the torps struck DD ESKIMO under the forecastle blasting away the forward part of the ship. The forward turret was out of action, but B turret managed to keep up the fire. FORESTER and PUNJABI stood by ESKIMO, while HERO, ICARUS and KIMBERLEY continued up the fjord. There were 14 killed and twenty eight wounded on THIELE. There were 15 crew lost and 10 wounded on ESKIMO. HERO, ICARUS and KIMBERLEY found THIELE, LUDEMAN and ZENKER, all aground and abandoned. As they approached, ZENKER slid off the rocks and sank. A boarding party was put aboard LUDEMAN but after discovering that all the documents had been destroyed prior to abandoning ship, the landing party left and a torpedo was fired to complete the destruction.

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## parsifal (Apr 15, 2015)

* 13 April 1940 (Part II*
*Known Losses (cont'd)*
*Trawler GAZELLE (Ger 212 grt)* was lost to enemy action. There are no further details given in DKM records 

*Trawler MALANGEN (Ger 487 grt)* was captured by Norwegian forces and renamed HONNINGSVAAG for Norwegian service. 

*Aux MSW M.1108 (DKM 476 grt)* was lost in a collision with a Danish steamer in the Great Belt. 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Message from the Fuehrer and Supreme Commander to the Narvik Group, Major General Dietl, in the forenoon:
> "Defend the Narvik area against attack under all circumstances. Ensure landing facilities on the Hartvig See. Aid the Air Force, weather permitting. If necessary effectively destroy the ore railroad in the mountains."
> A H
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> A report of a new break-through by English forces in the Ofot Fjord and off Narvik, was received in the afternoon. There were 9 destroyers and a battleship. The report came from the Naval Signal Officer, Narvik, not from the U-boats who apparently were neither able to give warning nor prevent the penetration in spite of the fact that there were at least 3 boats one behind the other in the narrow channel of the fjord. I cannot, as yet, obtain a clear picture of events. One must wait for the boat's reports and messages, in order to explain the circumstances. One thing is certain, the boats did what they could.The protective duties assigned to them were tricky and it seems, too difficult, against a strong, well-equipped enemy prepared for U-boats and as a result of torpedo shortage only combated at a disadvantage.
> 
> All boats in Westfjord have received orders to proceed to Narvik and attack the enemy as a result of the news of the successful break-through. U 46 reported at 2000 that the enemy battleship had again put out. All boats off Narvik are requested to send a situation report. I must form a picture from closer information of the break-through and know which of the boats is still there. In Naval War Staff Most Secret 4432/40 the order is received to move all large boats up to U-50 to the north - to carry out supplying of small boats' consumable goods - if possible in Bergen and then to dispense them in all positions south of Westfjord. U 30, 34, 52, 65 received orders to proceed at high speed to the Lofoten Islands.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-17, U-23, U-24, U-26

At Sea 13 April 1940
U-2, U-3, U-4, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
35 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
CLss GALATEA and ARETHUSA were ordered to Rosyth from Scapa to embark troops which had been aboard CruSqn1 at the start of the campaign.Troopships ORION (23,456grt), DUCHESS OF ATHOLL (20,119grt), SOBIESKI (11,030grt) in convoy TP 1 were to have been used, but in light of the danger from air attacks, these large troopship were removed from the operation and CLAs CARLISLE and CURACOA were substituted. The troops embarked on the 14th were to be landed at Namsos, but these plans were later changed and the landing eventually took place at Aandalsnes. The small storeships of this operation, CEDARBANK (5159grt), ST SUNNIVA (1368grt), ST MAGNUS (1312grt) arrived at Aandalsnes early on the 21st. NP.1 which had departed the Clyde on the 11th received orders to send a section of the convoy to Namsos. CL MANCHESTER was ordered to take troopships CHROBRY (11,442grt) and EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt) escorted by his CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM, CLA CAIRO, DDs VANOC, WHIRLWIND, HIGHLANDER to land troops and supplies at Namsos. Layton arrived safely on the 15th with his force, designated Force WX, at Lillesjona, from where the troops would be ferried on to Namsos.

Meanwhile, BB VALIANT and BC REPULSE with DDs JANUS, JUNO, JAVELIN, coming sth from their patrol off Vestfjord to cover NP.1, were joined by DDs FEARLESS, BRAZEN, GRIFFIN, which had departed Sullom Voe on the 12th. BC REPULSE and DDs JANUS, JUNO, JAVELIN covered the convoy in passing and continued on to Scapa. BB VALIANT with DDs FEARLESS, BRAZEN, GRIFFIN escorted the convoy to Vestfjord. Since the evening of 12 April, CLs GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD and DDs SOMALI, AFRIDI, MOHAWK, SIKH, MATABELE, MASHONA had been searching the Leads for enemy shipping. The cruisers had been sweeping north from Stadlandet and the DDs had been scouting Aalesund, Aandalsnes, Molde, Namsos. The DDs were attacked by 12 LW bombers near Aalesund. No damage was done to the British ships. At 1234 nth of the Shetlands, U.37 launched torps against CLs GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD, which had pulled away from the Norwegian coast during the daylight hours, but the attack failed due to torpedo defects. Late on the 13th, the DDs were sent to Aalesund to investigate a merchant ship report. On arrival, they learned that the vessels were Norwegian merchant ships and the DDSs returned to the CLs screen. Fr CL EMILE BERTIN, DDs TARTU, MAILLE BREZE, CHEVALIER PAUL, BOULONNAIS departed Scapa for the Clyde.

2nd NARVIK AFTERMATH
During the battle, steamer CATE B (Nor 4285 grt) and tkr RODSKJAEL (Nor 133 grt), steamers TORNE (SD 3792 grt) and OXELOSUND (SD 5613 grt) and tug STYRBJOEN (SD 167 grt), tkr JAN WELLEM (DKM 11,776 grt) were lost, but later salved. Steamer OXELOSUND was immobilised and subsequently sunk on 8 May by an internal explosion. U.51 had been at Narvik when the British attack began and, believing the attack to be an air raid, went into the harbour to bottom. Later, U.51 slipped out of the harbour, undetected, to attack the British force but without success. DD FOXHOUND dropped DCs on U.25 off Tjellebotn doing minor damage to her. During the night of 13/14 April, DD IVANHOE found the survivors from DD HARDY and the crew of the British Narvik merchant ships that had been put ashore from the tkr JAN WELLEM and escaped during the First Battle of Narvik. IVANHOE embarked these men at Ballengen and took them back to England.

Shortly after 2000, DD KIMBERLEY unsuccessfully tried to tow COSSACK off the ground. It was not until the next morning 14th that COSSACK finally got underway on her own in high water. COSSACK proceeded to WARSPITE to offload her casualties. Then with DD FORESTER escorting, COSSACK proceeded stern first to Skelfjord. At Skelfjord emergency repairs were made to COSSACK. She departed Skelfjord late on the 23rd after more emergency repairs with British tkr WAR PINDARI and arrived at Scapa early on the 27th. COSSACK departed Scapa on the 28th and arrived at Portsmouth on the 30th for repairs which were completed on 15 June 1940.

ESKIMO also arrived at Skelfjord early on the 14th towed by BEDOUIN and escorted by HOSTILE and IVANHOE. After emergency repairs at Skelfjord, ESKIMO departed under the tow of British repair ship VINDICTIVE on 14 May to Tjelsundet when Skelfjord was abandoned as a base. ESKIMO proceeded under own power to Hol. She was at various anchorages before berthing at the jetty at Harstad on 17 May. On 25 May, ESKIMO was ready to be moved to England and left stern first under tow for the Clyde where she arrived on 4 June. ESKIMO was under repairs until the first week of September 1940.

PUNJABI after emergency repairs at Skelfjord departed Skelfjord during the forenoon of 20 April. PUNJABI arrived at Scapa on the 23rd, departed on the 25th and went to Plymouth arriving on the 27th. The repairs to PUNJABI were completed on 12 June 1940.

With the loss of the DKM DDs, plans were set in motion to to supply the stranded Narvik troops. Subs in German shipyards were loaded with supplies and sent off to Narvik. However, because of the RN control in the area of Narvik, the subs had to be diverted en route to Trondheim. U.26 and U.43 with 12 and 18t, respectively, of military stores set out from Wilhelmshaven. They both arrived at Trondheim on the 18th. U.29 with 20t of ammunition and 30 t of fuel departed Wilhelmshaven on the 17th.U 32 with 20 t of ammunition, an 88 mm gun, 30 t of fuel and U.A with 50 t of ammunition and 80 t of fuel departed Wilhelmshaven on the 27th.U 101 with 36 t of supplies departed Kiel on the 29th. U.32 was almost lost en route when the benzine fumes penetrated into the submarine itself. U.29 arrived at Bergen on the 19th and departed on the 20th. At Fro Havet, the sub was attacked by 2 DDs as she entered harbour on the 22nd.She arrived on the 23rd at Trondheim and remained until 27 April. U.32 was attacked by 3 DDs on 1 May.She sustained no damage and arrived on 5 May at Trondheim. 3 days later U.32 departed Trondheim to return to Germany.She was attacked 3 times by DDs.She was attacked twice on 8 May by 2 DD and the next day by 3 DDs. The sub arrived at Wilhelmshaven on 13 May with engine defects which were corrected at Kiel in 3 days. U.A arrived on 2 May at Trondheim. U.101 arrived at Trondheim on 3 May. U.26 departed Wilhelmshaven on 23 May and safely at Trondheim on a second supply mission. German U.122 departed Kiel on 16 May and arrived with 50 t of ammunition and 80 t of fuel on 21 May.


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## parsifal (Apr 15, 2015)

* 13 April 1940 (Part III)*
*OPERATIONS (contd)*
*Baltic/Skagerak*
Sub NARWHAL laid mines 50 miles nth of Laeso Island near Cape Skagen. On this minefield, designated FD.5, *Aux MSW M.1101 (DKM 518 grt)* was lost on the 14th; Aux MSWs M.1703 (DKM 341 grt, later salved) on the 16th; and *Aux MSW M.1302 (DKM 436 grt)* on the 23rd. Steamer TOGO (Ger 5054 grt) was damaged on this minefield on the 21st. Later that day sub NARWHAL fired 6 torps at 1 large and 1 small vessel with two small escorts off Aalbeck Light. All the torps missed.

Sub SUNFISH fired two torpedoes at German naval auxiliary Schiff 40 (steamer SCHURBEK, 2448grt), which was outfitted as a Q ship, north of Marstrand, Sweden. One torpedo struck Schiff 40, badly damaged her and she was run ashore at Gronskren. Later Schiff 40 was taken to Wilhelmshaven for repairs. 

Sub PORPOISE departed Rosyth to relieve submarine CLYDE off Egersund.

*Northern Waters*
DD TARTAR and ORP DDs GROM, BURZA, BLYSKAWICA arrived at Scapa at 0630 from Rosyth. DD JUPITER arrived at Scapa from Sullom Voe. NS.1 of steamers LOMBARDY (3379grt) and LOCHEE (964grt) arrived at Scapa escort DDs WOLVERINE and VANESSA. 

*Channel*
Sub CACHALOT departed Portsmouth for the Tyne on the 10th. The sub arrived at Blyth on the 12th. CACHALOT departed Blyth on the 13th en route to Immingham to embark mines. The submarine was damaged in a collision with MV BEPPE (It 4859 grt) from FN.43 near Whitby. CACHALOT was able to proceed under her own power to the Tyne arriving on the 14th.She was taken to Sheerness on the 27th escort DD WINCHESTER. Escorted by sloop FOXGLOVE, she then was taken to Chatham, arriving on 1 May for drydocking. Later, she went to Plymouth for permanent repairs completed on 16 July. This accident removed CACHALOT from ML mission FD.7. Sub SEAL was scheduled on completion of her current patrol to drydock at Chatham. However, CACHALOT took over SEAL's drydocking time and SEAL assumed the FD.7 duties, delaying for a time her dockyard time. 

*North Sea*
FN.144 departed Southend, escort DDs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 15th. Convoy MT.50 departed Methil, escort DD WALLACE, sloop FLAMINGO, and ASWGp 1. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.

*Med- Biscay*
HG.26 with 32 ships dep Gibraltar escort DDs DOUGLAS and WRESTLER on the 13th. DD VIVACIOUS escorted the convoy from 14 to 16 April. DDs DOUGLAS and WRESTLER accompanied this convoy to Portsmouth to give leave. HG.26 arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd. In Home Waters, HG.26 A was escorted by DD VIVACIOUS.

CVs ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS with RAN DD STUART, RN DDs BULLDOG, WESTCOTT with DD WISHARD as additional local escort arrived at Gib from Malta. Fr subs PASCAL, ARGO, ACHERON, escorted by DD LA PALME, departed Casablanca. The 4 arrived at Bizerte on the 18th

*Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART departed on the 13th Colombo en route to Aden. Shortly after departure, she encountered steamer AFRIKA (Den 8597 grt) which she sent into Colombo (given the acquiesnence to german occupation by the Danish govt and their announcement to co-operate fully with the Nazis). CL HOBART arrived at Aden on the 18th for duty in the Red Sea. 

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
RAN sloop SWAN intercepted steamer SOLHEIM (Nor 8070 grt) off Fremantle and (given the installation of the pro-German Quisling regime) took her into harbour. RAN AMC WESTRALIA, en route from Balikpapen to Darwin, intercepted tkr HAVBOR (Nor 7614 grt) and escorted her to Darwin. On 15 April, RAN AMC MANOORA, which had been relieved by WESTRALIA on Malaya Force duties, departed Darwin with Norwegian tkrs HAVBOR and THORDIS (8210grt).She also collected Norwegian steamers HOEGH GIANT (10,990grt) and ANDERS JAHRE (9970grt) at Thursday Island and all arrived at Brisbane on the 19th. RNZN AMC HECTOR departed Auckland on the 13th.She arrived at the mouth of the Brisbane River on the 17th and found Norwegian tkrs THORSHOV (9955grt) and SOLOR (8262grt) there under armed guard. The 3 departed on the 19th for Wellington. On 23 April at sea, AMC HECTOR was in a collision with Norwegian tkr THORSHOV. Damage to HECTOR required 3 weeks to repair.


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## Njaco (Apr 15, 2015)

*April 14 Sunday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Vice-Admiral Whitworth’s naïve opinion that landing will be easy, diverts troops away from Narvik. British 146th Territorial Brigade (having left the Clyde on April 11 in transport ships bound for Narvik) is sent South to Namsos for an attack on Trondheim. Sadly, their artillery, anti-aircraft guns and commanding officer continue on to Narvik. To prepare for 146th Brigade’s arrival at Namsos, cruisers HMS “_Sheffield_” and “_Glasgow_” (patrolling off Trondheim) put ashore an advance party of 350 Royal Marines– the first landing of British forces in Norway. General Eduard Dietl and his 3rd Mountain Division are now cut off in the Norwegian port of Narvik as the British troops land near Trondheim and Narvik. The Germans have also lost ten destroyers, an entire group the day before. 

The Norwegian forces are fighting a series of delaying actions in the Glomma Valley and around Lake Mjøsa against the German forces advancing north from Oslo. The bulk of the Norwegian army was comprised of reservists with limited training. Norway had not fought a war for 125 years and most its weapons were obsolete. Crucially it had no anti-tank guns and few anti-aircraft guns. The Norwegians were forced to adopt a holding strategy while waiting for support from Britain and France. To assist the ground troops, the Luftwaffe drops German paratroopers to prevent the Norwegians who are withdrawing from Oslo from linking up with the British units at Andalsnes. At dusk in foul weather, Oberleutnant Herbert Schmidt and 185 Fallschirmjägers (paratroops, 7th Flieger Division) parachute from 15 Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, on the rail and road junction at Dombås, right into Norwegian Infantry Regiment 11’s basecamp. The Norwegians started firing even before the German paratroopers landed, resulting in eight of the Junkers having to emergency land or crashing, with the remaining seven limping back to base with extensive damage. Most of the Fallschirmjägers are killed or captured and Schmidt is severely wounded but about 65 survive. They managed to commandeer a Norwegian taxi, and drove towards Dombås. During the journey they encountered more Norwegian troops, and exchanged fire with them. Despite the heavy casualties, they successfully damage the nearby railways and occupied farmhouses, thus hampering the Norwegian transportation efforts for several days. Bad weather prevents the company from being supplied by air and after ten days the unit surrenders to the Allies.

At Bergen an Allied air attack destroys an He 59 floatplane. Two allied aircraft are shot down. At the airfield at Stavanger, the Luftwaffe transfers ten sea-transport planes into the airbase. The Allies raid the airfield five times throughout the day during which two RAF Lockheeds are shot down.

British submarine HMS “_Sterlet_” damaged the German gunnery training ship and minelayer “_Brummer_” in the Skagerrak between Norway and Sweden with torpedoes; “_Brummer_” would remain afloat until the next day. German minesweeper M6 sank British Royal Navy submarine “_Tarpon_”.

King Haakon of Norway appealed to his people to resist but the Germans warned that any civilians aiding the British will be rounded up and shot.

The British and French are considering a number of possible strategies for Norway with the object of freeing Trondheim and Narvik. During the next few days, however, direct assaults on these places will be ruled out. Instead the chosen plan for Trondheim will involve a buildup at Namsos and Andalsnes and for Narvik preparations at Harstad.

*WESTERN FRONT:* North west of Emmerich, Oblt. Arnold Lignitz of 3./JG 20 is given credit for his first victory, a British Blenheim bomber.

Belgians report to French intelligence that Germans have turned their attention to the Ardennes area.

*GERMANY:* Soviet Foreign Minister Vyadieslav Molotov informs the German government that Russia is vitally interested in Sweden remaining neutral.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* An air raid warning was sounded in Leeds, caused by a mechanical fault that was soon repaired.


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## parsifal (Apr 15, 2015)

* 14 April 1940 (Part I*
*Known Reinforcements*
Fr CH-41 Class CH-42 (est)




*Known Losses*
Sub SNAPPER fired a 5 torp spread at *Steamer FLORIDA (Ger 6148 grt)*, carrying ammunition and supplies to Oslo, in convoy off Skagen,. The steamer was struck and sank. SNAPPER returned to England with no torpedoes remaining. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Sub SUNFISH fired 2 torps at *Schiff 35 (ex steamer OLDENBURG) (DKM 2312 grt)*, which was outfitted as a Q ship, east of Laeso Island near Skagen. Both torps struck Schiff 35 and the ship sank. SUNFISH returned to England with only one torpedo remaining.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub STERLET hit *Gunnery TS BRUMMER (DKM 2960 grt) *with one torp near the Skaw in the Kattegat as she was returning to Stavanger from convoy duty. Survivors were picked up by escorting TBs JAGUAR, FALKE and escort ship F.5 and she sank under tow during the morning of the 16th, 1/2 mile 52° of Tvesten Light. . 





MV BARENFELS (Ger): The supply ship was bombed on the 10th April and sunk on the 14th. She was subsequently raised and returned to service, finally being permanently lost in 1944. 

*Coastal Steamer DISPERSER (UK 312 grt)*: The cargo ship sank in the North Sea off Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, cause not stated.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Ferry NYBORG (Den 2555grt): *The ferry struck a mine and sank in the Kattegat off Sprogo.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr Olschiff 3 (DKM 6044 grt)*: The tkr was intercepted by CA SUFFOLK in the Arctic Ocean north west of Vagsøy, Norway and was scuttled by her crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr SKAGERAK (DKM 6044 grt )* The naval tkr was intercepted in the Norwegian Sea north west of Vagsøy by CA SUFOLK and was scuttled when the RN cruiser attempted to board her





Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-4

At Sea 14 April 1940
U-2, U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-49, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
34 boats at sea


*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
*ALLIED SUBMARINE OPERATIONS*
Sub SNAPPER fired a torpedo at a darkened ship, which may have been Q ship Schiff 35. Sub TRIAD fired two torpedoes at two merchant ships, escorted by an escort ship, near the mouth of Oslofjord. Sub TRITON arrived at Rosyth after patrol. 

*North Sea*
Fr subs ORPHEE and CIRCE arrived at Harwich from Brest to reinforce the SubFlot 10 for patrols in the southern North Sea

*NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN*
Steamers BLACKHEATH (4637 grt) of convoy NM.1 and CEDARBANK (5159 grt) of convoy TM.1 departed the Downs on the 11th for Rosyth where they safely arrived 13th, escort DDs ARROW and ACHERON, respectively. These 2 steamers and steamers CYCLOPS (9076grt) and CHARLBURY (4836grt) formed NM.1 for Namsos. NS.1 of steamers LOMBARDY (3379grt) and LOCHEE (964grt) sailed from the Clyde escort DDs WOLVERINE and VANESSA to join NM.1. DDs FAME, DIANA, GRAFTON arrived at Rosyth on the 15th from the Humber. NM.1 of CEDARBANK, CYCLOPS, BLACKHEATH, CHARLBURY departed Leith on the 15th escort DDs FAME, IMPERIAL, DIANA with DD GRAFTON to join en route. Steamer LOMBARDY dragged anchors in a gale and struck steamer LOCHEE on the 15th.Both steamers were unable to proceed with the convoy. En route a Hurricane crashed near the convoy 30 miles 115° from Wick within sight of the convoy and DDs DIANA and IMPERIAL unsuccessfully searched for the pilot. The convoy called at Scapa on the 16th to empty the radiators of the vehicles in the steamers. Convoy NSM 1, with steamers CYCLOPS and CHARLBURY of NM.1, BLACKHEATH, MACGREGOR LAIRD (4015grt),tkr INVERARDER (5578grt) and collier BALMAHA (1428grt), departed Scapa for Namsos on the 17th escort DDs DELIGHT, DIANA, IMPERIAL. DD MAORI departed Scapa on the 17th to join the convoy. On 22 April, DD DELIGHT was ordered to take the convoy to Vaagsfjord.

DKM MSW M.6 of the MSWFlot 2 in the Nth Sea attacked a sub contact. It was at one time thought this contact was TARPON, but she had already been lost by this time. 

DD HAVOCK rendezvoused with Nor sub B 3 in Vestfjord. As CL SOUTHAMPTON arrived in Vestfjord, she was unsuccessfully attacked by U.38. Later that day SOUTHAMPTON with DDs ELECTRA and ESCAPADE arrived at Salangen. Gen Mackesy and troops aboard, two companies of the Scots Gds of the 1st Scots Gds Bn, were disembarked a few miles west of Sjovegan in Salangenfjord. CL AURORA, with Lord Cord Orrery aboard, arrived at Skelfjord. DD HAVELOCK arrived at Scapa to join the C in C Home Flt to act as an ASW striking force. BB WARSPITE, escort 2 DDs, was attacked by U.46 and later by U.48 in Vestfjord. Fortunately for WARSPITE, all the torpedoes fired exploded prematurely. 

15 Skua a/c of 800 and 803 Sqns departed Hatston to attack Bergen. 6 a/c of the 803 Sqn did not locate the target. DKM S.23 and S.25, arriving from Wilhelmshaven, were strafed with slight casualties. U.60 and U.7 were attacked on the surface, but were not damaged. 1 Skua of 803 Squadron was lost in the raid. Supply ship BARENFELS (Ger 7569 grt), originally to have gone to Narvik, was badly damaged by Lt Lucy while unloading at Bergen. BC REPULSE and DDs JUNO, JANUS, JAVELIN arrived at Scapa after having covered the progress of convoy NP.1 towards Vestfjord. CL ENTERPRISE, which had departed Portsmouth on the 12th, arrived at Scapa Flow for duty with the Home Fleet off Norway. 

Sloops BLACK SWAN, AUCKLAND, FLAMINGO, BITTERN embarked 700 Royal Marines taken from companies of repairing capital ships NELSON, BARHAM, HOOD. Sloop AUCKLAND with a contingent from BB BARHAM departed Rosyth on the 14th.She was to have arrived at Aalesund 24 hrs ahead of the other 3 sloops. Sloops BLACK SWAN, FLAMINGO, BITTERN departed Rosyth in the early morning of the 15th. In heavy seas, the 3 sloops overtook sloop AUCKLAND and all 4 spent the night of 15/16 at Invergordon. All 4 sloops departed on the 16th from Invergordon to land these troops at Aandalsnes on Operation PRIMROSE. The original plan had been for sloop AUCKLAND to have arrived and landed her troops at dawn on the 16 April.

DKM DDs HEINEMANN and ECKHOLDT, both with engine defects, departed Trondheim for Wilhelmshaven where they safely arrived in the morning of 16 April.

*Northern Waters*
After refuelling at Skelfjord, DDs INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, ISIS, ILEX rejoined CA DEVONSHIRE on the 14th. ISIS and ILEX were sent ahead to investigate Ringvassoy and Kvatsoy Fjord. CA BERWICK with INGLEFIELD and IMOGEN examined Andfjord, Gratangsbotn, Vaagsfjorden and area on the 14th. ASW patrols were set up by ILEX and ISIS at the nth and sth entrances to Tromsofjord. DEVONSHIRE (Flagship Vice Admiral John Cunningham, CruSqn 1) arrived at Tromso after sweeping for German shipping. At 2100 DEVONSHIRE, ISIS and ILEX put to sea. ISIS and ILEX were detached in the early hrs of the 15th off Arnoy Island to meet CVL FURIOUS. IMOGEN later joined the carrier's screen. DEVONSHIRE joined BERWICK and INGLEFIELD ten miles north of North Cape on the 15th. DEVONSHIRE and BERWICK with INGLEFIELD arrived at Kirkenes on the 15th.

Reports of warships off Petsamo caused CruSqn 1 to order INGLEFIELD to investigate, she departed Kirkenes on the 15th, and found these to be 2 Soviet DDs. She also encountered a Soviet submarine. The CAs put to sea from Kirkenes on the 15 April to cover the passage of a 2 ship Nor convoyto Tromso. INGLEFIELD joined BERWICK in escorting the convoy. .

DEVONSHIRE arrived at Tromso on the 16th and departed again same day. The convoy arrived at Tromso during the night of 16/17 April. BERWICK and INGLEFIELD arrived at Tromso on the 17th. DEVONSHIRE arrived back in the Kirkenes on the 16th and joined FURIOUS with ILEX and ISIS which had arrived there. They all soon departed Kirkenes again and arrived at Tromso on the 17th. IMOGEN departed Kirkenes as the convoy escort on the 17th and arrived at Tromso with the convoy on the 19th. These 2 Norwegian convoys were carrying troops that had been engaged in the Neutrality Watch near the Finnish border. .

Late on the 14th, CL SHEFFIELD transferred a landing party to the DDs SOMALI , MASHONA, MATABELE from DesFlot 6 and AFRIDI , SIKH, MOHAWK of DesFlot 4. The party was ferried ashore east of Namsos. A landing party from CL GLASGOW of similar composition was ferried ashore at Bangsund. These landings, code named HENRY, commenced 1 hour before sunset. DD SOMALI, joined by CLA CURLEW on the 16th, remained at Namsos to support these 350 seamen and 50 Royal Marines at each location and the ships returned to open water.

DD KIMBERLEY at approximately 1500 sent an investigating party of 15 men in a cutter ashore to Narvik. The cutter got as far as a flying boat moored at a buoy before being taken under fire from German troops in a railway tunnel, 5 members of the landing party were were killed and 8 men were wounded.

*West Coast UK*
CL FIJI, returning from trials, was in a minor collision with AMC DERBYSHIRE in the Clyde.


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## parsifal (Apr 15, 2015)

* 14 April 1940 (Part Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (cont'd)*
*North Sea*
RNoN Pre WW1 TB HVAS was placed in service as an Aux SC by DKM. 

OA.129 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL from 14 to 17 April, when the convoy was dispersed. The DD joined HX.33. FN.145 departed Southend, escort DD VEGA and sloops HASTINGS and PELICAN. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 16th. FS.146 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th. MT.51 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived later in the day at the Tyne.

*Northern Waters (Cont'd)*
DDs MAORI and ASHANTI departed Sullom Voe and arrived at Scapa on the 15th. DD TARTAR and the ORP DDs GROM and BLYSKAWICA departed Scapa to sweep from Lister to Bommelford from 14th to daylight on the 15 April. The operation was cancelled due to adverse weather and they arrived back at Scapa on the 15th. DDs KIPLING, HEREWARD and DELIGHT arrived at Scapa for duty after refitting. Fr DDs BRESTOIS and FOUDROYANT arrived at Scapa from the Tyne. They refuelled and went on to the Clyde arriving on the 15th.

*Channel*
Due to a Fr report of 16 ships off Texel, all DDs at Dover were brought to immediate notice. This was later reduced to one hour's notice. C in C, Western Approaches, was ordered to detail all available DDs to Dover. DDs CAMPBELL, BROKE, VESPER, ANTELOPE, WOLVERINE and WREN were detached from the Western Approaches to Dover.

*Western Approaches*
Convoy OB.129 departed Liverpool escort by sloop ROCHESTER, which was with the convoy from 14 to 17 April, when the sloop joined convoy HX.33. The convoy was dispersed on the 18th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.35 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ST LAURENT and RESTIGOUCHE, which were detached on the 14th. On the 15th, the DDs turned the convoy over to AMC LACONIA, which was detached on the 26th. Sloop ENCHANTRESS escorted the convoy from 26 to 29 April, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr steamers GENERAL METZINGER and CHENONEAUX departed Marseilles escort DD TEMPETE from Oran. They arrived at Brest on the 20th.

OG.26F was formed with convoys OA.128GF, which departed Southend on the 12th, OB.128GF, which departed Liverpool on the 12th, with 54 ships. The convoy was escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS on the 14th and sloop SANDWICH from 14 to 20 April when the convoy arrived at Gibr. Sloop ENCHANTRESS was withdrawn from the convoy shortly after sailing. On arrival at Gib, sloop SANDWICH was temporarily attached to DesFlot13 as replacements for DDs WISHART and ACTIVE which departed in convoy HG.27 to give leave in the UK.

CV GLORIOUS escort DDs VELOX, WATCHMAN and the RAN DD STUART departed Gib. GLORIOUS arrived in the Clyde late on the 18th escort DDs WALKER and WALPOLE. STUART after this escort duty departed Gib on the 17th for Malta. ARK ROYAL departed Gib on the 16th for exercises in the vicinity of Alboran Island, but was recalled. On the 16th, ARK ROYAL escorted by DDs VORTIGERN, WESTCOTT and BULLDOG departed Gib. Off Cape Finisterre on the 17th, VORTIGERN was detached and arrived back at Gib. DDs JUNO and HASTY departed Greenock 20th to join ARK ROYAL and SALADIN. ARK ROYAL with JUNO, HASTY and SALADIN arrived in the Clyde on the 20th. BULLDOG and WESTCOTT arrived at Plymouth.


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## Njaco (Apr 16, 2015)

*April 15 Monday*
*GERMANY:* Generalmajor Walter Grabmann is appointed Kommodore of the newly formed Stab./ZG 76.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *In Norway, the six day old Quisling Government comes to an end. On Oslo radio, Vidkun Quisling announces his resignation as head of the government. Quisling is replaced for the moment by Ingolf Christensen as the head of the German-sponsored government.

British troops have landed in the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway in response to the German invasion. Their original objective was to secure the rail line to Swedish iron ore fields. The main body of the 24th British Guards Brigade arrives in Harstad.

British 146th Territorial Brigade (a reserve formation) begins arriving at Namsos, North of Trondheim, coming under the energetic command of the much-decorated one-eyed one-handed WWI veteran General Carton de Wiart VC DSO. General de Wiart is made aware of German air superiority when his Short Sunderland flying boat is attacked by a German fighter on landing (his aide is wounded and invalided home). He immediately orders 146th to advance South towards Trondheim.

Major-General Pierse Joseph Mackesy (in charge of land forces at Narvik) is not convinced to land troops directly at Narvik, despite the enthusiasm of naval commanders Vice-Admiral Whitworth and Admiral of the Fleet William Henry Dudley Boyle, Earl of Cork and Orrery. General Mackesy’s force has been cut in half, leaving only 24th Brigade which is not armed to make opposed landings and, in any case, much of its equipment has been diverted to Namsos on ships carrying 146th Brigade. Narvik is under several feet of snow, has poor facilities for an amphibious landing and is defended by an unknown number of German troops. Mackesy is unwilling to subject the Norwegian inhabitants to the naval bombardment his colleagues advocate to remove the Germans from the town. Therefore, he elects to land his troops at safer locations North of Narvik and wait for the snow to melt.

The Battle of Dombås continued, now into its second day. With their original plan in tatters, the German paratroopers took refuge in a local Norwegian farm, from where they defended themselves from Norwegian troops. With their commander injured, the paratroopers took a risk and attacked the Dombås railway station blowing up some of the tracks and disrupting local transport. Two heavy machine gun platoons from the Norwegian army were dispatched to root out the paratroopers. But lacking sufficient information concerning numbers or positioning of the Germans, the Norwegian troops were ill-prepared for what lay ahead. Of the 41 Norwegian troops involved, 28 were captured by the Germans, with the commander of the Norwegian force listed as injured.

Fighters from II./JG 77 intercept a formation of RAF Wellingtons heading to Stavanger airfield. Fw. Robert Menge of 5./JG 77 shoots down two of the Wellingtons for his second and third victories. Later at 1550 hours a Hudson claimed destroyed by Uffz. Helmut Eberlein of 3./ZG 1 over Skagerrak is denied by the Luftwaffe.

British destroyers “_Fearless_” and “_Brazen_” sank German submarine U-49 with depth charges near Narvik, killing 1. 41 Germans were taken prisoner.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Shortly after 1030 hours, Oblt. Georg Graner of 3.(Jagd)/LG 2 gets his first victory when he destroys a Blenheim west of St. Peter-Ording.

The British 15th Brigade boarded transports in France and were sent for Norway.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British unemployment figure decreased to 973,000, which was the lowest figure since 1920.

*ASIA:* Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara was named the commanding officer of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea.

.



.


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## parsifal (Apr 16, 2015)

*15 April 1940* 
*Known Losses*
*Type VII B U-49 (DKM 857 grt)*: CL SOUTHAMPTON joined CL AURORA at Harstad and together went out to sea to meet convoy NP.1 with troopships BATORY (14,287grt), REINA DEL PACIFICO (17,707grt), MONARCH OF BERMUDA (22,424grt). The convoy arrived off Harstad the morning of 15 April escorted by BB VALIANT and DDs CODRINGTON, AMAZON, ACASTA, ARDENT, FEARLESS, BRAZEN, GRIFFIN, WITHERINGTON and VOLUNTEER. Despite attacks by U.38 on VALIANT and U.65 on BATORY, the convoy arrived safely off Harstad. FEARLESS and BRAZEN, patrolling ahead of the convoy, damaged U.49, on her 3rd war patrol, in Vaagsfjord. U.49 surfaced then surrendered after the DC attack. Many documents were recovered before the scuttling charge fired. The DDs were able to pick up four officers and 37 of the submarine's crew. One rating was missing. The crew was embarked on VALIANT for passage to England. Four hours later, FEARLESS, screening VALIANT, made another attack on a submarine contact in the same vicinity. Since Harstad was not big enough to accomodate the liners, the troopships were sent to Bygden and the troops, the 24th Gds Bde, were ferried to Harstad in DDs. 





Vp-811 ( Kriegsmarine): The vorpostenboot sank in the North Sea. She was later salvaged, repaired and returned to service

*Steamer SALERNO (UK 870 grt)* and *Steamer SALMON POOL (UK 4803 grt)* were seized by German forces at Saudafjord, north of Stavanger, in Boknfjord. 23 crew from SALERNO were interned, and 34 from SALMON POOL, with 4 from SALMON POOL returned. They were renamed MARKIRCH and PUTZIG, respectively, for German service. 

[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts



> The critical situation in Narvik has caused the Fuehrer to review the question of abandoning our Narvik position in order to avoid further waste of forces - especially of the Air Force - for a doubtful success, and of undertaking a concentration of force in the Trondheim area. A determining factor in further considerations is the state of supplies and equipment for the rescued destroyer
> crews. If the members of the crews, more than 2,000 according to available reports, can be equipped with the necessary items of clothing, hand and automatic weapons as well as food, this addition represents such considerable reinforcement of the fighting strength of the Narvik Group that the Narvik Division can be expected to hold out for a long time, considering the difficult terrain which favors defense. The more heavily and the longer the enemy is tied-down in the northern area, however, the greater must be the effect of the resultant relief on the situation in the endangered Trondheim area. Naval Staff therefore takes up the attitude - conditional on further news and deliberations - that it is correct to hold the Narvik position as long as possible and to fight a delaying defense. The Navy has the additional conviction that the great sacrifice of ten modern destroyers demands that the Narvik position hold out as long as supplies permit.


*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-2

At Sea 15 April 1940
U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
32 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub SHARK fired 5 torps at Steamers ANGELBURG (Ger 3053 grt) and AHRENSBURG (Ger 3200 grt) escort DKM Sperrbrecher 1. All torps missed. Incomplete DKM CA LUTZOW, which had been launched on 1 July 1939 and transferred to Russia on 11 February 1940, left Bremen under tow for Leningrad. 

*North Sea*
DDs GRAFTON, FAME, DIANA arrived at Rosyth. U.30 sustained some damage when she ran aground in the Trondheim area. FN.146 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop PELICAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 17th. MT.52 departed Methil, escort DD VIMIERA. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.147 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th. 

*Northern Waters*
DDs FAULKNOR and ZULU reconnoitered the shoreward approaches to Narvik in Rombaksfjord in preparation for the allied landing. At 2242, U.47 sighted the British troopships and 3 Norwegian MVs at anchor at Bygden. U.47 fired torps against these targets, but torpedo defects prevented any damage being done. 

Maj Gen Carton de Wiart arrived at Namsos in a Sunderland flying boat during an air raid. The Sunderland was machine gunned and DD SOMALI, de Wiart's intended headquarters, was near missed by bombs. DeWiart was, however, able to assume command of the Namsos area as planned. SOMALI had also been reconnoitring the fjord, was heavily bombed during the day and expended all her AA ammunition before dark. The DD sustained no damage. CL cruisers GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD were in the area to provide support and transfer emergency supply of AA ammunition to the SOMALI.

Adm Forbes off nthn Norway departed that area with BB RODNEY, BC RENOWN, DDs HAVOCK, HOSTILE, HERO, ESK, ICARUS and IVANHOE. The 3 H's returned to Vestfjord. Forbes had detached BB WARSPITE His fastest and most modern dreadnought style BB, with the heaviest AA fitout) and CVL carrier FURIOUS to operate off Vestfjord. RODNEY with DDs GREYHOUND, ESK, ICARUS and IVANHOE arrived at Scapa on the 17th and FORESTER and KIMBERLEY the next day. GREYHOUND was damaged by heavy weather and sustained structural damage en route. She departed Scapa on the 19th for Sheerness, via Rosyth, and took a month to repair. 

BB VALIANT with DDrs FEARLESS, BRAZEN and GRIFFIN departed Vaagsfjord on the 15th and arrived at Scapa on the 18th. 

DD JUPITER departed Scapa with repair pumps and equipment for CL PENELOPE (which remained heavily damaged at at Skelfjord). She arrived on the 16th and was then immediately sent on to Aandalsnes to support CLA CALCUTTA. When it was found CALCUTTA would arrive first, JUPITER was ordered to continue to Skelfjord. DD MACKAY arrived at Scapa escorting A.S.I.S. and other merchant ships, then departed that afternoon returning to Liverpool. 

DDs MATABELE, MASHONA, AFRIDI and SIKH arrived at Lillesjona and joined Vice Adm Layton and his two liners carrying the 146th Inf Bde. These DDs were reinforced by DD NUBIAN, which arrived with oiler WAR PINDARI (5559grt), and DD SOMALI, which arrived with de Wiart. Gen de Wiart transferred to DD AFRIDI and SOMALI, her ammunition depleted after 2 days at Namsos, was sent home arriving at Scapa on the 18th. The 5 other DDs embarked troops from the liners and reached Namsos and Bangsund that evening. CL EFFINGHAM arrived at Scapa after departing Portsmouth on the 13th for duty with the Home Flt.

A/C of 816 and 818 Squadrons from CVL FURIOUS carried out night strikes (certain RN sqns since the beginning of the war had been intensively training in this form of combat, given the obsolesecence of the a/c being used by the FAA). against LW a/c parked on a frozen lake . One a/c with S/Lt (A) J Ball, Lt A.S. Marshall, Naval Airman R Pike of 816 Squadron was brought down by AA. DD ZULU's whaler rescued the crew. 4 other a/c were damaged by ground fire. 

*West Coast UK*
Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs BISON , MILAN , EPERVIER of DesDiv 11, which had departed Brest the evening of12 April, arrived at Greenock with troop carrying Fr AMCs VILLE D' ORAN, EL D'JEZAIR, EL KANTARA, EL MANSOUR for duty off Norway. On 14 April, approaching Greenock, DD MILAN was in a collision with trawler GLAMORGAN COAST. The damage was repaired from 16 to 18 April. On this date, an advance French base was established at Greenock for Norwegian operations. This base was used until 8 May.

*Channel*
Steamers QUEEN MAUD (4976grt) and PORT HUNTER (8802grt) in convoy OA.129, were involved in a collision in the English Channel. Steamer PORT HUNTER was able to continue on her own to Southampton. DD WILD SWAN screened QUEEN MAUD for a time until the steamer advised she could continue safely on her own.

*UK - France*
BC.34 with steamer BARON CARNEGIE, which arrived Nantes on the 17th, DUNKWA, GLOUCESTER CITY, KURFA and LOTTIE R departed Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE. The convoy safely arrived at Loire on the 17th. SA.37 of two steamers arrived at St Malo from Southampton.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.28 departed Freetown escort AMC BULOLO until 29 April. SLF.28 merged with SL.28 on the 22nd. On 29 April, DD VESPER and WALPOLE joined the convoy and escorted it to Liverpool, arriving on 1 May.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr BB PROVENCE, which had departed Dakar on the 11th, and DD TROMBE arrived at Oran on the 16th. BBs BRETAGNE and LORRAINE departed Toulon on the 15th and arrived at Oran on the 18th. The 3 BBs departed on the 26th and arrived at Algiers the next day. On 29 April, they departed and arrived at Alexandria on 3 May.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
Australian troop convoy US 2, composed of troopships ETTRICK (11,279grt), NEURALIA (9082grt), STRAITHAIRD (22,284grt), DUNERA (11,162grt), departed Melbourne en route to Egypt escorted by BB RAMILLIES and RAN CL ADELAIDE. The convoy was joined on the 19th by RAN CL SYDNEY. At Fremantle on the 22nd, troopship NEVASA (9056grt) was added to the convoy and ADELAIDE was detached. US 2 in the area of the Coco Islands on the 30th was joined by Fr CA SUFFREN which relieved RAN CL SYDNEY which was detached on the 28th for US 3 escort duties.


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## parsifal (Apr 16, 2015)

* 16 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
RaumeBoote MSW R-41





*Known Losses*
*PV V-1703 (DKM 450 grt (est))* The vorpostenboot was torpedoed and sunk by Sub NARWHAL. She was later repaired and returned to service. 

*MV RUHORT (Ger 5026 grt)* (date of loss uncertain, but she was lost 12-16 April): The cargo ship was captured in the Norwegian Sea off Vemoya, Norway on 12 April by Nor COMMONWEALTH, and TBS SLEIPNER and TRYGG. She was later abandoned and thereafter sunk by LW a/c





*Steamer MERTAINEN (SD 4531 grt) *whilst carrying iron ore from Narvik to Tees, the vessel was sunk by German bombing off Trondheim, but the crew was rescued and landed at Kristiansund (no casualties).





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> A radio appeal by the old Norwegian Government definitely shows that it has thrown in its lot with the Allies. Narvik and vicinity is said to have been recaptured; Norwegian pilots and officers are aiding the Western Powers' expeditionary corps; the people are asked to accept British and French money. It is the duty of all citizens to help the authorities and to report treachery and espionage.
> 
> The fact that the old Norwegian Government is still in a position to exercise certain functions, to influence the people and incite them to resistance, must be regarded as extremely regrettable. It was a definite mistake in the operation that we did not succeed by suitable preparatory steps in ensuring that the Norwegian Government was captured promptly and that a new and capable Government was set up right on the first day of the occupation.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> At 0410 a report was received from U 47 that she had found the transports at anchor in Bygden (Vaagsfjord). 4 misses! U 65 had already fired a double shot (most probably at close range therefore) without success. I am now beginning to suspect that even the use of impact firing is not preventing torpedo failures. Either the G7e is keeping a much greater depth than hitherto known or the pistol does not arm. A second report from U 47 confirms this idea: in a second attack on the transports another 4 torpedoes failed to fire. This means a total of 8 unsuccessful shots by our best U-boat commander. It is quite clear to me that these failures are responsible for the commanding officer's lack of success.
> 
> I requested immediate assistance from C-in-C Navy by telephone and made a corresponding T/P to Supreme Command of the Navy, giving a list of failures during the last few days. I requested the Director of the Torpedo Inspectorate to come to Wilhelmshaven tomorrow for a discussion. U 47's reports shows that it was right to leave the boats in the Vaagsfjord in spite of the high risks. It was only in the south of the Vaagsfjord that they were able to regain contact with the transports. But now that U 47's attack has failed and will be followed by a corresponding anti-S/M activity on the part of the enemy. It is necessary to get the boats out of this witches' cauldron and dispose them at the entrance to the Anden fjords.
> 
> ...




At Sea 16 April 1940
U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
32 boats at sea


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## Njaco (Apr 17, 2015)

*April 16 Tuesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* General Mackesy lands 24th Brigade at Harstat, 37 miles North of Narvik. These regular Army troops are equipped for peaceful landings, not for offensive actions against German troops, and they will remain here while reserve troops see action around Trondheim. Lack of preparation characterizes all Allied landings in Norway.

British 148th Territorial (reserve) Brigade under the command of Brigadier Harold Morgan has been waiting for 2 days at Rosyth, on cruisers HMS “_Galatea_” and “_Arethusa_” and a transport ship destined for Namsos. They are ordered to Åndalsnes instead, to form a southern pincer for the advance on Trondheim. They disembark and board cruisers HMS “_Carlisle_” and “_Curacoa_”, losing anti-aircraft guns, ammunition and half a battalion (due to lack of space on the cruisers). They do manage to keep their now-useless maps of Namsos.

The British 146th Brigade (General de Wiart ) lands at Namsos during the night and is immediately moved inland to Steinkjer. The 59 year old Carton de Wiat had personally reconnoitered the town of Namsos, where his flying boat had been attacked by German planes and his aide was wounded. It was a foretaste of the forthcoming campaign where German airpower would dominate. Accompanying his troops by boat into Namsos the convoy was persistently dive bombed. The great bulk of the troops were landed safely but they were missing vital equipment, including transport, anti-aircraft guns and artillery. Crucially they had no skis, which seriously hampered their mobility. Carton de Wiat got his troops out of Namsos, away from the air attacks, as quickly as possible; they had some 80 miles to cover before they could attempt an assault on Trondheim.

The Battle of Dombås is now in its third day. German paratroopers, initially dropped to attack the Norwegian town, are now encircled in a farm building in the countryside. A firefight took place, but was stopped when a white flag appeared above the farm building. The Germans sent a Norwegian soldier out to meet the troops surrounding them. The message was simple: all Norwegian troops should surrender! The Norwegian forces responded by demanding the surrender of the Germans instead! The battle continued during the afternoon, and looked like it would end in much more bloodshed. But then a snow blizzard suddenly swept through, allowing the Germans to escape to the south. Although they are no longer encircled, the Germans are still being chased by the Norwegian troops.

British 15th Brigade is en route to Norway, having been withdrawn from British Expeditionary Force (they left France on April 15).

Torpedo duel between U-3 and British submarine HMS “_Porpoise_” 10 miles southwest of Egersund, Norway. Neither sub is damaged.

Two victory claims are denied for Uffz. Peter Laufs and Oblt. Herbert Bönsch of Zerst./KG 30 for combat over Narvik.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Future Experte Oblt. Josef Fözö of 4./JG 51 gets his first victory when he destroys a barrage balloon west of Breisach.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Iceland declared independence from Denmark and asked United States for recognition.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 17, 2015)

*April 17 Wednesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Five Royal Navy ships launched a daring attack on a German airfield. The Sola Air Station airfield, located in Stavanger in the south-west of occupied Norway, was shelled by the British ships in an attempt to put it out of action, thereby reducing Germany’s air superiority over the Norwegian forces. HMS “_Suffolk_”, a heavy cruiser commanded by Captain J Durnford, was accompanied by four destroyers HMS “_Kipling_”, HMS “_Juno_”, HMS “_Janus_” and HMS “_Hereward_”. The ships launched their attack before dawn using their deck-mounted guns. “_Suffolk's_” Walrus seaplane, used to drop flares over the airfield, was shot down early in the bombardment, thus the shelling was largely inaccurate and destroyed only 4 aircraft. After sunrise, “_Suffolk_” was repeated attacked by Ju-88 aircraft for seven hours. She was hit twice and heavily damaged, and was placed out of action until Feb 1941. On the return journey to the British base in Scapa Flow, HMS “_Suffolk_” became highly unstable, with water covering most of her stern and at times she looked likely to sink. Upon arriving at the base, HMS “_Suffolk_” was beached to prevent her sinking.

The British continue to send bombers to attack the airfield at Stavanger. One formation is intercepted by fighters from 1./ZG 76. Even though the British do not lose any bombers, several fighter pilots put in claims for destroyed Blenheims which are eventually denied by the Luftwaffe.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * The British War Cabinet approved direct troop landings at Trondheim, Norway (rather than the landing done at Narvik in which troops were dropped off at undefended beaches far away) after naval bombardment of the coastal batteries (Operation Hammer). The landing was to be supported by simultaneous landings at Namsos in the north and Åndalsnes in the south. General Hotblack is put in charge of Hammer but suffers a stroke the same day.

German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank British steamer “_Swainby_” 25 miles north of the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1733 hours. 38 survivors reached Norwick Bay in the Shetland Islands on lifeboats.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian "Grado" naval infantry battalion landed at Sibenik, Croatia, Yugoslavia.

.



.


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## parsifal (Apr 17, 2015)

* 16 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub PORPOISE unsuccessfully fired six torpedoes at U.3 off Egersund. DKM MSW M.8 carried out an ASW attack off Horten in Oslofjord, later joined by DKM MSW M.7.

*North Sea*
CA SUFFOLK and DDs HEREWARD, JANUS, JUNO and KIPLING departed Scapa at 1700/16th for Operation DUCK, the bombardment of Sola airfield near Stavanger. The CA launched two Walrus aircraft for spotting duties. Both Walrus flew to Scotland after the operation. Early on the 17th (they were claimed shot down by the LW), this force contacted sub SEAL which was acting as a beacon ship off Stavanger. From 0513 to 0602, SUFFOLK bombarded Sola airfield, following which she was ordered north to check for DKM DDs at sea, reported late on the 16th. SUFFOLK and her DDs began a high speed northbound sortie that took them away from their rendezvous with air cover for their retirement, this was a mistake to operate in daylight in an area dominated by enemy air power with no friendly air cover. She was soon taken under German air attack at 0825 and subjected to seven hours of bombing.

SUFFOLK received heavy damage; the most serious was a hit at the base of X turret by a 500 kilogram bomb. X turret magazine had to be flooded to prevent its explosion. SUFFOLK was wracked by numerous near misses. 30 crew were killed and 2 ratings died of wounds. 42 crew were injured. DD KIPLING was damaged by two near misses. 8 Skuas of 803 Squadron finally arrived after 1415, followed by 9 Skuas of 801 Squadron and Sea Gladiators of 804 Squadron, but they were unable to prevent four more German attacks. BCs RENOWN and REPULSE proceeded through Fair Isle Channel to join SUFFOLK. DDs TARTAR, JAVELIN, GROM and BLYSKAWICA, which departed Scapa at 1345/17th, CLA CALCUTTA and DDs FURY, ECLIPSE, KIMBERLEY and FORESTER joined the relief force. 

SUFFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow in the late afternoon 18th heavily damaged. Her quarter deck awash and steering by propellers, under tow of tug BUCCANEER, which joined off Torness. Tugs IMPERIOUS and HENDON joined the cruiser off Switha. RENOWN and DDs HYPERION, which had joined from Sullom Voe, KIMBERLEY, FORESTER, FURY, KIPLING, JANUS, JUNO and HEREWARD, arrived with SUFFOLK. She was grounded at Scapa Flow until 3 May for temporary repairs, departed on 5 May and taken to the Clyde. Repairs began on 24 May and lasted until 24 February 1941. During that dockyard period she was extensively updated, including the installation of Surface Gunnery control radar (Type 284) and replacement air warning radar Type 279 fitted in place of Type 79Z.
Fire control Radar Type 284 fitted for main armament and Type 285 Radar for the control of secondary armament.Twin 4in mountings fitted in place of 4in single mountings. 
World War II Day-By-Day: April 2010




_Suffolk arriving back at Scapa after her ordeal _

DD KIPLING had also been damaged during this operation departed Scapa on the 19th for Southampton where she arrived on the 22nd, for repairing and refitting until 16 July.

DDs MATABELE, MASHONA, NUBIAN, AFRIDI and SIKH landed 2 bns of British troops, at Namsos during the night of 16/17 April. The DDs then re-embarked the advance naval landing parties from CLs GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD. The DDs joined the troopships which had put to sea from Lillesjona. Due to the threat of air attack, troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA (19,665grt) transferred her troops to CHROBRY (11,442grt) and was sent home, escort DDs VANOC and WITHERINGTON. 

CA YORK, CL EFFINGHAM, CLA CALCUTTA, and DD ASHANTI were sent into the Aandalsnes area to prevent the Germans from landing troops there and to cover CALCUTTA which was also reconnoitring in the area. Urgency was given this duty as the disabled DKM DDs HEINEMANN and ECKHOLDT were sighted off Stavanger at 1900 steering course 360. The DDs were returning to Germany from Trondheim but the Admiralty incorrectly believed they were en route to Aandalsnes to land troops. CALCUTTA sighted a U-boat on the surface three miles west of Aandalsnes, and proceeded to seaward having been unable to attack the UBoat with DCs due to proximity to the shore. DD ASHANTI carried ashore a landing party from CALCUTTA on the 17th to hold the area until the arrival of the PRIMROSE force in the night of 17/18 April.

2 Swordfish of 803 Squadron attacked targets at Bergen during an armed recon. A patrol boat was claimed sunk and a coastal sub reported bombed. DKM PV TARANTEL was near missed and had one crewman dead and nine wounded. U.57 did leave port that day and U.58 and U.59 arrived at Bergen on this date. U 58 reports being attacked by a/c but sustained no damage.

Sub TRIDENT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. The sub was attacked by friendly a/c on the 15th but was not damaged. Sub CLYDE arrived at Blyth after patrol. Sub SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol. Fr submarine AMAZONE departed Harwich on patrol. U.58 reprovisioned at Bergen. 

Ex Nor TB BRAND, ML ULLER were placed in service by German troops as troop carriers at Bergen. Nor TBs HVAS, HAUK, FALK, KJAEK and ML OTRA were placed in service as aux PVs and renamed SEESTERN, KROKODIL, QUALLE, SCHILDKROTE and TOGO, respectively, based at Tonsbjerg.

FN.147 departed Southend, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
ASWGp 21 of trawlers DANEMAN, LADY ELSA, MAN O'WAR and WELLARD and ASWGp 23 of trawlers INDIAN STAR, MELBOURNE, BERKSHIRE and RUTLANDSHIRE arrived at Namsos on the 16th. Both gps went on to Skelfjord arriving on the 20th. U.65, which had been undergoing trials at the start of the Norwegian campaign, arrived in Vaagsfjord. U.13 attacked a Tribal class DD north of the Shetlands. 

*Channel*
Steamers AMIENOIS (Fr 3715 grt), CAP BLANC (Fr 3315 grt) and SAUMUR (Fr 2915 grt) departed Brest escort Fr DDs CYCLONE and MISTRAL and accompanied by tkr MEKONG. All arrived safely at Greenock on the 19th. Steamer ALBA (Panama 3444 grt) ran aground on the Goodwins. Tug LADY BRASSEY and salvage vessel DAPPER proceeded from Dover to assist. After jettisoning cargo and the efforts of seven tugs, she was finally refloated on the 17th, brought to the Downs and anchored.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr CV BEARN, escort DD PANTHERE, passed Gib en route from Brest to Toulon. The DD called at Gib to refuel. Both ships arrived on the 18th and the DD began repairs. Fr steamer PROVIDENCE departed Marseille on the 16th, escort DD L'AUDACIEUX from Gib. The steamer arrived at Brest on the 21st. Fr sub REQUIN arrived at Gib for ASW exercises with the Gib Force.


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## parsifal (Apr 17, 2015)

* 17 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ASW Trawler BIRCH (Tree Class) 





*Known Losses*
*MV SWAINBY (UK 4935 grt)* Crew: 38 (0 dead and 38 survivors) : Cargo: Ballast Route: Maaloysund - Kirkwall. the unescorted vessel was hit aft in the engine room by one torp from U-13 and sank after 25 minutes 25 miles nth of Muckle Flugga, Shetlands. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr JUANITA (UK 1139 grt)*: The tkr was scuttled as a blockship in Water Sound, Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands. Refloated 1949 and beached





*MV AFRIKA (Ger 6503 grt)*, had come from Narvik with a cargo of ore but was captured by Norwegian forces, On 17 April, AFRIKA was scuttled at Ulvik in Hardangersfjord after being apprehended by Norwegian TB STEGG.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV THESEUS (Ger 956 grt)*, which had come from Trondheim, were at Hardangersfjord was scuttled after being apprehended by Norwegian TB STEGG.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BALTICIA (SD 1986 grt)* was arrested at sea by a German torpedo boat and taken to Haugesand. On 13 May, sher was renamed GOTHIA for German service.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

LW a/c dropped mines in the Edinburgh Channel and off the Downs. On 20 April, *steamers HAWNBY (UK 5380 grt)* and *MERSEY (UK 1037 grt)* were sunk.




_HAWNBY. No Image found for the MERSEY_

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> According to a letter from Mussolini to the Fuehrer, the Italian Navy is mobilized and at full war strength. It could not be established to date whether considerable parts of the Italian Fleet have gone to the Dodecanese.
> 
> The Italian press states: "The moment has come to review the situation in the Mediterranean with regard to the relations between Great Britain, France and Italy."
> 
> 6. Lively discussions in the U.S.A., Great Britain and Japan about the possible protection of the Dutch East Indies Holland states angrily that she is strong enough alone to protect the Dutch East Indies with her own forces. In the U.S.A. it is declared that any Japanese action against the Dutch East Indies would come up against very strong U.S. resistance and might perhaps lead to the U.S.A. 's entry into the war.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> It becomes increasingly obvious that the failure of the torpedoes is the cause of our lack of success. On 15.40 U 48 reported misses and failures at DDs. U 65 one double miss at a transport (Vaagsfjord). U 47: 4 misses at transports lying at anchor (Vaagsfjord). U 47: 1 G7a failure, 3 electric torpedoes failed to fire (Vaagsfjord), probably also at transports. These reports from the Vaagsfjord and Westfjord boats are depressing. The hopes that things would be improved by switching over to "AZ" have proved unfounded. I have placed the most capable commanding officers at these vital points for the operation. From their reports and from what is known of their personal qualities and abilities, there can be no doubt that they made determined efforts and tried everything possible. I can only accept part of the shots as misses. A large part were undoubtedly failures of torpedo or firing unit.
> Results have shown that it was a mistake to go over to "AZ". The essential conditions were that the torpedo should not keep a depth more than 1.75 meters below that set and that impact firing should work for certain. These conditions are clearly not fulfilled. The reason for the failures must be either that the torpedo runs considerably deeper and the targets are undershot or that, for some reason, the pistol does not fire or does not arm. This suspicion of mine is increased firstly by the fact that the information which I have received from the responsible authorities on depth-keeping has varied considerably with time, so that I have the impression that there is no certainty on this point, and secondly by the fact that already in October and November odd reports were received from boats which indicated that shots had hit without an explosion following.
> 
> This partly confirmed by information from the Torpedo Inspectorate. U 65 and U 48 were fitted out with pistols with 4 bladed propellers. It appears that these pistols are liable not to arm. They too have been issued to the boats without adequate trial.
> ...



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-29

At Sea 17 April 1940
U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
32 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Fr subs CASABIANCA, SFAX, ACHILLE and PASTEUR of Fr SubDiv 2 (renamed SubFlot 9 on arrival) docked at Harwich escort sloop ROSEMARY and trawler BERBERIS. PASTEUR was damaged while manoeuvring at Harwich and was unable to submerge, but the other 3 departed Harwich on the 18th for Dundee. CASABIANCA departed Dundee on patrol on the 21st for patrol in the Bergen area, SFAX on the 23rd for Flekkefjord and Egersund area, and ACHILLE on the 20th for patrol at the sth entrance to Stavanger. On their next patrol, the subs were deployed at the entrance of the Skagerrak on the longitude of Lindesnes. German U-boats off southern Norway were ordered to withdraw. Subs NARWHAL, UNITY and SPEARFISH arrived back at Blyth after patrols.

2 Skuas of 800 Squadron departed Hatston to attack German targets at Bergen. A Skua flown by Lt E.G. Finch-Noyes attacked DKM ML BREMSE without success. The other Skua flown by Captain R.T. Partridge RM, made no attack and on its return to Sumburgh crashed on the field and was a total loss. Crew safe. OA.131 departed Southend escorted by destroyer VESPER from the 17th to 19th, and VENETIA on the 17th.

FN.148 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 19th. MT.53 departed Methil, escort DDs WOLSEY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.148 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WOLSEY and WESTMINSTER and arrived at Southend on the 19th.

*Northern Waters*
BC REPULSE with DDs HAVELOCK, HAVANT and FAME departed Scapa Flow for Narvik. D HIGHLANDER, conducting ASW patrols in Lillesjona Fjord, ran aground damaging her rudder, propellers and all projecting underwater fittings. She was able to proceed under her own power at reduced speed from Lillesjona on the 17th for Hull where she arrived on the 19th for repairs completed on 20 May. HIGHLANDER arrived at Scapa on 23 May for duty.

CLs GALATEA, ARETHUSA, CLAs CARLISLE, CURACOA, and DDs ARROW and ACHERON departed Rosyth with troops to be landed at Molde and Aandalsnes . GALATEA and CARLISLE landed troops of the 148th Bde at Aandalsnes in the dusk light of the 18th, while ARETHUSA and CURACOA landed troops of the 148th Brigade at Molde, and the DDs ferried them to Aandalsnes. There was no opposition to the landings. The sloops carrying the "PRIMROSE" detachment, arrived at Aandalsnes at 2200 17 April. By dawn on the 18th, disembarkation of the troops was completed. Sloop BLACK SWAN remained in the area to provide AA support until the 21st and the other sloops departed.


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## parsifal (Apr 17, 2015)

* 17 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (Cont'd)*
*Northern Waters (Cont'd)*
DD ESCORT departed Lerwick after safely delivering the damaged DD ECLIPSE and proceeded towards Scapa Flow. A sub contact was reported by a/c at midday which ESCORT attacked and summoned DDs TARTAR and JAVELIN from Scapa to assist. Further investigation proved this was the wreck depth charged by DD CODRINGTON on 5 April. All 3 DDs arrived at Scapa on the 18th. Sub TAKU was stationed off Sulenfjord 20 miles from Aalesund to prevent German ships from entering the area. Uninformed of TAKU's presence and patrolling in the same area was DD ASHANTI. In th4e early hrs of the morning, TAKU fired 4 torps at ASHANTI, which all missed. TAKU was then taken under attack by ASHANTI which dropped 1 DC charge before TAKU was identified. She sustained a strained fore hatch.

At Harstad, the unloading of the convoy NP.1 transports was completed on the 17th and by 18 April the quays were cleared of cargos. The convoy, troopships MONARCH OF BERMUDA, BATORY and REINA DEL PACIFICO, departed Vaagsfjord escort DDs AMAZON, VOLUNTEER and WITHERINGTON early morning 17th. It arrived in the Clyde on the 20th, escorted by DDs FEARLESS, FURY, HYPERION.

During the night of 16/17 April, DDs AFRIDI, MATABELE, MASHONA and NUBIAN met Polish troopship CHROBRY at sea and led her up Namsenfjord to Namsos supported by CLAs CAIRO and CURLEW. CLs GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD with DD SIKH remained at sea on guard. MATABELE and MASHONA ferried troops ashore from CHROBRY while AFRIDI and NUBIAN patrolled in the Fjord. Before dawn 17th, MATABELE and SIKH re-embarked GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD's landing parties put ashore on the 14th. DD SOMALI arrived at Scapa 17th from Lillesjona. When CHROBRY left Namsenfjord early on the 18th, she was not completely unloaded and returned to Lillesjona. It was decided to send CHROBRY back to Namsos the night of 18/19 April to complete unloading as Fr FP.1, en route to Namsos, was a day late and would not arrive until late on the 19th. DD MOHAWK had departed Scapa on the 17th, and arrived at Namsos on the 18th with ammunition for the ships. MOHAWK was ordered to join DD ASHANTI to patrol the Trondheim Leads until the 22nd when they departed to refuel at Scapa. GLASGOW and SHEFFIELD arrived at Scapa for refuelling on the 18th. After dark on the 18th, MATABELE was detached to refuel at Sullom Voe. CAIRO refuelled at Skelfjord, but returned in time to rejoin CURLEW escorting CHROBRY. Unloading was completed the night of the 18th/19th. CHROBRY returned to Scapa on the 20th. AFRIDI arrived at Scapa to refuel and re-ammunition, while CHROBRY, escorted by SIKH and MASHONA, went on to the Clyde, arriving 21st. NUBIAN arrived at Namsos as an AA guard on the 20th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.131 departed Liverpool escort sloop FOLKESTONE from the 18th to 20th, when she detached to SL.27. OB.131 dispersed on the 21st.

*Channel*
DDs BASILISK, BEAGLE, CAMPBELL, BROKE, WREN, VANSITTART, ANTELOPE, WOLVERINE and WITCH departed Dover for Scapa . DD VANSITTART has just arrived at Dover escorting a convoy. At 0900, they were diverted en route to search for a Uboat. BASILISK, BEAGLE, BROKE and ANTELOPE were ordered at 0900/18th to search for the submarine sinking steamer SWAINBY, while WREN, WOLVERINE, WITCH, CAMPBELL and VANSITTART were sent to search for a German submarine reported by a/c. They arrived at Scapa on the 19th. Meanwhle BASILISK, BEAGLE, BROKE and ANTELOPE were sent to search for the crew of a downed Whitley bomber. They rescued four crew and arrived at Scapa on the 19th. DDs WILD SWAN, WHITSHED and VERITY arrived at Dover on the 18th to replace them. 

*UK - France*
BC.33 with 4 steamers departed the Loire escort DD MONTROSE, and arrived in the Bristol Channel on the 18th.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.28 departed Freetown escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE until 22 April. On 22 April, the convoy merged with SL.28. On 29 April, DDs VESPER and WALPOLE joined the convoys and escorted them to Liverpool arriving on 1 May.


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## Njaco (Apr 18, 2015)

*April 18 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Norwegian government declared war on Germany after several days of fighting. The British 148th Brigade arrived in Åndalsnes overnight. Commanding officer Brigadier Morgan was given orders to advance 150 miles northeast to Trondheim. However, Morgan has also received opposite instructions (directly from Chief of the Imperial General Staff General Ironside) to support the Norwegian troops currently to the southeast defending the Gudbrandsdal and Østerdal valleys leading up from Oslo. Meanwhile, troops of the German 181st infantry division begins reinforcing Trondheim, arriving in numerous transport planes, one conventional transport ship and 2 submarines operating as undersea troop transports. German troops moving north out of Oslo are held up by Norwegian forces in the village of Bagn in the district of Valdres, approximately midway between Oslo and Bergen.

‘Operation Hammer’, the proposed landings at Trondheim, suffers a further setback. Brigadier Berney-Ficklin is put in charge but he is injured when his plane crashes en route to embark at Scapa Flow.

Two days ago, with the Germans surrounded by Norwegian forces, it looked like the end had come for the paratroopers at Dombås and that they would soon have to surrender. But luck was with the Germans and soon a snow storm fell on the area. With visibility reduced in the heavy snow, the Germans sneaked out of the farm building they had occupied. Last night a 40mm anti-aircraft gun arrived with Norwegian reinforcements. The Norwegians then learnt that Germans had relocated to a farmstead called North and South Lindse Farm, located atop a nearby hill. The hill had a clear view of railway lines and nearby main roads, thereby giving the Germans a good position to defend and stop attackers. The Norwegians then began firing at and shelling the North and South Lindse Farm. For German commander Oberleutnat Schmidt, the danger suddenly became much more real. Fortunately for the Germans, this evening brought relief when a Junkers Ju-52 air dropped ammunition, warm clothing, provisions, medical supplies and the radio frequency for communicating with headquarters.

British submarine HMS “_Sterlet_” disappeared off Norway. It was either sunk by German anti-submarine trawlers UJ-125, UJ-126, and UJ-128, or sunk after hitting a mine.

*GERMANY: *The German submarine U-99 was commissioned with Captain Otto "Smiling Otto" Kretschmer in command. U-99 would be responsible for sinking 282,000 tons of Allied shipping before being cornered and sunk in Mar 1941. Depth charged to the surface and sunk, U-99's captain and crew were taken prisoner by Donald Macintyre of the corvette HMS “_Walker_”.

.



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## parsifal (Apr 18, 2015)

* 18 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U-99, Type 1935 MSW M-21 








ML Brummer II (ex Nor OLAV TRYGGVASON), MSW RaumeBootes R-46-49 (4 Boats) 








Neutral
IT Marconi Class Subs BARACCA and MALASPINA




_The earlier pre-war Italian subs were of doubtful value, however the Marconi class were top class fleet boats_

*Known Losses*
Sub SEAWOLF fired 2 torps at one ship and 4 torps at another ship from a group of 3 MVs escort 4 UJ trawlers. One torp struck and sank *Troopship HAMM (Ger 5874 grt)*, returning from Oslo, off the Skaw.





*Pre-WWI TB SAEL (Nor 84 grt)*: In one of the first MTB engagements of the war, SAEL engaged 3 larger S Bootes. She left one E Boat disabled and listong but was raked stem to stern with 20mm rounds. 3 torps were launched, one detonating on the bottom causing bow damge and forcing her skipper to beach the SAEL. Despite her damage, all crew were saved when they swam to shore. One man was injured. The SAEL was sunk in Hardangerfjord near Bergen. 





*Steamer EDDA (SD 1587 grt)* The clearly neutral vesel was seized by German forces outside Larvik and renamed AXEL for German service. The Swedes raise no protest. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KARE (SD 1203 grt)* was attacked by German bombers, and the crew abandoned ship and went ashore. She was seized and named HELA for German service. There is no protest from the Swedish govt. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sub STERLET (RN 768 grt)* The S-class sub was sunk in the Skagerrak south of Larvik, Norway. Exact cause of loss is un-deterrmined. It is possible she was sunk in a combined attack by Aux SCs UJ.125, UJ.126, and UJ.128 in Karingoefjord. It is now fairly certain that this attack did not sink the STERLET. A more likely candidate was ASW attacks late in the day by the escort of a sth bound convoy consisting of MSW M.75 and WWI TB T.190. It is also possible she was lost in a minefield nearby. All hands were lost.





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> 1. Report on OKW directive. The Fuehrer has ordered:
> 
> a) Group Narvik has the task of defending itself along the ore railroad, of tying down the enemy and of preparing thorough destruction of the ore railroad. It is being supplied with ammunition and food. Fresh forces will not be brought up.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Following Naval War Staff's new instructions "4654", boats are being distributed as follows:
> 
> A) Small boats: The following will go to the U-boat School as soon as possible: U 1 - 7, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20 and 21 - 13 boats. The following will remain off Bergen until their supplies are exhausted: U 14, 17, 23, 24 - 4 boats. Total 17 boats. The following will remain for operations: U 13, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62.
> B) Large boats: U 25, 38, 49, 65 will remain in the Lofoten area until they have used all their torpedoes. U 30, 34, 50 will remain in the Trondheim area. U 47, 48 37 are on their way back. U 29 is on her way out. U 46, 51, 52 are being recalled. U 28 is under repair. Total: 15 boats.
> ...



Arrivals
Trondheim: U-26 
Wilhelmshaven: U-37

At Sea 18 April 1940
U-3, U-5, U-6, U-7, U-9, U-10, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
30 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM MLs HANSESTADT DANZIG, KAISER, ROLAND, COBRA, PREUSSEN and KONIGIN LUISE laid ASW mine barrages in the Kattegat. The MLs were escorted by TBs GREIF, SEEADLER and MOEWE and MSWs R 25 and R 27. GREIF was relieved by TB WOLF. 

*North Sea*
ORP sub ORZEL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SEALION and Fr sub LA SYBILLE arrived at Harwich after patrol. FN.149 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. DD WHITLEY relieved the sloop, which on relief proceeded to Rosyth. On 19 April, WINCHESTER hit a submerged object 5.6 miles from Tongue Light Vessel, but was able to continue with the convoy with damage to her asdic and propeller. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 20th with WHITLEY and WINCHESTER. MT.54 departed Methil, escort DD VEGA and sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne later that day. FS.149 departed the Tyne, escort DD VEGA and sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th.

*Northern Waters*
Operation HAMMER, allied troop landings at Trondheim, was cancelled. DDs ESK, ICARUS, IVANHOE departed Scapa for Immingham where they arrived on the 19th. DDs JUNO, JANUS, HEREWARD, HASTY departed Scapa for the Clyde to escort CV GLORIOUS from Greenock to Scapa. DDs HASTY and JACKAL arrived at Scapa for duty with the Home Flt after repairs. HASTY arrived at Scapa with DD WHITLEY escorting tkr WAR NIZAM. WHITLEY then returned to Rosyth. DD ESCORT departed Scapa for Lerwick with personnel and stores for damaged DD ECLIPSE.

Near Tromso, CVL FURIOUS, escort DD ISIS and ILEX, was damaged by the concussion of a near miss from a single LW He 111 bomber attack carried out at extreme range. FURIOUS's hull was damaged and she stripped some turbine blades. Then on 24 April, she reported two propeller shafts out of action. A Swordfish a/ct of 816 Sdn from FURIOUS crashed near Tromso when it struck a H/T wire stretched across the fjord, pilot was killed, two other crewman seriously injured. DD FORTUNE escorting tkr WAR PINDARI arrived at Tromso. 

*West Coast UK*
OB.132 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK from 18 to 21 April. The convoy dispersed on the 22nd. OG.26 was formed from convoys OA.130G, which departed Southend on the 16th escort DD VIVACIOUS and OB.130G, which departed Liverpool on the 16th escort DD VIMY, with 54 ships. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 25th, escort Fr sloop ANNAMITE and escort ship VIKINGS, which joined on the 19th from Lorient

*Channel*
MSW HUSSAR completed boiler cleaning at Dover. MSW HALCYON went alongside depot ship SANDHURST in the Sub Basin at Dover for boiler cleaning. Escort vessel WINCHESTER, which was working up (after conversion) carried out ASW exercises with sub H.28.


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## parsifal (Apr 18, 2015)

* 18 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D*
*Nth Atlantic*
HX.36 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 19th. After screening the ocean escort, BB REVENGE to sea, ST LAURENT returned to Halifax, with SAGUENAY and SKEENA arriving back on the morning of the 20th. The BB was detached on the 26th. DDs VIMY and WAKEFUL joined the convoy on the 30th, with VIMY detaching on 2 May and WAKEFUL on the 3rd, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
Convoy HG.27F of 26 ships departed Gib. DD VELOX escorted the convoy on the 18th, Fr DD CHACAL and TB BATAILLEUSE from the 18th to 24th, and sloops SCARBOROUGH and LEITH from the 24th to 27th. SCARBOROUGH arrived in the Downs on the 26th with the Thames section of the convoy, while the main convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

The Ex-Italian DDs (SELLA Class), purchased by Sweden, departed Naples, but a collision soon occurred between PUKE and PSILANDER (as they were now named). Damage required the DDs to call at Cartagena, where they arrived on the 23rd. The transfer of these vessels was not a smooth straightforward affair. It would be July before they reached Sweden. 








_Deck shot of the PUKE enroute to Sweden . The variations of uniform suggest a mixed Swedish/Italian crew. Psilander shown in the drydock at Cartagena, under repair_


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## parsifal (Apr 18, 2015)

* 19 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Kagero Class DD URAKAZE, SC CH13 (precise comm date uncertain)







Allied
ASW Trawler HICKORY (Tree Class), - Gunboat MOSQUITO (Dragonfly Class) - MTB 67, 68 











_Pictured left to right HMS SYCAMORE of the Tree Class, Dragon Fly Class Gunboat, model of the 55' Thornycroft MTB_
*Known Losses*
*MV JAUNTJELGAVA (Ex-Lat, Ger 1509 grt)*: The cargo ship collided with DKM THOR and sank in the Baltic Sea. She had been seized by the Germans October 26 1939

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> The Naval Attache believes that at best Italy will enter the war actively when the Western Powers are so hampered that there is no longer any danger for Italy. The Attache' considers Imminent intervention by Italy out of the question.
> 
> In spite of this, great preparations are being made for war. New Defense Council created, naval mobilization complete, different necessities rationed, Red Cross measures. Numerous wishes are constantly being submitted to Germany regarding help with heavy guns, anti-aircraft guns, etc.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-13 
Wilhelmshaven: U-3, U-5 , U-6 

Departures
Trondheim: U-26

At Sea 19 April 1940
U-7, U-9, U-10, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
27 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub TRIAD fired 4 torps at DKM MSW NAUTILUS, but all missed. In operations by German naval auxiliary Schiff 18 and MSWer M.1, (which was part of the Egersund invasion force and had been left behind because of mechanical defects), 5 S-boats of the S-Flot 1 operated in Hardangersfjord, south of Bergen. These were the boats that sank Norwegian torpedo boat SAEL and one S-boat was damaged by two hits in the engagement at Anuglo

*North Sea*
Sub SEAL arrived at Rosyth after patrol, but departed that day and proceeded to Blyth, arriving on the 20th. Fr subs DORIS and ORPHEE departed Harwich on patrol. Sub SNAPPER and Fr sub ANTIOPE arrived at Harwich after patrol. Sub SUNFISH arrived at Harwich after patrol.

Fr Contre torpilleur DDs INDOMPTABLE, MALIN and TRIOMPHANT en route to Rosyth anchored in the Downs for the night, and on the 20th, continued on to Rosyth. Fr subs CALYPSO and THETIS of SubDiv 13 arrived at Harwich on the 19th, escort sloop FOXGLOVE, to reinforce SubFlot 10 for patrols in the southern Nth Sea. 

MT.55 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and PV yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.150 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and PV patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.

*Northern Waters*
CL EFFINGHAM was attacked by U.38, sw of the Lofotens, but was not damaged. CL ENTERPRISE, arriving in Vaagsfjord during the evening of 19 April, was attacked by U.65. All the torps exploded prematurely and no damage was done. DKM U-boats off Vaagsfjord, Vestfjord, Namsenfjord and Romdalsfjord were ordered to return to Germany.

DD FEARLESS, FURY and HYPERION departed Scapa to meet homebound HNP 1 and relieve escort DDs VOLUNTEER and WITHERINGTON, which then proceeded to Scapa and the Clyde, respectively. A Swordfish of 818 Squadron from FURIOUS forced landed intact on a snowfield of Lake Skogsfjord, Ringvassoy. the crewwere rescued uninjured and the a/c subsequently salved as well. ORP DDs GROM, BURZA and BLYSKAWICA departed Scapa for Harstad to relieve DDs there. DD ESCORT rendezvoused with them off Lerwick, but BURZA was forced to return to Scapa with storm damage to her bow, arriving there on the 20th. Also on the 20th, U.9 attacked BLYSKAWICA NE of the Shetlands and was counterattacked in return. The 3 DDs arrived safely on the 21st off Harstad without further incident and were led into port by DD FAULKNOR.

BB VALIANT and BC RENOWN, which were to embark special shells for the Trondheim bombardment, escorted by CLs GALATEA, ARETHUSA and DDs VANSITTART, CAMPBELL, WITCH and WOLVERINE, departed Scapa at 1700 for Rosyth. DD GREYHOUND departed with the force and continued on to Blackwall for structural repairs.

Fr convoy FP.1, carrying the 5th Chasseur Alpins Demi Brigade, consisted of Fr AMCs EL D'JEZAIR, EL KANTARA and EL MANSOUR, escort by Contre Torpileur DDs BISON, EPERVIER and MILAN of Fr DesDiv 11 , and AMC VILLE D'ORAN, in a Gp arriving behind the first, escort Contre Torpilleurs DDs CHEVALIER PAUL, MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ and TARTU of Fr DesDivv 5 , which departed Scapa on the 20th for Namsenfjord. EL MANSOUR, EL KANTARA, VILLE D' ORAN, British troopship FRANCONIA, and TARTU, CHEVALIER PAUL, MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ and EPERVIER had departed the Clyde on the 16th and arrived at Scapa on the 17th. The convoys' passage was given close cover by Fr CL EMILE BERTIN and heavy support by BC REPULSE and CLA CURLEW. Enemy opposition to the convoys was considerable.


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## parsifal (Apr 18, 2015)

* 19 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D) *

*Northern Waters (cont'd)*
On the 18th, U.34 unsuccessfully attacked EMILE BERTIN, and on the afternoon of the 19th, U.46 launched torps without success at MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, which counterattacked and drove her off. However, she lost touch with the convoy and did not rejoin until it had arrived at Namsos. The two gps and their escorts arrived off Namsos and were joined by CLA CAIRO which came out from there. During the disembarkation, EMILE BERTIN in Namsenfjord was hit by a German bomb which resulted in moderate damage, and as she withdrew, escorted by MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, she was unsuccessfully attacked by U.51. They were joined at sea by EPERVIER and RN CL MANCHESTER, and the gp proceeded to Sullom Voe. DDs ANTELOPE and BROKE departed Scapa on 20 May and joined the Fr CL for escort. After seeing her near to Scapa, they returned to escort convoy FP.1 back.

VILLE D'ORAN was damaged by a near miss at 2200 while sailing up Namsenfjord and fell behind. She was able to catch up and disembark her cargo, but had to go to Glasgow for repairs. After the disembarkation, the Fr ships left before dawn on the 20th with CAIRO and arrived at Sullom Voe 21st, escort DD TARTU, CHEVALIER PAUL, MAILLÉ BRÉZÉ, BROKE and ANTELOPE. Troopships EL D'JEZAIR, EL KANTARA and EL MANSOUR departed Sullom Voe 22nd for Scapa escort DDs BROKE, ANTELOPE, TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL, and arrived on the 23rd, while VILLE D'ORAN departed Sullom Voe 22nd, escort DD EPERVIER, for the Clyde. CAIRO which had suffered some bomb damage from a near miss at Namsos arrived at Scapa on the 21st, while CURLEW, which was supposed to go to Namsos as AA guard ship, had insufficient fuel and had to return to Scapa arriving on the 20th. With no AAt protection, Namsos was heavily bombed by unopposed Luftwaffe forces and the port sustained heavy damage. DD NUBIAN arrived on the 20th as an AA guard ship, departing 21st.




_Namsos after the LW attacks April 20_

BB WARSPITE, departing Vestfjord for Rosyth escort DDs HAVOCK, HOSTILE, HERO and FOXHOUND, was attacked by U.47 but the torps prematured. The escorting DDs subjected U.47 to a heavy DC attack, and WARSPITE was recalled to Narvik. DD WREN departed Scapa for Lerwick to escort steamer ST ROGNVALD (1069grt) carrying troops from Lerwick to Aberdeen. WREN then arrived back at Scapa on the 20th, but was ordered to the Clyde without entering harbour.

DD MATABELE on passage to Scapa was diverted to escort ML TEVIOTBANK from Sullom Voe to Rosyth. DD FORESTER departed Scapa 20th, relieved MATABELE for the remainder of the voyage, and she and TEVIOTBANK arrived in the Humber on the 22nd. FORESTER went on to Hull for repairs.

*Med- Biscay*
DD KEPPEL arrived at Gib from Malta on completion of her repairs from her January collision.


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## Njaco (Apr 19, 2015)

*April 19 Friday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Quote by Norwegian King Haakon to the President of the Norwegian Supreme Court in Oslo:


> "…the Norwegian Government can negotiate on no basis but the removal of the German troops from the country".



The first engagement between British and German troops in Norway took place at Verdal, north of Trondheim. General de Wiart’s 146th Brigade joined Norwegian forces at Steinkjer, at the northern end of the Trondheimfjord, and pushed forward 10 km to Verdal. They were met by German 138th Gebirgsjäger Regiment, advancing north from Trondheim. The units of the Brigade which have advanced from Namsos to Steinkjer were forced to retreat by the German troops who have support from the warships in Trondheim Fiord.

Overnight, 3 battalions of French Chasseurs Alpins (mountain infantry) arrive at Namsos, to reinforce 146th Brigade, but their skis, mules, trucks and anti-aircraft guns do not. When their skis do arrive, they lack straps and are useless.

Further South, Brigadier Morgan meets Norwegian General Ruge, at Ruge’s HQ in Øyer, near Lillehammer. German 196th Division takes the towns of Hamar and Elverum only 50 miles South. Morgan is persuaded to abandon his orders to move on Trondheim and instead instructs 148th Brigade to advance from Åndalsnes, 200 miles Southeast down the Gudbrandsdal to reinforce Ruge’s troops blocking the German advance from Oslo.

Three prototype Neubaufahrzeug heavy tanks (35 tons, three turrets with 75 mm main and 37 mm secondary gun) arrive in Oslo and are paraded through the streets to intimidate the locals, before joining the drive to Trondheim.

After six days, 20 Norwegian and 15 German killed, the Battle of Dombås came to an end. The German paratroopers, besieged in two farmsteads, found this morning the Norwegians had completed surrounding their position. The Norwegians had brought in fresh reinforcements and weaponry overnight, including another heavy gun. With shells targeting the farmstead, the Germans sent a negotiator down to the Norwegians hoping to arrange peace. The Norwegians replied by insisting they would accept nothing less than unconditional surrender from the Germans. They gave them ten minutes to decide before shelling of the farms would resume and the Germans would be wiped out. For nine-and-a-half minutes the Norwegians awaited the response. Finally the Germans agreed.The Fallschirmjägers at Dombås surrender, surrounded, outnumbered, out of ammunition and bombarded by a railway howitzer. Of 185 that parachuted in, only 45 survive. Oberleutnant Schmidt has remained in command despite serious wounds to the hip and stomach. He will survive and receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 May.

A 1(F)./122 Heinkel performed an early overflight of Namsos and found some British cruisers. In addition a 1(F)./122 Heinkel overflew Aandalsnes reporting the sighting of two battleships, three cruisers, five destoyers and several supply ships. This was an error, however, the Royal Navy cruisers “_Arethuser_” and “_Galatae_” had been in the vicinity but had already sailed for Rosyth. “_Émile Bertin_” was damaged by German aircraft off Namsos. She would be sent to Brest, France for repairs.

German Orders are issued for a planned attack on Namsos for the next day. The small town of Namsos was the base for Anglo-French forces in central Norway. The buildings in the town were mostly wooden built and it immediately became a target for German air attack; 


> “Main command of the Wehrmacht
> WFA Nr. 827/40g. Kdos. Abt. L
> Berlin, 19.4.40
> Secret
> ...



Germany announced the formation of the Reich Commissariat for the occupied Norwegian Territories.

*ASIA: *Japan informed the United States that Japan had no aggressive intentions toward the Dutch East Indies.

*GERMANY:* Admiral Donitz greets the crew of U-37 on their return to Wilhelmshaven. U-37 had patrolled for 20 days and had sunk three ships, one Swedish, one Norwegian and one British. The commander, Werner Hartmann was soon to receive the Knights Cross (on the 9th May). This was his last patrol before he became a training commander and later a Flotilla commander. He would undertake only one further war patrol and would survive the war. The First Officer Nicolai Clausen was awarded the U-Boat War Badge, usually granted after two war patrols, on 18th April 1940. He would later return to become the commander of U-37 in 1941. He died in 1942 as commander of U-182, sunk by depth charges while returning from a long patrol to the Indian Ocean.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 19, 2015)

* 20 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN CL KATORI




Neutral
SU Gnevnyi Class DD RAZYARYONNYI




Allied
Fr CH-5 Class SC CH-11




*Known Losses*
*ASW Trawler S RUTLANDSHIRE (RN 350 grt (est))*: The ASW trawler was bombed and sunk in the Namsenfjorden off Namsos, Norway by a/c of KG 26, Luftwaffe.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CVL FURIOUS intercepted *trawler RHEIN (Ger 254 grt) *off North Cape, which was taken in prize and escorted to Harstad by DD IMOGEN. 

_Battle Of Uskedal in the Bergen Fjords)_
From her anchorage south of Uskedal Pre-1900 ML TYR first damaged an E-boat and then, with her 12 cm main gun, put a large hole below the waterline of the armed trawler Schiff 18 forcing her to be beached to avoid sinking. At 05.30 a.m. the battle turned against the Norwegians as another ASW trawler, Schiff 221 (DKM) landed more troops at Trones which advanced on Uskedal from a new direction. All the while during the battle TYR was providing Gunfire spt from her position in the Storsund midway between Uskedal and Heroysund, bombarding the Germans with HE shells. Even though she came under heavy MG fire from German troops, TYR helped the Norwegian land forces hold their ground until taken by surprise by the sudden arrival of the Gunnery training ship BREMSE (Ger). Fire from the larger enemy ship forced TYR to back out the fight and go to the docks in Uskedal. After a short while at anchor Tyr was ordered back into the fight to help the TB Stegg that was fighting BREMSE. Once TYR returned to the battle she again gained the attention of the DKM warship and was forced to take cover in a small bay at Skorpo. The TYR's skipper now considered the battle as hopeless he ordered his crew ashore to rest, also sending small arms and ammunition on land. The cptn started preparations to scuttle his ship with explosives, but before he could carry out his intentions two E-boats entered the bay and boarded TYR. Before long Schiff 221 arrived and took TYR in tow. By afternoon TYR was on her way back to Bergen with a German crew. Her service with DKM was brief, she was damaged and then abandoned 2 May. 

In operations by German gunnery training ship BREMSE, *ASW Trawler Schiff 18 (DKM 550 grt (Est))*, MSE M.1 (DKM) and S-boats in Hardangersfjord, *TB STEGG (Nor 256grt)* at Heroysund and *Aux PV SMART (Nor 122 grt)* at Usekedel were sunk by BREMSE. *ML TYR (Nor 290 grt)* was sent to assist STEGG, engaged Schiff 18 which was damaged and ran aground at Usekedel, near Bergen, but was captured later by German forces when the Norwegian crew went ashore during daylight hours. She was taken for German use. TYR with ML ULLER departed Bergen on the 30th to lay mines at the entrance to Sognefjord, where they were attacked by Norwegian a/c and ULLER damaged and ran aground. The crew was taken aboard TYR which returned towards Bergen. On 1 May, she was attacked by a Norwegian gunboat and sustained many casualties to the German crew. TYR served no further use to the German forces, but was returned after the war to the Norwegians. 




_No Image for Schiff 18, or SMART, TB STEGG shown_

This battle, by seemingly inconsequential forces, led to some major breakthroughs. DKM MSW M.1 seized some 40,000 tons of merchant shipping at Haugesand and took them to Stavanger. Included in this haul was steamer *CLARE HUGO STINNES (Ex-Ger 5294 grt)* at Kinsarvik, recaptured after it had been seized by the Norwegians at the start of the campaign, and a number of steamers - *SAN MIGUEL (Nor 2380 grt)* at Ulvik, *BLACK PRINCE (Nor 5039 grt)*, *KONG OSCAR II (Nor 914 grt)*, and *VENUS (Nor 5407 grt)* at Stanghelle, near Bergen. 

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Commander in Chief, Navy Issued the following order of the day: "Men of the Navy, today on the birthday of our Fuehrer and Supreme Commander we renew the oath of unconditional loyalty and obedience we swore to him.
> 
> True to this oath we will pursue the fight forced upon us with unshakable courage, firm resolve and unbounded will to win and add new successes to those unexampled ones gained by the Navy in combat against overwhelming odds. With unshakable confidence we look to the man who is leading our people upwards to new greatness. We follow on the way he shows us in the proud consciousness that the goal set will be attained and final victory be ours. So let it be. Long live the Fuehrer!
> Items of Political Importance
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 34 reported convoys yesterday and today, but had no success with a double shot. U 47 managed to shadow a convoy. The boats which previously in the Vaagsfjord and U 25 can operate against this.In the open sea, far off the coast, they will probably be able to make their attacks without constant interference from a/c. Whether or not the torpedoes will detonate remains to be seen!
> This morning alone there have been reports of 12 unsuccessful shots! U 9 reported the sinking of an ex-Polish DD. Sth of zone O!
> U 23 has been given a new position east of the Shetlands. U 57, U 58 and U 59 can transfer their operations areas 70 miles in direction 350, as in their present positions they are restricted by strong ASW activity at present. U 13, which has refueled in Bergen, has been ordered to a position west of Pentland Firth. U 38 reported, among other things, that she could not maintain a high continuous speed owing to consumption of lubricating oil. It is not desirable to judge from here what effect technical defects are having on the boat. The commander will have to decide himself what to do. U 48 entered port. U 21, which left Kristiansand on 16.4, released from internment, entered Kiel. I am withdrawing U 30, 34, 50, which are still north of the Trondheim Fjord, to the southwest.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-21, U-48

At Sea 20 April 1940
U-7, U-9, U-10, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
26 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub TRIAD sighted a German convoy of 3 steamers and 4 escorts , attacked 1 of the steamers off Arendal and claimed to have sunk her, but no damage was done. At 1318, sub SWORDFISH fired 6 torps at the same convoy in Bohus Bay, which she reported as 3 freighters and 4 F-type escort ships. One of the torps just missed steamer SANTOS (Ger 5943 grt). 

*North Sea*
Sloop AUCKLAND was damaged by a near miss in the same bombing attack at Namsos. CLA CARLISLE at Aandalsnes was damaged by a near miss by LW Bombers, suffering a leak in her starboard condenser. Subs URSULA arrived at Blyth, and TAKU at Rosyth after patrols. Fr sub CIRCE departed Harwich on patrol, but returned on the 22nd with her after planes out of action. CL ARETHUSA embarked RAF personnel and fuel at Rosyth and proceeded unaccompanied to Andalsnes where the personnel and cargo were landed early on the 22nd.

Steamer WESTERN PRINCE (10,926grt) was machine gunned and damaged by LW bombers near Edinburgh Light Vessel. ASW yacht MOLLUSC (627grt) attacked a submarine contact in 52-34N, 2-01E. Patrol sloop SHELDRAKE reinforced this attack somewhat later. FN.150 departed Southend, escort DDs WESTMINSTER and WOLSEY, and WOLSEY was machine gunned by LW bombers in the area of Smith's Knoll. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 22nd. MT.56 departed Methil, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON, and sub SEAL took passage with them. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.151 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON, and arrived at Southend on the 22nd.


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## parsifal (Apr 19, 2015)

* 20 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS{CONT"D]*

*Northern Waters (cont'd)*
Tkr BRITISH LADY escort DDs HOTSPUR, PUNJABI and JUPITER departed Skelfjord during the forenoon for Scapa, arriving on the 23rd with tug BRIGAND in attendance. DDs BEAGLE and VOLUNTEER departed Scapa with tkr ALDERSDALE for Skelfjord, where they arrived on the 24th.

CLs SOUTHAMPTON and ENTERPRISE were at Tromso. DDs FAULKNOR, ESCAPADE and JUPITER conducted ASW ops in Vestfjord screening CLs AURORA and EFFINGHAM. At first light on the 20th, JUPITER was relieved for refuelling by DD GRENADE, and EFFINGHAM was relieved early on the 21st by CL ENTERPRISE. DDs SOMALI and TARTAR departed Scapa establish a patrol in Kraakvaagford by dusk on the 21st. They joined DDs ASHANTI and MOHAWK, already in the area, patrolling the Trondheim Leads, later departing on the 22nd for Scapa for fuel and ammunition, where they arrived on the 23rd. DDs BASILISK, BEAGLE and HESPERUS departed Scapa to operate as an ASW striking force east of the Orkneys and Fair Island. BEAGLE arrived back at Scapa for escort duties, and BASILISK and HESPERUS were ordered on the 21st to the Clyde for escort duties.


Liner FRANCONIA (UK 20,175 grt) arrived at Harstad escort BC REPULSE and DDs HAVANT, HAVELOCK, FAME. Congestion was so great that 1141 men of a labour force were sent back home without ever disembarking. However, wounded and prisoners were taken onboard for transport back to England. 

Skuas of 800 and 801 Sqns from Hatston individually attacked Bergen. German motor torpedo boat S.22 was unsuccessfully attacked. Midshipman J R Crossley and Petty Officer M Hall were lost when their Skua of 800 Sqn crashed between Lerwick and the Orkneys.

*Channel*
Fr ContreTorpilleur DDs ALBATROS and VAUTOUR (DesDiv 7) cleared Brest on the 18th, and arrived in the Clyde as escort for Fr troopships DJENNE (8790grt), FLANDRE (8503grt) and PRESIDENT DOUMER (11,898grt). The convoy was met at sea by DDs FEARLESS, FURY and VANOC which escorted them into the Clyde. DD VEGA damaged her asdic dome hitting a submerged object, docked at Chatham on the 22nd and was under repair until mid May. DD KEITH completed boiler cleaning at Dover, while DD BRILLIANT began hers. Fr DD L'ADROIT escorted 8 Norwegian merchant ships from Dunkirk to the Downs on the Dungeness route.

*Central Atlantic*
DD VELOX arrived at Gib escorting whaling ship KOSMOS II (Nor 16966 grt). The ship had departed Teneriffe and was captured by Fr sloop BOUGAINVILLE off Casablanca.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr submarines PHOQUE, DAUPHIN, NARVAL and ESPADON departed Casablanca on the 19th, passed Gib, escort DD TRAMONTANE, and were joined by sub REQUIN which had been exercising at Gib. They arrived at Bizerte on the 21st, along with submarine PROTEE which departed Casablanca on the 18th; she passed Gib with DD TROMBE on the 19th.


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## Njaco (Apr 20, 2015)

*April 20 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The aircraft of III./JG 53 fly a Freie jagd in the Zweibrucken area and encounter French Curtiss Hawk 75s of GC II/4 escorting a Potez 63 reconnaissance plane of GC II/36. The Messerschmitts attack and in the ensuing battle, anti-aircraft guns fire at both sides. The Gruppenkommandeur of III Gruppe, Hptm. Werner Mölders shoots down a Hawk 75 east of Saarbrucken for his eighth victory. Another Hawk 75 is damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Oblt. Otto ‘Otsch’ Bertram of I./JG 2, with eight Spanish victories, shoots down a Hawk 75 near Saarbrucken. Hptm. Horst ‘Jakob’ Tietzen, Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51 with seven victories in Spain, catches and shoots down a French recon Bloch 174 near Strasbourg for his first victory of the war. That evening, at 0045 hours, Ofw. Willi Schmale of IV(N)./JG 2, shoots down a Fairey Battle of RAF No. 218 Squadron dropping leaflets over Darmstadt and Mainz. It becomes the first night-fighter kill of the war for the Luftwaffe and the last RAF Battle aircraft lost in action during the ‘Sitzkrieg’.

British steamship “_City of Simla_” unloads war material in Antwerp, Belgium, for use by British troops.

Danish Army began to demobilize.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British War Cabinet canceled the plans for direct landings at Trondheim, Norway (Operation Hammer) in fear of heavy casualties and naval losses to German air attack and coastal batteries. 

Keith Park took command of the 11 Group of the Royal Air Force Fighter Command.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The British 148th Brigade arrived at Lillehammer, Norway by train at 0250 hours and began to march south toward the front lines held by Norwegian troops on both sides of Lake Mjøsa. The German forces advancing from Oslo reach the Norwegian positions at Lillehammer and Rena.

Namsos is heavily bombed by the Germans and the harbor installations, such as they are, are severely damaged. The port is ruined as a landing place. There is no natural cover from air attacks and, of course, the Germans have complete air superiority. The German aircraft destroyed large quantities of British supplies and equipment piled near the docks. The British could do little to fight back as they were short on anti-aircraft weapons. In an attempt to remedy this, the 263 Squadron RAF dispatched 18 Gladiator biplanes (under Squadron Leader John Donaldson) to Scapa Flow, where they would be ferried to Norway by HMS “_Glorious_”. 1(F)./122 took part in strikes against Namsos and area around Aandalsnes loosing an He 111 on the return journey from the area. There was only one British ship in Namsos at the time of the first attack, the Anti-Submarine Trawler HMS “_Rutlandshire_” that received a hit in the waterline on the starboard side and sank.

British War Cabinet does not inform the Norwegians or French (or the British commanders on the flanks of Trondheim) that the direct landings at Trondheim (Operation Hammer) have been cancelled. General de Wiart’s 146th Brigade maintains dangerously exposed positions on Trondheimfjord to support the landings. A failure in communications meant that the Brigade remained in these precarious positions.

*GERMANY:* German High Command issued a secret order to discharge servicemen with mixed Jewish heritage and servicemen who were married to Jewish women.


.



.


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## parsifal (Apr 20, 2015)

* 21 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Losses*
*MV CEDARBANK (UK 5159 grt)* Crew:45 (15 dead and 30 survivors) :Cargo: 400t of military stores, ammunition and vehicles: Route: Leith - Aandalsnes, Norway. At 0427 on the 21st, DD JACKAL attacked a UBoat contact. However, at 0635, before CEDARBANK (5159grt) could disembark her cargo, which included vital AA guns for area defence, artillery, mortars, transport and Bren carriers for troops of the 148th Infantry Brigade, she was sunk by U.26 offshore. Escorting DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN were unable to inflict damage on U.26 which was returning from delivering supplies to Trondheim. ST MAGNUS and ST SUNNIVA arrived safely with their troops at Aandalsnes that evening. 





*Trawler HERCULES II (UK 165 grt)*: The trawler was bombed and sunk in the Nth Sea by LW aircraft. Some sources list the cause of loss as "unknown". Between 5 and 7 crew were lost (no survivors)

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV HURGEN FRITZEN (Ger 4465 grt)* The cargo ship ran aground and sunk in the Kattegat off Landsort, Sweden.





*Trawler PENN (UK 217 grt)*, possibly 162 grt some confusion with this listing: The trawler was bombed and sunk in the North Sea by LW a/c. Some sources say she was renamed LEONARA and was lost 1 year later





LW a/c dropped mines off Ramsgate and Nth Foreland and in King's Channel. On the 23rd, steamer LOLWORTH (UK see 23 Apr entry) was sunk 1/2 mile NW of Elbow Buoy near Nth Foreland; 2 crew were lost and 22 survivors rescued. On the 24th, steamer RYDAL FORCE (UK - see 24 April) was sunk 400 south of Gull Light Vessel; 11 crew were missing, and 2 survivors rescued by MSW trawler SARAH HIDE (162grt).Then on the 25th, *steamer MARGAM ABBEY (UK 2470 grt)* from FS.53 was sunk due nth, nine cables, from East Knob Buoy, but the entire crew was rescued. Due to the minings, convoy HX.34, escorted by destroyer WHITEHALL, anchored in Dungeness Roads.

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Norway :
> According to announcements by the King of Norway, there is no doubt that the whole of Norway is at war with Germany.
> Administrative Council in Oslo without influence. The Fuehrer has now therefore assigned General von Falkenhorst,
> Commanding General, Armed Forces, Norway executive power. The latter will pass on to the base Commanders all powers
> ...



Norway was never subjected to quite the horror that Polansd was to endure, but German rule was increasingly harsh as the war progressed, and co-operation with the local population never given. Germany was forced to maintain a constant military occupation for the remainder of the war, preparing for an invasion that never came, and maintaining control over a resentful population. 

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 47 has pursued the convoy which she reported yesterday and has brought up U 65 and U 38. U 61 has arrived at Bergen and will take over oil and exchange pistols. Different pistols have been sent for her by air. She is then to proceed off the Minch. There have been no reports for some days from the following:
> U 1: last sailing report 6.4 from Nordeney. U 1 is in the inner position off Stavanger.
> U 25: last report 16.4 Ofotfjord.
> U 49: " " 13.4 square 3510 AF.
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel: U-7 
Wilhelmshaven: U-10

Departures
Bergen: U-13 

At Sea 21 April 1940
U-9, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
25 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
BB VALIANT with DDs GRAFTON, ARROW, ACHERON departed Rosyth bound for Scapa. DD NUBIAN departed Namsos, proceeded to sea and arrived back in the fjord at 1840 to find sloop AUCKLAND in harbour. AUCKLAND relieved her as AA guard ship and NUBIAN departed Namsos on the 22nd, and arrived at Scapa on the 23rd. AUCKLAND remained on station until relieved on the 24th. Sloops PELICAN and FLEETWOOD departed Rosyth with military advance parties for Aandalsnes and Molde. German steamer TOGO (5054grt) was damaged by a mine laid earlier in the month by sub NARWHAL off Arendal. 

*Northern Waters*
CL EFFINGHAM was relieved by CL ENTERPRISE on patrol off Harstad. AP.1 with steamers ST SUNNIVA (1368grt) and ST MAGNUS (1312grt) departed Aberdeen on the 19th escort DDs HESPERUS and JACKAL, which departed Scapa on the 18th for Aberdeen. They were joined at sea by steamer CEDARBANK (5159grt) escort DD JAVELIN which departed Scapa also on the 19th. At that time, HESPERUS was detached and returned to Scapa. The convoy arrived at Aalesund early on the 21st and commenced unloading by 0500. CLA CURACOA joined for AA spt on the 21st. CEDARBANK, as indicated above was lost to U-26. ASWGp 22 with Trawlers WARWICKSHIRE, HAMMOND, LARWOOD, BRADMAN, JARDINE arrived at Aandalsnes later in the day 

In the early hrs of the morning of the 21st, a small steamer of some 300 tons, escort DKM DD JACOBI, landed 400 troops at Kirknesvaag to reinforce German positions in Trondheimsfjord and outflank British troops at Stenkjer. A TB landed an infantry company at Verdalsora to secure railway and road bridges there. 

CAs DEVONSHIRE, BERWICK and DD INGLEFIELD arrived at Scapa. CLA CURACOA relieved sloop BLACK SWAN as AA guard ship at Aandalsnes. DD BRAZEN departed Scapa with ML ATREUS, escorted her as far as Cape Wrath, and arrived back on the 22nd. DDs ESCORT, BEDOUIN, FAULKNOR and the ORP BLYSKAWICA and GROM sortied into Rombaksfjord near Narvik to reconnoitre and harass German troop positions.

Fr sub ORPHEE on patrol in the North Sea 70 miles SSW of Lister fired 2 torps at U.51, which was being followed closely by U.19. Sub SEVERN arrived back at Rosyth after patrol off Kristiansand. MT.57departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS, and arrived later that day in the Tyne. FS.152 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS, and arrived at Southend on the 23rd.

*West Coast UK*
DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD and HASTY departed Greenock with CV GLORIOUS for flying on and off. They departed the Clyde at 1800 for Scapa. On 22 April, during flying on, a Skua of 803 Squadron crashed attempting to land, and while Lt A S Griffith was rescued by a DD, Naval Airman K A Brown was killed. 9 Sea Gladiators of 804 Squadron were flown onto the ship. DDs ARROW, ACHERON and BRAZEN departed Scapa on the 22nd to join GLORIOUS during flying on and off west of the Orkneys, but where then detached for Rosyth.




_Model of a Sea Gladiator HMS Glorious 804 sqn June 1940, by model maker Joe Lyons_
GLORIOUS landed 812 and 825 Sqns, while maintaining 9 Sea Gladiators of 802 Squadron, 9 Sea Gladiators of 804 Squadron, and 11 Skuas of 803 Squadron. The detached Sqns were for the e moment employed in ML and convoy escort duties on the sth and east coasts from shore bases. They then were employed around Dunkirk. 823 Squadron was temporarily disembarked to make space for 18 RAF Gladiators of 263 Squadron, which were flown for transport to Norway.


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## parsifal (Apr 20, 2015)

* 21 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Channel*
Fr AMC VILLE D'ALGER , sailing as a troopship, had departed Brest on the 15th, and arrived at Scapa on the 18th escorted by Fr DDs BISON and FOUDROYANT. Designated convoy FP1B, she cleared Scapa on the 21st, escort RN CL BIRMINGHAM and CLA CALCUTTA, BISON and FOUDROYANT, and RN DD MAORI and sloop AUCKLAND arriving off Namsos on the night of the 21st. However, she was refused entry into Namsos that night. FOUDROYANT was detached on the 22nd for refuelling at Scapa. The force returned at dusk on the 22nd and the French troops were disembarked but the equipment was not landed due to a damaged dock and heavy snow storm. MAORI, which was there with steamer BLACKHEATH, ferried Fr troops to the pier, after which VILLE D'ALGER departed Namsos on the 23rd and was escorted back to Scapa by BISON.

DDs VETERAN and VISCOUNT departed Plymouth for the Clyde, where they arrived on the 22nd to join the Home Flt. DD WALKER departed Workington for Scapa arriving 23rd. Fr DD MILAN arrived at Scapa with French tkr LE LOT (4220grt).
.
*Med- Biscay*
DDs DIAMOND and DAINTY arrived at Gib on the 12th from the Sth Atlantic. After refuelling and some refit, they departed on the 19th for Malta, where they arrived on the 21st for duty with the Med Flt.

CL CALYPSO was refitting at Malta from 21 April to 14 May 1940. HG.27 of 32 ships departed Gib escort DDs WISHART and ACTIVE from the 21st to 28th, after which they proceeded to Portsmouth to give leave. Sloops FOWEY and DEPTFORD from OG.27 escorted the convoy from 28 April to 1 May. Convoy HG.27 A separated from HG.27 on the 28th. Section HG.27 A was escorted by sloop FOWEY only for five hours before the convoys split . Sloop DEPTFORD escorted convoy HG.27 from 28 April to 1 May when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.


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## parsifal (Apr 21, 2015)

Map showing the campaigns for lower Norway. The allies suffered another humiliating defeat on this battlefield

Reactions: Like Like:
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## parsifal (Apr 21, 2015)

* 22 April 1940 (Part #)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SU Series X Bis Sub SHCH135





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS CLARKIA





*Known Losses*
*Fishing Vessel BEP (NE 151 grt)*: The fishing vessel was sunk in the North Sea of Terschelling, Friesland by an E boat. The crew were rescued.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV BRAVORE (Nor 1450 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Ramsgate, Kent, United Kingdom with the loss of 17 of the 24 people on board.





*MV DELAMORE (Ex-Nor, Ger 350 grt (est))*: Seized by the Germans 9 April 1940. Hit underwater rock inside Marsteinen, Norway on Apr. 22-1940 and sank. Subsequent salvage attempts were unsuccessful.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV SIGURD JARL (Nor 924 grt)*: The cargo ship was bombed and set on fire in Moldefjord by LW a/c. She sank the next day. Raised in 1942 but not repaired, sold for scrapping in 1947.
Norwegian Homefleet WW II - D/S Sigurd Jarl





This loss was part of a larger operation. Steamer ST MAGNUS (1312grt) of convoy AP.1, escort DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN, arriving in Moldefjord were attacked by LW bombers. JACKAL's main radio antenna was damaged by bomb splinters, and she was detached to escort damaged sloop PELICAN. Some time later the steamer SIGURD JARL was set afire in the bombing and lost.

*Vessel WOCANA (NE 100 grt (est))*: The schuit was intercepted by, and collided with, sloop PINTAIL in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk and sank.




_Schuits were a flat bottom barge, often used as a pleasure craft and used extensively in the North Sea _

*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> Russia :
> It is revealed from a reliable source:
> 1. The Baltic States will be swallowed up by Russia in the summer, in August at the latest;
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary



> U 47, 65 and 38 were still shadowing the convoy reported by U 47 on 20.4. U 38 attacked unsuccessfully. Contact was lost late yesterday evening in spite of bright moonlight. The wind was NNW 6 and there was a swell; from time to time the convoy steered a course N. The boats therefore had difficulty in following and hauling ahead. It would be useless to try to regain contact in this weather and it is also very doubtful if the torpedoes would fire. This morning at 0230 I therefore gave the order for these boats to move off to square 1200 AN, if they had lost contact, and to report their stocks of torpedoes by short signal. U 59 reported very light nights. It was hardly possible to operate close to the coast.


Arrivals
Kiel: U-51

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-10 

At Sea 22 April 1940
U-9, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-19, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
24 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
U-43 was bombed by 2 Hudson a/c in the Nth Sea, suffering slight damage. CLs GALATEA, SHEFFIELD, GLASGOW with DDs ICARUS, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE, VANSITTART, WITCH and CAMPBELL embarked 2200 troops of the 15th Bde, stores and 3 trucks at Rosyth on the 21st. They departed on the 22nd and arrived at Aandalsnes and Molde on the 23rd. SHEFFIELD, VANSITTART and CAMPBELL went to Molde and the rest to Aandalsnes. The troops and equipment were disembarked from all ships beginning at 2100 and the British force got away before dawn on the 24th. GALATEA had embarked some 200 cases of Norwegian Govt gold at Aandalsnes for transshipment to England. She proceeded to Rosyth, and DDs IVANHOE, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE to Immingham, with the rest of the force proceeding to Scapa.

Fr sub SFAX fired 2 torps at steamers PALIME (Ger 2863 grt) or PELIKAN (Ger 3264 grt) on their way to Stavanger, which missed. 
Midshipman (A) J.O. Burr was killed when his Skua of 759 Squadron crashed on take off at Eastleigh. OA.134 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL.

OA.134 departed Southend escort DD WHITEHALL. FN152 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON, sloop HASTINGS, armed patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived at Rosyth on the 24th. MT.57 departed Methil, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.153 departed the Tyne, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy had to anchor in the Tees, as no ship was permitted sth of that point until a channel could be swept in the German minefield laid by a/c the night before. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th.

Operation "SHELLFISH" was implemented by the Nore Cmd. The operation was to intercept U-boats or surface craft using the telegraphic cable as an aid to navigation. The operation began on the 22nd and was conducted on subsequent nights. 

*Northern Waters*
DD SOMALI sighted an object on the surface which changed position before it could be attacked, but SOMALI and sister ship TARTAR attacked the contact. TARTAR attacked another sub contact at 1210. The contact was U.29 which escaped. 

Sloop PELICAN, en route with a Naval Base Party for Molde, was attacked by 2 Ju.87s at 1350 in Romdalsfjord. The ship was badly damaged after a bomb hit caused the detonation of her DCs. 53 sailors and shore personnel from the base party were killed, and 1 man wounded. The uninjured members of the Base Party were put aboard steamer ST SUNNIVA, which escorted by DD SOMALI proceeded to Molde for fuel. The wounded were put aboard DD JACKAL and sloop FLEETWOOD. Steamer ST MAGNUS was coaling at Aalesund, while DD JAVELIN was standing by. JAVELIN was then attacked by 4 Ju87s in Heisse Fjord but was undamaged.

JACKAL and ST SUNNIVA departed the fjord in the morning of the 23rd for Kirkwall, while PELICAN was towed by FLEETWOOD and escorted to Lerwick by JACKAL, SOMALI and sister ship TARTAR later joining them. Tug ST MELLONS came out from Lerwick and tug BRIGAND was detached from DD HOTSPUR's convoy. While screening PELICAN, JACKAL twice attacked a UBoat contact. SOMALI arrived at Scapa on the 24th, and PELICAN, in tow of ST MELLONS at Lerwick on the 24th. JACKAL and TARTAR proceeded from Lerwick and arrived at Scapa. On 2 May PELICAN left Lerwick in tow of BRIGAND and escorted by DD WANDERER to Rosyth. They were diverted en route to Sheerness and arrived in the Nore 5 May. PELICAN was taken to Chatham for repairs lasting until 3 December 1940.
Early Action in Norway




_HMS. Pelican in trouble with stern damage in the Norwegian fiord (Picture taken from Fleetwood ) she was towed back to Lerwick_

A Swordfish from 818 Sqn from CVL FURIOUS was brought down by flak, crew lost. The pilot S/Lt (A) R C Roberts was wounded, but rescued by CL AURORA. ASW whaler BUTTERMERE (560grt) ran aground at Narvik, and requested relief to permit repairs to be done.


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## parsifal (Apr 21, 2015)

* 22 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Northern Waters (cont'd)*
DDs KIMBERLEY and GRIFFIN departed Scapa for Rosyth to escort steamer RUTLAND (1437grt) to Namsos. DD MAORI with cargo ship BLACKHEATH (4637grt) was diverted from Namsos to Skelfjord on the 22nd, but was then redirected back to Namsos. They arrived there, but at 2028 were ordered to stand off and arrive at dusk on the 23rd. They went back out to sea and returned the next night. DD FORTUNE departed Scapa on the 22nd to join MAORI for escort duties. During the night of the 23rd/24th, from 2330 to 0230, BLACKHEATH's cargo of trucks and a small quantity of ammunition and fuel were unloaded. Fr DD BISON ran aground at Namsos and was towed off by MAORI. DD FORTUNE was detached on the 24th for Narvik, and BLACKHEATH returned to Namsos at on the 24th to complete unloading during the night of the 24th/25th. A limited amount of MT and all the petrol, ammunition and rations were unloaded. At daylight on the 25th, BLACKHEATH proceeded to Scapa, arriving there on the 27th with MAORI. DD VANSITTART, screening Crusqn 2, attacked a sub contact closing to attack the cruisers. Sloop BLACK SWAN attacked a sub contact at 2150.

*West Coast UK*
CV ARK ROYAL departed Greenock escort DDs SIKH, MASHONA and JUNO. They arrived at Scapa on the 23rd. BB RESOLUTION with DDs BASILISK, WREN and HESPERUS departed Greenock for the Narvik area. On the 25th they met sthbound BB WARSPITE with DDs HAVOCK, HOSTILE, HERO and FOXHOUND returning to Scapa. RESOLUTION and her destroyers arrived at Bygden on the 26th. BC REPULSE and DDs HAVELOCK, HAVANT and FAME arrived at Scapa.

DS.1 departed Bristol Channel for the Clyde as part of the HAMMER operation. The steamers in this convoy were JOHN HOLT (3815grt), THISTLEFORD (4764grt), PIZZARO (1367grt) and CISNEROS (1886grt). OB.134 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER from the 21st to 25th, and dispersed on the 26th.

OG.27F was formed from OB.133GF from Liverpool and Bristol, escort sloops LEITH and FOWEY on the 20th, OA.133GF, which departed Southend on the 20th escort sloops SCARBOROUGH and BIDEFORD, with 60 ships. The convoy was escorted by sloops SCARBOROUGH and LEITH from 22 to 24 April. The sloops were then detached to convoy HG.27 F.Sloop BIDEFORD escorted the convoy from 22 to 28 April. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 28th.

*Channel*
MSW HALCYON completed boiler cleaning at Dover. Fr ASW trawlers L'ORIENTAISE, LA NANTAISE, LA CANCALAISE arrived at Dover for training prior to taking over part of the Dover Strait patrol.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.37 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 23rd. On the 23rd, the DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort AMC ALAUNIA, which was detached on 6 May. DD VIVACIOUS and sloop LEITH joined the convoy in home waters on 4 May and escorted it until its arrival at Liverpool on 7 May.

*Central Atlantic*
CL ORION arrived at Gib for duty with the Med Flt after having departed Trinidad on the 14th. CL DUNEDIN departed Kingston on patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr sub LE CONQUERANT departed Casablanca on the 21st, escort DD TORNADE.Both ships arrived Oran 23 April.

*Indian Ocean*

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
From 22 to 27 April, CL CERES was refitting at Singapore.


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## Njaco (Apr 21, 2015)

*April 21 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Clashes between the Luftwaffe and the Allies begins to heat up as warm weather approaches. One of the first occurs at 1205 hours when Oblt. Hans-Karl Mayer of 1./JG 53 destroys a Hurricane north west of Merzig for his second victory. Then at 1655 hours, a rare feat when Ofw. Hans John of 4./JG 51 shoots down a highflying RAF PDU Spitfire south of Stuttgart for his first kill. Also getting his first kill is Oblt. Karl-Heinz Krahl of 1./JG 2 who downs a French Morane south of Saarbrücken shortly before 1730 hours.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *A German destroyer and troop transport ship sail up through the melting ice of the Trondheimfjord and land mountain troops at Verdal and Kirknessvag, on the flank of General de Wiart’s 146th Brigade which retreats back to Vist. British and Norwegian base at Steinkjer is bombed into the ground, worsening 146th Brigade’s position.

Further South, Morgan’s 148th Brigade joins Norwegian positions around Lake Mjøsa which are being pummeled by German heavy artillery and 8 He111 bombers. However, 148th Brigade is swept up in retreat before they have dug in (or in some instances even arrived at the front). They set out at midnight on a 14 mile march over hilly, snow-bound lanes back to Lillehammer.

Out at sea, German submarine U-26 sank British merchant vessel “_Cedarbank_” of convoy AP-1 50 miles northwest of Ålesund, killing 15. Destroyer HMS “_Javelin_” rescued 30 men, but the vehicles, anti-aircraft weapons, ammunition, and food destined for the British 148th Brigade near Lillehammer were all lost.

In support of the German advance up the fjord to Kirknesvaag and Verdolsora, the Luftwaffe bombs and destroys the facilities at Namsos.

American air attaché to the Nordic countries, US Army Captain Robert Losey, was killed while observing a German bombing on the railway junction at Dombås, Norway. Losey was the first American military casualty of WW2. Captain Losey was attached to the US Embassy when it was decided the embassy staff should evacuate to Sweden to avoid getting caught in the fighting that has developed since the German invasion. After safely escorting Ambassador Florence Harriman across the Swedish border, Captain Losey volunteered to return to Norway and locate the remaining members of the embassy staff. Whilst travelling through Dombås, Captain Losey and his chauffeur took refuge in a railway tunnel when the Luftwaffe began bombing and straffing the area. It is reported that Captain Losey moved to the entrance of the tunnel and whilst standing there he was hit by shrapnel from an exploding bomb. He was killed at the scene. US Minister to Sweden Frederick A. Sterling ordered Naval Attaché Lieutenant Commander Ole E. Hagen to Norway to retrieve Losey's remains.


.


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## parsifal (Apr 21, 2015)

* 23 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ASW Trawler EL MANGELANZELAH - ASW Trawler MANGROVE

*Known Losses*

*MV LOLWORTH (UK 1969 grt)*: Enroute from Portsmouth to Tyne, in ballast, the ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea east of Ramsgate, Kent with the loss of two of her 24 crew.





*M-1302 SCHWABEN (DKM 436 grt)*: The aux MSW struck a mine laid by NARWHAL on 13 Apr 40 off Skagen. 





*Steamer SAYN (Ger 2321 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Hubert Bay near Borkum.

NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ROMANSBY (ex-UK Ger 4887 grt)*, alongside the jetty at Narvik, was destroyed when the jetty was blown up. The steamer's crew of 38 were interned in Sweden.

*SC UJ-B TREFF V (DKM 331 grt)*: The auxiliary submarine hunter was torpedoed and sunk in the Skagerrak by Sub TETRARCH . There were only 3 survivors





*DKM War diary*
Selected Extracts


> OKW Operations Staff has relinquished its demand for a transport operation to Trondheim because of Naval
> Staff's rejection. Instead, transport to Bergen is to be reviewed.
> 
> Naval Staff considers the operation practicable, even though with certain misgivings. Crossing should be carried out so that at dawn the transports are off Skudesnes, where strong anti-submarine escort and precautionary anti-submarine measures will await the transports.
> ...




*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 25 reported again. (Her transmitter was out of order). U 29 at last put into Trondheim. There have been so many radio messages that it had to be investigated whether the boats are not being requested to make too many reports.
> 
> Enemy reports are already limited to battleships, cruisers and troop transports, and these are essential if a picture is to be formed of the situation in the operations area and a/c or other boats are to be sent out. The only possibility is to use short signals more. Whether or not these can be D/F'd must be tested by our own D/F network with the next boats to sail.
> 
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel: U-10, U-19, U-46 
Trondheim: U-29 
Wilhelmshaven: U-43

At Sea 23 April 1940
U-9, U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-47, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic

*North Sea*
Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs conducted a sweep into the Nth Sea to roll up the DKM ASW screen being formed. Fr contre torpilleur DDs INDOMPTABLE, MALIN and TRIOMPHANT of DesDiv 8 had departed Cherbourg on the 19th for Rosyth, departed Rosyth on Operation RAKE. The ships operated in the Skagerrak to the longitude of Hamburg, 10 East. Returning on the 24th, the Fr DDs engaged DKM aux PVs Vp.702 and Vp.709 of the PVFlot 7 and S Bootes S.10 and S.12. After an indecisive action, the engagement was broken off. This early morning engagement was the only surface contact of the operation. The Fr DDs attacked U.26, which was able to escape and arrived in Germany on the 25th. U.56, returning to Germany, sighted the Fr ships sth of Skudesnes on the 24th. The Fr ships were then bombed in the Nth Sea. TRIOMPHANT was near missed and sustained damage to her port propeller shaft bracket. All 3 Fr ships arrived back at Rosyth late on the 24th. Sub TRIAD arrived at Rosyth after patro

FN.153 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop WESTON. DDs WHITLEY and WINCHESTER supported the convoy then joined FN.155. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
DD VANOC departed Scapa with tkr WAR NIZAM for Sullom Voe. The DD was to wait and escort the tkr back to Scapa after the oil was discharged. After U-boat reports , DDs HAVELOCK and HAVANT departed Scapa for ASW Sweeps.

DDs KIMBERLEY and GRIFFIN departed Scapa for Rosyth22nd to escort steamer RUTLAND (1437grt) to Namsos. Steamer GUNVOR MAERSKE (Den 1977 grt), carrying the 166th AA Bty, escort DDs KIMBERLEY, BRAZEN, WOLVERINE departed Leith for Namsos where they arrived on the 27th. ASWGp 12 of trawlers STELLA CAPELLA, CAPE ARGONA, CAPE CHELUYSKIN, BLACKFLY arrived at Namsos escorting Tkr RONAN (1489grt). The ASW Gp then proceeded to Skelfjord. On 26 April, the Gp departed for Molde.Trawler BLACKFLY was damaged in a collision on the 26th in Skelfjord and remained behind. The gp arrived on 27 May at Molde. The gp remained at Molde until the 30 April/1 May evac.


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## Njaco (Apr 22, 2015)

*April 22 Monday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* General de Wiart, the old soldier, can smell defeat. German air strikes paralyze Namsos and his supply lines south. Moreover, he risks 146th Brigade becoming encircled at Vist by German landings on his flank. He orders a fighting withdrawal to Namsos. The Brigade began to retreat toward Namsos as German troops began to surround their positions. 

Further South, Morgan’s 148th Brigade digs in at Faaberg, and defended against German attacks north of Lillehammer. However, they are flanked by German mountain troops scaling the 2,165ft high Balbergkamp, forcing another overnight retreat. The British troops fell back 20 miles to the north overnight and formed a new line at Tretten Gorge, one of the narrowest and most defensible points in the Gudbrandsdal.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Two British Hudson bombers attacked German submarine U-43 in the North Sea. U-43 escaped with minor damage.

The anti-aircraft sloop HMS “_Pelican_”, on her way to the Romsdal Fjord carrying the personnel of the Naval Base party for Molde, Norway, was crippled by a dive-bomber and suffered heavy casualties.

*WESTERN FRONT:* An Inter-Allied Supreme War Council, also attended by Poland and Norway, met in Paris, France. The meeting was characterized by the political fighting between French leaders Reynaud and Daladier. Allies believe success is at hand and, out of touch with reality, contemplate a “march on towards Oslo”.

.



.


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## parsifal (Apr 22, 2015)

* 23 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Northern Waters (Cont'd)*
An RN force was formed at Harstad with CLs AURORA and ENTERPRISE and DDs FAULKNOR, CODRINGTON, ARDENT, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, ACASTA, ZULU, BEDOUIN, one Polish DD assigned the duty of maintaining close British control of the waters around Narvik. DDs FORTUNE and WALKER departed Scapa for Sullom Voe to escort flying boat depot ship MANELA to the Clyde.

For the first time in the war under combat conditions 2 RN carriers operated together, when CVs ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS departed Scapa on Opn DX with CA BERWICK, CLA CURLEW, DDs FEARLESS, FURY, HASTY, HEREWARD, HYPERION, JUNO. CV ARK ROYAL carried 9 Skuas and 2 Rocs of the 800 Sqn, 9 Skuas and 2 Rocs of the 801 Sqn, 12 Swordfish of the 810 Sqn, 9 Swordfish of the 820 Sqn. CV GLORIOUS carried 9 Gladiators of the 802 Squadron, 11 Skuas of the 803 Squadron, 9 Gladiators of 804 Sqn.GLORIOUS also carried 18 Glads of RAF 263 Sqn. That evening, CV GLORIOUS flew the Gladiator a/c of 263 Squadron to an airfield at Lake Lesjaskog. These planes were intended for the air defense of Aandalsnes and Molde, but were destroyed by LW bombing on the 25th. On 24 April, 6 Skuas of 800 and 801 Squadrons from ARK ROYAL and 6 Skuas of 803 Squadron from GLORIOUS flew missions over Aandalsnes. All a/c returned safely to the carriers, but 2 Skuas crashed landed near the carrier, all aircrew rescued by DDs. The RN force positioned itself midway between Namsos and Trondheim. At 0300 25th, CV ARK ROYAL launched a strike of 14 Swordfish from 810 and 820 Sqns, with an escort of 9 skuas from 800 and 801 sqns. CV GLORIOUS launched 11 Skuas of the 803 Sqn with bombs and a brief to attack the Vaernes airfield and other military targets at Trondheim. CV GLORIOUS lost 4 Skuas of 803 Sqn in the raid, but all the aircrews were rescued. The crews returned to England in a Sunderland a/c to collect replacement a/c. The CAG of CV ARK ROYAL lost 1 Swordfish from the 820 Sqn and 3 Swordfish from the 810 Sqn, Lt .A. Pardoe and PO of 810 Sqn were lost; all other aircrew were rescued, returned to England to collect and redeploy replacementy a/c fropm the reserves. On the 26th, the DD screen was sent to Sullom Voe for refuelling. These DDs were relieved at 0700/26th by DDs GRENADE, BEAGLE, FORTUNE, VOLUNTEER, ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, which sailed from the Narvik area at 1630. The original screen arrived at Sullom Voe on the 26 April. They departed to rejoin early on the 27th. On 26 April, a Skua of 803 Squadron was shot down, pilot recovered unhurt. Another Skua of 801 Sqn was shot down on the 26th. The plane force landed near a snow drift and both crew were unhurt (and returned to service thanks to help from Norwegian resistance). On 27 April, 2 Skuas from ARK ROYAL were shot down by LW a/c, one crew (from 803 sqn) were killed. The other aircrew was rescued. At 2100/27th, CV GLORIOUS was sent to Scapa escort DDs GRENADE, HASTY, FURY, ESCORT, ENCOUNTER, FORTUNE. They arrived at 1800/28th. The raid was repeated on the 28th when ARK ROYAL, escorted by CA BERWICK, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, FEARLESS, JUNO, launched 12 Swordfish and 7 Skuas to attack Trondheim area targets. 1 Skua of 800 Squadron was shot down. The crew were rescued and returned to Hatston by air.

DD JAVELIN escorting steamer ST MAGNUS (1312grt), which was carrying the survivors from sunken steamer CEDARBANK, arrived at Kirkwall from Aalesund on the 23rd. DD JAVELIN then proceeded to Scapa.

*Channel*
Fr CL MONTCALM and DDs VAUTOUR and ALBATROS, departed Brest on the 22nd, arrived at the Clyde to relieve damaged CL EMILE BERTIN. DD BRILLIANT completed boiler cleaning at Dover and proceeded to patrol stations OC 1 and OC 2 to relieve DD BOADICEA which had developed a defect. DD BOADICEA's defect was corrected in 24 hrs and returned to service. DD VANESSA and MSW HUSSAR entered the submarine basin to boiler clean. DD VANESSA completed boiler cleaning on the 26th.

*UK - France*
BC.35 7 steamers, including steamers BARON KINNAIRD and DAVID LIVINGSTONE departed Bristol Channel escorted by DD MONTROSE. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 24th. SA.38 of one steamer arrived at St Malo from Southampton.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.29 departed Freetown escort AMC PRETORIA CASTLE until 7 May.

*Med- Biscay*
CL NEPTUNE and DDs DECOY and DEFENDER arrived at Gib for duty with the Med Flt after having departed Freetown on the 18th.
DD DECOY sailed for Malta, but was recalled to escort repair ship RESOURCE. BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, which was met at sea by DDs KEPPEL and WATCHMAN,arrived at Gibraltar for duty in the Med Flt. CL DRAGON departed Malta. Fr AMC KOUTOBIA departed Algiers escorting 4 liners to Brest.

*Far East/Pacific/Australia*
CL DANAE arrived at Penang.


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## parsifal (Apr 23, 2015)

*24 April 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN DD MEREDITH (Benson Class)





SU Submarine S-15 (Serie IX Bis), Submarine S-16 (Serie IX Bis), Submarine S-17 (Serie IX Bis), Submarine S-18 (Serie IX Bis)





Allied
Corvette Bluebell (K 80) - Escort DD CLEVELAND (Hunt Class Type I) 








*Losses*
*Steamer CRONSHAGEN (Ger 1787 grt)* was sunk and Latvian steamer GUNDEGA (3583grt) was badly damaged on mines off Drogden, near Copenhagen. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer GIRASOL (UK 648 grt)* was sunk in a collision northeast of Spit Buoy. The cargo ship collided with CONTRACTOR (UK) in the Nth Sea north of Margate, Kent and sank. All 11 crew were rescued by RICHARD (Belg).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM Raider ORION sank *steamer HAXBY (UK 5207 grt)* in the Caribbean Sea NE of the Dominican Republic. 17 of her 40 crew were lost 





BB WARSPITE, CLs EFFINGHAM, ENTERPRISE, AURORA, DD ZULU, screened by DDs ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, HAVOCK, HERO, HOSTILE and ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and GROM bombarded Narvik. CL EFFINGHAM sank captured *Steamer RIVERTON (Ex UK, Ger 5378 grt)* moored along an outlying pier. The steamer's British crew of 33 were interned in Sweden (but subsequently returned). 





*Collier RYDAL FORCE (UK 1101 grt)*: 3 steamers LOLWORTH, STOKESLEY and RYDAL FORCE were sunk in the Thames estuary by aerial mines dropped by the LW. This vessel was fully laden with coal when lost in the Nth Sea off Ramsgate, Kent with the loss of 11 of her 13 crew, and was enroute from Sunderland to Cowes . The survivors were rescued by RN SARAH HYDE.





*Trawler LEONARD (UK 217 grt)* was sunk by LW bombing in the North Sea
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV STOKESLEY (UK 1140 grt)*: 3 steamers LOLWORTH, STOKESLEY and RYDAL FORCE were sunk in the Thames estuary by aerial mines dropped by the LW. The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary north of Birchington, Kent with the loss of 15 crew





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Narvik ;
> In the morning the town and ore railroad were bombarded by 2 BBs, 2 cruisers and 7 DDs. No vital damage. Non-combatant units of troops and prisoners were evacuated along the ore railroad. Gp Narvik blew up the ore pier and set it on fire. Coming from the nth, the enemy attacked nth of positions near Elvenes and on the Oalgge Pass.
> 
> Trondheim :
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Boats in the operational area, excluding those on their way back or on transport trips, are now distributed as follows:
> 
> U 14, 17, 24 off the approaches to Bergen
> U 23, 57, 58, 59 east of the Shetlands and Orkneys
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel: U-9

At Sea 24 April 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-26, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-47, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-62, U-65. 
20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub TRUANT departed Rosyth for Operation KNIFE in the Sognefjord area. Operation KNIFE was to supply arms and ammunition to the Norwegian forces in Sognefjord. On 25 April, off the Norwegian coast, a mine exploded close ahead and TRUANT was forced to return badly damaged to Rosyth for repairs. Sub CLYDE, which had departed Blyth on patrol on the 24th, was recalled to replace TRUANT. Sube CLYDE arrived at Rosyth on the 26th and departed Rosyth on the Operation on the 27th. 
Sub SEVERN departed Rosyth for Dundee where she arrived later that day. Sub NARWHAL departed Blyth for Immingham to embark mines. Fr subs PASTEUR, THETIS, CALYPSO departed Harwich. The first with defects and returning to Cherbourg and the second two on patrol. Fr sub ORPHEE arrived at Harwich after patrol. Sub ORPHEE had defects which required repair before patrol could be resumed. The defects were found to be serious and the sub was sent with sub PASTEUR back to Cherbourg for repairs. FN.154 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 26th. MT.58 departed Methil, escort DDs WESTMINSTER and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.154 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WESTMINSTER and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 26th.

*Northern Waters*
British troops were embarked on repair ship VINDICTIVE at Bogen to be landed at Narvik should the Germans be induced to surrender after its heavy bombardment. However, the Germans made no such overtures and these troops were disembarked after the BmB and returned to Harstad. Low visibility prevented an assessment of the bombardment. DDs FAULKNOR and ENCOUNTER were left off Narvik to patrol the area. The DDs were joined later that day by ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY (655grt) and the next day by CL ENTERPRISE and ORP DD BLYSKAWICA. After this bombardment, BB WARSPITE with DDs HAVOCK, HOSTILE, HERO, FOXHOUND left the Narvik area for Scapa in preparation for WARSPITE's return to the Med. BB WARSPITE arrived at Scapa on the 26th, WARSPITE departed for the Clyde on the 27th. BB WARSPITE arrived in the Clyde escort DDs INGLEFIELD, HERO, FOXHOUND on the 28th. 

CA YORK, CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM, DDs ACHERON, ARROW, GRIFFIN departed Rosyth with 1600 troops (the rest of the 15th Brigade). At dusk on the 24th, CL MANCHESTER disembarked troops at Molde and CA YORK and CL BIRMINGHAM disembarked troops at Aandalsnes. Gen Paget, which had taken passage in MANCHESTER, boarded Nor DD SLEIPNER, which carried him to Aandalsnes. U.23 made two unsuccessful attacks on CA YORK as she was leaving the area on the 25th.

In heavy air attacks on Aandalsnes, CLA CURACOA was badly damaged when she was struck by a bomb below the bridge and it exploded between decks killing 45 crew and wounding 36. CURACOA was escorted seaward by sloop FLAMINGO which then returned and relieved her as the Aandalsnes guard ship. CLs SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW and DDs WITCH, CAMPBELL, VANSITTART closed to provide cover. The DDs were low on fuel and proceeded directly to Scapa. CURACOA arrived at Scapa on the 26th escort CLs SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW. CURACOA departed Scapa with damaged DD HOTSPUR on the 26th and arrived at Chatham on 1 May was repairing until late August 1940.

The heavy air attacks continued on the 25th at Aandalsnes and *TB TRYGG (Nor 198 grt)* and ASW Trawlers *BRADMAN (RN 452 grt)*, *HAMMOND (RN 452 grt)*, *LARWOOD (RN 452 grt)*, were badly damaged and run aground (and lost). The trawlers were all units of ASWGp 22. The 4 ships were later salved by DKM and renamed ZICK, Vp.6112 , Vp.6115 , VP 6111.








_TB TRYGG. Captured and re-used by the Germans after they captured Andalsnes. BRADMAN on the right_


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## parsifal (Apr 23, 2015)

*24 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Northern Waters (Cont'd)*
Sloop BITTERN relieved sloop AUCKLAND as AA guard ship and for wireless duties at Namsos. DDs ASHANTI, MOHAWK, NUBIAN, SIKH departed Scapa to operate in the fjords around Trondheim against German coastal shipping. The DDs cruised the fjords from 26 to the 28th supported by CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM without success. DDs NUBIAN and ASHANTI operated in Kraakvaagsfjord and off Fro Havet. DDs MOHAWK and SIKH operated in the Trondheim Leads. On 27 April in Kraakvaagsfjord, DDs ASHANTI and NUBIAN searched the fjord while MOHAWK and SIKH patrolled at the mouth of Trondheimsfjord. DD ASHANTI was attacked by LW a/c which were able to damage her with near misses. DDs ASHANTI and NUBIAN returned to Scapa on the 29th. DD ASHANTI departed Scapa on the30th for repairs at Dundee until 23 May when she arrived back at Scapa for duty. The Germans once again avoided Allied probes because of the SIGINT advantages they enjoyed. 

DD JUPITER departed Scapa to search for a Walrus seaplane of CL SOUTHAMPTON, flying from Hatston, last reported 20 miles from shore. The search was unsuccessful and the DD returned to Scapa. 3 aircrew and the Walrus of 700 sqn were lost.

After dark there was a LW air raid on Scapa. The area west of Cava was closed until it was declared free of mines next day. Tkr ALDERSDALE (8402grt) arrived at Skelfjord escort DDrs BEAGLE and VOLUNTEER. Polish troopship CHROBRY escort DDs VETERAN and VISCOUNT departed the Clyde for Namsos. They arrived at Namsos on the 28th, but due to port congestion, it was not possible to unload her.She was sent back out to sea that afternoon. . At 2230, they returned and the DDs ferried the troops and stores to the jetty. The ships unloaded until the morning of the 29th when they all sailed. All ships arrived safely at Scapa on the 30th. DD VANOC departed Sullom Voe for Devonport for refitting. The destroyer arrived on the 27th.

*West Coast UK*
Damaged Fr CL EMILE BERTIN departed the Clyde for Brest escorted by Fr DDs ALBATROS and VAUTOUR. Fr FP.3 of troopships COLOMBIE , MEXIQUE , CHENONCEAUX, PROVIDENCE , escort Fr Dds VALMY, VERDUN, LEOPARD, arrived in the Clyde. Fr troopship GENERAL METZINGER was damaged in a collision on the 25th in St George's Channel en route and arrived at Liverpool. Fr troopship VILLE D'ALGER departed Scapa on the 26th escort by Fr DD FOUDROYANT and DD ANTELOPE to embark the troops from the damaged troopship. On 27 April, the French troopship and DD FOUDROYANT arrived at Liverpool.

*Channel*
DD VESPER escorted steamers BELLEROPHON and LYACAON from Plymouth to the Clyde. A Uboat was reported off Start Point. DD WAKEFUL departed Plymouth. DD BULLDOG departed Plymouth. DD VESPER and corvette ARABIS were also ordered to search for this UBoat. DD VESPER departed Plymouth and corvette ARABIS departed Plymouth to search.

*Med- Biscay*
CLs NEPTUNE and ORION departed Gib for Malta. DDs DECOY and DEFENDER, escorting repair ship RESOURCE, departed Gib for Malta.

*Other*
S/Lt S. Lyver was killed when his Swordfish of the Gosport Torpedo Training Unit hit the sea on a practice torpedo run on aux MSW ROYAL DAFFODIL nw of Troon. Lt V.C. Marryat RM, was killed when his Gladiator of 759 Squadron crashed sw of Wilton.


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## Njaco (Apr 23, 2015)

*April 23 Tuesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British 146th Brigade retreated to Namsos, Norway. The brigade had thus far suffered 19 dead, 42 wounded, and 96 missing. Greater catastrophe befalls Morgan’s 148th Brigade at Tretten Gorge. Germans artillery pounds their line all morning and 3 light tanks break through defenses along the river road at 1300 hours. Simultaneously, German mountain troops climb through the highlands and at 1800 hours circle behind the Allied lines. At 1900 hours, 148th Brigade retreats north but is bombed and strafed from the air. Only 309 men manage to escape to safety up the Gudbrandsdal. Since arriving, they have lost 705 men killed, missing or captured. The remnants of the Brigade, seek shelter in a railroad tunnel.

The Norwegian town of Namsos was ablaze, with heavy bombing from the German Luftwaffe. The town, near the river of Namsen, had been the target of determined German attacks for the past few days. HMS “_Nubian_”, a Tribal class destroyer of the Royal Navy, approached the town a few days ago whilst escorting a French convoy. The commander of the vessel described what he saw in reports sent back to Scapa Flow;


> “When the town came into view the sight was remarkable. The whole place was a mass of flames from end to end and the glare on the snows of the surrounding mountains produced an unforgettable sight.”


All the storage buildings on the waterfront have been destroyed by German bombers, and the mass evacuation of civilians has led to a serious shortage of transport.

Near Oslo, British aircraft conducted a raid on German-controlled airfields.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Supreme War Council meeting in Paris agrees on the importance of capturing Trondheim, unaware of the British reverses at Namsos and Tretten Gorge. British have not yet informed the French that ‘Operation Hammer’ has been cancelled.

Fighters from III./JG 53 and RAF No. 73 Squadron meet up again near Sierck-les-Bains, in a fierce battle. Two Hurricanes are shot down near Diedenhofen with one being claimed by Hptm. Werner Mölders, his ninth and last of the ‘Sitzkrieg’. The other Hurricane falls to Fw. Franz Gawlick of 9./JG 53 for his second score.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* ‘Budget Day’ in Britain saw the increase of tax on beer up by 1d (½p) per pint, whisky up by 1/9 (9p) per bottle, duty on cigarettes is increased. Higher income tax and surtax announced. The postage rate for letters goes up to 2½d (1d) and telephone charges are raised.

Members of the Parliament in Britain criticized that the earlier estimate of 1940 war expenditure of £2,000,000,000 was too low.

.



.


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## Njaco (Apr 23, 2015)

*April 24 Wednesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Troops of the British 15th Brigade are landed at Åndalsnes after a 9-day journey by sea from France. They immediately move south down the Gudbrandsdal valley towards Lillehammer to reinforce Norwegian troops holding the German advance. They pass Morgan’s defeated 148th Brigade falling back to Åndalsnes. 

Norwegian 6th Brigade under General Carl Gustav Fleischer attacks Dietl’s perimeter north of Narvik. They are held by the Germans at Lapphaug Pass but those marching over Fjordbotneidet mountain find Gratangsbotn undefended. Germans falling back from Lapphaug surprise the resting Norwegians (killing 34, wounding 64 and 130 prisoners) and retake Gratangsbotn (for 9 dead or missing, 16 wounded). At Narvik, the Luftwaffe dropped supplies to the German forces holding the city.

Battleship HMS “_Warspite_”, cruisers HMS “_Effingham_”, “_Enterprise_”, “_Aurora_” and destroyer HMS “_Zulu_” (screened by British destroyers HMS “_Encounter_”, “_Escort_”, “_Faulknor_,” “_Foxhound_”, “_Havock_”, “_Hero_”, “_Hostile_” and Polish destroyers “_Blyskawica_” and “_Grom_”) sail into Ofotfjord and bombard Narvik. Despite this concentration of force the commanding general decides that the naval guns will not have sufficiently disrupted the German positions because of their unsuitable, flat trajectory of fire. The naval commander is Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cork. This officer has been brought back to active service at Churchill's request. He is senior in the service to even the commander of the Home Fleet. His seniority poses problems in his relations with the military commanders who are at times reluctant to insist on measures which their military knowledge makes them believe essential. HMS “_Effingham_” sinks captured British steamer “_Riverton_”, docked in the harbour. Naval commander Lord Cork and Orrery goes ashore away from Narvik to assess conditions on the coastline and again concludes that deep snow will make opposed landings impossible.

German troops repelled a British attack near Trondheim.

Around 0700 hours, a mixed force of British bombers are intercepted by fighters from II./JG 77. Five Hudson bombers are shot down with claims given to Fw. Ertel of 6./JG 77 for his first kill. From the 5 Staffel, Fw. Robert Menge gets his fourth kill as does Lt. Edgar Struckmann, Oblt. Pointer is credited with his second victory and Fw. Werner Petermann scores his first victory when he destroys a Hampden. A second British formation of Blenheims at 0925 hours finds Ofw. Jaenisch of 4./JG 77 destroying his first Allied aircraft. 

The British fly in eighteen Gloster Gladiators from the aircraft carrier HMS ‘_Glorious_’ to help the Norwegians. The Gladiator biplanes of the No. 263 Squadron RAF commanded by Squadron-Leader John Donaldson, arrived at the frozen Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet, which was to become their base of operations. The pilots found the temporary runway to be thick with snow, and the supplies and support to be very underprepared and disorganized. Notably, they have no anti-aircraft support. It is hoped the presence of No. 263 Squadron RAF on Norwegian soil will swing the balance of air power towards the allies.

In heavy Luftwaffe attacks on Åndalsnes, anti-aircraft cruiser HMS “_Curacoa_” is badly damaged when she is struck by a bomb below the bridge, which explodes between decks killing 45 and wounding 36. She will return to Chatham for repairs and resume active duty in August.

German General Nickolaus von Falkenhorst is appointed Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces Norway. Josef Terboven was appointed the Reichskommissar of Norway.

FliegerFührer Stavenger was formed, the units controlled by this command included 1(F)./122. Other units were 1(F). and 3(F)./ObdL.,1(F)./120, I./ZG 76, Z./KG 30, part of II./JG 77, 2./KG 30 and 1./KüFlGr 106.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British House of Commons approved a trade agreement with Spain. It was the first since the Spanish Civil War.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Duquesne was assigned to Force X stationed in Alexandria, Egypt.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *U-23 make two unsuccessful attacks on British cruiser HMS “_York_” (returning to Scapa Flow from Åndalsnes having disembarked General Paget’s 15th Brigade).

.



.


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## parsifal (Apr 24, 2015)

*25 April 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN DD Tender DIXIE USN CV WASP








SU 4(?) x MBK Armoured GunBoats





*Losses*
*MV BOBBY (Pan 2827 grt)* The Panamanian registered cargo ship collided with NE MIDSLAND in the English Channel, 3 nautical miles SE of Dungeness and sank. All 28 crew were rescued by Midsland.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Hospital Ship BRAND IV (Nor 343 grt (est))* The hospital ship was bombed in the Norwegian Sea off Alesund by LW a/c and ran aground. Some sources say this ship was only damaged. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal Steamer FOLDEN (Nor 316 grt)*: Bombed and set on fire by LW a/c in off Tonnes, Nordland on Apr. 25-1940. 6 died. The wreck was beached near Tonnes, completely burnt out. Later raised and towed to Bodo, condemned and taken over by insurers, laid up. Sold back to A/S Saltens Dampskibsselskab, Bodo in 1941, repaired and rebuilt at the company's own yard, 337 gt, back in service in July-1944. By the winter of 1945 she was laid up, while the company's Bodin serviced the Salten and Ofoten routes alone.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV HAARDRAADE (Nor 756 grt))*: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Leirvik, Hordaland by RAF a/c with the loss of 1 crew member. Later raised, repaired and returned to service by Germany in 1944 as Hodnaberg or possibly Haadnaberg)..

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV MARGHAM ABBEY (UK 4387 grt)* The ship was part of Convoy FS 53 when it struck a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary north of Herne Bay, Kent. All crew were rescued.






*Fishing vessel WILLY (Ne 147 grt)* was sunk in mining off Terschelling. The entire crew of the fishing vessel was lost.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Area Sth of Trondhelm ; It Is apparent from a radiogram from the Otta area that CV GLORIOUS is off the coast in the Kristiansund - Trondheim area. Disembarkations of troops and material in Andalsnes are completed according to a radiogram from the Commander there; 2 cruisers and DDs sailed after completing their assignment. DDs, freighters and steam tankers were detected in Romsda Is Fjord, Nordal Fjord and Sjflrungs Fjord and successfully attacked by the LW. Air recon sighted enemy forces in the afternoon 60 miles NE of Molde Fjord, consisting of 4 Capital ships (incl BC RENOWN) and 4 cruisers on course 150°. Plans not identifiable.
> 
> Home Area ;
> The BC HOOD was spotted 30 miles northeast of the Shetlands by air recon. The cruisers GLASGOW and GALATEA in the Shetlands-Scapa area. The enemy sub disposition was detected to a great extent. About 7 boats are thought to be in the Skagerrak and Kattegat, 5 on return passage, 5 outward bound, 3 of the latter into the sthn Nth Sea.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> English attacks on Bergen and consequent chances of success for the boats there are no longer to be expected. These boats are therefore being disposed northeast of the Shetlands where prospects are likely to be more favorable, especially as U 59 reported a convoy east of the Shetlands. U 26 entered Wilhelmshaven, having transported ammunition etc. to Trondheim. She sank a transport. Otherwise the trip was without incident.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-62
Wilhelmshaven: U-26

At Sea 25 April 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-47, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-65. 
18 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub TRIDENT fired 2 torps at steamer PALIME (Ger 2863 grt) or PELIKAN (Ger 3264 grt) returning from Stavanger, both missed their targets. 

*North Sea*
DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, TARTAR departed Scapa for Rosyth to escort troopships ULSTER MONARCH (3791grt) and ULSTER PRINCE (3791grt) from Leith to Aandalsnes. The DDs arrived at Scapa with these troopships, after being diverted en route.

Fr sub DORIS arrived at Harwich after patrol. DORIS had defects that required extensive repair before she could resume patrol. OA.136 departed Southend escort DD VENETIA. FN.155 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop LONDONDERRY. DDs WHITLEY and WINCHESTER joined from FN.153. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 27th. MT.59 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.155 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIVIEN and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
Sloop BLACK SWAN departed Scapa for Andalsnes to arrive at dusk on the 26th. Sloop FLEETWOOD arrived at Scapa with wounded from damaged sloop PELICAN. Sloop FLEETWOOD also escorted steamer HIGHLANDER (1216grt) from Lerwick to abreast Scapa. DD WHITLEY attacked a sub contact. The contact was later assessed as doubtful

*West Coast UK*
Tkr SEMINOLE (UK 10,389 grt) was damaged on a mine. Fr FS.2 , escort Fr sloops CHAMOIS and COMMANDANT DELAGE, dep Brest on the 18th with freighters BRESTOIS (3094grt), CHATEAU PAVIE (2047grt), SAINT FIRMIN (4528grt). FS.2 now with escort Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs MAILLE BREZE and EPERVIER departed the Clyde for Scapa arrival on the 27th. On 26 April DDs WITCH and CAMPBELL departed Scapa Flow to reinforce the escort, with MAILLE BREZE detaching and returning to the Clyde on the 27th. The convoy arrived safely after calling in at Scapa, (EPERVIER to return to the Clyde) proceeded to Harstad arriving 1 May, escort DDs WITCH and CAMPBELL. CHATEAU PAVIE disembarked at Stoveien, SAINT FIRMIN at Skaanland and Bogen, BRESTOIS at Skaanland.

CL EMERALD and liner DUCHESS OF RICHMOND arrived at Liverpool from Halifax. The CL went on to the Clyde for refit. OB.137 departed Liverpool escort DD WALPOLE from 25 to 28 April, when the DD joined SL.28.

*UK-France*
BC.34 of steamers BARON CARNEGIE, DUNKWA, GLOUCESTER CITY, KUFRA, LOTTIE R dep Loire escort DD MONTROSE. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 26th.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 24, 2015)

*26 April 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN Navajo class Fleet tug CHEROKEE 





*Losses*
*Steamer LILY (Den 1281 grt)*: There are conflicting accounts concerning the loss of this ship. According to "British and Other Navies in World War 2" by Don Kindell, yjis ship departed Kirkwall for Preston with a British prize crew aboard, on the 25th. The steamer never arrived. The entire 6 man prize crew were lost. According to http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?11229, the ship had passed through allied control at Kirkwall, and was enroute with a danish crew to Preston. She is claimed as torpedoed by U-13 and lost on the 26th. This is corroborated by UBoat Net. 





*TB GARM (Nor 540 grt)*: The Draug-class TB was sunk by LW at Bjordal in Sognefjord, north of Bergen. None of the crew were killed. 





An RN force consisting of CA YORK, CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM, DDs ACHERON, ARROW, GRIFFIN encountered German U-boat supply ships *Schiff 26 (Trawler JULIUS PICKENPACK) (DKM 394 grt)* and *Schiff 37 (trawler SCHLESWIG) ( DKM 433 grt)* off Moldefjord. Both ships were on a supply mission and were flying the Dutch flag in disguise. DD ARROW was proceeding independently from Romdalsfjord to Scapa. As DDr ARROW tried to capture trawler SCHLESWIG, the trawler rammed and lightly damaged ARROW. The trawler then was taken under fire by CL BIRMINGHAM and sunk. No survivors were located. After SCHLESWIG was sunk, the other DDs searched for other trawlers. Trawler JULIUS PICKENPACK was captured by 

This was a very significant event, as it was one of the first instances where codebooks for the DKM ENiGMA machines were captured. The first success with procurement came was the sinking of U-33 in January 1940 within a mile of the coast of Scotland. One of the sailors forgot to toss some of the rotors in his pocket overboard and they were discovered by the British. This next event saw the capture of a serving DKM vessel (Schiff 26) captured intact, without DKM having knowledge that it had fallen into British hands, as it attempted to pass itself off as the Dutch fishing boat POLARES (and hence did not transmit any emergency signals) was captured along with most of its ENIGMA code books. Without these successes and other raids it is likely that the Naval Enigma would have remained too secure to be cracked with any regularity. Bletchley Park had already begun to read low grade LW and Army supply traffic as a result of the intense signal activity generated by the campaign, but the naval codes, particularly the UBoat codes would remain a secret for some time 

DD GRIFFIN. DD GRIFFIN put a boarding party aboard the trawler and the trawler was taken to Scapa arriving on the 28th. DD ARROW proceeded to Scapa with DD ACHERON and arrived on the 27th. Destroyer ARROW was repaired at Middlesborough repairs completed, on the 13 May to return to Scapa.

DDs GRAFTON and ORP BURZA departed Scapa with *Tkr BOARDALE (UK 8334 grt)*, steamers HERON (UK 2374 grt) and BALTEAKO (UK 1328 grt) for the Narvik area. Steamer HERON was carrying 400 D/Cs for the DDs at Narvik. The convoy arrived safely, but on the 30th, tkr BOARDALE was lost after running aground in Assundfjord near Harstad. Destroyer CODRINGTON on the 30th was ordered to assist BOARDALE. Steamers HERON and BALTEAKO with DDs GRAFTON and BURZA arrived in Vestfjord on 1 May. Tkr INVERARDER, escort DDs CODRINGTON and ESCAPADE, was to have pumped the oil out of BOARDALE, but BOARDALE caught fire and was lost before INVERARDER arrived.





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> The first supply train from Sweden has arrived at the frontier. Supplies, however, are extremely difficult, since the ore railroad is partly destroyed and without current. Supplies for Narvik are therefore not assured for any length of time



This is a revelation, since Sweden has always maintained it adopted a strictly neutral policy during Weserubung. This is clear evidence that they did not maintain such neutrality, and in fact were buckling under the implied threats made by the Nazis such as violations of the Swedish territorial waters, repeated sinkings of clearly marked Swedish shipping operated as neutral shipping, and deliberate overflights of Swedish territory by the LW. 



> The department of the British Ministry of Shipping in New York stated that all Danish ships on the high seas which had not transferred to the Allied flag would be seized as prizes since they technically represented enemy tonnage. Transfer to other neutrals would not be acknowledged. The Allies are, however, ready to make agreements on the chartering of such ships.
> 
> On the other hand, the Danish Shipping Committee in New York stated that Denmark had opposed the German invasion. Germany has therefore no legal rights over Danish ships. The British assertion that these ships are prizes according to International Law cannot therefore be acknowledged. Endeavors to come to an agreement with the Allies about the routes outside the European war zone have unfortunately failed.



Lloyds Register in 1939 shows the Danes had 709 vessels under their control totalling 1.176 million tons of shipping. About 77% of that shipping was drafted into Allied service after Danish surrender, most of it willingly, and attracting very attractive hiring rates by the British. 



> According to fresh reports from Group Baltic it is possible that the British ground mine does not work with magnetic but with acoustic firing. If this assumption is confirmed, we must also expect that the British torpedo possesses an acoustic control . (This explains various torpedo hits on the stern as e.g. the steamer PRIEDENAU, the cruiser LUTZOW). Chief, Naval Staff considers that further use of subs off the Norwegian coast and for attacks on enemy naval vessels offers little prospect of success,, in view of
> the torpedo difficulties and the slight chances of hitting fast-moving warships, and considers that the resumption of war against merchant shipping In the Atlantic as soon as possible is necessary and alone promises success.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 17 has succeeded in rescuing the crew of an a/c which made a forced landing between the Orkneys and the Shetlands. U 34 attacked the 20,000 ton "Franconia" north of the Minch. The ship's course had been obtained by B Dienst Service intercepts . No success. End-of-run detonator. Probably a miss at long range. Nevertheless it shows that it is possible to attack in this area. U 34 is returning as she has used all her torps.



DKM had not fully appreciated that they not only had problems with the magnetic detonation pistols. Their torps also had faulty depth keeping mechanisms, which would not be completely solved until they were given access to the Italian Fiume and Whitehead mechanisms by Italy. Airborn torpedoes suffered from the same depth keeping problems until 1941. 



> U 56, 60 and 62 returned from patrol. These boats were operating off Bergen and between the Shetlands and Norway, temporarily also in the area nth of Stadtlandet. They had no opportunities to attack, but sighted numerous enemy forces (DDs). The commanders of U 51 and U 64 reported on their operation in the Westfjord. In spite of difficult conditions (short light nights, calm sea, no chance of taking avoiding action) there were possibilities of success which could have had a decisive effect on ops in the nth if the numerous torpedo failures had not caused every attack to fail. U 64 was to have provided outward escort for the aux cruiser ship 36, but she did not find her and afterwards operated off Narvik. After heavy D/C attacks she put into Narvik for repairs and changing and was sunk by air attack in the Herjangsfjord on 13.4. The crew was saved except for 8 ratings


.

Arrivals
Kiel: U-47, U-56 

At Sea 26 April 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-52, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-65. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub NARWHAL departed Blyth on ML opn FD.6 in Aalbeck Bight. Subs SEAWOLF and SHARK arrived at Harwich after patrols. Sub CLYDE arrived at Rosyth to replace damaged sub TRUANT in Opn KNIFE.

MT.60 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and armed patrol trawler BREDA. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
FS.156 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and armed patrol trawler BREDA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th. 
Steamer CREE (4791grt), astern of convoy FS.54,was damaged on a mine laid on 2 April by DKM Schiff 11 (a disguised ship) . The steamer was towed to Yarmouth. Mine destructor ships BORDE and CORFIELD were engaged in Operation MNS 2 on 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 April.


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## Njaco (Apr 24, 2015)

*April 25 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Although many others claim to have the first night-fighter kill of the war, it is Obfw. Hermann Förster flying with 10(N)./JG 2 who destroys a RAF Hampden bomber conducting mine-laying operations on the northwest coast of Germany. It is his second victory of the war.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A new evacuation scheme was introduced in Britain as a Ministry of Health survey showed that only 8% of eligible children had been registered. Later studies revealed that 19% of parents refused to register their children, while 73% of them simply did not respond to the registration.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* 3000 British troops of General Paget’s 15th Brigade advance to the village of Kvam, 55 km South of Dombås, where they engage General Pellengahr’s 196th Division (8500 motorized infantry with tanks, artillery and dive bomber support) moving up the Gudbrandsdal from Lillehamer. 15th Brigade’s Hotchkiss 25mm anti-tank guns destroy 1 Neubaufahrzeug heavy tank, 1 light tank and an armored car in an initial skirmish. Despite German numerical advantage and being supported by dive bombers, the British troops held ground and stopped the German advance. For the first time, a British line holds the German advance.

The RAF 263 Squadron on Norwegian soil came under attack today. The group of RAF Gladiator aircraft operating on the frozen Lake Lesjaskogsvatnet in Norway was discovered by the Germans. German aircraft bombed the rough airfield on and off for eight hours, destroying 13 aircraft on the ground. Several Gladiators get off the ice and provide air cover for Paget’s 15th Brigade at Kvam. Returning, they shoot down 3 Heinkel He111s. By the end of the day, Squadron Leader Donaldson ordered the position to be abandoned. The 5 surviving Gladiator aircraft were to be withdrawn to Stetnesmoen.

Two Heinkel He111s from 1(F)./122 were sent on a reconnaissance mission flying from Stavenger to the Shetlands. En route they discovered HMS “_Warspite_” 100 miles NW of Stavenger heading towards the coast. Three Ju 88s of KG 30 were dispatched to, unsuccessfully as it turned out, attack the ship. One of the reconnaissance Heinkels failed to return.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt announced that the United States recognized the state of war between Germany and Norway, and reaffirmed American neutrality in that conflict. To that end, he specifically forbade Norwegian submarines from entering American territorial waters.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 25, 2015)

*26 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Northern Waters*
U.13 attacked a steamer west of Pentland Firth, but torpedo defects prevented any damage being done.

DD JUPITER departed Scapa Lerwick with dynamo spares for damaged DD ECLIPSE. DD JUPITER then escorted base ship MANCHESTER CITY departing Kirkwall on the 26th for the Tyne. DD ACHERON departed Scapa 27th and arrived in the Clyde at on the 28th. With only 6 serviceable a/c (losses however had been light), CVL FURIOUS,which had been off Norway since 11 April, was relieved from her station and set course for the Clyde escort DDs DELIGHT, DIANA, IMPERIAL. The old ship had done well, receiving a unit citation Battle Star for her efforts, though she had been limited by the absence of her fighters. FURIOUS arrived in the Clyde on the 29th escort at this point DDs IMOGEN, ISIS, ILEX. DD BROKE departed Scapa for repairs at Devonport.

Troopship FRANCONIA proceeding unescorted from Narvik to the Clyde, was attacked by a Uboat enroute. DDs JANUS and ANTELOPE were sent to assist. However, when it was found FRANCONIA was not damaged, the DDs were recalled to Scapa. 
DD ANTELOPE, Fr DD FOUDROYANT, AMC VILLE D'ORAN then departed Scapa for Liverpool, arriving on the 27th. Sloop FLAMINGO, out of ammunition, was relieved by sloop BLACK SWAN on her arrival as AA guard ship at Andalsnes. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Andalsnes for Scapa.

DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, TARTAR dep Leith with troopships ULSTER MONARCH and ULSTER PRINCE for Andalsnes. On the 27th, they were ordered to Scapa to await orders. DDrs IVANHOE, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE departed Immingham on the 26th and arrived at Scapa 27th. DDs JACKAL, JAVELIN, WITCH, CAMPBELL were held in readiness at Scapa to proceed to intercept an unknown warship. This warship was found to be Nor DD SLEIPNER when she arrived at Lerwick. SLEIPNER departed Lerwick 27th and arrived Scapa later that day. ASW trawler BLACKFLY of ASWGp12 was damaged in a collision as she was departing Skelfjord with the rest of the Gp for Molde. The trawler returned to Skelfjord.Trawler BLACKFLY was further damaged on 4 May when she ran aground at Skelfjord. 

U.17 rescued a downed German aircrew 70 miles SE of the Shetlands. The seaplane was then destroyed by the submarine.

*West Coast UK*
OB.137 departed Liverpool escort DD VIMY fro 26 to 29 April, when she was detached to the inbound HX.36. Steamer HIGHLAND PATRIOT (14,172grt) ran aground off East Knock John Buoy. The steamer was refloated later on the 26th.

*Channel*
Fr convoy FS.1 departed Brest escort Fr DDs CYCLONE and MISTRAL on the 16th, Greenock on the 20th, escort from here DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS, arrived at Scapa on the 22nd. The convoy departed Scapa on the 23rd, FS.1, composed of Fr freighters SAUMUR (2955grt), AMIENOIS (3713grt), CAP BLANC (3317grt) and escort Fr DDs BOULONNAIS and BRESTOIS and RN MATABELE, arrived at Namsos on the 27th. The convoy disembarked its cargo of stores and ammunition for the troops ashore. DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS escorted steamers AMIENOIS and SAUMUR departing Namsos on the 29th with 840 French troops. They arrived Scapa on 2 May. 

After a loop crossing in St Margaret's Bay, DD BOADICEA was dispatched to join DD KEITH on patrol. Two Fr ASW trawlers were at sea in the area.Trawler L'ORIENTAISE dropped DCs which exploded depth charges on sunken trawler PERIDOT. Tugs were dispatched to assist the French trawler. The loop crossings were later found to be British danbuoy laying yachts.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.38 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA, which were detached on the 27th. The ocean escort was AMC ASCANIA, which was detached on 8 May. Fr submarine AJAX was to have sailed on the 24th to escort the convoy, but defects cancelled the sailing. DDs WALPOLE and WESSEX provided inbound escort from 10 to 12 May, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool. 

*Med- Biscay*
OG.27 was formed from OA.135G, which departed Southend on the 24th, escort DD VIVACIOUS and sloop FOLKESTONE, OB.135G, which departed Liverpool on the 24th, escort sloops FOWEY and DEPTFORD, of 51 ships. Sloop FOLKESTONE escorted the convoy on the 26th. Sloop FOWEY and DD VIVACIOUS escorted the convoy from 26 April. Sloop FOWEY was damaged in a minor collision on the 24th, as her convoy section was setting out. DD VENETIA stood by to assist, but sloop FOWEY was able to proceed with the convoy. On 26 April, DD VIVACIOUS departed the convoy to join convoy HG.27 and on the 27th, sloop FOWEY joined the HG.27 convoy as well. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy on 26 and 27 April. Fr sloop CHEVREUIL and aux PV MERCEDITA escorted the convoy from 27 April to 3 May. The convoy arrived at Gib on 3 May.

Following Halifax escort duties, BB MALAYA arrived at Gib escorted by DDs VELOX and VORTIGERN. HG.28F departed Gib with 40 ships, escort Fr sloop ANNAMITE and aux PV VIKING from 26 April to 2 May. Sloop SCARBOROUGH and DD VERSATILE assumed escort from 2 to 5 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 May. Fr sub LE TONNANT, escorted by PV RAVIGNAN arrived from Casablanca at Gib. The sube had departed Dakar called at Casablanca departing 25 April. The sub departed Gib 28 April and arrived at Bizerte on 1 May, escort sloop YSER which then returned to Casablanca and from there to provide further escort. Subs NAUTILUS and SAPHIR, escort by sloop YSER, arrived at Gib from Brest. The subs departed Gib on the 28th and arrived at Bizerte on 1 May, again escorted by sloop YSER.


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## Njaco (Apr 25, 2015)

*April 26 Friday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Adolf Hitler, unhappy that the British 15th Brigade was able to land in Norway without German interference, ordered Åndalsnes, Norway to be bombed the entire day. Part of the British 15th Brigade's supplies were destroyed by the bombing. However, 15th Brigade is 172 km away at Kvam, holding back German 196th Division which loses 50 men, 5 light tanks and 3 armored cars. In the evening, the British 15th Brigade fell back 3 kilometers to form a new line at Kjorem. 

RAF Gladiators at Stetnesmoen engage the Luftwaffe, shooting down another He111 but using up all their fuel and ammunition. The last Gladiators are burned. The pilots board ships at Åndalsnes. Squadron Leader Donaldson will be awarded the DSO.

British War Cabinet, now aware of defeats at Steinkjer and Tretten Gorge, starts to consider evacuating Namsos and Åndalsnes. Likewise, General de Wiart declines an offer of additional troops at Namsos since “in case of evacuation, this would complicate matters”. This “evacuation” mentality will gain momentum, despite 15th Brigade’s successes.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-13 torpedoed and sank British steamer “_Lily_” at 0117 hours, killing the entire crew of 24.

*GERMANY:* Satisfied with the progress in Norway, Adolf Hitler ordered his generals to resume planning for the invasion of France.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 26, 2015)

> *NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt announced that the United States recognized the state of war between Germany and Norway, and reaffirmed American neutrality in that conflict. To that end, he specifically forbade Norwegian submarines from entering American territorial waters


.


Norwegian subs? Should that be "German Subs"?


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## parsifal (Apr 26, 2015)

*27 April 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U 102





Neutral
USN SIMS Class DD WALKER





Allied
Fr CH-41 Class SC 41 (est)





*Losses*
*Trawler ATHELSTAN (UK 222 grt)* The trawler was last seen by Trawler CLAIRE . No further trace was seen of her, and she was listed as missing, presumed lost with all 9 crew.





*Steamer NYHAUG (Nor 4044 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Lepsoy. She was later raised, repaired and returned to service as HOLLA. She was still in existence in the 1960's when she was named KYRSTI II
http://www.warsailors.com/norships/nyhaugKirsti.jpg






*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> The Supreme Commander of the Norwegian Army issu«d an order of the day:
> "You did everything In your power to stop the enemy. You were often forced back and thus had to leave your positions. That is
> disheartening but the main thing was to gain time. You honorably discharged your duty, for which I thank you. This withdrawal
> movement is now at an end and I exhort you anew: Be of good courage and we shall be victorious."


In point of fact, much of the Norwegian army was about to surrender, and the western allies to abandon central Norway.



> Sweden :
> The Foreign Office is at present trying to obtain the Swedish Govt's consent to the carrying of survivors, wounded and prisoners on the return journey of the trains running to Gp Narvik. This measure is justified as an act of humanity. Even the question of possible internment by the Swedish Govt will be no obstacle.
> 
> Denmark :
> In reply to the blocking of Danish assets in the U.S.A. The Danes have blocked U.S. assets in Denmark.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Lt Prien reported on U 47, which entered Kiel on 26.4. He was operating against the transports entering the Vaagsfjord and was stationed in the southern sector of the fjord, where the transports could be expected to unload. He twice attacked cruisers and destroyers lying at anchor in the Vaagsfjord (Bygden). If the torpedoes had not failed this would have meant a success which would have changed the whole situation in the Narvik area.
> 
> U 38 entered port. She too made unsuccessful attacks on "Warspite" in the Vaagsfjord and on a cruiser in the Andfjord. On her way back she made contact with a convoy, which U 47 had shadowed in a masterly fashion, but was forced to dive before she could attack and depth charged.
> 
> ...



Arrivals
Kiel: U-60
Wilhelmshaven: U-38 

Departures
Kiel: UA
Trondheim: U-29
Wilhelmshaven: U-32 

At Sea 27 April 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-52, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, UA. 
16 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
DD EXPRESS was damaged while entering a lock at Immingham. The DD was repaired at Hartlepool and returned to service.

*Northern Waters*
CV GLORIOUS left her station off the Norwegian coast on the 27th for replenishment at Scapa arriving with her escort on the 28th. OA.137 departed Southend escort DD WINDSOR.. 

U.13 on the 27th damaged tkr SCOTTISH AMERICAN (UK 6999 grt) west of Pentland Firth. The steamer was towed to Loch Eribol by decoy ship LOOE (steamer BEAULY: UK 1061 grt) and armed boarding vessel NORTHERN REWARD (RN 655 grt). DDs DELIGHT, DIANA, IMPERIAL en route to Scapa were diverted to assist on the 28th. MSW trawler JUNIPER stood by while 8200 tons, the entire cargo less 1000 tons of oil, which had been lost, was pumped into tkr OIL PIONEER for return to Scapa. Transfer was completed on 2 May. The tkr was able to leave Loch Eribol on 5 May with tug ST MELLONS and trawler JUNIPER for North Shields.

Sub CLYDE for Operation KNIFE and ORP sub ORZEL for patrol departed Rosyth. However, CLYDE developed engine defects and returned the same day. Sub CACHALOT departed Blyth for repairs at Devonport. Fr sub SYBILLE departed Harwich on patrol.

Steamers DELIUS and DALLINGTON COURT and DDs AMAZON and WITHERINGTON had departed the Clyde on the 21st for Scapa, arriving on the 23rd. TM.1, consisting of steamers DELIUS (6065grt), DALLINGTON COURT (6889grt), SPANKER (1875grt), LOCHNAGAR (1619grt) departed Scapa escort DDs AFRIDI, AMAZON, WITHERINGTON on the 24th to arrive at dusk on the 26th. The convoy arrived at Andalsnes at dusk on the 27th. The arriving convoy found the town in flames and the area under heavy air attack yet again. The convoy was bombed for 3 hrs. Steamer DELIUS was damaged by LW bombs. Some disembarkation was done and sloop BLACK SWAN's ammunition was replenished, but when the convoy left in the early morning of the 28th, still under night air attack, the greater part of the stores, including the first hvy AA bty to reach Norway was still aboard the cargo ships. The convoy was ordered to stand off the coast to await further orders. TM.1 departed Romdalsfjord escort DDs AFRIDI, AMAZON, WITHERINGTON. The convoy was under air attack for 4 hrs with 65 bombs being dropped but no damage was done. The convoy was given AA spt by DDs MOHAWK and SIKH, which were withdrawn at dawn on the 28th from the Trondheim blockade to assist TM.1, which now also included petrol carrier RONAN. CL AURORA joined DD FAULKNOR at Bjervik and then both proceeded to Harstad. DD BEAGLE, escorting the carriers, made an attack on a submarine contact. DD IMOGEN, escorting CVL FURIOUS, made an asdic contactat 1012. After 2 DC attacks a periscope was sighted at a 45° angle suggesting a badly damaged U-boat. DD ILEX joined to assist. DD VANSITTART departed Scapa on the 27th for Sullom Voe to escort tkr WAR NIZAM to Invergordon to reload. DD VANSITTART stood by to escort the loaded tkr back to Sullom. DD JACKAL after gunnery exercises departed Scapa to join CL ARETHUSA. Both ships were diverted to Scapa. DDs HOSTILE and HAVOCK departed Scapa for Rosyth to boiler clean and make good minor defects. DDs ARROW and ACHERON arrived Scapa. DD ARROW departed later that afternoon for repairs at Middlesbrough. DD ACHERON departed at 1200 for the Clyde for repairs arriving on the 28th.

Sloop FLEETWOOD departed Scapa for Andalsnes. Sloop BLACK SWAN in Romsdalfjord fired 1200 rounds of ammunition and had only 210 rounds remaining after the LW attacks. No damage was sustained by sloop BLACK SWAN. Steamer EMPIRE ABILITY (7603grt) departed Greenock on the 23rd escort DD JANUS. DDs HAVANT and HAVELOCK from ASW sweep relieved JANUS en route on the 24th. DD JANUS arrived at Scapa on the 25th. Steamer EMPIRE ABILITY (7603grt), which was carrying motorized landing craft, arrived at Harstad escort DDs HAVANT and HAVELOCK. TSM.2 and FS.3 were diverted to Scapa . Both convoys arrived on the 28th escort PVs JASON and GLEANER and ASW trawlers. The escort then returned to the Clyde.

*Channel*
Fr FP.2 departed Brest on the 18th composed of passenger ships DJENNE (Fr 8790 grt), FLANDRE (Fr 8503 grt), PRESIDENT DOUMER (Fr 11,898 grt). The convoy departed Greenock on the 21st escort DDs FEARLESS, FURY, VANOC. They proceeded to Namsos.En route, they were diverted to Scapa to await developments (as the allies considered whether to evacuate. The convoy arrived at Scapa on the 22nd. Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs CHEVALIER PAUL, MILAN, TARTU and RN DDs CODRINGTON and FAME, departed Scapa on the 24th. This convoy safely arrived at Harstad on the 27th carrying the first contingent of the 27th Demi Brigade of the Chasseur Alpins. Fr DDs TARTU, MILAN, CHEVALIER PAUL departed Narvik with Fr steamers DJENNE and PRESIDENT DOUMER on the 29th. The ships arrived at Scapa on 2 May. Fr steamer FLANDRE departed Narvik escort DD ARDENT on 2 May for the Clyde, via the Minches. They arrived safely on 6 May.


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## parsifal (Apr 26, 2015)

*27 April 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Central Atlantic*
Steamer KONIGSBERG (Ger 6466 grt) departed Rio de Janiero to attempt to return to Europe. En route, she was ordered to replenish Raider WIDDER.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr sub RUBIS departed Brest for Harwich. CVE ARGUS arrived at Malta from Toulon, escort DDs STURDY and RAN WATERHEN.
The carrier was under repair from 29 April to 29 May. ARGUS departed Malta on 29 May, escorted by 2 Fr DDs. The 3 ships arrived at Toulon on 31 May.

The Fr Force de Raide, BCs DUNKERQUE and STRASBOURG, CLs GLOIRE and GEORGES LEYGUES, DDs MOGADOR, TERRIBLE,AUDACIEUX, TIGRE, LYNX, MARS departed Brest on the 23rd. On 24 April, DD TIGRE, LYNX, MARS attacked a UBoat contact. The force passed Gib on the 27th and arrived at Mer el Kebir later that day. Fr DDs TIGRE, LYNX, MARS arrived at Gib. DDs TIGRE and LYNX departed later that day for Algiers, arriving 28 April. Fr Amiral Estava (Admiral South) transferred his HQ from Toulon to Bizerte on the 30th.

The 4 Ex-Italian TBs now transferred to the Swedish Navy passed Gib en route from Cartagena to Lisbon.

*Indian Ocean* 
CA KENT departed Trincomalee on escort duties.


----------



## Njaco (Apr 26, 2015)

parsifal said:


> .
> 
> 
> Norwegian subs? Should that be "German Subs"?



You may be correct. I will have to research that further. 

EDIT: Norwegian OR German! 

The Stanford Daily 26 April 1940 â€” The Stanford Daily

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Njaco (Apr 26, 2015)

*April 27 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* The III Gruppe of JG 2 ‘Richthofen’ is formed with Dr. Erich Mix officially appointed Gruppenkommandeur even though he was chosen on 15 March.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A British attempt to deliver much-needed anti-aircraft weapons by ground to Åndalsnes, Norway was turned back by a three-hour German aerial bombardment. Continued bombing of Åndalsnes forces the port HQ commander Brigadier Hogg to signal London that the situation is hopeless without air cover or anti-aircraft guns. He suggests evacuation. An arriving supply convoy is bombed from 1345 hours to 1700 hours and turns away from Åndalsnes without landing much-needed anti-aircraft batteries.

At Kjorem, after holding the line against attacks by the German 196th Division throughout the day, the British 15th Brigade withdrew 17 kilometers to the north to form a new line at Otta. Meanwhile, the German 196th Division captured the Østerdal valley in Norway. Hogg fails to consult his superior General Paget, who is furious and believes 15th Brigade can win if given fighter and anti-aircraft support. However, Oberst Fischer’s Kampfgruppe (196th Division) has met little resistance in the Østerdal valley to the East. They are 60 miles Northeast of Dombås at Alvdal, threatening 15th brigade from the rear.

1(F)./ObdL and 1(F)./122 sent reconnaissance sorties to the north of Aandalsnes, sighting Admiral Wells’ force and identifying the carriers as “_Ark Roya_l” and “_Eagle_”. “_Glorious_” launched a flight of four Sea Gladiators, three from RAF No. 804 Sqdn and one from RAF No. 802 Sqdn, who pursued the 1(F)./122 machine causing severe damage (Lt Smeaton 804 Sqdn (N2275) led the attack and Sub. Lt. Lamb reported that the Heinkel clipped the wavetops several times while making its escape). The Heinkel crash landed to the NW of Trondheim having sustained 65% damage. The crew claimed to have shot down one of their opponents.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Chief of the German SS organization Heinrich Himmler gave the order to convert the 22 former artillery barrack buildings at Oswiecim, Poland into a concentration camp, later to be more commonly known by its German name, Auschwitz.

.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 27, 2015)

*28 April 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Supermarina BB VITTORIO VENETO




_VENETO was not declared operational until mid August 1940_

*Losses*
*MV CAPELLA (Nor 877 grt)*: The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in Tingvollfjorden, Moreog Romsdal by LW a/c. Raised in 1943, repaired and returned to service as Nor HILLEVAAG in July 1943.





*ASW CAPE SIRETOKO (RN 591 grt)* The ASW trawler was bombed and sunk in the Norwegian Sea off the west coast of Norway by aircraft of KG 26. She was raised, repaired and put in DKM service as VP 6113.





*MV GALLUS (Nor 339 grt)* The coaster was bombed and sunk off Kristiansund, Møre og Romsdal by LW a/c. Later raised by the Germans and reported as in use 1942-44. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV SVANHOLM (Nor 696 grt)*: The coaster was bombed and sunk off the island of Tustna, More og Romsdal by LW a/c. Raised in 1940, repaired and returned to service in 1942 as Bergfin

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts
Conference on the Situation with Chief, Naval Staff Special Items 



> Combatting British aerial mines ; All offices have been informed of the great difficulties arising from the British use of aerial mines and of the urgency of solving the problem of effective defense and they are working towards this end with all the means in their power.
> 
> The attention of subordinate offices will be drawn to the necessity of maintaining special secrecy with regard to all reports about actual or possible further recovery of enemy aerial mines as well as hits on mines, especially also by merchant ships, and to all sweeping results. All information must be transmitted so that the enemy radio monitoring service can gain no insight.
> 
> ...





> Further Construction of the Aircraft Carrier GRAF ZEPPELIN : Naval Staff denies the necessity of continuing construction, particularly since there will not be the necessary military and armament prerequisites for the use of the ship in the near future.


DKM were obliquely referencing Gorings refusal to agree to the formation of a dedicated FAA for use on the carrier. 



> The whole AA armament is at present being used for urgent military tasks at other points. It is not possible to provide it for the
> carrier again without severe military disadvantages. Complete armament cannot be installed until about one year
> after completion, i.e. the end of 1941. The problem of skilled workers offers very great difficulty. Naval Staff is therefore abandoning further construction work on the carrier.



It is amazing that DKM would justify the discontinuation of the carrier on the basis they didn't need it. The existence of just one carrier for Weserubung would likely have avoided most of the heavy initial casualties and losses that had been suffered

*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to Report



At Sea 28 April 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-52, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, UA. 
16 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic

*North Sea*
DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS departed Rosyth . DD VALOROUS was detached to an ASW Sweep reported by air in 58‑31N, 2‑38W. DD WALLACE and troopship ORION (23,371grt) arrived at Scapa and then sailed for Rosyth. Later, both DDs were recalled to Scapa. Fr DDs INDOMPTABLE, MALIN, TRIOMPHANT of DesDiv 8 departed Rosyth. The first two ultimately for the Med and TRIOMPHANT for repairs at Lorient.

Fr sub AMAZONE docked at Harwich after patrol. Fr sub ACHILLE docked at Dundee after patrol. Sub SWORDFISH docked at Blyth after patrol. Sub TETRARCH arrived at Rosyth. Fr sub ANTIOPE departed Harwich on patrol. Subs SEALION and SUNFISH departed Harwich to patrol in Bohus Bay. FN.156, after being delayed more than a day by fog, departed Southend, escort DDs WESTMINSTER and WOLSEY. Further hampered by fog, the convoy arrived in two sections. The first arrived at Rosyth, escort DD WESTMINSTER on the 30th. The second half arrived on 1 May, escort DD WOLSEY. 

*Northern Waters*
CV ARK ROYAL launched strikes on Trondheim without achieving any results. She withdrew to Scapa for refuelling that evening where she arrived on 1 May. Following refuelling, ARK ROYAL departed on 4 May for operations off nthn Norway. DDs CODRINGTON and ARDENT departed Bogen for Skelfjord. DD CODRINGTON carried out a recon of the Narvik area with Genl Bethouart and Brig Fraser on board. She bombarded an AA bty, a railway viaduct, machine gun posts whilst at it. On 29 April, DDs CODRINGTON and ESCAPADE departed Skelfjord to escort tkr INVERARDER to Scapa. DDs IVANHOE, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE departed Scapa to carry out ML ZMA in the Trondheim Leads. This was completed on the 29th. The DDs retired towards the Humber, but were diverted en route to Scapa for escort duties. They arrived on 1 May. DDs ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID were substituted on 1 May for them at Immingham. These DDs departed Scapa on 1 May arriving in the Humber later that day. DD JANUS departed Scapa with the withdrawl dispatches for Namsos and Skelfjord. DDs DELIGHT, DIANA, IMPERIAL arrived at Scapa. DD INGLEFIELD departed the Clyde for Scapa arriving on the 29th. DD FIREDRAKE arrived in the Clyde to join the Home Flt after refitting at Cardiff. DDs WANDERER, ANTELOPE, ACHERON, WALKER, WESTCOTT departed the Clyde for Scapa arriving 29th.

ASWGp 16 arrived at Namsos to join ASW Gp 15. These trawlers remained at Namsos until after the evacuation on 2/3 May. Trawler ARAB was ordered alongside CLA CARLISLE which had supplies for the Fr troops aboard the trawler. On 28 April, Temporary S/Lt P. Collingwood RNVR, was killed in an air attack on CLA CARLISLE.

Sloop BLACK SWAN was badly damaged by LW attacks in Romdalsfjord. The bomb passed through the stern before exploding. Little damage was done and the ship remained in action until the last attack ended. Sloop BLACK SWAN was relieved by sloop FLEETWOOD that night, which departed for Scapa late on the 27th. Sloop BLACK SWAN arrived at Scapa on the 30th with only 29 rnds of AA ammo remaining.She was given temporary repairs by depot ship WOOLWICH. Sloop BLACK SWAN departed Scapa on 2 May and arrived Falmouth on 4 May for repairs completed in late May.

*West Coast UK*
BB WARSPITE docked at the Clyde with DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, FOXHOUND. TS 2 of 2 ships departed Cardiff for the Clyde escort by ASW trawler ST CATHAN.

*Channel*
DD KEITH proceeded to Dover and moored alongside depot ship SANDHURST for repairs to dynamos and steering gear. Repairs were completed on the 29th. DD BROKE, on passage to Devonport, ran aground 1.3 miles from Goodwin Knoll Buoy. Tugs LADY BRASSEY and DORIA and DD VERITY proceeded to assist DD BROKE. The DD was refloated on the tide and continued to Devonport. DD BROKE sustained no damage in the grounding. During the night of 28/29 April, sub H.32 escort sloop FOXGLOVE and Fr sub RUBIS escort sloop ROSEMARY anchored off Dungeness due to fog. During 29 April, the ships proceeded to the Downs, but had to remain during the night of 29/30 April. PC SHELDRAKE from Harwich was in the Downs to relieve sloop ROSEMARY of the RUBIS escort.

*Med- Biscay*
BBs MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, from the Halifax Escort Force, departed Gib escort DDs VELOX, WATCHMAN, RAN VENDETTA, RAN WATERHEN to reinforce the Med Flt. RAN DD VENDETTA had arrived from Malta on the 25th. RAN DD WATERHEN had arrived earlier on the 28th with transport DILWARA. Shortly before the sailing, RAN DD VENDETTA attacked a submarine contact 6½ miles 142° from Cape Trafalgar. DD VELOX joined in the search, but no further results were made. The British ships were joined on the 29th by Fr BBs LORRAINE, BRETAGNE, PROVENCE from Algiers, CAs TOURVILLE and DUQUESNE, CL DUGUAY TROUIN, DDs LION, LYNX, FORBIN from Mer el Kebir. On 30 April, RAN DDs STUART and VAMPIRE joined the escort force, as later did CL ORION and DDs DEFENDER and DECOY from Malta. This force passed Malta on 1 May and arrived at Alexandria on 3 May. DDs VELOX and WATCHMAN arrived back at Gibraltar on 4 May.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 27, 2015)

*29 April 1940 (Part I) *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
IT MAS 526 Class 




_(MAS 526 A total of 32 units completed in 1940, roughly 3 per month, precise commissioning dates otherwise not known)_ 

SU G5 Class MTB




_Precise commissioning dates for the G-5 class are not known, however they were a major element of the Soviet Coastal forces. 253 units were built from 1934 through to June 1941, with constant improvements. 39 additional units were made in the latter half of 1941. This was a long production run, done principally because until the end of 1940 there was no satisfactory replacement availble. The type was effective, but not outstanding, with the sternward TT hampering accurate delivery _

*Losses*
*Sub UNITY (RN 630 grt)* The U-class submarine collided with MV ATLE JARL (Nor) off the mouth of the Tyne and sank with the loss of 2 of her 27 crew.





Sloop GRIMSBY assisted and stood by the site. DD WALLACE brought deep sea diving gear from Rosyth. MSWs GOSSAMER and LEDA anchored to nth of the rescue sight on 1 May. They departed 2 May to coal in the Tyne. On 1 May, DD VALENTINE standing by at the site was relieved by sloop EGRET which was then relieved by DD WHITLEY. On 2 May, the search for survivors still on board the submarine was abandoned.

*MV WHITETOFT (UK 898 grt) *The cargo ship ran aground at Robin Hood's Bay, Yorkshire and was wrecked





Losses were mounting for the RN as the LW took control of the battle in central Norway

*MV BEGONIA (Est 1591 grt)* The cargo ship was bombed and damaged in Aurlandsfjord off Flam, Norway by a/c from KG 26 on 25 April. She was scuttled by the Norwegians four days later.





*ASW trawler CAPE CHELYUSKIN (RN 494 grt) *of ASW Gp12 was sunk by German bombing at Andalsnes. Lt H. Roach RNR, was wounded. The crew returned to Scapa in DD MASHONA on 3 May.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ORLAND (Nor 1899 grt)* The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the North Sea off Midsund by LW a/c. All crew survived.





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> The German Charge d'Affaires in Washington reports as follows on the attitude taken up by U.S. public opinion towards the
> Norway operation and germany: "While the election campaign is on, important decisions regarding foreign policy can only be expected under exceptional circumstances. Such circumstances would arise if Sweden or Holland were attacked. The situation in the Pacific would preclude full U.S. support for the Allies. The U.S.A.'s entry Into the war would necessitate complete military and economic mobilization, for which the organizational and financial basis is at present still lacking. The prospects of Roosevelt's re-election have increased"
> 
> Conference between CinC, Navy and the Fuhrer.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 101 left for Trondheim with ammunition and petrol. U 29, which is on her way back from Trondheim and was first to have patrolled the English supply routes, has been ordered to return directly, so that she can leave for the Atlantic as soon as possible. It was only intended to use this boat for one transport trip. U 17, 23, 61, 30 have started on their return passage.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-52

Departures
Kiel: U-101 

At Sea 29 April 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sloop STORK departed Rosyth for Namsos. Subs SNAPPER departed Harwich for station in Bohus Bay. Fr subs CIRCE and CALYPSO departed Harwich on patrol. Sub SEVERN departed Dundee on patrol. FN.158 departed Southend, escort sloops HASTINGS and LONDONDERRY. The convoy was forced to anchor in heavy fog. DDs VIMIERA and VIVIEN relieved the sloops and arrived with the convoy in the Tyne. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 1 May. MT.61 departed Methil, escort sloops LONDONDERRY and HASTINGS. The convoy was forced to anchor due to fog, but was able to arrive in the Tyne on the 30th. Sloop FOWEY escorting HG.27 was in a collision with steamer ARLETTA (UK 4870 grt), formerly of HG.27, west of Ushant. The sloop was able to proceed slowly to Plymouth. The after cabin flat was flooded. The sloop was repaired at Plymouth from 3 May to 8 June.

Fr DDs carried out sweeps off the Belgian and Dutch coasts as far as Texel. The DDs returned to port on the 30th. After the Norwegian experience there were no longer any objections by the neutrals to the intrusions into their territorial waters. 

*Northern Waters*
Sloop FLAMINGO departed Scapa for Dundee for docking. 

BB VALIANT with DDs FURY, FORTUNE, ESCORT, ENCOUNTER departed Scapa Flow with a primary mission of AA spt to CV ARK ROYAL and a secondary mission of Operation ZEAL, the bombardment of the approaches to Trondheim. However, ZEAL was cancelled before it began due to the growing strength of the LW in this area.

CL GLASGOW with DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN arrived at Molde on the 29th from Scapa to take aboard the King of Norway, his govt, some 795 cases of gold (23grt) for transport to Tromso. In addition, 117 survivors from sunken ASW trawlers BRADMAN, HAMMOND, LARWOOD, CAPE SIRETOKO, CAPE CHELYUSKIN were embarked for evacuation back to England. However, not all of the gold could be embarked on GLASGOW in time. The remaining gold was embarked on Norwegian fishing vessels STOLVAG and ALFHILD. The CL arrived at Tromso on the evening of 1 May and was escorted into port by Norwegian PV HEIMDAL. The King of Norway and his government were landed at Tromso. The fishing vessels safely arrived at Tromso on 9 May.

DDs BEAGLE and VOLUNTEER arrived at Scapa from Narvik. Danish steamer GUNVOR MAERSK disembarked the 166th AA Bty and KIMBERLEY and BRAZEN disembarked troops at Namsos. The steamer escorted by DDs WOLVERINE, BRAZEN, KIMBERLEY and naval trawlers HAZEL (RN 530 grt) and WHITETHORN (RN 530 grt) departed Namsos during the early morning. The ships were bombed continuously for 4 hrs on the 28th, but no damage was done. DDs NUBIAN and ASHANTI arrived at Scapa. DD WALLACE departed Scapa for Rosyth at 0400. DD VALOROUS departed Scapa for Rosyth at 0700. Fr DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS departed Namsos for Scapa with steamers AMIENOIS (Fr 3713 grt) and SAUMUR (Fr 2955 grt) which were carrying 840 Fr troops. DD FAULKNOR departed Bogen for Ballengen where she embarked troops to be landed at west of Haavik, near Ankenes.En route she towed Norwegian trawler SOLBIN. The troops were landed without incident.

DDs KELLY, MAORI, IMPERIAL and Fr DD BISON departed Scapa with Fr AMCs EL MANSOUR , EL D'JEZAIR, and EL KANTARA for the evac of Namsos. CAs DEVONSHIRE and YORK, Fr CL MONTCALM, DDs GRENADE, GRIFFIN, HASTY dep Scapa at 2100 to spt. DDs NUBIAN, AFRIDI, FOUDROYANT departed Scapa later and joined the forces at sea. 

TM.1 was returning to Scapa escort DDs AMAZON and WITHERINGTON from Andalsnes. West of the Shetlands, DD MOHAWK was detached to Sullom Voe for refuelling. DD MOHAWK arrived Sullom Voe on the 30th and went on to Scapa arriving at 0600 on 1 May. DDs AMAZON and WITHERINGTON, attacked and claimed sinking U.14, which was returning to Germany. The Uboat sustained only light damage. Wooden battens and a small stool came to the surface, but could not be recovered due to LW a/c in the area. Destroyer WITHERINGTON was damaged on the 29th by German bombing. The damage required 3 days to repair. TM.1 arrived safely at Scapa at 0505 on 1 May.

Sloop AUCKLAND departed Scapa to relieve sloop FLEETWOOD, which was ammo depleted, at Romdalsfjord. The Admiralty then ordered CLA CALCUTTA to join AUCKLAND and share the AA spt dutues in view of the increasing severity of LW air strikes. Early on the 30th, sloop FLEETWOOD left Romdalsfjord with 340 troops returning to England.

Steamer MARTTI RAGNAR (Ex FN , Ger 3989 grt) ran aground and was stranded while proceeding from Bergen with a prize crew. The steamer had been renamed HERRENWYK for German service (and is mentioned again in 1942).


----------



## Njaco (Apr 28, 2015)

*April 28 Sunday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British War Cabinet orders the evacuation of Paget’s and de Wiart’s troops around Trondheim, fuelled by Brigadier Hogg’s gloomy assessment of the situation at Åndalsnes. At 0500 hours, Paget informs Norwegian General Ruge who is expecting landings at Trondheim instead of evacuation. Ruge, who has not been told of ‘Operation Hammer’s’ cancellation, flies into a fit of rage. Calming himself, Ruge agrees to assist with the British retreat if Norwegian troops are withdrawn too, although he believes 15th Brigade can hold out.

Meanwhile, troops of the British 15th Brigade held their line against attacks by the German 196th Division at Otta throughout the day and destroy 3 more light tanks. They then withdraw overnight 25 miles north to Dombås, blowing road and rail bridges to delay the German advance during the evacuation.

At Namsos, General de Wiart’s 146th Brigade retreats into a defensive perimeter. They are not pursued by German ground forces who allow Luftwaffe bombing to take its toll.

German planes begin five days of intense bombing of Kristiansund, Norway, almost completely destroying the city.

British and allied troops landed at Narvik, swiftly capturing the town and destroying the port. The British troops were accompanied by two battalions of the French Foreign Legion and were reinforced with a Polish brigade. The capture of the main target of this Norwegian campaign will be viewed as a significant success by the British and French governments.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 28, 2015)

*29 April 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*West Coast UK*
CVL FURIOUS and DDs IMOGEN, ISIS, ILEX arrived in the Clyde. 

*UK-France*
FP.4 consisting of French liners DE GRASSE and MASSILIA, departed Brest on the 26th. They arrived at Greenock on the 29th (enroute to Norway) escort Fr DDs CYCLONE, MISTRAL, SIROCCO, but the troops were disembarked at Glasgow on 1 May. The escorts departed the Clyde the next day to return to Brest. 

FS.4, consisting of Fr steamers VILLE DE MAJUNA, ROSE SCHIAFFINO, CAP HADID, departed Brest on the 27th and arrived at Greenock on the 29th (enroute to Norway) escorted by Fr sloops CHAMOIS and COMMANDANT DELAGE, and ML POLLUX. The decision to evacuate central Norway led to certain changes, and the cargo was disembarked on 1 May. Steamers VILLE DE MAJUNA and CAP HADID departed the Clyde for Brest on 22 May escort ASW trawler LEEDS UNITED (RN 405 grt) and ARSENAL (RN 398 grt). 

*Med- Biscay*
HG.28 departed Gib with 25 ships and escort sloops WELLINGTON and ABERDEEN from 29 April to 6 May. DD WHITEHALL and sloop ROCHESTER were the escorts in Home Waters from 6 to 9 May. On 6 May, the convoy split into HG.28 and HG.28 B. The latter section was escorted by sloop ROCHESTER. Convoy HG.28 arrived at Liverpool on 9 May. Fr DD MARS, had arrived at Gibraltar on the 27th to escort British troopship DILWARA, departed Gibraltar on the 29th to return to Toulon. The troopship was ordered to remain at Gib.

*Indian Ocean* 
CL LIVERPOOL arrived at Aden to join the Red Sea Force, Cru Sqn 4, East Indies Station. RAN CL HOBART escorted the MSW Flot 2 in the Red Sea on its voyage to the Med from the China Station. MSW Flot 2 arrived at Alexandria on the 29th for duty with the Med Flt. 

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
Following refitting at Singapore, CL CERES departed Singapore for duty in Cru Sqn 4 in the East Indies. CL COLOMBO likewise departed Singapore about this time being reassigned from Cru sqn 5, China Station, to Cru Sqn 4, East Indies Station.


----------



## Njaco (Apr 29, 2015)

*April 29 Monday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Forty tons of gold of fifty total are loaded on HMS “_Glasgow_” at Åndalsnes, Norway, along with King Haakon VII and the Norwegian government, headed initially to Tromsø.

Having blown bridges to slow the German advance up the Gudbrandsdal valley, Paget’s 15th Brigade rests at Dombås while the remaining Norwegian troops withdraw through their lines. Oberst Fischer’s Kampfgruppe (196th Division) emerges from the Østerdal valley North of Dombås and links up with German troops from Trondheim, surrounding 15th brigade. Their evacuation now seems the correct course of action.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British destroyers HMS “_Kelly_”, HMS “_Maori_”, and HMS “_Imperial_” and French destroyer “_Bison_” departed Scapa Flow, Scotland to evacuate British troops at Namsos, Norway. They were escorted by cruisers and other destroyers.

At 1730 hours, British submarine HMS “_Unity_” collides in fog with 1173-ton Norwegian freighter “_Atle Jarl_” in Blyth harbour and sinks in 5 minutes (4 lives lost, including Lieutenant John Low and Able Seaman Henry Miller who are posthumously awarded the George Cross for gallantry in assisting other crewmembers to escape from the sinking submarine).

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Department of State ended its investigation on the 5 Sep 1939 incident during which British personnel forcefully boarded Filipino Don Isidro at Port Said, Egypt and removed German engineers. Although the Americans did not receive a satisfactory explanation from the British, they assumed that;


> "...similar instances will not be permitted to occur in the future."



.



.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 29, 2015)

*30 April 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Type 1935 TB T-6 





Neutral
Serie XII Bis submarines




_Commissioning dates uncertain. The Soviets built 43 from 1938-41, the majority commissioned in 1940. Only 19 survived the war_
Allied
RN ASW Trawler FIR 




*Losses*
*Aux PV ALVERSUND (RNorN 178 grt) *The guard ship was scuttled by her own crew near Stord, Hordaland, Norway, to prevent capture by the Germans.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*MSW DUNOON (RN 710 grt)* and ELGIN of MSW Flot 4 were sweeping from 29 April after steamer CREE was damaged. DUNOON was recovering a parted mine sweep when she struck a mine off Great Yarmouth in the minefield laid by DKM ML Schiff 11 on 2 April. The 4" ammo magazine exploded and she sank in 40 minutes. 29 men (incl the skipper) lost their lives and 5 men were wounded. 





*TB LEOPARD (DKM 933 grt)* The 1924 class TB collided with the DKM ML PREUSSEN in the Skagerrak and sank. Survivors rescued by DKM TB WOLF.





*Contre Torpilleur DD MAILLE BREZE (Fr 2441 grt)* was sunk in an accidental explosion at Greenock while taking on ammunition. The ship's torpedo tubes were trained fore and aft and one of the torpedoes was accidently discharged, exploding on the bridge. 25 crew were killed of the 220 man crew. 47 crew were wounded. 




_MAILLE BREZE damaged and sinking at Greencock_

_Air Attacks off Central Norway_
CLA CARLISLE and sloop BITTERN were stationed at Namsos as AA guard ships. CLA cruiser CARLISLE had departed temporarily on the 28th to refuel and returned during a heavy German air attack on the 30th. *Sloop BITTERN (RN 1085 grt)* was bombed and badly damaged in her stern during this attack in the Fjord narrows near the entrance. 17 crew were killed and 3 missing in the attack in the attack and 11 ratings were wounded. DD JANUS took off the wounded from BITTERN and later scuttled the sloop.
The after action report submitted to NOIC Aberdeen Command gives a graphic account of the intensity of the action "_30th, Tuesday 0700 - Heavy dive bombing raid, 16 planes mostly attacking "Bittern". We were in a very good position to give them all our guns after they had dropped their bombs at "Bittern". These planes all attacked from the sun in the east. Could see Oerlikon shells bursting on planes. 0740 - Ordered by "Aston Villa" to close and assist her. Asked permission from "Bittern" who told me to carry on. 0915 - Close "Aston Villa" and embarked Commander Cogreve, who wanted to look at "Gaul". Proceeded down fjord. 1130 - Sighted "St. Goran" alongside cliff at Hamneshuken Mountain. Bomb had exploded on bridge killing Captain, Coxswain and two ratings. Crew had taken to boats_". 




_Port side view of the HMS BITTERN after suffering a direct hit from a LW airstrike._

*ASW trawler ST GORAN (RN 210 grt)* was badly damaged as a result of the sustained LW attacks on Namsenfjord. The GORANs skipper and 3 ratings were killed on ST GORAN. She remained afloat until next morning when further air attacks finally sank her. DD JANUS, en route up the fjord, sent her medical officer to assist ST GORAN's wounded. 2 hrs later, CLA CARLISLE arrived and took the survivors aboard. 





*ASW Trawler ASTON VILLA (RN 196 grt)*: The ASW trawler was bombed and damaged in the Norwegian Sea off Namsos, by Ju87 a/c . She was scuttled on 3 May.





*ASW Trawler GAUL (RN 531 grt)* The naval trawler was bombed and damaged in the Norwegian Sea off Namsos by Luftwaffe aircraft. She was scuttled on 3 May.

[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*MV SATURNUS (Nor 956 grt)* The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in Todalsfjord by Luftwaffe aircraft. Later raised, repaired and returned to service.





In LW airstrikes British shipping at Andalsnes, *ASW trawler JARDINE (RN 452 grt)* and *ASW Trawler WARWICKSHIRE (RN 466 grt) * of the ASW Gp 22 were sunk. They were later salved by German forces as Vp.6117 (trawler CHERUSKER) and Vp.6114 (trawler ALAME), respectively, slavage beginning in late June 1940.





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> 1. Norway :
> The Norwegian Government has issued en official statement from its unknown headquarters. It says:
> 
> "The Norwegian Government has learnt from the radio of the German Government » a statement on 26 April that it was at war with Norway. It must confirm that it has had knowledge of a state of war already since the night of 8 April."
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 13, 14 and U 30 started on their return passage. The following are thus left in the operations area: U 25, U 65 NW and W of the Shetlands; U 24, 57, 58, 39 NE and E of the Shetlands and Orkneys; U 65 reported a convoy; she did not manage to attack, but this is nevertheless an indication of traffic in this area; U 13, 17, 34 and 52 entered port. U 34 was first off Trondheim, then off the Follafjord and finally west of the Shetlands. She sighted numerous targets off the Follafjord, but only seldom managed to attack because of strong anti-S/M forces. Certain success against a cruiser and a destroyer was frustrated in each case by torpedo failures. She attacked "Franconia" north of the Minch. See 26.4. U 52 penetrated into the Foldafjord as far as Andalsnes without encountering anything except a torpedo boat, which chased her. For the rest of the time she was in the area from the Romdalfjord to the Shetlands and had no opportunities to fire.
> 
> The following points were made:
> 1) Torpedo situation. Most urgent requirement: to master the depth keeping of the torpedo. To create a sure impact firing unit. The problems of torpedo failures were already known and C-in-C Navy has ordered most urgent steps to be taken to solve them.
> ...



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-34 

At Sea 30 April 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-29, U-30, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
15 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM S-Boat Flotilla 2 , off Norway since the start of the campaign, was ordered to Wilhelmshaven to prepare for the operations in the Nth Sea. S-Boat Flotilla 1 remained for coastal defense; 3 units based at Sognefjord and 2 at Bergen. They departed to return to Germany on 14 May.

*North Sea*
Sub SEAL, after embarking mines at Immingham, departed the Humber on minelaying mission FD.7 in the Kattegat. Sub STURGEON departed Blyth on patrol off Skudesnes. Sub PORPOISE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. FS.158 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 May.


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## Njaco (Apr 29, 2015)

*April 30 Tuesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The German 196th Division arrived at Dombås, Norway on foot as their vehicles had been rendered useless after encountering blown bridges. Their initial attacks were held off by the British 15th Brigade. At dusk, the British troops withdraw from Dombås by train, destined for Åndalsnes to be evacuated. Meanwhile at Namsos, General de Wiart’s 146th Brigade awaits evacuation by Mountbatten’s destroyer squadron which is en route. The Norwegian troops in this area will be forced to surrender when their allies leave.

Near Oslo, the RAF bombs German airfields in Norway at Stavanger and Fornebu to reduce German air attacks on the planned evacuations. This is only marginally successful. British aircraft carriers HMS “_Ark Royal_” and “_Glorious_”, bringing fighter support to cover the evacuation sites, are driven off by Luftwaffe bombing. Germans will dominate the skies during the evacuations.

Soon after 1830 hours, the British send several bombers to raid the airfield at Stavanger. Intercepted by 4./JG 77, Oblt. Helmut Henz, Staffelkapitan of 4./JG 77 claims his third victory, a Bristol Blenheim, one of two Blenheims of RAF No. 110 Squadron shot down by the Staffel, over Norway. One of the Blenheim bombers is piloted by Squadron Leader K. C. Doran who led the first RAF raid against Germany of the war, is shot down by Lt. Heinz Demes, for his third victory. Less than three hours later, during a second British raid on the Stavanger airfield, Lt. Demes is killed attacking the British bombers. His wingman, Ofw. Erwin Sawallisch claims one of the Wellingtons, his first victory since the action of 14 December, 1939 and a total of four victories.

Allied warships suffer several defeats and disasters. Off Namsos, Norway, German Ju 87 aircraft attacked British anti-submarine sloop HMS “_Bittern_”, hitting her with a bomb and starting a fire on the stern that killed 20. Destroyer HMS “_Janus_” rescued the survivors and scuttled HMS “_Bittern_” to prevent capture. Off Trondheim, Norway, German aircraft sank British trawler HMS “_Warwickshire_”. She will be raised by the Germans on June 1 and used until 19 July 1943 when sunk again near Narvik by Soviet submarine S-56.

Hptm. Werner Hansen is made acting Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 76 in place of Hptm. Günther Reinecke. But the celebration is short-lived when Georg Fleischmann, having five victories with ZG 76, is killed in action.

*WESTERN FRONT:* One of the last French warplanes lost during the "Sitzkrieg" is destroyed by Lt. Rudolf Pflanz of 3./JG 2. Though it may be the last of what the British call "The Phoney War", the French Potez 63 shot down by Lt. Pflanz north west of Merzig is his first victory.

A French military attaché in Berne, Switzerland, reports to French intelligence that a German attack on the West is set for May 8-10, focusing on Sedan. France has chosen to ignore the warning. General Gamelin was dismissive of any possible invasion being a threat, however; “France is not Poland!” Many of the other French generals agree with Gamelin’s opinion that Germany poses no threat to the powerful French army. But regional commanders are more anxious. General Huntziger, whose area of command covers where the Swiss believe the invasion will take place, is said to be nervous. According to reports, his troops are said to be unprepared and poorly trained. Gamelin has even suggested Huntziger’s nerves are more down to his personal unpreparedness than any lack of troops or equipment.


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## Njaco (Apr 29, 2015)

*April 30 Tuesday* _(continued)_
*NORTH AMERICA: *In a letter to the New York Times, Samuel Harden Church, president of the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, offers a US$1 million cash reward for the safe capture of Adolf Hitler.

Total value of United States shipments of war material during the past four months: US$43.4 million to France, US$11 million to Great Britain.

Canadian air training facilities begin operations.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A German Heinkel plane crashes in Clacton-on-Sea, England, killing two on the ground, England's first civilian casualties of the war.

At Greenock, Scotland, French destroyer “_Maille Breeze_” suffered an accidental detonation of two of her torpedoes in the forward section of the ship and sank. 25 men were killed while 48 were wounded.

British minesweeper HMS “_Dundoon_” hit a mine at Smith's Knoll near Great Yarmouth and sank, killing 27.

A British fleet consisted of cruisers HMS “_Manchester_” and HMS “_Birmingham_” and destroyers HMS “_Inglefield_”, HMS “_Diana_”, and HMS “_Delight_”, under the command of Vice Admiral Layton, departed Scapa Flow, Scotland for Norway. Its mission was to evacuate the British 148th and 15th Brigades from Åndalsnes and Molde.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Italian "_Barfile_" naval infantry battalion landed on Cephalonia, Greece.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The first guarded Jewish ghetto was established at Lodz, Poland. It was later sealed off with 230,000 Jews inside.


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## parsifal (Apr 30, 2015)

*30 April 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Northern Waters*
DD ASHANTI departed Scapa for repairs at Dundee. DD VANSITTART departed Invergordon with tanker WAR NIZAM for Scapa arriving on the 30th. DD VANSITTART departed Invergordon with tkr WAR NIZAM for Scapa, arriving on the 30th. BB RESOLUTION arrived at Tromso. Steamers BELLEROPHON and LYCAON were brought to the Clyde arriving 27th by DD WESTCOTT. DDs ISIS, IMOGEN, ILEX departed the Clyde escorting these steamers for Narvik. Nor DD SLEIPNER departed Scapa for a refit in the Tyne, but was diverted to Rosyth due to German ML ops.

CV GLORIOUS with DDs ACHERON, ANTELOPE, BEAGLE, VOLUNTEER departed Scapa to receive a/c and rendezvous with the CV ARK ROYAL. DD VOLUNTEER arrived at Sullom Voe for repairs before going to Scapa. DD KIMBERLEY, escorting Danish steamer GUNVOR MAERSK, was ordered to Sullom Voe to embark ammunition from DD JUNO, which was experiencing defects, then join ARK ROYAL in JUNO's place.

_RN Evacuates Central Norway_
During the night of 30 April/1 May, the evacuation of Andalsnes and Molde, codenamed TUNNEL and BRICK No.1, commenced. CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA and DD WALKER, WANDERER, WESTCOTT departed Scapa 29th. DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, TARTAR with troopships ULSTER MONARCH and ULSTER PRINCE departed Scapa. DD SIKH departed Scapa 29th to join this force. Molde was evacuated by troopship ULSTER PRINCE escort DD TARTAR from 2300/30th to 0100 on 1 May. Andalsnes was evacuated by CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA which embarked troops at the pier and DD WALKER and WESTCOTT which embarked troops and ferried them to CL SHEFFIELD in the harbour. Troopship ULSTER MONARCH accompanied this force, but returned empty. CL ARETHUSA was the first ship to leave the area at about 0100 and the others followed soon after. DDs SIKH and WANDERER at Alfarnes, 6 miles nth of Andalsnes, lifted troops and ferried them to nearby CL SOUTHAMPTON. While there was no enemy resistance to the operation, WANDERER went aground and SIKH had to tow her off. DD WANDERER was repaired at London from 6 to 29 May. At Verblungsnes, across the mouth of the Romsdal River, DDs MASHONA, WALKER, WESTCOTT picked up the surviving troops of the PRIMROSE force.WALKER and WESTCOTT not leaving until 0315 in order to pick up the rear guard units. As the force left the Fjord, they were attacked by German bombers, but AA fire forced the bombers to drop their bombs ineffectively. These forces genrally returned to Scapa and other ports in the northern waters of the British Isles.

*West Coast UK*
BB WARSPITE departed the Clyde escort DDs HERO, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE for Gib and duty with the Med Flt. The DDs arrived back in the Clyde after the escort on 2 May. OB.136 departed Liverpool, escort sloop LEITH from 30 April to 3 May when she was detached to convoy HX.37 

*Channel*
DD VANESSA departed Dover for refitting at Devonport. Steamer MARGAUX (Fr 1463 grt) escort Fr aux PV HEUREUX arrived in the Clyde. The patrol ship departed the Clyde on 1 May to return to Brest.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.39 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT. During mid afternnon 1 May, the DDs turned the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC VOLTAIRE and Fr sub ARCHIMEDE. The AMC and the sub were detached on 11 May. On 12 May, sloop ENCHANTRESS and corvette GLADIOLUS joined the convoy and escorted it until its arrival at Liverpool on 15 May.

*Med- Biscay*
Danish tug VALKYRIEN departed Lisbon and was taken in prize by DD KEPPEL and taken to Gib.
*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DURBAN arrived at Singapore.


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## Njaco (Apr 30, 2015)

*May 1 Wednesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* King Haakon VII and the Norwegian government established the provisional government at Tromsø, Norway.

Norwegian troops in Lillehammer surrendered. British Vice Admiral Layton's task force consisted of cruisers “_Manchester_” and “_Birmingham_” and destroyers “_Inglefield_”, “_Diana_”, and “_Delight_” finally arrived at Åndalsnes to evacuate the British 148th and 15th Brigades. They embarked 5,084 men overnight and departed at 0200 hours on the next day (May 2) unnoticed by the Luftwaffe. The British leave behind 1301 men killed, missing or captured. En route to Åndalsnes for evacuation, the train carrying troops of the British 15th Brigade crashed into a bomb crater at 0115 hours, killing 8 and wounding 30. The surviving troops marched 17 miles through deep snow, arriving at Åndalsnes at 0900 hours. Joining the British evacuation was Norwegian General Ruge, who departed Åndalsnes aboard British destroyer HMS “_Diana_” to join the Norwegian government at Tromsø. 

British ships begin transporting soldiers off Namsos. Four British destroyers arrived at Namsos to evacuate the British 146th Brigade and other Allied troops in the area. Heavy fog delayed the operation, and only 850 French Chasseurs Alpins were embarked overnight. Altogether 4400 men have been taken off but much equipment has been lost. 

In the Kattegat, British submarine HMS “_Narwhal_” fired six torpedoes at a German merchant convoy carrying parts of 2nd Gebirgsjager Division to Norway. German steamer “_Buenos Aires_” was hit by one of the torpedoes and sank, killing 62 men and 240 horses. Another transport, “_Bahia Castillo_”, was hit but did not sink, killing 10 men and 26 horses.

During the night the Luftwaffe flies several sorties against British and Norwegian forces at Kristiansund, Andalsnes and Sundalsoera. He 111s from 1(F)./122 found Vice-Admiral Cunningham’s naval force west of Namsos and Vice-Admiral Edwards-Collin’s units further south. As a consequence of this Cunningham’s ships were attacked by elements of II./KG 26. At the entrance to the Namsos fjord Luftwaffe bombers attack British shipping, sinking the trawlers “_Gaul_” and “_Aston Villa_”.

Lt. Schirmbock of II./JG 77 gains his second victory, shooting down a RAF Hudson attacking his airfield at Stavanger. Uffz. Anton “Toni” Hackl is posted to 5./JG 77.

It was announced today that the 1940 Olympic Games have been cancelled. The XII Olympiad was due to be held in Finland, which came second in the Olympic bidding process in 1932. The 1940 Olympic Games have experienced a number of changes and setbacks over the past few years. Originally planned to be held in the Japanese capital Tokyo, the games were moved following the government’s reluctance to devote resources to the games whilst at the same time fighting China. The XII Olympiad was then awarded to Helsinki in Finland. Preparations have been ongoing, but with the outbreak of the war last year and now intensive fighting in Europe, it has been decided the games should be cancelled.

Radio Update on the war in Norway: Elmer Davis and the News, Update on the war in Norway (5/1/1940)

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Roosevelt urged Italy to stay out of the European War; Mussolini's response noted that Germany could not be defeated.

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## Njaco (Apr 30, 2015)

*May 1 Wednesday*_ (continued)_
*WESTERN FRONT: *Swiss intelligence learned of a potential attack on France to be launched soon and informed the French military attaché, who promptly reported this to Paris. French counterintelligence in Berne, Switzerland, confirmed May 8-10 as the German date of attack, with an attack on the whole front, focusing on Sedan. Czech agent and German military intelligence service member Paul Thümmel reports to French intelligence via The Hague that a German offensive against the West would begin May 10.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler pushed the invasion decision date to 5 May 1940.

Otto Skorzeny was promoted to the rank of Unterscharführer. Rudolf Höss was appointed the first Commandant of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in German-occupied Poland.

Germans change key settings on Enigma ciphering machines.

*ASIA: *Japanese troops began to march toward Yichang, Hubei Province, China.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Navy established the Naval Air Station, San Juan, Puerto Rico as a part of the Tenth Naval District. The first commanding officer of the base was Captain Virgil C. Griffin, Jr.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British government passed a trade union agreement which allowed women to work in munitions factories. The Amalgamated Engineering Union agrees to allow women workers in munitions factories.

A German bomber crashed in Essex, England, United Kingdom, killing the crew and two civilians, wounding a further 150 people. These are the first civilian casualties in England, killed by the falling German plane. German pilot seems to have tried not to hit the houses as he crashed.

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## parsifal (Apr 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses April 1940 (Part I)*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
DD GLOWWORM (RN 1380 grt), DD GURKHA (RN 1854 grt), DD HARDY (RN 1456 grt), DD HUNTER (RN 1370 grt), Sub TARPON (RN 1095 grt), Sub THISTLEe (RN 1095 grt), Sub STERLET (RN 768 grt), Sub UNITY (RN 630 grt), Sloop BITTERN (RN 1085 grt), ASW Trawler S RUTLANDSHIRE (RN 350 grt (est)), ASW Trawlers BRADMAN (RN 452 grt), HAMMOND (RN 452 grt), LARWOOD (RN 452 grt), ASW Trawler CAPE SIRETOKO (RN 591 grt), ASW trawler CAPE CHELYUSKIN (RN 494 grt), ASW trawler ST GORAN (RN 210 grt), ASW Trawler ASTON VILLA (RN 196 grt), ASW Trawler GAUL (RN 531 grt), ASW trawler JARDINE (RN 452 grt), ASW Trawler WARWICKSHIRE (RN 466 grt), MSW DUNOON (RN 710 grt), Contre Torpilleur DD MAILLE BREZE (Fr 2441 grt), SC CHASSEUR 107 (Fr 176 grt ), TB GYLLER (RNoN 597 grt), TB ODIN (RNoN 597 grt), Sub A-2 (Nor 342 grt), Sub A-3 (Nor 342 grt), Sub A-4 (Nor 342 grt) Coast Defence Ship EIDSVOLD (Nor 3645 grt) Coast Defence Ship NORGE (Nor 3645 grt):Cutter SORLAND (Nor 100 grt (est)), PV POL III (Nor 214 grt), MSWs RAUMA (Nor 370 grt), HAUK (Nor 58 grt) Aux PVs HVAL III (Nor 246 grt), BETA (Nor 168 grt). MSWs OTRA (Nor 370grt). MSW HVAS (Nor 58 grt), Aux PVs ALPHA (Nor 235 grt) FURU (Nor 85 grt). MSWs FALK (Nor 58 grt). KJAEK (Nor 58 grt) Aux PVs FARM (Nor 424 grt), SKUDD I (Nor 247 grt), SKUDD II (Nor 247 grt), OTER I (Nor 251 grt), HVAL II (Nor 224 grt), RAMOEN (Nor 299 grt), SAETRE (Nor 172 grt), SARPEN (Nor 187 grt), ML BRAGE (Nor 236 grt), Aux PV TREFF (Nor 204 grt), SAIMA (Nor 217 grt), SOUSA (Nor 217 grt), PreWWI TB TEIST (Nor 92 grt), TB JO (Nor 55 grt), TB GRIB (Nor 55 grt), RAVN (Nor 55 grt), TBs ORN (Nor 55 grt), LOM (Nor 55 grt), TB SKREI (Nor 84 grt), SILD (Nor 84 grt), TB SAKS (Nor 84 grt), TB BALDER (Nor 632 grt), TB AEGER (RNoN 597 grt), Pre-WWI TB JO (55grt), GRIB (55grt), RAVN (55grt), Pre-WWI TBs ORN (70grt) LOM (70grt), Aux PV KELT (376grt), Sub B.1 (RNoN 545 grt), Pre-WWI TB STORM (Nor 107 grt), PV SPERM (Nor 239 grt), PV MICHAEL SARS (Ex-Nor 226 grt), ML FROYA (RNoN 595 grt), Pre-WWI TB SAEL (Nor 84 grt), TB STEGG (Nor 256grt), Aux PV SMART (Nor 122 grt), ML TYR (Nor 290 grt), TB TRYGG (Nor 198 grt), Hospital Ship BRAND IV (Nor 343 grt (est)), TB GARM (Nor 540 grt), Aux PV ALVERSUND (RNorN 178 grt)

(17089(RN)) (2517 (Fr)), (14125 (Nor)); (Total 33731 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
Trawler GORSPEN (UK 208 grt ), Trawler SANSONNET (UK 212 grt), Trawler LEONORA (UK 217 grt), Steamer ADELAIDE STAR (UK 11,000 grt), steamers BLYTHMOOR (UK 6582 grt), MERSINGTON COURT (UK 5141 grt), NORTH CORNWALL (UK 4304 grt), ROMANBY (UK 4887 grt), RIVERTON (UK 5378 grt), steamer THISTLEBRAE (UK 4747 grt), MV TOSCA (Nor 5128 grt), Ferry OSCARBORG-NARVIK (Nor 500 GRT (EST)), MV STANCLIFFE (UK 4511 grt), Steamer THORLAND (Nor 5208 grt), Coastal Steamer DISPERSER (UK 312 grt), Steamer SALERNO (UK 870 grt), Steamer SALMON POOL (UK 4803 grt), MV SWAINBY (UK 4935 grt), Tkr JUANITA (UK 1139 grt), steamers HAWNBY (UK 5380 grt). MERSEY (UK 1037 grt), SAN MIGUEL (Nor 2380 grt), BLACK PRINCE (Nor 5039 grt), KONG OSCAR II (Nor 914 grt), VENUS (Nor 5407 grt), MV CEDARBANK (UK 5159 grt), Trawler HERCULES II (UK 165 grt), Trawler PENN (UK 217 grt), steamer LOLWORTH (UK 1969 grt), RYDAL FORCE (UK 1101 grt), steamer MARGAM ABBEY (UK 2470 grt), MV BRAVORE (Nor 1450 grt), MV SIGURD JARL (Nor 924 grt), Steamer GIRASOL (UK 648 grt), steamer HAXBY (UK 5207 grt), Trawler LEONARD (UK 217 grt), MV STOKESLEY (UK 1140 grt), Coastal Steamer FOLDEN (Nor 316 grt), MV HAARDRAADE (Nor 756 grt)), MV MARGHAM ABBEY (UK 4387 grt), Tkr BOARDALE (UK 8334 grt), Trawler ATHELSTAN (UK 222 grt), Steamer NYHAUG (Nor 4044 grt), MV CAPELLA (Nor 877 grt), MV GALLUS (Nor 339 grt), MV SVANHOLM (Nor 696 grt), MV WHITETOFT (UK 898 grt), Steamer ORLAND (Nor 1899 grt), MV SATURNUS (Nor 956 grt) 

Sunk or captured: 148760 tons (33731 Naval, 96024 UK, 18405 Norwegian)

*Prize Vessels*: 
Warships: Aux PV VP.411 (Fmr trawler NORDLAND; DKM 392 grt), Schiff 26 (Trawler JULIUS PICKENPACK) (DKM 394 grt), 
Merchant Vessels: Trawler MALANGEN (Ger 487 grt), trawler RHEIN (Ger 254 grt) 

*Neutral*
Neutral Shipping
MV NAVARRA (Nor 2118 grt):
MV SIGNE (Fn 1540 grt), MV ANTON H. (Fn 1436 grt), steamer USKO (Fn 1876 grt), steamer EMMI (Fn 1592 grt), 
steamer MARE (Est 1217 grt), steamer KADLI (Est 1818 grt), steamer ARCTURUS (Est 1682 grt), steamer AKSI (Est 844 grt), MV BEGONIA (Est 1591 grt), 
Steamer OKEANIA (Gk 4843 grt), 
Steamer GULLFOSS (Iceland 1414 grt), 
MV GALLIA (Sd 1419 grt), MV FAVERVIK (Sd 1912 grt), MV MONARK (Sd 1786 grt), Trawler DAGNY (Sd 47 grt), Steamer ALBERT (Sd 1745 grt), Trawler INES (Sd 100 grt (est)), Tkr SVEABORG (Sd 9076 grt), MERTAINEN (Sd 4531 grt), Steamer BALTICIA (Sd 1986 grt), Steamer EDDA (Sd 1587 grt), Steamer KARE (Sd 1203 grt)
Ferry NYBORG (Den 2555grt), Steamer LILY (Den 1281 grt),
Coastal Steamer VELOCITAS (Ne 197 grt), Steamer BERNISSE (Ne 951 grt), Steamer , Fishing Vessel BEP (Ne 151 grt), Schuit WOCANA (Ne 100 grt (est)), Fishing vessel WILLY (Ne 147 grt), 
Fishing Vessel LONE EAGLED (US 57 grt)
Steamer ANGLO (Pan 2978 grt), MV BOBBY (Pan 2827 grt), 

Neutral Shipping sunk 58607 grt (0 Naval 58607 grt Mercantile tons 25392 grt (Sd), 2118 grt (Nor), 6444 grt (Fn), 7152 grt (Est), 1546 grt (Ne), 3836 grt (Den), 4843 grt (Gk), 1414 grt (Iceland), 57 grt (US), 5805 grt (Panama), 

Combined Allied and Neutral Shipping Sunk 207367 grt


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## parsifal (Apr 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses April 1940 (Part II)*
*Axis*
*Axis Warships*
CA BLUCHER (DKM 16974 grt), CL KARLSRUHE (DKM 8130 grt), CL KONIGSBERG (DKM 6650 grt), DD WILHELM HEIDKAMP (DKM 2411 grt), DD ANTON SCHMITT (DKM 2411 grt), DD ERICH KOELLNER (DKM 2200 grt), DD HERMANN KUNNE (DKM 2411 grt), DD ERICH GIESE (DKM 2200 grt), DD DIETER VON ROEDER (DKM 2411grt), DD HANS LUDEMANN (DKM 2411 grt), DD WOLGANG ZENKER (DKM 2200 grt), DD BERND VON ARNIM (DKM 2200 grt), DD GEORG THIELE (DKM 2200 grt), TB ALBATROS (DKM 924 grt), TB LEOPARD (DKM 933 grt), Type IIA U-1 (DKM 381 grt), Type IXB U.64 (DKM 1430 grt), Type VII B U-49 (DKM 857 grt), MSW R.17 (DKM 117 grt), Gunnery TS BRUMMER (DKM 2960 grt), Aux PV V 1507 / Rau 6 (DKM 356 grt), Aux Schiff 9 (DKM trawler KOBLENZ, 437 grt), Schiff 26 (Trawler JULIUS PICKENPACK) (DKM 394 grt), Schiff 37 (trawler SCHLESWIG) ( DKM 433 grt), PV V-1703 (DKM 450 grt (est)), Schiff 35 (ex steamer OLDENBURG) (DKM 2312 grt), Aux PV VP.105 (trawler CREMON, 268grt), Aux PV VP.411 (Fmr trawler NORDLAND; DKM 392 grt), ASW Trawler Schiff 18 (DKM 550 grt (Est)), Aux MSW M.1108 (DKM 476 grt), Aux MSW M-1302 SCHWABEN (DKM 436 grt), UJ-117 (DKM 350 grt (est)), SC UJ-B TREFF V (DKM 331 grt), PV SENJA ( Ex-Nor 266 grt), PV KELT (Ex-Nor 376 grt), Tkr KATTEGAT (DKM 8061 grt), supply ship MAIN (DKM 7624 grt), RIO DE JANEIRO (DKM 5261 grt), AK ANTARES (DKM 2593 grt), AK FRIEDENAU (DKM 5219 grt), Troopship HAMM (Ger 5874 grt), MV IONIA (DKM 3102 grt), Tkr MOONSUND (DKM 321 grt), Tkr Olschiff 3 (DKM 6044 grt), Tkr SKAGERAK (DKM 6044 grt )

(123274 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Axis Shipping*
Fishing trawler BLANKENBURG (Ger 344 grt), Tkr BELT(Ger 850 grt) Tkr DOLLARD (Ger 880 grt),Tkr EUROLAND (Ger 869 grt), Tkr SENATOR (Ger 845 grt (est)) Transport, steamer RODA (Ger 6780 grt), MV AMASIS (Ger 7129 grt), MV BOCKENHEIM (Ger 4981 grt), MV SAO PAULO (Ger 4977 grt), Steamer SEATTLE (Ger 7369 grt), steamers AUGUST LEONHARDT (Ger 2593 grt), Supply ship ALSTER (Ger 8514 grt), Steamers SAPHIR (Ex-Nor, Ger 4306 grt), ELDRID (Ex-Nor, Ger 1712 grt), steamers STRASSA (Ex-SD, Ger 5602 grt), BODEN (Ex-SD, Ger 4265 grt), Steamers FRIELINGHAUS (Ger 4339 grt), HEIN HOYER (Ger 5836 grt), NEUENFELS (Ger 8096 grt), MARTHA HEINDRIK FISSER (Ger 4879 grt), AACHEN (Ger 6388 grt), ALTONA (5398grt), AK RAUENFELS (Ger 8460 grt), MV MUANSA (Ger 5427 grt), MV PLANET (Ger 3500 grt (est)), MV WIGBERT (Ger 3648 grt), Trawler GAZELLE (Ger 212 grt), Steamer FLORIDA (Ger 6148 grt), MV RUHORT (Ger 5026 grt), MV AFRIKA (Ger 6503 grt), MV THESEUS (Ger 956 grt), MV JAUNTJELGAVA (Ex-Lat, Ger 1509 grt), MV HURGEN FRITZEN (Ger 4465 grt), MV DELAMORE (Ex-Nor, Ger 350 grt (est)), Steamer ROMANSBY (ex-UK Ger 4887 grt), Steamer CRONSHAGEN (Ger 1787 grt), Steamer RIVERTON (Ex UK, Ger 5378 grt), 

155208 grt (Mercantile)

*Prize Vessels*: 
Warships: MSWs OTRA (Nor 370grt), MSW HVAS (Nor 58 grt), Aux PVs ALPHA (Nor 235 grt), FURU (Nor 85 grt), MSWs FALK (Nor 58 grt). KJAEK (Nor 58 grt), Aux PVs FARM (Nor 424 grt), SKUDD I (Nor 247 grt), SKUDD II (Nor 247 grt), OTER I (Nor 251 grt), HVAL II (Nor 224 grt), RAMOEN (Nor 299 grt), SAETRE (Nor 172 grt), SARPEN (Nor 187 grt). ML BRAGE (Nor 236 grt) Aux PV TREFF (Nor 204 grt) SAIMA (Nor 217 grt) SOUSA (Nor 217 grt), TB SKREI (Nor 84 grt), SILD (Nor 84 grt), TB SAKS (Nor 84 grt), steamer SPYRIDON (Gk 3527 grt), TB TIGER (Ex-Nor TOR 632 grt), TB BALDER (Nor 632 grt), Sub B.2 (RNoN 545 grt), Sub B.5 (RNoN 545 grt), Pre-WWI TB KJELL (94t), Pre-1900 TBs LYN (38grt), BLINK (38grt) and KVIK (38grt), Aux PVs W. BARENTS (205grt), FIRERN (217grt), LYNGDAL (149grt), HVAL IV (248grt), HVAL VI (248grt) and HVAL VII (247grt), Pre-WWI TB JO (55grt), Pre-WWI TBs ORN (70grt) LOM (70grt), Aux PV KELT (376grt), PV MICHAEL SARS (Ex-Nor 226 grt), TB TRYGG (Nor 198 grt), ASW Trawlers BRADMAN (RN 452 grt), HAMMOND (RN 452 grt), LARWOOD (RN 452 grt), 

Merchant Vessels: MV MARE (Est 1217 grt), MV ADELAIDE STAR (UK 11,000 grt), MV GULLFOSS (Iceland 1414 grt), MV EMMI (Fn 1592 grt), MV GALLIA (Sd 1419 grt), MV FAVERVIK (Sd 1912 grt), MV ANTON H. (Fn 1436 grt), steamer USKO (Fn 1876 grt), steamer KADLI (Est 1818 grt), steamer ARCTURUS (Est 1682 grt), steamer AKSI (Est 844 grt), steamer GERDA (Den 1151 grt), Steamer ANGLO (Pan 2978 grt), MV SPYRIDON (Gk 3527 grt), MV ALBERT (Sd 1745 grt), MV THISTLEBRAE (UK 4747 grt), trawler RHEIN (Ger 254 grt), CLARE HUGO STINNES (Ex-Ger, Ex Nor, Ger 5294 grt), SAN MIGUEL (Nor 2380 grt), BLACK PRINCE (Nor 5039 grt), KONG OSCAR II (Nor 914 grt), VENUS (Nor 5407 grt)

278482 grt(123274 grt (Naval), 155208 grt (Mercantile))
This represented over 25% of the total available shipping capacity available to Germany at the beginning of the war. These losses were offset by the use of captured prize vessels.


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## parsifal (Apr 30, 2015)

*1 May 1940 (Part I)*
*Losses*
*Lake MV ARLINGTON (Cdn 1870 grt)* The cargo ship sank during a storm in Lake Superior.





Between 0727 and 0753 hours Sub NARWHAL laid minefield F.D. 6 (50 mines) in the Kattegat. Later the same day NARWHAL attacked a German convoy and torpedoed and sank the *transport BUENOS AIRES (Ger 6097 grt) *(on the right)and torpedoed and in rapid succession also torpedoed *troop transport BAHIA CASTILLO (Ger 8580 grt)* (pictured left) in the Kattegat in position. The Bahia Castillo reaches is towed to Frederickshaven vut decleared a total loss and scrapped in September 1940. 70 men and 266 horses were lost and 87 men were wounded. 








*Tkr BEAUFORT (Nor 5053 grt)* This ship was bombed repeatedly from the 25 April. On May 1, the tkr was bombed and damaged at Oye, Rogaland by LW He111s, then scuttled by own crew. Raised in September 1941, laid up, repaired post-war.





*Hospital Ship DRONNING MAUD (Nor 1489 grt)*:The ship had been used extensively by the Norwegians in the far nth to move troops about. She had previously been attacked on several occasions by the LW, with no hits. On the day of her loss, the ship arrived at Foldvik (near Harstad), in calm seas and sunshine. She was clearly marked as a hospital ship. As the ship was about to dock with the small wharf on her port side 3 a/c of LG-1 made a low-level attack with bombs and mg fire. 7 bombs were dropped from the a/c, with 2 registering as direct hits, one between the funnel and the bridge, the other just aft of the fore cargo hatch. Casualties were immediate. As the crew and passengers tried to abandon ship only 2 boats could be lowered into the water due to the fierce fires that had broken out. To prevent the spread of fire onto the dock, the ship was towed out to the channel, where the fire took hold. The ship drifted a short distance, then ran aground, burned and sank listing to port. 18 lives were lost. Her sinking drew sharp criticism of the germsan behaviour, but to be fair the ship was not fully marked as a noncombatant hospital ship when lost. 




_Dronning Maud on fire after the German attack_

*MV HAGA (Sd 1258 grt)*: The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Kattegat with the loss of four crew.

[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Fr ASW trawlers LA CANCALAISE (fmr UK ST AMANDUS), LA NANTAISE (fmr UK ST ARCADIUS), LA L'LORIENTAISE (fmr UK SAINT ANDRONICUS) departed Dover for Dunkirk. Trawler L'LORIENTAISE, damaged on 26 April, was under the tow from Fr tug BARFLEUR. 
Near Dyck Lt Vessel shoal, *TRAWLER LA CANNCALAISE (Fr 510 GRT)* struck a mine and sank with the loss of more than 12 crew.





*MV MATAKANA (UK 8093 grt)* The refrigerated cargo ship ran aground in the Caribbean off Mayaguana, Bahamas and was wrecked. Her 78 crew were rescued by Liner PANAMA (USA).






*Trawler PIONER I (Nor 191 grt)* The trawler (or coaster) was bombed and sunk at Hjorungavarg, More og Romsdal by LW a/c. Later raised, repaired and entered DKM service as RAETER.





*ML ULLER (DKM 250 grt)* The ML, a fmr Vale-class gunboat built in 1876, was bombed and damaged in Sognefjord by Heinkel He 115 aircraft of Norwegian Navy Air Service "Marinens Flyvebaatfabrikk M.F.11" . She was beached and subsequently scuttled by TYR (DKM).







_ULLER was a ship dating almost back the US civil War. RNorAS He115 1935-40 (right)_

*Aux PV VESLEFRIKK (RNoN 350 grt (est)) * The guard ship was run aground in Lønnefjord, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway, to prevent capture by the Germans

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> During an attacis on a carrier formation numerous bombs dropped close to the aircraft carrier. Result not observed. During another attack by the 2nd Group, 1st Dive-Bomber Wing one 250 kg. hit on the bow of an aircraft carrier. Smoke, fire were observed. 1 X 250 kg. hit on the stern of a cruiser (listing, fire). The battle cruiser RENOWN - one SG 1000 at the ship's side. A 250 kg. hit on the stern of a destroyer by the 2nd Gp, 1st Dive-Bomber Wing. The 9th Air Division carried out further aerial ML
> along the east coast of England. h2 aerial mines were dropped.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 1 Mayl 1940
U-13, U-14, U-17, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-29, U-30, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Fr subs CASABIANCA and SFAX returned to Dundee from patrol. Fr ML sub RUBIS docked at Harwich for ML ops off the Norwegian coast. DDs VETERAN, VISCOUNT, VANSITTART departed Scapa Flow with FS.3, consisting of 9 ships (4 x UK, 5 x Fr). These ships had been escorted to Scapa by Escort ships JASON and GLEANER and ASW trawlers. On arrival at Scapa on 28 April, the escorts returned to the Clyde. Off Scapa Flow, these ships were joined by DDs ISIS, IMOGEN, ILEX with British steamers BELLEROPHON and LYCAON which had departed the Clyde on 30 April. When the two gps rendezvoused, DDs VETERAN and VISCOUNT took base ship MASHOBRA to the Clyde arriving on the 2nd. The convoy and its escorts arrived safely at Harstad on the 6th. Fr steamer PAUL EMILE JAVARY of the convoy was damaged in a collision on 28 April with steamer PIZARRO (UK 1367 grt) 16 miles ENE of Stornoway. She was able to leave Scapa on the 3rd and arrived at Harstad on the 9th.

FN.159 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and armed patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 3rd. 
MT.62 departed Methil, escort sloops EGRET and WESTON. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.159 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd. FS.160 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

OA.139 departed Southend escort sloop ENCHANTRESS.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID with mines for the Narvik area were ordered to return to Immingham.

DD ECHO departed Rosyth on the 1st and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 2nd escorting tkr BRITISH GOVERNOR (UK 6840 grt) from Aberdeen. DD ECHO departed Scapa on the 2nd to escort FP.3, but was recalled to Scapa. At Scapa the DD went alongside troopship ULSTER PRINCE and embarked the Norwegian Naval CinC Adm Deisan, 3 staff officers, 3 Swedish officers for passage to Tromso. She then proceeded to rejoin the convoy. DDs AMAZON and BRAZEN departed Scapa on the 2nd to join the convoy. DDr ECHO joined the convoy on the 4th. The convoy arrived safelky at Harstad on the 5th. On the 7th, escorted by DDs BRAZEN and ECHO and Fr DD EPERVIER, troopships CHENONCEAUX and COLOMBIE disembarked at Harstad and MEXIQUE disembarked at Salangen and Balangen. BB RESOLUTION and CLs EFFINGHAM and AURORA bombarded German positions in Ofotfjord in the Ankenes area. 

CLA CURLEW arrived at Scapa Flow. DDs WOLVERINE and BRAZEN arrived at Scapa with detailed situatio reports on the Namsos area addressed to NOIC Aberdeen. ASW trawler NORTHERN PRIDE ran aground at Tjelsundet. The trawler was assisted to get free by DD WALKER. DD JUNO from Scapa arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel. DD WANDERER searched for a UBoat reported by CC a/c in 61‑20N, 00‑18E. She searched from 1744 to 2103 and then proceeded to Sullom Voe to refuel. DD WANDERER arrived at daylight on the 2nd. She embarked troops with DD WALKER. DD KIMBERLEY departed Sullom Voe after refuelling. British opn BRICK 2, the evacuation of sthn Norway which began on 30 April, continued.

At Romdalsfjord, CLA CALCUTTA and sloop AUCKLAND were attacked by LW Bombers and both ships, almost out of ammo, were withdrawn at 1600 from the Fjord. That night, a British force under Vice Adm G. Layton, which departed Scapa on 30 April, entered the Romdalsfjord to embark troops with CLs MANCHESTER (CS 18) and BIRMINGHAM, DDs INGLEFIELD, DIANA, DELIGHT. They joined CLA CALCUTTA and sloop AUCKLAND already in the area. As CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM were too large the use the pier, DDs INGLEFIELD, DIANA, DELIGHT ferried the troops out into the harbour for embarkation on the CLs. DD SOMALI embarked the PRIMROSE detachment at Aalesund. DD DIANA embarked Norwegian General Ruge and took him, along with his staff, to Tromso arriving on the 3rd. Layton with CLs BIRMINGHAM and MANCHESTER and DDs INGLEFIELD and DELIGHT returned to Scapa on the 3rd sustaining no casualties in the evac. DD SOMALI arrived Scapa Flow on the 2nd. CLA CALCUTTA and DD MASHONA arrived at Scapa on the 3rd. CALCUTTA. This gp was carrying 766 personnel, some wounded from the landing areas. Sloop AUCKLAND arrived at Scapa on the 3rd.


----------



## Njaco (May 1, 2015)

*May 2 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German forces reached Åndalsnes as the Allies begin to leave Namsos, Norway. In southern Norway, British troops began to withdraw, but continued to fight in the north to interrupt the flow of iron to Germany. British Vice Admiral John Cunningham arrived in Namsos, Norway with 3 cruisers, 5 destroyers, and 3 transports to aid with the evacuation of the British 146th Brigade. German aircraft attempted to interfere, damaging HMS “_Maori_” with a near miss, killing 5 and wounding 18. Through the end of the night, 5,350 men were embarked. Small British and French forces are landed at Mosjoen to try to help block the road north to Narvik.

An Allied air attack on Stavanger by six British planes succeeds in destroying an Hs 126 and causing light damage. One Lockheed Hudson is shot down by a fighter and another is destroyed by anti-aircraft fire. Later the Luftwaffe attacks shipping in the Namsos-Kristiansund area. Several hits are recorded including one on an aircraft carrier and another on the HMS “_Maori_”.

A British trawler attached to an anti-submarine strike force has endured its fifth day of hell. The British trawler, HMT ‘_Arab_’, has been attached to the 15th Anti-Submarine Striking Force since the end of last month. As part of the strike force, HMT ‘_Arab_’ was sent with fourteen other ships to Norwegian waters. Her mission was to assist in the evacuation of thousands of British troops currently fighting a faltering campaign in the country. For the past five days HMT "_Arab_" has been anchored in a Norwegian fjord 100 miles north of Trondheim. Whilst anchored, the trawler had endured 24 dive bomber attacks and a further seven high altitude bombing attacks. Three other ships have been sunk by such attacks, but the ‘_Arab_’ survived. This plucky vessel, commandeered at the start of the war, was commanded by Lieutenant Richard Been Stannard of the Royal Navy Reserve. Loaded with survivors of fellow British ship “_St. Goran_”, the “_Arab_” then headed home. As it left the fjord, however, a German Heinkel He 111 signaled to the trawler:


> “Go east or be sunk”.


 The order to ‘go east’ was clear to the captain – doing such an action would return the trawler to a German-controlled coast and immediate captivity. Faced with such an unwelcome choice, Lieutenant Stannard chose instead to fire his trawler’s gun at the German bomber. Amazingly the gunner managed to shoot the Luftwaffe aircraft down. The ‘_Arab_’, now with a damaged engine, then headed out to sea and managed to return to Britain. Lieutenant Stannard will receive the Victory Cross for his actions during the past five days.

The Luftwaffe forces stationed at Trondheim amount to eleven Ju 87 Stukas, eight He 115 seaplanes, eight Bf 109 fighters and six He 111 bombers.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Mussolini offered that Italy would not go to war with the United States if the United States would stay out of Europe.

*WESTERN FRONT:* 93 German combat divisions are prepared to invade France and the Low Countries.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Minelaying was suspected off the East Coast between Berwick and Grimsby. Shipping was attacked 600yds up the river Blyth. The river was closed owing to the presence of mines.

.

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## parsifal (May 2, 2015)

*1 May 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Northern Waters (Cont'd)*
CV GLORIOUS, escort DDs ACHERON, ANTELOPE, BEAGLE, arrived off Norway with new a/c after having been withdrawn for refuelling and a/c on 27 April. A Skua from 803 Sqn was shot down in error by British ships off Namsos. S/Lt G. W. Brokensha and P O S. E. Andrews were picked up by DD NUBIAN. DDs HYPERION and BEAGLE were detached from the CV ARK ROYAL's screen for refuelling at Sullom Voe. DDs WITHERINGTON and WOLVERINE departed Scapa with ORP Troopship CHROBRY (11,442grt) and British troopship ORION (23,456grt) to Rosyth, arriving on the 2nd. In Operation KLAXON 1 and 2, Namsos was to have been evacuated over 2 days, but when word of a bn of Fr troops having gotten away, the entire opn was set to take place on the 1st. The British evacuating force arrived off the coast and found it fog covered. Late on the 1st, DD MAORI reached Kya Light off Namsenfjord and Vice Adml J. Cunningham ("ABC") sent DDs KELLY, GRENADE, GRIFFIN, Fr BISON to join her. As the DDs went up Namsenfjord in dense fog early on the 2nd, DD MAORI was damaged by near misses and sustained 23 casualties (5 dying of wounds). The evacuation attempt was aborted at that time due to the German's knowledge of their intentions and the op was rescheduled for the following night. DD MAORI withdrew with her casualties. DD MAORI was able to participate in evacuation the next night. DD MAORI departed Scapa on the 6th. Off Sumburgh Head, she met DD ECLIPSE, which departed Lerwick with one operable engine, escorted her to the Clyde. DD ECLIPSE arrived at Greenock on the 7th. DD MAORI went on to Bootle, near Liverpool, where her repairs were completed on the 20th. 

*West Coast UK*
Fr DD FOUDROYANT arrived at Greenock escorting Fr troopship VILLE D'ALGER. She departed that day and arrived at Scapa the next day. Fr convoy FP.3 with 5 troopships (1 Br 4 Fr) departed the Clyde carrying the last contingent of the 1st Chasseurs Lt Div, the French Legion Demi Brigade, and the the Polish Brigade. These troopships were escorted by DDs ATHERSTONE, WARWICK, Fr DDs EPERVIER and FOUDROYANT, PVs JASON and GLEANER of ASW GP 3. DD WHIRLWIND departed the Clyde a little later and caught the convoy the same day. The convoy was joined the next day by a further 6 x Troopships (4 x Br, 2 x Polish) which proceeded in company in the convoy for Scapa. Escorts JASON and GLEANER were added to the escort for this leg of the voyage.

*Channel*
DD BOREAS arrived at Dover from Chatham after refitting. 

*UK-France*
BC.36 of steamers ATLANTIC COAST, BARON NAIRN (Commodore), CAMEO, CITY OF LANCASTER, DORSET COAST, MARSLEW departed Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 3rd. SA.39 of one steamer arrived at St Malo from Southampton.

*Central Atlantic*
SL. 30 departed Freetown escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE until 15 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

*Med- Biscay*
OG.28F was formed from OA.138GF, which departed Southend on 28 April escort sloop SCARBOROUGH, OB.138GF, which departed Liverpool on 28 April, escort DD VERSATILE, with 45 ships. Sloop SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy on the 1st and was then detached to HG.28 F. Sloop FOLKESTONE and ASW whaler WILLIAM SCORESBY escorted the convoy from 1 to 6 May. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 6th. 

BBs MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, Fr BBs LORRAINE, BRETAGNE, PROVENCE,from Mer el Kebir, Fr CAs TOURVILLE, DUQUESNE, CL DUGUAY TROUIN escort DDs DEFENDER and DECOY, RAN DDs STUART and VAMPIRE, 6 Fr DDs, a Fr TB passed Malta en route to reinforce the Med Flt. DDs VELOX and WATCHMAN, escorting the battleships, entered Malta, arrived back at Gib on the 4th. 
This force arrived at Alexandria on the 3rd.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
ANZAC troop convoy US.3 departed Wellington with troopships AQUITANIA (45,647grt), EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (42,348grt), EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt), 5500 ANZAC troops embarked, the largest convoy to depart NZ at that time, escort RAN CA AUSTRALIA and RNZN CL LEANDER. CL LEANDER had arrived at Wellington on 24 April in preparation for this convoy duty. RAN CL SYDNEY, en route to join this convoy on the 1st, was ordered to Colombo, via Sunda Strait and Singapore. The cruiser arrived at Singapore on the 5th. After refuelling, the cruiser departed Singapore later the same day and arrived at Colombo on the 8th. She departed Colombo on the 12th to meet convoy US.3 in the area of the Cocos Is, but was recalled to Colombo to sail for the Med. Troopship ANDES (25,689grt) joined en route, escort RAN CA CANBERRA, all arrived safely off Sydney on the 5th under the escort of RAN CAs AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA and RNZN CL LEANDER. At Sydney, the convoy was joined by troopships MAURETANIA (35,738grt) and QUEEN MARY (80,774grt), escort RAN CL PERTH, the next day off Melbourne by troopship EMPRESS OF CANADA (21,517grt). HMAS PERTH was detached when the convoy formed for ocean. passage.

Convoy US.3 was at Fremantle from 10 to 12 May when the convoy put back out to sea. New Zealand light cruiser LEANDER was detached on the 16th and proceeded on other duties. The light cruiser LEANDER arrived at Colombo on the 19th.




_Aquitania leaving Wellington 1940. Troops are receiving an enthusiastic send off as another generation fo ANZACs are forced to fight a germany bent on European domination _
CL DAUNTLESS was refitting at Hong Kong from this date to 4 June.


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## parsifal (May 2, 2015)

*2 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN SC CH4 class




_Built 1938-39, commissioned generally in 1940. 170 grt, speed 23 knots. 10 units built, precise commissioning dates unknown. _

Neutral




_Project 1047 was a series of plans for a class of Dutch BCs designed to increase the capabilities of the naval forces in the Far East. They are interesting because they were based on the Scharnhorst design, and reciprocal cooeration agreements were in place for design work in exchange for supply of certain equipment to the Dutch by Gerrmany. At the last minute, the Dutch had a rethink and moved away from German design philosophies and on the 19 April 1940 accepted a modified design based on the new Italian ideas The design centred around a hull of 27500 grt, a top speed of 33 knots and main armament of 9x12in guns_

Allied
DD WOLFHOUND completed her conversion to fast escort ship. She proceeded to Portland for work up which was cut short by the invasion of France and the Low Countries. On 14 May, she departed Portland for Sheerness.




*Losses*
*MV REDSTONE (UK 3110 grt)* The WWI C class cargo ship was scuttled as a blockship in Kirk Sound, Scapa Flow Orkney Islands





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> A British Army communique reports withdrawal of Allied forces' from the area south of Trondheim in view of German superiority. The British and foreign presses openly record the defeat of the Western Powers in Norway.
> 
> The success of the German occupation of Norway is put down to Norwegian treachery. The Allied action from the south against
> Trondheim failed because "Germany had the air superiority and, in spite of the efforts made by Allied naval and air forces,
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 13, 17, 23, 58 entered port and UA put into Trondheim. U 17 and U 23 have nothing special to report off Bergen and near the Shetlands. Reports from U 13 and U 58 show:
> East of the Orkneys and Shetlands and east of Pentland Firth very infrequent shipping but very strong patrol and numerous DDs. Operation during the summer (short nights) promises little success and losses may be incurred.
> West of Pentland Firth rather more shipping, including independently-routed, unescorted ships. U 13 succeeded in sinking 2 steamers there, including the 7,000 ton tanker "Scottish American". It would appear possible for small boats to operate in this area even at this time of year, if they are able to move away from the coast to rest the crews and charge their batteries. U 13 very probably sank a Tribal class DD nth of the Shetlands.
> UA put into Trondheim after a record patrol. U 44 must be declared missing and with her one of the best commanding officers, Lieut.(s.g.) MATTHES, who sank 36,000 tons on his first patrol. This boat was off the Norwegian coast and west of the Shetlands before the Norway operation. There is no clue as to her fate.


Arrivals
Kiel: U-13, U-17
Trondheim: UA 

At Sea 2 May 1940
U-14, U-23, U-24, U-25, U-29, U-30, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-101. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub TRIDENT fired 2 torp at steamer CLARE HUGO STINNES I (Ger 5294 grt) off Skorpa Island. TRIDENT fired 20 from her deck gun at the German steamer which ran herself aground in Bjoernefjord to prevent sinking. Sub TRIDENT also fired 3 torps at the grounded German steamer, but all 3 torps exploded on the rocks. The German steamer was later salved. On 26 July, CLARE HUGO STINNES I was docked at Bergen for repairs. The ship was ultimately lost on 27 September 1944 on a mine. Consequently she is not reecorded as a loss

*North Sea*
CLA COVENTRY departed Sheerness for trials at Rosyth after refit. The trials were completed on the 7th. CLA COVENTRY arrived at Sullom Voe on the 8th. Sub CLYDE departed Dundee for patrol off Fro Havet. Sub TAKU departed Rosyth on patrol.

ML op BS 1 was conducted in the Nth Sea by MLs TEVIOTBANK and PRINCESS VICTORIA escorted by patrol sloops WIDGEON, PINTAIL, PUFFIN, SHEARWATER. CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed Scapa for Rosyth, where they transferred on the 3rd to the Nore Command to be based at Sheerness. They departed Rosyth for Sheerness on the 7th. FN.160 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 4th. 

*Northern Waters*
Late on the 2nd at Mosjoen, DD JANUS landed 100 Chasseur Alpins and 2 AA guns embarked at Namsos. This operation was attempted on the 1st, but was delayed due to heavy fog. The DD was then ordered to meet two Norwegian pulp ships from Salsbruket and one Norwegian pulp ship from Lansless 50 miles off the coast and escort them. DD JANUS was unable to locate any of these merchant ships and arrived at Scapa on the 5th. DD WANDERER arrived at Sullom Voe to refuel. DD WESTCOTT arrived at Scapa from with 350 troops on board. DD HYPERION arrived at Sullom Voe for refuelling. DD ICARUS departed Scapa to meet Danish steamer GUNVOR MAERSK en route to Scapa. DD JAGUAR departed Rosyth with British A. S. I. S. steamer CROMARTY FIRTH for Scapa. JAGUAR was returning to the Home Flt after repairs. Late on the 3rd, the RN announced the evacuation of Namsos in Operation KLAXON complete. CLA CARLISLE, which had joined the evacuation force west of Namsos earlier in the day, stood off the town of Namsos while the evacuation took place. The two surviving trawlers at Namsos, ARAB and ANGLE, ferried troops to the Fr AMC EL MANSOUR and CA YORK in the harbour, while Fr AMCs EL D'JEZAIR and EL KANTARA berthed at the pier. DDs AFRIDI, NUBIAN, KELLY and Fr DDs BISON and FOUDROYANT operated in the Fjord. 

*DD BISON (Fr 2436 grt)* was hit by a bomb dropped by a Ju87 which exploded her fore magazine and blew off the fore part of the ship at 1010 in these attacks. Her survivors were taken off by DD GRENADE which went alongside and DDs IMPERIAL and AFRIDI which picked up men from the water. AFRIDI had rescued 69 BISON survivors. 102 French crew were killed in the attack. Also killed on destroyer BISON was British Cdr R. R. Graham DSO, which was an observer. DD AFRIDI scuttled destroyer BISON. 





*DD AFRIDI (RN 1850 grt)* rejoined the Main Force after picking up BISON's survivors, but then was hit herself at 1400 in further German bombing. DD AFRIDI foundered 46 mins after being hit. DDs GRIFFIN and IMPERIAL picked up her survivors. 
50 crew of AFRIDI were lost with the ship along with 3 of IMPERIAL's , about 30 of BISON's crew, 13 military rearguard personnel evacuated from Namsos. 3 more AFRIDI ratings died of wounds and 31 were wounded. 





CA DEVONSHIRE, Fr CL MONTCALM, DDs GRENADE, GRIFFIN, HASTY, IMPERIAL remained at sea off Namsenfjord. KLAXON had however managed to lift 1850 British troops, 2345 French troops, some Norwegian troops, 30 German POWs from Namsos. DD AFRIDI stayed behind to pick up a late arriving detachment when the other ships left for the relative safety of the open sea. The evacuation was completed at 0445/3rd. In the air attacks that sank the BISON and AFRIDI the LW also launched heavy air attacks on the force as a whole. Air attacks concentrated on CA DEVONSHIRE and Fr CL MONTCALM. On the 3rd CL SOUTHAMPTON and DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, BEAGLE departed Scapa to support the Evacuation Force. DDs FURY, FORESIGHT, ANTELOPE, ACHERON also departed Scapa to support the evacuation force's return. The British and French ships arrived at Scapa, without further damage, late on 4 and early on the 5th. DDs IMPERIAL, GRIFFIN, GRENADE arrived at Sullom Voe on the 4th to discharge wounded Fr and Brit sailors from DDs BISON and AFRIDI and the military rearguard from Namsos to Fr hospital ship SPHINX.


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## parsifal (May 2, 2015)

*2 May 1940 (Part II *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Northern Waters (cont'd)*
The DDs then departed Sullom Voe late on the 4th and arrived Scapa next day. Passengers embarked from Norway were accommodated in BB RODNEY. CA YORK and DD NUBIAN arrived at Scapa on the 4th. DDs KELLY and HASTY and troopship EL MANSOUR arrived at Scapa on the 4th. The main force ( DEVONSHIRE, MONTCALM, SOUTHAMPTON, 2 x troopships, DDs ACHERON, ANTELOPE, MAORI, FURY, FORESIGHT, HEREWARD arrived at Scapa early on the 5th. Wounded with this group were embarked in British hospital ship ISLE OF JERSEY. Most of the French troops, including some of the BISON survivors, were embarked on French passenger ship PRESIDENT DOUMER , DJENNE , FLANDRE , PROVIDENCE which left the Clyde on the 9th escorted by Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs TARTU, MILAN, CHEVALIER PAUL and 4 RN MTBs to return to Brest, arriving on the 11th. The rest of the French troops, including the seriously wounded, were embarked on French hospital ship SPHINX which departed Scapa Flow on the 25th escorted by MSW HEBE. This force arrived at Brest on the 27th.

*Channel*
DD WILD SWAN was on Nth Goodwins patrol. DD BOADICEA departed Dover for Chatham arriving later that day. 

*UK-France*
DD KEITH covered the passage of the B. E. F/ Boulogne leave boats. During the night of 1/2 May, Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs INDOMPTABLE and MALIN were anchored in the Downs to land British liaison officers, and then proceeded to Brest, arriving on the 4th. 

*Med- Biscay*
CLs ORION and NEPTUNE arrived at Malta from Gib. CL ORION, with Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham taking passage on her and Vice Adm, destroyers aboard, departed on the 3rd and arrived at Alexandria on the 4th. On arrival at Alexandria, Adm Cunningham hoisted his flag on BB MALAYA. CL NEPTUNE departed Malta in the evening of 3 May, arrived at Alexandria on the 5th.


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## parsifal (May 2, 2015)

*3 May 1940 *
*Losses*
*Pre-WWI TB DJERV (RNorN 100 grt (est) * The 2nd.class TB was scuttled off Kvamsoya to prevent capture by German forces.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Pre-WWI TB DRISTIG (RNorN 100 grt (est)* The 2nd.class TB was scuttled off Kvamsoya to prevent capture by German forces..

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux MSW M1102/H.A.W. MOLLER (DKM 350 grt (est)) * sinks on a mine laid by Sub NARWHAL on 1 May 40 in the Skaggerak east of Cape Skagen

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Schooner MAGICIENNE (Den 248 grt)* The schooner ran aground west of St Abb's Head, Berwickshire,. All 8 crew survived.





*MV SCIENTIST (UK 6199 grt)* The cargo ship was shelled and sunk in the Sth Atlantic by DKM Raider ATLANTIS with the loss of 20 crew. Survivors were taken aboard as P.O.W.s 27 crewmen and 1 passenger were put on Steamer TIRRANNA (Germany), the passenger and 1 crewman was killed when she was sunk later off France. 15 other crewmen were loaded on to MV DURMITOR ( Yugoslavia): and interned in Italian Somaliland





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Group Narvik is in a critical situation. The shelling from the sea on our positions in Beis Fjord, Narvik and Rombaken Fjord continues. The enemy has brought up frenh reinforcements and is attacking our defenses. French Alpine troops have been seen near Oestervik (Bog en) .
> 
> Our troops are at a disadvantage since they lack snowshoes; the enemy, aided by local inhabitants who know the mountains
> well, has many opportunities of encircling them.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 24 and U 57 started on their return passage, U 58 entered port. U 58's observations confirm the view that operation east of the Shetlands is possible. U 7 and U 9, training boats, will have to be prepared for operations for case "GELB", in spite of my concern for the effect on their training. Other U-boats are not yet able to proceed after the Norway operation. Of the transport boats, U 32 and U 101 (both still at sea) will be withdrawn. These boats have the least petrol carrying capacity. UA, U 26, U 122 and later U 123 are also intended for transport duties.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-23, U-58 
Trondheim: U-101

At Sea 3 Mayl 1940
U-14, U-24, U-25, U-29, U-30, U-57, U-59, U-61, U-65. 
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Conre Torpilleur DDs CHEVALIER PAUL, MILAN, TARTU and DDs SIKH and TARTAR departed Scapa for a sweep into the Skagerrak to intercept 2 German MVs escorted by 2 TBs. The sweep was unsuccessful, but the ships returned undamaged at 0930/4th.

*North Sea*
Home Flt DDs HAVOCK, HEREWARD, HOSTILE, JANUS, KANDAHAR, HYPERION, KELLY, KIMBERLEY were ordered to escort duty on the east coast. The force was later directed to the Humber. OA.141 departed Southend escort DD VESPER from 3 to 5 May and DD VENETIA on the 5th.

FN.161 departed Southend, escort sloops GRIMSBY and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 5th. MT.63 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived later in the day. FS.161 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIVIEN and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE, STELLA CAPELLA and CAPE ARGONA of ASW Gp 12, ARGYLLSHIRE of ASW Gp 11, arrived at Scapa from Romdalsfjord. These trawlers departed for Aberdeen on the 4th.

CVs ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS, BB VALIANT, CA BERWICK, DDs FURY, ENCOUNTER, ESCORT, FEARLESS, ACHERON, ANTELOPE, FORTUNE, KIMBERLEY entered Scapa after operations off Norway. CV GLORIOUS pushed on to the Clyde escort DDs IVANHOE, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, arriving at Greenock on the 4th. DD BEAGLE arrived at Scapa, whilst DD JACKAL docked at Sullom Voe to refuel and to change her carry out minor repairs. DD JACKAL sailed on the 3rd. DDs HYPERION and HEREWARD arrived at Scapa from Sullom Voe. ORP DD BURZA proceeded from Harstad to Skaalanfjord where she towed LCs with Fr Alpins to Gratangen. Completing this duty, she returned to Harstad.

HK.1 departed Scapa escort DDs WESTCOTT and Fr FOUDROYANT and sloop FLEETWOOD. DD VOLUNTEER, whaler ULLSWATER, trawler WILLOW joined during the night. The convoy was composed of tkrs BROOMDALE (8334grt) and BRITISH GOVERNOR (6840grt) and steamers NARVA (1575grt), A. S. I. S. CROMARTY FIRTH (538 grt), EMILE JAVARY (2471grt), cable ship LASSO (930grt). HK.1 arrived at Harstad late on the 9th.

8 British steamers departed Scapa escort DD BEAGLE and PVs GLEANER and JASON. 2 hrs later, DD WALKER departed Scapa with 2 stragglers. DDs WALKER and BEAGLE escorted the Bristol Channel contingent on from the Clyde. The DDs after the escort went to Liverpool for boiler clean, arriving on the 6th. British troopships ROYAL SCOTSMAN and ULSTER PRINCE departed Scapa for the Clyde to embark troops and stores for Bodo and Mosjoen, respectively. DD BASILISK and sloop STORK were sent to intercept unknown ships reported 50 miles sth of Vestfjord. 

*Channel*
MSW SPEEDWELL completed boiler cleaning at Dover. Fr sloop ADMIRAL MOUCHEZ arrived at Dover to escort Fr subs PASTEUR and ORPHEE to Cherbourg. 

*UK-France*
OB.141 departed Liverpool escort destroyer VANQUISHER from 3 to 6 May. BC.35 of seven steamers, departed Loire escort DD MONTROSE. The DD was detached for ASW Sweeps on the 4th. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 5th.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr sub MARSOUIN departed Casablanca, escort ASW trawler HERON. The sub arrived at Bizerte on the 8th.

*Indian Ocean* 
Australian troop convoy US.2 arrived at Colombo en route to Egypt. On the 5th, the convoy put to sea escorted by BB RAMILLIES, Fr CA SUFFREN, CA KENT. Convoy US.2 was met off Aden on the 12th by RAN CL HOBART and DDs DECOY and DEFENDER, which departed Aden on the 10th, in the Red Sea by CL LIVERPOOL and sloop SHOREHAM on the 13th. On 17 May, convoy US.2 arrived at Suez escort BB RAMILLIES, Fr CA SUFFREN, CL LIVERPOOL, DDs DECOY and DEFENDER. RAMILLIES went to Alexandria and went into drydock for refit.

CA SUFFREN and DDs DECOY and DEFENDER joined the Med Flt. CL LIVERPOOL patrolled in the Red Sea for 2 weeks before joining the Med Flt. Repair ship RESOURCE departed Malta escort RAN DDs VOYAGER, VENDETTA, WATERHEN. On the 5th, RESOURCE was turned over to RAN DDs STUART and VAMPIRE which escorted her on to Alexandria.


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## parsifal (May 3, 2015)

*4 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1935 MSW M-16





*Losses*
*Tkr SAN TIBURCIO (US 5995 grt)* Crew: 40 (0 dead and 40 survivors) ; Cargo: 2193 tons of fuel oil and 12 Sunderland aircraft floats : Route ; Scapa Flow, Orkneys (4 May) - Invergordon, Cromarty Firth . The ship struck a mine laid on 10 February by U-9 . A tug and DD CODRINGTON were sent to assist the tkr, but she broke in two before they arrived. The whole crew were picked up by her escort ASW Trawler LEICESTER CITY and landed at Invergordon. The master Walter Frederick Fynn died when his next ship, the San Arcadio was sunk by U-107 on 31 Jan 1942.





*Sub SEAL (RN 1770 grt)* arrived off Goteborg and Vinga in the Kattegat to lay mines. Shortly after completing the minelay at 0859, SEAL, forced to dive by sustained DKM DC attacks struck a mine herself and was badly damaged. The crew almost perished from oxygen deficiency. Finally getting to the surface, she was unable to effectively manoeuvre. In this damaged state, SEAL was firstly attacked by AR196s. SEAL fought back with her single Lewis gun. After all classified documents and equipment had been destroyed 9including the ASDIC gear), the skipper was persuaded to surrender by his officers. Believing the ship was sinking the SEALs skipper did surrender, the only British warship to do so (and something he was almost court martialled for in 1946....in the end he was honourably discharged and entered the Anglican ministry post war). The boat was captured early on the 5th by two German Arado seaplanes and was towed to Frederikshavn by ASW trawler UJ 128 of DKM ASW Flot 12. 53 crew, including the skipper Lt Cdr R. P. Lonsdale, were taken prisoner. SEAL was eventually commissioned into the DKM in November 1940, but was never used actively, and was of limited value as a training boat. however the captured torpedoes were of great use, enabling the germans to redesign their contact pistols to something like a reliable system. 1 rating was lost with the submarine and another rating died while prisoner of war. Four ships were lost on SEAL's FD.7 minefield. 






*Fishing vessel AIMY (Sd 200 grt)* was lost on this minefield May 4, with the loss of all four crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

On the 6th, *steamer VOGESEN (Ger 4241 grt)* was sunk on FD.7 minefield.





On 28 May, *steamer TORSTEN (Sd 1206 grt)* was sunk on this minefield 4 miles south of Vinga. 16 crew were rescued from the Swedish steamer.





On 5 June, *steamer SKANDIA (Den 1248 grt)* was lost in the minefield.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub SEVERN off Stavanger intercepted *steamer MONARK (Ex Sd, Ger 1786 grt)* which had been seized by German forces at Bergen on 9 April. The steamer had departed Stavanger on the 3rd. After removing and taking prisoner the German prize crew, which were crew from sunken light cruiser KONIGSBERG, and the Swedish and Norwegian regular crew, SEVERN torpedoed and sank MONARK. The Non-German crew was landed 25 miles from Stavanger. The German prize crew was taken prisoner and returned to England.






*DD GROM (ORP 2183 grt)* (Grom translates to "Thunderclap" in English) and DD FAULKNOR were on patrol off Narvik bombarding German positions when GROM was struck at 0828 on her torpedo tubes by a LW bomb. GROM was sunk in the explosion and her survivors were picked up by CL ENTERPRISE, which lowered boats to rescue survivors at 0835, DDs FAULKNOR and BEDOUIN assisted. CL AURORA also picked up 4 survivors. Polish Lt (JG) A. Krakowski and fifty seven ratings were killed. The survivors were transferred from DDs FAULKNOR and BEDOUIN to BB RESOLUTION, then to ORP DD BURZA. from there, survivors were embarked on a hospital ship for the passage back to England. They departed Harstad on the 10th for the Clyde. 





*Steamer AAFJORD (Nor 335 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Breiviken. Later raised, repaired and returned to service for the germans. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BLAAFJELD I (Nor 1146 grt)* The ship was sunk by the LW off Namsos near Namsos. All crew were rescued.





*Steamer PAN (Nor 1309 grt)* bombed and sunk off Namsos. All crew were rescued. The wreck was raise in 1942, repaired and returned to service under German control. *Steamer SEKSTANT (Nor 1626 grt)* was bombed and sunk just off Namsos by LW aircraft. All crew were rescued. SEKSTANT , PAN and BLAAFIELD were all together at the time of their loss completing their loading of woodpulp in a part of Namsos Fjiord and intending to leave just behind the retreating Allied naval forces, as was the majority of the Home based Norwegian cargo fleet. Watched constantly by the LW, these ships were unlucky. 




_SEKSTANT , PAN and BLAAFIELD photographed hours before their loss_

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> By order of OKW, Group Narvik is to be placed under Group 21 as from midnight on II May. Supplies are to be brough up as soon as possible, using every available means and in cooperation with the 5th Luftflotte. The situation on land In the Narvik area is serious. After intensive preliminary gunfire, the enemy is attempting to outflank our forces on the right . As Group Narvik has no more forces to bring against this outflanking movement, it requests that a mountain infantry company, equipped with snowshoes, be sent by
> air. Enemy DDs in Rombaken Fjord are preventing any supplies on the ore railroad. In view of the worthwhile targets air support is requieste; more ammunition is urgently required.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 59 started on her return passage. U 29 and U 30 entered port, U 101 entered Trondheim. U 29 took material to Bergen and Trondheim, was heavily depth-charged in FROHAVET off Trondheim and on her way back made an attack which failed. U 30 was heavily bombarded by "Hipper" and "Eckholdt" in the approach to Trondheim, fortunately without results. She was then to operate off the Romsdal Fjord, but did not succeed in entering the fjord as there was strong anti-S/M activity and she frequently touched ground in badly charted waters. West of the Shetlands the boat found little patrol, but also no shipping. On her way there she had to abandon the attack on a convoy as, when she hauled ahead, the Shetlands were between her and the convoy. U 32, about whom considerable concern had been felt, reported her position. A few days ago she reported petrol gas in the boat, which proves that there is danger in transporting petrol, even in outer fuel tanks.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-29, U-30 

At Sea 4 May 1940
U-14, U-24, U-25, U-57, U-59, U-61, U-65. 
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Fr DDs FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, L'ADRIOT carried out a sweep within 20 miles of the Belgian and Dutch coast, as far nth as Egmond.
No contact was made. Sub TRIDENT departed Rosyth on patrol.

OA.142 departed Southend unescorted. FN.162 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 6th. FS.162 departed the Tyne, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th.

*Northern Waters*
BB RESOLUTION and CL AURORA bombarded German positions in Beisfjord (vicinity of Narvik). CL GLASGOW and DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN arrived at Greenock from Tromso. DDs HERO and FOXHOUND departed Greenock with tkr ATHELEMPRESS (UK 8941 grt) for Scapa where they arrived on the 6th.

CV ARK ROYAL departed Scapa after refuelling and reprovisioning with CLA CURLEW, DDs INGLEFIELD , SIKH, MASHONA, TARTAR, JAGUAR, ENCOUNTER. The force arrived off Northern Norway for operations from the 7th and operated a/c daily in spt of allied ops until the 19th when she refuled at Tromso.

DDs DELIGHT, FEARLESS, KIMBERLEY, FORTUNE departed Scapa escorting 4 troopships for the Clyde, where they arrived on the 5th. Sloop AUCKLAND also departed Scapa, for Rosyth where she arrived on the 5th.

Steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN (RN 3244 grt), departed Scapa on the 1st arriving Harstad area on the 4th, escort DD MOHAWK. The steamer had 290 officers and men aboard, which were landed 45 miles nth of Mosjoen. The landing was completed early on the 4th.
DD GRAFTON had joined this group, and also delivered stores, and mail from the steamer for Harstad. This opn was the first of 5 landings for Opn SCISSORS. There were 4 more troop landings (the last the night of 13/14 May) at Mosjoen, Mo, Bodo. DD MOHAWK and steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN returned to Scapa Flow on the 6th. Tugs BANDIT and BUCCANEER departed Scapa Flow at 1740 for Skelfjord with salvage eqiupment on board.


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## Njaco (May 3, 2015)

*May 3 Friday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Norwegian troops south of Trondheim surrendered to the Germans. The Allied Expeditionary Force in Norway completes its withdrawal from Namsos and Andalsnes. Namsos, near the river of Namsen, has been repeatedly pounded by German bombers over the past few days, making life for Allied troops increasingly challenging. With the entire town ablaze, and buildings in ruins, it was decided to evacuate all forces. Evacuation force, Mauriceforce, becomes delayed by thick fog. German aircraft found part of the evacuation fleet and attacked the convoy at 0945 hours. Guided by a plane from Kustenfliegergruppe (KuFlGr) 506, Ju 87s of StG 1 attack Allied naval forces heading from Namsos to the west. At 1000 hours the Stukas attack in several waves. Several hits were reported on a British battleship, either the “_Hood_” or “_Repulse_” but could not be confirmed. A cruiser, a destroyer and a transporter are also hit. At 1400 hours the fourth wave of Stukas succeed in sinking a York-class heavy cruiser along with the French destroyer “_Bison_” and the anti-submarine trawler HMS “_St. Goran_”. The British destroyer HMS “_Afridi_”, left behind to shell British vehicles on the dock that could not be evacuated, was bombed at 1400 hours and sank 45 minutes later, killing 49 men of the crew, 13 men of 146th Brigade, and 30 rescued men of “_Bison_”.

British RAF aircraft attacked German airfields in Denmark and Norway.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Dutch intelligence detected further hints of German troop gathering near its border; this information was forwarded on to Belgium.

Danish constituent country of Greenland sought American protection as her mother country was now occupied by Germany.

*GERMANY:* In Germany, forecast of bad weather caused another postponement of the invasion.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British destroyer “_Garland_”, under repair in Malta, was loaned to the Polish Navy, which commissioned the destroyer on the same date.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British and French troops evacuated from Åndalsnes, Norway arrived safely at Scapa Flow, Scotland. The French troops were transferred onto French passenger ships bound for Brest.


.



.


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## parsifal (May 3, 2015)

*4 May 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Northern Waters (Cont'd)*
3 British steamers escort DDs HAVANT and ACASTA departed Narvik on the 4th. The convoy departed Vaagsfjord during the forenoon of 4 May and was joined by ASW whaler BUTTERMERE. On the 7th, DDs ANTELOPE and ACHERON joined the convoy as it began its run into Scapa. Convoy arrived at Scapa on the 9th. DD HAVANT arrived at Scapa on the 7th to refuel. Two Steamers were taken on to Newport. DD ANTELOPE took one steamer to the Smalls and was relieved by corvette CLARKIA. DD ANTELOPE then returned to the Clyde. British tanker INVERADER arrived at Invergordon escort DDs CODRINGTON and ESCAPADE. ESCAPADE went on to Rosyth to boiler clean. DD CODRINGTON remained at Invergordon to escort the tkr back to Scapa when loading was completed. 

DD DIANA departed Skelfjord for Scapa escorting tkr ALDERSDALE. The ships parted company at Cape Wrath, with the DD proceeding to Scapa and the tkr to the Clyde arriving on the 9th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.142 departed Liverpool escort DD WALPOLE from 4 to 7 May. The convoy was dispersed on the 8th. DD BULLDOG departed Devonport for the Clyde where she arrived on the 5th to join the Home Flt. DDs ICARUS, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE after escorting CV GLORIOUS departed Greenock for Scapa arriving on the 5th.

*SW Approaches*
HG.29F of 47 ships departed Gib. The convoy was escorted by Fr sloop CHEVREUIL and aux PV MERCEDITA from 4 to 10 May. The French ships arrived at Lorient on the 11th. DD VIMY escorted the convoy from 10 to 13 May. DD WINDSOR and corvette PERIWINKLE from convoy OG.29F escorted the convoy from 10 to 13 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 13th.

*UK-France*
Fr DD VERDUN transported a Fr flag officer from the Clyde to Brest.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.40 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA, which ere detached on the 5th. The ocean escort was AMC ESPERANCE BAY. The RCN DDs returned to Halifax on the 5th. The AMC was detached on the 11th. Sloop ENCHANTRESS and corvette ARABIS provided escort in Home waters from 16 to 18 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

*Med- Biscay*
DD GARLAND in dock at Malta was transferred to the Polish Navy to offset the loss of ORP DD WICHER in September 1939. The original offer of the transfer had been made to the Polish Navy on 6 February. On the 16th, GARLAND (Cdr A. Doroszkowski) departed Malta for Alexa to join the Med Flt. The DD arrived at Alex on the 18th.


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## Njaco (May 4, 2015)

*May 4 Saturday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* 30,000 Allied troops were present near Narvik, Norway, including units of the French Foreign Legion, French mountain troops, Polish troops, the British 24th Brigade, and Norwegian troops, aiming to take Narvik from the Germans. Meanwhile, German 2nd Gebirgsjäger Division's mountain troops began marching 350 miles north from Trondheim, Norway to relieve the German 139th Gebirgsjäger Regiment in Narvik. Detecting this, the Allies deployed 300 to 500 men each at Mosjöen, Mo, and Bodö in an attempt to stop this movement.

The planes of KuFlGr 506 stop and seize the Norwegian steamer “_Roaldjal_” loaded with Zellulose bound for France and escort the ship to Trondheim.

German He 115 aircraft bombed British submarine HMS “_Seal_” in the Kattegat. “_Seal_” dove from the surface to the depth of 30 meters in response while continuing to deploy mines, her primary mission. After the bombers departed, the British submarine was aware of German trawlers following her. When more German vessels appeared ahead, and with the waters too shallow to dive, Commander Lonsdale decided to change direction – but unfortunately this caused the “_Seal_” to sail into a minefield. While evading anti-submarine trawlers, she hit a mine and began to settle to the sea floor. Now tilted upwards by 10 degrees, the “_Seal_” crew found their bow stuck in the muddy sea bed. As nighttime arrived, the Germans departed, unaware of the accident. The British sailors valiantly tried to bring their vessel to the surface during a series of attempts, whilst struggling with the deteriorating air quality aboard their submarine. Soon the batteries and air supply began to fail, and the crew were at one point ordered to all move to the front of the submarine to try to change the balance of the vessel. In another ingenious plan, the heavy keel was detached. Eventually the engineer reached a valve, releasing air stored aboard the submarine, and it surfaced. The crew suffered headaches and nausea with the sudden influx of oxygen. Important documents and cipher equipment were then destroyed and thrown overboard, and the commander decided to head for the Swedish coast. With the engines and controls damaged, it was found the “_Seal_” had to sail backwards to make any progress. As the stricken vessel moved towards Sweden, mud lodged inside the one remaining engines caused it to fail, and thus the submarine was brought to a final halt.

A Polish warship operating alongside Royal Navy ships off Narvik was destroyed by a German bomber. The ORP “_Grom_” was firing upon coastal targets in support of Allied operations when a German Heinkel He 111 aircraft dropped a bomb on her. The bomb struck one of the “_Grom’s_” midship torpedo launchers, detonating a torpedo inside the tube. The “_Grom_” was broken into two from the resulting explosion. ORP “_Grom_” was one of the most hated Allied warships amongst the German troops operating in Norway. The crew of the Polish warship had shown a fierce determination to hunt down and kill any German troops spotted along the coast.

*ASIA: *The keel of “_Shinano_” was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal in Yokosuka, Japan.

.

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## parsifal (May 4, 2015)

*5 May 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
On July 11, 1938, USN invited designers to submit plans for a 70-foot motor torpedo boat, and a 54-foot motor torpedo boat. A prize of $15,000 was offered for the winning design in each class, and prizes of $1,500 each to all entrants whose plans reached the final stage of competition. like the RN, the US was beginning from a long way behind. The Navy announced on March 21, 1939, that Sparkman and Stephens, naval architects previously known for their sailboat designs, had won the prize in the 70-foot class, and that Prof. George Crouch, who made his design for Henry B. Nevins, Inc., was the winner in the 54-foot class. Throughout the latter part of 1939 through 1940, the Americans moved gradually to form their first three PT sqns, officially forming after the completion of sea trials for the early ordered boats (with na total of about 30 completed)




_PT 3 and 9 undergoing smooth water high speed trials May 1940_
Allied
RN CL FIJI





*Losses*
ELDRID (Nor) The damaged cargo ship was scuttled at Narvik, Nordland by German forces (see 10th April for loss recording).

*MV MAIANBAR (Aus 513 grt)* The cargo ship ran aground off Newcastle, Australia. She was declared a total loss.





HNoMS SILD (Royal Norwegian Navy): The 1.-class torpedo boat was scuttled in the Norwegian Sea off Haroya, More og Romsdal to prevent capture by German force. loss already recorded (see 9 April entry)


*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Sharp attacks by the Labor Party and whole of the British press on the Government regarding its handling of the Norwegian campaign. Demand for an exhaustive inquiry into the reasons for defeat. Criticism is directed particularly against the inadequate equipment of the Expeditionary Force, the inactivity of the British Fleet, which operated only off Narvik, i.e, in a safe area (fear of risks), the inferiority of the R.A.F. and the reluctance of the British leaders to make decisions, The perfect cooperation between the German Army and Air Force is specially emphasized. The general effect of the defeat in Norway has very much shaken Chamberlain's position. Demands are being made for the creation of a War Cabinet and the formation of a new National Government to include the Labor and Liberal parties and In the circumstances this can be expected to materialize.


.



> In a speech in Charleroi, President Pierlot again declared Belgium's firm resolve to prevent any passage of troops through her territory, Belgium was- no longer a battlefield where other nations could fight out their disputes. In Belgium' only a static war would be possible, which gives no hope of a quick decision. An attack or a comparable act incompatible with Belgian security or prestige would fore 3 her to fight to the last man.





> On passage to the Baltic the GNEISENAU, escorted by MSW M "98" and. the MSW Flot 12, struck a mine NW of Westertill, Compartment V, on the port side. British ground-mine. The ship continued her passage at 18 knots. According to later information damage is only slight. Mine defense apparently took second place when putting out into the open sea. Realizing that the danger from mines existed mainly in the river estuarie s, while there was danger from submarines further out, the Fleet had provided mine defense in the Jade and Elbe, but during the passage at high speed in the open sea gave priority to ASW measures. Since the enemy has dropped aerial mines between the Jade and Elbe, he cannot intend also to use submarines in these waters.
> 
> The Elbe is temporarily closed on account of the doubtful mine situation e The Weser and the Ems must also be closed to vessels with cargoes of ore until a check sweep has been carried out. Minelaying by enemy planes is beginning to make itself unpleasantly felt and causing serious interruptions on the traffic routes which are important to German war economy.
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 25 and U 65, the only boats west of the Shetlands, have been given freedom of action in the whole area. U 32 entered Trondheim, U 14 Kiel. Her experience off Bergen and NW of the Shetlands do not differ from those of other boats. UA and U 101 have been ordered to return direct from Trondheim. Now that the English have retreated from the whole of southern Norway, an operation against the supply routes to Narvik doesn't promise success. According to radio intelligence reports, 2 steamers, one a 6,000 tonner, have run into the minefield laid by U 9 in the Firth of Moray. This is further proof of the fact that such minefields, laid with the mines far apart, are successful in the long run. "Gneisenau" struck an a/c mine between the Elbe and the Jade. It is thus necessary for boats to proceed only with mine escort until they reach the 25 meter line. This will mean delays, with the few forces we have at present which are suitable as escort only against contact mines. U 24, 57, 59, 61 were first ordered to Wilhelmshaven instead of to the Elbe, as it was thought that the mine hit had occurred in the Elbe, Gneisenau having given a wrong position.


Arrivals
Kiel: U-14
Trondheim: U-32
Wilhelmshaven: U-24

Departures
Kiel: U-9
Trondheim: U-101, UA

At Sea 5 May 1940
U-9, U-25, U-57, U-59, U-61, U-65.
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
North Sea*
Sub NARWHAL arrived in the Humber after patrol. Sub TRITON arrived at Rosyth after patrol. A German cruiser was reported sighted off Nordeney and a large enemjy merchant ship in Nordeney Harbour. All the Nore MTBs and patrol sloops were brought to high readiness state (30 mins sailing notice). Sub patrols off the Dutch coast were reinforced. RN Aux ML HAMPTON laid mines in minefield DML 9 escort DDs KEITH, BOREAS, BRILLIANT, VERITY. A further planned extension of minefield DML 9 was cancelled on the 10th.

OG.28 was formed from convoys OA.140G, which departed Southend on the 2nd escort DD WHITEHALL, OB.140G, which departed Liverpool on the 2nd escort sloop ROCHESTER, with 44 ships. Sloop ROCHESTER and DD WHITEHALL escorted the convoy from 5 May and then were detached to convoy HG.28. Fr DD JAGUAR escorted the convoy from 5 to 10 May and Fr PV MINERVE joined near Gib. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 10th.

FN.163 departed Southend, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 7th. MT.64 departed Methil, escort DD WOLSEY, sloop WESTON, armed patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.163 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOLSEY, sloop WESTON, armed patrol yacht BREDA. Early on the 6th, DD WOLSEY was detached to proceed independently to Devonport. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.

*Northern Waters*
CA BERWICK departed Scapa for the Clyde. Damaged CA SUFFOLK, in company with 7 troopships escort DDs KELLY, Fr TARTU, GRIFFIN, GRENADE, IMPERIAL, CHEVALIER PAUL, MILAN departed Scapa for the Clyde, arriving on the 6th. DD FAULKNOR operating in Rombaksfjord near Straumein Point struck a submerged wreck. FAULKNOR sustained damage to her ASDIC dome and the directing gear. She left with a convoy on the 7th to return to England for repairs.

DDs VETERAN, VISCOUNT, FIREDRAKE cleared the Clyde with British troopships ULSTER PRINCE for Mosjoen and ROYAL SCOTSMAN (3244grt) for Bodo. Escort was reinforced by the arrival of DDs NUBIAN and JUNO on 6 June and DD VISCOUNT detached at 1030.
VISCOUNT arrived at Scapa on the 6th. The Mosjoen and Bodo groups parted company on the 8th. DDss JUNO and VETERAN with ULSTER PRINCE proceeded to Mosjoen and DDs NUBIAN and FIREDRAKE with ROYAL SCOTSMAN proceeded to Bodo.

Tkr WAR NIZAM (UK), escort ASW trawlers WHITETHORN and LE TIGER departed Scapa for Sullom Voe.

*Channel*
MTB.22, MTB.24, MTB.25 arrived at Dover from Portsmouth.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs KEPPEL and VORTIGERN dep Gib to meet arriving BB WARSPITE, escort DDs DOUGLAS and WRESTLER. DD VELOX later departed the joined DDs KEPPEL and VORTIGERN. DDs DOUGLAS and WRESTLER were relieved in the vicinty of Alboran Island and arrived at Gib on the 6th. On the 11th, DDs KEPPEL, VELOX, VORTIGERN arrived at Gibr from Malta after this escort duty.


----------



## Njaco (May 5, 2015)

*May 5 Sunday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The German forces continue to advance north from Trondheim. More Allied troops arrive in the north at Tromsø and Harstad. This contingent is from the French Foreign Legion and the exiled Polish forces.

After a 25-day battle, the Norwegian fortress of Hegra surrendered at 0525 hours. The 190 men were the last Norwegian troops actively resisting German invasion in southern Norway. Civilian nurse Anne Margrethe Bang was also captured. They would all be released within the next two months by the order of Adolf Hitler in recognition of their bravery during the defense.

Two Arado Ar 196 seaplanes from 1./KuFlGr 706 spot the British submarine, the HMS “_Seal_”, which had been damaged by a mine in the Kattegat the day before. Captain Lonsdale attempted to return fire with the deck-mounted guns, but they were damaged. With his crew ill and many wounded, and his ship powerless and unable to submerge, the captain had no choice but to surrender by waving the white table cloth from the mess. Lt. Günther Mehrens, pilot of one of the Arado seaplanes lands alongside and takes the captured sub commander to his airfield at Aalborg (incidentally on Lonsdale’s 35th birthday). The British crew attempted to scuttle their submarine, but were unable to do so. The submarine would later be towed to Frederikshavn, Denmark, repaired, and commissioned into German service. Aside from a few coastal craft and abandoned ships, the “_Seal_” was the only British warship to fall into enemy hands during WW II.

Off Norway, eight Heinkel He 111 bombers attack Allied ships, scoring a hit on a battleship with a 1000lb bomb. A crew member of a 1(F)./122 He 111 was wounded when it was attacked by two Sunderland flying boats near Bodö, Norway.

During the day over Narvik, the Luftwaffe tries to attack enemy batteries but cannot locate them in the snow.

Hptm. Blumensaat transfers his special unit, IV(N)./JG 2 and their Arado 68F biplanes from the airbase at the Hage to the airfield at Hopsten and begin training on the Bf 109D for night operations.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler pushed the decision date for the invasion of France to the following day.

The commander of Luftflotte 5 and General-Inspector of the Luftwaffe and Representative of the Reichs Minister of Aviation and Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe Generaloberst Erhard Milch is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Norway established a government-in-exile in London, England, United Kingdom.

In Ireland, Captain Hermann Goertz, a member of the Abwehr (a German military intelligence organization), lands by parachute near Dublin. He subsequently makes contact with Irish Army officers and members of the IRA. (Goertz is detained by Irish authorities in November 1941.)

*NORTH AFRICA:* Emperor Haile Selassie re-enters Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, exactly five years to the day of when it was occupied by Italy. Benito Mussolini had been eyeing Ethiopia (also known as Abyssinia) as an economic colony to be added to Italian Somaliland, in East Africa, since the 1920s. He hoped to resettle 10 million Italians in a unified East Africa. Despite Ethiopia's membership in the League of Nations, which provided it with recourse to other member nations in the event of invasion, Italy, also a League member, attacked on October 3, 1935. Selassie formally protested before the League Council, but the League responded with only mild sanctions, fearing that a more extensive embargo, or the closure of the Suez Canal, denying Italy needed supplies and reinforcements - would lead to war - and Italy simply getting its oil from the United States, which was not a party to League agreements. Britain and France, both fearing that a general war would be harmful to their collective security, proposed secret negotiations with Italy, wherein Italy would be offered territory in Ethiopia's northeast; in exchange, Mussolini would end his aggression. Ethiopia would only be told of this negotiation after the fact; should Selassie reject the terms, France and Britain were off the hook, having made a "good faith" effort at peace. They could then oppose further sanctions against Italy, even propose that the ones in place be removed, thereby sparing themselves a confrontation with Mussolini. But the plans for the secret negotiation were leaked to the press, and both Britain and France were humiliated publicly for selling out a weaker League partner.

.


----------



## parsifal (May 5, 2015)

*6 May 1940 (PartI)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
FI BB LITTORIO




_Like her sister VITTORIO, the LITTORIP was not ready for operations until after August 1940_

Neutral
USN SUBCHASER SC450




_SC462 class profile pictured. SC 450 class was simailr (I think)_

Allied
RN Tree Class ASW Trawler ASH - RN Flower Class Corvette CALENDULA 







*Losses*

*Tkr BRIGHTON (UK 5359 grt)* The tkr struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Dunkerque. All 34 crew were rescued.





*ASW Trawler LOCH NAVER (RN 262 grt)* The naval trawler collided with another vessel off Hartlepool, Co Durham and sank. The survivors were rescued by the RN yacht BREDA





*V-101 (DKM 500 grt (EST)) *The vorpostenboot sank in the Kattegat.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV BRAGE (Ger 5954 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Kiel Light Ship. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*V-811 (DKM 500 grt (est))* The vorpostenboot struck a mine in the Ems estuary and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV VOGESEN (Ger 4220 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Kattegat





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Koht spoke to the Norwegian nation from the B.B.C., London. He declared that he had gone to London and Paris to carry out
> negotiations on behalf of the Norwegian Government. He spoke with great hatred about the German campaign in Norway. The
> German attack on Norway had been planned a long time in advance. Now hypocritical speeches were being made in the attempt to cover up this fact. "Great Britain and France will help us in our struggle and the Polish Government is sending 10,000 men. Naturally it must be some time before this aid can take effect. The Western Powers have solemnly pledged themselves to help us."
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 9 sailed for case "GELB", UA and U 101 for Trondheim. U 25, 24, 57, 59, 61 entered Wilhelmshaven, U 25 unexpectedly. She had trouble with her transmitter during the last few days and could not report. She made the same observations as the other boats in the Westfjord, but the Commanding Officer knew how to make clever use of the positive aspects of disposition in the fjords. He is probably responsible for the sinking of a destroyer off Narvik. U 24 had no opportunities to attack off Bergen and NE of the Shetlands. U 61 was operating first off Trondheim (Gripshoelm) and then off the Minch. Her experiences agree with those of U 13 (see 2.5). Off the Minch she sighted the "Warspite" at 12,000 meters and later had to start on her return passage as one diesel was out of action. U 57 and U 59 confirm the impression that it is now hardly possible to operate east of the Orkneys and Shetlands. U 57 was heavily depth-charged. She had 2 unmistakable gyro failures and so lost her chances of success. Since 16.1 U 57 has been at sea for 82 days out of 111 (-74%). With this, the limits of the possible have been reached. there are similar cases with other boats. Many boats will require a long period of rest after these weeks of utmost strain.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-25 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-24 

At Sea 6 Mayl 1940
U-9, U-57, U-59, U-61, U-65. 
5 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM Raider WIDDER departed Kiel to operate in the Central Atlantic, via the Denmark She was attacked by sub SNAPPER, but the torp spread missed her, and WIDDERs escorts drove SNAPPER off.

*North Sea*
FN.164 departed Southend, escort DDs VIVIEN and VIMIERA, and arrived at the Tyne on the 8th. FS.164 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 8th. 

Submarine SEALION attacked escorted transports MOLTKEFELS (Ger 7863 grt) and NEIDENFELS (Ger 7838 grt) 19 miles Vaderobod Light. 6 torps were fired and 3 hits claimed, but in fact all had missed. Sub TRIAD of SubFlot 2, SEAWOLF, SHARK, SNAPPER of SubFlot 3, STURGEON of Subflot 6 and Fr subs AMAZONE, ANTIOPE, CALYPSO, CIRCE, DORIS ORPHEE, SYBILLE, THETIS of Fr SubFlot 10 began patrols in the southern North Sea and blockade of Texel in anticipation of the German invasion of the Low Countries. Sub TRIAD departed Rosyth on patrol on the 6th, SEAWOLF departed Harwich on the 6th, SHARK departed Harwich on the 7th, STURGEON was already at sea having departed Blyth on 30 April and continued patrol until returning on the 11th, SNAPPER was also already at sea having departing Harwich on 28 April and continued patrol until arriving back at Blyth on the 11th.

Fr Sub ANTIOPE was already at sea having departed Harwich on 28 April and arrived back on the 8th, CALYPSO, which had departed Harwich on 29 April to relieve AMAZON off Texel, arrived back for refuelling on the 11th, CIRCE arrived at Harwich with defects from patrol on the 6th and set off again on the 12th, DORIS and AMAZONE departed Harwich on patrol on the 6th ORPHEE departed Harwich on patrol on the 3rd, LA SIBYLLE already at sea having departed Harwich on 27 April completed her patrol on the 8th when she arrived back at Harwich, THETIS arrived at Harwich from patrol on the 7th and departed again on patrol on the 10th.

Reassignments on patrol areas were made on 10/11 May. Fr submarines THETIS and ANTIOPE were moved to patrol areas off Lowestoft and Yarmouth. Fr sub AMAZONE was moved to 40 miles west off Texel and Fr sub DORIS was ordered to a parallel patrol line 50 miles west of Rotterdam. However, submarine DORIS had already been lost by that time.

*Northern Waters*
CL ENTERPRISE suffered splinter damage from near misses by the LW. CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Scapa for Rosyth. CLA CALCUTTA departed Scapa for the Narvik area. DDs WOLVERINE and WITHERINGTON arrived at Scapa with boom defense vessel META from Leith. DD ESCAPADE departed Rosyth for Invergordon to escort Br tkr INVERADER to Scapa. The ships departed Invergordon on the 7th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 8th. DD ESCAPADE went on to Liverpool for repairs. She arrived at 9th. 
DD CODRINGTON departed Invergordon with Br tkr WAR BHARATA for Scapa that evening.


----------



## parsifal (May 5, 2015)

*6 May 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*West Coast UK*
NS.2 departed the Clyde for Narvik. It was composed of base ship MASHOBRA and British steamers BALZAC, CALUMET, COXWOLD escort DDs JAVELIN and JACKAL and Fr DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS. On the 7th, steamers BALZAC and COXWOLD ran aground sth of Neist Light (off the Hebrides). Steamer BALZAC was escorted by DD BRESTOIS to Stornoway. DD BRESTOIS continued on to Scapa. DD BRESTOIS carried out a DC attack on a suspected UBoat contact but this was later judged a non sub. Steamer COXWOLD was taken by BOULONNAIS and BRESTOIS to Scapa, arriving on the 8th after being delayed by fog in Pentland Firth. 
DDs WITHERINGTON and WOLVERINE departed Scapa on the 7th with steamer META to rendezvous with the convoy on the 7th. 
On joining, DD WITHERINGTON was sent to Stornoway to provide ASW protection for steamer BALZAC. She was later relieved by ASW ST CATHAN. DD WITHERINGTON arrived at Scapa on the 9th. The fuel stores on COXWOLD were embarked on British steamer ULSTER MONARCH (3791grt) which departed Scapa on the 10th unescorted for Narvik. On the convoy's arrival in the Narvik area, DDs JAVELIN and JACKAL were ordered to return to Scapa immediately. DDs JAVELIN and JACKAL departed Tjelandet on the 1th.

DDs ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID arrived Scapa with mines for operation DZ, an ML op in Norwegian waters. However, this op was later cancelled. DDs HERO and FOXHOUND departed Scapa for boiler cleaning at Rosyth. DDs IVANHOE, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE departed Scapa for Immingham to boiler clean and embark mines.

*Channel*
DD WILD SWAN and MSW SKIPJACK began boiler cleaning at Dover. DD WILD SWAN returned to service on the 9th.


----------



## Njaco (May 6, 2015)

*May 6 Monday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *German mountain troops of the 2nd Gebirgsjäger Division continued their slow march north from Trondheim, Norway to Narvik, where South Wales Borderers of the British 24th Brigade, French Chasseurs Alpins mountain infantry, and French colonial artillery troops continued to assert pressure on the German troops. Norwegian forces launch attacks around Roeros-Stoeren. A Norwegian column of trucks and pack animals on the road Elvenes-Ora are destroyed by a Luftwaffe air attack. At Bodö an Allied float plane is destroyed by the Luftwaffe.

Off Narvik, British cruiser HMS “_Enterprise_” was slightly damaged by a near miss by an aerial bomb, killing one Royal Marine. 

British submarine HMS “_Sealion_” attacked German transports “_Moltkefels_” and “_Neidenfels_” in the Skagerrak at 1400 hours. All 6 torpedoes missed.

*GERMANY:* ‘Fall Gelb’, the German invasion of France, was once again postponed by Hitler.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Pope Pius XII shared the intelligence gathered by Vatican agents that Germany was planning on invading the Low Countries with the Princess of Piedmont Marie José, who was the sister of King Leopold III of Belgium and wife of Italian Crown Prince Umberto. The Princess informs her brother, King Leopold of Belgium.

Italian battleship “_Littorio_” was commissioned into service.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A massive German armored motorized column, many miles long was spotted driving west through the Ardennes forest but the Belgian Army did not respond.

British submarine HMS “_Snapper_” attacked German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” 30 miles east of Denmark at 1525 hours. Both torpedoes missed.

SS ‘_Brighton_', a (5,359t) cargo ship, Dunkirk from the Humber with coal was sunk by a mine approaching Dunkirk.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The Norwegian gold reserves arrived in London, England, United Kingdom.

.


----------



## parsifal (May 6, 2015)

*7 May 1940 *
*Losses*
*Steamer FOLDEN (Nor 316 grt)* was sunk by German bombing off Helgeland.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing vessel SAINT PIERRE (Belg 15 grt)* was sunk by a mine off Kwinte Bank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Today saw the beginning of the Commons debate on the Norwegian campaign. The main objections of public opinion to the
> Government's handling of affairs are particularly as follows:
> 
> 1. The employment of obsolete methods. The war of 19 40 was conducted exactly like that of 1914, without any regard
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Narvik requested U-boats as defense against enemy landings. Naval War Staff refused. A request from Sea Defense Commandant Trondheim to use U 32 as wing protection for Army troops proceeding north also had to be refused.With the few U-boats available, it is already difficult to do without the transport boats. It is essential to avoid wasting boats for other subsidiary tasks, especially if these do not promise any success.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-24, U-57, U-59 , U-61

Departures
Kiel: U-7 

At Sea 7 Mayl 1940
U-7, U-9, U-65. 
3 boats at sea.
(this was the lowest number at sea to date)

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub NARWHAL departed the Humber on ML mission FD.10. RN paddle MSW QUEEN OF THANET sighted a periscope in the Firth of Forth. CLA COVENTRY, which was departing Rosyth, was recalled. DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON attacked a contact 12 miles from May Island. The next day, VALENTINE and WESTON were relieved by ASW trawlers BRIMNESS and THORNWICK BAY . MLs TEVIOTBANK and PRINCESS VICTORIA escort patrol sloops WIDGEON, PUFFIN, PINTAIL, SHEARWATER laid minefield BS 2 extending minefield LB. Sloops WIDGEON and PUFFIN were released from the escort after the minelay to escort Danish trawlers found to Yarmouth. The destination was changed en route and they arrived in the Humber. After the minelay, preparing for operation BS 3, ML PRINCESS VICTORIA burnt out her main switchboard and was delayed. FN.165 departed Southend, escort DD WHITLEY and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 9th. MT.65 departed Methil, escort sloops GRIMSBY and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.165 departed the Tyne, escort sloops GRIMSBY and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th.

*Northern Waters*
CL AURORA was damaged off Narvik when a bomb was droped on her, landing forward of B-turret. A and B turrets were put out of action, but AURORA, required for operations around Narvik, was not withdrawn from the area for repairs until 25 May when she was relieved by CL SOUTHAMPTON. 4 Marines were killed and 4 Marines were wounded by the bomb. CL AURORA arrived at Portsmouth on the 29th and was under repair until 28 June. ORP DD BLYSKAWICA was damaged by splinters from near misses in the same attack. DD FAULKNOR was near missed but not damaged. 

DDs FAULKNOR , AMAZON, IMOGEN, WHIRLWIND departed Bjervik that evening with liners MONARCH OF BERMUDA, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA , VILLE D'ALGER for Scapa arriving on the 9th, less DD WHIRLWIND. DD FAULKNOR departed Scapa on the 10th Grimsby for repair at Grimsby of damage sustained on the 5th. Repairs were completed on 13 June. DD IMOGEN had been ordered to return to England for overdue repairs. DD IMOGEN departed Scapa Flow on the 15th for Chatham for damage repairs. She arrived at on the 16th and the repairs were completed on 12 June. Troopship CHROBRY (ORP 11,442 grt) departed Leith for Narvik escort DD KANDAHAR and HOSTILE. The DDs were soon relieved by DDs SOMALI (D.6) and ESCORT which departed Scapa on the 8th. DDs KANDAHAR and HOSTILE returned to Rosyth at high speed. Troopship CHROBRY and DDs SOMALI and ESCORT arrived at Harstad on the 11th. 

Br troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN (3244grt) escort DD MATABELE departed Scapa for Leith.

*West Coast UK*
DD GALLANT and BULLDOG departed Greenock to escort British troopship ALMANZORA to Scapa arriving on the 8th. MSW SHARPSHOOTER arrived at Scapa from Scrabser with Vice Adm Orkneys and Shetlands embarked. Fr DDr MISTRAL arrived in the Clyde with Fr tkr TARN. 

*Med- Biscay*
HG.29 with 45 ships departed Gib. Ocean escort was Sloops SANDWICH from 7 to 17 May and BIDEFORD from 7 to 10 May. In Home Waters, the convoy was escorted by RN corvette CLARKIA from 15 to 17 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 17th. Fr subs MEDUSE and AMPHITRITE departed Oran for Brest. They passed Gibraltar on the 8th and joined convoy 23 RS, escorted by sloop L'IMPETEUSE. On arrival at Brest, both submarines began refitting.


----------



## parsifal (May 6, 2015)

*8 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
MSW Type 1935 M-19





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Debate on Norway iir the House of Lor^s. Continuation of the Commons debate. Chamberlain openly admitted the failure of the Norwegian campaign. The main thing now was to avoid splitting up British forces, i.e. to use them where vital interests had
> to be protected in view of German aggression.
> 
> The Norwegian Commander in Chief had repeatedly made urgent requests for an attack on Trondheim at all costs, as this town was important not only as a port but also as the seat of the Royal Government. It was said that the Norwegians would no longer dare to continue their resistance if there were no serious attempt to attack Trondheim. Under these circumstances Great Britain had taken the risk. The number of troops sent to Trondheim did not depend on the number of men available, but on the speed of finding suitable ports, which were still ...open to British forces. The British plan to capture Trondheim failed for two reasons:
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 65 has been recalled. She is alone NW of the ORkneys and it is no longer possible for her to proceed to another more favorable operations area, as she has used up most of her supplies. It is therefore better not to keep this boat at sea any longer, but to make her ready at time for operation in the Atlantic, now that it is finally clear that operation west of the Orkneys is very difficult for large boats.



Departures
Trondheim: U-32

At Sea 8 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-32, U-65. 
4 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Sub TAKU . attacked steamers PALIME (Ger 2863 grt) and PELIKAN (Ger3264 grt) escorted by TBs MOEWE and KONDOR in the Nth Sea, sixty miles off Tyboroen. The steamers were undamaged and later arrived at Stavanger on the 9th, but TB MOEWE was severely damaged in the stern. MOEWE was towed by KONDOR to Wilhelmshaven and was repairing until April 1941. After the 10 hr counterattack, TAKU was forced to return to Rosyth arriving on the 15th.

*North Sea*
CL SOUTHAMPTON was docked at Rosyth for repairs from 8 to 20 May. Steamers ALBERT (Sd 1745 grt) and TYRA BRATT (Sd 1301 grt) were seized by German forces at Stavanger. Their loss is recorded in the April summaries. Steamer TYRA BRATT was detained at Haugesand and her crew was returned to Gotenburg. The steamer was renamed NOGAT for German service. OA.141 departed Southend escort DD VIVACIOUS. FN.166 departed Southend, escort PV BREDA. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. FS.166 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALENTINE and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 10th. 

*Northern Waters*
DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, JANUS departed Scapa with CL BIRMINGHAM for Rosyth. CA DEVONSHIRE departed Scapa to return to Northern Norway. DDs WESTCOTT and VOLUNTEER met the CA 10th. They arrived at Tromso kate that evening. DD WESTCOTT refuelled from the CA at Tromso that night. The DDs were involved in ASW duties around Tromso from 10 to 14 May. On 14 May, the DDs were detached to Vice Admiral Air to escort the Carriers operating off nthn Norway. DD ISIS struck wreckage in Balangen Fjord and was badly damaged. Her propellers were wrecked and her tiller flat was damaged. She was towed to Skelfjord by DD ILEX.
ISIS departed Skelfjord under tow for England on the 10th. Late that day DD SOMALI met a Norwegian fishing vessel, en route to the Faroes with 12 Norwegian AF officers. The boat was given a boat's compass and directed to the Shetlands. A Swordfish aircraft of 810 Squadron from ARK ROYAL crashed into the sea on landing. S/Lt W. G. Adams, S/Lt H.E. H.Pain, Leading Airman H.G. Edwards were picked up by DD MAORI. Sadly, Adams died of injuries incurred in the crash on 5 October 1940. Edwards was injured, but not seriously. 

*West Coast UK*
DDs KELLY and KIMBERLEY departed Greenock with for Rosyth to join a force of 8 DDs on duty on the East Coast. OB.141 departed Liverpool escort DD VERSATILE from 8 to 10 May. The convoy was dispersed on the 12th.

*Western Approaches*
To forestall anticipated German landings on Iceland, AMC CALIFORNIA and armed boarding vessels KINGSTON PERIDOT, KINGSTON JACINTH, NORTHERN DUKE operated off the Icelandic coast. Armed boarding vessels KINGSTON ONYX and KINGSTON TURQUOISE joined AMC CALIFORNIA on the 13th off Iceland and armed boarding vessel DISCOVERY II arrived off the east coast of Iceland on the 22nd. In Operation FORK, CA BERWICK and CL GLASGOW with DDs FORTUNE and FEARLESS departed Greenock for Reykavik where they arrived on the 10th to land a detachment of Royal Marines. The troops landing was completed early on the 10th and the FORK ships departed Reykavik late on the same day. The cruisers searched for eastern fjord for German activity and took on board all German nationals for transport to England. The DDs were detached on the 11th and arrived at Scapa on the 12th. Cruisers BERWICK and GLASGOW arrived at Liverpool on the 12th. CA BERWICK was refitting at Liverpool until the beginning of August. Cruiser GLASGOW was refitting from 14 May to 1 July 1940. CL GLASGOW departed Liverpool on 7 July.

*Channel*
French Amiral Jean Abrial was lent 6 DDs of Convoy C for the defense of Belgium. This force was designated "FA" and was dispatched in four sections. On the 10th, DDs VALENTINE and WINCHESTER departed Dover for operations under Abrial's command.
DD VALENTINE had arrived at Dover on the 9th after escorting convoy FS.66. On 11 May DDs VIMIERA and WESTMINSTER departed Dover. DDs WHITLEY and WOLSEY arrived at Dover from the nth on the 12th. DD WHITLEY departed Dover for FA operations early on the 13th, followed by WOLSEY on the 15th. However, heavy losses cut short the life of this unit. On 19 May "FA" was disbanded with VALENTINE and WHITLEY already lost, WESTMINSTER and WINCHESTER badly damaged. Only WOLSEY and VIMIERA remained fit for further operations and were ordered to the Dover Command. Fr DDs carried out a 24 hr sweep within 20 miles of the Belgian and Dutch coast as far nth as Egmond. No contact was made.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.41 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 9th. The DDs turned the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC RANPURA and Fr sub AJAX later on the 8th. The AMC and sub were detached on the 20th. DD MACKAY and sloop ABERDEEN joined on the 19th and corvette CLARKIA on the 20th. The escort was detached on the 23rd when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs ALBATROS and VAUTOUR departed Brest escorting liner PASTEUR to St Nazaire, where the liner arrived that day. The DDs returned to Brest, arriving early afternoon on the 10th after spending 6 hours in Quiberon Bay. Fr DDs INDOMPTABLE and MALIN passed Gib en route from Brest for Oran, where they arrived on the 9th.


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## Njaco (May 6, 2015)

*May 7 Tuesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The main focus of the Luftwaffe this day is the area around Narvik and supporting the German forces engaged with Allied forces. At 0830 hours a Luftwaffe float plane lands at Narvik with troops of Geb.Pz.Jg.Abt. 48. On further attacks on Allied shipping in the area, Luftwaffe planes damage one British battleship and two cruisers. German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked British cruiser HMS “_Aurora_” off Narvik, Norway at 1641 hours, putting A and B turrets out of action and killing 7 Royal Marines.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler pushed the decision date for the invasion of France to the following day.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* There is a major debate in the House of Commons on the conduct of the war and especially of the Norwegian campaign. At the vote Chamberlain's government has a majority of 281-200 but when compared to former support this is not sufficient to allow the government to continue to claim to be representative. The responsibility is Chamberlain's for failing to establish a coherent decision-making structure to see that plans were properly coordinated and that subordinates worked sensibly and efficiently. Amongst those present at the debate was Sir Roger Keyes, retired Admiral of the Fleet. Wearing full dress uniform, he defended the actions of the British military personnel, accusing the government of being at fault for poor leadership.


> “It is not the fault of those for whom I speak that the enemy have been left in undisputable possession of vulnerable ports and aerodromes for nearly a month, have been given time to pour in reinforcements by sea and air, to land tanks, heavy artillery and mechanized transport, and have been given time to develop the air offensive which has had such a devastating effect on the morale of Whitehall. If they had been more courageously and offensively employed they might have done much to prevent these unhappy happenings and much to influence unfriendly neutrals.”


Former cabinet minister Leo Amery joined the debate, criticizing the entire British approach to the war. He demanded that a new coalition government be formed, with a smaller war cabinet similar to the leadership in WW1. Amery admitted that his criticism of the Prime Minister and members of his cabinet was awkward as he counted many of them as friends. Despite this, he said he felt it necessary to quote Oliver Cromwell when addressing the Prime Minister.


> “You have sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go.”


Other MPs continued the criticism, with one, Arthur Greenwood, asking if there were any MPs left who were not aware of the dissatisfaction with the British efforts so far in the war. He also compared the muted, false cheers for the Prime Minister when he first stood to speak with the much more enthusiastic cheers for Sir Roger Keyes when he explained the inept leadership. The debate continues tomorrow.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* US President Roosevelt ordered the US Navy Pacific Fleet to remain in Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii indefinitely as a deterrent to Japanese expansionism.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French General Maurice-Gustave Gamelin restores leave for Army soldiers.

.

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## parsifal (May 7, 2015)

*9 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Losses*
*Sub DORIS (Fr 552 grt)* 45 dead, no survivors. The surfaced DORIS was hit by 1 of 2 G7a torpedoes from U-9, exploded and disappeared within one minute. 3 of the men lost were from the RN. 





*Tanker CORRIENTES (DKM 4565 grt)*, used for refuelling German U Boats, at Las Palmas was sunk by French divers.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV EMSSTROM (Ger 4517 grt)*The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Hubertgat.





8 Skuas of 806 Sqn and 6 Blenheims of 254 Squadron departed Hatston to attack Bergen, where German training ship BREMSE was reported. This ship was not located, however the *MSW M-134 (DKM 550 grt (est))* was located and sunk. 3 dead, ship was later salved and restored in 1943 to service as patrol boat JUNGINGEN. 1 Blenheim of 254 Squadron (a LR fighter units at that time) was lost when it was struck by flak. Its 3 crew were lost. 2 Skuas were able to fly directly back to Hatston, however, the other 6 had to land at Sumburgh for fuelling. 1 Skua, flown by Petty Officer Airman A. Jopling, crashed arriving back at Sumburgh (about 60% damage, airframe returned to service after repair), there were no injuries. A second Skua, was damaged by shrapnel, but after repair at Sumburgh, returned to Hatston. 





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> In view of the situation in Northern Norway, conversations have taken place in Stockholm between the Swedish Government and
> German representatives to see whether, if necessary, supplies for Narvik can be effected extensively from Sweden, While there are possibilities of transit for food and medical supplies, strict neutrality has made the Swedish Government refuse permission for armaments to pass through,


, 



> Great Britain :
> Noteworthy is a statatement by Churchill that In order to. increase the effectiveness of the blockade Btitish submarines have orders to sink all German ships without warning by day or at night. (Order came into force on 3 April.) Churchill emphasized the
> alleged heavy German losses and, like. Chamberlain, vigorously denied the loss of large British ships. At the division there were 281 votes for the Government and 200 against . Havas reports that the British Government has taken special measures to prevent any invasion from land, sea or air. Increased defense of all British airfields against surprise landings by German troop-. transport planes. Plans drawn up to guard all strategically important points on main roads. Obstacles prepared to hinder the advance of invasion troops.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 101 and UA entered Heligoland and in the afternoon both proceeded up the Elbe to Kiel, attached to an escort unit. These boats have carried supplies to Trondheim. The transport of petrol was unpleasant, but presented no major difficulties. No attacks were made.



At Sea 9 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-32, U-65. 
4 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic

*North Sea*
DDs EXPRESS, ESK, INTREPID departed Scapa Flow to lay mines for ZMC, minelaying in the Nth Sea off Helgoland, then proceed to Immingham. DKM MLs ROLAND, COBRA, PREUSSEN, KAISER laid minefield 16 west of Jutland escorted by DKM DDs BEITZEN, SCHOEMANN, HEINEMANN, TB GREIF, S-Bootes S.30, S.31, S.32, S.33 of S-Flot 2. CL BIRMINGHAM and DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, HAVOCK, JANUS departed Rosyth to attempt to intercept this enemy force reported off the Isle of Sylt. Outside Rosyth, DDs KELLY , KIMBERLEY, KANDAHAR, HOSTILE rendezvoused with the BIRMINGHAM force. However, KIMBERLEY, just arriving from Greenock and short on fuel, was later detached for refuelling at Rosyth. After refuelling, KIMBERLEY went to Sheerness and arrived late on the 10th. DDs FORESIGHT, FURY, BULLDOG, GALLANT departed Scapa initially with the intention of covering BC REPULSE and CLs SHEFFIELD and MANCHESTER for gunnery trials east of Pentland Firth. The heavy units returned to Scapa about 2 hrs after startig out, freeing the DDs, now joined by DD MOHAWK, to operate in coordination with the Rosyth units. These DDs were to proceed to attempt interception of a reported 6 DKM S-Bootes and sink them before joining CL BIRMINGHAM for the destruction of the MLs. 
DD KANDAHAR made a submarine contact during the operation, and KELLY and KANDAHAR were detached to undertake Sweep for the contact. DD BULLDOG, which lost touch with her group, also later joined them. At 2230 that night, DD KELLY was torpedoed and badly damaged by German S.31 in the Nth Sea. 




_HMS Kelly pictured as she arrived in the Tyne under tow on the 13th May 1940._
27 ratings were killed and Commissioned Engineer E. W. Cole was wounded. KELLY was taken in tow by DD BULLDOG.

Some minutes later, on the 10th, DKM S.33 was rammed in heavy fog by DD BULLDOG (standing by KELLY)> The SBoote actually hit both RN ships as she glanced off one and hit the other. BULLDOG was slightly damaged to them, but S-33 was badly damaged, requiring until late November to repair. She was able to return to Wilhelmshaven. 







_S-30 class S-Boote left, and S-Flot 2 returning to port, June 1940_

At daylight on the 10th, KELLY in tow of BULLDOG was proceeding at 5 knots. DDs KANDAHAR, FURY, GALLANT were escorting the two DDs. KELLY's wounded were transferred to destroyer KANDAHAR. CLs SHEFFIELD and MANCHESTER departed Scapa to provide a screen for damaged KELLY. The cruisers joined KELLY that afternoon. Mid morning on the 10th, CL BIRMINGHAM and DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, HAVOCK, HOSTILE, FORESIGHT, KIMBERLEY were ordered to proceed towards Terschelling. They later arrived at Harwich on the 10th. CC Hudsons of 233 Squadron provided cover for the KELLY through the withdrawal. DD KANDAHAR left the KELLY screen on the 11th and arrived at Rosyth to refuel and land the wounded . She rejoined the KELLY escort that evening. On 11 May, CruSqn 18 requested a tug for KELLY as DD FURY (now providing the tow) could not exceed 3 knots and Aircraft had reported 2 Uboats in the area. CLs SHEFFIELD and MANCHESTER departed the screen on the 11th and arrived at Rosyth that evening. On the 12th, tugs WATERMEYER and BRAHMAN joined the group, providing some much needed tow capability. Further Tugs arrived later that day. KELLY in tow of tugs WATERMEYER and BRAHMAN, KANDAHAR, FURY, BULLDOG, GALLANT arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. KELLY had been in tow for 91 hrs. KELLY was repairing in the Tyne at Hebburn until 18 December 1940.

FN.167 departed Southend, escort sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 11th. MT.66 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and VIMIERA. The convoy included 2 Danish steamers under armed guard. The convoy arrived the next morning. 
FS.167 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy was recalled when it was thought there were mines being laid in the channel.

*Northern Waters*
There were two SCISSORS landings during the night of 9/10 May. Landings on 8/9 May were cancelled due to fog. DDs JUNO and VETERAN arrived at Mosjoen escorting British troopship ULSTER PRINCE (3791grt) with 290 officers and men. After the landings, completed on the afternoon of the 10th, DD JUNO was ordered to leave ULSTER PRINCE and proceed to Scapa with all speed. 
DD VETERAN and troopship ULSTER PRINCE returning to the Clyde called at Sullom Voe to refuel on the 11th, arriving at Greenock on the 13th. DD FIREDRAKE conducted a recon of Ranenfjord on report of enemy activity. DD NUBIAN and British troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN (3244grt) arrived at Bodo on the 9th with 290 men. FIREDRAKE rejoined DD NUBIAN and troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN late on the 9th. Early on the 10th ferried the troops ashore in a SCISSORS operation. DDs FIREDRAKE and NUBIAN then departed Bodo in the early hours of the 10th with the troopship, arriving separately back at Scapa on the 10 and the 12th.

In operations off the far northern coast, a/c operating from CV ARK ROYAL were carried out, resulting in a crash for a Swordfish from 810 Squadron. The crash was a take off accident, crew safe and picked up by a DD. CLA COVENTRY after refuelling departed Sullom Voe on the 9th for Bogen where she arrived on the 14th. On her arrival, CLAs CAIRO and CALCUTTA departed Skelfjord for Rosyth for refuelling and re-ammunitioning.

*West Coast UK*
DD GRENADE departed Greenock for Liverpool to carry out boiler cleaning

*SW Approaches*
OG.29F was formed from convoys OA.143GF, which departed Southend on the 6th, escort corvette ARABIS (first use of a Flower Class by Convoy Cmd) from 6 to 8 May, OB.143GF, which departed Liverpool on the 6th, escort DD VIMY and sloop DEPTFORD from 6 to 9 May. The two convoy elements joined to form a group of 56 ships. VIMY was detached to convoy HG.29 F. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 10 to 14 May. DD WINDSOR and corvette PERIWINKLE escorted the convoy on the 9th and then were detached to convoy HG.29 F. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 14th.

*Channel*
Midshipman P. L. Atkinson was killed when his Walrus of 765 Squadron crashed in the Solent.


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## nuuumannn (May 7, 2015)

Brilliant guys.very very informative. This is an extraordinary effort by all of you involved.

Parsifal, a minor quibble


> and RNZN CL LEANDER.



Leander and Achilles at this time of the war were still units of the Royal Navy, as New Zealand didn't have her own navy and were therefore HM Ships, rather than HM New Zealand Ships, as part of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. This changed on 1 October 1941, when the NZ Div officially became the Royal New Zealand Navy and the prefix HMNZS was introduced for the first time.

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## Njaco (May 7, 2015)

*May 8 Wednesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The raids on Allied shipping at Narvik continue. Two British cruisers in the Skjomen fjord are damaged. The Luftwaffe also attack Allied infantry columns north of Hartwig lake and the Elvenes-Skoglund road.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The opposition party in the United Kingdom, the Labour Party, called for a vote of no confidence for Prime Minister Chamberlain's government. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister David Lloyd George called for Chamberlain to step down for the good of the country. For a while it seems that Lord Halifax will be the next prime minister. Most of the Conservative majority in Parliament would prefer to have Halifax, and the Labour minority are ready to support him. The problem is that as a peer he sits in the House of Lords and this is not ideal for a national leader. At the meeting of senior Conservatives Halifax's own worries about this leave Churchill as the only alternative.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler again pushed the decision date for the invasion of France to the following day.

*ASIA: *American river gunboat “_Tutuila_” ran aground on a reef and became stranded in the Yangtze River at Chongqing, China.

Chinese Communist Brigadier General Chen Yi recommended his superiors to launch an offensive against Nationalist positions in Jiangsu Province, China.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Moscow, Timoshenko replaces Voroshilov as commissar for defense. Training programs are soon introduced to correct some of the defects which have appeared during the Winter War.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German commandos in Dutch uniforms crossed the Dutch border to hold bridges for the advancing German army.

.


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## Marcel (May 8, 2015)

> WESTERN FRONT: German commandos in Dutch uniforms crossed the Dutch border to hold bridges for the advancing German army.


Chris, don't know where you got that last 'fact', but sound to me like a lot of humbug. Never heard of bridges being held before the invasion. Don't think it ever happened, although there were a lot of rumours about fifth collumnists, back in the day. 

B.T.W. I am preparing a contribution to this thread for the days 10-14 may, from the Dutch perspective. I've got tons of stories, but no single day-to-day-covering-all site so it's a little hard to find the main lines and keep it short and to the point. But I'll try.

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## parsifal (May 8, 2015)

*9 May 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*UK-France*
BC.37 with 5 steamers departed Bristol Channel escort DD VESPER. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 11th. SA.40 of 2 steamers arrived at St Malo from Southampton. Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL departed Greenock escorting steamers DJENNE, FLANDRE, PRESIDENT DOUMER, PROVIDENCE. The convoy arrived at Brest on the 11th.

*Central Atlantic*
SL. 31 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE until 23 May. On 23 May, DD WINCHELSEA, sloop DEPTFORD, corvette PERIWINKLE joined the convoy and escorted it to arrival at Liverpool on the 28th

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CVL EAGLE departed Singapore after completing repairs and refit. EAGLE called at Colombo on 14 to 17 May. The carrier arrived at Aden on the 22nd and continued on that evening, escorted by CLs GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, and HMAS SYDNEY. On 23 May, RAN CL HOBART relieved CL LIVERPOOL and on the 24th, both HOBART and GLOUCESTER were detached. EAGLE departed Port Said on the 27th for duty with the Med Flt and arrived at Alexandria, escort DDs HEREWARD and HERO


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## parsifal (May 8, 2015)

*9 May 1940*
RAF Deployments France on the eve of the batrtle
The RAF Squadrons in France 10 May 1940
Air Component Headquarters
HQ Air Component: Air Vice-Marshall C.H.B. Blount
HQ No. 14 Group: Group Captain P.F. Fullard
*60 (Fighter) Wing*
85 Sqn Hurri Mk I , Lille 




87 Sqn: Hurri Mk I, Senon (NE of Verdun) 




*61 (Fighter) Wing*
607 Sqn: Hurri Mk I, Glad, (Vitry-en-Artois NE of Arras)….within days of the German invasiuon the Gladiators of this squadron had been hurriedly replaced with Hurricanes from the RAFD Reserves)




615 Sqn: Hurri Mk I Glad, (A flt : Le Touquet sth of Boulogne, B flt : Abbeville)




*63 (Fighter) Wing* – (created on 10 May 1940)
3 Sqn: Hurri Mk I : (Merville)




79 Sqn Hurri I (Merville)




*70 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Wing*
18 Sqn: Blen Mk IV (Some sources say Mk Is, perhaps a mixed TO&E?): (Goyencourt, then Crecy, France)




57 Sqn: Blen Mk V (location not stated)52 (Bomber) Wing53Sqn: Blen Mk IV (location not stated) 




55qn: Blen Mk IV (location not stated) 





*50 Army Co-operation) Wing) *
4 Sqn: Lysander (location not stated)
13 Sqn: Lysander (location not stated)
16 Sqn Lysander (location not stated)

*51 Army Co-operation) Wing) *
26 Sqn: Lysander (location not stated)
81 Sqn: Lysander (location not stated)
16 Sqn Lysander (location not stated)





Advanced Air Striking Force HeadquartersHQ Air Component: Air Vice-Marshall P.H.L. Playfair
*67 (Fighter) Wing*
1 Sqn: 12 Hurri MkI; Wassincourt (SE of Reims, midway to Nancy)




73 Sqn 12 hurri Mk I - Rouvre (SW of Paris)




_Wing Commander Peter Ayerst in a 73 sqn Hurricane landing at Rouvres, in early 1940
Read more: RAF ace Peter Ayerst who was last survivor of Battle of France dies aged 93 | Daily Mail Online 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook_
212 PRU sqn (Coulommiers, France Feb 1940 to Jun 1940)




_212 PRU sqn Spitfire Spring 1940_
501 sqn 12 hurri Mk I - Betheniville (arriving 10 May, village east of Reims)




_501 Sqn Scramble by Ivan Berryman._
501 Sqn Scramble*by Ivan Berryman. (P) - Military-Prints.com



*No. 71 (Bomber) Wing*Villeneuve Sur Lot 
105 sqn 16 Fairey Battle Villeneuve Sur Lot (SW of Bordeaux).
114 sqn 16 fairey Battle (Conde - a chateau on the Aisne about 100 miles from Paris)
139 Sqn 16 FDairey Battle (Plivot - due Sth Of Reims) 
150 Sqn 16 Fairey Battle (Ecury - near Chalons en Champagne , sth of Reims)

*75 (Bomber) Wing* 
88 Sqn 16 Battle (Mourmelon Nth of Chalons en Champagne) 
103 Sqn 16 Fairey Battle (Betheniville village easat of reims)

208 sqn (possibly 218 sqn) 16 Fairey Battle (Auberive region Nth of Dijon). 

*76 (Bomber) Wing* 

12 sqn a6 Fairey battle Amifontaine, Nth of Reims midway to Laon)
142 sqn 16 Battles (Berry-au-Bac Nth of Reims midway to Laon)
226 sqn 16 Battle (Reims)

Fairey Battle Reserve Sqn 
98 sqn spt unit ? Fairey Battle (Nantes) ferry pilots only.

World War 2 - RAF May 1940


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## Njaco (May 8, 2015)

Marcel, that was sort of poor sentence writing. They had soldiers acting like Dutchmen until the invasion and then they went for the bridges. Nothing before. Again poor sentence structure.


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## Njaco (May 8, 2015)

*May 9 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German attacks on Allied shipping at Narvik continued with a steamer hit and damaged. A cruiser off Harstad escapes the attack. Four Polish battalions arrived at Narvik, Norway. 

HMS ‘_Kelly_' was leading a destroyer flotilla operating against a German minelaying force off the enemy coast, escorted by cruiser HMS “_Birmingham_” and destroyers HMS “_Kandahar_”, HMS “_Bulldog_”, HMS “_Kimberley_” and HMS “_Hasty_”. An escorting aircraft reported a U Boat ahead, so the '_Kelly_' and her sister ship HMS ‘_Kandahar_' proceeded to hunt it. A short while later the aircraft reported the sighting of the minelaying force, so the captain of the 'Kelly' (Lord Louis Mountbatten) decided to abandon the hunt and rejoin his flotilla. At 2345 hours a blurred shape was spotted some 600 yards away. At the same time a torpedo track was seen heading straight for the '_Kelly_', too late to be avoided. She was lifted bodily with the force of the detonation, which tore a hole in her side, right down to the keel. The foremost boiler room was blown open to the sea and everyone in it was killed. Torpedo boat S-31 damaged HMS “_Kelly_” with one torpedo, killing 27. The '_Bulldog_' appeared through the mist, steam and smoke and soon the stricken ship was under tow in a very short space of time.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The Belgian army is placed on alert because of recent tension and signs of German troop movements. The Luftwaffe has been successful in keeping Allied reconnaissance flights away from the German preparations.

In France, Reynaud has been growing more and more, unhappy with the leadership of Gamelin, the Supreme Commander. He has been unable to dismiss him because he is supported in Cabinet by Daladier, who remains influential although he is no longer prime minister. These quarrels now come to a head but no announcement is made pending the formation of a new government. The German attack on May 10th will cause the changes to be deferred.

During the night seven Luftwaffe planes from IX Fliegerdivision drop mines in the areas of Den Helder, Ymuiden, Hoek van Holland, Scheelde, Vlissingen, Zeebrugge and Ostende.

German submarine U-9 torpedoed and sank the French submarine “_Doris_” 40 miles off of the Dutch coast at 0014 hours, killing 45 French and 3 British sailors.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Chamberlain offered to form a coalition government with the opposition Labour Party, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Labour Party leaders Arthur Greenwood and Clement Attlee refuse to form a unified government with the Conservatives so long as Neville Chamberlain is Prime Minister. In the afternoon, Chamberlain began to discuss with Halifax and Churchill, the two leading contenders to be his successor, about the possibility of his resignation.

Conscription maximum age in the United Kingdom was raised again to 36.

Two He 111s of 2(F)./122 flew a reconnaissance sortie over the Thames Estuary. Hurricanes of RAF No.56 Sqdn intercepted but were unsuccessful in their attacks.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issued the order to commence the invasion of France and the Low Countries at dawn on the following day. At noon German meteorologists made a firm forecast of clear skies on the following morning; Adolf Hitler gave the meteorology officer a medal on the spot. In the afternoon, Hitler departed Berlin, Germany for this temporary forward headquarters codenamed ‘Felsennest’ near Bad Münsereifel in the Rhineland region of Germany to observe the coming invasion. Adolf Hitler and his staff arrived at the ‘Felsennest’ headquarters in the Westwall fortifications on the German-French border later in the day.

German General Hans Oster warns the Dutch military attaché in Berlin for the third time in a week that a German offensive against the West is imminent.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British troops occupied Iceland.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The first Vultee Model 48 Vanguard prototype aircraft collided with a Sirius aircraft at Vultee Field in Downey, California, United States.

.


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## Marcel (May 9, 2015)

Njaco said:


> Marcel, that was sort of poor sentence writing. They had soldiers acting like Dutchmen until the invasion and then they went for the bridges. Nothing before. Again poor sentence structure.


Ah, that was a rumour back then, but I think there is a mistake in that. German soldiers dressed as Dutch have indeed tried to capture some bridges, but they entered the country during the night of 9-10 May 1940.

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## Marcel (May 9, 2015)

Before 03.55h: Large formations of German aircraft violate Dutch airspace, disappearing over the North Sea.
03.55h, Aircraft attack all know airfields. Most Dutch aircraft in the air, apart from 11 G-1's at Bergen which are either destroyed or severely damaged. Desparate dogfights start over the the west of the country.
The German army attacks over the whole length of the border. 

plan of attack:




Parts of the German 18th army attacks the provinces Groningen, Drenthe and Friesland, aiming for the Afsluitdijk. The rest, of the 12th army would attack through the provinces Overijssel and Gelderland, trying to attack the Dutch main line of resistance, the Grebbeberg.
The main thrust would go through the lightly defended province of Brabant, to Rotterdam and into Holland. For this, the 7th airborn division would be landing in Dordrecht and around Moerdijk to capture the bridges. Part of it would go south, taking the north-west route through Belgium.
22nd Airborn division lands on airfields near the Hague to capture the Dutch government and Queen.

North:
Although not heavily defended, the Germans would reach the dyke only on 12 May. The panzertrain that should have lead the way was stopped near Winschoten, 11 km past the border. Many bridges were blown up and other sabotage acts by the Dutch defenders slowed their advance.

Defence near Zwolle:





Middle:
Germans make heavily use of Panzer trains, although their succes is limited. When evening falls, the 12th army reaches Wageningen, at the foot of the Grebbeberg, the south of the line.

South:Landing Heinkel on the river Maas
The only panzertrain to have success breaks through near Mill. The Dutch derail the train and heavy fighting starts behind the line. In Limburg, all bridges were blown, delaying the attack on Belgium with 2 days.
Further west, German airborn troops land at Dordrecht en Lage Zwaluwe to capture the Moerdijk bridge. Surprise is complete. The Dutch weapons were still stowed away, so it took some time to for the defenders before they could react. The bridge was taken.

Germans in the polder, south of Dordrecht:





Rotterdam:
In the early morning, 12 Heinkel floatplanes land on the river Maas. The troops capture the Willemsbrug. Airfield Waalhaven is heavily attacked by bombers. the G-1 squadron there shoots down many, but then have to land where they can as the airfield is conquered by german airborn troops. Heavy fighting starts in the city.
Dutch torpedoboat Van Galen is send to attack the Germans, but without aircover it doesn't stand a chance and is sunk by Stukas.
Landing Heinkel on the river Maas






The Hague:
German airborn troops land at airfields Ypenburg and Valkenburg. Valkenburg however is too soft and most Junker aircraft have to land on the highways and beaches. Many are lost. Dutch recrutes manage to recapture the airfields in the evening. 2100 German airborn troops are captured and shipped to England.

Ju52 aircraft landed on a highway:





Den Helder:
The only real dogfight between units of the Luftwaffe and the ML starts at 04.50h over De Kooij, Den Helder. One D.XXI is shot down and at least 6 Bf109's fall. The german squadron leader makes an emergency landing on De Kooij.

During this they, one of the most unlikely victories of the war took place when sgt. Roos 'shot down' a Bf110 by jettisoning his canopy which landed in the propellor of the German aircraft. Sgt. Roos was later shot down, most likely by friendly aac near Schiphol, where his Fokker D.XXI was excavated many decades later. The wreckage is now on display in the Museun "Crash '40-'45"

At the end of the day, most of the small Dutch airforce is wiped out and the airforce will not play a decisive role in the coming battles.

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## parsifal (May 9, 2015)

*10 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Losses*
*Collier HENRY WOODALL (UK 695 grt)* The collier struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 3 nautical miles off Withernsea, with the loss of seven of her 14 crew. The survivors were rescued by VIIU (Estonia).





Fr sub RUBIS, which departed Harwich on the 3rd, laid mines on the 10th in minefield FD.14 sth of Egersund which sank the following 3 ships. 

*Trawler VANSO (Ex-Nor 54 grt)* on the 26th was lost on this minefield. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ALMORA (Ex-Nor 2433 grt)* was damaged on 7 July. This ships was raised ands returned to german service early 1944, finally sunk by RN carrier strikes 6 May 1944 





*Steamer KEM (Ex-Nor 1706 grt)* was sunk on the minefield on 24 July, but was later raised and repaired. Steamer ARGO (Ex-Nor 412 grt) was sunk on 28 July.





*DD VAN GALEN (RNeN 1600 grt)* Admiralen-class DD. The ship was ordered to shell the German forces at the captured airfield Waalhaven near Rotterdam. Before she could do so she was attacked by LW a/c and badly damaged. Nevertheless she made it to the Merwedehaven, where she finally sank. The ship was raised by the Germans on 23 October 1941, and being not worth repairing she was scrapped. 
Pictures




_The battered Van Galen (I) after May 1940 _

*Steamer BOSCHDIJK (Ne 6876 grt)* The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Rotterdam by He111s as an element of the notorious terror campaign against Rotterdam.





*Tug DE OCEAAN (RNeN 250 grt (est))* The tug was scuttled in the Wadden Sea between Ameland and Terschelling.

*MV DINTELDIJK (Ne 5333 grt) *The cargo ship was bombed an sunk at Rotterdam by LW a/c as part of the notorious bombing of Rotterdam. Raised by the Germans, re-entering service late 1940, finally lost late 1941.





*Tug CALAISIEN (Fr 250 GRT (EST))* The tug was bombed and sunk at Calais, Pas-de-Calais by LW a/c.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Troopship CAMPINAS (DKM 4541 grt) *The troopship struck a mine in the Kattegat off Drogden, Denmark and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV GOSLAR (Ger 6000 grt)* The cargo ship was scuttled at Paramaribo, Suriname to avoid capture by Dutch forces.





*MV SOPHIE RICKMERS (Ger 7033 grt)* The cargo ship was scuttled in the Netherlands East Indies to avoid capture by Dutch forces. Raised, repaired and put in Dutch service as TOENDJOEK.





Boarding parties of the Ne sloop VAN KINSBERGEN captured steamers *ESTE (Ger7915 grt)*, *VANCOUVER (Ger 8269 grt)*, *HENRY HORN (Ger 3164 grt)*, *PATRICIA (Ger 3979 tons)*, *FRISIA (Ger 561 grt )*, *KARIBIA (Ger 428 grt)*, *ALEMANIA (Ger 1380 grt) *at Curacao.

In operation WILDENTE, German troops from Trondheim were embarked on the *Ex-Norwegian coastal steamer NORDNORGE (Ex Nor, DKM 991 grt)*, manned by personnel from DDs JACOBI and RIEDEL. These troops were landed at Ranfjord on the 10th and their presence facilitated the capture of Mosjoen (240 km nth of Trondheim) by German troops. German intentions were clear...to get close enough to Narvik to make air supply a possibility, but this was never effectively achieved. The only RN warships in a position to intercept were the CLA CALCUTTA, and DD ZULU at Skelfjord. By the time ZULU arrived late that evening, , the 300 German troops had been completely disembarked at Hemnes. However, ZULU was able to sink NORDNORGE at Hemnesberget in Ranfjord with all the supplies for the German troops aboard. CLA CALCUTTA soon arrived and participated in the British bombardment of the village. Hemnes was set afire and the petrol stores were blown up. DD ZULU embarked the survivors of No. 3 Platoon of No. 1 Independent Company which had been holding the village before the German landing. 

Before NORDNORGE was sunk, the Germans had managed to unload the two mountain guns, while the some of the other supplies lost in the sinking were replaced the next day by seaplanes





*MV WESTERWALD (Ger 4541 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Danish Straits

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Our troops marched in for the decisive battle against the Western Powers in Holland, Belgium and Luxemburg Holland and Belgium are offering resistance and appealing to Great Britain and France for help „ The Dutch Government "has announced that
> a state of war exists between Germany and Holland as from 0855



There was no formal declaration of war by Germany that preceded their actual operations. 



> The German Foreign Minister declared that the German measures were necessary in order to defeat the plan of the Western Powers to attack the Ruhr area via Holland and Belgium, The Western Powers announce that they are determined to give effective help to Holland and Belgium immediately and with all the means in their power.
> 
> Chamberlain resigned at the critical hour since the. Labor Party refused to serve in him Government. Winston Churchill" Is '"'taking'
> over the post of PM and re-forming the Government. Iceland has been occupied by British troops. A guarantee was given to the Icelandic Government that the purpose of the occupation was to safeguard the island against German invasion. At the close, of hostilities troops would be withdrawn
> ...





> Operations comments
> Army operations in Holland, Belgium and Luxemburg have gone according to plan and succeeded beyond our expectations.
> In spite of their extensive defensive measures we have, everywhere caught the enemy by surprise. The general impression of Army and Air Force operations on the evening of 10 May is esceedingly favorable.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> C-in-C Navy in the plotting room, head of Operations Department reported to him. The transport boats are being redistributed: U 25, a boat which is not very suitable for use in the Atlantic, will be converted for transport. U 122 will make one transport trip and then be available for use in the Atlantic. UA, U 26 and U 123 will remain detached for transport, U 123 after she has commissioned. The smaller Type VII boats, which have only a small carrying capacity for a/c petrol, will thus be released from transport duties.


There is not a single mention of Fall Gelb in Donitz's war diary. 

Arrivals
Kiel: U-101, UA

At Sea 10 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-32, U-65. 
4 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
On this date, of the surviving 10 DKM DDs, 7 were repairing defects. Late on the 7th, DD JACOBI departed Trondheim and arrived at Wilhelmshaven on the 9th for repairs and refitting. DD RIEDEL at Trondheim with serious defects did not leave until 8 June to return to Wilhelmshaven. Only DD SCHOEMANN was operational and capable of duty. 

*North Sea*
Fr DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS and RN DD WITHERINGTON departed Scapa escorting 4 steamers to the Clyde, where they arrived on the 11th. DDs HOSTILE and FORESIGHT arrived at the Humber to refuel. FN.167 had departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN on the 9th, but was forced to return due to suspected mining. The DD was replaced by sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 12th. TM.66 arrived at Rosyth, escort DDs VIVIEN and VIMIERA.

Operation off the Dutch Coast
DDs ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID of the DesFlot 20 were at sea laying minefield ZMC off Heligoland. On their return to Humber, they were ordered to join ML PRINCESS VICTORIA which was being escorted by PCs PUFFIN, SHELDRAKE, WIDGEON en route to lay mines off Egmond near Ijmuiden. The purpose of these mining ops was to safeguard the seaward defences of "Fortress Holland". The DDs relieved the PCs and the minefield, under operation CBX, was successfully laid in a 6 mile line. The ML and DDs were back in the Humber by the 11th. On 12 May, DDs ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID laid another minefield, designated BS 3, off the Dutch coast. During the night of 14/15 May, DDs ESK, EXPRESS, INTREPID and ML PRINCESS VICTORIA laid minefield BS 4 off the Dutch coast. CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA departed the Nore to support naval ops off Holland. DDs KEITH and BOREAS departed Dover to provide escort for the cruisers. CL BIRMINGHAM and most of her escort (which departed Rosyth and Scapa Flow on the 9th) were still at sea and operated off Terschelling. These ships came under the command of the Commander in Chief Nore from the 10th. DDs of this force, including MOHAWK, bombarded the Dutch coast. DD MOHAWK was near missed by LW strikes in the Nth Sea off the Dutch coast and later required repair from the damage when her rudder failed. The DDs of DesFlots 1, 5, and 7 were ordered to join Nore Command. The DDs of DesFlots 2, 4, and 8 were to be released when relieved.


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## parsifal (May 9, 2015)

*10 May 1940 (Part II *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*North Sea (cont'd)*
Operation off the Dutch Coast (Cont'd)
DDs WHITSHED and VERITY were recalled from patrol to embark demolition parties for the Dutch ports. DD WHITSHED departed Dover with the demolition party XD.A of 158 naval ratings and sappers for the locks at Ijmuiden and the oil reserves at Amsterdam. 
In numerous air attacks at Ijmuiden, DD WHITSHED was damaged by near misses and set afire. 4 ratings were killed and 8 men wounded. She departed Ijmuiden that night for Dover, with the mission completed 11th. DD WHITSHED was repaired alongside Depot ship SANDHURST in 24 hrs. In Operation XD, departing Dover midday 10th were DDs VERITY carrying demolition party XD.C for the port of Flushing, WILD SWAN with XD.B for the Hook of Holland, BRILLIANT with XD D. for Antwerp. DDs VERITY and BRILLIANT. DD VERITY departed Flushing later the same day and arrived back at Dover on the 11th. DDs WILD SWAN and BRILLIANT remained at their ports to support the evacuations. During the afternoon of 11 May, DD WILD SWAN bombarded a wooded area to the east of Hook Of Holland. WILD SWAN and BRILLIANT arrived back at Dover on the 12th. DD HYPERION at sea was ordered to land a party for the demolition of the port of Rotterdam.

Subs L.23, L.26, H.28, H.44, H.49, H.50 were ordered to depart the Downs to patrol off the Dutch coast. Subs L.23 and L.26 departed on the 10th escorted by PC WARRIOR II (266grt) for patrol. On 11 May, H.28, H.44, H.49, H.50 departed the Downs escorted by sloop FOXGLOVE for patrol. DDs HYPERION and HAVOCK of the BIRMINGHAM force and WILD SWAN and WIVERN from Dover were ordered on the 11th to Rotterdam to assist in resisting the Germans and neutralizing the airfield at Waalhaven. However,they were redeployed off Hook of Holland in view of VAN GALEN's fate and LW air supremacy in the area. 

*Northern Waters*
Sub SEVERN arrived at Dundee after patrol.

ORP troopship CHROBRY (11,442grt) with DDs SOMALI and ESCORT arrived at Harstad. Harstad Force at this time was included BB RESOLUTION, CLs AURORA (damaged), EFFINGHAM, ENTERPRISE, CLAs CAIRO, COVENTRY, CURLEW, various destroyers. A LW air raid on Skelfjord inflicted damage and 5 killed on CL PENELOPE by splinters from near misses and DD VANSITTART was hit by a small bomb putting her after guns out of action. Destroyer VANSITTART suffered 4 wounded. Late on the 10th, CL PENELOPE departed Skelfjord towed by sea going tug BANDIT. Also departing was DD ISIS, which had damaged propellers, under the tow of seagoing tug BUCCANEER. Two Brit steamer proceeded in this convoy. DDs CAMPBELL and WITCH and ASW trawler ST LOMAN provided protection for the convoy. The convoy was taken under LW air attack on the 10th and CLA COVENTRY later joined the convoy for support. Following this duty, COVENTRY returned to the Lofotens on the 11th. CLA CALCUTTA was also with the convoy on the 10th after she had dealt with the German steamer NORD NORGE. After arriving in Vestfjord on the 11th, DD ESCORT was detached to join the convoy. DD ZULU joined the convoy on the 11th from Hemnes. At dawn on the 14th, CL PENELOPE, DD ISIS, tugs BUCCANEER and BANDIT, DDs ZULU, ESCORT, WITCH, tkr BRITISH VALOUR, MV LOCHEE, ASW trawler ST LOMAN were well clear. DD ACASTA departed Scapa on the 14th to relieve DD ZULU. DD CAMPBELL was detached to refuel at Sullom Voe, after r3efuelling she rejoined the convoy on the 14th. DD WITCH refuelled at Scapa arriving on the 15th. She departed to rejoin the convoy the same day 15th. The ships all safely arrived at the Clyde late on the 16th. On the 16th, CL PENELOPE under tow of tug BANDIT with DDs ACASTA and ESCORT arrived at Greenock. DDs CAMPBELL, WITCH, ISIS (under tow of tug BUCCANEER) arrived at Greenock on the 16th. On the 18th, DD ISIS departed the Clyde under the tow of tug BUCCANEER escort DD WITCH. They safely arrived at Falmouth on the 20th. DD WITCH was detached to Plymouth to boiler and repair arriving on the 21st. DD ISIS was under repair until 13 June when she was taken to Plymouth repairing until 12 September.

Separately to the above op, 4 Fr steamers 2 Br steamers, and a Br tkr escort DDs EPERVIER, ELECTRA, ILEX departed Narvik during the forenoon for the Clyde. On arrival in North Channel, DD ILEX took the tkr to Liverpool. On the 17th, the Br steamers and Fr steamer ST FIRMIN with DD ELECTRA now escorting arrived at Greenock. The Fr DD and the Fr steamers proceeded ahead of the convoy and proceeded to return to France.

DDs HASTY and HAVANT departed Scapa for Aberdeen to escort Br steamers LOCHNAGAR (1619grt), HORSA (979grt), MACCLESFIELD (1018grt). The rendezvous was made off Aberdeen on the 11th. All the ships arrived safely at Lerwick on the 12th. 
DD HAVANT was diverted to the Clyde, where she arrived late on the 12th. DD HASTY was ordered to wait to escort cable ship MONARCH to Scapa. Early on the 13th, DD HASTY and the cable ship arrived at Scapa from Lerwick.

DD VISCOUNT departed Scapa on the 10th for Carrier escort. She arrived in the Clyde on the 11th. ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and BURZA and DD GRAFTON departed Vestfjord for Scapa arriving on the 12th. DD BLYSKAWICA's steering gear was out of order. She was towed by tug MENDON alongside depot ship WOOLWICH for repairs. DD BLYSKAWICA boiler cleaned from depot ship WOOLWICH before departing Scapa on the 16th for Harwich. ASW trawler PRESTON NORTHEND, escorting oiler ATHOL EMPRESS to Cape Wrath, attacked a U-Boat contact. 

*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*
Almost immediately after the invasion, the RN began to strip out various commands to reinforce Nore Cmd. Most affected were the Western Approaches Convoy Cmds and Home Flt. 

Fast escort ship VIVIEN of Convoy Cmd was detached from the Rosyth Cmd, DDs VIMY, VERSATILE, WESSEX, WALPOLE, WINDSOR, VESPER, VIVACIOUS, VENETIA came from various Western Approaches Flotillas to come under the command of the CinC Nore on 10 May. DD VENETIA had arrived as an escort for an outbound convoy, but she was retained for operations in the Nth Sea. The DD departed Dover on the 11th for Harwich. DDs VIMY and VERSATILE of DesFlot 11 departed Liverpool on the 7th. DDs WINDSOR of DesFlot 18 and VESPER, WALPOLE and WESSEX of DesFlot 17 departed Plymouth to join Nore Cmd late on the 10th. DDs VIVACIOUS and VENETIA were already at Sheerness on the 10th. DDs VIMY and WINDSOR arrived at Dover on the 11th. DDs VERSATILE, VESPER, WALPOLE, WESSEX, WOLSEY arrived at Dover on the 12th. Within a few days, DDs CODRINGTON, GALLANT, GRIFFIN, WOLFHOUND, MOHAWK, VALOROUS, VEGA, VANESSA, VERITY also came under his cmd.

DD CODRINGTON departed Scapa and arrived on the 11th at Dover to join the Nore Cmd. Following refuelling, she departed on the 11th for Ijmuiden to evacuate Dutch Princess Juliana and her family to England on the 12th. DD GRIFFIN departed Rosyth and arrived at Dover on the 11th to join the Nore Cmd. Following refuelling, DD GRIFFIN departed Dover on the 11th for ops off the Dutch coast. DD GALLANT departed Scapa for Dover on the 9th. DD WOLFHOUND departed Portland after working up on the 14th and arrived at Sheerness on the 15th. DD VANESSA was refitting at Plymouth and did not participate. DD MALCOLM was on Nth Goodwins patrol. Fr steamer COTE D'AZUR cleared Dunkirk, escort DDs FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, INCOMPRISE, BRANLEBAS. The escort was joined by DDs BOUCLIER and MELPOMENE. The steamer arrived at Flushing 11 May. PC PINTAIL escort Sub TIGRIS passed Dover westbound.

*Med- Biscay*
BB WARSPITE passed Gib on the 5th, escort DDs DOUGLAS and VORTIGERN, replaced later by DDs VELOX, VORTIGERN, KEPPEL. On the 7th, she departed Malta escort RAN DDs VENDETTA, VOYAGER, WATERHEN. On the 10th, BB WARSPITE arrived at Alexandria. Her escort was detached for patrol as she entered harbour and arrived later in the day. Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham ("ABC") rehoisted his flag on WARSPITE on the 11th. With the arrival of WARSPITE and subsequent heavy reinforcements, Fr BBs PROVENCE and BRETAGNE, returned to Mer el Kebir in the 3rd week of May.


*Indian Ocean* 
DDs DECOY and DEFENDER departed Aden and joined ANZAC US.2 as it entered the Red Sea on the 12th. DKM Raider ATLANTIS laid mines off Cape Algulhas, near Capetown, Sth Africa. This minefield was discovered by Sth African Aux MSW ARISTEA before any damage was done.


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## parsifal (May 9, 2015)

*10 May 1940- The BEF*

The BEF received a signal from the French Supreme Allied HQ issuing a full “alerte” and releasing the codeword to begin Plan D, the deep penetration advance into Belgium. At this juncture, the LW made no serious attempts to bomb or impede the advance of the British and French forces. The LW was busy at that time pounding the allied airfields and lines of communication and secondly they wanted the allies to advance into Belgium.






_MS 406 May 1940. Many allied a/c were hit on the ground in the opening assault_




_Amiot 143 - Some success at night, torn to pieces in suicidal daylight attacks_


The Dyle line to which the British and French Armies were advancing was a line between Antwerp and Sedan. It incorporated a number of natural obstacles to impede a tank advance except in an area between Wavre and Namur, where the Belgians had made some attempt to fortify the line.

Gamelins HQ had assumed they could reach the Dyle line before having to engage in combat, but the success of the assault on Eben Emanuel enabled Panzer forces to establish bridgeheads at certain key points. Counterattacks by the Belgian 7th Inf XX were unable to dislodge the wehrmacht toeholds, but the Belgians held firm otherwise and resisted strongly. The line along the Albert canal ( a defensive position somewhat east of the Dyle) was held until the eving of the 11May 





_A section of the Dyle River, target of the Allied defensive plans 1940_





_The BEF advance into Belgium_





_Universal Carrier tracked vehicles advancing to the Dyle _

10 May Air Operations (unfinished)
On the first day, the pace of operations is frenetic. The fighter units of the AASF and the BEF air component shoot down a total of 40 enemy a/c in exchange for the loss of 10 hurricanes. Allied bomber formations perform far less effectively. 
1 Sqn (Hurri) 
F/L P.P. Hanks claims a Do17 destroyed, near Verdun, 05.00 hrs. P/O P.W. Mould claims a He111 destroyed, near Verdun, 05.00 hrs. F/O Billy Drake claims a He111 destroyed, near Verdun, 05.00 hrs. F/O M.H. Brown claims a Do17 destroyed, near Metz, 06.00 hrs F/L P.R. Walker, F/O P.H.M. Richey, F/O J.I. Kilmartin and Sgt F.J. Soper share in the destruction of this Do17

3 Sqn 
F/O Raymond Lines-Roberts in L1923. Took off from Merville. Engine damaged by return fire from He 111 of I./KG27 engaged over Lille. Crashed in dead-stick landing in forest near Fieffe. Pilot safe. He 111 survives, but is later scrapped. 


2 Sqn (Lysander)
No. 2 and 4 Sqn moved forward to Lille-Ronchin. 2 Squadron went into Belgium with 17 Lysanders and, so as to provide the widest cover for the B.E.F., dispersed about 3 a/c to each of the airfields at Abbeville, Bethune, Roncq, Lille and Brussels. 

9, 37, 38, 75 (NZ), 99, 115, 149, Sqns (Wellington) 
Raid on WaalHaven (10/11 May)

During the late evening and the night several bomber flights from the RAF paid a visit to Waalhaven. These 36 Wellington medium bombers dropped a total of 58 tonnes of bombes [each plane dropped 18 off 200 lbs bombs] on the airfield itself and the direct surroundings. The only enemy opposition they faced was the light FLAK that had been flown in during the 10th [2 cm AA]. The majority of the planes operated from an altitude of 2,000 - 2,500 feet - well within the range of the FLAK. The raids started around 2230 hours and lasted until about 0400. No aircrafts were shot down and only one crew member returned home wounded [from shrapnel].
- 6 Wellingtons No.9 Sq. 
- 3 Wellingtons No.37 Sq. 
- 6 Wellingtons No.38 Sq. 
- 3 Wellingtons No.75 [NZ] Sq. 
- 6 Wellingtons No.99 Sq. 
- 6 Wellingtons No.115 Sq. 
- 6 Wellingtons No.149 Sq. 


15 Sqn (Blen)
Separately, 8 Blens also bombed Waalhaven airport near Rotterdam, which had been captured by German paratroops. From this attack all a/c returned safely, although some were seriously damaged.

AASF Battles 
The overall British commander, Air Marshal Barratt, acting on his own initiative, orders 32 Battles from Nos 12, 103, 105, 142, 150, 218 and 226 Sqns to attack German troops advancing through Luxembourg at noon. They are hacked to pieces. 13 are shot down by mobile AA. The remainder all suffer damage of some kind. In a second attack during the afternoon, a further 10 Battles from 32 ordered into the air are lost to LW ftrs and flak.

18 sqn (Blen
P/O P.D. Smith - unhurt Sgt C.J. Ham - unhurtLAC Shepherd - unhurt ; A/C L9185 damaged, Took off from Méharicourt. Returned damaged by AA and attack by enemy ftrs during low-level recon of the river Maas to Venlo, 10.15 hrs. A/C repaired.

P/O GF. Harding, KIA Sgt (WO) K N. Shrosbree, KIA LAC R.B.H. Townsend-Coles - POW , A/C L1405 lost, Low level recon of the river Maas to Venlo. Believed crashed at Breyell, 10.20 hrs. Possibly that claimed by Oberlt Steinhoff (Staffelkapitän) of 11.(N)/JG2 near Düsseldorf.LAC Townsend-Coles, was promoted to W/O whilst a PoW, died in captivity, reportedly executed because of his escape attempt 15/07/1944 ….the “Great Escape” 

37 sqn (Wellington): (see entry for 9 sqn) 
38 sqn (Wellington): (see entry for 9 sqn)

40 sqn (Blenheim)
Airborne 0915 from Wyton. Shot down in the vicinity of Den Haag (Zuid Holland) whilst enagaged in armed recon . The crew were all wounded and taken prisoner. A/C L8776 lost 

S/L B. Paddon Sgt J.A.D. Beattie P/O W.G. Edwards, all safe L8833. was lost on return leg of armed recon over Holland. lost after force landing was one of 5 40 Sqn Blens lost on this day. Airborne 0905 from Wyton. Attacked by a Ju88 soon after crossing the Dutch coast. Aborted mission , on return flight to base an engine caught fire and the a/c crashed landed at 1220, the crew escaping injury.

10th May 1940: 12 Blenheims of 40 Sqdn. despatched to bomb Ypenburg airfield. 8 or 9 aircraft bombed primary, 1 bombed a landing ground 5 miles W of Leyden and 1 also strafed enemy aircraft parked along beach from The Hague to Noordwick. 3 a/c failed to return, 1 of these being shot down by enemy aircraft after bombing primary.
8 KIA, 1 PoW, 3 a/c lost

46 Sqn (Hurri)
While HMS Glorious at Greenock completes the embarkation of 46 Sqn's Hurricanes, the reconstituted 263 Sqn, with 18 new Gladiator IIs, is moving to the Fleet Air Arm station at Cambeltown (on the Clyde) in preparation to joining HMS Furious, now repaired and ready for further service.

53 sqn (Blen)
German Bomber attack, Metz, France. 2 a/c damaged (1 abandoned later) 
A/C caught on the ground at Metz in bombing attack. Damaged but repairable, 1a/c later abandoned.
Reconnaissance, B, 1 a/c damaged (abandoned later), Damaged by light Flak during recce sortie over Belgium and was abandoned after the crew landed to report at the advanced airfield at Vitry-en-Artois, 11.40 hrs

54 sqn (spit)
UK based sqn 2 losses this day, both pilots buried in Calais. Unknown Op. 

57 sqn (Blen)
Recon (NL) reconnaissance, NL. 1 a/c lost, 1 a/c damaged, 3 KIA. Possibly that claimed by Lt Fluder of 5./JG27 west of Nijmegen, 12.08 hrs.

73 sqn (Hurri)
Interception, France 1 a/c lost, 2 a/c damaged. 1 WIA, No. 73 Sqn shot down 1 of 9 Do 215s intercepted while on patrol over Metz. Plt dived on the enemy but overshot, turned quickly and brought down another. Believed damaged by return fire 4./KG3. A/c repairable. 2nd a/c hit in glycol system by concentrated cross-fire from Do 17's of 4./KG3 over base, crash-landed in flames then exploded, pilot safe. 3rd a/c also damaged but repairable by 4/KG3

110 sqn (Blen)
At 17.30 hours an unknown number of Blen Mk.IV and Mk.I bombed and strafed landed German Ju-52 transports on the beach near The Hague. The bombing Blenheims [IV] were of the No. 110 Sqn and were escorted by the MK. I's of No. 604 Sqn. During this mission Blenheim L1517 of 604 Sqn crashed near Wassenaar. The RAF a/c destroyed 4 enemy planes.


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## parsifal (May 9, 2015)

*10 May 1940 - Assault on Holland, - some pictures*





_Dutch horse drawn artillery retreating towards "Fortress Holland"_





_Paradrops and air landings into Holland_





_DAF M-39. In January 1940 the 4th Regiment Huzaren was planned to be the first equipped with the new model, followed by the 1st Regiment Huzaren and 2nd Regiment Huzaren, respectively based at Deventer, Amersfoort and Breda. However, only training was supposed to take place, until the units were fit for operations in 1941. The delays altered these plans, and by November 1939 the task to train crews was hastily given to the newly formed Cavalry Depot relocated at The Hague. In the end, due to postponed deliveries, the unit commander in charge of the four cavalry squadrons had to form his crews with two obsolete makeshift armored cars used during the great depression, and a handful of Carden Loyd tankettes detached from the defense of the Waalhaven airfield. When Fall Blau started, on 10th May, 1940, four vehicles were completed, parked in DAF factory Eindhoven, eight were stationed at Delft, defending the sector between the seat of the government, The Hague and Rotterdam. Two saw action on the 11th of May to support depot companies on the road to Rotterdam, unsuccessfully blocking the German advance. Another saw action at Delft and another helped to suppress the last pocket of German paras on 14th May at Overschie. The five available at The Hague were transferred to the Commander Fortress Holland and remained there, patrolling the streets fearing action form a supposedly fifth column and prevent Germans paras actions. However, on the 14th of May Commander Henri Winkelman ordered the remaining vehicles to be sabotaged and some were driven into the sea at Scheveningen. The four at DAF Factory were supposed to join the 4e Compagnie Korps Motordienst, but never made it. Lacking crews and ammunition, they were abandoned en route to Zeeland on 13-14 May_.






_German units were in dire need of armored cars, captured ones were welcomed and a handful of repaired and overhauled M39's saw service with recon units as the Panzerspähwagen DAF 201 (h)9, painted in the standard Dunkelgrau, and sporting large Balkankreuz. The design had attracted the attention of the Waffenamt, but they nevertheless never attempted to resume the production. At least four were handed over to the Army Group "North" and used extensively throughout the summer and autumn of 1941, seeing action during the siege of Leningrad. Eight other captures were used in training units until 1943 and then disposed of. None survived the war and the much improved M40 postwar production project for service in the Far East was postponed and finally abandoned._


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## Njaco (May 9, 2015)

*May 10 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:*
THE INVASION OF FRANCE AND THE LOW COUNTRIES
‘Operation FALL GELB’ is finally launched as German forces begin ‘Operation Sichelschnitt’ (Sickle Stroke), a surprise assault against Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium. The German plan is to send an armed force into Holland and Belgium to attract the Allied Armies to that area, away from the Ardennes while another larger force cuts through the thick forests and smash through the thin French lines near Sedan and race to the Channel, trapping the Allies in a pincer movement. Heeresgruppe C (Leeb) holds the German frontier opposite the French Maginot Line while Heeresgruppe A (Rundstedt) makes the main attack through the Ardennes and Heeresgruppe B (Bock) makes a secondary advance through Belgium and Holland to draw the main British and French forces north. This is the plan finally ordered by Hitler, because after being encouraged and convinced by Generalfeldmarschall Göring, the Führer wants to secure the neutral countries of Holland and Belgium so that the British cannot use those country's airfields to fly sorties over the battle area against the Germans. 

Also to be used for the first time on a large scale are troops brought in by parachute, glider and transport plane whose task it will be to drop deep behind enemy lines and secure numerous bridges, airfields and communications for the approaching German Armies. The leader of this new form of warfare is Major General Kurt Student. A former Fighter Squadron leader in World War I and former aircraft trainer at the secret flight schools in Russia, Student had never parachuted before. But this did not stop him from convincing Hitler to use his 7th Air Division Fallschirmjäger in the invasion. 

Nearly 4,000 German warplanes, including over 1,000 single engine fighters, sweep into France, Holland and Belgium in support of the German invasion. The air units involved in the invasion are divided between General der Flieger Albert Kesselring’s Luftflotte 2 and General der Flieger Hugo von Sperrle’s Luftflotte 3 containing Generalmajor Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen VIII Fliegerkorps, General Keller’s IV Fliegerkorps, General Grauert’s I Fliegerkorps , Generalleutnant von Greim’s V Fliegerkorps and General Bruno Loerzer’s II Fliegerkorps. 

76 German divisions cross a 175-mile front into Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. British and French troops enter Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to counter the German attack. During the day, Heeresgruppe A strikes, with three armored corps in the lead, heading for Sedan, Montherme and Dinant. The advance is rapid and the little opposition, mostly French cavalry, is thrown aside. To the north, Heeresgruppe B carries out parachute landings deep inside Holland which do much to paralyze Dutch resistance, while German units cross the Maas River near Arnhem and the Belgian fort at Eben Emael.

At the end of the day the German advance has gone almost exactly according to plan. German tanks penetrated more than 10 miles into the Dutch border by the end of the day. British and French leaders enacted the Dyle Plan in response to the invasion. The Allied Plan D provides for the French 1st Army Group (General Billotte), consisting of the British Expeditionary Force (General Lord Gort) and the French 7th Army (General Giraud) to advance to the line of the Dyle River and the Meuse River above Namur, to be joined there by the Belgian forces and on the left to link with the Dutch. General Gamelin is the Allied Supreme Commander and General Georges commands the armies on the French Northeast Front. The Allies react quickly to the German attacks as soon as they hear of them from the Belgians. By the evening much of the Dyle line has been occupied but the troops find that there are no fortifications to compare with the positions they have prepared along the Franco-Belgian frontier during the Phony War period. Some of the reserve is therefore committed to strengthen the line. Some of the advance forces of French 7th Army make contact with the Germans in southern Holland and are roughly handled. British soldiers cross the North Sea, landing on the Netherlands coast at several points.

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## Njaco (May 9, 2015)

*May 10 Friday* (_continued_)
LUXEMBOURG: German tanks crossed into neutral Luxembourg with relative ease, reaching the edge of the Ardennes Forest; the royal family of Luxembourg was evacuated to the south. 32 British Battles bombers attack German columns in Luxembourg. 13 planes are shot down; all others are damaged.
BELGIUM: At 0430 hours, forty-one Ju 52s towing forty-one gliders loaded with paratroopers of Assault Detachment Koch assault the Belgium fortress of Eben Emael and the three bridges over the Albert canal at Vroenhoven, Veldwezelt and Kanne, pinning down the 700 Belgian defenders. Nine 10-man DFS230 gliders descend over Dutch territory, having been pulled by Junker 52 transport planes from airfields near Cologne, Germany, landing on the roof of Belgium's Fort Eban Emael. Engineers quickly set explosive charges in gun barrels, casemates, and exit passages, sealing in the 650-man garrison. The modern fortress is knocked out and held by seventy-two paratroopers of Detachment Granite. They hold the fort for nearly twenty-four hours until the German Army arrives. 1,200 Belgium soldiers of the fort surrender to the Germans at a cost to the invaders of only six paratroopers killed and twenty wounded. The Ju 52s that drop the troops are used later in the afternoon to drop dummy paratroops behind Belgium forces and cause confusion; a trick the German High Command forgets about four years later at Normandy. 

Despite strong fortified airfields the Luftwaffe paratroop objectives are achieved. Three Belgium fighter squadrons are destroyed on the ground by the Luftwaffe along with three out of four squadrons trying to transfer to Brusthem. The first Luftwaffe kill of the campaign is claimed by Hptm. Ultsch of I./JG 21 who intercepts and shoots down a Belgian Fox biplane. Bf 109’s attack nine Fairey Battle fighters with the result that three Battles are shot from the sky and the rest severely damaged. Another Battle falls under the guns of future Experte Lt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob. The Henschel Hs 123 biplanes of II (Schlacht)./LG 2 support the German 6th Army’s smash through Belgium.

The Belgian government calls on English and French troops to enter the country to aid in its defense. The Belgian Government declares Brussels an open city, with no troops defending it, and for no troops to pass through the city. General Bernard Montgomery's forward units arrived, just after dark, to take up their designated positions on the eastern approaches to Brussels. They were fired upon by Belgian soldiers who took them for German infiltrators.
HOLLAND: German parachute and airborne forces begin landing to secure key bridges in Holland at Rotterdam, Dordrecht, and Moerdijk. Some parachutists are disguised as Netherland soldiers, farm boys, and Roman Catholic nuns. German paratroopers quickly secured key bridges and airfields around Rotterdam and the Hague, but the plan to land troops at the Ypenburg airfield to capture the Dutch political leaders was foiled when Dutch fighters shot down 18 German Ju 52 transport planes. The Netherlands Army Air Force is alerted before the assault and readies its air force – 132 aircraft including twenty-three of the new Fokker G-Ia and twenty-eight Fokker D.XXIs – at the airfields of Amsterdam-Schipol, Bergen, De Kooy, Ypenburg and Waalhaven. Fighters from JG 26 clear a path in advance of Ju 52 transports loaded with paratroopers who are dropped on the three main airfields of The Hague and Moerdijk Bridges over the Old Maas River near Rotterdam. Pilots of JG 26 ‘Schlageter’ claim five Dutch aircraft for this action including Hptm. Seifert of 3./JG 26 who claims his first victory, a Fokker D.XXI near Rotterdam. Some of the Ju 52s with escorting Bf 110s of I./ZG 1 led by Hptm. Werner Streib, drop paratroops over Waalhaven airfield and by 1000 hours the airfield is in German hands. By noon over one hundred transports have dropped off over 1,200 infantry soldiers. But not before suffering some casualties. One group of troopers are dropped from a Ju 52 directly over a blazing section of hangars with twelve of the soldiers burning to death in their chutes. Shortly after the first attack, Hptm. Streib and his Zerstörers are able to fend off an attack by six Blenheims of RAF No 600 Squadron sent to defend the airfield. Only one British bomber escapes destruction from the Bf 110s and returns to its base at Manston, England. 


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## Njaco (May 9, 2015)

*May 10 Friday* (_continued_)
At the twin bridges at Moerdijk, paratroopers land on both sides of the waterway and capture the bridges within minutes. Five miles north of the Moerdijk bridges, at the bridge at Dordrecht, the Fallschirmjäger are able to prevent the Dutch from blowing up the bridge there. 

Not all of the bridges fall by soldiers falling from the sky. At 0700 hours, twelve He 59 floatplanes fly down the New Maas River and land near the Willems Bridge and release one hundred and twenty infantry and engineers. Quickly establishing positions on both sides of the Willems and a smaller bridge nearby, the soldiers are for the most part ignored by the Dutch. Soon, however, a Dutch garrison nearby arrives and the Germans are trapped and outnumbered on both sides of the river. But before long, a tram arrives, ringing its bells and delivering fifty heavily armed Fallschirmjäger under the command of Oblt. Horst Kerfin who immediately split into two groups -one rushing to the north bank and the other taking up positions on the south bank. There the Germans fight the Dutch until finally relieved by an infantry force sent from the paratroopers at Waalhaven airfield.

Bombers of KG 4 attack other Dutch airfields but their commander, Kommodore Oberst Martin Fiebig is one of eleven bombers shot down and taken prisoner. Lt. Wolfgang Ludewig of 9./JG 26 is ordered to find General Graf von Sponeck, who has lost contact with his forces at Den Haag. After several tries at landing and being damaged in the process, Lt. Ludewig force lands and is taken prisoner by the Allies.

The aircrew of II(J)./TrGr186 have a busy day, shooting down eight Fokker D.XXIs – one by Ofw. Kurt ‘Kuddel’ Ubben and two by Uffz. Herbert Kaiser of 5(J)./TrGr186 - but lose one Bf 109 to Allied fighters near Den Helder and a Bf 109 to ground fire near Borkum. Oblt. Dieter Robitzsch, Staffelkapitän of 5 Staffel is shot down by a Dutch Fokker D. XXI, flown by Lt. Jan van Overvest, and crash lands on De Kooy airfield where he is taken prisoner. Fokker D.XXIs of Ja V.A. from De Kooy give the Luftwaffe trouble as they are able to shoot down four Bf 109Es and harass most of the airborne operations over the Dutch airfields. Dutch anti-aircraft fire also destroys several German fighters and transports. At Schipol airfield, Bf 109s catch Fokkers of 5e Ja V. A. as they try to take off and destroy two Fokkers of 2e Ja. V. A. on the ground.
FRANCE: The first major German air attacks on French objectives take place against air fields, railroads and stations, coal mines, and factories. The Luftwaffe’s mission for the invasion is the destruction of the French Armee de L’Air and its main airbases at Dijon, Lyon, Metz, Nancy and Romilly along with supporting general von Kleist’s thrust through the Ardennes. Due to poor recon and intelligence, Luftwaffe attacks are not very successful and air attacks over France are mixed. Only thirty-one of ninety-one airfields are actually attacked, leaving the Allies plenty of warplanes to react against further Luftwaffe missions. 

At 0345 hours bombers from 1 and 2 Staffel of KG 2 are ordered to attack the airfield at Reims-Champagne. The first attempt fails and the formation has to turn around and fly another attack. The French are now alarmed and the second attack is met with heavy anti-aircraft fire. The French bomber squadrons I and II/15 and the BEF No. 226 Squadron lose some aircraft on the ground from the attack.

At 0425 hours, bombers from III./KG 2 attack the airfields at Mourmelon and Challerange. During the flight, flight-mechanic Fw. Glenz falls through the bottom door of the Dornier over Diedenhofen and is knocked unconscious upon landing. He is soon captured. The squadron continues to Mourmelon and destroys numerous Fairey Battles of RAF No. 88 Squadron on the airfield. On the return flight, the formation is attacked by about twenty Moranes. They succeed in damaging the plane of Lt. Krieger but he is able to crash in German territory at Kaiserlautern. The attack by the French Moranes is soon broken up by sixteen Bf 110s from I./ZG 2.

At 0456 hours, bombers from 4./KG 2 attack the airfield at Basse Yutz near Diedenhofen. French fighters attack the formation and four Do 17s are damaged. The Dornier of Uffz. Schiwek is attacked four separate times and causes the mechanic Fw. Ottlik to fall out of the bomber. He parachutes to the ground and is captured. After the fourth pass by the fighters, Uffz. Schiwek has an engine catch fire and he turns the plane around and heads for base. He crashes near Merzig after the second engine fails. A second plane of the formation, Fw. Schmid’s Do17, is hit by fighters and he, too, leaves the formation. He crashes on French territory and the crew is captured. The third plane is so heavily damaged that the crew decides to bail out. The parachute of Uffz. Struven gets caught by the antenna of the bomber and he goes down with the plane. The fourth plane manages to get back to base at Katzweiler with a burning engine. 

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## Njaco (May 9, 2015)

*May 10 Friday* (_continued_)
At 0510 hours 5./KG 2 attacks the airfield at Chatel Chehery. As the squadron passes over the Luxembourg-French border they are attacked by French fighters. The formation loses no aircraft although one member of the squadron is killed and another wounded.

At 0530 hours 3./KG 2 takes off to attack the French airfield at Stenay on the Maas river. The mission is accomplished without any serious enemy defenses or casualties. The Dorniers of 6./KG 2 are attacked by enemy fighters over the Reims-Mourmelon area and lose two bombers. Four German bombers drop bombs on Méry-sur-Oise, twenty miles from Paris, France.

After the first attacks in the morning, KG 2 transfer to prepared forward airfields at Biblis, Geinsheim and Grossostheim. At 1315 hours the III Gruppe of KG 2 attacks the airfield in the area between Metz and Verdun. The 3 and 9 Staffel of KG 2 along with I./JG 76 attack the airfield at Etain-Darmont.

By the end of the day the Luftwaffe claim fifty-six British and French aircraft destroyed at a cost of 128 aircraft of their own. Although the Luftwaffe does not destroy the few warplanes available to the Allies, many are lost by the rapid movement of the German armies as they race through France and overtake French airfields.

Along with the invasion, many Luftwaffe units leave their airfields in Germany and take over new airfields in France as the assault advances. One of the first to transfer is Obstlt. Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp’s Stab./JG 2 who leave the base at Frankfurt and settle in at the airfield at Wengerohr.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler arrives at his bunker near Aachen, Germany, to direct operation ‘Fall Gelb’ (Case Yellow), the attack on Western Europe. Hitler gives his Order of the Day to the German troops, saying;


> "The fight beginning today decides the fate of the German nation for the next 1000 years."



German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop informs the foreign press that Germany had seized the initiative by anticipating Anglo-French aggression in the Ruhr area over Netherlands and Belgian territory. He presents evidence that Netherlands and Belgium were not acting as neutrals, that they were defending only the German border, and allowing British and French assistance in attempting revolution in Germany. German forces in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg would act as protectors and take steps to ensure their neutrality.

The first flight of a new type of combat aircraft, the Arado 240, is completed but the aircraft has problems including instability at all three axes. This is another example of the waste of time and effort on inadequate designs.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain had decided overnight to resign from this post, but the news of the German invasion of France and the Low Countries gave him second thoughts. Nevertheless, he decided to continue his plan to resign. At Buckingham Palace, London, England, King George VI asks Winston Churchill to form a new government. By midnight new British Prime Minister Winston Churchill completes the forming of his government. Clement Attlee is made Lord Privy Seal, Arthur Greenwood is made Minister Without-Portfolio. Anthony Eden is made Secretary of State for War. Sir Archibald Sinclair is made Air Secretary.

RAF Kirton in Lindsey was officially opened as the Fighter Command base responsible for the air defense of the Humber area in northern England, United Kingdom. It had its satellites Coleby Grange, south of Lincoln, and Hibaldstow, just three miles away. No. 222 Squadron, whose pilots included the legendary Douglas Bader, were moved north with their Spitfire fighters from Duxford and were joined by the Hurricane fighters of No. 253 Squadron from Kenley. Bader was later to recall his time at Kirton as the period of "fun" for the squadron.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Secretary of State Hull reiterated that the United States would not stand for any country establishing a protectorate over the Dutch East Indies. In response, the Japanese Foreign Minister indicated Japan's desire to maintain the political and economic status quo in the Pacific region.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *In Norway, British forces are sent south from Harstad to Mo-i-Rana to join the small units trying to delay the German advance to relieve the Narvik force. Some of these units are now engaged at Mosjoen.

On the morning of Friday the 10th, the '_Kandahar_' took off the wounded from HMS ‘_Kelly_’ and her RNVR surgeon carried on where '_Kelly's_' had left off. While this was going on and the two ships were lying alongside each other, the first German bombers appeared. Their attacks were beaten off by gunfire and three RAF Hudsons which had just arrived. Later, two more destroyers joined as escorts and in the afternoon two cruisers as well. Repeated air attacks were beaten off. The same afternoon, the dead recovered from the wreckage were buried at sea.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* In Iceland, British troops land on the island. They are the advance elements of a force which is to set up a destroyer and scout-plane base to help in the convoy battles in the Atlantic. Equally, they will prevent the Germans using the island to aid their U-boat campaign.

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## parsifal (May 10, 2015)

*11 May 1940 (Part I)*
*Losses*
*MV ANTILLA (Ger 4363 grt)* The cargo ship was scuttled in the Caribbean Sea off Aruba, Netherlands Antilles to avoid capture by the Dutch.





*Pre-1880 Gunboat BRAGA (RNeN 244 grt)* The gunboat was scuttled in the Waal.
Thor-class river gunboats





*MV MAKIS (Gk 3546 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea off Pantelleria, Italy.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Liner VEENDAM (Ne 15,450 grt)* The ship is caught in the crossfire between Dutch and german Ground forces and suffers heavy damage. She is not bombed by the LW as is often reported. She lies unused and damaged until mid 1941, when she is towed to Germany where she is seized and used as an accommodation ship. Progressively bombed in 1943-5,she is sitting on the bottom by 1945, but is eventually raised. 
The ss Veendam (II) of 1922 | Holland America Blog




_Rotterdam, May 1940. Company ships caught in the cross fire during the invasion. The STATENDAM can be seen burning in the background._

*Liner STATENDAM (Ne 28,291 grt)* were sunk by German bombing at Rotterdam. 
Holland America Line: SS Statendam IV - built in 1957




_Unlike the VEENDAM, the STATENDAM was completely burnt out as a result of her damage, and scrapped in August 1940_

*Steamer STELLA (Ne 2818 grt)*, whilst attempting to escape from Antwerp during the invasion, STELLA was was sunk by the LW with at least 5 bomb hits at Flushing Roads. 





*Steamer VIIU (Est 1908 grt)* Crew: 20 (including those picked from the HENRY WOODALL, 15 dead and 5 survivors) Cargo: Not recorded Route: Antwerp - Miami On 10 May, the VIIU had picked up survivors from the MV HENRY WOODALL (UK). At 50 mins past midnight, VIIU was hit by a single torp fired by U-9 and sank within a minute. 





*Steamer TRINGA (UK 1930 grt)*. Crew; 23 (17 dead and 6 survivors) CargoL Mixed cargo of Potash and Pig Iron; Route; Antwerp - Glagow Travelling out of convoy, the was hit aft by one torpedo from U-9 and sank immediately 1.5 miles from the West Hinder buoy at the mouth of the Scheldt. Survivors were rescued by DD MALCOLM and taken to Ramsgate. 





*Steamer SALLY (FN 2533 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Fairway north of Helsingor. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Report by Professor Connelius on the progress of experiments to eliminate torpedo failures and other measures.
> 
> The problem of making the G7e keep its depth has been satisfactorily solved. Adjustment has achieved only small deviations. The same problem with regard to the G7a is proving more difficult, but a completely satisfactory solution is expected in the near future
> 
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Nothing to report.



At Sea 11 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-32, U-65. 
4 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic

*North Sea*
Steamer PRINS WILLEM VAN ORANJE (Ne 1304 grt) was badly damaged by the LW in Dutch waters. CA YORK and CLs MANCHESTER and SHEFFIELD at Rosyth were placed at the disposal of the CinC Nore for operations in the sthn Nth Sea should DKM cruisers appear to support the invasion. FS.168 departed the Tyne, escort sloop FLAMINGO. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 13th.

Sub SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol. Sub STURGEON arrived at Blyth after patrol. ORP sub ORZEL arrived at Rosyth after patrol. OA.146 departed Southend. No escorts were listed. 

Operations off the Dutch Coast
CLs ARETHUSA, GALATEA, BIRMINGHAM and DDs CODRINGTON, BRILLIANT, VIMY, VALOROUS, GRIFFIN, HEREWARD, HYPERION, HAVOCK, MOHAWK, VENETIA, VIVACIOUS, WINDSOR, VERITY, VENOMOUS, WIVERN, WILD SWAN were actively working off the Dutch coast. DD VENOMOUS departed Dover for Dunkirk with the Dutch military missions for Belgium and France. These missions had been brought from Ijmuiden on CL GALATEA of CruSqn 2. At Ijmuiden, CL ARETHUSA and DD BOREAS met Dutch steamer IRIS (909grt), carrying the Dutch gold reserves from Ijmuiden, DD KEITH met incomplete NE CL HEEMSKERCK and NE steamer TITUS, also carrying Dutch gold from Ijmuiden. PC WARRIOR II later on the 11th relieved DD KEITH of escorting the NE cruiser. They arrived in the Thames that evening and the next morning, IRIS went into Southend and ARETHUSA and BOREAS to Sheerness. CL BIRMINGHAM and DDs MOHAWK and JANUS arrived in the Humber. DDs HYPERION and WILD SWAN remained in the Hook of Holland overnight. DD HAVOCK departed Hook of Hollland and patrolled outside between the Hook and Ijmuiden to deal with any German attempted landings.

DD WIVERN departed Dover with a British military mission, for Hook of Holland. The passage was covered by DDs HYPERION and HAVOCK. After her arrival, she was diverted to Flushing where the mission was landed. The DD arrived at Flushing at 1200 and departed after disembarkation at 1600. DD WIVERN then returned to Dover. After refuelling, she joined DD MALCOLM off the Nth Goodwins. DDs VALENTINE and WINCHESTER joined by Fr DDs SIROCCO and CYCLONE departed Dunkirk with Fr steamer COTE D'ARGENT (3047grt) and arrived at Flushing in the early afternoon. The DDs remained underway until dusk to give protection to eascaping Dutch shipping. DDs WESTMINSTER and VIMIERA departed Dunkirk with DDs FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, INCOMPRISE and sloop DLIGENTE in the early afternoon with 2 Fr storeships. Off Wandelar Light Vessel, the DDs were detached to patrol off Nieuport and assist escaping Dutch shipping. DDs VALENTINE and WINCHESTER supported the store ships that evening. On the evening of 12 May, DDs VALENTINE and WINCHESTER departed Flushing to replenish at Dunkirk. DDs WESTMINSTER and VIMIERA proceeded from their Nieuport patrol to relieve them off Flushing. DDs MOHAWK and VERSATILE, after departing the Humber on the 11th, embarked British diplomatic personnel at Hook of Holland.

DDs VERITY and VENOMOUS arrived at Hook of Holland on the 12th on Operation HARPOON with a 200 man guard for the protection of the demolition party brought there by DD WILD SWAN. Also arriving on the 12th at Hook of Holland were RN MSW trawlers ARCTIC HUNTER and ST MELANTE.

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## parsifal (May 10, 2015)

*11 May 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Northern Waters*
Sub NARWHAL laid minefield FD.10 off Haugesand. British troops guarding Mosjoen (having arrived on the 2nd aboard DD JANUS) were cut off by German troops. These troops embarked on a Norwegian cargo vessel and proceeded down Vefsenfjord to Sandessjoen where they were met by DDs JAVELIN and JACKAL. About 100 troops were embarked on the RN ships while the rest of the troops remained on the steamer which was escorted to Bodo. JACKAL bombarded the German headquarters at Sund, above Hemnes. The troops with provisions and ammunition were landed at Bodo on the 12th. JACKAL and JAVELIN arrived at Scapa on the 13th and from there proceeded to Rosyth en route to the Humber.

DD JUNO arrived at Scapa from the Nth. DD BEDOUIN was ordered to sail from Narvik for the Clyde via Scapa, to carry out boiler cleaning from the 15th. NS.2 with 2 ships, was escorted by CL ENTERPRISE, CLA CAIRO, DD HESPERUS, sloop FLEETWOOD. Steamer META joined the convoy en route escort DDs WOLVERINE and WITHERINGTON. WITHERINGTON was detached en route and arrived at Liverpool on the 11th. The convoy, another of the SCISSORS landings, safely arrived at Narvik during the morning of 11 May. MV META and DD WOLVERINE arrived independently due to the steamer's slow speed. CL ENTERPRISE, CLA CAIRO, DD HESPERUS, sloop FLEETWOOD with storeship MARGOT (4545grt), which carried four field guns and a LAA bty, departed Narvik to land 320 troops at Mo during the night of 11/12 May. CL ENTERPRISE landed troops and supported others ashore. At Mo on the 12th, DD HESPERUS, escorting store ship MARGOT (4545grt), was damaged by two near misses. DD HESPERUS left Narvik with a convoy, consisting of 8 steamers, on the 15th, for Dundee escort also by DDs BASILISK, WOLVERINE and MSW HEBE. Sloop FLEETWOOD gave AA spt until the convoy was clear of the coast. DD VANOC after escorting submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE departed the Clyde to join the convoy. On 21 May, HESPERUS was relieved by DD VANOC and arrived on the 22nd for repairs at Dundee completed in late June. HESPERUS arrived at Plymouth on 1 July for operations. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on the 22nd with BASILISK, VANOC, WOLVERINE and 6 steamers 

6 Skuas of 806 Squadron departed Hatston escorted by 3 Blen LR fighters of 254 Sqn to attack fuel tanks near Bergen. No a/c were lost. Results not reported. The raid was repeated the next day by 6 Skuas of 806 Sqn, again escorted by 3 Blenheims of 254 Sqn. They were to attack an enemy transport, escort unkown TBs. The target was located, but no damage was done. No a/c were lost. 

DD FIREDRAKE arrived at Scapa from Bodo. ASW trawlers DANEMAN, WELLARD, BLACKFLY departed Scapa for Grimsby. Drifters STRATHDEVON, STHRATHDERRY, ELDORADO, NEWHAVEN, SANDWICK arrived at Scapa for onward passage to Norway, but on arrival in Norway, the drifters were found to be too large for the purpose intended. They were laid up and 10 Nor "Puffers" locally acquired, crewed by RN personnel. Owners fully compensated for acquisitions. These little ships greatly assisted the movement of Allied forces around the Nth 
View attachment 292156


*West Coast UK*
DDs WALKER and BEAGLE departed Liverpool after boiler cleaning arriving at the Clyde later the same day. OB.146 departed Liverpool escort DD VANQUISHER. 

*UK-France*
BC.36 of 5 steamers departed Loire with no escort. The convoy arrived safely in Bristol Channel on the 13th.

*Central Atlantic/Carribbean*
After the invasion of Holland, Fr troops on Fr CL PRIMAUGUET landed at Aruba to safeguard the oil facilities.

CL CARADOC and RCN DD FRASER departed Kingston with 2 companies of Inf and steamer JAMAICA PLANTER (UK 4098 grt) with motor transport to be landed at Willemstad. CL DESPATCH was already off Willemstad on patrol. No landing took place at the request of the Dutch Governor.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs ACTIVE and WISHART arrived at Gib, escorting troopship ORONSAY from Cherbourg with troops for the Gib garrison.


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## parsifal (May 10, 2015)

*11 May 1940- The BEF*

The Belgians, on hearing the news that Eban Emanuel had fallen, and that the Dutch further north were retreating decided to abandon the Albert Canal position. Crucially they fail to blow the bridges along the Albert at several key points, allowing Hoepners XVI Korps to cross and engage the Fr Cavalry Corps under Gen Prioux, This corps consisted mainly of 2nd and 3rd DLMs (French Light Mech Divs). The German formations routed the French Cavalry units, causing Prioux to send signals advising of his inability to delay the Germans. He blames the loss on the absence of adequate air cover. 




_Pz Mk II held up at either the Albert Canal or the Meuse during the advance through Belgium. In reality the germans were hardly affected by Belgian demolitions_

The heavy French armour, in the formation of 1 DCR, was also to be defeated at this point. The DCR had initially been kept in reserve whilst the Allies moved into the Dyle positions. 1 DCR received orders to move forward 11 may, tanks by rail , wheeled vehicles by road. The elements became separated, and were reunited too late. The tanks were caught detraining and short of fuelthe next day 




_Char B Heavy Tank. A very heavy AFV, poorly laid out, inadequate crew numbers, lack of radios, short ranged. They were unable to compete with the well integrated Infantry/armour/artillery teams used by the germans_

Colonel De Gaulle is given command of the hastily formed 4th DCR. He was a very unpopular officer, having been removed from the promotions list in 1936 (hence his low rank as a colonel in 1940).

Reluctantly given command, General Georges is said to have snapped to him at the time “Here, for you, who have so long admired the methods of the enemy, here is your chance to act”.

*RAF Air Operations *(unfinished)
17 Sqn (Hurri)
Operation: Patrol Den Haag – Delft – Rotterdam, following losses sustained 

F/O GW. Slee, NL KIA, AC N2405 lost; Shot down by Bf109s of I./JG51 over Gravendeel 5.00 p.m. 

Flt Lt MS. Donne, KIA, A/C N2403 Shot down by Bf109s over Numansdorp 5.00 p.m. Possibly one of those claimed by Oberlt Krafft of 3./JG51

P/O O.P. DeL Hulton-Harrop PoW, A/C N2407; Shot down south of Rotterdam by Me 109 of JG51 at 17.00 hrs, possibly by Lt Terry of Stab I./JG51. 

S/L GC. Tomlinson, safe, A/C N2547 crashed; Forced-landed at Hingene damaged by Bf109s south of Rotterdam 5.00 p.m. Possibly that claimed by Oberlt Schäfer of 5./JG27. S/L G. C. Tomlinson unhurt. Aircraft abandoned. Pilot returned to the UK. 

Sgt. J.A.A. Luck, PoW, A/CX P2758 destroyed, Shot down by Bf109s in combat over Dordrecht 5.00 p.m. Possibly that claimed by Uffz Schreiter of 3./JG51. 

19 Sqn (Spit) Ftr Cmd
On the 11 of May 1940 a Junkers Ju 88 was shot down into the sea by a flight of 3 a/c lead by a WF/Lt. W.Clouston. 

21 Sqn (Blen)
Following a desperate plea from the Belgians (who had lost 6 out of 9 Battles attacking bridges over Albert Canal near Maastricht), 23 Blenheims (from 110 Sqn. and 21 Sqn.) are ordered to attack the same targets. 4 aircraft are lost and none of the bombs hit the intended target. A follow up attack by LeO 451 bombers of the FAF also fail to destroy the bridges, but did start several fires in a motorised column. Planned recon by 6 Blenheims cancelled due to poor weather. 2 a/c lost.

21 Sqn took of at mid-afternoon on May 11th, overflying Holland and Belgium at around 15,000 ft, through sporadic AA fire from 'friendly' gunners, whose aircraft recognition left much to be desired, eventually spotting the long line of vehicles that were to be the target.

At 16.30 hours S/L Pryde took his bombers down into the attack. The defences, in and around, Maastricht to put up a dense curtain of flak as the Blenheims shallow dive-bombed and gained hits on an assortment of vehicles that clogged the road. Air Gunner P.Charleton, in Blenheim, P6806, was killed by shrapnel during the attack, while no less than 8 of the Sqn's a/c were unserviceable the following morning.

53 sqn (Blen)
Photo-reconnaissance, B. 1 a/c lost, 1 POW, 2 WIA, Took off from Poix. Forced-landed and burned out near Borlez during photo-reconnaissance sortie over Belgium. Possibly that claimed by Lt Braxator of 3./JG1 near Overijse. Man captured was was severely wounded. His leg was amputated and he was later taken PoW. 

79 sqn (Hurri)
Patrol, B/F. 1 Plane lost, 1 WIA. F/Lt R. Edwards bailed out after shooting down a He111 NW of Mons, Belgium. Burn injuries

105 sqn (Battle)
Unknown op, a/c lost 1kia


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## Njaco (May 10, 2015)

*May 11 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Germany occupied Luxembourg. At 0400 hours, German parachute troops begin landing in the Dordrecht area of the Netherlands. Netherlands troops withdraw from the frontier, after four hours fighting, due to German planes landing thousands of parachute troops behind Dutch lines toward The Hague and Rotterdam. Netherlands troops recapture the village Mill, southeast of Nijmegen. 

Troops of the German 9.PanzerDivision crossed the Meuse River. At 1200 hours, they found an undefended bridge over the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal 50 miles from Rotterdam, where airborne troops of the German 22.FliegerDivision held on to bridges along the Nieuwe Maas River, awaiting the arrival of ground troops. Dutch Marines attack but cannot dislodge them, leading to stalemate for several days. 

In the Southeast corner of Belgium between Luxembourg and France, 7 Panzer divisions spearhead the advance into the Ardennes forest of Runstedt’s massive Heeresgruppe A (about 50 divisions total). They brush aside French cavalry guarding this unlikely route into France. The “Sickle Cut” has begun. German parachute troops also landed behind the French Maginot Line. German artillery begins intense firing near the Saar River, west of Vosges, France.

In Belgium, German airborne troops captured the "impregnable" Fort Eben Emael. About 1000 prisoners are taken. King Leopold places himself at the head of the Belgian army. German tanks crossed Albert Canal bridges in an attempt to move behind Belgian defensive lines, drawing even more Allied troops North to bolster the defensive line. Belgian troops retreat and join the French and British arriving at planned positions on Dyle River (“Dyle Plan”).

British and French troops land in the Netherlands West Indies Islands of Curacao and Aruba, to aid the Netherlands local authorities in the security of the islands. US President Roosevelt announced that these actions were not contrary to the Monroe Doctrine. French mechanized troops cross the Belgian frontier into the Netherlands.

In the early morning hours nine Do 17 bombers of II./KG 2 bomb the airfield at Vaux, France in a surprise attack on the British Advanced Air Striking Force. The attack destroys thirty British aircraft on the ground and effectively “ends the life of the A. A. S. F. Blenheims as a useful force” or so states the official history of the Royal Air Force. Engaged in Operation ‘ABENDSSEGEN’- the interception of French fighters using the twilight hours to strafe German ground forces - at 0545 hours, fighters from III./JG 26 attack a flight of Curtiss Hawk 75s of GC I/4 escorting a French column. Gruppenkommandeur Major von Berg claims his first victory along with claims by Lt. Munchberg and Oblt. Georg Beyer. A total of five French fighters are shot down. At 1910 hours, fighters from II./JG 26 engage the remaining elements of GC 1/4, claiming three more Hawk 75s.

The main airbattle of the day occurs over the three bridges that span the Albert Canal near Maastricht. Knowing that the Germans need these bridges intact, the Belgians send nine bombers to attack and destroy the bridges. The attack fails when seven of the planes are shot down by Luftwaffe fighters. Eight British Battles bombers attack German columns entering Luxembourg. Seven planes are shot down, the eighth crashes on return in England.

Fighters of 2./JG 26 encounter French MS 406s near Antwerp and destroy one Morane but lose Fw. Gerhard Herzog when he is shot down and taken prisoner, spending the rest of the war at a POW camp in Canada. Other elements of JG 26 engage Dutch fighters near the Zuider Zee. 

Warplanes of I./JG 53 shoot down seven French Moranes, including two by Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. von Janson. Hptm. von Bonin of I./JG 54 scores his first victory of the War. Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar, having achieved seven victories with the Condor Legion and a future Experte, shoots down three Belgian Gladiators and a French Morane. Also claiming victories on this day are future Ritterkreuz recipients Oblt. Gerhard Homuth and Oblt. Karl-Wolfgang Redlich, both of JG 27. Oblt. Ludwig Franzisket of 1./JG 1 begins his scoreboard with two kills, a Belgium Gloster Gladiator, shot down near Maastricht at 0653 hours and a French Morane at 1955 hours over Riemst.

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## Njaco (May 10, 2015)

*May 11 Saturday *(_continued_)
The Bf 109s and ground personnel of Hptm. Wolfgang Schnellmann’s II./JG 2 leave the airbase at Nordholz and settle in at Hamminkeln.

Switzerland mobilized its military forces in response to the German invasion of the neutral Low Countries on the previous day. Civilians in towns near the German-Swiss border fled south.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Saturday the 11th came and wore on with the '_Kelly_' laboring now with a heavy list and yawing from side to side. As things got worse the captain decided to send everyone off the ship except those required to man the guns. She survived another air attack, no hits being scored. Only eighteen officers and men remained on board. Rough weather broke the tow repeatedly so it was decided to abandon further attempts until the weather moderated. At nightfall, when two U Boats were reported to be closing in, the captain decided to transfer his volunteer party to the '_Bulldog_' temporarily. All night long the '_Kelly_' lay waterlogged and abandoned.

British fleet air arm makes two bombing runs on Bergen, Norway, striking a German training ship and ground fuel tanks.

The British Admiralty reports it has created a vast new minefield in Norwegian waters, extending from Bergen to Namsos, 20-70 miles offshore. German bombs hit a British battleship and a cruiser off Narvik, Norway.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Yugoslavia signs a trade agreement with Soviet Russia.

The Romanian Government of Premier George Tatarescu replaces several pro-German Ministers with pro-France officials. Tatarescu declares the nation will continue its policy of neutrality, with friendship for Britain and France.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gives Bomber Command authority to attack Germany. He also appointed Anthony Eden as Secretary of State for War.

King George VI signed the proclamation canceling the Whitsun holiday.

German and Austrian men aged 16 to 60 living in the eastern counties of England and Scotland are interned. No German or Austrian may enter the restricted area without permission. Other aliens of any nationality living in these areas must report daily to the police, they may not use bicycles or cars, and must not go out between 20.00 and 06.00. This affects about 11,000 people. When war broke out 486 aliens were detained and 8,000 had their movements restricted.

*ASIA:* The Japanese Foreign Minister notifies diplomatic representatives of the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, France, USA, and Italy that it would not tolerate any change of nationality control of the Netherlands Indies. Any outside interference would be considered an extension of the war to the Orient, which Japan would forcibly oppose.

*GERMANY: *Hermann Göring demands that the Swedes allow passage of trains to Norway, filled with German artillery and other war supplies. Swedish negotiators refuse to allow it.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt announced that the US was now officially recognizing the state of war between Germany and the Low Countries and reaffirmed American neutrality in that conflict. He restricted submarines of any of the nations involved in that conflict to use American ports and territorial waters, exclusive of the Panama Canal Zone.

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## Marcel (May 11, 2015)

North:
The German divisions in the North are hindered by delaying tactics of the Dutch Borderguard and are slowely advancing towards the Aflsuitdijk.

Gelderland
The German SS leibstandarte 'Der Fuerer' start to attack the Dutch outposts of the Grebbelinie. These were occupied by 400 men light forces. Many of them were captured and used as a shield bihind which the SS could advance to the main resistance line. During the night, the Dutch army performed counterattacks, but to no avail.

German troops on bikes in Wageningen:





South:
The fighting around Mill continued, but actually the line was broken through. Dutch army retreats from the Peel-Raams stelling. French troops arrive at Breda, but fail in a joined attempt with the Dutch troops to recapture the Moerdijk bridges. Dordrecht is still mainly in Dutch hands.

German paratroops with mortier at the Weeskinderendijk in Dordrecht:





Rotterdam:
The German bridgehead, north of the Willemsbrug is recaptured, but they keep the bridge and 'Noorder eiland'. Also the airport Waalhaven stays in German hands, although under heavy bombardment of both atillery and Dutch airforces.

Area the Hague.
Local fighting occur between Dutch forces and isolated remains of the German airborn divisions around the Hague.

Airforce:
After the heavy losses of May 10th, not much of the airforce is left. The 2 remaining T.V bombers make two attempts to bomb the Willemsbrug, one was shot down. The airforce changes tactics into a kind of guerilla war, which diminished the losses.

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## parsifal (May 11, 2015)

*12 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Losses*
*Gunboat BULGIA ( RNeN 240 grt )* Thos Class Gunboat, sunk in the Nth Sea off Vlissingen, South Holland by the LW.

[see images for sister ships lost]

*Gunboat FRISO (RNeN 545 grt) * Gruno or Brinio Class Gunboat datingb back to1915, was stationed on the IJsselmeer to prevent landings from eastern Holland to Noord-Holland by the Germans. Succesfully bombarded the port of Stavoren, sinking a ferry and destroying some German artillery. Lost to LW attacks with the loss of 2 men killed and 1 missing. The capsized wreck was raised on March 15, 1943 and scrapped in Enkhuizen.





*MV HENRICA (Ne 440 grt)* The coaster collided with another vessel and sank.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Liner PRINSES JULIANA (Ne 2908 grt)* The passenger ship was bombed and sunk in the Nth Sea off Hook of Holland, by W strikes . She was carrying about 500 Dutch troops at the time. The survivors were rescued by DD HAVANT and WILD SWAN.






*Gunboat THOR (RNeN 240 grt)*: Thor class gunboat, captured in Den Helder May 14 1940. Sunk by Allied aircraft in Vlissingen February 1941.




_Sister ship FREYA pictured_

*Liner VAN RENSELAER (Ne 4191 grt)* The passenger ship struck a mine at IJmuiden, Noord Holland and was beached





*MV ROEK (UK 1041 grt)* The coaster struck a mine and sank in the Nieuwe Waterweg Rotterdam. All 51 people aboard were rescued.





*MV ST DENIS (UK 3500 grt (est))* the cargo ship, whilst employed to assist in the evacuation of Rotterdam, struck a mine and sank in the Nieuwe Waterweg between Hook of Holland and Rotterdam. She was later salvaged by the Germans and became the accommodation ship BARBARA.




_In WWI ST DENIS was used as a Hospital ship, as shown in the photo_

*Steamer EROS (SD 2151 grt)* after the crew left the ship was seized by German forces at Bergen. She was renamed ILLKIRCH for German service.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer INDUS (SD 729 grt)* was seized by German forces at Bergen. On 28 May, she was renamed METZ for German service.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BB REVENGE accidently collided with and sank *RCN Gate Vessel No. 1 (trawler YPRES, 440grt )* at Halifax as REVENGE was setting out to escort Cdn troop convoy TC 4 A. 3 ratings were slightly injured in the vessel; no lives wee lost from the 18 man crew.





*Tkr JURA (SZ 780 grt)* The coastal tanker struck a mine that had been laid by the LW just after the invasion of Holland and sank in the Nth Sea off Zeebrugge with the loss of two lives.





*Schooner KATHE JURGENSON (Ger 254 grt)* The cargo schooner struck a mine and sank in the Bay of Lübeck.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Transfer of the 2nd Gebirgsjager Div with equipment to Oslo and return of empty transports proceeded without interruption.
> Repair installations in Aaloborg, which have been used for work on German vessels since the start of the occupation of Denmark,
> are now completely taken up by vessels of Commanding Admiral, Defenses, Baltic; docks will be full until the end of May.
> If possible the dockyard at Helsingoer is also to be used to repair these vessels. On the question of patrolling the northern gap in the Skagerrak declared area, after hearing the views of the Group and of Commanding Admiral, Norway, Naval Staff has issued the following order;
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 32 requested to enter port along Route II, without giving a reason. It was assumed that she had encountered strong anti-S/M forces on the W boundary of the declared area and this was later confirmed by the Commanding Officer.



At Sea 12 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-32, U-65. 
4 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Steamer BOTHNIA (Sd 1488 grt) was damaged by the LW in the Kattegat.

*Northern Waters*
DDs MASHONA and JAGUAR arrived at Scapa from Narvik. DDs ACHERON and ANTELOPE arrived at Greenock where ACHERON repaired minor defects and undertook boiler cleaning.

Fr Legionnaires were embarked on RN LCs (the first time in the western navies) at Ballangen for the assault on Bjervik in Herjangsfjord. The remainder of the 1500 troops involved were embarked on the CLs EFFINGHAM and AURORA.







_R-35 Lt Tank used in the Narvik amphibious assault, and the Foreign Legion in action around Narvik. Ironically, many of the legion were Germans_

4 R-35 tanks with supporting Inf and 2 LCTs to take the tanks ashore were carried on BB RESOLUTION. A 5th tank in a more modern LC went under its own power. This landing craft had arrived at Harstad on 27 April with steamer EMPIRE ABILITY (UK). In addition, repair ship VINDICTIVE, net layer PROTECTOR, DDs HAVELOCK , which carried a French mortar bty on her forecastle, SOMALI, FAME, BASILISK, WREN accompanied the force. CV ARK ROYAL provided air spt for this opn. This force departed Ballangen late on the 12th and the troops were landed on the 13th and Bjervik was captured. Naval forces returned to Harstad. 

*North Sea*
DDs MOHAWK and JANUS were ordered to patrol Brown Ridge (an area of ocean off the Netherlands Coast). DD VERSATILE grounded at Sheerness. DD WALPOLE pulled her off and was later relieved by a tug. VERSATILE proceeded to Sheerness and was repaired in one day.

OA.147 departed Southend escort DD WESSEX and corvette ARABIS. The corvette was later detached to convoy HX.40. OB.147 departed Liverpool escort DD SALADIN from 12 to 14 May. FN.169 departed Southend, escort sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 14th. MT.67 departed Methil, escort escort ship VASCAMA and subsequently by sloop GRIMSBY. Sloop GRIMSBY was then relieved by sloop AUCKLAND and GRIMSBY returned to Rosyth. The convoy arrived later that day. FS.169 departed the Tyne, escort sloop AUCKLAND. . The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

Operation Off the Dutch Coast
DDs HYPERION and WILD SWAN departed the Hook of Holland to patrol off the coast, joining DD HAVOCK already on station. HAVOCK then departed to bombard German troops reported near Hook of Holland. None were found and after dusk, HAVOCK returned to Harwich. In Operation "J", DD CODRINGTON (with DDs HYPERION and WINDSOR in company), arrived at Ijmuiden late on the 12th. CODRINGTON embarked Dutch Princess Juliana and her family and evacuated them to Harwich. DD CODRINGTON was escorted back to Harwich by DDs VIVACIOUS and VENETIA, arriving next morning. DD HEREWARD arrived at Holland at midnight on the 12th. DDs HYPERION and WINDSOR departed Ijmuiden early on the 13th escorting steamer DOTTEREL (UK 1385 grt) carrying British refugees. DD KIMBERLEY arrived at Flushing during the forenoon of 12 May. She embarked the military mission at Flushing and then proceeded to Ijmuiden, before departing Ijmuiden that evening. DDs KEITH and BOREAS arrived at Dover after escort duty with CruSqn 2. CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA arrived at Sheerness. RN MTBs 22, 24 25 arrived at Ijmuiden just before midnight on the 12th. The boats operated from Ijmiuden on recon duties until 14 May.

DD WHITSHED departed Dover for Dunkirk with ammunition for the FA force DDs. DD MALCOLM departed Nth Goodwins patrol for Hook of Holland to relieve DD WILD SWAN. DD VENOMOUS, returning from Hook of Holland, relieved DD WIVERN on Nth Goodwins patrol. DD WIVERN returned to Dover. DD WHITLEY departed Sheerness on the 11th to meet steamer PERSEUS (Ne) at Ijmuiden. She arrived in the early morning of the 12th also to embark the Dutch Crown Princess, her family, and 100 British refugees. At Ijmuiden, she was not able to locate the PERSEUS or the Royal Family but did embark the refugees. DD WHITLEY departed Ijmuiden at before dawn on the 12th and returned to Sheerness. DDs VIMY and WINDSOR departed Dover before dawn to meet DDs VIVACIOUS and VENETIA from Harwich off Maas Light Vessel to operate off the Dutch coast. DDs KEITH, BOREAS, WIVERN, WOLSEY departed Dover at that evening for Hook of Holland with British steamers CANTERBURY and MAID OF ORLEANS with a composite bn of gds for the port. A Swordfish of 815 Squadron, operating from Bircham Newton, was shot down in a night raid on Wallhaven aerodrome. Both crewman were returned unhurt on the 14th.


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## parsifal (May 11, 2015)

*12 May 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*West Coast UK*
CVL FURIOUS escort DDs IMPERIAL and VISCOUNT departed the Clyde to receive her CAG. 2 hrs later, CV GLORIOUS escort DDs DELIGHT and DIANA departed the Clyde for the same purpose. Sub TRIBUNE departed the Clyde on patrol escort ASW trawler NORWICH CITY. Subs SPEARFISH departed Blyth and PORPOISE and TETRARCH departed Rosyth on patrol. PORPOISE conducted ML op FD.11 on the 16th.

*SW Approaches*
OG.29 was formed from convoys OA.145G, which departed Southend on the 10th escort DDs WHITEHALL and WINCHELSEA, OB.145G, which departed Liverpool on the 10th, of 50 ships. Escort DD WHITEHALL and WINCHELSEA from 12 May. WHITEHALL was detached on the 12th and WINCHELSEA on the 13th, from there escort was Fr sloop LA CURIEUSE and PV JUTLAND from 13 to 18 May. ASW trawler SNAKEFLY escorted the convoy near Gib, arriving on the 18th. HG.30F depart Gib with 42 ships, escort Fr DD JAGUAR and Aux PV MINERVE from 12 to 18 May. The DD arrived at Brest on the 18th and the PV at Lorient on the 19th. Sloops ENCHANTRESS and LEITH from convoy OGF 30 escorted the convoy from 18 to 21 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 21st. Sloop FOLKESTONE, formerly with convoy OG.28F, departed Gib for Liverpool. Spanish cruisers CANARIAS, ALMIRANTE CERVERA, NAVARRA and DDs ALMIRANTE ANTEQUERA, CISCAR, ULLOA, GRAVINA passed Gib en route from Cadiz for Malaga.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.42 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and SKEENA, which were detached on the 13th. Ocean escort was provided by AMC LACONIA, which detached on the 24th. Home waters escort was provided by sloop ROCHESTER and corvette GLADIOLUS . ROCHESTER was detached on the 27th. The corvette remained with the convoy until its arrival at Liverpool on the 28th.

Cdn troop convoy TC.4A departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ST LAURENT and SAGUENAY. The convoy was composed of troopships ANTONIA (13,867grt) and DUCHESS OF BEDFORD (20,123grt) which carried 932 and 1559 troops, respectively. BB REVENGE was the ocean escort.


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## parsifal (May 11, 2015)

*12 May - The BEF*


1 DCR began moving forward in piecemeal fashion and without even the meagre Infantry or artillery support normally allocated to the DCRs (these elements were still lost, and became enmeshed in the sea of refugees impeding military movement. The formation was transferred to the control of 9A and ordered to the critical area around Dinant. So difficult was movement that it did not reach this area until the 15th. The German 5th and 7th Panzer XXs with their fully integrated formations and better air sppt, made short work of 1 DCR, which ceased to be an effective formation.




_CHAR B of 1 DCR Commander surrendering his tank, which has run out of fuel but otherwise undamaged_ 

3rd DLM, never designed for heavy combat, had suffered some losses to Hoepner, but were falling back to the Dyle position. They stumbled into an AT screen that they had not been told about and suffered about as many tank losses due to mines again.




_Somua S-35 Tank. The best tank in service in 1940, Still unable to meet the germans on eaqual terms due to outdated tactical thinking, poor TOE and a poor strategic plan_

*11 May RAF Air Ops*

1 Sqn (Hurri) AASF
6 Battles from No 12 sqn attack the vital bridges in the Maastricht area still standing. 1 a/c aborts due to engine problems, 5 attack bridges at Veldwezelt and Vroenhoven. Ahead of the bombers were 8 Hurricanes from No 1 Sqn. The escort see the sky fill with Bf109s - 120 in all according to German records. Despite the fearful odds, the Hurricanes fought as best they could, losing 2 a/c. Sqn claims amount to 7 a/c, of which 3 are confirmed post war. 1 of the hurricane pilots is captured by Belgian civilians and locked in a cellar until liberated by the Belgian army some time later

No12 Sqn (Battles)
The sqn received orders to destroy the Maastricht bridges (see above). Despite the amount of AA known to be in place at the bridges, the whole Sqn volunteered for the mission. Of the 6 crews chosen for the raid, one had to turn back early due to technical problems and the remaining 5 were all lost. F/O Thomas led P/O Davy in the attack on the Vroenhaven bridge, damaging but not destroying it. Thomas was taken prisoner and Davy crashed on the way home. F/O Garland led P/O McIntosh and Sgt Morland against the Veldwezelt bridge, which was destroyed. McIntosh's aircraft was shot down and he was taken prisoner. F/O Garland and Sgt Morland were shot down near the target, KIA. Garland and his observer Sgt Gray were posthumously awarded the VC, the first RAF personnel in the WWII to receive such an honour. The 3rd member of the crew, LAC L R Reynolds, a wireless operator/air gunner, received no award. 

2 Sqn (Lysander)

21 Sqn (Blenheim)

LAC AC. Burgess, , missing F/Lt AD. Watson, missing Sgt A.L.F. Webb, , missing A/C S/N L8739 lost, Shot down by Flak from 7,000 feet. Crashed in the vicinity of Tongeren (Limburg), Belgium. 

22 Sqn (Beafort), 815 Sqn (Swdfish)
Yet another bombing mission against Waalhaven was executed, this time by CC. After the Dutch had begged the British for RAF ground-support at Waalhaven, a raid was scheduled incorporating 15 strike planes; 6 Beaufort Mk. [no. 22 sqn] and 9 Fairey Swordfish Mk. I no. 815 sqn, carrying a payload of two 500 lbs bombs each. The planes took off from Bircham at 19.50 hours and returned at 22.50 hours. 1 of the Swordfish was lost by flak.

49, 61, 144, sqns (Hampden), and 51, 58, 77 and 102 Sqns (Whitley)
19 Hampdens (of 49, 61, and 144 Sqns.) and 18 Whitleys (of 51, 58, 77, and102 Sqns.) bomb road and rail targets in Mönchengladbach - the first raid on a German town. 2 Hampdens and 1 Whitley lost; 4 people killed.

59 sqn (Blen)
1 Plane damaged, 1 WIA , Damaged by AA fire from Belg troops near Renaix, France. One crewman WIA

66 sqn (spit), 264 sqn (Defiant)
Fighter sweep, NL, 'A' Flight from 264 Squadron took off in company with a flight from 66 Squadron for a swoop over Holland, hoping to catch German Troop carrying aircraft. 264 Sqn crews saw were 3 bombers of which 1 Ju88 was shot down (confirmed). 

49 Sqn (Hampdn) 18 sqn (see above) (Blen), 51 Sqn (Whitley), 58 Sqn, 77 Sqn (Whitley); 3 Hampdens bombed exits of Mönchengladbach, 1 a/c subsequently crashing in France due to engine failure (none of crew injured). 2 other Hampdens aborted. The first big attack on the German mainland, with 18 Sqn., 51 Sqn, 58 Sqn.. and 77 Sqn.. No 77 sqn Whitley also lost, crew PoW

79 sqn (Hurri)
Patrol. 1 Plane lost P/O T C Parker bailed out after bringing down a Do 17 of KG77. Pilot safe

103 sqn (Battle)
Sqn delivered 3 separate attacks (dawn midday and afternoon), all against an armoured column near Bouillon. The first 2 raids suffed no losses, but the last attack of the day saw 2 out of 3 a/c lost with crews from AA.

105 sqn (Battle)
St Hubert 2 a/c lost, 3 KIA. 1a/c brought down by flak and 1 damaged but returned safely, deemed beyond field repair and moved to No.6 RSU. Abandoned on the ground Jun40. 

107 sqn (Blen)
At 0900 2 Blenheim Mk.IV sqns [107 Sqn. and ?] from BC attacked the bridges at Maastricht. It was a very bloody confrontation for the RAF. Of the 24 planes no less than 10 were downed. These attacks were simultaneous to the 12 sqn strikes that attacked the nearby bridge at Vroenhoven. All 5 Battles were lost. Aerial photographs taken during the Blenheim mission showed that all 96 bombs had missed their targets. 

Hurris of 87 Sqn escorted the bombers. They battled with Me109's of Stab/JG27. 2 Hurris were shot down by Adolf Galland. The last Allied effort came from the FAF. During a strafing and bombing mission of German troops just west of Maastricht by 18 Bre-693 bombers, 8 a/c were lost

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## Marcel (May 11, 2015)

North:
The Germans reach the Wonsstelling, a primitive line that serves as an outpost of the Afsluitdijk. The Afsluitdijk is a dam, 32km long, which leads directly into Holland and the city of Amsterdam. It takes the German army only a few hours to neutralise the line and advace to the Afsluitdijk.
Meanwhile, the shores of the IJselmeer is reached and an attempt is made to cross the big lake by boat from the harour of Stavoren. The little gunboat Friso prevents this, destroying the boats and German artillery. Later that day, the Friso would be sunk by Stukas.

Hr.Ms Friso sinks. The crew is taken aboard by the Minesweeper Hr.Ms Abraham van der Hulst/





Gelderland
Heavy fighting in the Grebbeberg area. The German SS lebstandarte manages to infiltrate the Dutch frontline at the most southern part of the line. The Dutch retreat to the second line.

Germans nearthe Grebbeberg





Near Barneveld, fierce defence by small groups of soldiers pays off. A breakthrough can be prevented. 

South
The German panzer forces reach the Moerdijk bridges near Dordrecht. French forces have retreated south. In the city of Dordrecht the battle rages between Dutch Royal engineers and german Airborn troops. In the Peel-Raam line near the German border, many small isolated Dutch units keep putting up resistance.

Rotterdam
The Marine baraks in the north of the city is bombed, not much remains of the buildings. Heavy fighting still around the Willemsbrug and Airport Waalhaven. 

The Hague
Remaining German Airborn troops put up fierce resistance in the village of Valkenburg, near the airport. Bad coordination prevents Dutch attacks from being effective.

Airforce
The main actions are performed by a handfull obsolete Fokker C.X biplanes. They bomb positions near the Grebbeline, Wonsline and Rotterdam.

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## Marcel (May 11, 2015)

There is so much to tell about all the events that the two lines in the post above about the Grebbeberg just doesn't do it justice. Here a story about a couter attack made in those days:

In the second line (stopline), there is a major Jacometti. He used to be an officer in the KNIL, the Royal Duch East Indies Army, but was now made commander of II-8 R.I infantry, occupying the stoplijn. He was appalled by the dutch troops, retreating for what he thought was only a "hand full of Germans". The German strength in reality however was a full regiment of SS troops (SS-standarte Der Fuerer) and the full 207 infantriedivision, a 3x odd against the defenders. Jacometti did not bother to check this and also did not inform his compatriots in the net trench. He said the famous words "We zullen ze er wel even uitgooien en er met de blanke klewang op ingaan' (We'll just throw them out and hack them up with the blank sabre). He and his group juped out of the trench and in a spritt comparable with the banzai attack of Japanese later in the war, ran towards the german troops in an old-fashioned "tirailleurslinie", a form of attack that has been obsolete since the start of WWI. Needless to say they were massacred by both German and Dutch fire and did not cover more than 20 metres over the open field. Major Jacometti is burried in the Military cemetry at the Grebbeberg, aboout 50 meter from where he fell.

This learns us a couple of things about the Dutch army. Soldiers where in gerneral brave and the fighting spirit was overal quite good. But the officers of the army had no clue what they were doing in general. Their view on war and tactics were those of the 19th century. Added to that, communication was severely lacking. This against an enemy who was experienced in modern warfare and was fully prepared made the fight quite often suicidal for the troops.

Grave of Major Jacometti on the Grebbeberg:

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## Njaco (May 11, 2015)

*May 12 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* THE BATTLE OF HANNUT – DAY ONE: The first tank battle of the European War took place at Hannut in central Belgium between the German 3. and 4.Panzerdivisions and two French armored divisions. 4. Panzerdivision raced to seize their first objective, Hannut, reaching the area that morning. General Hoepner ordered the 3. and 4. Panzerdivisions (3rd Pz. Div. and 4th Pz. Div.) to concentrate on and secure Hannut to secure the 6.Armee's flank. Noting his lack of fuel and his division’s artillery and infantry support that had not yet caught up with the armor, Major-General Stever of the 4th Pz. Div. requested an air-drop of fuel. Concluding that he was only facing one French battalion, he engaged the French defenses. The Germans made contact with a French Armored force of some 25 tanks. The 4th Pz. Div. destroyed seven of the French tanks for no losses. Having surrendered the initiative and with only limited air reconnaissance, French Commander Prioux could only wait to see where the Panzers would concentrate. His right flank he anchored on the Meuse. He held Huy with two battalions of motorized heavy infantry plus some dragoons and artillery. His left was in touch with British light cavalry and parts of the Belgian Cavalry Corps delaying the enemy along the axis St. Trond-Tirlemont. Stever's 35.Panzerregiments advancing toward Hannut ran into fierce resistance. The French armor was deployed under cover and during the battle counter-attacked several times. The French forces then yielded Hannut without a fight. German forces attempted to outflank the town, unaware of the retreat. Some 50 light Panzers ran into the French strongpoint at Crehen. French defenses were equipped with 21 Hotchkiss tanks of the 2d Cuirassiers, supported by parts of the 76th Artillery Regiment plus fire from the nearby 2d DLM. Firing from prepared positions, the German medium tanks attempted to pin down the French while the light tanks moved around the French position. The main French forced retreated to Medorp. The encircled 2d Cuirassiers were freed by an armored counterattack from the 2DLM. SOMUA S35s breached the German line and the French units broke out, suffering heavy losses in the process. The right flank of the 4th Pz. Div. was now dangerously exposed. Rushing from the German staging area at Oreye, some 11 km to the northeast of Hannut, the 3rd Pz. Div. moved up to cover this threat. The German solution was to build an advance guard of one Panzer battalion and one rifle battalion supported by two artillery groups to push forward to Perwez, 18 km south west of Hannut. The force advanced under heavy air and artillery cover against the French strongpoint at Thisnes, and simply ignored the French counterattack at Crehen in its rear. Heavy French artillery met the attack, stopping the tank company on point. The remainder of the German force flanked the French position to their right. The guard finally reached the western edge of the town, only to meet strong artillery fire from the neighbouring French strongpoint in Wansin which continued to increase. The force was ordered to regroup its tanks and riflemen and to secure a perimeter. But before this could be done, French SOMUAs counterattacked knocking out the Panzer Regiment commander's tank. After hard fighting both French and German tanks pulled back in the darkness. The French retreated to Merdorp and the Panzers to the Hannut area. The French strongpoint at Wansin fought all night against German riflemen. The front of the 3rd DLM remained, holding positions near Tienen, Jandrenouille and Merdorp. The 2nd DLM also held its original front. On the very first day, French armor — contrary to German reports — definitely emerged victorious.

General Reichenau, commander of the German 6.Armee, ordered Hoepner to send XVI Corps forward to Gembloux to prevent the French from organizing a defense, but Hoepner continued to worry about his stretched supply lines and especially his exposed flanks. His neighboring IV Corps had elements in the St. Trond area probing toward Tirlemont, worrying French Commander Prioux, but the XXVII Corps was still held up north of Liege 38 km east of Hannut, leaving Hoepner's southern flank exposed.

German armored columns pushed out of the Ardennes region and into France, preparing to cross the Meuse River at Sedan, Monthermé, and Dinant. German 1.and 10.Panzergruppen reaches the east bank of the Meuse River at Sedan. Guderian’s Panzer Corps at Sedan are the first Germans on French soil. The French forces in the area retire to the left bank of the Meuse River where they have substantial artillery support deployed to deny the crossing to the Germans. During the night, French artillery shells Sedan. 


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## Njaco (May 11, 2015)

*May 12 Sunday* (_continued_)
In the Netherlands, German forces capture Harlingen on the North Sea, and occupy the northern provinces. The French 7th Army advancing into Holland is engaged with the German advance near Tilburg and is thrown back. German troops begin initial skirmishes with French troops in the Warndt sector, continuing throughout the day. While Dutch defensive line holds German infantry in North and Central Holland, 9.Panzerdivision races to Moerdijk bridges over Hollands Diep estuary (held by paratroops since the morning of May 10) 10 miles South of Rotterdam, preventing Allied forces reinforcing Fortress Holland. The Germans begin crossing the River Meuse on two undemolished bridges in the Maastricht region. Netherland troops recapture Waalhaven Airport and regain control of most of Rotterdam, forcing Germans to retreat south of the Maas River. 

The Dutch Crown Princess and family embark on British destroyer “_Codrington_” from Ijmuiden. British cruisers “_Galatea_” and “_Arethusa_” take the Dutch gold reserve to England.

The task this day of JG 27 which has operational control of I./JG 1 and I./JG 21, is to cover the German 6.Armee’s breakthrough at Maastricht-Liege. The 85 Bf-109s of JG 27 flew 340 sorties, claiming 26 Allied aircraft for the loss of four fighters. At dawn two Staffeln of I./JG 1 led by Joachim Schlichting take off and fly to cover the bridges over the Maas and Albert Canal. Oblt. Walter Adolph and the fighters of 1./JG 1 intercept a flight of Blenheims of RAF No. 12 Squadron over the Maastricht Bridges and shoot down six British planes with three being claimed by Oblt. Adolf (shot down in a span of five minutes), Staffelkapitän of the 1./JG 1. The remaining Blenheims are then attacked by fighters of 3./JG 27, with two being shot down by Oblt. Gerhard Homuth and one by Lt. Hans-Wedige von Weiher. The Arme de l'air sent two expeditions, one including 18 of its Breguet 693 bombers on their maiden mission, losing eight.

The British send a second flight of planes against the bridges before noon. Five Fairey Battles of the British Advanced Air Striking Force (No. 12 Squadron RAF flown by volunteer crews) are sent with an escort of six Hurricanes to attack the vital road bridges over the Albert Canal in the face of extremely heavy ground fire. Intercepted by dozens of Bf 109s, five Hurricanes are shot down and four of the twin-seat Battles. The fifth Battle dive-bomber is so damaged that it crashes trying to return to its base. Before being shot down, a Battle flown by F/O D. E. Garland and Sergeant T. Gray succeed in temporarily knocking out the Veldwezelt bridge before crashing to the ground. Both crewmen are awarded the British Victoria Cross posthumously.

Fighters from I./JG 1 also bring down seven Blenheims of RAF No. 139 Squadron including the Blenheim that carried out the first RAF sortie of the War on 4 September, 1939. The rest of the Gruppe destroys sixteen Belgian aircraft on the ground at Diest. Eight British Hurricanes are claimed between pilots of I./JG 1 and I./JG 27. Other fighters from JG 27 escort dive-bombers of StG 2 and StG 77 attacking French army columns. Lt. Fritz Keller of 2./JG 27 belly lands near Liege after combat, the first crash for the lieutenant this month.

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## Njaco (May 11, 2015)

*May 12 Sunday *(_continued_)
At 1100 hours, JG 27’s Operations Officer, Hptm. Adolf Galland of 3./JG 27 and his wingman, Lt. Gustav Rödel bounce a flight of eight RAF Hurricanes. Hptm. Galland shoots down two Hurricanes including a Hurricane flown by Sgt. Frank Howell of RAF No. 87 Squadron. Another British Hurricane falls to Hptm. Galland later on a patrol near Tienen, beginning his victory tally with a total of three kills,. Hptm. Galland’s wingman, Lt. Gustav Rödel, brings down a fourth Hurricane. The fighters of JG 27 claim twenty-eight victories for the day.

Four Bf 109’s from II(J)./ TrGr 186 are lost to Dutch anti-aircraft fire while a Bf 109 from 2./JG 26 force lands at Waalhaven with flak damage.

Future Experte, Oberst Theo Osterkamp, Kommodore of JG 51, obtains his first kill of the campaign, a twin-boom Fokker G-Ia of the Dutch Air Force. Oberst Osterkamp was a pilot during World War I scoring thirty-two kills flying biplanes and was awarded the ‘Pour le Merite’ or “Blue Max”.

Flying with 8 Staffel of the recently formed III./JG 52, Günther Rall begins his amazing scoring by destroying a French P-36 in battle over Diedenhoven.

KG 55 loses two bombers over France. A He 111 from 4./KG 55 is shot down near Rethel with all crewmembers killed except Uffz. Ernst Rasper. On the return flight from Rethel, the German bomber formations are attacked by British fighters and lose a He 111 from 5./KG 55 shot down , resulting in Uffz. Josef Bartholmes becoming injured.

Spain's Foreign Ministry issues a communiqué reaffirming its policy of neutrality.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* At dawn on Sunday the 12th, two tugs arrived to assist HMS ‘_Kelly_”. The volunteer party rejoined their ship and a tow was soon under way. Once again the weather worsened, and at noon she was subject to more air attacks. The guns crews working the guns by hand and running from one gun to another as each gunner came to bear on the target. Even when darkness fell for the fourth night that little band of men were still cheerful and enthusiastic.

Sweden begins nation-wide city blackouts.

*GERMANY:* British Royal Air Force planes bomb Essen and two other German towns.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian Premier Benito Mussolini instructs the Chief of Army Staff and Under-Secretary of War to further perfect the western Alpine frontier defenses.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The United Kingdom began the internment of German civilians.

Winston Churchill appointed the newly created Viscount Simon (former Sir John Simon) to the post of Lord High Chancellor, the Chief Law Officer to the Government, succeeding the Viscount Caldecote.

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## nuuumannn (May 12, 2015)

12 May 1940; the Boulton Paul Defiant first fires its guns in anger. 'A' Flight of 264 Sqn based at RAF Duxford, Cambridgeshire on patrol off the Hague in company with six Spitfires of 66 Sqn encounter a single Ju 88, which was shot down by the Defiants during a co-ordinated cross over attack below the bomber. The attack employed standard tactics for bomber interception by the turret fighter, with single seat fighters to catch stragglers that were to deviate away from the formation, although there was only one aircraft present. The lack of fighter escort was also noticeable, but this was the environment for which the Defiant was designed. The next day, the 13th was to spell disaster for the type however, during its first encounter with the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

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## parsifal (May 12, 2015)

*13 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RNeN O-21 Class Subs O-23 and O24




_When Germany invaded the Ne O 23 and her sister ship O 24 were both still at their builders yard at Rotterdam. Both ships were incompleted. O-23 had run her trials but O-24 had not, she had even never submerged. In the early morning hours both subs departed the builders yard for a place nearby where they were camouflaged and prepared for evacuation to the U.K. On the 13 May at around 2100 hours O 23 and O-24 cleared Lekhaven in Rotterdam bound for the U.K. Both subs arrived safely at the Downs on the 15th. Many other vessels of the Netherlands had already arrived, more wee to come in the coming days. Of greatest immediate value were the Dutch flat bottomed Schuits which were to prove vital in the coming evacuations.

The Dutch warships contained many innovations that were of great assistance to British warship design _

*Losses*
*Steamer EDDA (SD 1652 grt)* was seized by German forces at Stavanger.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CITY OF BRUSSELS (UK 629 grt)* was seized by German forces at Brussels.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer GORM (Den 2156 grt)* was being transferred by a Belgian crew to the port of Ostend when sunk on a mine 1. 3 miles 20° from the South Mole Light at Zeebrugge.





*Pre- WWI TB CHRISTIAAN CORNELUS (RNeN 47 grt)* The K class Torpedo Boat was scuttled at Rotterdam following severe battle damage.





*MV KYLE FIRTH (UK 450 grt)* The cargo ship ran aground on Holy Island, Anglesey and was wrecked.





*MSW M 2 (RNeN 202 grt)* The M-class minesweeper struck a mine in the North Sea off IJmuiden, North Holland and sank.




_MSW M-1. Similar appearance to the M-2 but about 50 grt lighter_

*Aux MSW VILLE DU BIZERTE (Fr 32 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Cape Guardia in the Bizerte area.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> British and French destroyers are engaged on patrol and escort duties off the Dutch and Belgian coasts and some of them are assisting the operations on land. Most of the British destroyers are' vessels of the old "V-W" class converted for anti-aircraft
> duties (four 10.2 cm. anti-aircraft guns and eight h cm, guns). The main base for taking on supplies and ammunition is Dunkirk,
> 
> French troops are holding tlfce island of Walcheren. French ships have" been instructed to keep a look-out for enemy landings
> ...


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 43 sailed for Trondheim with supplies for "Theodor Riedel" and will later proceed into the Atlantic. U 65 entered port via Heligoland. She was operating in the Vaagsfjord and in the area Faroes-Shetlands-Minch. She scored no successes.



Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-43

At Sea 13 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-32, U-43, U-65. 
5 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
Troopship ANHALT (Ger) The troopship struck a mine and was beached off the coast of Sweden. She was later repaired and returned to service.

*North Sea*
MV BUSSUM (Ne)The cargo ship was bombed and damaged in the Nth Sea off the Noord Hinder Lightship . She was abandoned by her 29 crew, who were rescued by BOUCLIER ( Fr Navy). BUSSUM was towed to London and was subsequently repaired and returned to service. Sub CLYDE, on patrol in the North Sea sighted DKM Raider WIDDER. CLYDE fired 60 rounds from her deck gun, but the range remained extreme and no hits were achived. WIDDER returned fire and kept submarine CLYDE out of range until she could escape into a rain squall. WIDDER arrived at Trondheim to avoid further contact. FN.170 departed Southend, escort sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 15th. Steamer HIRD (Nor) was badly damaged at Dunkirk by the LW. She did not depart Dunkirk until 28 May and was constantly bombed in that period, but did not receive any more significant damage.

Operations Off the Dutch Coast
DD MALCOLM arrived at Hook of Holland pre-dawn on the 13th to relieve DD WILD SWAN and take charge of the evacuation of the port. In Operation HARPOON, British steamers CANTERBURY and MAID OF ORLEANS escort DDs KEITH, WOLSEY, WIVERN, BOREAS arrived at Hook of Holland early on the 13th. The steamers carried a composite bn of Gds to support the Royal Marines in the port. After unloading, the force returned to Dover arriving late on the 13th. DDs VALENTINE and WINCHESTER departed Dunkirk in the early morning of the 13th for Nieuport. DD WINCHESTER was detached 6 hrs later to complete replenishing ammunition brought to Dunkirk by DD WHITLEY, which had arrived at Dunkirk that morning. WINCHESTER departed Dunkirk that afternoon to relieve DD WESTMINSTER off Flushing. Dutch steamer PERSEUS, carrying bullion, departed Ijmuiden at 0400 escort DD VIMY. DD HEREWARD, escort DD VESPER, evacuated Queen Wilhelmena of Holland from Hook of Holland at noon and took her to Harwich. 6 DDs began the evacuation of Hook of Holland at on the evening of the 13th. DD WINDSOR evacuated the Dutch govt, British, Belgian, Norwegian legation staffs, 400 refugees (mostly Jews and Poles) were boarded from Hook of Holland during the evening.

DD VERSATILE followed DD MOHAWK's turn at the pier. DD VERSATILE, while alongside the pier, was damaged by one bomb hit off Hook of Holland. The ship could neither steer or steam. 7 crew were killed and 13 wounded. VERSATILE was towed away from the jetty by MALCOLM and escorted by HYPERION. VERSATILE was taken in tow by DD JANUS outside the harbour. VERSATILE (by now under her own power, with one engine working) was under repair until 20 June. The last party of refugees was embarked on DD MALCOLM very late on the 13th. These were transferred to DD JANUS (after she wasnt required to tow the VERSATILE) outside the harbour and MALCOLM returned to the Hook arriving in the early morning of the 14th. DDs WINDSOR, VIVIEN, MOHAWK arrived early the next morning from Hook of Holland at Southend. DD WALPOLE evacuated from Ijmuiden the Dutch industrial diamonds, brought from Amsterdam to prevent their falling into German hands. Also, at Ijmuiden that evening were DDs VIVIEN which arrived back at Southend on the 14th and DD KIMBERLEY. DD WHITSHED arrived back at Dover from Dunkirk under darkness. DD WHITSHED departed again at 0430 on the 14th with more ammunition for the FA ships at Dunkirk and MSW gear for the MSWs working off the Dutch coast from Zeebrugge.


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## parsifal (May 12, 2015)

*13 May 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*North Sea (Cont'd)*
Operations Off the Dutch Coast (Cont'd)
DD WHITLEY, which had arrived during the evening of 12 May, departed Dover for Dunkirk at 0445 with ammunition and to operate with Force FA. DD WILD SWAN arrived at Dover at 0700 from Hook of Holland with a broken propeller blade on her starboard propeller. She was under repair until the 17th. MSW Flot 6 was sweeping mines off the Dutch coast. After the opn, MSW HARRIER proceeded to Dover for boiler cleaning. The rest of the Flotilla proceeded to Harwich arriving later that day. Dutch steamer PHRONTIS departed Ijmuiden on the 13th with 800 PoWs. PHRONTIS proceeded unescorted to the Downs arriving on the 14th. She then proceeded to Dover where the prisoners were landed. 

*Northern Waters*
NS.3 escort DDs FIREDRAKE and FOXHOUND departed Scapa with 3 tkrs, a collier and Fr PV BELFORT. Another element of the convoy (the Clyde section) had departed the day previous escort DDs WALKER and BEAGLE with 7 steamers. A further Tkr and Norwegian Steamer (replacing a brit Steramer that run aground) joined the convoy in Nth Channel. A further section (the Rosyth section) departed Leith on the 12th escort DDss HERO and FOXHOUND. This convoy included a slow British steamer which delayed the planned arrivals of the convoy. DD FOXHOUND was detached to arrive at Hoxa Gate (main waterway into Scapa) to escort the Scapa detachment from this convoy (2 ships). When the two sections rendezvoused, DD FOXHOUND was detached to return to Greenock and arrived in the Clyde on the 14th. The convoy was split for the passage into fast and slow sections, with the fast escorted by FIREDRAKE and WALKER with 2 tkrs and 5 MVs. The slow section was escorted by BEAGLE and 2 MSW trawlers and was composed of 5 MVs. In Pentland Firth, DD HERO escorting the steamer REDCAR joined Nor steamers GRO, INGERFIRE, SPICA from Kirkwall to join the convoy. This section rendezvoused with the convoy on the 13th. DD HERO was detached on the 14th and proceeded to Plymouth. WALKER and FIREDRAKE with 4 steamers arrived at Harstad on the 17th. The rest of the convoy remained at sea to await orders. 

NP.3 departed Scapa for Narvik with Polish troopships BATORY and SOBIESKI escort DDs DELIGHT and ANTELOPE and Fr DD MILAN. The convoy arrived on the 17th escort DDs ANTELOPE, DELIGHT, MILAN. On the 13th, 1 steamer, escort DD MATABELE, arrived at Bodo and landed 290 troops in a SCISSORS landing. These ships had departed the Firth of Forth on the 10th. Late on the 13th, BB RESOLUTION, CL EFFINGHAM, repair ship VINDICTIVE, DDs HAVELOCK, SOMALI, FAME, BASILISK, WREN, assisted by a/c from ARK ROYAL, bombarded Narvik in opn OB. Following a recce, when the weather was too bad to land on the ARK ROYAL, a Skua of 800 Sqn forced landed sth of Harstad in the sea. PO L. E. Burston and LS G. W. Halifax were picked up by DD BRAZEN. A 2nd Skua of this opn force landed at Sandsoy, nth of Harstad. Lt J. A. Rooper and PO W. Crawford were rescued unhurt. 

A Swordfish of 810 Squadron from ARK ROYAL force landed on a forzen lake near Reisenvann. Crew and aircraft were unhurt and rescued some time later. The a/c later taken to Harstad and returned to the UK . A second Swordfsish also force landed at Skaanland. Crew was unhurt and a/c later recovered. A Swordfish of 820 Squadron force landed during a bombing raid of Silvik. Crew were unhurt and recovered . A second Swordfish force landed two miles south of Harstad. Crew unhurt. All a/c were recovered and repaired. A testament to the rough strip handling characteristics of the Stringbag. 

A periscope was sighted by a shore battery at Holm and somewhat later a report of a crossing on the indicator loops outside the eastern entrance to Scapa was also reported, prompting a vigorous response. DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN departed Scapa to patrol on the line Roseness to Grimness. DDs NUBIAN, AMAZON, ACASTA searched the anchorage itself near Water Sound and Kirk Sound. 
DDs JACKAL and JAVELIN attacked several contacts later determined to be the wreck of tanker DAGHESTAN (sunk on 25 March). 
Early on the 14th, the sweeps were abandoned. 

DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, GRAFTON and ORP BURZA departed Scapa for Harwich. DD JUNO was detached en route to run the D. G. range at Inchkeith.

Fr sub ACHILLE during an attack approach on 2 German transports near Lindesnes was near missed by bombs dropped from an enemy a/c.

*West Coast UK*
DD GRENADE departed Liverpool after boiler cleaning for Harwich.

*Med- Biscay*
MSW FERMOY departed Gib for Malta to rejoin the Med Flt. Fr DD VOLTA passed Gib en route from Brest to Oran, where she arrived on the 14th. Sub GRAMPUS departed Alexandria on the 9th and arrived at Malta on the 13th for duty with the Med Flt.


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## parsifal (May 12, 2015)

*13 May 1940 - RAF Air Ops*
[UNFINISHED]

1 sqn (Hurri)
Sqn attacks a formation of Me110's and He111 near Vouziers.F/O. 2 Me110s and 3 He111s claimed. 

3 Sqn
F/O W.S.C. Adams, in L2564 collided with aircraft of F/O Lines Roberts (S/N not reported). Both planes exploded, Both pilots lost.
F/O (Pilot) Albert R. Ball, RAF (Cdn), 'Dickie' Ball. Shot down by a Do17, crash-landed and captured. Died of wounds 04/06/1940.

4 Sqn (Lysander)
P/O P W. Vaughan, KIA, Took off 07.30 hrs from Monchy-la-Gache. Flew over German positions on banks of Gete river. Shot down by Lt Horst Braxator from 2./JG1. (De Decker/Roba: 1.JG1).

17 Sqn (Hurri)
Hurricanes N3403, N2454, N2405 and N2407 all lost on the ground or abandoned

53 sqn (Blen)
Recon, B. 1 a/c damaged, 1 WIA. Took off from Poix. Damaged by ground fire and forced-landed on one engine at Vitry. A/C repairable.

57 sqn (Blen)
Recon 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA, 2 POW, Shot down by AA fire during reconnaissance sortie over Belgium. Crashed between Vlijtingen and Kesselt

66 sqn (Spit), 264 sqn (Defiant)
In the evening the RAF had planned a strafing mission of 6 Defiants and 6 Spits along the Dutch coast. They drew fire from Dutch AA at the Coast, As this combined squadron approached the Dutch coast, no damage. Over the Hague and Rotterdam, a total of 7 Stuka's from 12 Staffel, Lehr Geschwader 1 are spotted and engaged, as the stukas dive towards Dutch positions at Alblasserdam. Succeed in breaking up the attack. LG 1 request immediate ftr protection from the nearby patrol (firing a red flare). 24 to 27 Me 109s of JG26 turns the tables. After the intensive clash between the two forces (together about 45 planes) 5 Ju87s are lost [RAF claimed seven - only 5 wreckages were identified], 2 Me-109's and 5 Defiants are lost in exchange 

73 sqn (Hurri)
Interception, F. 1 Plane lost, 1 WIA, a flt of Hurris intercepted He111Ps of KG55 and Bf110Cs as they approached. 2 He111s shot down, 1 Hurri badly damaged and written off by enemy escort.

103 sqn (Battle)
Airfield and village bombed by a large unescorted enemy bomber formation. There were no losses to the sqn (either personnel or a/c), but 81 villagers were killed or injured. Villages were angry that no warning was given, and parked vehicles on runway to prevent further ops. 3 enemy a/c were lost in the attacks


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## parsifal (May 12, 2015)

*13 May 1940 *

The newly appointed British PM, Winston Churchill rises in the House of Commons, to give his first speech a PM. In part he states

I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."

We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realised; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, "come then, let us go forward together with our united strength."

It marks, in the clearest possible terms, a fundamental change in the nature britain intends to prosecute the war from that point. 


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVg7rnRheK8_

Sadly, in the years since, there are many, often with sympathies to the Nazi cause to denigrate this famous call to arms. 

At about the same time as Churchill is delivering his momentous address, the first German units reached the Meuse on the French border. One of the first divisional formation to make the crossing was Rommels 7th “Ghost” Div somewhat to the north of Sedan.

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## Marcel (May 12, 2015)

North
The lightly armed, but heavily armoured "Stelling Kornwerderzand" at the entance of the Afsluitdijk proved to be too much for the attacking German troops. The lack of tanks and aroured cars cost dearly in dense machinegun fire of the defenders. Air attack by stukas and shelling by 88mm guns don't make an impression in the only modern Dutch defence position in existance.

German artillery near the Afsluitdijk





German infantry on the "totesdam", the Afsluitdijk. They would not get past the Kornwerderzand position. 





Today, the damage by German fire can still be seen on the bunkers of Kornwerderzand





Grebbeberg
A Dutch counterattack in the early morning fails due to lack of artillery support and heavy attacks by Stuka bombers. Later that day, the Germans break through the stopline, 2nd line of defence. THis however was not used for a quick advance, they stop in the evening at the village of Rhenen, ony 1 km further. The rest ofthe line holds well, but the Dutch High command decides to fall back on the unfinished waterline, further west, because of the dire situation at the Grebbeberg. The evacuation of the troops from the Grebbeline to the Waterline during te night is a total succes, unnoticed by the Germans. The new line, however, hardly exists and probably not very effective.

Rhenen on May 13th. Just the cuneratoren is standing between the ruins of the houses.





SS at the sluice at the foot of the Grebbeberg





Dutch defenders in a defence line





South
German panzers cross the Moerdijk bridge under heavy shelling. On the island of Dordrecht, the Dutch light division puts up a fierce defence and although much of the fighting takes place in the streets of the old city, the city never falls in German hands. At the end of the day, however, the remaining defenders get the order to abandon the island and retreat over the Merwede river. 

Rotterdam
Dutch marines reach the access to the Willemsbrug. Small groups of them will remain there until the capitulation, the next day. Theseactions would earn them the nickname 'Swartze teufel', black devils, because of their black outfit and courage. The city itself is mostly cleaned from German troops, apart form the vital Willemsbrug and Waalhaven airport. Torpedoboat Z5 is in action at the bridge, but fails to push back the german troops.

The Hague
Queen Wilhelmina , although very upposed to leving the country, is persuaded by the government to leave the country. She leaves for Hoek van Holland where she is picked up by British destroyer HMS Hereward. She was able to continue the war from London and later proved invaluable to the Dutch troops in exile later in the war. 
Fighting continued around the village of Valkenburg. But the remaining Airb troops are isolated and Dutch troops are transferred to the south front to strengthen that, more important, part of the defence.

Ju52s landed on the Highway between Rotterdam and The Hague





Airforce:
At 5.19h, the LVA (dutch airforce) dispatched the very last Dutch bomber, the Fokker T.V 856 to bomb the Moerdijk Bridges with 2 bombs of 300 kg. The bomber was escorted by 2 Fokker G.I’s (numbers 315 and 308 ), the most potent fighter in the LVA.

The 3 planes very low to avoid the German fighters. When passing Dordrecht, they ascended to an altitude of about 1000m. Shortly before they reached the bridges, they were attacked bij 8 Bf109’s of JG26. While being attacked, the 3 planes first flew over the water, made a 180° turn to the north and attacked the bridge with one of the bombs. They missed the bridge by a mere 50m. They saw that they missed, so they turned and headed back south again. Then they made another 180° tun and attacked the bridge again. They threw the second bomb and this time they hit the bridge. Unfortunately the bomb didn’t explode. After this, the 3 planes flew over Dordrecht, back to Schiphol. They were chased by several Bf109’s. One of the G.I’s was attacked by 4 Messerschmitts, finally killing the pilot, lt. Schoute. The plane crashed in a polder. The gunner tried to bail out, but fell to the ground and died as well.

The T.V Was attacked several times and finally crashed near Ridderkerk, killing all 5 crewmembers. One G.I could escape and safely landed at Schiphol airport at 6 o’clock.
One last strange note. The G.I and the T.V were declared been shot down by Hauptmann Karl Ebbinghausen. His Messerschmitt Bf109 still seems to be on display at the Militairy airforce museum at Duxford, England.

Wreck of the T.V near Ridderkerk





The remaining airforce, 2 G-1's, 5 D-XXI's and 4 C-X aircraft flew sorties near the Grebbeberg.

RAF Defiants of 264th squadron and Spitfires of 66th squadron operate over The Netherlands. It's not a succes:
According to the General Fighter Command Report, the aircraft took off at 0415h from Martlesham Heath. They made landfall over the Dutch coast at Ijmuiden. They are immediately shelled by Dutch AA guns, which is very accurate. Fortunately the Dutch understand the friendly aircraft signall and the shelling stops. The Spitfires fly to Rotterdam, while the Defiants take a course sourth-east, towards Dordrecht. Over Albasserdam, Stuka's of 
12./LG.1 are spotted, while divebombing. They Defiants claim 4 Ju-87's shot down, after which they are attacked by 27 Bf109's. The last number seems to be exagerated, as only 9 bf109's of II./JG 26 got the order to escort the Ju87's. The fight dispersed to become spearate fights. 5 of the 6 Defiants are shot down.
The 6 Spitfires also took part in the fighting, claiming 8 Ju-87's and 2 Bf109's. One of the Spitfires was shot down, the rest could escape. 

British claims: Conclusive: 5 Ju-87's, Inconclusive: 5 Ju-87's an 2 Bf109's
Real German loss: 4 Ju87's

German claims: 8 Spitfires, 1 Defiant
Real British loss: 5 Defiants, 1 Spitfire.

Pictures, source the Internet:
Defiant Blue3 crashed in the Biesbosch. On the wreckage we can se the policeman of the small vilage of Made, an official and a guard from Drimmelen.
View attachment 205372


Blue1 crashed into the river near Geertruidenberg. Wreckage stayed there untill well into 1941.
View attachment 205373


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## Njaco (May 12, 2015)

*May 13 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* German Heeresgruppe B established bridgeheads at the Meuse River near Dinant and Sedan after penetrating a 50-mile gap in French defensive lines. In the morning, 7.Panzerdivision commander General Erwin Rommel sends motorcycle troops across River Meuse over a lock gate at Dinant, while Guderian’s troops cross in rubber boats at Sedan in the afternoon following intensive bombing of French defensive positions. Despite French artillery bombardment, they both establish bridgeheads. The French troops opposing them have not prepared their positions properly and are quickly demoralized and terrorized by heavy dive-bomber attacks. By the evening, pontoon bridges were set up for tanks to cross. Engineers complete a bridge across the river by daybreak. German 1.Schützen-Regiment of 19.Panzertruppe crosses the Meuse River at Sedan, under cover of continuous light Luftwaffe attacks on defenders. 

Farther north the Germans take Liege and in Holland the defense has now been totally disrupted. German 9.Panzerdivision breaks through the frontier with Netherlands, and rushes to bridges in the Dordrecht - Moerdijk - Rotterdam area, cutting the Netherlands in two. The division reaches the outskirts of Rotterdam and 22.Fliegerdivision holds onto bridges in the city. Netherland forces regain control of Rotterdam north of the Maas River, and Noorder Island. The German Luftwaffe concentrates an attack on the city center of Rotterdam, Netherlands, without regard for civilian casualties. About 1000 civilians are killed. Amsterdam, Netherlands, is hit by over fifty aerial bombs.

German units passing through Luxembourg, advance into Belgium through the Ardennes forest, crossing River Ourthe, heading to River Semoy. German forces bypass Liége forts in Belgium, capturing Liége itself. A German mechanized column clashes with Allied armored forces near St. Trond, 22 miles northwest of Liége. 

French artillery and Allied air bombs destroy part of the Istein railroad tunnel, five miles north of the Swiss border, cutting off a section of vital army rail transportation to part of the German Westwall fortifications.

Elements of JG 26 engage the last of the Dutch air forces and the first of the British air force. Oblt. Ebbighausen, Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 26 destroys the last operational Fokker T-V bomber of the Dutch Air Force along with two escorting G-Ia twin-engined fighters near Dordrecht although one of the two G-1s made it home to Schiphol without a scratch. Warplanes of 5 Staffel of JG 26 encounter six RAF Defiants of No. 264 Squadron and a Spitfire escort from RAF No. 66 Squadron. The pilots of the Staffel shoot down five of the Defiants and Lt. Hans Krug of shoots down two Spitfires. The Staffel’s only loss is Lt. Karl Borris who is shot down but returns to the unit after four days avoiding capture. Hptm. Dietrich Hrabak of JG 54 claims his first victory, a French Potez 63.

Bf 110s do not fare so well this day when six of the twin-engined Zerstörers are shot down by six French MS 406s in twenty seconds. James Lacey of No. 501 Squadron RAF, shot down a German He 111 bomber, a Bf 109 fighter, and a Bf 110 fighter over Sedan.

The bombers from KG 55 again suffer heavy losses. On an attack on the railway station at Rethel, the Stab and 8 Staffel lose three He 111s near Charleville-Mezieres with several crews killed, injured or taken prisoner. The 6 Staffel loses four He 111s while one bomber each from the 5 Staffel and Stab II Gruppe are destroyed. An He 111 from 5./KG 55 is attacked by five French MS 406s that damages the port engine. The bomber is able to continue flying till it reaches Belgium where the Heinkel crashes near Attert. The Stab bomber is damaged by anti-aircraft fire near Rethel.

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## Njaco (May 12, 2015)

*May 13 Monday *(_continued_)
THE BATTLE OF HANNUT – DAY TWO: While on the previous day the inferior German tanks suffered against their French counterparts in Belgium, German tank commanders amassed their tanks (while the French commanders decided to divide their tanks to cover a wider front) and punched a hole in the French lines. To the north, General Hoepner launched spoiling attacks and tied down the powerful French First Army, so that it could not intervene in the day’s operations. Hoepner believed the newly arrived 3rd Pz. Div. had only weak enemy forces before it. The 4th Pz. Div. on the other hand, he believed, faced strong French mechanized forces at Hannut and Thisnes—which the French had in fact already abandoned—and possibly a second French mechanized division south of the Mehaigne. The 3rd Pz. Div. advanced on Thorembais. The 4th Pz. Div. was to move in parallel on Perwez, against an expected strong Belgian anti-tank line. XVI Army Corps thus fell back on the 6.Armee's instruction to push immediately on Gembloux. The French 12th Cuirassiers and to the south the 3rd Battalion of the 11th Dragoons, fought off waves of German infantry supported by armored vehicles. The German 18.Infanterie-Division still penetrated their positions. The 2nd DLM was positioned just south of the planned axis of Hoepner's attack. In the early morning the 2nd DLM sent some 30 SOMUA S-35s from the Mehaigne to the line Merdorp-Crehen to relieve the pressure on the 3rd DLM. The attack was repulsed by heavy enemy tank and anti-tank fire near Crehen with crippling losses. General Bougrain, commanding the 2nd DLM, signaled enemy infiltrations and attacks by armored cars over the Mehaigne river at Moha and Wanze, just north of Huy. At 1500 hours a French reconnaissance aircraft reported large concentrations of German armor south-east of Crehen. The 2nd DLM no longer had reserves available to intervene. In the afternoon the French command ordered a retreat. Bougrain's Dragoons and motorized infantry were strung out in a series of isolated strongpoints and thus were vulnerable to infiltration. Bougrain refused the offer of the Belgian III Corps, retreating through his front from the Liege area, to reinforce his troops on the Mehaigne river. The German command for its part, worried by the potential of the 2d DLM to interfere with its main attack, juggled infantry units between its XVI and XXVII Corps and scraped together four units from the 35., 61., and 269.Infanterie-Divisions advancing via Liege, along with air support and some armored cars. These forces infiltrated between the French strongpoints north of Huy and drew out Bougrain's armour. Hoepner concentrated all of his Corps's Panzer and rifle battalions, including about 560 operational tanks, aided on their right by the 18.Infanterie-Division of the IV Corps, on a front of some 12 kilometers. The 3rd Pz. Div. on the north facing Marilles and Orp, the 4th Pz. Div. facing Thisnes and Merdorp. The 3.Panzer-Brigade of the 3.PanzerDivision moved out at about 1130 hours. With its 5.Panzerregiment on the right and its 6.Panzerregiment on the left, the Brigade Commander moved forward with the 5.Panzerregiment. By noon the tanks were in action in the barricaded and mined towns along the Petite Gette river. After 90 minutes of heavy fighting, both Panzer regiments succeeded in pushing elements of the French defenders over the stream, the 5.Panzerregiment before Marilles, the 6.Panzerregiment at Orp. The German command ordered most of the 6.Panzerregiment to turn south toward Jandrain and Jandrenouille, where the terrain was more favourable and they could aid the 4.PanzerDivision. Operating on the east and west bank of the Petite Gette, the 6.Panzerregiment ran into French armour in the Orp area, and was then attacked by further French armour. The German battalions combined to defeat the attack. The German forces attacked in the afternoon. The 3rd Pz. Div. on the north facing Marilles and Orp, the 4th Pz. Div. facing Thisnes and Merdorp. The 5th and 6th Panzer-Brigade of the 3.PanzerDivision faced an attack by French armour, and both sides clashed while on the offensive. The Panzers were numerically superior and could be seen moving in large formations while the French operated in small groups and fired more slowly. The 2nd Battalion, 5.Panzerregiment, still opposite Marilles, suddenly found itself attacked in the flank and rear by "superior" French armoured forces. The 3.Panzer-Brigade war diary recorded the 15 minutes during which the 2nd Battalion stood alone. The 1st Battalion, 5.Panzerregiment, seeing victory on the left, sent the 1st Battalion back to his right, bringing the fight before Marilles to a successful conclusion at about 1600 hours.

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## Njaco (May 12, 2015)

*May 13 Monday* (_continued_)
Meanwhile, that morning the strongpoints of the 2d Battalion, 11th Dragoons suffered serious losses to air and artillery bombardment, while German motorcyclists searched for infiltration and crossing points. The dragoons defended their strongpoints supported by their organic Hotchkiss squadron, but their resistance began to crumple at about 1330 hours as German numbers and lack of munitions told. Colonel Dodart des Loges, commanding the northern sector of the 3rd DLM front, ordered a retreat. As the remaining dragoons withdrew, their Hotchkiss H35 tanks together with two Hotchkiss squadrons from the 1st Cuirassiers counter-attacked. The French pushed the German armor back to the stream. This offensive was the principal effort of the 3rd DLM to check the 3rd Pz. Div. The 2nd DLM launched raids against the still vulnerable flanks of the 4th Pz. Div., and some small groups of French tanks broke through but were quickly dealt with by the German 654.Anti-Panzerbataillon, attached to the 4 Pz. Div. In the afternoon the 4th Pz. Div. began an assault on Medorp. As the French artillery opened fire and German artillery responded, the French pushed armour into the abandoned town and skillfully changed position making the Panzers struggle to strike their targets. The German tanks decided to bypass the town around its left flank. Initially the French held the advantage due to their superior armor and firepower, but German tactics of schwerpunkt, concentrating their armor on the vital point, began to tell. At this point the 3rd Pz. Div. and 4th Pz. Div. were advancing to Jandrain. Outside the town a bitter tank battle took place. The Panzers prevailed through numbers and reported 22 French SOMUA S-35s totally destroyed. The French forces, the 2nd and 3rd DLM, began a general retreat westward. The Panzer Divisions, no longer fearing an attack on their flanks, advanced and engaged the remnants of the enemy in the evening. The 3.Panzer-Brigade claimed a tally for the day of 54 French tanks knocked out, 36 by the 5.PanzerRegiment and 18 by the 3.PanzerRegiment. The next morning the 2nd DLM fell back into line south of Perwez. French troops began falling back toward Gembloux. 

Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands escapes to London, England, on British destroyer “_Hereword_”. The Netherlands government and others embark British destroyer “_Windsor_” for England.

The German government warns Great Britain, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands that for any German parachute soldier shot contrary to international law, ten surrendered French soldiers would be shot.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill first enters the House of Commons as Prime Minister, accompanied by his predecessor Chamberlain who receives a better reception by far. Churchill gives his “Blood, toil, tears and sweat” speech in the House of Commons, including;


> "... I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. If you ask me, what our war aim is, I give you only one answer: Victory! Victory whatever the cost!"



British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes Bill Stephenson his prime connection with American President Franklin Roosevelt, naming him Intrepid, and sending him to Washington.

On Monday the 13th in the afternoon, having been a hazardous 91 hours in tow or hove to, '_Kelly_' and her escort arrived at a repair yard on Tyneside, through miles of cheering spectators on the river bank, who knew they had built a good 'un when they built HMS ‘_Kelly_'.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler awards the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross to Captain Koch and seven others for the successful attack of the Eben Emael Fort near Liége, Belgium, and bridges over the Albert Canal.

Munich, Germany, radio station reports Adolf Hitler saying Germany possesses a "death-dealing" wave or ray, obtained from splitting atoms, which can exterminate any living creature within a 1000-foot radius, for which no known protection has yet been discovered.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Allies launch their first amphibious assault of WWII to capture Bjerkvik and Øyjord, seven miles north of Narvik, for use as staging post for landings at Narvik across the Rombaksfjord. At midnight, which was light due to the latitude, British cruiser HMS “_Aurora_”, cruiser HMS “_Effingham_”, and battleship HMS “_Resolution_” bombarded Narvik, Norway in preparation for the 0100-hour amphibious operation. Three battalions of French alpine troops, a Norwegian battalion and light tanks came ashore at Bjerkvik in landing craft, suffering 36 casualties. Many Norwegian civilians died during the attack. French motorcycle troops ride along the coast and take Øyjord unopposed.

*ASIA:* The governments of Great Britain, Netherlands, and France assure Japan that no change of control of the Netherlands Indies is intended.

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## nuuumannn (May 13, 2015)

12 May, aside from the Ju 88 shot down by 264 Sqn Defiants, Flt Lt Nicholas Cooke leading Yellow Section's gunner Cpl Albert Lippert claims an He 111. The Ju 88 is credited to Sqn Ldr Philip Hunter's gunner LAC Fred King.



> RAF Defiants of 264th squadron and Spitfires of 66th squadron operate over The Netherlands. It's not a success: According to the General Fighter Command Report, the aircraft took off at 0415h from Martlesham Heath. They made landfall over the Dutch coast at Ijmuiden. They are immediately shelled by Dutch AA guns, which is very accurate. Fortunately the Dutch understand the friendly aircraft signall and the shelling stops. The Spitfires fly to Rotterdam, while the Defiants take a course sourth-east, towards Dordrecht. Over Albasserdam, Stukas of 12./LG.1 are spotted, while dive bombing. The Defiants claim 2 Ju 87s shot down, after which they are attacked by 27 Bf 109s. The last number seems to be exagerated, as only 9 Bf109's of II./JG 26 got the order to escort the Ju87's. The fight dispersed to become separate fights. 5 of the 6 Defiants are shot down. The 6 Spitfires also took part in the fighting, claiming 8 Ju 87s and 2 Bf 109s. One of the Spitfires was shot down, the rest could escape.



On 13 May, 264 Sqn Defiants claimed four Ju 87s, not two. This is the day in which it is often claimed that Defiants were being chased by Ju 87s, but because the Defiant's armament was located in a rear firing turret, this plaed them in an attacking situation. To round off a bad day, a sixth Defiant, of A Flight is damaged after landing at Manston; the pilot retracting his undercarriage instead of his flaps while taxying. Sqn Ldr Hunter orders the pilot away for further operational training on type. Thus far the Defiant's innings was not to be proud of, despite being in credit by one; six E/A claimed for the loss of five Defiants in two combat encounters.

Marcel, could you please advise me of the reference number/name/date of the Fighter Command diary in which the claim of 27 Bf 109s is made? I don't have a claimed figure. The nine escorts to the Ju 87s is useful, thanks.

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## Marcel (May 13, 2015)

Hi Nuuman,

I got this from the book "Luchtgevechten boven West Brabant en de Biesbosch" about exactly this incident. This particular part, both about chasing Ju87's and the 27 Messerschmitts comes from the combat report of J.E. Hatfield ( Rear gunner of Blue 1), d.d. May 15th 1940 which seems to be in the Public Record Office in London. Unfortunately I don't have the original text but a translated one. This could be an error in translation, but I have no way to tell. 

General Fighter command Report R 1506. 16.5.40 claims "Approx. 12 Ju.87's, 1 Ju.88 and 30 Me.109's and claims the German casualties as "Conclusive: 5 Ju87's and Inconclusive: 5 Ju.87 and 2 Me.109". I can send you a scan of the report if you like, but pm me your email adres. The same is about the 4 Ju87's which I took from the Operations Record Book of No.264 Squadron which also claimes 1 Bf109, I can scan and email that one as well.

I actually can trace reports of 4 separate Ju87 crashes in the area at that moment, so the 4-5 seems accurate. 

So you're right about the fact that 2 Ju87 claimed is not accurate, thanks for the correction.


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## parsifal (May 13, 2015)

*14 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Losses*
*Transport CHOBRY (ORP 11400 grt) * The ship was used as a transport during the Norwegian Campaign, in the area around Narvik. On 14 May 1940 she sailed from Tjeldsundet transporting British troops to Bodø. Just before midnight German dive bombers attacked the ship 3 times in the middle of the Vestfjorden, setting the ship on fire, exploding ammunition, and killing several army officers and men. DD HMS WOLVERINE, took off 700 survivors from the ship, while sloop STORK, stood on guard and drove off other LW attacks, then took off the remaining survivors. Both escorts, loaded with survivors, sailed for Harstad. The abandoned Chrobry was scuttled by a/c from the ARK ROYAL on 16 May. A considerable amount of equipment went down with the ship, but casualties were surprisingly light. 





*MSW ABRAHAM VAN DER HULST (RNeN 525 grt)* Jan van Amstel-class MSW was scuttled at Enkhuizen. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as M 552. *MSW PIETER FLORISZ (RNeN 525 grt)* also an Amstel Class MSW was also scuttled then salvaged as the DKM M 551 





*Coast Defence Ship JACOB VAN HEEMSKERCK( RNeN 5000 grt)* was scuttled at IJmuiden to prevent capture by German forces. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans July 1940, repaired, and entered service as Undine in mid 1941.





*Gunboat BRINIO (RNeN 542 grt)* The Brinio-class gunboat was bombed and damaged in the IJsselmeer by the LW and subsequently scuttled.





*Gunboat FREYR (RNeN 280 grt)* , *Gunboat HEFRING (RNeN 270 grt)* , *Gunboat TYR (RNeN 280 grt)* These gunboats were scuttled at the conclusion of hostilities with Germany . All vessels were raised and re-used by the Germans





*DD GERARD CALLENBURGH (RNeN 1604 grt)* and *DD TJERK HIDDES (RNeN 1604 grt)*. A third member of the class ISAAC SWEERS was towed to England and completed under Allied control. The type featured an advanced AA stabilsation system in a mounting known as a Hazemeyer mount. The two hulls left in Dutch waters were both scuttled on the 14 May. The Germans raised them both, completeing the GERARD CALLENBURGH as the DKM ZH_1. ISAAC Sweers was also raised and completion attempted, however sabotage and materials shortages prevented her completion and she was broken up on the slip in 1942-3





*Pre WWI TB G1 Class JAN DANIELSON VAN DE RIJN (RNeN 145 grt)* The G1 Class TB was scuttled at Rotterdam. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as TFA 10.





*Sloop JOHAN MAURITS VAN NASSAU (RNeN 1537 grt)*: On May 14, MAURITS bombarded a German 88mm bty at a range of almost 18 km and knocked out the bty. On the return journey, the ship was heavily bombed, but for the moment escaped undamaged. At that point is was decided to make a run for England along with TBs G13 and G-15 and MLs JAN VAN BRAKEL, DOUVE AUKES and NAUTILUS. In the afternoon, this force came under severe air attack about 10 miles west of Callantsoog. She received two or three hits, one of which caused a fire near an ammo stack. Abandon ship was ordered, and most of the crew managed to leave the ship. 17 crewmen were killed during the attack or died of their wounds (of a complement of 124). Later, most of those crewmembers were transported back to Den Helder by the rescue vessel DORUS RIJKERS, but a few managed to hitch rides to England on the surviving ships. but the ship was lost .





*JAN PIETERSEN COEN (Ne 11640 grt)* The passenger ship was scuttled as a Blockship at IJmuiden.




_JAN PIETERSEN COEN being put into position before setting the scuttling charges_

*WWI TB G 16 ( RNeN 230 grt)* The G 13-class torpedo boat was scuttled at Den Helder. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as TFA 9.




M Class *MSW M 1 (RNeN 230 grt)*, *M3 (RNeN 230 grt),* *M4 (RNeN 230 grt)* These M-class MSWs were scuttled at IJmuiden. M1 and M4 were both salvaged and put into service by the Germans.





*Tug NORDZEE II (RNeN 260 grt)* The naval tug struck a mine and sank in the Westerschelde.





*Sub O 8 (RNeN 343 grt)* The O 8-class sub was scuttled at Den Helder, North Holland to prevent capture by German forces, however she was subsequently salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as U-D1.




_O-8 was Ex-HMS H-6 which had been interned in 1916 and purchased postwar by the Dutch. H-Class pictured_

*Sub O 11 (RNeN 526 grt) *The O 9-class submarine was was under repair at the time of surrender. she was scuttled at Den Helder to prevent capture by German forces, however she was subsequently salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as U-D2. She was sunk late in 1944. 





*Sub O 12 (RNeN 715 grt) *The O 12-class submarine was scuttled at Den Helder while undergoing maintenance at the Rijkswerf shipyard to prevent capture by German forces. Not salvaged 





O 21 Class Subs *O 25 (RNeN 990 grt)*, *O-26 (RNeN 990 grt)*, *O-27 (RNeN 990 grt)* The O 21-class submarines were scuttled at Schiedam, to prevent capture by German Forces. They were subsequently salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as UD-3, UD-4, and UD-5. .










_From left to right, O-25 1 May 1940, O-25 as the UD-4 (right, next to a Type VIIc on left), O-27 at Rotterdam post war_

*TB Z 3 ( RNeN 322 grt)* The Z 1-class torpedo boat was scuttled in the IJsselmeer off Enkhuizen

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Lugger SCALARIA (Aus 120 grt (est))* The sailing ship sank in the Pacific Ocean off Wyndham, Western Australia.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*LINER VILLE DE BRUGES (Be 11869 grt)* The ocean liner was severely damaged in a LW air raid whilst in the Scheldt, between Lillo and Doel. She was beached and burnt out with the loss of four crew of the 117 people aboard. The ship was scrapped in situ 1941–46, final remains removed 1951–52.




_VILLE DE BRUGES alight and sinking after LW airstrikes hit her repeatedly_

*Steamer FRAMNAS (SD 721 grt)* was seized by German forces at Stavanger and renamed BORGEN for German service.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> On the evening of l4 May, the Dutch Commander in Chief, General Winkelmann, declared that in order to spare the population and avoid further bloodshed he was prepared to cease hostilities. The Dutch Army capitulated unconditionally.
> 
> Lively activity by British and French destroyers off the Dutch and Belgian coasts,, The operations by French naval forces are commanded by Admiral, North at Dunkirk. The 2nd, 6th 11th and l3th Destroyer Divisions have been detected in.his area intercepted the destroyer MALCOLM and nine old-type destroyers in the Thames area. Radio intelligence gives us a good picture of the separate destroyer opeations. From different radio messages it seems that the destroyers are assisting in the evacuation of the Hook of Holland area and the. island of Walcheren. ' Their main base Is Dunkirk. Following some heavy shelling of shore targets, their supplies of ammunition and other stocks are low. Messages from a Dutch naval radio station reveal that the gunfire from warships against targets ashore is directed by radio from land.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Recently war logs and verbal reports have shown that the mainly good hydrophone results obtained have often misled the C.O.'s into diving, even in the open sea area, without there being any great enemy activity and thus certainly missing some good opportunities to attack. Instructions covering this have therefore been given to the Flotillas for the boats (B.d.U. Most Secret 834 of 18.5 1940). Contents: Hydrophones should only be used as auxiliaries and the commanding officer must control their activity. The human eye is always a better means of obtaining data as a basis for tactical procedure.



Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-32, U-65 

At Sea 14 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-43. 
3 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD KANDAHAR departed the Tyne for duty in the Med Flt. DD GALLANT departed the Tyne for duty with Nore command. MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER departed the Humber in convoy FN.172. They were first escorted by DDs VIMY and WINDSOR. The MLss arrived at Rosyth on the 17th, escort DDs VIVIEN and VALOROUS. The MLs departed Rosyth on the 17th escort DD SABRE and PV BREDA. They arrived at Scapa on the 18th. On that day DD SABRE acquired a Uboat contact . She was joined by DD MASHONA early on the 19th from Scapa. The MLs were to have gone to Narvik, but they were held at Scapa 
MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER departed Scapa on the 29th, escorted by DD ATHERSTONE, arrived at Rosyth on the 30th. Sub SALMON arrived at Harwich after refitting at Chatham. Sub CLYDE sighted an enemy transport ship west of Stadlandet. However, the contact was lost in low visibility before the sub could attack. Fr sub CASABIANCA sighted a German convoy off Lister, but it was too distant to attack. FN.171 departed Southend, unescorted due to lack of escort vessels. The convoy was met en route by PV BREDA from convoy FS.170, and arrived at the Tyne 16th. FS.170 departed the Tyne, escort sloop GRIMSBY and BREDA, which detached en route to FN.171, arriving Southend 16th.


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## parsifal (May 13, 2015)

*14 May 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*North Sea (Part II)*
Dutch Waters
Fr TB L'INCOMPRISE was bombed and damaged while supporting the defense of Bergen op Zoom, Holland. Despite the efforts of troops ashore and of L'INCOMPRISE, Fr SCs CH.6, CH.9, CH.41, Bergen op Zoom fell to German forces. As the fighting progressed in Zuid Beveland towards Walcheren, Fr DDs FOUGUEUX and FRONDEUR arrived on the 16th to support troops ashore. They were joined by DDs WOLSEY and VIMIERA. The Fr DDs bombarded the Germans advancing on Sth Beveland. 

Fr DDs CYCLONE and SIROCCO departed Dover and arrived off the Dutch Coast on the 17th. During the forenoon of 17 May, the Fr DDs bombarded German troops. DDs WOLSEY and VIMIERA provided AA protection. Allied troops were withdrawn to Walcheren and some 300 more arrived from Zuid Beveland. Before Walcheren fell on the 18th, 1800 allied troops were evacuated by Fr TBs BOUCLIER, BRANLEBAS, FLORE, CORDELIERE, MELPOMENE. On the 14th, DD HAVOCK entered Ijmuiden and soon departed with some refugees after disembarking an agent on a special mission. Late that evening HAVOCK again entered Ijmuiden. Early on the 14th, DD VALENTINE embarked ammunition brought to Dunkirk by DD WHITSHED. 

DDs WINCHESTER and WHITSHED departed Dunkirk to join DD KEITH for Operation ORDNANCE, evacuation of the Hook of Holland.
DDs WHITLEY and WESTMINSTER from Flushing were also ordered to ORDNANCE. DD WESTMINSTER departed Flushing for the Hook of Holland. DDs WHITLEY and VIMIERA were already firing on attacking LW a/c while patrolling off Flushing. DD VALENTINE arrived back at Flushing from Dunkirk at 2030. In Operation ORDNANCE, DD KEITH , BOREAS , BRILLIANT , VERITY , WIVERN WOLSEY departed Dover in the morning to evacuate troops at Hook of Holland. They rendezvoused at sea with DDs WHITLEY , WHITSHED WINCHESTER which came from Dunkirk. The DDs joined MALCOLM, VESPER , WESTMINSTER which were already at Hook of Holland and the evacuation took place as planned. The naval operation was supported by 4 Blenheims and 12 Hurricanes. DD WHITSHED was the first embarked and she departed at 1230 on the 14th. DD VESPER was damaged by near misses at about this time. DD VESPER was repaired at Dover, completing repairs on 3 June. MALCOLM sustained some damage from near misses as well. DD WHITSHED, which departed Dover at 0430/14th, evacuated 300 of the Gds Bn, the Heywood Mission, consular officials left Hook of Holland arrived at Dover at 1900/14th. DD BOREAS ran into stern of DD BRILLIANT's. The DDs were escorted by DD WINCHESTER as far as the West Hinder Buoy. They reached the Downs that evening and anchored for the night. DDs BOREAS and BRILLIANT were repaired at Blackwall, completing 17-19 June. After escorting the damaged BOREAS and BRILLIANT, DD WINCHESTER proceeded to Flushing. DDs MALCOLM, VESPER, WESTMINSTER arrived at Dover late on the 14th with the first load of evacuees, the Marines landing party, the XD Hook of Holland demolition party, civilians, 150,000 pounds sterling in diamonds on board DD MALCOLM.

Just after the Dutch surrender came into effect at 2200, the remaining 350 Gds were embarked at Hook of Holland on DD VESPER.
To block the Hook of Holland, torpedoes were to be fired at the North Breakwater to try and silt up the harbour. DDs KEITH, WIVERN, VERITY, WOLSEY were detached for this duty. DD WIVERN was damaged by the near misses by the LW A total of 11 torps were fired. The damaged WIVERN returned to Dover arriving on the 14th. She was repaired at Portsmouth completing repairs on 20 June. Early on the 15th, WESTMINSTER and VIMIERA arrived at Dover. VENOMOUS, which had picked up some of the XD AIjmuiden demolition party and 50 civilians at sea from a tug and a motor launch, arrived at Dover on the evening of the 15th. The evacuation was declared completed. DDs KEITH, VERITY, WOLSEY were withdrawn from the Hook of Holland setting course for Dover. However at the last minute the DDs were ordered to embark Dutch troops at Scheveringen and the Hook of Holland. British steamers CANTERBURY, MONA'S ISLE, MAID OF ORLEANS, KING GEORGE V and DDs were sent to Ijmuiden and Texel. Formal surrender was signed on the 15th, which prevented this last minute evac. The opn was cancelled. DD WESSEX arrived at Dover.

Significant elements of the Dutch Navy managed to escape. CL JACOB VAN HEEMSKERCK, was towed away on the 10th, and arrived in the Downs on the 11th. CL SUMATRA arrived in the Humber on the 11th. Ne DD ISAAC SWEERS, also incomplete, was also towed from Flushing on the 10th by Ne tug ZWARTSEE to England. The DD and tug arrived at the Downs on the 11th in the company of subs O.21, O.22, tug SCHELDT. Sub O.21 departed Flushing on the 10th escorted by Dutch tug SCHELDE. They arrived in the Downs on the 11th. Sub O.22 departed Flushing on the 10th in tow for Dover. The submarine arrived in the Downs on the 11th. CL JACOB VAN HEEMSKERCK and DD ISAAC SWEERS were sent on to Spithead, arriving on the 12th. The CL was able to accompany CL SUMATRA in June on a voyage to Halifax, but returned to complete construction 17 February 1941. Ne subs O.9, O.10, O.13, O.21, O.22, O.23, O.24 were able to escape to England. Subs O.23 and O.24 departed Rotterdam late on the 13th. 
Sub O.13 arrived at Dover on the 12th escorted by Ne MSW JAN VAN GELDER. Ne Subs O.13, O.21, O.22 and MSW JAN VAN GELDER arrived at Portsmouth on the 12th. Ne Subs O.9, O.10, O.24 arrived in the Downs on the 13th escorted by ML WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN. Ne Sub O.23 arrived unescorted in the Downs on the 13th. Subs O.9, O.10, O.23, O24 arrived at Portsmouth, via Dover, on the 16th. In addition O.14 and O.15, which were sent to the NEI. 

*Northern Waters*
FURIOUS and GLORIOUS departed the Clyde escort DDs DIANA, VETERAN, VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON for ops off Norway. DD AMAZON was recalled from an ASW sweep on the 14th. She departed Scapa to relieve WITHERINGTON. CL AURORA, CLA COVENTRY, DD FAME and WREN bombarded Narvik. DD SOMALI and Fr DD FOUDROYANT departed Harstad with ammunition for allied troops at Mo. These DDs operated in area of Bodo, Ranenfjord, Mo, Hemnes during the day. DD FOUDROYANT bombarded German targets at Hemnes and Sund. The ships returned towards Harstad early the next day. ORP troopship CHROBRY departed Tjelsundet for Bodo with DD WOLVERINE and sloop STORK escorting and screened by CLA CURLEW. In low level bombing attacks, troopship CHROBRY was hit and eventually lost. The survivors were returned to Harstad.

In air combat off Skaanland near Tranoy, 2 Skuas of 803 Squadron from aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL were lost. One crew was shot down, and KIA, the other ran out of fuel and ditched. They survived, but the A/C was lost. DD FEARLESS departed Scapa for Middlesbrough for refitting arriving on the 15th. DD HASTY departed Scapa for Plymouth en route to the Med Flt. 
DD JACKAL and JAVELIN departed Scapa for Harwich. DD NUBIAN departed Scapa for Plymouth and then on to the Med with 1200 extra HE shells than normal load out. 

*West Coast UK*
DD GRENADE departed Liverpool on the 13th and arrived at Dover on the 14th, but as she entered the port, she collided with ASW trawler CAYTON WYKE. GRENADEs watertight integrity was compromised and required docking which was undertaken at done at Harwich, completing on the 25th. 

*SW Approaches*
AMCs PATROCLUS, AUSTURIAS, CARINTHIA, DERBYSHIRE, CHESHIRE were ordered to patrol off Vigo and Lisbon in readiness to intercept Italian merchant ships if Italy entered the war. 4 AMCs, CANTON, CORFU, MALOJA, MONTCLARE, were ordered on the 21st to relieve these AMCs on this detail. AMC ASTURIAS' assignment was unaffected. The patrol was maintained until the 31st.

*Channel*
DDs INGLEFIELD and SIKH were detached from their duties as escort screen for the Carriers for Plymouth, arriving at Plymouth for refitting on the 17th, which lasted until 8 June. SIKH for boiler cleaning. She was diverted en route to Scapa, where she arrived on the 16th. Fr CL MONTCALM and DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS departed the Clyde to return to Brest, arriving on the 15th. 

*Nth Atlantic*
2 Brit Troopships departed the Clyde at 1900 with troops to relieve the Marine garrison taken to Iceland the week before. Escort was provided by FOXHOUND and HAVANT. DD FOXHOUND departed Reykavik on the 19th and landed troops at Akreyri during the morning of 20 May. After safe delivery of the troops, the British force arrived back in the Clyde on the 25th.

*Sth Atlantic*
In the Sth Atlantic, DKM Raider ORION refuelled from DKM tkr WINNETOU , which had departed Las Palmas on 9 April. WINNETOU went on to refuel ORION again on 20 June before setting off for Japan.

*Other*
DD Transfers from the Home Flt:
To the Nore Command, 
DesFlot 1 DDs CODRINGTON , GRAFTON, GRENADE, GRIFFIN, GREYHOUND, BURZA, BLYSKAWICA (on completion of repairs from depot ship WOOLWICH). 
DesFlot 7, DDs JACKAL, JAVELIN, JAGUAR. DDs JERVIS, JERSEY, JUPITER (on completion of repairs and refittings). 

To the Med Flt, 
DesFlot 2, DDs HYPERION, HOSTILE, HEREWARD, HAVOCK, HASTY and HERO
DesFlot 3, DDs ILEX and IMPERIAL. 
DesFlot 4, DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK. 
DesFlot 5, DDs KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM, KINGSTON, KIMBERLEY. 
DesFlot 7, DDs JANUS and JUNO


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## parsifal (May 13, 2015)

*14 May RAF Air Operations*
[UNFINISHED]

1 Sqn (Hurri)
Sedan, 3 a/c lost, 1 KIA, 1 MIA, all believed lost to Me 110s of ZG 26 in the disastrous attacks on Sedan. F/O Clisbie (an Australian) is killed when he bales out. He was the first Australian ace of the war.
3 Sqn
Sgt D. A. Allen, in L1591 shot down by Ju 87 and killed near Sedan.
P/O F R. Carey, in L1932 was – WIA but safe A/C damaged by Do17 of 3(F)/11 near Hamme-Mille. Made a forced landing. Injured. A/c later burnt.
P/O M.M. Stephens in L2541 - Made a forced landing near Sedan, south of Annelles. Pilot safe, A/C burnt.
P/O C.G. Jeffries in L2908 Damaged by Me110 in Sedan area, bailed out and returned to unit

4 Sqn (Lysander)
4 Sqn conducts recce flights above the KW Line. The airmen report that refugees from Brussels and Louvain (Leuven) are being fired upon by LW strafers so as to increase panic. P/O Hankey - believed safe. Sgt Lewis - believed safe in P1711 a/c crashed at Outer, near Aspelaere advanced landing ground, a/c a write-off.

F/O T C. Clarke, , A/Cman W S. Rodulson, Both KIA. Took off at 17.20 hrs. Presumed to have been shot down by Oberlt Kupka, Me 109, 9./JG3 during sortie over Gembloux, 18.30 hrs. The Lysander crashed in the village Campagne du Reck, near St.-Remigius-Geest.

P/O D M. Barbour, L4745 Tac Recon over Brussels, Failed to return, 18.30 hrs.

12 Sqn (Battle)
A disastrous raid on 14 May saw another 5 out of 6 aircraft lost, and the withdrawal of the Battle sqns from the daytime war. The Squadron moved to Echimines, where a few night raids were flown, with mixed success.

15 Sqn (Blen), 50 Sqn, 144 Sqn and 61 Sqn (Hampden)
7 Blens (from 15 sqn) by day and 12 Hampdens (by nigh)t participated in the second series of raids on the bridges in Maastricht. 6 Blens were lost in the daylight attacks, 1 returned, but was judged too damaged to repair. 14 aircrew dead, 4 PoWs, 1 WIA, 2 survived. No losses to the night attackers. 3 a/c of No. 144 Sqn and 3 of No. 61 Sqn, bombed German lines of communication between Eindhoven and the German city Aachen. 6 a/c of No. 50 Sqn bombed the bridges at Maastricht and Maaseyk. 2 a/c returned with their loads still onboard, for they had not been able to locate any targets. The results of these missions are unknown.

2 Gp (21, 107 and 110 Sqns)
After attacks of Sqns 12, 105, 139, 150 and 218 came an attack by Blenheim sqns of Uk based 2 Gp.21, 107 and 110 Sqns tasked 30 Blenheims to bomb targets at Sedan and were provided with a ftr escort by the RAF and FAF. The a/c of 107 Squadron all bombed enemy columns despite being subjected to moderate flak, which damaged 5 a/c. All returned to base. 110 Squadron encountered Bf 109s and intense flak whilst making low level bombing attacks on enemy columns losing 5 of their number. 21 Sqn met similar opposition attacking pontoon bridges and troop columns. 1 Blen was shot down and 2 returned to base, but subsequently written off.

26 sqn (Lysander)
Reconnaissance, 1 Plane lost, 1 WIA

32 sqn (Hurri)
During the Battle for France F/O Mike N. Crossley of 32 Sqdn. shot down 7 enemy a/c, including 4 Bf 109's, and was awarded the D.F.C. on the 21st of June 1940.
The first recorded mission was on the 14 May. On this day 11 Hurris carried out the sqns first patrol over the continent, with no loss

57 sqn (Blen)
recon NL. 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA, a/c shot down by a Me109, flown by Leutnant Liegnitz of 1/JG20, over Babberich (Gelderland, NL).
Recon 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA, Crashed 0800 near the Baaasrode - Dendermonde road (Oost-Vlaanderen), 25 km ESE of Genk.

59 sqn (Blen)
2 Planes lost, 6 MIA, Unknown Mission details or cause of loss

73 sqn (Hurri)
4 Planes lost, 3 KIA, 5 Hurris scrambled in pursuit of bombers reported attacking a convoy on the Givet-Namur road. They however became involved in combat with German fighters from numerous locations (Me 109s and 110s, multiple stafelns). 1 enemy Me110 is brought down (possibly from III/ZG26), but out of ammo lose 3 on the return and 1 written off.

77Sqn 102 sqn (Whitley)
18 Wellingtons, 12 Whitleys and 12 Hampdens in various ops attack Aachen, München-Gladbach and Breda and Roosendaal respectively. 1 Hampden lost. Minelaying carried out by 22 Hampdens off German and Danish coasts.RAF Bomber Command: 4 Group (Whitley). Bombing - road/rail communications - Monchen-Gladbach. 77 Sqn. 7 aircraft all bombed, moderate opposition. 102 Sqn. 5 aircraft all bombed, moderate opposition.

57 sqn (Blen)
recon NL. 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA, a/c shot down by a Me109, flown by Leutnant Liegnitz of 1/JG20, over Babberich (Gelderland, NL).
Recon 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA, Crashed 0800 near the Baaasrode - Dendermonde road (Oost-Vlaanderen), 25 km ESE of Genk.

59 sqn (Blen)
2 Planes lost, 6 MIA, Unknown Mission details or cause of loss


79 sqn (Hurri)
Patrol. 2 Planes lost, 1 MIA, 1 WIA, no details on MIA, P/O J.E.R. Wood bailed out after a bringing down a Ju 88, nth of Leuze. Injured.

82 sqn (Blen)
Breda, NL, 6 Blen Mk.IV bombers of No.82 attacked German targets on the roads nth of Breda and Tilburg. All returned home safely.


103 sqn (Battle)
bridges, 1 DOW At around 0800, 8 Battles, led by Flying Officer J R Havers, took off shortly after 05:00 to attack 3 pontoon bridges over the Meuse between Neuvion and Douzy. The a/c were subjected to heavy flak over the target but 1 bridge was claimed as hit. The Battle of Sgt C D. Perry was hit by flak and badly damaged. The pilot was severely wounded in the thigh and stomach but he was able to return the a/c back to the vicinity of the airfield and crash land when he felt he was about to pass out. Sgt Perry immediately evacuated to England but died hospital in June 1940. He was awarded a DFM for his bravery.

Sedan, 3 a/c lost, 2 KIA , at 15:30 8 Battles took off to bomb bridges in the Sedan area where they encountered fierce flak and ftr opposition and 3 a/c were lost. 1 was brought down by flak with crew lost, as was another after release of bombload, with crew wounded, the 3rd loss was to a Bf 109, crew survived.

105 sqn (Battle)
Sedan 7 a/c lost, 9 KIA, 3 MIA, 3 POW. As the numbers show, the sqn suffered horrendous losses on this day. Between 1500 and 1600 hours the entire force of available Battles and Blenheims was flung against the same objectives as had decimated the FAF that morning. The Me.109's absent in the morning, were now on guard. No. 12 Sqn lost 4 a/c out of 5; No. 105 Squadron, 7 out of 11; No. 150 Squadron, 4 out of 4; No. 139 Squadron, 4 out of 6; No. 218 Squadron, 10 out of 11. In all, from the 71 bombers which took off, 40 did not return. No higher rate of loss in an operation of comparable size has ever been experienced by the Royal Air Force before or since. It is literally the worst day in the history of the RAF

107 sqn (Blen)
After attacks of Sqns No. 12, 103, 105, 139, 150 and 218 came an attack by Blenheim sqns of Uk based 2 Gp. 21 Sqn, 107 Sqn and 110 Sqn tasked 30 Blenheims to bomb targets at Sedan and were provided with a fighter escort by the RAF and FAF. The a/c of 107 Sqn all bombed enemy columns despite being subjected to moderate flak, which damaged 5 a/c. All returned to base. 110 Sqn encountered Bf 109s and intense flak whilst making low level bombing attacks on enemy columns losing 5 of their number. 21 Sqn met similar opposition attacking pontoon bridges and troop columns. 2 Blens were lost to fighter attack and another was written off in a crash landing on return to base at Bodney. The returning air gunners claimed several Bf 109s shot down.


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## parsifal (May 13, 2015)

*14 May - The BEF*

In one of the great mysteries of the war, the following an announcement on the BBC news service: 



> “The admiralty have made an order requiring all owners of self propelled pleasure craft between 30 and 100 feet to send any further particulars of them to the Admiraltywithin 14 days, if these craft have not already been offered or requisitioned”.



That in reality was the beginning of Operation Dynamo. But that simple order is one of the miracles of the war. It was made by some very far sighted and unknown naval officer in the Admiralty read out as part of the 9pm evening news. It was amazing because no requisition for the announcement has ever been found, the identity of the person making the announcement never established, and was made at a time when, for the BEF no crisis existed. Yet somewhere in Whitehall, a staff officer had the foresight to be able to see the possible outcome of current operations and take the momentous step of making the announcement. Moreover without that precious 5 days of organizing and collating, it would not have been possible for the navy to achieve what it did

For the next five days the Admiralty busily collated and recorded, gathering details of over 600 additional vessels for a possible eventuality. By the evening of the 19th May the prospect of massive evacuations was fast becoming the nightmare reality for the Navy






Belgian Armour
The Belgian army was largely devoid of armoured support, the Belgians in the pre-war period considered tanks an "offensive" weapon. They placed greater emphasis on defensive fortifications and in the lead up to war invested heavily in modernising the fixed frontier defences. But it is not entirely correct to say the Belgians had no tanks.

In May 1940 the Belgian army could deploy 22 divisions (mostly infantry ones - 100,000 men for the standing army, 440,000 mobilized recruits in 1939, and 900,000 total with reserves in May 1940, an astonishing feat for a 8 million population) and about 200 AFVs spread into "penny packets" among divisions, and nearly 700 towed antitank guns either by artillery tractors, trucks or Ford-based Marmon Herrington armored cars. Total strength was only 2 fully mechanized divisions, one armored regiment and two motorized divisions. Later on until 14 May, withdrawn Belgian units held Liege and Namur, executing demolition mission and delaying actions. Some of these patrols, largely equipped with T13s, scored some kills against nearly all Panzer types involved. The FRC 47 mm (1.85 in) was quite effective at medium and short range and could go through and Panzer III/IV frontal glacis (30 to 50 mm/1.18-1.97 in thick). On the other hand, they fell prey to nearly all German tank and AT gun types involved -with the notable exception of the flimsy Panzer-I, due to their obvious lack of armor.

The known armoured strength of the Belgian army in 1940 was;

T15 : 42 built 1936-38, based on the Vickers Carden-Loyd Mk.VI (6-ton light tank). They were shipped from Britain. 

Infantry tanks
- FT18 : Approximately 75 FT-18s (equipped with 37 mm/1.45 in guns) were still in service by 1938, but soon placed in reserve and depots and none was active when the war broke out. They were scheduled for replacement by the French-built ACG-1. 
Medium tanks
- ACG-1 : 12 delivered of the 25 ordered in France. Local designation for the AMC-35.

Tank hunters
- SA FRC 47 mm gun carriers : 6 converted to carry the main Belgian antitank gun, built by the "Fonderie Royale de Canons" at Liege.
- T13 B1 : 35 vehicles. Equipped with a semi-traversing turret firing backwards. Same gun.
- T13 B2 : 21 vehicles. Generally similar, converted using Vickers Carden Loyd VI tractors.
- T13 B3 : 250 vehicles. Completely redesigned version, with a fully traversing turret.
Armored cars
- Two vintage Minerva armored cars (Lt. Henkart 1914 makeshift conversion), armed with a single Hotchkiss machine gun.
- 90 Ford/Marmon-Herrington armored cars, built by Ford Antwerp and armored by "Rageno" at Mechelen, unarmed but used for towing the FRC 47 mm (1.85 in) gun.

Other tracked vehicles
- VCL model B Utility tractors. Unknown quantities. Two unarmed types. The infantry model, with short tracks and well armored, and cavalry model, faster, with longer tracks and less armor. They were used to deploy the FRC 47 mm (1.85 in).





_Belgian T13 B3 disabled and abandoned, captured and examined by German infantrymen, probably in late May 1940._

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## Marcel (May 13, 2015)

North
Heavy shelling on Kornwerderzand by German 88mm guns is stopped by the Dutch gunboat Hr Ms Johan Maurits, sailing on the Waddenzee. The ship is later sunk in an attempt to sail to the UK. The German army at the Afsluitdijk deides to sit this one out and no attempt is made to cross the dam. The dam would remain in Dutch hands until the capitulation. The Luftwaffe bombs Den Helder after the capitulation, later that day.

Hr.Ms. Johan Maurits





Grebbe
Isolated groups still resist at the line, preventing the SS to consolidate their breakthrough. The German army fails to advance to the Waterline, occupied by the retreating Dutch army. As the army is still in fighting condition, the news of the capitulation is recieved in disbelieve. Some groups could only be persuaded to put down arms by their superior officer next day.

Railway Bridge Beesd blown up by retreating Dutch soldiers





South
Defence continues along the river Merwede

Dutch troops fire on Nooder Eiland, Rotterdam. In the back 'De Hef', a railway bridge next to the Willemsbrug, occupied by German para's





Rotterdam
Dutch marines prepare to finally liberate the Willemsbrug. They are stopped in their tracks by the heavy bombardment that follows.
The bombing of Rotterdam is very controversial. Much remains a misery, even now after 75 years. The Dutch version is like this:
In the morning around 10.30h, the German commander Schmidt sends an ultimatum to the Dutch commander Colonel Sharroo. The capitulation of the city should have taken place by 12.30h, or the city would be destroyed. Smidt however fails to sign the document and because of this, the Dutch don't believe it is genuine. The ultimatum is returned with the request of a signed document. General Schmidt calls off the attack and writes a new ultimatum for 16.20h, this time signing it with his full name and rank. Schmidt doesn't know that the bombers are already in the air and fails to take measures to warn the crews to call off the attack. Just minutes after issueing the new ultimatum, German Heinkel 111 bombers appear over the city. Some see the hastly fired flares from the Noorderisland and drop their bombs elsewhere. But 54 bombers miss the fireworks and bomb the historic inner city with a total of 9700 kg bombs. The whole centre is destroyed, 900 people die. The city had no AAA. At 16.00h the city capitulates. 

Scenes on the street during the attack.









Devastation after the bombing, Rotterdam would never be the same again












View attachment 292415


Later that day, general Student is shot in the head by a random German shot. Believing he's been shot by the Dutch, German troops start to gather Dutch civilians for a mass execution. This is prevented just in time by General van Choltitz. Student survives the accident.

Threats to also bomb Utrecht and the general militairy situation forces the Dutch high command to capitulate at 17.00h. Capitulation doesn't count for the province of Zeeland, where Dutch and French troops keep resisting until May 19th. 

Dutch ordonance bringing the message of the surrender of the city of Rotterdam





Dutch cemetary at the Grebbeberg. Less we forget.....

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## Njaco (May 13, 2015)

*May 14 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT*: Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 11. Forces north of Liège to Namur are to hold down the greatest number of enemy forces. The Dutch Army is stronger than expected, and is to be broken quickly. Motorized divisions are to be transferred to Heeresgruppe A as soon as possible. 
http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/11.html

THE DAY OF THE FIGHTERS: 63 British Battles bombers and eight Blenheim bombers make a series of raids on German bridgeheads over the Meuse River. 40 planes are shot down. In air battles around the Sedan area, as the French try to stop the German breakthrough, the Luftwaffe claim eighty-nine Allied aerial victories. 

The fighters of JG 53 under the command of Hans-Jurgen von Cramon-Taubadel are very active over France. The I Gruppe of JG 53, led by Jan von Jansen is one of the more successful as Oblt. Hans-Karl Mayer of I./JG 53 scores a ‘five-in-one-day’ tally, two Fairey Battles, two Blenheims and a single Hurricane of the Gruppe’s total claims of thirteen RAF aircraft destroyed. This adds to his score of eight Spanish victories with the Legion Condor. Hans Ohly of the Gruppe claims three kills. Hptm. Mölders of III./JG 53, who claims his eleventh victory on this date, a Hurricane, is shot down by French fighters but survives without injuries. By the end of the day JG 53 claims a total of forty-three Allied aircraft destroyed. Only thirty-one out of seventy-one RAF bombers, which have taken off to halt the Blitzkrieg, return from their mission. Close to sixty per cent of all the RAF bombers sent into action fail to return, forcing the British to comment;


> “No higher rate of loss in an operation of comparable size has ever been experienced by the RAF.”



Oblt. Hans ‘Assi’ Hahn of 4./JG 2 in his first engagement against enemy fighters shoots down two RAF Hurricanes to begin his victory tally as well as Ofw. Erich Rudorffer of I./JG 2 who destroys a French Hawk 75.

As von Kleist’s armoured columns move through the Ardennes, so do the supporting Luftwaffe units. Several Gruppen and the Stab of JG 2 leave their forward airfields and arrive at an airbase outside of the city of Bastogne. Obstlt. Von Bülow-Bothkamp’s Stab./JG 2 transfer their Bf 109s from Wengerohr while Hptm. Jürgen Roth’s I./JG 2 leaves the airfield at Bassenheim for the new airbase. Joining the Stab and I Gruppe at Bastogne is the III./JG 2 led by Major Dr. Erich Mix, who leave the airfield at Ferschweiler. The Bf 109s of II./JG 2 led by Hptm. Wolfgang Schnellmann transfer from Hamminkeln after only a few days and arrive at an airfield near Peer.

THE DESTRUCTION OF ROTTERDAM: One hundred He 111 bombers from KG 54 are sent to bomb Rotterdam. Shortly after noon, a Dutch officer arrives at General Rudolf Schmidt’s 9.Panzerkorps headquarters to negotiate the surrender of the city. An attempt is made to recall the bomber force but the order is not received by the aircrews because the radio operators in the bombers are manning their guns. The Heinkels drop their loads and the city is destroyed. Casualties are 814 Dutch civilians killed and 78,000 made homeless. Much of the city is in flames including a margarine factory whose oil feeds the flames for several hours. This “act of force” forces the Danes to sue for peace and German troops begin to enter the city. Netherlands Commander in Chief General Henri Gerard Winkelman orders the cessation of hostilities around Rotterdam and Utrecht. Dutch have 2300 dead, 7000 wounded (plus 3000 civilians killed). German lose 2900 killed and missing, 7000 wounded and 1300 airborne troops, captured on the first day, imprisoned in Britain. The British War Cabinet reacts by removing an order restraining aerial bombers from attacks near civilian areas. General Schmidt will be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 June 1940 for his role in the campaign in Holland.

Rommel secures his narrow bridgehead at Dinant by personally leading 30 tanks to drive French and Belgian troops back 3 miles to the Belgian border village of Onhaye (his tank is hit and a shell splinter wounds his cheek). 7.Panzerdivision crosses the Meuse in strength. French tank units in both areas, but especially at Sedan fail to put in any concerted counterattacks and are brushed aside. Fifteen French light tanks and infantry attack the German 1.Schützen-Regiment bridgehead over the Meuse River around Bulson, France, about five miles south of Sedan. By 0940 hours, with four tanks left, the French retreat south. Once across the river the Germans drive west, cutting a huge gap between the French 9th Army (Corap) and 2nd Army (Huntziger) -- which has no orders on which way to retreat. German forces capture Sedan and Donchery. 

.


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## Njaco (May 13, 2015)

*May 14 Tuesday* (_continued_)
THE BATTLE OF HANNUT – DAY THREE: General Stumpff's 3rd Pz. Div. was to engage the new Allied line near Gembloux, whilst General Stever and the 4th Pz. Div. were to break through its centre at Perwez. Hoepner ordered the attack to commence without infantry support, but could not break through the French positions. The 4th Pz. Div. engaged French armour, which resisted heavily in wooded areas around Perwez. After hard fighting the French defences were destroyed with the help of German infantry. The French First Army had redistributed and spread its tank battalions behind the infantry. Spread out and unsupported, they were defeated by the concentration of numerically superior German combined arms teams. The 3rd Pz. Div. was halted due to fierce resistance from 2nd DLM. Bitter fighting resulted and the appearance of large numbers of French tanks panicked the German Command into thinking a major counter-attack was developing, when in fact they were just rearguard actions. Both sides suffered significant losses in armour, but as night fell the 2nd DLM halted rearguard actions and the German Command regained its composure. The Allied forces had gained themselves time to reorganize their forces to respond to another major German assault on 15 May. The Battle of Hannut was over.

*ASIA: *Hong Kong authorities issue a reminder to women and children to register for evacuation in case of emergency.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British Secretary of State for War Anthony Eden broadcasts a call for a volunteer home-defense force from men in reserve occupations or too old or young for military service. This force is to be called the Local Defence Volunteers. Within 24 hours, 250,000 men enroll in what in July will become the far more effective title of Home Guard.

In Great Britain, Lord Beaverbrook is appointed minister of aircraft production. This ministry reported to the War Cabinet, and was responsible for setting aircraft production priorities.

The British Admiralty required the owner of large boats to send in specifications within two weeks. (_see parsifal's post above._)

Winston Churchill told American Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy that even if Britain was to be conquered by Germany, the British government would continue the fight from Canada with the Royal Navy.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Six British bombers drop four bombs half a mile inside Swedish territory, during a battle at Bjoernfjell, Norway. No damage is done.

A transport carrying a large part of the British 24th Guards Brigade to join the holding forces south of Narvik is bombed and sunk by the Germans. Much equipment is lost.

.


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## nuuumannn (May 14, 2015)

Thank you Marcel, have sent you a Pee Emm.


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## parsifal (May 14, 2015)

*15 May 1940 (Part I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Sims Class DD USS BUCK 






*Losses*
*Aux MSW DUQUESNE II (Fr 181 grt )* and *Aux MSW HENRE GUEGAN (Fr 251 grt)* were both sunk by mines at the mouth of the Scheldt

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer EVGENIA (Gk 5839 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW, off Red Buoy, outside Zeebrugge. All the crew was saved. The steamer was abandoned on the 16th and sank as a result of this bombing on the 18th.





*Steamer FOSCOLO (Italy 3059 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW when she was bombed in error six miles NE of Zeebrugge. She capsized and sank on 18 May.





*ML HYDRA (RNeN 593 grt)* was beached on the coast of Zeeland following damage by German AT. She was subsequently scuttled.





*Pilot Vessel LOODSBOOT No.1 (Ne 626 grt)* struck a mine and sank in the Westerscheldt.





*Dredger MA West (RN 96 grt)* sank in the Nth Sea off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Cause not found

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DDs VALENTINE, WINCHESTER, WHITLEY were operating off Flushing during the night of 14/15 May. At 1300, destroyers VALENTINE and WHITLEY were ordered to cover the Terneusen - Brosele Ferry. Destroyer VALENTINE (Cdr H.J. Buchanan RAN), at the mouth of the River Scheldt within a mile of Terneusen, was bombed and badly damaged by a Ju.88 . Struck by two bombs, *DD VALENTINE (RN 1188 grt)* was lost after her boiler exploded and she was run aground and was abandoned, a total loss. Thirty one ratings were killed and twenty one crew, including Probationary Temporary Surgeon Lt N. F. E. Burrows RMCS, LRCP, MD, BCH RNVR, Temporary Lt R. M. MacFie RNVR, Acting Gunner S. F. Burrow were wounded. Destroyer WHITLEY was bombed, but was not damaged. Destroyer WHITLEY blew up destroyer VALENTINE. Destroyer WHITLEY remained at Flushing during the afternoon and evening.





*Steamer ROSENHOLM (SD 1736 grt) *was seized by German forces at Bergen. The Swedish steamer was renamed OXHOFT for German use.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Naval Staff issued the following directive to Coastal Defense Commander, Southwest:commandeered, neutral shipping to T?e held. Only American, Russian, Italian and Japanese ships are to be released" It is laid down in the surrender protocol of the Dutch Navy
> that neutral merchantmen may not put out to sea from Dutch harbors. "Enemy Merchant shipping in Dutch or Belgian" harbors is to be seized."
> 
> Amongst other Ministerial appointments. Lord Beaverbrook, the newspaper magnate, has been appointed Minister of Aircraft Production,, A new defense organization, the "Local Defense Volunteers", has been- formed. Its purpose is to report and combat parachutists and it will be composed of volunteers from 17 to 75 years of age. The "Civil Defense Service" will continue as an independent body.
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> Naval War Staff has now decided that no more petrol is to be transported to Norway. UA and U 26 will therefore be reconverted to their normal state and U 25's conversion for petrol transport has been cancelled. U 122, which is ready to sail at Kiel, will put to sea with the petrol she has on board, otherwise her sailing would have been delayed for about 6 days. A part of her remaining cargo of supplies would also have had to have been unloaded, as the light specific weight of petrol raises buoyancy and permits the boat to take a greater load.
> 
> U 37 sailed for the Atlantic.



Donitz notes the unpleasant and disturbing results of the intensive torpedo testing



> Experiments at the Torpedo Trials Department proved that the "AZ" unit of the pistol is liable to a high percentage of failures: premature release of the firing pin. Detonation of the priming. My suspicions of October and November and later that even the "AZ" does not always work, have thus been proved correct. The facts are worse than could ever have been suspected. I have been informed that the correct functioning of the "AZ" was considered to be proved in peacetime after only two shots and even these were not perfect. *A method of working such as this can only be regarded as criminal*.
> 
> The numerous defects of the torpedoes were only suspected bit by bit by B.d.U. on the basis of practical operational experiences and show up; premature detonations, failure of the impact firing unit, failure of the torpedo to fire, faulty depth keeping. In all cases the torpedo technicians either denied the possibility of a failure or else attributed it now to one cause, now to another. In all cases a basic defect was actually finally discovered.
> 
> ...


Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-37 

At Sea 15 May 1940
U-7, U-37, U-43. 
3 boats at sea


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## parsifal (May 14, 2015)

*15 May 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD MALCOLM departed Dover for docking at Blackwall to repair propellers damaged at Hook of Holland. DD WINCHESTER, en route from Flushing, was near missed by LW attacks early on the 15th off Hook of Holland and was badly damaged. DD WINCHESTER arrived at Dover. She departed Dover later that night on the 15th under tow for Portsmouth where she was beached temporarily. The DD was taken on to Liverpool for repairs completed in mid June. 

MSW HUSSAR off Orfordness was struck by a glancing German bomb. The bomb itself did little damage, but it set off a DC on the MSW, causing extensive damage. 3 crew were killed. The ship managed to return to Harwich under her own power, her repirs were not completed until 21 June. DD WESSEX departed Dover for the Humber. DDs WESTMINSTER and VIMIERA arrived at Dover from the Hook of Holland. After refuelled and taking on ammunition, they departed that evening for Dunkirk. DD WOLSEY departed Dover at 1600 for Dunkirk and Flushing. 

DD VESPER departed Dover for Sheerness. 5 Destroyers departed Harwich for Plymouth to prepare for transfer to the Med.....DDs HYPERION JUNO JANUS HOSTILE and MOHAWK. Also arriving for this same assignment were DDs KHARTOUM and KINGSTON. 

Submarine SEAWOLF sighted enemy MSWs off the Texel (Dutch coast). These MSWs were thought to be preceding merchant ships. The allied subs in these areas were told to remain to the east of their patrol zones. Sub SUNFISH arrived at Harwich after patrol. 
Sub depot ship CYCLOPS of SubFlot 3 and Fr depot ship JULES VERNE of SubFlot 10 departed Harwich for Rosyth. CYCLOPS was escorted by DDs CODRINGTON, GRIFFIN, GRAFTON, GALLANT. When the Humber was reached, CODRINGTON and GRIFFIN were detached. The group safely arrived at Rosyth on the 18th, escort DDs GRAFTON and GALLANT. JULES VERNE and subs CIRCE and THETIS departed Rosyth 25 may for Dundee. They were joined at sea by sub CALYPSO and safely arrived at Dundee later the same day. 

Subs H.49 and H.50 departed Dover with British trawler WARRIOR II for Portsmouth. On 18 May, after being delayed by fog, submarines H.28 and H.44 departed Dover escorted by British trawler WARRIOR II for Portsmouth, where they arrived on the 19th.
At Harwich after the departure of SubFlot 3, 5 H.class subs were brought from Portland for anti-invasion duties. These subs were H.31 and H.32, which were refitting at Sheerness, H.33, H.34, H.43. In addition, L. 27 was also attached to the Flotilla after completion of a refit at Portsmouth. DDs IVANHOE, ESK, EXPRESS of DesFlot 20 departed Immingham on the 15th and laid mines off Hook of Holland in Operation CBX 3. On 26 July, three DKM MSWs were lost on this minefield. DD INTREPID, departed Immingham to lay mines off Egmond in Operation CBX 2, an extension of the CBX minefield. DD WESTMINSTER arrived at Dover on the 15th to reprovision. Later that night however, the DD struck a wreck in the Dunkirk west channel approaches. She was considerably damaged, but sustained no casualties. WESTMINSTER was towed into Dunkirk and drydocked there on the 16th. On 20 May, tug LADY BRASSEY towed WESTMINSTER to Dover escort DD WOLSEY. Off Dover, WESTMINSTER was able to proceed on her own at 9 knots to Portsmouth where she was under until 7 July.

MSW ELGIN was damaged in a collision with the Grimsby Royal Dock,and was under repair until 8 June. Steamer BRABO (Belg 3699 grt) was damaged by the LW in the River Scheldt as was steamer PRINSES IRENE (Ne 400 grt). Dutch steamer TEXELSTROOM arrived at Dover with 268 German PoWs, the Dutch guard, and 31 refugees. Dutch steamer INSPECTOR GENERAL TWENT arrived at Dover with 50 of the Ijmuiden XD demolition party.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CARLISLE cleared Scapa for Devonport. DD SOMALI and Fr DD FOUDROYANT, returning from Mo, received the report of troopship CHROBRY's bombing and heavy damage. En route to assist, these DDs came under heavy attack from Ju87s and SOMALI was badly damaged by a near miss with her forward compartments flooded. SOMALI was escorted to Scapa by FOUDROYANT, screened by CLA CURLEW. Tug BRIGAND departed Lerwick on the 15th, but she was ordered to return that evening when it was found the CHOBRY could not be saved. CLA CURLEW arrived and Scapa on the 17th and the two DDs arrived at Scapa Flow a few hours later on the 18th. SOMALI was under repair at Liverpool until 1 September 1940. FOUDROYANT arrived at Scapa refuelled and proceeded to the Clyde escorting Fr tkr TARN as she did. DD FURY, after escorting the damaged KELLY departed the Tyne for Leith to escort troopship ORION to Pentland Firth. FURY and the troopship departed Leith on the 15th. DD MASHONA departed Scapa on the 16th to escort ORION, arriving at Greenock on the 17th after escorting ORION to 13W. DD ZULU, which had evacuated 150 allied troops from Mo, arrived in the Clyde after having been relieved by DD ACASTA in the damaged CL PENELOPEs screen. Later that evening ZULU received orders to remain at Greenock for escort duties.

DD BEDOUIN departed Scapa on the 14th for repairs in the Clyde, arriving on the 15th. A Swordfish of 816 Squadron ditched in Ofotfjord after receiving damage whilst attacking German seaplanes at Lake Hartvig, near Bjervik. The crew were picked up safe. 9 Skuas of 806 Squadron with 3 Blenheims of 254 Squadron as escort departed Hatston to raid Bergen, but were forced to return owing to fog. Sub PORPOISE laid minefield FD.11. ASW trawlers CAPE WARWICK and CAPE PORTLAND departed Scapa escorting oiler British GENERAL for Liverpool and Norwegian oiler EGERO for Trinidad as far as Cape Wrath. DD ILEX, departed Narvik on the 10th, was ordered on the 15th to proceed directly to Plymouth. 

FN.172 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE, VIMY, WINDSOR. MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER traveled in this convoy. On arrival off the Tyne, DDs VIVIEN and VALOROUS escorted the MLs to Rosyth. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 17th. FS.171 departed the Tyne, escort sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th.

*SW Approaches*
HG.30 of 27 ships cleared Gib escort DD KEPPEL which escorted the convoy from 15 to 17 May. Ocean escort was Sloop DEPTFORD from 15 to 25 May. DD WHITEHALL escorted the convoy in Home Waters from 22 to 25 May, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool. 

*UK-France*
Fr troopships DEGRASSE and COLOMBIE departed the Clyde for Brest. 

*Med- Biscay*
Sub RORQUAL, following repairs at Singapore, departed Singapore on 28 April, Colombo on the 3rd, Aden on the 10th arriving at Suez on the 15th. Sub RORQUAL arrived at Alexandria on the 16th, departing on the 20th, arrived at Malta on the 22nd for duty with the Med Flt. Fr DDs VERDUN, VALMY, GUÉPARD, ALBATROS, VAUTOUR, departed Brest on the 13th, passed Gib en route to Toulon, arriving on the 17th.

*Indian Ocean* 
RAN CL HOBART covered the disembarkation of the 2nd King's African Rifles at Berbera from 15 to 17 May.


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## parsifal (May 14, 2015)

*15 May 1940 _RAF Air Operations*
(Unfinished)
1 Sqn 
2 Hurris (L1681 L1943)are lost whilst engaging enemy formations. 8 enemy a/c are claimed in this clash, 4 are confirmed post war. Both RAF pilots are recovered safe

3 Sqn 
Flt Lt M M. Carter, in L2534, Shot and KIA down by a Me110 of II/ZG76 near Vouziers.
S/L Pat Gifford, DFC – In L1610 Made a forced landing near Wevelghem. Pilot safe, A/C salvaged Returned to unit.
P/O N D. Hallifax, PoW L2422 Shot down by Me110 of II/ZG76 near Zeebrugge.

12 Sqn (Battle)
Airborne 1016 from Echemines to bomb targets at various locations. Attacked by 6 Me109s near St-Fergeux (Ardennes), 12 km WNW of Rethel, , and crashed into a wood, possibly some distance from where the attack took place. P/O McElligott died from his wounds. LAC Burgess claims to have destroyed a Me109, despite serious wounds to his arms and legs.

No 13 (Lysander) 
P/O AC. Ollerenshaw, (NZ) (Air Gnr.) CF Lucas, A/C L4813 Crashed at 10.00 hrs in Bierbeek, near Louvain. Exact cause unknown, but possibly shot down by Oberlt Fronhöfer of 9./JG26

15, 607, 615, 40, 242 Sqn 
On 15 May Sqn Ldr Lance Smith of 607 (Hurri) Sqn led 11 Hurris in escort of a dozen Blenheims (3 of 15 Sqn and 9 of 40 Sqn), which were to bomb the bridges over the Meuse in the Dinant-Celles area.Before reaching the target they encountered Bf110Cs plus Bf109s from Stab III/JG 53 at 11,000 feet. In the ensuing combat Sqn Ldr JR Kayall of 615 Squadron claimed 2 Bf110s while F/O H. N. Fowler claimed a probable Bf109 before being shot down himself (he parachuted safely but was later taken PoW). 607 Sqn claimed 2 Bf109s shot down, one by Whitty, who reported seeing the pilot bale out of the aircraft he attacked, and the other by newly attached P/O Grassick of 242 Sqn's B Flight. Sqn Ldr Smith was KIA. 3 Hurris were claimed by III/JG 53 and were credited to Hauptmann Werner Mölders, Oberleutnant Heinz Wittenberg and Leutnant Georg Claus, while 2 of the Blens (1 from 15 sqn) were shot down by Bf109s of 1/JG 3 encountered when NW of Charleroi.

26 sqn (Lysander)
Tactical recon Plane lost, crew unhurt

44 sqn (Hampden) F/O LJ. Ashfield, KIA, P/O CD. Crawley,KIA, Obs Sgt FW. McKinlay,KIA, Cpl (W. Op./Air Gnr.) F Preston, KIA; A/C P4286 Lost Airborne from Waddington. Crashed at Oosterhout (Noord-Brabant), 8 km NE of Breda, Holland.

49 Sqn (Hampden), 115 sqn (Wellington) 
In the first large-scale BC attack on German industrial targets, 99 a/c bomb 16 targets in the Ruhr area. This raid effectively marks the start of the Bomber Offensive against Germany. No a/c are lost to enemy action, however, a Wellington of No.115 Sqn is blown off course and crashes into high ground near Rouen in France and the 5 aircrew aboard are killed.

53 sqn (Blen)
Recon 1 a/c lost, 3 a/c damaged, 2 KIA, 1 MIA , 1 a/c slightly damaged, 1 a/c brought down by friendly fire from 504 (Hurri), another damaged in FF incident from 73 sqn, one a/c damaged from fire by Me 110.

59 sqn (Blen)
1 Plane lost, 1 KIA, unknown cause or mission details

73 sqn (Hurri) 
2 Planes lost, 1 WIA, On a sortie S/L J.W.C. More and F/Lt Scoular shared in the destruction of He111 A1+LK of 2/KG53 which crashed Grandpré, SE of Vouziers. The pilot Oberleutant Walter Klue and one other were killed, while the remaining 3 members of the crew were captured. The 2 allied losses occur in subsequent engagements with enemy interceptors, as 73 sqn returns low on ammo and fuel. Unable to engage properly both a/c are lost when the pilots bale out following damage in combat with pursuing Me-110's of ZG2, west of Vouzières

103 sqn (Battle)
Evac order 
3 hrs notice received to evacuate Betheneville. Sqn equipment had been loaded during 15th May in preparation for evac. The main party left at 0130 hours. All serviceable Battle and Hurri a/c took off at first light. Difficulty experienced with transport and the evac of Ftr Sqn personnel who were without sufficient vehicles. In view of the uncertainty of the rapidity and extent of enemy the advance, all sqn personnel who could not be evacuated were held in readiness to withdraw across country on foot. Surplus personnel of the ftr sqn were ordered to rendezvous on the West side of the river Suippe as the enemy were constantly attempting to bomb the bridge across the river, and it was considered that mechanical transport should stop on that side to prevent being cut off.

105 sqn (Battle)
2 of the Battle sqns—Nos. 105 and 208—had only 4 a/c left between them; these and the surviving crews were transferred to the other Battle sqns.


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## parsifal (May 14, 2015)

*15th May - The BEF*

Having successfully established a bridgehead across the Meuse at several points, the Panzers pressed on. Both 5th and 7th Pz XXs made contact with the tanks of 1DCR in the afternoon of 15 May. The French tanks had at last located their fuel tankers and rather slowly were in the process of refueling. The Char B tanks were short of fuel and reduced to the role of static pillboxes. By sunset, the French had lost 108 tanks to the more agile and better supported Panzer formations. Another 30 or so of the surviving 50 tanks were lost during the night retreat as tanks ran out of fuel or broke down. The next day, the few remaining French tanks were finished off by Rommel at Avesnes. Whilst there were other factors contributing to the destruction of this key allied formation, overwhelmingly it was the very poor command and control and sluggish response times of the French command that caused its loss. This was a critical loss for the allies 

The Battle Of Gembloux - The French show some potential
The resistance of the cavalry corps (2e DLM and 3e DLM) from 12th to 14th May 1940 allowed the deployment of the 1e DM (Division Marocaine = Moroccan infantry division - General Mellier) and the 15e DIM (Division d'Infanterie Motorisée = motorized infantry division - General Juin) around Gembloux, on a front of 12 km. Note that during this battle each division had to defend a 5-7 km front as intended for a French infantry division instead of 20-30 km for the infantry divisions around Sedan. The tanks of the cavalry corps were still involved on the beginning of 14th May and the artillery of the cavalry corps reinforced the French units at Gembloux. In Gembloux, the French infantry/artillery couple will face with success the German Panzer/Luftwaffe couple of the so-called "Blitzkrieg





In detail, Hoepner had decided to throw his tanks with available artillery and air spt at a solid French defence rather than wait another day to bring up his 2 Inf XXs for a more powerful effort. Encouraged by his superiors to attack before the enemy could further prepare himself, he decided at about 20:00 on 14 May not to wait. 6A intel continued to insist that the Allies were retreating, ordering XVI Corps to pursue and claiming that German tanks were already west of Gembloux (which was false). Nonetheless, at 22:45 the corps ordered an assault by 3rd and 4th Pz XXs for 08:00 of 15 May with the railroad line on both sides of Tilly, well beyond the French defences at Gembloux, as the first objective. FK VIII with the artillery available would support an assault on both sides of Ernage on a front of less than 6 km . Engineer units were to repair the blown bridges and crossroads left behind by the Allies, these demolitions were intended to disrupt logistics but were inneffective.

4th Rifle Brigade of 4PzXX began to deploy 3 bns in line from Gembloux to Ernage, echeloned back on their left flank. In addition to air spt, one artillery regiment would fire a 30-minute preparation on the French main position, then fire smoke shell to blanket Gembloux, following which, both his artillery regts and a hvy bn would concentrate on counterbattery fire and areas impenetrable to armour. 88 mm AA guns would neutralize enemy bunkers (of which, however, there were none). As the infantry crossed the railroad line they were to fire white starshell. At this signal, 5th Pz Bde would break cover and charge the French position together with the riflemen. Pursuit in the direction of Nivelles would follow. Stumpff's plan for 3rd Pz XX is less clear. He too put his infantry ahead of the tanks with Stuka and artillery spt, ordering a few tank units to support the infantry. His first objective was to reach two hills west of the line Chastre-Noirmont. The mass of the German armour would wait in reserve to deal with enemy armour or to exploit the breakthrough.

To the Pz Divs'​ right, the German IV Korps was to engage in bitter fighting in the morning of 15 May and at 09:20 hours warned its divs that a "decisive battle" was developing on the Dyle. The corps ordered a concentrated effort in the Ottignies area at the boundary between 7th and 18th Infantry Divisions. An exploitation group would follow up the expected breakthrough. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe reinforced Luftflotte 2, by now depleted in many units to 30-50% of strength, with Fliegerkorps I from Luftflotte 3. In effect, the high command gave priority to 6A in its effort to defeat the Allied corps de bataille.

On the front of the 15e DIM, all the Germans movements are immediately blocked by powerful infantry and artillery fire. In several areas, the railroad offered no AT obstacle, especially in the sector hold by the 134e RI. The Pz.Rgt.36 tries to infiltrate in this weak point but it is defeated by well established fire plans and a perfect coordination between the colonel commanding the infantry regiment and the supporting artillery. The French fight bitterly for the position, and the german advance is checked with heavy losses to both sides. It is a graphic illustration of the French Army's potential had it been better used and more realistically deployed. Several German tanks are also neutralized by AT mines. Finally about 15 German tanks are destroyed and the attack is pulled back. Additional Ger tanks attacking the 4e RI near Beuzet are also destroyed by 25mm and 47mm AT guns. 

That night and after their failure, the German troops retreat to Les Cinq Etoiles and the Buy woods. The 1e DM stood the assault of roughly 1.5 Pz Divs and fought bitterly before leaving part of the ground. The French 1st Army on this day has manged to check the Panzers and the backbone of the French front didn't collapse despite all the German supports and repeated heavy assaults. The French lines were never pierced. During 2 days, the LW tried without success to neutralize the French artillery. On 15th May night in the Gembloux gap, the German troops retreat to escape the enemy to their front and the French troops retreat to escape the enemy to their right rear. Gembloux exposes some of the weaknesses of the new German techniques. The French are able to control the battle and bring superior firepower to bear, something they excel at, despite the overwhelming air superiority enjoyed by the enemy. 

During the battle of Gembloux the losses are heavy on both sides. Losses include : 
• On the French side, the I/2e RTM is reduced to 74 men out of 700 men initially and the III/2e RTM has lost 35% of its strength. The I/7e RTM is reduced to 80 men and the II/7e RTM is reduced to 150 men. From the 40 Renault R35 tanks engaged by the 35e BCC only 6 seem to be fully operational after the battle. 
• On the German side the Schtz.Rgt.12 (4.PzD) has lost 30% of its officers. The I./Schtz.Rgt.12 is virtually wiped out and is reduced to 4 officers and 31 men from an initial manpower that exceeding 900 men. The Schtz.Rgt.3 (3.PzD) has lost 15 officers and 184 men. The Pz.Jg.Abt.654 attached to 4.PzD has only 2 AT guns left from an initial strength of 12AT guns. The Pz.Rgt.35 has lost 50% of its tanks. 

At Hannut some 164 German tanks were knocked out and in Gembloux the French artillery indirect fire alone destroyed about 50 German tanks, including 32 tanks in the Pz.Rgt.35. On 15th May evening, the 4.PzD had only 137 operational available tanks left (including only 4 Panzer IV) from the initial 331 tanks. 194 tanks were damaged on the 15th alone, under recovery/repair or destroyed after the battle . Only 41 % of the tanks were operational on the morning of the 16th. This makes what transpired in the following days even more incredible

By the morning of 16 May 4.Pz XX had about 55% operational tanks = 185 available tanks. Therefore 45 extra operational tanks than on 15th May. But 149 tanks remained unavailable; this number is including destroyed tanks and tanks in the repair workshops. It explains in large measure the controversial halt order 
• the 3.PzD had 75% operational tanks. Therefore about 85 tanks are still destroyed or in the repair workshops one day after the battles. 

On 16 May 234 tanks (35% of the tanks) were non-operational, including an unknown number of definitively destroyed tanks. The Germans repaired more of their tanks during the following days. 

After the battle of Gembloux, Hoepner estimated that he was unable to continue efficiently the combats the next day. Many tanks were not operational anymore and the artillery lacked ammunition. The hvy guns had to await their supplies from Maastricht in the Netherlands, all the other dumps were empty. A renewed attack against the Gembloux gap is at first planned but it in any case it could not have been launched before 17th May and it was hopeless to think to pierce the French lines quickly, the "Blitkrieg" was stopped in that area. Hoepner's troops are so exhausted that they cannot exploit the retreat of the French 1st Army on 16th to 18th May 1940. 

The assault of 2 Pz XX supported by 2 Inf XXs had been stopped on an improvised line by 2 Fr Inf XXs. Hoepner had been ordered to pierce the French line in Gembloux, but put bluntly, he failed. The battle of Gembloux should considered a Fr Pyrrhic victory but it is only short-lived, and inevitably swamped by the larger events occurring around it (the German achieved a breakthrough around Sedan during the same time was far more significant) and the human cost is very high. On 15th May evening, the Fr 1A, although undefeated, is ordered to move back due to the collapse of the Fr 9A on the Meuse River. This situation endangers greatly the rear right flank of the 1A. The Fr troops will move back and deploy between Arras, Valenciennes and Tournai.



View attachment 292527




_PzIV destroyed at Gembloux and fr 25mm ATG (Right)_


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## Njaco (May 14, 2015)

*May 15 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *British, Belgian and French troops believe they face bulk of the German army (it is, in fact, Bock’s Heeresgruppe B) on a line from the Channel coast in Zealand, Holland, South to Sedan on the French/Luxembourg border. Meanwhile, the Panzers of Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe A prepare to spring the trap. The German Army begins a large attack across a 60-mile front of the River Meuse from Namur to Sedan. The Army succeeds in crossing the Meuse in three places. Reinhardt gets his 2 Panzer divisions across the Meuse at Monthermé, Guderian begins to break out from Sedan and Rommel advances 40km West from Dinant to Cerfontaine. German forces attack an Irish regiment holding a railroad station on the eastern edge of Louvain, successfully taking the position. General Bilotte, commanding the French 1st Army Group, decides to abandon the Dyle line in the face of Reichenau's attacks. His superior, General Georges, concurs with the decision and is now in fact beginning to lose his nerve. At this stage Gamelin, the Supreme Commander, remains oblivious and confident. The German tank forces push forward, urged on all the time by their commanders who are up with the leaders and in complete control of the situation. Their momentum is maintained by this leadership. The optimistic atmosphere at French GHQ is partly dispelled by the news that Guderian's tanks have reached Montcornet less than 15 miles from Laon. Guderian is ordered to halt here but after vigorous complaints he is allowed another day's march.

THE BATTLE OF GEMBLOUX: In the aftermath of the Battle of Hannut, some 35 km (22 mi) to the northeast, the town of Gembloux represented the last major prepared defensive position for the French on the Belgian front after the withdrawal from Hannut. 6.Armee intelligence continued to insist that the Allies were retreating, ordering XVI Corps to pursue and claiming that German tanks were already west of Gembloux (which was false). General Hoepner had decided to throw his tanks with available artillery and air support at a solid French defense rather than wait another day to bring up his two infantry divisions for a more powerful effort. At 0800 hours 3rd and 4th Panzerdivisions were to attack the railroad line on both sides of Tilly, well beyond the French defenses at Gembloux. Fliegerkorps VIII with the artillery available would support an assault on both sides of Ernage on a front of less than 6 km (3.7 mi). Stever of 4.Panzerdivision ordered his 4.Schützenbrigade to deploy three battalions in line from Gembloux to Ernage. As the infantry crossed the railroad line they were to fire white starshell. At this signal, 5.Panzer-Brigade would break cover and charge the French position together with the riflemen. Pursuit in the direction of Nivelles would follow. Stumpff's plan for 3.Panzerdivision is less clear. His first objective was to reach two hills west of the line Chastre-Noirmont.

At 0800 hours, the infantry of 4.Panzerdivision advanced undisturbed by enemy shelling. At 0810 hours, riflemen fired white starshell indicating that they had crossed the railroad line, but at 0820 hours French artillery engaged the incursion, and as the German tanks drove forward, they were pinned down. At 0930 hours, 36.PanzerRegiment was suffering heavy losses standing before an anti-tank obstacle, 35.PanzerRegiment similarly at 0945 hours. When 5.Panzer-Brigade headquarters asked why the infantry was not advancing, they were told "attack hopeless". By 1000 hours, II Battalion of the German 12.Schützen-Regiment had a company on the railroad line at Gembloux, but the advance was slow and costly and had halted by 1100 hours. Radio contact with 5.Panzer-Brigade was lost and the tanks were milling around and being picked off one by one. Meanwhile, infantry of 3.Panzerdivision attacked from Walhain-St.Paul against Perbais at 0915 hours, but they too were stuck fast by 1100 hours. By 1118 hours, the weight of French shelling on approach routes and installations drove the corps artillery commander to conclude that holding gains made and bringing in reinforcements were "gravely threatened". When the tanks finally began to fall back, the I. Battalion of the 12.Schützen-Regiment also withdrew, contrary to orders, forcing staff officers to turn out to stem the retreat. An attempt by 36.PanzerRegiment to exploit a gap in the railroad embankment near Lonzee against the 15th DIM broke down immediately under French fire. The 4.Panzerdivision was halted.

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## Njaco (May 14, 2015)

*May 15 Wednesday* (_continued_)
Since 3.Panzerdivision withheld its tank brigade, its battle went rather differently. At dawn, Third Battalion, the 3.Schützen-Regiment was to the northeast of Ernage, but its I and II Battalions (to the north and northwest of Ernage respectively) had moved too far to their right during the night, opening a gap of 1–2 km (0.6–1.2 mi) between 3. and 4.Panzerdivisions which should have abutted near Ernage. Thus, 3.Panzerdivision found itself engaged more against the French 110th Infantry Regiment (of the 1st DIM) at Perbais than intended. The I Battalion of the 3.Schützen-Regiment attacked the northern edge of the village, but the attack broke down under infantry fire. At 0800 hours, after further air and artillery preparation, II Battalion advanced toward Perbais and failed in turn. The commanders of the two battalions met to concert their efforts, while III battalion west of Baudeset received orders to close the gap between 3. and 4.Panzerdivisions. In a second effort, I and II Battalions renewed their advance with the support of 75.Artillerie-Regiment and took Perbais despite heavy loss and advanced to the railroad line. A few tanks came up to support them, and the situation began to look more promising. General Hoepner arranged for a new Stuka attack for 1200 hours and ordered his divisions to exploit it to break through the enemy position. But the French fire did not let up, and at 1230 hours Oberstleutnant Eberbach commanding the 35.PanzerRegiment refused to renew the attack, having lost half his tanks including his own. Stever came up to the headquarters of 33.Schützen-Regiment to urge on the attack, and was hit by a French shell and evacuated. Breith, commanding 5.Panzer-Brigade, was out of contact, so command devolved on Oberst von Boyneburg commanding 4.Schützenbrigade. At about 1400 hours, Hoepner passed on the order to stop the offensive, but he did not halt the effort of 3.Panzerdivision in the Ernage area. He began planning a new attack with the addition of 35. and 20.Infanterie-Divisionen. 6.Armee refused XVI Corps's request to renew the attack the next morning in favor of an set-piece attack by the whole army, which could not begin before 17 May. At 1500 hours, 4.Panzerdivision reported to XVI Corps that the Panzer Brigade staff was stuck on the railroad line. The 4.Schützenbrigade also had suffered heavy losses and there was no prospect of success, and it was "dubious" whether the troops could attack again on 16 May. At 1540 hours, Breith—wounded in the face by a shell fragment—turned up at division headquarters. He had spent three hours in a shellhole playing dead under heavy artillery fire. Stever was convinced a renewed attack on 16 May would not be possible. At 2000 hours, XVI Corps notified 4.Panzerdivision that the attack would be renewed only on 17 May, without 4.Panzerdivision.

The situation of 3.Panzerdivision was different. It had committed only a fraction of its tanks, and one of its three rifle battalions had not yet been heavily engaged. During the afternoon 3.Panzerdivision was troubled by reports from the neighboring 18t.Infanterie-Division of French armored counterattacks toward the division's right flank. At 1300 hours, 88 mm Flak and tanks of 5.PanzerRegiment moved to the Perbais area to ward off this threat. At 1648 hours, 3.Panzer-Brigade reported effective enemy artillery fire. At 1800 hours, units of 3.Schützenbrigade began withdrawing from Perbais. The 3.Panzer-Brigade ordered tanks forward to stem the retreat, but at 1820 hours the 3.Panzer-Brigade reported breaking through the anti-tank obstacle northwest of Ernage under heavy fire and Panzer Brigade called for artillery support. At almost the same instant, the 18th Infantry Division reported enemy armour attacking on both sides of Corbais. At 2000 hours, a captured enemy map arrived, showing the French dispositions. The intelligence officer of 3.Panzerdivision concluded that the situation was ripe for an attempt to break through. He travelled to corps headquarters to propose this but, as noted above, the proposal contradicted orders from 6.Armee and was dropped. Most of the tanks spent the day on standby around Orbais. Hoepner finally ordered the forward units of 3.Panzerdivision to hold their positions. In the meantime, however, almost the whole of 3.Schützen-Regiment and its supporting tanks pulled back. Its I and II Battalions were exhausted and had not been resupplied for 36 hours. The opportunity to break through the French defenses, if it ever really existed, was lost. The Battle of Gembloux ended with the Germans losing about 250 tanks, which was the equivalent of an entire armored division. The weakened French forces, however, were unable to hold the line despite their effective 75mm artillery and 25mm anti-tank guns. They fell back toward the Belgian-French border.

French Premier Paul Reynaud phones British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, telling him;


> "We have been defeated; we have lost the battle".


He asks for all the troops and planes he can send. Churchill decides to go himself to assess the situation. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill tells US President Franklin Roosevelt;


> "I think myself the battle on land has only just begun."



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## Njaco (May 14, 2015)

*May 15 Wednesday *(_continued_)
German army general headquarters issues a statement indicating that aerial reconnaissance has shown Brussels to be allowing troops to pass through, in contravention of a declaration of being an open city. The Allies are warned to cease this action, or Brussels would be subject to military action. French General Maurice-Gustave Gamelin orders a retreat of Allied forces in Belgium to the River Escaut, abandoning all central and eastern Belgium, including Antwerp and Brussels.

Forced by the destruction of Rotterdam, Holland surrenders to German forces. In Rijsoord, a suburb village of Rotterdam, Netherlands, Commander in Chief of Netherlands land and sea forces General Henri Winkelman signs formal capitulation of Netherlands armed forces to Germany. By the end of the campaign in the Netherlands, the Luftwaffe has lost 167 Junker Ju 52 transport aircraft totally destroyed including nearly ninety per cent of the strength of KGzbV 2 during the landings near The Hague. The real tragedy is that the instructors from the Luftwaffe Training schools who flew these aircraft are a loss that the Luftwaffe cannot easily replace.

At 1000 hours, Lt. Klaus of JG 53 shoots down a British Hurricane near the Maas while Hptm. Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53 adds another Hurricane to his score. 

A Ju 88A-1 of 3(F)./122 was badly damaged in attacks by Blue Section of No.19 Squadron during a reconnaissance sortie 30km off Great Yarmouth and ditched in the Waddenzee, east of Terschelling. One crewmember drowned and the rest of the crew were picked up by the ‘_Bavaria_'.

*GERMANY:* The British War Cabinet decided to attack the German oil industry, communications centers, and forests and crops; attacks on industrial areas were to focus on the Ruhr region. Also, due to the costly daylight bombings, attacks were to be launched at nights. On the same day these directives were issued, the RAF began attacking industrial targets in the Ruhr, with 96 Wellington, Whitley, and Hampden bombers attacking industrial targets east of the Rhine river, this being the first of the RAF night raids against Germany. The decision to begin bombing civilian property outside of combat zones was the direct result of the German bombing of Rotterdam on the previous day. Only one plane is lost.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Franklin Roosevelt shifts the US Pacific Fleet from California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British butter ration was reduced from 8 ounces to 4 ounces per person per week.

Winston Churchill sent a message to Franklin Roosevelt, asking for 40 to 50 destroyers, hundreds of fighters, anti-aircraft guns, steel, among other war-related materials, signing himself as Former Naval Person. He also asked the US President to order a visit by US Navy warships to Ireland as a show of force. In regards to the situation in the Pacific Ocean, he requests Roosevelt to intimidate the Japanese, offering the Americans the use of Singapore if deemed necessary.

At a British cabinet meeting attended by Winston Churchill, Archibald Sinclair, Lord Beaverbrook, and Cyril Newall, Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding argued the case for expanding the strength of RAF Fighter Command to 52 squadrons for the immediate air defense of Britain. Despite his insistence that no more squadrons should be sent to France orders were still given to send four more squadrons to France.

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## parsifal (May 15, 2015)

*16 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1935 TB T-11





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> The percussion pistol on the captured British submarine SEAL has proved to be a very sound, efficient device. Commanding
> Admiral, Submarines considers the introduction of this pistol for our torpedoes, as planned by the Torpedo Inspectorate, to
> be urgent in order finally to eliminate the difficulties of our own percussion firing. Speed is essential. Commanding Admiral, Submarines is 'therefore willing to forego the adjustability of the safety range and firing safety of the torpedo warhead (position of the initial charge)......(narrative ends....)
> 
> The British have detained six Italian tankers in Gibraltar and taken them to Marseilles, where they are to be held after discharging theri 'cargo. By order of the Duco, six British tankers, unfortunately empty, have been held in Italian harbors and brought to Tar anto. According to an intelligence report, British vessels still lying in Italian harbors are making haste to put to sea; Italian vessels are delaying passages across the Atlantic, The Italian naval authorities are commandeering a great number of tugs, lighters and coastal steamers.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 122 sailed from Kiel.



Departures
Kiel: U-122
Wilhelmshaven: U-9

At Sea 16 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-37, U-43, U-122. 
5 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM CL KOLN and escort ship GRILLE departed Wilhelmshaven for ML ops in Fisher Bank escort DDs BEITZEN, SCHOEMANN, HEINEMANN and TBs KONDOR and GREIF. The minefield was successfully laid and the ships returned to Wilhelmshaven on the 18th.
A second field was laid by this force a few days later. 

*North Sea*
ORP DD BLYSKAWICA departed Scapa for Harwich for duty under CinC, Nore. DD ATHERSTONE carried out a DC attack at Nth Rona, but this was later determined to be non submarine. Sub SEALION arrived at Harwich after patrol. Fr subs ANTIOPE, SYBILLE, CIRCE, THETIS departed Harwich on patrol in the Nth Sea. Subs ANTIOPE and SYBILLE relieved Submarine SEAWOLF and Fr sub AMAZONE on patrol on stations. Submarine PORPOISE laid minefield FD.11 off Hovden Island. OA.149 departed Southend escorted by corvette GLADIOLUS.

*Northern Waters*
BB RESOLUTION, was hit by a bomb whilst anchored at Tjeldsundet. The bomb pierced the starboard side of the quarterdeck and penetrated three decks before exploding. 2 crew were killed or died of wounds and 26 others were wounded. One crewman from DD VANSITTART was also wounded. A floatplane Swordfish of 700 Squadron from RESOLUTION was also damaged on the 16th. The a/c was shipped back to the UK by steamer BLACKHEATH. RESOLUTION, escorted by DDs VANSITTART and WREN departed Vestfjord on the 18th. DD FORTUNE departed Scapa on the20th and joined the British ships at sea. All 4 ships arrived at Scapa without incident on the 21st. RESOLUTION was repaired by 4 June when she sailed for Gibraltar. DD VANSITTART departed Scapa on the 24th and went on to the Tyne. She arrived on the 26th for repairs completed on 22 June.

Sloop FLEETWOOD was bombed in the same attack as the RESOLUTION. Splinters from a near miss mortally wounded one officer. 
Tkr BROOMDALE also sustained some damage from bombing. A Skua of the 803 Squadron were shot down in Rombaksfjord, with both crew picked up by DD MATABELE. MATABELE was ordered to relieve DD FAME at Narvik, which was then assigned to patrol in the Hol area. Fame was relieved several days later by DD ECHO, and reprovisioned and refueled at Skaanland. DD BRAZEN was assigned to "E" patrol, whilst DD HAVELOCK proceeded to Skaanland for ammunition, then on to Baroy. DD WREN arrived at Harstad to refuel and take on provisions.

DD SIKH arrived for boiler cleaning at Scapa. Sub TRUANT departed Rosyth for Harstad where she operated with Norwegian subs B.1 and B.3. DD WARWICK remained at Harstad. DD VANSITTART was available to return to England when relieved by DD WHIRLWIND. DD ESKIMO had been towed to Skaanland from Skelfjord. Her temporary repairs were delayed until the arrival of further welding gear and supplies. 

9 Skuas of 806 Squadron from Hatston, escorted 3 Blenheims LR fighters of 254 Squadron, attacked Bergen. No a/c were lost. Light damage was confined to the fuel tanks at Kaarven, Florgasaaspynt, Strudshavn.

*West Coast UK*
OB.149 departed Liverpool escort DD MACKAY from 16 to 19 May when the DD detached to the inbound HX.41.

*SW Approaches*
OG.30F was formed from OA.148GF, which departed Southend on the 14th with sloop SCARBOROUGH and corvette PERIWINKLE; and OB.148GF, which departed Liverpool with sloops LIETH and ENCHANTRESS on the 14th. OG.30F was assigned 44 ships. Sloops LEITH and ENCHANTRESS escorted the convoy from 16 to 18 May and were then detached to the inbound HG.30F. Corvette PERIWINKLE was in the convoy escort on the 16th. Sloop SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy from 16 to 21 May. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 22nd.

*Channel*
DD VERITY departed Dover in the morning to relieve WHITSHED on North Goodwin Patrol. When relieved WHITSHED proceeded to Ostend, arriving at 1230. WHITSHED and VENOMOUS with British steamer MONA'S QUEEN (2756grt) and Belgian steamer PRINCE LEOPOLD (2938grt) arrived at Ostend at 1230 to evacuate troops. Both steamers ran aground. They were towed off by WHITSHED which also ran aground but was able to get off herself. The steamers proceeded to Folkestone. The DDs arrived at Dover late in the evening. CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA departed Sheerness for Portsmouth due to air threat of remaining at Sheerness. Fr DDs CYCLONE and SIROCCO arrived at Dover at noon. The Fr DDs departed Dover that evening with Prince Bernhard on his way to join the Dutch army at Zeeland. Fr DDs FOUGUEUX and ADRIOT operating off Hook of Holland attacked a submarine contact. Dutch MLs NAUTILUS and JAN VAN BRAKEL, armed yacht DE MOK, armed tug AMSTERDAM, seagoing TBs Z.5, Z.8, G.13, G.15 passed Dover en route to Portsmouth. Dutch seagoing TBs Z.6 and Z.7 departed Dover for Ramsgate. Brit steamer KINGSBURY in convoy OA.149 was machine gunned by German bombers eight miles 300° from Royal Sovereign Light Vessel (Sussex). One crewman was killed and one crewman was wounded.

*UK-France*
Fr convoy FR.1 of Fr troopships KOUTOUBIA, EXPLORATEUR GRANDIDIER, COMPIEGNE and CHANTILLY departed the Clyde for Brest escort Fr DD EPERVIER and PVs JASON and GLEANER. The PVs vessels were relieved west of the Skerries by DDs WAKEFUL and VANQUISHER. On 17 May, EXPLORATEUR GRANDIDIER was in a collision with Brit steamer ST KEARAN, fell out of convoy, but was able to continue. DD VANQUISHER was ordered to escort EXPLORATEUR GRANDIDIER to Brest. The convoy arrived safely at Brest, escorted by EPERVIER. BC.38 of 6 steamers departed Bristol Channel escort DD MONTROSE and armed yacht ZAZA. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 18th. AXF.5, escort DD WHITEHALL, departed Southampton for St Malo. AXS.13 of 1 steamer arrived at St Malo from Southampton.


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## parsifal (May 15, 2015)

*16 May 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Nth Atlantic*
HX.43 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and SKEENA, which were detached on the 17th. BHX.43 departed Bermuda on the 15th escort sloop PENZANCE and ocean escort AMC COMORIN. The convoy joined convoy HX.43 on the 21st where the AMC was detached. CL EMERALD was the ocean escort for this convoy from that point, not being detached until the 27th. Sloop SANDWICH and corvette CLARKIA joined the convoy on the 27th for the inbound leg in home waters. The sloop was detached on the 30th. The corvette escorted the convoy to 31 May, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
In exercises from CVL HERMES near Freetown, a swordfish from 814 sqn crash landed killing its crew. A 2nd Swordfish of 814 Sqn was lost that day crashing on shore. Crew were rescued in this case

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HAVOCK and HEREWARD departed Harwich for Plymouth and then duty in the Med Flt. DDs to reinforce the Med Flt departed Plymouth. On the 16th, sloops AUCKLAND and FLAMINGO departed Plymouth for the Med. Sloop GRIMSBY was taken in hand on the 20th at Plymouth to repair defects, as a replacement for sloop EGRET which was in the earlier gp, but was ordered to return to Rosyth. The sloop was able to proceed independently on the 20th for Gib. On the 16th, DDs KINGSTON , KHARTOUM , KANDAHAR, NUBIAN , HYPERION , HOSTILE and HASTY departed Plymouth arriving at Gib on the 18th. On the 17th, CLA CARLISLE, DDs HERO , HAVOCK, HEREWARD, JANUS, IMPERIAL , ILEX , JUNO , KIMBERLEY and MOHAWK departed Plymouth arriving also with sloops AUCKLAND and FLAMINGO at Gib on the 19th. DD MOHAWK required docking at Gib for to make good damage sustained by LW attacks sustained earlier in the Nth Sea. On 19 May, DDs HYPERION, HOSTILE, HASTY, NUBIAN, KINGSTON, KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM departed Gib in company for Malta. The two sloops departed Gib for Malta on the 19th. The two gps arrived at Malta on the 21st.
DDs JANUS, KIMBERLEY, JUNO, ILEX departed Gib for Malta on the 20th. On 20 May, CLA CARLISLE and DDs HEREWARD, HAVOCK, IMPERIAL arrived at Gib and departed that day for Malta as well, travelling separately to the other gps. Sloop GRIMSBY arrived at Gib on the 24th and departed the same day for Malta. DDs HYPERION, HASTY, NUBIAN arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd. CLA CARLISLE, DDs KHARTOUM, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, the sloops arrived at Suez on the 24th, DDs JANUS, JUNO, IMPERIAL arrived at Alex on the 24th, as did HOSTILE on the 25th, HAVOCK on the 26th, HEREWARD and HERO arrived at Alex on the 27th, destroyer ILEX arrived on the 28th, MOHAWK on the 29th. 

Fr CL MONTCALM and DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS departed Brest on the 16th for the Med. The cruiser passed Gib on the 19th and arrived at Oran later that day. The DDs arrived at Gib on that date and departed the next day and arrived at Oran later on the 20th. Fr Contre torpilleur DDs TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL, which departed Brest on the 14th, passed Gib en route to Toulon, arriving on the 17th. Fr CL cruiser DUGUAY TROUIN, escort Contre Torpilleur DD GERFAUT, departed Brest. The cruiser and escort proceeded to Gib, where the escort detached and returned to Brest for other escort duties. DUGUAY TROUIN passed Gib on the 19th and arrived at Toulon on the 21st. DDs WISHART and DOUGLAS departed Gibraltar for Marseilles to act as escort for troopships, however the DDs were recalled to escort troopship ORONSAY to Malta. The three ships departed on the 17th. ORP DD GARLAND departed Malta for Alex for ops with the Med Flt.


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## parsifal (May 15, 2015)

*16 May 1940 RAF Air Operations*
(UNFINISHED)
3 Sqn 
S/L Pat Gifford, L2825 Shot down by Me110 from ZG 1, listed missing

4 Sqn (Lysander) 
P/O Langley – unhurt LAC James H. Gillham unhurt L4814 Forced-landed badly damaged by Me 110's during artillery spotting sortie near Louvain. A/C written off. 
F/O E E. Wood, missing, Cpl J. Bower - believed to be unhurt, captured. A/C P9064 DNR (Did Not Return) 

9 Sqn (Wellington) 
Target Gelsenkirchen A/C N3015, Airborne 2045 16 May40 from Honington. Strayed off track on return and ditched off Granville (Manche), France. The crew escaped injury and returned to Honington within a few days of the incident.

13 Sqn (Lysander) 
P/O TH. Borg-Banks, (Air Gnr.) WF Lawes, H.P. Moule – injured (broken arm), A/C L 6885, Crashed near Vieux-Condé. Believed that claimed by Fw Bothfeld of 1./JG27 over La Chapelle 05.50 hrs.

53 sqn (Blen) 
Reconnaissance, B/F. 3 a/c lost, 3 POW, 5 WIA 1 a/c shot down over the Albert Canal, 1 a/c lost Mainbressy, east of Rozoy. in Henegouwen / Hainaut province, Belgium. 3rd a/c damaged by AA fire from Allied troops, then attacked by 85 Sqn (Hurri) near Amiens. Crashed and burned out during emergency belly-landing at Glisy, during landing.

56 sqn (Hurri)
transfer to France , initially based about 5km outside Douai

59 sqn (Blen)
1 Plane lost crew safe, Damaged in attack by RAF Hurri and crashed at Vitry

73 Sqn (Hurri)
He111 is destroyed by F/Lt Scoular near Châlons-sur-Marne shortly before 73 Sqn is moved to Villeneuve.

75 (NZ) sqn (Wellington)
6 a/ct as part of a force of 50 bombers detailed to attack various objectives in the Ruhr and river crossings at Namur, Dinant and Givet. Again cloud rendered recognition of the targets uncertain, although the 6 Wellingtons were among the a/c which reported having made attacks.

99 sqn (Wellington)
Maastricht, NL, 6 Wellingtons from Newmarket. Hits [on the bridges?] were reported. All a/c returned safely.

103 sqn (Battle) 
2/ac burnt 
Evac (cont’d)
During the period midnight to 0900 hours, telephonic communication gradually ceased with the closing down of various formations and finally the sqn became isolated. A message was sent by D/R to H.Q.A.A.S.F. for extra transport, which transport arrived about 11 a.m. and final evacuation was then made possible. It was decided to leave a rear party of 10 to guard and salvage all equipment which could not be carried on the initial move and to load the sqn vehicles on their return. Biggest threat at this point was from French deserters who were angrily ransacking the airfield and drunk for the most part. A LW pilot who had bailed out from his a/c during an air battle was captured about 0600 hours on this day. He was handed over to a staff officer of H.Q. B.A.F.F. who passed through the village. An additional LW air crew, wounded and captured on 15th May, 1940, died in Sqn Sick Quarters, and was buried.


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## parsifal (May 15, 2015)

*16 May 1940 - The BEF*

For the BEF, to this point with no real emergency along its own frontage, news from the French front continued to grow hourly more disquieting. If the penetration of the Meuse front led to further withdrawal of the Fr 1st Army BEF troops on the Dyle would be left in a dangerous salient on either side of Louvain. At five o'clock on the morning of the 16th Lord Gort therefore sent Major-General T. R. Eastwood to Caudry to learn Gen Billotte's intentions. There he was shown orders which the French commander was preparing to issue that day directing the withdrawal of the 1stt Army, the BEF, and the Belgian Army to the line of the Escaut. The movement was to be so carried out that on successive nights the following lines would be held:

Night of 16th/17th
Charleroi–Brussels–Willebroeck Canal (known to the British Army as the line of the Senne).

Night of 17th/18th
Maubeuge–Mons–Ath–River Dendre to Termonde—thence the line of River Escaut to Antwerp and the sea (known to the British Army as the Dendre line)

Night of 18th/19th
The frontier defences to Maulde—the line of River Escaut to Ghent—thence the canal to Terneuzen (known to the British Army as the Escaut line)

The major portion of the Fr 7th Army (on the British left) was to be moved sth. General Eastwood further ascertained from General Billotte that the brigade of the 48th Division on loan to the French First Army was to be returned at once; that it was the intention to fight during the day on the 'lines' laid down and retire at night; that there was no present intention of retiring beyond the line of the Escaut; and that General Billotte's headquarters would move to Douai that afternoon.

General Eastwood lost no time in informing Lord Gort and the latter proceeded at once to issue a warning order: the BEF would retire that night to the line Charleroi–Brussels–Willebroeck Canal, i.e. the Senne line. At 1100 that morning he held a conference at I Corps Headquarters at which he described the situation and the plan of retirement, Major-General Needham, head of the British Military Mission at Belgian Army HQs, attended the conference and left to report the decisions taken to the Belgian Command. On his way he was seriously hurt in a car accident and some time elapsed before either British or Belgian HQs was informed of the accident. Only then did Belgian GHQ learn of the steps being taken by the BEF that night in compliance with General Billotte's order to withdraw.

Needless to say the planned orderly withdrawal envisaged by Billotte did not turn out quite the way he had envisaged. 

When shortly afterwards orders to retire became known at the British front, the soldiery were puzzled and disappointed. Less than a week before they had advanced nearly 60 miles to meet the enemy. They had met him on the Dyle and had so far defeated his attempts to break their line. They were in great heart and full of confidence. And now they were to retire! To tell them that miles away to the sth the French front had broken did not seem to them a sufficient explanation. John Buchan's description of the men of the old Army was still largely true of British soldiers of 1940. The front line soldiers were puzzled; at the prospect of the withdrawal. The BEF remained undefeated, and thus far had fought their immediate opposing troops rather well, so why were they withdrawing? 

If the infantry facing the enemy across the Dyle could hardly be expected to appreciate the significance of what was happening on the Meuse, the gravity of the situation there was obvious enough to the higher command. Early on the 15th General Billotte had informed General Gamelin that 'the Ninth Army is in a critical situation: all its front is pushed back' and had suggested that General Giraud (7A commander) was the man best fitted to 'revive this failing army'. Now that retirement to the Escaut was ordered, all but 2 divs of 7A were being moved in rear of the BEF towards the gap in the th.

On this day (May the 16th) the Fr GHQ made further urgent requests for additional air protection and both Lord Gort and Air Marshal Barratt strongly endorsed the demand for additional ftr sqns. The War Cabinet decided that the equivalent of 4 fighter sqns should be sent immediately, and 8 flights left for France during that afternoon and the following morning. This decision had hardly been taken when the PM, on a visit to France, telegraphed urging that 6 more ftr sqns should be sent. At this point the Air Staff advised that the limited number of airfields and servicing units in France made it undesirable to base further sqns there, so it was agreed that 6 sdns of Hurricanes should be concentrated in the sth of England and should fly to France daily for operations over the battlefield. Thus the equivalent of 10 extra sqns for which the French had asked was operating from French or English bases by the 17th.

It made little difference to the rate of advance, however ther was a noticeable increase in the attrition rate being suffered by the LW, which was to have long term effects, but no immediate impact on the immediate campaign. Allied bomber formations continued to rupture badly in the face of German air superiority




_Fr H-39 Tank making its way through a heavily bombed French town_





_British Infantry in a static line defence near the Dyle position_


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## Njaco (May 15, 2015)

*May 16 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* The crew and pilots of II./JG 52 are transferred from Speyer while the Bf 109s of Hptm. Joachim Schlichting’s I./JG 1 transfer from Gymnich to Charleville.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Panzers of Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe A race out of their bridgeheads on the Meuse, cutting through the weaker parts of the French Army left to defend this region. French morale and resistance crumble as thousands of soldiers surrender. The British and French forces which advanced into Belgium only a few days ago, begin to retreat to their former positions behind the line of the Scheldt. Units of Hoth's 15.Panzerkorps, with Rommel's 7.Panzerdivision well to the fore, have reached just east of Cambrai. To the south, Guderian's forces are moving on St. Quentin and reaches Montcornet, 64km West of Sedan. Despite the amazing success of the Panzers in Northern France, the French actually have more and better tanks than Germany. Demonstrating the strength of French armour, Char B1 Bis tank 'Eure' engages Guderian’s Panzers at Stonne, destroying 2 Pz IV, and 11 Pz II. 'Eure' survives being hit 140 times by 20mm, 37mm and 75mm shells. Rommel drives another 35km from Cerfontaine, advancing through the night to Avesnes-sur-Helpe. German High Command gets nervous about the extended flanks of this salient. By nightfall, German panzers in France reach Marle and Dercy, 55 miles from Sedan. Again a halt order is issued to the German tank forces because some of the more conservative minds at army headquarters cannot accept that the panzers can advance so far without exposing their flanks. In fact the speed of the advance has itself protected them and thrown the French into confusion.

British forces launch three counterattacks on a railroad station on the eastern edge of Louvain, successfully retaking the position. German artillery batteries shell the library of the University of Louvain in Belgium until it is set afire and burned out. The Germans believed the library, rebuilt after the First World War, contained an inscription calling Germans barbarians. British forces in Belgium retreat to west of Brussels.

German troops enter The Hague and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Prisoner of War Kommodore Oberst Martin Fiebig of KG 4 is saved when German forces overrun his captors in the Netherlands. He is immediately placed on leave.

Churchill flies to Paris to assess the situation and confer with French PM Reynaud. He finds French officials burning government archives. Churchill asks;


> “Where is the strategic reserve”?


 French Commander-in-Chief General Gamelin replies;


> “Aucune” (“There is none”).


 Reynaud replaces Gamelin and recalls WWI veteran Maxime Weygand from obscurity in Syria. French Premier Paul Reynaud tells the Chamber of Deputies:


> "Chancellor Hitler must win in two months; if not he is beaten, and knows it."



Two 1(F)./122 He 111s on a sortie over Malangen encountered a Walrus launched from HMS “_Devonshire_” and shot it down.

A Swiss fighter plane shoots down a German bomber over Swiss territory, which lands north-east of Zurich. Three crewmen surrender.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Greece rushes troop reinforcements to the frontier with Italian-occupied Albania.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Allies forces attempt a landing near Narvik, Norway, but are repulsed by German defenders.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British King George designates May 26 as a day of prayer for peace throughout the United Kingdom.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill provides an extra ten fighter squadrons to help France, with six operating out of Kent.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Roosevelt asks Congress to authorize the production of 50,000 military planes per year and for a $900,000,000 extraordinary credit to finance this massive operation.

,



.



.

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## parsifal (May 15, 2015)

Love the maps.

As an aside,whilst gamelin stated to Churchill there were no reserves, there were in fact enough reserves to try something. Gamelin and the French high command were unwilling to release the reserves screening Paris to take the necessary decisive action to contain the Break through that had occurred. We will never know if they could have succeeded, but virtually any action would have been better than the none that was actually taken.

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## parsifal (May 16, 2015)

*17 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Hunt Class Escort DD (Type II) BLANKNEY 





*Losses*
*DD PHILIPS VAN ALMONDE (RNeN 1604 grt)* The incomplete Gerard Callenburgh-class DD was blown up on the slip on 17 May 1940 to prevent her capture by the Germans after several attemps to launch and tow her to England her had failed.





*Aux MSW MARDYCK (Fr 1100 grt)* The auxiliary minesweeper caught fire and was beached and abandoned at Breskins ()mouth of the Antwerp estuary).

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV SAINT KEARAN (UK 692 grt)* The cargo ship collided with FR MV EXPLORATEUR GRANDIDIER in the Firth of Clyde and sank NW of Girvan, Ayrshire





*Steamer TORGTIND (Nor 298 grt)* was sunk by air attack off Batland, Helgeland. Some sources place her as lost on the 19th 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CL EFFINGHAM along with CLAs CAIRO and COVENTRY and DDs MATABELE and ECHO departed Harstad to carry out amphibious landings at Bodo. En route on the 18th at 2000, *CL EFFINGHAM (RN 12170 grt)* ran aground at 23 knots on Faksen Shoal between Bricksvaer and Terra and was wrecked. CLA COVENTRY brushed ground and ruptured a fuel tank as well. DD MATABELE also went aground, but was gotten off with much damage to her hull. After the troops and crew were removed from EFFINGHAM by DD ECHO, MATABELE torpedoed EFFINGHAM. The troops were taken back to Harstad and did not arrive at Bodo until the night of 19/20 May when DDs FIREDRAKE and WALKER delivered the first contingent.





*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Coastal Defense Commander, Southwest reports that the bulk of the Dutch Navy has been able to transfer to Britain. The only vessels in Dutch harbors are the following; The armored coastal vessel HERTOG HENDRIK, cruiser GELDERL.iND, subs "8" and "11", MLs BALDER and TOR and some auxiliary vessels. There are still some small patrol and auxiliary vessels in Terschelling and Texel. The coastal defense instillations must be examined further regarding firing readiness; however, there seems to be a number of serviceable 15 cm. and 7.5 cm. batteries on the islands -and in Helder. Nth Sea Station has found some small vessels under construction near Groningen; these would be suitable as harbor defense boats. Harlingen harbor is reported to be very suitable as a base for light forces. North Sea Station further reports that the islands of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland have been occupied
> by naval detachments. For mines laid in the canals forming the rear connections to Delfzyl see Radiogram 1300. In reply to a query by Naval Staff,. Group West reports that the Dutch coast should be exploited for S-Boote operations as soon as possible. Helder is to be the base for the present. If conditions permit this, the base can be advanced" later. Depot ships are not to be transferred at present. The necessary conditions for S-Boote operations are to be established in Helder, in conjunction with installations on land. The most urgent tasks are provision of bomb-proof pens and transfer of mines. Investigations are in progress in Helder.



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 122 reported that she was attacked by an enemy S/M in Route I. Route I is therefore known to the enemy. Our own U-boats have been ordered to cruise along a line 5 miles off the center of Route I, provided they have adequate navigational data.



At Sea 17 May 1940
U-7, U-9, U-37, U-43, U-122. 
5 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*North Sea*
3 DDs of DesFlot 7 joined Nore Cmd at Harwich. DDs JAVELIN and JACKAL departed Scapa on the 14th to run over the DG range at Inchkeith before proceeding on the 15th. DD JAGUAR departed Harwich on the 15th on patrol where she was joined on patrol by JACKAL, coming from Rosyth. Both ships arrived back at Harwich on the 17th. JAVELIN ptoceeded directly to Harwich arriving on the 16th. 

Sub tender MAIDSTONE was designated to replace tender CYCLOPS at Rosyth. MAIDSTONE departed Portland on the 19th escort DD WORCESTER. She arrived in the Clyde on the 20th by then escort DD VANOC and WORCESTER. DD VANOC was detached on the 21st to relieve DD HESPERUS with a convoy returning from Norway. The tender departed the Clyde on the 22nd escort DDs ZULU and MAORI and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd. On the 24th, MAIDSTONE departed Scapa in company with DD VANSITTART. En route, VANSITTART obtained a suspected U-Boat and MAIDSTONE continued on alone. The contact was later assessed to be a wreck. Both MAIDSTONE and VANSITTART arrived safely at Rosyth on the 25th. Fr sub CALYPSO departed Harwich to dock at Lowestoft. Sub PORPOISE arrived at Rosyth where she was docked on the 18th to repair her asdic dome. Sub CLYDE arrived at Dundee. Sloop LONDONDERRY struck a wreck but she escaped serious damage. Fr sub CIRCE reported she was involved in a collision with sub LA SYBILLE while diving in the Nth Sea. Neither sub was seriously damaged. 

FN.173 departed Southend, escort DD WALPOLE. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 19th. MT.68 departed Methil, escort sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.173 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th. 

*Northern Waters*
Allied troops were embarked on Light cruiser EFFINGHAM to be landed at Bodo. However serious losses were incurred enroute and the opertion was postponed (see loss section) 

Destroyer MATABELE departed Harstad on the 20th and arrived in the Clyde on the 23rd. She went on to Falmouth arriving on the 24th for repairs from 27 May to 18 August. On 29 August 1940 she arrived back at Scapa for operations. Enroute to the home ports, she again diverted to the wreck of the EFFINGHAM, and and on the 21 May, the hulk EFFINGHAM was shelled and torpedoed by MATABELE, to insure her demise. 

MLss TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER arrived at Scapa from the Humber, escorted by DD SABRE and PV BREDA. ASW trawler CAPE NYEMETSKI, escorting trawler SPINDRIFT (captured German trawler JULIUS PICKENPACK, but identified as POLARIS), departed Scapa for Liverpool, arriving on the 20th. ASW trawlers KING SOL and LOCH MONTEITH departed Scapa escorting cable ship MONARCH to Rosyth.

*Channel*
DD WILD SWAN arrived at Dover from London after repairs. Marking the beginning of the ordeal at Dunkirk, Fr DesDiv 11 on patrol off Dunkirk came under sustained air attack. TBss CORDELIERE and MELPOMENE were badly damaged, whilst TB FLORE, in company, escaped serious damage and escorted her two damaged sisters to port. Ne MLs MEDUSA and DOUWE AUKES arrived at Dover. Ne Aux MSWs No. 8 , No. 7 , AMSTERDAM , BLOEMENDAAL , MARIA R. OMMERING arrived in the Downs. The Dutch ships sailed for Portsmouth the next day.

*UK-France*
SA.41 of one steamer arrived at St Malo from Southampton.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.32 departed Freetown ocean escort AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE. On the 30th, sloop ABERDEEN and on the 31st, sloop FOLKESTONE joined the convoy. The convoy arrived on 3 June.


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## parsifal (May 16, 2015)

**** May 1940 *
[SPARE]


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## parsifal (May 16, 2015)

*17 May -RAF Air Operations*
[UNFINISHED]
1 Sqn (Hurri) AASF
Sqn intercepts a formation of Me110's and claims the destruction of 6 enemy a/c. 2 Hurris are lost (P2820 and L1905). Both pilots safe. Unable to verify actual enemy losses. 

2 Sqn (Lysander)
Lysander L4811, KO-N Abbeville-Drucat; F/O C.H. DeardenLAC A.C. PattersonWas attacked by 9 Me 109's over Cambrai and survived a 20 min running battle all the way back to Douai, where 32 holes were counted in the fuel tank. Gunner A.C. Patterson set fire to the a/c to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Peter Cornwell possibly attacked by Lt Kosse of 6./JG26 over Mons. The a/c listed damaged but repairable however later destroyed.

3 Sqn 
Sgt P Hillwood –Made a forced landing near Vitry, being damaged by a Do 17 of 5/KG76 near Cambrai and a Me 109 of 1/JG3. A/C burned. Pilot Injured
F/O D.A.E. Jones Damaged by Do 17 of 5/KG76. Pilot baled out near Merville and returned to unit. A/C lost.

15 sqn (Blen) 
3 a/c shot down and 1 returned damaged (and scrapped) after an abortive raid in the Abbeville area. 

16 sqn (Lysander)
P/O LM. Hamilton, missing - [Air Gunner] JP. O'Reilly, missing A/C L4796, crashed, FTook off from Bertangles. Failed to return from tac recon over St. Quentin 14.30 hrs. Believed to have crashed near Doingt, SE of Péronne.

17 Sqn (Hurri)
No. 17 Sqn. attacks at 17.00 hrs a formation of Ju87's near Brussels with 5 enemy a/c destroyed. 2 Hurris are lost in exchange 

S/L G.C. Tomlinson – safe; A/C P3277 destroyed; Force-landed 16.30 hrs SE of Brussels after combat with Ju 87's of IV(S)/LG1 and set on fire. 

F/O A.P. Lines – safe, A/C P2822 destroyed, Bailed out after a combat with escorting Me 109s of 8/JG26, sth of Brussels.

77 and 102 Sqn (Whitley)
6 Hampdens and 6 Wellingtons bomb oil targets in the Ruhr with 1 aircraft being lost. As part of the same operation the 2 Whitely sqns with 9 Whitleys attack communications sites without loss.

53 sqn (Blen)
Recon 1 a/c damaged, Took of from Poix. Returned starboard cowling damaged by light flak during recce sortie over Rethel and Vouziers, A/C repairable.

65 sqn (Spit)
offensive patrol, coast B and NL, 12 a/c of the sqn patrolled between Flushing (Vlissingen) and Ostend, culminating in the (postwar) confirmed kill of a Ju 88 by F/O Welford near Haamsteede.

79 sqn (Hurri)
Patrol. 1 Plane lost, 1 POW. Failed to return from patrol between Vilvoorde and Braine-le-Comte and believed shot down by AA fire 8.30 p.m. P/O R. Herrick baled out and captured. A/c lost.

82 sqn (Blen)
Gembloux, B. 12 Planes lost; 8 KIA, 13 MIA, 3 POW. A disastrous gnd support operation.12 a/c took off to attack troop concentrations at Gembloux, They were supposed to have a Hurricane figher escort but they were intercepted earlier and they had to proceed without their escorts. As they reached their target, 15-30 Bf-109 fighters jumped them. 11 of them were shot down and the survivor (P8858, UX-W), badly damaged, managed to reach Watton, but it was written off due to the damage sustained.

103 sqn (Battles)
Transfer to Rheges
The main party arrived at Rheges at 14:00 after travelling through the night on dimmed headlights and narrowly missed an enemy strafing and bombing attack. Some of the Sqn's vehicles then returned to Betheniville to collect equipment and spares. The airfield at Rheges was extremely good and extensive and was well camouflaged with thinly sown crops so proved very difficult to spot from the air. The LW recon a/c never found the site and it was not bombed during 103 Sqn's stay. The airfield was shared with 218 Sqn also operating Battles


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## parsifal (May 16, 2015)

*17 May - The BEF*

De Gaulle, to the South in th vicinity of Montcornet was in command of the hastily formed 4th DCR (see 11 May 1940 entered into his first assault of the battle. His attack was aimed for Montcornet, which was by the time of this first assault accommodating supply units and soft skinned enemy transport. During the night three battalions of tanks arrived by train.. One consisted of heavy Char-B1s, one of the light R-35s and one of Char D2s. They were unloaded in the dark. Many of the men had never driven in a tank before! There were also a number of artillery batteries and a single battalion of infantry in ordinary buses! At first light they moved out. Colonel de Gaulle, the most junior officer in the history of the modern French army to command a division, was in the lead. His long body stuck out of the turret of the lead tank next to his personal standard, a simple flag bearing the Cross-of Lorraine.

After surrounding the village, around noon, B1 bis tanks came under fire from 3.7 cm Pak 36 ATGs and from German Panzers. A number of the B1 bis tanks were lost when they had to be abandoned when they ran out of petrol, and others when they sank into swamps.

De Gaulle ordered infantry to neutralise German defence pockets in Chivres, and Inf Support Char D2 tanks to secure Clermont-les-Fermes. Around 16:00, De Gaulle ordered a new attack on Montcornet, but the tank crews had not received detailed maps of the sector, and were by then coming under fire from 88mm Flak guns. This element of the countersttack, whilst not a defeat, was unfruitful. Around 18:00, German planes intervened, and the 4e DCr retreated to its original positions. Essentially the sresult was a tactical defeat, though De Gaulle had led his command fairly well. 

The French lost 23 tanks in the attack, and 23 killed or missing while the Germans had around 100 killed and about the same missing or captured. Colonel De Gaulle would fight another engagement at the Battle of Abbeville before his escape. 4th DCR fell back to Laon.






_Char de combat moyen Renault D2, Weight : 20.5 ton, Armor (max) : 40 mm, Range : 155 km, Sp (max - route) : 23 kmh, Main gun : n.1 47mm gun 37mm for the Char D1 (pictured), MG : n.2 7.5mm, Crew : 3, The "Char D" was developed at the end of the 1920s as an improvement of the light R-35 Inf spt tank. Due to financial constraints, production was limited to 160 units of the more lightly armed and less well armoured lighter D1 version (1931), and to 50 units of the D2 version (1932). The Char D was a predecessor of the Char B , and avoided the mistake of the hull mounted main gun. It lacked radio (despite being illustrated as such), range, and enough crew to be effective_

Further Nth, Arras was under threat from the advance of the two leading Pz Divs, and as a result, the allies decided to relocate BEF GHQ from Arras to a safer location. The following day BEFs considerable admin elements entrained for Boulogne., while the operational elements of the command began moving to Hazebrouck. By nightfall 18/19 May, the situation on the BEFs frontage had deteriorated to such an extent that gort issued an order for the evac of all "useless mouths" to be carried out from Boulogne, Calais and Dunkirk. 

By far the greater number of "useless mouths" were the sick and wounded. Responsibility for their evacuation and for the defence of Boulogne rested with Brig Sir Douglad Brownrigg, Gorts adjutant. Setting up Headquarters in Boulognes Hotel Imperiale, Brownrigg set about the plans for the evacuation. Guderians Panzers gave him little time to organize this crucial mission, 





My apologies for the poor resolution of this image





Troop Leader Of 13/18 Hussars giving instructions to the force under his command


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## Njaco (May 16, 2015)

*May 17 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* French 4th Armoured Division under command of Colonel Charles de Gaulle with 200 tanks including the formidable Char B attacks Guderian’s Panzer Corps at Montcornet. They take 500 prisoners but make little ground against improvised German defenses and then withdraw. German tankers are shocked by the French lack of aggression. German forces break through the French defense lines along a 62-mile front, from Maubeuge to Carignon, near Sedan. German panzers reach the Serre River in France, then stop. Despite the halt imposed on the Panzers, Guderian is given permission for ‘strong reconnaissance’. He interprets this liberally and advances several km. Guderian's forces, exploiting the loophole in their orders allowing reconnaissance in force, reach the Oise River south of Guise. By nightfall, German 10.Panzerdivision seizes a bridgehead across the Oise River near Moy, 70 miles west of Sedan.

Instead of attacking the German salient into Allied territory, British Expeditionary Force commander General Lord Gort sees the danger of encirclement in the Panzer thrust to his South and orders a retreat to the Scheldt River. This allows German 6.Armee under General Reichenau to enter Brussels, capturing the city by the evening. Antwerp and the islands at the mouth of the Scheldt are also being abandoned but have not yet been taken by the Germans. The British and French forces in Belgium have now fallen back to the Dendre River. General Gort is now worried by the growing threat to his right flank and rear areas and, therefore, forms a scratch force to defend this area. General Mason-Macfarlane is put in command. German troops capture Louvain and Malines after heavy fighting. The Belgian Government moves the capital from Brussels to Ostend on the coast.

Twelve British Blenheim bombers attack advancing German columns near Gembloux. Eleven planes are shot down.

Uffz. Hugo Dahmer of 4./JG 26 shoots down a French Morane MS 406 near Tournai. Over Laon, Oblt. Franzisket of 1./JG 1 downs a Potez 63 at 1305 hours.

Keeping pace with the Wehrmacht, Obstlt. Von Bülow-Bothkamp’s Stab./JG 2 leave the airfield at Bastogne and transfer to an airfield at Signy-le-Petit. Hptm. Jürgen Roth’s I./JG 2 also depart Bastogne and arrive at Beaulieu-en-Aronne. Hptm. Wolfgang Schnellmann’s II./JG 2 leave Peer and fly to the airfield at Attenrode.

General Maurice Gustave Gamelin gives the order of the day to the French armies, telling them;


> "The fate of our country and that of our Allies and the destiny of the world depend on the battle now being fought.".



*GERMANY:* The commander VIII Fliegerkorps of Generalmajor Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, is the thirty-first soldier to be awarded the Ritterkreuz on this date along with the commander of Luftflotte 3 General der Flieger Hugo Sperrle.

British Hampden bombers make their first attack on Hamburg, Germany, with 48 planes suffering no losses in attacking oil refineries and gasoline depots.

*NORTH AFRICA: *In the Cairo Museum in Egypt, the gold sarcophagus of Tut-ankh-Amen and other treasures are moved to a secret underground bombproof vault.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The Swedish government forbids all sailors on foreign vessels to leave their ships while in Swedish ports.

The British cruiser “_Effingham_” goes aground and is lost while carrying men and stores to join the forces south of Narvik.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Churchill, worried by the panic in the French command, begins to think about saving the British Army. Churchill also considers recalling troops from Narvik.

.


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## parsifal (May 17, 2015)

*18 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD NIBLACK





*Losses*
DDs IMPULSIVE, INTREPID, ESK, EXPRESS, IVANHOE and *ML PRINCESS VICTORIA (RN 2197 grt)* departed the Humber to lay mines off the Dutch coast in operation BS.5 during the night of 18/19 May. PC PUFFIN rendezvoused with the force at 1340/18th and dropped dan buoys after the ML was completed. On the return leg, ML PRINCESS VICTORIA was sunk by a mine at the entrance to the Humber early on the 19th. DDs GRAFTON, GALLANT, FORESIGHT were ordered to assist. 36 crew were lost and 11 wounded. 





*Steamer PIA (Ne 304 grt)* departed Nieuport and Dunkirk on the 18th towing Ne aux yacht ALBATROSS III. PIA struck a mine and sank between Dunkirk and Gravelines. 6 of the 7 crew were lost on the steamer. On the yacht, 2 crew and 2 refugees were lost. Yacht ALBATROSS III rescued the sole survivour from steamer PIA. The yacht proceed to Boulogne and later to Folkestone.





*Steamer SIRIUS (Nor 944 grt)* was sunk by German bombing off Senja (Finlandsnes).
Seven crew were lost on the Norwegian steamer.





*Sub B.6 (RNoN 420 grt)*, *DD TROLL (Nor 540 grt)*, *TB SNOGG (RNoN 198 grt)* were surrendered at Floro to German Schiff 18. The crews of these ships had deserted on the 2nd when they refused to sail to the Shetlands. Destroyer TROLL and torpedo boat SNOGG were used by German forces under the names of TROLL and ZACK, respectively. Submarine B.6 was recommissioned on 20 October 1940 as UC 2.










_B class Sub number B4, DD TROLL abandoned May 1940, SNOGG was one of the TRYGG Class, built just after WWI _

*MV TORGTIND (Nor 298 grt) * Passenger/cargo vessel. Sunk by German a/ct on May 18 (some sources say May 19) 1940 near Bratland in Luroy, by a LR FW 200 north of Sandnessjoen, on a voyage Velfjord-Bodo. No casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]




_FW 200 photographed whilst on patrol May 1940_


*Dredger VLAANDEREN I (Be 1218 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Calais. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> The French Cabinet is being re-formed; the 85-year-old Marshal Petain is to be Vice-President, Reynaud Prime Minister and
> War Minister, Daladier Foreign Minister and Mandel Minister for the Interior.
> 
> Faroe Islands occupied. Strong protests from the Danish Government.




*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 43 left Trondheim for the Atlantic. U 37 is NW of Scotland, on her way out into the Atlantic. U 122 is north of the line Shetlands-Bergen, on her way to Trondheim with supplies for the G.A.F.



Arrivals
Kiel: U-7

Departures
Kiel: U-60, U-62 

At Sea 18 May 1940
U-9, U-37, U-43, U-60, U-62, U-122. 
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs IMPULSIVE, INTREPID, ICARUS, ESK, EXPRESS, IVANHOE laid minefield BS.6 off the Dutch coast. All 6 DDs returned on 23/24 May for BS.7, on 25/26 May for BS.8, on 27/28 May for BS.9. After minelay BS.9, DesFlot 20 was ordered to Portsmouth. Early on the 19th at 0035, DD KEITH was attacked by German bombing on North Goodwins Patrol. She was not damaged. At 0605, DD WILD SWAN was attacked by the LW on the North Goodwins Patrol. She also was not damaged. DD WILD SWAN met Dutch tugs SCHELDE and EBRO and sent them to the Downs. DD WHITLEY relieved destroyer WOLSEY on patrol off the Belgian coast. MTB.25 departed Harwich with Vice Admiral Ramsay for Dunkirk. The motor torpedo boat returned that evening.

Sub L.23 evacuated 5 crew from the Terschelling Light Ship. The 6 other crew of the Light Ship escaped to Holland. Sub L.26 picked up 9 refugees from an open boat off the Dutch coast as they attempted to escape. Sub TRIDENT departed Rosyth for Nth Sea patrol. Fr sub THETIS on patrol in the Nth Sea sighted Sub SPEARFISH. Fr submarine CIRCE was ordered to Rosyth after she reported one engine U/S where she arrived on the 19th. She then transferred back to France in company with Fr Sub CALYPSO.

Sub CALYPSO returned to Nore, and departed Harwich on the 23rd with convoy FN.78. The sub returned to Rosyth on the 24th. 
Minelaying by a/c of Dutch ports began with Texel. This continued on the 21st off Ijmuiden, of Terschelling Gat on the 31st, off Flushing on 5 June, off Dunkirk and Boulogne on 26 June. CA YORK arrived at Scapa from Rosyth. DD FORESIGHT departed the Humber for Scapa.

FN.174 departed Southend, escort sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 20th.

*Northern Waters*
CV GLORIOUS flew the six Walrus aircraft of the 701 Squadron ashore for operations at Harstad. Returning from the Fleet Air Arm's first mining sortie in Norwegian waters Operation BOTTLE, a Swordfish of the 823 Squadron from CV GLORIOUS was lost along with the crew. A second Swordfish of the Sqn force-landed off Isle of Eday with the crew recovered unhurt. CA DEVONSHIRE's WALRUS was shot down by a He.111 at Malangsfjord. Two crewmen were killed and a third injured but rescued. 

ORP troopships SOBIESKI and BATORY departed Harstad with escort TARTAR and WESTCOTT and troops and survivors from sunken ships aboard. Simultaneously departing Harstad were Br steamers BALMAHA and CYCLOPS escort DDs MATABELE and WARWICK. The convoys left together, but remained separate due to speed. The "fast" section to arrive in the Clyde on the 23rd and the "slow" section to arrive on the 25th. The troopships and escort arrived safely in the Clyde at on the 23rd whilst the slow section and escort arrived in the Clyde 2 days later. After safely delivering the troopships at the Clyde, DD TARTAR went on to Liverpool departing for repair and boiler cleaning returning to Scapa 2 June. Brit steamer ACRITY departed Scapa with escort ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST CATHAN for Narvik where they arrived on the 23rd. British oiler WAR NIZAM, escorted by ASW trawlers JUNIPER and HAZEL, arrived at Scapa from Sullom Voe.

*West Coast UK*
DD MASHONA departed Greenock for Scapa, however the DD was diverted to assist DD SABRE in an ASW Sweep, with ASW trawlers BRABANT, STOKE CITY and LEICESTER CITY later ordered to join the search. MASHONA remained in the area until Fr DD FOUDROYANT and tkr TARN passed through the area. DD MASHONA left the position on the 19th and arrived at Scapa at midday whilst SABRE proceeded to Holy Head for oil.

DDs ARROW and FURY departed Scapa to join DD ATHERSTONE in an unsuccessful hunt for a sub reported by a/c. ASW trawlers CAPE WARWICK and CAPE PORTLAND were ordered to search for a UBoat attacked by a/c but the search was unsuccessful.

*Channel*
DD VERITY was boiler cleaning from depot ship SANDHURST at Dover. Dutch gunboats FLORES and VAN MEERLANT arrived at Dover.

*UK-France*
BC.37 of steamers BARON CARNEGIE, GLENLEA, KUFRA , LOTTIE R departed Loire escort DD MONTROSE. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 19th.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr CV BEARN and DDs TRAMONTANE, TORNADE, TYPHON departed Toulon and passed Gib on the 20th, arriving at Casablanca on the 21st. The CV departed Casablanca on the 22nd, escort sloops ENTRECASTEAUX and IBERVILLE. Sloop IBERVILLE returned to Casablanca and was replaced by sloop BOUGAINVILLE. The DDs proceeded to Casablanca. They passed Gib on the 24th to return to the Med. BEARN, joined by cruisers from Brest, proceeded to Halifax, arriving on 1 June, to collect new aircraft from the US.

CAs CORNWALL and DORSETSHIRE arrived at Gib after duty in the Sth Atlantic. They were joined on the 17th by DD KEPPEL from convoy HG.30 escort duties and DD VORTIGERN from patrol duties. On 22 May, CORNWALL departed Gib, escort DD KEPPEL, for Freetown and DORSETSHIRE departed Gib, escorted DD WRESTLER, for refitting at Devonport. However, DORSETSHIRE was ordered to patrol off the Canary Islands and arrived back at Gib on 16 June. DD WRESTLER arrived back at Gib on the 23rd. DD KEPPEL was ordered to join troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and escort her westwards.


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## parsifal (May 17, 2015)

*18 May 1940 - RAF Operations*
1 Sqn (Hurri)
P/O. C.M. Stavert claims the destruction of a Do17 and a He111. Unable to confirm enemy losses. Sgt R.A. Albonico in L1865 is shot down by ground fire near St. Quentin, 15.30 hrs. Pilot taken prisoner. 
P/O C.M. Stavert – in N2353 force-landed near Condé-Vraux after combat and out of fuel. Abandoned. Pilot safe. The a/c was burnt to avoid capture. 

3 Sqn (Hurri)
P/O P.M. Gardner in N2464 made a forced landing, after being damaged by a Do17 of 2/KG76 near Douai. P/O Gardner set the wreck afire. Returned to unit.

4 Sqn (Lysander)
F/O EC. Ford, B (Air Gnr.) KW. Graham, (Both KIA). A/C lost. Tac Recon near Brussels Shot down by Me 109's. Crashed at Outer, near Ninove. Believed to be the a/c claimed by Oberlt Rempel and Uffz Wischnewski of 6./JG2 SE of Brussels 19.10 hrs. 

10 Sqn (Whitley) and others
Oil installations in Hamburg and Bremen are attacked by 48 Hampdens and 24 Whitleys respectively. A further 6 Wellingtons bomb railway yards at Cologne while 46 Wellingtons and 6 Hampdens attack German troops in Belgium. No losses. However P4963, ZA-B (F/L A.S.Phillips) badly damaged by Flak, crew unhurt. 

13 Sqn (Lysander)
P/O JH Day, KIA, Air Gunner: Not known Took off from Authie. Wrecked in explosion when bomb became detached on landing at Amiens. P/O Day believed to be badly wounded, evacuated but died in hospital en route to England

16 Sqn (Lysander)
F/O TW Walker, FCorporal, missing, (W/O) ET Baillie, Missing, A/C (S/N unknown) crashed Took off from Bertangles,. Failed to return from tac recon over St. Quentin and crashed near Creil. Possibly the target of claim by Oberfw Schmid of 1./JG2 over Beauvais, 08.15 hrs.

No 17 Sqn (Hurri)
Harold 'Birdie' Bird-Wilson, F/L W.A. Toyne and F/L C.F.G. Adye shared in the destruction of a Do 17, SE of Seclin, 16.25 hrs. At the same time P/O K. Manger and P/O W.J. Harper shared in the destruction of an .

53 sqn (Blen)
Mission not stated, 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA

54 sqn (Hurri)
Mission not stated. 2 Hurris shot down 2 KIA

58 Sqn (Hampden)
Target Misburg, no losses, no information on numbers or results

59 sqn (Blen)
1 Plane lost, 2 KIA no other details available

87 sqn (Hurri)
2 Me 109s shot down, no losses

103 Sqn (Battle)
Only 4 Battles serviceable but 11 crews were available for opns. The ground crews worked hard to improve serviceability rates. Opns restarted with an attack on German armour in the area of St Quentin. Several Battles damaged by flak in low level attacks but all returned to base. As from approximately this date the tactical low approach and attack were discontinued and a high approach at about 8000 feet with dive attack to 4000 feet was adopted. This method greatly reduced the casualty rate. A/c were also despatched singly to provide freedom of manoeuvrability and the tight formations of 3 a/c abandoned. Not all the battles shortcomings were due to the a/c it seems.

118 sqn (Hurri)
Cambrai and Douai 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA 
Taking off from England, but staging through airfields in France, No. 111 Sqn saw action on 10.30 hrs in the Cambrai area, on 15.25 hrs near Douai and on 16.30 hrs, again in the Douai area. In the 1st engagement a Hs126 was shot down. In the 2nd engagement 5 Me110's were destroyed. In the third action 4 LW (identified only as “Ju types”)were claimed but only listed as probable.


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## parsifal (May 17, 2015)

*18th May - The BEF*

The situation in front of the BEF and on its flanks had deteriorated to such an extent that it compelled Gort to issue his order requiring the immediate evacuation of all “useless mouths”, undertaken principally from the ports of Boulogne, Calais and to a lesser extent from Dunkirk. By far the greatest numbers of these “useless mouths” were the sick and injured by then piling up in the hospitals and field stations.

Rundstedt issues orders, with Hitlers full support, for Kleist to restrain the formations under his spearhead command from advancing further than the Oise River, before the 18 May. This order for restraint is dutifully passed on by Kleist. Guderians response to this order is revealing of the mans brilliance as well as his temperament. He wrote in his autobiography “I neither would nor could agree to these orders which involved sacrificing the surprise we had gained, and giving away the success we had achieved. My conversation (with Von Kleist) became extremely heated….”. Guderian claims in his memoirs that Von Kleist did agree to a 24 hour extension to the advance. Guderian then hurried back to Montcornet ordering his command to continue their advance. He met also with Reinhadt (XLI Korps commander) wherein the two men agreed to continue their advance until they ran out of petrol. Guderian wrote that he could not accept that Hitler who had promoted and supported Mansteins plan because of its boldness could now be frightened by “his own temerity and order the German advance to ber stopped”…..

He was wrong. The next day, he was ordered by Kleist to meet him at the designated XIX Korps airstrip. He was given a severe dressing down, to the point of offering his resignation. It required the intervention of List to partially resolve the impasse, where, importantly, Guderian was given permission to continue west of the Oise as a reconnaissance in force which was just enough for Guderian to continue as he had already been operating. . 






_Guderian in his command vehicle ( a modified sdkfz 251 halftrack) May 1940_


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## Njaco (May 17, 2015)

*May 18 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Dutch and French forces evacuate the Netherlands islands of Walcheren and South Beveland, north and west of Zeeland. German forces take over 2000 Dutch and French prisoners of war in taking the Netherlands islands of South Beveland and Schouwen. The Netherlands commander of the Zeeland Islands offers capitulation to Germany. The German 18.Armee, lead by Georg Küchler, pierce the outer ring of fortresses of Antwerp, Belgium, in two places, quickly capturing the city. 

Despite the stop order imposed on the German tanks, Rommel pushes 7.Panzerdivision on to Cambrai and then halts to consolidate his supply lines and protect his flanks. He has advanced 85 miles due West (more than half way to the English Channel) in 5 days, capturing over 10,000 French prisoners and 100 tanks. His losses are about 50 dead and 100 wounded. The rapid pace constantly wrecks Allied counterattack plans; French formations are overrun while they prepare to attack. 7.Panzerdivision becomes known as the “Ghost Division” for its ability to appear unexpectedly. Over 6 million French refugees take to the roads, convinced they will be occupied any minute. Populations of cities in Northern France drop by 90%. German forces at the Serre River in France start moving again, heading north, away from Paris. German 2.Panzerdivision reaches St. Quentin, France, ten miles beyond Moy.

Five British Hurricanes are shot down near Vitry by Bf 109’s from II./JG 26. Two more British Hurricanes are shot down by the pilots of II./JG 2 and 2./JG 51. The pilots of 7./JG 53 lose their Staffelkapitän when Oblt. Wilke is forced to bail over French territory after a dogfight with French Hawk 75s.

French Premier Paul Reynaud appoints a new Cabinet in an attempt to strengthen the French conduct of the war. He himself takes the Ministry of Defense, Marshal Petain is deputy prime minister and Mandel is Minister of the Interior. General Weygand, even older than Gamelin but far more vigorous, has been recalled from the Middle East to take over Supreme Command. Although these changes probably do strengthen Reynaud's team, especially his own new office, they will turn out to have been ill-advised. Some of the new men, Petain in particular, will become deeply pessimistic about the outcome of the war and will in time bring Reynaud down when he himself would have preferred to fight on. Premier Reynaud makes an address to the nation, including;


> "The situation is serious but certainly not desperate".



The German Government reincorporates the Belgian districts of Eupen, Malmedy, and Moresnet back into the Reich. The Versailles Treaty had forced those areas to be ceded to Belgium.

*ASIA:* Japan presents Batavia with demands of a new treaty for raw materials.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British troops in Egypt reinforce the western desert frontier with Libya.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The American State Department makes public a joint declaration of 21 republics of the Americas. The statement condemns the;


> "…ruthless violation by Germany of the neutrality and sovereignty of Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg."



*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Swedish Council on Foreign Relations of the Swedish Cabinet rules against the transit of arms for Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German U-boats resume harassing Allied shipping in North Atlantic and around Britain, after several weeks patrolling the Dutch, Danish and Norwegian coasts in support of the invasions. U-60 and U-62 sail from Kiel, joining U-37 and U-43 at sea.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Tyler Kent, a clerk at the US Embassy in London, and Anna Wolkoff, a Russian emigree, are arrested on spying charges. Kent has had access to the correspondence between Churchill and Roosevelt, and Wolkoff has helped pass it to Germany via Italian diplomats. Kent's diplomatic immunity is waived by the United States ambassador. Wolkoff has had connections with a pro-Fascist organization, the Right Club.

,



.


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## Njaco (May 18, 2015)

*May 19 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Most of the German panzer forces halt in positions between Peronne and St. Quentin to regroup but some of Guderian's troops are still pushing forward, only 50 miles from the French coast. The Panzers are beyond the French defensive line and advance rapidly, capturing supply dumps and disrupting Allied rearguard areas. They cut the supply lines of the British Expeditionary Force and French Armies trapped in Belgium, further disorganizing their resistance. Rommel's 7.Panzerdivision also makes a small advance in the direction of Arras. German 1.Panzerdivision forces a bridgehead over the Somme River near Péronne, France, 20 miles west of St. Quentin. French General Maurice-Gustave Gamelin orders an attack into the southern flank of German General Heinz Guderian's Panzer corps. BEF commander General Lord Gort ignores the orders to attack into the German flanks and instead considers a withdrawal to the Channel ports, including Dunkirk. Colonel De Gaulle’s French 4th Armoured Division attempts another failed attack on Guderian’s flank at Montcornet. It makes very good progress against gradually stiffening resistance but is ordered to retire before any real gains can be achieved. German forces take French towns Le Cateau and St. Quentin and the Maginot Line Fort Number 505, northwest of Montmedy. The main British forces are now in positions along the Scheldt.

The possibility that it will be necessary to evacuate the BEF is raised for the first time in telephone conversations between London and the commanders in the field. The governments are still optimistic at this stage. 

The RAF has lost over half the aircraft deployed to France and Belgium and the German advance now threatens its airfields. Squadrons begin returning to Britain. Future fighter operations over France will be carried out from bases in southern England.

Hptm. Herwig Knuppel, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26 is killed when he is shot down over Lille. He was one of the first Luftwaffe pilots to go to Spain in 1936 with the Legion Condor. Oblt. Ebbighausen, Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 26, is temporarily made Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26 in his place but later force lands with injuries near Lille after air combat with the Allies. Oblt. Gerhard Schöpfel of 9./JG 26 scores his first kill, a RAF Hurricane shot down near Courtrai.

Lt. Helmut Strobl of 5./JG 27 force lands behind enemy lines and escapes capture until German forces advance into the area. The crew of 2(J)./LG 2 also lose aircraft in the day’s fighting. Hptm. Mölders of JG 53 shoots down a Hawk 75 for his twelfth kill thus beginning an incredible week for Mölders. Oblt. Franzisket of 1./JG 1 gets his fourth kill, a French Mureaux at 1350 hours over Amiens.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Prime Minister Churchill makes a public radio address, including;


> "I have invincible confidence in the French Army and its leaders".



At 0631 hours, U-37 sinks Swedish MV “_Erik Frisell”_ off Scotland. All 34 crew abandon ship and are picked up by the British armed trawler HMS “_Cobbers_” and landed at Stornoway.

OPERATION QUIXOTE: An unusual operation was performed this day by British naval forces. Six trawlers (“_Milford Princess_”, “_Cape Melville_”, “_Grampian_”, “_Pelton_”, “_Milford Queen_” and “_James Lay_”) three destroyers (“_Javelin_”, “_Jackal_” and “_Jaguar_”), and a corvette (“_Puffin_”), with air cover provided by Blenheims, set out to cut the submarine telecommunications cables between Britain and Germany. The cut was made midway between the Norfolk Coast and Borkum in the East Frisian Islands. The operation successfully cut two of the six cables, an abandoned Dutch salvage tug, the '_Hector_', was found and towed back to Britain and five members of a shot down Whitley bomber were rescued from the North Sea. The cables were not re-connected until after 'Overlord' in 1944. Destroyer “_Jackal_” encountered the abandoned Dutch salvage tug '_Hector_' and a crew was put on the Dutch tug. The tug safely arrived at Yarmouth.

The minelayer '_Princess Victoria_' struck a mine and sank off the Humber. Thirty-seven of her crew were killed.


.


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## parsifal (May 18, 2015)

*19 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile Type A ML100 





*Losses*
*Trawler ALBION (Ex-Nor 192 grt)* Fishing trawler launched 1880 taken over by the Germans in Trondheim at the very beginning of the war. she was seized by the DKM DD THEODOR RIEDEL. ALBION was sunk near Bronnoysund (nth of Trondheim) by the Nor PVs HEILHORN and HONNINGTON while she was on her way to the Nth of Norway with supplies. Norwegi an sources say the ship was shelled and sunk on that date, some sources say the attacker was an RN DD in the same location (if this is true, the RN was still operating well sth of Narvik). Later salvaged and broken up.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux MSW AUGUSTIN NORMAND (Fr 175 grt)* Ju88s from KG 30 sank this vessel in the English Channel off Le Havre, Seine-Maritime. .

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sailing Barque BELGICA (Nor 263 grt)* The vessel dating back to 1884, was being used as a depot ship by the Norwegians at the time of her loss. She was used as an ammunition depot ship, and was bombed by He111s , which failed to hit, but caused her to spring serious leaks and sink. To avoid capture, she was "scuttled" ( I think she was demolished actually) at Harstad, Troms by the Franco-British Expeditionary Force.






*MV ERIK FRISELL (Sd 5066 grt) *Crew: 34 (0 dead and 34 survivors) ; Cargo: Fodder : Route: Buenos Aires - Reykjavik - Liverpool. Hit by a Torpedo fired by U-37 in the early daylight hours the unescorted Erik Frisell was stopped pnly after the Uboat surfaced and put a shell across her bow. The crew then abandoned ship only after the U-boat fired further shots across the bow. The Germans allowed some crewmen back to the ship to take the last two men off. Afterwards the ship was sunk by gunfire. She had orginally been en route to Stockholm but was ordered to Liverpool by the Allied Control Commission. Survivors were rescued by ASW trawler COBBERS and landed at Stornoway. 






*DD WHITLEY (RN 1100 grt)* The W-class destroyer was bombed and damaged off Ostend, whilst under orders from the French Naval command at Dunkirk to carry out blockade and the rescue of refugee from Ostend, was bombed at at dawn and badly damaged by the LW 2 miles off Nieuport. After 3 more near misses, DD WHITLEY with both engine rooms flooded and her back broken was run aground to prevent sinking. 4 crewman were lost. DD VIMIERA rescued the crew and tug LADY BRASSEY was dispatched to bring WHITLEY back to England. However DD KEITH arrived on scene and determined the WHITLEY was beyond salvage and shelled her until she blew up to prevent her use by the German forces. DD VIMIERA with the WHITLEY crew, the rest of the crew from WESTMINSTER, the Flushing demolition party departed Dunkirk that evening for Dover. 






*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> General Weygand, previously Commander in Chief, Near East, has been appointed Chief of the French General Staff and Commander
> in Chief in all theaters in succession to General Gamelin, who is blamed for the failure of the Northern Army's operations.
> 
> Great Britain;
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> The auxiliary warship "KAMERUN" has been commissioned as U-boat repair ship. U 122 entered Trondheim. As there are so few Sperrbrechers, it is necessary to organize the outward escort of operational boats and U-boat trial runs very carefully. Only one of the 2 Sperrbrechers 4 and 9 has magnetic gear, i.e. 4. It must therefore be accepted that some boats will be escorted by the inadequate Sperrbrecher 9. F.O.I.C. Northern Defenses has suggested abandoning this protection for U-boats until there actually has been enemy minelaying activity in the sea are to be passed, but this cannot be permitted. While there are so few U-boats it is essential that all means should be used for their protection even when absolute safety is not guaranteed.


Arrivals
Trondheim: U-122

Departures
Kiel: U-8 

At Sea 19 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-37, U-43, U-60, U-62. 
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CL BIRMINGHAM departed the Humber for Rosyth to rejoin the Home Flt after duty off the Dutch coast. DDs JAVELIN and JACKAL, which departed Harwich on the 18th, JAGUAR and PC PUFFIN screened MSW trawlers CAPE MELVILLE, GRAMPIAN , PELTON , MILFORD QUEEN , MILFORD PRINCESS , JAMES LAY cutting the telegraph cables between Lowestoft, Bacton, Mundesley on the English east coast and Borkum and Nordeney. On the 19th, JACKAL encountered abandoned Dutch salvage tug HECTOR. A crew was put on the Dutch tug. The tug safely arrived at Yarmouth on the 20th. 

Only two cables were cut and this operation designated QUIXOTE continued on the 28th.

DD WILD SWAN departed Dover with ASW trawlers LADY PHILOMENA , SAON, KINGSTON OLIVINE, one additional trawler. Trawler SAON attacked U.9, but no damage was done. DD WILD SWAN returned to Dover on the 20th. 

Sub SEAWOLF arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub TRITON departed Rosyth on patrol.

OA.151 departed Southend escort sloop WELLINGTON from 19 to 21 May. FN.175 departed Southend, escort sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 21st. MT.69 departed Methil, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.174 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st. 

*Northern Waters*
Steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN (UK 3244 grt) departed Scapa, screened by CLA CURLEW, for Harstad where they both safely arrived on the 23rd. The steamer departed Harstad the next day to return to Scapa. DD CAMPBELL departed the Clyde for Scapa where she arrived on the 20th. MSW Gp 16 of MSW trawlers LOCH ERIBOL, ALAFOSS, WELLSBACK, LOCH LEVEN departed Scapa Flow for the Humber.

*West Coast UK*
OB.151 departed Liverpool escort DD WINCHELSEA from 19 to 22 May.

*Channel*
DD VENOMOUS relieved DD KEITH on North Goodwins Patrol. VENOMOUS was attacked by the LW late on the 19th. DD KEITH proceeded to Dover and refuelled. She departed later that day for Boulogne with CIGs Gen Sir Edmund Ironside, after which she returned to Dover.

*UK-France*
Fr convoy FR.2 of troopships CHENONCEAUX and MEXIQUE departed the Clyde escort DD SALADIN and PV JASON for Brest. In Nth Channel on the 20th, Fr DD FOUDROYANT, relieved of her escort of tkr TARN escort, joined the convoy and patrol vessel JASON was detached.

*Med- Biscay*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Colombo for the Med to serve in CruSqn 7. the LEANDER took CL LIVERPOOL's place. CL LEANDER arrived at Alexandria on the 26th. On the 31st, she was ordered to join the CruSqn 4 of the East Indies Station. On 1 June, she departed Alex to join the Red Sea Force and arrived at Port Sudan on 4 June. Fr CL MONTCALM and DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS arrived at Gib from Brest. The ships departed the next day for the Med.

*Indian Ocean* 
Gunboats COCKCHAFER and GNAT arrived at Basra; COCKCHAFER under tow by Indian sloop HINDUSTAN. The gunboats had departed Singapore on 22 April. At Penang, they were joined by CL LIVERPOOL which escorted them to Car Nicobar. At Car Nicobar, AMC CATHAY relieved the CL. The gunboats departed Colombo on 29 April for Basra.


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## parsifal (May 18, 2015)

19 May 1940 - RAF Air Operations
1 Sqn 
Sqn intercepts a formation of He111's and claims 4. 2 confirmed post war. 
1 Hurri (s/n not recorded) 
Sgt Francis J. Soper, in L1925 force-landed after combat with He 111 of KG27 and abandoned. Pilot safe.

2 Sqn (Lysander)
W/C A.J.W. Geddes and LAC Clarke in Lysander KO-T met 20 Ju 87's bombing the bridge at Oudenaarde and claimed 1 Ju 87 shot down. The Stuka pilot bailed out. The aircraft crashed in a forest near Kruischbosch. After Geddes landed and reported his victory F/O Tony Doidge jumped into a car and raced to Kruischbosch. He returned with a piece of the Stuka.

3 Sqn (Hurri)
P/O J Rose in N2535 force landed, after being damaged by a Me109 of I/JG77 near Seclin. Returned to unit. A/C destroyed

4 Sqn (Lysander)
P/O JA. Plumb, KIA, (Air Gnr.) R J. Thornton, (KIA), A/C S/N unknown; Shot down by Me 109's while making practice landings at Lille-Marcq. Possibly that a/c claimed by Oberlt von angerow (Staffelkapitän) of 2.(J)/LG2 11.00 hrs. 

F/O LJ. Oldacres, KIA, (Air Gnr.) C Butterill, KIA, Shot down by Me 109's while making practice landings at Lille-Marcq. Possibly that a/c claimed by Lt Tismar of 3.(J)/LG2, 11.15 hrs. 

12 Sqn 
Battle airborne 1019 from Echemines. Badly shot about and Sgt Belcher, KIA. The two injured airmen were admitted to Hospital. A/C was lost

16 Sqn (Lysander)
F/O AP. Reed, missing P/O I Dromgoole, missing, a/C (S/N not reported) Possibly shot down by Hptmn Schellmann (Gruppenkommandeur) of Stab II./JG2 west of Tournai (Doornik). 

17 Sqn (Hurri)
Harold 'Birdie' Bird-Wilson damaged a Bf 109. 

P/O RE. Harris, KIA, A/C N2408 destroyed, Shot down by Me 109 of LG2 near Le Cateau, 16.20 hrs. 

26 sqn (Lysander)
Took off from Authie. Shot down by Lt Strakeljahn of I.(J)/LG2. Crashed and burned out at Neuvilly, 13.30 hrs. A/C caught fire. Recon, F, 2 Planes lost, 3 KIA, 1 DOW, 1 WIA

32 Sqn F/O J.C. Milner - POW , A/C N2462 was lost; Bailed out in the afternoon near Le Cateau after combat with Me 109's of I/JG2. 

49 Sqn (Hampden), 77, 51, 58 and 102 sqn (Whitley)
Part of a larger opn that night. Targets included Oil refineries and railways in Germany along with enemy troops in Belgium attacked by 24 Wellingtons, 24 Whitleys and 12 Hampdens (60 aircraft in total).


Airborne 20.05 hrs 18 May 1940 from Driffield. Target was Hannover At 21.35, while flying at 9,000 feet and some 60 miles off the Dutch coast, one Whitley was attacked by an Me110 and damaged. In turn the Me110 was claimed destroyed. Despite a painful foot wound, F/L Raphael ditched the bomber and the crew clambered into their dinghy. Their plight was seen by F/L Crockett, who happened to be in the area at the time, and he was able to direct an RN DD to the scene. After 4 hrs afloat the crew were rescued and taken into Yarmouth.

Bombing - oil refinery at Hannover. 51 Sqn. 4 a/c. 3 bombed, one lost. 58 Sqn. 4 a/c. 3 bombed.77 Sqn. 7 a/c. 6 bombed, 1 shot down by Bf110 see above, crew rescued. Bf110 claimed destroyed. 102 Sqn. 8 a/c. 7 bombed.

(Next night )19/20 May)

58, 77, 102 Sqns (Whitley)
36 Hampdens, 30 Wellingtons and 12 Whitleys despatched to a number of targets in France, Belgium and Germany. 2 Whitleys lost.
Bombing - oil targets at Gelsenkirchen and Dorsten. 58 Sqn. 6 a/c. All bombed from low-level (2 - 8,000 feet). Severe opposition. 77 Sqn. 2 a/c. Both bombed, one badly damaged by Flak. 102 Sqn. 4 a/c. Extremely severe opposition, 2 lost

59 sqn (Blen)
Recon 1 a/c lost, crew safe (1 wia), Lost bearings during recon over LESSINES and forced-landed low on fuel at ST VAAST-EN-CHAUSSÉE, NW of Amiens 7p.m. later strafed by enemy a/c. A/c abandoned. 

73 sqn (Hurri)
5 bombers are lost to 73 sqn. F/lt 19 May Scoular shoots down 2 He111s in rapid succession. The bombers went down out of control near Reims. One of the Heinkels were credited to him as a shared with Sgt A Marshall. It is actually now believed the a/c attacked by 73 Sqn were probably Ju88s of I and II/KG51 although it is possible that some of the pilots may have encountered stray Heinkels from III/KG27 previously attacked by 1 Sqn and struggling home. I and II/KG51 records confirm the loss of 3 Ju88s and 1 damaged. III/KG 27 also lost multiple a/c but it is not possible to determine who shot them down.

87 sqn (Hurri) 
2 Me 109s, 2 Do17’s, 1 He111 shot down for no loss

103 sqn (Battle)
6 Battles attacked troop concentrations in the Conde-sur-Aisne area using the newly devised methods and all returned safely in spite of heavy flak reported in the target area. Belatedly, orders were received confirming what had already been decided within this sqn, abandon low level raid by day and attack individually 

Night ops would also be flown and a special flare firing was rigged up. This was an electrically controlled series of glim lamps wired through a rheostat and working off the Chance light generator. This system worked very well and the lights could be dimmed or extinguished immediately if required in the event of enemy aircraft being in the vicinity. In general the tactical night operations were never a great success but the Battles were now considered too vulnerable to fly regularly by day without fighter escort and the few RAF ftr sqns in France were too busy intercepting LW raids to undertake more escort duties.

111 sqn (Hurri)
Lille-Cambrai 2 a/c lost, 2 KIA
No. 111 Sqn shot down 4 He111's in rapid succession in the Lille-Cambrai area, around 14.15 hrs


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## parsifal (May 18, 2015)

*19 May 1940 - The BEF*
On this day the detail operational planning for the evacuation began, beginning with the appointment of Admiral Ramsay and his staff to organize and make ready for the evacuation. On taking over this task, Ramsay was to find that only 36 DDs were operational and available, not nearly sufficient to reach the target evacuation rate of 10000 per day. 
Boulogne/Calais Sector
Following a heavy air raid on the night of 19/20 May, in which the Hotel Imperiale (Brownriggs HQ) was bombed and several staff officers killed, Brownrigg, whilst still trying to organize a defence with the forces at his disposal, also had to contend with a further relocation of his HQ. Between 19 and 22 May, various Allied units trickled into Boulogne most significantly 1900 men of No 5 Group of the Pioneer Corps under command of Lt Col Dean VC, This force had already fought some rearguards at St Pol whilst enroute , and had finally retreated to Boulogne after vacating Doullens, which had been outflanked after the French units adjacent had dissolved. 

Upon arrival at Boulogne many of this units members set to work as labourers to form hasty fortifications. Other units to arrive included about 360 men of the 36th Bde, which had also been at St Pol and Doullens, and had been badly mauled after the French collapse. There were also some strgglaers from the Durham Lt Infantry separated from the parent unit which was fighting near Arras. 

British units already in Boulogne were AA troops comprising 2 troops of the 2nd HAA Bn with the new 3.7” guns and 2 troops of the 57th LAA Bn with a few 40mm Bofors and HMGs. There was a small detachment of a Barrage Balloon co. and a searchlight bty. For some reason, just when they were needed, the ballon detachment received orders to evacuate. Inexplicable….. . There were three forts that ringed the port, manned by French garrison troops, perhapos 5 Bn equivalents. Two of the forts were on the coast, to the nth and sth of the site, and a further inland at Villa haute. These fell to the command of Gen Lanquetot (of the mauled 21st Fr Inf XX), and rallied units of this div were also trickling into the city as the day wore on. 

Somme Front
De Gaulle receives further orders to cross the Serre at Crecy (which was to be captured by a French Colonial Infantry XX. His forces are not ready, howev er, they are recovering from the combat on the 17-18th at Montcornet


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## parsifal (May 19, 2015)

*20 May 1940 *
*Losses*
*MV ANTVERPIA (Be 4933 grt)* The cargo ship was bombed and severely damaged in the English Channel off Boulogne, in a LW air raid. She was beached on 21 May, but bombed again on 23 May and set on fire.





*MV DENEB (Nor 856 grt)* The ship was used in the Narvik campaign for fuel storage, Whilst carrying out a fuel transfer with a British cargo vessel tied alongside, DENEB was hit by bombs in the LW raid on Harstad 20 May. She and the British ship caught fire and were lost. 2 crew were killed, the majority of the crew were not on board at the time the ship was lost. She was scuttled the next day by a British destroyer. Steamers PEMBROKE COAST was also sunk (see below) and steamer BALTEAKO (UK 1328 grt) was badly damaged in this incident at Harstad.






*MV PEMBROKE COAST (UK 625 grt)* This vessel was lost at the same time as the DENEB (see above) The cargo ship was bombed and damaged in a LW raid on Harstad. She was scuttled the next day.





*Tug HERCULE (Fr 216 grt)* The tug struck a mine and sank at Calais, Pas-de-Calais.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr NIGER (Fr 5482 grt)* The tanker was bombed and sunk off Gravelines, Nord by LW a/c. All crew were rescued by TB CYCLONE.






*Tkr OPHELIE (Fr 6477 grt)* The tkr was bombed and sunk in the English Channel off Boulogne.





*Aux MSW trawlers RIFSNESS (RN 431 grt) * and LORD INCHCAPE (338grt) were minesweeping between Dunkirk and Ostend. 
Trawler RIFSNESS was sunk by LW air attack. Trawler LORD INCHCAPE picked up her crew and returned to Dover. 2 crew wewre lost in the attack. A 3rd rating, reported lost, was taken as PoW. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing Vessels S.130 (Den 50 grt (est)* and *S.175 (Den 50 grt (est))* were intercepted in the Nth Sea Sub SPEARFISH . The crews of both vessels were taken off and they were sunk by gunfire

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-28

At Sea 20 May 1940
-8, U-9, U-28, U-37, U-43, U-60, U-62. 
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs WESSEX and VENETIA arrived Humber. DD ASHANTI departed Dundee for Rosyth after repairs. Fr sub ANTIOPE fired 3 torps at Fr sube SYBILLE in the Nth Sea. The torp luckily missed the target. ANTIOPE and SYBILLE and sub SHARK in adjacent patrol areas were ordered not to attack submarines. SYBILLE reported both periscope presses defective and a sick rating. SYBILLE was ordered to Rosyth and was relieved on station by sub L.23, which departed Harwich on the 21st. Fr sub ACHILLE arrived at Dundee. ACHILLE was bombed in the restricted area by CC a/c. Damage was sustained to the external fuel tanks, hydroplanes, echo sounding gear, both props. Fr sub AMAZONE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub SALMON departed Harwich on patrol. On a minelaying sortie from North Coates, a Swordfish of 812 Squadron ditched at sea with the crew lost. OA.152 departed Southend escorted by corvette ARABIS. The corvette was later transferred to convoy HG.31. FN.176 departed Southend, escort sloop LONDONDERRY, arriving at the Tyne on the 22nd. MT.70 departed Methil, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.175 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

DKM S Boats S.22, S.23, S.24, S.25 of the 1st S.boat Flotilla and S.13, S.30, S.31, S.32, S.34 of the 2nd S.boat Flotilla departed Borkum to operate off Nieuport.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ARROW and FORTUNE carried out a search of Scapa after a shore battery fired at an unknown craft at 0106 entering Scapa Flow through Water Sound. DDs SIKH, FURY, FORESIGHT, MASHONA were also searching. The unknown craft later was determined to be a float laid by survey ship FRANKLIN to gauge speed of the current. DD SIKH carried out firing trials of a modified pom pom gun in the anchorage at Scapa. Sub TRUANT departed Tromso on patrol off North Cape.

*West Coast UK*
On 19 May at 1200, DDs ZULU, WITHERINGTON, ESCORT, ACASTA, ARDENT departed the Clyde to provide the home waters escort for Cdn troop convoy TC.4. The convoy on the 20th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th. on the 21st, BB REVENGE and DDs ARDENT and ACASTA anchored at Greenock. DDs ZULU, ESCORT, WITHERINGTON arrived in the Clyde on the 21st after escorting the convoy. A report of 1 enemy BB and a large number of DDs was received. All DDs at Scapa raised steam to escort capital ships, but the order was later reduced when the report was reduced to only 4 DDs steering NE. DD MAORI departed Liverpool for the Clyde after repairs. She arrived at Greenock on the 21st. 

*SW Approaches*
OG.30 was formed from convoys OA.150G, which departed Southend on the 18th escort corvette CLARKIA, OB.150G, which departed Liverpool on the 18th escort sloop ROCHESTER, with 46 ships. Corvette CLARKIA escorted the convoy on the 20th, sloop BIDEFORD escorted the convoy from 20 to 23 May and was then detached to HG.31F. DD WATCHMAN, from convoy HG.31F, escorted the convoy from 23 to 26 May when the convoy arrived at Gib. HG.31F of 29 ships departed Gib, with escort DD WATCHMAN from 20 to 23 May and was then transferred to OG.30. Fr aux PV JUTLAND escorted the convoy from 20 to 26 May. The PV arrived at Lorient on the 27th. Sloop BIDEFORD from convoy OG.30 escorted the convoy from 26 to 28 May. DD WORCESTER escorted the convoy from 26 to 29 May when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Channel*
DD MALCOLM off the North Goodwins was attacked by the LW and damaged by 3 near misses. 2 were killed and 19 crew, were wounded. MALCOLM departed Dover on the 21st for Portsmouth. She was repaired in 4 days. MSW HARRIER completed boiler cleaning at Dover. The MSW departed Dover that day to join MSW Flot 6.

ASW trawlers LADY PHILOMENA and KINGSTON OLIVINE, while on patrol, were bombed by the LW. On 21 May, it was determined near misses had made the trawlers unseaworthy and docking was required. Trawler LADY PHILOMENA arrived at Dover on the 22nd with the crew of an a/c that had crashed off Folkestone. 

*UK-France*
Fr steamer MASSILIA departed Liverpool, escort DD WAKEFUL. Both ships arrived at Brest during the afternoon of May 22.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.44 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and SKEENA, which were detached on the 21st. BHX.44 departed Bermuda on the 19th escort locally by sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort of AMC JERVIS BAY. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.44 on the 25th and the AMC was detached. AMC AUSONIA assumed command of escort of the convoy from the DDs on the 21st. The AMC was herself detached on the 30th. On that day, sloop ROCHESTER joined and on 1 June, sloop ENCHANTRESS joined providing inbound escort in home waters, with the convoy arriving at Liverpool on the 3rd.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr BBs BRETAGNE and PROVENCE departed Alex to sweep towards Cape Bon. They were escorted by Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs LYNX and TIGRE and RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, WATERHEN. Fr DDs BORDELAIS and TROMBE joined the sweep on the 22nd. The RAN DDs were detached to Malta where they refuelled and arrived back at Alex on the 25th. The Fr BBss returned to Mer el Kebir, arriving on the 27th.

DDs WISHART and DOUGLAS departed Gib escorting British troopship ORONSAY to Malta.


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## Njaco (May 19, 2015)

*May 20 Monday*
*GERMANY:* The German High Command (OKW) puts forward “Unternehmen Rot”(Operation Red), the plan for the final offensive against France.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The Panzers reach the sea. At 0140 hours, Rommel’s 7.Panzerdivision moves out of Cambrai and in 6 hours advances 20 miles. They pull up 2 miles from Arras, which is strongly held by the British Expeditionary Force, to allow the infantry to catch up. The advance of Guderian’s Panzer Corps is even more spectacular. At 0900 hours, German 1.Panzerdivision seizes Amiens, while 2.Panzerdivision forces reach Abbéville, France. At 2000 hours, a reconnaissance unit of 2.Panzerdivision passes through Noyelles, reaching the sea near Abbéville, splitting Allied forces and trapping much of it in a northern pocket. This battalion is the first German unit to reach the Atlantic coast, just ten days after the start of the offensive. In 10 days they have traveled 200 miles from the German border to the English Channel. The Germans have now driven a corridor at least 20 miles wide from the Ardennes to the Channel. The obvious need is for the British and French to cut through this corridor before its walls can be strengthened to cut off irrevocably the forces to the north. Before his dismissal Gamelin was planning such an attack, but it has been cancelled following his sacking only to be revived now by Weygand. The delay imposed by these changes of mind prevents it from retaining even a slim chance of success. Almost a million Allied soldiers are now surrounded in Northern France and Belgium, leaving Allied plans to defend Belgium and France in ruins.

Warplanes of 3./JG 2 shot down eight French LeO 45 bombers, including two by Lt. Wick and one by Hptm. Hennig Strumpell, Staffelkapitän. In the evening, III./JG 53’s Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm. Mölders, scores his thirteenth kill, a Vickers. Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 achieves his first aerial victory.

Major Dr. Erich Mix’s III./JG 2 depart the airbase at Bastogne and follow the Stab to the airfield at Signy-le-Petit.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* An He 111 of 1(F)./122 sortied over Narvik and escaped interception by Sea Gladiators. Two transports were reported in Beisfjord. Other sorties reported further shipping – the result was a series of strikes made by KG 26, KGr 100 and KG 30.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Admiral Bertram H. Ramsay met with his staff beneath Dover Castle to draw up a formal plan for the evacuation of British and French forces from Dunkirk. The plan was called “Operation Dynamo.”

.



.


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## parsifal (May 20, 2015)

*20 May 1940 - RAF Operations*

(still completing)

26 sqn (Lysander) Recon, F. 1 Plane lost, 2 POW, Took off from Lympne. forced-landed on beach during evening recon sortie over Calais. Brought down by AA.

32 Sqn (Hurri) 
Patrol, F. 1 Plane lost, Crash-landed SE Arras after being hit by Hs 126 of 3(H)/41; aircraft burned out, 18.30 hrs. Pilot safe. 

44 sqn (Hampden)
Communications 1 Plane lost, 4 KIA, Airborne from Waddington to attack rail communication in tactical support of the BEF, France. Hit by Flak and crashed near Aachen, Germany.

48 sqn (Anson)
Dutch Patrol. 1 Plane lost, 4 MIA. Took off 17.10 hrs from Detling, in company with two other Ansons to attack nine German Motor Torpedo Boats(MTB's) in position CPOX 2706. At 19.00 hrs 35 km SW of Texerl, they sighted eight or nine MTB's in convoy and attacked. F/Lt Dodds led the attack and was hit by flak from an E-boat in the starboard wing and was forced to ditch.

77 sqn (Whitley)
Cambrai, F. 1 Plane lost, 1 POW, Airborne 2036 20May40 from Driffield. Reported to have forced landed near Abbeville (Somme), France. The crew (less 1 member taken prisoner) evaded capture and soon returned to Driffield 

79 sqn (Hurri)
1 Plane lost, 1 MIA, Shot down by groundfire during attack on enemy armoured columns west of Arras, 14.30 hrs.

87 sqn (Hurri)
1 Ju88 no loss


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## parsifal (May 20, 2015)

*20th May 1940 - The BEF*


In the pre-dawn, whilst Rommels 7th Pz XX was maneuvering to bypass Arras (unaware of the impending blow about to hit him). Guderian’s tanks in the south jumped off from the Cambrai-Peronne line, capturing Amiens by 9am, and further pushing forward to establish a bridgehead 4 miles deep on the south bank of the Somme. On Guderians right, 2nd Pz XX thrust forward from Albert through Doullens, Bernaville and then Beaumetz. At 7am its advanced elements took Abbeville and then pushed a single Panzer Bn forward still, reaching Noyelles shortly before nightfall. 

Meanwhile Guderians right flank units pushed through from the Albert Canal through Doullens crushing scattered French garrison units and mauling parts of the 36 Br Inf Bde. These forward elements pushed through Bernaville and Beaumetz, At 0700 that morning, advanced elements entered Abbeville unopposed , with a single Pz Bn pushing onto the coast by nightfall, reaching Noyelles that evening. He didn’t realize it at the time, but he had done it, succeeded where for four years in the previous war such victory had eluded the Germans. Even at this moment of victory, the german almost lost the plot, with Guderian ordered to halt. With no plan and no instructions as to what to do next, Guderian was forced to halt for 24 hours, this time the halt was real. OKW was as surprised a anyone by Guderians dash to the wire, and the whole of 20-21 May was lost whilst further orders were worked out. Up to now the various halt orders were largely mythical in their effects. Such delays as had occurred now and after were largely the result of allied resistance and supply issues, but the delays of 20-21 May were very real. It had nothing to do with "giving the Luftwaffe a chance" however. Just a plan that had not anticipated its own runaway success. 

The allies, meanwhile, continued to dither. 

On morning of this day, Churchill instructed that “as a precautionary measure , the Admiralty should assemble a large number of small vessels in readiness to proceed to ports and inlets on the French Coast.” As an immediate consequence, 30 passenger ferries, 12 drifters and 6 small coastal merchant vesels were placed under his command. It is intriguing that even whilst exhorting the army to fight its way out, even whilst making up stories about how much help was at hand, Chiurchilll was all the while getting his forces ready for an emergency evacuation 

The newly appointed French C in C, General Weygand, met with the Belgian high command at Ypes. There were disagreements about what the Belgians should do. Leopold and his staff wanted to fall back to Ostend, forming a vast bridgehead and retaining control over a sizable chunk of Belgian territory. Weygand urged the Belgians to fall back to the river Yser and from there mount a strong defence, as they had done in 1914, awaiting relief from their allies. Weygands plan was militarily sound, but failed to appreciate the dire circumstances and challenges being faced by the Belgians at that time. The Belgian Army had been in continuous action since 10 May and had undertaken a number of forced marches over the preceding days. The Belgian Army was in pretty bad shape. Weygands suggestion would require further strenuous movement and further losses to the hard fought rearguard actions. Movement was by now exceedingly difficult, due to the roads being utterly congested with refugees and the chaotic general retreats along the roads by the allied armies. The Weygand Plan would require wholesale relocation of Belgian Army stores and supplies, including food, which already was becoming limited.. The meeting with the Belgians did not resolve the issues confronting the Belgian high command.

An after this meeting began, Billotte, commander of the NW Army Gp, arrived with General Fagalde (commander Fr XVI Corps, 1st Armee). Weygand outlined his scheme to Billotte; it involved a southwards from Cambrai, whilst a simultaneous pincer movement would be launched by the forces behind the Somme, in the vicinity of Bapaume. Billotte disagreed strongly with this proposal, arguing that 1st Armee was exhausted and lacking the strength to mount such an attack. Billotte suggested that only the BEF was now in any condition to mount such an attack.

However Weygand was unable to meet with Gort on the 20th, and was further informed by Adm Abrial that it was no longer possible to fly out of the pocket. He was provided with transport via a 600 ton French Navy TB, arriving at Cherbourg, and finally reaching Paris on the morning of the 22nd May. 






British Foreign Secretary Halifax, without any authorisation, contacts Swedish businessman Dahlerus, telling him to approach Hermann Göring for possible Anglo-German negotiations to end the war. At that point, the british are expecting to rescue less than 30,000 men from the BEF in the evacuation plans

With the RN DD forces reeling and overstretched, Churchill for the second time in a week sends a telegram to US President Roosevelt, again requesting for destroyers; "If they were here in 6 weeks, they would play an invaluable part."


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## Njaco (May 20, 2015)

*May 21 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* While Guderian consolidates his position on the English Channel, Rommel bypasses Arras to the West and aims for the coast 50 miles away. However, French and British commanders (notably Churchill) have been urging a counterattack on the Panzer spearhead. Two infantry battalions of British Expeditionary Force 50th Division and 1st Army Tank Brigade attack German forces southeast of Arras, with 58 Mark I Matilda tanks (with single machine guns), and 16 Mark II Matilda tanks (with high-velocity 40-mm guns). They inflict serious casualties on Erwin Rommel's artillery and infantry. The German 37mm PaK anti-tank guns have no effect on the British “Matilda” tanks. In desperation, Rommel uses his 88mm Flak 18, 36 and 37 anti-aircraft guns in flat fire. The famous “88” anti-tank gun is born. An advanced Panzer regiment turns around and attacks the British from the rear, helping to push the British tanks back to Arras. This line destroys 36 British tanks. Panzer tanks join in destroying a further seven tanks, but at a loss of three Panzer IV tanks, six Panzer III tanks, and other light tanks. German troop losses total 387 men in this one battle, four times the total losses to date. German panzers head north along the coast from Abbéville.

Elsewhere, the French 9th Army was surrounded and destroyed; commanding officer General Giraud was captured. 

In Paris, France, General Robert Altmayer, a retired cavalry general who had retired four years earlier as Inspector-General of Cavalry, was summoned by Maxime Weygand to take command of Group A (later renamed Tenth Army) consisting of the 9th Corps, 10th Corps and 3rd Division Legere Mecanique. He was also told that all BEF troops south of the Somme (1st Armoured Division and 51st Highland Division) would also come under his orders. Weygand visits the commanders of the northern armies to try to coordinate attacks from north and south of the German corridor to the coast. By a series of accidents he misses seeing BEF commanding General Lord Gort. General Gaston Billote, commander of the French First Group of Armies, is fatally injured when his driver crashed into a truck returning from the Ypres conference. The attack will never take place. The small British effort has already been made. The Belgians will try to free some more British units for a later effort but this will not be possible. The French themselves, both north and south, are already too weak.

German bombers attacked British ports on the English Channel while RAF bombers attacked refineries near Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Major Dr. Erich Mix of III./JG 2 is shot down in a Bf 109E-3, W.Nr. 1526, making a successful belly landing near Roye, France. He makes it back to friendly lines with slight injuries. Oblt. Hans von Hahn, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 53 scores three kills, a LeO 45, a Morane and a P-36 and Hptm Mölders, also of JG 53, scores three kills, all French Moranes from GC I/6 and III/6, to bring his score to sixteen and surpassing his Spanish record.

The Henschel biplanes of II(Schlacht)./LG 2 become the most forward based Luftwaffe unit when they reach Cambrai.

A slight set-back to the Allied mine defenses programme came about when the mine destructor vessel '_Corburn_' was sunk by a mine in shallow water off Le Havre. German divers later were able to discover the ships secrets and altered their magnetic mines accordingly.

*GERMANY:* In a conference Admiral Raeder mentions to Hitler for the first time that it may be necessary to invade Britain. The German navy has made some preliminary studies before this but they have not been based on the availability of French bases. Little though is given to the possibility at this stage even after this conference.

The pilots and ground personnel of the night-fighting unit 11(N)./JG 2 are transferred to the airbase at Trondheim.

Erwin Rommel was awarded the 1939 clasp to his Iron Cross First Class medal.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* At a meeting of the Australian War Cabinet, industrialist Essington Lewis is appointed Director General of Munitions Supply, and given great freedom to achieve his goals. Sir Keith Murdoch is appointed Director General of Information, with wide-ranging powers and responsibilities. Cabinet approves construction of a dry dock in Sydney capable of taking battleships and aircraft carriers. A Director General of Recruiting is appointed.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government announced that over 250,000 men had enrolled in the Local Defence Volunteers organization within the first 24 hours of its existence.

An official British Admiralty communiqué noted that;


> "...the Secretary of the Admiralty regrets to announce that as the result of damage sustained through striking an uncharted rock off the Norwegian coast, HMS “_Effingham_” (Captain JM Howson, RN), has become a total loss".



*NORTHERN EUROPE:* RAF No. 263 Squadron returns to Norway with 18 Gladiators and RAF No. 46 Squadron provides 18 Hurricanes. They are unable to provide much protection to Allied warships in Ototfjord.

The French, Polish and Norwegian forces moving in on Narvik advance another stage and gain positions on the northern side of Rombaksfiord.

.



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## parsifal (May 21, 2015)

*21 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S Boote S-26





Allied
Tree Class ASW Trawler CHESTNUT Flower Class Corvette HIBISCUS 








*Losses*
On this day the Dunkirk meatgrinder began in earnest

A group of French merchant ships were ordered away from Dunkirk. However, heavy attacks by the LW began before the ships even left port. *Tkr SALOME (Fr 13,291 grt)* was badly damaged by bombing before she could even be towed into the channel (she was eventually scuttled 3 june).

*Steamer PAVON (Fr 4128 grt)* with 1500 Dutch troops aboard for evacuation to England, was badly damaged by the LW between Gravelines and Calais. The steamer was run aground a total loss near Calais. Fr DDs CYCLONE, SIROCCO, MISTRAL rescued the survivors.






*DD L'ADROIT (Fr 1378 grt)* waiting to escort this convoy, was bombed by a group of He 111s and beached in a sinking condition at Malo les Bains before ever joining the convoy. 





*SC CH.9 (Fr 107 grt)* also waiting to escort the convoy, was bombed and badly damaged off Dunkirk. She was run aground a total loss to prevent sinking and abandoned.






*Steamer BAWTRY (UK 835 grt) *was sunk by German bombing in the Dunkirk docks. The crew of thirteen and one naval gunner were saved and returned to England. The steamer was later raised by German forces, salved, renamed RIVAL for German service.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr CLAIRY (Pan 5838 grt)* was sunk by German bombing off Boulogne. The tkr was abandoned on fire on the 22nd, with the entire crew was rescued. 





*aux MSWs SAINT BERNOIT (Fr 315 grt)*, *NOTRE DAME DE LORETTE (Fr 339 grt)*, *BRIEN SANS PEINE (Fr 142 grt)*, [/B], *JACQUES COEUR (Fr 285 grt)*, *SAINT JOACHIM (Fr 192 grt)* were sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk. 

[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Tug TUMULTE (Fr 370 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk. 

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 


*Tugs ORME (Fr 340 grt)* and *BARFLEUR (Fr 330 grt)* were scuttled at Boulogne after being immobilised by bombing.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*PV Trawler LA LORIENTAISE (Fr 350 grt (est)* The Naval Trawler was sunk on this date.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*Aux MSW LEOPOLD SOUBLER (Fr 215 grt)* The auxiliary minesweeper was scuttled at Boulogne.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*Aux MSW CECILE (Fr 350 grt (est)* The aux MSW was scuttled at Boulogne after being immobilised from bombing.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

To give the destroyers relief from constant bombing, Fr DDs CYCLONE, MISTRAL, SIROCCO, FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR departed Dunkirk and arrived in the Downs that evening.

*FV DE NORMANDIE (Be 137 grt)* The fishing boat (FV) struck a mine and sank off Dieppe, Seine-Maritime with the loss of 13 lives.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*FV ERNESTINE GABRIELLE (Be 13 grt)* The fishing boat was bombed and sunk at Dieppe by the LW.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*FV IINDEPENDENCE (Be 110 grt (est))* The fishing boat was bombed and sunk at Dieppe by the LW.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*FV GEORGETTE SIMONE (Be 11 grt)* The fishing boat was bombed and sunk at Dieppe by the LW .

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*FV NELLY SUZANNE (Be 151 grt)*The fishing boat was bombed and sunk at Dieppe by the LW.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*Mine destructor ship CORBURN (RN 3060 grt)* was sunk off Le Havre. British sources say the loss was due to a mine, German sources say as a result of action by DKM S-Boat S.32. Perhaps a mine laid by the S-32, though even this seems implausible. 

[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Naval Trawler CAPE PASSARO (RN 270 grt)* The naval trawler was bombed and sunk off Narvik by the LW with the loss of 4 crew.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*MV FIRTH FISHER (UK 574 grt)* The coaster struck a mine in the English Channel off Boulogne and sank with the loss of 7 of the 11 people aboard. 






*MV HUBBERSTONE (UK 874 grt)* The coaster was bombed and sunk at Dieppe by LW a/c. She was later salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as Jurgensby.

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*Hospital Ship MAID OF KENT (RN 2633 grt)* The hospital ship was bombed and sunk at Dieppe by LW a/cwith the loss of 37 lives.





*ASW Trawler MELBOURNE (RN 460 grt)* The naval trawler was bombed and sunk off Narvik by LW a/c

[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*MV SPINEL (UK 750 grt)* Not a tkr, but carrying drums of fuel at the time of her loss. She was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque by the LW. She was salvaged by the Germans on 4 July, repaired and entered German service. Returned to Britain postwar, finally scrapped in 1971. 




_Postwar photo of the SPINEL_
*UBOATS*

Departures
Kiel: U-56, U-101
Trondheim: U-122

At Sea 21 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-28, U-37, U-43, U-56, U-60, U-62, U-101, U-122. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs VIMY, WINDSOR, VENETIA departed the Nore for Dover. VIMIERA arrived at Dover after taking the WHITLEY crew to Portsmouth.

*Northern Waters*
CV ARK ROYAL, escorted by DDs ANTELOPE, BRAZEN, ENCOUNTER and VOLUNTEER, departed her patrol area near Narvik.
DD ANTELOPE which lost touch in thick fog arrived at Scapa Flow on the 24th. After being delayed by fog, the carrier arrived for refuelling at Scapa Flow on the 24th with DDs ENCOUNTER and VOLUNTEER. CVL FURIOUS flew off the Gladiator aircraft of the 263 Squadron ashore to Bardufoss airfield, NE of Narvik. One Swordfish of the 818 Squadron escorting the Gladiators crashed on a mountainside at Gryllefjord, Seja Island. Crew were injured, but recovered. CV GLORIOUS was unable to disembark her RAF Hurris of the 46 Sqn. The carriers with DDs VETERAN, DIANA, AMAZON, VISCOUNT departed their patrol area near Narvik for refuelling at Scapa. Both carriers arrived for refuelling on the 23rd. DD ICARUS departed Scapa. ASW trawlers JUNIPER and HAZEL of ASW Gp 19 departed Scapa escorting oiler BRITISH JUSTICE and steamer BALTONIA to the Clyde after which took station on patrol. 

*Channel*
DD KEITH was damaged by the near miss at Dunkirk but managed to evacuate 150 British refugees and returned to Dover. Steamer FIDELITAS (It 5740 grt) was damaged by the LW at Antwerp. DD VENOMOUS at Calais was bombed by the LW, but avoided damage. She arrived at Dover on the 21st with 200 refugees with "unuised stores" from Boulogne (the critical barrage balloons mysteriously taken off Boulogne at about that time)? DD WILD SWAN on Nth Goodwins Patrol was attacked by the LW, but was not damaged. WILD SWAN proceeded to Boulogne and embarked a further 150 personnel, who were taken to Dover.

At Cherbourg, contre torpilleur DD CHACAL embarked a demolition party for the port of Calais, LEOPARD for Boulogne, JAGUAR for Dunkirk. French CinC Weygand left on Dunkirk on Fr TB FLORE for Cherbourg, via Dover, with the TB arriving safely at Cherbourg at dawn on the 22nd. 

*UK-France*
OB.152 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER from 21 to 23 May. The sloop was detached to convoy HX.42 on the 23rd.

*Nth Atlantic*
Fr CLs JEANNE D'ARC and EMILE BERTIN departed Brest on the 21st with 200 tons of gold to be taken to Halifax. Origiunall it was intended to assign Contre Torpilleur DDs JAGUAR and GERFAUT for escort, but this element of the op was abandoned. On the 25th the CLs rendevoused with CV BEARN, also carrying gold from Toulon. The ships safely arrived at Halifax on 1 June.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr DDs BASQUE and FORTUNE departed Bizerte escorting steamers PRESIDENT DOUMER and PROVIDENCE to Beirut, arriving on the 25th. These DDs replaced contre torpilleur DDs TIGRE and LYNX of Adm Godfrey's command. BASQUE had been repairing at Brest. She departed on the 13th, escorting the two steamers to Casablanca, arriving 16 May. The three ships passed Gib on the 16th and arrived at Bizerte on the 19th. DD FORTUNE had been repairing at Oran. She departed on the 16th and arrived at Bizerte on the 17th.


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## parsifal (May 21, 2015)

*21 May - RAF Air Operations*
[UNFINISHED]

1 Sqn (Hurri) F/L F.E. Warcup, F/O D.S. Thorn and F/S A.V. Clowes share in the destruction of a He111, near Rouen, France.

4 Sqn (Lysander)
Reconnaissance, 2 Planes lost, 4 KIA, 1 plane Shot down and crashed at Zudausques, west of St. Omer. Believed that claimed by Lt Heinel of 4./JG2 east of Boulogne, 14.10 hrs. The other a/c belonged to B Flight, 4 squadron. Based at Lille-Ronchin; believed that claimed by Lt Lohoff of 3./JG77. Crashed at Bruyelle, south of Tournai (Doornik), 08.00 hrs.

No 13 Sqn (Lysander)
Took off from Clairmarais on a liason mission for the BEF. Shot down over St. Omer and crashed in St. Martin-au-Laërt. A/C and crew lost

15 sqn (Bristol Blen) 
Airborne 1400 from Wyton to attack enemy armour on the Boulogne- Etaples-Hesdin-Montreuil road. Badly damaged by ground fire near Montreuil (Pas-de-Calais) and turned back towards the Channel. Crash landed in a field between Etaples and Boulogne. A/C lost 2 crew injured but safe. j

16 sqn (Lysander) Arras, Cambrai and Amiens, F. 1 Plane damaged , Took off from Lympne, UK. Returned with tail and rudder badly damaged by Me 109's during sortie to Arras, Cambrai and Amiens, 18.45 hrs. Possibly attacked by Uffz Lehmann of 2./JG51 near St-Pol-sur-Ternoise. Aircraft repairable

17 sqn (Hurri) Harold 'Birdie' Bird-Wilson shared a Hs 126 (or 123?) destroyed.

18 sqn (Blen) Recon (near Arras) 1 plane lost; 3 MIA, (separate op) 1 plane lost was one of two 18 Sqdn Blenheims lost on day on separate ops. Airborne from Watton. Shot down at Wimeroux (Pas-de-Calais_ 5 km N of Boulogne, France, by RAF Spitfires (friendly fire) . The crew were unhurt and returned to their Sqn.

103 sqn (Battle)
5 Battles undertook the Sqn's first night attack on German communications and storage facilities at Fumay in Belgium and all returned to base. The a/c operated singly and the operation was made difficult because of mist in the target area. There were no losses however.


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## parsifal (May 21, 2015)

*21 May 1940 - The BEF*


Whilst Weygand was still enroute to Paris, the BEF formed a small Brigade Group sized force, named “Frankforce” and delivered the most significant counterattack of the ill fated campaign, the counterattack at Arras. This effort was pitifully weak, but at least it was undertaken on time and with sufficient spirit as to unnerve certain German formations. 

The attack at Arras was a much reduced affair, comprising two territorial Bns of the Durham Light Infantry and two British Tank Bns. There were also some weak detachments from Prioux’s cavalry group. The operation was given a bty of RHA and a further AT bty. Major Gen Martel was placed in tactical command. General Franklyn was in overall command. 

Martel’s plan was simple, the force attacked southwards in two parallel columns, with the initial objective to reach the Cojeul River by nightfall. 

The scratch British "Frank Force" was ordered to attack around the West of Arras with a start time of 0500 hrs 21 May. The objective was to cut the German columns and exploit to the East. 4 RTR was to be on the left with 6 DLI; 7 RTR on the right with 8 DLI plus supporting arms. 4 RTR had thirty five fit Mk 1 Matildas.. 7 RTR had twenty three Mk I and sixteen Mk II Matildas. Six of the latter, under Maj Hedderwick were lent to 4 RTR. There were also some Mk VI Light tanks in the Recon elements and ACs. By 0500 hrs it was clear that the Force was not ready. Some of the tanks were still arriving; the DLI having lost their transport to air attack were still marching towards Arras; some French tanks and some motorised infantry made a brief appearance but withdrew.











4 RTR reaching the Start Line on time were shelled. They crossed the railway line two squadrons abreast and, climbing a slight crest, struck the flank of SS Totenkopf Div followed by 6 Rifle Regt of 7 Pz Div. Without wireless communication squadron control was very difficult; tank commanders fought almost independently. The fourth achieved significant kills as they drove through the enemy towards Telegraph Hill. WO III Armit destroyed a number of A Tk guns with his .50 HMG.

There were very few maps; some tanks lost direction during the approach and there were some collisions between columns. Wireless silence imposed on the Brigade made the confusion worse. Only the four Recce Tp sets were already netted. The 4 RTR Recce Officer (Lt Vaux) lost one of his four light tanks to the CO, a second to the Adjutant and the third was detached to liaison. In the event the 6th and 8th DLI arrived late and exhausted.

7 RTR were late on the Start Line but had better communications, and made good progress Eastwards. Major King and Sergeant Doyle,(later awarded a DCM) in their Matilda Mk IIs, found and destroyed two batteries of A Tk guns plus 2 tanks and stalked and destroyed an 88 mm gun. Casualties were heavy and by 1600 hrs the COs of both Regiments were among the. The body of Lt Col J.G. FITZMAURICE, MC. (CO 4 RTR) and his radio operator MOORHOUSE were eventually interred in Dunkirk Town Cemetery. The grave of Lt Col H.M. HEYLAND, DSO (CO 7 RTR) is uncertain. It is known that he was killed near Wailly and among those buried in Wailly Communal Cemetery is "an officer known to God." who could not be positively identified. The DLI arrived at 1630; despite their fatigue both battalions fought bravely and effectively.

The right flank ran into opposition almost immediately, slamming into the elemens of Rommels 7th Pz XX in the village of Duisans. The village was taken after a stiff fight, and two companies of Infantry were left in the village to hold open the roads. The remainder of this flank pushed on to capture Warlus and Bernville, advancing as far as the Arras-Doullens Rd.. At this point the Infantry became pinned by heavy German mortar and MG fire The Germans were also supported by LW divebombers. There was no protection provided against the air attacks. However, Martell’s tanks outflanked this position hooking round into the village of Wailly, where they charged the forming Totenkopf Div which was still arriving. SS Totenkopf panicked at the sight of the attacking British tanks. However the tanks were soon stopped with some losses, by the fire from some hurriedly emplaced 88mm guns. The tanks were halted and forced to withdraw.

The left flank meanwhile had somewhat greater success, virtually wiping out an entire motorized column at Dainville. Over 400 germans were captured, the largest single bag of prisoners taken by the allies to date The column pushed on with some advance units reaching Cojeul. However the tanks of the 4th RTR were by now unsupported and ran into a hastily formed KG of the 7th Pz XX. In a fierce fight at the river, they were forced to yield ground.





By that evening, it was abundantly clear that Frankforce was too weak to hold the gains it had made, much less continue the advance. Rommel was reforming his shattered formations and working around the flanks of the salient. He was able to later that evening begin developing a major threat in the rear of the British positions, west of Arras. 

Gen Franklyn was convinced there was no alternative but to extricate his forces, and gave orders accordingly. Despite its puny proportions, the action was the most significant Allied counterattack to date, and quite apart from the very real material damage occasioned on the German mobile formations, presented a major dilemma in the German High Command. Believing the attack to be part of a much larger counterattack of no les than 5 divs, the action caused Rundstedt (Commander Army Gp) to order a temporary halt to further movements west by Kleist, and for the 6th and 8th Pz XXs to turn back to assist. Just after Arras, he wrote “A critical moment in the drive came just as my forces had reached the channel, caused by the British counter attack at Arras on 21 May.” The attack at Arras even influenced Hitler, which in the coming days was to have far reaching effects. Rommel was appalled at the lack of dicipline evident in the SS Totenkopf unit. 

However the failure of this attack also convinced Gort that all hope of breaking through to the south were gone. Over the next two days or so, there were further fitful attempts to break stranglehold, but Gorts decision to defy Churchill can be traced back to the failure at Arras. 

In the Boulgne/Calais sector, as previously noted, the whole of the 20-21 May was wasted whilst Guderian waited for fresh orders. Finally vey late on the 21st, he received orders to continue to push nth and capture all three of the remaining channel ports. His immediate plan was to throw the 10th Pz XX (newly paced at his disposal) straight into the advance onto Dunkirk, via St Omer, whilst the rested 1st Pz XX took on the defences at Boulogne and Calais. Then, as a direct result of the counterattack at Arras, 10th PzXX was withdrawn from his command and ordered back to the Arras area. These orders were received at 0600 on the 22nd and forced the abandonment for the quick capture of Dunkirk.10th Pz XX was only ever employed as a corps reserve whilst so detached from Guderians control. Furious and frustrated, Guderian made repeated requests to have all three divs of his command re-united for the critical assault. All such requests were denied, and the rate of advance by the Panzer Korps slowed to a crawl as a result. 

At Boulogne, Lt Col Dean has already requested the provision of additional reinformcements to defend Boulogne to cover its evacuation and has received 2nd Gds Bde (consisting of the 2nd Irish and 2nd Welsh Gds) and a detachment of Royal Marines to secure the port. The city is awash with refugees, wounded, noncombatants and deserters from the French Army, but the Guardsmen set up a perimeter and make prepration for the ports defence

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## Njaco (May 21, 2015)

*May 22 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* In Northern France, Rommel held his ground at Arras as he mistakenly believed he was facing 5 divisions of Allied troops when he was only facing 2 divisions and 2 tank battalions. Guderian, however, advanced toward Calais, Dunkirk, and Boulogne. The Belgian forces retreat to the Lys.

The RAF evacuates the continent. French Air Force withdrew Potez 630 heavy fighters from front line service.

Oblt. Helmut Lohoff of 3./JG 77 claims his first kill, a British Lysander near Carvin and Oblt. Helmut Wick of JG 2 scores two kills over France. Hptm. Mölders continues his success flying with JG 53 by destroying a French Potez 63 of GAO I/514 near Montagne de Reims.

Hptm. Joachim Schlichting’s I./JG 1 move again, this time from the airfield at Charleville to new accommodations at Guise-Nordost.

In Paris, Churchill and Reynaud agree to a proposal by new French Commander-in-Chief General Weygand to attack the German salient caused by the Panzer thrust to the coast (essentially the same plan proposed by his predecessor, the disgraced Gamelin). However, it is too little, too late.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The United Kingdom passed the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, giving the government authority over persons and property for the duration of the war.

Cryptologist in Bletchley Park, England broke the Luftwaffe Enigma code.

In London, England, United Kingdom, a Home Morale Emergency Committee was set up to advise the Ministry of Information on how to combat defeatism in Britain. Its chairman was the diplomat, author and wit, Mr. (later Sir) Harold Nicolson, a junior Minister for Information. Another member of the board was the Director of the National Gallery and future Television presenter, Kenneth (later Lord) Clark.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 attacked British armed merchant vessel “_Dunster Grange_" with four torpedoes and then surfaced to attack with the deck gun off of Land's End in Southwestern England. All four torpedoes missed, and “_Dunster Grange_” was able to fight off the attack and arrive in Liverpool safely two days later.

*ASIA:* Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China.

*GERMANY:* German pilot Hauptmann Wolfgang Falck was ordered to establish Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 wing for the night fighter defense of Germany.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Australian 8th Division formed, but most of the division was lost in the fall of Singapore in February 1942.

.



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## parsifal (May 22, 2015)

*22 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
RaumeBoote R-42





Allied
JKN Class DD NAPIER, ASW Trawler ALMOND, Flower Class Corvette MALLOW 











*Losses*

Worsening weather averted another day like the last at sea

Yacht ALOHA (Be 181 grt) was sunk in mining off Ostend, with the loss of all crew.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV BJARKOY (Nor 311 grt)* The coaster was bombed and sunk at Gratangsbotn, Tromso, having lost stability when bomb fell nearby during air attack on May 22-1940 (this took place during the evacuation of Fr soldiers) Raised in 1944, repaired and returned to service as Bogoy under Norwegian control. Still in service in the 1990's as the MEBO




_Post war BJARKOY_

*MV EFFORD (UK 329 grt)* The coaster was cut in two by the MV TLEMCEN (Fr 4435 grt), which was engaged in rescuing survivors off the PORTRIEUX (see below) off Gravelines and sank. French steamer TLEMCEN was towed to Dover by tug SIMLA.






*Steamer HELENE (Ger 2160 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Hubert Bay near Borkum, off the northern Dutch Coast.






*Cargo Liner PALENA (Chile 2460 grt)* The cargo liner came ashore in a storm at Valparaiso and was wrecked.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV PORTRIEUX (Fr 2460 grt)* The cargo ship was sunk in a german air raid off gravelines.






*FV TEASER (UK 9 grt)* The fishing smack struck a mine and sank in the River Blackwater 400 yards off the coast of Tollesbury, Essex. Both crew were rescued

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 22 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-28, U-37, U-43, U-56, U-60, U-62, U-101, U-122. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
BC RENOWN was on DG trials at Rosyth, escort DDs HIGHLANDER, ASHANTI, BULLDOG. Fog prevented completion of trials and she re-entered harbour. CLA CALCUTTA at Rosyth was ordered to Portsmouth to serve under Commander in Chief, Nore, but on the 24th, was diverted to Harwich. 

ASW Gps 1, 11 and 19 were ordered to Harwich. This reduced the forces at Scapa to the point that continuous ASW patrols were not possible. Sub SALMON carried out Operation LAMP, the cutting of the cable off Amsterdam, with ASW trawler BARBADOS. The operation was also covered by DDs CODRINGTON and JAGUAR and completed on the 24th but was not successful. Sub STURGEON departed Blyth on patrol. Fr sub CALYPSO departed Lowestoft for Harwich. Subs SNAPPER and L.26 departed Harwich on patrol. 
Depot ship MAIDSTONE departed Greenock for Rosyth. After calling at Scapa she departed on the 24th for Rosyth. Temporary S/Lt (A)F Leach RNVR, flying a Skua of 758 Squadron from Eastleigh, was badly injured when the sliding hood of his cockpit came away in the air and struck him in the face. Fr ML POLLUX departed Dundee for Rosyth.

FN.177 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th. MT.71 departed Methil, escort sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne, later that day. FS.177 departed the Tyne, escort sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs FIREDRAKE and FAME and Fr Contre torpilleur DD MILAN bombarded Narvik. FAME and MILAN were hit and slightly damaged by shore gunfire, and FAME retired to Skelfjord for repairs, but spent no time out of service. DDs ARROW and FORTUNE departed Scapa to investigate 2-3 FVs flying Swedish colours, reported on the 21st. They were not found, but there was evidence of recent fishing. The destroyers were ordered to patrol during the night to sweep for suspicious vessels including FVs, S Boats and U-boats. Late on the 22ns, ARROW sighted a periscope and FORTUNE dropped DCs, but the contact was probably false. They left the area at dawn on the 23rd. The alert time for the duty DD at Scapa was reduced to 15 min standby to protect against U boats and S Boats entering Scapa through the eastern entrance. 

*SW Approaches*
The unescorted Dunster Grange was attacked by U-37 with 4 torpedoes south of Ireland. The first torpedo with magnetic fuze passed underneath the ship without detonating and the 2nd torp detonated prematurely, alarming the crew of the ship which evaded the next 2 torps. The U-boat then attacked with the deck gun and scored a hit with the first round, but accurate return fire forced the Germans to give up the attack and the Dunster Grange safely arrived at Liverpool on 24 May. Her radio messages alerted DDs MONTROSE, WAKEFUL, VANQUISHER and DEPTFORD, which unsuccessfully searched the area for the attacker.

*Channel*
Destroyer WILD SWAN was near missed by a German bomb at Boulogne and suffered slight damage and a few casualties. DDs WHITSHED and VIMIERA escorted British steamers BIARRITZ and QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL, carrying two AT companies (one from the 69th AT Regt, to Boulogne departing Dover at dawn on the 22nd. WHITSHED embarked refugees and the steamers embarked 800 personnel (some of the "useless mouths"), who were returned to Dover. British steamer CITY OF CHRISTCHURCH, carrying tanks, arrived later on the 22nd at Calais escorted by DDs VIMY and WOLSEY. British steamer MONA'S QUEEN departed Dover at 0948 for Boulogne escorted by DD VENOMOUS. DD VERITY with steamers MAID OF ORLEANS and CANTERBURY departed Dover for evacuation duties at Calais and returned that day. DDs WILD SWAN and WOLSEY with British steamers ST HELIER and SOLIDARITY proceeded to Dunkirk. DD WOLSEY evacuated 100 wounded. Steamer ST HELIER stayed with the DDs and returned to Dover. DD VERITY departed Dover the evening of 22 May to act as a guardship at Boulogne and arrived early on the 23rd. DDs VENETIA and WINDSOR departed Dover escorting steamer AUTOCARRIER to Calais. The DDs then acted as guardships at Calais. Demolition parties for the Fr Channel ports were embarked on DDs at Dover. DD WILD SWAN embarked the Dunkirk party XD.E. DD VENOMOUS embarked the Calais party XD.F. DD VIMY embarked the Boulogne party XD G. DD WILD SWAN departed Dover at 1026 and arrived at Dunkirk at 1305. DD WOLSEY arrived at Dunkirk with steamers ISLE OF THANET and WORTHING from New Haven and moored alongside DD WILD SWAN. DD WILD SWAN arrived back at Dover at 1700 with 75 airmen, 8 civilians, 75 injured soldiers.

*UK-France*
Fr steamers CAP HADID and VILLE DE MAJUNA escort ASW trawlers LEEDS UNITED and ARSENAL departed the Clyde for Brest. These ships formed convoy FR. 3, and were joined by steamers ROSE SCHAIFFINO and CAP BLANC, which departed Liverpool on the 23rd. The convoy arrived at Brest on the 25th.

*Indian Ocean* 
CVL EAGLE, CL GLOUCESTER, which departed Simonstown on the 14th,and RAN CL SYDNEY, which departed Colombo on the 18th, arrived at Aden. They departed Aden on the 23rd. On the 26th, the cruisers arrived at Alexandria as reinforcements for the Med Flt.
On the 27th, EAGLE arrived at Alexandria.


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## parsifal (May 22, 2015)

*22 May RAF Operations*
[UNFINISHED]

No 2 sqn (Lysander)
Attacked enemy columns sth of Boulogne, 2 Planes lost, 2 KIA, 1 WIA armed recons
2 enemy a/c (Hs126) and a He 111 were lost in exchange 

No 16 Army Co-operation Cmd
No 4, 13, 16, 26 sqns (Lysander)
supply drop, Calais, 7 Westland Lysanders drop supplies to a besieged Allied garrison at Calais. No losses. 

No 9 sqn (Wellington) 
Raid on Namur , a/c crash landed on take off, a/c written off, crew safe

22 sqn (Bft) Training, UK. 1 Plane lost, 1 WIA

51 sqn (Whitley)
Jülich 1 Plane lost, 5 POW. Airborne 2030 21May40 from Dishforth. Cause of loss not established. Crashed near the Rhine W of Mönchengladbach, Germany. 1 crew member died of natural causes in captivity 26 Apr 41

57 sqn (Blen) 
Recon 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA, Airborne from Hawkinge. Cause of loss not established. Crashed near Haucourt (Pas-de-Calais), 12 km SE of Arras, and to the Nth of the main road leading to Cambrai.

59 Sqn (Blen)
1 a/c lost, 3 KIA, Mission not stated lost over Shot down by RAF Spit and crashed near Fricourt.

75 (NZ) sqn (Wellington)
Dinant, B. 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA. 1 MIA, 3 POW Cause of loss not known, Crashed near Kain (Hainaut) 4 km NNW of Tournai, Belgium. 

99 sqn (Wellington)
Dinant, B. 1 Plane lost, 6 KIA, Airborne 2120 21May40 from Newmarket. Crashed near Belval (Ardennes), 6 km WNW of Charleville-Mezieres, France. Cause unknown

102 sqn (Whitley)
Euskirchen, D. 1 Plane lost 
Operating as part of a much larger force of 124 a/c (52 Whitleys, 47 Wellingtons, 25 Hampdens) 3 Wellingtons, 1 Hampden and 1 Whitley lost. Bombing - road/rail communications at Euskirchen, Julich and Rheydt. 10 Sqn. 10 a/c. All bombed (2 - 6,000 feet). 51 Sqn. 12 a/c, all bombed. One FTR. 58 Sqn. 12 a/c, all bombed. Moderate to severe opposition. 77 Sqn. 7 a/c. One returned early U/S, 6 bombed. 102 Sqn. 9 a/c. 2 returned early U/S, one DNR

103 sqn (Battle)
Amiens/Bernaville, F. 1 Plane lost, crew safe
Deapite the changes being rapidly implemented for the battle sqns (with promising results so far), Air Marshall Barratt received a direct order to attck using the now discredited low level massed attack methods by day. 4 Battles took off at dawn to make low-level attacks on German armour in the Amiens/Bernaville area. Barratt made strong protests about what he called “a pointless waste”, but the desperate situation on the ground was forcing the allies into making bad decisions like this all the time. The weather was bad with low cloud, which made it very difficult to find the tanks, and the operation was a failure. Luckily the poor visibility also affected enemy flak effectiveness

107 sqn (Blen)
Boulogne 1 a/c lost, crew safe, 58 Blenheims of 107, 110 Sqn., and others attack German troops advancing to the nthn French coast. The a/c lost was hit by Flak while attacking AFVs in fields near Bouloge-sur-Mer and one engine was knocked out. Returning across the Channel the remaining engine failed and the Blenheim was successfully ditched apx. 7 miles from the English coast. The crew were rescued from their dinghy some 90 minutes later. 

110 sqn (Blen)
Henschel. 2 Planes lost, 3 KIA, 1/c returned but crash landed when LG failed. 1 a/c was brought down by enemy flak.


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## parsifal (May 22, 2015)

*22 May - The BEF*

Boulogne/Calais sector 
Guderians advance on Dunkirk needs to take the ports of Boulogne and Calais, and he now faces stiffening opposition. Before he can tackle the defences being hurriedly set up at Boulogne, he meets a revived resistance from the surviving remnants of 21st Fr Inf XX, as well as some effective airstrikes from RAF Blenheims and Fr Navy Dive bombers. Together the British and French had between 8,000-9,000 men defending Boulogne and it approaches, but the town had not been prepared for defence, and the troops lacked AT weapons – the British had part of one AT Bty, the French had a small number of tanks. Guderians headlong advance has taken him outside the effective support range of the LW. Guderians losses mount, but he presses on doggedly, knowing the vital nature of his attack. On 22nd May at 12h30, the 2.PzD clashes with elements of the 48e RI in Neufchâtel and Nesles next to Boulogne. The battle lasts until 1600 and the guns of the 35e RA manage to destroy 9 German tanks. The French coastal artillery fires several salvo at 14,000m, against the German troops advancing on the Neufchâtel – Boulogne road. 4 German tanks are destroyed. At the end of the afternoon German counter-battery fire destroys one of the 138mm guns as well as the command post of the Mont-de-Couple battery. The French troops start to falter and fall back to Boulogne at 2200. A second column of the 2.PzD is blocked by the 3rd battalion of the 65e RI at Questrecques and Wiwignies. During this time the 1.PzD is blocked at Desvres by the 1st bn of the 65e RI. Several German tanks are destroyed, with 25mm AT guns but also with Molotov cocktails.

Guderians determination pays off, French resistance from its remnants is beginning to fade, and his leading elements are in sight of Boulogne port. 

At this point the germans came up against the 2nd Irish Gds still digging in at the city perimeter. German artillery opened up on the guardsmen, at first only sporadic and light, but building quite rapidly A mixed tank/Infantry probe resulted in the tank component being destroyed by the ATGs of the Bn, but the Pz Infantry component pressed on. They assaulted the British positions 3 times in 6 hours, being beaten off each time until the last, undertaken as a night assault which overran the last remaining platoon of 1st Company. As the night wore on, the Irish Gds believed that heavy fighting was now occurring on the adjacent positions of the Welsh gds. In fact the Welsh gds, whilst they had been engaged, were less pressured than the Irishmen. 

Guderians formations had started the attacks in a depleted state, and had suffered quite heavy casualties and vehicle breakdowns. The resistance by the Irish Gds had given the lead elements reason to pause and influenced decisions made further up the command chain as to how stiff the urban fighting along the channel ports was going to be. The initial battles around Boulogne probably only cost the Germans 24hours delay, but was long enough to allow the defence of Dunkirk to be better organized, and placed doubts in the minds of the enemy. The achievements of the Irish Gds on this day are one of those unnoticed vital events that led to the way events were to unfold in the coming 12 days. 

Shortly after, Kleist released back to Guderian the 10 Pz XX, which had been removed from his control following the crisis at Arras. Guderian ordered the 10th towards Calais to relieve 1st Pz XX, which by this stage was close to the port, but faltering due to exhaustion and breakdowns. The capture of Calais was judged by OKW to not be urgent and Guderian felt that 10th Pz, with heavy LW spt, could undertake this task 

On this day 40 Dutch Schuits (coastal Barges) which had escaped from Holland were requisitioned to Adm Ramsay for operations in the Dunkirk evacuation. They were to prove crucial in the upcoming evacuation. 





_Modern style of the Dutch Schuits (or barge)_


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## parsifal (May 22, 2015)

*22 May - The BEF Part II*

Gort met with Billotte on this day after nearly a day of searching, the French located him at Premesques (between Lille and Armentieres). He was collected and taken to Ypres. 

Arras had already been fought (and in Gorts eyes, lost). It was at the meeting at Ypres that Gort first learnt of Weygands optimistic plans for a gigantic pincer movement, and of the further expectations to be made of the BEF. But in favour of doing something offensive, the Belgians had reluctantly fallen back to the River Lys. Gort was strongly urged to support General Fagalde’s planned assault. Fagalde was a good negotiator and knew the British well (he had served as a liason to the original BEF in 1914), and he knew that the only chance of success for Weygands plan to work would be with considerable support from the BEF. In the end Gort gave in despite his misgivings. The only alternative to the counterattack idea was to fall back to the channel for some form of evacuation, which was expected to be a risky and costly business. By cajoling the Belgians and the French to take over sections of the BEFs left and right flanks, Gort was able to offer the 44th Div (from the left) and the 2nd and 48th (from the right). Gort stated to Billotte that he would not be ready to launch the assault until the 26th. 

So ended this crucial meeting between Billotte and Gort. For the allies, the glimmer of hope this meeting presented was quickly extinguished. Billotte, the only man with knowledge of what both Weygand and Gort had said, and therefore a man of critical importance at that moment in time, tragedy was to strike almost immediately. On his return journey to Bethune, the car taking him crashed causing fatal injuries. He died two days later, without regaining consciousness. With Billottes death, any real hope of a co-ordinated response to the German thrust to the sea was shattered. 

Weygand at last re-surfaced in Paris, and met with the French Premier Reynaud. After giving his briefing, rather up-beat and optimistic considering what he had just seen. Weygand managed to pull the dejected Reynaud together and did make a start on the issue of critical orders and preparations for the counterattack, but the preparations were sporadic and slow. 

Winston Churchill also joined this meeting some time after its commencement. Churchill was besotted by Weygand and his supreme confidence, and readily agreed to his scheme for a counteroffensive. 

Weygand explained to the Allies political leaders by means of a series of dot points in a short memo. It revolved around the myth of German vulnerability in the corridor and vast Allied strength. Once this myth had been sown, it gathered status with great speed, such is the willingness of desperate men when faced with the cold reality of defeat. Churchill fell for it hook line and sinker, as is revealed in his telegram to Lord Gort that afternoon. It contained a number of fallacious points, most damning was the following:

“The new French Army Group is advancing upon Amiens and forming a line along the Somme should strike northwards and join hands with the British divisions who are to attack southwards in the general direction of Bapaume.”

There was no new French Army Gp, along the 90 mile stretch between the coast and the Crozat canal, there were just 5 hastily thrown together French infantry Divs, which constituted the embryo of the new 7th Armee, two badly battered DLMs and the understrength Brit 1st Armoured Div. The “advance on Amiens” did not get underway until the following afternoon on the 23rd, and it was attempted by a single division, the 7th Colonial with a squadron of tanks attached. This force was given the impossible task of seizing the Amiens Bridge, to pave the way for a push northwards by De Gaulles hastily formed 4th DCR (DeGaulle had received his orders 19th may, but it had taken until now for his battered forces after their assault at Montcornet had been repulsed, to make itself ready, and for the assaulting Infantry to be in position). The germans had mined the bridges The germans had mined the bridges and brought up 88mm AT guns. The advancing French columns came under heavy fire, including sustained stuka attacks. 18 tanks thrown into this assault were all knocked out by the 88s defending the bridges. Guderian wrote in his book “Panzer leader” that the threat from this attack was slight. Weygand’s grandiose schemes were, one by one coming to nothing. 

On the morning of the 22nd Fr 1st Armee’s attempt to re-establish contact with the southern group of armies finally got under way, after much goading by the British General Ironside (future CIGS). Entrusted to Gen Altmayers V Corps, like the Arras attack that preceded it, it was a much reduced effort compared to what had been hoped for. It had originally been planned to throw in 2 full divs. In the finish, the attack was built around just one regt of the 25th Motorized Div, supported by two artillery batteries and two armoured recon groups. 

With this force commitment there was not much hope of taking Cambrai. Initially the plan called for a bridgehead 2.5 miles sth of the Sensee canal. If this initial consolidation was successful , the remainder of the 25th Div would pass through this line in readiness for a drive southwards to Cambrai. 













The assault by the 121st regt was personally directed by Div commander Gen Molinie, commencing mid morning, Jump off point was Douai. The experienced troops of the 121st cut through the widely dispersed and unready troops of the 32nd Infantrie Div, just arriving to positions just south of the Sensee. By 10am the French were in control of their primary objective. An armoured recon gp was sent through the lines, penetrating as far as the outskirts of Cambrai. .At this point the LW threw in heavy ground support, forcing the armour to pull up. Despite this the French held their positions in the bridgehead all that day. That evening, at 2100 hours, Altmayer sent for Molinie, and to the latters utter stunned amazement, he was ordered to withdraw his troops in the bridgehead immediately. Altmayer had received word of German reinforcement moving to the flanks of 1st Armee, and to put it bluntly, Altmayer had lost his nerve. To what extent this promising attack may have yielded strategic results will never be known, but from the juncture of perfect hindsight, it certainly looks like an opportunity squandered, like so many opportunities presented to the allies in those climactic days.


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## parsifal (May 23, 2015)

*23 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Havant Class DD HARVESTER




_Without working up, HARVESTER proceeded to Dunkirk for evacuation duties._

*Losses*
*MV FRANZ HANIEL (Ger 2152 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Kiel. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV GALAXIAS (Gk 4633 grt)* The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the English Channel off Dieppe by the LW . All crew were rescued.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DD JAGUAR (Fr 2126 grt)* The Chacal class DD was sunk by torpedo from DKM S Boats S21 and S23 (operating as a group of 8) off Dunkerque with the loss of 13 crew and 33 injured.






*DD ORAGE (Fr 1319 grt)* The Bourrasque class DD was bombed and sunk off Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais by the LW






*MV SIGURD FALBAUMS (Ex-Ger 3256 grt)* This ships had been seized in prize by Belgian forces at Antwerp on the 10th 1940. She was trying to escape at the time of her loss. She was hit by 2 torps from U-9 and sank after breaking in two about 15 miles northeast of Zeebrugge. The ship was in tow of the Belgian tugs Baron de Maere and Graaf Visart when torpedoed, as a result of sabotage by the captive German crew before being seized. The engines were non functional. The crew remained on the still floating forepart and were picked up by the Belgian Tug GRAAF VISAART, which then took the other tug in tow and continued her voyage. SIGURD FALBAUMS was carrying tin at the time of her loss






Sub TETRARCH stopped three Danish FVs . One vessel was sunk and the other two were sent into Leith as prizes. *FV L 61 / Terje Viken (28 GRT)* was damaged. RN sources claim it sunk, but Uboat Net says the ship was damaged but salvaged (less the crew). Im am unsure about this event. I favour the British claim. Danish crew was removed and scuttling charges set, Danish claims are based on post war accounts, not eyewitness account, British claims are based on ships log and observation the vessel sank. *FVs EMMANUEL (Den 33 grt)* and *JENS HVAS (Den 50 grt (est))* were stopped then taken as prizes. 

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-26

At Sea 23 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-26, U-28, U-37, U-43, U-56, U-60, U-62, U-101, U-122. 
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic

*North Sea*
Sub TRITON stopped a Danish FV in the Nth Sea. The sub was restricted to sink FVs only if she could accomodate the crew. If not, she was to release the fishing vessel which she was forced to do. TRITON was ordered to relieve Fr sub SFAX on patrol.
ORP sub ORZEL departed Rosyth on patrol. SFAX arrived at Dundee after patrol.

FN.178 departed Southend, escort DD WALLACE. Fr sub CALYPSO traveled with the convoy. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 25th. MT.72 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at the Tyne later that day. FS.178 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs FAME and FIREDRAKE were damaged by the LW off Narvik. DD FIREDRAKE arrived at Harstad for repairs on the 24th, but due to bombing had to make her repairs while constantly underway. FIREDRAKE returned to her patrol station on the 26th. Fr Contre Torpilleur DD MILAN was damaged by the near miss of two German bombs near Narvik. MILAN was forced to return to the Clyde, arriving on the 27th. She departed the Clyde that day and arrived at Brest for repair and refitting on the 29th. Carriers FURIOUS and GLORIOUS, escort DDs VETERAN, VISCOUNT, DIANA, AMAZON, arrived at Scapa for refuelling. GLORIOUS departed the next day escort DDs WREN, ARROW, HIGHLANDER to disembark RAF 46 Squadron to a shore aerodrome in Norway. DDs HIGHLANDER, ASHANTI, BULLDOG escorted BC RENOWN on DG trials on Inchkeith Range. The DDs then proceeded to Scapa arriving on the 23rd.

DDs ACASTA and ARDENT departed Greenock escorting British troopship ULSTER PRINCE. The troopship carried an army detachment to the Faroes to relieve the Marine Guard brought there by CA SUFFOLK in April. The troops were safely delivered, and the troopship returned to the UK, whilst the DDs remained in the Faroes to escort a homebound convoy from Narvik. 

Sub TRUANT unsuccessfully attacked Ex-German steamer ALSTER, escorted by RN ASW whaler ULLSWATER , not knowing the ship was now in British service, having been captured in April. 

CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Rosyth for operations off Narvik. British steamer COXWOLD escort ASW trawlers PRESTON NORTHEND and LINCOLN CITY departed Scapa for Harstad. Brit steamers BROOMDALE , NARVA , META , CALUMET, MARINA and Norwegian steamer CLIO departed Harstad unescorted. On the 26th, DDs ACASTA and ARDENT departed the Faroes to join the convoy. DD MASHONA departed Scapa 27th to meet the convoy. All 3 DDs thst were escorting could not locate the convoy until early on the 28th because of poor visibility and the observation of radio silence. On the 27th, steamers CALUMET and MARINA were detached to DD MASHONA which arrived with them in Scapa late on the 28th. The remainder of the convoy arrived safely in the Clyde on the 29th.

Convoy AB 2 with British steamers SICILIAN PRINCE, LYCAON, BELLEROPHON, DORSET COAST departed the Clyde for Reykavik escort ASW trawlers AYRSHIRE , NOTTS COUNTY , NORWICH CITY and CAPE COMORIN . The convoy was met by AMC SALOPIAN sth of Iceland and the convoy safely arrived at Reykavik on the 27th.

*SW Approaches*
HG.31 with 22 ships departed Gib, with escort DD KEPPEL from 24 May to 2 June. The convoy was given ocean escort by sloop SCARBOROUGH from 23 May to 2 June. Corvette ARABIS escorted the convoy from 31 May to 2 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 June.


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## parsifal (May 23, 2015)

chris, there is no record that i know of showing a British DD or indeed any light warship in that general classification being sunk by shore base ground fire that day (23 May). Ill check the days subsequent to that, and see if I can find a correlation that fits.

Sorry to be a pain....


Edit. From the detailed events notes on the 23rd, it could possibly be the KEITH that the germans were referring to. She was reported as hit by a mortar round as she departed the quay, this could conceivably be the alleged hits "sunk" claim by the Mk IV crew.

*23 May 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Channel*
DD VIMIERA escorted Brit steamers KOHISTAN and BENLAWERS to Calais with tanks and MT for the troops ashore. Steamer KOHISTAN got away from Calais the next day with a large number of troops and wounded and arrived at Dover on the 24th. DD WINDSOR brought the 30th Bde to Calais on Brit steamers ARCHANGEL and ROYAL DAFFODIL screened on their trip across the channel by DDs KEITH and WHITSHED. DD VENETIA from Nore Cmd joined DD WINDSOR at Calais. DD VERITY arrived at Dover early on the 23rd from Boulogne with Gen Brownrigg, and his staff, to clarify the situation. VERITY departed Dover and arrived at Calais at 2300 bringing the commander of the 1 Cdn XX, Maj Gen A. G.L. McNaughton. The General was to see if it were feasible to keep the B.E.F.'s line of communication (LOCs) open through Calais and/or Dunkirk. VERITY returned to Dover on the 24th with 2 General officers and 150 troops. DD WOLSEY escorted two hospital ships to Calais and remained there on guard duties. Approaching Dover on their return, WHITSHED was ordered to Boulogne. At Boulogne later that day were DDs KEITH , VIMY , WILD SWAN bombarding German targets continuously. Additionally off Boulogne was Fr DesFlot 2 with Contre torpilleur DDs LEOPARD and CHACAL and DDs CYCLONE, FOUGUEUX, BOURRASQUE, ORAGE, MISTRAL, FRONDEUR, SIROCCO, FOUDROYANT. Fr DD OURAGAN of this Flot was repairing at Brest and DDs BOULONNAISand BRESTOIS, after operations off Norway, were en route to the Med. This Flotilla, based at Brest, had already lost Contre Torpilleur DD JAGUAR and DD L'ADROIT in the past few days. In late afternoon, DDs VENETIA, VIMIERA, VENOMOUS arrived from Dover to reinforce ships off Boulogne. DD VIMY landeda party of 200 seamen and a detachment of Royal Marines to restore order in the harbour of Boulogne. The evacuation of Boulogne, Operation BUNGALOW, began with DDs KEITH and VIMY entering harbour. A bomb exploded on the quay next to KEITH inflicting moderate damaged casualties including a fatal injury to its commander from MG fire. . After embarking 180 troops, KEITH had to back out of the harbour stern first with a fire aft. In addition to the Captain, 7 ratings were killed and 28 men were wounded. DD VIMY, while embarking troops, sustained medium damage and her CO was mortally wounded, but was able to embark 150 troops. In addition to the CO, 1 crewman was killed and and 7 men wounded. Backing out of the harbour, destroyer KEITH was struck by a mortar shell on her forecastle. DDs WHITSHED and VIMIERA while standing off the harbour were attacked by German bombers. DD WHITSHED sustained light damage from near misses. 1 man was was killed 11 men wounded on WHITSHED.

Fr DD ORAGE was bombed and set afire 4 miles west of Boulogne and DD FRONDEUR was badly damaged by LW strikes off Boulogne. 28 crew were lost. DD ORAGE was later scuttled. RN DDs WHITSHED and VIMIERA entered Boulogne harbour next. Embarking troops, both DDs escaped further damage. DD WHITSHED embarked 580 troops and DD VIMIERA embarked 1955 troops in 2 trips. DDs WILD SWAN, VENOMOUS, VENETIA entered the harbour after WHITSHED and VIMIERA. WILD SWAN and VENOMOUS ran aground, but were able to get themselves off. VENETIA was seriously damaged with a hit on her B-gun platform. 21 crew were killed and 13 including the CO were wounded. VENETIA ran aground and was brought out of the harbour stern first, under the command of S/Lt D. H.Jones. DD WILD SWAN embarked 403 troops whilst VENOMOUS embarked 500 troops. VENETIA did not embark any troops. WINDSOR, off Calais, was ordered to Boulogne where she picked up 600, including 30 wounded. 

*Nth Atlantic*
Acutely aware of the impending escort crisis for the Allies, worried what would happen should France drop out of the war, Churchill requests in desperation the RCN for all available DDs under their command to aid in operations in Home Waters. The RCN responds with nearly all of its blue water fleet. RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE, SKEENA and ST LAURENT depart Halifax on the 24th and arrived at Plymouth on the 31st. RCN DD FRASER, on patrol in the Caribbean, set off from Bermuda on the 26th and arrived at Plymouth on 3 June. RCN DD ASSINIBOINE, after refitting in April and May at Halifax, arrived at St Johns for docking at the end of May to complete at the end of the first week of June. RCN DD OTTAWA, which was damaged in a 10 April collision with Canadian tug BANSURF, was repairing at Halifax until mid June. DD SAGUENAY was long overdue for docking, in poor shape, unable to make the Atlantic crossing. In response they also lay down 8 modified Tribal class DDs (2 in 1940, comm 1942, 2 in 1941 comm 1943, 2 in 1943 comm 1944, and 1 each in 1943 and 44, completed 1945). The RAN already has sent its entire Destroyer forces, and has one DD under construction (the largest warship ever attempted in Australian shipyards. Two more Tribal class DDs are laid down in response to the crisis, and the RAN agrees to train crews for most of the "N" Class and pay for these ships as well). The two senior dominions engage in the construction of over 300 ASW escort vessels and the construction of more than 1 million tons of shipping for the British over a 2 year period. It was to require massive efforts and expenditure by these two countries, unmatched by any other minor power on any side). 

*Central Atlantic*
SL.33 departed Freetown escorted by AMC BULOLO to 6 June. On 6 June, sloop LEITH and corvette ARABIS joined the convoy and escorted it to arrival on 9 June.

*Med- Biscay*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, CL CALEDON, DDs DIAMOND and RAN VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Malta. These ships were joined on the 24th by British steamer NEVASA. British troopships ORONSAY arrived at Gib from Malta, escort DDs DOUGLAS and WISHART. She departed the next day for Liverpool, escort DD DOUGLAS. DOUGLAS was detached and joined British steamer WINDSOR CASTLE on the 26th. The steamer arrived at Gib on the 28th, escort DDs DOUGLAS and WISHART. Steamer WINDSOR CASTLE then departed and proceeded to Freetown. Fr Contre Tirpilleur DD LION departed Malta escorting British troopships OTRANTO and ORFORD to Toulon, arriving on the 24th. On the 25th, CL CALYPSO joined. Fr sub REDOUTABLE departed Casablanca escort PV PASCAL PAOLI. The sub arrived at Bizerte on the 27th.

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## parsifal (May 23, 2015)

*23 May RAF Air Operations*
[UNFINISHED]

1 sqn (Hurri)
F/L F.E. Warcup, F/O D.S. Thorn and F/S A.V. Clowes share in the destruction of a He111. Time and location unknown. 

15 sqn (Blen)
Airborne 1300 from Wyton. Cause of loss not established. Crashed near Morval (Pas-de-Calais), 7 km SSE of Bapaume, France. No survivors. A/C lost

24 sqn (DC-3) Over Calais it was hit by AA and part of the left wing was torn off. The pilot (Raymond Chartier) managed a forced landing near Arques. The navigator was killed and two of the passengers wounded, while Chartier was executed by German troops as he tried to reach French lines. The remaining passengers were taken prisoner including Plt Off Benson Freeman of 24 Squadron. The engineer, Piet Vrebos, survived the crash. The German troops took him POW, but sent him at home because he was a civilian. 

32 sqn (Hurri)
Patrol, 1 Plane lost, 1 WIA. Bailed out near Arras, northern France. Shot down by Me 109's. Wounded, evacuated via Calais

40 sqn (Blen) 
Arras-Boulogne 2 Planes lost, 4 KIA (incl S/L), 1 POW Airborne 1010 from Wyton. One of the lost a/c was shot down by Flak and crashed between Beuvry and Sailly-labourse Pas-de-Calais, the former 3 km ESE of Béthune, France. 1 crewman later returned safely to the Sqn, 2nd a/c Airborne 1010 from Wyton to attack enemy troop columns. Shot down at Miraumont (Somme), 13 km NNE of Albert, France. One aircrewe captured was interned in Camp L3, PoW

78 sqn (whitley)
Mission details not given 1 KIA, a/c damaged 

81 sqn (Tiger Moth)
A/c and pilot lost in training accident

92 sqn (Spit)
Intercept, F. 3 Planes lost, 1 KIA, 1 MIA, 1 POW , Spits first met Bf-109s and Bf-110s on 23 May: 2 Me109s and 2 Me 110s were brought down, as were 3 Spits of 92 Sqn.

103 sqn (Battle)
Trier, 2 Planes lost
This night 5 a/c took part in night attacks in the Trier area. 2 a/c force landed but the crews were safe.

54 sqn (Spit)
P/O Alan C. Deere scored a first double success in unusual circumstances. He was one of 2 Spit plts detailed to escort a Miles Master —a two-seater training aircraft—that was attempting to rescue a British plt forced down at Calais-Marck, an airfield which by this time was in no-man's-land. The 3 a/c reached this airfield without incident, but just as the trainer - flown by 54 Sqn.'s F/Lt James A. Leathart - was taking off with its passenger, Deere's companion shouted over the radio that Messerschmitts were approaching. Almost at the same moment one of them dived on the Master but overshot. Deere at once turned on the Messerschmitt and fired two short bursts. It carried on for a short distance then crashed into the sea a few yards from the shore. He then brought down another German fighter which turned over on its back and crashed in Calais itself. An attack on a third Messerschmitt found Deere with his ammunition exhausted so he made for the nearest cloud and returned safely across the Channel. Meawhile, the Magister a/c and Deere's companion had destroyed at least two other German fighters, had also made good their escape.


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## parsifal (May 23, 2015)

*23 May - The BEF*

Boulogne/Calais
After the previous days fighting in this sector near Boulogne, it was early on the 23rd that the germans finally succeeded in encircling Boulogne. This prevented the arrival of expected reinforcements from Calais and placed the Brigade HQ in danger. It was decided to evacuate the Brigade HQ staff. Which was completed late on the 23rd, on DD VERITY. 

By Dawn, it was apparent the town was encircled, but worse the northern flank, to the left of the Welsh gds was inadequately defended. The field commander, Lt Col Foxx Pitt had managed to reinforce this northern flank with 800 pioneers and reinforce the two existing Bns with aboiut 150 more. 
A dawn attack had been expected, but this did not materialize, as the germans were pre-occupied in reducing the two French manned flank forts to the nth and sth of the port. Later in the morning, the Germans organized an attack on both bns (the French wre still holding out), hitting the Welsh Gds first. Their position was heavily attacked by a mixed tank/infantry force, but despite surrounding one of the platoons, lost around 20 tanks to AT fire and were beaten back. 

Following this, it was the turn of the Irish guardsmen again. Now they had all but expended their AT ammunition, and were forced to fight yet another combined arms assault, this time with rifles, brens and grenades. The Germans were again beaten off, with the fighting continuing well into the night, but losses to the irish Gds had been heavy. 

That night dispatch riders finally got through to both these elite formations ordering them to withdraw to the port and evacuate. Evacuation would now be difficult, as the Germans had now wrested control of the flanking heights from the French garrison troops and their artilleryu could now pour fire directly into the city centre and port regions However with the cover of darkness, the DDs proceeded in pairs to the docks, collecting potions of the rearguard and departing the battle area. DDs VIMY, KEITHG, WHITSHED, VIMIERA, WILD SWAN, VENOMOUS VENETIA and WINDSOR, and a French contingent consisting of CYCLONE, ORAGE, and FRONDEUR all participated coming in close, firing 4.6” and 5” shells directly into the enemy (and doing much to break up the german assaults onto the docklands). For a time in the evening half light Stukas did much to disrupt the embarkation of the allied forces, delivering some vicious bombing attacks and causing the ORAGE to be scuttled due to damage. During this attack, as the Destroyers were returning fire into the now enemy fortress of Fort De La Creche (which at 2100 hours blew up) 6 Hurricanes dove through the attacking Stukas just as a second wave of attackers were arriving and forming up for yet another attack. The intercepting fighters caused a cheer to be raised from the allied soldiers and sailors alike as several stukas were lost and the attack they were preparing was broken up. 

Just after 2100 hours, WILD SWAN and VENOMOUS moved into the docks to pick up the last of the Irish Guards rearguard. As they approached the docks in the low tide, they drew fire from almost every available German gun that could sight them. But the low tide and intervening structures essentially made the Destroyers a “Hull Down” target, making it hard for the German gunners to be effective. As the last of the Gurds were hurriedly being embarked,, the 4.7” guns of the DDs were working furiously to keep the assaulting Germans at bay. One group were advancing behind an advancing tank. The DDs were fired on, but their return fire was devastating , a 4.7” shell struck the tank blowing it apart. with a direct hit and sending the tank airborne in a complete somersault. A minute later the gunners spotted an enemy MG firing from the upper storey of a quayside hotel. The gunners silenced this position by blasting away the entire hotel floor where the MG nest had been located. 

WILD SWAN and VENOMOUS cleared the harbour by 21:30. Immediately following them into the docks were DDs WINDSOR and VIMIERA. Both these ships carried out prodigious evacuation and gunfire support efforts. WINDSOR was slightly in front of VIMIERA and lifted off more than 600 soldiers, a proportion of which were wounded. The last warship to come alongside was the VIMIERA, she departed just before dawn with no less than 1400 soldier and civilians embarked. Many of the civilians were jews and Poles, who because of the known atrocities being committed by the Germans on their kin, were permitted to board . VIMIERA’s load also included most of LtCol Deans pioneers, who to the end fought a series of extreme rearguard actions. These were among the british Armies finest moments of the campaign .

Not everyone got away. In the Ville Haute , General Lanquetots troops from the 21st Div fought on as dawn broke and fought back the attempts to dislodge them. At 1000 hrs the germans delivered an ultimatum, if the French did not surrender immediately, the town would be leveled and the townsfolk would be executed . The French defenders elected to surrender to spare the lives of the civilians. 

The man on whose shoulders rested the defence of Calais was colonel RT Holland. The forces at his disposal initially comprised a single platoon of Inf from the 6th Argyllstogether with an LAA detachment and searchlight gp. There was also a french garrison manning the citadel, and a few CA btys manned by fr sailors. At dawn on the 22nd the 3rd RTR arrived with 27 A9 cruisers attached. It took until the 23rd to complete disemabarkation for theser vehicles where they moved to their laager positions 2 miles outside the city. However once again poor leadership intervened. Holland learned that he was not to be given this priceless asset after all, they were to proceed to the St Omer line to assist in the defence there. and not hit the flanks of the advancing 10 Pz XX as expected. 

The French perspective

On 23rd May, the 2.PzD completes the encirclement of Boulogne. The 1.PzD is again blocked by the 1st battalion of the 65e RI at Alincthun, east of Boulogne and cannot move on until 22h00.
At 2h00, the Germans assault the fort of La Crèche, which falls at 9h45 despite the intervention of 3 French torpedo-boats at 7h45 (Siroco, Mistral and Cyclone). After the German success, 5 French ships (Cyclone, Siroco, Mistral, Léopard and Chacal) and HMS Vimy fire on the fort.
The German troops try to seize the harbor to prevent any reinforcement or evacuation but they are defeated.

The situation is nonetheless critical with the numeric superiority of the Germans. The situation is even worsening more because the British troops are withdrawing at the end of the morning and prepare to be evacuated. The evacuation operation involves only British troops and ships while the French troops continue to fight. 4,368 British soldiers are evacuated between 23rd May afternoon and 24th May at 2h45. 6 out of 7 British destroyers are damaged by the Luftwaffe and the German artillery. The losses are important and the commander of the British destroyer fleet is KIA.

.


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## parsifal (May 23, 2015)

*23 May - The BEF (Part II)* 

Calais
Meanwhile in England, 30 Bde had also received orders to embark for Calais. This brigade had been formed for ops in Norway, consisting of 1 Bn (QVR) 2 Bns (KRRC), bridaded under the command of Brigadier Nicholson.

The QVR (Queen Victoria Rifles) were the first to arrive, in the afternoon of thew 22nd. They were immediately sent out to set up road block to all entrances, and turnb away the sea of refugees heading for the port, a heart wrenching task. The main elements of the Bde did not arrive until afternoon of the 23rd. The Bde commander enroute had conferred with Adm Dover (ramsay) and Brownrigg, where is was agreed to send the force to Calais where it as hoped it might be able to relieve the pressure on the Boulogne garrison. Overnight, these orders were changed....a microcosm of the sheer confusion affecting all Allied operations at this time. Nicholson received fresh instructions to force a way to Dunkirk, to deliver vital supplies to the beleagured forces there. Nicholson dutifully set about the task, organising forces and transport for the task. A lead element with 4 tanks and some infantry was sent out overnight, driving past the laagered german 10 Pz armour, and reaching Gravelines where they joined other british troops. By now with dawn approaching, and much German activity all around them the platoon commander coolly reported the results of his recon, before pulling his entiore force out. These troops made it back to Calais unharmed. 

Meanwhile Mj Gen McNaughton of the Cdn 1st Div arrived with direct orders from the CIGS to assess the feasibility of resupplying and holding Calais and Dunkirk to support and extended siege of the BEF. McNaughtonbs report was unequivocally that it was not possible, consequently new orders were issued to Nicholson that he was to commence evacuation of all personnel except fighting personnel. This signal, issued by Gen RH Dewing director of operations was to have very significant repercussions.

Despite the evacuation orders, Nicholson decided to attempt the relief effort to dunkirk....which occurred on the following day


Dunkirk Sector
On the 23 may with the Battle for Boulone raging, and the enemy poised for the assault on Calais, the allied commanders within the cauldron were realizing with sudden apprehension the threats being posed to their lines of communication, though it would take some days for their respective higher commands and govts to reach the same conclusion. 

It was fortunate that the Allies were falling back onto Dunkirk. The third largest port in France, it boasted 7 deep water basins 4 dry docks and more than 5 miles of quayside berths. Surrounding it was a flat expanse that could be flooded and a series of old forts which were considered (and proven by unfolding events) to have great resistance to modern HE fire. 

Apart from air attacks, which to this point had been sporadic and ineffective, the enemy threat to Dunkirk was not immediate. The nearest enemy units were nearly 20 miles away , at St Omer, and had not yet reached the Aa canal.. The possibility of a speedy breakthrough in this sector had receded. In the post war revision of history, it is often portrayed that the Germans were the sole deciders as to when and how Dunkirk was to be taken. To an extent that is true, but there was also the level of resistance being mounted by the allies in front of Dunkirk that played into this matter. In summary there was a short pause and stabilisation of the front. 

News of the aborted French counterattack at Cambrai reached Gort on the 23rd. it seems that from this point he became utterly convinced there was no longer any possibility of a coherent Allied stand. It was a feeling that had been gathering momentum for the last three days, particularly after the bombastic cables he had received from Churchill


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## Njaco (May 23, 2015)

parsifal said:


> chris, there is no record that i know of showing a British DD or indeed any light warship in that general classification being sunk by shore base ground fire that day (23 May). Ill check the days subsequent to that, and see if I can find a correlation that fits.
> 
> Sorry to be a pain....



I agree and I was hesitant to post that but I'm thinking that it was a smaller craft that they thought was a "destroyer'. That marking was definitely painted for a reason. I will remove for now. 

Oh and I brought May 23 down here!  Did you miss May 23?


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## Njaco (May 23, 2015)

*May 23 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The German 6.Armee crossed the Scheldt River in Belgium. General Rundstedt, commanding Heeresgruppe A, orders his tank forces to halt their advance. Despite this order German 2.Panzerdivision attacks Boulogne, triggering the evacuation of the British 20th Guards Brigade which has just arrived. German 1.Panzerdivision's forward elements reached Calais, effectively cutting off British, French and Belgian forces from the rest of France. British 3rd Royal Tank Regiment (equipped with cruiser tanks) and the 30th Motor Brigade land at Calais and hold off probing attacks by the 1.Panzerdivision. British General Lord Gort withdrew his troops from Arras despite being able to halt Rommel's momentum. Owing to this retreat the planned Allied counteroffensive is postponed. It is becoming clear to the British generals in France that an evacuation by sea is probably going to be necessary. The Allies begin building defensive positions around Dunkirk.

Several British and French destroyers are bombed until RAF fighters arrive at 1920 hours. However, Germans are so close that tank shells and small arms fire claim several lives on the ships, including the captains of HMS “_Keith_” and HMS “_Vimy_”. 4,360 troops are rescued (naval losses; 61 dead, 62 wounded).

The fighters of JG 27 are charged with protecting Bf 110 Zerstörer units over Calais-Dunkirk. Eighteen Allied aircraft are shot down with three going to Hptm. Balthasar and two to Oblt. Franzisket - two BEF Hurricanes - to bring his score to six kills. But the Luftwaffe also lose pilots and aircraft. Six Bf 109’s from I./JG 1 and I./JG 27 are shot down with two pilots killed, one injured and three taken prisoner including Lt. Keller of 2./JG 27, who crash lands a second time near Hirson.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-9 torpedoed and sank the captured (by Belgium on 10 May) German steamer “_Sigurd Faulbaum_” 15 miles northeast of Zeebrugge, Belgium.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Arrests began for British fascists across the United Kingdom as well as known IRA operatives in Northern Ireland. The former leader of the British Union of Fascists, Sir Oswald Mosley, is arrested. 747 other British Union members were arrested (including ninety-six women including Lady Diana) and interned without charge. Also detained is a Member of Parliament, Captain Ramsay because he has been connected with the Right Club.

*NORTH AMERICA: *United States President Roosevelt wins the Democratic primary in Vermont and is now certain to receive his party's nomination for the November elections.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *1(F)./122 operated a He 111 over the Tromso-Harstad-Oforfjord-Skaanland area and as a result of this mission, and that of a Fw 200 of 1./KG 40, bombing sorties were flown by KGr 100, KG 26 and KG 30 throughout the day against the naval shipping identified by the reconnaissance missions.

.




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## Njaco (May 23, 2015)

*May 24 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The German attacks on Boulogne continue. Farther along the coast they are also attacking Calais. The German 10.Panzerdivision began the attack on Calais and captured the town of Boulogne (capturing 5,000 Allied troops), Maubeuge, and Saint-Omer. The Royal Navy is active in support of the British forces in both towns. During the day and later in the night destroyers are used to evacuate 5000 men from Boulogne and over the next three days two light cruisers and seven destroyers are in support near Calais. There are also German attacks on the line of the Lys and around Tournai. To the north, the German 1.Panzerdivision reached the Aa Canal 10 miles from Dunkerque in an attempt to cut off the Allied troops in Belgium. Only 1 BEF battalion defends Dunkirk. At this key moment, Adolf Hitler interfered and ordered the tanks to pull back. Hitler ordered Walther von Brauchitsch, army commander in chief, to halt the panzers along the Bassée Canal, specifically to remain at medium artillery range from Dunkirk. No one knows exactly why. Generals Brauchitsch and Halder rail against the order but are told it comes from the very top. Even Guderian, who has bent and ignored orders to get to the coast, had no choice but to comply. Under Hitler’s orders, German forces halt outside of Dunkirk. They have reached the line Gravelines - Omer - Bethune. Although the ground north of here is not well suited to armed action the Allied defenses are weak. General Göring convinces the Führer that the Luftwaffe can demolish the remaining Allied forces on the beaches. German fighters are rushed to the area and bombers are ordered to destroy the harbor areas.

German Heeresgruppe A Commander Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt begins issuing orders for his panzer tank divisions to halt their advance in France, due to losses and maintenance problems.

German troops captured Ghent and Tournai, Belgium. King Léopold of Belgium informs four Government ministers he would stay with the Army in Belgium, capitulating to the Germans if necessary. The plans for the Allied counteroffensive depend on the Belgians being able to take over a longer section of the front but with this pressure they will not be able to do so.

British Lieutenant Christopher Furness, the son of Viscount Furness, was killed in hand to hand fighting near Arras, France after his Bren gun carrier group engaged a vastly superior enemy force in order to allow a convoy to escape. He was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross.

The German advance is so fast that the Jagdgeschwader are having a hard time keeping up with the action. An example of this is I./JG 27 led by Max Ibel, who are ordered to overtake the airfield at St. Omer, twelve miles from Dunkirk. But as the Stab flight of Bf 109s approach to land, they find the airfield still under attack by both the Germans and the Allies. With the last bit of fuel in their tanks, the Gruppe manages to land further south at St. Pol and begin escorting bombers over Dunkirk.

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## Njaco (May 23, 2015)

*May 24 Friday *(_continued_)
*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 13. The objective is to annihilate French, English, and Belgian forces surrounded in Artois and Flanders. The Air Force is to prevent the escape of English forces across the Channel. The Air Force is authorized to attack England to the fullest when sufficient forces are available. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/13.html

*NORTH AMERICA:* Royal Canadian Navy destroyers “_Restigouche_”, “_St. Laurent_”, “_Skeena_”, and “_Fraser_” head to the United Kingdom to aid the Royal Navy.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *With the BEF trapped in Belgium and the British Isles potentially under threat of invasion, British War Cabinet decides to bring home their remaining troops in Norway. They inform French General Béthouart, in command of the attack, who decides to continue with the capture of Narvik anyway before evacuation. The Supreme War Council agrees to capture Narvik and destroy the port facilities before they will evacuate. Ironically the airfield at Bardufoss has only just received its first complement of British aircraft and already the campaign seems less one-sided, showing what might be done. The Norwegians are not yet told of the decision to leave.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank Greek ship “_Kyma_” 200 miles west of Brest, France at 0248 hours, killing 7. Aboard were 6,000 tons of corn and 90 tons of trucks from Argentina to Britain.

German aircraft sank British destroyer “_Wessex_” off the coast of Calais, France.

*CENTRAL AMERICA:* The President of Panama expressed support for the Dominican Republic in terms of the 8 Mar 1940 incident where a Canadian destroyer attacked German freighter Hannover in Dominic Republic's territorial waters. He called for the Chairman of the Inter-American Neutrality Committee in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to investigate this violation of the Pan-American Neutrality Zone.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The Luftwaffe attacks the United Kingdom during the night. Seven HEs were dropped at South Bank and Middlesbrough. Slight damage was done to buildings, gas mains and overhead cables. Dorman Longs was hit by one bomb and eight people were injured but there was little material damage and production wasn't affected. Two of the bombs fell on the Cargo Fleet Works, there were no casualties and little damage. Middlesbrough was the first industrial town, and Dorman Long's the first industrial plant, to be bombed. Six bombs were dropped on Catterick Aerodrome, but no damage was reported.

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## parsifal (May 23, 2015)

Njaco said:


> I agree and I was hesitant to post that but I'm thinking that it was a smaller craft that they thought was a "destroyer'. That marking was definitely painted for a reason. I will remove for now.
> 
> Oh and I brought May 23 down here!  Did you miss May 23?




Nah, my bad, the date I posted is a mistake.....

Id retain it actually. Its interesting, even it might be incorrect. perhaps alter the text to include the words "claimed". Obviously something happened that day, and anyone in a tank engaging a warship is still gutsy in my book.


EDIT:

I found this discussion on the Axis History Forum 

Panzer versus Destroyer, fact or fiction? - Axis History Forum

Varjag; 

_The panzers in question were two Pz IV Ds of Olt. v. Jarowski's kompanie of Panzer Regiment 3, 2. Panzer Division (which kompanie/Abteilung this is I do not know). The event is described in the Regimrnt War Diary, accompanied by two photographs. While the battle took place on 23 May, the photos were taken on 25 May. One shows Feldwebel Langhammer with the aforementioned destroyer "tally" painted on his tank, and the other is the wreck of the believed vessel. The wreck photograph is clearly of the French contre-torpilleur Chacal, which was actually bombed and sunk by He-111 aircraft on 24 May in the same general area as the events of 23 May. 

The battle, as described, was against a French destroyer attempting to land troops. In the event, the French warships in the harbour, elements of the 2ème flotille de torpilleurs including Cyclone, Mistral, and Siroco of the 6ème division, Orage and Bourrasque of the 4ème division, and Frondeur and Fougeux of the 2ème flotille, along with the Chacal and Jaguar of the 2ème Division de Contre-Torpilleurs intent on landing demolition parties and evacuating personnel. The German tanks actually duelled with Mistral which, with Siroco, retired to the outer harbor exactly as desribed by the German report after they had debarked the intended personnel. Shortly thereafter, Orage and Frondeur were attacked by a large formation of Ju-87 Stukas and the former was sunk, her fires evidently being sighted ashore. Her survivors were rescued by Frondeur and Bourrasque. The next day the contre-torpilleur Chacal was bomber and sunk by a formation of He-111s. The wreck was beached in basically the same area that that Orage had be sunk the day before. That same day the port surrendered. The day after, the panzer troops, exploring the area, came upon Chacal's wreck and assumed that fires caused by their guns had resulted in her loss. 

It took considerable research, for me in the USA, to find French sources that described the actions of the ships in the area but, when located, the events fell together in a fashion that jived firly well with the German account, especially given the limited "vision" the small numbers of tankers engaged in a limited battle with but a single element of a rather large number of French warships performing a multitude of tasks under all kinds of enemy fire - including, but not limited too, tanks, artillery, small arms, and aircraft bombing! 

Hope this helps. 

Mark E. Horan_

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## parsifal (May 24, 2015)

*24 May 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
70' Elco Type PT 17




_PT 10 was the lead boat of this class of PT Boats. it was transferred to the RN in May 1941, being known as MTB 266_

Allied
Didi class CLA HMS BONAVENTURE






Flower Class Corvette SUNFLOWER 





*Losses
MV KYMA (Gk 3994 grt) * Crew: 30 (7 dead and 23 survivors) Cargo: 6000 tons of maize and 90 tons of trucks Route: Rosario - St. Vincent - Avonmouth Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 0248 hrs on 24 May 1940 the unescorted and neutral KYMA was hit by a torpedo from U-37 and sank about 175 miles Sth of Cape Clear. The U-boat attacked the ship without warning despite visible neutrality markings because she was heading for a British port within the blockade area. The survivors abandoned ship in a lifeboat, were spotted by an a/c from St. Eval in the afternoon and reported to HMS ENCHANYTRSS who rescued them later that day





*Contre Torpilleur DD CHACAL (Fr 2126 grt)* , after delivering the demolition party to Calais, arrived off Boulogne and was sunk off Cape d' Alprecht by the LW. Fr DD FOUGUEUX was badly damaged by bombing in the same attack but survived. Fr SCs CH.5 and CH.42 rescued the 21 survivors of CHACAL. The surviving DDs of Fr DesFlot2 were ordered withdrawn from Boulogne to Cherbourg.





Off Calais, *DD WESSEX (RN 1100 grt) *was sunk by the LW when she was struck by 3 bombs between the funnels. 6 ratings were killed or died of wounds, 15 were wounded. The survivors were rescued by DD VIMIERA. MSW trawler JOHN CATTLING picked up 6 crew from a Carley float.





*Steamer BRIGHTON (UK 2391 grt) *was sunk by the LW at Dieppe Quay. BRIGHTON had been bombed and badly damaged on the 21st. There was no crew aboard her on the 24th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux MSW LA MATELOT (Fr 260 grt)* was sunk by the LW and *Aux MSW ETOILE DE NORD (Fr 317 grt) *was sunk in mining at Dunkirk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-122 (for minor repairs)

Departures
Wilhelmshaven, Germany: U-122

At Sea 24 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-26, U-28, U-37, U-43, U-56, U-60, U-62, U-101, U-122.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
6 Tribal class DDs to be joined by DD TARTAR were designated to form a Striking Force at Rosyth. Sub SHARK and Fr sub SYBILLE arrived Rosyth after patrol. Sub SPEARFISH arrived at Blyth after patrol. Fr sub AMAZONE docked at Rosyth. OA.154 departed Southend escorted by sloop ABERDEEN. OB.154 departed Liverpool escort sloop SANDWICH from 24 to 27 May. The convoy dispersed on the 28th. FN.179 departed Southend, escort DD WALPOLE. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 26th.

*Northern Waters*
CL ENTERPRISE departed Harstad with the remaining 19 tons of Norwegian gold reserves. Despite air attacks by the LW en route, the cruiser safely arrived at Scapa Flow on the 26th. The following day she proceeded to Greenock where the gold was offloaded. Cruiser ENTERPRISE continued on to Plymouth, arriving on the 29th for refitting. The cruiser was under refit from 31 May to 22 June. DDs ANTELOPE and BRAZEN arrived at Scapa after having been detached from ARK ROYAL's screen.
The carrier itself was delayed by fog. DD ATHERSTONE at Lerwick was ordered to investigate a direction finding reading. Fog hindered the unsuccessful search so the DD returned to Scapa Flow on the 26th.
*West Coast UK*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS was completed (some sources say 25th May). ILLUSTRIOUS departed Liverpool on the 24th. DDs ESCORT, VANOC, WITHERINGTON departed the Clyde at 0300 and rendezvoused with ILLUSTRIOUS off the Bar Light Vessel for acceptance trials. The British ships arrived in the Clyde late on the 25th.

CA SUSSEX departed the Clyde after refitting and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 25th.

*Western Approaches*
DesFlot 9 returned to the Western Approaches Command.

*Channel*
DDs BRAZEN, BASILISK, BULLDOG were returned to the Nore Command. DD BULLDOG departed Scapa for Harwich to rejoin the Nore Command. BRAZEN departed Scapa for Rosyth to boiler clean prior to rejoining the Nore Command. DDs BASILISK and MATABELE departed Greenock at 1130 for Devonport. BASILISK repaired brickwork and boiler cleaned at Devonport. After repairs, the destroyer proceeded to the Nore Command. MATABELE continued on to Falmouth to repair grounding damage. DD WOLVERINE departed Greenock for Plymouth to make good defects.

*UK-France*
Late on the 23rd, DD VIMIERA on her second trip picked up the last of the Boulogne evacuaees, some 800 Fr and Belgian troops. DD WESSEX operated off Boulogne but did not enter the harbour. Some 200 troops had to be left behind and were captured by German forces on the 24th. At 0200, VIMIERA and WESSEX arrived at Dover, they were the only two undamaged destroyers of the Dover Command. Vice Adm Sir James Somerville KCB, DSO, commanded the British Calais support force. DDs GRAFTON and GREYHOUND and ORP DD BURZA , on patrol off Aldeburgh, were ordered to Dover. They then set off to Calais to provide fire support for the British troops ashore. CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA departed Portsmouth to operate in the area in support roles, but returned when they found they could not arrive off Calais before dark.

Destroyers WOLFHOUND and VIMIERA departed Dover for Calais at 1000. ORP DD BURZA was damaged by two bombs exploding in the water very near her bows in the same action as sank the WESSEX. The concussion also damaged her superstructure and she could only steam 3-4 knots stern first. One rating was killed. DD VERITY and tug LADY BRASSEY arrived on the scene to assist BURZA, but she was able to proceed under her own power. BURZA departed Dover on the 25th towed by two tugs and escorted by ASW trawler KINGSTON OLIVINE. She was taken to Portsmouth for repairs which were completed on 27 July. DD VIMIERA was bombed and damaged off Calais. VIMIERA was withdrawn for repairs which were completed in 10 days. VIMIERA arrived at Scapa Flow for escort duties on 9 June. MSW trawler JOHN CATTLING was sent to Calais to act as a W/T link.

DDs WOLSEY and WINDSOR departed Dover with demolition parties for Le Havre, and were then sent to Calais before returning to Dover. DDs WOLFHOUND and VERITY were ordered to bring ammunition to Calais for the British troops encircled there. VERITY, after assisting ORP DD BURZA, also landed a Royal Marine Guard to protect the harbour. MTB.25 proceeded to Calais with primers for the demolition charges. After bombing SW of Calais, a Swordfish of 825 Sqn was shot down, with the crew killed. DDs GALLANT, JACKAL, JAVELIN, JAGUAR screened 6 MSW trawlers, which had also been used in operation QUIXOTE on the 20th, cutting the telegraph cables between Lowestoft, Benacre, Aldeburgh on the East Coast and Zaandvoort and Domburg in Operation QUENTIN. Tug DAPPER was sent from Dover to assist British steamer BHUTAN which had been badly damaged in a collision.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.45 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA, ST LAURENT, which were detached on the 25th. BHX.45 departed Bermuda on the 23rd escorted locally by sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort of AMC RAJPUTANA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.45 on the 29th and the AMC was detached. The ocean escort for the convoy was AMC VOLTAIRE which joined the convoy on the 24th. The AMC was detached on 4 June. On 5 June, sloop SANDWICH and corvette PERIWINKLE joined the convoy. On 6 June, the corvette was detached and the sloop was detached on 7 June. Corvette HIBISCUS joined the convoy on 7 June and escorted it to its arrival at Liverpool on 8 June.

*Med- Biscay*
CLA CARLISLE, DDs KANDAHAR, KHARTOUM, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, sloops AUCKLAND and FLAMINGO arrived at Suez from the Med as convoy escorts for Red Sea shipping. Fr sloops ANNAMITE, SURPRISE, which was escorting steamers CHANTILLY and COMPIEGNE, GAZELLE, CHAMOIS passed Gib en route from Brest to Algiers, where they arrived on the 25th.

*Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART arrived at Port Sudan.


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## parsifal (May 24, 2015)

*24 May 1940 - RAF Operations*

15 sqn (Blen)
Aa Canal, B - 1 plane lost; 2 KIA, 1 DOW, Airborne 1745 from Alconbury. On return to base at 2100 the port engine seized when low on final approach and the Blenheim spun in, killing the entire crew. 

58, 77, 102 sqns (Whitley), 61 sqn (Hampden) ?? sqn (Wellington) 
Operating as part of 5 Gp, the sqn was part of a raid consisting of 50 Hampdens, 48 Wellingtons and 24 Whitleys bomb communications and transport targets in Germany, Holland, Belgium and France. 2 Hampdens and 1 Whitley lost

Bombing - road/rail communications at Avesnes, Maubeuge, Aulnoye and La Capelle. 

73 sqn (Hurri)
After shooting down 1 Me 110, F/O H B Bell-Syer bailed out after his aircraft was damaged in combat with another Me 110. A/c lost and pilot burned and hospitalised

74 sqn (Spit)
1 a/c lost, 1 MIA no other details

103 sqn (Battle)
Relocated again, I think to an area called Fumay(?)

106 sqn (Hampden)
cross-country flight, UK. 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA, Collided with a balloon cable in Coventry while on a cross-country flight

54 sqn (Spit)
9 enemy a/c shot down
No. 54 Squadron, experienced its first big air battle when it engaged two large bomber formations escorted by Me 110s. In the many dogfights which followed 9 German a/c were destroyed, with an additional four probables. Of these Deere was credited with 1 Me 110 destroyed and Gray (top scorer for NZ) with a probable, in what was his first combat. Now for the first time', noted the German General Halder in his diary on 24 May, 'enemy air superiority has been reported by Kleist.' And on the same day the War Diary of the German 19 Corps recorded: 'Enemy fighter resistance is so strong that our own air reconnaissance was practically impossible.'


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## parsifal (May 24, 2015)

*24 May 1940 - The BEF*

Dunkirk Sector
General Fagalde commander of the French XVI corps begins the movement of one of his divisions to bolster the Aa canal position . He receives a direct message from Weygand, appointing him as the supreme commander of the Channel Port defences. He immediately travels to Dunkirk to inspect the defences and discuss with Adm Abrial. . He finds the principal defences built around 272 demi Bde, 2 further training bns and a labour group a regt equivalent. Arriving are the remnants of 5 Inf Bns from the shattered 21st inf XX. He has, at his disposal 6 btys of 75 and 155mm guns..

Fagalde also meets Gen McNaughton of the Cdn 1st Div. Fagalde took Mcnaughtons arrival as an indicator of the impending arrival of the Canadians. McNaughton gives no indication as to his role which is, in fact to report directly to the CIGs on the situation. He reports that the problem in Dunkirk is not troop numbers, or even equipment, but lack of organization and confusion. McNaughtons appraisal was repeated by Brig Parminter, officer in charge of the distribution of the still arriving stores to the front. He noted the utter lack of organisation and lack of a clear chain of command. Nevertheless, it has to be said that Parminter still manageed to distribute over 500 tons of supplies on this day alone. 

On the 23rd, Fagalde learnt that the germans had already reached the Aa at St Omer, and accorfingly decided to position his 68th XX (already moving) only as far as Yser, Early on the 24th the 68th pushed a few miles further so as to occupy the Mardyck canal, midway between Dunkirk and the Aa. 

So far there had been little communication between Fagaldein his new capacity and Gort, However thjis began from the 24th, and on that day, gort ordered the 144th Bde out of the line, and to organise or reinforce the exposed southern flank of the Port Defences. Its commander Bgdier Thorne conferred with CO 68Div, and agreed to place his unit on the left flank of the French Div, and also to organise a defence of the Bergues Furnes canal, which included a vital strong point. This whole canal system and the strongpoint was a vital key to defending Dunkirk. The task of defending this section was given to "Usherforce", a composite unit built around the 6th Green Howards. There were also the 1st and 3rd super heavy art btys in support. Allied defences in front of Dunkirk were not fully emplaced however, until the 26th, they needed some time to delay the German advance in order to even temporarily hold open the port for evacuation. 







Calais
Fagalde immediately reverses the order to evacuate Calais, and appoints Nicholson as station commander. Churchill endorses the order. Churchill sends a message via Ismay to the War Office: "(I am) informed that an order was sent at 2am to Calais saying that evacuation was decided in principle, but this is surely madness. The only effect of evacuation would be to transfer the forces blockading it to Dunkirk. Calais must be held for many reasons, but specially to pin the enemy on its front".

The first Nicholson learnt of the changed plan was in thge early hours of 25th May, when DD Wolfhound after completion of it bombardment, landed Adm Somerville (the very man 24 hrs previously advising of the evacuation) to deliver the following message in peson:

"In spite of the policy of evacuation handed to you this morning , British forces in your area are now under Gen Fagalde, who has ordered no, repeat, no evacuation. You must comply for the sake of allied solidarity. Your role is therefore to hold on , even though the harbour at present is of no importance to the BEF. Bde Gp from 48 XX has started marching to your assistance . No reinformcements by sea but ammo coming".

It was a most unsatisfactory order, and drew the displeasure of Churchill almost immediately


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## Njaco (May 24, 2015)

*May 25 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* With 1.Panzerdivision only 10 miles from Dunkirk (plus 2.Panzerdivision and 6.Panzerdivision ready to tear up the coast) Hitler maintains his order to hold them in their current positions. At Calais, Heinz Guderian obediently, albeit frustratingly, ordered his tanks to halt per Hitler's orders, but the field commanders continued to push back the British and French troops. British and French forces fall back towards the Channel coast in an orderly retreat, covering each other’s flanks, under pressure by Bock’s Heeresgruppe B from the North and West. The Belgian forces are driven out of Menin by attacks of units from Heeresgruppe B. British Expeditionary Force uses the respite to reinforce defenses around Dunkirk, including the many canals. British Expeditionary Force commanding General Lord Gort decides to withdraw the BEF to Dunkirk, following assurances from War Minister Anthony Eden that naval and air forces would be available for an evacuation by sea. Gort cancels a planned advance to the south, and orders his troops north, so they could embark for England. French General Wegand cancels the planned Allied counteroffensive, blaming Gort for this decision. In fact the French forces on the Somme have not made any attacks, as has been claimed, and the French forces with the northern armies are in no condition to do so. On the same day, the French Army relieved 15 generals of their commands.

Despite Guderian’s orders to leave Calais to the Luftwaffe, 10.Panzerdivision continues to attack. British and French defenders fall back but still hold the city and harbour, where small fishing and pleasure boats begin evacuating the wounded.

Hptm. Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53, claims his eighteenth victory, a French Morane MS 406.

Trying to keep pace with the advancing German army, Hptm. Joachim Schlichting’s I./JG 1 leave the temporary base at Guise-Nordost and settle in at Monchy-Breton while Hptm. Wolfgang Schnellmann’s II./JG 2 transfer from Attenrode and settle in at Grandglise.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British Chiefs of Staff present a report to the War Cabinet entitled "British Strategy in a Certain Eventuality". If France collapses and German forces invade Great Britain, it is unlikely Britain could send naval forces to Singapore. In the event, the USA would have to be relied on to safeguard British interests in the Far East.

*GERMANY: *The first transport of prisoners arrived at the Mauthausen-Gusen Concentration Camp in occupied Austria region of southern Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* “_Béarn_” made rendezvous with light cruisers “_Jeanne d'Arc_” and “_Émile Bertin_” in the Atlantic Ocean and transferred French central bank gold bullions to the light cruisers, which would carry them to Canada.

*ASIA:* Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of the Japanese 4th Division.

*NORTH AMERICA: *A unit of the newly formed US Marine Corps Defense Battalions began the Minor Landing and Base Defense Exercise at San Clemente Island, California, United States.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A 1(F)./122 Heinkel performed morning recce to Namsos, following which aircraft from KGr 100 and KG 30 arrived in the area to attack a reported target. An RN Special Service vessel was attacked by a KG 30 aircraft off Harstad.


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## parsifal (May 25, 2015)

*25 May 1940 (Part I) *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN CV ILLUSTRIOUS





*Losses*
*ASW Trawler CHARLES BOYES (RN 290 grt) *The naval trawler struck a mine in the Nth Sea off Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk and sank with the loss of at least 15 crew.





*Lightship DYCK (Fr 500 grt) *The lightship sank off Calais, Pas-de-Calais.





*Tkr JOSEPH SEEP (Pan 7088 grt) * Owned by the standard Oil Company, the ship was Panamanian registerd and Canadian manned to deliberately get around the Neutrality Act restrictions on shipping movements. She had begun her final voyage mid April, transporting 75000 barrels of oil to Le Havre. She experienced many difficulties as she passed through the Med, and was stuck unloaded at anchor at Le Havre from the 16 May. On the night of May 24-25, the Joseph Seep, with her Canadian crew of 37 officers and men, was still at anchor awaiting orders to discharge cargo. At about 3:30 a.m. on the 25th she was struck by a mine. Water poured into the forward compartments, the pumproom was flooded, and the vessel was going down by the head when the master gave the order to abandon ship. All crew were saved. : World War II: The tanker struck a mine and sank in the English Channel off Le Havre, Seine Maritime, France.






*Aux MSW LA JEANINE (Fr 49 grt)* was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Mobile Naval Base Ship MASHOBRA (RN 7,288 grt)* was bombed and badly damaged in German bombing near Harstad, and run aground to prevent her from sinking. No men killed, but several, were wounded. She was scuttled on 8 June to prevent her being captured by German forces.




_HMS MASHOBRA after being holed in the port side forward below the water line_

*ORP ORZEL (ORP 1100 grt) *The submarine struck a mine and sank in the Nth Sea and sank with the loss of all 60 crew.





*MV SPINEL (UK 650 GRT) *The coaster was docked and unloaded her cargo dockside at Dunkirk, but was forced to be abandoned when fires on the dock engulfed her. All nine crew were rescued. She was salvaged by the Germans on 4 July and taken as a prize of war.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV TENNESSEE (Nor 5667 grt)* The cargo ship was in collision with Baron Fairlie in the North Sea and was beached north west of Copinsay, Orkney Islands, United Kingdom. Salvage attempt were abandoned and she was declared a total loss. There were no casualties






DD VEGA, PV MALLARD, WIDGEON, SHELDRAKE, MSWs FITZROY, SUTTON, SALTASH departed Sheerness on the 24th with *Blockship FLORENTINO (UK 1822 grt)* and *Blockship TRANSEA (UK 1499 grt)* for Zeebrugge in Opn EF, also known as Operation LYSTER. PV SHEARWATER joined from convoy escort and relieved sloop WIDGEON shortly after sailing. MTB.15 and MTB.16 and MSW trawlers CLYTHNESS and LORD GREY also took part in this op. PV SHEARWATER attacked a sub contact enroute. The operation was a failure. FLORENTINO accidentally ran aground out of the channel and TRANSEA, not seeing the error, scuttled herself nearby. MTB 15 and MTB.16 took off the crews of the blockships. DD VEGA, sloops MALLARD, SHEARWATER, SHELDRAKE,MTB 14, MTB.15, most of the original force, less the MSWs, returned the night of 26/27 May with *Blockship ATLANTIC GUIDE (UK 1943 grt)* and *Blockship BORODINO (UK 2004 grt)* which were originally designated for Ostend, Operation DF. The blockships were sunk on the 27th and Zeebrugge harbour was blocked, their crews rescued by MTB.14 and MTB.15. DD VEGA escorting Ne sub O 13 off Zeebrugge was unsuccessfully attacked by DKM S Boats who erroneously claimed sinking both ships. 
VEGA was also attacked by LW bombers and damaged by near misses. She was taken to Dover and repaired completing on 3 June.
MSW HARRIER, minesweeping off Zeebrugge, was attacked by the LW. One hit and five near misses badly damaged the MSW. The hit entered through the upper deck and passed out through the port side. HARRIER arrived in the Thames on the 27th was repaired completing on 9 July.

NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Aux MSW TROMBE II (Fr 250 grt (est))* The auxiliary minesweeper was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque by the LW. 

NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Steamers *DAHLIA (SD 1078 grt)*, *LYGIA (SD 1480 grt)*,and *BRITA (SD 1345 grt)* were seized by German forces at Bergen. DAHLIA was renamed JOHANNES WILLI in German service, LYGIA renamed MALMEDY, and BRITA renamed DESIDERIUS SIEDLER.
Konfiskerade







_From left to right: DAHLIA, BRITA, no image found for the LYGIA_

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-122 

At Sea 25 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-26, U-28, U-37, U-43, U-56, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD KELVIN departed the Tyne after refit and repairs, arriving at Rosyth for tests on the DG range. Fr depot ship JULES VERNE and subs SYBILLE, CALYPSO, THETIS arrived at Dundee. Fr sub ACHILLE and ML POLLUX departed Rosyth for Cherbourg. Sub SEVERN departed Rosyth for patrol off Stadlandet. 




_SEVERN was a member of the Thames classe built 1934-5. They combined the role of patrol and fleet types and dislaced 2273 tons. They were among the first RN subs to use all welded hull construction, and thus avoided one of the main problems of earlier British designs, their propensity to leak_

FN.180 departed Southend, escort sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 27th. MT.73 departed Methil, escort sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at the Tyne, later that day. FS.179 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
CV ARK ROYAL and CVL FURIOUS with DDs ANTELOPE, CAMPBELL, AMAZON, ENCOUNTER, VISCOUNT departed Scapa for the Clyde. Shortly after sailing, DD VOLUNTEER departed Scapa and relieved ENCOUNTER which proceeded to Rosyth for boiler cleaning and repairs. The Carrier gp safely arrived in the Clyde on the 26th. DD FURY and another DD departed Scapa to investigate Italian steamers BARBANA C. and ANDREA anchored in Saviskaill Bay, Westray Firth, Orkneys. ASW trawler HUGH WALPOLE had been ordered to this location on the 24th, but was unable to make contact due to very thick fog. The Italian steamers were escorted by FURY to Kirkwall for inspection. FURY arrived back at Scapa that evening. DDs BEDOUIN and FOXHOUND departed the Clyde for Scapa. En route, they conducted an ASW sweep from Nth Channel to Lower Minch, then from North Minch to Pentland Firth, arriving at Scapa on the 26th.

CL SOUTHAMPTON was near missed at Harstad, sustaining slight splinter damage. ASW trawler CAPE WARWICK reported making a strong contact at position 7.5 miles from Auskerry. After attacks on a stationary target, she proceeded to join her convoy and ASW trawler SCALBY WYKE was sent from Kirkwall to relieve her. ASW trawlers JUNIPER, HAZEL, WHITEHORN of ASW Gp 19 departed Scapa with oilers COWRIE and SYLVAFIELD and collier KIRKWOOD for the Clyde. A 2nd collier was to join them from Stornoway. MSW Gp 14 of MSW trawlers EPINE, THEIR MERIT, CARDIFF CASTLE, STAR OF ORKNEY departed Scapa Flow for Yarmouth. 

German operation BIENE was successfully completed by 181 Inf XX against a British communications centre on Alsten Island near Mosjoen.

*West Coast UK*
DD WARWICK departed Greenock for Liverpool where she arrived on the 26th.

*SW Approaches*
OG.31F was formed from OA.153GF, which departed Southend on the 22nd escort DD MACKAY, OB.153GF, which departed Liverpool on the 22nd escort sloops ENCHANTRESS and LEITH, of 55 ships. Sub H.31 accompanied OA.153GF on passage to Portsmouth. Sloop ENCHANTRESS provided escort on the 25th. DD MACKAY provided escort from 25 to 27 May. Sloop LEITH provided escort from 25 to 28 May and then was detached to the inbound HG.32F. DD WATCHMAN joined on the 28th and escorted the convoy to Gib, where it arrived on the 30th.


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## parsifal (May 25, 2015)

*25 May 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS[CONT'D]*
*Channel*
DD GREYHOUND was ordered to patrol between Dover and Calais and await orders. GREYHOUND and sister-ship GRAFTON suffered damage to their directors from LW near misses. Later, GREYHOUND bombarded the Calais suburb of St Pierre, but a German 3" bty east of Sangetti hit her once. 1 man was killed and 3 were injured. Both DDs returned to Dover before midnight. CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA arrived at Sheerness. Early on the 25th, DD WOLFHOUND, after bombarding German targets off Calais, arrived at Calais to disembark ammunition for the British troops. Also aboard was Vice Admiral Somerville which had come to Calais to inform Brigadier Nicholson that there would be no evacuation from Calais. Late on the 25th, DDs VERITY and WINDSOR escorted the 6 MSWs, trawlers, yachts clearing the evacuation route to Calais. Captain Armed Patrol Boats was also in the area with six drifters. While at sea, the ships were ordered that the evac was cancelled and the DDs covered the MSWs' retirement. The ships returned to Dover and Harwich by dawn in the absence of orders. DD JACKAL that morning in predawn attacked a sub contact, and DDs GALLANT, JAGUAR, JAVELIN joined in the search for U.9, but without success. The sub escaped. MTB.22 from Harwich joined MTB.25 off Dover, then both proceeded to Dunkirk. The boats brought back 30 members of the Belgian govt. On arrival back at Dover, MTB.25 proceeded to Harwich.

*UK-France*
SA.42 arrived at St Malo from Southampton.


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## parsifal (May 25, 2015)

*25 May 1940 - RAF Operations* 
1 sqn (Hurri)
Two patrols of 5 a/c covered the line Bergeres to Brienne from 05.50 hours to 08.50 hours, and Le Chateau from 10.00 to 11.00 hours and saw nothing. A protection patrol for a french reconnaissance aircraft was carried out from 15.00 hours to 15.25 hours on the line Chauny-Laon at 16,000 feet, wich was as high as cloud would permit, no enemy a/c were seen, but 3 a/c were hit by very accurate A/A fire, which was continuous during the whole patrol. F/O Thom was seen to break away from the formation with smoke or petrol pouring from his aircraft, and he was last seen heading North into german occupied territory, where he was captured and spent the war as a PoW. Two other aircraft were holed by fragments of schrapnel. The patrol had been ordered for 45 mins. But after 25 mins. two of the formation, those who had been doing the 'cross-over' were on reserve, and the Flight was brought back to its base.

2 Sqn (Lysander)
Lysander KO-E returned damaged by AA fire over Béthune, 07.45 hrs. P/O (Pilot) E.N. Baker and LAC (Air Gunner) Galloway unhurt. Aircraft repairable Lysander KO-E returned slightly damaged by AA fire near Béthune, 11.30 hrs. F/O (Pilot) E.J.M. Lang and LAC C.W. Evans unhurt. 

P/O (Pilot) Scotter and Leading Aircrafman (Air Gunner) C.W. Evans in KO-X were set on by fifteen Me 109's near Boulogne, but managed to escape and force-landed at Hawkinge at 17.40 hrs with considerable cannon fire damage to the cockpit, undercarriage, fuel tank and port wing. Aircraft repairable. 

13 sqn (Lysander)
Corporal Stanley Mills, RAF 570908, 13 Sqdn., age 20, 25/06/1940, missing
Likely to be a ground crew member of the sqn. Date of missing actually unknown; 25/06/1940 was used as a kind of 'sweep up' date for all missing personnel. 
He could have died during the final evacuation of France, in Operation Aerial.

15 sqn (Blen) Battle area, BEF - 1 plane lost; 3 KIA, Airborne 1027 from Wyton. Shot down near St-Inglevert (Pas-de- Calais), midway on the main road between Calais and Marquise, France. 

17 sqn (Hurri) Harold 'Birdie' Bird-Wilson damaged a Ju 87.

18 sqn (Blen) 1 plane lost; 2 KIA, 1 POW , undertaking a Recon Airborne from Watton. Cause of loss not established. Crashed in the vicinity of Abbeville

21 sqn (Blen) 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA, 1 POW . Ordered to attack the strategic Bridge crossing at Lys. Cause of loss not known. POW did not survive the war

40 sqn 
Rety 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA, 1 POW, Airborne 1027 from Wyton to attack targets along the line Rety- Fienmnes-Guines. Shot down near Rety (Pas-de-Calais), 5 km ESE of Marquise,

49 sqn (Hurri)
1 Plane lost, 2 KIA, 2 MIA. Operation details not available

54 sqn (Spit) 
Missing from escorting Swordfish to Gravelines. 54 Sqn lost 3 Spits this day: N3096, N3103, N3188. The pilots of 2 were P/O JL ALLEN (rescued) and F/Lt DG GRIBBLE (safe, returned UK by ship). 1 plt MIA. 

However P/O Gray shared in the destruction of another Me110 whilst escorting Allied bombers (Swordfishes) over Gravelines, but his Spit was badly damaged by fire both from enemy a/c and the ground. Deere had a similar experience while escorting ammunition ships into Dunkirk. His section of Spits were engaging 21 Me 110s and in the resulting melee he had his port wing partly shot away, whilst bringing down 2 110s. He afterwards reported tersely: “We saw enemy bombers attacking DDs off Calais. On going into attack, we were in turn set upon by Me 110s. Shot 1 down in flames after three bursts but immediately became sandwiched between 2 more, experiencing considerable fire. Steep turned and got on the tail of one of them and after 3 short bursts, both his engines commenced smoking and, losing height rapidly, he prepared to land north of Calais.' These were confirmed losses

103 sqn (Battle)
Abbeville, 1 a/c lost, crew safe
3 a/c took off before noon to attack an enemy column near Abbeville. It was not found but the a/c of Sgt Beardsley suffered engine failure and he crash-landed in a forward area. He rejoined the Sqn with his gunner, LAC G F Lewis, 2 days later having walked 27 miles and then hitched a lift on a motor cycle and side car. This was the 2nd time in 11 days these 2 airmen had been shot down and managed to get back to the Sqn.


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## parsifal (May 25, 2015)

*25 May 1940 - The BEF*
Calais 

At sunrise on the 25th there was vicious and intense fighting occurring in the approaches. Halt orders or not, this had virtually no effect, as the lead ele3ments of the German spearheads pushed on doggedly. There were strong enemy attacks mounted all along the Rifle Bdes frontage, from the sth of the perimeter, accompanied by a fierce artillery barrage. This was no “reconnaissance” it was a full assault of the allied positions. The Bde had a handful of ACs, Carriers and Lt Tks to support the infantry as most of 3 RTRs tanks had been destroyed , mostly by own foces when the evacuation order had been issued the previous day. Nicholson is rumoured to have muttered”what those tanks might have achieved does not bear contemplating”. 

The main assault delivered by the German Infantry was met with withering fire and was repulsed after suffering very heavy losses. The QVR were probably the finest marksmen in the British Army. For about 4 hours the enemy kept up the pressure, and with ammunition running short, the defenders began to yield ground. The Brigades line was pierced in several places, forcing the Bde to pull back to a reserve defensive position between the two dock basins. in the afternoon fighting ceased briefly while Schaal (10 Paz XX CO sent several demands for surrender, one of which was carried by the Mayor of Calais who feared for the safety of the citizens under the bombardment. These offers were refused. When the attack was renewed, the 60th Rifles held their lines, but the Rifle Brigade were forced back towards a large cellulose factory near the port. During the preceding night and the day, some drifters, yachts and other small craft had taken wounded from the harbour. No order to evacuate 30th Brigade was issued. 

At 9pm, after dinner, Churchill, Eden and Ironside finally decided not to evacuate the troops at Calais at all. Churchill recorded feeling physically sick after making this decision, one of his first really hard decisions. The following signal was sent to Nicholson that night, although it is not certain that he ever received it. 
“Every hour you continue to exist is of the greatest help to the B.E.F. Government has therefore decided you must continue to fight. Have greatest possible admiration for your splendid stand. Evacuation will not (repeat not) take place, and craft required for above purposes are to return to Dover. Verity and Windsor to cover Commander Mine-sweeping and his retirement. Despite this final decision, Admiral Ramsey decided to make a small fleet available in case the circumstances changed again. On the night of 25-26 May a flotilla of small ships made their way into the harbour, rescuing the wounded and the survivors of the Royal Marine detachment sent to protect the naval demolition crews.

Between this decision and final surrender of the port came one more day of fighting.

Dunkirk 
On 25th May there is a French counter-attack launched at 09h00 in the Saint-Georges area (north of Watten). It is led by commandant Miquel with the II/137e RI supported by 5 Hotchkiss H35 tanks. Despite the German artillery barrage and the attack of about 40 German aircrafts, the French troops advance, proceeded by the bombardment of the 5th battery of the 35e RA. At 12h00 the German troops of the "Grossdeutschland" regiment in Saint-Georges are forced to retreat and the town is taken. A new defensive line is deployed on the heights (on the railway) with communications with French troops on the left (I/137e RI in Bourbourg) and on the right (I/48e RI).

After the failure in front of Gravelines, the Germans attack now the area of Watten. The hill, the town itself and the woods south of Watten are heavily bombarded by the German artillery. At 16h00 the assault is led by the LSSAH regiment towards the south and the east of Watten, infiltrating in the Ham woods (south of Watten). The allies are encircled in Watten and fight for each house. Only the elements of the 59e GRDI, which are motorized, manage to break the encirclement but Capitaine Lemaire is heavily wounded.

The 21/110 in the woods of Ham is pulled back in the woods. Supported by reinforcements from the 59e GRDI coming from Lederzeele and thanks to the French artillery, the German advance is stopped. At the night the Germans have established a bridgehead east of the Aa canal and control Watten hill.

Allied Decisions and Direction 
On the 25th, there was a meeting of the French war cabinet, in which much of the discussion centred not on the plight of the armies now encircled in the pocket but on the future conduct of the war after the inevitable sothern thrust by the germans. Weygand advised Renaud that has had discussed various options with Gen Georges, including a retreat sth of the Seine (and abandoning the Maginot position). Other options were discussed, but for the first time there were serious and extended discussions of reaching peace terms. The French automatically assumed the British would also follow suit if the French took the initiative to surrender. Weygand insited the British should be consulted immediately, But Petain, a man untarnished by the defeats and unfolding disaster overtaking France, had no obligation to a nation that had only contributed 10 divs to the campaign.

Immediately following there was a meeting between Reynaud and other memebers of his cabinet, and Churchill , Halifax, Eden , Chamberlain and Attlee. At that meeting the british delegation was informed that all hope of a French led relief was to be killed off. The French talked at some length of the need or possibility foir them to negotiate a separate peace. Churchill informed the French that British policy was to continue the fight regardless, and that the priority now would be to evacuate the BEF. The meeting as one would expected, was an unhappy one, particularly for the French. 

At the same time, within the pocket, there were meetings between Blanchard (the new Army Gp CO) and Gort. It was from these meetings 25 and 26yj may that the final decisions to initiate the evacuation took place. Blanchard insisted that the current deployments being undertaken were to form what he called “a bridgehead covering Dunkirk in depth”, to be undertaken with no thought of abandonment of the Dunkirk cauldron. Blanshards deployments were designed to pull the British and French Armies back to River Lys , with both armies pulling back to the Deule by the 27th and completing the remainder of the withdrawal 24 hrs later. The tottering Belgian army was to make “all possible effort” while this withdrawal was in progress. Gort agreed in principle, however he was soon to be provided with information that changed the situation.

When Gort returned to his HQ, he was handed a telegram from Anthony Eden. It informed him that there was now no possibility of a French relief effort from the south and went on: “Should thid prove to be the case you will b e faced with a situation in which the safety of of the BEF will be predominant. In such conditions your only course open to you may be to fight your way back west where all beaches and ports east of gravelines will be used for embarkation. RN will provide a fleet of ships and small boats and RAF wil give full support. As withdrawal may have to begin very early, plans should be urgently prepared”. Whitehall had finally caught up to the reality they faced. 

The tone of Gorts reply was pessimistic. “I must not conceal from you “ he cabled ”that a great part of the BEF and its equipment will be lost”. 

After the meeting with the French, Churchill instructed Eden to send another message to Gort confirming the call to move to the coast in preparation for evacuation.


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## Njaco (May 25, 2015)

*May 26 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT: * Adolf Hitler rescinded the order to halt the offensive near Dunkerque. Army headquarters directs panzers to move south to attack across the Somme River. BEF’s retreat around Lille, France, leaves a gap in the Allied lines exposing the French left flank and Belgian right flank to the Walther von Reichenau's 6.Armee. The Belgians fall back to the River Leie. The French 1st Army is essentially encircled.

200 German bombers and artillery pound the Citadel at Calais and German troops cross the canals forming the last Allied defensive line. At 1600 hours, Brigadier Claude Nicholson surrenders at the Citadel. British losses are 300 killed, 200 wounded evacuated by boat and 3500 taken prisoner. Thousands of French and Belgian troops are captured. German losses are 750-800 killed or wounded. 

The position of the Belgian army is becoming increasingly grave. It is clear that it is unable to stay in the fight for much longer. The British forces are beginning to fall back on Dunkirk and in the evening the order is issued to begin ‘Operation Dynamo’, the evacuation from Dunkirk. Admiral Ramsay, who commands the Royal Navy forces based at Dover, is appointed to command the operation. The scope of the operation is not made clear to the local French commanders at first and they feel, with some justice, that they are being abandoned. At Dunkerque, British Expeditionary Force commanding General Lord Gort received the formal authorization for a withdraw. Operation Dynamo, the code name of the massive evacuation, was headed by British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey. RAF Vice-Marshal Keith Park assigns 16 squadrons of No. 11 Group to protect the port. Meanwhile, 

General Maxime Weygand issued his Ordre Général d'Operation No. 1184 3/FT:


> "The battle on which the fate of the country depends will be fought without any idea of retreat, on the line which we hold today."



Major Gentzen of I./ZG 2 and Experte of the Polish campaign, is killed during an Alarm Start for an RAF raid on his air base at Neufchateau. While taking off, his Bf 110 clips trees and crashes. Due to the suddenness of the attack, Major Gentzen had forgotten to strap into his cockpit. 

The Bf 109’s of JG 27, in three Gruppen strength, escort Stuka dive-bombers of StG 77 and clash with British Spitfires over the Dunkirk beaches. The Messerschmitts of 2./JG 2 also escorting Stukas over Dunkirk, tangle with twenty Spitfires from RAF Nos. 19 and 65 Squadrons. The Staffel shoots down five of the British single-seat fighters. Major Hanns Trübenbach, Kommodore of JG 52 scores his first kill, a French Curtiss Hawk 75. Hptm. Balthasar of 1./JG 1 shoots down two more Spitfires of RAF No. 19 Squadron over Calais.

.



.


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## Njaco (May 26, 2015)

*May 26 Sunday* (_continued_)
*GERMANY:* Wilhelm Keitel issues an order for the German Air Force to attack British food supplies, public services, and aircraft industry.

U-13 and U-48 leave dock at Kiel to join the growing fleet attacking Allied shipping around the British Isles.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German Ju 88 aircraft attacked and sank British anti-aircraft cruiser HMS “_Curlew_” off Narvik, Norway, killing 9. HMS “_Curlew_” was equipped with the only early warning radar set, depriving the Allies of early warnings of incoming aircraft.

An He 111 of 1(F)./122 was dispatched on a reconnaissance mission to Bodǿ and was attacked by F/L Hull in one of the newly arrived Gladiators that was patrolling over Saitefjord. The He 111 crashed south of Mo.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain, Empire Day was declared as a national day of prayer.

In the United Kingdom, General Sir John Dill became Chief of the Imperial General Staff and Sir Edmund Ironside became Commander-in-Chief of Home Defense. United Kingdom government also declared the coastal regions from Folkestone to Great Yarmouth designated evacuation areas.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Benito Mussolini informed the Chief of Supreme Staff, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, and Governor of Libya, Marshal Italo Balbo, that he had told Adolf Hitler of his intentions to declare war on England and France after 5 June. Badoglio was horrified and protested vehemently that crippling shortages of equipment in the Italian Army made a such a military adventure a very risky business.

.


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## parsifal (May 26, 2015)

*26 May 1940 *
*Losses*
*MV CERES (Fr 3079 grt) *The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the English Channel by the LW whilst enroute from from Rouen to Dunkerque.






*CLA CURLEW (RN 4190 grt) *en route to Skaanland, was badly damaged by air attacks by Ju88 a/c in Ofotfjord and run aground a total loss. 9 crewmen were killed. The survivors from CURLEW were ferried to DD BEAGLE which took them to Harstad.





*Aux MSW DIJONAIS (Fr 389 grt) * was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque by the LW.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Boom defense vessel LOCH SHIN (RN 255 grt)* was badly damaged by German bombing at Harstad. She was beached to try to prevent sinking, but capsized and sank in any case. 






*RFA OLEANDER (RN 6594 grt)*The tkr was bombed off Harstad and beached. She was scuttled on 8 June to prevent her capture by German forces. The tanker's crew of 39 crew were all rescued.






*MV SAINT CAMILE (Fr 3274 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Nth Sea off Dunkerque. 






*MV VANSO (Ex-Nor 55 grt)* The small motor transport, whilst transporting scrap from Stavanger to Oslo struck a mine laid by the Fr sub RUBIS and sank near Stavanger.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Dredger VOLKGRACHT IV (Be 300 grt) *The dredger struck a mine and sank in the Zeebrugge Canal

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-13, U-48

At Sea 26 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-13, U-26, U-28, U-37, U-43, U-48, U-56, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD KELVIN departed Rosyth escorting NGAKAO and ARBROATH to Scapa. FORESIGHT departed Scapa on the 27th to assist. DD FORESIGHT and the two ships arrived at Scapa on the 28th. DD KELVIN had lost touch in the fog and arrived off Scapa after the visibility improved on the 28th as well, but separate to the group. KELVIN was joined by DD ZULU at Hoxa Entrance to screen CA SUSSEX for HA firings. The DDs returned to the harbour entrance later that evening. DD IVANHOE was damaged alongside an oiler at the Humber. The damage did not prevent the DD from continuing her duties.

Sub TETRARCH arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Subs SUNFISH and SEALION departed Harwich to patrol in the vicinity of Brown Ridge to protect British forces from interference by DKM forces. Sub STURGEON left her patrol area to reinforce these deployments. Sub TAKU departed Rosyth on the 27th to take over sub STURGEON's billet. Sub SALMON searched for a downed air crew in her area in the Nth Sea, due to no surface vessels being available for the duty. 

There was some reorganization of the Submarine Flotillas. Fr subs CASABIANCA, SFAX, RUBIS were transferred to the SubFlot 10. 
Subs SEVERN and CLYDE were transferred to Subflot 3. Sub PORPOISE was transferred to Subflot 6. Subflot 9 command was suspended at this time. 

*Northern Waters*
CV GLORIOUS flew off Hurris of 46 Sqn ashore to the Harstad area for local defense duties. Late on the 26th, CL SOUTHAMPTON, CLAs COVENTRY and CAIRO, DDs FIREDRAKE, FAME, BEAGLE bombarded Narvik. CL SOUTHAMPTON was again splinter damaged by the near misses of LW LR bombers at Harstad. MSWs HEBE and SHARPSHOOTER of the MSW sqn 1 departed Scapa for Dover to replace damaged units in the MSW sqn 6.

FN.181 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 28th. MT.74 departed Methil, escort DD VANSITTART. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.180 departed the Tyne, escort DD VANSITTART. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th.

*West Coast UK*
DD ESCORT departed Greenock for Plymouth.

*Channel*
CL GALATEA screened by DD GRAFTON departed Sheerness and bombarded German targets at Calais from 0700 to 1000. DDs WOLSEY and WOLFHOUND bombarded Calais as well. CL ARETHUSA departed Sheerness that afternoon. Screened by DD GRAFTON, the CL bombarded German targets later in the day until 2030 when poor visibility due to fog forced a halt to the bombardment. A Swordfish spotting for CL GALATEA was attacked by Me 109s. Two of the crew were unhurt but the 3rd member was thrown from the plane and lost during evasive manuevers. The a/c returned slightly damaged. 

MSW MARETTA was damaged by the near misses at Calais. The MSW was towed by Dover by MSW KINGSTON GALENA. DD WILD SWAN made 2 trips to Dunkirk escorting Steamers MAID OF ORLEANS and CANTERBURY from Dover to Dunkirk. WILD SWAN departed Dunkirk early on the 27th escorting MAID OF ORLEANS, CANTERBURY, MONA'S QUEEN to Dover and Fr steamer ROUEN leaving for Cherbourg. Returning to Dover, WILD SWAN was damaged by a near miss which damaged her screws. She proceeded to Tilbury for repairs from 29 May to 4 June. DD WOLSEY was sent to Dunkirk to act as a W/T link.

MSWs SKIPJACK and HALCYON arrived at Dover during the afternoon. They were the only operational units of MSW Flot 6 at this time, and were very busy countering the contant mine efforts now being implemented by the LW. MSWs HUSSAR and HARRIER were bomb damaged and MSW SPEEDWELL was out of service due to defects.

*Med- Biscay*
A fire broke out on the AMC ASTURIAS, on the 26th. The fire took 35 hrs to control by local fire authorities and parties from DDs VELOX and VIDETTE. AMC CHESHIRE departed Gib, escort DD KEPPEL. The cruiser patrolled off Vigo.

*Indian Ocean* 
With Italy entering the war at any time, ANZAC troop convoy US 3 was ordered to Capetown while still in the Indian Ocean, rather that risking a passage through the Red Sea. On 20 May, RAN CA CANBERRA of the US 3 escort was relieved by CA SHROPSHIRE.
CANBERRA returned to Australia. On the 26th, the convoy and her escorts arrived at Capetown. On the 31st, convoy US 3, less troopship EMPRESS OF JAPAN (26,032grt), departed Capetown with CAs SHROPSHIRE and CUMBERLAND for Freetown arriving on 7 June.


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## parsifal (May 26, 2015)

*26 May - RAF Operations*
1 sqn (Hurri)
A Hurri was lost with the pilot wounded over Orchamps and force-landed near Nancy. A/C lost, pilot wounded, but returned. 

16 sqn(Lysander)
?, UK. 1 Plane lost (?), 1 KIA, attacked in a friendly fire incident. Took off from Lympne. Attacked by P/O Stephen, F/Sgt Mayne and p/O Cobden of No. 74 Sqn between Bourbourg and Bergues. Crash-landed on return 19.45 hrs. Aircraft damage state not recorded. 1 crewman KIA.

17 sqn (Hurri) Harold 'Birdie' Bird-Wilson shared a Ju 88 destroyed when patrolling the Dunkirk area. Whilst engaging as part of Patrol ops, 2 Planes lost, 2 MIA 

22 sqn (Bft) Gardening (Minelaying). 1 Plane lost, 4 MIA, Took off 25/05/1940 23.00 hrs from Nth Coates. Lost without trace into the Nth Sea, off Heligoland,

37 sqn (Wellington)
Communications 1 Plane lost, 3 MIA. Airborne from Feltwell to attack enemy lines of communications between Courtrai and Brussels. Force-landed near Ostend (West Vlaanderen), Belgium. It is likely the entire crew survived, though S/L Glencross is known to have drowned when the 'SS Abukir' was sunk 28May40. P/O Cameron and Sgt Parkhouse probably lost their lives while being evacuated 26May40, while LAC Dear and AC1 Stanhope are assumed to have reached safety.

53 sqn (Blen)
Mission details unknown, 1 Plane lost, 3 KIA

59 sqn (Blen)
1 or 2 planes lost, 3 KIA, details of a/c lost not given. It is not known if the the 3 KIAs are in the same a/c. 

65 sqn (Spit)
Dunkirk, 1 Plane lost, 1 KIA, Shot down by British AA fire

73 sqn (Hurri)
Plane lost, 1 KIA, no other details

10, 51, 77, 102 Sqn (Whitley) + others
103 aircraft (38 Wellingtons, 36 Whitleys, 29 Hampdens) raid communications and troops over large area of front line. 2 Hampdens, 1 Wellington, 1 Whitley lost.

Bombing - road/rail communications at Bapaume and oil targets Ruhr. 10 Sqn. 11 a/c. All bombed. 51 Sqn. 10 a/c. 9 bombed. 77 Sqn. 8 a/c, 7 bombed. All experienced moderate to severe opposition. 102 Sqn. 7 a/c, all bombed. One damaged by Flak and one crashed on return [?].

103 sqn (Battle)
Roumont, 3 a/c lost, 2 KIA, 1 POW
4 Battles led by F/O J R Havers took off at 1000 to attack Chateau Roumont near Oschamps airfield with ftr escort. Intel had discovered that there was to be a meeting of 20 senior LW officers at the Chateau that day. It was an ill considered attack, and once again failed to take into accouint the severe weaknesses of the Battle when operated in this way. 2 a/c were lost to flak and 1 crashed on return.

87 sqn (Hurri)
Interception, near Dunkirk 2 Do17 1 Me 110 destroyed, 1 Hurri damaged, returned to England


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## parsifal (May 26, 2015)

*26 May - The BEF*

Calais 





_Calais approaches_

_"A hot day the 25 May; there is heavy fighting for every inch of ground. The Citadel of Calais must be ripe for the assault. Shell after shell roars out of the German barrels towards the bunkers and heavy fortifications. Heavy tank hunters, engineers with rafts, assault engineers, field howitzers and light AA for ground support of the rifle companies are drawn forwards. In the evening at 6:30pm a surprising hurricane of fire; hit after hit crashes high over the citadel and Fort Risban at the mouth of the harbour. The officers look to their watches: ten minutes, five, and then the firing stops! The sudden silence is very impressive. It is 7:40pm. The storm troops advance with much doggedness. The guns fire in open positions. The heavy and light tank hunters and the 2cm AA guns send shell after shell out of the quick firing barrels. The infantry support guns and the trench mortars are thumping. Riflemen and engineers jump forward; the machine gunners hammer as if crazy. All men are fiercely determined. Comrades fell, were wounded, and others jump forward. There is only a slow advance. The adversary defends himself with the courage of despair. From all sides the German storm troops were fiercely fired upon. But they advance. They open passages in the west of the town by force, step by step_."

- Hubert Borchert, 10th Panzer Division.

At 5:00am on the 26 May the 10th Panzer Division renewed their assault with a massive artillery and air bombardment. From 7:00am wave after wave of Stuka dive bombers joined in, turning the shattered old town into an inferno. At 9:15am the infantry assault commenced. In the face of desperate resistance, the barricades over some of the bridges were cleared, and panzers entered the old town. This rendered the British defence hopeless, as the tanks were able to blast apart each house that showed resistance. 

At 1500 a German junior officer approached the British positions, accompanied by a french and Belgian officer that had been captured or deserted. The german demanded the garrisons surrender, failing which the city would be levelled, the defenders and the population executed. It was a familiar ring to German methods. 

Brigadier Nicholosns reply (which was recorded in 10Pz Divs war diary) surprised the Germans. He gave a short reply "_The answer is no as it is the British Army's duty to fight as well as it is the germans to continue_". Britains version of "Nuts!" Fighting continued around the citadel for almost another 2 hours. The city was levelled, but there were no reprisal killings. The fighting at Calais lasted for most of 26 May. A German attack in the morning failed, but in the afternoon the defenders began to run short of ammunition. The Germans was able to bring their medium tanks into the battle, and by 4 pm had captured the harbour area. This was followed at 5 pm by a successful infantry assault on the citadel, which saw Brigadier Nicholson captured.





_The citadel - linchpin in the Allied defences fell just before 5pm on the 26th after fierce fighting_

Even then the fighting did not end. British troops retreated into the Courgain, the fisherman’s quarter, and where they held on until 9 pm, when as darkness fell they were ordered to break up into small groups and make their own way out of the town. By now there was little chance, and the majority fell into German hands.

The last British ship to visit Calais was the yacht Gulzar. She entered the harbour just after midnight, remaining until 1.00am on 27 May. She eventually picked up a part of 50 men from the end of the breakwater, and then made her way back to safety in Britain.

_The Enemy fights with a hitherto unheard-of obstinacy. They are English, extremely brave and tenacious. They have at least one reinforced infantry regiment, armour supporting them and naval guns firing from ships in the Channel._” 

10th Panzer Division war diary. 

The surviving British and French defenders prepared their final positions, while the Germans opposite brought up artillery and AA guns into the front to blast the defenders from their positions. That night a few small boats managed to make it to Calais and withdraw some wounded and rear echelon personnel; but the port was now cut off.

_At 1730 city, citadel and harbour entrance in our hands. High spirits in this moment dominate in the command posts in the Theatre. Proudly we think of our brave stormtroopers… It was a hot bitter struggle to take this fortress, England's entrance to France. Even the unexpected obstinate defence of the Englishman proves to us that he knew the worth of Calais in all its importance, and therefore the loss of the town must be more grievously felt. Shortly afterwards we hear in the Supreme Command’s report the laconic statement ‘Calais captured’. Of the hard struggles which preceded the fall came nothing which could be known at home. Tenaciously the fort had been defended – even more tenaciously our Rifle Regiments had fought… determined o gain their end. So many heroes after the hard fight are now covered with cool earth… beside sedan and Somme now Calais too, was entered on the division’s page of glory_.”
- Von Oberst Fischer.






After the war, it has been pointed out that the Germans stopped the advance because of Hitler’s Halt Order of 24 May. There is no hint that the halt order had any effect from the diaries of the germans that actually fought to capture Calais. The extent to which Hitlers (or more correctly Rundstedts, since it originated from him) halt order affected actual combat is highly debateable, and at least along the southern flank of the perimeter, there was little or no evidence of any let up in operations. Along this southern flank there was no discernible let up in the pace or ferocity of combat at any time. Guderian claimed after the events it was the halt order that prevented Calais's early capture, and indeed the destruction of the whole Dunkirk position, but since 21 May at least, no such diminishment of effort against the British positions was at all evident. I believe Guderian was covering for what turned out to be a pivotal mistake in the campaign that was to have far reaching impacts on the war. Some have claimed that the the Greenjackets stand at Calais was a useless sacrifice, and it certainly was a high price to pay for two days. There will always be a difference of opinion on this issue, but I note or believe that it is significant that the original intent was for 10Pz to take Dunkirk, this was diverted initially because of Arras, and then because of the faltering effort of 1st Pz XX (due mostly to exhaustion), was changed to Calais. Without the stubborn resistance at Calais, it would have been possible for the capture of Calais to be completed by 1 Pz XX whilst 10th Pz pushed onto Dunkirk as had been planned. Given how close the fighting was for the resultant battles for the southern flank of the BEF, it may be that the absence of a a strong Calais defence may have seen the loss of the rest of the BEF.

One of those taken prisoner at Calais was Airey Neave, then a young troop commander in the 5th Searchlight Brigade of the Royal Artillery. Neave would later be the first successful British escapee from Colditz and return to Britain where he served in MI9, and postwar became a Conservative politician. The 60th Rifles and the Rifle Brigade were merged into the Royal Green Jackets in 1966. The Queen Victoria Rifles transformed into HQ Company 4th(V) Bn The Royal Green Jackets, becoming part of the London Regiment for a short period before finally becoming F Company 7 Rifles. The Royal Green Jackets were merged into The Rifles in 2007. Before reforming as The Rifles, The Royal Green Jackets bore the battle honour "Calais 1940" on their cap badge


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## Njaco (May 26, 2015)

*May 27 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* General Maxime Weygand and Premier Paul Reynaud in Paris receive warning from King Léopold of Belgium that his Army would soon be forced to capitulate. King Léopold decides to cease resistance to the German army. Belgian General Deroussaux approaches the German army under a flag of truce, to learn the terms of a cease-fire. Germany responded at 2200 hours, demanding an unconditional surrender. 

The German armor resumes its attacks, trying to cut off the British and French forces around Lille. British and French fall back towards the coast, pressured by Panzer divisions (released from Hitler’s stop order) and bombed by Luftwaffe at Poperinge. The Allies retreat four miles and place Dunkirk within artillery range. French retreated from Valenciennes after a heavy attack. 4 British divisions under General Alan Brook hold the Ypres-Comines canal (Battle of Wytschaete). British troops attacked German motorized troops heading toward Calais in Aire. The British withdrawal uncovers the Belgian right flank and allows Reichenau's 6.Armee to storm through. There is also trouble nearer the coast where the Belgian resistance is becoming increasingly weak. In the Dunkirk evacuation only a little is achieved with less than 8000 men being landed in Britain.

In the first full day of evacuation for the British trapped on the beaches the Luftwaffe lose twenty-four of 225 bombers dispatched to Dunkirk. But the bombers of the German air force along with the escorting fighters, strafe and destroy the docks, town and oil storage tanks west of the harbour, setting everything ablaze and lighting up the dawn. Paul Temme, after strafing the beach at 300 feet flying a Bf 109, stated;


> “I hated Dunkirk. It was just unadulterated killing.”


 But the British, able to fly from nearby bases in southern England, harass the German formations, causing Stuka pilot Rudolf Braun to comment;


> “This was our first taste of real war.”



Lt. Herbert Wasserzier of 2./JG 1 crashes into a pillbox on the airfield of Cap d’Alprech, south of Boulogne and is taken prisoner. Hptm. Mölders continues his scoring tally by destroying two French Hawk 75s south of Amiens, his nineteenth and twentieth. He becomes the first German pilot to reach twenty kills for the Luftwaffe since World War I. Hptm. Mölders’ comrade at JG 53, Lt. Friedrich-Karl Müller of 8 Staffel, begins his victory tally with the destruction of a French Hawk 75.

Troops of the German 3rd SS Panzer Totenkopf Division, commanded by Hauptsturmführer Fritz Knöchlein, massacred 97 British prisoners of war by machine gun fire at the village of Le Paradis in France. Two survivors of the massacre would later provide testimony during the post-war war crimes trials against Knöchlein.

General Erwin Rommel was awarded the Knight Cross medal.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Allied assault on Narvik gets under way. The attacking troops are led by the French General Bethouart. At midnight, Béthouart led a force, supported by a bombardment from the Royal Navy, in an assault southwards across Rombaksfjord. At the same time, two Polish battalions attacked to the east from the south bank of the fjord. By late afternoon, the German garrison retreated inland and Béthouart's forces reached the outskirts of Narvik. He then stood aside to let the Norwegian 6th Division enter the town. When bad weather at the Bardufoss airfield grounds the Allied fighters, the attack is briefly held up because the ships providing bombardment support have to fight off the Stukas alone.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British General Edmund Ironside stepped down from the position of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.

The British sugar ration was reduced from 12 ounce to 8 ounce per person.

The British government abandoned the notion to introduce conscription to Northern Ireland.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Sheaf Mead_” 150 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain; 32 men were killed and 5 were rescued. U-37 also forced the Argentinian ship “_Uruguay_” to scuttle. 15 men became missing and presumed dead, and 13 were rescued.

*ASIA: *Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in three waves.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *A curfew is instituted in British territories of Gibraltar and Malta.

.



.



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## parsifal (May 27, 2015)

*27 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
TB T-4 1935 class





*Losses*
*MV SHEAF MEADE (UK 5008)* Crew: 37 (32 dead and 5 survivors) ; Cargo: Ballast : Route: Swansea - Philadelphia , Sunk in the SW approaches. At 15.51 the unescorted vessel was hit in the stern by one torp from U-37 and sank capsizing after a boiler explosion at 15.54 hours about 180 miles from Cape Finisterre. The Germans tried to questioning the survivors on a raft, but they did not answer the questions. The master, 30 crew members and one gunner were lost. Five crew members were picked up by FRANGOULA B GOULANDRIS and landed at Queenstown, Cork on 31 May. 





*MV URUGUAY (Arg 3425 grt)* Crew: 28 (15 dead and 13 survivors) ; Cargo: maize, wheat and flax ; Route: Rosario - Buenos Aires (26 Apr) - Lisbon - Limerick. Sunk in the SW Approaches. U-37 fired 1 G7a torp at the unescorted and neutral URUGUAY and missed. Only noticing the neutral markings after firing, the U-boat then surfaced and stopped the ship. The Germans examined the papers but found no signature on the sailing order, unknown to them the ship had been bound for Antwerp but due to the invasion of Belgium was ordered by radio message to Ireland. U-37 skipper found this suspicious and decided to sink the vessel in accordance with the prize rules The master and twelve crew members were picked up by the Spanish steam trawler Ramoncin and landed at Corunna, Spain. The other boat with 15 occupants was never found.





*Steamer ADEN (Fr 8033 grt) *was bombed and sunk at Dunkirk.





*MV CAP TAFELNAH (Fr 2366 grt)* The cargo ship was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque . Refloated on 13 May 1941, repaired and entered German service as CARL ARP. Seized again in 1945. 





*Aux MSW LA MAJO (Fr 47 grt)* was bombed and sunk at Dunkirk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Drifter OCEAN REWARD (UK 95 grt)* was sunk in a collision with Brit steamer ISLE OF THANET , just arriving from Dunkirk, off Dover. There were no survivors. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SEQUACITY (UK 870 grt) *was sunk by German shore guns 1.5 miles from nr 2 buoy to the east of Calais. All 13 crew were rescued by Brit steamer YEWDALE. YEWDALE was also damaged by enemy shore btys.





*Steamer WORTHTOWN (UK 868 grt)* was bombed and at Dunkirk. She was later salved and renamed ILSE SCHULTE by the Germans.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Trondheim: U-26 

Departures
Kiel: U-58
Wilhelmshaven: U-29 

At Sea 27 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-13, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA arrived at Sheerness. CLA CALCUTTA departed Harwich at dawn for the Downs. DDs JAGUAR, JAVELIN, GRENADE departed Harwich. CLs SHEFFIELD, MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM departed Rosyth at dawn and arrived at the Humber to reinforce the Nore cmd.

OA.156 departed Southend escort corvette PERIWINKLE from 27 to 29 May. MT.75 departed Methil, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.181 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th.

*Northern Waters*
DD ATHERSTONE was at Lerwick to provide local defense protection until shore btys were emplaced. DD ESKIMO was towed by repair ship VINDICTIVE from Skelfjord to Harstad arriving on the 17th. DD ESKIMO departed Harstad on the 27th under the tow of tug BANDIT and escorted by sloop FLEETWOOD. Steamer DEVON CITY , cable ship LASSO, captured steamer ALSTER accompanied this force. DD AMAZON joined this group on the 30th. DD VOLUNTEER left her convoy of troopships BATORY and SOBIESKI, en route to Harstad, to join the ESKIMO group on the 30th. Sloop FLEETWOOD was relieved on the 31st by DD WREN, which departed Scapa on the 31st, FLEETWOOD arrived in Scapa on 1 June. Boom carrier DEVON CITY arrived at Scapa on the 31st Steamer ALSTER arrived with her prize crew at Scapa Flow at 2200/31st with passengers embarked of 27 officers and 182 other ranks, 9 officers and 37 other ranks of Norwegian, and 72 german PoWs. DDr ESKIMO on 1 June was ordered to proceed directly to Barrow and Furness.
Steamer ALSTER arrived at Rosyth 4 June along with ESKIMO. DDs WREN and VOLUNTEER returned to the Clyde after the escort duty. They arrived on 4 June. DD ESKIMO was under repair until late September 1940. DD ELECTRA departed Greenock for Scapa after repairs. En route, ELECTRA investigated two suspicious vessels, one in Loch Indaal and one SW of Ame Island, Islay, but nothing was found. Sub TRUANT arrived at Harstad.

French submarine RUBIS, which departed Dundee on the 23rd, laid minefield FD.15 at 0435 near Haugesand at Bleivik. A number of Axis controlled vessels were lost on this minefield until late August. Rubis returned to the UK on the 30th. RN oiler OIL PIONEER and steamer CORMINSTER arrived at Harstad from Scapa. ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND departed Scapa escorting oiler OIL RELIANCE to Methil. With this trawler's departure, no ASW trawlers remained at Scapa. Steamer DALLINGTON COURT departed the Clyde, unescorted, for Vaagsfjord. A Floating dock, in tow of tug WATERMEYER escort ASW trawlers LE TIGER, LOCH OSKAIG, WISTARIA, departed Leith for the Sullom Voe seaplane base. They all arrived safely on the 30th.

Capture of Narvik
Despite having decided to abandon Northern Norway, on General Juins suggestion that it assist in the withdrawal to actually take Narvik, the final assaults and amphibious actions went ahead. The final assault on Narvik began at 2340 27 May. DDs HAVELOCK, BEAGLE, FAME, WALKER, WHIRLWIND operated in Rombaksfjord on fire supporty. CLAs CAIRO ((with the Flag Lord Cork) and COVENTRY with DD FIREDRAKE were in Ofotfjord. CL SOUTHAMPTON was in position to bring spt to the Ankenes peninsula and sloop STORK protected the LCs of the operation. The LW reacted to the assault, and CAIRO was hit by 2 bombs and was badly damaged with 11 fatalities and 6 wounded, 1 subsequently dow. 1 bomb struck abaft B.position, penetrated the deck, exploded among the supply party the ship was carrying. The 2nd bomb hit the starboard. 5" anti-aircraft gun mounting. CL SOUTHAMPTON was near missed and had 2 ratings killed by bomb splinters. Captain F. H.W. Jeans was wounded. Damage to the SOUTHAMPTON required 10 days to repair by local facilities. CLA COVENTRY was near missed and sustained 1 sailor killed by splinters. DDs HAVELOCK, WALKER, WHIRLWIND all sustained minor damage from near misses. DD WALKER's damage required 10 days to repair once she returned to England. HAVELOCK and WHIRLWIND had no time out of service. At 0630, Lord Cork withdrew with his force seaward leaving CLA COVENTRY and DDs BEAGLE and FIREDRAKE to support the troops. DDs DELIGHT and ECHO joined COVENTRY later in the day. CAIRO departed Harstad with the survivors from CURLEW and arrived at Scapa on the 30th. Cruiser CAIRO departed Scapa Flow on the 31st for the Tyne for repairs completed on 7 August. On 12 August, CAIRO was back in service. CAIRO between 11 May and 28 May in operations near Narvik had fired 5700 rounds of Hvy AA. Several of her guns, the rifling in the barrels worn smooth, were out of action. At 2200 on the 28th, Narvik was announced captured by Anglo-French forces despite ferocious resistance on land and in the air by the Germans.




_Gebirgsjager wearing the Narvik campaign patch. Though forced out of Narvik in the fighting of 27-28 May, these troops did not surrender and fought with great tenacity and heroism_

*West Coast UK*
BC HOOD completed her refit and set course for Liverpool from Devonport, escort DDs ESCORT, WITCH, WOLVERINE for Liverpool where they arrived on the 28th. 4 Fr troopships departed the Clyde escort DDs HAVANT, SALADIN, VISCOUNT and Fr DD MILAN for Cherbourg and St Nazaire. SALADIN was detached during the afternoon on the 28th. DD HAVANT was reassigned to the Western Approaches Command after the escort. VISCOUNT arrived in the Clyde on the 30th after the escort. She then returned to Scapa.

OB.156 departed Liverpool escort sloop FOLKESTONE from 27 to 30 May. The sloop was detached to convoy SL.32.

*Channel*
DD VERITY, escorting British steamers BIARRTIZ and ARCHANGEL to Dunkirk, was damaged by enemy shellfire near Calais and her CO and one other officer were seriously wounded. Gunboat LOCUST arrived at Sheerness from Portsmouth. CL CARDIFF departed Portland for Portsmouth for ops with CruSqn 2.

*Operation Dynamo*
Late on the 26th, the Admiralty ordered DYNAMO to commence. Major warships participating in the evacuation of allied troops from the Dunkirk area from 27 May to 4 June were as follows:

CLA CALCUTTA, Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs EPERVIER, LEOPARD. DDs ANTHONY, BASILISK, CODRINGTON, , ESK, EXPRESS, GALLANT, , GRAFTON, GRENADE, GREYHOUND, HARVESTER, HAVANT, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, INTREPID, IVANHOE, JAGUAR, JAVELIN, KEITH, MACKAY, MALCOLM, MONTROSE, SABRE, SALADIN, SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, VANQUISHER, VENOMOUS, VERITY, VIMY, VIVACIOUS, WAKEFUL, WHITEHALL, WHITSHED, WILD SWAN, WINCHELSEA, WINDSOR, WOLFHOUND, WOLSEY, WORCESTER. ORP DD BLYSKAWICA, French DDs – BOURRASQUE, CYCLONE, FOUDROYANT, MISTRAL, SIROCCO.

French TBs BOUCLIER, BRANLEBAS, FLORE, L'INCOMPRISE.

Sloop BIDEFORD, PCs GUILLEMOT, KINGFISHER, MALLARD, SHEARWATER, SHELDRAKE, WIDGEON. French sloops AMIENS, ARRAS, , BELFORT, LA BOUDEUSE, COMMANDANT DELAGE, COMMANDANT RIVIERE, DILIGENTE, L'IMPETUEUSE.


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## parsifal (May 27, 2015)

*27 May 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Operation Dynamo (Cont'd)*
RN Gunboats LOCUST, MOSQUITO. MSWs ALBURY, BRIGHTON BELLE, BRIGHTON QUEEN, DEVONIA, DUCHESS OF FIFE, DUNDALK, EMPEROR OF INDIA, FITZROY, GLEN AVON, GLEN GOWER, GOSSAMER, GRACIE FIELDS, HALCYON, HEBE, KELLET, LEDA, LYDD, MARMION, MEDWAY QUEEN, NIGER, ORIOLE, PANGBOURNE, PLINLIMMON, PRINCESS ELIZABETH, QUEEN OF THANET, ROSS, SALAMANDER, SALTASH, SANDOWN, SHARPSHOOTER, SKIPJACK, SNAEFELL, SPEEDWELL, SUTTON, WAVERLEY, WESTWARD, WHIPPINGHAM. 

MTBs16, 22, 67, 68, 102, 107. MLs 100. MASB 5, 6, 7, 10. French motor torpedo boats - VTB.23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. SCs, CH.5, CH.6, CH.7, CH.11, 42, 106

Patrols were deployed in the sthn Nth Sea as follows just prior to DYNAMO's activation.

CL GALATEA and Nore DDs CODRINGTON, JAVELIN, JAGUAR were sth of Inner Gabbard and west of the Galloper to sth Falls Buoy. GALATEA departed Sheerness at daylight on the 27th, but was recalled. Sth Fairy Bank to Kwinte Buoy were Dover DDs GREYHOUND and GRAFTON off Yarmouth. On Stations OC.1 and OC.2 was Dover DD GRENADE.

Off the Nth Goodwins to T Buoy on the Wandelaar were DDs GALLANT, VIVACIOUS, BLYSKAWICA. At each end of the R, S, T Buoys were 2 ASW trawlers. MSWs SKIPJACK and HALCYON and Trinity House Vessel PATRICIA covered by DD IMPULSIVE swept the "X" route to DYNAMO. Cptn Tennant, who was to direct DYNAMO from France, arrived at Dunkirk on DD WOLFHOUND. Destroyer WOLFHOUND was to have been the communications link with Dover, but she was soon released to carry troops. DDs WOLSEY and WOLFHOUND escorted two trawlers back to Dover after embarking troops at Dunkirk. 

After embarking troops at Dunkirk, armed boarding vessel MONA'S ISLE was damaged by German bombing west of Dunkirk, between Gravelines and Les Hemmes. Armed boarding vessel MONA'S ISLE was towed by tugs LADY BRASSEY and SIMLA and escorted by destroyer WINDSOR to Dover. CLA CALCUTTA, DDs ANTHONY, GALLANT, IMPULSIVE, SABRE, VIVACIOUS, VIMY and 4 MSWs, also operated off Dunkirk on the 27th. DD WAKEFUL arrived at Dover from Plymouth and proceeded immediately to Dunkirk. CLA CALCUTTA operated off La Panne. DD IMPULSIVE had arrived at Dover for another purpose, but was diverted to DYNAMO ops.

By the end of 27 May, 7669 troops had been evacuated from Dunkirk.






*Western Approaches*
DDs WAKEFUL, MACKAY, WORCESTER, MONTROSE from the Western Approaches Command and DD SHIKARI and SCIMITAR from Portsmouth were ordered to Dover for DYNAMO ops.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr BBs PROVENCE and BRETAGNE, Contre Torpilleur DDs TIGRE and LYNX, DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS departed Mer el Kebir on patrol. Fr Contre Torpilleur DD FANTASQUE arrived at Oran from Lorient.


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## parsifal (May 27, 2015)

*27 May 1940 RAF Operations*
UNFINISHED
During the period 27 May to 3 June the Germans, according to their own records, lost 189 a/c, while British losses during the same period were 131 machines of which 99 were fighters.

16 sqn (Lysander)
Supply Drop, Calais 1 a/c lost, 2 WIA Badly damaged by Flak during supply drop at Calais. Crashed on return 05.45 hrs. A/c a write-off

26 sqn (Lysander)
Recce/Supply drops 3 a/c lost, 6 KIA, all shot down, 1 by enemy a/c over or near Calais

53 sqn (Whitley) 
1 a/c lost, 3 KIA No other details

54 sqn (spit)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, pilot injured but returned. Deere was leading his sqn on their 4th patrol of the day when they encountered 17 Dorniers, shooting down 2. In the engagement, return fire from one of these a/c hit the oil system of his Spit, and while Deere was half blinded by smoke from the burning oil his engine seized. He was then flying at barely 800 feet over the Belgian coast between Nieuport and Dunkirk, so he made for a stretch of beach along which his Spitfire slithered, finally coming to rest on its nose. Although injured in the head Deere scrambled out of his a/c, set it on fire, and began to make his way on foot towards Dunkirk. After a hazardous and eventful journey, partly made by converting abandoned cars to his own use, he finally reached that port and returned by ship to England.


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## parsifal (May 27, 2015)

*27 May 1940 - The BEF*
On the same day that the evacuation from Dunkirk finally got under way, the German advance finally brought the port within artillery range, and for the rest of the evacuation the town suffered from a constant heavy artillery bombardment. By now the Allies had defences in place around Dunkirk. One of the most important aspects of those defences were the inundations, which flooded large areas of the low lying ground around the port, acting as a very effective anti-tank ditch. Heavy fighting would follow, but the Germans had missed their best chance to cut the BEF off from the coast.

The BEF was still not safe. Rearguard elements of I and II Corps did not leave the frontier defences until the night on 27-28 May, and most of the BEF was still outside the Dunkirk perimeter at the end of the day. Worse was to come, for during the day the German Sixth Army reported that a Belgian delegation had arrived to request surrender negotiations.

Battles on the Aa Canal – Fr 1st army fights on alone

1st Army has two objectives at this point, cover the BEF withdrawal and get as many people as possible out of the developing pocket around Lille. Without the very effective defe3nce put up by 1st Army, the evacuation at Dunkirk would have ben far less effective. There is still some BEF units in the front line, and providing real and effective support to the French, but this was the hoiur for 1st Army. It was perhaps the finest defnce mounted by the French during the campaign 

On 27th May 1940 the German offensive continues. The whole artillery of the XIX.Armee-Korps (mot.) enters in action. Around 1200 the French position in Saint-Georges (II/137e RI) and Bourbourg (I/137e RI) are attacked by German infantry and tanks. At Saint-Georges the II/137e RI resists well, counter-attacks and takes some POWs. During the afternoon the 2 towns are massively bombarded.

The main German attack is directed sth of Bourbourg. At 1000, after a violent artillery preparation the GD regit, supported by tanks of the 1.PzD, assaults the III/137e RI deployed around Cappellebrouck and Pont-l'Abesse. The French troops resist and stay on their positions. At the beginning of the afternoon the German attack is renewed at the junction of the I/137e RI and the III/137e RI, between Bourbourg and Cappellebrouck. The German tanks break through the French lines then join the Cassel road and head sth, reaching the Haute-Colme canal at Looberghe.

At 1500 Cappellebrouck is encircled and is taken minutes later. III/137e RI retreats back to the canal in difficult conditions, having to fight while retreating but 3 German tanks are destroyed by a 25mm AT gun. Having reached the canal the French troops cross a wooden bridge and blow it.
The III/137e RI continues to retreat, still attacked by infiltrating German troops. At 1830, sth of Drincham, this unit is surrounded and finally surrenders..

The offensive is also intense more south : the XIV.AK (mot.) (with the 20.ID (mot.)), the LSSAH and the 6.PzD attack Cassel and Bergues on a 18km wide front, after a heavy artillery preparation. This sector is defended with :

1) on the right flank I/48e RI, III/310e RI (just arrived in the area after a forced march of 35km) (3 companies, north east of Bollezeele), II/65e RI (in the forest east of Watten) 

2) on the left flank : 21/129 in Nordpeene • 21/110 in Lederzeele The artillery in this area consists of the 4th bty of the 35e RA the 1/115e RA (105mm guns), 3/35e RA and 6/235e RA.

The sector is also supported by 2 Somua S35 tanks and 3 "R-35 tanks. The 59e GRDI is retreating from its previous position and elements are deploying in Lederzeele.

On the right flank, the II/65e RI is attacked at 6h30 on its front and flanks. Supported by the two Somua tanks the bn resists well but later, to avoid being encircled, it moves back in Merckeghem and the surrounding woods. Behind the II/65e RI, the I/48e RI improvises a new defensive line in Bollezeele beside the 6th company of the II/65e RI and 3 companies of VI/ 310e RI. The French units resist very well, blocking important German means during several hrs of intense combat. During the night they falter, and fall back even further to Eringhem and Zeggerscappel.

In the centre, the 21/110 receives the main shock at 0630 at Lederzeele but provides effective resistance with the help of a 75 mm bty. of the 35e RA and elements of the 59e GRDI. To avoid the encirclement, the bn withdraws in good order back on the Saint-Omer - Dunkirk axis. At 1200 it is at Broxeele and after several rearguards combats they reach Zegerscappel in the afternoon.

On the left flank, the 21/129 and elements of the British 44th ID, which are still more on the east are attacked by numerous German tanks at 0730. The allied lines are pierced in many areas. The bn retreats in Herzeele after high losses.

At the end of the afternoon the general retreat on the second defensive line from Drincham to Herzeele is achieved. The battle of the Aa is finished. The stiff resistance allowed the 68e DI to install good defensive positions on the rear. At 1800 the SFF (Secteur Fortifié des Flandres) which is in command of all the allied units in the area receives the order to break all the engagements in the line of the towns and to move all the units north of the Basse-Colme canal. This retreat is achieved during 27th - 28th May night, under the protection of the 137e RI

At the same time this battle was occurring along the Aa line, the BEF rearguards were fighting the Battle of the Ypres – Comines Canal line. 

The Germans started this battle with probing attacks on the afternoon of the 26th and launched a full-scale attack on the morning of May 27. By mid afternoon the British line had been forced back, with penetrations of over a mile in the south and north. From late afternoon onwards the BEF launched a series of counterattacks. Units involved included the 2nd Cameronians (13 Brigade) in the centre, and the 6th Black Watch, 13th/18th Royal Hussars and Royal Engineer units further sth. Later another counter-attack in the south was launched by the 2nd Nth Staffordshire Regt and the 3rd Grenadier Gds, borrowed by Brooke from 1st Div. As a result, the German attacks in the centre were halted while Ge 6 ID in the sth was driven back almost to the Canal. In the north, however, 18 If XX continued to advance on the sthn side of Ypres. On the 28th the German advance restarted, but made little progress in the centre and sth. Some further advances were made in the nth but Brooke had switched 10 Bde from 4th Div and it stabilised the front here. Throughout the battle the BEF artillery, which was mainly stationed on the Messines–Wytschaete Ridge, had done much to break up German attacks. There were the equivalent of 6 fld arty regiments and 5 med and hvy regits. Because of this the British probably had a larger artillery presence than the Germans. There seems little doubt that the successful British defence would not have been possible without this artillery support. 

During the night of May 27/28 most of the British forces south of the Lys—4 divs in all—crossed and made their way northwards. 5th and 50th Divs pulled out on the night of the 28/29 May.5th Div's stand had been critical in allowing a substantial part of the fighting strength of the BEF to reach Dunkirk. Although total British casualties (including captured) exceeded those of the Germans, the battle was an important tactical success for the BEF. Much of the success was the result of Alan Brooke's prompt actions. During the 27th he borrowed the Gds and Nth Staffordshires, who participated in the second counterattack in the sth, from 1st Div, and moved 10th Bde to reinforce the centre and nth.

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## Njaco (May 27, 2015)

*May 28 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *King Leopold III of Belgium surrenders the Belgian army unconditionally to German forces. He does not consult the Allies or the Belgian government and both hold him in strong contempt for his actions.

Before the Belgian capitulation becomes effective at 1100 hours, there is a desperately hurried redeployment of the British and French forces that prevents the Germans from reaching Nieuport, and from there the Dunkirk beaches. There is fierce fighting around Cassel and Poperinghe where Rundstedt's men again press forward. While heavy fighting rages around the perimeter, 11,874 Allied personnel were evacuated from Dunkerque harbor and 5,930 from the nearby beaches. The latter was possible due to the arrival of many small fishing boats and pleasure craft. The small boats are able to get into shallow water and ferry men out to the larger warships for the journey to England. The steamer “_Mona's Isle_” is the first ship to arrive at Dunkirk and evacuate troops even though she comes under fire from coastal battteries which inflict heavy casualties on board.

Seige of Lille. A corps of French 1st Army is holding out in Lille but they are now cut off from the main British and French forces in the evacuation area. 40,000 French soldiers, the remainder of the once-mighty First Army, are surrounded at Lille by 7 German divisions (3 armoured divisions, including Rommel’s). They will fight a delaying action until May 31, while the evacuation of Dunkirk proceeds. At Abbeville, the crew of French Char B1 Bis tank "Jeanne d'Arc" gallantly fought on against a German attack despite receiving 90 hits. 

Across the front lines, between eighty and ninety British prisoners of the 2nd Warwickshire Regiment, the Cheshire Regiment, and the Royal Artillery were murdered by members of No. 7 Company, 2nd Battalion SS Liebstandarte at Wormhoudt, France.

French 4th Armored Division forces the retreat of a German armored division at Caumont. This makes Commander Colonel Charles de Gaulle the first and only French Commanding Officer to force a German retreat during the invasion of France.

The Royal Air Force continues to do the utmost to relieve pressure by bombing behind German lines and on military targets in Germany itself. All 3 branches of the British air service attacked German positions on French and Belgian coasts. The pilots of I./JG 26 and III./JG 26 battle British Spitfires over the Dunkirk area, shooting down twelve of the RAF fighters. By the end of the day the three Gruppen of JG 26 can claim fifteen RAF fighters destroyed including the first kill for Konrad Jackel of 8./JG 26, a Hurricane over Ostende, Belgium as the RAF pilot was attacking his Gruppen-Adjutant, Hptm. Müncheberg. Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 6./JG 51 begins his scoring by downing a British Spitfire and a Hurricane over Dunkirk. The British Air Ministry announced that Royal Air Force fighters had the most success since the invasion of the Low Countries with 79 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed or damaged.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Allied forces consisted of British, French, Norwegian, and Polish troops attacked Narvik, Norway across the Rombaksfjord and by land starting at 0015 hours. French Foreign Legion comes ashore with 5 French light tanks at 15 hours. French General Béthouart leads a force from Bjerkvik on Narvik while Polish troops attack from south of the village. Naval bombardment of German positions begins at midnight, aided by the broad daylight at this latitude (it is dark at the same time at airfields further South, preventing Luftwaffe bombers taking off in response). German aircraft did not arrive until 0430 hours, but they were able to force the Allied fleet to withdraw after damaging cruiser HMS “_Cairo_” (killing 10 and wounding 7). At 1200 hours, British forces captured Narvik, Fagernes, and Forsneset. German troops withdrew to nearby hills.

An He 111 of 1(F)./122 (in conjunction with a Condor of 1./ KG 40) identified that a further British landing was about to take place at Ofotfjord. Two Dornier Do 26 flying boats were shot down by RAF Hurricanes of No. 46 Squadron.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank French liner “_Brazza_” 100 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain at 0924 hours, killing 79 crew and 300 passengers. 53 crew and 144 passengers were later rescued by French gunboat “_Enseigne Henry_” and British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Cheshire_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The National Defense Advisory Committee was established in the United States as a group of advisers for US President Roosevelt. Its membership included business and industry leaders such as William Knudsen, Edward Stettinius, and Sidney Hillman and academics such as economist Leon Henderson.

American ambassador to France, William Bullitt, sent a telegram to the United States asking President Roosevelt to dispatch a cruiser to Bordeaux, France to bring weapons for the French police to quell a feared "Communist uprising" and to embark French and Belgian gold reserves. Heavy cruiser USS “_Vincennes_” would sortie from Hampton Roads, Virginia, United States with destroyers USS “_Truxtun_” and USS “_Simpson_” in response to the ambassador's request.

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## parsifal (May 28, 2015)

*28/29 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Hunt Class Escort DD FERNIE - Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 9 (MA/SB 9)







_Following a brief working up at Portland, FERNIE was employed in the evac ops of the Fr nth coast._

*Losses*
The heavy losses sustained this day resulted in daylight operations restricted to naval vessels and the smaller vessels. The larger unarmed vessels were now limited to operating at night. Despite the very heavy losses sustained , on May 28th a total of 17,804 persons were evacuated from Dunkirk, 2/3 through the harbour area, the remainder from the beaches.

*ASW Trawler CALVI (RN 363 grt)* The naval trawler was bombed and sunk at Dunkerque with the loss of 3 crew. The survivors were rescued by Trawler HMS JOHN CATTLING.





Along the east mole, *DD GRENADE (RN 1370 grt)* was sunk at 1602 by Ju87s. 14 crewwman were killed immediately, and 4 others died of wounds, from the 146 man crew.. In this attack, DD JAGUAR, alongside GRENADE outboard, was badly damaged at the same time JAGUAR was hit by one bomb putting one boiler room out of action, her hull was holed, there was damage to oil tanks and her engine room. 13 crew were killed and a further 19 injured.The troops on JAGUAR were transferred to other ships. DD EXPRESS towed JAGUAR out into the channel where JAGUAR was able to raise steam and trtavel under her own power back to Dover on her own, but off Dover she was joined by tug SIMLA (144grt) which towed her into port. From there, JAGUAR departed Dover on the 31st escort DD GALLANT and was repaired at Immingham in 16.





*Aux MSW BRIGHTON BELLE (RN 396 grt)* of MSWFlot 10 was sunk in collision with a wreck in the Downs, near the Goodwin Knoll Buoy. The SW was taken in tow, but sank before she got to harbour. Her survivors were rescued by Aux MSW MEDWAY QUEEN.





*MSW trawler THOMAS BARTLETT (RN 290 grt)* was sweeping mines off Calais with 3 other MSWs, she struck a Mine at 1025 and sank off Calais with the loss of 8 crew. 





*ASW trawler THURINGIA (RN 550 grt)* of ASWGp 21 was sunk on a mine at 0600 in the Nth Sea. All but 4 crew were killed. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Personnel ship QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL (UK 1162 grt) *was sunk by divebombers after she had embarked 920 men at Dunkirk. She left Dunkirk at about 0400 headed for Dover. Shortly into the journey the ship came under attack. The bombs fell abaft of the main mast damaging the rudder, breaking the starboard propeller shaft and breaking the ship's back as it lifted out of the water. With the ship in deep trouble, the nearby coaster DOTTIEN ROSE and carrying military stores approached bow to bow and within 35 mins had taken off the troops from the sinking ship. Also taken in tow were 4 of the stricken vessel's lifeboats, though two would later come adrift. The Dorrien Rose would reach Dover at about 2pm with its valuable cargo. The damage sustained proved fatal and the ship sank There were no casualties on the ship QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL. DORRIEN ROSE was escorted back to Dover by DD GREYHOUND.





*Drifters BOY ROY (RN 95 grt)* and *PAXTON (RN 92 grt) *were damaged by German bombing and were run aground and abandoned at Dunkirk. There were no casualties on either drifter.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Aux AA ship CRESTED EAGLE (RN 1110 grt)* was sunk by the LW at 1850 at Dunkirk. Survivors were rescued by MSW PANGBOURNE. 3 men were wounded. 





*Steamer DOUAISIEN (Fr 2954 grt) *was bombed and badly damaged by the LW. 3 passengers were killed. The ship was sunk in further attacks on 1 June.





*Steamer FENELLA (UK 2376 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Dunkirk. The steamer was set on fire by the bombing and was abandoned. The steamer was observed sinking on the 30th. 15 lives were lost on the steamer.





*Aux MSW GRACIE FIELDS (RN 393 grt)* The paddle MSW of MSW Flot 10 was sunk by the LW at Dunkirk, 3 miles west of Middelkerk Buoy. 1 crewman was killed and 3 wounded. Survivors were picked up by MSW PANGBOURNE after an unsuccessful attempt to tow her out of the area. PANGBOURNE was also damaged by the LW at Dunkirk, 2 injured. The MSW was repaired at Grimsby in June.





*Aux MSW JOSEPH MARIE (Fr 41 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Dunkirk
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer CLAN MACALISTER (UK 6787 grt)* was set on fire by the LW at Dunkirk, off No. 6 Buoy, or the Dunkirk East Buoy. The steamer was abandoned. 18 lives were lost on the steamer. Survivors were picked up by DD MALCOLM and MSW PANGBOURNE.





HMS *LCA 4*, *LCA 16* and *LCA 18 *(all RN 13 grt) The LCAs were lost when CLAN MACISTER was sunk.





*Steamer LORINA (UK 1578 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Dunkirk Roads. 8 lives were lost on the steamer. 





*MV MARIE ROSE (Fr 2477)* The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 40 nautical miles (74 km) NW of Vigo, Spain by U-37 which at the same time badly damaged British steamer *TELENA (UK 7406 grt)*. There were 18 dead on steamer TELENA. The steamer was abandoned, but it was later towed to Vigo by Spain. Steamer TELENA was sold to Spain and on 7 October was renamed GERONA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MONIQUE SCHIAFFFINO (Fr 3236 grt)* and *Steamer MARS (Fr 721 grt)* were sunk by the LW. 




_A painting of the MONIQUE SCHIAFFFINO MARS under attack at Dunkirk_

*Ferry MONA'S QUEEN (UK 2756 grt)* was sunk by a mine off Dunkirk, 1.5 miles east of Dunkirk Pier Head. 26 people were killed. Survivors were rescued by DD VANQUISHER and taken to Dover.





*MSW trawler POLLY JOHNSON (RN 290 grt) *was badly damaged by German bombing off Dunkirk and later scuttled. 1 crew member was killed.





*Tug SAMSUN (Fr 95 grt)* The tug struck a mine in the Med and sank off the coast of Gard.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SAINT CLAIRE (Fr 3824 grt)* was bombed and sunk at Tjeldsundet.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SAINT OCTAVE (Fr 5099 grt)* was scuttled at Dunkirk, but was later salved by German forces and renamed ILSE FRITZEN for German service





*Aux PV Vp.1109 (DKM 291 grt)* was sunk on minefield FD.12 laid by submarine NARWHAL
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tugs VULCAIN (Be 200 grt)*, *MAX (Be 177 grt)* and *THAMES (Be 144 grt) *were sunk by the LW at Dunkirk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM schellboote S.25, S.30, S.34 departed Wilhelmshaven during the afternoon of 28 May to operate off Dunkirk. In the chaotic conditions off Dunkirk and belgiunm they were to enjoy great success. DDs CODRINGTON, GRENADE, JAVELIN, JAGUAR on patrol together in the Nth Sea were ordered to Dunkirk to pick up troops.
*Steamer ABUKIR (UK 694 grt)* departed Ostend on the 27th after evacuating Ostend. The steamer was sunk in by DKM S Boat S.34 at 0130 on the 28th. There was a crew of 21 and 210 passengers aboard at the time of her loss. 16 crew and 189 passengers were lost with the ship. CODRINGTON, JAGUAR, JAVELIN picked up her 33 survivors. 





DDs WAKEFUL and GRAFTON left the beaches at the same time after embarking troops at Dunkirk late on the 28th. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER at 0120 sth of Fairy Bank was attacked by 2 S Boats. Then, *DD WAKEFUL (RN 1100 grt) * was torpedoed and sunk in the Nth Sea by DKM S-30 with the loss of 724 of the 750 people aboard. The survivors were rescued by the drifters COMFORT and NAUTILIUS as well as DD GRAFTON and ASW Trawler GOSSAMER .





At 0205, a French patrol boat struck a wreck near Deal Bank Buoy. Drifter COMFORT was sent from Dover to locate and tow back the patrol boat. *Drifter COMFORT (RN 60 grt)* The Naval Drifter was fired on by DD GRAFTON and then rammed and sunk by HMS LEDD, the Drifter having been mistaken for an enemy S Boat. 4 crewman of the 6 aboard were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

At 0420 *DD GRAFTON (RN 1370 grt) *was torpedoed and badly damaged by U.62. The U Boat thought she had torpedoed a merchant ship. 16 members of the crew, incl the captain, were lost. At 0430, arriving DDs JAVELIN, ICARUS, VANQUISHER, INTREPID, IVANHOE encountered the GRAFTON wreck. INTREPID, after taking off the survivors, scuttled GRAFTON by firing three shells into the destroyer's hull. British steamer MALINES also rescued survivors from the stricken ship.




After the loss of GRAFTON, ships were ordered not to stop to assist a ship in distress.

*Drifter NAUTILUS (UK 64 grt)* The drifter was sunk in the North Sea off Dunkerque due to enemy action.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux MSW WAVERLEY (RN 537 grt)* of MSW Flot 12 was sunk at 1800 by the LW off Dunkirk. 360 crew and passengers were killed. Fr DD CYCLONE, Aux AA craft ship GOLDEN EAGLE, a tug, 2 drifters picked up the survivors.


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## parsifal (May 28, 2015)

*28/29 May 1940 (Part II) *
*UBOATS*
Departures
Trondheim: U-26

At Sea 29 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-13, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS (29 May)*
*North Sea*
DD VEGA was searching for a UBoat from daylight between Sth Falls and the Whistle Buoy (off the Belgian Coast). VEGA made an attack at 0707 on a U-Boat contact. This was the same general area as where DD WAKEFUL had been sunk. Simultaneously, again in the same area of sea, Sloop SHELDRAKE proceeded to the area of the Kwinte Bank and destroyed the ASW gear on the capsized wreck of WAKEFUL (still on the surface) with gunfire and then DCs. MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER departed Scapa, escort DD ATHERSTONE, for Rosyth. FN.183 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 31st. DD INTREPID was repaired at Middlesborough completing in 2 weeks. Subs TRIAD and SEAWOLF departed Rosyth to relieve subs L.23 and L.26 on patrol off the Dutch coast. Sub SALMON was ordered to a new billet to allow sub L.26 to return to port. Sub CLYDE departed Dundee and arrived at Rosyth later that day. Sub TETRARCH at Rosyth was docked. She was undocked the next day.

*Northern Waters*
CL SOUTHAMPTON bombarded German positions on the Ankenes Peninsula. The areas around Bodo and Hopen were evacuated on three consecutive nights by 2 DDs. 976 troops, ferried by DDs HAVELOCK and ARROW, embarked on British repair ship VINDICTIVE early on the 30th and taken directly to Scapa arriving on 1 June. On the second night 30/31 May, DDs FAME, FIREDRAKE, BEAGLE departed Bodo after embarkation early on the 31st. On the 31st/1 June, DDs ARROW, DELIGHT, ECHO embarked troops. 1500 troops were embarked each night on the DDs and taken to Harstad. Hopen was completely evacuated of allied troops by 30 May. On the 3rd night, DD VANOC was added, but the evacuation was completed prior to her arrival. By the end of 31 May, Bodo was clear of allied troops. DD FIREDRAKE picked up the demolition parties at Bodo and took them to Harstad. DD VOLUNTEER with ORP troopships BATORY and SOBIESKI departed Greenock at 1230 for Harstad. The DD was detached on the 30th to join the DD ESKIMO force. 

*West Coast UK*
Sub H.43 was patrolling with ASW trawler MANOR (314grt) off Dingle Bay to sink U boats and inspect shipping outside Irish territorial waters.

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*
OG.31 made formed from convoys OA.155G, which departed Southend on the 26th escort DD WHITEHALL, OB.155G, which departed Liverpool on the 26th escort DD MACKAY and sloop WELLINGTON, with forty ships. The convoy was escorted by DD WHITEHALL on the 29th. Sloop WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from 29 May to 2 June when she was detached to HG.32. DD DOUGLAS escorted the convoy from 31 May to 4 June. DD WATCHMAN from convoy HG.32 escorted the convoy from 2 to 3 June. The convoy arrived at Gib on 3 June.

*Channel*
*Operation Dynamo*
On the 29th, 47,310 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.

4 swordfish of the FAA were lost over Dunkirk. Two crews were captured, and 2 made it back to England after being rescued. Scott class DD MONTROSE collided with SUN V off Cap Griz Nez, Pas-de-Calais, France and was severely damaged. She was beached to prevent her sinking. Later refloated and towed back to Dover by Tugs LADY BRASSEY and SIMLA.

RN Shoreham-class sloop BIDEFORD was bombed and severely damaged at Dunkerque, having 40' her stern blown off. She was beached to prevent her sinking. 17 crew were lost. The survivors were rescued by HMS KELLETt . She was later refloated and towed by RN Tug LOCUST, later GONDIA and SIMLA back to Dover, taking over 30 hrs to complete the tow, arriving at Dover on 31 May. She was undergoing repairs until April 1941.

DD MACKAY, en route to Bray, ran aground at 0136 at Zuydcote Pass with heavy damage to her propellers. She was able to get herself off at high tide and returned to Sheerness. MACKAY departed Dover on the 30th for docking in the Thames. New DD HARVESTER had arrived from the yards without charts. She had been ordered to follow DD MACKAY. HARVESTER continued to Dunkirk after accident. DD WOLSEY damaged her propellers on debris at Dunkirk, as did DD WOLFHOUND on debris at Dunkirk and required docking. 

DDs GALLANT, GRENADE, JAGUAR were plotting a new route for DYNAMO, via the northern channe;s. They were later to be severely attacked by the LW, because of the greater distance to FC aircover, and greater proximity to functional airfields under LW control. They were also sent to test the strength of shore batteries at Gravelines. They drew no fire, but they were attacked by the LW. At 1129 GALLANT was near missed and damaged, forcing her to retire, to Dover at 1620/31st for repairs and able to return to duty in 1 week.

CLA CALCUTTA, escorted by PV MALLARD off La Panne, evacuated 1856 men which were ferried out to her by MSWs SALAMANDER and SUTTON, tug JAVA, and 8 smaller ships. Also at La Panne were DDs SHIKARI, HARVESTER, ANTHONY, SABRE, GREYHOUND and MSWs EMPEROR OF INDIA, GRACIE FIELDS, HALYCON, HEBE, ORIOLE, PRINCESS ELISABETH, WAVERLEY. Fr DDs MISTRAL, CYCLONE, SIROCCO began the evacuation of Fr troops from Dunkirk. However, MISTRAL was bombed and badly damaged along the east mole and did not embark troops. Her CO was fatally wounded. CYCLONE lifted 733 Fr and british troops, including 158 men from the BIDEFORD, SIROCCO lifted 509 Fr soldiers.

ORP DD BLYSKAWICA, operating that afternoon in the Channel in a divi of 4 DDs, was near missed by torps from U.60. U.60 was DC'd in return, but sustained no damage. DD GREYHOUND was badly damaged at 1628 by a bomb near miss off La Panne. There were 22 fatalities on the DD. After emergency repairs, GREYHOUND was towed by BLYSKAWICA towards Dover. Off the Nth Goodwins Light Ship, BLYSKAWICA was relieved by tug LADY BRASSEY which took GREYHOUND into Dover. GREYHOUND departed Dover at 1419/31st for Sheerness. The DD was repaired at Chatham, returning to service in 3 weeks.

DDs SALADIN, MALCOLM, WOLFHOUND were all moderately damaged by LW attacks during daylight at Dunkirk. All 3 were returned to service after repairs at Chatham. SALADIN was further damaged by a near miss and was under repair for 11 days . WOLFHOUND was under repair for this damage and her propeller damage for 10 days. DD VERITY was damaged in a collision with a sunken drifter off Dunkirk. VERITY returned to service on 15 June after repairs at Portsmouth. DDs CODRINGTON, EXPRESS, HARVESTER, ICARUS, IVANHOE, KEITH, SABRE, SCIMITAR, WINCHELSEA, WOLSEY were also at Dunkirk on the 29th. ICARUS was damaged by near misses and sustained one killed and 25 men injured

DDs ANTHONY, CODRINGTON, ESK, EXPRESS, GREYHOUND, HARVESTER, INTREPID, IVANHOE, JAVELIN, MALCOLM, SABRE, SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, VANQUISHER, VERITY, WOLSEY, WORCESTER made one round trip to lift troops. DD ICARUS made 2 trips. MSWs ALBURY, DUCHESS OF FIFE, EMPEROR OF INDIA, FITZROY, HALCYON, HEBE, LEDA, MARMION, SHARPSHOOTER directly lifted troops from the beaches on the 29th. With the LW targetting RN DDs specifically, the Admiralty ordered all the H, I, J class DDs out of DYNAMO due to severe losses. All the G-class destroyers were already out of the operation due to loss or damage. This left only 15 old DDs, ESK, EXPRESS, ANTHONY, KEITH, CODRINGTON, MALCOLM, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, WORCESTER, WINDSOR, VERITY, VANQUISHER, SABRE, SCIMITAR, SHIKARI to continue DYNAMO. DDs SALADIN, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA were ordered to Dover for DYNAMO ops.

*UK-France*
BC.39 with 6 steamers, departed Bristol Channel escort ASW trawlers HUDDERSFIELD TOWN and YORK CITY. The convoy arrived at Loire on 1 June. SA.43 of 1 steamer arrived at St Malo from Southampton. AXF.6 departed Southampton for St Malo.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr AMC VILLE D'ORAN was ordered to embark 200 tons of gold at Pauillac and take it to Casablanca. The gold was embarked and the AMC departed on 3 June and arrived at Casablanca on 7 June. It had previously been agreed that USN ships would transfer the gold from here to the US. but the US was concerned about possible air attack which delayed the US arrival in Fr Nth Africa until the 9th June. Eventually, US CA VINCENNES and DDs TRUXTON and SIMPSON arrived at Casablanca at 1100 on 9 June and embarked this gold for transshipment to the US. The American Force departed Casablanca 10 June and arrived at New York on 20 June. Fr sub CENTAURE, escort sloop COMMANDANT BORY, passed Gib, en route from Brest for Bizerte, where she arrived on 1 June.


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## parsifal (May 28, 2015)

*28 May - RAF Operations*
UNFINISHED

10 sqn (whitley)
Ruhr 120 aircraft to a variety targets; 24 Hampdens attack oil refineries near Hamburg and Bremen, 36 Whitleys bomb railway yards in the Ruhr and 35 Wellingtons and 25 Hampdens attack communications behind German lines. No a/c lost. First German ftr to be shot down by RAF claimed by tail gunner in 10 Sqn Whitley.

16 sqn (Lysander)
Recon 1 a/c lost, 2 KIA, Believed shot down by ground fire and crashed near Longuenesse 07.45 hrs.

19 sqn (spit)
Dunkirk. 1 a/c damaged, 1 KIA or DOW, 1 MIA, 1 WIA. 19 Sqn lost 4 a/c plus 1 damaged (repairable) for the destruction of 13 Enemy .a/c over Dunkirk 

21 sqn (Blen)
Clairmarais 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA, Airborne 1230 from Watton. Lost attacking enemy positions in the Clairmarais Forest, immediately E of St-Omer (Pas-de-Calais), France. 

54 sqn (Spit)
Dunkirk Patrol. 1 enemy a/c brought down.

66 sqn (Spit)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 MIA


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## parsifal (May 28, 2015)

*28 May 1940 - The BEF*
Belgium surrendered to German forces.

The retreat to the Lys had been practically completed during the night. By five o'clock in the morning of the 28th only the 42nd Division still had a rearguard of one brigade (the 125th) on the bend of the Deule Canal running northwards from Lille; while the 4th Divs 12th Brigade had also a small rearguard on the canal bend. On the main eastern front, facing the German AGp B, the augmented 5th Division and the 50th and 3rd Divs still held the line from Warneton through Ypres to near Noordschote. In the 20 mile gap between Noordschote and the coast beyond Nieuport, there were as yet no British divisions; only some cavalry of the French 2nd DLM (which had been placed by General Blanchard under General Brooke's command) and the 12th Lancers watched this open left flank, while a detachment of sappers from the 101st Army Fld Co, Royal Engineers, worked energetically to destroy the bridges between Dixmude and Nieuport. The surrender of the Belgian Army left the way clear for a rapid German advance at this point presenting a great danger to the army retiring to the coast, and throughout the day German divs which were no longer required to overcome Belgian resistance were being moved hard in outflanking marches. The german attacks n the centre on the BRFs rearguard positions between Warneton and Ypres were resumed and intensified. .

The battle in the centre, which commenced on the 25th, and was to continue until all BEF forces were within the Dunkirk bridgehead, was of crucial importance to the BEF. Just as the 2nd Div fought the SW battle to keep the way open for the first stages of the British retreat, so the divs of II Corps fought this longer, fiercer battle of the NE to keep open the way for the last stages. Gen Brooke directed operations with great skill on a plan which the enemy was not allowed seriously to upset. His battle is generally considered an Allied dfensive victory, in that nearly all the BEF escaped the developing envelopment movements undertaken by the Germans. 






The 50th and 3rd Divs on their left, heavily shelled and subjected to some attacks from the air, were in contact with the enemy all day, but, except for one assault on the centre of the 50th Division which was beaten back, the enemy was not yet up to our line in strength for a serious effort to advance. During the night the 50th Division moved as planned to a line running NE from Poperinghe, and the right of the 3rd Div swung back to form a rational linear defence line. The Fr 2nd DLM Div had moved behind the Loo Canal, and the Fr 60th Inf Div which had come from near Bruges 'had been overwhelmed in the loop of the Yser, its survivors were gathered up by the 2nd DLM and by the British who held the Furnes–Nieuport Canal. 

Lord Gort's Headquarters had left Premesques that afternoon, spent the night at Houtkerque and on the 28th were established at La Panne in the Dunkirk bridgehead. The 3rd Div was side-stepping to the left of the British front (page 196) at the time of the above entry.

On the long western flank of the corridor, where British troops faced Army Group A, the position was less satisfactory. Gen Wason's III Corps was far weaker. The 48th Div had only two bdes, for it will be remembered that the 143rd had gone to strengthen the 5th Division on the Ypres front. The only other division 'in the line' was the attritioned 44th, for what little remained of the 46th was held back in reserve behind Cassel. And not only were much smaller forces available in these two divs; they were extended over more than 20 miles, so that there were many gaps through which German armour could penetrate unhindered. At the beginning of the 28th, the 48th Div de[;oyments took the form of a series of strongpoints, not particularly mutually supporting and therefore vulnerable. . The 144th Bde held the Soex–Ledreinghem sector; the 145th Cassel and Hazebrouck.

An order issued from GHQ at about two o'clock in the afternoon of the 28th set Poperinghe as the pivot of the line to which withdrawal would take place in the night, but 'within the outline of these orders' corps commanders were to use their full discretion and to move as many men as possible into the Dunkirk bridgehead. II Corps needed no fresh instructions and was given freedom to hold a line from Poperinghe to Ypres and on to some point north of Ypres. In fact, they held from Poperinghe to near Noordschoete. I Corps, now only the 1st Division (less the three bns which had gone to strengthen the 5th div) and the 42nd Div, were to retire to a position between Poperinghe and Proven, but in fact the 42nd Div went further nth to the Yser and the 1st Div reached the perimeter of the Dunkirk bridgehead. Instructions to III Corps were less clear. The 48th Div was given no orders but was told that these would be issued when French dispositions had been ascertained; the 44th Div was ordered to retire 'to frontier defences' but no area was specified; the 2nd Div was to move back to Beveren on the Yser (the sector to which the 42nd actually retired). The 44th and 2nd Divs could not carry out these instructions, and clearly they were based on insufficient information in regard to conditions on the corps front.

During the day the German XIX Corps commander (Guderian) made a tour of his forward positions. The Diary records his opinion that further tank attacks would involve 'useless sacrifice of our best troop': in his view the wise course is 'to hold positions reached and to let 18 Army's attack from the east take effect'. Guderian finally sought permission and was duly granted permission, to withdraw his entire Corps for much needded rest and refit

Between the British 44th Div and the divisions of II Corps on the eastern front lay the Fr 1st Army. By the morning of the 28th only its III Corps and the Cav Corps had got back to the Lys; the rest were still in the Lille area nearly surrounded by German divs. Decision as to 1st Army's further movements had become a matter of urgency, for unless the French also moved promptly to the coast they would be left isolated when the British withdrawal from the Lys took place in the coming night. General Blanchard visited the Command Post at about 1100 and conferred with Lord Gort and General Pownall. It was quickly apparent that although he had had been present at the discussion of the defence of a Dunkirk bridgehead which had taken place at Cassel on the day before he regarded retirement to the Lys as the final move; apparently the British decision to retire to the coast and evacuate to England, which had been notified by M. Reynaud and General Weygand on the 26th, had not been made known to him. When the British Government's telegram to Lord Gort was read to him, he was horrified. These and other bungled understandings of the new BEFs orders led to the encirclement and loss of more than half 1st Army's fighting strength. The end was now firmly in sight for France

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## parsifal (May 28, 2015)

man this is hectic.....

Edit: ive missed 28 May Naval Ops....

*28/29 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type II U-121





Allied
Motor Launch ML 101 





*Losses*
*Liner BRAZZA (Fr 10387 grt) *Crew: 576 (379 dead and 197 survivors) Cargo: 850 tons of general cargo, including wine, liquor and 1000 bags of mail Route Bordeaux (26 May) - Casablanca - Dakar - West African ports - New Caledonia Sunk in the SW approaches by U-37. She settled quickly and sank almost vertically by the stern less than five minutes after being hit




_Brazza sinking after being torpedoed_

*Sailing Vessel JULIEN (Fr 116 grt)* At 16.30 hours the unescorted and unarmed JULIEN was stopped with a shot across her bow by U-37 about 60 miles west of Cape Finisterre. The lobster trawler was sunk by gunfire after the crew had abandoned ship in a dinghy. The survivors were given the course to the nearest land and some canned food by the Germans and were rescued after two days.





*Coaster BLAAMANNEN (Nor 174 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine and sank off Haugesund, Rogaland with the loss of six crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CARARE (UK 6878 grt)* was sunk on a mine. The steamer was carrying a crew of 97 and 29 passengers. 7 crew and 3 passengers were lost. Armed yacht RHODORA rescued 86 survivors and ASW trawler CAMBRIDGESHIRE rescued 2 survivors.





*Drifter GIRL PAMELA (UK 93 grt) * The drifter collided with another vesssel at Dunkerque and sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux NSW MARGUERITE ROSE ( Fr 423 grt)* was bombed and sunk in the North Sea off Dunkerque. Some sourdces place this loss on the 25th May





*Armed Trawler OCEAN REWARD (RN 95 grt)* collided with Isle of Thanet ( United Kingdom) in the English Channel off Dover, Kent and sank with the loss of one crew member.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


> Items of Political Importance
> Belgium:
> The Belgian Army surrendered unconditionally at 000.
> France ;
> ...



*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


> U 101 has been ordered to penetrate into the Channel and to make a situation report on the area Cherbourg - Le Havre - Dieppe.



At Sea 28 May 1940
U-8, U-9, U-13, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS (28 May 1940) *
*North Sea*
DDs FURY, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE proceeded to the Humber to operate under orders of CruSqn 18. DD ATHERSTONE was ordered to proceed to hunt for a U boat reported by a/c in a position 12 miles nth of North Foreland. The search was cancelled when nothing was found. DD ATHERSTONE departed for Scapa and arrived at dawn on the 29th. Sub TRUANT departed Harstad for Rosyth. Sub TRIBUNE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Fr subs ANTIOPE and AMAZONE arrived at Dundee.

OA.157 departed Southend escort corvette GLADIOLUS. OB.157 departed Liverpool escort sloop ROCHESTER from 28 to 31 May. The sloop was detached to HX.44. FN.182 departed Southend, escort sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 30th. MT.76 departed Methil, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.182 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
CA YORK departed Scapa for Rosyth. Steamer ROYAL SCOTSMAN escort DDs VANOC and WITHERINGTON departed the Clyde for Harstad. En route, WITHERINGTON was detached at the Faroes to escort British steamer ULSTER PRINCE at Thorshavn back to the Clyde. ULSTER PRINCE departed the Faroes on the 29th escort ASW trawlers IMPERIALIST and ALOUETTE. The trawlers were to be relieved by WITHERINGTON, which arrived at Thorshavn on the 29th. On the 31st, ULSTER PRINCE and WITHERINGTON arrived at the Clyde. Steamer ROYAL SCOTSMAN and DD VANOC arrived at Harstad early on 1 June. Hospital ship ABA departed Scapa for Harstad, routed west of the Shetlands.

CV GLORIOUS 802 Sqn (skua) was operating near Narvik. A flight of Lt (A) G.H. J. Feeny (SO), Lt G.D. D'E. Lyver, Lt G.H. N. Ogilvy shot down a He 111 near Narvik. DD CAMPBELL departed Greenock as escort for NS 4 of 4 steamers, joining the convoy on the 30th from Scapa. 4 large Troopships , escort DD AMAZON departed Greenock for Harstad. On the 31st, DD WREN departed Scapa to relieve DD AMAZON, which in turn was ordered to proceed to the Clyde. Destroyer SIKH departed Scapa Flow for refitting in the Clyde. Late on the 28th, a Uboat was reported by CC 10 miles 285° from Strathie Pt. DD SIKH was ordered to search, burt made no contact and left the area at 0600/29th and arrived in the Clyde at 0630.

*West Coast UK*
DD ANTELOPE departed Greenock as escort for Nor steamer MARITA and Brit steamer YEWMOUNT for Harstad. DD ESCORT arrived at Greenock from Liverpool.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy HG.32F of 32 ships departed Gib. DDs ACTIVE and WATCHMAN escorted the convoy from 28 May. DD WATCHMAN was detached to HG.32 on the 29th. ACTIVE was detached on 1 June. Sloop LEITH escorted the convoy from 29 May to 4 June. 
Corvette GLADIOLUS escorted the convoy from 3 to 6 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 June.

*Channel*
*Operation Dynamo*
17,804 were evacuated from the Dunkirk cauldron on this day. 
DD WINDSOR, which had been ordered to Dunkirk from Goodwins patrol, was near missed at Sth Goodwin Light. The DD had one boiler room damaged and there were 25 injured. DD WINDSOR returned to Dover with several hundred troops on board. She spent no time out of service. DDs ANTHONY, CODRINGTON, which embarked 1600 men in two trips, ESK, EXPRESS, GALLANT, which brought back 681 men, GRENADE, which brought back 700 men, HARVESTER, which brought back 700 men, JAGUAR, JAVELIN, MACKAY, MALCOLM, MONTROSE, SABRE, SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, VERITY, WORCESTER embarked troops at Dunkirk during the morning of 28 May. DDs ANTHONY, CODRINGTON, JAVELIN, were damaged by air attacks at Dunkirk. The DDs spent no time out of action, however. DD GRAFTON and ORP DD BLYSKAWICA embarked troops from the beach between Malo les Bains and Zuydcoote. DDs VERITY, HARVESTER, ESK, MALCOLM, EXPRESS, SHIKARI, SCIMITAR were ordered into DYNAMO. Later in the day, DDs INTREPID, IVANHOE, ICARUS, VANQUISHER were ordered to Dover for DYNAMO. MSWs ALBURY, GOSSAMER, LEDA, KELLET, SUTTON operated off the Bray. MSWs SALAMANDER, HALCYON, SKIPJACK, WAVERLEY operated off La Panne. MSWs ROSS, PANGBOURNE, LYDD were at Dunkirk. DDs WAKEFUL, MONTROSE, WORCESTER, MACKAY arrived at Dover from the Western Approaches for DYNAMO duty. DDs CODRINGTON, GRENADE, JAVELIN, JAGUAR on patrol together in the North Sea were ordered to Dunkirk to pick up troops. MSWs HEBE, SHARPSHOOTER, DUCHESS OF FIFE, EMPEROR OF INDIA reached Dunkirk during the night of 28/29 May. MSWs ORIOLE and MARMION arrived off the Dunkirk beaches at 0600/29th.

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## Njaco (May 28, 2015)

Wait until June!


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## Njaco (May 28, 2015)

*May 29 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *The German forces continue to press all round the contracting Dunkirk perimeter. By the end of the day most of the remaining British troops and a large proportion of the French are inside the final canal positions. The evacuation from Dunkirk and over the beaches goes on. Allies evacuated 33,558 men from the harbor and 13,752 from the nearby beaches. Even though the Germans had clear weather, the Stukas are less effective around Dunkirk than Göring had expected. Their ability to hit land convoys and static targets is not matched when faced with the armada of vessels going to and from the French coast. While more than 860 vessels are going on runs to and from the Dunkirk beaches, the German bombardment decreases and some units move back to prepare for action elsewhere in France. German aircraft attacked ships in the sea as well as men waiting on the docks. Despite Göring’s promise, it is clear that the Luftwaffe cannot prevent the evacuation in the face of RAF patrols and anti-aircraft fire from the Royal Navy ships. The French are now beginning to allow their troops to be evacuated and have sent some ships to assist. 

Elsewhere in France, the German 6.Armee occupies Lille, Ypres and Ostend. Besides capturing Lille, Ostend, and Ypres, the Germans captured other Belgian hamlets. Allied armies fought a fierce rearguard action on the banks of the Yser in northern France while maneuvering towards the coast. Also on the same day, French auxiliary cruiser “_Ville d'Oran_” took on 200 tons of gold from the French reserve for shipment to Casablanca, French Morocco.

As the evacuation of Dunkerque intensifies, the British suffer the loss of several ships. About 40 miles north-west of La Panne, France, British destroyer “_Wakeful_” is hit by a torpedo, splits in half, and sinks in 15 seconds, killing about 100 soldiers. In the English Channel, German submarine U69 torpedoes British destroyer “_Grafton_”, along with damaging destroyer “_Comfort_”. British destroyer “_Lydd_” rams “_Comfort_” in error, cutting the ship in half. British destroyer “_Gallant_” strikes a mine, killing 55 of the crew, but the ship survives. Destroyer HMS “_Grenade_” was hit by three bombs, one of which went down her funnel, in Dunkerque harbor and sank, killing 19. Destroyer HMS “_Jaguar_” was badly damaged by a bomb, killing 13 and wounding 19. Minesweeper HMS “_Waverley_”, with 600 troops already aboard, was sunk by a bomb, killing 350. Owing to the destroyer losses and the demand for them in other operations the Admiralty decides that the more modern types must be withdrawn.

Over Dunkerque, I(J)./LG 2 downs ten Allied aircraft – eight Hurricanes and four MS 406s - near St. Quentin. Lt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn claims one of the Moranes. Kommodore Trubenbach and Oblt. Herbert Ihlefeld of JG 52 shoots down two Morane MS 406’s. Hptm. Adolf Galland of JG 27 claims a Blenheim shot over the beaches. Oblt. Gerhard Schöpfel of 9./JG 26 claims his second kill, a Spitfire west of Dunkerque.

RAF No. 264 Squadron based at Manston, England, claimed no less than thirty-eight enemy aircraft destroyed in a single day. The Luftwaffe fighter pilots had mistaken No. 264 Squadron's two-seat Defiant fighters for Hurricane fighters and dived on the supposedly defenseless tails of the British fighters only to be greeted by a withering concentration of fire. By the end of the month No. 264 Squadron's Defiant fighters would have claimed some sixty-five kills, but the German pilots had learned from their mistakes and adopted new tactics to deal with the Defiant fighters.

Hptm. Werner Mölders of JG 53 is awarded the Ritterkreuz at Loe airfield, near Le Selve and promoted to Major.

Friedrich Christiansen became the commanding officer of the German military in the Netherlands.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank French steamer “_Marie José_” and British oil tanker “_Telena_” off Cape Finisterre, Spain. 18 were killed and 18 survivors were later rescued by Spanish fishing boats.

.



.



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## Njaco (May 29, 2015)

*May 30 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* There is something of a lull in the land battle around Dunkirk because of confusion and disagreement in the German command. The panzer forces begin to withdraw from the front line to take up positions to the south for the next stage of the battle of France. The Allied fighting retreat toward the coast continued. The vanguard of First French Army, cut off at Cassel, fought its way out and arrived at Dunkirk. Germans reported that they supposedly captured the commander, General Prioux. Wounded men and troops not in immediate engagement were evacuated from Dunkirk. The withdrawal and evacuation are screened by the Royal Air Force whose planes were ceaselessly engaged against the Germans although the air battles over the evacuation beaches become more even with the Spitfire now on active duty. The Stukas are quickly found wanting by the sleek, highly manoeuvrable British fighter. 

British Admiralty orders all modern H, I, J class destroyers out of Dunkirk due to the previous day's losses by German Luftwaffe, leaving 18 older destroyers to continue the evacuation. Despite this, 24,311 Allied troops embark from Dunkirk harbour and 29,512 from the beaches, including the first French soldiers to be evacuated. Small craft from Britain ferry troops out to waiting warships or even back to England. One destroyer is sunk during the day, the French “_Bourrasque_”, three others are hit and at least nine of the smaller ships are also sunk. This total does not include the smallest vessels whose losses are also considerable. General Brooke, who has commanded the British 2nd Corps with distinction, is one of the evacuees. Despite the poor weather, German aircraft damaged destroyers HMS “_Anthony_” and HMS “_Sabre_”, minesweeper HMS “_Kellet_”, armed boarding vessel HMS “_King Orry_”, and steamers “_St. Julien_” and “_Normannia_”. French destroyer “_Bourrasque_” was damaged by a mine and finished off by German artillery off Ostend, Belgium. 660 were either killed or swam to shore and became captured, while about 300 were rescued.

Belgian Ministers hold a Cabinet meeting in Limoges, France. They declare that it is impossible for the King to resign, due to being under the power of German invaders.

Under pressure from French leaders, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill orders that British and French soldiers be evacuated from Dunkerque in equal numbers.

Uffz. Hager of 4./JG 54 takes off on a test flight from Charleville. He becomes disoriented and lands by mistake at Orconte on the Marne where he is taken prisoner. His plane, Bf 109 E-1 W.Nr. 3247 is captured and quickly put to use by the French and flown by their test pilot, Constantin Rozanoff, sporting new roundels and rudder stripes.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* After capturing Narvik, Allied forces begin pushing General Dietl’s mountain troops and sailors back to the Swedish border, only 18 miles east. Dietl, isolated in Narvik since April 10, has been sporadically resupplied and reinforced by airdrops. However, his only real hope of survival is 2nd Gebirgsjäger Division which has been marching north from Trondheim since May 4. Naturally, Hitler does not give Dietl the option to surrender or cross into Sweden to be interned, instructing him instead to fight on.

Fw. Robert Menge of II./JG 77 shoots down a Hudson. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The German Navy is hardly seen during the Dunkirk episode, but it has been busy during May with twenty Allied ships lost to mines and a further fifteen merchantmen to U-boats. On this day, E-boats S23 and S36 sink the French destroyer“_Sirocco_”. German submarine U-101 sank British ship “_Stanhall_” off Cape Finisterre, Spain, killing 1. 36 survivors were rescued by British steamer “_Temple Moat_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt rejected a request from US Ambassador to France William Bullitt of 28 May 1940, which asked for an American fleet to move into the Mediterranean Sea. Secretary of State Cordell Hull, who communicated the rejection to Bullitt, added that the;


> "…presence of the fleet in the Pacific at this time is a very practical contribution to the maintenance of peace in the Pacific".


Roosevelt introduces his massive armament program which will boost his country's position as a dominant military nation.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Benito Mussolini advised Adolf Hitler that Italy was ready to enter the war.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Operation Fish: British battleship HMS “_Revenge_”, troop transport HMS “_Antonia_”, and troop transport HMS “_Duchess of Richmond_” with £40 million, £10 million, and £10 million in gold, respectively, departed from Britain for Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The gold was destined for the vaults of the Bank of Canada in Ottawa for safe keeping during war time.

*SOUTH AMERICA:* US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson reported to his superiors Washington DC, United States noting Nazi German leanings in the public sentiment.




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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

*28/29 May 1940 (Cont'd) *
*OPERATIONS (28 May) (cont'd)*
*Nth Atlantic*
Fr BBs COURBET and PARIS of BatDiv3 arrived at Cherbourg after a 96 hr refit at Brest which included the installation of additional AA guns. These 2 BBs had been partially demilitarized, as had their sister ship JEAN BART (renamed OCEAN) for use as training ships in 1931. COURBET and PARIS were to be used against the Germans as expendable gun platforms to extend the Dunkirk perimeter. 
The force was to be named "Pas de Calais" Flotilla at Dover. This force, whose flagship was sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA at Dover, was composed of Contre Torpilleur DDs EPERVIER and LEOPARD, DDs FOUGUEUX and FRONDEUR , BOURRASQUE , FOUDROYANT, CYCLONE, MISTRAL, SIROCCO , TBs BRANLEBAS, L'INCOMPRISE, CORDELIERE, MELPOMENE, BOUCLIER, FLORE , sloops ARRAS, AMIENS, EPINAL, AMIRAL MOUCHEZ, aux sloops PATRIE, REINA DES FLOTS, ASIE, CERONS, SAUTERNES, PESSAC, LISTRAC, L'ATLANIQUE, but not all ships were fit for operations.




_Rendered image of the Courbet Class as they appeared in 1940_

HX.46 departed Halifax escort RCN DD SAGUENAY, which was detached on the 29th. BHX.46 departed Bermuda on the 27th escort ocean escort AMC AURANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.46 on 2 June and the AMC was detached on the same day. DD SAGUENAY turned over the convoy to AMC COMORIN on the 28th.AMC AURANIA departed Bermuda and relieved AMC COMORIN which arrived at Bermuda on 6 June. AMC AURANIA was detached on 9 June. Corvette CLARKIA and ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN escorted the convoy from 9 to 12 June when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

USN CA VINCENNES and DDs TRUXTON and SIMPSON departed Norfolk, Virginia to proceed to Lisbon to reinforce Squadron 40-T.
This squadron arrived at Ponta Delgada on 4 June and departed for Casablanca on 6 June.

*Indian Ocean* 
CL DRAGON arrived at Aden, transferring to CruSqn 4.


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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

***** May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis


Neutral


Allied


*Losses*




*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


Arrivals

Departures


At Sea *** May 1940


*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*


*Northern Patrol*


*Northern Waters*


*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*

*UK-France*

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*

*Indian Ocean* 


*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*


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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

*29 May 1940 RAF Operations*

Unfinished

2 Sqn (Lysander) 
Tac Recon, France. 1 Plane Damaged Force-landed at Hawkinge, damaged by AA fire north-east of Dunkirk, repairable, aircrew unhurt

4 sqn (Lysander)
?, ?. 1 KIA or DOW, no other details

9 sqn (Wellington)
accident, UK, 1 DOI. One member of the crew was shot and died whilst in training

17 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk patrol 1 a/c lost, 1 WIA slightly wounded in thigh from shell splinters whilst engaging enemy Me 110s

21 sqn (Blen)
Dixmude 1 a/c lost Airborne 1830 from Watton. Badly shot about by a Me109 and on return to Watton made a wheels up landing. AC1 Guest claimed the destruction of a Me109. A/c scrapped and one crewman dead. AC1 Guest was to be awarded the DFM and promoted to Sgt for his actions on this occasion. Tragically this crew were destined to be KIA 13/06/1940. Kill claim believed accurate, but not confirmed

46 sqn (Hurri)
Patrol, Norway. 3 a/c lost, 2 KIA. 9 Hurris were up on patrol when they intersepted 26 LW bombers approaching Vestfjorden. The Hurris attacked 3 He.111 of KG 100 and KG 26, nth of Lodingen. All 3 of the He111s were shot down. Heinkel 111, 1 crew captured. 2 Hurris were shot down by return fire. The Heinkel 111 6N+BA of Stab./KG 100 was flown by Oblt Wolfgang Metzke. Gruppenkommandeur Hptm Artur von Casimir also onboard. They were both unhurt, and taken prisoner. One of the crew was dead, two were wounded. A Hurri also brought down an 1 Me110 of Stab I/ZG 76 in the same combat. Oblt Hans Jäger and Uffz. Helmut Feick made a forced landing at Kobbvika, and became POWs. It was probably this A/C which shot down Flg Off Lydall. Yet another He.111 attacked by Lydall, made a forced landing at Dverberg on Andøya. Total German losses in this combat were 4 or 5 He111s and 1 Me110, for the loss of 3 hurris and 2 pilots. 

56 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 MIA no other details

59 sqn (Blen)
Unknown Mission ?. 2 MIA, noa/c loss, probably died in Dunkirk evac

64 sqn (Spit)
Dunkirk 3 a/c lost, 3 MIA, no other details

77 sqn (Whitley)
Hirson 1 a/c lost, 5 KIA. Airborne 2027 28May40 from Driffield. Crashed, killing the entire crew, cause unknown, at Campigneuelles-les-Grades (Pas-de-calais) 5 km SW of Montreuil-sur-Mer, France

86 sqn (Blen)
1 crewman reported lost, perhaps on ground in the Dunkirk evac?

88 sqn (Battle)
2 KIA or DOW, no a/c reported lost (Dunkirk evac?)


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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

*29 May 1940 - The BEF*
By 29th May, the yawning gaps that had threatened the integrity of the defence lines the Allies were desperately trying to establish were largely closed. Although the Germans advanced steadily from this point on, at no time were they able to achieve decisive breakthroughs that threatened the BEFs escape lines. 

By the early morning of the 29th German forces were closing up to the Poperinghe–Noordschote line where rearguards of the 50th and 3rd Divs covered the eastern flank. To the sth of that line the depleted 44th Division was in the Mont des Cats positions and the 48th Div's 145th Brigade in Cassel still held their isolated post.

Early in the morning the 44th Div were subjected to heavy mortar fire and this was followed later by intense dive-bombing, and enemy tanks and lorried infantry were seen apparently preparing for an attack. Shortly before 1000 the troops moved out in 2 columns, and though the enemy shelled them they were not molested. Greatly reduced in strength, the remnants of the div reached the beaches for embarkation next day.

Orders to retire on the night of the 28th did not reach the commander of the Cassel garrison till 0600 on the 29th. By then the town was surrounded and German forces had penetrated deeply on either flank. It was impossible to move out in daylight, and when a little later wireless comms with 48th Div HQ were reestablished, orders were received to hold Cassel till nightfall and then to withdraw. All through the day Cassel was heavily bombarded and at intervals attacks by tanks and infantry were repulsed. In adjacent country patrols sent out by the 1st East Riding Yeomanry met the enemy at a number of points and suffered considerable loss in men and vehicles. From the hill-top on which Cassel stands strong German forces of all arms could be seen moving NE behind the town, and when night fell and the garrison set out, the enemy was across their line of march. The 4th Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry formed the advanced guard; then came bde HQ, art and eng; next the 2nd Gloucestershire; and finally the combined carrier platoons of the two inf bns and what was left of the 1st East Riding Yeomanry formed the rearguard. The move started at 2130 and leading troops soon encountered the enemy. When daylight came a series of fights led to a separation of units and as the day wore on many were killed, wounded or surrounded and captured piecemeal. Only a few got through to reach Dunkirk. So ended a stand of great value to the BEF. By occupying substantial numbers of the enemy throughout the 29th the Cassel garrison helped to weaken his attack on the flank of the army moving back to the coast.

For the planned movements were duly carried out, though other units which constituted the rearguard also had a hard day's fighting to make this possible. The elements of the 50th and 3rd Divs on the Poperinghe–Lizerne line suffered heavily from bombardment throughout the day. The enemy regained contact with the 50th Div rearguard by midday, and when later the time for withdrawal came, one company of the 8th Durham Lt Inf was cut off. The 3rd Div's rearguard on their left (the 8th and 9th Brigades) was vigorously attacked and some units were forced to yield ground. But the enemy made no substantial progress, though fighting continued till the time for further withdrawal, and then the 2nd Lincolnshire carriers had to counter-attack in order to free the bn. All units suffered severely in the day's fighting, but their front was unbroken.

Meanwhile the western flankguard was also hard pressed. Troops of the 48th and 42nd Divs in the area Bergues, Quaedypre, Wylder, Bambecque, were attacked by tanks and by infantry of the Heer 20th Mot Div, also the the GD Regt and the LSSAH Regt. There were inevitably considerable gaps between the places occupied, and although the latter were held till the time ordered for withdrawal, the enemy made deep penetrations between them and there was much confused fighting. Brigadier Norman's force of the 1st Light Armoured Recon Bde and the 1st Welsh Gds held off a sustained attack till ordered to withdraw. The 8th Worcestershire on the Yser between Wylder and Bambecque also had a perilous day. Deep penetrations had been made on both flanks of the position they held, and after losing heavily they were forced to give some ground. But the enemy was unable to break their resistance and at night they succeeded in withdrawing in accordance with their orders.

Behind the western sector of the upper Yser advanced elements of the German forces reached positions held by the 42nd Div at Rexpoede and Oost Cappel towards evening, but withdrawal,when the time came, was achieved successfully; and on the rest of the Yser line what remained of the 5th Div was not seriously attacked and withdrew to the perimeter in the night. The fighting of the last few days had sadly exhausted its strength. Many of its bns, and those of the 143rd Bde which had fought with it, were reduced by now to the strength of one or two companies. Of the carriers of the 17th Bde, only 6 were left. In the 13th Bde, the 2nd Sherwood Foresters mustered only 156 of all ranks.

The situation maps for these days show how greatly superior in numbers were the German forces which sought to defeat the retiring army. Yet nowhere during the whole withdrawal were they able to make a clean break in the allied defences, nowhere could they overcome the resistance of rearguards which stood their ground till they were either destroyed by weight of numbers or ordered to retire. The line of defence had been perilously weak, but it was holding just enough to make successful evacuation a possibility. 

On reaching his new HQ location at La Panne, Gort received some messages, including one from the King
A heartening message was received by Lord Gort from His Majesty the King:



> All your countrymen have been following with pride and admiration the courageous resistance of the British Expeditionary Force during the continuous fighting of the last fortnight. Placed by circumstances outside their control in a position of extreme difficulty, they are displaying a gallantry that has never been surpassed in the annals of the British Army. The hearts of every one of us at home are with you and your magnificent troops in this hour of peril.



The message was at once issued to the troops , and Lord Gort replied:



> The Commander-in-Chief with humble duty begs leave on behalf of all ranks of the B.E.F. to thank Your Majesty for your message. May I assure Your Majesty that the Army is doing all in its power to live up to its proud tradition and is immensely encouraged at this critical moment by the words of Your Majesty's telegram.



Late in the evening the Commander-in-Chief received the following personal message from the Prime Minister:



> … If you are cut from all communications from us and all evacuation from Dunkirk and beaches had in your judgement been finally prevented after every attempt to reopen it had failed, you would become the sole judge of when it was impossible to inflict further damage upon the enemy. H.M.G. are sure that the repute of the British Army is safe in your hands.



On this afternoon, three days after the British Government's decision to evacuate as many as possible of the BEF had been notified to the French High Command, General Weygand authorised the evacuation of as many as possible of the French 1st Army, rather late, given the predicament iot was now in. 'Operation Dynamo' had been in progress since the 26th, and over 70,000 British troops had been embarked before the French commander's decision was taken. Large number of French troops were by then reaching the coast. Substantial contributions were about to be made by the French Fleet to support this massive effort currently unfolding.


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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

*30 May 1940 *
*Losses*
*MV STANHALL (UK 4831 grt)* Crew:37 (1 dead and 36 survivors) : Cargo:7630 tons of raw sugar and 350 tons of onions : Route: Townsville, Queensland - Liverpool Sunk NW of Ushant . At 19.25 hours on 30 May 1940 the unescorted STANHALL was hit on the starboard side under the bridge by one torp from U-101 and sank within 11 mins 35 miles NW of Ushant. Survivors were picked up by TEMPLE MOAT and landed at Weymouth.





Fr DDs FOUDROYANT and BOURRASQUE and TBs BOUCLIER and BRANLEBAS embarked troops at Dunkirk. BRANLEBAS was damaged in a collision while embarking troops. *DD BOURRASQUE (Fr 1319 grt)* , with 880 men on board, struck a mine and then was sunk by German artillery within sight of Ostend. 16 crew from the DD were lost. BRANLEBAS rescued 100 survivors and other ships in the area picked up 200 more. The rest of the 880 were killed or captured. 





*Boom defense vessel CAMBRIAN (RN 338 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Spithead with 2 crew lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler CORRENIE (UK 203 grt)* was lost in the Nth Sea. All 10 crew were lost with the ship 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer FINKENAU (Ger 916 grt) *was sunk on a mine south of Drogden near Copenhagen.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Armed boarding Vesel KING ORRY (RN 1877 grt) * This vessel had served with distinction during WWI, having led the surrendering German Fleet into Scapa in 1918. KING ORRY had made several trips to Dunkirk, and returned for a second time 29 May arriving in the late afternoon. On passage, she survived a dive bombing attack, and made for the East Pier. A second and heavier attack was then made on her. Her steering gear was put out of action and all bridge instruments and woodwork were shattered. Even then, after colliding with the pier, the ship refused to retire her skipper ordering her to tie up and start taking soldiers onboard. More attacks followed into the early hours of 30 May. But in this condition it was apparent she was a danger to shipping and had to be cleared from the harbour if possible . There was a risk she may founder in the approach channel to the harbour, but none-the-less after midnight she was ordered to leave and her commander succeeded in getting the badly damaged vessel clear of the harbour entrances. Soon however, she began to list heavily to starboard. Her engine room started to flood and she was abandoned. Shortly after 02:00hrs, 30 May 1940, she sank. Other ships in the crowded and turbulent waters closed in and survivors, were picked up. 




_KING ORRY leads the German Fleet to Scapa Flow, 1918._

*Steamer NORMANNIA (UK 1567 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW 4 miles 271° from the Dunkirk breakwater. The steamer was taken in tow, but later beached, and abandoned. There were no casualties on the steamer NORMANNIA.





*Steamer EGYPTE (Be 2568 grt) *was seized as an Allied prize off Cape Bon in the Med.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Canal Boats AMBLEVE (UK 150 grt (est)) *and *YSER (UK 150 grt (est))* ran aground at Dunkerque, Nord, France and were abandoned.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel,: U-9 

At Sea 30 May 1940
U-8, U-13, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD BRAZEN, departed Rosyth on the 29th for Harwich, but struck a sunken wreck on the 30th which badly damaged her and flooded both boiler rooms. She was able to reach the Humber and she was under repair at Hull until 30 June. Completion of her repair was delayed due to machinery defects. DDs FURY and FORESIGHT arrived at the Humber from the Home Flt.

Mine destructor ship CORFIELD was damaged by mining and fire late on the 30th in the Dover area. salvage tug DAPPER came to her assistance and she repaired at Chatham completing on 25 July. Fr sub RUBIS arrived at Dundee. FN.184 departed Southend, escort sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 1 June. MT77 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FN.183 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 June. 

*Northern Waters*
CV ARK ROYAL with DDs ARDENT, ACASTA, ACHERON departed the Clyde for Scapa where they arrived on the 31st. CV GLORIOUS with DDs HIGHLANDER and WREN arrived off Scapa from patrol off Norway on the 29th, but could not enter due to fog. DD ELECTRA was ordered to join the carrier off Sule Skerry to relieve DD WREN which was detached for refuelling at Scapa. The carrier arrived in Scapa in afternoon of 30th. DD BEAGLE was damaged by the near miss near Narvik. 

DD VETERAN departed Scapa with 2 steamers for Harstad. As she left Scapa VETERAN was in a minor collision in thick fog at Switha Gate with one of the steamers (the NGAKOA). The convoy returned to Scapa, but all ships were able to depart later that day. DD ANTELOPE departed the Clyde on the 29th with a Norwegian and a British steamer for Harstad. They arrived at Stornoway on the 30th to await VETERAN's departure from Scapa. The ANTELOPE gp departed Stornoway and rendezvoused off Cape Wrath with the VETERAN group on the 31st. After the 2 gps rendezvoused, ANTELOPE was detached to Scapa.

U.56 attacked British troopship ULSTER PRINCE (3791grt), returning to the Clyde escort DD WITHERINGTON, Prematurely exploding torps prevented any damage. WITHERINGTON attacked U.56 without result.

*SW Approaches*
After U-101 had sunk the STANHHALL off Ushant, RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT, on passage from Canada, were ordered to search for the sub after detaching destroyer SKEENA to Plymouth for fuel. DDs RESTIGOUCHE, ST LAURENT, SKEENA attacked a contact off Ushant on the 31st. On the 31st, U.101 attacked Convoy HG.31 and sank British steamer ORANGEMOOR (5775grt) in before being slightly damaged and driven away from the convoy by escorting RN corvette ARABIS. 18 crew of the ORANGEMOOR were missing. The survivors were rescued by British steamer BRANDENBURG. RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE was ordered to hunt for the UBoat whilst the brand new FERNIE was ordered to join corvette ARABIS. 

*Channel*
DD BASILISK arrived at Dover after repairs at Plymouth.

*Operation Dynamo*
53,823 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.

The covering patrol station nth of Dunkirk was assigned to DDs VEGA and BLYSKAWICA and PCs SHELDRAKE and WIDGEON. DD VANQUISHER was sent over to Dunkirk by Admiral Ramsay to confirm the situation there. Fr DDs CYCLONE, which was having engine troubles limiting her speed to 16 Kts, SIROCCO departed Dover to operate off Dunkirk. In the afternoon, DDs HARVESTER and HAVANT, IVANHOE, IMPULSIVE, ICARUS, and INTREPID were ordered back into DYNAMO after having been withdrawn the day before. DDs ESK, EXPRESS, lifted 1431 troops this date, SABRE, which lifted 1700 men in two trips, VANQUISHER, which lifted 1204 men, VIMY, which lifted 1472 men, VIVACIOUS, which lifted 1023 men, WHITEHALL, which lifted 1248 men, WINDSOR, WOLSEY, which lifted 1677 men in 3 trips on this date, WORCESTER, which lifted among many others Gen Brook, were among the ships lifting troops from Dunkirk and delivering them to Dover on the 30th. DDs ANTHONY and SABRE were damaged at 1800 by the LW at Dunkirk. ANTHONY had damage to her engine room machinery and departed Dover at 1850 on 1 June with DD WOLSEY and was repaired at Portsmouth in 2 weeks. DD SABRE had one man wounded. , her damage was limited to her gyrocompass. She spent no time out of action. DD ICARUS reported S Boats off Bray that evening. DD HARVESTER was missed by torps at 2306 in Zuydcote Pass. The DD reported these were fired by an SBoat. DD WOLSEY was in a collision off Dunkirk with British steamer ROEBUCK (776grt). WOLSEY was able to proceed at a reduced speed. At 1850 on 1 June, WOLSEY departed Dover in the company of DD ANTHONY for repair and refit at Portsmouth completing on 21 June. MSW KELLET was damaged by near misses at Dunkirk causing slight leaking. She was taken to Sheerness for repairs, then on 19 June was moved to Grimsby to complete the repairs. MSW KELLET returned to service on 28 June. MSW SHARPSHOOTER was damaged in a collision with ST HELIER (1952grt) off Dunkirk. The two ships were locked together and continued towards Dover in that way for 40 mins. The MSW was cut from the forecastle deck to the keel when returned for repairs. SHARPSHOOTER was towed to Dover by tug EMPIRE HENCHMAN. SHARPSHOOTER departed Dover for Sheerness on 2 June. MSW DUNDALK departed Grimsby and proceeded independently to Dunkirk. Flare drifters GOLDEN GIFT (89grt) and SHIPMATES (82grt) went ashore on the Goodwins, however both drifters were later refloated.

Steamers PRINCESS MAUD (UK 2883 grt) and ST JULIEN (UK 1952 grt) were slightly damaged by German shore based artillery at midday near Gravelines. Steamer FULHAM IV (UK 1584 grt) was slightly damaged by near misses off Orfordness.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB REVENGE and DDs ESCORT and WESTCOTT departed the Clyde to escort AKs DUCHESS OF RICHMOND and ANTONIA which departed Liverpool with DDs WOLVERINE, WARWICK, WITCH. REVENGE was carrying 40 million pounds sterling in gold bullion and ANTONIA and DUCHESS OF RICHMOND each carried another 10 million pounds sterling in gold. At 15W, REVENGE and her gp met the troopships. The DDs were detached and ESCORT and WOLVERINE arrived at Scapa on 1 June and WARWICK, WESTCOTT, WITCH arrived in the Clyde at 1800 on 1 June. REVENGE and the troopships safely proceeded to Halifax.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CLs DURBAN and DANAE departed Singapore.


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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

*30 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis


Neutral


Allied


*Losses*




*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


Arrivals

Departures


At Sea *** May 1940


*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*


*Northern Patrol*


*Northern Waters*


*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*

*UK-France*

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*

*Indian Ocean* 


*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*


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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

*30 May 1940 RAF Operations*
UNFINISHED
48 Sqn (Anson)
“Thistle” Patrol. 1 a/c lost, 1 WIA, Took off 15.35 hrs from Detling. Damaged by friendly fire from a trawler at 20.20 hrs while trying to signal the position of shipping survivors. The port engine seized and height could not be maintained so the Anson was put down off Ramsgate, Kent, within sight of 3 ships. The crew was subsequently rescued by HMS Vega. 

“Shamrock” Patrol. 1 a/c lost, 1 WIA, Took off 14.50 hrs from Detling. Attacked by 3 Me 109s of JG26, 2 miles off Oostende (Belgium) and suffered extensive damage to the wings and aileron controls. After beating off the attack an engine failed and a forced landing was made into the Channel off Deal at 18.30 hrs. The crew were rescued by a DD then transferred to a drifter before being landed at Ramsgate. 

56 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk 2 a/c lost no other details

56 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk 2 a/c lost no other details


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## parsifal (May 29, 2015)

30 May 1940 - The BEF

On this day there is a crucial cabinet meeting. bouyed by the success of recuing so much of the BEF, Churchill is able to crush dissent and commit the British to a continuation of the war. It is the first and major achievement of the operation, except for the rescue itself which gives the british the necessary pool of trained manpower to rebuild her army

By midday on the 30th virtually all the retreating BEF forces were within the perimeter with the enemy pressing round them. From now on all interest was focused on the Dunkirk bridgehead.The battle to hold the front lines was essential to enabling the evacuations to occur. I Corps were now responsible for the western half of the British sector, from Dunkirk to the French frontier; II Corps for the eastern half from the frontier to the sea at Nieuport. III Corps was moving to the beaches for evacuation or had already gone home. None of the divs were up to strength as the effects of 18 days of heavy operations began to have their effects. Of I Corps the 1st Div was short 3 bns which had been taken to help II Corps in the battle of the Ypres front. In the 42nd Div only the 126th Bde was still capable of opns and only 6 bns of the 46th Div remained under Lord Gort's command during the battle. Of the 2nd Div only a composite company formed from men of the 5th Bde was now left. In II Corps the 5th and 23rd Divs were no longer capable of further fighting and some bns had now little more than the strength of a company. 
As the last of the divs entered the bridgehead the enemy followed up quickly and before the day was over they were in close contact with the Port defences and were shelling and mortaring them with mounting violence. They reported that "the bridgehead is held by British troops who are fighting back very stubbornly" In many places the waterlogged state of the ground made it impossible for the defending troops to dig in, and as a consequence some units had heavy casualties from the bombardment. But the enemy were only ready to make one serious attempt to break through the defences on that day.
After artillery preparation the Germans tried to cross the canal just north of Furnes, where the front of the 3rd Div was held by the 7th Gds Bde and the 8th Bde. The attack was beaten off, but the 4th Royal Berkshire (now about the strength of one coy) suffered heavily and a coy of the 1st Coldstream Gds was sent to take over part of their position. About 1000 at night the attack was renewed and the enemy succeeded in breaking across the canal. But the Coldstreamers counterattacked and restored the position 

Most contemporary accounts try to say all the problems faced by the heer were solved once the halt order was rescinded. This is untrue. in fact confusion and hesitation continued to dog the german command. Unable to quite comprehend what was now needed, the formations involved fumbled and hesitated. The confusion and loss of grip on the German side was noticeable at this time and remained unresolved. On the 29th of May AGp A War Diary had noted that their 4A could make little headway _'owing to very stubborn enemy resistance' _They now asked the 4A whether Dunkirk could not be attacked through Bergues by mobile forces, but fear of a possible heavy loss led to this proposal being dropped. Instead the 4A directed Kleist Gp to close in, so as to be able to shell Dunkirk with 105mm guns. It is recorded in 4A War Diary that the operations officer at Army HQ complained to the Kleist Gp:' _there is an impression here that nothing is happening today, that no one is any longer interested in Dunkirk. Town and harbour must be bombarded, embarkation prevented, panic caused' _About 1500, AGp A informed 4A that O.K.H. had sanctioned an attack on Dunkirk; to which the officer receiving the message replied that the 4A was ready to attack but AGp B's 6A must also take part, and the 6A had apparently pulled out to rest! Rundstedt's CoS then asked whether 4A knew that Kleist Gp had informed Richthofen's VIII Air Corps that they intended to attack Dunkirk that afternoon. He was told that this was not known; on the contrary, Kleist Gp had asked for Dunkirk to be bombed. However, the 4A ordered Kleist Gp to 'attack Dunkirk on both flanks, penetrate right up to the coast, and then continue the pursuit eastwards'. Kleist Gp CoS replied that their formations were unstable, since tanks could not be used there. He was told that 'By higher orders an end must finally be made of the embarkation at Dunkirk. …' And the 4A commander intervened personally to order: _'All forces to the coast east of Dunkirk immediately. … The Divl Cdr is to be told that he is to reach the coast without fail today_.' Later, Kleist Gp reported that their 20th Mot Div was 'advancing towards Bray Dunes. … The left wing is in front of Bergues and in Gravelines, on the Canal and is unable to get on. The fortified bridgehead of Dunkirk lies in front of them'. Attempts would now be made to fire on Dunkirk with light artillery, for the medium artillery had run out of ammunition the day before.


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## Njaco (May 30, 2015)

*May 31 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* This was the most successful day of the Dunkirk evacuation. After the carnage of German bombing of the last 2 days, cloudy weather restricts Luftwaffe activity and the Admiralty returns the modern destroyers to Dunkirk. 68,014 (45,072 from harbor and 22,942 from beaches) were rescued on this date, including British Expeditionary Force commanding General Lord Gort and British General Bernard Montgomery. General Gort returns to Britain after handing over command of the remnant of the BEF to General Alexander as ordered. Despite the clouds, French destroyer “_Leopart_” and British destroyers HMS “_Express_”, HMS “_Icarus_”, HMS “_Keith_”, and HMS “_Winchelsea_” were damaged by German aerial bombing. In addition to the British small craft, 39 Dutch coasters (that escaped the German occupation) assist the evacuation, saving a total of 22,698 men during the whole operation. French destroyer “_Sirocco_” and “_Cyclone_” are torpedoed by German E-Boats S23 and S36. “_Sirocco_” is then sunk by German bombing with 180 crew and 700 men of the 92nd French Infantry Regiment on board (59 crew and over 600 French troops die). “_Sirocco_” goes down flying the 92nd Regiment’s colours.

French regained western part of Abbeville. At another point near Somme estuary they established a foothold on north bank of river.

No. 829 Squadron FAA took their newly issued Fairey Albacore aircraft into action for the first time with attacks on German E-boats off Zeebrugge, Belgium and road and rail targets at Westende, Belgium.

There are considerable air battles over the beaches at various stages during the day in which the RAF claim to shoot down 38 German aircraft for the loss of 28. In fact the figures are nearer equality. Lt. Müncheberg, Gruppen-Adjutant of III./JG 26 destroys four RAF aircraft. Lt. Mietusch of 7./JG 26 scores his first victory, a RAF Hurricane near Dunkirk. Future Experten of JG 51, Oberst Theo Osterkamp, Lt. Josef Priller and Oblt. Walter Oesau each claim three kills over the beaches of Dunkirk. Over at JG 53, Hptm. Mölders ends the month with twenty-one kills after destroying an LeO 451 of GB 1/12 near Abbeville. 

US-built DB-7 medium bombers of the French Air Force saw combat for the first time against German columns near Saint-Quentin in the Picardy Region of northeastern France.

The Bf 109s of Hptm. Joachim Schlichting’s I./JG 1 return to the airfield at Guise-Nordost joining the Bf109s of Major Dr. Mix’s III./JG 2 who leave the airfield at Signy-le-Petit.

UK Prime Minister Churchill traveled to Paris, France for a Supreme Allied War Council meeting.

*GERMANY:* During a ferry flight, a He 111 of 9./KG 55 crash lands at Malmsheim airfield and injures two crewmembers.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British sloop HMS “_Weston_” sank German submarine U-13 with depth charges 14 miles southeast of Lowestoft, England. The entire crew of 26 were taken prisoner.

German submarine U-101 attacked Allied convoy HG-31F and sank British ship “_Orangemoor_” with 8,150 tons of iron on board west of Guernsey, killing 18. The convoy's escorts attacked U-101 with 41 depth charges over the course of 8 hours; the submarine survived the attack.

*SOUTH AMERICA:* US Ambassador to Argentina Norman Armour and US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson met in Montevideo, Uruguay regarding the deteriorating political situation in Uruguay. They jointly requested Secretary of State Cordell Hull to ask President Roosevelt to sent 40 to 50 warships to the eastern coast of South America as a show of force to prevent Uruguay from partnering with Germany. Later in the day, Hull would inform them that heavy cruiser USS “_Quincy_” was dispatched for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil per their suggestion, and she would visit Montevideo on the journey. State Department official Laurence Duggan would suggest Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles to publicize USS “_Quincy's_” South American tour.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* The US Marine Corps 14th Naval District dispatched Captain Samuel G. Taxis to survey Midway Atoll with a small reconnaissance party for the planning of building a US Marine Corps presence there.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The British blocking force is evacuated from Bodo, Norway.

Admiralty reported that British warship '_Curfew_' had been sunk by bombing off of Norway.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *A series of measures, including the removal of all direction signs from crossroads, is taken to counter worries about fifth-column and parachute attacks.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt introduces a "billion-dollar defense program" which is designed to boost the United States military strength significantly.

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.


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## parsifal (May 30, 2015)

*31 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN CL KASHIMA




Allied
RN Boom Defence Vessel BARBAIN, - ASW Trawler BLACKTHORN - MA/SB 46 

*Losses*
*MV ORANGEMOOR (UK 5775 grt)* Crew 40 (18 dead and 22 survivors) Cargo: 8150 tons of iron ore Route : Bona - Tyne Sunk in the English Channel At 14.02 hours on 31 May 1940 the ship whilst in convoy HG-31F was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-101 and sank within a short time southwest of Roches Doures. 18 crew members were lost. The master and 21 crew members were picked up by the Brandenburg and landed at London.





*Aux MSW DEVONIA (RN 622 grt)* of MSWFlot 7 was beached and abandoned after damage from the LW, near La Panne at Dunkirk.





MV JADARLAND (Ex- Nor 938 grt ) The cargo liner whilst under German control sank after she struck a mine that had been laid by Fr Sub RUBIS off Sletta, Forlandsvagen. with the loss of 19 lives.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*HMS LCA 8 *and *LCA 15 (RN 15 grt) *The Landing Craft Assaults were lost when HMS DEVONIA was sunk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamers AIN EL TURK (Fr 2008 grt)* and *COTE D'AZUR (Fr 3047 grt)* and *trawlers PUISSANT (Fr 200 grt)*, *COSTAUD (Fr 140 grt)*, *ADJADER (Fr 414 grt)* were sunk by the LW at Dunkirk. Steamer COTE D'AZUR was later salved and renamed ELSASS for German service. Steamer COSTAUD was later salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as ELSASS. 
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Between 0000 and 0200, Bourrasque class *DD SIROCCO (Fr 1319 grt) * was torpedoed and badly damaged by German S Boats S.23 and S.26 near West Hinder. Attempting to effect emergency repairs, SIROCCO was finished off by the LW. SIROCCO went down with the colours of the 92nd French Inf Regt which its Colonel had smuggled out of the outskirts of Lille where the unit was encircled by German troops. There were 180 crew and 700 French troops on board. 59 crew and over 600 troops were lost. On patrol nearby, ORP DD BLYSKAWICA picked up 15 survivors, sloop WIDGEON picked up 166 survivors, STELLA DORADO (416 grt) picked up 21 survivors, WOLVES (422grt) picked up 50 survivors.





*ASW trawler ST ACHILLEUS (RN 484 grt) * was sunk on a mine off Dunkirk. Her skipper was killed and 2 other crewmen wounded. .





Sloop WESTON attacked Type IIB *U.13 (DKM 328 grt)* ahead of FN.184 14 miles SE of Lowestoft. DD FORESIGHT approaching from the nth during the hunt was unable to assist due to being en route to meet northbound liners. The Uboat, , was sunk. All the crew, three officers and twenty three ratings, of the sub were rescued and taken prisoner. On 23 June, MSW TEDWORTH, escorted by patrol sloop PUFFIN, carried out diving operations on the submarine in Operation ROBIN.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 31 May 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs ATHERSTONE and ENCOUNTER departed Rosyth on minelaying mission BS.10. The minelay was carried out from 1302 to 1348 on 1 June. After the operation, the MLs returned to the Humber and the DDs returned to Rosyth.

FN.185 departed Southend, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on 2 June. MT.78 departed Methil, escort DD WALPOLE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FN.184 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALPOLE. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 June. Submarines L.23 and L.26 arrived at Harwich

*Northern Waters*
CVs ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS departed Scapa with DDs HIGHLANDER, ACASTA, ARDENT, DIANA, ACHERON for operations off Vestfjord. Sgt Pilot L.W. C. Sturgess was killed when his Gladiator of 804 Squadron crashed at Hatston. 5 British troopships departed the Clyde for Harstad escort DDs WITHERINGTON and VISCOUNT. The destroyers were detached and returned to Scapa on 3 June. DD ASHANTI proceeded to Rosyth to rendezvous with troopships ORAMA and ORMONDE and escort them to Scapa. The 3 ships arrived at Scapa on 1 June. However, on arrival, troopship ORAMA grounded south of Cava Island. The troopship was refloated during that afternoon with no apparent damage. The three departed Scapa that evening. DDs BEDOUIN and MASHONA at sea were ordered to proceed to the east of the Orkneys to establish a patrol line. BEDOUIN and MASHONA arrived at Scapa on 1 June after being sent to investigate 5 Dutch trawlers in Holm Sound. DDs MAORI and KELVIN departed Scapa to carry out a patrol E and NE of the Orkneys. DDs ZULU and ELECTRA departed Scapa to carry out a patrol as destroyers MAORI and KELVIN. DD ELECTRA arrived at Scapa on 1 June. DDrs MAORI, ZULU, KELVIN arrived at Scapa on 1 June after their patrols. DD MASHONA departed Scapa escorting MSWs BRAMBLE and SPEEDY to Scrabster, and then carried out gunnery and torpedo exercises. ASW trawlers JUNIPER and WHITETHORN departed Scapa escorting oiler CONCH to Harstad. DD FORESTER departed the Humber after refitting for Scapa. 

*West Coast UK*
Sub NARWHAL departed Blyth for Immingham. Sub H.33 arrived at Campbeltown. Dutch submarine O 9 arrived at Portland. 

*Channel*
Subs H.43, after Dingle Bay patrol was abandoned, and OTWAY arrived at Plymouth

*Operation Dynamo*
68,014 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.
2 Skuas from 801 sqn are shot down over Dunkirk with their crews lost off Nieuport. In a separate air combat over Dunkirk, a Skua of 801 Sqn was shot down. Midshipman (A) R. M. S. Martin RNVR, Naval Airman R. Hedger were injured, but both returned to the UK. 
DDr VIVACIOUS was hit by German shore guns off Bray at Dunkirk. 3 ratings were killed and 12 wounded. VIVACIOUS departed Dover at 1300 on 4 June for Portsmouth for repair. DD EXPRESS was damaged by the near misses from the LW at Dunkirk. DD EXPRESS departed Dover at 1300 on 4 June for Portsmouth and was repaired in one week. DDs BASILISK and IMPULSIVE damaged their propellers on debris in Dunkirk Harbour. DD IMPULSIVE damaged both props on debris, and departed Dover on 1 June for Blackwall and was repaired completing on 4 July. DD BASILISK was lost before any repairs were made. DDs ICARUS and SCIMITAR collided at 1147 off Dunkirk. ICARUS was slightly damaged, whilst SCIMITAR was considerably damaged and was forced to return to Dover. SCIMITAR departed Dover 2 June for repairs at Sheerness. Enroute SCIMITAR was also involved in a further collision with a drifter (either British flare burning drifter GERVAIS RENTOUL (100grt) or Armed patrol drifter EILEEN EMMA (102grt) which both returned to Dover with collision damage). DD WOLFHOUND brought a large party of naval signalmen to Dunkirk. DD WOLSEY arrived at Dunkirk to serve as a communications link with Dover. 
Destroyers ICARUS, KEITH, WINCHELSEA were damaged at Dunkirk by the LW. ICARUS departed Dover on 4 June with DDs VIVACIOUS, EXPRESS, ESK, WINDSOR, WINCHELSEA, WHITSHED for Portsmouth. ICARUS was repaired at Portsmouth completing on 13 June. DD WINCHELSEA was returned to service after repairs at Dover. WINCHELSEA departed Dover on 4 June for Portsmouth. KEITH was able to continue off Dunkirk but was lost the next day. MALCOLM sustained damage to her bow when she collided with the pier at Dunkirk. WHITEHALL damaged her props on debris and had one engine out of service. WORCESTER damaged her props when she grounded in Dunkirk Roads. VANQUISHER sustained prop damage when she struck debris at Dunkirk. Fr DD LEOPARD was damaged by the LW off Dunkirk. 
Fr DD CYCLONE was torpedoed and badly damaged when her bow was blown off by S Boat S.24 off Dunkirk. CYCLONE was able to return to Dover at four knots escorted by 2 Fr ships. After emergency repairs, she was taken to Brest. MSW LEDA was slightly damaged in a collision at Dunkirk. Fr TBs BOUCLIER, which among her passengers were Fr Gen Blanchard (CinC AGp1), General Langlois, CinC Fr Cav Corps, their staffs, BRANLEBAS, FLORE, INCOMPRISE and sloop IMPETEUESE, which lifted 649 troops, evacuated troops from Dunkirk. 
During the night of 31 May/1 June, Fr DD EPERVIER patrolled 7 miles from North Goodwin Light. Fr DD LEOPARD patrolled 14 miles from North Goodwin Light. CLA CAIRO patrolled 23 miles from North Goodwin Light. 

*UK-France*
BC.38 with steamers BALTRAFFIC, BARON KINNAIRD, DAVID LIVINGSTONE, KERMA departed Loire escorted by ASW trawlers HUDDERSFIELD TOWN and YORK CITY and armed yacht ZAZA. The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on 2 June. AXF.7 departed Southamtpon for St Malo.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.34 departed Freetown escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE to 14 June. Sloop LEITH and corvette HIBISCUS joined the convoy on 14 June and escorted it to arrival on 15 June. CL DUNEDIN arrived at Bermuda. 

*Med- Biscay*
HG.32 with 24 ships departed Gib escort DD WISHART from 31 May to 1 June. DD VORTIGERN escorted the convoy from 1 to 4 June. DD WATCHMAN came from convoy HG.32F and escorted the convoy from 1 to 2 June. The DD was then detached to OG.31. Sloop WELLINGTON from convoy OG.31 escorted the convoy from 2 to 10 June. Sloop FOLKESTONE from convoy OG.32 escorted the convoy from 7 to 10 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 10 June.
Fr subs IRIS, PALLAS, VENUS, CERES passed Gib en route from the Antilles to Toulon, where they arrived on 3 June


----------



## parsifal (May 30, 2015)

*31 May 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis


Neutral


Allied


*Losses*




*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


Arrivals

Departures


At Sea 31 May 1940


*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*


*Northern Patrol*


*Northern Waters*


*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*

*UK-France*

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*

*Indian Ocean* 


*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*


----------



## parsifal (May 30, 2015)

*31 May 1940 RAF Operations*
UNFINISHED
2 sqn (Lysander)
Tac Recon,1 a/c lost, 1 KIA, 1 MIA, Believed crippled in attack by Uffz Busch of 2./JG20 during observation sortie between Nieuport (Nieuwpoort) and Ostend (Oostende), retired west at low level but shot down by Lt Müncheberg of Stb III./JG26 between Furnes (Veurne) and Dunkirk (Duinkerken/Dunkerque) 14.35 hrs.

16 sqn (Lysander)
Tac Recon 2 a/c lost, 1 KIA, 3 MIA Took off 11.00 hrs from Lympne, tasked to search for bombing targets and observation of own troops. A/C failed to return. Believed that claimed by Fw Witzel of 6./JG27 over Dunkirk 12.30 hrs. Crashed near Pihen-lès-Guines. One source stated that it was shot down by RAF fighters.

2nd a/c Shot down by Major Freiherr von Berg (Gruppenkommandeur) of Stab III./JG26 and crashed in Channel between Dunkirk and Nieuport (Nieuwpoort) 19.20 hrs. 

22 sqn (Bft)
1ac missing. No other mission details. In this case it is believed CPCC records are mistaken and this loss relates to 229 sqn. 

38 sqn (Well)
Diksmuide 1 a/c lost, 6 KIA. On the night of 30-31 May 1940 17 Wellingtons from RAF Marham took off to provide CAS for the BEF, as they withdrew from the beaches of Dunkirk.

85 sqn (Hurri)
Unknown Mission, UK. 2 a/c lost, 2 KIA no other details available


----------



## parsifal (May 30, 2015)

*31 May 1940 - The BEF*

On the morning of 31 May , a message of General Weygand was received by the War Office through the Howard-Vyse Mission. requesting the cooperation of 4 or 5 British divs in defence of Dunkirk. It was not clear whether the divs were to cover evacuation or to hold out indefinitely, but after consultation with Gen Georges it was learned that only the former was intended, and as Lord Gort had already been instructed 'continue to defend the present perimeter to the utmost in order to cover maximum evacuation' Weygand's request did not involved any change of policy and it was not necessary to vary the orders given on the day before.

During the morning Lord Gort visited Admiral Abrial at his HQs in the bastion at Dunkirk to coordinate plans for the evacuation of British and French forces. Among other French Service representatives at the meeting were Gens Fagalde and de la Laurencie, and after other details had been agreed Lord Gort invited the two gens to accompany him when he left for England. To his regret they declined, though it was arranged that some of the French III Corps Staff should sail with the remaining officers of the BEF HQ Staff. Having tried vainly to get permission to remain to the last, Lord Gort now issued his final operation order, of which the following are the most important paragraphs:



> Withdrawal
> 1.…
> 2.It is intended, after consultation with French authorities at Dunkirk, that both Corps and Dunkirk base should continue the withdrawal of troops, maintaining the defence of Dunkirk in cooperation with our French allies, in accordance with orders already issued. It is further intended that the final withdrawal of II Corps shall be completed during the night 31st May/1st June. Shipping resources will be allotted accordingly, and action taken as in following paras. II Corps will not finally abandon the perimeter before 2300 hrs, 31 May.
> 3.I Corps will assume command of 5 and 50 Divs. from 1800 hrs. 31st May. I Corps will use these divs to man the frontier defences and will issue orders, after consultation with II Corps, for their withdrawal to the frontier defences. 5 and 50 Divs. reps. report H.Q. I Corps forthwith. An outpost line will be maintained, to be selected by I Corps.
> ...


 
Lord Gort had decided that Maj-Gen Alexander (1st Div) should take command of I Corps for the final phase, and he now sent for him and handed him his instructions:


> 1.You have been selected to command the I Corps of the BEF and to assist our French allies in the defence of Dunkirk.
> 2.The responsibility for the defence of Dunkirk rests with the Fr Adm C-in-C, the Naval Forces of the Nth; you will act under his orders, but should any orders which he may issue to you be likely, in your opinion, to imperil the safety of the Force under your command you should make an immediate appeal to HM's Govt, through the Secretary of State for War, at the same time notifying the Admiral du Nord that you are doing so.
> 3.In addition to any sector of the defence of Dunkirk for which you may assume responsibility you will also occupy yourself with arrangements for the evacuation of the Force under your cmd. This you will do in collaboration with the Admiral du Nord and also in accordance with the policy which may be laid down from time to time by H.M. Govt. It is important that the troops of the Fr Army should share such facilities for evacuation as may be provided by H.M. Govt. The allotment of facilities for evacuation in accordance with this policy will be mad by the authorities at Home; if at any time you consider that the allotment is unreasonable, you should represent the matter to the Senior Naval Officer, Dunkirk, without delay.
> 4.If at any time in your judgement no further organised evacuation is possible, and no further proportionate damage can be inflicted on the enemy you are authorised in consultation with the Admiral du Nord to capitulate formally to avoid useless slaughter.



His personal adjutant stated postwar that '_I have recollection of him sitting in his room and cutting ribbons off a jacket which he would have to leave behind, for he took no more kit him than any private soldier_'. History was to deal fairly harshly with Gort and his perceived failures. To me this seems very unfair. Without his steadying hand and ruthlessness of purpose to save the manpower of the BEF at all costs it very likely would have ended far worse than it did. Between this point in time and the end, there was much history to be made, but this day marked the direct involvement of Gort in the panorama of unfolding events. 

Though there was fighting all along the southern front and especially near Bergues, the enemy's attack on this day was concentrated mainly on the Belgian half of the bridgehead, which was to be evacuated in the coming night but most be held till the time to leave arrived. On the 50th Div front between the frontier and Bulscamp, on the 3rd Div front near Furnes, and in the 4th Div sector at Nieuport, the enemy attacked heavily. Ground was lost and recovered by counter-attack and only small local gains remained to the enemy at the end of the day. And in the night II Corps withdrew to the beaches, leaving only the 50th Div in reserve behind the French troops holding the frontier. All the bridgehead was now within reach of the German artillery and though our BEF artillery retaliated, shortage of ammo severely limited what they could do.


----------



## parsifal (May 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses May (Part I)*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
Aux PV VESLEFRIKK (RNoN 350 grt (est)), Pre-WWI TB DRISTIG (RNorN 100 grt (est), Sub B.6 (RNoN 420 grt), DD TROLL (Nor 540 grt), TB SNOGG (RNoN 198 grt), Pre-WWI TB DJERV (RNorN 100 grt (est), 
(1700 grt)

DD GROM (ORP 2183 grt), ORP ORZEL (ORP 1100 grt), 
(3283 grt)

DD VAN GALEN (RNeN 1600 grt), Pre-1880 Gunboat BRAGA (RNeN 244 grt), Pre- WWI TB CHRISTIAAN CORNELUS (RNeN 47 grt), MSW M 2 (RNeN 202 grt), MSW ABRAHAM VAN DER HULST (RNeN 525 grt), MSW PIETER FLORISZ (RNeN 525 grt), Coast Defence Ship JACOB VAN HEEMSKERCK( RNeN 5000 grt), Gunboat BRINIO (RNeN 542 grt), Gunboat FREYR (RNeN 280 grt) , Gunboat HEFRING (RNeN 270 grt) , Gunboat TYR (RNeN 280 grt), DD GERARD CALLENBURGH (RNeN 1604 grt) DD TJERK HIDDES (RNeN 1604 grt), Pre WWI TB G1 Class JAN DANIELSON VAN DE RIJN (RNeN 145 grt), Sloop JOHAN MAURITS VAN NASSAU (RNeN 1537 grt), WWI TB G 16 ( RNeN 230 grt), MSW M 1 (RNeN 230 grt), M3 (RNeN 230 grt), M4 (RNeN 230 grt), Tug NORDZEE II (RNeN 260 grt), Sub O 8 (RNeN 343 grt), Sub O 11 (RNeN 526 grt), Sub O 12 (RNeN 715 grt), O 25 (RNeN 990 grt), O-26 (RNeN 990 grt), O-27 (RNeN 990 grt), TB Z 3 ( RNeN 322 grt), ML HYDRA (RNeN 593 grt), DD PHILIPS VAN ALMONDE (RNeN 1604 grt), Tug DE OCEAAN (RNeN 250 grt), 
(22678 grt)

Sub SEAL (RN 1770 grt), CL EFFINGHAM (RN 12170 grt), ML PRINCESS VICTORIA (RN 2197 grt), DD WHITLEY (RN 1100 grt), Aux MSW trawlers RIFSNESS (RN 431 grt), DD WESSEX (RN 1100 grt), ASW Trawler LOCH NAVER (RN 262 grt), DD AFRIDI (RN 1850 grt), DD VALENTINE (RN 1188 grt), Mine destructor ship CORBURN (RN 3060 grt), Naval Trawler CAPE PASSARO (RN 270 grt), Hospital Ship MAID OF KENT (RN 2633 grt), ASW Trawler MELBOURNE (RN 460 grt), ASW Trawler CHARLES BOYES (RN 290 grt), Mobile Naval Base Ship MASHOBRA (RN 7,288 grt), CLA CURLEW (RN 4190 grt), Boom defense vessel LOCH SHIN (RN 255 grt), RFA OLEANDER (RN 6594 grt), ASW Trawler CALVI (RN 363 grt), DD GRENADE (RN 1370 grt), Aux MSW BRIGHTON BELLE (RN 396 grt), MSW trawler THOMAS BARTLETT (RN 290 grt), ASW trawler THURINGIA (RN 550 grt), Drifter BOY ROY (RN 95 grt), Drifter PAXTON (RN 92 grt), Aux AA ship CRESTED EAGLE (RN 1110 grt), Aux MSW GRACIE FIELDS (RN 393 grt), LCA 4 (RN 13 grt), LCA 16 (RN 13 grt), LCA 18 (RN 13 grt), MSW trawler POLLY JOHNSON (RN 290 grt), Drifter COMFORT (RN 60 grt), DD GRAFTON (RN 1370 grt), Aux MSW WAVERLEY (RN 537 grt), Armed Trawler OCEAN REWARD (RN 95 grt), Boom defense vessel CAMBRIAN (RN 338 grt), Armed boarding Vesel KING ORRY (RN 1877 grt), Aux MSW DEVONIA (RN 622 grt), LCA 8 (RN 15 grt), LCA 15 (RN 15 grt), ASW trawler ST ACHILLEUS (RN 484 grt), 
(51086 grt)

DD L'ADROIT (Fr 1378 grt) , SC CH.9 (Fr 107 grt), PV Trawler LA LORIENTAISE (Fr 350 grt (est), Aux MSW AUGUSTIN NORMAND (Fr 175 grt), Aux MSW LEOPOLD SOUBLER (Fr 215 grt) , Aux MSW CECILE (Fr 350 grt (est), DD JAGUAR (Fr 2126 grt), DD ORAGE (Fr 1319 grt), Contre Torpilleur DD CHACAL (Fr 2126 grt), Aux MSW LA MATELOT (Fr 260 grt), DD BISON (Fr 2436 grt), Sub DORIS (Fr 552 grt), Aux MSW DUQUESNE II (Fr 181 grt ) Aux MSW HENRE GUEGAN (Fr 251 grt), Aux MSW MARDYCK (Fr 1100 grt), aux MSWs SAINT BERNOIT (Fr 315 grt), NOTRE DAME DE LORETTE (Fr 339 grt), BRIEN SANS PEINE (Fr 142 grt), JACQUES COEUR (Fr 285 grt), SAINT JOACHIM (Fr 192 grt), Tug TUMULTE (Fr 370 grt) , Tugs ORME (Fr 340 grt) BARFLEUR (Fr 330 grt), Aux MSW ETOILE DE NORD (Fr 317 grt), Aux MSW LA JEANINE (Fr 49 grt), Aux MSW TROMBE II (Fr 250 grt (est)), Aux MSW DIJONAIS (Fr 389 grt), Aux MSW LA MAJO (Fr 47 grt), Aux MSW JOSEPH MARIE (Fr 41 grt), Aux NSW MARGUERITE ROSE ( Fr 423 grt), DD BOURRASQUE (Fr 1319 grt), DD SIROCCO (Fr 1319 grt), 
(19393 grt) 
Total Naval tonnage: 98,140 grt

*Allied Shipping*
Lake MV ARLINGTON (Cdn 1870 grt), 
(1870 grt)

Tkr BEAUFORT (Nor 5053 grt), Hospital Ship DRONNING MAUD (Nor 1489 grt), Trawler PIONER I (Nor 191 grt), Steamer AAFJORD (Nor 335 grt), Steamer BLAAFJELD I (Nor 1146 grt), Steamer AAFJORD (Nor 335 grt), Steamer BLAAFJELD I (Nor 1146 grt), Steamer SEKSTANT (Nor 1626 grt), Steamer FOLDEN (Nor 316 grt), Steamer PAN (Nor 1309 grt), Pilot Vessel LOODSBOOT No.1 (Ne 626 grt), Steamer TORGTIND (Nor 298 grt), Steamer SIRIUS (Nor 944 grt), MV TORGTIND (Nor 298 grt), Sailing Barque BELGICA (Nor 263 grt), MV DENEB (Nor 856 grt), MV BJARKOY (Nor 311 grt), MV TENNESSEE (Nor 5667 grt), Coaster BLAAMANNEN (Nor 174 grt), 
(22385 grt)

MV MATAKANA (UK 8093 grt), MV REDSTONE (UK 3110 grt), MV SCIENTIST (UK 6199 grt), Tkr BRIGHTON (UK 5359 grt), Collier HENRY WOODALL (UK 695 grt), Steamer TRINGA (UK 1930 grt), Steamer CITY OF BRUSSELS (UK 629 grt), MV KYLE FIRTH (UK 450 grt), MV SAINT KEARAN (UK 692 grt), MV PEMBROKE COAST (UK 625 grt), Steamer BAWTRY (UK 835 grt), MV FIRTH FISHER (UK 574 grt), MV HUBBERSTONE (UK 874 grt) , MV SPINEL (UK 750 grt), MV EFFORD (UK 329 grt), FV TEASER (UK 9 grt), MV SIGURD FALBAUMS (Ex-Ger 3256 grt), Steamer BRIGHTON (UK 2391 grt), MV SPINEL (UK 650 grt), Blockship FLORENTINO (UK 1822 grt), Blockship TRANSEA (UK 1499 grt), Blockship ATLANTIC GUIDE (UK 1943 grt) and Blockship BORODINO (UK 2004 grt), MV SHEAF MEADE (UK 5008), Drifter OCEAN REWARD (UK 95 grt), Steamer SEQUACITY (UK 870 grt), Steamer WORTHTOWN (UK 868 grt), Personnel ship QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL (UK 1162 grt), Steamer FENELLA (UK 2376 grt), Steamer CLAN MACALISTER (UK 6787 grt), Steamer LORINA (UK 1578 grt), Ferry MONA'S QUEEN (UK 2756 grt), Steamer ABUKIR (UK 694 grt), Drifter NAUTILUS (UK 64 grt), Steamer CARARE (UK 6878 grt), Drifter GIRL PAMELA (UK 93 grt), MV STANHALL (UK 4831 grt), Trawler CORRENIE (UK 203 grt), Steamer NORMANNIA (UK 1567 grt), Canal Boats AMBLEVE (UK 150 grt (est)), Canal Boat YSER (UK 150 grt (est)), MV ORANGEMOOR (UK 5775 grt), 
(86623 grt)

MV MAIANBAR (Aus 513 grt), Lugger SCALARIA (Aus 120 grt (est)), 
(633 grt)

Steamer BOSCHDIJK (Ne 6876 grt), (est))MV DINTELDIJK (Ne 5333 grt), Liner VEENDAM (Ne 15,450 grt), Liner STATENDAM (Ne 28,291 grt), Steamer STELLA (Ne 2818 grt), JAN PIETERSEN COEN (Ne 11640 grt), Steamer PIA (Ne 304 grt), 
(70712 grt)

Transport CHOBRY (Pol 11400 grt), 
(11400 grt)

LINER VILLE DE BRUGES (Be 11869 grt), Dredger VLAANDEREN I (Be 1218 grt), MV ANTVERPIA (Be 4933 grt), FV DE NORMANDIE (Be 137 grt), FV ERNESTINE GABRIELLE (Be 13 grt), FV IINDEPENDENCE (Be 110 grt (est)), FV GEORGETTE SIMONE (Be 11 grt), FV NELLY SUZANNE (Be 151 grt), Yacht ALOHA (Be 181 grt), Dredger VOLKGRACHT IV (Be 300 grt), Tug VULCAIN (Be 200 grt), Tug MAX (Be 177 grt), Tug THAMES (Be 144 grt), Steamer EGYPTE (Be 2568 grt), 
(22012 grt)

Tug HERCULE (Fr 216 grt), Tkr NIGER (Fr 5482 grt), Tkr OPHELIE (Fr 6477 grt), Tkr SALOME (Fr 13,291 grt), Steamer PAVON (Fr 4128 grt), MV PORTRIEUX (Fr 2460 grt), Lightship DYCK (Fr 500 grt), MV CERES (Fr 3079 grt), MV SAINT CAMILE (Fr 3274 grt), Steamer ADEN (Fr 8033 grt), MV CAP TAFELNAH (Fr 2366 grt), Steamer DOUAISIEN (Fr 2954 grt), MV MARIE ROSE (Fr 2477), Steamer MONIQUE SCHIAFFFINO (Fr 3236 grt), Steamer MARS (Fr 721 grt), Tug SAMSUN (Fr 95 grt), Steamer SAINT CLAIRE (Fr 3824 grt), Steamer SAINT OCTAVE (Fr 5099 grt), Liner BRAZZA (Fr 10387 grt), Sailing Vessel JULIEN (Fr 116 grt), Steamer AIN EL TURK (Fr 2008 grt), Steamer COTE D'AZUR (Fr 3047 grt), trawlers PUISSANT (Fr 200 grt), Trawler COSTAUD (Fr 140 grt), Trawler ADJADER (Fr 414 grt), TRAWLER LA CANNCALAISE (Fr 510 GRT), Tug CALAISIEN (Fr 250 GRT (Est)), 
(84784 grt)

Total Allied Mercantile tonnage lost: (300419 grt)

Prizes captured 
ESTE (Ger7915 grt), VANCOUVER (Ger 8269 grt), HENRY HORN (Ger 3164 grt), PATRICIA (Ger 3979 tons), FRISIA (Ger 561 grt ), KARIBIA (Ger 428 grt), ALEMANIA (Ger 1380 grt), FV L 61 / Terje Viken (28 GRT), FVs EMMANUEL (Den 33 grt) and JENS HVAS (Den 50 grt (est))


----------



## parsifal (May 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses May (Part II)*
*Neutral*
Neutral Shipping
MV HAGA (SD 1258 grt), Fishing vessel AIMY (SD 200 grt), steamer TORSTEN (SD 1206 grt), Steamer EDDA (SD 1652 grt), Steamer FRAMNAS (SD 721 grt), Steamer ROSENHOLM (SD 1736 grt), MV ERIK FRISELL (SD 5066 grt), DAHLIA (SD 1078 grt), LYGIA (SD 1480 grt),and BRITA (SD 1345 grt),
(15742 grt)

Schooner MAGICIENNE (Den 248 grt), MV SKANDIA (Den 1248 grt), Steamer GORM (Den 2156 grt), Fishing Vessels S.130 (Den 50 grt (est), S.175 (Den 50 grt (est)), 
(3752 grt)

Tkr SAN TIBURCIO (US 5995 grt), 
(5995 grt)

Fishing vessel SAINT PIERRE (Belg 15 grt), 
(15 grt)

MV MAKIS (Gk 3546 grt), MV GALAXIAS (Gk 4633 grt), MV KYMA (Gk 3994 grt), Steamer EVGENIA (Gk 5839 grt),
(18012 grt)

Steamer VIIU (Est 1908 grt), 
(1908 grt)

Steamer SALLY (FN 2533 grt),
(2533 grt)

Steamer FOSCOLO (Italy 3059 grt), 
(3059 grt)

Tkr CLAIRY (Pan 5838 grt), 
(5838 grt)

Cargo Liner PALENA (Chile 2460 grt), 
(2460 grt)

Tkr JOSEPH SEEP (Pan 7088 grt) , 
(7088 grt)

MV URUGUAY (Arg 3425 grt)
(3425 grt)

Total Neutral Shipping Lost
(69827 grt)

TOTAL NEUTRAL ALLIED NAVAL MERCANTILE SHIPPING LOST
[538213 grt)


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## parsifal (May 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses May 1940 (Part III)*
*Axis*
*Axis Warships*
ML ULLER (DKM 250 grt), Aux MSW M1102/H.A.W. MOLLER (DKM 350 grt (est)), V-101 (DKM 500 grt (EST)), V-811 (DKM 500 grt (est)), Tkr CORRIENTES (DKM 4565 grt, AK CAMPINAS (DKM 4541 grt), coastal steamer NORDNORGE (Ex Nor, DKM 991 grt), MSW M-134 (DKM 550 grt (est)), Aux PV Vp.1109 (DKM 291 grt), Type IIB U.13 (DKM 328 grt)
(12866 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Axis Shipping*
transport BUENOS AIRES (Ger 6097 grt), troop transport BAHIA CASTILLO (Ger 8580 grt), steamer VOGESEN (Ger 4241 grt), MV BRAGE (Ger 5954 grt), MV VOGESEN (Ger 4220 grt), MV EMSSTROM (Ger 4517 grt), Steamer ALMORA (Ex-Nor 2433 grt), Steamer KEM (Ex-Nor 1706 grt), MV GOSLAR (Ger 6000 grt), MV SOPHIE RICKMERS (Ger 7033 grt), MV WESTERWALD (Ger 4541 grt), ESTE (Ger7915 grt), VANCOUVER (Ger 8269 grt), HENRY HORN (Ger 3164 grt), PATRICIA (Ger 3979 tons), FRISIA (Ger 561 grt ), KARIBIA (Ger 428 grt), ALEMANIA (Ger 1380 grt), MV ANTILLA (Ger 4363 grt), Trawler ALBION (Ex-Nor 192 grt), Steamer HELENE (Ger 2160 grt) , MV FRANZ HANIEL (Ger 2152 grt), MONARK (Ex Sd, Ger 1786 grt), Trawler VANSO (Ex-Nor 54 grt), MV VANSO (Ex-Nor 55 grt), Steamer FINKENAU (Ger 916 grt), 

87297 (Mercantile)

Prizes
Sub B.6 (RNoN 420 grt), DD TROLL (Nor 540 grt), TB SNOGG (RNoN 198 grt)

Steamer ROSENHOLM (SD 1736 grt)

TOTAL NAVAL and MERCANTILE TONNAGE LOST 106163 grt(12866 grt (Naval), 87297 grt (Mercantile))


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## Njaco (May 31, 2015)

*June 1 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Despite increased Luftwaffe attacks a total of 64,429 men are evacuated from Dunkirk. Overnight, British troops pulled out of the defensive line around Dunkirk and headed for the ships, leaving French troops to hold a reduced perimeter. The perimeter is drawn in, the British withdrawing from the Colme to the line Bergues, Uxem, Ghyrelde, Bass-Plaine. 47,081 Allied troops were evacuated from the harbor and 17,348 from the beaches. The Germans increase their efforts, breaking the defensive perimeter along the canals at Bergues and forcing retreats in other sectors as well.

Leading Seaman Ernest Frederick Eldred was on the destroyer HMS “_Harvester_” during the evacuation from Dunkirk. The crew members thought they were simply on patrol; then they saw the boats steaming across the Channel;


> “I suppose you would call it more of a holiday scene with every type of boat and craft, an endless line across the Channel; some being towed by larger boats. It was a fantastic sight.”



The Luftwaffe executes an all-out effort over Dunkirk. After day break, German bombing sank French destroyer “_Le Foudroyant_” (killing 19), British destroyers HMS “_Basilisk_”, HMS “_Havant_”, and HMS “_Keith_” (killing 36). British minesweeper HMS “_Skipjack_” was bombed after embarking 275 soldiers from the beach, taking down 19 crew and most of the boarded soldiers. British steamer “_Scotia_” was bombed and sunk, killing 32 crew and 200 to 300 soldiers. Sergeant George Benton, RAMC, was carrying wounded men on stretchers to a ship at the East Mole when a bomb blew a hole in the walkway. Unflinching, he calmly placed a stretcher over the gap and carried on with the evacuation of the wounded. Several of the Channel ferries and other ships, which form the backbone of the evacuation fleet are also damaged. The RAF sends eight large patrols to give cover but most of the damage is done in the intervals between them. HMS “_Mosquito_”, a Yangtse river gunboat is overwhelmed by air attacks and sinks in the English Channel off Dunkirk. Her surviving crew are picked up by drifters.

Radio News Report, Edward R. Murrow on Dunkirk (6/1/1940)

B class destroyer leader HMS “_Keith_” suffers air attacks in the English Channel off Bray. Her steering is jammed, her engine room damaged and she lists to port. The Admiral transfers to MTB 102 and then “_Keith_” is sunk by further bombing. 36 of the crew become casualties in the air attacks, and an additional 100 when the rescue tug is lost.

Destroyer HMS “_Basilisk_” is overwhelmed in a series of air attacks and loses all steam power. She is finally sunk in the English Channel off La Panne in shallow water and her hull destroyed by depth charges dropped by HMS “_Whitehall_”. There are 131 survivors.

Just after departing Dunkirk, HMS “_Havant_” receives two bomb hits in her engine room and another as she passes over it. “_Havant_” is anchored and the soldiers transferred to other craft whilst under air attack. She is then abandoned, rolls over and sinks in the English Channel off Dunkirk. There are 8 casualties.

HMS “_Skipjack_” is overwhelmed by air attacks as she is evacuating soldiers from Malo les Bains. She capsizes and sinks taking with her over 270 soldiers, the few that survived were machine gunned in the water. 

.


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## Njaco (May 31, 2015)

*June 1 Saturday* (_continued_)
But the Luftwaffe loses 240 aircraft over the beaches as opposed to 177 aircraft lost by the RAF. Douglas Bader achieved his first kill, which was a German Bf 109 fighter. The first encounter of the day finds Hptm. Wolfgang Schellmann of the Stab II./JG 2 destroying a British Lysander over the beaches for his fifth victory at 0545 hours in the morning.

The pilots of JG 26 have their ups and downs on this day. In the morning at 0630 hours over the Dunkirk beaches, I Gruppe intercepts Spitfires from RAF Nos.19, 222 and 616 Squadrons. Two Spitfires are shot down with claims going to Uffz. Heinz Wolf of 3 / JG 26 for his first score and Oblt Fritz Losigkeit of 2./JG 26 for his second victory. But for the two British planes the Gruppe lose two pilots. Lt. Siegfried Gruel and Oblt. Alfred Pomaska are shot down and killed over the beach area. A second major action at 1230 hours finds II./JG 26 engaging with Hurricanes over the beach. Seven British Hurricanes are claimed by the Gruppe. First victories are given to Uffz. Ernst Nischik of 6./JG 25 and Lt. Karl Borris. Lt. Hans Krug of 5./JG 26 and Lt. Wolfgang Kosse of 6./JG 26 get their third kills of their careers and Fw. Wilhelm Roth of 4./JG 26 gets his fourth victory. Uffz. Hans Wemhöner of 5./JG 26 destroys two Hurricanes to bring his score to three kills. Later the Gruppe returns to base to find Hptm. Erich Noack has been named as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26. Oberfeldwebel Emil Babenz is posted from flight school to 3./JG 26.

At 0900 hours, fighters from JG 27 tangle with Spitfires and RAF bombers, with the pilots of JG 27 claiming two Wellingtons, one to Fw. Otto Sawallisch of 2./JG 27 for his second victory and one bomber to Oblt. Gerhardt Framm, also of 2 / JG 27, for his sixth victory. 

Several small skirmishes follow in the morning with a Lysander going down under the guns of Lt. Hans-Jürgen von Moller of 1./JG 2 for the second kill of his career, followed by a first kill for Uffz. Herbert Hoffmann of 5./JG 52, a Potez 63. At 1130 hours, Oblt. Walter Oesau of 1./JG 20 gets his fourth kill when he destroys a Blenheim over Ostende. In one of the last combats of the day, III./JG 53 encounters Hurricanes over Reims at 2000 hours. Within several minutes, Lt. Hans Fleitz destroys a Hurricane for his third kill while Lt. Hans Kunert downs a Hurricane for his fourth victory. Both pilots are from 8./JG 53.

French industrial targets in the Rhône Valley were bombed by the German Luftwaffe. Germans bomb the Lyons-Marseilles railway. The British liner "_Orford_" (20,000 t) is sunk at Marseilles.

The Stab of II./JG 52 loses Oblt. Paul Gutbrod when he is killed in combat. Later in the war, pilots of the Gruppe carry Gutbrod’s name on their aircraft in honor of the pilot that started the Gruppe’s victory tally.

Lord Gort was made the aide-de-camp to King George VI. Heinz Guderian was named the commander of Panzer Group Guderian. In Paris, Leopold III, the King of the Belgians, is struck off the Order of the Legion of Honour.

A Ju 88A from 2(F)./122 failed to return from a reconnaissance mission over Dunkirk. The recon bomber may have been lost to F/O Moberley of RAF 616 Sqd. The aircraft fell into the English Channel.

The Swiss Army Staff reported:


> ‘This afternoon in the Jura mountains, Swiss sovereign territory was violated by foreign aircraft. The Swiss Alarm Patrol immediately took up pursuit, engaged in aerial combat with a German bomber and shot down the aircraft near Lignieres (Ger. Tassenberg). One hour later another Swiss fighter plane engaged in aerial combat with a second German aircraft over the Freiburg region (Fr. Franches-Montagnes). The burning German plane crashed onto French territory near Oltingen, on the other side of the Swiss border.’



,



.


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## parsifal (Jun 1, 2015)

*1 June 1940 (Part 1)*

*DD KEITH (RN 1380 grt) *The "B" Class DD was damaged by the near miss at Dunkirk. Later, before leaving Dunkirk, she was bombed again at 0915 and sunk. 36 crew were killed and 2 were wounded . The survivors were picked up by tugs ST ABBS, VINCIA, SERVIA and Dutch steamer HILDA. MSW SALAMANDER. . 





*Tug ST ABBS (UK 496 grt)* was lost later on the 1st with the survivors still on board and one hundred navy and army personnel were lost in the tug. 





*DD HAVANT (RN 1400 grt) *was badly damaged at 0905 by Ju87s off Dunkirk. She was taken in tow, but sank five miles from West Buoy. 33 crew were lost in the attack . MSW SALTASH scuttled her after taking off the crew. 





*DD BASILISK (RN 1337 grt)* The "B" Class DD, was immobilised by near misses at 0800. She was then again badly damaged by air attack at 1258 causing her to be abandoned. 7 of her 138 crew were killed. 77 survivors rescued by Fr trawler LE JOLIE MASCOTTE, and 54 by DD WHITEHALL Other survivors got away in a motor boat and a whaler. BASILISK was later scuttled by DD WHITEHALL, which was damaged herself by near misses. 





*MSW SKIPJACK (RN 785 grt)* The Halcyon Class MSW from MSW Flot 6 was sunk by 5 direct hits from Ju87s. She had 275 men on board her at this time, most of whom were below decks and lost. 





*DD FOUDROYANT (Fr 1378 grt) *The Adroit Class DD had departed Dover at 0800 on the 1st, was sunk by the LW off Dunkirk. 150 survivors were picked up by Fr trawler BERNADETTE (302grt), and PV GAVA (256grt) and motor yacht NAIAD ERRANT also rescued a number of survivors. A total of 137 crew and 83 soldiers were rescued.





*Aux MSW DENIS PAPIN (Fr 309 grt)* was bombed and sunk by Junkers Ju 87 a/c.





*MSW LA MOUSSAILLON (Fr 38 grt)* were sunk by Ju87s at Dunkirk.





*MSW VENUS (Fr 264 grt)* sunk by Ju87s at Gravellines





*Steamer SCOTIA (UK 3454 grt)* The passenger ship was bombed and sunk off Dunkerque by the LW with the loss of 28 crew and at least 200 French soldiers. Survivors rescued by DD ESK, HMT FISHER BOY, HMT FIDGET, and HMT JAKETA. .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*AK ORFORD (UK 20,043 grt)* was bombed and damaged by LR LW a/c in the Med off Marseilles.The troopship was set afire and beached whilst evacuating Allied troops. 14 people were lost . The wreck was broken up for scrap in Savona, Italy, in 1947.




_The SS ORFORD photographed leaving Fremantle in January 1940, carrying elements of the AIF 6th Div _

*ASW trawler ARGYLLSHIRE (RN 540 grt)* of ASWGp 11 and *MSW STELLA DORADO (RN 550grt) *(ASWGp10) were torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea off Dunkerque by DKM S-34 whilst on patrol with MSW trawlers LORD MELCHETT and STELLA RIGEL. 5 survivors were rescued by HMT MALABAR. STELLA DORADO went down with the loss of all hands.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Tug ELBE (Be 150 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Dunkirk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Yacht AMULREE (UK 89 grt)* was sunk at 0200 in a collision with DD VIMY in the Dover Strait. VIMY was out of action, and departed for Dover. On the 2nd she was moved to Cardiff for repairs.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Gunboat MOSQUITO (RN 585 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW off Dunkirk, and was scuttled by gunboat LOCUST on the 3rd. Lt A. H. Manwaring and a number of ratings were lost; Lt D. H.P. Gardiner and S/Lt E. S.Flint RNR, were wounded.





*Yacht GRIVE (RN 687 grt) * was sunk by the LW at 2355. 5 crew and a Fleet Air Arm Survivor rescued that day were lost 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Drifter FAIR BREEZE (UK 92 grt)* was sunk after a collision with a wreck in Dunkirk harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Drifter LORD CAVAN (RN 96 grt)* mine Recovery Flotilla) was sunk by German shore guns at Dunkirk. Her entire crew were rescued by a DD.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sailing barges LARK (Uk 67 grt)* and *ROYALTY (UK 101 grt) *were beached and abandoned at Dunkirk and Malo les Bains, respectively. 3 crew and 6 soldiers were rescued from barge ROYALTY
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sail barges DUCHESS (UK 72 grt)* and L*ADY ROSEBERRY (UK 109 grt) *were lost 3 miles east of Dunkirk when the tug they were alongside was blown up on a mine. The entire crew of the barge DUCHESS was rescued. One crewman was lost on the LADY ROSEBERRY.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Sailing barge DORIS (UK 83 grt)* were sunk on mines three miles east of Dunkirk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Sailing barges BARBARA JEAN (UK 144 grt)* and *ETHEL EVERAND (UK 190 grt)* were blown up and abandoned at Dunkirk. *Sailing barge AIDIE (UK 92 grt)* was blown up and abandoned between Dunkirk and La Panne. 3 crew were saved from barge BARBARA JEAN, the entire crew was saved from AIDIE, the entire crew was saved from ETHEL EVERAND.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

In the tow of two tugs, *FV RENOWN (UK 9 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Sandettie Light Vessel. 4 crew were lost on the FVl.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Boom carrier ASTRONOMER (UK 8401 grt)*, Crew: 105 (4 dead and 101 survivors) Cargo: 3000 tons of naval stores Route: Rosyth - Scapa Flow Sunk off the Scottish Coast near Wick. At 23.48 hours the ship was hit in the stern by 1 G7e torpedo from U-58 30 miles SE of Wick. At 03.18 and 04.43 hours on 2 June, the vessel was hit by two coups de grâce and sank about one hour after the last hit The survivors were rescued by LEICESTER CITY and HMT STOKE CITY.





*MSW BRIGHTON QUEEN (RN 550 grt) *The paddle MSW was shelled and sunk in the North Sea off Dunkerque. The survivors were rescued by HMS SALTASH.




_Sister ship Brighten Belle pictured. The Paddle MSWs proved very useful in the evacuation, despite their age_

*MV IOANNA (Gk 950 grt)* Crew: Not known Cargo: Onions Route: Alexandria - Newcastle Attached to HG 32F: The cargo ship straggled behind the convoy. She was shelled and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 120 nautical miles west of Cape Finisterre by U-37 All crew were rescued by CABO RAZO (Spain).





*ST FAGAN (RN 350 grt) *The Saint class Admiralty tug was bombed and sunk in the North Sea off Dunkerque by Luftwaffe a/c. 25 crewmen killed, 7 rescued.





*Trawler SLASHER (UK 195 grt)* was sunk by the LW 70 miles northeast, one half mile east of the Spurn Light Vessel , 1 crewman was killed on the British trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


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## parsifal (Jun 1, 2015)

*1 June1940 (Part II) *
*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-46

At Sea 1 June 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub TRUANT arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Subs TRITON, TRIDENT, SALMON, SNAPPER, SEALION, SUNFISH departed patrol areas to return to base. Subs TRIAD, SEAWOLF, STURGEON were still at sea. ORP sub ORZEL (already lost) was ordered to relieve sub TRIDENT's billet. Sub L.26 departed Harwich for Sheerness arriving later the same day. Sub L.26 was docked the next day.

OA.159 departed Southend escort corvette CLARKIA. MT.79 departed Methil, escorted by sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.185 departed the Tyne, escort sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

*Northern Waters*
DD FORESTER arrived at Scapa at 1600, before she departed with DD MAORI for Aberdeen to escort two troopships to Lerwick and then return to Scapa. On 2 May, DD MAORI dropped DCs on a contact off Lerwick. DD FORESTER proceeded on to Lerwick with the convoy. That morning, FORESTER was ordered to rejoin MAORI to hunt the sub. Both DDs arrived at Scapa after this operation early on the 3rd. DD AMAZON arrived in the Clyde after being relieved by DD WREN in the DD ESKIMO escort. Sloop FLEETWOOD, departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth after DD ESKIMO escort duty. British oiler BRITISH GOVERNOR arrived at Scapa from Harstad.
Steamers CYPRIAN PRINCE, RUTLAND, GUNVOR MAERSK, escort ASW trawlers INDIAN STAR and ANGLE, arrived at Scapa from the Narvik area. Sub NARWHAL arrived at Immingham and departed the same day for ML mission FD.16 on the 3rd off Jaederens. 

British troopships ORMONDE and ORAMA departed Scapa for Harstad escort DD FOXHOUND. When this group met troopships that had departed the Clyde on 31 May off Cape Wrath, DD FOXHOUND returned to Scapa where she arrived on the 2nd. DD WHIRLWIND escorting troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN departed Harstad for Scapa where they arrived on the 3rd. British repair ship VINDICTIVE departed Scapa for Harstad.

Following the loss of the ASTRONOMER, ASW Trawler STOKE CITY dropped DCs on a contact without result. At 0640, an /c bombed a sub contact, 25 miles sth of ASTRONOMER's position. DDs MASHONA and KELVIN set off to search, but were unsuccessful. At 1100 on the 2nd, ENCOUNTER and ATHERSTONE departed Rosyth. ATHERSTONE proceeded to Scapa where she later that day.
DD ENCOUNTER was to join the search for the sub contact near ASTRONOMER. On the 2nd, ATHERSTONE, still en route to Scapa Flow, reported a line of mines near where boom carrier ASTRONOMER sank. Boom defense vessel BARBICAN, escorted by ASW trawler ELM, proceeded to the area. They recovered the mooring buoys, covered by DDs MASHONA and ENCOUNTER, took them to Scapa Flow arriving on the 3rd. DD KELVIN arrived at Scapa on the 3rd. DDs MASHONA and ENCOUNTER arrived at Scapa on the 3rd.

*West Coast UK*
DD TARTAR departed Liverpool for Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 2nd. OB.159 departed Liverpool escort sloop SANDWICH from 1 to 4 June. The sloop was detached to convoy HX.45.

*Channel*
*Operation Dynamo*
64,429 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.
CLA CALCUTTA departed Sheerness late on 31 May escorted by patrol sloops MALLARD and SHEARWATER and operated off Dunkirk near Bray.

DD IVANHOE was badly damaged by the LW at Dunkirk. DD HAVANT and MSW SPEEDWELL took off her wounded and part of the crew, and Tug PERSIA towed IVANHOE back to England. 26 ratings were killed. She repaired at Chatham completing on 24 August.
DD WHITEHALL departed Dover late on the 1st for Plymouth. The DD was repaired and reboilered at Plymouth, not returning to service until 26 August.

MSW HEBE was damaged by near misses at Dunkirk, but was not put out of action. She departed Dover on the 3rd for Portsmouth.
MSW HALCYON was machine gunned by the LW at Dunkirk. One crewman was mortally wounded. Patrol sloop KINGFISHER was damaged by the near misses at Dunkirk. DD WORCESTER was badly damaged by the LW at Dunkirk. Returning to Dover, she was damaged in a collision with steamer MAID OF ORLEANS which was also badly damaged. WORCESTER departed Dover on the 3rd for Tilbury, and was repaired at London, returning to service on 11 July. DD HARVESTER was damaged by near misses and forced to return to Sheerness. on the 3rd, she departed Dover for Chatham for repairs to her furnace. DDs VENOMOUS, VIMY, VIVACIOUS and MSW SALAMANDER were damaged by the LW at Dunkirk. VENOMOUS, VIMY, VIVACIOUS were all repaired at Portsmouth completing on the 13th, within a week, on the 11th, respectively. Destroyer VENOMOUS also damaged her stern on the 1st when she collided with the harbour wall. DD VIVACIOUS was temporarily repaired at Chatham in time for port blocking operations on 2/3 June at Dunkirk. MSW SALAMANDER departed Dover on the 2nd for Sheerness. DD SHIKARI was damaged by the LW at Dunkirk, and departed Dover with DD CODRINGTON. The destroyer was taken to Plymouth for repairs completed on the 18th. MTB 100 was damaged by near misses at Dunkirk.

DDs ICARUS, VANQUISHER, WINDSOR evacuated 3000 troops from Dunkirk. MSW SPEEDWELL grounded west of La Panne and embarked troops until towed off by MSW ALBURY. DD WHITSHED, repaired her damage from the Boulogne evacuation, ESK, MALCOLM, CODRINGTON, SABRE, WINCHELSEA were also at Dunkirk to lift troops. Off the Bray, DD SABRE embarked 451 troops and MSW NIGER embarked 310 troops.

Patrol sloop WIDGEON near Sth Falls reported she was attacked by a SBoats, but no damage was done. DD VIMY was out of action. The DD departed Dover early on the 2nd for Cardiff for repairs. Hospital ship ST DAVID, at anchor off Dover, was damaged on the 1st by the spontaneous explosion of a mine.

Steamer PRAGUE (UK 4220 grt) was damaged by the LW 13 miles from Nth Foreland. PRAGUE was assisted by DD SHIKARI, sloop SHEARWATER, aux MSW QUEEN OF THANET. The steamer was towed in and beached on Sandwich Flats. She was refloated and anchored in the Downs on the 6th to await tugs to take her to London for repairs.

*Med- Biscay*
AMCs CARINTHIA and ASTURIAS departed Gib to return to England. AMC DERBYSHIRE on patrol off the Spanish ports was ordered to leave her patrol area and return to the Clyde. AMC PATROCLUS was ordered to depart Casablanca and patrol in the Teneriffe area.


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## parsifal (Jun 1, 2015)

*1 June 1940 RAF Operations*
2 sqn (Lysander)
Tac Recon. 1 a/c lost, 2 MIA, Shot down by Hptmn Schellmann (Gruppenkommandeur) of Stab II./JG2 and crashed in the Channel between Nieuport and de Panne, 16.45 hrs.

17 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, Bailed out and returned by ship to England. P/O Manger was to die on 11/08/1940 on the age of 23. Other details of combat not reported

26 sqn (Lysander)
Tac Recon 2 a/c lost, 4 KIA. took off from Lympne. 1a/c returned badly damaged by Flak and crashed on landing at Hawkinge, 06.45 hrs. 2nd a/c shot down by Lt von Moller of 1./JG2 and crashed sth of Furnes (Veurne). 

37 sqn (Well)
Nieuwpoort 2 a/c lost, 2 KIA, 1 DOW, 5 MIA, 2 POW, 1st a/c lost Airborne 2135 31May40 from Feltwell. Crashed near Eringham (Nord) 11 km S of Dunkirk, cause not established. 2nd a/c Airborne 0100 1Jun40 from Feltwell. Lost without trace.

41 sqn (spit)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 MIA. No other details 

43 sqn (Hurri) 
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 MIA

58 sqn (Whitley)
Unknown mission flown, no losses

64 sqn (Spit)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA (no other details)

66 sqn (Spit)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA (no other details)

73 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA (no other details)

87sqn (Hurri)
Patrol Dunkirk, 1 a/c lost, 1 MIA

110 sqn (Blen) Unspecified opn UK. 1 KIA or DOW 

111 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk F/L R.P.R. Powell shot down a Do17


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## parsifal (Jun 1, 2015)

*1 June 1940 - The BEF*

The withdrawal of II Corps for evacuation left few British troops for the defence of the bridgehead sector for which they were responsible. Though the reduction of the front was of advantage to the Army, it made the Navy's task more difficult, for it allowed the enemy to move his artillery to positions from which the harbour, the beaches, and the sea approaches could all be covered by fire from the east.

On the morning of June the 1st about 39,000 of the British Expeditionary Force remained in the contracted British sector. The French held a reduced sector to the west, their forces joining up with the British on the Bergues Canal. From there the British held the southern face of the bridgehead while the east face, following the French frontier to the sea, was now held by the French 12th Div with the British 50th Div in support. Other Fr troops were in position on the intermediate line behind the British defence of the Bergues–Furnes Canal. There were on this date about 50,000 French troops in defensive positions. In addition 80,000 had been assembled for evacuation in the dunes, of whom 30,000 had already sailed. It has been calculated since that there were also about 20,000 in detached small groups not included in the French reckoning. Many of these were deserters or simply men detached from their parent formations. 

After Lord Gort had handed over command on the previous day Gen Alexander had conferred with Admiral Abrial. The latter thought it possible to contact the bridgehead still further and to hold a front (on the east of Dunkirk) running roughly from Bergues, through Uxem and Ghyvelde to Basse Plaine and from there by the French frontier to the sea—which was called "the intermediate line".

Gen Alexander thought that this proposal was impracticable. The danger of the naval and military situation was increasing hourly; in his view if the bridgehead were thus further contracted the line held would be so near to Dunkirk and the beaches that the enemy's close-range artillery-fire would make continued evacuation impossible. On the other hand he thought that the British rearguard 
could hold their present position for another 24 hrs (but no more) and he proposed that the evacuation of all remaining troops should therefore be completed in the coming night of 1st/2nd June. Admiral Abrial reported these opposed views to Gen Weygand, . This disagreement caused Gen Alexander to seek instructions from the British Secretary of State for War. The latter replied '_You should withdraw your forces as rapidly as possible a 50–50 basis with the French Army, aiming at completion by night of 1st/2nd June. You should inform French of this definite instruction._'.

When shown this message Admiral Abrial had no choice bu to agree. In consequence, the existing British front was ordered to hould be held till midnight of the 1st and that the troops should then be withdrawn to the beaches under cover of darkness. In the meantime while French evacuation would also continue French troops would man the intermediate position which he had named (Uxem–Ghyvelde–Basse Plaine) through which the British could retire, leaving only AA and AT guns and any troops who could not be get away. Gen Alexander's view that the intermediate line could not be held was based on his knowledge that few British troops were left to hold it and on his ignorance of the number of French troops still available for defence. In the even, as will be seen, French troops fought for about 2 days and held off the German attacks while about 15,000 British and some 70,000 French troops were evacuated to England. Gen Alexander, therefore, underestimated the time for which the immediate position could be held, but he delayed the enemy's attack on that line by holding the forward position on the Bergues–Furnes Canal for 24 hours after Admiral Abrial had proposed its abandonment.

The British troops had bitter fighting during this, their final day on the canal. Shelling and mortaring continued without pause and all units had heavy casualties. The enemy's main attacks were at Bergues and Hoymille on the sector held by the 46th Div; and on the 1st Div front in the sectors held by the 1st East Lancashire, and 2nd Coldstream Gds, and the 1st Duke of Wellington's regt. At Hoymille the attack penetrated the front held by a coy of the 2nd Warwickshire and, by bde orders, the 1st Loyals on their right withdrew from Bergues itself to the canal on the northern outskirts of the town. From there in the afternoon the counter-attacked the enemy who had crossed the canal in the Warwickshire position. The ground was waterlogged through flooding and only slow movement was possible. Enemy MG fire was severe. The country-attack failed and the cos were back on their start-line by 1700. But the CO of the Loyals was not satisfied. He ordered a further attack 'with more vigorous action'. At 1730 the cos advanced again and this time they drove back the enemy and re-established the line on the canal bank.

Further east the 1st East Lancashire Regt could not prevent some of the enemy from crossing the canal, but they were stopped from making progress till the East Lancashire had retired to the Canal des Chats. Capt H. M. Ervine-Andrews of the East Lancashire Regt was awarded the VC for his action on this occasion. The Coldstream were not attacked, and held the original front on the canal with both flanks refused, i.e. drawn back. For on their right the 5th Border Regt were also withdrawn to the Canal des Chats and on their left the 1st Duke of Wellington's Regt were forced to fall back behind the nearby dyke as a result of heavy fighting. So the day passed, and after dark the British troops were all withdrawn behind the intermediate line held by the French. By the morning of 2 June they were all on the coast ready for evacuation.

For the RN, and the Marine Nationale, June 1 was a hard day, but was undertaken with grim determination. The LW concentrated both air fleets on the destruction of the evacuating ships, and despite the best efforts of FC, there were gaps in the air defences. LW losses were heavy, as were those of the RAF, but the heaviest losses were reserved for the small ships ferrying to the larger ones. 

It was a gruelling ordeal for the forces afloat, yet the work went on without pause, and on June the 1st 64,429 men were landed in England, 47,081 from the harbour, 17,348 from the shore. In spite of all the enemy could do it was the second largest number transported on a single day during the whole operation.


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## Njaco (Jun 1, 2015)

*June 1 Saturday* (_continued_)
Hitler toured through Belgium and the Northern parts of France to meet different army leaders and to visit sites Hitler knew from World War 1. Hitler flew from Feldfluplatz Odendorf to Brussels and met Von Bock, Von Küchler and Von Reichenau at the airport. From Brussels he went for a 2 days trip in the south of Belgium and the north of France. He spends the night in the Brigode castle in Annapes, France. The military part of Brussels Airport is known as Brussels-Evere.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A week after deciding to withdraw from Norway, the Allies announce the evacuation of all troops. British troops at Narvik, began evacuating to reinforce Britain itself from a potential invasion. The British and French tell the Norwegians that they are about to begin their evacuation but have delayed giving this information on the grounds of security. By doing so they have encouraged the Norwegians to openly resist the Germans, which can only be costly when the Allies leave. British ambassador to Norway Sir Cecil Dormer informed Norwegian King Haakon VII of the news and recommended the royal family and the government to evacuate as well. Both carriers and their escort continue their passage to Norway. US freighter “_Charles R. McCormick_” departed Bergen, Norway for the United States. 

The crew and planes of II(J)./TrGr186, the ad-hoc fighter group for the aircraft carrier ‘_Graf Zeppelin’_, is transferred from the Dunkirk area to Trondheim in Norway.

The wreck of British trawler HMS “_Warwickshire_”, sunk by aircraft on 30 Apr 1940 off Trondheim, Norway, was raised and put into service. She would remain in German service until sunk by Soviet submarine S-56 on 19 Jul 1943.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Papers found in crashed bombers lead British scientists to the discovery of Knickebein, a guiding beam transmitted from within enemy held territory and used to direct bombers over their targets. Work by the scientists result in countermeasures in which a false beam is used to confuse the German aircrew.

British unemployment figure decreased by 92,000 in May 1940 to 881,000.

Signposts were taken down throughout Britain to prevent use by possible enemy parachutists.

*SOUTH AFRICA: *Phyllis Doreen Dunning (Hooper), was the first South African woman called upon to volunteer for full-time war service. At the tender age of 22 she became the officer commanding of the South African Women’s Auxiliary Air Force with the rank of major, making her the youngest officer in the British Commonwealth to achieve this rank. She was a forerunner who leveled the road for all women who came after her and served in the South African Air Force.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank Greek ship “_Ioanna_” 120 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain at 2300 hours. The entire crew survived.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The North Carolina-class battleship “_Washington_” (BB-56) is launched at the Philadelphia Navy Yard sponsored by Miss Virginia Marshall, of Spokane, Washington, a direct descendant of former Chief Justice Marshall. The “_Washington_” is the first U.S. Navy battleship launched since the 1921 launching of battleship “_West Virginia_”.

A unit of the newly formed US Marine Corps Defense Battalions completed the Minor Landing and Base Defense Exercise at San Clemente Island, California, United States.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command 4 Group 102 Sqn. sent eight aircraft to the Oil plants and marshalling yards of Hamburg. Weather was filthy, so two aircraft bombed alternatives.

*ASIA:* Hsiangyang falls to the Japanese.

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## Njaco (Jun 1, 2015)

*June 2 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* British Admiralty stops daytime embarkation due to devastating German bombing yesterday. However, the bulk of the Allied troops have already been evacuated. 19,561 Allied troops embark from Dunkirk harbour and 6,695 from the beaches under cover of darkness. During the day, French defenders (covering the British retreat) start falling back to be evacuated also. The destroyers “_Malcolm_” and “_Sabre_” were damaged at Dunkirk. 

Further German raids on Lyons and Rhone Valley region (97 civilian casualties).

Four Bf 109s from the 15th Fliegerkompanie of the Swiss Air Force attack two He 111 bombers from KG 55 over the Jura Mountains. One bomber from 8./KG 55 crashes near Ursins, Switzerland while another from 9./KG 55 is damaged.

At JG 26's II Gruppe airfield at Chievres, Hptm. Erich Noack arrives in the morning to take over command of the unit from acting Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Karl Ebbinghausen, just in time to watch the Gruppe take off to assist bombers over the Dunkirk area. At 0900 hours, the Gruppe joins with a few Bf 110s in a combat against four Squadrons of RAF fighters attacking a formation of He 111 bombers. Six British fighters are shot down by II./JG 26 during the combat. Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 6./JG 51 claims his third victory, a Curtiss Hawk 75.

At 0830 hours, Hitler and his men drove away from the castle de Brigode for a journey through the northern parts of France. In Bouchain Hitler met General Walter Heitz, who gave a presentation on top of the tower l’Ostrevant. They walked along the Rue d’Ostrevant to get there. Hitler wanted to know why in the Bouchain area the German army was stopped for about a week. After the trip in the North of France, Hitler got on a plane in Niergnies and flew to Charleville to meet Von Rundstedt and a lot of other generals.

Anti-British crowds, demanding return of Gibraltar, mark arrival in Madrid of Sir Samuel Hoare, new British Ambassador to Spain.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The Allies dispatched Polish and French troops to push German troops eastward from Narvik, Norway, while the British begin falling back towards Narvik to be transported home. Carriers HMS “_Ark Royal_” and HMS “_Glorious_” provided air cover for the evacuation of 26,000 British troops. New Zealand Pilot Officer Louis Jacobsen of No. 263 Squadron RAF shot down six enemy bombers (four He111, two Ju88 ) while flying a near obsolete Gladiator biplane fighter. Jacobsen himself would be dead in less than a week.

A 1(F)./122 Heinkel attempted to carry out a reconnaissance sortie over Vestfjord and Narvik in bad weather but had to force land near the Lofotens due to lack of fuel.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-101 sank British ship “_Polycarp_” 41 miles south of Lands End in southwestern England at 0300 hours. The entire crew of 43 were rescued by French ship “_Espiguette_”.

German submarine U-58 sank British coastal defense vessel HMS “_Astronomer_” 20 miles off the northeast coast of Scotland at 0600 hours after a six-hour chase and three torpedoe hits. 4 were killed; 52 civilian crewmen, 1 gunner, and 48 Royal Navy sailors were rescued by anti-submarine trawlers HMS “_Stoke City_” and HMS “_Leicester City_”.

US ship President Roosevelt departed Galway, Ireland with 720 American citizens fleeing the European war zone. US passenger liner “_Manhattan_” departed Genoa, Italy with 1,905 passengers fleeing the European war zone.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* 'SS _Winga_' (1,500t) a British ship was involved in a collision with the Norwegian ship '_Jernland_'. The 'Winga' was bound for the Tyne with a cargo of iron ore from Santander and sank with the loss of fourteen lives, 4 miles E of Hartlepool.

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## parsifal (Jun 2, 2015)

*2 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MTB 29 MTB 69 





_MTB 30 was a sister to the MTB29. MTB69 was also a sister ship _

*Losses*
ASW trawlers AMETHYST and KINGSTON PERIDOT were damaged by the LW at Dunkirk and out of action. *Tug FOSSA (UK 105 grt)* was stranded and abandoned at Bruyne Sands at Dunkirk. She was later salved by German forces for their own use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*FVs ONZE LIEVE VROUW VAN VLAANDEREN (Be 39 grt)*, *GETUIGT VOR CHRISTUS (Be 39 grt)*, and *ANNA LEOPOLD (Be 52 grt) *were lost at Dunkirk. These vessels were sunk by a German PV operating from Dutch Ports. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*ASW trawler BLACKBURN ROVERS (RN 422 grt)*, of ASW Gp 21 was sunk at 1618 in mining 24 miles E by Sth of Nth Foreland. naval trawler struck a mine and sank Her survivors were ultimately rescued by HMT SAON.





*ASW trawler WESTELLA (RN 550 grt)* of ASW Gp 10, rescuing survivors of trawler BLACKBURN ROVERS was also sunk by a mine at 1639. ASW trawler SAON rescued 36 men from the two trawlers.





*Hospital ship PARIS (RN 1790 grt)* on passage to Dunkirk, was badly damaged at 1915 by LW attacks near Dunkirk . Two crew were killed. PARIS sank on the 3rd.




_PARIS during the evacuation. Her clear markings as a hospital Ship are marked, and she was only used to evacuate wounded soldiers at the time of her loss. This did not prevent her being attacked though it is not known if such attacks were deliberate._

DD VIVACIOUS with MTB.107 and MA/SB 7 took *blockships EDV. NISSEN (UK 2062 grt)*, *WESTCOVE (UK 2735 grt)*, *HOLLAND (UK 1251 grt)* from Dover to Dunkirk late on the 2nd. A fourth blockship did not arrive. At 0300 on the 3 June, the blockships were sunk at Dunkirk, but the channel was not completely blocked. 
[NO IMAGES PROVIDED]

*Trawler EMMA (Fr 255 grt)* and steamer HEBE (FN 686 grt) collided two miles east, sw of Sth Foreland light House. The trawler sank. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Trawler GREYNIGHT (UK 96 grt) *was sunk by the LW off the Humber. The Master of the trawler was lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Steamer CHELLA (Fr 8920 grt)* was badly damaged by German bombing. The vessel was moved to the Roads where it was sunk by gunfire from coastal batteries.





*LCM 12 (RN 36 grt) *and *LCM 22 (RN 36 grt)* The Type 1 Landing Craft Mechanizeds (LCMs) were abandoned at Dunkerque.





U.101 sank *steamer POLYKARP (UK 3577 grt)* . The crew from the British steamer was rescued by Fr steamer ESPIGUETTE and was landed at Penzance. Sloops ABERDEEN, ENCHANTRESS, ROCHESTER were hunting for the submarine. All 43 crew were rescued





*MV WINGA (UK 1478 grt) *The cargo ship collided with JERNLAND ( Norway) in the Nth Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off Hartlepool, Co Durham and sank with the loss of 14 of her 22 crew






*UBOATS*
At Sea 2 June 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MSW trawler MILFORD QUEEN , JAMES LAY ,CAPE MELVILLE, MILFORD PRINCESS and unattached CLOTILDE , escorted by Sloop WESTON, departed the Tyne to cut the cables between Newbiggin and Peterhead to Scandinavia in Operation QUIDNUNC. After the operation, the ships proceeded to Yarmouth. OA.160 departed Southend escort corvette ARABIS from 2 to 5 June. The corvette was detached to convoy SL.33. Convoy OB.160 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop SCARBOROUGH from 2 to 4 June. FN.186 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 4th. MT.80 departed Methil, escort sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.186 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 4th. Submarine SUNFISH arrived at Rosyth after patrol.


*Northern Waters*
CVs ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS arrived off Harstad to provide air cover for the evacuation of Narvik. GLORIOUS was carrying a reduced aircraft complement in order to embark the surviving Gladiators of the 263 Sqn, and as it turned out, the survivors of 46 sqn (Hurri).

British steamer CONCH (8376grt) arrived at Andenes from Scapa escort ASW trawlers JUNIPER and WHITETHORN . Trawler WHITETHORN returned to Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS departed the Clyde for Devonport escorted by DDs WARWICK, WESTCOTT, WITCH, AMAZON. DD WESTCOTT arrived at Devonport on the 3rd. After the carrier was safely delivered, the rest of the DDs went on to Portsmouth, to escort the BB NELSON. After outfitting and some modifications from 3 to 21 June, at Plymouth, the ILLUSTRIOUS went to the West Indies for working up in the Caribbean. ILLUSTRIOUS, escorted by DD IMOGEN, departed Plymouth on the 21st and was damaged by weather en route. She returned to England on 23 July when she arrived at Greenock.

*Western Approaches*
AB 2, consisting of British steamers LYCAON (7350grt), BELLEROPHON (9019grt), DORSET COAST (646grt) and escorted by ASW trawlers NOTTS COUNTY and NORWICH CITY , departed Reykavik for the Clyde. Steamer SICILIAN PRINCE was delayed and did not sail with the convoy. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on the 6th.

*Channel*
*Operation Dynamo*
On 2 June, 26,256 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.
British Force K was formed for the final operations off Dunkirk. The DDs were sent to Dunkirk to embark troops in pairs. DD WINDSOR embarked 493 troops on her first trip and DD ICARUS embarked 677 troops. ICARUS was damaged on the return part , when at 0400, ICARUS was in a collision with a trawler or a drifter at Dunkirk. The DD was damaged, but was not taken out of service. DD CODRINGTON embarked 878 troops and DD SABRE embarked 756 troops. DD SHIKARI embarked 470 troops. DD ESK was to have accompanied her, but was unable to sail. The next pair was destroyers WINCHELSEA and WHITSHED. WINDSOR on her second trip embarked 624 troops. Fr DDs EPERVIER and LEOPARD operated on the patrol line, but withdrew when LW began airborne ops that morning at 1035. Between X and Y buoy, off Bray, CLA CALCUTTA fought off 3 separate, substantial, determined air attacks. She was slightly damaged by near misses. The cruiser was ordered to Sheerness at 1442. DD MALCOLM at 1651 damaged her bow and propellers in a collision at Dunkirk. DDs VENOMOUS, WINDSOR, WINCHELSEA, among others lifted troops from Dunkirk on the 2nd. 
DD WHITSHED was damaged in a collision with Tug JAVA at Dover as she was setting out at on the afternoon of the 2nd, but was able to continue. DD WHITSHED departed Dover on the 4th for Portsmouth, so that her her collision damage could be repaired at Portsmouth completing on the 12th. ASW trawler SPURS (RN 399 grt) of ASW Gp010 was badly damaged by the LW off Dunkirk. SPURS was assisted and escorted back to Dover to DD VANQUISHER. Early on the 3rd, these DDs arrived at Dover - CODRINGTON with 344 troops, ESK with 500 troops, SABRE with 500 troops, SHIKARI with 700 troops, VANQUISHER with 370 troops, VENOMOUS with 1500 troops, WHITSHED with 82 troops, WINCHELSEA with 152 troops, WINDSOR with 1022 troops, EXPRESS was not able to embark troops and arrived at Dover. Gunboat LOCUST arrived with 800.

*Nth Atlantic*
Ne CL SUMATRA departed Milford Haven carrying HRH Princess Juliana and her daughters to Canada. The CL was joined on the 7th by NE CLHEEMSKERCK and both arrived at Halifax on the 11th.

Fr liner PASTEUR (30,447grt) had departed Brest on 30 May for St Nazaire. other ships had already left with the same mission, and several others departed at the same time. She departed on 31 May, carrying French gold, arrived back at Brest on the 1st. The liner departed Brest on the 2nd for Halifax, escort DD GERFAUT until 3 June. The DD arrived back at Brest on the 5th. The liner safely arrived at Halifax on the 8th. HX.47 departed Halifax at 0900 escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and AMC ACADIA, which were detached on the 3rd. The ocean escort for the convoy was AMC ESPERANCE BAY which took over the convoy on the 2nd. The AMC was detached on the 15th. On 14 June, sloops FOWEY and SANDWICH joined the convoy and escorted it to Liverpool, arriving on the 17th.

*Med- Biscay*
Egyptian steamer EL NID and Greek steamer AENOS were damaged by German bombing at Marseilles. OG.32F was formed from convoys OA.158GF, which departed Southend on 30 May escorted by corvette GLADIOLUS, OB.158GF, which departed Liverpool on 30 May escorted by sloop DEPTFORD, of forty one ships. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 2 to 5 June. DD DOUGLAS joined the convoy on the 6th. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 7th.


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## parsifal (Jun 2, 2015)

*XXX 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis


Neutral


Allied


*Losses*




*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


Arrivals

Departures


At Sea XXX 1940


*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*


*Northern Patrol*


*Northern Waters*


*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*

*UK-France*

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*

*Indian Ocean* 


*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*


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## parsifal (Jun 2, 2015)

*2 June 1940 RAF Operations*
[unfinished]

32 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk Patrol 1 a/c lost, 1 POW, no other mission details

85 sqn (Hurri) 
1 KIA, believed lost in the Dunkirk evac

107 sqn (Blen)
Gravelines. 3 a/c lost, 2 shot down by flak, 1 damaged by flak crashed on landing

111 sqn (Hurri) 
Patrol. 1 a/c lost At 18.50 hrs, 5 miles West of Dunkirk 111 Sqn. engaged a German formation and brings down 2 LW a/c. Enemy fighters intervene and P/O R.R. Wilson bailed out after a running fight with these enemy fighters. The a/c crashed into the sea, the pilot parachuted inland near MaNston


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## parsifal (Jun 2, 2015)

*2 June 1940 - The BEF*
Throughout the early hours of June the 2nd the night's evacuation continued and many of I Corps who had reached the beach during the night were got away. It is impossible to give completely accurate figures, or even estimates of the numbers of BEF troops remaining, but it is figured to be about 24000, of which about 9000 were either unable to be moved, or captured. Adm Ramsay suspended daylight evacuation in order to avoid a repetition of the previous day's losses.

French troops holding what has been called the intermediate position had been attacked at a number of points, and although the right of their line had been forced back, counter-attacks had stopped the enemy's advanced for the time being.

During the day a naval demolition party carried out its work on the port equipment and arrangements were made to block the harbour entrance after the last evacuation. The coming night's work (which was expected to be the last) was planned with great care. Movement across the Channel began about 1700, and 11 DDs, 13 passenger ships with MSWs, drifters, schuyts and a host of small craft were sent over with French and Belgian contingents added.

Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker now controlled the ships from a motor boat in the harbour, while Captain W. G. Tennant, who had acted as Senior Naval Officer in Dunkirk through all these gruelling days, directed operations on the shore. The ships as they arrived loaded quickly and took off all the men who reached the harbour or the beach during the night; but fewer French troops came than had been anticipated for and some of the ships that had been sent to fetch them returned empty.

Evacuation went on during the early hours of June the 3rd and when daylight put an end to the night's operations at about 0300. At this point, there were no more British troops to be brought away, though quite a number, mostly wounded too sick to move had to be left behind. In the early hours of the 3rd Gen Alexander and Capt Tennant themselves sailed for England.

There was more fighting during the day that followed. The situation report of Army Group B records that Fr tops were fighting for every house and for every foot of ground, but in spite of counter-attacks their defence was forced back to the line of the Dunkirk–Furnes Canal. There the enemy were less than 2 miles from the beach and that afternoon Admiral Abrial, in a conference with Gen Fagalde, Gen de la Laurencie and others, decided that the coming night must see the final French evacuations.

Naval operations duly restarted with the fall of darkness, 50 vessels being used. The harbour was very congested but order was achieved and every effort was made to embark the remaining French troops quickly. Some arrived late at the jetty and owing to the general confusion were unable to make contact with the control.3 Up to midnight, however, 26,476 were embarked, and a further 26,175.


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## Njaco (Jun 2, 2015)

*June 3 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The last group of British troops at Dunkirk, France were evacuated before the break of dawn. General Harold Alexander commanding British 1st Infantry Division uses a small boat to check no-one is left behind. At 1050 hours, Royal Navy "Beachmaster" Captain William “Dunkirk Joe” Tennant signals;


> "Operation completed; returning to Dover”


, after calling on a megaphone for any British soldiers, but Churchill insists on evacuating as many French troops as possible, so the Royal Navy returns in the evening. During the day, the British Admiralty acknowledged that 222 British naval vessels and 665 other craft were employed for the Dunkirk evacuation; 6 destroyers, 24 small armed vessels, and 226 other ships were lost. British ships returned to Dunkirk after night fall. The last day of Operation Dynamo sees the RAF carry out 171 reconnaissance, 651 bombing and 2,739 fighter sorties. During the previous nine days, the RAF has lost 177 aircraft, including 106 fighters and the attrition is such that the first-line strength of Fighter Command stands at 331 Hurricanes and Spitfires with only 36 fighters in reserve. However, the shrinking beachhead and crumbling perimeter allow German forces within 2 miles of Dunkirk.

“Operation PAULA” commences with the intention to neutralize the French Air Force around Paris. Over 300 bombers from KG 1, KG 2, KG 3, KG 4, KG 30, KG 54, KG 76 and LG 1 attack no fewer than fifty targets around the French capital. This bomber force is escorted by Bf 109’s and Bf 110’s of I./JG 1, I(J)./LG 2, JG 3, JG 26, JG 27, JG 53, JG 54 and JG 77. The German bombers (20 aircraft lost) attempt to destroy aircraft factories and airfields near the capital; 254 people were killed in the suburbs. The French lose 33 fighters. The fighters of I./JG 3 and I./JG 53 attack the airfield at Meaux in advance of Do. 17s of KG 76. Hptm. Werner Mölders of III./JG 53 claims his twenty-second and twenty-third kills during this action, a French Hawk 75 and a British Spitfire. Twenty-four Bf 109’s of II./JG 27 attack French Morane 406s and shoot down one aircraft. Fighters of 4./JG 26 shoot down four French aircraft in battles around the city. Totals for the day are sixteen French fighters destroyed on the ground, seventeen in the air and twenty-six German aircraft lost. Geschwader totals are eleven kills for JG 53, six kills for I(J)./LG 2, three kills for JG 26 pilots and twelve kills for II./JG 2. The fighters of II./JG 26 lose a pilot when his Messerschmitt is shot down over enemy territory and he is captured by French forces. Hptm. Adolf Galland of JG 26 continues his rise to fame by claiming his twelfth kill, a French Morane MS 406 north of Paris. The Kommodore of KG 51, Oberst Josef Kammhuber is shot down and captured by the French.

German forces in France move south toward Paris.

French armed merchant cruiser “_Ville D'Oran_”, with 212 tons of gold from the French reserves, departed from Pauillac, France. The gold will journey on to USA for safekeeping.

*GERMANY:* Famed glider pilot Heini Dittmar makes a successful non-powered first flight of the new rocket powered fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 163 ‘Komet’, at Karlshagen.

The Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross award was established in Germany.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* After nightfall, the Allies began to evacuate Narvik, Norway. Through the night and the following day's daybreak, British destroyers and Norwegian fishing boats ferried Allied personnel to six troop transports in various fjords nearby.

Norwegian foreign minister Halvdan Koht and Swedish foreign minister Christian Günther sign an agreement at Luleå, for Sweden to take control of the Narvik area of Norway with the withdrawal of Norwegian and German troops. The plan had the approval of Germany's Hermann Göring and the British government.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Winston Churchill ordered the formation of commando units for raiding occupied Europe.

The domestic sugar ration was reduced to 8oz.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank Finnish ship “_Snabb_” with the deck gun 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain, killing 1. Greek ship “_Kyriakoula_” rescued 20 survivors.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Soviet troops began the preparation for the invasion of the Baltic States of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.

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## parsifal (Jun 3, 2015)

*3 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN Sub TAMBOR




*Losses*
*MV SNABB (FN 2317 grt)* Crew 21 (1 dead and 20 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route Glasgow - Dakar Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 04.56 hours on 3 June 1940, U-37 opened fire with all weapons on the neutral SNABB about 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre. It is evident in this case that the Uboat commander was not observing DKM stanbdig orders to attack all shipping, because as soon asthe Uboat commander (Vikto Oehrn) realized the ship was neutral, he ceased firing. However, this was not clear until the vessel fired a distress flare which illuminated her name and her nationality. Until that point she was blacked out and thethe Finnish flag on the side of the vessel was not illuminated. The U-boat immediately ceased fire to allow the crew to abandon ship, and then sank the ship about one hr later with gunfire (after the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats). The second officer was killed. The master and 19 crew members (16 of them wounded) were later picked up by the Greek steam merchant KRIAKOULA and landed at Cork on 6 June.





Between 3-4 June 1940, British demolition parties destroyed military material at Dunkirk to deny its use by the enemy. This material included the port’s oil storage tanks. Dunkerque was the third-largest port in France and it was imperative that its facilities and its stores were either disabled or destroyed and it ability to be utilised for a cross channel attack be delayed for as long as possible. These demolition and degradation of port facilities are comprehensive and severely impede DKMs ability to use the port in its subsequent SEALION planning. In addition to the demolitions on shore, the RN scuttled blockships in Dunkirk’s harbour to render it unusable for some time. These blockships were: *SS WESTCOVE (UK 2735 grt) * (sunk 3 June), *SS HOLLAND (UK 1251 grt)* (sunk 3 June), *HMS EDWARD NISSEN (RN 1500 grt (est))* (sunk 3 June), SS GOURKO (sunk 4 June), and SS PACIFICO (4 June). 

DD SHIKARI, MTB.107, MA/SB 10 left the Downs with *blockships GOURKO (1975grt)*, *MOYLE (UK 1791 grt)*, *PACIFICO (UK 687 grt)* to complete the Dunkirk channel blocking in Operation CK. En route, blockship GOURKO was sunk in a collision with a Fr personnel ship off Dunkirk (some sources say she struck a mine) and MTB.107 picked up 7 crew and MA/SB 10 picked 10










_The GOURKO, EDWARD NISSEN , HOLLAND _





_Ships off the beaches at Dunkirk, c.3 June 1940. Smoke billows from burning oil storage tanks._

*LCM 17 (RN 36 grt)* The Landing Craft Mechanized was abandoned at Dunkerque.
[SEE PREVIOUSLY POSTED IMAGES]

*Drifter OCEAN LASSIE (UK 96 grt)* was sunk on a mine 2.75 cables 55° from Outer Ridge Buoy, Harwich. 6 crew were lost and 3 rescued..
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*MV PERRAKKIS L CAMBANIS (Gk 3584 grt) * The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the English Channel at Dieppe, France. She was later salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as HERTA ENGELINE FRITZEN, finally lost to a mine June 1945





*Trawler MARECHAL FOCH (Fr 103 grt) *was sunk in a collision with MSW LEDA off Dunkirk at 0429 on the 4th. LEDA sustained damage to her stem. MSW ALBURY stood by to assist. MSW LEDA was involved in another collision at 0454 1 mile from Nth Goodwin Buoy with a schuit. The MSW was repaired at Sheerness from 6 to 12 June. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux MSW EMIL DESCHAMPS (Fr 348 grt)* was sunk on a mine 5 miles ENE of Foreness, 3 miles 336°from Elbow Buoy, with 500 French troops from Dunkirk on board. The survivors were picked up by MSW ALBURY and aux MSW SAINTE ELISABETH (Fr 39 grt) and MARIE ANNE (Fr 51grt). 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*PV PURFINA (Fr 603 grt)* was sunk on a mine in LeHavre Roads.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-62

Departures
Kiel: U-47
Wilhelmshaven: U-32 

At Sea 3 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-101. 
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub NARWHAL completed minefield FD.16 at 1937 off the Jaederens, which was to sink or damage several enemy vessels in the coming months. Sub SPEARFISH departed Blyth on patrol. Subs SALMON, SEALION, SNAPPER arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub tender WARRIOR II departed Portsmouth escorting submarines H.34, H.49, H.50, H.44 to Harwich. Tender WHITE BEAR departed Portsmouth escorting subs H.28, H.31, O 13 for Blyth and Dundee. FN.187 departed Southend, escort DD WALPOLE. Ne warships NAUTILUS and JAN VAN BRAKEL were in the convoy. When the convoy was delayed by fog, sloop BLACK SWAN relieved DD WALPOLE on the 4th. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 5th. MT.81 departed Methil, escorted by DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.187 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
The Home Flt units at Scapa comprised BBs VALIANT and RODNEY, BCs RENOWN and REPULSE, CA SUSSEX, CL NEWCASTLE, DDs TARTAR, MASHONA, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI, MAORI, ZULU, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, KELVIN, INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ENCOUNTER, ESCORT. The other units were either repairing or detached for duty elsewhere:a number of ships were operating in the Harstad area and DDs FORTUNE, FORESIGHT, FURY of DesFlot 8 had been detached on 28 May to reinforce the Nore Command and operate under the command of the CruSqn 18. CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa from Rosyth. DD FIREDRAKE embarked troops at Ballangen and took them to Andfjord for evacuation to England. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow at Rosyth meeting with steamers ST MAGNUS and ALSTER enroute and arriving at Rosyth during the forenoon of 4 June. Two Brit steamers and a Fr steamer, escort ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and ST KEENAN arrived at Scapa Flow from the Narvik area. British troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN (3244grt) escort DD WHIRLWIND arrived at Scapa Flow from Harstad. British trawler MARGARET (260grt) departed Narvik in the tow of British trawler BEN ROSSAL (260grt) escort MSW trawlers NEWHAVEN and STRATHDERRY. The trawlers, less MARGARET scuttled in bad weather, arrived at Thorshavn on the 9th. 4 Brit steamers, escort DD CAMPBELL, arrived at Harstad. 
ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND departed Scapa towing ASW trawler GUAVA to Belfast for repairs. 

*Channel*
*Operation Dynamo*
During the night of 3/4 June, the last day of DYNAMO, 26,175 troops were evacuated.

DDs ESK embarked 611 troops at Dunkirk, WHITSHED embarked 444, VENOMOUS embarked 1200, VANQUISHER embarked 414, MALCOLM embarked 736, SABRE embarked 592, SHIKARI embarked 383, MSWs KELLET embarked 30, ALBURY embarked 400, HALCYON embarked 501, LEDA embarked 500, PV GUILLEMOT embarked 460, gunboat LOCUST embarked 196. ESK was damaged by a near miss at Dunkirk. She managed to make Dover, and then departed Dover on the 4th for repairs at Portsmouth completing in 8 days. DD SABRE ran aground leaving Dunkirk and lost her asdic dome. After the operation, SABRE departed Dover on the 4th for repairs at Portsmouth. DDs MALCOLM, VENOMOUS, VANQUISHER all departed Dover on the 4th for repairs of various degrees at Portsmouth. Gunboat LOCUST departed Dover on the 4th for Sheerness. MSW KELLET ran aground at the western breakwater and was too damaged to embark more than 30 troops. She got away nevertheless. British steamer ROYAL DIAFFODIL was damaged by the LW at 0131 off Dunkirk. She was was further damaged at 0600 in a collision. British steamer BEN MY CHREE was damaged in a collision at 0600 as she was setting out for Dunkirk. Patrol sloop KINGFISHER was damaged in a collision with a French fishing vessel at 0014 on the 4th. Sloop KINGFISHER had embarked 200 troops at Dunkirk. The troops were transferred to a trawler off Dunkirk. 
Sloop KINGFISHER also collided with British steamer KING GEORGE V at Margate, but she did make it home. KINGFISHER was repaired at Lowestoft completing on 8 July. French Adms Jean Abrial, Charles Platon, Marcel LeClerc and General Marie B. A. Fagalde, all of whom had fought with considerable distinction, departed Dunkirk on Fr MTBs VTB.25 and VTB.26 early on the 4th.

Fr MTB VTB.25 damaged her props rescuing MARECHAL FOCH's survivors and was towed to Dover by DD MALCOLM. 







_General Outline of French MTBs, VTB 23 , a sister to the VTB 25 at speed_

A Junior officer from DD SOMALI (under repair), seconded to yacht ROSAURA was lost on the 3rd. DD SHIKARI was the last allied ship to leave the Port area of Dunkirk. SHIKARI arrived at Dover later on the 4th, but departed on the 4th for Portsmouth.

At the completion of DYNAMO, of 94 DDs in Home Waters, only 43 were serviceable. Restructuring of the fleet organisations was required. On 27 May as a result of DYNAMO operations and transfers to the Med Flt, Desflots 5 absorbed Deflot 7. DesFlot 15 was disbanded and with various units completing repairs and unattached DDs it was possible to form DesFlots 21 and 22. DDs WANDERER, VESPER, VEGA, completed repairs and arrived at Dover at 2230 for ops.

*Med- Biscay*
CL LIVERPOOL departed Aden and arrived at Alexandria on the 10th for duty with the Med Flt.


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## parsifal (Jun 3, 2015)

**** June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis


Neutral


Allied


*Losses*




*DKM War Diary*
Selected Extracts


*UBOATS*
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


Arrivals

Departures


At Sea *** 1940


*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*


*Northern Patrol*


*Northern Waters*


*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*

*UK-France*

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*

*Indian Ocean* 


*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*


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## parsifal (Jun 3, 2015)

*3 June 1940 - RAF Operations*
[UNFINISHED]
17 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA. Other details not reported

48 sqn (Anson)
ASW Patrol. 1 a/c lost, 1 WIA, Took off 22.30 hrs from Thorney island. Blinded by searchlight on the approach to Thorney Island and ditched off Hayling Island. Located by another 48 Sqn Anson, who returned to base and reported the position, returning again to the scene of the accident and remaining in the vicinity until the crew were rescued by the Hayling lifeboat.

58 sqn (Whitley)
Unknown mission flown, no losses

73 sqn (Hurri) 
Unknown op 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA (no other details)

103 sqn (Battle)
Trier, and Seine, (night)


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## parsifal (Jun 3, 2015)

*3 June 1940 - BEF Evacuation*
There have been claims made postwar that the French had intended to hold the port Tobruk style as a possible breakout point to retake Northern France. This is inconsistent with the contemporary orders issued by Weygand at the time, who wanted as many French troops evabuated as possible, and that most of the senior French commanders were already gone by dawn 4 June. About 48000 French defenders were left behind as the final rearguard at completion of DYNAMO.

Precise losses just for the Dunkirk evacuation are not known, but to 22 June 1940, when the last British forces left France, The BEF is recorded as having lost 68,000 soldiers (dead, wounded, missing, or captured) from 10 May until the surrender of France on 22 June. 3,500 British were killed and 13,053 wounded, the remainder taken prisoner. All the heavy equipment had to be abandoned. Left behind in France were 2,472 guns, 20,000 motorcycles, and almost 65,000 other vehicles; also abandoned were 416,000 short tons of stores, including more than 75,000 short tons of ammunition and 162,000 short tons of fuel. Almost all of the 445 British tanks that had been sent to France with the BEF were abandoned.


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## Njaco (Jun 3, 2015)

*June 4 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The last ship leaves the Dunkirk beaches. British destroyer “Shikari” rescues the final British troops from Dunkirk, plus a French general and 383 French troops. This officially ends Operation Dynamo. Overnight, 26,175 French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk while British destroyers rescued 103,000. At 1020 hours, Germans raise the swastika over Dunkirk, capturing 30,000 to 40,000 French troops, 2,000 British field guns, and 60,000 British vehicles. In total, 338,226 Allied personnel were evacuated through Operation Dynamo. German Luftwaffe planes have sunk six British destroyers, eight transport ships, and over 200 small craft. Hitler orders that bells throughout Germany should toll for three days to signal the victorious end of what he deems;


> “ …the greatest battle in world history”.


 With the collapse of the Dunkirk perimeter, several Geschwader move to new airbases, closer to the frontlines. The crew of I./JG 26 move to the airbase at Etaples while the Stab and II./JG 26 take over the airfield at Le Touquet. The crew of the III./JG 26 transfer to an airbase at La Capelle.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Evacuation of Narvik begins. Overnight, British destroyers and Norwegian fishing boats start shuttling Allied troops to 6 fast liners (troop transports) hidden in various small fjords and inlets on the main Ototfjord.

German Admiral Wilhelm Marschall launched Operation Juno, sending “_Scharnhorst_”, “_Gneisenau_”, “_Admiral Hipper_”, and destroyers “_Karl Galster_”, “_Hans Lody”_, “_Erich Steinbrinck_” and “_Hermann Schoemann_” from Kiel for Norway, aiming at disrupting the Allied supply lines to Narvik. British supply lines to Narvik are vulnerable to naval as well as air attack.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gives one of his finest speeches in the House of Commons, reviewing the conduct of the war in France and Belgium.


> “The German eruption swept like a sharp scythe around the right and rear of the Armies of the North….. cut off all communications between us and the main French Armies...”,


He tells Commons that a week earlier he had anticipated; '…the greatest military disaster in our history.” but the Dunkirk Evacuation had transformed the situation.


> “We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. War's are not won by evacuations. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…”


 http://www.fiftiesweb.com/usa/churchill-fight-beaches.mp3

The United Kingdom banned any recreational camping within 10 miles of the east and southeastern coasts, including the Isle of Wight.

In order to maintain the vital link with North America, British Overseas Airways Corporation commenced a twice-weekly air service between Heston, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom and Lisbon, Portugal, to connect with the scheduled Pan-American Airways New York-Lisbon route.

Shortly after midnight German aircraft made a number of attacks apparently directed at aerodromes in the eastern counties. Civilian damage was very slight and no civilian casualties reported. Bombs were dropped on Thornaby Aerodrome at 00.15 which killed an airman and injured three others. Two Hudson Bombers and two fuel bowsers were destroyed and the runway damaged. At Ashington an RAF bomber, which had apparently fouled a balloon cable, lost control and crashed into houses at Fifth Row. One house, was completely demolished and two others damaged. Three civilians were killed. This aircraft was a Coastal Command Beaufort L9797 of No 22 Squadron returning to North Coates after a bombing run to Ghent. Searchlights dazzled the pilot and in trying to evade the glare, the aircraft, possibly also affected by flak damage, began to vibrate so much that he ordered the crew to bale out. He and the observer bailed out safely but the wireless operator and air gunner, failed to get out and died in the crash.

*GERMANY:* French l'Armee d'Aire attacked München (Munich) and Frankfurt in Germany in response to the German bombing of Paris, France on the previous day.

.



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## Njaco (Jun 4, 2015)

*June 5 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *French General Beaufrére surrenders the remaining French troops defending Dunkirk.

At 0500 hours, Germany begins the second phase of the conquest of France (“Fall Rot”), attacking South across the Somme and Aisne rivers with 130 divisions plus 10 Panzer divisions re-equipped with fresh tanks and advancing towards the rear of French forces deployed between Abbeville and the Maginot Line. The German Army with its German panzer divisions advances from Rethel on the Aisne to the Swiss frontier, south from the Somme bridgeheads, and between Amiens and the sea. German Heeresgruppe B (50 divisions) attacks on the Somme while Heeresgruppen A and C are in state of readiness. France has lost 30 of its best divisions (and the BEF) along with most of its vehicles and armor. French CiC General Weygand has only 66 divisions, including 17 in the fortified Maginot Line defenses, to hold a front longer than before the invasion. He organizes a series of strongpoints bristling with artillery and anti-tank guns (the “Weygand Line”) in woods and villages along the Somme and Aisne rivers joining the Maginot Line at Montmédy. These ‘hedgehogs’ confuse the Germans and hold their initial advance to 10km. By nightfall Rommel's 7.Panzerdivison is 13 km south of Somme. To reinforce Weygand, Churchill sends Canadian 1st Infantry Division to France, joining parts of British 1st Armoured Division and 51st Highland Division which avoided encirclement at Dunkirk. The Allies also transport French troops recently evacuated from Dunkirk back into France via ports still under French control.

In its supporting attacks on Paris, the Luftwaffe lose thirty aircraft as opposed to twenty-four French fighters. At around 1700 hours about forty Bf 109s bounce a mixed formation of Dewoitine D.520s of GC I/3 and II/7 over Compiegnes. After two French planes are shot down, the French pilots turn into the German force and Hptm. Werner Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53 is again shot down – this time by French pilot René Pomier-Layrargues near Compiègne, France - bales out and is taken prisoner. Hptm. Mölders had shot down a Bloch 152 and a Potez 63 earlier in the day, his twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth kills. III./JG 53’s totals for the day are four kills for the Gruppe.

Supporting the new offensive, the fighters of I./JG 1 claim eleven Allied aircraft destroyed during the day's battle for the loss of Uffz. Arthur Tismer who is captured after bailing out of his damaged aircraft. Four victories are credited to Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar and three to Lt. Ludwig Franzisket. Heinkel He 111 bombers from II./KG 55 attack the airfield at Nevers / Sermoise southeast of Bourges, France.

After staying at the airfield at Le Touquet for a day, the crew of the Stab./JG 26 and II./JG 26 move again to the airfield at Bois Jean while I./JG 26 moves to Hesdin from Etaples.

French Premier Paul Reynaud appoints Charles de Gaulle to Undersecretary of State for War in France, and promotes him to provisional Brigadier General. Ex-Prime Minister Daladier leaves Government (at the insistence of Petain and of Reynaud's domineering mistress, Countess de Portes).

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Small groups of mobile armed men called Ironsides, after the Home Defense Commander, were formed in the United Kingdom to protect against enemy parachutists.

In a BBC radio broadcast the noted author J. B. Priestley berated the British Establishment for its lack of planning and amateurish attitudes.

German forces begin night reconnaissance over Britain.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* 4,900 Allied troops boarded transport ships at Narvik, Norway during the evacuation operation.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-48 shelled and sank British armed merchant ship “_Stancor_” 80 miles northwest of Scotland at 1118 hours. The entire crew of 19 survived.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Franklin Roosevelt ordered US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark to prepare a US Marine Corps brigade for future deployment to Iceland.

.



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## nuuumannn (Jun 4, 2015)

> 29 May 1940 RAF Operations Unfinished



264 Sqn (Defiants)

37 enemy aircraft claimed without loss to the squadron. This was 264 Sqn's "Day of Glory" on which an impressive tally of enemy aircraft was claimed. Subsequent research states that the actual number of aircraft shot down by 264's Defiants on that day was more likely to be less than ten. Nevertheless, it was a proud day for the men of the unit, who had much faith in their squadron leader, Sqn Ldr Philip Hunter and his tactics that enabled the Defiant to work effectively as a day fighter. Despite the auspicious claim for the day, one Defiant was in fact damaged in combat, P/O Kay, flying Defiant L6957 was hit in the starboard wing and fuselage, his RH aileron being damaged and turret hydraulics put out of action. This caused his gunner, Canadian LAC Jones to bale out, but Kay managed to return safely to Manston and L6957 was eventually repaired. Sadly, Jones' body washed up on a French beach. The Bf 109 that attacked Kay's Defiant was claimed shot down by Flt Lt Eric Barwell's gunner P/O Williams.

This day has been the subject of myth and has fostered the claim that the Germans attacked the Defiants believing them to be Hurricanes, but got a rude shock when their turrets opened fire. This account is somewhat fictional and is the result of the official British account of the RAF at war issued by the Ministry of Information for the Air Ministry. As a result, the claim has been repeated ad nauseum in almost every book and published source on the Defiant ever since. The Germans were well aware of the Defiant and its strengths and weaknesses by this time and the squadron had suffered losses at the hands of Bf 109s previously, including during the day before the 29th.

The facts were that in the opening phase of the day's combat, the 12 Defiants were heading at low level looking for German bombers while Hurricanes of 56, 151 and 213 Sqns were circling above engaging fighters. Six of these detached and headed toward the Defiants, which then engaged. Five were claimed, one each by Sqn Ldr Hunter's gunner LAC King, P/O Welch's gunner LAC Hayden, P/O M.H. Young's gunner (unnamed) and Flt Lt Cooke's gunner, Cpl Lippert and P/O Williams. Having survived the Bf 109 attack, Sqn Ldr Hunter spotted an He 111 at 300 ft and proceeded to attack, but saw a swarm of Ju 87s being escorted by Bf 110s, which he ordered the squadron to attack, the aircraft formating in the standard attack pattern of a line astern spiral dive. Nine Bf 110s, three Bf 109s and a Ju 87 were further claims that afternoon.

Further combat that evening saw 264 put 12 more Defiants into the air over Dunkirk; a squadron of Stukas was spotted and the Defiants were sent after them, at which point the Stukas dived toward the sea, but the Defiants were able to meet then a low altitude and proceeded to pepper them with gunfire. The Defiant gunners found that the Stukas were sitting ducks and were well aware of the fact that they were firing at aircraft being attacked by other Defiants, so over claiming was a certainty during this particular combat. Hunter and King claimed one, Barwell and Williams three and PO Kay, with a new gunner LAC Cox claimed another, but Cooke and Lippert claimed five making them aces, getting below the Stukas and firing into their bellies. P/O Whitley's gunner claimed three Stukas. During an attack against Stukas dive bombing the harbour area attacked at the terminus of their dives, P/O Young and Welch claimed two each and Sgt Thorne one and a probable. A Ju 88 was attacked by the squadron in unison and another damaged before the night was over.

All 12 Defiants returned to Manston, but Sgt Thorne 's undercarriage collapsed on landing. All told the claims were 19 Ju 87s, nine Bf 110s, 8 Bf 109s and one Ju 88, with two Defiants damaged and a single personnel loss. The men of the squadron had reason to be pleased as the day before, three Defiants were shot down over Dunkirk when the squadron was pounced on by some thirty Bf 109s; five Bf 109s were claimed. In this combat the Lufbery Circle tactics that Sqn Ldr Hunter devised as a defensive manoeuvre for when the Defiants were being attacked by superior numbers of enemy fighters were employed and although there were losses, they were kept to a minimum and bearing in mind the fact that the Defiants were heavily outnumbered, the squadron's losses could have been much worse.

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## parsifal (Jun 5, 2015)

*4 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HEARTSEASE , MA/SB 40 , MA/SB 41, MTB 70











*Losses*
*Aux MSW EMIL DESCHAMPS (Fr 348 grt)* struck a mine and sank in the Nth Sea 5 nautical miles ENE of Foreness Pt and sank. She was evacuating over 500 French troops from Dunkirk at the time of her loss. Survivors were rescued by MSW ALBURY, MARIE and SAINTE ELISABETH 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV RIVER HUMBER (UK 351 grt) * collided with DD FOLKESTONE in the Irish Sea north of Holyhead, Anglesey and sank. The sloop, at the time was attached to OB 161.G arrived at Cardiff on the 10th for repairs, completed on the 29th.





*UBOATS*

At Sea 4 June 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-101. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
For operation JUNO, DKM forces under Adm Marschall departed Kiel to operate off Harstad with BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU, CA ADMIRAL HIPPER, DDs LODY, STEINBRINCK, SCHOEMANN, GALSTER. This force was screened through the Kattegat by TBs JAGUAR and FALKE, barrage breaker SPERRBRECHER 4 , tender HAI, some R boats. The TBs remained with the force through the Skagerrak. 




_Colourised photo of BC GNEISENAU during the action against the GLORIOUS_

*North Sea*
Fr SubFlot 10 at Dundee with depot ship JULES VERNE and subs CASABIANCA, SFAX, SYBILLE, ANTIOPE, AMAZONE, THETIS, CIRCE, CALYPSO, which had been recalled to Brest for transfer to the Med, departed Dundee escorted by DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI as far as the Butt of Lewis. U.8, which departed Wilhelmshaven on patrol on 19 May, was attacked by aircraft in 58-06N, 1-45W. The UBoats CO was severely wounded. DD ESCORT departed Scapa to investigate this contact off Moray Firth. DD ENCOUNTER was dispatched at 0915. DDs TARTAR and MASHONA departed Scapa at 1300 to join. DD FORESTER departed Scapa at 1415 and DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow at 1635. However, no further contacts were made.

Subs TRIDENT and TRITON arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub CLYDE departed the Rosyth for patrol off Stadlandet to relived sub SEVERN on patrol off Stadlandet. Sub PORPOISE was docked at Rosyth for repairs. FN.188 departed Southend, escort sloops LONDONDERRY and EGRET. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 6th.

DKM S Boats attacked Patrol sloops of ASWFlot 1he near West Hinder early on the 4th, with no reported results. .

*Northern Waters*
BB VALIANT with DDs ZULU, MAORI, FOXHOUND departed Scapa for firings west of the Orkneys. The BB returned to Scapa at 1345 and the DDs joined CA SUSSEX. CA SUSSEX departed Scapa for firings est of the Orkneys. She was joined by DDs ZULU, MAORI, FOXHOUND. All 3 arrived back at Scapa at 1815. BB RESOLUTION departed Scapa at 1312 for Gib escorted by DDs WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, and VISCOUNT.

The destroyers escorted the battleship to 13W and then returned to Scapa Flow, arriving at 1501/6th. ASW trawlers LE TIGER and ELM departed Scapa escorting oilers ATHELSULTAN and BRITISH GOVERNOR to the Clyde and Birkenhead, respectively. Hospital ship ABA arrived at Scapa from the Narvik area.

A Convoy, consisting of 3 British and 1 Norwegian steamers arrived off Vestfjord, escort DD VETERAN. The convoy was ordered to Tromso, arriving on the 5th, DD VETERAN was ordered to Harstad. For the Narvik evacuation (Op'n ALPHABET, CV ARK ROYAL with DDs ARDENT and ACASTA which were relieved by DIANA and ACHERON and CV GLORIOUS with DD HIGHLANDER operated to seaward to support the evac. DDs HAVELOCK, BEAGLE, CAMPBELL, DELIGHT, ECHO, FIREDRAKE, FAME, ARROW, WALKER, VANOC, VETERAN operated in an around the Harstad area for the protection of the anchorage and to ferry troops to the troopships. 180 miles from the Norwegian coast, 15 British troopships went to one of two designated rendezvous points. There they were met by CLA COVENTRY and given instructions. Group I for the evacuation of Narvik were 6 large, fast, troopships. DDs WREN and VOLUNTEER, which had been involved in escorting these troopships to Harstad, had been detached and arrived in the Clyde on the 5th. The troopships arrived in turn at Andfjord over the next 3 nights covered by aircraft from ARK ROYAL. On 4 June 4700 troops were embarked, on the 5th 4900 were embarked, on the 6th 5100 troops were embarked on Group I troopships. As the troopships completed embarkation, they were escorted by DD ARROW and sloop STORK to the ocean rendezvous where they were met by repair ship VINDICTIVE. When the last ship of Group I arrived at the ocean rendezvous, repair ship VINDICTIVE gave them ocean escort to the Clyde. En route they were joined on the 8th by DDs VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE, ANTELOPE, ATHERSTONE which came from Scapa. The DDs raised steam to join the convoy on the evening of the 7th. This was cancelled and status reverted to 1 hr's notice until late on the 7th when they departed Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
CL FIJI, which was completed on 17 May 1940, departed the Clyde for work up in the Caribbean. FIJI arrived at Bermuda on the 10th. On completion of her work up, she arrived back at Greenock on 23 July. 

*Channel*
MSW SPEEDWELL was damaged in a collision off Dover. She was under repair at Devonport from 7 June to 20 June.

*Med- Biscay*
DD VELOX departed Gib on the 5th with HG.33F and joined BBp RESOLUTION on the 8th. On 7 June, DD ACTIVE departed Gib and met the BB and DD VELOX. The ships arrived at Gibr on the 10th. DD KEPPEL departed Gib to act as additional escort for CVE ARGUS, which departed Toulon on the 4th and Hyeres on the 5th for Gib. On departing Hyeres, the carrier flew off her Swordfish of 767 Sqn to Polyvestre for ops. On 17 June, 18 Swordfish departed Polyvestre for Bone in Algeria. On 20 June, 12 Swordfish flew,via Medjez el Bab in Tunisia for refuelling, to Malta, arriving on the 22nd. The remaining Swordfish proceeded to Gib for duty in CVr ARK ROYAL. ARGUS arrived at Gib on the 7th, escort DDs STURDY and KEPPEL.

Italian sub MICCA departed La Spezia with orders to commence minelaying ops off Alexandria from the 10th.

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## parsifal (Jun 5, 2015)

*4th June RAF Operations*
Unfinished

1 sqn (Hurri)
After some rest and replacement, 1 sqn, now over the Roen area shoot down 8 LW bombers and claims a further 6

10 sqn (Whitley)
Homberg 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA, Crashed on return flight from target. Encountered thick fog on return and crash landed 0345 4Jun40 at Lower Manor Farm, Battisford, 2 miles WSW of Needham Market, Suffolk 

12 sqn (Battle)
?, F. 1 KIA or DOW, No other details. 

42 sqn (Bft) 
Training sortie, UK. 1 a/c lost, 1 WIA Returning from a training sortie when due to a freshening wind the pilot undershot the approach. Struck the roof of a house and dived into a hay field 100 yds NW of the aerodrome

44 sqn (Hampden)
Emmerich 1 a/c lost, 3 MIA, 

58 sqn (Whitley)
Unknown mission flown, no losses

59 sqn (Blen)
transfer, UK. 1 a/c lost, 3 KIA, no other details

77, 102 sqn (Whitley)
Gelsenkirchen 1 a/c lost, 5 POW Bombing - oil plants at Gelsenkirchen. 77 Sqn. 11 a/c to Gelsenkirchen. All bombed, 1 crashed on return. 102 Sqn. 11 a/c to Gelsenkirchen. 2 aborted, 9 bombed

83 sqn (Hampden)
Emmerich 1 a/c lost, 4 KIA Airborne from Scampton. Cause of loss not established. Crashed near Aachen, Germany

103 sqn (Battle)
Dunkirk (Night), no losses


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## parsifal (Jun 5, 2015)

*4 June1940 - The BEF*

In the early hours of the 4th when daylight put an end to operations the evacuations continued to try and extricate as much of the french rearguard as possible . The troops still in formation maintained fine levels of discipline and esprit de Corps to the end, these were first line troops of the French Army, and it showed. The fine discipline of the French troops left behind when the last ship sailed noted by Commander H. R. Troup who ha been directing evacuation from the centre pier:

"_About 1,000 men stood to attention four deep about half-way along the pier, the General and his staff about thirty feet away; and after having faced the troops, whose faces were indiscernible in the dawn light, the flames behind them showing up their steel helmets, the officers clicked their heels, saluted and then turned about and came down to the boat with me and we left at 0320_".

Admiral Abrial, General Fagalde, General de la Laurencie and general Berthélemy had crossed to England during the night, and at Dover Admiral Ramsay discussed with Admiral Abrial the possibility of continuing evacuation during yet one more night, notwithstanding the strain of the past 9 days was telling severely on men and ships. The French Admiral held, however, that further evacuation was impossible, for the enemy was now closing in on every side. In fact the remaining French troops surrendered at nine o'clock that morning, June the 4th. No authoritative record of their number is available. The most detailed estimate is that there were approximately 40-48000.

When the operation ended 338,226 had been evacuated—308,888 of them in the ships under Admiral Ramsay's orders. Nearly 100,000 had been liefted from the beaches. Of the British 8,061 were casualties; and of the other Allies 1,230 . However this often quoted figure is actually significantly incomplete, The Dynamo figures alone do not give the figures for personnel evacuated prior to 26 May . On May the 20th Lord Gort had ordered the evacuation of non-fighting troops and men of services no longer needed when the British Expeditionary Force was finally separated from its bases south of the Somme. Five days later General Weygand had issued a similar order that the French First Army were to embark in returning supply ships 'all superfluous Staff elements'. As a result of these orders 26,402 British troops (including 4,992 casualties) and 1,534 Allied troops were evacuated in British ships before Operation Dynamo started. To the Dynamo total of 338,226 there must therefore be added 27,936 making the grand total of those evacuated by this date 366,162. Included in this number are 224,320 men of the BEF. 

The evacuation of the northern armies was an undeniable and massive defeat from a continental sense, and led directly to the defeat of france as a result, but in another it was a remarkable victory for the british, or at least an avoidance of total defeat. It enabled vital, irreplaceable cadres to be saved, so that the army could be rebuilt, and enabled, as a direct result of that, for Churchill to continue the fight with no further murmurings of making peace or surrender to the germans. Britiain was now in the fight to the bitter end.


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## parsifal (Jun 5, 2015)

*5 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Boom defence vessel Barthorpe

*Losses*
*MV STANCOR (UK 798 grt)* Crew:19 (0 dead and 19 survivors) Cargo: 300 tons of fish Route: Reykjavik - Fleetwood, sunk about 80 miles nth of the Butt of Lewis. At 2312 5 June 1940 the unescorted STANCOR was shelled by U-48 after the ship had been missed with a G7e stern torpedo at 22.44 and was left burning and sinking after 77 rounds were fired from the deck gun. The master, 16 crew members and two gunners abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were questioned by the Germans. The master and 8 survivors in the first boat were picked up by the trawler KINALDIE and landed at Stornoway on 7 June and 10 survivors in the second boat made landfall at Crowlista near Uig, Isle of Lewis. . 





*Trawler LAPWING (UK 217 grt)* The trawler struck a mine in the Nth Sea 50 nautical miles off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire and sank. All 9 crew were rescued.






*Steamer CAPABLE (UK 216 grt)* was sunk on a mine 2.8 miles 131° from Horsesand Fort, Spithead. The entire crew of five men and two Territorial guards were all lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coaster SWEEP II (UK 145 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1. 4 miles 138° from Landguard Point near Felixstone. 2 crew were lost on the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW M-11 (DKM 425 grt) *The M1 class MSW (dating from 1914) struck a mine off Jæderen, Rogaland, Norway and sank.





*Steamer PALIME (Ger 2863 grt)* struck a mine near Jaederens and was run aground a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 5 June 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-101. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub TRIBUNE arrived Rosyth after patrol. Sub TETRARCH departed Rosyth on patrol. Sub NARWHAL arrived Blyth after patrol. Sub SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol. The next day, SWORDFISH was attack by friendly a/c in the Nth Sea. No damage was done to the sub. FN.189 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop HASTINGS. Sub L.23 was in the convoy for passage. Off the Tyne, DD VIMIERA escorted sub L.23 to Dundee. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 7th with sloop HASTINGS. MT.82 departed Methil, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.188 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th. 

*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY with DDs ZULU, MAORI, FOXHOUND departed Scapa for firings at 0645. The ships arrived back at 1800. DDs ESCORT, FORESTER, ENCOUNTER arrived at Scapa from ASW patrol that afternoon. Special services ship CAPE HOWE, disguised as RFA PRUNELLA, reported sighting at 1630 two unidentified warships NW of Norway making for Iceland on course 265 at 20 knots. Adm Forbes ordered the Home Flt to intercept. BCs RENOWN and REPULSE, CA SUSSEX, CL NEWCASTLE, DDs MAORI, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, ZULU, KELVIN departed Scapa at 2130 to intercept. DDs MASHONA, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ELECTRA were recalled to Scapa. DDs MASHONA and ELECTRA arrived at Scapa at 2030 from ASW ops in Moray Firth. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI arrived at Scapa at 1920 from escorting the Fr subs. DD TARTAR arrived at Scapa after ASW patrols. A rumour was received on the 7th that a large German force had landed at Seidisfjord. Vice Adm BCs and units of the Northern Patrol were ordered to investigate. CL NEWCASTLE arrived off Iceland on the 7th. BC RENOWN and REPULSE with 4 DDs were to have covered the first group evacuating Narvik with a close screen of 5 destroyers. The diversion to the imagined Iceland threat once again was to cost the RN heavily. 

After the sortie towards Iceland, only BBs RODNEY and VALIANT with DDs TARTAR, MASHONA, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI were available for operations, and with the whereabouts of the German battlefleet uncertain, the freedom of movement for this core was restricted. DD ELECTRA was ordered on the 7th to search for a suspicious steamer identified as British steamer BLAIRESK (3300grt), which had been boarded by armed boarding vessel KINGSTON JACINTH. The steamer was visually sighted by BB RODNEY's spotter aircraft and escorted to Noup Head. DD ELECTRA contacted the ship and found her to be CAPE HOWE. She proceeded to Kirkwall and anchored off Kirkwall in thick fog on the 8th. The DD arrived at Scapa late on the 8th from Kirkwall. CinC Home Flt was unaware of CAPE HOWE's deployment.

Convoy "Greek," consisting of 3 British andd 3 French steamers escort ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and WASTWATER, departed Harstad. Steamer VULCAIN from this gp arrived at Scapa on the 7th. Steamer PAUL EMILE JAVARY from this gp also arrived on the 7th. The remainder of the convoy arrived safely at Scapa on the 10th with the two trawlers. 

*Western Approaches*
CL EMERALD departed Halifax with British troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA , which was carrying troops for the Iceland garrison.
After safely delivering the troopship, EMERALD proceeded to the Clyde on the 16th and the troopship returned to Halifax. EMERALD arrived in the Clyde on the 18th.

*SW Approaches*
OA.162 departed Southend escort sloop ENCHANTRESS from 5 to 7 June. OB.162 departed Liverpool escorted by ASW trawler ARSENAL from 5 to 6 June. OG.32 was formed from convoys OA.161G, which departed Southend on the 3rd escorted by sloop ABERDEEN, OB.161G, escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE from 3 to 5 June, with 39 ships. Sloop FOLKESTONE escorted the convoy from 5 to 6 June, being detached to convoy HG.32. Sloop ABERDEEN escorted the convoy from 3 to 9 June until being detached to convoy HG.33. DDs DOUGLAS and VIDETTE joined on the 10th. VIDETTE was detached prior to arriving at Gib. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 11th, escort DD DOUGLAS.

HG.33F with 41 ships departed Gib. Escort provided by DD DOUGLAS from 5 to 6 June. DD VELOX escorted the convoy from 5 to 8 June when she was detached to escort BB RESOLUTION approaching Gib. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 5 to 14 June.
Corvette PERIWINKLE from OG.33F escorted the convoy from 12 to 14 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 14th.

*Channel*
During the night of 5/6 June, DDs GALLANT and WALPOLE, on patrol off Lowestoft, engaged German S Boats getting ready to lay mines. There were no casualties, but the DKM operation was thwarted. DD WANDERER, armed yacht GULZAR, some small motor craft departed Dover operation MH, a final sweep along the channel ports. This operation was to principally to evacuate stragglers near Boulogne. No allied troops were located. The operation was repeated the next night by the same ships but only one British officer was picked up. DD CODRINGTON, after DYNAMO operations, was under repair at Dover from 5 to 8 June. On completion of repairs, the DD sailed for Portsmouth. MSWs NIGER, SUTTON, PANGBOURNE, FITZROY, DUNDALK departed Dover for the Humber. 
MSW SPEEDWALL departed Dover for Devonport. MSWFlot 10 departed Dover for Portsmouth for reorganisation. MSW HALCYON was damaged by the LW, and was put under repair at Devonport from 8 to 14 June.

German forces attacked Dunkirk after the lull that permitted the allies to evacuate many of their troops. Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs EPERVIER and LEOPARD and sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA supplied support to the ground forces around Dunkirk. Fr BB PARIS was employed off Le Havre and was damaged by the LW on the 11th. She was taken to Brest, then on to Plymouth arriving on the 19th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.48 departed Halifax escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and aux PV ACADIA. ACADIA was detached on the 5th. The DD was detached on the 6th. AMC RANPURA provided the ocean escort , which was detached on the 16th. Local escort in the Western Approaches was DD VOLUNTEER jon the 17th, corvette GLADIOLUS. The DD was detached on the 19th. The corvette escorted the convoy to Liverpool arriving on the 20th.

*Med- Biscay*
Italian subs FAA d'BRUNO, MOROSINI, PROVANA, DANDOLO, MARCELLO departed Naples for operations off Oran at the outset of the war. Italian subs FINZI and CAPPELLINI departed Cagliari for operations in the Atlantic.


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## parsifal (Jun 5, 2015)

*5th June 1940 RAF Operations *
1 sqn (Hurri)
Rouen area, 2 a/c lost, 1 KIA 
2 He1111s are brought down. 1 Hurri is shot down in exchanger (Pilot KIA), 1 a/c crashes into a Blen on landing. A/C scrapped , pilot safe 

9 sqn (Wellington)
Duisburg 1 a/c lost, 2 KIA, 4 POW Airborne from Honington. Shot down by Flak soon after crossing the Dutch coast. Crashed near Simonshaven (Zuid Holland) in the commune of Geervliet, 16 km SW of Rotterdam, Holland.

22 sqn (Bft)
Ghent, Belgium. 1 a/c lost, 2 KIA (3 UK civilians died in crash) Took off 21.45 hrs on 05/06/1940 for bombing raid on ghent. Returning to Nth Coates searchlights dazzled the pilot and in trying to evade the glare, the a/c, possibly also affected by flak damage, began to vibrate so much that plt ordered the crew to bale out. He and the observer baled out safely but the wireless operator and air gunner, failed to get out and died in the crash. the plane crashed into houses at Fifth Row. One house, (No 77) was completely demolished and two others damaged. Three civilians were killed. All lived in the same house.

26 sqn (Lysander)
Tac Recon 1 a/c lost, 2 KIA, Took off from Lympne. Shot down by Hptman Müller (staffelkapitän) of 4./JG3 south-west of Abbeville and crashed near Ercourt, 12.10 hrs. 

83 sqn (Hampden)
Hamburg 1 a/c lost, 4 KIA Airborne from Scampton. Shot down by Flak and crashed at Barnkrug on the W bank of the Elbe, 9 km N of Stade, Germany.

102 sqn (Whitley)
Somme/Aisne Bombing - troops and transport, Fr. 102 Sqn. 6 a/c to Somme/Aisne. All bombed.

103 sqn (Battle)
Guise airfield, (Night)


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## Njaco (Jun 5, 2015)

*June 6 1940 Thursday
WESTERN FRONT:* The French line along the Somme between Amiens and the coast is broken by the attacks of 15.Panzerkorps after a vigorous struggle. Rommel's 7.Panzerdivision makes the largest gains. Rommel quickly learns to use his tanks to bypass Weygand‘s hedgehogs. The Panzers make rapid progress as there is no secondary defensive line and infantry contain and reduce the hedgehogs. 5. and 7.Panzerdivisionen make an initial breakthrough between Abeville and Amiens. Between Amiens and Peronne, Kleist's Panzer Group is still being held, but farther inland Guderian's divisions are seizing bridgeheads over the Aisne in preliminary attacks. Elsewhere, camouflaged hedgehogs in wooded areas continue to confound the Germans, with fire coming suddenly from the side or rear. French 75mm field guns (1898 vintage), obsolete as artillery, turn out to be as effective as German 88mm Flak used in flat fire anti-tank role.

21 LeO-451 bombers (11 lost) attack German spearheads at Chaulnes, west of St Quentin, and engage Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Bf 110s.

The Luftwaffe continues with its support of the new offensive and lose thirty-seven aircraft, including two from I./JG 1, one each from JG 2, JG 26, I./JG 51 and two from III./JG 3 and five from JG 27. Among those lost is Heinz Hoffmann, a five victory Experte of JG 2. But not all the news is bad. Hptm. Balthasar of JG 1 destroys another four Allied aircraft while Lt. Gustav Sprick of 8./JG 26 shoots down three Bloch 152s. Single victories are credited to Oblt. Walter Adolph and Hans-Folkert Rosenboom from JG 1. After the day's battles, the Gruppe is ordered to Germany for a rest and by evening leave for the airfield at Jever and Köln.

Hptm. Adolf Galland takes over command of III./JG 26 from Gruppenkommandeur Major Ernst von Berg who leaves the Gruppe because of his poor performance. His combat skills are so bad that many in the Geschwader nicknamed him the "propeller killer".

The fighters of JG 27 pack up their machines and crew and move with the battle front. Oblt. Max Ibel's Stabstaffel and Hptm. Helmut Riegel's I./JG 27 leave the airfield at Guise with the Stabstaffel transferring to St. Quentin and the I Gruppe arriving at St. Pol. Hptm. Walter Andres' II./JG 27 also leave Guise and move to the airfield at Clastres.

Adolf Hitler arrived at the Wolfsschlucht headquarters at Brûly-de-Pesche, Belgium.

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## Njaco (Jun 5, 2015)

*June 6 1940 *(_continued_)
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Evacuation of Narvik. Another 5100 men embark overnight. 5,100 Allied personnel were transported to 6 fast liners (“_Monarch Of Bermuda_”, “_Batory_”, “_Sobieski_”, “_Franconia_”, “_Lancastria_” and “_Georgic_”) hiding in fjords near Narvik, Norway over the previous night. They then departed the area with about 15,000 troops aboard, escorted by destroyer HMS “_Arrow_” and sloop HMS “_Stork_”. They rendezvous with WWI-era cruiser HMS “_Vindictive_” (“_Arrow_” and “_Stork_” turn back for Narvik). Only “_Vindictive_” will escort the troopships back to the Clyde.

In an attempt to address the German air superiority which had bedevilled the earlier Norwegian campaign (see 24th April) Hawker Hurricanes of RAF No. 46 Squadron had flown off the aircraft carrier HMS “_Glorious_” on 27th May and were now operating from a temporary airfield. In the early hours S/L K.B.B. ‘Bing’ Cross was preparing for an air patrol:


> “I was taxiing my aircraft down to the end of the run way when I saw 4 He.III K.’s approaching the aerodrome from the N.E. I had not my straps done up or my helmet on, but as the He.’s were heading direct for the aerodrome, I pulled the emergency boost control and took off. As the enemy aircraft approached the aerodrome they appeared to see my aircraft and Red 2 and turned away to port onto a more southerly course. Red 2 joined me and we climbed up after the enemy. My speed was 240 mph and I was climbing slightly. I set the sight at 80ft. span and 250 yards range and opened fire at that distance from the dead astern position at the aircraft flying in the ‘box’, Red 2 attacking the extreme starboard machine. I fired a 4 second burst and there was a burst of black smoke and the undercarriage dropped. Heavy return fire was coming from all four rear upper gun positions and it appeared that the top gunners had twin guns. I had now closed to about 80 yards and broke away downwards to port. As I did so I noticed that my oil pressure had dropped to zero. I turned towards the aerodrome, gradually losing height and landed. There were a total of twelve bullet holes in my aircraft; one in the screen, two in the oil tank, one in the petrol tank, one in the engine, two in the wing and five in the hood behind my head. The He. III K. was dropping behind the formation as I landed, his undercarriage was down and smoke pouring from the starboard engine.”


Squadron Leader Cross claimed a ‘probable’ for this action.

Norwegian submarine B.3 departs Harstad for Tromso but is crippled by an explosion. Unable to reach England, B.3 will be scuttled on June 9 in Gavlfjord near Tromso.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 1313 hours, U-46 hits British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Carinthia_” (a converted Cunard liner) with one torpedo, west of Galway Bay (4 lives lost). Carinthia stays afloat for another 30 hours, but sink while under tow by rescue tug HMS “_Marauder_”.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* All Austrian and German citizens in the United Kingdom were ordered to turn in privately-owned radios.

The British government banned the manufacture of a large number of household goods.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposes the development of a parachute corps with 5000 men.

*ASIA: *Japanese Army aircraft attacked Baishi Yi airfield near Chongqing, China. One of the I-15bis fighters of Chinese 21st Pursuit Squadron claimed one Japanese Ki-21 bomber shot down.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Kremlin issued an ultimatum to Latvia, demanding it to allow Soviet occupation.

Sir Stafford Cripps appointed British Ambassador in Moscow (the post has been vacant since January 1940).


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## Njaco (Jun 6, 2015)

*June 7 1940 Friday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Between midnight and 0330 hours, U-48 sinks British steamer “_Francis Massey_” carrying 7500 tons of iron ore (33 dead, Captain rescued by destroyer HMS “_Volunteer_”) and damages British steamer “_Eros_” (all 62 crew survive) 10 miles North of Ireland.

*GERMANY: *The French Naval Air Force attempts token bombing raid on Berlin. Converted Centre NC223 4-engined mail*plane makes a 13 1/2-hour flight as the crew claim to have attacked Berlin, but bombs apparently fall in open country.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Evacuation of Narvik. More British troopships (Group II) arrive and embark 5200 troops overnight. Slow container ships with supplies and equipment leave Narvik. Group I troopships (that departed yesterday with 15,000 troops on board) are spotted by German reconnaissance planes but mistaken for empty supply ships returning to England, probably due to the single escort vessel HMS “_Vindictive_”. Three He 111s of 1(F)./122 found the evacuation fleet and called down raids by various Luftwaffe units. Admiral Marschall’s German flotilla does not attack the convoy, instead refueling the destroyers and cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_”.

Off Narvik, RAF pilots, untrained in aircraft carrier landings, safely land 10 Gloster Gladiators and 8 Hawker Hurricanes on aircraft carrier HMS “_Glorious_” (the remaining fighters of RAF No.46 and 263 Squadrons). The Hurricane aircraft of No 46 Squadron had never been flown onto an aircraft carrier and did not have the arrester hooks that were considered necessary to land such a fast aircraft on a carrier (they had been loaded onto the carrier, not flown, for the trip out to Norway). Therefore the orders were for these aircraft to be destroyed before the Squadron’s personnel returned. Squadron Leader Cross was having none of it. His entire Squadron volunteered to land their Hurricanes on HMS “_Glorious_” in order to get them away, in a maneuver that had never been attempted before with this aircraft. None of the pilots had any experience of carrier landings. Using sandbags in their tail planes to give them extra weight, landings were successfully achieved by the entire Squadron. RAF No. 46 Squadron had 14 kills to their credit during the 10 days they were in Norway.

At 2000 hours, Norwegian King Haakon VII, his son Crown Prince Olav and members of the Norwegian government leave Tromsø (in the far North of Norway) for exile in England on British cruiser HMS “_Devonshire_”.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *At night, German aircraft crossed the East coast at several points. Bombs were dropped in Yorkshire. A twenty-six year old fireman was killed in an incident in Stockton Lane, York. A Heinkel bomber that machine-gunned East Suffolk crashed in town.

The late Captain Warburton-Lee is awarded the first V.C. of WW2 (killed as commander of British destroyers in First Battle of Narvik, see April 10).

*WESTERN FRONT:* Rommel’s 7.Panzerdivision and 5.Panzerdivision continue their drive down the Channel coast towards Rouen. Rommel advances 30 miles to Forges-Ies-Eaux, north of Rouen. In their advance on the coastal region the Germans take Montdidier, Noyon and Fores-les-Eaux. They are now only 20 miles from the Seine at Rouen. Further East, General Kleist’s Panzers meet stiff resistance and make no progress between Amiens and Péronne.

Prisoner of War Lt. Wasserzier returns to his unit, 2./JG 1, after German forces over run the Boulogne area.


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## parsifal (Jun 7, 2015)

*6 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN B1 Class I-Boat I-27





_Colourised photo of sister ship I-26_

Neutral 
Cagni Class Submarine RM AMMIRAGLIO SAINT-BON 




(Reported commissioning date 12 June 1941)

Allied
Escort destroyer BERKEKEY, AA ship FOYLEBANK








_BERKELEY was sent straight into action before work up because of the loss of the CARINTHIA. FOYLEBANK was sunk 4 July in an attack on Portland Harbour by 33 Ju87s. _
*Losses*
*AMC CARINTHIA (RN 20277 grt)* 4th largest ship sunk by a Uboat. Crew: ? men (4 dead and ? survivors). At 13.13 hours on 6 Jun 1940, HMS CARINTHIA was hit aft by one G7e torpedo from U-46 west of Galway Bay. The Germans then observed how the ship turned apparently uncontrolled in circles and dropped DCs from the stern. At 13.47 hours, another G7e was fired which missed and was answered by gunfire from the AMC. UBoat skipper Endrass decided not to waste another torp and left the area because the burning ship was settling by the stern, developing a port list and the crew began to abandon ship.

DDs VOLUNTEER, which departed the Clyde at 0115 for Scapa Flow, WREN, from the Clyde, escort vessel GLEANER, tugs BRIGAND and MARAUDER were sent to assist her. Escort DD BERKELEY, just completed, was also sent. The DDs reached the AMC CARINTHIA at 0400 on the 7th Tug MARAUDER took CARINTHIA in tow, but the AMC foundered at 1900 on the 7th. DD VOLUNTEER arrived at Scapa on the 8th. WREN arrived in the Clyde late on the 8th.





*Sub B.3 (Nor 545 grt) *departed Harstad for the Tromso area. En route, a battery explosion crippled the sub. Unable to make the passage to England, B.3 was scuttled on 9/10 June in Gavlfjord near Tromso.





*Steamer HARCALO (UK 5081 grt)*, formerly in convoy HG.32F, was sunk on a minenear Goodwin Knoll Buoy. 3 crew were lost. The steamer was beached three cables northwest of Gull Buoy. Tug LADY BRASSEY investigated the steamer, but found her beyond salvage. She was listed a total loss 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Liner REMO (It 9870 grt)* was seized by the RAN off Fremantle

Knowing the fate of her sister ship, *Liner ROMOLO (It 9870 grt)* departed Brisbane on 5 June, as Italy had declared loyalty to Nazi Germany. For that reason the captain of the MS ROMOLO decided to make a run for it and headed for Cape York Peninsula. Although RAN AMC had originally been ordered to shadow her, for some reason she had been called off, she was again called upon to locate and stop the MS Romolo. MANOORA located the ROMOLO approximately 220 miles SW of Nauru. The captain of the ROMOLO ordered the crew to scuttle her and abandon ship. MANOORA finished the job using her six inch guns and sunk her. 





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-51, U-61, UA
Wilhelmshaven: U-38

At Sea 6 June 1940
U-8, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-101, UA.
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM Raider THOR departed Kiel to raid in the Central and South Atlantic, via the Denmark Strait. She was escorted through the Skagerrak by TBs JAGUAR and FALKE and arrived at Sorgulenfjord near Skudesnes where she remained until 11 June.

*North Sea*
Sub STURGEON departed Blyth on patrol. FN.190 departed Southend, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 8th. MT.83 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at the Tyne later that day. FN.189 departed the Tyne, escorted by DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 8th. ASW trawler KINGSTON OLIVINE (378grt) made an attack on a suspected contact off Dungeness. The contact was later found to be a wreck. 

*Northern Waters*
After receiving orders, BB VALIANT and DDs MASHONA, TARTAR (D.6), BEDOUIN, ASHANTI departed Scapa to escort convoys evacuating Harstad. DDs WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, VISCOUNT arrived off Scapa in the morning. They anchored off Cantick Hd in thick fog. WOLVERINE and VISCOUNT entered harbour in the afternoon during a temporary clearance. WITHERINGTON did not enter Scapa until 1900. Following work up, Escort DD BERKELEY was attached to the Home Flt. Sub SEVERN reported a U-boat 60 miles WNW of Aandalsnes.

Late on the 6th and into early 7 June, DKM Adm Marschall reaching the latitude of Harstad refuelled his CA ADMIRAL HIPPER and DDs from tkr DITHMARSCHEN. 

*Channel*
BB NELSON, escort DDs WARWICK, AMAZON, WITCH departed Portsmouth for the Clyde, arriving on the 8th. DD VERITY was damaged in a collision with mine tender NIGHTINGALE at Portsmouth, and was under repair until the 15th. Fr ML POLLUX arrived at Dover for minelaying operation MI. On 6/7 June, POLLUX escort Fr TB MELPOMENE and DD VEGA laid mines from the English Coast to to Cherbourg. On 13/14 June, POLLUX and aux MLs INGENIEUR CACHIN (1310grt) and ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE (1256grt) escort TB BRANLEBAS and aux sloop ASIE extended this minefield. 

*Nth Atlantic*
DKM Surface Raider WIDDER refuelled from KONIGSBERG in the Nth Atlantic. WIDDER had already fuelled twice from tkr NORDMARK in the Nth Atlantic since sailing on 6 May. 

*Med- Biscay*
DD VORTIGERN, after escort duty with HG.32, arrived at Gib and was taken in hand for refitting. It subs BARBARIGO and NANI departed Naples for patrol off Algiers. It subs SALPA, GUILIANA, BAGNOLINI, TARANTINI departed Taranto for patrol sth of Crete. 
It subs SETTIMO and UEBI SCEBI departed Taranto for patrol to the sth of the Otranto Strait and off Cerigo, respectively.

*Indian Ocean* 
Convoy BC of steamers ASKA, KARANJA, KENYA, RAJULA, ROHNA, TALAMBA departed 6 June from Bombay and arriving 19 June at Durban, escorted by CA KENT. On 20 June, steamers ASKA, KARANJA, KENYA departed Durban escort CA CORNWALL. They arrived at Capetown on the 23rd. Liners REINA DEL PACIFICO and ORION departed Durban on the 22nd, escort CL DRAGON, arrived at Capetown the next day. CA CORNWALL departed Capetown on the 24th with steamers ASKA, KARANJA, KENYA. They arrived at Takoradi 1 July. They departed Takoradi on 2 July with CORNWALL and arrived at Freetown 5 July. Escorted by RAN CA AUSTRALIA, the convoy of REINA DEL PACIFICO, ORION, STRATHEDEN departed on the 24th and arrived at Freetown on 3 July.

Convoy BC.of troopships REINA DEL PACIFICO, ORION, STRATHEDEN, KENYA, KARANJA, ASKA departed Freetown 6 July, escort CA CORNWALL. The convoy was joined on 11 July by RAN CA AUSTRALIA and on 15 July by DDs HAVELOCK, ST LAURENT, WALKER, and WESTCOTT. The RN CAs arrived at Liverpool late on 16 July and the convoy and the DDs arrived at 0700 on 17 July.


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## parsifal (Jun 7, 2015)

*7 June 1940 (Part I) *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1935 Class Type M mSW M-16, Raider KOMET 







_The German raider 'Komet' had made passage to the Pacific along the north coast of Russia. The Germans had paid the Russians for the use of the ice breaker 'Stalin' to assist her passage. She then operated in the Pacific disguised as a neutral Japanese merchant.ship._

Neutral
Brazillian Carioca Class MLs CABADELO, CAMAQUA, CAMOCIM, CARAVELAS





*Losses*
*MV FRANCIS MASSEY (UK 4212 grt)* Crew: 35 (34 dead and 1 survivor) Cargo: 7500 tons of iron ore Route: Newfoundlan ore mines in Conception Bay - Glasgow. Sunk in the Western Approaches
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-8

At Sea 7 June 1940
U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-101, UA. 
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Evacuation of Norway*
Early on the 7th, Troopship Group I units leaving Harstad after evacuating allied troops were sighted by one of Adm Marschall's scouting planes. However, Marschall, at first, gave them no attention thinking them to be empty troopships returning to England. He was later to be severfely criticised for this, despite his greater success. Such were the peculiar workings of the German regime. 
Later on the 7th, DKM Spotter a/c sighted and reported units of Troopship Group II at the entrance to Andfjord escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs WALKER and FIREDRAKE. Group II was composed of troopships ORONSAY , ORMONDE , ARANDORA STAR , DUCHESS OF YORK, ROYAL ULSTERMAN, ULSTER PRINCE, ULSTER MONARCH. Troopship DUCHESS OF YORK was not in the group leaving the Clyde on 31 May. On 1 June, she departed Liverpool and joined the group en route. Troopship ORAMA had arrived at the ocean rendezvous for the evacuation, but was short of fuel and fresh water. Since sufficient accomodation was already at hand, ORAMA was sent home with hospital ship ATLANTIS. Armed boarding vessel VANDYCK remained at sea at the ocean rendezvous in case she was required while the troopships embarked the troops and equipment. Gp II troopships arrived at Andfjord in turn and embarked 5200 troops on the 7th and 4600 troops on the 8th. 

CV GLORIOUS and destroyers ARDENT and ACASTA departed the Narvik area in the early morning of the 8th. The carrier accepted units of the 46 sqn (Hurri) onto the decks, desp[ite the hurricanes not being equipped for deck landings and the crews not possessing any training in carrier work. It was a reamarkable final service by the carrier, and proved that high performance a/c could land on RN carriers. 

Gp II leaving the ocean rendezvous was escorted at sea by CV ARK ROYAL with DDs ACHERON, DIANA, HIGHLANDER, CL SOUTHAMPTON , CLA COVENTRY, DDs FIREDRAKE, HAVELOCK, FAME, BEAGLE, CAMPBELL, DELIGHT, ECHO. It had been intended that GLORIOUS and her close escort remain with this Gp, but the CO of the GLORIOUS was impatient to return (Ive never found the reason) and reamined detached from the main gp. 

A convoy of slow auxiliaries departed Harstad late on the 7th. This group consisted of British BLACKHEATH, OLIGARCH, HARMATTAN , CROMARTY FIRTH, THESEUS, ACRITY, COXWOLD, CONCH escorted by ASW trawlers ST CATHAN and LOCH MONTEITH of ASW Gp 18. The convoy was joined by DD ARROW, sloop STORK, trawlers STRATHDEVON, STRATHDERRY, ELDORADO , SHANDWICK , NEWHAVEN after they had completed assisting Group II during embarkation. DDs VETERAN and VANOC escorted the convoy away from the coast and then were detached to join the escort for GLORIOUS, but the carrier was lost before they could join the escort. 
DD VETERAN, short of fuel, was ordered to Sullom Voe on the 9th. VETERAN and VANOC arrived at Sullom Voe on the 9th. This convoy was under German air attack from the 9th by 6 a/c, however there was no damage.

DD CAMPBELL was ordered on the 8th to join the convoy but could not locate it until the 10th. Then, she was too low on fuel and had to proceed independently, later accompanied by DD MASHONA, to Sullom Voe, arriving on the 12th. DD WALKER did successfully locate and join the convoy. DDs FIREDRAKE, FAME, BEAGLE, WALKER all sustained minor damage from near misses from the LW on the 12th. They suffered varied levels of damage. FIREDRAKE arrived in the Clyde on the 13th and was out of service 1 week. FAME arrived in the Clyde on the 12th and was out of service 1 week. BEAGLE arrived at Greenock on the 12th was out of service 4 days.

DD WALKER arrived at Scapa on the 14th with the starboard dynamo out of action. She departed Scapa on the 15th for the Clyde. She arrived at Glasgow for repairs completed on the 28th. On the 14th, the convoy with CA SUSSEX, CL cruiser NEWCASTLE, DDs ARROW and WALKER, sloop STORK safely arrived at Scapa. A convoy departed Tromso on the evening of the 7th with British tankers OIL PIONEER and YEWMOUNT and ammunition ships ARBROATH and NGAKOA escorted by ASW trawler JUNIPER. DDs CAMPBELL and WALKER and ASW whalers ELLESMERE and THIRLMERE were to rendezvous with the Tromso units. The whalers met YEWMOUNT, ARBROATH, NGAKOA later on the 7th. On the 10th, CAMPBELL reported she was a serious fuel loss and was returning to Sullom Voe. On the 12th, whalers ELLESMERE and THIRLMERE were relieved by DD VISCOUNT. The whalers took ammunition ship NGAKAO with engine troubles into Scapa. VISCOUNT arrived at Scapa in the early hrs of the 14th with the Narvik store ships. ASW trawler NORTHERN GEM departed Lodigen escorting Nor steamer RANEN , which was being used as HMS RAVEN. British trawlers departing Norway at this time were LILAC, SYCAMORE, HAWTHORN, WILLOW of MSWGp1, ULLSWATER of ASWGp10, NORTHERN SPRAY, NORTHERN DAWN, NORTHERN WAVE of ASWGp12, KING SOL of ASWGp18, MAN O' WAR of ASWGp21, PRESTON NORTH END and LINCOLN CITY of ASWGp30. ASW whalers ELLESMERE and THIRLMERE of ASWGp10 transferred 435 men and 26 women to CA DEVONSHIRE at Tromso.

CA DEVONSHIRE departed Tromso with the King of Norway, his govt, allied legations. She was accompanied by Nor sub B 1, fishery protection vessels NORDKAPP and FRIDTJOF NANSEN, armed aux SYRIAN , THOROOD , NORDHAV II, HVAL V , BORTIND and captured German trawler HONNINGSVAAG and ex Ger MALANGEN captured on 13 April. CA DEVONSHIRE arrived in the Clyde on the 10th. DD VETERAN departed Thorshavn on the 16th with submarine B 1, fishery protection vessel FRIDTJOF NANSEN, 5 minor warships through Pentland Firth for Rosyth. DD KELVIN was ordered on the 16th to join destroyer VETERAN and the Norwegian ships. The Norwegian ships escorted by DDs KELVIN and VETERAN and two trawlers arrived at Rosyth on the 18th. Both DDs proceeded to Nore, on completion of the escort duty.


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## Njaco (Jun 7, 2015)

*June 8 1940  Saturday
WESTERN FRONT:* 5. and 7.Panzerdivisionen cross River Seine and 5.Panzerdivision captures Rouen. Further East, Kleist’s 14.Panzerkorp breaks through at Amiens but 16.Panzerkorp is still held at Péronne by French 7th Army, showing the true fighting character of the French troops and the effectiveness of the hedgehogs.

Over the front lines, a schwarm of Bf 109s from 7./JG 26 are bounced by British Hurricanes. Lt. Mietusch of 7./JG 26 is shot down in his Bf 109E by one of the Hurricanes near Neufchatel and force lands behind French lines without injuries. But as he is about to make good his escape, he is shot in the buttocks by a French civilian. Lt. Mietusch becomes a POW of the French. A future Experte of JG 26, Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 6./JG 51, shoots down two RAF Blenheims.

But the French aren’t succumbing so easily to the German invasion and the Luftwaffe. Capt. Wuillame of the French GC I/2 flies his MS 406 to effect and destroys three Bf 109s in fifteen seconds.

Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 14, to deal with strong resistance north of Paris. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/14.html

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Evacuation of Narvik. French and Polish troops, pursuing General Dietl’s forces towards Sweden, pull out overnight and return to Narvik leaving dummies to fool the Germans. Group II troopships embark the final 4600 Allied troops (British, French and Polish) and depart Narvik, escorted by aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, cruisers HMS “_Southampton_” and HMS “_Coventry_” and 11 destroyers. The convoy is spotted by German reconnaissance planes and bombed continuously until out of range but without damage. Germans quickly assess the withdrawal and retake Narvik.

Operation Juno meets Evacuation of Narvik. At 0300 hours, aircraft carrier HMS “_Glorious_” sails for Scapa Flow with destroyers HMS “_Ardent_” and HMS “_Acasta_” (these vessels are not needed to escort troop transports). Captain Guy D’Oyly Hughes failed to launch scouting aircraft as the carrier sailed for Britain, thus was caught unprepared when the convoy runs into German battleships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_”, 170 miles off the Norwegian coast. At 1630 hours, “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” open fire from 24km, one of the longest hits ever recorded. “_Glorious_” is hit with several 11 inch shells, preventing aircraft taking off. “_Ardent_” and “_Acasta_” lay smoke and close on the German battleships firing 120 mm guns and torpedoes but both are hit. “_Acasta_” hits “_Scharnhorst_” with 1 torpedo (50 dead). “_Ardent_” sinks at 1720 hours (151 lives lost, 2 survivors). “_Glorious_” sinks at 1910 hours (1162 sailors and 59 RAF personnel killed, 42 survivors). “_Acasta_” sinks at 1920 hours (161 dead, 2 survivors). Admiral Wilhelm Marschall, aboard his flagship “_Gneisenau_” orders his flag lowered to half mast to honor the crews of the British destroyers. But Admiral Marschall is dismissed for putting “_Scharnhorst_” at risk and failing to carry out planned attack on Harstad.

German cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” sinks British tanker “_Oil Pioneer_” and escorting armed trawler HMS “_Juniper_” (20 lives lost, “_Hipper_” picks up 29 survivors). Later, “_Hipper_” sinks empty British troopship “_Orama_” (19 lives lost, 280 rescued by German destroyers) but spares hospital ship “_Atlantis_”. “_Atlantis_” obeys the rules of war and does not attempt to radio any signals; “_Hipper_” does not sink her.


.



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## parsifal (Jun 8, 2015)

*7 June 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*North Sea*
DD FEARLESS departed Middlesborough for Rosyth en route to Scapa. At 1300, FEARLESS reported the breakdown of both feed pumps. She returned to Middlesborough for repairs. At 1900 0n 10 June, she departed for Sullom Voe. MT.84 departed Methil, escort sloops LOWESTOFT and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne later that day. FS.190 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops LOWESTOFT and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th. Sub SEVERN arrived at Rosyth after patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DD ENCOUNTER departed Scapa on the 7th to search for a German seaplane down in the sea 43° from Wick. ENCOUNTER was later recalled. Attempting to enter harbour in the early hrs of the 8th, the DD went ashore on Cantick Head. She was later refloated with some damage. She arrived at Scapa Flow on the 8th, and subsequently departed Scapa on the 14th escorting British steamer FOSS BECK and tkr BRITISH LADY to Rosyth, arriving on the 14th. ENCOUNTER departed Rosyth on the 16th in convoy MT.89, escorted by escort ship WOOLSTON and sloop FLAMINGO, arrived on the 17th in the Tyne. The destroyer departed the Tyne on the 17th in convoy FS.97 with escort ship WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. ENCOUNTER finally arrived at Chatham where she was under repair and refit until 20 July. ASW trawlers LE TIGRE and ELM arrived at Scapa escorting British oiler INVERSHANNON (9154grt) and steamers KIRKWOOD and ST CLAIR (1637grt). British steamer REDCAR arrived at Scapa from Harstad.

*Western Approaches*
MV EROS (UK 5888 grt) At 03.22 hours on 7 June 1940, U-48 fired a torp at the unescorted EROS about 15 miles off Tory Is and scored a hit after the torp ran for 4 mins 34 secs. The shot fell from a distance of about 3000m because the vessel was fast and the proximity of land prevented a chase on the surface. The U-boat left the area after the crew abandoned the burning ship. 
The badly damaged vessel was taken in tow by HMS BERKELEY and was later assisted by BANDIT and DD VOLUNTEER, which had tried to salvage the torpedoed HMS CARINTHIA the previous day. The survivors were picked up by HMS PAYNTER. In the evening, the ship was beached on Tory Island and was later salvaged and repaired. 

*Channel*
DD VEGA departed Chatham and called at Dover before proceeding to Le Havre with the XD.H (Dieppe demolition party). Off Le Havre, the XD.H party was transferred to a Fr trawler because the port was closed. The party travelled overland to Dieppe. On her return to Dover, VEGA was ordered to Portsmouth to pick up the CP (Dieppe blockships). Fr Contre Torpilleur DD GERFAUT departed Brest escorting steamers KONINGIN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX to Plymouth, arriving on the 8th. On return, the DD departed on the 8th escorting steamers GENERAL METZINGER and MEKNES, joined by TB L'IMPETUEUSE. They arrived at Brest on the 9th. 

*Nth Atlantic*
Fr CL EMILE BERTIN departed Halifax to return to Brest for another gold evacuation mission

*Med- Biscay*
CVE ARGUS and her attendant DD STURDY, and DD KEPPEL arrived from the Gulf of Lyons at Gibraltar en route to Home Waters. Fr sub ARCHIMEDE, which had come from Brest, via Casablanca, arrived at Gib escorted by sloop ELAN. The sub sailed later that day escortsloop ANNAMITE and arrived at Toulon on the 11th. Subs ARCHIMEDE and BEVEZIERS departed Brest on the 1st in convoy 47 BF, escort sloop ELAN. The convoy arrived at Casablanca on the 5th.

*Indian Ocean* 
CL LEANDER departed Port Sudan to patrol off that port. On 8 June, she joined sloop GRIMSBY escorting liner UMBRIA (IT 9349 grt) to Port Sudan.


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## parsifal (Jun 8, 2015)

*8 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
IJN B1 Class I-Boat I-25




Allied
Sub SATYR , Escort destroyer HAMBLEDON








*Losses*
*Steamer HARDINGHAM (UK 5415 grt)*, detached from convoy FS.89, struck a mine and sank . 2 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KJELL BILLNER (SD 1106 grt)* was seized by German forces at Stavanger. She was renamed HELGA SCHRODER for German service. The crew were returned to Gotenburg.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-52
Wilhelmshaven: U-25, U-30, U-65

At Sea 8 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
FN.191 departed Southend, escort DDs WOLFHOUND and VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 10th.

*Northern Waters*
British Troopship Gp I and BB VALIANT and her DDs rendezvoused in the early hours , and VALIANT remained with the convoy until it was west of the Faroes. VALIANT and her DDs then left Gp I and picked up Gp II on the 10th. The convoy was continually bombed. VALIANT remained with Gp II until they reached 59N, and then proceeded to Scapa. Gp I arrived in the Clyde on the 10th with her escorts of repair ship VINDICTIVE and DDs VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE, ANTELOPE and ATHERSTONE. Troopship GEORGIC went directly to Brest arriving on the 14th to disembark her French troops.

*Tkr OIL PIONEER (5666grt) *and her escort *ASW trawler JUNIPER (RN 550 grt)* of ASWGp19 had departed Tromso on the 7th were attacked and sunk off Jan Mayen Is by DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER and the 4 DDs of the JUNO opn. The Master and 19 crew of the tkr were lost. 25 survivors from the tkr and 4 from JUNIPER were picked up by the Germans. 

*Troopship ORAMA (UK 19,840 grt)* was also located in 67‑44N, 03-52E and sunk by the German ships which had sunk OIL PIONEER and JUNIPER, but her companion, hospital ship ATLANTIS, was not molested. Of a crew of 297 men and two gunners, 18 crew were missing and 1 died of injuries. ADMIRAL HIPPER and the 4 DDs were then ordered to Trondheim for refuelling. DD STEINBRINCK arrived at Trondheim on the 10th with one engine operating. The defects were corrected by 10 June.





DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU encountered *CV GLORIOUS (RN 22500 grt)* with *DD ACASTA (RN 1360 grt)* and *DD ARDENT (RN 1337 grt)* at 1600 west of the Lofoten Islands. GLORIOUS had been detached from the Narvik evacuation covering force and was proceeding independently to Scapa. All 3 ships were sunk west of Narvik, but not before ACASTA was able to torpedo SCHARNHORST and badly damage her, putting an end to Marschall's opn. She had her centre and starboard engine room flooded, the after turret out of action, and speed reduced to 20 knots. For the ACASTA, 193 of her 194 crew were lost. For the ARDENT 137 of the 138 crew were lost. For the GLORIOUS, 1,207 of her 1,247 crew were lost along with about 46 RAF personnel (4 survivors). Most of the casualties occurred after the ships had been sunk, brought on by drowning and exposure. About 50 aboard the SCHARHORST were killed or injured. 







_Crew members of HMS ACASTA, Jan 1940. Group includes AB Victor Vincent McCullen, who served at the Battle of Jutland, and lost his life when the ACASTA sank on the 8th June 1940. This photo is the property of his grandson Tim McCullen. HMS ARDENT shown right_




_HMS GLORIOUS photographed in May 1940 from the deck of HMS ARK ROYAL, the DD with her is HMS DIANA_

DD INGLEFIELD arrived at Scapa after refitting at Devonport. ASW trawler STOKE CITY ran around south of Duncansby Head, but was refloated. British steamer CORMINSTER arrived at Scapa from Harstad. A UBoat sighting was reported by a CC a/c in 55-52N, 2-40E.

*West Coast UK*
BB NELSON with DDs WARWICK, WITCH, AMAZON arrived in the Clyde. AMAZON departed the Clyde that evening for Scapa.

*Western Approaches*
BC RENOWN and DDs ZULU and KELVIN departed Icelandic waters for refuelling at Scapa, where they arrived at 0515 and 520, respectively, on the 9th.

*SW Approaches*
HG.33 departed Gib with 23 ships. DDs DOUGLAS and VIDETTE escorted the convoy from 8 to 10 June. Sloop ABERDEEN from convoy OG.32 escorted the convoy from 10 to 17 June. It arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

*Channel*
DDs VESPER and WANDERER, which had departed Dover on the 7th, bombarded German targets on the roadway between Abbeville and Treport, east of Dieppe on the 8th, before arriving at Dover later that same day. CL CARDIFF at 1715 on the 8th and VESPER and WANDERER later arrived at Dover to stand by for operations off Dieppe.

*UK-France*
BC.40 departed Bristol Channel, escort ASW trawler AGATE. The convoy arrived at Loire on the 10th.

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*
Troop convoy US 3 departed Freetown escort CVL HERMES and CAs CUMBERLAND and SHROPSHIRE. HERMES was detached on the 10th and CA DORSETSHIRE accompanied the convoy on 12 to 14 June. US 3 was joined off Gib by BC HOOD, which departed the Clyde on the 12th, CVE ARGUS, DDs BROKE, WANDERER, WESTCOTT, and RCN DDs ST LAURENT, RESTIGOUCHE, SKEENA which joined DORSETSHIRE, CUMBERLAND, SHROPSHIRE on the 14th. The 4th RCN DD in Home Waters, FRASER, had arrived at Plymouth on the 3rd and was repairing defects; she did not return to service until 11 June. DORSETSHIRE conducted a patrol off the Canary Islands and arrived at Gib on the 16th. On 23 June, she departed for Dakar, changed in view of Armistice to Freetown. On 15 June, the convoy was joined by DDs WARWICK and WITCH. On 16 June, the convoy, CUMBERLAND, SHROPSHIRE and escorts safely arrived in the Clyde, SHROPSHIRE to refit, completing at the beginning of August. From 12 to 16 June, U.29, U.43, U.46, U.48, U.101 were involved in an unsuccessful attempt to intercept the convoy.

SL.35 departed Freetown escorted by AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE to 22 June. On that date, DD WARWICK and corvette CLARKIA joined the convoy and escorted it to arrival on the 25th.

*Med- Biscay*
CL DELHI arrived at Gib, sailed the next day with important RAF stores, but was recalled to Gib, arriving back on the 11th.

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## parsifal (Jun 8, 2015)

*The loss of the GLORIOUS....ACASTA causes the Germans to abandon "JUNO" *

The following is an extract from John Winton's "War At Sea" and is an account from the sole survivor of the ACASTA, Leading Seaman Cooper. At the end , after the "Abandon Ship" order had been given, the crew called out to the CO, Cdr Glasfurd, to join them in one of the Carley floats. He refused, calmly lighting a cigarette on the bridge, and waving serenely to his crew. Seconds later, the Bridge was blown away by a direct hit from the BCs. 

ACASTA's sacrifice was not completely in vain. With her last torpedo salvo, fired at great range and from a disadvantageous position, she managed to score a single hit on the Scharnhorst, and forced a cancellation of further action by the two sister BCs. This one final act probably saved much of the retreating allied fleet from further molestation at the hands of the German raiders.

Both sides were critical of the results of this battle. For the RN, one of the worst days of the war, and a loss so avoidable, the criticisms are completely understandable. It is still such a sensitive subject within the Admiralty that the files relating to the loss are marked with the maximum 100 year delay for their release. The RN still is hesitant to talk about this tragedy.

For DKM, despite the obvious success, the Fleet commander was sharply reprimanded on a number of accounts, resulting in the early retirement of what perhaps can be described as their best most promising flag officer (after Donitz). There are direct links to the way Marschall was treated, and the behaviour of his successors, Lutjens in particular, that in turn led directly to the Bismarcks loss.


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## Njaco (Jun 8, 2015)

*9 June 1940 * * Sunday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 1300 hours, U-46 sinks Finnish steamer “_Margareta_” carrying 1434 tons of peanuts 350 miles West of Cape Finisterre, Spain (5 lives lost). 19 survivors drift in a lifeboat for 4 days but are rescued and taken to Vivero, Spain.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Soviet Union issued the order for its military to complete preparations for the invasion of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia by 12 Jun 1940.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* With the King and Government gone to exile in England, General Ruge agrees to the surrender of Norwegian 6th Division (essentially all that remains of the Norwegian Army). The armistice comes into effect at midnight. Allied losses (dead, missing or severely wounded) are 2119 British, 1335 Norwegian, 530 French and Poles combined. Germans lose 5296 dead or missing. Critically, Luftwaffe has lost 160 fighters and bombers and 80 transport planes while Kriegsmarine has lost 3 cruisers, 10 destroyers and 6 submarines, with 4 more cruisers and 6 destroyers requiring repairs. The loss of warships and transport planes will hinder plans for an invasion of England.

At 1030 hours, hospital ship “_Atlantis_” meets battleship HMS “_Valiant_” and reports the sinking of “_Orama_”. This is the first the Admiralty knows about Admiral Marschall's flotilla which has sunk 6 ships including an aircraft carrier. Damaged German battleship “_Scharnhorst_” and sister ship “_Gneisenau_” return to Trondheim for repairs.

*NORTH AFRICA:* American cruiser “_Vincennes_” and destroyers “_Truxton_” and “_Simpson_” arrive at Casablanca to transfer 200 tons of French gold to USA for safekeeping. They will depart Casablanca June 10, arriving at New York June 20.

Destroyer USS “_Dickerson_” departed Casablanca, French Morocco with American passengers for Lisbon, Portugal, where they would board US passenger liner “_Washington_” for Ireland and then the United States.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* After attacking a Channel convoy, Oblt. Werner Machold of 7./JG 2 takes damage and force lands in Dorset.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The German 5.Panzerdivision forces reach the Seine at Rouen and take the city. Dieppe and Compiegne are both captured. Rommel’s 7.Panzerdivision chases French 10th Army and British 51st Highland Division back to the sea at St-Valery-en-Caux. Rommel was to lead his Division in a hundred kilometer drive forward in just two days. Kleist’s 14.Panzerkorp makes further progress past Amiens but 16.Panzerkorp remains stuck at Péronne. Further East, Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe A launches its attack towards Reims led by Guderian’s panzers. In the fighting the French defenders manage to hold most of their positions but take heavy losses. French CiC General Weygand declares the battle for the Somme River to be lost and suggests seeking an armistice with Germany. Instead, the French government decides to leave Paris.

“Fall Rot” continues with nineteen airfields attacked and eighty-six French aircraft destroyed up to this date.

Fighters of III./JG 26, on escort duty for a Do 17 reconnaissance aircraft, shoot down six Polish Cauldron C 714C-1 fighters out of a flight of seventeen near Vernon. One of the victors, Lt. Josef 'Jupp' Bürschgens describes his first kill;


> "That afternoon we were ordered to fly a freiejagd to Paris from our base at Capelle, north of the Seine. As we approached Paris we sighted two squadrons of enemy fighters climbing up from the city. We attacked them from above. I fastened onto the tail of one fighter, which vanished into the general airbattle with a split-S. I immediately climbed away into a heavy layer of haze, which lay at about 3,000 meters and clear skies above and below it. Flying at the upper border of the layer, I would pop out, look around for an opponent, and disappear again into the protective cloud. One time when I emerged I saw in front of me an aircraft doing just as I was - popping out, looking around and dropping from sight again. I saw roundels, and carefully approached the enemy plane, remaining in the cloud until I had reached optimum firing distance. I opened fire with all my weapons. I saw strikes in the cockpit and on the fuselage. The enemy aircraft reared up sharply, and came past me in a flat left curve, almost at my altitude. I could see that the pilot had been hit. He was slumped forward. The machine banked more steeply, and dove over a wing. I saw it crash in a heavily populated area west of Paris."



Several Bf 109s from JG 53 and Bf 110’s of ZG 2 escort bombers of II Fliegerkorps to support von Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe A attack on the French Fourth Army. Oblt. Helmut Wick becomes the leading Experte of JG 2, the “Richthofen” Geschwader, when he scores his twelfth victory.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jun 9, 2015)

*9 June 1940 *
*Losses*
*MV MARGARETA (FN 2155 grt) *Crew: 24 (5 dead and 19 survivors) Cargo: 1434 tons of peanuts Route: Bathurst - Greenock. The neutral vessel was hit by one torpedo from U-46 amidships, broke in two and sank after one hour about 350 miles from Cape Finisterre. Four crew members died on watch below and another was killed in the water by sharks. The survivors were adrift in one lifeboat for three days and 21 hours, before they were picked up and taken to Vivero, Spain. 





Fr sub RUBIS, which had departed Dundee on the 5th, arrived off Fedjeonsonfjord, near Bergen. She sighted DKM DD RIEDEL, which had departed Trondheim on the 8th for Wilhelmshaven. RUBIS dived to evade, but RIEDEL did not pursue, continuing sth. RUBIS laid mines at 2210 in Fedjeosonfjord for minefield FD.17. On the 10th, *Steamer SVERRE SIGURDSON (Ex-Nor 1081 grt) *was lost on this minefield.





While following the British slow convoy returning from Harstad, *Steamer PRINS OLAV (Nor 2147 grt)* and *Steamer ARIADNE (Nor 2029 grt)* were sunk by the LW. ARIADNE lost 9 crew, whilst PRINS OLAV lost one crewman. The ships were sunk NE of the Shetlands. DD ARROW rescued 72 male and 9 female survivors.








*Drifter DEWEY EVE (UK 109 grt)* was sunk in an accidental collision at Scapa with British trawler GOLD CROWN .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DULWICH (UK 4102 grt) *was sunk by the LW off Villequier. She was later salved and renamed HOLTENAU for German service.





*Aux MSW NOTRE DAMES DES DUNES (Fr 481 grt)* and *Aux MSW MADELEINE LOUISE (Fr 464 grt) *were sunk by the LW off Dunkirk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MAX WOLF (Gk 6694 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the English Channel between Roque and Berville. 2 crew were killed and she was beached at Tancarville. The wreck was later used as a target by the LW.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AVVENIRE (It 957 grt)* was sunk north of Pantelleria on an Italian mine.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ANGIULLIN (It 873 grt)* was sunk off Cape Granitola on an Italian mine.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Aux PV Vp.801 (DKM 437 grt)* was sunk off Ameland on a mine. Aux PV Vp.803 on patrol nearby rescued the survivors. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DOCKENHUDEN (Ger 216 grt)* was sunk at Stolpmunde.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-37

At Sea 9 June 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
19 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Subs PORPOISE and NARWHAL departed Immingham to lay minefields FD.18 on the 14th off Fro Havet and FD.19 on the 12th off Haugesand. Subs STURGEON, H.28 and H.31 departed Blyth on patrol. MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER escort DDs GALLANT and WALPOLE departed the Humber to lay minefield BS 12 in the Nth Sea, arriving back in the Humber on the 10th after the minelay.

FN.192 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN. Ds JACKAL and FORESIGHT were ordered to close the convoy for the night of 9/10 June and remain with it until daylight. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 11th. MT.85 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. The convoy arrived at the Tyne later that day. FS.191 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 11th.

*Northern Waters*
Late on the 9th, DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU were escorted into harbour by TBs GREIF and KONDOR which were just arriving from Germany. 

DDs ESCORT and ELECTRA departed Scapa to rendezvous with CA DEVONSHIRE and escort her to the Clyde, but they were recalled to Scapa for other duty. CL NEWCASTLE and CA SUSSEX were ordered to leave the Iceland area for a position off the west coast of Iceland, covering possible breakouts by DKM forces. At 1030/9th, hospital ship ATLANTIS met BB VALIANT and the first intelligence of Marschall's forces was received by the Admiralty and the Home Flt. She advised she had observed a pocket battleship engaging a two funnel transport at 0900/8th. This was presumed to be liner ORAMA, now reported missing. ATLANTIS arrived at Scapa Flow on the 10th at 1600.

BB RODNEY, BC RENOWN, DDs ZULU, KELVIN, INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA and ESCORT departed Scapa to escort the convoys arriving from Harstad. CV ARK ROYAL was ordered to join this force on the 10th. A Swordfish of 810 Sqn from ARK ROYAL ditched in the sea after missing the carrier on its return from a recon mission looking for SCHARNHORST. S/Lt R. C. Eborn, Midshipman G. T. Shaddick and Leading Airman P. W. Clitheroe were picked up by Norwegian fishery protection vessel SYRIAN and taken to Iceland. BC REPULSE, CA SUSSEX, CL NEWCASTLE, and DDs MAORI, FOXHOUND, FORESTER were still in Icelandic waters. They were ordered at 1026 to sweep NE and join Troopship Group II and the slow aux convoy which were travelling together. NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa on the 11th. MAORI, FOXHOUND, FORESTER arrived at Sullom Voe for refuelling on the 10th and departed later in the morning after refuelling. DDs VOLUNTEER and WHIRLWIND departed Scapa for Sullom Voe. FOXHOUND experienced a turbine problem and returned to Sullom Voe, to be replaced by WHIRLWIND, which sailed from Sullom Voe later on the 10th. FOXHOUND departed Sullom Voe on the 11th and arrived at Scapa later that evening. WHIRLWIND was soon detached to hunt a U-boat, sighting that had been reported by a/c on the 10th, and was ordered to hunt for 24 hrs. DD FIREDRAKE at 1300, with Group II, attacked a U Boat contact . DDDs FEARLESS, AMAZON, ANTELOPE, ESCAPADE departed Sullom Voe at 2230/11th to join the Home Flt at sea. Late on the 11th, VALIANT and REPULSE with DDs TARTAR, BEDOUIN, MAORI, DIANA, ACHERON and FORESTER arrived at Scapa for refuelling.

DDs VETERAN and VANOC arrived at Sullom Voe at 2350. DD ENCOUNTER, sailing with a convoy to Aberdeen, was delayed by fog. They were able to proceed and departed Scapa on the 10th. 3 Br steamers and 1 Norwegian steamer were escorted by ENCOUNTER and trawlers ANGLE, INDIAN STAR, ST KEENAN, LADY ELSA for Aberdeen, arriving on the 11th. ENCOUNTER returned to Scapa. 
Trawlers BARBARA ROBB, MOUNT ARD, FORT RYAN arrived at Scapa from Norway.

*West Coast UK*
DDs WARWICK and WITCH departed the Clyde for Liverpool.

*SW Approaches*
OG.33F was formed from convoys OA.163GF, which departed Southend on the 7th escort corvette GLADIOLUS, and OB.163GF, which departed Liverpool on the 7th escort sloop SCARBOROUGH, with a total of 52 ships. Corvette PERIWINKLE escorted the convoy from 9 to 10 June and was then detached to convoy HG.33F. SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy from 9 to 13 June and was then detached to convoy HG.34F. DD DOUGLAS joined on the 13th and escorted the convoy into Gib, arriving on the 14th.

*Channel*
Steamer EMPIRE COMMERCE (3857grt) was badly damaged on a mine five cables WNW, 220° of the NE Spit Buoy, near Margate. 2 crew were missing. She was beached 19 cables 261° from NE Spit Buoy, refloated on the 11th and again beached on the 12th. 

*UK-France*
Operation CYCLE, the evacuation of the Fr nth coast was set into action. DDs RESTIGOUCHE, BROKE, ST LAURENT, CODRINGTON and sloop WELLINGTON were ordered on the 9th to proceed to rendezvous with DD SALADIN 7 miles 270° from Cape De Le Havre. At 1533 the same orders were sent to CLA CALCUTTA and DDs BULLDOG and BOADICEA. The ships were ordered not to arrive at Havre before 0400/10th. DDs AMBUSCADE, HARVESTER, FERNIE and corvette GARDENIA from the Western Approaches were also ordered to CYCLE and departed Portland on the 9th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.49 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and ASSINIBOINE, which were detached on the 10th. Ocean escort was AMC AUSONIA. AMC LACONIA had departed with the convoy but ran aground in Halifax Harbour, and AUSONIA was sailed in her place. . She was detached on the 20th. Also on 20 June, sloops FOWEY and SANDWICH joined the convoy for the inbound leg. FOWEY was detached on the 23rd. SANDWICH escorted the convoy to Liverpool, arriving on the 24th.

*Med- Biscay*
Between 7 and 9 June, thirty three Italian submarines departed Italian ports on patrol in the Mediterranean. During the night of 9/10 June, Italian CLs BARBIANO and CARDONA, DDs CORAZZIERE and LANCIERE, and TBs CALIPSO and POLLUCE laid mines between Lampedusa and Kerkenah. Feared intervention by Bizerte-based French units did not materialize.


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## parsifal (Jun 9, 2015)

*10 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Tree Class ASW Trawler BAY 

*Losses*
After proceeding to one of the inner evacuation rendezvous points after British forces had already departed, *armed boarding vessel VANDYCK (RN 13,241 grt)*, was sunk by the LW off Andenes. 7 crew were lost. The rest of the crew, 55 in total were able to row ashore in the ship's boats and taken prisoner. DD DELIGHT was sent to unsuccessfully search for her when she failed to arrive at the rendezvous.





*Trawler RIVER NESS (UK 203 grt)* was sunk by the LW 8 miles NNE of the Skerries. 8 crew were lost and two rescued. 
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

DD VEGA took *blockships JACOBUS (UK 1262 grt)*, *blockship KAUPO (UK 2420 grt)*,* blockship RIVER TYNE (UK 1525 grt)* to Dieppe from Portsmouth in Operation C P to block the harbour which was accomplished.











*Troopship BRUGES (UK 2949 grt)* was sunk by the LW on the 11th near Le Havre. During the night of 12/13 June, 11,059 troops were evacuated from Le Havre; 9000 of them were taken to Cherbourg.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 10 June May 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub TRITON departed Rosyth for patrol off Fro Havet. Sub SEVERN arrived at Dundee. Sub STURGEON arrived at Blyth. ORP sub WILK arrived at Rosyth. 

DKM CL NURNBERG with LW stores and mining equipment for Trondheim departed Kiel the evening of 10 June escort TBs JAGUAR and FALKE and at the start by escort ship F.3. On the 12th, the TBs were detached to Stavanger for refuelling. On the 13th, NURNBERG arrived at Trondheim escorted on the last leg of her voyage by MSWs of the 2nd Flotilla. After disembarking the supplies, she continued north arriving at Harjangerfjord and Narvik on the 17th. 

TRIBUNE departed Rosyth for patrol off Fro Havet. CLs MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, SHEFFIELD departed the Humber on the 9th and arrived at Rosyth on the 10th. They joined CA YORK, which had been there since 28 May. OA.165 departed Southend escort corvette ARABIS. MT.86 departed Methil, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne later that day. FN.193 departed Southend, escort sloops LOWESTOFT and WESTON. Upon reaching the Tyne, LOWESTOFT was detached to escort ML PORT QUEBEC to Rosyth. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 12th. CLs BIRMINGHAM, MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD departed the Humber and arrived at Rosyth later the same day.

*Northern Waters*
DD WHIRLWIND attacked a submarine contact in 61-42N, 3-56W. DDs ATHERSTONE and ANTELOPE departed the Clyde for Scapa.
DDs WOLVERINE, VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON departed the Clyde for Sullom Voe, arriving on the 11th. DDs ESCAPADE, VISCOUNT, ANTELOPE had arrived earlier on the 11th. They joined DDs FEARLESS and AMAZON. DDs VOLUNTEER, WHIRLWIND from the Clyde and VETERAN, VANOC, WALKER arrived at Sullom Voe for refuelling. VETERAN and VANOC arrived later that evening . After refuelling, WALKER joined the inbound slow store convoy. DD ESCAPADE departed Liverpool at 1200. She proceeded to Sullom Voe, at reduced speed, due to a loss of lubricating oil. ASW trawlers LE TIGER and LEICESTER CITY were ordered to investigate a direction finding bearing in Fair Isle Channel. Sub. 

DKM BC GNEISENAU, CA ADMIRAL HIPPER, and DDs LODY, STEINBRINCK, SCHOEMANN, GALSTER departed Trondheim to attack the Allied Convoys evacuating Norway. It was soon decided that the convoys were beyond reach and the ships arrived back at Trondheim late on the 10th.

Sub CLYDE reported and enemy pocket battleship and one HIPPER class cruiser in 64-35N, 9-45E, steering 300°. DD ECHO arrived at Scapa at 1130/11th to oil, and departed at 1530 to rejoin British Troopship Group II. The Group, with CLA COVENTRY and DDs FIREDRAKE, FAME, HAVELOCK, BEAGLE, DELIGHT, ECHO arrived at Greenock on the 12th.

Fr troops on the ORMONDE were transferred to ULSTER PRINCE, which then went to Brest, arriving on the 15th. Troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN arrived at Lorient on the 16th and troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN arrived at Brest on the 17th to disembark Fr troops.

CL SOUTHAMPTON and CLA COVENTRY were detached to Scapa Flow. COVENTRY proceeded to Glasgow, then the Clyde. SOUTHAMPTON arrived in the Clyde during the early afternoon of the 12th. COVENTRY departed the Clyde on the 15th and arrived in the Tyne for refitting on the 16th. Following a short refit, she departed on the 29th for Scapa arriving on the 30th.

DDs TARTAR, BEDOUIN, MAORI and ASHANTI departed Scapa on the 13th to rendezvous with the Home Flt at sea. DDs VETERAN, CAMPBELL, MASHONA departed Sullom Voe on the 13th and DD FORESTER departed Scapa on the 12th also to rendezvous with the Home Flt, arriving in the early afternoon of the 13th. At dawn on the 13th, CV ARK ROYAL launched an airstrike of 15 Skuas on Trondheim harbour to be coordinated with an RAF strike of 4 Bfts of 22 Sqn and 6 Blen a/c on the Vaernes airfield near Trondheim. DKM BC SCHARNHORST was hit by a bomb that did not explode and no other ships were hit. The LW delivered a heavy reaction to this strike, and 8 Skuas were shot down. Surviving a/c, returned to the carrier.

Later on the 13th, DDs ELECTRA and ANTELOPE collided, while escorting ARK ROYAL off central Norway in heavy fog. DD ZULU took ELECTRA in tow, while DD INGLEFIELD stood by ANTELOPE. This signalled an end to the Norwegian opns. The retirement of the two damaged DDs was covered by BB RODNEY and BC RENOWN. Tug BRIGAND proceeded on the 15th and joined ELECTRA, which was taken in tow, and at 2000 they were proceeding at 8 kts. ELECTRA arrived at Scapa on the 16th, attended by tug BRIGAND and escorted by ZULU and ESCAPADE. She then departed on the 18th escorted by DD CAMPBELL and arrived at Troon on the 20th. Repairs were completed on 24 August. ANTELOPE arrived at Scapa on the 15th escort DD INGLEFIELD. She departed the Scapa on the 15th to the Tyne, and returned to duty on 16 August. ARK ROYAL with DDs KELVIN, ESCORT, CAMPBELL arrived at Scapa on the 14th . RODNEY, RENOWN, and DDs TARTAR, FEARLESS, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MAORI arrived at Scapa on the 15th.

MLs ATREUS and LINNET were ordered to lay a controlled minefield in Bressay Sound, Lerwick with a guard loop to seaward. Following the operation, ATREUS proceeded to Scapa and LINNET proceeded to the Clyde

*West Coast UK*
After delivering the Narvik ALPHABET Gp I, DDs WOLVERINE, VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON, ATHERSTONE and ANTELOPE departed the Clyde for Scapa.

*Channel*
Operation CYCLE was the evac of allied troops from the Fr nth coast. On 10 and 11 June, 3321 troops were embarked at St Valery.

British warships in CYCLE were DDs CODRINGTON, AMBUSCADE, BULLDOG, BOADICEA, HARVESTER, BROKE, SALADIN, FERNIE, RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT, sloop WELLINGTON, corvette GARDENIA, ML HAMPTON. CODRINGTON had completed repairs and was due for return to Dover when she was detached to the Portsmouth Cmd for this opn. CLA CALCUTTA departed Harwich on the 10th for Portsmouth to arrive at 1800 to support this opn. On the 10th during the evac of the Le Havre Peninsula, DD AMBUSCADE was damaged by shore guns off Fecamp near St Valery. Damage was limited to minor hull damage and splinter damage. There were no men killed in AMBUSCADE. She was repaired at Portsmouth from 12 to 15 June. After working up from 16 to 22 June at Portland and 23 to 27 June at Portsmouth, she arrived at Harwich on the 27th. BULLDOG and BOADICEA were badly damaged by the LW off Le Havre later on the 10th. BOADICEA was hit by 3 bombs and immobilised due to flooded and wrecked machinery spaces. AMBUSCADE, later relieved by tug KROOMAN towed BOADICEA to Portsmouth. 6 crew were killed and 2 more were wounded on BOADICEA. BULLDOG was also struck by 3 bombs, 1 of which came to rest in number three boiler without exploding and a second passing into number three boiler and exploding 10 mins later. No men were killed. DD BROKE found BULLDOG at anchor damaged and unable to proceed, and towed her to Portsmouth. BULLDOG and BOADICEA, taken to Portsmouth for repairs, did not return to duty until 26 July 1940 and 16 February 1941, respectively. The delay in BOADICEA's repair was due to mechanical defects. CODRINGTON was slightly damaged by air attack. She was repaired at Portsmouth completing on the 21st. MTB 69 was damaged in this opn.

On 11 June, CL CARDIFF departed Dover to cover the evac at St Valery. She was joined by DD HARVESTER off the Fr coast. DD BROKE and corvette GARDENIA evacuated wounded from St Valery on the 11th. RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE embarked troops off Veules on the 11th. DD SALADIN reported St Valery was occupied by German troops on the 12th.

DD VIVIEN, escorting convoy FN.192 east of Lowestoft, reported attacks by DKM S Boats. Astern of the convoy, steamer BARON ELPHINSTONE (4635grt) was attacked by the S-boats near Smith's Knoll. DDs JACKAL and FORESIGHT and two Anson and two Hudson a/c joined the convoy. The Hudson aircraft attacked the DKM vessels NE of Schouwen Bank at 0355. FORESIGHT was relieved by DD FURY from Rosyth in mid morning. ASW trawler HICKORY attacked a UBoat contact 3 miles 120° from Hartlepool. DD WOOLSTON and ASW trawler CYPRESS later joined in the hunt.


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## parsifal (Jun 9, 2015)

*10 June Nth Europe (Cont'd)*
*UK-France*
OB.165 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop LEITH from 10 to 11 June. BC.39 with 5 steamers departed Loire escorted by ASW trawlers AGATE and LORD HAILSHAM . The convoy arrived in Bristol Channel on the 11th. Fr DDs FRONDEUR and FOUGUEUX departed Brest escorting 3 troopships to Plymouth. British steamer PRINCESS BEATRIX joined the convoy en route. The convoy arrived on the 11th and embarked Cdn troops. Churchill was trying at this time to form a defensive redoubt in Brittany, the proposal was short lived and the Cdn troops soon found themselves covering the evac ops. EL MANSOUR and VILLE D'ALGER departed Plymouth on the 11th and arrived at Brest on the 12th. EL KANTARA departed Plymouth on the 12th and was escorted by DD WANDERER. They arrived at Brest on the 13th. On the 12th, EL MANSOUR and VILLE D'ALGER departed Brest, escorted by Fr DD EPERVIER on another trip to Plymouth, arriving on the 13th. On the 13th, the troopships returned, escort Fr DDs EPERVIER and MISTRAL, arriving at Brest on the 14th. EL KANTARA departed Brest on another trip to Plymouth, escorted by Fr sloop SUIPPE, on the 13th, arriving on the 14th. On the same day, she departed Plymouth and arrived at Brest on the 17th. On 14th June, EL MANSOUR and VILLE D' ALGER departed Brest on a third trip, again escorted by EPERVIER and MISTRAL. That evening, the mission was cancelled and the ships returned to Brest.

*Indian Ocean* 
DKM Raider ATLANTIS captured *steamer TIRRANNA (Nor 7230 grt) *in the Indian Ocean. 8 crew and one passenger were lost.





*Med- Biscay*
*10 June 1940 War In the Med*

At 1645, the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs informed the British Ambassador in Rome that at one minute past midnight on the 11th, a state of war would exist between Italy and the United Kingdom. Anticipating this action for some time, DDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HERO, WATERHEN (RAN) , HOSTILE, IMPERIAL, DECOY, DEFENDER of DesFlot 2 and two flying boats departed Alexandria early on the 10th to sweep for Italian subs. They were to return to Alexandria to refuel the following day then join the Fleet at sea. Just before 2200, DECOY made an attack on an Italian submarine sth of Crete. CL CALYPSO had just relieved CL CAPETOWN on patrol in Kithera Channel. CAPETOWN, returning from the patrol off Crete to Alexandria, was diverted to Port Said. CL CALEDON was at Port Said. 

Late on the 10th, sub RORQUAL departed Malta to lay mines off Brindisi on the 14th. ODIN, ORPHEUS, OSWALD and GRAMPUS also departed Malta on the 10th to operate off Gulf of Taranto, off Syracuse, sw of Rhodes, and off Augusta, respectively. Subs PARTHIAN from 14 June, PANDORA, PROTEUS from 14 June, and PHOENIX from 4 June operated from Alexandria in the Eastern Med. PARTHIAN operated off Tobruk, PANDORA in the Doro Channel, PROTEUS in the Kithera and antikithera Channels, and PHOENIX off Suda Bay. Fr subs LE CENTAURE, PASCAL, FRESNEL, VENGEUR, REDOUTABLE, NARVAL, CAIMAN, MORSE, SOUFFLEUR, MONGE, PEGASE, LE TONNANT departed Bizerte and Sousse to operate in the Central Med. Subs PHOQUE, ESPADON, PROTEE, ACHERON, ACTEON from Beirut operated in the Dodecanese, PROTEE and ESPADON east of Leros, and PHOQUE east of Rhodes. IRIS, VENUS, PALLAS, ARCHIMEDE from Toulon operated in the Tyrrhenian Sea. ARIANE, EURYDICE, DIANE, DANAE from Oran operated off Gibraltar. SAPHIR, NAUTILUS, PERLE, TURQUOISE were at sea to lay mines off the Italian coast. 
DD DIAMOND departed Malta and shortly after departure attacked a sub off Malta, nine miles 92° from St Elmo Light without success. 

FI CAs POLA, TRENTO, BOLZANO of CruDiv 3 with DDs MAESTRALE, LIBECCIO, GRECALE, SCIROCCO of DesDiv 10 departed Messina. The Italian CLs based at Naples sortied for operations.

*Steamer UMBRIA (FI 9349 grt) *scuttled herself at Pt Sudan after being brought into port by sloop GRIMSBY. CL LEANDER took off the crew. 

*Steamer OLTERRA (FI 4995 grt)*, *Steamer LAVORO (FI 7886 grt)*, *Steamer LIBANO (FI 5192 grt)* scuttled themselves at Gibraltar and *Steamer PAGAO (FI 6101 grt) *scuttled herself at Rada di Algeciras, across the harbour. LIBANO was salved for British service.* Steamer POLINICE (FI 1373 grt)* was captured at sea and sent into Malta. On the 11th at Malta, she was scuttled. *Steamer CAPO NOLI (FI 3921 grt) *was captured in the Gulf of St Lawrence by RCN aux MSW BRAS D'OR, and renamed BIC ISLAND for Canadian use. *Steamer SAN PIETRO (FI 5199 grt)* was seized by French forces at Bordeaux and taken to Casablanca. She was later returned to the Italian owners. *Steamers CAPO OLMO (FI 4781 grt)* and *Steamer NICOLO ODERO (FI 6003 grt)* were seized by French forces at Marseilles. CAPO OLMO was later used by the British under the same name. 

The Italian Merchant Marine was caught by surprise with Italy's announcement to declare war. Many ships were seized by the RN on outbreak of hostilities with Fascist Italy (hereafter referred to as FI). Allied losses in reverse were very modest, as the Italian decision had been anticipated for some time. 

*MV ADIGE (FI 2189 grt),* captured at Malta, name not changed 

*MV AMELIA LAURO (FI 5335 grt)* captured at Immingham renamed EMPIRE ACTIVITY

*MV ANDREA (FI 5152 grt)* captured at Newcastle, renamed EMPIRE ADVENTURE

*MV ANGELINA LAURO (FI 5787 grt)* captured at Liverpool renamed EMPIRE ADVOCATE

*MV BARBANA C. (FI 6161 grt)* captured at Newcastle, renamed EMPIRE AIRMAN 

*MV CALABRIA (FI 9515 grt)* captured at Calcutta, renamed EMPIRE INVENTOR 

*MV CELLINA (FI 6140 grt)* captured at Gibraltar, renamed EMPIRE SAILOR

*MV ELIOS (FI 5202 grt)* captured at Newcastle, renamed EMPIRE BRIGADE

*MV ERICA (FI 4704 grt)* captured at Liverpool, renamed EMPIRE DEFIANCE

*MV ESQUILINO (FI 8657 grt)* captured at Straits of Perim renamed EMPIRE GOVERNOR

*MV ELICE (FI 5639 grt) *captured at Haifa, renamed EMPIRE DEFENDER

*MV GABBIANO (FI 6584 grt)* captured Liverpool renamed EMPIRE ENERGY

*MV GIOACCHINO LAURO (FI 5345 grt),* captured at Hartlepool, renamed EMPIRE ENGINEER

*MV LIBANO (FI 5192 grt) *captured at Gibraltar, renamed EMPIRE RESISTANCE

*MV MARZOCCO (FI 5106 grt), *apprehended in the Nth Sea, name not changed 

*MV MINCIO (FI 5404 grt)* seized at Liverpool, renamed EMPIRE FUSILIER

*MV MONTE PIANA (FI 5890 grt)* seized at Aden, renamed EMPIRE BARON

*MV MOSCARDIN (FI 4374 grt) *captured at Newcastle, renamed EMPIRE GUNNER 

*MV MUGNONE (FI 5213 grt)* captured at Newcastle, renamed EMPIRE PROGRESS 

*MV PAMIA (FI 6245 grt)* captured at Newcastle, EMPIRE PROTECTOR 

*MV PELLICE (FI 5360 grt)* seized Newcastle, renamed EMPIRE STATESMAN 

*MV POLLENZO (FI 6470 grt)* captured Gibraltar, name not changed

*MV PROCIDA (FI 5366 grt)* captured Cardiff, EMPIRE VOLUNTEER

*MV RODI (FI 3320 grt)* seized at Malta, renamed EMPIRE PATROL

*MV SISTIANA (FI 5827 grt) *captured at Capetown, renamed EMPIRE UNION

*MV VERBANIA (FI 6640 grt)* seized at Port Said, renamed EMPIRE TAMAR


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## Njaco (Jun 9, 2015)

*10 June 1940 * * Monday
NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Norway the Allied campaign comes to an end. Strategically the campaign has been most significant for the naval losses on each side and the transformation it has helped to bring about in the potential of the available bases for the German fleets. The Allies have lost one carrier, two cruisers, nine destroyers and many smaller craft, also many ships were damaged. These losses do nothing to help the British ability to protect the trade routes.

The ground fighting in Norway ends but pilots of II./JG 77 are given no respite as the RAF increases its aerial activity, harassing German coastal traffic and German naval units. British armed boarding vessel HMS “_Vandyck_” is sunk by German bombing off Andenes (7 lives lost, 161 men row ashore and are taken prisoner). The first convoy of troopships carrying men from Narvik (Group I) arrives unmolested in the Clyde at 0600 hours.

Fifteen Blackburn Skua planes from British carrier _“Ark Royal_” attack German ships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” at anchor in Trondheim Fjord, Norway. Only one plane scores a hit, but the bomb fails to explode. Eight planes are shot down.

With the end of the Norwegian campaign, 1.(F)/122 departed Norway and transferred to Wunstorf (Lower Saxony) to rest, refit and complete conversion to the Ju 88.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Manstein's 38.Infanterie-Corps crosses the Seine, west of Paris. Rommel continues his charge down the Channel coast, driving French IX Corps and British 51st Highland Division towards the coast, north of Le Havre.. Elements of the French 10th Army are still fighting around St. Valery along with some British forces. Some of these units are evacuated from the town. Evacuations also begin at Le Havre. In the next three days 11,059 British and some French will be taken off, some to go to Cherbourg but the bulk is bound for Britain. Northeast of Paris, Guderian’s Panzers advance towards Chalons-sur-Marne. Demonstrating the value of German flexibility and mobility, 16.Panzerkorps are withdrawn from Péronne and sent east to support Guderian’s breakthrough. With Paris threatened, the French government flees to Tours. They declare Paris an open city to avoid the destruction by bombing and street fighting seen in Warsaw and Amsterdam.

In a second Allied evacuation from the French coast (Operation Cycle), 3321 troops embark at St-Valery-en-Caux and 11,059 troops are evacuated from Le Havre. Overnight, 9000 men are taken from Le Havre to Cherbourg to continue fighting. Destroyers HMS “_Bulldog_” and “_Boadicea_” (6 lives lost) are badly damaged by German bombing off Le Havre. HMS “_Boadicea_” is towed back to Dover and will be out of commission until February 1941.

French Prime Minister Reynaud appeals to President Roosevelt to intervene in the war in Europe. This appeal is repeated on June 13th but without success.

The fighters of I./JG 1 are ordered back to the battlefront and begin arriving at the airfield outside Abbeville in France.

Rear Admiral David M. LeBreton relieved Rear Admiral Charles E. Courtney as Commander of US Navy Squadron 40-T on board light cruiser USS “_Trenton_” at Lisbon, Portugal.

US passenger liner “_Washington_” arrived at Lisbon, Portugal to embark Americans desiring passage to the United States via Ireland. Destroyer USS “_Dickerson_” arrived from French Morocco with Americans who wished to board the passenger liner.


.


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## Njaco (Jun 9, 2015)

*June 10 1940* (_continued_)
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy declares war on France and Britain, effective June 11, expecting to make easy gains in Southern France. Benito Mussolini says;


> “Soldiers, sailors and airmen! Black shirts of the revolution and the fascist legions! Men and women of Italy, of the Empire and the Kingdom of Albania! Pay attention! The time indicated by the destination has sounded in the skies of our motherland. The declaration of war has already been delivered to the ambassadors of Britain and France. Let the battle against the plutocrats and reactionary democracies of the West that in any moment have hampered progress and often endangered the very existence of the Italian people.” He adds cynically; "I only need a few thousand dead to sit at the peace conference as a man who has fought."


 Equally cynical, Churchill reacts to the news;


> “People who go to Italy to look at ruins won’t have to go as far as Naples and Pompeii again”.


 Three Italian armies with 32 divisions are deployed to the Alpine border. Mussolini has ordered them not to attack, waiting for the German invasion to reach the French rear. At present Italy has 750,000 soldiers, including many veterans of the Spanish Civil War and the conquest of Abyssinia, with 1,400 armored, most light tanks, 9,420 artillery pieces and 860 aircraft guns. The Regia Aeronautica has about 1,760 machines, of which 600 are bombers Savoia Marchetti Sparviero , 200 bombers Cicogna , 143 fighters Fiat CR42 Falco and 156 fighters Macchi C200 Saetta . The Regia Marina has 6 battleships, 23 heavy cruisers, 59 light cruisers, 63 destroyers and 116 submersibles, the most submarines in the world. Overlooking the Mediterranean, it is by far the best of the Italian armed forces. The only class of ship which the Italians do not have is the aircraft carrier. Two British ships of this type are in the Mediterranean at this time.

Six British submarines leave Malta for operations off Italian harbors and naval bases.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech at the graduation ceremony of the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, declaring that the Italian declaration of war on France was like;


> "…the hand that held the dagger has struck it in the back of its neighbor".


 Roosevelt says the US will extend resources to opponents of force, and will build up equipment and trained forces for defense and emergencies. This speech transforms the nation from neutral to non-belligerent. His son, Franklin Roosevelt, Jr., was among those who received degrees that day.

Canada declared war on Italy.

*ASIA: *Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China at 1300 hours. Chinese fighters claimed 5 Japanese aircraft shot down in Bishan County west of the temporary capital, including one G3M bomber.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Gestapo organization took control of the Theresienstadt Fortress in occupied Czechoslovakia and began its conversion into a concentration camp.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Members of the Armed Forces on leave with an RB8 ration card are to have their sugar ration cut from 21oz to 16oz. An RB8a ration card holder would get 8oz instead of 10oz.

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## Njaco (Jun 10, 2015)

*11 June 1940 * * Tuesday
MEDITERRANEAN: *Following Italy’s declaration of war, Italian troops begin traversing the Alps towards the French border.

Ten Italian Z.1007 Alcione bombers attacked Grand Harbour, RAF Hal Far, and Kalafrana in Malta, killing 1 civilian and 6 soldiers. The entire Maltese fighter defense of 4 Sea Gladiators only manages to damage one enemy aircraft. RAF Hal Far was the first of the three major Malta airfields to be attacked during the war.

34 British Whitley bombers attack Italy from an airfield in southern France. The aircraft bombed bomb the Fiat- factories at Turin and the harbor at Genoa after a refueling stop in Channel Islands. French authorities at Marseilles prevented Wellingtons from taking off to bomb targets in Northern Italy by blocking runway with trucks (they fear Italian 'reprisal' raids) .

Due to the Italian entry into the European War, US President Roosevelt declared the Mediterranean Sea and mouth of Red Sea to be combat zones for American ships in accordance with the Neutrality Act. British Mediterranean Fleet and French cruiser squadron sweep Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean for Italian shipping.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *RAF aircraft attacked German vessels at Trondheim, Norway. Fighters from 4./JG 77 attacked a dozen Hudsons of RAF Nos. 800 and 803 Squadrons FAA bombing the battle cruiser ‘_Scharnhorst_’ and claim two of the bombers destroyed, one going to Lt. Schirmbock.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Rommel’s 7.Panzerdivision captures Le Havre and then turns back to drive 30 miles Northeast up the coast to St-Valery-en-Caux, encircling 46,000 French and British troops. Fog and German shelling have prevented a full-scale evacuation of St-Valery-en-Caux but destroyer HMS “_Broke_” and corvette HMS “_Gardenia_” embark the wounded. Empty British troopship “_Bruges_” is sunk by German bombing near Le Havre (all 72 crew survive). HMCS “_Restigouche_” (LCdr Horatio Nelson Lay Commanding) and HMCS “_St. Laurent_” (LCdr Harry DeWoIfe) were assisting in the evacuation of the BEF at Saint-Valéry-en-Caux near Dieppe France. After the 51st Highland Div, which was holding a flank, defense collapsed, the ship came under fire from Panzers which crested a cliff overlooking the harbour. Although there were some near misses, no hits were made on the Canadian Destroyers. This was the first instance of Canadian ships firing on the enemy in WW II. Guderian’s Panzers capture Reims. German vanguards approach Pontoise, thereby threatening Paris from the northwest.

Luftwaffe bombers attacked Paris, France.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Foreign Minister Anthony Eden traveled to France for a Supreme War Council meeting at Chateau du Muguet near Briare. There is a palpable air of French defeatism. Churchill refuses a request for RAF support. Churchill, detecting feelings of defeat, reminded the French that the 28 March agreement noted that none of the two countries could seek a separate peace with Germany without the other country's consent. During this meeting, French Navy Admiral François Darlan assured Churchill that the French fleet would not fall into German hands.

The pilots of JG 53 get their last kills of the French campaign by claiming five aircraft shot down including two MS 406s destroyed by Hptm. Rolf Pingel.

Major Handrick's I./JG 26 keep up with the moving battle by transferring from the airfield at Hesdin and settle in at the airfield at Samoussy-Laon.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 10, 2015)

*June 11, 1940* (_continued_)
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Norwegian trawler “_Borgund_” rescued 37 survivors of sunken HMS “_Glorious_” and 2 survivors of sunken HMS “_Acasta_”.

German submarines U-48 and U-101 sank Greek ships “_Violando N. Goulandris_” and “_Mount Hymettus_” off Cape Finisterre, Spain. Nearby, U-46 torpedoed British tanker “_Athelprince_”, but failed to sink her. “_Athelprince_” would be salvaged and returned to service by Jan 1941.

US passenger liner “_Washington_”, en route from Lisbon, Portugal to Galway, Ireland with 1,020 Americans passengers aboard, was stopped by German submarine U-101 as the German submarine misidentified her as a Greek ship. After her identity became clear via blinker signals, U-101 allowed “_Washington_” to continue with her journey.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Under a new Ministry of Defence regulation, today was the last day to comply with the order to erect delivered Anderson shelters. They must be erected and covered with 15" of earth on top and 30" at the sides or they will be taken away and penalties imposed. Also announced, was the MOD's decision to forbid the carrying of portable radios in cars and any car that has a radio installed must have it removed and dismantled.

British Prime Minister Churchill sent a telegram to US President Roosevelt urging the US to send more destroyers to the United Kingdom especially in light of the Italian entry into the European War.

The first Hurricane Mk II prototype aircraft, actually a converted production Mk I example, took its first flight.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian forces stationed in Libya and the British and Commonwealth forces stationed in Egypt begin a series of raids on each other. General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Command, led 82,775 men from the United Kingdom, India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Britain’s African colonies. They faced 415,000 Italian troops stationed in Libya and East Africa. Nevertheless, it was British forces that took the initiative. Armored cars of the British 11th Hussars crossed into Libya and capture Italian prisoners who were unaware they were already at war.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa declared war on Italy. 0900 hrs EST Australia’s war begins with Italy. Several Italian Merchant vessels were seized including the “_Remo_” at the port of Fremantle.

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## parsifal (Jun 11, 2015)

*11 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-124




*Losses*
*MV MOUNT HYMETTUS (GK 5820 grt)* Crew:24 (0 dead and 24 survivors). Cargo: Ballast Route: Enroute to New York . The ship was stopped by U-101, which had chased the ship for 5 hrs and the master was ordered to come to the U-boat with the papers. At 00.30 hours, Frauenheim spotted another U-boat and was not sure about its identity, dived when he observed that the unknown U-boat dived and fired a torpedo at the steamer, but it missed the target which then escaped for a short while. The other U-boat was U-43.

Frauenheim decided to wait until dawn before surfacing, when he did so he tried to stop the nearest steamer. The ship did not react and morsed that they didnt understand his orders. But then Frauenheim noticed that he had tried to stop the American steam merchant WASHINGTON, apologized his mistake and wished the ship a good journey.

At 08.30 hours, U-101 found the MOUNT HYMETTUS again, ordered the crew to leave the ship and transferred the master into one of the lifeboats. At 11.17 hours, the U-boat hit the ship with one torpedo in the stern, but it remained afloat and had to be sunk with 78 rounds of gunfire. The ship was sunk SW of Cape Finnestere in the SW Approaches 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer VIOLANDO N. GOULANDRIS (Gk 3598 grt) *Crew: 28 (6 dead and 22 survivors) Cargo: Wheat Route:Argentina to Ireland The unescorted neutral was sunk in the SW Approaches by U-48 6 crew were missing.





*PV PATRICE II (Fr 247 grt)* was sunk by German gunfire off Fecamp.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW LA BRETONNIERE (Fr 628 grt)* was scuttled at Le Havre.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BRUGES (Fr 2949 grt)* was hit by the LW off Le Havre, and was beached to avoid sinking. 72 men were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer GENERAL METZINGER (Fr 9345 grt)*, *Steamer NIOBE (Fr 1684 grt)*, Steamer SYRIE (Fr 2460 grt) were sunk by the LW at Le Havre.







_From Left to Right GENERAL METZINGER, NIOBE, no image found for the SYRIE_

*Liner ALBERTVILLE (Be 11,047 grt)* and *Steamer PIRIAPOLIS (Be 7340 grt)* were sunk by the LW off Le Havre. ALBERTVILLE was en route to Le Havre from Bordeaux to embark troops.








*Steamer ELLAVORE (Nor 1302 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Le Havre. The entire crew was rescued.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-60

At Sea 11 June 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
18 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
An RAF Wellington went down in the sea and DDs JACKAL and FORESIGHT were sent to search. Ne sub O.13 arrived at Aberdeen and departed that day on patrol.
Sub SHARK departed Rosyth on patrol. Subs SEALION, SALMON, SNAPPER departed Rosyth on exercises, and returned later that same day. FS.192 departed the Tyne, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 12th. 

*Northern Waters*
DDs VETERAN and VANOC were ordered to assist the Northern Patrol in rounding up Italian merchant ships. DDs ATHERSTONE and VOLUNTEER were ordered to Scapa. DDs WOLVERINE and WITHERINGTON, en route to Sullom Voe, were ordered to rescue the crew of a Sunderland down in the water. They were later advised the plane had taken off again, and arrived at Sullom Voe.

*SW Approaches*
U.46 damaged Motor tanker ATHELPRINCE (8782grt) in convoy OG.33F.

*UK-France*
DD HARVESTER was shelled 10 miles west of Havre, but sustained no damage. RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT bombarded German targets at Veules. At Veules, 2137 Brit and 1184 Fr troops were evacuated on the 11th. RESTIGOUCHE also embarked troops off the beach at Veules. The demolition party for Le Havre and Veules was XD J. RCN DD ST LAURENT, sloop WELLINGTON, tugs STALWART and RESOLVE, drifters GOLDEN HARVEST and GOLDEN NEWS were unable to stay in St Valery Harbour during low water and returned to Havre. 

The total number of troops evacuated in CYCLE (Fr nth coast) and the later AERIAL (Fr Biscay coast), which began on the 17th, was 191,870.

*Nth Atlantic*
Troopship BRITANNIC departed Liverpool escort DDs WARWICK and WITCH for Bermuda. Cdn troop convoy TC.5 departed Halifax, escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY, with troopships DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, SAMARIA , and DUCHESS OF BEDFORD carrying 1173, 787, and 1792 Cdn troops, respectively. DUCHESS OF ATHOLL came from Montreal departing on the 8th and joined the other two liners at Halifax. Her troop numbers are not known. Troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA departed Halifax with the convoy and was detached on the third day to Iceland. ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY were detached late on the 12th. BB REVENGE was the ocean escort. TC.5 safely arrived at Liverpool on the 20th escort DDs WANDERER and WITCH and RCN DDs ST LAURENT, SKEENA, RESTIGOUCHE and FRASER. On the 21st, REVENGE arrived at Plymouth and the RCN DDs arrived at Plymouth later that day. DD WANDERER departed Dover at noon for Plymouth. This left only VESPER available at Dover. She was on patrol from Sth Goodwins to Dungeness. RCNd DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT and DD BROKE operated off St Valery en Caux. BROKE and corvette GARDENIA embarked wounded from St Valery and took them to Portsmouth.

*Sth Atlantic*
*Steamers TIMAVO (FI 7549 grt)* and *GERUSALEMME (FI 8052 grt)* departed Durban during the night of 9/10 June. On the 11th, aerial strafing drove TIMAVO ashore five miles north of St Mary's Hill, north, northeast of Durban. GERUSALEMME was intercepted by AMC RANCHI and ran herself ashore near Oro Point, Mozambique. She was later refloated and taken to Lourenco Marques.

*Med- Biscay*
italy delivers the first air raid on Malta. There are 6 casualties. Malta’s defences at this time are minimal. The Island has fewer than 5000 ill-equipped and poorly trained troops, no operational fighter a/ct, only 14 coastal defence guns and food supplies sufficient for 6 weeks. Resupply and reinforcement of the island is a priority if it is to avoid capture. 

There are no formed air sqns to call on – Because of its strategic position between Gibraltar and Alexandria (and Suez Canal beyond that) as well as being between Italy and Libya, the island of Malta was critical for both sides of the conflict. As a result, Malta found itself in the middle of the Med conflict as soon as Italy entered the war. Although it was no longer the main base of the British Med Flt (it moved to Alexandria), it was immediately targeted by the Italian a/c to augment the Regia Marina (RM) efforts to disrupt British shipping. The first raid on Malta came a day after Italy declared war on Britain. Little after 0430 on 11 Jun 1940 55 Regia Aeronautica (RA) SM79s were launched from Sicily to attack the 3 airfields at Malta: Hal Far, Valetta, and Kalafrana. They were escorted by 18 C.200 Saetta aircraft. At this time, Malta's air defense consisted of a radar station and 6 Gladiator and Sea Gladiator ftrs, and not all were in flight condition. The 3 Sea Gladiator a/c(there were 4, but 1 was not in flyable condition) scrambled immediately. Flight Lieutenant George Burges was the first of the 3 to make contact with the FI bombers, but he did not intercept them until the first load of bombs were already dropped. He damaged one of the bombers. His fellow pilot later scored another hit on the damaged bomber, but the Italian aircraft managed to return to Sicily. Although the aging biplanes barely fought off the first raid, Malta would be constantly attacked by Italian and German air forces. In order to maintain Malta's abilitjy to defend itself, the British knew they would need to constantly deliver war goods to the island. The defences are unable to significantly disrupt RA bombing of the island. There were multiple raids on the 11th causing civilian casualties across the Island, including 6 in one heavy bombing raid on Gzira. It is just the beginning for the most bombed location in history. 




_Sea Gladiator Faith_

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## parsifal (Jun 11, 2015)

*11 June 1940 (Cont'd) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Med- Biscay (Cont'd)*
*Steamers ZINOVIA (GK 2975grt)* and *MAKIS (Gk 3546 grt)* were sunk by mines twenty miles and fifteen miles north of Pantellaria Island, respectively, in the Mediterranean. Two crew was missing from ZINOVIA, but the entire crew of MAKIS was rescued.

*Steamer ST RONAIG (509grt)* was sunk on a mine one mile 132° from West Breakwater Light, Newhaven. Two crew were killed, two missing and four crew were rescued.

Attacks on Malta harbour are made by 11 Z1007s from high altitude. No hits are scored Monitor TERROR and gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD were in Grand Harbour. RAN DD VENDETTA and subs OTUS and OLYMPUS were in the dockyard. 4 crewman on various ships are killed from near misses. There was no damage to any of these vessels. However, after further air raids, Malta was abandoned on the 21st as a submarine base until the AA defences could be augmented. The subs did not return to Malta as a base until September.

CruSqn 7 of CLs ORION, NEPTUNE, SYDNEY, LIVERPOOL, GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria ahead of the Main Flt. The Mediterranean Flt departed Alexandria at 0230 with BBs WARSPITE and MALAYA, CVL carrier EAGLE, and RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, and RN DAINTY, HASTY, ILEX, JANUS, JUNO, NUBIAN. CL CALEDON joined the fleet at 0840. CL CALYPSO, which departed Port Said on the 10th, joined at 1325. DD MOHAWK, which departed Alexandria on the 11th after the fleet, joined that afternoon. The RAN DDs were detached at 1953, and relieved by DDs HAVOCK, HYPERION, HERO, HEREWARD, HOSTILE and IMPERIAL which joined at 1840 after refuelling. DD DIAMOND, which had departed Malta on the 10th, joined the Fleet at sea.

Fr CAs SUFFREN, DUQUESNE, TOURVILLE, CL DUGUAY TROUIN, and DDs FORBIN, FORTUNE, BASQUE under Amiral Godfroy departed Beirut to operate in the Kaso Strait as a diversion for the "VADO" operation in the western Med. On the 12th, RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, WATERHEN departed Alexandria on ASW patrol. VOYAGER claimed sinking a submarine soon after departure at dawn off Alexandria. Late on the afternoon of the 12th, STUART found the minefield laid by Italian submarine MICCA earlier on the 12th. She called in MSWs ABINGDON and BAGSHOT which cleared a channel for CL CALEDON and DD DAINTY which later arrived at Alexandria from Crete. CL cruiser DELHI arrived at Gibraltar.

DDs WATCHMAN, VELOX, KEPPEL, STURDY, WISHART and WRESTLER were deployed to the west of the Straits of Gibraltar to intercept and engage any enemy surface ships trying to pass. Cable ship MIRROR, escorted by DD ACTIVE and ASW trawler LEYLAND, proceeded on cable cutting operations. They returned later that day. Danish tug VALKYRIAN, escorted by DD WRESTLER and ASW trawler LORD HOTHAM, departed to cut the Malaga-Rome and Malaga-Barcelona cables. Cover was provided by CL ARETHUSA and a Fr sub. On the 12th, MIRROR, escorted by ASW trawler KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE, sailed to replaced VALKYRIAN, which reported her gear was not suitable to the task. The tug and LORD HOTHAM returned to Gib, as did ARETHUSA. MIRROR returned to Gib on the 14th after successfully cutting the cables.

Late on the 11th FI CAs BOLZANO, POLA, TRENTO of CruSqn3 with DDs ARTIGLIERE, CAMICIA NERA, AVIERE, GENIERE of DesDiv 11 and CLs D'AOSTA and ATTENDOLO of CruDiv7 and DDs LANCIERE, CARABINIERE, CORAZZIERE, ASCARI of DesDiv 12 carried out sweeps in the Sicilian Channel.

*Indian Ocean* 
RAN CL HOBART and DDs KINGSTON and KHARTOUM departed Aden to sweep in the Red Sea off the Italian Somali coast. Italian bombers attacked them, but caused no damage. They arrived back late on the 12th without contact.

*Malta*

0655 hrs Air raid alert. 10 SM79 bombers in two formations escorted by MC 200 fighters approach the Island at 14000 feet, crossing the coast over Kalafrana and Hal Far, and heading towards Grand Harbour. AA fire is reported over St Pauls Bay and Luqa.

0706 hrs 16 250lb bombs are dropped on Hal Far causing craters on the aerodrome and damaging vehicles; two land within 15 yds of HQ shelter and the Officers’ Mess.

0710 hrs Another 30 bombs fall between Fort Benghaisa, Birzebbugia and Kalafrana, where buses, a searchlight and vehicles are damaged. 1 a/c carries out a low-flying attack on Fort St Elmo, dropping a stick of bombs between the lighthouse and the Harbour Fire Command post, killing six members of the Royal Malta Artillery and wounding several others. One gun is put out of action. Damage to the Dockyard is slight. Enemy a/c are engaged by fighters and AA; 2 are brought down. 

0714 hrs Bombers are reported Kalafrana, and then bomb Hal Far again.

0715 hrs Wardia reports two aircraft breaking north west: one over Marfa Ridge, the other over the Victoria Lines.

0720 hrs A second attack of 15 enemy bombers with ftr escort approaches from the same direction. They attack Corradino, Portes des Bombes, Pieta Creek, Sa Maison and the new St Luke’s Hospital. Two bombs hit the Water and Electricity Department at Portes des Bombes, killing two Maltese workmen. Another bomb hits St Luke’s Hospital, destroying a nearby house. A bomb on Msida destroys a house, killing two civilians.

0725 hrs Marsa reports light machine gun fire in the Cospicua area.

0845-0920 hrs Air raid alert for a/c which cross the Island on recon.

1009 hrs Air raid alert for 3 aircraft which cross the Island on recon.


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## Njaco (Jun 11, 2015)

*June 12 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Guderian’s Panzers cross the River Marne at Chalons-sur-Marne, 80 miles East of Paris. Like Rommel’s 7.Panzerdivision, they have passed through the French defensive line and can travel almost at will. They will move quickly across the Langres plateau in the Champagne region into Southern France.

54,000 British and French troops surrender to German Erwin Rommel at St. Valery-en-Caux, on the northern Channel border, as the Germans continue their gains in France. There remained a substantial British force in France after Dunkirk. Large numbers of support troops were making their way to the western-most ports to find a route home. The 51st Highland Division had been fully engaged, fighting a defensive battle under French Command. Now like the main French forces, they were outflanked and they made their way to the small French port of St Valery-en-Caux where an attempt was made by the Royal Navy to evacuate them. However the main German force was soon on the cliffs overlooking the town and able to bring fire down on them. Eventually the majority of the 51st Division was forced to surrender. Overwhelmed by the German invaders, over 3,000 Allied troops attempted to escape by sea but were stopped by German artillery fire. Surrender was the order of the day; among those taken prisoner were 12 Allied generals.

Britain refused to leave France to German occupation. Prime Minister Winston Churchill had already ordered more British troops back into France, and British bombers were also attacking German lines of communication. British and Allied troops were still active in other parts of France - some 50 British fighters and 70 bombers were moving on German forces. The 1st Brigade of the Canadian 1st Division had landed in France. But despite the British reinforcements and encouragement, General Maxime Weygand was pushing for an armistice, in effect, capitulation. Weygand addressed his cabinet with his assessment of the situation:


> "A cessation of hostilities is compulsory."


 He bitterly blamed Britain for France's defeat, unwilling to take responsibility for his own inept strategies and failed offensives. Paris was poised for occupation.

US Ambassador William Bullitt, the last ambassador of a major nation left in the city, was named the provisional governor of Paris as the French government moved to Tours. French Admiral François Darlan, Commander-in-Chief of the French Navy, assured British Prime Minister Winston Churchill that there would be no question of surrendering the French naval ships. He further asserted that orders would be given to scuttle the ships if such a danger were to exist.

Back in battle, the fighters of I./JG 1 claim four Allied planes shot down for the day with two being credited to Hptm. Balthasar.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British transports of Group II arrived in the Clyde, Scotland at 2300 hours with troops evacuated from Narvik, Norway. The French troops evacuated were later sent to Brest and Lorient to join the fight against the invading German forces.

The Commander-in-Chief of Home Defense of the United Kingdom Edmond Ironside completed a plan for defense against a potential German invasion.

.



.



.


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## Njaco (Jun 11, 2015)

*June 12, 1940* (_continued_)
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-boats sink another 3 British merchant vessels off Cape Finisterre, Spain. German submarine U-101 sank British ship “_Earlspark_” off Cape Finisterre, Spain at 1200 hours, killing 7 and sinking 7,500 tons of coal. Also off Cape Finisterre, U-46 sank British ship “_Barbara Marie_” at 1938 hours, killing 32 and sinking 7,200 tons of iron ore, and then sinking “_Willowbank_” at 1946 hours.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Navy Department of the United States placed contracts for 22 new warships.

*ASIA:* The Japan-Thailand Non-Aggression Pact was announced. Britain and France sign non-aggression treaties with Thailand.

154 Japanese aircraft attacked Chongqing, China at 1200 hours. Chinese fighters claimed 5 Japanese aircraft shot down. Japanese capture Ichang, vital port and air base on river Yangtse, east of Chungking.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Soviet Baltic Fleet received orders to blockade Estonia.

*NORTH AFRICA:* A British cruiser and destroyer force shells the Italian base at Tobruk. The main force of Admiral Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet is in support. An Italian force of cruisers is sent to engage the bombardment group but does not make contact. In a different action off Crete the cruiser “_Calypso_” is sunk by an Italian submarine.

British capture 62 Italians in skirmish on Egyptian border.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Egypt breaks off diplomatic relations with Italy. Turkey breaks off commercial relations with Italy.

Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, is banned for publishing British and French war Communiques (ban lifted June 13, when editors agree not to publish war news).

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* HMAS “_Manoora_” intercepts Italian ship “_Romolo_”. Italian captain gave orders to scuttle her and all crew were rescued. “_Romolo_” had sailed from Brisbane five days earlier, bound for Genoa.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jun 12, 2015)

*12 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ML PORT NAPIER (RN) 





*Losses*
Sub NARWHAL laid minefield FD.19 . She then patrolled off Utsire to intercept German transports. *Steamer JAEDEREN (Ex-Nor 908 grt)* was lost on this minefield and *PV NB 15 (DKM 178 grt)* lost on 16 August. NARWHAL then patrolled off Utsire to intercept German transports. *FV ARILD (Ex-Nor 128 grt)* was sunk on this minefield on 26 August. *DKM aux MSWs GNOM 7 (50 grt)*, *KOBOLD 1 (50 grt)*, *KOBOLD 3 (50 grt)* were sunk on 13 October. 


*MV EARLSPARK (UK 5250 grt) *Crew:38 (7 dead and 31 survivors) Cargo: Full load of Coal Route: Enroute from Sunderland to Bordeauz Sunk in the SW approaches about 120 miles WNW of Cape Finesterre. Ship was hit underneath the bridge by a single G7e torp from U-101 and sank. 





*MV BARBARA MARIE (UK 4223 grt)* Crew: 37 (32 dead and 5 survivors) Cargo: Full load of Iron Ore Route: Pepel - Freetown - Workington Sunk approximately 220 miles WNW of Cape Finesterre in the SW Approaches as part of SL34. U-46 fired a stern torpedo at a ship in SL-34 and missed the intended target, but hit the BARBARA MARIE that broke in two and sank almost immediatyely. Eight minutes later, another torp was fired which hit the forward part of WILLOWBANK and caused that ship to sink as well. The survivors were were picked up by MV SWEDRU.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer WILLOWBANK (UK 5041 grt) *Crew:51 (0 dead and 51 survivors) Cargo: 8750 tons of maize Route: Durban - Freetown - Hull. Sunk approximately 220 miles WNW of Cape Finesterre in the SW Approaches as part of SL34. See above . Survivors rescued by MV SWEDRU. 





*Coastal steamer PRINSES JULIANA (Ne 198 grt)* was sunk on a mine that had been laid by the LW off Beacon Training Bank, just outside the entrance to Poole. 2 crew were killed.





*Steamer YVONNE (Be 668 grt) *was lost after hitting an enemy in mine 2 miles nth of Goodwin Knoll Buoy. 10 crew were killed, and two rescued.





*Tug TWENTE (UK 239 grt)* was struck a mine and sank in the Nth Sea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW trawler SISAPON (RN 326 grt)*, sank when she hit a mine whilst sweeping with MSW trawler LORD IRWIN, near Cork Light Vessel, Harwich. 12 men were killed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux PV ETIENNE RIMBERT (Fr 197 grt)* was scuttled at Dieppe
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux sloop CERONS (Fr 350 grt (est)* was sunk by enemy gunfire off Fecamp/Veule des Roses.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux MSW GRANVILLE (Fr 511 grt) *was sunk by German shore guns off St Valery/Fecamp.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SWALLOW (Fr 209grt)* and *Steamer INNISULVA (Fr 264 grt) *were both beached and abandoned in the River Seine in Paris. There was a crew of five on the INNISULVA; 1 crewman survived and was made a PoW. She was later salved by German forces and used under that name for German service. There was a crew of 6 on the SWALLOW. These were all saved. She was also later salved by German forces and renamed SCHWABLE.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer BARON SALTOUN (UK 3404 grt) *was sunk by a mine in the outer roads of Cherbourg. One crewman was lost.





*Steamer TRAIN FERRY No. 6 (Fr (?) 2678 grt)*, after damage from shore batteries, was beached and abandoned at St Valery en Caux. Two crew were killed and twelve were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

FI sub BAGNOLINI sank *CL CALYPSO (RN 5150 grt) *SW of Crete at about 0200. 39 crew members were lost. CL CALEDON and DD DAINTY in company picked up 418 survivors and took them to Alexandria.







_CALYPSO Valletta Harbour 1924, and BAGNOLINI, returning to Taranto after the sinking of H.M.S. CALYPSO in June 1940. _

FI sub NEREIDE torpedoed and badly damaged *Tkr ORKANGER (Nor 8029 grt)*, en route from Suez to Malta, at 0503. FI sub NAIADE then finished her off at 2157. 4 crew were killed.










_From left to right NEREIDE, NAIDE AND ORKANGER_

*UBOATS*
At Sea 12 june 1940 
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-65, U-101, UA. 
18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD INTREPID arrived in the Humber. DDs FORTUNE and FORESIGHT joined FN.94, escort DD WOOLSTON, as far as Outer Dowsing. The 2 DDs then proceeded to the Humber for stores. Sloop FLEETWOOD joined the convoy when the destroyers were detached. FORTUNE and FORESIGHT then proceeded to patrol between Smith's Knoll and Outer Gabbard. ML PORT QUEBEC escorted by sloop LOWESTOFT departed Tees for Rosyth where they arrived that day. Subs TAKU and TRIAD arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Subs H.31 and H.28 with tender WHITE BEAR were exercising off Blyth. Subs TRUANT and TRIDENT were exercising in the Forth of Forth.
Sub THAMES arrived at Campbeltown. Fr sub RUBIS arrived at Dundee after ML opn FD.17. FN.194 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON. Sloop FLEETWOOD was to have been in the escort, but was not ready. She was ordered to depart when ready and overtake the convoy. The convoy was however joined by DDs FORTUNE and FORESIGHT as far as Outer Dowsing when the DDs proceeded to the Humber. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 14th. MT.87 escort DD VALOROUS and PV BREDA departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.193 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*Northern Waters*
DD VOLUNTEER departed Scapa for Devonport. DD FORESTER departed Scapa to rendezvous with DDs VETERAN, CAMPBELL, MASHONA, which departed Sullom Voe on the 13th. DD AMAZON departed Sullom Voe for Scapa where she arrived on the 13th. DD ATHERSTONE arrived at Scapa at 1645. DD ENCOUNTER arrived at Scapa at 1745. Convoy "Hebrew" departed Scapa with 6 Brit Steamers 1 Br Tkr, 3 Fr Steamers, escort DDs ATHERSTONE and ENCOUNTER and ASW trawlers LE TIGRE and LEICESTER CITY.
On the 12th, DDs VISCOUNT, WOLVERINE, VANOC, WITHERINGTON, WHIRLWIND departed Sullom Voe to relieve the escort NE of Cape Wrath. Fr steamer ARMENIER and Br steamer NAILSEA LASS joined the convoy off Stornoway on the 13th. These 2 steamers had to be escorted independently by DD WITHERINGTON. The convoy and NAILSEA LASS arrived at Greenock on the 14th. WITHERINGTON and steamer ARMENIER arrived at Greenock somewaht later. 

*West Coast UK*
U.38 landed an agent on the Irish coast. BC HOOD and RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE, ST LAURENT, SKEENA departed Liverpool for US.3 convoy escort duty. CL SOUTHAMPTON arrived in the Clyde. DD HAMBLEDON and steamer KYLE FISHER arrived in the Clyde.

*Western Approaches*
DDs HIGHLANDER and ASHANTI arrived at Scapa to refuel. HIGHLANDER departed Scapa for Plymouth to join the Western Approaches cmd. En route, she was detached to assist damaged AMC SCOTSTOUN on the 13th.

*Channel*
CL CARDIFF departed Dover to cover the evacuation near St Valery en Caux.

*UK-France*
Steamers ST BRIAC , AMSTERDAM , TYNWALD , THEEMS , EMERALD departed St Valery for Cherbourg during the night of 12 / 13 June with 4000 troops, including the rear guard. Steamer LOWICK carried the beach party. They were escorted by DDs FERNIE and VEGA. Steamer ROEBUCK was damaged by enemy artillery off St Valery. Fr tkr TARN departed the Clyde for Brest. Steamers BAHARISTAN (5479grt) and FLORISTAN (5478grt) departed Falmouth for Brest.

*Nth Atlantic*
Fr CL EMILE BERTIN departed Brest, escort DD GERFAUT for Halifax. She arrived on the 18th with 300 tons of gold, but the gold was not disembarked immediately.


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## parsifal (Jun 12, 2015)

*12 June 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Med- Biscay*
FI CAs ZARA, FIUME, GORIZIA of CruDiv1 and CLs ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI of the CruDiv8 with DD ALFIERI, CARDUCCI, GIOBERTI, ORIANI of DesDiv9 and DA RECCO, USODIMARE, PESSAGNO (TARIGO did not sail) DesDiv16 departed Taranto to patrol in the Ionian Sea while 2 other DD divs operated between Sicily and Malta. During the opns of CruDivs 1 and 8, RN subs made 5 attacks on these ships without causing any damage. ORPHEUS sighted 3 cruisers escorted by DDs SE of Syracuse, but was unable to attack. In 3 sweeps by DDs and one by TBs boats, *sub ODIN (RN 1475 grt)* was sunk on the 13th.





Early on the 12th, FI sub MICCA laid mines off Alexandria. CL DELHI departed Gib to patrol off the Canary Is. On termination of patrol, she was to proceed to Dakar for refuelling and join the Sth Atlantic Station. CVE ARGUS departed Gib to join CAs SHROPSHIRE, CUMBERLAND, DORSETSHIRE with convoy US.3. She was given local protection by DDs VELOX and WATCHMAN and Fr a/c. The DDs arrived back at Gib on the 12th. Fr DD FLEURET departed Toulon. She passed Gib on the 14th and arrived at Casablanca on the 15th.

Fr Raiding Force departed Mer El Kebir in response to a wild rumours that DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU were preparing to enter the Med through Gib. Fr CLs MARSEILLAISE, LA GALISSONNIERE, JEAN DE VIENNE and DDs BRESTOIS and BOULONNAIS were operating together when they were attacked by FI sub DANDOLO on the 13th. The torpedo fired passed between JEAN DE VIENNE and LA GALISONNIERE with no damage.

RN cruisers steering west were sighted by RA a/c sth of Crete. RM CAs BOLZANO, POLA, TRENTO of CruDiv3 and DDs ARTIGLIERE, CAMICIA NERA, AVIERE, GENIERE of DesDiv11 and LANCIERE, CARABINIERE, CORAZZIERE, ASCARI Desdiv12 were sent to investigate, but no contact was made. CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER supported by CV EAGLE aircraft, sank *gunboat GIOVANNI BERTA (RM 350 grt (est)* off Tobruk at 0400 whilst also in an action with RM gunboats PALMAIOLA, GRAZIOLI, LANTE, GIOVANNI BERTA and coastal defense ship SAN GIORGIO. *Coast Defence Ship SAN GIORGIO (RM 11122 grt)* was immobilised subsequently by airstrikes undertaken by 202 sqn RAF, effectively a loss, which was operating in conjunction with the British ships.
View attachment 294795
. 

CLs ORION and HMAS SYDNEY had advanced onto Benghazi by dawn on the 12th and placing the harbour under close blockade.

*Indian Ocean* 
New Zealand manned CL LEANDER departed Port Sudan, and arrived at Aden on the 13th.
*Italian East Africa*
Starting in June 1940, the Italians tested the resolve of the British Commonwealth forces along the borders of the Sudan and Kenya and in the shipping lanes of the Red Sea. On 13 June, early in the morning, 3 RA Caproni CA133 bombers appeared and bombed the Southern Rhodesian air base at the fort at Wajir in Kenya. The Rhodesian a/c were still warming up and preparing to take-off on a dawn patrol. The Capronis bombed the fort, the landing-ground, and nearby housing. The KAR, then garrisoning the fort, lost 4 killed and 11 wounded. 2 Rhodesian a/c were badly damaged and a large dump of aviation fuel was set on fire. Following this, the air base at Wajir received regular visits from the Italians every second or third day and the Rhodesian pilots were made to realise the significant shortcomings in speed and fire power of the Hawker Hardys that they flew.









*Western Desert*
On 11 June 1940, hostilities commenced and the British were ordered to aggressively patrol the frontier but avoid full scale battle due to the Italian numerical advantages. Immediate objective was to isolate Giarabub. The British crossed into Libya that night, exchanged fire with Italian troops at Sidi Omar and discovered that many Italians were unaware that war had been declared. On 14 June, the British captured Fort Capuzzo and Fort Maddalena, taking 220 prisoners. Two days later, the British raided a convoy on the Tobruk–Bardia road, killed 21 Italian troops and took 88 prisoners, including Generale di Brigata Romolo Lastrucci, the 10A Chief Engineer. At an engagement near the frontier wire at Nezuet Ghirba, an Italian force of 17 light tanks, four guns and 400 infantry was defeated by a mixed force of British tanks, artillery and mot Inf. During one of these fights, the outmoded tactical thinking and poor training of the Italian army was put on display. Faced with the mobile tactics employed by the Western Desert Force (WDF) British officers were aghast when they observed the Italian Infantry form a Napoleonic square as a final form of defence. 




_British Tanks crossing the frontier in the vicinity of Halfaya Pass mid 1940. They are relying on flags for communications and instructions_

*Malta*
0820-0838 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island at 12000 feet. A bomb is dropped near Garghur, starting a fire.

0902 hrs Air raid alert. Two groups of three plus raiders are reported approaching the Island. 

0919 hrs One formation of three aircraft is seen flying northwards over Naxxar. 

0932 hrs Three Gladiator fighters take off, reaching 15000 feet. The raiders circle 38 miles short of Malta and turn back for Sicily; no contact.




_3.7" AA gun on Malta_


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## parsifal (Jun 12, 2015)

*13 June 1940 *
*Losses*
DKM Raider WIDDER captured and then sank *tkr BRITISH PETROL (UK 6891 grt)* on the Trinidad-Azores track , 1000 miles from Trinidad. 2 of the crew were lost, and the rest made PoWs. She sank BRITISH PETROL on the 14th. 

*AMC SCOTSTOUN (RN 17046)* 12 largest ship lost of the war, U.25 torpedoed the ship at 0600 NW of Ireland. After persuing and attempting to engage the ship all day U-25 managed to get a second torpedo into the ship that evening, more than 12 hrs later. Whilst this was occurring DDs HIGHLANDER, was diverted from her voyage to Plymouth to try and intervene, DELIGHT and ECHO, which departed Greenock at 0900, tugs BANDIT and MARAUDER were also ordered to assist at best possible speed. SCOTSTOUN sank after the second torpedo hit, prior to their arrival. 7 crew members were lost and 345 rescued. The survivors were taken aboard HIGHLANDER. HIGHLANDER, DELIGHT and ECHO proceeded to the Clyde, arriving on the 14th.






*Aux MSW MARTHE ROLAND (Fr 85 grt)* and *aux HDV REINES DES FLOTS (Fr 100 grt (est)* were scuttled at Le Havre.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr BRITISH INVENTOR (UK 7101 grt)* was badly damaged on a mine five miles 230° from St Albans Head. The entire crew was saved. ASW yacht CONQUEROR, corvette GARDENIA, and ML.100 carried out an ASW sweep. The tkr was beached and sank, and broke in two on the 30th. The after section was towed to Portland, arriving on 31 July. Iy ultimate fate is not known





*Drifter OCEAN SUNLIGHT (RN 131 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the W. Breakwater Light, Newhaven. 8 ratings were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ABEL TASMAN (Ne 314 grt)* In May 1940 she was taken over by the Admiralty to assist with the evacuation of troops from northern France with a small naval crew under the command of Lieutenant Edward Terence Mudie placed on board along with the Dutch crew. She took part in Dynamo, and was then assigned to Operation Cycle, (the lifting of troops from other French ports). She sailed from Poole on 11 June to proceed to St Valery in company with several other naval manned coasters, but became detached from the main force in fog. Attempting to return to Poole, she was in the Swash Channel when she detonated a mine and sank. There were no survivors, with all 12 men onboard killed
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fr sub SAPHIR laid 32 mines off Cagliari during the night of 12/13 June. *Steamer ALICANTINO (FI 1642 grt)* was sunk on this minefield on the 28th. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-122 
Wilhelmshaven: U-62

At Sea 13 June 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-101, U-122, UA. 
20 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*North Sea*
MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER departed the Humber escort DDs GALLANT, INTREPID, WALPOLE to lay minefield BS.14 in the Nth Sea, during the night of 13/14 June. DD FAULKNOR departed the Humber at 2000 after refitting and proceeded to Methil where she arrived. She then proceeded to Rosyth, departing Rosyth on the 14th to escort tkr WAR PINDARI. That night, FAULKNOR drove off a UBoat that had attempted to attack the tkr. Both ships arrived safely at Scapa on the 15th. OA.167 departed Southend escort corvette CLARKIA. FS.194 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS and armed patrol yacht BREDA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 15th. MT.88 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day.

*Northern Waters*
DD ATHERSTONE departed Scapa for Aberdeen, met steamers LOCHNAGAR and MACCLESFIELD at Aberdeen and escorted them to Lerwick. ATHERSTONE arrived at Scapa on the 14th after the escort duty. DDs DIANA and ACHERON departed Scapa to search for a Uboat reported by CC at 1505 on a course of 315°. They also investigated a further report of a another UBoat at 1904, were then ordered to return to Scapa, and arrived early on the 15th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.167 departed Liverpool escort DD VOLUNTEER from 13 to 16 June. DD VOLUNTEER was detached to convoy HX.48. 

*SW Approaches*
OG.33 was formed from a combination of OA.166G, which departed Southend on the 11th escort corvette CALENDULA from 11 to 12 June; and OB.166G, which departed Liverpool on 11 June escorted by ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN on 11 and 12 June and sloop ENCHANTRESS on the 12th, a total of 32 ships. Sloop ENCHANTRESS escorted the convoy from 13 to 18 June. DD WRESTLER joined on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 19th with WRESTLER.

HG.34F departed Gib with 24 ships. DD DOUGLAS escorted the convoy until joining convoy OG.33F later on the 13th. DD STURDY and sloop SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy from 13 to 19 June. STURDY then arrived at Plymouth. DD HIGHLANDER escorted the convoy from 17 to 19 June, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*UK-France*
The British demolition party XD.L departed Chatham for Portsmouth, and then proceeded on to Cherbourg. FF.1 of British troopships DUCHESS OF YORK, SOBIESKI, BATORY, GEORGIC escort DDs BEAGLE, HAVELOCK, HAMBLEDON, WREN departed the Clyde for Brest. HAMBLEDON was later detached and returned to the Clyde on escort duties. She arrived in the Clyde on the 14th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.50 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA. On the 14th, they turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC VOLTAIRE, which was detached on the 24th. BHX.50 departed Bermuda on the 12th ocean escort AMC COMORIN. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.50 on the 17th and the AMC was detached. On 25 June, DDs VOLUNTEER and WHIRLWIND and corvettes ARABIS and HEARTSEASE provided inbound escort until 27 June. The convoy reached Liverpool on the 30th. Fr CV BEARN was at Halifax. She had brought 250 tons of gold to Halifax in late May. Some of the 50 SBC4 dive bombers and 93 A17A attack bombers, ordered from the United States, had been embarked by this date.








_On left a U.S. Navy Curtiss SBC-4 Helldiver (BuNo 1813) assigned to Naval Air Reserve Air Base New York, Floyd Bennett Field, in flight. Note the NRAB New York insignia on the fuselage of the aircraft. The SBC-4 BuNo 1813 was one of the aircraft transferred to USAAC on 8 June 1940 and then to the French Navy. 44 were loaded aboard the French aircraft carrier Béarn at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. France surrendered while Béarn was crossing the Atlantic; she turned south to Martinique, where the SBC-4s corroded in the humid Caribbean climate while waiting on a hillside near Fort-de-France. 5 aircraft left in Canada were used by the Royal Air Force as instructional airframes. On right is the updated export version of the A-17, as it would have appeared in June 1940 _

Ne CL SUMATRA departed Halifax for the NEI, via Bermuda and Curacoa. She reached Curacoa on the 22nd, and after patrols from there, departed on 7 August for the NEI via South Africa. SUMATRA arrived at Surabaya on 15 October.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr sub TURQUOISE laid 30 mines off Trapani. Fr sub PERLE laid 32 mines off Bastia. FI subs FINZI and CAPPELINI had departed Cagliari on 5/6 June. FINZI passed the Straits of Gibraltar for patrol in the Atlantic, and passed back through on 6 July on her return, to arrive at Spezia on 13 July. She was the first FI sub to operate in the Atlantic, and was soon followed in June by CALVI, CAPPELINI, MALASPINA and VENIERO. In all 27 FI subs operated in the Atlantic. Steamer GOUVENEUR GENERAL LAFERRIERE (Fr 3463 grt), en route from Oran to Marseilles, arrived at Alicante after being followed by an Italian submarine. The crew and troops were interned. 

RAN CL SYDNEY left station off Benghazi to undertake a recon sweep of the Ionian Islands. RAN DD STUART on ASW patrol off Alexandria sighted gun flashes in the distance and reported a contact, which later proved to be RAN DD VOYAGER, herself pursuing a sub contact. DDs DAINTY and DECOY and RAN DD VAMPIRE were dispatched to assist. STUART and VOYAGER made attacks on a sub contact. Early on the 14th, VOYAGER, STUART and DECOY attacked on another sub contact.

*Indian Ocean* 
RAN CL HOBART and CLA CARLISLE at Aden were unsuccessfully attacked by 4 RA SM81 a/c. CARLISLE shot down one a/c, and 1 is lost to CAP. The attacks fail to hit their targets, but a defending 94 sqn Glad ftr is damaged when it lands. Of the 4 RA a/c that attacked, 2 were shot down, and 1 crashed whilst on return approach at Massawa. There were 59 SM81s on strength in IEA in June 1940, of which 43 were airworthy. 





*Italian East Africa*
8 Wellesleys of 47 Sqn hit 3 Italian airfields destroying 780 gallons of gasoline. This effort was complemented by 4 SAAF Ju-86s bombing Italian positions near the Kenyan border, 6 hrs before South Africa officially declared war on Italy while 6 Blens from Aden attacked Italian targets along the Red Sea coast.




_A Wellesley Mk.I of no. 47 Squadron RAF (as can be seen by the code letters 'KU') over the East African desert_

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DKM Raider ORION laid mines in Hauraki Gulf, Auckland, New Zealand as CL ACHILLES was entering harbour. On the 18th, steamer NIAGARA (13,415grt) was lost on this minefield. After her loss, CL ACHILLES and RAN PERTH and AMC HECTOR searched for ORION without success. Later, on 14 May 1941, New Zealand minesweeper PURIRI was lost on this minefield.

*Malta*
1210 hrs Air raid on Kalafrana and near Benghaisa. 

1400 hrs A Glad is scrambled to intercept another raid, which is driven off


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## parsifal (Jun 13, 2015)

*14 June 1940 *
*Losses*
*MV ANTONIS GEORGANDIS (Gk 3557 grt) *Crew: Not Known Cargo: Maize and wheat Route: Rosario - St. Vincent - Limerick 
Sunk in the SW Approaches about 400 miles NW of Cape Finnesterre. At 0854 hrs the unescorted ANTONIS GEORGANDIS was stopped with two rounds from the 20mm AA gun by U-101. The ship had been missed by a G7e torpedo at 08.20 hrs. The crew abandoned ship before the Germans had obtained the ships papers, which in any case showed the ship as proceeding into prohibited zone. The U-boat then sank the ship with 91 rounds from the deck gun. 





*MV MOUNT MYRTO (Gk 5403 grt)* Crew: 24 (4 dead and 20 survivors) Cargo: General cargo and timber Route: Galveston - London . Sunk in the SW Approaches approximately 60 miles Sth of Ireland. At 1911 hrs MOUNT MYRTO was missed by 2 stern torps from U-38, which had followed her for 5 hrs. The U-boat then surfaced and began shelling the ship with 53 rounds. no warning was given due to the ship being within the declared area. At 1958 hrs, the ship was hit by a further torp as a coup de grâce near the bridge, but the ship still did not sink due her load of timber. Liebe decided to leave the wrecked vessel because HX-47 came in sight. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*MV BALMORALWOOD (UK 5834 grt)* Crew: 41 (0 dead and 41 survivors) Cargo: 8730 tons of wheat and 4 a/c as deck cargo Route: Sorel, Quebec - Halifax - Falmouth . Sunk in the SW Approaches, approx 70 miles sth of the Irish Coast. At 1944 hrs BALMORALWOOD, a straggled from HX-47, and was hit amidships by 1 stern torp from U-47 and sank after 2 hrs. The ship sank fairly slowly, allowing all of the crew to be picked up by GERMANIC.





*MSW trawler MYRTLE (RN 550 grt) * MSW Gp 2 was sunk on a mine in the Thames Estuary.There were no survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Fr sloop D'ENTRECASTEAUX captured *Steamer FORTUNATA (FI 4786 grt)* in the Atlantic and took her to Port Lyautey. Ultimate fate unknown
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Sub PORPOISE laid minefield FD.18 and then then patrolled off Fro Havet. *MSW M.5 (DKM 682 grt)*, 28 crew lost and *Steamer SONJA (Sd 1828 grt) *were lost on this minefield on the 18th. 



, [NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE SONJA] 

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-56

At Sea 14 June 1940 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-101, U-122, UA. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
CL CARDIFF arrived at Sheerness. MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs EXPRESS and INTREPID departed the Humber on minelaying operation BS.15, carried out during the night of 14/15 June. The ships arrived back in the Humber on the 15th. Sloops LOWESTOFT and WESTON departed Rosyth for the Tyne. FN.195 departed Southend, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. On the 15th, the convoy became separated in fog. BLACK SWAN took one section and HASTINGS the second. The convoy arrived at Rosyth on the 16th. BLACK SWAN’s section, together with MSW SHARPSHOOTER arrived during the early afternoon. HASTINGS section arrived hours later. FS.195 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th. Sloop STORK departed Scapa to join the CinC, Rosyth, and arrived at Rosyth on the 15th. ASW trawlers ELM, HAZEL, WINDERMERE and ST LOMAN escorted cable ship MONARCH laying cable in Fair Isle Channel. 

*Northern Waters*
CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Scapa escorted by DDs KELVIN, ESCORT and CAMPBELL.

*West Coast UK*
DD HIGHLANDER departed the Clyde for Plymouth. Sub H.28 departed Blyth on patrol.

*UK-France*
FF.2 of British troopships FRANCONIA, LANCASTRIA, ORONSAY and ORMONDE departed the Clyde for Brest escorted by DDs VANOC, WOLVERINE and WHIRLWIND. Steamers PORT MONTREAL and EURYADES departed Falmouth in the morning for Brest. Steamers BAHARISTAN and FLORISTAN also departed Falmouth, in the afternoon for Nantes.

*Nth Atlantic*
CVL FURIOUS departed the Clyde with £18,000,000 of gold bullion for Halifax for safekeeping. She was accompanied by CA DEVONSHIRE and DDs HAMBLEDON, ECHO and WITHERINGTON to 15W. DEVONSHIRE was detached for Iceland and arrived at Halifax on the 23rd. The DDs detached at the same time; ECHO arrived at Scapa and HAMBLEDON and WITHERINGTON in the Clyde. FURIOUS safely arrived at Halifax on the 21st.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL HERMES and CL DELHI were ordered to leave their patrol off the Canary Is when fuel necessitated and proceed independently to Dakar.

*Med- Biscay*
Operation "VADO" was the Fr bombardment of Genoa on Cape Vado. On the 13th, the Fr ships departed Toulon. 3rd Squadron was divided into two groups. Group 1 - CAs ALGERIE and FOCH with DDs VAUBAN, LION, AIGLE of the DesDiv1 and TARTU, CHEVALIER PAUL, CASSARD of DesDiv5. Group 2 - CAs DUPLEIX and COLBERT with DDs ALBATROS and VAUTOURof the DesDiv 7 and GUEPARD, VALMY, VERDUNof the DesDiv3. Fr subs IRIS, VENUS, PALLAS, ARCHIMEDE operated in the area of Savona in support. Early on the 14th, VADO was conducted. Fr DD ALBATROS was the only casualty when an Italian 152 mm shell f4 from a shore battery exploded in a fireroom and 10 men were burnt alive. In response to the operation, RM TB CALTAFIMI and MAS Sqn 13 (MAS.535, 539, 534, 538) sortied from Spezia to attack the French force. After a brief encounter with the Italian ships, the French units retired and returned to Toulon. RM TBDiv 11 (TBs ALTAIR, ANDROMEDA, ANTARES, ALDEBARAN) departed Trapani and proceeded to Spezia. RM subs NEGHELLI and VENIERO were at sea and subs IRIDE and SCIRE departed Spezia, but none contacted the French force.

The Med Flt and the Fr forces in the Eastern Med arrived at Alexandria. Fr sub NAUTILUS laid mines off Tripoli. RM DDs TURBINE, NEMBO and AQUILONE of DesDiv 2 shelled Sollum. RM Sub CAPPELINI was damaged from DC attacks by ASW trawler ARCTIC RANGER near Gib. DD VIDETTE joined to assist, but CAPPELINI was able to escape and arrive at Ceuta on the 15th. After emergency repairs, she departed on the 24th. CL cruiser ARETHUSA departed Gib for Verdon, where she arrived on the 16th. 

*Indian Ocean* 
*Italian East Africa*
When Italy declared war on 10 June 1940, the Italian troops were not prepared for a prolonged war in Nth Africa or East Africa. As a consequence, Mussolini ordered only limited aggressive actions to capture territory along the borders of Egypt, Kenya, and Sudan.

However as a result of advice from the Commander in IEA the Duke Of Aosta, this rigid defensive strategy was changed a kittke on the 14 June. Amedeo, Duke of Aosta—the Governor-General and Viceroy of IEA, convinced Comando Supremo to plan a campaign to conquer British Somaliland. Victor Emmanuel III—the King of Italy—and Mussolini agreed but it take until early August before all the supplies troop movements were in place. 

The Italian force attacking British Somaliland in August 1940 was commanded by Lt Gen Nasi, GOC Eastern Sector. The force included 23 col bns of regular native troops in five bdes, 3 Blackshirt battalions, and 3 bands (bande) of dubats and other locally recruited irregulars. The Italians also had armoured vehicles (a small number of both lt and med tanks), artillery, and, most importantly, superior air support. The Italian troops numbered about 24,000.

On Italy's declaration of war in June 1940, the British forces in British Somaliland were placed under the command of Lt-Col Arthur Reginald Chater, the commander of the Somaliland Camel Corps. At the start of August, the newly promoted Brigadier Chater commanded a contingent of about 4,000 soldiers comprising the lightly armed Somaliland Camel Corps, the 2nd (Nyasaland) Bn King's African Rifles (KAR), the 1st Bn Northern Rhodesian Regt (KAR), the 3/15th Punjab Regiment, and 1st East African Lt Bty (four 3.7 in (94 mm) howitzers). They were joined from Aden on 7 August by the 1/2nd Punjab Regt and 8 August by 2nd Bn Black Watch. Chaters' force was not only critically short of artillery, it had no tanks or armoured cars nor did it have any anti-tank weapons to oppose the Italian medium and light tanks. There were also some 24 M11/39 medium tanks in IEA 




_L3 Lt Tank. In both Libya and East Africa the Italians fielded large numbers of these AFVs. Italian soldiers derisively referred to them as "Sardine Tins", a not inaccurate description _

*Malta*
The Governor and CinC informs London that Malta urgently needs ftr a/c. In a telegram he urged the War Office to divert 3 Hurricane ftrs currently en route for Egypt at least temporarily to Malta, to defend the Island. 

0827-0856 hrs 2 RA bombers approach at 8000 ft then dive to 4000 ft over Grand Harbour and Valletta dropping 3 bombs near the NAAFI and one opposite St John’s Cathedral, which fails to explode. Objectives appear to be HMS TERROR, the Dockyard and the Power House. HE bombs are also dropped on the Harbour, Ta’ Xbiex and Fort St Angelo, where one naval rating and one civilian are wounded by an incendiary bomb. An MSW on patrol reports sighting 1 enemy a/c damaged, and losing height rapidly, a portion of the port wing falling into the sea. The a/c flew off in a northerly direction at low altitude and is later observed coming down in the sea off St Paul’s Bay.


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## Njaco (Jun 13, 2015)

*June 13 Thursday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Final act of the Norwegian campaign. Coastal Command Beauforts raid the airfield at Trondheim doing little damage. Bf 109s of 4./JG 77 and Bf 110s of a Zerstörerstaffel give chase to the Beauforts and come across fourteen Skua dive bombers of FAA Nos. 800 and 803 Squadrons from the aircraft carrier HMS ‘_Ark Royal_’ attacking the ‘_Scharnhorst_’ and “_Gneisenau_” at Trondheim. “_Scharnhorst_” was hit by a 500-pound bomb, but it failed to explode. 8 Skua aircraft were shot down by 4./JG 77 with five dive-bombers lost in 3 minutes. Fw. Menge claims two and Ofw. Sawallisch claims one, being the fifth victories for both pilots. 6 airmen were killed and 10 were taken prisoner. The remaining 7 aircraft returned to "_Ark Royal_" at 0345 hours. Nearby, “_Ark Royal's_” escorting destroyers HMS “_Antelope_” and HMS “_Electra_” collided in fog. Both sustained damage that would take them out of action until Aug 1940. A German seaplane picks up one of the Skua pilots. The same seaplane also picks up 2 survivors from HMS “_Ardent_” (sunk June 8 ). One later dies from exposure. Able seaman Roger Hooke is “_Ardent's_” only survivor. He will be repatriated in 1943 due to ill health.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The French forces west of Paris are now retreating to the Loire. The British decide to abandon attempts to rebuild a BEF in France and begin to evacuate the British and Canadian troops which still remain in the country.

Maxime Weygand declared Paris, France an open city. British Prime Minister Churchill flew to Tours, France for what would become the last meeting of the Supreme War Council. Both Britain and France now acknowledged that defeat would be imminent. Churchill encourages the French to withdraw to their colonies in North Africa to fight on. However, French PM Paul Reynaud asks to be released from the March 28 agreement and allowed to negotiate armistice terms with Germany. Churchill refuses, appraising this solely from the British point of view.

The fighters of JG 27 claim twenty-three aircraft destroyed during the day including six Fairey Battles destroyed by fighters from I Gruppe that are found attacking German armour east of Paris. Oblt. Walter Oesau of JG 51 claims his Geschwader’s last French victim, a French Amiot bomber.

Again following the frontlines, the planes and personnel of JG 26 move to new airbases. Major Witt's Stabstaffel and Hptm. Noack's II./JG 26 transfer from Bois Jean and settle in at the airfield near Morgny Bezue la Foret. Major Galland's III./JG 26 leave the base at Capelle and move to the airfield at Les Thilliers .

Spain's Generalissimo Francisco Franco changes Spain's status from neutral to nonbelligerent.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Odin_” attacked Italian cruisers “_Fiume_” and “_Gorizia_”. “_Odin_” was sunk by destroyers “_Strale_” and “_Baleno_”, killing the entire crew of 56. It was the first naval skirmish in the Mediterranean Sea.

Italian aircraft attacked the naval base at Toulon, France.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Scotstoun_” (originally Anchor Line passenger ship “_Caledonia_”) is attacked all day by U-25 and finally sinks 80 miles West of Outer Hebrides, Scotland (7 lives lost). 345 survivors were rescued by British destroyer HMS “_Highlander_” and would be landed at the Clyde on 14 Jun.

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## Njaco (Jun 13, 2015)

*June 13 Thursday* (_continued_)
*NORTH AMERICA:* Rear Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. relieved Vice Admiral Charles A. Blakely as Commander Aircraft, Battle Force of the US Navy on board carrier USS “_Yorktown_” at Lahaina Roads, Maui, US Territory of Hawaii. Halsey received the temporary rank of vice admiral for this assignment.

The battleship USS “_North Carolina_” was launched at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, United States.

Roosevelt signs a new $1,300,000,000 Navy bill providing for much extra construction. Meanwhile, in response to Churchill's pleas in his telegrams to President Roosevelt, surplus stocks of artillery weapons and rifles have been assembled from US government stores. The first shipment now leaves the USA on the SS “_Eastern Prince_” for the voyage to Britain. The US Neutrality Laws have been subverted by first "selling" the arms to a steel company and then reselling them to the British government.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet troops began amassing on the borders of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Britain sends information to Australian Prime Minister Menzies, with the first revelation that Britain would hold its Mediterranean interests at the possible cost to interests in the Far East. If Japan declares war, Britain would likely have to rely on the USA for safeguarding British interests.

The German raider “_Orion_” lays mines off Auckland, New Zealand.

*ASIA:* Japanese forces begin experimenting with glider and parachute troop units.

Japanese bombers make devastating fire raid on city of Chungking.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *From today, the ringing of church bells is prohibited, except as a warning to the populace that enemy troops are invading.

*GERMANY:* Hitler gives interview to American journalist Carl von Wiegand. He had no desire to smash the British Empire but would 'destroy those who are destroying that Empire'. US aid to Britain would not affect the outcome of the war.

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## Njaco (Jun 14, 2015)

*June 14 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:*After the declaration of Paris as an “open city”, Germans enter the city unopposed. General von Bock, CO Heeresgruppe B, reviews victory parades in Place de la Concorde and at Arc de Triomphe. Von Studnitz leads the 87th Infantry Division in its triumphal entry march into Paris. While French troops organize a fighting retreat further South, Parisian restaurants and shops do a brisk trade with the German troops who act more as tourists than a force of occupation. Only 700,000 people remain in the city out of a population of 5 Million.

New instructions are issued to the German armies. While most of the armored forces are to continue their advance into the center of the country, Guderian's two corps are to swing east to cut off any attempt by the Maginot garrisons to retreat. Heeresgruppe C, General Leeb, attacks the Maginot defenses. To the east, the German 1.Armee under General Erwin von Witzleben broke through the Maginot Line near Saarbrücken. To the north, the coastal city of Le Havre fell under German control. Germans capture intact Renault tank factory at Billancourt and Schneider-Creusot armament works. The French government moved from Tours to Bordeaux and appealed for the United States to enter the war.

Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 15, ordering the Army to prevent the withdrawal of enemy forces from the Paris area, and prevent the establishment of a new front on the lower Seine. A second objective is to destroy forces facing Heeresgruppe A and C, and see to the collapse of the Maginot Line. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/15.html

In Brest, British General Alan Brooke orders Canadian forces to withdraw from France. Much of the Canadian equipment and 216 vehicles are destroyed, to prevent their use by German forces.

An He 111 from Stab./KG 55 on a reconnaissance flight of French artillery in the St. Avold area is shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashes, killing the entire crew.

The fighters of I./JG 1 add three more Allied planes to the Gruppe's victory score. By the end of the day Hptm. Balthasar is awarded the Ritterkreuz and promoted to Oberleutnant becoming the second pilot in the Geschwader to be presented with the award after Major Werner Mölders. It is given to Oblt. Balthasar for his total victory score which includes twenty-two planes destroyed in the air, thirteen destroyed on the ground and seven aircraft shot down by Balthasar during the Spanish Civil War.

French and Polish 'Enigma' code breakers leave Paris. They fly from Toulouse to Algiers.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Samoyède. At dawn, the 3rd French squadron, including cruisers “_Foch_”, “_Algérie_”, “_Dupleix_” and “_Colbert_” (4 heavy cruisers and 11 destroyers in total), supported by the French Naval Air Arm, bombarded Genoa, Italy, damaging oil storage tanks and military facilities. French destroyer “_Albatros_” was hit by Italian coastal artillery, killing 12, but she was able to return. British Fleet Air Arm Swordfish aircraft from "a training squadron" (later to become No. 830 Squadron on Malta) made the first air attack on Italy, also hitting Genoa with French bombs. The giant French Farman F.220 bomber "Jules Verne" attacked Italian oil storage tanks at Porto Marghera, Venice, Italy. Eight bombs were dropped and at least one oil tank was seen to be set on fire. 

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## Njaco (Jun 14, 2015)

*June 14 Friday* (_continued_)
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Despite a series of errors, U-38 manages to sink Greek steamer “_Mount Myrto_” carrying a cargo of timber southwest of Ireland (4 killed). In the same area, German submarine U-47 sank British ship “_Balmoralwood_” carrying 8730 tons of wheat and four aircraft (all 41 crew rescued by British steamer “_Germanic_” and landed at Liverpool).

German submarine U-101 stopped Greek ship “_Antonis Georgandis_” 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain with two warning shots from the submarine's 20mm deck gun. After the crew abandoned the ship, U-101 sank her with the deck gun.

*EASTERN EUROPE*: Stalin desires to restore pre-1918 Tsarist borders and plans to incorporate Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia into Soviet Union. Soviets begin by imposing a sea and air blockade of Estonia. 2 Soviet DB-3T torpedo bombers shoot down Finnish civilian Junkers Ju 52 plane “Kaleva” shortly after takeoff at Tallinn to show that the threat was not empty. “Kaleva” crashes into sea (all 9 passengers and crew killed, including American and French diplomats). Soviet submarine Щ-301 surfaces and collects French diplomatic mail from the sea. 

A group of 728 Polish political prisoners from Tarnów become the first prisoners of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt signed the Naval Expansion Act, which increased the carrier, cruiser, and submarine tonnage of the US Navy by 167,000 tons, increased auxiliary shipping by 75,000 tons, and increased the number of authorized naval aircraft to 4,500 planes.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Spain sends a 3,000-man force to occupy the former international city of Tangier, a port of Morocco.

Three Italian destroyers shell Sollum, Egypt.

*ASIA: *Japanese High Command advises British, American, Russian and German Embassies to evacuate their nationals from Chungking to places of safety.

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## Njaco (Jun 14, 2015)

*June 15 Saturday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Future Experte, Ofw. Anton ‘Toni’ Hackl of JG 77, claims two of the three RAF No. 233 Squadron Hudsons lost near Stavanger in Norway.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Another German pincer closes on France. The German 7.Armee under General Friedrich Dollmann crossed the Rhine River into France about 40 to 50 miles north of the Swiss border and penetrated the Maginot Line, fanning out on the Alsace plain to join up with Guderian’s Panzers making their way South towards Switzerland. Strasbourg and Verdun are taken in the converging German advance on the Maginot defenses. On the coast of the English Channel, the Allies launched Operation Ariel to evacuate troops from Cherbourg and St Malo. Over the next 3 days, 23,630 men, mostly British, are embarked from Cherbourg. Adolf Hitler gave the German Army permission to demobilize some divisions once the French campaign drew closer to its end. French Army GHQ moves south from Briare, on the Loire, to Vichy.

The French fighter plane Dewoitine D. 520 gives a good account of itself as pilots of French GC I/3 claim ten kills, five of them Bf 109s.

Construction began on the new Führer Headquarters Wolfschlucht II in France. It would be halted within days, however, as the German campaign in France would soon end.

The crew and personnel of I./JG 1 continue to move to new airbases, following the battle lines. This day they leave Abbeville and move to the airfield at Romily-sur-Seine.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Franklin Roosevelt approved a revised copy of the Naval Expansion Act which he had approved on the previous day; it increased naval aviation to a strength 10,000 aircraft instead of the previously lower quantity of 4,500. He also replied to the French Premier's "last appeal", saying that America would redouble her efforts if the Allies continue to resist the dictators.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-38 attacked Allied convoy HX-47 60 miles west of the Isles of Scilly off of southwestern England at 0100 hours, sinking Norwegian tanker “_Italia_” (killing 19, 16 were rescued) and Canadian ship “_Erik Boye_” (21 were rescued). British sloop HMS “_Fowley_” would bring the survivors to Plymouth, England on the following day. “_Erik Boye_” is the first Canadian merchant ship sunk in the Battle of the Atlantic.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Quintin Brand was appointed the commanding officer of the No. 10 Group at the rank of acting air vice marshal.

The decision is made to bring home the remaining British Expeditionary Force in France. 136,963 British and 38,500 Allied troops are transported across the English Channel.

British Prime Minister Churchill sent a telegram to US President Roosevelt to again request destroyers, noting that the United Kingdom would carry on the struggle;


> "whatever the odds... but it may well be beyond our resources unless we receive every reinforcement and particularly do we need this reinforcement on the sea".



*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet troops began the occupation of Lithuania. Kaunas and Vilna are occupied by Soviet troops. The United States refused to recognize the Soviet occupation. Soviet troops engaged Latvian border guards at Maslenki, Latvia.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Eight RAF Wellingtons were dispatched from aerodromes in Southern France to bomb Genoa, Italy. Heavy thunderstorms were encountered and only one aircraft bombed the target. Several hits were registered. 

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *The Communist Party of Australia is declared as illegal.

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## parsifal (Jun 15, 2015)

*15 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-137





Allied
Fairmile A Motor Launch ML 102 Minelayer SOUTHERN PRINCE








*Losses*
U.38 sank *tkr ITALIA (Nor 9973 grt)* and *steamer ERIK BOYE (Den 2238 grt)*, both under British control, from convoy HX.48 in the SW Approaches. 19 crew from the Norwegian tanker were lost. The survivors were rescued by sloop FOWEY. The entire crew of the Danish steamer were rescued by sloop FOWEY.








*Sub MORSE (Fr 947 grt)* The Requin class sub of the SubDiv9 was sunk on a mine off Sfax with all hands lost.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 15 June 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-101, U-122, UA. 
19 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic
DKM Raider PINGUIN departed Gydnia and was escorted by Sperrbrecher IV to Bremen. PINGUIN was joined by TBs JAGUAR and FALKE on the 18 June in the Skagerrak for the passage to Bergen. On the 19th, PINGUIN was joined by MSWs M.17 and M.18 off Skudesnes.





*North Sea*
DD ESK escorted cable ship ARIEL from St Peter's Point, Guernsey to Southend. FN.196 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 17th. FS.196 departed the Tyne, escort sloops WESTON and LOWESTOFT. The convoy became separated in fog and anchored, one section with sloop WESTON and the other with sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th.

*Northern Patrol*
U.A torpedoed *AMC ANDANIA (RN 13950 grt)* NW of Ireland in proximity to Iceland. Icelandic trawler SKALLAGRIMUR rescued the entire crew of 347 men before she sank. DD FORESTER departed Thorshaven to assist. A transfer of the crew was attempted on the 16th when FORESTER met the trawler, but the weather was too rough. The crew were transferred on the 17th and FORESTER arrived at Scapa on the 17th with the survivors, who were taken by MSW HAZARD to Scrabster.







_ANDANIA left and the unique bridge of the U-A. U-A was intended to be sold to the Turkish Navy but was taken over 21 September 1939. She was by far the most successful of the so-called "Foreign Boats" in the Kriegsmarine_

DD AMAZON, escorting oiler ROSEWOOD, came from Sullom Voe and DD KELVIN departed Scapa to assist. Armed boarding vessel DISCOVERY II also arrived on the scene. Oiler ROSEWOOD, now escorted by ASW trawlers SCOTTISH and LOCH OKAIG, arrived at Sullom Voe later that day. DD AMAZON reported later on the 16th that her starboard turbine bearing had run and she was returning to Scapa arriving on the 17th. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI had departed Scapa for Reykavik and attempted to locate trawler SKALLAGRIMUR en route. However, they were unable to locate the trawler due to low visibility. ASW trawlers CAPE CORMORIN and AYRSHIRE in Iceland were sent to the area. CA SUSSEX, CL NEWCASTLE, AMC CIRCASSIA patrolled in the area in case this attack was a forerunner of an attempt by a surface raider to enter the Atlantic.

*Northern Waters*
CL NEWCASTLE and DDs AMAZON and KELVIN departed Scapa for firing practices in Pentland Firth. BB RODNEY, BC RENOWN, DDs TARTAR, FEARLESS, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MAORI arrived at Scapa. DD AMAZON departed Scapa for Sullom Voe with oiler ROSEWOOD and ASW trawlers SCOTTISH and LOCH OSKAIG. DDs ATHERSTONE, ACHERON, WALKER, VISCOUNT and ASW trawlers KING SOL, ST CATHAN, ST ELSTAN, LOCH MONTEITH departed Scapa with a convoy for the Clyde. It was composed of 9 steamers 

ASW trawler ARAB attacked a submarine contact. The trawler was joined by patrol sloop PINTAIL. 

Sd DDs PSILANDER, PUKE, ROMULUS, REMUS with supply ship PATRICIA and tkr CASTOR had arrived at Cobh (Queenstown) on the 2nd to embark Sd citizens to return to Sweden. They departed on the 15th, en route to Sweden from Italy.




_Psilander as the Italian SELLA_

*Channel*
DD GRIFFIN arrived at Dover, as the first arrival of the newly reconstituted DesFlot 1. The Flotilla was to be composed of CODRINGTON , GREYHOUND, GALLANT, GRIFFIN, BULLDOG, BRILLIANT, BOADICEA, BOREAS, BEAGLE, BRAZEN, BLYSKAWICA, BURZA. however most of these DDs were under repair on this date.

*UK-France*
Fr Contre Torpilleur DD MILAN took French General De Gaulle from Brest to Plymouth. De Gaulles family followed four days later, being collected by RAAF Sunderland a/c from near the Bordeaux region. DDs MACKAY and WINCHELSEA were ordered from Plymouth to escort convoys from France to England, and departed on the 16th. Steamers EMPIRE ABILITY and CITY OF FLORENCE departed Falmouth for Brest, while steamers ETTRICK, KONINGIN EMMA, ROYAL ULSTERMAN, ROYAL SCOTSMAN departed Falmouth for La Pallice in the afternoon. Next day, the morning of the 16th, and also from Falmouth, troopship ORMONDE departed for Plymouth and then to Quiberon Bay, and troopship ORONSAY for Quiberon Bay. Troopships ARANDORA STAR, OTRANTO , STRATHAIRD were ordered to Brest from Cardiff. OF 34F was formed from convoys OA.168GF and OB.168GF with 19 ships.

British steamer CITY OF WINDSOR (7218grt) was diverted to Cherbourg from convoy OA.168 GF. The convoy was escorted by sloop DEPTFORD from 15 to 22 June. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 24th. BC 41 departed Bristol Channel escorted by ASW trawlers AGATE and CAMBRIDGESHIRE for Loire. This was the last convoy of the BC series.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.36 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE. The convoy arrived at Liverpool 3 July.
*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*
Fr DDs FORBIN, FORTUNE, BASQUE departed Alexandria for Beirut. Sub RORQUAL reported unsuccessfully attacking an RM sub in the Otranto Strait. DD WRESTLER attacked a sub contact 7 miles 138° from Europa Point (the southernmost point of Gib).

*Indian Ocean* 
*Sub MACALLE (RM 680 grt) * The Adua Class Sub had departed Massawa on the 10th, was stranded on a reef near Port Sudan. The entire crew were rescued by RM sub GUGLIELMOTTI on the 22nd. The abandoned sub was shelled on 27 June by DDs KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, CL LEANDER. A?C from the cruiser also bombed the beached sub.





*Malta*
Weather Early thundery showers, then clear sky with considerable haze to 5000 feet. Gale force winds at times.

1035-1045 hrs Air raid alert. One enemy aircraft is already over the Island at 15000 feet and drops nine bombs on an approximate line from the Dockyard to Delimara Point, killing two civilians and injuring six more. The raider immediately dives to 4000 feet.

1539-1353 hrs Air raid alert. Fighters take to the air but no aircraft area sighted.

1530 hrs RAOC explode a bomb successfully near HQ of B Company, 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt.

1640 hrs A loud explosion heard from the direction of Hal Far is reported as a possible delayed action bomb but later confirmed as a controlled explosion by the bomb disposal squad.

1716-1757 hrs One enemy reconnaissance aircraft crosses over Mellieha. Two enemy aircraft approach from the north east at 15000 feet and drop six bombs on open ground between Birzebugga and Hal Far. One enemy raider is intercepted by Malta fighters and is hit but not shot down, and releases its bombs in the sea south of the Island. The British pilot identifies the enemy aircraft as German from its twin water-cooled engines and swastika on the wings.

1920 hrs One Gladiator carries out flying practice around Hal Far aerodrome and the Kalafrana seaplane base. A Sunderland flying boat is also tested at Kalafrana Slipway.


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## parsifal (Jun 16, 2015)

*16 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
MSW R-50, R-51, R-52, R-53, R-54, R-55, R-56, R-57, R-58, R-59 (exact commissioning dates uncertain) 




_R 178 pictured_

Neutral
Kirov Class CL VOROSHILOV





Allied
AA ship ALYNBANK




*Losses*
*LA COUBRE (Fr 150 grt (est)* The dredger struck a mine and sank in the Bay of Biscay off Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique with the loss of three of her crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub TETRARCH encountered a southbound German convoy. TETRARCH fired 4 torpedoes, one of which struck and sank *tkr SAMLAND (Ger 5978 grt) * off Korsfjord, five miles west of Lister. 





*MV WELLINGTON STAR (UK 13212 grt) *Crew: 69 (0 dead and 69 survivors) Cargo: Refrigerated and general cargo Route: Sydney - Melbourne - Panama - Falmouth Sunk in the mid Atlantic, west of Spain. In the afdternoon of the 16th the unescorted WELLINGTON STAR was hit in the bow by a G7a torp fired by U-101. After the crew abandoned ship in four lifeboats, the U-boat fired three coups de grâce shots, but the ship did not sink. Two were duds. The U-boat surfaced, questioned the survivors and then finally sank the ship with 31 rounds from the deck gun with the ship sinking at 16.45 hours. The entire crew were rescued some days later. 




_Wellington Star 1 after being torpedoed 16/06/1940_

*UBOATS*

At Sea 16 June 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-101, U-122, UA. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MT.89 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. DD ENCOUNTER traveled in this convoy for passage to Chatham. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 17th. Sub TRUANT and ORP Sub WILK departed Rosyth for exercises in the Firth of Forth. After the exercises, TRUANT set off on patrol and WILK returned to Rosyth. Sub L.23 and submarine tender WHITE BEAR arrived at Scapa Flow. Sloop BLACK SWAN and MSW SHARPSHOOTER arrived at Rosyth with part of convoy FN.195. Sloop HASTINGS with rest of the convoy arrived later. MSWs HALCYON and HEBE and DD ESK with cable vessel ARIEL were held for several hrs at Dover while the Downs was cleared.

*Northern Waters*
CA SUSSEX and CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa to patrol along 59N from 16 to 20W. They arrived on station at early on the 17th to search for a raider. After no contact, they were ordered on the 18th to return to Scapa, arriving back on the 19th. Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN DUKE picked up a raft from Norwegian steamer KRISTIANIAFJORD.

*West Coast UK*
The ANZAC troop convoy US.3 arrived in the Clyde. CA CUMBERLAND departed the Clyde on the 16th for Liverpool arriving on the 17th. Escorting DDs BROKE and WESTCOTT then proceeded to Plymouth. Escorting DDs WANDERER, WITCH, RCN DDs ST LAURENT, RESTIGOUCHE, SKEENA, FRASER departed the Clyde to join Cdn troop convoy TC.5. DD DELIGHT departed the Clyde with British steamers NAILSEA LASS and LOMBARDY for Plymouth. Escorting DD WARWICK proceeded to Liverpool.

*SW Approaches*
HG.34 departed Gib with 15 ships, escort DDs VIDETTE and WRESTLER until 18 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Nth Atlantic*
*Steamer KONIGSBERG (Ger 6466 grt)* was scuttled when intercepted by Fr aux PV PRESIDENT HOUDUCE. KONIGSBERG had earlier refuelled DKM Raider WIDDER.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fr CV BEARN and CL JEANNE D'ARC departed Halifax to return to France, but arrived in the Antilles on the 27th. Fr Gen De Gaulle ordered new French liner PASTEUR , en route from Halifax to Bordeaux, to put into a British port. Previously, PASTEUR on the first half of the voyage, her maiden passage, carried 400 tons of gold to Halifax.

*Central Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Gib after US.3 convoy duty until 14 June, then a patrol off the Canary Is.

*Med- Biscay*
*Steamer RASTRELLO (FI 1550 grt)*, prewar, the Norwegian Atle Jarl was sunk in an air raid by the british off Genoa.




RM sub DURBO attacked a Fr DD in the Gulf of Hammanet, NE of Sousse. *Sub GRAMPUS, (RN 1520 grt)* which had laid mines off Port Augusta on the 13th,was sunk by RM TBs POLLUCE, CALLIOPE, CIRCE, CLIO off Augusta. After the minelay, the sub had unsuccessfully attacked RM sub BAUSAN on the 13th and torpedo boat POLLUCE on the 13th. DD DIAMOND was sent on the 18th to search for the missing sub. GRAMPUS was declared lost on the 24th and presumed mined. 58 crew were lost. .





In the afternoon of the 16th, DDs from various formations departed Alexandria to carry out ASW sweeps. Force MDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JANUS, JUNO. Force HDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HEREWARD, HASTY. Force S:RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE, , VOYAGER RN DDs DAINTY. DDs ILEX and IMPERIAL were already at sea to cover tanker movements between Port Said, Alexandria, Haifa. On the 17th, CL GLOUCESTER also departed Alexandria to join the sweep.

CL ARETHUSA arrived at Le Verdon from Gibraltar

*Indian Ocean* 
Italian submarine GALILEI sank *tkr JAMES STOVE (Nor 8215 grt)* sth of Aden whilst transporting Aviation spirit to Suez. The entire crew of 34 were rescued by ASW Trawler MOONSTONE. NZ manned CL LEANDER was searching for GALILEI from 16 to 18 June, ASW trawler MOONSTONE captured this submarine on the 19th.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 16, 2015)

*16 June 1940 (Part II*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*France-UK*
Operation Ariel (sometimes Operation Aerial) was the name given to the WW II evacuation of Allied forces from ports in western France, from 15–25 June 1940, following the military collapse in the Battle of France . It followed Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk and Operation Cycle, the evacuation from Le Havre, which finished on 13 June. The number of people evacuated from France to Britain during Operation Ariel were:
British – 144,171
Polish – 24,352
French – 18,246
Czech – 4,938
Belgian – 163
In total, 191,870 allied soldiers, airmen and civilians. Although much equipment was lost, it was still possible to save 310 artillery guns, 2,292 vehicles, 1,800 tons of stores,13 light tanks and 9 cruiser tanks. 







_Troop evacuation on SS Guinean during Operation Ariel, Abandoned British Army motorcycles at Monce-en-Belin near Le Mans, 13 June 1940_

Unlike DYNAMO, ARIEL was undertaken mostly by some of the largest ships in the British Merchant Marine

On the 16th, DDs WOLVERINE, VANOC, WHIRLWIND were detailed to escort loaded ships from France to the UK. From 15 to 18 June, 30,630 troops were evacuated from Cherbourg and taken to Portsmouth. On 16 and 17 June, 21,474 troops were lifted from St Malo and taken to Portsmouth. The demolition party for St Malo was XD.M , delivered on DD WILD SWAN on the 17th, after calling at St Helier en route. On 16 and 17 June, 32,584 troops were evacuated from Brest and taken to Plymouth. From 16 to 18 June, 57,235 troops were evacuated from St Nazaire and Nantes to Plymouth. DDs VEGA, FERNIE, SABRE and sloops FOXGLOVE and ROSEMARY were employed as escorts along the evacuation route. DDs HAVELOCK, WOLVERINE, BEAGLE with troopships GEORGIC, DUCHESS OF YORK, BATORY, SOBIESKI of convoy FF.1 were at Quiberon Bay on the 15th. These liners departed St Nazaire very early on the 17th, escort DDs WHIRLWIND and BEAGLE. On the 16th, DDs HIGHLANDER and VANOC joined the force. British troopship FRANCONIA of convoy FF.2 was damaged by German bombing at Brest on the 16th. She was temporarily out of action due to mainshaft and gearing out of line. However, on the 17th , she was able to proceed independently to Plymouth. British troopships LANCASTRIA and ORONSAY of convoy FF.2 were damaged by air bombing at Quiberon Bay on the 17th. ORONSAY departed St Nazaire on the 17th. On the 17th 2 hrs after being damaged by bombing, *troopship LANCASTRIA (UK 16,243 grt) *was sunk by German bombing at St Nazaire with a heavy loss of life.





The great pity about the LANCASTRIA is that the disaster was quite possibly avoidable (though we can never be sure) By the mid-afternoon of 17 June she had embarked an unknown number (best estimate appears to be that 5310 were aboard) of civilian refugees (including embassy staff and employees of Fairey Aviation of Belgium), BEF l-o-c troops (including Pioneer and RASC soldiers) and RAF personnel. The ship's official capacity was 2,200 including the 375-man crew, but her skipper had been instructed by the RN to "load as many men as possible without regard to the limits set down under international law". At 13:50, during an air-raid, the nearby ORONSAY, a 20,000-ton Orient Liner, was hit on the bridge by a German bomb. LANCASTRIA was free to depart and the she was advised to do that, but without DD escort, as all escorts were fully engaged at that moment. The LANCASTRIA decided to wait. It was a fatal decision. A fresh air raid began before 16:00. LANCASTRIA was bombed at 15:48 by Ju 88 a/c from II Gp /KG30. 3 direct hits caused the ship to list first to starboard then to port; she rolled over and sank within 20 mins. Over 1,400 tons of fuel oil leaked into the sea and was set partially on fire. Many drowned, were choked by the oil, or were shot by strafing German a/c. Survivors were taken aboard other evacuation vessels, the trawler Cambridgeshire rescuing 900. There were 2,447 survivors. The death toll is beieved to account for roughly a 25% of the total losses of the BEF in France. She sank around 5 nmi (9.3 km) sth of Chémoulin Point in the Charpentier roads, around 9 nmi (17 km) from St. Nazaire. Best estimates of fatalities is 2899 lost. Rudolph Sharp survived the sinking and went on to command the RMS LACONIA, losing his life on 12 September 1942 when that ship was torpedoed and sunk off West Africa. The immense loss of life was such that the British govt suppressed news of the disaster through the D-Notice system, but the story was broken in the US by The New York Times and in Britain by The Scotsman on 26 July, more than five weeks after the sinking. Other British newspapers then covered the story, including the Daily Herald (also on 26 July), which carried the story on its front page, and Sunday Express on 4 August; the latter included a photograph of the capsized ship with her upturned hull lined with men under the headline "Last Moments of the Greatest Sea Tragedy of All Time", but the full story of the LANCASTRIA was released. As part of the govt-ordered cover-up, survivors and the crews of the ships that had gone to the aid of LANCASTRIA were instructed at the time not to discuss the disaster. Finally, in 2015 9just recently) the British MOD has admitted that there are no further classified documents being held

*Malta*




_Malta’s four operational Gladiator a/c cannot be expected to last long under the current pressure from enemy attacks, Air chiefs stated at the time. The introduction of Macchi fighters to protect RA bomber formations placed the Island’s 4 defenders under severe threat. Although the 4 Gladiators were being conserved as much as possible, they are not expected to last long under present conditions. _

Weather Fine.

0810-0935 hrs Air raid alert for 13 enemy a/c which cross the Island 3 formations, flying east to west at 15,000 feet. The lead formation is reported as "five Heinkel bombers". The raiders are attacked by fighters. They drop 6 high explosives and 6 incendiary bombs over Luqa and Kalafrana, where one 250lb bomb damages the north slipway and damages four vehicles. Two fall on Kirkop; one fails to explode. The power house is also damaged but still functioning. The second formation, identified as 5 SM 79s, are also attacked by fighters and disperse. The final 3, thought to be MC 200 fighters, also disperse when engaged by Malta fighters.

1445 hrs A message is received by 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regt that the unexploded bomb at a Kirkop defence post will be dealt with in the next 30 mins.

1450-1545 hrs Air raid alert. 3 enemy bombers fly across the Island from SW to NE at 10000 feet and drop six bombs on Mosta, believed to be intended for Ta Qali. Fighters engage the raiders without result.

2115 hrs Infantry companies are informed that a DD is due in Grand Harbour at 2200hrs and will depart before daylight.


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## parsifal (Jun 17, 2015)

*17 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
NEI ML SOEMENEP - USN PT 9
[NO IMAGE FOR THE SOEMENEP]





*Losses*
*Tug ATHLETE (UK 350 grt (est))* The tug was scuttled at Brest.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV CAPITAINE MAURICE EUGENE (Fr 4499 grt) *carrying holds full of wine, was holed by an explosion near Vandée reef. Listing badly and with rising waters inside she was abandoned by her 39-crew and sank. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CHAMPLAIN (Fr 28,124 grt) *was badly damaged on a mine off the entrance to La Pallice and settled to the sea bed. 11 crew were lost on the French steamer. 359 crew and passengers were rescued. 





*MV ELPIS (Gk 3651 grt)* Crew: 28 (0 dead and 28 survivors) Cargo:6100 tons of wheat Route: San Lorenzo, Argentina – Rosario – St. Vincent - Avonmouth Sunk approximately 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean west of Cape Finisterre by U-46 . All 28 crew were rescued.





*Steamer KOMET (Nor 1147 grt) *was sunk by the LW in the English Channel off Caen. 2 of the 16 crew, including the Master of the vessel was lost. Survivors were rescued by a French trawler.





*Tug LUTTEUR (Fr 350 GRT (EST))* The tug was scuttled at Brest.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW MURMANSK (348grt) *was accidently grounded and abandoned at Brest without loss. She was later salvaged by the Germans and entered service as KFK-76, changed to "FB-06" later. The trawler did not survive the war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fr sloop LA CURIEUSE, which with sloop COMMANDANT BORY was escorting French convoy IR.2F to North Africa, damaged and captured Marcello Class *sub PROVANA (RM 1043 grt) *30 miles nth of Cape Palos near Oran. PROVANA sank in tow before she could be gotten into port.





*Steamer TEIRESIAS (UK 7405 grt) * was badly damaged by the LW. 1 crewman killed on the British steamer. The steamer was abandoned one mile northwest Wreck Buoy off the entrance to St Nazaire. British steamer HOLMSIDE rescued the survivors.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-58 

At Sea 17 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-101, U-122, UA. 
18 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
DDs KASHMIR and JUPITER departed the Tyne for the Humber where they arrived later the same day. DDs GALLANT and WALPOLE arrived at Rosyth from the Humber. ML PORT NAPIER arrived at Rosyth from the Tyne. Sub SALMON departed Rosyth on patrol. OA.169 departed Southend escort sloop FOWEY from 17 to 20 June. The sloop was then detached to convoy HX.49. FN.198 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE, WOLFHOUND, VALOROUS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 18th. FS.197 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. DD ENCOUNTER traveled in this convoy en route for refit. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.

*Northern Patrol*
AMC CANTON reported she was attacked by a UBoat.

*Northern Waters*
DDs FOXHOUND and DIANA departed Scapa for the Clyde, but were recalled to escort CV ARK ROYAL. ARK ROYAL with DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, ESCAPADE departed Scapa for the Clyde. FOXHOUND joined the screen outside Scapa. DIANA entered Scapa. 

DKM CL NURNBERG and two steamers took the 2nd Inf Regt and an artillery regt of the 3rd Mountain Div from Trondheim to Narvik and Tromso. The CL arrived in Harjangsfjord on the 17th.

*West Coast UK*
DDs HAMBLEDON and WITHERINGTON arrived in the Clyde. DD VISCOUNT departed the Clyde for Plymouth. OB.169 departed Liverppol escort sloop SANDWICH from 17 to 20 June. The sloop was then detached to convoy HX.49 

*SW Approaches*
OG.34F was formed at sea from convoy OA.168GF which departed Southend on the 15th escort corvette PERIWINKLE, OB.168GF which departed Liverpool on the 15th, escort sloop DEPTFORD. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 17 to 22 June. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 24th.

*Channel*
DD BRILLIANT arrived at Dover to join the DesFlot1. DD WILD SWAN, en route from Portsmouth to Harwich, spent the night at Dover. The DD arrived on the 17th and departed the next morning at 0535. On patrol, DD VESPER rescued 3 British officers, one British NCO, 5 Fr soldiers and took them to Dover. DD VIVACIOUS, en route from Portsmouth to Harwich, reported sighting enemy boats 7 miles east of Dungeness late on the 17th. DD VIVACIOUS reported a torpedo missed ahead. In support of the Cotentin Peninsula (Cherbourg area), Fr BB COURBET, AA ship AMIENS, SCs CH.13 and CH.43 operated off the east coast and Contre Torpilleur DD LEOPARD, TBs BRANLEBAS, FLORE, INCOMPRISE, sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA operated off the west coast. On the 19th, these ships proceeded to Portsmouth.

*UK-France*
Fr steamers SAUMUR, ENSEIGNE MAURICE PRECHAC, VULCAIN , PAUL EMILE JAVARY , ARMENIER , SAINTE CLAIR departed the Clyde for Brest escort RN trawlers. DD WESTCOTT was damaged in a collision with British steamer NYROCA at Brest. The DD could steam only 8 knots and returned to Plymouth, where she was under repair from 18 to 30 June. A convoy of 26 ships departed Quiberon Bay escort DD WOLVERINE for Bristol Channel. At St Nazaire on the 17th were British liners ULSTER PRINCE, ULSTER MONARCH , ROYAL SCOTSMAN , ROYAL ULSTERMAN. In the Loire anchorage was British tanker CYMBULA and British steamers CLAN FERGUSON , BAHARISTAN FLORISTAN , GLENAFFARIC , JOHN HOLt , TEIRESIAS. DDs HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, BEAGLE worked in the anchorage. British steamer DUNDRUM CASTLE had been diverted from Dunkirk and was waiting in St Nazaire to discharge her military cargo. Hospital ship SOMERSET was also at St Nazaire. A convoy was arriving from the Bristol Channel. It was composed of British steamers ROBERT L. HOLt , CITY OF LANCASTER , DAVID LIVINGSTON , FABIAN , GLENLEA. DDs HAVELOCK and HIGHLANDER were involved in ferrying troops to the evacuating ships in the harbour.

At 0630/18th, British steamers OLIVE, ROYAL ULSTERMAN, ULSTER PRINCE, FLORISTAN, BAHARISTAN, CLAN MACPHERSON, DUNDRUM CASTLE, DAVID LIVINGSTONE, FABIAN, CITY OF MOBILE, GLENAFFARIC departed St Nazaire, escorted by destroyers VANOC and BEAGLE. These ships were each carrying 3000 troops, DAVID LIVINGSTON carrying 800 troops, destroyer BEAGLE carried 600 troops. DD STURDY was ordered to join DD MACKAY at Brest. DDs IMOGEN and GRIFFIN were ordered towards Brest for ASW patrols. DDs PUNJABI and HARVESTER were ordered to patrol between Ushant and the Loire. 

*Nth Atlantic*
DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI were sent at 0047 to hunt for a UBoat reported off Reykavik. BEDOUIN and ASHANTI arrived off Reykavik on the 18th and maintained an ASW patrol off Reykavik of one DD and one trawler. The DDs were then to escort British troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA from Iceland to Halifax. CA DEVONSHIRE was sent to Halifax to escort troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA on her return voyage to Iceland with Cdn troops.

HX.51 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA and aux PVs ACADIA and FRENCH. On 18 June, the DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC JERVIS BAY, which itself was detached on the 28th. BHX.51 departed Bermuda on the 16th escorted locally by sloop PENZANCE and ocean escort AMC ASCANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.51 on the 21st and at that time the AMC was detached. On 29 June, DDs VERSATILE and VIVACIOUS and sloop SANDWICH joined the convoy. VERSATILE was detached on 1 July. The other escorts were detached on 2 July when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL HERMES, returning from patrol off the Canary Islands to Dakar, was ordered to Freetown due to the peace terms

*Med- Biscay*
DD DIAMOND was near missed and slightly damaged by RA bombing at Malta, but remained in service. Sub PARTHIAN unsuccessfully attacked RM DD NEMBO off Tobruk. RM Sub ADUA attacked a Fr convoy between Marseilles and Toulon. A detonation was heard but there is no confirmation on damage.

*Malta*
0625-0700 hrs Air raid alert for 5 enemy bombers escorted by 2 MC 200 ftrs in two formations which approach the Island from the SSE. The raiders approach at 16000 ft then swoop into a shallow dive, increasing speed. One formation attacks Luqa and Ta Qali, where bombs fall close to the water reservoir and cause slight damage to a water main. 11 bombs are dropped between Corradino and Luqa and another 34 near Ta Qali aerodrome, where two fail to explode. 2 Gladiator ftrs intercept but no results are reported. 

1400-1426 hrs Air raid alert for 3 enemy a/c which attack a DD 3 miles sth of Delimara at 15000 ft but drop their bombs in the sea. 

1525-1545 hrs 3 enemy a/c approach from the east and drop bombs on the Ta Qali area: four near the reservoir, eight in the centre of the airfield and four opposite the Consezione Church. One raider is brought down by AA fire.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 18, 2015)

*18 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Flower Class Corvette CAMELLIA




_CAMELLIA shot taken 23 September 1943_

*Losses*
*MV SARMATIA ( FN 2417 grt) *Crew:23 (0 dead and 23 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Liverpool - Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia Sunk in the SW Approaches approximately 200 Sth of the Irish coast. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk by U-28. All 23 crew were rescued by the trawlers FELIX and PASTOR MONTENEGRO (both Spain).





*MV ALTAIR (Nor 1522 grt) *Crew:18 (0 dead and 18 survivors) Cargo: lumber Route: Nova Scotia - Halifax - Weymouth - Kings Lynn Sunk in the SW Approaches about 100 miles SW of the Irish Coast. At 1750 hrs on 18 June 1940, U-32 tried to stop the unescorted and unarmed ALTAIR with a shot across her bow sth of Ireland, after one torp had missed at 1722. She did not stop and was then shelled by the U-boat until the crew began to abandon ship in two lifeboats. At 19.02 hours, the ship was hit amidships by a coup de grâce and settled with a heavy list, but remained afloat because of her cargo of lumber. The wreck was scuttled by HMS CAPE HOWE on 20 June.





At 19.12 hours, U-32 had sighted the two *trawlers SALVORA (Sp 108 grt)* and *Trawler NUEVO ONS (Sp 108 grt)* and sank them because they were outside of the allowed area of fishing. 6 of the 13 crew of the NUEVO ONS were lost whilst all 12 of the SALVORA were rescued. The survivors were rescued by the lifeboats of the ALTAIR. They were picked up later that same night by the Spanish trawler IPARREKO-IZARRA, which also located an empty lifeboat of BALMORALWOOD. The men were later transferred to the Spanish trawler PIEDI and landed at Pasajes, Spain on 21 June.
[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

Amiens Class *sloop VAUQUOIS (Fr 850 grt) * hit a mine leaving the channel from Brest off Le Conquet. She returned to Brest Channel and scuttled herself.





Scuttled at Brest to prevent their capture were the incomplete *BB CLEMENCEAU (Fr 43293 grt) *





Bourrasque-class *DD CYCLONE (Fr 1319 grt) *which had been damaged by DKM S Boat S-24, and was undergoing repairs was scuttled 





Redoubtable Class subs under repair at Brest that were scuttled to prevent capture were repairing *sub PASTEUR (Fr 1384 grt)*, *sub ACHILLE (Fr 1384 grt)*, *sub OUESSANT (Fr 1384 grt)*, and *sub AGOSTA (Fr 1384 grt)* 





Amiens Class (?) *sloop ETOURDI (Fr 1025 grt)* was scuttled at Brest.





Also scuttled at Brest were *Aux PV MOUETTE (Fr 1205 grt)*, *Aux ML ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE (Fr 1256 grt)*, *aux MSWs INGENIEUR REIBEL (Fr 675 grt)* and *ROCHE NOIRE (Fr 208 grt)*, *tkr DORDORGNE (Fr 7333 grt).*

*SC CH-16 (Fr 107 grt)* The CH-5 class sub chaser was scuttled off Ile de Croix.





Naval vessels scuttled at Lorient were Dubourdieu-class *gunboat ENSEIGNE HENRY (Fr 453 grt)*, *aux MSWs KERGROISE (Fr 261 grt)* and *aux MSW PLUVOISE (Fr 150 grt),*, *water carrier ONDINE II (Fr 150 grt (est))*, *tug LA VALETTE (Fr 100 grt)*

*Aux MSW MARQUITTA (Fr 74 grt)* was scuttled at Cherbourg and *aux MSW GAULOIS (Fr 301 grt)* was scuttled at St Servan.

*Steamers HESTER (UK 1199 grt*) and *RONWYN (UK 1766 grt) *and *steamer JACOB CHRISTENSEN (Nor 3594 grt)* were damaged and abandoned after scuttling at Rochefort. HESTER was taken in prize by German forces and used under the same name for German service. RONWYN was renamed HOCHHEIMER for German use. JACOB CHRISTENSEN was renamed BALDUR for German use. Steamer DIDO (UK 3554 grt) was damaged and abandoned at Brest. The British steamer was salved by German forces and renamed DORPAT for their use.







_From left to right:HESTER, JACOB CHRISTENSEN, NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE RONWYN _

*MV DIDO (UK 3554 grt)* The cargo ship was damaged and abandoned at Brest. She was subsequently salvaged by the Germans and re-entered service as Dorpat.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-99
U.99 sailed from Kiel on her first mission, passed through the Kiel Canal and reached Brunsbuttel on the 19th. Heading for Bergen she was mistaken for a British boat and attacked on the 21st by a German Arado flying from SCHARNHORST. U.99's attack periscope jammed, the lens broken and both compasses put out of action. After being repaired at Wilhelmshaven, she left for her patrol some time later. 

At Sea 18 June 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-122, UA. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs ESK and INTREPID departed the Humber on minelaying mission BS.16. The minefield was laid during the night of 18/19 June. The ships arrived back in the Humber on the 19th. AK EMPIRE TROOPER towed by tugs SCOTSMAN, SEAMAN, PRIZEMAN and escort DDs GALLANT and WALPOLE departed Rosyth for the Tyne. DD VESPER on patrol reported an enemy S Boat near No. 10 Buoy, 23 miles 160° from Dungeness. DDs VESPER and VIVACIOUS engaged S Boats without result off Dungeness. DD ANTHONY, en route from Portsmouth to Harwich, anchored at Dover at 2053. The DD continued from the 19th. Subs SPEARFISH and NARWHAL arrived at Blyth after patrols. Subs SUNFISH, TRIDENT, TRITON and ORP sub WILK departed Rosyth on patrol. FN.199 departed Southend, escorted by sloops LOWESTOFT and WESTON. Sub L.26 departed Harwich and traveled with this convoy for Dundee. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 19th. FS.198 departed the Tyne, escorted by DDs VIVIEN and VEGA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th. MT.90 departed Methil, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day. OA.170 departed Southend escort corvette HIBISCUS from 18 to 20 June.

*Northern Waters*
DD ZULU departed Scapa for Aberdeen. Off Aberdeen, she met steamer LOCHNAGAR which she escorted from Aberdeen to Lerwick.
Steamers CORMINSTER and BALTEAKO, escort ASW trawlers LEICESTER CITY and COVENTRY CITY, departed Scapa. ASW trawler ELM departed Scapa to escort oiler ROSEWOOD from Sullom Voe for onward routing to Curacao.

*West Coast UK*
BC HOOD with RCN DDs ST LAURENT, FRASER, RESTIGOUCHE, SKEENA and RN DD WANDERER departed the Clyde. Shortly after departure, DD ATHERSTONE departed the Clyde and relieved WANDERER. A Swordfish from ARK ROYAL crashed into the sea on the 18th and ATHERSTONE rescued the crew. BC HOOD and the CV ARK ROYAL gps met, the RCN DDs were detached to meet convoy TC.5 and DD ATHERSTONE proceeded to Liverpool. DD FOXHOUND called at Milford Haven to refuel. DD WARWICK arrived at Liverpool. OB.170 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK from 18 to 21 June. The DD was detached to convoy SL.35. The convoy dispersed on the 23rd. 

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*
CL GALATEA and DDs IMOGEN and GRIFFIN were ordered to Plymouth from Portsmouth with all dispatch. Fr BB RICHELIEU although not fully complete was made ready for sea and departed Brest escort DDs FOUGUEUX and FRONDEUR. The DDs were detached at Casablanca. BB RICHELIEU arrived at Dakar on the 23rd. Fr BB PARIS with hurried repairs of her 11 June bomb damage departed Brest for Plymouth, escort Fr aux PVs HEUREUX and GROENLAND. Fr depot ship JULES VERNE and subs CASABIANCA and SFAX , PERSEE, PONCELET, AJAX , CIRCE, THETIS, CALYPSO , SIBYLLE, AMAZONE, ANTIOPE, ORPHEE, MEDUSE and AMPHITRITE departed Brest for Casablanca. Sub SURCOUF, which was unable to depart with the JULES VERNE gp, departed Brest for Plymouth, where she arrived on the 20th.

Fr subs MINERVE in the tow of Fr tug ZEELEW and JUNON in the tow of Fr tug NESSUS departed Brest, escort aux PVs PESSAC and SAUTERNE. They later were taken in tow by tugs QUEENS CROSS and WATERCOCK. Off Ushant, they were joined by DD BROKE, which departed Brest on the 19th after the demolition of the port with the XD. O demolition party. DD STURDY took over the tow of sub JUNON as her tug was short of coal. BROKE and the subs arrived at Plymouth on the 20th. Fr submarines ORION and ONDINE also departed Brest under tow and safely arrived at Portsmouth.

Carrying 1200 tons of Fr gold, Fr AMCs EL D'JEZAIR, EL MANSOUR, EL KANTARA, VILLE D'ALGER, VILLE D'ORAN departed Brest escort Fr DDs MILAN and EPERVIER. Fr AMC VICTOR SHOELCHER, carrying 200 tons of Belgian gold and 75 tons of Polish gold,departed Lorient on the 17th escort DD EPEE. VICTOR SCHOELCHER joined the AMCs from Brest for the voyage to Casablanca where they arrived on the 21st. DD EPEE was detached and went to St Nazaire to escort the incomplete BB JEAN BART also evacuating to Fr Nth Africa. DD OURAGAN departed Brest under the tow of Fr tug ABEILLE 22 escort aux PV POMEROL, which had engine problems. 
On the 20th, RN DDs IMOGEN and GRIFFIN were ordered to take over the tow of the DD. They safely arrived at Plymouth at 2100/19th.

*Malta*
1118-1123 hrs Air raid alert. One large unidentified a/c crosses the Island from nth to sth and then NW. It drops one bomb from 15000 feet, 400 yds NE of the Officers’ Mess of Hal Far. The bomb explodes some 10 mins after impact. It is also observed dropping possible bombs over a ridge near Kalafrana.


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## Njaco (Jun 18, 2015)

Sorry. Didn't have Internet for a few days.


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## Njaco (Jun 18, 2015)

*June 16 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *Pro-armistice elements in French cabinet push for peace. British Ambassador presents Draft Declaration of 'Act of Union' between Britain and France but the French reject it. Prime Minister Paul Reynaud is unwilling to negotiate a separate peace with Germany (either to preserve his honor or unable to face the failure of his policies). He is asked to resign by French President Albert Lebrun and replaced with 84 year-old Philippe Pétain, WWI hero of Verdun, who is determined to end hostilities with Germany. Reynaud will be arrested on Pétain's orders in September 1940 and imprisoned by the Germans in the Itter Castle near Wörgl, Austria, until the end of the war. Pétain will be imprisoned after the war as a traitor and German collaborator, dying in prison in 1951 .François Darlan was named the Vichy French Minister of the Navy.

Germans broke through to Dijon and reach Besancon in France, while continuing a wide assault on the Maginot Line. Dijon is taken and to the east Guderian's units have reached the Saone. Major General Erwin Rommel having captured the port of Le Havre, France received a fresh order to take another French Port, Cherbourg, some 150 miles away.

Operation Ariel: Operation Ariel continues evacuating Allied troops from Cherbourg and begins at the ports of St Malo, Brest and St. Nazaire. Over the next 3 days, 21,474 are embarked at St Malo, 54,411 at St. Nazaire and 32,584 from Brest – mostly British.

The fighters of I./JG 1 spend only one day at Romily-sur-Seine before moving forward again at Auxerre. But not before tragedy strikes the Gruppe. While strafing the French airfield at Chateauroux, the Messerschmitts of Uffz. Fritz Stahn and Hans Brandt collide and crash to the ground. Both pilots from 2./JG 1 are killed. 

The Curie Laboratory in France transferred 410 pounds of Norwegian heavy water to the British. British SS “_Broompark_” leaves the Gironde (western France) carrying 26 containers of 'heavy water', previously obtained from Norway by Joliot-Curie, the atomic physicist.

Portuguese consul general in France issues 30,000 transit visas in Bordeaux to refugees escaping European war.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* After tracking British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Andania_” for 3 days, UA (Foreign U-boats - U-A - German U-boats of the Kriegsmarine - uboat.net) finally sinks her just after midnight, 230 miles west-northwest of the Faroe Islands. All 347 crew are rescued by Icelandic trawler “_Skallagrímur_” and transferred to British destroyer HMS “_Forester_” arriving at Scapa Flow June 17. At 1645 hours, U-101 sinks British MV “_Wellington Star_” with torpedoes and deck gun, 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. All 69 crew drift in 4 lifeboats for 8 days. On June 24, 52 crew are picked up by the French steamer “_Pierre L.D._” and the other 17 in 1 lifeboat make land at Figuera da Foz, Portugal.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviets have established bases in Estonia and Latvia, following agreements in 1939. Soviet army invades Estonia and Latvia, assisted by Soviet troops breaking out from these bases. Soviet Premier Josef Stalin demands Romania cede Bessarabia and northern Bucovina. Romania gives in to the demands.

*ASIA:* 114 Japanese aircraft attacked Chongqing, China after sundown. Four I-16 fighters of Chinese 24th Pursuit Squadron rose to intercept, shooting down one bomber near Fuling County near the city, with one fighter shot down by the Japanese.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *French sloop “_La Curieuse_” forces Italian submarine “_Provana_” to surface 30 miles South of Cabo de Palos, Spain. “_La Curieuse_” rams “_Provana_”, sinking her. British submarine HMS “_Grampus_” is sunk by depth charges from Italian torpedo boats “_Polluce_” and “_Circe_”, 105 miles East of Sicily (all 59 crew lost).

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## Njaco (Jun 18, 2015)

*June 17 Monday*
*GERMANY:* General Jodl’s assistant speaks to the German Naval Staff;


> “With regard to an invasion. . . The Führer had no so far uttered any such intention, as he is fully aware of the extreme difficulties inherent in such an operation. That is also why the High Command has as yet undertaken no studies or preparations (the Commander-in-Chief, Luftwaffe, has put certain things in hand, e.g. the activation of a parachute division).”



The deposed German Emperor Wilhelm II sent a congratulatory telegram to Adolf Hitler regarding the victory over France. Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov sent German Ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg a message of congratulations for the successful German conquest of France.

British Bomber Command launches 138 aircraft on Germany, primarily on oil targets. Only one plane does not return.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Petain Cabinet takes office. Weygand is Minister of Defense. They announce that they are asking Germany for armistice terms. The British government understands that these will only be accepted on the condition that the French Fleet does not fall into German hands. Equally it is the German policy to stop the French Fleet and colonies from joining Britain and this is the reason for their comparative leniency in allowing the establishment of Vichy as a focus for the loyalty for the French. French representatives in the USA do allow the British to take up arms orders they have made under the "Cash and Carry" rules.

Prime Minister Philippe Pétain ordered the French Army to stop fighting and sued for an honorable peace as the Germans crossed the Loire River near Orleans, France. Rumors of surrender demoralize the French troops and embolden the Germans. Taking advantage of the initial demoralizing effect and confusion this caused, the German 7.Panzerdivision under Erwin Rommel advanced toward Cherbourg. Rommel (recuperating and re-equipping 7.Panzerdivision since June 11) decides to gamble all and head for Cherbourg to prevent the Allied evacuation. His tanks and trucks laden with infantry travel 125 miles. To the east, tanks under Heinz Guderian reached the Swiss border at Pontalier, encircling 17 French divisions on the Maginot Line. Other units have nearly reached the Loire and still more are advancing in Brittany and Normandy.

Meanwhile, the Allied evacuation operation, Operation Ariel, continued in Cherbourg, Saint-Malo, Brest, and Saint-Nazaire. At Saint-Malo, private vessels of the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club of Jersey arrived to assist with the evacuations. British Cunard liner “_Lancastria_” embarks 4,000 to 9,000 British civilians, troops and RAF personnel in the Loire estuary. At 1548 hours, she is hit by 3 bombs from Junkers Ju 88s (1 bomb goes down her funnel and explodes in the engine room) and sinks in 20 minutes. There are 2,477 survivors (ASW trawler “_Cambridgeshire_” rescues 900). It is the worst tragedy in British maritime history and the single greatest loss of life for UK forces in any single engagement in WWII. It was recognized as a catastrophe at the time and Churchill ordered a news blackout about the incident, fearing the impact such an incident would have on morale. Although it was reported in the foreign press later in May, many people in Britain did not learn of the disaster until after the war. Blue Funnel Line ship “_Teiresias_” is attacked by German aircraft while evacuating British Expeditionary Force troops from Saint Nazaire. The ship is abandoned when the engine room is flooded.

Determined to continue fighting, General Charles de Gaulle and other senior French officers refuse to serve the new French government and leave for London with 100,000 francs in gold provided by the ex-PM Paul Reynaud. Winston Churchill decides Charles de Gaulle should be recognized as speaking for France, not Marshal Pétain.

The three Gruppen of JG 26 are finally brought together when they are ordered to the large airbase outside Paris known as Villacoublay. 

French Minister for Foreign Affairs Paul Baudouin privately informed Deputy US Ambassador to France Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr., that the French fleet;


> "…would never be surrendered to Germany".



*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet troops entered Latvia and Lithuania without little resistance. In Estonia, the government surrenders and agrees to Soviet occupation. Most of the Estonian army and the volunteer militia Estonian Defence League lay down their arms. The Single Signal Battalion will hold out in Tallinn until June 21. NKO Commissar Semyon Timoshenko ordered the disbanding of the military organizations of the Baltic States, leaving the task of border protection to NKVD troops. In North America, the United States refused to recognize the Soviet occupation of the two Baltic countries.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill announced to the British people that the United Kingdom would continue to fight until Adolf Hitler was removed from power. Churchill broadcasts:


> 'We have become the sole champions now in arms to defend the world cause.'



British Purchasing Commission takes overall outstanding French arms contracts and offers to purchase as much war material as US can produce.

British unemployment figure decreased by 114,000 in May 1940 to a new low of 767,000.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-46 sank Greek ship “_Elpis_” 250 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain; the entire crew of 28 survived.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold R. Stark asked for US$4,000,000,000 to construct a "Two-Ocean Navy".

Civilian contractors began working on the expansion of the US Navy airfield on Maui, US Territory of Hawaii.

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## Njaco (Jun 18, 2015)

*June 18 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The German 7.Panzerdivision under Rommel advanced another 75 miles since the prior date, reaching Cherbourg, France but not before most of the Allied personnel had already evacuated the city. 30,600 British and Allied troops were evacuated from Cherbourg. French battleship Courbet gave covering fire. Also on this date, Le Mans, Belfort, Metz, and Dijon fell under German control. Elsewhere, the Allies completed the Operation Ariel evacuation of La Pallice and Saint-Nazaire, but all the heavy equipment were left behind in the latter location. All large French towns are to be surrendered without resistance. Civil administrators and military forces are ordered to await arrival of Germans.

In Brest, with 5.Panzerdivision only a few hours away, French cruisers “_El Djezair_”, “_El Kantara_”, “_El Mansour_”, “_Ville d'Oran_”, and _“Ville d'Alger_” departed 1,200 tons of French gold for Casablanca, French Morocco while the cruiser “_Victor-Schoelcher”_ transported 198 tons of Belgian gold (originally held in French banks) from Lorient to the port of Dakar in French West Africa. The French gold would arrive in Casablanca on 21 Jun 1940, but the Belgian gold would be captured by the Germans (much to the chagrin of the Belgians who sue the Banque de France in 1941, demanding in return French gold being held in the USA).

Evacuation of last RAF squadrons from France completed. The remnants of the RAF Hurricane squadrons in France evacuate their bases, having provided cover for the final Allied retreat from France. The last to leave are Nos. 1 and 73 Sqns, which had been the first to arrive in 1939. The fighting in France cost the RAF a total of 1,029 aircraft and over 1,500 personnel.

New French battleship “_Richelieu_” leaves Brest for Dakar (arrives June 23). Uncompleted battleship “_Jean Bart_” is towed out of St Nazaire; fuelled under German air attack and sails under half-power for Casablanca (night June 18-19; arrives 22). 

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop informs the Swedish Minister in Berlin, Germany, that if Sweden resists the German use of Swedish railways to transport troops and supplies to Norway, it would have dire consequences. Sweden allowed passage of German troops between Oslo, Norway, and Trelleborg, Sweden, on Swedish rail lines, with the only demand being that the number of troops coming from Germany must equal to the number being evacuated, so that it could not be said that Sweden was helping Germany reinforce the front lines. Sweden receives a reply from Britain regarding expectations in Norway, indicating that Britain might have to make peace with Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-28 sank Finnish ship “_Sarmatia_” southwest of Ireland. German submarine U-32 sank Spanish trawler “_Sálvora_”, Spanish trawler “_Nuevo Ons_”, and Norwegian ship “_Altair_” southwest of Ireland. French troopship “_Champlain_” (28,100 t) crippled by mine (finally sunk by U-65, June 21) in Bay of Biscay.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Secretary of State Cordell Hull directed Deputy US Ambassador to France Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. to inform the French government that if France failed to keep its fleet out of German hands, France would;


> "…permanently lose the friendship and goodwill of the Government of the United States".


French Minister for Foreign Affairs Baudouin reiterated that the French fleet "would never be surrendered to Germany".

In Canada, Prime Minister William King introduces the National Resources Mobilization Act in the House of Commons. The bill would require Canadians to register for national service within Canada, and give the government control of Canadian property for the duration of the war.

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## Njaco (Jun 18, 2015)

*June 18 Tuesday *(_continued_)
*SOUTH AMERICA:* US Minister in Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson reported that Uruguayan government had arrested eight Nazi leaders and that Uruguay's Chamber of Deputies, in secret session the day before, had begun considering a report on Nazi Party activities in their country.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini met in Munich, Germany to discuss the French peace request.

The British Royal Air Force attacks Hamburg and Bremen, Germany.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's 'This Was Their Finest Hour' speech was given before the House of Commons. This quotation includes the famous phrase:


> “The white fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'."


On the same day, Churchill wrote to the Commander-in-Chief Home Forces asking for ideas for the creation of "Storm Troops" to be;


> "…ready to spring at the throat of any small landing or descent".


 Secretly he intended to use such a force as the basis for Commando raids on the continent. http://www.fiftiesweb.com/usa/churchill-finest-hour.mp3

Charles de Gaulle made the "Appeal of June 18" speech. French General Charles de Gaulle broadcasts on BBC radio in London, appealing to French officers, soldiers, engineers, and others to resist Marshal Pétain and to fight on for France.

The British War Office placed an order for 300 Canal Defence Light (CDL) tanks, Matilda tanks mounting a large searchlight in the turret that had been suggested by a Mr. Mitzakis in September 1939.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* British liner “_Niagara_” (13,400 t), carrying £ 2.25 Millions of gold, mined and sunk off Auckland, New Zealand (gold salvaged from record depth of 148 yd in 7 weeks).


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## parsifal (Jun 19, 2015)

*18 June 1940 (Part II)*
Churchill gives a speech to the House Of Commons. It is the now famous "Finest Hour Speech" of which the following is the final paragraph. The full speech is over 30 mins long. 

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjXKnTqvRSU_
"What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."

*[OPERATIONS CONT'D] *
*UK-France*
When Brest fell on the 19th to German forces, the only naval vessel left afloat was the old six stack cruiser JEANNE DE ARC (1899) . Thus far, French assurances that they would not allow their fleet to be captured were holding firm. DD MACKAY and steamer ROYAL SCOTSMAN arrived at Plymouth from Brest. British demolition party XD.P departed Plymouth at 0115 on Armed yacht CUTTY SARK for Lorient, but were forced to return due to near miss damage. The party arrived back at Plymouth on the 19th. The demolition party transferred to DD VISCOUNT who carried the gp to to Lorient.

Fr Aurore class sub LA CREOLE had only been launched on the 8th but was towed by tug MAMMOUTH from Le Havre on the 9th, escort PV RAMIER. They arrived at La Pallice on the 11th, and from there departed again under the tow of Fr tug ABEILLE 21 on the 22nd. They both safely arrived at Swansea. She was not completed until 1949. DDs SABRE and FERNIE took off the last of the evacuatees, 800 troops and 50 naval demolition personnel, from Cherbourg that evening.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr steamers PIERRE L.D. , SAN ANTONIO , INDOCHINOIS , which had just arrived from Halifax with American a/c, departed St Nazaire on the 18th (with the a/c) for Casablanca where they safely arrived on the 23rd. Also departing St Nazaire were steamers ROYAL ULSTERMAN, CITY OF LANCASTER, BELTOY, MAURICE ROSE, GLANLEA, HARPATHIAN, GELNDENNING, POLLUX, LECHISTAN carrying troops, hospital ship ROBERT E. HOLT, oiler CASPIA, Polish steamer LEWANT, trawlers ST MELANTE, CLOUGHTON WYKE, OSAMA, ARMENA, DDs HIGHLANDER and WREN. Fr steamers MARGUERITE FINALY, VILLE DE HAVRE, BOURGOGNE, GROIX, MARIS STELLA, TADORNE, PIERRE CLAUDE, MAURICE DELMAR, CARIMARE departed Le Verdon in convoy for Dakar.

*Steamer RENO (FI 1002 grt)* was sunk on a mine 28° from Faro Monte Cappuccino, 11 miles off Arcona in the Adriatic.





*Indian Ocean* 
RM sub GALILEI stopped trawler DRAVA (Yu 199 grt) in the Red Sea but released her after inspection. That night, submarine GALILEI was surprised on the surface by DD KANDAHAR, but managed to escape in the darkness without damage.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
*Steamer NIAGARA (UK 13,415 grt)* was sunk on a German mine in the Hauraki Gullf near Auckland, NZ. NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland. The CL towed the lifeboats of the steamer from Maro Tiki towards Hauraki Bay. There were 201 crew and 53 passengers on the steamer. All were rescued. The CL arrived back at Auckland on the 24th after searching the area near Kermadec Is. The steamer NIAGARA was carrying gold bullion. £2,379,000 sterling was recovered from the sunken vessel.





DKM Raider ORION captured *steamer TROPIC SEA (Nor 5781 grt)*. TROPIC SEA was sent back to France as a prize but was scuttled on 3 September 1940 just as she was as she arriving off Bordeaux when intercepted by sub TRUANT. At the time of her loss, TROPIC SEA had 24 crew from the British steamer HAXBY intercepted by ORION on 24 April.


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## parsifal (Jun 19, 2015)

*19 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SU Serie XII Bis Subs M-59, M-60, SU Serie IXbis Subs S-31, S-32







*Losses*
*Tkr BRUMAIRE (Fr 7638 grt)* U-25 attacked a small convoy and hit the BRUMAIRE with one torp, before the U-boat collided with another steamer in the convoy. The conning tower and periscope were damaged and the U-boat had to abort her patrol. The tkr was torpedoed and damaged in the Bay of Biscay. She was abandoned but did not sink, and was sunk the next day by the LW.





*MV ADAMANDIOS GEORGANDIS (Gk 3433 grt) * Crew: ? men (1 dead and ? survivors) Route: Rosario - Cork Sunk in the SW Approaches. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Ireland by U-28. The vessel was displaying clear neutrality markings at the time of her loss. Ireland sought an explanation from Germany.





*MV LABUD (Yu 5334 grt) *Crew: 34 (0 dead and 34 survivors). Cargo: Maize Route:Table Bay - Liverpool. Sunk in the SW Approaches due sth of Ireland.. The cargo ship was torpedoed, shelled, and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean SW of the Fastnet Rock by U-32. All 34 crew were rescued.





*MV BARON LOUNDOUN (UK 3164 grt) *Crew:33 (3 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: 5050 tons of iron ore Route:Bona - Barrow 
At 0256 hrs the ship in convoy HG-34F was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 WNW of Cape Ortegal. The master and 29 crew members were picked up by HMS SCARBOROUGH and landed at Liverpool.





*MV TUDOR (Nor 6607 grt)* Crew: 39 (1 dead and 38 survivors) Cargo: 3800 tons of steel and 600 tons of general cargo Route: Australia - Marseilles - Lisbon - Gibraltar - Liverpool Sunk in the SW Approaches The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean NW Cape Finisterre, by U-48. The survivors were rescued by HMS ARABIS and HMS CALENDULA .





Roland Morillot Class *Sub ROLAND MORILLOT (Fr 1817 grt)* The incomplete sub was scuttled at Cherbourg to prevent capture by German forces.





Roland Morillot Class *sub LE MARTINIQUE (Fr 1817 grt)*: The incomplete sub was scuttled at Cherbourg to prevent capture by German forces.

Roland Morillot Class *sub LA PRAYA (Fr 1817 grt)*: The incomplete sub was scuttled at Cherbourg to prevent capture by German forces.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 19 June 1940
U-25, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-122 , UA. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Aux MSW M.1802 (DKM 497 grt) *was sunk on a mine northwest of Helgoland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
Troopship EMPIRE TROOPER, ex-German liner CAP NORTE, arrived in the Tyne in tow of tugs SCOTSMAN, SEAMAN, PRIZEMAN escort DDs GALLANT and WALPOLE. The DDs returned to Rosyth arriving that same day. Steamer PATELLA reported a Uboat 20 miles SW of Ailsa Craig (an island in the Firth of the Forth). Escort vessels JASON and GLEANER were sent to search.

FS.199 departed the Tyne, escort sloop BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st. MT.91 departed Methil, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day.

*Steamer ROSEBURN (UK 3103 grt)* was badly damaged by DKM S Boats S.19 and S.26 5 miles off Dungeness. The stricken vessel was taken in tow by DD VESPER. Tug LADY BRASSEY later took over the tow. West of Dungeness the steamer ran aground a total loss. British drifter LORD HOWE picked up all the crew members which had abandoned ship.





Motor barge GOLDEN GRAIN (101grt) was damaged by the LW off Felixstone. DD VETERAN departed Rosyth for Harwich. Sub SWORDFISH arrived at Blyth after patrol. Sub H.31 departed Blyth on patrol.

*Northern Waters*
Repoirts of 8 unidentified vessels east of the Orkneys, caused BC RENOWN with DDs TARTAR, MAORI, MASHONA to intercept. 
It was later determined these unknown ships were DD ZULU, proceeding sth from Lerwick, MSW BRAMBLE, SEAGULL, SPEEDY in the swept channel. The RENOWN force returned to Scapa that day. DD HIGHLANDER departed Aberdeen for Lerwick.

*SW Approaches*
U.43 refuelled from tkr BESSEL (Ger 1878 grt) at Vigo.

U.52 sank British steamer *THE MONARCH (UK 824 grt)* with the loss of all 12 crew, sth of Brest. Some sources conflict with this, stating she was sunk whilst enroute from Cardiff to Falmouth. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BRITISH MONARCH (UK 5661 grt)* Crew: 40 (40 dead - no survivors) Cargo: 8200 tons of iron ore Route: Bougie (Algeria) - Glasgow : Sunk in the SW Approaches. In convoy HG-34F was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 about 200 miles NNW of Corunna. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Liner VILLE DE NAMUR (Be 7463 grt)* Crew: (79 (25 lost) Cargo: Route: New York - Bordeaux - Liverpool sunk by U-52 off La Rochelle. The German commander suspected that the ship carried weapons behind large wooden structures on deck, but these were stables for horses.The ship was unescorted at the time of her loss.





*Channel*
In a raid by 801 Sqn against Boulogne and Calais, Lt J. W. Collett was wounded. The Skua he was observer in forced landed at Manston on its return.

*Operation ARIEL*
From Bayonne and St Jean de Luz 19,000 troops were evacuated from 19 to 25 June. Although DYNAMO was more widely known, the later CYCLE and AERIAL operations succeeded in evacuating 191,870 troops before France fell. DD HIGHLANDER arrived at Plymouth from St Nazaire. DD GREYHOUND arrived at Dover at 1331 to join the reforming DesFlot 1. MDWFlot 10 , composed of aux MSWs MEDWAY QUEEN and PRINCESS ELIZABETH arrived at Dover. 2 more aux MSWs of this Flotilla would join when refitting was completed. MSWFlot 11 , composed of aux MSWs JEANIE DEANS, SCAWFELL, GOATFELL, HELVELLYN, MERCURY departed Dover for Portland.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DELHI departed Gibraltar for Dakar. The destination was later changed to Freetown in view of the Armistice.

*Western Desert*
On the 19 June the first serious clashes between the RA and the RAF occur. 5 CR42s of 84a squadriglia escorting 5 BA65s from Tobruk tangle with 4 Gladiatoirs of No 33 sqn. and a single Hurri of No 80 sqn. 1 Gladiator is shot down (credited to Ace Franco Lucchini, who achieved 27 kills and 51 other shared victories) in exchange for 2 CR42s. One of the CR42s was forced down and captured by the RAF. It was repaired and extensively tested over the coming months.
Test-pilot Captain Eric M. Brown, RN, had an opportunity to fly the captured CR.42 MM5701. He reported that the aircraft was an aerobatic gem. It was remarkably fast for a biplane with a top speed of 270 mph at 12,400 ft and a marginal stability, the hallmark of a good fighter. The CR.42 was a superb biplane that gave an outstanding performance for its type, and its service in the RA noteworthy, but as a fighter it was under-gunned. Though highly manoeuvrable, like all aircraft with a lot of fabric covering it was very vulnerable to enemy fire. 







_CR.42 damaged by 33 Sqns Gloster Gladiators, Libya, 1940. BA 65 shown right _





_No 3 sqn Gladiator RAAF, SALUM, EGYPT. C. 1941-01. NO.3 SQUADRON RAAF PILOTS EXAMINE A MAP ON THE TAIL-PLANE OF A GLOSTER GLADIATOR FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, BEFORE AN OPERATION OVER BARDIA. 
LEFT TO RIGHT ARE: FLYING OFFICER (FO) J. R. PERRIN; FO J. MCD. DAVIDSON (SQUATTING); FO W. S. ARTHUR (ALMOST OBSCURED); FO P. ST. G. TURNBULL; FLIGHT LIEUTENANT (FLT LT) G. H. STEEGE [WEARING BALACLAVA]; FLT LT A. C. RAWLINSON; FO V. EAST; (UNKNOWN); S/L I. D. MCLACHLAN; FO A. H. BOYD. Air Vice Marshal Steege, the last of the "3 sqn originals" finally passed away in September 2013_

Over the course of the next week, the Italians claim 6 Blens in the defence of Tobruk, whilst the RAF admit the loss of just 2 a/c. 
In a change of heart, Mussolini orders Marshal Balbo to prepre for a major offensive into Egypt, with the aim of capturing Suez.

*Malta*
The first raid free day since the entry of Italy


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## parsifal (Jun 20, 2015)

*19 june 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Med- Biscay*
*Liner MEXIQUE (Fr 12,220 grt) *entering Verdon Roads, was sunk on a mine. The entire crew was rescued.





*Trawler LE TANCHE (Fr 277 grt) *was sunk on a mine at Lorient.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 


At 0300, Fr BB JEAN BART , in an incomplete state, sailed from St Nazaire. DD VANQUISHER, had been sent to assure that JEAN BART sailed or was destroyed. Tugs had also been dispatched to St Nazaire to assist JEAN BART and joined French tugs MINOTAURE , URSUS , TITAN. VANQUISHER left St Nazaire with JEAN BART, Fr DDs LE HARDI, MAMELUCK and EPEE , tkr ODET. However, ODET could only make 8 knots and oiler TARN was substituted at the last moment. JEAN BART was attacked repeatedly by the LW in the St Nazaire Channel and was hit once by bombs that failed to pierce the armour deck. JEAN BART was refuelled. VANQUISHER remained in company until the French ships turned south for Casablanca where they arrived on the 22nd. DD WATCHMAN, departing Gib on the 23rd, was stationed off Casablanca to observe the French ships. British steamers CITY OF MOBILE, FLORISTAN, ESSEX DRUID, DUNDRUM CASTLE embarked troops at St Nazaire, protected by DD VANOC. Steamer FLORISTAN was damaged by German bombing at St Nazaire. 

Italian submarine ZOEA, which departed Taranto on the 18th, arrived at Tobruk with supplies. Fr Contre Torpilleur DD GERFAUT, departed Brest, passed Gib en route to Toulon, where she arrived on the 21st.

Odin Class *Sub ORPHEUS (RN 1475 grt)* was sunk by RM DD TURBINE off Tobruk. The sub was declared lost on the 27th and presumed mined. All hands were lost. 
View attachment 295265
View attachment 295266


Sub PARTHIAN fired 2 torp into Tobruk Harbour at coastal defense ship SAN GIORGIO. The torps exploded in the harbour mud and no damage was done.

*Indian Ocean* 
Archimede Class* Sub GALILEI (RM 920 grt)* had departed Massawa on the 10th. She had attacked the Yugoslavian vessel DRAVA on the 18th which had attracted the attention of ASW Trawler MOONSTONE. There were several DC attacks throughout the day, culminating in the sub electing to surface for a surface engagement. In the ensuing gunfight the sub skiper was fatally injured and the guncrew with 1st officer killed , The sub was unable to dive or return fire and with both senior officers dead, her crew surrendered. She was towed to Aden by DD KANDAHAR. From information gained from documents from GALILEI, 4 other RM subs were located. These included the stranded MACALLE (recorded lost on the 14th) and sub TORICELLI and GALVANI. 
View attachment 295264

_The Galileo Galilei being taken under tow by HMS Kandahar_

RAN CL HOBART bombarded Centre Peak Island W/T Station off Massawa.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*


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## Njaco (Jun 20, 2015)

*June 19 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The race to the Channel continues, as the Germans try to take the ports before the Allies can escape. In the morning, Rommel shells the forts defending the port of Cherbourg while attacking with infantry. At 1700 hours, local officials and police persuade the French garrison defending the town to surrender. This is 7.Panzerdivision’s last major action in the Battle of France. Since May 10, they have captured 100,000 Allied prisoners, 450 tanks, 300 artillery or anti-tank guns and 4,000 trucks and incurred losses of 700 killed, 1650 wounded and 300 missing. During this time, Rommel has been awarded Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class (for the second time, having won these medals in WWI) and, on May 27, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On the same day, the 5.Panzerdivision captured Brest, but found the port facilities destroyed by Allied personnel who had already been evacuated. Cadets of Saumur Cavalry School under Colonel Michon prevent German 1.Kavallerie-Abteilung from crossing Loire.

Along the coast, Operation Ariel continued. Germans have not arrived at St. Nazaire as expected, so British send 7 troop transports and 6 destroyers to evacuate 2,764 Polish troops (in addition to the 54,411 British embarked over the last few days). 4,000 Poles are also rescued from La Pallice. Evacuations begin from the ports of the River Gironde and Bayonne and St Jean-de-Luz, close to the Spanish border. Over the next 5 days, over 6,000 Polish troops are evacuated from Gironde and 19,000 Polish soldiers are rescued from Bayonne and St Jean-de-Luz.

Thirty British Blenheim bombers raid German airfields at Rouen and Amiens. All aircraft return.

Uffz. Josef Ganster, of 6./JG 26, is killed in action. Major Dr. Eric Mix returns to III./JG 2 from injuries suffered on 21 May, 1940.

Spain's Francisco Franco offers to join the Axis at war in exchange for French Morocco, Oran region of Algeria, expansion of Spanish Sahara and Spanish Guinea, and substantial economic and military provisions. Adolf Hitler makes no commitment.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Households in the United Kingdom received pamphlets with information on what to do in case of invasion. Children's Overseas Reception Board established to send 20,000 schoolchildren to the Dominions for the duration of the war.

General de Gaulle telegraphs General Nogues, commander in chief of French North Africa and Resident General of Morrocco, offering to place himself under Nogues’ orders should he reject the armistice.

The British Jockey Club announced that horse racing would cease until further notice.

Lord Beaverbrook, the Minster of Aircraft Production, announced that British aircraft production had since 10 May 1940 exceeded losses from all causes.

James Lacey was relocated to the island of Jersey in the English Channel together with the No. 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron RAF.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British destroyer HMS “_Kandahar_” and anti-submarine trawler HMS “_Moonstone_” forced Italian submarine “_Galileo Galilei_” to surface with depth charges in the Gulf of Aden. “_Galileo Galilei_” attempted to fight HMS “_Moonstone_” with her deck gun, and HMS “_Moonstone_” returned fire, killing the Italian captain. “_Galileo Galilei_” was captured and towed to Aden by HMS “_Kandahar_” and would be renamed X 2 and would be used for training purposes.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-boats sink or damage 8 Allied or neutral merchant vessels (a total of 40,000 tons of shipping) between Southern Ireland and the Bay of Biscay. U-48 alone sinks 3 ships (15,500 tons).

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## Njaco (Jun 20, 2015)

*June 20 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* During the night, the first bombing mission against England is flown by seven He 111s of III./KG 27 from the airfield at Merville. The targets are the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and the docks at Avonmouth and Southampton. Although the bombers claim to have successfully attacked the Filton plant, Portishead is as near as the German bombers come, ten bombs falling along the shore at about 0215 hours. West Hartlepool suffered its first air raid. Two people were killed. One of them, John Punton, an air raid warden, is according to the book 'West Hartlepool' the first British full time civil defence worker to be killed by enemy action. Thirty shops were extensively damaged and sixty-seven slightly damaged. Six houses demolished, sixty-three extensively damaged and eighty slightly damaged; one school partly demolished. Four HEs demolished Gunnersvale Farm, Elwick, gas and sewer mains damaged. Three small fires started. A number of persons treated at first aid posts for shock and minor cuts.

The British Parliament met in a secret joint session to discuss the defense against a potential German invasion.

The British Air Ministry sends a directive to Bomber Command, instructing it to focus attacks on German aircraft production.

Entire output of Thompson sub-machine guns (300 t per week) to be delivered from US manufacturers in weekly shipments.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Although the French had already reached out to Rome for peace, the Italians were determined to capture French territory in order to bargain for colonial holdings in North Africa. 32 divisions organized in 2 armies stood ready on the Italian-French border. 

Germans capture Lyons. Saumur Cadets forced to surrender when ammunition supplies for their training weapons run out (200 cadets killed, June 19-20). 9,000 Polish soldiers fighting in France were evacuated from Bayonne aboard the Polish ships “_Batory_” and “_Sobieksi_”. 

47 British Blenheim bombers raid German-controlled airfields at Rouen and Schipol. All aircraft return. 

Petain makes a broadcast. He describes the defeat of France as 'inevitable' and compares the 185 British, American and Italian divisions supporting the French Army in May 1918 with the 10 British divisions of May 1940.

Five weeks after the German conquest of the Netherlands, Dutch civilians began to be conscripted as forced laborers. During the war, 431,500 Dutch civilians would meet this fate.

Gefr. Josef ‘Jupp’ Bigge is posted to 8./JG 2 which is based at Octeville. The Kommodore of KG 2, Oberst Johannes Fink, is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *German battlecruiser “_Gneisenau_” and heavy cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” departed Trondheim, Norway for operations near Iceland as a diversion for battleship “_Scharnhorst's_” cruise to Kiel, Germany for repairs. British submarine HMS “_Clyde_” detected “_Gneisenau_” and hit her with a torpedo 80 miles northwest of Trondheim and forced her to return for repairs.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines U-30, U-38, U-48, and U-122 each sank a merchant vessel in the waters surrounding the United Kingdom and in the Bay of Biscay. In total, 61 were killed and 68 survived. 'SS _Otterpool_' (4,876t) steamer, Bona, Algeria to the Tees with a cargo of iron ore was sunk by U 30. Twenty-four of her crew were killed.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Bureau of Ships was established in the United States with Rear Admiral Samuel M. Robinson as its chief. This new bureau replaced the former Bureau of Construction and Repair and the former Bureau of Engineering. Also, Office of Undersecretary of the Navy was created in the United States for duration of national emergency. US President Franklin Roosevelt nominated two well-known Republicans with pronounced pro-Ally sympathies, Henry Stimson and Frank Knox, to be Secretaries for War and the Navy respectively.

American cruiser USS “_Vincennes_” and destroyers USS “_Truxton_” and USS “_Simpson_” arrived at New York, New York, United States with 200 tons of gold from the French reserves.

*ASIA:* Vichy France opened northern Indochina to Japanese military mission and supporting troops. French authorities in Indo-China bow to Japanese threat and halve transit of arms to China via Haiphong.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Lavrentiy Beria sent Joseph Stalin a list containing names of 232 Soviet prisoners of war returned by Finland and recommended everyone on the list to be executed; in fact, 158 of them had already been killed.

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## parsifal (Jun 21, 2015)

*20 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN PT 3, PT 4 SU CA Voroshilov







Allied
RN MS Trawler ACACIA RN Sub TIGRIS 







*Losses*
*Steamer ADAMANTIOS (Gk 4277 grt) *was sunk by the LW at La Rochelle. The entire crew was rescued. She was later salved and taken in prize by German forces.





*MV EMPIRE CONVEYOR (Ex-Ger (UK) 5911 grt) * Crew: 41 (3 dead and 38 survivors). Cargo: 7966 tons of wheat Route: Montreal - Manchester. Sunk in the western approaches,. nth of Ireland. At 1315, U-61 observed how the unescorted and zigzagging EMPIRE CONVEYOR was hit on the port side forward by a torpedo about 50 miles south of Barra Head, Hebrides. The attack is attributed to U-122, which was lost shortly afterwards without reporting her success. The vessel did not sink immediately, but because the aerials had been damaged the radio operator was unable to call for help. However a flying boat in the area arrived, dropped bombs to keep the U-boat down and alerted the Admiralty. Tug AMSTERDAM was sent out, escort DDs ATHERSTONE and CAMPBELL, but at 16.00 hours she suddenly sank before the ships arrived. The crew had abandoned ship in 3 lifeboats and several rafts, but one boat swamped during launch. The master, the second engineer and the cook were lost. Survivors were picked up by CAMPBELL 




_EMPIRE CONVEYOR as the FARNSWORTH prewar, before being sold to Germany as the GLORIA _

*Liner FOUCAULD (Fr 11,028 grt) *was sunk by German bombing at La Pallice.





*Tkr JAMES MCGEE (Pan 9859 grt)* was sunk on a mine 2. 4 miles 208° from Nash Point (Bristol Channel). The entire crew of the tanker were picked up by destroyer WOLVERINE.





*Tkr MOORDRECHT (NE 7493 grt) *Crew: 29 (25 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: 10.200 tons of fuel oil Route: Texas - Hamilton, Bermuda - La Coruna - Pasajes Sunk in the Central Atlantic west of Spain. Attached to HX 49: The tkr straggled behind the convoy. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Portugal by U-48 . Survivors were rescued by the Gk MV ORION.





USS O-9 ( United States Navy): The O class Submarine sank in the Atlantic Ocean 15 miles off Portsmouth, New Hampshire (42°59′N 70°20′W) from a mechanical failure. 34 crewmen killed.

*MV OTTERPOOL (UK 4876 grt) *Crew: 39 (23 dead and 16 survivors) Cargo: 8180 tons of iron ore Route: Bona - Middlesbrough Sunk in the SW Approaches approximately west of Brittany. At 2142 the OTTERPOOL in HG-34F was hit by one stern torp from U-30 and sank about 130 miles west of Ushant. The 16 survivors were picked up by RN Sloop SCARBOROUGH and landed at Liverpool. The OTTERPOOL and another vessel of the same convoy had been missed during an attack by the same U-boat earlier that day. She was also missed by an attack from U-51 at 1533 . The U-boat had reported two explosions, but saw no other effects on two ships due to bad visibility. In fact, the ANDALUSIAN and the OTTERPOOL were missed. 





*Steamer STESSO (UK 2290 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Cardiff. The entire crew was rescued. The steamer was later refloated and left Cardiff on 31 December for breaking up at Briton Ferry. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV TILIA GORTHON (Sd 1776 grt)* Crew: 21 (10 dead and 11 survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Bahia - Liverpool - Nantes Sunk in the SW Approaches west of Brittany. At 0336, U-38 missed the unescorted and neutral TILIA GORTHON with a G7a torpedo and then stopped the vessel by gunfire about 45 miles west of the Scilly Islands. At 0412, she was hit in the engine room by a G7e torp after the crew had abandoned ship in 2 lifeboats and sank. The survivors were picked up by DD LEITH. The TILIA GORTHON had been on voyage from Bahia to Gothenburg, but was stopped by a Allied Control Commission and sent to Liverpool and then to Nantes, but enroute was ordered to turn around andf return. She was lost because of compiance with Control Commissiuon directives





*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-26

At Sea 20 June 1940
U-25, U-26 (+), U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-122, UA. 
20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ORP sub WILK, which departed Rosyth on the 18th, was damaged in a collision *sub O.13 (NE 568 grt)* , which had departed Aberdeen on patrol on the 11th, which was earlier thought to have been mined. All hands were lost when the Dutch sub went down. There was damage to the props and after planes on the WILK but the Polish sub was able to continue patrol. CLs SHEFFIELD and BIRMINGHAM and DD GALLANT departed Rosyth to support WILK. These ships returned to Rosyth before joining the Polish sub when it was found that WILK could dive. CL NEWCASTLE and DD ECHO departed Scapa on the 23rd to search for a DD reported by a/c at 0600 . They also covered WILK's return. WILK arrived at Dundee on the 25th. She went on to Rosyth for repairs arriving on the 26th underwent repairs for this damage. The repairs were completed in early July.





DD FORESIGHT departed Harwich for Rosyth where she arrived on the 21st. DD ARROW departed Scapa for Harwich to join the Nore Cmd. Sub SALMON fired 2 torpedoes at southbound enemy convoy off the Norwegian coast. Subs SHARK and TETRARCH arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub L.26 arrived at Dundee escorted by sloop WESTON. The sloop then returned to Rosyth.

FN.200 departed Southend, escort sloops FLEETWOOD and WESTON. The convoy arrived at Rosyth on the 22nd in two sections. One escorted by armed PV BREDA and the other by the two sloops. FS.200 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 22nd. MT.92 departed Methil, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day.

*Malta*
At just before midnight Malta’s population was awoken by the sound of the air raid alert. The alarm heralded the first night time air raid on the Island since the start of hostilities. The raider dropped bombs in the sea off St Elmo. It was later reported that the 40,000 ton floating dock berthed beneath Corrodino Heights had been sunk. Malta’s searchlights were in action, as well as AA btys.

2 hrs later the alert sounded again for a formation of 10 enemy a/c. Bombs were dropped bombs on Marfa and Gozo, as well as in the sea off St Paul’s Bay.


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## parsifal (Jun 21, 2015)

*20 June 1940 (Part II)*
*[OPERATIONS [CONT'D] *
*Northern Waters*
_Swedish warships detained _
SD DDs PUKE and PSILANDER and TBs ROMULUS and REMUS arrived at Skaalefjord in the Faroes on the 19th as they were en route to Sweden from Italy. They were accompanied by depot ship PATRICA. Tkr CASTOR of this group was delayed. Earlier on the voyage, she had been captured by a Fr cruiser and taken to Casablanca. She was released and arrived in the Faroes shortly after the arrival of the DDs on the 20th. RN DDs TARTAR, MASHONA, MAORI, after departing Scapa on the 19th, arrived at Skaalefjord in the Faroes early morning on the 20th to requisition the Swedish warships. The crews of the Swedish ships were put aboard depot ship PATRICIA and tkr CASTOR and sailed to Sweden on the 21st. Maintenance parties were placed aboard PSILANDER and ROMULUS and passage crews were placed aboard PUKE and REMUS. After the reported movement of DKM warships in the Nth Sea, DDs MAORI and MASHONA were ordered to reembark their crews from the Sd DDs. On the 21st, DDs MAORI and MASHONA departed the Faroes to join the Home Flt at sea. On the 21st, Sd ships PUKE and REMUS departed Skaalefjord escort DD TARTAR for Scapa. 

PATRICIA and CASTOR returned to the Faroes on the 22nd to demand the return of the Sd DDs. The British Naval Officer in Charge of the Faroes reported at 1100/22nd that the Sd ships had returned to Thorshavn and had were demanding the release of the warships. DD MASHONA was ordered to the Faroes where she arrived on the 22nd. DD MAORI departed Scapa on the 22nd where she joined the screen of DD PUKE. On the 22nd, PUKE broke down (as a foretaste of the poor service these Italian ships gave in the northern waters) and was taken in tow by armed boarding vessel KINGSTON PERIDOT. Tug SAUCY departed Kirkwall to assist. The tug attempted to get a line aboard but collided with PUKE in the progress. MAORI was able to take the DD in tow. Despite heavy weather and continued problems, PUKE was brought into Scapa in tow of the tug BUCCANEER, arriving on the 23rd. RN DD TARTAR and Sd DD REMUS arrived separately at Scapa on the 23rd. The 2 neutral DDs berthed alongside depot ship WOOLWICH for repairs.

Escorted by ASW whalers BUTTERMERE and WINDERMERE, British accomodation ship ST MAGNUS departed Scapa on the 22nd with steaming parties for DDs PSILANDER and ROMOLUS. The parties were drawn from BBs RODNEY and VALIANT. On the 25th, DD MASHONA with PSILANDER and ROMOLUS departed the Faroes. Also in company was British accomodation ship ST MAGNUS,and ASW whalers BUTTERMERE and WINDERMERE. MASHONA was damaged by weather en route to Kirkwall and her gp arrived at on the 26th. MASHONA went on to Rosyth arriving on the 27th and was drydocked for damage to her hull. DD BEDOUIN departed Scapa on the 30th to escort the Swedish ships into harbour PUKE and REMUS.

On 2 July, the Swedish ships were returned to Swedish control and the five ships departed Kirkwall on 5 July. They were joined at sea by tanker CASTOR which had departed from the Faroes. The Swedish ships arrived at Goteborg, via Kristiansand, on 10 July.

A/C bombed a submarine and brought up oil. DDs ZULU, ESCORT, FORESTER left exercises with sub L.23 joining ASW whalers BUTTERMERE and WINDERMERE , which had been detached from the Norwegian Thorshaven to Kirkwall convoy, to search in the area as well. Armed boarding vessels KINGSTON TOPAZ and KINGSTON SAPPHIRE were also ordered to search. They returned to Northern Patrol duties on the 21st. The DDs were ordered back to Scapa on the 21st. 

DKM BC GNEISENAU and CA ADMIRAL HIPPER departed Trondheim to raid towards Iceland as a diversion so damaged BC SCHARNHORST could make her way home without opposition. However, just outside of Trondheim, submarine CLYDE reported she had contacted a German force of 1 BC, 1 BB, and 1 DD. CLYDE put a torpedo into BC GNEISENAU which badly damaged her. A large hole was torn in GNEISENAU's side at the bow and she was later repaired at Kiel completing her repairs 5 November 1940. She and Scharnhorst were not available for SEALION preprations. Due to submarine CLYDE's report, DDs ZULU, ESCORT, FORESTER returned to Scapa with dispatch arriving early on the 21st. DDs MAORI and MASHONA reembarked their boarding parties from the Swedish DDs and proceeded with dispatch towards Scapa. The Fleet at Scapa Flow was brought to 1 hr's notice. Nevertheless, BC SCHARNHORST arrived safely back at Kiel on the 23rd.

*West Coast UK*
Ne subs O.21 and O.22 and TB Z.5 departed Belfast for Dundee, via Stornoway.

*Channel*
DD BOREAS arrived at Dover to join DesFlot 1. DD VESPER departed Dover for Sheerness. Aux MSW SANDOWN arrived at Dover after refitting to join the MSWFlot 10. Br steamers BIARRITZ and MALINES evacuated the Channel Is of Guernsey and Jersey, respectively.

*UK-France*
British troopships ROYAL SCOTSMAN , SOBIESKI , OTRANTO, ORONTES, ARANDORA STAR, ST HELIER, ETTRICK and DDs IMOGEN, PUNJABI, GRIFFIN, WITCH, HARVESTER, VISCOUNT departed Plymouth late on the 19th for St Nazaire to embark Polish troops there.
DDs IMOGEN, HARVESTER, PUNJABI were ordered to return to Plymouth very early on the 20th for refuelling. Later on the 20th, troopship SOBIESKI went to Le Verdon and DDs IMOGEN, GRIFFIN, WITCH, VISCOUNT to Rade de Coisic. DD PUNJABI embarked 409 troops at St Nazaire. Polish troops evacuated from Rade de Coisic. There were 340 on WITCH, 500 on VISCOUNT, 466 on IMOGEN. 
DD GRIFFIN with 350 Polish troops returned to Plymouth for refuelling later in the day. DD VISCOUNT escorted Br steamer BRITTANY from Rade de Coisic past Ushant. DDs GRIFFIN and WITCH escorted steamers KAIPAKI and ROYAL SCOTSMAN. Br steamer ALDERPOOL embarked 4000 Polish troops and British steamer EMPIRE INDUSTRY embarked forty British refugees at La Pallice. These ships were sailed to Falmouth. Troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN went to La Pallice and then to Gironde.

CL ARETHUSA and DD BERKELEY evacuated the British Ambassador to Poland and 30 of his staff personnel, the Staff of the British Embassies of Brussels and Paris, the President of Poland from Le Verdon. The two ships sailed in the later forenoon and safely arrived at Plymouth next morning. DD BEAGLE arrived at Bordeaux with a demolition party for the port, but due to the Armistice, the demolition was not carried out and BEAGLE departed early on the 23rd.

*Nth Atlantic*
British liner EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA escort DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI in the local approaches departed Reykavik for Halifax. At 0610, Corvette GLADIOLUS, escorting convoy HX.48, picked up 2 Fr FAA officers, 2 petty officers, 4 ratings from a small boat. The men were landed at Dover.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr CL PRIMAUGUET departed Bordeaux with the last shipment of gold from France and proceeded to Dakar. In operation MD 3, Fr BB LORRAINE, CLs ORION , NEPTUNE, RAN SYDNEY with DDs HASTY, DECOY, DAINTY, RAN STUART departed Alexandria and bombarded Bardia from 0548 to 0606 on the 21st. DDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HERO, HEREWARD, HOSTILE, which had departed Alexandria at 0800 were sweeping along the Libyan coast. Fr CA SUFFREN, CL DUGUAY TROUIN, DDs IMPERIAL, ILEX, NUBIAN departed Alexandria and were sweeping in the area on reports of an RM cruiser and DDs at Tobruk. RAN CL SYDNEY's Seagull on spotting duty was attacked and damaged by RAF Gladiators. The Seagull was able to return to the ship with the crew unhurt. DD KEPPEL departed Gib for Port Vendres to provide transport H.M. Ambassador and his party. 
On the 22nd, KEPPEL was ordered to Sete.

Italian submarine SIRENA attempted to attack the French cruiser force without success and was damaged by depth charges in return.

Sirena Class *Sub DIAMANTE (RM 680 grt) *was sunk by RN sub PARTHIAN off Tobruk .




RM DDs ARTIGLIERE, CAMICIA NERA, AVIERE, GENIERE of DesDiv 11 departed Augusta on the 19th and arrived with supplies at Benghazi on the 20th.

*Indian Ocean* 
DD KHARTOUM refuelled at Djoubiti.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
RAN CL PERTH departed Sydney with Br liner STRATHMORE. The ships arrived at Melbourne on the 22nd. Both ships departed on the 22nd and on the 23rd, PERTH turned the liner over to RAN CA CANBERRA. PERTH patrolled Bass Strait until 25 June.


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## Njaco (Jun 21, 2015)

*June 21 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* French and German delegates meet to negotiate peace at the 1918 Armistice site at Forest de Compiègne, France. To humiliate the French and make amends for Germany’s WWI defeat, Hitler has the railway carriage in which the WWI Armistice was signed removed from a French museum and placed exactly where it had been located in 1918. An aerial escort by II./JG 26 was present for Hitler and Generalfeldmarschall Göring as they present France with armistice terms. Hitler personally attended the negotiation, but at 1530 hours abruptly left the meeting to show disrespect for the French. Germany’s armistice terms are harsh and they allow no negotiation, only questions for clarification. In addition to the provisions for establishing a vestigial French state and for demobilizing the French armed forces there are stringent financial clauses. At 2030 hours, French General Huntzinger called his government and informed that the Germans allowed no room for negotiations and demanded harsh terms. He was told to accept the German terms. 

After 10 days, Italy invades France. 32 Italian divisions deployed on the French border marched through the Little Saint Bernard Pass in the Alps and along the French Riviera. Some of the Italians were met with a heavy snow storm and the latter halted by a very small group of French troops at Menton (a French NCO and 7 men), which was about 5 miles from the border. According to the diary of Galeazzo Ciano, Benito Mussolini was extremely embarrassed by the inability of his troops to break through the French lines.

As the British evacuated from Guernsey, the control of the island was turned over to a Controlling Committee under the presidency of Attorney General Ambrose Sherwill. Lieutenant-Governor of Jersey, James Murray Robert Harrison was withdrawn to Britain, leaving Bailiff Alexander Coutanche the sole civilian leader.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Aerial battles over Norway intensify. Nine Beauforts of RAF No. 42 Squadron are sent to bomb the battle cruiser ‘_Scharnhorst_’ north of Bergen. Intercepted by fighters of JG 77, four of the bombers are shot down with kills going to Ofw. Hackl, Fw. Menge and a first for Lt. Horst Carganico. On this date, II(J)./ TrGr186 finally sees action as Oblt. Hans Schopper shoots down a Sunderland.

*GERMANY:* German Radio pronounces;


> “Since May 10th enemy and chiefly British aeroplanes have uninterruptingly attacked open German towns. Last night again eight civilians fell victim to these attacks. The Luftwaffe has now begun reprisals against England. The revenge of the German Air Force for England’s sly night piracy has begun. German forbearance is exhausted. The time for settlement has come.”



Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler to discuss the invasion of Britain.

*NORTH AFRICA: *French cruisers “_El Djezair_”, “_El Kantara”_, “_El Mansour_”, “_Ville d'Oran_”, and “_Ville d'Alger_” arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco with 1,200 tons of French gold. Destroyer USS “_Herbert_” also arrived at Casablanca, French Morocco.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German U-boat attacks on Allied and neutral shipping intensify. 20 U-boats are at sea. 6 Allied and neutral vessels are sunk. German submarine U-28 sank British decoy ship HMS “_Prunella_” south of Ireland. 2 men were killed, 54 were missing and would be never found, and 40 were rescued. U-122 goes missing off North Channel (Irish Sea); possibly sunk by mines.

A German Ar 196 aircraft from battlecruiser “_Scharnhorst_” mistook German submarine U-99 for an enemy submarine and damaged her with a bomb. U-99 was already en route back to Wilhelmshaven, Germany with a sick sailor. She would now require a longer time to complete repairs.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Estonian Independent Signal Battalion engaged in fighting with Soviet troops at Raua Street in Tallinn, Estonia. The Estonians would be defeated during the night.

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## Njaco (Jun 21, 2015)

*June 21 Friday* (_continued_)
*NORTH AMERICA:* The first successful west-to-east navigation of Northwest Passage began at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

In Canada, Royal Assent is given to the National Resources Mobilization Act, putting Canadians and their property at the disposal of the Crown. All males over age 16 are required to register for national service. Conscription for military service within Canada is introduced.

Death of Colonel Thompson, inventor of the Tommy Gun (a sophisticated sub-machine gun), aged 80.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe aircraft crossed the East coast at several places during the night, guided by radio beams. Bombs were dropped sporadically in a number of east coast counties. Large scale reconnaissance training flights against aerodromes, both civil and military were being made, and strafing on coastal railway lines in Yorkshire was being carried out. A French patrol boat was blown up a ½ mile off the mouth of the Tees.

RV Jones, who heads British Scientific Intelligence, gives evidence to an important investigating committee concerning a German radio navigation aid code named Knickebein. Churchill gives orders for countermeasures to be developed. Vital progress in this field is soon made and plays a large part in mitigated the effects of the German Blitz in the coming months. Specially equipped RAF Anson aircraft detects radio beam transmitted from Germany in direction of Rolls-Royce works, Derby. Henry Tizard, who, more than any other, has been responsible for organizing the British use of radar, resigns because his advice is disregarded. His resignation confirms the position of the less reliable Frederick Lindmann (Lord Cherwell) as Churchill's principal scientific adviser.

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## Njaco (Jun 21, 2015)

*June 22 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* At 1830 hours, French General Huntzinger returns to the railway carriage at Compiègne, site of the 1918 Armistice. He and German OKW Chief General Keitel sign the 1940 Franco-German armistice. It is perhaps appropriate that Huntziger, who led the 2nd Army at Sedan at the start of the campaign, should be involved in the final act. Germany is to occupy two-thirds of Metropolitan France including the entire Channel and Atlantic coastlines and all major industrial areas including Alsace-Lorraine and Paris. French armed forces are to be disarmed and demobilized, with exception of a token defense force. French Fleet is to be disarmed and demobilized under German and Italian supervision. France is to pay costs of German army of occupation. Article 20 states;


> “French troops in German prison camps will remain prisoners of war until conclusion of a peace”.


The French believe it is only a matter of weeks before Britain will also make peace with Germany. Instead, a million Frenchmen will spend the next 5 years as German prisoners. Hitler does not demand the French fleet, but Article 8 leaves the disposition of their warships uncertain, which worries the British. Meanwhile, France dispatched officials to go to Rome to negotiate peace with Italy. The French forces which have been driven out of the Maginot Line but are still resisting, finally surrender on Weygand's order. Three French armies (400,000 men) surrender in Vosges pocket, west of Maginot Line. Germans occupy Lorient.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines sank two cargo ships and two tankers south of Ireland and in the Bay of Biscay. German submarine U-122 became missing in the Atlantic Ocean somewhere off of the British coast; the crew of 49 were never seen again.

_'La Bastiaise_' a Free-French corvette was completing her sea trials and, as she approached the mouth of the Tees, she struck a mine, killing her Captain, some of her crew and some shipyard engineers.

U-46 attacks British Force H as it battles against hurricane-force winds en route from Scapa Flow to Gibraltar. Carrier “_Ark Royal_” probably hit, but torpedoes fail to explode.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Congress adopted national defense tax measures designed to yield US$994,300,000 per year.

French cruiser “_Emile Bertin_” arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, with 254 tons of gold worth about CDN$305 million. Britain wanted to take possession of the gold, but the captain takes orders from the Vichy French government, and sails on to Martinique.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Duguay-Trouin was interned by the British at Alexandria, Egypt.

Italian three-engined SM81 bombers raid Alexandria; 25 casualties.

*ASIA: *Yosuke Matsuoka was named the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japanese Prime Minister Prince Fumimaro Konoe's new government.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain, the second evacuation plan by the London County council resulted in over 100,000 children being evacuated to the west.

Charles de Gaulle broadcast a speech from London, England, United Kingdom on the BBC. In this broadcast, he used the term Free French for the first time, while declaring himself the French leader in exile.

British Foreign Secretary Halifax had his undersecretary Richard Butler contact Swedish Minister in London, England, United Kindom Björn Prytz for a possible Anglo-German negotiations. Germans intercepted Prytz's report back to Stockholm and concluded that the war with Britain was likely to end by the end of the summer.

The Communist Party of Great Britain published a manifesto calling for a "People's Government", claiming that;


> "...the same kind of leaders who brought France to defeat are in high places in Britain".


 Furthermore the manifesto called upon workers to oust their own ruling classes which would encourage German workers to bring down Adolf Hitler.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Latvia meets Soviet demands for a new government and territorial adjustments. There have been Soviet garrisons based in the Baltic states since October 1939.


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## parsifal (Jun 22, 2015)

*21 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Havant Class DD HURRICANE 




_Sister ship HESPEROUS illustratede_
She arrived at Plymouth on the 30th for working up and joined DesFlot 9 in the Western Approaches.
*Losses*

RN Sub H.44 sank *steamer ALFA (Den 844 grt)* in the Nth Sea off Texel, North Holland. Danish ships in European waters were by now considered enemy vessels by the RN 





*MV BERENICE (NL 1177 grt)* Crew: 47 (39 dead and 8 survivors) Cargo: 1000 tons of manganese ore and passengers Route: Istanbul - Bordeaux - UK. At 0817 hrs the unescorted BERENICE was torpedoed and sunk by U-65. U-65 mistook her for the CHAMPLAIN, but this ship had been lost on the 17th The BERENICE had left Bordeaux at 1330 hrs on 20 June with 22 passengers on board (mostly Dutch and Belgians refugees). The ship sailed together with the Dutch steamer ORPHEUS, the coasters NETTIO and ARY SCHEFFER and the tug SEINE, but they got dispersed in the following night and only the NETTIE was in visual range. The BERENICE was hit by 1 torp amidships, causing her to sink within 3 mins. NETTIO picked up 9 survivors, including the master, and one passenger. On 22 June, they were landed at Falmouth but the master already died of wounds aboard. 





*Steamer BISCAROSSE (Fr 1937 grt) *was scuttled at Le Havre.





*HMS CAPE HOWE (RN 4443 grt)* The Q-ship, disguised as Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel PRUNELLA, was torpedoed and sunk in the Celtic Sea by U-28 with the loss of 55 of her 95 crew. The survivors were rescued by Fr MV CASAMANCE and DD VERSATILE.





*Drifter CHARDE (RN 99 grt)* was sunk in a collision at Portsmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV HILDA (Fn 1144 grt)* Crew: 16 (5 dead and 11 survivors) Cargo: grain Route: Dunkirk - Cherbourg - La Pallice - Spain. Sunk in the Bay Of Biscay. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay by U-52. 





*Steamer LUFFWORTH (UK 279 grt)* was abandoned at Brest. She was later taken in prize by German forces.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV LUXEMBOURG (Be 5809 grt) *Crew: 46 (5 dead and 41 survivors) Cargo: Foodstuffs including boiled beef, maize and sunflower seed Route: Buenos Aires - Montevideo - Bordeaux - Falmouth. Sunk off the coast of Brittany. The ship had been bound for Antwerp, but was diverted to Bordeaux and anchored at Le Verdon on 20 June when she was ordered to leave to Falmouth. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay by U-38. 





*Steamer MECANICIEN PRINCIPAL CARVIN (Fr 4282 grt)* was bombed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay off Le Verdon-sur-Mer, Gironde.





*Aux PV MERCEDITA (Fr 500 grt (est))* was beached after mining off Le Verdon and scuttled.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*S-Boat S-21 (DKM 92 grt)* and *S-Boat S-32 (DKM 81 grt)* were sunk on mines 15 miles sth of Dungeness. S.31 and S.35 picked up the survivors, but OzS Toniges and six crew were lost. S.21 was salved in 1941 and returned to service.

*Tkr SAN FERNANDO (UK 13056 grt)*: Crew: 49 (0 dead and 49 survivors) Cargo:13.500 tons of crude oil and 4200 tons of fuel oil Route: Curaçao - Liverpool. Sunk in the SW Approaches off the sth coast of Ireland whilst part of Convoy HX 49: The tkr was torpedoed and damaged in the Celtic Sea by U-47 . She was taken in tow but sank the next day. All 49 crew were rescued by Sloop FOWEY and HMS SANDWICH.





In an attack by 9 RAF Hudson a/c of 206 Sqn, dismantled old *coastal Dreadnought VLIEREEDE (Ex-RNN (DKM) 5022 grt)* was sunk at Den Helder. The ship was later salved as DKM AA ship ARIADNE in 1941. .





*Tkr YARRAVILLA (UK 8627 grt)* Crew: 50 (5 dead and 45 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Bec d´Ambes - Casablanca - Beaumont, Texas . Sunk off the coast of Portugal whilst attached to Convoy 65 X: The tanker was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean south west of Figueira da Foz, Coimbra, Portugal by U-43. The survivors were rescued by the trawler MARIE GILBERTE





*UBOATS*
At Sea 21 June 1940
U-25, U-26 , U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-122 , UA. 
20 boats at sea


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## parsifal (Jun 22, 2015)

*21 June 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
The damaged DKM BC SCHARNHORST departed Trondheim escort DDs STEINBRINCK, LODY, SCHOEMANN, GALSTER and TBs GREIF, KONDOR, FALKE, JAGUAR. 3 Swordish of 821 Sqn, three Swordfish of 823 Sqn, 6 Hudsons of 233 Command, 9 Beauforts of 42 Sqn of the RAF launched unsuccessful attacks the German ships. The LW interecepted shooting down 2 Swordfish , as well as 3 Beauforts and 1 Hudson and a Sunderland of 204 Sqn was damaged. At 1120, a/c radioed a report of 1 BC and 6 DDs on course 190 at 25 knots. BCs RENOWN and REPULSE with DDs FORESTER, ESCORT, ZULU, INGLEFIELD, DIANA departed Scapa at 1220. 
DDs MAORI and MASHONA, which had departed the Faroes at 0620 joined the force at sea. On the 21st, CLs MANCHESTER , SHEFFIELD, BIRMINGHAM, CA YORK, DD GALLANT departed Rosyth to join CA SUSSEX and CL NEWCASTLE , then meet the Battlecruiser Squadron. However the RN were simply too late to catch the german force, and at 1850, the operation was cancelled when the German ships were reported inside the Fjords in the vicinity of Haugesand. At 0240 on the 22nd, failing to make contact with the German force, the British ships withdrew to westward. BCs RENOWN and REPULSE and DDs INGLEFIELD ,ZULU, FORESTER, ESCORT, DIANA arrived at Scapa arriving later morning on the 22nd. CL NEWCASTLE and CA SUSSEX arrived at Scapa an hour after the RENOWN group. CLs BIRMINGHAM, MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, CA YORK, DD GALLANT arrived back at Rosyth on the 22nd.

The DKM ships put into Stavanger Fjord. They departed the next day and arrived safely at Kiel on the 23rd. SCHARNHORST was under repair at Kiel until 19 October 1940. 

OA.172 departed Southend escort corvette GLADIOLUS from 21 to 24 June. MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs ESK, INTREPID, ICARUS departed the Humber on minelaying mission BS.17 during the night of 21/22 June. The British ships arrived back in the Humber on the 22nd. DD FORESIGHT arrived at Rosyth from Harwich. DD FORESIGHT departed immediately with DD WALPOLE for Scapa, arriving on the 22nd. FN.201 departed Southend, escort DDs VIVIEN and VEGA and sloop SHEARWATER. The sloop was detached to convoy FS.102 when met. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 23rd. FS.201 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 23rd. MT.93 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at the Tyne the next day. 

A German convoy was reported near the Frisian Islands. 8 of the new Albacores of the 826 Sqn from HM base PEREGRINE and 9 Hudsons from CC were sent to intercept the convoy. The convoy was not located. 6 Albacores attacked the DeKooy airfield and Willemsoord. 2 Albacores were lost with pilot Lt (A) J. L. Mackenzie Bell, Acting S/Lt F. B. Hookins, Naval Airman R. G. Poole of one aircraft killed. The crew of the other Albacore was captured. Pilot S/Lt (A) W. S. Butterworth survived as a pow, observer S/Lt V. J. Dyke died of wounds. Leading Airman R. J. Jackson died as a POW on 18 January 1945.

4 Skuas and 5 Rocs of 801 Sqn from SPARROWHAWK, escorted by 12 Hurricanes attacked a new German gun bty at Cap Blanc. S/Lt (A) A. V. M. Day flying a Roc was killed when he was shot down in the attack. His crewman Naval Airman F. Berry was also lost.
*Northern Waters*
Br oiler ROSEWOOD, escorted by a/c and ASW trawlers CAPE WARWICK and ELM, arrived at Scapa from Sullom Voe. 

*West Coast UK*
DD WITHERINGTON arrived in the Clyde. OB.172 departed Liverpool escort DDs VOLUNTEER and WHIRLWIND from 21 to 24 June. The convoy was dispersed on the 26th.

*Western Approaches*
HX.52 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA and aux PVs ACADIA and FRENCH. On 22 June, the DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC AURANIA, which was detached on 2 July. BHX.52 departed Bermuda on the 20th local escort sloop PENZANCE and ocean escort AMC RAJPUTANA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.52 on the 25th and the AMC was detached. On 2 July, DDs HURRICANE and WOLVERINE, sloop SCARBOROUGH, corvette GARDENIA joined the convoy. DD HURRICANE was detached later that day. The remaining escorts were with the convoy until it arrived at Liverpool on 6 July.

U.122 made an attack on a convoy off Nth Channel on the 21st, but was not heard from again after making her report. .

*SW Approaches*
ASW yacht VIVA II (502grt), escorting a transport in the Bay of Biscay, attacked a submarine contact. OG.34 was formed from OA.171G, which departed Southend on the 19th escort sloop ABDERDEEN from 19 to 21 June, OB.171G, which departed Liverpool on the 19th escort sloop LEITH, with 28 ships. Sloops LEITH and WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from 21 June to 3 July. The convoy arrived Gib on 3 July. 

HG.35 departed Gib with 21 ships escort DDs WATCHMAN and VIDETTE. WATCHMAN was detached on the 22nd and VIDETTE was detached on the 25th. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 22 June to 1 July. The convoy was joined in Home Waters by DD WITHERINGTON on the 28th from convoy OG.35 and remained with the convoy until 1 July, when it arrived at Liverpool. 

*Channel*
RCN DDs SKEENA, ST LAURENT, RESTIGOUCHE, FRASER arrived at Plymouth after TC.5 escort duty. BB REVENGE also arrived at Plymouth on that day. DD CODRINGTON arrived at Dover to join DesFlot 1. Aux MSW EMPEROR OF INDIA arrived at Dover after refitting to join MSWFlot 10. DD BOREAS during the night of 21/22 June was on patrol in Nth Goodwins between R Buoy and U Buoy to guard against DKM BC SCHARNHORST movement through the Channel. The rest of the DDs at Dover were placed at 15mins notice.

*UK-France*
Fr DD TRIOMPHANT arrived at Plymouth from Lorient. RCN DD FRASER departed Plymouth with beach and communications parties for evacuation of St Jean de Luz (near the Franco Spanish border) .

*Nth Atlantic*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS departed Devonport for working up at Bermuda escort DDs IMOGEN, GRIFFIN, ST LAURENT

*Med- Biscay*
DD WRESTLER departed Gib to meet Fr convoy 7 P, which departed Marseille, Sete, Port Vendres on the 19th with 18 ships escort DDs BOULONNAIS and TYPHON and PVs SIDI OKBA and CYRNOS. Also, Contre Torpilleur DDs TIGRE and LYNX covered the convoy. 
The DD was to escort the Atlantic bound ships to Gib. Convoy 7 P arrived at Oran on the 22nd. Fr AMC MASSILIA departed the Gironde with French ministers and MPs. When shearrived at Casablanca on the 24th, the Vichy authorities arrested them.

DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK departed Alexandria to intercept steamer ERMOINI (Gk 440 grt) in the Aegean. No contact was made and they returned to other duties. RM sub MOROSINI attacked an allied merchant ship without result 65 miles off Cape Palos.

*Malta*
Two of Malta’s precious Gladiators were irreparably damaged in separate incidents. One crashed into an obstruction on the aerodrome during take-off from Hal Far this morning. The pilot, Sqn Ldr A C Martin made a violent uncontrollable swing to the right and hit a packing case. The pilot was unhurt. 

That afternoon, two Gladiators were taking off from Hal Far when aircraft N5524 piloted by Flying Officer P Hartley lost a wheel when taking off and overturned on landing. The pilot was shaken and slightly injured. The a/c was declared a total write off.


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## parsifal (Jun 22, 2015)

*22 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Fr Corvette LA BASTAISE - Armed Yacht RACCOON - Minelayer MENESTHEUS 

*Losses*
*TB LE FIER (Fr 1443 grt)* The incomplete Le Fier-class TB struck a mine and sank, or was wrecked the next day, while under tow in the Bay of Biscay off Oléron, Charente-Maritime. Raised by the Germans and designated TA 1, she was never completed.





*TB L'ENTREPENANT (Fr 1443 grt)* The incomplete Le Fier-class TB was sunk while under tow in the Gironde Estuary. Raised by the Germans and designated TA 4, she never entered active service.





*Tkr MONIQUE (Fr 7011 grt) *Crew: no survivors Cargo: 10,000 tons of crude oil Route: Haifa - Le Havre. Sunk in the Bay Of Biscay. At 1804 on 22 June 1940, U-65 reported the sinking of an unescorted tkr of 7000 grt with a spread of 2 G7e torpedoes about 70 miles sw of Penmarch in the Bay of Biscay. The ship was immediately covered in burning oil and apparently broke in two before it sank. 

MONIQUE had been re-routed to Brest and then to Belle-Ile due to the German advances, but was reported missing after being last seen by the Fr tkr RHEA in the evening of 17 June. The only trace found were the bodies of 2 of her sailors, washed ashore later near La Corrunna. A radio message indicated that the ship had been attacked by a/c off Verdon on 21 June, but it is more likely that she was sunk by this U-boat attack mentioned above. 





*MV NEION (Gk 5154 grt) * Crew: 32 (1 dead and 31 survivors) Cargo: General cargo, including lead and naphtha as deck cargo Route: New Orleans – St. Nazaire (21 Jun) - Falmouth. Sunk in the Bay Of Biscay. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay by U-38.





*Steamer RANDSFJORD (Nor 3999 grt) Crew*: 33 (4 dead and 29 survivors) Cargo: 6746 tons of general cargo, including 77 tons of ammunition and 33 a/c Route:New York - Halifax - Liverpool . Attached to Convoy HX 49: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the SW Approaches 70 nm SSE of Queenstown, County Cork, by U-30 . Survivors were rescued by PORT HOBART .





*Tkr ELI KNUDSEN (Nor 9026 grt)* Crew: 37 (0 dead and 37 survivors) Cargo: 1300 tons of diesel and fuel oil Route: Aruba - UK . Sunk in the SW Approaches off the sth coast of Ireland. The ELI KNUDSEN had been in convoy HX-49, which was dispersed approx. 100 miles sw of Cape Clear after U-47 had torpedoed the SAN FERNANDO 21 June. At 0336 the next day, U-32 torpedoed the ELI KNUDSEN . All crew members abandoned ship in lifeboats and were picked up a few hours later by HMS SANDWICH and taken to Liverpool. The tkr remained afloat and an attempt was made the next day to tow her to port, but she sank on 24 June in tow of the British tkr CORINDA 





*Type IXB U-122 (DKM 1034 grt) *There are two possibilities considered likely for this UBoats loss. Based on research done in 1985 there is a possibility that this boat was lost due to underwater collision with the British steam tkr SAN FILIPE on June 22 or by DC attack by corvette HMS ARABIS on June 23 . But neither case can be conclusively stated as a definite cause of loss. 






*UBOATS*

Departures
Kiel: U-102 
Wilhelmshaven: U-34

At Sea 22 June 1940
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-102, UA.
21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
As Sub TRIBUNE was leaving her patrol area to return to Rosyth, she sighted a German steamer. At 0136, sub TRIBUNE fired torpedoes at a 7000 to 8000 ton merchant ship near Stadlandet, but missed. Sub SNAPPER departed Rosyth on patrol.
FN.202 departed Southend, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 24th. FS.202 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER from FN.201 joined on the 22nd. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 24th. FS.202 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th.

*Northern Waters*
CA SUSSEX and CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa. CL SOUTHAMPTON departed the Clyde for Scapa where she arrived on the 23rd.
Br oilers CLAM, CONCH, ROSEWOOD departed Scapa escort ASW trawlers IMPERIALIST, CAPE WARWICK, ELM for passage through the Minches and onward passage to Curacoa and Port of Spain. DD WALPOLE departed Scapa escorting Br trawler SEA MONARCH to Aberdeen. WALPOLE then escorted Br steamers DEVON CITY and ARBROATH from Aberdeen to Scapa, arriving on the 23rd.

*West Coast UK*
DDs ATHERSTONE and WANDERER arrived in the Clyde. Br troopships AQUITANIA and MAURETANIA departed the Clyde for Liverpool escort DDs WINCHESTER and WITHERINGTON. The ships arrived safely later the same day. DD WINCHESTER then departed Liverpool for Rosyth where she arrived on the 24th. Br troopship EMPRESS OF CANADA escort DD WANDERER departed the Clyde for Liverpool.

*Channel*
*ASW yacht CAMPEADOR V (RN 195 grt) *was mined and sunk 3 miles 310° from Nab Tower off Portsmouth. 19 ratings were lost, with only two survivors. 





Br built French Flower Class *corvette LA BASTIAISE (Fr 900 grt) * was mined and sunk on trials off Hartlepool. 





Fr aux PV HEUREUX and tugs ABEILLE 8 and ABEILLE 22 departed Plymouth to attempt to recover an incomplete 15,000 ton tkr at La Falaise.

*UK-France*
CL GALATEA and RCN DD FRASER operated off St Jean de Luz. Br liner ETTRICK embarked 2000 troops and King Zog of Albania from St Jean De Luz. *Steamer AMIENOIS (Fr 3713 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Le Verdon.




British Trinity House Light Vessel VESTAL evacuated light house personnel and civilians from Alderney.

*Nth Atlantic*
Fr CL EMILE BERTIN departed Halifax with the 300 tons of gold brought there from Brest to proceed to Fort de France. CA DEVONSHIRE shadowed the Fr CL, but lost touch with her. EMILE BERTIN arrived at Martinique on the 24th. 

DKM Raider PINGUIN, carrying 300 moored mines and 25 torpedoes and 80 mines to replenish U boats at sea, departed Bergen to raid in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctic.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt began to sortie from Alexandria to bombard Augusta and raid in the Messina area in Opn BQ. A number of steamers were to departed Malta and proceed to Alexandria during this operation. CVL EAGLE and DDs HYPERION, HOSTILE, HASTY, HEREWARD, HAVOCK, HERO, IMPERIAL, ILEX of Force C departed. At 2000, BBs ROYAL SOVEREIGN and RAMILLIES, also of Force C, departed Alexandria. Force B with CLs ORION, LIVERPOOL, GLOUCESTER with DDs JUNO and JANUS departed Alexandria at 2130. 
At 2200, BB WARSPITE, CLs NEPTUNE and RAN SYDNEY, DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, DAINTY, DEFENDER, DECOY of Force A were to sail.
However, at 2153 the opn was cancelled due to the Fr Armistice. Fr CAs TOURVILLE and DUQUESNE, CL DUQUAY TROUIN, DDs STUART and VAMPIRE (both RAN) of Force D did not cast off. Fce A returned to Alexandria immediately. Forces B and C returned to Alexandria the next day. 

Italian CruiserSqn 7 with CLs EUGENIO, D'AOSTA, ATTENDELO, MONTECUCCOLI escorted by DesDiv 13 sortied from Messina westward as far west of Minorca to interfere with French convoys which were being escorted by Fr CruDiv 4 with CLs GEORGES LEYGUES and MONTCALM) and DDs between Marseilles and Oran. DDs INDOMPTABLE and MALIN were on patrol off Minorca. On convoy duty and at sea were DDs GERFAUT, KERSAINT, TRAMONTANE, BOULONNAIS, TYPHON, BORDELAIS, TROMBE, BALISTE, subs HENRI POINCARE, LE CENTAURE, PEGASE, NARVAL, CAIMAN, a/c tender COMMANDANT TESTE.

Fr CruDiv 3 (CLs MARSEILLAISE, LA GALISSONIERE, JEAN DE VIENNE) sortied from Algiers on the 23rd to intercept an RM force, but the Italian Admiral returned to base before the French Force made contact. At 0800, BCs DUNKERQUE, STRASBOURG, BB PROVENCE, BRETAGNE, CLs GEORGES LEYGUES and MONTCALM, DDs MOGADOR, VOLTA, LE FANTASQUE, L'AUDACIEUX, LE TERRIBLE, TIGRE, LYNX, BRESTOIS, TORNADE were at Oran. Sub LE REDOUBTABLE was at Bone. DD L'ALCYON and subs LE TONNANT, FRESNEL, PASCAL, MONGE, VENGEUR, TURQUOISE were at Bizerte. Subs MARSOUIN and REQUIN were at Sousse. Subs NAUTILUS and SOUFFLEUR were at Sfax. CAs ALGERIE, DUPLEIX, FOCH, COLBERT, DDs VAUBAN, LION, AIGLE, GUEPARD, VERDUN, VALMY, VAUTOUR, CASSARD, escort vessels LES EPARGES and YSER, subs VENUS, IRIS, AURORE, CERES, PALLAS, LE CONQUERANT, GALATEE, LE DIAMANTE, PERLE at Hyeres, NAIADE, ARCHIMEDE, L'ESPOIR, ARGONAUTE, ATALANTE, ARETHUSE were at Toulon.
DDs TARTU and CHEVALIER PAUL were at Sete. DDs LA PALME, MARS, TEMPETE were at Port Vendres. 

RM sub CAPPONI sank *steamer ELGO (Sd 1888 grt)* north of Sfax. One crewman was lost from the Swedish steamer.

*Malta*
HURRICANES FOR MALTA
6 Hurr a/c arrived in Malta. Early in the afternoon 2 Hurris landed from Bizerta after a difficult journey across sthn France and along the Nth African coast. As dusk fell, 2 more completed the same journey, followed by 2 more in the early evening. The 6 a/c were all that reached Malta out of 12 Hurris and 12 Blens that set off from the UK on 18 June. 

12 Swordfish of 767 Deck Landing Sqn from Toulon also arrived on the Island and were placed under the operational control of the Air Officer Commanding, Med, with the agreement of the CinC.

Malta’s Gladiators claimed their first confirmed ‘destroyed’ enemy a/c. The success came during an evening raid. The two serviceable Gladiators were scrambled at around 1900 hrs.


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## Njaco (Jun 22, 2015)

*June 23 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *Adolf Hitler arrived in Paris, France and did some sightseeing early in the morning; this would be his only visit to Paris. Although Germany and France had already signed an armistice, fighting between Italy and France continued while French delegates negotiated in Rome. General Huntzinger, who signed the German-French armistice at Compiègne on 22 Jun, was once again a member of the French delegation.

Italians occupy Riviera resort of Menton described by Italian commentators as a 'strongly fortified town' .

Uncompleted French destroyer “_Lansquenet_” escapes from Gironde Estuary, West France, under German artillery fire.

Oblt. Helmut Wick is appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 2.

Charles de Gaulle is officially cashiered from the French Army by defeated French Commander in Chief General Weygand, although he will continue to use the title of General de Gaulle as leader of the Free French. Pierre Laval is appointed Deputy Premier by Petain.

The German ambassador in Spain noted that the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, was traveling through Portugal.

Portuguese police arrested 30 American sailors of light cruiser USS “_Trenton_” in a street brawl in Santo Amaro Oerias outside of Lisbon. Three Americans were injured during the arrest.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” entered floating drydock No. V-VI to install propellers and the MES magnetic system.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Using information from Italian submarine “_Galileo Galilei_” (captured on 19 Jun), British sloop HMS “_Shoreham_” located Italian submarine “_Evangelista Torricelli”_ and forced her to surface with depth charges. “_Evangelista Torricelli_” engaged three British destroyers, HMS “_Kandahar_”, HMS “_Kingston_”, and HMS “_Khartoum_”, with her deck gun, but was sunk near Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea. Later in the day, HMS “_Khartoum_” was badly damaged when one of her own torpedoes explodes on deck, killing one. “_Khartoum_” was beached on Perim Island to prevent sinking, but she would eventually be declared lost.

French bombers raid Palermo (Sicily).

Coalition Government of Aly Pasha Maher in Egypt falls. The Wafdist (Nationalist) Party leader Nahas Pasha refuses to form new government. New weak Coalition Government formed under Hassan Pasha Sabry

*INDIAN OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Galvani_” sinks sloop “_Pathan_” (Royal Indian Navy) off Bombay.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-99, damaged on 21 Jun by German battlecruiser “_Scharnhorst_” in a friendly fire incident, was en route to Wilhelmshaven, Germany for repairs when she was bombed by friendly aircraft twice on this date. She suffered only minor additional damage.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov sent German Ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg a message noting that the Soviet Union would like to gain Bessarabia and Bukovina from Romania. This greatly alarmed the German OKW as the German military was dependent on Romania as a source of oil and fodder.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The British Long Range Desert Patrol (later to become the Long Range Desert Group) was formed under the command of Major Ralph Bagnold to undertake long-range reconnaissance patrols behind Italian lines in North Africa.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British government severs relations with the French government, and recognizes the French National Committee.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jun 24, 2015)

*23 June1940 *
*Losses*
*Tug CORINGA (RN 294 grt)* was lost in the Atlantic to unknown causes. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DD KHARTOUM (RN 1690 grt) * was detached to patrol in the area. At 1400, KHARTOUM was badly damaged by the explosion of one of her torpedoes on her deck. She ran herself aground near Perim to prevent sinking. One crewman was killed and 4 were injured. DD KHARTOUM was a total loss and was never repaired.





*MV KUFRA (UK 2724 grt)* The cargo ship collided with another vessel and sank in the Bay of Biscay off Royan, Charente-Maritime, France.





*PV LA CHERBOURGEOISE (Fr 350 grt (est))* was scuttled at Le Verdon. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*PV PATHAN (RIN 1345 grt) * was badly damaged and sank the next day off Bombay. Contemporary sources stated that PATHAN was a victim of an enemy mine or torpedo from RM Sub GALVANI, but it is now known PATHAN was lost through the explosion of her own DCs. 
6 crew died and 15 were injured. 
.





Brin Class *Sub TORICELLI (RM 1000 grt)* had departed Massawa on the 14th, engaged Sloop SHOREHAM at 0530 in the Red Sea nth of Perim. SHOREHAM was hit by a shell from TORICELLI and was later repaired at Aden. DDs arrived on the scene, joined also by Indian sloop INDUS,and TORICELLI was sunk by the combined gunfire of DDs KINGSTON, KHARTOUM, KANDAHAR and sloops SHOREHAM and INDUS nth of Perim . The survivors were taken by DDs KINGSTON and KANDAHAR to Aden.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 23 June 1940
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-102 , UA. 
21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs JACKAL and JAGUAR departed the Humber to patrol in the Nth Sea. Sloop PUFFIN escorted salvage ship TEDWORTH, carrying out diving operations on sunken U.13 nth of Lowestoft. FN.203 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA, sloop LONDONDERRY, patrol sloop GUILLEMOT. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 25th. MT.94 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day.

*Northern Waters*
CV ARK ROYAL and DDs FEARLESS, FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, ESCAPADE departed Scapa on the 17th. FOXHOUND was detached at Milford Haven to refuel and did not rejoin. BC HOOD departed the Clyde on the 18th with DDs WANDERER, RCN ST LAURENT, RCN FRASER, RCN RESTIGOUCHE, RCN SKEENA . DD ATHERSTONE relieved WANDERER in the escort. The two forces joined at sea on the 19th. ATHERSTONE was detached late on the 19th and returned to Liverpool. The Canadian destroyers joined convoy TC.5. ARK ROYAL was unsuccessfully attacked by U.46 on the 22nd, but all ships safely arrived at Gib on the 23rd. CL NEWCASTLE and DD ECHO departed Scapa to investigate a reported enemy DD force reported in the Nth Sea and cover ORP Sub WILK, damaged on the 20th.

*West Coast UK*
CA NORFOLK departed the Clyde after repairs for Scapa. 

*Western Approaches*
British steamer HORSA, with government stores, escorted by armed boarding vessels NORTHERN ISLE and NORTHERN SUN departed Scapa for Iceland. 

*Channel*
Sub H.32 departed Dover escort DD VIVACIOUS to Portsmouth.

*UK-France*
RCN DD FRASER evacuated personnel, including the British Ambassador to France, off Arachon at noon on the 23rd and these personnel were transferred to CL GALATEA. Late on the 23rd, GALATEA evacuated British and Canadian diplomatic personnel from Bordeaux. The warships arrived at Plymouth on the 24th. 

*Nth Atlantic*
CL EMERALD departed Greenock escort DDs COSSACK and ATHERSTONE. In heavy weather the DDs were detached outside the local approaches on the 25th. COSSACK arrived at Scapa on the 26th and ATHERSTONE arrived in the Clyde. CL EMERALD arrived at Halifax on the 29th carrying 2229 cases of gold. 

*Central Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed Freetown and joined CVL HERMES off Dakar to watch Fr BB RICHELIEU, escort DD FLEURET, which arrived at Dakar on the 23rd. AMC MALOJA was already patrolling off Dakar. Fr CV BEARN, was ordered to sea from Halifax on the 16th, to proceed to the West Indies.

*Med- Biscay*
Late on the 23rd, RM CLs EUGENIO, MONTECUCCOLI, D'AOSTA, ATTENDOLO of CruDiv 7 and DesDiv 13 patrolled between Sardinia and the Balearic Islands to intercept Fr traffic en route to Algerian ports. Off western Sardinia, CAs ZARA, FIUME, GORIZIA of CruDiv1, CAs POLA, BOLZANO, TRENTO of CruDiv 3, CLs COLLEONI and BANDE NERE of CruDiv 2 with DesDivs 9, 10, 12 waited in support for CruDiv 7. 

Fr DDs FORTUNE, BASQUE, FORBIN departed Haifa for Alexandria. The next day, Adm Godfroy at Alexandria was ordered to take his force to Beirut, but Adm Cunningham informed Godfroy that he would not be allowed to comply. It was an outstanding measure of the two mens calibre that they were able to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of both. Godfroy had no wish to accede to the rapidly increasing anti-British attitude of the Vichy regime and Cunnignham no wish to mistreat or demean the honour of a gallant former ally. 

Br steamers ISLE OF SARK , ALDERNEY QUEEN , SHERINGHAM , three others escorted by DD SABRE evacuated Alderney. 
DD KEPPEL departed Port Vendres for Sete to organize the evacuation of Czech and Polish troops. DD VELOX was sent to Port Vendres from Gib. VELOX entered Vendres on the 23rd. DD KEPPEL arrived Sete on the 23rd and found Fr DDs TARTU, CHEVALIER PAUL, CASSARD in harbour. At 1345, the Fr DDs departed Sete. At 1830, Fr DD PALME and tkr LA RANCE arrived. 
During the afternoon of 24 June, Br steamers OAKCREST , BRITANNIC , LORD COCHRANE arrived at Sete. Involved in the evacuation of Port Vendres and Sete were Br steamers APAPA , COULTARN, GARTBRATTAN, VICEROY OF INDIA, ASHCREST, SALTERSGATE , NORTHMOOR, NEURALIA and Egyptian steamers MOHAMED ALI EL KEBIR and ROD EL FARAG. 39 ships in all were employed. 12,832 troops were evacuated from Sete, Vendres, Marseilles. DD KEPPEL departed Sete with Egyptian steamer MOHAMED ALIEL KEBIR and joined DD VELOX which departed Vendres on the 26th with Br steamer APAPA. The ships travelled in company to Gib. They arrived at Gib later on the 26th. 

Fr DD LANSQUENET, which was nearing completion at Bordeaux, was floated out and towed to Pauillac where she was fuelled. She departed the Gironde early on the 23rd and arrived at Casablanca on the 27th. DD BROKE assisted British troopship ORMONDE under air attack at Bayonne.

CA DORSETSHIRE and DD WATCHMAN departed Gibraltar for Dakar and Casablanca, respectively. WATCHMAN was to consult with British consul and impress upon the French the British intention of continuing the war.

*Indian Ocean* 
RAN CA CANBERRA departed Fremantle and relieved CL PERTH of the escort of British liner STRATHMORE en route to Colombo. 
Both ships departed Adelaide for Capetown on the 29th. CANBERRA and liner STRATHMORE safely arrived at Capetown on 11 July. The CA was assigned to the Sth Atlantic Cmd. However, CANBERRA's duty in the Sth Atlantic was cut short when she had to depart on 4 August from Simonstown for Sydney to repair defects to one of her props. This repair was completed by late August. 

BN.1 of 9 ships departed Bombay. The convoy was escorted by CL CERES and AMC CATHAY from 23 June to 4 July. CL LEANDER escorted the convoy from 2 to 10 July. RIN sloop HINDUSTAN escorted the convoy from 2 to 5 July. Sloop SHOREHAM was with the convoy on 2 July. DD KINGSTON escorted the convoy from 5 to 10 July. CLA CARLISLE, DD KANDAHAR, sloop FLAMINGO escorted the convoy from 6 to 10 July. Sloops GRIMSBY and CLIVE escorted the convoy from 10 to 12 July when the convoy arrived at Suez.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DAUNTLESS departed Singapore for Penang, arriving on the 25th.

*Malta*
1235-1300 hrs Air raid alert. Three formations each of five bombers and another of four fighters approach the Island. Bombs are dropped on Valletta, causing slight damage. 12 bombs fall 150 yards north east of Tigne fort; others between Corradino and Luqa, as well as in the sea. Three civilians are injured by broken glass in Luqa village. One Macchi 200 is brought down by a Gladiator, the enemy pilot baled out. He is observed parachuting down towards Sliema; he lands in the sea where he is rescued and taken prisoner. He is taken to Imtarfa Hospital.

Enemy casualties Sergente Maggiore Lamberto Molinelli, 88a Squadriglia, 6o Gruppo Autonomo, pilot of a MC 200 fighter aircraft, taken prisoner.


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## parsifal (Jun 24, 2015)

*24 June 1940 *
Britain now stands against the Axis with few friends and many enemies. The coming months will test British courage to breaking point. 
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette GERANIUM




_Geranium in 1940, possibly on her maiden voyage. Note the early pennant M16, which changed later in the war to K-16._

*Losses*
*MV CATHRINE (Pan 1885 grt) *Crew: 19 (0 dead and 19 survivors) Cargo: wheat, Pitch Pine lumber, turpentine rosin and paper pulp Route: Florida – Falmouth - London Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 0248 hrs , U-47 opened fire with the deck gun at the unescorted and unarmed CATHRINE in heavy seas after two torps had missed the vessel at 0218 and 0241 hours. The Germans fired 113 rounds and scored 12 hits that caused the ship to sink after 52 minutes. The survivors were picked up by the British decoy ship HMS ORCHY. Great difficulties were experienced with the boats alongside as the ship was pitching in the rough sea and heavy swell. 





*Tkr ALBUERA (UK 3477 grt)* was sunk by DKM S Boat S.36 2 miles sw of Lydd Light Float off Dungeness. 7 crew were lost on the British steamer. 29 survivors were rescued by a Dutch steamer MEROPE which transferred them to ASW trawler GRIMSBY TOWN.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sloop BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE (Fr 1475 grt)* The unfinished, 84% complete, Bougainville-class sloop was scuttled in the Gironde Estuary.





Brin class *Sub GALVANI (RM 1000 grt)* which departed Massawa on the 10th,was rammed and sunk by sloop FALMOUTH in the Gulf of Oman.





*Steamer KINGFISHER (UK 276 grt)* was sunk by DKM S Boat S.19 in off Beachy Head. One crewman was lost on the British steamer.
[NO IOMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 24 June 1940
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-102 , UA. 
21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub TRIDENT fired 4 torps at German tkr DITHMARSCHEN, escort DDs IHN and GALSTER, however all torpedoes missed. Sub H.28 arrived at Blyth after patrol. Subs SEAWOLF, SEALION, SHARK exercised in the Firth of Forth. MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, EXPRESS, which departed the Humber on the 24th, laid minefield BS.18 during the night of 24/25 June.

FN.204 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS, sloop EGRET, patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 26th. C FS.203 departed the Tyne, escort sloops FLEETWOOD and WESTON and patrol sloop PINTAIL. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 26th. MT.95 departed Methil, escort DDs VEGA and VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at the Tyne the next day.

*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa after completing repairs in the Clyde of her 19 March bombing damage. CL NEWCASTLE and DD ECHO arrived at Scapa. DDs FIREDRAKE and PUNJABI departed the Clyde to escort CVE ARGUS and liner ANDES to Iceland where they safely arrived at Reykavik on the 26th and Seidisfjord on the 30th. The ships departed Reykavik on the 27th and arrived at Akreyri on the 28th. Troops were landed at Akreyri on the 28th. DDs FIREDRAKE and PUNJABI and liner ANDES departed Akreyri on the 29th for Seidisfjord. Fog delayed the passage and the ships arrived in the Fjord on the 30th. Troops were landed at Seidisfjord on 1 July.
The British ships completed their mission and departed Seidisfjord during the afternoon of 1 July. The ships returned to the Clyde on 3 July.

DD FORESIGHT departed Scapa for Sullom Voe to escort ML ATREUS. DD FORESIGHT and ML ATREUS departed Sullom Voe that evening for Scapa and arrived pre-dawn on the 25th. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI arrived at Scapa from Iceland. DD DIANA departed Scapa for Aberdeen. At Aberdeen DIANA and MSW WHITETHORN and ASW trawler STOKE CITY escorted Br steamer LOCHNAGAR and store carrier KYLEBROOK to Lerwick and Scapa respectively. KYLEBROOK and WHITETHORN were detached to Scapa on the 25th. DIANA, STOKE CITY, and steamer LOCHNAGAR arrived at Lerwick that afternoon. DIANA proceeded to Scapa arriving late that evening. DD AMAZON departed Scapa Flow for repairs at Chatham.

*SW Approaches*
HGZ (formed as HG.36) departed Gib with 24 ships local escort DD WISHART and ASW trawler LORD HOTHAM. WISHART remained with the convoy until 28 June when she was detached to convoy OG.35. Sloop FOWEY joined from convoy OG.35 and escorted the convoy from 28 June to 4 July when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Channel*
DD BOREAS on Sth Goodwins Patrol was ordered to investigate a surface craft steering in circles. DD CODRINGTON was sent to support BOREAS. BOREAS proceeded within 3.5 miles off Boulogne. She reported no ships underway, but the DD drew heavy fire from shore based artillery. No damage was sustained. Later, CODRINGTON brought British whale factory ship SVEND FOYN to anchorage west of Dungeness.

*UK-France*
Br steamers GLENAFFARIC , CYCLOPS , CLAN ROSS were off St Jean de Luz to join British liner ETTRICK embarking troops at St Jean de Luz. Br liner ARANDORA STAR also joined for the evacuation. Br steamer CLAN ROSS was damaged by the LW off St Jean de Luz.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL departed Simonstown for Liverpool to refit completing on 5 August. 

*Med- Biscay*
DD DOUGLAS , with Sir Dudley North aboard, departed Gib for Mer el Kebir to learn the terms of the French Armistice. DD DOUGLAS arrived back at Gib later that same day. British liaison officers departed Oran on Fr DD TYPHON for Gib, arriving on the 25th. The destroyer returned to Oran that day.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland for anti raider patrol around Curtis and Macauley Islands. The ship returned to Auckland on the 28th


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## parsifal (Jun 26, 2015)

*25 JUNE 1940 *
*Operation CATAPULT *
Darlan told the British that the French fleet would never fall into the hands of the Germans. When the French were presented with the Germans terms of surrender they included the instruction that all French warships were to return to harbours in France where they would be disarmed. The German terms stated that the Germans would not use the French ships for their own purposes, with the exception of coastal boats that would be used for mine-sweeping.

The British ambassador at Bordeaux, Sir Ronald Campbell, communicated these terms to London. Churchill went on radio to castigate the French for accepting the Germans terms. However, in the midst of his anger, Churchill was not informed of a last-minute concession made by the Germans on June 22nd. Pétain insisted that disarming the warships had to happen in French African ports – not in France. The Germans agreed to this. On June 23rd, Campbell and his staff left Bordeaux for Britain and he never got to know about this concession. After this, communication between Churchill’s government and the French became patchy at best. The formal agreement to the terms of the surrender occurred on June 30th at Wiesbaden.

The lack of communication between the British and French was to have dire consequences. As early as June 20th, Darlan had sent a coded order to the captains of the warships based in French African ports – do not surrender your ships intact to the Germans. On June 24th, he repeated this order with specific instructions to make preparations to scuttle the ships if it seemed likely that they would be captured. The British were unaware of this instruction and on June 27th the British government took the decision that the French ships could not be allowed to fall into the hands of the Germans and that the Royal Navy would ensure that this would not happen. CATAPULT is generally considered to have commenced from June 27th, though there were severeal instances of earlier activities. 

*Losses*
CLA CALCUTTA and *RCN DDs FRASER (RCN 1375 grt)* and RESTIGOUCHE patrolled off Bordeaux covering the evacuation of St Jean De Luz where troopships ETTRICK , ARANDORA STAR , BATORY , SOBIESKI were lifting troops from 22 to 24 June. The convoy departed St Jean De Luz at 1300/24th escort DDs MACKAY and WREN. Searching for Fr steamer DE LASALLE in the area, CALCUTTA accidently ran down FRASER at 2000 cutting her in half. CALCUTTA and RESTIGOUCHE picked up the survivors and a boarding party completing at 0001 on the 26th, after the still floating stern had been scuttled .

45 Canadian crew and 14 British crew were lost with FRASER. 1 rating from DD RESTIGOUCHE was lost in the rescue efforts. 11 officers and 104 crew were rescued by RESTIGOUCHE. RESTIGOUCHE also had Captain CC A. Allen and two other officers embarked in France and six ratings from CALCUTTA's whaler picked up as resucue operations became more frantic. CALCUTTA rescued 33 men including 8 wounded . RESTIGOUCHE arrived at Plymouth on the 26th. CALCUTTA and arrived at Plymouth for repairs on the 27th and alight her list of wounded. Repairs were completed in late July.





*Pilot Vessel RINA CROCE (FI 589 grt)* was sunk on a minefield laid by Sub RORQUAL in the Adriatic Sea.
{NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux PV SAINT MARGUERITE (Fr 48 grt)*was scuttled at Le Verdon.Saint Marguerite.
NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr SARANAC (UK 12049 grt)* Crew: 44 (4 dead and 40 survivors) Cargo: Balast : Route: Fawley - Aruba Sunk in the SW Approaches Convoy OA 172: The tkr was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by U-51 with the loss of 4 of her 44 crew. The survivors were rescued by AINDERBY (UK) and HMS HURRICABE.





Sub SNAPPER fired 3 torps at a convoy. *Aux PV V1107 (DKM 295 grt)* was sunk in this attack. At 1604, SNAPPER fired 3 ,ore torps at a merchant ship in this convoy, but missed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV WINDSORWOOD (UK 5395 get) * Cew: 40 (0 dead and 40 survivors) Cargo:7100 tons of coal Route: Tyne - Freetown Sunk outbound in the SW Approaches. Attached to Convoy OA 172: The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean SW of Ireland U-51. All 40 crew were rescued by AINDERBY (UK) 





*UBOATS*

Arrivals
Kiel: U-101 
Wilhelmshaven: U-99 

U.30 refuelled from tkr MAX ALBRECHT (DKM 5824 grt) at El Ferrol.

At Sea 25 June 1940
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-102, UA. 
19 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs JACKAL and JAGUAR departed the Humber for Rosyth. DD FURY departed Sheerness for Rosyth. DD WINCHESTER departed Rosyth for the Tyne. DD AMAZON joined FS.5 off the Tyne for passage to Chatham. Because she could not steam more than 15 kts, she was not regarded as part of the escort. Sub TRIBUNE arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub PORPOISE arrived at Blyth after patrol. Sub SEALION departed Rosyth on patrol. Subs SEAWOLF and SHARK exercised in the Firth of Forth. FN.205 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND and sloop MALLARD. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 27th. FS.204 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and VIVIEN and patrol sloop GUILLEMOT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Scapa for Rosyth where she arrived later the same day. Repair ship VINDICTIVE departed Scapa for the Clyde, but was recalled before arriving.

*SW Approaches*
On 25 June, realizing the concentration of UBoats in ther SW Approaches, HX.52 was ordered routed through the Irish Sea to Liverpool. Up to this point, the convoy had been going to Plymouth. HX.52 arrived on 4 July unharmed.

*UK-France*
DD BROKE departed Plymouth with DDs VANQUISHER and WINCHELSEA for Gironde. This gp wsas later strengthened by DD HIGHLANDER and another DD. 

*Nth Atlantic*
OA.174 departed Southend escort corvette HIBISCUS from 25 to 27 June. The convoy was escorted by sloop ABERDEEN and corvette CALENDULA on 27 to 28 June. OA.174 included steamer SAN ANDREAS carrying the Norwegian gold reserves to Montreal.
Convoy OB.174 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop SANDWICH from 25 to 28 June. HX.53 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA. On 26 June, they turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC ALAUNIA, which was detached on 7 July. BHX.53 departed Bermuda on the 24th escort ocean escort AMC COMORIN. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.53 on the 29th and the AMC was detached. On 7 July, DDs SABRE and SCIMITAR, sloop LEITH, corvette CLARKIA joined the convoy. On 8 July, DDs HURRICANE, VANQUISHER, WINCHELSEA joined; they were detached the next day. On 10 July, the convoy arrived at Liverpool. 

Ne CL HEEMSKERCK departed Halifax for Falmouth. The cruiser returned to Portsmouth for conversion to a CLA completed on 17 February 1941.

*Central Atlantic*
Fr BB RICHELIEU and DD FLEURET departed Dakar for Casablanca but returned when she found that RN CA DORSETSHIRE was shadowing her. 
Seaplane tender ALBATROSS, departed Freetown for Dakar, but did not arrive until after RICHELIEU had departed. CV ARK ROYAL, BC HOOD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, ESCAPADE departed Gib to intercept towards the Canary Is. While at sea, ARK ROYAL embarked an additional 10 Swordfish from Rabat. The RN force was ordered back to Gib on the evening of the 26th, arriving on the 27th. BB RICHELIEU arrived back off Dakar 27th with Fr AMCs EL D'JEZAIR, EL KANTARA, EL MANSOUR, VILLE D'ORAN and Contre Torpillleur DDs MILAN and EPERVIER protecting her. the BB and DD did not enter port. They turned back nth again. They finally arrived at Dakar on the 28th.

CL DUNEDIN arrived at Martinique to watch the French warships there. She was later joined by CLs FIJI and DIOMEDE. The British ships were ordered to neutralize the French warships in CATAPULt operations, but negotiations averted an armed encounter. FIJI departed Martinique on the 30th to refit at St Lucia. DUNEDIN remained off Fort de France. After CATAPULt ops in Africa, the British warships were ordered to leave French waters and the patrol was terminated on 12 July.

SL.37 departed Freetown escort AMC MOOLTAN to 9 July, where escort was taken over DD WALKER and sloop DEPTFORD to arrival on 12 July.

*Sth Atlantic*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA, which had just escorted British steamer ULYSSES from Capetown to Durban and returned escorting troopship STRATHEDEN, departed Capetown with troopships ORION , REINA DEL PACIFICO , STRATHEDEN. All ships arrived at Freetown without event on 3 July. CVS (Seaplane Carrier) ALBATROS was at Freetown at that time.

*Med- Biscay*
As the new pro German Vichy regime began to realize the British were not going to follow the French lead and surrender, relations began a rapid slide. British steamers were seized by French forces at Casablanca. including, *MV STORAA (UK 1967 grt)*, *MV PENGREEP (UK 4806 grt)*, *MV TOUSSIKA (UK 1828 grt)*, *MV HILDE (UK 1595 grt)*, *MV BELGIEN (UK 1979 grt)* . These vessels all worked for the Vichy regime 

The first escorted Italian convoy departed Naples for Tripoli with troopships ESPERIA and VICTORIA escorted by AMC RAMB II and TBs ORSA and PROCIONE.




_RAMB II operated within the Med, whereas RAMB I operated in the Red Sea_
Italian submarine BRAGADIN, which departed Taranto on the 24th, arrived at Tobruk with supplies for the airport.


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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2015)

Holy crap!! I'm back!! Five days with no electricity!!


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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2015)

*June 24 Monday
UNITED KINGDOM:* Another attack at night of the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton is undertaken by five He 111s of I./KG 27. Although, the bombers claim a success, the fact is that several bombs fall in the St. Philip’s area of Bristol and another at the corner of Lower Maudlin Street and Harford Street, killing two civilians. The Heinkels return to the airfield at Merville at 0230 hours.

*GERMANY: *Major Hans-Hugo Witt is promoted to operations officer at Jäfu 2 and hands over duties as Kommodore of JG 26 to the Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 26, Major Gotthardt Handrick. Hptm. Kurt Fisher is made Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 26 in Major Handrick's place. The commander of V Fliegerkorps, Generalleutnant Robert Ritter von Greim is awarded the Ritterkreuz, becoming the seventy-sixth soldier honored with the award.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British commandos make their first raid on Europe and launched an aborted raid on Le Touquet, France.

*NORTH AFRICA: *As French warships scattered throughout Dakar, Casablanca, Algiers, and Mers-el-Kébir in French colonies in Africa, Alexandria in Egypt, and Plymouth and Portsmouth and Britain, French Admiral Darlan promised British Prime Minister Churchill that they would not fall into German hands. Britain wants these assets and is determined that Germany does not take them.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-47 sank Panamanian ship “_Cathrine_” with the deck gun about 300 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England. As the entire crew of 19 escaped to lifeboats, they were given food and red wine by the crew of U-47 before being set adrift for their eventual rescue.

_'SS Albuera_' (3,477t) steamer, Chatham, New Brunswick, Canada to the Tyne with pit props was sunk in the English Channel by E Boats. Seven of her crew were lost.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British sloop HMS “_Falmouth_” sank Italian submarine “_Luigi Galvani_” in the Gulf of Oman.

The Franco-Italian armistice was signed at Villa Olgiata near Rome, Italy by French General Huntziger and Italian General Badoglio. However, the armistice does not come into effect until tomorrow and both Italy and Germany continue fighting in France.

Malta received its first strike aircraft with the arrival and creation of No. 830 Squadron with Fairey Swordfish Mk.1 aircraft. They were left behind by HMS “_Argus_” when she departed the Mediterranean Sea.

*ASIA: *Japan requested Britain to close the Burma Road, a land supply route into China.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Charles Edison resigned as the Secretary of the Navy of the United States; Lewis Compton, Assistant Secretary of the Navy since 9 Feb 1940, took over as the acting secretary. Rear Admiral Charles A. Blakely relieved Rear Admiral Joseph R. Defrees as the Commandant of the Eleventh Naval District and the Commandant of the Naval Operating Base in San Diego, California, United States.

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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2015)

*June 25 Tuesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Heinkels of KG 27 again target the Avonmouth and Portishead docks between midnight and 0443 hours. Eleven HEs were dropped in the Chamberlain Road to Lodge Street area, causing slight damage to domestic property. One person was seriously injured. Six HEs field at Linden Hall Farm, Longhorsley. One sheep killed. A Heinkel He 111 crashed into the sea off Hull at 0017 hours after two separate combat attacks off Withernsea. The bodies of two of the crew were recovered by HMS ‘Brazen' some days later and buried at sea.

*GERMANY:* General Hans Jeschonnek, the Luftwaffe Chief of Staff, states,


> “The Führer has no intention of mounting an invasion . . . There won’t be any invasion, and I have no time to waste on planning one.”



*WESTERN FRONT:* At half past midnight, the French armistices with Germany and Italy came into effect at 0030 hours and fighting is over in France. French losses totaled 92,000 killed, 250,000 wounded, and 1,500,000 captured. British losses were 68,111 killed, wounded, or captured. German losses were 29,640 killed and 133,573 wounded and missing. Italian losses were 631 killed, 4,782 wounded, and 616 missing. Italians have made virtually no progress in their offensive except at Menton, on French Riviera. Since June 21, Italy has 631 dead, 2,631 wounded, 2,151 hospitalized with frostbite and 616 missing attacking Southern France, while French defenders suffered only 37 killed, 42 wounded and 150 missing. France declared a National day of mourning, while Hitler ordered the flying of flags and pealing of bells in Germany to celebrate "the most glorious victory of all time". To compound French misery, Adolf Hitler ordered the Armistice site at Forest de Compiègne destroyed, including the rail car used for both 1918 and 1940 surrenders. The railway carriage, a massive dedication tablet and the 1918 Alsace-Lorraine Monument (depicting a German eagle impaled by a sword) were removed to Germany. However, Hitler leaves the statue of French WWI victor, Maréchal Foch, watching over this wasteland. With the campaign finally over, the Luftwaffe can sit back and lick its wounds. The top scorer of the campaign is Oblt. Balthasar of I./JG 1 with a total of twenty-two aerial victories against the Allies ahead of several other prominent pilots, including Werner Mölders and Adolf Galland.

The last aerial victory of the French campaign for the Luftwaffe on this day is a Potez 63 of Groupe de Reconnaissance II/14 shot down by a Bf 109 over Montelimar. Before the Armistice, Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 6./JG 51 destroys a Spitfire for his sixth victory.

Operation Ariel: Canadian destroyers HMCS “_Fraser_” and HMCS “_Restigouche_” and British cruiser HMS “_Calcutta_” were sent to evacuate 4,000 Allied troops near Bordeaux, France. En route, in rough seas and poor visibility, HMCS “_Fraser_” collided with HMS “_Calcutta_”. The smaller Canadian destroyer broke into three pieces and sank. 47 of “_Fraser's_” crew and 19 of “_Calcutta's_” crew were killed. Many “_Fraser_” survivors transfer to HMCS “_Margaree_” and some are lost in another collision on October 22 with freighter MV “_Port Fairy_”. Operations Cycle and Ariel are then completed: 214,000 British and Allied troops were evacuated from northwest and west France since June 15.

Working together with the Germans, Spain agreed to assist with the German attempt to detain the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom.

Switzerland President Pilet-Golaz makes a controversial broadcast. He expresses 'relief' at the 'end of the war in Europe' and suggests the replacement of Swiss democracy by an authoritarian system.

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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2015)

*June 25 1940 *(_continued_)
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-51 attacked Allied convoy OA-172 about 370 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England between 1545 and 1930 hours, sinking British steamer “_Windsorwood_” (all 40 survived) and British tanker “_Saranac_” (4 killed, 39 survived).

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Churchill makes a speech to the House of Commons on the Franco-German peace and, specifically, on the disposition of the French battleships and other warships. He notes;


> “…the solemn declaration of the German Government that they have no intention of using them for their own purposes during the war. What is the value of that? Ask half a dozen countries what is the value of such a solemn assurance”.


He is clearly worried about the fate of the French fleet, despite the assurances of Admiral Darlan.

British Minister of Health Malcolm MacDonald returned to Dublin, Ireland with a proposal from Winston Churchill for a joint union between Eire and Ulster to afford sanctuary for British troops and Irish ports for Royal Navy use.

Lord Gort departed Britain by flying boat for Rabat, French Morocco to speak with French ministers. Political situations would prevent him from successfully meeting with the French.

*NORTH AMERICA: *At New York's Hotel Commodore, a fund-raising lunch of the Emergency Rescue Committee raises US$3500. The committee compiles a list of 200 people to rescue from France.

New considerably increased taxes are introduced which bring an additional 2,200,000 into the tax roll who have never formerly paid income tax. These increases of course reflect the armament expenditure.

*ASIA: *The Japanese put pressure on the French authorities in Indochina to block the transit of supplies to the Chinese Nationalists. They wish the rail line into China closed and a Japanese mission to be allowed in to inspect this.

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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2015)

*June 26 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Some 100 German aircraft were employed against England and they crossed the Scottish coast and the North East coast Between the hours of 0200 hours and 0400 hours. KG 27 again sends bombers to the British Isles. Three He 111s raid the Avonmouth and Portishead docks again while three more Heinkels attack the railway station near Bristol. A Heinkel 111 was lost at sea off Blyth, on a sortie to Middlesbrough.

General de Gaulle created the French Volunteer Legion in United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom extended the blockade to include the all of France.

The French Foreign Minister of the Bordeaux Government announced that the French Ambassador in London, M. Corbin, had resigned.

RMS “_Queen Mary_”, with 5,000 British troops aboard, set sail for the Middle East.

*WESTERN FRONT:* With the end of operations on mainland Europe, the Luftwaffe orders a rest among the many fighting air units in France and the Low Countries. While the politicians work on the problem with England a small force of fighters is left on the Pas-de-Calais to defend against British air attacks including the entire Geschwader of Oberst Theo Osterkamp's JG 51, who are held along the coast to provide fighter protection for the German bombers who continue to attack Channel convoys along with Hptm. Hanns Trübenbach's I(J)./LG 2 who are kept in the Pas de Calais area. All other fighting air units are ordered back to Germany for rest and refitting. Moving this day are the fighters of JG 26 who end up at their former bases along the Rhine, defending Germany against British bombers. But before they leave France, the Geschwader suffers a loss. Lt. Otto-Heinrich Hillecke of II./JG 26 is killed in one of the last aerial combats of the campaign. Lt. Kurt Ebersberger remembers his friend; “We miss his humor and harmonica playing. Often when we were at Chicore, our second base in Belgium, after dinner in our handsome Chateau with a bottle of good burgundy at hand, Hilleke used to play for us. We would discuss the events of the day and air fighting as well as many matters that were not connected with the Service. Anything unpleasant was dismissed with a joke, so that we were always in a happy and confident mood. We were at ease and out of sight of higher authority. When we felt like it, we went out roaming the district.” Lt. Hillecke had six victories flying with the "Schlageter" Geschwader.

Hans Schmoller-Haldy of JG 54 is injured attacking a RAF Blenheim over Holland.

A conference is held at The Hague to discuss the Luftwaffe’s operations against RAF night bombers. Attending is Generalfeldmarschall Göring, Generalluftzeugmeister Ernst Udet, General Albert Kesselring, Chief of Personnel General Kastner, General Bruno Lörner and ZG 1 Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Wolfgang Falck, known as “The Happy Falcon”. After discussing an earlier report by Hptm. Falck concerning night-fighting, Göring orders Falck to establish an experimental Nachtjagdgeschwader (NJG) force designated NJG 1. The I Gruppe of NJG 1, led by Falck himself, is to be equipped with Bf 110s while II./NJG 1 would be equipped with Bf 109s, and is to be led by a major that Falck doesn’t believe can handle the job. After the conference and later arriving in Dusseldorf, Falck dismisses the major and promotes Johannes ‘Macki’ Steinhoff to form and lead the II Gruppe. Lt. Helmut Lent is selected to lead a squadron in the new Gruppe. The Gruppen are being formed from night-fighting components of ZG 1, ZG 26 and JG 2.

With the end of the fighting in France, the Luftwaffe undertakes to reorganize its fighter and bomber forces. Throughout the end of the month and on into July, new Gruppen are formed while others are redesignated and rearmed with new aircraft.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Norwegian merchant ship “_Crux_” was sunk 300 miles west of Cape St. Vincent, Portugal at 0228 hours by a German submarine. The crew of 30 took to lifeboats and would be rescued on the following day.

German submarine U-29 stopped Greek ship “_Dimitris_” with a shot across her bow off Cape Finisterre, Spain at 1530 hours. After the crew abandoned ship, the Greek ship was sunk by gunfire.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet Union presented an ultimatum demanding territory in Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina from Romania. Adolf Hitler suggested the Romanians government to give in and satisfy the Soviet demands as Hitler was fearful that Romanian resistance might lead to a Soviet occupation of the entire Romania, which would threaten the oil and fodder that the German military was dependent upon.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in Moscow, Russia called for a 7-day work week and banned the quitting of jobs without official authorization. Also, being late to work for more than 20 minutes was now a criminal offense punishable by prison terms of two to six months.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, United States received the license from Rolls-Royce to build Merlin engines for the P-51 Mustang fighters.

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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2015)

*June 27 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Shortly before midnight, Ju 88s from I and III./KG 51 raid the Avonmouth and Portishead docks with four of the Junkers bombers attacking the airfield near Bristol.

Churchill still worries that Germany will capture the French fleet, particularly the vessels at Mers-el-Kébir, restoring German sea power lost in the Norwegian campaign. Despite Admiral Darlan's previous assurances that French ships would not fall into German hands, the British War Cabinet ordered the Royal Navy to seize or destroy all French warships in British and North African ports. In turn, Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville was ordered to take the newly-formed Force H to Algeria.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Ofw. Anton “Toni” Hackl of 5./JG 77 downs another RAF Hudson but is wounded in the encounter. He is promoted to Oberleutnant for his bravery in combat.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German forces reached the Franco-Spanish border.

Another fighter Geschwader leaves France and the Low Countries. The fighters of II./JG 52 moves from Luxemburg / Sandweiler to Nordholz where the Gruppe repairs and refits its Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters. One of the units moving to new airfields has a surprise when they arrive. The whole of JG 2 are ordered to a new airfield at Beaumont-le-Roger only to find instead of an operating airbase they are confronted with a wheatfield with stalks one and a half meters high. The first pilot to land uses the propellers of his plane to cut a lane through the wheat. When he is finished the rest of the Geschwader lands, following his tracks only to find they can't take off again. The rest of the evening is spent rolling the wheat flat so that by morning the Geschwader is operational along with the field.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-47 shelled Norwegian merchant ship “_Lenda_” off southwest Ireland at 0400 hours; 1 was killed and 27 survived. At 1700 hours, U-47 shelled Dutch tanker “_Leticia_” in the same area. 25 of the crew took to lifeboats, while the other 3 who dove into the water were rescued by U-47 and brought to the lifeboats. The crew of U-47 offered the survivors first aid material, sausages, and wine before leaving.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Romania ceded Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US President Roosevelt declared a national emergency and re-invoked the Espionage Act of 1917 to control shipping in American waters and in waters near the Panama Canal Zone. On the same day, he also established the National Defense Research Committee under chairman Vannevar Bush to coordinate the development of war related sciences and technologies.

The keel for battleship “_Iowa_” was laid down at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard in New York, United States.

In Washington a confidential meeting is held between British and Australian representatives and the United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull. The British and Australians ask for help in standing up to Japan. They wish the USA to take economic measures or to move more units of the fleet to Malaysian and Philippine waters or to offer to mediate between China and Japan. Hull is unable to agree to any of these moves which would involve a more active foreign policy than the American public is prepared to contemplate at this time.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The escaping French battleship “_Jean Bart_”, which had been fitting out at Saint-Nazaire when France fell, reached safety at Casablanca, French Morocco.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Console Generale Luizzi_” is sunk by destroyers HMS “_Dainty_”, “_Defender_” and “_Ilex_” south of Crete. HMS “_Voyager_” and “_Dainty_” rescue the survivors. Off the coast of Eritrea near Port Sudan, beached Italian submarine “_Macalle_” is destroyed by shelling from British destroyers HMS “_Kandahar_” and “_Kingston_” and light cruiser HMS “_Leander_” (serving in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy). HMS “_Leander's_” aircraft also dropped four bombs on the submarine.

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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2015)

*June 28 Friday*
*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet Union occupied Bessarabia and the Northern Bukovina, ceded by Romania.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The British Channel Islands were partially evacuated after being demilitarized to minimize casualties to be caused by the imminent German attacks. On the same day, German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed Guernsey and Jersey, killing 33 and injuring 40, mistaking tomato trucks for troop carriers.

Former French Prime Minister Reynaud injured in car accident near Bordeaux. His mistress, Countess de Portes, is killed.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* General Charles de Gaulle was recognized by the United Kingdom as the leader of Free French forces.

Douglas Bader was named the commanding officer of No. 242 Squadron RAF, flying Hurricane fighters, based at RAF Coltishall at Norwich, England, United Kingdom.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British Blenheim bombers attacked Tobruk in North Africa. Following the raid, Italian Governor-General of Libya Marshal Italo Balbo returned from a reconnaissance flight. Italian anti-aircraft crews, still jumpy from the raid, mis-identified his aircraft for a British bomber and opened fire, killing Balbo. Given Balbo's opposition to Mussolini's alliance with Germany, some believe this friendly fire incident was actually an assassination. Marshal Graziani is appointed to replace him.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Pope Pius XII offered to be a mediator for the warring powers.

Italian destroyers “_Espero_”, “_Zeffiro_” and “_Ostro_” are sighted by air reconnaissance and intercepted by British light cruiser squadron from Alexandria, Egypt. “_Espero_” is sunk in the Ionian Sea, but the other two destroyers escape and continue to Tripoli. British cruiser HMS “_Liverpool_” is hit by a single 4.7 inch shell, cutting the degaussing wire.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-30 sank British ship “_Llanarth_” 250 miles west of Brest, France at 0200 hours. 16 crew are picked up by British corvette HMS “_Gladiolus_” on June 30 and landed at Plymouth. 19 others are rescued by a Spanish trawler and landed at San Sebastian.

British trawler “_Castleton_” became missing in the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland, probably sunk by U-102 which did not return from this patrol.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *The British Dominions Secretary informs the Australian Government that with Italy in the war and France out, Britain could not send a fleet to the Far East. Britain asks Australia for divisions of troops and two squadrons of aircraft for the defence of Malaya.

*EAST AFRICA: *Battle of Moyale: Powerful Italian forces attack small British garrison (King's African Rifles) on Kenya-Ethiopia border.

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## parsifal (Jun 28, 2015)

*26 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
RN Corvettes TRILLIUM and CROCUS







_From Left to Right: "FLOWER CLASS CORVETTE HMS CROCUS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC, WINTER 1940"
Eric Tufnell RN (1888-1979); HMCS TRILLIUM was constructed and initially commissioned into the RN in October 1940. She was transferred along with 9 other Canadian built Flower Class Corvettes in May 1941 to the RCN. _

*Losses*
*MV ALTSANDRO PODESTA (FI 633 grt)* The cargo ship struck a mine in the Med Sea off the north coast of Sardinia and sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.62 sank trawler *CASTLETON (UK 211 grt)* off the Orkneys with the loss of ten crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV CRUZ (or CRUX) (Nor 3828 grt)* Crew: 30 (0 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: 6300 tons of patent fuel Route: Cardiff - Milford Haven - Rio de Janeiro Sunk west of Gibraltar. At 0228 hrs the CRUX, detached from convoy OG-34 the day before, was hit by one torpedo from UA about 300 miles west of Cape St. Vincent. The torpedo struck on the starboard side, abaft the engine room and caused her to sink with a heavy port list after 10 mins. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and was questioned by the Germans. 20 mins after the crew left the ship, a southbound ship passed by very near, but did not see them in the dark. They did not use their flashes to make themselves known, because they thought that the U-boat was still near them. The survivors were picked up by the British steam merchant BRUTUS the following day.





*MV CYGNUS (Ex-Nor (Ger) 1334 grt)* The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk west of Hådyret, Norway by Sub SNAPPER. Some sources say this ship was sunk July 3.





*MV DIMITRIS (Gk 5254 grt) * Crew: unknown, all rescued Cargo: 9028 tons of cereals Route: Argentina - Liverpool Sunk in the SW Approaches. The cargo ship was captured in the Bay of Biscay by U-29 and was scuttled by gunfire. All crew were rescued.





DKM Raider WIDDER captured *tkr KROSSFONN (Nor 9323 grt)* on the Trinidad-Azores track in the Sth Atlantic. Two crew members of the tkr were made pows. The tkr was renamed SPICHERN for German use. 




_Image of the ship whilst in DKM service as the SPICHERN_

*Steamer LOASSO (FI 5968 grt)* was sunk on a mine laid by sub RORQUAL on the 14th off Testa del Gargano, nth of Brindisi in the Adriatic.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*

At Sea 16 June 1940
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-102, UA. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs FURY, VANSITTART, JACKAL, JAGUAR arrived at Rosyth. DDs FURY and VANSITTART escorting MLs PORT NAPIER and PORT QUEBEC departed Rosyth for Loch Alsh, where they arrived on the 28th. DD IMOGEN and sub TALISMAN departed Liverpool for the Clyde, arriving during the forenoon of the 27th. Sub STURGEON departed Blyth on patrol. Fr sub RUBIS, which departed Dundee on the 20th, laid mines in Trondheimsfjord in minelaying mission FD.20. FS.205 departed the Tyne, escort sloops LOWESTOFT, STORK, WESTON and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. DD AMAZON was in the convoy and as she could not steam more than 15 knots was not considered an escort. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th.
MT.96 departed Methil, escort DD VIMERIA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day.

*Northern Waters*
BB VALIANT and DDs FORESTER, FORESIGHT, ESCORT departed Scapa for Gib where they arrived on the 30th. DD ASHANTI departed Scapa to search for a Gladiator of 804 Sqn which crashed 2 miles SE of Pentland Skerries. The search was unsuccessful and the DD returned to Scapa . Temporary Lt (A) H.C. Maudslay RNVR, was lost in the a/c. DD MASHONA departed Scapa for Rosyth.

*West Coast UK*
DDs FERNIE and ATHERSTONE arrived in the Clyde.

*Med- Biscay*
Fr sub NARVAL of SubDiv11, refusing to be demilitarised at Bizerte, arrived at Malta to join British forces. RM sub GLAUCO attacked an allied steamer off Cape Corbelin in the Med. 

*Indian Ocean* 
RM sub GUGLIEMOTTI ran aground on a shoal in the Red Sea. The grounding left GUGLIEMOTTI badly damaged, but she was soon salved. 

*Western Desert*

Italian forces in Tripolitania—facing French troops based in Tunisia began a steady redeployment East to reinfirce the forces in Cyrenaica built around the Italian 10A. This, coupled with the steadily degrading equipment of the British forces led General Archibald Wavell to order an end to raiding and placed the defence of the Egyptian border to a small screening force to be known as Selby Force




M11/39 was the heavy component of the soon to be formed Libyan Tank Command. These examples were captured by the 6 Aus Div at Bardia january 1941. This medium tank was strongly influenced by 1938 British designs, like the Matilda I and Cruiser I.

*Malta*
37 civilians are reported killed and at least 57 wounded in air raids, after a failure of the radar and early warning system. The high casualty toll followed a complete absence of air raid alerts. Damage to a radio mast in severe overnight storms prevented the detection of approaching enemy formations, with the result that no warnings were sounded.


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## parsifal (Jun 28, 2015)

*27 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bar Class Boom defence vessel BARCOTE

*Losses*
*Sub CONSOLE GENERALE LIUZZI (RM 1148 grt) * was forced to the surface by DC attacks then scuttled in combat with DDs DAINTY, DEFENDER, ILEX sth of Crete. Later DDs VOYAGER (RAN) and DAINTY rescued the survivors. 13 ratings were rescued by VOYAGER. The DD was ordered to return to Alexandria and DDs HOSTILE and RAN STUART departed to join the hunt. were taken by VOYAGER from LIUZZI. The DD was ordered to return to Alexandria and HOSTILE and STUART departed to join the hunt. From the CONSOLE GENERALE LIUZZI and sub UEBI SCEBELI, which was sunk by the same group on the 29th, 10 officers and 72 ratings were rescued. 








*Steamer KOLN (Ger 7881 grt) *was lost in stranding near Gavle Sweden, after the ship broke in two.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.47 sank *Tkr LETICIA (NL 2580 grt) * Crew: 32 (2 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: 2568 tons of fuel oil Route: Curaçao – Trinidad – Falmouth Sunk in the SW Approaches 160 miles sw of Fastnet. At 1705 hrs the unescorted and unarmed Leticia was attacked by U-47 with gunfire. Prien showed his exceptional skills when the U-boat was only spotted astern when it opened fire from a distance of about 300 meters. The shelling killed the second engineer, seriously wounded the second mate in the left leg and slightly wounded the master on the right hand. Prien ceased fire after 20 mins when the tkr stopped to allow the crew to abandon ship in both lifeboats, but a crewman fell overboard and drowned during the transfer. After the lifeboats got clear the U-boat recommenced shelling the ship until she sank at 1811 hrs. The 3rd engineer, 4th engineer and a stoker had failed to leave the ship and jumped overboard from the stern. They were picked up by U-47, given dry clothing and schnaps and placed in one of the lifeboats after being questioned. The 3rd engineer had been asked to verify the ship name, as the Germans thought she was either the "Lucita" or "Liseta". First aid materials, some sausages and wine were given to the survivors before the U-boat departed. Not all acts of humanity were by the allies, and "Papa" Prien exemplified the finest traditions of the lore of the sea on many occasions. At sunset HMS HAVELOCK and HMS HURRICANE spotted the lifeboats sailing for the coast of Ireland and the latter picked up the master and 29 crew members. They were landed at Plymouth in the evening of 30 June. 





*steamer LENDA (Nor 4005 grt) * Crew: 8 (1 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo: 1921 standards of timber Route: Halifax - Hull Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 0338 hrs the unescorted LENDA was missed by U-47 with one torp. Then the U-boat began shelling the ship for the next 20 mins until she caught fire. The crew abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat, because the port lifeboat had been damaged by the shelling. The boat stayed near the ship for a while in the hope to find the first mate who was missing. The ship was on fire aft and amidships and the sea entered through holes at the waterline on the port side, so the U-boat left her in this sinking condition. But at dawn, some of the crew reboarded the vessel and they found the first mate dead on the port side of the upper bridge. A workboat was lowered and eight of the men transferred to it, whereupon both boats left and headed for the south of Ireland, just before two explosions were heard, followed by a tall column of fire which appeared to come from the engine room. The LENDA remained afloat for a while on her cargo, but finally sank about 160 miles sw of Fastnet, Ireland. The survivors were picked up in the afternoon by HMS HURRICANE and HMS HAVELOCK and taken to Plymouth on 30 June. 





*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-99

At Sea 27 June 1940
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-102, UA. 
20 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CL BIRMINGHAMwas boiler cleaning and refitting at Rosyth from 27 to 30 June. DD MASHONA arrived at Rosyth. DD FORTUNE departed Sheerness for Rosyth, arriving on the 28th. OA.174 departed Southend on the 27th escort DD VANESSA on 26 and 27 June and corvette CLARKIA on the 27th. FN.206 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON, sloop FLEETWOOD, patrol sloop SHEARWATER. RNoN DD SLEIPNER from the Tyne joined this convoy en route. The convoy arrived at Rosyth on the 29th. FS.206 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIMIERA, sloop LONDONDERRY, patrol sloop MALLARD. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th. MT.97 departed Methil, escorted by WINCHESTER and WOLSEY and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day. 

*Northern Waters*
DDs ASHANTI and COSSACK arrived at Scapa. DDs MAORI and ECHO departed Scapa to undertake ASW Sweeps for a UBoat that had been contacted north of Muckle Flugga, reported damaged at 0700 in an air attack. The reported course was 0030, apparently homebound. This was U.32 which had not been damaged by the attacks undertaken. Armed boarding vessels NORTHERN SUN and NORTHERN ISLES, sub L.23, , four Swordfish from Hatston were also ordered to undertake sweeps. The DDs were recalled on the 28th after failing to make contact and arrived at Scapa. DDs ATHERSTONE and FERNIE and escort vessel GLEANER departed the Clyde to search for a submarine in the Clyde approaches. The ships were advised to return if no contact was made by 0600/28th. The ships arrived back at Greenock on the 28th with no results.

*West Coast UK*
Br steamer CAIRNDALE escort sub tenders BREDA and WHITE BEAR departed the Clyde for Scapa. DD HARVESTER and troopship ARANDORA STAR arrived at Liverpool. 

*Western Approaches*
OB.174 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop ROCHESTER from 27 to 30 June. 

*SW Approaches*
OB.173GF departed Liverpool on the 24th escort DD WITHERINGTON on 24 to 27 June,and merged on the 27th with convoy OA.173GF, which departed Southend on the 24th, as convoy OG.35 with 14 ships. Convoy segments which departed Plymouth and Falmouth on 25 and 26 June also joined. DD WITHERINGTON was then detached to HG.35. Corvette GARDENIA escorted the convoy from 28 June to 1 July. Sloop FOWEY escorted the convoy segment from 25 to 26 June when she was detached to HGZ. DD WISHART joined the convoy after detaching from HGZ on the 28th. OG.35 arrived at Gib on 1 July, escort DD WISHART.

*Channel*
DD BOREAS and ASW trawler GRIMSBY TOWN were ordered to investigate a sub contact 3 miles SE of Dover. This contact was later found to be the wreck of steamer ALBUERA lost on the 24th. DD HIGHLANDER arrived at Plymouth after opns off sthn France.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs DAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER, ILEX, RAN VOYAGER departed Alexandria on an ASW sweep to be followed by a voyage to Malta to escort convoy MA 3 back to Alexandria. DECOY, DEFENDER, ILEX carried stores for Malta. DIAMOND would sail from Malta with this group and escort the two convoys. However, the second half of the operation was cancelled and the convoys were brought away early in early July. These operations led top thge sinking of the RM CONSOLE GENERALE LIUZZI (See loss section)

UK steamer CITY OF CAIRO, carrying AA guns and troops, arrived at Gib, escorted by DDs WITCH and VISCOUNT.

RM DDs ESPERO, OSTRO, ZEFFIRO departed Taranto for Tripoli with 120 tons of ammunition, 10 ATGs, 160 artillerymen. Previously, the 10A divisional sized units were completely lacking in AT defences. 5A was gradually feeding ATG resoruces along the Via Balbia but the rate of transfer was very slow. 

Later that day, DDs PILO and MISSORI departed Taranto for Tripoli with supplies and 52 soldiers.

*Indian Ocean* 
Off the coast of Eritrea near Port Sudan, NZ manned CL LEANDER and DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON shelled beached RM sub MACALLE (see 15 June 1940 for loss listing) and LEANDER's a/c dropped 4 bombs on the sub. This further damage sealed the stranded subs fate. LEANDER and KINGSTON arrived at Aden on the 28th. 

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DURBAN arrived at Singapore.

*Malta*
Swordfish a/c carried out ASW patrol and recon patrols for Italian shipping but found nothing to report.


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## parsifal (Jun 28, 2015)

*28 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Rescue Tug HUDSON - Motor Launches ML 103 and ML 104 

*Losses*
*Steamer ALESSANDRO PODESTA (FI 663 grt)* was sunk on a mine i in Asinara Gulf.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sirena Class* sub ANFITRITE (RM 617 grt)* was bombed by a/c of RAF 230 Sqn and damaged off Tobruk. She was later scuttled. 





Argonauta Class *Sub ARGONAUTA (RM 650 grtr) *The Argonauta-class submarine was attacked and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea off Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya by DDs DAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER, ILEX and RAN VOYAGER.





*Trawler CASTLETON (UK 211 grt) *The trawler was returning from the Grimsby Fishing grounds when it was attacked by a LW Do17z and sunk. Some sources place her loss further north and the attack by a Uboat, specifically U102, but DKM records dont support this claim. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV LLANARTH (UK 5504 grt)* Crew: 35 (0 dead and 35 survivors) Cargo: 7980 tons of flour Route: Melbourne - Leith - Aberdeen Sunk in the SW Approaches. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay by U-30 . The entire crew from the steamer were rescued by Corvette GLADIOLUS. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MARIA (FI 440 grt) *was sunk by RAF 230 sqn attacksd 13 miles nth of Tobruk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PAGANINI (FI 2427 grt)* was lost in the Adriatic after a fire engulfed the ship, killing 147 of the 950 people on board. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*

At Sea 28 June 1940
U-25, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-102, UA. 
20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD FORTUNE and MSW trawler HAZEL departed Methil escorting A/C transport FOSSBECK and cable ship ARIEL. The ships arrived at Scapa on the 29th. FN.207 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIVIEN and patrol sloop PUFFIN. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 30th. FS.207 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WOLSEY and WINCHESTER, sloop EGRET, patrol sloop SHEARWATER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th. MT.98 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day. 

*Northern Waters*
CVE ARGUS was damaged in heavy weather when she was dragged ashore at Reykavik. The carrier was refloated on the 29th with no apparent damage. DDs FURY and VANSITTART escorting MLs PORT QUEBEC and PORT NAPIER arrived at Loch Alsh.

PV WHITE BEAR, escorting steamer SHOALFISHER and oiler CAIRNDALE, attacked a UBoat late on the 28th. The PV expended all her DCs and claimed sinking the contact. DD FORTUNE arrived at Scapa on the 29th. She joined the hunt later on the 29th. 
DD FORTUNE fired three patterns of DCs on this contact before being recalled to Scapa. Sub TAKU departed Rosyth on patrol after exercising in the Firth of Forth. Sub L.26, escort NL TB Z.5, arrived at Scapa. L.26 relieved sub L.23, which in turn, with Z.5 departed Scapa for Rosyth later that day. DD IMOGEN and sub TALISMAN exercised in the Firth of Clyde. 

*Channel*
DD CODRINGTON was ordered to pick up a Hurricane pilot seven miles 270° from Boulogne. The DD was taken under fire from German guns at Boulogne, but no damage was done. The pilot was not located. During the night of 28/29 June, two MTBs from Dover were damaged when they struck wreckage.

*Med- Biscay*
Force H was formed under the command of Vice Adm Sir James F. Somerville at Gib. BB RESOLUTION, which had departed Scapa on the 4 July and arrived off Gib on the 11th escort into port by DDs DOUGLAS and VIDETTE. Fce H on formation was built around CV ARK ROYAL, BC HOOD, DDs FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, FAULKNOR, ESCAPADE and departed Scapa on the 17 June arrived at Gibraltar on the 23 June. Somervilles flag was hoisted over this force on the 30th. DD JERVIS which departed Plymouth on the 26th, en route to the Med Fleet arrived at Gib on the 29th and sailed for Malta on the 30th. She was temporarily attached to Fce H. The structure of the force was constantly changed as the rigours of war placed great strain on RN resources from this point on. BB VALIANT departed Scapa on the 26th with DDs ESCORT, FORESTER, FORESIGHT and arrived at Gib on 2 July. CL ARETHUSA departed Portsmouth on the 28th with Adm Somerville embarked and arrived at Gibraltar on the 30th. he was formally piped aboard the new command that same day. CL ENTERPRISE departed Plymouth on the 29th and arrived at Gib 1 July. At Gibraltar was the DesFlot 13 composed of DDs ACTIVE, WRESTLER, VIDETTE, DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, VORTIGERN, WISHART, VELOX, WATCHMAN which were attached to Force H as required. In July, DDs KEPPEL, DOUGLAS, ACTIVE, WATCHMAN, VORTIGERN, VIDETTE, VELOX departed Gib on 14 July and arrived at Liverpool on 20 July. DDs VIDETTE and VELOX were in England for refitting and eventual return to Gib, but the rest were taken and formed into the 12th Destroyer Flotilla for service with the Home Flt. Destroyer VELOX departed Gibraltar to relieve destroyer WATCHMAN on patrol duty off Casablanca. DD VELOX was relieved by armed yacht SAYONORA which departed Gibraltar on 2 July. 

*DD ESPERO (RM 1070 grt) * were sighted by RAF air recon off Tripoli heading sth. At 1100on the 27th, CLs GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, NEPTUNE, ORION, SYDNEY (RAN) departed Alexandria as part of the escort for AS.1. At 1800, CLs GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL, contacted the Italian force. DD ESPERO was sunk in the Ionian Sea, SW of Crete whilst enroute to Tripoli, but the other two DDs were able to escape and continue to Tripoli. CL LIVERPOOL was struck by a single 4. 7 inch shell which cut the degaussing wire. RAN CL SYDNEY (which had arrived with the other cruisers by this time) attempted to rescue survivors, but RA air attacks forced the efforts to be cancelled. Only 44 crew were picked up by the cruiser. 





The CLs that sank ESPERO were covering allied convoy AS.1 of 11 steamers that had departed Port Helles on the 28th en route from the Dardanelles and Greek ports to Port Said. The convoy was escorted by CL CALEDON and DDs GARLAND and RAN VAMPIRE which departed Alexandria on the evening of the 26th and CL CAPETOWN and DD NUBIAN and MOHAWK which departed Port Said on the 27th. The convoy was covered by BBs ROYAL SOVEREIGN and RAMILLIES, CVL EAGLE, DDs HAVOCK, HASTY, HERO, HEREWARD, HYPERION, JUNO, JANUS , all of which departed Alexandria on the 28th. On 29 June, DD IMPERIAL departed Alexandria to provide additional escort for oilers detaching from the main body and proceeding to Port Said and Haifa. During the afternoon of 30 June, CruSqn 7 with the convoy was attacked by RA bombers. CL NEPTUNE suffered some splinter damage and had 3 crew wounded. After the escort brought the convoy from Cape Helles, Crusqn 7 arrived at Alexandria on the 30th. The BBs, CVL EAGLE, their DDs arrived at Alexandria on 2 July. The convoy arrived that afternoon. 

HG.36 departed Gib with 12 ships, escort DD DOUGLAS which was detached on 2 July. The convoy was escorted by sloop WELLINGTON from 28 June to 7 July. HG.36 arrived at Liverpool on 8 July.

*Malta*
The Admiralty has confirms that there is currently no prospect of sending stores to Malta via Gibraltar. The only Allied access route to the Island will now be from the Eastern Mediterranean. This will require any supplies from the UK travelling the long sea route round the southern tip of Africa.

The Island is currently in urgent need of 100,000 sandbags, 5000 tons of goat fodder, 500 tons of coke and 6000 of coal, and medical stores. The War Office has asked the CinC, Middle East, if he can spare these supplies until replacements can be sent via the Cape.

Within the next six months, it is anticipated that the Island will need a further 23000 tons of supplies for the Army, 10000 tons for the Dockyard and 2000 for the RAF. The relevant ministries in the UK will be notified of the exact requirements, which will be prioritised according to urgency. 

1306-1358 hrs Air raid alert. Two formations of 3 enemy a/c approach the Island at 15000 ft and attack Marsa, Delimara and HMS TERROR. Malta’s ftrs engage the raiders who depart to the SW and SE. 1 enemy a/c is brought down





_C in Cs Middle East L to R: Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham; Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Longmore; General Sir Archibald Wavell_


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## Crimea_River (Jun 28, 2015)

Whew! All caught up! Several days ago, I started back with the beginning of the Norwegian campaign and am now current again. 

Great job guys. Such an impressive volume of work.

Reactions: Like Like:
2 | Like List reactions


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## Njaco (Jun 30, 2015)

*June 29 Saturday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Luftwaffe conducts the first reconnaissance mission over England when a He 111 of Aufklarungsgruppe Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe (AufklGr. Ob.d.L.) flies over the Bristol area. Once the reconnaissance is completed, He 111s from I./KG 27 attack the Bristol docks around 0100 hours.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Catapult: The British Admiralty gives Vice Admiral Somerville explicit instructions to secure the transfer, surrender, or destruction of the French warships at Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria, with no concessions given to the French - they either accept the British terms or face destruction. Force H under his command consisted of battleships HMS “_Valiant_” and HMS “_Resolution_”, battlecruiser HMS “_Hood_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, cruisers HMS “_Arethusa_” and HMS “_Enterprise_”, and 11 destroyers.

*GERMANY:* German submarine U-99 was again subjected to friendly fire. Upon leaving Wilhelmshaven, Germany, she was attacked by a German aircraft with 3 bombs. She dove under the surface to avoid the bombs, but sustained minor damage when she hit the sea floor.

Adolf Hitler arrived at his headquarters at Tannenberg in southern Germany.

Maximilian von Weichs was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal (Ritterkreuz).

The German government publishes the "White Book" which contains details of Allied plans to intervene in the Low Countries.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-boats sink 3 ships Southwest of Ireland. German submarine U-51 sank British decoy ship HMS “_Edgehill_” with three torpedoes southwest of Ireland. German submarine U-47 torpedoed and sank British ship “_Empire Toucan_” southwest of Ireland, which broke in half; 3 were killed and 31 were rescued. Destroyer HMS “_Hurricane_” scuttled the aft portion of the ship which remained afloat. German submarine U-26 sank Greek steamer “_Frangoula B. Goulandris_” southwest of Ireland; 6 were killed and 32 were rescued.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 30, 2015)

*June 30 Sunday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Bristol, England is again the target for night bombing missions of the Luftwaffe. Five He 111s from I./KG 27 take off from Merville shortly after 2230 hours and head for the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and the Bristol docks but the flight is aborted and the bombers return to France. At the same time, one Heinkel He 111 from III./KG 55 leaves the airfield at Villacoublay and succeeds in making it to the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and dropping its load. 

A Heinkel 115 crashed into the sea thirty miles off Whitby due to engine failure during a minelaying sortie at 02.15. The crew were rescued from their dinghy, after 28 hours adrift and landed at Grimsby.

East Hull was to have the first daylight raid in the country, a lone raider, apparently undetected until too late to give a warning, flew over the City from west to east, made a few sporadic attacks on barrage balloons and then dropped sixteen HEs near the Saltend oil depot. The majority of the bombs fell outside the depot, but pieces of shrapnel from one bomb pierced the side of a tank holding about 2,500 tons of petrol, which caught fire. The flames licked the outside of the tank, bringing the temperature of the petrol inside to a dangerous degree, and burning petrol began to flow to a number of adjacent tanks. Water was sprayed on the adjoining tanks to cool them until the arrival of sufficient stocks of foam arrived to quell the fire. Before this was accomplished, quantities of petrol had been drawn off, they saved more than 2,000 tons of petrol in the affected tank. Five George Medals were awarded for bravery during this incident.

A Heinkel He 111 crashed into the sea off Hull at 17.00, following the bombing of the oil tanks there. It was shot down by aircraft of RAF No 616 Squadron. The crew took to their dinghy and were rescued by the destroyer HMS ‘Black Swan' and landed at Harwich.

A Heinkel He 59 landed on the sea eight miles east of Sunderland after being badly damaged by Spitfires. The crew of four were picked up in their dinghy by a cruiser's sea boat. The aircraft was beached and examined for armament. This was possibly the first British violation of a white painted, Red Cross marked aircraft which was on a genuine search and rescue mission. The aircraft's markings were clearly visible and seen by the RAF pilots concerned, who also commented on the fact that no return fire or armament was discernible. After this attack, the Germans camouflaged and re-armed He 59s. By the end of 1940, forty of their air/sea rescue planes had been lost, twenty-five of them shot down by the RAF.

*GERMANY: *General Göring gives final instructions to the Luftwaffe on its upcoming battle with Britain. He states that the air force is;


> ”...to attack the enemy air force by day and night, in the air and on the ground, without consideration of other tasks”.


 Fighter and bomber forces are assigned to the three Luftflotten tasked with destroying the British Air Force. Luftflotte 2 and Luftflotte 3 will operate from France and the Low Countries while Luftflotte 5 will conduct missions from Norway.

German Major General Alfred Jodl writes a memorandum stating that if a strike on Britain fails, the next best place to defeat Britain is in the Mediterranean. He later noted in his diary that the United Kingdom was certain to fall in time, regardless of the fact whether an actual invasion was necessary.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 30, 2015)

*June 30 1940* (_continued_)
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Work on the aircraft carrier _‘Graf Zeppelin’_ slows to the point that the fighter group assigned to it, Tragergruppe 186 is incorporated into a working Geschwader, JG 77, with II(J)./TrGr 186 becoming III./JG 77. Major Heinrich Seeliger is posted as Gruppenkommandeur. The Gruppe prepares to move to Berlin where its pilots will be given captured French Hawk 75s to use in defense of the capital. Many pilots are not happy with the aircraft allocated them. Later in the war, in Italy, the II Gruppe is given Macchi C.205s to fly for a brief period, making them the only Jagdgeschwader to fly two different types of foreign fighters operationally in combat. 

*WESTERN FRONT:* Franco-German-Italian Armistice Commission begins session at Wiesbaden. Surrender of 220,000 French troops cut off in underground fortresses of Maginot Line. With the fighting ended in France, many German prisoners of the French are released from captivity. Among those returning to their units is the Kommodore of KG 51, Oberst Josef Kammhuber, who instead of returning to his Kampfgeschwader, is given a new duty as an Officer with Special Duties of the RLM and Commander-in-Chief Luftwaffe. Also finding freedom is Oberst Alfred Bülowius, the Kommodore of the 1st Instruction-Squadron who was captured earlier in June. 

Fighters from LG 2 intercept one of the first RAF bombing raids across the Channel since the French surrender, shooting down three Blenheims out of nine from RAF No. 107 Squadron that are sent to attack Merville. Two destroyed bombers are credited to Oblt. Herbert Ihlefeld and a third to Obfw. Erwin Clausen. The Blenheims succeed in shooting down Uffz. Rauhut during this action.

German forces occupy the island of Guernsey, the largest of the four Channel Islands and prepare the area for the Luftwaffe to fly sorties against England in the coming invasion. Three German personnel landed on the island in the English Channel by aircraft and demanded surrender from a local policeman. They unofficially received the surrender of the islanders.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-65 and U-43 attacked Allied convoy SL-25 300 files west of Brest, France. At 2227 hours, U-43 sank British ship “_Avelona Star_”; 1 was killed and 84 were rescued. U-65 damaged British ship “_Clan Ogilvy_”, which would need to be towed away. She would remain out of commission until Oct 1940.

German submarine U-47 sank Greek ship “_Georgios Kyriakides”_ west of Ireland. All 30 crew members survived.

German submarine U-26 sank Estonian ship “_Merkur_” (killing 4) and Norwegian ship “_Belmoira_” (all 25 crew members survived) off of France.

Heavy cruiser USS “_Wichita_”, with Commander Cruiser Division Seven Rear Admiral Andrew C. Pickens aboard, arrived at Montevideo, Uruguay, joining USS “_Quincy_” that was already there. The visit was; "


> …to furnish a reminder of the strength and the range of action of the armed forces of the United States".



*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Rubino_” is sunk by Short Sunderland flying boats of RAF 201 Group in the Ionian Sea between Italy and Greece. RAF flying boats pick up some survivors. Off Tobruk, Italian submarine “_Sirena_” is damaged by Short Sunderlands of RAF 230 Squadron. West of Crete, Italian submarines “_Uebi Scebeli_” and “_Salpa_” are damaged by British destroyers HMS “_Dainty_”, “_Ilex_”, “_Defender_” and “_Voyager_”. “_Uebi Scebeli_” sinks slowly and the crew is rescued by HMS “_Dainty_”.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2015)

* 29 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
T Class Sub TALISMAN




_HM Submarine TALISMAN returning home February 1942, after a successful Med cruise_

*Losses*
*MV FRANGOULA GOULANDRIS ( Gk 6701 grt)* Crew: 38 (6 dead and 32 survivors). Cargo: Ballast Route: Queenstown, Cork - St. Thomas Sunk in the SW Approaches . The unescorted vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-26 sw of Ireland.





*Special service Vessel WILLAMETTE VALLEY (RN 4724 grt)* Disguised as the MV EDGEHILL, the Q-ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean sw of Ireland by U-51 with the loss of 66 of her 93 crew. The survivors were rescued by INVERLEE.





*MV EMPIRE TOUCAN (UK 4127 grt) * Crew: 34 (3 dead and 31 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Garston - Port Sulphur, Louisiana Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 0515 hrs, U-47 stopped the unescorted EMPIRE TOUCAN with the last 5 rnds of the deck gun about 190 miles sw of Fastnet, . At 05.38 hours, the U-boat fired one torpedo that hit aft and broke the ship in two. Prien admired the courage of the radio operator who continued to transmit position and situation reports even after the torpedo hit. Both radio officers and a greaser were lost. The forepart was later scuttled by gunfire by DD HURRICANE, which picked up the master and 30 crew members and landed them at Plymouth.





*HNoMS MTB No. 6 ( RNoN 100 grt)* The Vosper 60 foot-class Motor Torpedo Boat was sunk in a storm off Beachy Head.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-48 
Wilhelmshaven: U-25 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-56 

At Sea 29 June 1940 1940
U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-102, UA. 
19 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs JAVELIN and JUPITER arrived in the Humber. NL subs O.21 and O.22 arrived at Rosyth from Dundee. Sub L.23 and NL TB Z.5 arrived at Dundee from Scapa. DDs EXPRESS, INTREPID, ICARUS with MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER departed the Humber and conducted minelaying opn BS.19 during the night of 29/30 June. FN.208 departed Southend, escort sloops LOWESTOFT, STORK, WESTON, PVs GUILLEMOT. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on 1 July. FS.208 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 July.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON departed the Clyde escort DDs FURY and FAME and RCN DDs ST LAURENT and SKEENA for Gib, however on 1 July the orders were rescinded and the ships returned to Scapa. CLA COVENTRY departed the Tyne for Scapa where she arrived on the 30th.

*West Coast UK*
DD IMOGEN departed the Clyde for Liverpool arriving on the 30th. PV GLEANER arrived at Belfast. DD WALKER departed Greenock at 1400 with Br steamers CITY OF AUCKLAND , CITY OF FLORENCE , MARINA , DALLINGTON COURT , LYCAON for Belfast. WALKER then returned to the Clyde. Sub NARWHAL departed Blyth for Immingham.

*Western Approaches*
OA.176 departed Southend escort DD WOLVERINE and corvette GARDENIA on 1 and 2 July when they were detached to HX.52. Corvettes HEARTEASE and ARABIS escorted the convoy on 1 July. OB.176 departed Liverpool escort sloop SCARBOROUGH from 29 June to 2 July and DD VANOC on the 30th. The convoy was dispersed on 2 July. DD VANOC returned to Liverpool on 1 July and sloop SCARBOROUGH to HX.52.

*Channel*
DD GRIFFIN arrived at Dover at 0618 to join DesFlot 1. ASW trawler WELLARD was attacked by DKM S Boats 14 miles east of Beachy Head at 0200. DD CODRINGTON was ordered to search for these boats. At 0658, DD CODRINGTON 1 mile from Folkestone Gate Light Vessel was attacked by a single LW He111. No damage or casualties were sustained. At 0430, DD BRILLIANT on OD.3 (Dungeness Patrol) investigate Very Lights four miles 135° from the Coast Guard Station at Sandgate.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.54 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA which departed Halifax on ASW duties early on the 29th. The local escort turned the convoy over to AMC RAJPUTANA at 2115 and arrived back at Halifax on the 30th. The AMC was detached on 4 July. BHX.54 departed Bermuda on the 28th escort ocean escort AMC ASCANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.54 on 3 July and the AMC was detached. 
On 11 July, DDs HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, WANDERER and sloop SANDWICH joined the convoy. DDs HARVESTER and WANDERER were detached. DD HAVELOCK was detached on 13 July. Sloop SANDWICH arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 14 July.

*Central Atlantic*
DD DOUGLAS, with convoy HG.36, stopped 3 Fr armed trawlers bound for Casablanca, but was unable to persuade them to proceed to Gib. Two Fr DDs, apparently for the same destination were also sighted. 

*Med- Biscay*
Sirena Class *Sub RUBINO (RM 680 grt) * was sunk by flying boats of RAF 201 Gp in the Ionian Sea . The flying boat picked up some survivors.





RM sub SIRENA was damaged by a/c from RAF 230 Sqn off Tobruk. 

Adua Class *sub UEBI SCEBELI (RM 680 grt)* was forced to the surface after 14 hrs of continuous DC attack and surrendered. The ship was heavily damaged. She was scuttled . The DC attacks were carried out by DDs DAINTY, ILEX, DEFENDER, and RAN VOYAGER west of Crete. Sister Sub SALPA was damaged in the same combat, but managed to escape. The crew of the sunken sub was rescued by destroyer DAINTY which arrived in Alexandria on the 30th.





_THE CREW OF THE ITALIAN SUBMARINE UEBI SCEBELI ABANDON SHIP AFTER THEIR SUBMARINE HAS BEEN FORCED TO THE SURFACE. HMS DAINTY APPROACHES TO TAKE OFF SURVIVORS_

A large number of secret documents were recovered by RAN VOYAGER. The DD was ordered to return to Alexandria and DDs HOSTILE and STUART cleared Alex to join the sweeps. DDs STUART and HOSTILE departed Alexandria to hunt subs nth of Derna. Early on 1 July, the DDs attacked a sub contact without result. Both DDs arrived back at Alexandria on 2 July.

RM sub BEILUL conducted a recce of the Med Flt at Alexandria.

*Indian Ocean* 
WS.1, consisting of liners AQUITANIA and MAURETANIA departed Liverpool for the Indian Ocean and ultimately North Africa, via Capetown, escorted by CA CUMBERLAND. Liner QUEEN MARY departed the Clyde escort DDs ATHERSTONE and FERNIE and joined the convoy at sea. The two DDs returned to Liverpool. Local escort was given by DDs HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, VOLUNTEER, WHIRLWIND. The two H's were detached to Plymouth and the two V's to Liverpool. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 8 July and departed on 9 July. The convoy safely arrived at Capetown on 16 July and departed Simonstown on 19 July. CA KENT departed Durban on 20 July to rendezvous with the convoy sth of Durban. On 21 July, KENT relieved CA CUMBERLAND. The convoy safely arrived at Trincomalee on 28 July.

*Malta*
The Governor and Commander in Chief (Malta) signalled the War Office that Malta’s air defences must be strengthened if the Island is to survive. In an urgent cipher telegram he wrote that, following the fall of France, he anticipates an increase in Italian attacks on Malta, as Mussolini seeks complete control of the Mediterranean.

Malta at that date had only 4 serviceable Hurricanes along with the 2 Gladiators which have been in action since the onset of hostilities and were fast wearing out. Lt Gen Dobbie stated that only by inflicting significant damage enemy attackers can he foresee deterring further heavy air raids. To achieve this, Malta needs more fighter aircraft and personnel to service them. 

He added that the arrival of additional air forces would strengthen the morale of the civilian population who have already been placed under a considerable strain by the bombing of the past 3 weeks.


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2015)

*30 June 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Serie IX Bis (Stalinec) Class Subs S-7 and S-8




Allied
Fairmile A Motor Launch ML 107




_ML 105 was a sister ship to ML 107_

*Losses*
*MV ADMIRAL WILEY (US 3514 grt)* The cargo ship ran aground on Kitava, Papua New Guinea and was wrecked.





*MV AVELONA STAR (UK 13376 grt)* Crew: 85 (3 dead and 84 survivors) Cargo: 5630 tons of frozen meat and 1000 tons of oranges Route: Buenos Aires - Freetown - London. Sunk in the SW Approaches, whilst attached to SL 36. AVELONA STAR was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean 350 miles SW of Land's End by U-43 with the loss of three crew. The survivors were rescued by BEIGNON (UK) and HMS DUNVEGAN CASTLE. AVELONA STAR sank the next day.





*MV BELMOIRA (Nor 3214 grt) *Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Dakar to Southampton. Sunk in the SW Approaches. The BELMOIRA was hit amidships on the starboard side by a torpedo from U-26, broke in two and sank very quickly about 250 miles SW of Lands End. The survivors in the lifeboats were questioned by the Germans and then set sail heading NE. They were soon offered help by the Br MV SHERIDAN heridan, but as that ship was en route to Brazil they continued in the lifeboats. The SHERIDAN notified the Sp trawlers MIGUEL VEIGA and WEYLER N°2 nearby, which picked them up and on 2 July landed them at La Coruña, Spain.





*MV MERKUR (Est 1291 grt)* Crew: 17 (4 dead and 13 survivors) Cargo: Pit props (Timbers for Mineshaft supports) Route: Lisbon - Brit west Coast Sunk in the SW Approaches. t 1930 hrs the unescorted and unarmed MERKUR was hit by one torpedo from U-26 and sank about 232 miles west of Ushant. 4 crew members were lost. On 2 July, the survivors, 11 men and 2 women, were picked up from a lifeboat by Corvette GARDENIA and landed at Greenock.





*MV GEORGIOS KYRIAKIDES (Gk 4201 grt)* Crew: 30 (0 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: 7243 tons of sugar Route: Jamaica - Liverpool. Sunk in the SW Approaches. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean SW of Ireland by U-47 . 





*Sailing Vessel MARY A WHITE (US 100 grt (est))* The schooner foundered in Massachusetts Bay, United States.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 30 June 1940 1940
U-26, U-28, U-29, U-30, U-32, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-61, U-62, U-65, U-99, U-102, UA. 
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
Major DKM surface warships operational at this time were CA ADMIRAL HIPPER, CLs KOLN and NURNBERG, and DDs SCHOEMANN, LODY, IHN, GALSTER.

*North Sea*
After temporary repairs at Rosyth, mine damaged CL BELFAST, escorted by DDs GALLANT and WALPOLE, departed Rosyth on the 28th and arrived at Plymouth on the 30th for repairs. Sub SNAPPER unsuccessfully attacked a UBoat 27 miles from Lister. Sub SEVERN unsuccessfully attacked a northbound DKM DD. Although SEVERN signalled the sighting , the signal was overlooked and no action was taken to mount an airstrike from Hatston until 0030 on 1 July and then it was too late. Sub NARWHAL arrived at Immingham and departed the same day for minelaying operation FD.21 SW of Trondheim. The minefield was laid on 4 July. Fr sub RUBIS arrived at Dundee after minelaying mission FD.20 and a patrol off Peterhead on 29/30 June. A Swordfish of 812 Sqn, based on PEREGRINE, were shot down over Holland on a minelaying mission and the crew taken prisoner. FN.209 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA, sloop LONDONDERRY, and PV SHELDRAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 2 July. MT.99 departed Methil, escort sloops BLACK SWAN, HASTINGS and patrol sloop GUILLEMOT, and arrived in the Tyne the next day.

*West Coast UK*
DD WALKER arrived in the Clyde.

*Channel*
Steamer HELDER (UK 979 grt) was damaged by DKM S Boats off St Catherine's Pt. 

*Med- Biscay*
CLs CALEDON, CAPETOWN and DDs GARLAND, RAN VAMPIRE, NUBIAN, MOHAWK,arrived at Alexandria after covering a convoy from Cape Helles.
DDs FAULKNOR and FEARLESS departed Gib to establish a patrol off Oran to report any French ships attempting to proceed to the west. They were ordered to return to Gib on 1 July. RM sub CORRIDONI departed Italy with supplies for the Tobruk.

*Indian Ocean* 
RAN CL HOBART departed Aden escorting armed boarding vessel CHANTALA carrying 690 troops to Berbera where they arrived safely on 1 July
An invasion of Br Somaliland was by this point imminent.

*Malta*
0940–1015 hrs Air raid alert for two formations, each of 4 SM79 aircraft, which fly over the Island, dropping a total of 42 bombs. 2 Hurricane aircraft are scrambled but are unable to intercept. One formation crosses the Island from Marsascala, dropping bombs on San Pawl tat Targa seriously wounding a farmer, another near a water reservoir at Naxxar, four on roads between Birkirkara and Mosta and six near Ta Qali reservoir, wounding five civilians. The raiders turn and head for St Paul’s Bay, dropping their remaining bombs in the sea. The second formation comes in from Grand Harbour, dropping bombs on San Pietru, Kalkara and San Rocco, then head for Hal Far, dropping some 17 bombs, and on to Mqabba and Zurrieq before crossing the coast south of Dingli. Two civilians are killed and four wounded.




_SM 79s over Malta_


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses June 1940(Part I)*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
DD HAVANT (RN 1400 grt), DD BASILISK (RN 1337 grt), MSW SKIPJACK (RN 785 grt), ASW trawler ARGYLLSHIRE (RN 540 grt), MSW STELLA DORADO (RN 550grt), Gunboat MOSQUITO (RN 585 grt), Yacht GRIVE (RN 687 grt, MSW BRIGHTON QUEEN (RN 550 grt), ST FAGAN (RN 350 grt), ASW trawler BLACKBURN ROVERS (RN 422 grt), ASW trawler WESTELLA (RN 550 grt), Hospital ship PARIS (RN 1790 grt), LCM 12 (RN 36 grt), LCM 22 (RN 36 grt), HMS EDWARD NISSEN (RN 1500 grt (est)), LCM 17 (RN 36 grt), AMC CARINTHIA (RN 20277 grt), ASW trawler JUNIPER (RN 550 grt), CV GLORIOUS (RN 22500 grt), DD ACASTA (RN 1360 grt), DD ARDENT (RN 1337 grt), armed boarding vessel VANDYCK (RN 13,241 grt), MSW trawler SISAPON (RN 326 grt), CL CALYPSO (RN 5150 grt), sub ODIN (RN 1475 grt), AMC SCOTSTOUN (RN 17046), Drifter OCEAN SUNLIGHT (RN 131 grt), MSW trawler MYRTLE (RN 550 grt), AMC ANDANIA (RN 13950 grt), Sub GRAMPUS, (RN 1520 grt), Sub ORPHEUS (RN 1475 grt), HMS CAPE HOWE (RN 4443 grt), Drifter CHARDE (RN 99 grt), ASW yacht CAMPEADOR V (RN 195 grt), Tug CORINGA (RN 294 grt), DD KHARTOUM (RN 1690 grt), Special service Vessel WILLAMETTE VALLEY (RN 4724 grt), Drifter LORD CAVAN (RN 96 grt)

PV PATHAN (RIN 1345 grt), 

DD FRASER (RCN 1375 grt), 

DD FOUDROYANT (Fr 1378 grt), Aux MSW DENIS PAPIN (Fr 309 grt), MSW LA MOUSSAILLON (Fr 38 grt), MSW VENUS (Fr 264 grt), Aux MSW EMIL DESCHAMPS (Fr 348 grt), PV PURFINA (Fr 603 grt), Aux MSW EMIL DESCHAMPS (Fr 348 grt), Aux MSW NOTRE DAMES DES DUNES (Fr 481 grt), Aux MSW MADELEINE LOUISE (Fr 464 grt), PV PATRICE II (Fr 247 grt), MSW LA BRETONNIERE (Fr 628 grt), Aux PV ETIENNE RIMBERT (Fr 197 grt), Aux sloop CERONS (Fr 350 grt (est), Aux MSW MARTHE ROLAND (Fr 85 grt), aux HDV REINES DES FLOTS (Fr 100 grt (est)), Sub MORSE (Fr 947 grt), MSW MURMANSK (Fr 348 grt), sloop VAUQUOIS (Fr 850 grt), BB CLEMENCEAU (Fr 43293 grt), DD CYCLONE (Fr 1319 grt), sub PASTEUR (Fr 1384 grt), sub ACHILLE (Fr 1384 grt), sub OUESSANT (Fr 1384 grt), sub AGOSTA (Fr 1384 grt), sloop ETOURDI (Fr 1025 grt), Aux PV MOUETTE (Fr 1205 grt), Aux ML ALEXIS DE TOCQUEVILLE (Fr 1256 grt), aux MSWs INGENIEUR REIBEL (Fr 675 grt), ROCHE NOIRE (Fr 208 grt), SC CH-16 (Fr 107 grt), gunboat ENSEIGNE HENRY (Fr 453 grt), aux MSWs KERGROISE (Fr 261 grt), aux MSW PLUVOISE (Fr 150 grt), Aux MSW MARQUITTA (Fr 74 grt), aux MSW GAULOIS (Fr 301 grt), Sub ROLAND MORILLOT (Fr 1817 grt), sub LE MARTINIQUE (Fr 1817 grt), sub LA PRAYA (Fr 1817 grt), Aux PV MERCEDITA (Fr 500 grt (est)), TB LE FIER (Fr 1443 grt), TB L'ENTREPENANT (Fr 1443 grt), corvette LA BASTIAISE (Fr 900 grt), PV LA CHERBOURGEOISE (Fr 350 grt (est)), Sloop BEAUTEMPS BEAUPRE (Fr 1475 grt), Aux PV SAINT MARGUERITE (Fr 48 grt), 

Sub B.3 (Nor 545 grt), HNoMS MTB No. 6 ( RNoN 100 grt), 

sub O.13 (NE 568 grt), 

(121003(RN)), (86440 (Fr)), ( 645 (RNoN)), ( (RNeN)), (1375 (RCN)), (1345 (RIN)); (Total 210808 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
Trawler GREYNIGHT (UK 96 grt), Steamer BARON SALTOUN (UK 3404 grt), Tug ST ABBS (UK 496 grt), Steamer SCOTIA (UK 3454 grt), AK ORFORD (UK 20,043 grt), Yacht AMULREE (UK 89 grt), Drifter FAIR BREEZE (UK 92 grt), Sailing barges LARK (Uk 67 grt), ROYALTY (UK 101 grt), Sail barges DUCHESS (UK 72 grt), LADY ROSEBERRY (UK 109 grt), Sailing barge DORIS (UK 83 grt), Sailing barges BARBARA JEAN (UK 144 grt) and ETHEL EVERAND (UK 190 grt), Sailing barge AIDIE (UK 92 grt), FV RENOWN (UK 9 grt), Boom carrier ASTRONOMER (UK 8401 grt), Trawler SLASHER (UK 195 grt), Tug FOSSA (UK 105 grt), blockships EDV. NISSEN (UK 2062 grt), WESTCOVE (UK 2735 grt), HOLLAND (UK 1251 grt), Trawler GREYNIGHT (UK 96 grt), steamer POLYKARP (UK 3577 grt), MV WINGA (UK 1478 grt), SS WESTCOVE (UK 2735 grt), SS HOLLAND (UK 1251 grt), blockships GOURKO (UK 1975 grt), MOYLE (UK 1791 grt), PACIFICO (UK 687 grt), Drifter OCEAN LASSIE (UK 96 grt), MV RIVER HUMBER (UK 351 grt), MV STANCOR (UK 798 grt), Trawler LAPWING (UK 217 grt), Steamer CAPABLE (UK 216 grt), Coaster SWEEP II (UK 145 grt), Steamer HARCALO (UK 5081 grt), MV FRANCIS MASSEY (UK 4212 grt), Steamer HARDINGHAM (UK 5415 grt), Tkr OIL PIONEER (5666grt), Troopship ORAMA (UK 19,840 grt), Drifter DEWEY EVE (UK 109 grt), Steamer DULWICH (UK 4102 grt), Trawler RIVER NESS (UK 203 grt), blockships JACOBUS (UK 1262 grt), blockship KAUPO (UK 2420 grt), blockship RIVER TYNE (UK 1525 grt), Troopship BRUGES (UK 2949 grt), Steamer ST RONAIG (UK 509 grt), MV EARLSPARK (UK 5250 grt, MV BARBARA MARIE (UK 4223 grt), Steamer WILLOWBANK (UK 5041 grt), Tug TWENTE (UK 239 grt), tkr BRITISH PETROL (UK 6891 grt), Tkr BRITISH INVENTOR (UK 7101 grt), MV WELLINGTON STAR (UK 13212 grt), troopship LANCASTRIA (UK 16,243 grt), Tug ATHLETE (UK 350 grt (est)), Steamer TEIRESIAS (UK 7405 grt), Steamers HESTER (UK 1199 grt), RONWYN (UK 1766 grt) MV DIDO (UK 3554 grt), Steamer NIAGARA (UK 13,415 grt), MV BARON LOUNDOUN (UK 3164 grt), Steamer ROSEBURN (UK 3103 grt), THE MONARCH (UK 824 grt), Steamer BRITISH MONARCH (UK 5661 grt), MV EMPIRE CONVEYOR (Ex-Ger (UK) 5911 grt), MV OTTERPOOL (UK 4876 grt), Steamer STESSO (UK 2290 grt), Steamer LUFFWORTH (UK 279 grt), MV KUFRA (UK 2724 grt), Tkr ALBUERA (UK 3477 grt), Steamer KINGFISHER (UK 276 grt), Tkr SARANAC (UK 12049 grt), MV WINDSORWOOD (UK 5395 get), CASTLETON (UK 211 grt), MV CRUZ (or CRUX) (Nor 3828 grt), Trawler CASTLETON (UK 211 grt) MV LLANARTH (UK 5504 grt), MV EMPIRE TOUCAN (UK 4127 grt), MV AVELONA STAR (UK 13376 grt), MV BALMORALWOOD (UK 5834 grt), Tkr YARRAVILLA (UK 8627 grt), 

Steamer CHELLA (Fr 8920 grt), Trawler EMMA (Fr 255 grt), Trawler MARECHAL FOCH (Fr 103 grt), Steamer BRUGES (Fr 2949 grt), Steamer GENERAL METZINGER (Fr 9345 grt), Steamer NIOBE (Fr 1684 grt), Steamer SWALLOW (Fr 209grt), Steamer INNISULVA (Fr 264 grt), Steamer TRAIN FERRY No. 6 (Fr (?) 2678 grt), LA COUBRE (Fr 150 grt (est)), MV CAPITAINE MAURICE EUGENE (Fr 4499 grt), Steamer CHAMPLAIN (Fr 28,124 grt), Tug LUTTEUR (Fr 350 GRT (est)), tkr DORDORGNE (Fr 7333 grt), tug LA VALETTE (Fr 100 grt), water carrier ONDINE II (Fr 150 grt (est)), Tkr BRUMAIRE (Fr 7638 grt), Liner MEXIQUE (Fr 12,220 grt), Trawler LE TANCHE (Fr 277 grt), Liner FOUCAULD (Fr 11,028 grt), Steamer MECANICIEN PRINCIPAL CARVIN (Fr 4282 grt), Tkr SAN FERNANDO (UK 13056 grt), Tkr MONIQUE (Fr 7011 grt), Steamer AMIENOIS (Fr 3713 grt), 

Tug ELBE (Be 150 grt), FVs ONZE LIEVE VROUW VAN VLAANDEREN (Be 39 grt), GETUIGT VOR CHRISTUS (Be 39 grt), ANNA LEOPOLD (Be 52 grt), Liner ALBERTVILLE (Be 11,047 grt) and Steamer PIRIAPOLIS (Be 7340 grt), Steamer YVONNE (Be 668 grt), Liner VILLE DE NAMUR (Be 7463 grt), MV LUXEMBOURG (Be 5809 grt), 

Steamer PRINS OLAV (Nor 2147 grt), Steamer ARIADNE (Nor 2029 grt), Steamer ELLAVORE (Nor 1302 grt), Tkr ORKANGER (Nor 8029 grt), tkr ITALIA (Nor 9973 grt), tkr JAMES STOVE (Nor 8215 grt), Steamer KOMET (Nor 1147 grt), MV ALTAIR (Nor 1522 grt), steamer JACOB CHRISTENSEN (Nor 3594 grt), steamer TROPIC SEA (Nor 5781 grt), MV TUDOR (Nor 6607 grt), Steamer RANDSFJORD (Nor 3999 grt), Tkr ELI KNUDSEN (Nor 9026 grt), steamer LENDA (Nor 4005 grt), MV BELMOIRA (Nor 3214 grt)

Coastal steamer PRINSES JULIANA (Ne 198 grt), Steamer ABEL TASMAN (Ne 314 grt), Tkr MOORDRECHT (Ne 7493 grt), MV BERENICE (Ne 1177 grt), Tkr LETICIA (NL 2580 grt), 

steamer ERIK BOYE (Den 2238 grt), 

290238 (UK), 113282 (Fr), 32607 (Be), 70590 (Nor), 11762 (Ne), 2238 (Den)
520777 grt (lMercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: 737585 grt

*New Construction 2nd Qtr 1940*
204000 tons 

*Prizes captured *
MV ADIGE (FI 2189 grt), MV AMELIA LAURO (FI 5335 grt), MV ANDREA (FI 5152 grt), MV ANGELINA LAURO (FI 5787 grt), MV BARBANA C. (FI 6161 grt), MV CALABRIA (FI 9515 grt), MV CELLINA (FI 6140 grt), MV ELIOS (FI 5202 grt), MV ERICA (FI 4704 grt), MV ESQUILINO (FI 8657 grt), MV ELICE (FI 5639 grt), MV GABBIANO (FI 6584 grt) MV GIOACCHINO LAURO (FI 5345 grt), MV LIBANO (FI 5192 grt), MV MARZOCCO (FI 5106 grt), MV MINCIO (FI 5404 grt), MV MONTE PIANA (FI 5890 grt), MV MOSCARDIN (FI 4374 grt), MV MUGNONE (FI 5213 grt), MV PAMIA (FI 6245 grt), MV PELLICE (FI 5360 grt), MV POLLENZO (FI 6470 grt), MV PROCIDA (FI 5366 grt), MV RODI (FI 3320 grt), MV VERBANIA (FI 6640 grt),
Mercantile Tonnage seized: 140990

Sub GALILEI (RM 920 grt)

*Neutral shipping*
Tkr JAMES MCGEE (Pan 9859 grt), MV CATHRINE (Pan 1885 grt), 

MV IOANNA (Gk 950 grt), MV PERRAKKIS L CAMBANIS (Gk 3584 grt), Steamer MAX WOLF (Gk 6694 grt), MV MOUNT HYMETTUS (GK 5820 grt), Steamer VIOLANDO N. GOULANDRIS (Gk 3598 grt), Steamers ZINOVIA (GK 2975grt) and MAKIS (Gk 3546 grt), MV ANTONIS GEORGANDIS (Gk 3557 grt), MV MOUNT MYRTO (Gk 5403 grt), MV ELPIS (Gk 3651 grt), MV ADAMANDIOS GEORGANDIS (Gk 3433 grt), Steamer ADAMANTIOS (Gk 4277 grt), MV NEION (Gk 5154 grt), MV DIMITRIS (Gk 5254 grt), MV FRANGOULA GOULANDRIS ( Gk 6701 grt), MV GEORGIOS KYRIAKIDES (Gk 4201 grt), 

MV SNABB (FN 2317 grt), MV MARGARETA (FN 2155 grt), MV SARMATIA ( FN 2417 grt), MV HILDA (FN 1144 grt), 

Liner REMO (It 9870 grt), Steamer AVVENIRE (It 957 grt), Steamer ANGIULLIN (It 873 grt), 

KJELL BILLNER (SD 1106 grt), MV TILIA GORTHON (Sd 1776 grt), steamer ELGO (Sd 1888 grt), Steamer SONJA (Sd 1828 grt), 

trawler SALVORA (Sp 108 grt) Trawler NUEVO ONS (Sp 108 grt), 

MV LABUD (Yu 5334 grt), 

MV ADMIRAL WILEY (US 3514 grt), Sailing Vessel MARY A WHITE (US 100 grt (est))

MV MERKUR (Est 1291 grt),

11744 (Pan), 68798 (Gk), 8033 (FN), 11700 (It), 6598 (Sd), 216 (Sp), 5334 (Yu), 1291 (Est), 3614 (US)
117328 (Total)


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## Njaco (Jul 1, 2015)

*July 1 Monday*
*GERMANY: *Operation Seelöwe (Sealion), a plan for the invasion of Britain, was first mentioned by the German General Staff.

The rest period continues as the Bf 109s of the III Gruppe of JG 26 are transferred from Monchen-Gladbach to Doberitz to prevent any interference with victory celebrations in Berlin. Major Dr. Erich Mix and his III./JG 2 are relocated to Frankfurt / Rhein-Main.

At Deelen-Arnhem and Monchen-Gladbach airfields, the new night-fighting Gruppen of NJG 1 are formed. The Staffeln of I Gruppe are as follows: The 1./NJG 1 is moved to II./NJG 1 to become 5./NJG 1 and 10./ZG 26 becomes the new 1./NJG 1. The 2./ZG 1 becomes 2./NJG 1 and 3./ZG 1 becomes 3./NJG 1. The fighters of II Gruppe become the new III Gruppe and is reformed with 4./NJG 1 from Stab./KG 30, 5./NJG 1 from 1./NJG 1 while the 6 Staffel is completely new. The I Gruppe is led by Hptm. Günther Radusch flying Bf 110s, II Gruppe is led by Hptm. Karl-Heinrich Heyse flying Bf 110s and Do 17Zs and III Gruppe is led by Hptm. Conrad von Bothmer flying Bf 109Ds. Oberst Wolfgang Falck is made Kommodore.

There is another change for a Luftwaffe unit that has the unique position of using almost every major type of aircraft used by the Luftwaffe. Hptm. Wilhelm Kern is appointed the Gruppenkommandeur of I./LG 1 in place of Major Eduard Teske. The unit uses He 111s on operations flying out of Düsseldorf but soon move to Lille, joining II and III./LG 1 and begin using Ju 88 medium bombers. Since forming in Barth in 1938 using Bf 109Ds, the Geschwader has operated the Bf 109 single-engined fighter, the Bf 110 twin-engined Zerstörer and the He 111 and Ju 88 medium bombers.

Another new unit is formed using components of several Luftwaffe units. Erprobungsgruppe(Epr.Gr) 210 is formed in Köln-Ostheim flying Bf 110C and D models and the Bf 109E. The units used for this new group are 1./ZG 1 which becomes the 1./Epr.Gr 210, 3./StG 77 becoming 2./Epr.Gr 210 and the carrier unit 4./TrGr 186 becoming 3./Epr.Gr 210. Hptm. Walter Rubensdörffer is posted as Gruppenkommandeur.

Along with the new fighter units, the Kampfgeschwader also expand. Stab./KG 40 is formed flying He 111s out of Bordeaux-Merignac with Oblt. Geisse appointed as Kommodore. The Stab joins with I./KG 40 and their Fw 200 four-engined bombers, converted transports from Lufthansa that have the longest operational range of any aircraft the Luftwaffe currently has. 

The Kommodore of KG 76, Oberst Stephan Fröhlich is promoted to Generalmajor.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German troops landed on the island of Guernsey off the French coast, meeting no opposition. German forces also took Jersey, completing the occupation of the Channel Islands. Albrecht Lanz was declared the military governor of the Channel Islands.

Marshal Philippe Pétain's government moved to from Bordeaux to Vichy, France. Pétain’s administration will henceforth be known as Vichy France.

US Ambassador to France William C. Bullitt met with French Marshal Philippe Pétain, who ensured that orders had been given;


> "…to every captain of the French Fleet to sink his ship rather than permit [it] to fall into German hands".


Later on the same day, Bullitt visited French Admiral François Darlan, who noted that French ships had been ordered to sail for Martinique and Guantanamo should there be a risk that the Germans would gain the French fleet, and if sailing not possible, the ships would be scuttled.

Germany requested neutral nations to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Luxembourg.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* By this date, about 900,000 tons of Allied shipping had been sunk by German U-boats in 6 months of war.

German submarines attacked various Allied ships off the French coast. At 0400 hours, 300 miles West of Brest, France, U-30 sinks British MV “_Beignon_” carrying 8816 tons of wheat in convoy SL-36 (6 die, including 3 survivors from SS “_Avelona Star_” rescued yesterday). 30 crew and 81 “_Avelona Star_” survivors are picked up by destroyers HMS “_Vesper_” and HMS “_Windsor _“and landed at Plymouth. In the same convoy, U-102 sinks British SS “_Clearton_” (8 crew lost). U-102 is sunk by British destroyer HMS “_Vansittart_” with depth charges (all 43 hands lost). HMS “_Vansittart_” then picks up 26 survivors from the “_Clearton_” and lands them at Plymouth. In the same area, U-65 sinks Dutch SS “_Amstelland_” (1 dead, 39 survivors) and U-29 sinks Greek SS “_Adamastos_” (all 25 crew survive). Meanwhile U-26 damages British steamer “_Zarian_” in convoy OA-175. U-26 is depth charged by corvette HMS “_Gladiolus_” and then bombed on the surface by Flight Leader W.N. Gibson in an Australian Sunderland aircraft (10 Squadron, RAAF). Unable to dive, U-26 is scuttled (all 48 crew are rescued and became POWs). Gibson will receive the Distinguished Flying Cross.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 1, 2015)

*July 1 Monday* (_continued_)
*UNITED KINGDOM:* German bombers began a campaign against British industrial centers, beginning with a daylight raid on Hull, England and Wick, Scotland, killing 12 and wounding 22.

British RAF Fighter Command chief Hugh Dowding's son Derek became a pilot with the RAF No. 74 Squadron.

Quintin Brand was promoted to the temporary rank of air vice marshal.

Winston Churchill recorded in his diary that during a meeting with the US Ambassador, Joseph Kennedy had stated that Britain was beaten and that Adolf Hitler would be in London by the 15th of August. Churchill writes to Josef Stalin, warning him of Adolf Hitler's intentions for an invasion of the USSR.

British liner “_Arandora Star_” departed Liverpool, England for Canada with 479 German and 734 Italian civilian internees, 86 German prisoners of war, and 374 British crew and guards. Some of the civilian internees were Jewish refugees who had previously been able to escape from Nazi Germany. “_Arandora Star_” failed to display a red cross to denote that she was carrying civilians and prisoners of war.

British Admiralty issues orders to its Mediterranean forces to prepare Operation Catapult for July 3, to destroy any French ships whose crews did not disable them.

*EASTERN FRONT:* The Hungarian government alleges frontier violations by Romanian troops; several civilians are reported dead. Hungarian troops mass at the border with Romania. King Carol II of Romania renounced the guarantees given to him by the United Kingdom in 1939 and announced that hence-forward his country's alliegance would be with Germany. Romanian troops mass at the border with Hungary.

Joseph Stalin told his Ambassador to Tokyo that the non-aggression pact with Germany "was dictated by the desire to unleash war in Europe".

*NORTH AMERICA:* The responsibility for nuclear fission research in the United States was transferred to the National Defense Research Committee under Vannevar Bush.

The US Navy issued contracts for the construction of 44 new ships. US Navy awarded a US$30,870,000 contract to build naval facilities across the Pacific.

The Headquarters Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force was established at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California, United States under Brigadier General Ross E. Rowell.

The noted American aviator James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle was recalled to active service as a Major and began assisting US car manufacturers as they switched to aircraft production.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Rodolfo Graziani was named the Governor-General of Italian Libya.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 1, 2015)

*July 2 Tuesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Once again the Bristol area of England is attacked. At 2130 hours, eight He 111s from I./KG 55 take off from Chartres to raid the Bristol, Avonmouth and Portishead docks. Another six Heinkels from KG 55 target Bristol itself. A single German Dornier bomber passed over Blaydon, shot down a balloon and dropped bombs on Newcastle and Jarrow.

Czechoslovak President-in-exile Dr Eduard Beneš submitted to the British Government a memorandum urging that the Czech airmen be allowed to participate at once in the defence of Britain and that a formal agreement covering the status of Czech military personnel in Britain be concluded as soon as possible. The British Government acted quickly: within a month of the Benes memorandum, a Czech fighter squadron and a Czech bomber squadron had been formed.

Blue Funnel Line ship “_Aenaes_” in coastal convoy OA-177G off Dorset, England, is attacked by German aircraft and set on fire, killing 19 crew. The ship sinks two days later.

The British government canceled the Aug 1940 bank holiday.

General Sikorski issues Order of the Day to Polish Forces in Britain:


> 'We shall continue to fight with an iron will until victory is won.'



*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Congress passed the Export Control Act, giving the US President the power to control the export of military equipment whenever he thought it was "necessary in the interest of national defense".

In Montreal, Canada, a train with sealed cars delivers to the Bank of Canada 30 million Pounds Sterling of gold bars and 200 million Pounds Sterling in marketable securities. This had been transferred from the Bank of England to Halifax, Nova Scotia, via the HMS “_Emerald_” battleship, for safekeeping during the war. This is the largest single transfer of wealth in world history to date.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 0658 hours off the coast of Ireland, U-47 fires a single torpedo at British liner “_Arandora Star_” carrying 1,299 German and Italian internees. With grey paint and no Red Cross sign, “_Arandora Star_” is mistaken for an armed merchant cruiser and sinks within 35 minutes (92 British crew and guards, 470 Italians and 243 Germans are lost). 282 crew and guards and 586 Italians and Germans are rescued by Canadian destroyer HMCS “_St. Laurent_” and landed at Greenock. The liner was carrying 1,500 Italian and German prisoners of war to Canada.

U-29 sinks British tanker “_Athellaird_” about 500 miles West of Brest, France (all 42 crew are picked up by British sloop HMS “_Sandwich_” and landed at Greenock, Scotland) and Panamanian SS “_Santa Margarita_” (all 39 crew rescued). 21 survivors are picked up by British merchant “_King John_” which will be sunk on July 13.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler decides that a landing in England is possible, provided air superiority is attained, among other conditions. He orders the planning to begin for Operation Sealion, the invasion of Britain. An Armed Forces High Command, OKW, order is issued entitled "The War Against England." It begins "The Fuhrer and Supreme Commander has decided that a landing in England is possible." In response to this order Göring gives instructions for an intensified air blockade with especial attention to be given to attacks on shipping. The Luftwaffe has two air fleets in northern France.

Overnight, 12 RAF Hampden bombers attack German battleship “_Scharnhorst_” and cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” in dry dock at Kiel. 2 small bombs hit “_Prinz Eugen_”. Flight officer Guy Gibson drops the first 2000 lb bomb near “_Scharnhorst_” but misses. Gibson will be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German troops traveled from Guernsey to the islands of Alderney and Sark in the Channel Islands, meeting no opposition.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 2, 2015)

*Summary of Losses June 1940 part II*
*Axis*
*Warships*
MSW M-11 (DKM 425 grt), Aux PV Vp.801 (DKM 437 grt), aux MSWs GNOM 7 (DKM 50 grt), KOBOLD 1 (DKM 50 grt), KOBOLD 3 (DKM 50 grt), MSW M.5 (DKM 682 grt), Steamer KONIGSBERG (Ger 6466 grt), Aux MSW M.1802 (DKM 497 grt), S-21 (DKM 92 grt) S-32 (DKM 81 grt), coastal Dreadnought VLIEREEDE (Ex-RNN (DKM) 5022 grt), Type IXB U-122 (DKM 1034 grt), Aux PV V1107 (DKM 295 grt), 

Gunboat GIOVANNI BERTA (RM 350 grt (est), Coast Defence Ship SAN GIORGIO (RM 11122 grt), Sub MACALLE (RM 680 grt), sub PROVANA (RM 1043 grt), Sub DIAMANTE (RM 680 grt), Sub TORICELLI (RM 1000 grt), Sub GALVANI (RM 1000 grt), Sub CONSOLE GENERALE LIUZZI (RM 1148 grt), sub ANFITRITE (RM 617 grt), Sub ARGONAUTA (RM 650 grt), DD ESPERO (RM 1070 grt), Sub RUBINO (RM 680 grt), sub UEBI SCEBELI (RM 680 grt), 
15181 (DKM), 19820 (RM)
35001 (Total)

*Axis Shipping*
Steamer PALIME (Ger 2863 grt), Steamer SVERRE SIGURDSON (Ex-Nor 1081 grt), Steamer DOCKENHUDEN (Ger 216 grt), Steamer JAEDEREN (Ex-Nor 908 grt), PV NB 15 (DKM 178 grt), FV ARILD (Ex-Nor 128 grt), tkr SAMLAND (Ger 5978 grt), steamer ALFA (Den 844 grt), MV CYGNUS (Ex-Nor (Ger) 1334 grt), Steamer KOLN (Ger 7881 grt), 


Liner ROMOLO (It 9870 grt), Steamer UMBRIA (FI 9349 grt) Steamer OLTERRA (FI 4995 grt), Steamer LAVORO (FI 7886 grt), Steamer LIBANO (FI 5192 grt), Steamer PAGAO (FI 6101 grt), Steamer POLINICE (FI 1373 grt), Steamer CAPO NOLI (FI 3921 grt). Steamer SAN PIETRO (FI 5199 grt). Steamers CAPO OLMO (FI 4781 grt), Steamer NICOLO ODERO (FI 6003 grt), Steamer ALICANTINO (FI 1642 grt), Steamer RASTRELLO (FI 1550 grt), Steamer RENO (FI 1002 grt), Pilot Vessel RINA CROCE (FI 589 grt), MV ALTSANDRO PODESTA (FI 633 grt), Steamer LOASSO (FI 5968 grt), Steamer ALESSANDRO PODESTA (FI 663 grt), Steamer MARIA (FI 440 grt), Steamer PAGANINI (FI 2427 grt), Steamer FORTUNATA (FI 4786 grt),
21411 (Ger), 76178 (FI)
97589 (Mercantile), 132590 (Total Axis losses)
*New Construction 2nd Qtr 1940* 
Unknown, but approximately 30000 tons for the 2nd qtr 

*Captured ships *
steamer TIRRANNA (Nor 7230 grt), MV STORAA (UK 1967 grt), MV PENGREEP (UK 4806 grt), MV TOUSSIKA (UK 1828 grt), MV HILDE (UK 1595 grt), MV BELGIEN (UK 1979 grt), tkr KROSSFONN (Nor 9323 grt),


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## parsifal (Jul 2, 2015)

*1 July 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Tree Class ASW Trawler DEODAR - Type I Hunt Class Escort DD GARTH







_HM Deodar was crewed by NZ personnel, and was initially under the command of Lt PG Connolly RNZN. GARTH completed, work up at Scapa in the DesDiv 23 before transferring to the DesFlot 21, arriving at Sheerness on 28 Aug._

*Losses*
*Type 1A Uboat U-26 (DKM 862 grt)* On the evening of 30 June U-26 sighted OA 175 SSW of Ireland, reported its position, and overtook the convoy to set up a night attack. Lookouts on the convoy commodore's ship had however sighted the U-boat shortly before it dived, and the sole escort, Corvette GLADIOLUS, went to investigate the contact. At 0118 hrs on 1 July the surfaced U-boat torpedoed the ZARIAN (which was damaged but did not sink), causing the corvette to return at full speed. U-26 would normally have made a run for it but was unable to outrun the escort on this occasion due to problems with the diesel engines. She was forced to to dive. The Asdic operators on GLADIOLUS got a firm contact at a range of 1200 yds and began dropping DC patterns only 10 mins after ZARIAN was hit. U-26 had dived to 80m and suffered severe damage; one of the aft ballast tanks flooding uncontrollably and causing the U-boat to sink by the stern to a depth of 230m (755ft), well beyond its safe dive limits. The corvette made four more attacks, using up nearly all available DCs. She then stopped amidst a large patch of diesel oil and waited for the U-boat to surface while calling for assistance. It is nearly impossible for a single escort, armed only with DCs to achieve a viable battle solution (with modern ASW ahead throwing weapons the normal ratio is about 6 escorts to a single sub) With the starboard electric motor and one compressor out of action, U-26 was finally forced to surface after 6 hrs, only 800 yards from the corvette, but remained unseen and managed to escape undetected. She was likley to make her escape at this point. At 0815 hrs that morning, a Sunderland Mk.I (10 Sqn RAAF) sighted the fleeing U-26 and dropped four 250 lb ASW bombs as it dived, forcing the U-boat to surface again almost at once. The Sunderland attacked again, dropping a second stick of four bombs that detonated about 40m (130ft) away. HMS GLADIOLUS had sighted a cloud of smoke from the U-boat diesels simultaneously with the a/c and made for it at top speed, but HMS ROCHESTER which was by now on the scene as a reinfocement arriving from the dispersed convoy OB 174, was faster. Unable to dive, the crew of U-26 prepared the boat for scuttling and began to abandon ship, when the sloop approached, firing over their heads in an attempt to discourage them from scuttling. The Boat did sink and the German crew taken prisoner







_U-26 under attack by a Sunderland flying boat from 10 sqn RAAF 1 July 1940_

DD VANSITTART, escorting tug SALVONIA to meet ZARIAN in the SW Approaches , attacked and sank *Type VIIB U.102 (DKM 753 grt) * with the loss of all 43 crew . U.102 was on her first war patrol, had attacked a convoy on 30 June off North Channel, and was not heard from again, believed lost, cause unknown. However recent investigation has now attributed her loss to DC attacks by VANSITTART.





Before being sunk U.102 sank the *MV CLEARTON (UK 5219 grt) * Crew: 34 (9 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: 7320 tons of cereals Route: Rosario - Freetown - Manchester in the SW Approaches. TAt 1155 hrs in the morning the CLEARTON sailing as part of SL-36 was torpedoed and damaged by U-102 about 180 miles west of Ushant. Two hrs later, the now straggling vessel was again torpedoed by the U-boat and sank 240 miles from Smalls. Survivors were picked up by HMS VANSITTART, which had already sunk U-102 shortly after the last attack. 





U.30 sank *steamers BEIGNON (UK 5218 grt)* Crew: 117 (6 dead and 111 survivors) Cargo: 8816 tons of wheat Route: Freemantle - Freetown - Newcastle Sunk in the SW Approaches. BEIGNON had previously picked up the survivors from steamer AVELONA STAR. DD VESPER picked up the survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

U.29 sank *steamer ADAMASTOS (Gk 5889 grt) *Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Wheat Route: Buenos Aires - Avonmouth. Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 1917 hrs the unescorted ADAMASTOS was stopped by U-29 SW of Ireland. The crew abandoned ship immediately when the U-boat surfaced nearby. The Germans then boarded the ship for fresh provisions and sank her by gunfire. 





DKM Raider THOR captured *steamer KERTOSONO (NL 9289 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. Steamer KERTOSONO arrived Lorient on the 12th July .





*Special service vessels TWEEDLEDEE (RN 163 grt)* and *TWEEDLEDUM (RN 163 grt) *were sunk as blockships.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 


*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-61
Kiel: U-46
Wilhelmshaven: U-32

At Sea 1 July 1940
U-28, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-38, U-43, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-62, U-65, U-99, UA. 
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic
DKM CA PRINZ EUGEN, under construction at Kiel, was damaged by an RAF BC night attack by 16 a/c on the port of Kiel. Prinz Eugens was hit by 2 bomb hits and slightly damaged. SCHARNHORST suffered splinter damage from near misses. 

*North Sea*
CL MANCHESTER departed Rosyth for Sheerness. FN.210 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer WOLSEY, sloop EGRET, and patrol sloop MALLARD, and arrived in the Tyne on the 3rd. MT.100 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd. FS.209 departed the Tyne, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 2nd.

*Northern Waters*
RAF CC A/C bombed a UBoat contact at 0600 , with DDs ASHANTI, COSSACK , MAORI, and ECHO ordered to conduct sweeps for the UBoat. ASHANTI departed Scapa to join the sweep. ECHO had left Scapa at 0800 escorting ML ATREUS to Greenock, but shortly after departure, was detached to join them as well. 

*West Coast UK*
BB BARHAM with DDs IMOGEN, ATHERSTONE, FERNIE, and WARWICK departed Liverpool for Scapa , and arrived safely on the 2nd. DD WALKER departed the Clyde escorting troopship EMPRESS OF BRITAIN to Liverpool. After delivering her, WALKER returned to the Clyde. DD BERKELEY arrived at Greenock escorting steamer KOHISTAN. After RAF a/c attacked a sub contact , WALKER and escort ship JASON were ordered to hunt for the sub, but failed to make contact.

*SW Approaches*
The first large convoy battle was occuring in the SW Approaches in the latter part of June and early July 1940. U.65 damaged Dutch steamer AMSTELLAND during this batle. 

*Nth Atlantic*
CVL FURIOUS and CA DEVONSHIRE departed Halifax escorting troopship EMPRESS OF CANADA . FURIOUS arrived at Scapa on the 15th.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.38 departed Freetown escort AMC CARNARVON CASTLE to 17 July. On the 17th, DD VANQUISHER, sloop FOWEY, and corvettes CAMELLIA and CLARKIA joined the convoy and escorted it to Liverpool arriving on the 20th. The AMC proceeded to Belfast for refitting. CL DRAGON departed Freetown for Manoca. The CL called at Lagos for refuelling at Lagos on 3 and 4 July.

*Med- Biscay*
U.52 refuelled from German tkr BESSEL at Vigo. The Med Flt arrived back at Alexandria. 

*Indian Ocean* 
CL LIVERPOOL departed Alexandria carrying troops to Aden and arrived at Suez later that day. Arriving at Aden, after disembarking the troops, she embarked the Eastern Flt's reserve of 6 inch ammunition and returned to Med arriving on the 6th.

Light cruiser LIVERPOOL departed Port Said on the 7th and joined the Mediterranean Fleet at sea.
*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*

*Malta*
The War Office reply to Dobbies urgent request for fighters. they state it is impossible at present to send any fighters but consideration is being given. A/C are unable now to fly over French territory and there are therefore only two methods of getting planes to Malta. First by flying off a carrier sent well into Mediterranean. Second subsequent to establishment of near east route via Nigeria and Egypt to fly planes from Mersa Matruh. Neither method considered feasible at present.

Malta cmd suspect a fifth column at work on the island. The CO of 2nd Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers is informed that a light has been seen from Tal Minsia (this is not the first report), seeming to come from near the Officers’ Mess at St Andrews Barracks. Investigation confirmed that the light was illuminated in a series of definite dots and dashes. The source was determined as Tal Minsia Church. Lights and shots have previously been reported in the same area.


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## parsifal (Jul 2, 2015)

*2 July 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette MALLOW - Vosper 73' Type MTB 71 







_Vosper Torpedo Boat at the Imperial War Museum Duxford_

*Losses*
*Tkr ATHELLAIRD (UK 8999 grt)* Crew: 42 (0 dead and 42 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Liverpool - Cuba Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 2352 hrs the ATHELLAIRD (dispersed earlier that day from convoy OB-176) was hit amidships by one G7e stern torp from U-29 about 350 miles NW of Cape Finisterre. At 0210 hrs on 3 July, a G7a torpedo was fired as coup de grâce, which passed under the immobilised tkr and this also happened with a second G7a torp. The Germans then fired a G7e torpedo that struck just before the bridge and caused the ship to sink in 15 mins. Survivors were rescued HMS SANDWICH and landed at Greenock. 





*MV SANTA MARGARITA (Pan 4919 grt)* Crew: 39 (0 dead and 39 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route; Barry - Hampton Roads . Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 1125 hrs the unescorted SANTA MARGARITA was stopped by U-29 and sunk by gunfire at 1345 hrs because the ship was en route under British charter with a Yugoslav crew. 3 of the 21 survivors that were picked up by the Br MV KING JOHN were lost when this ship was sunk by DKM raider WIDDER on 13 July. 





*Liner ARANDORA STAR (UK 15501 grt) * Crew:1673 (805 dead and 868 survivors) Cargo: 1299 internees and pows Route: Liverpool - St. Johns Sunk in the Western Approaches, Nth of Ireland. At 0758 hrs the unescorted ARANDORA STAR (Master Edgar Wallace Moulton) was hit by a torpedo from U-47 about 125 miles WNW of Malin Head and foundered later. The ship had 479 German internees, 734 Italian internees, 86 German PoWs and 200 military guards on board. The master, 12 officers, 42 crewmen, 37 guards, 470 Italians and 243 Germans were lost. 119 crew members, 163 guards and 586 Italians and Germans were picked up by RCN DD ST. LAURENT and landed at Greenock. Edgar Wallace Moulton was posthumously awarded the Lloyd´s War Medal for bravery at sea. 





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-38 

At Sea 2 July 1940
U-28, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-43, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-62, U-65, U-99, UA. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
In a raid from Station KESTREL a Swordfish of 825 Sqn was shot down and the crew were killed over Rotterdam. A second Swordfish of 825 Sqn was shot down, crew captured. S/Lt E. B. Kiddell was captured, but was later shot and died of wounds while trying to escape as POW January 1943. Leading Airman H. W. V. Burt of Kiddell's plane was killed in the crash. 2 more Swordfish of the Squadron were lost returning from the raid, but the crews were rescued. FN.211 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND and patrol sloop PUFFIN. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 4th. FS.210 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and WINCHESTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY, CA NORFOLK, CL SOUTHAMPTON, CLA COVENTRY, and all available DDs at Scapa were put at 2 hrs notice on the 3rd. DD BERKELEY departed Greenock escorting ML SOUTHERN PRINCE to Loch Alsh. After delivering the ML, the DD proceeded to Scapa. Br tug QUEENS CROSS with barge MEDWAY in tow encountered at 0315 what they identified as a UBoat conning tower 6 miles nth of Strathie Point. They did not report their sighting until arriving at Scapa at 0930. ASW trawlers ALOUETTE, COVENTRY CITY, WHITEHORN, and BUTTERMERE were dispatched to search. Cable ship ARIEL, escort ASW trawlers IMPERIALIST and HAZEL departed Scapa to lay cable between the Orkneys and the Shetlands. Br minefield BS.20 was laid by MLss TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs EXPRESS and ICARUS.

*Western Approaches*
In response to the loss of the ARANDORA STAR, DDs WALKER and ECHO and PV JASON were ordered to the area. ECHO was again ordered away from escorting ML ATREUS. DD FIREDRAKE was detached from the escort of Br liner ANDES (25,689) leaving DD PUNJABI as its sole escort. 
When it was learned the survivors had already been picked up, FIREDRAKE was ordered to return to the ANDES screen. 119 crew, 163 troops, and 586 aliens were rescued. The rest were lost.

*Channel*
*Steamer AENEAS (UK 10,058 grt)* in OA.177G, was sunk by the LW 20 miles SE of Start Point, off the Devon Coast. 18 crew were missing and 3 dead on the steamer. Survivors from steamer AENEAS were rescued by DD WITHERINGTON. The wreck was sunk on the 4th 11 miles from the coast. Br steamer BARON RUTHVEN (3178 grt) was damaged by the LW in the same area. 





*SBoat S-23 (DKM 92 grt) * sank in tow after striking a mine off Foreland




_"S-Boat on Attack-Course" _

Channel Islands occupation is completed by German forces

*Central Atlantic*
CVL HERMES arrived at Freetown with evacuated FAA personnel and stores embarked at Dakar. The carrier had arrived at Dakar at 0900 on 29 June and sailed at 1800. She remained off the port until relieved by CA DORSETSHIRE at 1800 on 30 June.

*Med- Biscay*
Fce H, consisting of BC HOOD, BBs VALIANT and RESOLUTION, CV ARK ROYAL, CLs ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE, and DDs ESCORT, ACTIVE, FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FEARLESS, FORESTER, KEPPEL, WRESTLER, VIDETTE, and VORTIGERN departed Gib on Opn CATAPULT, the neutralization of the French Fleet at Mer el Kebir. DDs KEPPEL and WRESTLER carried special demolition parties to scuttle the French ships at Mer el Kebir. At sea, DD VORTIGERN was attacked by RM sub MARCONI without damage. VIDETTE and VORTIGERN were detached to sweep for the sub. 

DD JERVIS arrived at Malta after completing her repairs in Home Waters. 

Marshal Rodolfo Graziani is named as Balbo's replacement in North Africa. The RA bombs the British Mandate of Palestine.




_Bombing of Haifa refinery_

FI AKs ESPERIA and VICTORIA , escorted by TBs PROCIONE, ORSA, PEGASO, and ORIONE departed Tripoli for Naples. RM CAs ZARA, FIUME, and GORIZIA of CruDiv 1 with DDs ALFIERI, CARDUCCI, ORIANI, and GIOBERTI and CLs BANDE NERE and COLLEONI of CruDiv 2 with DDs MAESTRALE, LIBECCIO, GRECALE, and SCIROCCO were at sea covering the convoy. The convoy arrived safely at Naples on the 4th. HGY departed Gib with 27 ships escorted by Fr PV PRESIDENT HOUDUCE from 2 to 14 July, DDs WITCH from 2 to 10 July and VISCOUNT from 2 to 14 July. 4 ships of the convoy carried service and civilian refugees from France. DD WESTCOTT escorted the convoy from 10 to 11 July. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 14th.

*Malta*

0925-0945 hrs Air raid alert. 2 enemy a/c cross the Island on recon. AA batteries at Luqa open fire and split the formation. Bombs are dropped two miles out to sea to the sth but none on land. Malta fighters are scrambled. 

1830 hrs Gunfire is heard an estimated ten miles to the south. Later reports confirmed that a destroyer was bombed by an RA seaplane.

2320 hrs Lights are again seen from Tal Minsia but they are not signalling.

2 Sunderlands left for patrol. Sunderland a/c of 228 and 230 Squadrons operating 12 hour naval patrols over wide area covering Greek coast, south Italian coast and Sicily under direct instructions from Middle East and HQ Mediterranean.


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## Njaco (Jul 2, 2015)

*July 3 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Due to heavy losses from the Luftwaffe the British suspended all traffic through the English Channel. Meanwhile, the British decided that harbors on the Channel coast and German shipping should be the primary targets of bombing. There have been some suggestions, supported by Admiral Pound, the First Sea Lord, that the British Fleet should be withdrawn from the eastern Mediterranean. The idea is rejected by Churchill. The British government and Admiralty are also worried by the status of the French navy and fear that it will fall into German hands.

Operation Catapult: At dawn, the British Royal Navy boarded two French battleships, nine destroyers, and a number of other smaller warships that were docked at Plymouth and Portsmouth, England. 3 British and 1 French sailors were killed. British forces seize 59 major French warships in British harbors, including battleships “_Courbet_” and “_Paris_” and giant submarine “_Surcouf_”.

German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.

After the dock raids from the day before, Fighter Command's orders a standing patrol to be flown from one airfield in each sector, creating a protective grid over the Channel. Despite this new policy, shortly after 1500 hours, three Ju 88s of II./KG 51 attack the Portishead docks in Bristol again. Another flight of Do 17s from KG 77 attack areas near Kent. Seven Dorniers are shot down by British fighters.

Over No. 13 EFTS at Maidenhead, a single Dornier Do 17 dives out of the clouds and attacks. Six Tiger Moths are destroyed on the ground along with twenty-five severely damaged.

The self-propelled bucket dredger '_Coquetmouth_' (447t) struck a magnetic mine and sank ½ mile off Amble Harbour entrance, with the loss of 3 lives. She used to keep Amble Harbour dredged, moving 900 tons of sand each day.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Battle of Mers-el-Kébir: At 0545 hours, Vice Admiral James Somerville and his British Royal Navy Force H arrived off of Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria where a powerful fleet under French Admiral Marcel Gensoul resided. Vice Admiral Somerville offers French Admiral Marcel Gensoul (a known Anglophobe, loyal to the Vichy government) four alternatives for his fleet; join the Royal Navy; be interned in British ports, be decommissioned in the West Indies or USA, or sink the warships in Mers-el-Kebir harbour. At 1756 hours, after Gensoul refused to surrender, the British fleet opened fire for 10 minutes. The magazine of French battleship “_Bretagne_” was hit, sinking her, taking down 977 French sailors. Battleship “_Provence_”, battleship “_Dunkerque_”, and destroyer “_Mogador_” were damaged. In total, 1,297 French sailors were killed and 350 were wounded. After the battle, French battleship “_Strasbourg_”, carrier “_Commandant Teste_”, and four destroyers escape from Mers-el-Kébir following the attack and evade the British blockade. 6 French cruisers and 4 destroyers leave Algiers on the news. They rendezvous and escape to Toulon, France, arriving on 4 July, despite bombing attacks by Fairey Swordfish from British aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”.

British Navy Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Cunnigham demanded the French warships under French Admiral René-Émile Godfroy, docked at Alexandria in Egypt, to surrender. Negotiations continue all day and the French ships (battleship “_Lorraine_” and 4 cruisers) are not attacked. Negotiations would continue until 7 Jul 1940.

*GERMANY:* General Franz Halder, the German Army Chief of Staff, asked his staff to consider a "military blow" in the east, to keep the Soviet armed forces at arm's length.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Upon hearing the news of British attacks on French warships, six French cruisers and 4 destroyers left various ports in Algiers for Toulon, France. They were attacked by British Swordfish carrier aircraft from HMS “_Ark Royal_” en route, but they would arrive at Toulon on 4 Jul 1940.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The British founded the Long Range Desert Group under the command of Acting Brigadier Ralph Bagnold with purpose of long range reconnaissance patrols behind the Italian lines, into Libya, to gather intelligence.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jul 3, 2015)

*3 July 1940* 
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Torpedoboote 1935 T-9





Allied
Flower Class Corvette CHILLIWACK




_HMCS Chilliwack, circa 1942._

*Losses*

*Steam barge BIJOU (UK 98 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Mistley Quay, near Harwich. The crew of the barge was rescued.

*Special services ship JAMES 83 (RN 397 grt)* was sunk as a blockship.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 3 July 1940
U-28, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-43, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-62, U-65, U-99, UA. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Operation CATAPULT*
It is no longer valid to refer to the French fleet ships as "French". They are Vichy, a Pro-Axis neutral, losses are therefore assigned to Axis losses. Whether it was necessary to treat them as enemy ships is an entirely different matter. "Catapult" commenced on July 3 1940. Early in the day all Vichy warships in British territorial waters were boarded and impounded by the RN (Operation Grasp); this amounted to 2 BBs, 4 Cruisers, 8 DDs, some subs, and numerous support vessels and smaller craft which had fled when the collapse of France seemed inevitable. This part of the operation went relatively smoothly, however resistance did occur on the Vichy sub SURCOUF. 

Later in the day "Fe H", with BC HOOD as flagship, drew up outside Mers-El-Kebir. A three-point ultimatum was sent to Ad Gensoul, the Vichy commander, giving him the following options.

Bring out your ships and join the RN.

Take the fleet to a British port with a reduced crew from where they (the crews) would be repatriated.

Sail the fleet to a French, West Indian, or an American port and decommission the fleet there.

Gensoul decided not to act on this and, in an effort to buy time and ready his ships to fight, he opened a dialogue with the British officer sent to communicate with him. However Somerville soon became aware of Gensoul’s vacillation and a 4th option was added "scuttle your ships where they lie."

At just past 1pm the British decided to act and Swordfish planes from CV ARK ROYAL mined the harbour entrance. This action angered Gensoul who felt the British had acted in bad faith. However, despite the heightened tension outwardly all remained calm until 4:46 pm when Somerville received a signal from the Admiralty which brought matters to a head. The signal ordered Somerville "to settle matters quickly" as Vichy reinforcements were on their way. Somerville wasted no time. At 5:15 pm he signalled to BC DUNKERQUE that if his proposals were not met by 5:30 pm he would have to act and destroy their ships. The Vichy failed to respond. Capt Holland’s negotiations had failed. Action stations sounded as the first salvo from the Hood’s 15" guns smashed into the side of the *BB BRETAGNE (Vichy 23936 grt)* causing fatal damage which consigned it to the depths along with 977 of its crew. Some ships of the French sqn were by this stage also beginning to get under way, contre Torpilleur DD MOGADOR was struck by a 15 " shell which detonated her DCs and blew off 100 feet of her stern, killing 38 crew. MOGADOR sank in the channel, but was later salved.












_BRETAGNE about 20 mins before she blew up. MOGADOR after suffering her damage. Neither ship returned to service under Vichy. PROVENCE was also immobilised until after she joined the allies. _

For 15 mins Fce H’s guns ranged down on the fleet and the harbour causing a large amount of damage. The French had been badly mauled. Apart from the sinking of the BRETAGNE, BC DUNKERQUE was struck 4 times with heavy calibre shells, including a hit on her power supply, killing 5 officers and 41 ratings. BB PROVENCE was hit and had two turrets knocked out. She was beached to avoid capsizing. Gensoul then signalled a cease-fire to which Somerville replied "unless I see your ships sinking I shall open fire again." As a precaution Somerville then pulled "Fce H" out of the range of the French guns. He assumed that his mines would stop any breakout by the remaining Vichy ships. However the Vichy BC STRASBOURG saw an opportunity and at full speed it picked its way through the wrecks and mines of the harbour and escaped Mers-El-Kebir. An immediate pursuit by the Hood along with a/c from the ARKROYALl began. However, Somerville felt the absence of these vessels left the remaining blockading ships too vulnerable and the pursuit was soon called off. The STRASBOURG made it to Toulon and remained in Vichy French hands. Despite this setback the Vichy squadron had effectively been neutralised but at high cost in human lives.

2 Swordfish from ARK ROYAL were damaged attacking STRASBOURG. They landed in the sea and their crews were rescued by DD WRESTLER. The carrier was screened by DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, and ESCORT for these operations. As the evening wore on, Contre Torpilleur DDs LE TERRIBLE and VOLTA attacked DDs FOXHOUND and FORESTER without damage to either side. Sloop RIGAULt DE GENOUILLY was damaged by gunfire from CL ENTERPRISE. A crew were killed and an a/c from 803 Sqn was lost lost when their Skua was shot down by a Vichy fighter. 
Another Skua of 803 Sqn was lost when force landed into the sea near ARK ROYAL. The crew were rescued by DD FORESIGHT.

After the bombardment, Force H drew away leaving DD WRESTLER to watch the port, but the threats posed by BC STRASBOURG and the Vichy DDs leaving port forced WRESTLER to withdraw. Two Swordfish of 818 Sqn were badly damaged and force landed after attacking the STRASBOURG force and one Swordfish was lost shadowing STRASBOURG. Their crews were safely picked up. WRESTLER picked up the two crews of 810 Sqn. After the Mer el Kebir battle, Adm Gensoul was replaced by Adm Estava. 

At Alexandria Admiral Cunningham, excercising exceptioonal diplomacy in a very difficult situation was able to open a successful dialogue with his friend, and French counterpart, Admiral Godfroy. Despite orders from Churchill for results to be achieved by nightfall, he held the negotiations over till the next day, July 4, and a settlement was reached. Godfroy’s eleven ships were immobilised in Alexandria harbour with the draining of their oil supplies and the handing over of their breech blocks to the French consulate at the port. These ships eventually rejoined the allies 

The Vichy Government was understandably not happy at the turn of events at Mers-El-Kebir and other ports, but neither were they in a position to side with the enemy. Vichy was an unhappy and isloated regime, friendless and weak. For the RN it was a particularly distasteful experience. The British had killed 1200 sailors who, just 2 weeks earlier, had been their allies and in addition they seized, immobilised, or sunk a large part of the Vichy navy. Many French citizens who had previously supported the British, felt betrayed and alienated. Petain broke off diplomatic relations with Britain and two days later the French captured three British merchant ships in retaliation. Further skirmishes between the former Allies occurred for the next week the two most notable of which were the bombing of Gibraltar by the FAF and the torpedoing of the BB RICHELIEU at Dakar. The action seemed justified at the time, a functional French fleet in Axis hands was simply too great a risk for the British. 

Ultimately the action at Mers-El-Kebir was a tragedy but the action had served its purpose. None of thge ships that were damaged were ever able to return to service in an active sense for the Vichy, and the action gave clear warning to all the wavering neutrals as to what Britain was prepred to do if backed into a corner as the Vichy had attempted. The French navy could no longer fall into the hands of the Axis powers and pose a threat to Britain at a time when she was most vulnerable.


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## parsifal (Jul 3, 2015)

*3 July 1940 (Part II) *
OPERATIONS (CONT'D)]
*Baltic*
DKM Raider KOMET departed Gydnia for Bergen. 

*North Sea*
OA.178 departed Southend on the 3rd escort corvette CLARKIA from 3 to 6 July and DD BROKE from 5 to 6 July. This was the last Channel routed OA.convoy. MT.101 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 4th. FS.211 departed the Tyne, escort sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 4th.

*Northern Waters*
DD PUNJABI arrived at Scapa on the 4th. DD MASHONA and sub tender BREDA passed May Island escorting Br steamer SHOAL FISHER to Scapa.
DD WARWICK and RCN DD SKEENA departed Scapa to relieve MASHONA and BREDA. DDs WARWICK and SKEENA then reported to the CinC, West Approaches on arrival at Greenock on the 5th. DD HAMBLEDON arrived at Scapa from Portland to work up with the CinC Home Flt. 5 Skuas of 801 Sqn, escorted by 3 Blen ftrs from 18 Gp, departed Hatston to attack concentrations of German shipping and oil tanks at Bergen. All 5 Skuas returned safely but the shipping was not located. A UBoat sighting was reported off Marwick Head by coastwatchers. ASW trawlers COVENTRY CITY, WHITEHORN, and BUTTERMERE, returning from their search off Strathie Point, were dispatched to conduct another sweep.
Sub SEAWOLF landed recon parties near Lindesnes in Operation THWART (Code name for landing agents on the Norwegian coast, July 1940). Sub SEALION attacked a German convoy off Skudesnshavn in Boknafjord at 1550. She came under heavy counterattack for 45 hrs and withdrew.

Lt (A) T. Miller RNVR, was killed when his Shark of 774 Sqn crashed near Evanton.




_The Shark served with the FAA, and other air arms for most of the war, but was already obsolete in 1937, In that year replacement by the Fairey Swordfish began. 165 were still on charge with the FAA in 1939, some as seaplanes. The Shark was finally retired between July 1944 and March 1945._

*West Coast UK*
DD PUNJABI departed Greenock after escorting troopship ANDES. 

*Western Approaches*
OB.178 departed Liverpool on the 3rd escort sloop LEITH from 3 to 7 July and DD WHIRLWIND on 3 to 5 July. Sloop LEITH was detached to convoy HX.53. 

*SW Approaches*
OB.177G, which departed Liverpool on the 1st escort DDs VANOC and VOLUNTEER, and OA.177G, which departed Southend on the 1st escort DD VANESSA on the 1st and DD WITHERINGTON on 1 and 2 July and Plymouth on the 1st escort sloop ENCHANTRESS and corvette CAMELIA, merged as OG.36 with 21 ships. The convoy was escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS from 3 to 8 July when she was detached to convoy HG.37. DD VANOC from convoy OB.176 joined the convoy on the 1st. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 8th with storeship PALOMARES and DD VOLUNTEER. 15 ships of the convoy with French troops for repatriation had had company earlier and proceeded unescorted to Casablanca. 

*Med- Biscay*
Armed yacht SAYONARA, which departed Gib on the 2nd to relieve DD VELOX, was recalled and DD WISHART was sent to relieve VELOX instead.

RAN CL SYDNEY departed Alexandria to cover an Aegean convoy. The cruiser arrived back at Alexandria the same day. CL DELHI arrived at Gib from Freetown. DD JERVIS at Malta was near missed by the RA high level bombing. The DD was not damaged.

*Malta*
0945-1025 hrs Air raid alert. Two enemy formations fly over the Island but no bombs are dropped. Five aircraft are seen passing over Luqa. Several AA positions open fire until Malta fighters arrive. They attack one enemy SM79, which breaks up in the air and falls into the sea south of Delimara. Five of the crew are observed parachuting down towards the sea several miles off shore but are not found by rescue craft from Malta. As one of the Hurricane fighters returns to the aerodrome he is surprised by an enemy fighter which attacks. The Hurricane crashes on landing and is a write-off. The pilot is unhurt.


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## Njaco (Jul 3, 2015)

*July 4 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *Churchill speaks in the House of Commons justifying the capture or sinking of French warships on July 3, to prevent them falling into German or Italian hands. He does not apologize but leaves judgment “to the world and to history”. He also dispels the notion;


> “...that we have the slightest intention of entering into negotiations in any form and through any channel with the German and Italian Governments. We shall, on the contrary, prosecute the war with the utmost vigour by all the means that are open to us.”


 Churchill receives his first standing ovation from the House as Prime Minister.

In a prelude to the first phase of the Battle of Britain, German bombers and motor torpedo boats attack Convoy OA178 in the English Channel between Cherbourg, France, and Bournemouth, England, sinking 5 merchant ships (British SS “_Elmcrest_” and SS “_Dallas City_”, Dutch SS “_Britsum_” and SS “_Deucalion_”, “_Estonian_” SS “_Kolga_”) and damaging many more. 

Thirty-three Ju 87 Stukas of III./StG 51 attack shipping and installations at Portland. They succeed in sinking British auxiliary anti-aircraft ship _“Foyle Bank_”, killing 176, as well as tug boat “_Silverdial_”. Because of lapses in the RAF early warning system, no RAF fighters appear to defend the harbour. The only loss is when Lt. Schwarze is shot down by anti-aircraft fire from the British ship HMS ‘_Foyle Bank’_. A second attack on Portland by twenty Ju 88s finds two of the planes flying as far inland as Bristol with one of the German bombers being shot down by fighters from RAF No 92 Squadron. Despite having his left leg shattered by a bomb blast, British Leading Seaman Jack Mantle continued to fire his anti-aircraft guns as the merchant cruiser HMS “_Foyle Bank_” sank beneath him during the air raid on Portland naval base. Mantle was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross medal.

Numerous Bf 109’s from III./JG 27 and 4(J)./LG 2 tangle with Hurricanes of RAF No. 32 Squadron over the Kent coastline. Lt. Geisshardt claims two of the Hurricanes while P/O Smythe of RAF No. 32 Squadron claims two Bf 109s including that of Uffz. Gustav Schiller of JG 27, who succeeds in returning to Theville. Another Bf 109 from LG 2 crashes in to the sea.

The pilots of 5./JG 51 battle Hurricanes and Spitfires from RAF No. 54 Squadron on the Kanalfront. Lt. Hermann Striebel claims a Hurricane for his second victory while Hptm. Horst Tietzen downs his fourth British aircraft, another Hurricane.

A lone He 111 of III./KG 54 attacks the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton and does some slight damage to the roof of the Rodney Works building. But Spitfires from RAF No. 92 Squadron shoot down the bomber and it crashes near Gillingham in Dorset.

*WESTERN FRONT:* French battleship “_Strasbourg_” and four destroyers arrived at Toulon, France after fleeing from the Battle of Mers-el-Kébir.

Vichy French government broke off all relations with the United Kingdom. A French Court Martial sentences Charles de Gaulle in absentia to four years in prison for treason.

Germans arrive on the last of the Channel Islands, Sark. They receive the island’s surrender from the Dame of Sark (hereditary ruler of this island). When asked if she is afraid, the Dame replies “is there any need to be afraid of German officers?” Apart from a curfew and other restrictions, the Islanders have little cause for fear. The Channel Islands have fallen without a shot fired. Germany invests heavily in fortifying the islands, which will be completely bypassed come D-day.

A Bf 109E of I./JG 2 is damaged in a landing accident at Beaumont-le-Roger airfield. The pilot is uninjured.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 3, 2015)

*July 4 1940* (_continued_)
*MEDITERRANEAN:* French bombers attacked the British fleet at Gibraltar, causing no damage.

The French Navy ordered submarines, armed merchant cruisers, and destroyers based in Dakar to sortie to attack British shipping.

Italian bombers again raided Malta.

*GERMANY:* Several fighter Gruppen change their designations. The fighters of I./JG 20 are renamed III./JG 51 while II./JG 54 is created from I./JG 76. Led by Hptm. Hannes Trautloft, III./JG 51 uses Bf 109Es for operations flying from the St. Omer airfield. The II Gruppe of JG 54 is commanded by Gruppenkommandeur Obstlt. Richard Kraut flying Bf 109Es from Vlissingen with a detachment of fighters based at Waalhaven. 

Several high ranking Luftwaffe personnel are honored. The newly promoted Kommodore of KG 76, Generalmajor Stephan Fröhlich, is awarded the Ritterkreuz. The award is also presented to Oberst Alfred Bülowius, the Kommodore of the 1st Instruction-Squadron. And Generalluftzeugmeister Ernst Udet, the Director General of Luftwaffe Equipment is given the Ritterkreuz to compliment his Pour le mérite, earned in World War I.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The special carrier fighter unit, II./TrGr 186 is reformed as a conventional fighter Gruppe, becoming the III./JG 77. The unit - except 4./TrGr 186 which became 3./Epr.Gr 210 on 1 July 1940 - is led by Major Heinrich Seeliger and based at Trondheim flying Bf 109Es.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British submarine HMS “_Pandora_” sank French gunboat “_Rigault de Genouilly”_ off Oran, Algeria at 1530 hours.

Italians advance from Ethiopia just over the border into Sudan and attack 2 British forts at Kassala and Gallabat, forcing British garrisons to withdraw. The Italians use more than two brigades at Kassala which is defended by only two companies of the Sudan Defense Force. The Italian forward units paused to establish anti-tank defenses.

*ASIA:* Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in multiple waves.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Romania a new Cabinet is formed. The prime minister is Gigurtu ('a personal friend of General Göring). The New Cabinet includes two leaders of the previously outlawed Iron Guard: Manoilesca (Foreign Minister) and Sima (Minister for Arts). The policies of the new government are clearly pro-German and anti-Semitic. 22 British oil technicians are expelled.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 4, 2015)

*4 July 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Torpedoboote 1935 T-12




Allied
Fairmile A ML 108 




_Fairmile Type A operating with the RNorN out of Dover 1941 _

*UBOATS*
At Sea 4 July 1940
U-28, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-43, U-47, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-62, U-65, U-99, UA. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
FN.212 departed Southend, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 6th. MT.102 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. FS.212 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop STORK. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th. *Dredger COQUET MOUTH (UK 477 grt)* was sunk by mine off Amble. 3 crew were lost on the dredger.* FV REMEMBRANCE (UK 7 grt) *was also sunk on a mine. The 2 crew were rescued.

*Northern Waters*
DD MASHONA was ordered from Scapa to investigate a Swedish ship in the vicinity of Clyth Ness. This steamer was found to be Danish steamer RAGNHILD under British control. MASHONA escorted the steamer to Wick and then returned to Scapa. DDs INGLEFIELD , IMOGEN, ATHERSTONE, and FERNIE on ASW exercises were ordered west of Hoy to search for a UBoat reported by a/c of 612 Sqn around midday. By midnight on that day no contact had been made and the DDs returned to Scapa. DD TARTAR, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI, and MASHONA on gunnery trials were ordered to search for another Uboat 612 Sqn. Following this sweep, they proceeded towards Fair Island Channel. Sub NARWHAL laid minefield FD.21 off Grip Holen, SW of Trondheim. *Aux PV UJ.D (DKM 356 grt)* was sunk on this minefield on the 6th. British minefield BS.21 was laid by ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DDs JACKAL and JAGUAR.

*Channel*
Convoy OA.178 was attacked by the Ju87s of StG.2 and S Boats of 2nd flotilla sth of Portland Harbour.




_Kanal Kampf begins. This is a still of a BBC film taken on the 14 July_

*Aux AA ship FOYLE BANK (RN 5582 grt) * was sunk by the LW. 177 crew were lost, and 144 rescued.





*Steamer ELMCREST (UK 4343 grt) *was sunk by S Boat S.19 13 miles sth of Portland. 16 crew were lost. The survivors were rescued by DD SABRE. Tkr BRITISH CORPORAL (UK 6972 grt) was damaged by DKM SBoats S.20 and S.26. Steamer HARTLEPOOL (UK 5500 grt) was damaged by S Boats S.20 and S.26 16 miles SSW of Portland. Survivors from HARTLEPOOL were rescued by DD SCIMITAR. 

*Steamer DALLAS CITY (UK 4952 grt)* was sunk by the LW. Because of the bomb damage, DALLAS CITY collided with steamer FLIMSTONE (UK 4674 grt) before sinking. The entire crew of the DALLAS CITY was rescued by DD SHIKARI. While standing by the steamer, SHIKARI was attacked by the LW but did not sustain any damage.

*Steamer DEUCALION (NL 1796 grt) *was sunk by the LW 20 miles SSW of Portland. There were 27 survivors. 





*Steamer BRITSUM (NL 5255grt) *was sunk by German bombing off Selsey, in 50-04N, 1-55W.





*Steamer KOLGA (Est 3526 grt)* was sunk by the LW, with 1 crewman lost. *Tug SILVERDIAL (UK 55 grt)* was sunk by German bombing in Portland Harbour. Br Steamers FAIRWATER, FLIMSTON, ANTONIO, EASTMOOR, ARGOS HILL, KING FREDERICK, CITY OF MELBOURNE, IRENE MARIA, BRIARWOOD, LIFLAND, EAST WALES and WILLIAM WILBERFORCE were all damaged by the LW attacks. 

DDs SABRE, ACHERON, SHIKARI, and SCIMITAR were involved in rescue operations with OA.178.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB REVENGE departed Plymouth on the 4th with DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and WANDERER. On the 5th, REVENGE met CLA BONAVENTURE and troopships MONARCH OF BERMUDA , SOBIESKI , and BATORY . These 5 ships, carried $1,750,000,000 in gold and securities from the Bank of England for safekeeping in Canada, departed Greenock at 0545 on the 5th escort DD GARTH. The DDs detached beyond the local approaches. DD GARTH returned to the Clyde. The British ships arrived safely at Halifax on the 12th. Troopship BATORY with engine room defects was detached to St Johns escorted by CLA BONAVENTURE which then continued on to Halifax. Troopship BATORY arrived at Halifax on the 13th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DRAGON departed Lagos to evacuate civilians from Santa Isabel on the 5th. These subjects were removed and taken to Manoca, arriving on the 6th (these are locations in the vicinity of modern day Cameroon). The CL then proceeded to Duala (Cameroons) , arriving on the 7th, on similar duties. Despite Vichy orders, the Governor stated he would support the British and requested DRAGON to remain at Duala. There were a few other colonies in central Africa, most territory now known as Chad in the Sahara, that also decided to fight with the Free French. 

SLF.38 departed Freetown escort AMC MALOJA to 17 July. The AMC arrived in the Clyde for fuel and water on the 19th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

HX.55 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA. BHX.55 departed Bermuda on the 2nd with a local escort of sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort of AMC RANPURA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.55 on the 7th at which time the AMC was detached. That same day, AMC MONTCLARE joined as ocean escort and at 2115 on that day, the local escort left the convoy to return to Halifax. DD WINCHELSEA joined the convoy on the 14th for the day only. Sloop FOLKESTONE joined on the 14th for the inbound run, and was detached on the 18th when the convoy arrived in Liverpool. DD SKEENA joined on the 15th for the day only. Corvette GARDENIA joined the convoy on the 15th and was detached on the 17th.

*Med- Biscay*
BC STRASBOURG with ContreTorpilleur DDs VOLTA, KERSAINT, TIGRE, and TERRIBLE and DDs BORDELAIS and LA POURSIUVANTE, which had escaped from Mer el Kebir for Toulon were joined at sea by the 6 CLs of CruDivs 3 and 4 , DDs L'INDOMPTABLE, LE MALI, LE FANTASQUE, and L'AUDACIEUX which had departed Algiers on the 3rd. RN carrier planes from CV ARK ROYAL attacked this force three times without success.
VOLTA and TERRIBLE fired torpedoes at long range at BC HOOD which was able to evade. 

CAs ALGERIE, FOCH, and COLBERT with DDs VAUBAN, LION, AIGLE, GUEPARD, VALMY, VERDUN , TARTU, LE CHEVALIER, CASSARD , VAUTOUR, GERFAUT, and ALBATROS departed Toulon and joined the ships east of Minorca. The ships arrived safely at Toulon later on the 4th some arriving early on the 5th . Fce H arrived back at Gibraltar that evening. Also departing on the 3rd was DD TROMBE from Oran which arrived at Algiers on the 4th. On the 6th, the destroyer left and arrived at Toulon on the 7th. DDs BRESTOISE and BOULONNAIS departed Oran on the 3rd and arrived at Algiers on the 4th. On the 6th, the DDs departed and arrived at Toulon on the 7th. DDs TRAMONTANE, TORNADE, and TYPHON departed Oran on the 3rd and arrived at Algiers on the 4th. On the 11th, they departed and arrived at Bizerte on the 12th. Sloops LE CHAMOIS, L'IMPETEUSE, and LA BATAILLEUSE departed Oran on the 3rd and arrived at Bizerte on the 5th. Seaplane tender COMMANDANT TESTE departed Mers el Kebir on the 4th and arrived at Arzew on the 4th. On the 6th, she departed and arrived at Bizerte on the 8th. DDs CASQUE and CORSAIRE departed Oran on the 7th and arrived at Toulon on the 8th. Sloop L'ANNAMITE departed Algiers on the 8th and arrived at Toulon the 10th. Sloop LA GRANDIERE departed Oran on the 7th and arrived at Algiers on the 8th.

Sub PROTEUS was taken under attack by Vichy DDs TIGRE and LYNX. HM Sub PANDORA off Algiers sank sloop RIGAULt DE GENOUILLY which was en route to Bizerte. Vichy subms LE GLORIEUX and LE HEROS, the AMCs EL D'JEZAIR, EL KANTARA, EL MANSOUR, and VILLE D'ORAN, and DDs MILAN and EPERVIER at Dakar were ordered to attack British shipping as a reprisal for the Mer el Kebir action.

On the 5th, *steamer ARGYLL (UK 2953 grt)*, *MV GAMBIAN (UK 5452 grt)*, and *MV TAKORADIAN (UK 5452 grt) *and Danish ships under British flag *HARALD (Den 1970 grt)*, *TACOMA (Den 5905 grt)*, and *ULRIK HOLM (Den 1502 grt) *were seized by these forces.

The steamers were renamed for French service. Steamer ARGYLL was renamed ST HENRI, steamer GAMBIAN was renamed ST GABRIEL, steamer TAKORADIAN was renamed ST PAUL, steamer HARALD was renamed ST CLAUDE, and steamer ULRIK HOLM was renamed STE ISABELLE. Steamer TACOMA was not renamed. *Steamer TEMPLE PIER (UK 4312 grt)* was seized at Algiers by Vichy Forces.

*Indian Ocean* 
Steamer CARAIBE (Vichy 4048 grt) departed Kilinini (Kenya) on the 4th. She was intercepted early on the 5th by CA KENT, which escorted her to Mombasa arriving on the 6th.

*Malta*
DD JERVIS attacked by a Z 506 seaplane

0555-0620 hrs Air raid alert. Three formations of enemy fighters appear over the Island. One remains at altitude while the other two carry out a low flying machine gun attack on Hal Far aerodrome and then on Kalafrana. All ground defence posts, including light machine guns of the RAF and 8th Bn Manchester Regt, return fire from the ground. No damage or casualties reported.


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## parsifal (Jul 4, 2015)

*5 July 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U103, S-Boat S-27 (from the S-26-29 gp)







_U-124 illustrated with the early war camo pattern shown left, and S-26 type S-Boat on trials in 1940_

Allied
Bar Class Boom defence vessel BANCLIFF, Fairmile A ML 106, Vosper 73' type MTB 31 











sources 
http://www.navyphotos.co.uk/Fishery Protection Patrol and Coastal forces/images/ml 1061b.jpg
*Losses*
V W Class *DD WHIRLWIND (RN 1100 grt) * Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 1826 hrs , DD WHIRLWIND was hit under the bridge by a G7e torpedo from U-34 about 120 miles west of Land’s End. The U-boat had spotted the DD at 1530 hrs and missed her with two torps at 1713 hrs. When finally hit, the DD lost her forepart while the rest remained afloat and was later scuttled by DD WESTCOTT after picking up the survivors. 56 crew members were lost and one died of wounds the following day.





*MV MAGOG (Cdn 2053 grt) * Crew: 23 (0 dead and 23 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Halifax - Preston. Sunk in the SW Approaches. An early loss to Ace Kretschmer. At 1251 hrs the MAGOG, a straggler of HX-52, was damaged by a stern torpedo from U-99 that exploded prematurely. The U-boat surfaced after 20 mins and began to shell her until the master and 22 crew members abandoned ship in a lifeboat about 58 miles WSW of Fastnet. At 1352 hrs, a G7e torpedo was fired that hit aft of amidships and broke the ship in two. The stern sank, but the foreship remained afloat on the cargo of timber even after the U-boat fired three rounds from the deck gun into it at 1505 hours. The wreck did not finally founder until 8 July. The survivors had been questioned by the Germans and were later picked up by the Swedish merchant FIDRA and landed at Queenstown, Cork.





*Special service ship EMERALD WINGS (RN 2139 grt) *arrived at Scapa as a blockship and she was subsequently deployed.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-62
Kiel: U-51 

At Sea 5 July 1940
U-28, U-29, U-30, U-34, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-56, U-65, U-99, UA. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British minefield AW was laid in the Wash by ML PLOVER and RNN ML WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN on 5 and 6 July. OA.179 and OA.180 departed Methil escorted by RCN DD ST LAURENT from 9 to 13 July and corvette HIBISCUS from 9 to 12 July. The convoy passed through the Pentland Firth (nth of Scotland) on the 10th. FN.214 departed Southend, escort DDs VANESSA, VEGA, and WINCHESTER. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 7th. MT.103 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 6th. FS.214 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th. FS.215 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. DDs JAVELIN and JUPITER joined the convoy for 6 July. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 6th and arrived with the convoy. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.

*Northern Waters*
DD IMOGEN damaged her propellers in contact with a submerged object in the Fair Isle Channel. 6 Swordfish of 823 Sqn and 9 Skuas of 801 Sqn departed Hatston to attack a damaged merchant ship reported by a Hudson of 269 Sqn off the Norwegian coast. No contact was made, but returning Swordfish attacked Sub TETRARCH mistaking her for a U Boat. 5 torpedoes were launched, but no damage was done to the Sub. DD GARTH departed the Clyde with ML MENESTHEUS for Loch Alsh. The DD continued on to Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
OB.179 departed Liverpool escorted by DD WALKER and sloop DEPTFORD from 5 to 8 July. The escorts were detached to convoy SL.37. The convoy dispersed on the 9th.

*Channel*
RN corvette CALENDULA was damaged by near misses by the LW off Plymouth at 1413. The corvette returned to Plymouth.

*Med- Biscay*
On 5 July CVL EAGLE launched devastating strikes against Italian shipping off the Cyrenaican coast. Her a/c concentrated their attacks outside Tobruk. A mere 9 swordfish were available for these strikes, a remarkably low number considering the amount of damage inflicted. 

They sank the Turbine Class *DD ZEFFIRO (RM 1070 grt)*, 





*the MV MANZONI (FI 3,955 grt) * (No image found) and *MV SERENITAS (FI 5,171 grt)* (no image found). Both vessels were captured by the advncing British during the WDFs offensive in December, and used by the British. *MV LIGURIA (FI 15,354 grt)* and beached to prevent sinking and later scuttled. 

RM DD EURO was badly damaged and her bow was blown off. She was later towed to Taranto and repaired. CLs CAPETOWN and CALEDON with DDs JANUS, JUNO, IMPERIAL, and ILEX, all departed Alexandria on the 5th, were at sea to recover two aircrew who had ditched at sea on the return flight from these strikes. Both crews were recovered.

*Malta*
2150-2155 hrs Air raid alert. An unidentified aircraft is reported approaching the south coast, showing full lights. It then signals in Morse Code before coming in to land at Kalafrana. The a/c was an FAF Latecoere 298, with teo French officers aboard wanting to defect and join the FF. 




_French Latecoere with Sunderland at Kalafrana_

1845 hrs 9 Swordfish 830 Sqn FAA left to attack the aerodrome at Catania. Bombs dropped: 6 x 500lb, 24 x 250lb, 27 incendiary; some on the aerodrome and some on workshops. Two hangars were hit and four fires started. Several cruisers and destroyers were observed in Augusta. All aircraft returned safely.


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## Njaco (Jul 4, 2015)

*July 5 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *Bf 109’s of I./JG 51 tangle with Spitfires of RAF No. 64 Squadron over the Pas-de-Calais. Three Spitfires are shot down with credit going to Lt. Erich Hohagen and Ofw. Johann Illner of 4./JG 51 and Ofw. Karl Schmid of 1./JG 51. One Messerschmitt is damaged during the combat. Another pilot of 4./JG 51, Fw. Willi Gasthaus, destroys a RAF Blenheim over Senden. Oblt. Von Holtey of 5./JG 26 also shoots down a Blenheim over Senden.

At Gibraltar there is an unsuccessful French torpedo bomber raid on the British naval base.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Romania announced that it had joined the Axis Powers. 

*GERMANY:* RAF launched night bombing raids on Kiel and Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States banned the trade of strategic materials with Japan. US President Roosevelt used the power given by the Export Control Act, which was just passed into law three days prior, to restrict the export of strategic minerals, strategic chemicals, aircraft engines, aircraft engine parts, and other equipment to Japan without special license.

Admiral James O. Richardson arrived in Washington DC, United States to meet with US President Franklin Roosevelt, officials from the Department of the Navy, and the State Department regarding the retention of the US Fleet in Hawaiian waters.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Nine British Royal Navy Swordfish aircraft of RAF No. 813 Squadron from HMS “_Eagle_” flew 100 miles west from Sidi Barrani, Egypt to attack the Italian naval base at Tobruk, Libya. Destroyer “_Zeffiro_” was sunk, destroyer “_Euro's_” bow was blown off, troop transport “_Liguria_” was damaged and was beached to prevent sinking, merchant vessel “_Manzoni_” was sunk, and merchant vessel “_Serenitas_” was damaged.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 50 miles southwest of Ireland, U-34 torpedoed British destroyer HMS “_Whirlwind_”, killing 59; 51 survivors were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Westcott_” before “_Wescott_” scuttled “_Whirlwind_”. Also off Ireland, U-99 damaged Canadian steamer “_Magog_”, breaking her into two. The stern section sank immediately, but the remainder of the ship remained afloat largely due to the timber she was carrying; 23 survivors were rescued by Swedish merchant ship “_Fidra_”

German auxiliary minesweepers M1803 (trawler “_Spitzbergen_”), M1806 (trawler “_Cuxhaven_”), and M1807 (trawler “_Mulsum_”) attacked and damaged British submarine HMS “_Shark_” in Boknafjord near Stavanger, Norway at 2200 hours.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Operation Fish: British battleship HMS “_Revenge_”, cruiser HMS “_Bonaventure_”, destroyer HMS “_Garth_”, and troop transports “_Monarch of Bermuda”_, “_Sobieski_”, and “_Batory_” departed Greenock, Scotland at 0545 hours. The cargo of US$1,750,000,000 worth of gold and securities from the Bank of England was destined for the Bank of Canada's vault in Ottawa. They would arrive at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada safely on 12 Jul.

In Britain, the south coast of England for twenty miles inland from Bexhill was declared to be a "Defence Area". Parachutists were reported as being seen between Pegswood Drift and Longhirst School. It was a drifting barrage balloon.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Swedish-German Railways Agreement: Germany obtains permission to utilize Swedish railways for the transport of war supplies and troops 'on leave' to and from Norway.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 5, 2015)

*6 July 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Vosper 73' type MTB 72 




*Losses*
*MV ANGELE MABRO (EG 3154 grt) * Crew: Unknown no survivors Cargo: Iron ore Route: Bilbao - Cardiff Sunk in the Bay Of Biscay 
The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Bay of Biscay WSW of Brest by U-30. 




Photo Source: ANGELE MABRO - egipski statek zatopiony przez U-Boot U-30 

*MV VAPPER (Est 4543 grt) * Crew: 33 (1 dead and 32 survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Cardiff - Buenos Aires. Sunk in the SW Approaches
At 1058 hrs the unescorted VAPPER was hit under the bridge by a single G7e torp from U-34. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, the U-boat fired at 1115 hrs a further G7a coup de grâce that hit in the engine room and caused the ship to break in two and sink in less than a minute. The next day, the master and 14 crew members were picked up by DD BROKE and landed in Falmouth. Also on 7 July, the 17 survivors in the other boat were picked up by RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE and landed at Plymouth later that day. The sinking had been observed by U-99 (Kretschmer), which had chased this ship for 90 mins and was just about to attack herself when it was torpedoed by U-34.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-47
Wilhelmshaven: U-28 

Departures
Bergen: U-61
Kiel: U-58 

At Sea 6 July 1940
U-29, U-30, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-65, U-99, UA. 
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
FN.215 departed Southend, escort sloops LOWESTOFT and WESTON and patrol sloop MALLARD. DDs KASHMIR and KELVIN joined the convoy for 7 July. Sloop MALLARD was detached on the 7th. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 8th

*Northern Waters*
DD GARTH arrived at Scapa to work up.

Sub SEALION had attacked a German convoy off Skudesnshavn in Boknafjord on the 3rd. She came under heavy DC attack for over 40 hrs but managed to evade and escape the escort. She withdrew from the patrol area. 

However, HM *sub SHARK (RN 670 grt) * came into the same patrol area to relieve SEALION and was immediately taken under attack by a LW seaplane 5th July 1940 and repeatedly hit thereafter for nearly 30 hours. Her after action report (written 5 years later) states there was much damage to the boat. She was able to surface later but was unable to steer correctly as the rudder was jammed and one of the main engines was out of action. She was then attacked by DKM aux MSWs M.1803 , M.1806 , and M.1807, forcing the sub to surface (she could neither steer properly or dive). SHARK but was able to get off a distress message at 2250 advising her location and that she was unable to dive. CL SOUTHAMPTON, CLA COVENTRY, and DDs COSSACK , MAORI, FAME, and FORTUNE cleared Scapa at 0215 to escort submarine SHARK to Rosyth. However, SHARK surrendered and was captured and then sank in tow in unknown circumstances (although the crew claimed to have set off the scuttling charges and this does seem the most likley explanation) before the British force could arrive. 33 crewman including the skipper were captured and taken prisoner. Two crew were killed and one crewman was fatally wounded. 





By 1000, the DDs had searched sub SHARK's track without success. DD FAME was damaged at 1240 aft by nine bombs dropped by the LW 28 miles west of Scotstoun Head. FAME's speed was reduced to 20 knots. 3 crew were killed in these attacks and 16 ratings were wounded. The entire British force proceeded to Rosyth, arriving at 2330. FAME began repairs at Rosyth completed 5 October.

The British force departed Rosyth on the 7th for Scapa, arriving on the 8th with SOUTHAMPTON, which had conducted firing practices, arriving at 1130. 

*Channel*
Br steamer APRICITY was damaged by the LW sth of Portland Bill. APRICITY in convoy OA.178 had been attacked on the 4th, but not damaged.

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy BC of troopships REINA DEL PACIFICO, ORION, STRATHEDEN, KENYA, KARANJA, and ASKA departed Freetown escorted by CA CORNWALL. The convoy arrived in England on the 19th

*Med- Biscay*
Vichy Adml Estava from Bizerte made a radio broadcast that BC DUNKERQUE was not seriously damaged in the 3 July Mer el Kebir attack and would soon be repaired. Upon receipt of this, Fce H, which was about to strike at BB RICHELIEU at Dakar, was ordered to make a second strike on DUNKERQUE. Fce H departed Gibraltar at 2000 with BC HOOD, BB VALIANT, CV ARK ROYAL, CLs ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE, and DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESTER, ESCORT, WISHART, VORTIGERN, VIDETTE, ACTIVE, and VELOX on operation LEVER, the neutralization of Vichy BC DUNKERQUE.

A/C from ARK ROYAL arrived at Mer el Kebir and sank *aux MSW ESTEREL V (Vichy 30 grt)*. 6 crew were killed . *Aux PV TERRE NEUVE (Vichy 780 grt)*, alongside DUNKERQUE, was sunk and her DCs exploded ripping a huge gash in DUNKERQUE's side. 154 crewmen of the BC Four officers and were killed or wounded. 8 crew of the TERRE NEUVE were killed. Total French casualties for the raids of 3 and 6 July on Mer el Kebir were 1297 killed and 351 wounded. 

BC DUNKERQUE was never fully repaired and did not return to service. She was repaired sufficiently to be moved in February 1942. She arrived at Toulon on 19 February, escorted by DDs FOUGUEUX, FRONDEUR, KERSAINT, TARTU, and VAUQUELIN. She remained immobilised and not fully repaired at Toulon until she was scuttled the following November. A Skua of 803 Sqn was damaged by gunfire from enemy fighters and ditched off Oran. The crew were rescued.

CLs CAPETOWN and CALEDON of CruSqn 3 and DDs JANUS, JUNO, ILEX, and IMPERIAL bombarded Bardia for 54 mins that morning. *Steamer AXUM (FI 249 grt)* and *Sailing Vessel SANT ANTONIO (FI 500 grt (est))* were sunk and another unnamed cargo ship was damaged in this attack. At 0820, the force was attacked by RA high level bombers, but no damage was done. 

An Italian convoy of steamers ESPERIA, CALITEA , MARCO FOSCARINI , and VETTOR PISANI escort RM TBs ORSA, PEGASO, PROCIONE, and ORIONE of TBDiv 4 departed Naples for Benghazi. The convoy was joined on the 7th by FI steamer FRANCESCO BARBERO and TBs ABBA and PILO from Catania.

*Malta*
0810-0840 hrs Air raid alert for 3 formations of RA a/c which approach to within 9 miles of the Island before turning away. No raid materialises.

1455-1540 hrs 20 bombers approach the Island and carry out a heavy bombing raid and dropping 100 bombs. HE is dropped on Kirkop, Luqa, Paola, Verdala Barracks and the Dockyard, in the sea off Benghaisa and San Rocco, and between Mosta and Naxxar. Several evacuated houses at Paola are destroyed with five minor casualties among civilians. 19 bombs land on Luqa, including 6 on the runway causing damage which is quickly repaired. One bomb lands on the corner of a hangar, destroying the building. Another just misses a slit trench occupied by personnel of 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regt., covering them with dust but causing no casualties. Some MT at Verdala is damaged. One AA gunner at San Giacomo is slightly wounded. One enemy a/c is brought down and a second badly damaged.

2110-2140 hrs Air raid alert. 4 enemy a/c attack the Island, dropping high explosive bombs near the Dockyard and on Fort St Angelo, damaging gardens, near Tal Bajda and Tal Virtu, and in the sea off Kalafrana. A low-flying machine-gun attack is made between Madalena Tower and St Andrews Barracks. The aircraft swoops over the parade ground of Pembroke Barracks, firing its tail gun towards the ground. Two enemy a/c are shot down by small arms fire into the sea off Madalena Tower.

2335 hrs Lights are reported from the west of Verdala, believed possible signaling. A few minutes later more possible signaling lights are seen coming from Dingli.


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## parsifal (Jul 5, 2015)

*7 July 1940 *
*Losses*
*Tkr LUCRECIA (NL 2584 grt) *Crew: 32 (2 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: Fuel Oil Route: Aruba – Avonmouth Sunk in the SW approaches 
At 0714 hrs the unescorted and unarmed LUCRECIA was hit on the starboard side under the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-34 about 70 miles west of the Isles of Scilly. The explosion broke the back of the ship, ignited a fuel tank ahead of the bridge and killed the master who was probably asleep in his cabin. The crew immediately abandoned ship in one lifeboat and some rafts, while the burning tanker settled slowly and sagged in the middle. The column of smoke attracted a patrol a/c from St. Eval which was shortly thereafter joined by 2 Sunderland flying boats from RAAF 10 sqn and the RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE with orders to investigate. In the meantime, the submerged U-boat remained in the vicinity in order to wait for the wreck to sink. At 1520 hrs, the Germans spotted another ship near the attack position but could not get closer due to the a/c and eventually left the area. They had observed how the Portuguese steam merchant ALFERRAREDE picked up the survivors and then proceeded on her voyage to Oporto, where the rescued seamen were landed on 11 July. The chief officer had died of his wounds on 8 July and was buried at sea the next day. 





*MV BISSEN (Sd 1514 grt) * Crew: 20 (0 dead and 20 survivors) Cargo: Timber for Pulp and Mine pit props Route: St. John’s - Ridham Dock Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 2312 hrs the unescorted and unarmed BISSEN was hit ahead of amidships by one torp from U-99 about 80 miles SSW of Cape Clear. The explosion threw parts of the deck cargo all over the ship, blew a raft overboard and caused the ship to settle quickly by the head. The crew immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboats and noticed too late that the second officer was still aboard. It was difficult to get back to the sinking ship as the engines were still running and the ship was steaming slowly in circles, but after several attempts the boat in charge of the master managed to rescue him. The U-boat had to leave the area shortly after the attack because a DD was sighted. The survivors were picked up about one hour later by DD BROKE and landed at Plymouth on 9 July. 





*MV SEA GLORY (UK 1964 grt) * Crew: 29 (29 dead - no survivors) Cargo: China clay Route: Fowey, Cornwall - Philadelphia. Sunk in the SW Approaches . At 0053 hrs the unescorted SEA GLORY was hit on the port side just ahead of the bridge by one of two G7e torps from U-99 and sank by the bow within 2 mins about 110 miles SSW of Fastnet. There was no time to abandon ship[ because the ship was hit by two torpedoes. Kretschmer had not intended to fire 2 torps in this attack, a 2nd torpedo tube was only prepared to be fired as coup de grâce, but was launched too by mistake. The ship had been reported missing after leaving Fowey and was presumed lost from 11 July.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-30 (She was the first U-boat to use a French port. U-boats U.34, U.52, and U.99 followed later in the month)
Wilhelmshaven: U-65 

At Sea 7 July 1940
U-29, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-99, UA. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic
MV ALMORA (Ex-Nor (Ger)) hit a mine laid by the RUBIS 10 May 1940. 

*North Sea*
British minefield BS.22 was laid by ML TEVIOTBANK and DDs ESK and INTREPID. FN.216 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS, sloop STORK, and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. MT.104 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 9th.
FS.216 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS and patrol sloop MALLARD. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th.

*Northern Waters*
8 Skuas of 801 Sqn departed Hatston to attack oil tanks at Bergen. No damage was done to intended targets and no a/c were lost. Br tkr CAIRNDALE and cable ship ARIEL departed Scapa for the Clyde, escort ASW trawlers THIRLMERE and WINDERMERE.

*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*
OB.180 departed Liverpool and was routed north of Ireland. The convoy was escorted by sloop SANDWICH and DD WANDERER from 7 to 10 July when they were detached to convoy HX.54. DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, WOLVERINE, and WITHERINGTON joined the convoy for 9 July, with the exception of DD HESPERUS which escorted the convoy on 9 and 10 July. DD HIGHLANDER joined the convoy for 10 July. 

*SW Approaches*
At 0054, Turkish ML sloop YUZBASI HAKKI (built in the UK and just completed) was damaged in a collision with DD BROKE, escorting convoy OA.178, at Plymouth. There was slight damage to the DD. The damage was repaired at Plymouth from 10 to 12 July. BROKE escorted the minelaying sloop to Falmouth for repairs. HG.37 of 22 ships departed Gib local escort DDs WISHART and VIDETTE on 7 and 8 July. Sloop ENCHANTRESS from convoy OG.36 escorted the convoy from 8 to 16 July when the convoy arrived at Liverpool. 

*Channel*
Sub H.43 landed a recon party on Guernsey in Operation ANGER in preparation for operation AMBASSADOR, a commando raid to be held on the 14th. MSW MERCURY was damaged by the LW at Portland. 4 ratings were killed and 3 were wounded. 

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.56 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs OTTAWA and SAGUENAY. The DDs turned over the convoy beyond the local approaches on the 8th to AMC COMORIN and arrived back at Halifax midmorning on the 8th. The AMC was detached on the 20th. BHX.56 departed Bermuda on the 6th escort AMC AUSONIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.56 on the 11th when the AMC was detached. On the 19th, DD WARWICK, sloops HASTINGS, LEITH, and ROCHESTER, and corvette HEARTSEASE joined the convoy for the inbound portion . Sloop HASTINGS was detached on the 20th. The remaining escort arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on the 22nd.

*Central Atlantic*
The RN launched CATAPULT opns at BB RICHELIEU at Dakar. CVL HERMES, CAs DORSETSHIRE and RAN AUSTRALIA, and sloop MILFORD arrived off Dakar. Sloop MILFORD delivered an ultimatum to the French commander on RICHELIEU. The ultimatum was rejected and at 0210 on the 8th an launch from CVL HERMES dropped depth charges under the stern of RICHELIEU. The attack failed due to shallowness of the water. 3 hrs later, 6x Swordfish of 814 Sqn from HERMES attacked RICHELIEU. The battleship was hit on one of her propeller shafts which was damaged and three compartments were flooded. On the 9th, RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed the Dakar CATAPULt force and on the 11th rejoined the convoy she had escorted earlier from Capetown. The convoy and CA AUSTRALIA arrived in the Clyde on the 16th and Scapa on the 20th.


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## Njaco (Jul 5, 2015)

*July 6 Saturday*
*GERMANY: * On the heels of the newly formed II./JG 54, a third Gruppe is added to JG 54. Using elements of I./JG 21 and based at Jesau flying Bf 109Es, the Gruppe is led by Hptm. Fritz Ultsch. The unit is soon moved to Soesterberg.

A third Gruppe is added to JG 27 using the personnel and fighters of I./JG 1. Led by Hptm. Johannes Schlichting, the unit is based at Careuebut. The fighters of JG 1 are left without a I Gruppe until December.

German radio stations played the song "Denn wir fahren gegen Engeland" for the first time.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Lever: British Royal Navy Force H under Vice Admiral James Somerville returned to Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria. At dawn, Swordfish aircraft from carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” scored several torpedo hits on French battleship “_Dunkerque_”, killing 154 and wounding 8. One torpedo hit patrol boat “_Terre Neuve_”, detonating depth charges, killing 8; shock waves from the explosion further damaged “_Dunkerque_”. 

*WESTERN FRONT:* The first German U-boat base in France was opened at Lorient.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Shark_”, damaged by attacks from German auxiliary minesweepers M1803 (trawler “_Spitzbergen_”), M1806 (trawler “_Cuxhaven_”), and M1807 (trawler “_Mulsum_”) in Boknafjord near Stavanger, Norway on the previous day, became captured by the Germans. She was in the process of being towed by the German ships when she suddenly sank, killing 3. The remaining 32 crew members were rescued and became prisoners of war.

German submarine U-34 sank Estonian collier “_Vapper_” south of Cape Clear, Ireland; 1 was killed and 32 took to lifeboats. German submarine U-99, which had chased “_Vapper_” for the past 90 minutes, observed the sinking. To the south, U-30 sank Egyptian ship “_Angele Mabro_” west of Brest, France, killing all aboard.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British cruisers HMS “_Capetown_” and HMS “_Caledon_” and destroyers HMS “_Janus_”, HMS “_Juno_”, HMS “_Ilex_”, and HMS “_Imperial_” shelled Bardia, Libya near the Egyptian border at 0537 hours, sinking Italian ship “_Axum_” and damaged another merchant ship. Italian bombers arrived at 0820 hours, but caused no damage against the British warships.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 6, 2015)

> German aircraft and minesweepers sank four British submarines (“Narwhal”, “Spearfish”, “Shark”, and “Thames”). British submarine HMS “Shark”, damaged by attacks from German auxiliary minesweepers M1803 (trawler “Spitzbergen”), M1806 (trawler “Cuxhaven”), and M1807 (trawler “Mulsum”) in Boknafjord near Stavanger, Norway on the previous day, became captured by the Germans. She was in the process of being towed by the German ships when she suddenly sank, killing 3. The remaining 32 crew members were rescued and became prisoners of war


.


Sorry to be such a nark Chris because I think you are doing a marvellous job. This element of the post seems to be suggesting the loss of all four brit subs on the same day. If so, that's not correct.

In the case of NARWHAL, this is the only known case of SIGINT leading to the direct loss of a british submarine. Since April 1940, the German B-Dienst had deciphered several signals addressed to HMS NARWHAL but had mistaken her for HMS PORPOISE. The air attack was a direct result of this work as the route of the submarine was known ahead of time. 

A German aircraft (Do-17, Lt.z.S, Bernhard Müller, 1/KF1Gr 606) reported attacking a submarine on the afternoon of 23rd July 1940 about 125 nautical miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland in position 56º50'N, 01º40'E, it was most likely this attack is responible for the loss off NARWHAL as she failed to return to base and was reported overdue on 1 August 1940.

In the case of SPEARFISH, she was sunk on the surface by U-34, who put a torpedo into the unsuspecting submarine in the middle of the North Sea. SPEARFISH was lost 1 August 1940 about 180 miles west-southwest of Stavanger

no argument about the SHARK. She had endured 45 hours of constant DC attack before being forced to the surface. It is unclear why the ship sank whilst under tow, but the crew was still on board, so sabotage is at least a possibility. 

HM sub THAMES is believed to have struck a mine on or about the 3 August. she was reported missing, presumed lost 11 august.


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## Njaco (Jul 6, 2015)

I thought something was off about that. That many subs in one day and all I could find for that day was "Shark". I will amend!


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## Njaco (Jul 6, 2015)

*July 7 Sunday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *During the day, fighters from II and III Gruppen of JG 51 clash with Spitfires over England. In one skirmish over Manston, three Spitfires are shot down from RAF No. 54 Squadron. Credited with kills are Ofw. Fritz Beeck for his first victory, Fw. Eduard Hemmerling, also his first and a Spitfire for Herbert Huppertz. All three pilots are from 6./JG 51. A second dogfight over Folkestone results in four British aircraft shot down. Oblt. Walter Oesau of 7./JG 51 gains his sixth victory, a Spitfire from RAF No. 65 Squadron. Two more Spitfires from RAF No 65 Squadron are destroyed by pilots from JG 51 while a Hurricane from RAF No. 79 Squadron is also lost. 

In the evening, pilots of JG 27 shoot down three Spitfires of RAF No. 64 Squadron. The Kanalfront Geschwaders loose no fighters in these actions. A Bf 109E of III./JG 27 is damaged in a take-off accident from its airfield in France.

He 111 bombers of 4./KG 55 are attacked by British fighters during a night raid on Portland, Dorset. No bombers are shot down but some sustain damage. Another three He 111s of II./KG 55 take off from Chartres on a bombing mission to the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton but the mission is soon aborted. 

*GERMANY:* The factory defense squadron at the Fiesler aircraft factory at Kassel, is disbanded.

During an RAF night raid on the Ruhr, Fw. Müller of 3./JG 26 shoots down a British Blenheim. 

*NORTH AFRICA:* The French commander in Alexandria, Admiral Godefroy, agrees to allow his ships to be demobilized. The French force here consists of the battleship “_Lorraine_”, three heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, three destroyers and a submarine. Godfroy secured Andrew Cunningham's pledge that the ships would remain under Godfroy's command and that the sailors would be repatriated.

Operation Catapult: British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS “_Hermes_” attacked the French battleship “_Richelieu_” in dock at Dakar, French West Africa. A torpedo hit caused a 40-foot hole, bringing her to the bottom of the harbor (the harbor was shallow enough for her to be refloated shortly after). After dark, a boat from HMS “_Hermes_” attempted to drop depth charges underneath French battleship “_Richelieu_” but the attack was not successful.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy granted France permission to keep her Mediterranean bases armed.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-99 sank British ship “_Sea Glory_” at the very start of the day, killing the entire crew of 29. Toward the end of the day, U-99 struck again, sinking Swedish ship “_Bissen_” 80 miles south of Cape Clear, Ireland; the entire crew of 20 survived. Also on this date, U-34 sank Dutch tanker “_Lucrecia_” 100 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England, United Kingdom, killing 2; 30 survivors were later rescued by Portuguese ship “_Alfarrarede_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British submarine HMS H43 landed Lieutenant Hubert Nicolle on the Channel Island of Guernsey during the night to collect intelligence for the planned commando raid code named Operation Ambassador.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Franklin Roosevelt informed the US Congress that he intended to deploy a US Marine Corps brigade to Iceland.

.


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## Crimea_River (Jul 6, 2015)

Any way to bacon a whole thread?

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## syscom3 (Jul 6, 2015)

Crimea_River said:


> Any way to bacon a whole thread?



You will have to wait until May 9th 2020 to do it.


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## parsifal (Jul 7, 2015)

I think we are only doing the beginning, to December 7 1941. At least I hope so. You and Chris already did the last part of the war.

There is a standing and open invitation for any and all to contribute to this thread, either a lot or a little.

Dont suppose you are up to doing the Barbarossa campaign from June to December Sys, from the Soviet POV?

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## parsifal (Jul 7, 2015)

*7 July 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM Raider THOR sank *steamer DELAMBRE (UK 7032 grt) *in the Sth Atlantic. Some of the crew were made prisoners of war.





*Med- Biscay*
RA air recon reported that two RN cruisers at Malta that day, but in facty the ships were DDs JERVIS DIAMOND. The presence of these ships and the misreporting of them set into motion considerable support for the fuel starved RM to support an important convoy at sea. This convoy that had departed Naples the day before was being covered by RM CLs BANDE NERE and COLLEONI of the CruSqn 2 and DDs MAESTRALE, LIBECCIO, GRECALE, and SCIROCCO. The covering force was joined by the flagship of the CruSqn 2, CA POLA, departing Augusta at 1840 with DDs LANCIERI, CARABINIERI, CORAZZIERE, and ASCARI, CAs ZARA, FIUME, and GORIZIA departed Messina at 1410 with DDs ALFIERI, CARDUCCI, GIOBERTI, and ORIANI ; CAs BOLZANO and TRENTO departed Messina at 1545 with DDs ARTIGLIERE, CAMICIA NERA, AVIERE, and GENIERE; and CLs EUGENIO, D'AOSTA, ATTENDOLO, and MONTECUCCOLI departed Palermo at 1235 and DDs GRANATIERE, FUCLIERE, BERSAGLIERE, and ALPINO provided escort. RM BBs CAVOUR and CESARE with DDs FRECCIA, SAETTA, STRALE, DARDO, FOLGORE, FULMINE, BALENO, and LAMPO departed Taranto at 1410 on the 7th for distant cover for the convoy. RM CLs BARBIANO, GUISSANO, CARDONA, DIAZ, ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI departed Taranto at the same time as the BB force with DDs PIGAFETTI, ZENO, DA RECCO, PESSAGNO, and USODIMARE. RM DDcvItalian destroyers VIVALDI, DA NOLI, and PANCALDO of the 14th Destroyer Division later departed Taranto at 0618/9th to reinforce the Italian force.

CLs DIAZ and CADORNA and DDs STRALE, DARDO DA NOLI developed mechanical defects. The DD returned to Taranto, but the cruisers remained with the fleet.

The Med Flt sortied from Alexandria to cover convoys MS.1 and MF.1 coming from Malta. The Fleet was divided into 3 sections.

Force A was CLs NEPTUNE, ORION, GLOUCESTER, and RAN SYDNEY on ORION with RAN DD STUART which departed Alexandria and CL LIVERPOOL which departed Port Said and joined the Force at sea. Force B wasflagship BB WARSPITE with DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HERO, HEREWARD, and DECOY. Force C was BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and MALAYA, CVL EAGLE, and DDs HASTY, HYPERION, ILEX, VOYAGER, RAN VAMPIRE, HOSTILE, JUNO, JANUS, DEFENDER, and DAINTY. DD IMPERIAL departed with this force, but a burst steam pipe caused her return to Alexandria. Force D, which later departed Malta with the convoy, was DDs DIAMOND, JERVIS, and RAN VENDETTA. DD HASTY attacked 2 RM subs soon after the Fleet departure Alexandria. Later that night, RM sub BEILUL sighted and attacked the Med Flt without success. Later, she was able to report her sighting to Supermarina. Sub OLYMPUS in dock at Malta was bombed and badly damaged by the RA. The sub was slightly damaged in another air raid on 7 September. Sub OLYMPUS was repairing and refitting until 29 November.

BS.1 of 18 ships departed Suez escorted by sloops GRIMSBY and CLIVE from 7 to 10 July. The convoy was dispersed on the 10th.

*Malta*
0800-0840 hrs Air raid alert. Enemy aircraft are reported in the vicinity of Malta but do not cross the coast or drop any bombs.

0917-0935 hrs Air raid alert for five enemy bombers which cross the coast and drop bombs Benghaisa, then the Dockyard. Twelve bombs are dropped in the area of Tarxien and Zeitun, severely wounding one officer. Eight civilians are killed and eight wounded in Kalkara; one civilian is killed in Zeitun. One Hurricane pilot picks off an enemy bomber at the edge of the formation and attacks with machine gun fire. He is heard on his radio: “Am just giving the right hand bomber a basin full…going down, going down.” The enemy aircraft is observed falling into the sea south of Filfla.

1835 hrs Air raid alerts. Enemy aircraft approach the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled; the enemy raiders turn back, without crossing the coast or dropping bombs.

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## parsifal (Jul 7, 2015)

*8 July 1940 
Losses
MV HUMBER ARM (UK 5758 grt) * Crew: 43 (0 dead and 43 survivors) Cargo: 5450 tons of newsprint, 1000 tons of steel, 450 tons of pulp and 300 tons of lumber Route: Halifax - Ellesmere Port. Sunk in the SW Approaches. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Celtic Sea 60 nautical miles sth of the Fastnet Rock by U-99 . All 43 crew were rescued by RN vessels SCIMITAR and VANQUISHER .




After this successful attack on convoy HX 53 sth of Fastnet, escorts dropped a total of 107 DCs over 14 hrs, but U-99 escaped unscathed.

*Special service ship JAMES 9 (RN 85 grt)* was sunk as a blockship.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 8 July 1940
U-29, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-99, UA.
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
Sub SEALION attacked the wreck of sunken German steamer PALIME at Obrestad. FN.217 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. Br steamer EASTWOOD was damaged by the LW 1 mile north of 20D Buoy, Hartlepool.

DKM CS LUTZOW while in dock at Kiel was hit by an RAF BC bomb which did not explode.

*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa for the Clyde. DD DIANA departed Scapa to rendezvous with FN steamer LAHTI on the 9th 3 miles from Rattray Head and escort her to Rosyth. However DIANA was unable to locate the Finnish ship. At 1234 on the 9th, the DD was ordered to search for a Blenheim in the sea in 58-14N, 1-04W. This search was also unsuccessful and DIANA arrived back at Scapa on the 10th.

*West Coast UK*
CA GLASGOW arrived at Scapa from Liverpool. CA DEVONSHIRE arrived at Scapa from the Clyde.

*Channel*
Free French (FF) Sloop SUIPPE was damaged from divebombing attacks by StG.2 at Falmouth. No crew was aboard at the time and the ship was beached as a result of her damage. She was repaired however. Br steamer CORUNDUM was damaged by the LW 7 miles SW of Folkestone.

*ASW Trawler CAYTON WYKE (RN 550 grt)* of ASW Gp 9 was torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel south east of Dover by DKM S-36 with the loss of 17 crew
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med- Biscay*
Fce H consisting of BC HOOD, BBs RESOLUTION and VALIANT, CV ARK ROYAL, CLs ARETHUSA, DELHI, and ENTERPRISE, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, ESCORT, FEARLESS, ACTIVE, DOUGLAS, VELOX, VORTIGERN, and WRESTLER sortied from Gib to cover the Med Flt (refer separate post). As a diversion for the convoys leaving Malta, ARK ROYAL was to launch an air raid against Cagliari, but the raid was later cancelled. ARETHUSA arrived back at Gibraltar on the 10th.

*DD ESCORT (RN 1350 grt)* was torpedoed by RM sub MARCONI SW of Minorca. ESCORT was taken in tow by FORESTER and screened by FAULKNOR. In addition, after safely delivering Fce H to Gibraltar on the 11th, DDs KEPPEL, FORESIGHT, and FOXHOUND returned to screen ESCORT's withdrawal. However, ESCORT was lost later that day when she foundered in tow. 2 ratings were lost and 13 other crew were wounded in ESCORT.





*Malta*
1420-1445 hrs Air raid alert. A formation of enemy aircraft is heard above the heavy cloud and engaged by Malta fighters and successfully turned away five miles from the Island. 

1700-1715 hrs Air raid alert. One Hudson aircraft lands in Malta; no enemy raiders are seen. 

AIR HQ Arrivals 3 Sunderland. 0445 hrs ASW patrol and recon by Swordfish: nothing to report. PM At the request of the CinC Chief one Hudson aircraft carried out recon to a depth of 265 miles off Malta: no enemy forces sighted.


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## Njaco (Jul 7, 2015)

*July 8 Monday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *On this day, the Allies get a close up look at a Bf 109E, intact, as it lands in England. Lt. Johann Bohm of 4./JG 51 is forced down at Bladbean Hill, Elham, Kent by a Spitfire of RAF No. 74 Squadron flown by Sgt. E.A. Mould becoming the first undamaged Messerschmitt to come down on English soil. At 1930 hours another Messerschmitt comes down when Lt. A. Striberny of 3(J) ./LG 2, flying a Bf 109E-3, is shot down over Sandwich, Kent. The Lieutenant survives and is taken prisoner. A close inspection by the British on these aircraft brings to light the increase of armour plating in the cockpit area.

A Bf 109 of III./JG 51 is shot down and another from II./JG 51 is damaged in combat with fighters from RAF No. 610 Squadron. But other pilots of JG 51 make up for the losses. Oblt. Josef Fözö of 4./JG 51 downs a Spitfire from RAF No. 65 Squadron over Dover. The 5 Staffel of JG 51 also add to their scores over Dover. Lt. Hermann Striebel and Hermann Segatz each claim a Spitfire while Hptm. Horst Tietzen downs a Hurricane of RAF No 79 Squadron. Another Hurricane from RAF No. 32 Squadron is damaged at Dungeness by a fighter from JG 51.

A formation of Bf 110s are bounced by Spitfires from RAF No. 54 Squadron as they cross the coast at Dungeness. As the Spitfires are about to intercept, they are jumped by escorting Bf 109s from above. Two Spitfires are shot down and a third badly damaged.

During the night, three He 111s from III./KG 54 attack the Grain Silo and Electricity Works at Bristol.

The British RAF Fighter Command established the 10 Group for the defense of southwestern Britain.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The British attack several French warships to keep them from falling into German hands. In Casablanca, the French battleship “_Jean Bart_” is attacked by British motor torpedo boats. British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS “_Hermes_” hit French battleship “_Richelieu_” at Dakar for the second consecutive day, despite that “_Richelieu_” had already touched bottom from the attacks on the previous day. De Gaulle criticizes the British for these actions. This is the first sign that he will maintain French independence and be a stormy partner.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Expanding on their previous agreement, Sweden allowed Germany to transport war materiel across their rail lines.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-99 sank British ship “_Humber Arm_” of Allied convoy HX-53 60 miles south of Ireland at 0753 hours. 42 crew members and 1 passenger were later rescued by destroyer HMS “_Scimitar_”. The submarine was attacked with 107 depth charges from various escorting vessels for the following 14 hours, but the German boat under the command of Otto Kretschmer would be able to escape harm.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Marconi_” torpedoed and damaged destroyer HMS “_Escort_” southwest of Minorca, Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 2 and wounding 13. HMS “_Escort_” would sink later while under tow by destroyer HMS “_Forester_”. On the same day, Italian aircraft bombed cruiser HMS “_Gloucester_”, hitting the compass platform of the bridge, wounding 9 and killing 12. The commanding officer was among those killed.

*GERMANY:* British bombers attacked German heavy cruiser “_Lützow_” in dock at Kiel, Germany. “_Lützow_”, under repair for extensive torpedo damage to her stern caused by HMS “_Spearfish_” on 11 Apr 1940, was hit by a bomb that failed to detonate.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Joint War Planning Committee completed a plan calling for an expeditionary force to be dispatched from New York, New York, United States to the French colony of Martinique. The US 1st Marine Brigade was earmarked for the initial landing force.

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## parsifal (Jul 7, 2015)

*Battle Of Calabria - The Preliminaries 8-11 July 1940 * 

From NAVAL STAFF HISTORY SECOND WORLD WAR SELECTED OPERATIONS (MEDITERRANEAN), 1940 BATTLE SUMMARIES
Restricted (now declassified) reports from 1957

http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Battle_Summary_Nos_2-8-9_and_10.pdf

Both fleets had planned operations at the same time. The Italian operation, known as Plan I was an important convoy operation from Naples to Benghazi. The RN operation was known as Plan MA.5 and involved two convoys for Malta. 

As early as 25th June Cunningham had decided to resum e the running of convoys to and from the Aegean and Egypt and also between Malta and Alexandria .Once the the distressing question of th e French Fleet had been resolved, the Med Flt could turn their u ndivided attention to the Italians, and put Mussolini’s claim of Mare Nostrum (“Our Sea”) in the central basin, to the test.

The Italians were however in a good position. They had well placed bases, a completely modern or modernized fleet. They possessed in 1940 some advantages in signal intelligence. They were supported by a large air force which in the 1930s had given impressive aerobatic displays allover Euope. 

Early in July Cunningham drew up plans for an operation termed M.A 5. This operation he proposed to employ practically the whole strength of his Fleet in making an extensive sweep in to the Central Mediterranean almost as far as the Italian coast, while two convoys were passing from Malta to Alexandria . It so chanced that Operation M.A.5 synchronised with that being undertaken by the RM.

The Italians, as previously stated had a simultaneous operation, Operation “I”, which passed an important convoy from Naples (departing on the 6th) through to Benghazi. With the passage of an important Italian military convoy from Naples and Catania to Benghazi, covered by the bulk o f the Italian Fleet. This led to the first surface action between the British and Italian Fleets, an encounter which took place off the Calabrian coast on 9th July 1940.

During the night 7/8 July Cunningham, with Force “ B ” , set a mean line of advance 305°, 20 kts. The original plan was modified, and a rendezvous appointed for all forces at 1400, 10th July, in 36° 30' N., 170 40' E. Meanwhile, unknown to the CinC, Adm Campioni’s forces were at sea, steering southerly courses in pursuance o f their plan for covering their convoy to Benghazi. The first intel of the enemy Flt being at sea was received in the WARSPITE at 0807, 8th, from the sub PHOENIX, who reported that at 0515 she had made an unsuccessful attack at extreme range on two BBs and 4 DDs steering 180° about 185 miles to the east of Malta. This report suggested the enemy was covering an important convoy, and the CinC ordered the Vice-Adm iral, M alta, to arrange for a flying boat to search for and shadow the enemy force. Pending further information, the Fleet maintained its course and speed. During the day o f 8th July, all three forces experienced heavy bombing attacks by formations of RA level bombers coming apparently from the Dodecanese bases. Between 1023 and 1837, 5 attacks were made on Force “A” , in the last of which the GLOUCESTER, seemingly singled out as a special target, was hit by a bomb on the compass platform. This unhappily caused 7 officers killed (including Captain F. R. Garside), 3 wounded; 11 ratings killed, 6 wounded. The damage to the Gloucester’s bridge and DCT obliged her to steer from aft and use her after gun control. Force “B” was attacked seven times between 1205 and 1812, some 120 bombs being dropped without result. Six attacks were made on Force “C” between 0951 and 1749. No hits were made, though about 80 bombs were dropped, the EAGLE being the chief target. In these attacks, which were all delivered from levels between 10,000 and 14,000 ft., there were many near misses. Further information of the Italian fleet was received at 1557. A signal from Flying Boat L.5803, reporting two BBs, 6 cruisers and 7 DDs 60 miles north o f Benghazi steering 340° at 1500. Later, the flying boat reported that the enemy had altered course to starboard, and gave their course at 1630 as 070° 20 kts: it was obliged to return to Malta at 1715 and no relief was then available to continue shadowing the enemy fleet. Suspecting that the “ BB” reported by the flying boat were probably 8-inch cruisers, the CinC was of opinion that the enemy had some special reason for wishing to keep the British Fleet away from the Central Med.. The intensive bombing already experienced strengthened his impression that the Italians might be covering the movement of an important convoy— probably one to Benghazi. Acting on this conclusion, he decided to abandon temporarily the operation in progress and to proceed at best possible speed in the direction of Taranto, in order to take up a blocking position to try and intercept the Italian fleet on its return leg. He accordingly took steps aimed at facilitating that outcome. Forces “A”, “B” and “C” were all ordered to concentrate to the southward of Zante (36° 5 5 ' N., 20° 30' E.) at 0600, 9th July. .Tw o flying boat searches were ordered to commence at dawn, one between 070° and 130° from M alta, the other westward of a line 180° from Cape Matapan.. At the same time, the EAGLE was to fly off a search to a depth o f 60 miles between 180° and 300°. The subs RORQUAL and PHOENIX were ordered to positions on a line 160° from Taranto— the RORQUAL as far north as possible, the PHOENIX south of 37° 30' N. During the night 8th /9th July the CinC maintained a mean line o f advance of 310°, 20 kts, Forces “A” and “C” adjusting courses and speeds as necessary to make the rendezvous 

*Italian Actions 8th July *
As this was happening, the Italians had carried out their convoy movements almost exactly as planned. A t 0150, 8th July, Adm Campioni received a signal from Supermarina reporting that British forces from Alexandria were estimated to be in positions 340 10' N ., 230 00' E. and 340 5 ' N., 240 00' E. at 2000, 7th July. Steps were taken to concentrate the covering forces, and just before 0500 the convoy’s course was altered to 180° till the situation should be clarified. Air search at dawn to the eastward and south-eastward of the Cesare to a depth of 100 miles having proved negative, the convoy resumed its course for Benghazi during the forenoon and arrived there without incident that evening. Between 1430 and 1520, 8th the covering forces altered course to NNW to return to Italy, the BBs then being about 75 miles to the NE of Benghazi and the CAs some 30 miles NW of the BBs. It was shortly after the CAs had made this turn that they were sighted and reported by the RAF Flying Boat. Soon after this, on the strength of an air report of three enemy BBs and 8 DDs to the sth o f Crete, Campioni decided to steer to intercept them, and altered to a N.N.E .’course, the cruiser forces altering to close him; but at 1820 Supermarina intervened and cancelled this movement, pending further orders. Course NNW was therefore resumed. Supermarina had intercepted and decyphered enemy signals, which indicated that early next afternoon (9th) the British Fleet would be some 80 miles east o f Sicily. This information seemed to offer a golden opportunity of engaging the main British naval force in their own waters with shore-based a/c, subs and surface forces. T h ey accordingly directed Campioni to steer for this area (later amended to one further nth, off Calabria), at the same time ordering 5 subs to take up positions between 350 50' N. and 370 N. and 17° and 17° 40' E. The plan was a good one, but it did not quite take into account just how aggressively Cunningham intended ’to deploy his fleet, and hoiw decisively he intended to react. Cunninghams battle plan of maneuvering to interpose his fleet between the Italians and their main base unnerved Supermarina. 

These intentions and the information on which Supermarinas decisions were based were communicated to Campioni during the night, who continued to steer 330°. At midnight 8th/9th July the CESARE was approximately 200 miles west o f the WARSPITE, both the opposing forces making to the NW on slightly converging courses. Soon after this Adm Paladini (in command of the RM scouting cruiser groups) , as the result o f a signal from Supermarina giving warning of the presence o f two RN subs, altered the course o f his CAs to ooo°, 20 kts, without informing Campioni, thereby getting to the eastward o f the battleships next morning. The 4 CLs of CruDiv7, which after covering the convoy to the westward were proceeding to Palermo, continued steering towards the Strait o f Messina till soon after 0600, 9th, when they were ordered to join Campioni to the east of Cape Spartivento

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## parsifal (Jul 8, 2015)

*9 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 42

*Losses
MV TIIU (Est 1865 grt) * Crew: 20 (0 dead and 20 survivors) Cargo : 2300 tons of general cargo, including food and naval stores Route: new York - Liverpool . Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 1232 hrs the unescorted and unarmed TIIU was torpedoed without warning by U-34 about 100 miles SW of Mizen Head, Ireland. The torpedo struck in the engine room and caused her to sink within 6 minutes but this was enough to allow the crew to abandon ship in two lifeboats. On 11 July, 9 survivors in one boat were picked up by the Br fishing trawler BASS ROCK about 90 miles west of St. Ann’s Head and landed at Milford Haven 2 days later. The remaining survivors in the other boat were landed at Glasgow on 18 July. 





*MV AYLESBURY (UK 3944 grt) *Crew: 35 (0 dead and 35 survivors) Cargo: General cargo and grain Route: Buenos Aires - Avonmouth. Sunk in the SW approaches . At 2119 hrs the unescorted AYLESBURY was hit aft by one G7e torpedo from U-43 and sank by the stern 15 mins after being hit in the engine room by a coup de grâce at 2135 hrs about 230 miles SW of Cape Clear. The ship had been missed by a first G7e torp at 2116 hrs. Survivors were rescued by HMS HARVESTER and HMS HAVELOCK and landed at Liverpool. 





Shark Class* Sub SALMON (RN 670 grt)* was sunk by a sea mine off Egersund. All 35 aboard were lost.





DKM Raider THOR sank *steamer BRUGES (Be 4983 grt) *in the Sth Atlantic. The crew was made prisoners of war.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 9 July 1940
U-29, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-99, UA.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.218 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON, sloop FLEETWOOD, and patrol sloop PINTAIL. The convoy was joined on the 10th by DDs JAVELIN and JUPITER. The two DDs and the patrol sloop were detached later on the 10th. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 11th. MT.105 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FS.217 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 10th.

*Northern Waters*
CAs SHROPSHIRE and SUSSEX and DDs FIREDRAKE and ECHO departed the Clyde to escort Br troopships ORMONDE and ULSTER PRINCE to Iceland. They convoy arrived at Reykavik on the 11th. DD ECHO took ULSTER PRINCE departed Reykavik on the 12th for Akreyri arriving on the 13th. Then they proceeded on to Seidisfjord on the 13th. ECHO and troopship ULSTER PRINCE departed Seidisfjord on the 15th and returned to Reykavik. The CAs arrived back at Scapa after the operation on the 14th. On the 16th, the DDs and troopships departed Reykavik for their return. DDs INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, HAMBLEDON, FERNIE, and ATHERSTONE departed Scapa for Loch Alsh for escort duties with the ML sqn 1.

DKM Raider KOMET sailed from Bergen to raid in the Pacific. She reached this destination by going around the nth of Russia assisted by Soviet icebreakers. KOMET carried 24 ground mines for this operation.

*West Coast UK*
Br steamer SAN FELIPE was damaged by the LW at Roath Docks, Cardiff.

*Channel*
Sloop FOXGLOVE, (an Acacia class MSW sloop from 1915) proceeding to Portsmouth, was bombed and badly damaged off the Nab. Acting Gunner F. Brown died of wounds on the sloop. HMS FOXGLOVE was able to proceed under tow by naval trawler HOLLY, which was relieved en route by tug RESOLVE to Portsmouth, where she was under repair until July 1941.





Br steamer KENNETH HAWKSFIELD was damaged by the LW in the Dover area. Br steamer POLGRANGE was damaged by the LW in this area as well. Br steamer EMPIRE DIAFFODIL was damaged by the LW 13 miles SSW of Portland. NL steamer JOLA was damaged by the LW 3 miles SW of Start Point. Gk steamer AEGEON was damaged by the LW at Weymouth.

*Steamer TALVALDIS (Lat 534 grt)* in convoy CW.2 was sunk by the LW 3 miles 120° from Prawle Point (Devon). One crewman was lost.





*Central Atlantic*
SL.39 departed Freetown escort AMC CORFU. When the cruiser was damaged in a collision the next day with CVL HERMES, AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE joined the convoy to 25 July. The convoy merged with convoy SLF.39 on the 19th. DUNVEGAN CASTLE arrived at the Clyde for refuelling and watering on the 26th. On the 25th, DDs HESPERUS, RESTIGOUCHE, and WALKER and corvette MALLOW joined the convoy and escorted it Liverpool, arriving on the 29th.

*Med- Biscay*
Submarine PROTEUS arrived at Gibraltar after patrol off Mer el Kebir

*BATTLE OF CALABRIA or PUNTA STILO (Short summary) *
The battle took place between the Med Flt and RM units, both on convoy escort missions. CL GLOUCESTER operated with CVL EAGLE.
due to damage she had sustained from the preceding bombing efforts by the RA. During the battle, RM CA BOLZANO was hit by 3 medium caliber hits causing moderate damage. RM BB CESARE was hit by a 15" shell fired by WARSPITE. This was the longest ranged hit on a moving battleship in history. CL NEPTUNE was damaged at 1525 by a near miss which caused the ditching of her seaplane and damaged her catapult. BB WARSPITE had a fire, caused by the flash of her own guns which fired and demolished one of her seaplanes. RAN DDs STUART and VOYAGER attacked an RM sub during the engagement. DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JUNO, and JANUS were formed into a gp to fend off Italian ships that might attempt to fire torpedoes at the British ships. Sub PARTHIAN was at sea in the area during the battle.

It had been planned for Fce H was to have raided Cagliari as a diversion for the convoy operation. Before the raid was launched, Force H was attacked by RA bombers sth of Minorca. BB RESOLUTION was straddled and BC HOOD was near missed. The raid was cancelled as a result of these air attacks. Not all RA attacks on ships were without result.

A convoy of merchant ships, MF.1, consisting of Egyptian steamer EL NID , Brit steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA , and Ex-Italian steamer RODI put to sea from Malta at 2300 on the 9th escorted by DDs VENDETTA (RAN) , JERVIS, and DIAMOND. CL GLOUCESTER and RAN DD STUART also arrived for refuelling. After refuelling, they joined the convoy which was also provided cover by CLs ORION and NEPTUNE.

DDs STUART (RAN), DAINTY, DEFENDER, HYPERION, HOSTILE, HASTY, ILEX, and JUNO were detached to Malta to refuel late on the 9th. They arrived at 0530 and departed at 1115 on the 10th. In turn, DDs HERO, HEREWARD, DECOY, RAN VAMPIRE, and RAN VOYAGER were sent to Malta to refuel.

A slow convoy, MS.1, of four merchant ships, British steamers KIRKLAND, TWEED, and MASIRAH , former Dutch steamer under British flag ZEELAND , and Norwegian steamer NOVASLI , departed Malta early on the 10th escorted by DDs DECOY, RAN VAMPIRE, and RAN VOYAGER.
At 2030 on the 10th, BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN with DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, and JANUS were to detached to refuel at Malta. This gp sailed at 0800 on the 11th with DDs HERO and HEREWARD. and HEREWARD later were transferred to convoy MF.1 and DD JANUS joined MS.1, replacing DD VAMPIRE. On the 11th, air attacks on the British ships saw Gunner (T) J. H. Endicott on RAN DD VAMPIRE badly wounded by bomb splinters. He was transferred to DD MOHAWK but died of wounds later that day. On the 12th, air attacks on the British ships saw two ratings killed in LIVERPOOL and several wounded. Both convoys were given cover by BBs ROYAL SOVEREIGN and MALAYA, CVL EAGLE, CL GLOUCESTER, and DDs HASTY, HYPERION, ILEX, HOSTILE, DEFENDER, DAINTY, HERO, and HEREWARD. BB WARSPITE, CLs LIVERPOOL and RAN SYDNEY, and DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, VAMPIRE, and JUNO pressed onto Alexandria arriving at 0600 on the 13th. The fast convoy MF.1 arrived safely at Alexandria at 0900 on the 13th. On the 13th, CLs CALEDON and CAPETOWN of CS3 met convoy MS.1 midway between Cape Spada and Derna. These ships were given heavy cover by BB RAMILLIES and DDs DIAMOND, HAVOCK, IMPERIAL, and VENDETTA which departed Alexandria on the 13th.
At 0900/15th, BB RAMILLIES, CS3, and the slow convoy arrived safely at Alexandria.

*Malta*
0800-0820 hrs Air raid alert. One SM 79 bomber crosses the coast over Valletta, followed later by a formation of 3 CR42 fighters and another of 4 CR42s. The bomber is attacked by a Hurricane before the enemy fighters can intervene. The raider’s starboard engine is set on fire and it crashes into the sea in flames, off Delimara. The enemy fighters fly on towards Luqa where ground troops on the aerodrome open fire and split the formation. Malta fighters are airborne and engage the raiders in a dogfight over the Island, directly above the HQ of 3rd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment. Two enemy a/c are hit but escape (one later a write off). 

Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 Sqns operating 12 hr naval patrols over wide area covering Greek coast, south Italian coast and Sicily under direct instructions from Middle East and HQ.


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## Njaco (Jul 8, 2015)

*July 9 Tuesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked shipping in the English Channel and off the British coast. About sixty Bf 110s and Bf 109s provide cover for bombers bound for a convoy forming at the mouth of the Thames River. Over the Isle of Wight, the Hurricanes of RAF No. 43 Squadron are the first to intercept the formations. Three Bf 110s and two Bf 109s are shot down in the heavy air fighting with the British fighters. The pilots of II./JG 51 lose another Bf 109 to RAF fighters but not without destroying a few British aircraft of their own. Fw. Eduard Hemmerling of 6./JG 51 downs an RAF Blenheim for his second victory. Although official British records for the day find RAF No. 54 Squadron losing only four Spitfires, the Luftwaffe credits six pilots of JG 51 with kills. In the 4 Staffel, victories are credited to Lt. Erich Hohagen, Ofw. Johann Illner, Fw. Hans John and Uffz. Alfred Lenz while at the 5 Staffel, Uffz. Wolfgang Stocker and Hptm. Horst Tietzen are awarded kills – the sixth for Hptm. Tietzen.

RAF considered this date the official start of their night bombing campaign against Germany. During the night, 11 British Hampden aircraft (out of 14 dispatched) attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

British government implemented rationing on tea: each person was allowed 2 ounces of tea per week.

Douglas Bader's No. 242 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Coltishall at Norwich, England, United Kingdom, was declared fully operational.

King George VI made a royal visit to RAF Digby during which he presented a Distinguished Flying Cross to Flying Officer Guy Gibson, the future leader of the Dambusters Squadron. F/O Gibson, who would later win the Victoria Cross for leading the daring attack on the Ruhr dams in Germany in May 1943, was awarded the DFC after completing 34 operations in five months with No. 3 Squadron RAF.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: * Twelve Blenheims of RAF No. 82 Squadron are sent to attack the Luftflotte 5 base at Stavanger, Norway. After dropping their loads, the bombers are met with three Bf 110s of I./ZG 76 and three Staffeln of Bf 109s from JG 77. Seven Blenheims are shot down and all the remaining bombers are damaged.

British submarine HMS “_Salmon_” was lost 60 miles off of Stavanger, Norway. The entire crew of 39 was never heard from again. She was presumed to have hit a naval mine.

The German raider “_Komet_” left Bergen, Norway for operations in the Pacific Ocean via the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic Ocean assisted by Russian icebreakers.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Battle of Calabria: At 1515 hours, 50 miles south of Italy, heavily escorted Italian convoy for Benghazi, Libya ran into an equally powerful British convoy for Malta. The Royal Navy's Force H (with 3 battleships and 1 carrier), under the command of Admiral Somerville, is first attacked by high-altitude bombers without loss. Then Admiral Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet and an Italian squadron under the command of Admiral Campioni (with 2 battleships, 8 heavy cruisers and 12 light cruisers) are involved in a brief surface action. British battleship HMS “_Warspite_” hit Italian battleship “_Giulio Cesare_” at the range of 24 kilometers, making it one of the longest naval gun hits of the war. Although Italian ships withdrew first, Italian aircraft forced the British ships back by 1700 hours.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-34 sank Estonian ship “_Tiiu_” southwest of Ireland at 1232 hours. The crew of 20 were rescued by a British trawler. In the same general area, at 2119 hours, German submarine U-43 sank British ship “_Aylesbury_”. The crew of 35 were rescued by destroyers HMS “_Harvester_” and HMS “_Havelock_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The warplanes of the 2 Staffel of JG 1 are taken over by JG 26 and become 8./JG 26.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Coast Guard cutter “_Campbell_” arrived at Boston, Massachusetts, United States with US Consul to Greenland James K. Penfield, Governor of North Greenland E. Brun, and a group of Danish officials on board. They came to Boston to discuss commerce and trade of Greenland as an independent entity due to the German occupation of Denmark.

US Marine Corps Captain Kenneth W. Benner was ordered to continue the survey of Midway Atoll with another officer, 8 enlisted Marines, and 2 US Navy corpsmen. He was to relieve Captain Samuel G. Taxis who had been there since early Jun 1940 on the same mission.

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## Crimea_River (Jul 9, 2015)

According Theo Boiten from his work "Battles with the Nachtjagd":

"_Nachtjagd's_ first official victory over the Reich was credited to _Ofw_ Paul Förster of 8/NJG 1 when off Heligoland he destroyed a Whitney [N1496 at 0250 hrs] of 10 Squadron on 9 July. F/L D.A. French-Mullen and his four-man crew, who were on a bombing operation to Kiel, survived and were taken prisoner."

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## Njaco (Jul 9, 2015)

Crimea_River said:


> According Theo Boiten from his work "Battles with the Nachtjagd":
> 
> "_Nachtjagd's_ first official victory *over the Reich* was credited to _Ofw_ Paul Förster of 8/NJG 1 when off Heligoland he destroyed a Whitney [N1496 at 0250 hrs] of 10 Squadron on 9 July. F/L D.A. French-Mullen and his four-man crew, who were on a bombing operation to Kiel, survived and were taken prisoner."



I believe the first night victory wherever was back in October.


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## parsifal (Jul 9, 2015)

9th July Part I
The Med Flt

The fleet had been concentrated sth of Zante at 0600, 9th July, in 36° 55' N., 20° 30' E., and at this time the fleet took up the following formation: Force “ A ” in the van eight miles ahead o f Force “ B ” , with Force “ C ” eight miles astern o f the WARSPITE, the mean line o f advance was altered to 260° at 15 knots. The air searches ordered the evening before had commenced at dawn, the EAGLE having flown off her a/c at 0440, and reports o f the enemy began to come in. The first came from Flying Boat L.5807 at 0732— 2 BBs, 4 cruisers and 10 destroyers steering 350°, 15 knots in 370 14' N., 160 5 1 ' E. Further air reports quickly followed of a group of 6 cruisers and 8 destroyers bearing 080°, 20 miles from the main fleet at 0739, and then at 0805 that the main fleet had altered course to 360°. According to this information the main enemy fleet now bore about 280°, 145 miles from the WARSPITE. The CinC altered course to a mean line o f advance o f 305° and an hour later to 320° at 18 knots in the endeavour to work to the northward of the enemy and so reach a position between him and Taranto. A t 0858, the EAGLE flew off 3 a/c to search the sector between 260° and 300° to maximum depth. Several reports from these recon a/c and from Flying Boats 5807 and 9020 were received between 1026 and 1135. These, though they differed considerably, seemed to afford fairly reliable information of the enemy’s movements. Thus, at 1105, one of the EAGLE’s a/c reported 2 BBs and a cruiser with 4 other cruisers near by in 38° 07' N., 160 5 7 ' E., while at 1115, Flying Boat L.5807 reported the enemy battlefleet in 38° 06' N., 170 48' E., steering Nth. It seemed probable that the ships in the latter report were, if correctly identified, actually considerably further to the westward. These reports indicated that the enemy fleet consisted of at least 2 BBs, 12 cruisers and 20 destroyers, dispersed in groups over a wide area. This last point if correct was of considerable advantage to the med Flt, as it meant the RN was concentrated, whilst the RM was still dispersed. It looked, too, as if the group of cruisers and DDs, reported at 0739, had made a wide sweep to the north-eastward and had been joined by another gp o f cruisers and DDs, possibly those reported as being in company with the battlefleet. A t 1145, acting on the assumption based on the air reports that the enemy fleet was then steaming nth in a position 295° 90 miles from the WARSPITE, an air strike of 9 Swordfish aircraft was flown off the EAGLE to attack with torpedoes. But owing to a lack of reconnaissance a/c and to unavoidable delay in flying off relief shadowers, air contact had been lost 10 mins earlier (1135), and in that time Adm Campioni, deeming that he was getting too far to the northward, had altered the course of the Italian battlefleet to 165° (SSE) in order to concentrate his fleet in about 370 40' N., 170 25' E.

Air compoents regained contact at 1215, when Flying Boat L.5803 reported 6 cruisers and 10 destroyers in 370 56' N., 17° 48' E. steering 220° and 5 mins later a group of 3 CAs in 370 55' N., 170 55' E . steering 225; but owing to the battlefleet’s turn to the sth, the air strike flown off at 1145 failed to find it, though at 1252 it sighted a large number of enemy ships and working round to the westward of this group, at 1330 attacked the rear ship. The ship was thought at the time to be a BB, but actually it was one of Admiral Paladini’s CAs which were then steering for the rendezvous; no hits were made in this attack, which described enemy AA as heavy, though the a/c were not damaged and suffered no losses.. Meanwhile the WARSPITE had maintained her course 320°, and at noon estimated her position as 37° 30' N ., 18° 40' E. An air report at 1330 that there were no enemy ships between 3340 and 2910 to a depth o f 60 miles from 38° N., 180 E . made it clear that the enemy battlefleet had turned to the sth, and that the cruiser gps which were thought to have been sweeping to the north-eastward had altered to the SW. The indications were that the enemy fleet was concentrating SE o f Calabria in the approximate position 370 45' N., 170 20' E. Further air reports helped to establish its position and movements: thus, at 1340, Flying Boat 9020 reported 3 BBs and a large number of cruisers and destroyers in 370 58' N ., 170 55' E ., steering 220°, and at 1414 gave their course and speed as 020°, 18 knots. Apparently the enemy had by that time completed his concentration, and turning to Nth once again was maintaining a central position with 3 directions open for retreat. Whether he intended to stand and fight in an area o f his own choosing was still a matter o f conjecture. The British Fleet on its NWcourse was rapidly closing and at 1400, having achieved his immediate object of cutting him off from Taranto, the CinC altered course to 270° to increase the rate o f closure. Though the cruisers were well ahead, BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN’s speed limited the rate of approach, and at 1430, in 38° 02' N., 18° 25' E , the WARSPITE increased speed to 22 kts, acting as a BC to support CruSqn 7., which in comparison with the enemy cruiser force was very weak, being fewer in numbers and lacking 8-inch gun ships. A t 1434, the EAGLE’s striking force had landed on and an air recon report received at 1435 gave the enemy’s course and speed as 360°, 15 knots. This was amplified 4 mins later when the enemy’s bearing and distance from the WARSPITE was signalled as 260°, 30 miles. Force “A”, (less the RAN STUART which had just been ordered to join BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN’s screen), was then 8 miles ahead of the WARSPITE while Force “C” was about 10 miles astern of her.

At this stage when the period of approach may be considered to end, there was a general impression that the enemy intended to join in battle. This impression was not far wrong. The first enemy report received by Adm Campioni that day had come from an a/c at 1330. The signal, which arrived at rather an awkward moment, just as he was concentrating his fleet— a manoeuvre complicated by the F.A.A. attack on the CAs— made it clear that the RN had been steering for an objective further nth than had been conjectured the night before. He determined, therefore, to interpose his fleet between the Italian coast and the enemy, and if possible to get between him and Taranto, accepting battle and relying on his superiority o f speed to enable him to break off if that proved necessary. He was under strict operational restrictions not to endanger the heavy ships under his command. He then had in company the 2 BBs, 6 CAs, 8 CLs and 24 destroyers.1 The 4 CLs of RM CruSqn 7 were still some distance to the SW, but in view o f the urgency to keep open the route to Taranto and the marked numerical superiority in cruisers and DDs he already possessed, he decided to steer to the Nth without waiting for them

Action Commenced

A t 1447, the ORION sighted white smoke bearing 230° and 2 mins later black smoke, bearing 245, being laid by a DD. Apparently the enemy was completing his concentration behind this cover of smoke. 5 mins later the NEPTUNE reported two enemy ships in sight bearing 236°. These reports were amplified by further details at 1455 and 1500 from the ORION. On first sighting the enemy the damaged GLOUCESTER was ordered to join the EAGLE, which— screened by the RAN VOYAGER and VAMPIRE— was taking station 10 miles to the eastward of the WARSPITE, while the CAG (less the standing CAP of 4 Sea Glads) was re-arming and re-fuelling in readiness to renew its attack. The remaining 4 cruisers, in order from nth to sth NEPTUNE, LIVERPOOL, ORION, and RAN SYDNEY of Crusqn7 were formed on a line of bearing 320°, steering 270° at 22 kts, distant 10 miles 260° from the WARSPITE. A t 1500 the enemy fleet appeared to be disposed in 4 columns or gps spread over a wide area, with intervals of about 5 miles between the columns, which were on a line of bearing I30°-3I0°. The direction of their advance was reported as 020°, speed 19 kts. Only a few o f their ships were visible simultaneously to the RN ships and then only for short periods. There was difficulty in gauging the RM formation and what ships were present because of this dispersal. CS7 estimated the enemy disposed in 4 c gps. The port wing column was estimated to be of 5 or 6 cruisers, including some of the Bolzano class CAs, the next column was thought to consist of 2 or 3 cruisers, ahead of 2 Cavour class BBs. In the third column 4 cruisers, probably CAs, and in the starboard wing column 4 CLs. In the van were a number of DDs, probably 3 flotillas while some others formed the BB ASW screen.

Actually, this was an overestimate o f the number o f cruisers present in this opening stage, according to the Italian records. Adm Campioni had been proceeding on a mean course 010°, the 6 CAs under Adm Paladini in the POLA, disposed three miles on his port beam, and 4 Cls 5 miles on his starboard beam. A t 1500 the CAs were moving forward to take station in the van, a movement facilitated by a turn to port by the BBs. The 4 cruisers o f the RM CS7 were some distance to the SW. Weather state was wind north, force 4, sea slight, 1/10th cloud and visibility ranging from 13 to 18 miles.

.

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## parsifal (Jul 9, 2015)

9th July Part II


Vice-Adm Tovey was getting too far ahead o f the WARSPITE, and at 1508, in order to avoid becoming heavily engaged before she was in a position to support, he altered course Nth together. As he turned, the NEPTUNE reported 2 BBs bearing 250°, 15 miles off. CS7 was still closing the enemy and soon gps of enemy cruisers and DDs were seen showing up between the bearings o f 2350 and 270° at distances of 12 to 18 miles. Course was again altered— to 045°— and at 1514 the sqn was formed on a line of bearing 350°. The surface action which ensued falls into three phases:— ( 1514 to 1547- Cruiser action, in which the WARSPITE intervened. (2) 1548 to 1615. BBs and cruisers in action, and F.A.A. attack by the EAGLEs air gp . (3) 1615 to 1649. The Italian Fleet in full retreat; British cruisers and DDs engaging enemy DDs as opportunity offered. From 1640 to 1925 the enemy shore-based aircraft carried out heavy but ineffective attacks on both fleets with complete impartiality.

A t 1514 the enemy cruisers bearing 250° opened fire at a range 23,600 yards on CS7. Tovey increased speed to 25 kts at 1515 and a minute later altered course to 025° to open the “ A ” arcs. With the advantage of the sun behind him, the enemy’s fire was good for range, but it fell off later. After a couple more alterations of course together to 355 and 030°, CS7 was ordered at 1522 to engage an equal number of enemy ships. The NEPTUNE and LIVERPOOL immediately opened fire, range 22,100 yards, followed by the RAN SYDNEY at 1523 engaging the fourth cruiser from the right. The speed o f the Squadron was increased to 28 knots and the ORION, at 1526, fired at a DD for three mins, range 23,200 yards. When this DD altered course away, the ORION shifted target to the right-hand cruiser, then bearing 249, range 23,700 yards. By this time the WARSPITE was intervening. It appeared urgently necessary to support the outnumbered cruisers, and at 1525 Cunningham detached his DD screen, which formed single line ahead on the NUBIAN, and altered course to starboard to pass on the WARSPITE’s disengaged side. A minute later (1526) the flagship opened fire on what was believed to be a CA bearing 265°, range 26,400 yards. Blast from the first salvo damaged the Warspite's a/c, which was subsequently jettisoned. 10 salvoes were fired, and it was thought a hit was scored by the last.4 The enemy cruisers turned away under smoke; this took them out o f range o f CS7 which then checked fire at I531. During this opening stage of the action no hits had been observed on the enemy ships, whose fire had been equally ineffective. The British cruisers were straddled several times, but the only damage done was by splinters from a near miss to the NEPTUNE’s a/c, which was jettisoned shortly afterwards, as it was leaking petrol. . Cunningham was finding the slow speed of his battlefleet a sore trial. Having ordered the MALAYA to press on at utmost speed, he turned in the WARSPITE through 360° and made an S turn to enable her to catch up. CS7, whose orders were not to get too far ahead of the Flagship, made a complete turn to conform with this movement. While under helm the WARSPITE fired 4 salvoes between 1533 and 1536 at each of two CLs, which induced them to turn away. It was thought that these ships were attempting to work round towards the EAGLE, as they were on an easterly course when sighted. Apart from this burst of fire, there was a lull in the action till 1548. Cunningham could do nothing but wait for his BBs to come up. Cunningham signaled to Tovey:— “ I am sorry for this delay, but we must call upon reinforcements.” The situation of the British Fleet was then as follows: CS7, steering 310°, 28 knots, to close the enemy was 31 miles to the NW o f the WARSPITE, which was turning to 345. The MALAYA and ROYAL SOVEREIGN— particularly the former— had gained considerably. The DDs, all of which had been released from screening duties, were concentrating in their flotillas on the disengaged bow of the battlefleet. A squadron of six enemy cruisers was in sight ahead of their battlefleet

Just at this moment (1548) the second phase or battleship action began, when the enemy BBs opened fire on the WARSPITE at extreme range. Reserving her fire till 1553 the WARSPITE then fired at the right-hand enemy BB CESARE, bearing 287°, range 26,000 yds. Just previously, the EAGLE’s striking force of 9 Swordfish of No. 824 Sqn, which had flown off at 1545, passed over her on their w ay to the attack. The enemy’s shooting was moderately good, most of his salvoes falling within 1,000 yards, some straddling, but dispersion was quite marked. One closely bunched salvo fell about 400 yds off the WARSPITE’s port bow. The DDs, then passing to the eastward of her, under orders to join Tovey, were narrowly missed by salvoes of heavy shells falling 1-2 miles over the Fleet flagship. At 1600 a salvo from the WARSPITE straddled the CESARE at a range of 26,200 yards and a hit was observed at the base of her foremost funnel. The effect was immediate; the enemy ships altered course away and began to make smoke. The shell had exploded on the upper deck casing, starting several fires and killing or wounding 98 men. Four boilers were put out of action and her speed dropped to 18 knots, causing the ship to drop back on the CAVOUR. This meant that Campioni had lost the margin of speed on which he was relying to counter-balance the superiority of the British gunfire, and he decided to break off the action without more ado. Accordingly he altered course to west and later to 230°, and ordered those DDs suitably placed smoke and attack the enemy fleet, though he recognised that in broad daylight against practically untouched ships they were unlikely to achieve material success. All he hoped was that they might delay the enemy from closing during the critical stage of disengaging. The WARSPITE at 1602 tried to close the range by altering course to 310°. The MALAYA, by then in station bearing 180° from her, fired 4 salvoes at extreme range, but all fell short. 3 more salvoes, fired by her at 1608, had an equally disappointing result. The ROYAL SOVEREIGN, unable to close the WARSPITE nearer than 3 miles, took no part in the action. At 1604 the enemy BBs became obscured by smoke, and the WARSPITE ceased fire, having got off 17 salvoes. Just as this BB action was ending, the EAGLE’s strike force attacked Paladini’s CAs. After passing over the WARSPITE, the Swordfish had a bird’s-eye view o f both fleets opening fire and noticed several salvoes straddling the WARSPITE. When 2/3s of the w ay towards the enemy they came under AA. fire at 6,000 feet. The enemy fleet, partially obscured by smoke, seemed to be in some confusion with 15-inch shell straddling their ships. Observing two large ships at the head of a line of cruisers, the squadron leader, Lieutenant-Commander A. J. Debenham, decided to attack the leading ship, which at that moment was turning in a circle. After the attack by sub-flights had commenced this ship became more distinct; though it then seemed probable she was a Bolzano class cruiser and not a BB, he decided not to call off the attack. AA fire became general during the final approach, which was made at 1605 in three sub-flights from ahead. All the aircraft dropped their torps successfully on the enemy ship s starboard side between her bow and beam bearings. Contemporary claims of a hit however are misplaced, all torpedoes missed the target.





_RM BBs CESARE and CAVOUR Firing 9 July 1940 _

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## parsifal (Jul 9, 2015)

9th July Part III

Meanwhile, the cruisers had renewed their action, with CS7, steering 310° endeavouring to close the enemy, who at 1556 recommenced fire. The ORION replied at 1559, her target being a CA bearing 287°, range 23,000 yards. A t 1600, the NEPTUNE and SYDNEY opened fire respectively at the 2nd and 4th enemy cruisers from the right, and the LIVERPOOL followed suit 2 mins later. The course o f the Sqn was altered to 010° and then 070°, but as the enemy was seen to be turning away at 1606, course 010° was resumed. About this time, too, the DD flotillas were coming into action. They had been ordered at 1545 to join CS7, and after their unpleasant experience among the “ overs ” while passing the WARSPITE, were reformed at 1555 on course 350. From 1602 and 1605 the two leading flotillas (14th and 10th) came under heavy fire from the enemy cruisers but were not hit. The enemy DDs were observed at this time by the WARSPITE moving across to starboard from the enemy’s van, and at 1607 two DD salvoes could be seen landing close to the STUART. A t 1609 the WARSPITE fired 6 salvoes at a cruiser bearing 313°, range 24,600 yards, which had drawn ahead of the enemy BBs. A minute later torpedo tracks were seen passing through the 14th Flotilla. A t 1611, the ORION shifted target to the right-hand cruiser bearing 308° range 20,300 yds, which was then the only ship within range. The SYDNEY too fired a few salvoes at this ship as well, her previous target having become very indistinct. The NEPTUNE straddled her target which she claimed to have hit, and the LIVERPOOL straddled with her fifth salvo, after which the enemy ships altered course away, throwing her salvoes out for line. During this period of the action, intense fire from the enemy DDs, which were moving up to gain a position for attack, was a constant source o f concern to the British cruisers. Their guns outranged the cruisers’4-inch armament, but as soon as the enemy cruisers had disappeared in the smoke, the cruisers turned their 6-inch guns on to enemy DDs, which were quickly driven off. This ended the second phase o f the action.

A t the beginning of the 3rd phase of the action (about 1615) the general position was thus roughly as follows:— The Italian Fleet was withdrawing to the westward, the damaged CESARE and CAVOUR sorting themselves out behind a smoke screen on a westerly course and the cruisers gradually conforming on NW courses. Their DDs were either laying smoke, or proceeding to positions suitable for attack on the British; one flotilla was already firing on CS7. Turning to the RN, the BBs on a NW course were pursuing the enemy battlefleet, with the DD flotillas bearing about 030° from the WARSPITE— steering to join CS7, then some 9 miles nth o f WARSPITE; base course for CS7 was again 010° to conform with the enemy’s turn away, and was engaging enemy CAs. A t 1614 the signal for the RN DDs to counter-attack the enemy DDs was made. The flotillas were then about 4 miles NNE. of WARSPITE-, speed was increased to 29 knots and course altered to 270 to close the enemy, each flotilla manoeuvring as necessary to clear the others and keep their lines of fire open. Speed was increased to 30 kts at 1617 and at the same time CS7 altered course to 340° in support but 4 mins later altered away to 040° to avoid fouling the DD attack. The 10th DD Flotilla opened fire at 1619 on an enemy DD ahead, range 12,600 yds, and the STUARTS’s first salvo appeared to hit. The 2nd D.F. opened fire at 1626 on a DD bearing 290°, range 14,000 yds, and the 14th D.F. at 1629 on one of 2 DDs bearing 278°, range 12,400 yards. Apparently at this time a number of enemy DDs, after working across to starboard o f their main fleet, were attempting to make a torpedo attack. After firing their torps at long range, they turned away to the westward making smoke, their DF2 retiring through the smoke made by the leading flotilla. On account of these tactics, the RN flotillas were only able spasmodically to engage targets when they presented themselves within range, unobscured by smoke. No hits on either side were seen by the WARSPITE's a/c on observation duty. CS7, after turning to the NE to clear the flotillas, the enemy quickly disappeared and fire was checked at 1622; at the same time a sub was reported, which, however, proved to be the wreckage o f an a/c. In order to place the cruisers in a better position to support the DDs Tovey then altered course round through south to 280°. The ORION then opened fire again on her former target, and the NEPTUNE managed to get off a couple of salvoes at a cruiser, which showed up momentarily out of the smoke. The SYDNEY’s target, a smoke-laying DD, was engaged till she became obscured; and the LIVERPOOL at 1625 fired 4 salvoes at a cruiser, range 19,000 yards, before she also disappeared into the smoke screen. A t 1628, course was altered to 180°; the ORION, NEPTUNE and SYDNEY fired occasional salvoes whenever they caught fleeting glimpses of enemy DDs, and four mins later Tovey hauled round to 210° in pursuit o f the enemy. At 1634, with all their targets rapidly disappearing in the smoke, CS7 ceased fire. This marked the end o f the cruiser action, apart from a few salvoes fired by a ship invisible to our cruisers at 1641. The principal feature o f its desultory character was the unanimous determination of the enemy cruisers to avoid close action (because of standing orders by Supermarina).. Meanwhile, the WARSPITE, with the MALAYA and the ROYAL SOVEREIGN, had been steering a mean course 3130 at 20 knots, and by 1630 was nearing the enemy’s smoke screen. Several enemy signals had been intercepted, saying that he was constrained to retire” at 20 kts and ordering his flotillas to make smoke, and to attack with torpedoes; there was also a warning that they were approaching the submarine line. “ These signals,” — wrote Adml Cunningham afterwards— “ together with my own appreciation o f the existing situation, made it appear unwise and playing the enemy’s own game to plunge straight into the smoke screen.” 1 He therefore altered course to starboard to 340° at 1635 work round to the northward and to windward of the smoke. A few mins later enemy DDs came in view and between 1639 and 1641 the WARSPITE fired 5 salvoes of 6-inch and the Malaya one salvo at them and they disappeared into the smoke. The proceedings were enlivened by the first appearance that day o f the RA, which carried out an ineffective bombing attack on the WARSPITE at 1641. The fitful engagement continued until 1649,. All endeavours by all elements of the RN to get to close quarters were unsuccessful, and at 1654 orders were issued for elements to rejoin CS7. When the DDs finally cleared the smoke screen at 1700, the enemy was out of sight, having retired to the SW in the direction of his Sicilian bases. The flotillas then proceeded as necessary to join Tovey, who was to the nth o f the WARSPITE steering 280° at 27 knots, taking stations as ordered. To the east, the striking force was just getting back to the EAGLE, all the Swordfish landed on safely at 1705. Another strike was being got ready, but it could not be despatched before the general recall o f a/c was made at 1750. During the engagement the EAGLEe had also maintained a/c, as available, on recon, as well as one acting as spotter for the ROYAL SOVEREIGN. The surface action was over; its indecisive character at all stages was due to the prudence of the Italians in the commitment of their fleet, But the psychological advantages were also palpable.

It was now the turn of the Italian Air Force to see if it could do better against Admiral Cunningham ’s fleet.

The first appearance of enemy a/c on the scene, as already mentioned, was at 1640— just as the surface action was petering out—when the WARSPITE was attacked. From then till about 1930, the Fleet was subjected to a series of heavy bombing attacks by shore-based a/c. The WARSPITE and the EAGLE were particularly singled out as targets, each being attacked 5 times. CS7 did receive a number of attacks as well and many bombs fell near the DDs. At 1654, the ORION fired on a formation o f 9 a/c which attempted to bomb the flotillas. Tovey effectively disposed his cruisers in a diamond formation to resist these attacks, which were frequent till 1920. Most o f the bombing was extremely wild, from heights of between 10,000 and 15,000 feet, carried out by formations of aircraft varying in numbers from 9 to a single a/c, but generally in formations of 3. No ships were hit during any o f the attacks, but there were numerous near misses and a few minor casualties from splinters. The MALAYA claimed to have damaged two a/ct by A .A. fire, but none was seen to fall. EAGLEs launched it CAP consisting of 4 Sea Glads, which managed to bring down 4 enemy a/c.

A t 2115, Cunnigham altered course to 220 for a position sth o f Malta. During the night, which passed without incident, 8 DDs (STUART, DAINTY, DEFENDER, HYPERION, HOSTILE, HASTY, ILEX, JUNO) were detached to arrive at Malta at 0500, 10th, to refuel. The Vice-Admiral, Malta, had been told to delay the sailing of the convoys for Alexandria. However, “ on hearing that the fleets were engaged, he wisely decided that the Italians would be too busy to attend to convoys, so sailed the fast convoy ” 2— M .F. 1— escorted by the DIAMOND, JERVIS and RAN VENDETTA at 2300.





_RM CA ZARA in Action 9 July 1940_

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## parsifal (Jul 9, 2015)

*10 July 1940 
Losses
MV PETSAMO (FN 4596 grt) * Crew: 38 (4 dead and 34 survivors) Cargo: 4477 tons of maize and 1523 tons of grain Route: Rosario, Argentina - Buenos Aires - Cork, Ireland Lost in the SW Approaches, close to the sthn Irish Coast. At 1426 hrs the PETSAMO was hit in the engine room by a torp fired by U-34. The ship quickly broke in two and sank within 20 mins. The sailors lost were stokers on watch below. The U-boat had needed six hrs to get into a favorable firing position and sank the ship in sight of the Irish coast. In the evening, the master and 33 crew members made landfall at Baltimore, Ireland.





*MV ALWAKI (NL 4533 grt)* Crew:51 (0 dead and 51 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: London - Methil - Durban - Calcutta Convoy OA187. Lost in Nthn waters off the Scottish Coast. At 1306 hrs the unarmed ALWAKI in OA-180 was hit on the port side by two dud torps fired by U-61 about 10 miles NE of Cape Wrath. The convoy was en route in two columns and passed almost directly over the submerged U-boat, which found itself between the columns and hastily attacked and then submerged as they were in danger of being rammed. The two G7e torps were fired from a distance of 200 meters, too close for the warheads to arm, but they still penetrated the hull of Alwaki as second ship of the starboard column. In absence of an explosion the escorts were unaware of the attack and the U-boat escaped undetected. After the ship shuddered from the impacts the crew stopped the engines to investigate her for damage and she immediately developed a list to port as the torps had punched holes of about two feet in the engine room and #2 hold through which the ship was slowly flooded. The crew was unable to reach the leaks because one was behind auxiliary machines and the other in a hold filled with coal and to make things worse a bulkhead could not be closed. Most of the crew and ten Iraqi passengers abandoned ship in three lifeboats while the officers tried to save the vessel and were soon joined by a boarding party of HMCS ST. LAURENT. At 1415 hours, they all had to abandon ship because the list increased to over 45° when the coal in the hold began to shift. The survivors were picked up by the rear ship of the convoy, the HARMONIC and landed at Cardiff on 13 July. The tug HMS BANDIT tried to salvage the ship, but she foundered at 2207 hrs. The Admiralty investigated the case and came to the erroneous conclusion that sabotage was probably the cause of her loss.

DDs ZULU, MAORI, and BERKELEY terminated ASW training to join the convoy. DDs TARTAR, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, and MASHONA exercising at Scapa were ordered to search in the area. DDs BEDOUIN and MASHONA remained in the vicinity of Cape Wrath until the evening of 11 July when a westbound convoy had passed the area. The DDs then proceeded to Scapa.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-62

At Sea 10 July 1940
U-29, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.182 departed Methil escort DD SKEENA and corvette GARDENIA from 10 to 14 July. MT.107 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FS.218 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloops LOWESTOFT and WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 11th.

*Steamer WATERLOO (UK 1905 grt)* was sunk by the LW 2.5 miles NE of Smith's Knoll Buoy. The crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
MLs MENESTHEUS, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC, and SOUTHERN PRINCE departed Loch Alsh on the 10th and laid minefield SN 1 nth of Rona at 2025 to 2234 , escort DDs INGLEFIELD, IMOGEN, ATHERSTONE, HAMBLEDON, and FERNIE. AA ship COVENTRY departed Scapa to rendezvous with the minelaying force. After the minelay, the I class DDs went to Scapa arriving on the 11th and the 3 Hunt class arrived at Loch Alsh . The Hunts departed Loch Alsh later the same day and proceeded to Liverpool. 9 Skuas of 801 Sqn departed Hatston for Sumburgh in preparation for an attack on Bergen. Leaving Sumburgh, they encountered poor visibility and returned to Sumburgh before proceeding half way to the objective.

*SW Approaches*
HG.38 of 6 ships departed Gibraltar. Escort was DD VOLUNTEER from 10 to 18 July. VOLUNTEER returned to Gibraltar on the 10th to make good defects and was relieved by DD VIDETTE. DD VOLUNTEER then returned to the convoy and VIDETTE returned to Gib. The convoy was given escort by British corvette GLADIOLUS from 21 to 27 July. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 27th

*Channel*
He111s hit the busy Falmouth Docks on this day, triggering events that caused considerable damage.

*Tkr TASCALUSA (UK 6499 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Falmouth Harbour, alongside the Northern Arm. She may have been one of the tkrs being prepared for Operation LUCID, a scheme to use tkrs as fireships to destroy the German cross channel barges to be used in the cross channel attack.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr BRITISH CHANCELLOR (UK 7085 grt)* was damaged in the Falmouth raid, and appears to have been reserved for the same purpose. This ship eventually sank.





Steamer MARI CHANDRIS (Gk 5840 grt), which had been towed to Falmouth in June after a collision, was along side TASCALUSA and was engulfed by fire. The entire crew of the Greek steamer was rescued. TASCALUSA was refloated on 29 August but beached at Mylor Flats for scrapping. There is no record of MARI CHANDRIS being lost, the assumption is therefore she survived the attack.

*Steamer BILL S. (NL 466 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW 6 miles 260° from Dungeness from convoy CW.3, escort DD VERSATILE.
The steamer sank 6.7 miles 67° from Dungeness. All of the crew was rescued.





*Central Atlantic*
DKM Raider WIDDER sank *steamer DAVISAN (UK 6433 grt) *in the Central Atlantic, 450 miles NNE of Guadalope (in the Barbados gp) whilst enroute to the UK with generasl cargo . The entire crew was made prisoners of war.





CVL HERMES was damaged in a collision with AMC CORFU 130 miles WNW of Freetown. CA DORSETSHIRE was in company of HERMES and stood by these ships. CORFU had been escorting convoy SL.39 which continued on without her. The two ships were locked together for just under 1.5 hrs during which CORFU was almost completely abandoned, 141 crew being taken aboard HERMES. There were no casualties in either ship. The AMC was later reboarded by crew in HERMES' cutter. HERMES arrived at Freetown at 1800 that day. DORSETSHIRE attempted to tow CORFU. Sloop MILFORD arrived at Freetown on the 10th and after refuelling, sailed on the 11th to escort CA DORSETSHIRE and the CORFU. NL tug DONAU departed Freetown for towing duties on the 11th. DORSETSHIRE arrived at Freetown on the 12th. CORFU with sloop MILFORD and DONAU anchored outside harbour during the night of 12/13 July. CORFU, towed stern first by tug DONAU and escorted by sloop MILFORD arrived at Freetown on the 13th. AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE was allocated to escort convoy SLF.39, but sailed to escort SL.39. Convoy SLF.39 when it did sail proceeded unescorted, after a local one day escort of sloop MILFORD.

HERMES after emergency repairs departed Freetown on 5 August and arrived at Simonstown on 17 August with convoy RS.5, joined at sea by CL DRAGON. HERMES had been designated to participate in MENACE in September, but was still under repair at Simonstown at that time. HERMES did not leave Simonstown until 18 November and she arrived back at Freetown for ops on 30 November. CORFU was under repair at Freetown. She was intentionally run aground on 19 August to facilitate repairs to her bow. She was finally repaired in early 1941.

*Med- Biscay*
Submarine PANDORA arrived at Gibraltar after patrol off Algiers. CVL EAGLE launched 9 Swordfish of the 813 Sqn on an air attack on Augusta.
RM DD LEONE PANCALDO was sunk in harbour, but was salved on 26 July 1941 and returned to duty. A fleet oiler was damaged.

RM sub SCIRE sank *steamer CHEIK (FF(?) 1058 grt)* 54 miles 310° from Semaphore d'Asmare (?).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
745-0840 hrs Air raid alert. 20 RA a/c approach the Island and cross the coast over Sliema, Grand Harbour and Verdala in four formations, each carrying out a bombing raid. DDs refuelling in Grand Harbour escape damage. Bombs are dropped on Zabbar, Tarxien, Paola, Msida, Manoel Island and near HMS TERROR. 1 civilian is killed and 3 wounded. 3 enemy a/c are shot down, two fall into the sea: where two parachutes are seen descending (crews recovered) . One parachute catches fire. The third is hit by AA and is seen falling in flames towards the Leonardo area. It lands on a defence post manned by members of 1st Bn Dorset Reg 3 Other Ranks sustain extensive burns.



2155-2310 hrs 4 RA night intruders which approach the Island in 2 formations and carry out low-flying attacks. Bombs are dropped on Birkirkara and Ricasoli, Verdala and Zeitun, on the Tal Qroqq gun position, and near the entrance to Grand Harbour. As the first formation departs, a second approaches and is picked up by searchlights. AA guns engage but with no results and incendiary bombs are dropped on Hamrun. The raiders are finally driven off and the Island’s fighters return. The guns at first fail to identify them but none is damaged.


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## Njaco (Jul 9, 2015)

*July 10 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *A large German aerial formation attacked one of the eight British convoys in the English Channel; the target convoy was code named Bread, escorted by 6 Hurricane fighters. Upon detecting the incoming aircraft, four squadrons of British fighters were launched to counter the attack. At the end of the battle, seven British aircraft were destroyed and one of the Bread ships was sunk. The Germans lost 13 aircraft. This surprising victory led to the British announcing that 10 Jul was the start of the Battle of Britain. Elsewhere, the German Luftwaffe's first major targets on land included the Swansea docks and the Royal Ordnance Factory in Pembrey. The British tanker “_Tascalusa_” was sunk during one of the attacks.
_(Instead of duplicating what I did 5 years ago, I've just attached a link to the relevant day. Please click the links for each day in the Battle of Britain.)_
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post689881.html#post689881
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post689884.html#post689884
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government banned the fascist British Union Party.

British Lieutenant Hubert Nicolle, who had been conducting reconnaissance in the Channel Island of Guernsey, returned to Britain. He reported that there were 469 German soldiers on the island, mainly in St. Peter Port, with machine gun posts 2 to 5 miles away along the coast. He estimated that a commando raid would have 20 minutes to wipe out the machine gun posts before reinforcements from St. Peter Port would arrive.

The British authorities put 200 Italian prisoners of war, 251 German prisoners of war, 55 British Nazi sympathizers, and 2,036 civilians from Germany (mostly Jewish refugees), collectively categorized as "enemy aliens", on the British troop ship “_Dunera_” whose intended passenger capacity was only 1,600. Over the next 57 days, while en route to Australia, these people would be robbed, beaten, and in one case bayoneted by the British guards. Overcrowding, lack of toilets and unsanitary conditions lead to widespread dysentery. Several British soldiers will be court-martialed including the senior officer Lieutenant-Colonel William Scott. When they arrive in Australia on September 6, they will be shipped by train to the rural town of Hay in the centre of New South Wales. 

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The planes of 8./JG 77 transfer from Aalborg airfield and join the Gruppe at Trondheim airfield.

*ASIA:* The Japanese deployed new A6M Zero fighters against Chinese forces.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Scirè_” sank French ship “_Cheik_” 54 miles northwest of Sicily, Italy. “_Cheik's_” crew was rescued by “_Scirè_”.

Nine British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS “_Eagle_” attacked Augusta, Sicily, Italy at 0940 hours, sinking destroyer “_Leone Pancaldo_”. “_Leone Pancaldo_” will be raised on 26 July 1941 and sunk again by Allied bombers on 30 April 1943 1 mile off Cape Bon, Tunisia.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” sank British ship “_Davisan_” 500 miles of the coast of Florida, United States. The entire crew of “_Widder_” was taken prisoner.

German submarine U-34 sank Finnish ship “_Petsamo_” close to the southern coast of Ireland, killing 4. On the same day, U-61 torpedoed Dutch ship “_Alwaki_” 10 miles off Cape Wrath, Scotland, United Kingdom. The torpedo failed to detonate, but it knocked a hole in the hull, and the ship listed to port. All 41 crew and 10 passengers aboard were rescued by British ship “_Harmonic_”.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2015)

*11 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Lurssen S Boat S-37





Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler FANDANGO Vosper 70' type MTB 30








*Losses
MV JANNA (Nor 2197 grt) * Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: pulp wood Route: Halifax – Falmouth HX 59 (Straggler) Sunk at the western edge of the SW Approaches. At 0706 hrs the unescorted and unarmed JANNA was hit on the port side under the bridge by a single G7e torp fired by U-34 while steaming on a non-evasive course at 8.5 knots about 115 miles WSW of Cape Clear. The ship had originally left Halifax in convoy HX-53, but lost touch and returned to port on 27 June and departed again 2 days later to join the convoy HX-54 at sea, however she failed to join it in very thick fog and proceeded independently. The explosion blew a part of the bridge away and the ship settled quickly by the bow with a list to port until sinking vertically at about 0800 hrs. All crew members safely abandoned ship in 3 lifeboats despite a gale sea and a fresh breeze blowing at the time. The U-boat did not surface and left the area because shortly after the attack a Sunderland a/c approached and circled the sinking ship, but the Germans later spotted two lifeboats from this ship when passing the area again during the afternoon. No distress signal had been sent as the survivors hoped that the aircraft would report them and they waited a while before setting course for Ireland after all men transferred into two boats and collecting supplies and equipment from the abandoned boats and rafts, initially using the motor boat to tow the other boat until setting sail to save petrol. They had plenty of food and water, but were unable to sleep due to the very rough weather. Unknown to them, the aircraft had reported their position to the nearby convoy HX-54 which detached the British tug SABINE to search for survivors. However, the tug only found large quantities of drifting wood in the area and rejoined the convoy after 6 hrs.

On the afternoon of 12 July, the Estonian steam merchant KAI passed close to the lifeboats and was hailed by the survivors who asked to be picked up. The ship stopped her engines, but for unknown reasons suddenly proceeded and left the occupied lifeboats behind while they rounded her stern to get to the lee side in the very bad weather. At 2100 hrs 13 July, the survivors were picked up by the British decoy ship HMS BEAUTY, disguised as LOGE, after attracting her by firing three or four red rockets about 5 miles from Mizen Head, Ireland. All survivors were in an exhausted condition and 4 of them required medical attention. They were accommodated forward in order not to disclose the true identity of the vessel. An attempt was made to tow the lifeboats in by the vessel, but the towing was abandoned during the night owing to bad weather. The survivors were landed at Milford Haven late in the evening of 14 July.




_JANNA under her former name SVEIGEN_

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-57

At Sea 11 July 1940
U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
British minefield BS.23 was laid by ML TEVIOTBANK and DDs EXPRESS and ESK. FN.219 departed Southend, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. MT.108 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 12th. FS.219 departed the Tyne, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFOUND.

*West Coast UK*
OB.182 departed Liverpool escort sloop FOLKESTONE from 11 to 14 July. The sloop was then assigned to the inbound HX.55.

*ASW yacht WARRIOR II (RN 1124 grt) * was sunk by German bombing off Portland. 1 rating was killed.





source: Nick Metcalfe's Blog - HMS Warrior - December 22, 2014 07:42

*Steamer MALLARD (352grt) *was sunk by German motor torpedo boat S.26 between St Catherine's Point and Beachy Head. Five crew and the naval gunner were lost. Three crew were picked up by the S-boat and made prisoners of war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*FV PROVIDENTIA (Be 139 grt) *was sunk by German bombing 49‑55N, 09‑12W.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Br steamer KYLEMOUNT was damaged by the LW 10 miles west of Dartmouth. Br steamers PERU, ELEANOR BROOKE and CITY OF MELBOURNE were damaged by the LW in Portland harbour. NL steamer MIES was damaged by the LW 7 miles sth of Portland Bill.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.57 departed Halifaxat local escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY, which were detached on the 12th. At 2115 that evening, the DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC ASCANIA, and returned to port. The AMC was in turn detached on the 23rd. BHX.57 departed Bermuda on the 10th local escort sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort of CL EMERALD. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.57 on the 15th and the CL was detached. On the 23rd, inbound escort was attached, DD WANDERER, sloops DEPTFORD and SANDWICH, and corvette PERWINKLE and remained until the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

Italian submarine TARANTINI sank *tkr BEME (Pan 3039 grt) * near Haifa. TARANTINI was on her second war patrol. Nearing the end of this second patrol around 1100 hrs, TARANTINI sighted the tanker and launches a torpedo at the target, but misses, as the ship is leaving Haifa. The submarine then surfaced and brought BEME to a stop by deck gun before sinking it with a second torpedo, after the crew had been allowed to abandon ship. The entire crew from the Panamanian tanker were rescued.




_RM Sub TARANTINI_
[NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE TKR]

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.39 departed Freetown escort sloop MILFORD to 12 July. AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE had been allocated, but was diverted to convoy SL.39 after the collision of AMC CORFU with CVL HERMES. On the 19th, the convoy merged with SL.39. The convoys were joined on the 25th by DDs RESTIGOUCHE, HESPERUS, and WALKER and corvette MALLOW. Both convoys arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.


*Med- Biscay*
RAN CL SYDNEY arrived at Alexandria. CLs CALEDON and CAPETOWN departed Alexandria to escort a convoy to Greece. The CLs arrived back at Alexandria on the 13th.

*Indian Ocean*
DKM Raider ATLANTIS sank *steamer CITY OF BAGHDAD (UK 7506 grt) *in the Indian Ocean. 2 crew were lost. 80 crew and one gunner were made POWs. On 11 July, the cargo liner CITY OF BAGHDAD was fired upon at a range of 1.2 km by the Raider. A boarding party discovered a copy of Broadcasting for Allied Merchant Ships, which contained communications codes. CITY OF BAGHDAD, like Atlantis, was a former DDG Hansa ship, having been captured by the British in World War I. A copy of the report sent by CITY OF EXETER was found, describing ATLANTIS in minute detail and including a photograph of the similar Freienfels, confirming that the "Japanese" identity had not been believed. Consequently, the skipper of the ATLANTIS, Cpt Rogge had his ship's profile altered, adding two new masts.


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## Njaco (Jul 10, 2015)

*July 11 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:*
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post690461.html#post690461
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post690462.html#post690462

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Minister for Aircraft Production Lord Beaverbrook announced that there would be virtually no limit to expenditures on US aircraft, with costs working out to over £2 million per day on planes for the RAF. Beaverbrook appeals for aluminum pots and pans, 'to build Spitfires'.

Bernard Montgomery was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. Richard O'Connor was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In Vichy France President Lebrun resigns and Petain becomes head of state after an overwhelming vote in his favor in parliament. His first decree shows his new style and pretensions. It begins "Nous, Philippe Petain." He abolishes Republican Constitution of 1875, and dismisses Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Pierre Laval became the 120th Prime Minister of France with the title of the Vice President of the Council.

Joachim von Ribbentrop requested Spain to assist in the detaining of the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* In the Indian Ocean 400 miles Southeast of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” sinks British steamer “_City Of Baghdad_” (previously a German ship SS “_Geierfels_”, taken by Britain as reparations after WWI) carrying 9,324 tons of steel, chemicals and machinery. 2 crew are killed, 81 taken prisoner.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-34 sank Norwegian ship “_Janna_” 100 miles southwest of Ireland at 0700 hours. The entire crew of 25 took to lifeboats and would reach Mizen Head, Ireland 3 days later.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Tarantini_” sank Panamanian tanker “_Beme_” 60 miles south of Cyprus. The entire crew was rescued by “_Tarantini_”.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US Army approached 135 American automotive manufacturers to submit designs to replace its existing, aging light motor vehicles. They were told that they must submit their first prototypes within 49 days and have 70 test vehicles prepared in 75 days.

Frank Knox took office as the US Secretary of the Navy.

*GERMANY:* Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler at Obersalzberg, München-Oberbayern, Germany to discuss the invasion of Britain and the establishment of navy bases in Norway.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jul 11, 2015)

*12 July 1940 
Losses
MV IA (Gk 4860 grt) * Crew; 30 (3 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo: 6666 tons of wheat and 750 bags of pollards Route: Rosario - St. Vincent - Cork Sunk in the Nth Atlantic, west of the SW Approaches. At 0206 hrs the unescorted and unarmed IA was hit aft of amidships by one G7a torpedo from U-99 about 200 miles WSW of Cape Clear. The U-boat had spotted the Greek national markings and attacked without warning as the ship was in the blockade area around Britain. The vessel sank within 7 mins after being hit by one G7e torp fired as coup de grâce at 0248 hrs. 1 officer and 2 crewmen were lost. The master and 26 crew members had abandoned ship in 2 lifeboats after the first hit and were questioned by the Germans. The boats reached the Isles of Scilly after 5 days and were landed at Penzance on 17 July.





*MV MERISAAR (Est 2136 grt) * Crew: Not Known Cargo: Lumber Route: New Orleans - Clyde Captured in the Nth Atlanti west of the SW Approaches. At 2231 hrs, U-99 missed the unescorted Estonian MERISAAR with a stern torpedo from a distance of 500m due to rough seas. The U-boat surfaced and stopped the ship by shots across her bow with the 20mm AA gun. After the crew abandoned ship and the master was questioned, a G7e torpedo was fired at 23.50 hours but it also missed. The bad weather prevented the use of the deck gun, so Kretschmer ordered the crew to reboard the ship and to set course directly for Bordeaux. On 15 July, the MERISAAR was bombed and sunk by the LW sth of Queenstown, Lancashire. 





*UBOATS*
At Sea 12 July 1940
U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.183 departed Methil by sloop FOWEY. The convoy passed Dunnet Head on the 13th, escort by sloop FOWEY and corvette CAMELLIA at this point. FN.220 departed Southend, escort DDs VIMIERA and VERDUN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 14th. MT.109 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. FS.220 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 13th.
FS.221 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. DDs JACKAL and JAGUAR and patrol sloop MALLARD joined on the 13th. The two J class DDs were detached later that day. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*Steamer HORNCHURCH (UK 2162 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Aldeburgh Light Vessel. The entire crew was rescued by patrol sloop WIDGEON.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters
Trawler VOLANTE (UK 255 grt)* was sunk by the LW 10 miles east of Hvalbam, Faroe Islands. The Master of the trawler was drowned.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast UK*
OB.181G, which departed Liverpool on the 10th escort DD VANOC and sloop SCARBOROUGH became convoy OG.37 with 16 ships. VANOC escorted the convoy on the 12th. Sloop SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy from 12 to 17 July when the convoy arrived at Gibraltar. ASW trawler LORD HOTHAM joined the convoy off Gibraltar.

*Western Approaches*
U.56 attacked British steamer DUNERA off Nth Channel (nthn entrance to the Irish Sea) without damage being done. The torp did strike DUNERA, but it glanced of without exploding.

*Channel*
British steamer JOSEWYN was damaged by the LW 8 miles WNW of St Catherine's Point (Isle of Wight).

*Sth Atlantic*
RAN CA CANBERRA departed Capetown with transport STRATHMORE for Freetown. The CA escorted the transport for the first 36 hrs and then returned to Simonstown, arriving on the 15th.




_HMAS CANBERRA in Sydney Harbour 1940_

*Med- Biscay*
CL LIVERPOOL was near missed by RA airstrikes. One rating was killed and two wounded by a bomb that did not explode, but there was no material damage. A Sea Gladiator of 801 Sqn from CVL EAGLE, after shooting down an Italian bomber, forced landed alongside LIVERPOOL which picked him up. BB WARSPITE was attacked 17 times between 0850 and 1150, but sustained no damage.




_SM 79 was the mainstay bomber of the RA and responsible for most of the attacks on the RN at this time. The first torpedo carrying sorties were not carried out until 15 august 1940 by a specially modified group based at El Adem, near Tobruk_

*Malta*
1612-1640 hrs Air raid alert for 6 RA fighters which flew over the Island and are engaged by Malta fighters. Three bombs are dropped near Verdala. Reports suggest one raider is shot down. There have also been reports that bags of sweets were dropped over the area of Tarxien and Ghaxaq a technique used previously6 by the Italians in East Africa and rumoured in Spain.

Sunderland a/c of 228 and 230 Sqns operating 12 hour naval patrols over wide area covering Greek coast, south Italian coast and Sicily under direct instructions from Middle East and HQ Mediterranean. Saro London a/c K5261 P/O Minchinton attached from 202 Sqn for ASW patrols in Malta area.


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## Njaco (Jul 11, 2015)

*July 12 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:*
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post690949.html#post690949

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The Turkish Prime Minister stated that Turkey intended to remain faithful to her friendships, but that any threat to her independence would be met by resort to arms.

In the Mediterranean Sea, Italian bombers attacked British battleship HMS “_Warspite_” and cruiser HMS “_Liverpool_” between 0850 and 1150 hours. HMS “_Liverpool_” was hit by a dud, but it still killed 1 and wounded 2. A Sea Gladiator of RAF No. 801 Squadron from aircraft carrier HMS “_Eagle_” shoots down an Italian bomber then makes a forced landing alongside HMS “_Liverpool_”, which rescues the seaplane.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-56 attacked British transport ship “_Dunera_” with a torpedo in the North Channel between England, United Kingdom and Ireland. The torpedo glanced off the ship without exploding. The commanding officer of U-56 did not realize that “_Dunera_” was carrying, among others, Italian and German prisoners of war bound for Australia. To the southwest, 160 miles southwest of Ireland, German submarine U-99 sank Greek ship “_Ia_” at 0200 hours; 3 were killed and 27 were later rescued. At 2300 hours, U-99 struck again and fired a torpedo at Estonian ship “_Merisaar_”, but missed. With shots from the deck gun, she stopped the Estonian ship and forced her to sail into the German-occupied French port of Bordeaux (before reaching Bordeaux, however, a German aircraft would sink her on 15 Jul).

*NORTH AMERICA: *Operation Fish: British ships arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with US$1,750,000,000 worth of gold and securities from the Bank of England, destined for the Bank of Canada's vault in Ottawa.

*ASIA:* Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong ordered his troops to move against Nationalist positions in Jiangsu Province, China.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Units of the 1st Canadian Division land at Brest, France, and head toward Laval and Le Mans. The newly arrived Canadian troops soon hastily retreat to the coast of France. All but a few make it back to England.

In France Jean de Lattre de Tassigny was made a Grand Officier of the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur.

US passenger liner “_Manhattan_” departed Lisbon, Portugal with about 800 American citizens and their families fleeing the European War.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* “_Graf Zeppelin_” was towed to Gotenhafen, Germany (now Gdynia, Poland).

In Moscow, Kuusinen, former head of the Soviet sponsored Terijoki government (intended to replace the Finnish government in Helsinki), is appointed President of the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Republic, in territory acquired from Finland in the treaty of March 13, 1940.

.



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## parsifal (Jul 12, 2015)

*13 July1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
70' BPB Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 43, 50, 51




_Ex-French taken over by the RN after the collapse of the 3rd Republic_
*Losses*
DKM Raider ATLANTIS sank *steamer KEMMENDINE (UK 7769 grt)* in the Indian Ocean. 57 crew, 22 passengers, and 3 ratings were made prisoners of war. One crewman later died in France. 18 crew, 11 passengers, and one rating were lost when steamer TIRRANNA, to which they later were transferred, was lost. One crewman died on the raider. 31 crew and 3 gunners were transferred to steamer DURMITOR and taken to Italian Somaliland. They were released in early 1941 when Italian East Africa was liberated.





DKM Raider WIDDER sank *steamer KING JOHN (UK 5228 grt) *in the Central Atlantic, 250 miles ENE of Sombrero Channel. Five crew were made prisoners of war.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-30

At Sea 13 July 1940
U-30, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
North Sea*
FN.221 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloops LOWESTOFT and WESTON. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 15th.

*Northern Waters*
DD TARTAR departed Scapa for Liverpool for docking repairs to asdic installation and damage to propellers.

*West Coast UK*
CVL FURIOUS, escorted by DDs HAMBLEDON, ATHERSTONE, and FERNIE departed Liverpool for Prestwick to fly on a/c. The British ships then proceeded to Scapa, arriving on the 14th. OB.183 departed Liverpool escort DD VANQUISHER and corvette CLARKIA until 16 July. The escorts were detached to convoy SL.38.

*Western Approaches*
A redisposition of Destroyers in the Nth Atlantic Cmd was made. DDs DOUGLAS, ACTIVE, WATCHMAN, KEPPEL, and VORTIGERN left the Nth Atlantic Cmd on the 14th to join the Home Flt Cmd. DDs HOTSPUR and ENCOUNTER of the Home Flt and 3 G class DDs of the Nore Cmd were allocated to Nth Atlantic Cmd.

*Channel*
CW.5 departed Dover escort DD VANESSA. The convoy was immediately taken under LW air attack between Dover and Eastbourne and VANESSA was disabled by near misses. VANESSA was towed by DD GRIFFIN to Sheerness where VANESSA was repaired completing on 4 November (that's a long time for repairs to "near misses" (????).

Three worked up HUNT class DDs left the Home Flt and joined the Dover Cmd.

*Malta*

545-1605 hrs Air raid alert for twelve enemy fighters which fly over the Island. They are intercepted by one Hurricane and one Gladiator. The Hurricane is damaged but repairable. The raiders drop no bombs. 

2120 hrs Reports are received of signalling from the west of Dingli.

2210-2230 hrs Air raid alert for two formations of enemy bombers which approach separately. One crosses over Valletta and is engaged by Ack Ack fire. The second crosses over Wolsely Battery and drops a flare, followed by four bombs. One incendiary lands near the Officers’ Mess. Other bombs are dropped on Marsaxlokk, where the target appears to be flying boats laying at anchor, on Zeitun and on the boom across the entrance to Marsamxetto Harbour. 

2330-2345 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy bombers. They are picked up by searchlights and drop all their bombs in the sea off Benghaisa, Delimara and Grand Harbour. 

Plt Officer (later Gp Captain) Burges of the tiny Gladiator flight receivers the DFC, the first such award over Malta.


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## parsifal (Jul 12, 2015)

*14 July 1940 
Losses
MV THETIS A (Gk 4111 grt) * Crew: 29 (9 dead and 20 survivors) Cargo: Grain Route: Rosario - Limerick (Ireland). Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 1818 hrs the unescorted THETIS A was hit amidships by a single G7e torp fired by U-52 and sank in 5 mins WSW of the Scillies after the survivors abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat. The ship had been spotted at 1633 hours and attacked and missed at 1813 hrs with a G7a torpedo. 





*Tkr SARITA (Nor 5824 grt)* Crew: 29 (0 dead and 29 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: St. Vincent - Trinidad Sunk in the Central Atlantic off the west coast of Africa. At 1145 hrs the unescorted SARITA was hit on the port side by one torpedo from UA and was abandoned by the crew in one lifeboat and two rafts. After 1 hr, the U-boat surfaced and fired 34 rounds from the deck gun at the tkr of which 11 were hits. The ship developed a list to port but did not sink because the empty starboard tanks kept her afloat, but the U-boat fired with the 2cm AA gun holes into the hull and she finally sank at 1338 hrs. The Germans then came alongside of the lifeboat and took the master on board with the ship´s papers. He was allowed to go back to the boat and after they took care of two injured men the U-boat left the area. The survivors distributed themselves on the rafts, but on 16 July after three ships had passed by without spotting them, all returned to the lifeboat and set sail for Barbados. They were picked up 2 days later by the Br steam merchant DUNSTAN and taken to Pernambuco.





*Steamer ISLAND QUEEN (UK 779 grt)* of convoy CW.5 was badly damaged by the LW off A Buoy, Dover, east of Folkestone Gateway Light Vessel. ISLAND QUEEN sank in tow of British trawler KINGSTON ALALITE later that day 0.5 miles from Folkestone Light Vessel. 3 crew were lost when she sank.

*Trawler PROVIDENTIA (Be 139 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. The entire crew was lost.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 14 July 1940
U-30, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
MSW FITZROY was damaged in a collision with MSW trawler SEA MIST off the Humber. FITZROY was repaired in the Humber from 15 July to 10 August. ASW trawlers CAPE WARWICK from Balta Sound and THIRLMERE from Dundee arrived at Scapa. OA.184 departed Methil escort sloops ROCHESTER, HASTINGS, and LEITH from 14 to 19 July. The sloops were detached to convoy HX.56. FN.222 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 16th. MT.109 departed Methil and arrived in the Tyne on the 15th.

*SW Approaches*
DDs KEPPEL, ACTIVE, WATCHMAN, VORTIGERN, and DOUGLAS departed Gibraltar for Liverpool arriving on the 20th. The DDs were formed into DesFlot 12 for duty with the Home Flt. DDs WRESTLER and VIDETTE departed Gib to meet troopship ATHLONE CASTLE and relieve escorting DD HURRICANE. The ships arrived at Gib on the 17th.

AMC ESPERANCE BAY, carrying 10 million pounds in gold, was bombed and badly damaged shortly after leaving England 100 west of Land's End.
7 crewmen were killed. DD VANOC and RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE escorted the AMC. NL tug ZWARTE ZEE was despatched for towing duties however VANOC and ZWARTE ZEE were reassigned when it was found the AMC could proceed on her own to Plymouth with the gold.

*Channel*
Operation AMBASSADOR was a small commando raid on the island of Guernsey and the first of its kind undertaken by the British. Late on the 14th, DDs SALADIN and SCIMITAR from Dartmouth carried Commandos to Guernsey, but had no success as they made no contact with the enemy.

The raid suffered from very poor planning and a lack of preparation. it almost brought the whole commando concept to a halt before it began. Three men of the raid had to be left behind because they could not swim to the rescuing boats, and were captured and summarily shot by the germans....the first of many war crimes against the Commandoes, whom the Germans would not recognize as soldiers 

Turkish ML sloop YUZBASI HAKKI was attacked by the LW off Weymouth at 1145 near the Shambles. The British delivery crew were still on board. 1 crewman was killed and the Captain was wounded. The sloop arrived at Weymouth on the 15th. British minefield MN in the Straits of Dover was laid by ML PLOVER and NL minelayer WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN, escort four MTBs. The force departed Dover at 2215 on the 13th for the minelay early on the 14th under the cover of darkness.

Br steamer MONS from convoy CW.5 was damaged by the LW 1.5 miles sth of Dover Pier. Nor steamer BALDER also from convoy CW.5 was damaged by the LW at about the same time. BALDER was taken in tow by British tug LADY BRASSEY and escorted by DDs GRIFFIN and BOREAS.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM Raiderr THOR sank *steamer GRACEFIELD (UK 4631 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic. The crew was made prisoners of war.





CA KENT arrived at Durban after escorting West Afircan troop convoy to Mombasa and preparatory to escorting convoy WS 1 from the rendezvous in the vicinity of Durban.

*Malta*
RA air tactics are changed and suggest the enemy attempt to reduce Malta’s fighter effort by sending large numbers of fighters on raids, with formations approaching in two-tiers. Hurricanes which attack bombers in the lower formation are being counter attacked by the upper tier of enemy fighters. The manoeuvrability of the RA a/c is making it difficult for the Hurricanes to get away. Although pilots have been warned of the new tactic, visibility difficulties in two recent raids have led to them being caught out on both occasions.

New tactics have also been identified during night air raids on the Island. In recent attacks, a single bomber has approached, followed at a distance of about 15 miles by a second aircraft. Bombers are carrying both high explosive and incendiary bombs which they are dropping from high altitude,

With Malta fighter numbers now reduced to one Hurricane and two Gladiators, RAF chiefs anticipate considerable difficulty in keeping Italian raiders at bay. Meanwhile they stress the urgent need for further Hurricanes to attack bombers and Gladiators for attackling fighters.





_By 14 July Only one Hurricane and two Gladiators remained operational_


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## Njaco (Jul 12, 2015)

*July 13 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:*
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post691363.html#post691363
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British Army's new parachute force began training at Ringway Airport, Manchester, England, United Kingdom.

First Free Polish fighter squadron (No. 302) formed in Britain, with Hurricanes.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German raider “_Atlantis_” sank British steamer “_Kemmendine_” 500 miles southeast of Ceylon; 57 crew and 25 passengers were taken prisoner.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German raider “_Widder_” sank British ship “_King John_” 200 miles northeast of Antigua. 5 crew and 21 survivors of Panamanian ship “_Santa Margarita_” (sank on 2 Jul) were taken prisoner. The total prisoner count aboard “_Widder_” was now 100, exceeding her capacity, thus some were put to lifeboats so that they could paddle toward islands in the Caribbean Sea on their own.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler met with top German military leaders at Obersalzberg, München-Oberbayern, Germany. He discusses the air war with Britain. The offensive is to begin at full strength on August 5th. Goring in fact will not be able to have his planes ready by this date. This lack of efficiency will waste vital days in the fine summer weather. The RAF is to be rapidly driven from the skies and the air supremacy necessary if an invasion is to be attempted is to be achieved. Also, in a conversation with some of his generals Hitler makes his first real mention of the future necessity to attack the Soviet Union. He suggests that England is only fighting on because of the hope of Soviet help.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov leaked diplomatic communications between Britain and the Soviet Union, which should had been held confidentially between the two countries per general rules of international diplomacy, to Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* While under heavy attack by Axis aircraft, Sea Gladiator aircraft launched from HMS “Eagle” shot down three Italian bombers in the Mediterranean Sea.

*ASIA:* Kichisaburo Nomura was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

*NORTH AMERICA:* “_Tatsuta Maru_” arrived at San Francisco, California, United States; among the passengers disembarked were 40 Jewish refugees from Russia, Austria, Germany, Norway, and Britain.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The Italian forces in Abyssinia move over the border into Kenya to attack the small town of Moyale.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 13, 2015)

*July 14 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post691885.html#post691885
*UNITED KINGDOM: *Free French leader Charles de Gaulle celebrated Bastille Day at the Cenotaph in London, England, United Kingdom.

British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Esperance Bay_” departed Plymouth, England, United Kingdom at 1250 hours with £10,000,000 in gold. She was intercepted and bombed by German aircraft 100 miles west of the port, killing 7, but she was able to return to Plymouth without losing her cargo.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” departed the drydock after completing the propeller and MES magnetic system installation.

British RAF Bomber Command launched raids against two Luftwaffe bases in Germany, with 9 Whitley bombers of RAF No. 102 Squadron hitting Paderborn and 12 Whitley bombers of RAF No. 10 Squadron and EAF No. 51 Squadron hitting Diepholz.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Vichy French bombers attacked Gibraltar, causing no damage.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” sank British ship “_Gracefield_” 500 miles off the coast of Brazil. The crew of 36 was taken prisoner.

German submarine U-A sank Norwegian tanker “_Sarita_” 100 miles west of Cape Verde at 1145 hours. The entire crew of 29 survived and was rescued by British ship “_Dunstan_” on 18 Jul.

German submarine U-52 sank Greek ship “_Thetis A._” off Brest, France at 1818 hours. 9 were killed and 20 survived.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 14, 2015)

*15 July 1940 
Losses
Steamer BELLEROCK (UK 1199 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Bristol Channel. 17 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The LW damaged *steamer HEWORTH (UK 2855 grt) *in FN.223, 10 miles south of Aldeburgh Light Vessel. She was taken in tow for Harwich, but was grounded three cables 267° from East Shipwash Buoy where she was lost. 4 crew were lost and the survivors rescued by DD VALOROUS.





LW air attacks sank *steamer FOSSOULA (Pan 1282 grt).* The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 240 nautical miles north west of Cape Finisterre, Spain by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of four of her 36 crew
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ZBARAZ (Pol 2088 grt) * The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the Nth Sea 10 nautical miles sth of the Aldeburgh Lightship. She was taken in tow by ST OLAVES but sank. All crew were rescued by Tug MURIA and the trawler VIDONIA
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tug DRAUGEN (Ex-Nor (Ger) 184 grt) *was sunk on a German mine off Salhus, nth of Bergen.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
RN Sub TETRARCH fired a spread of 3 torps at U-57 off the entrance to Korsfjord near Bergen, Norway, none of which found their target.

Departures
Bergen: U-57

At Sea 15 July 1940
U-30, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CA DEVONSHIRE departed Scapa for Rosyth to change secondary armament. FN.223 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS, sloop STORK, and patrol sloop WIDGEON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 17th. MT.111 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 16th. FS.222 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON with DDs BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, and MASHONA departed Scapa in the evening to conduct night firings. Because of heavy fog, they were unable to return to Scapa until the 16th. CL AURORA arrived at Scapa from the Humber. Escort DDs HAMBLEDON and ATHERSTONE departed Scapa to rendezvous off Aberdeen with steamer HIGHLANDER and tanker PRESTOL for Lerwick and Scapa, respectively. On the 16th, HAMBLEDON and PRESTOL arrived off Scapa, but due to heavy fog, the ships could not enter harbour until 1100. ATHERSTONE arrived at Scapa on the 17th.

A mine detonation close aboard damaged mine destructor ship BURLINGTON at Aultbrea. The ship, escorted by ASW trawler THIRLMERE, proceeded to Stornoway on the 17th for repairs. She returned to Aultbrea on the 18th, again escorted by THIRLMERE.

*Western Approaches*
OB.184 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK and corvette HEARTSEASE form 15 to 18 July. The escorts were detached to cover inbound HX.56.

*SW Approaches*
At 1142 on the 15th, suspicious ships were reported SW of Land's End , steering 350°. CL NEWCASTLE with DDs BROKE, MACKAY, WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, HESPERUS, and RCN RESTIGOUCHE departed Plymouth to investigate. At 1708, the force, less MACKAY and BROKE detached to assist steamer CITY OF LIMERICK, returned to Plymouth.

*Steamer CITY OF LIMERICK (Eire 1359 grt) *was sunk by the LW 100 nautical miles due west of Ouessant, Finistère. DDs MACKAY and BROKE were ordered to the area to assist and search for survivors. 2 crew were killed and the survivors rescued by Belgian trawler ROGER JEANNINE.





The LW sank Estonian steamer MERISAAR (2136 grt) , captured by U.99 on the 12th, off Queenstown. The German prize crew was rescued and made PoWs.

*Steamer ALPHA (Pt 853 grt)* The coaster was bombed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean SW of Cornwall. The entire crew was picked up by DDs BEDOUIN, MASHONA, and TARTAR which were sweeping in the area.





*Nth Atlantic*
HX.58 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs SAGUENAY and ASSINIBOINE which turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC RANPURA, and returned to Halifax at 0835 the next day. While at sea, the DDs investigated an a/c down in the sea. BHX.58 departed Bermuda on the 14th local escort sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort AMC JERVIS BAY. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.58 on the 19th and the AMC was detached. RANPURA was detached on the 28th. On the 27th, DDs SKEENA (RCN), WESTCOTT, sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes CAMELLIA and CLARKIA, plus ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and ST KENAN joined the convoy. DD WESTCOTT and sloop ENCHANTRESS were detached, and arrived at Liverpool on the 31st.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub RAINBOW, which had departed Colombo on 24 June, Aden on the 7th, and Port Said on the 14th, arrived at Alexandria from Singapore for duty with the Med Flt. CA HAWKINS arrived at Montevideo.

*Malta*
The Admiralty advises the war cabinet that the situation of supplies to Malta is in danger of becoming critical. The transport of stores and provisions by the shortest sea route through the western Mediterranean has been all but impossible since France signed an armistice with the Axis last month. The only safe route for supply convoys to reach Malta is via the long sea route round the African Cape. The issue is being investigated as a matter of urgency in London so that alternative plans can be put in place before the Island runs out of supplies.

0530 hrs Air raid alert for 6 RA ftrs which approach from the north over Ghallis Tower and cross over Valletta before flying away eastwards. No bombs are dropped.


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## Njaco (Jul 14, 2015)

*July 15 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post692314.html#post692314
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Unemployment figure in Britain increased by 60,431 to 827,266 in Jun 1940 when compared to the previous month, but it was still drastically lower than the level one year prior.

The rector of Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom was sentenced to four weeks in prison for ringing his church bell, which violated the 14 Jun 1940 restriction.

The British Home Office banned fireworks, flying kites, and flying balloons.

The United States Marine Corps established the Marine Detachment, London in Britain, consisted of the 12th Marine Company.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-34 sank Greek ship “_Evdoxia_” 40 miles southwest of Ireland at 0321 hours; 1 was killed and 22 survived.

German aircraft bombed and sank Estonian ship “_Merisaar_” off Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. The bombers failed to realize that the ship had been captured by the German Navy back on 12 Jul. The German crew survived the sinking, but would be rescued by the British and become prisoners of war.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The YO-49 Vigilant prototype aircraft took its first flight with pilot Al Schramm.

The US 2nd Armored Division was formed at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States under the command of Major General Charles L. Scott with Colonel George S. Patton Jr., a brigade commander in the division, in charge of training.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Germany demanded unrestricted access through French North Africa.

After a brief resistance against attacking Italian forces the outnumbered garrison of Moyale, Kenya withdraws from the town.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Soviet Union announced that recently held plebiscites in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia revealed that the three Baltic States show near-unanimous support for joining the Soviet Union.

Erich Mußfeldt was assigned to Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Operation Ambassador: Destroyers HMS “_Scimitar_” and HMS “_Saladin_” delivered 140 British commandos to the Channel Island of Guernsey. 40 men from the No. 3 Commando reached the shore on launches, but found their target barracks actually not used by Germans. 37 men returned to the destroyers, leaving 3 who could not swim behind to later become prisoners of war. Elsewhere, some of the launches landed at the Channel Island of Sark by mistake.

*GERMANY: *Hampden bombers from RAF Hemswell in England, United Kingdom were sent, in one of the most daring attacks of the war, to raid Wilhelmshaven, Germany in an attempt to cripple the “_Tirpitz_” and “_Admiral Scheer_”. Six aircraft were detailed to attack “_Tirpitz_” and two to attack “_Admiral Scheer_”. Other aircraft were detailed to carry out diversionary raids. The raid was not a success. Four bombers were shot down and most of the survivors damaged (one was found to have 150 holes on its return). No damage was incurred by the German warships.

.



.


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2015)

*16 July 1940 
Losses
Tkr SCOTTISH MINSTREL (UK 6998 grt) *Crew: 41 (9 dead and 32 survivors) Cargp: 9200 tons of fuel oil Route:New York - Halifax - Loch Ewe - London Sunk in the Western Approaches about 130 miles nth of Bloody Foreland on the Irish Nth Coast. Was attached to HX 55: The tkr was torpedoed and damaged in the Atlantic Ocean by U-61. The ship caught fire after the hit. The survivors were rescued by merchant ship FISCUS . The hulk sank the next day.






*UBOATS*
At Sea 16 July 1940
U-30, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.224 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON, sloop FLEETWOOD, and patrol sloop SHEARWATER. The patrol sloop was detached later that day. On the 17th, DDs JAVELIN and JUPITER covered the convoy, which arrived at the Tyne 18 July. MT.112 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 17th. FS.223 departed the Tyne, and arrived at Southend on the 17th.

*Northern Waters*
RN Force C, CAs SUSSEX, SHROPSHIRE, CLs SOUTHAMPTON, GLASGOW, and DDs COSSACK, SIKH, ZULU, MAORI, FURY, FORTUNE, INGLEFIELD , and IMOGEN departed Scapa to attack German shipping off Denmark. The force swept SE until 1543 when the course was reversed due to air searches failing. SHROPSHIRE was detached at 2315 for the Clyde for refitting. At 2355 on the 16th, off Duncansby Head in Pentland Firth , GLASGOW collided with GHI Class *DD IMOGEN (RN 1335 grt) * in thick fog. IMOGEN's fuel tanks caught fire and the ship had to be abandoned. The DD was not seen to sink. 17 ratings were lost, while GLASGOW rescued 133 others. 11 crerwmen were injured, and one ratings later died of injuries. GLASGOW had a 6' gash in her port side 60 feet back from the bow above the water line. 2 crew were lost on the cruiser. She arrived at Scapa Flow at 0936 with SOUTHAMPTON, with SUSSEX arriving later on the 17th. COSSACK, SIKH, MAORI, ZULU, FURY, FORTUNE, and INGLEFIELD arrived at Scapa at 1750 after searching for IMOGEN's hulk.





Stromna Light House keepers had reported a ship drifting westward in Pentland Firth. DD ATHERSTONE departed Scapa at 1445 on the 18th to search sth of Stromna, but returned to Scapa that evening at 1650 after failing to locate her. GLASGOW departed Scapa on the 19th with DDs INGLEFIELD, ASHANTI, and MASHONA. Off Cape Wrath, DD DIANA joined while ASHANTI and MASHONA returned to Scapa arriving on the 20th. GLASGOW arrived at Liverpool escorted by INGLEFIELD and DIANA on the 21st for repairs which completed on 4 September. BB NELSON with DDs BEDOUIN, MASHONA, and PUNJABI arrived at Scapa after full calibre firings.

*Nth Atlantic*
DDs FIREDRAKE and ECHO departed Reykavik with liners ORMONDE and ULSTER PRINCE for the Clyde where they arrived on the 18th.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.40 departed Freetown escort AMC ASTURIAS. AMC CANTON joined the convoy on 1 August, when convoy SLF.40 merged with SL.40. On 2 August, both AMCs were detached and arrived at Greenock for fuel and water on 3 August. ASTURIAS departed Greenock on 6 August to return to Freetown. On 2 August, sloop ABERDEEN joined the convoy. On 3 August, DD WALKER and corvette PERIWINKLE and on 4 August, corvettes GODETIA and PRIMROSE joined, and arrived at Liverpool on 8 August.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM Raider THOR sank *steamer WENDOVER (UK 5487 grt) *in the Sth Atlantic . Four crew were killed, while 36 crew and one gunner were made pows. CA DORSETSHIRE departed Freetown to search the raider with no results.





*Med- Biscay*
Parthian Class *Sub PHOENIX (RN 1475 grt) * attacked RM escort ship ALBATROS off Augusta but was sunk in the counterattack. All 55 hands were lost.





Cable ship MIRROR departed Gib, escort DD FOXHOUND, to cut to Fayal-Malaga cable and join the Fayal end to Gibraltar. She later returned to Gibraltar and sailed again on the 19th, escort DD WRESTLER to continue the work. The work continued on the 21st with MIRROR escorted again by WRESTLER, which was later relieved by DD VIDETTE.

*Malta*
Malta’s already beleaguered fighter flight suffered a blow with the loss of the Island’s first RAF pilot in combat today. Flt Lt Peter Keeble had been serving as a pilot at Hal Far airfield since March of this year. He was piloting a Hurricane on this day which met a numerically superior force of Fiat CR42’s. He attacked a leading fighter but died when his aircraft was shot down by the fighter near Bidni. As Keeble’s Hurricane went into a dive the Italian was hit by AA light machine gun fire from 1st Bn Dorset Regiment. He unable to come out of his pursuit dive and crashed near Bidni, just 100 yards from the Hurricane. The pilot was captured alive but dies soon afterwards. No enemy bombs are dropped during raid




_The wreckage of the CR 42 brought down. Outnumbered 10:1 the loss of even one pilot is a serious blow to the islands defences._


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## parsifal (Jul 16, 2015)

*17 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class USN DD PLUNKETT





Allied
63' ORP MASB S 2 




_RN S32 was of the same general outline to the Polish vessel_

*Losses*
MV NAFTILOS (Gk 3531 grt) Crew: 28 (1 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo: 5801 tons of grain Route: Enroute to Dublin . Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 0005 hrs , U-34 began shelling the NAFTILOS until she sank at 0110 hrs. All 28 crew members abandoned ship safely, but one man later died of wounds. 





*MV FELLSIDE (UK 3509 grt)* Crew: 33 (12 dead and 21 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Middlesbrough - Sydney (Canada) Sunk in the western approaches. Convoy OA 184. The cargo ship straggled from the convoy. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 135 nautical miles NW of Bloody Foreland, County Donegal, Ireland 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV MANIPUR (UK 8652 grt) * Crew:79 (14 dead and 65 survivors) Cargo: General cargo, including iron, steel, lumber, copper and zinc ingots Route: Baltimore - Halifax - London. Convoy HX 55A Sunk off the North Coast of Scotland. At 2222 hrs the MANIPUR was torpedoed and sunk by U-57 8 miles NW of Cape Wrath. The master and 64 crew members were picked up by RCN SKEENA and landed at Rosyth. DDs HAMBLEDON and FERNIE in the area to join convoy WN.1 began to hunt for the UBoat, and attacked a contact. DDs DIANA, BERKELEY, and GARTH departed Scapa at 0645 on the 18th to assist. BERKELEY and GARTH were ordered at 1725/18th to return to Scapa where they arrived early on the 19th.





*MV O A BRODIN (SD 1960 grt) *Crew: 24 (3 dead and 21 survivors) Cargo: 2665 tons of lumber and pulp wood Route: Burlington, Newfoundland - St. John’s - Kirkwall - Ridham Dock . Sunk off the Orkneys. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk west of the Orkney Islands by U-57 . The survivors were rescued by ASW Trawler SICYON 





*UBOATS*
At Sea 17 July 1940
U-30, U-34, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.186 departed Methil escort sloops SANDWICH and DEPTFORD from 17 to 21 July. MT.113 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 18th. FS.224 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 18th.

Belgian FV DE ZEESTER (74grt) was damaged by the LW 15 miles SW of Bishop Light

*Northern Waters*
DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI departed Scapa on patrol. PUNJABI was detached from this force to investigate a trawler reported by a/c at 1132, steering 270, and flying the signal "I have sighted a mine in the position indicated." At 1415 on the 18th, BEDOUIN and PUNJABI were ordered to return to Scapa. The trawler, located by PUNJABI, was found to be manned by Norwegians. PUNJABI escorted the trawler towards Lerwick until 2115 when she parted company and proceeded to Scapa. DDs ASHANTI and MASHONA departed Scapa to patrol. When BEDOUIN and PUNJABI were ordered to return to Scapa ASHANTI and MASHONA were ordered to move their patrol to cover the passage of convoys across Moray Firth. At 2346, ASHANTI and MASHONA were ordered to return to Scapa by midmorning on the 19th. These DDs arrived back at Scapa on the 19th after being delayed by fog. DDs HAMBLEDON and FERNIE departed Scapa to reinforce convoy WN.1 off Cape Wrath at about midnight. Sub L.23, escorted by NL TB Z.8, arrived at Scapa . The TB departed at 1815 that day to return to Dundee. British minefield BS.24 was laid by DDs EXPRESS and IMPULSIVE.

*SW Approaches*
OG.38 was to have been formed from convoys OA.185G and OB.185G, but departed Liverpool as an OG convoy. The convoy of 20 ships was escorted by sloop WELLINGTON from 17 to 29 July when the convoy arrived at Gib.

*Channel
RFA STEADY (RN 758 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Newhaven, two cables south of East Pier Head. There were thirteen survivors.RFA Steady





*Steamer LEOLA (Est 554 grt)* was sunk by the LW, about 60 miles east of the Scillies. Two crew were lost and the survivors rescued by Belgian trawler ROGER JEANNINE.
[NO IMAGE]

*Central Atlantic*
Sloop MILFORD departed Freetown for ASW patrol in the Cape Verde Islands area. She refuelled at St Vincent on the 25th and was to arrive back at Freetown on 5 August.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA HAWKINS at Montevideo ordered AMC ALCANTARA to patrol the Pernambuco-Trinidade area.

*Med- Biscay
Steamer WIIRI (FN 3525 grt)* was sunk by the RA 30 miles off Malta. 26 crew were rescued.





RM CLs BANDE NERE and COLLEONI with RM DesDiv 10 departed Tripoli. The destroyers were detached to the Sollum area and the cruisers proceeded towards Leros. Some reports state these ships were laden with fuel for the Dodacanese.




_Profile of the COLLEONI_

*Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.2 departed Bombay, escort CL CERES and AMCs CATHAY and RAN WESTRALIA. The AMCs were detached on the 26th. CL LEANDER joined on the 26th and sloops HINDUSTAN and SHOREHAM on the 27th. CERES was detached on the 29th, and HINDUSTAN and SHOREHAM on the 30th. On the 30th, CLA CARLISLE, DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY, with sloops AUCKLAND and FLAMINGO joined LEANDER and the convoy. Sloop CLIVE joined on 3 August when the other ships were detached and arrived at Suez with the convoy on 5 August.

*Malta*
The CinC Med Flt requests the Admiralty for a fast ship of the Glen Line to take on the urgent supply of Malta. The fast transport ship would perform the dual role of sea-going oiler and carrier of stores into Malta. The role has so far been carried out by RFA PLUMLEAF but the vessel is considered too slow to complete the duty effectively.

3 Wellington bombers are assigned to the island. However, Lt Gen Dobbie has reservations about the proposal to base the bombers in Malta, even temporarily, unless a proper unit with a full complement of men and spares, and especially a consignment of fuel, accompany the a/c. In addition, he points out that it would be unwise to accommodate the Wellingtons in Malta until the Island’s defences are improved, though this is anticipated. 

AIR HQ 0500 hrs Coastal ASW and recon patrol by the Saro London: nothing to report. 1410-1630 hrs Recon by one Hudson of Syracuse, Augusta and Messina harbours from 15,000 ft. Ships at Messina: 1 BB, 6 cruisers, 9 destroyers, and several MVs. Off Reggio: one ship, probably a troopship, proceeding north. Augusta: 2 cruisers, one 10000 ton MV and twelve smaller merchantmen, plus 30 to 40 seaplanes. Syracuse: one large and two small oil tankers; 14 small merchant vessels in possible convoy formation, two destroyers off the coast steering north.


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## Njaco (Jul 16, 2015)

*July 16 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post692667.html#post692667

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France revoked the French citizenship of naturalized Jews. Meanwhile, in German-occupied Alsace-Lorraine, 22,000 French citizens were forcibly deported to France.

Spanish agents met with the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, and warned him that his fellow countrymen were sending him to be the governor of the Bahamas to remove him from power.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issued Führer Directive 16 for the preparation of an invasion plan for southern Britain in mid-Aug. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/16.html

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Phoenix_” attacked Italian torpedo boat “_Albatros_” southeast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, with all torpedoes missing their target. “_Albatros_” responded with torpedoes of her own, sinking HMS “_Phoenix_” and killing the entire crew of 55.

Italian bombers attacked the British base at Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” sank British ship “_Wendover_” in the South Atlantic, killing 4 and capturing 36 civilian crew and 1 Royal Navy gunner.

German submarine U-61 torpedoed British tanker “_Scottish Minstrel”_ 130 miles northwest of Ireland, killing 9; 32 were later rescued by corvette HMS “_Gardenia_”. With her cargo of 9,200 tons of fuel oil burning, the tanker would remain afloat for another day before sinking.

British destroyer HMS “_Imogen_” collided with cruiser HMS “_Glasgow_” in heavy fog off Pentland Firth and Duncansby Head, in northern Scotland. She caught fire and was later abandoned, drifting 20 miles before sinking. 17 were killed and 133 were rescued. HMS “_Glasgow_” saw 2 killed and suffered a 6-foot hole above the waterline. She would be under repair at Liverpool until 4 Sep.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British and Australian warships bombarded Bardia, Libya.

*ASIA:* 54 Japanese aircraft based in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China attacked Chongqing, China in two waves; 31 Chinese fighters (I-15bis, I-16, and Hawk III models) rose to intercept, claiming damage on several bombers. Liu Zhesheng shot down two Japanese aircraft.

In Tokyo Japanese Prime Minister Yonai resigns because of military pressure.

.

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## parsifal (Jul 17, 2015)

*18 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ASW Trawler ST ZENO





_Generic Admiralty ASW Trawler_

*Losses*
RN Sub H.31 attacked 3 trawlers and sank *PV UJ.126 (DKM 446 grt)* NW of Terschelling. H.31 was unaware she had sunk the trawler, and was undamaged in the counterattack.





*MV GYDA (Nor 1591 grt)* Crew: 20 (11 dead and 9 survivors) Cargo:1980 tons of salt Route: Glasgow - Loch Swilly - Bathurst, New Brunswick Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1641 hrs the unescorted GYDA was hit by one torpedo from U-58 NW of Ireland. The day before the ship had stopped in Loch Swilly due to an engine defect and continued her voyage from 0500 hrs with a Sunderland fyling boat as escort. The torpedo struck close to the bridge on the starboard side, opening the side, destroying the radio room and blowing away a half of the bridge. The vessel sank within 1 min with the engines still running. The master and 10 crew members were lost. 3 men were thrown overboard and were later picked up by 6 men, which had left the ship on a raft aft of the ship. The survivors were picked up the next morning by the Ville d´Arlon and taken to New York on 26 July.





*MV WOODBURY (UK 4434 grt) * Crew: 35 (0 dead and 35 survivors) Cargo: 3000 tons of tinned meat, 2500 tons of wheat and 2500 tons of general cargo Route: Argentina - Manchester Sunk in the SW Approaches At 0203 hrs the unescorted WOODBURY was hit aft of amidships by a G7e torp fired by U-99 and sank at 0250 hrs about 300 miles west of Lands End. The master and 18 crew members made landfall at Castletown Berehaven, Co. Cork and 16 crew members at Cahiriveen on 19 July.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-59

At Sea 18 July 1940
U-30, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
British minefield BS.25 was laid by DDs EXPRESS and IMPULSIVE. ASW trawler CAPE FINISTERRE was machine gunned and bombed in the Nth Sea. DD ARROW and ASW AGATE departed Harwich to assist. FN.225 departed Southend, escorted by sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS with patrol sloop PINTAIL, and arrived in the Tyne on the 20th. FS.225 departed the Tyne, escorted by destroyers WALLACE and WOLFHOUND, and arrived at Southend on the 19th. Steamer GENERTON and Trawler LODDON were damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea.
.
*Northern Waters*
CA YORK arrived at Scapa from Rosyth. After D/F reports received at 0940, DDs ZULU, FORTUNE, and FURY departed Scapa at 1515 and made an ASW sweep towards Cape Wrath. This search was in an area bordered by Cape Wrath, North Rona, and the Butt of Lewis, but no contact was made. DD ATHERSTONE departed Scapa on the 18th for ASW duties off Cape Wrath. FORTUNE and FURY arrived back at Scapa on the 19th. MSW BRITMART departed Scapa for Aberdeen, while NSW SPEEDY arrived at Scapa from Aberdeen.

*Channel*
Base repair ship VINDICTIVE (ex-cruiser) departed Devonport for Freetown

*Central Atlantic*
DKM Raider PINGUIN rendezvoused with U.A in mid Atlantic between Belem and Dakar, so that the U Boat could be replenished with fuel and torps. The pilot of a Skua of 806 Sqn from CV ILLUSTRIOUS, at that time in work up in the Caribbean when the a/c crashed whilst on exercise.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Simonstown to search for DKM Raider THOR.

*Med- Biscay*
RAN CL SYDNEY (Captain J. A. Collins, RAN in command of the Task Gp) with DDs HYPERION , HERO , HASTY , HAVOCK , and ILEX departed Alexandria. SYDNEY and HAVOCK were to operate in the Gulf of Athens against Italian shipping. The other DDs were to carry out an ASW sweep along the north coast of Crete. DDs HEREWARD and IMPERIAL departed Alexandria at the same time to escort convoy AN.2 from Port Said.




_Model of HMAS SYDNEY as she was in 1940_

RM Sub DELFINO attacked a DD in the Aegean NE of Athens without success.


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## Njaco (Jul 17, 2015)

*July 17 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post693011.html#post693011
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The United Kingdom announced that the Burma Road would be closed as it diverted resources to deal with the war at home.

Admiral of the Fleet Roger Keyes became the first Director of Headquarters, Combined Operations, a War Office department tasked with organizing raids against enemy occupied Europe.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian bombers sank Finnish ship “_Wiiri_” 30 miles off of Malta. The entire crew of 26 survived.

*WESTERN FRONT:* After sundown, British bombers attacked Caen, France.

Lieutenant Colonel Dunford-Slater, Second Lieutenant Peter Young and Regimental Sergeant Major Harry Beesley landed on the German-occupied island of Guernsey in the first Commando raid of the war.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British mooring vessel HMS “_Steady_” struck a mine and sank off Newhaven in southern England.

German submarine U-34 sank Greek ship “_Naftilos_” south of Ireland at 0110 hours (all 28 abandoned the ship, but 1 of them would later die of wounds suffered during this attack). 135 miles northwest of Bloody Foreland, Ireland at 1040 hours, U-43 sank British ship “_Fellside_” (12 were killed and 21 were rescued). 120 miles south of Ireland, German bombers sank Estonian ship “_Leola_”, killing 2. Belgian trawler “_Roger Jeannine_” rescues survivors. North of Scotland, U-57 sank Swedish ship “_O. A. Brodin_” (at 0455 hours; 3 were killed and 21 were rescued) and British ship “_Manipur_” (at 2222 hours; 14 were killed and 65 were rescued). Meanwhile, 5 miles off the Netherlands, WWI-era British submarine H31 sank German anti-submarine trawler “_Steiermark_”. Other anti-submarine trawlers attacked with depth charges in response, but failed to destroy H31.

*GERMANY:* The German Luftwaffe placed Colonel Josef Kammhuber in charge of organizing nightfighter units to counter British bombings.

The German OKW assigned forces for the invasion of Britain, planning to put 90,000 men on British shores on the first attack wave.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Admiral James O. Richardson concluded the conferences in Washington DC, United States regarding the retention of the US Fleet in Hawaiian waters.

*ASIA:* In Tokyo a new Cabinet headed by Prince Konoye is appointed. Matsuoka is the new Foreign Minister and will be very influential. The Cabinet also includes a number of supporters of a more aggressive policy. The most important is General Tojo who becomes Minister of War.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 18, 2015)

*19 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette BLUEBELL








*Losses
MV PEARLMOOR (UK 4581 grt)* Crew: 39 (13 dead and 26 survivors). Cargo: 7860 tons of iron ore Route: Freetown - Methil - Immingham . Sunk in the Western Approaches. SL38 (Straggler). At 1828 hrs the PEARLMOOR, a straggler from SL-38, was hit by a torpedo from U-62, broke in two and sank 62 miles west of Malin Head. The master and 25 crew members landed at Gola Island, Co. Donegal.





*UBOATS*

At Sea 19 July 1940
U-30, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.226 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA, sloop LONDONDERRY, and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE, and arrived in the Tyne on the 21st. MT.114 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 20th. FS.226 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. DDs JACKAL and KELVIN , with patrol sloop SHELDRAKE joined the convoy on the 20th. DDs JACKAL and KELVIN were detached later on the 20th, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.

DKM TBs T.5, T.6, T.7, and T.8 of TBFlot 2 with TB FALKE and JAGUAR of TBFlot 5 screened MLs ROLAND, KONIGIN LUISE, KAISER, HANSESTADT DANZIG, COBRA, and PREUSSEN laying mines in the NW Nth Sea in minefield designated "NW 1".

*Northern Waters*
DDs ECHO and FIREDRAKE departed the Clyde for Scapa . At 0005 on the 20th, the ships to ordered to reinforce convoy WN.2 and remain in company until joining outbound OA.187. CLA COVENTRY departed Scapa on the 20th, also to join WN.2. All 3 ships were later ordered to return to Scapa after escorting WN.2, but without joining OA.187. They arrived there just after midnight on the 21st. DDs ZULU, HAMBLEDON, and FERNIE departed their ASW patrol in the Cape Wrath area at 1800 to return to Scapa. AMBLEDON and FERNIE arrived at Scapa on the 20th. DDs FORTUNE and FURY remained on patrol to cover convoys passing between Pentland Firth and the Minches, and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th. DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI departed Scapa for the Tyne to cover CLA NAIAD on trials. Due to mining, the cruiser was unable to sail and the DDs remained off the river entrance.

*West Coast UK*
OB.186 departed Liverpool escort DD WANDERER and corvette PERIWINKLE from 19 to 22 July. The escorts were then detached to inbound HX.57.

*Channel*
Dover, was raided twice by the LW to try and disrupt the anti-invasion preparations. DD GRIFFIN was slightly damaged by near misses in the bombing but sustained no casualties. She returned to service in 2 weeks. DD BEAGLE, en route from Dover to Devonport, was lightly damaged by near misses off Dover, with damage to her gyro suspension. There were no casualties, and she received temporary repairs at Plymouth. On 17 August, she proceeded to Portland and repairs were completed on 28 August.

*Tkr WAR SEPOY (UK 5574 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Dover. Beyond repair, she was broken in two and later used as a block-ship at Dover.





*MSW trawler CRESTFLOWER (RN 550 grt)* of the 28th MSW Gp was badly damaged by the LW off Portsmouth and foundered . Two ratings were killed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.59 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs OTTAWA and SAGUENAY. At 1430, the convoy was turned over to AMC VOLTAIRE and the DDs arrived back at Halifax just past midnight on the 20th. The AMC was detached on the 30th. BHX.59 departed Bermuda on the 18th ocean escort, AMC AURANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.59 on the 23rd and the AMC was detached at that time. On the 31st, DD WARWICK, sloop FOWEY, with corvettes HEARTSEASE and HIBISCUS joined the convoy, which arrived at Liverpool on 3 August.

*Central Atlantic*
Troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN, escort DD VELOX, departed Gib with evacuees to Madeira. The DD parted company on the 20th and returned to Gib.

On a goodwill cruise, USN CAs WICHITA and QUINCY and DDs WAINWRIGHT and WALKE arrived at Rio de Janiero. The CAs departed Rio on the 25th for the nth. The DDs departed Rio Grande on the 29th for Buenos Aires.

*Sth Atlantic*
RAN CA CANBERRA departed Simonstown to patrol the southern half of the Cape-Freetown route, but her a/c was left behind as defective. She arrived back at Simonstown on the 28th. DKM Raider THOR sank *steamer TELA (NL 3777 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic at . The 33 crew were made prisoners of war.





*Med- Biscay*
Action off Cape Spada
Early in the morning RAN CL SYDNEY with RN DDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HERO and HASTY and ILEX were engaged in carrying out sweeps between Greece and Crete in search of Italian shipping. SYDNEY and HAVOCK operated in one gp further to the nth, whilst the 4 remaining DDs operated about 40miles sth.

At 0724 two RM CLs BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI and BANDE NERE swept into the Antikithera channel enoute to the naval base at Rhodes. No a/c had been flown off by either force. The Walrus on the SYDNEY was not functional whilst the Italian Adm considered the weather too rough to launch and in any case had assumed air recon would be flown by the air gp based on Rhodes (none had been flown). The Italian cruisers sighted the four RN DDs in the sthn gp and immediately gave chase, gradually narrowing the range down as they posessed about 2kts in speed over the RN DDs. The RN destroyer commander kept his head, and steered so as to close the range to Sydney as quickly as possible. Sydney and HAVOCK were making best speed to meet with the fleeing DDs.

SYDNEY sighted the RM cruisers at 0826, opening fire at 08:29, and the Italians immediately turned away to the SW. In the running battle which followed, *CL BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI (RM 6844 grt) * was hard hit by SYDNEY and after a shell hit the boilers at 0923 she stopped dead in the water. She fought on but was unable to manoeuvre or use the main battery. Despite the fire from her 100 mm (3.9 in) guns, she was sunk by 3 torps launched from ILEX and HYPRTION at 09:59. SYDNEY continued to fire against BANDE NERE. She was hit in the funnel by a single Italian shell, but managed to hit BANDE NERE at least twice, killing 8 in the bow and the hangar. Later, SYDNEY disengaged because she was short of ammunition and BANDE NERE set course back to Benghazi,





Finally, after the COLLEONI had been scuttled and the BANDE NERE put to flight, about 30 RA bombers and bombed the retreating RN force repeatedly, with no hits achieved.




_SYDNEY on the left heels over to avoid bombs dropped by the RA after the surface engagement. _

After the battle, HAVOCK, ILEX, and HYPERION picked up 525 survivors from COLLEONI, but the rescue was cut short by RA air attacks. HAVOCK was damaged by a near miss 3 miles south of Gavdo Island and temporarily lost way. CLs ORION and NEPTUNE departed Alexandria at 0915 to carry out a sweep to the NW, trying to catch the BANDE NERE. BB WARSPITE and DDs departed Alexandria at 1100 and also swept NW. BBs BARHAM and MALAYA and CVL EAGLE with DDs departed Alexandria at 1230 and swept to the west. BANDE NERE however managed to escape.

HAVOCK was escorted back to Alexandria by SYDNEY, HYPERION and ILEX, later joined by CL LIVERPOOL. DDs HASTY and HERO returned independently. All forces arrived back at Alexandria on the 20th. HAVOCK arrived at Suez for repairs on the 27th, which were completed on 15 September, and she departed Port Said on 19 September.

*Malta*
Two Gladiators were damaged in air raids on Malta (one was already grounded due to a lack of spares), leaving only one serviceable a/c, aptly already nicknamed "Faith". Urgent work is in hand to repair two more Gladiators and one Hurricane from recent damage in combat. Air HQ reports to Dobbie it will be at least 24 hrs before air strength lifts above 3 ftrs.

1255-1321 hrs Air raid alert for six hostile fighters in two formations. They approach over Madalena from the north and attack the London flying boat. Malta fighters are scrambled and approach the enemy raiders while Ack Ack gunners also open fire. The raiders turn away without dropping any bombs. Two of Malta’s fighters are damaged on landing. The submarine oil patch spreads quickly to 100 feet square.

0345 hrs Saro London on ASW patrol in the Pantelleria area. 0515 hrs Swordfish aalso on ASW patrol and reported four ships 80 miles from the Island. 0945 hrs Nine Swordfish were then despatched with bombs and torpedoes but failed to locate ships.

KALAFRANA Aircraft K5261 P/O Minchinton 202 Sqn on ASW patrol is attacked by CR42 aircraft, one of which he shoots down. He also bombs a submarine off Delimara Point – result unknown.


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## Njaco (Jul 18, 2015)

*July 18 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post693350.html#post693350
*UNITED KINGDOM: *The United Kingdom recognized the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *French bomb Gibraltar in retaliation for attacks on French warships in Operation Catapault. French pilots drop most of their bombs in the sea, apparently having no animosity towards the British.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British cruiser HMS “_Cumberland_” leaves Simonstown, near Cape Town, South Africa looking for German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_”, 2000 miles away off the coast of Brazil.

At 0200 hours, U-99 sinks British steamer “_Woodbury_” (5500 tons of canned meat wheat, 2500 tons of general cargo) 150 miles Southwest of Ireland. All 35 crew reach Ireland in lifeboats on 19 July.

At 1641 hours, U-58 sinks Norwegian steamer “_Gyda_” (1980 tons of salt) 30 miles Northwest of Ireland (11 crew lost. 9 survivors will be picked up next day by Belgian passenger ship “_Ville d´Arlon_” and landed at New York on 26 July.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Galland was promoted to Major.

Hans-Joachim Marseille completed flight training at Jagdfliegerschule 5 in Schwechat, Austria.

German began broadcasting propaganda through Radio Caledonia, aiming at urging Scottish separatism.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Canadian Navy placed an order for 12 motor torpedo boats with Canadian Power Boat Company, Limited in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This order would later result in MTB 332 through 343.

Franklin Roosevelt received an almost unanimous invitation at the Democrat Convention in Chicago, Illinois, United States to stand as the party's candidate for the 1940 presidential election. If elected he would become the first US President to remain in office for more than two terms.

*ASIA:* In response to Japanese pressure and because of their present weakness, the British government closes the Burma Road to the passage of supplies to the Chinese Nationalists. The monsoon season is just beginning in Burma, so there is little real loss to the Chinese, and the road will be reopened in October when the better weather begins.


.


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## parsifal (Jul 19, 2015)

*20 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Cagni Class Sub RM AMMIRAGLIO CAGNI




(Commissioned 1 April 1941. Im using launch dates for some italian ships as some of their commissioning dates are uncertain)
Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 49
(Former private yacht Bulldog, purchased in 1940 and refitted as MA/SB)

*Losses*
DDs BOREAS, VERSATILE, and WINDSOR were escorting convoy CW.7 off Dover, with DD BRAZEN and ASW trawler LADY PHILOMENA on patrol with the convoy, when they were attacked by the LW. Whilst escorting Convoy CW7 on 20 July, during the initial phase of the Battle of Britain, the ship was attacked by Ju 87s belonging to II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (Dive Bomber Wing 1—or StG 1). The shock effect from several near misses broke her keel and then she was hit in the engine room. Brazen sank at 2040 hrs. Her gunners claimed to have shot down 3 Ju 87s, however German records confirm only two losses both falling to defending RAF ftr a/c. *DD BRAZEN (RN 1360 grt)* was badly damaged, taken in tow by tug LADY BRASSEY, but sank next day. One rating was lost and BOREAS took off the crew. DD SCIMITAR joined the convoy on the 21st and escorted it until the 22nd.





*Steamer PULBOROUGH (UK 960 grt) from *convoy CW.7 was sunk by the LW, 2.5 miles SE of Dover Pier. Trawler LADY PHILOMENA took off the seventeen survivors. The LW also damaged steamer WESTOWN (710grt) off Dover.





*Steamer TROUTPOOL (UK 4886 grt) *was sunk on a mine near to the Bangor Pier Light, with 11 crew lost.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-57

At Sea 20 July 1940
U-30, U-43, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-62, U-99, UA.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA NAIAD departed the Tyne for trials, escorted by DD BEDOUIN and PUNJABI. The ship was to be commissioned 24 July. Sub SWORDFISH undocked at Blyth. Subs TRITON and SNAPPER arrived at Rosyth. Sub H.50 arrived at Harwich. Sub NARWHAL departed Blyth for the Humber where she arrived later the same day. OA.187 departed Methil escort DD HESPERUS from 20 to 25 July, sloop WESTON from 20 to 22 July, and DD RESTIGOUCHE from 22 to 25 July. RESTIGOUCHE was detached to convoy SL.39. FN.227 departed Southend, escorted by DD WOLSEY, sloop EGRET, and patrol sloop GUILLEMOT, and arrived at the Tyne on the 22nd. MT.115 departed Methil, and arrived at the Tyne on the 21st.

*Northern Waters*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA arrived at Scapa from the Clyde. CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Scapa from Sheerness. A report was received that DKM BC GNEISENAU had departed Trondheim at 0900. The Home Flt came to short notice for steam and the DDs at sea were recalled at 0938. CLA COVENTRY, DDs ECHO and FIREDRAKE departed convoy WN.2 and arrived at Scapa just past midnight on the 21st, while DDs FORTUNE and FURY abandoned their ASW patrol off Cape Wrath and arrived at Scapa at 2320 on the 20th.

The Home Flt at Scapa was organized for the interception of GNEISENAU:

Fce D - BCs RENOWN and REPULSE, CAs SHROPSHIRE, SUSSEX, and SOUTHAMPTON, with DDs COSSACK, SIKH, ZULU, MASHONA, FORTUNE, and FURY.

Force E - BBs RODNEY, NELSON, and BARHAM, CVL FURIOUS, CLA COVENTRY, with DDs ECHO, FIREDRAKE, HAMBLEDON, ATHERSTONE, FERNIE, GARTH, and BERKELEY.

The Fleet did not sail as the information was later found to be incorrect, and returned to usual notice at 0838 on the 22nd.

On the report that GNEISENAU might have left Trondheim, submarine TRIDENT was ordered to remain off Korsfjord and TRUANT, returning to Rosyth, was ordered to patrol west of Sognefjord. On the 21st, these orders were cancelled with TRIDENT proceeding to Stadlandet and TRUANT returning to Rosyth, arriving on the 24th. CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Scapa for Sheerness. DD MAORI departed Scapa for Invergordon to embark the new Flag Officer of the Shetlands/Orkney Command, Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cork, and his staff. She departed Invergordon that evening at 2100 and arrived at Lerwick at 0700 on the 21st.

*West Coast UK*
DDs HAVELOCK and VANOC were in a minor collision leaving Liverpool. Both were repaired at Liverpool, HAVELOCK completing on 3 August, and VANOC on the 28th.

*Channel*
DD ACHERON was attacked by the LW 10 miles sth of St Catherine's Point (isle of Wight), near missed by 9 bombs and suffered some damage. She later proceeded to Portsmouth for repairs begun on 6 August. However, before they were completed, she was further damaged by LW attacks on 24 August.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.40 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CANTON to 1 August when convoy SLF.40 merged with SL.40. On 2 August, both CANTON and ASTURIAS of SL.40 were detached, and proceeded to Greenock for fuel and water before returning to Freetown.

Sloop ABERDEEN joined the convoy on 2 August, DD WALKER and corvette PERIWINKLE on the 3rd, and corvettes GODETIA and PRIMROSE on the 4th. The convoys arrived at Liverpool on the 8th.

CL DELHI, detached from Force H, departed Gibraltar for Freetown to rejoin the Sth Atlantic Cmd. Patrolling in the area of Cape Verde Island en route, she arrived at Freetown on the 27th.

*Sth Atlantic*
Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Simonstown for Walvis Bay to refuel, and then proceeded to Lagos to relieve CL DRAGON. She arrived at Lagos on 1 August.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt, which departed Alexandria on the 20th, launched air attacks on Tobruk whilst searching for the damaged RM CL BANDE NERE. 6 Swordfish of 813 Sqn (824 Sqn according to Seekrieg) of CVL EAGLE took off from Sidi Barrani and sank the following Turbine class DDs; *DD OSTRO (RM 1070 grt)*, and *DD NEMBO (RM 1070 grt) * in Tobruk harbour.








The airstrikes by EAGLE also sank *steamer SERENO (FI 2333 grt)*





One Swordfish crashed, with Lt G. R. Brown and Lt K. C. Grieve wounded and Petty Officer R. J. W. Wynn dying of wounds on the 21st. Cdr W. L. M. Brown and Lt P. N. Medd from 700 Sqn in BB WARSPITE were forced to land in Italian territory. Medd was later able to escape, while Brown was later repatriated.

After this raid, the Italians abandoned Tobruk as a sea base. The guns from the two sunken DDs were later salved and used in the defense of Bardia.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland for Suva, carrying the Chief of the General Staff and the Chief of the Air Staff for defense conferences. She arrived at Suva on the 23rd, departed on the 26th and proceeded to Tonga for further conferences, reaching there on the 28th. ACHILLES arrived back at Auckland on the 31st.

*Malta*
0242-0320 hrs Air raid alert for 3 enemy aircraft which approach Malta from the east and make a series of low-flying attacks on Hal Far and Kalafrana, as well as in the sea. 8 HE and incendiary bombs fall on land around Kalafrana, one penetrating a RAF speed launch causing severe damage. HE bombs hit the Motor Transport section, tennis courts and a store. Incendiary bombs land on the Power House Store and damage one Sunderland at its moorings. Raiders also machine-gun Ghar Dalam and Hal Far searchlight stations. AA guns at Ta Karach and Benghaisa engage the enemy. One enemy a/c picked up by searchlights is damaged.


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## Njaco (Jul 19, 2015)

*July 19 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post693743.html#post693743
*UNITED KINGDOM:* General Alan Brooke is appointed Commander in Chief, Home Forces, replacing General Edmund Ironside. This is purely an army position and does not give authority over the other services as the title might suggest. Brooke is more of a success in the job than Ironside and produces more realistic plans for dealing with invasion. Ironside has already been replaced as Chief of the Imperial General Staff by General Jon Dill. Ironside retires and will be promoted to Field Marshal. He had only been at the helm of Home Forces for two months.

Daphne Pearson was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal for her 31 May 1940 rescue of a pilot from a crashed bomber at RAF Detling, unspent ammunition exploding all around her. The medal was later updated to the George Cross in 1941.

The British Army Intelligence Corps was established. Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a proposal to the British War Cabinet suggesting the creation of Special Operations Executive (SOE) to conduct unscrupulous, underhand methods to be pursued against Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Battle of Cape Spada. 4 British destroyers HMS “_Hyperion_”, “_Hasty_”, “_Ilex_” and “_Hero_” encounter 2 Italian high-speed cruisers “_Giovanni dalle Bande Nere_” and “_Bartolomeo Colleoni_”. As the destroyers flee from the faster Italian ships, they call in Australian cruiser HMAS “_Sydney_” and British destroyer HMS “_Havock_” patrolling 40 miles North. “_Sydney_” hits “_Bartolomeo Colleoni_” which is disabled and then sunk by torpedoes from HMS “_Ilex_” and “_Hyperion_” (121 killed, 555 rescued by “_Ilex_” and “_Hyperion_”). The other Italian cruiser “_Giovanni dalle Bande Nere_” flees and is believed to have gone to Tobruk, Libya.

British troopship “_Royal Ulsterman_” departed from Gibraltar for Madeira with evacuated civilians. She was escorted by destroyer HMS “_Velox_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *30 miles northwest of Ireland, U-62 sinks a British steamer carrying 7860 tons of iron ore (13 crew killed). 26 survivors make land at Gola Island, Co. Donegal.

Off the coast of Brazil, German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” sinks Dutch steamer “_Tela_” (33 crew taken prisoner).

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Two-Ocean Navy Act was passed by the US Congress. This orders construction of 1,325,000 tons of warships and 15,000 naval planes. Including the existing ships, the fleet will comprise 35 battleships, 20 carriers and 88 cruisers.

*GERMANY:* Eduard Dietl became the first person to receive Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

.



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## parsifal (Jul 20, 2015)

*21 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements
Losses
MV ELLAROY (UK 712 grt) *Crew: 16 (0 dead and 16 survivors) Cargo: 800 tons of timber for coal mine supports Route: Lisbon - Newport, Mon . Sunk in Atlantic, west of Portugal . At 1600 hrs the unescorted ELLAROY was stopped by U-30 with gunfire about 180 miles west of Cape Finisterre. The Germans ordered the crew to abandon ship and sank her by a coup de grâce at 2239 hrs. The master and 15 crew members were picked up by the Sp trawler FELIX MONTENEGRO and landed at Vigo, Portugal.
[NO IMAGE]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52, U-56, U-99

At Sea 21 July 1940
U-30, U-43, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-62, UA.
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Sub H.50 departed Harwich to patrol in the vicinity nth of the Hinder to watch for the laying of dan buoys. Sub THAMES and tender WHITE BEAR arrived at Dundee. THAMES departed on patrol later that day. Sub tender ALECTO and NL sub O.9 arrived at Tobermory. Sub TALISMAN was docked at Glasgow.

FN.228 departed Southend, and arrived at the Tyne on the 23rd. MT.116 departed Methil, and arrived at the Tyne on the 22nd. FS.227 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LOWESTOFT, and arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

*Western Approaches*
OB.187 departed Liverpool escort DD WALKER and corvette MALLOW from 21 to 25 July. The escort was detached to inbound SL.39.

*SW Approaches*
HG.39 of 18 ships departed Gib local escort ASW trawler ARCTIC RANGER from 21 to 24 July. Sloop SCARBOROUGH joined from 21 July to 5 August, and corvette GERANIUM in Home Waters from 30 July to 5 August. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 August.

DDs INGLEFIELD and DIANA arrived Liverpool at 1200 escorting CL GLASGOW. The DDs then eparted Liverpool at 1405 that afternoon with DD WATCHMAN to meet and escort arriving CV ILLUSTRIOUS and CL FIJI and escort them to the Clyde. On the 23rd DIANA was damaged when a fish hit her asdic dome, and put her asdic out of action. With leaks in her fore store, her speed was limited to 22 knots. The ships arrived at Greenock on the 23rd, and DIANA departed the Clyde on the 24th for repairs at Sheerness.

*Channel*
Nor tkr KOLLSKEGG was damaged by the LW 15 miles west of St Catherine's Pt. DD GREYHOUND rescued the survivors. Nor tkr NINA BORTHEN was damaged by the LW 14 miles 240° from St Catherine's Pt.

*Steamer TERLINGS (UK 2318 grt)* was sunk by the LW 10 miles sw of St Catherine's Pt. 10 crew were lost, but DD SCIMITAR rescued 17 crew and one naval gunner.





*Central Atlantic*
Troopship ULSTER MONARCH departed Gib with evacuees for Madeira, escort DD VELOX, which detached late on the 22nd.

*Med- Biscay*
CLs LIVERPOOL, CAPETOWN and RAN DD STUART and RN DD DIAMOND departed Alexandria with one steamer for convoy AN.2, while DDs DAINTY and DEFENDER departed Port Said on the 21st with 5 steamers of convoy AN.2. The two sections joined on the 22nd. The convoy sailed on the 19th escort DDs IMPERIAL and HEREWARD, but was recalled due to the action off Cape Spada. This convoy supported by BB RAMILLIES and DDs HYPERION, ILEX, HEREWARD, and IMPERIAL which departed Alexandria on the 23rd. The convoy was dispersed on the 26th. The escorts covered southbound convoy AS.2 back to Alexandria. DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN departed Alexandria on the 22nd to intercept the Greek vessel ERMIONI (440grt) which was carrying petrol from the Corinth Canal to the Dodecanese for the Italians. The patrol was unsuccessful and the DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 24th.

Submarine RORQUAL laid mines east of Tolmeita, Cyrenaica , and was then attacked an Italian steamer. The Italian steamer, SECURITAS was struck by a torpedo which did not explode. *steamers CELIO (FI 3872 grt)* and *LEOPARDI (FI 3298 grt)* were lost on this minefield on the 24 July and 14 August respectively.

*Indian Ocean/Red Sea*
RAN CL HOBART was unsuccessfully attacked off Aden by RA bombers.

*Malta*
AIR HQ: Hudson complete recon of Palermo Harbour; sighted five RM DDs and 3 MVs 2-4000 tons plus several small craft.

010-1033 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy bombers and six fighters which approach from the north at 16-22000 feet and disperse on reaching the Island. AA at Tigne, San Pietru, Ta Karach, Spinola and Benghaisa engage the raiders and Malta fighters are also scrambled but do not engage. 

1045-1115 hrs Air raid alert for three bombers and 16 fighters which approach from the nth. All gun positions except for the Dockyard and Hal Far engage the raiders with a very heavy barrage which splits the formation. One enemy bomber is hit; dense smoke issues from its tail and it dives out of control to 8000 feet when it recovers and heads away northwards with three ftrs. No bombs are dropped. Malta fighters are not scrambled. 

1210 hrs Air raid alert for three formations of enemy aircraft which approach the Island in a wide fan shape and circle over the sea over the area where this morning’s damaged bomber was last seen.

1240 hrs One Swordfish is despatched to observe and verify whether the bomber has fallen into the sea; it fails to return. A second Swordfish is despatched and reports seeing only a patch of oil

1510 hrs A London flying boat is despatched and photographs the enemy bomber floating in the sea, which is identified by its markings. The London is attacked by two enemy CR42 fighters and shoots down one of them into the sea. The second CR42 attacks but quickly climbs to 10000 feet before departing.


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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2015)

*July 20 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post694251.html#post694251
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government banned the sale of new cars.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Following Battle of Cape Spada yesterday, 6 Swordfish torpedo bombers from aircraft carrier HMS “_Eagle_” at Sidi Barrani, Egypt, seek Italian cruiser “_Giovanni dalle Bande Nere_” at the Italian naval base at Tobruk, Libya. _“Bande Nere_” is not there so they sink Italian destroyers “_Ostro_” and “_Nembo_” and steamer “_Sereno_” instead. Italy will soon abandon Tobruk as a sea base but guns from the sunken destroyers will be saved and used in the defense of Bardia.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Parthian_” disembarked a British agent on Crete, Greece.

*GERMANY:* During the night, British aircraft from Hemswell-Lincolnshire attacked “_Tirpitz_” to little effect. British bombers attacked Düsseldorf and Wismar, Germany.

*WESTERN FRONT: *German pilot Werner Streib of the 2./NJG 1 in an Bf 110 night-fighter, using only visual contact, achieved the first night kill of the unit (and the first official Nachtjagd victory) by shooting down a British Whitley bomber.


.



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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2015)

*July 21 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post694592.html#post694592

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Over Norway III./JG 77 lose a Bf 109 in the North Sea during an operational sortie.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” underwent an inclining test.

British Hampden bombers from RAF No. 61 and No. 144 Squadrons attacked German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” and the German battleship “_Tirpitz_” at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, causing no damage. Neither battleship is damaged but 3 Hampdens are shot down.

3 bombers of RAF No. 51 Squadron attacked Hamm, Germany. The rail marshalling yard was the primary target. 10 bombers of No. 77 Squadron RAF and 10 bombers of No. 102 Squadron RAF attacked Kassel, Germany. The aircraft factory was the primary target. Finally, 5 bombers of No. 78 Squadron RAF attacked Soest, Germany. The rail marshalling yard was the primary target.

In an OKH conference Hitler again says that Germany must prepare to attack the USSR. The German Army High Command submitted a plan to Hitler for an operation in the Baltic States and the Ukraine. Although the generals would prefer to deal with Britain first, they raise no objections. Later in the month Jodl tells an OKW planning section that Germany will attack in the east in the spring of 1941 and that planning for the movement of the armed forces to Eastern Europe should be begun.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-30 sank British ship “_Ellaroy_” 180 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. The entire crew of 16 took to lifeboats and were later rescued by Spanish trawler “_Felix Montenegro”._

*WESTERN FRONT:* British Blenheim bombers of RAF No. 107 Squadron RAF attacked Caen, Morlaix, and Querqueville in France.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Soviet Union revealed the result of plebiscites in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania held on 14 Jul 1940, claiming that the citizens of the three countries approved the Soviet annexation of their countries. The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was declared. These countries will be under Soviet control until 1989, apart from a period of German occupation from 1941-1944.

Rumania cedes Southern Dobrudja area to Bulgaria.

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## parsifal (Jul 21, 2015)

*22 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Serie X Bis Sub SHCH 138





Allied
RCN Flower Class Corvette EYEBRIGHT





*Losses*
Grampus Class ML *Sub NARWHAL (RN 1520 grt)* departed the Humber on ML mission FD.22 off Trondheim , but was lost, probably about 23 July, before the mining scheduled on the 27th. She was declared missing on 1 August. (Seekrieg: sunk by Do 17, Lt. Karl Müller of the 1/Kü.Fl.Gr. 606 in the Nth Sea with bombs. The result of radio intercepts by BDienst.





*Armed patrol trawler CAMPINA (RN 289 grt)* was sunk on a mine one and a half cables 88° from the Holyhead Breakwater Light. Wellbourn and 10 crew were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-58
Wilhelmshaven: U-43

Departures
Bergen: U-57

At Sea 22 July 1940
U-30, U-57, U-59, U-61, U-62, UA.
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CL AURORA arrived in the Humber. Sub CLYDE fired six torpedoes at a submarine off Fejeosen off the Norwegian coast. The submarine was the TRUANT, which escaped undamaged. At the time, TRUANT was on patrol off Fejeosen to observe enemy activity, but none was sighted. Sub TRITON was ordered to patrol off Selbjornfjord for 48 hrs before proceeding to Korsfjord.
Sub H.34 encountered a sub on patrol in the Nth Sea, which was later determined to be H.31.

OA.188 departed Methil escort corvette CAMELIA on 22 to 26 July and RCN DD SKEENA with ASW trawlers ST KENAN and LADY ELSA, and arrived in the Clyde on the 24th. FN.229 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WOOLSTON, sloop FLEETWOOD, and patrol sloop PUFFIN. DDs JACKAL, JAGUAR, and JUPITER were with the convoy on the 23rd and were detached that day, along with patrol sloop PUFFIN, and arrived at the Tyne on the 24th. MT.117 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.228 departed the Tyne, and arrived at Southend on the 23rd. FS.229 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIMIERA and WINCHESTER, and arrived at Southend on the 24th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ZULU and FIREDRAKE departed Scapa to hunt for a U&oat bombed by a/c earlier that day. Sloop ROCHESTER and RCN DD ST LAURENT had already carried out DC attacks. ZULU and FIREDRAKE after making DC attacks returned to Scapa that day. The contact was later assessed to probably be a wreck.

*Channel*
Steamer SWYNFLEET was damaged by the LW.

*Central Atlantic*
7 Swordfish aircraft were landed from CVL HERMES at Freetown to form Y flight of 814 Sqn while the carrier left the area for repairs

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RA bombers unsuccessfully attacked CL COLOMBO off IEA.

*Malta*
0247-0315 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy three-engined aircraft which approach from the north east at short intervals. One appears to circle the Island in a clockwise direction slightly out to sea, occasionally crossing the coast. Coastal defences report a single enemy aircraft making out to sea dropped five bombs between the coast and Filfla Island. Searchlights illuminate the raider for a while but it is out of gun range. The second passes straight over the Island. Neither is engaged by AA guns. HE and incendiary bombs are dropped on Kalafrana, Birzebuggia and Hal Far and in the sea.

0345-0425 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy bombers which approach the Island from the east, crossing the coast near Delimara at 14-15000 feet. HE and incendiary bombs are dropped on Hal Far and the Kalafrana area, where the Officers’ Married Quarters are damaged. Four bombs land near a defence post, and two towards Birzebuggia. Bombs also fall close to the Benghaisa gun position and in the sea. One Sunderland aircraft is damaged by splinters but repaired within hours. The aircraft are illuminated when over the centre of the Island and retreat to the north. Two more aircraft approach and are illuminated but a third following them is not, and drops bombs. AA guns engage and causes the formation to split up. One aircraft is emerged giving off smoke and losing height.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. 0340 hrs At the request of the Commander in Chief Mediterranean Sunderland aircraft effected reconnaissance. Three merchant vessels and three tankers in convoy sighted, with one destroyer nearby. The Sunderland dropped three bombs on the merchant vessels; two were successful. The convoy dispersed and subsequently four of the six vessels, including the three tankers, were seen in the harbour at Augusta.

KALAFRANA One Sunderland 230 Squadron arrived. Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 Squadrons operating 12 hour naval patrols over wide area covering Greek coast, south Italian coast and Sicily under direct instructions from Middle East and HQ Mediterranean.


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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2015)

*July 22 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post695249.html#post695249
*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British War Cabinet approved the 19 Jul 1940 document by Neville Chamberlain to create the new secret Special Operations Executive (SOE) organization. The British government believes strongly that there will be uprisings against Hitler's rule that will contribute greatly to the overthrow of his power and will make a British return to the continent possible. The Special Operations Executive is created to work clandestinely to encourage these developments. Although events will not turn out as the British imagine, SOE will make a considerable contribution to the development of the various resistance movements in occupied Europe. Officially SOE is to be part of the Ministry for Economic Warfare.

British Foreign Minister Lord Halifax broadcasts a speech rejecting Adolf Hitler's proposal for peace of 19 Jul 1940;


> "No one here wants the war to go on for a day longer than is necessary. But we shall not stop fighting until freedom, for ourselves and others, is secure."


 This was a departure from his previous stance, urging Winston Churchill to negotiate a peace with Germany.

A radar-equipped Blenheim Mark 1F nightfighter of the British RAF Fighter Command shot down a German aircraft, possibly a Do 17 bomber, in combat over Britain. It was the first victory for this aircraft type.

British destroyer HMS “_Beagle_” shot down a German Ju 87 aircraft.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British submarine HMS “_Clyde_” fired 6 torpedoes at another British submarine HMS “_Truant_”, in the North Sea off Fejeosen, Norway in an episode of misidentification. All torpedoes missed their target.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Blenheim bombers of No. 107 Squadron of 2 Group of British RAF Bomber Command attacked Creil, France, starting a large fire.

*GERMANY:* Wolfgang Falck received a call from Hermann Göring, who thanked him for the efforts to create an effective nightfighting unit within the Luftwaffe.

Whitley bombers of 4 Group of British RAF Bomber Command attacked various targets in Germany. 8 bombers of RAF No. 10 Squadron and 8 bombers of RAF No. 58 Squadron attacked the aircraft factory at Bremen (3 of No. 58 Squadron attacked alternate targets), and 7 bombers of RAF No. 51 Squadron attacked industrial targets in the Ruhr region.

*ASIA:* Japanese luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” departed Yokohama, Japan for Seattle, Washington, United States. Aboard were 82 Jewish refugees originally from Germany.

Prince Fumimaro Konoe became the 38th Prime Minister of Japan. This was his second time in this office. Hideki Tojo was appointed the Army Minister in Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe's new cabinet.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan begins operations in Ontario, Canada.

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## parsifal (Jul 22, 2015)

*23 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SU M Class Sub M-99





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-34

At Sea 23 July 1940
U-30, U-34, U-57, U-59, U-61, U-62, UA.
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs ARROW, ANTHONY, AMAZON, and ACHATES departed Harwich at 1800 to join the Home Flt for ML ops. En route, ANTHONY and AMAZON were diverted for a rendezvous with steamer LOCHNAGAR off Aberdeen for passage to Lerwick. On the 24th, also en route, ARROW and ACHATES searched for a UBoat reported by a/c at 1255, and were then ordered on the 25th to Scapa, arriving later on the 25th. ANTHONY and AMAZON reached Lerwick, delivering LOCHNAGAR midmorning on the 25th. They then set off for Scapa and en route searched for a Uboat reported by a/c on the 24th. The DDs swept through Fair Isle Channel, and arrived at Scapa late on the 25th.

FN.230 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop LOWESTOFT, and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE, and arrived in the Tyne on the 25th. MT.118 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.230 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 25th.

Sub CLYDE arrived at Dundee. Sub TRUANT was bombed in the Nth Sea, but sustained no damage.

*Steamer THE LADY MOSTYN (UK 305 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1.5 miles 79° from Formby Light Vessel. All the crew was lost.





*Northern Waters*
At 1958, RAF a/c reported 8 enemy DDs and 6 camouflaged vessels in the nth Sea, steering 315. With fears of invasion high, all cruisers at Scapa raised steam, and DDs COSSACK , ZULU, MAORI, FORTUNE, FURY, and FIREDRAKE came to immediate notice. At 2356, notice was lengthened to 1 hr, and all ships reverted to 4 hour notice at 0930/24th. 9 Skuas of 801 Sqn, led by Lt Cdr H. P. Bramwell, and 6 Swordfish of 823 Sqn, led by Lt Cdr D. H. Elles, departed to attack this force. The Swordfish located and attacked the German ships without success. 1 Swordfish was damaged and her observer was wounded. The ships were DKM MLs ROLAND, KONIGIN LUISE, KAISER, PREUSSEN, COBRA, and HANSESTADT DANZIG, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 23rd, screened by TBs T.5, T.8, T.6, and T.7 of TB Flot 2, FALKE and JAGUAR of TB Flot 5 and MSWs M.18 and M.19. German minefield "NW 2" was completed in the NW Nth Sea 90 miles east of Aberdeen . They arrived back safely on the 25th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.188 departed Liverpool escorted by DD WINCHELSEA, sloop ENCHANTRESS, and corvette CLARKIA from 23 to 27 July. The sloop and the corvette were detached to HX.58.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.60 departed Halifax local escort RCN DD OTTAWA and aux PV FRENCH which were detached on the 24th. Ocean escort for the convoyry consisted of AMC AUSONIA at 2105. The cruiser was detached on 4 August. BHX.60 departed Bermuda on the 22nd local escort sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort AMC ALAUNIA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.60 on the 27th and the AMC was detached at that point. On 4 August, inbound escort arrived , consisting of DDs FORTUNE, ST LAURENT, VANOC, and WINCHELSEA with sloop SANDWICH joining the convoy. FORTUNE was detached on 5 August, and VANOC and WINCHELSEA on the 6th. The remaining escorts and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 August.

Cnn troop convoy TC.6 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY with troopships BATORY , ANTONIA , MONARCH OF BERMUDA , SOBIESKI , DUCHESS OF YORK , and SAMARIA which carried 1198, 881, 1328, 1611, 1061, 982, and 1016 troops, respectively. Troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA departed with the convoy and was detached to Iceland. Ocean escort was BB REVENGE and CL EMERALD which departed Halifax with the convoy. The convoy, less MONARCH OF BERMUDA which safely arrived at Glasgow, arrived safely at Greenock at 1430 on 1 August, escort DDs INGLEFIELD, AMAZON, SIKH, KEPPEL, WANDERER, VISCOUNT, HIGHLANDER, and VANQUISHER.

*Med- Biscay*
British Fce H departed Gibraltar with CV ARK ROYAL, CL ENTERPRISE, and DDs FAULKNOR, ESCAPADE, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER to launch airstrikes on Bordeaux. This operation was cancelled due to bad weather and the forces returned to Gib on the 26th.

CL ORION with RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VENDETTA departed Alexandria and appeared off Castellerizo on the 24th as a diversion for the movement of convoy AN.2. After the demonstration on the 25th, ORION proceeded to Haifa, and the DDs to Port Said. As mining was suspected in the approaches, MSW ABINGDON was sent to sweep off Port Said and the DDs proceeded to Alexandria.


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## Njaco (Jul 22, 2015)

*July 23 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post695687.html#post695687
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British Secretary of War announced that the Local Defense Volunteers was to be renamed the Home Guard. 1,300,000 men have volunteered since May 14; recruiting officially terminated.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley Wood announced the third War Budget, rise in various taxes, and the estimation that war expenditure would be about £3,470,000,000 in the following next year. The British third war budget raised Income Tax to 8 shillings and 6 pence per pound and put 1d on the price of a pint of beer. Purchase Tax to be introduced. Purchase tax to be tough on luxuries - 24% on furs, silk stockings and cosmetics.

The British Minister of State for Air Sir Archibald Sinclair reported that the British bomber fleet was capable of dropping 65-70 tons of bombs on Berlin every night for one week. It was a goal to increase that number of 200 tons in the near future.

Sydney Camm, Chief Designer at Hawker aviation, managed to get the Typhoon and Tornado programmes reinstated with reduced priority after the British Air Ministry had decided to throw all resources at the manufacture and repair of existing types.

In London a provisional Czechoslovakian government is formed and is recognized by British government. Dr. Benes is president and Mgr Sramek is prime minister.

*NORTH AMERICA:* 8,077 Canadian troops bound for Britain departed from Halifax, Nova Scotia on troopships “_Batory_”, “_Antonia_”, “_Monarch Of Bermuda_”, “_Sobieski_”, “_Duchess Of York”_, and “_Samaria_”, escorted by Canadian destroyers HMCS “_Assiniboine_” and HMCS “_Saguenay_” and British cruiser HMS “_Emerald_”. The convoy would arrive safely in Scotland on 1 Aug 1940.

The British Purchasing Mission in the United States reaches agreement that it will be allowed to buy up 40 percent of the United States' production of aircraft.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German bombers attack British submarines in the North Sea. 125 miles East of Aberdeen, Scotland, German Dornier Do-17 bomber (Lt. Karl Müller, 1./KF1Gr 606) sinks HMS “_Narwhal_” on her way to lay mines off Kristiansund, Norway. HMS “_Truant’s_” good luck continues when she is also attacked but suffers no damage.

*NORTH AFRICA:* General Legentilhomme Free French-commander in French Somaliland, replaced by pro-Vichy General Germain. French troops abandon vital Jirre pass, thereby exposing British Somaliland to Italian invasion.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 23, 2015)

*24 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U139





Allied
Fairmile Type A Motor Launch ML 110, - Motor Torpedo Boat MTB 32 (MTB 32)








CLA NAIAD





*Losses
MSW trawlers FLEMING (RN 356 grt)* and * MSW Trawler BERBERIS (540grt) *of MSW Gp 4 were sweeping mines in the Thames Estuary. The LW sank FLEMING. 19 crewmen were lost, and 3 survivors rescued by MSW trawler CORENA , also of MSW Gp 4.







_HMT FLEMING on left_

*ASW trawler KINGSTON GALENA (RN 550 grt)* of ASW Gp 9 and *MSW trawler RODINO (RN 230 grt) * were sunk by the LW off Dover. 16 of the crew including the skipper were lost on KINGSTON GALENA, and 4 on RODINO.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Liner MEKNES (Vichy 6127 grt)*, carrying 1277 French sailors being repatriated to Marseilles. was sunk by DKM S Boat S.27. 383 of the passengers died in the sinking, and of the 104 crew, 33 were missing. DDs VISCOUNT, WOLVERINE, SABRE, and SHIKARI rescued the survivors.





*Steamer TRIO (FN 1451 grt)* was lost on a mine near Borkum (near the Dutch/German border). The entire crew was rescued.
It is very unclear which side this ship was working for.





*Liner CELIO (FI 3864 grt)* was sunk 10 miles off Tolmeita on a mine laid by submarine RORQUAL on the 21st .





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-30

At Sea 24 July 1940
U-34, U-57, U-59, U-61, U-62, UA.
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA NAIAD was completed. Escorted by DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI, she was initially sent to the Firth of Forth for gunnery trials.
After the trials, the DDs proceeded to Scapa. En route, they were ordered to investigate a U-boat contact reported by a/c . BEDOUIN and PUNJABI attacked a Uboat . They arrived at Scapa on the 25th. NAIAD arrived at Scapa on the 26th to work up and joined CruSqn 15.

FN.231 departed Southend, and arrived in the Tyne on the 26th. MT.119 departed Methil for the Tyne, and arrived later that day.
FS.231 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 26th.

A heavy submarine disposition was ordered off the Norwegian coast.
TAKU departed Rosyth to be off Fro Havet by 3 August. SNAPPER was to be relieved by SPEARFISH on 2 August. SEALION departed Rosyth on the 27th to operate in the Skagerrak. TRIAD departed Rosyth on the 27th to patrol off Fejeosen. SWORDFISH departed Blyth on the 27th and TRIBUNE and SUNFISH departed Rosyth on the 27th to patrol between the German declared mined area and Lister. PORPOISE, after laying mines in operation FD.23 was to be off Lister. SEAWOLF was to sail on the 28th to patrol off Skudesnes. TRIDENT to leave her patrol area on the 30th to return to base. H.28 was to be relieved by submarine STURGEON which in turn was to be relieved by submarine URSULA when available. TRUANT and Polish submarine WILK arrived at Rosyth. WILK reported she had been bombed three times while on patrol, but no damage had been done. PORPOISE departed Blyth for the Humber. SPEARFISH and URSULA departed Blyth for Rosyth.

Submarine CACHALOT departed Plymouth for Rothesay.

*Northern Waters*
DD INGLEFIELD departed Greenock and DDs HAMBLEDON, ATHERSTONE, FERNIE, and GARTH departed Scapa escorting CLA COVENTRY. All the DDs arrived at Loch Alsh on the 25th for escort duty with the 1st Minelaying Sqn in operation SN 31.
DD TARTAR departed Liverpool for Scapa after repairs. TARTAR arrived at Scapa on the 25th. British minefield BS.27 was laid by ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE.

*Channel*
Trinity House Vessel steamer ALERT was damaged by the LW near Sth Goodwin Light Vessel.

*Med- Biscay*
CVE ARGUS with DDs GALLANT and GREYHOUND departed Portland for Gib to participate in Convoy HURRY. ARGUS was to ferry 12 badly worn Hurricane I fighters to Malta, the first significant air reinforcement to the island. AMC MALOJA proceeded with these ships. Off Northern Ireland, they were joined by convoy RS.5 of troopship REINA DEL PACIFICO and steamer CLAN FERGUSON, escorted by destroyers ENCOUNTER and HOTSPUR, en route to the Med, via the Cape. ARGUS and the destroyers arrived at Gibraltar on the 30th.

REINA DEL PACIFICO and CLAN FERGUSON departed the UK with personnel and stores for the Middle East and Malta, escorted by AMC MALOJA, and arrived at Freetown on 4 August. Departing Freetown on 5 August, the convoy was escorted by CVL HERMES.
CL DRAGON, after refuelling at Lobito on 8 August and departing on the 9th, joined the convoy on the 11th. RS.5 arrived at the Cape on 17 August.

*Malta*
Essential stores requested by Malta command will several more weeks to arrive, it is advised by the war office. Although the items requisitioned are available, they will be transported via the long sea route, via the African Cape.

A second supply of the most urgently needed items will be loaded onto a fast transport ship which will attempt to pass through the short sea route via the western Mediterranean. However, owing to a lack of available resources, most of these items cannot be duplicated in the slower convoy.

Malta’s Governor and Commander in Chief now faces the difficult decision over which items to allocate to each convoy.

0857-0920 hrs Air raid alert for 10 RA ftrs which approach the Island from the north at 17-22000 feet, passing over Imtarfa towards Hal Far, flying in pairs, a new formation (perhaps influenced by the LW?). AA guns engage the raiders. Malta ftrs are scrambled but do not engage. No bombs are dropped. At 1541 hrs Air raid alert for 9 RA a/c, including 3 ftrs and 6 bombers approaching from the nth. They skirt the coast and depart to the north. No bombs are dropped. 

0230 hrs Air raid alert for 3 RA a/c which approach from the north at intervals. One flies over Grand Harbour at 500 feet. Bombs are dropped in the sea off Fort St Elmo. 0317 hrs Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft which approaches from the nth and is engaged by AA fire before turning away. 

AIR HQ 0830-1700 Two patrols by Sunderlands between Sicily and the coast of Greece. One RM DD only is sighted, in Augusta. One Sunderland is attacked by an MC 200, which is believed to have been shot down between Sicily and Malta.

KALAFRANA Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 Squadrons operating 12 hour naval patrols over wide area covering Greek coast, south Italian coast and Sicily under direct instructions from Middle East and HQ Mediterranean.


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## Crimea_River (Jul 23, 2015)




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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2015)

*25 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson/Gleaves Class DD BENSON





Allied
Armed Yacht Reindeer - Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 52 (MA/SB 52)

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-56, U-99

At Sea 25 July 1940
U-34, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-62, U-99, UA.
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.232 departed Southend, escort DDs VIMIERA, WINCHESTER and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE, and arrived in the Tyne on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, PORT NAPIER, and PORT QUEBEC with survey ship SCOTT departed Loch Alsh on the 25th to lay a minefield, designated SN 31, on 26/27 July at the southern entrance of St George Channel between Anglesey and Dublin Bay. DDs INGLEFIELD, ATHERSTONE, FERNIE, HAMBLEDON, and GARTH escorted the MLs and CLA COVENTRY operated as AA cover for the operation. INGLEFIELD arrived in the Clyde on the 28th. The Hunt-class DDs at Loch Alsh also on the 28th, and then proceeded to Scapa Flow arriving on the 29th. COVENTRY arrived at Plymouth on the 27th.

DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER departed Trondheim to sweep the Barents Sea between Tromso and Bear Island and west of Spitzbergen as a diversion for BC GNEISENAU's return to Germany. She took the *steamer ESTER THORDEN (FN 1940 grt)* reportedly carrying some of the Finnish Gold Reserves (which explains why she was taken in prize and the cargo declared contraband) as a prize and her floatplane searched the Finnish steamer WAPPU (1540 BRT), which was then released. No other contact was made and ADMIRAL HIPPER arrived at Kiel on 9 August.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM BC GNEISENAU, CL NURNBERG, with DDs GALSTER, LODY, JACOBI, and IHN departed Trondheim for Kiel. Off Utsire, they were joined by TBs LUCHS, JAGUAR, KONDOR, ILTIS, and T.5. On the 26th, *TB LUCHS (DKM 933 grt)* was sunk, it is believed by by sub THAMES in the Nth Sea, though possibly also by a floating mine off Karmoy. The remaining ships arrived at Kiel on the 28th.





Shortly after the attack on LUCHS, *sub THAMES (RN 1850 grt)* was lost sw of Stavanger, the most likely cause is that she was mined on the night of 2/3 August . Official sources indicate that THAMES, which was not heard from after departing Dundee on the 21st for patrol, was mined on the 23rd in 57‑20N, 03‑10E. However, only two submarines were in the area of the LUCHS sinking and submarine SNAPPER reported no attack. Sub SWORDFISH, which is generally credited with the sinking was not in the immediate area.).





CLA BONAVENTURE arrived at Scapa from working up in the West Indies. Sub PORPOISE departed Immingham for minelaying operation FD.23 off Lister. DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI, which were submarine hunting, were ordered to return to Scapa .

*Channel*
German forces launched air and S-Boat attacks on Convoy CW.8, composed of 21 steamers in the Dover Strait.

The first attacks, by Ju87s fof I/STG.1 and IV/LG.1 sank *steamer CORHAVEN (UK 991 grt)*, *Steamer POLGRANGE (UK 804 grt*), *Steamer LEO (UK 1140 grt)*, all off Dover,












_From left to right; CORHAVEN, Image of CW.8 under attack, Steamer LEO, no image of POLGRANGE_

*Steamer HENRY MOON (UK 1091 grt)* two miles off Folkestone, and *Steamer PORTSLADE (UK 1091 grt)* four to five miles NE of Dungeness, and damaged steamers TAMWORTH , NEWMINSTER , HODDER , SUMMITY , and GRONLAND off Dover. The entire crew of CORHAVEN was rescued, two crew from POLGRANGE were missing. two crew killed and four missing from LEO, one crewman killed on HENRY MOON, and the entire crew of PORTSLADE rescued. MTB.69 and MTB.70 were involved through the day in the rescuing survivors.








_From left to right HENRY MOON, PORTSLADE_

Late on the 25th and early into the 26th, DKM S-Boat Flot 1 boats S.19, S.20, and S.27 attacked the convoy. S.27 sank steamer *LULONGA (UK 821 grt)* 15 miles south of Shoreham, S.20 sank *Steamer BROADHURST (UK 1013 grt)* 14 miles sw of Shoreham, and S.19 sank *MV LONDON TRADER (UK 646 grt)* 13 miles sw of Shoreham. One crewman was lost on LULONGA, four crew missing on BROADHURST, and one crewman killed on LONDON TRADER.




_Steamer LULONGA, no image found for the BROADHURST or the LONDON TRADER_

DDs BOREAS and BRILLIANT DesFlot 1 were sent out from Dover with MTB.69 and MTB.70 to repulse the DKM S Boat attacks . Pursuing the S-boats away from the convoy and towards Calais, the DDs were attacked by the LW (at night). Ju87s from I/STG.1 and IV/LG.1 badly damaged BOREAS with two hits on her bridge. 17 crew members were killed and another five died of wounds. 26 others were wounded. They also badly damaged BRILLIANT with two bomb hits in the stern, although neither bombs exploded until they had passed completely through the ship. The tiller flat was flooded and boiler room fan support cracked. There were no casualties. Nor MTBs 5 and 6 from Dover also assisted the DDs.

Both DDs were towed into Dover by tugs, BOREAS by LADY BRASSEY. She was repaired at London completing on 23 January 1941. While in dock at London, she was damaged by a near miss on 19 January 1941. This damage required three days to repair. BRILLIANT was repaired at Chatham completing on 19 September.


*Nth Atlantic*
US CL TRENTON , carrying the Luxembourg Royal Family, and DDs DICKERSON and HERBERT arrived at Norfolk, Virginia. CL DESPATCH departed Bermuda for Trinidad.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.41 departed Freetown escort AMC BULOLO to 8 August when the convoy merged with convoy SLF.41. The AMC proceeded to Greenock for fuel and water prior to returning to Freetown. The convoys arrived at Liverpool on 14 August.

*Med- Biscay*
Steamer ARNON (Palestinian 558 grt) was damaged by the RA at Alexandria.

*Malta*
An operation to move 12 Hurricanes through the Med to Malta has had to be postponed. Under Operation coded ‘Hurry’, it was planned to transport the much-needed fighters from Gibraltar by CVE ARGUS through the western Mediterranean to a point from which they can fly the remaining distance to reach the Island.

The Hurricanes sailed today aboard carrier ARGUS sailed today from the United Kingdom as planned for Gibraltar. However, the operation to move the aircraft onward from Gibraltar to Malta, planned for 28 July, has had to be postponed. The earliest expected date is now 31 July. Stores and personnel for the new Sqn will be transported as originally planned by subs PROTEUS and PANDORA for passage to Malta.


----------



## parsifal (Jul 25, 2015)

*26 July 1940 
Losses
Liner ACCRA (UK 9337 grt) * Crew: 489 (24 dead and 465 survivors) Cargo:1700 tons of general cargo Route; Liverpool - Freetown - West African ports Convoy OBB 188 Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 1447 hrs, U-34 fired a spread of 3 torps at ships in convoy OB-188 about 320 miles west of Bloody Foreland and hit two ships with one torpedo each, the ACCRA was one, and the other was the VINEMOOR. The ACCRA sank after 1 hr 15 mins. 215 survivors were picked up by HOLLINGSIDE, 126 survivors by the Nor steam merchant LOKE, 27 crew members and 52 passengers by HMS ENCHANTRESS and 45 survivors by HMS CLARKIA.





*Steamer VINEMOOR (UK 4359 grt)* Crew: 2 (0 dead and 32 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Manchester - Naura Convoy OBB 188 Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. After she had been hit the VINEMOOR settled slowly by the stern and sank the next day . The survivors were picked up by HMS CLARKIA , transferred to HOLLINSIDE and landed at Liverpool.





*Steamer HAYTOR (UK 1189 grt)* was sunk on a mine, with one crewman lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BALZAC (Nor 963 grt)* was sunk on a mine one mile 124° from Roker Pier Light, Sunderland. 6 crew were lost.





*M-57 Class MSWs M-61 (DKM 500 grt)*, (1916), *MSW 89 (DKM 500 grt)* and *MSW M 132 (DKM 500 grt)* were sunk on mines laid off Hook of Holland by the RN ML DD Flot 20 on 15 May.





*Steamer MONTAN (Ger 1275 grt)* was sunk on an aerial mine off the Ems river mouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 26 July 1940
U-34, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-62, U-99, UA.
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Nine Skuas of 801 Sqn from Hatston attacked German installations near Haugesand. One Skua was lost with S/Lt J. E. H. Myers and Naval Airman S. A. Bass who were killed when their a/c collided with another Skua. The second Skua was able to return to Sumburgh but was judged a write off and un-repairable.

OA.190 departed Methil escorted by sloop FOWEY and corvette HIBISCUS from 26 to 30 July and sloop HASTINGS. Sloop FOWEY and corvette HIBISCUS were detached to join inbound convoy HX.59. FN.233 departed Southend, and arrived in the Tyne on the 28th. MT.121 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.233 departed the Tyne, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS, and arrived at Southend on the 28th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA NAIAD arrived at Scapa after commissioning trials. DDs ZULU and MAORI departed Scapa to search for a UBoat reported by a/c at 2105/25th and again at 0840/26th. No contact was made. DDs FORTUNE and FURY departed Scapa at midnight to sweep toward Nth Minch then escort east bound convoy WN.3, escorted only by ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and KING SOL . No UBoats were encountered. The DDs escorted the convoy was far as Rattray Head and joined outbound convoy OA.191 for the return passage to Cape Wrath.

*West Coast UK*
Sub CACHALOT arrived at Rothesay. Sub H.31 arrived at Blyth. NL sub O.23 escort NL TB Z.5 departed Rothesay for Dundee. They arrived at Stornoway on the 27th, departed on the 28th, but were then diverted to Rosyth because mining had closed Dundee. O.23 and Z.5 arrived at Rosyth on the 29th.

*SW Approaches*
OG.39 with 21 ships departed Liverpool escorted by corvette GERANIUM from 26 to 29 July and sloop FOLKESTONE from 26 July to 6 August, and arrived at Gib on 6 August.

*Central Atlantic*
Troopship ATHLONE CASTLE with civilian evacuees departed Gib, escort DD VELOX. After being detached at 1200/27th, the DD proceeded to a position off Casablanca to embark a party during the night of 27/28 July. No contact was made and she returned to Gibraltar. VELOX sailed again on the 29th, in an attempt to embark the party, but again returned to Gibraltar on the 30th without making contact.

*Med- Biscay*
CL ORION departed Haifa and joined RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VENDETTA, which had refuelled at Alexandria on the 26th, and armed boarding ships CHAKLA and FIONA. The ships proceeded to Kastellerizo (A greek Island in the SE Aegean, about 125 km east of the Italian controlled Dodecanese) with the armed boarding ships and simulated a landing for diversion purposes, arriving back at Alexandria on 30 August.

*Red Sea / Indian Ocean*
RM sub GUGLIEMOTTI and DDs BATTISTI and NULLO sortied from Massawa to search for a British steamer reported en route through the Red Sea from Suez.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL cruiser DANAE arrived at Penang.

*Malta*
The Fascist Italian Stefani news agency claims that Malta “_has lost for ever its efficiency for England_”, Hinting that military installations on the Island have been destroyed by the RA, the announcement added that “_Britain can no longer consider Malta to be one of the strategic bases of the Mediterranean_.” However, the news agency also admitted that the British Government is still using the Island as an aeroplane base.

0237-0420 hrs Air raid alert for a series of up to 6 enemy bombers which approach from the nth at 5 min intervals over a long period, crossing the coast over Valletta. They approach either in a steep glide to low altitude or a shallow dive with a slight left rudder at high speed. They are picked up by searchlights and engaged by AA fire. One raider is believed hit. A third enemy aircraft flies in very low over Delimara. Bombs are dropped on Valletta, Grand Harbour and Marsa Creek, on Kirkop and Ta Silch, and in the sea off Manoel Island. The electricity power station is damaged, disrupting the electricity supply. One delayed action bomb explodes in the Rabat area.


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## parsifal (Jul 26, 2015)

*27 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette CLEMATIS Fairmile A Motor Launch ML 111
New source: HMS Clematis K36 in Flower Class Corvette Images Forum









*Losses
Steamer SAMBRE ( UK 5260 grt)* Crew: 48 (0 dead and 48 survivors) Cargo: 1500 tons of general cargo Route: Manchester - Philadelphia . Sunk in the Nth Atlantic, whilst part of OB 188. At 0258 hrs the SAMBRE was hit in the stern by one torp from U-34 and sank slowly SSW of Rockall. All opf the crew got off, and were rescued by DD WINCHELSEA and landed at Liverpool.





*Tkr THIARA (UK 10364 grt) *Crew: 61 (25 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Falmouth - Milford Haven - Curaçao . Sunk in the Nth Atlantic whilst attached to OB 188. At 0313 hrs the THIARA in convoy OB-188 was hit in the bow by a G7e torpedo from U-34 and sank about 170 miles SW of Rockall. 25 crew members were lost. The master, 31 crew members and four passengers were picked up by DD WINCHELSEA and landed at Liverpool.





*Sand dredger DURDHAM (UK 477 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1.54 miles from Lavernock, Bristol Channel with 8 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Factory Ship SALVESTRIA (UK 11,938 grt)* was sunk on a mine 2.8 miles 42° from Inchkeith Light House. Ten crew were lost.
shipping | Archives @ University of Edinburgh





*FV CHARLES MADELEINE (Be 99 grt)* was lost, cause unknown.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 27 July 1940
U-34, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-62, U-99, UA.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD KEPPEL, on passage from the Western Approaches to Scapa was diverted at 0827 to the Clyde for escort duties.
The DD arrived in the Clyde at 1600. British minefield BS.28 was laid on 27/28 July by DDs EXPRESS, ESK, INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE. ORP sub WILK was docked at Rosyth. Sub SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol at the mouth of the Skagerrak.

CL GALATEA arrived at Rosyth. FN.234 departed Southend, and arrived at the Tyne on the 29th. MT.122 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.234 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LOWESTOFT, and arrived at Southend on the 29th.

Steamer WESTAVON was damaged by the LW.

*Northern Waters*
The BCs, cruisers, and DDs at Scapa were brought to 2.5 hrs notice. At 1628, 8 DDs were brought to immediate notice and the remaining DDs to 1 hr's notice.

Force A, (BCs RENOWN and REPULSE, CAs YORK, DEVONSHIRE, and RAN AUSTRALIA of CruSqn 1, CL SHEFFIELD, with DDs ASHANTI, MASHONA, TARTAR, PUNJABI, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, ARROW, ANTHONY, and ACHATES departed Scapa at 1915 in response to reports that DKM BC GNEISENAU was breaking back to Germany. DEVONSHIRE was detached to join CA NORFOLK escorting an Icelandic convoy. The cruisers with ASHANTI and MASHONA acted as an independent striking force. DDs FORTUNE and FURY were recalled from escort duty with convoy WN.3 and arrived at Scapa at 1800. DDs ZULU and MAORI, on ASW patrol NE of the Shetlands, were ordered at 2201 to rendezvous with Force A at 0400 on the 28th. No contact was made and the forces arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

DEVONSHIRE and NORFOLK arrived at Scapa on 2 August.

*Western Approaches*
Convoy OB.190 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK and corvette HEARTSEASE from 27 to 30 July. The escort was detached to inbound convoy HX.59.

*SW Approaches*
HG.40F of 3 ships departed Gib with a local escort DD VIDETTE from the 27th to 31st. DD MACKAY escorted the convoy from 31 July to 3 August. VIDETTE arrived at Plymouth on 2 August for refuelling, and the convoy reached Liverpool on the 3rd.

*Channel*
The LW launched heavy air attacks near Dover area againt Channel traffic.

A Class Leader *DD CODRINGTON (RN 1540 grt)* under refit, was badly hit in Dover Harbour and run aground with a broken back, but was damaged beyond repair. 3 crew were wounded.





Destroyer WALPOLE alongside depot ship SANDHURST in Dover Harbour was badly damaged. She was towed to Chatham by tug LADY BRASSEY, escorted by destroyers VIVACIOUS and damaged BRILLIANT and later moved to London for repairs completed in March 1941. SANDHURST was also badly damaged. She was further damaged in another raid on the 29th and was towed from Dover on 1 August for Portsmouth and then eventually Liverpool. Following the loss of CODRINGTON, all destroyers were temporarily withdrawn from Dover.

DDs MONTROSE and WREN of DesFlot 18 were escorting 6 MSW trawlers off Aldeburgh when they were attacked by He111s from KG.53. Modified W Class *DD WREN (RN 1188 grt)* was sunk and MONTROSE badly damaged by near misses. WREN's survivors were picked up by MONTROSE and MSW HALCYON. 34 crew including the captain were lost and 8 wounded. MONTROSE was towed to Harwich and repaired at Chatham completing in June 1941.





*Nth Atlantic*
HX.61 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs OTTAWA and SAGUENAY. The Cdn DDs turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC LACONIA , which in turn detached on 8 August. BHX.61 departed Bermuda on the 26th local escort sloop PENZANCE and an ocean escort of AMC RAJPUTANA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.61 on the 31st and the AMC was detached at that time. inbound escort was DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvette MALLOW joined on 8 August. DDs ACHATES and ANTHONY joined on 9 August. On 10 August, ACHATES, ANTHONY and MALLOW were detached. The remaining escorts arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 11 August.

*Med- Biscay*
Gk DDs and subs on neutrality patrol in the Gulf of Patras were attacked by the RA. Convoy AS.2 of 4 steamers started its voyage sth with CL CAPETOWN and DDs DEFENDER and RAN STUART. On the 28th, the convoy rendezvoused with CL LIVERPOOL, DDs DAINTY and DIAMOND and passed through Kithera Strait. BBs MALAYA, WARSPITE, RAMILLIES, CVL EAGLE, and DDs JERVIS, JUNO, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HYPERION, ILEX, HERO, HEREWARD, IMPERIAL, and DECOY departed Alexandria to cover the convoy movement.
RAN CL SYDNEY and RN CL NEPTUNE departed Alexandria to meet the Med Flt sth of Crete. MOHAWK operated off Derna during the night of 28 July to pass wireless messages, and rejoined the main force during the morning of 29 July. WARSPITE, ILEX, IMPERIAL, and HYPERION proceeded ahead of the Flt and were joined by DDs HOSTILE and JANUS from Alexandria. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 29th. MALAYA, RAMILLIES, EAGLE, and escorting destroyers RAN STUART, RN DEFENDER, JERVIS, JUNO, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HERO, HEREWARD and convoy AS.2 with LIVERPOOL arrived at Alexandria on the 30th. CAPETOWN and DDs DAINTY and DIAMOND proceeded with the convoy to Port Said. Sub PARTHIAN attacked two steamers SE of Sicily without result.

RM convoy Operation TVL began when steamers MARIA EUGENIO, GLORIA STELLA, MAULY, GBAINSIZZA, COL DI LANA, FRANCESCO BARBARO, and CITTA DI BARI departed Naples, escort TBs PROCIONE, ORIONE, ORSA, and PEGASO of TB Div 4. From Catania, DDs of DesDiv 10 with MAESTRALE, LIBECCIO, GRECALE, and SCIROCCO joined the convoy escort, and arrived at Tripoli on 1 August, despite an attack by submarine OSWALD. On 29 August, steamers MARCO POLO, CITTA DI NAPOLI, and CITTA DI PALERMO departed Naples for Benghasi. The convoy was escorted from Naples to Messina by TBs CIRCE, CLIO, CLIMENE, and CENTAURO of TB Div 13. From Messina, the convoy was joined by TBs AIRONE, ARIEL, ALCIONE, and ARETUSA of TB Div 1.

Providing distance support on the 30th and 1 August, CAs POLA , ZARA, FIUME, GORIZIA, and TRENTO with DDs ALFIERI, ORIANI, CARDUCCI, and GIOBERTI, LANCIERE, CARABINERE, CORZZIERE, and ALPINO, CLs DA BARBIANO, DI GUISSANO , DDs PIGAFETTA, ZENO, and MALOCELLO , CLs EUGENIO DI SAVIOA, DUCA DEGLI ABRUZZI, ATTENDOLO, MONTECUCCOLI , and DDs GRANATIERE, FUCLIERE, BERSAGLIERE, and ASCARI, and arrived at Benghasi at midnight on the 31st.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DAUNTLESS departed Penang.

*Malta*
12 HAA and 10 LAA guns plus ammunition and personnel are being prepared for immediate embarkation. However, they will sail the long sea route and cannot be expected to reach the Island until September. A further 8 HAA and 10 LAA guns destined for Malta will be transported via a warship but there is no embarkation date as yet.

Urgently needed officers and specialist technical service staff will travel by fast transport ship through the more dangerous waters of the western Med.

1110-1135 hrs Air raid alert for one bomber escorted by ten fighters, which fly over the Island – probably on reconnaissance to assess the results of night raids. Malta fighters are scrambled but do not intercept. The raiders are engaged by Ack Ack gunners who hit one fighter which ditches in the sea 15 miles of the south east coast. No bombs are dropped. 

1640 hrs Air raid alert for enemy fighters which follow two of the Island’s Sunderland flying boats on patrol. The Sunderlands engage the raiders and three enemy fighters are claimed destroyed. One Sunderland is damaged and lands at Marsaxlokk. Three of the crew are injured.


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## Njaco (Jul 28, 2015)

Sorry. I was extremely sick the last few days. Will try to catch up!


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## Njaco (Jul 28, 2015)

*July 24 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post696312.html#post696312
*UNITED KINGDOM:* 1,277 French Navy sailors captured by the British on 3 July departed Southampton, England, aboard French passenger liner “_Meknes_” for Marseilles in southern France for repatriation. At 2230 hours, flying the French flag and with lights on to indicate neutrality, German torpedo boat S-27 fired a torpedo at the French ship off the northern Brittany coast in the English Channel, killing 416. British destroyers HMS “_Viscount_”, HMS “_Wolverine_”, HMS “_Sabre_”, and HMS “_Shikari_” rescued the survivors. To explain torpedoing, the German government will assert that the departure of the steamer had not been officially notified by the British authorities.

Reports of the “_Lancastria_” disaster (which was sunken by air attack on 17 Jun 1940 with 1,738 killed) were released in London, after Winston Churchill lifted the media ban.

*GERMANY: *During the night, 14 British Whitley aircraft attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Romanian government nationalizes the Astra-Romana Oil Company (part of the Royal Dutch/Shell Oil Company).

.


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## Njaco (Jul 28, 2015)

*July 25 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post696710.html#post696710
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Aircraft from Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 attack a convoy in the Dover Straits very fiercely. They have help from German light naval forces. Stukas and German MTBs launch the series of attacks on Convoy CW.8. These attacks are driven off during the day but return to do damage during the night. The British lose 11 of 21 ships in the convoy. Eight coasters are sunk, five coasters and the destroyers “_Boreas_” and “_Brilliant_” are damaged.

The United Kingdom evacuated women and children from Gibraltar.

*GERMANY:* The German Reich Economic Minister outlined the New Order for Europe, citing use of forced labor from occupied nations.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Commander of the Swiss military General Henri Guisan vowed that Switzerland would defend against any German or Italian invasion. General Guisan addresses all Army officers on the Ruetli Meadow - the birthplace of Swiss independence in 1307 - and exhorts them to be ready, at a moment's notice, to defend Swiss independence and liberties.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States prohibits the export of oil and metal products in certain categories, unless under license, to countries outside the Americas generally and to Britain. This move is seen as an anti-Japanese measure, particularly because of Japan's needs for foreign oil. From this time Japanese fuel stocks begin to decline. There are similar problems with other raw materials. Japanese attention is, therefore, drawn south from China to the resources of the Netherlands East Indies and Malaysia.

USS “_Trenton_” arrived at Annapolis, Maryland, United States and disembarked members of the royal family of the Duchy of Luxembourg.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German battleship “_Gneisenau_” completed its torpedo damage repairs and departed Trondheim, Norway for Kiel, Germany for more thorough repairs. She was escorted by cruiser “_Nürnberg_” and destroyers “_Galster_”, “_Lody_”, “_Jacobi_”, and “_Ihn_”. Torpedo boats “_Luchs_”, “_Jaguar_”, “_Kondor_”, “_Iltis_”, and T.5 would join the convoy overnight near Stavanger, Norway.

.




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## Njaco (Jul 28, 2015)

*July 26 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post697147.html#post697147

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British Admiralty order that no ships are to pass Dover during daylight. This is not a direct response to the previous day's losses but has been under preparation for some time because of the extra organization involved.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Joseph Avenol, the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, resigned from his post.

US President Roosevelt, using powers granted to his office by the Export Control Act, restricted the export of aviation gasoline and certain classes of iron and steel scrap to Japan without special license.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British submarine HMS “_Thames_” detected the convoy centered around German battleship “_Gneisenau_” 50 miles southwest of Stavanger, Norway; it was bound for Kiel, Germany. A torpedo was fired at “_Gneisenau_”, but it hit torpedo boat “_Luchs_” instead, sinking her immediately. “_Thames_” was never heard from again. It was not certain whether she was lost during this action or hit a naval mine shortly after.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-34 attacked convoy OB-188 with three torpedoes 320 miles west of Ireland at 1447 hours, sinking British passenger ship “_Accra_” (which was also carrying 1,700 tons of cargo on this trip), killing 24; 465 survivors were rescued by British ship “_Hollinside_”, Norwegian ship “_Loke_”, British sloop HMS “_Enchantress_”, and British corvette HMS “_Clarkia_”. British merchant ship “_Vinemoor_” was also hit but without any fatalities. She would remain afloat until the following day after her crew of 32 were rescued by HMS “_Clarkia_”.

German E Boats attacked shipping off Shoreham, England sinking SS “_Lulonga_” (821t) steamer, Humber to Shoreham, SS “_Broadhurst_” (1,013t) cargo ship, travelling from Seaham to Shoreham and SS “_London Trader_” (646t) steamer, sailing to Shoreham from the Tyne. SS “_Haytor_” (1,189t) cargo ship, London to Blyth, sunk by a mine in North Sea.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Joachim von Ribbentrop was updated by German agents in Spain and Portugal regarding the attempt to dissuade the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, from leaving for the Bahamas.

*ASIA:* New Japanese Prime Minister Prince Fumimaro Konoye unveils his plan to take advantage of the European powers' weakness in Asia. The Japanese government formally adopts policy documents giving priority to solving their China problem by blocking supplies reaching the Chinese through Indochina and to securing their own raw materials by a more aggressive stance in the Dutch East Indies.

*GERMANY:* RAF daylight raid on Dortmund power station.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Formation of the Royal Australian Air Force Nursing Service (RAAFNS).

.


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## Njaco (Jul 28, 2015)

*July 27 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post697634.html#post697634
*UNITED KINGDOM: *15 German dive bombers attacked 6 British minesweeping trawlers and escort destroyers in the English Channel 20 miles off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England. Destroyer HMS “_Wren_” sank after one of the several near misses she suffered made a large hole below the waterline (killing 37), while destroyer HMS “_Montrose_” lost her bow and had to be towed to Harwich, Essex.

The first five Beaufighter IF fighters were handed over to the RAF for evaluation.

A Board of Enquiry was held regarding the sinking of HMS “_Effingham_” two months prior.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-34 attacked Allied convoy OB-188 350 miles west of Scotland before sunrise, sinking British ship “_Sambre_” at 0258 hours and British tanker “_Thiara_” at 0313 hours. British destroyer HMS “_Winchelsea_” rescued “_Sambre's_” entire crew of 48 and 36 of 61 of “_Thiara's_” crew (25 were killed).

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Franklin Roosevelt, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox, and US Congress House of Representatives' Naval Affairs Committee chairman Carl Vinson departed Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, United States aboard presidential yacht “_Potomac_” for Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, United States.

*GERMANY:* Spain and Germany begin planning a joint invasion of Gibraltar. Code name of the operation is Felix.

.

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## Njaco (Jul 28, 2015)

*July 28 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post698134.html#post698134
*UNITED KINGDOM:* All British destroyers are withdrawn from Dover to Portsmouth. This is a significant achievement for the Luftwaffe implying that they may be able to dominate the Channel Narrows during the hours of daylight.

Twenty-five HEs were dropped almost in a straight line across the city of Newcastle. Three women were killed including one of the very first females to be killed in Newcastle due to enemy action. Mary Mackay, who was warning others of the danger when the caretaker's house at Heaton Secondary Girls School was hit and she was killed. Bombs also fell in the quadrangle and on the dining hall. A second woman was killed in Forsyth Road, West Jesmond. One German bomber possibly mistaking the long ribbon of the West Road for the River Tyne, pitched a string of bombs, eight in all, along the line of the road from Benwell Grove westwards to Condercum Road. Four of these produced craters in the road surface, one of which was outside the Plaza Cinema on the West Road and one near the Milvain Club at the top of Baxter Avenue. The last of the three women mentioned above, was killed in nearby Farndale Road. No air raid warning was sounded in Newcastle.

*WESTERN FRONT:* All rail lines between occupied France and Vichy France were cut by the Germans.

*GERMANY:* President Jozef Tiso and Prime Minister Vojtech Tuka of the Slovak Republic met with Hitler and Ribbentrop at Berchtesgarden.

The German Army examined closely the German Navy's draft plan for an invasion of England, United Kingdom, but it was horrified to note that the Navy estimated that it would take ten days to put the first assault ashore in the Dover area.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British HMS “_Alcantara_” was hit by 3 shells from German armed merchant ship “_Thor_” 740 miles off Brazil, near the island of Trindade. 2 were killed and 7 were wounded. As “_Thor_” turned away to disengage from battle, “_Alcantara_” fired and hit “_Thor_” with 2 shells, killing 3. Both ships survive and will be repaired. On the same day, German submarine U-99 sank British merchant ship “_Auckland Star_” 80 miles west of Ireland at 0557 hours. The entire crew of 74 were taken to lifeboats and would make it to the Irish shore.

Three Italian subs begin operations in Azores-Madeira area, sinking two ships.

*ASIA:* More than 100 Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in five waves. 16 fighters from Chinese 4th Pursuit Group and 5th Pursuit Group rose to intercept, claiming one bomber shot down.

Japanese police arrested nine British nationals residing in Japan.

*NORTH AMERICA: *USA and 20 Latin American Republics in conference at Havana agree to take immediate action if any European colony in the Americas is threatened with aggression.

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## parsifal (Jul 28, 2015)

*28 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
ORP Motor Anti-Submarine Boat S 3





*Losses
MV AUCKLAND STAR (UK 13212 grt) * Crew: 74 (0 dead and 74 survivors) Cargo: 10.700 tons of general cargo, including lead, steel, hides, refrigerated goods and wheat Route: Townsville (25 May), Australia - Panama - Liverpool . Sunk in the western Approaches whilst operating independantly. At 0557 hrs the unescorted AUCKLAND STAR was hit in the stern by one torp from U-99 80 miles WNW of Valentia Island, Co. Kerry. The ship was then hit by two further G7e torps at 0633 and 0711 hrs and finally capsized and sank at 0733 hours. 55 Survivors landed at Dingle, Co. Kerry and 19 crew members landed at Slyne Head near Clifden, Co. Galway.





Steamer ORLOCK HEAD (UK 1563 grt) was badly damaged by the LW off Strathy Point in the far nth of Scotland. She was hit by three bombs and also hit by strafing, and sank later that day 6.7 miles 320° from Strathy Pt. Six crew were lost. DDs BERKELEY and AMAZON departed Scapa to assist, but although they did not locate the ship, did find the survivors in their boats, who were landed at Thurso.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Armed patrol trawler STAUNTON (RN 283 grt) *was sunk on a mine eight cables 50° from East Knoll Buoy in the Solent (between the English Mainland and Isle of Wight) All 13 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Small steamer ERMIONI ("Ex Gk" 440 grt)*, in service for the italians, carrying military supplies to Italy, was intercepted and captured by CLs NEPTUNE and RAN SYDNEY in the Aegean. Together with DD DECOY, they had been detached from the Main Flt to intercept the ship and were sweeping in the Aegean. ERMIONI was scuttled.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 28 July 1940
U-34, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-62, U-99, UA.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Sub URSULA departed Rosyth for Blyth, arriving later that same day. Sub H.44 departed Harwich for patrol nth of Hinder.
NL subs O.21 and O.22 were undocked at Rosyth. Sub depot ship TITANIA departed the Tyne for Blyth, where she arrived later the same day. OA.191 departed Methil. No escorts were allocated. MT.123 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 29th. FS.235 departed the Tyne, and arrived at Southend on the 30th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK and DD WATCHMAN departed Greenock with British steamer GEORGIC and NL steamer KONINGIN EMMA for Reykavik. Off the Mull of Kintyre , DD VORTIGERN joined the force from Belfast. .

*Channel*
CLA cruiser COVENTRY arrived at Plymouth for drydocking. On 19 August, COVENTRY departed for Greenock arriving on the 21st

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*
DKM Raider THOR damaged AMC ALCANTARA in an engagement off Trinidade, off the coast of Brazil. THOR encountered the RN AMC, which was armed with eight six-inch (150 mm) main guns. The THORS skipper (Kähler) turned away from ALCANTARA and tried to outrun her for 3 hrs until he realized ALCANTARA was faster than THOR. At that point Kähler decided to turn and fight, hoping to inflict enough damage on ALCANTARA to allow THOR to escape. The disguised raiders had the best crews in German Navy, and this rapidly revealed itself in this engagement. THOR scored 3 early hits on ALCANTARA: 1 between her bridge and funnel, a second aft, and a third on her waterline that caused flooding in her engine room, forcing ALCANTARA to reduce speed. THOR turned away from ALCANTARA and received two hits from the RN Cruisers 6" guns, killing 3 DKM crewman. Instead of risking further combat, THOR made her escape under cover of a dense smokescreen.After the battle with ALCANTARA, THOR repaired her battle damage, cleaned her boilers and changed her disguise. THOR rendezvoused with the supply ship REKUM on 25 August and then returned to Brazilian waters. It had been a close shave for her, however.

CA DORSETSHIRE returned to Freetown for refuelling, arriving on the 29th, and left to search for the THOR, but did not make contact. ALCANTARA arrived at Rio de Janiero for repairs on 1 August.

Due to the political situation with the Vichy French at Duala, CL DRAGON departed Duala and proceeded to Lagos, arriving on the 29th. She was relieved by sloop BRIDGEWATER on 1 August.

SLF.41 departed Freetown escorted by AMC PRETORIA CASTLE to 10 August. AMC BULOLO joined on the 8th when SL.41 merged. On the 10th, both escorts were detached. DDs HESPERUS, SKEENA, WARWICK and corvettes CLARKIA and CLEMATIS joined the same day and escorted the convoy to Liverpool, arriving on the 14th.


*Red Sea / Indian Ocean*
Steamer MATHURA (UK 8890 grt) was damaged by the RA at Aden.

*Malta*
1130-1155 hrs Air raid alert for one bomber and ten fighters which approach the Island from St Paul’s Bay towards Hal Far. They are engaged by HAA fire. One raider is brought down and crashes in the sea 15 miles south of Malta. The rest turn back before crossing the coast. No bombs are dropped. 

AIR HQ Aircraft casualties 1 Sunderland 0430 hrs One Sunderland on patrol over the Ionian Sea, then reconnaissance of Augusta and Syracuse, where five flying boats are spotted. The Sunderland attacked three waterships near Augusta, dropping three 250lb bombs: no result. A second Sunderland on reconnaissance sighted a submarine off Cape Spartivento and dropped five bombs: no results visible. One Sunderland on reconnaissance. All three Sunderlands were attacked; one returned to Malta damaged; repairs began immediately.

KALAFRANA Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 Sqns operating 12 hour naval patrols over wide area covering Greek coast, sth Italian coast and Sicily under direct instructions from Middle East and HQ Mediterranean.

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## parsifal (Jul 28, 2015)

*29 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette LA MALOUINE
Laid down as LA MALOUINE for the French Navy, but completed as HMS LA MALOUINE for the Royal Navy after France was invaded by Germany





*Losses
MV CLAN MENZIES (UK 7336 grt) *Crew:94 (6 dead and 88 survivors) Cargo: 4000 tons of wheat and grain, 2000 tons of dried fruit, 1500 tons of zinc and 840 tons of general cargo Route: Sydney NSW - Melbourne - Panama - Liverpool. Not attached to a convoy when lost. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0215 hrs the unescorted CLAN MENZIES was hit aft by one G7e torpedo from U-99 sank sank by the stern after 1 hr about 150 miles west of Loop Head, Co. Clare. The ship had been spotted 5 hrs earlier and missed with a first G7e torpedo at 0203 hrs. Survivors landed at Enniscrone, Co. Sligo. 





*Trawler LEACH'S ROMANCE (UK 44 grt)* was sunk on a mine 10½ miles due south of Kemp Town. The crew of four were lost.

*Special service vessel UMVOTI (UK 5183 grt)* was sunk as a blockship at Dover .

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-58

At Sea 29 July 1940
U-34, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-62, U-99, UA.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
RN sub SEALION sighted U-62 as the latter was returning from patrol on the surface. SEALION launched a spread of 3 torps, but the UBoat had seen her periscope and avoided the salvo. SEALION then surfaced and engaged with her deck gun. U-62 dived and eluded the SEALION with only 27 mins worth of battery life remaining.

Sub PORPOISE laid minefield FD.23 off the Norwegian coast. After this minelay, the minelaying submarines were diverted to the Bay of Biscay, and there was no further sub ML ops off Norway until January 1941. Sub TRITON sighted a German submarine off Korsfjord steering west. Sub H.50 arrived at Harwich. Sub L.26, NL sub O.23, and NL TB Z.6 arrived at Rosyth. A Swordfish a/c was lost in a torpedo exercise near Lady Isle. Probationary Temporary Midshipman (A) G J A Shelley RNVR, was killed.

FN.236 departed Southend, and arrived in the Tyne on the 31st. MT.124 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day.
FS.236 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop WESTON, and arrived at Southend on the 31st.

DD ZULU departed Scapa at 1600 for the Tyne where she arrived on the 30th for a refit. Part of the refit included the placement of a twin 4in anti-aircraft gun in her X gun position (which was copied in the wartime Tribals built by the RAN and RCN). DD FERNIE departed Scapa for Dover to join the Dover Command, but en route, was diverted to Portsmouth.

*Steamer MOIDART (UK 1262 grt) *was sunk on a mine off Felixstowe, Suffolk. 11 crew were killed.




_MOIDART was damaged in a collision in 1918. Her damage in 1918 is shown above_

*Steamer CLAN MONROE (UK 5952 grt)* was badly damaged on a mine near Harwich. 13 crew were lost. She anchored off Sth Shipwash on the 30th with a broken back, was taken in tow on the 31st but grounded 3.8 miles 224° from Orfordness Light House.





*Northern Waters*
In yet another invasion scare the Home Flt was brought to 4 hr's notice at 0905.

*West Coast UK*
OB.191 departed Liverpool escort DD WALKER and corvette PERIWINKLE from 30 July to 2 August. The escort was detached to inbound SL.40.

*Steamer OUSEBRIDGE (UK 5601 grt) *was sunk on a mine in Queen's Channel, Liverpool. Her bow was blown off and back broken. Two crew were killed.





*Western Approaches*
DDs SIKH and AMAZON departed Scapa at 0400, INGLEFIELD and KEPPEL the Clyde at 0535, and HIGHLANDER, VISCOUNT, VANQUISHER, and WANDERER from Liverpool to join inbound Cdn troop convoy TC.6. The convoy was met in the western approaches during the early evening of the 30th, and safely arrived at Greenock at 1430 on 1 August.

*Channel
Steamer GRONLAND (Den 1264 grt)*, which had been damaged on the 25th, was sunk in outer Dover Harbour by the LW with 19 crew killed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Patrol yacht GULZAR (RN 197 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the submarine basin in Dover Harbour. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

"D" Class *DD DELIGHT (RN 1375 grt)* of DesFlot 3 departed Portsmouth at 1500 for the Clyde, but was sunk by the LW off Portland. According to "Seekrieg", the new “Freya” radar, 60 miles away, detected the DD and vectored in the bombers). 8 ratings were killed, four missing, and six died of wounds. 59 other crew were wounded. Her survivors were rescued by ML.102, ML.105, MA/SB.1, MA/SB.5, DDs BROKE, VANSITTART, and aux PVs PILOT and CONQUEROR .





ASW trawler DANEMAN engaged DKM S-Boats 22 miles WSW of Beachy Head between 0044 and 0315.

*Malta*
0952-1027 hrs Air raid alert for nine enemy fighters and two bomber which approach from the nth in two formations. Malta fighters are scrambled but do not engage. AA guns at Tigne, San Giacomo, San Pietru, Marsa, Spinola, Manoel and HMS Terror engage the raiders. No bombs are dropped. 

1000-1027 hrs Air raid alert for two formations of five enemy fighters which cross the Island. No bombs are dropped.


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## Njaco (Jul 29, 2015)

*July 29 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post698556.html#post698556
*UNITED KINGDOM:* At 1700 hours, destroyer HMS “_Delight_” left Portland in southern England. At about 1830 hours, she was hitting by a bomb from a German aircraft from Cherbourg, France. A bomb penetrates the foredeck causing an explosion below deck killing 18 and wounding 59, but she was able to return to Portland under her own power.

Another British destroyer is sunk and the whole eastern half of the English Channel is placed out of bounds for Royal Navy destroyers in daylight. Minesweeping operations continue, however, ensuring that access can be gained if necessary.

British Air Ministry accused Germany of using rescue aircraft with Red Cross markings for reconnaissance purposes. The Ministry announced that German air-sea rescue machines (Heinkel seaplanes) behaving suspiciously will be shot down despite their Red Cross markings - 4 have already been destroyed.

The weapons firm Albright Wilson of Oldbury, England, demonstrated to the British Royal Air Force a self-igniting explosive containing petrol and phosphorus.

*GERMANY:* At a conference held in a converted railway carriage, Colonel-General Alfred Jodl, Adolf Hitler's Chief of Operations, announced that the Führer had decided "once and for all" to rid the world of the Soviet menace. However, recognizing that the war against the United Kingdom took a higher priority at this point in time, Hitler pushed the invasion date to the spring of 1941. German naval command (Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine) issued a memo noting that the mid-Sep 1940 invasion date for Britain as demanded by Adolf Hitler was possible, but considering the present state of affairs, a postponement to May 1941 was suggested. Meanwhile, a special economic board was set up to oversee the looting of British industry upon conquest.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Sealion_” detected German submarine U-62 on the surface 60 miles southwest of Stavanger, Norway and attacked with 3 torpedoes (which all missed) followed by shots from the deck gun. U-62 dove and escaped the area.

German submarine U-99 sank British ship “_Clan Menzies_” 80 miles west of Ireland at 0215 hours; 5 were killed and 88 took to lifeboats.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Sea Gladiator fighters from HMS “_Eagle_” shot down an Italian SM.79 bomber while escorting a convoy in the Mediterranean Sea.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Portugal and Spain added a clause to the 1939 friendship treaty. It was later known as the Iberian Pact.

Vichy Government establishes Supreme Court to try former leaders of French Third Republic on 'war-guilt' charges.

*ASIA:* The Japanese reported that Mr. Melville Cox, one of nine British residents arrested in Japan on the previous day, had "committed suicide" by throwing himself out of a police station window.

.

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## parsifal (Jul 29, 2015)

*30 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1935 MSW M-22





Type VIIc U93





*Losses*
No recorded losses

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-60

At Sea 30 July 1940
U-34, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-99, UA.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Minefield BS.29 was laid by MLs PLOVER and NL WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN with DDs INTREPID and ESK. Sub URSULA departed Blyth on patrol off sthn Norway. NL subs O.21 and O.22 departed Rosyth on patrol. A Swordfish of 812 Sqn collided with another Swordfish sth of Nth Coates during an exercise. Both aircrews were killed. MSW NIGER was damaged in a collision with MSW trawler LAUREL in the Nth Sea. NIGER was repaired at Grimsby completing in August.

OA.192 departed Methil escorted by DD ST LAURENT and sloop SANDWICH from 30 July to 3 August, then ASW trawler ST KENAN from 30 July to 1 August. The DD and sloop were detached to inbound HX.60.
(The first vessel named "SANDWICH" in the RN was the famous HM Bark "ENDEAVOUR of Capt James Cook fame. She was renamed SANDWICH in 1778 shortly before being expended as a blockship off Norfolk VA).

FN.237 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LOWESTOFT. DDs JAVELIN and JUPITER joined on the 31st, and the convoy arrived in the Tyne on 1 August. MT.125 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.237 departed the Tyne, and arrived at Southend on 1 August.

*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK arrived at Reykavik.

*Northern Waters*
DDs MAORI and FURY departed Scapa to sweep for a U-Boat reported at 2050 by ASW LE TIGER , astern of her convoy off Cape Wrath. The destroyers were recalled at 1238 later that day. BC REPULSE with DDs FORTUNE, ECHO, and FIREDRAKE departed Scapa at 1800 for low angle and high angle full calibre firings.

*Channel*
AMC MOOLTAN departed Devonport for Freetown. Off Land's End, she was damaged by the LW, and was diverted to Liverpool for repairs which were completed 23 August. MOOLTAN departed Liverpool on 30 August to return to Freetown. MSW TEDWORTH was damaged by the LW at Dover, and repaired at Portsmouth from 6 August to 12 December.

*Med- Biscay*
Belgian motor trawler JOHN was damaged by the LW 35 miles WNW of Bull Rock, SW Ireland. CVE ARGUS, with DDs ENCOUNTER, HOTSPUR, GALLANT, and GREYHOUND arrived at Gibraltar.

HG.40 with 24 ships departed Gib local escort DD WISHART and ASW trawler LEYLAND, which was detached on 3 August. Sloop WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from 30 July to 14 August. DD WESTCOTT from outbound convoy OG.40 provided inbound escort for the convoy from 10 to 14 August, which arrived at Liverpool on 14 August. Units of the Med Flt, including BB RAMILLIES and the CLs and DDs operating in the Aegean on the 28th, arrived back at Alexandria. Sub OSWALD departed Alexandria on the 19th for patrol in the Straits of Messina. On the 30th, she sighted an RM cruiser and later in the day, four other cruisers escorted by DDs, but was unable to attack either contact. She then made an attack against an Operation TVL convoy of steamers MARIA EUGENIA, GLORIA STELLA, MAULY, BAINSIZZA, COL DI LANA, FRANCESCO BARBARO, and CITTA DI BARI en route to Tripoli from Naples escort DDs MAESTRALE, LIBECCIO, GRECALE,and SCIROCCO with TBs PROCIONE, ORIONE, ORSA, and PEGASO but this attack was also unsuccessful.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
Sub REGULUS, which arrived from Hong Kong at Singapore on the 2nd, departed Singapore on the 3rd, but on the 4th encountered bad weather with damage to her superstructure. She arrived Colombo on 9 July, departed Colombo on the 10th, arrived Aden on the 20th, departed Aden on the 23rd, and Port Said on the 28th. REGULUS arrived at Alexandria for duty with the Med Flt on the 30th.
Sub REGENT, which departed Hong Kong on 30 June, arrived Singapore on the 6 July, departed Singapore on the 11th, Colombo on the 18th, then arrived with RAN sloop PARRAMATTA at Aden on the 30th. She left Aden on the 31st for Suez and duty with the Med Flt, while PARRAMATTA began escort duties in the Red Sea.


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## Crimea_River (Jul 29, 2015)

Nice catch-up Chris.

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## Njaco (Jul 29, 2015)

*July 30 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post699042.html#post699042
*UNITED KINGDOM:* A Blenheim from RAF No 219 Squadron based at Catterick airfield, Yorkshire suffered a damaged undercarriage on take-off, it force landed at base at 1320 hours. Sgts T. Birkett and E.R. Lacey were unhurt, the aircraft was repairable.

A Ju 88 (F6+BK) from 2(F)./122 on sortie to the east coast of England in search of shipping, crashed into the sea, having suffered a sudden engine failure while flying in cloud at approximately 500ft, in the vicinity of some shipping. The crew took to their life raft as the aircraft sank within a few minutes and the crew spent the next 103 hours in the dinghy not being rescued until 1600hrs on August 3rd.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Act of Havana was signed by the representatives from 21 nations in the Americas. It provided an emergency establishment of a regime of provisional administration;


> "when islands or regions in the Americas now under the possession of non-American nations are in danger of becoming the subject of barter of territory or change of sovereignty".



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British Captain C. Caslon, with four destroyers, compels Swedish naval crews to hand over four destroyers en route from Italy to Sweden. This act of piracy infuriates the Swedish Admiralty, but the ships are later returned, and the British government pays for damage to the ships.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2015)

*31 July 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Soviet M Class Subs M-62 and M63




Allied

HMCS AMC PRINCE ROBERT





*Losses
MV JAMAICA PROGRESS (UK 5479 grt)* Crew: 55 (8 dead and 47 survivors) Cargo: 179 tons of fruit, including bananas Route: Kingston, Jamaica - Bermuda - Avonmouth . Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0138 hrs the unescorted JAMAICA PROGRESS was hit on port side aft by one torpedo from U-99 about 40 miles SW of Barra Head. The ship was sunk by a coup de grâce at 0244 hrs. 6 crew members, one gunner and one passenger were lost. The master, 24 crew members, one gunner and four passengers were picked up by the British trawler NEWLAND and landed at Fleetwood. The chief officer and 16 crew members landed at Barra, Hebrides. 





*MV JERSEY CITY (UK 6322 grt) *Crew: 45 (2 dead and 43 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Newport, Mon. - Baltimore . Attached to Convoy OB-191. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1324 hrs the JERSEY CITY in convoy OB-191 was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-99 and sank 70 miles NW of Tory Island. Two crew members were lost. The master and 42 crew members were picked up by the British steam merchant GLOUCESTER CITY, then transferred to DD WALKER and landed at Liverpool.

Following this successful attack on convoy OB 191, escorts dropped 20 DCs but U-99 escaped unscathed. In the evening the boat surfaced to attack the convoy again, but was twice forced to dive and bombed by a flying boat, unable to inflict further losses that day, but remained undamaged herself.






*UBOATS*
At Sea 31 July 1940
U-34, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-99, UA.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
DDs WHITSHED and WILD SWAN of DesFlot 18 and AMBUSCADE of DesFlot 16 departed Harwich late on the 30th to conduct a sweep in the Nth Sea off the Zuider Zee. Returning to Harwich after the sweep, WHITSHED was mined off Harwich and badly damaged with the forward part of the ship collapsing. Partly under her own power until it was gradually lost and partly in tow of WILD SWAN, she was taken stern first to Harwich, screened by AMBUSCADE. Patrol sloop PUFFIN and two MTBs also assisted, and tug KROOMAN was also sent to assist. WHITSHED repaired at Chatham completing on 21 December.

Sub H.28 arrived at Harwich.

FN.238 departed Southend, and arrived in the Tyne on 2 August. MT.126 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day.
FS.238 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop FLEETWOOD. On 1 August, DDs WOOLSTON, JUPITER, and KELVIN joined. DDs JUPITER and KELVIN were detached later that day. On 2 August, DDs AMBUSCADE, MALCOLM, and WILD SWAN joined, and arrived at Southend on 2 August.

*West Coast UK*
OB.192 departed Liverpool escort DD VANOC with corvettes MALLOW and GLADIOLUS from 31 July to 4 August. The DD was detached to inbound convoy HX.60.

*Channel
Steamer STALHEIM (Nor 1298 grt) *was sunk on a mine one half mile WSW of South Pier, Port Talbot (Bristol Channel). Five crew were lost





*Nth Atlantic*
HX.62 departed Halifax local escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and aux PV FRENCH at 0715. At midnight the convoy was turned over to AMC AURANIA. FRENCH detached on 1 August and SAGUENAY on the 2nd. BHX.62 departed Bermuda on the 30th escorted locally by sloop PENZANCE, and with ocean escort provided by AMC MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.62 on 4 August when MONTCLARE detached. AURANIA continued on with the convoy until the 11th, when she detached. HX.62 reached Liverpool on the 15th.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM Raider PINGUIN sank *steamer DOMINGO DE LARRINGA (UK 5358 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic. Eight crew were lost, and 30 made prisoners of war.





*Med- Biscay*
CruSqn 7, CLs ORION, NEPTUNE, and RAN SYDNEY, with DDs NUBIAN, JUNO, and GARLAND departed Alexandria at 0600 to operate in the Aegean as a diversion for operation HURRY, the transfer of a/c to Malta by Force H. BBs ROYAL SOVEREIGN and MALAYA, CVL EAGLE, with DDs JERVIS, HERO, HASTY, HEREWARD, IMPERIAL, ILEX, HOSTILE, and RAN VENDETTA departed Alexandria at 1420 to carry out gunnery practices and proceed westward towards Gavdo Island until after dark on 1 August.

Convoy BS.2 departed Suez, escorted by sloops GRIMSBY and CLIVE. The sloops were detached on 3 August when CLA CARLISLE, CL LEANDER, and sloop FLAMINGO joined. The convoy was dispersed on 9 August.

*Malta*
The pilot of one of Malta’s 3 Gladiator fighters was badly burned today in a hard fought air battle. All 3 Gladiators were scrambled when a formation of 7 enemy fighters escorting a single bomber was reported heading for the Island. Flying Officer Peter Hartley led Flg Off Woods and Flg Off Taylor into the attack which quickly developed into a dogfight at 18000 feet over Valletta.

One of the enemy fighters was quickly shot down and while two others held back to protect the bomber, the rest engaged the Gladiators in a fierce fight. Flg Off Hartley’s aircraft NN5519 (‘Charity’) was hit in the fuel tank and burst into flames. Despite suffering severe burns, he managed to bale out and parachuted down off Xrobb l’Ghagin. His Gladiator crashed into the sea off Fort St Leonardo.




_Gladiator Charity lost 31 July_


----------



## parsifal (Jul 31, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses July 1940*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
SSV TWEEDLEDEE (RN 163 grt), SSV TWEEDLEDUM (RN 163 grt), SSV JAMES 83 (RN 397 grt), Aux AA ship FOYLE BANK (RN 5582 grt), DD WHIRLWIND (RN 1100 grt), SSV EMERALD WINGS (RN 2139 grt), sub SHARK (RN 670 grt), SSV JAMES 9 (RN 85 grt), DD ESCORT (RN 1350 grt), Sub SALMON (RN 670 grt), ASW yacht WARRIOR II (RN 1124 grt), DD IMOGEN (RN 1335 grt), Sub PHOENIX (RN 1475 grt), RFA STEADY (RN 758 grt), MSW trawler CRESTFLOWER (RN 550 grt), DD BRAZEN (RN 1360 grt), Sub NARWHAL (RN 1520 grt), Armed patrol trawler CAMPINA (RN 289 grt), MSW trawlers FLEMING (RN 356 grt), MSW Trawler BERBERIS (RN 540 grt), ASW trawler KINGSTON GALENA (RN 550 grt), MSW trawler RODINO (RN 230 grt), sub THAMES (RN 1850 grt), DD CODRINGTON (RN 1540 grt), DD WREN (RN 1188 grt), Armed patrol trawler STAUNTON (RN 283 grt), Patrol yacht GULZAR (RN 197 grt), DD DELIGHT (RN 1375 grt) 

(29139(RN)) (Total 29139 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
MV CLEARTON (UK 5219 grt), steamer BEIGNON (UK 5218 grt), Tkr ATHELLAIRD (UK 8999 grt), Liner ARANDORA STAR (UK 15501 grt), Steamer AENEAS (UK 10,058 grt), Steam barge BIJOU (UK 98 grt), Dredger COQUET MOUTH (UK 477 grt), FV REMEMBRANCE (UK 7 grt), Steamer ELMCREST (UK 4343 grt), Steamer HARTLEPOOL (UK 5500 grt), Steamer DALLAS CITY (UK 4952 grt), steamer, Tug SILVERDIAL (UK 55 grt), MV SEA GLORY (UK 1964 grt), steamer DELAMBRE (UK 7032 grt), MV HUMBER ARM (UK 5758 grt), MV AYLESBURY (UK 3944 grt), Steamer WATERLOO (UK 1905 grt), Tkr TASCALUSA (UK 6499 grt), Tkr BRITISH CHANCELLOR (UK 7085 grt), steamer DAVISAN (UK 6433 grt), Steamer MALLARD (UK 352 grt), steamer CITY OF BAGHDAD (UK 7506 grt), Steamer HORNCHURCH (UK 2162 grt), Trawler VOLANTE (UK 255 grt), steamer KEMMENDINE (UK 7769 grt), steamer KING JOHN (UK 5228 grt), Steamer ISLAND QUEEN (UK 779 grt), steamer GRACEFIELD (UK 4631 grt), Steamer BELLEROCK (UK 1199 grt), steamer HEWORTH (UK 2855 grt), Tkr SCOTTISH MINSTREL (UK 6998 grt), steamer WENDOVER (UK 5487 grt), MV FELLSIDE (UK 3509 grt), MV MANIPUR (UK 8652 grt), MV WOODBURY (UK 4434 grt), MV PEARLMOOR (UK 4581 grt), Tkr WAR SEPOY (UK 5574 grt), Steamer PULBOROUGH (UK 960 grt), Steamer TROUTPOOL (UK 4886 grt), MV ELLAROY (UK 712 grt), Steamer TERLINGS (UK 2318 grt), Steamer THE LADY MOSTYN (UK 305 grt), steamer CORHAVEN (UK 991 grt), Steamer POLGRANGE (UK 804 grt), Steamer LEO (UK 1140 grt), Steamer HENRY MOON (UK 1091 grt), Steamer PORTSLADE (UK 1091 grt), LULONGA (UK 821 grt), Steamer BROADHURST (UK 1013 grt) MV LONDON TRADER (UK 646 grt), Liner ACCRA (UK 9337 grt), Steamer VINEMOOR (UK 4359 grt), Steamer HAYTOR (UK 1189 grt), Steamer SAMBRE ( UK 5260 grt), Tkr THIARA (UK 10364 grt), Sand dredger DURDHAM (UK 477 grt), Factory Ship SALVESTRIA (UK 11,938 grt), MV AUCKLAND STAR (UK 13212 grt), MV CLAN MENZIES (UK 7336 grt), Trawler LEACH'S ROMANCE (UK 44 grt, Blockship UMVOTI (UK 5183 grt), Steamer MOIDART (UK 1262 grt), Steamer CLAN MONROE (UK 5952 grt), Steamer OUSEBRIDGE (UK 5601 grt), MV JAMAICA PROGRESS (UK 5479 grt), MV JERSEY CITY (UK 6322 grt), Steamer STALHEIM (Nor 1298 grt), steamer DOMINGO DE LARRINGA (UK 5358 grt) 

MV ANGELE MABRO (EG 3154 grt) 
MV MAGOG (Cdn 2053 grt), 
Steamer DEUCALION (NL 1796 grt), Steamer BRITSUM (NL 5255 grt), Tkr LUCRECIA (NL 2584 grt), MV ALWAKI (NL 4533 grt), Steamer BILL S. (NL 466 grt), steamer TELA (NL 3777 grt), 
Trawler PROVIDENTIA (Be 139 grt), steamer BRUGES (Be 4983 grt), FV CHARLES MADELEINE (Be 99 grt) 
steamer CHEIK (FF(?) 1058 grt), 
MV JANNA (Nor 2197 grt), Tkr SARITA (Nor 5824 grt), MV GYDA (Nor 1591 grt), Steamer BALZAC (Nor 963 grt), 
Steamer ZBARAZ (Pol 2088 grt) 

268968 (UK), 3154 (EG), 2053 (Cdn), 16675 (NL), 5221 (Be), 1058 (FF), 8595 (Nor), 2088 (Pol), 
307816 grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: 336955 grt

*Prizes captured *
None

Mercantile Tonnage seized: None

*Neutral shipping*
steamer ADAMASTOS (Gk 5889 grt), MV IA (Gk 4860 grt), MV THETIS A (Gk 4111 grt), MV NAFTILOS (Gk 3531 grt) 
MV SANTA MARGARITA (Pan 4919 grt), steamer FOSSOULA (Pan 1282 grt), Tkr BEME (Pan 3039 grt) 
Steamer KOLGA (Est 3526 grt), MV VAPPER (Est 4543 grt), MV TIIU (Est 1865 grt), MV MERISAAR (Est 2136 grt), Steamer LEOLA (Est 554 grt), 
MV BISSEN (Sd 1514 grt), MV O A BRODIN (Sd 1960 grt), 
Steamer TALVALDIS (Lat 534 grt)
MV PETSAMO (FN 4596 grt), Steamer WIIRI (FN 3525 grt), Steamer TRIO (FN 1451 grt), 
Steamer CITY OF LIMERICK (Eire 1359 grt) , 
Steamer ALPHA (Pt 853 grt), 
Liner MEKNES (Vichy 6127 grt), 
Steamer GRONLAND (Den 1264 grt)

18391 (Gk), 9240 (Pan), 12629 (Est), 3474 (Sd), 534 (Lat), 9572 (FN), 1359 (Eire), 853 (Pt), 6127 (Vichy), 1264 (Den)
(63443 Mercantile)

*Neutral warships*
BB BRETAGNE (Vichy 23936 grt), Aux MSW ESTEREL V (Vichy 30 grt), Aux PV TERRE NEUVE (Vichy 780 grt), 
( 24746 Military)
Total Neutral Nercantile + Military: 88189 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: 425144 grt 

*Prizes taken*
steamer ARGYLL (UK 2953 grt), MV GAMBIAN (UK 5452 grt), MV TAKORADIAN (UK 5452 grt), HARALD (Den 1970 grt), TACOMA (Den 5905 grt), ULRIK HOLM (Den 1502 grt), Steamer TEMPLE PIER (UK 4312 grt)

*Axis*
*Warships*
DKM
Type 1A Uboat U-26 (DKM 862 grt) , Type VIIB U.102 (DKM 753 grt), SBoat S-23 (DKM 92 grt), Aux PV UJ.D (DKM 356 grt), PV UJ.126 (DKM 446 grt), TB LUCHS (DKM 933 grt), MSWs M-61 (DKM 500 grt), MSW 89 (DKM 500 grt), MSW M 132 (DKM 500 grt) 
(4942 grt (DKM))
RM
DD ZEFFIRO (RM 1070 grt), CL BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI (RM 6844 grt), DD OSTRO (RM 1070 grt), DD NEMBO (RM 1070 grt), 
(9054 grt (RM))

13996 (Total)

*Axis Shipping*

GER
Tug DRAUGEN (Ex-Nor (Ger) 184 grt), Steamer MONTAN (Ger 1275 grt), 

(FI)
MV MANZONI (FI 3,955 grt), MV SERENITAS (FI 5,171 grt), MV LIGURIA (FI 15,354 grt), Steamer AXUM (FI 249 grt) Sailing Vessel SANT ANTONIO (FI 500 grt (est)), steamer SERENO (FI 2333 grt), steamers CELIO (FI 3872 grt), LEOPARDI (FI 3298 grt), Liner CELIO (FI 3864 grt), Small steamer ERMIONI ("Ex Gk" 440 grt), 

1459 (Ger), 39036 (FI)
40495 (Mercantile), 54487 (Total Axis losses)

*Captured ships *
steamer KERTOSONO (NL 9289 grt), steamer ESTER THORDEN (FN 1940 grt)


----------



## parsifal (Jul 31, 2015)

*1 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis


Neutral
Benson Class DD USS NIBLACK , SU M (Malyutka) class Sub M-98








Allied
Type I Hunt Class Escort DD CATTISTOCK, Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 54 (MGB 54)








_CATTISTOCK was completed on this day. She worked up at Scapa with the DesDiv 23, before she departed on the 30th for the Nore and duty in DesFlot 21._

Fairmile A Motor Launch ML 109, T Class Submarine TUNA








_ML121 of similar appearance to ML 109. HMS TUNA, with her Jolly Roger flying after success against a U-Boat, approaches the depot ship HMS FORTH at Holy Loch in early 1943. During the evening of 7 December 1942 HMS TUNA delivered the "Cockleshell Heroes" to the mouth of the Gironde for their daring raid on Bordeaux, in which 6 German ships were mined. The raid was called Operation Frankton, but only two of the 12 men returned. _

*Losses*
S Class *Sub SPEARFISH (RN 670 grt)* At 1904 hrs, Sub SPEARFISH was hit in the forepart by one torpedo from U-34 and sank immediately about 180 miles WSW of Stavanger. The U-boat was returning from its last patrol as a combat boat and only had one torpedo remaining, when they first spotted a periscope at 1817 hrs and dived. At 1848 hours, the conning tower of the RN Sub became visible and U-34 fired the last torpedo over the bow. One minute after the hit, the Germans surfaced and approached the sinking position where they picked up the sole survivor Able Seaman William V. Pester (on his first patrol) and took him as prisoner to Wilhelmshaven. The commander, four officers and 36 ratings were lost.





Odin Class *Sub OSWALD (RN 1475 grt) *The Odin-class submarine was rammed and sunk in the Strait of Messina sth of Cape Spartivento by DD UGOLINI VIVALDI. VIVALDI was part of an ASW sweep of RM DDs DA NOLI, USODIMARE, DA RECCO, PESSAGNO, which departed Augusta 1 August. Three ratings were lost with OSWALD, but the remainder of the crew (55 officers and men), were rescued by VIVALDI and made prisoners of war.





*MV SIGYN (SD 1981 grt) *Crew: 23 (0 dead and 23 survivors) Cargo: Timber supports for mine construction Route:Buctouche, New Brunswick - Sunderland. Unescorted . Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0345 hrs the unescorted SIGYN was hit in aft part by one torpedo from U-59 and sank by the stern with a sharp list about 70 miles NW of Tory Island. The ship had been spotted at 0157 hrs and missed with two torps at 0217 and 0343 hrs. The survivors were picked up by DD WARWICK later that day and landed at Liverpool on 3 August.





*MV ROULA (Gk 1041 grt)* The cargo ship was shelled and sunk by RM Sub MAMELI off Crete.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-46
Wilhelmshaven: U-25, U-37, U-38

At Sea 1 August 1940
U-25, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-62, U-99, UA.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
At 1602 hrs NL sub O-21 sighted U-60 en route for Bergen. 13 mins later, O-21 fired 2 torps from 2000m , but both missed. U-60 was unaware of the attack. Later that day at 1800 hrs, O-22, patrolling nth of her sister ship, also sighted U-60, but the range was too great for an attack. On the evening of the 2nd, U-60 was attacked off Hagesund by LW Ju 88 aircraft of KG30 flying from Stavanger, Norway to raid the Orkneys, but the boat suffered no damage.

DD DUNCAN departed Rosyth to rendezvous with DD MAORI and escort steamer LOCHNAGAR from Aberdeen to Lerwick. DD MASHONA departed Scapa on the 2nd to relieve DUNCAN escorting LOCHNAGAR. DUNCAN proceeded to Scapa but was delayed entering harbour due to fog. She did arrive at Scapa on the 3rd. On arrival at Lerwick on the 2nd, DDs MAORI and MASHONA proceeded to an ASW search in the vicinity of the one hundred fathom line nth of the Shetlands. No contact was made.

Tkr GOTHIC was damaged by the LW 12 miles 310° from Flamborough Head. FN.239 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER, sloop WESTON, patrol sloop MALLARD. Steamer HIGHLANDER was damaged by the LW. One German plane was shot down or crashed on the poop deck of HIGHLANDER. DD WESTON also shot down a German bomber. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 3rd. MT.127 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.

*West Coast UK*
DD FEARLESS was in a minor collision with Armed PV FLYING WING off the Mull of Kintyre. DD FAULKNOR stood by to assist. FEARLESS proceeded to the Clyde and then was taken to Glasgow where she was under repair until 8 October.

*SW Approaches*
Steamer KERRY HEAD was damaged by the LW four miles ESE of Old Head of Kinsale, off the sth coast of Eire.

*Med- Biscay*
Fce H departed Gib on 31 July for Operation HURRY with BC HOOD, BB VALIANT, CV ARK ROYAL and CVE ARGUS, CLs ARETHUSA and ENTERPRISE, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FEARLESS, ESCAPADE, ACTIVE, WRESTLER, ENCOUNTER, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, HOTSPUR. CL ENTERPRISE was SE of Minorca simulating activity in the northern part of the Western Basin in Operation SPARK. The CL was also to have contacted Fr steamer GENERAL GUEYDON, but contact was not made. Diversion for HURRY was by the Med Flt which departed Alexandria on 31 July with CLs NEPTUNE, RAN SYDNEY, ORION, DDs NUBIAN, JUNO, GARLAND as Fce A and BBs ROYAL SOVEREIGN and MALAYA, CVL EAGLE,HERO, HEREWARD, HOSTILE, HASTY, ILEX, IMPERIAL, JERVIS, RAN VENDETTA as Fce B. However, when a mechanical breakdown occurred on BB MALAYA, Fce B returned to Alexandria on the 1st. Force A returned the next day. On the 2nd, HURRY, the flyoff of 12 Hurris from ARGUS to Malta was conducted with all a/c reaching Malta. While the rest of Force H turned nth, CVE ARGUS, escort DDs ENCOUNTER, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, HOTSPUR, conducted the operation. CV ARK ROYAL, screened by BC HOOD, CL ENTERPRISE, DDs FAULKNOR, FOESTER, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, launched strikes against Cagliari in Operation CRUSH. 12 Fairey Swordfish from the ARKROYAL make the first night raid on Italian soil in the early morning hrs, attacking Cagliari in sthn Sardinia. They inflict heavy damage on the airfield and on Italian seaplanes (destroying 6 on the water) anchored in the harbor and drop naval mines into the harbor. However 2 Swordfish are lost. 9 accompanying Blackburn Skuas shoot down an airborne Cant Z.501 search plane. The downed Swordfish crews are taken prisoner. Fce H arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th. After HURRY, Somerville took Fce H with BCs HOOD, BB VALIANT, CVE ARGUS, CL ARETHUSA, DesFlot 8 back to England. CV ARK ROYAL, CL ENTERPRISE, DDs GREYHOUND, GALLANT, ENCOUNTER, HOTSPUR sailed with Fce H, but returned to Gib on the 8th after parting with the rest of Fce H. On 9 August, Fce H was met west of Ireland by DDs PUNJABI, TARTAR, BEDOUIN which escorted BC HOOD, CL ARETHUSA, DDs ESCAPADE and FOXHOUND to Scapa on the 10th. BB VALIANT, CVL ARGUS, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER arriving at Liverpool on the 10th.

*Malta*
Eight HAA and ten LAA guns are on their way to Malta, with more heavy guns to follow. All will be accompanied by supplies of ammunition. Welcoming the news, the Governor and Commander in Chief informed the War Office that there is significant doubt whether the Island will have sufficient servicemen to man the guns.

In a telegram sent today, he reports that the rate of recruitment is slowing considerably in Malta, due to the limit of the local population and requirements of other units on the Island. As a result it has been impossible to build up any reserve forces and no reinforcements are in place to man the new guns. Without additional Royal Artillery or signals personnel from the Middle East, the all-important artillery will sit idle.


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## parsifal (Aug 2, 2015)

*2 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette PEONY





*Losses
Type IA U-25 (DKM 862 grt)* Around 2 August 1940, while on a ML mission near Norway, U-25 passed through British mine barrage no7 and struck a mine. The boat sank, taking all hands with it. Barrage Field No. 7, had been laid by the HM DDs EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE. All 49 crew perished. The body of one of its crewmen was washed ashore on Helgoland on 19 Aug 1940. This mine field probably accounted for several U-boats on their outbound or return journey and remained hidden to german SIGINT. Despite the Type 1A being judged unsuitable, it was necessary to use them operationally from early 1940 due to Uboat shortages. U-25 sank 8 vessels for a total of 50,255 grt and damaged one for 7,638 grt





*ASW trawler CAPE FINISTERRE (RN 590 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Harwich. One rating was lost in the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CITY OF BRISBANE (UK 8006 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Sth Longsand Buoy, Thames Estuary. The steamer went ashore at South Longsand. CITY OF BRISBANE was still afire on the 5th. 8 crew were lost on the British steamer.





*Drifter EMBRACE (UK 94 grt)* was lost after stranding at Loch Alsh (off the west coast of Scotland).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM Raider ATLANTIS captured *steamer TALLYRAND (Nor 6732 grt)* in the Indian Ocean. TALLYRAND was scuttled on the next ady and the crew were transferred to steamer TIRRANNA. When TIRRANNA was lost, 3 of the steamer TALLYRAND crew were lost.




_Steamer TALLYRAND on fire and sinking after scuttling charges had been set off_

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-62

At Sea 2 August 1940
U-34, U-37, U-38, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-99, UA.
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
At 1508 hrs, SW of Norway: U-37 and U-38 were sailing together when they were attacked by a CC Hudson from 220 Sqn. No damage. 1600 hrs following an earlier unsuccessful attempt the day previous to waylay U-34, NL sub O-22 sighted either U-37 or U-38, and after difficulty getting into a firing position fired two torps from the extreme range of 3600m at 1620. Both missed, and the U-boat remained unaware of the attack.

FN.240 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 4th. MT.128 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 2nd. FS.239 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

*Northern Waters*
The DDs under Home Flt control were reorganised.
DesFlot 3 (DDs INGLEFIELD, ISIS, DUNCAN, ECHO, ECLIPSE, ELECTRA and ENCOUNTER (on her return to England)).

DesFloty 4 (DDs COSSACK, ZULU, SIKH, MAORI, FAME, FORTUNE. Temporarily attached DDs FURY and FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND (on return to England)).

DesFlot 6 (DDs TARTAR, ASHANTI, MATABELE, MASHONA, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ESKIMO, SOMALI).

DesFlot 12 (DDs KEPPEL, DOUGLAS, ARROW, ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTHONY, AMAZON. Temporarily attached DDs VORTIGERN and WATCHMAN).

DDs MAORI and MASHONA departed Lerwick for an ASW sweep north of the Shetlands. No contact was made. DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI departed Scapa to search in the area of Nth Minch, then join convoy WN.4. The DDs would stay with WN.4 until Rattray Hd when they were detached to join OA.193. British minefield BS.30 was laid by MLs PLOVER and WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN and DDs EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS, INTREPID, IMPULSIVE.

*West Coast UK*
OG.40 of 21 ships departed Liverpool. The convoy was escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS from 2 to 14 August. DD WESTCOTT escorted the convoy from 2 to 7 August when she was detached to HG.40. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 14th.

*Western Approaches*
Kretschmer in U-99 made repeated attacks on Convoy OB 191 but was very unlucky.
At 0251 hrs, U-99 fired one G7e torpedo at the biggest tanker in convoy OB-191 (Nor tkr STRINDA) about 340 miles west of Inishtrahull and hit the STRINDA amidships on the port side. All power was lost because the explosion had stopped the engines. One of the port lifeboats was destroyed and the crew abandoned ship in the remaining boats. Waiting nearby, the master and some men reboarded the tanker after 4 hrs, brought her on an even keel by shifting the ballast and restarted the engines. The rest of the crew rejoined some time afterwards and the lifeboats were hoisted up at 0900 hrs. The ship returned to port under her own power with two other torpedoed tankers from the same convoy and arrived at Gourock in the evening of 4 August. On 21 October, the STRINDA arrived in Cardiff for repairs and returned to service in March 1941. At 0343 hrs on 2 Aug 1940 the MV LUCERNA in convoy OB-191 was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-99. She initially stopped and was later attacked by the U-boat with gunfire, but managed to escape and reached Greenock on 8 August. The tkr was repaired at Liverpool and returned to service in May 1941. At 0427 hrs on 2 Aug 1940, tkr ALEXIA in convoy OB-191 was torpedoed by U-99 and fell out of the convoy, where she was shelled by the same U-boat but did not sink.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoys SL.42 and SLF.42 departed Freetown escort CL DELHI to 8 August when she was relieved by AMC MALOJA. The CL refuelled at St Vincent on the 11th and arrived back at Freetown on the 20th, patrolling en route. On 18 August corvettes BLUEBELL and CLARKIA and escort vessel GLEANER joined the convoy. on the 19th, DD VISCOUNT also joined the escort. AMC MALOJA was detached on the 20th. The convoy arrived on the 21st at Liverpool.


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## Njaco (Aug 2, 2015)

Sorry once again.


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## Njaco (Aug 2, 2015)

*July 31 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post699552.html#post699552

*UNITED KINGDOM:* American ambassador in London, England, Joseph Kennedy relayed to US Secretary of State Cordell Hull another request from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill for destroyers.


> "If we cannot get reinforcement," Churchill noted, "the whole fate of the war may be decided by this minor and easily remediable factor."



Fighter output for July is found to be 50 percent above the target figures. Since May 1st 1200 fighters have been produced. This is more than have been made in Germany and the RAF is therefore closing the numerical advantage of the Luftwaffe.

At night there was some minelaying in the Tyne area by the Luftwaffe.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 moves from Döberitz to new airfields at Aalborg joining the II./JG 77 in operations for Luftflotte 5. The Gruppe uses Bf 109Es for operations. The Messerschmitts of 9./JG 77 leave the Aalborg airfield and move to Trondheim airfield joining the fighters of 8./JG 77.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-99 sank British ship “_Jamaica Progress_” at 0138 hours (killing 7) and British ship “_Jersey City_” at 1324 hours (killing 2) 50 miles north of Ireland. She was attacked by depth charges by escort vessels and a bomb from a flying boat, but she was able to escape undamaged.

British destroyer HMS “_Whitshed_” hit a mine off Harwich, Essex, England and lost most of her bow, but she able to be towed to Harwich by the stern by destroyer HMS “_Wild Swan_”. She would remain under repair at Chatham, Kent, England until 21 Dec 1940.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” sank British ship “_Domingo De Larringa_” in the South Atlantic 1,000 miles east of Pernambuco, Brazil. 8 were killed and 30 were taken prisoner.

*GERMANY*: At Adolf Hitler's residence near Berchtesgaden, München-Oberbayern, Germany, German military leaders were advised of Hitler's plan to attack the Soviet Union. Hitler made it clear that an invasion of the USSR was a way of securing mastery of Europe, as the fall of the USSR would certainly force Britain to surrender. The military leaders were told to expect the invasion to start in May 1941, and would likely last about five months. Hitler announced that he would decide whether the invasion of Britain was to take place in mid-Sep 1940 or May 1941 in a few days; the progress of the Luftwaffe campaign over Britain would be among the key factors in his decision process. While German Army and Navy leadership continued to disagree over the plans for the invasion of Britain (with Admiral Erich Raeder convincing Hitler to delay the invasion until mid-Sep 1940), the Luftwaffe moved forth with its plans and began to shift the main target from English Channel shipping to RAF airfields in southern England.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Joachim von Ribbentrop, upon learning that the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, was departing for the Bahamas soon, issued an order to send the British royalty another message overnight, stressing the fact that Germany was attempting to avoid armed conflict with the United Kingdom, which could be achieved with the duke was willing to assist, beginning by not departing Europe for the Bahamas.

*ASIA:* Mitsubishi delivered the first production Zero fighter to the Japanese Navy.

.



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## Njaco (Aug 2, 2015)

*August 1 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post700010.html#post700010

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet Foreign Minister reaffirmed Soviet neutrality while bad-mouthing the United States and the United Kingdom.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A convoy consisted of 6 troop transports carrying 8,077 Canadian troops arrived in Scotland from Nova Scotia.

The British Order in Council declares the start of the grouse shooting season to be August 5th instead of the 12th.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-34 detected British submarine HMS “_Spearfish_” on the surface in the North Sea and sank “_Spearfish_” with her last torpedo at 1904 hours, killing 41. One survivor, Able Seaman William Pester, was taken aboard U-34 as a prisoner of war. German submarine U-59 sank Swedish ship “_Sigyn_” at 0345 hours 60 miles northwest of Ireland; the entire crew was rescued.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Hurry: British carrier HMS “_Argus_” set sail for Malta with 12 Hurricane fighters for reinforcement. She was escorted by Force H with battlecruiser HMS “_Hood_”, battleship HMS “_Valiant_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, cruisers HMS “_Arethusa_” and HMS “_Enterprise_”, and 10 destroyers. Meanwhile, the Mediterranean fleet departed Alexandria, Egypt to conduct diversionary maneuvers in the area of Crete, Greece.

Italian destroyer “_Ugolino Vivaldi_” detected British submarine HMS “_Oswald_” on the surface 15 miles south of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea, charging batteries and performing routine maintenance. “_Oswald_” was sunk by ramming and depth charges. 3 were killed and 52 were taken prisoner.

Italian submarine "_Goffredo Mameli"_ sank Greek ship "_Roula_" 40 miles south of Crete, Greece; the entire crew was rescued.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Dutch submarine O-21 fired two torpedoes at German submarine U-60 at the distance of 2 kilometers off Norway, but both of them missed their target.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Navy established the new Alaskan Sector command within the Thirteenth Naval District.

*GERMANY: * Franz Halder and his staff began planning for the invasion of the Soviet Union.

Helmuth Brinkmann was named the commanding officer of German cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_”.

RAF bombers attacked the Krupp factory in Essen, Germany.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 2, 2015)

*August 1 Thursday *_(continued)_
*WESTERN FRONT:* The Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, received German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop's message. He turned down Ribbentrop's request for him to help bring peace between Britain and Germany, citing his loyalty to the British government. He did, however, maintain a channel of communications with Germany in the future should his assistance be helpful once again. To Ribbentrop's dismay, the duke departed for the Bahamas by the end of the day, ending the German attempt to use him to form a new pro-German leadership in Britain.

Major Adolf Galland is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

In the morning, a British Spitfire fighter on a photo reconnaissance mission found a build-up of German aircraft on the Cotentin Peninsula in France. At 1540 hours, 13 Blenheim bombers of RAF No. 59 Squadron escorted by 10 Blenheim fighters of RAF No. 236 Squadron attacked, causing some damage but in turn losing 1 bomber and 2 fighters. The RAF also bombs the airfield at Leeuwarden, Holland at night and damages three aircraft from II./JG 27. 

General Guisan, the Commander in Chief of Switzerland’s armed forces, declares in a broadcast that the Army will;


> '...defend the passage of the Alps to the end' and uphold the country's strict neutrality’.



*ASIA:* Day 260 of 382 of the 1st Battle of South Guangxi. The Battle of South Guangxi was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. In November 1939, the Japanese landed on the coast of Guangxi and captured Nanning. In this battle, the Japanese successfully cut off Chongqing from the ocean, effectively severing foreign aid to China's war efforts by the sea, rendering Indochina, Burma Road and The Hump the only ways to send aid to China. The Chinese were able to launch several major offensives that maximized Japanese casualties.

A public policy declaration is made concerning Japan's support for a "New Order" in East Asia.

Yoshijiro Umezu was promoted to the rank of general.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka asked French Ambassador to Tokyo Arsène Henry whether Japanese troops might be allowed to enter Indochina to occupy certain airfields; Henry implied that his government would reject such a request. Meanwhile, Japanese Army aircraft were transferred from Northern China to Southern China.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Papua and Mandated Territory of New Guinea became incorporated in the Australian defense system as the 8th Military District.

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## Njaco (Aug 2, 2015)

*August 2 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post700534.html#post700534

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Lord Beaverbrook was appointed to the British War Cabinet.

Josef Frantisek joined the British Royal Air Force and was assigned to RAF No. 303 Squadron based at RAF Northolt in South Ruislip near London, England. Formed on August 2, 1940 in Northolt, RAF No. 303 ‘Kosciuszko’ Squadron was the second polish fighter squadron to be formed on British soil. Its personnel recruited mostly from 111 and 112 Squadrons of the Pursuit Brigade, which had fought with distinction in the Polish campaign of 1939. In spite of some difficulties, mostly stemming from inadequate command of English, conversion to Hurricanes and training in the RAF tactics proceeded smoothly, and a month later the squadron entered the Battle.

*WESTERN FRONT: * French military court sentences General Charles de Gaulle to death in absentia for leading the Free French movement in London.

German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop informs the German ambassador in Madrid, Spain, that Germany desires Spain's early entry into the war.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Overnight, British submarine HMS “_Thames_” hit a mine and sank southwest of Stavanger, Norway, killing the entire crew of 62.

German Ju 87 aircraft attacked German submarine U-60 with bombs by mistake off Hagesund, Norway. U-60 was able to escape without damage.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-99 torpedoed British merchant ship “_Alexia_”, British merchant ship “_Lucerna_”, and Norwegian merchant ship “_Strinda_” of convoy OB-191. All three were damaged but none of them sank. No men were killed as the result of the attack.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US President Roosevelt and his cabinet discussed the methods to which the transferring 50 or 60 destroyers to the United Kingdom could be conducted.

In Canada, Montreal mayor Camillien Houde publicly urges Quebecers to not sign up for national registration for war duty.

*MEDITERRANEAN: * Operation Hurry: 12 British Hurricane fighters were launched from carrier HMS “_Argus_” southwest of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea and flew about 300 miles to Malta. They were to form the new No. 261 Squadron. The escorting surface warships turned back for Gibraltar and England, while the escorting carriers (escorted by battlecruiser HMS “_Hood_”, cruiser HMS “_Enterprise_”, and 4 destroyers) launched an attack consisted of 8 Swordfish torpedo bombers on the Italian airfield at Cagliari, Sardinia, destroying several aircraft and deploying several mines.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic was formed.

*GERMANY:* The Chief of the German Ministry of Economics and Armament is requested to set a programme in train which will increase the army's strength to 180 divisions; this in preparation for the invasion of Russia.

Hitler orders the 'destruction of the RAF and the British aircraft industry' and states that the necessary air offensive must start on 5 August. The significance of this is that it accords the Luftwaffe an independence of role and action that has not been permitted hitherto. Its 'offensive force', rapidly assembled in France, the Low Countries and Norway, will consist of almost 1,700 aircraft including bombers, fighters, Stuka dive-bomhers and fighter-destroyers. Field Marshal Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 will play the major role because its bases are the closest to England; in support will be Field Marshal Sperrle's Luftflotte 3; General Stumpffs Luftflotte 5 wil operate from Norwegian bases against sites in the English Midlands. At this point the Germans remain unaware that the fighters which will be ranged against them are controlled by ground radar, a crucial asset in the weeks to come.

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## parsifal (Aug 2, 2015)

Njaco said:


> Sorry once again.




Its all good Chris. I hope you are on the mend good friend

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## Njaco (Aug 2, 2015)

*August 3 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post700969.html#post700969

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill warned the British people against believing rumors that invasion threat is over.

A second batch of five Beaufighter IF fighters were handed over to the RAF for evaluation.

Two Japanese businessmen were arrested in London, England. In response to a protest by the Japanese Ambassador, the authorities denied that their arrest was a reprisal for the arrest of British citizens in Japan six days prior.

A Fairey Battle Mark 3 (L5110) of RAF No 253 Squadron en route from Northolt to Turnhouse suffered an engine fire and then engine failure as they flew over Tanfield at about 1900 hours. The aircraft crashed just to the NW of Causey. The crew, Sergeant J.A. Anderson and LAC Ricks, baled out and landed on Gibside Estate; both were injured and were taken to Rowlands Gill. The full story of this crash only emerged much later. Sergeant Anderson had exhibited great bravery that day as this excerpt from his obituary explains:


> "John Anderson, or 'Andy' as he was affectionately known to his close friends, died on 28th May, 1978, aged 61 years" ..."The Squadron had been given two old Battles for hack work and target practice, and one day one of them, burst into flames. An airman passenger in the rear gunner's well was too shaken to jump and Andy, despite the flames, climbed along the fuselage trying to persuade the airman to jump and pull his rip cord. Unfortunately Andy was blown off by the slipstream and landed by parachute after suffering some burns. Meanwhile the airman had pulled his rip-cord while still in the well and miraculously was snatched clear by the open parachute, breaking a leg on the main plane but otherwise landing safely intact." Tom Gleave.


 Sergeant Anderson was subsequently shot down during the Battle of Britain and severely injured. His treatment included pioneering plastic surgery making him a member of the "Guinea Pig Club" as well as one of "The Few".

*NORTH AMERICA:* Japanese luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” disembarked 82 Jewish refugees at Pier 89, Seattle, becoming the first Japanese ship to take Jewish refugees to North America.

Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt was assigned the Commander Special Service Squadron aboard gunboat Erie, relieving Rear Admiral John W. Wilcox, Jr.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-57 sank Swedish ship “_Atos_” at 0810 hours north of Ireland; 1 was killed and 27 were rescued. German submarine U-A stopped Yugoslavian ship “_Rad_” at 1900 hours 300 miles off of the coast of Senegal in western Africa and later found out she was carrying chemicals from the United States for South Africa. The crew of 29 was put to lifeboats, and U-A sank “_Rad_” with a torpedo.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic became a member nation of the Soviet Union.

*NORTH AFRICA: *British Somaliland on the East coast of Africa is surrounded by Italian colonies (Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia and Eritrea) and is a tempting target for Mussolini to win an early victory against the British. It is lightly held by about 4,000 colonial soldiers under Brigadier Arthur Reginald Chater, including the Somaliland Camel Corps, with little artillery and no tanks, armored cars or anti-tank weapons. In Abyssinia the Italians have a total force of 350,000 men of whom 70 percent are native troops. Italian General Guglielmo Nasi led an invasion force of 25,000 troops into British Somaliland from Abyssinia. There are three main lines of advance: toward Zeila in the north, Hargeisa in the center and Odweina on the right. The Italian Air Force dominates the offensive against British Somaliland. 

*WESTERN FRONT:* The British liner “_Lancastria_” was evacuating British nationals and troops from France, and had boarded as many as possible for the short trip – an estimated 4,000 to 9,000 passengers were aboard. A German Junkers 88 aircraft bombed the ship shortly after it departed, and it sank within twenty minutes. While 2,477 were rescued, an estimated 4,000 others perished by bomb blasts, strafing, drowning, or choking in oil-fouled water.

.




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## parsifal (Aug 2, 2015)

*3 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 55, Hunt Class Escort DD QUORN







_QUORN worked up at Scapa Flow in DesDiv23 and was then assigned to the Nore Cmd for duty in DesFlot 21._

*Losses
MV ATOS (SD 2161 grt) *Crew: 8 (1 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo:1700 tons of general cargo Route: Liverpool - Glasgow - Petsamo Unescorted, lost in the Western Approaches. At 0810 hrs the unescorted and neutral ATOS was hit in the engine room by a torpedo from U-57 and sank within 3 mins after a boiler explosion about 35 miles nth of Malin Head. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 0807 hrs. 21 crew members and 6 passengers were picked up by the Icelandic trawler SKUTUKK. Among the passengers was a repatriated sailor from Tilia Gorthon, which had been sunk by U-38 (Liebe) on 20 June. 





*MV RAD (Yu 4201 grt) * Crew: 29 (0 dead and 29 survivors) Cargo: Chemicals Route: Baltimore - Durban Unescorted. Sunk in the Central Atlantic off the coast of Africa. At 1900 hrs the unescorted RAD was stopped with gunfire by UA and the crew had to abandon ship after it was discovered that she carried contraband. At 2015 hrs a coup de grâce was fired that broke the ship in two and caused her to sink within 15 mins. The survivors were picked up by the British steam merchant GRODNO and landed at Freetown.





LW a/c were over Scapa and convoy WN.4 between midnight and 0100. They attacked *steamer STATIRA (UK 4852 grt)* in convoy WN.4. The vessel was was badly damaged 38 miles nth of Stornoway. ASW trawler ARAB assisted the steamer. The entire crew was taken off by DDs PUNJABI and BEDOUIN. The steamer was taken in tow on fire to Stornoway by British tug THAMES and escorted by DD PUNJABI, which was later relieved by DD SIKH. The steamer later left Stornoway and put in Rothesay Bay. Steamer STATIRA was later taken to Glasgow where her cargo was unloaded. The steamer was then broken up, a total loss.





*Steamer WYCHWOOD (UK 2794 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Harwich. Patrol sloop MALLARD took off the 22 survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer LODOLETTA (FI 2822 grt)* was sunk by the RAF at Derna.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-34

At Sea 3 August 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-99, UA.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Sub TRIAD , returning from patrol, encountered the outbound U-46 off Fedjeosen, nth of Bergen. TRIAD surfaced at 2230 hrs after failing to achieve a torpedo attack position and engaged U-46 with her 4 inch gun. Endrass (the Uboat commander) decided not to respond and dived. TRIAD also dived and tried to track U-46, but both boats lost contact.

CL CARDIFF, DDs VENOMOUS, VERITY, WILD SWAN, WIVERN, patrol sloops PUFFIN, SHEARWATER, SHELDRAKE operated from Harwich on anti-invasion patrol during the night of 3/4 August.

OA.193 departed Methil escort DD HMCS RESTIGOUCHE and sloop DEPTFORD from 3 to 7 August. The escorts were then detached to convoy HX.61. Escort vessel VERDUN escorted the convoy on the 3rd and DDs PUNJABI and BEDOUIN escorted the convoy on the 4th. FN.241 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON, sloop FLEETWOOD, patrol sloop PINTAIL. The patrol sloop was detached on the 4th. DDs JAGUAR and JAVELIN joined the convoy on the 4th and were detached on the 5th. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. MT.129 departed Methil. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 3rd. FS.241 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend 5 August.

*Northern Waters*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT QUEBEC, PORT NAPIER departed Loch Alsh on the 3rd and laid minefield SN.32 in St Georges Channel screened by CLA CALCUTTA on the night of 4/5 August. Survey ship SCOTT laid the marker buoys for this minefield. They were escorted by DDs ECHO, GARTH, BERKELEY which departed Scapa on the 2nd for this operation, and DD INGLEFIELD, which departed Greenock on the 2nd.

DD DUNCAN arrived at Scapa after completing repairs of her 15 January collision damage. DD KEPPEL arrived at Scapa Flow to join the Home Flt. DDs SIKH and AMAZON arrived at Scapa in company from Greenock.

*West Coast UK*
CA SUSSEX was taken in hand for repair to turbine defects at the Clyde.

*Med- Biscay*
CLAs CAPETOWN and CALEDON left the Med for duty in the Indian Ocean. CAPETOWN departed Alexandria on the 3rd for the East Indies Station. The light cruiser engaged in a battle practice target shoot. After CAPETOWN had completed, DDs DAINTY, RAN VENDETTA, DEFENDER and destroyers JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS participated. CLA CALEDON departed Alexandria on the 10th. Sub PERSEUS, which departed Hong Kong on 18 June and arrived at Colombo on 30 June and Aden on 24 July, arrived at Alexandria on the 3 August.

*Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART made a reconnaissance of Cape Guardafui from 3 to 5 August. The cruiser then returned to Berbera.

*Malta*

Dobbie wrote pessinistically in the war diary

"_Preliminary survey of essential supplies shows certain army and civil stocks are much below the level required to meet six months’ consumption. Some deficiencies will be made up if the British ship Cornwall arrives. It is essential that all services operate a common reserve policy and I recommend that six months’ supply is the minimum level of reserve wherever possible. I also recommend that a convoy runs to Malta at least every two months. This policy would require immediate shipments of supplies to bring reserves to eight months’ stock, which would allow the reserve to reduce to only six months between convoys._”


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## Crimea_River (Aug 2, 2015)

No apologies needed Chris.


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## parsifal (Aug 2, 2015)

*4 August 1940 
Losses
MV GOGOVALE (UK 4586 grt)* Crew:39 (3 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: 6386 tons of flour Route: Montreal - London HX60. Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0335 and then 0338 hrs U-52 fired torpedoes aimed at the GOGOVALE and KING ALFREDwhich hit and sank her about 300 miles WNW of Bloody Foreland. The master and 35 crew members were picked up by DD VANOC and landed at Liverpool.





*MV KING ALFRED (UK 5272 grt)* Crew: 39 (8 dead and 31 survivors) Cargo: pit props Route: St. John’s - Halifax - Methil. Part of HX 60 at the time of loss. Lost in the Western Approaches. At )335 and 0338 hrs U-52 fired torpedoes at the convoy HX-60 about 300 miles WNW of Bloody Foreland and sank both ships. The KING ALFRED broke in two, the bow sank and the stern was sunk by DD VANOC, which also rescued the master, 29 crew members and one gunner and landed them at Liverpool.





*MV GERALDINE MARY (UK 7244 grt) * Crew: 51 (3 dead and 48 survivors) Cargo:newsprint and sulphite pulp Route: Botwood, Newfoundland - Halifax - Manchester Part of HX 60 at the time of loss. Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0922 hrs the GERALDINE MARY was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-52 and sank after 2 hrs about 270 miles WNW of Bloody Foreland. The master and 27 survivors were picked up by a British escort vessel and landed at Methil on 8 August. Six survivors were rescued and landed at Liverpool and 14 others landed at Uig, Isle of Lewis. Among the survivors were four passengers.





Following its successful attacks on HX 60, U-52 was severely damaged by DCs during the counterattacks by British escorts requiring 4 months of repairs.

*MV PINDOS (Gk 4360 grt)* Crew: 32 (3 dead and 29 survivors) Cargo: grain Route: Freetown - Milford Haven - Avonmouth Straggler from SL 40. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2120 hrs PINDOS had straggled from the convoy since 20 July, and was hit by two torpedoes from U-58 and capsized to port side before sinking about 21 miles WNW of Tory Island. The U-boat misidentified her as British motor merchant LIMERICK . The survivors abandoned ship in the lifeboats and made landfall with the help of a local fishing boat at Downings, Co. Donegal. They were lodged with local people for two days before moving on to Lononderry, where two injured men were treated for injuries at a hospital, including one man who had had his nose blown off.





*MSW trawler DRUMMER (RN 297 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Brightlingsea, Essex, with 2 crew lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW trawler MARSONA (RN 276 grt) * of MSW Gp 43 was sunk on a mine off Cromarty. 11 crew were lost
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW trawler OSWALDIAN (RN 260 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Breaksea Light Vessel in Bristol Channel. 12 crew were lost in the trawler. Seven survivors from the trawler were landed at Barry.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub SEALION sank *steamer TORUN (Ex-Nor 3318 grt)* in Homborsund SW of Stavanger.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux SC UJ.175 (DKM 428 grt) *was sunk on a mine north of Ameland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-46, U-59

At Sea 4 August 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-60, U-99, UA.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
ASW KINGSTON CHRYSOBERYL engaged a German S-Boat off St Catherine. In a British raid on oil tanks and barges at Rotterdam, S/Lt R. C. Eborn and Lt T. A. Johnston RM, were killed when their Swordfish of 812 Sqn was shot down off Noorwijk. MT.130 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 4th. FS.242 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIMIERA and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ACHATES and FIREDRAKE departed Scapa to search for a UBoat that had been bombed by a/c. This may have been the UBoat DDs MAORI and MASHONA were searching for on the 3rd nth of the Shetlands. DDs MAORI and MASHONA arrived at Scapa at 2200 on the 4th. After an unsuccessful search, DDs ACHATES and FIREDRAKE swept towards Fair Island Channel by 0600 on the 5th. DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI departed OA.193 on its arrival at Cape Wrath late that evening.The DDs arrived at Scapa early on the 5th. DDs FORTUNE and FURY departed Scapa for escort duty in the Clyde.

British steamer WHITE CREST was damaged by the LW off Cape Wrath (Nth Coast of the Scottish Mainland)

*West Coast UK*
Having just completed repairs, CA BERWICK departed Liverpool, and in fog, In a fog at 0034 BERWICK collided with an unknown ship. She was damaged above the water line, forcing her back to the repair yard at Glasgow from to 7 to 22 August. The cruiser finally arrived in the Clyde on the 25th.

OB.193 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANQUISHER and VISCOUNT from 4 to 7 August. The escorts were then detached to HX.61.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.63 departed Halifax early on the 4th local escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE, OTTAWA and SAGUENAY. Later that evening , the local escort turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC ASCANIA, before returning to Halifax. . The AMC was detached on the 16th. BHX.63 departed Bermuda on the 3rd with an ocean escort of AMC ALAUNIA. BHX63 rendezvoused with HX63 on the 8th when the AMC was detached to return to Bermuda. On 16 August, DD MACKAY, sloop LEITH, corvettes HEARTSEASE and HIBISCUS joined the convoy for the inbound escort and remained with the convoy until its arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

*Central Atlantic*
DKM Raider WIDDER sank *tkr BEAULIEU (Nor 6114 grt) *in the Central Atlantic with 3 crew were killed on the Norwegian tanker.








_Map of the WIDDERs Patrol_

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HERO, HEREWARD, IMPERIAL departed Alexandria for an ASW sweep along the Nile Delta, along the Palestine and Syrian coasts, along the Nth coast of Cyprus to the west before returning to Haifa. DD HEREWARD returned to Alexandria on the 5th after developing some defects. DD HASTY was sent to replace HEREWARD in the sweep.

CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER with DDs JERVIS and HOSTILE departed Alexandria during the afternoon of 4 August to sweep in the Aegean. They were also to cover the movement of barges from Athens to Alexandria. DDs HERO, HASTY, IMPERIAL arrived at Haifa on the 7th. The CL force arrived back at Alexandria on the 8th. DDs JERVIS and HOSTILE arrived at Alexandria on the 10th with four Danube barges and a tug.

*Indian Ocean*
RAN CA CANBERRA departed Simonstown for Freemantle to effect repairs to A brackets and propeller shaft.

*Malta*
No raids on this day

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## Njaco (Aug 4, 2015)

*August 4 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post701468.html#post701468

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Three British minesweeping trawlers hit German naval mines on this date at different locations on the British coast and were all destroyed: HMT “_Drummer_” (2 killed), HMT “_Marsona_” (11 killed), and “_Oswaldian_” (12 killed, 7 survived).

*NORTH AFRICA: *Italian troops marched in three columns toward Berbera, British Somaliland. To reach Berbera (the main port and capital of British Somaliland), 125 miles away from the Ethiopian border, Italians need to cross rugged mountains almost 1 mile high. The main thrust takes the most direct route on the main road via Hargeisa, through the Karrim Pass, its flank protected by a smaller column a few miles to the East. Further West, another column advances along the border with French Somaliland.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-58 sank Greek ship “_Pindos_” with two torpedoes 10 miles from the Irish coast at 2120 hours; 3 were killed and 29 took to lifeboats. 300 miles northwest of Ireland, German submarine U-52 sank three transports in convoy HX-60: “_Geraldine Mary_” (3 killed, 48 survived), “_Gogovale_” (all 37 survived), and “_King Alfred_” (7 killed, 34 survived). U-52 was depth charged by Royal Navy escort vessels, causing significant damage, but she was able to escape and sail to Kiel, Germany for repairs. She would be out of action until 17 Nov 1940.

After sundown, German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” stopped Norwegian tanker “_Beaulieu_” with one shot from her gun in the Atlantic Ocean about 1,700 miles east of Florida, United States, killing 4 in the process. 28 survivors were taken to lifeboats and abandoned; they would be rescued by British tanker “_Cymbeline_” on 13 Aug 1940. “_Widder_” is threatened by her own torpedo which becomes a circle runner and “_Beaulieu_” is finally sunk with scuttling charges. “_Widder’s_” Captain Helmuth Ruckteschell will be tried as a War Criminal in May 1947 and found guilty of other charges but acquitted of abandoning these survivors from “_Beaulieu_”.

German anti-submarine trawler “_Perseus_” (UJ-175) hit a naval mine and sank off Ameland Island off northwestern Netherlands.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British submarine HMS “_Sealion_” sank Norwegian ship “_Torun_” off of the Norwegian southern coast.

*GERMANY:* Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld was transferred to the Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 wing based in Gütersloh, Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British Force H leaves Gibraltar for home waters to counter the German invasion threat.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 5, 2015)

*5 August 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN Destroyer tender PRAIRIE 





Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 56 

*Losses*
*MSW trawler RIVER CLYDE (RN 276 grt)* of MSWGp 6 was sunk on a mine off Aldeburgh Light Float. 11 ratings were killed and one died of wounds in the trawler. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*MV BOMA (UK 5408 grt) *Crew:53 (3 dead and 50 survivors) Cargo: 10.000 tons of coal Route: Cardiff - Lagos COnvoy OB 193. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2138 hrs , U-56 fired a spread of two torps at the convoy OB-193 NW of Malin Head and recorded that one missed and the other detonated at the end of the run after 7 minutes 25 seconds. However, the BOMA was in fact hit in this attack and sank the next day. The master, 47 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the VILJA, transferred to HMS VISCOUBT and landed at Liverpool. 





*MV CAPE ST GEORGE (UK 5112 grt) *Convoy SL42. Cargo of Rice from Far East to England. Sunk off Sierra Leone. Soon after a collision with the MV GRODNO, CAPE ST GEORGE was in collision with the sunken wreck of YUG RAD SE of Cape Verde and sank. All 65 crew were rescued by GrODNO 





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-99 

Departures
Lorient: U-30 

At Sea 5 August 1940
U-30, U-37, U-38, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-60, UA. 
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
A division of the J and K DDs were ordered to join the Nore Command to bolster anti invasion forces.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ACHATES and FIREDRAKE patrolled in the area of Cape Wrath-North Rona-Butt of Lewis area after a UBoat was reported in the area. DDs ASHANTI and MASHONA proceeded to Lerwick to escort British steamer LOCHNAGAR which departed Lerwick that morning for Aberdeen.

OA.194 departed Methil escort dd HESPERUS and sloop HASTINGS. FN.243 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th. MT.131 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. FS.243 departed the Tyne, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS and patrol sloop KITTIWAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th.

*Western Approaches*
Allied Destroyer assets based in home waters were being torn in two directions. The threat of invasion forced many naval assets (but particularly DDs to be held ready for anti-invasion duties, but the rising losses in shipping also threatened to throttle the life out of the British economy. Due to heavy losses to shipping by submarine attacks, Leader DD KEPPEL and all the the A class DDs were order to transfer to the CinC Western Approaches.

*Central Atlantic*
USN CAs WICHITA and QUINCY departed Bahia for Perambuco, arriving on the 9th. The cruisers departed on 13 September and arrived at Montevideo 23 August. Departing on the 28th, they arrived at Buenas Aires on the 29th. WICHITA and QUINCY departed Buenas Aires on 3 September and arrived at Rio de Janiero on 6 September. They departed Rio on 10 September and arrived back at Norfolk, Virginia on 24 September.




_WICHITA in 1944. Following her commissioning, WICHITA was assigned to neutrality patrols in the Atlantic. After the US entered World War II, she was first assigned to convoy escort duty on the Murmansk Run in early 1942, and supported amphibious landings during Operation Torch in November 1942. During the Naval Battle of Casablanca, WICHITA engaged several French coastal batteries and warships, as well as the incomplete BB floating battery JEAN BART . In 1943, WICHITA was transferred to the Pacific Theater, where she remained for the rest of the war. _

*Malta*
1515-1544 hrs Air raid alert for 17 enemy CR42s which approach Malta from the north and cross over the east of Gozo, then over Marfa Ridge, turning south east and then south before passing over Hal Far. They circle round the east of the Island at 21000 feet, evidently trying to lure Malta’s fighters into battle. Two Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not engage and the raiders turn away. Spinola, Delimara, San Pietru and San Giacomo batteries engage the raiders but they are too high for accurate hits. No bombs are dropped.


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## Njaco (Aug 5, 2015)

*August 5 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN*: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post701958.html#post701958

*UNITED KINGDOM: * The United Kingdom and Poland signed a military agreement.

Churchill and de Gaulle agreed on Free French forces organization.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_River Clyde_” hit a naval mine off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England and sank, killing 12.

*WESTERN FRONT:* At the airfield in Pihen, France, Hptm. Douglas Pitcairn, Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 51 collides with his wingman, Ofw. Erwin Fleig during takeoff. Hptm. Pitcairn is seriously injured and his wartime flying days done. Oblt. Hermann-Friedrich Jöppien takes his place as Staffelkapitän.

*GERMANY:* The first operational plans for the German invasion of the Soviet Union are presented to General Halder, the Chief of Staff at OKH, by one of his officers, General Marcks. They envisage a two-pronged attack with the major effort being directed toward Moscow and a minor advance being made toward Kiev. Work continues on the plans at both OKH and OKW.


Germany announced that all citizens will be required to carry a Certificate of Ancestry (Ahnenpass) that proves their Aryan purity dating back to 1800.

During the night, British Hampden aircraft attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British Somaliland. Italians take the port of Zeila on the coast near the border with French Somaliland, effectively isolating the British colonial forces and advance on Berbera from the West. The main Italian force, going across the mountains towards Berbera, is held up at Hargeisa. Italian light tanks push back Somaliland Camel Corps and other unarmoured British units.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-56 attacked British ship “_Boma_” at 2138 hours 20 miles north of Ireland; 3 were killed and 50 survived; “_Boma_” would sink on next day. British ship “_Cape St. George_” hit the wreck of Yugoslavian ship “_Rad_” off of the coast of Senegal in western Africa, which was sunk by German submarine U-A two days earlier. As “_Cape St. George_” sank, the crew of 65 were rescued by British ship “_Grodno_”, which was carrying the survivors of “_Rad_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Navy Chief of Naval Operations established general ground rules to govern the exchange of scientific and technical information with the British mission under Sir Henry Tizard.

US Navy Rear Admiral John W. Greenslade and French Vice Admiral Georges A. M. J. Robert amicably discussed the presence of French warships (aircraft carrier “_Béarn_”, light cruiser “_Émile Bertin_”, training cruiser “_Jeanne d'Arc_”, and auxiliary cruisers “_Esterelle_”, “_Quercy_”, and “_Barfleur_”) and aircraft (44 SBC-4 dive bombers, 15 Hawk 75 fighters, and 6 Brewster fighters) in the western hemisphere.

In Canada, Montreal mayor Camillien Houde is arrested, and charged under the Defence of Canada Regulations. He is imprisoned at Camp Petawawa in Ontario until the end of the war.

Roosevelt proposes legislation to combat 'fifth column' activities, following exhaustive enquiries by J. Edgar Hoover and FBI.

.

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## parsifal (Aug 7, 2015)

*6 August 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson/Gleaves Class DD USS MADISON 





*UBOATS*
At Sea 6 August 1940
U-30, U-37, U-38, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-60, UA. 
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, INTREPID of DesFlot 20 departed Immingham on the 5th and met their MTB escort. Early on the 6th, the DDs laid minefield CBX.4 off the Dutch coast in the Schoonveld and West Pit Passages off Thornton Ridge. 

After 25 June 1940, when France surrendered to Germany, Britain and the Dominions became the only Allied nations free to prosecute the war with Germany and Italy, a condition that persisted until Italy decided to provoke conflict with Greece in the autumn of 1940. In those traumatic days, with the invasion of Britain anticipated, and indeed tentatively planned for mid September 1940, it was an act of considerable faith to despatch from Britain such forces as were then able to be spared. The reason for this decision was that Egypt and East Africa had only garrisons which were much reduced from even the pre‑war scale, while Libya and Italian East Africa contained considerable enemy forces; indeed British Somaliland was evacuated due to lack of British and Indian troops in sufficient numbers to oppose the Italian advance.

As the potential attacks from Libya and East Africa were such as to threaten not only the Suez Canal but also, eventually, the oil resources of Iraq and Persia, it became necessary to reinforce the Egyptian garrison. Despite the possible events at home therefore, troops, as well equipped as could be from the depleted arsenals in Britain, were sent via the Cape of Good Hope to Egypt to form what became known as the Desert Army under General Wavell. This force acquitted itself very well indeed, and stabilised the situation in Egypt and Libya in Britain's favour.

Thereafter, as the fortunes of war swung from one side to the other, greater and greater resources had to be committed, whatever the position at home. Also, war was looming further East with the increasing menace of Japan, and the position in India, Malaya and the Indies generally was of major concern.

Faced with such an obvious threat, and with the possibility of the invasion of Britain rapidly receding (it was apparent as early as Oct 1940 that the original plans had been abandoned) reinforcement of Egypt and India became of prime importance. The early ad hoc convoys (designated as AP 1, 2, 3 and 3½ ) were therefore replaced by a series known as WS. These initials, which oddly bear no relation to origin or destinations as convoy codes usually do, were derived from "Winston's Special" as the first convoy was organised on the explicit orders of the Prime Minister.

The Clyde section of WS.2 with 6 steamers departed at 0630 escort CA SHROPSHIRE, CL EMERALD, DDs FORTUNE, FURY, WATCHMAN, VORTIGERN.

The Liverpool section of WS.2 with 11 steamers departed Liverpool escort CA CORNWALL and DDs HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, HURRICANE, HARVESTER. Steamer ORION was forced to put into the Clyde the same day with engine defects. Both sections rendezvoused on the 6th and traveled together at sea. Various ships were detached en route and the troopships arrived safely at Capetown. on the 31st, the "slow group" WS.2 B of liners ORION, STRATHEDEN, ORMONDE, BATORY departed Capetown for Bombay. On 12 September, the "fast group" WS.2 A of liners EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, EMPRESS OF CANADA, ANDES departed Capetown. CA SHROPSHIRE arrived at Simonstown on the 28th and joined the East Indies Command.

CA CORNWALL arrived at Simonstown on the 30th. In the Indian Ocean,WS 2 A was escorted by RAN CL HOBART and RN CL CARLISLE and DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON and WS.2 B was escorted by CA CORNWALL and RAN AMC KANIMBLA.

Sub SEALION was rammed at periscope depth by DKM aux SC UJ.123 while attacking a convoy SW of Stavanger. The sub's periscopes, masts, aerials were wrecked. Steamer CLARE HUGO STINNES (Ger 5295 grt) was missed by torps and not damaged. Sub SEALION arrived at Rosyth on the 10th. She was repaired in the Tyne from 15 August to 23 October.


FN.244 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop LOWESTOFT, and patrol sloop GUILLEMOT. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 8th. MT.132 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.244 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 8th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ACHATES and FIREDRAKE patrolling off Cape Wrath joined convoy HX.60 A in Pentland Firth at 2200. The DDs arrived at Scapa at 1000 on the 7th after escorting the convoy to Pentland Firth docks. 

DD INGLEFIELD , on passage from Loch Alsh to Scapa , DD ANTHONY, escorting CVL FURIOUS on practices, intercepted two Dutch motor coasting vessels proceeding westward through the Pentland Firth. After they were intercepted they were turned over to ASW trawler REGAL which brought them to Kirkwall for examination. DDs COSSACK and SIKH departed Scapa to carry out ASW patrols in Fair Island Channel. No contact was made. The DDs met convoy WN.5 on the 7th in the Minches near Trodday Island and escorted it to Pentland Firth. The DDs were relieved at 0400 in convoy WN.5 off Cape Wrath by DD BERKELEY, which departed Scapa on the 8th. BERKELEY continued sth with the convoy to join the Nore Command. DDs COSSACK and SIKH joined convoy OA.195 at 1515 on the 8th and escorted it to Cape Wrath. DDs COSSACK and SIKH arrived at Scapa at 0240. DD AMAZON departed Scapa to investigate a suspicious merchant ship report two miles 080° from Wick. DD KEPPEL, ANTHONY, AMAZON departed Scapa with DD ACHATES of convoy HX.60A proceeded to the Clyde to join the Western Approaches Command.

*West Coast UK*
OB.194 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs WARWICK and HARVESTER and corvette CLARKIA from 6 to 9 August. DD WARWICK and the corvette were detached to SL.41.

*Med- Biscay*
RM CLs BARBIANO and GUISSANO with DDs PIGAFETTA and ZENO laid mines near Pantelleria escorted by TBs CASSIOPEA, CIGNO, PLEIAI and ALDEBARAN. 

In Operation TUBE, RN sub PANDORA, which departed Gibraltar on 31 July, arrived at Malta with supplies of spares and ground equipment for the Hurricanes CVE ARGUS had delivered in HURRY.

*Indian Ocean*
BN2A departed Aden, escort CL CERES and sloop PARRAMATTA. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 12th

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
German steamer FULDA (7744grt) at Dairen was sold to Japan as TAKAI MARU

*Malta*
General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander of British Forces in the Middle East paid a surprise visit to Malta. He flew in from Alexandria in Egypt by flying boat. General Wavell was on his way to the UK.




_Gen Wavell. He was considered the best British Commander in the Desert by Rommel_

AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 AUGUST TO DAWN 6 AUGUST 1940
1148-1220 hrs Air raid alert for 20 enemy fighters in two VIC formations of six each and four formations of two each, which approach the Island from the nth at 20000 feet, then turn SE before departing. Fort Manoel, San Pietru and Delimara batteries as well as HMS Terror engage the raiders but fire only a few rounds as the raiders are too high to target. 2 Hurricane ftrs are scrambled and engage. One is attacked by enemy fighters but escapes in a dive; no reported results. No bombs are dropped.


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## parsifal (Aug 7, 2015)

*7 August 1940 *
*Losses*
U.38 sank Egyptian *steamer MOHAMED ALI EL KEBIR (7527grt)* whilst the ship was on route from Avonmouth - Gibraltar carrying 697 troops including naval personnel, government stores and mail. From a total of 1,397 men on board, 60 men were lost.
There were 162 crew, one gunner, 697 troops and civilian passengers on the steamer. Ten crew and fifty troops were lost. The survivors from this steamer were picked up by DD GRIFFIN.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 7 August 1940
U-30, U-37, U-38, U-52, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-60, UA. 
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs JAVELIN and JAGUAR, en route from the Humber to join the Home Flt, were diverted to meet British steamers ST MAGNUS and ROGNVALD off Aberdeen for escort to Kirkwall and Lerwick, respectively. On 8 August, on their arrival at Lerwick, the DDs embarked ten officers and one hundred and fifteen ranks of the British Army repatriated from Petsamo, Finland on the Swedish steamer GOTEBORG. The British Army personnel were landed at Scrabster and the DDs arrived at Scapa.

OA.195 departed Methil escort sloop FOWEY. OB.195 departed Liverpool escorts by DD VANOC and corvettes PERIWINKLE and GERANIUM from 8 to 12 August. FN.245 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 9th. MT.133 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.245 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON, sloop FLEETWOOD, patrol sloop MALLARD. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th.

DKM MLs ROLAND, COBRA, BRUMMER laid mines in the southwest Nth Sea for minefield "SW 1" escorted by TBs T.2 of TBFlot1 , T.7 of TBFlot7, and FALKE, KONDOR, JAGUAR of TBFlot5. This minefield sank DDs ESK and IVANHOE were lost and DD EXPRESS was badly damaged on it at the end of the month.

German auxiliary submarine chaser Vp.1501 (trawler WIKING 7, 381grt) was sunk on a mine near Frederickshavn, however she was later salved in 1940 and restored to duty as Vp.1501.

*Northern Waters*
DDs TARTAR, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI departed Scapa to carry out an ASW sweep northward of Nth Rona mined area to Rockall. The DDs then joined BC HOOD, CL ARETHUSA, DD FOXHOUND to escort them to Scapa. DDs TARTAR, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI with BC HOOD, CL ARETHUSA, DDs FOXHOUND and ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa on the 10th.

*Malta*
The Malta Infantry Brigade ceased operations today at Lascaris Barracks, to be reformed and expanded to two new Brigades. Infantry will now be operated in two zones: the Northern Infantry Brigade under Brigadier W H Oxley MC with its HQs at the Melita Hotel and the Sthn Inf Brigade under Brigadier L H Cox MC, based at Luqa. Lt Col E D Corkery MC will be Brigadier i/c Administration, Malta.

The Nthn Brigade will include units of 2nd Battalion (Bn) Royal Irish Fusiliers, 8th Bn Manchester Regt and 1st and 2nd Bns Kings Own Malta Regt. The Sthn Brigade will include units of 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt, 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regt and 3rd Bn Kings Own Malta Regt.

Air raid alert for 6 a/c reported approaching over St Paul’s Bay, later understood to be probing the defences. Malta fighters are up and the raiders turn back before any interception and before reaching the coast. No bombs are dropped.No enemy raids
1530 to 1730 hrs FAA Skua recon of Messina, Catania, Augusta and Syracuse.


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## parsifal (Aug 8, 2015)

*8 August 1940 *
*Known Reinforcements*
*Losses*
*MV UPWEY GRANGE (UK 9130 grt)* Crew: 86 (36 dead and 50 survivors) cargo: 5380 tons of frozen meat and 51 cases of tinned meat Route: Buenos Aires - London Un-escorted. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1314 hrs the unescorted UPWEY GRANGE was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-37 and sank by the stern about 184 miles west of Achill Head, Co. Mayo. The crew and passengers abandoned ship in the lifeboats but the boats were separated in the bad weather and the boat in the charge of the master was never seen again. The master, 31 crew members, one gunner and three passengers were lost. 42 crew members and 8 passengers were picked up after three days by the British trawler NANIWA about 50 miles from Achill Head, transferred to RN DD VANQUISHER and landed at Liverpool. 





_Convoy CW.9_
8th of August saw a huge British shipping convoy of about 25 merchant ships with armed Royal Navy escort being detected coming through the Straits of Dover and heading westwards towards the Atlantic Ocean. This was to be the first time for 2 weeks that a merchant convoy was going to attempt passage through the English Channel. It was a foolhardt decision to route the convoy during the height of the air battle. The convoy had assembled at Southend the previous evening ready to pass through the Dover Straits during the hours of darkness en route for Swanage in Dorset. But the German radar Freya had picked them up, and it was a gift that was not to be missed. SBoats attacked first in the half light of dawn, then out went the order to the 8th Flieger Korps at Abbeville to send out all available Ju87s and the fighters of JG 27 at Carquebut and Crepon and all aircraft to set course for the British convoy CW9 codenamed "Peewit" by the RAF. Further attacks by units of Sperles air fleet followed up later in the afternoon In all, some 300 strike a/c and 150 ftrs of the LW took to the air and planned to attack the convoy during the early morning.

By days end, the RAF had lost 13 Hurricanes in defending Convoy CW9 ("Peewit" as it was referred to in the battle), five others suffered damage including one that was to make a forced landing. Only one Spitfire was destroyed while two others sustained damage. But the action saw 13 RAF pilots killed with three sustaining severe injuries, a very heavy loss rate in aircrew. The LW fared no better, they too had a high attrition rate. They lost a total of 8 Bf109's, 1 Bf110, and 7 Ju87 Stukas although 2 109s, 5 110s, and 11 Ju87's sustained such heavy damage as to never fly again. . But it was the convoy Peewit that had suffered most. Of the 23 ships that had commenced the journey the previous night, only four had managed to limp into either Poole and Portsmouth harbours without damage.

DDs BULLDOG of DesFlot 1 and FERNIE departed Portsmouth to support Convoy CW.9. In convoy CW.9 *steamers HOLME FORCE (UK 1216 grt) *off Newhaven and *MV FIFE COAST (UK 367 grt)* 10-15 miles west of Beachy Head were sunk by DKM S-Boats S.21 and S.27. The Master, two crew, three gunners were lost on the steamer HOLME FORCE. Four crew and one naval rating were lost on the steamer FIFE COAST.




_HOLME FORCE. No image found for the FIFE Coast_

S.20 and S.25, also of the 1st Flotilla made attacks on this convoy. Steamers JOHN M ten miles south of Needles, Steamer IOW and POLLY M 15 miles 190° from Cape Wrath were damaged by these S Boats. *Steamer OUSE (UK 1004 grt)* was sunk off Newhaven in a collision with British steamer RYE while avoiding a torpedo fired by one of the S-Boats. 23 men were rescued from steamer OUSE.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

In air attacks on convoy CW.9, *steamer COQUETDALE (UK 1597 grt)* and *Steamer EMPIRE CRUSADER (UK 1042 grt)* were sunk 15 miles west of St Catherine's Point. The entire crew of COQUETDALE was rescued. The Master, two crew, two naval gunners were lost from the EMPIRE CRUSADER.




_COQUETDALE. No image found for the EMPIRE CRUSADER_ 

*Steamer AJAX (NL 942 grt) *was sunk by the LW 15 miles west of St Catherine's Pt with the loss of four of her crew. NL steamers VEENENBURGH , OMLANDIA, and SURTE were damaged by the LW during these attacks. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamers SCHELDT and BALMAHA were damaged by the LW 15 miles west of St Catherine's Point. *Steamer TRES (Nor 946 grt) *was initially damaged by the LW 1950 yards 036° from Nodes Point, St Helen's Roads, but sank later in St Helens Bay. During these attacks, ASW yachts WILNA and RION and ASW trawlers CAPE PALLISER, KINGSTON CHRYSOBERYL, KINGSTON OLIVINE, STELLA CAPELLA were damaged by the LW in the area.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM Raider WIDDER sank *steamer OOSTPLEIN (NL 5095 grt)* in the Central Atlantic 200 miles sth of the Azores. The crew were made prisoners of war and were landed at St Nazaire on 9 October.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-46, U-59
Wilhelmshaven: U-65

At Sea 8 August 1940
U-30, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, UA. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DDs EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, IVANHOE departed Immingham and joined four MA/SBs from Harwich. During the night of 8/9 August, the DDs laid minefield MP (A), an extension of the MN minefield to Falls Bank and to back up the MN minefield. During the night of 10/11 August, the same destroyers conducted MP (B). After MP (B), the DDs returned to Immingham.

ORP DD BURZA made three attacks at 1410 on a UBoat contact. BURZA was en route to Scapa to work up after repairs. She arrived on the 9th at 1900.

FN.246 departed Southend, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS and patrol sloop SHEARWATER. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 10th. MT.134 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.246 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop STORK. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 10th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.64 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PV FRENCH . DD SAGUENAY and aux PV LAURIER departed escorted SHX.64 and joined at sea. PV FRENCH returned to Halifax after dark on the 8th and DD ASSINIBOINE remained with the convoy until late on the 9th leaving the convoy to ocean escort, AMC RAJPUTANA. The AMC was detached on the 20th. BHX.64 departed Bermuda on 7 August escort CL CARADOC. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.64 on the 12th and the CL was detached. On the 20th, DD WARWICK, sloop SANDWICH, corvettes GARDENIA and MALLOW joined the convoy. They arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on the 23rd.

*Central Atlantic*
USN DDs WALKE and WAINWRIGHT departed Santos for Rio de Janiero. 

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HERO, HASTY, IMPERIAL departed Haifa to east east and north of Cyprus. HASTY was detached off Haifa to escort a local convoy. IMPERIAL and HERO arrived back at Alexandria on the 10th. HASTY arrived later on the 10th. In Operation TUBE, sub PROTEUS, which departed Gibraltar on the 1st, arrived at Malta with spares and ground equipment for the Hurricanes brought to Malta by HURRY. In harbour, submarine PROTEUS was in a collision with British tug ANDROMEDA. The sub was repairing until 22 August. 

RM ML SCILLA escort TBs ANTARES and SAGITARIO laid mines off Pantelleria. DD HOSTILE was lost later this month on this minefield.

*Indian Ocean*
3 RA air raids were launched on Berbera. RAN CL HOBART, sloop AUCKLAND, ASW trawler AMBER, several steamers were in port.
HOBART and armed boarding vessel CHAKDINA were damaged by splinters from near misses

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
CL DURBAN completed her refitting begun at Singapore in July. CL DRAGON arrived at Lobito to refuel prior to joining convoy RS.5. The cruiser departed the next day and joined the convoy on the 11th.

*Malta*
1302-1330 hrs Air raid alert for 6 enemy a/c which pass nth to sth over the Island, to the east of Tarxien. No bombs are dropped. Malta fighters are scrambled but do not intercept. 

ROYAL NAVY At 2000 hrs RN Sub PROTEUS arrived with vital spares for the newly arrived Hurricanes and accidentally collides (and sinks) *Harbour Tug ANDOMEDA (UK 150 grt)* when shifting berth.

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## parsifal (Aug 8, 2015)

UNUSED


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## Njaco (Aug 9, 2015)

*August 6 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post702290.html#post702290

*UNITED KINGDOM:* At 0630 hours, Hurricane fighters of No. 85 Squadron RAF shot down a German Do 17 aircraft on a reconnaissance mission over a convoy east of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. Also on this day, a lone German aircraft bombed the RAF station at Llandow, Wales.

DeGaulle argees to Churchill’s proposal of a joint Anglo-Free French naval expedition to Dakar, the capital of French West Africa. Sir Winston hopes an overwhelming display of Allied force will persuade Governor General Boisson to surrender the colony over to Free France without a fight. DeGaulle offers a counter proposal to land at Conakry, French Guinea and march overland on Dakar. The General hopes to pickup local support during the 500 miles march. DeGaulle is convinced a direct assault on the heavily fortified Vichy capital, which is still seething with anti-British anger in the wake of the attack on the Richelieu, will meet fierce resistance and end in failure. The British argue that they haven’t the time or resources to devote to the prolonged campaign proposed by DeGaulle.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian troops under Brigadier General Bertello captured Odweina, British Somaliland.

*ASIA:* Ba Maw, the pro-Japanese anti-British former Premier of Burma, was arrested for attacking Premier U Pu's policy of supporting Britain in the war against Germany. Ba Maw received a one year jail sentence.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* US Army transport “_American Legion_” reached Petsamo, Finland to embark American nationals from Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands wishing to return to the United States.

British submarine HMS “_Sealion_” was rammed by German anti-submarine vessel UJ-123 while running at periscope depth attacking a convoy 20 miles off the southern coast of Norway. “_Sealion_” would be able to return to the Tyne on 15 Aug and would remain in repair until 23 Oct.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Tube: British submarine HMS “_Pandora_” reached Malta from Gibraltar with ground equipment and spare parts for the Hurricane fighters delivered by aircraft carrier HMS “_Argus_” 2 Aug during Operation Hurry.

Italians lay extensive minefields in Sicilian Channel in which two British destroyers are sunk: “_Hostile_” (August 23, 1940) and “_Gallant_” (January 10, 1941).

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## Njaco (Aug 9, 2015)

*August 7 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post702677.html#post702677

*WESTERN FRONT: *At St. Omer airfield, the Staffelkapitän of 3./Epr.Gr 210 and a proponent of fighter-bomber tactics, Hptm. Valesi, crashes in his Bf 109E and is killed.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The last reinforcements (the 2nd Battalion of the Black Watch) and the 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment arrived in British Somaliland to reinforce against the Italian invasion.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-38 torpedoed and sank British troopship “_Mohamed Ali El Kebir_” 160 miles off Ireland at 2140 hours en route from England to Gibraltar, killing 86 of the 697 military passengers and 10 of the 165 crew aboard. Destroyer HMS “_Griffin_” depth charged U-38 for two hours and then returned to pick up all 766 survivors.

*ASIA: *Lord Halifax of the United Kingdom and US Ambassador to Tokyo Joseph Grew voiced concerns over Japanese demands for French Indochina.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* The Australian Commonwealth used its National Security Regulations to requisition Alanzo Sparkes' paddock at Chermside for a military camp. The plan was to erect a tented camp to accommodate 3,500 militia troops. Huts would be built later when funds were available. The first structure to be established was a Military Post Office (MILPO) that opened on 5 October. The first 200 recruits were expected on 7 October 1940. Chermside Army Camp (Queensland WWII Historic Places)

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## Njaco (Aug 9, 2015)

*August 8 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post703037.html#post703037

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Wages of British military personnel increased by 6 pence per day. With this increase, a British Army private's weekly pay was increased to 17 shillings and 6 pence.

*WESTERN FRONT:* As the crew of Hptm. Kienitz's III./JG 3 arrive at their new airbase at Desvres, they find instead of a prepared airfield, they must operate from a local football field.

RAF raids on Schiphol and Valkenburg airfields, Holland (1 aircraft lost); night raids on Hamburg docks, marshalling yards at Hamm and Soest and power station at Cologne (1 aircraft lost).

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Laws restricting education and employment were introduced in Romania.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Troops of the 2nd Battalion, UK (Scottish) Black Watch arrived in British Somaliland to reinforce against the Italian invasion.

RAF and Italian fighter biplanes engaged each other over the Western Desert (Libya). 7 Italian and 2 British (Gladiators) were shot down.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Upwey Grange_”, carrying 5,380 tons of frozen beef from Argentina to Britain, 200 miles west of Ireland at 0114 hours. The entire crew of 86 took to lifeboats, but one of the boats, carrying 36, was never seen again.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” sank Dutch collier “_Oostplein_” carrying 5,850 tons of coal from Britain to Buenos Aires, Argentina; the entire crew of 34 were rescued by “_Widder_”.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler ordered Walter Warlimont, Alfred Jodl's deputy, to determine the positions of Soviet troops in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. On the same day, Wilhelm Keitel signed the Aufbau Ost directive, which called for the mobilization of the German military in eastern Germany.

*ASIA:* Battleship No. 1, the future battleship “_Yamato_”, was launched at Kure Naval Arsenal, Japan.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Tube: British submarine HMS “_Proteus_” reached Malta from Gibraltar with spares for the newly-arrived Hurricane fighters.


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## Njaco (Aug 9, 2015)

*August 9 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post703609.html#post703609

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government announces that it is abandoning the British presence in Shanghai and Tientsin province, in China. The forces concerned move out later in the month. Also, General de Gaulle announces that he has the support of the French New Hebrides colony.

Four people were killed and seventy-eight injured, when a shipyard (Laing's), a railway bridge, some residential property (in Bonners Field ?) and Monkwearmouth Station Hotel was hit when bombing took place at Sunderland at 1140 hours by a Heinkel He 111H, dumping its bombs, it then fell into the sea off Whitburn at 1152 hours after an RAF fighter attack. The crew were picked by a RN patrol boat, two of the crew were injured and two were unhurt.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF raid Guernsey airfield.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic was officially incorporated into the Soviet Union.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-30 sank Swedish merchant ship “_Canton_” 70 miles west of Ireland at 2032 hours; 16 were killed and 16 survived. “_Canton_” was carrying 7,900 tons of cargo (including iron) from India and South Africa to Britain.

*GERMANY: *The German High Command issues a directive for "Otto", the preliminary plan for an attack on the Soviet Union set for Spring 1941.

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## parsifal (Aug 9, 2015)

*9 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
HM Flower Class Corvette ERICA




*Losses
MV CANTON (SD 5779 grt) * Crew: 32 (16 dead and 16 survivors) Cargo: 3000 tons of pig iron, 2700 tons of linseed, 1152 tons of general cargo and 1034 tons of hessian Route: Calcutta - Freetown - Liverpool Unescorted. Sunk in the Western Approaches . At 2032 hrsthe unescorted CANTON was hit by one torpedo from U-30 and sank 70 miles west of Tory Island.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-51, U-100, U-101

At Sea 9 August 1940
U-30, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
North Sea*
OA.196 departed Methil escorted by sloop ROCHESTER and corvette PRIMROSE on the 9th. ASW trawlers KING SOL and AYRSHIRE escorted the convoy on the 11th. FN.247 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER, sloop WESTON, patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. MT.135 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.247 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 11th.

*Northern Waters*
DD JAVELIN departed Scapa for Lerwick to escort British steamer ROGNVALD to Aberdeen. At Aberdeen, JAVELIN met LOCHNAGAR and escorted her to Lerwick, arriving on the 11th. JAVELIN then arrived at Scapa.

*Sth Atlantic*
NL CL SUMATRA departed Trinidad for Freetown, where she arrived on the 20th, en route to the Netherlands East Indies (NEI).

*Med- Biscay*
RM DDs MAESTRALE, GRECALE, LIBECCIO, SCIROCCO laid mines off Pantelleria.

*Malta*

No air activity. Army command advise the war office that stocks of ammunition cannot meet Malta’s needs. The original estimate of 13.5 million rounds made in 1939 are stated as inadequate and should be increased by 50%. The higher demands are due to the addition of three bns, Royal Artillery units, anti-parachutists and extra light machine guns to the Island’s garrison. At that time the reserve stocks amounted to 9 million rounds.

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## parsifal (Aug 9, 2015)

*10 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-94





Allied
Hunt Class Escort DD HOLDERNESS, Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 12







_HMS HOLDERNESS arrived at Scapa on the 12th for work up in DesDiv 23. She departed on 2 September for duty in the Nore with DesFlot 21_

*Losses
Steamer CITY OF DUNDEE (UK 5273 grt)* in convoy FS.247 was lost when grounded near Southend. Some sources also have the Steamer CITY OF BRISBANE lost in the same incident, but I have accepted her earlier loss date of August 2 1940.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*AMC TRANSYLVANIA (RN 16893 grt)* which departed the Clyde on the 9th, was sunk at 0011 by U.56 west of Ireland. 35 of the crew were lost. At 0215, DD ASHANTI, on passage to the Clyde, was ordered to assist the AMC, atr that stage still afloat. DDs HAVELOCK and FORTUNE were also ordered to assist TRANSYLVANIA. DD HAMBLEDON put to sea escorting tugs SALVONIA and ENGLISHMAN to assist the AMC, but this was cancelled when it was found she was beyond salving. DDs HAVELOCK, FORTUNE, ASHANTI, ACHATES, ANTHONY conducted an ASW search for the submarine responsible, but U-56 escaped unharmed. DDs ASHANTI, FORTUNE, ACHATES, ANTHONY, HAVELOCK proceeded to Greenock after the sweep was terminated and arrived late on the 10th.





DDs JAGUAR and CATTISTOCK were to join convoy HX.61 from Cape Wrath to Pentland Firth, but were unable to do so due to the weather state. Convoy HX.61 was delayed by a full northerly gale in the Minches. JAGUAR was detailed to rescue the crew of *steamer ALBULA (NL 329 grt)* of convoy OA.196. The steamer had been abandoned in a sinking condition after a collision. DD CATTISTOCK was unable to make headway against seas experienced to the westward of Pentland Firth. DDs JAGUAR and CATTISTOCK arrived at Scapa on the 11th.





*Drifter YOUNG SID (UK 100 grt)* was sunk in a collision in Moray Firth with a collier.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KIRSTEN (Ex-Den 1196 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the Danish coast.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 10 August 1940
U-30, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.248 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. Patrol sloop PINTAIL joined on 11 and was detached later that day. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 12th. MT.136 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.248 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop EGRET. Patrol sloop PINTAIL joined on the 11th and was detached on the 12th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs COSSACK, SIKH, MAORI, DUNCAN departed Scapa to join convoy OA.196 which was escorted by sloop ROCHESTER and corvette PRIMROSE. The DDs stayed with the convoy as far as Cape Wrath, then proceeded to Loch Alsh for ML operation SN.13.

*West Coast UK*
British steamer BLAIRCLOVA was damaged by the LW 20 miles NNE of Holyhead in the Irish Sea. Also damaged was Dutch steamer HAULERWIJK.

*Western Approaches*
DD ARROW departed Scapa to return to the Western Approaches Command.

*SW Approaches
Steamer VARIA (SD 929 grt)* was sunk by the LW 60 miles SE of Fastnet. Seven crew were lost.





*Central Atlantic*
DKM Raider WIDDER sank *Sailing barque KILLORAN (FN 1817 grt)* SSW of the Azores in the Central Atlantic. The mixed crew suffered varying fates, the Finnish nationals were returned to Abo, Three Argentines were eventually returned to Argentina. The remainder of the multi national crew were interned .




_The Killoran with sails braced abackon the day of her loss. Photo taken from the WIDDER. The cutter is from the WIDDER, going to KILLORAN to take off the crew and place explosives on board. _

*Med- Biscay*
British troopship NEURALIA with evacuees from Gibraltar sailed for Madeira, escorted locally by DD GALLANT.

*Indian Ocean*
BN.3 departed Bombay carrying the troops brought to India in convoy WS.1. It consisted of 8 large troopships. AMCs RANCHI and ANTENOR escorted the convoy from 10 to 15 August. NZ manned CL LEANDER escorted the convoy from 15 to 21 August. Sloop HINDUSTAN escorted the convoy from 16 to 17 August. At Aden, DDs KINGSTON and KIMBERLEY and RAN sloop PARRAMATTA joined the convoy and continued with it until 21 August. On the 21st, sloops GRIMSBY and CLIVE joined the convoy and continued with it until arriving at Suez on the 23rd.

*Malta*

MALTA STILL UNDER THREAT

The lull in enemy air attacks has permitted the the dockyard to return to almost normal working conditions. However, the decrease in attacks is believed to be temporary – and may be due to the enemy’s belief that severe damage has been done to the dockyard infrastructure.

The Governor orders the establishment of a six month reserve of stores on Malta , but firstly orders that safe underground stores areas be prepred. This will take more than 6 months to complete. As a stop gap a plan was approved to use two oil fuel tanks to accommodate service and Government stores. Work is already underway to clean out the tanks ready for the first delivery of supplies.

AIR RAIDS

1820 hrs An enemy flying boat of unknown type touches down 20 miles east of Delimara and proceeds to patrol 40 miles south of the Island.

1823-1840 hrs Air raid alert. No enemy aircraft are seen and no bombs dropped.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 10 AUGUST 1940

AIR HQ 0920-1156 hrs One Hudson on photographic reconnaissance of Sciacca and Gela aerodromes. One Breda 88 approached but did not engage. A large landing ground was observed six miles NE of Gela.

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## Njaco (Aug 10, 2015)

*August 10 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post704027.html#post704027

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In London the decision is taken to send a large part of the country's total stock of tanks out to the Middle East although there is the threat of a German invasion. Churchill takes much of the credit for this brave decision which, although not his idea, is necessarily carried out on his instructions.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-56 struck HMS “_Transylvania_” 20 miles north of Ireland at 0100 hours with U-56's last torpedo, killing 36. Destroyer HMS “_Ashanti_” and several trawlers rescued 300 survivors, and then attempted to tow “_Transylvania_” back to port, but “_Transylvania_” would sink during the process.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” stopped Finnish sailing ship “_Killoran_” 300 miles southwest of the Azores. Most of the German crew were against sinking this old ship built in 1900, “_Widder's_” on-board surgeon wanted a dramatic finale for a film he was making, and persuaded Captain Ruckteschell to sink the sailing ship by gunfire after detaining the crew of 18.

Allied convoy OA-196's Dutch ship “_Albula_” and American ship “_Crescent City_” collided just north of Scotland. “_Albula_” sank with the entire crew taken aboard by destroyer HMS “_Jaguar_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German occupation government in Luxembourg deemed the French language illegal. The German occupation government in Belgium declared that listening to BBC broadcasts was illegal.

Hans-Joachim Marseille was assigned to I. (Jagd) Lehrgeschwader 2 based in Marck on the northern coast of France.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Romania passed anti-Semitic laws.

*ASIA:* The Japanese naval blockade of China was expanded to cover southern China.

The British government announced the withdrawal of all its forces from Shanghai and other concessions in northern China.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British troop ship SS “_Neuralia_” departed Gibraltar, escorted by destroyer HMS “_Gallant_”, with 2,000 civilian evacuees bound for the Portuguese island of Madeira 600 miles to the west in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Italian Naval Staff issued its first operational order of WW2 for a Sep 1940 mission against Alexandria, Egypt and an Oct 1940 mission against Gibraltar.

First flight of Macchi-Castoldi MC202 Folgore powered by imported Daimler-Benz engine - designed to replace obsolete fighters of Italian Regia Aeronautica (enters service in Libya, November 1941).

*GERMANY:* Baldur von Schirach, leader of Hitler Youth since 1933, appointed Gauleiter of Vienna. Artur Axmann becomes Youth leader.


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## parsifal (Aug 10, 2015)

*11 August 1940 
Losses
MV LLANFAIR (UK 4966 grt) *Crew: 33 (3 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: 7800 tons of sugar Route: Mackay, Queensland - Freetown - Avonmouth. Convoy SL-41 (straggler). Lost in the Western Approaches. At 1519 hrs the LLANFAIR, a straggler from convoy SL-41, was hit by one torpedo from U-38 in the stern and sank after 11 minutes west of Ireland. Three crew members were lost. The master and 29 crew members were picked up by the US MV CALIFORNIA.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-28

At Sea 11 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD WINDSOR was damaged by the LW off Botany Buoy in the Thames Estuary. WINDSOR was taken to London for repairs, completed at the end of October. DD ESK was damaged by the LW at Harwich. She took a week to complete her repairs. OA.197 departed Methil. No escorts were listed. OB.197 departed Liverpool escort DD WINCHELSEA from 11 to 14 August,sloop SCARBOROUGH from 11 to 15 August, DDs ARROW and ANTHONY on the 12th. FN.249 departed Southend, escort DD VALOROUS and sloop STORK. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. MT.137 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
FS.249 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIMIERA and WOLFHOUND and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 14th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs COSSACK , SIKH, MAORI, DUNCAN joined Rear Admiral Minelaying on ML SOUTHERN PRINCE with MLs PORT QUEBEC, PORT NAPIER, MENESTHEUS, which departed Loch Alsh on the 11th to lay minefield SN.13. Survey ship SCOTT laid the navigational buoys. The minefield was laid and the DDs arrived back at Scapa on the 13th. Recently completed Escort DD HOLDERNESS, on passage nth to Scapa, was diverted to Rosyth to act as part of the escort for submarine depot ship TITANIA to Belfast. CL ARETHUSA and DD FOXHOUND departed Scapa for repairs and refitting at Chatham. ARETHUSA was under repair from 17 August to 30 September at Chatham. FOXHOUND was under repair at London until 12 October.

*SW Approaches*
HG.41 with 45 ships departed Gibraltar escort DD VELOX from 11 to 15 August. Sloop FOLKESTONE escorted the convoy from 11 to 24 August. DDs RESTIGOUCHE and VANOC escorted the convoy from 22 to 24 August. DD WALKER and corvette ARABIS from OB.200 escorted the convoy from 22 August to 24 and 25 August, respectively. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Channel*
DD SCIMITAR was damaged by near misses while in Portland Harbour. SCIMITAR was repaired in four days. While in Portland Harbour, DD SKATE was damaged by near misses which wrecked her bridge. She did not require immediate repair for the damage.

British trawler EDWARDIAN was damaged by bombing off Kent. Three crew were killed and three wounded. The trawler was run aground at North Foreland to prevent sinking but was eventually re-floated and repaired. British steamer KIRNWOOD was damaged by the LW. British tanker OIL TRADER was damaged by the LW 3½ miles 071° from Shipwash Light Vessel.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB REVENGE, carrying £14.5 million pounds in gold being transferred to Canada, AMC ASTURIAS, 6 large steamers departed the Clyde escort DDs ASHANTI, which departed Scapa on the 9th, GRIFFIN, WATCHMAN, VORTIGERN. The gold transfer and convoy was designated convoy "ZA". Steamer ORION departed the Clyde at the same time as this convoy. She was joined at sea by AMC ASTURIAS which escorted her to Freetown. The steamer was taken by NL CL SUMATRA to Capetown to rejoin convoy WS.2 B.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Freetown from patrol in the nthn half of the Sth Atlantic. SL.43 departed Freetown escorted by AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE to 27 August and sloop MILFORD to 13 August. Due to the lack of escorts,SLF.43 departed Freetown at the same time. The convoy was joined by CL DELHI, after refuelling at St Vincent and departing the evening of 10 August, to 16 August, when the convoy rendezvoused with convoy SL.43. Sloop MILFORD escorted the Polish steamer CIESZYN to Bathurst, then returned to Freetown, arriving on the 15th. Included in the convoy was steamer STAFFORDSHIRE, carrying the survivors from sunken steamer CAPE ST GEORGE. CL DELHI arrived back at Freetown on the 20th. On 26 August, sloop FOWEY and corvette PERWINKLE joined the convoy. on the 27th, DD WINCHELSEA and corvette PRIMROSE joined the convoy. The convoy arrived on the 31st.

British steamers CERAMIC and TESTBANK collied at 27-15S, 10-00E. CA CUMBERLAND took steamer CERAMIC in tow, but it was not successful and the tow was later slipped. Steamer British VISCOUNT was in company. The passengers in steamer CERAMIC were transferred to VICEROY OF INDIA.Tug MCEWEN took steamer CERAMIC in tow and the heavy cruiser proceed to Simonstown for refuelling, arriving on the 17th. Steamer TESTBANK proceeded to Capetown with damaged bows, accompanied by steamer British VISCOUNT. Steamer TESTBANK arrived at Capetown on the 15th and steamer CERAMIC at Walvis Bay on the 16th.

*Indian Ocean*
BS.2A departed Suez, escort sloop GRIMSBY. CL CALEDON joined on 13 September. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 17th.

*Malta*
The governor requests ME Cmd for large quantities of cement, timber and reinforcing material to construct and/or improve air raid shelters, following requests from the civil leaders of the island.

There was no air raid activity on this day


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## Njaco (Aug 10, 2015)

*August 11 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post704529.html#post704529

*NORTH AFRICA: *Battle of the Tug Argan Gap: British Major General Reade Godwin-Austen arrived in Berbera, British Somaliland to take over the defense. The British had maintained prepared defenses at Tug Argan on 6 hills overlooking the Hargeisa-Berbera road, knowing that this was the most likely invasion route. The Italians advance to attack the main British positions on the Hargeisa-Berbera road at Tug Argan. Italian troops attacked 3 of the hills and captured the one defended by the 3rd Battalion of the 15th Punjab Regiment.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British Commander-in-Chief Middle East Major General General Wavell was in London, to discuss the defense of British colonies in Africa and the Middle East. Seeing events in Somaliland and expecting an Italian attack on Egypt, Winston Churchill's War Cabinet made a far-reaching decision to send tanks to defend the vital Suez Canal. Despite the ongoing threat of invasion, 150 tanks (about half the total in Britain), 48 anti-tank guns, 48 field guns, and 20 Bofors anti-aircraft guns were ordered to Egypt.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-38 sank British ship “_Llanfair_” 125 miles west of Ireland at 1519 hours; 3 were killed and 30 were rescued by American merchant ship “_California_”.

*ASIA:* Liu Zhesheng damaged a Japanese G3M2 bomber.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *With the three Baltic States now annexed by the Soviet Union, Vyacheslav Molotov asked Germany to recall their ambassador to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia within the next two weeks, and to close the embassies by 1 Sep 1940.

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## parsifal (Aug 11, 2015)

*12 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN Patrol craft PC-451






Allied
Flower Class Corvette ANEMONE, Motor Launch ML 113








DD VANITY completed her conversion to escort vessel.




_VANITY as she appeared after conversion_

*Losses
MSW trawlers PYROPE (RN 295 grt)* and *MSW trawler TAMARISK (RN 545 grt) * of MSW Gp 2 were sunk by the LW off North East Spit Buoy in the Thames Estuary. 6 ratings were lost on trawler PYROPE. 7 ratings were lost on the trawler TAMARISK.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Tkr British FAME (UK 8406 grt)*, was torpedoed sunk by RM sub ALESSANDRO MALASPINA, 100 miles east of the Azores. She was on a voyage from Avonmouth via Cape Town to Abadan in ballast, and was part of the bow dispersed convoy OB.193, 3 crew were lost and one was taken prisoner from the British tanker. Portuguese destroyer DAO proceeded to assist.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-37 , U-58

At Sea 12 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-52, U-56, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD GARTH departed Greenock at 1750 to join convoy WN.7 and proceed with it to Methil. FN.250 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 14th. MT.138 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.250 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. Patrol sloop GUILLEMOT joined on the 13th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK and RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed Scapa to patrol north of the Faroes for German shipping. The cruisers were relieved by CLAs NAIAD and BONAVENTURE and returned to Scapa Flow after an uneventful patrol on the 16th. The CLAs patrolled until returning to Scapa Flow on the 20th.

*Northern Waters*
The Home Flt was brought to 2.5 hr's notice at 2217.

*West Coast UK*
British trawlers ERMINE , KERNEVAL and RIVER YTHAN were damaged by German bombing off Smalls (off the Welsh coast). OB.197 departed Liverpool escort DD MACKAY, sloop LEITH, corvette HEARTSEASE from 13 to 16 August. The DD and the corvette were detached to convoy HX.63.

*Western Approaches*
DD WATCHMAN was damaged by near misses of air bombs nth of Ireland. She spent no time out of service, but proceeded later in the month to Hull for refitting.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.65 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PV FRENCH. SHX.65 departed Sydney, CB escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and aux PV LAURIER. They joined and merged with HX.65 at sea. At 1940, FRENCH was ordered to return to Halifax.
ASSINIBOINE arrived back at Halifax at 0645 on the 14th after turning over the convoy to AMC VOLTAIRE. The AMC was itself detached on the 23rd. BHX.65 departed Bermuda on the 11th ocean escort AMC MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.65 on the 16th at which time the AMC was detached. On 24 August, DDs SKEENA and WESTCOTT and corvette GODETIA joined the convoy. Sloop LOWESTOFT joined on the 26th. They arrived with the convoy on the 27th at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, IMPERIAL, HOSTILE departed Alexandria on an ASW sweep named MD 6. CL NEPTUNE and RAN CL SYDNEY departed Alexandria at 0700 on an anti shipping sweep and to provide cover for the DDs. NEPTUNE and SYDNEY and DD IMPERIAL arrived back at Alexandria on the 14th. NUBIAN and HOSTILE remained at sea to search for RM Sub MICCA which unsuccessfully attacked the CLs in 32-06N, 28-31E. DDs NUBIAN and HOSTILE arrived back at Alexandria on the 15th.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
German steamers QUITO and BOGOTA arrived at Yokohama.

*Malta*
1321-1340 hrs Air raid alert for one enemy bomber and 6 fhtrs which cross the Island and pass over Kalafrana where they are engaged by AA. Malta ftrs are up but do not engage. No bombs are dropped.

2100-2150 hrs Night Air raid alert for 2 enemy bombers which approach from the east. They are picked up by searchlights heading for Hal Far, where they drop incendiary bombs on the airfield. Four incendiaries and four HE bombs are dropped on Birzebuggia. Two fall near the Officers’ Mess of 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt and one incendiary near their administrative HQ. Five bombs are dropped around Fort San Rocco and one beyond Pietru. AA guns hold fire as a Sunderland, a Swordfish and a Hurricane are in the air. 

2155-2220 hrs Night Air raid alert for one enemy bomber which is picked up by searchlights as it crosses the coast again and drops incendiary bombs in the sea north of Grand Harbour, then on Verdala and Zabbar. A small child suffers severe concussion when a bomb explodes 30 yards from a well in which his family was sheltering.

2235 hrs Another raider is heard but evades the lights. It is attacked by a Malta fighter and retaliates with machine gun fire forcing the Hurricane to land. A bomber is then picked up by searchlights over Grand Harbour. Bombs are dropped on Kalafrana and Gzira areas; another five high explosives are dropped in the sea in Marsaxlokk Bay.

2305 hrs Raiders passed.

RAF Ops
1300-1610 hrs One Hudson reconnaissance Catania, Augusta and Syracuse.

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## parsifal (Aug 12, 2015)

*13 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SU (Ex Latvian) Sub RONIS





RONIS was a french built sub commissioned in the Latvian Navy in 1927 but taken over by the Soviets on 13 August 1940. RONIS was scuttled at Libau to prevent her capture by the Germans on 23 June 1940.

Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 47, Motor Torpedo Boat MTB 34 (MTB 34)







_MGB 46 illustrated (Left) and MTB 24 (Right)_
*Losses
MV NILS GORTHON (SD 1787 grt) * Crew: 21 (5 dead and 16 survivors) Cargo: pulp wood Route: St. John’s, Newfoundland - Sydney, CB - Ridham Dock HX-62 (straggler). Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2147 hrs the unescorted and unarmed NILS GORTHON, a straggler from HX-62 due to fog, was hit aft by one G7e torpedo from U-60 and sank within 2 mins 25 miles NNE of Malin Head. Four crew members were lost. The survivors had no time to launch the lifeboats and abandoned ship on two rafts, which lost contact to each other in the morning of 15 August. Later that day, 8 men on one raft were picked up by the Icelandic trawler HELGAFELL and landed at Reykjavik on 19 August. The master and 8 men on the other raft were picked up by HMS ST KENAN, escorting the convoy OA-198, after their flares were sighted at 0115 hrs on 16 August. The armed trawler searched briefly for the other raft before rejoining the convoy and later landed the survivors in Glasgow.





*MSW trawler ELIZABETH ANGELA (RN 253 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Downs. One crewman was killed on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-52

At Sea 13 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-56, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Steamer MONGOLIA (SD 2124 grt) *in German service was sunk on a mine 12 to 15 miles from land in Kiel Bay.





*North Sea*
OA.198 departed Methil escort sloop DEPTFORD on the 13th and corvette BLUEBELL and escort vessel GLEANER on the 14th. The corvette and the escort vessel were detached to convoy SL.42. FN.251 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 15th. MT.139 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.251 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop FLEETWOOD. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 15th.

*Northern Waters*
BC RENOWN departed Scapa Flow to return to Gibraltar following refit escorted in the local approaches by DDs TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, MASHONA. Returning to Scapa, the DDs carried out an ASW sweep. TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, MASHONA arrived at Scapa on the 15th. CL SHEFFIELD and CLA CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow from Gib for overhaul. At 0440, the Home Flt at Scapa was brought to 1 hr's notice as fears of imminent invasion grew. At 1031, the Admiralty advised no ship was to be taken in hand for boiler cleaning or refitting until further orders. British minefield BS.31 was laid by minelayers PLOVER and WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN and DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE.

*Central Atlantic*
USN CAs WICHITA and QUINCY departed Pernambuco for Montevideo.

*Indian Ocean*
DD KIMBERLEY and sloop AUCKLAND bombarded El Sheika, 40 miles west of Berbera.

*Malta*
9 Swordfish of 830 Sqn from Malta attacked Augusta. Midshipman (A) D. S. Edmondson and Naval Airman R. Pearson were lost when their aircraft was shot down. Lt D. W. Waters and Naval Airman S. D. Harris were shot down and captured. A third plane, piloted by Lt Cdr A. F. Hall with Lt B. Walford and Leading Airman F. Pickles,was lost, but the crew was rescued by a British rescue boat.

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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2015)

*14 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Motor Gun Boat MGB 68




_MGB 64 shown_

*Losses
MV BETTY (UK 2339 grt) * Crew: 34 (30 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: 2726 tons of rice Route: Saigon - Liverpool Unescorted sunk in the western Approaches. At 2234 hrs the unescorted BETTY was torpedoed and sunk by U-59 35 miles 260° from Tory Island. The master and 29 crew members were lost. Four crew members were picked up by the HMS MAN O WAR and landed at Belfast.





*MV LEOPARDI (FI 3269 grt)*The cargo ship struck a mine tht had been laid by the Sub RORQUAL and sank in the Mediterranean Sea east of Tolmeita, Libya.





*R 21 (DKM 115 grt)* The R Boat struck a mine and sank in the Gernan Bight




_Unidentified boat of the R-17-24 class_

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-56
Departures
Lorient: U-57

At Sea 14 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
13 boats at sea.

U.60 made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer nth of Tory Island. U.65 was to land an agent on the Irish coast, however this operation was cancelled when the agent died en route.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DKM MLs TANNENBURG, COBRA, ROLAND laid mines in the sw Nth Sea in "SW.2". The MLs were escorted by TBs T.2 and T.3 of TB Flo1 and GREIF, FALKE, KONDOR, ILTIS, JAGUAR of the TB Flot 5. DDs JACOBI and GALSTER laid mines in this operation.

DD KIPLING departed the Humber at 1050 after repairs and arrived at Scapa at 0600/15th. DDs MALCOLM and VERITY with MTB.18, MTB.14 and MTB.16 in sweep PO attacked a German convoy of 6 trawlers escorted by 3 S.boats off Texel. They claimed sinking one S.boat and one trawler. In fact they only damaged these ships, but it was a start. MTB.18 was damaged when it rammed an R Boat also attached to the convoy but was able to return for repairs.

FN.252 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 16th. MT.140 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.252 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow escort DDs HAMBLEDON, ATHERSTONE, ECLIPSE. These ships arrived at Scapa on the 15th. At Scapa Flow during a gale, CLA NAIAD dragged across the bows of light cruiser AJAX damaging AJAX's bow and causing superficial damage to NAIAD. CL AJAX proceeded to Liverpool for repairs.

DDs ESCAPADE and CATTISTOCK departed Scapa to search for a UBoat sighted by aircraft in 60-47N, 2-22W at 1803. They carried out an ASW sweep which was unsuccessful. British aircraft bombed a contact at 0553 in 60-00N, 4-13W, on course 230. This was determined to probably be the same UBoat.

DDs INGLEFIELD and FIREDRAKE departed Scapa at 1115 to join the search. These four DDs were ordered to return to harbour if no contact was made by 0800/15th. DDs DUNCAN and JAGUAR were exercising to the west of Hoy. At 0854, on her return to Hatston, the same aircraft as had made the attack at 0553, again sighted a UBoat diving. DDs DUNCAN and JAGUAR were sent to search in the area.

DDs ASHANTI, just arrived from Loch Alsh, ECHO departed Scapa to escort British steamer ULSTER MONARCH to the Faroes. The DDs arrived back at Scapa on the 16th. DDs WATCHMAN and VORTIGERN arrived at Scapa from convoy "ZA" escort. VORTIGERN was damaged alongside an oiler in harbour. She was repaired by depot ship WOOLWICH, but was unable to depart with WATCHMAN as planned.

*West Coast UK*
OB.198 departed Liverpool escort DDs VISCOUNT and HESPERUS and corvette CLARKIA from 14 to 17 August. The convoy was dispersed on the 18th.

*Channel*
A Swordfish of 821 sqn crashed killing the crew. while on ASW patrol. DDs WITHERINGTON and VOLUNTEER were escorting a convoy off Portland when the convoy was unsuccessfully attacked by a UBoat. Patrol sloop KINGFISHER and tug CARBON were damaged by the LW in Portland Harbour.

*Central Atlantic*
Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Lagos for Victoria with the Governor's representatives and one of de Gaulle's missions. The sloop arrived later that day. The sloop arrived back at Lagos on the 18th. Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Lagos for Victoria with the Governor's representatives and one of de Gaulle's mission. The sloop arrived later that day. The sloop arrived back at Lagos on the 18th.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HOTSPUR, GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER, GALLANT departed Gib to rendezvous with BC RENOWN. The next day, the DDs returned to harbour as the BC was delayed in Home Waters.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CA KENT departed Colombo on the 4th and arrived Aden on the 11th. KENT arrived at Suez on the 14th to join the Med Flt.

BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and DDs DAINTY, DEFENDER, DECOY departed Alexandria on the 11th for Port Said. They departed Suez on the 12th to depart the Med through the Red Sea. ROYAL SOVEREIGN was unsuccessfully attacked in the Red Sea by RM sub FERRARIS on the 14th. The DDs were relieved on the 15th by RAN sloop PARRAMATTA. ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived at Durban on 15 September and was repairing and refitting until 15 October. She then proceeded to Gib arriving from Capetown and Freetown on 18 November. The BB after repairing defects proceeded on 1 December to Halifax for further modifications.

*Malta*

No raids recorded

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## parsifal (Aug 15, 2015)

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## parsifal (Aug 15, 2015)

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## Njaco (Aug 15, 2015)

*August 12 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post705060.html#post705060

*UNITED KINGDOM:* It officially became illegal to waste food in the United Kingdom.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The pilots and crew of 5./JG 77 are transferred from Stavanger to Aalborg.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian troops renewed the attack at Tug Argan, British Somaliland, capturing the hill defended by the Northern Rhodesian Regiment as well as two of the four 3.7-inch howitzers.

A British mission is sent into Abyssinia from the Sudan to organize resistance, especially in the Gojjam district, and to prepare for the return of the emperor to the country. The mission is led by a Colonel Sandford and one of the officers later employed on this task will be Major Wingate.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt departed Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, United States aboard presidential yacht “_Potomac_”, escorted by destroyer USS “_Mayrant_”, for Newport, Rhode Island, United States to inspect the Torpedo Station and the Naval Training Station with Secretary of the Navy Knox, Senator David I. Walsh and Rear Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus. He then sailed for the Submarine Base at New London, Connecticut, inspecting submarine operations en route and visiting Electric Boat Company facilities in New London. Finally, he set sail for Washington Navy Yard, Washington DC, arriving at night.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Italian submarine “_Malaspina_” sank British tanker “_British Fame_” with 6 torpedoes near the Azores, killing 3. “_Malaspina_” spent the remainder of the day towing a lifeboat full of survivors to safety.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Military Collegium of the Soviet NKVD sentenced Red Army divisional commanding officer Grigoriy Fyodorovich to death for deserting his unit in combat during the Winter War.

The power of the commissars in the Red Army is reduced. Formal military ranks are restored and the military commanders are made solely responsible for operational decisions.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* “_Iride_” departed La Spezia, Italy for Libya with four manned torpedoes on board.

*GERMANY:* The RAF sends 5 Hampdens (2 lost) to attack heavily defended Dortmund-Ems Canal with delayed-action bombs. Three planes return in bad shape, but with their mission accomplished. Flight Lieutenant Rod Learoyd of RAF No. 49 Squadron based at RAF Scampton won a Victoria Cross for pressing home the attack on the Canal despite his Hampden bomber being badly shot up. The Dortmund-Ems Canal is unusable for ten days, delaying German plans for invasion of England.

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## Njaco (Aug 15, 2015)

*August 13 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post705411.html#post705411

This is Adlertag (Eagle Day) which is to mark the beginning of the all-out Luftwaffe offensive against the RAF.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The first shells fired from the French side of the English Channel fell upon Dover, England, United Kingdom.

German aircraft drop parachutes over South England, and southern Scotland (August 13 and 14), which carry bogus 'ops. orders', intended to create impression that invasion has begun.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The British Royal Navy cruiser HMS “_Carlisle_” shot down an Italian aircraft attacking Berbera, British Somaliland. On the same day, destroyer HMS “_Kimberley_” and sloop HMS “_Auckland_” shelled the port of El Sheikha, which had recently been captured by Italian forces. On the ground, Italian troops attacked British defenses at Tug Argan, but the defense held.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-60 sank Swedish ship “_Nils Gorthon_” 10 miles north of Ireland at 2147 hours; 5 were killed and 16 survived.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt met with Secretary of the Navy Knox, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, and Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles regarding the possibilities of transferring destroyers to the United Kingdom. Later on the same day, Roosevelt sent a telegram to British Prime Minister Churchill via Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles and Ambassador to London Kennedy, noting that "it may be possible to furnish to the British Government... at least 50 destroyers" in exchange for the promise of the Royal Navy never turning over its ships to the Germans even in the event of a Germany victory over the United Kingdom and for 99-year leases for land for military bases.

In Canada, Colonel E.L.M. Burns proposes developing a Canadian parachute force. The idea is rejected by the Director of Military Operations in headquarters.

*GERMANY:* Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler and attempted to convince Hitler to reduce the landing front for the planned invasion of Britain as the German Navy had little means to maintain the security of a wide landing area.

*ASIA:* Admiral Thomas C. Hart of the US Navy Asiatic Fleet shifted his flag from heavy cruiser USS “_Augusta_” to submarine USS “_Porpoise_” at Qingdao, Shandong, China and departed for Shanghai. It was the first time an Asiatic Fleet chief had traveled in a submarine.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Two Cabinet Ministers and COGS killed in air crash near Canberra, Australia.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Twelve Blenheim Bombers of RAF No 82 Squadron, without fighter escort, were ordered to attack the airfield at Aalborg West in Jutland, where it was thought 50 Junkers Ju 88s were massing ready for Eagle Day, together with the troop carriers, Junkers Ju 52s. This was the limit of the Blenheims operational range and their loads were to be four x 250lb HE and eight x 25lb Splinter Bombs, to disable parked aircraft. On route, one bomber had to turn back. What was not known to British Intelligence was that in addition to the planes already reported, there were also nine Me 109Es. It was these German fighters that shot every single Blenheim out of the sky.

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## Njaco (Aug 15, 2015)

*August 14 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post705415.html#post705415

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British Ministry of Home Security announced that parachutes had been found in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, and Scotland, though there were no evidence of German troops on British soil. Reports of parachutes dropped from German aircraft were stated at Whittingham and a report of parachutists at Creswell Farm. A captured enemy plane was being flown south by the air authorities at this time.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Roosevelt approved what later became the Two-Ocean Navy Act.

Sir Henry Tizard heads a British scientific mission to the United States, carrying with him details of all of Britain's most advanced thinking in several vital fields. There are ideas on jet engines, explosives, gun turrets and above all a little device called the cavity magnetron. This valve is vital for the development of more advanced types of radar, including the versions used in proximity fuses later and the types working on centimetric wavelengths which will be vital at sea in the U-boat war. The US Official History will later describe this collection as the "most valuable cargo ever brought to our shores."

*NORTH AFRICA:* Evacuation of Berbera (capital of British Somaliland) begins. British and Commonwealth troops engaged in heavy fighting with Italian forces near Berbera, British Somaliland. British commander in area Major General Godwin-Austen requested permission to fall back into Berbera and to prepare for evacuation. British and Australian warships take 5,700 troops, 1,500 civilians and sick to Aden and bombard advancing Italian forces who occupy the town on August 19. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* On his way to ignite a coup in the Irish Republic and an uprising against Ulster, IRA Chief of Staff, Sean Russell, died aboard a German U-boat of a perforated ulcer. Trained in sabotage by the Germans, he was buried at sea wrapped in a Swastika flag.

German submarine U-59 sank British ship “_Betty_” 15 miles north of Ireland at 2034 hours, killing 30. 4 survivors were later rescued by British anti-submarine trawler HMS “_Man o' War”_.

British destroyer HMS “_Malcolm_”, destroyer HMS “_Verity_”, and three motor torpedo boats attacked a German convoy of 6 trawlers escorted by three motor torpedo boats off Texel Island, the Netherlands. One German motor torpedo boat and one German trawler were sunk.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* German auxiliary cruiser “_Orion_” spent most of this day looking for her Ar 196 floatplane which had been forced to make a water landing due to mechanical issues while conducting reconnaissance on Nouméa, New Caledonia. The aircraft was found and recovered.

*GERMANY:*Adolf Hitler heard from Walther von Brauchitsch, who insisted that the German Army would like to attack Britain on a wide front with four or more main landing sites.

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## Njaco (Aug 15, 2015)

*August 15 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post705421.html#post705421

NE Diary 1939-45; Incidents 15th August 1940 to 15th August 1940

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Churchill responded to US President Roosevelt's telegram of 13 Aug 1940 regarding the offer of destroyers, noting;


> "…moral value of this fresh aid from your Government and your people at this critical time will be very great and widely felt."



US Assistant Chief of Naval Operations Rear Admiral Robert L. Ghormley, US Army Air Corps Major General Delos C. Emmons, and US Army Brigadier General George V. Strong arrived in London, for an informal meeting with British officers.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Roosevelt approved the National Defense Research Committee, which was a collection of civilian scientists working for the military.

The US Navy established a Naval Air Station in Miami, Florida, United States with Commander Gerald F. Bogan in command.

The US Army contracted with the automobile manufacturer Chrysler to build the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in Michigan, United States. It was to be the country's first government-owned contractor-operated facility.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian troops continued the attack at Tug Argan, British Somaliland, taking another one of the six hills overlooking the main road. Overnight, British forces withdrew towards Berbera, with African troops, Indian troops, and troops of the Scottish regiment Black Watch forming a rearguard at Barkasan.

Eric Wilson of British Somaliland Camel Corps manned his machine gun during the Italian attack at Tug Argan Gap, British Somaliland despite being overpowered. A retreat order had already been given but it never got to him. He was captured. He was subsequently freed and joined the Long Range Desert Group. He would later win the Victoria Cross for the action at Tug Argan Gap.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 190 miles northwest of Rockall, Ireland, German submarine U-51 sank British tanker “_Sylvafield_”, which was carrying 7,860 tons of fuel oil, killing 3. 20 survivors were rescued by Belgian trawler “_Rubens_” and 16 survivors were rescued by British minesweeping trawler HMS “_Newland_”.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian Air Force bombers attacked Greek destroyers _“Vasilissa Olga_” and _“Vasilevs Georgios I_” near the islands of Tinos and Syros. “_Elli_” was sunk by Italian submarine “_Delfino_” at Tinos island, Greece at 0825 hours; 9 were killed, 24 were wounded.

The Helle Incident: WWI-era Greek cruiser “_Helle_” sinks in mysterious circumstances off Tinos Islands, while crew are attending Mass. Fragments indicate that torpedoes are of Italian manufacture. Italy denies responsibility (August 16), but later admits 'mistake' may have occurred.

German submarine U-A sank Greek ship “_Aspasia_” 700 miles west of Gibraltar at 2000 hours with two torpedoes, killing the entire crew of 19.

*GERMANY:* German Navy ordered the construction of 86 new submarines.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Spain's General Francisco Franco writes to Italy's Benito Mussolini, telling him of his intent to enter the war, now closer to ready, once provisions are made available. 

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## parsifal (Aug 16, 2015)

*15 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements
Neutral*
Tambor Class Sub USS TRITON





*Losses
Tkr SYLVAFIELD (UK 5709 grt) *Crew: 39 (3 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: 7860 tons of fuel oil Route: Curaçao - Halifax - Glasgow HX62 (Straggler). Sunk in the Western Approaches. The tanker straggled behind the convoy, and was then torpedoed and sunk NW of County Donegal, by U-51. Survivors were rescued by the ASW trawlers NEWLAND and BELGIAN





*MV ASPASIA (Gk 4211 grt)* Crew: 19 (19 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Manganese Ore Route: Takoradi - St. Vincent - Workington Unescorted Sunk in the Central Atlantic The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean (approximately 35°N 20°W) by U-A. The U-boat's log states they left the scene "because they heard screams in the water".





*Steamer BRIXTON (UK 1557 grt) * The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the North Sea off Orfordness, Suffolk. All crew were rescued





*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-32

At Sea 15 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.199 departed Methil escort sloop SANDWICH and corvette GARDENIA from the 15th to 19th. The escorts were then detached to HX.64. FN.253 departed Southend, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER was with the convoy on the 16th, which arrived in the Tyne on the 17th. MT.141 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.253 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS, VERDUN and sloop STORK, and arrived at Southend on the 17th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs HAMBLEDON and ATHERSTONE departed Switha so as to bne positioned by the early hrs of the 16th to sweep for a UBoat earlier spotted by air. If no contact had been made by 0700, they were to proceed to Thorshavn to escort troopship ULSTER MONARCH to the Clyde. HAMBLEDON and ATHERSTONE arrived at Thorshavn at 1400/16th and departed with the troopship at 1800. All three ships arrived safely in the Clyde on the 18th. DD WATCHMAN departed Scapa to overtake convoy WN.7 and proceed with it to Methil. She then went on to the Humber en route to the Nore.

*Channel*
ORP DD BLYSKAWICA departed Portsmouth for Scapa Flow to work up after completing repairs, arriving on the 17th. After working up, she proceeded back to Portsmouth to join DesFlot 1.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.1 departed St Johns escort RCN DD OTTAWA, aux PV REINDEER and Sloop PENZANCE. After OTTAWA was detached, Sloop PENZANCE continued with the convoy as the ocean escort, until her loss on the 24th. On the 27th, DDs HAVELOCK and HURRICANE, sloop LEITH, corvette CLARKIA joined. All but the sloop were detached before the convoy’s arrival at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Med- Biscay
Greek CL HELLE (RHN 2600 grt) * was sunk by RM Sub DELFINO at Tinos. RHN DDs VASILISSA OLGA and VASILEVS GEORGIOS I escorting merchant ships away from Tinos back to Greek ports were attacked by RA bombers off Syros.





ORP DD GARLAND departed Alexandria on escort duties in the Eastern Med to and from Haifa.

*Red Sea Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART at Berbera was damaged by splinters from near misses in an RA air attack. Air attacks were conducted by Italian air units on 12, 14, 15, 16, 30 August in the Gulf of Aden and off Berbera. CL NEPTUNE departed Suez with a bn of troops to reinforce Berbera, but the operation was cancelled before she ever arrived.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
NZ Manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland and arrived at Wellington on the 16th.

*Malta*
1344-1410 hrs Air raid alert for 10 enemy bombers in two formations escorted by 25 ftrs which approach the Island at between 8-20000 ft. Three bombers drop 24 HE bombs and 8 incendiaries on the Hal Far area causing some damage to RAF premises and severely injuring one civilian. One Swordfish armed with bombs is hit on the ground and destroyed by fire. Two HE bombs fall on the main FAA storage hangar blowing out side panels and damaging the roof. Other bombs are dropped on Kirkop and Safi. AA engage the enemy. 4 of Malta’s Hurricane ftrs are scrambled; they become embroiled with the enemy fighters with no claims. One Hurricane is attacked; thick smoke is seen and the aircraft comes down in the sea near Benghaisa. The pilot, Sgt R O’Donnell, is killed.

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## parsifal (Aug 16, 2015)

*16 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bar Class Boom Defence vessel BARSOUND, S Class Sub SERAPH







_BDV KOOKABURRA shown, _

*Losses
MV EMPIRE MERCHANT (UK 4864 grt)* sunk by Schepkes U-100, Crew:56 (7 dead and 49 survivors) Cargo: 200 tons of general cargo and mail Route: (Outbound) Avonmouth - Kingston, Jamaica Un-escorted. Sunk in the Western Approaches. The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Western Approaches after being hit in the stern by two torpedoes. At the time the ship was in a full zig zag pattern, travelling at 16 knots, making this a difficult target. Schepke demonstrated his skill with two hits on the target. The skipper and one crewman showed great courage in staying behind to transmit distresss signals, jumping overboard as the vessel sank. This probably saved many lives, though one of the lifeboats was in the water for 18 hrs before rescue. Survivors were rescued by Corvette SALVONIA, DD WARWICK and Yug Steamer SUPETAR 





*MV CLAN McPHEE (UK 6628 grt)* Sunk by U-30 (Fritz-Julius Lemp), Crew: 108 (67 dead and 41 survivors) Cargo: general cargo Route: Glasgow - Liverpool - Bombay Convoy OB197 Sunk in the Western Approaches The cargo ship was torpedoed and sunk in the Western Approaches, west of the Outer Hebrides. The survivors were rescued by Hungarian Steamer KELET. 26 were then transferred to the Nor VAREGG and landed back in the UK on the 26th. The remainder remained on the Kelet, until she too was lost on 19th August to the UA when a further 6 crewmen from thge CLAN MACPHEE were lost.





*MV HEDRUN (SD 2325 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Hans Rudolf Rösing) Crew: 29 (8 dead and 21 survivors) Cargo: Full load of Coal Route: Glasgow- Rhode Island Convoy OB 197, Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1203 hrs the HEDRUN in convoy OB-197 was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-48 and sank in 3 mins about 70 miles west of Rockall. The master, his wife and five crew members were lost. 16 crew members and one passenger (the wife of the chief engineer) were picked up by the British steam merchant EMPIRE SOLDIER and four crew members were rescued by a British warship.





*Steamer MEATH (UK 1598 grt) *and *Examination Vessel MANX LAD (UK 24grt)*, which was alongside MEATH, were both sunk on a mine 6 to 7 cables NE of Breakwater Rock Light House. The entire crew of steamer MEATH was rescued.




_No Image Found for Manx Lad_

*Steamer CITY OF BIRMINGHAM (UK 5309 grt)* was sunk on a mine 5.5 miles 115° from Spurn Point (in the Nth Sea, near the entrance to the Humber River). The entire crew was rescued. The vessel sank carrying a cargo of 2,550 tons of copper and tin ingots, also a general cargo of wool, tea, tobacco, canned fruit, asbestos and ammunition. Salvage operations commenced in 1940, and again in 1947-48. By September 1949 almost £2 million of copper and tin had been salvaged; Crew of 79 and 1 Rating, no lives lost. The CITY OF BIRMINGHAM was lost after detonating a German laid mine whilst on passage to Hull via the North coast of Scotland.





*Steamer MOREA (FI 1968 grt)* was sunk in the Adriatic on the Durazzo-Bari route 50 miles from Durazzo by sub OSIRIS.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 16 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
British minefield BS.32 was laid by ML TEVIOTBANK and DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE. FN.254 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 18th. MT.142 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.254 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 18th. OA.200 departed Methil. No escorts were assigned. British steamer CLAN FORBES was damaged by the LW at Tilbury Dock (Thames Estuary East Of the main London area) .

*West Coast UK*
OB.199 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK and corvette MALLOW from 16 to 20 August and DDs ANTHONY, ARROW, ACHATES, HARVESTER from 18 to 20 August. The convoy was dispersed on the 20th. DD WARWICK and corvette MALLOW were assigned to the incoming HX.64.

*Western Approaches*
NL MV ALCINOUS was damaged by a torpedo hit fired by Endrass in the U-46. She survived after being towed by the Shoreham Class sloop ROCHESTER. She survived the war.

*SW Approaches*
One of the first successful attacks on a UBoat was executed by a Sunderland of Coastal Command when U.51 was seriously damaged in an air attack on the 16th 170 miles NW of Tory Island. U.51 was sunk on the 20th while returning to port from her fourth war patrol, by HM sub CACHALOT. All 43 crew on the UBoat were lost.

*Channel*
MSW trawler REGARDO was damaged by the LW in Osborne Bay (Isle Of Wight). The trawler was towed to Cowes by MSW trawler CAPE SPARTEL for repair. Steamer LOCH RYAN was damaged by the LW 40 miles NNW of Longships Light (off the Lands End at Cornwall).

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.66 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA. The DDs were detached on the 17th. SHX.66 departed Sydney, CB escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and joined HX.66 at sea. The DD was detached on the 18th. At 1750, the convoy was turned over to AMC AUSONIA, but ASSINIBOINE remained with the convoy until 2020. The AMC was detached on the 27th. BHX.66 departed Bermuda on the 15th ocean escort AMC ALAUNIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.66 on the 20th and the Bermuda based AMC was detached from the convoy at that point. DD HIGHLANDER, escort ship JASON, corvette HIBISCUS joined on the 27th. The DD was detached later that day. The other two escorts arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on the 31st.

*Sth Atlantic*
Convoy RS.5, escort CL DRAGON arrived at Capetown on the 15th. They sailed the next day and arrived at Durban on the 19th.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL, CL ENTERPRISE, DDs HOTSPUR, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to carry out aircraft practices, then meet with BC RENOWN returning from England, having been fitted with radar.

Dockyard mooring vessel MOORSTONE was sunk in shallow water by the RA at Alexandria but was later salved. One crewman was killed.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
From 16th - 18th, British troops at Berbera, British Somaliland, were evacuated to Aden. The evacuation was conducted by armed boarding vessels CHAKDINA and CHANTALA and steamers LAOMEDON , AKBAR , steamer VITA which was being employed as a hospital ship. The evacuation was covered by RAN CL HOBART, CLs CERES and CALEDON, CLA CARLISLE, DDs KIMBERLEY and KANDAHAR, sloops SHOREHAM, PARRAMATTA, AUCKLAND and HINDUSTAN, MSW DERBY and net layer PROTECTOR.
On 17 August, CL CERES bombarded Italian targets and was able to temporarily halt the Italian advance, which materially benefitted the evacuation by then under way. On 18 August, RAN CL HOBART CL CALEDON and DD KANDAHAR also undertook bombardment Bulhar and Berbera roads to cause further delays to the advancing Italians, but suffered air attacks from the RA. The evacuation was completed on the 18th with 5690 troops, 1266 civilians, 184 sick cases evacuated for a total of 7140. However *Tug QUEEN (RN 150 grt (est))* was lost in the evacuation.
RAN CL HOBART departed Berbera early on the 19th for Aden with remaining personnel and the demolition parties.




_HOBART in the covering bombardment of the Berbera evacuation, also during air attacks by the RA_

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
DKM Raider ORION captured *steamer NOTOU (Vichy 2489 grt) *in the Pacific. 26 natives were landed at Emirau Island on 21 December. The Europeans on the steamer were made prisoners of war. Within a day or so the ship was shelled and sunk in the Pacific Ocean SW of Noumea, New Caledonia. She was sunk because her papers showed she was transporting tin and iron from Newcastle (NSW) to Noumea, at the time she was intercepted.





*Malta*
Malta’s Governor is advised of the possible arrival of a special company of seaborne raiders soon to be based on the Island . In a message to the War Office today, he has repeated concerns about the provision of naval craft for the seaborne force, as there are no suitable vessels already in Malta. He has also asked for more information on the proposed strength of the company envisaged, pointing out that a small force would have too little effect on enemy strongholds in Sicily or Tripoli. Lt Gen Dobbie suggests that a considerable raiding force in Malta would be able to produce more solid results and be more economical in effort.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 AUGUST TO DAWN 17 AUGUST 1940
0741-0755 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which approach the Island but turn back before reaching the coast.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 16 AUGUST 1940

AIR HQ 0820 hrs French Latecoere aircraft with French crew dropped 74000 leaflets from very low altitude on Sousse/Monastir, Tunis and Bizerta. No warships or seaplanes visible at Bizerta.

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## parsifal (Aug 16, 2015)

*17 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HM COREOPSIS, U Class Sub HM Utmost







_COREOPSIS was featured in the 1953 film "The Cruel Sea" as the fictional HMS Compass Rose. She was by then a unit in the Royal Hellenic navy, located at malta, awaiting a tow to a British Breakers yard, the last of the wartime Flower class corvettes from the RN._

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-37

At Sea 17 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA.
15 boats at sea.
The Kriegsmarine declares an all out tonnage war on British sea communications on this day. The stated aim is to bring the UK to its knees by means of an economic blockade. In the coming months it comes closest to full success of all the German offensives against Britain. 

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.255 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 19th. MT.143 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.255 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.

*Northern Waters*
DD KIPLING and ORP DD BURZA departed Scapa with the KIPLING to relieve RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE in OA.200, and BURZA to meet convoy WN.8 in the Minches and provide additional escort to Rattray Hd. RESTIGOUCHE arrived at Scapa late on the 17th. She discharged oil fuel contaminated by seawater. The Canadian DD departed Scapa Flow early the next day after receiving new fuel.
At 1315 on the 18th, RESTIGOUCHE relieved KIPLING on convoy duties, with the KIPLING then returning to Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
British steamers ST PATRICK and YEWKYLE were damaged in LW attacks in St George's Channel (the southern entrance to the Irish Sea).

*Western Approaches*
DesFlot 12 was rebased to Belfast. On formation it consisted of DDs ARROW, AMAZON, ACHATES and ANTHONY forming the first of the ASW striking forces. It would take some time for these reinforcement forces to work as intended, and the standard of ASW training remained poor in the RN escort forces.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med flt carried out a series of bombardments of Bardia under the codename MB.2. DDs HYPERION, ILEX, JUNO, HERO departed Alexandria at noon on the 15th to sweep off Sollum Bay and then join the main flt. BBs WARSPITE, MALAYA, RAMILLIES, CA KENT, DDs HOSTILE, HEREWARD, DIAMOND, NUBIAN, and MOHAWK, and RAN DDs STUART, WATERHEN and VENDETTA, departed Alexandria on the 16th. Bardia was bombarded from 0658 to 0720 by Force A with BB WARSPITE, CA KENT, DDs HYPERION, ILEX, HOSTILE, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, DIAMOND and Force B with BBs MALAYA and RAMILLIES and RAN DDs STUART, WATERHEN, VENDETTA and RN DDs JUNO, HERO and HEREWARD. Results were very positive, and by the end of the month, Wavell was reporting Italian casualties in Cyrenaica since the outbreak of hostilities at 3500, to less than 150 British losses

Sub RORQUAL, had departed Alexandria on the 4th, laid mines east of Tolmeita, Cyrenaica. The sub arrived back at Alexandria on the 27th.The bombardment forces arrived back at Alexandria on the 18th.

DDs GRIFFIN arrived at Gibraltar from England, escorted by DD VELOX, which detached from HG.41

*Malta*
AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Blenheim. Of two Blenheims expected from UK one arrived safely and one force landed in Tunis due to lack of fuel. 1347-1517 hrs Skua of Fleet Air Arm reconnaissance Augusta and Syracuse.

War Office authorises the formation of two LDV Brigades to assist in the defence of Malta. Far from the "Dads Army" the malta volunteers acquire a high reputation for efficiency during the war.

The Kings Own Malta Regt (KOMR) dates back to 1903, though reduced to squadron size between the wars. After the call up in August the RMA Malta based territorial soldiers was expanded and during the course of the siege was expanded to four reinforced Infantry Bns, being the 1st , 2nd, 3rd, and 10th Bns. In addition the Malkta ground forces included a Bde of the British Army. The RMA also provided the manpower for two CA regts, 8 HAA regts, 2 LAA units, 2 Searchlight units and a specialist Engineer Bn. It was an impressive effort for a small colonial outpost under siege from al;most the beginning of hostilities





_KOMR Insignia Badge_

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## stona (Aug 17, 2015)

The Bf 110 wreckage being examined, or rather guarded by a curious guard, on Manston is that of S9+MK. The bordfunker Gefr. Ewald Schank managed to bale out wounded. The pilot Uffz. Hans Steding was killed.
To make sense of the wreckage imagine the aircraft lying on its back, facing the camera.

Another aircraft of the same unit (S9+NK) came down in the same action. One witness, Ltn. Erich Beudel, claiming it was brought down by the explosion of S9+MK which was hit by AAA. Its crew, Ltn. Heinrich Brinkel and Uffz. Richard Mayer both perished.

EproGr 210 were good at low level fighter bomber attacks and usually evaded detection and interception by the RAF. They did suffer high losses to ground fire. 

Cheers

Steve

Edit:the crew of that Heinkel all survived, one wounded, one slightly wounded according to the British. Although witnesses claimed that the aircraft was on fire when it made a good forced landing the crew ensured its destruction with 'phosphorous cartridges' which I presume means some kind of flares.

The Bf 110 shot down on the 15th was attacking Croydon, not Hawkinge. The confusion maybe because it came down near _Hawkhurst_ in Kent. This aircraft, S9+CK, W.Nr.3341was the aircraft evaluated by the Vultee Aircraft Corporation in the US having been shipped to Los Angeles on the SS Montanan.
Its crew both survived the pilot, Obltn. Alfred Habish, was unhurt, the bordfunker, Uffz. Ernst Efner was wounded or not depending which source is correct. Either way they both sat out the rest of the war in Canada.

This is one of several images published in Life magazine of the aircraft arriving in LA.

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## Njaco (Aug 17, 2015)

*August 16 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post706587.html#post706587

Pilot Officer W. M. "Billy" Fiske, an American pilot in the RAF, would become injured during one of the day’s raids and would die on the following day, becoming the only American killed in combat during the Battle of Britain.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Dumfries, Scotland, about 1000 Norwegian men begin training, preparing for reconquest of Norway.

*NORTH AFRICA: * Italian troops move cautiously from Tug Argan and do not attack the British rearguard at Barkasan. British and Commonwealth troops began evacuating Berbera, British Somaliland, while Italian troops marched closer to the capital, though very cautiously and did not attack the British rearguard at Barkasan. Italian aircraft, for the most part, allowed the evacuation operation to take place in order to maintain good relations with Britain.

*GERMANY:* In Germany, the 5th Directive (intelligence section) of the German Luftwaffe High Command reported the RAF Fighter Command only had about 300 fighters left; in actuality, it had about 400 Hurricane fighters and 200 Spitfire fighters available at the time, which was twice of the estimate.

Hitler intervenes in the quarrel between his army and naval staffs as to whether the invasion of Britain should be conducted on a broad front, as the army prefers or the narrow front more suited to naval limitations. He orders them to reach a compromise. The army has previously talked of using 40 divisions in the first three days of the operation, but now consider using 13. Wilhelm Keitel issued the order that, per Adolf Hitler's decision, the landing area in the invasion plan for Britain was to be slightly narrowed as a compromise between the Army (which wanted a wide front) and the Navy (which lacked the warships to secure too many landing sites).

Adolf Hitler approves a Spanish-German plan to attack Gibraltar.

*MEDITERRANEAN: * British submarine “_Osiris_” sank Italian ship “_Morea_” 50 miles west of Durrës, Albania.

Over Italy the RAF sends attacks against Fiat works in Turin and the Caproni works in Milan.

Hungary and Romania began negotiating over Transylvania, which Hungary wished to take over from Romania. The negotiation soon turned into a deadlock.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-100 sank British ship “_Empire Merchant_” 150 miles northwest of Ireland, killing 7. 48 survivors were rescued by tug HMS “_Salvonia_”. 150 miles further northwest, a German submarine wolfpack consisted of U-30, U-46, and U-48 attacked Allied convoy OB-197, sinking Swedish ship “_Hedrun_” (8 killed, 20 survived) and British ship “_Clan Macphee_” (67 killed, 41 survived), and damaging Dutch ship “_Alcinous_”. In the same general area 170 miles northwest of Ireland, British Coastal Command Sunderland flying boats of RAF No.210 Squadron attacked German submarine U-51 with depth charges. U-51 narrowly survived the attack. This was the first successful use of aircraft against a German submarine.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt announced in a press conference that the United States had engaged with the United Kingdom to acquire land for military bases in the Western Hemisphere. No mention was made regarding the transfer to destroyers from the US to the UK.

A "Test" Platoon led by Major William Lee and consisting of 48 volunteers from the US 29th Infantry Regiment made the first US Army parachute jump from an aircraft in order to explore the prospect of bringing troops and equipment into battle by air.

The Canadian Armoured Corps is formed.

In Canada, in a lecture to the Vancouver Institute, University of British Columbia professor Henry Angus says Japan's entry to the war is certain, and will probably be a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor or some other American base.

American army and navy cryptanalysts discover the secrets of the Japanese message encoding machine.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* US Army Transport “_American Legion_” departed Petsamo, Finland for New York, United States with Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her three children on board. Also on board was a 40-millimeter Bofors gun purchased by the US Navy. “_American Legion_” was the last neutral ship to be allowed to depart from Petsamo.

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## Njaco (Aug 17, 2015)

*August 17 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN*: http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post706963.html#post706963

In response to pleas from Dowding the Air Ministry agrees to give Fighter Command some extra pilots from other RAF branches and to shorten the training period for new pilots even though this has obvious disadvantages.

*GERMANY: * Adolf Hitler announced an air and sea blockade of Britain, threatening that all ships approaching Britain would be sunk without warning.

German leaders designated Berlin as the European financial center after Germany's victory.

The RAF sends a raid against the armament works at Leuna. Although at this stage of the war the RAF intends to hit only military targets, it cannot achieve the necessary accuracy in night bombing.

*MEDITERRANEAN: * Admiral Cunningham leads three battleships and several other vessels of the British Mediterranean Fleet to bombard the Italian positions at Bardia and Fort Capuzzo. Battleships “_Warspite_”, “_Malaya_” and “_Ramillies_” bombard Bardia and Fort Capuzzo, Libya. Air attacks on the ships are beaten off.

Following recently increased tension with Italy, the Greek armed forces are partially mobilized with a call-up in some districts. Among the provocations is the sinking of the Greek cruiser “_Helle_” by an Italian submarine.

*NORTH AMERICA: * Canada's Prime Minister William King and American President Franklin Roosevelt meet at Ogdensburg, New York, and sign a formal document establishing a Canadian- U.S. permanent joint defense board.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A Junkers Ju 88 from 2./NJG 1, briefed to intrude over the Wash, strayed and was shot down into the sea off Spurn Head at 0300 hours by a Blenheim night fighter, crewed by Pilot Officer Rhodes and Sergeant Gregory from RAF No 29 Squadron. The Ju 88 was listed as lost together with its crew.

.

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## stona (Aug 18, 2015)

That He 111 was much photographed. It carries 'between 300 to 400' .303 bullet holes according to the CEAR, though worryingly no armour plate was penetrated.

Two of the crew were killed, the other three survived, one wounded.

There is a well known photograph of two soldiers and a local man standing by the bullet riddled tail of this aircraft. The soldiers each hold what the British called a 'spectacle magazine' for the machine guns and the other man a dead hare which was struck and killed by the aircraft as it landed 

Cheers

Steve

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## parsifal (Aug 18, 2015)

*18 August 1940 ("the hardest day") *
*Losses*
*Trawler VALERIA (UK 189 grt)* was sunk by the LW 8 miles 35° from The Smalls. The crew of nine was rescued
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-60

At Sea 18 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-57, U-59, U-65, U-100, U-101, UA. 
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
On or about this day senior commanders in the german high command were reaching some significant conclusions. When Franz Halder, the Chief of the Army General Staff, heard of the state of the Kriegsmarine, and its plan for the invasion, he noted in his diary, "_If that [the plan] is true, all previous statements by the navy were so much rubbish and we can throw away the whole plan of invasion_".

Alfred Jodl, Chief of Operations in the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), remarked about this time, after Raeder said the Kriegsmarine could not meet the operational requirements of the Army, "_then a landing in England must be regarded as a sheer act of desperation_"

Admiral Karl Dönitz believed air superiority was "not enough". Dönitz stated, "_we possessed neither control of the air or the sea; nor were we in any position to gain it_". Erich Raeder, stated at about this time:

_.....the emphatic reminder that up until now the British had never thrown the full power of their fleet into action. However, a German invasion of England would be a matter of life and death for the British, and they would unhesitatingly commit their naval forces, to the last ship and the last man, into an all-out fight for survival. Our Air Force could not be counted on to guard our transports from the British Fleets, because their operations would depend on the weather, if for no other reason. It could not be expected that even for a brief period our Air Force could make up for our lack of naval supremacy_.

OA.201 departed Methil escort RCN DD SKEENA and corvette GODETIA, which was detached from the convoy on the 22nd. FN.256 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 20th. MT.144 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.256 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIMIERA and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs DUNCAN and CATTISTOCK departed Scapa at 1000 for Liverpool. At Liverpool, the DDs joined two Western Approaches destroyers to escort convoy "MP" to Scapa Flow. DD ACTIVE arrived at Scapa Flow after refit to work up prior to joining DesFlot 12 in the Western Approaches.

*West Coast UK*
British dredger LYSTER was damaged by the LW at Brunswick Dock, Liverpool.

*Western Approaches*
OB.200 departed Liverpool escort DD WALKER and covette ARABIS from 18 to 21 August. The escorts were detached to HG.41. DD ACHATES escorted the convoy on 20 to 22 August and DD ARROW from 21 to 22 August.

*Nth Atlantic*
AMC CIRCASSIA was attacked by a U-boat, the ship counterattacked and claimed sinking the UBoat. There was no such success however. 

*Sth Atlantic*
SL.44 departed Freetown escort AMC CANTON to 5 September which then proceeded to Greenock for fuel, water, boiler cleaning.
ORP DD BLYSKAWICA, sloop SANDWICH, corvette GARDENIA joined on 3 September. On 4 September, DDs SHIKARI and SKATE and corvette ERICA joined. On 5 September, corvette LA MALOUINE joined. The convoy arrived on 7 September.

CL DELHI intercepted Spanish steamer CIUDAD DE SEVILLE and sent her into Freetown under armed guard. The cruiser also intercepted Portuguese steamer JOAO BELO and removed six Germans who were interned.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.3 departed Suez, escort sloop CLIVE. NZ Manned CL LEANDER and CLA CARLISLE joined on the 21st. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 26th.


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## Njaco (Aug 18, 2015)

*August 18 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post707325.html#post707325

No. 302 (Polish) and No. 310 (Czechoslovakian) squadrons were activated by the RAF.

*NORTH AFRICA: * The British evaucation of Berbera, British Somaliland was completed after troopships Chakdina, Chantala, Laomedon, and Akbar and hospital ship Vita departed the port, destined for Aden. Australian cruiser HMAS Hobart was left behind to collect stragglers and destroy vehicles, fuel, and stores. Colonial troops of the Somaliland Camel Corps chose to remain in their homeland; their British officers respected their decision and allowed them to keep their weapons.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister King signed the Ogdensburg Agreement in Heuvelton, New York, United States, which established the Permanent Joint Board for the Defense of the United States and Canada.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 18, 2015)

*August 19 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post707737.html#post707737

*NORTH AFRICA:* The evacuation of British forces from Berbera to Aden is completed. Altogether nearly 5700 service personnel and civilians are taken off by Royal Navy cruisers and destroyers. The British have suffered 260 casualties in the brief campaign and the Italian forces 2050. Churchill criticizes the performance of the British forces despite the balance. They are defended, however, by General Wavell, whose Middle East command they are part of.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * German submarine U-48 sank Belgian passenger ship “_Ville de Gand_” off Ireland just after midnight; 15 were killed and 38 survived. Also off Ireland, at 0154 hours, U-101 sank British ship “_Ampleforth_”; 9 were killed and 29 were rescued by British destroyer HMS “_Warwick_”. U-A sank British ship “_Hungarian Kelet_” off Ireland at 1000 hours, killing 6, all of whom were survivors of the ship “_Clan Macphee_” that was sunk by U-30 on 16 Aug 1940; 33 crew and 35 other “_Clan Macphee_” survivors were rescued by Norwegian merchant ship “_Varegg_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber took its first flight.

*ASIA:* Twelve A6M2 Model 11 Zero fighters escorted fifty four G3M2 Type 96 bombers on a mission against the Chinese city of Chongqing; this was the first combat mission of the Zero fighter.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The government in London declared the entire United Kingdom a defense area. To reinforce the RAF, a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron arrived in Britain.

*GERMANY:* RAF raid Kiel, Zschornewitz power station near Leipzig and 30 airfields; 2 1/2-hour air-raid alarm in Berlin (no bombs).

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## stona (Aug 19, 2015)

F1+HT of 9./KG76, crashed at about 13.20 (not 01.20, you don't attack an aerodrome at 300 feet in the dark in 1940!). It crashed into and demolished a house, 'Sunnycroft', which has since been rebuilt. Golf Road is a minor road running parallel to the perimeter road, north of the Kenley aerodrome, about 100m from the aerodrome which gives an idea of how low the attacking aircraft were. I actually went here about 20 years ago on a BoB inspired visit to Kenley!

The crew all perished. Oberst Dr Otto Sommer, Obltn. Hans-Siegfried Ahrends, Fw. Karl Greulich, Fw. Johannes Petersen, Uffz. Hannes Dietz, all buried at the German Military Cemetery (Deutsche Soldatenfriedhof ) at Cannock Chase. The youngest, Dietz, was 24. The oldest, Sommer, was almost unbelievably 49. There must be a story there.....lest we forget. 

Once again demonstrating the structure of the German aviation industry this aircraft was built by Blohm and Voss under licence from Dornier.

Cheers

Steve

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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2015)

*19 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-104






Neutral
SU Subs KALEV and LEMBIT





_KALEV and LEMBIT were commissioned in the Estonian Navy in 1937 but taken over by the Soviets on 19 August 1940. KALEV was most likely mined and sunk in late October or early November 1941 off Hanko. LEMBIT was also lost, but date uncertain_

*Losses
MV AMPLEFORTH (UK 4576 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) Crew: 38 (9 dead and 29 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Hull - Jacksonville OA 199 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. The cargo ship straggled behind the convoy and was torpedoed and sunk in the Western Approaches by U-101. The 29 survivors were rescued by RN DD WARWICK. 





*Hybrid MV/Liner VILLE DE GAND (BE 7900 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Hans Rösing) Crew: 54 (14 dead and 40 survivors) Cargo: listed as "shell bullets" Route: Liverpool - New York Sailing Unescorted Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0005 hrs the unescorted VILLE DE GAND was hit aft by one of two torpedoes fired by U-48 about 200 miles west of Ireland. The ship sank by the stern in 2 minutes after being hit by a G7e coup de grace at 0109 hrs. No details on rescue.





*MV KELET (Hu 4295 grt) *Sunk by UA (Hans Cohausz) Crew: 74 (6 dead and 68 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Port Talbot - Tampa Sunk in the Central Atlantic. Unescorted. On 19 Aug 1940 the KELET was stopped by UA with gunfire and at 0910 hrs hit by a coup de grace, but the vessel remained afloat and was shelled until she sank at 1001 hrs. Earlier the ship had picked up 41 survivors from the CLAN MACPHEE, which had been sunk by U-30 (Lemp) on 16 August, six of them were lost. The 33 crew members and the remaining 35 survivors were picked up by the Norwegian merchant VAREGG and eventually landed at Galway on 26 August. 





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-59, U-65

Departures
Lorient: U-56
Wilhelmshaven: U-124

At Sea 19 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-51, U-56, U-57, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
After emergency repairs at Greenock, CL PENELOPE (HMS "Pepperpot") departed Greenock for the Tyne escort DDs HAMBLEDON and ATHERSTONE. The DDs then proceeded on to the Nore Command. Sub CACHALOT laid 50 mines in minefield FD.24 50 miles off Penmarch.

FN.257 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 21st. MT.145 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.257 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st.

*West Coast UK*
OG.41 with 29 ships departed Liverpool escorted by sloop WELLINGTON and corvette GERANIUM and from Milford Haven by ASW trawlers DERBY COUNTY and ARSENAL. Sloop WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from 19 August to 2 September. Corvette GERANIUM escorted the convoy only on the 19th. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 2 September.

British steamer WALDINGE was damaged by the LW at Milford Haven.

*Central Atlantic*
RM subs MALASPINA attacked a tkr without success, whilst RM sub BARBARIGO also attacked a British steamer ( the AGUILA) also without success.

USN CAs WICHITA and QUINCY departed Santos

*Sth Atlantic*
British steamer ASKA departed Freetown to deliver troops and refrigerated cargo, brought from the UK in MONARCH OF BERMUDA, to the RAF unit at Takoradi. The steamer arrived back at Freetown on the 31st.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HOTSPUR, GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER, GALLANT arrived at Gibraltar to refuel and then departed to rejoin CV ARK ROYAL and CL ENTERPRISE as they escorted BC RENOWN arriving on the 20th. DDs VELOX and GRIFFIN also departed Gibraltar to meet the BC.

*Malta*

227-1240 hrs Air raid alert for 3 enemy a/c which approach to within 3 miles of Malta but turn away without crossing the coast or dropping bombs.

1619-1651 hrs Air raid alert for a small number of enemy a/c reported to be approaching the Island from the west; raid does not materialise.

Three more Blenheims arrive at Luqa as the islands offensive capability gradually increases.

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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2015)

*20 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN Kagero Class DD OYASHIO




Allied
Tree Class Aux MSW ALMOND




_Tree Class Trawler HMS SYCAMORE Pictured_

*Losses
MSW trawler RESPARKO (RN 248 grt) * was sunk by the LW at Falmouth. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV TUIRA (Pan 4397 grt)* Sunk by UA (Hans Cohausz) Crew: 32 (2 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Manchester - Argentina Sunk in the nth Atlantic OB 198 (dispersed). At 0027 hrs the unescorted TUIRA, having dispersed from convoy OB-198 on 18 August, was hit by a G7a torpedo from UA and sank after a boiler explosion about 8 mins after the torpedo strike, about 280 miles SW of Rockall. The mostly Finnish survivors were questioned by the Germans and they reportedly asked for the course to Norway because they did not want to go back to England. On 24 August, the 14 occupants of one lifeboat were picked up by DD BEDOUIN and landed in Liverpool two days later. The chief officer and 15 survivors were picked up from another boat on the 25 August by RN Corvette PERIWINKLE, which had been escorting convoy OA-202.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*LEONIDAS M VALMAS (Gk 2089 grt) * U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: ? (16 Dead) Cargo: timber, boards and battens Route: Halifax - Dublin Unescorted. Sunk in the western approaches. At 2150 hrs the unescorted LEONIDAS M VALMAS was torpedoed and badly damaged by U-46. The ship was towed to Greenock, beached in Kames Bay and declared a total loss. The wreck was broken up where it was beached. Cargo was salvaged.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Type VIIB U-51 (DKM 753 grt)* Sunk 20 Aug. 1940 in the Bay of Biscay about 100 miles west of Nantes, after a hit by a torpedo from the RN Sub CACHALOT . There were 43 dead (all hands lost). She had sunk 5 merchant ships (26,296 grt) and
1 auxiliary warship sunk, (4,724 grt) during her 4 war patrols.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 20 August 1940
U-28, U-29, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52.
14 boats at sea
*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.258 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop WESTON. Sloop PINTAIL was with the convoy on the 21st. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 22nd. MT.146 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.258 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIVIEN, SIKH, ZULU. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

British minefield BS.33 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK, PLOVER, WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN and DDs ICARUS and IMPULSIVE.

Floating dock AFD.12 departed the Tyne under tow escort sloops LOWESTOFT and EGRET and two trawlers. The dock arrived at Lyness on the 26th.

*Northern Waters*
LW a/c in small numbers raided Scapa from 0115 to 0315. Movements of all ships larger than trawlers were prohibited due to mining.
At 0945, Scapa was declared clear of mines nth of Barrel of Butter. The Fleet Channel was swept.

*West Coast UK*
OB.201 departed Liverpool escort DD WESTCOTT and corvette GLADIOLUS from 20 to 24 August. British steamer MACVILLE was damaged by the LW in Blacksod Bay (West Coast of Eire). British steamer PEEBLES was damaged by the LW 20 miles east of Tuskar Rock, Irish Sea.

*SW Approaches*
HG.42 with 17 ships departed Gibraltar. Sloop ENCHANTRESS and armed boarding vessel TIERCEL escorted the convoy from 20 August to 3 September. DD WRESTLER joined the convoy from 20 to 22 August, after which WRESTLER escorted steamer HIGHWEAR, which had collided with steamer POLLUX in the convoy, to Lisbon on the 25th. ASW trawlers MAN O' WAR and ULLSWATER escorted the convoy from 29 August to 3 September. DD VISCOUNT from convoy OB.204 and corvette CLEMATIS joined the convoy from 30 August to 1 September. On 1 September, DDs ARROW from convoy OB.204, ACTIVE and KEPPEL escorted the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 September.

*Channel*
Dutch tug ZWARTE ZEE was damaged by the LW at Falmouth. British trawler OUR MAGGIE was damaged by the LW at Brixham (sth coast of Cornwall).

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.67 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PV FRENCH, but difficulty with fog prevented the convoy from forming up until the 21st. SHX.67 departed escort RCN DD SAGUENAY, which was detached on the 22nd. The convoy joined HX.67 at sea.
At 1325, the ocean escort, AMC LACONIA, was sighted and ASSINIBOINE remained with the convoy until 2020. The escort was detached on the 21st. BHX.67 departed Bermuda on the 19th ocean escort CL EMERALD. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.67 on the 24th and the light cruiser was detached at that time, returning to Bermuda. On 31 August, DDs WALKER and WARWICK, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes ARABIS and BLUEBELL joined the convoy as the inbound escort in the Western Approaches. They remained with the convoy arriving at Liverpool on 4 September.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL DRAGON departed Durban for Capetown.

*Med- Biscay*
Vice Adm Somerville arrived back at Gibraltar in BC RENOWN (HMS "Repair"). Also arriving were CV ARK ROYAL and DDs HOTSPUR, GREYHOUND, ENCOUNTER, GALLANT, GRIFFIN and VELOX.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
DKM Raider ORION sank *steamer TURAKINA (UK 9691 grt)* in the Cook Strait (NZ). 38 crewman were killed and 21 crew were made PoWs. The remainder of the crew were landed at Emirau Island on 21 December. NZ Manned CL ACHILLES departed from Wellington and RAN CL PERTH departed Sydney, but no contact was made with the German ship. ACHILLES refuelled at Auckland on the 22nd. She was raider hunting off Campbell Island on the 25th. She returned to Wellington on the 27th. PERTH established a patrol off Gabo Island (off the sth NSW coast).





*Malta*

0810 hrs 6 Blenheim bombers land at Luqa direct from the UK. 

0938-0955 hrs Air raid alert for two formations of 5 bombers each, in line astern, escorted by 20 ftrs which cross the coast and carry out bombing raids on Luqa and Hal Far. 12 HE bombs land on Luqa, including 3 on the aerodrome, causing fires in several buildings and considerable damage. One Blenheim bomber on the ground is hit by an incendiary bomb and destroyed, another is damaged but repairable and another two slightly damaged. Several bombs are dropped over a defence post of 8th Bn Manchester Regiment but there are no casualties. 10 HE bombs are dropped on the Hal Far area, seven explode causing slight damage to one Swordfish of 830 Sqn, 3 are reported as unexploded.

1517 hrs Air raid alert for 6 RA ftrs which fly over the Island, undertaking a sweep of the area that had been attacked earlier .

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 1940

AIR HQ Arrivals 6 Blenheim. Departures 3 Blenheim (enroute to Egypt). Aircraft casualties 1 Blenheim destroyed; 4 damaged.




_Bristol Blen I of the type and mark that aqrrived on this day_

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## Njaco (Aug 19, 2015)

Stona, that time mistake is mine. It was 1:20 in the afternoon and I failed to make it military time which would be 1320 hours. My mistake. Gonna try to fix it.

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## Njaco (Aug 19, 2015)

*August 20 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post708076.html#post708076

Luftwaffe leadership ordered that no more Ju 87 Stuka aircraft were to be sent into action over Britain, after suffering unsustainable loss rates; almost 60 were shot down in the past 11 days.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made the "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" speech in the House of Commons in London, England. BBC - School Radio - World War 2 Audio Clips - Winston Churchill's speeches: 'The few'

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announces an agreement to lease bases to the United States in exchange for fifty American destroyers.

*GERMANY: *The former Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51, Hptm. Horst Tietzen, who was killed on 18 August, 1940, is posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz.

Theodor Osterkamp, the commanding officer of Jagdgeschwader 51, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz). Forty-eight year old Osterkamp was one of only a handful of aviators to see combat in both World Wars. During the Great War he had been awarded both the Knight's Cross of the Royal Hohenzollern House Order with Swords and the Pour le Mérite, and finished the war with thirty kills to his name. In 1940 he added six more victories before his superiors insisted that his further career should be chairbound.

Hermann Göring sent peace proposals to Britain via Dutch and Turkish foreign ministries, but the proposals were ignored by the British.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Joseph Stalin's political enemy Leon Trotsky was attacked in his home in Mexico with an ice axe by undercover NKVD agent Ramón Mercader. Trotsky would die on the next day.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Cachalot_” torpedoed and sank German submarine U-51 in the Bay of Biscay 100 miles west of St. Nazaire, France, killing the entire crew of 43.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Orion_” spotted British ship “_Turakina_” 350 miles east of New Plymouth, New Zealand, finally sinking her with gunfire and one torpedo after a prolonged chase; 38 crew members were killed. Despite knowing the New Zealand Navy might already be on the way, “_Orion's_” commanding officer nevertheless decided to remain in the area for 5 hours to rescue 21 of “_Turakina's_” survivors.

*ASIA:* Chinese communist forces launched the Hundred Regiments Offensive in Hebei and Shanxi Provinces in China. The Hundred Regiments Offensive was a major campaign of the Communist Party of China's National Revolutionary Army divisions commanded by Peng Dehuai against the Imperial Japanese Army in Central China. From 20 August to 10 September, communist forces attacked the railway line that separated the communist base areas. They succeeded in blowing up bridges and tunnels and ripping up track, and went on for the rest of September to attack Japanese garrisons frontally. About 600 mi (970 km) of railways were destroyed, and the Jingxing coal mine—which was important to the Japanese war industry—was rendered inoperative for six months. It was the greatest victory the CCP fought and won during the war.

Heavy Japanese bombing raid on Chungking; many thousands made homeless.

*MEDITERRANEAN: * Italian Navy to carry out 'total blockade' of Gibraltar, Malta, Suez and other British possessions.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 20, 2015)

*21 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U141





Neutral
Tambor Class Sub USS THRESHER (SS200)





*Losses
Steamer LETTY (UK 339 grt) *was lost en route from Liverpool to Buncrana in Lough Swilly, Ireland, to unknown agent (post war dives suggest a mine). All hands were lost.





*Hulk KENDAL (UK 178 grt)* was sunk by the LW at the Woolston Barge Dock, Southampton.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Netlayer KYLEMORE (319grt) *was sunk by German bombing off Harwich.





*Hopper barge JAMES No. 70 (UK 182 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Southampton.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler ANO (Den 189 grt)*, in Danish service but in German waters, was sunk on a mine off the Danish coast.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM Raider WIDDER sank *tramp steamer ANGLO SAXON (UK 5594 grt)* off the west coast of Africa in the Central Atlantic. WIDDER was indiscriminate as it attacked the steamer, raking the decks with LAA fire to prevent the crew escaping. 7 crew managed to launch a small jolly boat and pull away from the WIDDER unseen. Of the seven who got into the boat, there were only two survivors. They landed at Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas after drifting 2500 miles for 71 days. One of these survivors was lost aboard the Swedish steamer VALAPARISO when this ships in turn was lost on 31 December.

The German Captain decided not to pick up any survivors. He recorded in his war diary, the boats are: " Only 800 miles from the Canaries, and the wind was favourable." Post war the Captain was tried for war crimes, the only Armed Raider Captain to face a court. Able Seaman Robert G. Tascott, the sole survivor gave evidence that the WIDDER opened fire on the boats as they tried to move free from the sinking Anglo Saxon and raked the upper works with MG and gunfire (dives on the wreck suggest this to be true). In his defence, Ruchteschell stated the noise from his guns firing precluded the hearing of any "Cease Fire orders." The court martial did not believe this testimony and the Log entries were also seen as fabrication. He was sentenced to ten years gaol, but died in custody.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-60, U-65

At Sea 21 August 1940
U-28, U-29, U-33, U-34, U-37, U-38, U-39, U-40, U-41, U-45, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.202 departed Methil escorted by sloop FOWEY and corvette PERWINKLE until 25 August. FN.259 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 23rd.

*Northern Waters*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS departed Loch Alsh escort DDs INGLEFIELD and ECHO to lay minefield SN.2, an extension of minefield SN.1. DDs ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE departed Scapa and met the minelayers off Loch Alsh.
The minefield was laid on 21/22 August NNW of Cape Wrath.

The destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow at 2040/22nd after the minelay.

*West Coast UK*
CLA COVENTRY arrived at Greenock and joined CLA BONAVENTURE, which had arrived there earlier in the day

*Western Approaches*
U.48 made two unsuccessful torpedo attacks on two different steamers WNW of Ireland.

*Channel*
The LW damaged British steamer ALACRITY and trawler WOLSELEY at Falmouth and 9 miles west of Smalls Light respectively.

*Central Atlantic*
RM sub DANDOLO damaged NL tkr HERMES.

Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Lagos for Victoria with de Gaulle's representatives, trying to pursuade local Senegalese troops to join him, with the intention of embarking them on transports. The sloop arrived on the 22nd and departed later that day to rendezvous with Free French transports. When the Sengalese troops refused to sail for the Duala operation, the sloop returned to Victoria arriving on the 23rd. BRIDGEWATER departed Victoria on the 23rd towards Takoradi to meet a possible troop convoy, but was then ordered to return and arrived at Victoria on the 25th.

*Sth Atlantic*
AMC ASTURIAS and troopship ORION arrived at Freetown from the UK. The troopship and NL CL SUMATRA departed Freetown for the Cape. on the 25th, the Dutch cruiser was relieved by RN CA DORSETSHIRE which took the troopship to Capetown, arriving on the 30th.

USN DDs WALKE and WAINWRIGHT arrived at Para.

*Med- Biscay*
5 miles NW of Ras Hilal, HM sub RORQUAL attacked FI steamers VERACE and DORIS URSINO in an Italian convoy escorted by RM TB GENERALE ACHILLE PAPA causing no damge but suffering a heavy counterattack in return.




_PAPA was a member of the WWI Generali Class. Sister Ship GENERALE PRESTINARI pictured. The Generale Class were efficient ASW vessels _

DD VIDETTE arrived at Gib escorting PV BRITISH COAST from England.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
AMC CARTHAGE and convoy RS.5 departed Durban for Aden.

*Malta*

1520-1537 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy fighters which cross the Island at high altitude. Malta fighters are scrambled and Ack Ack guns attack the raiders, one of which is seen to dive away to the north. No bombs are dropped.

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## parsifal (Aug 21, 2015)

*22 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Grimsby Class Sloop HMAS WARREGO, Flower Class Corvette HMS GLOXINIA








*Losses
Steamer THOROLD (Cdn 1689 grt)* was sunk by the LW 2.5 miles sth of the Smalls. 11 crew were lost on the British steamer.





RN DDs DIAMOND, ILEX, JUNO and RAN STUART and WATERHEN departed Alexandria and were joined by RAN CL SYDNEY which departed 6 hrs later. A British air attack on Bomba was carried out by 3 land based Swordfish, of 824 Squadron from CVL EAGLE.

RM TB CALIPSO had brought SLC's to Bomba for Italian submarine IRIDE to carry onto Alexandria that night. In this attack, the RM *Perla Class sub IRIDE (RM 680 grt) *and *depot ship MONTE GARGANO (RM 1976 grt) *were sunk and torpedo boat CALIPSO was damaged.








*UBOATS*
At Sea 22 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-57 (+), U-60, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.203 departed Methil escorted by sloop LEITH, escort ship JASON, corvette HIBISCUS until 27 August. FN.260 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 24th. MT.147 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.
FS.259 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th. In a British raid over Daedereide, Holland, S/Lt (A) R. L. G. Davies and Lt N. M. Hearle in a Swordfish of 812 Sqn from PEREGRINE were shot down and made pows.

*Nth Atlantic*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CA YORK, CL SHEFFIELD, DD FIREDRAKE departed Scapa, but due to heavy weather, the Liverpool section could not sail and the ships returned to Scapa. The force was able to proceed later on the 22nd. The ships were escorted in the local approaches by DDs ASHANTI, TARTAR, BEDOUIN. The DDs were detached on the 24th and joined AMC SALOPIAN, returning from patrol. The AMC was escorted to Liverpool, arriving on the 26th.

CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY and DD FORTUNE departed the Clyde on the 22nd. BB VALIANT, CL AJAX and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY departed Liverpool. These groups joined the Scapa Flow group at sea.

Convoy AP.1 of liners DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, DENBIGHSHIRE, WAIOTIRA, departed the Clyde on the 23rd escorted by CLA COVENTRY which travelled with this group. Convoy AP.2 of liner SYDNEY STAR and CVE ARGUS departed the Clyde escorted by CL AJAX later that day. The AP convoys and AP.3 departing in September were designated operation APOLOGY.

Some of these ships were Med Flt reinforcements and were designated Force F. In the group of merchant ships was also British steamer ROYAL SCOTSMAN which was detached on the 28th for Gibraltar. ROYAL SCOTSMAN arrived at Gibraltar later on the 28th, escorted by DDs VELOX and VIDETTE.

Convoys AP.1 and AP.2 continued past Gibraltar escort CA YORK and CL AJAX and arrived at Freetown. AP.1 with YORK arrived on 1 September and departed later that day. AP.2 with CL AJAX and CVE ARGUS arrived on 2 September and sailed later that day. CL ENTERPRISE arrived at Freetown from Gibraltar at the same time as the convoy.

CVE ARGUS was detached en route to Takoradi and arrived at Takoradi on 5 September to fly a/c overland via Khartoum to Egypt. Convoy AP.1 arrived safely at Capetown and CA escort at Simonstown on 9 September. CA YORK departed Simonstown and the convoy from Capetown on 10 September. Convoy AP.2 and CL AJAX arrived at Durban 13 September and sailed later that day.

AP.1 was escorted in the Red Sea by cruisers YORK and RAN HOBART and DDs KANDAHAR and DIAMOND and arrived at Suez on 23 September. On 22 September AP.2 was joined by British steamer ARMADALE and CA YORK and DDs DAINTY and KINGSTON. The convoy arrived at Suez on 25 September.

*Med- Biscay*
Force A of DDs MOHAWK, NUBIAN, HOSTILE and Force B of CLs ORION and LIVERPOOL and DDs JERVIS and JANUS and departed Alexandria on the 20th to patrol in area of Gavdo Island in Operation MD 7. CL LIVERPOOL and DDs JERVIS and JANUS rendezvoused with British steamer MYRIEL and French tkr PHENIX from Chanak en route to Port Said. DDs HOSTILE, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HERO arrived at Malta after an ASW sweep on the 22nd. They refuelled and departed for Gib the next day to assist in Opn HATS. However, destroyer NUBIAN was forced to return to Malta with a lubrication defect.

CLs ORION and LIVERPOOL arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd. DD JANUS was detached from the convoy and arrived later on the 23rd. DD JERVIS and the convoy safely arrived at Port Said. ASW trawler LOCH MELFORT reported a submarine contact at 13 miles 320° from Ras el Tin. DDs JUNO and ILEX departed Alexandria to assist, but no further contact was made.

*Malta*

Telegram from War Office today confirmed that the following stores for Malta are being despatched by fast convoy round the Cape in three ships:

First ship: 554 tons of ammunition, six heavy and five light tractors, 2 x 3.7” AA guns, 746 tons Royal Engineers stores including 625 tons timber in bundles, 613 tons ordnance stores including 355 tons sandbags and barbed wire and 152 tons AG stores, 1435 tons supplies, 72 tons medical stores.
Second ship: ammunition 1334 tons, 12 x 3.7 AA mobile guns, 36 x 3.7” barrels, 10 x 40mm Bofors each with spare barrels, Royal Engineers stores 70 tons, ordnance stores 241 tons, supplies 770 tons.
Third ship: ammunition 639 tons, six tractors heavy, five tractors light, 2 x 3.7” AA guns, 36 cases 3.7” barrels, ten 4.5” barrels.

ROYAL NAVY An enemy sub reported off Gozo. A search by trawlers was unsuccessful. However a floating mine was destroyed MSW BERYL 10 miles off Gozo.

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## parsifal (Aug 22, 2015)

*23 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MSW Trawler LORD DARLING





*Losses
MV SEVERN LEIGH (UK 5242 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 43 (33 dead and 10 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Hull - St. John, New Brunswick Convoy OA-200 (dispersed) Sunk in the North Atlantic. At 1250 hrs the SEVERN LEIGH, dispersed from convoy OA-200 on 20 August, was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-37 sth of Iceland. The ship had been spotted at 1145 hrs the day before and missed with a first torpedo at 1822 hrs. During the chase, the KERET was sighted and sunk before the U-boat again located the ship at 0815 hours on 23 August.

When the crew abandoned ship in 4 lifeboats, Oehrn observed how the stern gun was manned and they overheard the radio operator sending distress signals which were contrary to the now widely enforced rules of engagement for the UBoats. Oehrn decided to surface and to silence the radio with the deck gun and to accelerate the sinking with shots into the waterline. He achieved both, but unfortunately two of the lifeboats were still alongside of the ship when the U-boat opened fire and were hit by shrapnel from the shells that exploded on the hull and killed almost all occupants. 32 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master and nine crew members made landfall at Leverburgh, South Uist on 5 September. The master Robert George Hammett was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea, and later an OBE. Unfortunately I dont have the details of his bravery





*MV KERET (NOR 1718 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 20 (13 dead and 7 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route North Shields - Methil - Sydney Convoy OA-200 (dispersed) Sunk in the North Atlantic. At 0222 hrs on 23 Aug 1940 the KERET, dispersed from convoy OA-200 on 20 August, was hit amidships near the engine room by one torpedo from U-37 and sank within 8 mins. The ship had been spotted during the chase for SEVERN LEIGH at 2000 hours the day before and missed by a first torpedo at 0110 hrs.

The survivors managed to launch a lifeboat, but it capsized by the wash of the Uboat as it pulled alongside. Four survivors sat on the overturned lifeboat and three others on a raft, when the U-boat came alongside and asked for the name of the ship. Later the survivors righted the lifeboat and were picked up the next day by the British steam merchant TRIDENT and taken to Sydney, Nova Scotia. 





LW torpedo strikes sank two British ships of convoy OA.203 in Moray Firth. *Steamer MAKALLA (UK 6677 grt) * was enroute to Durban, and some sources quote her as being lost in the Pentland Firth. She was attacked by He 115 a/c.





*MV LLANISHEHN (UK 5053 grt)* was also torpedoed by He 115 torpedo aircraft and sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tugs BUCCANEER and SALVAGE KING were sent to assist both these the steamers but were unable to save them. 8 crew were lost on the steamer LLANISHEHN. There were 12 crew lost on steamer MAKALLA. The survivors from MAKALLA were picked up by sloop LEITH. The survivors from steamer MAKALLA were landed in the Orkneys.

Drifter NEW ROYAL SOVEREIGN (UK 68 grt) was sunk by the LW in Bridlington Harbour. There was no crew aboard at the time.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 23 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.261 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 25th. MT.148 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.260 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th. DD AMAZON departed the Clyde with Br steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN, with the DD returning to the Clyde on the 28th.

*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY departed Scapa escort DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ESCAPADE, JAVELIN. They arrived at Rosyth on the 23rd.
In Operation DR, CA NORFOLK and RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed Scapa to operate in the area of Bear Island to capture German fishing vessels. No contact was made and they arrived back early on the 29th. DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen where she picked up British steamer LOCHNAGAR. The steamer with troops embarked was escorted to Lerwick.

British steamer BEACON GRANGE was damaged by the LW and taken in tow by tug BUCCANEER which was later relieved by tug MAURADER. DD KIPLING departed Scapa on the 24th to screen BEACON GRANGE from Clythness to Kirkwall, where the steamer was beached. The ship was repaired and returned to service.

Br steamer OVERTON was damaged by the LW off Bardsey Island.

*West Coast UK*
OB.202 departed Liverpool escort DDs WINCHELSEA and WITCH and corvette PRIMROSE from 23 to 25 August.

*Channel*
DKM aux ship Schiff 13 (trawler DUSSELDORF) was sunk by a mine off Dieppe, however the ship was salved and returned to service, as auxiliary patrol boat Vp.607.

*Central Atlantic*
USN CAs WICHITA and QUINCY arrived at Montevideo. DDs WALKE and WAINWRIGHT departed Para for Havana.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Simonstown on patrol, and arrived at Freetown on 6 September.

*Med- Biscay*
DD HOSTILE struck a mine at 0317 and was badly damaged off Cape Bon. Cdr A. P. Gibson, aboard for passage to Gibraltar, four ratings were lost in the DD and 3 ratings were injured. *GHI Class DD HOSTILE (RN 1370 grt) * was scuttled by DD HERO. DDs HERO and MOHAWK took the survivors back to Malta. On 24 August, DD JANUS departed Alexandria to replace HOSTILE. On the 27th, DDs JANUS, HERO, MOHAWK departed Malta for Gib. DD NUBIAN followed on the 28th after her defects were corrected. All 4 ships arrived at Gib on the 29th.





In Operation MB.1, RAN DD STUART, RN DDs DIAMOND, ILEX and JUNO bombarded the Italian seaplane base at Bomba. RAN DD WATERHEN, which had departed with these DDs the day before, had been detached to cover the retirement of Gunboat LADYBIRD, which departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh on the 20th.

*Malta*
0835 hrs 7 Blenheim aircraft land at Ta Qali.

0837 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy bombers escort 16 fighters which cross the coast and bomb the Hal Far area, causing some damage to RAF property. One unexploded incendiary bomb is reported by 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment. It was later defused 

1120-1150 Air raid alert for a formation of enemy bombers; they cross over Ghallis Tower heading south. Malta fighters are scrambled but do not engage.

2105 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which approach the Island but do not cross the coast.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 23 AUGUST 1940

RN DD NUBIAN returned to Malta with defective lubrication system to main engines. HMS HOSTILE was mined off Cape Bon: survivors returned to Malta in MOHAWK. HERO also returned. Sub PROTEUS left on patrol.

AIR HQ 1600-1845 hrs French Latecoere seaplane recon between Malta and a point ten miles north east of Cape Bon.


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## Njaco (Aug 23, 2015)

*August 21 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post708438.html#post708438

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The United Kingdom House of Commons authorized foreign troops of occupied nations to conduct training in Britain under their own flags.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Reichsmarschall Göring begins the command changes among his pilots. Oblt. Gunther Lützow is appointed Kommodore of JG 3 in place of Oblt. Karl Vieck. Oblt. Lützow’s place as Gruppenkommandeur of I Gruppe is taken by Oblt. Lothar Keller.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Joseph Stalin's political enemy Leon Trotsky died of severe brain damage as the result of the previous day's assassination attempt by undercover NKVD agent Ramón Mercader.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” sank British collier “_Anglo Saxon_” 1,000 miles west of Africa. Survivors in lifeboats were machine gunned. In total, 34 crew members were killed. 7 survivors got away in a lifeboat, but would not reach land, Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, 2,500 miles away, for 71 days; by that time, only 2 were still alive. One of the survivors, Able Seaman Robert Tapscott, would later provide testimony to convict Captain Ruckteschell of “_Widder_” as a war criminal. The “_Anglo Saxon’s_” Jolly Boat which carried the survivors 2500 miles is preserved at the Mystic Seaport Museum.

Italian submarine “_Dandolo_” damaged Dutch tanker “_Hermes_” 200 miles west of Lisbon, Portugal.

The engines on a Junkers Ju 88A from 9./KG 30 overheated and caught fire, during a reconnaissance training flight to Edinburgh, it crashed into the sea in flames, 40 miles east of Berwick at 2355 hours. Two of the crew were killed and the other two were captured unhurt, after spending twelve hours in their rubber dinghy.

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## Njaco (Aug 23, 2015)

*August 22 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post708833.html#post708833

At 0900 hours, German 38-centimeter guns at Cape Gris Nez, France shelled the convoy "_Totem_" in the Strait of Dover for 80 minutes, but no ships were hit. In the evening, the 38-centimeter gun fired again, this time at the city of Dover. British 14-inch gun "_Winnie_" returned fire in what is the first of many cross-Channel artillery duels.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Another day of awards given to several Luftwaffe personnel. Major Adolf Galland is promoted to Kommodore of JG 26 in place of Major Gotthardt Handrick. Galland's place as Gruppenkommandeur of III Gruppe is taken by Hptm. Gerhard Schöpfel. Hptm. Rolf Pingel is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 26 in place of Hptm. Kurt Fischer. Generalmajor Theo Osterkamp, formerly of JG 51 and now Jagdfliegerführer 1 is awarded the Ritterkreuz for his leadership as is Major Max Ibel, Kommodore of JG 27. Obstlt. Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp, Kommodore of JG 2 and a former Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77 with a total of six enemy aircraft destroyed during World War I, is awarded the Ritterkreuz in recognition of his leadership during the early campaigns in Norway and France despite his not scoring a single victory in World War II.

British Swordfish torpedo bombers of RAF No. 812 Squadron from HMS “_Peregrine_” bombed German invasion barges at Daedereide, the Netherlands. One Swordfish aircraft was shot down, with its crew of two taken prisoner.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * In the South Irish Sea off Milford Haven, Wales, German aircraft bomb Canadian merchant ship “_Thorold_”.

*NORTH AMERICA: * James V. Forrestal, former Administrative Assistant to the US President and Wall Street broker, was named the first Undersecretary of the Navy responsible for procurement and materiel in the Navy Department.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Churchill dispatches a heavily armed convoy with 150 tanks to reinforce the middle east.

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## Njaco (Aug 23, 2015)

*August 23 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post709297.html#post709297

A Hurricane from RAF No 73 Squadron based at Church Fenton was shot down by British AA Defences, during a night patrol and crashed W of Beverley, Yorkshire at 0130 hours. The pilot, Sergeant M.E. Leng baled-out unhurt, but the aircraft was a write-off.

*GERMANY:* German propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels launched a new campaign that stressed the British fighting spirit in an attempt to rally Germany behind the war effort.

The British RAF flew a retaliation strike against Berlin, Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Australian cruiser HMAS “_Sydney_”, Australian destroyer HMAS “_Stuart_”, and British destroyers HMS “_Diamond_”, HMS “_Ilex_”, HMS “_Juno_” bombarded the Italian seaplane base at Bomba, Libya. 

Captain Oliver Patch, Royal Marines led a flight of three Fairey Swordfish torpedo aircraft that were temporarily detached from HMS “_Eagle_”. Flying from an RAF base in the western desert of Egypt, the Fleet Air Arm crew from RAF No. 824 Squadron flew far out to sea and then turned towards the Italian Libyan harbour of Bomba, where an Italian supply ship had been sighted by earlier reconnaissance. Approaching the harbour Patch saw an Italian submarine on the surface. It was later learnt that this was the submarine “_Iride_”, exercising with frogmen who were planning to make a covert attack on the British base at Alexandria. Patch released his torpedo from 30 feet at a distance of 300 yards and scored a direct hit below the conning tower. His wingmen Lieutenant’s Cheeseman and Welham flew on through the flak to attack a submarine and a depot ship in the Bomba harbour. They both scored hits and the exploding ammunition on the depot ship caught a destroyer that was alongside. The depot ship “_Monte Gargano”_ was sunk and the Italian torpedo boat “_Calypso_” was damaged. The Italians subsequently reported that two submarines and two ships had been sunk. Welham’s Swordfish was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire but he made it back to the forward base before it had to be abandoned. 

British destroyer HMS “_Hostile_” hit a mine 18 miles off Cape Bon, Tunisia at 0317 hours, killing 5 and wounding 3. After the survivors were taken aboard by destroyers HMS “Hero” and HMS “_Mohawk_”, HMS “_Hero_” scuttled “_Hostile_” with torpedoes.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 torpedoed Norwegian ship “_Keret_” in the Atlantic Ocean 500 miles west of Ireland at 0222 hours, killing 13; 7 survivors in a lifeboat and a raft were rescued by British ship “_Trident_”. In the general area, at 1250 hours, U-37 sank British ship “_Severn Leigh_”, killing 32 crew and 1 gunner; 10 survivors would make it to Outer Hebrides, Scotland on 5 Sep.

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## parsifal (Aug 23, 2015)

Unused


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## Njaco (Aug 24, 2015)

*August 24 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post709738.html#post709738

Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his first kill, a British Hurricane Mk I fighter, over Kent, England, United Kingdom. While he was congratulated by his commanding officer, he was also reprimanded because he achieved the kill after abandoning his wingman to pursue the target. Later that evening, in his diary, he noted great sadness when he thought about the enemy pilot's mother not being able to see her son again.

*GERMANY:* German battleship “_Bismarck_” was commissioned into service.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-57 attacked Allied convoy OB-202 2 miles north of Ireland just after midnight. British ships “_Saint Dunstan_” and “_Cumberland_” were sunk, killing 14 and 4, respectively; British ship “_Havildar_” was damaged. German submarine U-48 sank British tanker “_La Brea_”, carrying 9,410 tons of fuel oil, 130 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1414 hours, killing 2; 31 survived and made it to the Outer Hebrides on lifeboats. 500 miles west of Ireland, German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Brookwood_” at 0314 hours, killing 1; 35 crew and 1 gunner would remain adrift for 5 days before being picked up by British merchant ship “_Clan Macbean_”. At 2038 hours, U-37 struck again, sinking British sloop HMS “_Penzance_” escorting Allied convoy SC-1, killing 90; 7 survivors were rescued by British ship “_Blairmore_”.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” sank British ship “_King City”_, carrying 7,300 tons of coal and coke for Singapore, 900 miles east of Madagascar, killing 6. “_Atlantis_” remained in the area, in very rough seas, to pick up the survivors.

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## parsifal (Aug 24, 2015)

*24 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM BB BISMARCK




_Beginning 25 August BISMARCK is subjected to air attacks from the RAF. She is finally declared fully operational on the 5 December. At the time of her commissioning she is one of the most heavily armed and the most heavily armoured warship in the world_

Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler GAVOTTE, Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 13, 
New source for MGB image: British Power Boat Co








Fairmile "B" Motor Launch ML 114
New Source for ML 114: New Page 1





*Losses
MV BROOKWOOD (UK 5100 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 37 (1 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: London - Methil - Sydney Convoy OA 200 (Dispersed) Sunk in the Mid Nth Atlantic. At 0314 hrs on 24 Aug 1940 the BROOKWOOD, dispersed on 20 August from convoy OA-200, was torpedoed by U-37 sth of Iceland. The ship was then set on fire by gunfire and sank later. One crew member was lost. The master, 34 crew members and one gunner were picked up after five days by the British merchant CLAN MACBEAN and landed at Freetown. Later they were repatriated on the British merchant GLOUCESTER CASTLE.





Folkestone Class *Sloop PENZANCE (RN 1025 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 108 officers and men (90 dead and 18 survivors). Convoy: SC-1. At 2038 hrs, HMS PENZANCE , escort for SC-1, was hit by one torpedo from U-37, broke in two and sank in a few minutes . When the stern section sank the unsecured depth charges detonated, killing some of the survivors swimming in the water and slightly damaging the U-boat. Nevertheless two ships from the convoy stopped to pick up survivors. 12 men were picked up by the British steam merchant FYLINGDALE, but one of them later died of injures and was buried at sea. 7 men were picked up by the BLAIRMORE, which was torpedoed and sunk by the same U-boat later that night. All men from the sloop survived the second sinking, were rescued after about 17 hrs by the Swedish EKNAREN and landed at Baltimore.





*Tkr LA BREA (UK 6665 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Hans Rudolf Rosing) Crew: 33 (2 dead and 31 survivors) Cargo: Fuel Oil Route: Aruba - Bermuda - Dundee HX 65 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1424 hrs the unescorted and unarmed LA BREA , a straggler from convoy HX-65 since 19 Aug, was hit on the port side by a G7a torpedo fired by U-48 WNW of Rockall. The torpedo was a surface runner, but nevertheless hit between, right at the break of the poop, opening the deck and causing a fire astern. It went out when the tanker rapidly settled by the stern on an even keel and sank suddenly with her bows in the air after 20 mins, leaving wreckage and two rafts on the surface. The master had refused to leave as he thought she would remain afloat and was lost as was one crew member on watch below. The survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats in bad weather with rough seas and observed the U-boat nearby, but were not questioned. The chief officer and 16 men in one of the boats sailed 130 miles and reached South Uist, Outer Hebrides on 25 August. The second officer and 13 men in the other boat made landfall at Islivig Bay, Isle of Lewis on 26 August.





*MV CUMBERLAND (UK 10939 grt)* Sunk by U-57 (Erich Topp) Crew: 58 (4 dead and 54 survivors) Cargo: General cargo Route: Glasgow - Liverpool - Curaçao - Panama - Port Chalmers (New Zealand) Convoy OB 202 Sunk in the Western Approaches, At 0042 hrs , U-57 attacked the convoy OB-202 25 miles NE of Malin Head, sank the SAINT DUNSTAN (see below) and CUMBERLAND and damaged HAVILDAR. The CUMBERLAND remained afloat for a period and her skipper tried to reach port, but sank 8 miles 5° from Inishtrahull. 4 crew members were lost. The master and 53 crew members landed at Moville, Co. Donegal.





*MV SAINT DUNSTAN (UK 5681 grt)* Sunk by U-57 (Erich Topp) Crew: 63 (14 dead and 49 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Glasgow - Baltimore Convoy OB 202 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0042 hrs on 24 Aug 1940, U-57 attacked the convoy OB-202 25 miles NE of Malin Head, sank sank the SAINT DUNSTAN and CUMBERLAND (see above) and damaged HAVILDAR.

The SAINT DUNSTAN was hit by one torpedo but remained afloat. The ship was abandoned by the crew on 25 August and she was taken in tow the next day, but sank on 27 August between Pladda Point and Holy Island, Irish Sea. The master and 48 crew members were picked up by the British rescue ship COPELAND, transferred to DD WITCH, and then later DD WANDERER and landed at Belfast on 25 August,





*UBOATS*
At Sea 24 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
MT.149 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.261 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 26th.

*Northern Waters*
DD MASHONA departed Scapa Flow at 1830 for Liverpool for docking and repair. DD KASHMIR departed the Humber at 1430 for Scapa to join the Home Flt.

*West Coast UK*
OB.203 departed Liverpool escort DD MACKAY and corvette HEARTSEASE from 24 to 27 August and ASW trawlers ANGLE and KING SOL from 24 to 28 August.

*Channel*
British monitor EREBUS was attacked by a DKM S-Boat 11 miles east of Lowestoft. There was no damage in the attack. DD ACHERON in Portsmouth Harbour was badly damaged by the LW. 2 ratings were killed and 3 crew were wounded. DD BULLDOG, which was moored alongside, was damaged by splinters and her CO was mortally wounded and died on the 29th. French TB FLORE suffered damage to her Bridge superstructure in Portsmouth Harbour by falling masonry in this attack. DD BULLDOG was repaired at Portsmouth completing on 2 September. DD ACHERON was repaired at Portsmouth completing on 2 December.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.68 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PV FRENCH. Later that day the local escort left the convoy to ocean escort, AMC AURANIA, and returned to Halifax. The AMC was detached on 4 September. BHX.68 departed Bermuda on the 23rd escorted by ocean escort AMC MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.68 on the 28th and the AMC was detached. On 7 September, CLA CAIRO, RCN DD ST LAURENT, corvette FLEUR DE LYS joined the convoy and remained with it until its arrived at Liverpool on 8 September.

*Central Atlantic*
AMC ASTURIAS departed Freetown and after full calibre firings made rendezvous with AMC ALCANTARA for patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
Pilots Acting S/Lt (A) A. G. Day RNVR, Naval Airman 1/c H. Newton and Acting S/Lt (A) A. L. Ayres RNVR, Petty Officer Airman S. H. Gould of the 806 Sqn of CV ILLUSTRIOUS were lost when their Fulmars of 806 Sqn collided.

CA KENT, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, DEFENDER departed Alexandria to cover the movements of two steamers from Piraeus to Port Said. DD JANUS was sailed with this force and was detached to arrived at Malta on the 26th. KENT and GLOUCESTER, escorting two merchant ships from Piraeus to Port Said, were attacked by RA torpedo bombers (one of the first of this type of attack) on the 27th. There was no damage in the attack, and the cruisers arrived at Alexandria on the 27th. HYPERION and DEFENDER were escorting British steamer PALERMO and Spanish steamer VASCO back to Port Said. DD HYPERION arrived at Alexandria on the 28th. DD DEFENDER and the merchant ships arrived at Port Said on the 28th.

Early on the 24th, gunboat LADYBIRD, escorted by RAN DD WATERHEN, bombarded Bardia in Operation MB‑1. This bombardment was covered by RAN CL  SYDNEY RAN DD STUART and RN DDs DIAMOND, ILEX and JUNO. WATERHEN later rejoined the covering force and the entire covering force arrived back at Alexandria on the 24th. Gunboat LADYBIRD arrived at Alexandria on the 25th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RM DDs NULLO and SAURO operated without contact in the Red Sea during the night of 24/25 August. Convoy BN.3A departed Aden, escorted by CL CALEDON RAN sloop PARRAMATTA and RN Sloop SHOREHAM. The convoy was dispersed on the 27th.

DKM Raider ATLANTIS sank *steamer KING CITY (UK 4744 grt)* in the Indian Ocean at 16‑53S, 65‑17E, with the loss of 6 crew on the steamer.





*Malta*

1211-1240 hrs Air raid warning for 6 RA bombers escorted by 16 fighters approached from the east and drop bombs on Hal Far and Kalafrana, causing slight damage to RAF buildings and serious damage to one Swordfish a/c. 4 Hurricanes are scrambled and engage the raiders, as do AA guns. The air battle can be heard across the Island. One enemy CR42 fighter is reported brought down into the sea; a parachutist is spotted bailing out, is rescued and taken prisoner (Sgt Maggiore Renzo Bocconi, 75a Squadriglia, baled out from his damaged aircraft, landed in the sea, was rescued and taken prisoner). Other enemy a/c are believed damage; one is thought to have been brought down near Hal Far, where rifle fire is heard, but a singke a/c is the only enemy loss. One Hurricane is hit in the main spar by a bullet. Another crash lands at Luqa due to a punctured tyre but is not seriously damaged.

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## parsifal (Aug 24, 2015)

*25 August 1940 (Part I)
Losses
MV JAMAICA PIONEER (UK 5471 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 57 (2 dead and 55 survivors) Cargo: 1900 tons of bananas Route: Kingston, Jamaica - Avonmouth Sailing Independantly. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1912 hrs the unescorted JAMAICA PIONEER was hit by a torpedo from U-100 east of Rockall. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 1908 hours and was missed again at 1930 hrs. After a second hit at 1934 hrs, the U-boat tried to sink the vessel by gunfire and fired 55 rounds without hitting the ship, which was finally sunk with a coup de grâce at 2012 hrs. The master, 52 crew members and two gunners were rescued. Some of them were picked up by DD ANTHONY. Thew, RN) and landed at Greenock and the remaining survivors by DD WANDERER and were landed at Belfast.





*MV FIRCREST (UK 5394 grt)* Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) Crew: 40 (40 dead - no survivors) Cargo: iron ore Route: Halifax - Middlesbrough Convoy 65A Lost North Of the Hebrides. Between 2350 and 2356 hrs, U-124 fired four single torpedoes at four ships in the convoy HX-65A 23 miles nth of Butt of Lewis, Hebrides and claimed the sinking of all four (only 3 were actually hit) MV HARPALYCE (see below) and FIRCREST were sunk and the STAKESBY was badly damaged. The FIRCREST in the most starboard column sank immediately after being hit amidships by a torpedo due to her cargo of iron ore sank almost immediately.




_FIRCREST with her former name RIGL_

*MV HARPALYCE (UK 5169 grt)* Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) Crew: 47 (42 dead and 5 survivors) Cargo: Steel and iron Route: Halifax - Middlesbrough Convoy 65A Lost North Of the Hebrides . Another victim to quickly sink because of her cargo. The HARPALYCE was the convoy commodores ship and sank by the stern with a list to port within one minute after being hit by one torpedo, leaving the crew no time to launch the lifeboats. Five crew members clung to debris or swam to rafts that floated free, neither the designated rescue ship nor the escorts picked them up, but the ASW Trawler FORT DEE located them when investigating the burning STAKESBY nearby and picked them up at around 0345 hrs on 26 August. The trawler searched the area for further survivors during daylight and then landed the survivors at Kirkwall, Orkneys.
New Photo source:Harpalyce (1940); Cargo vessel - National Maritime Museum




_A photo of the model of the HARPALYCE that is on display at the maritime museum at Greenwich_

*MV BLAIRMORE (UK 4141 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 41 (5 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Newcastle, New Brunswick - Sydney - Tyne Convoy SC-1 Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 0146 hrs the BLAIRMORE in convoy SC-1 was torpedoed and sunk by U-37 SE of Cape Farewell. The ship had picked up 7 survivors from HMS PENZANCE, sunk by the same U-boat the previous day. The master, 28 crew members and the 7 survivors of the PENZANCE were picked up by the Swedish steamer EKNAREN and landed at Baltimore.





*MV YEWCREST (UK 3774 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew:39 (1 dead and 38 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Cardiff - Liverpool - Wabana Convoy OB 201 (straggler) Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. Around 2230 hrs on 25 Aug 1940, U-37 opened fire with the deck gun at the YEWCREST, after following the ship for more than 2 hrs through rain squalls and haze SW of Iceland. A hit between the stack and the hatch was observed before the U-boat was forced to cease fire and had to turn away due to return fire from the ship. The Germans then began shelling her from ahead, but the crew soon stopped and abandoned the ship. The vessel sank in flames at 0307 hrs on 26 August. The master, 36 crew members and one gunner were picked up by H Class DD HIGHLANDER. 





*Tkr ATHELCREST (UK 6825 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Hans Rudolf Rosing) Crew: 36 (30 dead and 6 survivors) Cargo: Diesel Oil Route: Aruba - Bermuda - Methil - London Convoy HX 65A. Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0245 hrs, U-48 attacked the convoy HX-65A 90 miles NE of Flannan Isles and hit the ATHELCREST in station #13 and the EMPIRE MERLIN in station #15 (see below) with one torpedo each, claiming two ships totaling 14,000 grt sunk. The ATHELCREST was struck on the port side between bunker and boiler room by one G7e torpedo and caught fire after an internal explosion with flames enveloping the poop, the main deck and bridge. The ship stopped at once and slowly settled by the stern until only 20 feet of her bow was visible over the water. The master and five crew members managed to launch two lifeboats in the heavy swell, but suffered from oil fumes from their own ship and and sulphur fumes from EMPIRE MERLIN (the scene can only be imagined). They were picked up after 4 hours by Corvette GODETIA, which scuttled the wreck of the tkr with gunfire and later landed the survivors at Rosyth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV EMPIRE MERLIN (UK 5763 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Hans Rudolf Rosing) Crew: 36 (35 dead and 1 survivor) Cargo: Sulphur Route: Port Sulphur, Louisiana - Bermuda - Methil - Hull Convoy HX 65A Sunk in the Western Approaches. The EMPIRE MERLIN was hit on port side amidships by one G7e torpedo and broke in two after the cargo of sulphur caught fire. The stern broke off and sank immediately while the fore part sank after 35 seconds before any lifeboats could be launched. The sole survivor ordinary seaman John Lee rescued himself on a potato locker after swimming for 45 minutes and was picked up later that night by Corvette GODETIA which had troubles locating him in the darkness and searched in vain for another survivor who was heard for some time until the screams for help eventually ceased. The survivor was landed in Rosyth.





*Tkr PECTEN (UK 7468 grt)* Sunk by U-57 (Erich Topp) Crew: 56 (48 dead and 8 survivors) Cargo: Admiralty Fuel Oil Route: Trinidad - Bermuda - Glasgow Convoy HX 65B Lost in the Western Approaches. At 1948 hrs two torpedoes hit PECTEN, straggling less than a mile astern of convoy HX-65B due to engine troubles about 75 miles nth of Tory Island. Only a few minutes before, the tanker had been urged by Corvette GLADIOLUS to regain station in the convoy, but the the ship was hit on the starboard side in the engine room and just abaft the bridge and disappeared in cloud of smoke, sinking by the stern within 90 seconds. The first radio officer, an apprentice and six Chinese crew members rescued themselves on rafts that floated free and were picked up after 2 hours by the British steam merchant TORR HEAD from the same convoy, while GLADIOLUS and DD WESTCOTT unsuccessfully attacked the U-boat. The survivors were later transferred to the ASW trawler ROBINA and landed at Belfast.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 25 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-57, U-60, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
14 boats at sea

*U-boat Combat Summaries*
U-124. In late evening, the boat successfully attacked convoy HX 65A off the Isle of Lewis and then dived to evade counterattacks by Corvette GODETIA, which dropped 12 DCs and then lost contact. U-124 had lain grounded on the seabed for an hour after hitting a rock formation at a depth of 90 metres (295ft). The U-boat was not damaged by the DCs, but the collision had damaged three of the four bow torpedo tubes, and the boat was ordered to assume weather reporting duties for the rest of the patrol.

U-48. In the early morning, the boat sank two ships from convoy HX 65A and was then forced to dive when attacked by Corvette GODETIA, but U-48 evaded the DC attack and escaped unscathed.

U-57. On the morning of the 25th the boat was located on Asdic by DD WESTCOTT in the vicinity of convoy HX 65B, which depth charged U-57 twice, but without getting close. U-57 surfaced and chased the convoy until she caught up in the evening, and sank a straggler. She was then depth charged again by the WESTCOTT and Corvette GLADIOLUS, escaping undamaged after contact was lost following the initial attacks.


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## Njaco (Aug 25, 2015)

*August 25 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post710188.html#post710188

*GERMANY:* In response to the bomb raid on London the night before and on orders from Churchill, RAF Bomber Command raid Berlin at night. 81 British Hampden bombers of RAF No. 49 and No. 50 Squadrons attacked Berlin, Germany in the first retaliation attack. Clouds led to bombs falling largely in suburban lawns and gardens, killing only 6. Nevertheless, Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring was shocked and embarrassed that the British bombers were able to get through in such great numbers. The raid causes little damage but infuriates the Führer into removing his ban on the Luftwaffe attacking only military targets. The tide slowly begins to turn against the Luftwaffe. Total losses: 5 aircraft.

Battleship “_Bismarck_” fired 52 3.7cm and 400 2cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Hptm. Johannes Janke’s I./JG 77 move from their airbase at Aalborg and transfer to Marquise.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * Allied convoy HX-65 from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to Liverpool, England, United Kingdom was tracked and attacked by German submarines all day. At 0245 hours, German submarine U-48 sank the ship “_Empire Merlin_” (35 were killed and 1 was rescued by corvette HMS “_Godetia_”) and tanker “_Athelcrest_” (30 were killed and 6 were rescued by HMS “_Godetia_”) 90 miles north of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. At 0748 hours, German submarine U-57 sank tanker “_Pecten_” (49 were killed and 8 were rescued) 75 miles north of Ireland. Between 2350 and 2356 hours, German submarine U-124 fired four torpedoes at the convoy 23 miles north of the Outer Hebrides, sinking British ships “_Harpalyce_” (42 were killed) and “_Fircrest_” (entire crew of 39 was lost), while damaging “_Stakesby_”. Also on this date, German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Blairmore_” 500 miles west of Ireland at 0146 hours; 5 were killed and 36 were rescued by Swedish ship “_Eknaren_”. Closer to the Irish coast, German submarine U-100 sank British ship “_Jamaica Pioneer_”, killing 2. At about 2345 hours, U-37 struck again, sinking British ship “_Yewcrest_”.

.


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## stona (Aug 25, 2015)

There's a picture of people siphoning petrol from the tanks of that Ju 88 (B3+BM, Wnr.6086) directly into a car! The chap doing the pumping looks to be military but the woman and (I think) young man by the car are not. By this time the swastika on the fin has also been 'liberated'.

Here Hauptmann Lothar Maiwold, the 'Beobachter' (usually translated as observer, but he, not the pilot, was the commander of the aircraft) is led off into captivity. The other German is unidentified but may be another of his crew.






Maiwold looks suitably defiant, as befits one of his rank, and obviously had or was lent a comb! He looks quite dapper for one recently shot down.
The escort to the prisoner(s) in photographs like this always have fixed bayonets. I'm not sure what they thought their charges would try to do, run away and swim the Channel perhaps 

Cheers

Steve

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## parsifal (Aug 25, 2015)

*25 August 1940 (Part II) 
OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.204 departed Methil escorted by escort ship GLEANER and corvette CLEMATIS from 25 to 29 August. on the 26th, the escort was supplemented by DDs JAGUAR, JAVELIN and EGLINTON. FN.262 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN, VIMIERA, GARTH. Patrol sloops GUILLEMOT and PUFFIN joined for 26 August. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 27th. MT.150 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.262 departed the Tyne. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th. Minefield BS.34 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK, PLOVER, WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN and DDs ESK, ICARUS and IMPULSIVE.

*Northern Waters*
MV STAKESBY as leading ship of the most starboard column of HX 65A, carrying a load of timber was the torpedoed by U-124. The ship was struck first in the convoy with one torpedo hitting on the starboard side. The cargo kept the vessel afloat and she continued for a time until the crew were forced to abandon ship due to the fires on the ship. . The crew were picked up by the Norwegian steamer CETUS from the same convoy early next morning . The survivors, one of them injured, were landed at Stornoway later that day, from where the rescue tug HMS THAMES was sent to salvage the burning vessel. The fires eventually burnt out and the STAKESBY was beached at Glumaig Bay after the tow rope broke. The vessel sank in shallow water. In January 1942, she was raised, temporarily patched and left Stornoway in tow for Rothesay Bay on 9 June 1942, where the ship arrived three days later. Temporary repairs were carried out at the Clyde and permanent repairs at Sunderland. She was rebuilt by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and reentered service in 1943 as EMPIRE DERWENT.

BC HOOD with DDs INGLEFIELD, ESCAPADE, ECHO, JAVELIN arrived at Scapa from Rosyth. All Home Flt units, except CA BERWICK, at Scapa raised steam with dispatch. At 0140 on the 26th, steam was reverted to the standard 6 hrs notice. CLs GALATEA and CARDIFF departed Scapa for the Humber.

*West Coast UK
Steamer GOATHLAND (UK 3821 grt)* was sunk by the LW in 50‑21N, 15‑08W. The entire crew was rescued.




_Model of the GOATHLAND _

British steamer HAMPSHIRE COAST was damaged by the LW bombing six miles SW of St Ann's Light (Wales). British steamer OSSIAN was damaged by the LW in the same locality.

*Western Approaches*
HX.65A was escorted by sloops LONDONDERRY, EGRET, LOWESTOFT and RCN DD SKEENA. The convoy was to receive a severe mauling as it made it run into local waters.

*Channel*
British steamer SANFRY was damaged by the LW, and then attacked by a DKM S Boat on the 26th. She survived the attacks

*Nth Atlantic*
U-37 tore into Convoys sw of Iceland

SC.2 departed St Johns escorted locally by RCN PV REINDEER and ocean escort Sloop SCARBOROUGH. The convoy was joined for the run through local waters on 7 September by DDs SCIMITAR and SKEENA, sloop LOWESTOFT, corvette PERIWINKLE, ASW trawlers APOLLO and BERWICKSHIRE. DD SCIMITAR and corvette PERIWINKLE were detached on 8 September. The remainder of the escorts, including sloop SCARBOROUGH, arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 10 September.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL, CL ENTERPRISE, DDs GALLANT, HOTSPUR, GRIFFIN departed Gib to carry out exercises. BC RENOWN, DDs VELOX, ENCOUNTER, GREYHOUND, VIDETTE departed at 2025 on the 25th and joined ARK ROYAL at sea. This force joined CV ILLUSTRIOUS force and escort them into Gibraltar. The British force was CV ILLUSTRIOUS, BB VALIANT, CL SHEFFIELD, CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA, DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, OFRESTER, FoRESIGHT, FURY and FIREDRAKE from Scapa, with the force met off Gibraltar on the 28th and escorted into harbour, arriving on the 29th. DDs WRESTLER and WISHART were involved in local escort duties.

RM sub BIANCHI attacked an armed patrol boat off Gibraltar without success.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.4 departed Bombay, escorted by AMCs HECTOR and RANCHI. These escorts were detached on 1 September when NZ manned CL LEANDER joined. LEANDER turned the convoy over on 8 September to sloops CLIVE and SHOREHAM. The convoy arrived at Suez on 11 September.

*Malta*
A Blenheim was lost trying to reach Malta, whilst part of a contingenet being transfered from Gibraltar to Egypt . The bomber was seen ditching in the sea 55 miles from Dingli. Blenheim T2058 was piloted by Warrant Officer G H ‘Pee Wee’ Cluley. It is thought he ran out of fuel near Pantelleria and was attempting to land there but fell short and came down in the sea. 

A Swordfish, a Sunderland and DD NUBIAN were sent immediately to search the area but found nothing. Further aircraft continued to search throughout the afternoon but there was no sighting. WO Cluley, who later was listed as missing.


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## parsifal (Aug 25, 2015)

*26 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette FLEUR DE LYS




_My apologies for the poor quality of the image_

*Losses*
RM sub DANDOLO sank *steamer ILVINGTON COURT (UK 5187 grt)* in the the Central Atlantic, in a rough line between Portugal and the Azores. There are varying reports on the crew losses. One source simply states "at least 19 of the crew were saved". Another source says 8 crew were lost from a complement of 39. Benji Dog (which i have found a pretty accurate site to date states "the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by Italian submarine DANDOLO of the Marcello Class, in position 37º14' N, 21º52'W whilst on a passage from Pepel to Glasgow. It is possible that there were no fatalities as this ship does not appear on the Tower Hill memorial and there are no entries of lives lost in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database". The attached photo is credited to the above mentioned site





The LW delivered repeated long range attacks on the badly mauled convoy HX.65A off Kinnaird Head.
*Liner REMUERA (NZ 11,445 grt)* was attacked and damaged by Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of Stab I and Stab III, KG30 and was then torpedoed and sunk in by Heinkel He 115 aircraft of KüFlGr 506, Luftwaffe. All 94 crew were rescued. Sunk by aerial torpedoes 12 miles N of Peterhead in position 57.50°N, 1.54°W. She was on a voyage from Wellington (NZ) to London.





*Steamer CAPE YORK (Aus 5027 grt)* was badly damaged 10 miles 45° from Kinnaird Head. The entire crew of the CAPE YORK was rescued. However the ship was so badly damaged that she was abandoned. The steamer sank on the 27th under tow, 8 miles 55° from Rattray Head.
New source: State Library Of Victoria





British steamer CITY OF HANKOW was badly damaged by German bombing off Peterhead, but managed to survive. Greek steamer NELLIE was also damaged 15 miles NE of Kinnaird Head.

*Coastal steamers AVIELD (Ex-Nor 127 grt)* and *ODDA (Ex-Nor 835 grt)* in German service were lost on mines off the Norwegian coast.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-59

At Sea 26 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Steamer LISBETH CORDS (Ger 907 grt) *was sunk ten miles from Kiel Light Ship on a mine.





*North Sea*
FN.263 departed Southend, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 28th. MT.151 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.263 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and WOLSEY. Patrol sloop GUILLEMOT joined on the 27th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs VERSATILE, VIMY, ANTELOPE, AMBUSCADE departed the Nore to reinforce the Home Flt, however VERSATILE and VIMY were diverted to to Rosyth, ANTELOPE and AMBUSCADE proceeded to the Tyne to relieve DDs of DesFlot 4 who in turn were released Scapa. DD EGLINTON arrived at Scapa at 0930 to work up after providing additional escort for convoy OA.204. After a German air raid on the Orkneys, mines were found and exploded in the Fleet anchorage. No movements of ships was permitted until the channels were cleared.

DDs JAVELIN and JAGUAR departed Scapa at 0320 to escort convoy HX65A past Cape Wrath to Pentland Firth due to U-boat and air attacks on the convoy. The escort by this time were exhausted, having been in combat more or less continuously for more than 30 hours. The DDs were detached at dawn on the 27th for Lerwick. JAVELIN and JAGUAR departed Lerwick at 1730 with British steamer LOCHNAGAR for Aberdeen.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DELHI departed Freetown for Lagos to relieve sloop BRIDGEWATER. She arrived at Lagos on the 29th. SL.45 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CATHAY to 14 September. The AMC then proceeded to Glasgow for refitting. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 15 September.

*Med- Biscay*
DD JERVIS escorting British tanker MYRIEL and French tanker PHENIX arrived at Port Said. The DD then proceeded to Alexandria, arriving later the same day. Sub PERSEUS attacked Italian steamer FILIPPO GRIMANI off Durazzo (Albania) without success.

*Malta*

0330 hrs Sunderland L8159 of 230 Sqn recon of Kithera was forced to land and detained by the Greeks; the crew are interned, but the a/c is safe. Both crew and a/c return to service after greek entry. At 1000 hrs a Hudson carried out a search of Tripoli. FNFL Latecoere with French crew recon west of Malta to 10 miles NW of Cape Bon.


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## Njaco (Aug 26, 2015)

*August 26 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post710583.html#post710583

No. 1 Fighter Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, first engages German planes in battle, shooting down three bombers and damaging four others, losing just one Canadian plane and pilot.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Ireland lodged a protest in Berlin, Germany after bombs were dropped over Wexford, Ireland.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The American-Canadian Permanent Joint Board on Defense convened in Ottawa, Canada. The American attendees were Fiorello H. LaGuardia (President, U.S. Conference of Mayors), Lieutenant General Stanley D. Embick (US Army commander of the Fourth Corps Area), Captain Harry W. Hill, and Commander Forrest P. Sherman (US Navy War Plans Division), Lieutenant Colonel Joseph T. McNarney, and John D. Hickerson (Assistant Chief of Division of European Affairs of the US Department of State).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German He 115s and Ju 88s torpedo bombers attacked two British ships 10 miles east of Kinnaird Head, Scotland. “_Remuera_” would sink and “_Cape York_” would remain afloat until the next day. Both crews survived.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin's_” seaplane attacked Norwegian tanker “_Filefjell_” off Madagascar at 1748 hours. “_Pinguin_” soon arrived to capture the ship which was carrying 10,000 tons of gasoline and 500 tons of oil.

*GERMANY:* The British RAF bombed Leipzig, Leuna, Hanover, Nordhausen in Germany.

Adolf Hitler ordered the transfer of 10 infantry divisions and 2 armored divisions from France to Poland. To avoid Soviet suspicion, he made plans to make this transfer appear as if these fresher troops were coming in to relieve older men who were going to be released back into the work force.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The British RAF bombed Turin and Milan in Italy.

Italian submarine “_Dandolo_” sank British steamer “_Ilvington Court_”, killing 8.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 26, 2015)

*27 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS PRIMULA





*Losses
MV EVA (Nor 1599 grt)* Sunk by U-28 (Günter Kuhnke) Crew: 18 (1 dead and 17 survivors) Cargo: 1750 tons of timber Route: Sydney (15 Aug) - Sharpness Convoy SC-1 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1603 hrs the EVA, a straggler from convoy SC-1 since 16 August due to unsuitable coal, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-28 about 60 miles east of Rockall. As the stern settled the crew abandoned ship in the lifeboats, 3 of them injured. The U-boat surfaced after 30 minutes and fired 22 rounds from the deck gun into the waterline because the ship stayed afloat on its cargo. She caught fire after 17 hits were scored and was then left in a sinking condition, while the lifeboats headed for the Hebrides. On 30 August, the survivors made landfall at Boligarry, Isle of Barra. DDs HURRIVANE and HAVELOCK and a flying Boat were sent to assist after a distress signal from EVA was received. HURRICANE arrived that night and though finding no survivors, extinguished the fire on board and requested a tug, because they assumed that she could be saved. But the EVA was washed ashore 1 mile from Butt of Lewis Lighthouse and was became a total loss. Some of her cargo was salvaged.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV THEODORAS T (Gk 3409 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: ? all crew recued Cargo: Corn Route: Rosario - Gibraltar - Cardiff Sailing Independently. Lost in the SW Approaches. At 2231 hrs the unescorted THEODORAS T was hit in the bow by a stern torpedo from U-37 southwest of Ireland and sank after the crew abandoned ship. The crew were picked up by DD ECLIPSE.





*AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE (RN 15007 grt) *Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass), One of the largest ships sunk by a UBoat Crew: 277 (27 dead and 250 survivors). Attached to SL43. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2147 hrs, HMS DUNVEGAN CASTLE, escorting convoy SL-43, was hit aft of the bridge by one torpedo from U-46 about 120 miles SW of Cape Clear. As the ship continued, the U-boat fired two further torps at 2212 and 2251, which hit the engine room and just before the bridge. The vessel stopped, caught fire and foundered the next day. The commander and 249 crew members (12 of them wounded) were picked up by DD HARVESTER and Corvette PRIMROSE and landed in Scotland.





*Armed Yacht WHITE FOX II (RN 23 grt)* was lost in a fire after the LW bombed Plymouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-47

At Sea 27 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.264 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop WESTON. Patrol sloop WIDGEON joined on the 28th. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 29th. MT.152 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.264 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINISTER. DD SIKH was also with the convoy on the 27th. Patrol sloop WIDGEON joined on the 28th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th. British minefield BS.35 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK and DDs EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS.

DDs AMBUSCADE and ANTELOPE departed Rosyth to overtake convoy OA.205 and provide additional escort to Cape Wrath. They then proceeded to Scapa Flow.

*Northern Waters*
After a LW airstrike over Scapa Flow, there was a temporary prohibition of ship movements in Scapa Flow for several hours whilst the channels were swept for mines. Gutter Sound and Switha were clear of mines fairly quickly , which made possible for the DDs to proceed to sea. Some hours later, BB BARHAM departed Scapa at around 2200 escort DDs INGLEFIELD, ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE for Gibraltar. The ships were joined at sea by DD ECHO which departed early on the 28th. The ships arrived at Gibraltar on 2 September.

DDs WOLVERINE and VOLUNTEER departed Scapa Flow at 1600 and carried out an ASW sweep west of Flannan Islands and east of St Kilda. After this sweep, the DDs met convoy SL.43 A and provided additional ASW escort to Pentland Firth. DD ACTIVE, on completion of exercises off Scapa, proceeded to rendezvous off the northern entrance to the Inner Sound to Loch Alsh early on the 28th. ACTIVE joined the escort of the ML sqn 1 for ML operation SN.14.


*West Coast UK*
OB.204 departed Liverpool escort DD VISCOUNT, which remained with the convoy until 29 August, sloop DEPTFORD, FNFL PV PRESIDENT HONDUCE on the 26th. The convoy was joined on the 27th by DDs ARROW and ACHATES until 28 August. FNFL sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and LADY ELSA joined on the 28th. In this convoy were 4 AKs carrying vehicles for the Operation MENACE and RFA OCEAN COAST .

*Channel*
British steamer SIR JOHN HAWKINS was damaged by the LW at Plymouth.

*Nth Atlantic*
Cdn troop convoy TC 7 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTAWA with British troopships ORONSAY , DUCHESS OF YORK , GEORGIC , PASTEUR , EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and SCYTHIA with 2627, 1548, 2801, 1153, 1625, 1204 troops embarked respectively. Ocean escort was BB REVENGE and RCN DD OTTAWA. On 2 September, the convoy was joined by HM DDs WOLVERINE, AMBUSCADE, JAVELIN and JAGUAR for the dangerous run in in home waters, however the convoy arrived safely at Greenock on 4 September, less troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA which arrived safely at Glasgow on the same day. RCN DD OTTAWA arrived at Greenock to relieve RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE on the Western Approaches station. RESTIGOUCHE then returned to Halifax arriving on 5 September.

*Central Atlantic*
Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Victoria and arrived at Duala later that day.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Off the sth tip of Madagascar, DKM Raider PINGUIN captured and sank thre ships. The *tkr FILEFJELL (Nor 7616 grt)* was about 200 km sth of Madagascar while on a voyage from Abadan to London with 10 405 tons gasoline, 643 tons diesl oil, 144 tons fuel oil, having departed Abadan on Aug. 5. She had no armament. When one of PINGUINS's He 114 aircraft, camouflaged to look like a British one, circled above them several times, there was no suspicion aboard the Norwegian Tanker. The a/c took off to the west . It returned just after 1700 hrs, this time with a wire behind it which cut the radio antenna of the FILEFJELLl, then dropped a bag containing a note on the ships deck: "On account of vincinity of enemy raider alter course to 180°, distance 140 miles. From that point take up course direct to 31N 37E. Thence you get further informations. Do not use wireless. S. N. O."

When FILEFJELL did not follow the order to stop, the a/c atacked the ship. . As darkness started to fall the a/c returned, landed and signalled "Remain stopping here, cruiser Cumberland will go with you". FILEFJELL stopped (the time was 18:26), was ordered "Show your lights" and PINGUIN then approached at full speed. FILEFJELL was boarded and most of her crew members were transferred to PINGUIN's prisoners' quarters, both ships heading SE (the chief engineer and some of the engine crew remained on Filefjell, but they were also sent over to Pinguin the following day). Attempts were made to scuttle the FILEFJELL with explosives that same day, but she was still afloat by 2 in the morning of Aug. 28, forcing PINGUIN to shell her until she sank . At 02:04 one of her tanks was hit, causing her cargo to explode, and within seconds she erupted in flames which could be seen for at least 25 miles and PINGUIN quickly withdrew from the scene.








In the early morning hours of the 27th *steamer BRITISH COMMANDER (UK 6901 grt) *was also captured, but this ship managed to get radio messages off in the clear with her position and what was happening before being sunk. The 46 crew were captured without loss and transferred to the Raider. The RN responded with the despatch of CL NEPTUNE, CL COLOMBO and AMCs ARAWA and RAN KANIMBLA but were unable to intercept.




.
PINGUIN also sank *steamer MORVIKEN (Nor 5008 grt)*. She was enroute from Capetown to Calcutta, when she was intercepted. The entire crews of these ships were taken prisoner. The crew of the steamer MORVIKEN later arrived at Oslo.






*Australia/Pac/Far East*
Dominion Troop convoy US.4 departed Auckland on the 27th with troopships MAURETANIA and EMPRESS OF JAPAN from Wellington and ORCADES from Lyttleton escorted by NZ manned CL ACHILLES. Troopship AQUITANIA departed Sydney on the 30th to join the convoy escorted by RAN CA CANBERRA which relieved ACHILLES. RAN CL PERTH joined in the Tasman Sea on the 30th and returned to Sydney on the 31st. CANBERRA and the convoy arrived at Melbourne on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Fremantle on 2 September. US.4 departed Fremantle on 5 September still escorted by CA CANBERRA. On 13 September, RN CL COLOMBO relieved the Australian cruiser and remained with the convoy until 15 September when the convoy arrived at Bombay. Troopships EMPRESS OF JAPAN and ORCADES arrived at Aden on 24 September. The troops in MAURETANIA and AQUITANIA were delivered in other vessels, rather than risk the large, new troopships in the Red Sea.


*Malta*
No significant activity


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## Njaco (Aug 26, 2015)

*August 27 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post710942.html#post710942

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Lt. Heinrich Setz of II./JG 77 shoots down a RAF Blenheim south of Stavanger airfield.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt signed the joint resolution authorizing him to call Army Reserve components and National Guard into federal service for one year; meanwhile, at the US Congress, the legislation that allowed US Navy and US Marine Corps reserve aviators to be called up to active duty was enacted. On the same date, Roosevelt met with Secretary of the Navy Knox, Secretary of War Stimson, and Secretary of State Hull regarding a compromise that might persuade the opponents of the destroyers-for-bases exchange to back down. Subsequently, Roosevelt met with US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark, Secretary of the Navy Knox, Secretary of State Hull, and British Ambassador Lord Lothian to continue destroyers-for-bases discussions; Stark certified that the destroyers in question were available for British use without concerns of weakening US defense. Finally, Roosevelt received a ruling from Attorney General Robert H. Jackson which suggested that the destroyers-for-bases exchange was legal.

In Canada, Order-in-Council PC 4185 passes, making all single or widowed men aged 21-45 eligible to be called for military training.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Hans “Gockel” von Hahn of JG 53 is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 3. 

*GERMANY:* Oblt. Helmut Wick of JG 2 is awarded the Ritterkreuz after having achieved twenty victories against the Allies.

Wilhelm Keitel revealed an invasion plan for Britain that featured four separate main landing sites. Hitler modifies Operation Sea Lion invasion Plan: landings to be made on 'narrow front', Eastbourne-Folkestone, in preference to earlier 'broad front' proposal.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarines continued to attack Allied shipping in the Atlantic Ocean. German submarine U-46 attacked British armed merchant cruiser “_Dunvegan Castle_” with three torpedoes 75 miles northwest of Ireland; 27 were killed and 250 were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Harvester_” and corvette HMS “_Primrose_”. “_Dunvegan Castle_” would sink on the following day. German submarine U-28 sank Norwegian ship “_Eva_” 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 1603 hours, killing 1. Finally, German submarine U-37 sank Greek ships “_Theodoros T_.” 300 miles west of Ireland at 2231 hours.

In Iceland, The Costal Command of the RAF establishes an air base to help in convoy protection. At this stage there are only outdated Fairey Battle aircraft situated there, but this base will soon expand. RAF Coastal Command begins anti-U-boat patrols from Iceland, using the Fairey Battle aircraft.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” stopped British tanker British Commander off Madagascar at 0418 hours. Shortly after, she stopped Norwegian ship “_Morviken_”. “_Pinguin_” would imprison both crews and sink both ships by gunfire.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Caproni's C.C.2 prototype motorjet aircraft took its first flight.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Free French emissaries LeClerc and Boislambert depart Victoria, British Cameroons in native canoes for Douala, French Cameroon where the Government Palace is occupied without resistance. The next day LeClerc travels by train to Youande to accept the transfer of power from the Vichy authorities.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 27, 2015)

*28 August 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Hunt Class Escort DD HMS EGLINTON




_EGLINTON arrived at Scapa Flow on the 28th for working up with DesFlot 23. She was transferred to Harwich arriving on 29 September for duty with DeFlot 16._

*Losses
MV ELLE (FN 3868 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) Crew: 29 (2 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo Paper Birch Route: Campbellton, New Brunswick - Ardrossan Convoy SC.1 Sunk in the Western Approaches At 0425 hrs the ELLE in convoy SC-1 was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-101. The ship had been missed with a first G7e torpedo at 0401 hrs. The master and 26 crew members were picked up by Sloop LEITH and landed at Greenock on 30 August. The sloop scuttled the vessel with two shots of gunfire at first light that morning .





*MV KYNO (UK 3946 grt) *Sunk by U-28 (Günter Kuhnke) Crew: 37 (5 dead and 32 survivors) Cargo: general cargo, including 2600 tons of steel Route: New York - Halifax - Hull Convoy HX 66 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2057 hrs the KYNO in convoy HX-66 was torpedoed and sunk by U-28 about 30 miles NNE of Rockall.The master and 31 crew members were picked up by the QUEEN MAUD and landed at Methil.




After this loss DDs WOLVERINE and VOLUNTEER joined the convoy defences for support.

*Trawler FLAVIA (UK 202 grt)* was lost in the North Sea, cause unknown
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-48

Departures
Brest: U-65

At Sea 28 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.265 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 29th. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 30th. MT.153 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.265 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs JAVELIN, JAGUAR, ANTELOPE departed Scapa to a position 14 miles 360° from Sule Skerry. From that point, they carried out an ASW towards Sumburgh Head to search for a UBoat sighted at 1200, ten miles 270° from Sumburgh Head, steering course 270°.
There was no contact with the UBoat and the DDs returned to Scapa at dawn on the 29th. Minefield BS.36 was laid by MLs PLOVER and WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN and DDs INTREPID and ICARUS.

*West Coast UK*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC escort DDs TARTAR, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, departed Loch Alsh for ML SN.14 in St Georges Channel, screened by CLA CAIRO. They were joined at sea by DD ACTIVE from Scapa. The minefield was laid during the night of 28/29 August. On the 29th, TARTAR, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN with MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC arrived at Loch Alsh. ACTIVE and ML PORT NAPIER proceeded to the Clyde. On delivering the ML to this port, ACTIVE proceeded to Scapa Flow to join DesFlot 12. DDs SIKH and ZULU arrived at Scapa.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.69 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and PV FRENCH at 1550, which were detached on the 28th. SHX.69 departed under escort by RCN DD SAGUENAY and joined the main convoy at sea. PV FRENCH was detached at 2100 and ASSINIBOINE at 2010/29th turned the convoy over to the ocean escort, AMC ALAUNIA. BHX.69 departed Bermuda on the 27th ocean escort AMC ASCANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.69 on 1 September at which time the ASCANIA was detached. On 9 September DDs AMBUSCADE. ARROW, WINCHELSEA, sloop FOWEY, corvettes CAMELLIA, CLARKIA, HEARTSEASE joined the convoy for the run into home waters. DDs AMBUSCADE and ARROW were detached on 11 September. The remaining escorts and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 September.

*Central Atlantic*
CL ENTERPRISE departed Gibraltar for patrol duties from Freetown and escorting British troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN. RNN CL SUMATRA arrived at Lobito from Freetown. After refuelling, she proceeded later that day for Capetown, arriving on 2 September

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RM DDs PANTERA and TIGRE operated in the Red Sea without contact during the night of 28/29 August.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Penang.

*Malta*
1030-1044 hrs Air raid warning for five enemy aircraft which approach the Island at 20000 feet to within six miles of the coastline, then turn away eastward. Four Hurricanes are scrambled but do not intercept. The raid does not materialize.

2110-2151 hrs A searchlight co-operation exercise with Hurricane fighters is interrupted by an air raid warning for two enemy aircraft which approach to within ten miles east of the island. They circle for half an hour then turn away to the NE. The Hurricanes do not engage as night fighter techniques not yet up to standard. One Sunderland recon westward of north African coast from Salita Island to 60 miles west of Algiers.


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2015)

*29 August 1940 
Losses*
A horror night, one of many, as U-100 demonstrated the new tactics of surfacing within the convoy and delivering surfaced attacks from that position. It would take some months for the Allies to develop the skills and acumen needed to counter this audacious method of attack

*MV DALBLAIR (UK 4608 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke), Crew: 41 (4 dead and 37 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Tyne - Philadelphia Convoy OA-204 (Straggler). Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0023 hrs, U-100 fired torpedoes at the convoy OA-204 148 miles NW of Bloody Foreland, damaged the HARTISMERE and sank the DALBLAIR. The DALBLAIR was hit amidships on starboard side and sank in 10 mins. 4 crew members were lost. 17 crew members were picked up by Corvette CLEMATIS, later transferred to HMS ENGLISHMAN and landed at Londonderry. The master, 18 crew members and one gunner were picked up by the ALIDA GORTHON but tragically then were lost when that ship was also sunk by U-100 three hours later. The overall losses for the DALBLAIR that night were 23 crew.





*MV ASTRA II (UK 2393 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 25 (5 dead and 20 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Tyne - New Brunswick Convoy OA-204 (Straggler). Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0140 hrs on 29 Aug 1940 the ASTRA II in convoy OA-204 was torpedoed and sunk by U-100 148 miles NW. The master and 19 crew members were picked up by HMS GLEANER, which was to also escort the damaged HARTISMERE back to the UK.





*MV ALIDA GORTHON (SD 2373 grt) * Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 44 (31 dead and 13 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: London - Methil - Newfoundland Convoy OA-204 (Straggler). Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0336 hrs the unescorted ALIDA GORTHON, a straggler from convoy OA-204, was hit in the engine room by a G7e torpedo from U-100 and sank fast about 250 miles NW of Tory Island. The ship had earlier been missed by a G7a torpedo at 0316 hrs. The ALIDA GORTHON had straggled after she picked up 20 survivors from the DALBAIR, which had been sunk by the same U-boat a few hours earlier (see above). All the survivors of the DALBAIR and 11 crew members of the ALIDA GORTHON were lost.





*MV EMPIRE MOOSE (UK 6103 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 36 (0 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Hull - Port Sulphur Convoy OA-204 (Straggler). Lost in the Western Approaches. At 04.27 hours on 29 Aug 1940 the Empire Moose (Master Robert Edward Richardson), a straggler from convoy OA-204, was hit by a stern torpedo from U-100 and sank about 130 miles west-northwest of Bloody Foreland. The master and 35 crew members landed at Killybegs, Co. Donegal. At 0427 hrs the EMPIRE MOOSE, a straggler from convoy OA-204, was hit by a stern torpedo from U-100 and sank about 130 miles WNW of Bloody Foreland. The entire crew were rescued and were landed at Killybegs, Co. Donegal.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sub I-67 (IJN 1705 grt ) *The KD5 class (also known as the I-165-class) submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean off the Bonin Islands during manouvres with the loss of all 87 crew





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-61

At Sea 29 August 1940
U-28, U-30, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-100, U-101, U-124, UA.
17 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.206 departed Methil escort sloop SANDWICH, corvette GARDENIA and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, LADY MADELENE, ST KENAN, VIZALMA until 3 September. The convoy was joined on the 30th by ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and BURZA which stayed with the convoy until 3 September. OB.205 departed Liverpool to link up with OB 206. FN.266 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and WOLSEY. Patrol sloop MALLARD joined on the 30th. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 31st. MT.154 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.266 departed the Tyne, escort DD VERDUN and sloop STORK. Patrol sloop MALLARD joined on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 31st.

British steamer BALTISTAN (6803grt) was damaged by the LW.

*Northern Waters*
At 2051, a patrol trawler dropped DCs on a UBoat contact in Hoxa Sound. Later a UBoat was suspected at Hoxa Boom. DD patrols were stationed at Nevi Skerry entrance, Hoxa Sound, between Little Risa and Fara, between Cava and the Barrel of Butter. DDs KASHMIR and KIPLING escorted CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM to sea until they were clear of the Pentland Skerries. Precautions were relaxed at 0742 on the 30th. DD MATABELE arrived at Scapa after repairs.

*Channel*
DDs CAMPBELL, HAMBLEDON, VESPER, GARTH departed Aldeburgh Light Float to sweep off the French coast.

*Central Atlantic*
USN CAs QUINCY and WICHITA arrived at Buenas Aires.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL DRAGON departed Capetown escorting troopship FRANCONIA for Durban. The troopship then joined LLANGIBBY CASTLE and proceeded, escorted by RAN AMC KANIMBLA to join WS.2 A. DRAGON returned to Simonstown.

*Malta*
0837-0928 hrs Air raid alert for 12 RA bombers closely followed by 12 CR42s approach from the nth in three formations at high altitude and fly sth over the Island. The bombers turn SSE and circle away in a large sweep. The fighters linger. Four Hurricanes are scrambled and ascend to 23000 feet before attacking them. They are immediately counter-attacked by CR42s from above. Meanwhile the bombers fly in and drop some 30 HE and incendiary bombs on the Hamrun, Marsa and Luqa areas, including several on the Marsa to Zurrieq road. 5 land on the Race Club, 7 on Marsa Club, 8 on the golf course, 5 on the Poor House, 8 on Addolorata, 3 on Luqa village and 14 on Luqa aerodrome. Six civilians are slightly injured and properties damaged. One building in the Marsa Club area is destroyed by a direct hit. A Bren carrier and two other soft skinned vehicles are slightly damaged. Four unexploded bombs are reported and dug out, including two on Luqa aerodrome which are exploded later in the day.

0845 hrs Six Wellington bombers land at Malta.





_Fast Transport CORNWALL, used in the Convoy relief operation HATS_


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## parsifal (Aug 29, 2015)

[unused]


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## Njaco (Aug 29, 2015)

*August 28 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post711351.html#post711351

Werner Mölders' wingman Oberleutnant Kircheis was shot down and was captured. Oberleutnant Georg Claus took over as his new wingman.

*GERMANY:* The second night attack of the war by the British against Berlin succeeds in causing the first causalities in the German capital. Ten civilians are killed and twenty-nine are injured in the city that Reichsmarschall Göring assured would never be bombed by enemy aircraft.

Adolf Hitler ordered troops to prepare for an occupation of Romania should war break out in that country.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Radio broadcast in Vichy France announced that laws protecting Jews in France had been removed.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-101 torpedoed Finnish ship “_Elle_” 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 0425 hours, killing 2. After the 27 survivors were rescued by sloop HMS “_Leith_” and delivered to Greenock, Scotland, HMS “_Leith_” returned on 30 Aug to scuttle the ship with gunfire. German submarine U-28 sank British ship “_Kyno_” 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 2100 hours; 4 were killed and 33 were rescued by British ship “_Queen Maud_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Army transport “_American Legion_”, with destroyers USS “_Biddle_” and USS “_Blakeley_” in escort, arrived from Petsamo, Finland to New York City, United States with Norwegian Crown Princess Martha. Also aboard was a 40-millimeter Bofors gun, smuggled in for the US Navy.

In Canada, Colonel Burns again proposes a parachute force. General Harry Crerar rejects it as being unimportant at the present.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Finland Simo Häyhä was promoted from the rank of corporal directly to the rank of second lieutenant by Field Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Brazzaville, Congo - Commandant De Lange leads his battalion in a march on the Government Palace. General Husson yields power without resistance but in protest. General de Larminat arrives by boat from Leopoldville, Belgian Congo to take power in the name of Free France.

Bangui, Ubangi - Governor de Saint Mart receives telegram reporting events in Brazzaville and declares the colony’s adhesion to Free France. The local garrison threatens a coup d’etat but de Larminat arrives by airplane and to defuses the situation with an offer to return Pro-Vichy officers to Dakar.

,


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## Njaco (Aug 29, 2015)

*August 29 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post711770.html#post711770

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The United Kingdom rejected Germany's proposal to use Red Cross ships to recover downed German airmen in the English Channel.

The British Tizard Mission shared radar technology with the United States.

*GERMANY:* Ribbentrop and Count Ciano met Romanian and Hungarian Ministers in Vienna, Austria.

Berlin formally apologized to Ireland for bombing Wexford.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The French colonies of Equatorial Africa and the Cameroons declared support for Charles de Gaulle. Governor Georges Pierre Masson of Gabon, however, retracted the support after pressure from the French naval commander at Gabon, who sided with the Vichy government.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-100 hit five ships in Allied convoy OA-204 150 miles northwest of Ireland. British ship “_Hartismere_” was damaged at 0023 hours. British ship “_Dalblair_” was sunk also at 0023 hours (4 killed, 37 survived). British ship _“Astra II”_ was sunk at 0140 hours (5 killed, 20 survived). Swedish ship “_Alida Gorton_” was sunk at 0336 hours (11 killed, 13 survived; 20 survivors of “_Dalblair_” were also killed); and British ship “_Empire Moose_” was sunk at 0427 hours (all 36 survived).

*NORTH AMERICA:* Rear Admiral John Downes relieved Rear Admiral William C. Watts as the Commandant of the US Navy Ninth Naval District and as the commanding officer of the US Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, United States.

The first mass jump by American paratroopers was carried out at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States in front of a high ranking audience with complete success.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Red Army divisional commanding officer Grigoriy Fyodorovich was executed for deserting his unit in combat during the Winter War.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 30, 2015)

*30 August 1940 Part I 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Experimental MTB Type (Estimated commission date)




_Production of IJN MTBs suffered from a lack of suitable engines. T-14 MTB of the T-51 class pictured _

Allied
AMC HMNZS MONOWAI - Dance Class ASW Trawlers FOXTROT, and PIROUETTE







_HMT FOXTROT Pictured_

*Losses
MV MILL HILL (UK 4218 grt)* Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 34 (34 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Pig Iron and Steel Route: Boston - Halifax (16 Aug) - Middlesbrough Convoy HX 66A. Sunk In waters Nth Of Scotland. Between 0220 and 0248 hrs, U-32 attacked the convoy HX-66A 58 miles WNW of Cape Wrath and sank the MILL HILLl, CHELSEA and NORNA in rapid succession and missed a fourth ship. MILL HILL was the first ship hit at 0220 hrs torpedoed and sank almost immediately on being hit. All crew were lost





*MV CHELSEA (UK 4804 grt)* Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 35 (24 dead and 11 survivors) Cargo: Maize Route: Halifax - Methil Convoy HX 66A. Sunk In water North Of Scotland. Between 0220 and 0248 hrs, U-32 attacked the convoy HX-66A 58 miles WNW of Cape Wrath and sank the MILL HILLl, CHELSEA and NORNA in rapid succession missed a fourth ship. CHELSEA was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 24 of her 35 crew. Survivors were rescued by HMT LORD CECIL





*MV NORNA (Nor 3971 grt)* Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 28 (17 dead and 11 survivors) Cargo: Scrap Iron Route: Wilmington - Bermuda - Grangemouth. Convoy HX 66A. Sunk In waters Nth Of Scotland. Between 0220 and 0248 hrs, U-32 attacked the convoy HX-66A 58 miles WNW of Cape Wrath and sank the MILL HILLl, CHELSEA and NORNA in rapid succession and missed a fourth ship. NORNA was hit on the port side amidships by one torpedo, just forward of the engine room and sank within a minute. The crew tried to launch the starboard lifeboat, but a boiler explosion caused the vessel to sink so quickly the lifeboat was crushed as the ship heeled over and sank, pulling down the men on deck. 11 survivors in the water were picked up from debris and a raft by Flower Class Corvett HIBISCUS and landed in Scotland on 31 August. 





*MV SAN GABRIEL (Gk 4943 grt)* Damaged by U-59 (Joachim Matz) resulting in a total write off Crew: 24 (2 dead and 22 survivors) Cargo Empty Route: Liverpool - St. Vincent - Buenos Aires Convoy OB 2015 Lost in the Western Approaches . At 2134 hrs , U-59 fired one torpedo at a ship in the second line of convoy OB-205 and missed, but the torpedo struck the SAN GABRIEL proceeding behind the target. The survivors abandoned ship and were picked up by DD HMS WARWICK . The ship was later taken in tow by the tug HMS THAMES, arrived at the River Clyde on 3 September and was beached near Cardross, where she was declared a total loss.





*Steamer MARSTENEN (Nor 1832 grt)* in WN.11, was sunk by the LW, off Duncansby Head. The entire crew was rescued by DD CATTISTOCK. The crew was later transferred to examination vessel MINNA.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-30 , UA
Lorient: U-37

At Sea 30 August 1940
U-28, U-32, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-100, U-101, U-124.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLs BIRMINGHAM and MANCHESTER departed Scapa for Rosyth for anti-invasion duties. No DDs were assigned as escort, as all destroyers were needed for either convoy escort or anti-invasion duties, as the Admitalty judged this day the likely day of invasion. East coast convoys were instructed to put into the nearest port. The report of enemy vessels approaching the coast later proved to be an enemy convoy of seven or eight vessels. The cruisers are recorded as finally arriving at Immingham on 5 September.

Such were the demands of the British economy that the convoys could only be delayed a short time. FN.267 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 1 September. MT.155 departed Methil also on that day arriving at the Tyne later that day.
FS.267 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOLFHOUND and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 September.

ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and BURZA departed Scapa at 0900 to provide additional escort for convoy OA.206 from Pentland Firth to what were now referred to as the the NW Approaches. The Polish DDs then proceeded to Portsmouth to join DesFlot 1. DDs WITCH was out of service with engine defects whilst WALLACE was out of service with damage to her port propeller. British hopper barge SH 3 was damaged by the LW at Victoria Dock at Hull.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ZULU, SIKH, PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow to carry out ASW sweeps in a direction 50° to intercept a UBoat reported by CC a/c at 0720. DDs VERSATILE and VIMY departed Scapa at 0800 escorting Fleet Tenders A, B, C to Rosyth.

*West Coast UK*
OB.206 departed Liverpool escort DD VANOC and corvette ERICA, which remained with the convoy until 4 September, ASW trawlers BERKSHIRE and ST APOLLO. The convoy was joined on 2 September by DDs ACTIVE, ARROW, SHIKARI,and SKATE which stayed with the convoy until 4 September.

*Western Approaches*
Tkr ANADARA At 2153 hrs, the ANADARA in convoy OB-205 was torpedoed and damaged by U-59 . The ship was en route from Liverpool to Corpus Christi in ballast. There were no casualties. The tanker was towed to the Clyde by Rescue Tug HM SCHELDE to Falmouth where she was repaired and returned to service in May 1941.

The frenetic pace of attacks in thge Western Approachesd forced the Admiralty to send renfocements, despite the imminent threat of invasion. DDs WOLVERINE and VOLUNTEER were ordered to leave convoy SL.43 A and join convoy SL.66 A. WOLVERINE and VOLUNTEER arrived at Scapa Flow early on the the 31st after the escort duty. DDs KASHMIR and KIPLING departed Scapa to join convoy SL.43A. KASHMIR and KIPLING returning from convoy SL.43 A duty were ordered to Rattray Head to search for an open boat reported by air in that area. The destroyers located five Norwegian refugees in the boat and took them to Kirkwall, before moving on to Scapa on the 31st.


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## parsifal (Aug 30, 2015)

*30 August 1940 Part II 
OPERATIONS (CONTD)*

*Nth Atlantic*
Light cruiser EMERALD departed Bermuda.

*Central Atlantic*
Due to Free French successes in the Congo, the Cameroons, Chad, Vichy submarine SIDI FERRUCH, which had been at Duala from 10 to 25 August, arrived at Libreville on the 30th to boost failing support for the Vichy government.

*Med- Biscay*
Operation HATS (30 August-5 September 1940) was one of a series of complex ops carried out by the RN. With the forces in the Med now effectively split Operation HATS had several objectives. First, Adm Andrew Cunningham’s Med Flt was to be reinforced by passing forces through the central basin, including the CV ILLUSTRIOUS (now carrying the modern Fulmar fighter, at that time the best carrier borne fighter in the world) the modernised BB VALIANT and the CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA. Second, supplies were to be run to Malta. Third, both Force H and the Med Flt were to attack a variety of Italian targets in passing, amongst them Cagliari and Rhodes. Churchill had also hoped to take this chance to move a number of infantry tanks to Egypt, but this idea was strongly opposed by all relevant naval authorities and gained no support from General Wavell in Egypt, and as a result was abandoned (later in the year merchant ships were safely passed through the Med as part of Operation Collar, suggesting that the Admiralty had dramatically overestimated the danger from Italian air power, just as they had dramatically underestimated it before the war). The operation began on 30 August, when Somerville left Gibraltar and Cunningham left Alexandria

Somerville left Gibraltar at the head of the largest RN force to enter the Med since the start of the war. Fce H provided CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, CL SHEFFIELD, and 7 DDs, supported by the four modern ships heading for Alexandria and by another 10 DDs from Gibraltar. The first contact with the enemy came on 31 August, when Skuas from the ARK ROYAL destroyed two Italian Z 501 floatplanes. At 2150 on 31 August the DDs VELOX and WISHART were sent off to the NE transmitting in the clear, in an attempt to convince the RM that Somerville was heading for Genoa (Operation Squawk). The main fleet then turned to the SE, heading towards Cagliari. At 0325, in darkness, on 1 September 9 Swordfish flew off the ARK ROYAL 115 miles from Cagliari. One a/c was tasked with dropping flares, the remaining 8 were to attack the RA HQ and airfield. A/C were destroyed on the ground (but number unknown) The attack went in at 0600 and the Swordfish had returned to the carrier by 0800. Somerville then made a second change of direction, this time to the SW in an attempt to convince the Italians he was heading back to Gibraltar. This deception measure apparently had no effect, as the Italians were under no orders to sortie.

At 1030 Somerville turned back onto his eastward course, heading for the Sicilian Narrows. At 2200 on 1 September, half way between the SE tip of Sardinia and the western tip of Sicily the force split in two. Force H turned to the nth, in preparation for a second attack on Cagliari (made early on 2 September, this attack was foiled by haze and low cloud), while Cunningham’s reinforcements (now Force F), continued on to the SE at best speed, heading for Malta and the Med Flt. Somerville’s force returned safely to Gibraltar early on 3 September.

Cunningham left Alexandria with BBs WARSPITE and MALAYA, CVL EAGLE (Ftr CAG still Sea Gladiators), the RAN CL SYDNEY and RN ORION and 9 DDs. This fleet was sighted at 1430 by an Italian Cant Z 510, which was soon shot down, but a second a/c was later heard overhead and escaped intact.

On 31 August, when off the sthn coast of Greece, Cunningham was joined by Adm Tovey and CruSqn 3 CA (KENT and CLs GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOLl). On the same day, a convoy of 3 AKs with a DD escort, heading for Malta, was attacked by the RA and one of the AKs became the only British ship to suffer serious damage during the operations (although the ship successfully reached Malta). At roughly the same time one of the EAGLES's Search a/c discovered an RM battle flt, consisting of 2 BBs and 7 cruisers, 180 miles from Cunningham’s current position. Cunningham’s natural instinct was to head for the Italian fleet in the hope of provoking a battle, but on the next day the Italian ships were sighted heading for Taranto and home.

At 08.00 on 2 September Cunningham’s fleet sighted the VALIANT, and the two halves of the opn finally came together. VALIANT, COVENTRY and CALCUTTA were all carrying supplies for Malta, and so while the main Med flt waited 35 miles sth of Malta that night, these three ships sailed into the Grand Harbour and discharged their cargo, as did the AKs. Amongst the supplies they were carrying were 8x3.7in AA guns, predictors and height finders to support the existing park AA guns, replacement gun barrels, 10,000 rounds of Bofors ammunition and 100 Bren guns. Two air raids hit Malta while the ships were unloading, but by 1900 the three warships were able to leave Malta.

With his new carrier available and fighters to protect his fleet, Cunningham decided to attack the Italian airfields on Rhodes on his way home. The fleet was able to sail Nth of Crete, collecting a convoy on the way. Early on 4 September 13 Swordfish from the EAGLE and ILLUSTRIOUS, acting as dive bombers, attacked the Italian airfields at Maritiza and Callato, while HMAS SYDNEY bombarded Scarpanto. 9 enemy a/c were claimed destroyed in these attacks, including 3 in the air, however Italian records indicate that three a/c in the air were lost and on the ground considerable damage was done by the 30 HE and 20 incendiary bombs dropped. 2 SM.79s of 39o Stormo were destroyed and 3 were damaged, together with 2 Cant Z.1007bis, an SM 81 and an SM 82 all destroyed. 4 men were badly wounded and 20 injured, while a quantity of fuel, oil and bombs were destroyed. The enemy destroyed 4 Swordfish, which is corroborated by RN records. One loss was credited to biplane ace Giovanni D'Ajello flying a CR 42. 16 Italian fighters were scrambled (a mix of CR32s CR 42s and Meridonali a/c), and their records show a CR 32, and 2 CR42s were lost in air combat. There were no losses to the attacking fighters. The operation finally ended on 5 September when the Med Flt reached Alexandria. Opn HATS was one of a number of occasions during 1940 when the presence of RN Carriers deterred the otherwise powerful RM from sallying forth.





_RN Cruisers rendevous with the Med Fleet during Opn HATS_


*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RM DDs BATTISTI and MANIN operated in the Red Sea during the night of 30/31 August without success.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
CL DURBAN arrived at Hong Kong


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## Njaco (Aug 30, 2015)

*August 30 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post712133.html#post712133

*UNITED KINGDOM:* No. 303 (Polish) Squadron RAF was deemed operational in Britain.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The personnel of Hptm. Ensslen’s II./JG 52 move their Bf 109s from Jever to Husum.

British RAF Bomber Command aircraft attacked oil refineries near Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* A German sponsored conference concludes in Vienna. Hungary and Bulgaria have been recently trying to pick a quarrel with Romania so that, following the example of the USSR, they can seize portions of Romanian territory. The Germans do not wish their grain and oil supplies to be threatened by a Balkan war and, therefore, intervene to adjudicate the dispute. In exchange for a German guarantee of security, Romania ceded the region of Dobrudja to Bulgaria and ceded Transylvania to Hungary. This move was forced on Romania by Hitler in an effort to prevent a possible war between Romania and Hungary.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-32 sank three ships of Allied convoy HX-66A four miles off Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom between 0200 and 0248 hours. British ship “_Mill Hill_” was sunk with the entire crew of 34 lost. British ship “_Chelsea_” was sunk with 24 lost and 11 rescued by armed trawler HMS “_Lord Cecil”_, and Norwegian ship “_Norne_” was sunk with 17 lost and 11 survivors rescued by corvette HMS “_Hibiscus_”. Several hours later, German submarine U-59 attacked two ships of Allied convoy OB-205 70 miles northwest of Ireland between 0934 and 0953 hours. British tanker “_Anadara_” was damaged but remained float and without any casualties, and would be towed to the Clyde in Scotland by tug HMS “_Schelde_”. Greek ship “_San Gabriel”_ also took on damage without sinking, but suffered 2 kills (she would later be declared a loss and her remaining 22 survivors would be taken off by destroyer HMS “_Warwick_”). Finally, also on this date, German submarine U-25 sank with all hands near Terschelling, the Netherlands after one of her own mines exploded.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Rear Admiral Charles S. Freeman relieved Rear Admiral Edward B. Fenner as the Commandant of the US Navy Thirteenth Naval District and as the Commandant of the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, Washington, United States.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The brand-new armored aircraft carrier, HMS “_Illustrious_”, and a powerful escort left Gibraltar. Although her air group was small (only 15 fighters and 18 bomber aircraft), “_Illustrious_” was one of the first warships to be fitted with air-warning radars which gave her a big advantage in fleet defence, as she could detect and track hostile aircraft and give her aircraft time to gain altitude. With both “_Illustrious_” and “_Eagle_” under his command, Admiral Cunningham could now take the offensive.

*ASIA:* The Japanese-sponsored puppet state Manchukuo established a flight school in Fengtien Province to train military and civilian pilots.

Vichy signs the Matsuoka-Henry Pact and yields to Japanese demands for an end to shipments of war material to the Chinese nationalists via the Hanoi - Kunming railway, grants Japanese forces transit rights and access to military facilities in Indochina and the right to station troops in Tokinchina. Japan agrees to recognize continued French sovereignty over Indochina. Vichy reciprocates with formal recognition of Japan’s "pre-eminent" role in the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere. French Ambassador to Tokyo Arsène Henry announced to the Japanese that the French government would allow 6,000 Japanese troops to station in Indochina and would allow the military use of ports, airfields, and railroads in the region. However, the French government attempted to delay on the implementation of the plan as long as they could. The Japanese military begins its occupation of ports, airfields and railroads in northern Indochina as agreed to by Vichy France.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command aircraft attacked Berlin, Germany.

Hitler announces that he will make a decision on Operation Sealion (the invasion of England) about September 10th. This will mean that the landings will be on September 21st.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 30, 2015)

*31 August 1940 (PartI) 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-95




_U-96 profile pictured_

IJN Kagero Class DDs HAYASHIO NATSUSHIO




_Rare colour photo of Kagero Class DD. This is the ISOKAZE_

Cagni Class Sub RM AMMIRAGLIO MILLO




(Commissioned 1 May 1941)

Neutral
Soviet M (Malyutka) class Sub M-30




_Sister ship M-60_
Allied
Chacal Class FFL DD LEOPARD (Former Vichy), 





La Melpoméne class HNMS TB BOUCLIER




_BOUCLIER was seized by the British at Portsmouth on 3 July 1940; She was first transferred to RNN Navy but her service was brief due to machinery maintenence issues. She was then transferred o the FFL  in January 1941, where she was put inot limited service. At the war's end she was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1950._

*Losses*
MV HAR ZION (UK 2508 grt) Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) Crew: 37 (36 dead and 1 survivor) Cargo: Alcoholic Spirits and Fertilizer Route: Liverpool - Savannah Convoy OB 205 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches . At 0615 hrs the HAR ZION, a straggler from convoy OB-205, was hit amidships by one of two G7e torpedoes from U-38 and sank by the stern NW of Bloody Foreland. The sole survivor was seaman Osman Adem, who was picked up by ORP BLYSKAWICA the next day. 





*Liner VILLE DE HASELT (Be 7461 grt) *Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 53 (0 dead and 53 survivors) Cargo: 800 tons of general cargo Route: Liverpool – Boston Unescorted. VILLE DE HASELT was torpedoed and sunk in the Western Approaches 100 nautical miles NW of Barra Head, Scotland. All 53 crew were rescued by the Icelandic trawlers EGIL SKALLGRIMSON and HILMIR and Belgian Trawler TRANSPORT.





*MV BIBURY (UK 4616 grt) *Sunk by U-59 (Joachim Matz) Crew:39 (39 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Cardiff - Milford Haven - Buenos Aires Convoy OB 205 (dispersed). Sunk in the Western Approaches At 0206 hrs, U-59 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a ship in a group of 3 steamers which were dispersed from convoy OB-205 on 30 August. The ship was hit by both torpedoes and sank by the bow in 5 minutes. U-59s log does not identify the ship but simply records a freighter being sunk. This was almost certainly the BIBURY. For a long time it was thought that she had been sunk by Raider WIDDER, but the body of a crew member was washed ashore in Ireland on 21 September. 





*MV MARNE (NL 175 grt)* was lost on a mine five cables 106° from North Tyne Pier Light. 3 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Armed yacht EMELLE (RN 43 grt)* was lost, cause and location not known.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 31 August 1940
U-28, U-32, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-100, U-101, U-124.
14 boats at sea

U.38 made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in convoy OB.205 NW of Ireland.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
Beginning on the 31st and through 2 September, DKM MLss TANNENBERG, COBRA, ROLAND laid minefield "SW.3" escort DDs STEINBRINCK, GALSTER, JACOBI of DesFlot 5, T.5, T.6, T.7, T.8 of the TB Flot 2 and FALKE, ILTIS, JAGUAR, GREIF TB Flot 5.

*North Sea*
DesFlot 20 consisting of DDs ESK, EXPRESS, IVANHOE, ICARUS, INTREPID departed the Humber escorted by DDs KELVIN, JUPITER, VORTIGERN to lay minefield CBX.5 off Vlieland. MSW SALAMANDER swept the Humber entrance before their departure. At 2250, an a/c reported a large number of enemy vessels to the nth of Terschelling steering west. The DDs were ordered to jettison their mines and attack the German vessels.

40 miles NW DesFlot 20 stumbled into a German minefield northwest of Texel, with disastrous results. DD EXPRESS struck a mine at 2307 badly damaging the ship and mortally wounding Captain J. G. Bickford DSC (who was also the flotilla commander), as well as and 58 other crew members. DDs ESK and IVANHOE going to her aid also struck mines, at 2325 and 0051 on 1 September, respectively.

"E" Class *DD ESK (RN 1350 grt)* was sunk outright by the mine explosion. Only two crew from ESK were rescued by British ships. with 136 crew members lost.





DD IVANHOE was badly damaged, but was able to proceed under her own power for a time. 8 ratings were lost in DD INTREPID.
DDs JUPITER, KELVIN, VORTIGERN were at sea to support DesFlot 20. At 0700 on 1 September, an a/c report of two damaged DDs was received by the covering Gp. JUPITER and KELVIN proceeded to assist, while VORTIGERN was left to mark the gap in the minefield for their return. DDs GARTH and HAMBLEDON, operating near Shipwash Light Vessel, were also dispatched. MSWs LEDA and SALTASH, tugs ST CYRUS, IRISHMAN, NORMAN, WHEELDON, MTB.29, MTB.30, MTB.31 were dispatched to assist the stricken flotilla.

LW a/c were involved in the rescue of British survivors from the DDs. They picked up 7 ratings from EXPRESS and 25 from the ESK. 24 crew from the IVANHOE were picked up by the LW. All but 37 of IVANHOE's crew were transferred to MTB.14, MTB.16, MTB.17 which had arrived at 0800. At 1415, the remaining crew were transferred to MTB.15 and IVANHOE was abandoned as she was rapidly sinking. However, later when IVANHOE was reported as still afloat by a aircraft, DD KELVIN and MTB.30 were ordered to search for her. DD GARTH was also dispatched to assist. DD JUPITER also rescued the crew of a Swordfish of 812 Sqn which ditched returning from a raid on Vlaardingen oil tanks. At 1619 on 1 September, DD GARTH sighted IVANHOE under bombing attack from a single German bomber. Destroyer KELVIN arrived and after examining IVANHOE, KELVIN scuttled *GHI Class IVANHOE (RN 1335 grt)* at 1700 with a single torpedo sinking in about a minute.





Meanwhile the fight to save DD EXPRESS continued. She was taken in tow by KELVIN at 0941 , but when the towing line fouled KELVIN's propeller JUPITER took over the tow. The tow was later given over to tug ST CYRUS which was later joined by tugs IRISHMAN , NORMAN and WHEELDON. DD JUPITER turned over to DD VORTIGERN the command of the towing operation and with DD KELVIN formed a support group. DD HAMBLEDON provided ASW protection. DD EXPRESS was safely towed back to Hull and eventually completed repairs on 30 September 1941.

OA.207 departed Methil escort DD ST LAURENT which stayed with the convoy until 6 September and corvette GODETIA. FN.268 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. Patrol sloop GUILLEMOT joined on 1 September. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on 2 September. MT.156 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.268 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloops EGRET and WESTON. These escorts were detached on 1 September and DDs CATTISTOCK and WINCHESTER joined. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 September.

In a raid over Rotterdam, a Swordfish of 812 Sqn from PEREGRINE was shot down. Acting Lt G. Villiers was killed and Midshipman (A) M V Driver taken prisoner. A second Swordfish crashed in the sea returning and the crew rescued by DD JUPITER. Sub H.50 on patrol in the Nth Sea was attacked by DKM S-boats. In DC attacks, H.50 had one engine put out of action, but was able to escape.

S/Lt J G. Vaughan and Air Mechanic E C Woodley were killed when their Roc of 759 Sqn stalled on a climbing turn and crashed at Crawley, near Worthy Down.

*Northern Waters*
At 2233 the Home Flt was ordered to raise steam with an invasion imminent signal also sent. DDs ZULU, SIKH, PUNJABI were ordered to return to Scapa where they arrived at 0345 on 1 September and joined the Home Flts screen.

The Home Flt reverted to 1.5 hr's notice at 0102 and at 0726 returned to 4 hrs' notice. DDs TARTAR, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI departed Loch Alsh at 0600 to carry out an ASW which was soon cancelled due to weather conditions. TARTAR returned to Scapa, whilst BEDOUIN and ASHANTI met convoy HX.67 A to escort the convoy northward to Buchanness.

*West Coast UK*
BB PRINCE OF WALES, building at Birkenhead, was damaged by the near miss of a heavy German bomb. Br tkr BRITISH ENERGY was damaged by the LW strike on Birkenhead. Br tkr ATHELVISCOUNT was damaged by the LW at the Cammell Laird yard in the River Mersey.

*Western Approaches*
Dutch Liner VOLENDAM carrying child evacuees to Canada was torpedoed by U-60. She was towed back to the UK and repaired, returning to service as an AK in July 1941. She survived the war

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## Njaco (Aug 30, 2015)

*August 31 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post712527.html#post712527

*UNITED KINGDOM:* By the end of Aug 1940, a little over 51,000 British citizens had registered as conscientious objectors.

Anglo-Free French taskforce under Admiral Cunningham and General DeGaulle departs for Dakar.

*GERMANY:* RAF bombers attacked targets in Berlin, Cologne, Hanover, and Emden, Germany. Battleship “_Bismarck_” fired 46 3.7cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Five British destroyers, ordered to intercept German ships, sailed into a new German airfield. HMS “_Express_” hit a mine and received serious damage; 56 were killed. HMS “_Esk _"moved closer to HMS “_Express_” to assist, but also ran into a mine, caused her sinking; 135 were killed and 25 survivors were captured on the beach. HMS “_Ivanhoe_”, also trying to help HMS “_Express_”, hit a mine and was damaged, killing 8 and wounding 3; she would be scuttled on the next day, and 23 of her survivors would be taken prisoner.

Allied convoy OB-205 was attacked by German submarines 100 miles north of Ireland. At 0000 hours, German submarine U-60 hit Dutch passenger ship “_Volendam_”, carrying 273 crew and 606 British passengers (many were children) for Canada, killing 1 though the death occurred during the evacuation rather than during the attack. At 0206 hours, German submarine U-59 sank British ship “_Bibury_”, killing the entire crew of 38 and 1 gunner. At 0615 hours, German submarine U-38 sank British ship “_Har Zion_”; 33 were killed and 1 survived (rescued by Polish destroyer “_Blyskawica_’’ on the next day). To the west, 100 miles northwest of Ireland, German submarine U-46 sank Belgian passenger ship ‘’_Ville de Hasselt’’_; the entire crew of 53 survived on 4 lifeboats

*NORTH AFRICA:* 8,000 British and French troops departed from Britain for Freetown, Sierra Leone, escorted by British cruisers HMS ‘_Devonshire_” and HMS “_Fiji_” and five destroyers. Their destination would ultimately be Dakar in French West Africa, which was still under Vichy control.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt called 60,000 men of the National Guard into federal service with the US Army.

*ASIA: *Chen Cheng was relieved from his position as the head of the political bureau of the Nationalist military.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Ca.331 OA prototype aircraft took its first flight at Ponte San Pietro, Italy with test pilot Ettore Wengi at the helm.

While escorting the Operation Hats convoy toward Malta, ‘’_Garland_’’ was lightly damaged by Italian aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2015)

*31 August 1940 (PartII)*
*OPERATIONS )Cont'd)*
*Nth Atlantic*
US DesDivs 65 and 67 (8 ships), inprepration for transfer to the RN , departed Hampton Roads this date, making a call to Norfolk, Virginia. After loading torpedoes at Newport and Philadelphia, these ships arrived at Boston 3 September en route to Halifax.

*Central Atlantic*
The MENACE operation, Anglo French attack on Dakar, ships began to depart England for the forward base at Freetown. CA DEVONSHIRE, DD HARVESTER, French sloops COMMANDANT DOMINE and COMMANDANT DUBOC departed the Clyde. This gp rendezvoused with convoy "MP" nth of Ireland. This convoy was composed of CL FIJI, DDs AMBUSCADE, ANTELOPE, WOLVERINE, VOLUNTEER and AKs ETTRICK , KENYA and SOBIESKI which departed Scapa on the 31st. Convoy "MP" had been brought from Liverpool departing at 1600 on the 24th escort DDs DUNCAN and CATTISTOCK. The escort was joined by DDs WOLVERINE and VOLUNTEER at sea. The convoy arrived at Scapa on the 26th. AKs WESTERNLAND, PENNLAND, KARANJA and store ship BELGRAVIAN with DDs MACKAY and VANOC and corvette ERICA departed Liverpool on the 31st.On 26 August, convoy OB.204, escorted by DDs ARROW, ACHATES, VISCOUNT, sloop DEPTFORD, ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and LADY ELSA, freighters ANADYR , CASAMANCE , FORT LAMY , NEVADA , carrying vehicles for the operation, RFA OCEAN COAST , escorted by FFLO sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA and patrol vessel PRESIDENT HONDUCE, departed Liverpool. On 30 August, the MENACE units were detached as convoy "MS".

*Med- Biscay*
Sub PARTHIAN off Taranto reported a sighting of the the Italian Fleet as it departed port at 0600. RM BBs LITTORIO, VENETO, CESARE, CAVOUR, DUILO departed Taranto with CAs POLA, ZARA, FIUME, GORIZIA of CruDiv 1, CLs ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI of CruDiv 8 and 27 DDs. BB CESARE suffered condenser problems and returned to Taranto, escorted by TBs PLEIADI and PARTENOPE, arriving on 1 September. CAs TRENTO, BOLZANO, TRIESTE of CruDiv 3 3rd and 8 DDs departed Messina to join the main body. CLs EUGENIO, AOSTA, ATTENDOLO, MONTECUCCOLI and 4 DDs departed Brindisi. Admiral Cunningham's recon a/c sighted the Italian Fleet and reported 2BBs, 7 cruisers, 8 DD on the 31st. Subs RAINBOW and PARTHIAN also reported units of the Italian Fleet at sea. Sub PARTHIAN attacked a group of four cruisers, which included ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI, 5 DDs and reported two hits. None were achieved

After a very heavy storm on the 31 August/1 September in which very many destroyers suffered storm damage, the Italian Fleet returned to port before ever nearing the British Med Flt.

*Malta*
Six Wellington bombers arrive at Luqa from the UK.


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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses August 1940*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
S Class Sub SPEARFISH (RN 670 grt), Sub OSWALD (RN 1475 grt), ASW trawler CAPE FINISTERRE (RN 590 grt), MSW trawler DRUMMER (RN 297 grt), MSW trawler MARSONA (RN 276 grt), MSW trawler OSWALDIAN (RN 260 grt), MSW trawler RIVER CLYDE (RN 276 grt), AMC TRANSYLVANIA (RN 16893 grt), MSW trawler PYROPE (RN 295 grt), MSW trawler TAMARISK (RN 545 grt), MSW trawler ELIZABETH ANGELA (RN 253 grt), Tug QUEEN (RN 150 grt (est), MSW trawler RESPARKO (RN 248 grt), Netlayer KYLEMORE (RN 319 grt), GHI Class DD HOSTILE (RN 1370 grt), Sloop PENZANCE (RN 1025 grt), AMC DUNVEGAN CASTLE (RN 15007 grt), Armed Yacht WHITE FOX II (RN 23 grt), Armed yacht EMELLE (RN 43 grt), DD ESK (RN 1350 grt), GHI Class IVANHOE (RN 1335 grt) 

(42700(RN)) (Total 42700 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
Steamer CITY OF BRISBANE (UK 8006 grt), Drifter EMBRACE (UK 94 grt), steamer TALLYRAND (Nor 6732 grt), steamer STATIRA (UK 4852 grt), Steamer WYCHWOOD (UK 2794 grt), MV GOGOVALE (UK 4586 grt), MV KING ALFRED (UK 5272 grt), MV GERALDINE MARY (UK 7244 grt), MV BOMA (UK 5408 grt), MV CAPE ST GEORGE (UK 5112 grt), steamer MOHAMED ALI EL KEBIR (EG 7527 grt), MV UPWEY GRANGE (UK 9130 grt), steamers HOLME FORCE (UK 1216 grt), MV FIFE COAST (UK 367 grt), Steamer OUSE (UK 1004 grt), steamer COQUETDALE (UK 1597 grt), Steamer EMPIRE CRUSADER (UK 1042 grt), Harbour Tug ANDOMEDA (UK 150 grt), Steamer CITY OF DUNDEE (UK 5273 grt), Drifter YOUNG SID (UK 100 grt), MV LLANFAIR (UK 4966 grt), Tkr British FAME (UK 8406 grt), MV BETTY (UK 2339 grt), Tkr SYLVAFIELD (UK 5709 grt), Steamer BRIXTON (UK 1557 grt), MV EMPIRE MERCHANT (UK 4864 grt), MV CLAN McPHEE (UK 6628 grt), Steamer MEATH (UK 1598 grt), Examination Vessel MANX LAD (UK 24 grt), Steamer CITY OF BIRMINGHAM (UK 5309 grt), Trawler VALERIA (UK 189 grt), MV AMPLEFORTH (UK 4576 grt), steamer TURAKINA (UK 9691 grt), Steamer LETTY (UK 339 grt), Hulk KENDAL (UK 178 grt), Hopper barge JAMES No. 70 (UK 182 grt), tramp steamer ANGLO SAXON (UK 5594 grt), MV SEVERN LEIGH (UK 5242 grt), Steamer MAKALLA (UK 6677 grt), MV LLANISHEHN (UK 5053 grt), MV BROOKWOOD (UK 5100 grt), Tkr LA BREA (UK 6665 grt), MV CUMBERLAND (UK 10939 grt), MV SAINT DUNSTAN (UK 5681 grt), steamer KING CITY (UK 4744 grt), MV JAMAICA PIONEER (UK 5471 grt), MV FIRCREST (UK 5394 grt), MV HARPALYCE (UK 5169 grt), MV BLAIRMORE (UK 4141 grt), MV YEWCREST (UK 3774 grt), Tkr ATHELCREST (UK 6825 grt), MV EMPIRE MERLIN (UK 5763 grt), Tkr PECTEN (UK 7468 grt), Steamer GOATHLAND (UK 3821 grt), steamer ILVINGTON COURT (UK 5187 grt), steamer BRITISH COMMANDER (UK 6901 grt), MV KYNO (UK 3946 grt), Trawler FLAVIA (UK 202 grt), MV DALBLAIR (UK 4608 grt), MV ASTRA II (UK 2393 grt), MV EMPIRE MOOSE (UK 6103 grt), MV MILL HILL (UK 4218 grt), MV CHELSEA (UK 4804 grt), MV HAR ZION (UK 2508 grt), MV BIBURY (UK 4616 grt), 

Steamer CAPE YORK (Aus 5027 grt), 
Steamer THOROLD (Cdn 1689 grt)
Liner REMUERA (NZ 11,445 grt)
Hybrid MV/Liner VILLE DE GAND (Be 7900 grt), Liner VILLE DE HASELT (Be 7461 grt), 
Tkr BEAULIEU (Nor 6114 grt), Steamer TRES (Nor 946 grt), MV KERET (Nor 1718 grt), MV EVA (Nor 1599 grt), tkr FILEFJELL (Nor 7616 grt), steamer MORVIKEN (Nor 5008 grt), MV NORNA (Nor 3971 grt), Steamer MARSTENEN (Nor 1832 grt), 

Steamer AJAX (NL 942 grt), steamer OOSTPLEIN (NL 5095 grt), steamer ALBULA (NL 329 grt), MV MARNE (NL 175 grt), 

260828 (UK), 5027 (Aus), 1689 (Cdn), 11445 (NZ), 6541(NL), 15361 (Be), 28804 (Nor), 
329695 grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: 372395 grt

*Prizes captured *
None

Mercantile Tonnage seized: None

*Neutral shipping*
MV SIGYN (SD 1981 grt), MV ATOS (SD 2161 grt), MV CANTON (SD 5779 grt), MV NILS GORTHON (SD 1787 grt), MV HEDRUN (SD 2325 grt), MV ALIDA GORTHON (SD 2373 grt), Steamer VARIA (SD 929 grt), 

MV ROULA (Gk 1041 grt), MV PINDOS (Gk 4360 grt), MV ASPASIA (Gk 4211 grt), LEONIDAS M VALMAS (Gk 2089 grt), MV THEODORAS T (Gk 3409 grt), MV SAN GABRIEL (Gk 4943 grt), 

MV RAD (Yu 4201 grt) 

Sailing barque KILLORAN (FN 1817 grt), MV ELLE (FN 3868 grt) 

Steamer NOTOU (Vichy 2489 grt), 

MV KELET (Hu 4295 grt)

MV TUIRA (Pan 4397 grt)

17335 (SD), 20053 (Gk), 4201 (Yug), 5685(FN), 2489 (Vichy), 4295 (Hu), 4397 (Pan), 
(58445 Mercantile)

*Neutral warships*
Greek CL HELLE (RHN 2600 grt) 

(2600 Military)
Total Neutral Nercantile + Military: 61055 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: 433450 grt 

*Prizes taken*


*Axis*
*Warships*
DKM
Type IA U-25 (DKM 862 grt), Aux SC UJ.175 (DKM 428 grt), R 21 (DKM 115 grt), Type VIIB U-51 (DKM 753 grt) 
(2158 grt)
RM
Perla Class sub IRIDE (RM 680 grt), Depot ship MONTE GARGANO (RM 1976 grt)
(2656 grt)
IJN
Sub I-67 (IJN 1705 grt )
(1705grt)

6519 (Total)

*Axis Shipping*

GER
steamer TORUN (Ex-Nor 3318 grt), Steamer KIRSTEN (Ex-Den 1196 grt), Steamer MONGOLIA (SD 2124 grt...in German service), Trawler ANO (Den 189 grt), Coastal steamer AVIELD (Ex-Nor 127 grt), MV ODDA (Ex-Nor 835 grt), Steamer LISBETH CORDS (Ger 907 grt), 

(FI)
Steamer LODOLETTA (FI 2822 grt), MV LEOPARDI (FI 3269 grt), Steamer MOREA (FI 1968 grt) 

8686 (Ger), 8059 (FI)
16745 (Mercantile), 23264 (Total Axis losses)

*Captured ships *
None

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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2015)

*1 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat S-28




*Losses
MV EFPLOIA (Gk 3867 grt) *Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) Crew:27 (0 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Liverpool - Quebec Convoy OB 205 straggler Sunk in the Western Approaches . At 0055 hrs the unescorted EFPLOIA, a straggler from convoy OB-205, was hit aft by a G7e torpedo from U-101 about 130 miles NW of Ireland. The Germans observed that the ship settled by the stern and the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats. The survivors were picked up later that day by DD ANTHONY which scuttled the wreck by gunfire later that day. 





While departing Grangemouth at 2130 for Rosyth, sub SUNFISH sank *PV MESME ( RN 50 grt (est))* in an accidental collision. The crew of three were all lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW trawler ROYALO (RN 248 grt)* was sunk on an aerial mine laid by a/c from LW IX Flieger Div in Mount's Bay, 90° from Penzance Pier. 7 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub TIGRIS, which departed Rothesay on 27 August, sank *trawler SANCTE MICHAEL (Vichy 168 grt)* in German service off Brest.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-100

At Sea 1 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-57, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-101, U-124.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLs GALATEA and AURORA had departed the Humber on 31 August to meet destroyers KELVIN, JUPITER and VORTIGERN off Sheringham Light Vessel, but GALATEA struck a mine off the Humber as she returned to port. It exploded on the port side abreast B-turret causing minor damage. The two cruisers arrived in the Humber on the 1st.

FN.269 departed Southend, escort DD VERDUN, sloop STORK, and patrol sloop PINTAIL. The patrol sloop was detached on the 2nd, and the convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 3rd. MT.157 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that same day. FS.269 departed the Tyne, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop FLEETWOOD, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

Sub TUNA carried out an unsuccessful attack against a Uboat

*West Coast UK*
DDs VERSATILE and VIMY departed Rosyth at 1700 escorting ML MANCHESTER CITY to the Clyde where they arrived late on the 3rd. DDs SOMALI, MACKAY, WESTCOTT and HESPERUS were involved in a search for a UBoat after receiving a sighting report from a civilian aircraft.

OB.207 departed Liverpool escort DD HESPERUS and corvette GLADIOLUS. On 2 September, the convoy was reinforced by DDs KEPPEL and WITCH.

*Western Approaches*
CL FIJI , which departed Scapa on 31 August, was torpedoed and badly damaged NW of Ireland by U.32 at 1725. Five ratings were killed. DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, JAVELIN, and JAGUAR departed Scapa at 1930 and joined FIJI. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI departed their escort of convoy HX.67 to join. When FIJI was found capable of steaming, she was escorted by BEDOUIN, ASHANTI, VOLUNTEER and ANTELOPE. She was able to proceed under her own power at ten knots and arrived without further incident later on the 3rd at the Clyde. DDs WOLVERINE, AMBUSCADE, JAVELIN and JAGUAR were detached to join inbound convoy TC.7, while TARTAR and PUNJABI joined inbound convoy HX.67A. FIJI's place in operation MENACE was filled by RAN CA AUSTRALIA which arrived at Greenock on the 1st, and departed the Clyde on the 6th for Freetown. FIJI was repairing at Greenock through the end of January 1941.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.70 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PV FRENCH . Convoy commodore was on steamer HILARY . Patrol boat FRENCH was detached from the convoy at 2100 and ASSINIBOINE stayed until 1605 on the 2nd. Ocean escort was AMC MONTCLARE which returned to Halifax when CL EMERALD joined the convoy on the 5th. BHX.70 departed Bermuda on 31 August escorted by ocean escort, CL EMERALD. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.70 on the 5th and the CL was detached shortly after. The convoy was joined by DDs ACHATES, ACTIVE, and VANQUISHER, sloop WESTON, and corvettes ERICA, MALLOW, and PRIMROSE on the 13th for the inbound escort and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 16th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DESPATCH departed Kingston to return to England. SLS.46 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE to 13 September when the convoy was dispersed. CL DELHI departed Lagos for Manoca.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL DRAGON departed Durban for Simonstown

*Med- Biscay*
CL ORION and RAN CL SYDNEY were detached at 1400 to rendezvous with escort ship/DD WRYNECK coming from Malta, and then join Force F. RAN DDs STUART, DEFENDER, VAMPIRE, and VENDETTA were detached from the Main Fleet at 2000 to proceed to Malta with supplies. On 2 September, CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA with DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JANUS and JUNO to bulk up the AA defences and take on fuel overnight. At 0900 CV ILLUSTRIOUS , BB VALIANT, CL ORION with DDs WRYNECK, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, and HOTSPUR from Gibraltar were met by the Med Flt. VAMPIRE and VENDETTA rejoined at 0930 on the 2nd and DDs HEREWARD and ILEX were detached to Malta to refuel. COVENTRY and CALCUTTA arrived at Malta at 1005, and SYDNEY also entered Malta. At 1010, VALIANT and DDs HYPERION, DECOY, HASTY, and WRYNECK were detached to Malta. Meanwhile Convoy MB.3, consisting of steamer VOLO (1587grt) and oiler PLUMLEAF (5916grt), arrived safely at Malta at 1130 on the 2nd, escort DDs DAINTY and DIAMOND. The third ship of the convoy, steamer CORNWALL (10,605grt), had been damaged by the RA on 31 August, was brought into Malta on the 3rd by tugs JAUNTY and ANCIENT, escort DDs JERVIS and JUNO. At 1415 JANUS was detached to Malta to refuel. At 1504, COVENTRY with JANUS, JUNO, NUBIAN, and MOHAWK joined the Main Fleet at sea. HEREWARD and ILEX rejoined at 1645. BB MALAYA, CVL EAGLE, together with COVENTRY and JANUS, JUNO, DAINTY, DIAMOND, RAN VAMPIRE and VENDETTA were detached at 1657 as Force E, and CA KENT, CLs GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL with NUBIAN and MOHAWK as Force A for Operation MB.3.

GALLANT and ILEX attacked a submarine contact near the fleet at 1730. At 1856, RAN DD VOYAGER was detached to Malta, and at 1900, CALCUTTA with HASTY, HERO, DECOY, and WRYNECK rejoined the Fleet. SYDNEY departed Malta at 1908 to rejoin the Med Flt. At 2200, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, and GARLAND were detached to Malta to refuel. DDs IMPERIAL with BatSqn 1 and JANUS were unsuccessfully attacked by Italian Ju.87 dive bombers near Malta (one of the first divebombing attacks by the RA) on the 2nd. VALIANT with STUART, HYPERION, IMPERIAL and JANUS rejoined the Main Flt at 2330. At 0700 on the 3rd, DD DEFENDER, which had been delayed at Malta with a damaged Asdic dome, rejoined the flt.

Fce I for Operation MB.3 was formed with BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CLA CALCUTTA, and DDs STUART, VOYAGER, DECOY, DEFENDER, HEREWARD, IMPERIAL, HYPERION, ILEX, HASTY, and WRYNECK. STUART suffered a burst steam pipe at 2200 and was instructed to join convoy AS.3 of four steamers as they cleared the central basin. At 2230, CLs ORION and SYDNEY with DDs ILEX and DECOY were detached for a dawn bombardment of Scarpanto. Fce H arrived back at Gib on the 3rd. CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA joined convoy AS.3 on the 4th.

Off Rhodes at 0345, ILLUSTRIOUS launched 9 Swordfish of the 815 and 819 Sqns plus escort at 0345 on the 4th to attack the airfield at Callado. The 9th Swordfish crashed on take off with plt killed. This accident prevented 3 more Swordfish for the operation from taking off. CVL EAGLE launched 12 Swordfish of 813 and 824 Sqns to attack the airfield at Maritza. 4 EAGLE Swordfish a/c of 813 Sqn were shot down over Maritza. One of these Swordfish, was able to successfully make a forced landing on Kasos Island where the crew were made pows. Other aircrew were captured.

ORION with DECOY and SYDNEY with ILEX bombarded Scarpanto and Port Maltezana in Stampalia. ILEX rammed and sank *MAS.537 (RM 45 grt). *MAS.536 was also attacked by ILEX, but was not damaged. MALAYA and EAGLE, escorted by JUNO, DAINTY, DIAMOND, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, and WRYNECK were detached to proceed independently to Alexandria, arriving at 2100 on the 4th. EAGLE was docked on the 5th. BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, with DDs HYPERION, HERO, HASTY, HEREWARD, IMPERIAL, JANUS, and DEFENDER were some 40 miles to the nth of the MALAYA group and arrived at Alexandria early on the 5th.

CA KENT, CLs GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL, with DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN were detached from the Med Flt on the 4th to the Gulf of Nauphlia to escort convoy AS.3 of four steamers to Port Said. DDs IMPERIAL and HEREWARD sailed on the 5th to relieve NUBIAN and MOHAWK.

ORP DD GARLAND, returning to Gib from Malta with GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, and HOTSPUR of Force H, was bombed by the RA between 1225 and 1430 on the 4th. No damage was done, but GARLAND, with leaks in two boilers, was taken in tow by GRIFFIN from 1715 to 1845, after which she was able to proceed on one boiler. The DDs arrived at Gib late on the 5th. After repairs, GARLAND departed Gib on the 14th for duty in the Western Approaches. KENT, GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL, CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA, and DD STUART arrived at Alexandria during the morning of 6 September while DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN arrived in the afternoon. Convoy AS 3 and DDs HEREWARD and IMPERIAL arrived at Port Said on the 6th. Swedish steamer STUREBORG, a straggler from the convoy, arrived at Port Said on the 8th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.3A departed Suez, escort sloop GRIMSBY. RAN CL HOBART with DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY joined on the 3rd. The convoy was dispersed on the 6th.

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## Njaco (Aug 31, 2015)

*September 1 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post712981.html#post712981


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Already crippled from hitting a mine yesterday, the drifting British Destroyer HMS “_Ivanhoe_” is hit again by a German torpedo. Roughly 300 sailors are killed and another 100 taken POW. 

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Royalo_” hit a mine and sank off Penzance, Cornwall, England; 7 were killed.

British submarine HMS “_Sunfish_” collided with patrol launch “_Mesme_” shortly after departing Grangemouth, Scotland, United Kingdom. “_Mesme_” sank with the entire crew of 3 lost.

German submarine U-101 sank Greek ship “_Efploia_” 100 miles northwest of Ireland just after 0000 hours; the entire crew survived on two lifeboats and were rescued by British destroyer HMS “_Anthony_”. 200 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Scotland, United Kingdom at 1725 hours, U-32 attacked British cruiser HMS “_Fiji_”, killing 5 and badly damaging the ship. “_Fiji_” would be able to sail to the Clyde, Scotland under her own power for repairs. “_Fiji's_” place in the expedition to Dakar (Operation Menace) will be taken by Australian cruiser HMAS “_Australia_”. To the south, near Brest, France, British submarine HMS “_Tigris_” sank the small French fishing vessel “_Sancte Michael_” with the deck gun.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British Cruisers HMS “_Orion_” and HMAS “_Sydney_” and destroyers HMS “_Decoy_” and HMS “_Ilex_” shelled the Italian Dodecanese islands of Scarpanto (now Karpathos) and Stampalia (now Astypalea) in the Aegean Sea. HMS “_Ilex_” rammed and sank Italian motor torpedo boat MAS537.

The Italian Navy established a frogmen training school at the Naval Academy at Livorno, Italy under the command of Lieutenant Wolk.

The Fiat works at Turin, were attacked by the RAF.

*GERMANY: *Otto Skorzeny was promoted to the rank of Oberscharführer and was transferred to the 2nd SS Division "Das Reich".

German naval shipping began to move from North Sea ports to ports to the south in preparation for the invasion of Britain.

First RAF raid on Munich targets are BMW works and railway sidings.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Vyacheslav Molotov complained that the Second Vienna Arbitration was in violation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed in 1939.

The coke-fired two-retort furnace in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp crematorium was put into service for the disposal of bodies.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In an unprecedented event in United States history, conscription in peace-time was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *The US Marine Corps Midway Detachment of the Fleet Marine Force, consisting of 9 officers and 168 enlisted Marines and approximately one-third of the 3rd Defense Battalion's equipment, was established.

*NORTH AFRICA:* In Kenya the Italians capture the small town of Buna in the northeast of the country.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Italian submarine command BETASOM established at Bordeaux.

.


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## Crimea_River (Aug 31, 2015)

Chris, I'm wondering about the 406 squadron reference. This was an RCAF squadron that did not form until May 1941. They did fly Beaufighters out of Acklington but not until 1941.


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## parsifal (Sep 1, 2015)

*2 September 1940 
Losses
MV THORNLEA (UK 4261 grt)* Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 36 (3 dead and 33 survivors) Cargo:Coal Route: Swansea - Montreal Convoy OB 206 Lost in the Western Approaches . At 2204 hrs, U-46 attacked the convoy OB-206 about 200 miles west of Bloody Foreland and reported the sinking of a tkr and a freighter. However, only the THORNLEA was sunk in this attack. The master and 18 crew members were picked up by RCN DD SKEENA and landed at Greenock. The chief officer and 13 crew members were picked up the next day by the Norwegian freighter HILD and landed at Sydney on 15 September.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Liner VILLE DE MONS (Be 7463 grt) *Sunk by U-47 (Günther Prien) Crew: 54 (0 dead and 54 survivors) Cargo: 4378 tons of general cargo, 1280 boxes of pears, 648 tons of corn and 536 tons of wheat Route: New York - Liverpool - Glasgow Sailing unescorted
Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1635 hrs the unescorted VILLE DE MONS was hit by one G7e torpedo from a spread of three fired by U-47 NE of Rockall. The ship sank after being hit by a G7a coup de grâce at 1701 hrs.





HM Sub STURGEON sank *steamer PIONIER (Ger 3285 grt)* NE of Skagen . Approximately 1,000 German troops were lost in the sinking.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*ASW whaler UJ.121 (DKM 523 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Ostend. The hulk of the sunken ship blocked the channel for the 2nd S-Flotilla.





DKM Raider WIDDER sank *tkr CYMBELINE (UK 6317 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. Seven crew were lost, while 25 crew and one distressed British seaman was made a pow.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-58
Wilhelmshaven: U-29

At Sea 2 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-57, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-101, U-124.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.208 departed Methil escort DD SKEENA, sloop LOWESTOFT, plus ASW trawlers DRANGEY, FANDANGO, and NORTHERN GEM. FN.270 departed Southend, escort DD WOLFHOUND, sloop BLACK SWAN, and patrol sloop WIDGEON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 4th. MT.158 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.270 departed the Tyne and arrived at Southend on the 4th.

*Northern Waters*
DD DUNCAN departed Scapa to rendezvous with DD MAORI at 2100 off Aberdeen to escort steamers BEN MY CHREE and LADY OF MANN to Kirkwall and Lerwick, respectively.

*SW Approaches*
HM Sub TIGRIS unsuccessfully attacked U.58 off the coast of France. BB BARHAM with DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ESCAPADE, and ECLIPSE arrived at Gib after departing Scapa on 27 August. ECHO had left on the 28th. DD VELOX attacked a submarine contact near Alboran Island. These deployments out of home waters clearly suggest the Admiralty considered the threat of invasion to be receding by this time.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.3 departed St Johns escorted by RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and armed yacht REINDEER in the local approaches and were detached on the 4th. Sloop DUNDEE was the ocean escort, but was lost on the 14th. On the 15th, DDs OTTAWA, SKEENA, and WITCH, with ASW trawler DRANGEY joined the escort. The trawler was detached the next day. DDs ST LAURENT and WANDERER joined on the 17th, and the convoy arrived at Liverpool next day on the 18th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL ENTERPRISE departed Freetown.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
NZ Manned CL ACHILLES departed Melbourne and arrived at Auckland on the 5th. RAN CL ADELAIDE departed Sydney on the 2nd for Vila, New Caledonia, via Brisbane. On the 3rd, she was in a collision with steamer COPTIC . Neither ship was significantly damaged and ADELAIDE arrived at Vila on the 7th. She departed on the 16th escorting Norwegian tanker NORDEN carrying the new Free French govt to Noumea, and arrived off there on the 19th

*Malta*
(1 September 1940)
The Italains mount a series of small raids on the harbour to disrupt the shuttle activities of RN ships entering and leaving the harbour as part of operation HATS. Malta’s HAA batteries destroy at least 4 enemy bombers with 5 others damaged . It was good shooting, with an average of 1344 rounds per kill . It is reported at the time that as yet there are no losses to LAA fire.

2 Sunderland. Departures 1 Sunderland. 1110-1415 hrs French Latecoere seaplane on recon of Tripoli reported 21 merchant vessels and two DDs in harbour, also two moored seaplanes. 1510-1745 hrs Skua on recon east coast of Sicily sighted three small RM DDs and a few merchant vessels at Messina, three small merchant vessels at Catania, two merchant vessels at Augusta of about 2500 tons, about 14 small merchant vessels at Taormina with escort vessels and 12 small flying boats at Syracuse. Three Sunderlands 228 and 230 Squadrons reconnaissance north west of Malta as far as west coast of Greece. One returned to Alexandria. The captain of a Hudson on reconnaissance at Trapani reported aircraft shot up by Skua. 1821 hrs Hudson reported landing at Tunis with petrol tanks holed. 

9 Fulmars are operating from ILLUSTRIOUS to provide fleet protection, and, as available, search assets for the fleet. Two enemy a/c are shot down by the CAG and the enemy main fleet accurately reported and tracked

(2 September 1940)

Malta’s first convoy arrived safely and was rapidly unloaded with elements of both the volunteer Infantry brigades providing personnel to expedite the unloading operation.

1212-1227 hrs Air raid alert for 6 enemy bombers and 15 fighters which cross the Island and travel eastwards in cloud, then head for Grand Harbour. They drop HE bombs in the sea, apparently attacking a destroyer lying offshore. Six Hurricanes are scrambled but fail to engage.

1533-1545 hrs Enemy a/c are engaged in low dive-bombing attacks on Naval units to the SE of the Island. Two seaplanes aim bombs at a DD off Delimara Point and turn away from the Island. Six Hurricanes are scrambled but fail to engage.

1800-1835 hrs Air raid alert. Four DDs are reported passing Delimara on a SW course. Six enemy a/c identified as RA JU87 dive bombers are seen over Grand Harbour and are followed by another formation. They turn away to dive-bomb Naval ships off the Island. Bombs are dropped near a destroyer off Fort St Elmo. CAG from the ILLUSTRIOUS brought down a claimed 5 a/c (with the RA admitting to the loss of 3). Malta Hurricanes were unable to take off in time as they had just landed and were refuelling. Five take off later but are unable to catch the retreating italians. No raiders cross the Island.


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## stona (Sep 1, 2015)

Crimea_River said:


> Chris, I'm wondering about the 406 squadron reference. This was an RCAF squadron that did not form until May 1941. They did fly Beaufighters out of Acklington but not until 1941.



Formed on 10th May *1941*. The squadrons first victory was on 1st September *1941*, when pilot P/O R.C. Fumerton and operator Sgt. L.P.S. Bing claimed a Ju 88 in the _'Newcastle area'_. This must be the victory referred to above.

Fumerton would return as a Wing Commander to command the squadron in August 1943.

Probably just a typo somewhere, easy to make 41 into 40 

Cheers

Steve

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## Crimea_River (Sep 1, 2015)

Yep, that jives with my info.


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## Njaco (Sep 2, 2015)

Yep, wrong date and that was from a very reliable site. [email protected] I will remove and give myself 3 lashes and a keel-hauling.


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## Njaco (Sep 2, 2015)

*September 2 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post713528.html#post713528

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a British Spitfire fighter, his second kill, over Kent, England, United Kingdom. He received minor damage in the engagement and ran out of fuel, but successfully crash landed on a beach near Calais, France.

Josef Frantisek, flying a Hurricane fighter, scored his first kill, a German Bf 109E fighter, as a RAF pilot.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Reichsmarschall Göring visits with Major Adolf Galland of JG 26, Major Werner Mölders of JG 51 and other fighter commanders at their airfield. After bellowing at his commanders about how the fighters are not saving the bombers, he calms down and asks Mölders what he needs. Mölders replies that he would like more powerful engines for his aircraft. Turning to Galland, Göring asks, "And you?" to which Galland responds,


> "I would like a squadron of Spitfires!"


Göring storms away.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Sturgeon_” sank German troop ship “_Pionier_” off Skagen, Denmark at 2000 hours. “_Pionier_” is carrying 750-1000 German troops, supplies and equipment from Frederikshavn, Denmark, to Frederiksstad, Norway (almost all are killed).

German submarine U-47 sank Belgian ship “_Ville de Mons_” with four torpedoes 200 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Scotland at 1900 hours. All 54 aboard survived.

German submarine U-58 departed Lorient, France. Only 30 miles out of the port, she was detected by British submarine HMS “_Tigris_”, which fired a spread of torpedoes at her; all torpedoes missed. German submarine U-46 sank British ship “_Thornlea_” 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 2200 hours, killing 3; 19 survivors were rescued by Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Skeena_”, while another 14 survivors would be rescued on the following day by the Norwegian ship “_Hild_”. Far to the south, German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” sank British tanker “_Cymbeline_” with the deck gun and a torpedo in the Central Atlantic 800 miles west of the Canary Islands, killing 7; “_Widder_” remained in the area for four hours and rescued 26 survivors. “_Cymbeline’s_” Captain, First Officer and Third Engineer escape in a lifeboat and will be rescued on September 16 by tanker “_Yolonda_” and taken to Venezuela.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Secretary of State Hull and British Ambassador Lord Lothian concluded the destroyers-for-bases deal. The United States was to provide the United Kingdom with 50 WW1-era destroyers; the United Kingdom, in return, was to provide 99-years leases on land in the Bahamas, Antigua, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Jamaica, and British Guiana to build American military bases and to provide land in Newfoundland and Bermuda as gifts to the US. Planning was quickly placed in motion for the dispatch of US Marine Corps units to these newly gained future bases. Considerable modification will be necessary to make the ships ready for service.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* No. 25 and 29 Squadrons RAF each received their first Beaufighter fighters.

It was announced that from today the butter ration will be cut from 6oz to 4oz. People who normally take margarine instead of the butter ration would be unaffected by the cut.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Admiral Cunningham's fleet is reinforced by the battleship “_Valiant_” and the carrier “_Illustrious_” from Gibraltar. He now has three battleships and two carriers. The composition of the Gibraltar based Force H varies greatly from time to time because of the uncertainty regarding the behavior of the French Fleet. The Italians now have five battleships in commission, including two modern ships.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Provisional Government of the French Settlements in Oceania (Polynesia) announces the colony’s adhesion to Free France.

.


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## stona (Sep 2, 2015)

That Bf 109 E-1 that H-JM crash landed at Calais had a remarkable career. It's remains were recovered from Russia in the early 1990s and it was brought to the UK for restoration. It will be known to many here as the Russell 109, but I believe it has now been sold on.
Cheers
Steve


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## Njaco (Sep 2, 2015)

Yes, it was sold to someone in Europe so its almost back home. One of our fine members here, pbfoot, volunteered many hours with that Emil, may he rest in peace.


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## Crimea_River (Sep 2, 2015)

Last I read, it was at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar awaiting an overhauled engine.

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## parsifal (Sep 3, 2015)

*3 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 57, U Class Sub HMS UPRIGHT
(No Image for MA/SB 57)





*Losses
Type IIC Uboat U-57 (DKM 336 grt)* The boat sank after an accidental collision with the Norwegian steamer SS RONA, in the North Sea pff the coast of Denmark taking six of her crew with her. She was raised shortly afterwards, but never returned to active frontline service. She was put into service as a training boat. During her frontline career she had sunk 11 ships sunk, total tonnage 48,053 GRT, 1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 8,240 GRT.

MV ULVA (UK 1401 grt) Sunk by U-60 (Adalbert Schnee) Crew: 20 (3 dead and 17 survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Newport - Gibraltar Convoy not reported Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0326 hrs the unescorted ULVA was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-60 and sank slowly about 180 miles WNW of Inishtrahull. A heavy detonation was observed from the UBoat that sent debris into the air, some of it falling close to the U-boat. The master and 16 crew members landed at Castlebay, Isle of Barra, Hebrides
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TROPIC SEA (Ex-Nor 5781 grt)*, captured by DKM Raider ORION on 18 May 1940, was scuttled when intercepted by HM sub TRUANT in the Bay of Biscay. The survivors, included the crew from steamer HAXBY sunk by ORION, were picked up by TRUANT. 21 survivors were landed at Corunna. 10 survivors were picked up by a flying boat.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-38, U-59

At Sea 3 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-101, U-124.
11 boats at sea.

According to Ritschel, while U-101 was searching for a convoy west of Ireland, an escort launched a series of DCs over five runs, causing moderate damage, and flooding that the crew were eventually able to control.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Convoy FN.271 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop EGRET. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 4th, on which day the convoy arrived in the Tyne. MT.159 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.271 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINSTER. Sloop SHEARWATER joined the convoy en route, which arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
All movements at Scapa were held up due to mine laying by German IX Air Divison a/c during the night in the southern entrances. DD DUNCAN remained at sea after escorting steamer LADY OF MANN to Lerwick. Destroyer HOLDERNESS was delayed in sailing until 1230 to provide additional escort for convoy WN.12 to Methil. DDs ZULU, SIKH, KASHMIR, and KIPLING finally cleared Scapa at 1200 for Loch Alsh where they arrived at 1900. On the 4th, they escorted MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT QUEBEC, and MENESTHEUS from Loch Alsh on minelaying operation SN 5A, which was conducted during the night of the 4th/5th, and arrived back at Scapa at 1400/6th after the lay. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI departed the Clyde for Scapa, arriving at 1635 on the 4th.

DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE departed Immingham to lay minefield MS (A) near South Goodwin Light Vessel. They were escorted by six MTBs and the minelay was completed early on the 4th. They departed Immingham again on the 5th and laid minefield MS (B), an extension of the first field.

*West Coast UK*
Convoy OB.208 departed Liverpool escort DD WESTCOTT, sloop FOLKESTONE, and corvette PERIWINKLE. The next day, the convoy was joined by DD SCIMITAR. On 6 September, WESTCOTT and PERIWINKLE were detached and on the 7th, SCIMITAR and FOLKESTONE left the convoy.

*Nth Atlantic*
USN CL ST LOUIS embarked an evaluation board under Rear Adml J. W. Greenslade to examine base sites acquired under Lend Lease. She departed Norfolk, Virginia on the 3rd, arrived at Bermuda on the 5th and departed on the 8th to return to Norfolk, arriving on the 10th. Leaving again on the 12th for St Johns, Newfoundland, she arrived there on the 16th, and departed on the 18th for Argentia. On the 21st, she departed Argentia, arrived at Boston on the 23rd, sailed again the same day, and arrived back at Norfolk on the 25th.

*Central Atlantic*
Vichy AMC CAP DES PALMES escorted by sub PONCELET and sloop BOUGAINVILLE departed Dakar for Libreville where they arrived with troops on the 10th. Sloop D'ENTRECASTEUX and submarine AJAX departed Casablanca for Libreville on the 3rd. CL PRIMAUGEUT, sloop GAZELLE, and tanker TARN also departed Casablanca for Libreville on the 4th. Sloops D'IBERVILLE, SURPRISE, and COMMANDANT RIVIERE followed over the next few days.

The threat posed by Vichy sub SIDI FERRUCH at Libreville, caused CL DELHI to depart Duala carrying ten French officers to Pointe Noire. Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Lagos for Freetown.

Convoy SL.46 departed Freetown escort AMC BULOLO until the 19th, when the convoy was joined by ORP DD GARLAND and corvettes GARDENIA, GERANIUM, and PERIWINKLE. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed Simonstown for Durban. CL DRAGON arrived at Capetown from Lobito.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Sloop SHOREHAM intercepted Greek steamer EVROS in the Red Sea.

*Malta*

RM MAS Boats conduct a sweep and attempted infiltration of the harbour but are driven off


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## parsifal (Sep 3, 2015)

*4 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-142
New source: Diane Peter Brendt - Ships





Allied
The first US DDs for transfer to the RN, DDs AARON WARD, HALE, and ABEL P UPSHUR departed Boston for Halifax. On 1 September, USN depot ship DENEBOLA had departed Norfolk, Virginia, and arrived at Halifax on the 6th to act as a depot ship for the DDs. She remained at Halifax in this role until returning to Norfolk on 3 November. By 6 September, all 8 DDs of DesDivs 65 and 67 had arrived at Halifax. The British crews for these DDs arrived at Halifax on troopship DUCHESS OF RICHMOND (20,022grt). 42 other USN over age destroyers were to follow and filled a vital role in the convoy battles. However they initially proved unsuitable for service. Most were extensively modified, having armament removed, added fuel tanks installed and boilers ripped out for mid-ocean escort work. Renamed, and classified generically as the "Town Class" they saw considerable service from mid 1941 on.





*Losses
Ocean Going Ferry LAIRDCASTLE (UK 1945 grt) * On the 4th September 1940 when on passage from Glasgow to Belfast she was in collision with VERNON CITY of Reardon Smith between Cumbraes and Mull of Kintyre and sank three hours later. All 72 passengers and 29 crew got clear in ships lifeboats and were picked up by a British Destroyer.





*MV LUIMNEACH (Eire 1074 grt)* Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 18 (0 dead and 18 survivors) Cargo: Pyrites Route: Huelva - Drogheda sailing independantly - Sunk in the Bay of Biscay. the unescorted and neutral LUIMNEACH was stopped by U-46 with two shots across her bow WSW of the Scilly Isles and was sunk at 2000 hrs by gunfire after the crew had abandoned ship. The U-boat was returning from patrol and had no torpedoes left, when the ship was spotted. Endrass was not sure about the nationality of the vessel and the survivors thought that the U-boat had been Italian. After being stopped, the men abandoned ship in one overcrowded lifeboat without provisions. Endrass ordered them to row back to the ship to launch the second boat and handed over rations, cigarettes and rum. Three men were taken prisoner and landed at Lorient on 6 September.
The master and 14 crew members were picked up by a French fishing boat, transferred to a Spanish trawler and landed at Pasajes, Spain on 13 September. 





*MV TITAN (UK 9035 grt)* Sunk by U-47 (Günther Prien) Crew: 95 (6 dead and 89 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: London - Sydney, (Australia) Convoy OB 207. Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0128 and 0129 hrs, U-47 fired torpedoes at two ships in convoy OA-207 about 80 miles SW of Rockall, Prien saw the first ship sinking in 12 minutes after a hit amidships and a hit in the bow of the second ship without further observations. However, only the TITAN was hit and sunk. Six crew members were lost. The master and 88 crew members were picked up by RCN DD ST LAURENT and landed at Rosyth on 9 September. The master Walter Francis Dark was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.





DKM S Boats 1st Flotilla launched a highly successful attack on FS.271 NE of Great Yarmouth.

S.21 sank *Steamer CORBROOK (UK 1729 grt)*, *Steamer NEW LAMBTON (UK 2709 grt)*.








CORBROOK went down 30 miles east of Cromer and NEW LAMBTON slightly to the east. Both crews were rescued.

S.18 sank *steamer JOSEPH SWAN (UK 1571 grt) *and *Steamer NIEUWLAND (NL 1075 grt)*. Both ships were lost between 56 and 55A Buoy, JOSEPH SWAN with only one survivor and NIEUWLAND with the loss of eight crew.




_No Image found for the Joseph Swan_

S.22 sank *steamer FULHAM V (UK 1562 grt)* 2 miles nth of 55A Buoy, but here entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

S.54 damaged steamer EWELL .

*Tug SAUCY (RN 550 grt (est))* was mined and sunk off Inchkeith in the Firth of Forth, with the loss of 27 crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-99

At Sea 4 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
SW Approaches*
HG.43 departed Gibraltar with 21 ships escort sloop WELLINGTON and as far as Lisbon, by DDs WISHART and FORTUNE. WISHART experienced defects and returned to Gibraltar, being replaced by DD VIDETTE which sailed from Gibraltar on the 5th with troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN to join the convoy. WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from the 4th to 18th. It was joined in Home Waters by DD WARWICK with corvettes COREOPSIS and CLEMATIS from the 14th to 18th, and by DD WESTCOTT and sloop ROCHESTER on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool that same day. DD VELOX departed Gibraltar escorting steamers BARON VERNON and FIDRA to within ten miles of Melilla, when they carried on to load iron ore. On the 8th, DD HOTSPUR escorted FIDRA back to Gibraltar.

*Malta*

1730-1801 hrs Air raid alert for enemy a/c which are reported approaching in several formations due east of Grand Harbour and then sth of Delimara but do not cross the coast or drop bombs.

2130 hrs An enemy MAS Boat is again reported in the vicinity of Dingli; the RN send out light forces to investigate and coastal batteries are ordered to keep close watch.

AIR HQ
KALAFRANA All four Sunderlands left for the Middle East.


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## Njaco (Sep 3, 2015)

*September 3 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post713869.html#post713869

*GERMANY:* The operational orders for the invasion of Britain are issued. It is confirmed that the decision to go will be taken 10 days before the invasion is to take place. S-Day is now scheduled for September 21st. The Sea Lion plan now provides for elements of 11 divisions to make the assault. Two airborne divisions are to be sent in at once, but the other nine will start 6700 strong and will only reach full strength after several days. About 250 tanks are to accompany the assault. Four divisions of the 16th Army with airborne support are to land near Folkestone, two of the 9th Army near Eastbourne and three more of the 9th Army, also with airborne support, at Brighton. These beachheads will not be mutually supporting in the early stages. At this time the defending British forces have only made a partial recovery from the equipment losses at Dunkirk. There are perhaps four divisions fully equipped and about eight more in a reasonable state. In addition, there are various mobile brigade groups. There are about 350 cruiser and heavy tanks in the country and about 500 antitank guns.

German submarine U-57 collided with Norwegian ship “_Rona_” at Brunsbüttel, Germany. U-57 sank with 6 lost; there were 19 survivors. She would later be raised to serve as a training ship.

Joachim von Ribbentrop denied that the Second Vienna Arbitration had violated any terms of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, as Vyacheslav Molotov had accused. Furthermore, Ribbentrop complained that the manner in which the Soviet Union had taken over the Baltic States was in itself a violation of the pact.

RAF night raid on Berlin (first of nine raids in September).

*WESTERN FRONT:* Reichsmarschall Göring calls a conference of all his air commanders to The Hague. In attendance are Feldmarschall Albert Kesselring, commander of Luftflotte 2, Feldmarschall Hugo Sperrle, commander of Luftflotte 3, Oberst Werner Junck, General Bruno Lörzer and other Fliegerkorps commanders. Göring begins the meeting by asking if British Fighter Command is defeated or are they still able to attack the bombers. Kesselring announces that the RAF is finished and that the attack of numerous targets should cease and a concentrated raid on one objective, namely London, should be enough to bring England down. Sperrle disagrees to the point that he wagers a good meal that the RAF is far from finished. A heated discussion ensues. Commenting on the ability of the RAF after so many losses, Oberst Junck says "This is a Verdun of the air!" Infuriated, Kesselring turns to German Intelligence Chief Oberst Josef ‘Beppo’ Schmid for the exact number of aircraft the British have left. Caught between the two commanders, Oberst Schmid announces that British Fighter Command has perhaps only 100 fighters left or even as much as 350. This information convinces Göring that British defenses will soon be exhausted and the invasion can commence. After some discussion, a Zielwechsel or change of objective is decided. The attacks on RAF airfields should cease and a final assault on London should commence. Unknown to the Luftwaffe High Command, this decision changes the whole course of the battle, giving Fighter Command a breather and a chance to rebuild. Convinced by Göring that the British are close to defeat, Hitler informs the meeting that the earliest date for the sailing of the invasion fleet will be on 20 September, the actual landings to take place on 21 September and the launching of the attack on the English Isles through Kent would be on 11 September. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-60 sank British collier “_Ulva_” about 150 miles southwest of Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 0326 hours; 3 were killed and 17 survived. A British convoy escort vessel depth charged German submarine U-101 200 miles west of Ireland, damaging her and causing flooding, but U-101 would survive and reach Lorient, France on 16 Sep for repairs.

*ASIA:* He Yingqin ordered Nationalist 18th Army to counter the Communist advance along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province, China.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Vojtech Tuka convinced the Slovak assembly to enact Constitutional Law 210 which gave the government powers to establish anti-Semitic laws.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Franklin Roosevelt announced the destroyers-for-bases deal to the public. Captain Ferdinand L. Reichmuth, the commanding officer of destroyers of the US Navy Atlantic Squadron was placed in charge of the transfer of destroyers to Britain. Light cruiser USS “_St. Louis_” departed Norfolk, Virginia with Rear Admiral John F. Greenslade on board, who was placed in charge to survey land recently gained from the United Kingdom for building military bases.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 3, 2015)

*September 4 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post714201.html#post714201

*ASIA:* In Japan, a meeting is held of four principal ministers to establish guidelines for negotiating joining an alliance with Germany and Italy. They establish that Japan's sphere of influence would encompass China, Manchuria, former German-mandated islands, French Indochina and Pacific islands, Siam, British Malaya and Borneo, Netherlands East Indies, Burma, Australia, New Zealand, and possibly India.

French Army General Maurice Martin took over Franco-Japanese negotiations for Indochina. Japanese intelligence intercepted a French cable that detailed Indochina affairs to the United States and the United Kingdom, signaling that the US and the UK still had influence in Indochina politics. Japanese Army argued that force must now to be used before US and UK openly asserted pressure.

Prince Nagahisa passed away in an airplane crash at Zhangjiakou in Japanese puppet state of Mengjiang in northern China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German motor torpedo boats attacked Allied convoy FS.271 off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. S-21 sank ships “_Corbrook_” and "_New Lambton_", S-22 sank “_Fulham IV_” (entire crew survived), S-18 sank British ship “_Joseph Swan_” (only 1 survived) and Dutch ship “_Nieuwland_” (8 killed), and S-54 damaged ship “_Ewell_”. All were carrying coal to London.

U-46 sinks neutral Irish SS “_Luimneach_” (carrying 1250 tons of pyrites from Huelva Spain, to Ireland) 200 miles West of Brest, France at 2000 hours. The other 15 crew are picked up by a French fishing boat. 3 were rescued by U-45 and 15 were rescued by a French fishing boat.

German submarine U-47 sank British ship “_Titan_” of Allied convoy OA-207 250 miles northwest of Ireland at 0128 hours, killing 6. 89 survivors were rescued by escorting destroyer HMCS “_St. Laurent_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *There are political upheavals following the recent losses of territory by the Vienna Award. Following the humiliating acquisition of Romanian territory by USSR and Germany, Romanian King Carol II handed power over to the pro-German General Ion Antonescu. Antonescu will become Prime Minister and form the National Legionary State, an uneasy partnership with the ultra-nationalist fascist Iron Guard. Later in the month it is announced that the fascist Iron Guard is to be the only legal political party.

Before the consulate closes, Chiune Sugihara, Vice-Consul for the Empire of Japan in Soviet-occupied Lithuania, continues to defy his government and write visas to Jews desperate to flee from German-occupied Poland. In 1985 he will be awarded Righteous Among the Nations by Israel for having saved some 6,000 Jews.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler addressed a crowd of factory workers, nurses, and relief workers during the Winter Relief Campaign at the Berlin Sportpalast, declaring that Germany would now answer British night raids on German cities with greater ferocity.



> “It is a wonderful thing to see our nation at war, in its fully disciplined state. This is exactly what we are experiencing at this time, as Mr Churchill is demonstrating to us the aerial night attacks he has concocted. He is not doing this because these air raids might be particularly effective, but because his Air Force cannot fly over German territory in daylight. Whereas German aviators and German planes fly over English soil daily, there is hardly a single Englishman who comes across the North Sea in daytime. They therefore come during the night – and as you know, release their bombs indiscriminately and without any plan on to residential areas, farmhouses and villages. Wherever they see a sign of light, a bomb is dropped on it. For three months past, I have not ordered any answer to be given; thinking that they would stop this nonsensical behaviour. Mr Churchill has taken this to be a sign of our weakness. You will understand that we shall now give a reply, night for night, and with increasing force. And if the British Air Force drops two, three or four thousand kilos of bombs, then we will drop 150,000, 180,000, 230,000, 300,000 or 400,000 kilos, or more, in one night. If they declare that they will attack our cities on a large scale, we will erase theirs! We will put a stop to the game of these night-pirates, as God is our witness. The hour will come when one or the other will crumble, and that one will not be National Socialist Germany. I have already carried through such a struggle once in my life, up to the final consequences, and this then led to the collapse of the enemy who is now sitting there in England on Europe’s last island.”



*MEDITERRANEAN:* Fairey Swordfish aircraft from the British Fleet Air Arm's 815 and 819 Squadrons attacked the Calato and Gadurra airfields on Rhodes, Greece. They should had been accompanied by Swordfish aircraft from 813 and 824 Squadrons but these were delayed in their departure from HMS “_Eagle_” and when they arrived the Italian defences were alerted with fighters waiting for them. Four of the Swordfish aircraft were shot down. The Italians lost two aircraft destroyed and seven damaged on the ground.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States warns the Japanese government against making aggressive moves in Indochina.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 4, 2015)

*5 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD CHARLES F HUGHES





Allied
Flower Class Corvette PICOTEE





*Losses
Aux PV Vp.403 (DKM 432 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Westerschelde.




_General Image_

*Aux PV Vp.201 (DKM 460 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Dunkirk Roads.




_General Image_

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-29

At Sea 5 September 940
U-28, U-32, U-46, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
12 boats at sea

U-47 lost a man overboard while the deck gun was being fired.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLs AURORA, GALATEA, and CARDIFF departed Humber for Sheerness and were joined at sea off the Humber Light Vessel by DDs WILD SWAN and WIVERN. The ships arrived at Sheerness on the 6th. FN.273 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th. MT.161 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.273 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VANITY and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs VERSATILE and VIMY departed the Clyde as additional escort for convoy BAS.3, four ships for Reykavik. They left the convoy during the afternoon of the 8th and returned to Scapa.

*Northern Waters*
Sub TUNA fired five torpedoes in two attacks at 0301 at a Uboat 65 miles 077° from May Island, and was attacked herself. DDs JACKAL and VORTIGERN were sent to investigate. MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC laid mines south of the Faroes, escort DDs ZULU, SIKH, KIPLING, and KASHMIR, and CLA CAIRO providing AA support.

*West Coast UK*
Steamers MELBOURNE STAR and the Greek AEGEON were damaged by LW attacks, AEGEON was 30 miles sw of Holyhead, MELBOURNE STAR is believed to be in a similar area.

*Western Approaches*
Escort vessel GLEANER experienced boiler defects requiring immediate repair.

*SW Approaches*
OG.42 with 51 ships departed Liverpool escort DDs ANTELOPE and AMAZON from 5 to 8 September, and DDs SABRE and MACKAY with corvette GERANIUM from 5 to 7 September. Sloop LEITH escorted the convoy from 5 to 16 September when it arrived at Gibraltar.

CL SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar and arrived in the Clyde on the 8th. A Saro London flying boat of 200 Gp force landed 100 miles to the west of Cape Spartel ( a promontory in Morocco about 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km West of Tangier). DD FORESTER located the a/c, taking it in tow and returning to Gibraltar.

*Channel*
DKM TBs T.5, T.6, T.7, and T.8 of TB Flot 2 laid minefield "WALTHER" in the Straits of Dover.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.71 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY at 1850. The ocean escort, AMC RANPURA was met and ASSINIBOINE detached at 2020 and SAGUENAY at 2000 the next day. BHX.71 departed Bermuda on the 4th escorted by AMC RAJPUTANA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.71 on the 9th and the AMC was detached. Sloop FLEETWOOD and corvettes BLUEBELL and FLOXINIA joined on the 16th, corvette GLADIOLUS on the 17th, and DD WINCHELSEA on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

*Central Atlantic*
CVE ARGUS arrived at Takoradi with 30 Hurricanes to be flown overland to Khartoum. They unloaded from ARGUS on the 6th. Im unsure if they flew off or were lifted off.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Durban for repairs. CL NEPTUNE departed Durban on patrol to examine anchorages in Southern Madagascar.

*Med- Biscay*
RM TB Div 12, (TBs ALTAIR, ALDEBARAN, ANTARES, and ANDROMEDA (Seekrieg - ALTAIR, ALCIONE, ARIEL and ARETUSA) laid mines off Valletta, Malta. There 35 more minelays were made in Maltese waters by RM units during the war and these claimed DDs JERSEY and SOUTHWOLD, ORP Vessel KUJIWIAK, and sub OLYMPUS and constricted movements into and out of the harbour.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART, escorting convoy BS.3, was unsuccessfully attacked 8 times by the RA. RM TBs MANIN, BATTISTI and SAURO also conducted sweeps trying to find BS.3.

Convoy BS.4 departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were detached on the 8th when the convoy was joined by NZ manned CL LEANDER, CLA CARLISLE, DD KINGSTON, plus sloops AUCKLAND and RAN PARRAMATTA. The convoy dispersed on the 13th.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
DKM Raider KOMET transitted the Bering Straits and entered the Pacific after being provided assistance by Russian icebreakers to traverse the northern arctic route across the north of Russia.

*Malta*

018-1046 hrs Air raid alert for eight bombers and 17 fighters which approach from the north and fly over the Island, circling Grand Harbour, Luqa and Hal Far. The two formations are split and two fighters moving nth over Ta Qali are attacked by a single Hurricane. All AA gun positions open fire on raiders at 19-22000 feet. No bombs are dropped on the area.

1757-1818 hrs Air raid alert for six a/c which are identified as German made JU 87Bs carrying a Swastika on the tail. They approach at 17000 feet, separate into pairs and dive to 6-800 feet to drop bombs on Marsaxlokk area. A bomber machine-guns the camp of 3rd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment. Ack Ack guns, including Lewis guns at Delimara, open fire on low flying raiders. Four JU 87s are also reported swooping over Kalafrana in two pairs from the direction of Birzebbugia; two bombs are dropped with no damage. One small bomb and one 750lb bomb are dropped in a field near an airfield gate.

All the airfield’s machine guns open fire and some claim to have scored hits. The RAF also report two enemy planes shot down by small arms fire but this is not confirmed. One incendiary bomb lands near Fort Benghaisa and another in Birzebbugia village. One unexploded bomb reported near Kalafrana seaplane base is believed to be a 500kg delayed action bomb. It is destroyed by the bomb disposal units. Malta fighters are scrambled. Three enemy a/c are chased north and then eastwards. One enemy CR42 is brought down six miles nth of Grand Harbour; the pilot bales and is captured. Two bombers are reported hit and damaged, believed unlikely to return to base.

2115 hrs A look-out post at Mellieha reports the sound of motor engines to the east. 2147 hrs Qawra Tower reports the faint sound of engines out to sea. Moving green lights are also reported but thought to be shooting stars. 2309 2333 hrs Further reports of the sound of an MAS Boat or an aircraft. 2352 hrs A defence post reports a boat off Dragonara Point signalling towards the shore. A subsequent sighting reports a signal of a dot and two dashes (the letter W). The boat is reported as three miles off shore. Coastal guns at St Julians are manned. 0009 hrs A boat believed to be an MAS is picked up by a searchlight beam from Fort Campbell and logged as two miles due north of Ghallis Tower. Guns at Campbell open fire. Searchlights at Campbell, St George’s, Tigne and Grand Harbour are illuminated until 0025 hrs.

RA personnel casualties Tenente Nicola Dell’Olio, pilot, 201a Squadriglia, 92nd Gruppo, 39th Stormo.


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## Njaco (Sep 4, 2015)

*September 5 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post714511.html#post714511

*UNITED KINGDOM:* German minelayers are active in the Straits of Dover during the night (September 5-6) as part of Operation Walter.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Werner Machold of 1./JG 2 is awarded the Ritterkreuz for achieving twenty-one victories.

*ASIA:* Japanese troops crossed the border into Indochina without French permission; French negotiator Maurice Martin suspended all talks in protest.

“_Akagi_” departed Yokosuka, Japan.

Koichi Shiozawa was named the commanding officer of the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Hungarian troops entered Northern Transylvania, territory that German and Italy forced Romania to cede to Hungary.

In Romania, Parliament is dissolved and the constitution suspended.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Despite the imminent threat of invasion by Germany, Britain sends considerable materiel to defend her interests in the Middle East (Egypt, Sudan and Kenya) from Italian invasion. 6 Blenheim IV bombers and 6 Hurricane fighters arrived in crates at Takoradi at the British Colony of the Gold Coast. These aircraft would soon be assembled and flown 3600 miles across Africa to RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt near the Suez Canal for the war against Italy in North Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Komet_” completed its voyage across the Northern Sea Route and entered the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines in the Atlantic begin using "wolf pack" tactics in hunting shipping targets. Three submarines attack 53 ships in Convoy CS-2. Six ships are sunk.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* First draft of Australian Empire Air Training Scheme (E.A.T.S.) trainees leaves Sydney for Vancouver (British Columbia), Canada.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 5, 2015)

*6 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette CAMPANULA
(New image source: HMS Campanula





Transfer to the RCN HMS DIANA renamed HMCS MARGAREE
(New Image source HMCS MARGAREE (1st) | Ships of the Canadian Navy)





*Losses
Flower Class Corvette GODETIA (RN 925 grt),* which had been escorting convoy OA.207, was sunk in an accidental collision with steamer MARSA , herself a straggler from convoy OA.209, off Altacarry Head (on the Northern Ireland coast). 32 of the crew were lost or missing.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-46, U-60

At Sea 6 september 1940
U-28, U-32, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
10 boats at sea.

British sub HMS TRIBUNE launched torpedoes at a U-Boat about 15 nautical miles (28 km) NE of St. Kilda, Outer Hebrides. All missed. There is little doubt that the target was U-56, since that was the only u-boat passing through that area on that day. No attack was reported in the U-56 log, however.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs JACKAL and JAGUAR departed Rosyth at 1800 escorting submarine depot ship FORTH and sub TUNA to the Clyde, and safely arrived at 0600 on the 9th. OA.210 departed Methil escort PV JASON. FN.274 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS, WESTMINSTER and patrol sloop PUFFIN, and arrived in the Tyne on the 8th. MT.162 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.274 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VERDUN and WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 7th. .

In LW air attacks on convoy SL.44A, 15 miles east of Aberdeen, *steamer ST GLEN (UK 4647 grt) *was sunk. Three crew were lost, and sloop SANDWICH rescued the survivors. Steamer GANNET (1336grt) was damaged in 57‑25N, 01‑45W and towed to Peterhead.





DKM MLs TOGO, KAISER and TBs GREIF, FALKE, ILTIS, and JAGUAR of TB Flot 5, escorted by TBs T.1, T.2, and T.3 of TB Flot 1, laid minefield SW 0 in the sw North Sea. Further Escort was provided by Zerstorer GALSTER and TB KONDOR, with all forces returning to Rotterdam on the 8th. The minelaying activities were related to DKM preparations for Operation Seelowe.

*Northern Waters*
CVL FURIOUS, BB NELSON, CLAs NAIAD and BONAVENTURE, and DDs SOMALI, TARTAR, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ASHANTI, ESKIMO, and MATABELE departed Scapa Flow on Operation DF to raid shipping off Trondheim. At 0500 on the 7th, FURIOUS launched 9 Skuas of 801 Sqn and 12 Swordfish of 816 and 825 Sqns. Two ships were sighted and one was reported sunk between Sognefjord and Grip Light, but no record exists of any ship being hit on this day. The aircraft returned directly to Hatston, and the force arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 7th.

*West Coast UK*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed the Clyde for Freetown to replace CL FIJI in the MENACE operation. On 8 September, U.56 unsuccessfully attacked AUSTRALIA, which arrived at Freetown on the 14th.




_AUSTRALIA in 1940 (AWM Photo)_

Trawlers IWATE and ILFRACOMBE were damaged by the LW

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.2, which had departed St Johns on 25 August, was escorted by RCN DD SKEENA, DD WESTCOTT, sloops LOWESTOFT, SCARBOROUGH, corvette PERIWINKLE, plus ASW trawlers ST APOLLO and BERKSHIRE when it was attacked by U.65. U.47 arrived that night, followed on the 9th by U.28 and U.99, which made attacks. In all five merchant ships were sunk in these attacks.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DELHI arrived off Pointe Noire, French Congo, but two of the three Vichy steamers there had departed prior to her arrival.
Vichy French steamer JEAN LABORDE (11,591grt) departed during the night of 5/6 September and arrived at Dakar on the 8th. *Steamer TOUREG (Vichy 5135 grt)* departed on the 5th and was later intercepted by DELHI on the 16th. Steamer CAP PADARAN (8009grt) departed on the 9th for Dakar, via Tabu, but was forced to put into Conakry on the 23rd to avoid contact with British forces. CA HAWKINS departed Montevideo on patrol and arrived back later that day. CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL, BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION, with DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FORTUNE, FURY, GREYHOUND, ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE, and INGLEFIELD, all from Fce H, departed Gibraltar on MENACE. DD ECHO with defects was able to depart the next day and joined the force at sea.

The Italian intelligence service, included a permanent presence in the Spanish port of Algerciras reported this major fleet movement as an incursion into the Med. The RM reaction was the sortie of BBs VENETO, LITTORIO, CESARE, and DUILO, with six CAs, and 18 DDs. Fce H joined the MENACE "MP" convoy at sea on the 13th. In addition, CA DEVONSHIRE, with the convoy, and CA CUMBERLAND, which joined at sea, travelled in company with Force H and the convoy. Subs TRIAD and TRUANT arrived from Home Waters at Gibraltar escorted by DD WRESTLER. These subs departed Gibraltar on the 5th to join, for duty with the 8th Sub Flotilla to operate from Gibraltar.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER, escorting convoy BN.4 with Sloop AUCKLAND, was unsuccessfully attacked by the RA north of Jebal at Tair. Two a/c were shot down.

RM sub GUGLIELMOTTI sank *tanker ATLAS (Gk 4008 grt)*, a straggler from convoy BN.4, 14 miles north of Jebel Tier. The crew was landed at Aden.





*Australia/Pac/Far East*
NZ Manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland with staff officers of the New Zealand Government for government conferences in Tahiti, arriving on the 10th. She departed on the 15th for further talks at Raratonga, arrived on the 17th and returned to Auckland on the 23rd.

*Malta*
0019 hrs One Glen Martin bomber aircraft lands at Luqa.

RN FERMOY and FELLOWSHIP made an unsuccessful attempt to cut the Syracuse-Tripoli cable. ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS Bomb Disposal UXB High explosive 1 estimated 700lb delayed action blown in situ Kalafrana.


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## Njaco (Sep 6, 2015)

*September 6 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post714833.html#post714833

*UNITED KINGDOM: * The King and Queen visit RAF Fighter Command headquarters at Bentley Priory, Stanmore (Middlesex).

German aircraft bombed the town of Grantham. This town, which contained the mansion St Vincents Hall that housed the headquarters of No. 5 Group RAF Bomber Command, would be bombed on twelve occasions up to the end of the year making it, for a while, the most bombed town in England.

*NORTH AFRICA:* General Weygand resigns from the government. He takes command of Vichy French forces in North Africa. All French colonies supporting General de Gaulle had the British naval blockade lifted.

HMS “_Argus_” launched 30 Hurricane fighters for Takoradi in the British Colony of the Gold Coast. They would later be flown to RAF Abu Sueir in Egypt to participate in the Desert War against the Italians.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US military issued contracts for the construction of B-29 and B-32 prototype bombers.

A Vultee Model 48C Vanguard aircraft, the first of the batch ordered by Sweden, took flight.

The first production Douglas scout bomber (SBD) is delivered to the U. S. Navy. The aircraft is given the name “Dauntless.”

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Tribune_” attacked German submarine U-56 40 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland; all torpedoes fired missed. 

German aircraft damaged British merchant ship “_Melbourne Star_” 180 miles west of Ireland and Greek ship “_Aegeon_” 30 miles southeast of Dublin.

U-65 guides U-47 to convoy SC-2. During the night (September 6-7) U-47 sinks 3 ships by attacking while surfaced. This tactic effectively counters the sonar [referred to by the British as ASDIC because it was developed by the Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee] equipped escorts.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, battleship HMS “_Barham_”, battleship HMS “_Resolution_”, and 10 destroyers departed Gibraltar bound for Freetown, Sierra Leone, for refueling. They will join cruisers HMS “_Devonshire_” and HMAS “_Australia_” to cover landings at Dakar by Free French troops under General De Gaulle (supported by 8,000 British troops).

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* British troop ship “_Dunera_” arrived in Australia with 200 Italian prisoners of war, 251 German prisoners of war, 55 British Nazi sympathizers, and 2,036 civilians from Germany (mostly Jewish refugees). They were robbed and abused by British guards in the past 57 days, and those who committed the abuse were later court-martialed. These "enemy aliens", as they were categorized, were to be trained to the town of Hay, New South Wales, Australia.

*GERMANY:* Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler in regards to the invasion of Britain.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Rudolf von Schmettow was made the military governor of the Channel Islands, succeeding Albrecht Lanz.

Generalissimo Gamelin is arrested in France.

*ASIA:* A Nationalist Chinese brigade was wiped out by Communist Chinese forces near Yingxi, Jiangsu Province, China.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* King Carol abdicates following fascist riots in Bucharest and leaves the country with his mistress, Magda Lupescu. Prince Michael ascends the throne for second time (his wayward father having renounced the succession in 1925 but returned in 1930). The Iron Guard, with the support of Germany and renegade military officers led by the premier, General Ion Antonescu, forced the king to abdicate.

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## Njaco (Sep 6, 2015)

*September 7 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post715237.html#post715237

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British authorities decide that they have information that a German invasion is likely in the next few days and accordingly they issue an invasion warning. This warning is in the form of the signal word "Cromwell" which means that an invasion is imminent and its issue causes some wild measures to be taken. In fact this signal has been chosen because its true meaning corresponds most nearly to the needs of bringing about a higher state of readiness. No other code word has this effect.

*GERMANY*: One of the largest flying boats ever built, the Blohm and Voss BV 222 ‘Wiking’ is first flown.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-47 sinks ships from convoy SC-2 by attacking while surfaced. U-47 sank British ship “_Neptunian_” (killing all 36), British ship “_José de Larrinaga”_ (killing all 40), and Norwegian ship “_Gro_” (killing 11; 21 survived) 300 miles northwest of Ireland between 0400 and 0533 hours.

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## parsifal (Sep 7, 2015)

*7 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS HILARY P JONES
(New Source: hilarypjones)





Allied
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 14, Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 58 -




_MGB 58 in 1942_

*Losses*
U.47 (Günther Prien) in attacks on convoy SC.2 sank 3 steamers, all from Convoy SC-2 and all within the Western Approaches. The attacks were pareticualalry severe because of the heavy crew losses:

*MV NEPTUNIAN (UK 5155 grt)* Crew:36 (36 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Full load of sugar Route: Santiago - Sydney (Canada) - Liverpool. At 0404 hrs the NEPTUNIAN was hit by one torpedo nw of Rockall and sank capsizing after seven minutes. The ship had been missed by torpedoes fired earlier at 0336 and 0345 hrs.





*MV JOSE DE LARRINGA (UK 5303 grt)* Crew: 40 (40 dead - no survivors) Cargo: steel and linseed oil Route: New York - Sydney (Canada) - Liverpool . At 0515 hours U-47 struck again when this vessel was hit by a stern torpedo. The ship broke in two and sank after 11 minutes.





*MV GRO (Nor 4211 grt)* Crew: 32 (11 dead and 21 survivors) Cargo: wheat Route:Montreal - Sydney (Canada) - Liverpool. At 0533 hrs, U-47 attacked the convoy for the third time. The ships in the convoy were by now zig-zagging, and still managing to hold station fairly well, but Prien still managed hit the GRO with a torpedo on the port side amidships. The freighter's boilers exploded and hot steam gushed out. The vessel broke in two and sank within 10 mins. 21 survivors, including the master, had left the ship in the port lifeboat (the starboard boat was destroyed by the explosion). But 11 men were missing, eight whom had been in the engine room. Just before Gro had broken in two, the men in the boat had seen two shadows move below the lower bridge, but could do nothing to investigate when the ship sank shortly thereafter. After a while two lights were seen on the water, but in the gale force wind and high seas they were unable to row in that direction and the lights soon disappeared. At dawn the survivors set sail in an easterly direction. British steamer BURDWAN rescued these 21 survivors on the 10th. Corvette PERIWINKLE found a raft with two of the GRO dead on the 27th. The raft was from the lower bridge with two bodies tied to it. The dead men were the second mate and possibly the mess boy or the third mate. 





*MSW trawler ABRONIA (RN 350 grt (est))* foundered in the Thames. Five ratings were lost.

Trawler SALACON (UK 211 grt) was sunk on a mine 5.3 miles 114° from Spurn Light House (at the entrance to the Humber estuary). 8 crew were lost.

The LW launched heavy air attacks on the Port of London, with 300 a/c dropping 337 tons of bombs. *Tug BECKTON (UK 45 grt)* was sunk at the Beckton Gas Works, London River, but there were no casualties. Many ships were damaged - British steamers BARONESA, GOTHLAND , BENNEVIS , UMGENI , GLENSTRAE , KNITSLEY , UMTALI , INANDA , INKOSI , FRUMENTON, HETTON, EASTWOOD , WILLIAM CASH, OTAIO , Dutch steamers PRINS FREDERIK HENDRIK, SCHIE, ABBEKERK, MOENA, ANTJE, REIGER, and PRINS MAURITS, Belgian steamer SAMBRE, and Estonian steamers LAKE HALLWIL and ELNA .


DKM S-Boats S.33 and S.36 in attacks on convoy FS.273 sank *steamer STAD ALKMAAR (NL 5750 grt) *east of Lowestoft, but the entire crew was rescued. .





*Armed yacht RHODORA (RN 687 grt) *was sunk in an accidental collision with steamer NGATIRA (525grt) off Cardiff in the Bristol Channel.

*Trawler NIENDORF (Ger 257 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Calais. Seekrieg attributes the loss to the activities of Norwegian MTB 6, and RN MTBs 15 and 17 off Calais.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-59

At Sea 7 September 1940
U-28, U-32, U-47, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs ATHERSTONE, BEAGLE, BULLDOG, and SALADIN at sea on patrol were ordered to sweep off Calais for DKM S Boats off Calais, before proceeding to the west of Dungeness by dawn. No contact was made.

*Northern Waters*
At 0048, cruisers and DDs at Scapa were brought to 1 hr's notice. The DDs were kept at 30 mins notice all night and by next morning the crews were heavily fatigued (30 mins notice means the crews were fully slosed up at Action stations.

BC REPULSE, CAs NORFOLK and BERWICK, with DDs ZULU, SIKH, KASHMIR, and KIPLING departed Scapa at 1300 to sweep off the east coast of Iceland. They arrived back after an uneventful patrol on the 10th.

DDs DUNCAN and MAORI escorting sub depot ship TITANIA departed Lough Foyle at 1030 for Rosyth. DD DOUGLAS departed Portsmouth at 1900 to join DesFlot 12 operating at Scapa. She arrived later on the 9th, but was found to have faulty boiler tubes and secured alongside depot ship GREENWICH for repairs.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Freetown to intercept reported German steamer OSTMARK, supposedly en route to Dakar. On 8 September, the CA reported Vichy CL PRIMAUGUET, 2 DDs, and an oiler on a course of 180°. The CL, sloops LA SURPRISE and GAZELLE, and oiler TARN had departed Casablanca on the 4th and arrived at Dakar on the 9th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria and proceeded to Port Tewfik in the Red Sea. She sailed in company with DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY to escort convoy BS.4 to Aden arriving on the 12th.

*Malta*
227-1243 hrs Air raid alert for 24 CR42 fighters escorting 11 enemy SM79 bombers which drop some 30 HE bombs on the Dockyard and Grand Harbour area, causing damage to Naval property and near misses on the Ocean Tug HELLESPONT. Four civilians are killed and two injured; another is missing. AA guns open fire and three Hurricanes and three Gladiators are scrambled. One aircraft hit by AA is shot down . One further RA bomber is shot down by the RAF CAP between Zurrieq and Filfla, and another damaged. Two Hurricanes are slightly damaged by enemy fire.






_HM ocean going tug HELLESPONT_

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## parsifal (Sep 7, 2015)

*8 September 1940 *
*Losses*
DKM Raider WIDDER captured *collier ANTONIOS CHANDRIS (Gk 5866 grt) *in the Central Atlantic. Twenty two crew were landed at Rio de Janeiro, and ten at Buenos Aires. The cargo ship was scuttled in the South Atlantic a day or two later 
[NO IMAGE]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-32

Departures
Lorient: U-48 

At Sea 8 September 1940
U-28, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124. 
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Convoy OA.211 departed Methil escort sloop WESTON and corvette PRIMROSE. MTB.15 and MTB.17 attacked and reported sinking a German ammunition ship and damaging a cargo vessel off Ostend. MTB.14 was also in the attack. 

The LW continued its attacks on the london docks, causing further damage to shipping. British steamers TYNEMOUTH and SHERWOOD , Belgian tanker PRESIDENT FRANQUI and steamer ANNA , and Dutch steamer THEA were all damaged.

The LW also subjected the port of Methil to attack. Sloop STORK was torpedoed at anchor in Methil Roads. Her stern was wrecked and she was badly damaged. Gunner R. Motts was wounded. STORK was under repair at Grangemouth, completing on 16 March 1941. Dutch steamer STAD VLAARDINGEN was damaged by the LW, also in Methil Roads. She was taken in tow by Norwegian DD SLEIPNER, but was then in a collision with Dutch steamer ALGORAB.

*West Coast UK*
Convoy OB.210 departed Liverpool escort DD SKATE with corvettes ANEMONE and ARABIS. DD SHIKARI joined on the 9th. The escort was detached on the 10th.

*Western Approaches*
AMC CHITRAL was at sea escorted by DDs AMAZON and ANTELOPE in the Western Approaches. The two DDs were detached for other escort duties, being replaced by RCN DD SKEENA.

*Channel*
During the night of 8/9 September, CL GALATEA with DDs CAMPBELL, GARTH, and VESPER, and CL AURORA with DDs HAMBLEDON, HOLDERNESS, and VENETIA were ordered to shell German shipping concentrations off Calais and Boulogne for each of the respective groups. From 0225 to 0245, Anson a/c dropped flares over both ports. No shipping was observed in Calais, and GALATEA did not conduct a bombardment. However, AURORA did bombarded the Boulogne harbour area. DDs ATHERSTONE, BERKELEY, BULLDOG, BEAGLE, and FERNIE swept along the French coast in a broad sweep from Le Tonquet to the SW up to 5 miles nth of Cape Antifer. The cruisers arrived back at Sheerness on the 9th. On her return, GALATEA struck a mine and was under repair at Chatham until 8 January 1941.

*Central Atlantic*
Italian submarine FAA DI BRUNO made an unsuccessful attack on a tanker sailing independently.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL departed Simonstown for Freetown, arriving on the 15th.

*Malta*
In an air raid on Malta, sub OLYMPUS in dock suffered slight damage.
RN FERMOY and FELLOWSHIP succeeded in cut the Syracuse-Tripoli cable.


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## Njaco (Sep 8, 2015)

*September 8 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post715544.html#post715544

Adolf Galland was nearly shot down on the French coast by fellow pilot Ulrich Steinhilper in an episode of mis-identification.

Air Marshall Dowding decides that the Fighter Command units in southeast England should have the right to select the best pilots to keep their experienced squadrons up to strength despite the effects this will have on the other parts of the Command and on planning for the future.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * The British War Cabinet was convinced that the German invasion of Britain would take place very soon. The warnings passed to local Home Forces commanders led to many church bells across England being rung as some commanders thought the invasion had already started. Some of them went as far as blowing up bridges. Finally, on this day, the British government declared the National Day of Prayer.

Operation Hannelore: German torpedo boats of the 2nd Flotilla - T5, T6, T7, T8 - lay mines in Straits of Dover.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British cruiser HMS “_Aurora_”, escorted by 3 destroyers, shelled German shipping and invasion barges in the harbor of Boulogne, France.

British torpedo boats MTB-14, MTB-15 and MTB-17 sank a German ammunition ship off Ostend, Belgium.

German torpedo boats “_Karl Gaster_”, “_Hans Lody_”, “_Friedrich Ihn_” and “_Erich Steinbrinck_” arrived at Cherbourg.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” stopped Greek collier “_Antonios Chandris_” in the Central Atlantic. Captain Ruckteschell of “_Widder_” ordered the crew of 29 to abandon ship. The Greek ship would be sunk by demolition charges on the next day.

*GERMANY:* Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess asks Prof Haushofer:


> 'Is there nobody in Britain willing to make peace ?'


*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Bulgarian government demanded that the Romanians cede Southern Dobruja and the Romanian government capitulated in the Treaty of Craiova. The Romanians lost another 4 million people and 40,000 square miles of territory to Bulgaria.

.

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## Njaco (Sep 9, 2015)

*September 9 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post715889.html#post715889

Hans-Joachim Marseille was awarded Iron Cross 2nd Class.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* All political parties in Norway were dissolved except for Quisling's Nasjonal Samling Party, which was installed as the pro-Nazi Norwegian government.

British Skua aircraft of RAF No. 801 Squadron took off from Royal Naval Air Station Hatston, Orkney, Scotland to attack German shipping off Bergen, Norway; 1 of the Skua was lost during the attack, with two airmen killed.

*NORTH AMERICA:* A new $5,500,000,000 appropriations bill becomes law in the United States. The US Navy awarded contracts for the construction of 210 new ships, including 12 aircraft carriers and 7 battleships.

At Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the first eight of many American submarines were transferred to the British Royal Navy. The first of the 50 old destroyers given to Britain is taken over by a Royal Navy crew.

*NORTH AFRICA:* During the Western Desert Campaign, Italian colonial forces in Libya launch the invasion of Egypt. The first objective is to advance from defensive positions within Libya to the border with Egypt. Italian Army Marshal Rudolfo Graziani ordered his troops in Libya to march toward British positions, with troops of the Italian 10th Army under General Mario Berti as spearhead. The Italian goal was to capture the Suez Canal. Italian aircraft bombed British defensive positions while British aircraft flew sorties against Italian supply dumps and troop concentrations.

French intelligence reported a possible invasion of Dakar in West Africa by General de Gaulle's forces, supported by the British. In response, French cruisers “_Georges Leygues_”, “_Montcalm_”, and “_Gloire_”, supported by three destroyers, departed Toulon in southern France to reinforce Dakar. They are reported to the British too late, and reach Dakar despite the efforts of the squadrons now en route to Dakar to attack on behalf of the Free French.

Italian bombers (4 lost) raid Tel-Aviv (Palestine) killing 111; leaflets dropped on Jaffa promise freedom for Palestinian Arabs.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Greek collier “_Antonios Chandris_”, abandoned by her crew as forced by German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_”, was sunk by demolition charges at dawn. Lifeboats containing 22 of her crew of 29 would be rescued by Portuguese freighter _“Serpa Pinto_” on 8 Oct 1940.

German submarine U-47 sank Greek ship “_Possidon_” of Allied convoy SC-2 70 miles north of Ireland at 0024 hours; 17 were killed. German submarine U-28 sank British ship “_Mardinian_” of Allied convoy SC-2 70 miles north of Ireland at 0447 hours; 6 were killed and 22 survived.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Italian submarine “_Comandante Faà di Bruno_” damaged British tanker “_Auris_” 750 miles west of Gibraltar.

Aircraft from HMS “_Illustrious_” and HMS “_Eagle_” attacked Italian airfields on the island of Rhodes, Greece; “_Eagle_” lost 4 aircraft in this attack.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” sank British tanker “_Athelking_” (without any cargo) 1,200 miles east of Madagascar; 6 were killed and 40 were captured.

*GERMANY:* Walther von Brauchitsch issued a plan for the future military occupation of Britain which, among other things, called for the rounding up of males between the age of 17 and 35 to be sent to continental Europe as forced laborers and the systematic looting of British goods; this type of harsh treatment was not even implemented in German-occupied Poland at this time.

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## parsifal (Sep 9, 2015)

*9 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Ex-USN DDs, renamed HM DDs CALDWELL, CAMERON, CAMPBELTOWN, CASTLETON, CHELSEA, CHESTERFIELD, CHURCHILL, CLARE




_The Town class of ships were exchanged with Great Britain under a "ships for bases" deal agreed between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill. The deal was for a 100 year lease for bases for the US Armed Forces in the Caribbean. They were not part of the famous "Lend-lease" deal later agreed on.

The ships were taken in hand prior to delivery for the replacement of American Navy equipment with RN equipment. However on arrival a much more detailed refit was undertaken. Ships retained by the RCN underwent refits in Canadian dockyards. As with all warships further modifications were put in hand as required.

HMS Campeltown took part in one of the most dramatic naval operations in WW2 when she was modified and had several tons of explosive fitted in her bow. She was then sailed to occupied St. Nazaire, France where she was rammed into the Atlantic Dock caisson, whereupon she eventually exploded killing a large number of German officers and other troops and destroying the dock caisson.

Approximately eighty identical but better preserved destroyers, including USS Reuben James, remained in active service with the United States Navy to become the U-boats' most numerous American adversaries while newer destroyers went to the Pacific._

*Losses
MV MARDINIAN (UK 2434 grt) *Sunk by U-28 (Günter Kuhnke) Crew: 38 (6 dead and 32 survivors) Cargo: Pitch Route Trinidad - Sydney (Canada) - Methil - London Convoy SC-2, Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0447 hrs the MARDINIAN in convoy SC-2 was hit under the bridge by one torpedo fired by U-28 and sank after 30 mins about 100 miles NNW of Bloody Foreland. The master 19 crew members and one gunner were picked up by ASW Trawler ST APOLLO and landed at Belfast. 10 crew members landed at Leverburgh, South Uist and one crew member was rescued by AMC AURANIA.





*MV POSSIDON (Gk 3840 grt)* Sunk by U-47 (Prien) Crew: 17 men (7 dead and 10 survivors) cargo: sulphur phosphate Route: New Orleans - Sydney (Canada) - Glasgow Convoy SC-2 Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0024 hrs, U-47 fired a single torpedo at the convoy SC-2 and missed the intended target but hit the POSSIDON. The U-boat then had to avoid another merchant of the convoy that passed on collision course in only 50 metres distance without noticing the UBoat.





*Steamer MINNIE DE LARRINAGA (UK 5049 grt)* was burnt out and sunk by the LW in the Port of London. She was raised, but not repaired, instead expended as a blockship at Dover on 5 February 1941.





*Trawler JOHN BAPTISH (UK 290 grt)* was sunk on a British defensive minefield south of Coningbeg Light Vessel, off the south coast of Ireland.
(New Source: JOHN BAPTISH M275)





*MSW trawler DERVISH (RN 346 grt) *was sunk on an aerial mine laid by aircraft of IX Flieger Division, 2.6 miles 156° from the Humber Light Vessel. Four crew were lost, and eleven rescued.
[NO IMAGE]

*Trawler HARVEST MOON (UK 72 grt)* and *drifter ALFRED COLEBROOK (UK 56 grt) *were sunk as blockships in Richborough Channel (East Coast of Kent).
[NO IMAGES]


*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-43

At Sea 9 September 1940
U-28, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.212 departed Methil escort CLA CAIRO until the 11th, and by sloop ROCHESTER and corvette CLEMATIS. FN.277A departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop LONDONDERRY, and patrol sloop GUILLEMOT, and arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. FN.277B departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY, WOLSEY plus patrol sloops MALLARD, SHEARWATER, and WIDGEON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 11th. MT.164 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.276 departed the Tyne, escort DD VERDUN and sloop BLACK SWAN, and arrived at Southend on the 11th

DKM Zerstorrs LODY, GALSTER, RIEDEL, ECKHOLDT, and IHN departed Wilhelmshaven for Cherbourg, arriving on the 11th, and escorting MLs Schiff 23 (steamer CAIRO:4778grt), TANNENBERG, COBRA, TOGO, and SCHWERIN.

Late on the 8th and into early 9th, DKM TBs T.5, T.6, T.7, and T.8 of TB Flotilla 2 laid minefield HANNELORE in the SW North Sea.

*Northern Waters*
DD BEDOUIN was docked at Scapa for repairs to her asdic directing gear. She was the first DD to use the newly constructed dock, Admiralty Floating Dock, AFD.12 which had arrived on 26 August. On docking, further defects were found, and damage to her rudder was also repaired. DD JAGUAR departed Greenock for Scapa where she arrived on the 10th. Steamer RYAL (367grt) was damaged, in the Port of London by the LW.

*SW Approaches*
RM sub FAA DI BRUNO torpedoed and damaged tanker AURIS about 700 miles west of Gibraltar

*Channel*
DDs VANOC and VISCOUNT were in a collision at Plymouth. VANOC received temporary repairs at Devonport, completing on the 10th, and later received permanent repairs at Portsmouth from 18 to 25 November. VISCOUNT was repaired in one week.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.72 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DD SAGUENAY plus aux PVs FRENCH, LAURIER, and REINDEER. At 1815, PV FRENCH departed the convoy. At 1200/10th, steamer TUDOR PRINCE (7199grt) joined the convoy. RCN DD SAGUENAY left the convoy to ocean escort, AMC JERVIS BAY on the 10th, which herself detached on the 20th. BHX.72 departed Bermuda on the 8th escorted by AMC VOLTAIRE. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.72 on the 13th and the AMC was detached at that point. On 21 September, DDs SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, SKATE, sloop LOWESTOFT, with corvettes CALENDULA, HEARTSEASE, and LA MALOUINE joined the convoy, which was then discharged on the 21st when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DRAGON departed Simonstown for Lagos. CL DELHI departed Pointe Noire. Sloop BRIDGEWATER arrived at Freetown from Lagos.

*Med- Biscay*
Vichy Fce Y composed of CLs GEORGES LEYGUES, MONTCALM, GLOIRE and Contre torpilleur DDs FANTASQUE , MALIN, and AUDACIEUX departed Toulon for Dakar.

DDs HOTSPUR, GRIFFIN, and ENCOUNTER departed Gib on the 9th for an ASW sweep between Gibraltar and Alboran Island.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM REaiderATLANTIS sank *tanker ATHELKING (UK 9557 grt) *with the loss of Four crew and 36 made prisoners of war. The East Indies Station at Colombo received ATHELKING's raider report and dispatched CLs NEPTUNE, CAPETOWN and AMCs ARAWA and RAN WESTRALIA, none of which made contact with the German ship.
(New Source: Ahoy - Mac's Web Log - Athelking)




_The British tanker Athelking refused to stop and attempted to return fire. Fired on by the Atlantis in September 9th, 1940, the photo shows damage to the radio room and stern gun positions._


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## parsifal (Sep 9, 2015)

GRAZIANIS OFFENSIVE INTO EGYPT

The Italian intelligence staff, had for a long time enjoyed exceptional information about the presence of British units in Egypt. They often knew about convoys on the way and roughly what they contained. They were less well informed about shortages of weapons and equipment and the state of training—factors which are much more difficult to evaluate. Thus while they knew of the existence of the British 7th Armoured Div, and of an Indian, Australian and New Zealand Infantry Divisions, they did not know how incomplete they all were. They persistently over-estimated the British strength in the Delta area, but they were well informed about the indigenous Egyptian forces and did not rate their fighting value very highly. 

The circumstances leading to the Italian advance across the Egyptian frontier were that when war broke out in June, there were no plans for invading Egypt and the Italian policy was to adopt a defensive deployment in both Tripolitania and Cyrenaica. Marshal Balbo wanted the whole of June in which to build up the resources necessary for an 'honourable resistance'. With the elimination of France, however, it became possible to strengthen Cyrenaica at the expense of Tripolitania, and when at the end of June Marshal Graziani was appointed to succeed Balbo (who had died in an air crash) he maintained the defensive disposition pointing out that he lacked many of the necessary resources, notably anti-tank, anti-aircraft, and medium artillery; medium tanks; and vehicles of all kinds. He awaited replacements for a number of aircraft and crews, and asked in addition for a new Stormo (Group) of fighters and a Reconnaissance Gruppo (Wing).

The Germans were already considering whether to help the Italians with equipment, and their Military Attaché in Rome. Major-General Enno von Rintelen, kept Berlin well informed of developments in Cyrenaica. He was personally acquainted with the ground, and viewed with great interest the prospect of a clash in the desert between two European Powers. The Italian object was to drive the British out of Egypt and establish land communication with East Africa. Two conditions were essential to success: the safety of the sea routes and air superiority over northern Egypt. Artillery, ammunition, tanks, and aircraft were going to be more important than numbers of men. The problem of supply would loom even larger than it did in Europe, and would be greatly influenced by the available ports: if these were to drop too far behind the advance, the burden on the transport columns would become excessive: the deduction was that Matruh must be secured quickly. Rintelen reported that Graziani, was an experienced colonial fighter, well understood the need for making thorough preparations, which he was now completing. 

During July Mussolini was persuaded that with more time for preparations the prospects for success would be appreciably greater, but he insisted that, whether the preparations were ready or not, Graziani was to make a forward move on the day the first Germans set foot in England. To this Graziani made no objection, but he stuck to his opinion that otherwise it would be unwise to advance without the strength to carry the operations through, and gave effect to his views by postponing his date of readiness with great regularity. In particular, he complained of not having received the transport necessary for motorizing the two Libyan divisions, whose role in the advance was to have been to move south of the escarpment in company with the nearest thing to an armoured div the italians possessed, the so-called Malletti Group, in reality a disjointed collection of armoured assets with little or no support or maintenence facilities. On September 7th, with the prospect of a cross channel attack looming, Mussolini issued a peremptory order for the advance to begin in two days time, whether the Germans had landed in England or not. Graziani was now obliged to adopt a new plan, for the Libyan divisions had not enough motor transport to enable them to operate with the mechanized group. They were accordingly detailed to carry out the first phase of the advance along the coast road, their place in the lead to be taken over in due course by the 1st Blackshirt Division which was sufficiently mobile for this purpose: the Maletti Group was to retain its independent role on the southern flank. Preliminary moves began on September 9th, but on the 11th the Maletti Group lost its way to its position of assembly at Sidi Omar. Graziani, who was already disturbed by reports of massive British armoured forces to the sth of the escarpment, now changed the plan again by cancelling the flanking movement altogether and placing Maletti under the orders of General Berti, commanding the 10th Army, for more intimate co-operation with the coastal advance. Two other divisions, 62nd Marmarica and 63rd Cirene (regular Infantry formations, less their AA and AT attached formations), were available for the operations, making five divisions in all, and a tank group of one medium, two mixed, and four light tank battalions. Two other divisions, the 4th Blackshirt and the 64th Catanzaro, were in reserve near Tobruk.

The 5th Squadra, under General Porro, had been specially made up in aircraft, pilots, vehicles, and airfield equipment to enable it to support the advance. Even so, its strength was much less than the British estimates of what was likely to be used for a major invasion of Egypt. It seems that there were about 300 serviceable bombers, fighters, and ground attack aircraft, apart from reconnaissance units, the Colonial Air Force, and a number of transport and air-sea rescue aircraft. Serviceability rates for this force rapidly plummetted however, as the RA was always short of spares and maintenance facilities. The preliminary role of the air forces was to attack British airfields, supply centres and command posts, and to cover the move to assembly positions. Subsequently they were to protect the advance, and attack enemy troops and vehicles, and objectives chosen by the High Command. On September 9th the enemy's air activity increased appreciably. Three bomber squadrons of the RAF, Nos. 55, 113 and 211, thereupon attacked airfields, concentrations of transport, and supply dumps, one of the operations being an attack by 21 aircraft on the town airfield of Tobruk, where much transport was assembled. The enemy retaliated on the same day by carrying out a sweep by 27 fighters over the Buq Buq area, which led to further operations against Italian airfields. Air reports indicated much movement about Bardia, Sidi Azeiz, Gabr Saleh and towards Sidi Omar from the west. Evidently the long-expected invasion was about to begin, though on 11th September von Rintelen wrote that it was clear to him by now that nothing more than a tactical success was expected; there was no immediate prospect of capturing Alexandria, the Delta, or the Canal, due to the logistical and transport shortages under which 10th Army was being forced to operate. Commando Supremo conceded also that there was no chance of opening up the route to East Africa.

The British estimate of the Italian force available for the operation was substantially correct, but the British initially misread italian intentions by believing the Italians intended a strong southern flanking movement south of the escarpment. Reports from the air suggested that something of the sort might be intended, and dispositions had to be made to deal with it, but in estimating that the Italians would not confine themselves to the vicinity of the coast road the British were crediting them with a scale of transport and a degree of desert-worthiness that they did not possess. The Italian 10th Army's intelligence summary for 19th October 1940, contained the statement: 'As is well-known, the enemy has units more manoeuvrable in the desert than ours.' The truth is that the Italians had not mastered the art of movement on a broad front. This may have been partly due to their liking for roads and their undoubted flair for making them, and partly to other causes...scanty wireless communications, for example. Overwhelmingly however it was the shortages of supply and transport that restricted their operations and brought their advance to an early demise.

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## Njaco (Sep 9, 2015)

*September 10 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post716294.html#post716294

*UNITED KINGDOM: * Following bombing of 66,000 tons of shipping in Port of London since September 7, ocean-going ships were banned from the port of London as these easy targets attracted German attackers.

*GERMANY: *Reichsmarschall Göring orders that if the weather situation prevents large-scale operations against London, then surprise daylight attacks by individual bomber aircraft are also to be made on targets associated with the British aircraft industry. These are to be undertaken by crews specially selected for their skill and experience, and are only to be flown in low cloud and often appalling conditions in an attempt to prevent interception by RAF fighters. The missions become known to the Luftwaffe crews as Pirateneinsatze or Pirate Attacks.

Battleship “_Bismarck_” fired 6 3.7cm shells against raiding British aircraft without any hits.

The number of Panzer divisions are ordered to be doubled from 10 to 20 for the planned May 1941 invasion of USSR.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian troops crossed the Libyan-Egyptian border.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British submarine HMS “_Sturgeon_” attacked German submarine U-43 50 miles southwest of Norway.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” sank British ship “_Benarty_” 1,250 miles east of Madagascar. The entire crew of 49 were taken prisoner.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The French Navy informed the British Naval Attaché in Madrid, Spain at 1800 hours that three cruisers and three destroyers were sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Unaware that these ships were en route to Dakar in West Africa, a British-Free French joint target, the British Royal Navy allowed the French warships to pass.

The Italians begin to increase their force in Albania by 40,000 (Italian Expeditionary Corps) over the next ten days in preparation for their proposed attack on Greece.

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## parsifal (Sep 10, 2015)

*10 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-105
(New source:1940 U Boat U 105 Type IXB Submarine Ship Germany Warship Photograph Maxi Card | eBay)





Allied
Armed Yacht HMCS ELK - LSI HMS GLENGYLE








*Losses
Steamer ELI (Nor 4332 grt)* was sunk by the LW 12 miles 144° from Skerryvore Light House. Her naval gunner was lost.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-138

At Sea 10 September 1940
U-28, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-101, U-124, U-138.
12 boats at sea.

RN Sub STURGEON attacked U.43 40 miles SW of the Naze.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs DUNCAN and MAORI departed Rosyth at 0815 to search for a downed a/c , and at 1041, were ordered to the Tyne. DDs MALCOLM, VETERAN, and WILD SWAN departed Harwich late on the 10th. Early on the 11 October, they struck at a German coastal convoy off Ostend.

MT.165 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.277 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VEGA and VORTIGERN, and arrived at Southend on the 11th.

*West Coast UK*
Convoy AP.3, consisting of British steamers BRITANNIC, ATHLONE CASTLE, BRISBANE STAR, IMPERIAL STAR, DURBAN CASTLE , ULSTER PRINCE, DOMINION MONARCH , and GLAUCUS, carrying 6050 troops, and steamers CLAN MACARTHUR and CLAN CAMPBELL departed Liverpool escort DDs HAVELOCK, HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, HURRICANE, WOLVERINE, and VOLUNTEER from 10 to 12 September. CL SHEFFIELD and two destroyers departed Greenock on the 10th and joined the convoy at Lough Foyle on the 11th.
SHEFFIELD was ordered back to Greenock on the 11th, and the destroyers detached after passing the northwest approaches.
The ocean escort was mainly AMCs - WOLFE and CILICIA from 13th to 23rd, when the convoy arrived at Freetown, and CANTON and CARNARVON CASTLE from 25 September to 4 October. The convoy arrived at Capetown on 4 October and sailed on the 6th. CANTON escorted from 6th to 9th, CARTHAGE from 9th to 15th, and heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE from 15th to 20th. AP.3 was joined by CL CARLISLE, DDs KINGSTON, KANDAHAR, and sloop FLAMINGO, and arrived safely at Suez on 22 October. The arrival of AP.3 concluded operation APOLOGY.

OB.211 departed Liverpool escorted by DD VANQUISHER plus corvettes ERICA and MALLOW, which detached on the 12th.

*Channel*
DDs BULLDOG, BERKELEY, and BEAGLE departed Portsmouth and joined DDs HAVELOCK, HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER and HURRICANE. The DDs were to intercept a report of 12 enemy merchant ships escorted by 30 S-boats reported at 1605, 15 miles 315° from Dieppe. At 1630, the report was amplified to include the presence of 5 DKM Zerstorers in the area. If no contact was made with the German force, the destroyers were to sweep northeast towards Le Toquet.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.4 departed Sydney (Canada), escorted locally by RCN armed yachts HUSKY, LYNX and ocean sloop DEPTFORD, which detached on the 12th. The inbound escort consisted of DDs ACTIVE, KEPPEL, VANQUISHER, sloop LOWESTOFT, plus corvettes ARABIS, CAMELLIA, FLEUR DE LYS and HEARTSEASE joined the convoy on the 23rd and escorted it to its arrival at Liverpool on the 26th.
SHX.72 departed Sydney (Canada) escort by RCN aux PVl LAURIER and RCN armed yacht REINDEER.

*Central Atlantic*
CVE ARGUS arrived at Freetown after delivering aircraft to Takoradi. On 10 September, Vichy AMC CAP DES PALMES escorted by sub PONCELET and sloop BOUGAINVILLE, which departed Dakar on the 3rd, arrived at Libreville with troops and supplies to augment the Vichy defences.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs JUNO and JANUS departed Alexandria for Port Said for escort duties with convoy AN.3 which sailed on the 11th. CLA CALCUTTA and DD JERVIS supported the convoy on the 14th, with JERVIS detaching the same day, and CALCUTTA the next. When it was found steamer EASTLEA could only make six knots, she was detached to Alexandria while the destroyers continued with steamers VASCO and PALERMO, which arrived on the 15th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.5 departed Bombay on the 10th escorted by AMCs ANTENOR and HECTOR until the 19th. NZ manned CL LEANDER and RIN sloop INDUS were escorts from Aden from 19th to 23rd, and RNZN sloops AUCKLAND and RAN PARRAMATTA from 19th to 22nd.

Submarine X.2 (former RM sub GALILEO GALILEI, captured on 19 June) departed Aden with the convoy, but she returned to Aden, escorted by netlayer PROTECTOR, after a mechanical breakdown. Sloops GRIMSBY and SHOREHAM escorted the convoy from Port Sudan on the 23rd until its arrival at Suez on the 26t

DKM Raider ATLANTIS sank *steamer BENARTY (UK 5800 grt)* in the Indian Ocean, 480 miles east of Rodrigues (a small island east of Mauritius). There were no casualties. The ship had betrayed her position to the raider when she relayed distress signals from a tkr, ATHELKING, the previous day. BENARTY was later intercepted by ATLANTIS´ He114 seaplane which bombed and strafed with mg fire as she tried to escape, enabling the raider to approach and bring her to a halt with 5.9in gunfire. Following capture, fragments of paper found in her wrecked radio room made it possible for the to read part of the new British Merchant Navy code, newly introduced following the capture (also by ATLANTIS) of the British ship CITY OF BAGHDAD two months previously. BENARTY was later sunk by explosive charges after the crew had abandoned ship.
(New Source: Google)


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## Njaco (Sep 10, 2015)

*September 11 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post716624.html#post716624

Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his third kill when he shot down a British Hurricane fighter over the French coast at 1705 hours. His fighter received heavy damage and he was forced to crash land at Wissant, France.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill noted that the coming week was to be dangerous as intelligence showed a German amphibious invasion was about to be launched.

Lord Mayor of London opens Air Raid Relief Fund: £5 Millions received by October 5.

*ASIA:* Japanese Army Major General Issaku Nishihara reported to Tokyo, complaining that French authorities were delaying negotiations regarding Indochina matters.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *At 0835 hours, six French warships passed through the Strait of Gibraltar at the speed of 25 knots. They have been spotted at 0515 hours by destroyer HMS “_Hotspur_” 50 miles inside the Mediterranean, but it is too late for the British fleet at Gibraltar to respond. Realizing they were heading for Dakar in French West Africa, HMS “_Renown_” and three destroyers departed at 1600 hours in an attempt to intercept, with instructions to make sure they go no further South than Casablanca. Overnight, the French fleet stopped at Casablanca to refuel.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-28 attacked Dutch ship "_Maas_" (sank, killing 20) and British ship “_Harpenden_” (seriously damaged, killing 1), both of Allied convoy OA-210, 200 miles northwest of Ireland between 0326 and 0328 hours.

German submarine U-99 sank British ship “_Albionic_” at 0716 hours, killing 25.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States Navy ordered the construction of six Cleveland-class light cruisers for fiscal year 1941. All six ships were to be built by the William Cramp Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2015)

*11 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ASPHODEL





*Losses
MV MAAS (UK 1966 grt) *Sunk by U-28 (Günter Kuhnke) Crew: 22 (20 dead and 2 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Sunderland - Rimouski (Canada) Convoy OA-210 Sunk in the Western Approaches. Between 0326 and 0328 hrs, U-28 fired torpedoes at the convoy OA-210 SW of Rockall and reported hits on two ships and logged that a detonation on a third was heard. However, the attack scored hits on the HARPENDON, which was damaged, and the MAAS which was sunk.





*MV ALBIONIC (UK 2468 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 25 (25 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Newfoundland - Liverpool Unescorted Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0716 hrs the unescorted ALBIONIC was hit by one torpedo from U-99 and sank within 20 seconds SSE of Rockall. There were no survivors.





*Steamer CORDOBA (Ger 4611 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Le Havre.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-29
Lorient: U-100

At Sea 11 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea

U-28 fired torpedoes at the convoy OA-210 and observed hits on two ships and heard a detonation on a third. One ship, the MAAS (see losses above) was sunk, and another, the HARPENDON, was severely damaged. HARPENDON was taken in tow and arrived five days later at the Clyde, where she was beached in Kilchattan Bay.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs DUNCAN and MAORI arrived in the Tyne on the 11th to escort store carrier KYLE FISHER to Rosyth. They departed the Tyne on the 12th. DD SOMALI took over the escort at Rosyth, and departed with KYLE FISHER on the 14th for Scapa.

FN.278 departed Southend, escort by DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND, and arrived in the Tyne on the 13th. MT.166 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne on the 12th. FS.278 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIVACIOUS and WOOLSTON, and arrived at Southend on the 14th. Sub PORPOISE laid minefield FD.26, 48 mines along a 1.2 mile line 205° from 46‑24‑48N, 01‑59‑45W.

DDs CAMPBELL, GARTH, and VESPER patrolled off the Dutch coast during the night of 11/12 September. British steamer NORMAN QUEEN and the Swedish TORKEL were damaged by the LW in the Port of London. Tkr ALEXIA was damaged by the LW and then assisted by tug BUCCANEER.

*Northern Waters*
DD JACKAL and ELECTRA departed Greenock for Loch Alsh in the afternoon of the 9th, while DDs VERSATILE and VIMY were ordered to Loch Alsh. The four ships then departed Loch Alsh early on the 11th with MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC and MENESTHEUS on minelaying operation SN 41. After its completion the ships arrived back at Loch Alsh on the 12th, the DDs departed for Scapa Flow at 1945 and arrived on the 13th. DDs MATABELE, ASHANTI, TARTAR, and PUNJABI departed Scapa for Rosyth.

*Western Approaches*
Convoy OB.212 departed Liverpool escort DD WARWICK, sloop ENCHANTRESS, and corvette COREOPSIS. ASW trawler ARAB joined on the 12th and ML SOUTHERN PRINCE on the 13th. ARAB and SOUTHERN PRINCE detached on the 13th, WARWICK and COREOPSIS on the 14th, and ENCHANTRESS on the 16th.

*Channel*
Whilst the LW had shifted its main focusses that gave the RAF some rest, there was no such let up for the RN and its coastal convoys and anti invasion activities. It would take some hard months of fighting at sea and in the air over the channel, taking the fight well into 1941, before the channel could be considered relatively safe for British shipping. In the meantime, the RN and the merchant service continued to tough it out. The overall strategy in the channel at this time was to demonstrate aggressively with deep patrols into German controlled waters and attacks on assembly points by repeated night attacks in the air. The Germans were shown, in no uncertain terms, that from the moment they cleared the protection of their ports of departure, they could expect dogged attacks from the RN light forces, whilst distantly significant heavy units were also kept at the ready. Mines were also being laid to inflict attrition on the German invasion fleets. By the second week in September, the Admiralty was estimating 50-80% loss rates to the German invasion fleets, if not total annihilation. It would be some time before the Germans were to admit the same

DDs ATHERSTONE and FERNIE were escorting convoy CW.11 when attacked and bombed by the LW off Ramsgate. ATHERSTONE was badly damaged near South Edinburgh Buoy, with six ratings killed. FERNIE continued with the convoy, while tug TURQUOISE towed ATHERSTONE to Chatham, where she was under repair until early January.

Dover was bombed and shelled. MTB.71 was set afire and MTB.29 damaged. MTB.71 required 4 months to repair, but MTB.29 was quickly returned to service. In a British attack on Calais, Albacores of 826 Sqn operating at night against the assembling invasion fleets suffered some losses. One a/c force landed after being damaged by LW ftrs. Lt A S. Downes was slightly wounded, and together with S/Lt C. R. Mallett, rescued by an MTB. Naval Airman J. A M. Stevens was killed in the attack. In a second a/c, S/Lt T. Winstanley and S/Lt (A) J. D. Watson were wounded, but got back, and in a third, S/Lt E. G. Brown and Naval Airman R. E. Mathews were badly wounded, with S/Lt A M. Tuke escaping unscathed.

DDs WOLVERINE, VANOC, SALADIN, and VOLUNTEER conducted an operation referred to as "BOARD" sweep off the French coast during the night of 11/12 September. It was a sweep looking for German invasion shipping, but found nothing.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.47 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CARNARVON CASTLE until the 26th, when DDs HARVESTER, HIGHLANDER, HURRICANE, AMC MOOLTAN, sloop FOWEY, plus corvettes ANEMONE, MALLOW, and PEONY joined. Sloop WESTON joined on the 27th, with DD SABRE only joining the escort for the 28th. On that date, all the escorts except MOOLTAN and WESTON were detached, and they left on the 30th, when CLA CURACOA and corvette PRIMROSE joined. The convoy arrived on 1 October.

ENCOUNTER WITH VICHY FRENCH NAVY FORCE Y
DD HOTSPUR, was carrying out an ASW sweep in company with DDs GRIFFIN, and ENCOUNTER, when Vichy cruiser Force Y was sighted at 0512. BC RENOWN (presumably in Gibraltar) signalled the French commander and asked their destination, adding that they would not be allowed to enter a German port. The French replied that they were southbound. The RN commander ordered them into Casablanca and that if they proceeded further they would be stopped. Soon after this, HOTSPUR lost contact, and GRIFFIN was sent into Gibraltar to refuel. RENOWN with DDs GRIFFIN and VIDETTE finally departed Gib at 1600 to intercept French force Y, as by then they considered it likley the Vichy forces would proceed further than the british would allow them . DD VELOX, which was refuelling when RENOWN departed, sailed when refuelling was completed and joined her at sea.

At 0800 on the 12th, DDs HOTSPUR, ENCOUNTER, and WISHART, after refuelling had sailed on the 11th from Gibraltar, joined the RENOWN force. At that time, DD WRESTLER was at Gibraltar, DDs GALLANT, GARLAND and FIREDRAKE were under repairs there, and the remaining Gibraltar DDs were employed on Operation MENACE. Subs TRIAD and TRUANT departed Gibraltar on the 11th for patrol.

Vichy Force Y put into Casablanca but the CLs then slipped their morrings after being fuelled the following morning at 0400. The Contre Torpilleur DDs later departed on the 16th for Dakar arriving on the 19th. VIDETTE off Casablanca sighted and fired upon Vichy Contre Torpilleur DD MILAN at 0405, but no damage was done and the Vichy ship retired under smoke towards Casablanca.

Vichy sub AMPHITRITE sighted VIDETTE but did not attack her. Subs AMAZONE and SYBILLE, also on patrol off Casablanca, made no contact with the British ships.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA COVENTRY joined convoy BS.4 which was being bombed in the Red Sea, and remained in company until the 13th off Massawa.

*Malta*
Reconnaissance by Skua east coast of Sicily reported destroyer outside Messina Straits, one destroyer and two merchant ships at Augusta and small craft at Syracuse.




_This photo was captioned "Skua operating on reconnaissance from Malta"_

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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2015)

*12 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS HELIOTROPE - Motor Launches ML 119, 121







_In 1942 the HELIOTROPE was transferred to the US Navy and renamed USS SURPRISE_

*Losses
Tug SALVAGE KING (RN 1164 grt)* was lost by grounding one and a half miles west of Duncansby Head. DD EGLINTON departed Scapa at 0600 to stand by her, but salvage was abandoned by the Fleet tugs and the DD arrived back at Scapa later that evening.

*Tanker GOTHIC (2444grt)* was sunk on a aerial mine laid by German IX Air Division aircraft, 7500 yards 130° from Spurn Point. Two crew, including a naval rating, were killed and ten missing.

DKM Raider PINGUIN sank *steamer BENAVON (UK 5872 grt)* in the Indian Ocean. Twenty three crew and the naval gunner were lost, and 25 crew made prisoners of war.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-43

At Sea 12 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs MALCOLM, WILD SWAN, and VENOMOUS departed Harwich to patrol off Boulogne, then sweep towards Cape Griz Nez. OA.213 departed Methil escorted by destroyer ST LAURENT, sloop FLEETWOOD, and corvette BLUEBELL from the 12th to 16th. CLA CAIRO was with the convoy on the 12th and ASW trawler COVENTRY CITY on the 13th. MT.167 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.279 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINSTER. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 13th, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*West Coast UK*
LG.1 departed Liverpool with steamers DUCHESS OF ATHOLL , ROSLIN CASTLE, ORBITA , and MARTIN BAKKE , escorted by RCN DDs OTTAWA and SKEENA, and RN DD ARROW. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th.

Naval store carrier GLENROY and troopship HIGHLAND PRINCESS were damaged by the LW at Liverpool. Steamer TINTERN ABBEY was damaged by the LW six miles 270° from Chicken Rock, Isle of Man.

*Central Atlantic*
At 1620, BC RENOWN's float plane reported that there were no Vichy cruisers in Casablanca and later sighted French Force Y steaming south towards Dakar at high speed. CV ARK ROYAL and CAs DEVONSHIRE, RAN AUSTRALIA, and CUMBERLAND approaching Freetown, were ordered to intercept the French force. Reaching their positions on the afternoon of 14 September, the French had already arrived at Dakar. The British ships returned to Freetown on the 17th.

CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Freetown from patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria to escort convoy AN.3 nth through the Kaso Strait, and on the 13th, the convoy was attacked by RA bombers. CA KENT, CLs GLOUCESTER, LIVERPOOL, plus DDs HERO, HASTY, JERVIS and HEREWARD left Alexandria on the 13th to provide AA support. HERO and HASTY were detached and arrived back at Alexandria on the 14th, and after delivering the convoy, CALCUTTA and DDs JUNO and JANUS proceeded to Alexandria, arriving there on the 16th. The KENT support group was detached to support the air attack on Benghazi.

BS.4B departed Suez, was joined on the 14th by RAN CL HOBART and DD KANDAHAR, and arrived at Aden on the 16th.

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## parsifal (Sep 12, 2015)

*13 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS KEARNY




_KEARNY was destined to play a significant role in the US move toward the war. Thirteen months after being commissioned, KEARNY, in company of DDs PLUNKETT , LIVERMORE, and DECATUR, was dispatched on an emergency mission 350 miles south of Reyjavik, Iceland. A Canadian convoy was being attacked by German submarines. In the late afternoon of October 16, 1941, the four U.S. destroyers took up station as a screen around the Canadian merchantmen. The wolfpack which was followed by a salvo of torpedoes had temporarily withdrawn, shortly before midnight a merchantman suddenly went up in a ball of flame. The Germans had returned. KEARNY and the other DDs rushed to the attack, but the U-boats broke off the engagement._

*Losses
Aux MSW M.1306 (DKM 449 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Hanstholm.

*Steamers GINETTE LE BORGNE (Vichy 1619 grt)* and *CASSIDAIGNE (Vichy 1417 grt)* were sunk, and Vichy CAP TOURANE damaged on mines west of Sardinia. They were carrying demilitarized troops from North Africa to France.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 13 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
FN.279 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA, VERDUN, VORTIGERN, sloop BLACK SWAN, plus patrol sloops GUILLEMOT and MALLARD, and arrived in the Tyne on the 15th. MT.168 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.280 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 15th.

DKM TBs T.1, T.2, and T.3 departed Rotterdam on the 12th. Off the Scheldt on the afternoon of the 13th, they were attacked by an RAF Blenheim which near missed T.2, damaging her with splinters, both underwater and on the bridge. She proceeded to Vlissingen, was temporarily repaired at the Wilton yard, and continued on to Wilhelmshaven, arriving on the 25th for repairs completed in May 1941. The other two arrived at Le Havre on the 15th.

*Northern Patrol*
DD AMAZON and troopship ULSTER MONARCH departed the Clyde for Iceland, with AMAZON arriving back on the 17th.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON, BC HOOD, CLAs NAIAD, BONAVENTURE, with DDs KASHMIR, KIPLING, ZULU, SIKH, SOMALI, and ESKIMO were ordered from Scapa Flow at 0700 to Rosyth for anti-invasion duties. They left on the 13th and were joined at sea by DDs JACKAL and ELECTRA, after refuelling at Scapa Flow. CLA CAIRO joined off Noss Head, and the force arrived at Rosyth that same day.

This force joined BB RODNEY, which had arrived at Rosyth on 25 August, the same day DDs COSSACK and MAORI reached there from other duties. DDs MATABELE, ASHANTI, TARTAR, and PUNJABI arrived on 11 September. Meanwhile DD BEDOUIN undocked from the Scapa Flow floating dock at 1600/15th and proceeded to Rosyth on the 15th. On the 16th, CAIRO returned to Scapa for convoy AA protection duties. CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

*West Coast UK*
OB.213 departed Liverpool escort DD WINCHELSEA plus corvettes GLADIOLUS and GLOXINIA. Steamer INISHTRAHULL was damaged by thje LW bombing in the port of Belfast.

*Channel*
The following DDs were engaged directly in anti-invasion operations - CAMPBELL, GARTH, and VESPER at sea during the 13th/14th to bombard Ostend. BROKE, WITHERINGTON, VANSITTART, and the Polish BURZA and BLYSKAWICA swept the French coast westward from Roches Douvres also on bombardment duties, HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, BULLDOG, and BEAGLE swept from Cherbourg to Le Havre, looking for shipping, and MALCOLM, WILD SWAN and VENOMOUS from Boulogne to Cape Griz Nez on similar assigment. Off Boulogne, the latter force engaged German trawlers from 0115 to 0135, but the action was broken off when they came under shore gunfire.

Sub PORPOISE laid minefield FD.26 with 48 mines off Ile d'Yeu, north of La Rochelle.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.73 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE plus aux PVs FRENCH, LAURIER, and REINDEER which later turned the convoy over to , AMC ASCANIA on the 14th for the ocean passage . The AMC was detached on the 24th. BHX.73 departed Bermuda on the 12th escort AMC AUSONIA, and rendezvoused with HX.73 on the 17th, at which time the AUSONIA was detached. On the 23rd, for the inbound leg DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY joined the convoy, followed on the 24th by DD WALKER with corvettes ANEMONE and MALLOW, and on the 25th by sloop FOWEY and corvette PEONY. The sloop and corvettes detached on the 26th, and ASW trawler MAN O WAR joined the convoy in Home Waters, which arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Freetown for the UK, but next day, was ordered for join Force M.1

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DDs HYPERION and DIAMOND departed Alexandria for Port Said to escort convoy LW 16. CLA COVENTRY arrived at Aden and joined DD KIMBERLEY. They departed the same day and joined troopships ANDES, EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, and EMPRESS OF CANADA of convoy WS.2A. COVENTRY remained with the convoy until the 14th when it had passed Massawa, and then proceeded to Port Sudan. Escorting convoy BS.4, RAN sloop PARRAMATTA attacked a submarine contact in the Red Sea. The convoy continued with NZ manned CL LEANDER, which returned to Aden when the convoy was dispersed.

*Malta*
AIR HQ Arrivals 4 Sunderlands.
KALAFRANA Two Sunderlands 230 Sqn and two 228 Sqn under Sqn Ldr Menzies arrived from Middle East for 3 days of ops.




_Sunderland flying boat near Malta_

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## Njaco (Sep 12, 2015)

*September 12 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post716984.html#post716984

*GERMANY: *British RAF Bomber Command aircraft raid the Hamm marshalling yards for the 60th time during the night. The German Navy noted that British naval shelling and air bombing were significantly undermining the German efforts to gather naval forces for the planned invasion of Britain.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* St. Paul's Cathedral was hit by a bomb which failed to detonate. Lieutenant Robert Davies' company of the British Royal Engineers successfully removed an unexploded one-ton bomb from the southwestern corner of St. Paul's and then brought it to the countryside to detonate it. Davies and fellow sapper George Wylie were awarded the George Cross medals, becoming the first military personnel to receive this medal for “bravery not in the face of the enemy”. St. Paul’s Cathedral will become a symbol of London’s resilience during the Blitz.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Hungary completed the occupation of Northern Transylvania, Maramures, and part of Crisana. These were territory Germany and Italy forced Romania to cede. Meanwhile, the Germans established a military mission in Bucharest, ostensibly to train the Romanian Army, but the intended goal was to safeguard the Romanian oil fields.

In Warsaw, a walled ghetto is to be constructed for the estimated 500,000 Jewish inhabitants of the city.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Vichy French cruisers depart Casablanca at 0400 hours, leaving behind their destroyer escorts. 3 British destroyers join HMS “_Renown_” and 3 other destroyers off Casablanca, searching for the French cruisers which are now well on their way South, steaming for Dakar at full speed. 

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” intercepted British ship “_Benavon_” 330 miles east of Madagascar. “_Benavon_” resisted with her 4-inch gun, but her inexperienced gun crew failed to fit the shell with fuse caps, thus one of the shells that hit “_Pinguin_” right next to the magazine failed to detonate. “_Pinguin_” returned fire. After 24 deaths, the remaining 25 members of “_Benavon's_” crew surrendered.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The Italian 10th Army continues to make slow progress towards the Libyan border with Egypt to begin their invasion. British light covering forces fall back slowly fighting delaying actions.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In Vichy France, five schoolboys discover 10,000-year-old wall paintings of animals and hunters in Lascaux Cave (Dordogne).

The Channel ports of France, Belgium and Holland hold more than 1.000 assorted German vessels gathered for the cancelled invasion and are raided by the RAF. More than 80 barges are sunk in Ostende.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Canada's cabinet introduces Order In Council P.C. 4751, giving Canadian authorities power to imprison disobedient foreign seamen from non-Canadian ships in Canadian ports.


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## Njaco (Sep 13, 2015)

*September 13 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post717354.html#post717354

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British passenger ship “_City of Benares_” departed Liverpool, southern England for Quebec and Montreal, Canada as the flagship of Allied convoy OB-213 commanded by Rear Admiral Mackinnon. She was carrying 90 British children being evacuated to Canada.

The British bring heavy units of the Royal Navy nearer to the likely invasion area. Royal Navy transferred battleships HMS “_Nelson_” and HMS “_Rodney_” to Rosyth and battleship HMS “_Revenge_” to Plymouth to deter a possible German landing through the next few days during tide conditions favoring landings. There are, of course, strong cruiser and destroyer forces in relevant positions.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The Italian forces begin a cautious offensive from Libya into Egypt. They have five divisions in the attack with another eight in rear areas in Libya. The Italian 10th Army of over 200,000 men, commanded by Marshal Graziani, crosses the Libyan frontier into Egypt. The British Western Desert Force of two divisions is led by General O'Connor. The British 7th Armoured and 4th Indian Divisions have orders to stand and fight. On the first day the Italians occupy Sollum as the British pull back. Italian 1st Blackshirt Division (23 Marzo, in honour of the founding of the Italian Fascist Party on 23 March 1919) recapture Fort Capuzzo, taken by the British in June, just inside Libya on the border with Egypt. During the months since the Italian declaration of war there have been no actions of any size, but the Italian numerical superiority has been morally undermined by much offensive patrolling by the British forces. These harassing tactics are now employed to good effect against the Italian offensive. Soon after, Italian troops cut the barbed wire on the Libyan/Egyptian border and begin the invasion of Egypt.

Italian troops from Ethiopia penetrate up to 20 miles into Kenya in a tentative advance.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German minesweeping trawler "_Hermann Krone_" hit a mine and sank off Hanstholm, Denmark.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Three French ships carrying troops from North Africa to France hit mines west of Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea. Transports “_Ginette Le Borgne_” and “_Cassidaigne_” sank, and “_Cap Tourane_” was damaged.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Sergeant J. Hannah was awarded the Victoria Cross. An 18-year old wireless operator/gunner on a Hampden bomber of No. 83 Squadron RAF that was hit by intense flak during an attack on invasion barges at Antwerp, Belgium. The wireless operator's and rear gunner's stations were set ablaze by a direct hit on the aircraft's bomb-bay. After two of the crewmen had baled out and with two fuel tanks pierced, Sergeant Hannah single-handedly fought the fire for ten minutes, using a fire extinguisher and his own log book, while rounds of ammunition detonated all around him and the aluminum fuselage beneath his feet melted in the heat. Such unselfish dedication to duty allowed his pilot to bring the wrecked bomber safely home.

*ASIA: *Debut of Japan's Mitsubishi Zero fighter: 13 Zero fighters escorted bombers on a mission to raid Chongqing, China. The Zero fighters downed 27 of the Chinese I-15 and I-16 Russian-made fighters.

The Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka and German aide to Ribbentrop Heinrich Stahmer reach a general agreement for a joint alliance.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The P-44 Rocket project, a plan to convert the P-43 Lancer fighter design into a rocket-propelled aircraft, was scrapped.


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## parsifal (Sep 13, 2015)

WESTERN DESERT 13 SEPTEMBER 1940 
Early on 13th September a spectacular artillery barrage opened on Musaid, which the enemy then proceeded to occupy. This was followed by the heavy shelling of the airfield and empty barracks at Sollum, and when the dust had cleared the enemy was disclosed to the westward with his motor-cycles, light tanks, and other vehicles drawn up as if on parade awaiting the order to advance. Opposing them in the coastal sector was a force under the command of Lieut.Colonel J. Moubray, commanding 3rd Coldstream Guards, consisting of that battalion, C Battery and, later, part of F Battery R.H.A., a section of 25/26th Medium Battery R.A., one company 1st K.R.R.C., and one machine-gun company 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. The enemy's close formation presented excellent targets to the artillery and the air, but it was not long before the 1st Libyan Division was in possession of the barracks and was beginning to trickle down the escarpment towards Sollum.

A simultaneous movement along the plateau towards the head of the Halfaya Pass was held up by a troop of C Battery R.H.A., a company of 3rd Coldstream Guards and a platoon of the 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, but this detachment became threatened by increasing infantry and tank forces and in the early afternoon began to withdraw eastward. By the evening two large columns of the enemy were converging on Halfaya Pass—they were 2nd Libyan and 63rd Cirene Divisions and the Maletti Group, all from Musaid, and the 62nd Marmarica Division from the direction of Sidi Omar—but not until next morning did any appreciable movement take place down the pass to add to the stream of vehicles coming from Sollum. In fact the Italians on the plateau above the escarpment seemed hesitant, and they were successfully harassed by C Squadron 11th Hussars, by 2nd Battalion The Rifle Brigade, and by the cruiser squadrons of 1st Royal Tank Regiment, under the control of Brigadier Gott.

Soon after noon on the 14th the commander of the coastal sector withdrew his force to a selected position just east of Buq Buq, where he was reinforced by B Squadron 11th Hussars and a French Motor Marine Company, which enabled him to keep touch with the enemy. The pattern of the ground operations along the coast road during the next two days was similar, with successive withdrawals to rearguard positions at Alam Hamid on the 15th and Alam el Dab on the 16th, during which the force inflicted as much loss as it could without becoming seriously committed. Shortly after noon on the 16th a force of some fifty Italian tanks and lorried infantry, showing more enterprise, were seen to be moving round the left flank of the Alam el Dab position, and the rearguard was withdrawn to the east of Sidi Barrani to avoid being cut off. The enemy was rapidly and successfully engaged by C and F Batteries R.H.A. and displayed no further aggressive intentions; indeed it seemed that the Italians had little idea of making use of such armoured troops as they had. However by nightfall Sidi Barrani was in the hands of the 1st Blackshirt Division.

Meanwhile there had been nothing to prevent the British force on the plateau adjusting its movements in conformity with those in the coastal sector, and it was soon clear that no particular threat was likely to develop from the southern flank. All this time the Air Force was keeping the enemy under constant observation and finding many opportunities for attacking ground concentrations. The Italian Air Force showed unusual activity; fighters in formations of up to 100 aircraft were reported operating over their advancing troops, while bombers directed their attention to the British forward airfields and troop positions.

It was believed that in occupying Sidi Barrani and Sofafi the Italians had reached their immediate objectives, and the task of observing the front passed once again to the 11th Hussars. The Support Group was withdrawn to rest, and 7th Armoured Division took up dispositions in readiness to deal with a further advance on Matruh. At first it seemed likely that this would not be long delayed: the Italian broadcasts had claimed the capture of the key to Egypt and of half the British war material, and announced that the way to the Canal was now open. The dispositions and attitude of the Italian forces, however, were soon seen to be more consistent with a policy of temporary consolidation than with any intention of maintaining their momentum. Graziani had in fact begun the laborious process of administrative development at the head of a long and difficult line of communication, and the Air Force did their best to interfere with the process by making day and night attacks on camps and transport columns. Sixty sorties were devoted to these tasks between 16th and 21st September.

The rough road between the frontier and Sidi Barrani had been destroyed by demolitions and by the heavy traffic, and the water at Sidi Barrani had been rendered undrinkable. The ruling factors in the Italian time-table were the construction of a motorable road and of a water pipeline forward from the frontier. These works were only partly finished when the Duce again began to apply the spur; this time it was because he wished to attack Greece and wanted to be in possession of Matruh before doing so, thus, he thought, effectively preventing any appreciable movement of British forces to help the Greeks. But Graziani was not to be hurried, and senior German officers visiting the front reported that unless Mussolini gave a definite order there would be no resumption of the advance before mid-December. Even then it would be to Matruh and no farther.

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## parsifal (Sep 13, 2015)

*14 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1935 MSW M-29, Type VIIc U-96








Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS HONEYSUCKLE, Dance Class ASW Trawler HORNPIPE








Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 116





*Losses
ASW trawler UJ.173 (DKM 510 grt)* was lost by stranding at Hardangersfjord.





RM sub EMO sank *Tkr SAINT AGNES (UK 5199 grt) *from dispersed convoy SLS.46 off the coast of Portugal , but the entire crew was rescued.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-137

At Sea 14 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-59, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.214 departed Methil escort sloop SANDWICH and corvette GARDENIA from the 14th to 19th. FN.280 departed Southend, escort DDs VIVACIOUS and WOOLSTON, and arrived in the Tyne on the 16th. MT.169 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.281 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VANITY, VIMIERA, and WOLSEY, and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

*Northern Patrol*
ML TEVIOTBANK departed Immingham to lay minefield ZMD (A) in channels in the Faroes Islands. Escort ASW whalers WASTWATER, BUTTERMERE, and THIRLMERE, she laid mines in Hestofjord, Dimonfjord and Skuofjord, and then proceeded to Loch Alsh after the minelay was completed.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ESKIMO and MATABELE arrived at Scapa Flow escorting depot ship MAIDSTONE. They then departed at 1600 to search for a UBoat reported by aircraft 20 miles nth of Cape Wrath. DD EGLINTON departed Scapa Flow at 1630 to join them. All three DDs returned to Scapa on the 15th without making contact.

*West Coast UK*
Convoy OL.1 departed Liverpool.

*Western Approaches*
BB REVENGE and CL EMERALD departed the Clyde to come under the command of Western Approaches. The ships were escorted from the Clyde by DDs MACKAY, WESTCOTT, SCIMITAR and SKATE, and REVENGE arrived at Plymouth on the 15th.

*Nth Atlantic*
SHX.73 departed Sydney (Canada) escort RCN aux PV LAURIER and armed yacht REINDEER.

*Central Atlantic*
BC RENOWN and her destroyers arrived back at Gibraltar at 2014 for refuelling. DDs VELOX and VIDETTE had been detached earlier to refuel there. DD ENCOUNTER, which had been searching for a London flying boat shot down by French fighters, arrived at Gib the next morning.

The follwing ships arrived at Freetown DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, GREYHOUND, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE, and ECLIPSE from CV ARK ROYAL's screen, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FURY; convoy MP escorted by FNFL sloops COMMANDANT DOMINE and COMMANDANT DUBOC; BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION. At 1350, INGLEFIELD, ECHO, FORTUNE, ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE, and FURY departed Freetown. ECLIPSE had mechanical problems and reported at 0015 on the 15th that she was returning to Freetown.

At 0515 on the 15th, FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER and at 0530, BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION and DDs departed Freetown. These ships were recalled to Freetown at 1621 on the 15th to refuel DDs, arriving at 2300 that night. Sloop BRIDGEWATER departed Freetown on patrol, but was recalled later in the day to return for ASW duties off Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
Subs TRITON and TETRARCH arrived at Gibraltar from Home Waters for duty with SubFlot 8, escort DD WRESTLER, which departed to join them on the 12th.

ORP DD GARLAND departed Gibraltar to return to England. On the 15th, she made two attacks on submarine contacts, before she arrrived at Belfast for refuelling on the 18th, and reached Plymouth on the 22nd.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.4A departed Suez, was joined on the 17th by sloop SHOREHAM, and arrived at Port Sudan on the 18th. Convoy BS.4C departed Port Sudan, was joined on the 15th by heavy cruiser SHROPSHIRE, anti-aircraft cruiser COVENTRY, destroyers KIMBERLEY and KINGSTON, plus sloop FLAMINGO, and arrived at Aden on the 18th.

*Malta*
2023-2108 hrs Air raid alerts for enemy aircraft approaching the Island from the east. Searchlights active. One enemy bomber is sighted over Grand Harbour but when caught in a searchlight it is engaged by Bofors guns and turns away. Bombs are dropped out to sea off Ghallis Tower.

2103-2117 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching from the north. One incendiary bomb is dropped on Delimara Point; one high explosive is dropped on land near a military defence post, and four more in the sea. Lewis guns at Fort San Rocco engage a dive bomber: no claims. Some twelve enemy aircraft open very inaccurate fire at long range on the inshore patrol vessel Eddy; no damage or casualties.

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## Njaco (Sep 13, 2015)

*September 14 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post717682.html#post717682

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Douglas Bader was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

*ASIA:* The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters gave the orders for troops to move into Indochina on 22 Sep 1940 regardless of the state of the Franco-Japanese negotiations. British intelligence intercepted this message, but it would not be deciphered until 20 Sep 1940.

*GERMANY:* Hitler decides that Goring needs four or five consecutive days of fine weather to hammer home his advantage. Accordingly he defers his decision on the invasion once more, until September 17th, which in turn means that the invasion cannot take place until September 27th. This is a final date because October 8th might be the only day when conditions will be suitable for the landing; this is dangerously near winter for the exploitation stage of the invasion. There can almost certainly be no further postponement.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British battleships HMS “_Barham_” and HMS “_Resolution_”, several British destroyers, and French sloops “_Commandant Domine_” and “_Commandant Duboc_” arrived at the Crown Colony of Freetown in West Africa to refuel. These warships were en route to French-controlled port of Dakar.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* German anti-submarine trawler “_Hinrich Wesselhoft_” ran aground near Bergen, Norway in the Hardangerfjord. The damage was so great that she would later be scuttled.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Emo_” attacked British tanker Saint Agnes 500 miles west of Porto, Portugal with torpedo and deck gun.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Ex-Servicemen’s General Assembly of Saint Pierre and Miquelon announces its support for DeGaulle. British Foreign Office sends note to Ottawa urging the Canadian government to support the movement. Canadians decline to act and the islands Vichy governor dissolves the veteran’s league.

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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2015)

*15 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1936A Class Zerstorer Z-23




_Eight destroyers intended to carry new 150 mm (5.9 inch) guns in single turrets with a twin turret at the bow. The twin mountings were not ready in time and so singles were first used, and the twins fitted later (only to four ships: Z-23, Z-24, Z-25, Z-29). Anti-aircraft armament was substantially improved.
Despite reusing earlier ship designs as a basis, with modifications to improve seaworthiness, the ships were wet in heavy seas, especially fitted with heavy turrets. After much effort, the problem was traced to a newly designed stern. However, this problem was somewhat offset by the fact that the twin mount was fully enclosed and had a high maximum elevation, allowing limited use against aircraft. These ships reverted to the traditional German practice of giving torpedo ships numbers rather than names. Four survived the war._

*Losses
Shoreham Class Sloop HMS DUNDEE (RN 1105 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 95 (12 dead and 83survivors). Convoy SC-3. Sunk in the western approaches. At 0024 hrs , U-48 attacked the convoy SC-3 west of Ireland and missed the British steam merchant EMPIRE SOLDIER, which had been slightly damaged in a collision some time before. One minute later, U-48 fired a second torpedo and sank HMS DUNDEE. This was a disaster for the convoy, for the DUNDEE at that time was the only escort present. The commander survived the sinking. Six survivors were picked up by VIGSNES, 20 respectively 41 by the Norwegian steam merchants GRANFOSS and FIDO and the remaining men by DD WANDERER the next morning. 






*MV ALEXANDROS (Gk 4343 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 30 (5 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Timber Paper Route: Montreal - Sharpness Convoy SC-3 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0123 hrs the ALEXANDROS was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-48 during its second attack on this convoy. The ship was abandoned, stayed afloat for some time and foundered later. The survivors were picked up by RN DD WANDERER.





*MV EMPIRE VOLUNTEER (UK 5319 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 39 (6 dead and 33 survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Wabana - Glasgow Convoy SC-3 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 03.00 hrs the EMPIRE VOLUNTEER was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 65 miles west of Rockall. The master and six crew members were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant FIDO and landed at Belfast. 26 crew members were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant GRANLI and landed at Glasgow.





*MV KENORDOC (Cdn 1780 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 20 (7 dead and 13 survivors). Cargo: Timber Route: Quebec - Sydney - Bristol Convoy SC-3 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1216 hrs the KENORDOC, a straggler from convoy SC-3, was shelled by U-99 about 44 miles WNW of Rockall. The ship was later scuttled by DD AMAZON. The master and six crew members were lost. 13 crew members were rescued by the RCN DD ST LAURENT and landed at Greenock.





*MV HIRD (Nor 4950 grt)* Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) Crew: 30 (0 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo Route : Panama - Mobile - Bermuda - Liverpool - Manchester Convoy HX-70 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0605 hrs the unescorted HIRD, a straggler from convoy HX-70 due to a small fire on board on 10 September, was hit on the starboard side between the bridge and the forward mast by a stern torpedo from U-65 about 180 miles from Barra Head, Scotland. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 2000 hrs the day before and fired one torpedo at 2118 hrs that evening, which missed before the bow. This attack was noticed aboard the vessel and they tried to escape zigzagging at full speed, so it took the U-boat nine hours to get into firing position again. As the ship developed a heavy list, the crew abandoned ship in one lifeboat and a gig and signaled a nearby trawler to pick them up. The Germans observed how the survivors were rescued and that the ship sank at 0830 hours. The Icelandic trawler POROLFUR landed the survivors at Fleetwood on 17 September.





*Steamer HALLARD (UK 1264 grt)* was sunk by the LW eight miles 70° from Dunbar. 17 crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer NAILSEA RIVER (UK 5548 grt) *was sunk by the LW four miles east of Montrose. The entire crew was rescued.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-56
Lorient: U-61

Departures
Bergen: U-43

At Sea 15 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-124, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD DUNCAN departed Rosyth after being delayed by weather, and arrived at Scapa on the same day. FN.281 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and WINCHESTER, and arrived in the Tyne on the 17th. MT.170 departed Methil, and arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.282 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VALOROUS and WOLFHOUND, and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
DD DOUGLAS departed Scapa during the forenoon to rendezvous with DD SOMALI and take over the escort of steamer KYLE FISHER to the Clyde.

*West Coast UK*
OB.214 departed Liverpool escorted by DD HURRICANE and corvettes GERANIUM and PERIWINKLE. The DD detached on the 17th.
British tanker CORONDA was damaged by the LW. British tanker REGENT LION was damaged by the LW in Nth Channel off the Mull of Kintyre. British steamer WEST HARSHAW was damaged by the LW in North Channel.

*Western Approaches*
In addition to the losses described above U.48 attacked British steamer EMPIRE SOLDIER from convoy SC-3, which had been damaged in a collision, but did not damage her further.

*Channel*
British steamer STANWOLD was damaged by the LW at Southampton, whilst NL steamer VEERHAVEN was damaged by the LW in the Port of London. DKM TBs T.5, T.6, T.7, and T.8 laid minefield BERNHARD in the Dover Strait.

*Nth Atlantic*
The first group of Ex-USN DDs departed St Johns. DDs CAMPBELTOWN, CASTLETON, CALDWELL, CHELSEA, and CLARE made the voyage to Belfast without incident arriving on the 26th. The DDs went on to Devonport arriving on the 28th. DD CAMERON sailed from St Johns with the other destroyers, but had to return because of generator problems. She finally arrived at Belfast on 7 November. DDs CHURCHILL and CHESTERFIELD were damaged twice in a collision and were unable to sail. DD CHURCHILL sailed from Halifax and arrived at Devonport on 17 November. DD CHESTERFIELD later sailed from Halifax and arrived at Belfast on 18 November and Plymouth on 22 November.

*Central Atlantic*
The MENACE convoy arrived at Freetown. Convoy MS of the MENACE operation arrived at Freetown, escorted by French sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA andescort vessel PRESIDENT HOUDACE.

*Sth Atlantic*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN arrived at Durban

*Med- Biscay*
Sub PANDORA unsuccessfully attacked an Italian steamer off Benghazi.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA COVENTRY departed Port Sudan with a convoy for Aden. The convoy and its escorts arrived on the 19th. The convoy was bombed on its arrival at Aden.

*Malta*
0758 hrs Air raid alert for a formation of enemy aircraft consisting of six Bf 109s, 10 CR42 and 20 Junkers 87s which approach the Island from the east, the first time for German a/c over Malta. The JU 87s dive bomb Hal Far aerodrome from different angles, each releasing four bombs at a time, damaging the RAF ration store and some transport. Eight AA gunners and one civilian are injured. Malta fighters are scrambled; 1 Hurricane is forced to land. AA, including Lewis guns at Delimara, and small arms fire engage low flying raiders. Eight AA personnel and one civilian are injured. One enemy aircraft is believed shot down by fighters out to sea but is not seen hitting the water; others are believed damaged.

17 unexploded bombs are reported around Hal Far aerodrome. They are inspected following the raid and identified as delayed action bombs. It is noted that those bombs which did explode did so after 5-10 seconds. As the location of the UXBs does not prevent use of the aerodrome an exclusion zone is marked out around them which will be enforced for seven days. During that time all military personnel in the area are required to wear steel helmets and follow restricted movement orders.

1837-1845 hrs Air raid alert for an aircraft reported by the Naval Signal Station on the roof of the Castille. The aircraft is later identified as friendly.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 1940
AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Sunderland.
KALAFRANA Two Sunderlands on patrol; one left for Alexandria and one arrived from there.

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## michaelmaltby (Sep 15, 2015)

Battle of Britain flypast: Five things you didn't know about the Battle of Britain - UK - News - The Independent

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## Njaco (Sep 15, 2015)

*September 15 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post718020.html#post718020

*ASIA: *All air units on the Japanese carrier “_Soryu_” were temporarily transferred on board the carrier “_Hiryu_”.

B5N bombers of Japanese 12th Naval Air Group based in Yichang, Hubei Province, China attacked Chongqing, China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-99 attacked Canadian ship “_Kenordoc_” with the deck gun 200 miles northwest of Ireland just after midnight, killing 7 and wounding 13. Heavily damaged, she would later be scuttled by Canadian destroyer HMCS “_St. Laurent_” and British destroyer HMS “_Amazon_” after the destroyers took the survivors aboard. German submarine U-48 sank British sloop HMS “_Dundee_” northwest of Ireland at 0025 hours; 12 were killed and 83 were rescued. At 0123 hours, U-48 attacked Greek ship “_Alexandros_” with a torpedo, killing 5; 23 survivors were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Wanderer_”. At 0300 hours, U-48 yet attacked again, sinking British ship “_Empire Volunteer_”; 6 were killed and 33 were rescued. 180 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 0605 hours, German submarine U-65 sank Norwegian ship “_Hird_”; the entire crew of 30 survived, rescued by Icelandic trawler “_Þórólfur_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British RAF attacked German launching points for the invasion of Britain.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” departed Hamburg, Germany for the first time. At 1658 hours, while steaming down the Elbe River, she collided with bow tug “_Atlantik_” without damage. At 1902, she anchored in Brunsbüttel roads. During the night, she fired 13 10.5cm, 136 3.7 cm, and 191 2cm shells during a British air raid, without any hits.

Adolf Hitler gives instruction that;


> "No hint of Operation Barbarossa must be given to the Japanese".



*EASTERN EUROPE: *The USSR modifies its conscription laws. From now on 19-20 year olds will be conscripted.

*NORTH AMERICA: *In Canada following legislation passed in August single men between 21 and 24 are called up.

In the United States, Congress authorizes nationwide conscription.

British Ministry of Supply asks if Canada will build a poison gas factory to produce phosgene.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British aircraft carrier “_Argus_” delivers twelve Hurricane fighters to Malta.

.



.


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## parsifal (Sep 15, 2015)

*16 September 1940 
Losses
Steamer TOUAREG (Vichy 5135 grt)* was captured by CL DRAGON off the Congo River.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer POITIERS (Vichy 4185 grt)*, en route from Libreville to Dakar, was intercepted by CA CUMBERLAND. She was scuttled rather than be captured, and the wreck dispatched by gunfire from CUMBERLAND, which rescued the entire crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV LOTOS (Nor 1327 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 17 (0 dead and 17 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Sydney (Canada) - Belfast - River Tyne Convoy SC-3 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches, At 0241 hrs the LOTOS was hit by one torpedo from U-99 on the starboard side abaft of the #2 hatch and sank 15 miles NW of Rockall. The ship had been in convoy SC-3, but could not keep up with the speed and lost the convoy shortly after they left Sydney. One lifeboat with nine men reached shore after three days, the second lifeboat containing eight survivors including the master made landfall at Castlebay, Hebrides after 5 days





DKM Raider PINGUIN captured *steamer NORDVARD (Nor 4111 grt)* in the Indian Ocean. A prize crew was taken on board and the NORDVARD arrived at Bordeaux on 3 December and twenty eight of her crew were repatriated to Norway. Taken into German service and the cargo expropriated, the ship was finally sunk December 29th, 1944, when she was bombed by CC a/c at Moss, Norway, and blew up and sank with the loss of 116 lives.





*Liner/MV ASKA (UK 8323 grt)* carrying 183 crew, one naval gunner, two naval signalmen, and 358 troops, was sunk by the LW. At 0230 hrs, while she was between Rathlin Island and Maiden’s Rock on the nth coast of Ireland , she was attacked by a LW bomber which scored two hits on or near the engine room. A third bomb hit the forecastle and the ship caught fire. She was abandoned. The survivors were picked up by trawlers and later taken to Greenock by HMS JASON on the 17.09.1940: The hull drifted ashore on Cara Island the next day. 11 crew and 19 troops were lost (some sources only say 6 crew and 6 soldiers). The steamer went ashore off Cara House. JASON was then damaged in collision with tug SCHELDT, and repaired at Rosyth, completing on the 23rd.





*Steamer CITY OF MOBILE (UK 6614 grt)* was sunk by the LW nth of ireland, but the entire crew was rescued.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-101, U-124

Departures
Lorient: U-60
Wilhelmshaven: U-31

At Sea 16 September 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs WORCESTER and WILD SWAN were involved in a minor collision in Harwich Harbour. There was no damage to WORCESTER, but WILD SWAN was under repair at Harwich until the 18th. OA.215 departed Methil. FN.282 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET, and arrived in the Tyne on the 18th. MT.171 departed the Tyne. FS.283 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 19th. HM sub H.49 attacked a convoy of eight supply ships in the Nth Sea. In the Nth Sea, DD HOLDERNESS received damage to her turbine feet from a mine exploding close aboard. She was repaired at Sheerness completing six days later.

*Northern Waters*
DD DUNCAN, returning with CVL FURIOUS from a practice shoot west of the Orkneys, exploded a drifting British mine.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL departed Freetown to join CA CUMBERLAND, CLs DELHI and DRAGON intercepting Vichy ships attempting to proceed to the Cameroons. CV ARK ROYAL and DDs INGLEFIELD, ESCAPADE, and FORTUNE arrived at Freetown. CL DRAGON arrived at Lagos

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NL CL SUMATRA departed Capetown for Mauritius.

*Malta*
0732-0816 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach the Island at 19000 feet over Salina and turn north over Ta Saliba and Mellieha. They later return over St Paul’s Bay and fly onto Grand Harbour before turning away north and east. No bombs are dropped.

Two Sunderlands on patrol; one left for Alexandria.

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## parsifal (Sep 16, 2015)

*17 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS CHARYBDIS; Flower Class Corvette HMS HEATHER







*Losses
MV CROWN ARUN (UK 2372 grt) *, former German Hannah Ruge captured in December 1939, Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Timber for Mine Shafts Route: New Brunswick - Halifax - Hull Convoy HX-71 (straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches At 0832 hrs the CROWN ARUN , a straggler from convoy HX-71, was torpedoed and sunk by gunfire by U-99 nth of Rockall. The master and 24 crew members were picked up by DD HMS WINCHELSEA and landed at Liverpool.





*MV TREGENNA (UK 5242 grt)*Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) Crew: 37 (33 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: Steel Route: Philadelphia - Halifax (5 Sep) - Newport Convoy HX 71 Sunk in the Western Approaches, At 1626 hrs the TREGENNA in convoy HX-71 was hit by one torpedo from U-65 and sank immediately 78 miles NW of Rockall. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner were lost. Four crew members were picked up by FILLEIGH and landed at Avonmouth.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-28
Stavanger: U-137

At Sea 17 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.283 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY, VIMIERA, and WOOLSTON. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 19th. FS.284 departed the Tyne, escort DD VERDUN, sloop BLACK SWAN, and ASW trawlers BASSET and TOURMALINE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.

*Northern Waters*
DD VERSATILE undocked from the AFD.12 Floating Dock at Scapa after repairs to her stern gland. DD VERSATILE departed Scapa at 2200 for Aberdeen to escort British steamer LADY OF MANN to Lerwick.

*West Coast UK*
DD DOUGLAS arrived at Greenock escorting steamer KYLE FISHER. DOUGLAS then proceeded up river for boiler repairs at Govan. The DD suffered a mishap when she ran aground on entering the harbour. DOUGLAS was under repair until the end of September.

CA SUSSEX arrived at Glasgow on the 2nd for a six week turbine repair. Whilst docking she was damaged by LW attacks on Glasgow when a 250 lb penetrated the deck. She caught fire after splinters ruptured some fuel lines and when the dock was flooded to extinguish the fire, SUSSEX heeled over in dock. She had been badly damaged. One officer was woulded and two sailors killed. She was refloated in October and taken to Stephen's Dry Dock at Linthouse, Greenock. The cruiser had to be rebuilt. SUSSEX was under repair until 9 August 1942 at the Clyde.

OB.215 departed Liverpool escort DD SHIKARI, sloop LOWESTOFT, and corvettes CALENDULA, HEARTSEASE, and LA MALOUINE. The escorted was detached on the 21st.

*Western Approaches*
DD CHELSEA, en route to Belfast from Halifax, made an unsuccessful attack on a UBoat.
*Steamer KALLIOPIS (Gk 5152 grt)* was sunk by the LW 11 miles SW of Tory Island.The steamer was abandoned and went onto the rocks at Sheephaven Bay, ten miles east of Tory Island, before catching fire.





*Channel*
RCN DD MARGAREE (ex-HMS DIANA) was damaged by splinters from a LW bomb in the London Docks. FNFL TB BOUCLIER was damaged in a collision. The torpedo boat was under repair at Devonport until the end of September.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.74 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and armed yacht ELK, and aux PVs HUSKY and LAURIER. However, at sea, ELK was ordered to return due to heavy weather. The merchant ships which would have departed Bermuda in convoy BHX.74 were diverted before arrival to Halifax due to a forecast hurricane. BHX.74 was eventually cancelled. On the 18th, DD ASSINIBOINE returned to Halifax leaving the convoy to ocean escort, AMC MONTCLARE, which was detached on the 29th. For the inbound leg of the convoy, on 28 September, AA ship ALYNBANK joined the convoy and was detached the next day. DDs SCIMITAR and WINCHELSEA, sloop ABERDEEN, and corvettes GERANIUM, HIBISCUS, and PERIWINKLE joined on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 October.

*Central Atlantic*
BC RENOWN and DDs GRIFFIN, ENCOUNTER, WRESTLER, and VIDETTE departed Gib for patrol in the vicinity of the Canary Islands.
On 18 September, DDs GALLANT and FIREDRAKE joined RENOWN and relieved DDs WRESTLER and VIDETTE which returned to Gibraltar. All other ships arrived back on the 20th.

CA DEVONSHIRE, RAN CA AUSTRALIA, and DDs FURY and ECHO arrived at Freetown. CL DRAGON departed Lagos on patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
Operation MBD 1 was an attack on Benghazi with air strikes launched from CV ILLUSTRIOUS. CA KENT, CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS and HEREWARD departed Alexandria on the 13th to provide support. ILLUSTRIOUS, BB VALIANT, CL ORION, and DDs HYPERION, HERO, HASTY, MOHAWK, NUBIAN, DAINTY, and DECOY departed Alexandria on the 15th.
On 16 September off the west coast of Crete, the two forces rendezvoused with CLA CALCUTTA and DDs JANUS and JUNO. CALCUTTA and DDs JANUS and JUNO were detached and arrived at Alexandria that night. For the attack, the British ships were divided into 3 Forces.
Fce A was CL ORION, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, and DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HERO, and HASTY.
Fce B was BB VALIANT and DDs HYPERION, DECOY, and RAN WATERHEN.
Fce C was CA KENT, CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS and HEREWARD.

During the run into Benghazi, DD HASTY reported a torpedo track and attacked a submarine contact at 1940 on the 17th.
Early on the 17 September (pre-dawn), CV ILLUSTRIOUS launched an air attack on Benghazi. 9 Swordfish a/c from the 815 Sqn attacked shipping in the harbour. Simultaneously 6 Swordfish from the 819 Sqn laid mines outside the harbour.

*Turbine Class DD BOREA (RM 1670 grt) * was sunk by a torpedo hit in the attack.





*Turbine Class DD AQUILONE (RM 1670 grt) * was sunk on a mine as she attempted to clear the harbour. .





*Steamers GLORIA STELLA (FI 5490 grt)* and *MV MARIA EUGENIA (FI 4702 grt)* were sunk




_MARIA EUGENIA_

RM TBs CIGNO and COSENZ and 3 other merchant ships were badly damaged. CA KENT and DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN were to have bombarded Bardia early on the 18th. However, at 2355 before the bombardment, an Italian torpedo plane torpedoed KENT and badly damaged her. 33 officers and crew were killed in this attack. Immediately CLA CALCUTTA turned around from her journey enroute to Alexandria to support KENT's retirement. RAN DD VENDETTA was sent from Alexandria to join KENT. Netlayer PROTECTOR and tug ST ISSEY departed Alexandria on the 18th. CA KENT was towed to Alexandria by DD NUBIAN and screened by CL ORION, CLA CALCUTTA, and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, MOHAWK, and RAN VENDETTA. The cruiser safely arrived early on the 19th.

ILLUSTRIOUS, VALIANT, LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER, and DDs HASTY, HERO, HYPERION, DECOY, and HEREWARD were ordered to Alexandria late on the 18th and arrived on the 19th. After emergency repairs, KENT sailed on 26 October to Port Said arriving on 27 October. She departed Suez on 28 October in convoy SW 20, Aden on 2 November, and was at Mombasa from 7 to 11 November.
She departed Mombasa on 11 November and arrived at Simonstown on 18 November remaining until 25 November. KENT arrived at Freetown on 4 December and departed on 7 December with convoy SL.58. KENT arrived at Plymouth on 27 December for repairs began on 1 January 1941. She was under repair until 20th September 1941. Not all RA attacks were inneffective.

DDs JANUS and JUNO departed Alexandria on the 17th for Mersa Matruh. They bombarded Sidi Barrani for 25 mins beginning at 2300. British gunboat LADYBIRD, which departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh on the 16th, escorted by DD JUNO bombarded Sollum separately at 2330.

*Malta*
1040-1122 hrs Air raid alert for 12 Ju 87s and 25 CR 42s which approach the Island in 3 formations passing over Hal Far and dive-bomb Luqa and a reservoir. Several hangars are machine-gunned and a salvage dump at the side of a hangar is set alight. One Wellington bomber which arrived in Malta that morning is burned out and a Hurricane burned out inside a hangar.

Malta fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders, along with AA . Two Ju87s and one Caproni are shot down by fighters. In all, two Italian pilots are taken to the Castille for interrogation. 15 unexploded bombs are reported at Luqa. They are believed to be delayed action bombs, so an exclusion zone is set up surrounding the bombs, to be enforced for seven days. Several roads are closed to all traffic; all military personnel in the area are required to wear steel helmets and follow restricted movement orders.

1555-1619 hrs Air raid alert for 3 bombers and 8 fts which fly over the Island, probably on recon. No bombs are dropped.

Enemy casualties Sergente Maggiore Luigi Catani, 237th Squadriglia, 96th Gruppo Autonomo, pilot of JU 87 Stuka, shot down, rescued and taken prisoner. Sottotenente Francesco Cavalli, 70th Squadriglia, 23rd Gruppo Autonomo, pilot of CR42 shot down and taken prisoner. Primo Aviere Francesco Di Giorgio, 70th Squadriglia, of CR42 fighter, shot down near Filfla and died.

KALAFRANA 3 Sunderlands left for Alexandria. One returned to Kalafrana four hours later with engine trouble


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## Njaco (Sep 16, 2015)

*September 16 1940 Monday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

A Heinkel 115C Seaplane from Seenotflugkdo 3./506 was severely damaged by AA gunfire during a torpedo attack on a convoy. It force-landed on the sea 7 miles off Alnwick at 1500 hours. The crew took to their dinghy and tried to sink the plane by shooting at the floats, but were only partially successful. The crew of four were rescued and the plane was taken in tow by a fishing boat and towed, upside down, to Eyemouth Harbour and beached. The fishing boat crew - possibly expecting a reward - got nothing, except the petrol in the tanks and some parachute silk for their wives.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British bombers attacked German invasion barges in French ports along the English Channel, interrupting an amphibious training exercise and causing many casualties.

*NORTH AMERICA: *To prepare the country for war, Congress passed the U.S. Selective Training and Service Act, the first peacetime draft in American history. All men between the ages of 21 and 35 had to register for the military draft. The act provided for the training of 1.2 million troops and 800,000 reservists for a period of one year.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” entered the Kiel Canal.

Spanish Minister of the Interior Serrano Suñer visits Berlin, Germany, for negotiations on Spain's joining the Axis in war. Germany wants one of the Canary Islands, a German base in French Morocco (if gained by Spain), and influence in Spain's economy. The terms are unacceptable.

*NORTH AFRICA: *In Egypt, Italian troops of the 1st Blackshirt Division (23 Marzo) reach the village of Sidi Barrani about 60 miles from the Libyan border. Here they halt and dig in, 70 miles short of the main British defenses at Mersa Matruh. Marshal Graziani is unsure of the size of the British forces facing him, unconvinced about the quality of his own troops and worried about 150 mile supply line across the desert from Tobruk, Libya. Despite being urged onwards by Mussolini, Graziani feels he has met the strategic goal of the invasion


> (from Mussolini’s own orders “Once again I repeat that there are no territorial objectives. It is not a question of aiming for Alexandria nor even Sallum. I am only asking that you attack the British forces facing you.”)


This would prove to be the farthest the Italians would go.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 0241 hours U-99 sinks Norwegian steamer “_Lotos_” (1500 tons of timber) off the North coast of Ireland. All 17 crew escape in 2 lifeboats, reaching Ireland or the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, in 3 to 5 days.

In the Irish Sea between Ireland and Scotland, German bombers badly damage British troopship SS “_Aska_”, carrying 186 crew and 358 French troops from Bathurst, West Africa, to Liverpool (either to return to France or join the Free French forces in Britain). 11 crew and 19 troops are lost but the survivors are taken off by minesweeper HMS “_Jason_”.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* French ship “_Poitiers_”, sailing from Libreville, French Equatorial Africa to Dakar, was intercepted by British cruiser HMS “_Cumberland_”. After taking the entire crew aboard, HMS “_Cumberland_” sank “_Poitiers_” by gunfire.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The presence of German troops in Finland, despite the fact that they were ultimately destined for Norway, alarmed the Soviet Union.

*ASIA: *Communist Chinese New 4th Army captured Jiangyan (now a district of Taizhou), Jiangsu Province, China.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 16, 2015)

*September 17 1940 Tuesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

*UNITED KINGDOM:* No. 29 Squadron RAF became fully operational with the Beaufighter IF fighters. Meanwhile two more Squadrons (Nos. 600 and 640) were working up with the type.

*GERMANY:* Because it appears unlikely that the Luftwaffe will gain air superiority over England before winter weather restricts operations, Hitler decides to postpone Operation Seelöwe. Hitler postponed the invasion via order Nr. 00 761/40 g. Kdos., ordering that no new barges would arrive, but those that were already there (1700 barges and 200 ships, capable of carrying 500,000 men) would remain. By the time he comes to reconsider the chance will have been lost. Nevertheless Hitler still has his shipbuilding industry working on invasion barges and trawlers rather than capital ships such as the battleship “_Tirpitz_” and the desperately needed new and repaired U-boats. Hermann Göring was allowed to continue the aerial attacks on Britain. British intelligence would continue to think that a German invasion was still probable. As a result, Churchill announced to the Parliament on this date that the next few weeks would be "grave and anxious". Churchill also announced that 2,000 civilians were killed and 8,000 were wounded during the Blitz thus far.

General Paulus, the Deputy Chief of the Army General Staff, presents a further plan for the attack on the Soviet Union. This version envisages three thrusts for Leningrad, Moscow and Kiev, but the emphasis is still on the central advance to the Soviet capital. Further consideration over the coming weeks confirms to the General Staff that this priority is correct.

Battleship “_Bismarck_” exited the Kiel Canal at 1448 hours, then arrived at Scheerhafen, Kiel.

*ASIA:* Franco-Japanese negotiations for Indochina re-opened. The Japanese increased their demands and openly threatened France with military action.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The German invasion flotillas are attacked during the night by RAF Bomber Command and a fair degree of damage is done.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham’s taskforce arrives in the British colony of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

British Swordfish torpedo bombers from carrier HMS “_Illustrious_” escorted by the battleship “Valiant”, attacked the port of Benghazi, Libya, bombing shipping and laying mines. 9 aircraft from 815 Squadron bomb shipping while 6 aircraft from 819 Squadron lay mines in the harbour. Italian destroyer "_Aquilone_" hits a mine and sinks. Italian destroyer “_Borea_” was sunk by torpedoes. Italian merchant ships “_Gloria Stella_” and “_Maria Eugenia_” were also sunk. British cruiser HMS “_Kent_” is detached from the force while returning to Alexandria in order to shell Bardia was damaged by a torpedo launched by an Italian aircraft at 1155 hours, killing 31.

British destroyers HMS “_Janus_” and HMS “_Juno_” departed Alexandria, Egypt and bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt at 1100 hours. At 1130 hours, British gunboat HMS “_Ladybird_” bombarded the coastal highway near Sollum, Egypt. The coastal road is critical to the Italian supply lines.

Vichy French Toulon task force reinforced by the Dakar naval squadron departs for Libreville, Gabon; Douala, Cameroon and Pointe Noire, Congo with orders to reestablish Vichy authority in French Equatorial Africa.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-48 attacked British passenger liner “_City of Benares_” 400 miles west of Scotland. “_City of Benares_” was evacuating 90 British children and their families to Canada but this fact was unknown to the German captain. Both torpedoes missed and U-48 would continue to stalk her prey.

200 miles West of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, U-65 and U-99 each sink a British steamer in convoy HX-71 from Halifax, Nova Scotia. German submarines U-99 sank British ship “_Crown Arun_” 200 miles west of the Isle of Lewis, Scotland at 0832 hours. The entire crew of 25 were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Winchelsea_”. German submarines U-65 sank British ship “_Tregenna_” of Allied convoy HX-71 at 1626 hours; 33 were killed and 4 were rescued by British ship “_Filleigh_”.

.



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## v2 (Sep 17, 2015)

THE SOVIET INVASION OF POLAND- September 17, 1939

September 17, 1939. Soviet Invasion of Poland.

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## michaelmaltby (Sep 17, 2015)

Day of Infamy .... and western communist parties (and intellectuals) couldn't criticize what transpired .... weak kneed


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## parsifal (Sep 17, 2015)

*18 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-143





Neutral
Benson Class DD USS MAYO





Allied
Hunt Class Type I Escort DD HMS CLEVELAND - Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 115







_CLEVELAND departed the Clyde on the 29th for working up in DesDiv 23. She arrived at Scapa on 3 October to work up. CLEVELAND was later attached to the Portsmouth Command for duty in DesFlot 1_

*Losses
Liner CITY OF BENARES (UK 11081 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 407 (260 dead and 147 survivors) Cargo: 191 passengers Route: Liverpool (13 Sep) - Quebec - Montreal Convoy OB-213 Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 0001 hrs the CITY OF BENARES in convoy OB-213 was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-48 and sank after 30 mins 253 miles WSW of Rockall. The ship had been missed by two torpedoes at 2345 hrs the previous night. She was the convoy commanders ship and and the first ship in the center column. 15 minutes after the hit, the vessel was abandoned, encountering difficulties with lowering the boats on the weather side of the ship. DD HMS HURRICANE picked up 105 survivors and landed them at Greenock. 42 survivors were adrift for eight days, then picked up by the DD HMS ANTHONY and landed at Greenock. The CITY OF BENARES passengers included 90 evacuated children, which had been on their way to Canada to escape the German air attacks on Britain. 77 of them lost their lifes. After this incident, no more children were sent overseas.





*MV MAGDALENA (UK 3118 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 31 (31 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: St. Johns - Sydney - Holyhead - Liverpool Convoy SC-3 (Straggler) Lost in the Nth Atlantic. At 1849 hrs the MAGDALENA , a straggler from convoy SC-3, was hit by one torpedo from U-48 sth of Iceland and sank within 10 mins. There were no survivors.





*MV MARINA (UK 5088 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 39 (2 dead and 37 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo incl some Coal Route: Glasgow - River Plate Convoy OB-213 Sunk In the Nth Atlantic At 0007 hrs the MARINA in convoy OB-213 was hit by one torpedo from U-48 and sank within 20 mins 253 miles WSW of Rockall. Two crew members were lost. 17 crew members and three gunners were picked up by Escort DD HMS HURRICANE and landed at Gourock. The master and 16 crew members were picked up after eight days by the British MV CARLINGFORD and landed at Londonderry. The master, Richard Townshend Payne, was awared the George Medal and the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.





The Germans seized the neutral *steamer FRISIA (SD 1059 grt)* at Bordeaux.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM sub BAGNOLINI sank *steamer CABO TORTOSA (Sp 3302 grt)* near Oporto. The entire crew were rescued by Spanish steamer MONTE AYALA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer JOHANN BLUMENTHAL (Ger 1626 grt)* was sunk by RAF bombing at Cherbourg. DKM Zerstorer LODY rescued the survivors. DKM TB T.11, also at Cherbourg, was splinter damaged by near misses in this attack.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-32

At Sea 18 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Northern Waters*
British steamer LADY OF MANN, on passage to Lerwick, sustained weather damage to her forecastle. Her escort DD VERSATILE also suffered damage to her D. G. gear. Both ships had to return to Aberdeen. The ships departed Aberdeen on the 19th for Lerwick.
After delivering the steamer, destroyer VERSATILE proceeded to Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
CLA CAIRO and DDs ECLIPSE and FIREDRAKE departed the Clyde for Scapa. British steam barge LING was damaged by the LW at Nth Morpeth Docks, Liverpool.

*Channel*
British steamer RUDMORE was damaged in attacks by the LW at Gravesend Reach (at the mouth of the the port of London).

Following the attacks by the RAF during the night of the 1/19th, DKM TB T.11 which had been damaged by splinters received temporary repairs at Cherbourg until 11 October. She proceeded to Wesermunde, arriving on 16 October, and was under repair until 6 June 1941.

Minelayer Schiff 23 was damaged by near misses.

*Central Atlantic*
In the Gulf of Guinea on the 18th, CA CORNWALL reported Vichy (possible FNFL) CL PRIMAUGUET and tkr TARN. The ships were en route to refuel French Force Y, returning to Dakar from the Cameroons. The CA was ordered to shadow the French ships for 24 hours. CL DELHI joined CORNWALL on the 19th. Eventually the French force was stopped at 1229 on the 19th and escorted to Casablanca by the British ships. On 22 September, near Freetown, CL DELHI was detached for refuelling. CA CORNWALL escorted the French ships until 26 September when they were allowed to continue on their own. PRIMAUGUET and TARN arrived at Casablanca on 1 October. Vichy/FNFL CLs GEORGES LEYGUES, MONTCALM, and GLOIRE departed Dakar for Libreville. Early on the 19th, RAN CA AUSTRALIA, which had departed Freetown on the 18th to relieve CA CUMBERLAND on patrol sth of Dakar, sighted the French cruisers, which were then shadowed by AUSTRALIA later joined by CA CUMBERLAND. CA DEVONSHIRE and DDs INGLEFIELD, GREYHOUND, and ESCAPADE departed Freetown to join the two CAs.

BB BARHAM and DDs FORTUNE and FURY followed DEVONSHIRE from Freetown. However, CV ARK ROYAL was delayed by engine room defects, but was able to sail early on the 20th. At 2100 on the 19th, an engine breakdown on CL GLOIRE reduced her speed to 15 kts, and later 4 kts, and she was intercepted by AUSTRALIA. The CA escorted the French ship until 21 September towards to Casablanca, where she arrived on the 24th. CUMBERLAND, joined by CA DEVONSHIRE and DD INGLEFIELD, lost touch with the other two French ships in a rain storm and MONTCALM and GEORGES LEYGUES managed to return to Dakar. DORSETSHIRE departed Durban for Simonstown.

*Malta*

The Bomb Disposal team defused a 50kg bomb from thge LW at Qrendi – the first of this type to be defuzed in Malta.


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## Njaco (Sep 17, 2015)

*September 18 1940 Wednesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

*WESTERN FRONT: *Günther "Fränzl" Lützow of JG 51 is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

The American Library in Paris, France reopened.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-48 hit the British passenger liner “_City of Benares”,_ a ship evacuating 90 British children and their families to Canada, with a torpedo 600 miles west of Ireland at 0001 hours. The ship listed heavily, which prevented many of the lifeboats from being launched. She sank at about 0030 hours, taking down 121 crew and 134 passengers (including 77 children). Destroyer HMS “_Hurricane_” arrived on the following day and rescued 105 survivors. After this incident, the British government suspended the policy of sending children aboard. U-48 sank British ship “_Marina_” at 0007 hours; 2 were killed and 37 survived. At 1849 hours, U-48 struck a third time, sinking British ship “_Magdalena_”, killing the entire crew of 31.

Italian submarine “_Bagnolini_” sank Spanish ship “_Cabo Tortosa_” off Porto, Portugal; all members of the crew survived the attack and were rescued by Spanish ship “_Monte Ayala_”.

*ASIA: *Chinese Emperor Kangde presided over the dedication ceremony of the National Martyr Shrine of Manchukuo in Xinjing, the capital of the puppet state.

“_Akagi_” departed Kure, Japan.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The advance of the Italian 10th Army comes to a halt, officially because of supply difficulties. They occupy themselves building various fortified camps and make little effort to keep in touch with the British forces which have pulled back before their superior strength.

Vichy Toulon task force is intercepted by Cunningham’s and ordered to return to Casablanca. Two cruisers comply but the remaining of the Vichy ships manage to return to Dakar.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Soviet Minister of Defence Marshal S.K. Timoshenko and Chief of General Staff K.A. Meretskov submit a war plan to Josef Stalin and Prime Minister Vyacheslav Molotov, proposing an attack on Germany north of the Pripet marshes, with a strong defence to the south, or vice-versa. The plan is accepted by the politburo in October.

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## parsifal (Sep 18, 2015)

WESTERN DESERT 17-26 SEPTEMBER 1940

First LRDG patrols
The first patrol began during the Italian invasion of Egypt. 'W' Patrol commanded by Captain Mitford set out on 15 September 1940 to carry out a recon of Kufra and Uweinat. Finding no trace of the Italians, they turned sth and attacked fuel dumps, aircraft and an Italian convoy carrying supplies to Kufra. 17 a/c were reported destroyed. 'T' Patrol, commanded by Captain Clayton, reconnoitred the main route between Kufra and Uweinat, then drove sth to meet up with 'W' Patrol; both units returned to base, having captured two Italian trucks and official mail. The Italian response to these raids was to reduce their front line forces and increase the number of troops garrisoning the area from 2,900 men in September to 5,500 by November 1940, because of the activities of 32 men. 

The loss of the advanced landing grounds at Sidi Barrani had adverse effects. The distance to which fighters could give protection to bombers or to which tactical reconnaissance sorties could penetrate was reduced by nearly one hundred miles, while the bombers themselves were deprived of a very useful refuelling base. Blenheims were forced to operate at extreme range to reach Benghazi. Hurricanes which could hitherto have reached Malta in emergency with the aid of extra fuel tanks could no longer be expected to do so; henceforth any reinforcing Hurricanes for Malta would have to be flown from a carrier or sent by ship in convoy. Ships engaged in bombarding the Libyan coast had formerly had fighter protection as far as Bardia; now this did not extend even to Sidi Barrani. Derna was too far for aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm to attack. The enemy, on the other hand, could give fighter escort to his bombers for attacks on the British advanced base at Matruh.

This naturally made the Commanders-in-Chief more conscious than ever of the weakness of the air defence all over the Middle East. In September they set up an inter-Service body to keep the problem constantly under review and to ensure the best use being made of the available resources, but the fact remained that there were not enough fighter aircraft, or guns, or searchlights, or radar sets for all the tasks. The efforts of the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief to build up his fighter strength have already been mentioned. As regards guns, the minimum requirements for the air defence of the ports, the base in Egypt, the Western Desert, Palestine, the Sudan, and Crete, were estimated early in November to be 174 heavy and 356 light antiaircraft guns; the numbers available were about one-half of the heavy and less than one-third of the light. The anti-aircraft searchlight situation was worse still; apart from batteries at Aden and Malta there were no searchlights other than those manned by the Egyptian Army. General Wavell regarded this as so unsatisfactory that in October he suggested that the cargo space allotted in one of the next convoys to a heavy A.A. battery should be used instead for 24 searchlights.

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## Njaco (Sep 18, 2015)

*September 19 1940 Thursday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin announced that, as of the end of Aug 1940, there were 51,261 registered conscientious objectors in Britain.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Wellington, Hampden, and Whitley bombers of the British RAF attacked German invasion barges in ports along the French coast. One Hampden bomber was lost. After the attack, Adolf Hitler ordered the barges to disperse to minimize further losses. Thus far, 214 of the 1,918 barges assembled for the planned invasion had been destroyed by British aerial attacks. Similarly 21 out of 170 transports have been lost.

British bombers sank German torpedo boat T-3 at Le Havre, France, killing 9 and wounding 12. T-3 would later be raised and repaired.

*NORTH AFRICA:* French landed troops at Naval port Dakar (West Africa), to counter a possible landing of the "Free France" troops of Charles de Gaulle.

Italian submarines “_Archimede_” and “_Guglielmotti_” and destroyers “_Leone_”, “_Pantera_”, “_Battisti_”, and “_Manin_” searched in the Red Sea for Allied Convoy BN-5. They failed to locate their target.

Italian submarine “_Serpente_” mis-identified Italian submarine “_Marcantonio Colonna_” as hostile and fired a torpedo 59 miles south of Italy. The torpedo missed.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Italian submarine “_Comandante Faa Di Bruno_” attacked a ship 700 miles west of Gibraltar without success.

In Rome, Ribbentrop meets Mussolini and Ciano in Rome and warns them not to attack Greece or Yugoslavia. The Italian leaders dutifully reply that they will conquer Egypt first.

*ASIA:* During the Imperial Conference, Prince Hiroyasu of Fushimi expressed concerns regarding the alliance between Japan and Germany.

Japan notifies Indochina that their forces would cross the border.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 19, 2015)

*19 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 126




_This is a photo of the similar ML 121, of the RCN_

*Losses
Tkr SHELBRIT I (UK 1025 grt) *was sunk on a mine in the North Sea. The coastal tkr SHELBRIT 1, on a voyage from Grangemouth to Inverness in ballast, blew up, after hitting a mine caught fire and sank on September 19th, 1940, in the Moray Firth. All her crew of 20 and the gunner were lost.





*1935 Type TB T.3 (DKM 844 grt)* was sunk by the RAF at Le Havre, with nine men killed and twelve wounded. T.3 was later salved and returned to service on 12 December 1943.





RM sub MARCONI sank *trawler ALMIRANTE JOSE DE CARRANZA (Sp 330 grt) *16 miles NW of Cape Villano. There was only one survivor from the Spanish trawler.
[NO IMAGE]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 19 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs TARTAR and MAORI, which departed Rosyth on the 18th, escorted the new CL NIGERIA from the Tyne for trials. After the trials, they returned to to Rosyth. DD SOMALI sank four British mines in area "C".

OA.217 departed Methil escort sloop FOWEY and corvette PEONY from 19 to 24 September. OB.216 departed Liverpool escort DD VANQUISHER, sloop SCARBOROUGH, and corvette ARABIS. The convoy was joined on the 21st by escorted ship GLEANER and corvettes CAMELLIA and FLEUR DE LYS. The escort was detached on the 23rd. FN.285 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 21st. MT.174 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CAIRO departed Scapa Flow at 2100 to act as AA protection for convoy WN.16. ML TEVIOTBANK laid minefield ZMD (B) in channels in the Faroes Islands. This minefield was an extension of ZMD (A) laid on the 14th.

*West Coast UK*
British steamer WEST KEDRON was damaged by the LW in Nth Channel.

*Western Approaches*
OL.3 departed Liverpool escort DDs SKATE, SCIMITAR, KEPPEL, and ACTIVE from 19 to 21 September. DDs SKATE and SCIMITAR were detached to convoy HX.72 as it ran inbound to the West Coast. DDs KEPPEL and ACTIVE proceeded to convoy SC.4.

*SW Approaches*
HG.44 of 28 ships departed Gibraltar escort DD VELOX from 19 to 23 September. Sloop LEITH escorted the convoy from 19 September to 4 October. DD SKATE, corvette GLADIOLUS, and ASW trawler LADY LILLIAN escorted the convoy after being detached from convoy OB.220 from 1 from 4 October. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 4 October.

*Channel*
DKM Zerstorers LODY, ECKHOLDT, GALSTER, RIEDEL, and IHN departed Cherbourg for a strike for the area between the Lizard and Start Point. The sweep was cancelled due to poor weather.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.5 departed Sydney escort RCN armed yacht LYNX and ocean Sloop FOLKESTONE as the convoy cleared port. The convoy was joined on the 30th by DDs ARROW and VANQUISHER for the inbound leg. On 1 October, DD KEPPEL, sloop ROCHESTER, corvette BLUEBELL, and ASW trawlers ELLESMERE and ULLSWASTER. The sloop and the corvette were detached on 2 October. The rest of the escorts arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 4 October.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.48 departed Freetown escort AMC MALOJA to 8 October. On 5 October, DDs WALKER and SABRE, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvette MALLOW, and ASW trawlers SPHENE and ST APOLLO joined the convoy. The trawlers were detached that night, DD SABRE on 7 October, and DD WALKER on 9 October. On 8 October, corvette COREOPSIS joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 9 October. British MENACE convoy MS of 5 mechanical transports OCEAN COAST, NEVADE, CASANANCE, FORT LAMY, and ANADYR departed Freetown escorted by Sloop BRIDGEWATER, boom defence vessel QUANNET, and French patrol ship PRESIDENT HOUDACE.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt arrived back at Alexandria. RM sub SERPENTE in error launched a torpedo against RM sub COLONNA 59 miles sth of M. di Leuca. Fortunately, the torpedo did not strike COLONNA. RM sub FAA DI BRUNO attacked unsuccessfully a steamer off the coast of Portugal.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RM DDs LEONE, PANTERA, BATTISTI, and MANIN departed Massawa to operate in the Red Sea searching for convoy BN.5 of 23 ships escort by NZ manned CL LEANDER, Sloop AUCKLAND, and RAN sloops YARRA and PARRAMATTA. RM Subs ARCHIMEDE and GUGLIELMOTTI also searched without success for this convoy. The DDs returned to t Massawa on the 21st.

BN.5 A departed Bombay, escort CL COLOMBO and AMC KANIMBLA. AMC ANTENOR was with the convoy on the 20th only. On 25 September, the escort was detached when met by CL AJAX, CLA COVENTY, and DD KANDAHAR. The escort was detached on the 28th. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 29th.

*Malta*
No air raids.

Arrivals 1 Sunderland. KALAFRANA One Sunderland arrives from Middle East with spares for grounded Sunderland.


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## parsifal (Sep 19, 2015)

*20 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS GENTIAN, Flower Class Corvette HMS SALVIA








*Losses
MV BOKA (Pan 5560 grt)* Sunk by U-138 (Wolfgang Lüth) Crew: 34 (8 dead and 26 survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Barry (Sth Wales) - Sierra Leone - Takoradi. Convoy OB 216, Sunk in the Western Approaches. Between 2120 and 2126 hrs, U-138 fired 3 torps at the OB-216 52 miles NW of Rathlin Island and reported three ships totalling 20.000 tons sunk. The three ships sunk were NEW SEVILLA, BOKA and CITY OF SIMLA. 8 crew members from BOKA were lost. The survivors were picked up by Corvette HMS ARABIS and landed at Londonderry.





*Liner CITY OF SIMLA (UK 10138 grt)* Sunk by U-138 (Wolfgang Lüth) Crew: 350 (3 dead and 347 survivors) Cargo: Passengers and 3000 tons of general cargo Route London - Glasgow - Capetown - Bombay Convoy OB 216, Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2120 hrs, U-138 attacked the convoy OB-216 52 miles NW of Rathlin Island and reported three ships totalling 20.000 grt sunk. The three ships sunk were NEW SEVILLA, BOKA and CITY OF SIMLA. The CITY OF SIMLA remained afloat for a short time but sank later. One crew member and two passengers were lost. 165 crew members and 153 passengers were rescued by the British steam merchant GUINEAN , transferred to HMS VANQUISHER and landed at Londonderry two days later. 17 crew members and 12 passengers were picked up by the Belgian trawler VAN DYKE and landed at Liverpool.





*Whaling Ship NEW SEVILLA (UK 13801 grt) *Sunk by U-138 (Wolfgang Lüth) Crew: 284 (2 dead and 282 survivors) Cargo: Whaling stores and ballast Route: Liverpool - Aruba - South Georgia Convoy OB 216, Sunk in the Western Approaches. Between 2120 and 2126 hrs, U-138 fired torpedoes at OB-216 52 miles NWt of Rathlin Island and reported three ships totalling 20,000 grt sunk. The three ships sunk were NEW SEVILLA, BOKA and CITY OF SIMLA.

NEW SEVILLA was taken in tow, but sank the next day 9 miles from the Mull of Kintyre. Two crew members were lost. The master and 22 crew members were picked up by Corvette HMS ARABIS and landed at Liverpool. 44 crew members were picked up by the Icelandic trawler BELGAUM and later transferred to the INDUSTRIA, which had already picked up 215 crew members and landed at Belfast.





U.138 in attacks on OB.216 sank *steamer EMPIRE ADVENTURE (UK 5145 grt)* off Islay, Steamer EMPIRE ADVENTURE was first taken in tow by British tug SUPERMAN, but sank on the 23rd. 21 crew were lost on steamer EMPIRE ADVENTURE. The survivors were rescued by corvette ARABIS. DD ISIS en route to Scapa assisted tug SUPERMAN before arriving at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TRITO (NL 1057 grt) *was sunk by the LW. 3 crew were rescued from the Dutch steamer. Two British naval ratings were lost with the crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Drifter INNISDHU (UK 96 grt)* was sunk by the LW one hundred yards west of Westward mine marking buoy, itself S 16° W from Hole Haven Signal Tower. The crew of four was lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-58

Departures
Lorient: U-46

At Sea 20 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-59, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-138.
12 boats at sea

U.58, leaving Lorient, was attacked by a submarine.

The battle for HX 72 began on this day. HX 72 was an east-bound convoy of 43 ships which sailed from Halifax on 9 September 1940 bound for Liverpool and carrying war materials. The convoy, made up of contingents from Halifax, Sydney and Bermuda was led by Commodore HH Rogers RNR in TREGARTHEN. Escorts at this stage of the campaign were very meagre; convoys generally were unescorted for most of the transAtlantic passage, or had just an AMC as protection against surface raiders until reaching the Western Approaches for the last 2 or 3 days of the inbound leg of the crossing.

HX 72's ocean escort was the AMC JERVIS BAY, which detached at sunset on 20 September, leaving the convoy devoid of any defences until the following evening. HX 72 wasn’t due to meet the Western Approaches escort until the afternoon of 21st, so HX 72 was unprotected when it was sighted at last light by Prien of U-47. As fate would have it, the assigned inbound escort was late in arriving and the convoy had already scattered, resulting in a heavy defeat for the Allies. 

The U boat Arm (UBW) was also sparse, able to maintain only a few boats at any one time in the North Atlantic, operating at the edge of the Western Approaches to intercept convoys before their escort had joined. U 47 was on weather duty, her armament depleted after an attack on Convoy SC 2 earlier that month, and was able only to report contact.

After reporting the convoy Prien shadowed the convoy, while U-boat Control (BdU) summoned all available U-boats. During night and following day a pack of 6 boats was gathered, U-99 and U-65, which were nearby, and others en route from Germany. The attacks began the following morning during the early hours of the 21st. It was to be Kretschmer at his most deadly.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.286 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 22nd. MT.175 departed the Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne the next day. FS.286 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VIVACIOUS and WOOLSTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st. FS.287 departed Methil, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

*Northern Waters*
In Operation DT, CVL FURIOUS, CAs BERWICK and NORFOLK, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and ESKIMO departed Scapa at 1230.
At 0300 on the 22nd FURIOUS flew off 11 Swordfish of 816 and 825 Squadrons and 6 Skuas of 801 Sqn to attack Trondheim. Bad weather spoiled the operation and no results were observed. Worse, 5 Swordfish and 1 Skua were lost; of these, one Swordfish and one Skua landed in Sweden. Lt (A) M. A J. J. Hanrahan, Midshipman (A) A O. Atkins, and Naval Airman A R. Purchase of one Swordfish of 816 Sqn, Acting S/Lt (A) H. A Cheetham and S/Lt (A) H. N. C. Hearn, air gunner Naval Airman C. D. Jago in a Swordfish of 825 Sqn, and Temporary Lt (A) H. Detering RNVR, Acting S/Lt (A) D. A Poynter, and Naval Airman H. W. Brown of another Swordfish of 825 Sqn were captured. Temporary S/Lt (A) R. L. R. Morgan RNVR, Acting S/Lt (A) I. M. MacLeod Rees, and Leading AirmanB R. Laing of one Swordfish of 825 Sqn and Probationary S/Lt (A)B F. Wigginton RNVR, and Naval Airman K. R. King of 801 Sqn were interned. They were eventually returned to Britain. Lt (A) J. Read, Probationary Temporary S/Lt (A) G. A Busby RNVR, and Leading Airman L. A Webber of 816 Sqn were lost when their Swordfish crashed into the sea after failing to locate the carrier. The ships arrived back at Scapa on the 23rd.

CLA CAIRO covered convoy OA.217 to Pentland Firth where she joined convoy HX.71A. CAIRO remained with convoy HX71 A until dark when she returned to Scapa. DD ISIS departed Devonport at 1100. After carrying out a full caliber shoot, she then proceeded to Scapa Flow to work up. DD VIMY departed Scapa for Lerwick. From Lerwick, VIMY escorted British steamer LADY OF MANN to Aberdeen, after which VIMY arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 21st.

*SW Approaches*
OG.43 of 46 ships departed Liverpool. The convoy was given escort in the Liverpool approaches by ASW trawlers DRANGEY and SOUTHERN PRIDE. Sloop FOWEY and corvettes ANENOME, MALLOW, and PEONY escorted the convoy from 20 to 24 September. DDs HIGHLANDER and HARVESTER escorted the convoy from 20 to 25 September. DD HURRICANE joined the escort on the 21st and departed on the 25th.

Escort vessel GLEANER joined the convoy from OA.216 and escorted the convoy from 24 September to 3 October. DD VIDETTE joined the convoy on the 30th and remained with it until its arrival at Gibraltar on 3 October. On arrival, VIDETTE escorted three ships of the convoy to Melilla.

*Central Atlantic*
BB BARHAM and DDs FORTUNE and FURY arrived at Freetown. CA DEVONSHIRE and DDs INGLEFIELD, GREYHOUND, and ESCAPADE arrived at Freetown at 0800. CL DRAGON arrived at Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub TETRACH departed Gib for patrol . DD WISHART departed Gib to land French officers four miles outh of Agadir. Following repairs at Singapore, sub ROVER arrived at Alexandria on the 20th for duty with the Med Flt.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA COVENTRY departed Aden with a northbound convoy. She was detached at Bab el Mandeb for patrol between Perim and Massawa. The cruiser arrived back at Aden on the 22nd.

British steamer BHIMA was damaged near misses from the RA and grounded to prevent sinking. She was later taken in tow by British steamer ASHBURY and taken to Aden and beached. She was repaired and returned to service. BHIMA was in BN.5 being sought after by the Italian forces in the Red Sea. CL LEANDER escorting the convoy was unsuccessfully attacked by the RA. BS.5 departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. These sloops were relieved on the 23rd by CL LEANDER and sloops AUCKLAND, PARRAMATTA, and SHOREHAM. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 28th.

DKM Raider ATLANTIS sank *Liner COMMISSAIRE RAMEL (Fr 10,061 grt) *under British service in the Indian Ocean. Three crew were lost and 63 crew were interned in Italian Somaliland. A British hunter gp was formed to locate the ATLANTIS. The gp was composed of RAN CA CANBERRA, CLs CAPETOWN and DURBAN, and RAN AMC WESTRALIA.





*Malta*
No air raids.
LUQA Three unexploded bombs are cleared.


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## Njaco (Sep 20, 2015)

*September 20 1940 Friday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *This Day in the Battle of Britain

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* First successful U-boat Wolf-pack operation: three of the 'ace' commanders - Schepke (U-100), Prien (U-47) and Kretschmer (U-99) - scatter Convoy HX.72 in the Northwestern Approaches and sink ships over the course of a three day period. Altogether 12 ships of 78,000 tons are sunk, seven of them during the night of September 20-22 by Schepke's U-100 without him even being detected by the convoy escorts.

German submarine U-A sank Panamanian collier “_Tuira_” 400 miles west of Ireland at 0027 hours, killing 2. German submarine U-46 torpedoed and damaged Greek ship “_Leonidas M. Valmas_” 50 miles northwest of Ireland at 2150 hours. She would not sink due to its cargo of wood, but 16 crew members died in the fire; 2 survivors were rescued by British destroyer HMS “_Arrow_”. 10 miles north of Malin Head, Ireland, German submarine U-138 fired three torpedoes at Allied convoy OB-216 between 2120 and 2126 hours; all three torpedoes hit, sinking Yugoslavian collier “_Boka_” was sunk (8 killed, 26 survived) and British passenger liner “_City of Simla_” (3 killed, 182 crew and 165 passengers survived); British whale factory ship “_New Sevilla_” was damaged but would remain afloat until the next day (2 killed, 282 survived).

*NORTH AFRICA:* Allied convoy BN-5, which had so far successful in evading the Italian destroyers and submarines in pursuit, was detected and attacked by Italian aircraft in the Red Sea. British ship “_Bhima_” was damaged by near misses and had to be towed to Aden to be beached. Escorting New Zealand cruiser HMS “_Leander_” was attacked but did not sustain any damage. One Italian bomber was shot down.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” sank French passenger liner “_Commissaire Ramel_” in the Indian Ocean about halfway between Madagascar and Australia, killing 3. 63 crew members, mostly Australians, were imprisoned aboard “_Atlantis_”. Fregattenkapitän Rogge of Atlantis had wanted to transfer his 230 prisoners to “_Commissaire Ramel_” and send the French ship back to German as a prize ship, but situation did not allow him to do so. On the same day, the British Royal Navy formed a task force composed of Australian cruiser HMAS “_Canberra_”, Australian armed merchant cruiser “_Westralia_”, British cruiser HMS “_Capetown_”, and British cruiser HMS “_Durban_” to find and sink “_Atlantis_”.

*ASIA:* Japanese ultimatum to Vichy authorities in French Indo-China, demanding air bases, use of Haiphong harbour and freedom to transport troops to China via Indo-China. Jean Decoux allowed Japanese forces to enter Haiphong harbor, French Indochina.

*NORTH AMERICA: * In Canada, the War Technical and Scientific Development Committee approves a request by Frederick Banting to begin bacterial warfare research.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 20, 2015)

*21 September 1940 
Losses*
Battle For Convoy HX72
Beginning with Kretschmer, in U-99, the following succesful attacks were carried out:

0312 hrs in the pre-dawn *Tkr INVERSHANNON (UK 9,154 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Kretschmer) Crew: 15 lost Cargo (Motor Spirit) Route: Curacao-Scapa. Convoy commander Rogers, still devoid of any escort, then ordered a turn to port to try and shake off the attack, but this failed. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

At 0419 hrs hit pre-dawn *MV BARON BLYTHSWOOD (UK 3668 grt) *Sunk By U-99 (Kretschmer) Crew: 56 (34 Dead) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Wabana-Port Talbot. The ship sank within 40 seconds. 





0447 hrs *MV ELMBANK (UK 5,156 grt)* sunk jointly by U-99, U-47 (Kretschmer, Prien) Crew: 56 (1 Dead) Cargo:Timber Metals Route: Cowichan-Belfast. The ship withstood more than 8 hours of shelling by both U-47 and U-99, not finally sinking until after 1500 hrs, when U-99 expended the last of her torpedoes and set course for Lorient.
New Photo source: Ships In Convoys - mv ELMBANK 1925





At 0614 hrs *MV BLAIRANGUS (UK 4,409 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Bleichrodt) Crew: 34 (7 lost) Cargo: Pit Props Route: Newfoundland-Methil. U-48 arrived before dawn, and sank BLAIRANGUS, which was straggling. Rogers dropped smoke and turned again, to try and shake off his pursuers, but failed once more; U-47 and U-48 continued to shadow throughout the daylight on the 21st.




_B:AIRANGUS under her former name PORT REGIS_

During the daylight of 21 September, Prien and Bleichrodt were joined by 4 other boats of Sub Flot 2 (U-65, U-38, U-43 and U-32), while U-100 arrived at nightfall. However that afternoon the Western Approaches escort also finally began to arrive, causing the U boats to draw back a little. by evening 5 warships had arrived, sloop LOWESTOFT, DD SHIKARI and 3 corvettes, CALENDULA, HEARTSEASE and LA MALOUINE. However the escorts had not had time to work out any defensive plan or take up logical positions around the convoy.

At 2217 hrs Schepke raced ahead of the other assembling boats penetrating to within the defences of the convoy and leading the second night of attacks on the convoy. She struck the *MV CANONESA (UK 8,286 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Schepke) Crew: 63 (1 lost) Cargo: Refrigerated General Goods Route: Montreal-Liverpool.





The remaining attacks of the day soon followed. At 2226 hrs *Tkr TORINIA (UK 10,364 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Schepke) Crew: 55 (none lost) Cargo: Fuel Oil Route: Curacao-Clyde





At 2313 hrs the *MV DALCAIRN (UK 4,608 grt) *was sunk by by U-100 (Schepke). Crew: 42 (none lost) Cargo: Wheat Route: Montreal-Hull 





At nightfall on 21/22 September U-100 struck, entering the convoy to attack at close range. Attacking before moonrise Schepke hit 3 ships within minutes as outlined above. These attacks created panic and confusion within the convoy. The convoy began to scatter in confusion. The escort sought to retaliate, but were searching outside the convoy perimeter, where the rest of the pack was gathered; they were unable to find Schepke, but were able to frustrate further attacks. U-48 hit and damaged MV BROOMPARK but no other U-boat was successful. Just after midnight U-100 struck again, sinking 3 more ships, EMPIRE AIRMAN, MV SCHOLAR, and FREDERICK S FALES (see entry for 22 September). Finally at this point U-100 was spotted; HARLINGEN avoided the torpedoes aimed at her, and returned fire with her stern gun, scoring several hits on Schepkes Boat.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-59
St. Nazaire: U-46

Departures
Kiel: U-103, U-123
Stavanger: U-137

At Sea 21 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-123, U-137, U-138.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD PUNJABI departed Rosyth during the afternoon for the Tyne to escort British troopship EMPIRE TROOPER to Liverpool. However, the troopship's boilers would not hold water and they returned to the Tyne, arriving on the 22nd.
PUNJABI then proceeded to Scapa for repairs to her rudder, arriving on the 23rd. DD WOOLSTON's engines were damaged by the explosion of a mine close aboard in the Thames. The DD proceeded to the Humber for repairs.

FN.287 departed Southend, escorted by DDs VEGA and VORTIGERN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 23rd. FS.288 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 23rd.

*Western Approaches*
OB.217 departed Liverpool escort DD WALKER and ASW trawlers ARCTIC EXPLORER and MAN O WAR. The trawlers were detached that day. RCN DD OTTAWA joined the escort on the 22nd. DD WALKER was detached on the 24th and OTTAWA on the 25th.

*Channel*
British steam barge ENCHANTRESS was damaged by the LW in the London Victoria Dock.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.75 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY and aux PVs ELK and HUSKY. On the 22nd, the DDs were detached and left the convoy to the ocean escort, AMC AURANIA, which was detached on 3 October. BHX.75 departed Bermuda on the 20th escort AMC VOLTAIRE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.75 on the 25th and the AMC was detached. DDs AMAZON and ANTHONY, corvettes ARABIS, CALENDULA, and CLEMATIS, escort ship JASON, and ASW trawler LADY ELSA joined on 3 October. The escort ship was detached later that day and the trawler the next day. The remainder of the escort arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 7 October.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Freetown. CA DEVONSHIRE, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, and FURY, sloop MILFORD, with transports ETTRICK, KENYA, SOBIESKI, and KARANJA departed Freetown on Operation MENACE at 0645. FNFL sloops COMMANDANT DOMINE, COMMANDANT DUBOC, and SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA departed Freetown at the same time with transports WESTERNLAND and PENNLAND and foot ship BELGRAVIAN. At 0930, CV ARK ROYAL, BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION, and DDs INGLEFIELD, FORTUNE, FORESIGHT, GREYHOUND, ECHO, and ESCAPADE cleared port on a support mission for this operation. CA CUMBERLAND departed Freetown at 1430. Early on the 22nd, the MENACE convoys were joined at sea by CAs CUMBERLAND and RAN AUSTRALIA and CL DRAGON.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA HAWKINS arrived at Simonstown from Montevideo. CA DORSETSHIRE departed Simonstown for Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub TRITON departed Gibraltar for patrol off Gibraltar. Sub RORQUAL attacked two Italian transports off Ras el Hilal and claimed sinking them, however there are no records of losses to verify this.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BM.1 departed Bombay with steamers BATORY , ORCADES , and STRATHDEN , escorted by RAN AMC WESTRALIA. The convoy arrived at Colombo on the 24th. The convoy set off on the 28th, joined by steamer ELLENGA, and escorted again by WESTRALIA and CL CAPETOWN and AMC ARAWA. The convoy arrived at Singapore on 1 October.


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## Njaco (Sep 20, 2015)

*September 21 1940 Saturday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government officially sanctioned the usage of the Tube underground rail stations as air raid shelters, though this usage had already been in place for some time; many stations had already been equipped with first aid stations, food canteens, bunks, and toilets. The Tube tunnel near the Aldwych branch of the Piccadilly Line was reinforced with concrete and was used to store antiques and artifacts from the British Museum such as the Elgin Marbles.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Over the past 17 days, British aircraft have sunk 12.5 percent of 1865 German transport vessels preparing for an invasion of England. The German invasion fleet in Channel ports now totals 155 steamers, 1,277 barges, 471 tugs and 1,161 motor boats.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-138 attacked Allied convoy OB-216 10 miles off Malin Head, Ireland at 0227 hours, damaging British ship “_Empire Adventure_”, killing 21. “_Empire Adventure_” was taken in tow, but would sink on 23 Sep.

Convoy HX-72 (41 merchant ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Britain, protected by 4 Royal Navy destroyers, 1 sloop and 2 corvettes) is mauled by a wolf pack of 9 U-boats, 400 miles West of Ireland. German submarine U-47 detected Allied convoy HX-72 400 miles west of Ireland. With only one torpedo left and seeing so many potential targets, commanding officer of U-47 Günther Prien radioed the finding to eight other German submarines. Between 0312 and 0447 hours, German submarine U-99 sank British tanker “_Invershannon_” (16 killed, 32 survived), British ship “_Baron Blythswood_” (entire crew of 34 killed), and British ship “_Elmbank_” (2 killed, 54 survived). At 0614 hours, German submarine U-48 sank British ship “_Blairangus_” (6 killed, 28 survived). At 2310 hours, German submarine U-100 sank British ship “_Canonesa_” (1 killed, 62 survived), British ship “_Dalcairn_” (entire crew of 48 survived), and British tanker “_Torinia_” (entire crew of 55 survived). At 2338 hours, U-48 struck again, damaging British ship “_Broompark_” (1 killed).

*NORTH AFRICA:* British carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, battleship HMS “_Barham_”, battleship HMS “_Resolution_”, cruiser HMS “_Devonshire_”, French sloop “_Commandant Domine_”, French sloop “_Commandant Duboc_”, and French sloop “_Savorgnan De Brazza_”, and several destroyers and troop transports departed Freetown, West Africa for Dakar.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* In Australia the election results are declared. Menzies remains prime minister. Labor is the largest party in both the House and the Senate but has no overall majority. Also, it is announced that the 9th Australian Division will be raised.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 22, 2015)

*September 22 1940 Sunday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Allied convoy HX-72 continued to be attacked by German submarines in the Atlantic Ocean after being detected and attacked on the previous day. Between 0022 and 0214 hours, German submarine U-100 sank British ship “_Empire Airman_” (33 killed, 4 rescued), British tanker “_Frederick S. Fales_” (11 killed, 32 rescued), British ship “_Scholar_” (entire crew of 45 survived), Norwegian ship “_Simla_” (5 drowned after jumping overboard, 31 survived), and three other ships. At 0740 hours, U-32 attacked British ship “_Collegian_” with her deck gun, but return fire from “_Collegian_” drove off the attack.

100 miles South of Faroe Islands, U-31 sinks the tiny Faroese sailing trawler “_Union Jack_” with the deck gun. The crew of 7 abandons ship in a small rowboat and reach the tiny Flannan Isles in the Outer Hebrides 36 hours later.

1 mile off the French coast near Bordeaux, British submarine HMS “_Tuna_” sank Norwegian passenger liner “_Tirranna_”. The commanding officer of HMS “_Tuna_” did not know that “_Tirranna_” was a prize ship taken by German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” back in Jun, and it carried 274 prisoners; of the 88 killed, only one was German; the remainder were all civilians of friendly nations.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British Royal Navy launched 11 Swordfish torpedo bombers and 6 Skua fighters/dive bombers from carrier HMS “_Furious_” at 0300 hours to attack German positions at Trondheim, Norway. Rough waters due to bad weather forced HMS “_Furious_” to turn back for Scotland ahead of schedule. When the aircraft returned, 1 Swordfish aircraft ran out of fuel while looking for HMS “_Furious_” (3 killed), 3 Swordfish aircraft crash landed in Norway (9 captured), and 1 Swordfish and 1 Skua aircraft cash landed in Sweden (5 interned).

In Helsinki, Finland agrees to allow transit rights to German troops en route to north Norway in return for arms supplies.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Moscow radio reported that RAF bombing had largely destroyed the German invasion fleet along the English Channel.

*ASIA: *France tentatively agreed to meet increased Japanese demands for Indochina. Japanese forces prepare to move into French Indo-China after the Vichy French government negotiated an agreement with the Japanese government to turn over three airfields and other concessions to the Japanese.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Janus_”, HMS “_Juno_”, and HMS “_Mohawk_” bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt.

In Egypt, Saadist Party ministers withdraw from Coalition Government in protest against Prime Minister's failure to declare war on Italy.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Truant_” sank Italian ship “_Provvidenza_” 10 miles west of Naples, Italy.

British submarine HMS “_Osiris_” sank Italian destroyer “_Palestro_” in the Adriatic Sea 75 miles east of Bari, Italy.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 22, 2015)

*22 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 112
Image source: Little Ships




_Designed by the Fairmile Construction Company, the 'B's measured a mere 112' in length by 18' across the beam. In normal service they carried a crew of 16. However, for clandestine commando raids, for which they were used often, that number would effectively be doubled by the inclusion of extra officers and ratings as well as by squads of up to 15 Commandos. Normally armed with obsolescent 3-pounder Hotchkiss cannons forward. Later they were fitted with single 20mm Oerlikon cannons forward and aft, a weapon that proved useful against aircraft and unprotected structures. These quickfirers would, however, prove wholly ineffective when faced with fortified German gun positions and blockhouses._

*Losses
FV UNION JACK (Faerose 87 grt) *Sunk by U-31 (Wilfried Prellberg) Crew: 7 (0 dead and 7 survivors) Cargo Fish Route: Northern Fishing Banks At 1755 hrs the UNION JACK was stopped with MG by U-31 about 100 miles NNW of the Hebrides. The crew immediately abandoned ship in a small rowboat. Only a few rounds of the about 25 rounds fired from the deck gun hit the vessel, but she sank by the bow after 10 mins. The Germans did not question the crew and just left the area. The survivors had no food or water in the rowboat but nevertheless managed to reach the Flannan Isles after 36 hrs. From there they were taken by Armed Yacht GROSMONT CASTLE to Stornoway, arriving on 25 September.





DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE of DesFlot 20 departed Immingham on the 22nd to lay mines in Operation P R off Oost Gat on the Dutch coast near Borkum. This operation was screened by DDs VETERAN, VENOMOUS, and WILD SWAN, which patrolled off Dogger Bank. DD VETERAN sank *Aux MSW M.1604 (DKM trawler OESTERREICH 474 grt)* 40 miles west of the Hook of Holland The operation was suspended while DKM SBoats attacked Patrol sloops MALLARD and SHELDRAKE which were also screening the operation. The minelay was successfully completed during the night of 23/24 September.

*Steamer TIRRANA (Ex-Nor 7230 grt)*, now with a DKM Prize crew, which was captured by DKM Raider ATLANTIS on 10 June, was sunk by RN Sub TUNA near the mouth of the Gironde River, 10 miles sth of Bordeaux. 187 were killed on the loss of the Norwegian steamer. Among these were 3 crew from the steamer TALLYRAND, 18 crew, 11 passengers, and one DBS from steamer KEMMENDINE, and some crew from steamer SCIENTIST.

HX-72 the final night
Just after midnight U-100 struck again, sinking 3 more ships, EMPIRE AIRMAN, SCHOLAR, and FREDERICK S FALES. Schepke also attacked the HARLINGEN, but was spotted and the Uboat attentions avoided. HARLINGEN even managed to return fire with her deck gun, causing light damage to U-100. The convoy began to scatter at this point, and as it did, two more ships were hit; U-100 sank SIMLA, while U-32 damaged COLLEGIAN .

This was the end of the action; HX 72 was scattered, but the U–boats were unable to pursue, as the presence of the escorts had forced them to submerge. The remaining ships of HX 72 proceeded independently, while the escorts tried to gather the convoy back together, but no further attacks took place and all remaining ships reached port safely.

HX 72 had lost 11 ships of 72,727 gross register tons, of which Kretschmer sank three and Schepke seven ships. Whilst undoubtedly a victory, and a vindication of Donitz’s rudeltactik, most of the successes were achieved by two of its aces using their high-risk approach of penetrating the convoy to attack from within. The Uboat arm was to repeat this tactic many times, taking out over 20% of the ships that saled over the coming 7 months. The other boats following the more traditional approach from the flank, and at longer range, had achieved virtually nothing. It would take the fitting of radar to the escorts, and the partial breaking of the UBoat communications codes to reign in this threat.

Summary Of HX 72 Losses for 22 September
*MV EMPIRE AIRMAN (UK 6586 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 37 (33 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Halifax - Cardiff Convoy HX 72 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0022 hrs the EMPIRE AIRMAN was damaged by one torpedo from U-100 about 340 miles west of Bloody Foreland. The ship was taken in tow but sank on 23 September. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner were lost. Four crew members were picked up by Corvette LA MALOUINE and landed at Greenock.
Image Source Steamships of Italy





*MV SCHOLAR (UK 3840 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 45 (0 dead and 45 survivors) Cargo: bales of cotton, steel, arsenic, wood pulp and lumber Route: Galveston - Halifax - Manchester Convoy HX 72 Sunk in the Western Approaches . At 0050 hrs the SCHOLAR was hit by a stern torpedo from U-100 about 340 miles west of Bloody Foreland. The ship was hit near the bridge, caught fire and developed a sharp list. She was taken in tow the next day by HMS MARAUDER but on the 24 September, the tow was abandoned and the wreck scuttled by DD SKATE. The entire crew was rescued and landed at Londonderry.





*Tkr FREDERICK S FALES (UK 10525 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 49 (21 dead and 28 survivors) Cargo: Fuel Oil Route: Curaçao - Halifax - Clyde Convoy HX 72 Sunk in the Western Approaches At 0152 hrs the FREDERICK S FALES was hit on the port side aft by two torpedoes from U-100 and sank by the stern within 5 mins about 340 miles west of Bloody Foreland. The master 19 crew members and one gunner were lost, most of them died when the sinking ship capsized to starboard and hit a lifeboat lying alongside. 28 crew members were picked up after about 12 hrs by Corvette LA MALOUINE and landed at Belfast on 25 September.





*MV SIMLA (Nor 6031 ngrt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 31 (5 dead and 26 survivors) Cargo: Scrap metal and Steel Route: Philadelphia - Halifax - Methil. Convoy HX 72 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0214 hrs the SIMLA was hit on the starboard side forward of the bridge by one torpedo from U-100 and sank within minutes about 600 miles west of Inishtrahull. Although the crew was alerted due to the other attacks on the convoy, they had no time to launch the lifeboats and were forced to jump overboard. The master and four crew members were lost. Survivors were picked up after 45 minutes by Corvette HEARTSEASE.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 22 September1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-43, U-47, U-48, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-123, U-137, U-138.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM Zerstorers STEINBRINCK and JACOBI departed Wilhelmshaven for Brest, where they arrived on the 23rd.

*North Sea*
CLA CAIRO departed Scapa at 1200 to give cover to convoy OA.218 from Buchan Ness to Duncansby Head. Convoy OA.218 departed Methil escorted by sloop WESTON and corvette PRIMROSE. CLA CAIRO provided support for this convoy. The corvette was detached on the 26th and the sloop on the 28th. FN.288 departed Southend, escort DDs VIVACIOUS, WALLACE, and WOOLSTON. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 24th. DD VERSATILE departed Scapa to search for a Swordfish from Hatston that had come down SW Fair Isle Channel. The search was unsuccessful and the DD arrived back at Scapa on the 23rd. DD EGLINGTON and monitor EREBUS departed Scapa after working up. Monitor EREBUS proceeded to Sheerness and EGLINGTON to Harwich. DD VIVACIOUS was damaged by the near explosion of a mine at Rosyth.

*Channel*
NL tkr BARENDRECHT was damaged by the LW at Long Reach, River Thames.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DELHI arrived at Freetown at 1700. After refuelling, she sailed at 2225 to rejoin CA CORNWALL escorting a Vichy CL and tanker.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, and MOHAWK, which departed Alexandria on the 21st for Mersa Matruh, bombarded the airfield at Sidi Barrani early on the 22nd. After the attack, the DDs returned to Alexandria.

RN Sub TRUANT sank *steamer PROVVIDENZA (FI 8459 grt)* 3.5 miles 150° from Punta Imperatore off Ischina, Naples.





RN Sub OSIRIS, departed Malta on patrol on the 9th, sank *TB PALESTRO (RM 1075 grt) * in the southern Adriatic off Durazzo.





*Indian Ocean*
CL CERES arrived at Durban from Mombasa.

Australian troop convoy US 5 departed Fremantle with NL liners CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS, INDRAPOERA , NIEUW HOLLAND , and SLAMAT, with 4262 troops embarked. The convoy was escorted by a heavy cruiser (one source says AUSTRALIA, but this seems wrong) from 22 September to 2 October. The convoy departed Colombo on 1 October.
CA SHROPSHIRE relieved the RAN CA on 2 October and remained with the convoy until 8 October. On 8 October, the convoy was joined by RAN CL HOBART, CLA CARLISLE, DDs KANDAHAR and RAN VOYAGER, and sloop FLAMINGO. US 5 arrived at Suez on 12 October.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
New Caledonia joined the Free French rule after RAN CL ADELAIDE arrived at Noumea on the 19th. The only Vichy ship there was sloop DUMONT D' URVILLE which escaped to Saigon, departing Noumea on the 25th. The CL patrolled in the area until 5 October. ADELAIDE returned to Sydney on 8 October.


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## parsifal (Sep 22, 2015)

*23 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Ex-USN over Age DDs transferred to the RN : DDs BATH, BRIGHTON, CHARLESTON, GEORGETOWN, HAMILTON, ROXBOROUGH, ST ALBANS, ST MARYS




_HMS ST ALBANS_
On the 29th ROXBOROUGH, BRIGHTON, BATH, ST ALBANS, ST MARYS, and CHARLESTON departed St Johns, all but ROXBOROUGH which had to turn about with excess fuel consumption, reached Belfast on 8 October and Devonport on 12 October. DDs ST ALBANS, ST MARYS, BATH, and CHARLESTON were permanently assigned to the ML sqn 1.
DD ROXBOROUGH finally departed Halifax on 7 December for Belfast. The other 2 DDs of this group GEORGETOWN and HAMILTON damaged their propellers in a collision on 1 October while preparing to fuel at St Johns. DD GEORGETOWN arrived at Devonport on 13 November. DD HAMILTON undocking from repairs at St Johns ran aground and broke her back on 26 October. She was salvaged and HAMILTON was transferred to the RCN in late October and was under repairs under June 1941. She was formally commissioned HMCS HAMILTON on 6 July 1941.

Colony Class CL HMS NIGERIA




*Losses
Steamer HEIMDAL (Ger 2186 grt) *was sunk 7 miles NW of Terschelling by Sub H.49.
[NO IMAGE]

*UBOATS*
Departures
St. Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 23 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-60, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-123, U-137, U-138.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Sub CACHALOT laid minefield FD.27. This minefield was 50 mines in a one and a half mile line. Due to demands for submarines for patrol duties, the minelaying submarines were for the moment returned to patrol duties on the 26th.
FN.289 departed Southend, escorted by DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa from the Clyde to provide AA protection to convoys between Pentland Firth and Methil

*Channel*
DDs BROKE, VANSITTART, and WHITEHALL and ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA, GARLAND, and BURZA departed the Lizard late on the 23rd on operation G (a sweep north off the French coast north from Ushant. for shipping). DD BLYSKAWICA sank a Vichy cutter. During the night of 23/24 September, DDs WOLVERINE, VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON, and BRILLIANT attempted to intercept a German merchant ship going down Channel. however, the
DDs did not contact the merchant ship.

British steamers CORINIA and PACIFIC GROVE were damaged by the LW at Gravesend Reach and Tory Is respectively.

*Nth Atlantic*
OB.216 was dispersed at 17W, escort Sloop SCARBOROUGH and other escorts were dispersed to assist other inbound convoys.

*Central Atlantic*
The store ships and British tanker OCEAN COAST departed Freetown for MENACE operations on the 18th. On 21 September, RN M.and the troopships for MENACE departed Freetown. CV ARK ROYAL, BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION, CAs CUMBERLAND, RAN AUSTRALIA, and DEVONSHIRE, CL DRAGON (DRAGON was a replacement for DD ECLIPSE which developed engine problems), DDs GREYHOUND, INGLEFIELD, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FORTUNE, FAULKNOR, FURY, ESCAPADE, ECHO, and ECLIPSE, FNFL sloops SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA, COMMANDANT DUBOC, and COMMANDANT DOMINE, armed trawlers VAILLANT (943grt) and VIKINGS (1150grt), NL liners PENNLAND and WESTERNLAND , transports KENYA, SOBIESKI, KARANJA, and ETTRICK, cargo ships carrying tanks, crated a/c, guns, and other stores, ANADYR , CASAMANCE , FORT LAMY , and NEVADA , and tkr OCEAN COAST comprised the allied ships for MENACE. At Dakar opposing the Anglo French force were Vichy controlled BB RICHELIEU, CLs MONTCALM and GEORGES LEYGUES, Contre Torpilleur DDs AUDACIEUX, FANTASQUE, MALIN, LE HARDI, sloops GAZELLE, SURPRISE, ANNAMITE, D'IBERVILLE, and COMMANDANT RIVIERE, and submarines PERSEE and AJAX with sub BEVEZIERS in dock.

The Vichy CLs attempted to leave Dakar when the allied attack began. The FNFL sloops SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA, COMMANDANT DUBOC, and COMMANDANT DOMINE attempted to land troops without success and COMMANDANT DUBOC was damaged. *Redoubtable Class Sub PERSEE (Vichy 1476 grt)* attempted to torpedo CL DRAGON, but was sunk by DRAGON and DDs FORESIGHT and INGLEFIELD.





Vichy Contre Trorpilleur DD AUDACIEUX was hit and disabled by gunfire from RAN CA AUSTRALIA and DDs GREYHOUND and FURY and set afire. 81 of her crew were killed. 186 survivors from AUDACIEUX were rescued by Vichy sloop SURPRISE. After emergency repairs, DD AUDACIEUX departed Dakar on 7 August 1941 and arrived at Casablanca on 11 August. She departed on 17 August and arrived at Oran on 18 August. Departing on 20 August, she arrived at Bizerte on 22 August. CA CUMBERLAND was hit in the engine room by a 9.4 inch shell. The shell severed a steam pipe which temporarily cut off all electrical power to the ship. One crewman was killed. CUMBERLAND was forced to retire at 10 knots to Bathurst for repairs, arriving on the 24th. She left Bathurst on the 26th and arrived at Freetown on the 27th.

CL DRAGON was damaged by splinters from French gunfire. One Crewman was wounded. While pursuing Vichy subs AJAX and PERSEE, DDs INGLEFIELD and FORESIGHT were hit by shore gunfire, but neither required immediate repair. 7 crew were wounded on INGLEFIELD. 3 ratings were killed in the FORESIGHT. DD INGLEFIELD departed Gibraltar on 31 October for London where she was under refit and repair until 20 January 1941. DD FORESIGHT departed Gibraltar on 31 October for Liverpool where she was under refit and repair until 30 December.

S/Lt (A) G. W. Brokensha of 803 Squadron, returning to aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL, crashed landed his Skua at sea but was rescued by DD GREYHOUND. *Steamer TACOMA (Ex-Daniush 5905)* now under Vichy control after its seizure in July was sunk at Dakar. Vichy steamers PORTHOS KORSHOLM and TAMARA were damaged.






*Med- Biscay*
RAN CL SYDNEY completed a refit at Alexandria begun earlier in the month. RN gunboat LADYBIRD, which had departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh on the 20th, bombarded Sidi Barrani.

*Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.6 departed Bombay, escort AMC HECTOR. The convoy was joined on the 25th by AMC ANTENOR. Both were detached on 1 October when RAN CL HOBART joined the convoy. Sloops HINDUSTAN and RAN PARRAMATTA joined on 3 October and DD KINGSTON and sloop AUCKLAND on 4 October. HOBART was detached on 4 October and sloop HINDUSTAN was detached on 8 October. The remainder of the escort was detached on 9 October when sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY joined. The convoy arrived at Suez on 11 October.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DURBAN arrived at Hong Kong.

*Malta*
(22 September (carried over)
*Malta*
115-1135 hrs Air raid alert for a formation of 4 CR 42 fighters escorting 5 SM 79 bombers which drop 25 bombs around Luqa aerodrome from 15000 ft. One bomb hits the aerodrome and the remainder fall around Luqa village, demolishing 10 houses and killing one civilian boy. Two bombs fail to explode. AA guns engage; no hits claimed. Malta fighters are scrambled and are about to attack at 16000 feet when they are drawn off by a false alarm of a dive-bombing attack. One Gladiator at 10000 feet is surprised and attacked by three enemy fighters but not hit. 3 reported unexploded bombs at Luqa are found to have their safety pins intact.

1210 hrs Hal Far and Luqa areas are declared clear of unexploded bombs. Three dug out by the bomb disposal team were found to have their safety pins in place. 2045 hrs An enemy sub is reported 1.5 off Ghallis Tower heading sth east. Coastal guns are ordered not to open fire in case the submarine fires back at them but to report the vessel’s location immediately. At 2240 hrs A coastal defence post reports the sound of engines offshore.

AIR HQ Departures 1 Sunderland. KALAFRANA Latecoere aircraft carried out 5.75 hr leaflet patrol over Bizerta and Tunis. One Sunderland left for Middle East.

*Malta*
23 September
In a note to the CIGs Churchill wrote “The telegram (from Malta Cmd) confirms my apprehensions about Malta. Beaches defended on an average bn front of 15 miles, and no reserves for counter-attack worth speaking of, leave the Island at the mercey of a landing force. You must remember that we do not possess the command of the sea around Malta. The danger therefore appears to be extreme. I should have thought four battalions were needed….”

And to Secretary of State for War the PM wrote: “Do you realise there is no command of the sea at Malta, and it might be attacked at any time by an expeditionary force of twenty or thirty thousand men from Italy, supported by the Italian Fleet?”

1045 hrs 3 Wellington bombers arrive at Luqa. One crashes on landing and is badly damaged but repairable, though not with the materials currently available on the Island.

KALAFRANA Two Sunderlands 228 Squadron arrived from Middle East for a prolonged stay, bringing a maintenance party of 16 and an important Naval officer en route for Gibraltar.


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## Njaco (Sep 22, 2015)

*September 23 1940 Monday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Hans ‘Assi’ Hahn of 4./JG 2 shoots down his twentieth victory and is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* JG 3's Hans-Herbert Landry, who was shot down on 28 August, 1940 and severely injured, dies of his wounds in a British POW camp.

King George VI of the United Kingdom instituted the George Cross award as the equivalent of the Victoria Cross for civilians. He also instituted the George medal to award those who displayed courage not in the face of the enemy.

The United Kingdom received 7 American destroyers at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

*ASIA:* Japanese troops invaded Indochina despite French agreement to Japanese demands during negotiations on the previous day. The Japanese aim is to prevent aid reaching the Chinese through Indochina. There are to be 6000 troops stationed in the country and they are to have transit rights. They take Tonkin Province quickly. Vichy French garrison at Da Nang, Central Vietnam, offers fierce resistance to Japanese occupation forces.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Menace: British and Free French forces try to bring the port of Dakar over to the Allied cause. The operation is code named Menace. The British are led by Admiral J. Cunningham and the French by General de Gaulle. The forces involved include three small Free French warships but the main power is provided by two British battleships and one carrier. There are 3600 Free French troops aboard the various transports and a further 4300 British who, for political reasons, are not to be used unless absolutely necessary. The Vichy forces include the battleship “_Richelieu_” (unfinished), two cruisers and some destroyers and submarines. Admiral Landriau commands these vessels and Governor Boisson is in overall charge. General Charles de Gaulle arrived with his 3,600 Free French troops at Dakar, held by Vichy France. The Vichy French forces imprisoned the crew of two Free French aircraft that had landed at Dakar, and then fired upon a boat containing Free French personnel approaching to negotiate (wounding 2). At 1000 hours, British warships approached the harbor, and were also fired upon (killing 5) by the shore batteries which are supported by the guns of the crippled “_Richelieu_” which the Vichyites have towed into the middle of the harbor. At 1130 hours, British ships fell back out of the range of shore batteries. A Vichy cruiser manages to clear the harbor and threatens to cut the Gaullists off from the task force. At about the same time, Vichy French submarine “_Persee_” was sunk while attempting to torpedo the cruiser “_Dragon_”. In the afternoon, cruiser HMAS “_Australia_” attacked Vichy French destroyer “_L'Audacieux_”, forcing her to beach after 81 were killed. De Gualle's first attempt at a landing, at Rufisque Bay, was repulsed, and he began to show reluctance of killing fellow countrymen. Having heard of this sentiment, Winston Churchill urged de Gaulle to "stop at nothing".

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *British submarine H-49 sank German ship “_Heimdal_” 7 miles northwest of Terschelling Island, the Netherlands.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Bantam delivered a prototype, officially named the "Pilot" but nicknamed the "Blitz Buggy", to the US Army vehicle test center at Camp Holabird, Maryland, United States for a requirement that would result in the Jeep.

*GERMANY:* The British RAF Bomber Command sent 129 bombers for a night raid against Berlin, Germany, causing minimal damage.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 23, 2015)

*24 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-106




_A Type IXB submarine, believed to be U-106, under attack by a Sunderland flying boat_
U-106 was one of the most successful Uboats of WWII. She completed 10 wartime patrols and sank 22 ships totalling 138,581 gross register tons (GRT). U-106 helped to catalyze Mexico's entry into World War II on the side of the Allies by sinking one of two oil tankers; the FAJA DE ORO. (The other was the POTRERO DEL LIANO, sunk by U-564).

Allied
Ex-USN DDs transferred to the RCN: DDs ANNAPOLIS, COLUMBIA, NIAGARA, ST CLAIR, ST. CROIX, ST FRANCIS




_Town Class DD HMCS ST CROIX_
US DesDiv 69 and the first section of DesDiv 73 were transferred to the RCN at Halifax under the Destroyers for bases deal. On 30 November, ST CLAIR, ST CROIX, and NIAGARA departed St Johns for England. DD ST CROIX broke down en route when she had insufficient suction on her fuel lines and had to return to St Johns. She was taken under repair at Halifax and did not enter service until March 1941. DD ST CROIX remained in Canadian waters for her service. DDs ST CLAIR and NIAGARA arrived the Clyde on 11 December and were assigned to the 4th Escort Group.

*Losses
Catapult Seaplane tender OSTMARK (Ger 1280 grt) *was sunk by HM Sub TUNA off Belle Ile (off the southern coast of Brittany).





*Steamer CONTINENTAL COASTER (UK 555 grt)* was sunk by DKM S-Boat S.30. Four crew were lost on the British steamer.

MTB.14, MTB.15, MTB.16, and MTB.17 were returning from a raid against German shipping between Ostend and Dunkirk. *MTB 15 (RN 18 grt)* was sunk by a mine 30 miles NE of North Foreland.





*Armed patrol trawler LOCH INVER (RN 356 grt) * was sunk by a mine in the Harwich area. the skipper and fourteen ratings were lost.

*Trawler BASS ROCK (UK 169 grt)* was sunk by the LW 23 miles SW of Old Head of Kinsale. Four crew were lost on the British trawler.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-37, U-61

At Sea 24 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-60, U-61, U-65, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-123, U-137, U-138.
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DDs ASHANTI and BEDOUIN departed Rosyth to search Dogger Bank for a downed Blenheim air crew. The RAF dinghy was not located, but three Norwegian aviators in an open boat were rescued on the 26th. The DDs later located the dinghy and rescued one alive and one dead airman. The survivors were landed at Newcastle and the DD proceeded to Rosyth. Both DDs arrived back at Rosyth on the 28th. OA.219 departed Methil escort sloop ABERDEEN from 24 to 28 September and DD SCIMITAR from 25 to 28 September. FN.290 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 26th. FS.289 departed the Tyne, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop PUFFIN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
CL GLASGOW departed Scapa Flow at 2030 for the Humber to join the Nore Command. DDs DUNCAN and ISIS departed Scapa Flow for Skolpenfjord, Faroes, to meet British troopship ULSTER MONARCH and escort her to Invergordon. The ships arrived at Invergordon on the 26th, and the DDs then proceeded to Scapa.

Floating mines were seen in one of the exercise areas causiung a temporary cessation of training activities outside of Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
OB.218 departed Liverpool escort DD SABRE, corvettes ERICA, GLOXINIA, and PICOTEE, and ASW trawlers FANDANGO and WOLVES. ERICA was detached on the 24th and GLOXINIA on the 26th. DD SABRE left the convoy on the 27th and corvette PICOTEE and the two trawlers were detached on the 28th.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy OL.4 (?) departed Liverpool escort DDs HAVELOCK and SABRE from 24 to 27 September. The convoy was dispersed on the 27th. Sub CACHALOT attacked a German submarine in 46-58N, 5-56W without success.

*Channel*
ASW trawler LOCH MONTEITH was damaged by the LW. Six ratings were killed and another died of wounds.

*Central Atlantic*
In MENACE operations.

At 0700, *Redoutable class sub AJAX (Vichy 1384 grt) * was bombed at periscope depth by Swordfish from ARK ROYAL and badly damaged. She surfaced before scuttling and her crew, 5 officers and 56 ratings, were rescued aboard DD FORTUNE, later transferred to BB BARHAM. These crewman were later persuaded to join the FNFL in the latter part of the war.




_AJAX just before she went down_

BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION engaged Vichy BB RICHELIEU at 13,500 yds. Shortly later, CAs DEVONSHIRE and RAN AUSTRALIA engaged a CL and a DD, damaging the destroyer. Subsequently, AUSTRALIA, DEVONSHIRE. and DDs FORESTER, INGLEFIELD, and FORESIGHT bombarded Vichy positions in Goree Bay. Vichy BB RICHELIEU was damaged by a hit of a 15 inch shell and the near misses of two air bombs. BB BARHAM received medium damage from four shell hits. In British air attacks during the day, three Swordfish and three Skuas a/c from ARK ROYAL were lost to Vichy ftrs and 2 a/c to Vichy AA fire. Lt Cdr A Yeoman, leading a strike of 9 Swordfish of 810 and 820 Sqs, escorted by 3 Skuas, forced landed his Swordfish en route due to engine failure and was picked up by DD ESCAPADE. On the return, Acting Lt R. S. Hankey of 810 Squadron was able to land his damaged Swordfish in the water and was picked up by DD ECHO. Lt N. R. Corbet-Milward and LtB J. Prendergast of 810 Squadron landed in the water and were picked up by DD ESCAPADE. One Skua crew of 800 Sqn was picked up by DD ECHO and another from 803 Sqn by DD FORESTER.

In Swordfish of 810 Squadron, Acting S/Lt (A) I. H.B England and Naval Airman F. C. Moore of one Swordfish, S/Lt (A) A L. Cross and S/Lt (A) G. M. M. C. Wheeler of another were lost. Naval Airman G. P. Dawson of the Wheeler Swordfish and and Acting S/Lt (A) D. G. Richardson of the England Swordfish were taken prisoner. Lt J. S. L. Crabb, Lt (A) H. H. Jackson, and Naval Airman N. Jarvis of CVL HERMES's 814 Sqn were shot down and taken prisoner.

2 air raids were carried out by the Vichy AF on Gib in retailtion for the attacks in Dakar, one on September 23rd one on September 24th.

The raid on the 23rd was under taken by some 40 bombers , causing no damge of note whilst the raid on the 24th with over 100 a/c (of which 60 were bombers) damaged several buildings and 2 bombs just missed HMS RENOWN which was in the harbour at the time. details on these attacks are contradictory and sketchy, but it seems that on the 23rd 60 french (LeO 45 DB-7 Glenn Martin 167) bombers escorted by Dewointine 520 and Curtiss H-75 fighters (from N-Africa) attacked Gib with 40 bombs, 6% hitting the target. Next day 60 bombers came with 80t load. 19% success. The french losses were about 5%. Enough to stop further attacks.

BC RENOWN with DDs HOTSPUR, FIREDRAKE, GRIFFIN, and ENCOUNTER sortied from Gibraltar at 1550 to avoid further air attack. Vichy DDs EPEE, FLEURET, FOUGUEUX, and FRONDEUR departed Casablanca on the 24th to demonstrate off Gibraltar for MENACE. Following a contact report by armed boarding vessel CHARLES MCIVER , DD WRESTLER contacted the Vichy DDs at 0500 on the 25th. DD EPEE opened fire at 0518 on the 25th on DD WRESTLER off Gibraltar. DD EPEE fired 14 rounds, DD FLEURET was unable to fire due to fire control equipment defects, and DDs FOUGUEUX and FRONDEUR fired six rounds between them. The Vichy DD sustained no damage, and neither was any damage inflicted. DDs WRESTLER and WISHART pursued the withdrawing Vichy DDs.

BC RENOWN with her DDs proceeded in support, but made no contact. DDs FIREDRAKE and WISHART joined on the 27th, relieving DDs HOTSPUR and GALLANT which returned for refuelling. DD WISHART was detached on the 28th to investigate a sub contact near BC RENOWN. The RENOWN force arrived back at Gibraltar at 1745 on the 28th. DD GRIFFIN was detached and returned to assist DD WISHART. All four Fr DDs returned to Casablanca on the 25th.

*Med- Biscay*
RAN CL SYDNEY departed Alexandria to patrol off Cyprus. SYDNEY covered British netlayer PROTECTOR on patrol near Beirut from 24 to 26 September searching for Vichy steamer THEOPHILE GAUTIER, which was depart Beirut for Marseilles. The RAN CL returned to Alexandria on the 26th after it was learned that the French ship was delayed in sailing. CA YORK arrived at Suez and departed for Alexandria on the 25th. The cruiser departed Port Said on the 26th and arrived at Alexandria on the 27th. DDs HASTY and HAVOCK departed Alexandria for Port Said to escort convoy AN.4 of four steamers, which departed on the 27th. CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria on 28 Septembr to join this convoy. The convoy arrived on 2 October.

CLA COVENTRY was detached on the 27th to Port Tewfik. COVENTRY and British gunboat GNAT passed through the Suez Canal and arrived at Alexandria on the 30th. The convoy and CL AJAX safely arrived at Suez on the 29th.

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## Njaco (Sep 23, 2015)

*September 24 1940 Tuesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain, gasoline price rose to 2 shillings and 2 pence per gallon.

As the British government announced plans to expand evacuation, 444,000 children had already been evacuated from the London area.

*GERMANY:* The Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 2, Oblt. Hans 'Assi' Hahn, is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

*ASIA:* Japanese troops occupied Lang Son, Indochina.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Menace: Overnight, Governor of French West Africa, Pierre Boisson, rejected Free French demand for the surrender of Dakar. At 0700 hours, British destroyer HMS “_Fortune_” detected Vichy French submarine “_Ajax_”, which was forced to surface by depth charges and then sunk with gunfire after the crew of 61 was captured. British battleship HMS “_Barham_” shelled French battleship “_Richelieu_” in Dakar harbor. “_Richelieu_” was damaged with two shells and a misfire of her own. French coastal batteries was able to force back the British fleet at 1000 hours. In the afternoon, the British fleet returned. French coastal artillery opened fire again, hitting “_Barham_” with four shells, and forced back the British fleet once again. The British battleship “_Resolution_” is hit by shellfire in the ongoing battle. Far to the north, 64 Vichy French bombers from Algeria and Morocco bombed Gibraltar in retaliation, damaging one ship.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Cachalot_” attacked a German submarine in the Bay of Biscay off France without success. Meanwhile, British submarine HMS “_Tuna_” sank German catapult ship “_Ostmark_” 35 miles west of Saint-Nazaire, France. 10 miles off Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, German motor torpedo boat S-30 sank British ship “_Continental Coaster_” in the North Sea, killing 4.

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## parsifal (Sep 24, 2015)

*25 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
USN Submarine chaser PC 449




_some sources refer to this ship as SC 449_

*Losses
MV EURYMEDON (UK 6223 grt) *Sunk by U-29 (Otto Schuhart) Crew: 93 (29 dead and 64 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo Route: Liverpool - Capetown - Batavia, Java OB-217 (dispersed), Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 1402 hrs the unescorted EURYMEDON, dispersed from convoy OB-217, was hit aft by one torpedo from U-29 about 366 miles west of Achill Head. At 1600 hours the ship was hit amidships by another torp, but still remained afloat until she foundered two days later. 20 crew members and nine passengers were lost. The master, 41 crew members and 22 passengers were picked up by RCN DD OTTAWA and landed at Greenock on 27 September, where one crew member later died of injures. The master John Faulkner Webster was awarded the Lloyd’s War Medal for bravery at sea. 





*MV MABRITON (UK 6694 grt) *Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 37 (12 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Tyne - Father Point, New Brunswick ; OB-216 (dispersed) Sunk in the North Atlantic. At 0325 hrs the unescorted MABRITON, dispersed on 23 September from OB-216, was hit by one torpedo from U-32 in the stern, broke in two and sank WSW of Rockall. The master, 23 crew members and one gunner were rescued: the master and 17 survivors by HMS JASON and 7 others on 30 September by HMS ROCHESTER and landed at Londonderry





*MV SULAIRIA (UK 5802 grt)* Sunk by U-43 (Wilhelm Ambrosius) Crew: 57 (1 dead and 56 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo and Livestock Route: Glasgow - Montreal ; OB-217 (dispersed) sunk in the Nth Atlantic; At 1330 hrs the unescorted SULAIRIA , dispersed from convoy OB-217 on 24 September, was hit in the stern by one G7e torpedo from U-43 and sank slowly about 356 miles west of Achill Head, Co. Mayo. The master and 55 crew members were picked up by RCN DD OTTAWA and landed at Gourock on 27 September.





*Drifter WHITE DAISY (UK 79 grt)* was lost near Lerwick in heavy weather.

*Ocean going Trawler FINLANDE (Vichy 1344 grt)* was seized by the RCN in the Newfoundland Banks area. She was placed at the disposal of the FNFL initially but remained laid up until April 1941 when she was transferred to the Ministry of War Transportation.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-47 , U-48 , U-65 , U-99 , U-100

Departures
Lorient: U-38

At Sea 25 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-60, U-61, U-103, U-123, U-137, U-138.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.290 departed the Tyne, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 26th. FN.291 departed Methil, escort DDs VEGA and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow at 1006 after covering convoy OA.219 on the east coast of Scotland. DD VERSATILE departed Scapa for Middlesbrough to refit and correct defects, arriving at 0930 on the /26th, but was ordered to return to Rosyth, arriving at 1700 on the 26th. DDs SOMALI and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow at 0220 to search for a downed enemy a/c, which crashed in the sea at 2000 on the 24th, 22 miles 90° from Kinnaird Head. At the same time a German safety boat departed Stavanger at 2100 on the 24th to also find and rescue them. The German crew was rescued before the British ships, the crew taken prisoner and the DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow at 2300 on the 25th

*West Coast UK*
OB.219 departed Liverpool escort DD WINCHELSEA and corvette PERIWINKLE. The convoy was joined the next day by corvette GERANIUM and ASW trawlers INDIAN STAR and ST ZENO. The trawlers were detached on the 28th and the remainder of the escort on the 29th.

*Channel*
Operation LUCID was a plan to send fire ships to French ports to destroy German landing craft. The forces departed on the 25th. Force A, old tkr WAR NIZAM and DDs CAMPBEL, and GARTH, MSWs SUTTON, SALAMANDER, and SELKIRK, and MTBs departing Sheerness. Force B, old tkr WAR NAWAB, DDs BEAGLE and WOLVERINE, MSWss NIGER and ELGIN, and MTBs departed Portsmouth early on the 25th, but was recalled when WAR NAWAB was found unfit for the trip. Force C was a covering force of DDs VETERAN, VENOMOUS, and WILD SWAN which departed Sheerness. The operation was cancelled late on the 25th when the second tanker, WAR NIZAM, broke down.
For British minefield MU, MLs PLOVER and WILLEM VAN DER ZAAN departed Immingham and arrived at Sheerness at noon on the 26th. At 2200 on the 26th, the MLs departed Sheerness for MU. However, en route both MLs ran aground at the northern end of the Goodwins. Tug LADY BRASSEY got the MLs off and they arrived back at Sheerness at 0600 on the 27th, without having carried out their mission.

RN sub UTMOST departed Portsmouth for patrol in Biscay. The sube arrived back on 5 October with propeller defects. The submarine was under repair from 6 October to 26 October.

U.138, leaving Lorient, was attacked off Penmarch by RN Sub CACHALOT.

*Central Atlantic*
Operation MENACE:

RAN CA AUSTRALIA was damaged by two six inch shell hits, but the damage did not require her withdrawal. BB BARHAM was hit by a 15 inch shell. A Walrus from AUSTRALIA was shot down astern of BARHAM by Vichy fighters. Flight Lt G. J. I. Clarke, RAAF, Lt Cdr W. G. Fogarty, RAN, and Petty Officer Telegraphist C. K. Bunnett were killed. DDr FORESTER was sent to pick up the survivors, but came under heavy fire from the defending shore batteries and was forced to withdraw. After MENACE, AUSTRALIA proceeded to Liverpool to correct defects. She was in the Clyde at the end of October with turbine problems. She was refitting at the Clyde from 22 November to 29 December.

Vichy sub BEVEZIERS torpedoed BB RESOLUTION off Dakar. There were no crew killed in the BB. DDs FORESTER and INGLEFIELD laid a smoke screen. BB RESOLUTION was taken in tow late on the 26th by BARHAM to Freetown arriving early on the 29th. Vichy sub SIDI FERRUCH from Konakry tried to intercept the British ships, but a/c from CV ARK ROYAL forced the sub to submerge 10 miles short of the British ships. After temporary repairs at Freetown, RESOLUTION arrived at Gibraltar on 16 December. She departed Gibraltar in March 1941 for Portsmouth, but due to heavy bombing on Portsmouth, she was sent on to the United States. BB RESOLUTION was repaired and updated at Philadelphia from April to September 1941.

In a Vichy air attack on Gibraltar on the 25th, three bombs fell in the Dockyard. Paymaster Cdr J. E. Davie - Smith and a rating of CORMORANT were killed. *ASW trawler STELLA SIRIUS (RN 550 grt)* of ASWGp 7 was sunk by Vichy air attacks at Gibraltar. The survivors were rescued by ASW trawler ARCTIC RANGER. One rating was killed in trawler ARCTIC RANGER during these attacks. Temporary S/Lt K. F. W. Wilcox RNVR, and eleven ratings of trawler STELLA SIRIUS, was killed.

Mounting losses in the Dakar operation and complete failure of the FNFL forces to get ashore caused Operation MENACE to be cancelled.

CVE ARGUS departed Freetown for the UK, escorted by AMC CICILIA. On 28 September, the carrier was escorted by DD WISHART, which was in turn detached to hunt a reported Uboat contact during the voyage.

Convoy SLS.49 departed Freetown escort AMC CILICIA to 12 October, when it rendezvoused with convoy SL.49. The convoys arrived at Liverpool on 17 October.

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HEREWARD, HYPERION, JUNO, and MOHAWK, departed Alexandria on the 24th for Mersa Matruh, and on the 25th bombarded a motor convoy west of Sidi Barrani, destroying a number of vehicles.

*Steamer RINA CROCE (FI 569 grt) *(renamed Tyne built coaster SOUTWARK transferred to Italain service 1926) was lost on a mine 2.5 miles off Brindisi laid by HM sub ROQUAL on 14 June.
Image source: Tyne Built Ships Shipbuilders





*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DANAE arrived at Penang. Steamer SAARLAND (Ger 6725 grt) at Dairen was sold to Japan as TEIYO MARU.

*Malta*
1132-1219 hrs Air raid alert for one formation of 8 enemy MC 200 fighters which flew over the Island at 20000 feet. 3 Hurris and two Glad a/c scramble and engage the raiders in a dog fight at 22000 ft, shooting down one Macchi which crashes on land near a military defence post at Delimara, killing the pilot. The Fort reports incendiary bombs near the AA searchlight half a mile away. AA guns also engage the enemy: one aircraft is believed damaged but is not seen to crash. Maresciallo Gino Lagi, 79th Squadriglia, 6th Gruppo, 1st Stormo, pilot of MC 200 shot down and Killed.

FNFL sub NARVAL sailed on first patrol under Free French colours.


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## Njaco (Sep 24, 2015)

*September 25 1940 Wednesday
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *This Day in the Battle of Britain

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Operation Lucid: The British Royal Navy filled each of the two old tankers “_War Nizam_” and “_War Nawab_” with 2,000-3,000 tons of heavy fuel oil, diesel oil, and gasoline, then dispatched them from Sheerness in southeast England and Portsmouth in southern England with destroyers, minesweepers, and torpedo boats as escorts. These two oil tankers were meant to act as fire ships against the German invasion barges which had gathered in French ports along the English Channel, but the operation was canceled when “_War Nizam_” broke down.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The crews of II./JG 52 completes its refitting and returns to its airfields at Peupelinge, France.

Vichy France instituted a court-martial body for crimes committed against the state. There was no appeal, and sentence was to be carried out within 24 hours.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The German merchant ship “_Weser_” was captured off the coast of Manzillo, Mexico by the Royal Canadian Navy armed merchant cruiser “_Prince Robert_”.

US Signals Intelligence first reads Japanese Purple code.

*ASIA:* France surrendered Indochina to Japan, but fighting continued.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Menace: The British fleet bombarded Dakar in French West Africa in the morning. At 0900 hours, French submarine “_Beveziers_” attacked British battleship HMS “_Resolution_”, damaging her. She had to be towed back by battleship HMS “_Barham_” while the rest of the British warships fell back. The British War Cabinet decided to cancel the operation after all attempts to enter Dakar failed.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Vichy French bombers from Algeria and Morocco again bombed Gibraltar in retaliation to the British and Free French attacks on Dakar, lighting damaging port facilities and sinking British anti-submarine trawler “_Stella Sirius_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-32 sank British R. Chapman Son cargo ship “_Mabriton_” in convoy OB-217 500 miles west of Ireland at 0325 hours; 12 were killed and 25 survived. German submarine U-43 sank British ship “_Sulairia_” in convoy OB-217 400 miles west of Ireland at 1330 hours; 1 was killed and 56 survived. Shortly after at 1400 hours in the same general area west of Ireland, German submarine U-29 attacked British ship “_Eurymedon_” in convoy OB-217. She would sink two days later; the final casualty list included 20 crew and 9 passengers killed; 42 crew and 22 passengers survived.

*GERMANY:* Joachim von Ribbentrop alerted the German embassy in the Soviet Union that Japan was likely to join Germany and Italy in an alliance. Should this happen, the ambassador was to alert the Soviet Union of this news, and to ensure the USSR that this alliance was meant to deter the United States from entering the war and in no way was meant to be formed against Soviet interests.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Oslo, Terboven, the Reichs Commissioner, deposes the King of Norway formally and appoints Quisling to lead the new Norwegian government. The Administrative Council are deposed, the government is declared illegal, and political parties are dissolved except for the Nasjonal Samling and 13 commissars are appointed to governor the country.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2015)

*26 September 1940 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Boom Defence Vessel HMAS KANGAROO




_HMAS Kangaroo in company with her sister ships HMAS Koala and HMAS Karangi_

BPB 70' Type Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 59





Flower Class Corvette HMS NASTURTIUM




_Laid down in British yards for the french Navy until taken over by the RN after the fall of France_

*Losses
MV MANCHESTER BRIGADE (UK 6042 grt)* Sunk by U-137 (Herbert Wohlfarth) Crew: 62 (58 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: General Stores Route: Manchester - Montreal ; Convoy OB 218 Sunk in the Western Approaches. Between 0050 and 0052 hrs, U-137 fired three torpedoes at the convoy OB-218 west of Malin Head, sank MANCHESTER BRIGADE and damaged the ASHANTIAN (see below). The MANCHESTER BRIGADE was the ship of the convoy commodore Vice-Admiral Humphrey Hugh Smith, DSO, RNR. Four crew members were picked up by the FNFL hospital ship CANADA and landed at Gibraltar.





*Tkr STRATFORD (UK 4753 grt)* Sunk by U-137 (Herbert Wohlfarth) Crew: 34 (2 dead and 32 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Liverpool - Aruba Convoy OB218 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0135 hrs the surfaced U-137 fired a G7e torpedo at the STRATFORD in convoy OB-218 85 miles WSW of Bloody Foreland. The torpedo hit in the aft part of the tkr and caused such a heavy detonation that oil and debris fell near the U-boat. The stern was seen to caught fire and settle deep before the ship finally sank. Two crew members were lost. The master and 14 crew members were picked up by Corvette GLOXINIA and 17 other crew members by HMS WOLVES.





*MV CORRIENTES (UK 6863 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 50 (0 dead and 50 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo and Bricks Route: Glasgow - Halifax - Montreal Convoy OB 217 (dispersed). Sunk in the Nth Atlantic . At 0234 hrs the unescorted CORRIENTES, dispersed from convoy OB-217, was hit in the engine room by one torpedo about 600 miles west of Achill Head, Co. Mayo. The U-boat had chased the ship for 6 hrs and left the vessel in a sinking condition after the crew abandoned ship, but she remained afloat. At 2000 hours on 28 September, the abandoned CORRIENTESs was struck underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-37 and was finally sunk by gunfire at 2140 hrs. The master and 49 crew members were picked up by the Swedish MV KOLSNAREN and landed at Philadelphia.





*MV DARCOILA (UK 4084 grt) *Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 37 (37 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route: Barry - Milford Haven - Philadelphia OB 217 Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 1337 hrs the unescorted DARCOILA , dispersed the day before from convoy OB-217, was hit on port side amidships by one G7e torpedo fired from the stern torpedo tube of U-32 about 600 miles west of Ireland. The ship sank within 5 minutes by the stern after a boiler explosion. There were no survivors.





*MV TANCRED (UK 6094 grt) *Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 36 (0 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Liverpool - New York Convoy OB-217 (dispersed) Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 0811 hrs the TANCRED, dispersed the day before from OB-217, was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-32 about 600 miles WNW of Valencia, Ireland. The torpedo struck amidships and caused the ship to settle by the bow due to the flooding of the forward holds. No distress signals could be sent and within 8 mins the 36 crew members abandoned ship in three lifeboats. The U-boat began shelling the ship with 48 rounds from the deck gun, scoring many hits and then left the area before the ship sank to chase another ship of the dispersed convoy. The vessel remained afloat and was re-boarded by the master and a few men to recover extra provisions, the ship´s log book and other valuable papers from a safe in the cabin of the master, but found no access to the cabin due to the damage. The lifeboats remained near the ship until it sank and then sailed eastward. The survivors were picked up the next morning by the Norwegian MV TRICOLOR and landed in New York about a week later.





*MV COAST WINGS (UK 862 grt)* Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 16 (16 dead - no survivors) Cargo: General Cargo Route: Gourock (Glasgow)- Lisbon OG-43 (straggler) Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 0153 hrs the COAST WINGS , a straggler from convoy OG-43, was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-46 SW of Ireland. The ship disintegrated almost immediately. There were no survivors.
Image Source: Stichting Maritiem-Historische Databank





*MV SILJAN (SD 3058 grt)* Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 27 (9 dead and 18 survivors) Cargo:Coal Route: Cardiff - Lisbon; Sailing independently Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 2120 hrs the SILJAN was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-46 about 350 miles SW of Ireland. The ship developed a list and the crew began to abandon ship when the U-boat went closer to read her name. They suddenly realized that the ship was still making headway at 6-8 knots and turned towards the U-boat, which had a hard time avoiding a collision and went onto a parallel course just beneath the vessel and came clear after a few minutes, but the diving planes were damaged and the U-boat was forced to abort the patrol. The ship sank after 25 minutes without having been properly identified.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
To Lorient: U-138

At Sea 26 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-60, U-61, U-103, U-123, U-137.
12 boats at sea

U-138. A few hours before reaching base at Lorient, U-138 encountered the British submarine HMS Tribune which fired four torpedoes at her. None hit the U-boat, which docked shortly afterwards

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD VETERAN, returning to Harwich after the aborted LUCID operation, was damaged by a mine exploding close aboard off Barrow Deep Light Vessel. The feet of the starboard turbine snapped and the steering engine was damaged. VETERAN was under repair for 8 days at Chatham. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI rescued three Norwegian airmen in an open boat in the Nth Sea. OA.220 departed Methil escort sloop ROCHESTER, corvette BLUEBELL, and ASW trawlers CAPE ARGONA, HORNPIPE, and PENTLAND FIRTH from 26 to 28 September. CLA cruiser CURACOA provided support for the convoy on 26 and 27 September. FN.291 departed Southend, escort DDs VIMIERA and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 28th. FS.292 departed Methil, escort DDs VERDUN and VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th. S/Lt H. W. Richardson and Probationary Temporary Midshipman (A) D. S. T. Wells RNVR, were killed when their Miles Master of 759 Sqn crashed near Martock.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1100 on the 26th to support OA.220. The LW carried out attacks on the convoy at 2000, *steamer PORT DENISON (UK 8043 grt)* was damaged six miles NE of Peterhead, and then sank on the 27th, seven miles 260° from Rattray Head (the most easterly point of the Scottish Coast, nth of Aberdeen). 16 crew, including a naval rating, were lost on the British steamer. Survivors were rescued by ASW trawler PENTLAND FIRTH.





British steamers WELSH PRINCE and SUVA were also damaged by a near misses in these LW atacks. After escorting convoy OA.220, CLA CURACOA arrived back at Scapa on the 27th.

*West Coast UK*
LW air attacks on Liverpool damaged British steamers DIPLOMAT and PETERTON at Brunswick Dock, Liverpool. British steamer WEST KEDRON and tug WELLINGTON were also damaged by the LW in other attacks in the Liverpool area.

*Western Approaches*
British Steamer ASHANTIAN was torpedoed by U-137 and heavily damaged whilst attached to the outbound OB 218. She remained afloat however and was towed 220 miles to Rothesay, where she was beached in Kames Bay on 30 September. In May 1941 the ship was refloated and towed to Glasgow where she was repaired and returned to service in September 1941.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.76 departed Halifax escort RCN DD SAGUENAY, armed patrol boat FRENCH, and aux PVs HUSKY and REINDEER in the harbour. FRENCH returned to harbour after dark. At 1930 on the 27th, SAGUENAY departed the convoy leaving the ocean escort, AMC AUSONIA. BHX.76 departed Bermuda on the 24th escort AMC ALAUNIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.76 on the 29th and the AMC cruiser was detached.

For the inbound leg, DD SCMIITAR, corvettes FLEUR DE LYS, HEARTSEASE, and HELIOTROPE, and ASW trawlers HUDDERSFIELD TOWN, KING SOL, and ST ZENO joined on 7 October. Trawler ST ZENO was detached on 8 October and corvette FLEUR DE LYS and trawler KING SOL were detached on 9 October. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 10 October.

*Central Atlantic*
CL ENTERPRISE arrived at Rio de Janiero. DD FURY arrived at Freetown after MENACE operations and departed later that day to rejoin the MENACE force returning to Freetown.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL NEPTUNE arrived at Durban. DKM Raider THOR sank *tkr KOSMOS (Nor 17,801 grt) *in the Sth Atlantic.


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## parsifal (Sep 26, 2015)

*26 September (part II) 1940 
OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*

*Med- Biscay*
RAN DD WATERHEN departed Alexandria to relieve DD ILEX in convoy LW 17 from Haifa to Port Said. ILEX arrived at Alexandria on the 27th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station
Steamer WESER (Ger 9179 grt)*, which was to supply DKM Raider ORION, was captured as she departed Manzanillo, Peru, by RCN AMC PRINCE ROBERT. WESER was renamed VANCOUVER ISLAND for use by Canadian forces.






*Malta*

Extract from an editorial from the _Sydney Morning Herald _

"“Before the entry of Italy into the war, it had been considered very doubtful by defence experts whether Malta could be held against Italian attack from the air. Today, Malta is able to resist all attacks and the Italian air force rains its bombs harmlessly upon Malta, which is still a British naval base and which never sees an Italian warship. The Mediterranean, far from being a Roman sea, has become a closed lakes in the reeds and unfrequented corners of which lurks the Italian Navy…Within the last week, a series of talks have been held at Rome in which the Axis powers had been credited with making new plans; but everything that has been suggested as a possible decision or intention of the Axis powers marks the loss of initiative.”


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## parsifal (Sep 26, 2015)

*27 september 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS PHOEBE




PHOEBE departed the Clyde on 2 October to work up at Scapa Flow. She arrived at Scapa Flow on 4 October. She worked up at Scapa Flow and was assigned to the 15th Cruiser Squadron.

Colony Class CL HMS KENYA




CL KENYA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th for working up and assignment with CruSqn 10. KENYA was sent to Freetown for working up and departed Freetown on 27 October for Plymouth arriving on 5 November.

U Class Sub HMS UNIQUE





A unit in the second group of the U class subs, UNIQUE was built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 30 October 1939. She spent most of her career operating in the Med from mid 1941 under the command of Capt Arthur Hezlet, where she sank the Fascist passenger/cargo ship FENICIA and the Italian troop transport ESPERIA. She also damaged the Fascist Italian Steamer ARSIA, which was later declared a total loss. On 5 January 1942, she made an unsuccessful attack on the RM BB Littorio. U class subs were small and manouverable, easy and cheap to build, and well suited to Med conditions. They were originally intended as a training submarine UNIQUE was lost in October 1942.

*Losses
Steamer DIANA (Nor 1155 grt) *was sunk on a mine between Lizard and Fowey.





U.31 sank *steamer VESTVARD (Nor 4319 grt)* 300 miles west of Ireland. One crewman was killed on the Norwegian steamer, but 28 crew survived. She was on voyage from Manchester to Montreal in ballast. Before she was torpedoed VESTVARD had been in Convoy OB 218, which left Liverpool on Sept. 24 and had scattered after U-137 attacks on the near unescorted convoy on Sept. 26. VESTVARDwas continuing on individual course to the convoy's determined rendevous point , when she was hit by 2 torpedoes. The first torpedo struck on the port side near Hatch 3, the 2nd (after the boats had been launched) in Hatch 4. The port lifeboat, which had drifted behind the ship was hit by something flying through the air during the second detonation and was destroyed, so the 7 occupants had to jump into the water but were able to get on a raft, and were later picked up by the starboard boat. Others who had not yet managed to get in the lifeboats had to jump overboard from the heavily listing ship (to port); an able seaman was pulled under as she sank after 10 mins and he was never seen again..
(Source; this image is from the Norwegian Homefleet site and the picture was supplied to that site by a person called Sverre Johansen)





U.37 sank *steamer GEORGES MABRO (EG 2555 grt)*. Crew: Unknown (no survivors) Cargo: Unknown Route: Huelva (Spain) - Leixos (Portugal) - Glasgow At 2259 hrs the unescorted GEORGES MABRO was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-37, broke in two and sank within 30 seconds.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 27 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-60, U-61, U-103, U-123, U-137.
12 boats at sea.

U-99. During a night air raid on Lorient by BC, two bombs fell close to the moored boat and debris caused slight damage to the deck.

U.46 on patrol in the Atlantic lost two crew overboard in heavy weather.

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
DD SIKH was damaged by British tug FLAMER, alongside at Rosyth. SIKH's temporary repairs were completed by the 29th. DD VERSATILE departed Rosyth for the Tyne. FN.292 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 29th. FS.293 departed Methil, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th. At the Tyne, DD VERSATILE met troopship EMPIRE TROOPER and escorted her to Pentland Firth. MSW HALCYON was mined in the mouth of the Tees in the Nth Sea and badly damaged. Many of the crew were wounded. The MSW was under repair at Southbank until 30 June 1941.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CAIRO departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.18 and escort the convoy through to Methil, after which CAIRO went to Rosyth to correct some defects.

*West Coast UK*
OB.220 departed Liverpool escort DD SKATE, sloop WELLINGTON, corvette GLADIOLUS, and ASW trawlers LADY LILLIAN and NORTHERN GEM. All but WELLINGTON were detached on the 30th and the sloop was detached on 1 October. Sub TRIUMPH, her repairs from the December mining completed, worked up in Holy Loch (near Greenock). TRIUMPH departed Holy Loch on 6 November for the Med. The sub arrived at Gib on 16 November.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.6 departed Sydney escorted by RCN armed yacht ELK and ocean escort Sloop ENCHANTRESS. On 9 October, to cover the inbound leg of the convoy DDs SKATE, VANQUISHER, and WINCHELSEA, sloop HASTINGS, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the convoy. On 11 October, DD WINCHELSEA was detached. The remainder of the escort arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 12 October.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND, CORNWALL, CLs DRAGON, DELHI, DD ESCAPADE, FNFL Sloops sloops SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA, COMMANDANT DOMINE, and COMMANDANT DUBOC, FNFL armed trawler PRESIDENT HOUDACE, transports KENYA, KARANJA, SOBIESKI, ETTRICK, PENNLAND, OCEAN COAST, CASAMANCE, ANADYR, NEVADA, FORT LAMY and WESTERNLAND arrived at Freetown. DD ESCAPADE sailed again at 1020 to cover other ships at sea.

SL.49 departed Freetown escort AMC MORETON BAY to 14 October. On 12 October, SL.49 rendezvoused with SLS.49.
On 13 October, DD ANTELOPE and sloop ABERDEEN joined the convoy. Corvette GLOXINIA and ASW trawler NORTHERN GEM also escorted the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived on 17 October.

*Malta*
1030-1100 hrs 3 Blenheim and 3 Wellington bombers land at Luqa.
1701-1723 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy formations, one of 6 SM79s and one of 3 SM79s, all accompanied by 12 to 15 fighters, which approach at 17000 feet from the nth over Madliena and bomb the Hal Far and Luqa areas. There are three direct hits on hangars and buildings at Luqa; incendiary bombs cause several fires. Twelve bombs land on the runways but do not hold up operations. One Hurricane awaiting repair is written off; one unserviceable Glen Martin is damaged by an incendiary. Sandbag pens prevent serious damage to other aircraft. One unexploded bomb is removed. Malta fighters are scrambled and engage, along with AA. One CR42 fighter is shot down by fighters, the pilot captured near Delimara. Two SM79 bombers hit by AA fire are damaged. One Hurricane is also damaged in combat.

Departures 1 Sunderland. Aircraft casualties 1 Sunderland.

KALAFRANA One Sunderland left for Middle East. One Sunderland sent out to search for a Blenheim was forced to land in the sea off Sicily. No trace was found.


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## Njaco (Sep 27, 2015)

*September 26 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post721237.html#post721237

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A Bf 109E of II./JG 77 catches fire at Oslo-Fornebu while attempting a take-off. The pilot, Gefr. Rudolf Schmidt is injured.

*GERMANY:* RAF No. 61 Squadron, based in Hemswell northwest of Lincoln, was ordered to attack two targets in Germany with twelve Hampden bombers. The primary objective was the battleship “_Scharnhorst_” which was in Kiel Harbour. One bomber was lost.

Admiral Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler, noting that the Italian territories in the Mediterranean Sea was in danger of being attacked by the British as he deduced from the importance the British had placed on the region historically. To prevent this, he recommended Hitler to make plans to seize Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, and the Suez Canal.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Tribune_” fired four torpedoes at German submarine U-138 off Lorient, France. All torpedoes missed.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” sank Norwegian whaling factory ship “_Kosmos_” 400 miles northwest of Natal, Brazil with her deck gun after imprisoning the crew of 89. Captain Kahler of “_Thor_” would later be criticized for not transferring “_Kosmos_'” valuable cargo of whale oil aboard before sinking the ship. German submarine U-137 fired three torpedoes at Allied convoy OB-218 10 miles off the Mullet Peninsula, Ireland between 0050 and 0052 hours, sinking British ship “_Manchester Brigade_” (44 crew and 8 navy personnel killed, 4 survived) and damaging British ship “_Ashantian_” (4 killed). At 0135 hours, U-137 struck again, sinking British ship “_Stratford_” of the same convoy; 2 were killed and 32 survived. About 20 minutes later, German submarine U-46 sank British ship “_Coast Wings_” 350 miles southwest of Ireland at 0153 hours, killing the entire crew of 16. U-46 is damaged in a near collision with “_Siljan_” and is forced to return to base. Further out to sea, at 0234 hours, German submarine U-32 attacked an Allied convoy 400 miles west of Ireland, damaging British ship “_Corrientes_” (entire crew of 50 rescued by Swedish ship “_Kolsnaren_”), sinking Norwegian ship “_Tancred_” (entire crew of 36 survived) at 0811 hours, and sinking British ship “_Darcoila_” (entire crew of 31 killed) at 0137 hours. In the evening at 2120 hours, U-64 struck again, sinking Swedish ship “_Siljan_”; 9 were killed and 18 survived.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In the late evening, the German ambassador in the Soviet Union shared the news that Japan was about to join Germany and Italy in a military alliance. The Soviet Union immediately complained that, according to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the text of such an alliance should have been shared with the USSR prior to the pact being signed, including any secret clauses.

*ASIA:* Japan conducted an amphibious landing at Dong Tac, Indochina; later that day, Japanese troops captured the Gia Lam airfield and several rail yards near Hanoi. In the evening, Emperor Showa ordered fighting to stop in Indochina since the French had already surrendered on the previous day.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Roosevelt administration expanded the Pittman Act by authorizing the Export-Import Bank to lend American republics up to $500 million and to permit these countries to acquire munitions up to a total value of $400 million for their defenses.

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## Njaco (Sep 27, 2015)

*September 27 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post721540.html#post721540

Douglas Bader and James Lacey each shot down a German Bf 109 aircraft.

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down his 6th kill, a British Hurricane fighter, over London, England. In doing so, he abandoned his duty as wingman to flight leader Staffelkapitän Adolf Buhl, and Buhl would be shot down in combat in this engagement.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British newspaper The Daily Herald, on its front page story, reported that six evacuee children from the liner _“City of Benares”_, which had been torpedoed by Kapitanleutnant Heinrich Bleichrodt on 17 Sep 1940, had been rescued from a lifeboat in the mid-Atlantic.

Number of Londoners sheltering in 'Underground' stations reaches record total of 177,000.

*GERMANY: *Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact. Japanese premier Prince Fumimaro Konoye, the Italian foreign minister Duke Ciano and German foreign minister von Ribbentrop and Adolf Hitler sign an agreement promising that each will declare war on any third party which joins the war against one of the three. It is stated that this agreement does not affect either Germany's or Japan's relations with the USSR. This treaty is known as the Tripartite Pact. All the signatories hope that the pact will deter the United States from joining the war in Europe or taking a more active line in the Far East. The Axis pact was eventually extended to include Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia.

Text of the Tripartite Pact of 1940 (English translation) 



> The Governments of Japan, Germany, and Italy consider it the prerequisite of a lasting peace that every nation in the world shall receive the space to which it is entitled. They have, therefore, decided to stand by and cooperate with one another in their efforts in the regions of Europe and Greater East Asia respectively. In doing this it is their prime purpose to establish and maintain a new order of things, calculated to promote the mutual prosperity and welfare of the peoples concerned. It is, furthermore, the desire of the three Governments to extend cooperation to nations in other spheres of the world that are inclined to direct their efforts along lines similar to their own for the purpose of realizing their ultimate object, world peace. Accordingly, the Governments of Japan, Germany and Italy have agreed as follows:
> 
> ARTICLE 1. Japan recognizes and respects the leadership of Germany and Italy in the establishment of a new order in Europe.
> 
> ...



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 300 miles west of Ireland, German submarine U-31 sank Norwegian ship “_Vestvard_” at 1113 hours (1 killed, 30 survived in one lifeboat) and German submarine U-37 sank Egyptian ship “_Georges Mabro_” shortly before midnight (all aboard were killed). 500 miles west of Saint-Nazaire, France, German submarine U-46 dove suddenly due to mechanical failure, killing Oberbootsmaat Heinrich Schenk and Matrosenobergefreiter Wilhelm Reh. Control was regained, and the commanding officer aborted the mission to return to Saint-Nazaire for repairs.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States announced that, with effect from 15 October 1940, they would be imposing an embargo on the export of iron and steel scrap to all nations except those in the western hemisphere and Great Britain.

Convention of Havana convenes whereby the Pan American State appoints themselves joint trustees of any European colony or colonies in the Americas which are threatened by Axis Powers.

*WESTERN FRONT:* France's Vichy government orders all Jews to carry cards identifying them as such.

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## parsifal (Sep 27, 2015)

Italian Armour in the Desert - Mechanization, the key to success in the western desert

The Italian Army established itself in five fortified camps. Here they built and maintained their logistics lines of communication and awaited the British counterattack. The British waited for the Italians to resume their offensive. This was not going to happen until the Italians had time recover from the advance, reorganize their units, build a hard surface road and a water pipeline forward to Sidi Barrani. In essence the Italians were building up their logistical supply base and waiting for the enemy counterattack. This pattern followed closely what had occurred on the northern front in
Ethiopia. The British waited for the Italians to advance to their next objective whilst constantly harassing the Italians with their superior recon and armoured elements. Significant reinforcements were enroute to the ME command, in the form orf a full bn of Matilda II tanks, but they would not arrive for some time yet. Some of the 88000 reserves being held in the Delta were nearing some level of competency in their training, but until then the British had to pray and make do.

The Italians meanwhile hesitated as they prepared their defenses. Since the expected italian advance did not materialise and the British lacked the strength to attack in strength, the period of Late September to late November degenerated into a series of localised raids with neither side able to make much headway.

The Italians had suffered badly against the British in a number of small scale tank battles before September, correctly showing them they needed to significantly improve the armoured support at their disposal. they belieed that as a starting point they had to improve the quality of their armour. The Italian medium armor strength was relatively intact after the advance to Sidi Barrani. On 21 September there were still 68 M.11/39 tanks out of the original 72 shipped to
North Africa. From these 68 M. 11 tanks 31 were unserviceable due to maintenance and 37 serviceable between the two tank battalions. 1 medium tank battalion had 9 serviceable and 23 unserviceable tanks. The 2nd medium tank battalion had 28 serviceable and 8 unserviceable. Their medium tank strength would slowly increase because the next generation Italian tank, the M13/40 was beginning to arrive in small numbers at the front. nowhere was the Italian armour properly supported.




_The Italian initial response to the medium tank threat was the M11/39. it is not considered a satisfactory tank_.


The M 13 tank, was much better in quality and performance than the M. 11 and was equal to the British A9 and A10 Cruiser tanks. The medium M. 13 tank had a hard hitting 47-millimeter gun in a rotating turret with two 8-millimeter machine guns in the hull and had the same chassis as the M 11 medium tank. The II medium tank battalion
with 37 M 13 tanks arrived in Libya during the first days of October, followed by the V Medium Tank battalion equipped with 46 M 13 tanks on 12 December 1940. These armored forces gave the Italians an increasing advantage until mid November of 1940 with 417 medium and light tanks in Libya and Egypt.




_The M13/40 was a good all round tank for 1940, with fair reliability, good firepower and decent protection. Early versions had no radio. Rommel rated them as equal to his early Mk IIIs, though this does seem overly generous_

But the British were also receiving significant reinforcements, of which a number were virtually immune to any weapons at the disposal of the italians. Additional infantry divisions from the commonwealth were also being made ready and further increase the qualitative disparity between the opposing forces

After the conquest of Sollum, the Comando carri della Libia transformed into the Brigata Corazzata and added some artillery elements. This grouping of units was united west of Bardia, near Mersa Lucch. These elements formed the Babini Armored Brigade. The Babini Armored Brigade was formed on 18th November 1940 utilizing the I
medium tank battalion (M 11) and the II medium Tank battalion (M.13) initially. These medium tank battalions were the medium tank battalion assigned to this newly formed organization and the center of its combat power. The
elements assigned to this organization were I medium tank battalion, M 1 1 tanks, II medium tank battalion M.13 tanks, one motorized bersaglieri regiment, 1 motorcycle battalion, 2 antitank companies, 47/32 antitanks guns mounted on trucks, and 1 artillery regiment, 1 battalion of 75/27 guns, 1 battalion of 100/17 guns, 1 battery of 75 CK antiaircraft guns, and 2 batteries of 20-millimeter anti-aircraft guns. The armor brigade was to become the armored component of the 1st Libyan Armored Division, which never had the opportunity to properly form


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## Njaco (Sep 27, 2015)

*September 28 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post721878.html#post721878

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down his 7th kill, a British Spitfire fighter, over the English Channel. His fighter received damage in the engagement, but he was able to crash land in France.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The first of the purchased US destroyers arrived in Britain.

Nearly half a million mothers and children began evacuating London, England, United Kingdom.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Uffz. Otto Niemeyer of 4./JG 77 gets his fourth victory in the late afternoon when he shoots down a British Hudson bomber north west of Bergen.

*GERMANY:* German Battleship “_Bismarck_” departed Kiel for Gotenhafen and then into the Baltic Sea for her trials.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-32 sank British ship “_Empire Ocelot_” 350 miles west of Ireland at 1609 hours; 2 were killed and 32 were rescued by British destroyer HMS “_Havelock_”. German submarine U-37 sank the already-abandoned British ship “_Corrientes_” at 2000 hours; she was damaged by U-32 on 26 Sep. 

German destroyers “_Eckholdt_”, “_Riedel_”, “_Lody_”, “_Galster_”, “_Ihn_”, and “_Steinbrinck_” departed Brest, France and laid mines at the end of the English Channel in Falmouth Bay, Cornwall (right under the nose of Royal Navy squadron based at Plymouth). Meanwhile, British anti-submarine trawler “_Recoil_” hit a mine and sank in the English Channel off Portland Bill in southern England, 25 were killed.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Australian destroyer HMAS “_Stuart_” and British aircraft sank Italian submarine “_Gondar_” 12 miles off Egypt. “_Gondar_” was carrying three piloted torpedoes intended for use against the British Mediterranean Fleet, thus this plan to attack on the fleet at Alexandria was thwarted. “_Gondar's_” entire crew of 43 and the 4 torpedo pilots were rescued by HMAS “_Stuart_”.

British submarine HMS “_Pandora_” sank Italian ship “_Famiglia_” 10 miles off Libya between Benghazi and Tobruk. Italian torpedo boat “_Enrico Cosenz”_ counterattacked unsuccessfully.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German tanker “_Shell II_” was sunk by British bombers in the River Scheldt in the Netherlands.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Sumner Welles, US Under-Secretary of State, in a statement said that the overwhelming majority of the American nation was determined to render all material support and assistance to the people of Britain;


> "… successfully defending their homes with a heroism which is worthy of the finest traditions of that proud people".



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## parsifal (Sep 28, 2015)

*28 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Rescue Tug HMS ASSURANCE





Bangor Class MSW BRIDLINGTON





*Losses
MV EMPIRE OCELOT (UK 5759 grt)* Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 34 (2 dead and 32 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Liverpool - Baltimore Convoy OB 218 (Dispersed) Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 1609 hrs the EMPIRE OCELOT , dispersed from convoy OB-218, was torpedoed and damaged by gunfire by U-32 sw of Rockall. The abandoned vessel sank later. Two crew members were lost. The master and 31 crew members were picked up by the DD HMS HAVELOCK and landed at Liverpool.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DALVEEN (UK 5193 grt)* in HX.73A was sunk by LW long range bombing. 32 crew were rescued from the British steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM Zerstorers LODY, GALSTER, IHN, and STEINBRINCK departed Brest escort Zerstorers ECKHOLDT and RIEDEL to lay mines in Falmouth Bay. These DDs, which had been transferred to Brest earlier in September, laid the minefield without any interference and returned to Brest on the 29th. it was a repeat of earlier achievements by the Kriegsmarine Destroyer arm. The following ships are known to have been lost on this minefield:

*Armed yacht SAPPHO (RN 387 grt)* and *MSW trawler COMET (RN 301 grt) * were lost on this minefield on the 30th off Falmouth. 30 crewmen were lost in these incidents.

*Tug LAUWERZEE (NL 262 grt)* was towing *cable ship LADY OF THE ISLES (UK 166 grt) *when both ships were lost on this minefield three miles east of St Anthony Point on 3 October. 12 crew were lost on the tug and 16 crew were lost on the cable ship.

*Steamer JERSEY QUEEN (UK 910 grt)* was lost on 6 October, 1.5 miles 160° from St Anthony Point. Two crew were lost on the British steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*ASW trawler RECOIL (RN 344 grt)* was lost while on patrol off Portland Bill in the English Channel. 25 of the crew were lost. Trawler RECOIL was the ex-German trawler BLANKENBURG captured in April off Norway.

*Tkr SHELL II (Ger 517 grt)* was sunk by the RAF in the Scheldt.
[NO IMAGE]

RN Sub PANDORA sank *steamer FAMIGLIA (FI 813 grt)* nth of Ras Aamer, Libya. Submarine PANDORA was heavily counterattacked in return by Italian torpedo boat COSENZ.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MONTE MONCAYO (Sp 4291 grt) *was sunk on a mine eight miles off Cagliari whilst in service for the italians. Four crew were lost on the steamer.





*UBOATS*

At Sea 28 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-60, U-61, U-103, U-123, U-137.
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
On a report of a DKM CA escorting a convoy at 1400, possibly escorted by CA HIPPER off Norway, 60 miles off Stavanger, BC REPULSE, CAs BERWICK and NORFOLK, and DDs MATABELE, PUNJABI, DUNCAN, SOMALI, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow at 2015 to intercept. BC HOOD, CLA NAIAD, and DDs ZULU, TARTAR, and ELECTRA departed Rosyth to also intercept the German force. No contact was made and the operation as cancelled at 0909 on the 29th.
MATABELE was detached at 1130 to the area of Muckle Flugga on the 29th to transmit a message to CA NORFOLK which had lost touch. The cruiser was ordered to return to Scapa Flow. MATABELE proceeded to Scapa Flow herself, arriving at 2120. HOOD with ZULU, TARTAR, and ELECTRA arrived at Scapa at 1920 on the 29th. REPULSE, BERWICK, SOMALI, PUNJABI, ESKIMO, and DUNCAN arrived Scapa at 2320 on the 29th. NAIAD returned to to Rosyth. REPULSE and DUNCAN, ZULU, and ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow at 0130 on the 30th and returned to Rosyth. Enroute DUNCAN was detached to escort OA.222 in Pentland Firth. ZULU and ELECTRA were sent ahead of REPULSE at high speed from Gibra Island as makeshift mine exploder ships . REPULSE and DDs ZULU and ELECTRA arrived on the 30th.

OA.221 departed Methil escorted by escort ship JASON and corvette CLEMATIS from 28 September to 3 October. AA ship ALYNBANK was with the convoy on 28 and 29 September. FN.293 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
CL NIGERIA arrived at Scapa to join the Home Flt. DD VIMY departed Scapa Flow and relieved destroyer VERSATILE escorting troopship EMPIRE TROOPER in Pentland Firth at 2359. VERSATILE returned to Invergordon, whilst VIMY and the troopship arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

*West Coast UK*
OL.5 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANQUISHER and ARROW from 28 to 30 September. The convoy was dispersed on the 30th.

*Western Approaches*
British steamer QUEEN CITY in HX.73 A was damaged by LW LR bombers. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa at 0500 to support this convoy off Buchan Ness. After escorting this convoy, she then screened OA.221 from Buchanness before arriving back at Scapa Flow later on the 29th.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL departed Freetown for Manoka at 0600. She arrived at Manora on 1 October. CORNWALL then departed Manora on 9 October for Pointe Noire. CL DELHI departed Freetown to join the MENACE forces still at sea.
At 1300, RAN CA AUSTRALIA arrived at Freetown. One hour later, CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt departed Alexandria on Malta convoy escort operation MB.5. BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CA YORK, CL ORION, and RAN CL SYDNEY departed Alexandria. The ships joined DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, HERO, ILEX, IMPERIAL, JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, and RAN STUART which departed Alexandria late on the 28th to sweep for subs. CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria on the 29th carrying 1200 troops for Malta. The cruisers joined the Main Force before daylight. An Italian submarine reported the Med Flt off Sidi Barrani escorting the Malta convoy. RM subs SCIRE and GONDAR were at sea to launch SLC's against the British Fleet at Gibraltar and Alexandria, respectively. They were both ordered to return to Spezia when it was learned both Fleets were at sea.

A Fulmar from ILLUSTRIOUS forced landed on the 29th and its crew was picked up by RAN STUART.




_A Fulmar operating from IlLLUSTRIOUS later in the war_

On 29 September, STUART suffered a broken steam main and was ordered to return to Alexandria alone. En route, STUART encountered Italian submarine GONDAR, which was returning to Spezia with three SLC's intended for the Mediterranean Flt. STUART damaged GONDAR and summoned DD DIAMOND from Alexandria to finish off the crippled Italian Sub. However before the DIAMOND could arrive, STUART and Alexandria based a/c sank *Adua Class sub GONDAR (RM 685 grt)* .




_From the AWM archive: "DEPTH CHARGES FROM HMAS STUART FORCE THE FINISH OF THE ITALIAN SUBMARINE GONDAR AS SHE HAS TO BLOW HER TANKS AND SURFACE"._

All 47 crew from GONDAR were picked up by STUART and ASW trawler SINDONIS which arrived on the scene.
DIAMOND also arrived as GONDAR was sinking.




_AWM Image: "BRITISH MED FLT VESSELS, HMAS STUART IN THE FOREGROUND, SEEN FROM HMAS VAMPIRE._

That evening BB WARSPITE was straddled by bombing and three crew were wounded. Two Fulmar aircraft failed to return to the aircraft carrier that evening. HMA ship STUART rescued S/Lt I. L. F. Lowe and his naval airman from a Fulmar of 806 Sqn which had been shot down in the area. CLs GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL were detached to Malta on the 30th. CA YORK and DD MOHAWK were stationed 20 miles and forty miles respectively from the Main Fleet.

RAN DD VOYAGER departed Malta at 0001 on 1 October and CLs GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL at 0230 to rejoin the Main Fleet. VOYAGER joined the Main Fleet at 1245. CLA CALCUTTA, formerly supporting convoy AN.4, joined at 1545. The DDs of AN.4, HAVOCK and HASTY, were returning independently to Alexandria. CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER rejoined at 1745. ORION and SYDNEY were detached at sunset on 1 October to carry out a sweep of the Gulf of Athens, Doro Channel, and towards Tenedos. They were also to conduct a night bombardment of port Maltezana (in the Dodecanese, under italian conrol) , if possible.

In response to the Med Flt being at sea, RM BBs LITTORIO, VENETO, CAVOUR, CESARE, and DUILO, CAs POLA, ZARA, GORIZIA, FIUME, TRIESTE, TRENTO, and BOLZANO, CLs ABRUZZI, GARIBALDI, EUGENIO, and AOSTA, and 23 DDs put to sea from Taranto and Messina. On 1 October, RA recon sighted the Med Flt as it was returning to Alexandria and returned to port. CL AJAX and CLA COVENTRY departed Port Said for Alexandria, arriving on the 30th.


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## parsifal (Sep 28, 2015)

*29 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN B1 Class IBoat I-30




_Sister ship I-29_
Neutral
SU Serie XIV K Class Sub K-23





*Losses
MV BASSA (UK 5267 grt)* Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 50 (50 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Liverpool - New York OB-218 (dispersed) Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 0053 hrs the unescorted BASSA , dispersed only a few hours earlier from convoy OB-218, was hit aft by one torpedo from U-32 and sank by the stern sw of Rockall. The Germans observed how the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats, but the survivors were never seen again. The master, 47 crew members and two gunners were lost





*Steamer ARIZONA (NL 398 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1 mile 204° from Kincraig Signal Tower, Firth of Forth. Three crew survived.

*Steamer CARMEN (FI 1434 grt)* was sunk, ESE of Durazzo, probably on a mine.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-137
St. Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 29 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-60, U-61, U-103, U-123.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.294 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at Methil on 1 October. FS.294 departed the Tyne, escort DD WESTMINSTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th. FS.295 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 October.

*Northern Waters*
Light cruiser KENYA arrived at Scapa Flow at 1000.

*West Coast UK*
CL DESPATCH departed the Clyde for Portsmouth for refitting and repairs. OB.221 departed Liverpool with DD ANTHONY, corvettes ARABIS, CALENDULA, and COREOPSIS, and ASW trawlers BLACKFLY and LADY ELSA. COREOPSIS was detached that day. The two trawlers departed on the 30th. ARABIS was detached on 2 October and ANTHONY and CALENDULA left on 3 October.

*Channel*
CL EMERALD and DDs GARLAND, BROKE, VELOX, and BLYSKAWICA departed Plymouth to pursue DKM DDs that had laid a minefield off British Ports previously off St Mary's, Scilly Isle, however no contact was made and the ships arrived back at Plymouth on the 30th.

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*
BC RENOWN and DDs FIREDRAKE, ENCOUNTER, HOTSPUR, and GALLANT departed Gib at 0715 on the 29th to intercept Vichy BB RICHELIEU, which had been reported on passage to to a Biscay port. On leaving harbour, Vichy DDs EPEE and FRONDEUR were sighted passing through the Gib Straits. The British force also conducted patrols off the Azores on the report of German ships with troops, possibly en route to the Azores for occupation. Allof these reports were erroneous. Oiler ORANGELEAF, escort DD WISHART, departed Gib on the 29th for patrol sth of the Azores to refuel the DDs with RENOWN. Oiler ORANGELEAF was met by DD WRESTLER, which departed Gibraltar on 6 October, and escorted back to Gibraltar. BC RENOWN and her four DDs arrived back at Gibraltar on 7 October.

BBs BARHAM and RESOLUTION, CAs DEVONSHIRE, DORSETSHIRE, CL DELHI, DDs INGLEFIELD, FAULKNOR, ESCAPADE, GREYHOUND, FURY, FORESIGHT, and FORESETER, sloops BRIDGEWATER and MILFORD, and boom defence vessel QUANNET arrived at Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
CL AJAX, CLA COVENTRY, and RAN DD WATERHEN arrived at Alexandria

*Malta*

HM cruisers GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL came under threat as the RA launched an attack on the convoy as they made the run into Malta. The attacks were fought off by ships’ guns and aair cover provided by the carrier ILLUSTRIOUS.

Med Flt Command began to deduce at about this time that Commando Supremo was intercepting signals reports of the movements of Operation MB5. In response they had ordered its fleet to put to sea. Five BBs and 7 CAs, 4 CLs and 23 DDs set sail from Taranto and Messina in an attempt to intercept the Allied convoy. The critical weakness for the italian fleet was their l;ack of effective air search capability.

*Malta (30 September)*
HM ships GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL detached from the remaining ships of Operation MB5 this evening and headed for Malta to deliver personnel, guns, ammunition and other stores for Malta. The two cruisers entered Grand Harbour at 2200 hrs tonight. For most of the troops, this was the end of a long journey round the African Cape to Egypt and from there through the Eastern Med. These are the first reinforcements since Italy declared war on the Allies in June.

The new personnel are:

Royal Army Service Corps 3 officers 16 OR
Royal Artillery 27 Ack Ack Battery: 7 officers, 247 other ranks (OR)
Royal Artillery: 1 officer, 1 OR
Royal Corps of Signals: 49 OR
Royal Engineers: 3 OR
2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment: 5 officers 221 OR
1st Bn Dorsetshire Regiment: 4 officers 112 OR
2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regiment: 3 officers 164 OR
8th Bn Manchester Regiment: 7 officers 72 OR
2nd Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers 9 officers 147 OR


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## parsifal (Sep 30, 2015)

*30 September 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U-73




_This Boat is famous for sinking CVL EAGLE in 1942. She sank 8 merchant ships, total tonnage 43,945 GRT
4 warships sunk, total tonnage 22,947 tons 3 ships damaged, total tonnage 22,928 GRT. She was sunk 16 Dec 1943 in the Mediterranean near Oran, by DC attacks and gunfire from the US DD WOOLSEY and TRIPPE with 16 dead and 34 survivors. _

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS CYCLAMEN
(New Image Source: HMS Cyclamen K83 in Flower Class Corvette Images Forum)





Dido Class CLA HMS DIDO




_DIDO departed the Clyde on 1 October and arrived at Scapa Flow on 3 October to work up. She was assigned to CruSqn15_

*Losses
MV HAULERWIJK (NL 3278 grt)* Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 31 (4 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Newport – Milford Haven - Tampa OB-219 (straggler), Sunk In the Nth Atlantic. At 1502 hrs the unescorted HAULERWIJK, a straggler from OB-219, was missed by a torpedo from U-32 that passed underneath the hull without detonating about 660 miles west of Ireland. The U-boat had been pursuing the ship for 7 hrs after a first failed attack. Because the armed ship was now alarmed and zigzagging, Jenisch decided to wait for the night and at 2251 hrs gave the order to open fire with the deck and AA guns from her port side until the target stopped. The ship did stop, but than started to move again after 12 mins. U-32 re-commenced shelling her with all weapons until she stopped and then carried out a third attack. The Germans ceased fire as they were low on ammunition and soon thereafter two lifeboats were spotted nearby. They questioned the master, who spoke German, gave him the course to the nearest land and helped some survivors who had been wounded. At 10.35 hours on 1 October, U-32 returned to the wreck of HAULERWIJK and fired four well aimed rounds with the deck gun into the waterline. Shortly thereafter the ship sank vertically by the bow.





*MV HEMINGE (UK 2499 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 26 (1 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Coal Route: Tyne - Tenerife OB-220 (straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches . At 2156 hrs the HEMINGE , a straggler from OB-220, was torpedoed and sunk by U-37 west of Ireland. One crew member was lost. The master, 23 crew members and one gunner were picked up by the British merchant CLAN CUMMING and landed at Liverpool.





*MV SAMALA (UK 5390 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 68 (68 dead - no survivors) Cargo:Fresh Fruit Route:Kingston - Garston ; Un-escorted; Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 1013 hrs the unescorted SAMALA was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-37 west of Ireland. The U-boat did not wait until the ship sank to operate on a reported convoy, but fired a few rounds from the deck gun into the side to make sure that the ship would sink. There were no survivors.





*UBOATS*

At Sea 30 September 1940
U-29, U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-60, U-61, U-103, U-123.
10 boats at sea.

An unknown enemy submarine fired two torpedoes at U-31 at 0316 hrs. The boat narrowly escaped being struck by these torpedoes. It is possible this iwas a friendly fire incident, since ther is no record of an attack by an RN sub at this time.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.222 departed Methil escort DD DUNCAN, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes GARDENIA and PRIMULA. CLA CURACOA also escorted the convoy until 1 October. DUNCAN and GARDENIA were detached on 1 October. Sloop FLEETWOOD and corvette PRIMULA were detached on 5 October when the convoy rendezvoused with OB.222. FN.295 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on 2 October. FS.296 departed Methil. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 October.

DD KIPLING departed Rosyth for the Humber. The DD was in a collision with British steamer QUEEN MAUD in FN.92 at 0301 on the 30th. The DD sustained slight damage and was repaired in the Humber, from 30 September to 2 October. She then proceeded to Plymouth for further repairs from 3 to 10 October. DD JUPITER arrived at Rosyth to join the Home Flt, temporarily based further south to better react to invasion threats

DDs MALCOLM, WIVERN, and VERITY and patrol sloops WIDGEON and SHEARWATER had departed Harwich and DDs VENOMOUS, WILD SWAN, and EGLINTON departed Sheerness on the 30th and were in patrol in the area, but no contact was made. The ships returned to Harwich on 1 October. Patrol sloops MALLARD and PINTAIL were operating together off Harwich. Sloop MALLARD was badly damaged in a mining off Harwich. Patrol sloop MALLARD, assisted by tug KENIA, arrived at Harwich later that day and was under repair at Chatham until May 1941. An Albacore in a night raid on Vlaardingen was lost.

*Northern Waters*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, PORT NAPIER, and PORT QUEBEC escort DDs VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON, VANSITTART, and WHITEHALL departed Loch Alsh to lay mines in Field SN 42 nth of the British Isles. All ships involved arrived back at Loch Alsh on 1 October. VANSITTART was sailed to Liverpool for boiler cleaning. The Home Fleet ships at Scapa Flow were given orders to be remain at high readiness state of four hrs' notice. This greatly increased fatigue and fuel consumption for the fleet.

*West Coast UK*
British steamers MOUNTPARK, EMPIRE SUCCESS, BARON VERNON and KERMA, and tkr HENRY DUNDAS were damaged by the LW in attacks around the British Isles. At Buchan Ness, CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy OA.222 which she escorted as far as Pentland Firth before transferring to convoy WN.19.


*Western Approaches*
DDs JAGUAR, JAVELIN, KIPLING, and KELVIN were detached for the Nore to join the Western Approaches in view of enemy DD activity in the area. The DDs were later replaced by three B-class destroyers of DesFlot 1.

British steamer SUSSEX was damaged by LR LW attacks. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy SL.47 A from Duncansby Head to Buchan Ness. LW air attacks on SL.47 A off Kinnaird Head from 1955 to 2030 were carried out . The convoy at that time was escorted by Sloop WESTON.

*Channel*
Eight miles east of South Goodwin Light Vessel, RN monitor EREBUS, escort DDs VESPER and GARTH, bombarded Calais. 17 x 15" rounds were fired early in the morning of 30 September in Operation MW. Monitor EREBUS had arrived at Dover in late September from Scapa Flow where she had been working up since 12 August. DDs MACKAY, WITCH, BULLDOG, and SARDONYX were also operating in the area.

During the night of 30 September/1 October, DKM TBs GREIF, KONDOR, FALKE, and SEEADLER of TBFlot 5 laid minefield WERNER off Dover.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.77 departed Halifax at 1400 escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY and aux PVs HUSKY and REINDEER in the harbour. The DDs turned the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC RANPURA, which in turn was detached on 10 October. BHX.77 departed Bermuda on the 28th escorted by AMC LACONIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.77 on 3 October and LACONIA was detached at that time. On 11 October, inbound escort began to arrive. DDs SHIKARI, VANSITTART, and WITHERINGTON, sloop WESTON, AA ship ALYNBANK, and corvettes CLARKIA, GARDENIA, and PERIWINKLE joined. DD SHIKARI and corvette PERIWINKLE were detached that day. The AA ship was detached on 12 October. DD VANSITTART, sloop WESTON, and corvette CLARKIA were detached on 15 October. DD WITHERINGTON and corvette GARDENIA arrived at Liverpool with the convoy on 15 October.

*Central Atlantic*
CV ARK ROYAL, RAN CA AUSTRALIA, and DDs FORTUNE, GREYHOUND, and FORESTER departed Freetown for the Clyde. However, enroute, AUSTRALIA was detached to investigate a rumour of an invasion force heading for the Azores. She joined CL SHEFFIELD on this patrol. AUSTRALIA finally arrived at Gibraltar on 14 October. AUSTRALIA then proceeded to the Clyde and was in the Clyde on 1 November. She again operated with the Home Flt based at Greenock.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL NEPTUNE departed Durban and arrived at Simonstown on 2 October. The CL departed Simonstown on 7 October for Freetown and duty in the Sth Atlantic Command.

*Med- Biscay*
CLs LIVERPOOL and GLOUCESTER landed troops at Malta as part of the MB.5 operations. The cruisers departed Malta on 1 October with RAN DD VOYAGER and rejoined the Med Flt at sea. Sub REGENT in the Ionian Sea sighted two RM BBs which had departed Taranto earlier in the day.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy US 5 A departed Sydney on the 30th Dutch liners NIEUW ZEELAND and JOHAN DE WITT with 1908 troops, escorted by RAN CA CANBERRA and RAN CL PERTH. British steamers ULSTER PRINCE , VARSOVA , and CLAN CAMPBELL were also in the convoy carrying munitions. The convoy departed Fremantle on 7 October. The CL escorted the convoy until 9 October. The CA continued with the convoy until 17 October, when the convoy arrived at Colombo.
The convoy departed Colombo on 21 October. CL CALEDON escorted the convoy from 21 to 28 October. CA SHROPSHIRE, CLA CARLISLE, DD KANDAHAR, sloops FLAMINGO and RAN PARRAMATTA, and British steamer CITY OF CAPE TOWN joined at Aden. Steamer ULSTER PRINCE called at Port Sudan on 30 and 31 October. The convoy arrived at Suez on 2 November.


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## Njaco (Sep 30, 2015)

*September 29 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post722153.html#post722153

*MEDITERRANEAN:* While at sea, “_Scirè's_” mission to raid Gibraltar with manned torpedoes was canceled.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Having dispersed Allied convoy OB-218 with previous attacks, German submarine U-32 caught up with British ship “_Bassa_”, now sailing alone, from behind and damaged her with a torpedo near the stern southwest of the island of Rockall between Britain and Iceland at 0053 hours. “_Bassa's_” crew members were observed by U-32 to have abandoned ship, but captain George Edward Anderson, the other 48 members of the crew, and the 1 navy gunner were never to be seen again.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* The US Marine Corps Midway Detachment of the Fleet Marine Force, under the command of Major Harold C. Roberts, arrived on Midway and began making camp and installing defenses.

*NORTH AFRICA*: The British wait for the expected Italian onslaught in their prepared defenses at the railhead in Mersa Matruh. The Italians, however, are content to fortify their gains with a line of 7 forts stretching 30 miles inland from Sidi Barrani, 70 miles from the British lines. Demonstrating the vulnerability of the Italian supply lines, Royal Navy ships from Alexandria shell the coast road from Libya and harass shipping at the Italian-held ports.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Luxembourg is formally incorporated into the Reich.

.



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## Njaco (Sep 30, 2015)

*September 30 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post722495.html#post722495

James Lacey damaged a German Ju 88 aircraft over Britain while Josef Frantisek scored his final kill as a fighter pilot.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Hugh Dowding was made Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Bath.

Thomas Adlerson of British Air Raid Precautions was gazetted for a George Cross award for the daring and skillful rescue of many civilians in Bridlington in Aug 1940.

Three German agents are put ashore from a seaplane on the coast of Banff, Scotland in Operation Hummer (literally translated to Lobster). All three are captured and two are executed. The third, a double-agent, Vera von Schalburg, disappears. Born in Siberia in 1912, Vera von Schalburg spied for the White Russians against the Soviets, for the Soviets against the White Russians, for the German Abwehr against the Soviets and later the British, and possibly for either or both of MI6 and, or MI5 against the Germans. One rumor holds that she was a double agent all along, recruited by MI6 in Paris in the thirties, another that she was the lover of a prominent member of the British establishment, by whom she had a child before the war. In any event, she survived. According to MI5 she was deported to Germany after WWII and thereafter, disappeared without trace.

British merchant ship MV “_Automedon_” sails from London, England, heading to Singapore, carrying most secret and highest level documents, operational plans for the Far East, the Chiefs of Staff assessment of Britain's poor ability to defend Malaya, and British maritime code-books. (In November, the ship is captured by a German ship before the sensitive cargo can be destroyed. Britain assumes it was torpedoed; Germans pass the information to Japan.)

50 London firemen have been killed and 501 were injured during September.

*GERMANY:* Georg von Bismarck was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

RAF bombers conduct night raids on Berlin, invasion ports, airfields and other objectives. Five British planes are lost.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British armed yacht HMY “_Sappho_” and minesweeping trawler HMT “_Comet_” were sunk by German mines laid by destroyers “_Eckholdt_”, “_Riedel_”, “_Lody_”, “_Galster_”, “_Ihn_”, and “_Steinbrinck_” on 28 Sep off Falmouth in southwestern England. 29 and 15 were killed, respectively.

German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Samala_” 300 miles west of Ireland at 1013 hours, killing everyone aboard (65 crew, 1 gunner, and 2 passengers). At 2156 hours, in the same area, U-37 sank British ship “_Heminge_”, killing 1; 24 crew and 1 gunner were rescued by British merchant ship “_Clan Cumming_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British monitor HMS “_Erebus_” fired 17 15-inch shells at German gun emplacements near Calais from the Strait of Dover, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Vesper_” and HMS “_Garth_”.

*ASIA: *Communist Chinese New 4th Army withdrew from Jiangyan (now a district of Taizhou), Jiangsu Province, China and moved toward nearby town of Huangqiao ("Yellow Bridge"), where it intended on fighting against the detected Nationalist attack.

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## parsifal (Sep 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses September 1940* 
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
MSW trawler ROYALO (RN 248 grt), Tug SAUCY (RN 550 grt (est)), Flower Class Corvette GODETIA (RN 925 grt), MSW trawler ABRONIA (RN 350 grt (est)), Armed yacht RHODORA (RN 687 grt), MSW trawler DERVISH (RN 346 grt), Tug SALVAGE KING (RN 1164 grt), Shoreham Class Sloop HMS DUNDEE (RN 1105 grt), MTB 15 (RN 18 grt), Armed patrol trawler LOCH INVER (RN 356 grt), ASW trawler STELLA SIRIUS (RN 550 grt), Armed yacht SAPPHO (RN 387 grt), MSW trawler COMET (RN 301 grt), ASW trawler RECOIL (RN 344 grt), 

(7331(RN)) (Total 7331 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
MV THORNLEA (UK 4261 grt), tkr CYMBELINE (UK 6317 grt), MV ULVA (UK 1401 grt), Ocean Going Ferry LAIRDCASTLE (UK 1945 grt), 
MV TITAN (UK 9035 grt), Steamer CORBROOK (UK 1729 grt), Steamer NEW LAMBTON (UK 2709 grt), steamer JOSEPH SWAN (UK 1571 grt), steamer FULHAM V (UK 1562 grt), steamer ST GLEN (UK 4647 grt), MV NEPTUNIAN (UK 5155 grt), MV JOSE DE LARRINGA (UK 5303 grt), Tug BECKTON (UK 45 grt), MV MARDINIAN (UK 2434 grt), Steamer MINNIE DE LARRINAGA (UK 5049 grt), Trawler JOHN BAPTISH (UK 290 grt), Trawler HARVEST MOON (UK 72 grt), drifter ALFRED COLEBROOK (UK 56 grt), tanker ATHELKING (UK 9557 grt), steamer BENARTY (UK 5800 grt), MV MAAS (UK 1966 grt), MV ALBIONIC (UK 2468 grt), Tanker GOTHIC (UK 2444 grt), steamer BENAVON (UK 5872 grt), Tkr SAINT AGNES (UK 5199 grt), MV EMPIRE VOLUNTEER (UK 5319 grt), Steamer HALLARD (UK 1264 grt), Steamer NAILSEA RIVER (UK 5548 grt), Liner/MV ASKA (UK 8323 grt), Steamer CITY OF MOBILE (UK 6614 grt), MV CROWN ARUN (UK 2372 grt), MV TREGENNA (UK 5242 grt), Liner CITY OF BENARES (UK 11081 grt), MV MAGDALENA (UK 3118 grt), MV MARINA (UK 5088 grt), Tkr SHELBRIT I (UK 1025 grt), Liner CITY OF SIMLA (UK 10138 grt), Whaling Ship NEW SEVILLA (UK 13801 grt), steamer EMPIRE ADVENTURE (UK 5145 grt), Drifter INNISDHU (UK 96 grt), Tkr INVERSHANNON (UK 9,154 grt) , MV BARON BLYTHSWOOD (UK 3668 grt), MV ELMBANK (UK 5,156 grt), MV BLAIRANGUS (UK 4,409 grt), MV CANONESA (UK 8,286 grt), Tkr TORINIA (UK 10,364 grt), MV DALCAIRN (UK 4,608 grt), FV UNION JACK (Faerose 87 grt), MV EMPIRE AIRMAN (UK 6586 grt), MV SCHOLAR (UK 3840 grt), Tkr FREDERICK S FALES (UK 10525 grt), Steamer CONTINENTAL COASTER (UK 555 grt), Trawler BASS ROCK (UK 169 grt), MV EURYMEDON (UK 6223 grt), MV MABRITON (UK 6694 grt), MV SULAIRIA (UK 5802 grt), Drifter WHITE DAISY (UK 79 grt), MV MANCHESTER BRIGADE (UK 6042 grt), Tkr STRATFORD (UK 4753 grt), MV CORRIENTES (UK 6863 grt), MV DARCOILA (UK 4084 grt), MV TANCRED (UK 6094 grt), MV COAST WINGS (UK 862 grt), steamer PORT DENISON (UK 8043 grt), MV EMPIRE OCELOT (UK 5759 grt), Steamer DALVEEN (UK 5193 grt), cable ship LADY OF THE ISLES (UK 166 grt), Steamer JERSEY QUEEN (UK 910 grt), MV BASSA (UK 5267 grt), MV HEMINGE (UK 2499 grt), MV SAMALA (UK 5390 grt), 

MV KENORDOC (Cdn 1780 grt), 
MV GRO (Nor 4211 grt), Steamer ELI (Nor 4332 grt), MV HIRD (Nor 4950 grt), MV LOTOS (Nor 1327 grt), steamer NORDVARD (Nor 4111 grt), Steamer DIANA (Nor 1155 grt), steamer VESTVARD (Nor 4319 grt), tkr KOSMOS (Nor 17,801 grt), 
Steamer NIEUWLAND (NL 1075 grt), steamer STAD ALKMAAR (NL 5750 grt), Steamer TRITO (NL 1057 grt), MV SIMLA (Nor 6031 grt), Tug LAUWERZEE (NL 262 grt), Steamer ARIZONA (NL 398 grt), MV HAULERWIJK (NL 3278 grt), 
Liner COMMISSAIRE RAMEL (Fr 10,061 grt) 
steamer GEORGES MABRO (EG 2555 grt)
Liner VILLE DE MONS (Be 7463 grt), 

284615 (UK), 1789 (Cdn), 42206 (Nor), 17851(NL), 10061(Fr), 2555 (EG), 7463 (Be) 
366540 grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: 373871 grt

*Prizes captured *
Ocean going Trawler FINLANDE (Vichy 1344 grt), Steamer WESER (Ger 9179 grt), Steamer TOUREG (Vichy 5135 grt) 

*Neutral shipping*
MV LUIMNEACH (Eire 1074 grt)
MV EFPLOIA (Gk 3867 grt), tanker ATLAS (Gk 4008 grt), collier ANTONIOS CHANDRIS (Gk 5866 grt), MV POSSIDON (Gk 3840 grt), MV ALEXANDROS (Gk 4343 grt), Steamer KALLIOPIS (Gk 5152 grt), 
steamer FRISIA (SD 1059 grt), MV SILJAN (SD 3058 grt) 
steamer CABO TORTOSA (Sp 3302 grt), trawler ALMIRANTE JOSE DE CARRANZA (Sp 330 grt) 
MV BOKA (Pan 5560 grt) , 

1074 (Eire), 4117 (SD), 27076 (Gk), 3632 (Sp), 5560 (Pan), 
(41459 Mercantile)

*Neutral warships*
None

Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 41459 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: 415330 grt 

*Prizes taken*
None

Allied and Neutral Quarterly and Cumulative Summaries
*New Construction 3rd Qtr 1940*
193000 tons 

Cumulative Losses since 9/39
4,588,478 Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses 

Thus far, these heavy losses had been more than compensated by the transfer of European shipping to direct Admiralty control. There was not much more neutral shipping to be had, except for Greece. Things were getting harder. 

*Axis*
*Warships*
DKM
ASW whaler UJ.121 (DKM 523 grt), Type IIC Uboat U-57 (DKM 336 grt), Aux PV Vp.403 (DKM 432 grt), Aux PV Vp.201 (DKM 460 grt), Trawler NIENDORF (Ger 257 grt), Aux MSW M.1306 (DKM 449 grt), ASW trawler UJ.173 (DKM 510 grt), 1935 Type TB T.3 (DKM 844 grt), Aux MSW M.1604 (DKM trawler OESTERREICH 474 grt), Tkr SHELL II (Ger 517 grt) 
(4802 grt)

RM
Turbine Class DD BOREA (RM 1670 grt), Turbine Class DD AQUILONE (RM 1670 grt), TB PALESTRO (RM 1075 grt), Adua Class sub GONDAR (RM 685 grt), 
(5100 grt)

Vichy
Redoubtable Class Sub PERSEE (Vichy 1476 grt), Redoutable class sub AJAX (Vichy 1384 grt) 
(2860 grt)

IJN
None

14663 grt (Total)

*Axis Shipping*

GER
steamer PIONIER (Ger 3285 grt), Steamer TROPIC SEA (Ex-Nor 5781 grt), Steamer CORDOBA (Ger 4611 grt), Steamer JOHANN BLUMENTHAL (Ger 1626 grt), Steamer TIRRANA (Ex-Nor 7230 grt), Steamer HEIMDAL (Ger 2186 grt), Catapult Seaplane tender OSTMARK (Ger 1280 grt), Steamer WESER (Ger 9179 grt) 
(35178 grt)

(FI)
Steamers GLORIA STELLA (FI 5490 grt), MV MARIA EUGENIA (FI 4702 grt), steamer PROVVIDENZA (FI 8459 grt), Steamer RINA CROCE (FI 569 grt), steamer FAMIGLIA (FI 813 grt), Steamer CARMEN (FI 1434 grt) 
(21467 grt)

Spain:
Steamer MONTE MONCAYO (Sp 4291 grt)
(4291 grt)

(Vichy)
trawler SANCTE MICHAEL (Vichy 168 grt), Steamer TOUREG (Vichy 5135 grt), Steamers GINETTE LE BORGNE (Vichy 1619 grt), Steamer CASSIDAIGNE (Vichy 1417 grt), Steamer POITIERS (Vichy 4185 grt), Steamer TACOMA (Ex-Danish 5905), Ocean going Trawler FINLANDE (Vichy 1344 grt), 
(19773 grt)

Total Axis Mercantile80709 grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: (95372 grt) 

*Captured ships *
steamer FRISIA (SD 1059 grt), 

The Germans had entered the war with just under 2 million tons of available shipping. Losses had been heavy for them, but they had managed to seize enough shipping from the neutrals to partially offset those losses.

Italy had entered the war in a snap decision, and this had led to heavy losses to her shipping initially. In total until the armistice in 1943, the Italians were to acquire about 350000 tons of shipping from captured sources, but the Allies were to inflict steady losses on the Italians from the beginning 

Axis Quarterly and Cumulative Summaries
*New Construction 2nd Qtr 1940*
30000 tons (estimated) 

Axis shipping losses were steady for the year, and their replacement base far worse than that of the allies.


----------



## parsifal (Sep 30, 2015)

*1 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Higgins Boat RN MGB 69




_MGB of the US Higgins Type, of which MGB was the lead ship_

White 70' Type Motor Anti-Submarine Boat ORP S 1
(New Image Source:WWW.KONRADUS.COM - STATKI I OKR?TY - Re: ORP S-1 Chart





*Losses
Liner HIGHLAND PATRIOT (UK 14192 grt) *Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) Crew: 172 (3 dead and 169 survivors) Cargo: 5700 tons of general and refrigerated cargo Route:Buenos Aires - Glasgow ; Sailing Independently; Sunk In the Nth Atlantic just outside the Western Approaches. At 0647 hrs the unescorted HIGHLAND PATRIOT was hit amidships by two G7e torpedoes from U-38 about 500 miles west of Bishop Rock. At 0708 hours, the abandoned ship was hit by a G7a coup de grâce, caught fire and sank. The master, 135 crew members and 33 passengers were picked up by HMS WELLINGTON and landed at Greenock





RM sub BARACCA sank *steamer AGHIOS NICOLAOS (Gk 3687 grt) *300 miles off Lisbon.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-29

At Sea 1 October 1940
U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-60, U-61, U-103, U-123.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.296 departed Southend, escort DD WESTMINSTER and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Methil on the 3rd. FS.297 departed Methil, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd.

Off Cape Barfleur, sub SWORDFISH attacked the four DKM TBs returning from laying minefield WERNER off Dover. SWORDFISH claimed sinking one of the TBs, but none were damaged. Sub H.49 attacked a German convoy of six merchant ships off Texel, but with no result.

MSW BRITOMART and MSW trawler RETAKO were in a collision in the Firth of Forth. BRITOMART was repaired at Leith, completed on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.19 Slow. CLA CURACOA was escorting convoy WN.19 Fast when it was attacked by the LW at dusk. Stragglers from WN.19 Slow were also machine gunned in this raid.

*Western Approaches*
DDs JACKAL, KASHMIR, JUPITER departed Rosyth for Plymouth and from there duty in the Western Approaches. DD VERSATILE departed Invergordon at 1530 with British steamer ULSTER MONARCH. Both arrived in the Clyde on the 2nd. OB.222 departed Liverpool escort DDs SABRE, WALKER and corvettes COREOPSIS and MALLOW from the 1st to 4th and ASW trawlers ST APOLLO and SPHENE from 1st to 5th.

*Nth Atlantic*
SHX.77 departed Halifax escort RCN PVs REINDEER and HUSKY.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Penang.


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## Njaco (Sep 30, 2015)

*October 1 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post722861.html#post722861

No 80 Signals Wing of the RAF is able to counteract ‘Knickebein’, the radio beam navigation used by the Luftwaffe on its night raids on London. This forces the bombers to use bright moonlight for bombing.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The names of the first recipients of the newly-instituted George Cross and George Medals were announced today. The following details are taken from the official accounts in the London Gazette of the deeds for which the awards were made:
Thomas Hopper Alderson, part time rescue party worker, detachment leader, Bridlington. George Cross. Mr. Alderson tunneled under bomb wreckage and rescued a woman who was trapped alive. Some days later, Mr. Alderson rescued six people in one cellar which had completely given way. On the third occasion, He tunneled many feet under wreckage to rescue alive two people (one of whom later died) trapped under a massive refrigerator.
Patrick King, Air Raid Warden, of Seaton Delaval, George Medal: At a demolished home, Mr. King using axe and saw made a tunnel using sawn off roof timbers as supports for it, managed to reach a blind lady, a Miss Hannah Wilson, clear the debris off her body and bring her to safety. All the while the house was in imminent danger of collapse.

*GERMANY:* The I Gruppe of NJG 3 is formed at Vechta from V(Z)./ LG 1 with Hptm. Günther Radusch from I./NJG 1 appointed as Gruppenkommandeur. The Gruppe is equipped with Bf 110s. 

Hermann Göring officially awarded Wolfgang Falck the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross medal (Ritterkreuz), but it would not be presented to Falck until 7 Oct 1940. The Kommodore of KG 2, Oberst Johannes Fink, is promoted to Generalmajor. Hubert Lanz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for gallantry during the invasion of France.

Luftwaffe ace Erich Hartmann began basic training with Friegerausbildungsregiment 10 at Neukuhren, near Königsberg in East Prussia, Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Maggiore Baracca_” sank Greek ship “_Aghios Nicolaos_” 400 miles west of Porto, Portugal. German submarine U-38 sank British ship “_Highland Patriot_” 300 miles west of Ireland at 0647 hours; 3 crew were killed, 136 crew and 33 passengers were rescued by sloop HMS “_Wellington_”. German submarine U-32 sank Dutch ship “_Haulerwijk_” 400 miles west of Ireland; 4 were killed and 27 survived.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British troops reinforced the garrison on Malta. Cruisers “_Gloucester_” and “_Liverpool_” land 1,200 British troop reinforcements on the island.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Navy and US Marine Corps began the Special Landing Operation No. 2 in the Caribbean Sea.

Belgium Congo uranium began to arrive at Staten Island, New York, United States for safekeeping. A total of 1,140 tons of uranium would arrive throughout this month.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Helsinki, the Germans and Finns reach another agreement strengthening their ties. The Germans promise arms and the Finns grant rights to the Germans to purchase their nickel production from the mines in the Petsamo region.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Petrol rationing introduced in Australia (in place until February 1950).

Chermside Army Camp established in Australia. It was the largest Australian Military Forces (AMF) camp built in Brisbane during the war. The plan was to erect a tented camp to accommodate 3,500 militia troops. Huts would be built later when funds were available. The first structure to be established was a Military Post Office (MILPO) that opened on 5 October. The first 200 recruits were expected on 7 October 1940.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 1, 2015)

*October 2 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post723550.html#post723550

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British destroyers HMS “_Havock_” and HMS “_Hasty_” sank Italian submarine “Berillo” 50 miles south of Crete, Greece; all 45 aboard “_Berillo_” were rescued.

British cruisers HMS “_Orion_” and HMS “_Sydney_” bombarded the Italian-controlled port of Maltezana, Stampalia, Greece.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-32 sank British ship “_Kayeson_” 400 miles west of Ireland at 1825 hours; the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats but none were seen again.

*NORTH AMERICA: *George Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Adolf Hitler ordered Hans Frank and other Nazi officials in occupied Poland to keep the standard of living low and to deprive the Polish population of education, for that the Polish people were now mere low laborers of Germany. Additionally, he ordered that the Polish gentry to be exterminated.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 4, 2015)

*2 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-144




_Model image of the sister ship U-141_

*Losses
MV KAYESON (UK 4506 grt)* Sunk by U-32 (Hans Jenisch) Crew: 38 (38 dead - no survivors) Cargo: 2802 tons of general cargo and 3901 tons of coal Route: Liverpool - Montevideo. Sailing Independently. Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 1825 hrs the unescorted KAYESON was hit in the fore ship by the last torpedo from U-32 west of Ireland. The submerged U-boat came too close to the target and slightly collided with its rudder, bending the bow to port. They surfaced and tried to finish her off with the last two rounds from the deck gun, but missed due to high swells. Shortly thereafter the ship sank steeply by the bow. The Germans had observed how the crew abandoned ship in the lifeboats, but the master and 37 crew members were not recovered. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer LATYMER (UK 2218 grt)* in convoy HG.44 was sunk by L/R LW a/c, 4 miles west of Skelligs (off the SW coast of Ireland)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-60

Departures
Lorient: U-58

At Sea 2 October 1940
U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-61, U-103, U-123.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD BULLDOG departed Sheerness at 0740 for Rosyth to join the Home Flt temporarily. OA.223 departed Methil escort sloop SANDWICH. Corvette HEARTSEASE joined on the 6th and both were detached later that day. FN.297 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 4th. FS.298 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 4th. In a raid on German shipping in Bjorne Fjord by the British 801 Sqn from Hatston, a Skua was shot down and both crew were killed.

*Northern Waters*
DD TARTAR departed Scapa for Devonport for refitting, and arrived during the evening of the 4th. DD MATABELE departed Kirkwall to search for a Uboat reported at 1130, 7 miles due Nth of Lossiemouth. She was recalled to Scapa on the 3rd and arrived at 1420.

British floating mines were still being destroyed west of the Orkneys and Shetlands on this date, preventing the carrying out of ASW training in the normally designated area. CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy WN.19 F. She departed Scapa at 1230 to cover convoy HX.74 A. The convoy was attacked by LW L/R bombers which dropped two torpedoes, but both torpedoes missed. Steamer TREHATA was damaged by the LW off Peterhead in convoy HX.74 A. CURACOA arrived back at Scapa Flow that evening.

*Central Atlantic*
CA DEVONSHIRE with DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FURY, ESCAPADE departed Freetown for Duala, Cameroons arriving on the 4th with NL liner WESTERNLAND, carrying 1564 tons, FNFL sloops COMMANDANT DOMINE and COMMANDANT DUBOC. When agreement could not be reached between De Gaulle and the British command on operations, the DDs returned to Freetown.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA HAWKINS arrived at Durban for refitting completed on 16 November.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HAVOCK and HASTY, returning to Alexandria from convoy AN 4 escort, surprised *Perla class Sub BERILO (RM 680 grt)* sth of Crete. 45 crew were rescued. HASTY and HAVOCK joined the Main Fleet at noon on the 2nd and proceeded to Alexandria.




_Sub of the Perla Class_

Early on the 2nd, CLs ORION and RAN SYDNEY bombarded Maltezana in Stampalia. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 3rd. The British Med Flt arrived back at Alexandria after delivering supplies to Malta. .

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.5 A departed Port Sudan, escort armed boarding vessel CHAKDINA and sloops FLAMINGO and INDUS. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 6th


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## Njaco (Oct 4, 2015)

*October 3 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post723552.html#post723552

German aircrews raiding London are now frequently accompanied by Italian AF observers, who make their presence known by dropping trinkets and medallions bearing propaganda slogans.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British politician Neville Chamberlain resigned as Lord President of the Council for health reasons. His offices are taken up by Herbert Morrison, Lord President of the Council, and Sir John Anderson, Home Secretary. Kingsley Wood and Bevin are brought into the War Cabinet.

Britain announces its intention to re-open the Burma Road to China.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France passed anti-Semitic laws that excluded Jews from positions in the army, government, commerce, industries, and the press. The law was signed by Philippe Pétain, Pierre Laval, Raphaël Alibert, Marcel Peyrouton, Paul Baudouin, Yves Bouthillier, Charles Huntzinger, and François Darlan.

*ASIA:* Prince Kotohito stepped down as the Chief of the Japanese Army General Staff.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 4, 2015)

*October 4 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post723625.html#post723625

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Operation Lucid: British tankers “_War Nizam_” and “_War African_”, filled with oil and gasoline and to be used as fire ships, departed Sheerness and Harwich with 11 destroyers, 6 minesweepers, and a number of torpedo boats in escort. They were dispatched to destroy ports on the European coast that housed German invasion barges, but rough seas caused the mission to be canceled shortly after commencing.

Sir Cyril Newall retired as British Chief of Air Staff and was replaced by Sir Charles Portal. Sir Newall is then appointed Governor General of New Zealand. Sir Richard Peirse became Commander-in-Chief of the British RAF Bomber Command.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Adolf Hitler met Benito Mussolini in the Brenner Pass on the Italian-Austrian border. The failure of the Germans to break the British and events in the Balkans and the Mediterranean led the Axis leaders to develop new plans for Eastern Europe. Benito Mussolini was happy to notice that Adolf Hitler seemed to have given up on any talks of invading Britain. Hitler warns Mussolini against undertaking new campaigns and offers help in Africa, which Mussolini declines.

British submarine HMS “_Rainbow_” collided with Italian ship “_Antonietta Costa_” and sank in the Adriatic Sea 20 miles north of Brindisi, Italy. All 55 aboard were lost.

British submarine HMS “_Triton_” attacked various targets at Vado Ligure and Savona, near Genoa, Italy with her deck gun, damaging shore installations and sinking ship “_Franca Fassio_”. British submarine HMS “_Tetrarch_” attacked an Italian merchant ship west of Italy without success.

*EAST AFRICA: *General Charles de Gaulle arrived in Douala, French Cameroon via British cruiser HMS "_Devonshire_" to organize the invasion of Gabon, which was controlled by Vichy French forces.

*ASIA:* Six Hawk 75 fighters of the Chinese 18th Squadron were in transit when they came across 27 Japanese G3M bombers escorted by 8 A6M Zero fighters, en route to attack Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The Zero fighters shot down 1 and forcing 2 to crash land.

Nationalist Chinese troops launched an attack on Communist Chinese New 4th Army in Huangqiao ("Yellow Bridge"), Jiangsu Province, China, nearly taking the town.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 4, 2015)

*3 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS HYACINTH





_HYACINTH served in the Eastern Med where she protected the Palestine coastline and escorted numerous convoys along it. She also took part in the Malta convoys. She was a part of the 10th Corvette Group of the Med Flt based in Alexandria together with her sister ships PEONY and SALVIA. Since HYACINTH spent most of her time in the Med, she was not retrofitted as many of her class were, and so retained her short forecastle. Another of her distinctive features was a 3-inch gun instead of the usual 4-inch.

On 28 September 1941, HYACINTH attacked and sank the RM sub FISALIA NW of the port of Jaffa, just off the beach at Tel Aviv. On 9 July 1942, while escorting a convoy from Jaffa to Beirut HYACINTH attacked, damaged and captured RM sub PERLA. The sub was towed into port, repaired and put into operation with the Royal Hellenic Navy under the name MATROSOS in 1943. On 12 September 1943, after Italy had capitulated, HYACINTH and the RAN Bathurst Class Corvette HMAS WOLLONGONG sank the DKM Uboat U-617, after the submarine had been damaged in an attack by Wellington and Swordfish a/c. In 1943, HYACINTH was transferred to the Royal Hellenic Navy, and was renamed APOSTOLIS, and served the remainder of the Second World War under the Greek flag._

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-59

At Sea 3 October 1940
U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-61, U-103, U-123.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
After D/F readings of a probable enemy ship 60 miles off Bergen, BC HOOD, CAs BERWICK and NORFOLK, available DDs at Scapa Flow were brought to 1 hr's notice. DD MATABELE was recalled from Moray Firth patrol and arrived at Scapa Flow at 1420.

FN.298 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 5th. FS.299 departed Methil, escort DD VERDUN and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 4th.

DDs BRILLIANT, BEAGLE, BULLDOG arrived at Rosyth as replacements for DesFlot 5 DDs sent to the Western Approaches.

*Northern Waters*
DD CLEVELAND arrived at Scapa Flow to work up prior to joining the Nore Command. Armed patrol trawler FORFEIT attacked a UBoat contact at 1500 on the 2nd. DDs DUNCAN and ISIS departed Scapa to arrive before dawn on stations - ISIS 18 miles 315° from Kinnaird Head, DUNCAN 15 miles 315° from Clythness. The DDs left Moray Firth that evening and returned to Scapa Flow.

AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow after covering convoy OA.223 near Bell Rock.

*West Coast UK*
OB.223 departed Liverpool escort DD SCIMITAR, corvettes HEARTSEASE and COREOPSIS, ASW trawlers KING SOL and ST ZENO. Corvette HEARTSEASE was detached on the 5th and the other escort ships on the 6th.

*SW Approaches*
CL SHEFFIELD departed the Clyde with DD VERSATILE to escort WS 3 A (slow) from Liverpool bound for the Middle East. DD depot ship WOOLWICH, after refitting at Liverpool, also departed for duty in the Med Flt. SHEFFIELD joined British troopships OROPESA, DORSET, PORT CHALMERS , KHEDIVE ISMAEL , ERINPURA , PERTHSHIRE, HIGHLAND BRIGADE escorted by DDs HAVELOCK, HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, HURRICANE, WITHERINGTON, VISCOUNT, VERSATILE. SHEFFIELD turned the convoy over to CA CUMBERLAND on the 13th. The convoy arrived at Freetown on the 16th.

British trawler FRAMLINGHAM was damaged by the LW 20 miles sth of Fastnet. British trawler IWATE was damaged by the LW five miles northwest of Mizzen Head (SW Ireland).

*Central Atlantic*
SL.50 departed Freetown escort AMC PRETORIA CASTLE to 16 October and AMC ALCANTARA for the day only. On 21 October, DD CLARE and corvettes ANEMONE and CLEMATIS joined the convoy and on the 25th, CLA CURACOA joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Med- Biscay*
RM sub GLAUCO attacked a British transport without success. BBs MALAYA and RAMILLIES, CVL EAGLE, CL AJAX, CLA COVENTRY, and RAN DDs VOYAGER, VENDETTA, VAMPIRE, WATERHEN, RN DDs DAINTY, DECOY, DIAMOND, DEFENDER departed Alexandria to exert a threat upon enemy Libyan convoys and cover Crete. Also, CL AJAX and CLA COVENTRY conducted exercises with CVL EAGLE. AJAX and COVENTRY arrived back at Alexandria on the 5th


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## parsifal (Oct 4, 2015)

*4 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Armed Yacht HMCS OTTER
New Image Source: HMCS OTTER | Ships of the Canadian Navy





*Losses
Tug SIRDAR (UK 34 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Long Reach, River Swale.

Submarine TRITON sank *steamer FRANCA FASSIO (FI 1858 grt)* 16 miles 97° from the Semaphore at Capo Noli in the Gulf of Genoa. TRITON also shelled shore installations off Vado and Savona. She unsuccessfully attacked steamer SPEZIA (FI 1825 grt) in Vado Roads on the 8th.





*Steamer NINA BIANCHI (FI 2180 grt) *was lost in a collision with FI steamer VELOCE off Brindisi.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-28

At Sea 4 October 1940
U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-61, U-103, U-123.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.224 departed Methil, escort sloop HASTINGS and corvette PEONY. Corvette PEONY was detached on the 5th. ASW yacht PHILANTE joined on 6 September. Later that day HASTINGS and the yacht were detached. FN.299 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 6th. FS.300 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 6th. DD ASHANTI departed Rosyth to cover convoy EN.7. ASHANTI departed Methil at 1000 and proceeded with the convoy to Duncansby Head. The DD then returned to Rosyth.

*Northern Waters*
CL MANCHESTER, and CLAs DIDO, PHOEBE arrived at Scapa Flow. CLA CAIRO departed Rosyth to provide AA support for convoy OA.224 as far as Scapa Flow. At Scapa Flow, CAIRO took on Vittles and fuel before going to the Western Approaches Command.

*Channel*
In another LUCID operation, first attempted on 25 September, Force A, old tks WAR NIZAM and MYTILUS with DDs CAMPBELL, CATTISTOCK, MACKAY, WALPOLE, MSWs SALAMANDER, SUTTON, SELKIRK, MTB.31, MTB.32, ML 108, ML 110 departed Sheerness for Calais. Force B, old tkr OAKFIELD, DDs HAMBLEDON, GARTH, VENETIA, WITCH, MSWs ELGIN, HUSSAR, SPEEDWELL, MTB.34, Norwegian MTB.5, ML 106, ML 110 departed Harwich for Boulogne. Force C was DDs VERITY, VENOMOUS, WILD SWAN. Heavy weather caused the operation to be once again cancelled.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.78 departed Halifax escort rcn dd ASSINIBOINE and aux PVs FRENCH, HUSKY and REINDEER. FRENCH returned to Halifax at 1845.
ASSINIBOINE departed the convoy at 1850/5th. Ocean escort was AMC JERVIS BAY, which was detached on the 14th. On 14 October, DDs ANTHONY and VERITY joined the convoy. DD ARROW, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes CALENDULA and CAMELLIA joined on the 15th. ANTHONY and ARROW were detached on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 18th. CLA CURACOA provided protection for the east ships of this convoy on 19 and 20 October.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub RORQUAL laid mines off Benghazi.

Sub RAINBOW had departed Alexandria on patrol on 23 September. On 4 October, *Sub RAINBOW (RN 1475 grt)*, name ship of the class, was sunk in a collision with Italian steamer ANTONIETTA COSTA ANTONIETTA COSTA had departed Bari with steamers ORESTE and PREMUDA for Durazzo on the 3rd, escorted by auxiliary vessel RAMB III.





Sub TETRARCH attacked an Italian merchant ship in the Gulf of Genoa without success. DD WISHART escorted troopship NEURALIA to Lisbon to embark British subjects and Polish troops from France. The DD waited outside territorial waters and escorted the troopship back to Gibraltar after embarkation.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DURBAN departed Hong Kong.

*Malta*
1005-1028 hrs Air raid alert for an enemy formation of up to 25 Macchi 200 fighters which cross over the Island from the north at 17000 feet. Accurate Ack Ack fire causes the formation to scatter. At 1010 hrs three formations of three aircraft are over Marsa. Three head for Hal Far and six for Luqa. Three Hurricanes and three Gladiators are then scrambled and engage in a dog fight over Mellieha Bay. One Macchi 200 is reported in difficulties over Naxxar and then Bingemma Fort with smoke coming from its tail. It is later seen coming down in Ghain Tuffieha Bay; there are no survivors. Another Macchi 200 is probably so badly damaged by Hurricanes that it is unlikely to reach base. No bombs are dropped on the Island.

Enemy casualties Tenente Mario Nasoni, 6o Gruppo Autonomo, reconnaissance pilot of Macchi C200 fighter shot down into the sea and died.




_Formation of MC 200s over Malta_


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## Njaco (Oct 4, 2015)

*October 5 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post723929.html#post723929

Oblt. Rudolf Resch replaces Oblt. Werner Lederer as Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 52. Hauptmann Helmut Wick, the Gruppenkommandeur of 1./JG 2, claimed the destruction of five RAF fighters in one day. This took his overall total to 41. He is awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross).

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Regent_” sank Italian ship “_Maria Grazia_” 10 miles off of Bari, Italy by ramming.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Nani_” sank British trawler HMT “_Kingston Sapphire_” 20 miles south of Cádiz, Spain. 3 were killed and the remaining rescued by a Spanish trawler. British submarine HMS “_Tigris_” attacked an Italian submarine (possibly submersible torpedo boat “_Otario_”) in the Bay of Biscay without success.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The Tripartite Pact is condemned by Navy Secretary Knox and he announces that he is calling up some of the naval reserve. Knox ordered all organized reserve divisions and aviation squadrons of the US Marine Corps to be on call for active duty. The US Marine Corps organized the Air Detachment, Marine Barracks, Parris Island in South Carolina, United States; it would later be renamed Marine Corps Air Station, Parris Island.

Henry Arnold submitted a proposal for the reorganization of US Army air units to US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall. The proposal called for a separate staff for air apart from the ground and supply units.

*ASIA: *Communist Chinese New 4th Army counterattacked and defeated Nationalist Chinese troops at Huangqiao ("Yellow Bridge"), Jiangsu Province, China, capturing great quantities of weapons and ammunition.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 5, 2015)

*5 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Armed Yacht HMCS VISON





*Losses
Steamer ADAPTITY (UK 372 grt) *was sunk on a mine (Minefield WERNER) laid by DKM TBs on 30 September/1 October.





*Steamer OTTOLAND (NL 2202 grt)* was sunk on a mine four miles south of 20A Buoy, off Hartlepool. The entire crew was rescued.





*Steamer MARIA GRAZIA (FI 188 grt)* was sunk by ramming by HM sub REGENT.

RM sub NANI sank *armed boarding vessel KINGSTON SAPPHIRE (RN 356 grt)*. Three ratings were lost. The rest of the crew were rescued by a Spanish trawler and landed at Huelva.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-60
Kiel: U-93
Lorient: U-48, U-101, U-124

At Sea 5 October 1940
U-31, U-32, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-61, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124.
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.300 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 7th. FS.301 departed Methil, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1030 to provide AA support for convoy WN.20 from Pentland Firth to the Firth of Forth. She then proceeded to Rosyth.

*West Coast UK*
OB.224 departed Liverpool escorted by DD SKATE, sloop DEPTFORD, corvettes ANEMONE, ERICA, PICOTEE. ASW trawlers PENTLAND FIRTH and STELLA CAPELLA joined on the 6th and were detached on the 8th along with DD SKATE. The corvettes were detached on the 9th and the sloop on the 12th.

*SW Approaches*
Sub TIGRIS attacked RM sub OTARIO without success in the Bay of Biscay.

*Channel*
British steamer ORTOLAN was damaged by the LW at Stepney (in the Thames).

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.7 of 34 ships departed Sydney at 1115 escorted by RCN PV ELK as local escort and ocean escort Sloop SCARBOROUGH. On 16 October, SC.7 was reinforced by sloop FOWEY and corvette BLUEBELL from OA.228 escort. On 18 October, the convoy was further reinforced by sloop LEITH and corvette HEARTSEASE. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 21st.

*Med- Biscay*
FNFL sub NARVAL arrived back at Malta from a patrol beginning on 25 September. The patrol was conducted with Sub RORQUAL.

During the evening of 5 October, RM re-supply operation "CV" began. Two merchant ships departed Taranto for North Africa escorted by the DesDiv 12 with DDs LANCIERE, CARABINIERE, CORRAZZIERE and ASCARI.

On the morning of 6 October, the convoy escort was joined by CAs POLA, FIUME, GORIZIA, and ZARA and DesDiv 9, (DDs ALFIERI, ORIANI, CARDUCCI, and GIOBERTI), all departed from Taranto. CAs TRIESTE, TRENTO, BOLZANO and DesDiv 11, (DDs ARTIGLIERE, CAMICIA NERA, AVIERE, and GENIERE) departed Messina. When it became known that a British force of BBs and screening forces were sighted between Kaso Strait and Alexandria, all Italian ships returned to port.

Temporary Lt (A) I. P. Godfrey RNVR, Naval Airman L. J. Stevens and Acting S/Lt (A) J. Marshall RNVR, Naval Airman A. S. Rush of 806 Sqn from CV ILLUSTRIOUS landed their Fulmars in Crete and were interned. The airmen returned to their Sqn at the end of the month. The fate of the aircraft is unknown

ASW trawler LORD HOTHAM attacked a submarine contact near Almina Point (off the Spanish Moroccan city of Ceuta).

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.6 departed Suez, escort sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were detached on 11 November when joined by CL LEANDER and sloops AUCKLAND, HINDUSTAN, RAN YARRA. RAN CL HOBART joined on the 13th. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 13th.

*Malta*
1441-1525 hrs Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft to the north of the Island, followed by another seven east of Delimara. Three Hurricanes and two Gladiators are scrambled. No raid materialises.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 5 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY French submarine Narval arrived back from her first patrol of Cape Misurata, Libya: nothing sighted. Clearance sweep of mined area begun by Oropesa – two mines were cut up. 0320-0718 hrs Swordfish 830 Squadron FAA carried out reconnaissance of Ionian Sea; nothing to report.

AIR HQ Departures 1 Sunderland.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. One Sunderland left for Gibraltar.


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## stona (Oct 5, 2015)

The Bf 109 at Windsor Castle if that of Oberleutnant Karl Fischer of 7./JG 27. It hadn't come far as it crash landed in the adjacent Windsor Great Park a few days earlier (30th September). 

Typically members of the public paid sixpence for a close up view and, when allowed, a shilling to sit in the cockpit of these exhibits. It doesn't sound much but given that the average working man earned between £4 and £5 per week it was not negligible. It cost about the same as a pint of beer to sit in the cockpit, you'd be lucky to do that today 

Cheers

Steve

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## parsifal (Oct 6, 2015)

*6 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements
Losses
Tkr NINA BORTHEN (Nor 6123 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze) Crew: 35 (35 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Empty Route Southampton - Abadan . Convoy OB-222 (dispersed); Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. At 2204 hrs the NINA BORTHEN , dispersed from convoy OB-222 the day before, was hit by one torpedo from U-103 and developed a list, but this was corrected by the crew. The ship was then hit by two coups de grace at 2214 and 2238 hrs and began to list to port, when she was hit by a fourth torpedo at 2330 hrs, broke in two and sank. The tkr was reported missing after the convoy in which she left Britain was dispersed during a gale on 5 October. Only an empty lifeboat drifted ashore near Dunmore, Ireland on 19 December was ever found of her.






*MV BENLAWERS (UK 5943 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) Crew: 51 (24 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo: Army stores, including lorries Route:Swansea - Durban - Port Said . OB-221 (straggler); Sunk in the Nth Atlantic . At 1304 hrs the BENLAWERS , a straggler from convoy OB-221 , was torpedoed and sunk by U-123 NE of St.Johns. 23 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, nine crew members and one gunner were picked up by the British merchant FOREST and landed at Bermuda. The second officer, 14 crew members and one gunner were rescued by the BENGORA HEAD.





*Tkr BRITISH GENERAL (UK 6989 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 47 (47 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Tyne - Abadan; OA-222 (dispersed); Sunk In the Nth Atlantic. At 1855 hrs the unescorted BRITISH GENERAL, from dispersed convoy OA-222, was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-37 about 550 miles west of Valentia Island. The hit had not much effect but the tkr stopped after being hit aft by a second torpedo at 2310 hrs. The U-boat stayed nearby during the night to wait for the ship to sink, but the disabled BRITISH GENERAL remained afloat. U-37 could not finish her off with the deck gun because she was armed. The tkr finally sank at 20.00 hours on 7 October, after being hit by two coups de grace.





*Drifter SCOTCH THISTLE (UK 84 grt) *was lost after stranding in the Thames Estuary.

RM sub TRICHECO sank in error *Perla Class sub GEMMA (RM 657 grt)* in the Aegean Sea near Leros. The loss was due to a failed communications message from Supermarina which was supposed to have informed each submarine of the others presence.





*Steamer VIDO (Yug 1919 grt)* was sunk on a mine 18 kilometres east of Sulina (in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania).

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-32
St. Nazaire: U-28

At Sea 6 October 1940
U-31, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-61, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD FAME completed her repairs at Rosyth and joined DesFlot 4 at Rosyth. OA.225 departed Methil escort sloop WESTON and corvette GARDENIA from 6 to 11 October. FN.301 departed Southend, escort DD VERDUN and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 8th. FS.302 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 9th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa to meet convoy OA.225 before dusk and escort it towards Pentland Firth.

*West Coast UK*
OL.6 departed Liverpool with no listed escorts.

*Channel*
Steamer HULL TRADER was damaged by the LW in the London Docks. Steamer FIRECRESTwas damaged by the LW 2.5 miles SW of Sunk Light Vessel, Thames Estuary

*Med- Biscay*
DD VIDETTE departed Gib escorting storeship CITY OF AUCKLAND for Alexandria, via Durban. The DD detached at dark on the 7th.

*Malta*

ASW Trawler CORAL on patrol off Malta today picked up the deceased RA airman from the sea. The senior officer of HMS CORAL contacted the Air Commodore, RAF Malta with details of the incident. He reported that evidently the body had been in the water for some time. The trawler’s crew collected as much evidence from the sea as possible in order to identify the deceased man. From correspondence and identification tags he was identified as Antonio Girandola of 235 Squadron, R Aeropuerto, Reggio Emilia. All the personal effects which have been salvaged will be carefully dried before being forwarded to Air HQ in Malta and from there handed to the Red Cross.





AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 OCTOBER TO DAWN 7 OCTOBER 1940


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## Njaco (Oct 6, 2015)

*October 6 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post724378.html#post724378

Hauptmann Helmut Wick, the Gruppenkommandeur of 1./JG 2, was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross, making him only the third German fighter pilot (after Mölders and Galland) to be so honored.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *A Spitfire from RAF No. 64 Squadron based at Leconfield near Beverley in Yorkshire, crashed into the sea during a routine section patrol at 1420 hours. The 24-year-old pilot, Sergeant Frederick Fenton Vinyard was listed as missing. His name is commemorated at Runnymede. The aircraft was lost.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-123 sank British ship “_Benlawers_” 400 miles west of Ireland at 1304 hours. She was carrying military supplies from Britain to Egypt, including trucks. 23 crew members and 1 Royal Navy gunner were killed, and 27 were rescued by British ships “_Bengore Head_” and “_Forest_”. German submarine U-103 sank Norwegian tanker “_Nina Borthen_” west of Ireland at 2204 hours, killing the entire crew of 35. German submarine U-37 damaged British tanker “_British General_” with a torpedo west of Ireland at 1855 and then again at 2310 hours. U-37 could not surface to finish off the tanker with the deck gun because the British ship was armed.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Tricheco_” sank its sister ship, Italian submarine “_Gemma_” 5 miles south of the Greek island of Karpathos in a case of mis-identification. “_Tricheco_” was later sunk also by a submarine - the British HMS “_Upholder_” - on March 18, 1942 near Brindisi, Italy.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Romania, Antonescu assumes command of the Iron Guard, adding further strength to his position.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 6, 2015)

*7 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS LIVERMORE (DD 429)





Allied
Fairmile "B" Motor Launch ML 118 ;





Dance Class ASW Trawler MORRIS DANCE
(New image Source: 28)A/T MORRIS DANCE T 117 - ROYAL NAVY SHIPS (133 Pages / 150 Images) - THE ROYAL NAVY IN SOUTH ATLANTIC - Articles - Sixtant - War II in the South Atlantic





*Losses
MV TOURAINE (Nor 5811 grt)* Sunk by U-59 (Joachim Matz) Crew: 35 (1 dead and 34 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Glasgow - Sydney (Canada) Convoy OB 225 (Straggler); Sunk in the Western Approaches; At 1601 hrs the unescorted TOURAINE , a straggler from convoy OB-225 since the previous night, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-59 west of Bloody Foreland, Ireland. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats as the ship rapidly settled by the stern and they feared more attacks. Because the ship remained afloat, the U-boat attacked again but the two torpedoes fired at 1925 and 1932 respectively missed. . A coup de grace was finally fired at 2043 and the ship sank at 2139 hrs. All boats remained near the ship, but they lost each others in rough seas, bad weather and the darkness in the following night. 12 survivors in one boat were picked up in the evening of the next day by the British steam merchant DERBYSHIRE and landed at Greenock on 9 October. On 10 October, the boat of the master made landfall at Arranmore Island, Donegal and were later taken to Glasgow. The last lifeboat landed at Tory Island on the morning of 10 October. The cook was admitted to a hospital, but died of his injuries on 11 October.





DKM Raider PINGUIN captured *Tkr STORSTAD (Nor 8998 grt) *in the Indian Ocean. 30 of the crew were repatriated to Norway. STORSTAD was renamed PASSAT for German use as an auxiliary to PINGUIN, and arrived in Gironde on 4 February 1941 with some of the crew from steamers AUTOMEDON and MAIMOA.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kristiansand: U-93

At Sea 7 October 1940
U-31, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-61, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD BEDOUIN departed Rosyth for Portsmouth to deammunition. She then proceeded to Southampton to refit. FN.302 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 9th. FS.303 departed Methil, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK joined convoy HX.75 A on meeting in Pentland Firth at 1100. She remained with the convoy until midnight, then proceeded to Scapa Flow.

*West Coast UK*
OB.225 departed Liverpool with DD SHIKARI and corvettes CLARKIA and PERWINKLE. The escort was detached on the 10th

*Western Approaches*
Lt M. C. Hoskin and Temporary Lt (A) T. E. Rose-Richards were killed when their Walrus of 765 Sqn was shot down seven to eight miles south of Anvil Point (in County Donegal).

*SW Approaches*
The Liverpool section of Convoy WS 3 departed Liverpool with troopships ORONTES, DUCHESS OF YORK , MONARCH OF BERMUDA local escort DDs ARROW, ACHATES and WHITEHALL which had departed Londonderry on the 7th. The Clyde section of WS 3 departed the Clyde with troopships GEORGIC, CAPETOWN CASTLE, WINCHESTER CASTLE, ORONSAY, local escort RCN DDs OTTAWA ST LAURENT and RN ACTIVE and DOUGLAS which had difficulty meeting the convoy in heavy weather but finally joined.

On 7 October, CL KENYA departed Scapa Flow to also provide escort for WS 3 (fast division). ST LAURENT and DOUGLAS departed Liverpool at 1510 to join the escort of this component. CLA CAIRO was with the convoys for AA protection. The two sections joined on the 12th and arrived at Freetown on the 18th. They departed Freetown on the 20th and arrived at Capetown on the 28th.

*Channel*
Once again, the LUCID operation was attempted with mainly the same force as was deployed on 3/4 October, but without MYTILUS. DD HAMBLEDON was mined and badly damaged near Sth Foreland. She was taken in towed by DD VESPER. The LUCID operation was again cancelled. HAMBLEDON was under repair at Chatham until 14 May 1941.

Sub TRIBUNE after returning from a patrol in Biscay with serious defects was repaired at Ardrossan from 7 October to 26 October and in the Clyde from 12 November to 26 November.

*Central Atlantic*
During the night of 7/8 October, NL WESTERNLAND put troops ashore off Manoko at the mouth of the Duala River. This operation was covered by CA DEVONSHIRE and CL DRAGON.

*Med- Biscay*
During the night of 7/8 October, RM DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI and TARIGO laid mines off Cape Bon. DD HYPERION was later lost on this minefield.

*Malta*

ROYAL NAVY 0334-0550 hrs Swordfish 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm (FAA) sighted three enemy destroyers at 0418 hrs heading for Syracuse. Wireless silence broken to report presence but message not received until too late to send striking force. 0336-0712 hrs Swordfish 830 Squadron FAA on reconnaissance; nil report. 0345-0815 hrs Glen Martin 431 Flight on reconnaissance; nil report. 

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons.


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## Njaco (Oct 6, 2015)

*October 7 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post724721.html#post724721

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Operation Lucid: British tankers “_War Nizam_” and “_War African_”, filled with oil and fuel and to be used as fire ships, departed for French channel ports to attack German invasion barges. The mission was once again canceled, this time after destroyer HMS “_Hambledon_” hit a mine off the coast near Folkestone, Kent, England.

*GERMANY:* In the morning, Hermann Göring presented Wolfgang Falck the Knight Cross medal, which was officially awarded to Falck six days prior; the medal was placed around Falck's neck by Major Bernd von Brauchitsch, son of the army chief of staff and Göring's adjutant. During the lunch after the award ceremony, Falck asked Erhard Milch to consider changing the Luftwaffe rule which stated that the family of servicemen who died with less than 10 years of service received no pension.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-59 sank Norwegian ship “_Touraine_” 50 miles northwest of Ireland at 1600 hours; 1 was killed and 34 survived in 3 lifeboats. German submarine U-37 hit British tanker “_British General_” with two torpedoes 400 miles west of Ireland at 2000 hours after already damaging her with two torpedoes on the previous day; “_British General_” sank with all 47 hands lost.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” stopped Norwegian tanker “_Storstad_” 500 miles northwest of Australia. With 12,000 tons of diesel oil on board, “_Storstad_” was taken as a prize ship and sent back to Germany. She would later be commissioned into German Navy service as “_Passat_”. 25 of “_Storstad's_” crew became captives aboard “_Pinguin_”, while 5 of them chose to serve the Germans aboard “_Storstad/Passat_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Germans order all Jewish people in the occupied part of France to register immediately with their authorities.

.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 6, 2015)

Great work guys. Appreciate the efforts!

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## parsifal (Oct 7, 2015)

*8 October 1940 (Part I) 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-107




37 ships sunk, total tonnage 207,375 GRT
2 auxiliary warships sunk, total tonnage 10,411 GRT
3 ships damaged, total tonnage 17,392 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 8,246 GRT
U-107 was Sunk 18 Aug 1944 in the Bay of Biscay west of La Rochelle, in position 46.46N, 03.49W, by depth charges from a British Sunderland aircraft (Sqdn 201/W). 58 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
DesDivs 68 and 71 DDs were transferred to the RN
Town Class DD HMS BUXTON




_Commissioned in the RN 8 October 1940 as HMS BUXTON , the overage DD served in Canadian waters briefly as the U-boat war intensified. She was then allocated to 6th Escort Group, Western Approaches Command, for dangerous and vital duty keeping the supply line open to Britain. In October 1943, when newer escorts were available, she was lent to the RCN, and stationed at Digby, Nova Scotia, until the end of 1944. She was finally paid off on 2 June 1945. Sold for scrap on 21 March 1946 and broken up in Canada._

Town Class DD HMS BELMONT




_BELMONT was built as the USS SATTERLEE (DD190) in Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co, Virginia, USA. On the 31st January 1942 in the North Atlantic SE of Halifax, Nova Scotia whilst escorting a Canadian Troop Convoy NA2 to the UK she was torpedoed and sunk by DKM U-82. All the crew perished._

Town Class DD HMS BROADWATER




_On 15 October 1940 HMS BROADWATER departed Halifax for the British Isles, via St. John's, Newfoundland for service with the 11th Escort Gp, Western Approaches Command. During the early part of 1941 the DD escorted convoys, carrying troops and military supplies, around the Cape of Good Hope to the Middle East. After this service, she was assigned to the Newfoundland Escort Force in July, and the ship patrolled the North Atlantic and escorted convoys into the fall of that year. Early in the morning of 17 October she attacked a U-boat, one of a pack assaulting the convoy SC-48 some 400 miles sth of Iceland. 24 hrs later BROADWATER herself fell victim to torpedoes of U-101_.

Town Class DD HMS BROADWAY




_HMS BROADWAY, photographed at Sheerness 16 April 1942_

Town Class DD HMS BEVERLEY




_On 9 April 1943 HMS BEVERLEY had been seriously damaged in a collision with the British steam merchant CAIRNVALONA and took station in the rear of the convoy, until she was torpedoed some 30 hrs later. At 0549 hrs on 11 April 1943 U-188 fired a torpedo at the convoy ON-176 SW of Iceland and observed a hit on a tanker after 1 minute 34 seconds, which finally sank after 45 mins with a broken back. At 0550 hrs, two torpedoes were fired and after 1 min 58 secs and 2 mins 11 secs hits on two ships were heard. At 0552 hrs again two torps were fired, which hit a 4th ship after 1 min 58 secs and began to settle by the bow. However, Allied records indicate that only HMS BEVERLEY was hit and sunk at that time. There were only 4 survivors out of a crew of 155._

Town Class DD HMS BURNHAM




_HMS BURNHAM tied up outboard of the RCN DD HMCS SASKATCHEWAN , alongside at either St. Johns or Halifax. Photo from Destroyer Photo Index DD-258 USS AULICK. The DD began escort duties with the RN in December 1940. In early 1941, BURNHAM began a series of escort voyages between Iceland and Newfoundland. BURNHAM was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and three of the triple torpedo tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional DC stowage and installation of hedgehog ahead thrower. Throughout 1942 and 1943, BURNHAM worked mainly between Newfoundland and Londonderry Port, Derry, Northern Ireland. BURNHAM was assigned to Escort Group C-2 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force for convoys ON-113, HX-201, ON-119, SC-97, ON-129 and SC-102 and then to Escort Group C-3 for convoys ON-152, HX-221, ON-163, HX-226, ON-172, SC-124, ON-180 and HX-238 during the winter of 1942-43. BURNHAM was reduced to reserve at Milford Haven, Wales, in November 1944. She was ultimately scrapped at Pembroke, Wales, in December 1948._

Town Class DD HMS BURWELL




_BURWELL was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of 3 of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and one of the triple torpedo tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional DC stowage and installation of Hedgehog ahead thrower. Her most notable service event was her involvement in the capture of the U-570 in August 1941._

Town Class DD HMS BRADFORD




_As HMS BRADFORD she performed escort duties in the Atlantic, including convoys to Nth Africa for operation Torch, from 1941 to 1943. On 3 May 1943 she was declared no longer fit for ocean escort work and was ordered decommissioned at Devonport. There, for the remainder of the war, she served as an accommodations ship._

*Losses
MV CONFIELD (UK 4956 grt) *Sunk by U-58 (Heinrich Schonder) Crew: 37 (1 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: timber, grain and lead Route: Port Alberni, BC - Liverpool HX-76 (straggler); Sunk in the Western Approaches. U.58 badly damaged steamer CONFIELD, a straggler from convoy HX.76, , and then sank her before noon on the 9th.





*Steamer BELLONA II (UK 840 grt)* was hit by the LW 4 miles east of Gourdon, Kincardineshire, then went ashore at Streathlethan Bay, south of Stonehaven. Six crew and three cargo workers were lost.





*trawler HECHT (Ger 222 grt)* was sunk by unknown causes.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-60
Lorient: U-31

Departures
Lorient: U-138

At Sea 8 October 1940
U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-61, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-138.
10 boats at sea

Sub TRIDENT and U.31 were in a gun duel in the Bay of Biscay. TRIDENT missed U.31 with torpedoes, but hit the Uboat with gunfire, doing minor damage.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Rosyth to overtake convoy OA.226 and give them AA cover until midnight. She then proceeded to Scapa arriving on the 9th. OA.226 departed Methil escort sloop ABERDEEN and corvette PRIMROSE from 8 to 11 October. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy OB.226. FN.303 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 10th. FS.304 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 10th. MSW KELLET was damaged in a collision with the West Pier at Granton. She repaired at Rosyth in October. Gunboat LOCUST struck a mine three and a half cables nth of N. W. Shingles Beacon, and was seriously damaged. She was able to proceed under her own power until weather deteriorated when she was taken in tow. LOCUST repaired at Tilbury, completing on 7 January 1941.

*West Coast UK*
CL DUNEDIN departed Greenock after refitting there in September and October. DD MASHONA departed Greenock after completion of refit.

*Western Approaches*
Troopship ORONSAY of convoy WS 3 was damaged by the LW , and forced to leave the convoy, escorted by AMC CHESHIRE and DDs ARROW and OTTAWA. ORONSAY was joined by CLA CAIRO as she proceeded to Lough Foyle.
DD SABRE departed Londonderry to join the damaged troopship. CAIRO, AMC CHESHIRE, destroyers DOUGLAS, VISCOUNT and SABRE escorted the troopship to the Clyde arriving on the 9th. DD VERITY was also signalled to escort ORONSAY, but was unable to join.

*Channel*
During the night of 8/9 October, DKM TBs GREIF, SEEADLER, KONDOR, FALKE, WOLF and JAGUAR operated off the Isle of Wight.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.79 departed Halifax escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and aux PVs FRENCH and REINDEER. FRENCH departed convoy at dusk and DD SAGUENAY departed on the 9th. Ocean escort was AMC MONTCLARE and NL sub O.14, which were detached on the 18th. AMC ALAUNIA later supplemented the escort. After the convoy duty, O.14 arrived at Rothesay on the 29th. On 19 October, DDs STURDY and WHITEHALL, escort ship JASON, corvettes ARABIS, COREOPSIS, HIBISCUS, ASW trawlers BLACKFLY and LADY ELSA joined the convoy. The escort ship and the trawlers were with the convoy only on the 19th. DD SARDONYX joined on the 20th. Corvette COREOPSIS was detached on the 22nd. The convoy arrived at Liverpool 23 October.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM Raider THOR sank *steamer NATIA (UK 8715 grt) *in the Sth Atlantic. 2 crew were lost, 83 crew and the naval gunner were made PoWs.


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## Njaco (Oct 7, 2015)

*October 8 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post724982.html#post724982

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Czech-born fighter ace Sergeant Josef Frantisek of No. 303 "Warsaw-Kosciuszko" Squadron RAF was killed when his Hurricane crashed whilst landing at RAF Northolt at Ruislip near London. At the time of his death Frantisek had a score of 17 kills and had been awarded the British Distinguished Flying Medal. Posthumously he was commissioned lieutenant, and awarded a Bar to his DFM, the Czech Military Cross, the Polish Cross of Valour (with three bars) and the Polish Virtuti Militari.

Winston Churchill announces re-opening of the Burma Road. The Burma Road connected Lashio in Burma with Kunming in China over a distance of 1,100 km, across jungle, mountains and rivers. The road was vital for the supply of the Chinese forces.

*GERMANY:* During the night, 17 British aircraft from Waddington, Lincolnshire attacked German battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* German raider “_Orion_” made rendezvous with another raider “_Komet_” and “_Komet's_” supply ship “_Kulmerland_”. “_Orion_” and “_Komet_” began operating together against Allied shipping.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States transferred 8 more old destroyers to the British Royal Navy as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement.

The United States Department of State released an announcement advising American citizens to leave the Far East and return to the US.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Trident_” and German submarine U-31 exchanged fire in the Bay of Biscay off France. “_Trident_” hit U-31 with the deck gun, causing minor damage; both torpedoes fired missed. German submarine U-58 hit British ship “_Confield_” 88 miles west of Barra Head, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 2131 hours with two torpedoes, killing 1. The ship remained afloat, allowing the remaining 36 to escape via lifeboats. Far to the south, 350 miles northeast of Natal, Brazil, German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” attacked British refrigeration ship “_Natia_”, killing 2. After the remaining 83 crew members were captured, “_Natia_” was sunk by a torpedo and two more shells from “_Thor's_” 150-mm gun. After this attack, “_Thor_” now had 368 prisoners aboard, outnumbering her crew.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The British Mediterranean Fleet departed Alexandria, Egypt to escort a supply convoy to Malta. The fleet consisted of battleship HMS “_Warspite_”, battleship HMS “_Valiant_”, battleship HMS “_Malaya_”, battleship HMS “_Ramillies_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Eagle_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Illustrious_”, 12 cruisers, 16 destroyers, and 6 submarines. This force escorted four British transport ships.

*EAST AFRICA: *General DeGaulle arrives in Cameroon to popular acclaim. He meets with LeClerc to discuss strategy for consolidation of Free French position in Equatorial Africa and using the territory as a base for attacks on Italian and German positions in Libya and to break the Vichy stranglehold on French West and North Africa. The Royal Navy supported a Free French expedition, under General Charles De Gaulle, to gain control of Duala in the Cameroon. The Free French forces succeeded in seizing control of the colony from the Vichy French authorities.

*ASIA: *From Saigon, Inspector General of Colonies, Cazaux, sends message to General DeGaulle conveying the sympathies of the population for Free France but noting the impossibility of Indochina acting on them.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 8, 2015)

*8 October 1940 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt with BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, MALAYA, RAMILLIES, Carriers EAGLE and ILLUSTRIOUS, CA YORK, CLs LIVERPOOL, GLOUCESTER, ORION, AJAX, RAN SYDNEY, DDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HERO, HEREWARD, HASTY, ILEX, IMPERIAL, RAN VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, RN DAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER, JERVIS, NUBIAN, JUNO, JANUS departed Alexandria to cover Malta bound convoy MF 3 (Operation MB 6) of British steamers MEMNON , LANARKSHIRE , CLAN MACAULEY , CLAN FERGUSON escorted by CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY and RAN DDs VOYAGER, STUART, WATERHEN, and RN WRYNECK. At 0524 on the 9th, NUBIAN reported an ASDIC contact and HYPERION reported a torpedo at the end of its run near MALAYA. On 9 October, CL LIVERPOOL and DD DIAMOND, which had been delayed in leaving Alexandria, joined the Main Fleet. Subs TRIAD, ROVER, PROTEUS, RAINBOW, REGENT and PARTHIAN were also at sea to cover the operation. 

The Italian Fleet status at that time at Taranto were BBs LITTORIO, VENETO, CESARE and CAVOUR and the DUILO; CAs POLA, ZARA, GORIZIA, FIUME; CLs EUGENIO, MONTECUCCOLI, AOSTA, ATTENDOLO; ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI. 
At Messina were CLs DIAZ and GIUSSANNO. Under repair were CLs BANDE NERE, CARDONA at Spezia, and DI BARBIANO at Pola. Four RM BBs put to sea during the passage of Convoy MF 3. On 10 October, DDs JERVIS, JUNO, ILEX were sent ahead of the fleet to investigate a submarine contact reported by carrier air patrols. At 1715 on the 10th, BB RAMILLIES and DDs NUBIAN, HERO, HEREWARD were detached to refuel at Malta. At 1800, DDs HYPERION, HASTY, ILEX were also detached to refuel. DD DEFENDER attacked a submarine contact at 1825.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean* 
CA SHROPSHIRE arrived at Aden and joined the Red Sea Force. In December, she returned to the East Indies Command.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
RAN CL ADELAIDE arrived back at Sydney from Noumea, having departed on the 5th.

*Malta*

1935-2020 hrs Air raid alert for four enemy bombers which approach Delimara from the east at 14000 feet and drop bombs in the sea off Delimara, Wied Znuber and two miles off Grand Harbour. Two turn back before crossing the coast. The remaining two are illuminated and held by searchlights, then engaged by one Malta Hurricane fighter. One Italian bomber is brought down in flames into the sea off Delimara. Another is so badly damaged that it is unlikely to return to base; it is last seen by the Hurricane pilot and coastal observers flying at 1000 feet with one engine on fire. Two men are seen baling out towards the sea and subsequently rescued and taken prisoner. The Hurricane lands safely. Searchlight crews are praised by the Air Officer Commanding for exceptionally good work. 

Known Casualties Tenente Adolfo Ferrari, 257a Squadriglia, 108o Gruppo, 36o Stormo, pilot of a Savoia SM79 bomber shot down.


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## parsifal (Oct 8, 2015)

*9 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Raider KOMET





Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 130;





Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 157





*Losses
MV DELPHIN (Gk 3816 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze) Crew: Cargo:Maize and wheat Route: Montreal - Cork Convoy SC-6, Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2211 hrs, U-103 attacked the convoy SC-6 37 miles NNW of Rockall and sank two ships, ZANNES GOUNARIS and DELPHIN. She also damaged the GRAIGWEN, which was later sunk by U-123. The DELPHIN did not sink immediately, but remained afloat until the next day.





*MV GRAIGWEN ( UK 3697 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) Crew:34 (7 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo:Corn Route: Montreal - Barry Roads; Convoy SC-6 (Cripple) Sunk In the Western Approaches. After being crippled by the attack by U-103, at 2133 hrs, on 10 Oct 1940 the abandoned GRAIGWEN was sunk by a further attack by U-123. Survivors were picked up by the HMS ENCHANTRESS and landed at Londonderry.





*Steamer ZANNES GOUNARIS (Gk 4407 grt) *Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze) Crew:Unknown (1 dead) Cargo: Phosphate Route:Tampa, Florida - Garston ; Convoy SC-6, Sunk in the Western Approaches. The first ship to be hit in U-103s attacks, recorded as being struck at 2211 hrs 37 miles NNW of Rockall. Greek ship manifests were frequently incomplete for some reason, so crew numbers are uncertain.





*Steamer ALDERNEY QUEEN (UK 663 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Grassholm Island, North Wales. The entire crew was rescued.

*MSW trawler SEA KING (RN 321 grt)* was sunk by mining 28 miles 310° from Bull Sand Road, Grimsby Roads. 15 crew were lost .

RN Sub REGENT sank *steamer ANTONIETTA COSTA (FI 6880 grt) * off Durazzo. On 11 October, REGENT unsuccessfully attacked a tkr in the Southern Adriatic.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kristiansand: U-93
Lorient: U-137

At Sea 9 October 1940
U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-61, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
12 boats at sea.

U-103 sighted convoy SC 6 in the morning of this day in 1940. After a successful attack at 2200 hrs the boat was depth charged by a convoy escort

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.304 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 11th.

*Northern Waters*
CVL FURIOUS departed Scapa Flow with DDs ESKIMO and MATABELE to strike at Bodo. Poor weather conditions forced the operation to be cancelled and the ships arrived back at Scapa at 1630. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa at 1600 to cover convoys WN.21 S.and WN.21 F. On meeting convoy OA.227, the cruiser joined the OA convoy and escorted it to Pentland Firth. CURACOA then proceeded to Scapa. AAt ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0700 to escort convoy SL.48 A from Pentland Firth until dusk. She then returned to Scapa.

*West Coast UK*
OB.226 departed Liverpool escort DD ANTELOPE, corvettes GERANIUM and GLOXINIA, ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN. The escort was detached on the 12th. DD VIMY departed Londonderry for Portsmouth for refitting. DD VERSATILE departed Londonderry at 0900 for Rosyth on passage to the Tyne for refitting. Defects forced her to return to Londonderry.

*SW Approaches*
HG.45 of 49 ships departed Gibraltar local escort DDs HOTSPUR, FIREDRAKE and WISHART. Troopship NEURALIA departed with the convoy with 1093 Gibraltar civilians. She was detached and proceeded unescorted to Kingston (Jamaica). WISHART was detached on the 10th and HOTSPUR and FIREDRAKE escorted the convoy until 15 October. Escort vessel GLEANER escorted the convoy from 9 to 27 October. On 17 October, AMC PRETORIA CASTLE from convoy SL.50 joined the convoy and remained with it until 27 October. On 20 October, sloop FLEETWOOD joined the convoy and escorted it until 27 October. DD ANTELOPE and corvette MALLOW from convoy OB.230 joined the convoy on the 21st and escorted it until 27 October. DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS and RCN SKEENA escorted the convoy from 22 to 27 October, which arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DRAGON arrived at Duala. SLS 51 departed Freetown on the 9th. Sloop ROCHESTER escorted the convoy on 30 and 31 October, when it arrived at Liverpool.

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*
During the night of 9/10 October, RM DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI and TARIGO laid mines to the sth of Malta. RN DD IMPERIAL was lost on this minefield.

*Malta*

AIR HQ Arrivals 2 Sunderlands. 1137-1600 hrs On landing Glenn Martin 431 Flight reported seeing four enemy destroyers and one cruiser at 1317 hrs 10 miles west of Taranto Harbour, then two destroyers and one four-funnel ship six miles west of Taranto Harbour. Also in Taranto Harbour five battleships, two cruisers, one submarine and three fleet auxiliaries; in the inner harbour four cruisers and at least ten destroyers plus seven various identified ships; in the innter basin fifteen seaplanes and further in twelve more. In Brindisi there were two A to B class cruisers, six destroyers and one possible battleship undergoing refit, and a number of seaplanes.

0315-1606 hrs Sunderland 230 Squadron reconnaissance of Ionian Sea including Taranto harbour and gulf for enemy surface forces; nil report. 0355-0820 hrs Glenn Martin 431 Flight reconnaissance of Ionian Sea on landing reported seeing at 0616 hrs a submarine on the surface; information passed to Vice Admiral Malta.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. Two Sunderlands arrived from Middle East.


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## Njaco (Oct 8, 2015)

*October 9 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post725869.html#post725869

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Following Chamberlain's resignation Winston Churchill is chosen as the new leader of the Conservative Party. This is an impressive achievement because he was little liked by many in the party at the time of his selection as prime minister. He has succeeded in winning their loyalty despite the hard times he has presided over. His attention to party affairs illustrates his concern for the forms of parliamentary democracy.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Heinz Bretnutz is made Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 53 in place of Major Freiherr von Maltzahn.

British Albacore biplanes of No. 829 Squadron from Royal Navy station HMS “_Peregrine_” attacked Brest, France overnight, damaging German destroyers “_Eckholdt_”, “_Lody_”, and “_Riedel_” with near misses. 1 Albacore aircraft was shot down with its three crew captured, including squadron commander Lieutenant Commander Stevinson.

The occupation government in the Netherlands banned Jews and half-Jews from public employment.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-103 attacked Allied convoy SC-6, sinking Greek ships “_Zannes Gounaris_” (1 killed) and “_Delphin_” (all survived) and damaging British ship “_Graigwen_” (7 killed, 27 survived). U-103 was subjected to a depth charge attack, but escaped unharmed.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Regent_” hit Italian merchant ship “_Antonietta Costa”_ 20 miles west of Durrës, Albania with a torpedo. _“Antonietta Costa”_ did not sink but went aground and was lost 10 miles off the coast near Durrës.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* German troops began to secure oil fields in Romania, which was vital for the German war effort. Large numbers of German troops arrived in Romania to train the Romanian army and to protect Romanian oil fields from British sabotage. The arrival of German troops effectively placed Romania under German control.

*NORTH AMERICA:* A British shipbuilding mission in North America places an order for 20 10,000-ton cargo vessels from Canada. The order is later increased to 26.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 9, 2015)

*10 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 135






*Losses
Aux PV GIRL MARY (RN 25 grt)* was lost on lost on a mine four cables 255° from Inchcolm Monastery. .

MTB.22, MTB.31, MTB.32 attacked a German convoy off Calais. They sank *trawler NORDENHAM (Ger 234 grt) *and captured 34 prisoners.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-61

At Sea 10 October 1940
U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD JERSEY departed the Humber after repairs, but on the 11th she was damaged off East Knob Buoy by the explosion of a mine close aboard. She went to London for repairs arriving on the 13th, was repaired in 15 days, and arrived at Plymouth on the 29th for duty with DesFlot 5.

OA.227 departed Methil escorted by sloop ROCHESTER and corvette CAMELLIA from 10 to 14 October. FN.305 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER, sloop EGRET, patrol sloop GUILLEMOT. The patrol sloop was detached on the 11th. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 12th. FS.305 departed Methil, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 12th.

Steamer TILL was damaged on a mine

*West Coast UK*
DD DOUGLAS departed Greenock at 0630 to join the Home Flt at Scapa.

*Channel*
Operation MEDIUM was the bombardment of Cherbourg. BB REVENGE with DDs JUPITER, KASHMIR, JAVELIN, JAGUAR, KELVIN, KIPLING, MA/SBs 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 51 departed Plymouth on the 10th. The BB gp was covered to the west by CLs NEWCASTLE and EMERALD with DDs WANDERER, BROKE, ORP DDs BURZA and GARLAND which departed Devonport on the 10th and to the east by CL CARDIFF and DDs VANOC and VOLUNTEER which departed Portsmouth on the 9th.

From 0333 to 0351 on the 11th, the REVENGE group bombarded Cherbourg. DKM TBs put to sea from Cherbourg and briefly attacked the MSW force before retiring. The RN BB force returned to Portsmouth and the cruiser force to Plymouth on the 11th. The CARDIFF group returned to Portsmouth.

The bombardment was given the objective of disrupting invasion preparations, and it was successful in this aim. The bombardment of invasion transports in Cherbourg saw a number of transports damaged. During the 18 minute bombardment, 120 15-inch shells were fired by the BB HMS REVENGE, and a total of 801 4.7-inch shells were fired by her escorting DDs. German CA Bttys replied for 30 min but were inneffective, being o9utranged by the REVENGE, and unable to preoperly fix on the fast moving DDs, which inflicted most of the damage.




_HMS JUPITER fires her 4.7-inch guns during Operation Medium, the bombardment of Cherbourg on 10 October 1940_

Sub H.28 on patrol in the Bay of Biscay fired torpedoes at a 1000 ton merchant ship, but missed the target.

In RAF night attacks on Brest during the night of 9/10 October, DKM Zerstorer ECKHOLDT was damaged by near misses and Zerstorers LODY and RIEDEL were splinter damaged. Pilot Lt Cdr O. S. Stevinson, Sqn Commander, Observer Lt Cdr N. R. Quill, and Petty Officer A. Brimms in an Albacore of 829 Sqn were shot down and made pows in this raid.

*Central Atlantic*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown and was temporarily assigned to Force H. However on her arrival a report was passed on that that Vichy CL PRIMAUGUET had departed Casablanca to escort a merchant ship carrying torpedoes and shells for BB RICHELIEU and other warships at Dakar. Late on the 11th, CA AUSTRALIA departed Gibraltar and proceeded towards Las Palmas. Early on the 12th, BC RENOWN and DDs WISHART, GALLANT, GRIFFIN, VIDETTE also departed Gibraltar.

*Malta*
KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 sqns. 0953-1655 hrs Sunderland 230 Squadron on patrol reported seeing at 1546 hrs a submarine which submerged immediately. 1130-1620 hrs Glenn Martin 431 Flight reported disposition of Italian fleet in Taranto Harbour same as yesterday with the addition of two destroyers, one 2000 ton cargo ship at sea and in Syracuse two 2000 ton merchant ships; at Augusta three 1500 ton merchant vessels and two sloops, at Catania nil. 1215-1640 hrs French Latecoere reconnaissance reported seeing one hospital ship in harbour, along with two small cargo ships, one 3000 ton, two 1500 tons , one large tanker, two flying boats, two Cant Z506 and one 1000 ton escort vessel. Intense anti-aircraft fire prevented good photographs being taken. 0430-0905 hrs Glenn Martin 431 flight reconnaissance of Ionian Sea. 0440-1617 hrs Sunderland 228 Squadron reconnaissance of Ionian Sea reported one Greek 7000 ton merchant vessel loaded with ballast. 0515-1615 hrs Sunderland 230 Squadron reconnaissance reported three French merchant vessels Athos, Florida and Djeanne.


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## Njaco (Oct 9, 2015)

*October 10 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post725870.html#post725870

A lone German Do 17 bomber on a reconnaissance mission was caught over RAF Tangmere by British fighters. While attempting to shoot it down, two British fighters collided, killing both pilots. Then, another fighter, piloted by Sergeant Ellis, was damaged by the German bomber's guns, and crash landed. The Do 17 bomber sustained heavy damage, but was able to make it back to France, crash landed, and saved all of its photographs.

*GERMANY:* During the night, 14 British aircraft from Waddington, Lincolnshire and Lindholme, Yorkshire attacked German battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

Adolf Hitler initiated the Führer-Sofortprogramm, an emergency program to build shelters for the urban populations of Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British ship “_Graigwen_”, damaged on the previous day and abandoned, was sunk by German submarine U-123 at 2333 hours.

British motor torpedo boats MTB-22, MTB-31, and MTB-32 attacked a German convoy in the middle of the Dover Strait, sinking German trawler “_Nordenham_” and capturing 34 prisoners.

*ASIA:* Communist Chinese New 4th Army linked up with Communist Chinese 8th Route Army at Baiju Village, Dongtai County, Jiangsu Province, China.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The Germans run a plebiscite in Luxembourg. When the results are counted they find that 97 percent of the population is opposed to their occupation. The experiment is not repeated elsewhere.

British Battleship “_Revenge_” bombards the Cherbourg docks.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Australian 31st Battalion moved into Miowera camp near Bowen for a nine week training period. The 26th Battalion had centered its activities to the Kissing Point Fortress area, whilst the 51st Battalion moved to Parramatta Park at Cairns.

.



.


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## parsifal (Oct 10, 2015)

*11 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
U Class Sub HM USK




_USK spent most of her short career operating in the Mediterranean. She sailed from Malta to patrol off the NW coast of Sicily on 19 April 1941. USK was later ordered to alter her position due to intense ASW activity. What happened subsequently is not known but she was most likely mined in the vicinity of Cape Bon some time after 25 April 1941. She was reported overdue on 3 May 1941_

*Losses
MV BRANDANGER (Nor 4624 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 30 (6 dead and 24 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo Route: Portland - San Pedro - Cristobal - Bermuda - Liverpool Convoy HX 77; Sunk in the Western Approaches. The BRANDANGER was struck in the engine room on the port side by a torpedo from U-48. The engine stopped and the lights went out, the entire midships section was destroyed and the lifeboats on the port side were blown away. The crew launched some lifeboats with difficulty.

BRANDANGER sank about 20 minutes after being hit. Survivors were picked up early the next morning by the corvette HMS CLARKIA, as were the 14 in the 2nd mate's boat, and landed in Liverpool on Oct. 15. Other survivors had set course for Ireland, but were rescued in the afternoon of the 16th by S/S CLAN MACDONALD and landed in Liverpool on the 19th.





*MV PORT GISBORNE (UK 8390 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 64 (26 dead and 38 survivors) Cargo: Refrigerated and general cargo, including 2479 bales of wool and 20 bales of sheepskin Route: Auckland - Halifax - Belfast - Cardiff . Convoy HX 77; Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2209 hrs the PORT GISBORNE
in convoy HX-77 was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 about 113 miles WSW of Rockall. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats, but one of them capsized in gale force conditions and the occupants drowned. The abandoned wreck sank later in 57°02N/17°24W. The master, 36 crew members and one gunner were rescued: The survivors in one boat were picked up on 22 October by HMS SALVONIA and the remaining survivors in another boat on 24 October by the British steam merchant ALPERA and landed at Greenock. The master Thomas Kippins was awarded the OBE and the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.





DKM TBs FALKE, GREIF, KONDOR, SEEADLER and WOLF departed Cherbourg for another sortie to the area off the Isle of Wight in retaliation to the RN sortie against Cherbourg. Late on the 11th, in an engagement with *ASW trawler WARWICK DEEPING (RN 445 grt)* and *armed trawler LISTRAC (FNFL 778 grt)*, , TB GREIF sank LISTRAC with a torpedo, and TBs KONDOR and FALKE sank WARWICK DEEPING with gunfire. Kirkup and eleven ratings were lost on the LISTRAC; A/S/Lt R. J. Pickford RCNVR and twenty four ratings were wounded. No crew were lost in WARWICK DEEPING.




_HMT WARWICK DEEPING; NO IMAGE FOUND FOR THE LISTRAC_

At 0007 on the 12th, the German force contacted and sank French submarine chasers CH.6 (Lt W. B. G. Galbraith, RN) and CH.7 (S/Lt G. A. Gabbett-Mulhallen DSC, RN). The survivors of these ships were picked up by German torpedo boat GREIF. Galbraith, Temporary Acting S/Lt D. B. Walton RNVR and seven ratings were lost on the CH.6; twelve crew were taken prisoner. Gabbett-Mulhallen and eleven ratings were killed on CH.7; Acting Lt R. V. Musman RNVR and eight ratings were taken prisoner from CH.7.

DDs JACKAL, JAGUAR, JUPITER, KELVIN, KIPLING came out from Plymouth and two DDs departed Portsmouth. At 0314 on the 12th, DD JACKAL engaged two of the German ships at 280°, 27 miles from 50N, 1W . Neither side was damaged and the German ships arrived back at Cherbourg mid-morning on the 12th.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 11 October 1940
U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.306 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 13th.
FS.306 departed Methil, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*Northern Waters*
DD ZULU, was badly damaged by an acoustic mine in the Firth of Forth. The mine exploded 40 feet off the starboard side abaft of the bridge. There were no casualties. Many minor leaks, machinery defects and distortion of the bulkheads were caused by the explosion. ZULU was under repair at at Rosyth, for 13 weeks, completing her repairs 18 January 1941. DD BEDOUIN was also damaged when she struck a submerged object (probably a mine), and was repaired at Southampton completing on 17 November. British minefield BS.40 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs IMPULSIVE and ICARUS.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa to join convoy HX.76 A. The LW soon arrived and attacked the convoy off Peterhead. Gunfire from the escorts and the merchantmen in the convoy drove off the attack. ALYNBANK sustained minor damage from near misses, and repaired at Rosyth completing on the 20th.

DDs MATABELE and PUNJABI departed Scapa escorting RFA tkr MONTENOL to Skaalefjord before proceeding to operation DH. At 1330, a German submarine was reported by a/c 5 miles nth of this force, 16 miles 020° from Sule Skerry. PUNJABI investigated the contact without locating the UBoat, and then rejoined MATABELE and the tkr. CVL FURIOUS, exercising west of Hoy, detached her screen of DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO and DUNCAN to investigate the UBoat report. The DDs made no contact and the ships returned to Scapa next morning on the 12th.

*West Coast UK*
CVE ARGUS departed Greenock with DD ACHATES for Iceland, arrived on the 17th and departed to return on the 20th. They arrived back at Greenock on the 25th. ACHATES was damaged by weather on the voyage and was repaired at Greenock. DD VERSATILE departed Londonderry for refitting in the Tyne. DD FEARLESS departed the Clyde after completion of her refit, and then proceeded to Rosyth for Home Flt ops in DesFlot 4. In LW air attacks on Liverpool, steamers CLAN MACTAGGART, CLAN CUMMING , HIGHLAND CHIEFTAN and tkr VIRGILIA were all damaged.

Steamer BANNTHORN was damaged by the LW in Rathlin O'Birne Sound, Eire.

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*
OG.44 with 36 ships departed Liverpool, Milford Haven, Glasgow escorted by RCN DD SKEENA and corvette GLADIOLUS from 11 to 14 October. SKEENA and GLADIOLUS were detached to assist damaged AMC CHESHIRE. Sloop WELLINGTON escorted the convoy from 11 to 24 October. DD WRESTLER escorted the convoy from 22 to 24 October, which arrived at Gib on the 24th.

*Channel*
Steamer THYRA II was damaged by the LW in the Thames Estuary. *Armed yacht AISHA (RN 117 grt)* was lost in mining in the Thames Estuary. Steamer INVER was damaged by German shore guns in the Straits of Dover.

*Med- Biscay*
At 0915, during continuing Med Flt ops for the Malta re-supply op, DD DECOY was detached to Malta to refuel and DD MOHAWK joined. At 0942, DD IMPERIAL was also detached to refuel. IMPERIAL was mined at 1105 on the 11th and badly damaged 15 miles sth of Delimara near Malta. One rating was killed in the explosion. She was towed to Malta by DECOY, and IMPERIAL was repaired at Malta, sailing after completion on 28 April 1941. RAN DD VAMPIRE was detached at 1410 to refuel at Malta. Convoy MF 3 and CL ORION arrived at Malta at 1600. RAN DDs VENDETTA and STUART arrived with the convoy to start refitting in the Malta dockyard. At 1800, DD NUBIAN, HERO and HAVOCK rejoined the Main Fleet and DDs DAINTY, DEFENDER, DIAMOND were detached to refuel.

An It civilian a/c reported the Med Flt 100 miles SE of Malta. In anticipation that these warships would pick up some merchant ships recently arrived at Malta, RM DDs ARTIGLIERE, CAMICIA NERA, AVIERE and GENIERE with TBs AIRONE, ALCIONE and ARIEL were patrolling an area east of Malta. Four MAS boats were to the nth of the RM DDs. One DD div and MAS boats were stationed to the west of Malta should the British force set out for Gibraltar.

Gunboat APHIS (after refitting), steamer VOLO and Fleet auxiliary PLUMLEAF departed Malta at 2245 on the 11th, escorted by CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA and DDs WRYNECK and RAN WATERHEN. Late on the 11th, the Mediterranean Fleet began its return to Alexandria.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Sloop AUCKLAND in convoy BS.6 was attacked by RA bombers west of Kamaran. Convoy BS.6 A departed Port Sudan, escort by RAN sloop PARRAMATTA. DD KINGSTON joined on the 13th. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 15th.

*Malta*

RN Opn MB6. IMPERIAL was mined en route but reached harbour and was docked. . RAN STUART and VENDETTA remained for refit. 0600-0735 hrs Swordfish 830 Sqn (FAA) dropped photographs of shipping in Taranto, Tripoli and Brindisi harbours on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. Four Swordfish 830 Sqn provided local patrol for the arrival of a convoy at Malta; nothing to report. The opn of bringing in the incoming convoy and despatching the outgoing convoy is reported as proceeding satisfactorily.

0355-1038 hrs Recon by Sunderland 230 Sqn reported at 0508 hrs having sighted two DDs, one of which was on fire and stationary. He interrupted patrol to shadow the two ships while Swordfish were despatched to attack them. Another DD VICENZO GIOBERTI class was observed proceeding at high speed. On his return the pilot reported three FIUME class cruisers and three DDs accompanied by twelve fighters. 0500-0919 hrs Glenn Martin 431 Flight on recon signalled three DDs at sea. In Taranto he reported a large fleet of naval ships and in Brindisi naval ships and seaplanes.


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## Njaco (Oct 11, 2015)

*October 11 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post726306.html#post726306

*GERMANY:* During the night, 4 British Hampden aircraft (out of 5 launched) from Lindholme, Yorkshire attacked German battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Operation Medium: Between 0333 and 0351 hours, British battleship “_Revenge_” and destroyers “_Javelin_”, “_Jaguar_”, “_Jupiter_”, “_Kashmir_”, “_Kelvin_”, and “_Kipling_” bombarded Cherbourg, France. German torpedo boats attempted to interfere, but the attack was fought off.

Charles Hunziger presented the Order of Merit and the Croix de Guerre medals to the American Hospital in Paris, France.

French Marshal Petain broadcasts to the French people, advocating that they abandon their traditional ideas on who are their friends and who are their enemies. Pétain announces his intention of collaborating with Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *A convoy of 4 merchant ships arrived at Malta from Alexandria, Egypt. The escorting British Mediterranean Fleet began to sail back to Alexandra, but was spotted by an Italian civilian aircraft 100 miles southeast of Malta. Italian destroyers and torpedo boats were dispatched to intercept.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British destroyer HMS “_Zulu_” hit an acoustic mine in the Firth of Forth, Scotland at 0920 hours, badly damaging the ship, but incurred no casualties. She would remain under repair at nearby Rosyth until Jan 1941.

German torpedo boats “_Falke_”, “_Greif_”, “_Kondor_”, “_Seeadler_”, and “_Wolf_” sank British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Warwick Deeping_” (no deaths), French submarine chasers Ch.6 (9 killed, 12 captured) and CH.7 (12 killed, 8 captured), and French armed trawler “_Listrac_” (12 killed, 25 wounded) off the Isle of Wight overnight. 

German submarine U-48 attacked Allied convoy HX-77 250 miles northwest of Ireland in the evening. At 2150 hours, Norwegian ship “_Brandanger_” was sunk (6 killed, 24 survived); at 2209 hours, British ship “_Port Gisborne_” was sunk (26 killed when lifeboat capsized, 38 survived).

Italian bombers attacked Allied convoy BS.6 in the Red Sea 50 miles off of Italian East Africa, damaging escorting vessel British sloop HMS “_Auckland_”.

*ASIA:* Repair ship “_Akashi_” participated in the annual naval review in Tokyo Bay, Japan. Kawachi-class dreadnought battleship “_Settsu_” participated in a naval review in Yokohama Bay, Japan.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *In Helsinki the demilitarization of the Aland Islands is agreed in a Finnish-Soviet convention.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 11, 2015)

*12 Ocxtober 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-98
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
_10 ships sunk, total tonnage 48,878 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 10,549 GRT
1 warship damaged, total tonnage 185 tons

Sunk on 15 November 1942 in the North Atlantic west of Gibraltar, in position 36.09N, 07.42W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Wrestler. 46 dead (all hands lost)_

Allied
Flower Class Corvette ARBUTUS





Type I Hunt Class Escort DD MENDIP





*Losses
MV ST MALO (Cdn 5779 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) Crew: 44 (28 dead and 16 survivors). Cargo: Steel Grain and General Cargo Route: St. John, New Brunswick - Liverpool HX 77 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 2325 hrs the ST MALO, a straggler from HX-77, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-101, broke in two and sank after 30 minutes. 13 Canadian and three French crew members abandoned ship in one lifeboat and some rafts. The U-boat fished the 17 years old ship´s boy out of the water and transferred him to the boat after questioning. Two days later, the boat was taken in tow by a lifeboat from PORT GISBORNE , which had been sunk by U-48 (Bleichrodt) on 11 October. The survivors transferred into the other lifeboat on 21 October and were all rescued by HMS SALVONIA on the following day.




*UBOATS*

*Tkr DAVANGER (Nor 7102 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 30 (18 dead and 12 survivors) Cargo: Fully laden with fuel oil Route: Curaçao - Bermuda - Halifax - Liverpool Convoy HX-77 Sunk in the Western Approaches. In the evening of Oct. 12 DAVANGER was torpedoed by U-48 (Bleichrodt) 300 miles west of Broadhaven,. . The torpedo struck in the engine room on the starboard side and she sank by the stern within 4 minutes. The crew abandoned ship with difficulty, and suffered deaths during the process. The 12 survivors battled through that first night in heavy rain and high seas, and as the winds decreased somewhat the next morning they spotted 2 lifeboats from a British ship which they hailed. Upon being asked what they wanted to do, the survivors in the other boats replied they were going to remain in the area to wait for help, but the Norwegians set sail, heading east. In the morning of Oct. 18 they spotted land so course was altered for the nearest point, and early that afternoon some men came out to help them row. 2 hours later the 12 survivors were landed at Broadhaven, Ireland. They were all admitted to a hospital at Bellmullet, County Mayo.





*MV PACIFIC RANGER (UK 6865 grt)* Sunk by U-59 (Joachim Matz) Crew: 55 (0 dead and 55 survivors) Cargo: general cargo, including lumber and metals Route: Vancouver - Seattle (27 Aug) - Panama - Bermuda (28 Sep) - Manchester Convoy HX-77 Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 1803 hrs the PACIFIC RANGER in convoy HX-77 was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-59 and sank slowly 134 miles 302° from Bloody Foreland. The U-boat tried to give provisions to the survivors in the lifeboats, but due to rough seas it did not work. The master, 52 crew members and two passenger (naval ratings) were rescued: 19 crew members were picked up by a British escort, the master and twelve survivors after 9 days by the Icelandic trawler PORMODOUR and landed at Reykjavik on 21 October and the chief officer and 22 crew members made landfall at Glencolumbkille near Killybegs, Co. Donegal.





Arrivals
Bergen: U-58

Departures
Lorient: U-100
St. Nazaire: U-28

At Sea 12 October 1940
U-28, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-48, U-93, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.228 departed Methil escort sloop FOWEY and corvette BLUEBELL from 12 to 16 October. OB.227 departed Liverpool escort DD ARROW and corvette CALENDULA from 12 to 15 October. FS.307 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th. DD BULLDOG departed Rosyth to join sub CLYDE off Dundee at 1830, and escorted the sub to Cape Wrath. BULLDOG arrived at Scapa later the next day on the 13th. Trawler LONGSCAR was damaged by the LW off Hartlepool.

*Northern Waters*
LW a/c again crossed Scapa Flow during the night raising fears the anchorage had been mined . All exercises were prohibited and movements were restricted during the day. The all clear was finally given later during the evening of the 12th. Carrier FURIOUS, CAs NORFOLK and BERWICK, DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, MASHONA, DUNCAN departed Scapa Flow at 1800 for operation DH and to cover the DD sweep off Egero. DDs MATABELE and PUNJABI departed Skaalefjord at 0310/13th to join FURIOUS. At 1230/13th, ESKIMO and DUNCAN were detached to Scapa arriving at 0900/14th. SOMALI and MASHONA arrived at Scapa Flow at 1400/14th.

DD QUORN departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen, and left there at 1500 with steamer LOCHNAGAR for Lerwick. MSW KELLET hit the pier at Leith, and had to be docked for repairs.

*SW Approaches*
On 11 October, *steamer ORAO (Yug 5135 grt)* had been intercepted by DD HOTSPUR and ordered to Gibraltar with an armed guard. Then on the 12th, RM sub TAZZOLI torpedoed ORAO , with two crew killed. DDs WISHART, GALLANT, GRIFFIN, VIDETTE were detached from BC RENOWN, with GALLANT and GRIFFIN picking up the survivors, and WISHART scuttling the Yugoslavian vessel.

The DDs were then ordered to meet arriving transports ETTRICK and KARANJA, being escorted by DD GREYHOUND. The DDs, plus DD FIREDRAKE, rejoined on 0724 on the 13th and the force met the transport convoy at 1300. VIDETTE was detached to join the transport convoy and the next day, WISHART was detached to join as well.

*Channel*
Monitor EREBUS, escorted by DD CATTISTOCK, bombarded German invasion barges at Dunkirk. *MSW RESOLVO (RN 213 grt)* struck a mine six cables 083° from Knob Bell Buoy in the Thames Estuary. Two ratings were wounded, and the survivors rescued by MSW PETER CAREY. RESOLVO was beached outside the entrance to Sheerness at the Outer Bar Buoy and abandoned on the 13th. Steamer STARLING was damaged by the LW four miles southwest of San Sebastian Light.

*Schnellboote S.37 (DKM 81 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Orfordness.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.80 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs ST CROIX and NIAGARA and aux PVs HUSKY and REINDEER. The local escort was detached on the 13th. Ocean escort was AMC LACONIA, which was detached on the 22nd. On 23 October, DDs CASTLETON and WANDERER, sloop HASTINGS, corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and PICOTEE, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the convoy, which arrived at Liverpool on the 27th

*Central Atlantic*
SL.51 departed Freetown escort AMC ALCANTARA to 31 October. On 30 October, DDs ACHATES and ARROW, sloop ROCHESTER, corvette PRIMROSE, and ASW trawler ST APOLLO, all from Western Approaches Cmd joined. On 31 October, DD AMAZON joined, and the convoy arrived at Oban on the 31st.

*Med- Biscay*
CLA CALCUTTA was subjected to high level Italian bombing near Crete on the 12th.

RM and RN Naval forces engaged east of Malta. In the first phase of the battle between the RM TBs and radar-equipped CL AJAX which was proceeding to cover the eastbound Malta convoy, *Spica Class TB ARIEL (RM 620 grt)*




_Ariel's Main Battery_

The Italians also lost *Spica Class TB AIRONE (RM 620 grt)*, with AJAX hit three times, twice on the bridge and once amidships starting a fire. RN casualties were at least 12 dead, and 24 wounded. RM TB ALCIONE picked up the Italian survivors in the water.




_AIRONE SHOWN PREWAR_




_A Division of Spica Class TBs training prewar in the tactics intended to be applied to them. The Spica Class suffered heavy casualties against RN Destroyers but were very successful ASW platforms _


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## Njaco (Oct 11, 2015)

*October 12 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post726307.html#post726307

*EASTERN EUROPE:* A new German military mission was set up in Bucharest, Rumania to direct the training program for the Rumanian Army. In response to a request made by Rumanian President Antonescu for a German Military Mission to train Rumanian troops, Hitler sends the first of several Military Mission officials to the country under the command of Erik Hansen while the Aerian Mission or the Deutsche Luftwaffenmission in Rumänien commanded by General Withelm Speidel arrives in the country. The Mission would soon total 22,430 men of which 17,561 are from the German Army. In addition to the 13th Motorized Infantry Division, other forces will soon include the 4.Panzerregiments, engineers, signal troops and six fighter and two reconnaissance squadrons along with some Luftwaffe anti-aircraft units. 

The TsKB-57 prototype aircraft of the Soviet Ilyshin Il-2 Shturmovik ground attack aircraft made its maiden flight.

German Governor-General of occupied Poland Hans Frank ordered 138,000 Jews in Warsaw to move into the city's ghetto.

*GERMANY:* General Keitel, on orders from Hitler, issues a Directive from the OKL;



> “The Führer has decided that until next spring the preparations for ‘SEELOEWE” are to be continued with the sole intention of maintaining political and military pressure on Englan . Should the projected landing be resumed in spring or early summer, orders will be given for new preparations. In the meantime, it is necessary to shape conditions in the military sphere to suit a final invasion.”


Even though the current operations for the Invasion of England are halted, the aircraft companies of Messerschmitt and Junkers are given a new directive - code named ‘Warschau-Sud’ - to build gliders that could carry assault troops and tanks. Messerschmitt is to build one in steel tube and fabric while Junkers is to build one in wood components. Fourteen days are given to the project. After countless months Junkers comes up with the enormous Ju 322 ‘Mammut’. The Junkers Ju 322 'Mammut' reached prototype form, but was completely unsatisfactory and was scrapped. Uncontrollability and frequent crashes, including one when a tank crashes through the floor of the transport, finally dooms the project and in April of 1941 the remaining examples and prototypes are broken up for fuel. The Messerschmitt was originally designated the Me 261w, was then changed to Me 263, eventually becoming the Me 321. Although the Me 321 saw considerable service, it was never used for a Maltese invasion, or for any other such undertakings.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Battle of Cape Passero: On the previous day, the British Mediterranean Fleet departed Malta after an escort mission, and was detected by Italian aircraft. At 0200 hours, Italian torpedo boats “_Ariel_”, “_Alcione_”, and “_Airone_” caught up with the fleet and attacked British cruiser HMS “_Ajax_” east of Malta. “_Ariel_” and “_Airone_” were sunk by “_Ajax_”. At 0215 hours, “_Ajax's_” radar detected Italian destroyers “_Artigliere_” and “_Aviere_” and opened fire, damaging “_Aviere_” and rendering “_Artigliere_” dead in the water. "_Artigliere_" returned fire and hit "_Ajax_" four times, damaging gun turrets and disabled the radar while killing 13 and wounding 20. “_Ajax_” was able to retire from the battle under her own power, while “_Artigliere_” was towed away by destroyer “_Camicia Nera”_. HMS “_Eagle_” was damaged by near misses from bombs released by Italian SM.79 bombers.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines U-48, U-59, and U-101 attacked Allied convoy HX.77 150 miles northwest of Ireland, sinking Norwegian tanker “_Davanger_” just after 0000 hours (17 killed, 12 survived), British ship “_Pacific Ranger_” at 1800 hours (entire crew of 55 survived), and Canadian steamer “_Saint Malô_” at 2325 hours (28 killed, 16 survived). The ship was a former French vessel requisitioned by the Canadian government. 

British minesweeping trawler HMS “_Resolvo_” hit a mine in the Thames estuary in southern England, wounding 2. She would be beached and abandoned the next day.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 11, 2015)

*12 October 1940 (Part II) *

*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
In the second phase of the battle RM DDs moved forward to aid their TBs. RM Soldati Class DD AVIERE was damaged and escorted back to base by undamaged DD GENIERE. *Soldati Class DD ARTIGLIERE (RM 1820 grt)* was badly damaged and DD CAMICIA NERA stood by and later attempted to take her into tow. AJAX was hit four times in this phase putting out action, one four inch gun and her radar. Early on the 13th while under tow, ARTIGLIERE was subjected to fierce air attacks launched from CV ILLUSTRIOUS after being located by a Sunderland flying boat. Alerted by ILLUSTRIOUS's report, CA YORK , AJAX, and four DDs including RAN VAMPIRE and RN NUBIAN, located ARTIGLIERE. DD CAMICIA NERA was forced by the situatiuon to cast off her tow and retired, leaving ARTIGLIERE to be torpedoed and sunk by YORK, VAMPIRE and NUBIAN. Rafts were dropped and the crew was later picked up by an Italian hospital ship. AJAX and Australian cruiser SYDNEY pursued CAMICIA NERA but did not catch her.




_ARTIGLIERE and CAMICIA NERA training together prewar_

The RM CruDiv 3 , with CAs BOLZANO, TRENTO and TRIESTE with DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI and TARIGO departed Messina to support destroyers ARTIGLIERE and CAMICIA NERA, but did not arrive in time and did not contact the British force. RN CLs ORION, RAN SYDNEY and AJAX rejoined the Main Flt during the morning of 12 October. At 1000hrs on the 12th, DDs DAINTY, DEFENDER, DIAMOND and BB RAMILLIES with DDs JANUS, JERVIS, HEREWARD, DECOY rejoined the Main Flt. Reports of further RM DDs in the area caused YORK and CLss LIVERPOOL, ORION, SYDNEY to return to support convoy ME 4. One hundred survivors were picked up by Italian ships from ARTIGLIERE. 84 survivors from AIRONE and 41 one from ARIEL were rescued by the Italians. Significant nhumbers were also rescued by the RN. DD KIMBERLEY on patrol outside Perim was attacked by RA bombers 3 miles from Perim. There was no damage in the attack.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
Gunboat CRICKET departed Hong Kong in the tow of tkr WAR SIRDAR. Owing to a typhoon, both ships were recalled. They departed again on the 18th and arrived at Singapore on the 24th. Gunboat TARANTULA departed Hong Kong on the 22nd, escorted by CL DURBAN and arrived at Singapore on the 29th.

*Malta*

0620-0640 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching the Island. Three Hurricanes are scrambled and the raiders turn back while still 12 miles away, with no interceptions.

0800 hrs Convoy arrives in Grand Harbour.

1008-1013 hrs Air raid alert; no raid materialises.

Enemy casualties over the RN: Sottotenente De Giglio, shot down and died; Primo Aviere Armando Dima, shot down and died; Sergente Maggiore Firmino Donizotti, shot down and taken prisoner; Sottotenente Antonio Fanigiulo, shot down and taken prisoner; Primo Aviere Vittorio Pazut, shot down and taken prisoner; all of 145a Squadriglia, Libyan Command.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY 0635 hrs Six Swordfish 830 Sqn (FAA) despatched to attack two DDs reported by Sunderland recon in the early hours. They reported a large patch of oil about three miles long as well as units of the Med Flt, returning to base at 0920 hrs. 1150-1545 hrs Nine Swordfish 830 Squadron FAA despatched to attack three cruisers and three DDs reported by Sunderland; no interception and all Swordfish returned.

AIR HQ 0906-1725 hrs Sunderland 230 Sqn on recon sighted the Malta convoy which radioed that it had been attacked by a submarine but had driven it off with gunfire and DC attacks. At 1235 hrs he saw the wreck of a Cant Z501 and three men in a collapsible dinghy, and picked them up.




_CANT Z501 seaplane_

1200-1545 hrs Glenn Martin 431 Flight reported six DDs at sea, plus a 2000 ton MVl off the Straits of Messina and large streaks of oil 20 miles from Syracuse. 

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. One Sunderland on naval co-operation patrol sighted units of the enemy fleet and led Fleet Air Arm striking force from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS in the attack. One Sunderland on patrol picked up three Italian prisoners shot down in the attack.


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## parsifal (Oct 12, 2015)

*13 October 1940 
Losses
MV NORA (Est 1186 grt) *Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze) Crew: Unknown (19 survivors) Cargo: Lumber Route: Pugwash, Nova Scotia - Belfast. Sailing independent. Lost in the Western Approaches. At 0846 hrs the unescorted NORA was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 after being missed by one torpedo each at 0446 and 0712 hrs. The explosion threw parts of the deck cargo into the air, some hitting the water near the periscope. Schütze decided not to fire at the ship with the deck gun, because he saw that the lifeboats had been destroyed and the crew waved for help, so he sent a distress message with position for the steamer and left the area. However, the survivors were not rescued until 18 October, when HMS LEITH , which was escorting convoy SC-7 spotted them and picked them up. They had been clinging to debris for several days by then. 





*MV STANGRANT (UK 5804 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) Crew: 38 (8 dead and 30 survivors) Cargo: Steel and scrap Route: Hampton Roads - Halifax - Belfast Convoy HX-77 (Straggler) Lost In the Western Approaches. Whilst on route from HAMPTON ROADS for BELFAST carrying a cargo of 7,715 tons steel and scrap, STANGRANT was torpedoed by U-37 and sunk. 8 crew lost from a total crew of 38.





*Drifter SUMMER ROSE (UK 96 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Sunderland, 4.9 cables 032° from Roker Pier. Two ratings were lost.

*Tug DANUBE III (UK 234 grt) *was sunk on a mine off Sheerness, 2.5 cables 305° from Outer Bar Buoy. Ten ratings and one Marine gunner were lost.

*Hopper barge CARGO FLEET No. 2 (UK 1130 grt)* was damaged on a mine one cable west of Datum Buoy, off Tees. There were no casualties on the barge, which was taken in tow, but went ashore at Tees entrance, a total loss.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-99
St. Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 13 October 1940
U-28, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
15 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.307 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 16th. FS.308 departed Methil, escort DDs VEGA, VIMIERIA, WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th.

U.138 damaged Norwegian steamer DAGRUN off North Channel.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and met convoy WN.22 in Pentland Firth to provide AA cover for the convoy to the Firth of Firth. In Operation D.N, DDs COSSACK, ASHANTI, MAORI and SIKH departed the Firth of Forth the evening of 13 October to strike at German shipping off Egero Light. During the night of 13/14 October, the DDs attacked a convoy of three ships and two small escorts four miles off the Light. While the British ships claimed sinking at least two merchant ships, only *netlayer GENUA (Ger 1949 grt)* was sunk. The only British casualty was a single shell hit in the stern of COSSACK with a stoker wounded. The British force safely returned to Rosyth arriving on the 14th. COSSACK's rudder was repaired at Rosyth completing on the 25th. Scapa Flow, except for a small area northeast of the Barrell of Butter, was declared free of mines and ASW exercises were resumed.

*West Coast UK*
OL.7 departed Liverpool escort DDs HIGHLANDER, HURRICANE, KEPPEL, HAVELOCK. The convoy was dispersed on the 16th. OB.228 departed Liverpool escort sloops FOLKESTONE and LEITH, corvette HEARTSEASE, ASW trawler SPHENE. The escort, less FOLKESTONE, detached on the 16th and she departed on the 17th.

*Med- Biscay*
CL AJAX and DDs JERVIS and JUNO met convoy AS 4 of four steamers from Piraeus, which had sailed that morning. At sea, they rendezvoused with CLA COVENTRY. Convoy AS 4 joined convoy ME 4 east of Gavdo Island. Steamer VOLO of ME 4 was sent ahead of the convoy to Alexandria with AA ship WRYNECK. CLA CALCUTTA remained with the convoy. On 15 October, DD MOHAWK was detached from the Main Fleet to relieve JERVIS. Convoy AS 4 arrived at Port Said on the 16th. RAN CL SYDNEY arrived at Alexandria.

*Malta*
No enemy air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY Recon ops by Swordfish 830 Sqn Fleet Air Arm of Ionian Sea from Malta to Taranto to Corfu and return.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland A. 0700 hrs Recon by Glen Martin 431 Flight signalled one DD and one MV in Ionian Sea. On landing reported 15 large warships and eight cruisers plus various small craft in Taranto outer harbour and three DDs and six cruisers plus small craft in the inner harbour. In the Gulf of Taranto he spotted one DD and one MVl. 0750 hrs Glenn Martin attacked by an enemy BR20 which was quickly outmanoeuvred and fired at, probably damaged. Recon continued but the Glenn Martin was again attacked by a CR32 from below. He returned fire, severely damaging the CR32 and probably killing the rear gunner. Meanwhile the Glenn Martin’s rear gunner engaged another fast twin-engined aircraft attacking from behind – no hits claimed. The rear gunner then reported five or six RO43 or 44s climbing to attack. The Glenn Martin pilot took evasive action and continued his recon. The speed of the a/c was decisive in these engagements.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. 1131-1700 hrs French Latecoere on patrol reported an Italian hospital ship at sea 1235 hrs. Sunderland A arrived from UK with important passengers. 1235 hrs A Sunderland flying boat picked up 12-15 Italian Naval airmen whose aircraft had been shot down by a Fulmar; they were based at Tobruk.


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## Njaco (Oct 12, 2015)

There was sewer and water. They used those systems to attack during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 I believe. Population was over 400,000 Jews residing in an area of 3.4 km2 (1.3 sq mi).

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Njaco (Oct 12, 2015)

*October 13 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post726519.html#post726519

*WESTERN FRONT:* Bomber pilot Lt. Hajo Herrmann of KG 30 is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In response to Rumanian President Antonescu plea for help, Hitler orders the Luftwaffe's night intruder forces to move to the Mediterranean.

At dawn, a British flying boat spotted Italian destroyer “_Camicia Nera_” towing destroyer “_Artigliere_”, which was damaged on the previous day during the Battle of Cape Passero east of Malta. Aircraft from HMS “_Illustrious_” forced “_Camicia Nera_” to cut the tow line, and then cruisers HMS “_York_” and HMS “_Ajax_” and four destroyers sank “_Artigliere_” with torpedoes. The British warships dropped rafts for the Italian survivors before departing. Many of the survivors would be rescued by an Italian hospital ship on the following day.

*GERMANY:* During the night, many British aircraft were launched to attack battleship “_Tirpitz_” in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, but in poor weather only 4 Hampden aircraft were able to locate the port. Not hits were scored on “_Tirpitz_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-103 attacked Estonian ship “_Nora_” 200 miles west of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 0846 hours with a torpedo. As “_Nora_” remained afloat, Korvettenkapitän Viktor Schütze of U-103 realized “_Nora's_” lifeboats were all destroyed during the attack, and broadcasted a distress message with the damaged ship's position. British sloop HMS “_Leith_” would arrive several days later and would rescue 19 survivors. German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Stangrant_” west of Scotland at 1957 hours; 8 were killed and 30 survived.

British rescue tug HMRT “_Danube III_” hit a mine in the mouth of the Thames Estuary and sank off Sheerness, Kent in southern England; 11 were killed.

In the Norwegian Sea, off the coast of Norway, during the night (October 13-14), British destroyers engage a German flotilla, sinking 2 German vessels.

*ASIA:* Nationalist Chinese artillery is secretly transported deep behind Japanese lines to shell Ichang Airfield which is a base used by for Japanese air raids on Chungking.

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## parsifal (Oct 13, 2015)

*14 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 129

*Losses
Steamer RECULVER (UK 683 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1.2 miles 195° from Spurn Point Light House (off the Yorkshire coast). The entire crew was rescued.






*ASW trawler LORD STAMP (RN 448 grt)* was sunk on a mine 17 miles SW of Portland Bill in the English Channel. 23 crew members were lost.

*Collier GLYNWEN (UK 1076 grt) *was lost to an unspecified enemy attack .





*Steamer EULER (Ger 1879 grt)* was sunk on a mine near St Nazaire.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-58
Lorient: U-47

At Sea 14 october 1940
U-28, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
17 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
OA.229 departed Methil escort sloop JASON and corvettes COREOPSIS and HIBISCUS from 14 to 19 October. FN.308 departed Southend, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 16th. FS.309 departed Methil, escort DDs VERDUN and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
DD DOUGLAS made Minesweeping runs in Scapa Flow in view of suspected minelaying, to fire acoustic mines. No mines were located. DD MENDIP arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730 to work up.

*West Coast UK*

*Western Approaches*
U.138 torpedoed AMC CHESHIRE. RCN DD SKEENA and corvette PERIWINKLE took off 220 crewas the AMC was abandonbede. However she did not sink and DC crews reboarded. The vesel was taken in tow and beached near Belfast. She underwent emergency repairs before being refloated and towed to Liverpool for repairs requiring six months.

*Med- Biscay*
In the pre-dawn darkness on the 14th, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, escorted by CLs GLOUCESTER and LIVERPOOL and DDs NUBIAN, HAVOCK, HERO, HEREWARD launched air strikes against Leros. The raid was successful and the ships returned to the Main Force later on the 14th 14th. At 0900, CA YORK, which was short of fuel, and DD DEFENDER were detached to Alexandria. RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VENDETTA attacked submarine contacts at 1132.

At 1855 on the 14th, LIVERPOOL was torpedoed by an RA SM79 armed with a torpedo in the Aegean. The hit started a fire on the ship and an explosion of her petrol and ammunition wrecked the bow which later broke away just ahead of the bridge. 27 crewmen were lost , with three more ratings dying of wounds. Forty two ratings were wounded.
DDs HEREWARD and DECOY were sent to stand by the cruiser. Tug ST ISSEY was dispatched at 2345 on the 14th.

LIVERPOOL was taken in tow stern first by CL ORION and screened by CLA CALCUTTA. She arrived at Alexandria on the 16th, with DDs DAINTY, DECOY, DIAMOND, RAN VAMPIRE, which had been sailed from Alexandria at 1420 and joined at 1900/15th. After temporary repairs at Alexandria, completed in April 1941, LIVERPOOL proceeded to Mare Island, California for repairs from 16 June to 15 November 1941.

The Med Flt arrived back at Alexandria at 0100/16th. BC RENOWN and DDs GALLANT, FIREDRAKE, GRIFFIN arrived at Gibraltar. CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Gibraltar from a month in Home Waters after carrying out a patrol off the Azores, and rejoined Force H

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DKM Raider ORION sank *steamer RINGWOOD (Nor 7302 grt)* in the Pacific. The European crew was repatriated to Norway.






*Malta*

Orders were issued to infantry bns manning the beach defence posts. All beach guns are now under the tactical command of commanding officers of infantry sectors in which they are positioned. According to the operating instructions, the maximum range for beach guns to open fire is 5000 yds by day and 1800 yds by night.




_Blockhouses along the Malta shoreline_


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## Njaco (Oct 13, 2015)

*October 14 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post727821.html#post727821

*WESTERN FRONT:* Obstlt. Werner Streib, Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1 scores his tenth night-fighter victory during the evening.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Orion_” stopped and scuttled Norwegian ship “_Ringwood_” in the Pacific Ocean 600 miles northwest of New Ireland, Bismarck Islands. The crew of 35 was taken prisoner.

*ASIA:* Three American passenger liners were sent for Japan and China to repatriate American citizens.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Lord Stamp_” hit a mine and sank off Dorset, England, in the English Channel; 25 were killed. German submarine U-137 hit British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Cheshire_” with a torpedo 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 2128 hours; “_Cheshire_” remained afloat, and the 220 crew members were rescued by Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Skeena_” and British corvette HMS “_Periwinkle_”. 

*GERMANY:* Major Friedrich Kless of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* En route from Malta to Alexandra, Egypt, aircraft carrier HMS “_Illustrious_” detached from the British Mediterranean Fleet and launched an air attack against the Italian Dodecanese Island of Leros. Later in the day, at 1855 hours, an Italian SM79 bomber attacked the fleet 50 miles south of Crete, hitting cruiser HMS “_Liverpool_” with a torpedo and blew off her bow after detonating the aviation fuel store, killing 30 and wounding 35; “_Liverpool_” would survive the attack and would be towed to Alexandra to receive temporary repairs.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Soviet politburo accepts the Army war plan for an attack on Germany.

.



.


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## parsifal (Oct 14, 2015)

*15 October 1940 
Losses
MV THISTLEGARTH (UK 4747 grt) *Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze) Crew: 39 (30 dead and 9 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Scapa Flow - New Brunswick; Convoy OB-227 (dispersed); Sunk in the outer limits of the Western Approaches. At 1933 hrs the THISTLEGARTH, dispersed from convoy OB-227, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 45 miles WNW of Rockall. The crew abandoned ship due to the list, but then reboarded the vessel when it remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and opened fire with the deck gun, but had to cease fire after three rounds and crash dive due to return fire. U-103 then fired torpedoes whilst submerged, which sank the stricken vessel almost immediately. Only 9 crew members were picked up by Corvette HEARTSEASE.





*MV BONHEUR (UK 5327 grt) *Sunk by U-138 (Wolfgang Lüth) Crew: 39 (0 dead and 39 survivors) Cargo: Fully laden general cargo Route: Outward Bound Liverpool - Rosario; Convoy OB 228 Sunk in the Western Approaches . At 0510 hrs , U-138 fired torpedoes at the convoy OB-228 38 miles NW of Butt of Lewis and hit the BONHEUR followed 5 mins later by the BRITISH GLORY (which was damaged but did not sink). The BONHEUR foundered later that day. All of the crew were rescued and were were picked up by ASW Yacht SPHERE and landed at Belfast.





*MV HURUNUI (NZ 9331 grt) * Sunk by U-93 (Claus Korth) Crew: 75 (2 dead and 73 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Newcastle - Liverpool - Panama - Auckland Convoy OA-228 Sunk in the Western Approaches . Torpedoed by U93 and sank the following morning 150 miles west of Cape Wrath . Two of the crew were lost when they fell in the sea whilst abandoning ship.





*Drifter APPLE TREE (UK 84 grt)* was lost in a collision with RAF Pinnace No.50 in Oban Harbour.

*River patrol vessel MISTLETOE (RN 19 grt)* was sunk on a mine, eight cables 310° from Bull Sand Fort. Four crew were lost from the vessel. Two crew were rescued.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-59

Departures
Lorient: U-65

At Sea 15 October 1940
U-28, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-65, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
18 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.309 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 18th. FS.310 departed Methil, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 18th. Sub L 27 attacked a German convoy off Cape Barfleur and claimed three torpedo hits on a 7000 ton steamer, escorted by seven trawlers. However, German records do not support this claim.

*Northern Waters*
Operation D.H.U; BC HOOD departed Scapa Flow as screen for CVL FURIOUS and CA BERWICK and NORFOLK with DDs MATABELE and PUNJABI to raid Tromso on the 16th. DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, MASHONA also departed Scapa Flow and were exercising in the Pentland Firth prior to DHU. These DDs joined the escort for the FURIOUS. Airstrikes from the FURIOUS were launched and attacked oil tanks and the seaplane base and shipping at Tromso on the 16th.
Lt H. S. Hayes and Lt E. G. Savage in a Skua of 801 Sqn landed in Sweden and were interned, with the crews eventually to return to England. On the 17th, DDs DUNCAN, ISIS, DOUGLAS departed Scapa Flow to join the FURIOUS force. On 18 October, Phase II of the DHU operation was abandoned due to low visibility. The forces returned to Scapa Flow. DOUGLAS and ISIS proceeded to Skaalefjord to meet tkr MONTENOL and take her to Scapa Flow. SOMALI, ESKIMO, MASHONA arrived in Pentland Firth and carried out full caliber firings before arriving at Scapa Flow on the 19th. FURIOUS, with CAs BERWICK and NORFOLK, DDs DUNCAN, PUNJABI, MATABELE arrived back at Scapa Flow during the afrternoon of the 19th. DDs DOUGLAS and ISIS arrived back at Scapa during the morning of the 20th escorting tkr MONTENOL.

British minefield BS.41 was laid by ML TEVIOTBANK and DD INTREPID, escorted by DD VORTIGERN and MSW LYDD.
CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow at 1000 after covering convoy OA.229 to Pentland Firth. DD QUORN departed Lerwick at 1735 escorting British steamer LOCHNAGAR to Aberdeen.

*Western Approaches*
OB.229 departed Liverpool escort DDs CHELSEA, STURDY, WHITEHALL, corvettes ARABIS and HELIOTROPE, ASW trawlers BLACKFLY and LADY ELSA. CHELSEA was detached on the 16th and the rest of the escort on the 18th.

*Channel*
BB REVENGE departed Portsmouth late on the 15th escort DDs WANDERER and WITCH and ORP DD BURZA, arriving at Plymouth early on the 16th.

U.65, leaving Lorient, reported being attacked by a British submarine.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.8 departed St Johns escort RCN PV ELK and ocean escort Sloop SANDWICH. The convoy was joined on the 26th by SLOOP WESTON, corvettes CAMPANULA, CLARKIA, GLADIOLUS, ASW trawlers FANDANGO, MAN O.WAR, STELLA CAPELLA, VIZALMA. DDs HARVESTER and HIGHLANDER joined the convoy on the 27th. DD STURDY joined the convoy on the 30th, but was lost that day. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 31st.

*Central Atlantic
Steamer KABALO (Be 5186 grt) *from convoy OB.223 in 31‑59N, 31‑20W was lost after being torpedoed by the RM Sub COMANDANTE ALFREDO CAPPELLINI (CC Salvatore Todaro) off the Azores She was on an outbound voyage from from Glasgow-Freetown in convoy OB 223 (dispersed) with war material. Capt. Georges Vogels + 42 crew were rescued. There was 1 dead. Survivors (16) picked up by Panamean tkr PANAM and landed at Lisbon. Others taken to Santa Maria Island (Azores) by the sub, then to Lisbon by Portuguese ss CARVALHO ARAUJO.





*Med- Biscay
T Class Sub TRIAD (RN 1090 grt) * departed Malta on the 9th to patrol in the Gulf of Taranto. She was then to proceed, via the Libya coast, to Alexandria to arrive on the 20th. She did not complete this mission. The sub was on the surface 50 miles sth of Cape Collonne in Otranto Strait, when early on the 15th at 0140, RM sub ENRICO TOTI, which because of a mechanical breakdown could not submerge, encountered the TRIAD. In a gun engagement and torpedo engagement, submarine TRIAD was sunk by the TOTI. The entire crew of the British Sub were lost.





BB BARHAM and DD ECHO, ESCAPADE, FORTUNE arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown. BB BARHAM, which had been damaged off Dakar, was docked at Gibraltar on the 16th. RAN CA AUSTRALIA arrived at Gibraltar from patrol off the Azores. Also, arriving on this date were transports ETTRICK and KARANJA, escort DDs GREYHOUND, WISHART, VIDETTE, arriving from Freetown.

*ML Sub FOCA (RM 1305 grt)* while laying a minefield, was lost to causes that remain uncertain. .





*Malta*
A French Loire aircraft with a crew of three arrived at Kalfrana today from Bizerta seeking to serve with the RAF. The Catapult seaplane left base at 0430 hrs this morning along with a second Loire 130. The two aircraft had been destined to join the French battleship Richelieu at Dakar. The second plane has so far failed to arrive at Malta. Swordfish were sent out morning and afternoon to search but no trace of it has been found.




_Loire 130 Shipborne seaplane_


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## Njaco (Oct 14, 2015)

*October 15 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post727823.html#post727823

Goring issues orders to give priorities for the German night offensive against Britain. The priorities are firstly London, secondly aircraft factories and third industry in the Midlands and all air bases.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Prime Minister Winston Churchill instructs that British ambassadors be informed that;


> "...nothing can compare with the importance of the British Empire and the United States being co-belligerent.".



*GERMANY:* A new recruit joins the Luftwaffe Military Training Regiment 10 at Neukuhurn near Koenigsberg in East Prussia. Erich Hartmann, soon to be known as the “Blond Knight of Germany” and “The Black Devil of the South”, will begin his flight training and be told he is best suited to be a fighter pilot.

The RAF conducts a nighttime raid on Kiel.

*WESTERN FRONT: *General Alexander Holle is made Kommodore of KG 26 in place of Generalmajor Robert Fuchs.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British submarine HMS “_Triad_” detected Italian submarine “_Enrico Toti_” while running on the surface 100 miles south of Taranto, Italy at 0100 hours. “_Triad_” hit “_Enrico Toti_” twice with her deck gun, but the torpedo fired missed. “_Enrico Toti's_” damage prevented her from diving. “_Enrico Toti_” returned fire, hitting “_Triad_” twice with the deck gun and sprayed her with machine gun. As “_Triad_” attempted to dive, “_Enrico Toti_” scored a hit with a torpedo, sinking “_Triad_” at about 0130 hours and killing the entire crew of 59. She will be the only British submarine to be sunk by an Italian submarine during the war. Until 1988 it was believed that HMS “_Rainbow_” (N16) had been sunk by Italian submarine “_Enrico Toti_”, but the sunken ship was eventually determined to be HMS “_Triad_” (N53).

Italian submarine “_Foca_” sank while laying a minefield off Haifa, British Mandate of Palestine.

Far to the south, Italian submarine “_Comandante Cappellini_” sank Belgian ship “_Kabalo_” 800 miles west of Casablanca, Morocco; 1 was killed.

The Italian War Council makes the final decision for an attack on Greece. Hitler is not to be told beforehand and instead is to be presented with a fait accompli. The Italians hope for the campaign to be over within two weeks. Operations will start at the end of the month.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-93 sank British ship “_Hurunui_” of Allied convoy OA-228 100 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, just after 0000 hours; 2 were killed and 72 survived. Five hours later in the same general area, German submarine U-138 sank British ship “_Bonheur_” (all survived) and damaged British tanker “_British Glory_” (3 killed) of Allied convoy OA-228 between 0510 and 0515 hours. German submarine U-103 sank British ship “_Thistlegarth_” 100 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 1933 hours; 30 were killed and 9 survived. 

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Marine Corps mobilized its reserve battalions, ordering that these reserve personnel to be assigned to active duty no later than 9 Nov 1940.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Adolf Hitler noted that about half the Czechs in occupied western Czechoslovakia could be assimilated into the German population. The other half, which included the intellectuals, were to be eliminated.

*ASIA: *Captain Sadayoshi Yamada was named the commanding officer of “_Kaga_”. Captain Matsuji Ijuin was named the commanding officer of “_Naka_”.

.



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## parsifal (Oct 15, 2015)

*16 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-145
New image source: U-Boats (1903-1945)




_U-145 was used almost exclusively for the entire war as a training boat. By the latter part of 1940, with much of the UBoat campaign now shifted to the Western Approaches and Nth Atlantic, the smaller Type IIs were not well suited to the rigours of open ocean operations_

Cagni Class Sub RM AMMIRAGLIO CARACCIOLO




(Commissioned 1 June 1941)

Allied
Tug HMS CALSHOT




_Modern Photograph of the tug CALSHOT under restoration in Southampton Docks._
At the outbreak of WW II, CALSHOT was appropriated by the Admiralty for use at Scapa Flow. In 1942 she was transferred to the River Clyde where she acted as tender to the two Cunard Line Queens, RMS QUEEN ELIZABETH and RMS QUEEN MARY , transferring approximately 1,500,000 servicemen. In 1944 she returned to Southampton for the build up to D-Day. In 1986, CALSHOT was bought back by her port of registry (more specifically the Southampton City Council), with the intention of making her the centrepiece of a maritime museum in Ocean Village

Flower Class Covette HMS CANDYTUFT





_CANDYTUFT was transferred to the USN in 1942 under reverse lend lease, after the losses inflicted by the UBoat offensive against shipping off the US seaboard in 1942. She was renamed the USS TENACITY in US service _

Flower Class Corvette HMS CARNATION




_CARNATION was transferred to the RNeN in 1943 as the FRISO, being attached mostly to the 37th Escort GP _

Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 122





*Losses
MV TREVISA (Cdn 1813 grt) *Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) Crew: 21 (7 dead and 14 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Sydney - Aberdeen ; Convoy SC-7 (Straggler) Sunk in the Nth Atlantic. The Canadian Great Lakes Carrier bulk cargo ship TREVISA was sunk in the North Atlantic , by U-124. The survivors were picked upo by HMS BLUEBELL.

Illustrating the slowly increasing strength of escort command, during battle against convoy OB- 228, U-93 was attacked three times - in the early morning by three escorts with 19 DCs, the second time at 1015 hrs by an escort with 7 DCs, and the third and last time in the evening by a Sunderland aircraft with a bomb. The boat was not damaged, but it was repeatedly forced to break off its pursuit of the convoy. Escort Command needed to improve the co-ordination of its attacks, but it was improving. Still no radar was being fitted to the escort forces. .

RN Sub TIGRIS sank *trawler CIMCOUR (Vichy 250 grt)*.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 16 October 1940
U-28, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-65, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-137, U-138.
18 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
BB KING GEORGE V had completed construction at Vickers Armstrong, Tyne, in mid October and was to be taken away from the Tyne for final completion and working up at Rosyth. She would comission 16-12-1940. Due to the threats posed from the new acoustic mines being laid by the Germans, six DDs were used to run up the Tyne to simulate the magnetic field of the battleship prior to KING GEORGE V's departure. KGVs escort consisted specifically of CLAs NAIAD and BONAVENTURE and DDs FAME, ASHANTI, MAORI, SIKH, ELECTRA, BRILLIANT on the 16th. The DDs proceeded up the Tyne to detonate acoustic mines. They were then to pick up the BB and escort her to Rosyth with the CLAs.

At 0459 on the 17th at Whitburn Rifle Range near Sunderland, FAME and ASHANTI ran aground and were badly damaged and MAORI also ran aground, but was able to get herself off with light hull damage. The damaged DD crews went ashore during the night of 17/18 October due to heavy swells. Only the AA crews, damage control, salvage personnel remained on board. ASHANTI was refloated on 1 November and towed to Sunderland. On 9 November, the DD was towed to the Tyne. She was under repair at Wallsend until the end of August 1941. FAME was refloated on 1 December. She was under temporary repair at Sunderland until 5 February 1941. She then was taken to Chatham and rebuilt on a new hull. She was repairing until 29 August 1942.

Meanwhile, KGV was joined by NAIAD and BONAVENTURE and DDs MAORI, SIKH, BRILLIANT, ELECTRA on the 17th.
The screen was augmented at 1000 by DDs BEAGLE, WESTMINSTER, WALLACE to replace those that had been damaged. At 1030, DD FEARLESS joined the screen. At 1440, the force reached the Oxcars Boom at Rosyth. MAORI lost her asdic dome in the grounding but completed her repairs at Rosyth by the end of the month. CL MANCHESTER, on passage from the Firth of Forth to the Humber, detonated a mine, however, there was no damage to the cruiser. CL SOUTHAMPTON departed the Humber for Scapa Flow.

OA.230 departed Methil escort sloop FLEETWOOD and corvette CLEMATIS. The sloop was detached on the 20th and the corvette on the 21st when the convoy rendezvoused with OB.230. FN.310 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 18th. FS.311 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.

*MSW DUNDALK (RN 255 grt)* was badly damaged on a mine off Harwich. She was taken in tow by minesweeper SUTTON but sank in tow at 0242 on the 18th. Four ratings were lost in the minesweeper. Seven ratings were wounded.

*FV PRIDE (UK 25 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Scarborough East Pier. Four crew were lost on the vessel.

British steamer ACTIVITY was damaged on a mine.

*Northern Waters*
LW a/c raided the Orkneys at 1920. Bombs were dropped on Deerness and Shapinsay. There was suspected minelaying in the area 58-20N to 58-30N, 2-20W to 2-35W. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1000 to meet convoy OA.230 before dusk and escort the convoy to Pentland Firth.

*Channel*
In Operation P S, British monitor EREBUS, escort DDs GARTH and WALPOLE, departed the Nore and bombarded Calais from 0010 to 0042 on the 17th. On the return, EREBUS's port engine broke down and the monitor was assisted by British tug ST CLAIR. British escort ship VIVIEN, escorting FN.9, engaged DKM S-Boats.

*MTB.106 (RN 80 grt) * was sunk on a mine near the Nore Light Vessel in the Thames Estuary.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.81 left Halifax local escort RCN DDs COLUMBIA and ST FRANCIS and aux PVs HUSKY and REINDEER. Later on the 17th, the DDs returned to Halifax and AMC VOLTAIRE assumed the ocean escort duties for the convoy. The AMC was detached on the 27th. On 27 October, for the escort in home waters the convoy was joined by DDs CALDWELL, VANSITTART, WALKER, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes CALENDULA. GARDENIA, and GLOXINIA . The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 November.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FURY, ESCAPADE, which had arrived at Freetown on the 7th after leaving Duala on the 6th, departed Freetown with DD FORESTER joining them.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub PANDORA on patrol in the Otranto Strait made unsuccessful attacks on RM subs on 16 and 17 October.

*Steamer VERACE (FI 1219 grt) *was sunk on a mine at Benghazi.





*Malta*

Following representations from Winston Churchill, the War Cabinet in London agrees that the reinforcement of Malta is a matter of urgency. One infantry battalion should be sent to Malta from Egypt as part of the next fleet operation, and two more battalions as requested by Lt Gen Dobbie should be sent at the earliest opportunity.

In addition, it is decided that tanks and field artillery plus necessary personnel and stores will be sent from UK leaving on or about 1st November. These reinforcements would bring the total AA provision at Malta to 70 heavy and 34 light AA guns.

Additional fighters and recon a/c will form part of the reinforcing operations. Twelve Hurricanes will be flown into Malta off HMS ARGUS, and 6 Glenn Martin recon a/c will fly direct to the Island.


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## Njaco (Oct 15, 2015)

*October 16 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post727825.html#post727825

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Two ARP rescue workers who helped themselves to £16 they found in a bombed-out house were each jailed for 12 months at the Old Bailey in central London, England, for looting.

*GERMANY:* Reichsmarschall Göring promotes Oberst Josef Kammhuber to Generaloberst and names him to the new position of General der Nachtjägd. Generaloberst Kammhuber’s headquarters is based in Utrecht, Holland as he begins to organize the night-fighter force into mainly two different branches: the defense of the Reich’s territory and the long range night attacks on RAF bases.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British motor torpedo boat MTB-106 hit a mine and sank near the Nore lightship at the mouth of the Thames Estuary in southern England. German submarine U-124 sank Canadian ship “_Trevisa_” 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0350 hours; 7 were killed and 14 survived. British submarine HMS “_Tigris_” sank small French trawler “_Cimcour_” with gunfire in the Bay of Biscay 120 miles west of La Rochelle, France. 

The 30-ship Allied convoy SC-7 was attacked by 7 German submarines on the last leg of its journey from Sydney, Australia to Aberdeen, Scotland,; attacks followed for 3 more days, and the overall losses amounted to 20 ships totaling 79,646 tons.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Aircraft of British carrier HMS “_Furious_” bombed German oil storage tanks, seaplane base, and shipping at Tromsø, Norway.

*ASIA:* Aviation engineers Ichiro Sekine (Nakajima), Joji Hattori (Mitsubishi), Yu Nakajima (Mitsubishi), Shuzo Kito (Mitsubishi), and Tomio Kubo (Mitsubishi) were awarded the Nagao Memorial Award for the excellence for aviation engineering.

There are discussions (concluded on October 19th) between the Japanese and the authorities in the Dutch East Indies concerning the supply of oil. It is agreed to supply the Japanese with 40 percent of the production for the next six months. There are British attempts to block this agreement.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* German authorities ordered the establishment of Warsaw ghettos for Jews in occupied Poland.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In the United States registration begins for the draft according to the provisions of the Selective Service Act. The first drafts will be balloted on October 29th. The Roosevelt administration announced that 16.4 million American men had registered for the military draft as the first step towards expanding U.S. military forces.

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## parsifal (Oct 15, 2015)

> Two ARP rescue workers who helped themselves to £16 they found in a bombed-out house were each jailed for 12 months at the Old Bailey in central London, England, for looting.




That's the equivalent of roughly $4200 USD in todays money

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## parsifal (Oct 16, 2015)

*17 October 1940 (Part I) 
Losses
FV CHEERFUL (Faroes 65 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the Faroes Island.

*Steamer FRANKRIG (UK 1361 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. 19 crew from the steamer were rescued by DD HOLDERNESS.

*FV ALBATROSS (UK 15 grt) *was sunk on a mine off Grimsby. All but five crew were lost on the fishing vessel.

_Battle For Convoy SC-7_
On the 17th as SC-7 entered the Western Approaches HMS SCARBOROUGH (the sole escort from early on the 16th) was joined by the sloop FOWEY and the new corvette BLUEBELL. Later that day the convoy was sighted by U-48, which attacked, sinking two ships including the tkr LANGUEDOC. SCARBOROUGH counter-attacked, driving U-48 deep so she was unable to shadow or report. However the attack was prolonged for too long , and the convoy moved so far ahead of SCARBOROUGH that she was was unable to rejoin.

On the 18th SC 7 escort forces were reinfoced by the arrival of sloop LEITH, and the corvette HEARTSEASE, and LEITH assumed command. Later that day U-38, sighted the convoy and attacked, damaging SS CARSBRECK . LEITH and HEARTSEASE attacked without success, but did drive U-38 off. The escort commander then made a mistake, ordering HEARTSEASE to escort CARSBRECK home, significantly weakening the main force escort further.

The night of the U-boats
On the night of 18th/19th 5 U-boats (U-46, U-99, U-100, U-101 and U-123) made a concerted attack. The attack was coordinated from Lorient by Admiral Karl Dönitz and his staff. An early casualty was the iron ore ship, SS CREEKIRK, bound for Cardiff, Wales. With her heavy cargo, she sank like a stone, taking all 36 crew members with her. Later that night, SC 7 lost many of its members, including the SS EMPIRE BRIGADE with her cargo of trucks and six of her crew and the SS FISCUS with her cargo of steel ingots from Sydney. She sank like a stone as well, taking with her 38 of her 39 man crew. Also among the casualties was the commodore's ship, SS ASSYRIAN , going down with 17 crew. In all, 16 ships were lost in this 6 hour ordeal.

On 18 October, SS BLAIRSPEY was torpedoed by U-101 and was abandoned. She was torpedoed again on 19 October by U-100 but remained afloat. She was towed to the Clyde and later repaired at Greenock. The escorts were unable to prevent any of these losses; their responses were uncoordinated and ineffective. They never realised that the attacking submarines did not attack submerged or from outside the convoy, but were actually running surfaced between the ships inside the convoy. Therefore the escorts were unable to mount any serious attacks on the U-boats, and had to spend much of their time rescuing survivors. Further atacks on the convoy continued on the 19th.

Some U-Boats were diverted to attack Convoy HX-79. The arrival of Convoy HX-79 in the vicinity had diverted the U-boats and they went on to sink 12 ships from HX-79 that night. No U-boats were lost in either engagement. The loss of 28 ships in 48 hours made 18th and 19 October the worst two days for shipping losses in the entire Atlantic campaign for the entire war, exceeding the worst days of PQ17. It exposed glaring weakneses in the escort tactics and organisation and started a process of drastic changes in the way the Western Approaches traffic was to be defended.

*MV AENOS (Gk 3554 grt)* Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe); Crew:29 (4 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Wheat Route: Sydney (Canada) - Manchester Convoy SC-7 (straggler); Sunk in the Western Approaches. In October 1940 AENOS loaded a cargo of 6,276 tons of wheat at Sorel in Canada to take to Manchester, England. Her Master was Dionisios Laskaratos. She sailed from Sorel to Sydney, Nova Scotia where she joined Convoy SC-7 which was to take her as far as Liverpool. SC-7 left Sydney on 5 October 1940, initially with only one escort ship, the Hastings-class sloop HMS SCARBOROUGH for the inbound leg of the journey. A wolf pack of U-boats found the convoy on 16 October and quickly overwhelmed it, sinking many ships over the next few days.

AENOS was straggling behind the main convoy and was the first ship to be sunk. On the morning of 17 October she was about 80 nautical miles (150 km) NNE of Rockall when the U-38 sighted her, fired one G7e torpedo at her at 0957 hrs but it missed. The Uboat then surfaced and fired on AENOS with her 105 mm deck gun until the ship sank at 1052 hours. Out of a complement of 29, four crew members were killed. Another straggler, the Canadian cargo ship EAGLESCLIFFE HALL, rescued 25 survivors including Captain Laskaratos, and landed them at Gourock in Scotland the next day.





*Tkr LANGUEDOC (UK 9512 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 39 (0 dead and 39 survivors) Cargo: Fully laden with Fuel Oil Route: Trinidad - Sydney - Clyde ; Convoy SC-7; Sunk in the Western Approaches. When on route from TRINIDAD for CLYDE carrying 13,700 tons fuel oil in Convoy SC-7 LANGUEDOC was torpedoed by U-48 and sunk. The master and 38 crew members from the LANGUEDOC were picked up by the HMS BlLUEBELL after an inspection revealed that the tkr was beyond salvage and was scuttled with gunfire by the corvette. The survivors were landed at Gourock on 20 October.





*MV SCORESBY (UK 3843 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 39 (0 dead and 39 survivors) Cargo: Timber props for mines Route: Corner Brook - Francis Harbour, Labrador - Sydney - Clyde ; Convoy SC-7; Sunk in the Western Approaches. At 0553 hrs was about 160 nautical miles (300 km) NW of Rockall when SCORESBY was hit along with the LANGUEDOC. U-48 fired three torpedoes at the convoy. The SCORESBY's entire crew successfully abandoned ship, and were rescued by the Flower-class corvette HMS BLUEBELL, and on 20 October were landed at Gourock in Scotland.





*MV DOKKA (Nor 1168 grt) *Sunk by U-93 (Claus Korth) Crew: 17 (10 dead and 7 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Barry Dock - Milford Haven - Mont-Louis, Gaspe, Quebec ; Convoy OB-228; Sunk in the Far Nth of the Western Approaches. DOKKA's armament is recorded as 1 Hotchkiss, 1 stripped Lewis and 2 rifles, and she was on a course 270° true, wind W 4, sailing at a speed of 7 knots, when she was torpedoed at 0245hrs by U-93 (Rohwer gives the time as 0317, German time). The attack happened before the convoy was dispersed on the 17th; the Admiralty action report states that 32 other ships were in sight, well in station, as well as the escorting HMS FOLKESTONE. 2 men had been on lookout; 1 on the bridge, the other on the Monkey Island, but the U-boat and the track of the torpedo had not been seen beforehand, because of the half light and sea state. It struck aft near No. 4 hatch on the starboard side, blowing the after end of the ship to pieces, and she sank vertically in less than a minute. The 2nd mate and the helmsman ran to the port boat and cut it loose, but it was taken by the seas. They later saved themselves on a raft, which had been on the poop and was partly destroyed by the explosion. The captain, who was in his cabin on the lower bridge jumped overboard, as did the lookout from the upper bridge. The captain managed to get hold of the raft that had been on the boat deck and with the help of some planks he was able to paddle towards the 1st mate and 2 able seamen who were in the water. Cries for help were heard a little further away, and they found Ordinary Seaman Azzopardi drifting on a hatch, completely naked and with an injured leg. The 2 rafts were about 100 meters away from each other, when the U-boat suddenly surfaced near the 2nd mate's raft to interrogate them. No assistance was offered. The boat U-Boat skipper was unhappy with the responses and approached the captains raft, who also gave a false name and tonnage of the ship. Just then HMS FOLKESTONE was seen in the distance approaching and the U-boat submerged and left the scene Captain Pedersen was able to inform the escort of the direction the U-boat had taken, and as FOLKESTONE went in pursuit the survivors tied the rafts together, while what little clothes they had were shared between them.

At first light they kept a lookout for more survivors but none were seen. Later in the morning FOLKESTONE broke off her pursuit of the U-boat, which surfacxed, but due to its greater surface speed quickly got away from the danger area. It was last seen by a/c as it submerged and disappeared. The escort vessel then returned to the rafts and picked up the 7 survivors, who were landed in Sydney, Cape Breton on Oct. 23.
Source: Per-Erik Johnsen - Europeana: D/S Dokka (b.1925, Laxevaags Maskin Jernskibsbyg... | Johnsen, Per-Erik / Norsk Maritimt Museum





*MV USKBRIDGE (UK 2715 grt) * Sunk by U-93 (Claus Korth) Crew: 29 (2 dead and 27 survivors). Cargo: Anthracite Route: Swansea - Montreal ; Convoy OB-228; Sunk in the Far Nth of the Western Approaches. At 339 hrs (54 mins after the attack on the DOKKA) U-93 struck again. U-93 fired a G7e-type torpedo into Convoy OB 228, not sure exactly where it would detonate. In fact it missed his intended target and hit the USKBRIDGE on the starboard side under the Bridge. Captain Smith and Second Officer Bettridge were both killed. The Chief Officer was also on the bridge, but managed to survive.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-137

Departures
Bergen: U-59

At Sea 17 October 1940
U-28, U-37, U-38, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-58, U-59, U-65, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-138.
18 boats at sea


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## Njaco (Oct 16, 2015)

*October 17 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post727827.html#post727827

*UNITED KINGDOM:* London Transport appeals to provincial bus companies for replacement vehicles after air raid losses.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Despite his resentment on their failure to secure the airspace over England, Reichsmarschall Göring decides to praise his pilots;


> “In the past few days and nights you have caused the British world enemy disastrous losses by your uninterrupted disastrous blows. Your indefatigable, courageous attacks on the heart of the British Empire, the City of London, with its eight and a half million inhabitants, have reduced British plutocracy to fear and terror. The losses which you have inflicted on the much-vaunted Royal Air Force in determined fighter engagements is irreplaceable.”



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 1052 hours, German submarine U-38 sank Greek ship “_Aenos_” with the deck gun in the Atlantic Ocean; 4 were killed and 25 survived.

German submarine U-48 fired 3 torpedoes at Allied convoy SC-7 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0553 hours, sinking British ship “_Scoresby_” and damaging British tanker “_Languedoc_”. British corvette HMS “_Bluebell_” scuttled “_Languedoc_” with gunfire and rescued the 39 survivors from “_Scoresby_” and 39 survivors from “_Languedoc_”.

German submarine U-93 attacked Allied convoy OA-228 300 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, sinking Norwegian ship “_Dokka_” at 0317 hours (10 killed, 7 survived) and British ship “_Uskbridge_” at 0339 hours (2 killed, 6 survived); U-93 was depth charged at 0400 hours by HMS “_Folkestone_”, depth charged at 1015 hours, and attacked by aerial bombs in the evening; none of the attacks caused damage.

In the North Sea, German motor torpedo boats S-24 and S-27 attacked Allied convoy FN.311 10 miles off Lowestoft, Norfolk, England. British ship “_Hauxley_” was damaged by a torpedo, killing 1, sinking on the next day.

4 German destroyers and 6 torpedo boats departed from Brest, France to attack shipping in the Bristol Channel, but they were detected by British reconnaissance aircraft at 0719 hours. British cruiser HMS “_Newcastle_,” cruiser HMS “_Emerald_”, and 5 destroyers were dispatched from Plymouth at 1100 hours to intercept. At 1600 hours, the British ships found their targets and exchanged fire at the range of 11 miles; no hits were made by either side.

British minesweeper HMS “_Dundalk_” hit a mine 20 miles northeast of Harwich, England, killing 4 and wounding 7. She was towed into the harbor for repairs, but she would sink on the next day.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* A message from Joachim von Ribbentrop to Joseph Stalin to invite Vyacheslav Molotov to Berlin, Germany to speak about the recent deterioration of German-Soviet relations was delivered, at a few days delay, to Vyacheslav Molotov. Ribbentrop was not happy regarding the delay, and the fact that the letter was delivered to the Soviet foreign ministry rather than to Stalin himself.

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## parsifal (Oct 17, 2015)

Half way through, give or take a day......


*17 October (Part II)
OPERATIONS [CONTD]
North Sea*

British steamer ETHYLENE was damaged on a mine one quarter mile NNE of East Oaze Light Buoy (I only know that is off the East Coast UK).

British steamer GEORGE BALFOUR was damaged on a mine 12,900 yds 230° from Aldeburgh Light Vessel.

FN.311 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 19th. *Steamer HAUXLEY (UK 1595 grt)* in convoy FN.311 was torpedoed by DKM SBoat S.18 six miles NNW of Smith's Knoll. HAUXLEY sank in tow of Destroyer WORCESTER at 0645 on the 18th. One crew was lost on the British steamer.





British steamers P. L. M. 14 and GASFIRE in the same convoy were damaged by DKM S Boats S.24 and S.27. British steamer BRIAN claimed sinking one of the German S.boats.

FS.312 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th. CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy SL.49 A east of Pentland Firth and escorted it towards Buchanness. At that point, the cruiser began escorting convoy EN.10.

*West Coast UK*
OB.230 departed Liverpool escort DDs ANTELOPE and CLARE, corvettes ANEMONE, CLEMATIS, MALLOW, ASW trawlers ST LOMAN and ST ZENO from 17 to 20 October.

*Channel*
Early on the 17th, DKM DDs STEINBRINCK, LODY, IHN, GALSTER departed Brest to raid British shipping at the west exit of the Bristol Channel. DKM TBs GREIF, SEEADLER, KONDOR, FALKE, WOLF, JAGUAR departed Cherbourg to provide support. The DKM Zerstorers were sighted at 0719 near Brest by British a/c. Three convoys were in immediate danger, convoy OG.44 escorted by Sloop WELLINGTON, convoy SL.50 escorted by AMC PRETORIA CASTLE, convoy HG.45 escorted by British escort vessel GLEANER. These convoys were ordered to steer west until the threat was dealt with. CLs NEWCASTLE and EMERALD with DDs JACKAL, JUPITER, KASHMIR, KIPLING, KELVIN departed Plymouth at 1100 to intercept thge DKM TG. The German ships were sighted again at 1600 and an action ensued that continued until 1800 when the DKM forces had retreated, using their high speed to outdistance the British forces. No damage was received by either side, but DD JUPITER experienced mechanical problems limiting her speed before the engagement and CL NEWCASTLE had a breakdown in number three boiler room in the pursuit. The British and German forces were never less than 18,000 yds apart. Both forces were back in their respective ports early on the 18th.

*Med- Biscay*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA and RN DDs ECHO and GRIFFIN departed Gib, escorting troopships KARANJA and ETTRICK to the UK. They were recalled when a report was received that Vichy BC STRASBOURG and 20 warships were departing Toulon with the intention of passing Gibraltar without permission. When the report was found to be spurious, and the CA and DDs ECHO and ESCAPADE with the troopships departed Gibraltar on the 18th. British troopship REINA DEL PACIFICO arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown. British storeship CITY OF DIEPPE, escort DD GALLANT, arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.

Vichy authorities sought and were granted permission to pass some ships through straits. TB LA BATAILLEUSE passed Gibraltar westbound escorting subs PEGASE and MONGE, which had departed Bizerte on the 11th and submarines ESPOIR and VENGEUR, which had departed Toulon on the 11th. These ships proceeded to Casablanca to relieve submarines LE HEROS, LE GLORIEUX, CIRCE, CALYPSO. These later named ships departed Casablanca on 2 November, escorted by TB LA BATAILLEUSE and in an unnumbered convoy with two steamers, arrived at Oran on 5 November.


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## parsifal (Oct 17, 2015)

*18 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS EXMOOR(I)





Flower Class Corvette HMS RHODODENDRON





*Losses
Sub H.49 (RN 423 grt)* was sunk by DKM aux SCs UJ.116 and UJ.118 off Terschelling. All but 1 of the crewe perished. .The sole survivor was rescued and made a prisoner of war.





RCN Aux MSW BRAS D'OR (RCN 221 grt) was lost in the Gulf of St Lawrence while shadowing Rumanian steamer INGINER N. VLASSPOL during the night of 18/19 October. There were no survivors.

*ASW trawler KINGSTON CAIRNGORM (RN 448 grt)*, was mined off Portland on the 17th, and sank in tow at 0318 on the 18th.

*MV SANDSEND (UK 3612 grt) *Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 39 (5 dead and 34 survivors) Cargo: Anthracite Route: Port Talbot - Quebec ; Convoy OB-228 (Straggler) ; Sunk in the Nth Atlantic, just outside the Western Approaches; At 1025 hrs the SANDSEND, a straggler from convoy OB-228, was hit by one torpedo from U-48 and sank by the bow after the crew had abandoned ship in three lifeboats 254 miles WNW of Rockall. The U-boat had spotted a group of three stragglers and attacked the one in the middle, but missed with the first two torpedoes at 0808 and 0809 hrs before hitting the same target with the third torpedo. The contact to the other two ships was then lost in the mist. Five crew members were lost. The master and 33 crew members were picked up by HMS HIBISCUSand landed at Methil. 





Battle of Convoy SC-7




_The Wolf Pack Gathers: U-99, U-100, U-101 and U-123 Prepare to Attack Convoy SC7, 18 October 1940
by John Alan Hamilton_

As the wolfpack intensified its attacks, the escorts were unable to prevent or impede the slaughter. Their responses were uncoordinated and ineffective. They never realised that the attacking U-Boats were not attacking submerged or from outside the convoy, but were running surfaced between the ships and attacking from inside the convoy. Moreover, all of the U-Boats involved were now using this tactic and with such small numbers of escorts it was easy for the Uboats to penetrate the screen as required. The escorts were unable to mount any serious attacks on the U-boats, and had to spend much of their time rescuing survivors.

*MV CREEKIRK (UK 3917 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) Crew: 36 (36 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Wabana, Conception Bay - Sydney - Workington ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches. Sunk at 2112, ship sank within 60 seconds of being hit





MV BLAIRSPEY (Damaged) At 23.08 hours on 18 Oct 1940 U-101 (Frauenheim) attacked the convoy SC-7 ENE of Rockall and claimed two ships with 9500 grt sunk and one with 6000 grt damaged. According to Allied sources however, only the BLAIRSPEY was hit, with one of the two torps fired at her. She fell out of the convoy and straggled badly. At 0250 hrs the next morning the BLAIRSPEY was hit again by two torpedoes from U-100, but though badly damaged the ship remained afloat because her load of timber and was saved. She was towed back to port and was eventually repaired, but not until 1942 did she re-enter service.

*MV SHEKATIKA (Damaged, then finally sunk) (UK 5458 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) Crew: 36 (0 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: Timber and some steel Route: Gaspé, New Brunswick - Sydney - Hartlepool ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 2021 hrs the SHEKATIKA, a romper from convoy SC-7, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-123 about 90 miles ESE of Rockall and 7 minutes later by a coup de grace under the bridge, but both hits did not have much effect. When the U-boat surfaced at 2030 hrs, along with U-99 further attacks were made, but again failed to sink her. After the crew had abandoned ship on rafts, U-123 fired a second coup de grace into the vessel at 2046 hours and then left the slowly sinking ship. At 2317 hrs, U-100 (Schepke) fired another coup de grace into the abandoned hulk, but she remained afloat until U-123 found her again at 0244 hrs on 19 October. At 0317 hours, a fifth torpedo hit the ship amidships, starting a fire in the engine room. The vessel developed a list and the deck cargo of pit props fell overboard before she sank. The master and 35 crew members were picked up by HMS FOWEY, RN) and landed at Grennock on 20 October.





Between 2058 and 2104 hrs, U-46 fired four single torps at the convoy SC-7 about 100 miles SW of Barra Head and claimed two ships totalling 8000 grt sunk and one ship with 7000 grt damaged. The U-boat is credited with sinking the BEATUS and CONVALLARIA in this attack

*MV BEATUS (UK 4885 grt) *Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 37 (0 dead and 37 survivors) Cargo: Steel, Timber and deck cargo of crated a/c Route: Three Rivers - Sydney (5 Oct) - Tyne - Middlesbrough ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches; Survivors were picked up by HMS BLUEBELL and landed at Gourock.





*MV CONVALLARIA (SD 1996 grt) * Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: Unknown Cargo: Pulpwood Route: St. Johns, Newfoundland - Ridham Dock ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches. The CONVALLARIA stayed afloat for a short time and sank later in position 57°20N/10°40W. The crew was picked up by HMS FOWEY and landed at Greenock.





*MV BOEKELO (NL 2118 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) Crew: 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Chatham, New Brunswick - London ;Convoy SC-7 (Straggler) ; Sunk In the Western Approaches; the BOEKELO fell behind the convoy SC-7 because she had stopped to rescue survivors from the BEATUS, which had been sunk U-46 (Endrass) at 2103 hrs. At 2337 hrs, she herself was torpedoed and damaged by U-100 (Schepke) but was finished off by U-123 at 0131 hrs on 19 October. All crew members managed to survive. 





MV CARSBRECK was damaged. At 0204 hrs , the CARSBRECK in convoy SC-7 was hit by one of two torps from U-38 (Liebe) in position 58°46N/14°11W. At 0227 hrs, the U-boat fired another G7a torp at the ship but missed. The ship stayed afloat on its load of lumber and was escorted to the Clyde by HMS HEARTSEASE , arrving on 21 October. She was repaired and returned to service in December 1940. She was eventually lost 24 November 1941.

*MV GUNBORG (SD 1572 grt)* Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 23 (0 dead and 23 survivors). Cargo: Pulpwood Route: Tommys Arm, Newfoundland - Halifax - Clyde - Ridham Dock ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 2225 hrs the GUNBORG in convoy SC-7 was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-46 and sank about 150 miles west of the Hebrides. The crew was picked up by HMS BLUEBELL and landed at Gourock.





*MV EMPIRE MINIVER (UK 6055 grt) *Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 38 (3 dead and 35 survivors) Cargo: Pig Iron Steel Route: Baltimore - Sydney - Newport ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 2206 hrs the EMPIRE MINIVER in convoy SC-7 was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 about 100 miles SW of Barra Head. Three crew members were lost. The master and 34 crew members were picked up by HMS BLUEBELL and landed at Greenock on 20 October.





*MV FISCUS (UK 4815 grt) *Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 39 (38 dead and 1 survivor) Cargo: Steel, Timber, and a deck cargo of crated a/c Route: Three Rivers - Sydney - Clyde ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2355 hrs the FISCUS , in convoy SC-7, was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 east of Rockall. The master, 36 crew members and one gunner were lost. The only survivor was found standing on some debris by a lifeboat of SNEFIELD, another victim of the same U-boat. On 23 October, they were all picked up by HMS CLEMATIS.





*MV NIRITOS (GK 3854 grt) *Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 28 (1 dead and 27 survivors) Cargo:Sulphur Route: Sydney - Garston ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches ; Convoy SC-7 Sydney - Garston; At 2330 hrs the NIRITOS in convoy SC-7 was hit by one torpedo from U-99 and sank.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-58
Lorient: U-43

At Sea 18 October 1940
U-28, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-59, U-65, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-123, U-124, U-138.
16 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA transferred from convoy EN.10 to HX.78 off Duncansby Head. OA.231 departed Methil escort sloop HASTINGS and corvette FLEUR DE LYS from 18 to 23 October. DDs KEPPEL and DOUGLAS of DesFlot 12 at Greenock were placed under the command of the Commander in Chief, Home Flt.


*Northern Patrol*
CVE ARGUS with DDs BEAGLE, HURRICANE, and ACHATES departed the Clyde to embark the RAF 701 Sqn at Reykavik. ARGUS and ACHATES arrived at Reykavik late on the 20th, whilst HURRICANE and BEAGLE were detached during the night of 19/20 October and did not arrive at Reykavik until the 21st.

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## parsifal (Oct 18, 2015)

*18 October 1940 (Part II) 
OPERATIONS (Cont'd)
Western Approaches*
HX.79, which had departed Halifax on the 8th escorted by AMCs MONTCLARE and ALAUNIA and NL O.14, was reinforced in the Western Approaches by DDs WHITEHALL and STURDY, escort vessel JASON, corvettes HIBISCUS, HELIOTROPE, COREOPSIS, ARABIS, ASW trawlers LADY ELSA (531grt), BLACKFLY (428grt), ANGLE (531grt) in the Western Approaches. The entry of this convoy was to draw fire away from the hard pressed SC-7.

*SW Approaches*
British trawler KING ATHELSTAN was damaged by the LW about 15 miles off Mizzen Head (SW of ireland).

*Central Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL intercepted Vichy steamer INDOCHINOIS, which had departed Casablanca on the 15th for Conakry. The steamer was sent under prise crew to Freetown, arriving on the 19th.

Convoy SL.52 departed Freetown escorted by AMC MOOLTAN to 5 November, when the convoy rendezvoused with convoy SLF.52. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 10 November.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs FIREDRAKE, WRESTLER and VIDETTE attacked and sank *Adua Class sub DURBO (RM 680 grt) *off Alboran Island (East Of Gibraltar). 48 survivors were picked up by the British ships and landed at Gibraltar. The Italian personnel were placed aboard troopship REINA DEL PACIFICO for transport to England.




_Crew of the DURBO awaiting rescue after the submarine had surrendered. The RN gained access to considerable information on the RM submarine fleet from this event. _

*Malta*

No air raids

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 1940

RN Sub REGENT arrived for repairs having been in collision with a caique in the Ionian sea. She suffered extensive damage to her forward hydroplanes.

AIR HQ Northern patrol by Glenn Martin cancelled due to bad weather. Southern and western areas patrolled by one Blenheim 431(GR) flight and two Swordfish 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm; nil reports.

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## Njaco (Oct 18, 2015)

*October 18 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post728479.html#post728479

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France officially published the Statute of 4 Oct 1940 in which Jews who were not French citizens were no longer protected by French law. 'Special camps' were established to begin housing these stateless Jews.

Night-fighting Do 17Z-10s of 4./NJG 1 score the Staffel’s first kill by shooting a RAF Wellington into the Zuider Zee.

Hptm. Radusch’s place as Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1 is taken by Major Werner Streib.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines attacked Allied convoy SC-7 all day. 14 ships are sunk by German submarines. U-38 attacked British ship “_Carsbreck_” at 0636 hours. U-99 sank British ship “_Fiscus_” 100 miles northwest of Ireland, killing 38 of 39 aboard. U-100 and U-123 damaged British ship “_Shekatika_” 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 2225 hours, with all 36 aboard surviving. German submarine U-48 sank British ship “_Sandsend_” 500 miles west of Ireland at 2225 hours, killing 5. 

German submarine chasers UJ-116 and UJ-118 sank British WW1-era submarine H-49 off Texel Island, the Netherlands; 21 were killed and 1 survived and captured. British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Kingston Cairngorm_” hit a mine in the English Channel. She was able to be towed back to the harbor, but would sink on the following day. 

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Two British flying boats of No. 202 Squadron RAF spotted Italian submarine “_Durbo_” 120 miles east of Gibraltar off Alboran Island. British destroyers HMS “_Firedrake_” and HMS “_Wrestler_” attacked with depth charges, forcing “_Durbo_” to the surface and be scuttled. British sailors managed to capture information regarding Italian submarine dispositions from the submarine before she sank. “_Durbo's_” crew of 48 was taken prisoner.

*ASIA:* Japanese advances in French Indo-China and the lack of serious negotiations with the Nationalist Chinese persuaded the British government to reopen the Burma Road. The Nationalist Chinese regained access to foreign military supplies and equipment to continue their war against the Japanese. The Burma road had been closed for three months on the condition of progress being made towards peace between Japan and China. This hadn’t happened.

Japanese bomb Bunna Road.

*NORTH AFRICA: *RAF and South African Air Force raid targets in Italian East Africa.

DeGaulle meets with General Catroux who has been ordered to Cairo to assist planning for move against Vichy forces in Lebanon and Syria. DeGaulle suspects British maybe plotting to place Catroux, who out ranks him by three stars, at the head of Free France should he displease them. DeGaulle leaves the meeting satisfied with Catroux’s loyalty but remains suspicious of British aim in the middle east for the duration of the war.

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## parsifal (Oct 19, 2015)

*19 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Rescue Tug DILIGENT , ASW Trawler SALTARELO

*Losses*
Battles For SC-7 continues, Battle for HX 79 Begins

SC-7
The post action report of HMS LEITH commander shows how busy these ships were and how hard their task was:
"00:09 – Sighted Fowey and ordered her to join me stationing her 1′ on port beam, speed 14. She stated she had picked up survivors of Convallaria, Hurunui, Shekatika and Boekelo. [The British Hurunui was from the westbound Convoy OB 227, sunk by U-93 Oct. 15]
00:28 – Saw flashes on starboard bow on horizon. Turned towards to investigate.
00:50 – Sighted ship which proved to be Blairspey.
01:00 – Master stated that ship had ben torpedoed but that he considered she would keep afloat and that he could steam 6 knots. Detailed Fowey to escort her and reported to C-in-C W.A. (Signal 5 timed 01:26/19).
01:16 – Set course to rejoin convoy, speed 16 knots.
01:45 – Sighted and closed ship on port bow in position 57 10N 10 38W. Found the Commodore’s ship Assyrian slowly sinking, having been torpedoed at 00:30, with the wreckage and survivors of two other ships in her immediate neighbourhood.
02:15 – Picked up survivors from Assyrian, Empire Brigade, Soesterberg amongst whom was the Commodore (Vice Admiral L.D. I. Mackinnan).
04:00 – Proceeded on course of convoy route (130°), speed 16 knots, searching for ships"




_The battered Convoy SC-7 heading into Home waters_

At 0122 hrs , U-101 fired three bow torpedoes at the convoy SC-7 about 102 miles NW of Barra Head, Outer Hebrides, and two minutes later the stern torpedo. Frauenheim reported four hits on four ships and claimed 21,000 grt sunk. However, only the ASSYRIAN was hit by a bow torpedo and the SOESTERBERG the stern torpedo.

*MV ASSYRIAN (UK 2562 grt) *Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) Crew:51 (17 dead and 34 survivors) Cargo: Grain Route: New Orleans - Sydney - Liverpool ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches;

The ASSYRIAN was the ship of the convoy commodore (Vice-Admiral Lachlan D.I. Mackinnon, CB, CVO, RN). 15 crew members and two naval staff members were lost. The master, the commodore, three naval staff members, 20 crew members and nine passengers were picked up by HMS LEITH and landed at Liverpool. The master, Reginald Sanderson Kearon, was awarded the Lloyd´s War Medal for bravery at sea. 





*MV SOESTERBERG (NL 1904 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) Crew: 25 (6 dead and 19 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Chatham, New Brunswick - Hull ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches; The explosion of the torpedo that hit SOESTERBERG blew four men overboard and wrecked the starboard lifeboat. While three gunners left the ship on a raft, the rest of the crew abandoned ship in the port lifeboat. After a headcount revealed that the men from the engine room were missing, the master and the first mate reboarded the vessel and unsuccessfully tried to locate them, but they apparently had been killed on watch below. The abandoned ship remained afloat and even grazed the stern of the ASSYRIAN nearby. Suddenly she came upright and sank shortly thereafter, bombarding the survivors of the ASSYRIAN with pit props that came loose from the cargo. It wrecked most of the life rafts, but in the other hand the props were then also used as lifesavers by the survivors. A stoker from SOESTERBERG was later picked up by a lifeboat from EMPIRE BRIGADE, which had been sunk by U-99 (Kretschmer) at the same time like SOESTERBERG. The survivors were picked up by HMS LEITH and landed at Liverpool.





*MV CLINTONIA (UK 3106 grt)* Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) Crew: 36 (1 dead and 35 survivors) Cargo: Pulpwood Route: St. Francis, Nova Scotia - Sydney (5 Oct) - Manchester ;Convoy SC-7 (Straggler) ; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0358 hrs the CLINTONIA in convoy SC-7 was hit by one torpedo from U-99 (Kretschmer) about 200 miles west of St. Kilda. The vessel remained afloat and was sunk by gunfire from U-123 at 0504 hrs. One crew member was lost. The master, 33 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS BLUEBELL and landed at Greenock.





*MV SEDGEPOOL (UK 5556 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) Crew: 39 (3 dead and 36 survivors) Cargo: Wheat Route: Montreal - Sydney - Manchester ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0155 hrs the SEDGEPOOL was hit by one torpedo from U-123 and sank in five minutes about 80 miles SW from St. Kilda. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 0135 hours. The master and two crew members were lost. 35 crew members and one gunner were picked up by the HMS SALVONIA and landed at Gourock.





*MV EMPIRE BRIGADE (UK 5154 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 41 (6 dead and 35 survivors) Cargo: General cargo Route: Montreal - Sydney - Tyne - Leith ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 0138 hrs the EMPIRE BRIGADE was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 about 100 miles ESE of Rockall. The master and 34 crew members were picked up by HMS FOWEY and landed at Greenock.





*MV THALIA (GK 5875 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 26 (22 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: Lead, Steel and Zinc Route: Montreal - Garston ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 0155 hrs the THALIA was hit in the bow by a G7e torpedo from U-99 and sank in 40 seconds. .





*MV SNEFJELD (Nor 1643 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 21 (0 dead and 21 survivors) Cargo: Timber Route: Caraquet, New Brunswick - Sydney, CB - London ;Convoy SC-7; Sunk In the Western Approaches. On 19 October the SNEFJELD launched three boats to search survivors from the THALIA, which had been sunk by U-99 at 0155 hrs. They found four survivors and at 0302 hrs were just about to raise two lifeboats back on board, when SNEFJELD itself was hit by a torpedo from the same U-boat, which had missed the ship with two torpedoes at 0240 and 0255 hrs. Both lifeboats were destroyed, but a motor lifeboat was still on the water and saved those who had been in the boats, while the remaining crew abandoned ship in a dinghy. After one hr, the ship broke in two and sank.

The survivors in the motorboat and the dinghy started to row towards land because the motor was inoperable. The next day, they found an empty raft of the Greek ship and took supplies from it. Shortly thereafter they found an empty lifeboat from EMPIRE BRIGADE, which had also been sunk by U-99 and some of the men from the dinghy transferred to it. After one hr, a man standing on some debris was spotted and picked up, he came from FISCUS, , another victim of Kretschmer. On 21 October, the survivors met a lifeboat with 29 men from PORT GISBIRNE, which had been sunk by U-48 10 days earlier, but lost contact overnight. The following day, all survivors transferred to the lifeboat as the motorboat kept taking in water and then rowed eastwards until they were picked up by HMS CLAMATIS on 23 October.





HX-79 
At 2213 hrs, U-38 fired a torpedo at the convoy HX-79 and missed the intended target but hit a vessel behind it, the MATHERAN. At 22.19 hours, U-38 fired another torpedo, which struck the BILDERDIJK. Liebe then prepared to attack the next ship in the column but had to evade U-47 (Prien), which had set its sights on the same ship, the UGANDA and sank her with one torpedo at 2227 hrs.

*MV BILDERDIJK (NL 6856 grt)* Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) Crew: Cargo: Route: ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches; The master of the BILDERDIJK observed the hit on the MATHERAN and had to evade her to avoid a collision. Before the turn was completed, BILDERDIJK was also hit by the second torpedo from U-38. An inspection revealed that there was no hope of saving the vessel and the entire crew went into the lifeboats. They were picked up after 30 minutes by HMS JASON and landed at Methil five days later.





*MV MATHERAN (UK 7653 grt) *Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) Crew: 81 (9 dead and 72 survivors) Cargo: Grain, iron, Machinery and General Cargo Route: New York - Halifax (8 Oct) - Liverpool ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches; The master and eight crew members from the MATHERAN were lost. 72 crew members were picked up by LOCH LOMOND from the same convoy, but the ship was sunk the next morning by U-100 (Schepke) as a straggler. All men from MATHERAN survived the second sinking and were picked up by HMS JASON and landed at Methil.

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## parsifal (Oct 19, 2015)

*19 October 1940 (Part II)
Losses [CONT'D]*
HX-79[CONT'D]
*MV RUPERRA (UK 4548 grt) *Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 38 (31 dead and 7 survivors) Cargo:Steel, Scrap Iron and aircraft Route: New York - Greenock - Leith ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 2347 hrs the RUPERRA in convoy HX-79 was hit by one torpedo from U-46 and sank about 90 miles SW of Rockall. The master, 29 crew members and one gunner were lost. Seven crew members were picked up by INDUNA and landed at Methil.





*Tkr SHIRAK (UK 6023 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) Crew: 37 (0 dead and 37 survivors) Cargo: POLs Route: Aruba - Halifax - London ;Convoy HX-79 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches
At 2331 hrs the SHIRAK, caught fire after being torpedoed by U-47. For a short time she fell behind the convoy, after a time the crew abandoned ship. At 0024 hrs on 20 October, the tker was hit again amidships by torpedo from U-48. She caught fire again before she sank about 90 miles SW of Rockall. The master and 36 crew members were picked up by HMS BLACKFLY and landed at Belfast.





*MV UGANDA (UK 4966 grt) *Sunk by U-47 (Gunther Prien) Crew: 40 (0 dead and 40 survivors) Cargo: Timber Steel Route: Montreal - Halifax - Milford Haven ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 2227 hrs, UGANDA was hit by a torpedo fired by U-47. The master and 39 crew members from the UGANDA were picked up by HMS JASON and landed at Methil.





*MV WANDBY (UK 4947 grt) *Sunk by U-47 (Gunther Prien) Crew: 34 (0 dead and 34 survivors) Cargo: Timber, Lead and Zinc Route: Victoria, British Columbia - Panama - Bermuda - Middlesbrough ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2346 hrs , U-46 (Endrass) and U-47 each fired one torpedo at a ship in convoy HX-79 from the same side and both reported a hit, but it is likely that only the U-47 hit the WANDBY in station #16. The ship was on her maiden voyage and remained afloat on her cargo of lumber until she sank on 21 October. The master and 33 crew members were picked up by HMS ANGLE and landed at Belfast on 26 October.
[NO IMAGE OF THIS SHIP]

Other losses
DDs VENETIA, WALPOLE, GARTH departed Dover on the 18th patrol in the Straits of Dover. Returning on the 19th, *V&W Class DD VENETIA (RN 1040 grt)* was mined and sunk in the Thames Estuary near East Knob Buoy. 34 crew members were lost and 18 were wounded.





*Steamer ARIDITY (UK 336 grt) *was sunk on a mine forty yards NE of east Oaze Light Vessel (as far as i can tell, in the Channel).





*FV VELIA (UK 290 grt) * was sunk on a mine near Kentish Knock Light Vessel. Trawlers HEKLA and STELLA CARINA rescued the entire crew.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-103, U-138

Departures
Lorient: U-31

At Sea 19 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-59, U-65, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-123, U-124.
15 boats at sea
Despite being shelled by an armed freighter, U-101 completed the launch of torpedoes in a final attack on convoy SC 7 north of Ireland. The shells missed, landing astern as U-101 was turning away and zig-zagging.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.312 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 21st.
FN.314 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 20th.
FS.314 departed Methil, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 22nd.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy OA.231 from the vicinity of Buchanness. DD DUNCAN departed Scapa Flow for repairs at Liverpool. DD CLEVELAND departed Scapa Flow to escort the ML ATREUS from Kirkwall to Lerwick. On arrival, DD CLEVELAND returned to Kirkwall and escorted British steamer BEN MY CHREE to Aberdeen. ORP sub WILK attacked a Danish steamer, identified as NORGE, in Lister Fjord without result.

*West Coast UK*
OB.231 departed Liverpool escort DDs CASTLETON and WANDERER, corvettes ERICA and PICOTEE, ASW trawlers CAPE ARGONA, DRANGEY, PAYNTER. DD WANDERER and corvette PICOTEE were detached on the 22nd and the remainder of the escort the next day. OL.8 departed Liverpool escort DDs MARGAREE, HAVELOCK, RCN SKEENA, and HESPERUS on 19 to 21 October. The convoy dispersed on the 22nd. DD HAVELOCK was then detached to convoy HG.45.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FORESIGHT arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown. British troopship REINA DEL PACIFICO departed Gibraltar for Liverpool, escort DD FORESIGHT and given local escort by DD WRESTLER, which returned to Gibraltar after dark on the 21st. From information found in RM sub DURBO, six DDs ( FORESTER, GALLANT, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, et al) departed Gibraltar to hunt for RM sub LAFOLE, known to be operating off Cape Tresforcas.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN CL HOBART was refitting at Colombo from 19 October to 19 November 1940. On completion of this refit, HOBART relieved NZ manned CL LEANDER in the Red Sea Force.

*Malta*

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 19 OCTOBER 1940

AIR HQ Blenheim attached 431 Flight and Swordfish Fleet Air Arm patrolled Ionian Sea; nil reports.


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## Njaco (Oct 20, 2015)

I love these small stories like Convoy SC 7 and the Durbo sinking.

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## Njaco (Oct 20, 2015)

*October 19 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post728481.html#post728481

*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 6./JG 51 is awarded the Ritterkreuz for achieving twenty victories.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines U-38, U-46, U-47, and two others attacked Allied convoy HXZ-79 200 miles west of Ireland, sinking 5 ships and damaging tanker “_Shirak_”. Convoy HXZ-79 of 49 ships loses 12 over the course of the day and tomorrow. Following the losses incurred during the last week or so, the British decide to increase their convoy escorts and this can only be done by dismantling some of the anti-invasion measures.

Convoy SC-7 from Nova Scotia begins arriving in Great Britain. Of 34 original ships, 20 were sunk, and a further two damaged. German submarines U-99, U-100, U-101, and U-123 continued to attack the convoy 100 miles northwest of Ireland. U-123 sank British ship “_Shekatika_” as “_Shekatika_” received her fifth torpedo hit. U-99 sank Norwegian ship “_Snefjeld_”; the entire crew of 21 survived.

British destroyer HMS “_Venetia_” hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary 10 miles north of Herne Bay, Kent in southern England; 35 were killed and 18 were wounded.

*NORTH AMERICA:* While escorting Romanian freighter “_Ingener N. Vlassopol_”, Canadian auxiliary minesweeper HMCS “_Bras d'Or”_ sank during a storm in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in northeastern Canada, killing the entire crew of 30.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* 7th Division of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) sailed for the Middle East.

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## Njaco (Oct 20, 2015)

*October 20 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/ww2-general/day-battle-britain-25360-post728730.html#post728730

Italian BR20 bombers, Z1007 bombers, G50 fighters, and CR42 fighters arrived in Belgium and began to prepare their missions against Britain.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Helmut Wick of I./JG 2 is promoted to Major and appointed Kommodore of the “Richthofen” Geschwader replacing Major Wolfgang Schellmann. He comments;


> “As long as I can shoot down the enemy, adding to the honor of the ‘Richthofen’ Geschwader and the success of the Fatherland, I will be a happy man. I want to fight and die fighting, taking with me as many of the enemy as possible.”



German guns near Calais, France fired 50 shells at Dover, England. 15 of the shells detonated.

*GERMANY:* During the night 7 British Wellington bombers attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-46 and U-47 continue attacking convoy HX-79 50 miles Northwest of Ireland, joined by U-100 fresh from the attack on convoy SC-7, sinking 7 and damaging 1 between 0000 and 0720 hours. U-100 sank British ship “_Loch Lomond_”; 1 was killed. 111 survivors, including all 72 men rescued last night from SS “_Matheran_”, are picked up by minesweeper HMS “_Jason_”.

German submarine U-124 sank Norwegian ship “_Cubano_” (2 killed, 29 survived) and British ship “_Sulaco_” (65 killed, 1 survived) 200 miles west of Ireland.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British destroyers HMS “_Gallant_”, HMS “_Griffin_”, and HMS “_Hotspur_” located Italian submarine “_Lafole_” off Mellila, Morocco in the Mediterranean Sea, using information captured from Italian submarine “Durbo” on 18 Oct. “_Hotspur_” sank “_Lafole_” by ramming; 37 Italians were killed and 9 survived and captured. “_Hotspur's_” bow was damaged, forcing her to be out of commission until 20 Feb 1941 for repairs.

Over Bahrain, Italian planes from bases in East Africa bomb oil refineries. The Italian bomber formation flew 4,506 km from Dodecanese Islands to Eritrea via Bahrain, making the abortive attack on oil installations. Italian aircraft drop bombs near Cairo.

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## parsifal (Oct 20, 2015)

*20 October 1940 (Part I) 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS CROCUS





_Commander Eric Tufnell RN (1888-1979). From a Watercolour signed and inscribed "HMS Crocus Winter 1940"._

*Losses*
HX-79
At 0015 hrs on 20 Oct 1940, U-100 fired two torpedoes at two tkrs in convoy HX-79 from within the columns about 150 miles SW of Rockall and hit CAPRELLA and SITALA, which both caught fire after being torpedoed and sank later.

*Tkr CAPRELLA (UK 8230 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 53 (1 dead and 52 survivors) Cargo: 11.300 tons of fuel oil Route: Curaçao - Mersey ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches. The burning CAPRELLA was quickly abandoned by the crew. One crew member was lost, burnt to death. The master and 51 crew members were picked up by HMS LADY ELSAand landed at Belfast. On 22 October, the drifting wreck of the Caprella was sighted vertically submerged, showing only the bow 15 metres above water.





*Tkr SITALA (UK 6218 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 44 (1 dead and 43 survivors) Cargo: 8444 tons of crude oil Route: Curaçao - Manchester ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches; The burning SITALA was quickly abandoned and sank later after breaking in two. One crew member was lost. The master and 42 crew members were picked up by HMS LADY ELSA and landed at Belfast.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV LOCH LOMOND (UK 5452 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke) Crew: 112 (1 dead and 111 survivors) Cargo: Timber and steel Route: Halifax - Immingham ;Convoy HX-79 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 0720 hrs the LOCH LOMOND fell behind the main group after she had stopped to pick up survivors from the MATHERAN. She was torpedoed by U-100 SW of Rockall.
The U-boat began shelling the abandoned ship at 1415 hrs until she sank after 79 shells were fired. One crew member was lost. The master, 38 crew members and all 72 survivors that had been rescued from the MATHERAN were picked up by HMS JASON and landed at Methil.





*Tkr JANUS (SD 9965 grt) *Sunk by U-46 (Engelbert Endrass) Crew: 37 (4 dead and 33 survivors) Cargo: Fuel Oil Route: Curaçao - Halifax - Clyde ;Convoy HX-79 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0325 hrs the JANUS, a straggler from convoy HX-79, was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-46 and broke in two in a big explosion. Both parts remained afloat for some time. The U-boat had unsuccessfully attacked the tkr with two torpedoes at 0244 hours. The survivors were picked up by HMS HIBISCUS and landed at Methil.





*MV LA ESTANCIA (UK 5185 grt) *Sunk by U-47 (Gunther Prien) Crew: 34 (1 dead and 33 survivors) Cargo: Sugar Route: Mackay, Qld - Panama - Halifax - Methil - Middlesbrough ;Convoy HX-79; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0037 and 0043 hrs, U-47 fired two torpedoes at the convoy HX-79 and reported two ships sunk, but both torpedoes probably hit and sank the LA ESTANCIA . One crew member was lost. The master, 24 crew members and one passenger were picked up by the HMS COREOPSIS and landed at Gourock. Seven crew members were picked up by INDUNA and landed at Methil.





*MV WHITFORD POINT (UK 5026 grt) *Sunk by U-47 (Gunther Prien) Crew: 39 (36 dead and 3 survivors) Cargo: Steel Route: Baltimore - Halifax - London ;Convoy HX-79 ; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0148 hrs the WHITFORD POINT in convoy HX-79 was hit by one torpedo from U-47 and sank 90 miles SW of Rockall. Three crew members were picked up by HMS STURDY and landed at Londonderry.





Convoy OB-229
*MV CUBANO (NW 5810 grt) *Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) Crew: Cargo: Route: ;Convoy OB-229; Sunk In the Nth Atlantic. The escorts had detached late on the 18th at which time the outbound convoy steered for the dispersal point at 25W. CUBANO had not quite reached the dispersal position when she was torpedoed at 0142 hrs by U-124 (Schultz) (SW of Iceland), struck amidships. The engine promptly stopped (steam pipes between the boilers and engines were broken), steam came gushing up from the engine room and the ship started to list to port and sink, but the crew waited till she had slowed down before lowering the 2 starboard boats (the port boats were destroyed), with the 1st mate in charge of the forward boat and the 2nd mate of the aft boat.

The captain had remained on board, and once the steam had subsided somewhat he went down to the engine room to look for possible survivors, but found none. He then joined the boats, but assisted by an able seamen, the two gathered up some provisions and supplies before joining the 1st mate's boat which was waiting alongside. Due to the increasing winds and seas it was difficult to keep the boat along the side of the ship, and the captain fell in the water, but was quickly picked up by the boat. They rowed across to the 2nd mate's boat which had pulled further away, and the 2 boats remained about 1/2-1 mile in front of CUBANO through the night. 4 ships passed them not long after they had gotten away from the ship; one of which responded to the SOS they signalled with their aldis lamp, but the ship then decided to continue on its way.

The crew had hoped to re-board the ship at dawn but due to increasing winds and high seas it was considered inadvisable to reboard, fearing the lifeboats might get damaged. Both boats stayed in the vicinity for a while, and while waiting there, they heard a cry. When they rowed in that direction a small raft with the sole survivor from the British ship SULACO was found, (this ship, also from Convoy OB 229, had been torpedoed shortly after CUBANO had been hit, also by U-124). One other SULACO survivor (1st Mate Patterson) had also been clinging to the same raft for a while but was overcome by cold and exhaustion and had let go and drowned.

It had become clear by now the CUBANO would sink, so the boats set sail with a course for Scotland. They managed to stay together through the following, stormy night with the help of light signals, and the next morning, Oct. 21, they were finally rescued by the RCN DD SAGUENAY and landed at Greenock in the evening of Oct. 23. 2 had died, 31 survived (including the sole the survivor from SULACO)





*MV SULACO (UK 5389 grt) *Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) Crew:67 (66 dead and 1 survivor) Cargo: Empty Route: Avonmouth - Liverpool - Victoria, Cameroons ;Convoy OB-229 (Dispersed); Sunk In the Nth Atlantic; At 0229 hrs on 20 October 1940 U-124 fired one torpedo from within convoy OB-229 at SULACO, which was hit amidships and sank in about 1 min about 360 miles west of Rockall. The master, 63 crew members and two gunners were lost. The sole survivor, chief cook James Thompson Harvey, was picked up by initially by the CUBANO survivors then eventually by HMCS SAGUENAY and landed at Greenock on 23 October.


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## parsifal (Oct 20, 2015)

Njaco said:


> I love these small stories like Convoy SC 7 and the Durbo sinking.


 
SC-7 was a slaughter by any standard, and very nearly succeeded in bringing Britain to its knees. All sides in this battle fought with courage, but for the moment at least, the skill , and luck, was firmly on the side of the uboats.

I enjoy the raw courage these guys posessed. I make no secret that Im a great admirer of them , regardless of nationality. It takes courage to go put to sea, knowing the chances are against your survival. Both sides, at different times in the war, possessed that quality.

Im using a number of sources to put this together. Uboat Net obviously, RN Day By Day, a site called "ship spotting", a couple of Battle of Atlantic sites, as well as several print sources. Uboat net is the main source, but I try not to plagiarise if I can help it.

*20 October 1940 (Part II) *
*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-59

At Sea 20 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-37, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-123, U-124.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil escorting convoy OA.232 to Duncansby Head. DDs FEARLESS, ELECTRA, BRILLIANT departed Rosyth escorting BC REPULSE to Rattray Head. DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, MATABELE departed Scapa at 1200 and relieved the REPULSE escort at 1630 at Rattray Hd

OA.232 departed Methil escort sloop WESTON and corvettes CAMPANULA and PEONY from 20 to 23 October. FN.315 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 21st. FS.315 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 23rd. British steamer CONAKRIAN from convoy OA.232 was damaged by the LW, nine miles 130° from Girdleness (off the Scottish east Coast). DD CLEVELAND took off the survivors from lifeboats and stood by the steamer. The steamer did not sink and was taken in tow and safely brought into port.
Steamer CONAKRIAN was repaired and returned to service. .

*Northern Waters*
DD CLEVELAND departed Kirkwall with British steamer BEN MY CHREE. They arrived at Aberdeen on the 20th. The DD then escorted Submarine L 23 from Dundee to Scapa. En route, the DD assisted damaged British steamer CONAKRIAN. DD ESKIMO docked at Scapa Flow to repair a fuel tank leak. ESKIMO was undocked on the 24th to accommodate damaged DD MENDIP. ESKIMO completed her repairs alongside depot ship MAIDSTONE completing on the 25th.

*West Coast UK*
British steamer CITY OF ROUBAIX was damaged by the LW at Alexandria Dock, Liverpool.

*Channel*
Sub URSULA departed Portsmouth for the Med. URSULA arrived at Gib on the 30th and was under repair through to the end of the year.

*Nth Atlantic*
RM sub MALASPINA attacked a British tkr from dispersed convoy OB.229, but no hits were recorded. HX.82 departed Halifax local escort RCN DDs ST CROIX and ST FRANCIS and aux PVs HUSKY and REINDEER. The DDs turned the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC ALAUNIA, which was also detached on the 31st. On 1 November, DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, and WITHERINGTON, corvettes CAMELLIA and HONEYSUCKLE of the OB.235 escort joined the convoy. Also joining on 1 November were DDs BROKE, MALCOLM, SARDONYX and corvettes ARABIS, GENTIAN, HELIOTROPE. On 3 November, DDs BROKE and MALCOLM and corvettes ARABIS, CAMELLIA, HELIOTROPE were detached. On 4 November, DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, WITHERINGTON and covette GENTIAN were detached. DD SARDONYX and corvette HONEYSUCKLE arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 6 November.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs GALLANT, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR sank *Adua Class sub LAFOLE (RM 680 grt)* off Mellila. The sub had fired a torpedo at DD FORESTER. DD HOTSPUR sustained considerable damage to her bow ramming the sub. She received temporary repairs at Gib from 22 October to 20 November. Then to Malta for repairs from 29 November to 20 February. DD GALLANT picked up one officer and one rating from the sub. Seven ratings were rescued by DD HOTSPUR.





CVL EAGLE departed Alexandria with DDs HASTY, HAVOCK, ILEX, DECOY, HEREWARD on exercises. All the ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 21st. CA KENT was undocked at Alexandria after emergency repairs for torpedo damage. The CA departed Alexandria on the 26th for Port Said.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Troop convoy US 6 of British troopships QUEEN MARY and AQUITANIA departed Sydney (Aus) on the 20th. British troopship MAURETANIA departed Melbourne on the 21st and joined at sea. The convoy departed Fremantle on the 26th escorted by RAN CL PERTH. The CL was relieved on the 30th by RAN CA CANBERRA which continued with the convoy to Bombay. The convoy arrived safely at Bombay on 4 November and the troops went aboard four smaller ships, one of them the British steamer ROHNA. The four steamers arrived safely at Suez on 26/27 November.

Convoy BS.6B departed Port Sudan, escort DD KINGSTON and sloop FLAMINGO. The DD was detached on the 21st. Sloop INDUS joined on the 22nd. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 24th. Convoy BS.7 departed Suez. The convoy was joined on the 21st by sloop GRIMSBY and on the 22nd by sloop CLIVE. Both sloops were detached on the 24th when the convoy was joined by NZ manned CL LEANDER, CLA CARLISLE, destroyer KINGSTON, sloops AUCKLAND and RAN YARRA. The convoy dispersed off Aden on the 28th. Convoy BM.2 departed Bombay with steamers DUNERA , ISLAMI , JALAHOHAM , SANTHIA , TALMA , escorted by AMC HECTOR from 20 to 26 October and CL DANAE from 26 to 30 October when the convoy arrived at Penang. Steamer TALMA went on to Singapore and arrived on the 31st.

*Malta*

AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 OCTOBER TO DAWN 21 OCTOBER 1940

1125-1215 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy formations reported approaching the Island from the north. Six Hurricanes and two Gladiators are scrambled; air raid does not materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 20 OCTOBER 1940

AIR HQ Reconnaissance Ionian Sea by Blenheim attached 431 Flight and Swordfish 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm (FAA): nil report. Glenn Martin 431 Flight reported at 1411 hrs one cruiser and one destroyer at sea. 0741-0917 hrs Swordfish 830 Sqn FAA despatched to locate a submarine off the north west coast of the Island; did not locate enemy.

KALAFRANA Plan to reconnoitre Ionian Sea for enemy surface craft. Easterly sector not patrolled as Sunderland unable to take off due to heavy swell.


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## parsifal (Oct 20, 2015)

*21 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS JONQUIL






Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 171





*Losses
MTB.17 (RN 18 grt) * was sunk after striking a mine off Ostend.





From a group of four MSWs, *MSW trawler WAVEFLOWER (RN 550 grt) * was sunk on a mine off Aldeburgh. 15 crew were lost including the skipper. Lt W. J. Curtayne RNVR, six ratings were rescued by trawler THOMAS LEEDS of this group.

Searching for trawler WAVEFLOWER, *MSW trawler JOSEPH BUTTON (RN 290 grt)* was also sunk on a mine 5.75 miles 275° off Aldeburgh. Five ratings were lost on the trawler.

*Steamer KERRY HEAD (Eire 825 grt)* was sunk by the LW five miles due sth of Blackball Head, Eire, with the loss of all 12 crew.
New Source: History Ireland




_"The destruction of the Kerry Head". (Kenneth King/Maritime Institute of Ireland)_

*Steamer HOUSTON CITY (UK 4935 grt)* was badly damaged, then lost from LW airstrikes 1/2 mile 225° from East Oaze Light Vessel. The steamer was beached, and subsequently bombed again on 1 November and damaged further. Salvage was abandoned.





*Steamer ASTRID (SU 603 grt)* was sunk on a defensive minefield near Leningrad. 3 crew were killed and ten drowned on the steamer.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-37, U-99

At Sea 21 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-101, U-123, U-124.
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK left convoy OA.232 and joined convoy WN.24 east of Pentland Firth.
CL GLASGOW arrived at Rosyth, and on the 29 October, the cruiser departed Rosyth for the Clyde, after which GLASGOW departed the Clyde for the Mediterranean on the 31st. FS.316 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 23rd,

British minefield BS.42 was laid on 21 and 22 October by minelayers TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and destroyers ICARUS and IMPULSIVE.

*Western Approaches*
OB.232 departed Liverpool escort DD SABRE, which was detached later that day, DDs SCIMITAR and SKATE, sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes CLARKIA and GLADIOLUS, ASW trawlers FANDANGO, MAN O.WAR, STELLA CAPELLA, and VIZALMA. On 23 October, sloop WESTON and corvettes CAMPANULA and PEONY joined the escort. On 25 October, DDs SCIMITAR and SKATE were detached and on the 26th, the remainder of the escort left the convoy.

*Med- Biscay*
Operation JUDGMENT, the British air strike on the Italian Fleet at Taranto, was scheduled originally for this date, but a fire on CV ILLUSTRIOUS on the 18th forced postponement. The carrier was damaged by a fire on her hanger deck which destroyed four Swordfish of 819 Sqn and damage one Swordfish of 815 Sqn. Two other aircraft were damaged. Repairs to ILLUSTRIOUS were completed on the 29th. Sub PARTHIAN attacked and tried to ram an Italian submarine off Cape Colonna without success.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.7 departed Bombay on the 10th escorted by AMCs ANTENOR and RANCHI from 10 to 16 October. On 16 October, NZ Manned CL LEANDER and sloops AUCKLAND and RAN YARRA took over the escort of the convoy. At Aden on the 19th, DD KIMBERLEY and sloop RIN INDUS joined the convoy. The convoy was proceeding up the Red Sea on the 21st escorted by LEANDER, which departed Aden on the 18th, DD KIMBERLEY, sloops AUCKLAND and YARRA, minesweepers DERBY and HUNTLEY. RA air attacks on the convoy on the 19th managed to near miss French liner FELIX ROUSSEL which was carrying NZ troops. RM DDs MANIN, SAURO, BATTISTI, NULLO sortied from Massawa on the 20th to attack the Convoy which they did at 0219 on the 21st. The convoy escorts drove the RM DDs away from the convoy. LEANDER fired 129 rounds of six inch gunfire in the engagement. RAN sloop YARRA was near missed by a torpedo fired from one of the enemy DDs. RM DD NULLO developed steering problems and headed back towards Massawa, pursued by DD KIMBERLEY and sloop YARRA. NULLO was badly damaged by their gunfire, but managed to reach Massawa. NULLO ran aground on Hormi Island off Massawa and was later destroyed by British bombing. KIMBERLEY was drawn into the range of Massawa shore guns which damaged the DD. KIMBERLEY sustained three men wounded and ruptured steam lines. She was towed by LEANDER which was relieved by DD KINGSTON that afternoon and they safely arrived at Port Sudan. The damage to KIMBERLEY was temporarily repaired on the 30th. The DD then departed Port Sudan on the 31st. She could to return to duty but was limited to 25 knots until a new steam pipe could be fitted at Bombay. On 6 November, KIMBERLEY sailed for Bombay for repairs with 10 days needed to repair the ship. This allied group of escort vessels met convoy BS.7 on the 23rd. MSWs DERBY and HUNTLEY joined the convoy on the 19th. After 23 October, the MSWs proceeded independently to Suez. Sloops GRIMSBY and CLIVE took over the convoy on the 23rd at Port Sudan. On 26 October, the convoy arrived at Suez.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
RAN CL ADELAIDE departed Sydney to patrol 120 miles south of Gabo Island to investigate raider reports. NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland to patrol off North Cape. The CL arrived back at Auckland on 4 November.

DKM Raider ATLANTIS captured *steamer DURMITOR (Yug 5623 grt)* in the Indian Ocean. Steamer DURMITOR was renamed RADWINTER and sent to the Italian port of Mogadishu with a prize crew. When that port fell to British forces on 25 February 1941, DURMITOR was returned to allied control. Allied crew on the steamer were freed.

*Malta*
Since the outbreak of hostilities in June, a total of 25 enemy aircraft have crashed as a result of combat. Another 20 have been reported as damaged and likely unable to reach their bases. Malta losses to date have been three fighters and two pilots.

0841-0912 hrs Air raid alert for eight enemy aircraft which cross the coast over Delimara at 20000 feet heading for Hal Far. Three Hurricanes are scrambled and engage, along with AA guns: the raiders are driven off, turning south east then north. No bombs are dropped.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 1940

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. Reconnaissance of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Squadron and Sunderland 228 Squadron; nil reports by all aircraft. Reconnaissance Glenn Martin 431 Flight; nil report.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. Sunderland 230 Squadron reconnaissance area Malta-Tripoli-Jerba Island; nil report. One Sunderland 10 Squadron RAAF arrived from Middle East en route for UK.


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## parsifal (Oct 20, 2015)

*22 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-108





25 ships sunk, total tonnage 118,722 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 16,644 GRT
U-108 was sunk 11 April 1944 at Stettin, after being bombed. She was raised; taken out of service at Stettin 17 July 1944; scuttled there 24 April 1945.

*Losses
DD MARGAREE (RCN 1375 grt)* had departed Londonderry on the 19th with the five ship OL.8 convoy as her first mission as an RCN ship. She was sunk in a collision with British steamer PORT FAIRY . DD MARGAREE was former RN DD DIANA transferred to the RCN on 6 September. Most of the crew were survivors from the also lost RCN DD FRASER. The crew's luck ran out on this occasion, with 140 crew lost, and many wounded.




_RCN MARGAREE as RN HMS DIANA_

*Naval trawler HICKORY (RN 505 grt)* was sunk on a mine south of Portland in the English Channel. 24 crew were lost on the trawler.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-37 , U-99

At Sea 22 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-38, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-101, U-123, U-124.
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
OA.233 departed Methil escorted by AA ship ALYNBANK on 22 and 23 October, sloop ABERDEEN and corvette GARDENIA from 22 to 24 October. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy OB.233. FS.317 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 25th.

DKM Zerstorer BEITZEN, which departed Wilhelmshaven on the 20th, arrived at Brest.

*Northern Waters*
DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Sullom Voe and then for operation DNU. On arrival in Yell Sound, the DDs were ordered to remain at sea to search for a U.boat reported in the area. . They proceeded to Muckle Flugga. They carried out a patrol eastward of the Shetlands in the longitude of 00-30W due to a possibility of invasion that night. At dawn, they returned to patrol off Muckle Flugga.

*Central Atlantic*
SLF.52 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE to 8 November. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy SL.52 on 5 November. On 6 November, DDrs CASTLETON, VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL and corvette FLEUR DE LYS joined the convoy. DDs SALADIN and SHIKARI joined on 7 November and were detached on 8 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 10 November.

*Med- Biscay*
The RM "Special Naval Force" was formed with old CLs BARI and TARANTO, DDs MIRABELLO and RIBOTY, TBs CALATAFIMI, CASTELFIDARDO, CURTATONE, MONSAMBANO, CONFIENZA, SOLFERINO, PRESTINARI, CANTORE, FABRIZI, MEDICI, STOCCO, AMCs RAMB III, CAPITAINO CECCHI, LAGO TANA, LAGO ZUAI, four MAS boats of the 13th Flotilla, three landing ships of the SESIA type. RM TBs ANTARES, ALTAIR, ANDROMEDA, ARETUSA were assigned as a fighting force to support the operation. This force was formed for a landing on Corfu. The force departed on the 31st, but on 1 November, due to the rough seas, the orders were changed to land troops at Valona instead and the Corfu operation was cancelled. The greeks on Corfu had formerly offered surrender took up arms again and promplty arrested the small Italian presence on the island.




_Sesia Class LS in prewar training_

*Malta*
ROYAL NAVY Clearance sweep continued by OROPESA, four mines were swept up and sunk in position 152 degrees Delimara 9¾ miles.


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## parsifal (Oct 20, 2015)

This is getting frustrating. no access to private messaging. no access to forum mail. Wont accept my original identity and password, or the second temporary identity I created. Creating a new identity is strictly a "one shot", and the system doesn't like me doing that anyway (a given email has one identity limit). images are again being displayed.

I need a new password so I can get back into my original (Parsifal) identity, but I need help there because when I log that I have a lost password, it just wont accept it. Im supposed to receive a new password via email but am not, I suspect the system is sending it to a now disused email (I don't have the same email as I di d back in 2008) 

Anyway, this was the only way I could think of to ask for help.


Edit; Horse is on it......


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## Njaco (Oct 21, 2015)

Horse has been working on the site the last few days so speed-bumps will be experienced.

As far as SC-7, the only convoy the general public ever hears about - if at all - is PQ-17 but researching this day by day brings out these other dramas.

Reactions: Like Like:
1 | Like List reactions


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## Njaco (Oct 21, 2015)

*October 21 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

German guns near Calais, France fired 6 shells at Dover, England, between 1400 and 1600 hours; only some of the shells detonated.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Prime Minister Churchill makes a broadcast in French directed to the radio audience in France. He pours scorn on the threatened invasion of Britain:


> 'We are waiting. . . . So are the fishes !'


and warns that Hitler ('this monstrous abortion of hatred and defeat') is plotting the total subjugation of France. Meanwhile, the government introduces the Purchase Tax.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Generalmajor Johannes Fink gives up his duties as Kommodore of KG 2 to become Inspector of Bomber and Ground Attack Flyers and General Of Bomber-Flyers with the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. Oberst Herbert Rieckhoff from KG 30 is appointed Kommodore of KG 2 in place of Generalmajor Fink. Oblt. Erich Blödorn is made Kommodore of KG 30 in Oberst Rieckhoff’s place.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian destroyers “_Manin_”, “_Sauro_”, “_Battisti_”, and “_Nullo_” attacked Allied convoy BN-7 in the Red Sea at 0219 hours. The convoy is escorted by a light cruiser, one destroyer and five smaller vessels. “_Nullo_” was damaged by HMS “_Kimberley_” and Australian sloop HMAS “_Yarra_” as the escorts counterattacked. She fled back towards Massawa, Italian East Africa and ran aground, but drew “_Kimberley_” close enough to the shore guns to hit the British ship, killing 3.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British minesweeping trawler HMS “_Waveflower_” hit a mine and sank off Alderburgh, Suffolk, England; 15 were killed and 7 survived.

British motor torpedo boat MTB-17 hit a mine and sank off Ostend, Belgium.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* “_Scirè_” departed La Spezia, Italy for Gibraltar with three manned torpedoes on board.

The Italian Navy organizes a new command -- the Maritrafalba -- to escort convoys from Brindisi and Bari to Albania, in preparation for an invasion of Greece.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 22, 2015)

*October 22 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The British Ambassador to Moscow attempted to distance the Soviet Union away from Germany but Joseph Stalin accepted Joachim von Ribbentrop's invitation for Vyacheslav Molotov to visit Berlin, Germany.

*WESTERN FRONT:* 29,000 Jews in Alsace-Lorraine, Saarland, and Baden were deported to Southern France.

*NORTH AFRICA:* In Italian East Africa, South African air force planes attack Birikau for the fifth time.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Margaree_” of Allied convoy OL-8 collided with the freighter “_Port Fairy_” in poor visibility 400 miles west of Ireland; 142 were killed as she sank. 34 survived the ordeal. It is the first convoy mission for the destroyer. HMCS “_Margaree_” had previously been in the Royal Navy as HMS “_Diana_” and had been commissioned into the Canadian Navy on September 6. Most of the crew had survived the sinking of destroyer HMCS “_Fraser_” on June 25 after a collision with cruiser HMS “_Calcutta_”.

British minesweeping trawlers HMT “_Joseph Button_” hit a mine and sank 6 miles off Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England, killing 5. HMT “_Hickory_” also hit a mine and sank in the English Channel South of Weymouth, England, killing 24.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Benito Mussolini set the date of the invasion of Greece to 28 Oct 1940. He had decided to attack Greece without informing Germany, as Germany had a history of starting wars without sharing advance information with Italy.

*ASIA: *Heitaro Kimura was named the chief of staff of Kenkichi Ueda (Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China).

.



.


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## parsifal (Oct 22, 2015)

*23 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Ex USN Town Class DD HMS LANCASTER,




_Departing Key West for New York Navy Yard 23 July 1940, she was overhauled and following trials arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, en route to Halifax, Nova Scotia. There she was decommissioned 23 October 1940 and turned over to British authorities in the ships for bases exchange, and renamed HMS LANCASTER in the RN. Her name was struck from the US Navy List 8 January 1941. As LANCASTER, she served as an ML and convoy escort in the RN during World War II, and was reduced to reserve in July 1945._

Ex USN Town Class DD HMS LEAMINGTON 





_LEAMINGTON arrived at Devonport 15 November, where she was refitted. After workup and training, the DD was allocated to Escort Gp 2 , Western Approaches Cmd, based at Londonderry. She was engaged in escort missions across the Atlantic into 1941. On 28 April 1941, LEAMINGTON was one of three escorts sent to assist in an attack led by HMS GLADIOLUS against U-207 in the battle for Convoy HX 121. On 27 May 1941, LEAMINGTON was part of the escort of Convoy OB 325 when she collided with the Norwegian merchant ship THYRA, which sank, killing five crew. LEAMINGTON was under repair at Liverpool until July that year, when she rejoined the Escort Gp 2 which moved to Iceland in September. On 11 September, the Escort Gp, including LEAMINGTON was sent to reinforce Convoy SC 42 under heavy attack off the east coast of Greenland from the U-boats of the wolfpack "Markgraf", which had already sunk 15 ships from the convoy On the 11 September, LEAMINGTON and DD HMS VETERAN were sent ahead of the convoy to investigate a UBoat sighting by an a/c. The two DDs spotted U-207 on the surface and carried out a series of DC attacks against the Uboat. This time the Uboat was destroyed, with no survivors. LEAMINGTON continued in service until 1945, when she was paid off and returned. her service included a stint in the RCN. _

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS LEEDS





_USS CONNER was recommissioned 23 August 1940 and fitted out at Philadelphia. She sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she was decommissioned 23 October 1940 and transferred to the RN as HMS LEEDS the same day. LEEDS cleared Halifax 1 November 1940 for Belfast, Northern Ireland, arriving on 10 November. Under the Rosyth Command, she escorted convoys in the North Sea between the Thames and the Firth of Forth, successfully weathering many air attacks. On 20 April 1942, she went to the aid of COTSWOLD, towing her into Harwich. She drove German E-boats away from her convoy on the night of 24–25 February 1944. LEEDS was placed in reserve at Grangemouth in the Firth of Forth in April 1945._

Ex USN Town Class DD HMS LEWES,




_LEWES departed Halifax 1 November and arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland, 9 November, searching for DKM ADM SCHEER during her passage. She was refitted at Plymouth, and ordered to remain there under the command of CinC , Plymouth. Severely damaged in enemy air raids on 21 and 22 April 1941, she remained out of action until December when she joined the Home Flt. In Feb 1942, she joined Rosyth Escort Force, escorting convoys between the Thames and the Firth of Forth, Scotland. On 9 and 10 November 1942, she engaged DKM E-boats which attacked her convoy off Lowestoft. LEWES escorted a troop convoy on its way to the Middle East and arrived at Simonstown, 18 May 1943. As well as serving as target for a/c during their training, she searched for enemy submarines reported rounding Cape of Good Hope. In 1944, she joined the Eastern Flt as a submarine tender and torpedo target ship. LEWES departed Durban 13 August and arrived at Ceylon a month later. She was based at Trincomalee until January 1945, when she was transferred to the British Pac Flt as a target ship for a/ct training. Arriving at Fremantle, Australia, 11 February 1945, she shifted to Sydney 20 February and remained there until the end of hostilities._

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS LINCOLN




_The veteran DD departed St. John's on 3 November and arrived in Belfast, on the 9th. LINCOLN moved from there to Londonderry Port where she was assigned to the Escort Gp 1 , Western Approaches Cmd. For almost a year, she met troop transport and cargo convoys in mid-ocean and escorted them into ports in the British Isles. Between September 1941 and February 1942, the DD was rebuilt at Woolwich Dockyard. LINCOLN was modified for trade convoy escort service by removal of three of the original 4"/50 caliber guns and one of the triple torpedo tube mounts to reduce topside weight for additional DC stowage. Hedgehog ahead thrower was also installed. 

After the refit, she was transferred to Norway as the HNoMS LINCOLN and served with the Western Local Escort Force, operating along the Newfoundland coast between Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. John's. In July 1942, HNoMS LINCOLN was loaned to the RCN, though remaining under Norwegian colours. Her duty in Canadian waters continued until the end of 1943, when she returned to Britain departing Halifax on 19 December and arriving back in Londonderry on Xmas Day. Early in 1944, the old lady was placed in reserve in the River Tyne. Her service to the Allied cause, however, had not quite ended. On 26 August 1944, she was transferred to the Soviet Navy and renamed DRUZHNY. _

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS LUDLOW, 





Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS MANSFIELD




_HMS MANSFIELD at a buoy on the Medway, August 1942_

Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS MONTGOMERY





Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS SHERWOOD





Ex-USN Town Class DD HMS STANLEY





Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS PYTCHLEY





*Losses
Trawler ESSIE (SD 55 grt)* was sunk on a mine ten miles SE of Skagen. Six crew were lost on the trawler.

*Steamer PRINSESSE RAGNHILD (Ex-Nor 1590 grt)* was sunk north of Bodo on a mine.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-47, U-100, U-123

At Sea 23 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-38, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-101, U-124.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER departed Gotenhaven and proceeded to Brunsbuttel prior sailing to raid in the Nth and Sth Atlantic Oceans and in the Indian Ocean. SCHEER departed Brunsbuttel on the 27th escort TBs T 6, T 7, T 8, T 10. SCHEER reached Stavanger on the 28th. Escorted by TBs T 1, T 4, T 9, T 10 as far as Stadlandet, the cruiser departed Stavanger and passed the Denmark Straits on the 31st/1 November.

*North Sea*
FN.316 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 25th. FN.317 departed Southend, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 25th. FS.318 departed Methil and arrived at Southend on the 25th.

*Northern Patrol*
CVE ARGUS with DDs BEAGLE, ACHATES, HURRICANE departed Reykavik at 0400 to return to the Clyde. The British ships arrived in the Clyde on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
BCs HOOD and REPULSE, CLAs DIDO and PHOEBE, DDs ISIS, MASHONA, BULLDOG, KEPPEL, DOUGLAS departed Scapa for AAt exercises in Pentland Firth and to cover Operation DNU. They proceeded towards Obrestad to cover CLAs NAIAD and BONAVENTURE, which departed Rosyth on the 23rd. CL ARETHUSA , CA NORFOLK, and CL SOUTHAMPTON proceeded towards Stadlandet. DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, PUNJABI departed Sullom Voe on the 22nd and were on patrol north of the Shetlands. At 1900 they were ordered to proceed to a position off Egersund to intercept a group of 20 German FVs escorted by one escort ship. The DDs were ordered to withdraw to the westward at 0330 if no contact was made.

In Operation DNU, weather ship WBS 5 (DKM 391 grt) was sunk west of Stadlandet by DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, PUNJABI on the 24th. The force and the DNU DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 24th. CLA BONAVENTURE sustained some weather damage to her forecastle. BC REPULSE and DDs BULLDOG and DOUGLAS arrived later on the 24th. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 0730 to cover convoy HX.79 A from Pentland Firth to Bell Rock. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa after escorting convoy OA.233.

*West Coast UK*
OB.233 departed Liverpool escort DDs CALDWELL and VANSITTART and corvettes CALENDULA and GLOXINIA. On 24 October, DD WALKER joined the escort. The entire escort was detached on the 27th. steamer EMPIRE ABILITY was damaged by the LW at Gareloch (in the Clyde).

*Malta*
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 23 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY Clearance sweep continued by Oropesa; no result. 1150-1535 hrs Skua Fleet Air Arm reconnaissance Malta to 25 miles north of Tripoli; nil report.

AIR HQ Reconnaissance of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forces by Blenheim attached 431 Flight and Swordfish 830 Squadron; nil reports by all aircraft. Reconnaissance Glenn Martin 431 Flight reported one small merchant vessel, possibly hospital ship at 1240 hrs.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 squadrons. High speed launch returned from Dockyard after repair of damage sustained in air raid on 21 July.


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## Njaco (Oct 22, 2015)

*October 23 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

*NORTH AMERICA: *Ten WW1-era American destroyers were transferred to the British Royal Navy at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, including destroyer USS “_Twiggs_” which was renamed HMS “_Leamington_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Adolf Hitler and Spain's Francisco Franco meet for nine hours in Hendaye, Spain, on the French/Spanish border. Hitler tries to persuade Franco to join the war and offers as bait the allocation of Gibraltar and territory in North Africa but Franco demands French Catalonia (North of the Pyrenees), almost all of Morocco and a large chunk of Algeria. Franco is uncertain about how to proceed and successfully muddles the issue, leaving Hitler no better informed as to what is Spanish policy but without causing offense. Franco reluctantly agrees to eventually enter the war, in return for military, agricultural, and territorial demands, and only at a time of Spain's choosing. It is perplexing to many that Franco has failed to join the Reich cause and Hitler presses for a positive move from the Spanish leader. Vague assurances and uncertain proposals are all that Hitler leaves with, and the Spanish dictator, tired of conflict and short of resources after the Civil War, will remain on the sidelines of the great conflict. This will have undoubted effects on the progress of the war; the independence of Spain will enable Gibraltar to remain in operation and will close northern and southern Spanish ports to both sides during the war. Hitler later confides (to Mussolini) that he would rather have 3 or 4 teeth pulled out than continue the discussions.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Pocket-battleship “_Admiral Scheer_” sails from Gotenhafen (Poland). Undetected by British reconnaissance, the pocket battleship reaches the Atlantic via the Denmark Strait.

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## parsifal (Oct 23, 2015)

*24 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Thornycroft 55 feet-type class MTB 213




_(Sorry guys i cannot find an image of the 55 ft Thornycroft MTB. Pictured is an example of the 73' Thornycroft type)_

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-38, U-101

Departures
Lorient: U-32

At Sea 24 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-93, U-124.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA transferred from convoy HX.79 A to OA.234 off the Firth of Forth. OA.234 departed Methil escort CLA CURACOA, sloop ROCHESTER, corvette PRIMROSE from 24 to 26 October. The convoy rendezvoused with OB.234, which was the last of the OA series. FN.318 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 26th. FS.319 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 27th. DD FOXHOUND departed Sheerness at 1330 after repairs, and arrived at Scapa on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
At 1135 three miles SE of Barrell of Butter (a geographical feature in Scapa), Hunt-class DD MENDIP was damaged by the explosion of one of her DCs. MENDIP's stern was blown off and she was taken to Scapa for docking and temporary repairs from 24 October to 7 November when the DD was undocked on 7 November. MENDIP underwent four more days of repairs prior to departing Scapa Flow. MENDIP was towed by tug CHAMPION on 11 November escorted by ASW trawler LOCH TULLA south for repairs. She arrived in the Tyne 13 November for repairs which were completed 17 February 1941. Due to the damage done to MENDIP, movement in the Flow was prohibited and the forces returning from the Norwegian coast were delayed in entering harbour.

*West Coast UK*
OB.234 departed Liverpool escort DD ARROW, corvettes GERANIUM and HEARTSEASE, ASW trawlers LADY LILLIAN and ST APOLLO. On 26 October, CLA CAIRO, sloop ROCHESTER, DD AMAZON, corvette PRIMROSE joined the escort. ASW Trawler LADY LILLIAN was detached on the 27th, CLA CAIRO and DD AMAZON were detached on the 28th, the remainder of the escort departed on the 30th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.83 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and COLUMBIA and aux PV ELK. On the 25th, the DDs turned the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC ASCANIA and returned to Halifax. The AMC was also detached on 2 November. On 4 November, for the inbound legs DDs ACTIVE, BEAGLE, HURRICANE, RCN SAGUENAY, RCN SKEENA, WILD SWAN and corvette PICOTEE joined the convoy. DDs SAGUENAY, SKEENA and WILD SWAN were detached on 5 November and destroyer ACTIVE on 6 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 November. SC.9 departed St Johns escorted by aux PV ELK and Sloop DEPTFORD. The patrol vessel was detached on the 25th. On 4 November, corvette GENTIAN joined the convoy. On 5 November, DDs GARLAND, SAGUENAY, SKEENA, ST LAURENT joined. Corvette MALLOW joined on 7 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 November. Steamer HELGOLAND (Ger 3664 grt) departed Puerto Columbia, Colombia for return to German waters. HELGOLAND was able to evade patrolling USN DDs BAINBRIDGE , OVERTON , STURTEVANT and passed the antilles near St Thomas on 3 November. She arrived at St Nazaire on 30 November.

*Malta*
1131-1230 hrs Air raid alert for a formation of enemy aircraft approaching from the north. The come within ten to fifteen miles east of Valletta and circle. Six Hurricanes and two Gladiators are scrambled and the raiders turn away.

AIR HQ Aircraft casualties One Swordfish. Reconnaissance of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Squadron FAA and Sunderland 228 Squadron; Glenn Martin 431 Flight; nil reports by all aircraft.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 Squadrons. Sunderland 230 Squadron reconnaissance are Malta-Tripoli-Jerba Island; reported on landing seeing one Italian destroyer and one merchant vessel in convoy. Operational base for Sunderlands transferred to St Paul’s Bay owing to sea conditions at Kalafrana.


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## parsifal (Oct 24, 2015)

*25 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1936A Zerstorer Z-24




_Type 1936A Zerstorer Z-24 taken later in the war with radar fitted _

Neutral
Kirov Class Cruiser MAXIM GORKIY (SU)




_Kirov Class cruisers can be referred to as either a Heavy or Light cruiser because of the non-standard weapon size they carried_

Allied
BPB 70 feet-type class MA/SB 15




_BPB 70' MA/SB 24 pictured_

*Losses
FV ENCOURAGE (UK 45 grt)* was sunk by mine off Breakwater Point, Plymouth. The entire crew (of four) were lost.

*FV WINDSOR (UK 222 grt)* was sunk on a mine off from Spurn Point. One crewman was lost on the British trawler.

*Steam Drifter CARLTON (UK 207 grt)* was sunk by a mine three and a half miles 131.5° from Spurn Point. Ten crew were lost on the drifter.

*MSW trawler LORD INCHCAPE (RN 338 grt)* was sunk by mining off Plymouth.

*Drifter DUTHIES (UK 89 grt)* was sunk by the LW alongside the jetty at Montrose. The entire crew was rescued.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-93

At Sea 25 October 1940
U-28, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-124.
7 boats at sea.

U-46 was attacked by 3 Hudson bombers from RAF Squadron 228. One man wounded who died the following day.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.319 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 27th.

*Northern Patrol*
DD VIMY arrived at Scapa after escorting AMC CALIFORNIA to her Northern Patrol Station.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa after detaching from OA.234, and then departed Scapa later that afternoon to cover convoy SL.50. The cruiser returned to Scapa Flow after dark. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.25.

*West Coast UK*
OL.9 departed Liverpool escort DDs STURDY, SHIKARI, VISCOUNT from 25 to 27 October, when the convoy was dispersed. This is the last of the OL series, which only began on 14 September.

*Channel*
FV JANET was damaged by the LW at Montrose Quay.

*Central Atlantic*
CL ENTERPRISE departed Buenas Aires. CL DELHI departed the Cameroons. SLS 53 departed Freetown. Corvettes ASPHODEL and PICOTEE escorted the convoy on 18 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool 18 November.

*Med- Biscay*
CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria and DDs HAVOCK and HERO departed Port Said to escort convoy AN 5 of 3 steamers in operation MAQ 2.
BB MALAYA, CVL EAGLE, CLA COVENTRY, RAN DD VAMPIRE and VOYAGER; and RN DDs HYPERION, MOHAWK, JANUS and WRYNECK departed Alexandria. During this sortie, EAGLE launched strikes against Maltezana (in the Dodecanese) without loss. CLs ORION and RAN SYDNEY with DDs JERVIS and JUNO departed Alexandria on the 25th and operated in the Dardanelles as contraband control. The convoy arrived on the 27th. The forces involved returned to Alexandria on the 28th. British gunboat APHIS bombared an enemy troop concentration 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani.





_HMS APHIS was a Royal Navy Insect-class gunboat. She was built by Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, launched on 15 September 1915 and completed in November 1915. She was based in Port Said at the beginning of World War I, served in Romania and then the China Station until 1940. All of her fighting service was in the Mediterranean, taking part in the invasion of Pantelleria and landings in the south of France, returning briefly to the Pacific in 1945. She was scrapped at Singapore in 1947. She proved her worth many times in providing close inshore bombardment capability that proved invaluable in land based support operations. The italians hated her, trying many times to sink her. Her class was intended for shallow, fast flowing rivers and this proved highly useful for inshore operations when her relatively heavy weaponry could be used to support Army operations._

Four DDs departed Gibraltar to carry out an ASW sweep off Alboran Island.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.8 departed Bombay, escorted by CL CALEDON and AMC ANTENOR. These ships were relieved when met on 3 November by CL LEANDER, CLA CARLISLE, DD KINGSTON, sloops FLAMINGO and INDUS. The escorts were detached on 6 November. The convoy arrived at Suez on 11 November.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Oct 24, 2015)

*October 24 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

The Belgian-based Italian aircraft attack Harwich in a joint mission with Luftflotte 2.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British government declared that the daylight-savings Summer Time was to be continued throughout the coming winter.

In London, a Belgian government in exile is established. Its leading members include Camille Gutt, Hubert Pierlot and Paul-Henri-Spaak.

The first of 2000 provincial buses appear on London routes.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Operation DNU: British battlecruisers HMS “_Hood_” and HMS “_Repulse_”, 2 cruisers, and 8 destroyers conducted a sweep off the Norwegian coast in search of German shipping. German weather trawler WBS5 was sunk by destroyers HMS “_Somali_”, HMS “_Matabele_”, and HMS “_Punjabi_” 30 miles off the Stadlandet Peninsula. She would be the only target destroyed during the operation.

British destroyer HMS “_Mendip_” suffered an accidental depth charge detonation in Scapa Flow, Scotland at 1135 hours, ripping off her stern. She would survive the explosion and would be undergoing repairs for the next four months.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hitler's armoured train arrives in Montoire-sur-le-Loir, France to meet French Prime Minister Philippe Pétain. After meeting with Franco yesterday, Hitler tries to persuade France to join the war against England. Hitler, Pétain and Pierre Laval agree in principle but Pétain refused to declare war on Britain. Pétain agrees to collaborate against Britain, in return for compensation in Africa and a high place in the New Europe.

*GERMANY:* During the night, RAF bombers attack Berlin and Hamburg. These are the first British raids to cause significant civilian casualties.

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## Njaco (Oct 26, 2015)

*October 25 Friday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 20

A British Air Ministry announcement demonstrates the diversity and numerical strength of the flying personnel available to it. Airmen from Poland, France, Belgium, Holland and Czechoslovakia are being deployed and still more are in training. The Eagle Squadron of American volunteers is also growing.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British War Cabinet restores Britain's battleship construction program for later use in the Far East against Japan.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Navy began to mobilize its aviation arm.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British minesweeping trawler HMT "_Lord Inchcape_" hit a mine and sank off Plymouth, England.

Three RAF Hudson bombers attacked German submarine U-46 in the Atlantic Ocean, wounding Matrosengefreiter Plaep, who would die from his injuries on the next day.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British gunboat HMS “_Aphis_” bombarded Italian troops 15 miles east of Sidi Barrani, Egypt.

The Italian Navy formed the Forza Navale Speciale (FNS) under Vice Admiral Vittorio Tur.

*GERMANY:* British bombers attacked Hamburg and Berlin in Germany, causing heavy casualties.

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## parsifal (Oct 26, 2015)

*26 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1935 MSW M-23





IJN Kagero Class DD AMATSUKAZE




_ AMATSUKAZE underway on October 17, 1940, during her pre- acceptance trials._

*Losses
MV MATINA (UK 5389 grt)* Sunk by U-31 (Wilfried Prellberg) Crew: 71 (71 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Bananas Route: Jamaica - Garston ;Un-attached; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0432 hrs the unescorted MATINA was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-28 (Kuhnke) about 100 miles west of Rockall, after the ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 2150 hrs the day before. The U-boat then surfaced and fired 28 rounds with her deck gun, achieved 15 hits and left the vessel in a sinking condition.

At 2200 hrs on 29 October, U-31 reported the sinking of a drifting wreck by a coup de grace, this must have been the MATINA. The first U-boat had observed that some survivors abandoned ship in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.





RAF bombers sank *steamer KYVIG (Ex-Nor 763 grt) *off Sognefjord.

*Tkr DOSINIA (UK 8053 grt) *was sunk on a mine near Q 1 Black Buoy, Queens Channel, Mersey. The entire crew was rescued.





*Tkr STROMBUS (SD 6549 grt) *was sunk on a mine 2.2 miles 112° from Mumbles Light. The entire crew was rescued.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-29

At Sea 26 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-48, U-65, U-124.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD SIKH was damaged in a collision with a dockyard tug at Rosyth. SIKH departed Rosyth on the 27th for Leith where she was nder repair from 27 October to 8 November 1940. The DD departed Rosyth on 9 November and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730 on 10 November.

FN.320 departed Southend, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 28th. FS.320 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. Sloops PUFFIN and WIDGEON joined on the 28th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th.

*Northern Waters
Troopship EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (UK 42,348 grt) * (largest merchant ship in the war sunk by a U-Boat) had departed Capetown on the 12th returning from the Middle East to Liverpool. The troopship was bombed and damaged by a FW 200 bomber 70 miles northwest of Donegal Bay. 416 crew, 2l gunners, 205 passengers were on the liner. The convoy was escorted by DD ECHO and ORP DD BURZA. ECHO and BURZA took 570 survivors from the troopship. EMPRESS OF BRITAIN was taken in tow by DD BURZA and supported by CLA CAIRO and DD BROKE which sailed from the Clyde on the 26th to assist. BURZA was later relieved by DD BROKE and escorted by DD SARDONYX. A tug, which was joined by a second, later took over the tow and BROKE and SARDONYX escorted the troopship towards port. DD SCIMITAR was also involved in the escort of the damaged liner. ECHO and BURZA arrived in the Clyde at 0800 on the 27th with the survivors from the troopship. On 28 October, U.32 sank troopship EMPRESS OF BRITAIN in the western ASpproches

25 crew and 20 passengers were lost on the troopship. ASW trawler CAPE ARGONA assisted in the rescue of survivors from the troopship.





DD VIMY departed Scapa to escort troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN with 700 troops for Lerwick. The ships safely arrived on the 27th. VIMY then escorted ML ATREUS from Lerwick to the vicinity of Scapa Flow. DD FOXHOUND departed Scapa Flow on the 27th to relieve VIMY.
VIMY arrived at Scapa Flow on the 27th. FOXHOUND and ML ATREUS arrived in the Clyde on the 28th.

AA ship ALYNBANK left convoy EN.12 at 2359 and returned south to meet convoy EN.13.

*West Coast UK*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA arrived in the Clyde on the 26th after operations off Dakar.

*Malta*
FNFL sub NARVAL left for her second patrol between Kerkenah and Lampedusa. Skua FAA recon of Malta to Tripoli but returned due to bad weather.

AIR HQ Recon of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Sqn FAA and Sunderland 230 Sqn; nil reports by all a/c.

KALAFRANA Operations resumed at Kalafrana by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 sqns.


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## Njaco (Oct 27, 2015)

*October 26 Saturday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British Ministry of Food subsidized fish and chip shops to encourage potato consumption.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The crews of JG 52 lose Oskar Strack when he is listed as missing in action. He had six victories against the Allies.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The P-51 Mustang fighter, NA-73X, took its maiden flight. Product of the young North American Aviation, the plane is constructed in 102 days. It was a British request in September 1939 towards N.A.A that started its development as the British approached N.A.A. to build Curtiss P-40s for their Royal Air Force. N.A.A. explained that they already had a design for a fighter plane and where willing to build it for the British. It would use the same engine, namely the Allison. It wasn’t until April 1940 that the British signed a contract with N.A.A. for producing the airplane. A British Commission of Enquiry was cause for this delay. On May 29th an order for 320 machines was signed and this was quickly followed by an order for an extra 300. The British discovered that with full military load the plane was still 56km/hr faster than the Spitfire V. Its only shortcoming was that the Allison engine lost horsepower as it gained height making it just as fast as a P-40 at 4.500m.

The US Marine Corps organized a Marine Parachute Detachment at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey, United States.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy lodged a protest against Greece, citing its anti-Italian attitude.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-28 hit British ship “_Matina_” 250 miles northwest of Ireland at 0432 hours with a torpedo, then surfaced to hit her with 15 shells with the deck gun; 67 crew members and 2 gunners of “_Matina_” abandoned the ship in lifeboats, but they would never to be seen again. 

Oblt. Bernhard Jope of I./.KG 40, flying one of the few four-engined Fw 200 “Condors” available, attacks the 348 ton ocean liner “_Empress of Britain_” southwest of Donegal, Ireland. Most of the 416 crew, 2 gunners, and 205 passengers survived the attack and abandoned ship. German submarines were alerted, and would close in for the kill.

*ASIA:* Japanese aircraft raided the CAMCO factory at Loiwing (Leiyun), China, destroying recently arrived kits of CW-21 fighters.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Military representatives from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand meet in Singapore for a conference on Far Eastern defense. Grave deficiencies of Singapore defense are exposed.

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## parsifal (Oct 27, 2015)

*27 October 1940 
Losses
Steamer SUAVITY (UK 634 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. The entire crew was rescued.

*Drifter PERSEVERE (UK 20 grt)* was sunk by a drift mine in the Firth of Forth. near the East Gunnet Ledge Buoy.

*Steamer MARGARETHA (NL 325 grt)* was sunk on a mine, with the entire crew rescued.





RM sub NANI sank *steamer MEGGIE (SD 1583 grt) *70 miles SE of Santa Maria, Azores. The entire crew were rescued.






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-48

At Sea 27 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-65, U-124.
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
[*North Sea*
FN.321 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 29th. FS.321 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
CL ARETHUSA sustained damage to her bow in a collision with British steamer FLAMINIAN whilst on passage from Scapa to Rosyth. After her arrival at Rosyth, ARETHUSA proceeded to the Tyne for repairs, which were completed 26 November. She arrived back at Scapa for duty on 27 November. DD CLEVELAND departed Scapa and relieved RNoN DD SLEIPNER off Duncansby Head escorting sub SUNFISH to Muckle Flugga.

*West Coast UK*
British steamer ALFRED JONES, part of OB.234, was damaged by the LW. 12 crew of the crew were killed. DD AMAZON claimed damaging the attacking aircraft. British steamer CONISTER was damaged by the LW at Queen's Dock, Liverpool. British steamer NEWLANDS was damaged by the LW .

*Western Approaches*
OB.235 departed Liverpool escort DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, WITHINGTON. The escort was joined on the 28th by corvettes CAMELLIA and HONEYSUCKLE; Corvette HONEYSUCKLE departed the convoy on the 28th, DD WITHERINGTON on the 30th, DDs CHELSEA and VERITY and corvette CAMELLIA on the 31st, DD VETERAN on 2 November.

*Channel*
DDs VANOC, VOLUNTEER, FERNIE were ordered to carry out sweeps for enemy merchant vessels and trawlers in the channel. The DDs cleared Portsmouth, but could not find any enemy shipping.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.53 departed Freetown escorted by AMC ARAWA to 17 November. DD BROKE joined the convoy on 14 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 November.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub SWORDFISH damaged a merchant ship from an eight ship convoy off Cherbourg. MSWs HUNTLEY and DERBY arrived at Suez on transfer from the Red Sea to the Med cmd.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 OCTOBER TO DAWN 28 OCTOBER 1940
Weather Fine.

0958-1025 hrs Air raid alert for 8 MC 200 a/c which fly from the nth to the sth of the Island at 18-20000 feet before crossing the coast. Six Hurricanes and two Gladiators are scrambled. The Hurricanes engage four of the raiders over Ghar Dalam. One enemy a/c is brought down. One Hurricane’s tail is damaged but it lands safely. The raiders turn away with no bombs dropped.

1100 hrs A enemy formation of 3 enemy a/c approaches from the nth to within 30 miles of the Island then turns away, possibly searching for one of the a/c force-landed during the previous raid.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 1940

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland, 2 Blenheims. Departures 2 Sunderland. Recon of Ionian Sea for enemy surface forays by Blenheim attached 431 Flight, Swordfish 830 Sqn FAA and Glenn Martin 431 Flight; nil reports by all a/c. FNFL Latecoere L-298 recon Malta to 20 miles nth of Lampedusa to 40 miles west of Tripoli to 40 miles west of Lampedusa to Malta; nil report.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland a/c of 228 and 230 Sqns. Sunderland 230 Sqn recon Alexandria to Doro Channel to Kea to Kithera to Malta; reported a convoy of three merchant vessels, two DDs and one cruiser identified as British. One Sunderland left for Middle East and one arrived from Middle East. One Sunderland RAAF left for UK with 3 passengers and mail. French Latecoere on 5 hours patrol.


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## Njaco (Oct 27, 2015)

*October 27 Sunday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

British intelligence intercepted a German radio message referring to the continuation of training for the invasion of Britain, and determined that if German troops were still in this early stage of preparations, then an invasion would not take place in the very near future.

*EAST AFRICA:* Free French forces from Cameroon attacked Vichy French forces in Gabon, penetrating 70 miles across the border and capturing the town of Mitzic.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Men of British destroyer HMS “_Broke_” were ordered to attach tow lines on the troop ship “_Empress of Britain_”, which was disabled on the previous day by German aircraft. Tugs HMS “_Marauder_” and HMS “_Thames_” arrived to tow the former luxury liner for Clyde River, Scotland, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Broke_” and “_Sardonyx_” (with air cover from Sunderland flying boats until nightfall). However, U-32 vectors in on the small convoy, remaining submerged to avoid the Sunderlands.

Italian submarine "_Nani_" sank Swedish ship "_Meggie_" 70 miles southeast of the Azores Islands; the entire crew of "_Meggie_" survived.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Late in the evening, Italian ambassador in Athens Emanuele Grazzi issued an ultimatum, demanding that Italian troops be allowed to occupy strategic positions in Greece. It amounts to a declaration of war. The Greeks know of the Italian plans and have already mobilized in the areas facing the expected attack. In Rome at 2100 hours the Italians tell the Germans of their decision to invade Greece.

Aircraft from HMS “_Eagle_” struck the Italian seaplane base at Maltezana, Rhodes, Greece.

*GERMANY:* German pocket-battleship “_Admiral von Scheer_” leaves Germany.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 28, 2015)

*October 28 Monday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN: *This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

An additional 489,000 children had been evacuated from the greater London area in England, United Kingdom.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian Invasion of Greece: Greek leader Ioannis Metaxas rejected the Italian ultimatum. Realizing the Italians were already preparing for an invasion, he noted;


> "Alors, c'est la guerre" ("Then, it's war").


 At dawn, before the ultimatum expires, the Italian forces in Albania begin to cross the border into Greece. 85,000 Italian troops cross the border from Albania into Greece, supported by 400 aircraft and 163 tanks. They are faced by 30,000 Greek troops with no tanks and only 77 aircraft. General Prasca leads eight of the 10 Italian divisions in Albania in the advance. They attack along three lines with the main effort being in the center from the Dhrina and Vijose valleys. The Littoral group moved slowly down the coast while the Tsamouria Corps advanced through the mountains towards Kalpaki. On their left the Julia Alpini Division split into two regimental battle groups either side of Mount Smolikas with the objective of seizing the Metsovon pass. In Macedonia the XXVI Corps (primarily the Parma Division) was thinly spread in defensive positions. The Italians have chosen a very unwise time of the year for their attack. Rapidly rising rivers and mud tracks resulted in slow progress with Greek screening forces falling back onto prepared positions. General Papagos, the Greek Command in Chief, had not deployed his main force close to the border to avoid giving any provocation to the Italians. He hoped to use 8 divisions with the possibility of reinforcements being brought from the troops watching the Bulgarian border. Despite the difficulties the Aosta Lancers in the Littoral Group gained a bridgehead over the Kalamas River. The Tsamouria Corps made slow progress on what were little more than mountain tracks with the Centauro's tanks simply sticking in the mud where they had to be abandoned. The Julia Division in the centre began to create a wedge in the Greek position despite the conditions. Papagos responded with infiltration attacks that almost surrounded the Italians. Bersaglieri reinforcements helped extricate the Division only after heavy losses. Patras is bombed. Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Britain pledged support for Greece against the Italian invasion.


> “When you speak of Greek warriors, don’t say Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks.”



Adolf Hitler traveled to Florence, Italy for a meeting with Benito Mussolini in an attempt to stop the Italians from attacking Greece, but it was too late. Hitler conceals his anger at not being kept informed of the Italian plans and says that German troops are available if it is necessary to keep the British out of Greece and away from the Romanian oil.

HMS “_Eagle_” patrolled the western coast of Greece.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Pierre Laval became the Foreign Minister of Vichy France.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *German raider “_Pinguin_” and auxiliary minelayer “_Passat_” began to lay mines off Sydney, Newcastle, Hobart, Melbourne, and other locations along the long Australian coast line.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-32 sank British troop ship “_Empress of Britain_”, under tow after she was damaged by aircraft two days prior, with two torpedoes 50 miles northwest of Aran Island, Ireland at 0205 hours, killing 25 crew and 20 passengers. At 42,348 tons, she would become the largest German submarine victim.


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## parsifal (Oct 28, 2015)

*28 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS SNAPDRAGON
(New source For Image: HMS Snapdragon (K10) - Forgotten Hope Secret Weapon Wiki - Wikia





*Losses
Steamer DEVONIA (UK 98 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. 3 of the 4 crew were lost

*Steamer SAGACITY (UK 490 grt) *was sunk on a mine at 4000 yards 148° from Spurn Main Light. The entire crew of the British steamer were rescued.





*Steamer WYTHBURN (UK 420 grt) *was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. Five crew were lost on the British steamer.





*Steamer SHEAF FIELD (UK 2719 grt)* was sunk on a mine two miles SW of Sunk Light Vessel. There were 26 survivors from the steamer.





*Drifter HARVEST GLEANER (UK 96 grt)* was sunk by the LW 0.75 mile 048° from Southwold Pier Light. Four crewman were killed on the drifter.

*Steamer BELGION (Gk 2844 grt)* was seized by the Germans at Bordeaux

*Steamer LEONTIOS TERYAZOS (Gk 4479 grt) *was also seized by German forces at Bordeaux.

*Steamers ATHINAI (Gk 2897 grt) *and *MARIA NOMIKOU (Gk 1165 grt) *were seized by Italian forces off Messina. They were renamed PALERMO and AREZZO, respectively for Italian service.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 28 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-46, U-65, U-124.
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Northern Patrol*
BCs HOOD and REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, CL SOUTHAMPTON, CLAs DIDO and PHOEBE, DDs MASHONA, SOMALI , ESKIMO, PUNJABI, DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, CLEVELAND and VIMY departed Scapa Flow to operate in the Denmark Strait after reports of an unknown ship were transmitted by British Steamer MAHOUT who reported an unknown ship 9thought to be a German Raider) in the Denmark Strait steering ENE. CLEVELAND and VIMY were detached at midnight and arrived at Scapa around midnight on the 29th. Exceptionally heavy weather damaged other ships of the Task Gp. On 29 October, shells came adrift in CLA DIDO, causing one of her turrets to jam. She was forced to put into the Faroes for shelter and repairs. She was able to proceed to Scapa on 1 November escorted by DD KEPPEL. On 30 October, CL SOUTHAMPTON intercepted Finnish steamer DORE K. The CL turned her over to armed boarding vessel NORTHERN SKY which took the steamer to Kirkwall. No other contact was made and HOOD and REPULSE, FURIOUS, SOMALI, ESKIMO, MASHONA, PUNJABI, DOUGLAS arrived back at Scapa on 1 November. MATABELE departed Scapa on the 31st to join the HOOD force. MATABELE returned to Scapa Flow later that evening.

*Northern Waters*
British minefield BS.43 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs INTREPID and ICARUS. CL NEWCASTLE after repairs departed the Tyne.
The light cruiser arrived at Scapa on 1 November. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy EN.13 and carrying out ASW exercises in Scapa. DD WALPOLE, en route to Sheerness, was mined and badly damaged. The DD was towed into port by DD WINDSOR. WALPOLE was under repair at London for 22 weeks.

*West Coast UK*
Belgian steamer KATANGA was damaged by mining three cables 100° from Pillar Buoy, River Mersey.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.84 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DDs COLUMBIA and ST FRANCIS which turned to the convoy over to ocean escort, AMC JERVIS BAY.
The convoy scattered on 5 November when the convoy was attacked by DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER and the AMC was sunk.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Capetown.

*Med- Biscay*
Force H with BB BARHAM, BC RENOWN, DDs GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, GALLANT, FORTUNE, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE departed Gibraltar in response to a rumour that four Vichy DDs were at sea en route from Casablanca to Dakar. Force H returned to Gibraltar on 1 November without contact. Sub UTMOST departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar, conducting a patrol in Biscay en route. On 6 November off Cape St Vincent, she was was identified as enemy by DD ENCOUNTER, who then rammed her and damaged the sub. UTMOST managed to make Gibraltar arriving on 7 November.
From there she was taken on to Malta, arriving on 8 December, and was under repair until the 2 February. DD ENCOUNTER escorting Force H was able to continue, but entered the dockyard on her return and was repairing until 23 November. CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DD DECOY departed Alexandria on Operation CHURCH. However the ships were recalled later in the day. In addition, DD ILEX on convoy escort duty was recalled to Alexandria and armed boarding vessel FIONA and DD DEFENDER were sailed from Port Said to Alexandria. These ships were needed to assist in Operation BN, the establishment of a fuelling base at Suda Bay.

Vichy DDs L'ALCYON and TEMPETE departed Toulon and DDs BRESTOIS, BOULONNAIS, SIMOUN departed Bizerte. The five DDs were at Oran on 29 and 30 October. On 30 October, the five departed and arrived at Casablanca on 1 November.

CA KENT, which departed Alexandria on the 26th for Port Said, departed Suez with convoy SW 20 en route to Plymouth arriving on 27 December for repairs.

Italy declared war on Greece.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore. DKM Raider PINGUIN laid 40 mines in the Sydney-Newcastle track during the night of 28/29 October.

*Malta*
A bn which was about to set sail for Malta is diverted to Crete. The War Cabinet has agrees that in the circumstances the Island will have to manage without these reinforcements. The Med Flt has also been diverted to focus on the prevention of Italian troop landings on Crete.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 OCTOBER TO DAWN 29 OCTOBER 1940
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 28 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY Sub OTUS began trials after a long refit.

KALAFRANA Ops by Sunderland a/c of 228 and 230 sqns. French Latecoere L-298 on 6 hours patrol.

NORTHERN INFANTRY BRIGADE Enemy mine recovered in Gnejna Bay.


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## Njaco (Oct 28, 2015)

*October 29 Tuesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

*UNITED KINGDOM: *General Legentilhomme (ex-commander of French-Somaliland) joins General de Gaulle in London.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Following invasion by Italian troops from Albania, Greece requests help from Britain by invoking Chamberlain’s guarantee of 13 April 1939 (_"...in the event of any action being taken which clearly threatened the independence of Greece, His Majesty's Government would feel themselves bound at once to lend all the support in their power"_). A joint reconnaissance party of all 3 British services lands at Suda Bay on the island of Crete in a flying boat. A flotilla of 4 British battleships, 2 aircraft carriers, 19 destroyers and various other vessels leaves Alexandria, Egypt, to sweep the seas around Crete of Italian warships. They are carrying 158 sailors from damaged cruiser HMS “_Liverpool_” as a base defense party to reinforce Suda Bay. To the north, the Italian invasion advanced slowly.

The full mobilization of the Italian Blackshirt units began.

“_Scirè_” launched three manned torpedoes into Gibraltar harbor. The mission was a failure as one of the torpedoes broke down and the crew of the two torpedoes aborted due to breathing equipment issues.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Conscription, as allowed by the Selective Training and Service Act, began. It was the first military draft during peacetime in US history. In New York, Secretary of War Stimson, blindfolded with a strip of linen cut from the covering of a chair in Independence Hall, put his left hand into a glass bowl whose contents had been stirred by a wooden ladle cut from an Independence Hall rafter, and, after leaving it there for a minute in response to cameramen's shouts of "Hold it!" withdrew from the bowl a small capsule which enclosed a slip of paper. This historic incident was the start of the gigantic conscription lottery. Honor of holding the first place on the draft list in the biggest city of the land fell, by chance to a serious young Chinese laundryman named Yuen Chong Chan, of 18 Pell St., New York City, who thus became, for 24 hours, the most celebrated military figure in the U.S. Apparently under the impression that a draftee may choose his adversary, he announced that he wanted to fight Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-31 sank the drifting wreck of British ship “_Matina_”, which was damaged by U-28 on 26 Oct and had already been abandoned, at 2200 hours.

German submarine U-29 made rendezvous with German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_”, which was returning from her merchant raiding mission for repairs, in the Bay of Biscay west of France.

*GERMANY: *The British RAF conducted the 25th raid on Berlin, Germany.

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## parsifal (Oct 29, 2015)

*29 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Cimarron Class AO KASKASKIA (AO27)





Allied
Fairmile B ML 134





*Losses
Sludge vessel G. W. HUMPHREYS (UK 1500 grt)* was sunk on a mine two cables ESEof Oaze Buoy. Seven crew were lost on the British vessel.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-46

At Sea 29 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-32, U-65, U-124.
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.322 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 31st. FS.322 departed Methil, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND and ASW trawlers AGATE and TURQUOISE. Patrol sloop PINTAIL joined on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Southend on 1 November. DD ELECTRA departed Rosyth for the Tyne, where she escorted CL EDINBURGH (which had just completed refit) from the Tyne to Rosyth. Norwegian steamer JAMAICA was damaged on a mine.

*Northern Waters*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA on patrol west of the Hebrides rescued the crew of a Sunderland flying boat. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.26. DD CLEVELAND had also departed Scapa Flow to search for a downed Sunderland down in Moray Firth, three to four miles off the shore from Wick. The DD returned on the 30th when it was found the flying boat had crashed on the land.

*West Coast UK*
DDs DUNCAN, FEARLESS, ISIS departed Liverpool in company with CV ARK ROYAL for Greenock where they arrived on the 30th. OB.236 departed Liverpool escort DD BROKE, sloop LEITH and corvettes ARABIS and HELIOTROPE. The escort was joined on the 30th by DDs MALCOLM and SARDONYX. On 1 November, corvette GENTIAN was with the convoy for the day only and the rest of the convoy escort, less sloop LEITH, was detached. Sloop LEITH was detached on 2 November. NL Sub O.24 attacked a steamer unsuccessfully off the Norwegian coast.

*SW Approaches*
OG.45 of 22 ships departed Liverpool, Milford Haven, Glasgow escort DDs WANDERER, WILD SWAN and CLARE. DDs WILD SWAN and CLARE were detached on 2 November and WANDERER was detached on 3 November. The ocean escort was AMC SALOPIAN which departed the Clyde on the 31st and was with the convoy from 6 to 9 November. The convoy was joined by DD VIDETTE (which departed Gibraltar on 8 November), on 9 November. The DD escorted the convoy until its arrival at Gibraltar on 13 November.

*Channel*
erman torpedo boats ILTIS and JAGUAR laid minefield ALFRED off Dover during the night of 29/30 October.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.10 of 14 merchant ships departed St Johns escorted by Sloop FOLKESTONE. The convoy was joined by DDs VANSITTART and WALKER on 10 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 13 November.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub PARTHIAN was on patrol off the Gulf of Taranto, sub PANDORA was on patrol in Straits of Otranto, two Greek submarines were on patrol in the Ionian Sea. Sub REGULUS was on patrol in the Gulf of Sydra and French submarine NARVAL was between Lampedusa and Kerkenah. Sub PROTEUS departed Alexandria on the 25th to relieve the PARTHIAN.

In Operation BN, British forces landed on Crete. A joint recon party, drawn from all three services, arrived at Suda Bay on the 29th in a flying boat. BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, MALAYA, RAMILLIES, CVL EAGLE CV ILLUSTRIOUS (operating separately), DDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HERO, HASTY, HEREWARD, ILEX , DAINTY, DECOY, DEFENDER, DIAMOND, JERVIS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JUNO and JANUS in three divisions departed Alexandria early on the 29th. CA YORK and RAN CL SYDNEY, RN CL ORION and GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria late on the 28th and joined the Fleet off Crete. The Main Flt swept to the west of Crete to cover the movements to Crete. On 29 October a convoy of RFAs (OLNA and BRAMBLELEAF, armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA, MSW FAREHAM, net layer PROTECTOR escorted by CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY and RAN DDs VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, RN DD WRYNECK departed Alexandria. This convoy, less CALCUTTA, WRYNECK, OLNA, arrived at Suda Bay on the 31st . The OLNA group arrived the next morning.

On board vessels CHAKLA and FIONA were 11 officers and 147 ratings, with some construction equipment. This party was composed of crew from damaged cruiser LIVERPOOL. CL AJAX departed Alexandria on the 31st and arrived at Suda Bay on 1 November. DDs JUNO and DEFENDER were detached from the Main Force to refuel at Suda Bay on the 31st. On 31 October, DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN, detached from the Main Force, examined Navarin Bay. These DDs rejoined the Main Force that afternoon. DDs JUNO and RAN VOYAGER rejoined the Main Force from Suda Bay. VOYAGER was a replacement for DD DEFENDER, which had gotten fouled in anti-torpedo nets at Suda. BB WARSPITE, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs JERVIS, HERO, HEREWARD, HASTY, ILEX were detached on the 31st and returned to Alexandria, arriving on 2 November.
CLs ORION and RAN SYDNEY arrived at Alexandria late on 2 November. BBs MALAYA and VALIANT, CVL EAGLE, the remaining DDs arrived at Alexandria at daylight on 2 November.

On 2 November, tanker OLNA, escort ship WRYNECK, MSW FAREHAM departed Suda Bay for Piraeus. CL AJAX, DDs VAMPIRE, WATERHEN, DEFENDER, oiler BRAMBLELEAF, netlayer PROTECTOR, armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA departed for Alexandria. The movements to Crete continued into the first week of December. MSW HUNTLEY arrived at Alexandria for duty with the Med Flt.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BM.3 departed Bombay with steamers AMRA, DEVONSHIRE, EL MADINA, HOSANG, JAPAPADMA, KAROA, PUNDIT, RANEE, TALAMBA, escotted by AMC WESTRALIA from 29 October to 4 November and CL DANAE from 4 November to 11 November. The convoy arrived at Singapore on 11 November.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DURBAN arrived at Singapore. DKM aux ML PASSAT laid 30 mines in Bass Straits during the night of 29/30 October.

*Malta*

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland aircraft of 228 and 230 sqns. French Latecoere L-298 on 5 hrs patrol. One Sunderland RAAF arrived from Gib with Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham and other officers en route for Middle East.


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## Njaco (Oct 29, 2015)

*October 30 Wednesday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

*UNITED KINGDOM:* RAF Bomber Command received orders to begin area bombing.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A British raid on the III./JG 2 airfield at LeHarve results in one Bf 109E being slightly damaged by bomb splinters.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-32 attacked British ship “_Balzac_” in a rain storm 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 1240, but the torpedo detonated prematurely, alarming “_Balzac's_” crew, which called for support. British destroyers HMS “_Harvester_” and HMS “_Highlander_” raced from 45 miles away to attack U-32. U-32 dove, but was damaged by depth charges. At 1908 hours, U-32 surfaced in an attempt to flee, but HMS “_Highlander's_” crew was able to detect U-32 despite a stormy night. Hit by gunfire that killed 9, U-32's crew scuttled the submarine. Back in Germany, fake news regarding U-32's triumphant return was broadcast shortly after to hide the news of the loss.

British destroyer HMS “_Fearless_” collided with British ship “_Lanark_” in stormy weather off Gourock, Scotland. HMS “_Fearless_” was heavily damaged and would remain in repair until the end of the year. 

British destroyer HMS “_Sturdy_” ran aground at Tiree, Scotland, in stormy weather; 5 men drowned while swimming ashore.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* To support the Greek government, the British sent an expeditionary force to Crete and other Greek islands. In addition, the Soviet government sent 134 fighter aircraft to the Greeks to help stem the Italian invasion.

Wing Commander J. R. O'Sullivan was ordered to form a fighter squadron at the civilian airfield at Ta' Qali, Malta.

*NORTH AMERICA:* USS R-5 was assigned to US Submarine Division 42 at New London, Connecticut, United States.

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## parsifal (Oct 30, 2015)

*30 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-146




_U-146 was scuttled 12 May 1945. After 1941, whe was used mostly for training. This is a picture of the hulk being raised from Kiel (?) in 1945_

*Losses
Type VIIa U-32 (DKM 733 grt) *Sunk on 30 October 1940 in the Western Approachesc NW of Ireland, by depth charges from the HM DDs HARVESTER and HIGHLANDER. 9 dead and 33 survivors. Two days after the spectacular bagging of the EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, U-32 was again in the hunt. The boat operated in the Western Approaches west off Ireland, waiting for a convoy reported eastbound. The convoy was not found, instead an individual steamer was detected, judged to be a straggler of the convoy. About noon, Jenisch attacked the ship, but the torpedo misfired, and gave away his position. This alerted the escort, who raced into the assist. Jenisch did not realize the proximity of the convoy he was seeking. The Uboat continued to pursue the merchant ship. Jenisch was one of the most aggressive U-Boat commanders at the time, but on this occasion, his offensive fiery spirit proved his undoing. the The merchantman turned away and tried to make way with full speed. Laborious maneuvers began to reach a forward attack position, which soaked up precious time.

The hours ticked by as "U-32" worked to reach an underwater attack position by that evening. By this time, after receiving and responding to the MVs calls for help , the two RN DDs were now on the scene and detected the Uboat by ASDIC. The Uboat was caught in a vicious cross fire as pattern after pattern of DCs progressively damaged her. The two DDs worked well as a team, with one tracking whilst the other attacked. Thge end came when two series of depth charges hit "U-32", one at 120 meters, another one at 80 meters diving depth, forcing her to the surface, where she scuttled.





Whilst Escorting SC.8, HM *DD STURDY (RN 1075 grt)* of DesFlot 22 was wrecked on Tiree Island rocks off the west coast of Scotland. Five ratings were lost with STURDY. Commissioned Engineer E. J. A. Gibson was also injured on the destroyer.





*Fairmile A Motor launch ML 109 (RN 57 grt) *was sunk on a mine near Chequer Shoal Buoy off the Humber. The skipper and two ratings were lost. 

*Gate vessel PLACIDAS FAROULt (UK 136 grt)* was stranded and foundered at Salcombe.

*Tug SEAGEM (UK 92 grt)* was lost.

*Steamer VICTORIA (Gk 4202 grt)* whilst part of convoy SLS-51 with a cargo of sugar, VICTORIA was sunk by the LW, NW of Ireland. 29 crew were rescued from the steamer.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-99

At Sea 30 October 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-65, U-99, U-124.
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD BULLDOG departed the Firth of Forth to rendezvous with ML AGAMEMNON and AMC COMORIN off the Tyne. The ships were escorted to the Pentland Firth and BULLDOG continued with the ML Loch Alsh and the Clyde. MSW LEDA was damaged in a collision with a merchant ship. LEDA was repaired at Aberdeen, completing in November.

FN.323 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop BLACK SWAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on 1 November. FS.323 departed Methil, escort DDs VERDUN and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 November.

*Northern Patrol*
DD VIMY departed Scapa on the 31st to escort the AMC COMORIN to her Northern Patrol station until dark on 1 November.

*Northern Waters*
DD VIMY departed Scapa to search for a Sunderland down ten miles west of Dunnet Head in Pentland Firth, but the DD returned about 4 hrs later after being informed the crew had alsready been rescued.

*West Coast UK*
DD FEARLESS was heavily damaged in a collision on the 30th with the British steamer LANARK anchored off Gourock. FEARLESS departed Greenock on 8 November for repairs at Troon which were completed at the end of the year. DD ESCAPADE departed Greenock to repair at Troon.

*Channel*
Sub UPRIGHT departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar, patrolling in Biscay en route. The submarine safely arrived on 9 November.

*Malta*
Air HQ Mediterranean issued instructions for Wing Commander J R O’Sullivan to proceed to Ta Qali airport with a small headquarters staff for the purpose of forming a temporary one squadron fighter station with immediate effect. Early that day W/Cdr O’Sullivan left RAF Station Hal Far for Ta Qali with 14 airmen, including three senior NCOs, accompanied by a detachment of 17 men of the King’s Own Malta Regiment for guard duties.

The formation of 261 sqn was to take effect soon after from this location.


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## parsifal (Oct 30, 2015)

*31 October 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U-74





_Four ships sunk (24,694 GRT);
one warship sunk - 925 tons;
one ship damaged – 123 GRT
one auxiliary warship damaged – 11,402 GRT
Sunk in April 1942 by RN DD HMS WISHART _

Neutral
Soviet S (Stalinec) class Sub S-9




_Listed as missing in August 1943. Possibly struck a mine near Lavensaari or in Narvski bay. 45 (all hands) lost. The body of a crewmember was found on 4 September on the shore of Seskar island. During her service she sank two ships in the Baltic, totalling 7800 grt_

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS (later HMCS) TRILLIUM (K 172)




_After workups at Tobermory, TRILLIUM was assigned to local escort group EG 4. She remained with this group until June 1941, when she left for Canada. After arriving in June 1941, Trillium was assigned to Newfoundland Command. She remained with this unit until March 1942. During her time with Newfoundland Command, she worked with escort groups 10N, 23N, N14 and N13. On 21 April 1941 she picked up 24 survivors from the British merchant Empire Endurance that had been torpedoed and sunk the previous southwest of Rockall.

In August 1942 she transferred to the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) after working up. She was assigned to MOEF escort group A-3. During her time with A-3 she took part in many major convoy battles; including SC 100 in September 1942, ON 166 in February 1943 and SC 121 in March 1943. On 22–23 February 1943, TRILLIUM picked up 158 survivors from three ships which had been torpedoed over those two days. She remained with A-3 until April 1943, when she departed for a major refit. She continued in various Atlantic escort force operations until the end of the war. _

U Class Sub HMS UPHOLDER (N 99)




_She was one of four U-class subs which had two external torpedo tubes at the bows in addition to the 4 internal ones fitted to all boats. They were excluded from the other boats because they interfered with depth-keeping at periscope depth.

UPHOLDER was commanded for her entire career by Lt-Cdr Malcolm David Wanklyn, and became the most successful RN sub of the war. After a working up period, she left for Malta on 10 December 1940 and was attached to SubFlot10 based there. She completed 24 patrols, sinking 93,031 tons of enemy shipping including the Maestrale-class destroyer LIBECCIO after the Battle of the Duisburg Convoy, two submarines (the TRICHERO and the SAINT BON ), three troopships, six cargo ships, an auxiliary ship and an aux MSW. Wanklyn was awarded the Victoria Cross for a patrol in her in 1941, which included an attack on a particularly well-defended convoy on 24 May 1941 in which UPHOLDER sank the 17,879 GRT Italian troop ship SS CONTE ROSSO . On 28 July 1941 she damaged the Italian cruiser GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI. On 18 September 1941 she sank two troopships within hours of each other: the sister ships MS NEPTUNIA (19,475 GRT) and MS OCEANIA (19,507 GRT).

UPHOLDER was lost between 6 and 14 April 1942, probably under DC attack by the RM TB PEGASO._

*Losses
MV RUTLAND (UK 1437 grt)* Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) Crew: 29 (29 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Bauxite, charcoal and general cargo Route: Demerara - Bermuda - Larne ;Convoy HX-82 (straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 2158 hrs the unescorted RUTLAND, a straggler from convoy HX-82, was hit in the foreship by one torpedo from U-124 after a chase of 6 hrs and sank by the bow within 30 seconds about 100 miles NW of Rockall. There were no survivors

*Steamer HILLFERN (UK 1535 grt)* was lost to unknown external explosion 35 miles NNW of Buchanness. 8 crew were missing on the steamer.





*Trawler ALDEBARAN (Ger 433 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Libau.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 31 october 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-65, U-99, U-124.
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.324 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 November. *MTB 16 (RN 60 grt)* was lost on a mine in the Thames Estuary. MTB.22 was damaged by mining in the same incident. British Steamer STARSTONE was damaged by the LW.

*West Coast UK*
CV ARK ROYAL, after refitting in the Clyde, departed the Clyde at 1700 escort CA BERWICK, CL GLASGOW, DDs ISIS, FOXHOUND, DUNCAN to Gibraltar. Free French liner PASTEUR accompanied this group to Gibraltar. PASTEUR arrived at Gibraltar escorted by DDs DUNCAN, ISIS and FOXHOUND. CLA CURACOA arrived in Pentland Firth after convoy EN.15 escort and proceeded to convoy WN.27 which was sheltering west of Dunnet Head. When the gale eased to permit passage, the convoy continued, and CURACOA continued with the convoy to Pentland Firth, after which she returned to Scapa Flow very late on the 31st. OB.237 departed Liverpool escort DDs ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTELOPE and corvette PICOTEE. The escorts were detached on 2 November.

*Western Approaches*
British steamer STARSTONE was damaged by the LW.

*SW Approaches*
DKM Raider WIDDER arrived at Brest after having been met in the Bay of Biscay by U.29 on the 29th. During her deployment, WIDDER sank ten ships for 58, 645grt.

HG.46 with 51 ships departed Gibraltar. DDs INGLEFIELD and VIDETTE and sloop WELLINGTON departed Gibraltar with the convoy. VIDETTE was detached on 3 November and INGLEFIELD on 6 November. Sloop WELLINGTON was with the convoy for the entire voyage. On 8 November, sloop WELLINGTON was in a collision with British steamer SARASTONE (2473grt). The sloop was repaired at Liverpool. On 8 November, BC RENOWN was with the convoy and continued until 10 November. Also, on 8 November, ocean boarding vessel CAMITO joined the convoy and remained with the convoy until 15 November. AMC DERBYSHIRE with SL.53 was with the convoy from 9 to 19 November. Convoy SL.53 was in company with HG.46 from 9 to 12 November. RAN CA AUSTRALIA escorted the convoy from 11 to 14 November.

DDs VETERAN, VERITY, WITHERINGTON and corvettes CLEMATIS and PRIMROSE joined HG.46 on 15 November. These escorts transferred from OB.241. Corvette ARABIS joined the escort on 15 November having transferred from OB.239. DDs WARWICK, CLARE, WANDERER, WILD SWAN joined the escort from OB.242, on 15 November. British steamer ANDONI from the convoy broke down on 16 November. She was taken in tow by corvette CLEMATIS and escorted by DD CLARE, which left the convoy on 15 November. DDs VETERAN and VERITY were detached on 17 November and corvette CLEMATIS was detached on 16 November. Corvette ARABIS was detached on 18 November. Corvettes ASPHODEL and PICOTEE from OB.245 joined the convoy on 18 November. On 19 November, DDs WITHERINGTON, WARWICK, WANDERER, WILD SWAN and corvettes PRIMROSE, ASPHODEL, PICOTEE were detached. On 19 November, convoy HG.46 arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
Vichy steamer CONGO departed Fort de France for Casablanca with 1259 passengers, including 1206 naval personnel, on the 24th. The steamer was intercepted by AMC MORETON BAY and sent to Freetown. CL DRAGON joined the ships on 6 November and all arrived at Freetown on 7 November. It appears that RN policy toward Vichy ships that any ships heading away from France or German territory were being allowed to do so, but any ship travelling closer to metropolitan France or German territory was being apprehended. Passengers on the steamer were put on neutral ships between 14 December and 4 January and allowed to continue to Casablanca.

*Med- Biscay*
DD GRIFFIN followed Vichy DDs BRESTOIS, BORDELAIS, SIMOUN, TEMPETE, L'ALCYON through the Straits of Gibraltar westward. BB BARHAM, BC RENOWN, DDs FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, FURY, GREYHOUND departed Gib. DD FIREDRAKE made an attack on a sub contact. When the Vichy ships turned south, the British ships returned to Gibraltar. The BB, BC, DDs GREYHOUND, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, FURY arrived at Gibraltar on 1 November. DDs ENCOUNTER and GRIFFIN also arrived on 1 November but separately.

Gk DDs SPETSAI and PSARA departed the Gulf of Patras and bombarded Italian positions in Albania. Operation JUDGMENT was considered for this date while the Mediterranean Fleet was at sea, but unfavourable moon conditions ruled it out.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
During the night of 31 October/1 November, DKM Raider PINGUIN laid 40 mines off Hobart and her aux ML PASSAT laid 40 mines in Bass Strait.

CL DANAE departed Penang.

*Malta*
OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 31 OCTOBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY: RAN DD VENDETTA ready for sea on completion of refit.




_HMAS VENDETTA off Malta in 1940_

AIR HQ Departures 4 Wellingtons.

KALAFRANA Operations by Sunderland a/c of 228 and 230 sqns. A working party of 60 technical NCOs and airmen were temporarily detached to Luqa to assist in special offensive operations being carried out from there, leaving only a skeleton staff of personnel in workshops at Kalafrana.


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## Njaco (Oct 30, 2015)

*October 31 Thursday*
*THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN:* This Day in the Battle of Britain - Page 21

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy’s invasion of Greece begins to stall. Their troops lose momentum in the face of resistance from Greek screening forces in the rugged terrain of the Epirus Mountains along the Albanian border. Many Italians die in frontal assaults on well dug-in Greek positions. As the Italian invasion of Greece began to slow to a stop in the Epirus Mountains, British forces landed on the islands of Lemnos and Crete in southern Greece to prevent Italian landings on Greek islands. Greek destroyers “_Spetsai_” and “_Psara_” departed the Gulf of Patras and used their 120-mm guns to bombard Italian troops on the Ionian coast of Albania and northern Greece. Greek naval activity and the presence of the British Royal Navy persuade the Italian Navy to abandon plans for landing on Corfu.

RAF bombers attacked Naples, Italy.

British aircraft carrier “_Argus_” launches fourteen Hurricane fighter aircraft to Malta, but only five successfully fly the distance.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_Rutland_” 300 miles northwest of Ireland at 2158 hours, killing the entire crew of 24.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Widder_” arrived at Brest, France after a 179-day long operation in the Atlantic Ocean that saw the sinking of 10 ships totaling 58,645 tons.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 31, 2015)

*November 1 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* A force of around ten Italian BR.20 bombers escorted by forty CR.42 fighters set off to attack the docks at Harwich, England. Eight of the bombers were claimed as destroyed by the RAF, which contributed to the Italian decision to withdraw from the Battle of Britain in the next few weeks.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *11,000 Italian mountain troops marched for the pass at Metsovo, Greece but were trapped by 2,000 Greek troops, who knew the terrain far better than the Italians, in the Vovousa Valley 5 miles before they reached the pass. In southern Greece, British destroyer “_Ajax_” landed more troops at Suda Bay, Crete while under attack by Italian bombers. A small British bomber unit is sent to help the Greeks. This force is increased at Churchill's order during the next few days. About half the RAF strength from Egypt is sent. The British government believes that it is vital to fulfill the guarantees given to Greece to bolster neutral opinion, especially in the Balkans and Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkey declared neutrality in the Italo-Greek war.

RAF and Fleet Air Arm aircraft attack targets in Naples and Brindisi on the Italian mainland and Albanian ports.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Major Galland is promoted to Oberstleutnant and given command of JG 26, replacing Gotthardt Handrick, the Olympic champion of 1936. Wilhelm “Willi” Batz is promoted to Leutnant. Ob. Johannes Schalk, Gruppenkommandeur of III./ZG 26 is posted as Kommodore of ZG 26 ‘Horst Wessel’ in place of Oblt. Joachim-Friedrich Huth. The Zerstörergeschwader is based at Memmingen flying Bf 110s.

The I Gruppe of JG 27 led by Major Eduard Neumann leave their airfield at Brest and move to new accommodations at Dinan.

The remnants of 1./ZG 2 are used to form 4./NJG 2.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_Empire Bison_” 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0706 hours, killing 30 crew and 1 gunner. 6,067 tons of scrap steel and 94 trucks, all from the United States, were lost with the ship. 4 survivors were rescued by Danish merchant ship “_Olga S_”.

British sloop HMS “_Black Swan_” was damaged by a mine in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. She would remain under repair until Apr 1941.

The British mined the Bay of Biscay off France.

*ASIA:* Chuichi Nagumo was named the commandant of the Japanese naval war college. Rear Admiral Keizo Tanimoto replaced Rear Admiral Isamu Takeda as the chief of staff of Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya (Ryojun Military Port, northeastern China). Captain Shunji Izaki was named the commanding officer of “_Settsu_”.

During this month, Japanese Navy began receiving the carrier version of the A6M Zero fighter.

*GERMANY:* The German Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at the Colditz Castle, until now a transit camp, was redesignated an actual holding camp as Polish prisoners of war were transferred there from nearby Oflag IV-A and Oflag VIII-B.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Australia imposes an embargo on scrap iron and other strategic war materials to Japan.

.



.


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## parsifal (Nov 1, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses October 1940* 
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
Sub RAINBOW (RN 1475 grt), armed boarding vessel KINGSTON SAPPHIRE (RN 356 grt), MSW trawler SEA KING (RN 321 grt), Aux PV GIRL MARY (RN 25 grt), ASW trawler WARWICK DEEPING (RN 445 grt), rmed yacht AISHA (RN 117 grt), ASW trawler LORD STAMP (RN 448 grt), River patrol vessel MISTLETOE (RN 19 grt), T Class Sub TRIAD (RN 1090 grt), Sub H.49 (RN 423 grt), ASW trawler KINGSTON CAIRNGORM (RN 448 grt), V&W Class DD VENETIA (RN 1040 grt), MTB.17 (RN 18 grt), MSW trawler WAVEFLOWER (RN 550 grt), MSW trawler JOSEPH BUTTON (RN 290 grt), Naval trawler HICKORY (RN 505 grt), DD STURDY (RN 1075 grt), Fairmile A Motor launch ML 109 (RN 57 grt), MTB 16 (RN 60 grt), 

DD MARGAREE (RCN 1375 grt)

Armed trawler LISTRAC (FNFL 778 grt)

(8762 grt(RN), (1375 grt (RCN), 778 grt (FNFL)) (Total 10915 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
Liner HIGHLAND PATRIOT (UK 14192 grt), MV KAYESON (UK 4506 grt), Steamer LATYMER (UK 2218 grt), Tug SIRDAR (UK 34 grt), Steamer ADAPTITY (UK 372 grt), MV BENLAWERS (UK 5943 grt), Tkr BRITISH GENERAL (UK 6989 grt), Drifter SCOTCH THISTLE (UK 84 grt), MV CONFIELD (UK 4956 grt), Steamer BELLONA II (UK 840 grt), steamer NATIA (UK 8715 grt), MV GRAIGWEN ( UK 3697 grt), Steamer ALDERNEY QUEEN (UK 663 grt), MV PORT GISBORNE (UK 8390 grt), MV PACIFIC RANGER (UK 6865 grt), MV STANGRANT (UK 5804 grt), Drifter SUMMER ROSE (UK 96 grt), Tug DANUBE III (UK 234 grt), Hopper barge CARGO FLEET No. 2 (UK 1130 grt), Steamer RECULVER (UK 683 grt), Collier GLYNWEN (UK 1076 grt), MV THISTLEGARTH (UK 4747 grt), MV BONHEUR (UK 5327 grt), Drifter APPLE TREE (UK 84 grt), Steamer FRANKRIG (UK 1361 grt), FV ALBATROSS (UK 15 grt), Tkr LANGUEDOC (UK 9512 grt), MV SCORESBY (UK 3843 grt), MV USKBRIDGE (UK 2715 grt), MV SANDSEND (UK 3612 grt), MV CREEKIRK (UK 3917 grt), MV SHEKATIKA (UK 5458 grt), MV BEATUS (UK 4885 grt), MV EMPIRE MINIVER (UK 6055 grt), MV FISCUS (UK 4815 grt), MV ASSYRIAN (UK 2562 grt), MV CLINTONIA (UK 3106 grt), MV SEDGEPOOL (UK 5556 grt), MV EMPIRE BRIGADE (UK 5154 grt), MV MATHERAN (UK 7653 grt), MV RUPERRA (UK 4548 grt), kr SHIRAK (UK 6023 grt), MV UGANDA (UK 4966 grt), MV WANDBY (UK 4947 grt), Steamer ARIDITY (UK 336 grt), FV VELIA (UK 290 grt), Tkr CAPRELLA (UK 8230 grt), Tkr SITALA (UK 6218 grt), MV LOCH LOMOND (UK 5452 grt), MV LA ESTANCIA (UK 5185 grt), MV WHITFORD POINT (UK 5026 grt), MV SULACO (UK 5389 grt), Steamer HOUSTON CITY (UK 4935 grt), FV ENCOURAGE (UK 45 grt), FV WINDSOR (UK 222 grt), Steam Drifter CARLTON (UK 207 grt), MV MATINA (UK 5389 grt), Troopship EMPRESS OF BRITAIN (UK 42,348 grt), Steamer SUAVITY (UK 634 grt), Drifter PERSEVERE (UK 20 grt), Steamer DEVONIA (UK 98 grt), Steamer SAGACITY (UK 490 grt), Steamer WYTHBURN (UK 420 grt), Steamer SHEAF FIELD (UK 2719 grt), Drifter HARVEST GLEANER (UK 96 grt), Drifter DUTHIES (UK 89 grt), Sludge vessel G. W. HUMPHREYS (UK 1500 grt), Gate vessel PLACIDAS FAROULt (UK 136 grt), Tug SEAGEM (UK 92 grt), MV RUTLAND (UK 1437 grt), Steamer HILLFERN (UK 1535 grt), 


Steamer BELGION (Gk 2844 grt), Steamer LEONTIOS TERYAZOS (Gk 4479 grt), Steamers ATHINAI (Gk 2897 grt) and MARIA NOMIKOU (Gk 1165 grt), Steamer VICTORIA (Gk 4202 grt), 

MV ST MALO (Cdn 5779 grt), MV TREVISA (Cdn 1813 grt), 

MV HURUNUI (NZ 9331 grt)

Steamer OTTOLAND (NL 2202 grt), MV BOEKELO (NL 2118 grt), MV SOESTERBERG (NL 1904 grt), MV BILDERDIJK (NL 6856 grt), Steamer MARGARETHA (NL 325 grt) 

Steamer KABALO (Be 5186 grt), 

Tkr NINA BORTHEN (Nor 6123 grt), MV TOURAINE (Nor 5811 grt), Tkr STORSTAD (Nor 8998 grt), MV BRANDANGER (Nor 4624 grt), Tkr DAVANGER (Nor 7102 grt), steamer RINGWOOD (Nor 7302 grt), MV DOKKA (Nor 1168 grt), MV SNEFJELD (Nor 1643 grt), MV CUBANO (NW 5810 grt) 


FV CHEERFUL (Faroes 65 grt)

262773 grt (UK), 15587 grt (Gk - Allied), 7592 grt(Cdn), 9331 grt (NZ), 13405 (NL), 5186 grt (Be), 48581 grt (Nor), 65 grt (Faeroes) 
362520 grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: 373435 grt

*Prizes captured *
None

*Neutral shipping*
Steamer KERRY HEAD (Eire 825 grt)

steamer AGHIOS NICOLAOS (Gk 3687 grt), MV DELPHIN (Gk 3816 grt), Steamer ZANNES GOUNARIS (Gk 4407 grt), MV AENOS (Gk 3554 grt), MV NIRITOS (GK 3854 grt), MV THALIA (GK 5875 grt), 

MV CONVALLARIA (SD 1996 grt), MV GUNBORG (SD 1572 grt), Tkr JANUS (SD 9965 grt), Trawler ESSIE (SD 55 grt), Tkr STROMBUS (SD 6549 grt), steamer MEGGIE (SD 1583 grt), 

Steamer VIDO (Yug 1919 grt), steamer ORAO (Yug 5135 grt), steamer DURMITOR (Yug 5623 grt) 

MV NORA (Est 1186 grt) 

Steamer ASTRID (SU 603 grt)

825 grt (Eire), 25193 grt (Gk - neutral), 21720 grt (SD), 12677 grt (Yug), 1186 grt (Est), 603 grt (SU)
(62204 grt Mercantile)

*Neutral warships*
None

Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 62204 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: 435639 grt 

*Prizes taken*
None

*Axis*
*Warships*
DKM
Schnellboote S.37 (DKM 81 grt), Type VIIa U-32 (DKM 733 grt), 

RM
Perla class Sub BERILO (RM 680 grt), Perla Class sub GEMMA (RM 657 grt), Spica Class TB ARIEL (RM 620 grt), Spica Class TB AIRONE (RM 620 grt), Soldati Class DD ARTIGLIERE (RM 1820 grt), ML Sub FOCA (RM 1305 grt), Adua Class sub DURBO (RM 680 grt), Adua Class sub LAFOLE (RM 680 grt), 

Axis Naval tonnage lost 
814 grt (DKM), 7062 grt (RM)
7876 grt (Axis)

*Axis Shipping*
GER
trawler HECHT (Ger 222 grt), trawler NORDENHAM (Ger 234 grt), netlayer GENUA (Ger 1949 grt), Steamer EULER (Ger 1879 grt), Steamer PRINSESSE RAGNHILD (Ex-Nor 1590 grt), steamer KYVIG (Ex-Nor 763 grt), Trawler ALDEBARAN (Ger 433 grt), 

7070 grt (Ger)

(FI)
steamer FRANCA FASSIO (FI 1858 grt), Steamer NINA BIANCHI (FI 2180 grt), Steamer MARIA GRAZIA (FI 188 grt), steamer ANTONIETTA COSTA (FI 6880 grt), Steamer VERACE (FI 1219 grt), 

12325 grt (FI)

(Vichy)
trawler CIMCOUR (Vichy 250 grt), 


Total Axis Mercantile19645 grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: (27521 grt) 

*Captured ships *
steamer FRISIA (SD 1059 grt), Tkr STORSTAD (Nor 8998 grt), Steamer BELGION (Gk 2844 grt), Steamer LEONTIOS TERYAZOS (Gk 4479 grt), Steamers ATHINAI (Gk 2897 grt) and MARIA NOMIKOU (Gk 1165 grt)


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## parsifal (Nov 1, 2015)

*1 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1935 MSW M-30





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS HEATHER





*Losses
MV EMPIRE BISON (UK 5612 grt)* Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz) Crew: 42 (38 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: scrap steel and 94 trucks Route: Baltimore - Halifax - Clyde ;Convoy HX-82 (straggler); Sunk In the extremity of the Western Approaches; At 0706 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE BISPN, a straggler from HX-82 since a gale on 23 October, was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-124 while steaming on a zigzag course at 9 knots in bad weather about 200 miles NW of Rockall. The ship had been spotted about 3 hrs earlier and missed by a first torpedo at 0618 hrs. The explosion felled the foremast that struck the starboard side of the bridge. The crew and passengers tried to abandon ship in the lifeboats, but none could be launched as the ship sank rapidly by the bow within 1 minute. The only survivors were the second officer, the boatswain, one fireman and one passenger who rescued themselves on a raft that floated free. After about 24 hours, they spotted a U-boat surfacing nearby which soon left without investigating the raft further because the occupants played dead to avoid being taken prisoner. On 5 November, the survivors were picked up by the British steam merchant OLGA S and landed at Gourock.
(New image source: SS Empire Bison)





*Steamer LETCHWORTH (UK 1317 grt)*, in convoy FS.22, was sunk by the LW near the Oaze Buoy, with one crewman killed.
(Image from Tyne Built Ships Shipbuilders, credited to a Clive Ketley)





*Aux MSW trawler TILBURYNESS (RN 279 grt) *was sunk by the LW near East Oaze Buoy in the Thames Estuary. Ten ratings were lost. AA ship ROYAL EAGLE and tug SALVO rescued the survivors. ROYAL EAGLE had managed to shoot down a bomber during these air raids in the Thames Estuary.

*Drifter TORBAY II (UK 83 grt)* was sunk by the LW off the Downs.

*Steamer SANTA LUCIA (NL 379 grt)* was sunk on a mine 3.6 miles 44° from Pile Light, Belfast. Four crew were lost on the Dutch steamer.





*Steamer HUNDVAAG (Nor 690 grt) *was sunk on a mine one to two cables west of S. Goodwin Lightship. One crewman was lost on the Norwegian steamer. This mine had been laid by DKM TBs 29/30 October in minefield designated "ALFRED.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 01 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-31, U-65, U-99, U-124.
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD EXMOOR departed the Tyne for Rosyth, but was delayed at Rosyth due to mining of the port. She departed Rosyth later on the 2nd and arrived at Scapa on the 3rd. Sloop BLACK SWAN, arriving with FN.323, was mined in the Firth of Forth. No one was killed. The sloop was towed to Rosyth, then to Dundee for repairs completed in mid April. Patrol sloop PINTAIL, escorting FS.323 with DDs WATCHMAN and VERDUN, was badly damaged by the LW in the Thames Estuary. 10 crew were killed. Three ratings were wounded. Sloop PINTAIL was under repair at London until mid February. FS.325 departed Methil, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Southend on 3 November.

*Northern Waters*
DD QUORN departed Scapa Flow for Lerwick to escort British troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN to Aberdeen. Upon arrival at Aberdeen at midday on the 2nd, DD QUORN proceeded to Rosyth and continued her passage to Sheerness to join the Nore Command.

*West Coast UK*
DD BULLDOG arrived at Greenock to escort WS.4A. WS.4A departed the Clyde and Liverpool. This convoy was composed of troopships WARWICK CASTLE, STIRLING CASTLE , SCYTHIA, DUNEDIN STAR, HIGHLAND MONARCH, PORT WYNDHAM, CLAN LAMONT, CLAN CHATTAN and steamers CITY OF MANCHESTER, MARTAND, DELIUS, ABOSSO, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, ALMANZORA, AKAROA, MALANCHA. The convoy was escorted by CA CORNWALL and AMC SALOPIAN and given local escort by CLA CAIRO and RCN DDs OTTAWA, SKEENA, SAGUENAY and RN DDs, BEAGLE, BULLDOG, HESPERUS which departed Greenock on the 2nd. The convoy was also given local escort by DDs HURRICANE, HARVESTER and ORP GARLAND which departed Liverpool.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.85 departed Halifax escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PVs FRENCH and ELK. At 1745, FRENCH departed and ASSINIBOINE departed the convoy later on the 2nd. BHX.85 departed Bermuda on 30 October escorted by AMC AUSONIA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.85 on the 4th and the AMC was detached. Ocean escort for the combined convoy was AMC RAJPUTANA. With the attack by DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER on convoy HX.84, convoy HX.85 was diverted to Sydney CB, where it arrived on the 9th.

*Central Atlantic*
SLS.54 departed Freetown and arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Med- Biscay*
CL AJAX, which departed Alexandria on 30 October, landed troops of the 2nd Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment at Suda Bay on the 1st. CL AJAX was near missed by Italian bombing whilst unloading. DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN examined Navarin Bay. As the force departed Suda Bay on the 2nd, CL AJAX and CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY were again attacked by the RA, AJAX was again near missed. The ships arrived at Alexandria on the 4th.

*Malta*
A/c from Malta were involved in a bombing raid on Naples. Main targets were the seaport, industrial zones and railways to the east of the City, and a steel mill to the west. The mission was part of a co-ordinated British attack against the ports of Naples and Brindisi.

SUNDERLANDS UNDER ATTACK

One Sunderland flying boat of 228 Sqn was destroyed and another seriously damaged after they were attacked by Italian fighters. The a/c of Squadron Leader Menzies and Flying Officer S M Farries was on patrol over Sicily when it was intercepted by Italian fighters which launched a determined attack. The Sunderland was severely damaged and was observed falling into the sea. There were no reported survivors.


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## Njaco (Nov 1, 2015)

*November 2 Saturday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Turkey declares neutrality in the war between Greece and Italy but keeps 37 divisions on the Bulgarian border and warned Bulgaria not to participate in the Italo-Greek war. 

Delaying tactics by retreating Greek screening forces in the Epirus region, between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, have slowed the Italian advance. The Italians reach the main Greek defensive line on the Kalamas river between Elia and Kalamas and here they are stopped. In the Pindus Mountains, the Pindus detachment of Colonel Davakis continues to encircle the Italian Julia Division, but Davakis is badly wounded.

Departing from Suda Bay, Crete, for Alexandria, Egypt, British cruisers HMS “_Ajax_” and HMS “_Coventry_” are attacked by Italian bombers, which again score several near misses but do no damage.

Italian aircraft bomb Salonika (59 killed), Piraeus, Larissa, Corfu, Corinth and Candia (Crete). A squadron of 15 Italian Cant 1007Z bombers, with Fiat CR.42 fighter escorts, headed towards Thessaloniki. Soon they were spotted and intercepted by Greek PZL P.24 fighters of the 22nd Squadron. During the dogfights, three of the bombers were shot down, while the rest reached their targets, released their bombs and commenced their return to their base in Albania. Greek Flying Officer Marínos Metraléxes, who had already shot down one bomber, was now out of ammunition, so he aimed the nose of his PZL P-24 (serial no: Δ 130) right into an enemy bomber's tail (serial no: ΜΜ 22381), smashing the rudder and sending the bomber out of control. He then had to make an emergency landing near the crashed bomber. Having landed, Metraléxes arrested the four surviving crew members of the enemy aircraft using his pistol. For this extraordinary feat, Metraléxes was promoted to Wing Commander, and received Greece's highest medal for bravery, the Gold Cross of Valour. He was the only Royal Hellenic Air Force officer awarded the Gold Cross of Valour during the war.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British destroyer HMS “_Antelope_” attacked German submarine U-31 with depth charges, killing 2. Forced to the surface, the crew of U-31 scuttled the submarine before abandoning her. As HMS “_Antelope_” rescued the 43 German survivors, the wrecked hull of U-31 drifted into her, causing damage that would keep HMS “_Antelope_” under repair until Dec 1940. U-31 had previously been sunk by British aircraft on 11 Mar 1940, but was later raised and put back into action. She was the only German submarine to be sunk twice during the war.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Rinovia_” hit a mine and sank 10 miles south of St. Austell, Cornwall, England, killing 15. British destroyer HMS “_Intrepid_” hit a mine off Hartlepool, Durham, damaging both of her engines. She would remain under repair until late Dec 1940.

.

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## parsifal (Nov 2, 2015)

*2 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-69




_The lead ship of the Type VIIc sub type. She sank 17 ships, total tonnage 67,515 GRT. Sunk on 17 February 1943 in the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland, , by depth charges from the RN DD HMS FAME. 46 dead (all hands lost)._

*Losses
Type VIIa U-31 (DKM 733 grt) *Was originally sunk in 11 March 1940 by RAF a/c with 58 dead. Raised and reinstated to service. Sunk again on 2 November 1940, in the North Atlantic NW of Ireland by DCs from the HM DD ANTELOPE, whilst in combat around OB 237. 2 dead and 44 survivors. Destroyer ANTELOPE was damaged alongside U.31 while boarding the UBoat. The British were unsuccessful in their attempts to board. DD ACHATES was also in the escort of convoy OB.237. DD ANTELOPE proceeded to Greenock for repairs. On 7 December, she was moved to Glasgow to complete repairs completed on 24 December. During her career U-31 had sunk 11 ships, total tonnage 27,751 GRT.
(Image source: German Submarine U-31 from Sharkhunters, the original and only true history of the U-Boats.)





*Tugs LEA (RN 168 grt)* and *Tug DEANBROOK (RN 149 grt)* were sunk on mines in the Tilbury Basin. Six crew were lost on tug LEA. The entire crew of tug DEANBROOK was lost.

*MSW RINOVA (RN 429 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Falmouth, 2.9 miles 154.5°, from St Anthony Light. 14 ratings were lost in the trawler.

*Drifter GOODWILL (UK 28 grt) *was sunk on a mine in the Firth of Forth.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 2 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-65, U-99, U-124.
5 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.324 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 4th. FN.325 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 4th. Minefield BS.44 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DDs INTREPID and ICARUS. Following the minelay, INTREPID was damaged on a mine off Hartlepool. Both INTREPID's engines were damaged. INTREPID was repaired at Hartlepool in seven weeks.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs MASHONA and KEPPEL departed Scapa to meet AMCr LETITIA and troopships EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and ANTONIA on passage from Iceland to the Clyde. All ships safely arrived in the Clyde on the 3rd. DD VIMY arrived at Scapa after escorting AMC COMORIN to her Northern Patrol Station.

*Northern Waters*
DD DOUGLAS departed Scapa to search for a boat reportedly containing four men. DOUGLAS arrived at Scapa on the 3rd with 12 survivors from MSW trawler WARDOUR mined on 31 October.

*West Coast UK*
OB.238 departed Liverpool escort DDs CASTLETON, VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL and corvette FLEUR DE LYS. The escort was detached on the 5th. DD CAMPBELTOWN, while on trials after refitting at Devonport, was damaged in a collision with Norwegian steamer RISOY. CAMPBELTOWN was repaired at Liverpool completing on the 24th. AMC RANPURA was damaged by fire. After being delayed by engine room defects, AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa at 0040 to escort convoy EN.17 from the vicinity of Aberdeen to Pentland Firth.

*Channel*
Sub TAKU attacked German tanker GEDANIA fifty miles off the Loire, without success. Sub TIGRIS unsuccessfully attacked RM Sub VENIERO off the Gironde.

*Central Atlantic*
CL NEPTUNE departed Lagos on patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
BB WARSPITE, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, other units of the Med Flt arrived at Alexandria after supporting initial Crete landings. Sub TETRARCH unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Benghasi. DD KIMBERLEY was attacked unsuccessfully by RA bombers.

*Malta*
1228-1336 hrs Air raid alert for five Italian formations totalling 20 SM79 bombers accompanied by some 30 MC 200 and CR42 fighters which approach from the nth and fly over the Island. Bombs are dropped four miles in front of Fort St Elmo. AA guns open fire, splitting the first bomber formation. 6 Hurricanes and 2 Gladiators are scrambled and attack the raiders in several dogfights at 17000 feet.

One MC 200 is brought down by a Hurricane between Zeitun and Hompesch. The pilot bales out but his parachute fails to open fully and he is killed. A second Macchi is destroyed by another Hurricane. Two CR42s are also damaged by fighters. AA guns split the formations and shoot down one enemy a/c. After a brief lull bombers and fighters cross the coast and drop bombs on Luqa hitting a hangar on the aerodrome, and on Zabbar, demolishing four houses. 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regiment carries out a search for unexploded bombs on the aerodrome: three are reported. No military or civilian casualties are reported.


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## Njaco (Nov 2, 2015)

*November 3 Sunday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *The tide turns on Italian forces in Greece. In the Pindus Mountains in northern Greece, Greek Pindus detachment counterattacked against Italian Julia Division, recapturing the villages of Samarina and Vovousa and defeat 3rd Alpini Division. Further West in Epirus, Italians bring up light L3/35 tankettes and medium M13/40 tanks to attack the Greek defenses on the Kalamas River. The tanks get stuck in the hilly, marshy terrain and are unable to support the infantry, who are slaughtered in front of the Greek machineguns. Far to the south, British troops began arriving on mainland Greece.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British submarine HMS “_Sturgeon_” sank Danish ship “_Sigrun_” in the Oslofjord, Norway.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Elders Fyffes cargo ship “_Casanare_”, carrying bananas from Nigeria to England, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-99, with loss of 9 crewmembers. Armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Laurentic_” (former Cunard - White Star Line passenger liner) attempts to help but is struck by three torpedoes from U-99, but does not sink. Armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Patroclus_” (former Blue Funnel Line cargo ship) also attempts to help but is also struck by three torpedoes, without sinking. 368 survivors abandoned “_Laurentic_” and were rescued by “_Patroclus_”. U-99 then surfaces and exchanges fire with “_Patroclus_” and puts a fourth torpedo in the ship, which remains afloat.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* This is the first night since September 7th that there is no raid on London. There have been 57 consecutive nights of attack and after tonight 10 more will follow. An average of 165 planes has attacked each night dropping 13,600 tons of high explosive and many incendiaries.

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## parsifal (Nov 2, 2015)

A/C pictured is sitting on the ground on its belly. it suggests some mishap has befallen on the a/c and the ground crews are testing the systems for damage.

or is there some other explanation?

edit
nope. Looking at the picture again, its not sitting on the ground at all.

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## parsifal (Nov 3, 2015)

*3 November 1940 
Losses
MV CASANARE (UK 5376 grt) *Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 63 (9 dead and 54 survivors) Cargo: Bananas Route: Victoria, Cameroons (18 Oct) - Garston ;Independant sailing; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2140 hrs the unescorted CASANARE was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-99 and sank later about 240 miles WSW of Bloody Foreland. Nine crew members were lost. The master and 53 crew members were picked up by DD BEAGLE and landed at Greenock. Her distress messages brought the AMCs LAURENTIC and PATROCLUS to the scene and the U-boat began a dramatic battle in which both ships were sunk.





*AMC LAURENTIC (RN 18724 grt)*; 10th largest ship sunk by a Uboat Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 417 (49 dead and 368 survivors) Route: Mid Atlantic Patrols; (See 4 November entry for AMC PATROCLUS for further details on the battle)





Sub STURGEON sank *steamer SIGRUN (Ex-Danish 1337 grt) *about 10 nautical miles ESE of Larvik,Norway in Oslofjord.





FV VAN DER WEYDEN (Be 132 grt) sank after hitting a mine four and a half cables 262° from No. 4 Buoy, Milford Haven. Eight crew were lost from the vessel. There was only one survivor.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient, France: U-47, U-137

At Sea 3 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-65, U-99, U-124, U-137.
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1000 to cover convoy WN.29 from Pentland Firth to Methil. Convoy WN.29 was under sustained LW attacks from 1821 to 1930. *Steamer KILDALE (UK 3877 grt)* was sunk by the LW in these attacks. Two crew were lost on the British steamer. British steamer EROS was damaged by the LW in these attacks.





FN.326 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 5th. FS.327 departed Methil, escort DDs QUORN, WALLACE, WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs MASHONA and KEPPEL departed the Clyde and arrived at Scapa on the 4th.

*West Coast UK*
CL DESPATCH, escort DDs VENOMOUS, VESPER, WINDSOR, which had departed Sheerness on the 1st and picked up DESPATCH at Portsmouth, arrived in the Clyde.

British steamer WINDSOR CASTLE was damaged by the LW in 54‑12N, 13‑18W. The steamer was escorted to the Clyde by DD BULLDOG. BULLDOG departed the Clyde on the 4th for Liverpool, arriving later the same day.

British steamer CAIRNGORM (394grt) was damaged on a mine in Bristol Channel.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DRAGON departed Freetown.

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*
CVL EAGLE, BBs VALIANT, RAMILLIES, MALAYA, the 7th Cruiser Squadron arrived at Alexandria after supporting initial landings at Crete


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## Njaco (Nov 3, 2015)

*November 4 Monday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The pilots and ground personnel of Hptm. Franz-Heinz Lange’s II./JG 77 leave their northern airbase at Aalborg and move to the Western front airfield at Brest-Guipavas. Several Staffeln located at separate airfields in Norway, prepare to join their parent Geschwader outside Brest.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hans Philipp, Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54 is awarded the Ritterkreuz for twelve victories while the III Gruppe of the ‘Grünherz’ Geschwader receives a new Gruppenkommandeur when Hptm. Arnold Lignitz is appointed to command in place of the temporary commander, Oblt. Gunther Schölz. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-99’s battle with British convoy escorts continues through the night. German submarine U-99 attacked British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Patroclus_” 150 miles west of Ireland while she was rescuing survivors of HMS “_Laurentic_”, which was disabled by U-99 at the end of the previous day. U-99 fired torpedoes at 0022 hours, 0044 hours, and 0118 hours from the surface, and then dove to avoid attacks. At 0435 hours, U-99 resurfaced, sinking HMS “_Laurentic_” with a torpedo which detonated “_Laurentic's_” depth charges. “_Patroclus_” was sunk at 0525 hours, killing 56. British destroyer HMS “Hes_p_erus” arrived and chased away U-99 with depth charges.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The first Greek counterattacks begin in the northern sector of the front. The Italian offensive, despite its numerical strength, is already in difficulties. In the Pindus Mountains, Italian Julia Division is trapped in the Vovousa valley, under attack by Greek 2nd Army Corps which has been brought in to reinforce the sector. Julia calls for help but they are too far away from reinforcements which are dispatched from Albania. Further West on the Ionian coast, Italian troops cross the Kalamas River and secure a bridgehead but are unable to breakout and outflank the Greek defenses further inland.

British cruiser HMS “_Ajax_” continues shuttling between Alexandria, Egypt, and Crete, to reinforce the garrison at Suda Bay. “_Ajax_” departs Alexandria with Australian cruiser HMAS “_Sydney_” with 14th Armoured Brigade HQ, anti-aircraft guns and troops.

Italian ports of Bari and Brindisi bombed by RAF aircraft from Crete.

Spanish administration established in former International Zone of Tangier.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler met with his top military leaders in Berlin, Germany to explore the possibility of attacking Gibraltar, Azores Islands, Madeira, and Portugal as means to block the British Royal Navy from entering the Mediterranean Sea.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2015)

*4 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
ELCO 70' USS PT-10





Allied
"N" Class DD ORP PIORUN





ORP DD PIORUN was completed. Following working up she operated in DesFlot 7 in the Home Fleet
*Losses
AMC PATROCLUS (RN 11314 grt)*Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) Crew: 319 (56 dead and 263 survivors) Route: Mid Atlantic Patrol area At 2140 hrs on 3 Nov 1940, U-99 torpedoed the unescorted CASANARE west of Bloody Foreland Her distress messages brought the AMCs LAURENTIC and PATROCLUS to the scene and the U-boat began a dramatic battle at 2250 hrs when the first torpedo struck the engine room of LAURENTIC. At 2328 hrs, a second torpedo hit the vessel, but did not explode# A third torpedo was fired at 2337 hrs from a distance of 250 metres into the hole opened by the first torpedo, at this time the lookouts spotted the U-boat on the surface and Kretschmer had a hard time in evading the gunfire.

In the meantime, PATROCLUS began picking up survivors instead of participating in the fight against the U-boat and her lookouts did not see U-99 only 300m away. A first torpedo struck the ship at 0002 hrs, a second at 0022 hrs and a third at 0044 hrs# 14 minutes later, the U-boat opened fire with the deck gun and hit with two of the four fired rounds, before Kretschmer had again to evade the gunfire and hit her with a fourth torpedo at 0118 hrs.

After that, U-99 searched for the CASANARE to give the crew time for reloading the torpedo tubes, but only found two lifeboats at her position and questioned the survivors, the vessel had foundered in the meantime. At 0239 hours, a Sunderland flying boat suddenly appeared over the U-boat, which had to dive, but no bombs were dropped. At 0404 hours, the U-boat surfaced after reloading the torpedoes, went back to the AMCs at high speed and fired at 0453 hrs a coup de grace from a distance of 250m at LAURENTIC. The torpedo struck the stern and ignited the DCs stored there, causing the ship to sink by the stern within minutes. Two officers and 47 ratings were lost.

Around this time a DD was spotted and Kretschmer had to sink PATROCLUS in a hurry. A fifth torpedo at 0516 hrs had no significant effect, but the sixth torpedo at 0525 hrs broke the ship in two, the stern capsized and the bow sank slowly. The commander, six officers and 49 ratings were lost. After that, U-99 was attacked by DD HESPERUS, but the destroyer soon left the U-boat to pick up the commander, 51 officers and 316 ratings from the LAURENTIC. 33 officers and 330 ratings from PATROCLUS were picked up by DD BEAGLE and landed at Greenock.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 4 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-65, U-99, U-124, U-137
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA arrived at Rosyth. FN-327 departed Southend, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 6th.

*Northern Waters*
BBs NELSON and RODNEY, CLAs NAIAD and BONAVENTURE, DDs COSSACK, MAORI, MATABELE, ELECTRA, BRILLIANT departed the Firth of Forth. DD PUNJABI departed Scapa to join Home Fleet on battleship NELSON in the Firth of Forth. The RN force arrived at Scapa Flow on the 5th. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0900 to cover convoy WN.30 to the vicinity of Bell Rock#

*West Coast UK*
DD BULLDOG departed the Clyde for Liverpool arriving late on the 4th. OB.239 departed Liverpool, but due to the presence of DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER in the Nth Atlantic, she proceeded to Oban and did not sail until 10 November.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DIOMEDE departed Tortula. Convoy SL.54 departed Freetown escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY to 25 November. AMC SALOPIAN joined the convoy on the 22nd to 25 November. On 24 November, DDs CALDWELL, WALKER, WESTCOTT, corvettes CANDYTUFT, CROCUS, HEARTSEASE, HONEYSUCKLE, French sloop CHEVREUIL joined the convoy. DD CALDWELL was detached with the merchant cruisers on the 25th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Med- Biscay*
CVL EAGLE developed defects to her machinery as a result of near misses from RA attacks over the preceding months. This caused her withdrawal from operation JUDGMENT. CLs AJAX and RAN CL SYDNEY departed Alexandria to embark troops at Port Said. The cruisers departed on the 5th carrying a further bn of troops and one HAA battery.

Convoy AN.6, escorted by ASW trawlers KINGSTON CRYSTAL and KINGSTON CYANITE, departed Port Said with British tkrs ADINDA and BRITISH SERGEANT and five steamers for Greece. Tanker PASS OF BALMAHA departed Alexandria and joined this convoy at sea. Both trawlers broke down and had to be relieved by DD DAINTY, which departed Alexandria late on the 4th with ASW trawlers KINGSTON CORAL and SINDONIS to join the convoy. The convoy arrived on the 8th. DD DAINTY later joined the Main Fleet for the MB 8 operation. Submarine TETRARCH damaged Italian steamer SNIA AMBA from a convoy off Benghazi. This convoy had departed Tripoli 2 November with SNIA AMBA and PALLADE, escorted by TB LA FARINA. The submarine claimed damaging steamer PALLADE, as well, but the steamer was not damaged. Italian submarine BIANCHI was damaged by DD GREYHOUND and a London flying boat near Gibraltar and put into Tangiers for refuge. Vichy DDs MAMELUCK, FLEURET, EPEE, LANSQUENET passed Gibraltar from west to east.

Convoy BS.8 departed Suez, escort sloop CLIVE. The convoy was joined on the 5th by sloop GRIMSBY. The sloops were detached when the convoy was joined by light cruiser LEANDER, destroyer KINGSTON, slops FLAMINGO and INDUS. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 12th.

*Malta*
0628-0705 hrs Air raid alert for enemy a/c approaching the Island from the nth. A Wellington bomber returning to Malta is chased in by an Italian CR42 fighter which then dives out of the clouds to machine-gun a beach post of the Dorset Regiment and Delimara before escaping out to sea.

2345 hrs Two Wellington bombers crash on take-off from Luqa.




_Burned out Wellington bomber and houses in Qormi_


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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2015)

*5 November 1940 (Part I)*
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Raider HANSA





Allied
Motor Launch Fairmile B ML 154





Hunt Class Type I Escort DD HMS TYNEDALE (L 96)




_ Following working up, she was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Portsmouth Command._

*Losses
Tkr SCOTTISH MAIDEN (UK 6993 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer); Crew: 44 (16 dead and 28 survivors) Cargo: Diesel Oil and Marine Fuel oil Route: Curaçao - Halifax (24 Oct) - Avonmouth; Convoy HX-83; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0255 hrs the SCOTTISH MAIDEN in HX-83 was torpedoed and sunk by U-99 about 225 miles SW of Bloody Foreland. The U-boat fired its last torpedo at three overlapping ships from a distance of 3600m and observed a hit in the stern of a tanker. 16 crew members were lost. The master and 27 crew members were picked up by HMS BEAGLE and landed at Liverpool.
(New Photo Source: The MV Scottish Maiden : Convoy Cup Foundation )





HX.83 was at that time escorted by DDs ACTIVE, ACHATES, BEAGLE, HESPERUS, HURRICANE, WILD SWAN and corvette PICOTEE.
In the counter attack after the sinking of steamer, DD BEAGLE damaged U.123, which was able to return to Lorient.

*Steamer HAIG ROSE (UK 1117 grt) *was lost in Bristol Channel to unknown agent.
(New Photo source: Steamship Haig Rose (Cargo Vessel))





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-138

At Sea 5 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-65, U-99, U-124, U-137, U-138.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Nth Atlantic*
At 1240, DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER sank *steamer MOPAN (UK 5389 grt) *in 52‑59N, 32-12W. MOPAN had departed Kingston, Jamaica, was en route to England. The Panzerschiff rescued the steamer MOPAN's 68 survivors.




The S.S. MOPAN had passed Convoy HX84 , and she had declined an invitation to join the convoy, preferring instead to sail on ahead, alone. The ADMIRAL SCHEER came across the MOPAN, and ordered her to stop, firing warning shots from her 5.9 inch guns, which exploded close to the freighters bow.








_The abandoned MOPAN being shelled by the 5.9" btys of the SCHEER. On the right, a lifeboat carrying survivors from the MOPAN are hoisted onto the SCHEER. The crew were taken prisoner to minimise the chances of the SCHEER being discovered as she stalked HX 84_

Sinking the JERVIS BAY and attacks on HX 84
SCHEERS commander (Krancke) was not happy about the time that had been spent bringing down the MOPAN it as it had wasted valuable time and daylight was running out, it was going to be close but he could still do it. So again he ordered full speed ahead.

HX 84 commanders still believed as twilight was setting in they could dodge the raider, but as sunset began, the HMS JERVIS BAY spotted a ship on the horizon. Capt Fegen flashed "What ship ?" but he received no reply, it was possible that it could be an escort for the convoy. When the vessel was about 10 miles away and the signals still being sent and no reply given, concern began to grow and the JERVIS BAY went to action stations, but they still could not recognise the ship as darkness was beginning to set. By 1730 hrs (5.30 pm) the ship was at about 8 miles range and closing, when the ship turned broadside on, allowing all of her six 11" guns to bear down on the convoy.

This time Kranke gave no warning and opened fire. Any confusion the convoy had about the ship ended when six flashes of light was seen coming from her and within seconds the sound of of the shells passing overhead were heard. Immediately the convoy was ordered to scatter. Capt Fegen (of the JERVIS BAY) immediately ordered full ahead and turned towards the enemy, dropping smoke floats as they went. He surely realised that his actions were a virtual death sentence for his ship, and most of the crew, but he stated to his Bridge officer the only thing to prevent the "SCHEER" from destroying the convoy entirely was to buy time by sacrificing his ship. There would be no rescue for the crew as the convoy had been ordered to run for it. He gave the order to open fire on the SCHEER even though he was still out of range, with only four old 6" guns and an out of date fire control system against six 11" modern guns with a modern radar fire control system he attacked the ship. Krancke seeing the JERVIS BAY attacking, realised he must first overpower this unlikely mismatch before he could get into the real work of sinking the convoy.

After the second or third salvo the SCHEER had the range and 11" shells started to rip the JERVIS BAY apart. First it was the foredeck that was hit and some of the gun crew, with little protection from the blast and splinters, were blinded and wounded, but still they managed to keep firing, then it was below the bridge a shell exploded and part of the bridge was ripped apart and her only gunnery control centre, it was left in a mess with men lying bleeding and dying, with broken bones, bust eardrums, in shock and gasping for air through the smoke, still the JERVIS BAY fought on doggedly setting a heading for a deliberate collision course for the SCHEER if she could just manage to ram her she could still save the convoy. The next shell was a direct hit on a forward gun and the crew was killed immediately. The bow now was a mess with flames everywhere and metal sheets twisted and bent. Again the bridge was hit but this time it was a direct hit, in which Capt Fegen's arm was blown off, even though he managed to stand up and return to what was left of the bridge and restore some resemblance of order in what was left of the bridge crew, he remained at the bridge until he died moments later when another shell ripped the bridge apart. Throughout all this time what was left of the forward guns continued to fire, though they were still out of range. As they got closer and closer more and more shells hit the JERVIS BAY . Now the ship was ablaze from stem to stern and men dead or dying everywhere, but still at full speed to destruction. At last a shell caused serious damage to the ships structure, as she stopped and started to topple on she side. The order to abandon ship was given, then she started to sink bow first with her propeller sticking out of the water she headed to her final resting place with 187 of her crew. For his actions Captain Fegen received the Victoria Cross (posthumously). It was a decoration surely deserving for such a gallant and brave crew. The battle was short but valuable time had been gained and most of thye convoy owe their survival to this supreme sacrifice.

SCHEER took just over 22 minutes to deal with *AMC HMS JERVIS BAY (RN 14164 grt) *, which ceased fire and sank at almost the same time at 2003 hrs.





SCHEER, as expected did not attempt to rescue or assist the stricken ship, and engaged what elements of the rapidly scattering convoy. she sank *steamer MAIDAN (UK 7908 grt)* in 52‑28N, 32‑08W,





*Steamer TREWELLARD (UK 5201 grt)* in 52‑27N, 32‑09W,





*Steamer KENBANE HEAD (UK 5225 grt)* in 52‑26N, 32‑34W,





*MV BEAVERFORD (UK 10,042 grt)* in 52‑26N, 32‑34W. As the SCHEER overhauled the BEAVERFORD, it was just getting dark, but not enough to escape. BEAVERFORD's skipper, Captain E. Pettigrew knew that his ship was doomed. In what has been described as an amazing act of bravery, Pettigrew turned his ship toward the looming raider, its single forward four-inch gun firing until the SCHEER destroyed the BEAVERFORD about 15 mins later . The ship exploded and sank, taking its entire crew of 77 to the bottom with it. More time lost however for the by now furious Krancke.





*MV FRESNO CITY (UK 4955 grt) *in 51‑47N, 33‑29W





Steamer ANDALUSIA (UK 3082 grt) was damaged, but survived.



.


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## Njaco (Nov 4, 2015)

*November 5 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *Hermann Göring issued an order to loot the art treasures at the Louvre museum in Paris, France, which were to be distributed to German museums and private collections of Nazi leaders, with a large portion of the art reserved for himself.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer”_ has been in the North Atlantic since November 1 waiting to attack Allied convoys. Using German radio intercepts, she vectors in on convoy HX-84 (38 merchant ships from Halifax Nova Scotia to Britain). Late in the afternoon, “_Admiral Scheer_” appears over the horizon and approached Allied convoy HX-84 in the North Atlantic. British armed merchant cruiser “_Jervis Bay_” moved in to intercept. Hopelessly outgunned, “_Jervis Bay”_ was sunk within 15 minutes of the gun battle; 190 were killed and 65 survived; Captain Fegen of “_Jervis Bay_” would be awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his efforts to slow “_Admiral Scheer_”. Nevertheless, “_Admiral Scheer_” was able to sink 5 additional British ships in the convoy before the convoy scattered and escaped, killing an additional 208 sailors. The British suspend convoy sailings until November 17th but their pursuit fails to find the German ship which has moved toward the south Atlantic.

German submarine U-99 sank British tanker “_Scottish Maiden_” 180 miles northwest of Ireland at 0255 hours, killing 16. She was carrying 3,000 tons of diesel oil and 6,500 tons of marine fuel. British destroyer HMS “_Beagle_” picked up 28 survivors.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt is elected for an unprecedented third term. His majority in the popular vote is 10 percent -- 27,000,000 to Willkie's 22,000,000. In the Congressional elections the Democrats lose four Senate seats and gain eight seats in the House. They retain their majority in both chambers.

*WEST AFRICA:* Free French invasion of Gabon. Free French troops captured Lambaréné, French Equatorial Africa (in present day Gabon) about 100 kilometer inland up the Ogooué River. Since October 27, they have advanced 200 miles from their starting point in Cameroon and now threaten Gabon’s capital Libreville. Meanwhile, Free French commanders Colonel Marie Pierre Kœnig and Major Philippe Leclerc sail from Douala, Cameroon, with French Foreign Legion, Senegalese and Cameroonian troops to attack Libreville from the sea.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek cavalry troops under General Georgios Stanotas began a new attack on the enveloped Italian Julia Division in the Vovousa valley in northern Greece.

Italians bomb Yugoslav border town of Monastir.

*NORTH AFRICA:* While at Alexandria, Egypt, a leak was found in the fuel system of HMS “_Eagle_”, requiring her to receive repairs. The damage was caused by near misses by Italian bombers on 12 Oct 1940.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 5, 2015)

*5 November 1940 (Part II)
OPERATIONS [CONT'D]
Nth Atlantic (Cont'd)*
Attacks on the JERVIS BAY and HX 84 (Cont'd) 

SCHEER also damaged damaged tker SAN DEMETRIO in 52‑48N, 32‑15W, The tkr was hit with several shells that destroyed the bridge and poop deck and left the upper deck in flames. Despite both the exploding shells and the resultant fire, the ship's highly flammable cargo did not explode. Nevertheless her Master, Captain Waite, believed that the fire could set off the aviation fuel at any moment so he gave the order to abandon ship. With the ship remaining under fire from the Scheer, the crew escaped in two lifeboats. Admiral Scheer then turned her attention to other ships of the rapidly scattering convoy.

The two lifeboats separated in the night and the lifeboat with the captain and 25 crew was picked up and taken to Newfoundland. The 16 men in the other lifeboat, including Second Officer Arthur G. Hawkins and Chief Engineer Charles Pollard, drifted for 24 hrs when they sighted a burning ship. To their surprise, they discovered that it was their own ship, SAN DEMETRIO. With few alternatives, the crew had to decide whether to risk death by exposure or to re-board and risk the fire. In the end they chose to remain in the lifeboat because the fire was too great and the weather too hazardous to attempt boarding, but after a second night in the boat and enduring a freezing Nth Atlantic winter gale, they regretted not re-boarding the tkr.

At dawn the following day, 7 November, the SAN DEMETRIO was about 5 nautical miles downwind so the crew set sail toward her and re-boarded. They fought the fire, repaired the port auxiliary boiler sufficiently to restart the ship's pumps and dynamos and repaired the auxiliary steering gear. No charts or navigational instruments had survived so the crew estimated a course from occasional glimpses of the sun. Her radio had not survived either. They managed to sail the tanker across the rest of the Atlantic, braving bad weather and U-boats. After seven days the SAN DEMETRIO reached waters off Ireland from where they were escorted on to the mouth of the River Clyde, docking on 16 November. They declined the offer of a tow from a tug because of the high cost.

Despite the damage and fire only 200 tons of SAN DEMETRIO 's highly volatile cargo had been lost. There was only one fatality, John Boyle, who had been injured jumping into the lifeboat after the original battle and gradually began to feel unwell. He was propped up in the engine room to watch the gauges but died of a haemorrhage after two days. He was posthumously awarded the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct.

Since the crew had received no assistance from another vessel, in the ensuing case in the Probate, and Admiralty Division of the High Court they were able to claim the salvage money from the insurers for the ship and cargo. The oil and freight cargo were valued at £60,000. The ship herself, almost new, was worth £250,000. The High Court awarded the claimants £14,700 salvage money: £2,000 of it going to Second Officer Hawkins; £1,000 to the estate of Joe Boyle. Another £1,000 went to 26-year-old Oswald Ross Preston, an American seaman, because he played a "magnificent" part when the battle started. Hawkins was also given the tattered Red Ensign of the ship.

The ship's part in Convoy HX-84 was made into a film, San Demetrio London in 1943, starring Walter Fitzgerald, Mervyn Johns, Ralph Michael, and Robert Beatty. It was one of the few films to recognise the heroism of British Merchant Navy crews during the war.




_SAN DEMETRIO....Lucky survivor _

Troopship RANGITIKI was damnaged but managed to escape. Swedish steamer STUREHOLM rescued 65 and three bodies from JERVIS BAY. The steamer arrived at Halifax on the 12th. Most of the survivors were transferred to AMC COMORIN for return to England. British steamer GLOUCESTER CITY, from a dispersed OB.convoy rescued 92 survivors from the steamers - 25 survivors from TREWELLARD, 23 from SAN DEMETRIO, 27 from KENBANE HEAD, and 24 from FRESNO CITY. On 9 November, Greek steamer MOUNT TAYGETUS rescued a further twelve crew from the FRESNO CITY. On steamer BEAVERFORD, all 77 crew were lost. On steamer MAIDAN, all 91 were lost. One crewman was killed on steamer FRESNO CITY. 23 crew were lost on steamer KENBANE HEAD. Two crew were killed and fourteen crew were missing on steamer TREWELLARD. Steamer GLOUCESTER CITY arrived at St Johns on the 13th. On the 10th, CLA BONAVENTURE and DD MASHONA searched the area of the HX.84 attack.


Convoy SC.10, fourteen ships escorted by Sloop FOLKESTONE, was one hundred miles southeast of HX.84. The convoy was ordered away from the area of the attack. HX.86 departing Halifax was immediately recalled. BHX.66 departed Bermuda on the 3rd escorted by AMC MONTCLARE, but returned to Bermuda on the 5th. BCs HOOD and REPULSE, CLAs PHOEBE, NAIAD, BONAVENTURE, DDs ESKIMO, MASHONA, MATABELE, ELECTRA, SOMALI, PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow late on the 5th to SCHEER's last position. Later, BC HOOD, cruisers PHOEBE and NAIAD, DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, PUNJABI proceeded to cover the approaches to Brest and Lorient. BC REPULSE, CLA BONAVENTURE, DDs MASHONA, MATABELE, ELECTRA continued towards SCHEER's last position. BBs RODNEY and NELSON departed Scapa Flow on the 6th with CL SOUTHAMPTON and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, BRILLIANT, DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, VIMY to cover the Iceland-Faroes Channel. BB RODNEY was sent to escort HX.83 and once she was safe, HX.85 from Halifax.

DDs CHURCHILL, LUDLOW, LINCOLN, LEWES, recent additions to the RN compliments of Destroyers for bases deal , had departed Halifax on 31 October and refuelled at St Johns on the 3rd before beginning the Atlantic crossing. These DDs intercepted signals from convoy HX.84 and rushed to its location. However, they never made contact and only sighted one empty life boat. The DDs went on without incident arriving at Belfast on the 9th. HX.85 which departed Halifax on the 1st and HX.86 which departed Halifax on the 5th were recalled to Halifax. DD STANLEY, also Ex-USN , which had departed Halifax on the 1st and St Johns on the 5th and RCN DD ST FRANCIS, departed Halifax to aid the convoy and escorted the convoy HX.85 back to Nova Scotia. On 8 November, BBp NELSON, CL SOUTHAMPTON, DDs COSSACK, MAORI, BRILLIANT, DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, VIMY were between Iceland the Faroes.
DDs DOUGLAS, VIMY, BULLDOG rendezvoused with the Home Flt after refuelling at Skaalefjord. BC REPULSE, CLA BONAVENTURE, DDs MATABELE, MASHONA, ELECTRA were in 52‑45N, 32‑15W. RAN CA AUSTRALIA was at the Clyde with turbine problems, probably a broken turbine blade, could not sail until late in the evening of the 8th.

BC REPULSE and DDs MATABELE and ELECTRA arrived at Scapa Flow for refuelling on the 11th. CLA BONAVENTURE and DD MASHONA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 11th for refuelling. The BC HOOD, CLAs PHOEBE and NAIAD, DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, PUNJABI returned to Scapa Flow at on the 11th for refuelling. DD ESKIMO with weather damage to her asdic dome and her forecastle deck plates buckled was under repair from repair ship MAIDSTONE at Scapa Flow from 13‑16 November in the floating drydock. CLA BONAVENTURE departed Scapa on the 11th to continue to search for survivors. AMC CHITRAL was also at sea on this duty.
The AMC arrived back on the 19th. The CLA was weather damaged and was repaired at Rosyth from 25 November to 4 December.

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs CHITRAL, which was to the northwest of Iceland, CALIFORNIA and WORCESTERSHIRE, which were to the south of Iceland, departed their stations for the Clyde on the 8th. CL SOUTHAMPTON replaced AMC CHITRAL on her Northern Patrol station. AMC WORCESTERSHIRE joined the BB NELSON group on the 9th. AMC LETITIA departed the Clyde on the 11th to continue Northern Patrol duties. BC REPULSE, CLA NAIAD and DDs SIKH, MATABELE, MASHONA, PUNJABI returned to sea on the 12th to continue patrol and cover the Northern Patrol. BC REPULSE and DDs MATABELE, MASHONA, ASHANTI returned to Scapa Flow on the 19th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK transferred from convoy WN.30 to convoy EN.19 off the Firth of Forth. ALYNBANK escorted convoy EN.19 to Pentland Firth. CLA CAIRO arrived in the Clyde. DDs MAORI, KEPPEL, BRILLIANT departed Skaalefjord on the 10th after refuelling.
The DDs joined the Home Flt at sea.

BB NELSON with DDs BEAGLE, MAORI, BULLDOG, KEPPEL arrived at Scapa on the 13th. KEPPEL began boiler cleaning. BB RODNEY arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd.

*West Coast UK*
CVE ARGUS, CL DESPATCH, DDs VESPER, VENOMOUS, WINDSOR, departed the Clyde for Gib. ARGUS and her escorts after reaching Gib went nth to join RAN CA AUSTRALIA escorting convoys HG.46 and SL.53 the convoy brought north by the RENOWN group. ARGUS with DDs WISHART, WRESTLER, VIDETTE arrived at Gibraltar later on the 14th for operation WHITE.

CLA PHOEBE was weather damaged and was repaired at the Clyde from 18 November to 14 December.


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## stona (Nov 5, 2015)

That Spitfire on 5th November, shot down near Gravesend, was Pingel's 22nd victory if you carry over his tally from Spain.

Cheers

Steve

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Njaco (Nov 5, 2015)

*November 6 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe daylight raid on Southampton. 190 aircraft raid London by night.

In a dogfight over the Isle of Wight, Ofw. Heinrich Klopp of 5./JG 2 is shot down and killed in his Bf 109E “Black One”.

The British Under-Secretary for War announced measures to provide the Home Guard better equipment without altering its 'local and friendly character'. Home Guard officers to be commissioned.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The Greek 2nd Army Corps mounted another attack on the enveloped Italian Julia Division in the Pindus Mountains region in northern Greece. To the west, Italian forces at the Kalamas River continued their attempt to break out of the bridgehead and batter fruitlessly against the Greek defenses on the Kalamas River. The Italian advance along the coast reaches Igoumenitsa.

The British promise of financial aid to Greece was cemented with an advance of £5,000,000.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Comandante Faà Di Bruno_” attacked British ship “_Melrose Abbey_” 200 miles northwest of Ireland with her deck gun. As Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Ottawa_” and British destroyer HMS “_Harvester_” approached with guns firing, “_Comandante Faà Di Bruno_” dove under the surface. The subsequent depth charging by the destroyers successfully destroyed the Italian submarine, killing the entire crew of 57.

British destroyer HMS “_Encounter_” misidentified British submarine HMS “_Utmost_” for an enemy submarine and rammed her off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal at 1225 hours. HMS “_Utmost_” sustained damage, but did not sink.

British minesweeping whaler HMS “_Sevra_” hit a mine and sank off Falmouth, England, without any casualties.

*GERMANY:* Three Canadian prisoners of war who had previously served in the British Royal Air Force arrived at the Oflag IV-C camp at the Colditz Castle. The men were Donald Middleton, Keith Milne, and Howard Wardle. They were transferred from Oflag IX-A/H.

*EAST AFRICA:* General Slim's 10th Indian Brigade attacks and captures Gallabat from the Italians.

.



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## parsifal (Nov 6, 2015)

*5 November 1940 (Part III)*
*Med- Biscay*
Submarine TRIDENT was ordered to patrol south of Belle Ile in the approaches to St Nazaire. Submarine USK was ordered to the Brest approaches. Submarine TUNA off Gironde was relieved by submarine TIGRIS. Submarine TUNA then proceeded to position off the Scilly. Submarine TRIUMPH on passage to Gibraltar was ordered to a station in 47-30N, 08-00W.

CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Gibraltar with DDs VIDETTE and WRESTLER, cruisers BERWICK and GLASGOW. CL SHEFFIELD arrived from Azores patrol at Gibraltar early on the 6th. BC RENOWN and DDs ENCOUNTER, FORESTER, one other departed on the 6th to escort convoys HG.46 and SL.53. Flag Officer Force H.transferred his flag to BB BARHAM and after the arrival of ARK ROYAL on the 6th to her. On the 6th in the Atlantic off Cape St Vincent, sub UTMOST was identified as enemy by DD ENCOUNTER, which rammed the sub UTMOST survived, and proceeded to Gibraltar arriving on the 7th. UTMOST departed Gibraltar on the 30th for Malta, arriving on 8 December, and was was under repair until 2 February. DD ENCOUNTER was escorted to Gibraltar by DD FORESTER. ENCOUNTER was under repair until 23 November. On the 11th, RAN CA AUSTRALIA relieved the RENOWN group of convoy HG.46 and they arrived back at Gibraltar on the 12th. On 8 November, BB RODNEY was in 56‑30N, 28‑30W proceeding to escort convoy HX.85. BC HOOD, CLAs PHOEBE and NAIAD, DDs ESKIMO, SOMALI, PUNJABI were in 45‑50N, west of 20W

On patrol in the Bay of Biscay, Submarine L.27 was damaged when her bridge was wrecked by DCs. Sub L.27 was able to return to Portsmouth on the 7th and was under repair there until 21 January 1941. DKM Zerstorerers JACOBI, ECKHOLDT, IHN, STEINBRINCK, RIEDEL departed Brest to return to Wilhelmshaven for repairs. The DD had been involved earlier in an operation in the Bay of Biscay towards Cape Finisterre, but mechanical problems forced cancellation of the sweep.

On 7 November, DDs ECKHOLDT, IHN, STEINBRINCK arrived at Hamburg, Stettin, Hamburg, respectively, for repairs. Destroyers JACOBI and RIEDEL were repaired at Wilhelmshaven and Kiel, respectively.

Convoy MW.3 of British steamers WAIWERA, DEVIS, VOLO, RODI and tkr PLUMLEAFdeparted Alexandria for Malta escorted by CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY, DDs DIAMOND,RAN VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, and RN MSW ABINGDON. Steamer BRISBANE STAR , Royal Fleet Auxiliary BRAMBLELEAF , armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA, netlayer PROTECTOR for Suda Bay travelled in company and was dropped off near Crete with CLA CALCUTTA and RAN DD VOYAGER. RAN CL SYDNEY and CL AJAX loaded troops, ammunition, stores and departed Port Said for Crete. The cruisers disembarked their charges at Suda Bay and departed Crete. Cruiser SYDNEY departed on the 6th and joined the Med Flt from the 7th. AJAX departed later and joined from the 8th.

Sub RORQUAL laid mines north of Tripoli in 34-14N, 11-56E. FI steamer CAFFARO was damaged on this minefield on 27 December. This minefield was extended by submarine RORQUAL on the 9th. RM TBs CALIPSO and FRATELLI CAIROLI were lost on this minefield on 5 and 23 December, respectively, at Ras Misurata.

*Malta*
The war cabinet decides to deploy up to 24 Wellington Bombers at Malta, to increase the islands offensive potential

There are four major raids by the RA over the island.

0933-0958 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which approach to within 15 miles of the Island before turning back for base.

1350-1415 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy formations reported 25 miles north of the Island; raid does not materialise.

2205-2234 hrs Air raid alert for a single Italian SM79 bomber which approaches the Island from the north east at 12000 feet and drops bombs on Senglea Point, where a fire is quickly doused, and in Grand Harbour. Malta fighters are scrambled and attack, scoring a direct hit on the raider’s rear gunner and damaging the aircraft.

0613-0645 hrs Without prior warning, a single Italian CR42 fighter which flies down the north coast of the Island in pursuit of a Wellington bomber which lands at Luqa on its bomb racks. The enemy raider then dives out of the clouds to 300 feet over Delimara Point and fort, machine-gunning defences, and then attacks and damages the petrol tank and structure of a Sunderland flying boat in Marsaxlokk Bay. Defence posts at Kalafrana open fire with light machine guns: no claims.


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## parsifal (Nov 6, 2015)

*6 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements
Losses*
Sub STURGEON sank *steamer DELFINUS (Ex-Nor 1293 grt)* off Obrestad Light. DELFINUS was on a voyage from the nth of Norway to Hamburg with a cargo of, among other things, fish and codliver oil when she was torpedoed and sunk in the afternoon of Nov. 6 west of Varhaug, Jæren. There were no casualties. Rescue vessels and a/c were sent out from the Stavanger area. According to survivors' statements 2 torpedoes had been fired, one hitting DELFINUS aft, the other detonating on the beach.
(Photo uploaded from the Norwegian HomeFleet site, listed ultimate source "Bjorn Milde's postcard collection")






*Liner NALON (UK 7222 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. The entire crew of the British steamer was rescued.





*Whaler SEVRA (UK 253 grt)* was mined and sunk e five and a half cables 154° from St Anthony Light off Falmouth. There were no casualties.

*FV GIRL HELEN (UK 63 grt) *was mined and sunk 10.75 cables 349° from Tyne North Pier Light. There are no details on casualties.

*FV ELLY (SD 52 grt)* was sunk on a mine twenty miles west of Paternoster (which is a small town near Capetown Sth Africa).
Five crew were lost on the Swedish vessel.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 6 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-65, U-99, U-124, U-137, U-138.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
MSW ELGIN was mined near Sunk Light Vessel. Screened by MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL, the ELGIN was towed by MSW GOSSAMER to Harwich. British minefield BS.45 was laid by minelayers TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and destroyer ICARUS and IMPULSIVE. FN.328 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACEand WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 8th.
FS.329 departed Methil, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 8th.

AA ship ALYNBANK transferred from convoy EN.19 to WN.31 in Pentland Firth. The Convoy was attacked by German bombers off Duncansby Head. *Steamer CLAN MACKINLAY (UK 6365 grt)* in convoy WN.31 was sunk by the LW, with 5 crew were lost from the British steamer.





British steamer HARBOROUGH also in convoy WN.31 was damaged by the LW in these attacks. She was taken in tow by tugs BUCCANEER, BANDIT and ABEILLE 21.

HM sub CLYDE arrived at Holy Loch. The sub proceeded on to Devonport, arriving on the 18th. Sub CLYDE was under repair at Devonport from 22 November to 31 March.

*Northern Waters*
DDs EXMOOR, CLEVELAND, PYTCHLEY departed Scapa Flow escorting CVL FURIOUS to Liverpool, and arrived on the 7th.

*West Coast UK*
DD CLEVELAND departed Liverpool later on the 7th and proceeded to Portsmouth, arriving during the morning of the 9th. DD BULLDOG departed Liverpool for Skaalefjord to refuel from tkr MONTENOL and await orders. She arrived during the morning of the 8th.

*SW Approaches*
RCN DD OTTAWA and DD HARVESTER aided British steamer MELROSE ABBEY which was being shelled by an RM submarine off the southern Irish Coast. The steamer escaped significant damage. OTTAWA fired five salvoes at the submarine before it dived. OTTAWA and HARVESTER then conducted ASW sweeps for the sub. Latest appraisals indicate the submarine was *Marcello Class sub FAA DI BRUNO (RM 1043 grt)* which was sunk.





*Channel*
HM Sub UNIQUE departed Portsmouth for patrol off Cherbourg, returning to Portsmouth on the 26th.

*Med- Biscay*
Operation COAT, a resupply operation for Malta (among other assignments), carrying troops and AA guns, and part of a much larger opn involving both Fce H and the Med Flt, and culminating in Operation Judgement (the attack into Taranto) saw the Med Flt with BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS with three of EAGLE's aircraft embarked, DDs HYPERION, HASTY, HERO, HEREWARD, HAVOCK, ILEX , DECOY and DEFENDER departed Alexandria in support of the convoy to Malta MB 8. BB MALAYA and RAMILLIES and DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO departed Alexandria in Operation MB 8. This operation was to meet reinforcements coming from the Western basin. Cruisers YORK and GLOUCESTER also departed Alexandria in this operation. The Fleet also covered the movement of other convoys: Convoy ME 3 (comprising four MVs sailing in ballast from Malta to Alexandria, under escort of the BB HMS RAMILLIES, CLA Coventry, and two DDs. The convoy sailed from Malta on 10 November and arrived in Alexandria on 13 November), Convoy AN6 (Convoy AN 6; consisting of four slow tkrs bound for Greece from Egypt, in support of the British expedition there, escorted by an ASW trawler. Shaping a similar course were reinforcements for Crete, embarked in CLs AJAX and SYDNEY as Force B, while CL ORION - Vice Adml Pridham-Wippell's Force C- transported RAF supplies to Greece and inspected Suda Bay. All three would rejoin to form Force X for an 11/12 November raid on the Otranto Strait).

Of the DDs in the Med Flt, only RAN VENDETTA, STUART, and RN IMPERIAL repairing at Malta did not participate in COAT. CL ORION departed Alexandria for Pireaus to consult with the Greek authorities. The cruiser also carried ammunition, bombs, ground crews for 216 Sqn. The cruiser arrived during the morning of 7 November.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.7 A departed Port Suden, escorted by sloop SHOREHAM. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 11th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
Gunboat CRICKET departed Singapore escorted by CL CAPETOWN for Penang and Nancowry. On the 10th, the report of the OLE JACOB attack caused gunboat CRICKET to be ordered to Nancowry and CL CAPETOWN set off to search for the German raider.
On the 20th, both ships were able to depart Nancowry to return to Penang to await weather conditions in the Bay of Bengal to settle. On 5 December, gunboat TARANTULA and British steamer GURNA departed Singapore escorted by CL DAUNTLESS. These ships arrived at Penang on 7 December and departed the same day with gunboat CRICKET in company.

Late on the 6th and into 7 November, DKM Raider PINGUIN laid 40 mines in Spencer Strait near Melbourne. This concluded minelays by PINGUIN and her aux ML PASSAT.

Sunk on the 7th on the Bass Strait barrage laid by PASSAT was *steamer CAMBRIDGE (UK 10,855 grt)* six miles east of Wilson's Promontory, Bass Strait. One crewman was missing from the British steamer. The survivors were rescued by RAN aux MSW ORARA which first attempted to tow CAMBRIDGE, without success. RAN CL ADELAIDE departed Sydney to search for the German raider. The light cruiser arrived back at Sydney on the 10th.





Sunk on the 8th off Cape Otway on the Bass Strait barrage was *steamer CITY OF RAYVILLE (US 5883 grt)*. One crewman was missing from the American steamer.





Sunk on 5 December was coastal *steamer NIMBIN (Aus 1052 grt)* in 33‑15S, 151‑47E. Seven crew were lost from the Australian steamer. It was on its way from Coffs Harbour back to Sydney, with a cargo of three-ply timber packed in bundles and a large number of pigs





*Malta*
Malta Command complains to the war office over poor security within the BBC which leaks the origins and strengths of the raids over Naples.

0843 hrs One Wellington bomber crashes on the edge of Luqa airfield.


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## parsifal (Nov 7, 2015)

*7 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-551




_Sunk on 23 March 1941 in the North Atlantic south of Iceland, by DCs from the British A/S trawler HMS VISENDA. All hands lost. n At the time of the Boat's loss it had not sunk any allied shipping _

Neutral
Submarines of the M (Malyutka) class M-31 M-32




_M-32 was lost 22 August 1942 in the Black Sea. M Class subs could be transported overland by rail_

Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS BANGOR (J 00)





Fairmile B ML 127





White 73 feet-type class MTB 41




_Ive not found an image of the White 73' type. This is a 3d view of the similar 70' Vosper design_

*Losses
HM Sub SWORDFISH (RN 640 grt)* departed Gosport on the 7th to relieve submarine USK on patrol off Ushant. SWORDFISH struck a mine sinking off Portsmouth and was declared lost on the 16th. There were no survivors. The wreck of SWORDFISH was found in 1983 putting to rest many theories as to her loss.




_HMS SWORDFISH by JOHN PETTITT _

*Steamer HERLAND (or Fairland) (UK 2645 grt)* was sunk on a mine two cables 146° from Nore Light Vessel. 18 crew were lost.





*MSW trawler POULMIC ((FNFL 350 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Plymouth. 11 crew were lost, but 7 survivors were rescued.





The LW attacked convoy FS.28 in Barrow Deep:

*Steamer ASTROLOGER (UK 1673 grt)* was sunk by the LW. The entire crew of the steamer was rescued. The ship was beached on the 7th, but was wrecked in a gale on the 15th.

British Steamer DAGO II was damaged by the LW . British steamer MEDEE was damaged by the LW .

Sloop EGRET shot down a Ju.88, but also sustained some casualties from a near miss.

*MSW trawler WILLIAM WESNEY (RN 364 grt) *was sunk on a mine off Orfordness. One rating was killed and four crew were missing on the British trawler. Two accompanying trawlers and sloop SHELDRAKE rescued the survivors.

*Drifter REED (UK 99 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Thames Estuary. 14 crew were killed on the drifter, and a further crewman died of injuries 2 days later. .

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-100
St. Nazaire: U-93

At Sea 7 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-99, U-100, U-124, U-137, U-138.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK transferred from convoy WN.31 to EN.20 in the vicinity of Aberdeen. ALYNBANK escorted convoy EN.20 to Pentland Firth. FS.330 departed Methil. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th.

DKM TBs T.1, T.4, T.9, T.10, T.6, T.7 and T.8 departed Trondheim to strike at a Convoy between Kinnaird Head and Smith Bank. however they aborted the mission after stumbling into a British minefield forty miles off Kinnaird Head and *TB T.6 (DKM 1080 grt) * was mined and sunk. German torpedo boats T.7 and T.8 rescued the survivors.





*Northern Waters*
Cruisers EDINBURGH and DIDO, the only available Home Flt units at Scapa, were placed on 1 hr's notice from 0800 to 1543 after D/F reports placed an enemy surface unit to the SE of Fair Isle Channel.

*Central Atlantic*
Free French troops on AKs FORT LAMY , CASAMANCE, and NEVADA were landed at Libreville. On 8 November, *Redoutable Class submarine PONCELET (Vichy 1384 grt)* torpedoed Sloop MILFORD at Port Gentil off Libreville, but the torpedo did not explode. The sub was damaged by sloop MILFORD assisted by the Walrus of CA DEVONSHIRE. PONCELET was scuttled and her crew was picked up by DDs FOXHOUND and FORTUNE. On 29 November, sloop MILFORD transferred the PONCELET crew to Light cruiser DELHI.





On 9 November, FNFL sloops SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA and COMMANDANT DOMINE sank Bougainville Class sloop BOUGAINVILLE (Vichy 1969 grt) off Libreville.





On the 10th, Libreville fell to FNFL forces and on the 11th Port Gentil also fell. The RN force, which included CA DEVONSHIRE and CL DELHI, played no active role in the Libreville campaign, but did remain off the port to assure that Vichy units from Dakar did not intervene.

*Med- Biscay*
Force H.with CV ARK ROYAL. BB BARHAM, CA BERWICK, CLs SHEFFIELD and GLASGOW, DDs DUNCAN, GALLANT, GRIFFIN, FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND, GREYHOUND, ISIS departed Gibraltar for their part of operation COAT.

Force H had a number of objectives and organised its avaiable forces accordingly. Force F of BB BARHAM, CA BERWICK, CL GLASGOW, DDs GREYHOUND, GALLANT, GRIFFIN carried 2000 troops for Malta, then were to go on to the Med Flt for duty. The troops had been brought from the UK in liner PASTEUR.

DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FURY carried 150 troops to Malta and travelled with the BARHAM force. Following the disembarkation of the troops, these destroyers returned to Force H.

RM DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, MALOCELLO were sent to intercept the BARHAM force, but failed to locate them, which was able to reach Malta safely.


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## parsifal (Nov 7, 2015)

*8 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 70' type MTB PT 11





Allied
Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS SOUTHDOWN (L 25)




_SOUTHDOWN arrived at Scapa for work up on the 17th. Following work up, DD SOUTHDOWN was assigned to DesFlot 21 operating in the Nore._

*Losses
O-21 Class sub O.22 (NL 934 grt) *, which departed Dundee on patrol on the 5th, was sunk by DKM aux SCs UJ.117 and UJ.1102 off Lindesnes. The last contact the submarine had with her base was at her departure from Dundee. 3 british observers and the entire Dutch crew of 55 were lost.

There is some doubt about this official explanation for her loss. at the time these DC attacks were carried out, there were no oil slicks or debris floating to the surface, but the real issue is that when the wreck was finally found in 1993, it nearly 60 miles away from the claimed sinking position. The Dutch Navy now believes the ship sucumbed to a minefield after having been damaged in these combats (there is some evidence from the ROV survey of DC damage, but not enough to explain the loss) 





*Whaler A. N. 2 (UK 221 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Falmouth, 2950 yards 119° from Pendennis.

*Tug MURIA (UK 192 grt)* was sunk on a mine off North Foreland. There were no survivors from the tug.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-99

At Sea 8 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-124, U-137, U-138.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.329 departed Southend, escort DDs WINCHESTER and EGLINTON and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. Escort Vessel / DD WINCHESTER (a V&W class DD converted and optmised for AA defence) and sloop SHELDRAKE were detached on the 9th. DDs CATTISTOCK and WALLACE joined on the 9th. However, before this, on the 8th, the convoy was attacked by the LW in the Thames estuary. WINCHESTER shot down two Ju.87 bombers in successive air raids. WINCHESTER then suffered a mine strilke one mile NE of Swin Light Vessel and had to anchor to make emergency repairs. While anchored, she was targetted repeatedly, suffering damge from many near misses, but no fatal damage or casualties. WINCHESTER was under repair at London until 6 June.

*Steamer AGAMEMNON (NL 1930 grt)* was sunk seven cables 222° from Swin Light Vessel. Two crew were lost on the Dutch steamer.





British steamers FIREGLOW, EWELL and CATFORD were damaged by the LW at various points along the convoy's route. FS.331 departed Methil, escort DDs CATTISTOCK and VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. DD QUORN and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE joined on the 9th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 10th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa after escorting convoy EN.20. The AA ship departed Scapa Flow at 1530 to cover convoy WN.33 eastbound from Pentland Firth. DD BEAGLE departed Liverpool for Skaalefjord. She arrived at 1500 on the 9th. After refuelling, the destroyer stood by to await orders.

*West Coast UK*
OB.240 departed Liverpool escort DDs AMAZON, ARROW, ORP BURZA, sloops ABERDEEN and ROCHESTER, corvettes CROCUS and HEARTEASE. Sloop ROCHESTER was detached later day and DDs AMAZON and BURZA ON 11 November, sloop ABERDEEN on 12 November, the remainder on the 13th.

*Western Approaches*
At 1347 hrs U-47 tried to stop the neutral GONCALO VELHO, a Portuguese merchanmen enroute to the Portuguese port of Oporto. U-47 fired a shot over the vessel with the deck gun. The ship slowed down and prepared to launch a boat, but steered towards the U-boat so they fired two more warning shots to force the ship to stop immediately. One of them hit the stem and damaged her slightly. The master boarded the U-boat with the papers of the ship. After one hour she was allowed to proceed because no contraband could be found.

RM submarine MARCONI was damaged by DD HAVELOCK off NW Ireland. *Steamer VINGALAND (SD 2734 grt)* of convoy HX.84 was damaged by FW 200 bombers of KG-40. The steamer was sunk on the 9th by RM MARCONI.





Steamer EMPIRE DORADO was damaged by FW 200 bombers of KG-40. ASW trawler MAN O'WAR assisted the steamer. MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS , joined by ML cruiser ADVENTURE, escort DDs BATH, ST ALBANS, and ST MARYS, departed Loch Alsh to lay defensive minefield SN.44 northwest of Ireland.

*Channel*
MSW ELGIN was damaged by the explosion of an acoustic mine off Sunk Light Vessel. The MSW was repaired at Lowestoft completing on 18 December.

*Med- Biscay*
Late on the 8th, CV ARK ROYAL, escort CA BERWICK and CL GLASGOW, launched an air raid on the Italian seaplane base at Elmas near Cagliari. This airstrike was given the operation name of CRACK. ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs DUNCAN, ISIS, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FORESTER returned to Gibraltar on the 11th.

Vichy BB PROVENCE, temporarily repaired of her Mer el Kebir damage, arrived at Toulon escort DD EPEE, FLEURET, HARDI, LANSQUENET, MAMELUCK. DD HARDI had arrived at Oran from Casablanca on 25 October. DDs EPEE, FLEURET, MAMELUCK, LANSQUENET arrived at Oran on the 5th from Casablanca, passing Gibraltar on the 4th. They were met in the local approaches by BC STRASBOURG, CAs ALGERIE, DUPLEIX, FOCH, CLs GALISSONIERE and MARSEILLAISE, DDs VOLTA, L'INDOMPTABLE, CASSARD, VAUTOUR, and ALBATROS.

*Malta*
Five Wellingtons from Malta carried out an air raid on the port of Brindisi, scoring a direct hit on the railway station. Four other Wellingtons attacked Naples, starting fires.


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## Njaco (Nov 7, 2015)

*November 7 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* A take-off accident at the Cherbourg airbase of II./JG 2 results in a Bf 109E being written off as destroyed. The pilot is unhurt in the incident.

Wilhelm Müller with ten victories flying for JG 26 is shot down and killed. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Free French minesweeping trawler “_Poulmic_” hit a mine and sank off Plymouth, England; 11 were killed and 7 survived.

British submarine HMS “_Swordfish_” hit a mine and sank 7 miles south of the Isle of Wight, England killing the entire crew of 39. British minesweeping trawler HMT “_William Wesney_” hit a mine and sank in the North Sea 13 miles east of Harwich, England; 5 were killed and 7 survived.

Seven German torpedo boats were dispatched from Trondheim, Norway to attack an Allied convoy off northern Scotland. Torpedo boat T.6 hit a mine in an unexpected minefield and sank 40 miles north of the convoy, forcing the entire attack party to return to Trondheim without carrying out their mission.

Rammed by British destroyer HMS “_Encounter_” in an episode of misidentification on the previous day, the damaged British submarine HMS “_Utmost_” reached Gibraltar, where she would remain for repairs until 23 Nov 1940.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* British ship “_Cambridge_” hit a naval mine laid by German ship “_Passat_” and sank 6 miles off Wilson's Promontory, South Australia; 1 was killed and 57 were rescued by Australian auxiliary minesweeper “_Orara_”.

*EAST AFRICA: *The 10th Indian Brigade withdraws from Gallabat after losses to the supporting tanks and in the air. The Italians reoccupy the position.

*GERMANY:* The British Royal Air Force attacks the Krupp munitions works at Essen, Germany by 50 aircraft.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* RAF make surprise low-level attack on Valona air base, Albania.

*WEST AFRICA: *Ahead of landings at Libreville, Free French troops on cargo ships “_Fort Lamy_”, “_Casamance_” and “_Nevada_” arrive off the coast of Gabon, escorted by British cruisers HMS “_Devonshire_” and HMS “_Delhi_” and sloop HMS “_Milford_”. 50 miles Southwest of Libreville, Vichy French submarine “_Poncelet_” fires a torpedo which fails to explode at HMS “_Milford_”. “_Poncelet_” is forced to the surface by depth charges from HMS “_Milford_” and bombed by 2 Supermarine Walrus biplanes from HMS “_Devonshire_”. All but one of “_Poncelet's_” complement of 61 surrendered after scuttling the ship. Commanding officer Commander de Saussine decided to go down with the ship.

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## Njaco (Nov 7, 2015)

*November 8 Friday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italians abandon the stalled invasion of Northern Greece and begin the retreat from the Kalamas River in Epirus. Italian troops in that region began to pull back. In the Pindus Mountains, remaining elements of the Italian Julia Division do not get the message but retreat anyway after learning of the coming Greek offensive from radio broadcasts from London. The Italian 3rd Alpini Division is trapped in the area of the Pindus Gorges by the Greek counterattacks. The Greeks take over 5000 prisoners by November 10th.

Operation Crack: Aircraft from British carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, escorted by cruisers HMS “_Berwick_” and HMS “_Glasgow_”, attack the Italian seaplane base at Elmas near Cagliari, Sardinia. This is part of complex movements of several convoys with warship escorts through the Mediterranean (Operation MB8), including troops and anti-aircraft guns for Malta. The raid is also designed to distract from the planned attack on the Italian naval base at Taranto (Operation Judgement).

RAF Station Takali was officially operational on Malta.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Lt. Heinz Bär of 1./JG 51 enjoys a rare double against the Western Allies when he shoots down two British Hurricanes.

*GERMANY: *RAF bombed Munich, Germany, narrowly missing Hitler.

*WEST AFRICA:* Koenig’s mixed force of French Legionnaires, Senegalese and Cameroonian troops make a late night landing at Pointe La Mondah. They land north and south of Vichy-French-held Libreville, French Equitorial Africa. Heavy fighting began immediately.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British tug HMS “_Muria_” hit a mine and sank off the Isle of Thanet near Dover, England, killing the entire crew.

German bombers damaged Swedish ship “_Vingaland_” 300 miles west of Ireland.

Dutch submarine O-22 disappeared in the North Sea 40 miles southwest of Norway; 42 Dutch and 3 British sailors were missing and were presumed dead.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* German bombers attacked a convoy in the Thames Estuary in southern England, sinking or damaging several merchant ships. Two Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers were shot down by destroyer HMS “_Winchester_”. HMS “_Winchester_” then hits a mine and, while anchored to make emergency repairs, she is bombed again and damaged by near misses (under repair in London until June 6 1941). Hurricane squadron drives off the raiders.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Port of Melbourne temporarily closed.

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## Njaco (Nov 9, 2015)

*November 9 Saturday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Bf 109s of 5./JG 77 and 6./JG 77 leave Stavanger airfield and join the Gruppe at the Brest airfield. The pilots and ground crew of 4./JG 77, based at Herdla and Mandal, also make the trip this day to join their comrades at Brest. With the reforming of I./JG 77 and the transfer of II./JG 77, this leaves only the III./JG 77 led by Major Alexander von Winterfeldt in Norway.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A British bomber attack on the III./JG 2 airfield at Le Havre results in one Bf 109 being destroyed.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Neville Chamberlain passed away of cancer. Winston Churchill eulogized Chamberlain in the House of Commons, three days after his death;


> “Whatever else history may or may not say about these terrible, tremendous years, we can be sure that Neville Chamberlain acted with perfect sincerity according to his lights and strove to the utmost of his capacity and authority, which were powerful, to save the world from the awful, devastating struggle in which we are now engaged. This alone will stand him in good stead as far as what is called the verdict of history is concerned.”



*WEST AFRICA: *Battle of Libreville - Free French forces under General Koenig fight their way into the Vichy-held capital Libreville, engaging in street fighting with Vichy French forces. Koenig encounters heavy resistance from Vichyites during march on the city. Free French Westland Lysanders from Douala, Cameroon, bomb the airfield at Libreville allowing Koenig to overcome Vichy defenses and capture the airfield. Koenig’s legionnaires break Vichy resistance at the aerodrome. D’Argenlieu accepts General Tetu’s surrender.

Off Libreville, Free French sloop “_Savorgnan de Brazza_” sunk Vichy sloop “_Bougainville_” by gunfire (the two were sister ships of the same class), while Free French sloop “_Commandant Domine_” prevented Vichy armed merchant cruiser “_Cap Des Palmes_'” crew from scuttling the ship and captured her.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Sebastiano Visconti Prasca is relieved as commander of Italian operations in Greece after the failure of the offensive and ongoing rout of the Alpine Julia Division in the Pindus Mountains. He was replaced by General Ubaldo Soddu who is no better and will be removed in a few weeks..

The Gibraltar based British Force H attacked Cagliari with aircraft from “_Ark Royal_”.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_”, disguised as British auxiliary cruiser HMS “_Antenor_” in the darkness before dawn, closed in on Norwegian tanker “_Teddy_” in the Bay of Bengal and captured the ship with a boarding party without firing a shot. “_Atlantis_” refueled from “_Teddy's_” cargo of 10,000 tons of fuel oil and captured the crew of 32.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *American ship “_City Of Rayville_” hit a naval mine (laid by German ship “_Passat_”) and sank 20 miles off Cape Otway, South Australia, Australia; 1 was killed and 39 survived.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Swedish ship “_Vingaland_”, damaged on the previous day by German bombers west of Ireland, was sunk by Italian submarine “_Marcon_”. The 19 survivors were picked up by British ship “_Danae II”_. 

The liner “_Empress of Japan_” (26,000 tons) is attacked by a German FW-200 Condor bomber but manages to reach port.

.



.


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## parsifal (Nov 9, 2015)

*9 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS COLUMBINE (K 94)





Bangor Class MSW HMS RHYL (J 36)





Fairmile B MLs 125 and 132




_Fairmile B ML 120 pictured_

*Losses
Steamer BALTRADER (UK 1699 grt) *was sunk on a mine in 51‑41N, 01‑18E. Two crew were lost on the British steamer. The mine was laid by DKM TBs on 29/30 October in minefield "Alfred. "

*Trawler VIVI (Gk 489 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Patras (in the Aegean)..

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-103

At Sea 9 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-124, U-137, U-138.
10 boats at sea

U.65 refuelled at sea from DKM AO NORDMARK on 9 and 10 November.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Steamer MINERVA (FN 2039 grt) *was sunk on a mine off the German North Sea coast, presumably whilst employed by the Germans. Wrecksite EU has a slightly different account of her loss...."MINERVA SS was a Finnish cargo steamer of 2,239grt that was damaged by a British air attack on the 9th November 1940 and wrecked at Borkum when on route from Jakobstad for Emden with a cargo of pit props".





*North Sea*
FN.330 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 11th. FS.332 departed Methil, escort DDs VEGA and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 11th.

The LW attacked FN.330/FS.331 off Harwich. Escort vessel VANITY was escorting the convoys at that time. There was no damage in the attacks.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa after escorting convoy WN.33 to the area of Stonehaven

*West Coast UK*
DDs EXMOOR and PYTCHLEY departed Liverpool escorting British steamer ADDA to the Faroes. OB.241 departed Liverpool escort DDs HURRICANE, VETERAN, WITHERINGTON and corvettes CLEMATIS and PRIMROSE. DD VERITY joined on the 12th and DD HURRICANE was detached on the 12th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 14th. The DD returned to Scapa on the 13th. British steamer BEAL was damaged by a mine off the river Tees.

*Western Approaches*
British troopship EMPRESS OF JAPAN was damaged by FW 200s of KG 40.

*Channel*
British tkr SHELBRIT II was damaged by LW attacks alongside Cleveland Wharf, Shoreham.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.11 departed St Johns at 1200 escorted by Canadian armed yacht ELK and ocean escort, Sloop ENCHANTRESS. BB RODNEY covered the convoy on 12 to 15 November. On 21 November, RCN DDs OTTAWA, SAGUENAY, SKEENA, ST LAURENT joined the convoy. ST LAURENT was detached on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Central Atlantic*
After an unsuccessful attempt to scuttle herself, *AMC CAP DES PALMES (Vichy 3081 grt)* was captured off Libreville by FNFL sloop COMMANDANT DOMINE.

*Med- Biscay*
BB RAMILLIES with DDs ILEX, HYPERION, HAVOCK were detached with convoy MW.3 for Malta. The cruisers of the 3rd and 7th Cruiser Squadrons were detached to sweep to the northward during the day. A Swordfish of 815 Sqn forced landed near BB WARSPITE. The crew was picked up by destroyer JERVIS. This crash was later found to be due to contaminated fuel.
Free French liner PASTEUR departed Gibraltar, escort DD WISHART, to return to Liverpool.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM Raider ATLANTIS, posing as AMC ANTENOR, captured *tanker TEDDY (Nor 6750 grt) *in the Bay of Bengal in 5‑35N, 88‑22E. The 32 man crew were landed in Japan on 5 December.





*Malta*
0730 hrs; 0831 hrs; 0900 hrs; 0930 hrs; 0938 hrs Wellington bombers land at Luqa.

1325-1409 hrs Air raid alert for twelve Italian CR42 fighters which approach the Island from the north east and fly over Grand Harbour, Luqa and Hal Far at 20000 feet. AA guns launch a heavy attack damaging one of the raiders. Malta fighters delay take-off following the report of a second enemy formation of bombers following behind but these turn back when still 35 miles from Malta.

0601-0650 hrs Air raid without prior warning by two CR42s which approach the Island and machine-gun Hal Far from a very low altitude, damaging one Swordfish aircraft on the ground. Defence posts at Kalafrana open fire: no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY HMS ABINGDON arrived to reinforce the Malta minesweeping flotilla. Convoy MW3 of five ships arrived.




_MSW ABINGDON near Malta_

AIR HQ Arrivals 5 Wellingtons. Departures 1 Sunderland.


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## parsifal (Nov 9, 2015)

*10 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
U Class Sub HMS UNBEATEN (N 93)




_British U class submarine HMSM UNBEATEN moored alongside a dock in Malta_

*Losses
ASW trawler KINGSTON ALALITE (RN 550 grt)* was sunk by a mine off Plymouth, 5.7 cables 242° from Plymouth Breakwater Light. Six ratings were lost on the trawler.

*Boom defence vessel MARCELLE (RN 64 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Bristol Channel, in 51-21-48N, 3-08W. One crewman of a crew of five were lost on the boom defence vessel.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-43

At Sea 10 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-43, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-124, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Rosyth to cover convoy EN.22 from Methil to Pentland Firth. FN.331 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 12th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa to cover convoy WN.34 to the vicinity of Stonehaven.

*West Coast UK*
OB.239 had departed Liverpool on the 4th, but was recalled after the attacks by the SCHEERR and arrived at Oban, departed Oban on the 10th escorted by corvette LA MALOUINE. The escort was joined on the 11th by DDs BROKE, MALCOLMand SARDONYX and corvettes ANEMONE and ARABIS. On the 13th, DDs MALCOLM and SARDONYX were detached and the remainder of the escort of 14 November.

*Channel*
DD CATTISTOCK was damaged by splinters from LW attentions, whilst operating in the Channel, One man was was wounded, and it took 24 hrs to repair the damage. Enemy a/c were reported shot down in these attacks.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.86, which had been recalled outside Halifax on the 5th due to the alarm raised by the SCHEERs activities, departed Halifax at 1430 escorted by RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and RESTIGOUCHE and aux PV HUSKY. On the 11th, the convoy was turned over to the ocean escort, AMC VOLTAIRE, which was detached on the 21st. BHX.87 departed Bermuda on the 8th escorted by ocean escort AMC LACONIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.86 on the 13th at which time the AMC was detached. DDs CASTLETON, SARDONYX, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL and corvettes CYCLAMEN, HIBISCUS, RHODODENDRON joined the convoy. DD WHITEHALL was detached later that day. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Med- Biscay*
A Swordfish of 819 Sqn crashed shortly after taking off from CV ILLUSTRIOUS. Crew were rescued by DD NUBIAN. Cause of the loss was later found to be contaminated fuel. A second Swordfish of 819 Sqn also was lost on this date to contaminated fuel. This crew were also saved. I believe these crews were able to participate in Operation JUDGEMENT.

At 0715, the cruisers of the 3rd and 7th Cruiser Squadrons rejoined the Main Flt. At 0730, RAN DDs VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, RN DDs DAINTY, DIAMOND, HYPERION, ILEX and HAVOCK rejoined the Main Flt. DDs MOHAWK, DEFENDER, JANUS, JUNO, DECOY, HASTY, NUBIAN, JERVIS were then detached to refuel at Malta. BB BARHAM, CA BERWICK, CL GLASGOW, DDs GRIFFIN, GREYHOUND, GALLANT, FAULKNOR, FORTUNE and FURY joined the Main Flt at 1015. DDs FORTUNE and FURY joined the screen and the rest of the ships proceeded to Malta to disembark troops and stores. Convoy ME.3 of steamers MEMNON, LANARKSHIRE, CLAN MACAULEY, CLAN FERGUSON departed Malta at 1330 escorted by BB RAMILLIES, CLA COVENTRY, DDs DECOY and DEFENDER. Monitor TERROR and RAN DD VENDETTA departed at 1400. DD MOHAWK rejoined the Main Flt at 1435 and DD HERO was detached at 1450 to Malta. BARHAM, BERWICK, GLASGOW, GRIFFIN, GREYHOUND and GALLANT departed Malta after landing troops and joined the Med Flt at sea.

RM sub CAPPONI attacked without success BB RAMILLIES at 40 miles SE of Malta. RM sub TOPAZIO on the 11th made two attacks on the convoy without success in the same locality.

Monitor TERROR proceeded to Suda Bay for duty as a guard ship, arriving on the 13th. ME.3 arrived Alexandria during the morning of 13 November. Convoy AS.5 of 8 steamers departed Piraeus for Port Said. On the 11th, armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA departed Suda Bay and joined this convoy. The convoy arrived at Port Said on the 15th, escorted by DD WRYNECK and ASW trawlers VICTORIAN and SINDONIS. Gunboat APHIS shelled a suspected Divisional HQ at Sidi Barrani during the night of 9/10 November.




_HMS APHIS, another Insect Class Gunboat. A relic of WWI, this ship also proved its worth by its ability to operate close inshore_

RM submarine BARBARIGO attacked a DD in 54N, 18W without success.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM Raider ATLANTIS, still masquerading as AMC ANTENOR, captured the *tkr OLE JACOB (Nor 8306 grt)* in the Bay of Bengal. However, distress signals from OLE JACOB caused the dispatch of RAN CA CANBERRA, CLs CAPETOWN and DURBAN, AMC WESTRALIA, but none made any contact with the German ship.





_Tkr OLE JACOB, a newly commissioned ship (in July 1940) was temporarily renamed BENNO for German use and was detached on the 16th. She arrived safely at Kobe on 6 December. Later on 19 July 1941, now using her original name again, OLE JACOB arrived at Bordeaux._

*Malta*
Weather Fine.

0945-1010 hrs Air raid alert for twelve Italian CR42 fighters which fly over Grand Harbour at 21000 feet. AA guns engage the raiders; no hits claimed. Malta fighters are held back for an expected formation of bombers which does not materialise.

0708 hrs Air raid alert for two formations of enemy a/c which circle the Island before turning away.

1615-1745 hrs Operation "Coat" Convoy enters Grand Harbour, including BB BARHAM, CAs NORFOLK, BERWICK and CL GLASGOW to disembark stores and personnel.

Enemy casualties in these battles included: Tenente Raffaele Brandi, 195a Squadriglia, 90o Gruppo, 30o Stormo, crewman of SM79 bomber missing in action; Sottotenente Umberto Gabrielli, Sottotenente, observer, missing in action.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER 1940

ROYAL NAVY Operation ‘Coat’ successfully completed with the sailing of Convoy ME3 of four ships and the refuelling of Fleet units. HERO and HEREWARD remained to refit.

KALAFRANA 229 Sqn permanently attached to Kalafrana; remainder of Squadron personnel arrived by sea from Middle East. A large draft of approximately 100 men arrived and were accommodated at Marsaxlokk pending disposal to units. These are the first personnel to occupy the buildings at the new station.


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## Njaco (Nov 9, 2015)

*November 10 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* A crash-landing because of a technical fault destroys a BF 109 of III./JG 2 at the airfield at Le Havre. The pilot is not injured.

The Bf 109s and ground crew of Major Wolfgang Schnellmann’s Stab./JG 27 transfer from Guines and join Hptm. Lippert’s II Gruppe at Detmold airfield. Hptm. Max Dobislav’s III Gruppe also leave the airbase at Guines and settle in at the airbase at Diepholz.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British anti-submarine trawler HMS _“Kingston Alalite_” hit a mine and sank off Plymouth, England, killing 6.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In northern Greece, Greek troops continued to push Italian troops back toward the Albanian border in the coastal region. Further East, Greek 2nd Army Corps harries the retreating Italian Julia Division through the Pindus Mountains. Julia Division loses 5000 men killed or taken prisoner before escaping back to Albania.

British monitor HMS “_Terror_” departed Malta for Suda Bay, Crete, Greece to serve as a guard ship.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_”, disguised as British auxiliary cruiser HMS “_Antenor_” in the darkness before dawn, closed in on Norwegian tanker “_Ole Jacob_” in the Bay of Bengal. After a tense stand-off, the Norwegian captain decided to surrender, fearing that a gunfight might ignite the cargo of 11,000 barrels of high-octane aviation fuel. “_Ole Jacob_” was captured as a prize ship and sent first to Japan and then to France, carrying a cargo of aviation fuel and the captured prisoners from “_Ole Jacob_” and “_Teddy_”. _“Ole Jacob's”_ distress signal would result in the dispatching of Australian cruisers “_Canberra_”, “_Capetown_”, and “_Durban_”, but they would fail to catch “_Atlantis_”.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British gunboat HMS “_Aphis_” shelled Italian positions at Sidi Barrani, Egypt overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Director of the US Marine Corps Reserve formally integrated his organization into the regular US Marine Corps.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The first Avro Manchester Mk. 1 bomber to be delivered went to No. 207 Squadron RAF (Squadron Leader Noel Challis Hyde) based at RAF Waddington in the county of Lincolnshire, England.

The onset of winter weather significantly reduced the threat of a German invasion of Britain. But the British survived the worst of the Blitzkrieg as German air raids became increasingly sporadic. London is bombed by 170 aircraft.

*EAST AFRICA:* British forces recapture Gallabat in the Sudan.

*GERMANY:* RAF conducts numerous raids despite stormy weather and icing. RAF bomb Danzig, Dresden, Krupp's Works, Essen and many other targets in Germany and in the Occupied territory. A total of 5 aircraft are lost.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Romania an earthquake causes damage from Bucharest to the Ploesti oilfields. An estimated 400 people are killed.

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## parsifal (Nov 10, 2015)

*11 November 1940 *
*OPERATION JUDGEMENT (Part I)*

Harbour Defences

_Aerial detection _
The Italian navy did not have radar, relying instead on electronic listening devices (airphonic stations) located at thirteen points along the Gulf of Taranto coastline. These devices could detect incoming aircraft at a range of several miles out to sea.

_Searchlights_
22 searchlights and their crews were installed on land and others on floating pontoons. Their function was to illuminate incoming aircraft for their own gunners while dazzling the pilots.

_Anti aircraft_
21 batteries armed with 102 mm guns.
84 37mm and 20mm cannon.
109 machine-guns of various calibres both in fixed and floating positions. 
Plus hundreds more of all calibres aboard the warships.
27 anti aircraft balloons. There were originally 87, but a storm in early November destroyed of damaged 60 of them.

_Anti-torpedo netting_
4,200 metres of the scheduled 12,000 metres were installed. A full rectangular fence was to have been constructed around each ship, but Taranto’s commander decided that laying any more netting would hamper the navy’s own daily routine operations. 

_Defensive weaknesses_
The anti-torpedo netting reached down only about 26ft, leaving a space of about 14ft between the bottom of the net and the bottom of the lagoon. These nets provided protection only for the sides of a ship against torpedoes armed with contact pistols. Because they did not prevent a torpedo passing beneath a ship, the netting provided no defence against deeper running torpedoes with proximity pistols. The Royal Navy had developed dual action pistols with both contact and proximity detonators, of which the Regia Marina were unaware.

It had been generally thought that torpedoes could not be launched in less than 100ft of water and Taranto, at 40ft, was safe. What the Italians did not know was that the Royal Navy had overcome the problem of a torpedo diving deep when launched from an aircraft, before running at its preset depth. Their lack of knowledge about modern torpedo warfare, instilled a misplaced confidence in the ability of the torpedo nets to provide an adequate defence for their ships.

The Final Plan

The Raid on Taranto, codename Operation JUDGEMENT, was to be the first aerial raid from the sea against a Fleet in a defended harbour. The operation was to be disguised by integrating it with a deliberately complex convoy supply operation (MB8) to confuse Italian intelligence. Separate convoys sailing from Gibraltar, Port Said and Alexandria were to supply Malta, Greece and Crete, while other movements were to return the empties – merchantmen which had unloaded their cargoes. In all, there were ten separate, but integrated, movements. Two of which were:-

Force A(To cover convoy MW3 from Alexandria to Malta.)
CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CVL EAGLE, BBs WARSPITE, MALAYA, VALIANT, RAMILLIES, CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, HYPERION, HASTY, HERO, HEREWARD, HAVOCK, ILEX, DECOY and DEFENDER. 

Force F (To transport troops and supplies from Gibraltar to Malta, and reinforce the Alexandria fleet.)
BBs BARHAM, CA BERWICK, CL GLASGOW, DDs GREYHOUND, GALLANT, GRIFFIN. DDs FAUKNOR, FORTUNE, FURY had been detached from Force H.

Force F, after leaving Malta, was to join up with Force A for their return to Alexandria, but detaching a Force X for Operation JUDGEMENT beforehand.


Actual Forces

Force X
CV - ILLUSTRIOUS, (24 Swordfish and 806 Sqn of Fulmars). EAGLE had pulled out of the attack due to damage but had transferred some aircraft and pilots and used some other a/c as a reserve for ILLUSTRIOUS. CAs - YORK, BERWICK, CLs - GLASGOW, GLOUCESTER, DDs HASTY, HAVOCK, HYPERION, ILEX.

Force X would detach from the combined Forces A and F, and arrive in the evening of the same day, 40 miles west of Kabbo Point on the coast of the island of Cephalonia, the initial launch point, from where two waves of aircraft would be launched for the night-time attack. The small number of attacking warplanes raised serious concerns by the operations planners that the operation would only alert the RM without achieving any significant results. Following which, the defences would be strengthened, making it more hazardous for future RAF bombing raids.

The Aircraft
The Fairey Swordfish first flew in April 1934, developed as a private venture by Fairey to meet Air Ministry specifications for a Spotter Reconnaissance aircraft (designated SR1). However, the specifications were later amended to include the torpedo dropping role, and the design modified accordingly, to become TSR2. So the Swordfish entered service in 1936 as a Torpedo Spotter Reconnaissance aircraft. It was a fabric covered, open cockpit biplane, an anachronism when other navies were bringing metal skinned monoplanes into service. At the start of WW2 it was already obsolete, intended to be replaced by the Fairey Albacore. 

The apparent obsolescence of the "stringbag" (as it was affectionately known) belied its deadly capability. The Swordfish was rugged, reliable, a steady platform, able to operate in rough weather, and by dint of the crews, also operate accurately at night. Its slow speed actually assisted it in delivering ordinance more accurately. It was docile and well suited to carrier operations with an enviable safety record. but it was also agile and highly manoeuvrable as many attacking fighters discovered; Italian, German and British alike. Its weapon carrying capabilities included bombs, torpedoes, depth charges, mines and (later) rockets. It could e fitted with floats and used as a seaplane. Its nickname, the Stringbag was due to its appearance, and, , also named after the popular shopping bag of the time that could hold just about anything. later in 1941 it was fitted with ASV radar that was to improve even further to locate and attack targets under near blind conditions....... 

The Swordfish normally had a complement of three aircrew, but for Operation Judgement 60 gallon extra fuel tanks were needed and, for the torpedo carriers, fitted into the central observer’s cockpit and the observer moved into the rear Telegraphist Air Gunner’s cockpit. The bomb carriers had an extra tank fitted externally underneath and between the wheels where a torpedo would normally be.

Its slowness did not matter as there were no Italian night fighters to worry about, and its fabric covering was an advantage as cannon fire just went through it without exploding.

The Torpedoes

The standard torpedo for the first half of WW2 was the 18 inch Mark XII weighing 1,548 lbs with a warhead of 388 pounds of TNT. The maximum range of the Mark XII was 1,500 yards at 40 knots and 3,500 yards at 27 knots. 

The torpedoes used for Operation Judgement were fitted with a duplex pistol (contact and proximity) detonator, and were set to remain armed at the end of their run. This is the first time the duplex pistol was used in the Mediterranean. The torpedoes were set to run at 27 knots at a depth of 33 feet (the RN had good intelligence on the torpedo netting shortcomings). The minimum launch distances were set at 300 yards from the target, and only contact with the water was needed to start the motor running. 

These depth and speed settings were obtained from the experience gained from the torpedoing of the RICHELIEU at Dakar. There, the water depth was 42ft, the torpedoes set to run at 40 knots at a depth of 38ft. Both these settings were too high for the Mar Grande where the water depth was only 40ft, so the torpedoes were adjusted to 27 knots at 33ft.

The torpedo was modified for launching in shallow water by fitting a wooden box ‘air tail’ (something the IJN copied almost exactly for their Pearl Operations), which added vertical planes to the ends of enlarged horizontal fins to improve its stability through the air so that it entered the water cleanly at the correct angle to run true. This prevented the torpedo diving too deeply before attaining its running depth; an essential requirement when launching in shallow waters. But testing had shown that, even with this ‘air tail’, the torpedo’s excessive dive beyond depth setting was 18ft when set to 40 knots, and at 27 knots it was 6ft. But 6ft was still too much for the shallow (40ft) waters of Taranto. 

To eliminate entirely the excessive dive, each torpedo was connected to the launching aircraft by a spool of fine wire, the length and breaking strain of which was precisely calculated. After releasing the torpedo, the pilot had to hold the aircraft straight and level for five seconds while the wire unwound and the torpedo stabilised. When it had completely unwound, the wire came off spool, the torpedo continued independently and the pilot could make his escape. 

All this required the torpedo to be launched at low speed, at low altitude in level flight, a requirement that made the Swordfish's characteristics essential to the operations success. 

The Bombs
These were the standard 250lb semi armour piercing types, unsuitable for bombing armoured ships, but usually adequate for cruisers and smaller ships, but were later shown to be unreliable.

The Flares
These were parachute flares with a 1,000ft time delay which, by the time they ignited, allowed the aircraft to be some distance away. They burned for three minutes and illuminated the target, balloons, cables, and helped the pilots judge their height above water.


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## Njaco (Nov 10, 2015)

*November 11 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Operation Medium: Between 0333 and 0351 hours, British battleship “_Revenge_” and destroyers “_Javelin_”, “_Jaguar_”, “_Jupiter_”, “_Kashmir_”, “_Kelvin_”, and “_Kipling_” bombarded Cherbourg, France. German torpedo boats attempted to interfere, but the attack was fought off.

Promotions for the day go to Hptm. Walter Oesau who is transferred from Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 51 to Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 3. Hptm. Richard Leppla takes his place as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 51. Hptm. Oesau replaces Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar, who was severely wounded in combat with Spitfires of RAF No. 222 Squadrons and taken off operations until healed. Hptm. Balthasar has thirty-one victories when he is relieved of his command.

There occurs the first anti-German demonstration in Paris.

Spanish Minister of the Navy submits to Franco a report indicating Germany must capture Suez Canal before an operation can be launched against Gibraltar.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Judgment. The British Mediterranean Fleet attacks the Italian base at Taranto. At 2300 hours, 21 Swordfish aircraft of British carrier HMS “_Illustrious_” escorted by 4 cruisers and 4 destroyers flew over Taranto Italy, where the Italian fleet was harbored. 6 Italian battleships and 3 cruisers lie at anchor in the outer harbour (Mar Grande). 2 cruisers, 21 destroyers and 16 submarines rest in the smaller inner harbour (Mar Piccolo), protected from torpedoes. 11 aircraft attacked with torpedoes. The aircraft attack in two waves and gain three torpedo hits on the brand new battleship “_Littorio_” and one each on “_Caio Duilio_” and “_Conte di Cavour_”. Two other ships are damaged. However, bombing of the inner harbour is ineffective. 10 aircraft attacked the inner harbor, causing minor damage on shore facilities. 2 aircraft were shot down (2 killed, 2 captured). This brilliant attack will be studied by other navies and the potential for such an attack on an enemy fleet in harbor is clear to the Japanese. Italian Fleet subsequently leaves Taranto for Naples and Genoa.

Italian troops make minor gains around Elea in the Negrades sector while the Greek 1st Infantry Division continues attacking toward Albanian border in Pindos sector.

British Cruisers “_Ajax_”, “_Orion_” and “_Sydney_” destroy an Italian convoy in the Strait of Otranto. 4 transports are sunk. Italian vessels “_Antonio Locatelli_”, “_Capo Vado_”, “_Catalani_” and “_Premuda_” are sunk by RN warships in the Strait of Otranto.

RAF conducts night raids on the Italian supply ports of Valona and Durazzo (Albania).

Regia Aeronautica forms its first Stuka dive-bomber group.

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## Njaco (Nov 10, 2015)

_*November 11 Monday *(continued)_
*UNITED KINGDOM:* At 1330 hours, British radar at Essex, England picked up incoming aircraft, which turned out to be 12 Corpo Aereo Italiano Fiat BR.20M bombers and 42 Fiat CR.42 biplane fighters (other fighters including German Bf109s abandon their escort duties due to bad weather) heading for Harwich. Hurricane fighters from No. 257, No. 46, and No. 17 Squadrons RAF were launched to intercept over the Thames Estuary, shooting down 3 bombers and 3 fighters, while damaging 2 bombers, without incurring any losses. Winston Churchill would later quip that the Italian aircraft;


> "…might have found better employment defending the fleet at Taranto",


 referring to the successful British raid to take place later on the same day. The Italians make other attacks, mostly by night, on east-coast ports during the next nine weeks.

Two large formations of Luftwaffe fighter-bombers attempt to reach London. A few aircraft drop bombs in three London districts. Stukas make an unsuccessful raid on a convoy off Kent. British vessels “_Trebartha_” and “_Creemuir_” are sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

During a dogfight against the British, Oblt. Georg Claus shoots down a British warplane for his eighteenth aerial kill. But Oblt. Claus is shot down soon after over the English Channel in the Thames estuary. Distraught and visibly sick, JG 51’s Kommodore, Major Mölders issues impossible orders and demands that his pilots try to recover his friend. When nobody is able to find Oblt. Claus, Major Mölders climbs into his Bf 109 and takes to the air with his wingman, Lt. Eberle, to search for the downed pilot. They find nothing and finally return to base.

The pilots of JG 53 also lose Werner Kaufmann when he is listed as missing after action over England. He had seven victories.

British destroyer HMS “_Vega_” hit a mine and was badly damaged 5 miles north of Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, England while escorting a convoy; she would later be towed to Sheerness, Kent for repairs. On the same day, British minesweeping trawler HMT _“Stella Orion_” hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary without any casualties.

RAF No. 640 Squadron recorded the first Beaufighter "kill" when a German Ju 88A aircraft was shot down with the aid of the A.I.IV radar.

Sikorski representing the Polish government-in-exile and Benes for the Czech government-in-exile sign an agreement calling for post-war union of Poland and Czechoslovakia.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British corvette “_Rhododendron_” attacked German submarine U-103 with depth charges 200 miles northwest of Ireland; U-103 would be able to escape without any damage.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” stopped British ship “_Automedon_” with gunfire in the Bay of Bengal, killing 7 crew and 1 gunner. The crew of “_Atlantis_” boarded “_Automedon_”, capturing 87 survivors, cargos of food and cigarettes, and top secret Royal Navy documents including fleet orders, details of Naval and Royal Air Force deployment in the Far East, port defense layouts and Merchant Navy decoding tables and cipher pages.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US army took delivery of its first Jeep. The origin of the name is still a mystery. Some say it is from the Army designation GP (General Purpose) but others prefer the reference to a character from the Popeye cartoon strip known as Eugene the Jeep. The character could walk through walls, climb trees, fly and go just about anywhere it wanted, and it is thought that soldiers at the time were so impressed with the new vehicle’s versatility that they named it after the Jeep.

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## parsifal (Nov 11, 2015)

*11 November 1940 *
*OPERATION JUDGEMENT (Part II)*
Intelligence Reports
Contrary to many otherwise reputable histories, the Italians navy's book ciphers were not compromised at this time, but RN intell on the condition of the defences at Taranto were still very detailed. 

In 1940 the Italian Navy brought into use an improved version of the Enigma machine, which was broken by Bletchley in September 1940. However, it was rarely used and withdrawn in the summer of 1941. They relied instead on their naval book ciphers which were never broken except on a few isolated occasions. Operational intelligence was limited to what could be gleaned from low grade signal intelligence and air reconnaissance and espionage.

Intelligence for Operation Judgement relied extensively on photo reconnaissance (PR). This was performed by Flight 431 of the RAF from Malta using Martin Marylands (mostly) which had only recently arrived. On 10 November they brought back high definition photographs which confirmed the presence of the Italian fleet at anchor in Taranto. But they also showed for the first time, anti-torpedo nets around the moored ships and barrage balloons anchored at various points in and around the outer harbour, protecting the ships in the Mar Grande. On the morning of the 11th, an aircraft from Illustrious was flown to Malta to collect these photographs. The photography was so good, the depth of the netting could be discerned. 

To take account of these newly discovered features, the plan of attack had to be changed at the last minute, by changing the torpedo dropping points and modifying the bombing run-in routes, either to go round, through or over the balloons and their cables which, it was hoped, would be illuminated by the flares. In view of the perilous nature of the operation, the two Sqn Commanders (Lt-Cdr. Williamson and Lt-Cdr. Hale) were allowed to choose the method of attack for their sqns. Recon of the Gulf of Taranto continued until 2230 to ensure that the Italian Fleet did not leave harbour unobserved.

Prelude
The original plan was scheduled for 21 October 1940, the anniversary of Trafalgar, using 30 Swordfish bombers from two carriers, (ILLUSTRIOUS and EAGLE). However, while fitting one of the extra fuel tanks, a spark ignited some spilled fuel in the hangar deck of ILLUSTRIOUS which caused a serious hangar fire, destroying two a/c, the rest, having been saturated with sea water, had to be completely stripped down, necessitating the postponement of the operation until the night of 11-12 November, when next the moon was suitable.

More seriously, on 1 November while escorting a military convoy to Crete, EAGLE sustained bomb damage from near misses and contamination of her avgas tankage, and had to be withdrawn for repairs at Alexandria. Five of her a/c and 8 of her most experienced night capable aircrews, from 813 and 824 sqns, were transferred to ILLUSTRIOUS. Because of these changes, instead of having 30 attack a/c for the operation, only 24 could be mustered for the attack, mainly from 815 and 819 Sqns. More could not be accommodated because of the necessary presence of 806 Sqn’s Fulmars for defence.

Force A left Alexandria on 6 November, but on 9, 10 and 11 November respectively, three Swordfish were lost from ILLUSTRIOUS when they suffered engine problems and had to ditch in the sea, thus further reducing the number available to 21. The problem was traced to contaminated fuel, necessitating all the remaining aircraft having their fuel systems hurriedly drained and refuelled.

Several times, Italian recon a/c approached but were shot down by the defending Fulmars. Force A rendezvoused with Force F, SE of Malta as scheduled.

The Attack

The first strike of 12 a/c would be flown off at 2030, and make their attack at about 2245. The second strike of 9 a/c would be flown off one hour later at 2130, making their attack at about 2345. The returning a/c would be landed on 20 miles west of Kabbo Point, Cephalonia.

Both attacks were to be carried out as follows:-
" The sqn of 12 aircraft to pass up the centre of the Gulf of Taranto and approach the harbour from the SW. The primary attack to be by six torpedo aircraft against the BBs in the Mar Grande. This attack to be immediately preceded by two a/c dropping flares (and bombs) along the eastern side of the Mar Grande in order to illuminate the targets and distract attention from the torpedo a/c, and by 4 a/c making a dive bomb attack on the attractive target presented by the line of cruisers and destroyers in the Mar Piccolo. It was expected that this attack would also distract attention from the torpedo attack."

This was classic torpedo attack tactics by a/c on warships. First, the bombers would attack from a high level then, while the attention of the defences were directed upwards, the torpedo bombers would attack from sea level. In rugby parlance it’s the "up and under".

Force X detached at 1800, arriving at the flying off point, 40 miles west of Cephalonia, some 180 miles SE of Taranto, at 2030. ILLUSTRIOUS changed course to ENE and increased speed to 28 knots and the first wave flew off. 
　
The First Wave

The Sqn Ldr, Lcdr Williamson had opted to split his six torpedo bombers into two sub-flights of three, approaching from the west at low altitude to delay detection. The first sub-flight would approach over San Pietro Island, fly through the balloons and attack the southernmost of the battleships, while the second sub-flight would simultaneously approach more to the nth, fly around the balloons and attack the northernmost BBs. By this method it was hoped to divide the defensive AA fire. It was left to individual pilots to select their own target. it was a good plan of attack. 

The first wave of 12 Swordfish flew off at 2035 and formed up soon afterwards. At 2115 when at a height of 4,500 feet the squadron entered the base of cumulus cloud and 4 a/c became separated. These were L4M (torpedo), L4L, L4H, E5Q (bombs) which then made their way to the target independently. The squadron commander (Williamson) continued with the remaining eight, arriving at Taranto at 2250 to be greeted by heavy AA fire already in progress. (The defences had detected either the recon a/c or one of the detached Swordfish arriving early, or probably both). 

At 2256 the flare droppers started to lay their flares along the eastern side of the harbour. The torpedo bombers split into their sub-flights and started their attack simultaneously with the illumination of the first flares. The first sub-flight of three, approaching over San Pietro Island attacked the southernmost of the BBs as planned, while the second sub-flight, approaching slightly more to the nth, attacked the northernmost. Meanwhile, the other 4 a/c having lost their leader, all made their attacks independently. 

All aircraft met with intense AA fire virtually the whole time. The torpedo bombers came under almost continuous intense AA fire from both land, ships and moored positions. The fire from ships followed the a/c down to sea level, continuing until, in some cases, the Italians were firing on their own ships. Much damage was done to the town of Taranto by AA fire in the process.

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## parsifal (Nov 11, 2015)

*11 November 1940 
OPERATION JUDGEMENT (Part III)*
Results of Individual Attacks
L4A (815) Lt-Cdr. Williamson (Commander) and Lt. Scarlett.
Arriving at 2250, they flew over San Pietro Island at 4,000ft, making a slow decent, and flying almost straight across the bay through the Tarantola balloon barrage before launching their torpedo which passed between the destroyer FULMINE and the TB LAMPO striking BB CONTE DI CAVOUR (RM 29100 grt) between the bridge and B turret. Turning away after the attack, they dipped a wing tip in the water. The result being they crashed into the sea, survived, rescued and taken prisoner.




_CONTE DI CAVOUR on the morning after the attack in 1940. She was raised, but disarmed for the remainder of the war _

L4C (815) Sub-Lt. Sparke and Sub-Lt. Neale
They flew at 4,000ft over San Pietro Island and started to dive. The aircraft was down on the water about half way across the Mar Grande and crossed the Tarantola breakwater. Unable to identify BB LITTORIO, the BB CAVOUR was seen and attacked at a range of 700 yards. The torpedo missed its target.

L4R (815) Sub-Lt. Macaulay and Sub-Lt. Wray
They followed the same approach route taken by the previous aircraft, and again the target was the CAVOUR which they attacked from 600 yards. The torpedo missed its target.

L4K (815) Lt. Kemp and Sub-Lt. Bailey
They came in from the west, north of San Pietro Island at a height of 4,000ft. Passing north of the cruisers and their balloons they flattened out on a line for the BB LITTORIO. The torpedo was dropped at 2318 from 1,000 yards and struck the ship on her starboard bow.

L4M (815) Lt. Swayne and Sub-Lt. Buscall
Having become detached from the leader they waited off the harbour for 15 minutes for the arrival of the other aircraft. When the first flare was seen, they came in at 1,000 feet over the westerly breakwater. Flying easterly across the Mar Grande and losing height until reaching the end of the Tarantola breakwater they made a sharp turn to port so as to approach the LITTORIO from the east. The torpedo was dropped at about 2215 from 400 yards and they continued passing directly over the ship. The torpedo struck the Littorio abaft the funnels on the port quarter.

E4F (813) Lt. Maund and Sub-Lt. Bull The last of the torpedo bombers came in over Rondinella Point, nth of the cruisers and launched its torpedo from 1,300 yards at the BB VITTORIO VENETO, but the torpedo exploded upon contact with the bottom.

L4P (815) Lt. Kiggell and Lt. Janvrin (16 flares and 4x250lb bombs)
Their objective was to drop flares along the eastern shore and bomb any convenient target. They came in at 7,000ft over San Vito at 22.58 flying NE and commenced dropping a line of eight flares at half mile intervals from near the point where the Tarantola breakwater meets land. After the flares had been dropped, they turned to starboard looking for a target, and made a dive bombing attack on the most southerly oil storage depot. No results were observed.

L5B (819) Lt. Lamb and Lt. Grieve(16 flares and 4x250lb bombs)
They were the stand by flare droppers. Coming in astern of L4P (Kiggell and Janvrin), they saw that the first flares appeared to be illuminating satisfactorily, so no more flares were dropped. They then bombed the same oil storage tanks, but again no results were observed.

E5A(824) Capt. Patch and Lt. Goodwin ( 6x250lb bombs)
Their task was to bomb the line of cruisers and destroyers moored against the quay side on the sth of the Mar Piccolo. They came in at 8,500 feet over San Pietro Island at 2306, crossed the Mar Grande and the canal and to the middle of the western portion of the Mar Piccolo. Two minutes later the target was identified and a dive bombing attack was made from 1,500 feet obliquely across two cruisers from N.W. to S.E. at 2315. The DD LIBECCIO was hit but the bombs failed to explode.

L4L (815) Sub-Lt. Sarra; Sub-Lt. Bowker (6x250lb bombs)
Their initial objective was to attack the cruisers and destroyers in the Mar Piccolo. But coming in at 8,000ft over the western mainland and diving to 1,500 feet over the Mar Piccolo, they were unable to identify the target. Continuing along the southern shore of the Mar Piccolo they attacked the seaplane base from 500ft. They achieved several hits causing an explosion and fire in a hangar.

L4H (815) Sub-Lt. Forde and Sub-Lt. Mardel (6x250lb bombs)
They were separated from the leader and arrived as the first flare was dropped and came in east of Cape San Vito. On reaching te Mar Piccolo they turned, and flying at 1,500ft from NE to SW, delivered their attack on two cruisers. The first bomb hit the water short of the target but the remainder hit the cruiser although no immediate results were observed. Intense A.A. fire from the cruisers moored in the Mar Piccolo was met throughout the dive. They were uncertain whether their bombs had released and circled the western basin of the Mar Piccolo and repeated the attack.

E5Q (824) Lt. Murray and Sub-Lt. Paine (6x250lb bombs)
They came in east of Cape San Vito when the attack was already in progress and the flares were dropping. They continued until the eastern end of the Mar Piccolo was reached and turning to port flew along the southern shore. Their objective was the cruisers and destroyers, which they attacked from 3,000ft, the bombs dropping in a line running from E to W. commencing by the most eastern jetty and extending across four of the destroyers to the most westerly cruiser in the line, hitting the LIBECCIO but the bomb failed to detonate.

With their individual tasks completed, the last aircraft left Taranto 2335, landing on ILLUSTRIOUS 0155.

Second Wave
The second wave of 9 a/c started flying off at 2128 and 8 a/c were off by 2134. L5F was accidentally damaged before take off in a collision with L5Q and had to be struck down to the hangar for repairs to the wing fabric. It was eventually flown off at 2158. At 2205, L5Q, lost its external overload tank when it became detached, forcing the a/c to return to the CV which fired on it as it was not expected, but landed safely. That left only 8 a/c to take part in the 2nd strike. At 2250 the Sqn commenced to climb and at 2315 when 60 miles away sighted flares and AA fire , which continued until at 2350. When the NW shore of the Gulf of Taranto was sighted, the Sqn turned to the NE at 8,000ft and detached the flare droppers at 2355.

Lcdr Hale’s plan was for the all his torpedo bombers to approach from the NW at high altitude. They were to pass nth of Rondinella Pt and, skirting the cruisers to the nth, fly over the balloons, turn sth and dive quickly to sea level and attack the BBs from the nth, as this gave them overlapping targets and a greater chance of hitting something.

L5A (819) Lcdr. Hale (Commander) and Lt. Carline
They came in a mile nth of Rondinella Point at 5,000ft, glided down over the commercial basin, and steering directly for the LITTORIO, dropped their torpedo from about 700 yards. [See note after L5K.]

L5K(819) Lt. Torrens-Spence and Lt. Sutton. Following the Flight Leader L5A (Hale and Carline), they came in over Rondinella Point, and glided down to a point south of the canal. Their torpedo was aimed at the Littorio but failed to release at first attempt, so they held their course, tried again and finally released the torpedo manually from 700 yards.

What is certain is that one torpedo from either L5A or L5K struck the LITTORIO on its starboard side. But what is not known is who to credit with the hit, as they both launched their torpedoes from similar positions at about the same time.

E4H (813) Lt. Bayly and Lt. Slaughter
As they approached, they were hit by intense AA fire and crashed into the harbour killing both crew. The body of SLt Bayly was found and buried with full military honours, while the body of Lt Slaughter was never found. They were the only aircrew fatalities during the course of the entire raid.

L5H(819) Lt. Lee and Sub-Lt. Jones
They came in astern of L5A (Hale and Carline) over Rondinella Pt, gliding down to a point sth of the canal, dropping their torpedo from about 800 yds at the BB DUILIO, striking the ship on the starboard side.

E5H (824) Lt. Wellham and Lt. Humphreys
They came in over Rondinella Point, over Mar Piccolo, and the Town of Taranto, and turned to starboard to the centre of the Mar Grande. Diving to attack, the a/c was hit by AA fire causing severe aileron damage, putting the a/c temporarily out of control. Regaining partial control, the torpedo was dropped from about 500 yards aimed at the VITTORIO VENETO which missed. After which they received further wing damage from AA fire and, heavily damaged, limped home.

L5B (819) Lt. Hamilton and Sub-Lt. Weeks (16 flares and 4x250lb bombs)
They came in over Cape San Vito at 7,500 feet, and dived to 5,000 feet, dropping a line of flares at intervals of 15 seconds to the east of the harbour. After dropping all flares successfully, they delivered a dive bombing attack from 2,500ft on the oil storage depot, starting a fire.

L4F(815) Lt. Skelton and SLt. Perkins (16 flares and 4x250lb bombs)
Their approach was similar to L5B (Hamilton and Weeks) except that the flares were dropped SE of the harbour, from between 6,500 feet and 5,000 feet. They then bombed the oil storage depot.

L5F(819) Lt. Clifford and Lt. Going (6x250lb bombs)
Due to their flight deck collision with L5Q, they started 25 mins late and arrived at Taranto when the second attack was already in progress. They came in over the land about 5 miles east of the harbour entrance, and steered straight over the dockyard to the far side of the Mar Piccolo. Turning to port an attack was made from 2,500 feet along the line of cruisers and destroyers from west to east. A stick of bombs was dropped across the cruisers TRENTO and MIRAGLIA. One bomb hit the TRENTO .

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## parsifal (Nov 11, 2015)

*11 November 1940 *
*OPERATION JUDGEMENT (Part IV)*

The Result

The BBs LITTORIO, CAIO DUILIO and CAVOUR were either sunk or beached to prevent them sinking. The CA TRENTO was hit by bombs , damaging a fuel tank. Two DDs (LIBECCIO PESSAGNO) had also sustained damage from bomb hits. Two fleet auxiliaries were damaged with their sterns seen to be under water. However of the 42 bombs dropped, a quarter failed to explode, which was later attributed to faulty manufacture.

The seaplane hangars had been hit several times causing a fire and the loss of seaplanes. This was the base from which these a/c conducted aerial recon. Damaged also were the docks, the oil fuel depot and the aqueduct. 

The bombers had only attacked a handful of warships, the seaplane hangars and some of the oil depots, yet damage to the harbour and even to the city looked much more extensive. That was because many of the estimated 14,000 rounds of all calibres (two thirds of which were 3 inch or greater) fired by shore AA defences, and unrecorded numbers by warship defences, had landed on the merchantmen and in the city, causing severe damage to both ships and installations.

CONTE DI CAVOUR 
The CAVOUR was the most seriously damaged. The torpedo had blown a hole of about 40 x 25 feet near the keel by the forward ammunition magazine. She was brought closer to shore, but not close enough to avoid partial sinking. After she had settled to the bottom, water reached the main deck submerging most of the hull. 

She was not re-floated until July 1941. She was then sent to Monfalcone, Trieste where two years were necessary to fully repair the ship. When Italy surrendered, on 8 September 1943, she was still there. She was taken over by the Germans to be once again sunk, this time by USAAF heavy bombers in 1945. She was effectively a loss after the Taranto raid

CAIO DUILIO 
The DUILIO suffered damage from a torpedo hit which caused a hole of about 35 x 24 feet in the starboard quarter. The ship was run aground to prevent sinking. In January she was re-floated and left Taranto for Genoa and entered dry dock. It took another six months for her to return to service, in July 1941, still requiring about 2 months of work up and shake down after that. She was effectively out of action for nearly a year.

LITTORIO
The Littorio was hit by 3 torpedoes, 2 to starboard, one under the second turret, and the second one aft of the first turret. The third hit the ship to port near the rudder control mechanism, causing the partial destruction of the primary rudder. Although not in danger of sinking, it was decided to let her rest on the muddy bottom of a shallow section of the harbour. Repair work was hampered by the presence of an unexploded torpedo underneath her keel. (Which apparently had hit her but did not explode. It was found in the mud under the stern with its striking cap impact damaged, and there was a dent in the Littorio’s starboard quarter.) Repairs to her were given priority and were completed in five months. It took another month to complete work and shake down, she was effectively out of the fight for 7 months. 

The Italian Foreign Minister (and Mussolini’s son-in-law) Count Ciano wrote in his diary for 12 November 1940:
"_A black day. The British without warning, have attacked the Italian Fleet at anchor in Taranto, and have sunk the Dreadnought Cavour and seriously damaged the battleships Littorio and Duilio. These ships will remain out of the fight for many months. I thought I would find the Duce downhearted. Instead he took the blows quite well and does not, at this moment seemed to have fully realised its gravity_."

In Winston Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons 13 November 1940: 
"_As the result of a determined and highly successful attack, which reflects the greatest honour on the Fleet Air Arm, only three Italian battleships now remain effective. This result, while it affects decisively the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean, also carries with it reactions upon the naval situation in every quarter of the globe._"

Report from Captain Boyd (Illustrious) 13th November 1940: 
"_Although the proper function of the Fleet Air Arm may perhaps be the operation of aircraft against an enemy in open sea, it has been demonstrated before, and repeated in no uncertain fashion by this success that the ability to strike unexpectedly is conferred by the Fleet Air Arm. 
It is often felt that this arm which has had a long struggle with adverse opinions and its unspectacular aircraft is underestimated in its power. It is hoped that this victory will be considered a suitable reward to those whose work and faith in the Fleet Air Arm has made it possible_." 

The German Naval Staff (Berlin) diarist:
"_The English attack must be regarded as the greatest naval victory of the war. At a stroke, it has changed the strategic situation at sea in the entire Mediterranean decisively in England’s favour. Even more than before, the enemy will move throughout the Mediterranean, taking no account of the Italian Fleet_."

King George VI to Admiral Cunningham:
"_The recent successful operations of the Fleet under your command have been a source of pride and gratification to all at home. Please convey my warm congratulations to the Mediterranean Fleet and, in particular, to Fleet Air Arm on their brilliant exploit against the Italian warships at Taranto_. "

Cunningham’s despatch to the Admiralty 16 January 1941:
"_There can be little doubt that the crippling of half the Italian Battlefleet is having, and will continue to have, a marked effect on the course of the war. Without indulging in speculation as to the political repercussions, it is already evident that this successful attack has greatly increased our freedom of movement in the Mediterranean and has thus strengthened our control over the central area of this sea. It has enabled two battleships to be released for operations elsewhere, while the effect on the morale of the Italians must be considerable. As an example of "economy of force" it is probably unsurpassed_." 

Cunningham's further estimate that Italians would be unwilling to risk their remaining heavy units was quickly proven wrong. Only five days after Taranto, Campioni sortied with two BBs, six cruisers and 14 DDs to disrupt a supply convoy to Malta. The follow-up to this operation led to the Battle of Cape Spartivento on 27 November 1940. 

Measured against its the critical objective of disrupting Axis convoys to Africa, the Taranto attack had very little effect. In fact, Italian shipping to Libya increased between the months of October 1940 – January 1941 to an average of 49,435 tons per month, up from the 37,204-ton average of the previous four months. 

The IJN's staff carefully studied the Taranto raid during planning for the attack on Pearl Harbor because of the issues with a shallow harbour. Japanese Lieutenant Commander Takeshi Naito, the assistant naval attaché to Berlin, flew to Taranto to investigate the attack firsthand and wrote a report outlining the main elements of the attack. Naito subsequently had a lengthy conversation with Commander Mitsuo Fuchida about his observations in 1941. Fuchida led the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941. More significant, perhaps, was a Japanese military mission to Italy in May 1941. Japanese Navy officers visited Taranto and had lengthy discussions with their Italian Navy opposite numbers. The IJNs success at Pearl allowed them to complete their conquest of SE Asia untroubled by USN interference.

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## parsifal (Nov 11, 2015)

*11 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
MSW USS RAVEN (AM 55)





Allied
RN Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1030 (ML 1030)





Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 60





*Losses*
The LW carried repeated strikes on convoy EN.23/WN 34 at 1352, 1745, 1751, 1802, 1834. AA ship ALYNBANK was attampting to provide air defence to both convoys.

*Steamer TREBARTHA (UK 4597 grt)* in EN.23 was sunk four miles SE of Aberdeen. Four crew were lost. The LW strikes set her afire forward so she was run ashore in Cove Bay, Kincardineshire, 3 miles sth of Aberdeen. She broke in two became a total loss. Her manifest shows she was on a voyage from London to Philadelphia in ballast.
(photo by Stuart Smith)





*Steamer CREEMUIR (UK 3997 grt)* in convoy EN.23 was sunk at 1751 by the LW, after she was torpedoed about 10 nm SE of Aberdeen. 26 crew and the naval gunner were lost with the steamer.





British steamer HARLAW in convoy WN.34 was damaged by the LW off Aberdeen.

*MSW trawler STELLA ORION (RN 417 grt)* was lost on a mine in the Thames Estuary, two cables 262° NW of Shingles Buoy.
There were no casualties on the trawler.

*Steamer BALMORE (UK 1925 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the SW Approaches, about 300 miles S.W. of Ireland. The entire crew of the British steamer was lost.





*Steamer SKARV (UK 158 grt)* was sunk by a mine in Bristol Channel.

*Steamer ARDMORE (Eire 1023 grt)* The Irish Channel cargo steamship ARDMORE , left Cork for Fishguard on November llth, 1940. On the day of her final voyage the weather had been particularly bad, with a severe southerly gale blowing, and many ships had remained in port as a consequence Nevertheless the ships Captain, Thomas Ford, made the decision to sail and she left her dock at Penrose Quay at 8 p.m. that evening with her crew of 24 men and a cargo of around 1000 cattle and pigs, and other agricultural produce. Nothing more was heard of the ship or her crew until the body of the captain and several other crew members were washed up some weeks later. The wreck was found in 1988 and lies 2.8 miles off Great Saltee Island, Co. Wexford.

Although it was generally accepted at the time that she had struck a mine, the mystery of her fate or her whereabouts would not be solved for another 58 years. It wasn’t until 1998 that the wreck of the S.S. ARDMORE was officially identified, lying in around 83 feet of water with her mid-ship blown out, a couple of miles south of the Saltee Islands and just under six miles from the harbour at Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford. She had indeed struck a mine, most probably a magnetic mine, as a few months before her disappearance, on August 8th 1940, a German plane was spotted laying magnetic mines in that general area. It had been divers from Kilmore Quay who had originally discovered the wreck and following a lot of research by Dubliner Peter Mulvany, in conjunction with Eugene Kehoe, one of the divers, she was formally identified. Co-incidentally, her wreck lies not too far from the wreck of the first S.S. ARDMORE, which was lost 23 years before, almost to the day, also to German action.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 11 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-43, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-124, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea.

On 11 Nov, 1940, NW of Ireland in position, the British Flower Class corvette HMS RHODODENDRON depth charged a German U-boat. This attack at the time was thought to have sunk U-104, but the target was actually U-103, which escaped unscathed

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
DD VEGA, escorting FS.332, was mined off Sunk Head Buoy. She was taken in tow by British tug ST MELLONS and taken to Harwich. VEGA was taken to the Humber on the 17th for repair. She departed the Humber on 2 July 1941 by British tug STALWART for Sheerness arriving on 3 July. VEGA was repairing until 14 November 1942. DD SOMALI departed Scapa at midnight for boiler cleaning and repairs at Rosyth, arriving at Rosyth on the 12th.

FN.332 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 14th. FS.333 departed Methil, escort DDs EGLINTON and WATCHMAN. The convoy arrived off Southend on the 13th.

German bombers attacked convoys FN.332 and FS.333.

*Steamer RAVNANGER (Nor 3371 grt) *was bombed and sunk by LW a/c (possibly He 115 of the 3./K. Fl. Gr. 906), 1-1.5 miles NE of No 20 Buoy, Tees Bay, when proceeding at half speed (in ballast) while awaiting a convoy to go back to Sydney, C.B.; she had left Middlesbrough the day before. The a/c had a green light underneath and was first thought to be British when it passed over at around 0025 hrs. But when it came back a second time a column of water was observed about 2-3 ship lengths off, and just as the aircraft passed over, an explosion occurred under RAVNANGER's foreship, and she started to sink by the bow. It was bright moonlight at the time. One of the lifeboats was caught and pulled under as the ship sank, but the 5 occupants in that boat were able to get onto rafts which drifted past. The 3rd engineer was last seen on his way to his cabin, and probably went down with the ship. 26 survived. As the motor lifeboat with the survivors headed for land the ship's bow was on the bottom while her stem was visible above water.





British steamers CORSEA, CORDUFF and COLONEL CROMPTON in a convoy were damaged by the LW in Barrow Deep off Middlesborough. Escorting escort vessel VIVIEN shot down one Junkers bomber, sloop LONDONDERRY shot down another Junkers bomber, tug ST MELLONS shot down a Messerschmitt. British steamer PITWINES (932grt) was damaged by the LW NE of Yarmouth.
British steamer GRIT was damaged by mine 200 yds SSW of Margate Buoy.

British trawler IWATE was damaged by the LW 35 miles SW of Old Head of Kinsale.
*Northern Patrol*

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa after escorting convoy EN.22 to Pentland Firth.

*West Coast UK*
OB.242 departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER, WARWICK, WILD SWAN and corvettes CYCLAMEN and HIBISCUS. WANDERER and WILD SWAN and corvette CYCLAMEN were detached that day. On the 12th, DD CLARE joined the convoy and remained with it until 14 November when she was detached with DD WARWICK. The corvettes GARDENIA and NASTURTIUM were with the convoy on the 13th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.85, which had originally departed on the 1st and was recalled on the 5th, departed Sydney CB, escort RCN aux PV ELK. The convoy was given ocean escort by BB RODNEY and AMC RAJPUTANA, which were detached on the 21st. On 22 November, DDs MALCOLM and SABRE and ASW trawlerVIZALMA. The trawler was detached later that day. Corvette HELIOTROPE joined on the 23rd. Corvette CLARKIA joined on the 25th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs WISHART and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to rendezvous with CVE ARGUS and CL DESPATCH arriving from England. DDs DUNCAN and FORESTER departed Gibraltar to meet BC RENOWN returning to Gibraltar from escort duties in the Atlantic.

As an adjunct to Operation JUDGEMENT, CLs ORION, AJAX, RAN SYDNEY with DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK were detached at 1310 to operate in the Otranto Strait. 12 miles 315° from Saseno they encountered an Italian convoy of merchant ships and sank all four.

At 1800 the cruisers left the main battle fleet in the direction of the Strait of Otranto, between Italy and Albania, to intercept naval traffic. After having entered the Adriatic Sea undetected, the British force was able to detect an Italian convoy enroute from Brindisi to Valona. The action took place between 0105 and 0150 on the 12th of November.

The action was swift; once they located the Italian convoy, the British sank all Italian cargo vessels, despite the heroic fight put up by the FABRIZI which, in the process, was seriously damaged. Less admirable was the behavior of the RAMB III, which, after the initial exchange of fire, abandoned the cargo ships to their fate.

Later that day, the RM TBs CURTATONE and SOLFERINO rescued a total of 140 sailors, while the casualties totaled 36 dead and 42 wounded, including the fallen aboard the FABRIZI. Commander Barbini, for the heroic perseverance shown during the action was awarded the Gold Medal for bravery.

*MV ANTONIO LOCATELLI (FI 5691 grt)*, in ballast from Valona to Brindisi. All hands lost one body recovered





*MV CAPO VADO (FI 4391 grt)*, No details found





*Hybrid LINER/MV CATALANI (FI 2429 grt) * No other ship details





*MV PREMUDA (FI 4427 grt) *





The badly damaged TB FABRIZI was badly damaged by gunfire in an engagement with DD MOHAWK. AMC RAMB III fired nineteen salvoes and then disengaged undamaged. RM TBs nth of Valona, CLs ATTENDOLO, EUGENIO, AOSTA, ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI, with and DDs, some from Taranto hastened to intercept the retreating RN forces in Otranto Straits but were unable to make contact.


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## parsifal (Nov 11, 2015)

*11 November 1940 (Part II) 
OPERATIONS [CONT"D]
Med- Biscay*
Vichy Contre Torpilleur DDs GUEPARD and VALMY arrived at Beirut.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM Raider ATLANTIS captured *steamer AUTOMEDON (UK 7528 grt)*. At around 0700 hrs , AUTOMEDON encountered the ATLANTIS about 250 mi (400 km) NW of Sumatra, approaching on a heading that would bring the two ships close together. At 0820, when AUTOMEDON was less than 5000 metres away, ATLANTIS ran up her Battle ensign and uncovered her guns. AUTOMEDON at once responded by transmitting a distress signal, but only managed to send "RRR – Automedon – 0416N" ("RRR" meant "under attack by armed raider") before the Germans jammed her transmissions.

ATLANTIS' gunners then opened fire from a range of 2000m, four salvos hitting AUTOMEDONs bridge and midsection. The first shells destroyed AUTOMEDONs bridge, killing everyone present there including her captain and all her officers. AUTOMEDON was still steaming at full speed and a crewman attempted to reach her stern gun to return fire. A final salvo was fired which hit the ship, killing the would-be gunner and stopping her.

When the ATLANTIS ' boarding party went on board AUTOMEDON they were met by the vessel's first mate. Ulrich Mohr of ATLANTIS later said that the ship was in the worst condition he had ever seen; the close-range shelling had destroyed virtually every structure above the hull, and nothing was left undamaged. Six crew members had been killed and 12 injured; six of the injured were at once transferred to ATLANTIS for medical assistance.

The freighter's cargo of crated a/c, motor cars, spare parts, liquor, cigarettes, and food bound for Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai was valuable but of little use to ATLANTIS, so no thought was given to salvaging any of it. A thorough search of the ship, however, found 15 bags of Top Secret mail for the British Far East Command, including a large quantity of decoding tables, Fleet orders, gunnery instructions, and Naval Intelligence reports. The most significant find was, however, a small green bag discovered in the chart room near the bridge. Marked "Highly Confidential" and equipped with holes to allow it to sink if it had to be thrown overboard, the bag contained an envelope addressed to Robert Brooke Popham, Commander-in-Chief of the British Far East Command. The envelope contained documents prepared by the British War Cabinet's Planning Division which included their evaluations of the strength and status of British land and naval forces in the Far East, a detailed report on Singapore's defenses, and information on the roles to be played by Australian and New Zealand forces in the Far East in the event that Japan entered the war on the Axis side. Captain Bernhard Rogge of ATLANTIS set a time limit of 3 hrs during which time 31 British and 56 Chinese crewmen, 3 passengers, their possessions, all the frozen meat and food and the ship's papers and mail bags were transferred.

AUTOMEDON was sunk by scuttling charges at 1507 after being judged too badly damaged to tow. Her survivors eventually reached Bordeaux, France, aboard the captured Norwegian tanker Storstad. Captain Rogge soon realised the importance of the intelligence material he had captured from AUTOMEDON and quickly transferred the documents onto the vessel OLE JACOB, captured earlier, ordering Lcdr Paul Kamenz and 6 of his crew to take charge of the vessel and convey the captured material to the German representatives in Japan.

After an uneventful voyage OLE JACOB arrived in Kobe, Japan, on 4 December, 1940. The mail reached the German embassy in Tokyo, on 5 December, and was then hand-carried to Berlin via the Trans-Siberian railway. A copy was given to the Japanese and it is likely that this played a prominent part in the Japanese planning for the invasion of Malaya Following Japan's entry into the war and the fall of Singapore, Capt. Rogge was presented with an ornate katana on 27 April 1943; Japan only ever presented three such swords, the other two being to Hermann Göring and Erwin Rommel





*Malta*
Weather Warm; clear and fine.
0808-0835 hrs Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
KALAFRANA Sunderland on special moonlight patrol for naval co-operation in Taranto area.

While the attack on Taranto was proceeding, another force was attacking an Italian convoy in the Med. At just past midnight, CLs AJAX, ORION, and RAN SYDNEY, and two DDs, HMS NUBIAN and MOHAWK, engaged and damaged four Italian merchant ships and a torpedo boat; their accompanying cruiser fled the scene.


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## Njaco (Nov 11, 2015)

*November 12 Tuesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *The 19 surviving Swordfish aircraft of the 21 sent to attack Taranto, Italy at 2300 hours on the previous day returned to the British carrier HMS “_Illustrious_”. The 3 undamaged Italian battleships “_Vittorio Veneto_”, “_Andrea Doria_” and “_Giulio Cesare_” and most of the cruisers depart Taranto for the safety of Naples further North. The British bombers plan to return to Taranto and follow up yesterday’s attack but Admiral Cunningham cancels the raid at 1700 hours due to bad weather. Consequently, damage to the Italian fleet is not as decisive as hoped. Battleships “_Littorio_” and “_Caio Duilio_” will be repaired and returned to service by Spring 1941 and only “_Conte di Cavour_” is unsalvageable. https://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment...k-at-Taranto,-The--Tactical-Success,-Operatio

Greek forces begin advancing toward Igoumenitsa in Thesprotia sector as the Greek 1st Infantry Division attacked toward the Albanian border in Pindos sector.

*WEST AFRICA: *Vichy French forces in Gabon, French Equatorial Africa surrendered to Free French forces at Port Gentil 70 miles south of Libreville. Having successfully negotiated the surrender, Governor Georges Pierre Masson committed suicide shortly after the agreement was reached. On August 29, Masson had publicly declared loyalty to DeGaulle’s Free French, only to switch back immediately to Vichy under pressure from the Naval commander at Libreville.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler issued Directive 18 for the capture of Gibraltar, Azores Islands, Madeira, and Portugal. France is to be treated as a non-belligerent power, required to allow German war measures on French territory, and support these measures with her own forces. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/18.html

Worried by the speedy German victory over France plus German moves into Romania and Finland, Stalin guesses (correctly) that Germany plans to invade USSR. Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov arrived in Berlin, Germany for discussions about spheres of influence in the Balkan Peninsula and in Finland and to probe German intentions. In the morning, German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop reassured Molotov that Germany had no further interest in eastern and southern Europe. In the afternoon, Molotov met with Adolf Hitler who assures Molotov that the war against Britain is going smoothly and that Germany has no interests in Soviet territory. As a distraction, Ribbentrop and Hitler encourage the USSR to invade Iran to gain access to the Persian Gulf and, thus, the Indian Ocean. Molotov relayed Joseph Stalin's request for Hitler to explain the recently formed German-Italian-Japanese military alliance and the recent German move into Romania. Before Hitler gave a concrete answer, he noted that as the hour was getting late, the risk of British bombing was getting greater, thus the meeting should be broken up.

Adolf Hitler issued a directive to the German army to be prepared in invade Greece so that the Luftwaffe could attack airfield from which the RAF might attack the oilfields of Romania.

Having realized that his staff made plans to move visiting Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov to bomb shelters in case Allied bombers attacked Berlin, Adolf Hitler realized that the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany did not have an adequate bunker, and immediate ordered for a plan to be drawn up. Digging would begin in the middle of the Chancellery garden in 1943, but the construction would never be finished.

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Gelsenkirchen and other targets overnight.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *A captured German airman warned of a 'colossal raid' on Coventry or Birmingham by; “…every bomber in the Luftwaffe….will take place by moonlight between November 15 and 20”. British intelligence officers thought the airman was fed incorrect information in case he was captured, and the actual target would be London. In fact, Churchill knew the truth from de-coded Ultra messages, that Coventry would be the target.

*ASIA:* In Batavia, agreements are concluded (today and tomorrow) between the Japanese and the principal oil companies whereby the Japanese are to receive 1,800,000 tons of oil annually from the Dutch East Indies.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In Canada, Colonel Burns again proposes a parachute force to the Chief of General Staff. The idea is shelved, and no action is taken.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Spanish General Staff submits to Franco a plan for full mobilization and doubling the size of the army if Germany will supply weapons and equipment.

.



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## parsifal (Nov 12, 2015)

*12 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
ELCO 70' MTB PT-12




Allied
M1 Class Minelayer HMS M 4 (M 68 )
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS RUMBA (T 122)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer ARGUS (UK 661 grt)* was sunk on a mine three cables 199° from south Oaze Buoy. One gunner was lost on the steamer. 33 crew and one gunner were rescued.

*Trawler LORD HALDANE (UK 91 grt) *was lost in the vicinity of the Bristol Channel to unknown cause.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-104

At Sea 12 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-43, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-124, U-137, U-138.
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.334 departed Methil, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs EXMOOR and PYTCHLEY departed Skaalefjord. At 0906, the DDs were ordered to return to the Faroes and await the arrival of DD DOUGLAS to relieve them of the escort of steamer ADDA. On the arrival of DOUGLAS, they departed and DDs EXMOOR and PYTCHLEY arrived at Scapa on the morning of the 13th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa after escorting convoy EN.23 to the Pentland Firth. DDs BRILLIANT and VIMY arrived at Scapa Flow from the Faroes. MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON (on her first duty), escorted by destroyers ST ALBANS, BATH, ST MARYS, laid minefield SN.43.

DD ELECTRA departed Scapa for Aberdeen. At 1500, the DD met British steamer BEN MY CHREE and escorted her to Lerwick arriving early on the 13th. DD ELECTRA returned to Scapa Flow arriving at midday on the 13th. ML cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines east of Inishtrahull.

*West Coast UK*
ORP DD PIORUN departed Greenock to work up at Scapa Flow. She arrived on the 13th.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.55 departed Freetown escorted by AMC MORETON BAY to 2 December. On 30 November, AMC CILICIA, DDs ACTIVE, ACHATES, ANTHONY from convoy OB.250, ASW trawler LADY MADELEINE joined. A German air attack on CILICIA caused no damage on the 30th, but one rating was killed and six wounded by two near misses. On 1 December, when RCN DD SAGUENAY was torpedoed in convoy HG.47, DDs ACHATES and ANTHONY joined HG.47 and were relieved in convoy SL.55 by DDs VANSITTART and VETERAN from convoy OB.252. On 2 December, all escorts were detached. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 December.

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*
A second strike on Taranto by aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS was cancelled at 1800/12th due to weather conditions in the Gulf of Taranto. Largely suppressed after the war, the crews were also suffering serious morale problems after the loss of one sqn ldr and the intensity of the flak defences at Taranto.

BB MALAYA, CL AJAX, DDs DAINTY, DIAMOND, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, GALLANT were detached at 1830 to refuel at Suda Bay, arriving at 1000/13th. The force, plus RAN DD VENDETTA, departed that afternoon for Alexandria. CAs YORK and BERWICK, both short on fuel, were sent directly to Alexandria, arriving on the 13th. As a result of the British raid on Taranto, the major warships were sent elsewhere. RM BBs VENETO, CESARE, DORIA with the 10th and 13th DesDivs left Taranto for Naples. RM CAs ZARA, FIUME, GORIZIA, POLA with the 9th and 11th DesDivs left Taranto also for Naples. RM CA TRIESTE and the 12th DesDiv left Taranto for Messina. Also, RM CL BANDE NERE was transferred from Brindisi to Palermo and CLs DI GUISSANO and DIAZ with 14 DDs were transferred from Augusta to Palermo.

BC RENOWN arrived back at Gibraltar after a sweep into the Atlantic, escorted by DUNCAN and FORESTER. AMC CILICIA departed Gibraltar, escort DD FOXHOUND as local escort, for the Western Patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.8B departed Bombay carrying the troops from convoy WS.3. Carrying troops were steamers ROHNA, RAJULA, EGRA, LANCASHIRE, INDRAPOERA, SLAMAT, DILWARA, NEVASA, TAKLIWA, PRESIDENT DOUMIER, CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS. Steamer KHEDIVE ISMAEL carried troops from convoy WS.3 C. Steamers CLAN CAMERON and RHESUS carried stores and ammunition. The convoy was escorted by AMCs RANCHI and HECTOR at the start. Cruiser RANCHI was detached on the 15th and cruiser HECTOR was detached on the 16th. CA SHROPSHIRE joined the convoy on the 16th. At Aden on the 18th, RAN sloop PARRAMATTA joined the convoy escort. The sloop was with the convoy until 21 November. CLA CARLISLE and sloop FLAMINGO joined the convoy on the 19th and remained until 21 and 20 November, respectively. The convoy arrived at Suez escorted by sloop GRIMSBY on the 23rd.

Convoy BS.8A departed Suez. The convoy was escorted by sloops AUCKLAND and PARRAMATTA until the convoy was dispersed on the 16th.


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## parsifal (Nov 12, 2015)

*13 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-149
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
_Used almost entirely for crew training throughout the war_

Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 124





*Losses*
MV CAPE ST ANDREW (UK 5094 grt) Sunk by U-137 (Herbert Wohlfarth) Crew: 68 (15 dead and 53 survivors) Cargo: Empty Route: Middlesbrough - Oban - Bombay ;Convoy OB-240 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches , At 2108 hrs the unescorted CAPE ST ANDREW , a straggler from convoy OB-240, was torpedoed by U-137 WNW of Aran Island. The ship was taken in tow by the rescue tug HMS SALVONIA and escorted by DD HURRICANE, but foundered the same night. The master, 13 crew members and one gunner were lost. 52 crew members and one gunner were picked up by the tug and landed at Greenock.





RN Sub TIGRIS sank *trawler CHARLES EDMONDE (Vichy 201 grt) *60 miles west of the Gironde. TIGRIS attacked another trawler 100 miles west of Rochelle, without success.

*Steamer EMPIRE WIND (UK 7459 grt)* was sunk by the LW in 53‑48N, 15‑52W. The entire crew were picked up by DD ARROW

*Tkr LEON MARTIN (UK 1951 grt)* was sunk on a mine 5.2 cables 202° from St Anthony Point, near Falmouth. 16 crew were lost on the British tanker.





*Steamer ANVERS (Belg 4398 grt) *in convoy WN.35 was sunk by the LW 4-5 miles NE of Rattray Head, in 57-43N, 1-49W.
One crewman was killed on the Belgian steamer.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-124

At Sea 13 november 1940
U-28, U-29, U-43, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.333 departed Southend, escort DDs GARTH and VIMIERA. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 15th. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.35 to the Firth of Forth. She was in the escort for this convoy at the time of the attack.
British tanker BRITISH PRESTIGE was damaged by the LW off Humber Boom.

*Northern Patrol*
DD DOUGLAS departed the Faroes at 1500 escorting British steamer ADDA. DOUGLAS and the steamer arrived at Liverpool at 2207 on the 15th.

*Northern Waters*
BB REVENGE with DDs GARLAND, RCN DDs OTTAWA and ST LAURENT departed the Clyde and met DD HIGLANDER escorting liner LEOPOLDVILLE for Halifax. GARLAND whilst in the escort sustained heavy weather damage and lost two crew overboard as the weather continued to close in. The DD was repaired at Govan from 17 November, completing on 26 December. DD COSSACK departed Scapa Flow to raid Jan Mayan Island, however the DD was recalled and she returned to Scapa that evening.
The raid was later carried out by CLA NAIAD. DD MASHONA was detached from the BC REPULSE screen to return to Scapa Flow due to buckling of forecastle plates. The DD arrived at Scapa on the 14th. Next morning, the DD departed Scapa Flow for repairs at Rosyth. DD ESCAPADE departed Greenock at 0830 after repairs. ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa on the 14th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.243 departed Liverpool escort DDs ACHATES and ACTIVE, corvettes ASPHODEL and PICOTEE, ASW trawlers LADY MADELEINE and NORWICH CITY. The corvettes were detached on 17 November and the remainder of the escort on the 18th.

*Western Approaches*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT NAPIER, PORT QUEBEC, MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON laid minefield SN.45 off the NW coast off Ireland, escort DDs BATH, ST MARYS, ST ALBANS.

*Channel*
CL NEWCASTLE, initially escorted by DDs KELVIN and JERSEY, departed Plymouth for Force H. DD SOUTHDOWN departed Portsmouth for Scapa Flow to copmplete her work up. Due to heavy weather, the DD put into Dartmouth for shelter and to effect repairs, she was able to continue on the 14th for Scapa Flow.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.12 departed at 1200 escort Sloop LEITH. On 27 November, DDs VERITY and WITHERINGTON, sloop FOLKESTONE, corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Med- Biscay*
DD DECOY, which had just arrived from escorting convoy ME.3, was bombed by the RA in Alexandria Harbour and suffered heavy damage aft. S/Lt W. J. Hurst RNVR, P/T/Surgeon Lt J. Gilbertson RNVR, six ratings were killed and three ratings were wounded on the DD. DD DECOY departed Alexandria on the 25th for Malta arriving on the 28th for repairs. DECOY was under repair for 10 weeks.
DD DECOY was replaced in the 10th Flotilla by escort vessel WRYNECK.


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## nuuumannn (Nov 12, 2015)

Brilliant Parsifal, excellent info on Judgement.

Reactions: Like Like:
1 | Like List reactions


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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2015)

*14 november 1940 *
*Losses*
*Steamer ST CATHERINE (UK 1216 grt)*, en route to join convoy WN.35, on passage from Aberdeen to Kirkwall, with a general cargo, she was sunk by a torpedo launched from a LW a/c, half a mile sth of the Outer Buoy, Aberdeen Swept Channel. 15 of the crew were lost. .

*Steamer BUOYANT (UK 300 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Skegness.

*Boom defence vessel RISTANGO (RN 178 grt)* was lost when she fouled the Medway Boom, Sheerness.


*Drifter SHIPMATES (UK 82 grt)* was sunk by German bombing in Dover Harbour.

*Drifter THE BOYS (UK 92 grt)* was lost in heavy weather in the Downs.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-123

At Sea 14 November 1940
U-28, U-29, U-43, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-137, U-138. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Eastern Baltic
As part of Bomber Command, a night raid on Berlin was carried out. losses were heavy, including , two British naval officers amongst the were crews lost. 13 bombers were lost on the raid. .

*North Sea*
FN.334 departed Southend, escort DD WATCHMAN and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 16th. FS.335 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th. There was an unsuccessful attempt to refloat DD FAME on the 14th. Heavy swells prevented the successful operation. Another attempt to refloat destroyer FAME on the 16th also failed when the pumps failed to control flooding. British steamer FAIRY was damaged by a mine near Chequer Buoy, off the mouth of the Humber.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy EN.25 and proceeded with this convoy to Pentland Firth. DD WINDSOR arrived at Scapa to refuel on passage from the Clyde to Grimsby and departed the following morning. Minefield BS.46 was laid by MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER and DD ICARUS. DD IMPULSIVE was in dock for vibration problems. After the minelay, TEVIOTBANK was attacked by LW a/c at 1730. There was no damage.

*Western Approaches*
British steamer FISHPOOL was damaged by the LW. After being hit, she was assisted by Corvette GARDENIA.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.87 of 16 steamers departed Halifax escort RCN DDs COLUMBIA and ST FRANCIS and aux PV ELK. On the 15th, the local escort turned the convoy over to AMC ALAUNIA, which in turned was detached on the 26th. DDs BROKE and HAVELOCK and corvettes ANEMONEand MALLOW joined on the 26th. These escorts were detached to convoy HX.88 on the 27th. DDs WITHERINGTON, HESPERUS, HURRICANE joined on the 27th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th. HX.88 departed Halifax at 1505 escorted by RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PVs FRENCH and HUSKY. RCN DD ASSINIBOINE turned the convoy over to AMC AUSONIA on the 15th. The AMC was detached on the 25th. BHX.88 departed Bermuda on the 12th escort AMC MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.88 on the 17th at which point MONTCLARE was detached. On 26 November, DDs SALADIN and SCIMITAR joined the escort. DD BROKE and corvettes ANEMONE, ARABIS, MALLOW joined on the 27th. DD BROKE was detached on the 28th and corvette ARABIS on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt arrived back at Alexandria at 0700 after COATS and JUDGMENT. CVE ARGUS escorted by DDs WRESTLER, VIDETTE, WISHART arrived at Gibraltar for operation WHITE. A Greek DD flotilla under Admiral Kavadias made a sweep through the Otranto Strait and into the Adriatic Sea as far as the island of Sasseno. No contact was made and the Greek force returned to port. Egyptian steamer ZAMZAM (8299grt) was damaged by enemy a/c at Alexandria. Some reports say these a/c were German. 
Norwegian tkr TEDDY , which had been captured by DKM Raider ATLANTIS on the 8th, was scuttled by the ATLANTIS.

*Malta*

Additional RDF equipment installed


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## Njaco (Nov 13, 2015)

*November 13 Wednesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Walter Adolph of III./JG 27 is awarded the Ritterkreuz for fifteen victories. 

RAF Bomber Command sends 72 aircraft to attack various targets overnight.

The Swiss government bans the Communist Party and the pro-Nazi National Movement of Switzerland.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* He 111s from KG 55 participates in a night attack on Bristol and lose a bomber to RAF fighters. Oblt. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 destroys a Hurricane of RAF No. 249 Squadron over Folkestone.

RAF pilot Guy Gibson begins operations with No. 29 Squadron, Fighter Command.

*GERMANY:* Hitler, Ribbentrop, and Molotov continued their meeting in Berlin, Germany. Hitler proposes Russia join the Tripartite Pact. Molotov says it could be possible, with careful definition of the Pact. Hitler attempted to divert Soviet aggression out of the Balkan Peninsula and Finland, and instead focus, together with Germany, to defeat the United Kingdom, with the ultimate prize being the partition of the British Empire among Germany, the Soviet Union, Italy, and Japan. Molotov, who was not moved, asked Hitler whether Germany would feel comfortable with a Soviet guarantee of Bulgarian borders much like how Germany had recently guaranteed Romanian borders. Unable to answer that question, Hitler again broke off the discussion on the excuse of potential British bombings as the hours were getting late. Indeed, having known that Molotov was visiting Berlin, the British RAF launched bombers to attack Berlin as a show of force to convince Molotov that Britain was still in the fight. Ribbentrop and Molotov continued the meeting in an underground bunker amidst the bombing where Ribbentrop failed to entice Molotov with a four-power (Germany, Italy, Japan, and Soviet Union) military alliance proposal. Conversation again turns to England, which “is finished” according to Ribbentrop. Molotov replies;


> “if that is so, why are we in this shelter and whose are these bombs which fall”?



*MEDITERRANEAN:* By the end of the day, Greek troops had pushed most Italian troops in northern Greece back to the Albanian border.

Italian bombers damaged British destroyer HMS “_Decoy_” at Alexandria, Egypt, killing 8 and wounding 3.

RAF aircraft bomb the Italian naval base at Taranto.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-137 torpedoed and sank British ship “_Cape St. Andrew_”, which was under tow by tug HMS “_Salvonia_”, 100 miles northwest of Ireland at 2108 hours. 14 crew and 1 gunner were killed. 53 survivors were picked up by “_Salvonia_”.

British submarine HMS “Tigris” sank French trawler “_Charles Edmonde_” 100 miles west of Bordeaux, France.

“_Garland_” was seriously damaged by a storm while escorting battleship HMS “_Revenge_” in the Atlantic Ocean. Two men were killed.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet submarine D-1 sinks during exercises.

.


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## Njaco (Nov 13, 2015)

*November 14 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Operation Cold Water: RAF attempts (with little success) to pre-empt the 'colossal raid' predicted by British Intelligence by bombing enemy bases, scrambling 121 night fighters and jamming radio transmissions.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* As Greek troops began to cross into Albanian borders, the Axis suffered its first land defeat of the war. All the Greek forces have gone over to the offensive against the Italian invaders. Reinforcements have been brought from the troops facing Bulgaria. British aid to Greece begins to arrive. Over the course of the next two days, four cruisers ferry 3400 troops and airfield staff from Alexandria to Piraeus. By November 20th another 4000 have arrived.

German bombers raided Alexandria, Egypt, sinking Egyptian steamer “_Zamzam_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The first contingent of aircrews to graduate from advanced training in Canada embarked for Britain.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Spitfire squadron routs 30 Stukas over Dover. Hans Philipp of 4./JG 54 downs a British Hurricane for his thirteenth victory and Herbert Huppertz of 6./JG 51 destroys a British Spitfire.

Neville Chamberlain's funeral was held at Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, or Westminster Abbey, in London, England, United Kingdom.

*ASIA: *In Singapore, the new British Commander in Chief for the Far East, Air Marshal Brooke-Popham arrives.

*GERMANY:* Admiral Raeder meets with Hitler to recommend postponing invasion of Soviet Union until UK has been strangled by U-boat blockade.

Keitel and Badoglio confer at Innsbruck about joint operations in North Africa.

RAF Bomber Command sends 82 aircraft to attack Berlin, Hamburg, and other targets overnight.

.



.


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## parsifal (Nov 14, 2015)

*15 November 1940 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Seaplane tender USS CURTISS (AV 4)





Elco 70' MTB PT13
[SEE IMAGES FOR 14 NOVEMBER]

Tambor Class Sub USS TROUT (SS 202)





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS DELPHINIUM (K 77)





*Losses
MV KOHINUR (UK 5168 grt) *Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) Crew:85 (17 dead and 68 survivors) Cargo: General Cargo Route: Port Talbot - Alexandria - Port Said ;Convoy OB-235 (dispersed); Sunk In the Central Atlantic, SW of Sierre Leone
At 1511 hrs the KOHINUR, dispersed on 31 October from convoy OB-235, was torpedoed and sunk by U-65 about 250 miles nth of the Equator. The second officer was taken prisoner by the U-boat. The master, 45 crew members and two gunners were lost. 31 of them died in the explosion of the tkr HAVBOR, which was also torpedoed by U-65 3 hrs later, while picking up the survivors. 36 crew members were picked up on 16 November by the British merchant CITY OF PITTSBURG and landed at Freetown on 19 November.

*Tkr HAVBOR (UK 7614 grt) *Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) Crew: 64 (60 dead and 4 survivors) Cargo: Crude Oil Route: Abadan - Capetown - Freetown - UK ;Convoy Independant; Sunk In the Central Atlantic, SW of Sierre Leone; At 1816 hrs the HAVBOR was hit on the port side aft by one torpedo from U-65, while picking up 31 men from rafts from the KOHINUR, which had been torpedoed 3 hrs earlier by the same U-boat. The men on the raft had warned the HAVBOR that the U-boat was nearby, but boats were lowered anyway. The ship immediately caught fire after being hit and some of the rafts and lifeboats were trapped by burning oil. The Germans initially planned to question the survivors but after observing the results of their attack left the burning tanker, which sank about 7 hrs after the attack. The master, 27 crew members and all the rescued men died in the flames. Three Norwegian and two Danish crew members of the tkr jumped overboard and swam towards the abandoned raft from the other ship, tore a plank loose and paddled for life away from the burning oil.

Later the survivors encountered a lifeboat from KOHINUR and asked to be taken on board, but after having inquired how much water they had on the raft, the lifeboat sailed away from the raft, because it was already filled to capacity. The raft kept drifting and on 16 November, one of the Danish men died, he had been badly burnt. On 24 November, the remaining survivors were picked up by the British steam merchant Baron ARDROSSAN and taken to Freetown.





*Steamer AMENITY (UK 297 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. The entire crew of seven was rescued.

*Liner APAPA (UK 9333 grt)*, was sunk from convoy SL.53 by the L:W in the Weatern Approaches. ASW trawler ST APOLLO stood by the steamer. 18 crew and 5 passengers were missing from the steamer. Survivors from the steamer were rescued by British steamers MARY KINGSLEY and NEW COLUMBIA.





*Steamer BLUE GALLEON (UK 712 grt)*, in convoy FN.34, was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. Three crew were lost on the steamer.

*Trawler DUNGENESS (UK 263 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Haisborough and considered a constructive total loss. There were no casualties on the trawler.

*Tug GUARDSMAN (UK 102 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Nth Foreland, one half cable ENE of Spit Buoy. Two crew were lost on the tug.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-28

At Sea 15 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.335 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 17th. FS.336 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 17th. ML cruiser ADVENTURE laid a series of minefields. ADVENTURE conducted 16 operations in sixty days. The cruiser, returning from ZME.15, was badly damaged on 16 January entering Liverpool Bay when she struck a mine. ML PLOVER took over the ZME.minelays beginning with ZME.16. The series was completed with ZME.31 on 21 April. CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy WN.37 and escorted it from Pentland Firth to Buchanness.

*Northern Patrol*
ASW trawlers ELM and WISTARIA arrived from Iceland for support on the 16th. On the 16th, CLA NAIAD chased and drove ashore *Trawler HINRICH FREESE (Ger 384 grt)*. The ships returned to Scapa Flow on the 19th. NAIAD was weather damaged in this operation.

*Northern Waters*
CLA NAIAD departed Scapa on the 11th. On the 13th, the cruiser was detached from the BC REPULSE gp to raid the wireless station on Jan Mayan Island. This raid was covered by BC REPULSE and DDs SIKH, MATABELE, PUNJABI. On the 15th, the cruiser arrived, a landing party put ashore and the station was burnt.

DD VIMY departed Scapa for Lerwick. At Lerwick, VIMY joined British steamer BEN MY CHREE and escorted her to Aberdeen. VIMY and the steamer arrived off Aberdeen at 0303 on the 16th and destroyer VIMY continued on to Rosyth.

*West Coast UK*
In Operation STRIPE, CVL FURIOUS departed Liverpool with 34 Hurricanes of 73 Sqn and 3 Fulmars. The carrier joined CLA DIDO which departed the Clyde also for Takarodi. British steamer NEW ZEALAND STAR departed with the carrier and DDs HAVELOCK and HESPERUS escorted the ships from Liverpool. CLs MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON departed Scapa Flow. At Gibraltar they would embark troops carried in troopship FRANCONIA. They were joined by DDs JAGUAR and KELVIN from Plymouth. British steamers CLAN FORBES, CLAN FRASER, FRANCONIA also proceeded to Gibraltar. The two forces rendezvoused in North Channel and escorted the merchant ships to Gibraltar. FURIOUS arrived at Freetown, escort DDs FOXHOUND and FORTUNE, on the 25th. FURIOUS arrived at Takoradi on the 27th and the aircraft flown off to Takoradi on the 29th. FURIOUS arrived back at Liverpool on 15 December.

DD SOUTHDOWN called at Holyhead (In Wales) to land passengers. Later, she encountered ASW trawler LORD COLLINGWOOD and took her in tow towards the Clyde. SOUTHDOWN arrived with the trawler in tow on the 16th. SOUTHDOWN refuelled at the Clyde. She departed at on the 16th and arrived at Scapa on the 17th


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## parsifal (Nov 14, 2015)

*15 November 1940 (Part II) 
OPERATIONS (Cont'd)*

*Med- Biscay*
In operation BARBARITY, CAs BERWICK and YORK and CLs GLASGOW and GLOUCESTER and RAN CL SYDNEY departed Alexandria at 1500 with 3400 troops for Piraeus. All five cruisers arrived on the 16th at Piraeus, having averaged 30 knots during the passage across the Med. After disembarkation, the cruisers patrolled in the Aegean before arriving back at Alexandria on the 18th. CLs ORION and AJAX departed Alexandria to take general control of the operation and to call at Suda Bay, Pireaus, Candia as necessary. The cruisers arrived at Piraeus on the 16th. After disembarking the troops, cruisers BERIWCK, GLOUCESTER, GLASGOW that day departed for Alexandria. CA YORK departed that day for Port Said. All arrived on the 17th. CLA COVENTRY with RAN DD VAMPIRE RN DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK departed Alexandria on the 15th with steamers CLAN MACAULAY, IMPERIAL STAR, NIEUW ZEELAND. Steamer JOAHNN DE WITT, escort RAN DD WATERHEN, departed Port Said on the 14th and joined the convoy at sea. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 16th.

On their return, VAMPIRE, MOHAWK and NUBIAN conducted an ASW sweep in the Aegean. WATERHEN had been detached to Suda Bay to refuel and rejoined before the DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 18th. AN.7 of 5 transports carrying 830 men and 710 vehicles and a bulk petrol carrier departed Alexandria and Port Said, escort ASW trawlers, CLA CALCUTTA, DD ILEX. The convoy was covered by CLs ORION and AJAX. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 19th. The trawlers returned to Suda Bay. CALCUTTA and ILEX proceeded to Alexandria.

BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CVL EAGLE (now repaired), DDs HYPERION, DAINTY, DIAMOND, JERVIS, GREYHOUND, GALLANT, GRIFFIN and RAN VENDETTA departed Alexandria early on the 16th to cover these movements. The covering force called at Suda Bay on the 17th. Later that day, engine problems in BARHAM forced The ships to return. 9 Greek troopships, escorted by 8 RHN DDs and other escort vessels, departed Suda Bay on the 17th for Salonika. CLA COVENTRY departed Pireaus and joined this convoy on the 18th until arriving in the Petali Gulf. The cruiser arrived back at Alexandria on the 19th. The convoy completed unloading by the 20th.

Fce H. led by BC RENOWN, and including CV ARK ROYAL and CVE ARGUS (acting as aircraft transport), CLs SHEFFIELD (radar equipped) and DESPATCH, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, WISHART, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, DUNCAN departed Gibraltar on Operation WHITE. This was a failed aircraft resupply operation. The forces were divided into Force A with CVE ARGUS, CL DESPATCH, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE. Fce B was BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs FURY, WISHART, DUNCAN. This was a flyoff of Hurricanes from ARGUS to Malta. Flyoff took place on the 17th in two flts of 6 Hurricanes each, each lead by a Fleet Air Arm Skua. Two Hurricanes crashed short of Malta in the first flight; the pilot of one was rescued by a Sunderland Flying Boat. The rest of this flight, the Skua and four Hurricanes, arrived at Malta. The second flight was lost en route to Malta through a navigational error, with no survivors from the Hurricanes. The Skua crashed landed on SW coast of Sicily. The drew were taken prisoner. SHEFFIELD arrived back at Gibraltar on the 18th and the rest of Force H.arrived back on the 19th. DDs VIDETTE and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to meet BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, arriving from Freetown, having completed her repairs. The ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 18th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL COLOMBO was off Mogadishu and carried out several bombardments. Several ships were damaged before COLOMBO was replaced by the CERES.

*Malta*
Weather Bright and fine.

1350-1407 hrs Air raid alert for four or more enemy fighters, believed to be Italian CR42s, which approach the Island ad 21000 feet. AA guns engage the raiders which turn away before crossing the coast.


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## Njaco (Nov 14, 2015)

*November 15 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* A clear moonlit night provides ideal conditions for Operation Moonlight Sonata, a major Luftwaffe raid on the ancient industrial city of Coventry in the English Midlands. At 1820 hours, 13 Heinkel He-111 bombers (of Kampfgruppe 100) drop marker flares to illuminate the city. After KG 100 drop the incendiaries, the resulting fires guide in three streams of 449 bombers from KG 1, KG 26, KG 27, KG 55, LG 1 and KuFlGr 606, flying multiple sorties in small groups all night and returning to bases in France to reload. They drop 450 tons of high explosive bombs (to damage water mains and crater roads, hindering firefighting efforts), 50 parachute bombs (to blast off rooftops over a wide area), 36,000 incendiary bombs (to ignite the old wood timbered buildings) and 127 parachute land mines. The massive night time raid killed 568, injured 863, and destroyed 60,000 buildings (including the city's 14th Century cathedral). The whole city lays in flames and the main spire of the brownstone cathedral is the only thing left standing. The rest of the city, built between 1373 and 1450, is ruble and debris. RAF night fighters lack radar and are ineffective; only 1 He111 is shot down by anti-aircraft fire. British intelligence officers received this information two days prior from a captured German airman, but they incorrectly thought the information was meant for deceit and the actual target would be London. German propaganda gloats, using the term “Coventrate” for the strategy of leveling British cities. It is a strategy that will come back to haunt Germany.

Fw. Karl Hier of JG 76, who was captured after mistakenly landing at a French airfield in November of 1939 and released in June 1940, is killed in combat with Spitfires over London. Fw. Hier had fifteen aerial victories against the Allies. Also killed is Uffz. Rudolf Miese of 4./JG 2 when he is shot down on a mission to Selsey Bill, England. 

British tug HMS “_Guardsman_” hit a mine and sank in the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England, killing 2.

*ASIA: *IJN “_Ryujo_” returned to active duty after a long time of repairs. Constituting the 3rd Carrier Division, together with the IJN “_Hosho_”, she was posted to the 1st Fleet. IJN “_Ryujo_” carried sixteen A5M4 fighters and eighteen B5N1 carrier attack planes. “_Akagi_” was assigned as special duty ship in Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.

Isoroku Yamamoto was promoted to the rank of admiral. Hiroaki Abe became the commanding officer of Japanese Navy Destroyer Squadron 6. Captain Tamotsu Takama was named the commanding officer of “_Nachi_”. Rear Admiral Shigeki Ando was named the chief of staff of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea.

Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu succeeded Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya as the commanding officer of the Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China. Vice Admiral Tsunejiro Ishii was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *A convoy of 5 transports, escorted by British warships, departed from Alexandra, Egypt for Pireaus, Greece, carrying 4,230 troops, 700 trucks, gasoline, and other supplies.

19 days after the Italian invasion from Albania, Greeks have cleared the invaders from their soil. Reinforced with troops from the border with Bulgaria, Greece now has a numerical advantage. Greek forces go on the offensive, taking advantage of confusion caused by the Italian retreat to attack their defenses on the Albanian border. The Greek counteroffensives continue with especial success for the advance from western Macedonia in the area around Mount Morava. Greek 8th Infantry Division attacked in the Kalamas and Negrades sectors, Greek 1st Infantry Division attacked in Pindos sector and the Greek 9th Infantry Division, 10th Infantry Division, and 15th Infantry Division attacked in the Koritsa sector.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-65 sank British ship “_Kohinur_” 200 miles southwest of Sierra Leone at 1511 hours; 17 were killed. As Norwegian tanker “_Havbør_” stopped to pick up the 68 survivors, U-65 attacked her with a torpedo at 1816 hours, igniting her cargo of 11,500 tons of crude oil, killing 28 of her crew and 31 survivors of “_Kohinur_”. Only 36 from “_Kohinur_” and 4 from “_Havbør_” would ultimately survive.

*GERMANY:* 67 British Wellington, Whitley, and Hampden bombers attack Hamburg, Germany, doing extensive damage to the city and shipyards, with no loss of aircraft.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Warsaw ghetto in Poland was sealed from the rest of the city, enclosing 400,000 Jews inside.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In the Caribbean, US flying boats begin patrols from bases in Bermuda.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian air force attacked Matruh with 25 CR-42 fighters.

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## Njaco (Nov 15, 2015)

*November 16 Saturday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Italians retreat on the Pindus and Epirus fronts. A Greek Cavalry Division enters Konitsa in Pindos sector while Greek 1st Infantry Division captures Kamenik Heights. In Albania, Greek 3rd Army Corps breaks through the defenses of Italian 9th Army near Korçë in the Morava Mountains. Greek 8th Infantry Division continues attacking in the Kalamas and Negrades sectors. Greek 9th Infantry Division, 10th Infantry Division, and 15th Infantry Division are attacking in the Koritsa sector.

500 miles away, residents of the town of Menton on the French Riviera 1 mile from the Italian border mock their Italian neighbors with a sign “This is French territory. Greeks, do not advance any further”. Far to the south, 4,230 British troops arrived at Pireaus, Greece by sea.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Four German cargo ships leave the port of Tampico, Mexico but fail to evade the British blockade. German vessels “_Phyrgia_”, “_Idarwald_”, “_Orinoco_”, and “_Rhein_” depart Tampico and attempt to reach Germany. American destroyer “_Punket_” intercepted German tanker “_Phrygia_”. The “_Phrygia_” is scuttled while the “_Idarwald_” and “_Rhein_” return to Tampico.

German submarine U-65 sank British ship “_Fabian_” with torpedo and her deck gun 250 miles southwest of Sierra Leone, killing 6. 33 survivors were briefly interrogated, given food and water, and placed in lifeboats. They would later be rescued by British tanker “_British Statesman_”.

German submarine U-137 sank British ship “_Planter_” 30 miles north of Ireland at 2015 hours; 13 were killed and 60 survivors were picked up by British destroyer HMS “_Clare_”.

British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Arsenal_” collided with Polish destroyer “_Burza_” 4 miles south of Toward, Clyde River estuary, Scotland. “_Arsenal_” sank as her depth charges were detonated, which damaged HMS “_Arrow_” which came to rescue survivors. Tug “_Superman_” also participated in the rescue.

German weather vessel WBS-4 sunk by RN cruiser “_Naiad_” in the North Atlantic.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Colonel General Heinz Guderian takes command of 2.Panzerarmee. Colonel General Hermann Hoth takes command of 3.Panzerarmee.

*GERMANY: *RAF carries out daylight attacks on Cologne and Bremen and night raids on Hamburg and Antwerp. RAF bombers attacked Hamburg, for the second day in a row. 131 British Bomber Command aircraft made raids on four Hamburg targets.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The borders of the Warsaw ghetto are shut off from the rest of the city by walls 10 feet high.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe carries out heavy attacks on the south coast and appear over the Hebrides for the first time. Luftwaffe aircraft attack London overnight with 87 aircraft.

King George VI visits devastated Coventry.

RAF creates a Spitfire photo-reconnaissance unit.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian bombers attack Alexandria overnight.

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## parsifal (Nov 16, 2015)

*16 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Raven Class MSW USS OSPREY (AM 56)





Allied
Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS COTSWOLD (L 54); Fairmile B HDML 1011







_HMS COTSWOLD departed Greenock to work up at Scapa Flow. She arrived at Scapa Flow on the 17th. Following working up, she was assigned to DesFlot 21 operating in the Nore._

Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 53
(New Source:British Power Boat Co )




_MGB 53 originally ex French Navy MA/SB+ requisitioned by the Royal Navy c1940. Built Hythe_

*Losses
MV PLANTER (CDN 5887 grt)* Sunk by U-137 (Herbert Wohlfarth) Crew: 3 (13 dead and 60 survivors) Cargo: Fruit and Veg from Egypt Route:Suez - Freetown - Manchester ;Convoy SLS-53; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2015 hrs the PLANTER, a romper from convoy SLS-53, was torpedoed and sunk by U-137 about 30 miles NNW of Bloody Foreland. Twelve crew members and one passenger were lost. The master, 58 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS CLARE and landed at Liverpool.





*MV FABIAN (UK 3059 grt)* Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) Crew: 39 (6 dead and 33 survivors) Cargo: Mixed Goods Route: Liverpool - Capetown - Port Said - Istanbul ;Convoy OB-234 (dispersed); Sunk In the Central Atlantic SW of Sierra Leone
At 1429 hrs the unarmed FABIAN, dispersed from convoy OB-234, was hit in the foreship by one torpedo from U-65 about 350 miles SSW of Freetown. At 1554 hours, the U-boat surfaced and sank the ship with five of eight rounds fired. The Germans then questioned the survivors, treated two injured men and provided food and water. The master and 32 crew members were picked up by the British steam tkr BRITISH STATESMAN and landed at Freetown.





ORP DD BURZA accidently sank *ASW trawler ARSENAL (RN 550 grt)* in a collision off the Clyde, four miles sth of Toward. The trawler sustained no casualties. DD ARROW and tug SUPERMAN stood by. ARROW was damaged by the explosion of trawler ARSENAL's DCs. Repairs to her machinery were done in the Clyde, completing on 14 January 1941. BURZA was repaired in the Clyde completing on 27 January 1941.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 16 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-137, U-138.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CA NORFOLK completed repairs in the Tyne begun in October.

The LW was again out in the Nth Sea, and on this day attacked FS.335. British steamer SHERBROOKE was damaged by German bombing 8 miles SE of Orfordness. British steamer DAGENHAM was damaged on a mine two and a half cables ENE of Mouse Light Vessel.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA transferred from convoy WN.38 to convoy EN.26 and escorted it to Pentland Firth. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0545 to meet convoy WN.38 in Pentland Firth and escorted it to Methil. DD SIKH was detached from the BC REPULSE's screen to refuel at Skaalefjord. The DD refuelled and departed on the 17th to rejoin the force.

*Central Atlantic
Steamers PHRYGIA (Ger 4137 grt)*, along with other german steamers IDARWALD, and RHEIN botled up in Tampico, made a run from the harbour in an attempt to return to Germany. A fourth German steamer, steamer ORINOCCO also departed Tampico, but broke down near the mouth of the Rio Panuco which connects Tampico with Gulf of Mexico. She was towed back to Tampico by the tug that was accompanying her to sea. USN DDs PLUNKETT , MCCORMICK and BROOME were on patrol off Tampico, and immediately began shadowing of the runners, transmitting course and position in the clear. steamer PHRYGIA thought she had been intercepted and scuttled herself. After unsuccessful attempts to throw off the US DDs, steamers IDARWALD and RHEIN arrived back at Tampico on the 18th.





*Med- Biscay*
Sub TRIUMPH arrived at Gib from England.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
NZ Manned CL ACHILLES departed Sydney to patrol off Auckland Island on the 20th and Campbell Island on the 21st. The cruiser arrived at Lyttleton on the 23rd.


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## parsifal (Nov 16, 2015)

*17 November 1940 
Losses
MV SAINT GERMAIN (UK 1044 grt)* Sunk by U-137 (Herbert Wohlfarth); Crew: 18 (0 dead and 18 survivors); Cargo: Mine Support Timbers Route: Leixoes, Portugal - Port Talbot ;Convoy HG-46 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 1730 hrs , U-137 spotted two ships from the convoy HG-46 and sank them both, expending one torpedo on each kill. The ships were hit NNW of Tory Island. The SAINT GERMAIN was hit at 2014 hours and the VERONICA at 2040 hrs. The SAINT GERMAIN was hit in the bow, developed a list to port and stayed afloat abandoned until she sank the next day. The master and 17 crew members were picked up by Flower Class Corvette HMS MALLOW (K 81) and landed at Londonderry.






*MV VERONICA (SD 1318 grt)* Sunk by U-137 (Herbert Wohlfarth); Crew:20 (17 dead and 3 survivors); Cargo: Iron Ore Route: Aguilas, Spain - Gibraltar - Barrow-in-Furness ;Convoy HG-46 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; The unarmed VERONICA was struck by the torpedo on the port side at the after end of #2 hold while steaming in a moonless night on a non-evasive course at 7 knots and sank by the bow in 30 secs about 36 miles NNW Tory Island. The master had sighted the U-boat about 200 meters off the port beam just a few moments before the torpedo explosion, which destroyed the bridge and trapped his leg under wreckage. He was dragged down, but managed to get free and came to the surface beneath a raft with two slightly injured men on it who hauled him aboard. In the early morning of 23 November, they were picked up by the Icelandic motor fishing vessel ERNA about 11 miles NNW of Oversay Island and taken to a hospital after being landed at Londonderry in the afternoon.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-52

At Sea 17 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104,, U-123, U-137, U-138.
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.336 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 19th. FS.337 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS and VERSATILE. The convoy arrived at Southend on 19 November. DD VIMY departed Rosyth for the Tyne to escort British steamer KYLEFISHER. VIMY departed the Tyne at 1700 on the 18th. In the early hours of the 19th she rendezvoused off May Island with DD SOMALI and submarine depot ship TITANIA from Rosyth.

*Northern Waters*
British minefield BS.47 was laid by ML TEVIOTBANK and DD ICARUS. AA ship ALYNBANK transferred from convoy WN.38 to EN.27 and then to WN.39 off Buchanness. CLA CURACOA departed convoy WN.38 in Pentland Firth and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 17th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.244 departed Liverpool escort DDs CASTLETON, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, sloop SANDWICH, corvettes CYCLAMEN, HIBISCUS, RHODODENDRON. The escort, less sloop SANDWICH, was detached on the 21st. Sloop SANDWICH was detached on the 22nd. DD DOUGLAS departed Liverpool for Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 18th.

Ships of WS.4B departed Liverpool on the 17th and ships from Clyde departed the next day. The two sections met on the 18th. The convoy was composed of troopships ANDES , VICEROY OF INDIA , DUCHESS OF ATHOLL , OTRANTO , ORCADES , STRATHALLAN , STRATHAIRD , EMPRESS OF CANADA , REINA DEL PACIFICO , STRATHNAVER . The convoy was escorted by CA DEVONSHIRE, which was relieved on the 20th by CA NORFOLK , CL EDINBURGH from the Clyde and given local escort by British and Canadian DDs OTTAWA, SKEENA, ST LAURENT, SAGUENAY, ST ALBANS, ST MARYS, BATH.

*Channel*
DD BURNHAM departed Plymouth to work up at Scapa Flow, ariving on the 19th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.89 with 12 steamers departed Halifax escort by RCN DDs COLUMBIA and ST FRANCIS and aux PVs ELK and HUSKY. The Canadian DDs were detached on the 18th. Ocean escort was AMC COMORIN, which was detached on the 28th. BHX.89 departed Bermuda on the 15th, but returned to Bermuda later that same day and did not join HX.89. On the 28th, DD WARWICK and corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, PERIWINKLE joined the convoy. On 29 November DD WANDERER and corvette CLEMATIS joined. Corvette CAMPANULA was detached on the 30th. ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN escorted the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 1 December.

*Malta*
Eight Hurricane fighter aircraft which were due to land in Malta were reported missing. The fighters were part of an operation to deliver twelve Hurricanes as reinforcements for the Island’s RAF fighter defence force. The Hurricanes arrived in the western Mediterranean on board the aircraft carrier HMS ARGUS escorted by part of the Mediterranean fleet. The first of two waves of six Hurricanes and a Skua took off from ARGUS at 6.15 this morning to fly onward to Malta. The second wave set off an hour later.

Just after 9am the pilot of a Short Sunderland flying boat sent to guide the first formation to Malta saw two Hurricanes ditch into the sea. He was able to rescue one of the pilots, Sergeant R A Spyer, who reported that he had run out of fuel. The remaining four Hurricanes and the Skua landed safely at Luqa at 9.20am.


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## Njaco (Nov 16, 2015)

*November 17 Sunday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* There is a nighttime raid on Southampton by 150 German aircraft and attacks on London overnight with 49 aircraft. Corpo Aereo Italiano attacks Harwich overnight with 6 bombers.

Oblt. Eberhard Henrici, Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 26 is killed in combat over the Channel. He had seven victories flying Bf 109s with JG 26. Also killed this day is Roloff von Aspern of JG 54 who is shot down in combat. He had eighteen victories against the Allies.

British Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding was removed as the head of RAF Fighter Command after losing a political struggle with Sholto Douglas and other Big Wing proponents, despite his brilliant performance conserving fighters and pilots in the Battle of Britain. Nonetheless, he will be rewarded with a peerage in 1943 as Baron Dowding of Bentley Priory. Dowding is sent to work for the Ministry of Aircraft Production in the section dealing with orders for American planes. A new RAF Command for Army Cooperation is created, to be led by Air Marshal Arthur Barratt.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF made day attacks on the invasion ports and night raids on the Ruhr, Lorient and German airfields.

Adolf Galland claimed his 53rd, 54th, and 55th victories.

Pierre Barjot was assigned to Marseille, France to oversee merchant shipping.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek 3rd Army Corps engaged in heavy fighting with Italian 9th Army near Korcë, Albania. The Greek Liuba Detachment attacked toward lower Kalamas River in Thesprotia sector and Greek 8th Infantry Division attacked in Kalamas sector while the Greek 2nd Infantry Division attacked in Negrades sector. The Greek 9th Infantry Division, 10th Infantry Division, and 15th Infantry Division continued attacking in Koritsa sector.

British aircraft carrier HMS “_Argus_” launched 12 Hurricane and 2 Skua aircraft to reinforce Malta, but 6 Hurricane aircraft were ditched at sea and 1 Skua aircraft crash landed on Sicily, Italy after becoming lost.

General DeGaulle departs Free French Africa for London.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-137 attacked Allied convoy HG-46 40 miles north of Ireland, sinking British ship “_Saint Germain_” at 2014 hours (entire crew of 18 survived) and Swedish ship “_Veronica_” at 2040 hours (17 killed, 3 survived).

*GERMANY: *Overnight, RAF bombers raided Hamburg, Germany for the second consecutive night. British bombers also conduct a raid on the Gelsenkirchen oil plant, in the Ruhr, during the night. Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld scored his first victory; his victim was a British Wellington bomber.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The USSR demands control of Bulgaria and the withdrawal of German troops from Finland before it will join the Tripartite Pact.

*EAST AFRICA:* The Royal Navy announces that it has carried out a heavy bombardment of Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland.

*ASIA: *The Battle of South Kwangsi reaches a conclusion as the Japanese 22nd Army burns down Chinhsien and completes withdrawal to Hainan Island.

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## parsifal (Nov 17, 2015)

*18 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
MSW Type 1935 M-25, S Boat S-58
[NO IMAGE FOUND]





Neutral
Soviet S (Stalinec) class S-33





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS TULIP (K 29)





*Losses
MV CONGONIAN (UK 5065 grt) *Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen); Crew: 36 (1 dead and 35 survivors); Cargo: Empty Route: Liverpool - Freetown ;Convoy Unescorted; Sunk off the Coast of Sierra Leone; At 1802 hrs the unescorted CONGONIAN was hit in the engine room by one stern torpedo from U-65 WSW of Freetown and sank after being hit aft by a coup de grace at 1812 hours. One crew member was lost. The master and 34 crew members were picked up by CA DEVONSHIRE and landed at Freetown on 29 November.





RM submarine BARACCA sank *Steamer LILIAN MOLLER (UK 4866 grt) *from dispersed convoy SL.53. While en route from Calcutta, India, to London, via Cape of Good Hope Freetown, Sierra Leone, dispersed from Convoy SL.53, LILIAN MOLLER was sunk by 2 torpedoes fired by MAGGIORE BARACCA. Exact location of the loss is confused. The entire crew of the British steamer were lost





*Steamer NESTLEA (UK 4274 grt)*, became a straggler from SL.53, and was then sunk by the LW in 50‑38N, 10‑00W. The entire crew of the British steamer were rescued.

*Motor barge ABILITY (UK 293 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 51‑45ZN, 01‑11E. The entire crew of seven were rescued. The mine was laid by DKM TBs on 29/30 October in minefield "Alfred."

*Drifter GO AHEAD (UK 100 grt)* was sunk in a collision at Sheerness.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 18 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-137, U-138.
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK transferred to convoy EN.28 at Methil. The convoy was escorted to Pentland Firth.

FN.337 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 20th. FS.338 departed Methil, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON. The LW hit convoy FN.337. British steamer S. N. A. 8 was damaged off Swin Light Vessel, steamer LANGLEETARN was damaged off Lowestoft, Norwegian steamer FAVORIT was damaged also near Lowestoft.
Sloop LOWESTOFT, escorting convoy FN.336 off Lowestoft, shot down a HE111 bomber. British steamer BIELA was damaged in 52‑26N, 16‑31W. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th.

*West Coast UK*
Minelaying in St Georges Channel (at the southern end of the Irish Sea, between Ireland and Wales) began to extend the SN.1 and SN.2 minefields. On the 18th, MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, PORT QUEBEC, PORT NAPIER, MENESTHEUS laid minefield SN.3 in the NW approaches, escorted by DDs BRILLIANT, BULLDOG, BEAGLE. The DDs had departed Scapa Flow on the 17th for Loch Alsh, arriving at 1800. The MLs and DDs departed Loch Alsh on the 18th for the minelaying. The force arrived back at Loch Alsh on the 19th having successfully carried out the operation.

RAN CA AUSTRALIA docked at Liverpool for refitting from 22 November , but soon after commencement of the refit was struck by a 3000 pound dud bomb which then bounced off the ship onto the dry dock. The CA was under repair and refit until 27 December, and cleared from Liverpool docks on the 29 December.

OB.245 departed Liverpool escort DD SABRE and corvettes ASPHODEL and PICOTEE as well as ASW trawler VIZALMA. Corvettes ASPHODEL and PICOTEE was detached later that day. On the 19th, DDs MALCOLM and SARDONYX, corvette HELIOTROPE and ASW trawler WELLARD which joined the escort. On the 20th corvette MALLOW joined. The escort was detached on the 22nd.

*Med- Biscay*
CA YORK departed Port Said with a bn of troops for Suda Bay and AA guns for placement in the Athens port of Piraeus. The cruiser arrived at Suda Bay on the 19th and departed that day for Piraeus. The guns were delivered and cruiser YORK departed Piraeus on the 20th. On the 10th, CA DORSETSHIRE turned over convoy WS.3 to Red Sea escorts. The CA then departed Aden for Durban.
In operation ROPE on the 18th, CA DORSETSHIRE bombarded Dante in Italian Somaliland. British tkr EL NAWRAS was damaged by the RA at Alexandria.

*Coastal steamer ARDITA IV (FI 54 grt)* was sunk by Greek bombing at Valona.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.9 departed Aden, escorted by CL LEANDER, DD KINGSTON, sloops AUCKLAND, HINDUSTAN, SHOREHAM. KINGSTON and SHOREHAM were detached on the 20th. LEANDER and the two remaining sloops were detached on the 22nd. Sloop CLIVE joined on the 22nd and arrived with the convoy at Suez on the 25th. BS.9B departed Port Sudan, escorted by DD KIMBERLEY and sloop YARRA. The convoy was joined on the 21st by sloop INDUS. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 21st.

DKM Raider PINGUIN sank *steamer NOWSHERA (UK 7920 grt)* in the Indian Ocean in 31‑02S, 100‑51E. All Europeans on the steamer were made prisoners of war. RAN CA CANBERRA was in the area returning to port after searching for the ship that sank Norwegian tanker OLE JACOB, but no contact was made.


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## Njaco (Nov 17, 2015)

*November 18 Monday*
*GERMANY:* Overnight, RAF bombers raided Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhr region of Germany, bombing the Scholven/Buer hydrogenation plant, which made aviation fuel, and Gelsenberg-Benzin-AG plant, which converted bituminous coal to synthetic oil. RAF Bomber Command sends 11 aircraft to attack Leuna synthetic oil facility in Merseburg overnight.

Hitler meets with Italian Foreign Minister Ciano over Mussolini's disastrous invasion of Greece. At their meeting in Obersalzberg, Hitler excoriated Ciano for opening an opportunity for the British to enter Greece and establish an airbase in Athens, putting the Brits within striking distance of valuable oil reserves in Romania, which Hitler relied upon for his war machine. It also meant that Hitler would have to divert forces from North Africa, a high strategic priority, to Greece in order to bail Mussolini out. Hitler considered leaving the Italians to fight their own way out of this debacle—possibly even making peace with the Greeks as a way of forestalling an Allied intervention. But Germany would eventually invade, in April 1941, adding Greece to its list of conquests.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *In an Atlantic operation a U-boat approaching a convoy is detected by a Sutherland flying boat fitted with an Air to Surface Vessel (ASV1) radar set. This is the first time such a location has been achieved by airborne radar in operational conditions.

German submarine U-65 sank British tanker “_Congonian_” 125 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone at 1802 hours; 1 was killed and 35 survived.

Italian submarine “_Baracca_” sank British ship “_Lilian Moller_” 250 miles northwest of Ireland, killing the entire crew.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British cruiser HMS “_York_” departed Port Said, Egypt with a battalion of troops for Suda Bay, Crete, Greece, and anti-aircraft guns for Piraeus, Greece.

Greek Liuba Detachment forces Italian defenders to retreat from Igoumenitsa and across Kalamas River in Thesprotia sector as the Greek 8th Infantry Division continues attacking in Kalamas sector. Greek 9th Infantry Division, 10th Infantry Division, and 15th Infantry Division make no progress in Koritsa sector.

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## parsifal (Nov 18, 2015)

*19 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS COLLINGWOOD (K 180)




_COLLINGWOOD showing her as she appeared with her extended fo'cstle. Shge was The first RCN corvette to enter service, and served in the North Atlantic throughout the war._

Flower Class Corvette HMS FREESIA (K 43)





Flower Class Corvette HMS HOLLYHOCK (K 64)





_HOLLYHOCK was bombed and sunk by Japanese naval aircraft on 9 April 1942 east of Ceylon in the Indian Ocean, along with the CVL HERMES, the RAN DD VAMPIRE and two tankers._

Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 138





Motor minesweeper MMS 1 (J 501)




_MMS1 was the lead ship in a class of over 330 ships_

Rescue Tug HMS PRUDENT (W 73)

*Losses*
DDs CAMPBELL and GARTH on patrol in the Thames Estuary ambushed DKM S Boats S 38, S 54, and S 57 as they were positioning themselves in readiness to attack merchant shipping. During the ensuing fight SBoat S-38 (DKM 115 grt) 1was sunk.

FS.339 departed Methil, escorted by DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st. MSW *trawler FONTENOY (RN 276 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Lowestoft. There were no casualties on the trawler.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 19 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-137, U-138.
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.40. The convoy was attacked by the LW from 1740. The attacking planes were driven off by CURACOA's gunfire and escorting British Blenheim NF a/c. DD COSSACK, MAORI and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow on Operation DL, a sweep off the Norwegian coast commencing at 2135 in 63N and passing Budgrunden Bank and Langgrunds Bank until 0200/20th when the course was altered to the west. Only one fishing boat was sighted and the weather was too rough to permit boarding. The destroyers arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 21st. DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow to boiler clean at Rosyth. The DD arrived at Rosyth at 1100. DD BEDOUIN departed Portsmouth at 1700 to return to Scapa Flow after repairs, and arrived at Scapa Flow at 1400 on the 21st. DD DOUGLAS departed Scapa Flow to take over the escort of British steamer KYLE FISHER and submarine depot ship TITANIA to the Clyde. DD SOMALI arrived at Scapa Flow. DDs DOUGLAS and VIMY parted company with the convoy during the later afternoon of the 21st. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow during the late morning of at 22nd. DDs BEVERLEY and BROADWAY departed Plymouth to work up at Scapa Flow. The ships arrived at Scapa Flow late on the 21st.

British steamer FOLDA was damaged by the LW in 51‑47N, 01‑30E.

*SW Approaches*
OG.46 with 39 ships departed Liverpool, Clyde, Oban, Bristol with Corvette CANDYTUFT from the Clyde and corvette CALENDULA from Oban escorting the convoy from Home Waters. DD CALDWELL escorted the convoy from 19 to 24 November. Corvette HONEYSUCKLE escorted the convoy from 19 to 24 November. Corvette CALENDULA was relieved on the 20th by corvette BLUEBELL, which remained with the convoy until 24 November. Corvette CANDYTUFT escorted the convoy until 24 November. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 19 November to 5 December. DD WESTCOTT escorted the convoy on the 22nd. Near Gibraltar, the convoy was joined by DD WISHART on 3 December. WISHART escorted the convoy until its arrival at Gibraltar on 5 December.

*Central Atlantic*
SLS.56 departed Freetown. DD LEAMINGTON escorted the convoy from 5 to 9 December. SLS.56 rendezvoused with convoy SL.56. The combined convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 December.

*Med- Biscay*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Gibraltar on the 17th, arrived at Malta with 200 airmen and stores as part of Operation WHITE. NEWCASTLE was to have arrived at the same time as the a/c flown off from CVE ARGUS on the 17th, but German minelaying around Plymouth delayed her departure from Plymouth until 13 November, arriving at Gibraltar on the 16th. After delivery of this ground force to Malta, the CL proceeded to Alexandria arriving on the 22nd. DDs DUNCAN and FORESTER departed Gibraltar to meet arriving CL MANCHESTER and troopship FRANCONIA. They arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st. CL SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar to meet CL SOUTHAMTPON relieving her as escort of steamers CLAN FORBES, CLAN FRASER, NEW ZEALAND STAR. SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Gibraltar on the 22nd. On 22 November, DDs WISHART, WRESTLER, VELOX departed Gibraltar to join CL SHEFFIELD. DD VIDETTE sailed on the 23rd to relieve DD WISHART. CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Gib on the 24th after detaching from the convoy. DDs DUNCAN and HOTSPUR with corvettes PEONY, SALVIA, HYACINTH, GLOXINIA departed Gib to join the steamers and escort them through the Straits of Gibraltar in darkness. Sub UPRIGHT departed Gibraltar for patrol, then proceeding to Malta.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.9 departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were detached when the convoy was joined by CL LEANDER, CLA CARLISLE, DD KINGSTON, sloops AUCKLAND and HINDUSTAN. RAN CL HOBART joined on the 26th. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 26th.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 18, 2015)

*November 19 Tuesday
UNITED KINGDOM:* 357 German aircraft bombed Birmingham, England, overnight, dropping 403 tons of high explosive bombs and 810 incendiary bombs. KG 100 again leads the group of bombers from KG 26, KG 54, KG 55 and KuFlGr 606. About 900 were killed and 2,000 injured. Five bombers are shot down including a He 111 from 2./KG 55, shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashing in Warwickshire. Another bomber, a Ju 88 A-4 is shot down by a Beaufighter IF of RAF No 604 Squadron becoming the first radar kill of the war.

German motor torpedo boats S-38, S-54 and S-57 venture into the Thames Estuary. They are attacked by British destroyers HMS “_Campbell_” and HMS “_Garth_”, sinking S-38.

Noor Inayat Khan joined the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force, receiving the rank of Aircraftwoman 2nd Class.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek I, II and III Corps troops defeat the invading Italians and mount a counter-attack against the Italians, driving the greater part of Italian Ninth Army back into Albania. Italian troops were driven across the Kalamas River in northwestern Greece by Greek troops. Greek Liuba Detachment prepared to cross Kalamas River in Thesprotia sector while Greek 8th Infantry Division continued attacking in Kalamas sector. Greek 2nd Infantry Division captured Agios Kosmas in Negrades sector and Greek 11th and 13th Infantry Divisions became committed to operations in Koritsa sector. There was heavy fighter combat in the air over the Koritsa area. To the south, British cruiser HMS “_York_” arrived at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece and disembarked a battalion of troops.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* RAF bombers attacked the Skoda armament plant at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia with little effect. The Skoda works will remain undamaged until almost the end of the war.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German bombers attacked an Allied convoy in the North Sea 12 miles off the coast of East Anglia, England, sinking minesweeping trawler HMT “_Fontenoy_” and damaging 3 freighters. Sloop HMS “_Lowestoft_” shot down one German bomber.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Canadian government approves initiation of mass production of war bacteria.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Pro-Nazi Swiss National Movement is banned in Switzerland.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler tells Spanish Foreign Minister Serano Suner to make good on an agreement for Spain to attack Gibraltar, a British-controlled region. This would seal off the Mediterranean and trap British troops in North Africa. Hitler was keen on pushing Spain in this direction. But when the Fuhrer emphasized the need to move quickly, the Spanish foreign minister, on orders from Franco, insisted that Spain would need 400,000 tons of grain before it could wage war against Britain. Hitler knew this was merely a delaying tactic; Franco did not want to commit his country to the war, even as he allowed German subs to refuel in Spanish ports and German spies to keep tabs on British naval forces in Gibraltar.

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## Njaco (Nov 19, 2015)

*November 20 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *The bombers of I./KG 55 return to raid Birmingham. 116 German bombers dropped 132 tons of high explosive bombs and 296 incendiary bombs on Birmingham, England, overnight and suffer one He 111 destroyed upon returning to Dreux airfield.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 6./JG 51 is transferred to JG 26 as Staffelkapitän of 1st Staffel in place of Oblt. Henrici, lost on 17 November.

Without much fanfare, Reichsmarschall Göring rescinds his order of 31 July in which the emblem of JG 53 was to be removed from all the Geschwader's aircraft and replaced by a red band. The response to this malicious command was an order by the Kommodore of JG 53, Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilke, to remove the Swastika from the tailfins of the aircraft along with the Geschwader emblem. With the removal of Göring's order, the Swastika slowly begins reappearing on the "Pik As" fighters. As if in celebration, the Geschwader shoots down its 500 aircraft of the war.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Hungarian Prime Minister Teleki and Foreign Minister Csaky signed a protocol in Vienna, Austria, joining the Tripartite Pact.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British cruiser HMS “_York_” delivered anti-aircraft guns to Piraeus, Greece and returned to Alexandria, Egypt.

Italian torpedo boat “_Confienza_” sank after colliding with Italian armed merchant cruiser “_Capitano A. Cecchi_” off Brindisi, Italy.

No. 261 Squadron RAF was transferred to RAF Station Takali.

RAF Air Marshal Boyd is captured by Italians when his plane makes a forced landing in Sicily.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” stopped British ship “_Maimoa_” with gunfire in the southern Indian Ocean after a long chase. The crew of 87 were taken prisoner and the ship was scuttled.

British bombers sank Italian ship “_Ardita III_” in the Red Sea off Assab, Italian East Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA: *U.S. Secretary of War Henry Stimson and British Minister of Supply Sir Walter Layton agreed to a partial standardization of British and American military weapons and equipment. The agreement established a general policy of pooling British and American technical knowledge, patents, and formulas for weapons production.

*ASIA: *In what will become known as the "100th Regiment Offensive," Chinese Communists stage guerrilla raids against Japanese forces. They succeeded in blowing up bridges and tunnels and ripping up track, and went on to attack Japanese garrisons frontally. About 600 mi (970 km) of railways were destroyed, and the Jingxing coal mine—which was important to the Japanese war industry—was rendered inoperative for six months. It was the greatest victory the CCP fought and won during the war.

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## parsifal (Nov 20, 2015)

*20 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS MARGUERITE (K 54)





MSW Whaler Hektor 7
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses
TB CONFIENZA (RM 875 grt)* was sunk in an accidental collision with Italian armed merchant cruiser CAPITANO A. CECCHI (2321grt) off Brindisi.





Coastal steamer ARDITA III (FI 57 grt) was sunk by British bombing at Assab.

DKM Raider PINGUIN sank *steamer MAIMOA (UK 8011 grt)* in the Indian Ocean at32‑14S, 100‑56E. The entire crew were made prisoners of war. RAN CA arrived at Fremantle. On hearing of this attack the cruiser put out to sea. The heavy cruiser departed the same day for steamer MAIMOA's position.On 22 November, CANBERRA rescued some crew from steamer PORT WELLINGTON sunk the next day and searched for the German ship until 24 November. The Australian cruiser returned to Fremantle on the 27th.





*MSW HMAS GOORANGI (RAN 223 grt)* was lost in a collision off Port Phillip with British troopship DUNTROON. The entire crew of some 23 were lost in the ex-trawler.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-94, U-95, U-140

At Sea 20 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-137, U-138, U-140.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.338 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and VERSATILE. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 22nd. FS.340 departed Methil, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on 22 November.

British tanker CHESAPEAKE was damaged by a German bomb off the Lizard.

*Northern Patrol*

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy EN.29. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow as AA component of the EN.28 escort. DDs BRILLIANT, BEAGLE, BULLDOG departed Loch Alsh and joined DD ELECTRA which departed Scapa Flow at 1430. The DDs rendezvoused off the Butt of Lewis and proceeded to 60N, 17W to meet BB RODNEY and escort her into Scapa Flow. The four DDs met RODNEY on the 22nd as planned, but BULLDOG lost touch after the rendezvous during the night and arrived at Scapa Flow at 1400/23rd. The BB and the other DDs arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd. DDs BRADFORD and BROADWATER departed Plymouth at 1800 to work up at Scapa Flow. BROADWATER put into Milford Haven on the 21st to correct defects. BRADFORD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.

*West Coast UK*
OB.246 departed Liverpool escort DD WALKER. On 21 November, sloop CHEVREUIL and corvettes CROCUS and HEARTSEASE joined the escort. The escort was detached on the 24th.


*SW Approaches*
HG.47 departed Gibraltar with 30 ships. Sloop ROCHESTER escorted the convoy from 20 November to 4 December. DD HOTSPUR escorted the convoy on the 20th only. DDs HIGHLANDER and SAGUENAY joined the convoy on the 30th. DD SAGUENAY was torpedoed on 1 December and was assisted by DD HIGHLANDER to port. DDs ACHATES and ANTHONY were detached from convoy SL.55 to replace the destroyers. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 4 December.

DDs FOXHOUND and FORTUNE departed Gibraltar to join CVCL FURIOUS and escort her to Freetown.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 20, 2015)

*November 21 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The I Gruppe of JG 77 was redesignated as IV./JG 51 with Hptm. Johannes Janke retaining his post as Gruppenkommandeur. Based at Marquise, the unit uses Bf 109Es for operations against the Allies. 

*GERMANY: *German warships “_Scharnhorst_”, “_Gneisenau_”, “_Köln_”, and “_Leipzig_” departed for a sweep against Allied shipping between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

The German 6.Armee exercised a simulated invasion of Ireland.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek troops defeated the Italian IX Army and captured Koritza, Albania. The surviving elements of the Italian IX Army was able to escape without being harassed as the Greeks were poorly motorized and could not give chase.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” attacked British freighter “_Port Brisbane_” in the southern Indian Ocean. “_Port Brisbane_”, carrying a cargo of 5000 tons of frozen meat, 3000 tons of wool, butter and cheese from Adelaide to Britain, is armed with two 6-inch guns. Well after dark, "_Pinguin_" approaches "_Port Brisbane_" and, seeing her armaments, shells her to a standstill (killing the radio operator). 67 were taken prisoner and 27 escaped in a lifeboat. “_Port Brisbane_” was sunk by torpedo after scuttling charges failed to sink her. 27 crew escape in a lifeboat and are picked up by Australian cruiser HMAS “_Canberra_”, which has been sent to locate “_Pinguin_”. However, “_Pinguin_” gets away.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-103 fired torpedoes from a surfaced position at Allied convoy OB-244 200 miles northwest of Ireland at 0740 hours, sinking British ship “_Daydawn_” (2 killed, 36 survived) and Greek ship “_Victoria_” (entire crew of 27 survived). A ship in the convoy attempted to ram U-103, but U-103 dodged the ramming attack. U-103 fired a torpedo at her attacker, but that torpedo, though striking the target, failed to detonate.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A German aircraft bombed the British Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, England, damaging the diplomatic section, the telephone exchange, and the typists room. There were no casualties. The attack was almost certainly accidental, as the Germans did not know of the importance of this site. Diplomatic section suffers a direct hit, damaging the telephone exchange and typists’ room and a bomb damages the nearby vicarage. A bomb lands near Hut 4, lifting it off the foundations. 3 other bombs fail to explode.

The British No. 2 Commando Battalion was redesignated 11th Special Air Service Battalion for training as paratroopers.

*NORTH AMERICA: *In the United States the Dies report on German and Communist espionage and subversive activities is published. As in the similar investigations which have been made in Britain, the strength of these disruptive elements is wildly overestimated and accompanied with call for preventive measures.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *In Sydney the Australian government presents its war budget for the coming year. Twenty percent of the national income is to be devoted to war expenditure and it to be financed by considerable increases in taxation.

.



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## parsifal (Nov 21, 2015)

*21 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-110




_3 ships sunk, total tonnage 10,149 GRT, 2 ships damaged, total tonnage 8,675 GRT U-110 was captured on 9 May 1941 in the Nth Atlantic east of Cape Farewell, Greenland by the HM DDs BULLDOG and BROADWAY and the corvette HMS AUBRETIA. After obtaining vital information, the boat was allowed to sink the day after to preserve the secret of her capture._

Raum Boat R-60




_R60 R-boat (Räumboot) was built by Abeking Rasmussen shipyard located in Lemwerder, Germany as a MSW and SC escort vessel. The vessel served in the 5. Räumbootsflottille during World War II. On the 14 September 1941, the R60 was sunk due to sabotage at 0230 hrs in Helsinki, East Dock, along with R61 and R62, 61 personnel killed. _

*Losses
MV DAYDAWN (UK 4768 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew: 38 (2 dead and 36 survivors); Cargo: Coal Route: Barry - Rio Santiago, Argentina; Convoy OB-244; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0740 hrs, U-103 fired torpedoes at the convoy OB-244 about 250 miles west of Bloody Foreland and sank the DAYDAWN. Schütze reported a hit on an unknown steamer running directly for the U-boat, but the torpedo glanced off and did not explode. U-103 was attacked and claimed sunk by Corvette RHODODENDRON, which was escorting convoy HX.87/OB.244 with DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, CASTLETON and corvette HIBISCUS. U.103 was not damaged. However, U.104, which is generally credited to corvette RHODODENDRON in this attack, survived several more days to sink two tkrs on the 27th. U.104 was to be lost on the 28th NW of Tory Island to a mine. The submarine on her first war patrol was lost with all hands of forty nine crew. After the convoy duty, the corvettes arrived at Liverpool on the 26th and the DDs arrived at the Clyde on the 28th.

At 0750 hrs another attack was made and the DAYDAWN. 36 crew members from the DAYDAWN were picked up by Corvette RHODODENDRON.

*MV VICTORIA (UK 6085 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew: 27 (0 dead and 27 survivors); Cargo: Ballast Route: Avonmouth - Botwood, Newfoundland ;Convoy OB-244; Sunk In the Western Approaches ; During an attack on convoy OB 244 NW of Ireland (in which two ships were sunk), MV VICTORIA of the convoy vessels attempted turned to ram the surfaced U-103. U-103 evaded this atack before she fired a torpedo at the vessel, which missed, and just managed to evade ramming. At 0750 hrs, after the attack on the DAYDAWN, another attack on the convoy was made and the VICTORIA was sunk. The VICTORIA was abandoned by the crew, later located in 56°08N/14°20W and a tug was sent out to recover the ship, but failed to find her on 23 November. The survivors were picked up by HMS CASTLETON.





U.103 attacked a third steamer at the same area, but the torpedo glanced off the steamer's hull and did not explode.

*Steamer DAKOTIAN (UK 6426 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Dale Roads, Milford Haven. The entire crew was rescued.
(Photo Source: WW2 Loss: - ss DAKOTIAN)





*Drifter XMAS ROSE (UK 96 grt) * was sunk on a mine in the Thames Estuary. the skipper and 3 other ratings were lost.

*Schooner BRIGETTE RAABE (Ger 375 grt) *was badly damaged in a collision eighteen miles south of Utklippan. She was not salvable and her wreck was sunk. She was sunk when on route from Stugsund for Germany with a cargo of timber. She was built by Gartha Verft of Arendal and owned by Fritz Raabe of Rostock, Germany.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 21 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-137, U-138, U-140.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy WN.41. FN.339 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 23rd. FS.341 departed Methil, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 23rd.

*West Coast UK*
Greek steamer PELEUS was damaged on a mine at Milford Haven.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.90 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DD ASSINIBOINE, aux PV FRENCH, corvette WINDFLOWER. The convoy was given ocean escort by AMC LACONIA which was detached on 1 December. BHX.90 departed Bermuda on the 19th escort AMC MALOJA. The two convoys merged on the 24th and at that point the AMC was detached. DDs VANQUISHER and VISCOUNT joined on 1 December and sloop FOLKESTONE and corvette GENTIAN on 2 December. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 December.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.56 departed Freetown escort AMC BULOLO to 8 December and sloop BRIDGEWATER to 22 November. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy SLS.56. On 9 December DD HIGHLANDER and on 10 December DD BURNHAM joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 December.

*Med- Biscay*
Gk DD AETOS claimed sinking an Italian submarine between Skiathos and Trikeri Channel.





ASW trawler LYDIARD attacked a submarine contact, near Port Said. The trawler was damaged by the explosion of one of her DCs and was forced to return to harbour. DDs HAVOCK and HASTY departed Alexandria on the 22nd to search in the area.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM Raider PINGUIN sank *steamer PORT BRISBANE (UK 8739 grt) *in the Indian Ocean. One crewman was lost from the British steamer. 58 crew, 2 gunners and a passenger were made POWs. RAN CA CANBERRA refuelling at Fremantle and lRAN CL PERTH on convoy duty were dispatched to search for the German ship. PERTH escorted her convoy away from the danger area before joining the search. No contact was made, but CANBERRA was able to rescue the survivors from PORT WELLINGTON and take them to Fremantle.
(Photo Source: PORT BOW VIEW OF THE BRITISH CARGO VESSEL PORT BRISBANE WHICH WAS SUNK IN THE INDIAN OCEAN BY THE GERMAN AUXILIARY CRUISER PINGUIN ON 1940-11-21, HER SURVIVORS BEING RESCUED BY HMAS CANBERRA. ...)





*Malta*


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## parsifal (Nov 21, 2015)

*22 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
ELCO 70' class USS PT 14





Allied
Flower Class corvette HMCS ARROWHEAD (K 145)




_After commissioning as HMS ARROWHEAD on this day, the ship sailed to Sunderland to fully fit out which took two months. She worked up at Tobermory and joined EG-4 of Iceland Command. She was transferred to the RCN in June 1941, after commissioning in the RCN, ARROWHEAD joined Newfoundland Force and spent the majority of 1941 escorting convoys from St. John's to Iceland. In late December, she was sent to Charleston for a refit. She returned to Halifax in February 1942 and did one more cross-Atlantic convoy before being reassigned to Western Local Escort Force (WLEF). In July she joined the Gulf Escort Force and participated in the Battle of the St. Lawrence. She underwent two major refits which included the fitting of radar and ahead throwing ASW weaponary. Her Fo'c's'le was extended at Baltimore (Maryland, U.S.A.) on 25 May 1944. She was decommissioned and returned to the RN on 27 June 1945. Sold in May 1947. Became the merchantile Southern Larkspur in 1948. Scapped at Odense, Denmark in November 1959._

*Losses
MV CREE (UK 4971 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle); Crew: 45 (45 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Iron Ore; Route: Pepel - Freetown (27 Oct) - Workington ; Convoy SL-53 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0021 hrs the CREE, a straggler from convoy SL-53, was torpedoed and sunk by U-123 about 365 miles west of Bloody Foreland. The master, 42 crew members and two gunners were lost.





*ML.127 (RN 75 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Thames Estuary. The skipper and ten ratings were lost in the motor launch.

*Trawler ETHEL TAYLOR (UK 276 grt) * was lost on a mine 7.5 cables 090° from the Tyne Pier Light. Two crew were lost on the trawler.

*Steamer PIKEPOOL (UK 3683 grt)* was sunk on a mine 23 miles ESE of Smalls Light, on a voyage from Glasgow to Barry in ballast. 16 crew and the naval gunner were lost on the steamer.





*Tug HERCULES (UK 82 grt)*, towing 116 Hopper Barge, was sunk on a mine in 55‑01N, 01‑23W. Four crew were listed missing (and never found) and one was killed on the tug.

The Barge was towed into the Tyne.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-137

At Sea 22 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-138, U-140.
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy EN.30. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow for gunnery practice then joined convoy WN.42 in Pentland Firth. FN.340 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WOLFHOUND and patrol sloop SHEARWATER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 24th. FS.342 departed Methil, escort sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th.

*West Coast UK*
Swedish steamer BIFROST was damaged by the LW at Alfred Dock, Birkenhead.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.13 departed St Johns at 1145 escorted by RCN armed yacht HUSKY. On the 23rd, HUSKY left the convoy. No ocean escort was provided. In heavy weather, three steamers foundered in this convoy. *Steamer KOLCHIS (Gk 2219 grt)* on the 23rd, *Steamer LISIEUX (UK 2594 grt)* on the 27th and *Steamer EUGENIA CAMBANIS (Gk 3470 grt)* on the 28th. 23 crew were lost in KOLCHIS; none in the other two steamers. On 5 December, DDs SABRE, SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes CLARKIA and HELIOTROPE joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 December.

*Med- Biscay
Steamer CHARLES PLUMIER (Vichy 4504 grt)*, a former AMC in Maritime Nationale service was captured by DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER 110 miles off Gibraltar. This was a RATION operation and CL DESPATCH was at sea to cover the DDs. Vichy DD BOULONNAIS escorting the steamer was permitted to retire unmolested. She in turn allowed her charge to be captured. CHARLES PLUMIER arrived at Gibraltar on the 22nd and was renamed LARGS for British use. British tanker ZAHRA was damaged by RA bombing at Alexandria.





*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 21, 2015)

*November 22 Friday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek 3rd Army Corps finally takes Korçë, 10 miles inside Albania, after a week of heavy fighting against Italian 9th Army. They capture 2000 prisoners and 135 field guns and 600 machineguns. However, the Greeks are poorly motorised and have no armour, allowing the Italians to withdraw and regroup. Almost all the invading Italian forces have now been driven back to Albania.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British destroyers HMS “_Faulknor_” and HMS “_Forester_” approached Vichy French destroyer “_Boulonnais_” and freighter “_Charles Plumier_” off Spanish Morocco. “_Boulonnais_” backed off from the engagement, thus allowing “_Charles Plumier_” to be captured. “_Charles Plumier_” would later be pressed into British service as amphibious command ship HMS “_Largs_” commissioned into the Royal Navy in November 1941 and will serve as Command Ship for almost every major Allied amphibious landing in Europe including Operations Torch, Husky and Overlord.

German submarine U-123 sank British ship “_Cree_” 365 miles west of Ireland shortly after midnight, killing the entire crew of 45.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British motor launch ML.127 hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, killing all 11 aboard.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Italian aircraft bombed Alexandria, Egypt, damaging British tanker “Zahra”.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The first execution by shooting took place at Auschwitz Concentration Camp; 40 men from Katowice, Poland were shot between 0000 and 0020 hours by SS men in retaliation of assault on a police official.

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## parsifal (Nov 22, 2015)

*23 November 1940 (Part I) 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-70




_U-70 's first and only patrol began on 20 February 1941. On 26 February she sank the 820 ton Swedish merchant ship GOTEBORG, sth of Iceland. U-70 joined U-47, U-99, and U-A in a wolfpack that attacked Convoy OB 293 SE of Iceland on 7 March 1941. In her first attack at 0445 U-70 damaged the 6,568 ton British tanker ATHELBEACH (later sunk by U-99),[7] and the 6,423 ton British merchant vessel DELILIAN. At 0725 U-70 struck again and hit the 7,493 ton Dutch tkr MIJDRECHT. However the Master spotted the periscope of U-70, rammed the submerged U-boat , damaging the conning tower and reported its position to the convoy escorts.At 0815, the British corvette CAMELLIA sighted U-70, which promptly dived. Until 1030 CAMELLIA and her sister ship ARBUTUS attacked five times with DCs, then ARBUTUS made another four attacks. In total the two corvettes dropped 48 DCs. Finally, at 1244, U-70 was forced to the surface and was abandoned by her crew. There were 25 survivors of her crew of 45, which were picked up and taken prisoner._

Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 159 (ML 159), Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 168 (ML 168 )

*Losses*
Battle For SC-11
SC-11 had already been located and attacked the previous day. During the night of the 22/23 November, with the escorts disposed in a crescent shape ahead of the convoy, the U-100 operating in a lone wolf attack, penetrated undetected to the centre pf the convoy, from where she operated with a degree of impunity.

*MV JUSTITIA (UK 4562 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 39 (13 dead and 26 survivors); Cargo: timber, steel, Turpentine and General cargo Route: Savannah, Georgia - Sydney - London ; Convoy SC-11; Sunk In the Western Approaches . At 0018 hrs the JUSTITIA in convoy SC-11 was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-100 and sank about 160 miles west of Bloody Foreland, Co. Donegal. The master and 12 crew members were lost. 25 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS ENCHANTRESS (L 56) and landed at Liverpool.





*MV OOTMARSUM (NL 3628 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 25 (25 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Iron Ore; Route: Sydney - Newport; Convoy SC-11; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0101 hrs the OOTMARSUM in convoy SC-11 was hit by one torpedo from U-100 from a distance of 600 metres and sank by the bow in less than 30 seconds. She sank so fast the convoy commodore was not even aware that the ship had been sunk.





*MV BRADFYNE (UK 4740 grt)*Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 43 (39 dead and 4 survivors); Cargo:Grain Route: Montreal - Sydney - Belfast ;Convoy SC-11; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0117 hrs the BRADFYNE in convoy SC-11 was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-100 and sank SE of Rockall. The master, 37 crew members and one gunner were lost. Four crew members in a lifeboat were picked up two days later by the NORSE KING and landed at Belfast.





*MV BRUSE (Nor 2205 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 1 (16 dead and 5 survivors); Cargo: Lumber; Route: Sydney - Ipswich ;Convoy SC-11; Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 0414 hrs the BRUSE in convoy SC-11 was hit by one torpedo from U-100 and broke in two. Five survivors, including the master were picked up by the HMCS SKEENA (D 59). The afterpart sank, but the forepart was found a few days later with the cargo intact and was subsequently towed to shore and unloaded, but she was beyond repair and was delivered for breaking up at Troon in June 1941.
(Photo Source: Sjøhistorisk database - Alle mønstringsdistrikt.)





*MV SALONICA (Nor 2694 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 25 (9 dead and 16 survivors); Cargo: Timber; Route: Pugwash, Nova Scotia - Sydney - Newcastle; Convoy SC-11; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0436 hrs the SALONICA in convoy SC-11 was hit on the port side amidships by one torpedo from U-100. The explosion killed two men on watch below and blew away the port lifeboat. When 16 men launched the starboard boat in rough seas, it capsized when reaching the water throwing all men into the sea. Two men managed to get back on the vessel and later abandoned ship together with seven other survivors in the workboat to row to HMCS SKEENA. Seven men swimming in the water from the starboard lifeboat were rescued by HMS ENCHANTRESS.





*MV LEISE MAERSK (UK 3136 grt,* Ex Danish vessel seized by the British following Danish surrender) Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew:24 (17 dead and 7 survivors); Cargo:Grain and General Cargo; Route: Three Rivers - Sydney - Sharpness ; Convoy SC-11; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0802 hrs on 23 Nov 1940 the LEISE MAERSK in convoy SC-11 was torpedoed and sunk by U-100 about 120 miles west of Rockall. The master and 16 crew members were lost. Seven crew members were picked up by a Dutch salvage tug and landed at Campbeltown.





*MV BUSSUM (NL 3636 grt) *Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 29 (0 dead and 29 survivors); Cargo: Grain; Route: Montreal (1 Nov) - Sydney - Belfast; Convoy SC-11; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2105 hours the BUSSUM in convoy SC-11 was hit in the bow by the last torpedo of U-100 about 90 miles west of Tory Island and foundered later. The entire crew was rescued by HMCS OTTAWA.





U-100. After a highly successful attack on convoy SC 11 , star shells from a DD forced U-100 to dive. The depth charging that then followed disabled the hydrophones.

Convoy OB-244
*MV OAKCREST (UK 5407 grt)* Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle); Crew: 41 (35 dead and 6 survivors); Cargo:Empty; Route: Liverpool - New York; Convoy OB-244 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0416 hrs the OAKCREST a straggler from convoy OB-244, was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-123 and sank within 6 mins about 250 miles west of Rockall. . Six survivors made it to a lifeboat and eventually landed on Barra Island, Hebrides.

*MV KING IDWAL (UK 5115 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle); Crew: 40 (12 dead and 28 survivors); Cargo: Empty Route: Liverpool - Baltimore ;Convoy OB-244; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0712 hrs the KING IDWAL was torpedoed and sunk by U-123 about 158 miles west of Rockall. The master and 27 crew members were picked up by HMS SANDWICH and landed at Liverpool on 27 November.





*MV TYMERIC (UK 5228 grt)* Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle); Crew: 76 (71 dead and 5 survivors); Cargo: Coal; Route: Hull - Buenos Aires; Convoy OB-244; Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 0815 hrs the TYMERIC was hit by a stern torpedo from U-123 and sank in flames after 17 mins about 350 miles WNW of Malin Head. The master and four crew members were picked up by HMS SANDWICH and landed at Liverpool.





*MV ANTEN (SD 5135 grt) *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle); Crew: 3 (1 dead and 32 survivors); Cargo: Ballast Route: Liverpool - Capetown; Convoy OB-244; Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 0914 hrs the ANTEN was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-123 and was abandoned by the crew. The survivors were picked up by HMS SANDWICH (L 12) and landed at Liverpool on 27 November. The wreck sank two days later. The U-boat had tried to finish off the torpedoed ship, but it collided submerged with an object, probably another wreck or debris. Both periscopes and the conning tower were damaged and forced U-123 to break off the patrol.





While attacking convoy OB 244 U-123 was seriously damaged by a collision with an unidentified object (probably a submerged half sunk wreck and had to return to France for 50 days of repairs.

*Tug BONAPARTE (UK 38 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Southampton, near Northam Bridge.

*Drifter NEW COMET (UK 245 grt) *was sunk on a mine 3000 yards 072° from Tyne Point War Signal Station. The drifter was beached inside the river entrance. The vessel was re-floated but sank during the night of 27/28 February 1941.

*Drifter SAILOR KING (UK 41 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Brightlingsea.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 23 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-138, U-140.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.343 departed Methil, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th.

*Northern Patrol*
BC HOOD and DDs ESCAPADE, COSSACK, SIKH ESKIMO departed Scapa to cover minelaying by the MLSqn 1 also escorted by CL AURORA which also departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd. DD KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with Rear Admiral Minelayers five miles 030° from Butt of Lewis at 2045. During the night of 22 November, ML PORT NAPIER's port propeller was fouled by the cable of collier BALMAHA. The ML was unable to proceed on the operation.
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC departed Loch Alsh on the 23rd, escort DDs BATH and ST ALBANS. Minefield SN.11 was laid off the southern tip of Iceland in the Denmark Strait. The MLs returned to Loch Alsh on the 26th. ML PORT NAPIER was lost in a fire in Loch Alsh on the 27th. DD KEPPEL was detached to arrive for refuelling in Iceland on the 27th. DDs BATH and ST ALBANS refuelled at Iceland on the 27th. The covering force was joined by DD KEPPEL arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK relieved CLA CURACOA in convoy EN.30, with the CURACOA proceeding to Scapa Flow.


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## Njaco (Nov 22, 2015)

*November 23 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* In Berlin Marshal Antonescu, the leader of Romania, agrees to join the Axis powers. The Romanian government followed the Hungarians in joining the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis as they threw their lot in with the Germans as the Soviets threatened their borders. There are also talks on preparation for a German attack on Greece by the forces based in Romania. Germany is putting pressure on all the Balkan states since the Italian invasion of Greece in an attempt to ensure the stability of food and oil supplies. Originally formulated in Berlin on September 27, the pact formally recognized an alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan, termed the “Axis.” As more European nations became subject to fascist domination and invasion, they too were drawn into the pact, albeit as unequal partners (Hungary was made an Axis “power” on November 20). Now it was Romania’s turn.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Lothar Keller relieves Hptm. Erich Woitke as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 3. Hptm. Woitke was made temporary Gruppenkommandeur when Hptm. Erich von Selle was promoted out of the Geschwader.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-100 attacked Allied convoy SC-11 100 miles off Ireland throughout the day, sinking 6 ships totaling 24,601 tons and killing 119.

German submarine U-123 attacked Allied convoy OB-244 250 miles west of Ireland between 0416 and 0914 hours, sinking 4 ships totaling 20,885 tons and killing 119. After one of the attacks, U-123 collided with one of the sinking ships, damaging the periscope and conning tower, forcing her to sail for Lorient, France for repairs.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* German bombers attacked Southampton, England, overnight, damaging British troopship “_Llandovery Castle_” and paddle minesweeper “_Duchess Of Cornwall_”. Seven Italian Caproni BR20m bombers, flying from bases in Belgium, are shot down by Fighter Command during an air attack on the UK.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill informs the First Lord of the Admiralty and the First Sea Lord that British policy in the Far East would be strictly defensive, accepting the consequences.

*ASIA:* Japanese 11th Army began to prepare for an offensive in Hubei Province, China. The army was organized into five groups under the overall command of Lieutenant General Waichiro Sonobe.

“_Nachi_” arrived at Sasebo, Japan.

*NORTH AMERICA:* It was announced in the United States that Admiral William Leahy was to be appointed Ambassador to France in place of Mr. William Bullitt.

The new British Ambassador to the United States, Lord Lothian, talks in New York of the possibility of Britain running out of ready money and securities to pay for arms and says that Britain will need financial help in 1941. In fact by April 1941 British reserves of gold and dollars will be as low as $12,000,000 -- a mere pittance when set against arms expenditure.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 23, 2015)

*23 November 1940 (Part II) *
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*West Coast UK*
OB.248 departed Liverpool escort DDs VERITY and WITHERINGTON, sloop FOLKESTONE, corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA. The escort was detached on the 26th.

*Channel*
British troopship LLANDOVERY CASTLE was damaged by LW at Southampton. British steamer DUCHESS OF CORNWALL was damaged by the LW alongside Royal Pier, Southampton. Steamer DUCHESS OF CORNWALL had been hired as a paddle minesweeper. She was not handed over because of this damage.

*Central Atlantic*
DD KELVIN had a number of British and other passengers from Casablanca whom had been removed from Portuguese steamer MIRA AZUL off Cape Spartel.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs HAVOCK and HASTY, which departed Alexandria on the 22nd for an ASW, arrived back in time to depart with the Fleet. In Operation MB 9, Force C of BBs MALAYA and RAMILLIES, CVL EAGLE, CLs ORION, RAN SYDNEY, AJAX, DDs HYPERION, HAVOCK, HASTY, ILEX, GALLANT, DAINTY, DIAMOND departed Alexandria to cover the movement of convoy MW.4 of steamers BRECONSHIRE, MEMNON, CLAN FERGUSON, CLAN MACAULAY escorted by Force D.of CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY and RAN DDs VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, and RN DD GREYHOUND. Force C arrived at Suda Bay for refuelling on the 24th. CA BERWICK departed Alexandria later in the day and joined Force C off Suda Bay on the 24th. A Greek convoy of nine ships, escorted by six destroyers, departed Candia for Piraeus. Corvettes SALVIA, PEONY, GLOXINIA, HYACINTH arrived at Gibraltar from England. DDs JAGUAR and KELVIN arrived at Gibraltar from Plymouth and temporarily joined DesFlot 8.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean* 
Convoy BN.9A departed Aden, escort DD KIMBERLEY. RAN Sloop PARRAMATTA joined on the 24th. Both ships were detached on the 25th. Sloop GRIMSBY joined on the 27th and arrived at Suez with the convoy on the 28th.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 23, 2015)

*November 24 Sunday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* From 6 PM to midnight, the Luftwaffe drops 156 tons of high explosive bombs and 12,500 incendiary canisters on Bristol, destroying large parts of the medieval city, historic buildings, and four churches (St Peter’s, St Nicholas, St Mary-le-Port and Temple) and damaging 10,000 homes. Historical buildings such as the Dutch House and St Peter's Hospital, and various buildings in the historical Castle Park district, were damaged. 207 were killed, 689 were injured, and 1,400 were made homeless. The 5./KG 55 lose a He 111 to anti-aircraft fire during the raid on Bristol. The bomber crashes into the sea off of Plymouth, Devon. All of the crew members are killed or missing including War Correspondent Sdrfhr. Emil Weihmuller. Lord Mayor of Bristol says;


> “The City of Churches had in one night become the city of ruins.”



Anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Amethyst_” (captained by the Hon. William Rous, later the 5th Earl of Stradbroke) hits a mine and sinks in the Thames estuary (7 men wounded, all hands rescued by anti-submarine trawler “_Le Tiger_”).

The British Treasury canceled the bank holiday Boxing Day.

The first trainees from the Empire Air Training Scheme arrive in the UK.

Death of Lord Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland since 1921, aged 69. Succeeded by J. M. Andrews.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hptm. Joachim Helbig, Staffelkapitän of 4./LG 1 is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” stopped British ship “_Port Hobart”_ near the Azores. The crew was imprisoned and “_Port Hobart_” was scuttled.

German destroyers “_Galster_”, “_Lody_”, and “_Beitzen_” departed Brest, France after sundown to attack British shipping off Cornwall, southwestern England, sinking Belgian trawler “_Marguerite Simonne_” and Dutch ship “_Apollonia_” (killing 15). Five British destroyers were dispatched to hunt down the attackers. British destroyers HMS “_Javelin_”, “_Jersey_”, “_Jackal_”, “_Jupiter_” and “_Kashmir_” search unsuccessfully for the German destroyers which return to Brest the next day.

*GERMANY:* Hitler continues to solidify alliances in Central Europe. Slovakia, a puppet state ceded from Czechoslovakia in the Munich Agreement, joins the Axis. Prime Minister Vojtech Tuka of Slovakia signed the Tripartite Pact.

*NORTH AFRICA: *After dark and into the next date, aircraft from HMS “_Eagle_” struck Tripoli harbor, Libya.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Collar. Convoy ME4 from Britain passes the Straits of Gibraltar bound for Malta and Alexandria (merchant ships SS “_New Zealand Star_”, SS “_Clan Forbes_” and SS _“Clan Fraser_”, escorted by cruisers HMS “_Manchester_” and HMS “_Southampton_” carrying 1,370 RAF personnel to reinforce the garrison at Malta). Destroyer HMS “_Hotspur_” and 4 corvettes join to escort the convoy at Gibraltar. Mediterranean convoys are escorted from Gibraltar to Malta by Admiral Somerville’s Force H and then onwards to Alexandria, Egypt, by Admiral Cunningham’s Mediterranean fleet. Battleships HMS “_Ramillies_” and HMS “_Malaya_”, cruisers HMS “_Newcastle_”, “_Coventry_” and “_Berwick_” plus 5 destroyers are on their way from Alexandria to pick up the convoy in mid-Mediterranean.


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## parsifal (Nov 24, 2015)

*24 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
CV HMS FORMIDABLE




_Pictured at her launch August 17 1939. As for all capital ship construction, FORMIDABLE's completion was delayed by the pressing needs to produce ASW escorts and light forces, modernise the existing fleet, as well as repair and construct shipping as the Uboats tore into Britain. On completion, Aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE arrived in the Clyde for trials on the 28th. Her arrival was sorely needed, with her first deployment beginning on 18 December, when FORMIDABLE and CA NORFOLK were detached from the Home Flt for duty as Force K in the Sth Atlantic. It was the beginning of a long and distinguished career_

*Losses
Steamer ALMA DAWSON (UK 3985 grt)* was sunk on a defensive minefield in 55‑32N, 06‑44W. The entire crew was rescued. She struck a mine and sank on November 24th, 1940, while on a voyage from Montreal to Ipswich.





*ASW trawler AMETHYST (RN 627 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Barrow Deep in the Thames Estuary. Seven ratings were wounded in the trawler. Survivors from AMETHYST were picked up by ASW trawler LE TIGER.




_HMT AMETHYST in her pre-war guise as the PHYLLIS ROSALIE_

*Armed yacht GAEL (RN 101 grt)* was sunk on a mine at the entrance to Humber, northeast by north of the Spurn Light House.

*Salvage vessel PRESERVER (UK 630 grt)* was sunk on a mine one cable 54° from No. 1 Buoy, Milford Haven.
Four crew were lost on the vessel.

*Steamer RYAL (UK 367 grt)* was sunk on a mine laid by DKM TBs 29/30 October in minefield "Alfred” in 51‑32N, 01‑04E. Only one survivor of a crew of nine was rescued.

*Steamer BEHAR (UK 6100 grt)* was badly damaged on a mine in 51‑42N, 05‑07W. The entire crew was rescued. BEHAR was run aground 4½ cables 230° from Great Castle Head Lower Light to prevent her sinking but was a total loss.






*Steamer THOMAS M. (UK 310 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1½ miles 135° from Yarmouth Harbour entrance. Seven crew were lost.

*Steamer ALICE MARIE (UK 2206 grt)* was sunk on a mine eight cables 255° from Knob Light Vessel, Barrow Deep. The entire crew was rescued.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-137
Lorient: U-101

At Sea 24 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-138, U-140.
15 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.341 departed Southend, escort DD WATCHMAN and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Methil on the 26th. FN.342 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY, and arrived at Methil on the 26th. FS.344 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS, VERSATILE and corvette SNAPDRAGON, and arrived at Southend on the 26th.

British steamer CAMROUX IV was damaged on a mine one mile 45° from East Oaze Light Vessel.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK left convoy EN.30 in Pentland Firth and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0830. She departed at 1030 and escorted WN.43 from Pentland Firth.

*West Coast UK*
Convoy OB.249 departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER, WARWICK and corvettes CAMPANULA, CLEMATIS, FLEUR DE LYS, PERIWINKLE. WANDERER was detached on the 27th. The remainder of the escort detached on the 28th.

*Channel*
DKM DDs GALSTER, LODY BEITZEN departed Brest on the 24th to operate off Plymouth. Just after midnight the DDs attacked a group of fishing trawlers 12 miles SE of Wolf Rock sinking *trawler MARGUERITE SIMONNE (Be 70 grt)* 8 miles ESE of Wolf Rock and damaging British trawler LENT LILY. The crew of trawler MARGUERITE SIMONNE landed at Newlyn. The German force then attacked a small convoy of three steamers, one tug, two barges five miles off Penzance sinking *steamer APOLLONIA (NL 2086 grt) *





These attacks also damaged Norwegian steamer STADION II. Fifteen crew were lost on the steamer APOLLONIA. Norwegian steamer FERNWOOD escaped damage.

RN DDs JAVELIN, JERSEY, JACKAL, JUPITER, KASHMIR were at sea sth of Prawle Point and proceeded towards the engagement, but were unable to contact the German ships as they withdrew. The DKM DDs arrived back at Brest undamaged on the 25th.

*Central Atlantic*
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER sank *steamer PORT HOBART (UK 7448 grt)* near the Azores at 24‑44N, 58‑21W. The entire crew of the British steamer were made prisoners of war.






*Med- Biscay*
CA BERWICK, CL NEWCASTLE, DDs DEFENDER, GREYHOUND, HERO, HEREWARD departed Alexandria to escort convoy ME.4 back from Malta. They were joined at sea by CLA COVENTRY and DD GALLANT which departed Alexandria the day before.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DANAE arrived at Singapore.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Nov 24, 2015)

*25 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS COBALT (K-124)




_HMCS COBALT at Liverpool, Nova Scotia, where she underwent her foc'sle extension refit in July 1944_

_COBALT completed her work up in January 1941. On 22 January 1941 she took part in the RCNs first secret trial of Diffused lighting camouflage, a technology for concealing ships from submarines at night. After this she joined Halifax Force, but left on 23 May 1941 with the six other corvettes that were the nucleus of the new Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF). For the next six months she operated as an ocean escort between St. John's and Iceland. Following completion of her first refit, Cobalt made two round trips to Londonderry before being assigned in May 1942 to the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF), with which she was to spend the balance of the war. During her time with WLEF she served with escort groups EG W-6 from June 1943; with W-5 from April 1944; and with W-7 from February 1945. She finished the war with group W-7 _

Flower Class Corvette HMCS ORILLIA (K-119)




_ORILLIA was first assigned to Halifax Local Defence Force upon arrival. She served with them until 23 May 1941 when she was assigned as an original member of Newfoundland Escort Force operating out of St. John's, Newfoundland. During this time she was assigned to convoy SC 42, a slow convoy. ORILLIA was part of an escort group that included the DD HMCS SKEENA, and corvettes HMCS ALBERNI and KENOGAMI. The convoy sailed directly into the path of a U-boat wolfpack of 14 u-boats. During the running battle the ORILLIA dropped back to pick up survivors and eventually stood by the damaged tanker TAHCHEE and towed her to Iceland. However the commander, Lieutenant Commander Ted Briggs, RNCR, failed to notify his senior officer that he was doing so for some time, depriving the convoy of one of her few escorts. Though a great humanitarian gesture this added to the mayhem within the convoy. Sixteen ships were sunk during the battle.

On 24 December 1941 she was sent for a refit at Halifax. Upon completion of the refit she joined Escort Group (EG) C-1 and was sent to work up at Tobermory for three weeks. ORILLIA spent until January 1944 escorting convoys on the Newfy-Derry run. She joined Escort Group C-2 in November 1942 and worked with them until her next refit in March 1944.ORILLIA was sent to Liverpool for a lengthy refit, where they lengthened her fo'c'sle. After completing the refit she spent the rest of the war as part of EG W-2._

AA Ship HMS SPRINGBANK





_SPRINGBANK was built for Merchant ship service in 1926. The RN acquired her in 1940, and converted this vessel into an AA ship with four twin HA 4 inch turrets, two sets of 40mm pom poms, and in 1941, fitted a cordite powered catapult amidships. A two seater Fulmar Naval Fighter squatted on this catapult.

SPRINGBANK launched this fighter on the 18th. of September 1941 whilst escorting convoy HG 73 from Gibraltar to Liverpool over the 17th. of September/ 1st. of October. The convoy was made up of 25 ships, and was attacked by German U-Boats, U-124, U-201, and U-203, each of them sank three ships from this convoy, to total some 20,652 tons.

The Fulmar attacked the German aircraft homing in its fellow U-boats, but it managed to escape, the Fulmar pilot did not in this case have to ditch, he made it to Gibraltar, only to find that all of his guns but one, had jammed during his attack, due to faulty ammunition. 

U-201 torpedoed SPRINGBANK at 0208 on the 27th. of September, and HMS JASMINE went alongside to take off her survivors, and finally sank the mortally stricken ship by gunfire._

DD HMS VERDUN completed her conversion to fast escort vessel.




_The fast escort conversion was esentially an ASW conversion with secondary increases in AA capability, increased DC stowage and some increase in range for these old V&W class DDs_

*Losses
ML.111 (RN 85 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Chequer Shoal Buoy off the Humber. Two ratings were missing and Lt Hoadley wounded.

*MSW trawler CONQUISTADOR (RN 224 grt)* was sunk in a collision in the Thames Estuary.

*MSW trawler KENNYMORE (RN 225 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Thames Estuary, off the East Oaze Light Vessel. 4 ratings were lost in the trawler and the skipper was wounded.

*Hopper barge TCC HOPPER No. 3 (UK 698 grt)* was sunk on a mine. The entire crew was rescued.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 25 november 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-138, U-140.
15 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK transferred to convoy EN.31. DD VIMY departed Scapa Flow at 0900 to rendezvous with AMCs LETITIA and WOLFE and DD ST MARYS 10 miles 090° from Butt of Lewis on the 25th to provide escort. Owing to weather, VIMY could not make seven knots and could not join. VIMY returned to Scapa Flow on the 27th.

*Channel*
Sub TALISMAN reported torpedoing a German tkr off Lorient. TALISMAN left the tanker dead in the water with a trawler standing by her. Later in the day, the sub captured FV LE CLIPPER (Vichy 40 grt) off Lorient. The vessel was used for clandestine observation of DKM Uboat movements.


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## Njaco (Nov 25, 2015)

*November 25 Monday*
*NORTH AMERICA:* The prototype of the B-26, with Martin test pilot William K. "Ken" Ebel at the controls, flew for the first time.

*GERMANY:* During the night 5 British aircraft attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” in bad weather conditions; they scored no hits.

A Hitler decree (the basic law of social housing construction) gave Robert Ley's German Labour Front the project of building 6 million homesteads, at the rate of 300,000 per year. Priority was given to providing homes for German families with children and Hitler alone kept personal responsibility for deciding how many houses should be built. The decree stated that houses were to have a minimum floor area of 62 square metres, a kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom, hallway and balcony. Each home was also to have an air-raid shelter built to resist a direct hit and large enough to house everyone in the family.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* German armed merchant cruisers “_Orion_” and “_Komet_” (accompanied by tanker “_Kulmerland_”) stopped New Zealand ship “_Holmwood_” 500 miles east of New Zealand, capturing 17 crew, 12 passengers (civilians from the Chatham Islands), and 1,370 sheep. The crew and passengers are taken off. Many of the sheep are taken on board the 3 German ships and slaughtered. The horse is killed on board “_Holmwood_” which is then sunk by shellfire.

*NORTH AFRICA: *British liner SS “_Patria_” is blown up in Haifa Harbour, Palestine (now Israel), by Jewish paramilitary group Irgun which aims to prevent her from deporting Jewish refugees to Mauritius. The refugees are from Central Europe and have been refused entry to Palestine by the British Colonial Office. However, 213 of the 1771 refugees and 50 of the 130 British crew are killed.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Conquistador_” collided with another vessel and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Kennymore_” hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England, killing 4. British motor launch ML-111 hit a mine and sank 10 miles off Grimsby in the Humber Estuary in England, killing 2.

The prototype of the de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito unarmed light bomber was flown for the first time from Hatfield Aerodrome, Hertfordshire, England. The aircraft was flown by Geoffrey de Havilland, accompanied by engineer John E. Walker. This was only ten months and twenty-six days after detailed design work had commenced.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Talisman_” disabled a German tanker with a torpedo and captured the French trawler _“Le Clipper_” in the Bay of Biscay 10 miles south of Lorient, France.

*ASIA:* Japanese 11th Army launched an offensive in Hubei Province, China.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Collar. Admiral Somerville’s Force H departs Gibraltar (battlecruiser HMS “_Renown_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, cruisers HMS “_Sheffield_” and “_Despatch_” plus 11 destroyers) to escort convoy ME4 to Malta. They sail north of the convoy to screen against attack by the Italian fleet and will hand over the convoy to Mediterranean fleet warships (from Malta and Alexandria, Egypt) between Sardinia and Sicily on November 27.

.



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## Njaco (Nov 25, 2015)

*November 26 Tuesday*
*GERMANY: *Reichsmarschall Göring finally becomes fed up with the Navy’s use of his bombers and orders that Naval torpedo operations be halted along with production of the F-5 air torpedo. The remaining stocks of torpedoes, numbering a paltry 132, are earmarked for Luftwaffe operations in the Mediterranean.

The German foreign minister receives the Soviet reply to Hitler's suggestion they join the Tripartite Pact. The Soviet Government will accept the Four Power Pact with certain modifications: German troops must be removed from Finland, a mutual assistance pact must be signed between the Soviet Union and Bulgaria including a lease for a Soviet naval and land base, an area toward the Persian Gulf must be recognized as a Soviet aspiration, and Japan must renounce oil and coal concessions in Northern Sakhalin island.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *10 more US Navy destroyers are assigned to Britain under the “destroyers for bases” deal struck by Churchill and Roosevelt. Although these old destroyers have numerous problems, they significantly increase Royal Navy’s ability to escort convoys and patrol the British coast.

German aircraft torpedoed and sank Free French armed patrol ship “_Medoc_”, captained by Polish Commander Stankiewicz and manned by a mostly British crew, in the English Channel. The entire crew of 41, 3 Polish and 38 British, was killed.

Lord Rothermere, (Harold Northcliffe), founder of 'Sunday Pictorial' and former Air Minister, aged 72 (at Bermuda) passed away. He was one of the main populist perpetrators of World War I because of economic reasons (see his publishings in his newspapers Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Graphic, Evening News and Weekly Dispatch between 1904-1914). He had championed the advancement of British aviation from the early days of flight.

James Lacey was awarded a Bar to his Distinguished Flying Medal.

The British 27th Armoured Brigade was established, under the command of Brigadier C. W. Norman, from the conversion of the 1st Armoured Reconnaissance Brigade. The Brigade would be mainly employed in the trialing of specialized armoured vehicles.

No. 826 and No. 829 Squadrons of the British Fleet Air Arm embarked on carrier HMS “_Formidable_” for convoy escort duties to Cape Town, South Africa.

British Secretary of State for the Colonies Lord Lloyd calls those who are working to save Jewish lives by illegally transporting them to Palestine "foul people who had to be stamped out."

*NORTH AFRICA:* At 1720 hours, 8 Fairey Swordfish from British aircraft carrier HMS “_Eagle_” bomb the capital of Italian-held Libya, Tripoli. Royal Navy does not attempt much deception, naming the strike Operation Tripe.

The Western Desert Force, begins Training Exercise No.1. This was a dress rehearsal for 'Operation Compass'. Surprise was vital and so not even the troops involved were told of the rehearsals significance.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Collar. As a distraction for convoy ME4, aircraft carrier HMS “_Illustrious_”, cruisers HMS “_Glasgow_” and “_Gloucester_” plus 4 destroyers from Alexandria, Egypt, raid the Italian seaplane base at Port Laki on the Agean island of Leros at 0600 hours. However, Italian Navy is aware of the convoy ME4 and escort warships moving from Gibraltar to Malta. 2 battleships (“_Vittorio Veneto_” and “_Giulio Cesare_”) and 3 cruisers (“_Fiume_”, “_Gorizia_” and “_Pola_”) plus 11 destroyers leave Naples and 3 more cruisers (“_Trieste_”, “_Trento_” and “_Bolzano_”) plus 3 destroyers depart Messina, Sicily. They rendezvous South of Naples in the Tyrrhenian Sea at 1800 hours and sail West to engage the British fleet South of Sardinia. They will be joined by 4 torpedo boats, 7 submarines and 10 motor torpedo (MAS) boats.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Occupied Poland work begins on the creation of a Jewish ghetto in Warsaw in which the Germans intend to herd the local Jewish population under dreadful living conditions. The Germans describe the move as a "health measure."

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF carries out raids on Cologne, Berlin, Rotterdam, Flushing, Antwerp, Calais, Boulogne and Turin.


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## parsifal (Nov 26, 2015)

*25 November 1940 (Part II) 
OPERATIONS [CONT'D]
Nth Atlantic*
HX.91 departed Halifax escorted by RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PV FRENCH. Aux PVs ELK and HUSKY operated within the harbour approaches. HMCS FRENCH and ASSINIBOINE both departed the convoy on the 26th. The ocean escort was BB REVENGE and RCN DD ST CLAIR. The BB was detached on 4 December. The DD continued with the convoy and arrived in the Clyde on 11 December. BHX.91 departed Bermuda on the 23rd escorted by AMC ASCANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.91 on the 28th where the AMC was detached to return to Bermuda. On 6 December DDs VANSITTART and WALKER and corvette CANDYTUFT joined the convoy. Corvette HONEYSUCKLE joined on the 8th. The DDs were detached on 10 December. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 December.

*Med- Biscay*
Fce H.departed Gibraltar on COLLAR. Departing were BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CLs SHEFFIELD, DESPATCH, MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON (the last two carrying 700 RAF personnel each for Alexandria embarked from troopship FRANCONIA), DDs HOTSPUR (proceeding to Malta for repairs), FIREDRAKE, FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, WISHART, DUNCAN, ENCOUNTER, JAGUAR, KELVIN, VIDETTE. BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, which was repairing at Gibraltar, was considered for this operation, but not used as she was not ready in time. Force F CLs SOUTHAMPTON and MANCHESTER and DD HOTSPUR were en route to Alexandria. Force F was escorted by DDs DUNCAN and VIDETTE. Also sailing were steamers CLAN FORBES, CLAN FRASER , NEW ZEALAND STAR and new corvettes SALVIA, HYACINTH, PEONY, GLOXINIA. GLOXINIA arrived at Malta with engine room defects. The other three corvettes proceeded to Alexandria and steamer NEW ZEALAND STAR proceeded directly to Suda Bay.

The Med Flt departed Alexandria at 0325 for COLLAR as Fce A with BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, DDs DECOY (for repairs at Malta), JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, GRIFFIN, WRYNECK and RAN WATERHEN. At noon, troopship ULSTER PRINCE, with the last of BARBARITY details, joined the Fleet. CA YORK and CLs GLASGOW and GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria later in the day and joined the Fleet at sea at around 1600. DDs HERO and HEREWARD, which departed Malta at 0500 that day, joined the WARSPITE force on the 26th. All the Med Flt DDs, less IMPERIAL and RAN STUART (both under repair), were involved in COLLAR.

British netlayer PROTECTOR and armed boarding vessels FIONA and CHAKLA departed Alexandria for Suda Bay. A Greek convoy of seven steamers, escorted by 4 Gk DD, departed Suda Bay for Piraeus.

*Steamer PATRIA (UK 11, 885 grt)* was blown up at Haifa by Zionist terrorists to prevent the ship's use as a deportation vessel for Palestinian Jews. The PATRIA disaster was the sinking on 25 November 1940 by the Haganah of a French-built ocean liner, in the port of Haifa, killing 267 people and injuring 172, all Jewish.

At the time of the sinking, the PATRIA was carrying about 1,800 Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe whom the British authorities were deporting from the Mandate of Palestine to Mauritius because they lacked entry permits, and the rapisly increaing tensions in the territory. Zionist organizations opposed the deportation, and the underground paramilitary Haganah group planted a bomb intended to disable the ship to prevent it from leaving Haifa.

However, the Haganah claims to have miscalculated the effects of the explosion. The bomb blew the steel frame off one full side of the ship and the ship sank in less than 16 minutes, trapping hundreds in the hold. The British allowed the survivors to remain in Palestine on humanitarian grounds. Who was responsible and the true reason why the PATRIA sank remained controversial mysteries until 1957, when Munya Mardor, the person who planted the bomb, published a book about his experiences. The surviving refugees from the PATRIA, together with the remaining 1,560 refugees of the ATLANTIC, were taken to the Atlit detainee camp. Later, after an international campaign, the survivors of the PATRIA were given permits to stay in Palestine, but the ATLANTIC refugees were deported to Mauritius on 9 December. After the war they were given the choice of where to go; 81% chose Palestine and arrived there in August 1945.




_SS PATRIA sinking in Haifa port_
*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DKM Raiders ORION and KOMET sank *steamer HOLMWOOD (NZ 546 grt)* in the Sth Pacific 27 miles SW of Durham Point, Chatham Island. Early in the morning of 25th November the German raider KOMET sighted and captured the HOLMWOOD, which had left the Chatham Islands a few hrs before for Lyttelton. The crew and passengers, numbering 29, and including four women and two children, were taken off, as well as several hundred live sheep, after which the HOLMWOOD was sunk by gunfire. Her passengers and crew were landed on Emirau Island, New Guinea on 21 December 1940





*Malta*


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## parsifal (Nov 26, 2015)

*26 november 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM S Boat S-59





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS EYEBRIGHT (K 150) Flower Class Corvette HMCS SNOWBERRY (K 166)








LCT Mk1 Class LCT 17, LCT 18 (LCT 18 )





Town Class DDs HMS NEWARK (G 08 , HMS NEWMARKET (G 47)








Town Class DDs HMS NEWPORT (G 54), HMS RAMSEY (G 60)








Town Class DD HMS READING (G 71); Town Class DD HMS RICHMOND (G 88 )








Town Class DD HMS RIPLEY (G 79); Town Class DD HMS ROCKINGHAM (G 58 )








Town Class DD HMS WELLS (I 95); Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1039








Fairmile B MLs 136, 137 and 142

*Losses
Armed patrol coaster MEDOC (FNFL 1166 grt),* under the command of Polish Cdr Stankiewicz, was sunk by a torpedo dropped by the LW off Rame Head in the English Channel. The Polish Commander was lost with the vessel. Lt T. O'Shanohun RNR, T/Lt H. J. Murray RNVR, Polish Midshipman Krasicki, 36 British ratings, a Polish petty officer were lost on MEDOC.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 26 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-138, U-140.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.343 departed Southend, escort DDs WALLACE and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 28th. FN.344 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 28th.
FS.345 departed Methil, escort DD VANITY and escort ship/DD GLEANER. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th. FS.346 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th. Dutch steamer WALENBURG was damaged on a mine in 50‑40N, 01‑08W.

*Northern Waters*
CV FORMIDABLE departed Greenock and arrived at Glasgow on the 27th, escort DD VESPER. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy EN.31 in Pentland Firth. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.44. DD COTSWOLD departed Scapa and met British steamer BEN MY CHREE with troops off Aberdeen.
The DD escorted the steamer to Lerwick arriving at noon on the 27th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.250 departed Liverpool escort DDs ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTHONY and corvette PICOTEE. The escort was detached on the 29th.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CLs GLOUCESTER and GLASGOW, DDs JANUS, JUNO, MOHAWK, NUBIAN raided the Italian seaplane base at Port Laki, Leros at 0600 before joining ME.4 cover. One Swordfish of the 819 Sqn was lost with the crew. CA YORK was detached to Suda Bay at 0500 to refuel and join CruSqn 3 off Cape Matapan. The remainder of Force A and troopship ULSTER PRINCE arrived at Suda Bay for refuelling of the DDs between 0700 and 0830. Force A departed Suda Bay at 1030. 8 Swordfish from CVL EAGLE raided Tripoli at 0520 in Operation TRIPE. No a/c were lost. Drifters FELLOWSHIP and LANNER departed Malta for Suda Bay at 0800. Convoy MW.4 of steamers BRECONSHIRE, MEMNON, CLAN FERGUSON, CLAN MACAULEY with BBs RAMILLIES and MALAYA arrived at Malta at 0813. BB RAMILLIES, CL NEWCASTLE, CLA COVENTRY, DDs GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, DIAMOND, DEFENDER, HEREWARD departed Malta at noon to join Force B, the ARK ROYAL group of Force H. The ships joined CA BERWICK at sea. BB MALAYA departed at noon after repairing a flooded water tight compartment which had limited her speed. Convoy of steamers WAIWERA, DEVIS, VOLO, RODI, CORNWALL departed Malta at 1613, escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and RAN DDs VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER. RN DD DAINTY was delayed with engine defects and joined later. During the night of 26/27 November, BB RAMILLIES and cruisers BERWICK and NEWCASTLE were attacked by RA torpedo bombers.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER was relieved in the Red Sea Force by RAN CL HOBART

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DKM Raiders KOMET and ORION sank the empty *troopship RANGITANE (NZ 16,712 grt)* in the Pacific in 36‑48S, 175‑07W. Seven crew and six passengers were lost and the rest made pows. NZ Manned CL ACHILLES and AMC MONAWAI were dispatched to intercept. ACHILLES departed Lyttleton on the 27th, but no contact was made with the German ships. She returned to patrol off Auckland on the 30th and arrived at Auckland on 1 December.





*Malta*


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## parsifal (Nov 27, 2015)

*27 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-50




_Generic Image
Used throughout the war for training_

Neutral
K (Katjusa) class Submarine K-3




_Northern fleet (arrived from the Baltic through inland waterways on 8 November 1941). On 3 December, K-3 fired at and missed a German merchantman, then engaged in a running surface fight with three DKM subchasers after being forced to surface. The sub was damaged, but sank UJ1708 (DKM 470 grt) . The K-3 also sank the MV INGRAY (ex-Nor 329 grt), UJ 1110 (470 grt), UJ 1108 (570 grt), MV FECHENHEIM (Ger 8116 Grt) and ROTERSAND (4221 GRT) . 

K-3 was most likely sunk on 21 March 1943 off the Batsfjord, Northern Norway by depth charges from the German escorts UJ 1102, UJ 1106 and UJ 1111._

Allied
Fairmile Motor Launches ML 131 and ML 169 

*Losses
MV GLENMOOR (UK 4393 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew:33 (31 dead and 2 survivors); Cargo: Coal ; Route: Cardiff - Alexandria ; Convoy OB-248 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 1956 hrs the unescorted GLENMOOR, a straggler from convoy OB-248 was torpedoed and sunk by U-103 about 167 miles NW of Sylne Head. The master and 30 crew members died. Two crew members were picked up by HMS HARVESTER (H 19) and HMS HAVELOCK (H 88 ) and landed at Liverpool.





*MV DIPLOMAT (UK 8640 grt) *Sunk by U-104 (Harald Jürst...there is no detailed report in the BDU by any other Boat that correlates to this loss); Crew: 53 (14 dead and 39 survivors); Cargo: Cotton, Iron, Steel andf General Cargo; Route: New Orleans - Bermuda - Liverpool ; Convoy HX-88 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; (Time of loss uncertain) DIPLOMAT was a straggler from convoy HX-88, and was torpedoed and sunk by U-104 128 miles WNW of Bloody Foreland. The master and 13 crew members were lost. 39 crew members were picked up by HMS ACTIVE (H 14) and landed at Greenock.





*MV IRENE MARIA (UK 1862 grt) *Sunk by U-95 (Gerd Schreiber); Crew:26 (26 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Empty Route: Southampton - Milford Haven - Bridgewater, Nova Scotia; Convoy OB 248 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 0058 hrs the unescorted IRENE MARIA, a straggler from convoy OB-248, was hit aft by one torpedo from U-95 and sank by the bow within two mins about 55 miles SSW of Rockall. The ship had been missed by two torpedoes at 0042 and 0052 hours.





*MSW trawler ELK (RN 181 grt)* was sunk on a mine 114 cables 185° from Penlee Point at Plymouth. There were no casualties on the trawler.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-137
Lorient: U-100

Departures
Lorient: U-99

At Sea 27 November 1940
U-29, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-99, U-101, U-103, U-104, U-123, U-138, U-140.
15 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Trawler PETER (Ger 405 grt)* was lost in stranding on the Swedish coast.

*North Sea*
DD WALLACE was damaged in a collision with the Newarp Light Float. She was repaired in 48 hours in dock at Rosyth. CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy EN.32. The cruiser left convoy EN.32 to return to Rosyth on the 28th. CURACOA arrived at Rosyth at on the 29th. FN.345 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and VERSATILE. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 30th. FS.347 departed Methil, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th. DD PUNJABI departed Rosyth at 0830 after boiler cleaning to return to Scapa Flow where she arrived at 1700.

*Northern Waters*
DDs EXMOOR and PYTCHLEY departed Scapa Flow to patrol east of Fair Isle during the night to investigate reports of ships passing through Fair Island Channel. A damaged UBoat was expected to pass through the Channel. The patrol area was left on the 28th. The DDs met DD SOUTHDOWN to exercise. They then returned to Scapa Flow arriving on the 28th. Submarine H.33, entering Tobermory, was in a collision with corvette HEATHER. H.33 was repaired at Oban in December. British steamer GALACUM was damaged on a mine in 51‑34N, 01‑09E.

*West Coast UK*
British trawlers CHARMOUTH and RATTRAY were damaged by the LW off Milford Haven.

*Western Approaches*
Tkr CHARLES F MEYER was attacked and damaged by U-104. There are no other reports by Uboats correlating to this attack, and as U-104 was soon to be lost, most accounts credit this attack to the U-104.

*Med- Biscay*
BB RAMILLIES, CA BERWICK, CL NEWCASTLE joined Force H.at 1130 at sea. CL DESPATCH and DDs DUNCAN and WISHART turned over the Gibraltar to Malta convoy to CLA COVENTRY and DDs GALLANT, GREYHOUND, HEREWARD, DEFENDER, GRIFFIN which escorted the ships to their destination, whilst the remainde of the fleet dealt with the Italians. FI BBs VENETO and CESARE with DDs GRANATIERE, FUCLIERE, BERSAGLIERE, ALPINO, FRECCIA, SAETTA, and DARDO departed Naples. CAs POLA, FIUME, GORIZIA and DDs ALFIERI, CARDUCCI, GIOBERTI and ORIANI departed Naples. CAs TRENTO, TRIESTE, BOLZANO with DDs LANCIERI, ASCARI and CARABINIERI departed Messina. Also at sea were TBs ALCIONE, VEGA, SAGITARRIO, SIRIO and two MAS divisions were in the Sicilian Strait. The Italian forces engaged British cruisers BERWICK, NEWCASTLE, MANCHESTER, SOUTHAMPTON west of Malta off Cape Spartivento. In the action, Italian CA FIUME suffered an engine breakdown during the battle. Italian DD LANCIERI was badly damaged by British gunfire and was left dead in the water. She was towed from the scene by one of the CAs of the 3rd Division.
CA BERWICK was damaged by two eight inch shell hits, one of which put her after turret out of action. Both sides were attempting to pull the cruisers back on to the heavy guns of their battle fleets, but the italians were unwilling to close the range particularly after they realized the British Battleships were in the area. On 26 November, a Fulmar of 808 Sqn crashed astern of CV ARK ROYAL.
On 27 November, another Fulmar from 808 Sqn from ARK ROYAL was shot down witht eh crew killed.





_Painting of CA HMS BERWICK at Spartivento _

Gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Mersa Matruh. Italian sub TEMBIEN unsuccessfully attacked CA YORK and CL GLOUCESTER in 36‑00N, 14‑47E.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.10 departed Bombay, escorted by AMC HECTOR, which was detached on 1 December when relieved by RAN CL HOBART. CLA CARLISLE, DD KIMBERLEY, sloops AUCKLAND and INDUS joined on 3 December. The CLA and DD KIMBERLEY were detached on 5 December. Sloop INDUS was detached on 6 December and HOBART and sloop AUCKLAND on 7 December. On 7 December, sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY joined the convoy and arrived with it at Suez on 10 December.

NZ manned CL ACHILLES and two liners had departed Wellington on the 7th and arrived at Sydney on the 12th in preparation for convoy US 7. Australian troop convoy US 7 departed Fremantle with Polish liner BATORY and British liners ORION , STRATHMORE, STRATHEDEN , escorted by RAN CL PERTH. RAN CA CANBERRA joined the convoy on the 28th and escorted it until 3 December when she returned to Fremantle. CL CAPETOWN escorted the convoy from 3 to 5 December. The convoy arrived at Colombo on 7 December. On 10 December, CL CALEDON joined the escort and remained until 12 December. On 12 December, CLA CARLISLE and DDs KINGSTON and KANDAHAR joined the convoy escort. RAN CL PERTH arrived at Aden on 12 December and left the convoy escort. On her arrival in the Med, PERTH relieved RAN CL SYDNEY in the Med Flt. The convoy arrived at Suez on 15 December.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 27, 2015)

*November 27 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* During a dogfight off the Thames Estuary, the Bf 109E of Lt. Wolfgang Teumer is attacked by three British Spitfires and force lands with damage at RAF Manston. Lt. Teumer is unhurt and made a prisoner of war. His plane, Werk Number 4101, is rebuilt by the British and used for testing. 

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* German armed merchant cruisers “_Orion_” and “_Komet_” stopped the 16,712-ton passenger ship “_Rangitane_” 400 miles east of New Zealand at 0300 hours. Of the 201 crew and 111 passengers, 16 were killed during the attack and the remainder were captured. Due to the distress signal sent out by “_Rangitane's_” crew, the Germans only had time to transfer the captives aboard but not the 14,000 tons of food and 45 bars of silver before “_Komet_” sank “_Rangitane_” with a torpedo. “_Rangitane_” was the largest passenger ship to be sunk by German merchant raiders during WW2.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Romania a series of riots and other civil disturbances begin and carry on until December 4th. The Iron Guard begin the trouble with the arrest and execution of various prominent persons including the former Prime Minister Jorga. The army later clamps down with German help. The Iron Guard arrests and executes over 60 of exiled King Carol II of Romania's aides.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-95 sank British ship “_Irene Maria_” northwest of Ireland at 0100 hours, killing the entire crew of 25. German submarine U-104 damaged British tanker “_Charles F. Meyer”_ and sank British ship “_Diplomat_” (14 were killed, 39 survived). German submarine U-103 sank British ship “_Glenmoor_” northwest of Ireland at 1956 hours; 31 were killed, 2 survived.

*ASIA:* Chinese 27th, 31st, and 44th Divisions counterattacked against the Japanese offensive in Hubei Province, China.

Kichisaburo Nomura was named the Japanese Ambassador to the United States.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Battle of Spartivento: At 1000 hours, spotter aircraft from British Force H (Operation Collar; escorting Allied convoy ME4) and the Italian interception fleet found each other, and a surface battle soon broke out. Admiral Somerville, who is covering a Malta convoy, has the “_Renown_”, “_Ark Royal_”, four cruisers and nine destroyers. Admiral Campioni leads two battleships, seven heavy cruisers and 16 destroyers. The British were initially outgunned (especially as the carrier aircraft were held back), but at 1130 hours the arrival of battleship HMS “_Ramillies_” and cruisers HMS “_Berwick_” and HMS “_Newcastle_” evened up the two sides. Italian Admiral Campioni’s orders are to avoid combat with equal forces. He orders a withdrawal but Italian cruisers are already engaged. At 1222, there is an exchange of fire lasting 54 minutes from 23–14 km, as the Italians lay smoke and turn away. Battleship _“Vittorio Veneto's_” heavy fire stopped the British pursuit. British cruiser HMS “_Berwick_” was hit by cruiser “_Fiume_” twice at 1222 and 1235 hours (7 killed), while Italian destroyer “_Lanciere_” had to be towed back to port after being hit by cruiser HMS “_Manchester_”. Italian battleship “_Vittorio Veneto_” escapes undamaged despite torpedo-bomber attacks.

Jean Chiappe, newly appointed High Commissioner in Syria and Lebanon and a former pro-Fascist Chief of Police in Paris, killed when the aircraft taking him to Beirut is accidentally shot down during Battle of Spartivento. Aged 62.

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## parsifal (Nov 27, 2015)

*28 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S Boat S-29





Allied
Boom defence vessel HMS BARRHEAD (Z 40); Bangor Class MSW HMS BRIDPORT (J 50)





*Losses
MV MOUNT ATHOS (UK 3578 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew: 28 (19 dead and 9 survivors); Cargo: Coal; Route: Barry - Freetown; Convoy OB-248 (straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0842 hrs the unescorted MOUNT ATHOS, a straggler from convoy OB-248, was hit under the bridge by one torpedo from U-103 and sank by the stern within 4 minutes about 200 miles SSW of Rockall. The crew had managed to send a distress signal and HMS FOLKESTONE (L 22) and HMS SEAMAN (W 44) were ordered to proceed to assistance, but found nothing in the area. On 30 November, nine survivors were picked up by HMS VANQUISHER which was escorting convoy OB-251.





*MV ST ELWYN (UK 4940 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew: 40 (24 dead and 16 survivors); Cargo: Coal; Route: Hull - Santos ; Convoy OB -249 (Dispersed); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2024 hrs the ST ELWYN , dispersed from convoy OB-249, was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-103 about 500 miles east of Bishop Rock. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 0951 hrs and had to overtake her again after a first submerged attack failed due to the zigzag course. The ship sank by the stern after being hit by a coup de grace in the engine room at 2027 hrs. The master and 23 crew members were lost. 16 crew members were picked up by the British merchant LEEDS CITY and landed at Gourock.





*MSW trawler MANX PRINCE (RN 221 grt)* was sunk on a mine at the entrance to the Humber, 3.5 miles 130˚ from Spurn Light House. There were no casualties and the crew was rescued by MSW trawler CORTINA.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-123

Departures
Lorient: U-37

At Sea 28 November 1940
U-29, U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-99, U-101, U-103, U-138, U-140.
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Rosyth in the afternoon to rendezvous with convoy EN.33.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON and DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, MAORI, DOUGLAS departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth where they arrived on the 29th. CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow. DD COTSWOLD with British steamer BEN MY CHREE departed Lerwick at 2300 and proceeded to Aberdeen where they arrived on the 29th. The DD then returned to Scapa Flow. Destroyer VIMY departed Scapa Flow at 1400 for the Clyde to escort Norwegian steamer OSLOFJORD (18,673grt). VIMY arrived on the 29th. Both ships departed the Clyde later on the 29th for the Tyne.

*West Coast UK*
OB.251 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT and corvette GENTIAN. The escort was detached on 1 December

*Western Approaches*
At 0827 hrs, the RINGHORN, a straggler from convoy OB-248 since 26 November due to bad weather, was missed by a torpedo from U-95 (Schreiber) in 55°29N/18°01W and tried to escape at full speed while sending a distress signal after which HMS WANDERER was detached from convoy HX-89 but did not find her. She was missed again by a torpedo at 0933 hrs, but the U-boat surfaced at 10.25 hours and attacked with the deck gun. After two hits in the funnel and near the bridge the crew abandoned ship. U-95 had soon to break off the shelling due to the rough seas and missed at 1112 hours with a third torpedo. Believing the ship would sink from the damage inflicted, U-95 left the area but the crew reboarded the vessel that was only damaged at the superstructure and arrived at Belfast Lough on 1 December.

*Type IXB U-104 (DKM 1051 grt) *Missing since 28 Nov 1940 NW of Ireland in approximate position 55.30N, 08.00W. 49 dead (all hands lost). U-104 reported for the last time on 19 Nov, 1940. There is a possibility that she was lost to mines from minefield SN 44 which was laid on 8 Nov, 1940 northwest of Tory Island as her last reported position was very close to that field. A previous assessment that she was lost 21 November has been disproven




_U-123–an identical U-boat to U-104–leaving Lorient on 8 June 1941_

RINGHORN was to be finally sunk 2 months later

*Channel*
British steamer SKIPJACK was damaged at Dover by German shore gun battery.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.57 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CANTON to 15 December, sloop BRIDGEWATER to 30 November, ASW trawler BENGALI to 30 November. On 15 December, DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, corvettes GENTIAN and HIBISCUS joined the convoy. On 16 December, catapult ship PEGASUS joined. The DDs and the catapult ship were with the convoy for one day only. Corvette GENTIAN was detached on 17 December and corvette HIBISCUS on arrival. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 19 December. SLS.57 departed Freetown escorted by ASW trawler SPANIARD to 30 November. On 18 December, DDs AMAZON and AMBUSCADE, corvettes CROCUS and HEARTSEASE, ASW trawler LADY LILLIAN joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 22 December.

*Med- Biscay*
Escort ship/DD WRYNECK from detached from the WARSPITE gp to refuel at Malta at 0700 and rejoined later that day. Steamers CLAN FRASER and CLAN FORBES arrived at Malta, escort DDs DECOY and HOTSPUR. Both DDs remained at Malta for repairs. DD GREYHOUND joined the WARSPITE gp. Steamer NEW ZEALAND STAR, escort DDs DEFENDER and HEREWARD and covered by CLs MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON, proceeded to the east. At 1700, DD GRIFFIN was sent into Malta with engine defects. CA YORK and CLs GLASGOW and GLOUCESTER swept to the northward of Hurd Bank to cover the passage of the corvettes. The MALAYA gp was covering the passage of convoy ME.4. DDs DIAMOND and RAN WATERHEN were detached to escort convoy AS.7 of four ships to Port Said, where they arrived o 2 December. RM sub DESSIE made an unsuccessful attack on CL GLASGOW. RM DDs PIGAFETTA, DA RECCO, PESSAGNO, RIBOTY and TBs BASSINI and PRESTINARI shelled Greek positions near Corfu

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER completed escorting convoy BS.9 on the 26th and was relieved on the Red Sea convoy escort route by RAN CL HOBART. LEANDER departed Aden on the 28th. On 29 November at 1038, she conducted Operation CANNED, the bombardment of a factory and wireless station at Banda Alulu, Italian Somaliland. 98 rounds of six inch ammunition were fired. Following the bombardment, she arrived at Bombay on 2 December, where she remained until 27 December.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DURBAN departed Penang.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 27, 2015)

*November 28 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* During the night, there is a German bombing raid on Liverpool by about 300 aircraft. A parachute mine hit Edge Hill Training College on Durning Road, the site of a large underground shelter. The blast, boiling water from a damaged boiler, and gas from damaged pipes killed 166 of the about 300 civilians taking shelter there. 96 were seriously injured.

Major Helmut Wick, Kommodore of JG 2 shoots down his fifty-fifth victory during an early sortie and becomes the leading fighter ace in the world at this time. Later in the day, on a Freie Jagd over the English Channel, he scores his fifty-sixth victory, a Spitfire. In turn Major Wick’s aircraft is shot down by Flt. Lt. John Dundas of RAF No. 609 Squadron. Major Wick is seen to bale out over the Channel, but his Schwarm mate, Hptm. Rudi Pflanz circles the area, calling over the radio that a “Spitfire is down” hoping to attract British air/sea rescue units. Hptm. Pflanz continues to circle until his fuel is almost empty and crash-lands on the European continent on his return from the Channel. Major Wick is never found. His position as Kommodore of JG 2 is temporarily taken by the Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 2, Hptm. Karl-Heinz Greisert.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Manx Prince_” hit a mine and sank in the mouth of the Humber Estuary in England. The entire crew survived.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *German Reserve Police Battalion 101 was deployed to the Lodz ghetto and was given orders to shoot anyone who came too close to the fence.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-104 disappeared off the northern coast of Ireland, presumably sunk by a mine. The crew of 49 was never heard from again.

German submarine U-103 sank Greek ship “_Mount Athos_” northwest of Ireland at 0842 hours (19 killed) and sank British ship “_St. Elwyn_” at 2024 hours (24 killed, 16 survived). German submarine U-95 attacked Norwegian ship “_Ringhorn_” with two torpedoes 300 miles northwest of Ireland, with both missing. At 1025 hours, U-95 fired her deck gun and temporarily stopped “_Ringhorn_”. Seeing the ship did not sink and U-95 had left the area, the escaped crew reboarded the ship and sailed the ship to Belfast.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian destroyers “_Pigafetta_”, “_Da Recco_”, “_Pessagno_”, and “_Riboty_” bombarded Greek positions on the island of Corfu.

Operation Collar. After yesterday’s engagement 20 miles South of Sardinia at Spartivento, Royal Navy’s Force H turns back to return to Gibraltar and hands over convoy ME4 to Mediterranean fleet to continue east. At 1430 hours, freighters SS “_Clan Forbes”_ and SS “_Clan Fraser_” arrive at Malta escorted by destroyers HMS “_Decoy_” and HMS “_Hotspur_”. Destroyers HMS “_Defender_” and HMS “_Hereward_” and cruisers HMS “_Manchester_” and HMS “_Southampton_” escort SS “_New Zealand Star_” on towards Alexandria, Egypt.

*ASIA:* Lieutenant General Waichiro Sonobe ordered the Japanese 11th Army to fall back in Hubei Province, China.

Captain Tokuji Mori was named the commanding officer of “_Settsu_”.

.



.


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## parsifal (Nov 28, 2015)

*29 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ORCHIS (K 76)




_In March 1941, HMS ORCHIS was the first ship fitted with the very successful 10-cm wavelength Type 271 radar enabling detection of a surfaced submarine at 5000 yards or a submarine periscope at 1300 yds. HMS ORCHIS was assigned first to the 4th Escort Group based at Greenock and then to Escort Group B3 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force through to early 1944. ORCHIS escorted convoy ONS-18 during the battle of Convoys ONS-18/ON-202.

HMS ORCHIS was assigned to patrol the English Channel from early 1944, and sank DKM U Boat U-741 on 15 August 1944. U-741 torpedoed LST-404 of convoy FTM-69 while ORCHIS was escorting nearby convoy FTC-68. ORCHIS gained and held sonar contact on U-741 and flooded the forward part of the U-boat with two Hedgehog attacks and two conventional DC attacks. 

On 21 August 1944, ORCHIS struck a mine that destroyed the bow back to the 4-inch gun. The damaged ship was beached on Juno Beach and declared a total loss_

*Losses
Drifter YOUNG FISHERMAN (UK 95 grt)* was lost when she ran around at Oban (off the wet coast of Scotland)

*MSW trawler CALVERTON (RN 214 grt)* was sunk by a mine at the entrance to the Humber, 3.7 miles 117° from Spurn Light House. Two ratings were lost on the trawler.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-93

At Sea 29 November 1940
U-29, U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-99, U-101, U-103, U-138, U-140.
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.346 departed Southend, escort DD VANITY, patrol sloop WIDGEON, escort ship/DDr GLEANER. The convoy arrived at Methil on 1 December.

*Channel*
DKM DDs GALSTER, BEITZEN, LODY departed Brest and at roughly the same time RN DDs JUPITER, KASHMIR, JAVELIN, JERSEY and JACKAL departed Plymouth. In operations eight miles off Start Point late on 28 October, the DKM DDs sank *tug AID (UK 134 grt) *and *barge B. H. C. 10 (UK 290 grt)* and damaged FNFL tug ABEILLE 14. Five crew were lost and five rescued from the tug AID. Three crew were lost and five rescued from the barge B. H. C. 10. DD JAVELIN sighted the gun flashes of the German DDs during their attack on the tugs. In an engagement 20 miles south of the Lizard, JAVELIN was hit by two torpedoes from DD LODY and lost her bow and stern. 46 crew were killed and 1 injured in the JAVELIN. Attended initially by DD JACKAL, and then later the other DDs as well, JAVELIN was towed to Devonport by tug CAROLINE MOLLER arriving from Falmouth. DDs KASHMIR, JERSEY, JUPITER were in a brief encounter with the German DDs but they managerd to escape. DKM DD LODY was struck several times and all three German destroyers had splinter damage, but none suffered appreciable damage and no casualties were sustained. DD JAVELIN was under repair until 28 December 1941.








_HM DD JAVELIN's Stern (left) and Bow damage_

DD ICARUS arrived at Portsmouth on the 26th from Immingham. The DD departed Portsmouth on the 28th and laid minefield J H.in the Havre to Cherbourg sea lane early on the 29th. DD ICARUS was escorted by DDs VANOC, WITCH and VOLUNTEER. DD EXMOOR carried out an oiling sea trial from British tanker ALDERSDALE, using a technique known as the "stirrup" method while the ships were at anchor. The RN continued to lag both the IJN and the USN at underway replenishment however.

British steamer FERMAIN at Dover was damaged by German shore guns.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.92 departed Halifax escort RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE and corvette WINDFLOWER. The local escort parted detached on the 30th, and ocean escort was AMC MONTCLARE, which was also detached on 8 December. Due to a lack of suitable escorts, BHX.92 was cancelled. Ships en route to Bermuda to join were diverted to Halifax to join an HX. serial directly. DD WOLVERINE joined on 8 December, DD VETERAN on 10 December, DD CHELSEA and corvette CAMILLIA on 11 December. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 December.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL HERMES, CAs DEVONSHIRE and CUMBERLAND, CL EDINBURGH arrived at Freetown. German steamers RHEIN and IDARWALD departed Tampico and were immediately screened by US DDs SIMPSON and BROOME, who transmitted their course and position in the clear. The German ships returned to Tampico until 3 December when they once again attempted to escape the Caribbean. In addition, US CL MEMPHIS (CL.13) and an escorting DD departed Key West to patrol the passages into the Atlantic.

*Med- Biscay*
BC RENOWN, CA BERWICK (damaged), CL SHEFFIELD, DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, FIREDRAKE arrived at Gibraltar. CV ARK ROYAL, BB RAMILLIES, CLs NEWCASTLE and DESPATCH and DDs DUNCAN, ENCOUNTER, WISHART, KELVIN, JAGUAR following the high speed group arrived at Gibraltar about 90 mins later. CA BERWICK was transferred to the Nth Atlantic Command. RHN sub PAPANIKOLIS attacked FI steamer CHISONE off Durazzo without success.




_Rendered photo of the PAPANIKOLIS. The sub conducted at least 6 active patrols in 1940-41._

RM sub DELFINO attacked two RHN DDs twelve miles east of Kalojeri and near missed RHN DD SPETSAI.




_SPETSAI was one of the four YDRA (or HYDRA) class DDs. She was constructed in Sestri Ponente, Italy, by Cantieri Odero, and commissioned into the RHN (Royal Hellenic Navy) in 1933. After the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War, she participated in the naval operations, among which was the third naval raid against Italian shipping in the Strait of Otranto (4–5 January 1941). During the German invasion of Greece, along with other ships, she managed to flee to Alexandria. After undergoing repairs and modernization in Calcutta, she returned to escort duties in the Med, with the British pennant number H 38. She returned to Greece after liberation in October 1944 and was decommissioned in 1946._

The MALAYA/EAGLE force and convoy ME.4 arrived at Alexandria. Steamers VOLO, RODI, CORNWALL, escorted by two DDs proceeded to Port Said.

*Malta*

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## parsifal (Nov 28, 2015)

*30 November 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Destroyers 1936A DD Z-25





IJN Kagero Class DD ISOKAZE




_ISOKAZE during her pre-acceptance trials, 22 November 1940_

Neutral
K (Katjusa) class Sub K-21





_This sub made an unsuccessful attack on the TIRPITZ, during the PQ-17 convoy when she was commanded by Nikolai Lunin. She sank a number of other minor merchant vessels and warships, survived the war and became stationary training ship 1959, saved as memorial_

*Losses
MV ARACATACA (UK 5378 grt) *Sunk by U-101 (Ernst Mengersen); Crew:69 (36 dead and 33 survivors); Cargo: Fruit and Vegetables ; Route: Port Antonio, Jamaica (16 Nov) - Halifax (21 Nov) - Avonmouth ; Convoy None; Sunk In the Nth Atlantic; The tragic story of the ARACATACA began at 0041 hrs when the unescorted ARACATACA was hit on the starboard side just ahead of the foremast by one G7e torpedo from U-101 while steaming on a zigzag course at 13 knots about 230 miles west of Rockall. The engines were stopped immediately and as the ship was settling by the head with a list to port the master ordered the crew to abandon ship after distress signals were sent. Despite strong wind, rough sea and heavy swell all four lifeboats were lowered safely, occupied by all 66 crew members, one gunner (the ship was armed with one 4in and one machine gun) and two passengers. The Germans observed how the boats remained nearby and prepared to shell the vessel to prevent them from reboarding her, but the weather was too bad to use the deck gun so another G7e torpedo was fired as a coup de grace at 0111 hrs. The ship refused to sink and remained afloat after being struck underneath the bridge. The U-boat then went alongside the nearest lifeboat and Mengersen asked the master about the name of the ship, but he could not understand the answer due to the strong wind. Afterwards U-101 returned to the ARACATACA and fired one G7e torpedo from the stern tube at 0204 hrs. The torpedo hit the engine room and caused the ship to sink fast after a boiler explosion.

The lifeboats initially remained in the vicinity, not knowing that their distress signals had not been heard. Finally after more than qa day they began to set sail independently with the boat in charge of the master being the last to leave after 34 hrs. 17 crew members and one passenger were picked up by the British motor merchant POTARO and landed at Buenos Aires on 23 December. The master, twelve crew members, one gunner and one passenger were picked up by the British steam merchant DJURDJURA after having sailed approximately 180 miles on 3 December and were landed on Christmas Day in St. John, New Brunswick. The remaining two lifeboats were never seen again and as a result 36 crew members were lost.





*Naval trawler CHESTNUT (RN 505 grt)* was sunk on a mine off North Foreland. There were no casualties.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 30 November 1940
U-29, U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-99, U-101, U-103, U-138, U-140.
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER departed the Elbe to raid in the Nth Atlantic.

*North Sea*
FN.347 departed Southend, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on 2 December. FS.348 departed Methil, escort DD VIMIERA, sloop WESTON and MSW GOSSAMER. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 December. FS.349 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 December.

Motor torpedo boats MTB.32, MTB.31, MTB.30 departed Harwich to investigate German shipping off Flushing. En route, MTB.32 broke down and returned to Harwich. MTB.31 and MTB.30 encountered an anchored German convoy off the Schelde. MTB.30 was damaged by German gunfire and forced to withdraw while MTB.31 damaged German steamer SANTOS by dropping a depth charge alongside.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA transferred from convoy EN.33 to convoy WN.46 in Moray Firth. She continued with the convoy until dark and arrived at Scapa Flow at 2359 on the 30th.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.45 from the Pentland Firth.

*West Coast UK*
OB.252 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANSITTART and VETERAN. The convoy was joined on 1 December by DDs SABRE, SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, corvettes CLARKIA and HELIOTROPE and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and WELLARD. DD WALKER joined on 2 December. DD VANSITTART was detached on 2 December. On 4 December, DDs HARVESTER and HAVELOCK and sloop WELLINGTON joined the convoy. Later on 4 December, the escorts, less DD WALKER, were detached from the convoy. WALKER left the convoy on 6 December.

*Channel*
Dutch steamer GORECHT was damaged by the LW at Southampton.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.14 departed at 1340 with RCN armed yacht HUSKY providing escort until 1900. Also scheduled to join the escort were RCN DDs ST CROIX and NIAGARA, both of which departed St Johns also on the 30th, however ST CROIX ran into a hurricane and sustained considerable damage. She arrived back at St Johns on 18 December for repairs. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 17 December.

*Central Atlantic*
CL EDINBURGH departed Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
The WARSPITE/ILLUSTRIOUS gp arrived at Alexandria. CLs MANCHESTER and SOUTHAMPTON arrived at Alexandria and disembarked their personnel and stores. CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Alexandria on 2 December and proceeded into the Red Sea to escort convoy WS.4B before further Mediterranean Fleet duties. CA YORK and CLs GLOUCESTER and GLASGOW arrived at Suda Bay with the corvettes. Drifters FELLOWSHIP and LANNER also arrived at Suda Bay. Monitor TERROR departed Suda Bay for Alexandria.

Troopship ULSTER PRINCE, escorted by DDs DIAMOND, RAN WATERHEN and RAN VENDETTA arrived at Port Said. WATERHEN and VENDETTA then sailed with depot ship WOOLWICH for Alexandria. DD ENCOUNTER departed Gibraltar to meet ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE and escort her to Gibraltar. Sub TRIUMPH departed Gibraltar to carry out an ASW patrol sth of Alboran Island.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.9B departed Aden, escort CL CALEDON, DD KINGSTON and sloop FLAMINGO. The escorts were detached on 2 December and the convoy arrived at Suez on 4 December. BS.9A departed Suez. The convoy was escorted by CL CALEDON, DD KINGSTON, sloops FLAMINGO and RAN YARRA. The convoy was dispersed on 5 December.

DKM Raider PINGUIN captured *Steamer PORT WELLINGTON (UK 8301 grt)* in the Indian Ocean and scuttled her the next morning in 31‑10S, 70‑37E. Two crew were lost on the steamer. The rest of the crew were made pows.





*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 28, 2015)

*November 29 Friday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* An engine failure causes a Bf 109E of I./JG 2 to crash at the airbase at Cherbourg-West. The pilot is not injured.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Even before a test flight, large-scale production of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was ordered this day but a large number of modifications were specified for the production model. The size of the fin and rudder was enlarged, fuel capacity was increased, self-sealing fuel tanks were added and the fixed armament was doubled to four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the wings, compared with the prototype's two cowling guns. The program suffered so many delays that the Grumman TBF Avenger entered service before the Helldiver, even though the Avenger had begun its development two years later.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *General Freyberg's British and New Zealand troops occupied all of Crete.

Italian submarine “_Delfino_” attacked Greek destroyer “_Spetsai_” south of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, without success.

*GERMANY:* Draft plan issued by German military leaders for the invasion of the Soviet Union.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * German destroyers “_Galster_”, “_Lody_”, and “_Beitzen_” departed from Brest, France and raided British shipping off southern England. British tug “_Aid_”, Free French tug “_Abeille_”, and British barge BHC10 were attacked and sunk. Royal Navy destroyers HMS “_Javelin_”, HMS “_Jersey_”, HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Jupiter_”, and HMS “_Kashmir_” intercepted the raiders and engaged in combat 20 miles south of the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. HMS “_Javelin_” was sunk by two torpedoes from “_Lody_” (46 killed), but she was successfully towed back to Devonport for repairs until December 28, 1941. The German destroyers escape back to Brest with only minor damage and no casualties.

*NORTH AFRICA:* New Zealand cruiser HMNZS “_Leander_” bombarded a factory and a radio station at Banda Alulu, Italian Somaliland at 1038 hours. Italian aircraft counterattacked without success.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Calverton_” hit a mine and sank in the mouth of the Humber Estuary in England, killing 2.

During the night, there is a German bombing raid on London and Home Counties by about 330 aircraft.

From London, Free French leader, General de Gaulle, makes an address directed at the radio audience in France claiming to command forces numbering 35,000 trained troops and 1,000 air crew.

.


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## Njaco (Nov 29, 2015)

*November 30 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Oblt. Eitel Roediger von Manteuffel’s Stab./JG 77 transfer from Döberitz to new accommodations at Dinan.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” attacked British ship “_Port Wellington_” (carrying 5600 tons of frozen meat, butter, eggs, cheese and wheat and 1,750 tons of steel) in the southern Indian Ocean overnight. 2 were killed and 87 were captured. Seeing some of the female captives were shivering in their nightgowns, “_Pinguin's_” First Officer personally returned to the burning wreck and retrieved clothes for the women.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-101 sank British ship “_Aracataca_” 400 miles northwest of Ireland at 0204 hours. 36 were killed and 34 survived.

British motor torpedo boats MTB.30 and MTB.31 attacked an anchored German convoy off the mouth of the Scheldt River off the Netherlands. German ship “_Santos_” was damaged by a depth charge from MTB.31, while MTB.30 was damaged by gunfire.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Chestnut_” hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England. The entire crew survived.

*ASIA:* In Hubei Province, China, Chinese troops halted the offensive launched by the Japanese 11th Army five days prior.

Wang Jingwei of the Japanese-sponsored puppet government in Nanjing, China established diplomatic relationship with fellow puppet state Manchukuo.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greeks continue to push Italians back into Albania. Greek 3rd Army Corps has advanced 20 miles North since taking Korçë on November 22. After 7 days of hard fighting, they capture parts of Pogradec on Ohrid Lake in Southeastern Albania on the border with Macedonia. They advance no further in this sector and the front line will run through the center of town.

*GERMANY:* German cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” sails from Germany.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* First of two consecutive night raids on Southampton - by 128 and 123 bombers, respectively - serious damage in city centre and suburbs. Total casualties: 370.

British civilian casualty figures for November: 4,588 killed, 6,202 injured. Shipping losses in November: 32 Allied merchant ships (146,600 BRT), none German U-boat (27 serviceable).

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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses November 1940*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
Aux MSW trawler TILBURYNESS (RN 279 grt), Tugs LEA (RN 168 grt), Tug DEANBROOK (RN 149 grt), MSW RINOVA (RN 429 grt), AMC LAURENTIC (RN 18724 grt), AMC PATROCLUS (RN 11314 grt), AMC HMS JERVIS BAY (RN 14164 grt), HM Sub SWORDFISH (RN 640 grt), MSW trawler WILLIAM WESNEY (RN 364 grt) , ASW trawler KINGSTON ALALITE (RN 550 grt), Boom defence vessel MARCELLE (RN 64 grt), MSW trawler STELLA ORION (RN 417 grt), Boom defence vessel RISTANGO (RN 178 grt), ASW trawler ARSENAL (RN 550 grt), MSW trawler FONTENOY (RN 276 grt), ML.127 (RN 75 grt), ASW trawler AMETHYST (RN 627 grt), Armed yacht GAEL (RN 101 grt), ML.111 (RN 85 grt), MSW trawler CONQUISTADOR (RN 224 grt), MSW trawler KENNYMORE (RN 225 grt), MSW trawler ELK (RN 181 grt), MSW trawler MANX PRINCE (RN 221 grt), MSW trawler CALVERTON (RN 214 grt), Naval trawler CHESTNUT (RN 505 grt) 

MSW HMAS GOORANGI (RAN 223 grt) 

MSW trawler POULMIC ((FNFL 350 grt), Armed patrol coaster MEDOC (FNFL 1166 grt), 

O-21 Class sub O.22 (NL 934 grt), 

(50639 grt(RN), (223 grt (RAN), 1516 grt (FNFL), 934 grt (NL) (Total 53312 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
MV EMPIRE BISON (UK 5612 grt), Steamer LETCHWORTH (UK 1317 grt), Drifter TORBAY II (UK 83 grt), Drifter GOODWILL (UK 28 grt), MV CASANARE (UK 5376 grt), Steamer KILDALE (UK 3877 grt), kr SCOTTISH MAIDEN (UK 6993 grt), Steamer HAIG ROSE (UK 1117 grt), steamer MOPAN (UK 5389 grt), steamer MAIDAN (UK 7908 grt), Steamer TREWELLARD (UK 5201 grt), Steamer KENBANE HEAD (UK 5225 grt), MV BEAVERFORD (UK 10,042 grt), MV FRESNO CITY (UK 4955 grt), Liner NALON (UK 7222 grt), Whaler SEVRA (UK 253 grt), FV GIRL HELEN (UK 63 grt), Steamer CLAN MACKINLAY (UK 6365 grt), steamer CAMBRIDGE (UK 10,855 grt), Steamer HERLAND (or Fairland) (UK 2645 grt), Steamer ASTROLOGER (UK 1673 grt), Drifter REED (UK 99 grt), Whaler A. N. 2 (UK 221 grt), Steamer AGAMEMNON (NL 1930 grt), Steamer BALTRADER (UK 1699 grt), Steamer TREBARTHA (UK 4597 grt), Steamer CREEMUIR (UK 3997 grt), Steamer BALMORE (UK 1925 grt), Steamer SKARV (UK 158 grt), Tug MURIA (UK 192 grt), steamer AUTOMEDON (UK 7528 grt), Steamer ARGUS (UK 661 grt), Trawler LORD HALDANE (UK 91 grt), MV CAPE ST ANDREW (UK 5094 grt), Steamer EMPIRE WIND (UK 7459 grt), Steamer ST CATHERINE (UK 1216 grt), Steamer BUOYANT (UK 300 grt), Drifter SHIPMATES (UK 82 grt), Drifter THE BOYS (UK 92 grt), MV KOHINUR (UK 5168 grt), Tkr HAVBOR (UK 7614 grt) , Steamer AMENITY (UK 297 grt), Liner APAPA (UK 9333 grt), Steamer BLUE GALLEON (UK 712 grt), Trawler DUNGENESS (UK 263 grt) , Tug GUARDSMAN (UK 102 grt), Trawler HINRICH FREESE (Ger 384 grt), MV FABIAN (UK 3059 grt), MV SAINT GERMAIN (UK 1044 grt), MV CONGONIAN (UK 5065 grt), Steamer LILIAN MOLLER (UK 4866 grt), Steamer NESTLEA (UK 4274 grt), Motor barge ABILITY (UK 293 grt), steamer NOWSHERA (UK 7920 grt), steamer MAIMOA (UK 8011 grt), MV DAYDAWN (UK 4768 grt), MV VICTORIA (UK 6085 grt), Steamer DAKOTIAN (UK 6426 grt), Drifter XMAS ROSE (UK 96 grt), steamer PORT BRISBANE (UK 8739 grt), MV CREE (UK 4971 grt), Trawler ETHEL TAYLOR (UK 276 grt), Steamer PIKEPOOL (UK 3683 grt), Tug HERCULES (UK 82 grt), Steamer LISIEUX (UK 2594 grt), MV JUSTITIA (UK 4562 grt), MV BRADFYNE (UK 4740 grt), MV LEISE MAERSK (UK 3136 grt, MV OAKCREST (UK 5407 grt), MV KING IDWAL (UK 5115 grt), MV TYMERIC (UK 5228 grt), Tug BONAPARTE (UK 38 grt), Drifter NEW COMET (UK 245 grt), Steamer ALMA DAWSON (UK 3985 grt), Salvage vessel PRESERVER (UK 630 grt), Steamer RYAL (UK 367 grt), Steamer BEHAR (UK 6100 grt), Steamer THOMAS M. (UK 310 grt), Steamer ALICE MARIE (UK 2206 grt), steamer PORT HOBART (UK 7448 grt), Hopper barge TCC HOPPER No. 3 (UK 698 grt), Steamer PATRIA (UK 11,885 grt), MV GLENMOOR (UK 4393 grt), MV DIPLOMAT (UK 8640 grt), MV IRENE MARIA (UK 1862 grt), MV MOUNT ATHOS (UK 3578 grt), MV ST ELWYN (UK 4940 grt), Drifter YOUNG FISHERMAN (UK 95 grt), tug AID (UK 134 grt), barge B. H. C. 10 (UK 290 grt), MV ARACATACA (UK 5378 grt), Steamer PORT WELLINGTON (UK 8301 grt) 

steamer NIMBIN (Aus 1052 grt), 

troopship RANGITANE (NZ 16,712 grt), steamer HOLMWOOD (NZ 546 grt)

MV PLANTER (CDN 5887 grt) 

Steamer KOLCHIS (Gk 2219 grt), Steamer EUGENIA CAMBANIS (Gk 3470 grt), 

Steamer SANTA LUCIA (NL 379 grt), MV OOTMARSUM (NL 3628 grt), MV BUSSUM (NL 3636 grt), steamer APOLLONIA (NL 2086 grt), 

Steamer RAVNANGER (Nor 3371 grt), MV BRUSE (Nor 2205 grt), MV SALONICA (Nor 2694 grt), Steamer HUNDVAAG (Nor 690 grt), tanker TEDDY (Nor 6750 grt), tkr OLE JACOB (Nor 8306 grt) 

FV VAN DER WEYDEN (Be 132 grt), Steamer ANVERS (Be 4398 grt), trawler MARGUERITE SIMONNE (Be 70 grt), 

297761 grt (UK), 1052 grt (Aus), 17258 grt (NZ), 5887 grt (Cdn), 5689 grt (Gk), 9728 (NL), 24016 grt (Nor), 4600 grt (Be) 
365997 grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: 419303 grt

*Prizes captured *
AMC CAP DES PALMES (Vichy 3081 grt), Steamer CHARLES PLUMIER (Vichy 4504 grt), 

*Neutral shipping*
FV ELLY (SD 52 grt), Steamer VINGALAND (SD 2734 grt), MV VERONICA (SD 1318 grt), MV ANTEN (SD 5135 grt), 

Steamer MINERVA (FN 2039 grt), 

steamer CITY OF RAYVILLE (US 5883 grt), 

Steamer ARDMORE (Eire 1023 grt), 


9239 grt (SD), 2039 grt (FN), 5883 grt (USl), 1023 grt (Eire)
(18184 grt Mercantile)

*Neutral warships*
None

Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 18184 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: 437487 grt 

*Prizes taken*
None

*Axis*
*Warships*
DKM
Type VIIa U-31 (DKM 733 grt), TB T.6 (DKM 1080 grt), SBoat S-38 (DKM 115 grt), Type IXB U-104 (DKM 1051 grt), 

RM
Marcello Class sub FAA DI BRUNO (RM 1043 grt), BB CONTE DI CAVOUR (RM 23868 grt), TB CONFIENZA (RM 875 grt), 

Vichy
Redoutable Class submarine PONCELET (Vichy 1384 grt), Bougainville Class sloop BOUGAINVILLE (Vichy 1969 grt), AMC CAP DES PALMES (Vichy 3081 grt) 

Axis Naval tonnage lost 
2979 grt (DKM), 25786 grt (RM), 6434 grt (Vichy)
35199 grt (Axis)

*Axis Shipping*
GER
steamer SIGRUN (Ex-Danish 1337 grt), steamer DELFINUS (Ex-Nor 1293 grt), Steamers PHRYGIA (Ger 4137 grt), Schooner BRIGETTE RAABE (Ger 375 grt), 

7142 grt (Ger)

(FI)
MV ANTONIO LOCATELLI (FI 5691 grt), MV CAPO VADO (FI 4391 grt), Hybrid LINER/MV CATALANI (FI 2429 grt), MV PREMUDA (FI 4427 grt), Coastal steamer ARDITA IV (FI 54 grt), Coastal steamer ARDITA III (FI 57 grt), 

17044 grt (FI)

(Vichy)
trawler CHARLES EDMONDE (Vichy 201 grt), Steamer CHARLES PLUMIER (Vichy 4504 grt), 

4705 grt (Vichy)

Total Axis Mercantile28897 grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: (64090 grt) 

*Captured ships *
tkr OLE JACOB (Nor 8306 grt),


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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2015)

*1 December 1940 
Losses*
U-101 delivered an attack on Convoy HX-90. The LOCH RANZA was damaged by a torpedo, but managed to continue under own power at 6 knots, later beached by a tug in Rothesay Bay on 9 December. The ship was refloated and repaired at Glasgow, returning to service in May 1941. She would eventually be sunk by the Japanese whilst helping to evacuate Singapore.

*Tkr APPALACHEE (UK 8826 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Ernst Mengersen); Crew:39 (7 dead and 32 survivors); Cargo: Avgas Route: Baytown, Texas - Bermuda - Avonmouth ;Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Nth Atlantic; At 2212 hrs U-101 attacked the convoy HX-90 about 340 miles west of Bloody Foreland and claimed one ship of 8000 grt sunk (LOCH RANZA was only damaged ), another ship of 6000 grt damaged (not confirmed) and one tanker of 12.000 grt sunk (the APPALACHEEA). Seven crew members from the APPALACHEE were lost. The master and 31 crew members were picked up by HMS HELIOTROPE (K 03) and landed at Londonderry.






*MV PALMELLA (UK 1578 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen); Crew:29 (1 dead and 28 survivors); Cargo: 230 tons of general cargo and 1000 bags of prisoner mail Route: London – Oban (20 Nov) - Oporto ;Convoy OG-46; Sunk In the South Western Approaches, off the west coast of Portugal; At 2022 hrs the unescorted PALMELLA was struck on the port side a little forward of the midship line by one torpedo from U-37 while steaming on a non-evasive course at 7 knots about 225 miles west of Oporto, Portugal. The ship had been on station with convoy OG-46, but proceeded independently after straggling due to very bad weather on 24 November. The explosion broke the back of the ship, causing her to sag in the middle, but as a precaution all ventilators had been plugged and the locking gear was wedged across the hatch beams and it seems that this prevented her from sinking at once. No distress signals were sent as the radio had been damaged and the 28 crew members and one gunner (the ship was armed with one 12pdr and one machine gun) began to abandon ship in the starboard lifeboat as both boats on port side had been blown out of the davits. While doing so the U-boat was seen to close the ship from astern and shone a small searchlight on them before leaving in a northerly direction without questioning the survivors. The crew left the ship about 20 minutes after being torpedoed in rough sea and just when they got clear, the PALMELLA broke in two. The two halves floated separately for a short while, the after part disappearing first followed by the fore part. The boat then searched the area for a missing crewman but only found an empty raft. He had been on watch below and was probably killed by the explosion. At daylight the boat set sail for the nearest land, but on the second day the weather became very calm and they were unable to make any headway. However, they were in good spirit as the master made fire in a bucket and used a bully beef can as a saucepan to provide the survivors with hot soup and milk. In the morning of 5 December, they were picked up by the Spanish trawler NAVEMAR and landed at Lisbon in the night of 5/6 December.





*Paddle steamer HER MAJESTY (UK 235 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Southampton Harbour Board Yard. There was no crew on board at the time of her loss.





*Tanker BRITISH OFFICER (UK 6990 grt)* was sunk on a mine one quarter mile east of North Pier Light, Tyne. The tanker broke in two. The forepart was towed to port. Five crew were lost on the British tanker.





*Liner OSLOFJORD (Nor 18,673 grt)*, escorted by destroyer VIMY, was sunk on a mine one half mile 220° from T.2 Buoy, Tyne. The ship had arrived New York on Jan. 2 1940 later heading to Bayonne, NJ. In Oct.-1940 it was decided to put her into service as a troopship and she was sent to Halifax for armament, departing Bayonne, NJ on Oct. 26, arriving Halifax on the 28th. While there, she was fitted out with bridge protection and degaussing gear, as well as a 4" gun, an old 12 lbs AA gun, 8 Colt Marlin MGs and 4 Lewis guns. On Nov. 21 she left Halifax for the U.K., where she was to be further fitted out for troop transport, and sailed across independantly. She arrived Gourock Bay on Nov. 28 where the troops she was carrying were disembarked. Everything was made ready for the mail and cargo to be discharged, but the next day she was ordered by the Admiralty to go to Newcastle-on-Tyne, escorted by the destroyer VIMY, and she departed that same afternoon (Nov. 29).

OSLOFJORD followed the DD, and was about 2 ship lengths behind it when at about 0820 hrs she struck a mine about 2 miles ESE of the entrance to the River Tyne, 220° 0.5 miles from T2 Buoy. On the bridge at the time were the captain, the chief mate, the 3rd mate, 4th Mate and helmsman , all of whom, except the chief mate were knocked down by the explosion. The latter ordered the engines stopped, then found the captain and the helmsman unconscious on the deck. The captain soon regained consciousness again, but was injured. All the lifeboats were launched; the captain and the helmsman were assisted into one of them by some of the able seamen. Helmsman Halvorsen died from his injuries on board an MSW.

When the chief mate after a while realized that OSLOFJORD was not in danger of sinking, though she was listing heavily to starboard, he went forward and called for assistance from nearby vessels through a megaphone, and at about 0845 towing commenced. The captain also came back on board, though injured and still in shock. Several tugs came to, and some of her deck crew returned to help out, a pilot had also arrived (by the name of Duncan). However, after conferring with the Admiralty the pilot refused to tow her to port because she could block the inlet to the Tyne. The engine room was rapidly flooding, and after further examinations it was eventually agreed there was nothing else to do but follow orders and beach OSLOFJORD south of Tynemouth South Pier. Some of her crew had been taken ashore by the Cullercoast lifeboat, others by the Tynemouth lifeboat. In the next few days about 9000 bags of mail were rescued by volunteers. The captain, meanwhile, had been admitted to a hospital with a crushed vertebrae in his back.

After she had been beached, she dug deeper and deeper into the sand. Some members of her crew remained on board until Dec. 8. at which time the situation was such that she had to be abandoned, she had already started to break up by that time, and cabins and saloons were flooded, as were her holds. Those who were on board were taken ashore by John Pyemont, under extremely hazardous conditions and a strong gale. OSLOFJORD finally broke in two and capsized in bad weather on Jan. 21/22-1941, becoming a total loss.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-138

At Sea 1 December 1940
U-29, U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-99, U-101, U-103, U-140.
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Lord Mountbatten reassumed command of DD KELLY, completing repairs at Hebburn (in County Durham). Sloop HASTINGS collided with steamer LIMSLADE on the east coast.

*Northern Waters*
DD GEORGETOWN arrived at Scapa at 1700 to work up. DDs BULLDOG, BEAGLE, KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth. BULLDOG and BEAGLE were to escort the nearly complete BB KING GEORGE V (KGV). KEPPEL was to escort BB NELSON. The DDs arrived at Rosyth on the 2nd. PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow at 0400 for Plymouth as a replacement for damaged destroyer JAVELIN. PUNJABI arrived at Plymouth on the 2nd.

*West Coast UK*
DD CASTLETON was damaged in a collision on the 1st during escort operations.

*Western Approaches*
AMC FORFAR, DDs VISCOUNT (escort commander), VANQUISHER and CASTLETON, RCN DD ST LAURENT, sloop FOLKESTONE, corvette GENTIAN were escorting convoy HX.90 in the Western Approaches on the 1st.

*SW Approaches*
RCN DD SAGUENAY, had departed the Clyde on 27 November, escorting convoy HG.47. She was torpedoed and damaged by RM sub ARGO 300 miles west of Ireland. 21 one ratings were killed. DD HIGHLANDER assisted SAGUENAY which was able to reach Barrow in Furness on the 5th for repairs. DDs ACHATES and ANTHONY from convoy SL.55 joined the convoy as escorts whilst this was in progress. SAGUENAY was under repair at Greenock until 22 May 1941.

*Channel*
Dutch steamer FRISO was damaged by the LW at Southampton. Yugoslavian steamer CETVRTI was damaged by the LW as well.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN departed Gibraltar for Halifax, escort DDs JAGUAR and KELVIN. On the 2nd, KELVIN attacked a submarine contact in 36-02N, 9-42W.

*Central Atlantic*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER sank *steamer TRIBESMAN (UK 6242 grt)* in the Central Atlantic near Cape Verde. Eight crew were missing from the steamer. 14 crew were made prisoners of war. British units immediately began to sweep for ADMIRAL SCHEER, but no contact was made. CVL HERMES, CL DRAGON, AMC PRETORIA CASTLE at St Helena swept northward from St Helena. CA DORSETSHIRE and CL NEPTUNE swept 500 miles westward from Freetown.





*Malta*


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## Njaco (Nov 30, 2015)

*December 1 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” sank British ship “_Tribesman_” 500 miles west of the Cape Verde islands; 8 were killed and 14 survived. British warships leave Freetown, Sierra Leone, and the island of St. Helena to search for “_Admiral Scheer”_.

200 miles West of Ireland, escorting convoy HG-47, Italian submarine “_Argo_” torpedoed Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Saguenay_”, destroying the bow and killing 21. “_Saguenay_” would later able to reach Barrow in Furness, England, for repairs that would last until 22 May 1941. 

German submarine U-37 sank British ship “_Palmella_” 200 miles west of Porto, Portugal at 2022 hours. 1 was killed; 28 survivors were picked up by Spanish trawler “_Navemar_”.

Allied convoy HX-90 became undefended 340 miles west of Ireland after her ocean escorts departed and coastal escorts failing to arrive due to poor weather. At 2012 hours, German submarine U-101 sank the already-damaged British tanker “_Appalachee_” (7 killed, 32 survived) and damaged British ship “_Loch Ranza_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Werner Mölders claimed his 55th victory. Adolf Galland was promoted to the rank of Oberst.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Bristol is attacked by 120 planes during the night (December 1-2). Heavy damage to residential areas is caused by the bombing.

Norwegian troop ship “_Oslofjord_” hit a mine and sank in the River Tyne, England, at 0820 hours; 1 was killed and 179 survived.

Army Co-operation Command is formed under the command of Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barrett, RAF.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Major General Thomas Holcomb was appointed to a second term as the Commandant of the US Marine Corps.

*ASIA:* Romania established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In Italy rationing is introduced for flour, rice, spaghetti and macaroni.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* RAAF Station Maryborough, No.3 Wireless Air Gunners’ School and No.3 Air Navigation School were established at the present day Maryborough Airport.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 1, 2015)

*2 December 1940 (Part I) 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Shakespearian Class ASW Trawler HMS OPHELIA (T 05)




_Pictured is HMS CELIA of the same class_

*Losses*
Battle For HX-90
On 1 December 1940, some 500 nautical miles (926 km) sth of Iceland, HX 90 was sighted by U-101, which reported its position. Her skipper, Mengersen, was ordered to shadow and report. During the day, the first Western Approaches escort, the DD HMS VISCOUNT, arrived from OB 251. That evening, Mengersen was no longer able to resist attacking. He fired all twelve of his torpedoes, claiming four ships sunk and two damaged; in fact he sank three ships during the night – APALACHEE (see 1 December), KAVAK, and LADY GLANELY – and damaged another, LOCH RANZA.

Just after midnight on 2 December, U-47 joined and sank one ship, VILLE D'ARLON, which had become separated from the convoy, and damaged another, CONCH. Prien attacked a third ship, DUNSLEY, with his deck gun, but was driven off by an escort.

Later U-95 joined, attacking the damaged CONCH; which was again hit, but remained afloat. U-99, commanded by another ace, Otto Kretschmer, was en route to join the attack, but encountered the RN AMC HMS FORFAR on her way to join OB 251 as ocean escort. Kretschmer attacked her, and hit Forfar five times with torpedoes; she sank with the loss of 172 of her crew, leaving 21 survivors.

U-43 also missed the convoy, but fell in with OB 251, sinking two ships, while the RM sub ARGO, having attacked HG 43, also missed HX 90, but found SC 13, attacking and sinking one ship.

On the morning of 2 December the pack was joined by U-52, which sank two ships, TASSO and GOODLEIGH. The convoy was joined by a further two escorts, the British sloop HMS FOLKESTONE and corvette HMS GENTIAN, also from OB 251. They were assisted by the RCN DD HMCS ST LAURENT, which had been travelling with FORFAR but had detached to reinforce HX 90’s escort. VISCOUNT and ST LAURENT attacked numerous asdic contacts, making 13 DC attacks over 4 hrs. No U-boats were hit, but all were kept submerged and silent, allowing HX 90 to escape.

Later that evening, however, the convoy was sighted again, by newcomer U-94; she attacked during the night of 2–3 December and sank two more ships, STIRLINGSHIRE and WILHELMINA. Also that night, U-99 found and sank a straggler, VICTORIA CITY, (though some sources say she was sunk by U-140) and further hit the stricken CONCH which finally did sink .

No further U-boat attacks developed for HX 90, though on 3 December the W HENDRIK was bombed by the LW and sunk. The convoy met its local escort on 5 December and arrived in Liverpool later that day.

*MV KAVAK (UK 2782 grt) *Sunk by U-101 (Ernst Mengersen) Crew: 41 (25 dead and 16 survivors); Cargo: Bauxite and Pitch Route: Demerera - Halifax (21 Nov) - Newport, Mon; Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0406 hrs on 2 Dec 1940, U-101 again attacked the convoy HX-90 about 340 miles west of Bloody Foreland and reported one ship sunk and another damaged. In fact, only KAVAK was hit and sunk. The master, 23 crew members and one gunner were lost. 15 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS VISCOUNT (D 92) and landed at Liverpool.





*MV LADY GLANELY (UK 5497 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Ernst Mengersen) Crew:33 (33 dead - no survivors); Cargo:Wheat Lumber Route: Vancouver, BC - Panama - Bermuda - London ;Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0507 hrs the LADY GLANELY was torpedoed and sunk by U-101 about 410 miles west of Bloody Foreland. The master, 32 crew members and one gunner were lost.





*MV VILLE D'ARLON (Be 7555 grt)* Sunk by U-47 (Günther Prien); Crew: 57 (57 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Mixed Route: New York - Halifax - Liverpool; Convoy HX-90 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches. At 0409 hrs on 2 December 1940 the unescorted VILLE D'ARLON was hit on starboard side aft of amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-47 and sank quickly with a heavy list about 250 miles SW of Rockall. The ship had been in station of HX-90, but became a straggler due to steering troubles and had stopped when attacked by the U-boat, presumably carrying out repairs. The master, 55 crew members and one passenger (DBS) were lost.





*Tkr CONCH (UK 8376 grt) *Sunk by U-99, hit also by U-47 and U-95 Crew: 53 (0 dead and 53 survivors) Cargo: Fuel Oil Route: Trinidad - Bermuda - Clyde; Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0525 hrs the CONCH in convoy HX-90 was hit by one torpedo from U-47 (Prien) about 370 miles west of Bloody Foreland and dropped behind the convoy. Between 0905 and 0932 hours, U-95 (Schreiber) fired four torpedoes at the CONCH and hit twice the foreship with only little effect and stopped the vessel with a hit in the engine room, but was then attacked by a DD and driven away. The abandoned tanker was finally sunk by one torpedo from U-99 at 1058 hrs on 3 December, fired from the U-99. The master and 52 crew members were picked up by the HMCS ST. LAURENT (H 83) and landed at Greenock.





*MV GOODLEIGH (UK 5448 grt) *Sunk by U-52 (Otto Salman); Crew: 37 (1 dead and 36 survivors); Cargo: Timber and Zinc Alloys; Route: British Columbia - Panama - Bermuda - Oban ; Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0725 hrs, U-52 attacked the convoy HX-90 about 367 miles west of Bloody Foreland and sank two ships, the TASSO and GOODLEIGH. At 0735 hours, the U-boat fired a stern torpedo, which struck one of the ships again. The master, 34 crew members and one gunner from the GOODLEIGH were picked up by HMS VISCOUNT and landed at Liverpool. One crew member was lost.





*MV TASSO (UK 1586 grt) *Sunk by U-52 (Otto Salman); Crew:32 (5 dead and 27 survivors); Cargo: Timber Route: Halifax - Oban ; Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0723 hrs, U-52 fired a torpedo at TASSO in convoy HX-90, hit the ship amidships and caused her to sink about 360 miles west of Bloody Foreland. Five crew members were lost. The master and 26 crew members were picked up by HMS VISCOUNT and landed at Liverpool.

*MV STIRLINSHIRE (UK 6022 grt) *Sunk by U-94 (Herbert Kuppisch); Crew: 74 (0 dead and 74 survivors); Cargo: Mixed Route: Sydney (NSW) - Townsville (Qld) - Bermuda - Liverpool; Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 1823 hrs the STIRLINSHIRE in convoy HX-90 was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-94 and sank with a starboard list about 280 miles NW of Bloody Foreland. The master, 72 crew members and one gunner were picked up by the British steam merchant EMPIRE PUMA from the same convoy and landed at Liverpool.





*MV WILHELMINA (UK 6725 grt) *Sunk by U-94 (Herbert Kuppisch); Crew: 39 (5 dead and 34 survivors); Cargo: Fish, Wood Pulp and other General Cargo; Route: British Columbia - Panama - Halifax - Liverpool; Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; Between 2216 and 2217 hrs , U-94 fired 3 single torpedoes at a tkr and two steamers in convoy HX-90 265 miles west of Bloody Foreland and observed two hits on the tker and one on a steamer identified as W. HENDRIKk, which was missed by a coup de grace at 0005 hours on 3 December. In fact only the WILHELMINA was hit and sunk in this attack. Four crew members and one gunner were lost. The master and 33 crew members were picked up by HMS GENTIAN and landed at Gourock. The British steam merchant W. HENDRIK thought that they had been hit when the other ship was torpedoed, sent a distress signal and stopped. She was in fact undamaged and continued with the convoy, but was bombed and sunk by the LW on 3 December.





*AMC FORFAR (RN 16402 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer); Crew: 193 (172 dead and 21 survivors); Convoy HX-90; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0546 hrs, AMC FORFAR (F 30) was hit by one torpedo from U-99 after she had just left the convoy HX-90 bound for OB-251 about 500 miles west of Ireland. She finally sank at 0657 hrs, after four additional torpedo hits at 0639, 0643, 0650 and 0657 hours. The master, 35 officers and 136 naval ratings were lost. Three officers and 18 naval ratings were rescued by RCN DD ST. LAURENT, DD VISCOUNT and the DUNSLEY and landed at Oban.


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## Njaco (Dec 2, 2015)

*December 2 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The Luftwaffe loses Siegfried Fischer of JG 53 when he goes missing in action. He had five victories at the time of his disappearance.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-99 attacked British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Forfar_” with five torpedoes between 0546 and 0657 hours, sinking her; 172 were killed, 21 survived. Shortly after, German submarines U-47, U-52, U-94, U-99, and U-101 attacked Allied convoy HX-90 unescorted 300 miles west of Ireland between 0400 and 0730 hours; her ocean escorts had departed on the previous day, and her coastal escorts failed to arrive due to poor weather. 5 ships were sunk (totaling 22,868 tons), while 2 were damaged; 119 were killed. German submarine U-43 sank British ship “_Pacific President_” at 0901 hours (entire crew of 50 killed) and British tanker “_Victor Ross_” at 0941 hours (entire crew of 44 killed). German submarine U-99 sank Norwegian ship “_Samnanger_” at 2050 hours, killing the entire crew of 30. Destroyer HMS “_Viscount_” rescues 79 survivors and Canadian destroyer HMCS “_St. Laurent_” rescues 106. U-94 finds the convoy after the coastal escort vessels arrive and sinks 2 more ships after dark (5 killed, survivors rescued by British SS “_Empire Puma_” from the same convoy and corvette HMS “_Gentian_”).

German submarine U-37 sank Swedish ship “_Gwalia_” at 0418 hours (16 killed, 4 survived) and British ship “_Jeanne M._” at 0446 hours (7 killed, 19 survived); both attacks were about 230 miles north of Cape Roca, Portugal.

HMS “_Hermes_” made rendezvous with light cruiser HMS “_Dragon_” in the South Atlantic.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Overnight, German bombers bombed Bristol, England.

Various command changes for the Royal Navy are announced. Admiral Tovey is to succeed Admiral Forbes as Commander in Chief, Home Fleet. Forbes goes to Plymouth Command. Admiral Harwood becomes Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff.

*ASIA: *Crown Prince Yi Un was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in the Japanese Army.

Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma was named the commanding officer of the Taiwan Army.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Henry Arnold was promoted to the permanent rank of brigadier general.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British Admiral of the Fleet William Boyle (Earl of Cork and Orrery) arrived at Gibraltar aboard destroyer HMS “_Jersey_” to conduct a Board of Inquiry into Admiral James Somerville's decision to disengage at the Battle of Spartivento. Somerville’s decision to disengage in the face of superior forces will be upheld and no disciplinary action taken.

Greek forces capture 5.000 Italian troops.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *8 Division of the AIF sailed from Sydney to Malaya and Singapore.


.


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## parsifal (Dec 2, 2015)

*2 December 1940 (Part II)
Losses [CONT'D]*
OB-251 and SC-11
Whilst the attacks on HX-90 are continuing, U-43 makes contact with OB-251, which escort has left for HX-90 and sinks 2 ships. She sinks also a romper from HX-90. On the 3rd Dec, U-43, u-52, U-94 and U-99 search for SC-13 but do not find it. This convoy has made a detour to the NW because of the bad weather. Only the RM ARGO finds the convoy, fails to report position (which incenses Donitz), but manages to sink one of its ships. The convoy battles end with the sinking of a ship of HX-90 by a Fw-200.

*MV PACIFIC PRESIDENT (UK 7113 grt)* Sunk by U-43 (Wolfgang Lüth); Crew: 52 (52 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Empty; Route: Leith - New York; Convoy OB-251; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0901 hrs the PACIFIC PRESIDENT in convoy OB-251 was hit by two torpedoes from U-43 and sank fast by the bow WSW of Rockall. All of the crew were lost.





*Tkr VICTOR ROSS (UK 12247 grt) *Sunk by U-43 (Wolfgang Lüth); Crew: 44 (44 dead - no survivors) Cargo:Empty; Route:Liverpool - New York; Convoy OB-251; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0941 hrs the VICTOR ROSS in convoy OB-251 was hit by two torpedoes from U-43 and sank by the stern after being hit aft by a coup de grace at 1015 hrs 355 miles 210° from Bloody Foreland, Co. Donegal. The tkr had been missed by a first coup de grace at 0950 hrs and the U-boat had to evade a ramming attempt by diving shortly afterwards. All crew members were lost.





*MV SAMNANGER (UK 4276 grt) *Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer); Crew: 30 (30 dead - no survivors); Cargo:Empty; Route: Hartlepool - Methil Roads - Oban - Pepel; Convoy OB-251 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; In the afternoon on 2 December, U-99 spotted and identified the SAMNANGER west of Ireland and followed her for a night attack because the periscope was inoperative. At 2050 hrs, one G7e torpedo was fired that hit amidships and caused a list to starboard. After the crew abandoned ship in the lifeboats, the U-boat began shelling the starboard side of the ship with 27 HE rounds and 25 incendiary shells from the deck gun, setting her on fire. The ship capsized and sank after several hours. While the Germans had observed the crew to abandon ship, no survivors were ever found.





There was also a battle for Convoy OG-46

*MV GWALIA (SD 1258 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen); Crew: 20 (16 dead and 4 survivors); Cargo: Coal and mail; Route: Cardiff - Lisbon; Convoy OG-46; Sunk In the SW Approaches; At 0418 hrs the GWALIA in convoy OG-46 was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-37 and sank, followed by the JEANNE M at 0446 hrs about 230 miles north of Cape Roca, Portugal. After a third attack at the same convoy the U-boat observed a burning tker, but this is not supported by Allied sources. The survivors from GWALIA were picked up from a raft after 11 days by a British DD and landed at Gibraltar.





*MV JEANNE M (UK 2465 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen); Crew: 26 (7 dead and 19 survivors); Cargo: Coal; Route: Cardiff - Lisbon; Convoy OG-46; Sunk In the SW Approaches; At 0418 hrs the GWALIA in convoy OG-46 was torpedoed and sunk by U-37, followed by the JEANNE M. at 0446 hrs about 230 miles nth of Cape Roca, Portugal. Seven crew members from the JEANNE M were lost. The master and 18 crew members were picked up by HMS ERIN.





Other losses
*Steamer JOLLY GIRLS (UK 483 grt) *was sunk on a mine 18 cables 101° from North Pier Light, Tyne. The entire crew of the steamer were rescued. She was carrying a cargo a submarine cable. N55 00 29 W001 23 08. The Cullercoats life boat was called out to a spot 3/4 mile east of the Tyne piers. As of 2001, the wreck has never been found by divers, despite extensive searches. The wreck is said to be eighteen cables (just over two miles) out and more or less NW of the North Tyne pier, lying in a depth of around 29.3m on a seabed of sand and stone. There is a wreck on the Admiralty charts in that approximate location, marked as ‘position approximate’. It is possible that she lies very close to the wreck of the Nyula

*Trawler KILGERRAN CASTLE (UK 276 grt)* was sunk by the LW in 51‑21N, 08‑35W. There were no casualties on the British trawler.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-100

At Sea 2 December 1940
U-29, U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-140.
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.348 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 4th. DD VIMY departed the Tyne for Rosyth arriving early on the 3rd. DD MAORI departed Rosyth for the Tyne for repairs completed on 14 January. DD MATABELE was taken in hand at Rosyth for docking and repairs.

*Northern Waters*
Admiral Sir J. C. Tovey took over command of the Home Fleet relieving Admiral Sir C. M. Forbes on the 2nd. Tovey had been Vice Admiral, Light Forces in the Med being relieved by Rear Admiral H. D. Pridham-Wipple in November 1940. BB KGV with DDs SOMALI , MASHONA, BEAGLE, BULLDOG departed Rosyth at 1445 for the Scapa Flow exercise area to carry out her acceptance trials.

AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow at 0700 after escorting convoy EN.34.

*West Coast UK*
OB.253 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANSITTART and WESTCOTT and corvettes CANDYTUFT and HONEYSUCKLE. The escort was detached on the 6th. DD CAMPBELTOWN was damaged when DD CALDWELL was blown into her while refuelling at Belfast.

*Western Approaches*
As a part of the Battle for HX-90, at 0606 hrs the DUNSLEY, a straggler from convoy HX-90, was damaged by gunfire by U-47. The U-boat fired 11 rounds of 88mm and scored five hits. The deck cargo caught fire, but was extinguished by the crew after U-47 broke off the attack (having been driven off by the escort). The shelling damaged also shell plates, derricks and masts.

U.47 attacked a straggler (possibly British steamer PENROSE) from HX.90 in 55N, 20W, claimed damaging her, but allied corroboration of this damage exists.

*Channel*
During the night of 2/3 December, DKM TBs ILTIS and JAGUAR from Cherbourg laid minefield OSKAR off Dover.

*Nth Atlantic
Steamer KLAUS SCHOKE (Ger 5830 grt)* had departed Holtenau on 12 August 1939 for New York. She was only 300 miles from New York when she diverted for Las Palmas in the Azores after the war started. She remained in the Azores for over a year. On the 1 December 1940 , the German steamer left Las Palmas to attempt to return to Germany. She was intercepted by AMC CALIFORNIA, and then attempted to scuttle herself off the Azores. On the 3rd, DD ENCOUNTER and tug ST DAY departed Gibraltar to bring the prize to Gibraltar. However the steamer did eventually sink after an unsuccessful attempt to get to port on the 5th. .





*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed Durban.

*Med- Biscay*
CL MANCHESTER, escorted by DDs HASTY and HEREWARD departed Alexandria for Gibraltar. The ships called at Suda Bay at 0900 on the 3rd. CL MANCHESTER and CA YORK departed Suda Bay at noon. At sunset, YORK was detached and CL MANCHESTER then set off on her own arriving at Gibraltar on the 6th. CL SOUTHAMPTON departed Alexandria for Suez. She departed Suez that day to meet troop convoy WS.4B coming from the Cape. RAN DDs VOYAGER and VENDETTA departed Alexandria and Port Said, respectively, with steamers for convoy AN.8 of five ships, two British. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 6th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
RAN CL ADELAIDE provided escort for the Vancouver Mail Ship. On the 2nd, the CL turned over the escort to NZ manned CL ACHILLES off Nth Cape, Australia. ACHILLES escorted the steamer to the Tasman Sea.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Dec 2, 2015)

*3 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U-76




_Type VIIB U-83 shown in the 1941 Nth Atlantic paint scheme. Six days into her first and only patrol on 2 April, U-76 sank the Finnish steam merchant ship SS DAPHNE which ironically was on her way to Lillehammer, Norway. All 22 crew members were killed in the attack. The next day, U-76 followed the mostly British convoy SC 26 travelling from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Liverpool. The U-boat fired a torpedo at the British merchantman SS ATHENIC, disabling the vessel. The 40 people aboard were rescued by HMS ARBUTUS. However, aided by the new Type 271 radar 
the attack attracted the attention of the escort vessels, who pinpointed her position. Deploying depth-charges from HM ships WOLVERINE and SCARBOROUGH, U-76 was sunk. Forty-two of her forty-three-man crew survived and were captured._

Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 162

*Losses*
Further attacks on HX-90
U.140 sank *steamer VICTORIA CITY (UK 4739 grt) *west of Ireland. There were no survivors from the steamer. On the 3rd Decmber 1940 when on route from New York (17 Nov) - Halifax (21 Nov) - London as a straggler in Convoy HX-90 she was torpedoed by German submarine U-140 and sunk. The master and 42 crew members were lost.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-29

At Sea 3 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-140.
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM raider KORMORAN departed Gotenhafen on a raiding sortie that was to take her into the Central and Sth Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific. She carried 280 moored mines and 40 ground mines for operations. On the 7th, DKM TBs T.1, T.5, T.12 escorted KORMORAN through the Skagerrak. The KORMORAN successfully passed the Denmark Strait on the 13 December.

*North Sea*
FN.349 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 5th. FS.351 departed Methil, escort sloop EGRET and DD VORTIGERN. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th. FS.352 departed Methil. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON (Tovey) departed Rosyth escort DDs VIMY, DOUGLAS, KEPPEL. NELSON and her escorts arrived at Scapa Flow at 0600 on the 4th. DDs ESCAPADE and BRILLIANT departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with BB KING GEORGE V in Pentland Firth. Upon joining, DDs ESCAPADE and BRILLIANT relieved DDs SOMALI and MASHONA which entered Scapa Flow. DDs EXMOOR and COTSWOLD departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with AMCs CHITRAL and SALOPIAN off the Butt of Lewis. CLs AURORA and ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow with DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MASHONA, ESKIMO on Operation DN (a sweep off the SW Norwegian coast for enemy shipping). No contact was made and the ships arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 4th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.47 Fast from Pentland Firth until after dark and then to return to Scapa Flow. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.47 to Methil. At Methil, the AA ship was taken in tow from Methil to Rosyth for maintenance.

*Western Approaches*
DD CAMPBELTOWN was damaged in a collision with British tanker CONUS. CAMPBELTOWN was repaired at Liverpool completing on 28 March. Dd CASTLETON was damaged in a collision in the Western Approaches. CASTLETON was taken to Portsmouth for repair, arriving on the 18th. While under repair, she was damaged by the LW on 18 January 1941. CASTLETON repairs were completed on 22 February.

*SW Approaches*
Catapult ship PEGASUS departed Portsmouth to join the escort of convoy OG.47. British trawler SLEBECH was damaged by the LW five miles WNW of Skelligs (SW of the Irish coast). British trawler WILLIAM DOWNES (275grt) was also damaged by the LW five miles WNW of Skelligs. British steamer QUEBEC CITY was damaged by the LW in the North Atlantic off the Irish Coast. British steamer ROBRIX was damaged on a mine two miles 110° from Spurn Light House.

*Channel*
DD ICARUS departed Portsmouth for Dartmouth on 30 November. On the 3rd, ICARUS departed for minelay GR with DDs KASHMIR, KIPLING, PUNJABI. A defect on ICARUS delayed the minelay. The defect was corrected the next day, but the escorts were no longer available. ICARUS departed Portsmouth on the 7th for Immingham.

During the night of 3/4 December, DKM DDs GREIF, KONDOR, FALKE, SEEADLER from Cherbourg laid minefield MARIANNE off Dover.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.93 departed Halifax at 1440 escort RCN DD ASSINIBOINE and aux PVs FRENCH and HUSKY. FRENCH and HUSKY were detached at later that day and ASSINIBOINE departed on the 4th. The ocean escort was AMC AURANIA, which was detached on the 11th. BB RODNEY joined on the 11th and was detached on the 13th. Corvette PICOTEE joined on the 11th and DDs ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTELOPE and corvette HEATHER on the 13th. ACHATES and corvette HEATHER were detached on the 16th. ASW trawlers LADY MADELEINE and NORWICH CITY were with the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL FURIOUS and CLA DIDO departed Freetown for the Clyde where they arrived on the 14th.

*Steamers IDARWALD (Ger 5033 grt)* and *MV RHEIN (Ger 6031 grt)* departed Tampico to attempt again to return to Germany. IDARWALD was shadowed by USN DD BROOME (DD.210) until RN CL DIOMEDE arrived on the 8th. IDARWALD scuttled herself off the Cuban south coast. Attempts to save IDARWALD continue until 9 December. Steamer RHEIN was shadowed by USN DD SIMPSON (DD.221) which was relieved by USN DD MACLEISH (DD.220). Steamer RHEIN was intercepted on the 11th by Dutch gunboat VAN KINSBERGEN in the Straits of Florida. RHEIN scuttled herself to avoid capture. By the time the scuttling charges were detonated, CL CARADOC had also arrived.








*Med- Biscay*
CL GLASGOW at anchor in Suda Bay was struck by two torpedoes from RA SM79s and was seriously damaged. The first torpedo at 1540 blew a 22 foot by twenty two hole foot in the starboard side forward. It caused structural damage and flooding. The second torpedo struck at 1541 and hit the starboard side aft. X turret was out of service and two propeller shafts were damaged. 3 crew memebers were kiled and another 3 were seriously wounded. CL GLOUCESTER was also in Suda Bay. GLASGOW was able to return under her own power at 2300 later at 16 knots to Alexandria with GLOUCESTER and DDs HEREWARD and HASTY and given AA protection by CLA CALCUTTA. GLOUCESTER was detached on the 4th to join cruiser YORK covering convoy movements. CALCUTTA was also detached. GLASGOW with DDs HEREWARD and HASTY arrived at Alexandria early on the 5th. After temporary repairs, GLASGOW was able to leave Alexandria in early February 1941 for passage into the Red Sea. GLASGOW was deployed in the East Indies on convoy and escort duties. The cruiser received further temporary repairs at Singapore from 29 June to 29 August 1941.
GLASGOW continued damaged until 6 May 1942 when she arrived at the New York Naval Yard. Repairs were completed 7 August 1942.

BBs BARHAM and VALIANT departed Alexandria for gunnery practices. DD HAVOCK setting out collided with VALIANT. HAVOCK was under repair at Malta from 22 December to 20 February.

Convoy AS.6 of 7 ships departed Pireaus, escort ASW trawler LOCH MELFORT. The second trawler of the escort, KINGSTON CORAL, was unable to proceed due to defects. The convoy was given AA support by CALCUTTA until south of Kaso Strait. Escort ship WRYNECK departed Alexandria on the 5th and joined the convoy. CA YORK and CL GLOUCESTER provided cover for this convoy and convoy AN.8 on the 5th. The convoy arrived at Port Said on the 7th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RM DDs TIGRE, LEONE, MANIN, SAURO and sub FERRARIS operated in the Red Sea looking for a Convoy without success.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 2, 2015)

*December 3 Tuesday*
*GERMANY:* Chief of Naval operations, Admiral Kurt Fricke, demands that air torpedo attacks by the Navy should be resumed and that the Naval bomber squadrons should be re-equipped with the newly designed He 111 H-5.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Greeks push Italians back 15 miles along the Ionian coast past the archaeological site at Butrint and capture the Albanian Riviera town of Sarandë. In response to the Italian crisis, the Germans dispatched 50,000 troops to Albania to shore up the Italian defenses. Coupled with the Italian defeats in Africa, the debacle in Greece was a blow to Axis prestige. To the far south, Italian torpedo bombers attacked the British naval base at Suda Bay, Crete, Greece at 1540 hours, damaging British cruiser HMS “_Glasgow_” with two torpedoes (3 killed, 3 wounded). The Italians lost 28,000 soldiers as war prisoners and one-fourth of Albania's territory. HMS “_Glasgow_” will be patched up at Alexandria, Egypt, until February 1941 but not fully repaired until August 1942 in New York, USA.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The attack on convoy HX-90 continues despite escort vessels. At 1058 hours, U-99 sinks the abandoned hulk of British MV “_Conch_”, damaged yesterday morning by torpedoes from U-47 and U-95. British SS “_W. Hendrik_”, stopped by her captain who believes she had been hit by a torpedo, is bombed and sunk by a Focke-Wulf Fw-200 (5 killed). The final victim in convoy HX-90 is British SS “_Victoria City_”, sunk by U-140 at 2142 hours (all 43 hands lost).

German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” departed Gotenhafen, German (Gdynia, Poland) to raid Allied shipping, carrying supplies for 12 months, 280 naval mines, 40 land mines, and spare parts and torpedoes to supply submarines.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* 51 German aircraft bombed Birmingham, England, dropping 55 tons of high explosive bombs and 448 incendiary bombs.

The British government announces that it has placed a first order with US yards for the construction of 60 merchant ships.

Destroyer HMS “_Campbeltown_”, one of the first 8 destroyers transferred from the US Navy in September, is damaged in collision with British tanker “_Conus_” off Liverpool (repaired at Liverpool until March 28 1941).

.

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## parsifal (Dec 3, 2015)

*4 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-552





_U-552 was a Type VIIC U-Boat. She was laid down on 1 December 1939 at Blohm Voss in Hamburg as yard number 528, launched on 14 September 1940 and went into service on 4 December 1940. U-552 was nicknamed the Roter Teufel ("Red Devil") after its mascot of a grinning devil which was painted on the conning tower. She was one of the more successful of her class, operating for over three years of continual service and sinking or damaging 30 Allied ships with 164,276 tons sunk and 26,910 tons damaged. She was a member of 21 wolf packs.

U-552 was involved in two controversial actions: in October 1941 she sank the USS REUBEN JAMES, the first US Navy warship to be lost in WWII ; this was at a time when the US was still officially neutral, and caused a diplomatic row. In April 1942 she sank the freighter SS DAVID H. ATWATER off the US seaboard in a particularly brutal attack, characterized as a naval atrocity.

U-552 had an unusually long service life, surviving to the end of World War II; after evacuating from her French base during the spring of 1944 she operated on training duties in the Baltic Sea until 2 May 1945, when her crew scuttled her in Helgoland Bight, to prevent her falling into enemy hands._

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS EBERLE (DD 430)





Allied
AMC HMCS PRINCE HENRY (F 70)




_Rebuilt as Landing Ship Infantry LSI(M). Refit started on 6 March 1943 and recommissioned as such on 6 January 1944.
As LSI(M) she was armed with 2 4" AA guns (1x2), 1 40mm AA, 6 20mm AA (6x1). She carried 2 LCM's, 1 LCS(M) and 5 LCA's or LCP(L)'s and 444 troops. She was decommissioned 15 April 1945._

BPB 70 feet-type (ex: French) Motor Anti-Submarine Boat MA/SB 61 (MA/SB 61)




_Sister ship MA/SB 64 pictured. MGB 64 at this stage of the war armed with twin Lewis guns alongside the bridge and a four barrelled Boulton Paul gun turret aft. _

*Losses
MV DAPHNE (SD 1518 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen); Crew: 19 (18 dead and 1 survivor); Cargo: Coal Route: Glasgow - Lisbon; Convoy OG-46 (Straggler); Sunk off the coast of Portugal ; At 0457 hrs the unescorted DAPHNE, a straggler from convoy OG-46, was hit aft by one torpedo from U-37 and sank within three minutes SW of Cabo Espichel, Portugal.





*Special service vessel EMPIRE SEAMAN (RN 1927 grt)* was lost. Some reports claim she was sunk as a blockship in June 1940

*FVl HELENE (Be 145 grt)* was sunk on a mine.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-96

At Sea 4 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-140.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.350 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 6th. FS.353 departed Methil, escorty DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 8th. DD TYNEDALE arrived at Scapa Flow to work up. T/Lt (A) R. H. Ridley RNVR, was killed when his Fulmar of 759 Sqn crashed near Shaftesbury.

*Northern Waters*
Ummission ed BB KGV with DDs ESCAPADE, BRILLIANT, BEAGLE, BULLDOG arrived at Scapa Flow after acceptance trials that hadf been carried out west of the Orkneys. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.48, then transfer to convoy EN.36 when met.

DDs DOUGLAS and KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow and proceeded to Loch Alsh as additional escorts for Minelayer operation SN.10 A.

*West Coast UK*
CLA PHOEBE was repairing in the Clyde to complete on the 14th. OB.254 departed Liverpool escort ORP DDs BLYSKAWICA and GARLAND; and RN DD VESPER, sloops CHEVREUIL and SANDWICH, corvette HEARTSEASE. The corvette was detached on the 5th. BLYSKAWICA and sloop CHEVREUIL were detached on the 6th and the rest of the escort on the 7th.

*Western Approaches*
U.52 attacked and claimed sinking a steamer west of Ireland, but allied records dont show such a loss.

*Central Atlantic*
CL DRAGON departed Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
CL DESPATCH departed Gibraltar for Bermuda.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.10 departed Suez, escort sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were detached on the 7th when relieved by RAN CL HOBART, sloops AUCKLAND and INDUS, armed patrol yacht SAGITTA. DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY joined on the 8th. The convoy was dispersed on the 11th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
CL DAUNTLESS was refitting at Hong Kong.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 3, 2015)

*December 4 Wednesday*
*NORTH AMERICA:* F4F-3 Wildcat fighters entered service with the US Navy; VF-41 received the first of these aircraft.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek forces captured Përmet (capturing 500 Italians), Pogradec, and Sarande in Albania. Italians abandon important supply base of Argyrokastro, southwest Albania, and nearby port of Santi Quaranta, taking 500 Italian prisoners. They now occupy a line from Sarandë on the Ionian Sea, via Përmet and Korçë, to Pogradec on Ohrid Lake in the East.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 0457 hours, U-37 sinks Swedish SS “_Daphne_”, 15 miles Southwest of Cabo Espichel, Portugal (18 dead and 1 survivor). This vessel was also torpedoed in WWI (at the time known as SS “_Naparima_”) off Hartlepool, England, by UB-107 on May 10 1918.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* 62 German bombers dropped 77 tons of high explosive bombs and 184 incendiary bombs on Birmingham, England.

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## Njaco (Dec 4, 2015)

*December 5 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Battleship “_Bismarck_” completed her trials in the Baltic Sea and set sail for Hamburg, Germany.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” and British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Carnarvon Castle_” exchange 6-inch shells 300 miles south of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. HMS “_Carnarvon Castle”_ was hit 27 times (4 killed, 32 wounded) while “_Thor_” was able to disengage unharmed. HMS “_Carnarvon Castle_” would soon receive temporary repairs at Montevideo, Uruguay, using steel plates salvaged from the scuttled German pocket battleship “_Graf Spee_”.

British submarine HMS “_Sunfish_” sank Finnish ship “_Oscar Midling_” off the Stadlandet peninsula, Norway, killing all aboard.

British motor torpedo boats MTB.32, MTB.29, and MTB.31 patrolled the coast of the Netherlands near the mouth of River Scheldt, sinking German ship “_Paranagua_”.

Italian submarine “_Argo_” sank British ship “_Silverpine_” 250 miles west of Ireland, killing 35.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Scottish Independent Labour Party politician John McGovern's peace amendment was rejected by the British House of Commons, 341 votes against the amendment to 4 votes in favor.

British destroyer HMS “_Cameron_”, one of the first 8 destroyers transferred from the US Navy in September, is bombed and badly damaged while refitting in drydock at Portsmouth (14 killed). The dock floods and HMS “_Cameron_” capsizes. She will be refloated in February 1941 and repaired by April 1942 but never see active service again.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian torpedo boat “_Calipso_” hit a mine and sank 6 miles off Cape Misurata, Libya.

*GERMANY: *An outline plan for the attack on the Soviet Union (Operation 'Otto') is presented to Hitler by the army. As in the last version it provides for a three-pronged attack, with the center force moving toward Moscow being the strongest. Hitler agrees to allow planning to go ahead on this basis but suggests some modifications. He also orders planning for the attack on Greece to continue. Hitler about Barbarossa:


> “The German Armed Forces must be prepared to crush Soviet Russia in a quick campaign even before the end of the war against England... Preparations... are to begin now... and are to be completed by 15 May 1941.”



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## parsifal (Dec 5, 2015)

*5 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXB U-109




_U-107, a U-boat identical to U-109. U-109 conducted nine war-patrols, sinking 12 ships and damaging one. All but one of these successes were during the six patrols she carried out under the command of the U-boat ace, Heinrich Bleichrodt. On 4 May 1943, she was sunk with all hands by a VLR ASW B-24 Liberator, operated by 86 Sqn RAF _

Neutral
Elco 70' PT USS PT 15





Cimarron Class AO USS SABINE (AO 25)




_The USS "NICHOLAS" refuels from the oiler USS "SABINE" (AO 25_

Allied
Town Class DD HMS (later HMCS) SALISBURY (I 52)





*Losses*
RN Sub SUNFISH sank *steamer OSCAR MIDLING (FN 2182 grt)* whilst in German service off Stadlandet. There were no survivors from the Finnish steamer.





RM sub ARGO sank *steamer SILVERPINE (UK 5066 grt)*, a straggler from convoy OB.252, in 54‑14N, 18‑08W. 36 crew lost their lives in this attack.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 5 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-47, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-140.
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*Northern Waters*
DDs DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, BATH, ST ALBANS departed Loch Alsh escorting minelayers SOUTHERN PRINCE , MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC, AGAMENOM for minelaying mission SN.10 A. BC REPULSE with DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN departed Scapa to cover this operation.
The minelaying was conducted during the night of 7/8 December.

DDs ESCAPADE, SIKH, BRILLIANT, BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow escorting BB RODNEY on passage to cover an Atlantic convoy. ORP DD PIORUN and RN DD VIMY departed Scapa to rendezvous with AMCs LETITIA and WOLFE and aux ML MANCHESTER CITY on the 7th, these ships were met and safely arrived in the Clyde.

*Channel*
DD CAMERON was bombed and badly damaged at Portsmouth while in dock refitting. The dock was partially flooded and CAMERON capsized in dock. 14 ratings were killed in the DD. CAMERON was not refloated until 23 February 1941. She was repaired in fifteen and a half months, completing April 1942, and was used for hull stress testing.

British steamer WATERLAND at Dover was damaged by German shore guns.

Motor torpedo boats MTB.32, MTB.29 and MTB.31 attacked German shipping off Flushing. *Steamer PARANAGUA (Ger 6062 grt) *was sunk in the attack.





*Central Atlantic*
CL SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar for Azores patrol. DKM raider THOR and AMC CARNARVON CASTLE engaged SE of Rio de Janiero The AMC was badly damaged and six ratings were killed, and 17 ratings were wounded.

CA CUMBERLAND and CLs ENTERPRISE and NEWCASTLE searched for the German merchant cruiser on the 7th, but no contact was made

*Med- Biscay*
Convoy AN.9 with troopship ULSTER PRINCE and oiler BRAMBLELEAF departed Port Said, escorted by RAN DDs VOYAGER and VENDETTA. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 7th

*TB CALIPSO (RM 679 grt) *was sunk on a mine east of Tripoli, laid by Submarine RORQUAL on 5 November.





*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES met British troopship DOMINION MONARCH in the Tasman Sea and escorted her to Wellington arriving on the 7th.

German steamer AUGSBURG at Dairen was sold to Japan and renamed TEIRYU MARU.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Dec 5, 2015)

*6 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bathurst Class Minesweeper HMAS BATHURST (J 158 )





_The Bathurst Class Corvettes were to the RAN what the Flower class were to the RN and RCN. In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both ASW and mine-warfare duties, while easy to construct and operate. The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) top speed, and a range of 2,850 nautical miles (5,280 km; 3,280 mi), armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either DCs or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a sloop than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and ASW vessels. 

Construction of the prototype HMAS KANGAROO did not go ahead, but the plans were retained. The need for locally built 'all-rounder' vessels at the start of WWII saw the "Australian MSWs" (designated as such to hide their primary ASW, but universally referred to as "corvettes") approved in September 1939, with 60 constructed during the course of the war: 36 directly ordered by the RAN, 20 (including BATHURST) ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.

BATHURST laid down by Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney on 10 February 1940. She was launched on 1 August 1940 , and commissioned on 6 December 1940 under Lieut-Commander A. V. Bunyan, DSC, RD; RANR(S) _

Flower Class Corvette HMCS SPIKENARD (K 198 )




_HMCS SPIKENARD was torpedoed and sunk on the 11 Feb 1942 by U-136, about 465 nautical miles west of Malin Head, Ireland in position 56º10'N, 21º07'W, while escorting convoy SC-67. There were only eight survivors. _

Higgins 70' Type HMS MGB 72




_Generic Image BPB 70′ MGB 1941_

Thornycroft 55 feet-type class Motor Torpedo Boat MTB 215





*Losses
MV SKRIM (Nor 1902 grt) *Sunk by U-43 (Wolfgang Luth); Crew: 23 (23 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Empty; Route: Grangemouth - Aberdeen - Oban - Sydney; Convoy OB-252 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; The SKRIM straggled from convoy OB-252 due to bad weather on 4 December and was never seen again. According to BDU reports, at 2248 hrs on 6 Dec 1940, U-43 hit a ship going west in the stern with a torpedo and observed it sinking in 63 seconds. The ship had been spotted at 1847 hrs and missed with a first torpedo at 2226 hrs. This vessel was probably the SKRIM.





*Steamer SUPREMITY (UK 554 grt)* was sunk on a mine WSW, three cables from EastOaze Light Vessel, Thames Estuary. One crewman was lost on the British steamer.





*Trawler JUPITER (Ger 218 grt)* was sunk by unspecified enemy action.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-47, U-95

At Sea 6 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-101, U-103, U-140.
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD MATABELE departed Rosyth at 2200 for Scapa Flow after docking and repairs. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 7th. FN.352 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WESTMINSTER. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 8th. FS.354 departed Methil, escorted by DDs WALLACE and WOLFHOUND. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 8th. FS.355 departed Methil, escorted by DDs VALOROUS and VERSATILE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 9th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy EN.36. The cruiser departed Scapa Flow later that day to join convoy WN.49. DDs BEVERLEY and BURNHAM departed Scapa Flow, after both DDs had completed their working up and were en route to Belfast to join the Western Approaches Command. DD BEAGLE with a damaged steering gear, escorted by DD SIKH, arrived at Scapa Flow at 2359 after being detached from BB RODNEY's screen.

*West Coast UK*
Sub UNBEATEN was damaged by gales while alongside submarine depot ship TITANIA in the Clyde. The submarine arrived at Barrow to repair on the 17th. Repairs were completed on the 30th. MSW SALAMANDER was damaged in a gale. The MSW underwent repairs and refit at Grimsby from 20 January to 10 March.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.94 departed Halifax at 1435 escorted by RCN DD ASSINIBOINE, corvettes TRILLIUM and WINDFLOWER, aux PVs ELK and HUSKY. At 1745, the ocean escort, AMC RAJPUTANA joined the convoy and at 1725 on the 7th, ASSINIBOINE returned to Halifax. The AMC in turn was detached on the 18th. DD SCIMITAR and corvettes and ARABIS and MALLOW joined on the 18th. Corvette ARABIS was detached on the 19th, DD SCIMITAR was detached on the 20th as were the RCN corvettes on that day. Corvette MALLOW was detached on the 22nd. ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN and WELLARD were with the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd.

*Med- Biscay*
CLs ORION and AJAX and RAN CL SYDNEY departed Alexandria to cover convoy movements. The cruisers called at Suda Bay on the 7th before proceeding to Piraeus, where they arrived on the 8th. ORION then returned to Alexandria, ARRIVING On the 10th. Cruisers AJAX and SYDNEY remained in the Aegean until departing Piraeus on the 10th for Suda Bay. Italian steamers OLIMPIA and CARNIA departed Durazzo escorted by torpedo boat RIBOTY on the 5th. Submarine TRITON on the 6th attacked and badly damaged Italian steamer OLIMPIA in 41‑06N, 18‑39E. RM TBs ALTAIR and ANDROMEDA attacked TRITON, but the submarine escaped.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DKM raider ORION sank *steamer TRIONA (Aus 4413 grt)* near Nauru Island in the Sth Pacific. Four natives were lost on the steamer. The remainder of the crew were made prisoners of war.





*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 5, 2015)

*December 6 Friday*
*GERMANY: *On instructions from Hitler, Lt.Gen. Alfred Jodl orders Major General Walther Warlimont to prepare a general plan for operations against Soviet Russia.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* German armed merchant cruisers “_Komet_” and “_Orion_” intend to raid phosphate mining operations and drop prisoners on the Allied-run island of Nauru in the South Pacific (a German colony until WWI). The armed merchant cruisers stopped freighter “_Triona_” with gunfire 200 miles south of Nauru, killing 3 in the process. 54 crew and 7 passengers were taken off the ship before “_Orion_” sank “_Triona_” with a torpedo. German Navy admirals would later criticize this use of torpedo as a waste.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Greek advance north along the coast continues to go well. In Pindus Mountains Greeks advance towards Klisura. In Macedonian sector Greeks advance along valleys towards Elbasan. Santi Quaranta, Albania was taken by Greek forces.

Marshal Badoglio resigns his post as Italian Commander in Chief. His successor is General Count Cavallero.

British submarine HMS “_Regulus_” hit a mine and sank in the Strait of Otranto between Italy and Albania; the entire crew of 55 were killed.

British submarine HMS “_Triton_” attacked and damaged Italian ship “_Olimpia_” 40 miles off Brindisi, Italy. Italian torpedo boats “_Altair_” and “_Andromeda_” counterattacked, but HMS “_Triton_” was able to escape unharmed.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France held a War Guilt trial, indicting Blum, Daladier, La Chambre, and Gamelin.

*ASIA:* Captured (by German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis on 10 Nov) Norwegian tanker “_Ole Jacob_” arrived in Japan, carrying aviation fuel and the captured crew of tanks “_Ole Jacob_” and “_Teddy_”.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Overnight, Luftwaffe bombs Bristol again. In the last 4 days, 256 people have been killed and 229 injured.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-43 sank Norwegian ship “_Skrim_” 400 miles west of Ireland at 2248 hours; the entire crew of 23 was killed.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Western Desert Force begins Training Exercise No.2. This was a 60 mile approach march to their concentration point, designated Piccadilly, approximately 20 miles south of Maktila. Since September, 80,000 Italian troops have fortified a line of 7 camps to protect their forward supply line at the port of Sidi Barrani (running Southwest from Maktila on the Egyptian coast). However, British forces in Egypt have received Matilda tanks and Hurricanes fighters sent at Churchill’s request from England. Middle East Commander-in-Chief General Wavell plans a 5 day raid (Operation Compass) through a 15 mile gap in the Italian camps between Nibeiwa on the coastal plain and Sofafi on the escarpment inland. British 7th Armoured Division, British 16th Infantry Brigade and Indian 4th Infantry Division (Western Desert Force under General Richard O'Connor) leave Mersa Matruh at 0700 hours, traveling all day and night to cover half the 70 miles to the Italian camps.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 6, 2015)

*7 December 1940 *
Operation Compass
On the 28 november, Wavell, CinC ME Command wrote to Maitland Wilson "_I do not entertain extravagant hopes of this operation but I do wish to make certain that if a big opportunity occurs we are prepared morally, mentally and administratively to use it to the fullest_".

The general idea behind the plan was initially the destruction of the fortified campsin a series of mobile raids, taking advantage of the British advnatages of superior mobility and built around the heavy protection of the British tank forces. Surprise was essential to the operation. The British forces were heavily outnumbered, and were relying on shock effect of attacking the fortified camps from their weakest points in their rear. 

*Order of Battle*
The British
General Sir Archibald Wavell
Western Desert Force (XIII Corps from 1 January 1941)
Lt General Richard O'Connor
Corps Troops

7th Btn, Royal Tank Regiment (Matilda Mk II Infantry (I) Tanks)
1st and 104th (Essex Yeomanry) Regiments, Royal Horse Artillery (25-pdrs)
51st Field Regiment (Westmoreland and Cumberland Yeomanry), RA (25-pdrs)
7th Medium Regiment, RA (6in Howitzers and 6in guns)
64th Mediterranean Regiment, RA (4.5in guns)
37th Light AA Regiment, RA (40mm Bofors AA guns)
6th Survey Regiment, RA
5th Field Park Company, New Zealand Engineers (from January 1941)
2 x Coys, Cyprus Regiment; Detachment, Palastine Regiment (Pioneers) (from December 1940)
Free French Motor Marine Coy
61 231 Coys, Royal Army Service Corps; 4th Reserve Mechanical Transport Coy, New Zealand Army Service Corps
7th Armoured Division

Maj Gen M. O'Moore Creagh
11th Hussars (Prince Albert's Own) (Rolls Royce and Morris armoured cars) with No. 2nd Armoured Car Squadron, RAF (Fordham armoured cars)
B Squadron, 1st King's Dragoon Guards (from February 1941) (Marmon-Herrington armoured cars)
3rd Royal Horse Artillery (2-pdr AT guns)
106th (Lancashire Hussars) RHA (37mm Bofors AT guns, 20mm Breda AA guns)
2nd (Cheshire) Field Squadron and 141st Fd Pk Sqn, Royal Engineers 
7th Arm'd Div Signals, Royal Corps of Signals
270th Field Security Section, Intelligence Corps
7th Arm'd Div Provost Coy, Corps of Military Police

Divisional Services
4th Armoured Brigade
Brig J. R. L. Caunter
7th Queen's Own Hussars (Light Tanks)
2nd Btn, RTR (Cruiser Tanks)
6th Btn, RTR (Cruiser Tanks)

7th Armoured Brigade
Brig H. E. Russell

3rd The King's Own Hussars (Light Tanks)
8th King's Royal Irish Hussars (Light Tanks)
1st Btn, RTR (Cruiser Tanks)

Support Group
Brig W. H. E. Gott

1st Btn, King's Royal Rifle Corps
2nd Btn, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
4th RHA (25-pdrs)

4th Indian Division (until 12 December 1940)
Maj Gen N. M. de la P. Beresford-Peirse
The Central India Horse (21st King George V's Own Horse) (Carriers and Light Tanks)
J Bty, 3rd RHA (attached)
1st, 25th 31st Field Regiments, RA (25-pdrs)
1st Btn, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (Machine Gun) (attached)
4th Field Company (King George's Own Bengal)
12th Field Coy (Queen Victoria's Own Madras)
18th Field Coy (Royal Bombay)

Divisional Services
5th Indian Infantry Brigade
Brig W. L. Lloyd

1st Btn, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
3rd Btn, 1st Punjab Regiment
4th Btn (Outram's), 6th Rajputana Rifles

11th Indian Infantry Brigade
Brig R. A. Savory

2nd Btn, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
1st Btn (Wellesley's), 6th Rajputana Rifles
4th Btn, 7th Rajput Regiment

16th (British) Infantry Brigade
Brig C. E. N. Lomax

1st Btn, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey)
2nd Btn, Leicestershire Regiment
1st Btn, Argyll Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)

Selby Force (from Mersa Matruh Garrison)
Brig A. R. Selby

14th Inf Bde HQ
3rd Btn, Coldstream Guards
W Coy, 1 NF
A Coy, 1st Btn, South Staffordshire Regiment
A Coy, 1st Btn, 22nd (Chesire) Regiment (Machine Gun)
Detachment, 1st Btn, Durham Light Infantry; Troop, 7th Hussars; Lt AA Bty, RA

6th Australian Division (from 12 December 1940)
Maj Gen I. G. Mackay
1st NF (from 4th Ind Div)
1st Cheshire (from January 1941)
6th Cavalry Regiment (Carriers and Light Tanks)
2/1st, 2/3rd (25-pdrs) and 2/2nd (18-pdrs and 4.5in howitzers) Field Regiments

Divisional Services, including 2/1st, 2/2nd 2/8th Field Coys, Royal Australian Engineers
16th Australian Infantry Brigade
Brig A. S. Allen

16th AT Coy
2/1st, 2/2nd 2/3rd Battalions

17th Australian Infantry Brigade
Brig S. G. Savige

17th AT Coyy 
2/5th, 2/6th 2/7th Battalions

19th Australian Infantry Brigade
Brig H. C. H. Robinson

19th AT Coy
2/4th, 2/8th 2/11th Battalions

202 Group, RAF
Air Commodore Raymond Collishaw 45, 55 113 (Bomber) Squadrons (Blenheims)
33 274 (Fighter) Squadrons (Hurricanes)
3 (Fighter) Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (Gladiators / Gauntlets)
6 (Army Co-operation) Squadron (Lysanders)
208 (Army Co-operation) Squadron (Hurricanes / Lysanders)

(There were also several squadrons available to Collishaw in Egypt at ACM Longmore's discretion such as 37, 38 70 (Bomber) Squadrons (Wellingtons), 216 (Bomber Transport) Squadron (Bombays) and 230 (Coastal) Squadron (Sunderlands))

A number of other squadrons, such as No.211 Squadron, were moved to Greece before the start of Operation Compass and did not return until the fighting had ended.

The Italians

Maresciallo (Marshal) Rodolfo Graziani
Tenth Army
(HQ Bardia)
Generale d'Armata Italo Gariboldi (Generale d'Armata Giuseppe Tellera from 23 December 1940)
10th and 12th Bersaglieri Regiments
12th, 26th and 55th Artillery Regiments
Various Machinegun battalions (from 55th Savona, 17th Pavia, 27th Brescia and 27th Bologna Divisions)
Babini Armoured Bde (57 M13s, 3 x Bersaglieri Btns, Motorcycle Btn, Artillery Regt, 2 x Antitank Coys, Eng Coy and logistics units)

XX Corps
(HQ Giovanni Berta)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata Ferdinando Cona

60th Sabratha Division (Derna)

Gruppo divisioni libiche (Libyan Group)
(HQ Sidi Barrani)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata Sebastiano Gallina

2nd Ragrupamento Carristi (Tank Group) (M11/39s L3s)
Colonello Trivioli

1st Libica Sibelle Division (Maktila)
2nd Libica Pescatori Division (Tummar)
3rd Libica - Gruppo Malletti (Nibeiwa)
4th 3 Gennaio CCNN Division (Sidi Barrani)

XXI Corps

(HQ Sofafi)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata Lorenzo Dalmazzo

V Btn (M13/40s), IV LX Btns (L3s)

63rd Cirene Division (Rabia / Sofafi)
64th Cantanzaro Division (Buq Buq)

XXII Corps
(HQ Tobruk)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata Petassi Manella

Fortress troops and artillery in Tobruk.
1st Ragrupamento Carristi (Tank Group) (M11/39s, M13/40s L3s)
Colonello Aresca

61st Sirte Division (Tobruk)

XXXIII Corps

(HQ Bardia)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata Annibale Bergonzoli

Frontier Guards and Fortress troops in Bardia.

1st 23 Marzo CCNN Division (along the coast between Buq Buq and Sidi Barrani)
2nd 28 Octobre CCNN Division (Sollum)
62nd Marmarica Division (covering the escarpment between Sofafi and Halfaya)

Regia Aeronautica
(as of 10 June 1940)
5th Squadra
Generale Felip Porro

10 Stormo 31 x SM79
14 Stormo 43 x SM81, 12 x SM79, 1 x BR20
15 Stormo 21 x SM81, 37 x SM79, 3 x BR20
33 Stormo 31 x SM79

2 Stormo 60 x CR32, 25 x CR42
10 Gruppo	27 x CR42
50 Stormo	68 x BA65, 17 x RO17, 23 x CA31

Colonial Garrison

1 Gruppo APC su Ghibli e av sahariana	32 x Ghibli
2 Gruppo APC vari tipi battagli sahariana	27 x various

Air Observation

64 Gruppo 5 x RO 1 Bis, 9 x RO 37 Bis
73 Gruppo	1 x RO 1 Bis, 8 x RO 37 Bis
143 Squadron (Mare)	6 x Cant Z 501 (flying boats)

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## Njaco (Dec 6, 2015)

*December 7 Saturday*
*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” entered the Kiel Canal while “_Admiral Hipper_” departed Kiel, Germany for an anti-shipping sortie in the Atlantic.

British RAF bombers raid Dusseldorf during the night.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* “_Orion_” and “_Komet_” sank the ship “_Vinni_” off Nauru. Shortly after, “_Komet_” sank the ship “_Komata_”.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The 100th Beaufighter aircraft rolled off the production line at Filton, South Gloucestershire, England.

There are no air raids recorded -- day or night -- for the first 24 hour period since August 7th.

The Fairey Barracuda dive bomber took its first flight.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Compass. General O'Connor’s Western Desert Force (30,000 troops, artillery, trucks and 275 tanks including 48 Matilda slow but heavily armoured “infantry” tanks) hides out all day and night in No-Man's Land. Windshields are removed from all vehicles to prevent sunglare. O'Connor’s luck holds and they are not spotted by Italian reconnaissance aircraft. They recuperate and prepare for the advance to the Italian forts using supplies hidden in advance (Forward Supply Depots hold enough fuel, food, water and ammunition for the planned 5 day raid).

.


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## parsifal (Dec 7, 2015)

*7 December 1940 
Losses
MV FARMSUM (NL 5237 grt)* Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer); Crew: 31 (16 dead and 15 survivors); Cargo: Coal; Route: Blyth - Oban - Buenos Aires; Convoy OB-252 (straggler); Sunk In the Nth Atlantic; At 2239 hrs , U-99 fired a torpedo at the FARMSUM, a straggler from the convoy OB-252, in heavy seas. The torpedo was a surface-runner and struck the ship above the waterline at the stern, blowing the stern gun overboard. A second torpedo was fired on the bow of the ship but also struck the stern. The next torpedo hit amidships and caused the ship to sink within three minutes. 19 survivors abandoned ship in lifeboats and were eventually picked up by HMS AMBUSCADE (D 38 ) with severe signs of frostbite, four men perished from the frostbite and exposure.





*MSW trawler CAPRICORNUS (RN 219 grt)* was sunk by a mine two miles 94° from Nore Light Vessel.

*MSW trawler CORTINA (RN 213 grt)* was sunk in a collision off the Humber.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-101

At Sea 7 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-140.
10 boats at sea

U.65 refuelled at sea from German supply ship NORDMARK

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.353 departed Southend, escort DD VORTIGERN and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 9th. British steamer YEWARCH was damaged by the LW off Dudgeon Buoy, Humber.

*Northern Patrol*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC, AGAMEMNON laid minefield SN.10 A, east of Iceland at Seidisfjord and from the northern end of the Faroes - Iceland minefield, escorted by DDs BATH, KEPPEL, DOUGLAS, ST ALBANS during the night of 7/8 December. BC REPULSE, CL ARETHUSA, DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN were at sea to cover this operation. The REPULSE group arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 10th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA transferred to convoy EN.37 for escort to Pentland Firth. A northerly gale at Scapa Flow interfered with the exercises and delayed undocking of DD BRADFORD. DD BROADWAY was damaged in a collision with an unknown ship at Scapa Flow. DD BROADWAY departed Scapa Flow on the 9th en route to Hull. The DD arrived in the Humber on the 11th and began repairs completed on 7 January. Sub SUNFISH damaged Norwegian tanker DIXIE (in German service) in 62-10N, 5-05E.

*West Coast UK*
DD SABRE, returning to Londonderry after escorting convoy SC.13, was damaged by heavy seas NW of Ireland. SABRE was repaired at Belfast completing on 18 January. Convoy OB.255 departed Liverpool escorted by corvette ARBUTUS. The convoy was joined the next day by DDs CHELSEA, COTTESMORE, VERITY, VETERAN, WOLVERINE and corvette CAMELLIA. Corvette ARBUTUS was detached on the 8th and the rest of the escort on the 10th.

*SW Approaches*
SL.58 departed Freetown escort CA KENT, returning to England for repairs, to 23 December, sloop BRIDGEWATER to 8 December, ASW trawler TURCOMAN to 9 December. On the 23rd, DDs KELVIN and KIPLING joined the convoy for the day and escorted the CA to Plymouth. DD SHIKARI joined on the 24th. On the 25th, DD BROKE, corvettes ANEMONE, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, ASW trawlers ST KENAN and ST ZENO joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

SLS.58 departed Freetown escort ASW trawlers KELt and SPANIARD to 9 December. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE was involved in the escort of the convoy. On the 29th DDs HARVESTER and HIGHLANDER joined the convoy for the day only. Also on the 29th, sloop WELLINGTON joined and was detached on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 January.

*Med- Biscay*
BB RAMILLIES, CVE ARGUS, troopship FRANCONIA , DDs KELVIN, ECLIPSE, WRESTLER, VELOX departed Gibraltar to join CVL FURIOUS and CLA DIDO, returning from Takoradi, in 37‑50N, 17‑30W. After the rendezvous, VELOX returned to Gibraltar and the other ships went on to England.

Submarine TRIUMPH arrived at Gibraltar after patrol eastwards of the Straits.

CLA CALCUTTA arrived at Alexandria after covering convoy AS.6. CL GLOUCESTER and CA YORK arrived at Alexandria after covering convoys.
Monitor TERROR, gunboat LADYBIRD, MSW BAGSHOT departed Alexandria as Force A for Mersa Matruh. The monitor and gunboats operated (and were supported by DDs JERVIS, JANUS, NUBIAN) during the night of 8/9 December offshore of the italian positions in the westrn desert. Monitor TERROR and gunboat LADYBIRD also bombarded Sidi Barrani, whilst Gunboat APHIS bombarded Maktila.

*Rainbow Class Sub HMS REGULUS (RN 1769 grt)*, which departed on patrol on 23 November, was declared lost after failing to return from a patrol in the Straits of Otranto. All 54 crew men were lost. She is believed to have hit a mine.





*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
British steamer HERTFORD was damaged by a mine in 35‑30S, 135‑25E, west of Kangaroo Island, near Adelaide (SA).

DKM raider KOMET sank *steamer VINNI (Nor 5181 grt)* five miles south of Nauru Island in Sth Pacific. There were no casualties on the Norwegian steamer. VINNI had departed Dunedin, New Zealand in ballast on Nov. 21-1940, arriving Nauru on Saturday the 30th, but it was too late in the day to start taking on board phosphate cargo, and due to strong winds the next day she was ordered to head out again as there was no proper harbour facilities at Nauru (which was essentially a phosphate mine) . She went back to the signal station on the island every morning and evening to see if there were any further orders, but the weather continued to be unfavourable for loading. By the afternoon of Saturday Dec. 7 she had drifted about 15 n. miles away from the island, and had started to head back when the people on board noticed a cargo ship with the Japanese flag on the side approaching from the west side of Nauru. VINNI was at that time about 3 miles NE of the island and had stopped her engines again, preparing to stay there through the night. When it became clear that the ship with the Japanese neutrality markings was not on a friendly errand, VINNI attempted to get away at full speed, but it was too late; the "Japanese" vessel eventually caught up with them. A prize crew was placed on board (at about 1915) and VINNI's men were ordered to gather up their belongings as quickly as possible, abandon ship and row towards DKM KOMET (which was now flying the Kriegsmarine ensign) which for the occasion carried the name MANYO MARU, where they were locked up and placed under guard. VINNI was sunk by explosive charges at 10 o'clock that evening, about 6 n. miles NE of Nauru (another source, "The World's Merchant Fleets", Roger W. Jordan says 5 miles south of Nauru, while "Nortaships flåte" gives the position as 00 41S 16 55E).

No shots had been fired, so all 32 crew had survived and were prisoners on board KOMET for 2 weeks, until they were left on Emirau Island on Dec. 21, along with almost 500 other prisoners from 6 ships, women and children included. When the mainland was made aware of the incident it quickly became widespread news. Mr. Fraser, NZ's PM at the time reported it himself as early as Jan. 1-1941, soon after VINNI's 1st Mate A. Jensen, and some officers from the other ships had managed to get in touch with the mainland . Even Oslo newspapers carried the news on Jan. 2. The Australian Naval authorities sent the passenger ship S/S Nellore to their rescue. They arrived in Townsville on Jan. 1-1941.





_Model of the VINNI_


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## parsifal (Dec 7, 2015)

*7-8 December 1940 *
The Battle of the Camps - Prelude 
Late on 8 December, an Italian recon aircrew reported that attack on Maktila and Nibeiwa camps was imminent but Maletti (the Italian armoured gp) was not informed. On 9 December, the 1st Libyan XX Sibelle was at Maktila and the 2nd Libyan XX Pescatori was at Tummar. The Maletti Gp was at Nibiewa and the 4th Blackshirt XX 3 Jennaio and the headquarters of the Libyan XXX HQ were at Sidi Barrani. The 63rd Infantry XX Cirene and the headquarters of XXI Corps were at Sofafi and the 64th Infantry XX Catanzaro was at Buq Buq. The HQ of the XXIII Corps and the 2nd Blackshirt XX "28 Ottobre" were in Sollum and Halfaya Pass respectively and the 62nd Infantry XX Marmarica was at Sidi Omar, sth of Sollum. Berti was on sick leave and Gariboldi, the 1st Blackshirt XX 23 Marzo and the 10th XXXX HQ were far back at Bardia.

Operation Compass (la battaglia della Marmarica Battle of the Marmarica) began on the night of 7/8 December. The Western Desert Force with the 7th Armoured XX, 4th Indian XX and the 16th Infantry Bde advanced to their start line. The RAF made attacks on Italian airfields and destroyed or damaged 29 a/c on the ground. Selby Force (Brigadier A. R. Selby) with 1,800 men, the maximum for whom transport could be found, moved up from Matruh, set up a bde of dummy tanks in the desert and reached a position SE of Maktila by dawn on 9 December. Maktila had been bombarded by the monitor HMS Terror and the gunboat HMS Aphis; Sidi Barrani had been shelled by the gunboat HMS LADYBIRD the preceding evening. All along the coast the RN was carrying out significant gunfire support missions in an effort to offset the glaring weaknesses in Allied artillery





*8 December 1940 
Losses
Hybrid Liner/Cargo Vessel CALABRIA (UK 9515 grt) *Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew: 360 (360 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Passengers, Oil, Tea and Oilcake; Route: Calcutta - Freetown - Belfast - Liverpool ; Convoy SLS-56 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2058 hrs the CALABRIA, a straggler from convoy SLS-56, was hit by two torpedoes from U-103 295 miles 262° from Slyne Head, Co. Galway. She sank after being hit by a coup de grace at 2106 hrs. There were no survivors: the master, 128 crew members, one gunner and 230 Indian seamen (crews for other ships) were lost.





*MV ASHCREST (UK 5652 grt)* Sunk by U-140 (Hans-Peter Hinsch); Crew: 38 (38 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Steel; Route: Philadelphia - Middlesbrough; Convoy SC-13 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; On 7 Dec 1940 the ASHCREST , a straggler from convoy SC-13, sent in a radio distress signal that her rudder was broken. The signal also alerted U-140 which sighted the stopped ship in the evening on 8 December and fired one G7e torpedo at 2020 hrs. It became a surface runner and missed, so after five minutes a second G7e torpedo was fired that hit underneath the bridge and broke her in two. The foreship sank immediately and the remaining part after 10 minutes. The master, 36 crew members and one gunner were lost.





*Coastal steamer ACTUALITY (UK 311 grt) *was sunk on a mine three miles south of Mouse Light Vessel. All six crew were lost.

*Sailing Vessel PENANG (FN 2018 grt)* Sunk by U-140 (Hans-Peter Hinsch); Crew: 18 (18 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Grain Route: Port Victoria, South Australia - Stenhouse Bay - Queenstown, Ireland ;Convoy Independant; Sunk In the Western Approaches; at 1226 hrs, U-140 fired one torpedo at a sailing ship reported as the Finnish LAWHILL and observed how the ship capsized after the hit and sank after 30 minutes NW of Tory Island. However, the ship was in fact the PENANG , which was reported missing en route to Queenstown, Ireland.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 8 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-140.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.356 departed Methil, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 10th. FS.357 departed Methil, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 11th.

DD WINDSOR was mined off Aldeburgh; after which she was towed to Harwich by DD GARTH and later to Sheerness. She was repaired to Chatham to complete on 24 April after 17 weeks in repair dock.

*Northern Waters*
DDs COSSACK and SIKH departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous on the 11th in 55N, 22W with BB RAMILLIES, CVL FURIOUS, AMC CALIFORNIA and , troopship FRANCONIA returning from Takoradi. The DDs provided additional escort for the warships as they proceeded to Clyde for replenishment and a short refit. Simultaneously, the new CV FORMIDABLE was escorted from the Clyde to Skerryvore by DD AMBUSCADE. ORP DD PIORUN and RN DD VIMY, escorting AMCs, were detached at 2115 to proceed to Belfast to provide additional escort for the CV. DDs PIORUN and VIMY arrived at Belfast on the 9th.

CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow after covering convoy EN.37 in the Pentland Firth area. DDs MATABELE, BULLDOG, BEAGLE, PYTCHLEY departed Scapa Flow to screen BB KING GEORGE V which was completing its acceptance trials west of the Orkneys. DD BRADFORD departed Scapa Flow after docking for repairs. She proceeded to Londonderry to join the Western Approaches command.

*West Coast UK*
OB.256 departed Liverpool escort DDs BROKE, SALADIN, SARDONYX, corvette LA MALOUINE, ASW trawlers ST KENAN and VIZALMA. The escort was detached on the 12th.

*Western Approaches*
British steamer TREVERBYN was damaged by the LW.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.15 departed St Johns at 1000 with an ocean escort AMC CILICIA. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

*Central Atlantic*
CV ARK ROYAL and DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FURY departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Atlantic and flying off exercises. They also covered CL MANCHESTER, which departed Gibraltar at the same time escorted by DD JERSEY, returning to Plymouth after COLLAR operations. The ARK ROYAL force returned to Gibraltar on the 11th. The MANCHESTER group arrived at Plymouth on the 11th. DD JERSEY remained at Plymouth while the MANCHESTER went to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 13th.

Vichy CL PRIMAUGUET departed Casablanca for Dakar at the beginning of December. PRIMAUGUET had been sent to Dakar to collect and transport Vichy gold reserves at Dakar, and departed the port Dakar on the 5th with 1200 tons of gold and arrived at Casablanca on the 8th.

*Med- Biscay*
Convoy AS.8's sailing was postponed. RAN DDs VENDETTA and VOYAGER, standing by to escort the convoy, returned to Alexandria. Sub REGENT made an unsuccessful attack on an Italian ship off the Libyan coast.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DKM Raider ORION sank two Australian steamers off Nauru: the *MV TRIADIC (Aus 6378 grt)* at 00‑43S, 167‑20E





and *MV TRIASTER (Aus 6032 grt)* at 00‑54S, 167‑24E near Nauru Island in the South Pacific.





One native was lost and 11 Australian crew were taken prisoner on the steamer TRIADIC. 14 Australian crew and one passenger were made prisoners of war from steamer TRIASTER.

DKM Raider KOMET sank *steamer KOMATA (NZ 3900 grt) *east of Nauru Island in the South Pacific. The NZ cargo steamer was scuttled by the KOMET and ORION on December 8th, 1940, when 20 miles East of Nauru and on a voyage from Suva to Nauru. Some survivors were picked up by the raider. Two crew were killed on the steamer KOMATA.





NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington to search for the raiders but found nothingt and returned to Auckland .

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 7, 2015)

*December 8 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* During the take off for an attack on London, a He 111 from 9./KG 55 crashes at Villacoublay airfield and kills all aboard.

Franco determined Spain was not ready to enter the war.

*GERMANY: *Battleship “_Bismarck_” exited the Kiel Canal.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Stormy weather prevents German armed merchant cruisers “_Komet_” and “_Orion_” from landing on the island of Nauru to raid phosphate mining facilities and drop off their prisoners as planned. However, they sink 3 freighters waiting offshore. “_Orion_” sinks “_Triadic_” (1 killed, 11 crew taken prisoner) and “_Triaster_” (64 crew taken prisoner) and “_Komet_” sinks “_Komata_” (2 killed, 33 crew taken prisoner). The German raiders and their support vessel “_Kulmerland_” now have 675 prisoners including 52 women and 8 children.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek troops captured Gjirokastra and Delvinë in Albania.

Three Italian admirals were dismissed, including Cavagnari, Chief of Naval Staff. Inigo Campioni was relieved of command with the Italian Navy 1st Naval Squadron.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British light cruiser “_Diomede_” chased the German blockade runner “_Idarwald_” from Tampico, Mexico. Before a capture could be effected the crew of the German freighter set it afire and scuttled it off Cabo Corrientes, Cuba. The US destroyer USS “_Sturtevant_” observed the proceedings.

German submarine U-103 sank British liner “_Calabria_” (carrying 4000 tons of iron, 3050 tons of tea and 1870 tons of oilcake from India to Britain) 295 miles west of Ireland at 2058 hours. 360 were killed, 230 of whom were Indian sailors who were being ferried to Britain to crew other ships; 21 survived. German submarine U-140 sank Finnish sail ship “_Penang_” 75 west of Ireland at 1226 hours, killing the entire crew of 18. Penang is a 3-masted steel sailing ship, built in 1905, carrying 3250 tons of grain from Australia to Ireland. At 2025 hours, U-140 struck again, sinking British ship “_Ashcrest_”, killing the entire crew of 37.


*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. General O'Connor’s Western Desert Force moves forward all day and into the night, covering the remaining 35 miles to the line of Italian forts. British troops pass through a gap in a chain of Italian defensive camps near Sidi Barrani, preparing to attack from the rear the following day. The forces moved through the gap between Italian camps Nibeiwa and Sofafi without being detected.

RAF attack many Italian airfields and landing-grounds in Libya.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In a wide ranging letter to President Roosevelt, Winston Churchill reviewed the state of the war. Now isolated from continental Europe, Britain’s main source of supply, for food as well as all manner of war munitions, lay across the Atlantic. The Germans had recently had a series of successes, as their Surface raiders and U-Boat wolfpack tactics paid off. British countermeasures were constantly being developed but convoy escorts were not yet well co-ordinated, and there was still no answer to the long range Condor planes being used to spot shipping for the U-Boats. This letter was copied to the War Cabinet and might well have been intended for a wider audience given the characteristic language employed:


> "The danger of Great Britain being destroyed by a swift, overwhelming blow, has for the time being very greatly receded. In its place, there is a long, gradually-maturing danger, less sudden and less spectacular, but equally deadly. This mortal danger is the steady and increasing diminution of sea tonnage. We can endure the shattering of our dwellings, and the slaughter of our civil population by indiscriminate air attacks, and we hope to parry these increasingly as our science develops, and to repay them upon military objectives in Germany as our Air Force more nearly approaches the strength of the enemy. The decision for 1941 lies upon the seas. Unless we can establish our ability to feed this Island, to import the munitions of all kinds which we need, unless we can move our armies to the various theatres where Hitler and his confederate, Mussolini, must be met, and maintain them there, and do all this with the assurance of being able to carry it on till the spirit of the Continental Dictators is broken, we may fall by the way, and the time needed by the United States to complete her defensive preparations may not be forthcoming. It is therefore in shipping and in the power to transport across the oceans, particularly the Atlantic Ocean, that in 1941 the crunch of the whole war will be found. If, on the other hand, we are able to move the necessary tonnage to and fro across salt water indefinitely, it may well be that the application of superior air power to the German homeland and the rising anger of the German and other Nazi-gripped populations, will bring the agony of civilization to a merciful and glorious end. But do not let us underrate the task".



Fire raid on London by 413 aircraft (2 lost): In 14-hour onslaught bombs are scattered over many metropolitan and suburban districts and between London and South and East Coasts, but all fires quickly controlled. 7 hospitals and 4 churches hit. Total bombload: 115,000 1-kg (2,2-lb) incendiaries and 387 t HE.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 8, 2015)

*9 December 1940 *
Battle Of The Camps
Destruction Of Gruppo Malletti
At 05.00 on 9 December a detachment of artillery commenced a diversionary firing for an hour at the fortified Nibeiwa camp which was occupied by the Maletti Group from the east. At 07.00 the main divisional artillery started to register targets and by 07.15 a full concentration had started. At that moment 11th Indian Infantry Bde, with 7 RTR under command, attacked Nibeiwa from the NW, which reconnaissance had established as the weakest sector. By 08.30, after some fierce fighting, Nibeiwa was taken; General Maletti was killed and 2,000 prisoners were taken.

The destruction of the Maletti Group is described by Walker in Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts:"The initial British assault would fall on Nibeiwa Camp, where the only available Italian armoured unit was based, and it achieved complete surprise. Raggruppamento Maletti, or Maletti Group, under General Maletti, was an ad hoc formation consisting of 2,500 Libyan soldiers and 2 Armoured Battalion, with thirty-five M11/39 medium tanks and thirty-five L3/35 light tanks. It was earmarked for early destruction in the assault, which commenced at 0500 hrs with what appeared to be no more than another raid on the eastern side of the camp. At 0700, however, 48 Matilda tanks suddenly appeared from the opposite side of the camp. They struck twenty-three unmanned M11/39 tanks of the Maletti Group, which had been deployed to guard the unmined entrance to the camp. The Italians were caught completely off guard and many did not even reach their tanks, including General Maletti, who was killed emerging from his dugout. They were slaughtered and their vehicles destroyed by the British in less than ten minutes. The Italian artillery fought on valiantly, firing on the Matildas and recording many hits, some at point-blank range - but none penetrated their 70 mm of armour. The remaining Italian tanks were captured intact, and the Libyan infantry, left practically defenceless, quickly surrendered. The British had captured Nibeiwa and destroyed the only front-line Italian armoured unit in less than five hours".

Large quantities of supplies were also taken intact while O'Connor's casualties amounted to eight officers and forty-eight men. Major-General Noel Beresford-Peirse, commander of 4th Indian Division, ordered his 5th Indian Infantry Brigade to move up with supporting field artillery and take positions for the attack on the Tummar

Assault on the Tunmars
The attack commenced on Tummar West at 1350, after 7 RTR had refuelled and re-armed and artillery had softened the defences up for an hour. Here too a NW approach was made and the tanks broke through the perimeter without too much difficulty and were followed 20 minutes later by the infantry. However, the defenders put up stronger opposition than at Nibeiwa but by 1600 Tummar West was overrun, except for the extreme NE corner. The tanks shifted their point of attack to Tummar East, the greater part of which was captured by nightfall. Meanwhile 7th Armoured Division's 4th Armoured Brigade, while performing flank defence, had advanced to Azziziya where the garrison of 400 surrendered. Light patrols of the 7th Hussars pushed forward to cut the road from Sidi Barrani to Buq Buq while armoured cars of the 11th Hussars ranged further west. The tanks of 7th Armoured Brigade was held in reserve.

Maktila
Unaware of the situation at the Tummars, Selby decided nevertheless to send units forward to seal off the western exits from Maktila. During that night, however, the 1st Libyan Division was able to filter through and make good its escape.







_Captured Italian Artillery from Nibeiwa Camp; Matilda Tanks were crucial to the British success_

*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 70' type USS PT 18




_PT-18 helps tow the stricken, PT-11 back to the USS NIAGRA. _
New image source: http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=680

Allied
LCT Mk I HMS LCT 11, 12, 13 (LCT 11-13); Elco 70' type HMS MTB 267 (MTB 267)








*Losses
MV EMPIRE JAGUAR (UK 5186 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schutze); Crew: 37 (37 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Empty; Route: Cardiff - Philadelphia; Convoy OB-252 (Straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; at 0132 hrs on 9 Dec 1940 the EMPIRE JAGUAR , a straggler from convoy OB-252, was torpedoed and sunk by U-103 296 miles 248° from Slyne Head. The master, 34 crew members and two gunners were lost.

*Ferry ROYAL SOVEREIGN (UK 1527 grt)* was sunk on a mine near the small port of Barry . One crewman was lost from the British steamer.
New image source: General Steam Navigation Passenger Motorship Postcards





*UBOATS*
At Sea 9 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-140.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK completed refitting at Rosyth. The ship proceeded to Methil under tow, from which she departed Methil on the 10th escorting convoy EN.39. FN.355 departed Southend, escort DDs QUORN, WALLACE, WOLFHOUND, WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 11th.

DD BROADWAY escorted convoy FS.59 at Methil for passage to the Humber. The DD arrived at Hull on the 11th for repairs.

B]Northern Waters[/B]
ORP DD PIORUN and RN DD VIMY departed Belfast at 2030 escorting CV FORMIDABLE to the Clyde. DD BURNHAM was also in the escort. DDs ESCAPADE and BRILLIANT arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting BB RODNEY.

DDs MATABELE, BULLDOG, ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow escorting BB KING GEORGE V for further acceptance trials west of the Orkneys. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 10th. DD BROADWAY, which was damaged in a collision on the 7th, departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.50 in the Pentland Firth and act as additional escort until daylight on the 10th.

*SW Approaches*
OG.47 with 30 ships departed Liverpool and Bristol escort DD WILD SWAN, sloop LEITH, corvettes GARDENIA, FLEUR de LYS, PRIMULA. British CAM ship PEGASUS, DD HIGHLANDER, corvettes CAMPANULA and PERIWINKLE departed Portland and met the convoy. Corvettes FLEUR de LYS with a damaged asdic dome and CAMPANULA with an engine room defect on the 12th were detached to Londonderry. DD WILD SWAN, corvette GARDENIA and CAM ship PEGASUS were detached on the 15th. The convoy and sloop LEITH arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st. Aux ML MANCHESTER CITY and AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE were in a collision.

HG.48 with 19 ships departed Gibraltar. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 10 to 23 December. DD VIDETTE escorted the convoy from 10 to 13 December. DD CALDWELL joined from convoy OB.260/18th and escorted the convoy until 23 December. Sloop SCARBOROUGH, DD VANSITTART, corvettes BLUEBELL and HONEYSUCKLE joined the convoy from convoy OB.260 on the 20th. They remained with the convoy until 23 December. DD WESTCOTT also joined the convoy on the 20th and remained with it until 23 December. In Home Waters, DD VANSITTART escorted the Clyde section and corvette BLUEBELL escorted the Oban section. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

*Central Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND arrived on the Sth America Station to join flagship CA HAWKINS and CL ENTERPRISE.

*Sth Atlantic*

*Med- Biscay*
Vichy sloop COMMANDANT BORY departed Toulon escorting submarines LA VESTALE, LA SULTANE, L'ARETHUSE, L'ARCHIMEDE for Dakar. They called and Oran on 13 and 14 December, passing Gibraltar on the 15th. The ships arrived at Casablanca on the 16th.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 8, 2015)

*December 9 Monday*
*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Compass was launched with dawn attacks on the Nibeiwa camp with a heavy artillery barrage. When the Italians had invaded Egypt in September they had moved forward some 60 miles and then established a series of armed camps in the desert. Covert British reconnaissance had established that there were wide gaps between the forts and they did not form a linked defensive line. Furthermore although parts of the encampments were heavily fortified, with large mine fields in front of them, there were many weak spots, as the Italians required their own access in order to resupply them. The Italians commanded forces of around 150,000 whereas the British had around 36,000 troops and had far fewer tanks and guns. Nevertheless it was felt that a surprise attack was possible. Beginning at 0500 hours, Allied artillery and aircraft bombarded the Italian camp at Nibeiwa, Egypt for two hours. At 0715 hours, ground troops began moving toward the rear of the fort for attack. They are quickly spotted by Colonel Vittorio Revetra, commander of Italian fighter forces in Libya flying a Fiat CR-42 between airfields, but it is too late for the Italians to reorganize the defenses. Surprise was complete and there was widespread confusion amongst the Italians. Italian tanks in the camp areas were unable to mount a co-ordinated counter-attack. Then they discovered they had no weapons capable of dealing with the slow moving but heavily armoured British Matilda ‘infantry’ tank. There was no lack of bravery on the part of the Italians, many of whom died at their guns. Troops of the Indian 4th Infantry Division, supported by tanks of the British 7th Royal Tank Regiment, captured the camp at 0830 hours. General Malletti was dead and 2,000 Italians were surrendering. Italian The 4th Indian division also captures the Italian camps at Tumar East and West, while the 7th Armoured drives south of the camps at Sofafi and Rabia and turns north towards Buq Buq on the coast road to prevent an Italian withdrawal. Meanwhile, British monitor HMS “_Terror_” and gunboats HMS “_Ladybird_” and HMS “_Aphis_” bombarded Italian positions at Sidi Barrani and Maktila.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-103 sank British ship “_Empire Jaguar_” 250 miles west of Ireland at 0132 hours, killing the entire crew of 37.

The Special Landing Operation No. 2 exercise, conducted by US Navy and US Marine Corps in the Caribbean Sea, was completed.

*ASIA: *The French Groupe Occasionnel squadron was formed in French Indochina, consisted of a light cruiser and four avisos.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” arrived at Hamburg, Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Four special task forces of British Mediterranean Fleet formed to bombard Italian positions and communications along Egypt-Libya coast. 

Admiral Iachino, former Naval Attache in London, appointed CinC of Italian Fleet.

.



.


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## parsifal (Dec 9, 2015)

*10 December 1940 *
Western Desert Force - Capture of Sidi Barrani
On 10 December 16 Inf Bde was brought forward from 4th Indian XX reserve and with elements of 11th Indian Bde under command was sent forward in lorries to attack Sidi Barrani. Moving forward that morning across exposed ground the force took some casualties but with support from artillery and 7 RTR it was in position barring the sth and SW exits to Sidi Barrani by 1330. At 1600, supported by the whole of the division's artillery, the attack, again with the support of 7th RTR, went in. The town was captured by nightfall and the remains of the two Libyan XXs and the 4th Blackshirt XX were trapped between the 16th Infantry Bde and the Selby Force. On 11 December Selby Force supported by some tanks attacked and secured the surrender of the 1st Libyan XX. By evening the 4th Blackshirts had also ceased resisting.

The Libyan Divs were, for the most part raised from Italian settlers in Libya rather than the native population. Native troops were used, but were not in the majority. 

On 10th December 4th Armoured Bde, having lent its two cruiser regiments to 4th Indian Division and Selby Force, continued to operate with armoured cars across the coast road, while its artillery and light tanks engaged various Italian camps a few miles to the south and east of Buq Buq. Early on 11th December 7th Armoured Bde (Brigadier H. Russell) moved out to deal with the enemy remaining in the Buq Buq area and made large captures of men and guns. The 4th Armoured Bde had been ordered overnight to withdraw towards Bir Enba, but a further order to cut off the enemy from the west of Sofafi was unaccountably delayed and arrived too late to be acted on.






_Some of the more than 38000 Italian prisoners taken in the opening days of the campaign_

*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
RaumBoat R-61




_R-38 showing the 1941 dazzle camouflage scheme_

Allied
Bathurst Class Corvette HMAS BALLARAT (J 184)





LCT MkI HMS LCT 14 (LCT 14)

*Losses
Trawler TOR I (Faeroes 287 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 65-20N, 12-40W.

*Coastal steamer THOR (Ger 109 grt)* (not to be confused with DKM Raider THOR) was sunk by gunfire near Cherbourg. The source of that gunfire is not provided.

*Steamer MARANGONA (FI 5257 grt) *was sunk 27 miles sth of Pantelleria on an Italian mine.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 10 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-140.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
FN.356 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and VERSATILE. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 12th. FS.358 departed Methil, escorted by destroyers BROADWAY, VERDUN, WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 12th.

*Northern Waters*
BC REPULSE with DDs SOMALI, MASHONA, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO arrived at Scapa Flow from the SN.10A covering operation. CL NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow after repairing defects at Devonport since 1 November. CL KENYA departed Scapa Flow for Devonport to correct defects similar to those of cruiser NIGERIA. The cruiser was taken in hand for repairs on the 13th.

DD COTSWOLD departed Scapa Flow to meet British steamer BEN MY CHREE and escort her to Lerwick. Following disembarkation at Lerwick, the steamer was escorted back to Aberdeen. DDs SOUTHDOWN, BRILLIANT, EXMOOR, PYTCHLEY departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with BB QUEEN ELIZABETH in 52-28N, 5-28W. The DDs relieved the existing escorts on the 12th and escorted the BB to Rosyth. After a crossing of M.3 Loop , DD TYNEDALE departed Scapa Flow to patrol Nevi Kerry Boom. DD ESCAPADE was brought to one half hour notice. Later that evening TYNEDALE was withdrawn from the patrol and ESCAPADE stood down to one hour notice.




[_HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH at anchor in Alexandria, surrounded by Torpedo Netting. At this time she was just completing an extensive rebuild and was undergoing final fitout and ascceptance trials. Between the wars she was the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet from 1919 to 1924. The future First Sea Lord John H. D. Cunningham served aboard her as Master of the Fleet, in 1922. From 1924 she was the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet. Following a refit, she rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet in 1927, went to the Atlantic Fleet in 1929, and later that year returned to the Mediterranean, where she served until 1937. During the 1930s she participated in the non-intervention blockade during the Spanish Civil War.

She was rebuilt twice between the world wars; in 1926–1927 bulges were added, the funnels were trunked, four 4 inch guns were added, and a new foretop was installed. In her 1937–1941 rebuild she was fitted with a tower bridge in place of her old bridge; her 6 inch (152 mm) guns were removed and replaced by 20 (10 x 2) 4.5 in (114 mm) guns and several smaller anti-aircraft guns; horizontal armour was added; engines and boilers were replaced; and the elevation of her main battery was increased to 30 degrees. Deck armour was increased to 5 inches over the magazines, 2.5 inches over the machinery, while the new 4.5" guns had between 1 and 2 inches of armour. She also received facilities for aircraft with a launching catapult amidships. New fire control equipment was installed, including the HACS MkIV AA fire control system and the Admiralty Fire Control Table Mk VII for surface fire control of the main armament. Extensive radar suites were also included in the second rebuild. Her reconstruction was not completed until January 1941, when Britain had been at war for over a year_]

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.95 departed Halifax at 1401 escorted by RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE and aux PV FRENCH. At 1700, FRENCH detached from the convoy and at 1555 on the 11th, the DD departed the convoy. Ocean escort was AMC AUSONIA, which was detached on the 22nd. DD VETERAN, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA joined on the 24th for inbound legs of the convoy. DD WOLVERINE joined on the 25th. The sloop and corvette ARBUTUS were detached on the 26th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL NEWCASTLE departed Freetown for patrol in the Rio area.

*Med- Biscay*
HM Sub UPHOLDER departed Portsmouth for patrol in Biscay. After the patrol, the submarine arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd. HM Sub TRIBUNE attacked a German tanker off Ile de Yeu in the Bay of Biscay, without success.

Force C (BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CLA COVENTRY, DDs GALLANT, WRYNECK, DAINTY, JUNO, RAN DDs VAMPIRE, VENDETTA and VOYAGER) departed Alexandria to bombard Sollum. DSs HYPERION, MOHAWK, DIAMOND departed Alexandria on the 11th to join Force C.

Force D (CV ILLUSTRIOUS with CLs GLOUCESTER and CA YORK and DDs ILEX, HERO, HASTY departed Alexandria to attack El Adem airdrome at Tobruk.

On the 12th, Forces C and D.sailed for Alexandria leaving DDs HYPERION, MOHAWK, DIAMOND to patrol between Ras el Melh and Mersa Matruh. CLA COVENTRY remained to search for an X lighter reported in distress between Mersa Matruh and Barrani. On the 13th, Forces C and D.arrived at Alexandria. DD HEREWARD departed Alexandria and joined DDs JERVIS, NUBIAN, JANUS forming Force B.

Organisational changes in the Italian Naval Staff were made.

Naval Chief of Staff, Admiral Cavagnari was replaced by Admiral Riccardi. The Commander of the Italian Fleet became Admiral Iachino, former commander of the 2nd Squadron. His predecessor Admiral Campioni became Deputy Chief of Staff, replacing Admiral Somigli.

BB VENETO with two DD divs : Adm Iachino

5th Division - BBs CESARE and DORIA with one DeDiv: Adm Bruto Brivonesi

Cru Div 1 - CAs ZARA, POLA, FIUME, GORIZIA with two DesDivs: Adm Cattaneo

Cru Div 3 - CAs TRIESTE, TRENTO, BOLZANO with one DesDiv: Adm Sansonetti

Cru Div 7 - CLs EUGENIO, AOSTA, MONTECUCCOLI with two Des Divs: Adm Casardi

Cru Div 8 - CLs ABRUZZI, GARIBALDI, ATTENDOLO with one Des Div: Adm Legnani

Cru Div 9 - CLs BANDE NERE and DIAZ with two Des Divs: Adm Marenco

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL SOUTHAMPTON, en route from Aden to meet Troop Convoy WS.4B, bombarded Kismayu. Japanese steamer YAMAYURI MARU was damaged during the bombardmernt.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 9, 2015)

*December 10 Tuesday*
*GERMANY:* Georg von Bismarck was named the commanding officer of the 20th Rifle Brigade.

Wilhelm Keitel issues a brief order stating that Operation Felix, the capture of Gibraltar, would not be carried out at this time, as Spanish leader Francisco Franco refused to allow a German invasion of Spain.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. British and Indian troops overrun the last 2 Italian camps on the coastal plain. Overnight, the isolated forward base at Maktila is abandoned by 1st Libyan Division (colonial troops fighting for Italy) after shelling from British monitor HMS “_Terror_” and gunboats HMS “_Ladybird_” and “_Aphis_”. In the afternoon, Indian 4th Infantry Division and British 7th Royal Tank Regiment captured Sidi Barrani, pushing Italian 4th Blackshirt Division and another Libyan colonial division into the desert. Italian troops from the camps at Sofafi and Rabia flee west as the 7th Armoured divisions thrust threaten to encircle them.

Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 19: "Undertaking Attila", detailing plans to occupy more of France if French forces in colonies show signs of revolt. Preparations are to be made to prevent the French fleet sailing to British hands, and to take control of French airports. He also orders German Fliegerkorps X to Southern Italy, to attack British ships in the Mediterranean. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/19.html

Hitler condemns British aristocracy and 'financial magnates' in speech to Berlin munitions workers, and predicts:


> '...there will be no defeat of Germany, either by military or economic means, or by time.'



*UNITED KINGDOM:* A shell fired randomly across the English Channel from one of Germany’s massive 280mm rail guns fell within a few feet of the British 13.5in "Peacemaker" rail gun at Martin Mill, England severely damaging one of its bogies and mortally wounding one of the Royal Marine gunners.

The first executions under the Treason Act took place. Jose Waldberg, 25, a German national, and Karl Heinrich Meier, 24, a Dutchman of German origin, were hung at Pentonville Prison following their conviction at the Old Bailey in November. Waldberg and Meier had landed by rowing boat at Dungeness on the Kent coast on the 3rd September 1940. They had been escorted across the Channel and only had to row the last distance up to the shore. It was intended that they would pose as refugees and move around the country reporting on British troop movements and military installations. They had a substantial amount of cash that was supposed to sustain them until the German invasion, which they were told was to be on the 15th September. They would then make themselves known to the Germans with a secret password. They did not get far. Meier was apprehended when he tried to get into conversation with an ARP warden who promptly asked for his Identity Card. When Waldberg said “we have only just arrived” he not only aroused further suspicion but gave away the fact that he was not alone. The police were called. After a short interrogation he led them to Waldberg. Two other German spies who arrived further along the coast the same day got no further. Kieboom and Pons were seen landing, and the police were called when they asked locals where they were. Kieboom was executed a week after the other two. Pons was able to successfully argue that he had been coerced into the role, having been threatened with a concentration camp by the Germans, and had always intended to give himself up.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2015)

*11 December 1940 (Part I) *
Western Desert Force - 
BUQ BUQ
On 11 December 7 Armoured Brigade was ordered out of reserve and relieved 4th Armoured Brigade in the Buq Buq area to clear it of remaining opposition and made large captures of men and guns.

SOFAFI
On 11 December a patrol from 7th Support Group (SG) entered Rabia to find it empty. The Cirene XX had withdrawn from there and Sofafi overnight. An order to the withdrawing 4th Armoured Bde to cut them off west of Sofafi arrived too late and they were able to make their way along the top of the escarpment to link with Italian forces at Halfya.

EXPLOITATION
Over the next few days the British 4th Armoured Bde, on top of the escarpment, and 7th Armoured Bde, on the coast, endeavoured to pursue vigorously. They encountered acute supply problems exacerbated by the large number of prisoners (twenty times the number planned for) and found it extremely difficult to advance.

Italian forces crowded into the coast route while retreating from Sidi Barrani and Buq Buq were easy targets for the HMS TERROR and the two gunboats which bombarded the Sollum area all day and most of the night of 11 December causing many casualties. It was at about that time that the RM issued a bounty for the sinking of the TERROR. By late 12 December the only remaining Italian positions in Egypt were at the approaches to Sollum and a force in the region of Sidi Omar.

BRITISH REDEPLOY INDIAN DIVISION TO THE SUDAN
O'Connor wanted to continue attacking. He wanted to get at least as far as Benghazi. However, on 11 December Genl Wavell whose command stretched down into Africa, had ordered the Indian 4th Inf XX to withdraw to take part in an offensive against Italian forces in IEA. O'Connor would state, "_[This] came as a complete and very unpleasant surprise . . . It put 'paid' to the question of immediate exploitation . . . _". Far from being seen as the main front, the western desert was given fairly low priority by both Whitehall and the Army leadership at this time.

The Australian 6th Inf XX (AIF) replaced the Indian troops from 14 December. But there were doubts about the Australians, who had barely finished training, were missing their armoured recon regt, and as yet had only one artillery regiment equipped with the new 25 pdr fld guns.

The exploitation continued nevertheless by the two armoured bdes and the SG of 7th Armd XX with the infantry of 16th Inf Bde (which had not gone with 4th Ind XX to the Sudan) following up. By 15 December Sollum and Halfya had been captured as well as Fort Capuzzo while all Italian forces had been cleared from Egypt. 7th Armd XX was concentrated SW of Bardia awaiting the arrival of 6th Aus XX to make the attack on Bardia. By this time the WDF had taken 38,300 prisoners and captured 400 artillery pieces and 50 tanks and destroyed 73 others while suffering casualties of 133 killed, 387 wounded and 8 missing. Over 1000 soft skinned vehicles were captured (not all in operational condition), the most important capture was when, on 12 December, a Reserve Mechanical Transport company captured at gunpoint 80 Italian 5- and 6-ton diesel trucks at Sidi Barrani. They were joined on 15 December by 50 7½-ton trucks that arrived from Palestine. These were to prove critical in the coming phases of the battle.




_Fiat 611C Heavy truck, representative ofr the of the type captured at Sidi Barrani_

7th Armoured was able to move quickly west along the Via della Vittoria, through Halfaya Pass, and captured Fort Capuzzo before enveloping Bardia.

*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-147
_2 ships sunk, total tonnage 6,145 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 4,996 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 2,491 GRT
Sunk on 2 June 1941 in the North Atlantic NW of Ireland, by DC attack from the HM DD WANDERER and the HM corvette PERIWINKLE, with all hands lost._

Neutral
Leningrad Class Flotilla Leader TBLISI





Allied
KGV Class BB HMS KING GEORGE V (41)





N Class DD HMAS NAPIER (G 97)





_HMAS NAPIER received the following Battle awards during the war:
CRETE 1941
LIBYA 1941
INDIAN OCEAN 1942–44
BURMA 1944–45
PACIFIC 1945
OKINAWA 1945_

LCTs Mk I HM Ships LCT 1, 2, 15

Fairmile B HDML 144 (ML 144) , 155 (ML 155)

*Losses
MV EMPIRE STATESMAN (UK 5306 grt)* Sunk by U-94 (Herbert Kuppisch); Crew: 32 (32 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Iron Ore; Route: Pepel - Freetown - Oban - Middlesbrough; Convoy SLS-56 (straggler); Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 1912 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE STATESMAN, a straggler from convoy SLS-56 due to engine troubles since 21 November, was torpedoed and sunk by U-94 west of Ireland. The master, 30 crew members and one gunner were lost.





*Hybrid Liner-Steamer ROTURUA (NZ 10890 grt) *Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock); Crew: 131 (23 dead and 108 survivors); Cargo: Passengers and refrigerated meat and butter. Extra cargo of wood; Route: Lyttelton, New Zealand - Panama - Halifax - Barry - Avonmouth; Convoy HX-92; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 1512 hrs the ROTURUA in convoy HX-92 was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-96 while steaming at 9.5 knots about 110 miles NW of St. Kilda, Outer Hebrides. The ship had been in station as the ship of the convoy commodore (Rear-Admiral J.U.P. Fitzgerald, CB, RN) with 20 passengers (service personnel), but the convoy had been scattered in a gale on 7/8 December and she was leading a group of about twelve merchant ships without escort when attacked. The lookout in the crow’s nest spotted the torpedo only 100 yards away and tried to telephone the bridge but it struck on starboard side forward before he got through. The explosion shattered the bulkhead to the engine room that was flooded, causing all lights to fail and an immediate list of 15-20° to starboard. The wireless room was completely wrecked, but nevertheless the operator attempted to send a distress signal before the crew, passengers and three gunners (the ship was armed with a fairly modern 4.7in gun and an ancient 12pdr gun) began to abandon ship about 10 minutes after being hit. One of the port lifeboats had been damaged by the gale and #7 starboard boat had its after davit carried away by the explosion, so they launched the remaining six lifeboats but had some difficulties due to moderate sea with a choppy swell that kept crashing the boats against the side of the ship. The ROTURUA sank by the stern after about 20 minutes. The master, the commodore, three naval staff members, 14 crew members, one passenger and two gunners were lost. At 1540 hours, the U-boat surfaced to question the survivors in the boats but had to dive again before they could do so because the CARDITA had turned back to come to assistance and opened fire with her deck gun. 15 minutes later U-96 fired one G7e torpedo at the tanker which was missed and managed to escape after laying a smoke screen.

During the afternoon the lifeboats were sighted by a Sunderland flying boat that led three armed trawlers to them. The 25 survivors in #5 boat in charge of the fourth officer were picked up by Armed Yacht VARANGA at 1940 hrs. ASW MSW Alsey then rescued the 34 survivors in #1 and #6 boats at 2030 hrs, while Armed Yacht EBOR WYKE picked up 49 survivors from #3 and #4 boats, but one of them subsequently died. All survivors were landed at Stornoway in the evening of 12 December.





*MV TOWA (NL 5419 grt)* Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock); Crew: 37 (18 dead and 19 survivors); Cargo: Grain 48 trucks Route: Sorel - Sydney - London ; Convoy HX-92; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 2052 hrs the TOWA in convoy HX-92 was hit amidships on the starboard side by one G7e torpedo from U-96 and stopped. When the ship did not sink after a coup de grace hit at 2130 hrs, the U-boat surfaced and began shelling the ship at 2202 hrs. 16 rounds were fired that caused the ship to sink at 2242 hrs. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats, but one of them capsized when it was lowered incorrectly, the occupants fell into the sea and drowned. The men in one of the other boats were questioned by the Germans, but the Germans misunderstood the name of the vessel as Dover. The master and four men were picked up by DD MATABELE, and then somewhat later the remaining survivors and landed them all at Scapa Flow on 16 December.





*Trawler ROBINIA (UK 208 grt)* was sunk on a British defensive minefield in 65‑20N, 12‑40W. The entire crew was rescued.


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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2015)

*December 11 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German freighter “_Rhein_”, already being monitored by American destroyers “_Simpson_” and “_MacLeish_”, was intercepted by Dutch destroyer “_Van Kinsbergen_” near the Florida Straits. Her crew scuttled the ship to avoid capture.

German submarine U-96 attacked Allied convoy HX-92 125 miles northwest of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, sinking British liner “_Rotorua_” at 1512 hours (16 crew, 2 gunners, convoy HX-92 commodore Rear-Admiral Fitzgerald and 3 service personnel passengers killed). 108 survivors are picked up by British armed trawlers HMT “_Varanga_”, HMT “_Ebor Wyke_” and HMT “_Alsey_”. 2 crew are taken prisoner by the U-boat and landed at Lorient on 29 December. At 2242 hours U-96 sinks Norwegian SS “_Towa_” carrying 7778 tons of grain and 48 trucks (18 killed, 19 survivors picked up by destroyer HMS “_Matabele_”).

German submarine U-94 sank British ship “_Empire Statesman_” 225 miles west of Ireland at 1912 hours, killing the entire crew of 31.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The small town of Sidi Barrani on the Egyptian coast was the first of the main Italian positions to fall during the British ‘Operation Compass‘. British 7th Armored Brigade attacked Buq Buq, Egypt, forcing Italian 64th Infantry Division to surrender. Meanwhile, Indian 4th Infantry Division and British 7th Royal Tank Regiment forced the surrender of Italian 4th Blackshirt Division and two colonial Libyan divisions in the desert. Free French troops attached to British Eight Army play a key role in victory over the Italians at Sidi Barrani. However, the British advance begins to lose steam; Indian 4th Infantry Division is ordered to Sudan by General Wavell, to take part in offensives against Italian forces in East Africa. They will be replaced by the raw Australian 6th Division.

On the coast, British battleships HMS “_Barham_” and HMS “_Valiant_” escorted by anti-aircraft ship HMS “_Coventry_” and 7 destroyers, bombarded Italian positions at Sollum, Egypt. The Allied forces had now captured 38,000 Italian prisoners of war, 237 guns, and 73 tanks.

Aircraft from aircraft carrier HMS “_Illustrious_”, escorted by 2 cruisers and 3 destroyers, attack Italian-held El Adem airfield at Tobruk, Libya.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* 278 German aircraft attacked Birmingham, England, dropping 277 tons of high explosives and 685 incendiary bombs. 6 churches, 11 schools, and several hundred houses are damaged.

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## parsifal (Dec 11, 2015)

*11 December 1940 (Part II) *
*UBOATS*
At Sea 11 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-99, U-100, U-103, U-140.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.357 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 13th. FS.359 departed Methil, escorted by DD VORTIGERN and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 14th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ESCAPADE, ELECTRA and BULLDOG departed Scapa Flow to meet BB RODNEY and escort her to Scapa Flow. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.51. The cruiser parted company with the convoy after dark and returned to Scapa Flow.

*West Coast UK*
OB.257 departed Liverpool escort DDs ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTELOPE, corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE, ASW trawlers LADY MADELEINE and NORWICH CITY. The escort was detached on the 13th.

*Channel*
Due to the threat of the LW attacks, BB QUEEN ELIZABETH was moved from Portsmouth to complete her refit. On the 11th, BB departed Portsmouth, escort DDs KASHMIR, KIPLING, PUNJABI, JUPITER. They were joined by DD HOLDERNESS from Devonport. However a report of a Uboat sighting by aircraft in 50‑26N, 5‑20W, FNFL DD LE TRIOMPHANT and DDs JERSEY, WRESTLER and MONTGOMERY undertook comprehensive searches. The submarine hunt delayed the BB's progress 24 hrs. Because of the delay, the Scapa Flow DDs went to Greenock to refuel, and later departed Greenock on the 12th. En route to the Clyde, the original escorting destroyers were relieved by DDs SOUTHDOWN, EXMOOR, PYTCHLEY BRILLIANT on the 13th. The British force safely arrived the next day. The BB went on to Rosyth arriving on the 15th. The BB's refit was completed at the end of January.

Sub UNIQUE departed Portsmouth for patrol in Biscay. After the patrol, the sub arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd. Sub USK departed Portsmouth for patrol off Fecamp. After the patrol, the submarine also arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd. British steamer SAXON QUEEN was damaged by the LW near Sunk Head Buoy, Thames Estuary. Similarly, Swedish steamer TOR was damaged by the LW also near Sunk Head Buoy, Thames Estuary.

*Med- Biscay*
Two Swordfish a/c of 818 Sqn from CV ARK ROYAL collided whilst training off Europa Point. Sub TRUANT damaged RM TB ALCIONE in 35-29N, 24-11E.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.10A departed Port Sudan, escorted by sloop YARRA. The convoy was dispersed on the 16th.




_HMAS YARRA early 1941 in her dazzle camouflage scheme. A most gallant ship of the RAN._

*Malta*


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## michaelmaltby (Dec 11, 2015)

Delivering Xmas presents in London during the blitz

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## Njaco (Dec 11, 2015)

*December 12 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* The plan for the Russian invasion is named ‘Fritz’ and given as Directive 21.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Hungary and Yugoslavia signed the Treaty of Eternal Friendship.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British 7th Armored Brigade moved into the desert to outflank Italian forces at Sollum, Egypt and to cut the road to Bardia, Libya. Sollum is strategically important, having a small bay and jetty which will allow Royal Navy to bring supplies to O’Connor’s forces. The port was subjected to carrier aircraft attack by HMS “_Illustrious_” bombing barges in the harbour. Still heavier attacks by combined forces of Blenheims and Wellingtons from Egypt were made on Benina and El Adem aerodromes, where concentrations of enemy aircraft were known to exist. Considerable damage was caused to hangars, administrative buildings, bomb and petrol dumps and aircraft on the ground. It is believed that at Castel Beninto alone thirty-five aircraft were destroyed or damaged. Repeated daylight attacks have also been made on other enemy aerodromes and landing grounds. Meanwhile, the first groups of Italian prisoners of war began to arrive by truck at the British headquarters at Mersa Matruh, Egypt and 650 are evacuated to Alexandria by destroyers HMS “_Janus_” and “_Juno_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 12 miles south of the tiny Scottish island of St.Kilda, Outer Hebrides, U-96 continues its attack on convoy HX-92 overnight. U-96 sinks Swedish MV “_Stureholm_” at 0156 hours (4 lifeboats launch but all 32 hands are lost) and Belgian SS “_Macedonier_” at 0431 hours (4 dead, 2 lifeboats are spotted by an aircraft leading to 37 survivors picked up by Icelandic ship “_Súlan_”).

*WESTERN FRONT:* Philippe Pétain received an invitation from Adolf Hitler to attend the ceremony in which Napoleon II's remains were to be returned from Austria to the Les Invalides cemetery in Paris, France.

*ASIA: *Vichy-France established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

The German Ambassador in Tokyo Adm Wenneker hands over to Vice Adm Kondo, Vice Chairman of the Japanese Naval General Staff a copy of a British War Cabinet report that was captured on the freighter “_Automedon_”. The report stated that Britain was not in a position to go to war against Japan for French Indochina or Siam. Only appeasement could be considered. The report also made it quite clear that no reinforcements could be spared from the European theater of war, that the RN could not produce a Far East fleet, and that Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies were all indefensible in the face of a Japanese attack. Hitler had also ordered a copy to be given to the Japanese naval attaché, Captain Yokoi. Yokoi sent his own shortened version to Tokyo enciphered as 97 – Shiki In-ji-ki san Gata (Coral to the Americans) which could not be read by the US Navy until the spring of 1943. By any standards, the incident remains one of the worst intelligence disasters in history. On several occasions Kondo told Wenneker how this particular document had enabled Japan to open hostilities against the US so successfully. Wenneker’s diary recalls:


> “Kondo repeatedly expressed to me how valuable the information in the (British) War Cabinet memorandum was for the (Japanese) navy. Such a significant weakening of the British Empire could not have been identified from outward appearances.”



*UNITED KINGDOM: *British monitoring stations detected X Verfahren radio beams being laid across northern England, and suspected a German attack would take place on the city of Sheffield. In the evening, 13 He-111 bombers of Kampfgruppe 100 arrived over the Sheffield suburbs of Norton Lees and Gleadless at 1941 hours, dropping 16 SC50 high explosive bombs, 1,009 B1 E1 ZA incendiaries, and 10,080 B1 E1 incendiaries. Shortly after, three groups of German bombers, the main force, attacked. The first group consisted of 36 Ju 88 bombers and 29 He 111 bombers; the second group consisted of 23 Ju 88 bombers, 74 He 111 bombers, and 7 Do 17 bombers; the third group consisted of 63 Ju 88 bombers and 35 He 111 bombers. The 280 German aircraft heavily damaged the city center and residential districts through the night through 0400 hours on the next day. Although over 200 incidents were reported, the main Steel Valley largely escaped, and only four cases of substantial damage were reported. Many streets were blocked by debris and wrecked tramcars.

Lord Lothian, British Ambassador to USA, died aged 58.

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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2015)

*12 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
M Class DD HMS MARTIN (G 44)




_Sunk 8 November 1942. HMS MARTIN was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-431 NE of Algiers. 161 Officers and men went down with the ship. There 63 survivors._

Bangor Class MSW HMCS CHIGNECTO (J 160)




_The similar Bangor Class HMCS MELVILLE_

*Losses
MV MACEDONIER (BE 5297 grt)* Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock); Crew: 41 (4 dead and 37 survivors); Cargo: Phosphates; Route: Tampa, Florida – Charleston - Halifax – Oban - Billingham; Convoy HX-92 (Dispersed); Sunk In the Western Approaches ; At 0431 hrs the unescorted MACEDONIER was struck between #4 and #5 holds by one G7e torpedo from U-96 about five miles NW of St. Kilda, Outer Hebrides. The ship, armed with one 4in gun, had been in station #12 of convoy HX-92 which was scattered earlier that night after the ship of the convoy commodore was sunk. The crew immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboats as the ship quickly settled aft, sinking by the stern six minutes after being hit. Four crew members were lost. The boats remained in the vicinity until dawn, rescued two men clinging to wreckage and then set sail. A Hudson aircraft spotted the survivors about five hours after the attack and directed the Icelandic trawler Súlan to the boats. They were picked up and landed at Fleetwood on 15 December.





*MV STUREHOLM (SD 4573 grt)* Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock); Crew: 32 (32 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Steel Scrap Iron Route: Boston - Halifax - Grangemouth - Hull; Convoy HX-92; Sunk In the Western Approaches; (STUREHOLM had been part of HX-84 which had been attacked by DKM CS SCHEER, she had escaped but returned during the night to rescue 65 of the crew of sunken AMC JERVIS BAY); At 0156 hrs , U-96 fired a G7e torpedo at the STUREHOLM in convoy HX-92 and observed a hit in the stern and the sinking of the vessel after eleven minutes. The launch of four lifeboats was also observed by the U-boat but no survivors were ever found.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-99 , U-103

At Sea 12 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-100, U-140.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil to escort EN.40. FN.358 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN and sloop LONDONDERRY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 14th.

*Northern Waters*
CV FORMIDABLE joined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow escort DDs DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, VIMY. FORMIDABLE detached with CA NORFOLK to Freetown as Force K and departed Scapa Flow on the 18th. CL EDINBURGH arrived back at Scapa Flow. She had left Home Waters on the 17 November to escort convoy WS.4B. CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa after escorting WN.51.

*West Coast UK*
OB.258 departed Liverpool escort DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and corvettes GENTIAN and HIBISCUS. The escort was detached on the 15th.

*Channel*
In a minelaying mission to Brest, a Swordfish of 812 Sqn was lost and both crew were killed.

*Med- Biscay*
A/C from CV ILLUSTRIOUS bombed Italian barges off Bardia. DD JANUS after refuelling gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD evacuated 200 pows from Mersa Matruh to Alexandria. DD JUNO arrived at Alexandria from Mersa Matruh on the 13th with 450 pows. Armed boarding vessel CHAKLA and netlayer PROTECTOR departed Alexandria for Sidi Barrani with supplies and to embark pows. Armed boarding vessel FIONA, off Gavdo Island, also proceeded to Mersa Matruh to embark pows. Monitor TERROR and minesweeper BAGSHOT arrived back at Alexandria.

Sub PROTEUS, which had arrived at Gibraltar on the 9th, departed Gibraltar for refitting at Portsmouth, arriving on the 20th. BS.10B departed Suez. The convoy was joined on the 14th by RAN CL PERTH, CLA CARLISLE, DD KINGSTON. Sloop INDUS joined on the 17th. The convoy was dispersed on the 17th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN CL PERTH arrived at Aden for escort duty in the Red Sea until 22 December. The cruiser passed through the Suez Canal on the 23rd and arrived at Alexandria on the 24th for duty with the Med Flt. RAN CL HOBART departed Aden for Fremantle where she arrived on the 28th.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2015)

*13 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile "B" HNoMS ML 122 , HNoMS ML 125 and HNoMS ML 128




_Royal Norwegian Navy motor launches off Dover. ML 125 is visible in centre_

*Losses*
RN sub TRUANT sank *steamer SEBASTINO BIANCHI (FI 1546 grt)* ENE of Cape Spartivento.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 13 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-100, U-140.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Steamer SCHWALBE (Ger 842 grt)* was lost in a stranding off the Finnish south coast.

*North Sea*
DD MAORI was machine gunned by a LW a/c while repairing in the Tyne. FS.360 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 15th. DD KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for repairs. The DD arrived at Rosyth on the 14th.

*Northern Waters*
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa Flow. The cruiser had been absent from Home Waters since departing on 15 November for COLLAR operations in the Med. CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy WN.51.

The DD COTSWOLD arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting British steamer BEN MY CHREE from Lerwick to Aberdeen. DD LINCOLN arrived at Scapa Flow from Milford Haven to work up. British Lt G. F. Russell was killed when his Martlet of 802 Sqn crashed near Inverary.

*SW Approaches*
Hybrid Liner- Cargo Vessel ORARI was damaged by U-43 whilst enroute from Melbourne (Aus) to Avonmouth. The U-boat had followed her for six hours and was then not able to finish her off because no torpedoes were left and the deck gun could not be used due to the rough seas. The crew of ORARI managed to cover the hole by tarpaulins and made it under own power to the Clyde, where she was repaired and returned to service in March 1941.

*Med- Biscay*
DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, ISIS departed Gibraltar on the 12th. They were ordered to intercept a French convoy six miles off Cape Tresforcas, offshore of Spanish Morocco. At 0956, DD FORESTER intercepted and captured *trawler AVANT GARDE (Vichy 780 grt)*, which was taken to Gibraltar and some time later passed on to the FNFL.

DDs HEREWARD and HYPERION were investigating a barge near Bardia. Italian submarine NEGHELLI torpedoed CLA COVENTRY causing extensive damage, but no casualties. Cruiser COVENTRY was joined and assisted by DDs HYPERION, DIAMOND, MOHAWK from at 0015 on the 14th and DDs JERVIS, JANUS and HEREWARD from 0535.

COVENTRY lost most of her bow below the waterline. The cruiser returned stern first to Alexandria arriving on the 14th, escorted by DDs JERVIS and JANUS. She was docked for Temp repairs at Alexandria on the 15th. The ship departed Alexandria on the 29th, but her Temp repairs would not stand up to the heavy sea. COVENTRY returned to Alexandria. Repairs were completed on 20 January.

An a/c and its crew attached to 830 Sqn based in ST ANGELO were lost, in an attack on Tripoli Harbour

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 12, 2015)

*December 13 Friday*
*GERMANY:* Führer Directive 20 was issued to prepare for Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/20.html The purpose is to prevent the English establishment of an air base in the Balkans, which would threaten Italy and Romania. To achieve this, the forces in Romania must be increased, to be moved across Bulgaria to the north coast of Aegean when weather permits.

Twenty four German divisions begin their redeployment to Romania, through Hungary as part of Directive No. 20, Hitler's order for the preparation of Operation 'Marita', the attack on Greece.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British General Richard O'Conner decides his tank raid against Italian troops is going so well he will make it a full-fledged offensive. One of O'Conner’s officers reports having captured "five acres of officers, 200 acres of other ranks," as the Italians surrender en masse. Repeating yesterday’s successful manoeuver by 7th Armored Brigade, it is 4th Armored Brigade’s turn to cross the desert (between Halfaya and Sidi Omar) to outflank the important Italian position at Bardia and cut the road to Tobruk. To counter the British naval bombardment, Italian submarine “_Neghelli_” attacked British cruiser HMS “_Coventry_” 40 miles northeast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt at 2042 hours, nearly blowing off her bow. She was able to sail under her own power to Alexandria, Egypt for repairs.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Truant_” sank Italian ship “_Sebastino Bianchi”_ 20 miles off the southern tip of Italy.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Douglas Bader was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-43 torpedoed and damaged British ship “_Orari_” (carrying 10,908 tons of food and general cargo) 450 miles west of Land's End, England at 2046 hours. “_Orari_” is patched up and sails to the Clyde for repairs lasting until March 1941.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Pierre Laval was dismissed as the Vice President of the Council, which in effect was the Prime Minister of France and appoints Flandin. He was placed under arrest shortly after. The German Ambassador subsequently intercedes on Laval's behalf.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 13, 2015)

*14 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-71





_6 May 1942; Bay Of Biscay. Outward Bound German U71 under attack by MG Fire From A Sunderland Captained By F/O S. R. C. Wood Of No. 10 Sqn RAAF. The Uboat had suffered repeated DC attacks which forced it to the surface. The U-Boat fought back with its AA, and had managed to regain trim with its bows awash. Although severely damaged, she was able to return to La Pallice, because the Sunderland had expended all of its DCs_

Type 1935 MSW No. 251

Allied
Type II Escort DD HMS BLENCATHRA (L 24)




_THis ship participated in the sinking of two Uboats both in 1944 and both in the Med _

Mk I LST HMS LST 11

BPB 70' class MA/SB 16

_Foundered off Sollum on 16 December 1941_
*Losses
MV KYLEGLEN (UK 3670 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 36 (36 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Empty; Route: Middlesbrough - Oban - Baltimore, Maryland ; Convoy OB-256 (dispersed); Sunk In the Mid Atlantic; t 0816 hrs on 14 December the unescorted KYLEGLEN dispersed on 12 December from convoy OB-256, was hit on port side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-100 about 300 miles west of Rockall. Schepke observed how the vessel, misidentified as IMPERIAL VALLEY, settled by the stern and the crew abandoned ship in the lifeboats. The U-boat then fired a G7e torpedo from the stern torpedo tube to finish off the teamer at 0906 hours, which struck KYLEGLEN on port side underneath the aft mast and caused her to sink quickly by the stern. The lifeboats were never seen again: the master and 35 crew members were lost.





*MV EUPHORBIA (UK 3380 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 4 (34 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Coal; Route: Swansea - Milford Haven - Lynn, Massachusetts; Convoy OB-256 (dispersed); Sunk In the Mid Atlantic; At 1955 hrs the unescorted EUPHORBIA, dispersed on 12 December from convoy OB-256, was hit on starboard side in the foreship by one G7e torpedo from U-100 about 310 miles west of Rockall. The U-boat had spotted the freighter about four hrs earlier in bad visibility and missed with one G7a torpedo at 1948 hrs. Schepke observed how the ship caught fire and stopped, so he waited nearby but the flames went out and the EUPHORBIA remained afloat despite a high sea and heavy swell. The ship sank quickly after being hit on port side aft of amidships by a coup de grace at 2028 hrs. The Germans then questioned the survivors in the lifeboats before leaving the area. However, the boats were never found.





*Liner/Cargo Vessel WESTERN PRINCE (UK 10926 grt)* Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock); Crew: 169 (15 dead and 154 survivors); Cargo: base metal, foodstuffs and general cargo; Route: New York - Halifax - Liverpool ; Convoy Independent; Sunk In the Western Approaches; At 0855 hrs the unescorted WESTERN PRINCE was hit in the forward part by one G7e torpedo from U-96 about 400 miles 280° from Cape Wrath. The U-boat had encountered a small freighter during the night and missed it twice with a G7e torpedo before the bigger ship was spotted and also missed with a first G7e torpedo at 0720 hrs. While the ship settled by the bow and stopped, the U-boat dived to reload the torpedo tubes and then waited until the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats. At 1021 hrs, the stricken vessel was hit again in the forward part of the vessel and caused her to sink within one minute. The master, eight crew members and six passengers were lost. 98 crew members and 55 passengers were picked up by the BARON KINNAIRD and one crew member by DD HMS ACTIVE and landed at Gourock. 





*UBOATS*
At Sea 14 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-100, U-140.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.359 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 16th. FS.361 departed Methil, escorted by DDs VANITY and WESTMINSTER. Patrol sloop WIDGEON joined on the 15th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 16th. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow from convoy EN.40. Due to the weather, she was moored nth of Cava Island. ALYNBANK was damaged when British steamer EMPIRE HAWKBILL dragged anchor and fouled the anchor cable of the AA ship.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs DOUGLAS and BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with AMC WOLFE off the Butt of Lewis and escort her to Reykavik.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with BB QUEEN ELIZABETH off Tiumpan Head and provide additional escort to Rosyth.

*West Coast UK*
BB RAMILLIES, CVL FURIOUS and CVE ARGUS arriving from the Med, CLAs DIDO and CAIRO, DDs KELVIN, ECLIPSE, COSSACK, SIKH arrived in the Clyde. RAMILLIES went to Plymouth for a refitting completed 3 January. FURIOUS went to Liverpool escort DDs KELVIN and BRADFORD arriving on the 15th, however BRADFORD sustained damage to her propellers and was taken in tow by tugs EMPIRE HENCHMAN and ABBEVILLE. She was delivered to Belfast for repair. DDs COSSACK and SIKH departed Greenock later in the day and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 15th. CLA DIDO was escorted by DD ECLIPSE and proceeded to Scapa Flow.

OB.259 departed Liverpool escort corvette ARABIS. The corvette was detached that night. On the 15th, DDs SCIMITAR, SHIKARI, SKATE, corvette MALLOW, ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN and WELLARD joined. SHIKARI was detached on the 16th and the remainder of the escort on the 17th.

*Western Approaches*
At 2102 hrs on 14 Dec 1940 the unescorted EMPIRE RAZORBILL , dispersed the day before from convoy OB-257, was attacked by U-96 with six rounds from the deck gun, observing three hits about 120 miles nth of Rockall. The U-boat had not been able to get into a favorable attack position due to bad weather and tried to stop the ship with gunfire, but ceased the attack when they saw that EMPIRE RAZORBILL was armed. U-96 decided to wait for the weather to improve, but lost contact in a snow squall during the night. The slighty damaged ship escaped and safely arrived in St. John on 24 December.

*SW Approaches
Liuzzi Class sub CAPITANO TARANTINI (RM 1148 grt)* was sunk by RN Sub THUNDERBOLT off Bordeaux. Attached to the Atlantic squadron of Italian submarines, the RMs CAPITANO TARANTINI had sailed 31 August 1940 from the Sicilian port of Trapani to Bordeaux under the command of Lieutenant Commander Alberto Jaschi. On 15 December, having made its first real mission in the Atlantic, the boat surfaces to negotiate the south Mine Barrier of the Gironde estuary, under the guidance of two pilot boats. At 1045, a huge explosion rang out and destroyed the stern of the sub. The British submarine HMS THUNDERBOLT having put the RM Sub under observation for some time torpedoed the CAPITANO TARANTINI . 51 men of the 56 man crew are lost.





*La Melpomine Class TB BRANLEBAS (Free French 680 grt)* under RN control, had her back broken and was lost in a storm 25 miles SSW off the Lizard off Eddystone Rocks. Most of the 105 man crew were lost in the French ship. On the 18th, Fr DD MISTRAL arrived at Plymouth with three survivors.





*Nth Atlantic*
HX.96 departed Halifax . Ocean escort was AMC RANPURA, which was detached on the 29th. The convoy was escorted into Liverpool by DDs VENOMOUS and WILD SWAN, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and GARDENIA. They arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, FURY, DUNCAN, ISIS, ENCOUNTER departed Gibraltar to patrol in the area of the Azores following reports of an invasion force near the islands. BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL arrived back at Gibraltar on the 19th without contact.

DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, DIAMOND, MOHAWK were detached from screening CLA COVENTRY for a sweep off the Libyan coast. DDs HEREWARD and HYPERION sank *Sirene Class sub NAIADE (RM 680 grt)* off Bardia. Three officers and twenty two ratings were rescued. The four DDs arrived at Alexandria on the 15th.




_Class sister RM ZAFFIRO _

RAN DDs VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, VENDETTA departed Alexandria to carry out an ASW sweep, and cover the bombarding squadron between Sollum and Mersa Matruh.

Destroyer GALLANT departed Alexandria to join convoy AN.10 of eight ships, three British, which departed Port Said on the 15th. The convoy was covered by CLs AJAX and RAN SYDNEY. Convoy AN.10's escort was taken over by RHN DDs on the 15th and GALLANT returned to Suda Bay. The convoy arrived at Pireaus on the 17th. Armed boarding vessel FIONA with 1600 prisoners and auxiliary schooners FAROUK with 200 and FAWZIA with 1300 arrived at Alexandria. After disembarking the prisoners, the ships returned to Mersa Matruh.

RM CA POLA was damaged by British bombing at Naples, resulting in the Fleet being divided into two sections to protect it from air attack, half to Maddalena and the other half to Cagliari. CAss ZARA and GORIZIA departed Naples for Maddalena. They returned to Naples on the 20th and departed again on the 22nd, when they proceeded to Taranto, arriving on the 23rd.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM raider ATLANTIS was damaged in grounding at Kerguelen Island in the Indian Ocean. 

*Malta*

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## Njaco (Dec 13, 2015)

*December 14 Saturday*
*NORTH AMERICA:* Plutonium-238 was first produced and isolated.

Convoy HX 96 departs Halifax for Liverpool.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Philippe Pétain declined Adolf Hitler's invitation to attend the ceremony during which the remains of Napoleon II would be re-interned at the Les Invalides cemetery in Paris, France. In the same message, he also told Hitler that Pierre Laval had been dismissed from his leadership position in Vichy France, which angered Hitler.

German vessel “_Rio Grande_” arrives in France from Brazil with 300 prisoners taken from raider “_Thor_” during South Atlantic rendezvous.

*NORTH AFRICA: *It had always been the intention to transfer the 4th Indian Division from Egypt to the Sudan in December. They were designated to join the 5th Indian Division for the attack on Italian occupied Abyssinia. That move was confirmed on the 14th December and the Indian troops withdrawn from the battle in western Egypt. They had been in the forefront of the action over the past four days, including the assault on Sidi Barrani. In total they had suffered casualties of 41 officers and 391 men. The 6th Australian Division, who were to replace the Indian troops, were widely dispersed, some units had not yet arrived in Egypt. However the decision was now made to continue the pursuit of the Italians forces into Libya. The Italians were now falling back in disarray. Advanced elements of the British forces led by the 11th Hussars were now way out in the desert, travelling parallel to the main coast road. On the 14th December they crossed the coast road to the west of the Italian base at Bardia. Soon another huge Italian force would be trapped in their coastal garrison. A Vickers light tank (3rd The King's Own Hussars, 7th Armored Brigade) captures Fort Capuzzo, in Libya just across the border with Egypt.

The Royal Navy starts shuttling Italian POWs back to Alexandria, Egypt. Armed boarding vessel “_Fiona_” and auxiliary schooners “_Farouk_” and “_Fawzia_” deliver 3100 POWs from Mersa Matruh and then return. Italian submarine “_Naiade_”, sent out yesterday to harass British warships, is detected by destroyers HMS “_Hereward_” and HMS “_Hyperion_” 20 miles Northeast of Bardia, Libya, and brought to the surface with depth charges. “_Naiade_” is scuttled and all 41 crew are rescued by HMS “_Hereward_”. 

8 Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from 830 Naval Air Squadron at Malta attack the harbour at Tripoli, Libya.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The RAF conducts a night raid on Naples. The cruiser “_Pola_” is damaged.

Greek III Corps mostly suspends offensive operations due to severe weather conditions in mountains in northern sector of the front.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* IRA internees set fire to Curragh Camp near Dublin and fight with troops and Garda (police); 4 injured (one IRA man shot dead in further clashes next day).

General Richard McCreery takes command of British 8th Armored Division.

Corpo Aereo Italiano attacks Harwich overnight with 11 bombers.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 400 miles West of Ireland, U-100 sinks British steamers SS “_Kyleglen_” at 0816 hours (all 36 hands lost) and SS “_Euphorbia_” at 1955 hours (all 34 hands lost). 

At 0855 hours, 200 miles South of Iceland, U-96 stops British liner “_Western Prince_” with a torpedo (14 killed). After allowing 100 crew and 55 passengers to abandon ship in lifeboats, U-96 sinks “_Western Prince_” at 1021 hours. 154 survivors are picked up by British steamer “_Baron Kinnaird_” and 1 by destroyer HMS “_Active_”.

HMS “_Branlebas_”, a torpedo boat captured from the French off Portsmouth on July 3 1940, sinks in rough weather in the English Channel 30 miles Southwest of Plymouth (97 hands lost, Free French destroyer “_Mistral_” rescues 3 survivors).

Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” is replenished by supply ship “_Nordmark_”.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 14, 2015)

*15 December 1940 *
Axis
IJN Kagero Class DDs TOKITSUKAZE URAKAZE




_URAKAZE on her commissioning day_


Neutral
Soviet S (Stalinec) class S-101





Allied
Mk I Class LCT HMS LCT 12

*Losses
MV SAN CARLOS (SP 223 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen); Crew: 28 (1 dead and 27 survivors); Cargo: Empty; Route: Cape Juby - Canary Islands; Convoy Independent; Sunk off the coast of Morocco; Exercising the DKM unrestricted mercantile policy to the limit, by sinking a vessel of a nation friendly to Germany deliberately, U-37, at 1950 hrs missed the SAN CARLOS with one torpedo off Cape Juby and decided to attack the vessel at 2000 hrs from a distance of 800m with the deck gun and the 37mm AA gun, but the deck gun broke down after 21 shots. The 15 crew members and 13 passengers abandoned ship in two lifeboats, but one man was lost. The Germans rowed in a dinghi to the ship and placed scuttling charges on the vessel that later sank the ship. Doing so they noticed that both the 88mm and 37mm rounds had not been able to penetrate the 20cm strong wooden hull of the ship.

*Steamer N. C. MONBERG (Den 2301 grt)*, in convoy FS.360, was sunk by DKM S Boat S.58 east of Yarmouth . Eight crew and the naval gunner were lost on the British steamer.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 15 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-96, U-100, U-140.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and her escorts arrived at Rosyth. CLA CURACOA departed Methil escorting convoy EN.41, after completing escort of BB QUEEN ELIZABETH.

*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY and DDs MATABELE, ESCAPADE, ELECTRA, BULLDOG arrived at Scapa Flow. DDs SOUTHDOWN and BRILLIANT arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting BB QUEEN ELIZABETH. On the passage from Rosyth, BRILLIANT picked up a fighter pilot crashed off May Island. DD ECLIPSE arrived at Scapa Flow after duty with Force H. DD LEAMINGTON arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting Convoy SL.56 with DD BURNHAM, and began working up at Scapa Flow. MSW BRITOMART was in a collision with MSW SEAGULL. She was repaired at Aberdeen completing on 11 January. In a flying accident nth of Kirriemuir, a Swordfish of 767 Sqn crashed killing the 3 man crew.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.16 departed Halifax with ocean escort of BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN. On the 29th, DDs ACTIVE, ANTELOPE, GEORGETOWN joined the convoy for tyhge inbound run. They were detached on the 30th. Corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE and ASW trawler LADY MADELEINE joined on the 29th and escorted the convoy into Liverpool arriving on the 31st.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.59 departed Freetown escorted by ASW trawlers KELt and SPANIARD to 17 December. The convoy was joined on the 20th by AMC CATHAY to 31 December. On 1 January, DDs SCIMITAR and SKATE, ocean boarding vessel CRISPIN, corvettes ARABIS, CLARKIA, MALLOW, ASW trawlers MAN O WAR, NORTHERN DAWN, NORTHERN PRIDE, ST ELSTAN joined. The ocean boarding vessel and corvette CLARKIA were detached on 3 January. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 January.

SLS.59 departed Freetown escorted by ASW trawler BENGALI to 17 December. On 2 January, corvettes HEARTSEASE and HOLLYHOCK joined the convoy; HOLLYHOCK was detached on 5 January. Corvettes BLUEBELL and CANDYTUFT joined on 3 January and were detached on 4 January. Destroyers AMAZON and AMBUSCADE and anti-submarine trawler LADY LILLIAN joined on 5 January. The convoy arrived on 7 January.

*Med- Biscay*
Monitor TERROR bombarded Bardia from 1220 to 1717. British Port Said section of convoy MW.5B of steamers VOLO, RODI, PONTFIELD, ULSTER PRINCE departed Port Said in Operation HIDE. CL ORION departed Alexandria for Suda Bay and Piraeus.

*Requin Class Sub NARVAL (FNFL 974 grt)* , which had departed Malta on her third patrol on the 2nd, was lost to mines off Kerkenah. The submarine was to have arrived back at Malta on the 16th.





CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Gibraltar from Azores patrol.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 14, 2015)

*December 15 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Thunderbolt_” patrolling the Bay of Biscay on 15th December, attacked a U-Boat which was in close company with three trawlers. At 0835 hours when diving 12 miles south-west of the mouth of the Gironde, an object resembling the conning tower of a U-Boat was sighted. HMS “_Thunderbolt_” altered course to close, and later observed two trawlers on the same bearing. Smoke appeared to be coming from the vessel originally sighted. Assuming that these were the three armed trawlers which had been seen on previous occasions, HMS “_Thunderbolt_” reset course for patrol position. At 0909 hours, however, when the range of the enemy vessels had decreased considerably, a U-Boat, in company with three trawlers was clearly visible 5,000 yards away, bearing Red 110°. Course was altered directly towards the target and all tubes were brought to the ready. Whilst approaching the firing course, another sight was taken, which showed that the target was now stern on. HMS “_Thunderbolt_” continued to close at half speed grouped-down. When 130 degrees on the U-Boat’s starboard quarter, periscope range estimated to be 4,000 yards, the disposition of the trawlers was thought to be reminiscent of the start of an A/S exercise. HMS “_Thunderbolt_” therefore allowed the enemy a low nominal speed of 6 knots, and altered a few degrees to reach the firing course. Commencing at 0920, six torpedoes were fired at 12 second intervals, an alteration of three degrees to port being made after the third torpedo. After what seemed an interminable delay, a tall column of water was seen to rise into the air, followed by an explosion four minutes nine seconds after firing the first torpedo. Part of the U-Boat, either bow or stern was seen to protrude out of the water, and subsequently no trace of her could be seen. Five minutes nine seconds after the first, fifteen further explosions were heard, and HMS “_Thunderbolt_” could not determine whether these were all depth charges, or if some were torpedoes striking the sea bed, the depth of water being 18 fathoms. The enemy trawlers could not have known from which direction the torpedoes came, as all the depth charges sounded fairly distant. The Italians’ very early admission that one of their U-Boats - Italian submarine “_Tarantini_” - had not returned from the Atlantic is explained by the fact that their patrol craft witnessed the sinking.

German motor torpedo boat S.58 sank Danish ship “_N. C. Monberg_” off Yarmouth, England, killing 9.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. British attention now focuses on the port of Bardia, Libya, which they have surrounded. From 1220 hours to 1717 hours, monitor HMS “_Terror_” begins the bombardment of Bardia which is defended by 40,000 Italians commanded by General Annibale Bergonzoli, known as 'Electric Whiskers' due to his flaming red beard (now white) worn parted in the middle.

The British troops destroy 8 Italian Divisions, take 130,000 Italian prisoners of war, and capture 470 tanks and 1300 guns. British losses: 500 dead, 1371 wounded, 55 missing. 

*UNITED KINGDOM:* 16 German He 111 bombers dropped 11,520 incendiaries on the city of Sheffield in central England, between 1900 and 1950 hours, starting large fires as a beacon for the main force of 50 He 111 bombers and 11 Do 17 bombers. The German raid ended at 2215 hours and lasted three hours, and was mainly in the east and east centre. Many factories were hit, but only nine of these suffered substantial damage.

General Harold Alexander named to command Southern Command.

RN destroyer “_Cameron_”, previously damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft, capsizes at Portsmouth.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Free French submarine “_Narval_” hit a mine and sank in the Mediterranean Sea 40 miles northeast of Sfax, Tunisia, killing the entire crew of 54.

Another RAF night raid on Naples again leaves an Italian cruiser damaged.

Two German officers, Baron von Gronau, who was German air attaché at their embassy in Tokyo, and Colonel Johann Jebsen from Canaris’s intelligence staff were sent down to Taranto to find out exactly how the harbor defenses had been penetrated. They surveyed the wreckage at Taranto harbor and forwarded a report to Japan with their recommendations. 

Greek I Corps launches new offensive in southern sector of the front. Strong Italian counterattacks against Greek I Corps.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The remains of Napoleon II were relocated to the Les Invalides cemetery in Paris, France. Benito Mussolini continued to assert his objection to this friendly gesture by Adolf Hitler to France. 

Pierre Laval was freed from imprisonment.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 71 aircraft to attack Berlin, Frankfurt, and Kiel overnight and accidentally bomb the railroad station in Basil, Switzerland.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 15, 2015)

*16 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
S (Stalinec) class S-102 (Soviet)





Allied
Mk I Class LCT HMS LCT 16

*Losses
Trawler HELTRAUD (Ger 103 grt)* was sunk by unspecified enemy action.

RN Sub TRUANT sank *tkr BONZO (FI 8177 grt) *off Punta Stilo.





*Coastal steamer ARRIGONI (FI 103 grt)* was lost in a marine accident at Francavilla.

*UBOATS*
Departures
U-95, U-124

At Sea 16 December 1940
U-37, U-43, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124, U-140.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.360 departed Southend, escort DD VORTIGERN and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY and DDs ESCAPADE, ELECTRA, ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow at midnight and arrived at Rosyth at noon on the 17th. Newly completed DD BLENCATHRA arrived at Scapa Flow from Liverpool to work up. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to meet WN.53 in Pentland Firth. The ship covered WN.53 to Methil where she then met EN.42.

*West Coast UK*
CL BIRMINGHAM completed a refit at Liverpool begun in September. The cruiser rejoined Cru Sqn 18 at Scapa on the 27th. OB.260 departed Liverpool escort DDs CALDWELL and VANSITTART, sloop SCARBOROUGH, corvettes BLUEBELL and HONEYSUCKLE. CALDWELL was detached on the 18th and the remainder of the escort of 19 December. British steamer BIC ISLAND was damaged by the LW.

*Channel*
Sub TRIBUNE attacked German tanker KARIBISCHES MEER without success

*Nth Atlantic*
Canadian troop convoy TC 8 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ASSINIBOINE with troopships PASTEUR (30, 447grt), CAPETOWN CASTLE (27, 000grt), PENNLAND (16,082grt) carrying 2995, 1415, 1865 troops, respectively. Liner COLOMBIA (10,782grt) was also in the convoy. Ocean escort was BB REVENGE. In Home Waters, the convoy was divided into two sections. TC 8 A (fast) was escorted by DDs OTTAWA, ST LAURENT, FNFL LE TRIOMPHANT, ORP PIORUN,RN WORCESTER, WATCHMAN with liners PASTEUR and CAPETOWN CASTLE. TC 8B (slow) was escorted by DDs BATH (SO), ST MARYS, MONTGOMERY, WITHERINGTON, WITCH with liners PENNLAND and COLOMBIA. The liners, less CAPETOWN CASTLE which was detached to Glasgow, arrived safely at Greenock on the 25th.

*Central Atlantic*
BB RESOLUTION, repair ship VINDICTIVE, DDs FORTUNE and FOXHOUND arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown. Departing Freetown on the 10th, CL NEWCASTLE arrived on the Sth American Station on the 16th.

*Med- Biscay*
In Operation HIDE, BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, MOHAWK, GREYHOUND, DAINTY, HYPERION, ILEX, HERO, HASTY, HEREWARD departed Alexandria at 0100 to cover the Convoy MC 2 movements. At 0745, YORK, GLOUCESTER, with DAINTY and GREYHOUND were detached to Suda Bay to refuel.

The Alexandria section of convoy MW.5B with steamers DEVIS and HOEGH HOOD and submarine PARTHIAN, escorted by DD HAVOCK, departed Alexandria in the morning. When it was found HOEGH HOOD could not keep up, she was detached on the 17th with HAVOCK to proceed independently. MW.5 A of steamers WAIWERA and LANARKSHIRE, escorted by BB MALAYA and DDs DEFENDER and DIAMOND departed later in the day. CL ORION arrived at Piraeus and transferred correspondence to CLs AJAX and RAN SYDNEY. Cruisers AJAX and SYDNEY then departed for Suda Bay. Allied convoys AS.9 and AN.10 made passage during these movements. ILLUSTRIOUS launched air attacks on Rhodes and Stampalia between 0345 and 0430 on the 17th, but the attacks were hindered by bad weather. CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs DAINTY and GALLANT arrived at Suda Bay at 0500, and refuelled, following which they sailed at 0700. The cruisers carried out a sweep west of Kithera Channel and the DDs carried out an ASW patrol while the Fleet refuelled at Suda Bay. ORION arrived at Suda Bay at 0600 and sailed again at 1130 joining cruisers AJAX and SYDNEY west of Crete. At 0830, the Main Fleet entered Suda Bay. CV ILLUSTRIOUS, BB VALIANT, DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, MOHAWK proceeded independently at 1130. BB WARSPITE and the ships of DesFlot 2 departed at 1415. The two groups rendezvoused on the 18th. DD GRIFFIN departed Malta at 1600 to join the Main Force. On the 18th at 1600, CLs ORION, AJAX, RAN SYDNEY and DDs JERVIS, JUNO, MOHAWK were detached to sweep in the Adriatic. CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CA YORK, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs DAINTY, GREYHOUND, GALLANT, GRIFFIN were detached at 1800 for operations in MC 3.

In Operation MC 3, BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT fired 115x15" at Italian positions at Valona from 0113 to 0120. DDs HEREWARD and HASTY were sweeping ahead of the BBs with minesweeping equipment. At noon, CA YORK, CLs GLOUCESTER, ORION, AJAX, SYDNEY, DDs DAINTY, GALLANT, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, HASTY were detached to cover the convoys to Malta. As a diversion for the movement of BB MALAYA to the western basin, RHN DDs VASILEVS GEORGIOS I, VASILLISA OLGA, YDRA, PSARA, SPETSAI, KONDOURIOTIS made a sweep in the Adriatic towards Valona.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 15, 2015)

*December 16 Monday*
*GERMANY:* Korvettenkapitän Adalbert Schneider became the acting commanding officer of battleship “_Bismarck_” while Captain Lindemann was away on Christmas leave.

134 RAF bombers attacked Mannheim, Germany in retaliation for German raids on British cities. The sole objective was the industrial centre of Mannheim on which 108 tons of high explosive and over 13,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. 8 pathfinder bombers miss the city center with incendiary canisters, causing most of the other bombers to miss the target. Countless fires were started and aircraft which arrived late in the night reported that many blocks in the Western and South-Eastern areas were ablaze. Large fires were started on both banks of the Rhine. 34 civilians were killed, 81 were injured, and 1,266 homes destroyed by 100 tons of high explosive bombs and 14,000 incendiary bombs. This was the first Allied area bombing raid of the war against a populated target, as opposed to targets of military or industrial value. Other targets included Speyer-am-Rhein and Heilbronn, but Basle (Switzerland) was also accidentally bombed: 4 killed. Learning from this failure, RAF develops the concept of "bomber stream" to drop the maximum amount of bombs in the smallest area over the shortest time. 

*NORTH AFRICA:* The British begin winning battle after battle as Italian tanks were no match to the British Matilda's and British naval bombardments. Within 2 weeks of combat, the Italians are forced back 200 miles to Tobruk and lose 139,000 Italian and African colonials who have surrendered or been captured. 4th Armoured Brigade captures the Italian camp at Sidi Omar, which was leapfrogged in the rush into Libya to surround Bardia. They attack from the South and West, while the Italian artillery is facing east. The battle lasts 10 minutes (50 Italians killed, 900 taken prisoner). Italian forces withdraw from Sollum and Capuzzo.

British troops carry out an air raid on Italian Somalia.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US Marine Corps Reserve aviation units were disbanded, and their men were assigned to active duty in the regular US Marine Corps. On the same day, US Marine Corps established the 7th Defense Battalion at San Diego, California, United States. The infantry-artillery battalion was to be assigned to Tutuila, American Samoa.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German submarine U-37 stops wooden Spanish steamer “_San Carlos_” at 1950 hours, with 1 torpedo and then tries to sink her with 21 rounds from the deck gun (1 killed). German sailors, rowing over to place scuttling charges, notice that the shells did not penetrate the wooden hull. 15 crew and 13 passengers abandon ship in 2 lifeboats. 

British submarine HMS “_Truant_” sank Italian tanker “_Bonzo_” in the Ionian Sea 2 miles off the coast of Calabria, Italy.

Special Army Corps of Italian 11th Army formed under General Giovanni Messe.

*ASIA:* Admiral Kiyoshi Hasegawa was named the governor-general of Taiwan.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Nobel committee cancels Peace Prize for 1940.

.


----------



## parsifal (Dec 16, 2015)

*17 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
ELCO 70 ft USS PT 18




_USS PT-17 shown_

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS WETASKIWIN (K 175)




_During her career, WETASKIWIN had three significant refits. The first began in February 1942 at Liverpool, Nova Scotia. The second began in mid-January 1943 and was completed in March at Liverpool. Further repairs were needed at Halifax after the refit was completed. In December 1943, WETASKIWIN was sent to Galveston, Texas to refit. This refit took until 6 March 1944 during which her fo'c'sle was extended. It was to be her final major refit of the war.

After working up in the Pacific, WETASKIWIN was transferred to the Atlantic Ocean in March 1941. She arrived at Halifax 13 April 1941. In May she was assigned to the Newfoundland Escort Force as a convoy escort on the route between St. John's and Iceland. She remained with this unit until January 1942, when she departed for refit. During this assignment, WETASKIWIN participated in the battles for convoy SC 42 in September 1941 and convoy SC 48 in October 1941.

After returning to service, WETASKIWIN joined the Mid-Ocean Escort Force (MOEF) escort group C-3. While escorting Convoy ON 115, on 31 July 1942 she shared the destruction of U-588 with HMCS SKEENA. She also participated in the battle for Convoy SC 109.

After yard overhaul, WETASKIWIN was assigned to MOEF escort group A-3 for the battle of Convoy HX 233. When group A3 disbanded, WETASKIWIN was assigned to MOEF group C-5 in May 1943 and participated in the battle for Convoy HX 305. WETASKIWIN escorted Nth American coastal convoys with the Western Local Escort Force (WLEF) from October 1944 until May 1945. As a member of WLEF she was assigned to escort group W-7 for the majority of her time with the force.

Following the end of hostilities, WETASKIWIN was paid off at Sorel, Quebec 19 June 1945. In 1946 she was sold to the Venezuelan Navy and renamed VICTORIA. She was finally discarded and sold for scrapping in 1962_

Fairmile B HMS ML 139





*Losses*
Running trials after refit, *"A" Class DD HMS ACHERON (RN 1337 grt)* of DesFlot 1 was lost in mining at 0640 off the Needles off the Isle of Wight 152 officers and crew, and 22 dockyard workers were lost. There were only 16 survivors. .





There were losses to mines this day. The following ships were lost between the No.1 and No.2 Sea Reach Buoy off Southend:

*Steamer INVER (UK 1543 grt) *was lost outside the boom at Southend. 15 crew and the naval gunner as well as the pilot were lost.

*Steamer MALRIX (UK 703 grt)* was lost 1.75 miles 081° from Nore Light Vessel. Eight crew were lost on the steamer.

*Steamer BENEFICENT (UK 2944 grt)* was lost about two cables off Southend Gate. Six crew were lost on the steamer.

*steamer AQUEITY (UK 370 grt)*. Six crew were lost.

*Steamer BELVEDERE (UK 869 grt)* was lost fifty yards WNW from M.Boom Vessel off Southend. Four crew were lost on the steamer.

*FV CARRY ON (UK 93 grt) *was sunk on a mine east of Nore Sand Light Vessel. Seven crew were missing on the vessel.

*Boom defense vessel THOMAS CONNOLLY (RN 290 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Medway Channel off Sheerness.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-140
Lorient: U-43

At Sea 17 December 1940
U-37, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow after covering convoy EN.41. The cruiser departed Scapa Flow later that day to meet convoy WN.54 in Pentland Firth and cover the convoy until dark. CURACOA returned to Scapa Flow late that evening. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Methil that afternoon with convoy WN.53. ALYNBANK departed Methil later that night with EN.42. FN.361 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 19th. FS.362 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS and VERSATILE. Patrol sloop SHEARWATER joined on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th. FS.363 departed Methil, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 19th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs DOUGLAS and BEAGLE arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting AMC CHITRAL. DD TARTAR arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting at Plymouth. DD GEORGETOWN departed Scapa Flow for Greenock where the DD's work up was completed. .

*West Coast UK*
Greek steamer MENTOR was damaged by the LW.

*Western Approaches*
DDs ACTIVE and ANTELOPE with convoy HX.93 attacked a UBoat contact in 55-58N, 13-34W.

*Med- Biscay*
Monitor TERROR and gunboat LADYBIRD, escorted by RAN DDs VOYAGER and VENDETTA bombarded Bardia. *Steamers GALATA (FI 618 grt)*, *GIUSEPPINA D. (FI 431 grt)*, *VINCENZINO (FI 190 grt)* were sunk in the bombardment.

CA BERWICK departed Gibraltar for the Azores patrol.

Vichy DD ALBATROS departed Toulon escorting submarines AURORA, LA PSYCHE, OREADE. The ships called at Oran on 19 to 21 December and passed Gibraltar on the 22nd. All arrived at Casablanca on the 23rd.

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (Dec 18, 2015)

*18 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB UBoat U-75




_"Sunset Departure" by Michel Guyot. U-75 achieved 7 ships sunk, total tonnage 37,884 GRT . 2 warships sunk, total tonnage 744 tons
She was sunk on 28 December 1941 in the Med NW of Mersa Matruh, by DCs from the RN DD HMS KIPLING. 14 dead and 30 survivors._

Type IXB U-111




_The illustration is an image of a painting of the surrender of German submarine U-111 on the 4 October 1941. the original painting was by Charles Pears and is owned by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London 4 ships sunk, total tonnage 24,176 GRT 1 ship damaged, total tonnage 13,037 GRT. U-111 was sunk 4 Oct 1941 SW of Tenerife. Having been ordered to rendezvous there with two other U-boats, U-67 and U-68. She was struck by the British submarine HMS CLYDE which had accidentally dived onto her after unsuccessfully attacking U–67. U-111 was so badly damaged she was left unable to dive, and was obliged to head for home. On 4 October 1941, she was hunted down and sunk by DCs from the British ASW trawler HMS LADY SHIRLEY sw of Tenerife. Of a crew of 52 men, eight died; 44 survived. They were subsequently interrogated; it was the first time prisoners of war were captured from a U-boat operating in the Sth Atlantic. _

Neutral
Soviet M (Malyutka) class M-33




_Sister ship M-35 pictured _

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS CHAMBLY (K 116)




_HMCS CHAMBLY in as-built condition, early 1941. Note that the ship is still fitted with minesweeping gear, and that no armament has yet been installed in the "bandstand" aft of the engine room._

LCT Mk I Class HMS LCT 13 and LCT 14

Fairmile B HMS MLs 152 and 156,Fairmile B HMNeS ML 164





*Losses
MV NAPIER STAR (UK 10116 grt)* Sunk by U-100 (Joachim Schepke); Crew: 85 (71 dead and 14 survivors); Cargo: General cargo; Route: Liverpool - Panama - New Zealand ; Convpy Independent; Sunk in the Nth Atlantic; At 2020 hrs the unescorted NAPIER STAR was hit amidships by one of two torpedoes fired by U-100 321 miles 285° from Rockall. The U-boat had followed the ship since 1043 hrs. A further torpedo was required to finish off the vessel, which hit and sank the vessel at 2049 hours. The master, 58 crew members and twelve passengers were lost. Nine crew members, one gunner and four passengers were picked up by the VAALAREN and landed at Liverpool on 23 December.





Sub TUNA attacked RM sub BRIN, which was returning from Ceuta with sub BIANCHI near Bordeaux,. No damage was done to the Italian sub.
Later in the day, submarine TUNA sank *tug CHASSIRON (Vichy 172 grt)* off the Gironde.

*Tanker OSAGE (UK 2950 grt)*, formerly the OLTERRA, was sunk by the LW four miles NE of Arklow Light Vessel, County Wicklow. The entire crew of the tanker were rescued.





*MSW trawler REFUNDO (RN 258 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Harwich. Two ratings were killed in the trawler. The trawler was taken in tow, but sank ten yards west of Beach End Buoy.

*Steamer BIRKENFELS (Ger 6322 grt)* was lost on a mine, laid by British MTBs off the Schelde.





RM Sub VENIERO sank *steamer ANASTASSIA (Gk 2883 grt)* from dispersed convoy SC.15 in 54‑24N, 19‑04W. 16 crew were lost, two crew were missing, ten crew were made pows. British steamer FLOWERGATE sighted the wreck of steamer ANASTASSIA awash on the 20th.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-38

At Sea 18 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124.
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
British steamer TWEED was damaged by the LW.

*Northern Waters*
CV FORMIDABLE and CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow at 2000 to operate as Force K in the Sth Atlantic to search for the DKM surface raiders.
The carrier and cruiser were escorted from Scapa Flow by DDs BEDOUIN, MATABELE, MASHONA, and ESKIMO, which parted company in 55N, 25W.
The British ships travelled with convoy WS.5A for the first part of the voyage, but had been detached prior to the attack on the convoy on the 24th. DDs ESCAPADE, ELECTRA, ECLIPSE arrived at Scapa Flow at 0130 after taking BB RODNEY to Rosyth. BB NELSON, BC REPULSE, DDs COSSACK, SIKH, TARTAR, BRILLIANT, BULLDOG, BEAGLE, DOUGLAS, ESCAPADE, ELECTRA, ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow to carry out tactical exercises west of the Orkneys. The British force arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 20th.

DD TYNEDALE departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with British steamer BEN MY CHREE off Aberdeen on the 19th and take her to Kirkwall. Following disembarkation, the steamer was taken to Aberdeen. TYNEDALE arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th after this duty. DD VIMY departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with AMC SALOPIAN at noon on the 20th, however the VIMY could not locate her. When cruiser SALOPIAN reported she had already passed the Butt of Lewis at 1900, VIMY was ordered back to Scapa Flow. VIMY arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.

*West Coast UK*
The slow units of Convoy WS5A departed the Clyde and Liverpool on the 18th. The Clyde section was escorted by CLA CAIRO and DDs BATH, ST MARYS, ST ALBANS, WORCESTER, WATCHMAN. The Liverpool section was escorted by DDs WITHERINGTON and WITCH, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes CLEMATIS, JONQUIL, CYCLAMEN, GERANIUM. The corvettes travelled with the convoy for duty in the Sth Atlantic. Ships from Belfast were escorted by DD VENOMOUS. The slow units were met at daylight on the 19th by CLA BONAVENTURE and DDs VESPER, HARVESTER, HIGHLANDER, with the DDs detached on the 21st. These steamers were British steamers TAMAROA , aux ML HMS ATREUS , SETTLER, BHUTAN , DELANE, ORBITA, CITY OF LONDON, NEURALIA , ANSELM , STENTOR , MENELAUS , CITY OF DERBY , ARABISTAN , EMPIRE TROOPER and CITY OF CANTERBURY; Belgian steamer ELISABETHVILLE , Dutch steamer COSTA RICA . British steamer ERNEBANK sailed but was forced to return to Liverpool. Liner RANGITIKI proceeded from Avonmouth and travelled with this section. Belgian steamer LEOPOLDVILLE departed with this convoy and proceeded to Halifax. She arrived on the 28th escorted into harbour by BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN.

The fast units were British steamers ESSEX, NORTHERN PRINCE, CLAN MACDONALD, CLAN CUMMING, EMPIRE SONG which departed the Clyde and Liverpool on the 19th. The convoy was met at daylight on the 20th by escorts CLA NAIAD, CVE ARGUS, DDs RCN OTTAWA, ST LAURENT, ORP PIORUN from the Clyde, DDs HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, FNFL LE TRIOMPHANT from Londonderry, CVL FURIOUS and DDs BEVERLEY, KELVIN, KIPLING from Liverpool. FURIOUS was carrying aircraft to Takoradi for Operation MONSOON. The DDs were detached on the 22nd. The fast section and the slow section rendezvoused on the 23rd.

*Nth Atlantic*
At 1615 hrs the NL tkr PENDRECHT, (dispersed the day before from convoy OB-259), was hit aft on the starboard side ahead of the engine room by a single G7e torpedo from U-96 (Lehmann-Willenbrock) after being chased by the U-boat for about 1 hr. The tkr had left Cardiff for New York in ballast on 7 December. The U-boat surfaced in some distance because they had no torpedoes left in the tubes, only one G7a torpedo stored in a deck canister and the tanker was armed. The crew initially abandoned ship but reboarded the vessel when two other (armed) tankers arrived and one of them fired two shots at U-96, keeping her at distance while the Germans moved the spare torpedo into the boat. The U-boat then tried to locate the damaged tanker again but lost her during the night. HMS LEGION (G 74) then met PENDRECHT, and escorted her to Rothesay, arrving on 21 December. There were no casualties. The tkr had a hole of 14 meters in her side and went to Glasgow for temporary repairs, later to Swansea because it was planned to transfer her to the USA for permanent repairs.

HX.97 departed Halifax at 1300 escorted by RCN corvette HEPATICA, which proceeded through for refitting and arming at Greenock. Ocean escort was AMC WORCESTERSHIRE, which was with the convoy from 18 to 28 December. DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL and corvette GENTIAN were with the convoy from 30 December to 3 January. Corvette RHODODENDRON was with the convoy on 1 and 2 January. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 January.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER captured *steamer DUQUESNA (UK 8651 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic. 91 crew and 8 passengers were made pows. CVL HERMES, CL DRAGON, AMC PRETORIA CASTLE from St Helena were searching for the DKM surface raider. CA CUMBERLAND and CLs NEWCASTLE and ENTERPRISE were searching in the Rio-Montevideo area. CA DORSETSHIRE and CL NEPTUNE were also searching. CA BERWICK was to have joined this group, but did not.

*Med- Biscay*
CA YORK and CL GLOUCESTER with 3 DDs were detached from the Med Flt to sweep in the Adriatic.

T Class *Submarine TRITON (RN 1090 grt)* Left Malta on 28 November 1940 for a patrol in the southern Adriatic. Most likely mined and sunk in the lower Adriatic or the Otranto Strait on or around 18 December 1940. 54 officers and crew, the entire ships company were lost with TRITON.





RM CLs EUGENIO and MONTECUCCOLI and DDs PIGAFETTA, DA RECCO, PESSAGNO, RIBOTY bombarded Greek positions near Corfu.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.11 departed Aden, escort CL CALEDON and sloops AUCKLAND, FLAMINGO, SHOREHAM. These escorts were detached on the 22nd when joined by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 25th.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 18, 2015)

*December 17 Tuesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Home Office announced the hanging death of a third German spy. On the same day, a British housewife was sentenced to death for spying.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill instructs a British delegation of military officers who will meet with American counterparts in Washington that they not request American protection of Singapore, Australia, or India. Only minimum force should be used against Japan, with all efforts directed toward the defeat of Germany.

The British government announced a ration increase for Christmas week.

Air Vice Marshal Richard Saul became the commanding officer of No. 12 Group RAF.

10,969 evacuees have now arrived from Gibraltar.

*GERMANY:* Fifty British Bomber Command Whitley and Hampden bombers attack German seaplane bases on the island of Sylt, part of the Frisian Islands.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Numerous vessels are lost to mines. At 0640 hours, in darkness and heavy seas 5 miles southwest of the Isle of Wight, British destroyer HMS “_Acheron_” hits a mine while running sea trials following repairs. “_Acheron_” sinks within 4 minutes, killing 153 crew and 22 shipyard workers (13 crew and 3 shipyard workers survive). British vessels “_Inver_”, “_Malrix_”, “_Beneficient_”, “_Aqueity_” and “_Belvedere_” were sunk by mines in the Thames estuary. 

*NORTH AFRICA: * Operation Compass. British capture the coastal village of Sollum and have forced all Italian troops out of Egypt after 7 days of fighting. The unexpected success of this “5 day raid”, including surrounding the major port of Bardia in Libya, persuades General Wavell (Commander in Chief, Middle East) to continue the operation and 6th Australian Division replaces 4th Indian Division which has been sent to defend Sudan. On the same day, the British announced that they had captured 20,000 Italian prisoners, including three generals, in Egypt.

British monitor HMS “_Terror_” and gunboat HMS “_Ladybird_” bombarded Bardia, Libya, sinking Italian ships “_Galata_”, “_Vincenzino_”, and “_Giuseppina D_” in the harbor.


*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt held a press conference in Washington DC, United States, revealing the Lend-Lease program to journalists. Famously Roosevelt used the analogy of helping a neighbour whose house was on fire:


> "In the present world situation of course there is absolutely no doubt in the mind of a very overwhelming number of Americans that the best immediate defense of the United States is the success of Great Britain in defending itself; and that, therefore, quite aside from our historic and current interest in the survival of democracy, in the world as a whole, it is equally important from a selfish point of view of American defense, that we should do everything to help the British Empire to defend itself… Suppose my neighbor’s home catches fire, and I have a length of garden hose four or five hundred feet away. If he can take my garden hose and connect it up with his hydrant, I may help him to put out his fire. Now, what do I do? I don’t say to him before that operation, “Neighbor, my garden hose cost me $15; you have to pay me $15 for it.” What is the transaction that goes on? I don’t want $15—I want my garden hose back after the fire is over. All right. If it goes through the fire all right, intact, without any damage to it, he gives it back to me and thanks me very much for the use of it. But suppose it gets smashed up—holes in it—during the fire; we don’t have to have too much formality about it, but I say to him, “I was glad to lend you that hose; I see I can’t use it any more, it’s all smashed up.” He says, “How many feet of it were there?” I tell him, “There were 150 feet of it.” He says, “All right, I will replace it.” Now, if I get a nice garden hose back, I am in pretty good shape. In other words, if you lend certain munitions and get the munitions back at the end of the war, if they are intact haven’t been hurt—you are all right; if they have been damaged or have deteriorated or have been lost completely, it seems to me you come out pretty well if you have them replaced by the fellow to whom you have lent them".


 The Lend Lease Act was not passed until March 1941 and Britain would not start to see the material benefits of it for many months after that. Nevertheless this was a very important signal that Britain would have the ability to keep fighting in the long term.

Admiral Ernest King takes command of Patrol Force, U.S. Fleet.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Greek I Corps captures Hormova and a large Italian supply depot in southern sector of the front.

.


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## Njaco (Dec 18, 2015)

*December 18 Wednesday*
*GERMANY:* Hitler’s Directive 21 for the Invasion of Russia is signed and renamed ‘Unternehmen Barbarossa’ http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/21.html :



> “The German Armed Forces must be prepared, even prior to the conclusion of the war against England, to crush Soviet Russia in a rapid campaign . . . It is of decisive importance that our intention to attack not be known. . .
> The Luftwaffe will have to make available for this Eastern campaign supporting forces of such strength that the Army will be able to bring land operations to a speedy conclusion and that eastern Germany will be as little damaged as possible by enemy air attack. This build up of a focal point in the East will be limited only by the need to protect from air attack the whole combat and arsenal area which we control, and to ensure that attacks on England, and especially upon her imports, are not allowed to lapse.
> I. General Intentions:
> The preparations of the High Commands will be made on the following basis:
> ...


In preparation for Barbarossa, the German military stockpiled 91,000 tons of ammunition, half a million tons of fuel (40% of all fuel available to Germany at the time), and 600,000 trucks and 750,000 horses to carry supplies. German Armed Forces are to be prepared to crush Soviet Russia in a rapid campaign. The final objective is to erect a barrier against Asiatic Russia on a line of Volga to Archangel. Rumania and Finland will give active support on the flanks of the German attack. The operation is named for the conquering 12th century Teutonic Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The first prototype Curtiss SB2C Helldiver made its maiden flight. It crashed on 8 February 1941 when its engine failed on approach, but Curtiss was asked to rebuild it. The fuselage was lengthened and a larger tail was fitted, while an autopilot was fitted as a result of the aircraft's poor stability.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Otto Skorzeny departed the Netherlands for northern France as a member of 2nd SS Division "Das Reich".

Vichy government appoints De Brinon ambassador to Germans in Paris.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” captured British ship “_Duquesna_” in the South Atlantic 800 miles south of Cape Verde Islands, capturing 91 crew and 8 passengers. Captain Theodor Krancke of “_Admiral Scheer_” purposefully allowed “Duquesna” to radio to help in order to distract the Royal Navy, hoping to indirectly help cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” to break out into the Atlantic Ocean from the Denmark Strait. “_Duquesna_”, with 3,500 tons of frozen beef and 15 million eggs on board, was kept in operation by the Germans in the South Atlantic until 18 Feb 1941 to supply German ships in the area.

British submarine HMS “_Tuna_” sank French tug “_Chassiron_” and attacked (in failure) Italian submarines “_Brin_” and “_Bianchi_” in the Bay of Biscay 40 miles off of the Gironde Estuary, France.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “Refundo” was damaged by a mine, killing 2. Another ship attempted to tow her, but she sank 1 mile off the coast of Suffolk, England.

German submarine U-96 damaged Dutch tanker “_Pendrecht_” at 1615 hours with torpedo. The crew began to abandon ship, but as two armed tankers arrived to drive away U-96, the crew reboarded, set her toward Scotland for repairs.

German submarine U-100 sank British ship “_Napier Star"_ at 9820 hours, killing 59 crew and 12 passengers; 5 survived.

Italian submarine “_Veniero_” damaged Greek ship “_Anastassia_” in the North Atlantic with a torpedo, killing 18. 10 were taken prisoner. The Italians let the disabled ship drift away.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian cruisers “_Eugenio_” and “_Montecuccoli_” and destroyers “_Pigafetta_”, “_Da Recco_”, “_Pessagno_”, and “_Riboty_” shelled Greek forces on the Albanian coast near Corfu.

British submarine HMS “_Triton_” sank in the Otranto Strait off Taranto, Italy; the exact cause was unknown.

Vichy French submarines “_Vengeur_”, “_Monge_”, “_Pigase_”, and “_L'Espoir_” begin transfering from Dakar to Madagascar.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * Keith Park is relieved of command of No. 11 Group of RAF Fighter Command, and replaced by Leigh-Mallory. In a related story, Dowding departs for US aboard “_Leopoldville_” to work on aircraft production, acquisition, and technical issues.

William Donovan meets with Churchill who gives British support for a long fact-finding and intelligence-gathering tour of Spain, Turkey, Balkans, etc.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Compass: British Western Desert Force continued advancing toward Bardia and Tobruk.

.
View attachment 307863


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## parsifal (Dec 18, 2015)

*19 December 1940 *
Hitler has authorised BARBAROSSA, the "Drang Nach Osten" (Drive to the East). It is a fateful decision, saves Britain and dooms Nazi Germany, affecting her history for at least the next 60 years. None of that is apparent on the morning of the 19th December 1940......
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN B1 Class I-Boat I-28

Allied
"L&M" Class DD HMS LEGION (G-74)





_Thick clouds of black smoke as seen from HMS LEGION, during the expedition to the Lofoten islands, Norway, where troops were landed to blow up the oil tanks. Fitted with 8 x 4in AA as main armament, the L class were far more effective AA platforms than earlier DDs. The 4in Mk XVI mounting was further developed to the 4.5 in mount_

Type II Hunt Class Escort DD HMS BLANKNEY (L 30)





BPB 70' Type Motor Anti-Submarine Boat HMS MA/SB 17

Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 199

Flower Class Corvette HMS VERBENA (K 85)





*Losses
AO RHONE (Vichy 2785 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen); Crew: Unknown (11 dead); Cargo: Fuel oil; Route: Casablanca - Dakar; Convpy Independent; Sunk off the Atlantic coast of Morocco ; In what is claimed as an accident, at 1640 hrs (ie daylight), in clear weather conditions, U-37 torpedoed and sank the Vichy French vessels RHONE and SFAX seven miles off Cape Juby, Morocco. The BDU reports for this event appear dubious and tampered with however. Neither torpedo reports nor statements concerning this incident can be found in the KTB of the U-boat. The BDU entry simply reads "DJ 9285 - Nothing to see", but the stated grid is situated on land in the Sahara! The incident comes at a most difficult and embarrassing time for Germany, when she is trying to apply pressure for both Vichy and Spain to join the Axis.





*Redoubtable Class Sub SFAX (Vichy 1340 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen); at 1640 hrs, (ie daylight), in clear weather conditions, U-37 torpedoed and sank the Vichy French vessels RHONE and SFAX seven miles off Cape Juby, Morocco. Neither torpedo reports nor statements concerning this incident can be found in the KTB of the U-boat. Actually the entry simply reads DJ 9285 - Nothing to see, but the stated grid is situated on land in the Sahara!





*Tanker ARINIA (NL 8024 grt)* was sunk on a mine eight miles ESE of Southend Pier. 54 crew, the pilot, five gunners were lost on the tanker.





*Lighthouse Tender ISOLDA (Eire 734 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the vicinity of Barrels Rock Light Vessel, South Wexford. Six crew were lost on the steamer.




_Painting by Kenneth King_

*Drifter PROFICIENT (UK 57 grt)* was lost after grounding off Whitby.

RM sub BAGNOLINI sank *steamer AMICUS (UK 3660 grt) *from dispersed convoy SC.15 in 54‑10N, 15‑50W. The entire crew of the steamer was lost.

*Steamer FREIENFELS (Ger 7563 grt)* and *Steamer GEIERFELS (Ger 7605 grt)* were sunk on mines near Livorno.








*UBOATS*
At Sea 19 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124.
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.364 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 22nd. FS.365 departed Methil, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 21st. AA ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy EN.42 from Methil to Duncansby Head. Dutch steamer TWEE GEBROEDERS was damaged on a mine near No. 2 Yantlet Buoy, Thames Estuary. Norwegian steamer AROSA was damaged on a mine three cables 130° from Bull Fort, Humber.

*Northern Waters*
DD ECHO departed Greenock at 1530 after repairs arriving at Scapa Flow on the 20th. DD KELLY departed the Tyne to carry out gunnery trials and from there proceeded to Scapa Flow. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th for work up. DD CHURCHILL arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

*West Coast UK*
OB.261 departed Liverpool escort DD WOLVERINE, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes ARBUTUS, CAMELLIA, COLUMBINE. The escort was detached on the 22nd. DDs VETERAN and VERITY were damaged in a collision in Lough Foyle near Londonderry. Both DDs proceeded to Londonderry and anchored off Moville awaiting repair. VETERAN with slight damage to her stem was repaired at Londonderry in the Barrow yard from 19 to 21 December. She was able to depart on the 22nd. VERITY's engine room was flooded. She was repaired at Londonderry from 19 December to 6 January. Permanent repairs were done at Belfast from 7 January to 5 March.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub TRIBUNE attacked a large steamer forty miles west of Belle Ile (in Biscay sth of Brittany), without success. Force H.with BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FORTUNE, DUNCAN, ENCOUNTER, ISIS, WISHART, JAGUAR departed Gibraltar on the 19th meet the forces coming from Alexandria in Operation HIDE and SEEK.

Gunboat APHIS bombarded the Bardia as part of that strongholds softening up process.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.11 departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were detached on the 22nd when the convoy was joined by CL CALEDON and sloops AUCKLAND, FLAMINGO, SHOREHAM. Sloop RIN INDUS joined on the 24th. Sloop SHOREHAM was detached on the 26th. The convoy dispersed on the 27th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
ANZAC troop convoy US.8 departed Wellington with British liners DOMINION MONARCH and EMPRESS OF RUSSIA escorted by NZ manned CL ACHILLES. The convoy safely arrived at Sydney on the 23rd. On the 28th, the convoy departed Sydney with British liners QUEEN MARY and DOMINION MONARCH. Liner DOMINION MONARCH carried stores for Colombo. Liner EMPRESS OF RUSSIA returned to Auckland on the 30th in convoy VK 1. On the 30th, AQUITANIA, MAURETANIA, AWATEA with troops for Colombo departed Sydney and joined the convoy with RAN CA CANBERRA, which continued with the convoy to Colombo. The convoy departed Fremantle on 4 January and departed Colombo on 12 January. The convoy arrived at Suez on 28 January.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Dec 19, 2015)

*20 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Gnevnyi Class DD RAZIASHCHYI (Soviet)




_Built by Marti Yard (Nikolayev, U.S.S.R.) / Yard 198 and Dalzavod (Vladivostok, U.S.S.R.) / Yard 202 all in the Far East, this ship served her entire career in the Soviet Pacific Fleet until finally being discarded in 1961_

Curtiss Class Seaplane Carrier USS ALBEMARLE (AV 5)




_The U.S. Navy seaplane tender USS ALBEMARLE (AV-5) underway, 30 July 1943, wearing what is known as the Measure 22 camouflage scheme._

Elco 70 ' type Motor torpedo boat USS PT 16

Allied
Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARLAKE (Z 39)

*Losses*
In LW air attacks on Liverpool during the night of 20/21 December, *hopper barge OVERDALE (UK 315 grt)* was sunk in Huskisson Dock, British tanker JOHN A. BROWN, steamers EUROPA, LAPLACE, EASTERN PRINCE, ROXBURGH CASTLE were damaged. 3 crew were lost on the hopper barge.

RM sub CALVI sank *steamer CARLTON (UK 5162 grt)* from convoy OB.260 in 54‑30N, 18‑30W, whilst on passage from Newport to Buenos Aires . 30 crew and one gunner was lost on the British steamer.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-140

At Sea 20 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLA DIDO entered the Tyne dockyard for docking and refit completed on 29 January 1941. FN.363 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 22nd.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.55 in Pentland Firth and cover her to the Firth of Forth. Convoy WN.55 was attacked at 1715 off Kinnaird Head by a single German float plane. No damage was done to British ships. After this duty, the cruiser proceeded to Rosyth to boiler clean. DD NAPIER departed Greenock to work up at Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 21st. FNFL DD OURAGAN with a Polish crew arrived at Scapa Flow at noon from Plymouth to work up. DD BERKELEY was damaged by a mine exploding close aboard off outer Medway Bar. The damage to the destroyer was repaired in six days.

*Med- Biscay*
Convoy MW.5A, with BB MALAYA, DDs NUBIAN, DIAMOND, DEFENDER, WRYNECK arrived at Malta. DDs GRIFFIN, GREYHOUND, GALLANT, DAINTY, HASTY arrived at Malta to refuel. DDs NUBIAN, DIAMOND, DEFENDER, WRYNECK joined the Main Force at 0800 and DDs HYPERION, HASTY, ILEX, HEREWARD were then detached to refuel. DDs GRIFFIN, GREYHOUND, GALLANT, DAINTY, HASTY rejoined the Main Fleet at 1000.

BB WARSPITE, escorted by DDs JANUS, JERVIS, JUNO entered Malta at 1440 for a short visit;this was WARSPITE's first appearance at Malta since May. She was greeted by a rapturous public. BB MALAYA with DDs HYPERION, HEREWARD, ILEX departed Malta at 1250.

Convoy MW.5B arrived at Malta during the afternoon. CLA CALCUTTA, sub PARTHIAN, the corvettes escort at 1205, the rest of the ships at 1330, with the exception of steamer HOEGH HOOD and DD HAVOCK. ME.5A of steamers CLAN MACAULAY, CLAN FERGUSON, MEMNON, MEMNON departed Malta at 1440 escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and corvettes SALVIA, PEONY, HYACINTH. This convoy was later joined by escort ship WRYNECK. Steamer HOEGH HOOD and DD HAVOCK arrived at Malta on the 21st. DD HAVOCK remained at Malta for refitting. DDs HYPERION, HERO, HEREWARD, ILEX again returned to Malta at 1000. HYPERION, HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO, ILEX departed Malta at noon on the 21st with convoy MG 1 of empty merchant ships CLAN FRASER, CLAN FORBES, ULSTER PRINCE. This group joined BB MALAYA and proceeded to join Force H at Gibraltar. DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO departed Malta at noon on the 21st to sweep ahead of MALAYA and on their return to Malta for Operation SEEK, a sweep in the Skerki Channel.

RAN CL SYDNEY was detached to Suda Bay on the 21st to refuel and collect her onboard floatplane, which had been damaged and left Suda for repairs. The cruiser then proceeded to Malta where she arrived on the 23rd for repairs.

*GHI Class DD HMS HYPERION (RN 1335 grt)* was torpedoed by RM sub SERPENTE at 0156 on the 22nd and badly damaged 24 miles 087° from Cape Bon Light. Two ratings were lost and thirteen ratings were injured. BB MALAYA and DDs HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO continued with the convoy. After unsuccessful attempts to tow her, the senior officer of the escort on DD JERVIS, standing by the stricken ship ordered ILEX to take off the crew of HYPERION. DD JANUS scuttled HYPERION off Pantelleria. The DDs then proceeded to Malta. The survivors were divided between ILEX and JANUS which then took them to Alexandria.





CV ILLUSTRIOUS launched air raids on Tripoli with 15 a/c at 0515 and 0615. BB MALAYA and DDs HEREWARD, HASTY, HERO with steamers CLAN FRASER and CLAN FORBES joined Force H.on the 22nd for passage to Gibraltar where they safely arrived on the 24th.

On the 22nd, DDs GREYHOUND and DAINTY were sent into Malta to refuel. GREYHOUND, ILEX, DAINTY departed Malta at 1700 to rejoin the Main Fleet, but were delayed due to a defective steering gear in GREYHOUND. The DDs finally rejoined during the afternoon of the 23rd. ME.5 with CLs ORION and AJAX arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd. On the 23rd, DDs DEFENDER and GRIFFIN were detached to escort convoy AS.9 of nine ships, two British, including troopshire ULSTER PRINCE, which were departing Piraeus on the 24th. CA YORK and CL GLOUCESTER arrived at Piraeus on the 23rd. The cruisers departed the next day to cover convoy AS.9. The Med Flt arrived back at Alexandria on the 24th. AO BRAMBLELEAF from Suda Bay joined convoy AS.9 on the 25th. On the 26th, cruisers YORK and GLOUCESTER arrived at Suda Bay. The Alexandria ships of convoy AS.9 were detached at dusk on the 26th and troopship ULSTER PRINCE proceeded independently to Port Said. AS.9 arrived at Port Said on the 28th. On the 30th, cruisers YORK and GLOUCESTER departed Suda Bay to return to Alexandria, arriving on the 31st.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Dec 19, 2015)

*December 19 Thursday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian forces counterattack Greek I Corps around Hormova in southern sector of the front. British battleships HMS “_Valiant_” and HMS “_Warspite_” shelled Italian defensive positions at Vlorë, Albania overnight in support of Greek advances.

Mussolini requests German assistance for his hard-pressed troops in Cyrenaica, asking for a Panzer Division, Luftwaffe units and various logistical support.

German submarine U-37 mistakenly torpedoed and sank Vichy French submarine “_Sfax_” (4 killed, 69 survived) and support ship “_Rhône_” (11 killed) 7 miles north of Cape Juby, Morocco. The captain of U-37 chose to not record this incident on the ship's logs.

German vessels “_Freienfels_” and “_Geierfels_” were sunk by mines.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass was progressing in North Africa. Launched on the 9th December the Italian base at Sidi Barrani had been captured quickly and now other Italian bases along the coast were in the sights of the British. Captain Rea Leakey was with the 7th Armoured Brigade as it pursued the Italian army into Libya. They found themselves slowed down by the number of prisoners wanting to surrender to them. Then on the outskirts of Bardia they encountered some Italian tanks and went in pursuit of them. British gunboat HMS “_Aphis_” bombarded Bardia, Libya in support of Operation Compass. Meanwhile, General O'Connor reported that in the first 10 days of the offensive his forces had suffered 141 killed or missing and 387 wounded.

*EASTERN EUROPE: * Archbishop Sapieha of Krakow, Poland sent a letter to Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss requesting permission for Christmas mass to be held in the camp for Catholic prisoners. Höss turned down the request because the camp rules did not permit religious observations, but did agree that approximately 6,000 one-kilogram food parcels could be sent to all the prisoners over the holidays.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British destroyers HMS “_Veteran_” and HMS “_Verity_’ collided in Lough Foyle near the Royal Navy base at Londonderry, Northern Ireland. HMS “_Verity's_” engine room was flooded, requiring her to remain out of commission for repairs until 5 Mar 1941.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* President Kallio of Finland dies of heart failure on the day of his retirement; aged 67.

*GERMANY:* Hitler meets with Soviet ambassador and the Italian ambassador.

RAF Bomber Command sends 85 aircraft to attack Cologne and the Ruhr overnight.

.

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## parsifal (Dec 19, 2015)

> Archbishop Sapieha of Krakow, Poland sent a letter to Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss requesting permission for Christmas mass to be held in the camp for Catholic prisoners. Höss turned down the request because the camp rules did not permit religious observations, but did agree that approximately 6,000 one-kilogram food parcels could be sent to all the prisoners over the holidays.



It is doubtful much of this food made it to its intended recipients, though I am the first to admit that I dont actually know for this particular event. Pilfering of food packages sent to prisoners was rife in the camps, according to War in the Shadow of Auschwitz: Memoirs of a Polish Resistance Fighter .

Whether this particular shipment made it through is debateable. Hoss was a soldier who had bitterly rejected Catholicism after WWI, but this early in the war the mass exterminations and really brutal murders of prisoners at the camp was just getting under way. The first mass executions had begun 22 September, but the genocidal scale of death wasnt to begin until the end of the following May.

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## Njaco (Dec 20, 2015)

*December 20 Friday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian forces counterattack Greek I Corps around Hormova in southern sector of the front.

15 British carrier aircraft from HMS “_Illustrious_” attacked an Italian convoy off Kerkennah islands, Tunisia between 0515 and 0615 hours, sinking two of the three ships in the convoy.

The British Royal Navy battleship, HMS “_Warspite_”, arrived at Malta's Grand Harbour to a rapturous welcome from the islanders.

Operation MC.2: Convoy ME 5A departs Malta for Alexandria and Convoy MG 1 departs Malta for Gibraltar and joins Force H off Sardinia.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Calvi_” sank British ship “_Carlton_” 300 miles west of Ireland, killing 31.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* News of the British success in the desert of North Africa proved to be a welcome morale booster on the home front. As the second Christmas of the war approached there was now one substantial territorial achievement to be celebrated, at the end of a year in which British troops had been ejected from continental Europe.

Committee of Enquiry into “_Arandora Star_” disaster (see July 2, 1940) publishes its findings. Main criticism concerns the indiscriminate deportation of both Fascist and anti-Fascist Italians on the liner.

British destroyer “_Berkeley_” hit a mine in the River Medway in southern England. She was damaged but did not sink.

Luftwaffe attacks Liverpool overnight with 205 aircraft with the first of two consecutive heavy night raids. 42 were killed when two official shelters collapsed, 72 were killed when bombs destroyed a shelter in the Blackstock Gardens tenement, and a further 42 were killed when an unofficial shelter at Bentinck Street under railway arches was hit.

*NORTH AMERICA: *To coordinate strategic defense planning and to hasten the aid to the United Kingdom, the Roosevelt administration announced the establishment of a four-man Office of Production Management, under the direction of William Knudsen. The goal of this board was to expand defense efforts and speed military aid to the British and other non-Axis powers. The next day, the German government denounced this policy the next day as a form of "moral aggression."

*WESTERN FRONT: *Two Spitfire fighters of No. 66 Squadron from RAF Biggin Hill in London, England carried out a sweep over Breck and Le Touquet in France, strafing power transformers, camps and road traffic. This marked a change in RAF fighter tactics to a more offensive role.

*EASTERN EUROPE: * The Defense Committee of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union officially adopted the PPSh-41 submachine gun.

*NORTH AFRICA:* No Italian troops are now left on Egyptian soil, except as prisoners. Fleet Air Arm aircraft based at Malta attack Tripoli.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Berlin and Gelsenkirchen overnight.

.



.


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## parsifal (Dec 21, 2015)

*21 December 1940 
Losses
Tkr CHARLES PRATT (Pan 8982 grt)* Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen); Crew: 42 (2 dead and 40 survivors); Cargo: Fuel Oil; Route: Aruba - Freetown; Convpy Indepedent; Sunk in the Central Atlantic off the coast of West Africa; SS CHARLES PRATT, was torpedoed without warning by the German U-68 (H.G von Stockhausen) at 1455 local time with a cargo of 96,069 barrels of Fuel Oil. This attack took place almost a year before Pearl Harbor. The vessel was about 220 miles from Freetown, Sierra Leone. She was unarmed and flying the flag of a neutral nation, but was working in the service of the British by transporting cargo for them. At the time of the attack in broad daylight, the flag of Panama was flying from the stem, the stack was marked with the Panama Transport insignia, and the Panamanian flag was painted on both sides of the hull.

The ship was manned by an American crew of 42 men. Two of the crew were lost. On October 20, 1939 the registry of this ship was changed from the U.S. to Panama but kept the American crew.The first torpedo hit on the starboard side at #6 tank blowing out the bulkheads in #6 main tank and #4 summer tank and also the deck plates in the way of the pumproom. The explosion showered oil and debris clear to the top of the mast and over the boat and poop deck. The ship caught fire at once and burning oil flowed into the starboard alleyway. Steam smothering lines were opened but to no avail as all lines were destroyed in the pumproom.

As the fire was gaining, the Master ordered abandon ship.Lifeboats #2 #4 were launched. After the ship had been abandoned a second torpedo struck just forward of the midship house blowing burning oil and debris several hundred feet in the air and showering the ocean with oil and steel fragments, some just missing #2 boat. This explosion put out the fire. The Chief Mate was picked up 40 minutes after the ship was abandoned by #2 boat which was in charge of the Master. He had been blown overboard by the explosion along with an Ordinary Seaman. The Chief Mate suffered various injuries including a broken leg. The Ordinary Seaman was never found. Lifeboat #2 was picked up on December 25th at 1350 local time by the MV GASCONY and landed at Freetown. Boat #4 was picked up by the SS LANGLEEGORSE on December 26th and landed at Freetown.





*Hybrid Ferry/Steamer INNISFALLEN (UK 3071 grt)* was sunk on a mine at the entrance to Canada Dock, River Mersey. Four crew were lost on the British steamer.




_INNISFALLEN sunk by a mine in River Mersey, 21 December 1940, shown here as passengers escape on lifeboats. This is an Oil by Kenneth King, (Maritime Institute of Ireland)_

*Barge TIC.12 (UK 118 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 51‑28N, 00‑46E. The entire crew of the barge was rescued.

*Tug RIVER THAMES (UK 88 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 51‑28N, 00‑46E. The entire crew, except the Master, was lost on the tug.

*Tug SUN IX (UK 196 grt)* was sunk on a mine between 1 and 2 Buoys, Yantlet Channel, Thames Estuary. Three crew were lost on the tug.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 21 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124.
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.364 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 23rd. FS.366 departed Methil, escort DD VORTIGERN and sloop EGRET. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 23rd. FS.367 departed Methil, escort DDs WESTMINSTER and EXMOOR. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 24th.

DKM MLs ROLAND, COBRA, KAISER, SKAGERRAK, escort DKM TBs GREIF, FALKE, SEEADLER, laid minefield SWa in the western Nth Sea.




_ML COBRA_

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.56 in Pentland Firth and cover it as far as Buchanness. The ship returned to Scapa Flow arriving on the morning of the 22nd. DDs BEDOUIN, MATABELE, MASHONA, ESKIMO were sent to search for a reported Uboat by a/c flown from CVE ARGUS. The search was unsuccessful and the DDs returned to Scapa Flow on the 24th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.262 departed Liverpool escort DDs BROKE, SARDONYX, SHIKARI, corvettes ANEMONE and HELIOTROPE, ASW trawlers ST KENAN and ST ZENO. The escort was detached on the 23rd.

The LW continued its heavy attacks on Liverpool, the targets for which included shipping and the docks areas of the city. Ocean boarding vessel MAPLIN was set afire and heavily damaged. *Steamer SILVIO (UK 1293 grt) *was sunk in the Alexandra Dock. One crewman was lost on the steamer SILVIO.





Other ships sunk in this attack included:
*Steamer ALPERA (UK 1777 grt)*,





The CITY OF CORINTH, DEMETERTON and Dutch tanker ONOBA were damaged. RAN CA AUSTRALIA in dry dock was near missed by a heavy bomb which landed in the dock off the cruiser's port quarter. Further attacks that night resulted in the In British steamers LLANGIBBY CASTLE, MAHRONDA, DEUCALION and Dutch steamer MARISO being damaged.

*SW Approaches*
RM sub MOCENIGO in attacks on convoy OG.47 sank *steamer MANGEN (SD 1253 grt)* and claimed sinking one other and damaging another ship in the convoy with torpedoes. There is no record of an attack fitting this description in allied records, However, British steamer SARASTONE was shelled by the MOCENIGO, but sustained only splinter damage. Eight crew were lost on the Swedish steamer. The survivors were rescued by Swedish steamer GARM .





*Med- Biscay*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS lcarried out night strikes with 9 a/c from 815 and 819 Sqns on an Italian convoy escorted by TB VEGA east of Kerkenah Bay. steamers NORGE (FI 6511 grt), Steamer PEUCETA (FI 1926 grt), were attacked and eventually sunk whilst MV LUIGI RIZZO (FI 382 grt) damaged. TB VEGA was attacked but not damaged. 1 a/c was lost with the crew. Steamer LUIGI RIZZO arrived at Tripoli on the 22nd.

CA BERWICK arrived at Gibraltar from Azores patrol. After refuelling, she departed later in the day to join CruSqn 15 escorting convoy WS.5 A.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
Light cruiser DAUNTLESS arrived at Penang.


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## parsifal (Dec 22, 2015)

*22 December 1940 *
*Losses*
*Tug POOLGARTH (UK 179 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Canada Dock, S. Pier Head, Liverpool. The entire crew of the tug was lost.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 22 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
FN.365 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 24th. FS.368 departed Methil, escort DDs PYTCHLEY and VANITY. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 25th. Corvette COLUMBINE was in a collision with sloop ABERDEEN in 61-08N, 14-25W. The corvette proceeded to Stornoway escorted by DD WOLVERINE. Tug SUPERMAN was also sent to assist. Sloop ABERDEEN was able to proceed to meet convoy HX.95. British steamer LLANDILO was damaged by a mine between No. 2 and 3 Yantlet Buoys, Thames Estuary.

*Northern Waters*
DD KEPPEL arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth after repairs. DD COTSWOLD departed Scapa Flow after working up at 1730 for Rosyth. From Rosyth, the destroyer continued to the Nore.

*West Coast UK*
DD FORESIGHT in drydock at Liverpool for repairs was damaged by a near miss. The fore superstructure and the hull above the water line was holed by splinters. Submarine H.31 sank at Campbeltown (Scottish west coast) due to a loss of bouyancy. The submarine flooded from the engine room aft. The submarine was refloated and arrived at Rothesay on the 25th. Submarine H.31 was repaired at Elderslie from 13 to 25 January.

British tanker ELAX was damaged on a mine off No. 10 Buoy, Liverpool. British steamers PARDO and ALMEDA STAR and hopper barge No. 9 were damaged by the LWat Liverpool.

*Western Approaches*
DDs SHIKARI and SARDONYX in convoy OB.262 attacked a submarine contact in 56-38N, 13-34W.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.98 departed Halifax escort RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and RESTIGOUCHE which were detached the next day. The ocean escort was AMC LACONIA. The convoy was diverted to Sydney, C.B. where it arrived on the 29th. The convoy departed Sydney on 2 January escorted by the LACONIA and escort ships LAURIER, RAYON D’OR, VENOSTA. The escort ships were detached later that day. On 13 January, DDs SCIMITAR and SKATE and corvette MALLOW joined the convoy. DD SKATE was detached on 15 January and the other two escorts on 16 January. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 17 January.

USN CA TUSCALOOSA departed Norfolk carrying the US Ambassador to Vichy France to Portugal. USN DDs UPSHUR and MADISON provided local escort from Norfolk. The Ambassador was delivered and the heavy cruiser arrived back at Norfolk on 11 January 1941.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.60 departed Freetown escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY to 7 January, sloop BRIDGEWATER to 24 December, ASW trawlers BENGALI to 24 December and SPANIARD to 26 December. On 9 January, DDs WILD SWAN to 9 January and WITCH, ocean boarding vessel CAVINA, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, GARDENIA, PERIWINKLE joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 13 January. Convoy SLS.60 departed Freetown on the 22nd and arrived at Liverpool on 15 January.

*Med- Biscay*
RHN sub PAPANICOLIS damaged Italian steamer SAN GIORGIO with gunfire and sank *steamer ANTONIETTA (FI 70 grt)* also by gunfire by rumming off Brindisi.


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## parsifal (Dec 22, 2015)

*23 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 70' Class PT USS PT-19





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS AUBRETIA (K 96)





Shakespearian Class ASW TRAWLER HMS HAMLET (T 167)




_The Shakespearian class trawler was a class of ASW trawlers that served the RN. Ships in this class had a displacement of 545 tons, a top speed of 12 knots, a crew of 40 men, and armament of one 12-pounder AA gun, three 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns and 30 DCs. They were nearly identical to the Isles class trawlers, of which they are usually considered a subclass.

Three of the class (out of 12 built) trawlers were war losses: CORIOLANUS, HORATIO and LAERTES. _

Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 141

*Losses
Steamer BREDA (NL 6941 grt) *was sunk by the LW. On 23 December 1940 she was at anchor off Lismore. She had loaded a mixed cargo in London and come to join other vessels to sail in a convoy; she was bound for Mombasa, Karachi and Bombay. During t he evening, a group of He 111s were spotted by the Royal Observer Corps on the Easdale Island, heading nth towards Oban, and, although the alarm was raised, the convoy could not be warned in time. The ship was not actually hit but a couple of bombs just missed and an important seawater intake pipe was fracturedand she began to take water; within 15 minutes, Captain Fooy ordered the boats lowered.

An Admiralty tug came alongside and helped to run the ship aground on a 3 fathom shoal just off Rubha Garbh-aird Point. The 10 horses being carried in boxes as deck cargo were released to swim ashore. It was decided that the ship and cargo could be salvagedand some of the cargo was recovered during Christmas Eve. However, a storm hit the coast during the operation and the ship was driven forward off the shoal and in to deeper water, were she sank. Although her funnel and masts remained above water for many years. 





*Trawler YSTROOM (NL 400 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea, but all her crew was rescued.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 23 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-124.
9 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.366 departed Southend, escort DDs VERDUN and WOLSEY and patrol sloop SHEARWATER. In attacks on FN.366, DKM S-Flotilla 1 with S.26, S.28, S.29, S.34, S.56, S.58, S.59, Dutch steamer STAD MAASTRICHT was badly damaged at 2255 by S.59 and *MSW trawler PELTON (RN 358 grt) *was sunk by S-Boat S.28 alongside 5 Buoy, north of Aldeburgh. Sutherland, A/T/Lt Cdr H. R. Walker RNVR, eighteen ratings were lost on trawler PELTON. DD VERDUN reported sinking one of the S.boats.

Patrol sloop SHEARWATER stood by *steamer STAD MAASTRICHT (NL 6907 grt)* which was later taken in tow by tugs NORMAN and KROOMAN from Yarmouth and tug KENIA from Harwich The entire crew from the Dutch steamer was rescued. However, she sank on the 25th in 3.6 miles 340° from Gunfleet Light Vessel. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 25th.





AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 1030 to meet convoy WN.57 in Pentland Firth and escort the convoy to Buchanness. At 2245 while leaving the convoy, ALYNBANK was damaged in a collision with an unknown vessel. A tug was requested, but later was found not to be needed. The damaged ship arrived off May Island on the 24th. She was taken to Rosyth for repairs. Due to other commitments in the repair yard, repairs were not begun until 2 February. Repairs were completed and the ship arrived at Scapa Flow on 1 April 1941 for duty.

British steamer FLYNDERBORG , drifter LUPINA and Dutch steamer TUVA were damaged by the LW at Oban.

*Northern Waters*
DD DOUGLAS and KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow at 2359 to meet AMCs CALIFORNIA, CHITRAL, LETITIA ten miles east of the Butt of Lewis and escort them north. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 26th.

*West Coast UK*
DDs WILD SWAN and WARWICK departed Liverpool to refuel at Londonderry prior to joining convoy OB.263. However, off Bar Light Vessel, WARWICK struck a mine and was badly damaged. WILD SWAN towed her back to Liverpool and WARWICK was intentionally beached. She was under repair at Liverpool until 9 March 1942.

Steamer PACIFIC PIONEER was damaged by the LW at Manchester. Trawler IWATE was damaged by the LW in 52‑55N, 12‑20W.

*Western Approaches*
OB.263 departed Liverpool escorted DD WILD SWAN, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, GARDENIA, PERIWINKLE. The escort was detached on the 26th.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.17 departed Halifax. Ocean escort was AMC MALOJA, which detached on 3 January. On the 7th, DDs VETERAN, WOLVERINE, sloop DEPTFORD, corvettes ARBUTUS, DELPHINIUM, ERICA joined the convoy, which arrived at Liverpool on the 8th.

*Med- Biscay*
RAN CL SYDNEY arrived at Malta to refit. She then departed Malta on 8 January with RAN DD STUART for Alexandria.

*Rosalino Pilo Class DD (re-rated to TB) CAIROLI (RM 770 grt) * was sunk on a mine NE of Tripoli laid by RN sub RORQUAL on 5 November.


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## Njaco (Dec 22, 2015)

*December 21 Saturday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *The Admiralty decides to transfer another Battleship, HMS “_Malaya_” to Force H from the Mediterranean fleet. Again this was to be accomplished by escorting a convoy to Malta and linking up with units of Force H for the journey to Gibraltar. Allied convoy MG1 departed Malta at noon for Gibraltar. The convoy consisted of British merchant ships “_Clan Fraser_”, “_Clan Forbes_”, and “_Ulster Prince_”. It was escorted by battleship HMS “_Malaya_” and eight destroyers. No losses were suffered to enemy action although a Destroyer was sunk when it hit a mine.

RAF bombers flying from Britain attack docks and oil tanks at Porto Marghera, near Venice. Venice itself is not damaged.

Operation MC.2: Aircraft from RN carrier “_Illustrious_” sinks two Italian vessels.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* German raiders “_Komet_” and “_Orion_” and support ship “_Kulmerland_” released 514 prisoners captured from various ships, mainly women, children and the injured, at Emirau Island, Bismarck Islands. They were given food before being turned over to two English families living on that island. British ship “_Nellore_” would arrive on 29 Dec to pick them up. 150 prisoners remained aboard “_Orion_”.

The rear echelon of the newly established US Marine Corps 7th Defense Battalion arrived at Pago Pago, Tutuila, American Samoa.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-65 attacked Panamanian tanker “_Charles Pratt_” with 2 torpedoes 250 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa (now Sierra Leone) at 1600 hours. The cargo of 96,069 barrels of fuel was ignited, but only 2 were killed. 40 survivors abandon ship in 2 lifeboats and are rescued 4-5 days later by British MV “_Gascony_” and SS “_Langleegorse_” and landed at Freetown.

Swedish vessel “_Mangen_” was sunk by Italian submarine “_Mocenigo_”.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Luftwaffe bombers struck Liverpool, England overnight. Damage to warehouses and storage sheds at the Docks was serious, with considerable losses of tobacco, cotton and timber. Substantial damage to shipping, two ships being sunk and ten others damaged. Although nine docks suffered various degrees of damage and seventeen berths are out of commission, generally speaking, the working of the Port was not seriously affected. British vessel “_Silvio_” was sunk. Serious damage was done to food-factories, production being stopped at Spiller’s Flour Mills and Paul Bros. Flour Mills, both at Birkenhead, while Hutehinson’s Flour Mills were also damaged. Altogether 15 hits were registered on the railway system, the cumulative effect of which reacted seriously on the working of the lines, while tranrvray services and road traffic were badly dislocated, particularly in the centre of the city. Corpo Aereo Italiano attacked Harwich overnight with 6 bombers.

British vessel “_Innisfallen_” sunk by mine in the Mersey.

*GERMANY: *Berlin, Germany suffered minor damage from a British RAF bombing raid.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Bardia is surrounded by the 6th Australian Division, although the Italians are determined to fight it out.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Returning from a raid on Liverpool, 7./KG 55 loses a He 111 when it crashes at Beaumont-le-Roger airfield in France killing all aboard. 

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## Njaco (Dec 22, 2015)

*December 22 Sunday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* After two nights visiting Liverpool the Luftwaffe moved on to Manchester. At 1715 hours, 270 German aircraft, including Heinkel 111s and Junkers 88s, crossed the south coast bound for Manchester, using the still-blazing fires of Liverpool to guide their way. Two waves of bombing, from 1945 hours to 0120 hours and from 0200 to 0655 hours concentrated first on Manchester city centre, then the docks and industrial areas of Salford and Trafford Park, dropping 272 tons of high explosive bombs and 1,032 incendiary bombs. The Piccadilly area was engulfed in large fires, while the Gibsons shelter at the Hulme Town Hall collapsed without any deaths. Pathfinder aircraft dropped incendiaries, and the bombers then bombed the fires. During the same night, Liverpool was bombed for the third night in a row. KG 55 lost a He 111 from 3rd Staffel during the raid on Manchester when it was shot down by a Defiant from RAF No 141 Squadron. The bomber crashed in the garden of Underwood House in Etchingham, Sussex.

Winston Churchill replaced Anthony Eden with Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury David Margesson (later Viscount Margesson) as the Secretary of State for War in the British Cabinet.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Overnight, convoy MG1 (including destroyers HMS “_Hyperion_”, “_Ilex_” and “_Janus_”) runs the Strait of Sicily under cover of darkness. Italian submarine “_Serpente_” attacked the convoy 24 miles east of Cape Bon, Tunisia in the Strait of Sicily at 0156 hours as the convoy attempted to sail from Malta to Gibraltar. Destroyer HMS “_Hyperion_” was damaged, killing 2 and wounding 14. HMS “_Ilex_” took off the survivors, and then HMS “_Janus_” scuttled “_Hyperion_” before sunrise.

Himarë, Albania was captured by the Greek army.

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## Njaco (Dec 23, 2015)

*December 23 Monday*
*GERMANY: *The maiden flight of the Messerschmitt Me 261 V-1 ultra long-range reconnaissance aircraft is made.

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Ludwigshaven and Mannheim overnight.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Lord Haw Haw warned of a second night of bombing for Manchester, England. Overnight, from 1915 until 0129 hours the next day, 171 German aircraft attacked the still-burning Manchester with 195 tons of high explosive bombs and 893 incendiary bombs. In two nights, 363 civilians were killed and 1,183 were wounded.

Churchill broadcast a speech directed at the Italian people:


> “We have never been your foes till now. In the last war against the barbarous Huns we were your comrades. For fifteen years after that war, we were your friends. Although the institutions which you adopted after that war were not akin to ours and diverged, as we think, from the sovereign impulses which had commanded the unity of Italy, we could still walk together in peace and good-will. Many thousands of your people dwelt with ours in England; many of our people dwelt with you in Italy. We liked each other. We got on well together. There were reciprocal services, there was amity, there was esteem. And now we are at war – now we are condemned to work each other’s ruin. Your aviators have tried to cast their bombs upon London. Our armies are tearing – and will tear – your African empire to shreds and tatters. We are now only at the beginning of this sombre tale. Who can say where it will end? Presently, we shall be forced to come to much closer grips. How has all this come about, and what is it all for? Italians, I will tell you the truth. It is all because of one man – one man and one man alone has ranged the Italian people in deadly struggle against the British Empire and has deprived Italy of the sympathy and intimacy of the United States of America. That he is a great man I do not deny. But that after eighteen years of unbridled power he has led your country to the horrid verge of ruin – that can be denied by none. It is all one man – one man, who, against the crown and royal family of Italy, against the Pope and all the authority of the Vatican and of the Roman Catholic Church, against the wishes of the Italian people who had no lust for this war; one man has arrayed the trustees and inheritors of ancient Rome upon the side of the ferocious pagan barbarians.”



British destroyer HMS “_Havock_” collided with battleship HMS “_Valiant_” during gunnery practice, causing the destroyer to be out of commission for repairs until 20 Feb 1941.

Anthony Eden was appointed Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. Lord Halifax appointed British ambassador to Washington.

*ASIA:* Light carrier “_Hosho_” was deemed not suitable for modern carrier aircraft.

Chiang Kai-shek dissolves all Communist associations in China.

US government agrees to provide China with 100 P-40B Tomahawk aircraft to equip Chennault's American Volunteer Group.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek submarine “_Papanikolis_” sank the Italian motor ship “_Antonietta_”.

Italian torpedo boat “_Fratelli Cairoli_” sinks after hitting a mine off the coast of Tripoli.

In Albania, Greek forces pushed back Italian troops another 20 miles up the Ionian coast. Greek II Corps opens new attacks in the center of Italo-Greek front, but bad weather halts operations.

Mussolini is despondent about the quality of Italian troops, who have been forced out of both Greece and Egypt within the last month. He tells his Foreign Minister, Count Ciano:


> "I must nevertheless recognize that the Italians of 1914 were better than these. It is not very flattering for the regime, but that’s the way it is".



*NORTH AFRICA:* In Libya, Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa General Rodolfo Graziani replaced General Mario Berti of Italian 10th Army with his Chief of Staff General Giuseppe Tellera after the failures in the initial stages of the British Operation Compass offensive.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German bombers sink the SS “_Breda_” in a convoy off the coast of Scotland. The ship is not directly hit, but a nearby bomb blast caused the ship to sink.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Hitler tours German troops in occupied France.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Elements of 2/15 Punjab arrive from Singapore to garrison British Borneo.

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## Njaco (Dec 23, 2015)

*December 24 Tuesday*
*GERMANY:* At Döberitz near Berlin, a new member joins the fighters of 3./JG 27. Oberfähnrich Hans Joachim Marseille, an Experte with eight enemy aircraft destroyed during the Battle of Britain, reports for duty. Although having experience shooting down British warplanes, he also brings with him a reputation for destroying his own aircraft, having had to bail out of his plane nearly every time he shot down a bomber.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” detected Allied convoy WS.5 700 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain late in the afternoon. The convoy was consisted of 19 troopships and freighters. Not noticing that it was escorted by two carriers, three cruisers, and four corvettes, the German commander Admiral Wilhelm Meisel prepared the crew for an attack in the morning.

German submarine U-65 sank British tanker “_British Premier_” 50 miles off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1641 hours, killing 32. 9 survivors were picked up by cruiser HMS “_Hawkins_” on 3 Jan 1941. Another lifeboat of 4 survivors was not discovered until 3 Feb 1941.

German 1st Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron attacked a British convoy in the North Sea off Aldeburgh, England. S-28 sank British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Pelton_”, killing 20. British destroyer HMS “_Verdun_” reported sinking one of the torpedo boats.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek submarine “_Papanikolis_” sank the 3,952-ton troop transport “_Firenze_” near Sazan Island in the southern Adriatic Sea.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US 1st Marine Aircraft Wing completed its transfer to the west coast of the United States. On the same day, the 2nd Marine Brigade was activated under the command of Colonel Henry L. Larsen at Camp Elliott, California, United States.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* London celebrates the holidays, despite the war. A sign in the downtown district reads: "Christmas is 1,940 years old, and Hitler is only fifty-one. They can't spoil our Christmas."

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Bulgaria, the Anti-Jewish Law for the Protection of the Nation was enacted.

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## parsifal (Dec 26, 2015)

*24 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARRINGTON (Z 59)

*Losses
Tkr BRITISH PREMIER (UK 5662 grt)* Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen); Crew: 45 (32 dead and 13 survivors); Cargo: Crude Oil; Route: Abadan - Freetown - Swansea; Convoy SLS-60 (straggler); Sunk off the Central African West Coast; BRITISH PREMIER's final voyage took her from Abadan to Swansea, via Freetown, which she reached on 22 December. Two days later she was still straggling, when she was spotted by U-65. . At 1641 hrs, the U-65 torpedoed and sank the BRITISH PREMIER. She went down with the loss of 32 of her crew, including her Master, Francis Dalziel, and a gunner. There were 13 survivors, 9 of whom were later picked up by the cruiser HMS HAWKINS on 3 Jan '41 and taken to Freetown. The remaining 4 were not picked up until 3 February, when they were rescued by the DD HMS FAULKNOR, having spent 41 days in an open boat, 25 of those days without any food.





*Aux MSW MERCURY (RN 350 grt (est))* struck one of her own mines sth of Ireland. She was taken in tow by MSW GOATFELL, but sank in tow on the 25th.

*Drifter LORD HOWARD (UK 98 grt)* was sunk in a collision in Dover Harbour.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-105

At Sea 24 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-105, U-124.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CLs PHOEBE and AURORA were sent to Oban to give AA protection to the port after a raid. AURORA departed two days later, but PHOEBE was there until 7 January. FN.367 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 26th. FS.369 departed Methil, escort DD COTSWOLD and sloops FOWEY and PELICAN, and arrived at Southend on the 26th.

*Northern Waters*
BC HOOD, CL EDINBURGH, DDs COSSACK, ESCAPADE, ECHO, ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow to patrol east of the Iceland Faroes Passage to intercept raiders. DDs KELLY, BLENCATHRA, TYNEDALE departed Scapa Flow to search for a UBoat that had been attacked by a Walrus a/c off Muckle Flugga. KELLY was ordered on the 25th to return to Scapa Flow where she arrived early on the 26th. DD MONTGOMERY arrived at Scapa Flow from Stornoway to work up. DD VIMY departed Scapa to meet British steamer BEN MY CHREE off Aberdeen and escort her to Lerwick. After disembarkation, the steamer was returned to Aberdeen and destroyer VIMY arrived at Scapa Flow during the ecining of the 27th.

*West Coast UK*
Steamer PETERTON was damaged by the LW in 54‑51N, 13‑13W.

*Western Approaches*
OB.264 departed Liverpool escort DDs ACTIVE, ANTELOPE, GEORGETOWN, corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE, ASW trawler LADY MADELEINE. The escort was detached on the 29th. WS.5A, being escorted by CLA NAIAD, was turned over to CA BERWICK. NAIAD turned back to England. DDs HERO, HEREWARD, FIREDRAKE, VIDETTE, VELOX were ordered to meet convoy WS.5A on the 27th.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy SLS.60 departed Freetown escorted by sloop BRIDGEWATER for that day.

*Med- Biscay*
RN Sub REGENT unsuccessfully attacked an Italian steamer off the Libyan coast. RHN sub PAPANICOLIS sank *Liner FIRENZE (FI 3952 grt)* east of Saseno in the Adriatic.


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## parsifal (Dec 26, 2015)

*25 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Soviet S (Stalinec) class S-10




_The Russian submarine S-10 went missing end of June 1941 and was lost with all 40 hands. Presumably lost on a mine in Irben Strait._

*UBOATS*
At Sea 25 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-105, U-124.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*

*North Sea*
FS.370 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS and VERSATILE, and arrived at Southend on the 27th. FS.371 departed Methil, escort DD WOOLSTON and sloop LOWESTOFT. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th

*Northern Waters*
DDs INTREPID (Cdr D.20) and ICARUS arrived at Scapa Flow from Immingham. CLA BONAVENTURE and CL DUNEDIN arrived at Gibraltar on the 26th.

*Nth Atlantic*
BC REPULSE and CL NIGERIA with DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, MASHONA, ESKIMO departed Scapa to protect two of the western most convoys HX.97 and SC.16 then at sea. On the 29th, the REPULSE gp met AMC WORCESTERSHIRE which was escorting convoy HX.97. BC REPULSE and DDs SOMALI and MATABELE arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0600 on the 31st. BC HOOD and CL EDINBURGH with DDs COSSACK, ESCAPADE, ECHO and ELECTRA were already at sea. The force patrolled nth of the Shetlands and east of the Faroes until 29 December, when they arrived back at Scapa Flow. CL EDINBURGH was detached to the BB NELSON force on the 28th.

CLA NAIAD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 27th. DDs SOMALI and ESKIMO arrived at Scapa Flow for refuelling on the 31st. DDs MASHONA and MATABELE arrived at Scapa Flow for refuelling on 1 January.

*Central Atlantic*
WS.5A was escorted by CA BERWICK, CLA BONAVENTURE, which was en route to the Med Flt, via Cape Horn, CL DUNEDIN and corvettes GERANIUM, JONQUIL, CYCLAMEN, CLEMATIS, which were en route to the Sth America Station, also escorted the convoy.

700 west of Finisterre, DKM CA ADM HIPPER attacked the convoy. She first made contact by radar during the afternoon of 24 December, but did not realize at this time that it was a strongly escorted troop convoy. After an unsuccessful torpedo attack at 0353, the decision was to wait until dawn to attack. The weather during the attack was poor. When visual contact was made with the convoy at 0808, it came as a surprise to the German cruiser to sight BERWICK. The German cruiser took BERWICK under fire at 0839. Due to poor visibility, complicated by smoke and spray, she then shifted to the merchant ships damaging troopship EMPIRE TROOPER (former German CAP NORTE captured in October 1939). British steamer ARABISTAN was slightly damaged by gunfire from ADM HIPPER.

When the convoy scattered, damaged troopship EMPIRE TROOPER was escorted by corvette CYCLAMEN to Ponta Delgada, arriving on the 27th. The ships for Gibraltar proceeded directed to their destination. Between 0842 and 0956, BERWICK (3 miles ahead of the convoy), was in action intermittently for 33 mins, CLA BONAVENTURE, on the starboard side of the convoy, for 24 mins, corvette CLEMATIS briefly. CL DUNEDIN laid smoke. CVL FURIOUS flew off Skuas to attempt to locate ADM HIPPER, but was unable to do so due to the poor visibility.

ADM HIPPER was able at 0905 to achieve hits on the BERWICK with damage to her X turret, abreast B turret below the waterline, disabling B turret, amidships putting a four inch gun out of action, on the side belt where it was deflected into the bulge. However, ADM HIPPER was forced to break off the action at 0914. BERWICK sustained four Marines killed and one seriously wounded in the engagement. As she withdrew, ADM HIPPER contacted and sank independent sailing *steamer JUMNA (UK 6078 grt)* in 44‑51N, 27‑45W. JUMNA was from dispersed convoy OB.260 and bore the Commodore of convoy OB.260 Rear Admiral H.B. Maltby Rtd which was lost with the steamer.





BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, DDs FAULKNOR, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, FOXHOUND, DUNCAN, WISHART, HERO, and HEREWARD departed Gibraltar to attempt an interception of ADM HIPPER. However, BC RENOWN sustained hull damaged from high speed running in heavy seas. DDs DUNCAN and HERO were detached to assist troopship EMPIRE TROOPER. When sufficient screen arrived at the troopship, the DDs returned to Gibraltar. Before arriving, they were ordered to join BC RENOWN and the ARK ROYAL. CLA NAIAD was ordered to rejoin the convoy. CL KENYA departed Plymouth 25 December to escort convoys SL.59 and SLS.59.

British troopship EMPIRE TROOPER put into Ponta Delgada and was joined by four corvettes on the 27th. CL KENYA and corvettes GERANIUM, JONQUIL, CYCLAMEN, CLEMATIS escorted troopship EMPIRE TROOPER from Ponta Delgada on the 30th for Gibraltar. These ships were sighted by Submarine TRIDENT later that day and first identified as enemy.
The British ships were properly identified before an attack was made. DDs DUNCAN and HERO, which joined troopship EMPIRE TROOPER and at 1000 on the 29th, were ordered to join Fce H. The convoy reassembled on the 28th, less damaged troopship EMPIRE TROOPER, arrived at Freetown on 6 January 1941.

On 8 January, the convoy departed Freetown for Capetown. The convoy now included British steamers EMPIRE ABILITY , ADVISER , BARRISTER, and BENRINNES.

The local escort from Freetown was Sloops MILFORD and BRIDGEWATER, DDs VELOX and VIDETTE, corvettes CALENDULA and ASPHODEL. The ocean escort was British cruisers NORFOLK, DEVONSHIRE, HAWKINS. CAs HAWKINS and NORFOLK took the Capetown section into Capetown arriving on 22 January. The Durban section arrived on 26 January escorted by CA DEVONSHIRE. The convoy departed Capetown on 27 January and rendezvoused with the Durban section off Durban. British steamer TALAMBA and Dutch steamer NIEUW HOLLAND joined at Durban.

CA SHROPSHIRE departed as an escort from Durban and continued with the convoy until 30 January when she was relieved by CL ENTERPRISE. CL CERES also departed with the convoy from Durban and continued until relieved by AMC HECTOR on 4 February. CL CERES took steamers ORBITA and NIEUW HOLLAND to Mombasa. AMC HECTOR was detached on 11 February. Sloop GRIMSBY was escorting from 6 to 7 February. CL CALEDON, sloops GRIMSBY and FLAMINGO, Indian sloop INDUS joined the convoy on 11 February for the Red Sea passage. The convoy arrived at Aden on 14 February and Suez on 16 February.

*Med- Biscay*
Gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD arrived at Alexandria. Submarine OTUS attacked a submarine in 33‑20N, 22‑43E north of Derna.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.11A departed Suez, escorted by CLA CARLISLE and DDs KIMBERLEY and KINGSTON. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 29th.


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## Njaco (Dec 26, 2015)

*December 25 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German Admiral Wilhelm Meisel aboard cruiser _“Admiral Hipper_” ordered an attack on Allied convoy WS.5 in the morning, taking advantage of mist and rain. The convoy had been detected on the previous day and the ship's crew had been shadowing it through the night, but failing to realize it was heavily escorted. At 0808 hours, “_Admiral Hipper_” fired on troopship “_Empire Trooper_” (16 soldiers killed) and freighter “_Arabistan_”, but she was soon chased off by a corvette and three cruisers. In retreat, _“Admiral Hipper_” fired at her pursuers, striking cruiser HMS “_Berwick_” at the rear gun turret, killing 4. Carriers HMS “_Argus_” and HMS “_Furious_” launched aircraft to hunt for “_Admiral Hipper”_ as she retreated toward Brest, France for repairs, but the German cruiser would not be found. Later on the same day, 150 miles to the east, “_Admiral Hipper_” detected and sank British ship “_Jumna_”; 111 survivors in the water were left to drown. Force H sails to assist in attacking Kriegsmarine cruiser “_Admiral Hipper”_.

Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_”, raider “_Thor_”, supply ship “_Nordmark_”, and prize “_Duquesa_” rendezvous.

The Battle of the Atlantic was causing Churchill more concern than any other issue but the week before Christmas proved to be a good one, somehow the U-boats which had caused such devastation only weeks before had been eluded. During the week ending noon Wednesday, the 25th December, 785 ships, including 145 allied and 16 neutral, were convoyed, but no ships were reported lost. Two battleships, two aircraft carriers, three cruisers, ten armed merchant cruisers, 55 destroyers, 13 sloops and 29 corvettes were employed in escort duties.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Two FAA Martlet I fighters of No. 804 Squadron RAF, on patrol over Scapa Flow, Scotland, intercepted and destroyed a prowling Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, the first victory for a US-built aircraft in British service.

Broadcast by King George VI:


> “The future will be hard, but our feet are planted on the path of victory....”



In London George Beardmore recorded a ‘dismal’ Christmas:


> “In the absence of home, friends, and relations, with only a few cards and parcels sent to us. But we were in God’s own heaven compared with many, as for instance Jones, the arthritic ex-Stock Exchange clerk who is living with his wife and two small children in freezing rooms with no cooking apparatus. Or the unknown untold thousands celebrating Christmas in shelters, the firemen, the soldiers, Stan Lock in Iceland, the conscientious objectors in farms, the lonely mothers and ruined shopkeepers, the city children living in farmhouses.”



*NORTH AFRICA:* In the Libyan Desert Captain Rea Leakey had been in action since the Italian invasion of Egypt in September. He was now part of the force besieging the Italian garrison of Bardia:


> “Christmas Day 1940, was the same as any other day, except that each man received a tin of bully-beef to himself, and there was a double rum ration that night. Wavell sent us his greetings, but there was insufficient transport to send us turkeys and Christmas puddings. It would be wrong to say that we did not miss the usual luxuries and celebrations, yet nobody complained or grumbled. It would have taken much more than a few trifles like these to shake the high morale of this small desert force.”



*GERMANY: *The Soviet Attaché in Berlin passes on to Moscow Hitler's Directive 21 of December 18, the operational order for Barbarossa.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian aircraft raid Corfu for the twenty-third time (15 killed).

*WESTERN FRONT:* Admiral Darlan meets with Hitler to explain Vichy wishes to continue cooperation with Germany.

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## Njaco (Dec 26, 2015)

*December 26 Thursday*
*EASTERN EUROPE:* Bulgarian Assembly rejects resolution urging King Boris to join Tripartite Pact.

Chaim Kaplan had been recording the trials of the Jewish population in Warsaw from the beginning of the war. Since they had become isolated on the 15th November there had been severe food shortages. Cold, malnutrition and disease were starting to kill many and most knew that they faced a very bleak future. Yet there was a brief celebration for Hanukkah and some grim humor. From the Warsaw Diary of Chaim A. Kaplan:


> "December 26, 1940 - Hanukkah in the ghetto. Never before in Jewish Warsaw were there as many Hanukkah celebrations as in this year of the wall. But because of the sword that hovers over our heads, they are not conducted among festive crowds, publicly displaying their joy. Polish Jews are stubborn: the enemy makes laws but they don’t obey them. That is the secret of our survival. We behaved in this manner even in the days when we were not imprisoned within the ghetto walls, when the cursed Nazis filled our streets and watched our every move. Since the ghetto was created we have had some respite from overt and covert spies, and so Hanukkah parties were held in nearly every courtyard, even in rooms which face the street; the blinds were drawn, and that was sufficient. This year’s Hanukkah celebration was very well attended. We almost forgot that we are only allowed to go as far as the corner of Nalewki and Swietojerska streets. Dr. Lajfuner gave a speech full of jokes and we all laughed heartily. There was one truth in his speech which should be stressed: ‘In all the countries where they want to bury us alive, we pull the gravediggers in with us.’ Witness Czarist Russia, Poland, and Rumania. Nazi Germany will have the same fate—and in our own time".



*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek I Corps unsuccessfully attacking Leskoviki in southern sector of the front. Italian troops retreat beyond the line of the Chimara.

Australian destroyer HMAS “_Waterhen_” stopped Italian schooner “_Tireremo Diritto_” in the Mediterranean Sea between Bardia and Tobruk, Libya. After removing the crew, “_Waterhen_” sank “_Tireremo Diritto_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Following action with escorts of convoy WS 5A, Kriegsmarine cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” steams toward France.

British cruiser HMS “_Bonaventure_” intercepted German ship “_Baden_” 500 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. “_Baden's_” crew abandoned the ship after setting scuttling charges to prevent capture; HMS “_Bonaventure_” then sank “_Baden_” with one torpedo.

German submarine U-95 damaged British ship “_Waiotira_” with two torpedoes 300 miles south of Iceland at 2003 hours, but fled before she could deliver a fatal blow due to the arrival of three Allied destroyers.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF daylight raids on airfields in Brittany; night raid on Bordeaux.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Southern Abyssinia is reported to be in revolt against the Italians.

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## Njaco (Dec 26, 2015)

*December 27 Friday*
*GERMANY:* Erich Raeder met with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, Germany. Raeder makes a final effort to convince Hitler to postpone invasion of Soviet Union until after defeat of UK.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Kriegsmarine cruiser “_Admiral Hipper”_ arrived at Brest, ending an one-month patrol in the Atlantic Ocean.

RAF Bomber Command sends 75 aircraft to attack aircraft factory at Bordeaux and other targets overnight.

The Führer visited his troops in the west.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Air Marshal Keith Park takes command of RAF Fighter Command No. 23 Training Group.

There were major attacks on London this day - the first since the Christmas 'truce'. From 1845 to 2232 hours, London was bombed by 108 aircraft with the City and Government quarter of Whitehall as the main target area. Damage was unusually serious in London in proportion to the scale of the attack. Much damage was caused to railway and bus networks. 141 Londoners were killed. A number of properties were damaged in Islington. Amias House Shelter, Central Street, was hit with the loss of ten lives.

The first Beaufighter to be delivered to a coastal fighter squadron was R2198/PN-B, which was issued to RAF No 252 Sqn at Chivenor

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Greek I Corps captures Kalarati and Boliena in southern sector of the front.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British ship “_Waiotira_”, damaged by German submarine U-95 300 miles south of Iceland in the previous night, was detected by U-38, which sank “_Waiotira_” at 0146 hours; 1 was killed and 89 survived.

Italian submarine “_Tazzoli_” sank British ship “_Ardanbhan_” 200 miles south of Iceland, killing the entire crew of 37.

German submarine U-65 attacked Norwegian ship “_Risanger_” with shells and one torpedo 300 miles off Senegal, French West Africa at 2331 hours. The entire crew of 29 survived.

Aircraft of Coastal Command flew 144 patrols involving 441 sorties (including 193 convoy escorts), in addition to the bombing operations. No fewer than six attacks were made on enemy merchant vessels on the 27th December. A Hudson bombed a ship of about 4,000 tons at anchor in Egersund Harbour and secured at least three direct hits. Another ship in convoy North of Ameland was possibly hit, and near misses were reported on two merchant vessels off Dieppe and another off Fecamp. 

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Komet_” arrived at Nauru and warned the British dock personnel to evacuate without signaling any alarm. Upon the completion of the evacuation, “_Komet_” shelled the facilities, destroying much of the port and the phosphate plant. Nauru's dock would be rebuilt in 10 weeks, but the port never returned to full capacity during the war. 

.


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## parsifal (Dec 27, 2015)

*26 December 1940 
Losses
MV WAIOTIRA (UK 12823 grt)* Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe); Crew: 90 (1 dead and 89 survivors); Cargo: refrigerated general foodstuffs ; Route: Sydney (NSW) - Panama - UK; Convpy Unescorted; Sunk in the Western Approaches; At 2003 hrs on 26 Dec 1940 the unescorted WAIOTIRA was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-95 (Schreiber) when steaming at about 16 knots 124 miles NW of Rockall. The ship was missed by a second torpedo at 2007 hrs, but hit aft by a third torpedo at 2018 hours. The U-boat then left the area because three DDs had been spotted during the attack.

The now stopped WAIOTIRA was located by U-38 during the night and hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grace at 0146 hrs on 27 December. Also this U-boat left the area before the ship sank because a DD was approaching, but the vessel sank a few hours later. One passenger was lost. The master, 78 crew members and ten passengers were picked up by HMS Mashona (F 59) (Cdr W.H. Selby, RN) and landed at Greenock on 28 December.





*Drifter TRUE ACCORD (UK 92 grt)*, was sunk in a collision with armed trawler SARONTA (316grt) at Yarmouth.

*MTB 5 (RN 18 grt) * (Reclassified Minesweeper Attendant Craft MAC 5 in 1940); Mined and sunk off The Gunfleet sands (near the Thames estuary) on 26 December 1940

*UBOATS*
At Sea 26 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-105, U-124.
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with CL NIGERIA to operate in support of AMCs LETITIA and CHITRAL in the Denmark Strait.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Rosyth after boiler cleaning and escorted convoy EN.47 to Pentland Firth. The cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow late on the 27th. DDs LEAMINGTON and CHURCHILL departed Scapa Flow to meet AMCs WOLFE and CILICIA and escort them to the North Minches. The destroyers arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 30th. DD MASHONA went to Scapa Flow arriving at 1645/29th.

Sloop PELICAN collided with ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND near Newarp Light Vessel.The sloop was able to continue with her duties, but was later repaired at London completing in January.

*West Coast UK*
OB.265 departed Liverpool escort DD VISCOUNT and corvettes GENTIAN and RHODODENDRON. VISCOUNT was detached on the 28th. On the 29th DDs VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL and WINCHELSEA joined the escort. On the 30th, the escort was detached.

*Nth Atlantic*
RM sub CALVI attacked a British steamer in 55N, 19W and claimed sinking her, but no confirmation is available of this in Allied records.

HX.99 departed Halifax at 1300, escort DD COLUMBIA and aux PV OTTER. Ocean escort was AMC ALAUNIA and submarine PORPOISE. The submarine was detached on 5 January and the AMC on 6 January. On 7 January, DD SHIKARI and corvettes ANEMONE and LA MALOUINE joined. ON 8 January, DD SARDONYX and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and DERBY COUNTY joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 January.

*Central Atlantic
Steamer BADEN (Ger 8803 grt)* had departed Teneriffe during the night of 15/16 December to return to Germany. The steamer scuttled herself in 44‑00N, 25‑07W when intercepted by CLA BONAVENTURE, which was en route to assist damaged British steamer ARABISTAN. BONAVENTURE also torpedoed steamer BADEN to help scuttle her.





*Sth Atlantic*
CAr DEVONSHIRE arrived at Simonstown.

*Med- Biscay*
Ocean boarding vessel MARON intercepted *trawler JOSEPH DUHAMEL (Vichy 928 grt)*, which was en route from Port St Pierre to Casablanca, in 34‑30N, 15‑22W. The trawler was taken to Gibraltar.

Convoy AN.11 of 11 steamers, 4 British, departed Port Said, escorted by corvettes PEONY, SALVIA, HYACINTH. CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria on the 27th to provide support. The convoy arrived at Suda Bay on the 28th. On the 29th, RHN DDs took over the escort of the convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 30th. On the 30th the CALCUTTA and corvettes PEONY, HYACINTH, SALVIA departed Suda Bay to return to Alexandria, arriving on the 31st.

RAN DD WATERHEN captured *schooner TIREREMO DIRITTO (FI 65 grt (est))*, which was attempting to enter Bardia with supplies and mail from Tobruk. After taking off the crew, the destroyer scuttled the schooner.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.11A departed Port Sudan, escorted by RAN sloop YARRA. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 28th.


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## parsifal (Dec 27, 2015)

*27 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
IJN CVL ZUIHO




Allied
Fairmile B ML HMS ML 160

*Losses
MV RISANGER (Nor 5455 grt) *Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) ; Crew: 29 (0 dead and 29 survivors); Cargo: Coal and vehicles; Route: Newcastle - South Africa - Alexandria; Convpy Ind; Sunk off Sierre Leone; RISANGER was on a voyage from Newcastle-on-Tyne to Alexandria via Cape Town with a cargo of coal and vehicles when she was torpedoed, shelled and sunk by U-65 on Dec. 27-1940. She had started out from Oban on Dec. 3, and she had joined Convoy OB 253, which had been dispersed on Dec. 6. The torpedo struck on the port side between hatch No. 2 and 3 hatches, causing the coal cargo in No. 2 hold to run out and she developed a heavy list to port. All hatches and cross webs disappeared and water and coal smoke rose high in the air.

After about 20 mins the U-boat surfaced and shelled the ship until she sank. By then everyone had gotten into the lifeboats, of which only the motorboat and 2 jolly boats were usable. The motorboat drifted off when the painter line broke. The captain, the 1st mate and the 1st engineer left the ship about 15 minutes after the torpedo had hit. The latter had been in the store room when the attack occurred but went up on deck when he heard the explosion. However, he was delayed for a long time at the exit from the engine room by the masses of water coming in from the deck. The boats set an eastward course towards the nearest land on the African coast. They were all picked up on Dec. 29 by the Norwegian M/T BELINDA, which landed them in Cape Town on Jan. 10-1941.





*Steamer ARABY (UK 4936 grt)* was sunk on a mine nine cables west of Nore Light Vessel, with the loss of six crew .





*Steamer KINNAIRD HEAD (UK 449 grt) *was sunk on a mine off Southend, seven cables north of 2 Buoy, also with the loss of six crew.

U.38 damaged *steamer ARDANBHAN (UK 4980 grt)* in convoy OB.263. Thirteen hours later, RM sub TAZZOLI finished her off with the loss of all her crew.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 27 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-52, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-105, U-124.
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.368 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 29th. FS.372 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 29th. FS.373 departed Methil, escort DDrs VERDUN and WOLSEY. Corvette SNAPDRAGON joined on the 28th, and the convoy arrived at Southend on the 29th.

Steamer LADY CONNAUGHT was damaged on a mine in 53‑37N, 03‑43W. Dutch tkr WOENSDRECHT was damaged by the LW in 51‑40N, 01‑18E.

*Northern Waters*
DDs BEDOUIN, TARTAR, SIKH, KEPPEL were brought to two hours notice at Scapa Flow.

*West Coast UK*
Steamer VICTORIA was damaged on a mine eight miles 290° from Bar Light Vessel, Mersey.

*Channel*
CE.20 was shelled off Dover by shore batteries, and armed trawlers BLACKTHORN and DEODAR damaged.

DKM CA ADM HIPPER arrived at Brest after a cruise in which she sank one ship for 6078 tons.

*Central Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed Freetown with Force K.

*Med- Biscay*
RAN CL PERTH was at Alexandria for camouflage painting on the 27th and 28th, and on the 30th replaced sister ship SYDNEY in CruSqn 7.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Bombay with steamers for convoy BN.12, which she escorted into the Red Sea until 6 January when relieved, and took over convoy BS.12. On the 14th, she departed Aden and arrived at Colombo on the 21st for refitting. Convoy BN.12 departed Bombay, escorted by LEANDER. The convoy was joined on 2 January by destroyer KIMBERLEY, sloops FLAMINGO and HINDUSTAN, ASW trawler AMBER. DD KIMBERLEY was detached on 6 January when the convoy was joined by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. Sloops FLAMINGO and HINDUSTAN were detached on 6 January. The convoy arrived at Suez on 9 January. Convoy BS.11B departed Suez, escorted by sloop CLIVE. RAN Sloop YARRA joined on the 28th. The convoy arrived at Port Suden on the 29th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DKM raider KOMET shelled the phosphate loading equipment and oil tanks on the British island of Nauru.


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## Njaco (Dec 27, 2015)

*December 28 Saturday*
*ASIA:* Richard Sorge in Tokyo sends Moscow his first warning about the upcoming German invasion.

German supply ship “_Ermland_” departs Kobe, Japan for replenishment operations in the Pacific en route to Europe.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 59 aircraft to attack Channel ports overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek I Corps captures Nivitsa and takes 580 Italian prisoners in southern sector of the front. Mussolini requested German aid against the Greeks in Albania.

As food becomes scarce in Italy, the Italian government announces that in extreme cases people caught hoarding food might be executed.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German blockade runner “_Baden_” sunk by RN cruiser “_Bonaventure_”.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British monitor HMS “_Terror_” bombarded Bardia, Libya keeping up pressure on the 40,000 besieged Italian troops.

From a Dec 28, 1940, British newspaper:


> "Our fighters have continued to maintain their ascendancy over the Italian Air Force. On the 26th Gladiators of the Royal Australian Air Force shot down without loss two, and probably six, of a number of C.R. 42 fighters which were escorting a bomber formation, and on the 28th Hurricanes shot down three bombers and a fighter, again without loss".



*UNITED KINGDOM:* German bombers attacked two destroyers under construction at Southampton, England. Future destroyer “_Norseman_” was blown in half and future destroyer “_Opportune_” was also heavily damaged.

British destroyer HMS “_Valorous_” collided with minesweeping trawler HMT “_Libyan_” in Sheerness Harbour in the Thames Estuary, England. HMS “_Valorous_” would be repaired at Chatham, England until 11 Jan 1941.

The Gelsenkirchen Report: RAF photo-reconnaissance mission of Ruhr synthetic oil plant, flown December 24, shows it is not destroyed.

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## parsifal (Dec 28, 2015)

*28 December 1940 *
*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 28 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-100, U-105, U-124. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU departed Kiel to raid in the Atlantic. However, the KM ships had to return to Kiel on 2 January when GNEISENAU was damaged by heavy weather.

* North Sea*
FN.370 departed Southend, escort DD GARTH. DD VERSATILE and patrol sloop WIDGEON joined on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 30th.

*Northern Patrol*
BB NELSON and DDs BEDOUIN, TARTAR, SIKH, BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow to patrol eastward of the Iceland Faroes Channel. CL EDINBURGH was ordered to join this force at noon on the 29th. This force remained at sea until the 31st when it returned to Scapa Flow.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1000 and escorted convoy WN.60 from the Pentland Firth. The cruiser was detached after dark, but due to poor visibility, she could not enter Scapa Flow until the next morning.

DDs VIMY and BULLDOG departed Scapa Flow to meet CL MAURITIUS in Pentland Firth and escort her to the Clyde, arriving on the 29th. DDs SOUTHDOWN and TYNEDALE, which had been escorting MAURITIUS proceeded to Scapa Flow. DD VIMY left the Clyde to refit at Portsmouth where she arrived on the 31st. DD BULLDOG left the Clyde to refit at Liverpool where she arrived on the 30th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.266 departed Liverpool escort DDs SCIMITAR and SKATE, corvette CLARKIA, armed boarding vessel CRISPIN, ASW trawler MAN O WAR. The convoy was joined on the 29th by corvettes ARABIS and MALLOW, ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN, NORTHERN PRIDE, ST ELSTAN. The escort, less the armed boarding vessel, were detached on the 31st. CRISPIN was detached the next day.

British steamer LOCHEE was damaged on a mine four miles NNE of Bar Light Vessel, Mersey. ORP DD PIORUN departed Greenock to work up at Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 29th.

*Channel*
A LW raid on the Thornycroft yard at Southampton heavily damaged DDs NORSEMAN and OPPORTUNE, under construction. DD NORSEMAN was almost blown in half. DD VALOROUS was damaged in a collision with MSW trawler LIBYAN in Sheerness Harbour. The DD was repaired at Chatham completing on 11 January.

Tug CANUTE was damaged by the LW at Southampton. 

*Central Atlantic*
CL NEPTUNE departed Freetown. 

*Sth Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL arrived at Simonstown.

*Med- Biscay*
Ocean boarding vessel CAMITO intercepted and captured *trawler SENATEUR DUHAMEL (Vichy 913 grt)* in 33‑44N, 10‑26W. The trawler was taken to Gibraltar. Monitor TERROR bombarded the Bardia area. CL SOUTHAMPTON after joining convoy WS.4B in mid-December, arrived at Suez with the convoy on the 28th. CVL FURIOUS escorted by DDs FAULKNOR and FIREDRAKE arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th. The DDs FAULKNOR and FIREDRAKE with HASTY and JAGUAR immediately went back out to sea on the 29th and escorted CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN into Gibraltar the next day.


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## parsifal (Dec 28, 2015)

*29 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Soviet M (Malyutka) Class Subs M-102 and M-103

Allied
Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS COTTESMORE (L 78 )





_HMS COTTESMORE was sold to the Egyptian Navy postwar and renamed IBRAHIM EL AWAL. She was initially loaned to the Chinese Navy but repossessed in 1949 after the Communist takeover. She fought for the Egyptians in the 1956 war against Israel, captured and used by the Israelis. Under Israeli control during the 6 day war. Her ultimate fate is uncertain, but believed to have been either sunk or broken up 1968-69_

*Losses
Steamer ADRIANA (Ger 997 grt) *was sunk on a mine off the Elbe.

*Tug MONARCH (UK 41 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Radcliffe Cross Buoy.

*Liner SARDEGNA (FI 11,452 grt)*, in company with steamers ITALIA and PIEMONTE departed Valona for Brindisi for Valona escorted by TB ANTARES on the 29th. RHN submarine PROTEUS sank the SARDEGNA east of Saseno in the Southern Adriatic.





However, TB ANTARES sank *Sub PROTEUS (RHN 750 grt)* in the counterattack. ANTARES rammed and sank the PROYEUS in the southern Adriatic some 40 miles east of Brindisi, Italy.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-96

At Sea 29 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-105, U-124.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.371 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 31st. Convoy FS.374 departed Methil, escort DDs VIMIERA, WORCESTER and sloops HASTINGS and WESTON, and arrived at Southend on 1 January. FS.375 departed Methil, escort DDs VESPER, VORTIGERN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on 1 January.

*Northern Waters*
DD BLENCATHRA departed Scapa Flow to search for an a/c in the sea 10° east of Sth Ronaldsay. The a/c was not located and she was ordered to return to Scapa Flow later that day.

DD ESKIMO, escorting BC REPULSE, was detached to escort DD WORCESTER to the Minches. ESKIMO arrived at Scapa Flow on the 31st.

*West Coast UK*
Steamer TREVARRACK, straggling from convoy SLS.58, was damaged by the LW in 55‑34N, 09‑30W. DDs HIGHLANDER and HARVESTER went to her assistance.

Steamer CATRINE was damaged by a mine in Liverpool Bay and next day, the 30th, struck a second one near Q.1 Buoy, Queen's Channel, Liverpool.


*SW Approaches*
A total of 31 ships of convoy OG.48 joined up from Liverpool, Oban, Glasgow and Bristol, and were escorted by DD WESTCOTT and corvette CANDYTUFT from 29 December to 2 January. Sloop SCARBOROUGH escorted the convoy from 29 December to 4 January when she was detached.

Sloop FOLKESTONE escorted the convoy from 30 December to 9 January. Corvette BLUEBELL joined the convoy on the 30th and was detached on 2 January. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 9 January.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine TRIDENT stopped Panamanian steamer ROUTER off Ponta Delgada (a port in the Azores) and fired torpedoes at her when she tried to enter port without clearance.

Sloop BRIDGEWATER from convoy SLS.60 escorted the convoy on 3 January before transferring to convoy SW 5B.
DDs GEORGETOWN and ANTHONY, CAM ship PEGASUS, corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE, ASW trawlers LADY MADELEINE and ARAB joined the convoy from convoy OG.49 on 11 January. These ships remained with the convoy until its arrival at Liverpool on 15 January.

*Med- Biscay*
CVE ARGUS and CL DUNEDIN with DDs FORTUNE and FOXHOUND arrived at Gibraltar with steamers NORTHERN PRINCE, CLAN MACDONALD, EMPIRE SONG of the WS.5 A convoy on the 29th. CVL FURIOUS, CL DUNEDIN, DDs FORESTER and FURY departed Gibraltar for Freetown. CLA BONAVENTURE arrived at Gibraltar. Submarine UNIQUE departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving 6 January. Convoy HG.49 of 28 ships departed Gibraltar. The convoy was given a local escort by ASW trawlers KINGSTON JACINTH, KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE, KINGSTON TURQUOISE, KINGSTON TOPAZE on the 29th. Sloop LEITH escorted the convoy from 29 December to 15 January.

DDs JERVIS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, JUNO, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN departed Alexandria to carry out an ASW sweep. The sweep was covered by RAN CL PERTH and RN CLA COVENTRY. COVENTRY's suffered damage in heavy seas and she was forced to return to Alexandria. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 30th.

RAN DD VOYAGER intercepted and brought in *ketch ZINGARELLA (FI 190 grt)* which was transporting British prisoners of war from Bardia to Tobruk.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.11B departed Aden, escorted by CL CALEDON and sloops AUCKLAND and SHOREHAM. RAN Sloop YARAA joined on the 31st. The escorts were detached on 1 January. The convoy arrived at Suez on 4 January.

*Malta*
RA SM79s returned to the skies over Malta, after an extended break. The air raid alert sounded just before 1100, the first time since 20 December. The alert was followed by the appearance of three formations of enemy bombers. Malta fighters and AA guns scrambled, and were in action were swiftly, forcing the raiders to turn away with no bombs released.


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## Njaco (Dec 28, 2015)

*December 29 Sunday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The lull in the blitz over the Christmas period came to an abrupt end on the evening of the 29th. But bad weather recalls some of the bombers after two hours. Some bombers do make the flight, all carrying incendiary bombs. Bombers from KGr 100 follow the X-Gerat approach beam but a stiff wind starts blowing and throws the bomber force off course. In the event, 244 German Luftwaffe bombers dropped 30,000 incendiaries on the historic city center of London, England, destroying the London Guildhall and eight Wren churches. St. Paul's Cathedral, however, was saved by clergymen who successfully prevented the flames on the roof from spreading. Some compared the firestorm to the Great Fire of 1666. That so many fires took hold was largely because the raid was on a Sunday evening when the commercial area of the City of London was mostly unoccupied, without the usual "fire-watchers" on every building. If incendiary bombs were tackled as soon as they fell they caused little damage. This required sufficient people to be in the immediate vicinity and able to get to the burning bomb in the first few minutes. With most of City buildings locked up and vacant, numerous fires soon started in the roof space of adjacent buildings and then merged into enormous conflagrations. The problems faced by the fire Brigade were exacerbated by a low ebb tide on the Thames, making it difficult to draw water to fight the fires. In the aftermath the Government ordered that "fire-watchers" be stationed on all factories, offices, and shops to act as spotters to provide early warning. This order proved to be very unpopular with Trade Unions.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Frankfurt and Hamm overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Boulogne and other targets overnight.

Vichy France created a commission for Jewish affairs.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek submarine “_Proteus_” attacked Italian ships “_Sardegna_”, “_Italia_”, and “_Piemonte_” 40 miles east of Brindisi, Italy, sinking “_Sardegna_”. Escort torpedo boat “_Antares_” dropped 11 depth charges, forcing “_Proteus_” to the surface, which was then rammed and sunk by “_Antares_”, killing the entire crew of 48.

RAF bombers attack Valona.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt broadcast a fireside chat, urging the country to increase production in preparation for war, but also promising to keep the United States out of the fighting. Roosevelt stated:


> “We must be the great arsenal of Democracy....”


 In his broadcast he declared that the United States would not be deflected, by Axis threats, from its policy of providing Great Britain and her Allies with all possible aid short of war. He further declared that the risk of war would not deter America in the slightest degree, and that victory by those resisting aggression was of paramount interest to the United States, and that he was confident that the Axis powers would not win the war. FDR Arsenal of Democracy, December 1940

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. British aircraft bomb Bardia and Italian airbases at Tobruk, Derna and Benina. Italian defensive perimeter at Bardia consists of a continuous antitank ditch and barbed wire fences in front of 2 lines of ‘posts’ (open concrete pits with 1-2 antitank guns and 2-4 machineguns, 800 yards apart and protected to the South by lines of barbed wire, antitank ditches and sometimes mines - the expected British line of attack from Egypt). However, the posts can be picked off individually from the rear by a breakthrough. Australian 6th Division rehearses storming these defenses. Engineers practice blowing the wire with Bangalore torpedoes and knocking down antitank ditches and stone obstacles while Infantrymen and tankers learn to neutralise the posts and artillery batteries.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 29, 2015)

*30 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS KINGCUP (K 33)





Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS MEYNELL (L 82)





U Class Sub HMS UNDAUNTED(i) (N 55)




_UNDAUNTEDspent much of her short career operating in the Mediterranean. On 1 May 1941, she sailed from Malta to patrol off Tripoli, Libya. She was due to return to Malta on 11 May but she failed to do so and is presumed lost on mines. It is also possible that she was sunk by the RM TB PEGASO, which had sailed from Tripoli on the 12th. PEGASO had signalled that she had attacked a submarine with DCs and that a large patch of oil had been observed, an indication of the submarine's destruction. Against this theory is the fact that by that date UNDAUNTED should have been back at Malta, but it is possible that a decision to remain at sea longer had been taken, or that she had suffered mechanical problems preventing her return. It is also possible that she was sunk by the RM TB PLEIADE off Tripoli on the 13th but this is not very likely_

*Losses
Steamer CALCIUM (UK 613 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 53‑25N, 03‑45W. One crewman was killed on the British steamer.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 30 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-100, U-105, U-124.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.371 A departed Southend. The convoy arrived at Methil on 1 January.

*West Coast UK*
DD VENOMOUS, which had departed the Clyde on the 29th, was mined at the entrance to Liverpool harbour near the B.2 Buoy. VENOMOUS was repaired at Liverpool completing on 18 February.

OB.267 departed Liverpool escort DDs AMAZON and AMBUSCADE, corvettes HEARTSEASE, HOLLYHOCK, MARGUERITE, ASW trawler LADY LILLIAN. The escort was detached on 2 January.

British tkr DORCASIA was damaged on a mine three miles 250° from Bar Light Vessel, Mersey.

*SW Approaches
Steamer CITY OF BEDFORD (UK 6402 grt)* of convoy SL.58 was sunk in an accidental collision south of Ireland with British steamer BODNANT of OB.264 in 60‑03N, 23‑01W when the two convoys converged. Rear Admiral J. C. Hamilton Rtd, convoy Commodore in steamer CITY OF BEDFORD, was lost in the steame




_A few sources claim it was the slightly smaller BODNANT that sank after this collision. BODNANT is shown above_

*Central Atlantic*
CA HAWKINS arrived at Freetown.

*Med- Biscay*
Force H, with BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, DDs FAULKNOR, DUNCAN, HASTY, HERO, JAGUAR, FIREDRAKE arrived at Gibraltar. CL SHEFFIELD arrived escorting steamer ESSEX. As previously stated, RENOWN had suffered weather damages in the hunt for ADM HIPPER and went directly into dock at Gibraltar.

RAN DD WATERHEN sank *ASW trawler BANDOLERO (RN 913 grt) * in an accidental collision in the Gulf of Sollum. There were no casualties in the trawler. WATERHEN was escorted from the area by DD MOHAWK and arrived at Alexandria on 1 January. The destroyer was repaired at Port Tewfik in a month.





*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
As a result of the German raider activities in the Nauru Is area on 6 to 8 December, the allies were forced to extend convoying to the Australia Station, extending to the Tasman Sea.

Convoy VK 1 departed Sydney for Auckland on the 30th with steamers EMPIRE STAR, PORT CHALMERS, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, MAUNGANUI escorted by NZ manned CL ACHILLES.

*Malta*
1130 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy SM 79 bombers escorted by five fighters which cross the Island from north to south at 16000 feet. Six Hurricane fighters are scrambled to intercept. A Glenn Martin aircraft is approaching the Island; five Swordfish and one Magister are also airborne.

1146 hrs Three bombers and six fighters are reported over Luqa at 16000 feet; Three bombs are dropped on the aerodrome itself and some 7 more high explosives and incendiaries across the area. One building of the Royal West Kent Regiment is damaged. A direct hit demolishes an anti-aircraft post; there are no casualties. Considerable blast effect is felt across the whole area but there are no casualties. The raiders are engaged by heavy anti-aircraft fire; no claims.

1158 hrs A second formation of six enemy aircraft is reported approaching the Island but turns away without crossing the coast.

1220 hrs Raiders passed sounds. A search is organised for unexploded bombs and two are reported to the Southern Infantry Brigade: one at the entrance to a quarry and the second between a cookhouse and dining hall. All friendly aircraft are confirmed landed safely.

1500 hrs Major Jacobs, Royal Engineers, visited Luqa to inspect the unexploded bombs and confirmed they must be left for four days before being dealt with. Sentries are posted to prevent any traffic movements near the bomb sites and all ranks serving in the area are ordered to wear steel helmets until further notice.

1640 hrs Eight Wellington bombers take off from Luqa.


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## Njaco (Dec 29, 2015)

*December 30 Monday*
*GERMANY: *Speaking to the command armed forces staff on the situation in the Atlantic, Admiral Dönitz of the German Navy announces,


> “ Just let me have a minimum of twenty Fw 200s solely for reconnaissance purposes, and the U-boat successes will shoot up!”



*UNITED KINGDOM:* Naval Intelligence in Singapore sent a secret telegram to the Admiralty in London advising that one of the Norwegian prisoners taken from the “_Ole Jacob_” had been interviewed by Mi-6 agents in Tokyo and had reported that all the mail on board the “_Automedon_” had been seized by the Germans before it was sunk. From this date onward, London cannot have been in any doubt that the Chiefs of Staff report (see December 12 1940) had fallen into enemy hands and that a copy would certainly have been passed to the Japanese.

General Oliver Leese takes command of West Sussex County Division of the Home Defense.

Destroyer HMS “_Venomous_” hit a mine off Liverpool, England but did not sink. She would remain in Liverpool for repairs until 18 Feb 1941.

Christopher Clarkson become the first British pilot to fly the Bell P-400 Airacobra despite Britain having inherited a French order for 170 aircraft, later expanded to 675 aircraft. The P-400 was armed with one Hispano-Suiza Mk 404 (M1) 20mm cannon in the nose. The four .30in machine guns in the wings were replaced with British standard .303in guns. The P-400 entered British service as the Airacobra I, after a brief spell when it was known as the Caribou. Before entering RAF service the Airacobra received a great deal of positive publicity, but when it arrived in Britain the lack of high altitude performance soon became clear, and the type only ever equipped one front line squadron (No. 601 “City of London” squadron). The aircraft was soon withdrawn from RAF service.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Following period of bad weather, Greek II Corps opens new attacks in central sector of the front and captures over 600 Italian prisoners.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. Australian 6th Division continues perfecting tactics to breach Italian defenses at Bardia while RAF bombs these positions as well as Italian airbases at Tobruk, Derna and Benina. Australian 16th Infantry Brigade and 17th Infantry Brigade besiege Italian garrison at Bardia. Elements of British 7th Armored Division patrol toward Tobruk.

British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Bandolero_” collided with Australian destroyer HMAS “_Waterhen_” off Sollum, Egypt. “_Bandolero_” sank with no casualties. HMAS “_Waterhen_” entered Port Taufiq on the Suez Canal in Egypt for repairs, which would be completed in Jan 1941.

Australian destroyer HMAS “_Voyager_” captured Italian sailing craft “_Zingarella_” on the Libyan coast, transporting British prisoners of war from Bardia to Tobruk. “_Zingarella_” would later serve in the British Royal Navy as a store carrier.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Troop convoy US 8 departs Australia for Egypt with Australian and NZ units.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British ship “_Calcium_” hit a mine in the North Sea (killing 1), and then collided with British ship “_Sodium_”. “_Calcium_” would ultimately sink.

*NORTH AMERICA:* U.S. Vice Admiral Claude C. Bloch wrote a letter to the Navy Department complaining of inadequate defenses at Pearl Harbor.

.



.



.

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## parsifal (Dec 30, 2015)

*31 December 1940 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
M (Malyutka) class Submarine M-34 (Soviet)




_Assigned to the Black sea Fleet, she departed Sevastopol on November 3rd, 1941 after which nothing was ever heard of the Russian submarine M-34 again. Presumed lost to mines, off Constanza._

S (Stalinec) class Submarine S-54 (Soviet)




_Initially assigned to the Pacific Flt she transferred to the Northern Flt. Lost by unknown reasons with all hands (50 men) in the Kongsfjord area in March 1944. Most likely mined. S-54 had departed base on 5 March 1944. This photo was taken by Michael Chekalin, who agreed to release it under Creative Commons license to Wiki. It shows Soviet WWII-era S-56 sub and guard ship "Krasnyi Vympel" on display in Vladivostok._

Allied
BPB 70' Type (ex-French order) Motor Anti-Submarine Boat HMS MA/SB 62




_Sister ship S-32 shown_

*Losses
MV VALPARAISO (SD 3760 grt)* Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe); Crew: 35 (35 dead - no survivors); Cargo: General Cargo; Route: Montreal - Halifax - Glasgow; Convoy: HX-97 (straggler); Sunk in the Nth Atlantic; At 2112 hrs the VALPARAISO, a straggler from convoy HX-97 since 29 December, was hit aft by one G7a torpedo from U-38 and sank by the stern. The master, 32 crew members and two passengers were lost.





*Steamer PORJUS (Ger 764 grt)* was sunk in a collision near Brunsbuttel

RHN sub KATSONIS sank *tkr QUINTO (FI 531 grt)* with gunfire at Antivari in the Bay of Valona. The captain of the now burning QUINTO managed to run his ship aground, off San Giovanni di Medua, Albania (Antivari, Bay of Valona).

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-94

At Sea 31 December 1940
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-95, U-100, U-105, U-124.
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD WHITSHED departed the Nore to work up at Scapa Flow. FN.372 departed Southend. The convoy arrived at Methil on 2 January. FS.376 departed Methil. The convoy arrived at Southend on 2 January.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.61 from Pentland Firth until dark. The cruiser returned to Scapa Flow late that evening.

*Central Atlantic*
At 2300 hrs the unescorted BRITISH ZEAL , dispersed on 19 December from convoy OB-260, was hit on the starboard side underneath the bridge by a stern torpedo from U-65 while steaming on a non-evasive course at 10.5 knots east of the Cape Verde Islands. The U-boat had chased the tkr for about 8 hrs and missed with a spread of two torpedoes of which one was a tube-runner at 1752 hrs. A lookout had spotted a torpedo track and the helm was put hard to starboard, but it nevertheless struck and the crew (the ship was armed with one 4.7in, one 12pdr and two machine guns) immediately abandoned ship in the lifeboats in rough seas. The Germans could not use the deck gun in the darkness and a first attempt to finish her off missed due to a malfunction, but a second struck on the starboard side at the bulkhead between #3 and #4 tanks about 30 mins after the first hit. They had observed how the crew abandoned ship in a well-disciplined manner and left the area without questioning the survivors, assuming that the tanker will sink.

However, the crew spotted the still floating tanker at daylight, rowed towards her in heavy seas and reboarded the her about noon on 1 Jan 1941. Three tanks had been flooded through two large holes in the starboard side and the deck was torn open by the explosions, however the engine room was found intact. The crew raised up steam and tested the engines and steering, but then abandoned ship again for the night in case the U-boat was still nearby. At dawn the next day, the men quickly reboarded her and headed towards Bathurst at 5 knots. A few hours later HMS ENCOUNTER (H 10) arrived, offered assistance and departed shortly afterwards to search for the attacker. The tkr continued alone until joined by the rescue tug HMS HUDSON (W 02) from Freetown on 4 January and was accompanied to that harbor, arriving four days later. On 16 July 1941, she left Freetown after temporary repairs to Baltimore for permanent repairs via Trinidad and New York, arriving on 18 August. The ship returned to service in February 1942. She survived the war.

*Med- Biscay*
CA BERWICK, escorted by DDs FORESTER and FURY, arrived at Gibraltar to land her wounded from the 25 December encounter with DKM CA ADM HIPPER. BERWICK arrived at Portsmouth on 17 January for repairs continuing until 10 May. She proceeded to Rosyth arriving on 11 May and completed repairs on 23 June. DDs VELOX and VIDETTE departed Gibraltar for Freetown. DDs JAGUAR, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, DUNCAN, HERO departed Gibraltar to intercept French ships entering the Straits of Morocco and bring them to Gibraltar for contraband control.

During the night of 31 December/1 January, DD DAINTY captured *schooners TIBERIO (FI 231 grt)* and *MARIA GIOVANNI (FI 255 grt)* running between Bardia and Tobruk. The schooners were taken to Sollom.

British SubFlot 8 was formed at Gibraltar with shore establishment HMS PIGMY. Sub OLYMPUS arrived at Gibraltar for operations on the 29th, OTUS on 4 January, PANDORA on 14 January. CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH departed Alexandria to take over Aegean duty and cover the passage of troopship ULSTER PRINCE, which departed Port Said escorted by DD GALLANT. Monitor TERROR and DD DIAMOND arrived at Alexandria. Gunboats APHIS and LADYBIRD, escort DD DAINTY, departed Alexandria for Sollum. Submarine PARTHIAN attacked an Italian convoy off Spartivento, without success.

Repair ship VINDICTIVE and DDs ISIS and ENCOUNTER, which departed Gibraltar on the 25th, arrived at Freetown.

*Malta*
KALAFRANA Sunderland a/c of 228 Sqn operated on 10 days during the month, carrying out 11 long recons mainly to the NE of Malta, including one night naval co-operation patrol. In addition, one search patrol for missing Swordfish was undertaken but was not successful. Two communication flights were carried out by Sunderlands between Middle East and Gibraltar with passengers and mail.


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## parsifal (Dec 30, 2015)

*Summary Of Losses December 1940
Allied
Allied Warships*
AMC FORFAR (RN 16402 grt), Special service vessel EMPIRE SEAMAN (RN 1927 grt), Rainbow Class Sub HMS REGULUS (RN 1769 grt), "A" Class DD HMS ACHERON (RN 1337 grt), Boom defense vessel THOMAS CONNOLLY (RN 290 grt), MSW trawler REFUNDO (RN 258 grt), T Class Submarine TRITON (RN 1090 grt), GHI Class DD HMS HYPERION (RN 1335 grt), MSW trawler PELTON (RN 358 grt), Aux MSW MERCURY (RN 350 grt (est), MTB 5 (RN 18 grt) (Reclassified Minesweeper Attendant Craft MAC 5 in 1940), ASW trawler BANDOLERO (RN 913 grt), Sub PROTEUS (RHN 750 grt) 

La Melpomine Class TB BRANLEBAS (Free French 680 grt), Requin Class Sub NARVAL (FNFL 974 grt),  

26797(RN)), 1654 (FNFL) (Total 28451 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
Tkr APPALACHEE (UK 8826 grt) , MV PALMELLA (UK 1578 grt), Paddle steamer HER MAJESTY (UK 235 grt), Tanker BRITISH OFFICER (UK 6990 grt), steamer TRIBESMAN (UK 6242 grt), MV KAVAK (UK 2782 grt), MV LADY GLANELY (UK 5497 grt), Tkr CONCH (UK 8376 grt), MV GOODLEIGH (UK 5448 grt), MV TASSO (UK 1586 grt) , MV STIRLINSHIRE (UK 6022 grt), MV WILHELMINA (UK 6725 grt), MV PACIFIC PRESIDENT (UK 7113 grt), Tkr VICTOR ROSS (UK 12247 grt) , MV SAMNANGER (UK 4276 grt), MV JEANNE M (UK 2465 grt), Steamer JOLLY GIRLS (UK 483 grt), Trawler KILGERRAN CASTLE (UK 276 grt), steamer VICTORIA CITY (UK 4739 grt), Steamer SILVERPINE (UK 5066 grt, Steamer SUPREMITY (UK 554 grt), MSW trawler CAPRICORNUS (RN 219 grt), MSW trawler CORTINA (RN 213 grt), Hybrid Liner/Cargo Vessel CALABRIA (UK 9515 grt), MV ASHCREST (UK 5652 grt), Coastal steamer ACTUALITY (UK 311 grt), MV EMPIRE JAGUAR (UK 5186 grt), Ferry ROYAL SOVEREIGN (UK 1527 grt), MV EMPIRE STATESMAN (UK 5306 grt), Trawler ROBINIA (UK 208 grt), 
MV KYLEGLEN (UK 3670 grt), MV EUPHORBIA (UK 3380 grt), Liner/Cargo Vessel WESTERN PRINCE (UK 10926 grt), Steamer INVER (UK 1543 grt), Steamer MALRIX (UK 703 grt), Steamer BENEFICENT (UK 2944 grt), steamer AQUEITY (UK 370 grt), Steamer BELVEDERE (UK 869 grt), FV CARRY ON (UK 93 grt), MV NAPIER STAR (UK 10116 grt), Tanker OSAGE (UK 2950 grt), Drifter PROFICIENT (UK 57 grt), steamer AMICUS (UK 3660 grt), hopper barge OVERDALE (UK 315 grt), steamer CARLTON (UK 5162 grt), Hybrid Ferry/Steamer INNISFALLEN (UK 3071 grt), Barge TIC.12 (UK 118 grt), Tug RIVER THAMES (UK 88 grt), Tug SUN IX (UK 196 grt), Steamer SILVIO (UK 1293 grt), Steamer ALPERA (UK 1777 grt), Tkr BRITISH PREMIER (UK 5662 grt), Drifter LORD HOWARD (UK 98 grt), MV WAIOTIRA (UK 12823 grt), Drifter TRUE ACCORD (UK 92 grt), Steamer ARABY (UK 4936 grt), Steamer KINNAIRD HEAD (UK 449 grt), teamer ARDANBHAN (UK 4980 grt), Tug MONARCH (UK 41 grt), Steamer CALCIUM (UK 613 grt), Steamer CITY OF BEDFORD (UK 6402 grt),

Steamer TRIONA (Aus 4413 grt), MV TRIADIC (Aus 6378 grt), MV TRIASTER (Aus 6032 grt)

MV VILLE D'ARLON (Be 7555 grt), MV MACEDONIER (BE 5297 grt),

Steamer ANASTASSIA (Gk 2883 grt), 

MV FARMSUM (NL 5237 grt), MV TOWA (NL 5419 grt), Tkr ARINIA (NL 8024 grt), Steamer BREDA (NL 6941 grt), Trawler YSTROOM (NL 400 grt), steamer STAD MAASTRICHT (NL 6907 grt),

Liner OSLOFJORD (Nor 18,673 grt), MV SKRIM (Nor 1902 grt), steamer VINNI (Nor 5181 grt), 
MV RISANGER (Nor 5455 grt)

Steamer KOMATA (NZ 3900 grt), Hybrid Liner-Steamer ROTURUA (NZ 10890 grt), 

209675 (UK), 16823 (Aus), 12852 (Belg), 2883 (Gk), 32928 (NL),  31211 (Nor), 14790 (NZ)
321162 grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: 349613 grt

*Prizes captured *
schooner TIREREMO DIRITTO (FI 65 grt (est)), trawler SENATEUR DUHAMEL (Vichy 913 grt) , ketch ZINGARELLA (FI 190 grt), schooners TIBERIO (FI 231 grt) and MARIA GIOVANNI (FI 255 grt),

*Neutral shipping*
Lighthouse Tender ISOLDA (Eire 734 grt), 

Tkr CHARLES PRATT (Pan 8982 grt), 

MV DAPHNE (SD 1518 grt), MV GWALIA (SD 1258 grt), MV STUREHOLM (SD 4573 grt), MV VALPARAISO (SD 3760 grt), steamer MANGEN (SD 1253 grt), 
steamer FRISIA (SD 1059 grt) Captured

734 (Eire), 13421 (SD), 8982 (Pan),
(23137 Mercantile)

*Neutral warships*
None

Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 23137 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: 372750 grt

*Prizes taken*
None

Allied and Neutral Quarterly and Cumulative Summaries
*New Construction 4rd Qtr 1940*
358000 tons (all sources)

*Total Allied and Neutral losses 4th Qtr 1940*
1244817 tons

*Cumulative Losses since 9/39*
*5833295* Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses

*Axis Warships*
DKM
None 

RM
TB CALIPSO (RM 679 grt), Liuzzi Class sub CAPITANO TARANTINI (RM 1148 grt), Sirene Class sub NAIADE (RM 680 grt), Rosalino Pilo Class DD (re-rated to TB) CAIROLI (RM 770 grt)

(3277 grt)

Vichy
AO RHONE (Vichy 2785 grt), Redoubtable Class Sub SFAX (Vichy 1340 grt)

(4125 grt)

IJN
None

7402 grt (Total)

*Axis Shipping*
GER
Steamer KLAUS SCHOKE (Ger 5830 grt), Steamers IDARWALD (Ger 5033 grt) and MV RHEIN (Ger 6031 grt), Steamer PARANAGUA (Ger 6062 grt), Trawler JUPITER (Ger 218 grt), Trawler HELTRAUD (Ger 103 grt), Steamer BIRKENFELS (Ger 6322 grt), Steamer FREIENFELS (Ger 7563 grt), Steamer GEIERFELS (Ger 7605 grt), Steamer BADEN (Ger 8803 grt), Steamer ADRIANA (Ger 997 grt), Steamer PORJUS (Ger 764 grt),

(53331 grt)

(FI)
steamer SEBASTINO BIANCHI (FI 1546 grt), tkr BONZO (FI 8177 grt), Steamers GALATA (FI 618 grt), GIUSEPPINA D. (FI 431 grt), VINCENZINO (FI 190 grt), steamers NORGE (FI 6511 grt), Steamer PEUCETA (FI 1926 grt), steamer ANTONIETTA (FI 70 grt), Liner FIRENZE (FI 3952 grt), Liner SARDEGNA (FI 11,452 grt), tkr QUINTO (FI 531 grt), (Captured by the allies) [schooner TIREREMO DIRITTO (FI 65 grt (est)), ketch ZINGARELLA (FI 190 grt), schooners TIBERIO (FI 231 grt) and MARIA GIOVANNI (FI 255 grt)],

(36194 grt)

Spain:
MV SAN CARLOS (SP 223 grt)
(223 grt)

(Vichy)
tug CHASSIRON (Vichy 172 grt), trawler JOSEPH DUHAMEL (Vichy 928 grt),
(Captured by the allies), trawler SENATEUR DUHAMEL (Vichy 913 grt)

(2013 grt)

Finland
steamer OSCAR MIDLING (FN 2182 grt), 

(2182 grt)

Denmark
Steamer N. C. MONBERG (Den 2301 grt),

(2301 grt)

Total Axis Mercantile (96244 grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( 103646 grt)

*Captured ships *
steamer FRISIA (SD 1059 grt),


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## Njaco (Dec 31, 2015)

*December 31 1940 Tuesday*
*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Pro-Moscow Finland - Soviet Peace and Friendship Society disbanded by Helsinki.

*GERMANY:* Hitler proclamation:


> “1941 will see the German army, navy, and air force enormously strengthened and better equipped....”



Captain Lindemann returned to “_Bismarck_” from his Christmas leave and assumed command of the battleship.

RAF bombers attacked the bridge over the Rhine River at Emmerich and Köln, Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek offensive operations mostly suspended due to poor weather and Italian counterattacks. RAF bombers attacked Vlorë, Albania.

Italian vessel “_Quinto_” sunk by Greek submarine “_Katsonis_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-38 sank Swedish ship “_Valparaiso_” 200 miles south of Iceland at 2312 hours; 35 survivors drown in the freezing water.

German submarine U-65 damaged British tanker “_British Zeal_” with two torpedoes 200 miles off Dakar, French West Africa. The crew abandoned the ship, but after U-65 departed the scene, the crew reboarded and successfully maneuvered the damaged ship to Freetown, British West Africa.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF bombers attacked Rotterdam and Ijmuiden, the Netherlands.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British destroyer HMS “_Dainty_” stopped Italian schooners “_Tiberio_” and “_Maria Giovanni”_ between Bardia and Tobruk, Libya and forced them to sail to Sollum, Egypt for capture.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* HMS “_Hood_”, known within the Royal Navy as ‘the Mighty Hood’ was a 860 foot long, 46,000 ton battlecruiser launched in 1918. In late 1940 she was the flagship for the Home Fleet that stood in reserve for a possible invasion and assisted with convoy protection. The Home Fleet was based in the Orkney Islands anchorage of Scapa Flow in the far north of Great Britain, ready to intercept German ships seeking to make their way into the Atlantic. On board was a United States Naval officer, Joseph Wellings, who recorded the day in his diary:


> "Last day of 1940 – up at usual time 0745 – breakfast, a good mile and a quarter walk on quarterdeck, more snow last night – Hills are really very pretty – wish I were home. On bridge watching ship shift berths – Not a very good job – cut mooring buoy. Watched the crew get their ration of rum – quite a ritual.
> Called on the Warrant Officers – had a gin(s) (2). Lunch, read, nap – First Lieut. In for a cup of coffee at 1730. Dressed for dinner – at 1830 called on the midshipmen in the gunroom and the Warrant Officers before dinner. Had a very fine turkey dinner. After dinner remained in wardroom – talked with Warrand, the navigator, and Owens. Just before midnight the officers returned from the C.P.O. party. Browne (Lt. Paymaster) rigged up ships bell in Anteroom of wardroom. At 2400 bell was struck 16 times, an old custom. Captain, Admiral, his staff, exec, and practically all officers returned to Wardroom. We all drank a toast to 1941 – Peace and Victory. One of the midshipmen from the gunroom came in with a bagpipe and played Scotch tunes. Everyone started to dance the various Scotch dances from the Admiral down to the lowest midshipman. The Wardroom tables were cleared away and a regular party was in full swing. It was a very unusual sight to see the Admiral, Captain, staff, Wardroom, gunroom, and Warrant officers dancing. Included in the party but not dancing was the Chief Master-at-Arms and Sergeant Major of the Marines. Such a comradeship one would never suspect from the English who are supposed to be so conservative. I was impressed very much. Such spirit is one of the British best assets. This spirit will go far to bring about victory in the end. At 0145 I left the party in full swing and turned in but not before thanking God for his many blessings in 1940 and saying goodnight to my two sweethearts".


 Joseph Wellings was later to become an Admiral. The remainder of those at the party were less fortunate – all of HMS “_Hood’s_” officers would be lost when she was sunk by the “_Bismarck_” on 24th May 1941. Midshipman William Dundas was one of just three survivors out of the total crew of 1,418 – but he did not join the ship until 6th January 1941.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 1, 2016)

*1 January 1941 *
*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-100

At Sea 1 January 1941
U-30, U-32, U-34, U-46, U-56, U-58.
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.373 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON, and arrived at Methil on the 3rd. FS.377 departed Methil, escort DD WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 3rd. DD MEYNELL arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth for working up. DD WHITSHED arrived at Scapa Flow from the Nore for working up.

*Northern Waters*
CLs ARETHUSA and AURORA and DDs BEDOUIN, MASHONA, MATABELE and TARTAR departed Scapa Flow to cover DDs INTREPID and ICARUS who were to lay mines off Jaederens Point and Obrestad in Operation DZ (off the coast of Norway in the vicinity of Stavanger. This was a dangerous offensive operation for the RN) . DD ICARUS damaged her mine rails casting off from depot ship MAIDSTONE. The ships returned to port at 1109 while DD ICARUS was repaired. The force departed again at 0800 on the 2nd for the operation. During the morning, DDs BEDOUIN and MASHONA were detached for 45 mins to search for a UBoat reported by a trawler in 58-57N, 2-12W. The mines were laid and all ships arrived back on the 3rd.

CLs MANCHESTER and NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol. NIGERIA had serious engine room defects. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to carry out exercises, then join convoy WN.62 until dark. The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow later that evening.

*West Coast UK*
OB.268 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VETERAN and WOLVERINE, sloop DEPTFORD, corvettes ARBUTUS, DELPHINIUM, ERICA. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 4th.

*Western Approaches*
RM sub BAGNOLINI attacked armed boarding vessel NORTHERN PRIDE without success

*Channel*
British steamer ATTENDANT was damaged on a mine one cable east of 9 Buoy, Sheerness. The steamer was beached, was later refloated and towed to Gravesend for drydocking.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.100 departed Halifax, escort AMC COMORAN, corvette COLLINGWOOD, escort vessel OTTER. The corvette and the escort vessel were detached the next day. The AMC was detached on the 12th. BHX.100 departed Bermuda on 30 December escorted by ocean escort AMC MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.100 on the 4th and the AMC was detached. On the 13th, DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and corvettes GENTIAN and RHODODENDRON joined the convoy. DD WHITEHALL was with the convoy on the 13th. DDs VANQUISHER and WINCHELSEA and corvette RHODODENDRON were detached on the 16th and DD VISCOUNT and corvette GENTIAN the next day, with the convoy arriving at Liverpool on the 18th.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.61 departed Freetown escort AMC BULOLO to 18 January and ASW trawlers KELT and TURCOMAN to 3 January. On the 18th, DD VETERAN and corvette DELPHINIUM joined the convoy. On the 19th, corvette ARBUTUS joined and on the 20th, corvette CAMELLIA joined. These four were detached on the 21st. On the 22nd, DD WOLVERINE joined and on the 23rd, ASW trawler LEEDS UNITED joined. These escorted the convoy to arrival at Liverpool on the 24th.

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

*Med- Biscay*
DDs DUNCAN, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, JAGUAR, HERO departed Gibraltar on 31 December on Operation RATION (the interception of Vichy ships). CLA BONAVENTURE departed Gibraltar on the 1st to support. On the 1st, the DDs intercepted French convoy K.5 of four ships, capturing *steamer CHANTILLY (Vichy 9986 grt)*, *tkrs OCTANE (Vichy 1950 grt)* and *Tkr SUROIT (Vichy 554 grt)*. *Steamer SALLY MAERSK (Den 3252 grt)*, escorted by armed trawler LA TOULONAISE, in the Gibraltar Straits, coming from Casablanca, having departed on 30 December, for Oran was also apprehended.

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

CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, FURY departed Gibraltar to support this operation and sweep in the western Mediterranean. The ARK ROYAL force arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th. Steamer CHANTILLY and tanker OCTANE proceeded to England in convoy HG.57 on 24 March.

*Malta*
Malta based Wellingtons from Malta bommbed Tripoli


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## Njaco (Jan 1, 2016)

*1941
January 1 Wednesday*
*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler’s year of triumph had been incomplete. In his New Year's order of the day to the German armed forces, he makes promises:


> "A momentous year in German history has come to an end. The enormous uniqueness of the events and their revolutionary significance for the future development of mankind will be fully acknowledged only by later generations. We who live the history of this time cannot but help feel that the workings of Providence are stronger than the intentions and the will of individuals. The gods not only strike him with blindness whom they wish to destroy, but they also help him whom Providence calls upon to strive for goals far from his original desire. When British propagandists try to make the situation look as though France needlessly stopped fighting, then all one can say to this claim is that the first units which stopped fighting were British divisions. From the moment we attacked in the west, the British army had just one thought: to evacuate the continent speedily and to assure the necessary cover by the Dutch, the Belgians, and the French. Just as they regarded the Norwegian army as a colonial force for their retreat a few weeks before, so now with their allies in France and Belgium. When the French government asked for peace, there were no more French troops, and, above all, there had not been English ones for a long time. Thus, the war will be continued until the destruction of the responsible elements! The German Wehrmacht has proved that it is good enough. That it will be better yet in the coming months is our resolve. This resolve will be realized with zealous thoroughness and untiring diligence. The year 1941 will see the German army, the German navy and Luftwaffe step up enormously reinforced and with improved equipment. The last of the war criminals will collapse under its blows, and thus the prerequisites for a true understanding among nations will be created".



Over 100 British bombers hit Bremen, Germany, causing large fires and damaging the Fock-Wulf factory.

The commander of Jagdfliegerführer 1, Generalmajor Theo Osterkamp is made commander of Jagdfliegerführer 2.

Negotiations began between Germany and Bulgaria to use Bulgarian territory as a staging area for Operation Marita, the German invasion of Greece.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British General O'Connor's Western Desert Force in Egypt was reorganized as the British 13th Corps. Meanwhile, in Libya, RAF aircraft continued to bomb the port of Bardia and the airfields at Tobruk, Derna, and Benina.

In order to support the Italians in their campaign in North Africa, several Luftwaffe units are pulled from the Western front in France and transferred to the Mediterranean and finally to North Africa. The first units to transfer are medium and dive bomber units long with a few Zerstörer units. Single-engined fighter units are not sent at this time. The first twin-engined fighter unit to the area, III./ZG 26 under Major Kaschka, leaves from France to the Treviso coast then during January they then fly to Palermo in Sicily. By the end of the month, III./ZG 26 is joined by 2./ZG 26 and fly to bases in Tripoli.
*
UNITED KINGDOM:* German bombers drop bombs on Ireland, in four counties and the capital, Dublin. Bombs fell in Counties Meath, Carlow, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford and Dublin. In Meath, five bombs fell at Duleek and three at Julianstown, without casualties. In Carlow, a house in Knockroe was destroyed, killing three people and injuring two others. In Kildare three high explosive, as well as many incendiary, bombs fell in the Curragh area; two sea mines were dropped by parachute near Enniskerry in Kildare. Ballymurrin in Wexford saw three German bombs fall without casualties and in Dublin, German bombs hit Terenure, two falling at Rathdown Park, with another two at Fortfield Road and Lavarna Grove, with injuries but no loss of life.

The United Kingdom suppressed the Daily Worker, a Communist publication.

The BBC aired the Brains Trust for the first time. This radio programme which had five men discussing such diverse subjects as philosophy, art and science was surprisingly a great success, frequently having a regular audience of ten million listeners.

George Giffard was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. Arthur Coningham was Mentioned in Despatches.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *In the Gibraltar Strait, British destroyers HMS “_Duncan_”, HMS “_Firedrake_”, HMS “_Foxhound_”, HMS “_Jaguar_”, and HMS “_Hero_” stopped a French convoy from Casablanca, French Morocco. The convoy was consisted of French ship “_Chantilly_”, French tankers “_Octane_” and “_Suroit_”, and Danish ship “_Sally Maersk_”. HMS “_Jaguar_” attacked “_Chantilly_”, causing 2 killed and 4 wounded, leading to the convoy's capture.

*WESTERN FRONT:* During the early evening at 1840 hours, Lt. Stradner of 1./NJG 2 begins his scoring after shooting down a British Wellington 75 km east of Lowestoft.

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## Njaco (Jan 1, 2016)

*January 2 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* The night-fighters of NJG 2 again take to the skies against British bombers. At 1845 hours, Uffz. Arnold of 1./NJG 2 destroys a RAF Wellington for his first score. Fifteen minutes later, Lt. Hans Hahn of 3./NJG 2 shoots down a British Whitley over the East Anglia coast for his second kill.

*GERMANY: *German leaders Himmler and Heydrich categorized concentration camps into three categories for different types of prisoners, but in practice this categorization had little actual effect.

British Bomber Command aircraft make attacks on Bremen, Germany.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Cardiff, Wales was bombed. German bombing severely damaged the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff. A rescue party dug for six hours to rescue a six-year-old child trapped under the staircase where he had taken shelter from the bombing. Throughout the rescue the child was heard singing "God Save the King". He later explained that his father, a coal miner, had told him that when men were buried underground they kept singing to guide the rescuers, and this was the only tune that he knew the words. Western Cardiff was the worst hit area, particularly Canton and Riverside, where 116 people were killed, an estimated 50 of which were killed in one street in Riverside, De Burgh Street. The 10-hour air raid had started at 1837 hours and Grangetown was the first area to be hit by 100 German aircraft.

For the second time, German bombs fall on Ireland.

London offers a British expeditionary force to Greece, to repel the Italian invasion.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. British air, land and sea forces prepare for the assault on Bardia. Overnight artillery moves into position in a depression 450 m from the Western edge of the Italian defenses. During the day, British monitor HMS “_Terror_” and British gunboats HMS “_Ladybird_” and HMS “_Aphis_” bombarded Bardia. Italian aircraft responded without success. After sun down, Wellington bombers of No. 70 Squadron RAF and Bombay bombers of No. 216 Squadron RAF attacked Italian positions at Bardia. Troops of the Australian 6th Division began to prepare for the ground assault.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-65 sank British ship “_Nalgora_” 250 miles west of Port-Étienne, French West Africa at 2207 hours. As the military equipment destined for British troops in Egypt went down with the ship, 105 survivors took to lifeboats and would eventually make land at the Cape Verde Islands or rescue by other ships. This would be U-65's eighth and final sinking during the 49-day-long patrol.

German submarine U-38 was detected by a convoy escort ship 300 miles northwest of Ireland, which attacked with depth charges. U-38 was slightly damaged but was able to continue with the patrol without needing immediate repairs.

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## parsifal (Jan 2, 2016)

*2 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-66





_Photo is of U-66 when she met with Milch Cow U-117 on 7 August 1943 for fuel, provisions and medical aid. While alongside the pair were attacked by a/c from USS CARD. U-117 was sunk but U-66 managed to escape.

In her career, U-66 sank 33 ships , total tonnage 200,021 GRT, and damaged 2 ships, total tonnage 22,674 GRT. She damaged 2 warships total tonnage 64 tons. 

U-66 was sunk on 6 May 1944 in the Atlantic west of the Cape Verde Islands, , by DCs, gunfire and ramming from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft (VC-55 USN) of the CVE USS BLOCK ISLAND and by the DE USS BUCKLEY, suffering 24 dead and 36 survivors._

Neutral
Tambor Class Sub USS TUNA (SS-203)





Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS SARABANDE (T 125)




_Sister Ship HMT ARRAN_

*Losses
MV NALGORA (UK 6579 grt)* Sunk by U-65 (Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen) ; Crew: 105 (0 dead and 105 survivors). ; Cargo: Boom defence gear ; Route: Leith - Rosyth - Aden - Alexandria ; Convoy OB-261 (dispersed); Sunk in the Central Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa; At 2207 hrs the NALGORA, (dispersed from convoy OB-261 on 22 December), was hit by one stern torpedo from U-65 about 350 miles nth of the Cape Verde Islands and sunk 20 mins later by 70 rounds from the deck gun. The master, 101 crew members and three passengers were rescued after eight days adrift in lifeboats. 52 survivors were picked up by the British merchant NOLISEMENT and landed at Freetown, while 34 survivors were picked up by the British merchant UMGENI and landed in Glasgow on 13 January. 19 crew members in a lifeboat reached shore at San Antonio, Cape Verde Islands.





*Steamer ALBANO (FI 2364 grt)* was sunk on a mine one mile east of Cape Laghi, Albania.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 2 January 1941
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-95, U-105, U-124.
6 boats at sea

Depth charging from a convoy escort left U-38 with minor damage.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
The 1st Minelaying Squadron, escort DDs DOUGLAS, KEPPEL, OURAGAN, which had arrived at Loch Alsh on the 1st, departed Loch Alsh to lay mines in SN 6 and SN 65.

Destroyer BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow at 0900 to reinforce the escort forces. The operation was screened by CL EDINBURGH, which departed Scapa Flow at 1000/2nd. BC HOOD and DDs ECHO, ELECTRA, SIKH, ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow to provide cover for the operation. The minefield was laid and the minelayers returned to Loch Alsh on the 5th. The BC force also arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 5th. DD OURAGAN arrived at Scapa Flow on the 5th after being detached from the MLs due to a shortage of fuel. DD BEAGLE and the MLs arrived at Loch Alsh on the 5th. DD BEAGLE was then sailed for Greenock to join the escort of convoy WS.5B. CL EDINBURGH arrived on the 5th at Scapa Flow. Also on the 5th, DDs DOUGLAS and KEPPEL arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting the MLs to the Minches.

CLA NAIAD departed Scapa Flow and relieved CLA PHOEBE at Oban on guard duties. PHOEBE had been at Oban on AA guard duties since 24 December. On relief, PHOEBE proceeded to Scapa Flow.

DD SOMALI departed Scapa Flow at 1530 for Rosyth to carry out repairs to a damaged gun shield. The DD arrived at Rosyth on the 3rd. British P/T/Midshipman J. E. R. Rainford RNVR, was killed when his Fulmar of 807 Sqn collided with another Fulmar at Yeovilton. The other Fulmar safely landed.

*West Coast UK*
ML cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.10 in St Georges Channel (the southern entrance to the Irish Sea).
CL EMERALD was recommissioned at Devonport after a refit lasting from October to the end of December.

British steamer LOCH DEE was struck by a German delayed action bomb at Cardiff, and suffered damage. The bomb exploded on the 3rd. One crewman was killed.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.18 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC LACONIA, which was detached on the 14th. On the 14th, DD WESTCOTT and corvettes CANDYTUFT and HONEYSUCKLE joined the escort. Ocean boarding vessel CRISPIN and sloop WELLINGTON joined on the 15th. DD WESTCOTT was detached on the 17th and the remainder of the escort on the 18th, and arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt departed Alexandria to cover ground operations in Libya for operation MC.5. CV ILLUSTRIOUS, escort DDs GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, ILEX, JUNO departed in the morning to embark a/c. BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, VALIANT, CL GLOUCESTER and CA YORK of the CruSqn 3, CLA CALCUTTA, DDs JANUS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, WRYNECK, DIAMOND, RAN VENDETTA, GALLANT departed Alexandria at 1830. Monitor TERROR and gunboats LADYBIRD and APHIS bombarded Bardia. RAN DD VOYAGER and monitor TERROR were unsuccessfully attacked by RA a/c.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM tkr NORDMARK refuelled German raider THOR. The tkr also embarked diesel oil from captured Norwegian tkr STORSTAD.

*Malta*
Glenn Martin 167 recon a/c from Malta confirmed the presence of three enemy cruisers in Tripoli Harbour. The photo-recon mission was ordered to identify the damage done overnight by Wellingtons of 148 Sqn and to confirm the presence of further targets for bombing operations.

The recon photographs revealed a large oil patch covering one third of the harbour area. One large merchant vessel from north of the harbour and one DD from the eastern jetty were observed at sea

The ships observed in Tripoli Harbour include nine merchant vessels over 6000 tons, seven merchant vessels 4000 tons, 12 merchant vessels under 2000 tons, eight small naval craft and two destroyers. Six Cant aircraft were moored at the seaplane base.


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## parsifal (Jan 2, 2016)

*3 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
HDML 1003 (ML 1003), HDML 1037 (ML 1037)

Flower Class Corvette HMS HYDRANGEA (K 39)





Thornycroft 55 feet-type HMS MTB 216

*Losses
Drifter NEW SPRAY (UK 70 grt) *was lost in a gale off Sheerness.

*Steamer PINEWOOD (UK 2466 grt) *was sunk on a mine one and a half miles south of Pier, Southend. Six crew were lost. Eighteen crew were rescued.

*Steamer LIISA (Fn 1460 grt)*, in German service, was sunk by BC at Bremen.

*Steamer YRSA (Fn 2803 grt) *in German service, was sunk by BC in the Kiel Canal. The bridge across the Kiel Canal received a direct hit and fell upon the steamer. The steamer sank in the canal. The steamer was subsequently raised and the canal reopened.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 3 January 1941
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-95, U-105, U-124.
6 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.374 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 5th. FS.378 departed Methil, escort DD WOLSEY and sloop LOWESTOFT, and arrived at Southend on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
DD LEGION arrived at Scapa Flow from the Clyde to carry out working up exercises. DD LINCOLN departed Scapa Flow for Belfast after completing work up exercises. The destroyer arrived at Belfast on the 4th. DD COSSACK departed Scapa Flow for Southampton for refitting.

*West Coast UK*
OB.269 departed Liverpool, escort corvette ANEMONE. On the 4th, DDs SARDONYX and SHIKARI, corvette LA MALOUINE, ASW trawlers ST KENAN, ST ZENO, VIZALMA, WELLARD joined. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 6th.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt bombarded Bardia. Destroyers JANUS, JUNO, GREYHOUND, ILEX, GRIFFIN streamed twin speed destroyer sweep equipment.

CV ILLUSTRIOUS, CL GLOUCESTER, CA YORK, DDs WRYNECK, DIAMOND, GALLANT, RAN VENDETTA parted company with the Fleet to operate aircraft as necessary. DDs VOYAGER (RAN) and DAINTY joined from Sollum.

BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, BARHAM, escort DDs ILEX, GREYHOUND, JUNO, JANUS, GRIFFIN bombarded Bardia from 0810 to 0855. AA protection was provided by CLA CALCUTTA, escort DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK and DAINTY and RAN VOYAGER after being detached from Force W. Monitor TERROR, escorted initially by DD DAINTY and RAN VOYAGER, gunboats LADYBIRD and APHIS bombarded Bardia before and after the fleet bombardment, as Force W.
Gunboat APHIS received slight damage from a near miss from the RA. Two crew were killed and three wounded on the gunboat. At 1000, CL GLOUCESTER, CA YORK, CLA CALCUTTA were detached to Alexandria. DDs WRYNECK and RAN VENDETTA were detached to Sollum. Monitor TERROR and the gunboats returned to Alexandria that evening.

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

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

*Malta*
Gale force winds and heavy seas damaged four Sunderland aircraft moored in Marsaxlokk Harbour this evening. Force 8 gales whipped up waves to 15 feet within the harbour, subjecting the seaplanes to heavy pounding.

One Sunderland broke its main pennant and anchor chain simultaneously and was in danger of being destroyed. Its Wireless Operator sprang into action, and single-handedly managed to start the outboard engines. He skilfully manoeuvred the plane out of danger and held it steady until help arrived from another boat which managed to take a line and make fast to another mooring.


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## Njaco (Jan 2, 2016)

*January 3 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* German bombers attacked Bristol, England overnight for 12 hours, targeting the docks and the railway station. 149 were killed and 351 were wounded. The granary on Princes Wharf was destroyed, along with most of the 8,000 tons of grain inside. A 4,000 lb bomb which fails to explode is nicknamed ‘Satan’ by the people of Bristol and will be displayed in the victory parade in London in 1945.

Dublin was again hit by the German Luftwaffe, with bombs falling on Donore Terrace in the South Circular Road area with 20 people injured, but no loss of life.

The Corpo Aereo Italiano, which had been participating in the Battle of Britain alongside Luftwaffe units at Belgian bases, was recalled to Italy after suffering heavy losses.

Lt. Gerhard Böhme of 3./NJG 2 destroys a British Whitley bomber south east of Flamborough Head for his first kill.

*GERMANY:* The Swedish aircraft company Saab delivers the last of the Junkers Ju 86 bombers to the Luftwaffe, these being the fastest of the type, the Bristol engined ‘K’ series.

RAF bombers attacked Bremen and the Kiel Canal in Germany. The Kiel Canal Bridge suffered a direct hit and collapsed on Finnish ship “_Yrsa_”.

A decree (Normalschrifterlass) promulgated by Martin Bormann on behalf of Adolf Hitler requires replacement of blackletter typefaces by Antiqua.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Luftwaffe X Fliegerkorps arrived in Italy.

The Italians launched a counter-offensive to the north and west of Korcë, Albania. Two fresh Italian divisions were committed to the Klissoura sector on the Vlorë road to regain the initiative.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. Battle of Bardia Day 1: The initial phases of Operation Compass had been very successful. The Italians had been surprised in the fortified encampments which they had established inside Egypt. They were pushed back over the border into Libya but they had had the opportunity to consolidate in a string of fortified positions along the coast. The need to bring up the Australian 6th Division to replace the 4th Indian Division had given them something of a breathing space. The British forces no longer had the advantage of surprise but were determined to press on. The Australian troops were put into battle almost as soon as they arrived. In the early hours, Australian troops formed up for a assault on the garrison of Bardia, the first small port town in the line of the advance along the coast. It was a bitterly cold night in the desert and some men found the water freezing in their water bottles. At 0530 hours, the British artillery barrage began, hitting Italian defensive positions at Bardia, Libya. At 0600 hours, Australian 6th Division began its assault from the west, clearing anti-tank obstacles for the 23 tanks of the British 7th Royal Tank Regiment that began attacking at 0650 hours. Then the main infantry assault moved forward with Bangalore torpedoes which blew apart gaps in the Italian wire. Very soon the Italian defensive positions had been breached. Resistance was very mixed. Some units surrendered in their bunkers immediately, elsewhere there was fierce fighting. As the day progressed increasing numbers of Italians sought to escape further along the coast. Between 0810 and 0855 hours, battleships HMS “_Warspite_”, HMS “_Valiant_”, and HMS “_Barham_”, along with destroyers, monitors, and gunboats, bombarded Bardia with 244 15-inch shells, 270 6-inch shells, 250 4.5-inch shells, and many smaller caliber shells. The ground forces would penetrate 2 miles into the Italian lines.

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## Njaco (Jan 3, 2016)

*January 4 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* At 1120 hours in the morning, Uffz. Rudolf Schmidt of 5./JG 77 shoots down a British Blenheim bomber.

*GERMANY:* The German Admiralty states: “To enable our naval command centers to prosecute the war in the Atlantic systematic reconnaissance is essential.”

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. Battle of Bardia Day 2. Amid heavy fighting all day in the Italian defensive perimeter posts to the North and South, a mixed force of Allied infantry plus Bren gun carriers and a few tanks pushes forward the final mile to the town of Bardia at 1600 hours, splitting the Italian defenders into two groups, shaking Italian morale, and causing large numbers of Italian troops to surrender. Although it was progressing well the 6th Australian Division still sustained over 500 casualties in the assault. While the Italians were poorly led and lacked a coherent strategy, the front line troops were capable of putting up fierce resistance. General Wavell had to juggle limited resources around a wide theatre. He was building up troops in Sudan for an assault on Italian occupied East Africa. He was already deploying troops to Crete, along with a strong RAF contingent in Greece itself. Lieutenant General Richard O’Connor was masterminding the fast moving Operation Compass, pushing the Italians out of Egypt and pursuing them into Libya. He had already had to contend with the diversion of the experienced 4th Indian Division to Sudan just as soon as the ‘important raid’ looked like becoming something more significant. The Australian troops who replaced them were under equipped and lacked experience in the desert, although this did not seem to affect their performance. There was a lack of good transport to sustain the momentum but improvisation and the capture of Italian motor transport allowed him to continue to exploit his successes. Advanced tank units were already beginning the siege of the next Italian garrison along the coast, Tobruk. Jokingly emulating Winston Churchill, British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden said "…never has so much been surrendered by so many, to so few." On the same day, Italian General Bergonzoli and his staff withdrew from Bardia toward Tobruk.

The Murzuk Raid. A small force of Tuareg and Tibesti tribesmen under Free French officers cross 485 km of desert from Chad to Murzuk Oasis, South Libya, and destroy Italian air base.

Off Cape Bon, Tunisia, British torpedo bombers unsuccessfully attack Italian supply convoy returning from Tripoli (freighters “_Ezilda Croce_” and “_Pallade_”, escorted by torpedo boat “_Pegaso_”).

*ASIA:* Chinese Communist New Fourth Army moved out of Yunling, Anhui Province, China.

Field Marshall Sir Harold Alexander is appointed Commander of the British I Corps, Burma.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *On the Greek-Albanian front, the Greeks launch an attack towards Valona from Berat to Klisura against the Italians.

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## parsifal (Jan 4, 2016)

*4 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Type VIIc U-72




_Revell's 1/72 scale Type VIIc by Matt Del Rio. Even though the front line Uboats were still small in number, there was an urgent need for large sized training boats as well. U-72 was launched on 22 November 1940 and commissioned on 4 January 1941. U-72 served with 24th U-boat Flotilla (a training unit), and later with 21st U-boat Flotilla (also a training unit), from 2 July 1941 to 30 March 1945. U-72 was used throughout World War II as a training boat until it was damaged in a daylight American bombing raid on 30 March 1945. U-72 was scuttled on 2 May 1945_

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS LARKSPUR (K 82)




_Transferred to the USN as USS FURY on 17 March 1942. Returned on 22 August 1945. Sold on 22 July 1946. 
Became the mechant LARKSLOCK. Scrapped at Hong Kong in 1953._

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-106

At Sea 4 January 1941
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-95, U-105, U-106, U-124.
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.375 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY and WESTMINSTER, and arrived at Methil on the 6th. FS.379 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 6th.

*Northern Patrol*
DD NAPIER and ORP DD PIORUN departed Scapa Flow to meet and escort AMCs WOLFE and CILICIA from the North Minches to their Northern Patrol stations. The DDs then escorted AMCs LETITIA and CHITRAL from the patrol area to the North Minches.

*Northern Waters*
CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to relieve CLA NAIAD on guard duties at Oban. When relieved, NAIAD proceeded to the Clyde. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.63 from Pentland Firth until dark. The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow early on the 5th. DDs ICARUS and INTREPID departed Scapa Flow at 0200 for Rosyth en route to the Nore. DD LEAMINGTON departed Scapa Flow at 1800 for Londonderry after completing working up exercises.

*Central Atlantic*
Lt I. Easton and Naval Airman J. A. Burkey in a Fulmar of 803 Sqn, in operations from CV FORMIDABLE, failed to return from a reconnaissance flight over Dakar. It was later found that they had been shot down and interned at Dakar by French Vichy forces. Both were liberated at the end of 1942.

*Med- Biscay*
BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, DDs ILEX, JANUS, JUNO, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, DIAMOND, GALLANT, RAN VOYAGER and DAINTY arrived at Alexandria.

RM TB PEGASO, escorting FI steamers EZILDA CROCE and PALLADE from Tripoli, was attacked by British torpedo planes near Cape Bon. No damage was done, and the convoy arrived at Palermo on the 5th and Naples on the 9th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.12A departed Suez, escorted by RAN sloop YARRA, and arrived at Port Sudan on the 6th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
DD STRONGHOLD began minelaying around Singapore. By 8 March, the DD had laid Minefield No.2 of six lines of mines and Minefield No.3 of eleven lines of mines.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Jan 4, 2016)

*5 January 1941 *
*Losses*
RM sub CAPPELLINI sank *steamer SHAKESPEAR (UK 5029 grt)* from dispersed convoy OB.262 at 18-05N, 21-10W. 18 crew and two gunners were lost on the steamer. The survivors were towed in their boats to within sight of land.

*Aux PVl Vp.306 (DKM 391 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Ymuiden.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 5 January 1941
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-95, U-105, U-106, U-124. 
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
FN.376 departed Southend, escort DD WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Methil on the 7th. Sloop LOWESTOFT, arriving with FS.378, was damaged by a mine in the Thames Estuary. The sloop was able to arrive at Sheerness on the 5th. The sloop was repairing to 3 October at Chatham.

*Northern Waters*
DD CHURCHILL departed Scapa for the Clyde following working up. DD SOUTHDOWN departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth following working up. DDs BLENCATHRA and TYNEDALE departed Scapa Flow for Portsmouth following working up. DDs COTTESMORE and BELMONT arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

*West Coast UK*
OB.270 departed Liverpool, escort DDs WILD SWAN and WITCH, corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, GARDENIA, PERIWINKLE. Sloop ABERDEEN joined on the 6th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 8th.

ML ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.11 in St Georges Channel.

British steamer TEMPLE MOAT was damaged by the LW in 55-20N, 18-55W. One crewman was killed. The steamer arrived at Gareloch on the 9th.

Dutch steamer ALIOTH was damaged by the LW near Cork Light Vessel. The steamer grounded in entrance to the fairway at Harwich. Steamer ALIOTH was refloated and arrived at Ipswich on the 10th.

*Channel*
CL EMERALD was damaged while leaving dockyard at Plymouth. The damage was assessed to require four to seven days to repair. She was able to depart Portsmouth on the 12th for the Sth Atlantic.

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

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

*Med- Biscay*
CL KENYA and corvettes CLEMATIS, CYCLAMEN, GERANIUM, JONQUIL arrived Gibraltar escorting British troopship EMPIRE TROOPER from Ponta Delgada. The troopship's troops were disembarked at Gibraltar and the troopship began repairs completed in March. CVE ARGUS, CA BERWICK, DDs FORESTER, FURY, FOXHOUND, WISHART departed Gibraltar to cover as they proceeded northwards. On the 6th, DDs FORESTER, FURY, FOXHOUND arrived back at Gibraltar. On the 7th, WISHART was detached and returned to Gibraltar. BERWICK proceeded to Portsmouth. Repairs to the cruiser were begun on the 17th and were completed on 10 May. CVE ARGUS proceeded to the Clyde, arriving 14 January.

*Coastal steamer VULCANO (FI 273 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Tobruk.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Jan 5, 2016)

*January 5 Sunday
NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. Italian garrison at Bardia surrenders. Having split the fortress in half yesterday, Australian 6th Division moves North and South with the 6 remaining Matilda tanks to capture the last Italian gun ‘posts’ and the remaining Italian force surrendered soon afterwards. In the battle for Bardia, the Italians suffered 1,000 killed, 3,000 wounded, and 36,000 taken prisoner; 2,000 Italians were able to withdraw to Tobruk, Libya. Australians suffered 130 killed and 326 wounded. The Allies captured a large quantity of Italian equipment, including 26 coastal guns, 7 medium guns, 216 field guns, 26 anti-aircraft guns, 41 infantry guns, 146 anti-tank guns, 12 medium tanks, 115 tankettes, 708 trucks, and water pumps capable of producing 400 tons of fresh water per day.

Italian ship “_Vulcano_” hit a mine and sank off Tobruk, Libya.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Italian submarine “_Cappellini_” sank British ship “_Shakespeare_” 100 miles northeast of the Cape Verde Islands at 1045 hours with her two 100-mm deck guns, killing 20. Before “_Shakespeare_” sank, her return fire hit “_Cappellini's_” aft gun and killed gunner Sergeant Ferruccio Azzolin. “_Cappellini_” rescued 22 survivors and took them to Sal Island nearby.

British sloop HMS “_Lowestoft_”, while operating with Allied convoy FS.378, was damaged by a mine in the Thames Estuary in England. She would be under repair at Chatham, England until 3 Oct.

*ASIA:* A 9,000-strong contingent of the Chinese Communist New Fourth Army became surrounded by overwhelming Chinese Nationalist force at Maolin, Anhui Province, China.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Amy Johnson, record-breaking aviation pioneer of the 1930s, was killed when the Airspeed Oxford trainer she was delivering as an Air Transport Auxiliary ferry pilot came down in the Thames Estuary in Southern England. It was sadly ironic that a woman who navigated her way solo from England to Australia got lost in bad weather. Running out of fuel, she baled out thinking she was over London. Landing in the freezing water, she was dragged under a rescue boat by her parachute and chopped to death by the propellers. Her body was never found.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 5, 2016)

*6 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Coirvette HMS DIANELLA (K 07)




_Name changed from HMS DAFFODIL on 26 October 1940 prior to commissioning. Sold for scrapping in early 1947, arrived for scrapping at Portaferry on 24 June 1947. 29 Mar, 1941 DIANELLA picks up 35 survivors from the British merchant GERMANIC that was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 south of Iceland. DIANELLA also picks up 44 survivors from the British merchant HYLTON that was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 south of Iceland. 5 Jul, 1942
The British merchant EMPIRE BYRON is torpedoed and sunk by U-703 in the Barents Sea. 63 survivors are later picked up DIANELLA_.

Hecla Class Destroyer Depot Ship HMS HECLA





*Losses
MV EMPIRE THUNDER (UK 5965 grt) *Sunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz); Crew: 39 (9 dead and 30 survivors); Cargo: Empty ; Route: Sunderland - Oban - William Head, Washington ; Convoy OB-269 (straggler); Sunk in the Western Approaches; at 1137 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE THUNDER , on her maiden voyage and a straggler from convoy OB-269 due to an engine breakdown, was torpedoed and sunk by U-124 about 100 miles NNE of Rockall. Nine crew members were lost. The master and 29 crew members were picked up by HMS KINGSTON ONYX and landed at Stornoway, Hebrides on 8 January.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 6 January 1941
U-37, U-38, U-65, U-95, U-105, U-106, U-124.
7 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.377 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 8th.

*Tug LION (UK 87 grt)* was sunk on a mine two and a half cables 320° from No. 5 Medway Buoy. All crew were lost.

*Trawler GADRA (UK 219 grt)* was sunk on a British mine one and a half miles off Myling Head, Faroes.
Seven crew of a ten man crew were lost.

*Northern Waters*
Signal Intercepts suggested another raider breakout, and as a result, BC REPULSE with DDs BEDOUIN, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow at 0401 to cover the inbound HX.99. DD MASHONA setting out on this sortie collided with DD HMS SIKH at one of the mooring buoys at Scapa Flow. The DD was unable to proceed and was taken to West Hartlepool for docking on the 9th. DD SIKH was docked at Scapa Flow for temporary repairs. The DD departed Scapa Flow for the Tyne on the 18th, escort DD PUNJABI but was forced to return due to a snow storm. The destroyer sailed again on the 20th escorted by destroyer WHITSHED and arrived in the Tyne at noon on the 21st. DD WHITSHED continued to Chatham to return to the Nore Command. CLs MANCHESTER and EDINBURGH departed Scapa Flow and proceeded to position 63N, 04W.

AMCs CHITRAL, LETITIA, WOLFE, CILICIA at sea were advised of the signals. AMCs CHITRAL and LETITIA returned to the Denmark Strait. Later this day, DDs NAPIER and PIORUN and AMCs CHITRAL and LETITIA refuelled at Reykjavik. When refuelling was completed, the DDs escorted the cruisers to the Minches. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow after this duty on the 11th. BC RENOWN and DDs BEDOUIN, ESCAPADE, ELECTRA arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 7th.

DD BRILLIANT departed Scapa Flow for Greenock to join DD BEAGLE in the escort of WS.5B. DD BRILLIANT arrived at Greenock at 1700. DD SOMALI arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth following repairs to her gun shield. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort WN.64 from the Pentland Firth to moonset. The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 7th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.101 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC AUSONIA, corvette COLLNGWOOD, patrol vessel OTTER. The corvette and the patrol vessel were detached the next day. BHX.101 departed Bermuda on the 3rd escort AMC RAJPUTANA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.101 on the 9th and the AMC was detached.

On the 17th, the AMC was detached and DD AMBUSCADE, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, HOLLYHOCK, ASW trawlers ANGLE, DANEMAN, LADY LILLIAN joined. Corvette AUBRETIA and the three ASW trawlers were detached later that day. DD AMBUSCADE was detached on the 20th, corvette HOLLYHOCK on the 21st, corvette HEARTSEASE on the 22nd, and arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd.

*Central Atlantic*
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished DKM CS ADM SCHEER at sea.

*Sth Atlantic
Steamer ANTONIS (Gk 3729 grt) *was sunk by DKM raider KORMORAN at 8-17N, 23-32W. The entire crew was made prisoners of war. CA NORFOLK, which departed the UK on 18 December for the Sth Atlantic, was attached to the Sth Atlantic Cmd. The CA was involved immediately in searching for the surface raider KORMORAN on the SL.convoy route. DEVONSHIRE participated in this search until 29 January.

*Med- Biscay*
CVL EAGLE with four DDs protecting her departed Alexandria for flying exercises. CLs GLOUCESTER and SOUTHAMPTON embarked 25 officers and 484 other ranks of Army and RAF personnel for Malta. The CLs and DDs ILEX and JANUS departed Alexandria at 1315. This gp was designated Gp B for Operation MC.4.

RM DesDiv 9 with DDs ALFIERI, CARDUCCI, FULMINE, GIOBERTI and the TBDiv 14 with TBs PARTENOPE, PALLADE, ROMEDA, ALTAIR shelled Greek positions at Porto Palmermo in Albania.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed escort of convoy BN.12 and took over convoy BS.12 in the Red Sea. BS.12 arrived at Aden on the 11th.

*Pacific/Far East/Australia Station*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland escorting British steamer EMPRESS OF RUSSIA to Fiji. They arrived on the 9th. The CL departed Fiji on the 10th to return to Auckland.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Jan 5, 2016)

*January 6 Monday*
*GERMANY: *Deciding the question of air support in the Battle of the Atlantic, Hitler orders that I./KG 40, with its Fw 200s, will be under the command of the Commander in Chief of the Navy. To appease Reichsmarschall Göring with this change, Hitler also orders Kampfgruppe 806 with its Ju 88s, be removed from Naval command and brought back to Sperrle’s Luftflotte 3 for the bomber raids on England. Now that Admiral Dönitz has gained control of KG 40 he is soon disappointed with its compliment. Although carrying a full establishment of from twenty to twenty-five aircraft only about eight serviceable aircraft are ever available for duty.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass: British 4th Armoured Brigade advanced 50 miles from Bardia, Libya to capture Belhamed to the east of Tobruk and the airfield at El Adem 8 miles to the south. Patrols were now conducted 10 miles west of Tobruk at Acroma. Churchill demanded that troops be released from Wavell's offensive and sent to Greece.

A Free French force under Lieutenant Colonel Jean Colonna d'Ornano attacked Murzuk airfield in southwestern Libya from Chad, capturing the airfield, but d'Ornano was killed in action.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Overnight, Greek destroyers shelled the Albanian port of Vlorë. 20 miles south, Italian destroyers “_Alfieri_”, “_Carducci_”, “_Fulmine_”, and “_Gioberti_”, and torpedo boats “_Partenope_”, “_Pallade_”, “_Romeda_”, and “_Altair_” shelled Greek positions at Porto Palmermo. The Greek offensive against Italian positions in the mountains of Albania reached the strategically important Klisura Pass on the river Vjosë, which, if captured, would allow Greek forces in the center of the front to link up with troops on the coast. They meet stiff Italian resistance, including the new Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 tanks which are devastated by Greek artillery.

The “Illustrious” Blitz: Convoy MC 4 left Gibraltar feinting toward the Atlantic before turning toward Malta after darkness concealed them from the view of Axis agents near Gibraltar. Force B containing British cruisers HMS “_Gloucester_” and HMS “_Southampton_”, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Ilex_” and HMS “_Janus_”, departed Alexandria, Egypt, at 1315 hours to carry 510 Army and RAF personnel to Malta and to meet Excess convoy which had departed from Gibraltar on the same day. The Luftwaffe launches its first attacks against the British convoys bound for Malta.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_Empire Thunder_” 200 miles northwest of Outer Hebrides, Scotland, at 1137 hours; 9 killed and 30 survived.

German raider “_Kormoran_” stopped Greek ship “_Antonis_” in the Atlantic Ocean 200 miles northwest of Cape Verde Islands. “_Antonis_” was scuttled when 4,800 tons of British coal was found on board. All 29 crew and 7 sheep were taken on board “_Kormoran_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In his State of the Union address, US President Franklin Roosevelt enunciated the Four Freedoms. Roosevelt recognized the need to support Britain and other countries in the war. At this time he sought to persuade many Americans that it was in their interests to align themselves against Nazism and dictatorship. Earlier he had argued the case for Lend Lease, which would allow military aid to foreign nations. In his fireside chat of the 29th December 1940 he had declared that America would become the ‘Arsenal of Democracy’. Now he went further with his vision of what America stood for. The Four Freedoms include two values that went beyond the United States’ constitution – freedom from want and freedom from fear. The ideas expressed here were to become the cornerstone of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the establishment of the United Nations. They assert a moral purpose that was in direct contradiction Hitler's rambling war aims:


> "In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression – everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way – everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want – which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants – everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear – which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor – anywhere in the world. That is no vision of a distant millennium. It is a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation. That kind of world is the very antithesis of the so-called new order of tyranny which the dictators seek to create with the crash of a bomb".


This was not a call to war but it was an unmistakable declaration of which side the United States stood by.

US 22nd, 23rd, and 32nd Fighter Squadrons, both operating P-40 Warhawk fighters, was assigned to Losey Field in Puerto Rico.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Neutral Ireland sent a note of protest to Germany after Dublin was "accidentally" bombed three nights in succession by "stray" Luftwaffe aircraft.

British destroyers HMS “_Mashona_” and HMS “_Sikh_” collided in the naval base at Scapa Flow, Scotland.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 5, 2016)

> British 4th Armoured Division.....




I suspect a typo....should this not read "british 7th Armoured div'. The only other divisional sized armoured unit in the MTO was the 2nd Armoured, not yet in action and soon to be lost.

Could possibly be a reference to a brigade, which I have not checked.....


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## parsifal (Jan 6, 2016)

*7 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Thornycroft 55 foot type MTB 217

*Losses
Steamer H. H. PETERSEN (UK 975 grt) *was sunk on a mine in 52-22N, 2-05E. The crew was rescued. Some sources claim the vessel was on passage from Goole to Rochester with coal, when she was torpedoed and sunk by the DKM schnellboot S-101






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-37

At Sea 7 January 1941
U-38, U-65, U-95, U-105, U-106, U-124.
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.381 departed Methil, escort DDs GARTH and VERSATILE, and arrived at Southend on the 9th. FS.382 departed Methil, DD VIMIERA and sloop WESTON, and arrived at Southend on the 9th. FS.383 departed Methil, escort DD VERDUN and sloop LONDONDERRY, and arrived at Southend on the 10th.

*Northern Waters*
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Scapa Flow to work up and join CruSqn 10. CLs MANCHESTER and EDINBURGH arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol. DD KELLY departed Scapa Flow and proceeded to Greenock, arriving the next day. The DD's working up was completed and she joined DDs KIPLING, KASHMIR, JERSEY in the same Flotilla. On the 18th, the four DDs arrived at Plymouth for duty in the Western Approaches. DD MEYNELL departed Scapa Flow to proceed to Aberdeen and escort steamer BEN MY CHREE to Lerwick and then back to Aberdeen. The ships arrived at Lerwick on the 8th. MEYNELL arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 9th.

*Western Approaches
Marcello Class Sub NANI (RM 1043 grt)* was sunk by Corvette ANEMONE, en route to join convoy HX.99, south of Iceland in 60-15N, 15-27W. FNFL corvette LA MALOUINE assisted in the attack.




_DKM took over a number of italian subs when italy surrendered. This is a photo of DKM sub UIT24 at the Inland Sea, Japan August 1944 (ex - RM sub COMANDANTE CAPPELINI, later IJN sub I-503_

*SW Approaches*
OG.49 departed Liverpool escort DD ANTHONY and sloop ROCHESTER. The convoy was join the next day by DDs ANTHONY and GEORGETOWN, armed boarding vessels CRISPIN and MANISTEE, seaplane tender PEGASUS, corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE. On the 11th, DDs ANTELOPE, ANTHONY, GEORGETOWN, seaplane tender PEGASUS, corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE were detached. On the 14th, the ocean boarding vessels were detached. OG.49 arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st, escorted by sloop ROCHESTER.

*Channel*
MTBs 32 and 34 laid minefield PW.1 in Zuydcoote Pass. DKM TBs KONDOR and WOLF laid minefield RENATE off Dover on the 7th. Returning, *TB WOLF (DKM 933 grt) * was mined and sunk north of Dunkirk in British minefield PW.1.





MTBs laid seven more PW minefields in January

*Med- Biscay*
Force H sortied from Gibraltar on the 7th to cover the EXCESS convoy. Units participating were BC RENOWN, BB MALAYA, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, FURY, DUNCAN.

Operation MC.4, the EXCESS convoy, which arrived in convoy WS.5 A, had departed Gibraltar on the 6th, The convoy consisted of British steamers ESSEX, en route to Malta, CLAN CUMMING , CLAN MACDONALD, EMPIRE SONG , en route to Pireaus. Another merchant ship, NORTHERN PRINCE was to have participated, but she ran aground at Gibraltar. The four hundred troops on NORTHERN PRINCE were embarked in CLA BONAVENTURE.

The EXCESS convoy was escorted by CLA BONAVENTURE and DDs HEREWARD, JAGUAR, HASTY, HERO. BB MALAYA was with the EXCESS convoy until Force H returned to Gibraltar twenty five miles north of Bizerte. The British Fleet with BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CV ILLUSTRIOUS, DDs JERVIS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, DAINTY, GREYHOUND, GALLANT, GRIFFIN of Force A departed Alexandria on the 7th to cover the EXCESS convoy. CA YORK and CL cruiser ORION of Force D.departed Alexandria at 0300 to cover the passage of Force C through the Kaso Strait. Force C was oiler BRAMBLELEAF and corvettes SALVIA, HYACINTH, GLOXINIA, PEONY. Force C refuelled the corvettes at Suda Bay on the 8th and proceeded independently to Malta. CLs AJAX and PERTH departed Piraeus to rendezvous CL ORION and CA YORK at Suda Bay on the 8th. Later on the 8th, CLs ORION, AJAX, RAN PERTH departed Suda Bay to cover Force C and for the EXCESS operation. CL AJAX was detached to return to Alexandria. Convoy MW.5 1/2 departed Alexandria with transport BRECONSHIRE and steamer CLAN MACAULAY for Malta, CLA CALCUTTA, DDs DEFENDER and DIAMOND. Subs TRIUMPH and UPHOLDER were at sea south of Sardinia. Sub PANDORA was at sea to the east of the other two submarines.

Some in the RN were expecting the operation to be yet another "milk run". If so, they were to be given a severe shock very soon.

Sube USK departed Gibraltar on the 7th and arrived at Malta on the 17th. Sub ROVER attacked a convoy in 32-15N, 23-36E. Italian steamer EDDA was not damaged. RM TBs CLIO and CASTORE counter-attacked and damaged the submarine. The damage required thirteen days to repair at Malta.

During the night of 7/8 January, RM DDs VIVALDI, MALOCELLO, DA NOLI, TARIGO and TBs SAGITTARIO and VEGA laid minefields X 2 (180 mines) and X 3 (180 mines) north of Cape Bon.

*Malta*
1455-1500 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching the Island. Delimara Signal Station reports aircraft approaching at 8 miles east but they turn away before crossing the coast.


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## Njaco (Jan 6, 2016)

parsifal said:


> I suspect a typo....should this not read "british 7th Armoured div'. The only other divisional sized armoured unit in the MTO was the 2nd Armoured, not yet in action and soon to be lost.
> 
> Could possibly be a reference to a brigade, which I have not checked.....



Yes, should be brigade which was there until 1943. My bad!


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## Njaco (Jan 6, 2016)

*January 7 Tuesday* 
*MEDITERRANEAN: *The “Illustrious” Blitz: Admiral Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet (Force A), consisting of battleship HMS “_Warspite_”, battleship HMS “_Valiant_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Illustrious_”, and 7 destroyers departed Alexandria, Egypt, to meet the Excess convoy. HMS “_Illustrious_” was carrying a squadron of 12 Fulmars (806 squadron), along with a detachment of three Fulmars from 805 Squadron. This was regarded as the standard fighter complement for the fleet carriers. There also was some 20 Swordfish (in 815 and 819 squadron). These stoic biplanes were running anti-submarine and spotting patrols around the convoys. Meanwhile Admiral Somerville's Force H, consisting of battlecruiser HMS “_Renown_”, battleship HMS “_Malaya_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, cruiser HMS “_Sheffield_”, and 7 destroyers, departed Gibraltar to cover convoy MC 4 which left Gibraltar on the previous day. Force A, Force D, and convoy MW 5 with Force C sailed from Alexandria, and Force B sailed from the Aegean toward Malta. Force A was located by Italian air reconnaissance that afternoon and sighted off Bougie. 

*NORTH AFRICA:* Australian 6th Division and British 4th Armoured Brigade have nearly surrounded Tobruk, Libya after capturing Acroma 10 miles to the west. But the British are unable to assault it immediately as supplies and reinforcements need to be brought up.

British submarine HMS “_Rover_” attacked an Italian convoy off the coast of Libya 25 miles west of Tobruk. Italian torpedo boats “_Clio_” and “_Castore_” counterattacked, damaging HMS “_Rover_”, putting her out of commission for the following 13 months for repairs at Malta.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German torpedo boats “_Kondor_” and “_Wolf_” laid a minefield off Dover, England, but “_Wolf_” sank in a British minefield north of Dunkirk, France on the way home.

Italian submarine “_Giacomo Nani_” attacked Allied convoy HX.99 200 miles south of Iceland without success. British corvette HMS “_Anemone_” and French corvette “_La Malouine_” counterattacked, sinking “_Nani_”; all 58 Italian sailors and officers were rescued and taken prisoner.

*ASIA: *Chinese Nationalist forces began attacking the surrounded Chinese Communist New Fourth Army troops at Maolin, Anhui Province, China.

Japanese Admiral Yamamoto proposes Operation Z in a letter. His goal is to destroy the U.S. fleet, not invade or conquer the U.S. He will use the massed aircraft carriers idea of Genda, not oversized battleships. The Pearl Harbor raid is to be part of combined operations to defeat British strongholds at Hong Kong and Singapore, occupy Philippines, the Malay barrier, Java, Borneo, New Guinea, central Pacific islands.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* During the most extensive daylight raiding of the Blitz, London was raided intermittently for three and a half hours, and bombs were dropped in fifteen districts. On the same day many incidents were reported from East Anglia and the Home Counties, and one from Coventry.
.


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## parsifal (Jan 7, 2016)

its all good Chris. I hope you arent being put out when I call you out like that. No disrespect is intended.


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## parsifal (Jan 7, 2016)

*8 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
N Class DD HMAS NIZAM (G 38 )




_NIZAM spent the early part of her service in the Atlantic, then was reassigned to the Mediterranean, where she was involved in the Crete and Syria-Lebanon Campaigns, the Tobruk Ferry Service, and the Malta Convoys. During 1942, the DD was involved in Operation Vigorous and the Madagascar Campaign. The next year saw the ship involved in patrols of the Indian and South Atlantic oceans, searching for German ships and submarines, and rescuing the survivors of U-boat attacks. After returning to Australia for a refit at the end of 1944, ten sailors were washed overboard in February 1945, with none ever seen again. The rest of World War II was spent operating in the Philippines and New Guinea regions.

After returning to Australia in late 1945, NIZAM was decommissioned and returned to the RN. The ship was not returned to active service, and was broken up for scrap in 1956._

MMS Class MSW HMS MMS 8 (J 508 )

*Losses*
T*rinity House Tender STRATHEARN (UK 683 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 51-45N, 1-10E. Fifteen crew and passengers were lost.

*Steamer CLYTONEUS (UK 6278 grt) *was sunk by the LW in 56-23N, 15-28W. The entire crew was rescued by AMC ESPERANCE BAY and DD WILD SWAN. The Clyde built ships website states: "One of a class of four vessels. On the date of her sinking she was attacked by a German aircraft whilst en route to Ellesmere Port with a cargo of sugar from Macassar. Two attacks were made and on the second attack her hold was hit setting the cargo alight. Her seams split and she sank stern first in posn 56,23N 15,28W. Her survivors were rescued by HMS WILD SWAN and ESPERANCE BAY. All four ships of her class were war losses, her sisters being MARON, MYRMIDON and POLYPHEMUS" (Additional data by Tom Carryette and Colin Campbell)





*UBOATS*
At Sea 8 January 1941
U-38, U-65, U-95, U-105, U-106, U-124.
6 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.378 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 10th. ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DD INTREPID, laid minefield BS.48 off the East Coast of England.

*Northern Waters*
CL MANCHESTER became flagship of CruSqn 18, before she departed Scapa Flow on the 11th for refitting and stiffening in the Tyne. CL ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow after guard ship duties at Oban. DDs JACKAL and BROADWAY arrived at Scapa Flow from Plymouth to carry out work up exercises. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.65 from the Pentland Firth until moonset. The cruiser arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 9th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.271 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and corvettes GENTIAN and RHODODENDRON. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 12th.

ML cruiser ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.12 in St Georges Channel.

*SW Approaches*
HG.50 departed Gibraltar escort corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL until 12 January. On the 12th, the corvettes were relieved by sloop SCARBOROUGH. FNFL corvette LA MALOUINE joined the conovy on the 20th. On the 21st, DDs HESPERUS, JACKAL, MALCOLM, SHIKARI, SKATE, SKEENA, corvete ARABIS, ASW trawler WELLARD joined the convoy. Corvette ARABIS was detached on the 23rd and DD SKATE on the 24th, and arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Med- Biscay*
Force A refuelled DDs at Suda Bay, arriving at 1230. The Force departed at 1400. Force B, the force centred around CL GLOUCESTER, arrived at Malta during the morning and disembarked their troops. DD JANUS remained at Malta for docking. Force B then departed to join the EXCESS convoy.

RAN CL SYDNEY, completed of her refit, departed Valletta, escort RAN DD STUART. These ships rendezvoused with Force D. They all then joined Force A on the morning of the 9th SE of Malta. SYDNEY and STUART were detached from Force A at 1240 for Alexandria. Force D was detached from Force A to cover the convoys and provide AA support for convoy ME.6 on the 10th.

Convoy AS.10 of seven British and three other ships, escorted by five RHN DDs, departed Piraeus, and arrived at Suda Bay on the 8th and at Port Said on the 10th.

*Malta*
0628-1050 hrs Maryland recon Cagliari: 2 DDs, 7 MVs 1500-4000 tons, 8 unidentified seaplanes; Trapani 4 DDs, 7 MVs 2000 tons. Light AA and very inaccurate; visibility poor. 0616-1117 hrs Maryland recon Naples: one Littorio BB, two Cavour BBs, two auxiliaries and large number of merchant vessels. Mission disrupted by two MC 200 ftrs which chased at 12000 feet but failed to intercept. Messina: 3 cruisers, 5 DD, 1 MV 5000 tons heading north. 0647-1142 hrs Maryland recon Taranto for shipping: outer harbour one damaged Cavour BBp, 9 MVs 1500-4000 tons; inner harbour 4 cruisers, 2 DDs, 2+ TBs entering harbour 2 3000 ton MVs also entering harboiur. One MC 200 ftr approached at 5000 feet and followed the Maryland to the Gulf of Taranto; no combat. As a result of recon, 10 Wellington bombers despatched to attack Naples that night. 228 Sqn left for recon western Ionian Sea returned 0616 hrs with engine trouble. Naples was bombed by British Malta based Wellingtons. RM BB CESARE was damaged by three near misses, but later repaired at La Spezia. BB VENETO, escorted by RM DesDiv19, was sent to La Spezia to take her out of the reach of Malta bombers.


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## Njaco (Jan 8, 2016)

No worries!! Thick hide here!


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## Njaco (Jan 8, 2016)

*January 8 Wednesday*
*GERMANY: *During the night, 7 British Wellington bombers from Feltwell, Lincolnshire attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” at Wilhelmshaven, which suffered light damage from near misses.

Adolf Hitler hosted a two-day military conference at his Berghof residence in southern Germany, where he stated that Germany would continue to support Italian efforts in North Africa despite it being a secondary theater, the Soviet Union must be brought down, southern France might need to be occupied, and, for the first time, told the military leaders to prepare Germany for the possibility of American entry into the war.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British Wellington bombers from Malta attacked Italian battleships _“Guilio Cesare_” and “_Vittorio Veneto_” moored in Naples, Italy. “_Guilio Cesare_” was badly damaged by 3 near misses but _“Vittorio Veneto_” was hit without serious damage. Both ships would be moved to La Spezia, Italy and repaired, out of the range of the Malta bombers. This attack underlines the importance of Malta as an offensive base. Two days later, German and Italian aircraft begin a concerted air campaign against the island.

The “Illustrious” Blitz: British cruisers HMS “_Gloucester_” and HMS “_Southampton_” arrived at Malta to disembark 510 Army and RAF personnel, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Ilex_” and HMS “_Janus_”. HMS “_Gloucester_”, HMS “_Southampton_”, and HMS “_Ilex_” continued west to meet the Excess convoy from Gibraltar.

Mussolini’s military pretensions were revealed to be little more than a posture. His troops were retreating in Albania, reeling from their failed invasion of Greece. German military predictions that the Greeks would prevail had proved correct. Hitler had now to consider his support for his principal ally. Strategically he was uninterested in North Africa but he could not allow Mussolini’s regime to fail and that meant giving him military support.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Scout Movement and hero of the Boer War, died in Kenya at the age of 84.

Operation Compass was far from over and troops were needed to maintain the momentum on Tobruk. Australian 6th Division began reconnaissance patrols around Tobruk, Libya. Overnight, a patrol reached the Italian defensive perimeter. Outnumbered by their enemy during the battle, the few British troops left to guard the prisoners were now massively outnumbered. The reputation of Australian troops was in the ascendant. They had been in Egypt for over a year and had been eager for action. Wavell may even have believed that they would have caused more trouble in the base areas had they not been brought into the campaign. They had been brought into the battle late, even while they were under equipped, but their success now resounded around the world.

*ASIA:* Royal Thai Air Force aircraft attacked French positions at Siem Reap and Battambang in Cambodia, French Indochina.

“_Zuikaku_” departed Hiroshima, Japan for Truk, Caroline Islands.

Japanese Army Minister Tojo Hideki issues “Instructions For the Battlefield” commanding soldiers to die a soldier’s death rather than become captives. This code, glorifying heroic death, will form the basis of Japan’s wartime code.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Franklin Roosevelt requested the US Congress to pass a defense budget in the size of US$10,811,000,000 for fiscal year of 1942.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Soviet general staff conducts war games over four days, to examine the possibilities of a German attack and Russian counter-attack. Two basic scenarios are considered, one concentrating on the northwest (Lithuania and East Prussia), the other on a Southwestern Army Group attack south of Brest-Litovsk. An initial defensive stage of the war is not simulated. Both attack scenarios show overall difficulties, but the southern approach is shown to advance 55-100 miles into Poland.

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## Njaco (Jan 8, 2016)

*January 9 Thursday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *The “Illustrious” Blitz: Escort duties for the British Excess convoy was passed from Force H (from Gibraltar) to the Mediterranean Fleet (from Alexandria, Egypt); most of Force H turned back for Gibraltar at nightfall, but cruiser HMS “_Bonaventure_” and destroyers HMS “_Hereward_”, HMS “_Jaguar_”, HMS “_Hasty_”, and HMS “_Hero_” would remain with the convoy. Force A was joined by Force D and HMAS “_Sydney_” 210 nautical miles southeast of Malta. Force B joined convoy MC 4. Convoy MC 4 and Force H were discovered by Italian aircraft and attacked unsuccessfully by ten SM.79s from Sardinia but were chased off by HMS “_Ark Royal's’_” Fulmars. Two SM.79s were shot down by the Fairey Fulmars. A later attack by 15 Fiat CR.42s carrying 100 kg bombs was similarly ineffective. Force H left convoy MC 4 that afternoon after “_Ark Royal_” launched six Swordfish for the defense of Malta. Force A joined convoy MC 4 at dusk. On the same day, 12 Italian C.200 fighter-bombers attempted to attack Malta. 4 were shot down by defending Hurricane fighters of No. 261 Squadron RAF. Nine Ju 87s from X Fliegerkorps bombed ships in Marsa Scirocco Bay, Malta.

British submarine HMS “_Pandora_” sank Italian ships “_Palma_” and “_Valdivagna_” off Cape Carbonara, Sardinia, Italy. British submarine HMS “_Parthian_” sank Italian ship “_Carlo Martinolich_” off Calabria, Italy.

Italian destroyers “_Ascari_”, “_Carabiniere_”, “_Folgore_”, and “_Fulmine_” shelled Greek positions on the Albanian coast at Porto Palmermo.

Seven RAF Wellingtons, operating from Malta, attacked the harbour and marshalling yards at Messina. A Naval oil storage depot was bombed, together with the marshalling yards and oil tanks nearby. Bombs also straddled cruisers and ships in the harbour. 

*WESTERN FRONT: *Over Nijmegen, at 2318 hours, Oblt. Reinhold Eckhardt of 6./NJG 1 destroys a British Whitley bomber.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The prototype of the four engined Avro Lancaster flies for the first time. The prototype aircraft BT308 was assembled by Avro's experimental flight department at Manchester's Ringway Airport. Test pilot H.A. "Bill" Thorn took the controls for its first flight at Ringway. The aircraft proved to be a great improvement on its predecessor, being "one of the few warplanes in history to be 'right' from the start." Roy Chadwick the chief designer at Avro had designed the two engined Manchester bomber to an Air Ministry specification. It was not a success and there were particular problems with the powerful Rolls Royce Vulture engines, which were unreliable. Chadwick independently started to develop the design of the airframe to accommodate four of the tried and tested Rolls Royce Merlin engines. Its initial three-finned tail layout, a result of the design being adapted from the Manchester I, was quickly changed on the second prototype DG595 and subsequent production aircraft, to the familiar twin-finned specification also used on the later Manchesters. From this process the Lancaster bomber emerged, destined to become the principal aircraft of Bomber Command and one of the most famous aircraft ever built.

Mr. Harry Hopkins, President Roosevelt's personal envoy, arrived in England.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Australian 6th Division and British 7th Armoured Division completed the encirclement of Tobruk, Libya. 25,000 Italian troops were now trapped.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-105 sank British ship “_Bassano_” 300 miles south of Iceland at 1814 hours; 1 was killed and 56 survived.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler and his top military leaders completed the two-day conference at Hitler's residence of Berghof in München-Oberbayern, Germany. He issues orders to discontinue preparations for Operation Felix (Gibraltar) and Sea Lion (England), to continue Attila (France) preparations, and continue undertaking Marita (Balkans).

*SOUTH PACIFIC*: US Navy transport William Ward Burrows arrived at Wake Island with the first group of 80 civilian workers who would start to excavate the channel between Wilkes and Wake Islands.

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## parsifal (Jan 9, 2016)

*9 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Gnevnyi Class DD USSR REKORDNYI




_sold to China 1955 as AN'SHAN. In chinese service she was extensively modified, losing her torpedo tubes in favour of HY-2 anti-ship missiles. This picture, the only one i could find, is of the AN'SHAN as modified. After conversion, the type were redesignated as Type 6607.

After 1949 the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) negotiated with Britain through Hong Kong to buy some second-hand ships and boats but unable to do so due to the Korean War. As a result, the PLAN turned to the USSR to buy 4 wornout destroyers with 17 tons of gold.

The Anshan-class ships were withdrawn from active service by the 1990s, but retained as training and museum ships . The PLAN retains ownership through PLAN funded institutions._

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS PIMPERNEL (K 71)

Town Class DD HMNoS BATH (I-17)




_Transferred from the RN to the RNoN on 9 January 1941. The ship was lost in August 1941. HNoMS BATH. was escorting convoy OG-71 as part of the 5th Escort Gp about 400 miles sw of Ireland. During combat, the destroyer fell behind the convoy and was sunk by two torpedoes from the DKM U-204 at 0205 hrs on 19 August 1941 in position 49º00'N, 17º00'W. The CO and 82 crew members were lost._

*Losses
MV BASSANO (UK 4843 grt) *Sunk by U-105 (Georg Schewe) ; Crew: 57 (1 dead and 56 survivors); Cargo: Steel Grain; Route: New York - Hull ; Convoy Independent; Sunk in the Western Approaches; At 1814 hrs on 9 Jan 1941 the unescorted BASSANO was hit just aft of amidships by one of two G7e torpedoes from U-105 and sank by the stern NW of Rockall. One crew member was lost. The master, 48 crew members, two gunners and five passengers were picked up by RN DD WILD SWAN and landed at Liverpool.





*Drifter DUSKY QUEEN (UK 40 grt) *was lost when she ran aground in the Dover Straits.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-94, U-96

At Sea 9 January 1941
U-38, U-65, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-124.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.384 departed Methil, escort DD WOLFHOUND and sloop EGRET. Patrol sloops GUILLEMOT and SHELDRAKE were with the convoy on the 10th, which arrived at Southend on the 11th.

*West Coast UK*
British steamer DORSET COAST was damaged on a mine. The steamer was brought into Penarth Dock (near Cardiff) for repairs.

*SW Approaches*
Evidently deciding to defect to Vichy, *Trawler URANIA (Vichy 500 grt (est))* departed Saint Pierre et Miquelon (in Newfoundland) for Casablanca on 28 December. The trawler was intercepted by a British ocean boarding vessel on the 9th and sent into Gibraltar arriving on the 11th. She was handed over to the Free French.

*Channel*
MSW SALTBURN was damaged by the near miss from a LW a/c in Portsmouth dockyard, however RN reports say she spent no time out of service.

*Nth Atlantic*
RM sub GLAUCO reported shelling an 8000 ton steamer in the western approaches, but there is no confirmation for the claimed two shell hits.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL, escorted by BC RENOWN, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs FOXHOUND, FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FORTUNE, FIREDRAKE, flew five Swordfish of 821 Sqn to Malta. A Swordfish of 818 Sqn, returning from a diversionary raid on Cagliari, force landed in the sea 130 miles from the Fleet, however Lt A. H. Appleton and Sub Lt R. I. W. Goddard were rescued by DD FOXHOUND.

Two RA SM 79s were shot down by a Fulmar of 808 Sqn. One crewman from one bomber was picked up by DD FOXHOUND; two crew of the other bomber were picked up by DD FORESTER.

Force H reversed course and returned to Gibraltar after the EXCESS convoy was joined by CLs GLOUCESTER and SOUTHAMPTON and DD ILEX off Cape Bon for the run into Valletta. At that time, CLA BONAVENTURE and DD JAGUAR were detached to Malta and returned to the force shortly before dusk that evening.

RN Sub PANDORA sank *steamer PALMA (FI 2715 grt) *





PANDORA also sank and *Steamer VALDIVAGNA (FI 5400 grt)*. These ships were lost off Cape Carbonara, Sardinia.

RN Sub PARTHIAN sank *steamer CARLO MARTINOLICH (FI 4208 grt)* off Calabria.





RN Sub ROVER unsuccessfully attacked a small steamer with gunfire in 32-23N, 23-21E. RHN sub NEREUS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Brindisi. Sub TRITON unsuccessfully attacked an RM sub off Otranto.

*Coastal steamer GIOVANNI MARI (FI 636 grt)* was sunk on a mine twelve miles from Bardia. RM DDs ASCARI, CARABINIERE, FOLGORE, FULMINE again bombarded Greek positions at Porto Palmermo, Albania.

RM sub BEILUL fired torpedoes at two ships in a convoy in 35-25N, 26-28E, with no result.

*Malta*
1007-1025 hrs Air raid alert for a total of 15 Macchi 200 fighters approaching the Island in three formations. While most remain at 12-14000 feet, a formation of six dive down over Luqa and launch a machine-gun attack on the aerodrome. Three Wellingtons are holed by bullets but none is badly damaged. Five raiders then cross the coast and fly in a straight line from Zonqor towards Birkirkara.

Malta fighters are scrambled and ground defences open fire. Four enemy aircraft are shot down by Hurricanes and one by AA fire. Three enemy aircrew are seen to bale out in different locations and one raider crashes two miles out to sea off Della Grazia. One enemy air crewman is picked up from the sea and taken to military hospital. One Hurricane lands at Hal Far during the raid.

1614 hrs Air raid alert for a formation of nine enemy dive-bombers approaching the Island from the east, three of them clearly identified as JU 87 Stukas of the LW. As they circle round to the south, a Maryland reconnaissance aircraft approaches Luqa from the South East but turns away. The Stukas dive down over Marsaxlokk and target bombs on shipping moored in the bay; no damage is reported. A trawler opens fire and reports hitting one enemy aircraft (unconfirmed). One bomb explodes on land near a gun position with no damage or casualties. Four Hurricanes are scrambled but do not intercept the bombers. They spot a further formation of 12 CR 42s but these are too high to intercept.

1635 hrs The Maryland circles Luqa again before landing safely. One of the crew is injured.

1755-1810 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island from the north east, then circles to the south. Three Hurricanes are airborne on patrol but no raid materialises.


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## parsifal (Jan 9, 2016)

*10 January 1941 
Losses
Steamer MIDDLESEX (UK 9583 grt) *was mined and sunk off South Wales. The entire crew were rescued





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-65

At Sea 10 January 1941
U-38, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-124.
7 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.380 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 12th. FS.385 departed Methil, escort DDs VESPER and WOOLSTON, and arrived at Southend on the 13th.

*Northern Waters*
L/R D/F readings 300 miles west of Bloody Foreland caused a sortie from Scapa Flow. BCs HOOD and REPULSE, CLs EDINBURGH and BIRMINGHAM, DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, TARTAR, ESKIMO, ESCAPADE and ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow at 0101 on the 11th. When no contact was made, the ships arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 13th. Before arriving, HOOD was detached to Rosyth for refitting. She was joined by DDs ECHO, ELECTRA, KEPPEL, which departed Scapa Flow on the 12th, in Pentland Firth and arrived at Rosyth on the 13th.

DD JACKAL departed Scapa Flow for Devonport following a short series of exercises. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.66 from Pentland Firth to the latitude of Buchan Ness. The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 11th.

*West Coast UK*
ML ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.14 in St Georges Channel during the night of 10/11 January. OB.272 departed Liverpool, escort DD WESTCOTT, ocean boarding vessel CRISPIN, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes CANDYTUFT and HONEYSUCKLE, ASW yacht SURPRISE. The yacht was detached later that day and the corvettes on the 13th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 14th at which time the convoy dispersed.

*Channel*
AA ship TYNWALD, while fitting out at Portsmouth, was damaged by the LW.

*Central Atlantic*
In Operation MONSOON, CVL FURIOUS departed Freetown on the 6th with CL DELHI and DDs ISIS and ENCOUNTER.
On the 10th, 39 Hurricanes and 9 Fulmars were flown off to Takoradi, the carrier and CL NEPTUNE departed Takoradi. The cruiser was detached to Lagos for fuelling on the 10th. The carrier departed Freetown on the 16th, escorted by CL NEPTUNE again and DDs ISIS and ENCOUNTER. The ships proceeded to Gibraltar due to fuel shortages. FURIOUS arrived back in the Clyde on 5 February and began refitting at Greenock.

Convoy SL.62 departed Freetown escort AMC PRETORIA CASTLE to 28 January. On the 28th, corvette MALLOW and ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and ST ELSTAN joined to 3 February. DDs JACKAL to 1 February, SALADIN, SKATE and corvette KINGCUP joined on the 30th and DDs SARDONYX and SCIMITAR and corvette ANEMONE joined on the 31st, and arrived at Liverpool on 3 February.

Convoy SLS.62 departed Freetown. The convoy was escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE from 25 January to 4 February.
On the 30th, DD VOLUNTEER and corvette TULIP joined the convoy and escorted it to 4 February. Vichy steamer CANTAL departed Fort de France for Casablanca on 28 December. The steamer was intercepted by British ocean boarding vessel MARON at 29-35N, 21-20W and sent to Gibraltar, arriving on the 14th. The steamer was sent to England in convoy HG.57 on 24 March.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished German supply ship EUROFELD at sea.

*Med- Biscay*
Dawn - EXCESS convoy escorts encountered RM TBs VEGA and CIRCE off Cape Bon. CL SOUTHAMPTON and CLA BONAVENTURE, escorted by DDs HEREWARD and JAGUAR, sank *Spica Class TB VEGA (RM 795 grt)*, but BONAVENTURE expended 75% of her ammunition and there were no reserves in Alexandria. One rating was killed and four were wounded, with one dying of wounds on 4 April, in cruiser BONAVENTURE.





At 0815, the EXCESS convoy and its escorts, undamaged, joined Cunningham's Force A.

Right after the engagement, in which VEGA was sunk, at 0834, *GHI Class DD GALLANT (RN 1378 grt) * struck a mine that detonated her forward magazine, because the Italian action pushed the British convoy too much south of their pre-established route. The explosion blew the bow off the ship, killing 65 and injuring 15 more of her crew. Her sister GRIFFIN rescued most of the survivors and the DD MOHAWK towed her stern-first to Malta. The ship was slowly repaired and in October 1941 it was estimated that they would be completed in June 1942. However, on 5 April 1942, she was extensively damaged by bomb splinters by an air raid on Valletta and had to be beached at Pinto's Wharf to prevent her from sinking. She was judged to be a constructive total loss and any usable equipment was stripped from her hulk. Gallant was expended as a blockship at St Paul's Island in September 1943, with the wreck being broken up in 1953. She was effectively however, lost on 10 Jan 1941




_GALLANT after she had been towed to Malta_

TB CIRCE escaped with only splinter damage, but she was attacked later in the day by Malta based a/c.

A Fulmar of 806 Sqn from CV ILLUSTRIOUS was shot down sixty miles sw of Malta. Sub Lt I. L. F. Lowe was wounded, but was rescued by DD JAGUAR. Naval Airman R. D. Kensett was killed. DDs HEREWARD and JAGUAR joined Force A.

At 1000, CLs GLOUCESTER and SOUTHAMPTON were ordered to stand by DD GALLANT. Off Malta, the cruisers were detached at 0500 on the 11th. GALLANT was towed to Malta by DD GRIFFIN and escorted by CLA BONAVENTURE and DD MOHAWK. BONAVENTURE and JAGUAR remained at Malta to return to Gibraltar. However, on the 14th, they sailed with CL ORION to Alexandria. BONAVENTURE carried non essential personnel from ILLUSTRIOUS. The ships arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

At 0800on the 10th, convoy MW.5 1/2 arrived at Malta.

On the 10th, convoy ME.6 of steamers VOLO, former Italian RODI , PONTFIELD, ULSTER PRINCE, DEVIS, Norwegian tkr HOEGH HOOD, tkr TROCAS, and AO PLUMLEAF departed Malta at 0700 escorted by corvettes PEONY, SALVIA, GLOXINIA, HYACINTH departed Malta at 0700. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy later in the day for AA support.

Convoy ME.5 1/2 of steamers WAIWERA and LANARKSHIRE departed Malta at 1130 escorted by DD DIAMOND. Both convoys safely arrived at Alexandria on the 13th.

DD JANUS departed Malta at 1200 to join Force A. Steamer ESSEX arrived at Malta at 2045 escort DD HERO. CA YORK was detached at 1830 to join the EXCESS convoy. At 1235 to 1245, heavy air attacks on Cunningham's force in 36-00N, 13-12E. ILLUSTRIOUS was hit by six bombs and was forced to retire to Malta for repairs escorted by HASTY and JAGUAR (see folowing entries). 83 officers and men were killed on the.

Five Swordfish aircraft were destroyed in the bombing and four others were damaged, but repairable. Five Fulmars of 806 Squadron were lost. After an epic struggle, the carrier limped into Malta at 2145. BB WARSPITE was also hit by a bomb, but it did not cause damage. BB VALIANT was near missed by several bombs. One rating was killed and two were wounded by splinters.

RM sub SETTIMO fired torpedoes at a light cruiser in 35-22N, 16-15E. SETTIMO attacked British units escorting the EXCESS convoy that night and into the morning of 12 January, without success.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.12B departed Suez, escort sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY, and arrived at Port Sudan on the 13th.

*Malta*
0845-0855 hrs Air raid alert for one Italian Breda 20 aircraft which approaches from the north, circles to the west, then flies over Valletta at 25000 feet, probably on reconnaissance. Six Hurricanes are scrambled; no raid materialises.

1145-1210 hrs Air raid alert for a formation of enemy aircraft which approaches the Island from the north east but withdrew without making an attack. Six Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception. As the Hurricanes head back to base some guns on the ground open fire before the aircraft are identified; no damage is done. 

1438-1445 hrs Air raid alert for an approaching formation of six JU 87 dive bombers with fighter escort. Six Hurricanes are scrambled; one engages the enemy but no result is observed. The raiders turn north without making an attack.

1620 hrs Heavy guns are heard firing out to sea to the west of the Island. One aircraft carrier and destroyers are engaging enemy aircraft to the south west.

1815-1825 hrs Air raid alert for an approaching enemy formation spotted 17 miles west of Malta. One Hurricane is airborne and machine guns open fire from Zonqor Point. Flashes are reported in the direction of Marsascala bay; four vessels are observed three miles to the east.

1900-1020 hrs Air raid alert. Three Swordfish land at Hal Far. No enemy aircraft are seen near the Island.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 10 JANUARY 1941

AIR HQ 0745-1200 hrs Glen Martin photoreconnaissance Palermo prior to evening attack by 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm. On return journey sighted two JU 87s east of Pantelleria. 0835-1325 hrs Maryland photoreconnaissance Naples and Messina. Considerable interference by enemy fighters; chased by Macchi fighter over Naples and took evasive action. 0845-1350 hrs Maryland photoreconnaissance Taranto and Syracuse. 0550-1320 hrs Sunderland recce western part of Ionian patrol.


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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2016)

The Air Attack On Force A Operation Excess (Part I)

Admiral Cunningham had taken a risk to place the newest and most powerful unit in his fleet so close to the enemy in the Sicilian Narrows. But he felt HMS ILLUSTRIOUS offered vital air cover and an equally important boost in morale.




_HMS ILLUSTRIOUS wore this MS4a pattern applied over the previous overall B6 at the time of the January 10 1941 attack. While the pattern was very similar on both sides, the port side appears to have incorporated more curves. The deck was 507a and the markings dull yellow. By January 10 the broken flight deck centre line had been painted into a solid stripe._

Axis Order Of Battle 

Italy’s 96 Gruppo

This bomber group detached some Ju87Rs to Sicily on January 8 after German and Italian intelligence operative reported the impending arrival of HMS ILLustrious in waters off Sicily. The Stukas were to be based in Comiso. On the same day, the first of Germany’s powerful bomber contingent would arrive on the island to support the attack.





_96 Gruppo Ju87 B2 as they appeared September 1941_

Fliegerkorps X 
This was Hitler’s gift to the embattled Mussolini. The specialist anti-shipping unit would have as its first priority the neutralisation of Malta and the British fleet. This would secure the sea lanes to Libya which would allow the embattled Italian army to be reinforced by German troops and armour.

X Fliegerkorps was sent to Italy "for a limited period only" by Adolf Hitler to assist the struggling Italians, but it was not a half hearted effort. The unit was highly trained in anti-shipping operations, with many of its pilots originally earmarked to fly on Germany's first carrier, Graf Zeppelin. At the core of the units striking power were some 42 Ju87s of StGI, StG2 and StG3 that had been assigned to an air base at Trapani, on the north-west coast of Sicily. Their role was to attack British ships passing between Sicily and North Africa. Specifically, that shipping meant HMS Illustrious and Ark Royal.

The initial deployment of FKX to the med included 50 He 111s, 70 Ju88As, 80 Ju 87s and 26 Me110s. There were at least 20 Me 109s attached. 

The order issued by Oberstleutnant Karl Christ, Kommodore of the Stukagruppen, was straight and to the point: "The Illustrious has got to be sunk!" Considerable thought had been put into how to kill a British armoured carrier, in particular by Oberst Harlinghausen and General de Flieger Geisler. It was believed four direct bomb hits would be needed to sink the ship. No other warship had ever been delivered such a blow, but, then, these armoured carriers were anticipated to be tough nuts to crack. The Stuka crews were confident they could do the job. Afterall, the 6500sq/m flight deck was an expansive target area. To make sure, the crews practiced their dive-bombing techniques over an outline of the carrier's shape marked by buoys in the sea not far from their new base.

The 43 Ju87 Stukas were made up of "B" models from II/StG 2 (led by Major Enneccerus) and "R"models from I/StG 1 (led by Hauptmann Hozzel). The "R" or long range model was capable of carrying a 1100lb (500kg) bomb - but only if it was not carrying drop tanks. If a drop tank was fitted, its bomb load was limited to a 550lb (250kg) bomb. The "B-2" could carry a 2200lb (1000kg) bomb over a very short distance - but only if the gunner was left behind. It was not capable of being fitted with drop tanks in any configuration. The attack was carefully choreographed. It was no accident that Italian torpedo-bombers attacked when they did, drawing off and down, the Fulmar CAP. And a diversionary effect of 10 Stukas attacking the battleships was expected.

When ILLUSTRIOUS was left to defend herself with her high-angle armament - and the fresh Fulmars observed to just be leaving her deck - it was the perfect outcome for a meticulously planned operation.




_St.G 2 Ju 87 B as flown by Major Walter Enneccerus for the raid on the British carrier "HMS Illustrious". _


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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2016)

The Air Attack On Force A Operation Excess (Part II)

PRELUDE

Luck had not been with the operation from the outset.

Force A had been spotted by RA recon a/c as early as the morning of January 7. A recon bomber was sighted shortly after 0800. A section of Fulmars had been kept ready on ILLUSTRIOUS’ deck for just such an eventuality. The fighters failed to intercept. It would not be the last time their low rate of climb would fail the fleet. On January 9, convoy MC4 and Force H were also spotted by RA a/c. 10 SM79s were launched from Sardinia but were chased off by CV ARK ROYALls’ Fulmars. Two were claimed shot down. A second attack by 15 Fiat CR42s also proved unsuccessful. Force A had been strengthened by the four cruisers of Force D and HMAS SYDNEY. Their stay would be short: all would be detached to help cover the convoys before the attack on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS unfolded. That was the plan.

Force H handed responsibility for convoy MC4, which had been joined by Force B, to Force A at dusk. ILLUSTRIOUS was carrying a squadron of 12 Fulmars (806 squadron), along with a detachment of three Fulmars from 805 Squadron. This was regarded as the standard fighter complement for the fleet carriers. There also was some 20 Swordfish (in 815 and 819 squadron).

Early on January 10, two Italian torpedo boats and a submarine launched attacks on MC4. The CLA BONAVENTURE and two DDs which had been with the convoy gave chase – sinking the torpedo boat VEGA, but expending a large amount of ammunition. However, one of HMS ILLUSTRIOUS' escorts - the DD GALLANT - struck a mine at 0835. Another destroyer took her in tow, and a third DD was detached as escort along with BONAVENTURE.




_HMS ILLUSTRIOUS astern BB WARSPITE 10 January_
ILLUSTRIOUS’ radar was to play a key role in the air battle as it unfolded. The Type 79Z model she was fitted with was capable of detecting aircraft at 20,000ft up to 90 miles away. The Fulmars – of which 12 were operational - were providing the combat air patrol. Three had become unserviceable through accident or mechanical fault. The air battle began at 0930 that morning when one of HMS ILLUSTRIOUS’ Fulmars shot down a Z501 recon . Most of the early radar contacts turned out to be aircraft attempting to shadow the fleet.

Five Fulmars were on air patrol at 1120 (three in Red Section, two in White Section) when a single contact was detected at 12,000ft. It was found to be a SM79, which was promptly shot down. One Fulmar of Red Section lost its cockpit’s sliding hood during this engagement and was forced to land on ILLUSTRIOUS at 1145. This left four fighters on the air patrol. Lt Robert Henley reported:

‘_An aircraft identified as a Messerschmitt 109 attempted to join the formation, but did not attack. When it broke away, the Fulmars proved too slow to pursue it’._

Early in the morning, a strike of Swordfish had been flown off from ILLUSTRIOUS to hit an Italian convoy. These had returned and had been struck below to refuel and rearm before the German attack developed. Several pairs of Swordfish were still in the air, on armed recon.

ATTACK 1
At 1220 hours Force A detected a group of unidentified aircraft on radar some six miles from the fleet. The CAP fighters were immediately directed to intercept. Two Savoia SM79 torpedo bombers came into sight two minutes later. They had approached from below the radar horizon and raced low through the fleet towards the starboard side of the carrier, met only by light AA fire. The bombers dropped their torpedoes some 2500 yards distant from Illustrious which took urgent evasive action by swinging to port. Both torpedoes passed astern, but went on to only narrowly miss the nearby BB VALIANT.




_SM-79 delivering a similar low level torpedo attack during the Pedestal Convoys_

Lt Henley reported:
‘_The S79s made a low pass over the fleet, which drew us off at low altitude and high speed to the southeast, and this in turn allowed the Germans to make their attack._”

ILLUSTRIOUS ’ Fulmars had dived from 14,000ft to chase the low-level Savoias. Red Section engaged as the SM79s fled the fleet, expending all their ammunition in the effort. They spent too much time chasing this now unimportant target, breaking a crucial rule in Fleet defence operations.

White Section continued the chase but was unable to catch the fleeing bombers. But, as they passed over Linosa Island, they saw an SM79 standing in a field – which they promptly strafed. Red Section reported its lack of ammunition and set course to land and re-arm on ILLUSTRIOUS. They had been scheduled to land at 1245.


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## Njaco (Jan 10, 2016)

*January 10 Friday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* The “Illustrious” Blitz: The Luftwaffe announced their arrival in the Mediterranean with a vengeance as German and Italian planes continued to attack the Allied convoy Excess in the Mediterranean. Italian ships from La Spezia searched unsuccessfully for Force H. Italian submarine “_Settimo_” and torpedo boats “_Circe_” and “_Vega_” launched torpedoes unsuccessfully against convoy MC 4. HMS “_Bonaventure_” and “_Hereward_” sank “_Vega_” six miles south of Pantellaria at 0830. “_Circe_” escaped undamaged. “_Bonaventure_” sustained some damage and two of her complement were killed. Two of “_Vega _'s” crew survived. At 0815 hours, the convoy made rendezvous with the Mediterranean Fleet (with two battleships, one carrier, and seven destroyers). Shortly after, destroyer HMS “_Gallant_” hit a mine, killing 58 and wounding 25. She was towed to Malta for repairs. The air battle began at 0930 hours that morning when one of HMS “_Illustrious_’” Fulmars shot down an Italian reconnaissance aircraft. Most of the early radar contacts turned out to be aircraft attempting to shadow the fleet. Five Fulmars were on air patrol at 1120 hours (three in Red Section, two in White Section) when a single contact was detected at 12,000ft. It was found to be a SM79, which was promptly shot down. One Fulmar of Red Section lost its cockpit’s sliding hood during this engagement and was forced to land on “_Illustrious_” at 1145 hours. This left four fighters on the air patrol. “_Valiant_” avoided torpedoes launched by two SM.79s approaching under the radar horizon at 1230 hours. The bombers dropped their torpedoes some 2500 yards distant from “_Illustrious_” which took urgent evasive action by swinging to port. Both torpedoes passed astern, but went on to only narrowly miss the nearby HMS “_Valiant_”. HMS “_Illustrious_’” Fulmars had dived from 14,000ft to chase the low-level Savoias. Red Section engaged as the SM79s fled the fleet, expending all their ammunition in the effort. As the combat air patrol Fulmars dropped altitude to engage the SM.79s, Force A was attacked at 1235 hours by 18 He111s of KG 26 and 43 Ju87s of StG 1 and StG 2 escorted by 10 Bf110s of ZG 26. The air patrol was out of position and low on ammunition. The enemy formation was only 28 miles away, to the north. The fleet was itself about 85 miles west of Malta. Four Fulmars and three Swordfish were already in position on HMS “_Illustrious_’” deck for a scheduled 1235 hours rotation in air patrol. The Fighter Direction Officer requested the relief flight be flown off as fast as possible. Several more Fulmars were rapidly hoisted onto the flight deck to supplement the defense. “_Illustrious_” completed launching relief Fulmar and Swordfish patrollers as the attack developed. A group of about 30 Stukas headed towards “_Illustrious_”. Another 10 went after the battleships as a diversion to split the anti-aircraft fire. “Illustrious” was the main target and was soon enveloped in waterspouts and mist of exploding bombs. Some bombers diving from an altitude of 12,000 feet delayed bomb release until their pullout altitude was lower than the height of “_Illustrious _'” funnel. The five air patrol Fulmars had not returned from chasing the SM.79s which attacked “_Valiant_” and the four recently launched Fulmars were unable to gain altitude rapidly enough to break up the attack. Despite having no ammunition, Red Section’s Fulmars made dummy attack runs in an effort to disrupt the enemy’s aim. The Fulmars claimed eight enemy aircraft downed during the continuing air strikes against Force A as they shuttled to Malta airfields to refuel and re-arm. “_Warspite_” was lightly damaged by a single bomb. “_Illustrious_” was hit by five bombs, including one which failed to explode; and a near miss disabled her rudder mechanism. A bomb striking a lowered elevator caused extensive hangar damage with many casualties among aircraft maintenance personnel and destroyed nine Swordfish and five Fulmars. The fleet claimed two Stukas shot down by anti-aircraft fire. The seven remaining airborne Fulmars, without another carrier to land-on, were ordered to fly to Malta to refuel and rearm. Captain Boyd ordered the flag signal “I AM NOT UNDER CONTROL” raised as the engines were urgently altered to keep the carrier on course.

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## Njaco (Jan 10, 2016)

*January 10 Friday* _continued_
The bombing attacks continued. A raid by seven Italian high-altitude SM.79 bombers began at 1329 hours. The bomber formation at 14,000ft was engaged before their payloads could be released accurately. Splashes were observed scattered around the fleet. But the attack had some effect. As “_Illustrious_” manoeuvred to evade the bombs – some of which fell near - her steam steering gear failed. The carrier was again out of control, steaming slowly in circles to port. 11 Swordfish and five Fulmars stowed in the hangar had been destroyed. HMS “_Illustrious_” eventually regained steerage at 1434 hours through alternating the revolutions to her three screws. This was only possible once the rudder had been jammed into an amidships position. At 1530 hours “_Illustrious_” headed for Malta steering with engines. Late that afternoon, at 1604 hours, another strike was reported on radar by HMS “_Valiant_” – this time of about 15 Italian Ju87s from 237a Squadriglia with an escort of about five Italian single-seat fighters. Three Ju88s of LG 1 also appear to have taken part in a raid about this time, only to be chased off by Malta's Hurricanes. Fortunately the attack was nowhere near as well synchronized as the first. Only two bombs fell near the ship. A near-miss also killed one man and wounded three aboard HMS “_Valiant_”. HMS “_Valiant’s_” radar again demonstrated its worth at 1656 hours when enemy aircraft were detected at 52 miles. Seventeen aircraft came into view at 1710 hours and then proceeded to circle the fleet to make an approach from up-sun and astern. Several Ju88's of LG 3 reportedly took part in this raid. The combined high-level and dive-bombing attacks appear mainly to have been directed at the battleships. None came close. Fourteen German Ju87s missed “_Valiant_” and “_Janus_” and a later attack by 14 He111s was similarly ineffective. “_Illustrious_” reached Malta at 2130 hours with 126 dead and 91 wounded. HMS “_Illustrious_” being out of service meant the Axis now had air superiority in the theater. Though they succeed in severely damaging HMS ‘_Illustrious_’, they failed to seriously hinder British naval strength in the Mediterranean region. Some repairs were carried out at Malta (where there were further air attacks) before HMS “_Illustrious_” returned to Alexandria. There she was sufficiently patched up to make the journey, via the Suez Canal and round Africa, to U.S. shipyards in Norfolk, Virginia. She was out of the war for the remainder of the year.
HMS Illustrious: Excess, January 10, 1941 — Armoured Aircraft Carriers in World War II

Greek troops, with the recently arrived Greek 5th Cretan Division, captured Klisura Pass in Albania after 4 days of fighting.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The RAF begins Circus operations - co-ordinated bomber and fighter attacks on targets in France in First large-scale RAF daylight raid over France since June 1940. Six Blenheims, escorted by six/nine squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes attacked supply dumps south of Calais. 100 fighters escorted the Blenheim bombers in a sweep over the Pas de Calais attacking airfields and cross-Channel gun positions. The fighters of JG 3 intercepted the formation of British bombers and Hurricane fighters over Boulogne in the early afternoon. Oblt. Georg Michalek and Fw. August Dilling of the Stab flight of II./JG 3 each claim a Hurricane shot down while Hptm. Hans von Hahn of the Stab flight of I./JG 3 destroys a Blenheim north of Nieuport.

*GERMANY:* A new German-Soviet treaty was signed confirming spheres of influence and affirming trade agreements. Graf von Schulenburg of the German Government and V. Molotov of the USSR sign a secret protocol transferring a small piece of Lithuanian territory to the USSR for 31.5 million reichmarks (US$7.5 million).

*UNITED KINGDOM: *At around 1900 hours the German Luftwaffe attacked Portsmouth for the first time that night in a raid lasting two hours, only to return again a couple of hours later. Nearly 300 raiders dropped a total of 25,000 incendiaries and hundreds of high explosive bombs which damaged the city to an extent no one could have imagined. Not only did 170 people lose their lives and over 400 get injured, the city also lost six of its churches and its three major shopping centres in Kings Road, Palmerston Road and Commercial Road. The Guildhall was heavily damaged and would remain closed until 1959. The enormous amount of incendiaries and the difficulty the fire fighters experienced due to fractured water mains meant the city was a blaze. The blood-red glow could be seen from the coast of France. It not only illuminated the Isle of Wight and the pitch black Solent, but also the city itself when the German bombers returned at around 2330 hours for another two hours of intensive bombing.

British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, received confirmation from intercepts of German signals, decrypted at Bletchley Park, that the German build-up in Romania formed a grave threat to Greece. He promptly ordered draft contingency plans for the commitment of a British expeditionary force to the Greek mainland.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Roosevelt introduces his 'Lend Lease' bill to the House of Representatives as House Resolution 1776 (H.R. 1776), after recognizing that neither Britain nor China could continue paying indefinitely for material supplied. This allowed the fighting allies to pay the USA back in kind, but after the war. He likened this to 'lending a neighbor a garden hose to put out a fire'.

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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2016)

*The air attack on Fce A Operation Excess Part III*

1225: Scramble and FK X Form up

When HMS ILLUSTRIOUS detected a second – much larger – raid at 1225, the Fighter Direction Officer (FDO) knew the fleet was in trouble. The air patrol was out of position and low on ammunition. The enemy formation was only 28 miles away, to the nth. The fleet was itself about 85 miles west of Malta. ILLUSTRIOUS recalled the four Fulmars as soon as the raid was detected. The FDO also ordered them to climb. But the fighters had a long way to fly, and a lot of height to regain. Precious time to the enemy to close the distance, get into attack position and begin the attacks. FKX were not to be the slow and flimsy Italian aircraft they had previously encountered. these attacks were to be delivered by a determined and well trained enemy, in aircraft ideal for the purpose of delivering pinpoint attacks, and well supported.

While ILLUSTRIOUS had an effective and innovative fighter direction crew, communications to the Flag Officer aboard HMS VALIANT was limited. The opportunity provided by the early warning was therefore squandered.

X Fliegerkorps had deployed a comprehensive strike force including:
•43 Ju87 B and R model Stuka dive bombers of I StG1 and II StG2 with a detachment from StG3. 
•18 He111s of KG26 
•10 Bf110s of ZG26 were escort
•Some sources state “a number” of Ju88s also took part.
•Some accounts also say three Italian bombers flew “as guides”.

Four Fulmars and three Swordfish were already in position on ILLUSTRIOUS’ deck for a scheduled 1235 rotation in air patrol. The FDO requested the relief flight be flown off as fast as possible. Several more Fulmars were rapidly hoisted onto the flight deck to supplement the defence. At, 1230 ILLUSTRIOUS’ CO asked permission from the CinC to turn the fleet into the wind five minutes early. The reply was slow in coming. Four minutes, to be exact. At 1234, approval was received to alter course to launch a/c. The ready Fulmars only began rolling down the deck as the German aircraft entered visual range. 

Lt Vincent-Jones, flying as Lt Bill Barnes’ Tactical Air Officer (TAO), recalled:

“_There was no CAP overhead and there were only six serviceable Fulmars in the hangar, two of which were brought up on the after lift. Barnes and I were leading the next section to take off and were on our way up to the bridge for briefing. I remember being told to get airborne as fast as possible as a huge formation was approaching from the northwards._”

At 1235, the enemy formation came into sight at 12,000ft.

By 1237, the last aircraft left the deck even as the first bombs fell.

After action report from Commanding Officer, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS to Rear Admiral, Aircraft Carriers, Mediterranean 
(26 January 1941) 

_Tactics of attacking aircraft. 
The attacking aircraft consisted of two formations of JUNKERS 87 with German markings. It was difficult to count the numbers exactly but the first formation consisted of 15 and the second of 20 to 30 aircraft. They were in a very loose and flexible formation, constantly changing their relative positions, and split when engaged by long range fire. It is estimated that the dive was started at about 12,000 feet and checked at 6000 to 8000 feet before going into the aiming dive. Bomb release varied from about 1500 feet in the first wave to 800 feet in later ones. Most aircraft continued to dive after releasing their bombs and flattened out low over the water having crossed the flight deck. At least one aircraft machine gunned the ship. The majority of the aircraft attacked ILLUSTRIOUS.

Most of the bombs dropped were large SAP bombs of about 500kg. but some smaller bombs (either direct action or with very short delay) may have been used as the damage from certain hits was appreciably less than others. 

Report on aircraft encountered
1. All those encountered bore the standard German markings. 
2. Camouflage. Black and grey mottling above, half black and half white below. General camouflage similar to a Fulmar. 
3. Tactics. 
(i) Single JU. 87 when attacked from astern will pull the nose up in order to allow the rear gunner a good downward shot. 
(ii) If attacked in formation, two of formation drop astern and use their front gun on the attacking aircraft. 
4. A Fulmar should have no difficulty in catching or outmanoeuvring a JU. 87. Being of metal construction, a JU. 87 will not burn like an Italian aircraft. JU. 87 s appear to be well protected from stern attacks. Every endeavour should be made to carry out beam and quarter attacks."_


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## parsifal (Jan 10, 2016)

*The air attack on Fce A Operation Excess Part IV*

1238: Attack 2

The main assault lasted just 7 minutes, with a group of about 30 Stukas headed towards Illustrious, whilst another 10 went after the BBs as a diversion intended to to split the AA fire. Their actions demonstrated the value of experience, planning and training.

The approaching Stukas formed into three clover-leaf formations, with the planes continually changing height, speed and position to evade AA. Diving from 12,000ft to about 7000ft, the Stukas then positioned themselves for attack. Their dives ranged from 65 to 80 degrees. Despite having no ammunition, Red Section’s Fulmars made dummy attack runs in an effort to disrupt the enemy’s aim.

Lt Henley reported "_By the time I got back, without ammunition, all I could do was to make dummy passes at them as they started their dives on the carrier._" Despite these futile gestures, two Ju87s were seen to jettison their bombs early. The two remaining patrol Fulmars had been struggling to regain height and position after breaking off their chase of the Italian torpedo bombers. The four freshly launched Fulmars (two in Blue Section and two in Yellow Section) were also encumbered by their 1200ft per minute climb rate.

Denis Tribe was the observer in Fulmar Q, flown by Sub Lt Jackie Sewell.

“_We were at readiness on the flight deck and took off before Illustrious was to wind. Before we were at 2000ft the first bomb from a Ju87 hit the ship. It went into the open lift well and exploded in the hangar – it was really horrific to watch as you realised how many would be blown to bits – also a very close escape. As we climbed to attack the Stukas were diving to bomb. When we reached height the air seemed full of aircraft. From the rear seat I saw one go down and another was damaged. It wasn’t long before we were out of ammunition and landed at Hal Far_.”

The Fulmars put up a valiant – but ineffectual – fight. Captain Boyd later concluded “_This attack came at a bad moment for the fighters_. _Those in the air had already been engaged in two combats and were low down, and with little ammunition remaining. Relief fighters were ready on deck, but as the whole fleet had to be turned by signal from the Commander-in-Chief before they could be flown off, valuable minutes were wasted. In any case the Fulmar has not sufficient climbing speed to ensure being able to counter this type of attack, particularly if a heavy attack is launched shortly after a minor or diversionary attack_.”

The fleet claimed two Stukas shot down by AA fire. White Section arrived as the attack ended. Despite having already expended half their ammunition, the flight claimed one Ju87 shot down and two damaged. The freshly launched Blue Section reported to have shot down one Ju87 before it had dropped its bombs. Yellow Section claimed two victims after they had bombed. The claims were ambitious: X Fliegerkorps reported losing only three Stukas in that day’s fighting, though a larger number were unserviceable for the subsequent attacks.

Lt Vincent-Jones would write “_Meanwhile, Barnes had no shortage of targets – he had, in fact, too many, and contented himself with pumping bursts into Stuka after Stuka as they came through his sights – and there was no question of not being able to see the whites of their eyes! I found it difficult to see what was going on up front, but I saw one Stuka go down with smoke pouring out of its engine. Despite their slow speed the Stuka did not respond easily to .303 bullets as they bounced off a sheet of armour fitted at the rear of the back seat to protect the air gunners… The next thing I remember was Bill Barnes telling me that we were out of ammunition_.”

During the engagement, one Fulmar of Blue Section was shot down. Crewed by Sub Lt Lowe and observer Kensett, the Fulmar had been seen to shoot down a Ju87 as another moved on to its tail. An ensuing burst of machine-gun fire killed Kensett and wounded Lowe in the shoulder. The fighter ditched near the DD HMS NUBIAN , but Lowe was not seen to get out of the cockpit. Some 30 minutes later, HMS JAGUAR spotted Lowe bobbing in the water by pure chance. A very lucky man.....

One Swordfish also ditched. The crew was picked up by a DD. This aircraft was piloted by Lt Charles Lamb of 815 Sqn. He had been in the landing circuit after completing his ASW patrol as the attack developed. After a series of desperate aerobatics to avoid being shot-down by the swooping Stukas, Lamb circled the fleet to watch developments. With a punctured fuel tank, he eventually ditched his Swordfish alongside the DD HMS JUNO. The 7 remaining airborne Fulmars, without another carrier to land-on, were ordered to fly to Malta to refuel and rearm. 9 of ILLUSTRIOUS’ Swordfish also were in the air at the time of the attack and managed to get to Malta.

HMS ILLUSTRIOUS’ high-angle 4.5in and pom-pom batteries were restrained for up to a minute in opening fire as the Fulmars and Swordfish got airborne. it was still an impressive achievement to get that number of a/c off the deck in such a short time. With the BBs focused on evading the diversionary strike, the carrier was left virtually unsupported. The attack that unfolded was devastating by any standard. The first Stukas dropped their bombs from about 1500ft. Later waves went so low as 800ft before releasing their weapons. 13 minutes after the initial radar contact, the first bombs began to register on the carrier. One of the last Fulmar’s to leave ILLUSTRIOUS’ deck was piloted by Lt Bill Barnes with Lt Vincent-Jones as his observer “_When we had reached a few hundred feet we found ourselves surrounded by Ju87s as they were pulling out of their dives. Some were very close and I could clearly see the rear gunners firing at us. I looked down and saw poor ILLUSTRIOUS passing through huge columns of water, with smoke coming from the after end of the flight deck._”

The spectacle wasn’t reserved for the Fulmar crews. The Swordfish also had prime seats. at least one a/c managed to take photos from the air of the unfolding drama. A crewman of one of the Swordfish bombers from the ILLUSTRIOUS recalled the event
“_Suddenly there was a loud explosion on my right-hand side and I felt the whole plane shake as a shock wave buffeted me too – the twin 4.5inch gun turret a few feet away had opened fire, its barrels pointing vertically over the flight deck, and following their line, I looked up to see a mass of aircraft coming in fast immediately over the fleet, and they were not ours. We were frantically waved off and up the deck, even though the ship was still swinging rapidly to starboard to turn into the light breeze. By now all our 4.5inch guns and pom-poms were blazing away straight above my head. We rumbled off as the enemy, gracefully it seemed, wheeled over in succession and dived straight down, almost as if they wanted to look down the funnel. As we passed the island the first bomb exploded at the after end of the flight deck where we had been parked seconds before. The sea around Illustrious was boiling with falling shrapnel and I saw that another direct hit had been scored, this time plumb in the middle of the flight deck.”_

HMS ILLUSTRIOUS was in serious trouble. She had been hit six times. For 3 hrs her fate hung in the balance. Fires were raging out of control inside her hangar – other ships in the fleet could see the flames venting out of the aft lift well. Several other compartments were also ablaze, most notably near the forward magazine. But her crew fought back with courage, skill and determination. The damage wasn't entirely one-sided. According to "Report of Air Attacks on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS during Operation MC4, 26 January, 1941" "_About twenty feet of the wing of a Ju87 fell on the after lift. Aircraft assumed to have crashed. A Ju87 was seen to fall into the sea by the Chaplain and another crashed into the sea just astern of one Swordfish on A/S patrol_"

At 1255, ILLUSTRIOUS’ electric steering gear failed. Her rudder was unresponsive. Captain Boyd ordered the flag signal “I AM NOT UNDER CONTROL” raised as the engines were urgently altered to keep the carrier on course. Steerage was regained by 1303 98 mins later) through use of auxiliary steam mechanisms.































_An amazing sequence of photos of the German attack_


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## Lucky13 (Jan 11, 2016)




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## parsifal (Jan 11, 2016)

*The air attack on Fce A Operation Excess Part V*
1329: ATTACK 3 - The Italians return

The main attack had knocked out the radar on ILLUSTRIOUS, but the second wave was detected by HMS VALIANT, and the escort and fighters warned and able to take up defensive positions accordingly. Captain Boyd’s report says the raid by 7 RA SM 79s began at 1329. The bomber formation at 14,000ft was engaged before their payloads could be released accurately. Splashes were observed scattered around the fleet. But the attack had some effect. Forced to manouvre hard to evade the bombs – some of which fell near - her steam steering gear failed again. The carrier was again out of control, steaming slowly in circles to port.

ILLUSTRIOUS In Mortal Danger

The flight deck was inoperable. The damage and fires around the aft and lift were not under control and simply made landing-on operations impossible – even if the carrier could turn into the wind, which it could not. The forward lift also had been displaced. According to Swordfish pilot Charles Lamb, the hangar itself was like a scene from Dante’s Inferno:
“_(The hangar fire screens) disintegrated at once, bursting apart in masses of red hot steel splinters about three or four feet long, which tore through every obstruction setting on fire all the aircraft that were not already burning and decapitating anyone who might be standing in the way_.”

A flash report from the CinC to the admiralty immediately after the attack reported 11 Swordfish and five Fulmars stowed in the hangar had been destroyed. Others sources say nine Swordfish and four Fulmars were lost. Despite the damage, the armoured box had prevented major aviation fuel lines from being ruptured. The Avgas lines were filled with CO2 and the strict policies about volatile liquids and munitions in the hangar space were paying off. The survival of the ILLUSTRIOUS was as much about the high standards of damage control in the RN as they were to do with the ship design. Reports were reaching Captain Boyd that whilst the the fires were bad they were not uncontrollable. 

Other problems were presenting themselves, however. ILLUSTRIOUS’ speed had dropped first to 21 knots, but by 1345 she was making only 15 knots. Work to restore the steam steering succeeded at 1348. But the success was short lived, as, at 1350, it failed again.

ILLUSTRIOUS makes for Valletta
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS eventually regained steerage at 1434 through alternating the revolutions to her three screws. This was only possible once the rudder had been jammed into an amidships position. Captain Boyd later wrote “_When this very severe and brilliantly executed D/ B attack was over, the ship was on fire fore and aft, the flight deck was wrecked, and I decided to make for Malta at once, informing the Commander in Chief who detached ‘Jaguar’ and ‘Hasty’ as screen_.”

Malta was some 75 miles away. It was to be a six-hour trial by fire.

Men were trapped. Fires continued to rage. Shrapnel had jammed part of the fire sprinkler system on – contributing to the flooding of the ship, and it took some time to attend to this serious problem. At one point the power failed, and the fire-fighting pumps were put out of action. Stokers in the boiler room had to contend with extreme temperatures and a ventilation system full of thick smoke. Struggling with the heat and smoke, many would pass out from exhaustion.

The four aft HA 4.5in gun mounts were out of action. Their fire control circuits had been destroyed and ammunition conveyors hit. Fires raged around the forward magazines, but there was no explosion in the magazines or ready use ammunition lockers. Captain Boyd made a daring decision: He would not flood the magazines. This enabled the ship to continue defending itself. He would later write “_The guns crews (with about 60% of the armament) beat off the subsequent attacks._”. It was clear at this point that ILLUSTRIOUS had been hit very severely, but her engines were intact. There was still a chance to save her. At a steady 17 knots, ILLUSTRIOUS limped towards the refuge of Malta.


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## parsifal (Jan 11, 2016)

*The air attack on Fce A Operation Excess Part VI*

1604: ATTACK 4

The LW and RA were determined to sink the carrier if they could, so several strikes were hastily organised and flung at HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. The battered carrier did get intermittent air cover from Malta as she struggled towards safety – three of her own Fulmars were now operating out of Hal Far along with with nine Hurricanes. HM Battleships VALIANT and WARSPITE were still in company along with the DDs HASTY and JAGUAR. She was still some 45 miles from Valetta harbour at this point. 

Late that afternoon, at 1604, another strike was reported on radar by HMS VALIANT – this time of about 15 Italian Ju87s from 237a Squadriglia with an escort of about five Italian single-seat fighters. Three Ju88s of LGI also appear to have taken part in a raid about this time, only to be chased off by Malta's Hurricanes. ILLUSTRIOUS was unable to take effective evasive manoeuvres because of her damage. Her fires were still burning out of control.
Fortunately the attack was nowhere near as well synchronised as the first, neither were the bombers delivering the attack as capable in this sort of attack as the Ju87s. It is significant that it was the Ju87s of this strike that achieved the hits. 

The first wave of six Ju87s attacked from astern shortly after coming into view at 1609. HMS ILLUSTRIOUS’ forward 4.5in mounts and four remaining pom-pom mounts contributed to the defence, despite being hampered by thick haze and smoke from the hangar fire. Only two bombs fell near the ship from this wave. A second wave of three Ju87s dove in on the starboard side a minute later. A near-miss abreast the conning-tower funnel shook the ship violently. Another burst just off the quarterdeck, killing and wounding those assembled there to tend the injured. Captain Boyd’s report does not state exactly when the final bomb hit the aft lift during this raid. He only reports six further Stukas retiring at height, with two being diverted from their attack run without dropping their bombs. But the damage was significant. Many of those tending wounded in the hangar and fighting the fires were killed. A near-miss also killed one man and wounded three aboard HMS VALIANT. 

Admiral Cunningham later commented: “_One of the staff officers who watched it hurtling over the bridge from astern told me it looked about the size of the wardroom sofa._” ILLUSTRIOUS was now listing some 5 degrees to starboard. This was from the fire-fighting water trapped in the hangar and wardroom flat – the scuppers had been blocked. Somehow the ship remained upright and afloat. 

1710: ATTACK 5

HMS VALIANT’s radar again demonstrated its worth at 1656 when enemy aircraft were detected at 52 miles. 17 aircraft came into view at 1710 and then proceeded to circle the fleet to make an approach from up-sun and astern. The combined high-level and dive-bombing attacks appear mainly to have been directed at the BBs, but none came close. Several Ju88's of LGIII reportedly took part in this raid. After refueling and rearming at Malta, several of ILLUSTRIOUS’ Fulmars returned to the scene – a little too late. A long stern chase developed. Lt Vincent-Jones described the scene: “_We soon sighted ILLUSTRIOUS on her way towards the Grand Harbour with smoke pouring out of her but still making a good 20 knots. She had parted company with the rest of the fleet. We were not in time to intercept before the attack developed but we caught up with the enemy on their way back to Sicily…_”

ILLUSTRIOUS had to nose her own way through the swept channel leading to the harbour entrance. The requested tugs were nowhere to be seen. Only two ASW PVs came out to assist. But the Axis air attacks were not over. An hour after sunset as HMS ILLUSTRIOUS limped within five miles of the entrance to Valetta harbour, yet another attack developed. Malta radioed an urgent air-raid warning. Two aircraft were at first heard and then briefly sighted off the starboard bow at 1922. The 4.5in and pom-poms fired a blind barrage as a deterrent. The aircraft withdrew. Alarmingly, HMS HASTY reported a sonar contact at 1930. DCs were fired but no torpedo tracks were seen. ILLUSTRIOUS limped into harbour that night a shattered ship. No other carrier of the war was to suffer the same number of hits as she, and survive.

It was just the beginning.


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## parsifal (Jan 11, 2016)

*11 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1936A Mob (Narvik) Class Zerstorer Z26










*Losses*
In German bombing attacks on the Vosper yard at Portsmouth, Motor torpedo boats *MTB.37 (RN 39 grt)*, *MTB.39 **RN 39 grt )*, *MTB.40 (RN 39 grt)*, *MTB.74 (RN 39 grt)*, *MTB.75, (RN 39 grt)*, and *MTB.108 (RN 49 grt)* were destroyed on the stocks.

*Drifter UBEROUS (UK 92 grt) * was lost when she ran aground off Londonderry. 

*Convoy rescue ship BEACHY (UK 1600 grt)* was sunk by the LW with 5 crew killed. ASW trawler ARAB rescued the survivors of the ship on the 29th.





*Steamer BERTHA (SD 1216 grt)* was sunk by mining between Saltholm and Middelgrund. 13 crew were rescued. 4 crew were missing.






*FV ORIOLE (UK 172 grt)* was sunk on a British mine 2.5f miles north of Stakken North Point, Faroes. The entire crew was lost.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-93

At Sea 11 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-124. 
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.381 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 13th. British steamer GREYFRIARS was damaged by the LW off Grimsby. 5 crew were lost. The steamer drifted ashore near Chapel St Leonards during the night of 11/12 January, but was refloated on the 14th and was towed to Hull for repairs.

*West Coast UK*
British tanker BRITISH FIDELITY was damaged on a mine near Cardiff. The tanker's engines were totally disabled. She was towed to Cardiff. 
 

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.102 departed Halifax, escort AMC VOLTAIRE. Simultaneously BHX.102 departed Bermuda on the 9th escort by AMC RANPURA. The convoys rendezvoused on the 15th and one of the AMCs detached. The convoy was joined on the 23rd and replaced later that day by DDs WILD SWAN and WITCH, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, GARDENIA, PERIWINKLE. The remaining AMC was detached on the 22nd. DDs WILD SWAN and WITCH were detached on the 25th and corvette GARDENIA on the 27th. On the 28th, sloop ABERDEEN and corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, PERIWINKLE were detached, and arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Med- Biscay*
CL GLOUCESTER and *CL SOUTHAMPTON (RN 9100 Grt)* with DD DEFENDER were steaming from Malta to join convoy ME.6 when attacked by FKX a/c near Malta at 1500. SOUTHAMPTON was badly damaged at 1605. CL GLOUCESTER picked up 33 officers and 678 ratings of which four officers and fifty eight ratings were wounded. DD DIAMOND picked up sixteen wounded ratings. CLs ORION and RAN PERTH and DDs JERVIS and JANUS were detached at 1645 to assist. However, DDs JUNO and NUBIAN, low on fuel, were detached to join the convoy. Destroyer HERO joined the Force A screen. DDs MOHAWK and GRIFFIN, after delivering DD GALLANT, departed Malta to 1700 to assist. 98 Crew members werre killed in the attacks. 

CL GLOUCESTER was struck on the roof and suffered damage to of the forward 6" director. However the bomb passed through five decks without exploding. 9 crew members were killed14 others were wounded. CLs ORION and PERTH and DD JERVIS and JANUS joined that night. CL ORION that evening scuttled the SOUTHAMPTON.










CL GLOUCESTER's Walrus returned to the ship during the attack. The Walrus ditched alongside DD DIAMOND which took off the crew then scuttled the aircraft.
​BB BARHAM, CVL EAGLE, CL AJAX, DDs (RAN) STUART, WRYNECK, (RAN) VENDETTA, (RAN) VAMPIRE, and (RAN) VOYAGER departed Alexandria as Force X to cover the EXCESS convoy in the Aegean and later launch an air strike on Rhodes. This force joined Force A west of Crete on the 12th.​ 
Force X were sent to Suda Bay to refuel, where the force was reinforced by DDs ILEX, JUNO, HASTY, MOHAWK, GRIFFIN.

After refuelling, BB BARHAM, CVL EAGLE, CL AJAX with DD (RAN) STUART, JUNO, HEREWARD, HASTY, DAINTY departed SudaBay on the 13th. Destroyers ILEX, WRYNECK, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, after sweeping in Kithera Strait at dawn joined the Force at noon.

DDs VAMPIRE and VENDETTA were detached to investigate explosions which proved to be underwater volcanic activity. The destroyers then patrolled inKaso Strait. DDs ILEX and WRYNECK were detached to sweep towards Stampalia and then with VAMPIRE and VENDETTA proceeded to Piraeus to escort the EXCESS convoy to Alexandria. An air strike scheduled for the evening of 13 January on Rhodes was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

On the 14th, four Swordfish were sent to search the Libyan coast between Derna and Tolmeita. Lt (A) D. R. Hoar, A/Sub Lt (A) G. J. Woodley RNVR, Naval Airman H. J. S. Frank of 824 Squadron from aircraft carrier EAGLE were lost when their Swordfish ditched after running out of fuel. A search by destroyer MOHAWK did not locate the crew.

Later on the 14th, an air strike of eight Swordfish were flown off to strike at an Italian convoy, but returned without making contact that evening.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.12A departed Aden, escort CLA CARLISLE and DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY, and arrived at Suez on the 15th.

*Malta
*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 JANUARY TO DAWN 12 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Wind slight; high cloud.
*0745-0848 hrs *Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft reported approaching the Island. One SM 79 flies over the Island at 33000 feet on reconnaissance. One Maryland is airborne with the task of shadowing any identified German aircraft, especially dive bombers, in order to track them back to their base. Six Hurricanes are scrambled; one sees the raiders but they are too far away to intercept. One Hurricane crashes in flames at Ta Qali, killing the pilot; the cause is unknown.
*0837 hrs *A defence post of 2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment reports seeing a cruiser heading towards the Island with a damaged destroyer in tow. 
*0838 hrs *Southern Infantry Brigade warns 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regiment to expect 90 prisoners of war shortly, for which they are to provide a guard. Only three prisoners were disembarked.
*AIR HQ *_0445-1457 hrs _Sunderland sweep ahead of eastbound convoy. _0530-1515 hrs_ Sunderland patrol western Ionian Sea. _0600 hrs_ Maryland despatched to reconnoitre Taranto for shipping and Catania and Comiso aerodromes. Pilot signalled at 0900 hrs information of ships at Brindisi, though not instructed to recce there. The aircraft has so far failed to return.


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## Njaco (Jan 11, 2016)

*January 11 Saturday*
*GERMANY: *Hitler signs Directive No. 22 German Support For Battles In The Mediterranean Area that states that a Sperrverband (Special Blocking Force) be raised and sent to Tripoli to assist Mussolini with his invasion of North Africa. At this time the Italian Army has been defeated and pushed back from Tobruk and Benghazi and is on the brink of annihilation. Hitler orders the Luftwaffe to transfer X Fliegerkorps, led by General Hans Geisler, to Sicily to begin operations against British shipping and airbases in the Mediterranean. The operation is to be named 'Alpine Violets'. At this time X Fliegerkorps’ aerial strength is limited to two Gruppen of Ju 87s, two Gruppen of Ju 88s, one Gruppe of He 111s, a Staffel of reconnaissance aircraft and a Bf 110 Gruppe (III./ZG 26). The division soon makes its headquarters at Catania with Palermo, Trapani, Gela and Comiso as the main airfields on Sicily. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/22.html

During the night 16 British aircraft from RAF No. 49 and 83 Squadrons from Scampton, Lincolnshire attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” at Wilhelmshaven, Germany to little effect. No hits were scored.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The “Illustrious” Blitz: “_Gallant_” was beached in Malta's Grand Harbor at dawn but never repaired. As HMS “_Mohawk_” and the Force B cruisers steamed from Malta to rejoin Force A, they were surprised by 12 Ju-87R dive bombers of II./St.G.2 attacking out of the sun at 1520 hours. German Oberst Werner Ennecerus led the dive bomber attack on British cruisers HMS “_Gloucester_” and HMS “_Southampton_” 120 miles east of Sicily, Italy, hitting “_Gloucester_” with one 500kg bomb that failed to explode (9 killed, 13 wounded) and “_Southampton_” with two 500kg bombs (98 killed). “_Southampton_” was abandoned by the 727 survivors at 1900 hours, then scuttled by a torpedo from cruiser HMS “_Orion_” at 2000 hours. Force H returned to Gibraltar. Ju 87s again bombed the HMS ‘_Illustrious_’ now sitting in harbour at Malta. Further east, the Allied convoy Excess, which the cruisers were protecting, reached their destinations of Malta, Egypt, and Greece.

Italian 7th Infantry Lupi di Toscana ("Wolves of Tuscany") Division and the remnants of Italian 3rd Alpine Division Julia launched a failed counterattack on Klisura Pass in Albania, which was captured by the Greeks on the previous day. They are beaten back with heavy casualties including a battalion of Lupi di Toscana which is encircled.

Seven Wellingtons located and bombed the Royal Arsenal at Turin. All bombs fell in the target area causing large fires and heavy explosions. One other aircraft attacked a ball-bearing factory at Turin with similar results.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The City of London, the commercial centre at the heart of London continued to be a target, long after the notable raid of 29th December had devastated so much of it. The Luftwaffe again attacked London overnight with 137 aircraft. Bank station lies under the intersection of roads in the heart of the City of London, close to the Bank of England. When it was hit by a bomb at a minute to 2000 hours on the 11th January it was initially thought that 35 people had died, mainly those in the booking hall immediately under the impact of the bomb. As the rescue and recovery work continued it became apparent that the blast had travelled down the escalators and stairs, killing people in its path as well as people on the platforms deep underground. The final death toll was believed to be 51. The damage was so extensive that it was necessary for the Army to build a temporary ‘Bailey bridge’ across the crater. 

*NORTH AMERICA:* Convoy HX 102 departs Halifax for Liverpool.

*ASIA:* Thai troops continue to advance across the border into French Indochina.

Nationalist Chinese 3rd War Area attacking encircled Chinese Communist New 4th Army along Yangtze River near Maolin.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* German raider “Atlantis” completes overhaul in uninhabited Kerguelen Islands and resumes patrol.

.



.


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## Njaco (Jan 11, 2016)

*January 12 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command begins Rhubarb operations.

At 1515 hours Fw. Helmut Brügelmann of 8./JG 26 shoots down a RAF Hurricane over Boulogne. Over Texel, Oblt. Kinzinger of I./JG 54 destroys a British Spitfire.

RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft to attack Brest and various airfields overnight.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Compass. As the Italian defenses at Tobruk are the same as Bardia, Australian 6th Division plans to use the same tactics to pierce the wire and anti-tank ditches at a weak point and peel back the lines of gun pits from the inside. However, they have to wait while British 7th Armoured Division repairs as many Matilda tanks as possible and for fuel and ammunition to be brought up. Matildas are moved forward on heavy artillery tractors to preserve their tracks and engines. Long Range Desert Group raids the Italian outpost at Murzuk oasis. Meanwhile, HMS “_Protector_” departed Bardia, Libya with 1,058 Italian prisoners of war, sailing for Alexandria, Egypt.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British aircraft based on Malta attacked the Axis airbase at Catania, Sicily to prevent German and Italian bombers from attacking British shipping in the Mediterranean and the island of Malta. They are trying to protect damaged British aircraft carrier HMS “_Illustrious_” which limped into Valletta, Malta, for repairs due to Stuka attack. Photographic reconnaissance disclosed that thirty or forty aircraft on the ground were burned out or severely damaged. In addition, one hangar was destroyed, another severely damaged, and administrative buildings hit. Five RAF Wellingtons attacked the oil refineries at Venice. One large building was seen to collapse and another was hit by a heavy bomb. The last aircraft reported the target area to be a mass of flames. During these operations a large liner in the vicinity of Venice and hangars and workshops at Padua were machine-gunned. 

Force A was reinforced west of Crete by Force B, the cruisers of Force D, and HMS “_Barham_” and “_Eagle_” from Alexandria.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *In Norway, the Germans began recruiting for the Nordland Regiment of 5.SS-Wiking Division.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *21-ship troop convoy leaves Britain for North Africa. Convoy WS 5B departs for North Africa via Durban with 40,000 troops, including NZ 5th Infantry Brigade.

*ASIA:* Thai troops attack toward Pakse while French Indochinese troops mutiny in Annam.

Nationalist Chinese 3rd War Area attacking encircled Chinese Communist New 4th Army along Yangtze River near Maolin.


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View attachment 309089


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## parsifal (Jan 13, 2016)

*12 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Shakespeare class ASW Trawler HMS CELIA (T 134)





*Losses
Trawler STRATHRYE (UK 212 grt)* was sunk by a mine in 50-35N, 3-59W. The entire crew was rescued.

*Trawler OYAMA (UK 340 grt)* was lost to unknown cause in the North Atlantic.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 12 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-124.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.382 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 14th. FS.386 departed Methil, escort DDs VANITY and WESTMINSTER, and arrived at Southend on the 14th. ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DD INTREPID, laid minefield BS.49, off the East Coast of England.

*Northern Waters*
DD MONTGOMERY departed Scapa Flow for Liverpool on completion of her work up. The destroyer arrived on the 13th.

*West Coast UK*
WS.5B departed Avonmouth with four ships and Liverpool with six ships on the 7th. The ships were anchored in Moelfre Bay from 8 to 11 January, because fog delayed the departure of the 11 ships of the Clyde section. DD VANSITTART escorted the Bristol Channel portion of the convoy. RAN CA AUSTRALIA and DDs HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, WITHERINGTON escorted the Liverpool section to Moelfre Bay and provided AA protection with CLA NAIAD. DDs (RCN) OTTAWA, LEOPARD, CHURCHILL, LINCOLN, WATCHMAN, FEARLESS, BEAGLE, BRILLIANT escorted the 5 ships of the Clyde section able to sail. DD FORESIGHT departed Liverpool 8 January and joined the convoy in Moelfre Bay. On the 11th, the ships in Moelfre Bay moved to Belfast Lough to take on water. The Clyde section rendezvoused with the other sections on the 12th. Convoy WS.5B of steamers DUCHESS OF BEDFORD , FRANCONIA, CAPETOWN CASTLE , NEA HELLAS , ARUNDEL CASTLE , EMPRESS OF JAPAN , WINDSOR CASTLE , MONARCH OF BERMUDA , ATHLONE CASTLE , EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA , PENNLAND , BRITANNIC , WINCHESTER CASTLE , ORMONDE , DURBAN CASTLE , SAMARIA , DUCHESS OF RICHMOND , HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN , HIGHLAND PRINCESS , DUCHESS OF YORK w as finally beginning to form up at this point. Escorting the convoy were, initially DDs WITHERINGTON and LEOPARD to 14 January. DDs LINCOLN, VANSITTART, FEARLESS, BRILLIANT, WATCHMAN, BEAGLE, JACKAL, LEAMINGTON to 16 January. DDs HIGHLANDER and HARVESTER to 16 January. CLAs NAIAD and PHOEBE proceeded with the convoy until 15 January. PHOEBE took steamers MONARCH OF BERMUDA and CAPETOWN CASTLE to Gibraltar, arriving on the 18th. Steamers MONARCH OF BERMUDA and CAPETOWN CASTLE embarked the troops which had been carried by troopship EMPIRE TROOPER.

These two steamers departed Gibraltar for Freetown on the 19th escort DDs ISIS, ENCOUNTER, DUNCAN, FEARLESS, FURY. The DDs joined CVL FURIOUS and CL NEPTUNE. They arrived off Gibraltar on the 22nd, but could not enter due to bad weather. The ships finally arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd. PHOEBE departed Gibraltar on the 19th to return to England.

CL EMERALD departed Portsmouth. BB RAMILLIES was with the convoy until 17 January. RAN CA AUSTRALIA and CL EMERALD remained with the convoy arriving at Freetown on the 25th. Corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA joined the convoy on the 21st. DD VELOX joined the convoy on the 22nd and DD VIDETTE and corvette CLEMATIS joined the convoy on the 24th. The convoy departed Freetown, minus DUCHESS OF YORK, plus British steamer CAMERONIA, escort DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER, sloop MILFORD, corvettes CYCLAMEN and CLEMATIS to 1 February.

CL EMERALD arrived at Capetown on 8 February with ATHLONE CASTLE, CAPETOWN, CASTLE, ARUNDEL CASTLE, WINCHESTER CASTLE, DURBAN CASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, EMPRESS OF JAPAN. The cruiser then went on to Simonstown.

CA AUSTRALIA with PENNLAND, NEA HELLAS, BRITANNIC, FRANCONIA, SAMARIA, CAMERONIA, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, ORMONDE, WINDSOR CASTLE, HIGHLAND PRINCESS, HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN arrived at Durban on 11 February. The convoy departed Capetown on 12 February, escorted by CL EMERALD and from Durban on 15 February, also escorted by CA AUSTRALIA. The two sections rendezvoused off Durban.

On 21 February, liners EMPRESS OF JAPAN, WINDSOR CASTLE, ORMONDE, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, escorted by EMERALD, were detached to Mombasa. The rest of WS.5B continued to Suez escorted by AUSTRALIA now joined by HMS HAWKINS, arriving on 3 March. RAN sloop PARRAMATTA was the Red Sea escort for the convoy. On 22 February, the cruisers were detached to hunt the DKM CS SCHEER. This duty continued until 26 February.

This section departed Mombasa on 24 February as convoy WS.5 X escorted by CL ENTERPRISE, later reinforced on the 27 Feb by CL CAPETOWN, with the convoy arriving at Bombay on 3 March.

On 5 March, EMPRESS OF JAPAN and AQUITANIA departed Bombay again escorted by CL ENTERPRISE. They were joined by CL DURBAN on 8 March for this leg. ENTERPRISE departed the convoy on 9 March. On 11 March, the convoy arrived at Singapore.

*Western Approaches*
OB.273 departed Liverpool, escort DD AMBUSCADE, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, HOLLYHOCK, ASW trawlers ANGLE, DANEMAN, LADY LILLIAN. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 16th

*Channel*
Norwegian steamer TIJUCA was damaged by mining near the isle of Wight. She was towed to Barry for repairs.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.19 departed Halifax, escort AMC AURANIA and corvette ARROWHEAD. The corvette was detached the next day. On the 26th, the AMC also detached and corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE, ASW trawler LADY MADELEINE, CVS PEGASUS joined the escort. On the 27th, DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY joined and on the 29th, DDs JACKAL, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR. DD JACKAL was detached later that day. On the 30th, DDs SARDONYX and SCIMITAR were detached. On the 31st, DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY CVS PEGASUS, ASW Trawler LADY MADELEINE were detached. On 1 February corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE were detached and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 February.

*Med- Biscay*
RM BBs VENETO and DORIA, the ships of RM CruDiv3 , with 8 DDs, returned to La Spezia, after having put to sea to intervene in the complex operations being undertaken by the RN in the central basin, after receiving information that CV ILLUSTRIOUS was still operational.

BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CL GLOUCESTER, DDs JERVIS, JANUS, GREYHOUND, DIAMOND, VOYAGER, HERO, DEFENDER proceeded to Alexandria. CLs ORION and RAN PERTH, CA YORK, DDs MOHAWK and GRIFFIN, designated Force X, proceeded to Suda Bay to refuel.

Steamers CLAN CUMMING, CLAN MACDONALD, EMPIRE SONG detached from the EXCESS convoy arrived at Pireaus at 1000.

RAN CL SYDNEY passed through the Suez Canal to return to Australia after duty with the Med Flt.

Netlayer PROTECTOR, having completed laying anti torpedo net at Bardia, departed for Alexandria after embarking 1058 prisoners.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.12C departed Port Sudan, escort CL CALEDON and sloops FLAMINGO and HINDUSTAN. The escorts were detached on the 15th and the convoy arrived at Aden on the 16th.

*Malta*
431 (Recon) Flight, was strengthened and renamed 69 Sqn. Formed August 1940 and equipped with the American Maryland Maryland a/c, 431 carries out patrols of the Central Med for potential enemy shipping targets. Their greatest success to date is the photographic reconnaissance of Taranto Harbour prior to the Fleet Air Arm attack on 10 November last. 

AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 JANUARY TO DAWN 13 JANUARY 1941
Weather Clear

0826-0840 hrs Air raid alert for 6 JU88 a/c reported which fly over Grand Harbour from the north east, apparently on recon, then turn south over Luqa airfield before departing. 4 Hurricanes are scrambled. Three Fulmars are also airborne at the time and are fired at by AA. There are no hits before the friendly aircraft are identified and they and land at Hal Far without damage .

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 12 JANUARY 1941

AIR HQ 0557-1532 hrs Sunderland on patrol western Ionian Sea for enemy shipping movements. 0720-1230 hrs Maryland special photo-recon as ordered but mission not fulfilled due to bad weather in target area; further attempt was to be made. 0937-1644 hrs Maryland heading for recon of Taranto when 40 miles NE of Malta was attacked by Macchi 200; intercommunication gear unserviceable so decided to abandon mission. 1045-1325 hrs Maryland recce Augusta and Catania; aerodrome photographed – 16 fighters and 18 bombers seen dispersed, probably more. 2100-0700 hrs Sunderland effected anti-convoy patrol between Malta and Tunisia; nil report. 2100-0050 hrs Sunderland special mission successfully accomplished.

ROYAL NAVY Subs TRIUMPH and UPHOLDER arrived to join SubFlot 1.

LUQA 148 Squadron: 10 Wellingtons bombing raid on Catania – one a/c force -landed on return, crew saved; another was shot down – crew missing. Two Wellingtons conducted two SAR trips each.


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## parsifal (Jan 13, 2016)

*13 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flowerr Class Corvette HMS PETUNIA (K 79)




_In March 1942 HMS PETUNIA K 79 was allocated for service at Freetown for convoy escort duties, attached to 40th Escort Group with Corvettes HMS ARMERIA, HMS CLARKIA, DD HMS BOREAS and HMS WILDD SWAN.

She was very active in the sth Atlantic having rescued survivors from British Merchant AGAPENOR sunk 11 Oct 42 by U-87 in . 124 men including 36 survivors from Merchant GLENDENE sunk 8 Oct. AGAPENOR carried 6500 tons of general cargo and 750 tons of copper.

On 9 Oct 42 HMS PETUNIA rescued the master, 157 crew members, nine gunners, 79 passengers and five DBS from British ship ANDALUCIA STAR, sunk 06/10/42 by U – 107 in position 06º 38’ N 15º 46’W. The ship was loaded with a cargo of 5374 tons of frozen meat and 32 tons of eggs. Survivors landed at Freetown.

On 24 Sep 42 HMS PETUNIA and HMS St WISTAN rescued the master, 44 crew members and six gunners from British BRUYERE sunk 23/09/42 by U – 125 . BRUYERE was loaded with a cargo of 6729 tons of foodstuffs and general cargo. Survivors were taken to Freetown.

In 1945, at the end of the war she was sold to the Chinese Navy in January 1946 and renamed FU PO. She was sunk on 19 March 1947. _

Motor Torpedo Boat of the White 73 feet-type class HM MTB 43

*UBOATS*
At Sea 13 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-124.
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FS.387 departed Methil, escort DDs VERSATILE and VIMIERA, and arrived at Southend on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
BC REPULSE, CLs EDINBURGH and BIRMINGHAM with DDs SOMALI, TARTAR, ESKIMO, BEDOUIN, ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE arrived at Scapa Flow at 0100. DD ESKIMO was found to have defects to rudder requiring docking.

*Channel*
British steamer WOOLER was damaged by the LW at Victoria Wharf, Plymouth. The steamer arrived Southampton in tow on 2 February.

*Med- Biscay*
CLs ORION and RAN PERTH arrived at Piraeus at 0230 to embark passengers from the EXCESS convoy. PERTH also embarked a number of RAF personnel from CVL EAGLE for Malta. The cruisers departed at 0600 that morning and proceeded to Malta.

*Malta*
The governor sent a signal to the war office requesting further strengthening of the AA defences on the island by a further 25%.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 JANUARY TO DAWN 14 JANUARY 1941

Weather Clear.

0932-1002 hrs Air raid alert for six JU88 aircraft which approach from the north, circle to the east and carry out reconnaissance over Grand Harbour. Six Hurricanes, three Fulmars, three Swordfish and one Glen Martin Maryland are airborne; no claims.

1120-1130 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft flying very high across the Island from the south west to the north. Six Hurricanes and three Fulmars are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 13 JANUARY 1941

AIR HQ 0629-1224 hrs Maryland mission to reconnoitre Naples with instructions to execute if possible additional recce requested in secret signal. Reaching Gulf of Salerno observed heavy cloud which rendered special objective impossible. Enemy fleet sighted over Naples and on receiving signal to the effect another Maryland was despatched. 1315-1512 hrs Maryland reconnaissance to discover enemy and return immediately after sending sighting report: nil report despite excellent visibility. 1040-1338 hrs Maryland reconnaissance Catania to examine damage by Wellington operations; cloud prevented recce. 0535-1510 hrs Sunderland patrol western Ionian Sea. 

LUQA 69 Squadron: 1 Maryland reconnaissance Naples and special mission (unsuccessful); 1 Maryland reconnaissance unsuccessful attempt to locate convoy; 1 Maryland reconnaissance Catania unsuccessful due to clouds.


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## Njaco (Jan 13, 2016)

*January 13 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Wellington bombers of No. 57 Squadron RAF attacked Ostend, Belgium while other RAF bombers attacked the German submarine base at Lorient, France overnight.

Death of James Joyce, author of 'Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake', in Zurich, aged 58.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Hitler meets with King Boris and presses Bulgaria to join the Tripartite Pact. Bulgaria stalled in response to German demand to join the Pact.

*ASIA:* Admiral Jean Decoux ordered Capitaine de Vaisseau Régis Bérenger to plan an attack on the Thai Navy within the coming days.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* German aircraft dropped 106 high explosive bombs on Plymouth, England, damaging the Sherwell Congregational Church on Tavistock Road, City Hospital at Freedom Fields, gas works at Coxside, and Corporation electricity works at Prince Rock (26 killed, 117 wounded). Electricity would be restored on the following day, but gas would not be restored for three weeks. Patrol Officer George Wright and Leading Fireman Cyril Lidstone of Auxiliary Fire Service would be awarded George Medals for putting out a fire on an oil tank that might otherwise have exploded.

A Halifax bomber operating from Linton on Ouse airfield near York, was on a climb and consumption test, when an engine caught fire at 12,000 ft. The fire burnt off the tail control surfaces and the pilot lost control. The aircraft crashed 1155 hours near Baldersby St James, 3½ miles N of Dishforth. The crew of six were killed.

*NORTH AMERICA: *All persons born in Puerto Rico since this day are declared U.S. citizens by birth, through U.S. federal law.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian General Soddu is relieved of command.

Mussolini meets with Albanian Prime Minister and other government leaders.

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## parsifal (Jan 13, 2016)

*14 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS MACBETH (T 138)

LSIs HM PRINCESS BEATRIX (4.44) and QUEEN EMMA





_These vessels were basically converted ferries from the Netherlands built as sister ships_

T Class Submarine HMS TORBAY (N 79)





*Losses*
DKM raider PINGUIN captured *oil refinery ship OLE WEGGER (Nor 12,201 grt)*, 
*oil refinery ship SOLGLIMT (12,246grt)*









 and whalers *POL VIII (Nor 298 grt)*, *POL X (Nor 354 grt)*, *POL IX (Nor 354 grt)*, *TORLYN (Nor 247 grt)*, *GLOBE VIII (Nor 297 grt)*, *POL VII (Nor 338 grt)*, *THORARINN (Nor 249 grt)* in the far Southern Ocean. Whalers GLOBE VIII, POL VII, THORARINN escaped to the Falkland Islands where they were able to raise the alarm.

*Pilot ship BORKUM (Ger 280 grt)* was lost when she was stranded at Hubert Gat.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 14 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124.
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
FN.383 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 16th. MSW FITZROY was damaged by mining.

The ship was beached at Harwich. Repair from 30 January to 31 May was done at Sheerness.

*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY, with DDs ECHO, ELECTRA, KEPPEL, arrived back at Scapa Flow after repairing weather damage at Rosyth.
DD PUNJABI arrived at Scapa Flow after temporary duties in the Western Approaches. DD ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow for Immingham for rudder repairs. DD BROADWAY departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde after completing work up.
The DD arrived at Greenock on the 15th.

*West Coast UK*
Convoy OB.274 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VETERAN and WOLVERINE and corvettes ARBUTUS, CAMELLIA, DELPHINIUM, ERICA. Destroyer BEVERLEY joined on the 15th. The three DDs were detached on the 16th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 17th when the convoy dispersed.

*SW Approaches*
ML ADVENTURE laid mines in minefield ZME.15 in St Georges Channel.

*Central Atlantic*
RM sub CAPPELLINI sank steamer​*EUMAEUS (UK 7472 grt)* at 8-55N, 15-03W. Lloyds register records that Twelve crew and about fifteen naval ratings were lost. Walrus aircraft from CVS ALBATROSS dropped life rafts to the survivors. The British passenger/cargoship was torpedoed and then shelled by the CAPPELLINI  and sank 118 miles W of Cape Sierra Leone.The records of Lloyds list 23 British fallen and 63 survivors, but the war log of the CAPPELLINI  clearly describes a "swarming" of troops getting away from the ship. She is known to have been employed as a troopship, so perhaps there is some truth to the Italian claims. .





​*Med- Biscay*
CL ORION and RAN CL PERTH landed troops at Malta. PERTH with machinery defects was berthed at Malta from 14 to 17 January. ORION and CLA BONAVENTURE with DD JAGUAR departed Malta for Alexandria, arriving on the 16th. 

Convoy AN.12, escorted by 5 RHN DDs departed Port Said for Piraeus with 24 ships, in response to Greek appeals to the British for further assistance. MSW DERBY was in the escort of convoy AN.12. On the 17th, the MSW was detached to Suda Bay to relieve MSW FAREHAM. AS.11 departed Piraeus with 10 ships of which 3 were British. CLA CALCUTTA, escorting convoy AS.11, was detached at dusk on the 15th to join convoy AN.12 at daylight on the 17th. Corvettes PEONY and GLOXINIA departed Suda Bay on the 13th and joined AS.11, escorting it to Port Said. The corvettes then proceeded to Alexandria, arriving 20 January. DDs ILEX, WRYNECK, RAN DDs VENDETTA and VAMPIRE departed Suda Bay to join the EXCESS convoy. The DDs arrived back at Suda Bay on the 16th when it was found they were not required for EXCESS.
​Submarine ROVER arrived at Malta from patrol with battery defects. Corvettes HYACINTH and SALVIA arrived at Port Said from EXCESS convoy duty. On the 16th, the corvettes departed Port Said escorting two steamers to Alexandria, where they arrived on the 17th.
​*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ Manned CL LEANDER departed Aden for Colombo carrying out an anti raider patrol en route. The cruiser arrived at Colombo on the 21st and was assigned to CruSqn 4 of the East Indies Station. 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 JANUARY TO DAWN 15 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Thick cloud at 2500 feet.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 14 JANUARY 1941
*
AIR HQ * _0620-1503 hrs _Sunderland patrolled western Ionian Sea. _1609-1936 hrs _Sunderland effected anti-convoy patrol between Malta and Tunis sighted Italian merchant vessels in Vichy territorial waters. They fired ineffectively at the Sunderland which was recalled due to a rising swell in Malta. _0651-1150 hrs _Maryland photo-recon of Palermo Harbour and aerodrome and Catania aerodrome; latter prevented by bad weather. Intense AA fire from Palermo port – Maryland holed in tail plane by near burst. At Palermo aerodrome one large camouflaged aircraft, three SM79s, 15 medium bombers (single-engined), 17 CR 42s, three Macchi fighters. _0745-1055 hrs _Maryland reconnaissance Naples harbour and to take photographs as per secret telegram: bad weather prevented mission completion.


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## Njaco (Jan 13, 2016)

*January 14 Tuesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* British Commander-in-Chief Middle East General Wavell met Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas and Greek Commander-in-Chief General Alexandros Papagos in Athens, Greece. Papagos asked Wavell for 9 divisions of British troops plus air support, but Wavell only offered 2 or 3 divisions. Papagos, who thought 2 to 3 divisions was too few to effectively deter a German invasion while still putting Greece in an indebted position, rejected the offer, not wanting a British presence that will prompt a German invasion but be too small to help stop it. Wavell, Churchill and British War Cabinet are relieved to have fulfilled the obligation to assist Greece while still maintaining forces in Libya.

Mussolini meets with Italian generals about operations in Albania.

Axis air forces conduct heavy attacks against the island of Malta.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” captured almost an entire Norwegian whaling fleet (whale oil tanker “_Solglimt_”, factory ships “_Ole Wegger_” and “_Pelagos_”, and 11 of their attendant whalers) without firing a shot in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. Three whalers escaped and provided warning to another whaling fleet nearby. “_Pinguin_” captured 20,000 tons of whale oil and 10,000 tons of fuel oil with this success. Skeleton crews are put on board and the ships reach French ports in March 1941. 3 whalers escape and warn another factory ship, “_Thorshammer_”, which departs with its flotilla of whalers. This action effectively ended Southern Ocean whaling for the duration of the war.

Italian submarine “_Cappellini_” and British auxiliary cruiser “_Eumaeus_” engaged in a gun fight for three hours 100 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa. “_Cappellini_” suffered three casualties and was badly damaged. “_Eumaeus_” finally sinks (12 crew and 15 naval ratings lost). A Supermarine Walrus from seaplane carrier HMS “_Albatross_” responds to distress calls from “_Eumaeus_”, dropping life rafts to the survivors and bombing “_Cappellini_” (which is badly damaged, requiring 3 days of repairs in the Canary Islands and a return to base at Bordeaux).

*WESTERN FRONT:* First use of "V for Victory" by Victor de Laveleye on the BBC's Belgian service, Radio Belgique.

*EASTERN FRONT:* There is a growing death toll in the Lodz ghetto. Before the arrival of the current frosts, when the death rate in the ghetto did not exceed 25 to 30 cases per day (before the war the average death rate among the Jewish population of the city amounted to six per day), there were 12 gravediggers employed at the cemetery. Today there are around 200.

Hitler backs Antonescu in power struggle with the Iron Guard and requests Rumania enter the war.

*NORTH AFRICA:* RAF night raids on Benghazi and Assab (Eritrea).

*ASIA: *Encircled and out of ammunition, Chinese Communist New 4th Army destroyed by Nationalist Chinese 3rd War Area along Yangtze River near Maolin.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Price controls were applied to 21 foodstuffs to prevent speculation.

Six people are killed in an air raid on Port Talbot.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 14, 2016)

*15 January 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-151
(New image source: Diane & Peter Brendt - Ships)




Type VIIC U-554





_U151 was used for training throughout the war. U554 carried out some war patrols but was also mostly a training boat_

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS GWIN (DD433)





*Losses*
*Sludge vessel MANCUNIUM (UK 1286 grt) *was sunk on a mine two miles NE of Bar Light Vessel, Mersey.
All crew were saved.

*Oil refinery tanker PELAGOS (Nor 12,083 grt)* and *whalers STAR XXI (298grt)*, *STAR XXII (303grt)*, *STAR XXIII (357grt)*, *STAR XXIV (361grt)*, *STAR XIX (249grt)* were captured by DKM disguised Raider PINGUIN in the far Southern Ocean. STAR XIX and STAR XXIV though taken in prize by the germans were scuttled when intercepted by Sloop SCARBOROUGH on 13 March in 45N, 23W. The rest of the tankers and whalers, less the three whalers which escaped to the Falklands, captured on 14 and 15 January later arrived in France.
​Italian submarine TORELLI sank *Steamer NEMEA (Gk 5101 grt); *
On the 15th January 1941 she was torpedoed by the Italian sub when 700 miles W of Fastnet while taking coals from Barry to Thessaloniki. The steamer was abandoned, but was reboarded on the 16th before the ship finally sank on the 17th. 17 of her crew lost.

Italian Sub TORELLI also sank *steamer BRASK (Nor 4079 grt) *in 52-45N, 23-59W. Twelve crew was lost on the steamer BRASK. Survivors from steamer BRASK were found on the Greek steamer NEMEA when she was reboarded. .






*UBOATS*
At Sea 15 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124. 
8 boats at sea


*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
FS.388 departed Methil, escort DD GARTH and sloop FLEETWOOD, and arrived at Southend on the 17th. FS.389 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and WALLACE, and arrived at Southend on the 17th.

British steamer MAYWOOD was damaged on a mine. The steamer was beached in Whitmore Bay, Barry, after which she was later taken to Barry drydocks for repair. British trawler STALKER was damaged by the LW in Hawke Roads, Grimsby. The trawler anchored in Hawke Road, Grimsby. The trawler later sank but was refloated and repaired.
*
Northern Patrol*
DDs LEGION and DOUGLAS departed Scapa Flow to meet and escort AMCs CHITRAL and LETITIA west of Cape Wrath at noon to their patrol positions in the Denmark Straits. On the 16th, the DDs transferred to AMC SALOPIAN and escorted her from the patrol position back to Cape Wrath.

*Northern Waters*
Churchill visited battleship KING GEORGE V at Scapa Flow. The PM was brought from Scrabster on DD NAPIER, arriving at 1240. MSWs SHARPSHOOTER and SPEEDY also carried some staff members to the BB. After a luncheon, the battleship, carrying Lord Halifax, the new British ambassador to the US, departed Scapa Flow at 1630 escorted by DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, TARTAR, BEDOUIN. This operation was codenamed PARCEL. 
The PM returned to Scrabster on the NAPIER on the 16th. 

DD COTTESMORE departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort steamer LOCHNAGAR to Stromness, and rendezvoused early on the 16th. COTTESMORE arrived back at Scapa Flow after the escort duty later that same day.

*West Coast UK*
British steamer KARRI was damaged by a mine two miles north of Bar Light Vessel, Mersey. One crewman was lost. The steamer was beached on the 16th at Tranmere, and later towed to Liverpool arriving on 10 April for drydocking and eventual repair. .

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.103 departed Halifax, escort BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE and corvette ARROWHEAD. The DD and the corvette were detached the next day. Simultaneously, BHX.103 departed Bermuda on the 13th escorted locally by armed yacht ELK and AMC MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.103 on the 18th and the AMC was detached. The BB was detached on the 26th. On the 27th, DD VANQUISHER and corvettes GENTIAN and VERBENA joined the convoy and were detached later that day. On the 28th, DDs VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA joined the convoy and were detached on the 31st, and arrived at Liverpool on 1 February.

*Sth Atlantic*
From the 15th to the 17th of January, German tanker NORDMARK embarked food stores from captured British refrigerator ship DUQUESNA at sea. The German tanker then took the British ship in tow.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub TETRARCH departed Piraeus after a brief duty with the Greek submarines base at Salamis.

Sub REGENT sank *Steamer CITTA DI MESSINA (FI 2472 grt)*, which departed Tripoli on the 11th for Benghazi, escorted by TB CENTAURO, off Benghazi. Lloyds records that she was reported lost on the 29th January, but this conflicts with the REGENT's log entries. . 

*Malta
*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 JANUARY TO DAWN 16 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Hazy skies.
*1107-1115 hrs *Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft reported already over the Island, circling over Grand Harbour; identified as a Heinkel 111 or Junkers 88. No Malta fighters can be scrambled in time. A Glen Martin heads in for landing at Luqa and is followed in by an enemy aircraft marked with a Red Cross. A few AA guns open fire on the Maryland before recognition but cause no damage. No bombs are dropped.
*1940-2050 hrs *Air raid alert. Searchlights illuminated over Grand Harbour detect three enemy aircraft to the north. Searchlights at Sliema, St Thomas Bay and Hal Far are illuminated and one Hurricane fighter is scrambled. Due to low cloud, aircraft are heard but not seen circling over Luqa, Hal Far and Grand Harbour apparently searching for their target – presumed to be the Harbour. They leave without launching an attack.
*2139-0015 hrs *Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which approach singly and in pairs. Low cloud prevents searchlights from illuminating the aircraft. The raiders circle targets before dropping bombs in the sea off Grand Harbour, one between Hompesch and Zabbar one near Latnia crossroads, two near Bofors gun positions at Pretty Bay and one near a gun position at Pembroke. One Wellington lands at Luqa during the raid. 
*0115-0130 hrs *Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 15 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *Maryland standing by to shadow Junkers if they appeared. _0500-1000 hrs _Maryland reconnaissance Maddelena but abandoned when near target due to bad weather. Sunderland recce of western Ionian Sea abandoned as impossible to take off during heavy swell. _0837-1114 hrs_ Maryland recce Taranto Harbour (abandoned due to bad weather) and Catania aerodrome: about 100 aircraft, of which 25 Junkers 87 and 88, seven Fiat BR 20, 20 Macchi 200, four SM 79 and 30-40 aircraft burned out or severely damaged – damage from raid of 13 January. West side hangar a total wreck and another badly damaged, others partly damaged. Damage on central administrative buildings and many bomb craters on the aerodrome. Two Macchis patrolling; one attacked the Maryland from very close range scoring with explosive bullets in the main spars of both wings and one tyre. Maryland’s rear gunners first pan jammed and the Macchi was too far away by the time the second pan adjusted. No further damage done on landing but aircraft temporarily unserviceable. Crew unwounded.
*LUQA *69 Squadron (431 Flight): 1 Maryland reconnaissance Catania aerodrome hit by Macchi 200; 1 Maryland reconnaissance Palermo and Catania, weather bad; 1 Maryland special reconnaissance Naples unsuccessful; 1 Maryland reconnaissance Maddalena abandoned due to bad weather. 148 Squadron: 9 Wellingtons bombing raid on Catania aerodrome. 
*
*


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## Njaco (Jan 14, 2016)

*January 15 Wednesday
WESTERN FRONT:* At 2246 hours, Oblt. Egmont zur Lippe of 4./NJG 1 achieved his second victory, shooting down a British Whitley bomber over Holland. 

A fighter pilot for JG 53, Heinrich Kopperschläger, is killed in a flying accident near his airbase. He had destroyed six enemy aircraft during the war.

*GERMANY: *Overnight, Wellington bombers of No. 57 Squadron RAF attacked Emden, Germany while 76 RAF bombers attacked Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Adventure_” hit a mine and became damaged in Liverpool Bay en route from Milford Haven, Wales. She was towed into Liverpool for repairs.

Italian submarine _“Luigi Torelli_” attacked an Allied convoy 350 miles west of Ireland, sinking Norwegian ship “_Brask_” (12 killed, 20 survived) and Greek ship “_Nemea_” (17 killed, 14 survived).

In Iceland, 133 miles-per-hour winds sank three PBY Catalina aircraft of US Navy squadron VP-73 and sank two PBM Mariner aircraft of US Navy squadron VP-74.

*ASIA: *The Japanese Navy formed the 11th Air Fleet with the 21st, 22nd, and 24th Air Flotillas with Vice Admiral Eikichi Katagiri in command and Rear Admiral Takijiro Onishi as his chief of staff.

The rivalry between Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists becomes more evident; large numbers of the latter are forced to give up their arms, reluctantly of course.

Thai troops attacking toward Pakse dislodge Vichy French defenders. Main Thai force advances in Sisophon sector.

Ships of the French Groupe Occasionnel squadron made rendezvous at 1600 hours 20 miles north of Poulo Condore (Con Dao) archipelago south of French Indochina, and began moving toward the Thai-Cambodian border at 2115 hours.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British Air Ministry issues a directive to Bomber Command regarding the importance of German oil targets.

Luftwaffe attacks Derby overnight with 49 aircraft and night fighters attacked northern airfields, Driffield and Church Fenton among them. There were no casualties. On the airfield, the raiders dropped some eighty to ninety IBs but no damage was reported to have been done. The attacks by the night fighters of I./NJG 2 achieved a measure of success. Between 0200 hours and 0500 hours nine different plots were tracked to airfields at Church Fenton and three of five aircraft engaged on night training at Church Fenton (the home of No 54 Operational Training Unit) came under attack. The three aircraft, a Blenheim and two Defiants, were forced to make crash landings, but there were no casualties. The airfield defenses were unable to engage because of the presence of other friendly aircraft. At 0230 hours Oblt. Albert Schulz of 2./NJG 2 shot down two Blenheims in fifteen minutes for his first two victories.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Emperor Haile Selassie crosses from the Sudan and returns to Ethiopia.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian vessel “_Citta di Messina_” sunk by RN submarine “_Regent_” off Benghazi.

.


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## Njaco (Jan 15, 2016)

*January 16 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Obst. Verlöhr, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of I./KG 40, sights an Allied convoy west of Ireland and sinks two ships. But due to the small number of aircraft available, Obst. Verlöhr cannot be relieved by more bombers and the rest of the convoy is soon lost when he has to turn back to base.

German submarine U-96 sank British troopship “_Oropesa_” with three torpedoes 150 miles northwest of Ireland at 0616 hours; 106 were killed. Survivors drifted in 6 lifeboats, but only 5 lifeboats, containing 143, were found and rescued.

Italian submarine “_Luigi Torelli_” attacked an Allied convoy 350 miles west of Ireland, sinking Greek ship “_Nicolas Filinis”_ (3 killed, 26 survived).

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The “Illustrious” Blitz: The Luftwaffe attacks began anew on the aircraft carrier HMS ‘_Illustrious_’ now sitting at Grand Harbour under repair. The three days grace since the last Luftwaffe attack had been put to good use by the defenders, with every available AA gun sited around the harbor. An experienced artillery officer, Brigadier Sadler, who had commanded the Dover guns during the Battle of Britain, had recently taken over and made sure a formidable box barrage would greet the Stukas. Gunners on other ships in the harbor, such as the cruiser HMAS “_Perth_”, also stood ready, as well as the gunners on the “_Illustrious_” herself. The air-raid sirens wailed at 1355 hours, and soon the hordes of bombers - 70 Ju87s and Ju88s - came into view. Ten Macchi C.202s, ten CR.42s and twenty Bf110s escorted the Ju87s. The pre-planned barrage put up was fearsome, but the first wave of some sixty-five Ju88s dove into it, shallow diving from 8,000 feet. Following them were the Ju87s, stooping from 10,000 feet, keen to finish the job they started. The defending fighters (a trio of Fulmars from “_Illustrious_” now based ashore, four Hurricanes and a pair of Gladiators, survivors of the original "Three Graces") at first circled the barrage, sniping at bombers on their entry and exit from the maelstrom, but then threw caution to the wind and followed their targets into the cauldron. One Ju87 came through the box barrage and flew down the harbor so low it had to climb over the 15-foot sea wall at the entrance. As it did so, the Fulmar that had followed it throughout its dive shot it into the sea beyond. The _Stukas_ of I./StG 1 led by Hptm. Werner Hozzel, came up against the heavy anti-aircraft fire and defending RAF Hurricane and RN Fulmar fighters. The Ju 87s succeed in gaining one hit on the HMS ‘_Illustrious’_ and damaging the supply ship HMS ‘_Essex’_. A bomb exploded in “_Essex _'s” engine room killing 15 men and wounding 23 more. But at a cost to the Luftwaffe. The entire 2 _Staffel_ of StG 1 is wiped out except for its _Staffelkapitän_. Bombs exploding in Grand Harbor killed numerous fish collected after the raid and eaten by the besieged Maltese. The remaining bombs found their mark in the Three Cities around Grand Harbour, destroying or damaging hundreds of houses and causing many civilian casualties.

*ASIA:* French troops launched a successful counterattack against Thai troops at the villages of Yang Dang Khum and Phum Preav in Cambodia, French Indochina, but poor intelligence forced the French to back off from any territory gained. The Thais were unable to pursue the retreating French, as their forward tanks were kept in check by the guns of the French Foreign Legion.

*GERMANY:* Hans-Joachim Marseille began a period of rest at home in Berlin, Germany.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was founded in Britain.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Desiree_” hit a mine and sank in the Thames estuary in southern England.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British forces start the first attacks of their East African counter-offensive, on Italian-held Ethiopia, from Kenya.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 16, 2016)

*16 January 1941
Losses*
*Liner OROPESA (UK 14118 grt) *
Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) : Crew: 249 (106 dead and 143 survivors) Cargo: Mixed Route: Mombasa (12 Dec) - Beira (19 Dec) - Capetown (25 Dec) - UK Convoy: Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0356 hrs the unescorted OROPESA was hit in the stern by one G7a torpedo from U-96 SE of Rockall. A first coup de grace fired at 0440 hrs became a cirle runner, but the two others fired at 0503 and 0559 hours hit underneath the bridge and amidships and caused her to capsize and sink at 0616 hrs. The master, 98 crew members, one gunner and six passengers were lost. 109 crew members, one gunner and 33 passengers were picked up by HMS SUPERMAN (W 89),HMS TENACITY (W 189 ) and HMS WESTCOOT (D 47) and landed at Liverpool.





*MSW trawler DESIREE (RN 213 grt) * was sunk on a mine in the Thames Estuary. There were no casualties on the trawler.

RM sub TORELLI sank *steamer NICOLAOS FILINIS (Gk 3111 grt)* in the western approaches. Three crew were lost.





*Steamer MEANDROS (Gk 4581 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. All crew were rescued. The steamer was taken in tow, but lost touch with H. M. ship during night. The wreck was subsequently sunk by the RN.




_Photo shows the MEANDROS under her former name (WILLIASTON)_
​*Tkr ONOBA (NL 6256 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. The entire crew was rescued.




​*UBOATS*
At Sea 16 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124. 
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.385 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet WN.69 in Pentland Firth. The ship returned to Scapa Flow after the escort duty lae on the 16th.

*West Coast UK*
ML ADVENTURE, entering Liverpool Bay from Milford Haven, struck a mine. The damaged cruiser was assisted by tugs. The cruiser was under repair at Liverpool from 23 January to 27 June.

British steamer GLADONIA was damaged by the LW off Sunk Light Vessel. British steamer ROMSEY ) was damaged on a mine. The steamer was beached in Dale Road.
​British steamer SKJOLD (1345grt) was damaged by the LW north of Lundy Island.
​British steamer LLANWERN was damaged by the LWQ at Avonmouth.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ILLUSTRIOUS was further damaged by the LW bombing in Malta, receiving one additional bomb hit. RAN CL PERTH, refitting at Malta, was also damaged by a near miss which caused underwater damage aft, including her propeller shafts. DD DECOY, which had completed repairs this day from her November 1940 bombing, was struck by bombs. British steamer ESSEX was damaged by the LW at Malta during the night of 16/17 January. ESSEX was damaged further by the LW on 9 March. PERTH departed Malta that evening and arrived at Alexandria on the 18th.
​BB BARHAM, CVL EAGLE, CL AJAX and DD (RAN) STUART, DAINTY, HASTY, GRIFFIN departed Suda Bay to return to Alexandria. They were joined outside the net by HMA DDs VAMPIRE and VENDETTA and RN WRYNECK from Piraeus. Force X, less DDs DAINTY, HASTY, WRYNECK, which on the 18th. 

CVL EAGLE was out of action, her speed reduced to 16 kts, due to problems with leaking stern glands.
​CA YORK and DD ILEX, WRYNECK, RAN VENDETTA, RAN VAMPIRE departed Suda Bay to make an ASW sweep in the Kaso Strait before convoy AN.12's arrival. Sub URSULA departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Gulf of Genoa. She arrived at Malta on the 29th. Sub PARTHIAN departed Piraeus after a brief duty with the Greek submarine base at Salamis.
​US008/1 departed Colombo for Suez with Norwegian steamer CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS , British steamers CITY OF LINCOLN , DEVONSHIRE, DILWARA , DOMINION MONARCH , Dutch steamers INDRAPOERA, JOHAN DE WITT , Egyptian steamer KHEDIVE ISMAIL), British steamers LANCASHIRE, NEVASA . Dutch steamers NIEUW HOLLAND and SLAMAT , British steamers RAJULA , ROHNA and THURLAND CASTLE

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
Vichy CL LAMOTTE PICQUET escorted by sloops AMIRAL CHARNER and DUMONT D'URVILLE and old sloops TAHURE and MARNE as Task Force 7 sortied from Saigon.

*Malta*
The Axis air fleets launched concentrated and ferocious attacks on Malta. Early in the afternoon cloud cover disappeared. A formation of Stuka dive-bombers screamed across the skies over Grand Harbour and _*HMS *ILLUSTRIOUS_, berthed at Parlatorio Wharf. Wave after wave of LW a/c followed in their wake – more than 70 of them, raining bombs on the Dockyard and surrounding areas.

The lull in operations for the last few days previously had allowed the AA defences of Malta to be concentrated around the harbour, and this undoubtedly assisted the defence and made the LW bombing runs intense affairs. Malta’s few defending Hurricane and Fulmar aircraft took to the air to try and repel the raiders. The valiant response succeeded in preventing all but one bomb from falling on 
_ILLUSTRIOUS_*.* The merchant ship ESSEX was hit by a heavy bomb, killing 15 crew and seven Maltese dockyard workers.

_“The show never seemed to end, but when the last plane had gone, and the thunder of guns changed into an echo and then, too, disappeared, a pall of white smoke covered the whole harbour area.”_ 

Some dozens of bombs intended for _ILLUSTRIOUS_ rained down on the surrounding ‘Three Cities’ of Senglea, Vittoriosa and Cospicua instead. There was a measurable decrease in FKX bombing accuracy compared to their previous efforts. Malta’s oldest urban communities established and fortified in the 16th century by the Knights of Malta, are now reduced to rubble. It was estimated at the time that some 200 houses were destroyed and another 500 damaged to an uninhabitable state . Casualties are reported to be high: with reported dead – men, women and children; most survivors have lost their homes and everything they own; hundreds were trapped under collapsed buildings. The sacristy of the parish church of St Lawrence, Vittoriosa, suffered a direct hit, entombing 35 people who were sheltering in the crypt. They were not rescued in time. Some have suggested it was a repeat at terror bombing as had happened in several British, Dutch, Norwegian and French cities previously during the war.





_*The devastation in the old "city" of Senglea after the LW attacks*_

AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 JANUARY TO DAWN 17 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Heavy morning cloud; clear afternoon.

*1047-1053 hrs *Air raid alert for enemy a/c reported approaching Grand Harbour. Six Swordfish patrol across the Island in formation from NE to SW; three Fulmars are also airborne. The raiders do not cross the coast.

*1355-1530 hrs *Air raid alert for formations of LW bombers approaching the Island. 15 JU 88s approach from the north over Tigne at 8-12000 feet, wheel east and dive-bomb Grand Harbour before turning away over Ricasoli and Zonqor. The raiders are met by an extremely heavy barrage from all the heavy and light guns of the Dockyard, Luqa and Birzebbuga. Malta fighters are scrambled.

The first attack is followed in by several more large formations of JU 87 Stuka dive-bombers, totalling some 50 a/c, which swoop down singly from 14000 ft to a very low altitude to launch their bombs. Again the guns respond with a massive barrage and Malta fighters engage in dogfights with enemy a/c.

Bombs dropped from as little as a few hundred feet severely damage much civilian property and buildings across the Dockyard. No 2 boiler shop is badly damaged and part of No 2 dock destroyed. A large crater is blown in Sawmills Wharf; flying debris and splinters damage surround windows. _MV ESSEX_ is hit in the engine room by a large bomb, killing 14 or 15 men and wounding another 15. Her vital cargo of guns, ammunition, torpedoes and other service stores is undamaged. _HMS ILLUSTRIOUS_ is hit in the quarterdeck by one bomb.* HMAS PERTH *suffers a near-miss and is damaged underwater. 

Several unexploded bombs are reported in the Dockyard and creeks. Eleven raiders are confirmed shot down and another six damaged, some by fighter aircraft and the remainder by AA fire. 

*1605-1640 hrs *Air raid alert for approaching enemy aircraft. One JU88 approaches from the east and is later seen flying away from the coast to the SW, pursued by Malta fighters; the raider is believed damaged. No bombs are dropped.


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## parsifal (Jan 16, 2016)

*17 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS HORATIO (T-153)
[NO IMAGE]
_HMT HORATIO was torpedoed and sunk on 7 January 1943 by DKM S Boat *S-58*__ off Cape de Garde, Algeria. Only two members (Stephen Hooper and George Venables) of the crew survived the sinking, they were picked up by the Germans._ 

Fairmile B HMS ML 173

Town Class DD HMNS CAMPBELTOWN (I 42)




_The newly transferred HMS CAMPBELTOWN (right) alongside her sister HMS CASTLETON _
​_On completion of the work on 28 March 1941, CAMPBELTOWN was transferred on loan to the RNeN, where she joined the 7th Escort Gp and deployed with them in April–May. The Dutch proposed to rename her Middelburg, but this was not agreed as it would have been contrary to the naming agreed with the USN . She underwent further repairs throughout June, and resumed convoy defence with the group in July–August. She was then nominated to be returned to the RN in September, but remained with the 7th Escort Group. She spent September working up with her RN crew and rejoined the group in October, where she covered convoys between Britain and West Africa. On 15 September she picked up the survivors of the Norwegian motor tanker VINGA, which had been damaged in an enemy air attack. She carried out escort duties in November–December, before taking passage to Devonport to undergo repairs and special conversion for the raid on St Nazaire._
_ ._
_CAMPBELTOWN began the Devonport repairs in January. She was to be used in Operation Chariot, a special sabotage operation on the vital docks at Saint-Nazaire. In 1942 the DKM BB TIRPITZ, anchored at Trondheimin Norway—was still a grave threat to Atlantic convoys. Should TIRPITZ enter the Atlantic, theLouis Joubert drydock at Saint-Nazaire—which had been built for the liner SS NORMANDIE was a vital target; it was the only German-held drydock on the European coast of the Atlantic that was large enough to service the battleship. If this drydock could be put out of action, any offensive sortie by TiIRPITZ into the Atlantic would be much more dangerous  to carry out, making it less likely that they would risk deploying her. CAMPBELTOWN was used to block the dockyard entrance. 

At 01:34 on 28 March, 4 mins later than planned, CAMPBELTOWN  rammed the dock gate. The Commandos and ship's crew came ashore under heavy German fire, and set about demolishing the dock machinery. 162 of the raiders were killed (64 commandos and 105 sailors) out of the 611 men in the attacking force. Of the survivors, 215 were captured and 222 were evacuated by the surviving small craft. A further five evaded capture and travelled overland through France to Spain and then to Gibraltar. The charges in CAMPBELTOWN exploded at noon, 1.5 hrs later than the British had expected. Although the ship had been searched by the Germans, the explosives had not been detected. The explosion killed around 250 German soldiers and French civilians, and demolished both the front half of the DD and the 160 short tons caisson of the drydock, with the rush of water into the drydock washing the remains of the ship into it. The St. Nazaire drydock was rendered unusable for the rest of the war, and was not repaired until 1947._

_Delayed-action torpedoes fired by the MTBs also forming part of the operation into the outer lock gate to the submarine basin detonated, as planned, on the night of 30 March. This later explosion led to panic, with German forces firing on French civilians and on each other. Further attrocities were meted out by the germans on the largely innocent French population. 16 French civilians were killed and around 30 wounded. Later, 1,500 civilians were rounded up and imprisoned without trial at labour camp at Savenay, and most of their houses were demolished. Many were to die in captivity, even though they had had nothing to do with the raid. Lt-Cdr Beattie—who was taken prisoner—received the Victoria Cross for his valour, and in 1947 received the French Légion d'honneur. His Victoria Cross was one of five that were awarded to participants in the raid, along with 80 other military decorations._

*Losses*
*MV ZEALANDIC (UK 10572 grt) *; Sunk by U-106, (Jurgen Oesten) ; Crew: 73 (73 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Mixed Route: Liverpool - Panama - Brisbane, Australia  Convoy: Inderpendant Lost in the Nth Atlantic; At 0045 hrs the unescorted ZEALANDIC was hit underneath the forward mast by one G7e torpedo from U-106 about 230 miles WNW of Rockall. The ship stopped for a short time, sent distress signals and then continued. The ship sank slowly after being hit amidships by two torpedoes at 0059 and 0127 hours. The Germans observed how the crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats, but they were never seen again. The master, 64 crew members, two gunners and six passengers were lost.






*Liner ALMEDA STAR (UK 14936 grt)*
Sunk by U-106, (Jurgen Oesten) ; Crew: 360 (360 dead - no survivors);  Cargo: Passengers and mixed Route Liverpool - Trinidad - Buenos Aires Convoy: Independant Lost in the Nth Atlantic; At 0508 hrs , U-96 was chasing an unknown steamer that already evaded three G7e torpedoes when the unescorted ALMEDA STAR was spotted about 35 miles NE of Rockall. The U-boat then fired a fourth G7e torpedo at the first steamer at 0710 hrs, but it was also evaded and the boat forced to dive by gunfire. At 0745 hrs, U-96 fired one G7e torpedo at the ALMEDA STAR, which stopped after a hit amidships. As the ship did not sink after being hit in the stern and amidships by two coups de grace at 0805 and 0907 hrs, the U-boat surfaced to shell the ship. The Germans observed four lifeboats and still saw people on deck before opening fire from 0932 to 0948 hrs, hitting with about 15 of 28 incendiary shells. Only small fires were started which soon went out, so another torpedo was fired at 0955 hrs. The torpedo hit the forepart and caused her to sink by the bow within three mins in 58°40N/13°38W. 7 DDs were ordered to search the area, but found no survivors were found. Among the passengers were 21 officers and 121 ratings of the FAA (749, 750 & 752 FAA-Sqns) en route to RNAS Piarco, Trinidad. 
DD DOUGLAS was detached from the escort of AMC SALOPIAN to assist, but was low on fuel and had to proceed to Scapa Flow, arriving at 2200. DD ST ALBANS, also escorting cruiser SALOPIAN, was sent in her place.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 17 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-96, 
U-105 , U-106, U-123, U-124. 
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.386 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 19th. FS.390 departed Methil, escorted by DD VERDUN and sloop EGRET, and arrived at Southend on the 19th.
​*Northern Waters*
CLA NAIAD arrived at Scapa Flow after duty escorting WS.5B. DDs BEAGLE and BRILLIANT, after escorting WS.5B to the dispersal point, refuelled at Londonderry and were sent to search and sweep in the area after the loss of the ALMEDA STAR. DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, BEDOUIN, TARTAR, completing their escort of BB KG V, were ordered to carry out an ASW search along the latitude of 58 N, north of Rockall. If no results were obtained, the DDs were then ordered to return to Scapa Flow. On the 18th, DD BEAGLE was detached to escort steamer JAMAICA PLANTER clear of the danger zone to the Minches. The DD then proceeded to Scapa Flow arriving on the 20th.
 
On the 20th, an unsuccessful attack was made on a submarine contact in 59-40N, 17-52W by the SOMALI group. 
On the 21st, DD TARTAR also attacked a submarine contact. DD BRILLIANT arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd. DD SOMALI developed hull defects on the 22nd. This, plus all the DDs now running low on fuel, caused the DesFlot 6 to proceed to Loch Alsh, arriving on the 22nd. The DDs were able to depart Loch Alsh on the 23rd to return to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 24th.

DDs LANCASTER departed Portsmouth and BRIGHTON departed Plymouth en route to Scapa Flow for work up. 
DD BRIGHTON arrived on the 19th. DD LANCASTER, after being held up by bad weather, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st.
​CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.70. However, the convoy was delayed and the ship was recalled to Scapa Flow, arriving that afternoon 

*West Coast UK*
Corvette RHODODENDRON was damaged by mining in Liverpool Harbour. The corvette was repaired in 3 months at Liverpool.

British tkr ATHELDUKE was damaged on a mine in the Bristol Channel. The tkr was beached in Whitmore Bay. Norwegian steamer THOROY ) was damaged by the LW at Avonmouth. Panamanian tkr NORVIK was damaged by the LW at Swansea. Norwegian steamer NOVASLI was damaged by the LW in the drydock at Swansea.
​*SW Approaches*
Convoy HG.51 departed Gibraltar, escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE. DD FIREDRAKE joined the escort on the 18th and continued with the convoy until 20 January.

On the 30th, DD VOLUNTEER and corvettes BLUEBELL and CANDYTUFT joined the escort. Sloops EGRET and LONDONDERRY joined on the 31st. DD WESTCOTT was involved in local escort duties near the destination, and arrived on 3 February at Liverpool.

*Med- Biscay*
Operation BLUNT was to have taken place. This was a raid on Kaso by naval forces and Commando troops from Crete. The operation was postponed for 24 hrs. CA YORK and DDs ILEX, MOHAWK, JUNO, HEREWARD for the operation were operating nth of Kaso Straits. MSW FAREHAM stood by at Candia. On the 18th, the operation was cancelled. YORK proceeded to Piraeus for escort duty with convoy AN.12. The DDs returned to Alexandria.

DDs GREYHOUND, JANUS, DEFENDER departed Alexandria to escort convoy AS.12 from Piraeus to Port Said.
Convoy AS.11 arrived at Port Said escorted by corvettes PEONY and GLOXINIA. Corvettes HYACINTH and SALVIA departed Port Said with two merchant ships for Alexandria arriving that day.
​Monitor TERROR and gunboat APHIS departed Alexandria at 1800 for Operation IS 1, the bombardment of Tobruk during the nights of 18/19 and 19/20 January. CL ORION, CLA BONAVENTURE, DDs JERVIS, NUBIAN, HERO departed Alexandria on the 18th to support this operation. The cruisers operated NE of Tobruk and the DDs to the NW. However, Bad weather postponed the operation for 24 hrs. 
Monitor TERROR and gunboats GNAT and LADYBIRD bombarded positions at Marsa el Shal near Tobruk during the night of 20/21 January.

Vichy submarine ATALANTE arrived at Oran after departed Toulon on the 14th. The sub departed Oran on 18 February and arrived at Casablanca on the 20th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.13 departed Aden, escorted by CL CALEDON, DD KIMBERLEY, sloops FLAMINGO, RIN INDUS, RAN PARRAMATTA, SHOREHAM, gunboat CRICKET. The DD, sloop SHOREHAM, and the gunboat were detached on the 18th, sloop PARRAMATTA on the 20th, CL CALEDON and sloop INDUS on the 21st, sloop FLAMINGO on the 22nd. Sloop CLIVE joined on the 22nd and the convoy arrived at Suez on the 24th.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
A Vichy force led by CL LAMOTTE PICQUET attacked a force of Siamese warships (Siam was to become a Japanese client state, and at this time was aligned to Japanese interests. Conversely Vichy was more neutral, especially in the Far East), in Indo Chinese waters.

Without loss to themselves, the Vichy force damaged Siamese coastal defense ships SRI AYUTHIA and DONBURI and sank TBs *TRAD (Royal Thai Navy (RTN) 379 grt) *, *SONGHKLA (RTN 318 grt) *and *CHOMBURI (RTN 318 grt)* during operations in the Kho Chang Archipelago in the Gulf of Siam.





*Defense ship DONBURI (RTN 2265 grt)* was badly damaged and stranded. When the ship was towed off, she sank.





Defense ship SRI AYUTHIA was luckier and survived. She was torpedoed by LAMOTTE PICQUETT and beached in the River Chantaboum but was saved and repaired.

*Malta*
*414-1423 hrs *Air raid alert for enemy aircraft spotted 21 miles north of the Island. They attempt reconnaissance in very bad weather. 
*2020-2035 hrs *Air raid alert for enemy aircraft reported off the coast. Flashes are seen in the direction of San Pietro. The aircraft do not cross the coast and no raid materialises.


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## Njaco (Jan 17, 2016)

Was Campbelltown later used at Dieppe or am I confusing this with the blockship used during WWI?


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## Njaco (Jan 17, 2016)

_*January 17 Friday*_
*WESTERN FRONT: *Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld of Stab I./LG 2 gains his twenty-sixth victory when he destroys a British Spitfire at 1600 hours.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-96 attacked British liner “_Almeda Star”_ 200 miles west of Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland at 0745 hours, firing four torpedoes and her deck gun. Four lifeboats were launched before “_Almeda Star_” sank, but when seven British destroyers arrived, none of them were found, thus all aboard were lost (137 crew, 29 gunners, and 194 passengers).

Italian submarine “_Marcello_” approached an Allied convoy off the Outer Hebrides, Scotland but was detected by an escort destroyer, which attacked the submarine with five depth charges. “_Marcello_” suffered damage in her forward trim tank, forcing her end her war patrol to return to base.

German submarine U-106 sank British ship “_Zealandic_” off the Outer Hebrides, Scotland with three torpedoes. 73 survivors took to three lifeboats, but none were ever found.

*ASIA:* Chiang Kai-shek officially declared the disbanding of the Communist New Fourth Army. Kuomintang forces under the order of Chiang Kai-Shek opened fire at communist force.

The Battle of Ko Chang ended in a decisive victory for the Vichy French naval forces during the Franco-Thai War. A French naval squadron attacked the Thai anchorage at Ko Chang island near the Thai-Cambodian border, sinking two gunboats, damaging a coastal defense ship, and killing 36 men.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German Luftwaffe Stuka dive bombers attacked Malta.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British corvette HMS “_Rhododendron_” hit a mine in Liverpool Harbor, England. She was to remain out of action for three months for repairs.

Swansea was bombed by around 100 Luftwaffe bombers that dropped a high concentration of incendiaries, some 32,000 in all. The main damage was inflicted on the commercial and domestic areas as 178 High Explosive bombs and 7000 incendiaries landed on a snow-covered Swansea during its heaviest raid to date. St Thomas was easily the most affected region with other significant damage being recorded at Hafod and Bonymaen. 97 casualties and 55 deaths reported.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Molotov meets German Ambassador Schulenburg in Moscow. The Soviets are surprised that they have not received any answer from Germany to their offer to join the Axis (November 26, 1940). Schulenburg replies that it has to be first discussed with Italy and Japan.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Maiden flight of the Consolidated LB-30A, the first production version of the B-24 Liberator. Six LB-30As were produced, all for the RAF.

The US 38th Division was inducted in to federal service (National Guard Division from Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia).

.


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## parsifal (Jan 17, 2016)

Campbeltown was destroyed at St Nazaire, so no it wasnt at Dieppe. There was another 4 piper, but i forget the name. Ill try and find its name

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## parsifal (Jan 17, 2016)

*18 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-77




_14 ships sunk, total tonnage 31,186 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,050 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 5,384 GRT
2 warships damaged, total tonnage 2,880 tons
2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 11,637 GRT

Fate
Sank at 0115 hrs on 29 March 1943 in the Mediterranean Sea east of Cartagena, in position 38.33N, 00.14E, after being badly damaged by depth charges from two British Hudson aircraft (500 Sqn RAF/C & 233 Sqn RAF/L) in position 37.42N, 00.10E on 28 March. 38 dead and 9 survivors.._
*
Losses*
AMC ASTURIAS captured *steamer MENDOZA (Vichy 8199 grt) *60 miles east of Montevideo. The steamer was taken to Freetown, arriving on 1 February.
​*Tkr BRITISH UNION (UK 6987 grt)* was sunk by DKM Disguised Raider KORMORAN at 26-34N, 30-58W. Thirty six crew were taken prisoner. Eight crew were rescued and one died.




​*Tkr SANDEFJORD (Nor 8038 grt)* was captured in the Sth Atlantic by DKM CS ADM SCHEER.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 18 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124. 
8 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Steamer GODFRIED BUEREN (Ger 4664 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Kattegat, 
20 miles E of Limfjorden, Denmark.
.





*North Sea*
FS.391 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUSD and VORTIGERN, and arrived at Southend on the 20th.

*West Coast UK*
OB.275 departed Liverpool, escort DDs MONTGOMERY, WILD SWAN, WITCH, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes CAMPANULA, FLEUR DE LYS, GARDENIA, PERWINKLE. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 22nd.

Greek steamer CHELATROS was damaged by the LW at Swansea.

*Channel*
DD CASTLETON, under repair at Portsmouth, was damaged by near misses from LW attacks. DDs KELLY, KIPLING, KASHMIR, JACKAL arrived at Plymouth from Greenock for ASW duties.

*Med- Biscay*
CL GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria for Port Said to hoist out her DCT which was damaged in the 11 January bombing. The DCT was found beyond repair. GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria on 13 February for Port Said where damaged CL LIVERPOOL's DCT was fitted on GLOUCESTER for the time being. 

Sub Lt A. S. Griffith was killed when his Fulmar of 806 Sqn from CV ILLUSTRIOUS was shot down off Malta. A second Fulmar of the Sqn was also shot down on this date, but the crew was rescued.
​*Steamer LELIO (FI 1384 grt) *was sunk on a mine at La Spezia.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.12 D.departed Port Sudan, escorted by DD KIMBERLEY and RAN sloop YARRA. The convoy was dispersed off Aden on the 20th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 JANUARY TO DAWN 19 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Stormy in the morning; finer later.
It is evident in the changed targetting priorities that resistance offered by the air defences on the island were effective. For the moment FKX concentrates its efforts on neutralising those defences. 
*0940-1000 hrs *Air raid alert for a single enemy a/c which crosses the Island at a great height on recon. Lt AA engage; no claims. 
*1415 hrs *Air raid alert for 80+ Bandits spotted 18 miles off and heading for the Island. Three Fulmars and five Hurricane ftrs are scrambled. A large formation of dive bombers crosses the coast and attacks Hal Far, dropping 40 HE 500kg bombs, destroying one hangar and writing off a Hurricane inside, and setting two other hangars on fire. The officers’ mess is destroyed, telephone communications are cut and water mains hit. There are several craters on the runways but the NW/SE strip remainsl serviceable.
*1458 hrs* Another large formation of enemy raiders is spotted heading inland over Delimara. The raiders dive-bomb Luqa, dropping 40 more 500kg bombs, destroying two hangars and badly damaging two more. The Signal Section, a barrack block and a decontamination centre are destroyed; other offices and the NAAFI are damaged. Several bombs cause craters on the runway and the aerodrome is rendered unserviceable. Electric power, telephone communications and water supplies are cut off. One Wellington is burned out, one Hurricane destroyed and one Maryland badly damaged. All remaining aircraft on the ground are slightly damaged by shrapnel.
*1527 hrs* Another formation of 8 enemy a/c crosses over St Thomas Bay and attacks Hal Far, damaging the aerodrome and buildings. Three Swordfish aircraft are burned out, another is a total loss; several more receive minor damage. An object is reported floating down over Marsa, possibly a mine. 
The raiders are engaged by the aerodromes’ ground defences; several hits are claimed. One enemy aircraft is reported in flames near Tarxien. Three Hurricanes and three Fulmars are airborne. One Fulmar is lost over Grand Harbour with no survivors. Another claims an enemy loss but the aircraft is hit in the dog fight and ditches in the sea off Kalafrana; one of the crew is saved. 
Minutes later five more enemy aircraft cross the coast at great height and fly over the Island. AA guns engage the raiders; no bombs are dropped. In total Malta fighters claim five enemy losses confirmed. One enemy aircraft is reported crashing into the sea off Wied Zurrieq; ten more are believed damaged. An unexploded bomb is reported in a building at Marsaxlokk.
*1610 hrs *All clear.
*1630-1645 hrs *Air raid alert for a formation of three enemy aircraft reported 18 miles off the coast. Three Hurricanes are scrambled and AAt guns open fire; no raid materialises.
*Military casualties *Aircraftsman Trevor David Backes, Royal Air Force, 148 Squadron; Aircraftsman Edward Shirley Barlow, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve; Gunner Norman Brady Goatley, 7 HAA Regiment, Royal Artillery. 
*Enemy casualties *Leutnant Horst Dunkel, 7/LG1, pilot of JU 88; Unteroffizier Arthur Haner, 7/LG1, JU 88 crew member; Gefreiter Heinrich Mueller, I/StG 1, gunner of JU 87 Stuka; Unteroffizier Heinrich Schurmann, 7/LG1, JU 88 crew member; Unteroffizier Richard Zehetmair, I/StG1, pilot of JU 87 Stuka.


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## Njaco (Jan 17, 2016)

*January 18 Saturday*

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The “Illustrious” Blitz: The Luftwaffe returned, but the target switched to the airfields in an attempt to put them out of action. The fighters and bombers of X Fliegerkorps including the _Zerstörers_ of III./ZG 26, attack the RAF airfields at Luqa and Hal Far, Malta. Takali was already unusable due to rain, which turned it into a bog, and the bombers managed to put Luqa out of action for a time, but lost eleven of their number in the process. They destroyed 6 RAF aircraft and damaged many more at the Luqa and Hal Far airfields.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Over the North Sea in the morning Fw. Mickel of 1./JG 1 shoots down a RAF Blenheim bomber for his first victory.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” captured Norwegian tanker “_Sandefjord_” 1,000 miles off the coast of Angola, Portuguese West Africa. The ship, along with her cargo of 11,000 tons of crude oil, was sent to France as a prize ship.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” sank British tanker “British Union” 700 miles west of the Canary Islands, killing 10. 28 survivors were captured by “_Kormoran_” and 7 survivors were rescued by British auxiliary cruiser HMS “_Arawa_” on the following day.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British destroyer HMS “_Castleton_” was damaged by German bombing while under repair at Portsmouth, England.

*NORTH AMERICA:* A diplomatic incident occurred at the German consulate in San Francisco when the office displayed the Reich flag in recognition of the German national holiday (commemorating the anniversary of the country's unification in 1871). At noon the flag was hauled down and an angry crowd tore it to pieces.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 18, 2016)

*19 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 153

*Losses*
*Steamer BONNINGTON COURT (UK 4909 grt)* was sunk by the LW In the Thames estuary 9.5 cables 275° from the Sunk Light Vessel. Two crew were lost.





*Steamer DIANA (Ne 312 grt)* was sunk by a mine in 51-18N, 3-10W (west coast) . Two crew were rescued.​
*UBOATS*
At Sea 19 January 1941
U-38, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124. 
8 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CL GALATEA, repairing since 17 October at Chatham, departed Sheerness. The cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th to rejoin the Fleet. CS.2 transferred to GALATEA on the 23rd. DD BOREAS, under repair at London, was damaged by the LW. 

FN.387 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 21st. FN.388 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 21st.

British steamer ZELO was damaged by the LW in the Thames off the Sunk Light Vessel.​
*West Coast UK*
Corvette HONEYSUCKLE was damaged by mining off Bar Light Vessel. The corvette was repaired in three months at Liverpool.

*SW Approaches*
OG.50 departed Liverpool escort DDs MALCOLM, SHIKARI, SKATE, sloop DEPTFORD, corvettes ARABIS and LA MALOUINE, ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, WELLARD, ZENO, ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE. The DDs, corvettes, trawlers were detached on the 20th and the ocean boarding vessel on the 22nd. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy through to Gibraltar, arriving on the 31st.

*Central Atlantic*
SLS.63 departed Freetown, and arrived at Liverpool on 13 February.
​*Med- Biscay*
RM subm NEGHELLI attacked RHN DD PSARA in the Aegean. CLA CALCUTTA and DDs GREYHOUND, DEFENDER, JANUS departed Piraeus at 0800 escorting convoy AS.12 of steamers CLAN CUMMING , CLAN MACDONALD , EMPIRE SONG from Pireaus to Alexandria. British steamer CLAN CUMMING was damaged by a torpedo at 1153 from RM NEGHELLI off Piraeus near San Giorgio Island. The steamer was able to arrive back at Piraeus at 1900 under its own steam with torpedo damage forward, escorted by DD JANUS. Sub ​Adua Class sub NEGHELLI (RM 680 grt) was sunk by DD GREYHOUND off Crete early on the 19th. The other two ships of the convoy arrived safely at Port Said on the 21st. 
 
CLA CALCUTTA and destroyers GREYHOUND, JUNO, DEFENDER proceeded to Alexandria. On the 19th, operation IS 1 was cancelled due to bad weather. The cruisers and DDs were withdrawn for other operations and proceeded to Suda Bay. Gunboat APHIS was having problems with the weather. Two DDs and an a/c were sent to assist her. The gunboat was found at 1300 off Damietta. Destroyer GRIFFIN escorted the gunboat to Port Said arriving on the 20th. APHIS was under repair until 27 January at Port Said. AN.12 arrived at Piraeus on the 18th. Escorting CA YORK also arrived at Piraeus. CL AJAX departed Alexandria for Suda Bay. 
​*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.13 departed Suez. The convoy was joined on the 20th by sloops CLIVE and GRIMSBY. The sloops were relieved on the 22nd by CL CALEDON and sloops FLAMINGO, RIN INDUS, RAN PARRAMATTA. The convoy was dispersed on the 27th.​
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 JANUARY TO DAWN 20 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Clear.
*0930-1010 hrs *Air raid alert for 43 JU 87 and JU 88s which approach the Island and dive-bomb Grand Harbour. 500kg and 1000kg bombs are dropped, severely damaging civilian property in Senglea, causing heavy casualties, and badly damaging buildings. Bombs on Bakery Wharf and near the electricity sub-station damage many buildings and put power cranes, electricity supplies and telephone communications out of action. No 3 Dock suffers a direct hit; IMPERIAL escapes without damage but bombs damage nearby buildings and a pumping station. A large bomb explodes in No 2 dock, causing a small crater. The MSW BERYL is damaged by a near miss. Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS is damaged again by a near-miss close to the engine room that pushes the carrier against the wharf . One raider crashes in the sea in flames off Delimara, two are brought down over Grand Harbour and another in the sea off Della Grazia. For this main attack the airborne defences have a peak strength of 6 Hurricanes and 3 Fulmars. 
*1024-1045 hrs *An enemy flying boat with red cross marking, accompanied by a CR 42, circles north east of the Island.
*1208-1225 hrs *Air raid alert for an Italian Cant aircraft spotted eight miles north of Grand Harbour, evidently searching for missing aircraft. Four Hurricane fighters are scrambled and the aircraft turns away. Meanwhile the flying boat continues circling 22 miles off the coast. No raid occurs.
*1242 hrs *Air raid alert for two approaching formations ten miles off, heading for the Island. Two Hurricanes are scrambled. Three more formations are then spotted between 24 and 40 miles away, heading for Malta. Raiders total forty aircraft.
*1302 hrs* 30 dive-bombers launch a fierce attack on Grand Harbour, damaging civilian and Naval property and starting a fire between Corradino and the civilian prison. 500kg and 1000kg bombs damage buildings across Senglea and the Dockyard, and cause damage to CARBINE and CROSSBOW. All electric, water and telephone lines are severed. A 500kg armour-piercing bomb lands on Hamilton Wharf but fails to explode. Two further unexploded bombs are rendered safe at Corradino. Two bombs are dropped on Luqa aerodrome, causing slight damage. Malta fighters are scrambled and engage the enemy: six Hurricanes, one Fulmar and one Gladiator are airborne at any one time.
The harbour defences send up a heavy barrage which keeps the attackers high and brings down some enemey a/c.. Many enemy aircraft are hit; several are observed losing height. Four JU 88s, five JU 87s, one CR 42 and one Cant are confirmed destroyed by Malta fighters; one JU 87, one JU 88 and one CR42 unconfirmed; two JU 88s, one JU 87 and one CR42 damaged. In addition, AA claim at least three JU 87s and three JU 88s destroyed. One raider is brought down near Luqa, another crashes near Paola and a third off Delimara. A third is spotted heading out to sea over St Thomas’ Tower, emitting smoke. A raider is reported in flames over Bir id Deheb. One raider is reported baling out near Tarxien and another near St Thomas’ Tower. Two bodies are seen floating in the sea; the high speed launch sets out from Kalafrana.
*1320 hrs* Raiders passed. 
*1454-1500 hrs *Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
*1800 hrs *It is reported that 17 enemy aircraft were brought down during air raids today; one fighter was lost.
*Military casualties *Sergeant Eric Norman Kelsey, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 261 Squadron; Lance Bombardier John Rowley, 10 Battery, 7 HAA Regiment, Royal Artillery.
*Enemy casualties *Franz Buczek, 2/StG 1, gunner of JU 87 Stuka; Hauptmann Wilhelm Durbeck, pilot of JU 88; Sergente Maggiore Ezio Iaconne, 70a Squadriglia, 23o Gruppo Autonomo, the Pilot of a CR.42 fighter, baled out; Obergefreiter Hans Kusters, II/StG 2, pilot of JU 87 Stuka; Unteroffizier Rudolf Vater, 1/StG 1, pilot of JU 87 Stuka; Franz Walburg; Oberfeldwebel 2/StG 1, pilot of JU 87 Stuka; pilot Fritz Nakosky; pilot Richard Zehetmanir.
*AIR HQ *_Arrivals _1 PRU Spitfire from RAF Benson in England landed at Ta Qali after a mission to photograph Genoa; he had insufficient fuel to return to base. The aircraft will be employed locally.

A Fulmar of 806 Sqn, still flying to defend the carrier was shot down after itself shooting down a JU 87. Lt R. S. Henley and Naval Airman A. S. Rush were both picked up safe.

DD DECOY, under repair in dock at Malta, was damaged by FKX a/c. However, the completion of her repairs were not seriously delayed.​


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## parsifal (Jan 19, 2016)

*20 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 175

Dance Class ASW Trawler SWORD DANCE (T 132)





_Lost in a collision in the Morey Firth on 5 July 1942. During the early hours of the morning, whilst acting as escort to the east coast convoy WN.5, HMS SWORD DANCE was rammed in dense fog by one of merchants of the convoy, the THYA II (1088 GRT). The starboard coalbunker was holed in, the engine room rapidly flooded and SWORD DANCE sank in less than an hour._

*Losses*
*MV FLORIAN (UK 3174 grt) *Sunk by U-94 (Herbert Kuppisch) : Crew 44 (44 dead - no survivors); Cargo: empty Route: Hull - New York Convoy: Independant Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0042 hrs , U-94 fired one G7a torpedo at an unescorted freighter after chasing the ship for about 8 hrs. The vessel was hit amidships and sank vertically by the stern after 42 seconds about 140 miles WSW of the Faeroe Islands. Post war research suggests this was the FLORIAN which was reported missing in the North Atlantic after 20 January. The master, 41 crew members and two gunners were lost.






*MSW RELONZO (RN 245 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Crosby Channel, liverpool. Slater, T/Skipper W. Copeman RNR, seventeen ratings were lost on the trawler.
​*Steamer BARNEVELD (Ne 5597 grt)* was captured by DKM CS ADM SCHEER at 1200 miles from Freetown in 7S, 3E. T/Instructor Lt C. L. Broad, BSc, en route to CL AJAX, Surgeon Lt Cdr W. Greaves MB, CHB, en route to DD depot ship WOOLWICH, Lt A. R. Cheyne, en route to submarine depot ship MEDWAY, were captured and made prisoners of war. The steamer was sunk the next day by the by the Panzerschiff.

*Steamer HEEMSKERK (Ne 6516 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in the Western approaches at 53-43N, 16-07W. Eight crew were missing. The rest were rescued. The steamer sank on the 21st.





RM submarine MARCELLO sank *steamer PORTUGAL (Be 1550 grt)* in 50N, 19W. PORTUGAL reported missing after 20 January. German BDienst identified this ship as Greek steamer ELENI ​
*Steamer STANPARK (UK 5103 grt) *was sunk DKM CS ADM SCHEER at 9-27S, 3-00W. 
The entire crew was taken prisoner.​
*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel, Germany: U-48

At Sea 20 January 1941
U-38, U-48, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol*
A possible breakthrough of a DKM raider through the Iceland-Faroes passage was detected by W/T traffic intercepts. CLs ARETHUSA and NIGERIA departed Scapa Flow at 0600 in response. .

*Northern Waters*
CL AURORA and DDs ESCAPADE, ECLIPSE, ECHO, ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow at 1030 to meet BB PRINCE OF WALES off Liverpool then about to commence trials. When the BB's departure was delayed until 25 January, the escort ships were ordered back to Scapa Flow, arriving aearly onb the 20th
DD BELMONT departed Scapa Flow for Liverpool after completing her work up. The DD arrived on the 22nd.

*West Coast UK*
Convoy OB.276 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY, corvettes ORCHIS and PICOTEE, CVS PEGASUS, ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, LADY MADELEINE. Corvette PICOTEE was detached on the 23rd and the remainder of the escort on the 24th when the convoy dispersed.

British steamer TREGARTHEN was damaged by the LW in 55-54N, 7-00W. The steamer managed to get to Oban.​
*Central Atlantic*
 SL.63 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CANTON to 9 February, sloop MILFORD to 24 January, corvettes CLEMATIS to 22 January and CYCLAMEN to 24 January. On 7 February, DDs ACHATES and ANTELOPE joined. On 8 February, corvette PICOTEE joined for the day only. On the 9th, the DDs were relieved by DDs ANTHONY for the day only and GEORGETOWN, sloop FLEETWOOD for the day only, corvette HEATHER to 10 February, ASW trawler AYRSHIRE for the day only, and arrived on 10 February.
​*Med- Biscay*
British steamer VASCO was damaged by bombing at Pireaus. One crewman was killed and eight were wounded.​
For Operation MBD 2, also called Operation INSPECTION, the extraction of damaged carrier ILLUSTRIOUS from Malta, the following forces were organised. 

Force A - DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, GREYHOUND to operate in the vicinity of Suda Bay.
This force departed Suda Bay on the 21st for Malta. 

Force B - CLs ORION and AJAX, CLA BONAVENTURE, CA YORK and DDs ILEX and HERO to operate in the vicinity of Suda Bay.

Force C - BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CL PERTH, DDs (RAN) STUART, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HASTY, DIAMOND, GRIFFIN came to short notice at Alexandria.

On the arrival of the convoy AS.12 escorts at Alexandria, DD HEREWARD relieved DD STUART in the Force C screen.

AN.13 departed Alexandria at 1800 escorted by CL:A COVENTRY and DDs WRYNECK and RAN VENDETTA with British steamers ULSTER PRINCE, LANARKSHIRE and PORT HALIFAX Corvettes SALVIA and HYACINTH proceeded in company to establish a patrol in the Kithera Straits, The Kithera Straits patrol began on the 22nd with the corvettes, ASW trawler KINGSTON CYANITE, Sutherland a/c from Scaramanga in the Piraeus area, and arrived at Suda Bay on the 22nd and Piraeus on the 23rd.

ASW trawlers SOUTHERN ISLE and SOUTHERN MAID of the 22nd ASW Gp departed Alexandria to relieve ASW trawler AMBER at Sollum. MSW trawlers MILFORD COUNTESS and ARTHUR CAVANAGH and boom working vessel MAGNET departed also departed Alexandria for Sollum to begin work clearing Tobruk Harbour.​
*Malta*
Damaged DD GALLANT, which had been mined on the 10th, was paid off into dockyard hands after further damage by FKX in Malta Harbour. The AA guns from the stricken ship were fitted on store ship BRECONSHIRE.
​*Weather *Fine.
*0836-0845 hrs *Air raid alert for 3 a/c reported 10 miles SE of Delimara; raid does not materialise.
*1206-1220 hrs *Air raid alert. One JU 88 aircraft carries out recon over Grand Harbour.
*1755 hrs *A single unidentified a/c is observed nearing Grand Harbour, then retreating Nth without crossing the coast.
*0145-0430 hrs *Air raid alert for a series of solo attacks by up to 10 enemy a/c. The raiders cross over the coast at intervals, dropping bombs indiscriminately in 7 different areas. The target appears to be Luqa but is not accurately located. Four houses are demolished and 34 damaged; one civilian is seriously injured. Searchlights are illuminated but unable to locate the raiders, who remain at very high altitude. One Hurricane is scrambled but does not engage.
*AIR HQ *_Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _0530-1540 hrs _Sunderland recon Ionian Sea. A Sunderland returning from the Middle East was shadowed by a JU 88 for 10 minutes on its approach to Malta; no attack.


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## Njaco (Jan 19, 2016)

*January 19 Sunday*

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The “Illustrious” Blitz: Ju-87 _Stukas_ again attack the HMS ‘_Illustrious’_ but manage only one hit. Six Hurricanes, one Fulmar, and one Gladiator joined the guns in defense - against an estimated eighty aircraft. Near-misses caused some damage to the boiler rooms, but again the defences took their toll, the fighters claiming eleven and the gunners eight - about a quarter of the attacking force. Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 claimed three Hurricanes from RAF No. 261 Squadron over Malta. Destroyers HMS “_Imperial_” and HMS “_Decoy_” were also damaged by the attack. One Stuka aircraft was shot down by a Fulmar aircraft, which was also shot down later in the battle.

British transport ships “_Clan Cumming_”, “_Clan MacDonald_”, and “_Empire Song_” departed Pireaus, Greece for Alexandria, Egypt at 0800 hours. At 1153 hours, 25 miles south of Pireaus, Italian submarine “_Neghelli_” attacked, damaging “_Clan Cumming_” with a torpedo. Escorting destroyer HMS “_Greyhound_” sank “_Neghelli_” with depth charges, killing the entire crew of 46. Escorting destroyer HMS “_Janus_” escorted “_Clan Cumming_” back to Pireaus while the rest of the convoy sailed on.

*NORTH AFRICA: *British Commander-in-Chief Middle East General Wavell opens a 3-pronged offensive to drive the Italians from East Africa. 4th Indian Infantry Division (fresh from the success of Operation Compass in Egypt) and 5th Indian Infantry Division captured the railway junction at Kassala, Sudan, on the border with Italian Eritrea. This allowed the column led by British General William Platt to march south from Sudan, through Eritrea into Ethiopia. General Cunningham will swing northeast from Kenya, through Italian Somaliland into Ethiopia. A planned amphibious assault will retake British Somaliland and all 3 forces aim to converge on the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. Emperor Haile Selassie of Abyssinia crossed the border between Sudan and Italian Eritrea, traveling toward his home country behind advancing British and Commonwealth troops.

*GERMANY: *Benito Mussolini visited Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden in Germany, accepting German assistance in North Africa, but not Albania. Hitler noted that he would launch an invasion of Greece if British troops there began to threaten the oil refineries at Ploiesti, Romania.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed RAF Feltwell in England . Luftwaffe attacked Southampton overnight with 62 aircraft.

*ASIA: *In northern sector, Vichy French forces withdraw across the Mekong River under pressure from Thai advance.

.


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## Njaco (Jan 19, 2016)

_*January 20 Monday*_
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Compulsory firewatching in the UK was introduced from today. All men and women from 16 to 60 must register for part-time Civil Defence service. For the time being, the only requirement will be 48 hours firewatching per month by men. Factories, offices, shops, cinemas, theatres, churches, blocks of flats and private houses in the danger areas are to arrange fire-watching rotas. Large buildings will provide their own watchers. Smaller premises will work together.

Around this date a new National Service Bill was introduced. Because of manpower shortages those called up can opt for, or be directed to, serve in Police War Reserve, AFS or Civil Defence First Aid Parties instead of the armed forces. Currently 90% of CD workers are volunteers. Compulsory Civil Defence service will also apply to those registered "conditionally" as conscientious objectors. As well as being directed to continue their old jobs, work on the land or in hospital or ambulance service, they can now be directed into CD but not Police War Reserve which sometimes carries arms. Since call-up began 31,000 out of 2,000,000 have registered as objectors.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” sank British ship “_Stanpark_” and captured Dutch ship “_Barneveld_” 1,000 miles off the coast of Angola.

German submarine U-94 sank British ship “_Florian_” 200 miles southeast of Iceland at 0042 hours, killing the entire crew of 41.

In the Atlantic Ocean, Italian submarine “_Luigi_” fired a spread of three torpedoes at a group of three Allied destroyers but none hit. Italian submarine "_Marcello_", en route to Bordeaux, France for repairs, encountered Belgian ship “_Portugal_” and sank her with the deck gun.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Iron Guard rebellion in Romania was put down by Marshal Antonescu.

In reprisal for partisan attacks, Germans executed 2,324 males in the Yugoslavian town of Kragujevac, including 144 boys who were herded out of school. Furious at the partisan activity, Hitler had decreed that for every German soldier wounded in attacks, 100 civilians would be executed.

*ASIA: *Japan expanded annual intelligence budget to $500,000 to gather more intelligence on the United States.

Japanese 11th Army, assembled along Huai River near Hsinyang, conducts probing attacks against Chinese 5th War Area.

*GERMANY: *German Kriegsmarine ordered the construction of 75 new submarines.

At Berchtesgaden, Hitler and Mussolini conclude discussions about German assistance in Libya.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian bombers attack Athens and Piraeus harbor, losing one aircraft to RAF interceptors.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Lead elements of Indian 4th Infantry Division and 5th Infantry Division advance into Eritrea. RAF conducted raids against Massawa and other targets. Gideon Force with Emperor Haile Selassie and Orde Wingate cross into Ethiopia.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 20, 2016)

*21 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 195

*Losses*
 *Steamer TEMPLE MEAD (UK 4427 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches . 14 crew were lost. The TEMPLE MEAD was a straggler from SLS61 and was singled out for attention by a marauding Focke-Wulf 200. The ship had lost the convoy at night in heavy weather and at 1000 hrs on 21st Jan was steaming at 300 miles west of Ireland when the ship was attacked by a Condor. There were no direct hits, but the explosions of three near misses on the starboard side burst plating round the bilge and under water strakes. The ship began to settle quickly by the stern and sank in about 50 minutes. All hands mustered at boat stations. The Chief Engineer was missing, and one fireman was badly wounded. In a strong NE wind and heavy sea they prepared to abandon ship in their two lifeboats, with the Master in charge of the starboard boat and the Chief Officer in the other. When the port boat hit the water the for`ard fall was let go first, the boat shipped water and became waterlogged. Seven men died in this boat from the effects of shock and the icy water. The starboard, with nineteen men in it, was leaking badly, and three men died from exposure. “They were warmly clad” the master said afterwards “but just did not have the will to live”. He praised the 11 Arab firemen who “behaved in a steady and obedient manner”. Of a total crew of 41, 14 were lost. 18 survivors were rescued by the Swedish steamer MILOS* and put ashore in Oban; the remainder were taken to Greenock by the corvette CAMELIA. (The above taken from Poolman`s book on Focke-Wulf attacks.)





*Tug ENGLISHMAN (UK 487 grt)* was sunk by the LW forty miles west of Tory Island. The crew of seventeen and one gunner were all lost. ​
*Steamer BRECHSEE (Ger 688 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Malmo.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-103

At Sea 21 January 1941
U-38, U-48, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
 FN.389 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on 23 December.

*Northern Waters*
DD INTREPID and sub SEALION took part in a special exercise off Blyth. Following the exercise, DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE took on a minelaying role and sailed to Scapa Flow to arrive on the 24th. DD DOUGLAS departed Scapa for Aberdeen to escort steamer BEN MY CHREE to Lerwick. The DD was recalled that evening as the steamer was delayed by bad weather. DOUGLAS arrived at Scapa Flow next morning . The DD departed Scapa on the 23rd to meet the steamer. The steamer was delayed, again, but the DD was ordered to await her departure. After the Steamer did arrive, she was escorted to Lerwick. DOUGLAS was then recalled to Scapa Flow and arrived on the 26th. DD LEGION in a storm westward of Cava Island dragged anchors and fouled the Hoy Boom. With the aid of tugs, the DD was cleared and she was towed to an anchorage on the eastern side of the Flow for repairs.

*West Coast UK*
MSW TEDWORTH was extensively damaged in a gale in the Clyde.
​*Nth Atlantic*
HX.104 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC RAJPUTANA and corvettes ARROWHEAD EYEBRIGHT, SPIKENARD. The AMC was detached on 21 February. On 3 February, DDs ARROW and CHURCHILL and corvettes AUBRETIA and HOLLYHOCK joined the escort. DD CHURCHILL and corvette AUBRETIA were detached on 6 February and the remainder of the escort on 8 February, and arrived at Liverpool on 8 February. Simultaneously , BHX.104 departed Bermuda on the 21st escorted by AMCr ALAUNIA. The convoy was routed direct to Liverpool. BB KING GEORGE V escorted the convoy from 31 January to 3 February. The AMC remained with the convoy until 4 February. On 5 February, DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, LINCOLN, SHIKARI, SABRE, corvettes CLARKIA and GLADIOLUS, ASW trawlers NORTHERN WAVE and WELLARD joined. DD HAVELOCK and corvette CLARKIA were detached on 7 February. DDs HESPERUS, LINCOLN, SHIKARI were detached on 8 February. The remaining corvette and the two trawlers escorted the convoy into Liverpool arriving on 9 February. ASW trawler LEEDSUNITED escorted the Milford Haven local section.​
*Med- Biscay*
CL ORION joined CA YORK at Piraeus. CL AJAX and CLA BONAVENTURE covered convoy AN.13 through the Kaso Straits during the night of 21/22 January. CA YORK and ​CL ORION called at Suda Bay on the 22nd to take on oil. On the morning of the 23rd, CA YORK and CLs ORION, AJAX, BONAVENTURE with DDs ILEX and HERO rendezvoused for operation MBD 2 (the evacuation of Carrier ILLUSTRIOUS).
 
DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, GREYHOUND departed Suda Bay for Malta during the evening of 21 January and arrived on the 22nd. BatSqn 1 at Alexandria remained in harbour until 22 January. 

An allied attack on Tobruk centred around the Aus 6th Div was supported at sea by monitor TERROR, gunboats LADYBIRD and GNAT, and RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER. During the night of 21/22 January, VAMPIRE sank *schooner DIEGO (FI 63 grt)* west of Tobruk. The DD took the crew of ten prisoner.​
*Malta*
Churchills radio address to the defenders of Malta:
" _I send you on behalf of the War Cabinet heartfelt congratulations upon the magnificent and ever memorable defence which your heroic garrison and citizens, assisted by the Navy and above all by the Royal Air Force, are making against the Italian and German attacks. The eyes of all Britain and indeed of the whole British Empire are watching Malta in her struggle day by day, and we are sure that success, as well as glory, will reward your efforts.”_
_
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 JANUARY TO DAWN 22 JANUARY 1941_
*Weather *Overcast.
*0800 hrs *Nine Bren guns of C Company, 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regiment take up position to the east of Luqa for defence against low-flying attack.
*1410-1425 hrs *Air raid alert for a report of a single enemy a/c approaching at great height. It flies over Grand Harbour, probably on recon. AA guns at Tarxien open fire; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *1242-1530 hrs A PRU Spitfire surveys the Sicilian aerodromes and ports at 23000 feet: at Comiso 5 JU 88s, 9 Macchi 200s; at Palermo 12 JU 87s, 30 Macchi 200s or CR 42s, 1 JU 52, 3 JU 86; at Trapani 2 SM 79s, one large unidentified aircraft, 57 fighters; at Catania 48 JU87s of which 14 damaged or destroyed, 4 JU 88s, 3 SM 79s, 6 BR 20s, 11 Macchi 200s of which 2 damaged, 1 SM 82. However, interpretation being treated with reserve. 
**


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## Njaco (Jan 20, 2016)

*January 21 Tuesday
WESTERN FRONT:* Uffz. Gerhard Blum of 1./NJG 2 gets his first victory when he destroys a RAF Blenheim bomber in the early morning.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Home Secretary Herbert Morrison used Defence Regulation 2D to ban the Communist newspaper Daily Worker, on the grounds that it was attempting to hinder the British war effort.

Churchill broadcast to Malta:


> “The eyes of all Britain, and indeed of the whole Empire, are watching Malta in her struggle....”



*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. Assault on Tobruk, Libya, opens at 0540 hours with an artillery barrage. Australian 6th Division sappers blast through the perimeter wire with Bangalore torpedoes and fill in antitank ditches, allowing 18 Matilda tanks and some captured Italian M11 and M13 medium tanks to move through. As at Bardia, Allied infantry and tanks pick off Italian machinegun posts, artillery batteries and dug-in tanks from within the defensive perimeter. They reach within 2 miles of the town of Tobruk and shell Italian cruiser San Giorgio from cliffs overlooking the harbour. 3 squadrons of RAF Blenheims bomb the defenses continually. 8,000 Italians were captured in overrun defensive positions, including General Petassi Manella. After nightfall, the headquarters of the Australian 19th Brigade offered Manella a ceasefire, but it was rejected, as the Italian general had orders from Benito Mussolini to fight until the last man. Overnight, Italian bombers attacked the British forward base; some bombs fell on the buildings holding prisoners of war, killing 50-300 Italians.

The last recorded charge by cavalry against a British battery occurred in Eritrea, Italian East Africa when a battery of the 144th (Surrey and Sussex Yeomanry) Field Regiment Royal Artillery was surprised by about sixty mounted Eritreans, led by an Italian officer, who came on at the gallop firing from the saddle and lobbing grenades as they charged. The Battery replied with shell and small arms fire, and the cavalry retired leaving about forty of their number killed or wounded on the field. Elsewhere, Indian 5th Infantry Division advanced 50 miles into Eritrea, capturing Aicota unopposed. Finally, Indian 10th Infantry Brigade and 2nd Battalion of the British Highland Light Infantry marched for Keru. Brigadier William Slim, commanding Indian 10th Infantry Brigade, is wounded in action, goes on medical leave, and subsequently employed on the staff of GHQ at Delhi.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German bombers sank British rescue tug HMS “_Englishman_” 50 miles off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland; the entire crew of 18 were killed. British vessel “_Temple Mead”_ is sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom began in Bucharest, Romania when members of the Iron Guard revolted. Ultra-fascist Iron Guard attempted to overthrow the Rumanian military dictator, General Antonescu, and conducted a simultaneous pogrom against the Jews (approx. 1,000 killed). Many are butchered in a Bucharest animal slaughterhouse. Rising was finally crushed January 24 and ringleader (Sima) fled to Germany. German forces in Rumania were ordered to support Antonescu against Iron Guard if needed.

Bulgaria passed anti-Semitic legislation modeled after Germany's Nuremberg Laws.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The United States lifted the trade embargo on the Soviet Union that had been imposed during the Winter War.

Foreign Minister Matsuoka warns US not to meddle in Asia.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian forces successfully attack Greek II Corps in mountains west of Klisura in central sector of the front.

*ASIA:* At a secret session of the Diet, Prime Minister Konoe declares: Germany will win.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 21, 2016)

*22 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-67





3 ships sunk, total tonnage 72,138 GRT, 5 ships damaged, total tonnage 29,726 GRT
Sunk on 16 July 1943 in the Sargasso Sea SW of the Azores, by DCs from an Avenger a/c (VC-13 USN) of the CVE USS CORE. 48 dead and 3 survivors.

*Losses*
*MSW trawler LUDA LADY (RN 234 grt)*, was sunk on a mine in the Humber. The entire crew was rescued.
​*Naval tug ST CYRUS (RN 810 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the Humber. Most of the crew were lost in the tug.

*Steamer KAPETAN STRATIS (Gk 3574 grt)* was sunk by FW 200 a/c of the LW in the western approaches. The entire crew was lost





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-38, U-96 , U-124

Departures
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 22 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-123

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU departed Kiel to raid in the Nth and Central Atlantic in Operation BERLIN. Adm Tovey departed Scapa Flow at 2320 on the 25th to intercept the German ships, with BBs NELSON and RODNEY, BC REPULSE, CLs ARETHUSA, GALATEA, AURORA , MAURITIUS, CLAs NAIAD, PHOEBE, CLs EDINBURGH and BIRMINGHAM, DDs BEDOUIN, MATABELE, TARTAR, PUNJABI, ESCAPADE, ECHO, ELECTRA, BEAGLE, BRILLIANT, KEPPEL, ORP PIORUN. Though the RN forces sent to block the german breakout were powerful, they significantly lacked any carrier support. 




_Scharnhorst and Gneisnenau in the Kattegat. Photo from the Seekrieg Site_
 
On the 27th, BB RODNEY, CLs EDINBURGH, BIRMINGHAM, MAURITIUS, DDs BEAGLE, BRILLIANT, KEPPEL, PIORUN were directed to return to Scapa Flow. Barring developments at sea, the ships would remain at Scapa Flow until 30 January when they would sail to relieve units still on patrol. BB RODNEY, cruisers EDINBURGH, BIRMINGHAM, MAURITIUS, DDs BRILLIANT and BEAGLE arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 28th. DDs KEPPEL and PIORUN arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th. On the 30th, cruisers NAIAD and PHOEBE arrived at Scapa Flow at 1105 and cruisers GALATEA and ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol at 1125. BB NELSON, BC REPULSE, DDs BEDOUIN, MATABELE, TARTAR, ESCAPADE, ELECTRA, ECHO, PUNJABI arrived at Scapa Flow at 1700/30th after having covered convoy HX.103 on the 29th. CL AURORA arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 30th.

DKM TB T.1 was damaged when she ran aground off Kristiansand. Temporary repairs were done at Horten. She departed on 10 February for Gotenhafen, where the repairs were completed in July.

*North Sea*
FS.392 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 24th.

*Northern Waters*
CLs ARETHUSA and NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow after patrol.

*West Coast UK*
OB.277 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VANQUISHER, VISCOUNT, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA and corvettes GENTIAN and VERBENA. The corvettes were detached on the 26th and the DDs on the 27th at which time the convoy was dispersed.

British steamer JAMAICA PLANTER was damaged by a mine 2500 yards 196° from Neil's Point, Barry Island (west of Cardiff). The steamer was beached in Old Harbour, Barry. refloated and beached at Whitmore Bay, 13 February

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.20 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC RANPURA and PV OTTER. The PV was detached the next day and the AMC on 4 February. Also on the 4 February, DD HARVESTER, corvettes ARBUTUS, CAMELLIA, ERICA, ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the escort. The escort was detached on 8 February and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the same day.

*Med- Biscay*
The Italians scuttled *Coast Defence ship SAN GIORGIO (RM 11122 grt)* to prevent it from falling into British hands.
(Photo Source AWM)





*Liner LIGURIA (FI 15,354 grt)*, immobilised since bombing damage on 5 July, was sunk by British bombing at Tobruk. The liner was later salved.
(AWM Photo)





Tobruk was captured by the Australian and British forces. The operation was supported offshore by monitor TERROR, gunboats LADYBIRD and GNAT, RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE and VOYAGER. Monitor TERROR and gunboat GNAT returned to Alexandria late on the 21st. The gunboat began on its return boiler cleaning. DD VOYAGER with defects and a damaged ASW dome was ordered to return to Alexandria for repairs. DD DEFENDER departed Alexandria on the 23rd to relieve VOYAGER

An Italian convoy of passengers ships ESPERIA, CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO and steamer VICTORIA departed Naples for Tripoli on the 22nd, escorted by DDs FRECCIA and SAETTA to Trapani, then VIVALDI, TARIGO, MALOCELLO, DA NOLI of DesDiv 14 . Sub UNIQUE fired torpedoes at the convoy off Kerkenah. Steamer ESPERIA was missed in the attack. The convoy did not know it had been attacked and arrived safely at Tripoli on the 24th.​ 
*Malta*
_*From: Chief of General Staff, War Office *_
_*To: Governor & C in C*_
_We have had many reports of the presence of German troops in Sicily, including parachutists. But the volume of these reports is greater than their reliability which we cannot check and we have received no identification of German formations. As you know air reconnaissance on 14 January showed no unusual quantity of shipping in Sicilian ports but the possibility of an operation starting from the Italian mainland cannot be excluded, though reports of German troops in Italy are unconfirmed. At present therefore we have no grounds for believing attack on Malta immediate though possibility exists. Would be glad to know how you feel as regards garrison to meet attack._
_Following most secret report probably comes from MA Ankara dated 20 Jan addressed C in C Middle East: Reports circulating in Rome state that there are 30,000 (repeat 30,000) German troops in Sicily. These include parachutists and two armoured or motorised divisions with a maximum of 1000 (repeat 1000) tanks and 350 aircraft. These forces are reported to be destined for landing operations in Malta or in the rear of the British Army in Libya. We have nothing to confirm or refute this information._

_*From: Governor & C in C *_
_*To: Chief of General Staff, War Office*_
_I cannot help thinking that reports are being circulated as bluff. Having consulted the naval authorities here who are satisfied that a suggested landing behind our lines in Libya is out of the question for a force of the nature indicated. As for its being intended for an attack on Malta, I would point out that armoured or motorised divisions are not suited for such an operation…_

_Although I would naturally like the full garrison ie three more bns, yet I am confident that in the existing situation the present garrison should suffice to do the trick. It is big enough to ensure that any attempt contemplated must be a really big one and so may be a deterrent. What would help us more than anything is the immediate and substantial increase in the number of fighter aircraft with the necessary maintenance personnel – also some additional reconnaissance aircraft of which we are very short at the moment. We want to avoid surprise and also to resist the heavy air attack which will undoubtedly precede and accompany any other attack. We would also really like some more gunner personnel of which we are very short of establishment._

AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 JANUARY TO DAWN 23 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine.
*2109-2215 hrs *Air raid alert for 4 enemy a/c heading for the Island. One Wellington approaches from the SW, gives the correct recognition signal for friendly a/c, then heads towards Hal Far showing navigation lights. An unidentified aircraft approaches from the NW. The Wellington turns off its navigation lights and circles before retreating due sth as the enemy approaches. An enemy aircraft crosses the coast and drops two bombs on land at Zabbar, in the Luqa area and in the sea at St Thomas’ Bay before retreating. After the all-clear the Wellington lands safely at Luqa.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY 1941
_*ROYAL NAVY *JERVIS, JUNO JANUS _and _GREYHOUND _arrived as escort for_ ILLUSTRIOUS*.*_

*AIR HQ *
_0540-1030 hrs _Swordfish on anti-ship patrol between Malta and the Tunisian coast. 
_1103-1250 hrs _Spitfire on photorecon of Tripoli Harbour and Castel Benito; photographs show at Castel Benito 14 SM 79s, 1 S 62 and 4 BR20s and at Tripoli merchant ships, destroyers and flying boas. 
*LUQA *148 Sqn bombing attack on Catania and Comiso.

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## Njaco (Jan 21, 2016)

*January 22 Wednesday*

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Compass. Italian resistance at Tobruk collapses. Italian cruiser “_San Giorgio_” was scuttled by her own crew at Tobruk, Libya at 0415 hours. In the afternoon, Brigadier General Vincenzo della Mura surrendered the Italian 61 Infantry Division "Sirte". Meanwhile, Allied troops continued the attacks throughout the day, with monitor HMS “_Terror_” and gunboats HMS “_Gnat_” and HMS “_Ladybird_” continuing to offer support with their guns. British aircraft sank Italian liner “_Liguria_”. Before the end of the day, Admiral Massimilian Vietina surrendered to the Australian troops. Tobruk’s sheltered harbour is intact as are wells and pumps to produce 40,000 gallons of fresh (if brackish) water per day. With Tobruk captured by the British, this causes Hitler to revise his plans from a modest blocking force to a larger force with offensive capability. The British government now orders Wavells XIII Corps to capture Benghazi.

4th Indian Division attacked Italian positions at Keru, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, leading to General Fongoli surrendering his 1,200 men.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command begins Rhubarb operations. At 1258 hours, Fw. Mickel of 1./JG 1 gets his second victory when he shoots down a British Beaufort bomber north west of Terschelling. Fw. Mickel's comrade at 1st _Staffel_, Uffz. Krause, claims his first victory when he destroys a RAF Blenheim bomber at 1512 hours west of Den Helder.

*GERMANY:* German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” departed from Kiel, Germany for Operation Berlin. The commander-in-chief of the operation was Admiral Günther Lütjens, who subsequently commanded the famous cruise of “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_”. They were spotted en route through the Great Belt and the British Admiralty was informed.

Bulgarian Army Chief of Staff discusses military planning for the Balkans with his German counterparts.

RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Wendell Willkie departed the United States aboard a transatlantic flight for a "fact finding" mission in Britain.

USN cruiser “_Louisville_” arrives in New York City with large shipment of British gold for deposit in US banks.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Antonescu orders Rumanian army to crush Iron Guard rebellion.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek II Corps captures Kiafe Louzit and Spi Kamarate and takes 500 Italian prisoners in central sector of the front.

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## parsifal (Jan 22, 2016)

*23 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS AGASSIZ (K129)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS BITTERSWEET (K 182)






*Losses*
*Steamer LURIGETHAN (UK 3564 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches.
15 crew and one gunner were lost on the steamer.





*Steamer LANGLEGORSE (UK 4524 grt)* was sunk bythe LW from convoy SL.61 in the Western Approaches
The entire crew was lost.
​*Steamer MOSTYN (UK 1859 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. Two crew were lost. A tug was sent to assist on the 25th, but she was unable to locate the steamer.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient, France: U-101

At Sea 23 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-123. 
9 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
*Steamer ELIZABETH BAKKE (Ex-Nor 5450 grt,)*, *Steamer JOHN BAKKE (Ex-Nor 4718 grt)*, *Steamer TAI SHAN (Ex-Nor 6962 grt),* *TAURUS (Ex-Nor 4767 grt)*, *RANJA (Ex-Nor 6355 grt)*, all trapped in German territories, under the direction of British Captain R. D. Binney escaped from Gotenburg to English waters in Operation RUBBLE. Binney, the temporary attache to Stockholm, was on steamer TAI SHAN. One rating from DD HUNTER (lost at Narvik) returned to England aboard the steamer. The steamers narrowly missed DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU in the Kattegat. CLA NAIADand CL AURORA departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd to meet the ships. CL s EDINBURGH and BIRMINGHAM and DDs ESCAPADE, ECHO, ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow for the same purposae on the 24th. The ELIZABETH BAKKE was the fastest of the five and proceeded independently. CLA NAIAD and CL AURORA met steamers TAURUS and TAI SHAN. They turned these steamers over the CS 18 group and returned to meet JOHN BAKKE and RANJA. These two steamers were under air attack when the cruisers found them. Steamer RANJA was strafed by a German aircraft and her First Officer was wounded. Steamer TAURUS arrived at Kirkwall on the 25th escorted by DD ELECTRA. Steamer TAI SHAN arrived at Kirkwall at 0536. JOHN BAKKE arrived at Kirkwall at 0700 with CL AURORA. ELIZABETH BAKKE arrived at Kirkwall, unescorted at 0903. DD ECHO had been sent to escort the steamer into harbour, but did not contact her. Tanker RANJA arrived at Kirkwall at 0815 with CLA NAIAD. The escorting warships all proceeded to Scapa Flow arriving during the morning of 25 January, the DDs arriving independently.
​*North Sea*
FN.390 departed Southend, and arrived at Methil on the 25th. FS.394 departed Methil, escorted by DDs COTSWOLD and WESTMINSTER, and arrived at Southend on the 25th. FS.395 departed Methil, escorted by DDs VANITY, VERSATILE, WALLACE and sloop FLEETWOOD, and arrived at Southend on the 26th.

DD ATHERSTONE arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after repairs. DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow for boiler cleaning at Rosyth, where she arrived on the 24th

*West Coast UK*
MSW trawler COUTIER was damaged by mining and brought into Milford Haven.
​MSW trawler RONSO was badly damaged on a mine 2.9 miles 49° from South Foreland. Despite heavy damage, the trawler was repaired and restored to service.

*Channel*
During the night of 23/24 January, DKM MLs ROLAND, COBRA, KAISER, SKAGERRAK, escorted by DD RICHARD BEITZEN and TBs ILTIS and SEEADLER laid mines off the British south coast in Operation SW b.​*Med- Biscay*
Damaged CV ILLUSTRIOUS, having completed emergency repairs to enable her to make a run out of Malta, escorted by DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, GREYHOUND departed Malta. CA YORK, CLs ORION, AJAX, CLA BONAVENTURE and DDs ILEX and HERO under Pridham-Wipple from Suda Bay joined the carrier at sea. Working up to a speed of just under 20 knots, the voyage was largely uneventful, but caused considerable amount of tension and drama as she made good her escape. This movement was covered by BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, RAN CL PERTH, DDs HEREWARD, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, HASTY, DIAMOND,GRIFFIN. On the 24th, the Pridham Wipple force was finally attacked by the LW . DD HERO, which had become detached due to a breakdown of her steering gear, was singled out. CL AJAX was damaged by the near miss in the Mediterranean. The damage was very slight and did not cause the cruiser any time out of service. No damage was done to any of the ships. Pridham-Wipple was not located and ILLUSTRIOUS finally joined the main force. The forces involved in MBD.2 arrived at Alexandria on the 25th. 

Monitor TERROR departed Alexandria at 1800 for Sollum to rejoin the Inshore Squadron and later act as AA guard ship at Tobruk. Operation PARALLAX, the clearing of Tobruk Harbour and establishing the port as a base, began. MSW trawlers ARTHUR CAVANAGH and MILFORD COUNTESS and boom working vessel MAGNET were specifically deployed for PARALLAX.​
*Australia/Pac/Far East*
The old pre-1918 DD THRACIAN and ML MAN YEUNG laid mines in the approaches to Hong Kong.​
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 JANUARY TO DAWN 24 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine.
No air raids.
_*ROYAL NAVY *ILLUSTRIOUS _repairs completed sufficiently to make her seaworthy, thanks to a lack of air raids since 19 January. She sailed to the eastward escorted by _JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS _and _GREYHOUND._


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## Njaco (Jan 22, 2016)

*January 23 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Five Norwegian ships transport 25,000 tons of special steel products from Sweden to Britain, in a move called Operation Rubble. All five ships - vessels “_Elizabeth Bakke_”, “_John Bakke_”, “_Tai Shan_”, “_Taurus_”, and “_Ranja_” - make it through German-controlled water, to Royal Navy escort to Kirkwall, Scotland.

In a repeat of 16 January, aircraft of KG 40 sight an Allied convoy but before U-boats or additional aircraft can arrive, the reconnaissance plane becomes low on fuel and must head back to its airfield, leaving the convoy intact. Meanwhile German Fw 200 aircraft bombed British ship “_Lurigethan_” 200 miles west of Ireland; 16 were killed in fires while 35 were taken off. The Newcastle-registered SS “_Langleegorse_' (4,542 t), was attacked and sunk by Focke-Wulf Condor aircraft some 200 miles off the Irish coast while en route from Durban to London. All hands were lost including the Master, South Shields born Richard Edmondson, aged 26. British vessel “_Mostyn_” is sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

German pocket battleships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” were spotted in the Great Belt between mainland Denmark and the island of Zealand by a British agent who alerted the Admiralty in London, England.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The HMS ‘_Illustrious’_ with makeshift repairs, sets sail from Malta to Alexandria with destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Juno_”, HMS “_Janus_”, and HMS “_Greyhound_” in escort, ending the Luftwaffe’s Blitz on the aircraft carrier. During the attacks the British are never able to send more than three Fulmars, six Hurricanes and a single Gloster Gladiator against the forty to eighty German warplanes sent against the HMS ‘_Illustrious_’.

Commander Vittorio Moccagatta was made the head of the Special Weapons Section of 1a Flottiglia MAS at La Spezia, Italy.

Greek II Corps attacks and recaptures heights west of Klisura in central sector of the front.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Ofw. Hans Stechmann of 9./JG 3 shoots down a British Hurricane fighter at 1340 hours for his eighth victory.

*NORTH AMERICA: *USS “_Arizona_” became the flagship of Battleship Division 1's Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd.

Charles Lindbergh came before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee to oppose the Roosevelt Administration's Lend-Lease bill. Lindbergh testified that he would prefer to see "neither side win" in the war and hoped to see a "negotiated peace," and also expressed his belief that American entry into the war on Britain's side would still not be enough to defeat Germany without some kind of internal collapse.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Allied troops had captured Tobruk, Libya, but fighting would continue at outposts outside the city for another day. The British 4th Armoured Brigade reaches Mechili, but cannot attack as its garrison is stronger than first thought and so has to bring the rest of the 7th Armoured Division up. In the harbor, British minesweeping trawlers HMT _“Arthur Cavanagh_” and HMT “_Milford Countess_” began clearing sunken Italian ships.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Destroyer USS “_Edsall_” attacked a submarine contact in the Vernon Islands 30 miles northwest of Darwin, Australia. “_Edsall_” suffered damage from one of her own depth charges in this attack.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Legionnaires' rebellion was put down in Romania. Iron Guard begins surrendering to Rumanian army as Antonescu continues to assert his authority and purge the Iron Guard.

*ASIA:* Four IJN cruisers depart Kure for Indochina to help pressure Thailand and Indochina to settle disputes.

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## parsifal (Jan 23, 2016)

*24 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bathurst Class Corvette (or MSW) HMAS LISMORE (J 145)




_Lismore in 1942_
_From December 1941 LISMORE operated with the British Eastern Fleet. On 17 June 1943, when the British troopship YOMA was sunk off the coast of Libya, LISMORE (which by then was in the Med) and her sister ship HMAS GAWLER were among the ships that rescued 1,477 survivors. In December 1944, LISMORE was assigned to the British Pacific Fleet. The corvette earned four battle honours for her wartime service: "Indian Ocean 1941–44", "Sicily 1943", "Pacific 1945", and "Okinawa 1945". LISMORE was paid off from RAN service on 3 July 1946, transferring immediately into the Royal Netherlands Navy, where she was renamed HNLMS BATJAN and reclassified as a frigate. She was not finally removed from service until 1958._
 
HDML HMS HDML 1038

Fairmile B Ml 181

*Losses*
*MV VESPASIAN (Nor 1570 grt), *Sunk by U-123 (Karl-Heinz Moehle) Crew: 18 (18 dead - no survivors) Cargo:Empty Route:Tyne - Oban - Mackenzie, British Guiana Convoy: OB-276 (Straggler) Sunk in the Western Approaches ; at 2148 hrs , U-123 fired one torpedo at an unescorted steamer and observed the ship to sink by the bow after being hit aft about 290 miles WSW of Rockall. The target was most likely the VESPASIAN which was reported missing after straggling from convoy OB-276 due to bad weather in approximately 55°N/15°W on 23 January.

*Steamer CORHEATH (UK 1096 grt)* was sunk on a mine one mile 270° from Botany Buoy in Thames Estuary. Three crew were lost.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Wilhelmshaven: U-107

At Sea 24 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

*North Sea*
British steamer TASMANIA was damaged on a mine 11½ miles 90° from Rattray Head. She was unable to enter Aberdeen due to bad weather and returned to Methil, arriving at Methil on the 25th. She left Leith in tow for the Tees on 3 February.

*Northern Waters*
CLA PHOEBE arrived at Scapa Flow after escort duty with convoy WS.5B.
​OB.278 departed Liverpool, escort DDs SALADIN, SARDONYX, SKATE, corvettes ANEMONE, KINGCUP, MALLOW, ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and ST ELSTAN. The escort was detached on the 27th when the convoy dispersed.
​DD INGLEFIELD departed the Nore for Scapa Flow after repair at 1700, and arrived on the 26th.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB KGV which had departed Scapa Flow on the 15th, was met in Chesapeake Bay by USS DD LANSDALE. The new British ambassador to the United States was safely delivered.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER at sea. The AO also contacted captured Norwegian tanker SANDEFJORD on the 24th.

*Med- Biscay*
Submarine TRIUMPH, which was unable to leave her dock at Malta due to bombing on the 21st, was successfully cleared from the dock on the 24th. The submarine was able to proceed on patrol at 1830.
​Submarine UPHOLDER departed Malta to patrol off Tripoli.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM Disguised Raider ATLANTIS sank *steamer MANDASOR (UK 5144 grt) *300 miles east of the Seychilles . Two British crew were lost, one died and sixteen were taken prisoner. Two native crew were lost and 60 taken prisoner. RAN CA CANBERRA and CL SYDNEY along with NZ manned CL LEANDER and RN CL COLOMBO were brought to the area to search, but no contact was made. LEANDER departed Colombo on the 24th and searched the area. SYDNEY remained in the area for three days. After searching, cruiser LEANDER refuelled at Addu Island on the 27th and arrived back at Colombo on the 30th.
 
MANDASOR  left Colombo for the UK on the 13th January with a cargo of pig iron and tea, She had a crew of 88 many of which were Indians. The ships captain decided to head for the African coast in order to avoid a known German raider operating in the Indian Ocean, a longer route, but safer. On Jan 23 a crewman on MANDASOR noticed a ship heading east about 10 miles distant to port, he informed the captain who ordered the ship hard to starboard, turning away from an unknown vessel was standard practice, the unidentified ship did the same thing, turned away from MANDASOR. This action convinced the skipper of the cargo vessel that the ship was another friendly following the same orders he had, what he did not know is that the unidentified ship was Schiff 16. 

ATLANTIS' skipper Bernhard Rogge however was not following Admiralty orders and Schiff 16 was not a friendly merchant ship, it was a Hilfskreuzer better known as ATLANTIS. His plan was to wait until dark to attack the ship, being close to the Seychelles he feared any signal sent by the MANDASOR would be picked up by the British and could jeopardize his ship. However after night fell he lost his target and had to wait until daylight to re-acquire it.

At dawn on Jan. 24, 1941 Rogge launched one of his seaplanes to search for the ship, at about 8 a.m. the pilot found it. His first job was to tear down the radio antenna, which he did with an airborne grapnel , then he dropped several bombs setting the ship ablaze. In the engine room two Indian crewmen Ali Ahmed and Jalal Ahmed, both later awarded the B.E.M., continued to keep the ship's engines running at top speed to evade the raider and Hill (the steamers captain) kept running. Since the aerial was down no signal of distress could be sent, two more of the crew, Abdulla and Ghalam Hossein, went aloft and rigged a new aerial which allowed the distress call to be sent, they were also later awarded the B.E.M. While the British later regarded the action of rigging the new aerial as heroic, at the time the Germans did not.

The aircraft came around for another pass in an attempt to silence the radio and fired a number of shots at the ship to no avail, but soon ATLANTIS was within range and began to shell the ship with her 6.1" guns hitting her several times and causing fires all over the ship. The bridge had been hit as well other shells landed amidships and Hill knew he could no longer run. He stopped his ship and ordered her abandoned, some survivors stated that Atlantis continued to fire even while the crew were taking to the boats, the shelling caused the deaths of six crewmen.

Atlantis picked up the survivors but lost her seaplane. The aircraft landed, but had been damaged by machine gun fire during the attack, this caused one of the floats to collapse and the plane capsized and sank, the crew however survived. Hill and his crew were landed at Bordeaux and remained POW's until the end of the war. Hill was awarded the O.B.E. for his actions in trying to outrun the ATLANTIS, and Quartermaster William Steele was awarded the B.E.M. for refusing to be removed from the water, which was infested with sharks, until another man who was badly wounded was picked up. MANDASOR slipped beneath the waves, another victim in a long war.







*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 JANUARY TO DAWN 25 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Fair.
*1045-1110 hrs *Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft approaching from the north in two formations. Six Hurricanes, two Fulmars and one Gladiator are scrambled; no interception. At ten miles off Grand Harbour the raiders retreat without crossing the coast.
*Enemy casualties *Obergefreiter Eugen Lehmann, crewman; Unteroffizier Karl-Heinz Pollzien, crewman; Gefreiter Heinrich Steffen, crewman; Unteroffizier Gustav Ullrich, pilot; 4/LG 1 all of JU 88 bomber.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 24 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *_0510-1320 hrs _Sunderland despatched to cover track of ILLUSTRIOUS proceeding to Alexandria. Did not sight ILLUSATRIOUS which is presumed to have made greater speed than anticipated but visibility poor with surface haze. 1 Cant Z506 seen on return journey but not engaged. _0550-1545 hrs_ Sunderland patrolled western Ionian Sea for enemy shipping. _ 0920-1317 hrs_ Maryland photo recon Gela, Sciacca, Castel Vetrano and Syracuse. Castel Vetrano 3 SM 79s, 8 dark twin-engined aircraft. Gela 4 unidentified single-engined aircraft. Other sites not seen. _0105-1348 hrs_ Swordfish patrolled eastern Tunisian coast for enemy shipping. 
*LUQA *69 Squadron (431 Flight): 1 Maryland photo reconnaissance Gela, Sciacca, Castel-Vetrano, Syracuse aerodromes. Photos unsuccessful due to freezing temperatures.


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## Njaco (Jan 23, 2016)

*January 24 Friday*

*NORTH AFRICA: *All Italian outposts surrounding Tobruk, Libya were captured by the Allies. Meanwhile, en route to Derna, Libya, British 7th Armored Division encountered units of the newly organized Italian Special Armoured Brigade and defeated them near Mechili, destroying 9 Italian tanks at the cost of 7 British tanks.

*INDIAN OCEAN: *German He 114 seaplane from armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” attacked British ship “_Mandasor_” 300 miles east of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. “_Atlantis_” soon arrived, stopping “_Mandasor_” with gunfire, killing 6. A launch from “_Atlantis_” drove away sharks with machine gun fire as the Germans rescued 82 survivors. “_Mandasor_” was eventually sunk with a torpedo. As the He 114 aircraft attempted to land in the water for recovery, the rough seas caused her to capsize and become lost. Four Allied cruisers later arrived on the scene in response, but “_Atlantis_” had already departed.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Lord Halifax arrived at Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, United States aboard battleship HMS “_King George V_”. He had arrived to take up his new post as the British ambassador to the United States.

U.S. Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox sent Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson a letter warning of the possibility of a surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-123 sank Norwegian ship “_Vespasian_” with a torpedo 200 miles west of Ireland at 2148 hours, killing the entire crew of 18.

*ASIA:* Thai aircraft bombed the airfield at Angkor near Siem Reap, Cambodia, French Indochina. The resulting dogfights would be the final air battle of the Franco-Thai War.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *German representatives in Rumania smuggle some Iron Guard leaders out of the country to prevent arrest and execution.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian forces counterattack Greek II Corps on heights west of Klisura in central sector of the front.

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## parsifal (Jan 24, 2016)

*25 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U 201




_U-123 und U-201 at Lorient, 8 June 1941_
_22 ships sunk, total tonnage 102,697 GRT_
_2 auxiliary warships sunk, total tonnage 5,700 GRT_
_2 ships damaged, total tonnage 13,386 GRT_
_Sunk on 17 February 1943 in the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland, in position 50.50N, 40.50W, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Viscount. 49 dead (all hands lost).._

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS SUNFLOWER (K 41)




_An image of the SUNFLOWER early in her service_

*UBOATS*
At Sea 25 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.391 departed Southend, escort DD WOLFHOUND and sloop LONDONDERRY. Patrol sloop WIDGEON joined on the 26th, and the convoy arrived at Methil on the 27th.

*Northern Patrol*
AMCs WOLFE and CIRCASSIA departed the Clyde for Northern Patrol.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort WN.73 until after dark. The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow late that evening. FNFL DD OURAGAN departed Scapa Flow for Greenock following work up. The DD arrived on the 26th.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB KGV departed Chesapeake Bay to escort convoy BHX.104, which included 24 tankers, to England. On the 29th, the convoy was met by escort ships and the BB proceeded independantly to Scapa Flow.

HX.105 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC ASCANIA. On the 27th, submarine PORPOISE was with the convoy for that day only. The AMC was detached on 6 February. DDs MONTGOMERY, WILD SWAN, WITCH, corvettes CAMPANULA, PERIWINKLE, PIMPERNEL joined the convoy 6 February. The escort was detached on 9 February, and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the same day .

*Central Atlantic*
CVL HERMES and CL ENTERPRISE, operating as Force J, intercepted *steamer SONTAY (Vichy 8917 grt)* and took her to Durban. She was placed in the Service of the Ministry of transport for the the duration and was handed back to the French govt after 1945

*Med- Biscay*
German steamers DUISBERG and INGO departed Palermo escorted by AMC LAGO TANA for Tripoli. From Trapani, AMC CARALIS relieved LAGO TANA. 

ILLUSTRIOUS and her supporting forces arrived at Alexandria. RAN CL PERTH departed Alexandria the same day for Suda Bay to arrive during the morning of 26 January. Netlayer PROTECTOR, escorted by DDs DAINTY and JAGUAR, departed Alexandria with the first half of the anti torpedo boom for Suda Bay. On arrival at Suda Bay, the DDrs were detached to Kithera patrol.

Convoy AS.13 departed Pireaus for Port Said, escort CLAr COVENTRY and DDs WRYNECK and RAN VENDETTA. MSW FAREHAM joined the convoy from Suda Bay, and arrived on the 27th at Port Said with DD WRYNECK. 

CLA COVENTRY, RAN DD VENDETTA, MSW FAREHAM arrived at Alexandria on the 27th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.13A departed Suez, escort sloop GRIMSBY. The sloop was relieved by DD KANDAHAR and RAN sloop YARRA. The convoy was dispersed on 1 February.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Jan 24, 2016)

*January 25 Saturday*

*MEDITERRANEAN: *After sundown, British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Latona_” and destroyers HMS “_Hero_”, HMS “_Hotspur_”, and HMS “_Encounter_” departed Alexandria, Egypt for Tobruk, Libya. They were discovered and attacked by 10 German Stuka dive bombers and 2 Italian S.79 medium bombers 35 miles away from their destination. HMS “_Latona_” was hit by a 500kg bomb and sank at 2230 when the fire detonated the magazine; 27 were killed. HMS “_Hero_” was damaged by three near misses.

HMS “_Illustrious_” arrived at Alexandria, Egypt.

In the Balkans, many cases of frostbite are reported on both sides (Greeks and Italians) in wild mountain battle areas of South Albania. Italian soldiers are also suffering with typhoid. Italian Legnano Infantry Division, counterattacking Greek II Corps on heights west of Klisura, threatens to cut off Greek forces in area to the north.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Nigerian, Ghanaian, East African, and South African troops of 11th African Division under British General Harry Edward de Robillard Wetherall and 12th African Division under British General Reade Godwin-Austen crossed into the Italian Somaliland from Kenya. Italian troops withdrew 100 miles behind the Juba River in response. Gazelle Force of Indian 4th Infantry Division advances to Biscia.

Indian 29th Infantry Brigade unsuccessfully attacked Italian position at El Gogni.

*ASIA:* Panjiayu tragedy: Adhering to orders given by General Yasuji Okamura in which all Chinese villages suspected of harboring Chinese communist guerrilla fighters were to be wiped out, 1,230 residents of Panjiayu, Hebei, China were massacred by troops of the Japanese Army.

Battle of Southern Honan: Japanese 11th Army, with columns operating from Hsaiolintien, Mingkang, and Chengyang, opens offensive against Chinese 5th War Area.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British Admiral Sir John Tovey departed Scapa Flow, Scotland with a fleet to intercept German pocket battleships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” believed to be in the Iceland-Faroes passage.

*NORTH AMERICA: * William C. Bullitt told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that invasion of the Western Hemisphere by the Axis powers would be almost certain if the British Navy was eliminated and the Panama Canal blockaded before the United States was prepared. Bullitt said that "for our own self-preservation" the United States should ensure that Britain was not defeated.

Keel of USS “_Wisconsin_”, last American battleship, laid at Philadelphia.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 25, 2016)

*26 January 1941
Losses*
*MV LURIGETHAN (UK 3564 grt)* Sunk by U-105 (Georg Schewe) : Crew: 51 (16 dead and 35 survivors); Cargo: Cotton Seed and General Cargo Route: Port Sudan – Durban – Freetown – Hull ; Convoy: SLS-61 (straggler); Lost in the SW Approaches; At 1115 hrs the unescorted LURIGETHAN, a straggler from convoy SLS-61 due to bad weather, was bombed and set on fire by a Fw200 of I./KG 40, about 280 miles west of Galway Bay, Ireland. 15 crew members and one gunner were lost. The survivors abandoned ship in the lifeboats, but a boarding party later returned aboard in an attempt to save her. They managed to extinguish the fire amidships, but the fire in the cargo of cotton in #4 hold was out of control, the engine room was wrecked and the ship was slowly settling by the bow. The wireless operator rigged a temporary aerial and sent emergency messages that were heard by MILOS, another straggler from the same convoy, which picked up 14 men from two lifeboats about four hours after the attack and landed them at Oban on 27 January. Corvette ARABIS (K 73) was detached from convoy HG-50 to assist LURIGETHAN and eventually found the remaining survivors and the drifting and still burning wreck, picking up the men and staying in the vicinity to wait for a tug to arrive. During the night of 25/26 January, U-105 was attracted by the glow of the fire and while investigating the scene spotted the escort nearby, which was unsuccessfully attacked with a spread of two torpedoes at 0207 hrs. The U-boat then left the area after firing one torpedo that hit and sank the LURIGETHAN at 0320 hrs.






*Steamer MERIONES (UK 7557 grt) *was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. In the early hours of 22 January 1941 the ship became stranded on top of a previously wrecked cargo ship, the SS MONTE NEVOSO ] on Haisbro Sands. On 24 January a request was made to the Coxswain of the Cromer Lifeboat to go to Great Yarmouth to meet with the Chief Salvage officer to discuses the possibility of savaging the marooned vessel. The coxswain knew Haisbro Sands very well and he knew every moment lost went against the chances of getting the vessel off the sands. With this in mind the coxswain accompanied the Salvage Officer out to the ship on the salvage tug RICHARD LEE BARBER to assess the situation. The two men were also joined by the marine superintendent, of the China Mutual Steam Navigation Company, the owners of the ship. There was a moderate ENE wind blowing with a moderate sea. The sky was overcast and misty and it was very cold.[The RICHARD LEE BARBER had salvage pumps aboard as it was reported that the ships number six hold was full of water.​
As the RICHARD LEE BARBER was approaching Haisbro sands the MERIONES came under attack from passing LW a/c . The attacks were eventually driven away by AA fire of close-by ships. This had been the latest of several attacks made on the ship by the LW . At 1415 hrs one attack resulted in the injury of one of the steamers gunners. At 1600 another attack saw bombs dropped which had fallen very close to the MERIONES. In total the German aircraft dropped 23 bombs in three attacks made on the ship. With worsening weather and increased flooding the ship. was a constructive total loss.






​*Steamer BEEMSTERDIJK (NL 6869 grt) * was badly damaged on a mine 12 miles off Smalls bearing 290. 39 of a 42 man crew were lost. The steamer anchored at 0930 on the 27th but she sank.. Her loss was probably due to a British mine.

This ahipa was the vessel on which the initial disguise of DKM Raider ORION was based








*UBOATS*
At Sea 26 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
10 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
On 26/27 January, German MLs TANNENBURG, BRUMMER, KONIGIN LUISE, HANSESTADT DANZIG escort DKM TBss T.12 and FALKE and MSWs M.15 and M.22 from Stavanger laid mines in defensive minefield POMMERN off Norway. On 27/28 January, the same MLs, escorted by TBs T.12 and T.5 laid minefield ODER.

*North Sea*
Sub CACHALOT laid 50 mines in minefield FD.28 off Bud. FN.392 departed Southend, escort DDs COTSWOLD and WESTMINSTER and patrol sloop PUFFIN. The sloop was detached on the 27th, and arrived at Methil on the 28th. FS.396 departed Methil, escort DDs VIVIEN and WOOLSTON. Patrol sloop WIDGEON joined on the 27th, The convoy arrived at Southend on the 28th.

Swedish steamer BELGIA in FN.92 was damaged by the LW near Sunk Light Vessel. The steamer drifted ashore at Frinton on the 27th on fire. 6 crew were killed however 20 survivors were rescued by DD COTSWOLD. The steamer arrived at Harwich on 14 February in tow of two tugs. The ship was repaired and renamed EMPIRE BELL.

FS.395 escort DD WALLACE and trawlers LORD ST VINCENT and REIDS, British steamer GWYNWOOD was damaged by the LW abreast No. B3 Buoy, Barrow Deep.The steamer arrived at Gravesend on the 28th leaking from near misses. She was repaired and returned to service.  British steamer GRANGETOFT was damaged by the LW off B4 Buoy, Barrow Deep. British steamer CATFORD was damaged by a mine off Oaze Bank. The steamer beached. She was refloated and arrived at Gravesend on the 27th in tow. She was repaired and returned to service. British steamer SANDHILL was damaged by a mine in 53-43N, 3-15W. ​
*Northern Waters*
DD MAORI arrived at Scapa Flow following refitting in the Tyne. MAORI departed Scapa Flow with DDs DOUGLAS, COTTESMORE, MEYNELL that afternoon to meet BB PRINCE OF WALES off Liverpool and escort her to Rosyth. The DDs were later recalled and the ships arrived back at Scapa Flow late that evening DD INGLEFIELD arrived at Scapa Flow from refitting in the Nore. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.74 until dark. The ship later returned to Scapa Flow. 

*SW Approaches*
DDs JERSEY and JUPITER arrived at Gibraltar from England. OG.51 departed Liverpool, escort sloop LEITH and corvettes BLUEBELL, CANDYTUFT, TULIP. The corvettes were detached on the 28th and the convoy was joined by DD WESTCOTT, which remained with the convoy until 29 January. On the 29th, DD VOLUNTEER joined the convoy and remained until 30 January. Corvette KINGCUP joined the convoy on the 31st and left that evening, The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 8 February, escorted by sloop LEITH.

*Central Atlantic*
SLG 1 departed Freetown with troopships KENYA and Polish SOBIESKI escorted by CL DUNEDIN and DDs VELOX and VIDETTE. On 2 February, corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL joined, and arrived at Gibraltar on 5 February with the entire escort force.​
*Med- Biscay*
Submarine UPHOLDER unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Kerkenah.​
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 JANUARY TO DAWN 27 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine; partially cloudy.
*1528-1535 hrs *Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which crosses the Island at 10000 feet on recon. AA guns opened fire, and 2 Hurricanes were scrambled and attacked the JU 88, chasing it back to the coast of Sicily. The aircraft is last seen with smoke coming from its port engine. 
*Enemy casualties *Leutnant Helmut Fund, pilot of reconnaissance JU 88 (confirmed post war). his a/c was al;so lost.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 26 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *_0540-1330 hrs _Sunderland on anti-convoy patrol eastern Tunisian coast with striking force standing by._0708 hrs_ sighted one tug and seven barges 72 miles south west of Lampedusa. The striking force was not despatched owing to existing instructions governing action of a/c against shipping at sea. A Cant Z501 seen near the barges dropped bombs in the sea and left when the Sunderland turned towards it. 
*LUQA *_1330 hrs_ 69 Squadron (431 Flight): 1 Maryland recon Sicilian aerodromes hampered by bad weather.


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## Njaco (Jan 25, 2016)

*January 26 Sunday*

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Major Wolfgang Schnellmann’s Stab./JG 27 and II./JG 27 under Hptm. Wolfgang Lippert move to airbases near Bucharest in preparation for movement to North Africa.

After heavy fighting and a near breakthrough, Italian Legnano Infantry Division counterattack against Greek II Corps on the heights west of Klisura is repulsed.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. 80 miles West of Tobruk, Italians troops and tanks pull out of Mechili, evading British 4th Armored Brigade (7th Armored Division) which has engaged them since January 24. With Italians in full flight west along the coastal road pursued by the advancing Australians, the failure at Mechili convinces British General O’Connor that a more decisive flanking move is required. O’Connor will order 7th Armored Division commander General O'Moore Creagh;


> “...you are going to cut the coast road South of Benghazi, and you are going now!”


 
Gazelle Force of Indian 4th Infantry Division began advancing toward Agordat. Italian 43rd Colonial Brigade while withdrawing from Um Hagar, were pursued by a detachment of Sudan Defense Force, Free French, and Indian troops.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-105 attacked British ship “_Lurigethan_” and the escorting corvette HMS “_Arabis_” 200 miles west of Ireland. “_Lurigethan_” was already damaged by German aircraft three days earlier. Two torpedoes were fired at HMS “_Arabis_”, both of which missed. At 0212 hours, “_Lurigethan_” was hit and sank, killing 16. HMS “_Arabis_” picked up 35 survivors.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* HMS “_Hermes_” detected a French blockade runner in the Indian Ocean south of South Africa, but lost the ship in the pursuit.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* The Kriegsmarine conducted minelaying operations off Norway while the RN submarine “_Cachalot_” also conducted minelaying operations off Norway.

*ASIA: *Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka insists Japan must be allowed to create New Order in Asia.

Japanese 11th Army captures Piyang, Kaoyi, Hsingtien, and Chuehshan without meeting resistance.

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## parsifal (Jan 26, 2016)

*27 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS AZALEA (K 25)
(Photo Source: Imperial War Museum)







*Losses
MSW trawler DAROGAH (RN 221 grt)* was sunk on a mine eight cables 230° from No. 3 Sea Reach Buoy in the Thames Estuary.

*Steamer RINGWALL (UK 407 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Irish Sea, sth of the Isle of Man.
[photo Source: WRECK TOUR: 84 The Ringwall ]





_A sketch of the wreck of the RINGWALL as shown at the above dive website. _

*Trawler CAERPHILLY CASTLE (UK 275 grt)* was sunk by the LW off the west coast of Britain. 3 crew were lost.

*Barge HEDON (UK 73 grt)* was lost to an unspecified cause.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 27 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.393 departed Southend, escort DDs QUORN, VANITY, VERSATILE, and arrived at Methil on the 29th. FS.397 departed Methil, escort DDs VALOROUS andVIMIERA, and arrived at Southend on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow for Liverpool to provide AA support for the BB PRINCE OF WALES (PoW) to Rosyth. The BB was still undergoing pre-acceptance trials at this time.

*SW Approaches*
CL KENYA and DDs KELLY and KASHMIR departed Plymouth to sweep for the DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER, returning to the French Ports after raiding operations. The CL arrived at Greenock on the 31st.

HG.52 departed Gibraltar. On 20 February, DD WINCHELSEA joined the convoy and escorted it to to Liverpool, arriving on 15 February. Other escorts are known to have covered this convoy, but no details are contained in the Admiralty records. 

*Central Atlantic*
DDs FORESIGHT, JERSEY, ENCOUNTER departed Gibraltar to patrol west of Cape Spartel at the western entrance to the Med, in the Atlantic however. DD FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar escorting steamer NORTHERN PRINCE until dark. The destroyer then joined the Cape Spartel patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
CL AJAX departed Alexandria for Suda Bay to join RAN CL PERTH .already deployed. AJAX carried a quantity of supplies to establish the Fleet Air Arm aerodrome at Maleme. RAN DD VOYAGER departed Alexandria to relieve DD DEFENDER on patrol in the Inshore Patrol. Tobruk Harbour was opened to Allied sea traffic, though its handling capacity remained constricted. Troopship ULSTER PRINCE arrived and embarked prisoners at Tobruk. She departed the morning of 28 January for Alexandria. British ships CINGALESE PRINCE, ROSAURA, CHAKLA arrived at Tobruk and unloaded personnel and stores. The disembarkation was hampered by a severe sandstorm however. 

Swordfish from 830 Sqn from Malta sank *steamer INGO (Ger 3950 grt) *whilst in convoy off Cape Bon. RM TB ORIONE arrived on the scene and picked up survivors. 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 JANUARY TO DAWN 28 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Windy.
*2025-2115 hrs *Air raid alert for two enemy a/c reported approaching Malta. It appeared to retreat then returned at low altitude before turning away over Grand Harbour and dropping three bombs in the sea three miles off. It is thought that the raiders are unable to distinguish the Island, as no searchlights are exposed – the only lights being flare paths lit for returning Wellington bombers. The Royal Artillery report a man signaling with a red lamp.
*0614-0630 hrs *Air raid alert for a single enemy a/c reported nine miles south of Delimara, approaching the Island. It appears to retreat, then minutes later without warning a JU 88 bomber returns to attack Luqa aerodrome from 6000 feet. Two bombs hits a barrack block, killing four RAF sergeants and wounding eight, plus one Leading Aircraftsman. The aerodrome’s AA guns open fire and claim a hit on the raider.
OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 27 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *F/Lt G Burgess DFC posted from HQ Mediterranean to 69 Squadron for flying duties. _0500-1527 hrs _Sunderland on anti-convoy patrol eastern Tunisian coast with striking force standing by. _ 0700 hrs_ reported small merchant vessel. _1025 hrs_ reported two merchant vessels with one escort vessel. 7 Swordfish and 2 Fulmars detailed to attack, sinking one 5000 ton merchant vessel. A second 8000 ton merchant vessel was hit but the escort ship escaped damage. All aircraft returned safely. 
*LUQA *148 Squadron: 9 Wellingtons bombing raids on Naples, Catania and Comiso.


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## Njaco (Jan 26, 2016)

*January 27 Monday*

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Compass. The harbour at Tobruk, Libya, is cleared of wrecks and opened to British ships. British troopship “_Ulster Prince_” (which would soon depart with Italian prisoners of war) and transports “_Cingalese Prince_”, “_Rosaura_”, and “_Chakla_” (the three brought in supplies and men) became the first Allied ships to arrive in the harbor of recently captured Tobruk, Libya. A report circulated claiming that the converted troopship RMS “_Empress of Australia_” had been torpedoed and was sinking 200 miles off Dakar. Tobruk will become an important supply point for the continued Allied advance across Libya.

100 miles to the northwest, Australian 6th Division captured Fort Rudero overlooking the small town of Derna, capturing 290 Italian prisoners and 5 field guns, but the Italian garrison at Wadi Derna nearby continued to pose a serious threat. Wavell decides to halt further offensive action until reinforcements and supply can be brought up.

Elements of Indian 4th Infantry Division unsuccessfully attacked the Italian 4th Colonial Division around Agordat.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British No. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm Swordfish torpedo bombers from Malta sank German ship “_Ingo_” 100 miles north of Tripoli, Libya. Survivors were picked up by Italian torpedo boat “_Orione_”.

Following the Greek capture of the strategic Këlcyrë/Klisura Pass on 10 January, four Italian divisions and one Blackshirt division of the Italian "Chameria" Army Corps under Gen. Carlo Rossi attempted to recover the Trebeshinë mountain range by launching counter-attacks against the Greek II Army Corps (1st, 15th and 11th Infantry Divisions). The Greek III/4 Battalion under Major Ioannis Baldoumis captured Height 1923 and set up defensive positions in deep snow, while the I/5 Battalion under the command of Major Antonios Goulas captured Height 1620. Due to heavy snow and blizzards the Greeks were soon forced to abandon Trebeshina, which was subsequently occupied by two Italian Blackshirt battalions.

Italian Foreign Minister Ciano arrives in Albania to command a Regia Aeronautica bomber unit as Italian aircraft bomb Argyrokastro, causing over 500 casualties.

Italian manufacturing firm Caproni delivered midget submarines CB-1 and CB-2 to the Italian Navy at La Spezia, Italy.

British submarine “_Upholder_” began operations against Italian convoy routes. The captain Wanklyn would receive the Victoria Cross for her operations in the Mediterranean during WW2.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Darogah_” hit a mine and sank in the Thames Estuary in southern England.

During a Luftwaffe attack on Walker Naval Yard, Newcastle, two HEs fell from an enemy aircraft which dived to 250', and narrowly missed an almost completed aircraft carrier ('HMS Victorious' which survived the war). A number of workmen were injured on the jetty, and injuries were also sustained from flying glass in the anglesmiths' shop. Thirty-one injured were treated by the yard's first aid party. Two of them were then sent to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (one died the following day), two were sent to Wharrier Street First Aid Post and twelve to Walker Hospital.

*NORTH AMERICA:* American Ambassador Joseph Grew warns US State Department of Japanese plan to attack Pearl Harbor. US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark ordered the 3rd Defense Battalion of the US Marine Corps to Midway, 1st Defense Battalion to Johnston and Palmyra, and 6th Defense Battalion to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Constitutional Act No. 7 was passed in Vichy France, requiring state secretaries, high dignitaries and high officials to swear allegiance to the Chief of State. Article 3 stated that if any of them should prove "unfaithful to his obligations", the Chief of State was empowered to impose penalties that included loss of political rights and detention in a fortress.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Rumania, Antonescu establishes a military government.

*ASIA: *Foreign Minister Matsuoka makes bellicose anti-American speech in Japanese Diet.

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## parsifal (Jan 27, 2016)

*28 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
_Motor Launch _ML 186_ (ML 186)_

U Class Sub ORP SOKOL (N 97)
_



_

*Losses*
RM submarine TORELLI sank *steamer URLA (UK 5198 grt)*, which was straggling from convoy HX.102, in the Western Approaches. All the crew were rescued.
​ 
*Steamer PANDION (UK 1944 grt) *was hit and heavily damaged by Kondors of I/KG40 in the Western Approaches. The steamer anchored off Loch Swilly. She was grounded and later abandoned. The steamer broke in two due to heavy weather.
​*Steamer MENDIP GRELROSA (UK 4574 grt) *was sunk after being bombed 400 miles west of Malin Head on a voyage from New York and Halifax NS to the Tyne whilst transporting a cargo of wheat .
(Photo source National Museum Of Wales)






*Steamer KATE (Gk 5197 grt) *was sunk on a mine in Greek waters near N. Akres, Griva.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 28 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.394 departed Southend, escort DD WALLACE and sloop FLEETWOOD. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 30th.

*Northern Patrol*
CLA NAIAD on blockade duty sighted DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU at 0649 briefly to the east of Iceland. However, the two capital ships shook off the British cruiser using their superior speed and the poor weather, Nevertheless, BC REPULSE and DDs BEDOUIN, TARTAR, MATABELE, PUNJABI were ordered at 0738 to join NAIADas the RN attempted to intercept. At 1601, both of TARTAR's steering units were out of action.

*Northern Waters*
British tkr WAR PINDARI, which had come from the Clyde, departed Scapa Flow at 1000 escort DDs RAN NAPIER and SOMALI. The tkr proceeded to the Skaalefjord, Faroes, arriving on the 29th, to refuel destroyers operating at sea.

*West Coast UK*
BB PoW departed Liverpool for Rosyth. 
CL NIGERIA and DDs INGLEFIELD, MAORI, RAN NIZAM departed Scapa Flow on the 29th to meet BB PoW, escorted by DD HIGHLANDER and CLA CURACOA off Cape Wrath. The ships arrived at Rosyth on the 30th. CL NIGERIA and DDs INGLEFIELD, MAORI, NIZAM back arrived at Scapa Flow in the early hrs of the 31st. 

OB.279 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ARROW, MISTRAL, OURAGAN, corvettes AUBRETIA and HOLLYHOCK, ASW trawler KINGSOL. DD CHURCHILL joined on the 29th. The DDs were detached on 1 February and the remainder of the escort on 2 February when the convoy dispersed.

British steamer TAFELBERG was badly damaged on a mine. She was beached at Porthkerry (in the Bristol Channel), refloated and taken to Whitmore Bay, then reconstructed as a tanker and renamed EMPIRE HERITAGE.

*Western Approaches*
Corvette BLUEBELL was in a collision with DD WESTCOTT in the Western Approaches. Tug SALVONIA stood by the damaged corvette, which proceeded to Londonderry accompanied by the WESTCOTT. BLUEBELL departed Londonderry on the 30th for Liverpool, but had to shelter from weather at Belfast on 4 and 5 February. The corvette arrived at Liverpool on 5 February. Repairs were completed at Cammell & Laird on 4 March. The damage to the WESTCOTT was slight and was repaired at Liverpool on the 29th.

British steamer BARON RENFREW ) was damaged by the LW off the Scottish West Coast. The steamer had engine room damage. Corvette CANDYTUFT stood by the damaged steamer. Sloop LEITH was also in the escort of the convoy which the damaged vessel was attached . The steamer was taken in tow for Loch Lathaich and anchored about 7 February. Steamer BARON RENFREW was taken to the Clyde under tow arriving on 25 February. She was later taken to Glasgow and repaired.

*Med- Biscay*
Sub RORQUAL laid 29 mines two miles off Sansego Island and twenty one mines off Ancona in a second barrage. 
On the 31st, RM TB FRANCESCO STOCCO was mined off Fiume on the first barrage. The boat broke into two parts and was towed into Fiume on the 27th and 10 February. She was repaired. On 27 February, *steamer ISCHIA (FI 5101 grt) *was mined and sunk off Monfredonia on the second barrage. 

Submarine UPHOLDER damaged steamer DUISBERG off Cape Bon. RM TB ORIONE already loaded with INGO's survivors stood by DUISBERG until a tug arrived. The steamer was towed into Tripoli. She was repaired eventually. 
​RHN submarine PAPANICOLIS unsuccessfully attacked a large tanker off Brindisi. CLs AJAX and RAN PERTH were operating in the Aegean. 

Convoy AN.14 departed Port Said for Piraeus, escorted by corvette GLOXINIA. Bad weather prevented the Alexandria section from sailing. British fast steamer LEVERNBANK and tanker DESMOULEA departed Alexandria on the 29th, escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and corvette PEONY, to overtake the convoy. British fast steamer ETHIOPIA, carrying RAF personnel for Crete and Greece, departed Port Said during the morning of 29 January, escort DD HASTY to also overtake the convoy and pass through Kaso Straits during the night of 30/31 January. The Port Said section was delayed by weather and the Alexandria section and steamer ETHIOPIA continued independently. DDs DAINTY and JAGUAR swept the Kaso Strait prior to the convoy's passage. At daylight on the 31st, CLA CALCUTTA and DD JAGUAR joined convoy AN.14. DD DAINTY remained with the two Alexandria ships. Cruisers AJAX and PERTH provided cover for all these movements. 

Submarine TRUANT departed Alexandria to patrol off Benghazi. Netlayer PROTECTOR was ordered to sail from Suda Bay to collect prisoners at Tobruk and take them to Alexandria. The vessel sailed from Suda Bay during the morning of 29 January to arrive at Tobruk on the 30th. She was escorted by DD JAGUAR to latitude 35N. The netlayer arrived at Tobruk on the 30th.
​BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, DDs FORESIGHT, ENCOUNTER, FIREDRAKE, JERSEY, joined later by DDs FOXHOUND and JUPITER, departed Gibraltar to exercise. That evening, DD FIREDRAKE attacked a submarine contact. On 29 December, RENOWN entered Gibraltar, followed later in the afternoon by ARK ROYAL.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 JANUARY TO DAWN 29 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Overcast.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 28 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *Two Swordfish on anti-submarine patrol. 
*LUQA *_0847-1108 hrs _69 Squadron (431 Flight): 1 Maryland recon Tripoli, Mellaha and Castel Benito. As the Maryland returned two enemy fighters from Mellaha attempted to intercept; no damage.
*
*


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## parsifal (Jan 27, 2016)

*29 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IID U-152
_U-152 began her service life with the 24th U-boat Flotilla. She was then assigned to the 22nd flotilla and subsequently to the 31st flotilla. She spent the war as a training vessel._
_She was scuttled in May 1945._
Allied
Fairmile B
Motor Launch ML 194 (ML 194)

*Losses*
Convoy SC-19
The convoy battle was the first major convoy attack by a wolfpack for some time. The attacks began when 
U-101. was sighted at 0416 hrs, and attacked west of Ireland, firstly by gunfire from a DD (believed to be the ANTHONY) which forced U-101 to dive as she was attempting to attack convoy SC 19. She was also subsequently depth charged causing no damage, but keeping the Boat submerged as the Convoy continued on .

*MV SESOSTRIS (EG 2962 grt)* Sunk by U-106 (Jürgen Oesten) : Crew Unknown (No survivors); Cargo: Unknown Route: Hampton Roads - Halifax - Liverpool - Dublin Convoy: SC19 (Straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0715 hrs the SESOSTRIS was hit near the bridge by a stern torpedo from U-106 and sank by the bow within ten minutes. The U-boat had spotted two stragglers from convoy SC-19 and a DD at 0550 hrs and missed the SESOSTRIS with a first torpedo at 0607 hrs. After that, the ship successfully prevented several attack runs by hard turning and firing flares. No survivors were rescued.

*MV AIKATERINA ( Gk 4928 grt) *Sunk by U-93 (Claus Korth)  : Crew: 31 (1 dead and 30 survivors)  Cargo: Grain Route:Halifax - Dublin  Convoy: SC-19 Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0405 hrs the AIKATERINA  in convoy SC-19 was hit on the port side aft by one G7e torpedo from U-93 and sank 111 miles SSW of Rockall. The ship had tried to ram the U-boat before she was torpedoed. One crew member was picked up by HMS ARAB but died shortly after being rescued. 30 survivors were picked up by DD ANTHONY and landed at Greenock on 31 January.







*MV KING ROBERT (UK 5886 grt)* Sunk by U-93 (Claus Korth) : Crew: 42 (0 dead and 42 survivors) Cargo: grain Route: St. John, New Brunswick - Sydney - Cardiff Convoy SC19 : Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0348 hrs the KING ROBERT in convoy SC-19 was torpedoed and sunk by U-93 south of Rockall. The master and 21 crew members were picked up by DD ANTHONY and landed at Gourock. 20 crew members were picked up byHMS LADY MADELEINE (FY 283) and also landed at Gourock.






*Tkr W. B. WALKER (UK 10468 grt) *Sunk by U-93 (Claus Korth) : Crew: 47 (4 dead and 43 survivors); Cargo: Aviation and motor spirit Route: Aruba - Halifax - Avonmouth  Convoy: Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0355 hrs the W. B. WALKER in convoy SC-19 was hit amidships by one G7a torpedo from U-93 about 150 miles SW of Rockall. Four crew members were lost. The tanker was taken in tow by DD ANTHONY and Armed Yacht ARAB , but she broke in two on 1 February. The forepart was scuttled by gunfire from an escort on 6 February, while the afterpart sank on 13 February. The master and 42 crew members were picked up by the ANTHONY and DD ANTELOPE , transferred to HMS ARAB and landed at Gourock.







*MV WEST WALES (UK 4353 grt) *Sunk by U-94 (Herbert Kuppisch) : Crew: 37 (16 dead and 21 survivors) Cargo: Steel Route: New York - Halifax - Newport Convoy: SC-19 (straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches
At 0618 hrs the WEST WALES , a straggler from convoy SC-19, was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-94 SSW of Rockall. At 0629 hrs, she was hit by a second G7e torpedo and settled by the stern. Immediately afterwards, the U-boat was forced to dive by gunfire from a DD and several times unsuccessfully attacked with DCs. The master, 14 crew members and one gunner were lost. 17 crew members were picked up by DD ANTELOPE and four crew members by DD ANTHONY and landed at Gourock.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 29 January 1941
U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
10 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.395 departed Southend, escort DDs SOUTHDOWN, VIVIEN, WOOLSTON, and arrived at Methil on the 31st. FS.399 departed Methil, escort DDs WESTMINSTER and WOLFHOUND. DD PYTCHLEY joined on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 31st. 
*
Northern Waters*
DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE arrived at Scapa Flow from the Humber. DD LEGION departed Scapa Flow for Greenock to refit radar equipment. The DD arrived on the 30th. DD ECLIPSE arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth after boiler cleaning. DD COTTESMORE departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort steamer BEN MY CHREE. The steamer arrived at Scapa Flow on the 30th alone, after the DD had become separated during the night. On the 31st, the steamer departed Scapa Flow, escort again being DD COTTESMORE, bound for Aberdeen. The DD arrived back at Scapa Flow on 1 February.

*West Coast UK*
British steamer WESTMORELAND was damaged on a mine 3 miles 270° from Bar Light Vessel (on the Mersyside coast) . The steamer abandoned by the crew. The steamer was assisted by DD WILD SWAN, barrage balloon vessel VIGILANT, rescue tugs ALFRED, COBURG, SLONE, WAPPING, ALEXANDER. The ship was later reboarded and salvaged . The steamer arrived at Liverpool on the 31st in tow. She was repaired and returned to service.
*
SW Approaches*
CL NEPTUNE departed Gibraltar for Scapa Flow arriving on 5 February
*
Central Atlantic*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Buenas Aires to patrol off Sth America. DKM disguised raider KORMORAN sank *steamer EURYLOCHUS (UK 5723 grt)* carrying crated aircraft 400 miles west of Sierre Leone. 15 crew were lost and 38 were taken prisoner. 28 survivors were picked up by Spanish steamer MONTE TEIDE.







Steamer AFRIC STAR (UK 11,900 grt) was sunk by the KORMORAN 400 miles west of Sierre Leone . All crew were made pows.
(image source: Africstar / Afric Star 1 (Blue Star webpage)





_*"Afric Star *__at Sea" ~ Painting by Wallace Trickett ~ 2007_​
CA NORFOLK was sent to protect SL convoy routes. CA DEVONSHIRE was sent to the EURYLOCHUS sinking area. 

*Med- Biscay*
Submarine UPRIGHT departed Malta to patrol the Tunisian coast route from Sicily to Tripoli. MSW STOKE, minesweeping off Tobruk, lost her sweeping gear. MSW HUNTLEY relieved the STOKE off Tobruk. British steamers DEVONSHIRE and DILWARA, formerly of convoy US.008/1, departed Port Said escort DD WRYNECK. On arrival at Haifa, the DD returned to Alexandria

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 JANUARY TO DAWN 30 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine and cool.
*0855-0942 hrs; 1042-1150 hrs; 1447-1452 hrs; 1643-1647 hrs; 1802-1835 hrs *Air raid alerts for approaching enemy a/c which patrol round the east and sth of the Island. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there is no engagement and raiders do not approach the coast. They are presumed to be either recon by new LW sqns or possibly minelaying.

_*ROYAL NAVY *_Sub URSALA arrived to join First Submarine Flotilla.

*AIR HQ *_0725-1300 hrs _Sunderland convoy patrol eastern Tunisian coast. _0941 hrs_ Sighted one cruiser and three medium merchant ships with Cant Z501 escorting. Air alerts in Malta delayed despatch of the striking force until too late to proceed. 

*LUQA *_0833-1013 hrs _69 Squadron (431 Flight): 1 Maryland recon Tripoli and Castel Benito. Tripoli 1 DD, 3 MVs, 4 Cant and to east of harbour 5 MVs; one is seen to strike a mine. Castel Benito 29 dispersed aircraft. Whole aerodrome not photographed but recce shows 8 SM 79s, 9 JU 88s, four unidentified fighters. Two fighters up failed to intercept Maryland. Signs of building fortifications round Tripoli 18 miles radius. Trapani aerodrome six large light camouflaged aircraft and two unidentified fighters. 1 Maryland reconnaissance Trapani and Palermo.


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## Njaco (Jan 27, 2016)

*January 28 Tuesday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Again repeating the actions of 16 January and 23 January, the Focke-Wulf 200 ‘Condors’ of KG 40 sight an Allied convoy but before U-boats or additional aircraft can arrive, the lead plane again becomes low on fuel and must return to base, leaving the convoy mostly intact. The Battle of the Atlantic was being lost because even the main job of providing effective reconnaissance for the U-boat arm was ineffective as long as there were not enough aircraft to perform the duty. Despite this, 'SS _Grelrosa_' (4,574t) a cargo ship with a cargo of wheat, was sunk by Focke-Wulf ‘Condor’ aircraft about 400 miles W of Northern Ireland. Five of her crew were lost.

British cruiser HMS “_Naiad_” spotted German warships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” in the Iceland-Faroes passage at 0649 hours. Fearing this might lead to the arrival of a stronger British fleet, “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” turned to the north, attempting to enter the Atlantic Ocean via the Denmark Strait instead.

Italian submarine “_Luigi Torelli_” sank British submarine “_Urla_” 250 miles west of Ireland; the entire crew of 42 survived.

British corvette HMS “_Bluebell_” and destroyer HMS “_Westcott_” collided off Ireland; the former would be under repair until 4 Mar.

British submarine HMS “_Upholder_” damaged German ship “_Duisberg_” off Cape Bon, Tunisia. “_Duisberg_” was towed to Tripoli, Libya for repairs.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian artillery at Wadi Derna, Libya continued to pin down Australian 6th Division. French General Charles DeGaulle's Free French forces sack a south Libya oasis. Wavell arrived in Nairobi to discuss plans for an offensive.

British naval authorities made a terse announcement maintaining that the “_Empress of Australia_” was "safe in port".

*ASIA: *B-10 medium bombers of the Thai 50th Bomber Squadron, escorted by 13 Hawk 75N fighters of the Thai 60th Fighter Squadron, bombed Sisophon, Cambodia, French Indochina. Vichy France then ceases hostilities with Siam. The effective date of the cease fire to be signed on 31 Jan 1941 would backdate to this date.

Japanese 11th Army attacks Chinese 5th War Area around Hsianghokuan.

*GERMANY: *After being raised and refitted, captured Dutch submarine O-12 commissioned into Kriegsmarine as UD-2.

.


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## Njaco (Jan 28, 2016)

*January 29 Wednesday*

*GERMANY: *During the night 25 British Wellington bombers attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” to little effect.

Franz Schlegelberger became the German Minister of Justice upon the death of Franz Gürtner.

Hungarian minister of defense meets with Hitler.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Greek Prime Minister General Ioannis Metaxas dies unexpectedly of throat cancer. M. A. Korizis took over as the new Premier of Greece upon his predecessor's death. The new Greek prime minister invites British forces in for protection against Germany and Italy.

The Battle of Trebeshina began a series of engagements fought between the Greek and Italian armies in south-eastern Albania. II Corps, reinforced with the Cretan 5th Division from III Corps, repulsed an Italian attack and then attacked towards the Trebeshina massif. Italian forces counterattacked the Greek II Corps on heights west of Klisura in central sector of the front.

*NORTH AFRICA: *British forces based in Kenya led by General Sir Alan Cunningham began attacking the Italian colonial garrison. Meanwhile. the South African troops came ashore in Italian Somaliland. This combined with British advances through Eritrea made the Italian armies in the Horn of Africa increasingly in danger of being surrounded.

Operation Compass. Derna, Libya. There is heavy fighting along Wadi Derna as elements of British 7th Armoured Division (brought north from Mechili) outflank Italian artillery overlooking the town. Italian commander at Derna General "Electric Whiskers" Bergonzoli, who recently escaped on foot from Bardia, withdraws his troops and artillery overnight.

Luftwaffe He 111 bombers drop mines in the Suez Canal during the night.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” sank British ships “_Africa Star_” (75 captured) and “_Eurylochus_” (11 men killed, 43 men captured, 16 crated engine-less bombers captured) 600 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa.

German submarines attacked Allied convoy SC-19 en route from Nova Scotia, Canada to Britain at about 200 miles northwest of Ireland. Between 0348 and 0405 hours, U-93 sank British ship “_King Robert_”, British tanker “_W. B. Walker_”, and Greek ship “_Aikaterini_”. At 0629 hours, U-94 sank British ship “_West Wales_”. At 0715 hours, U-106 sank Egyptian ship “_Sesostris_”. U-101 also attempted to attack, but she was chased off by British destroyers.

'SS _Pandion_' (1,944t) cargo ship, Tyne to Portugal was damaged by Focke-Wulf Condor aircraft, W of Malin Head. On the 30th January she ran aground in Lough Swilly and broke in two.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The prototype Tupolev ANT-58 (which would later be developed into the successful Tu-2 medium bomber) made its maiden flight.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The U.S.–British Staff Conference (ABC–1) began in Washington, D.C., in which U.S. and British military staff members worked to co-ordinate a general plan in the event of U.S. entry into the war.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe attacks London overnight with 36 aircraft.

*ASIA: *Japanese 4th Cavalry Brigade, on raiding expedition, captures Huai-yang.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 29, 2016)

*30 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-555





_Type VIIC U-995 as she is currently displayed. U-555 was very similar, and was used as a training vessel throughout her service _
*Losses*
*MV RUSHPOOL (UK 5125 grt)* Sunk by U-94 (Herbert Kuppisch) : Crew: 40 (0 dead and 40 survivors) Cargo: Route: St. John, New Brunswick - Halifax - Belfast Convoy : SC-19 (straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches At 0247 hrs on 30 Jan 1941 the unescorted RUSHPOOL, a straggler from convoy SC-19, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-94 SE of Rockall. The ship had been spotted at 0040 hrs and missed with a spread of two torps at 0209 hrs. She sank by the bow 35 minutes after being hit by a coup de grace at 0310 hrs. The master and 39 crew members were picked up by DD ANTELOPE and landed at Greenock.






*Steamer AUSTVARD (Nor 3677 grt)* was sunk by the LW 130 miles west of Galway Island. 23 crew of a 28 man crew were lost. The ship was hit by 5 bombs, 3 in the waterline on the port side and 2 on the boat deck. 2 of the lifeboats were destroyed in the attack and a 3rd was damaged during launching. MG fire destroyed the radio station, but it appears the radio operator had time to send out a distress call because 40 mins later DD ANTHONY was ordered out to assist an unknown ship in that position, but AUSTVARD was gone. The damaged lifeboat with 16 men got clear of the ship before she sank about 10 minutes after the first bomb had hit, but 12 were pulled under; only 6 came back up and were able to get on a raft. The people in the lifeboat found another raft, enabling them to repair the boat so that it could hold 8 men. The others distributed themselves on the 2 rafts and headed for Ireland in tow of the lifeboat, but in the bad weather it was very slow going, so the next day it was decided that the boat with 8 survivors commanded by the 1st Mate should go on ahead to get help as quickly as possible, because many of the men were injured. The lifeboat with 6 survivors (two crewman had died en route) landed at Clogher, Ballyferriter, County Kervy on Febr. 4. All 6 were taken to a hospital in Dingle, where another crew member died the next day. The 2 rafts and their occupants were never found. 23 had died in all, among them the captain, 3 British, 1 Finnish, 1 Estonian, the rest were Norwegian. Only 5 survived the ordeal.




​
*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-37, U-96

At Sea 30 January 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic
*Steamer KONIGSBERG-PREUSSEN** (Ger 2530 grt)* was sunk on a mine near ELBE I lightship.






*North Sea*
Sub SUNFISH attacked an escorted convoy off Kristiansand. The submarine unsuccessfully fired torpedoes against a tanker. 
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU refuelled at sea from German tanker ADRIA. Following the refuelling, the German ships ran the Denmark Strait on 2 February. On 5 February, the BCs refueled from DKM tkr SCHLETTSTADT south of Cape Farewell (the southern most point in the territory of Greenlnd). 

DD VIMIERA, which departed Rosyth on the 27th, was damaged by the LW who strafed the ship while joining convoy FS.397 in the North Sea. The damage caused no time out of service and reach Rosyth on 2 February after the convoy escort.

*Northern Waters*
DD BOREAS arrived at Scapa Flow from the Nore to join the Home Flt.

*SW Approaches*
Belgian steamer OLYMPIER was badly damaged by the LW 250 miles SW of Ireland. The steamer was attacked again on the 31st in 56-04N, 11W.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.106 departed Halifax, escort BB RAMILLIES and corvette COLLINGWOOD. The corvette was detached the next day. 
BHX.106 departed Bermuda on the 28th escort AMC MALOJA. The convoy two rendezvoused on 2 February and the AMC was detached. The BB was detached on 10 February. On 12 February, DDs BURNHAM, MALCOLM, SALADIN, SARDONYX, SKATE and corvette LA MALOUINE joined the escort. DD SALADIN departed the escort on 14 February and DDs BURNHAM and MALCOLM on 15 February. On 15 February, corvette KINGCUP and ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and VIZALMA joined the escort for the inshore run in. Destroyer SARDONYX and corvettes KINGCUP and LA MALOUINE were detached and the remainder on 18 February, and arrived at Liverpool on 18 February. 

*Central Atlantic*
SL.64 departed Freetown escort AMC ARAWA to 17 February and corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA to 2 February.
DD HARVESTER, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes ARBUTUS, CAMELLIA, ERICA joined on 17 February. DD WOLVERINE joined on 18 February. All were detached on 20 February. ASW trawler YORK CITY joined on 22 February, and arrived on 22 February. Convoy SLS.64 also departed Freetown. On 12 February, the convoy dispersed when attacked by DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER.

*Med- Biscay*
Derna was captured by 6 Aus Div. The British Suez Canal Company's Dredger was sunk by German bombing in Lake Timsah. It was raised and returned to service. Submarine UPHOLDER attacked a convoy containing Italian steamers MOTIA and DELFIN , which departed Palermo on the 27th for Tripoli. UPHOLDERs attack was unsuccessful, and the submarine was counter-attacked by convoy escort TB ALDEBARAN.

CVL EAGLE was undocked and proceeded to sea for exercises escort DDs GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, JUNO, two other DDs.
The British ships returned to Alexandria the next day.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 JANUARY TO DAWN 31 JANUARY 1941
*Weather *Overcast.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 30 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *_Arrivals _6 Hurricanes from Middle East. 1 Sunderland. _0730-0900 hrs _Maryland recon Pantelleria. Visual report one merchant vessel in harbour with fleet auxiliary patrolling outside. No aircraft seen on aerodrome. _0435-1307 hrs_ Sunderland convoy patrol east Tunisian coast; only two small French merchant ships. 
*KALAFRANA *One Sunderland returned from Middle East with passengers.
*LUQA *69 Squadron (431 Flight): 1 Maryland recon Pantelleria.


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## Njaco (Jan 29, 2016)

*January 30 Thursday*

*GERMANY: *Rudolf Höss was promoted to the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer. Otto Skorzeny was promoted to the rank of Untersturmführer; he would not receive the notification for this promotion until Mar 1941, however.

Hitler gave a speech before 18,000 people at the Berlin Sportpalast on the eighth anniversary of the Nazis' coming to power. Hitler declared that any ship carrying aid to England within the range of German U-boats would be torpedoed, and also warned the United States that if anyone on the American continent tried to interfere in the European conflict, Germany's war aims would quickly change.

The Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe was established.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-94 attacked Allied convoy SC-19 northwest of Ireland at 0310 hours, sinking British ship “_Rushpool_”; the entire crew of 40 survived and rescued by destroyer HMS “_Antelope_”. “_Rushpool_” was the sixth and final ship sunk in a series of German submarine attacks in 24 hours, totaling 33,723 tons.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Upholder_” attacked Italian ships “_Motia_” and “_Delfin_” 30 miles north of Zavia, Libya. Italian torpedo boat “_Aldebaran_” chased off HMS “_Upholder_” before she was able to damage any Italian ships.

Italian forces counterattack Greek II Corps on heights west of Klisura in central sector of the front.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Lavrentiy Beria was promoted to the rank of State Security General Commissar.

*ASIA:* Japan agrees to co-ordinate its intelligence collection efforts in the US with Germany and Italy.

The Battle of South Henan began. The Battle of South Henan was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. This battle was the first time the NRA engaged the Japanese in southern Henan. The Japanese 11th Army split into three routes to attack the Chinese positions. Their main objective was to eradicate Chinese control of the Ping-Han Railway's southern section. Li Zongren, commander of the Chinese 5th War Area, avoided frontal contact with the Japanese as much as possible. Instead, he fought conservatively, diverting his main forces towards the two flanks. Japanese 11th Army continued to advance, entering Wuyang as Chinese 5th War Area withdrew.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Australian troops capture Derna as the Italians begin to withdraw towards Benghazi. The 1st South African Division launches a feint attack against Mega in southern Abyssinia, in order to prevent the Italians from sending troops to reinforce their hard pressed forces in Somaliland.

Indian 4th Infantry Division attacking Italian 4th Colonial Division around Agordat.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *General Oliver Leese takes command of British 15th Infantry Division.

German 'hit-and-run' raiders attacked London in cloudy weather. Me109s strafed the Dover balloon barrage.

.


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## Njaco (Jan 30, 2016)

*January 31 Friday*

*GERMANY:* Oberstleutnant Hans Korte stepped down as the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing.

OKH composes preparatory documents for Operation Barbarossa.

Japanese military delegation meets with Hitler.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Oslo, Reichsführer-SS Himmler accepted the oath of the first group of Norwegian enlistees in the Waffen-SS.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The battle known as the Capture of Kufra began in Libya. Free French forces from Chad, French Equatorial Africa attacked the Italian forces at Kufra, Libya, supported by the British Long Range Desert Group. Major Pat Clayton of LRDG was keen to join with the Free French to test the Italians. Clayton commanded G (Guards) and T (New Zealand) patrols of LRDG, a total of 76 men in 26 vehicles. The Free French commander Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Colonna d'Ornano was killed in an earlier raid along with one trooper of T Patrol. Colonel Philippe Leclerc assumed command in place of d'Ornano. The attacking column included about 400 men in 60 trucks, two Laffly S15 TOE armoured cars, four Laffly S15 all-terrain carriers and two 75 mm (2.95 in) mountain guns. Kufra was protected by two defensive lines around the El Tag fort with barbed wire, trenches, machine-guns and light anti-aircraft guns. The Regio Esercito forces in the fort were the 59th and 60th Machine-gun companies with a total of 280 "askari" colonial infantry and an Auto-Saharan Company, the Compagnia Sahariana di Cufra. The Saharan companies were a mixed force of motorized infantry with well-armed off-road vehicles, which could also call on the Regia Aeronautica for support. The "Compagnia Sahariana" in Kufra was around 120-men strong (45 Italians and 75 Libyans). On 31 January, Major Clayton was at Bishara (130 km (81 mi) south-south-west of Kufra) with T Patrol (30 men in 11 trucks). The patrol was spotted by an Italian aeroplane in the morning. T Patrol took cover in a small wadi at Gebel Sherif, a few kilometres north. The plane directed the Saharan patrol to attack the LRDG force. T Patrol was driven off, losing four trucks and Major Clayton, who was captured with several others. The remaining LRDG force withdrew to Egypt for refitting. Leclerc pressed on with his attack on Kufra, even though the Italians had a copy of his plan which they had captured with Major Clayton.

Indian 4th Division flanked and then captured Agordat, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. 1,000 Italian troops and 43 field guns were captured. Italian forces began retreat from Agordat. Indian 10th Infantry Brigade and 29th Infantry Brigade continued attacking Italian 2nd Colonial Division at Barentu. Meanwhile, the Italian force withdraws from Gallabat into Eritrea, pursued by a small detachment from the Indian 9th Infantry Brigade. South African 2nd Infantry Brigade and 5th Infantry Brigade advance across the border from Kenya.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian torpedo boat “_Francesco Stocco_” hit a mine, broke in two, and sank off Fiume, Italy (now Rijeka, Croatia).

Egyptian transport “_Solloum_”, carrying 250 Italian POWs, sunk by Luftwaffe bombers off Sidi Barrani.

RN Force H sorties from Gibraltar for operations against Sardinia and Genoa.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Dandolo_” sank British tanker “_Pizarro_” 350 miles southwest of Ireland after dark with torpedoes; 23 killed and 6 survived.

*INDIAN OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” stopped British ship SS “_Speybank_” (carrying manganese, monazite, ilesite, carpets, tea and shellac from Cochin, India, to New York) with gunfire and captured the ship. “_Speybank_” would soon set sail for Bordeaux, France where she would be converted into an auxiliary minelayer named “_Schiff 53/Doggerbank_” and serve in the German Navy.

*ASIA: *The cease fire ending the Franco-Thai War was signed aboard Japanese cruiser “_Natori_” at Saigon, French Indochina, effective 28 Jan 1941.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Churchill sends request to Turkey asking for permission to base ten RAF squadrons on Turkish territory.

German 'hit-and-run' raiders again attacked London and three London hospitals were damaged.

.


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## parsifal (Jan 30, 2016)

*31 January 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-751




_U 751 in Saint-Nazaire in June 1942, 1 month before she was lost_​_5 ships sunk, total tonnage 21,412 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 11,000 tons
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 8,096 GRT
Sunk on 17 July 1942 in the North Atlantic north-west of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 45.14N, 12.22W, by depth charges from a British Whitley (502 Sqn RAF/H) and a Lancaster aircraft (61 Sqn RAF/F). 48 dead (all hands lost)._

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS EDISON (DD 439)





Allied
Fairmile B HDML ML 140

*Losses*
RM sub DANDOLO sank *steamer PIZARRO (UK 1367 grt)* in the SW Approaches. 23 crew of a 29 man crew were lost.






*Steamer ROWANBANK (UK 5159 grt)* was sunk by the LW from convoy SL.62 inthe Western Approaches 





*Naval collier BOTUSK (RN 3091 grt)* and *steamer EMMAPLEIN (NL 5436 grt) *both in convoy HX.103 were sunk on British mines 6 miles NE of Nth Rona Island. Three crew were killed and one was missing on the British ship. Corvette VERBENA rescued eleven survivors. Thirty four crew were rescued from the Dutch ship by cable ship ARIEL and two corvettes. U boats were suspected and ASW whalers BUTTERMERE and WINDERMERE were sent from Stornoway to investigate. Aircraft and later DDs BEAGLE and DOUGLAS, which were also involved in the search. The DDs arrived back at Stornaway that evening when it was determined the ships had in fact struck mines.
[Image Source: Stichting Maritiem-Historische Databank ]





_No image for the BOTUSK. Image of the EMMAPLEIN _

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-105 

At Sea 31 January 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
FN.396 departed Southend, escort DDs VALOROUS and VIMIERA, and arrived at Methil on 2 February. FS.400 departed Methil, escort DDs VANITY and VORTIGERN, and arrived at Southend on 2 February. FS.401 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on 2 February.

*Northern Waters*
DD ZULU arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth on completion of refit. DD MEYNELL departed Scapa Flow late that evening on completion of work up. The DD arrived at Rosyth on 1 February, en route to the Nore.

*West Coast UK*
OB.280 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BEVERLEY and HARVESTER, corvettes ARBUTUS, CAMELLIA, ERICA, ASW yacht PHILANTE, ocean boarding vessels CAVINA, CORINTHIAN, CRISPIN. The ocean boarding vessels were detached on 3 February and the remainder of the escort on 4 February at which time the convoy was dispersed.

Dutch balloon barrage vessel SATURNUS was damaged by a mine. The vessel was abandoned and went ashore at Maughold Head. The Dutch ship was later refloated and arrived at Douglas.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.21 departed Halifax, escort AMC MONTCLARE, which was detached on 13 February. On 13 February, corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and TULIP joined the convoy. On 14 February, DDs CALDWELL, VANOC, VOLUNTEER joined. Sloop ABERDEEN joined on 15 February. On 16 February DD CALDEWELL and sloop ABERDEEN were detached and on 17 February, ASW trawlers HUDDERSFIELD TOWN and YORK CITY joined. The escort was detached on 18 February, the same day the convoy arrived at Liverpool. 

*Med- Biscay*
British Force H departed Gibraltar with BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD (now possibly the most well equipped RN ship for radar), ten DD for Operations PICKET and RESULT (audacious plans for baombardments of italian controlled territories, including a dam near Genoa). 

There were four Gps in the TF.

Gp 1: BC RENOWN, BB MALAYA (which had joined the force at sea, <ALAYA was also well fitted with radar) CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD.

Gp 2 DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, FURY, FIREDRAKE, JERSEY.

Gp 3 DDs DUNCAN (D.13), ISIS, ENCOUNTER, JUPITER.

Gp 4 Support Gp, tkr ORANGELEAF and ASW trawlers ARCTIC RANGER and HAARLEM.

MSW HUNTLEY RN 500 grt (est)) was lost en route to Derna after attacks by LW divebombers, 30 miles west of Mersa Matruh (I have my doubts about this attack being by the LW). The captain died of wounds on 2 Feb, and 12 other crew were killed in the MSW. Five crew were missing. 26 crew were wounded.
​British hospital ship DORSETSHIRE was also damaged by these LW attacks in the Gulf of Sollum. The ship was attacked again on 1 February, but survived. Steamer SOLLUM (EG 1290 grt) was bombed near Sidi Barrani and was run aground. She is not recorded as a loss Lloyds 
​DDs GREYHOUND and GRIFFIN were ordered to depart Alexandria and proceed to Port Said. The DDs were then to continue to Aden for escort duties. While leaving harbour, GREYHOUND collided with BB WARSPITE. The DD was docked for the damage. She was replaced by DD JUNO. BB WARSPITE's bulge was damaged. Emergency repairs were completed at Alexandria on 1 February.

British tkr DESMOULEA was damaged by an RM S boat in 35-20N, 25-34E. The tkr was towed to Suda Bay by DD DAINTY, arriving at 0800 on 1 February. The cargo was discharged into British tkr EOCENE. The tkr arrived at Suez on 6 May for use as a temporary storage vessel, pending repairs. Corvette PEONY with convoy AN.14 was missed by airborne torpedoes forty miles from Suda Bay. 

*Tug URSUS (FI 407 grt)*, on passage from Lissa to Curzola, was sunk by Submarine RORQUAL gunfire. The tug was towing barge GM 239 which was also damaged. The barge was later towed into Dubrovnik.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
*Steamer SPEYBANK (UK 5154 grt) *was taken in prize in the Indian Ocean by DKM Disguised Raider ATLANTIS. The steamer was sailed to Japan. According to Motor Vessel SPEYBANK built by Harland & Wolff Ltd in 1926 for Bank Line Ltd. - A. Weir & Co., Glasgow, Cargo (which is also the source for the attached photo), the ship was taken to Bordeaux by a prize crew, Converted to an auxiliary minelayer and blockade runner, operated by Kriegsmarin. She was sunk 3 March 1943, in error, by U-34 on her way back from Japanese controlled waters





NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Colombo on patrol.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Penang.

*Malta
*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 31 JANUARY TO DAWN 1 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Clear.

*1050-1128 hrs *Air raid alert for 4 enemy a/c approaching the Island in two pairs from different directions. 6 Hurricanes, one Wellington, one Fulmar and one Gladiator are scrambled. Four Swordfish and one Glen Martin approach the Island and land safely. No air raid materialises. 
*
2320-0020 hrs *Air raid alert for 2 a/c approaching the Island. They cross the coast and are picked up by searchlights as they circle over the Island. One is identified as a JU 88 bomber. AA opens fire: no claims. The raiders turn away, dropping bombs four bombs on open land near Grand Harbour and others in the sea off Rinella.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 31 JANUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *0445-0906 hrs Sunderland patrolling eastern Tunisian coast for enemy shipping signalled two merchant vessels. Four Swordfish patrolling same area with torpedoes informed. They sighted the vessels but did not attack as they were in Tunisian territorial waters. 0907-1147 hrs Maryland photorecon Tripoli area confirmed munitions depot; photos to be forwarded to Middle East. Tripoli Harbour five DDs, 15 MVs (one damaged), two fleet auxiliary plus small craft. Mellaha 30-40 aircraft. 0719-1032 hrs Maryland photorecon Catania, Comiso and Gela aerodromes. Catania approximately 100 a/ct; Gela and Catania no visual contact. 0705-1054 hrs Maryland photorecon Syracuse, Augusta, Catania, Messina ports. Syracuse six seaplanes, four merchant vessels, three cruisers plus two destroyers and one merchantman in the Straits. Reggio Calabria aerodrome 25-30 "dark" bombers. 
*KALAFRANA *23 long patrols were undertaken by Sunderlands of 228 Squadron on 18 days during the month, mainly to observe enemy naval and merchant shipping movements.
*LUQA *69 Squadron (431 Flight): 1 Maryland reconnaissance Catania, Comiso and Gela; 1 Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli area; 1 Maryland reconnaissance Catania, Messina, Augusta and Syracuse. 148 Squadron: 6 Wellingtons bomb Tripoli.


----------



## parsifal (Jan 30, 2016)

*Summary Of Losses January 1941 (Unfinished)
Allied
Allied Warships*
GHI Class DD GALLANT (RN 1378 grt),  MTB.37 (RN 39 grt), MTB.39 RN 39 grt ), MTB.40 (RN 39 grt), MTB.74 (RN 39 grt), MTB.75, (RN 39 grt), MTB.108 (RN 49 grt),  CL SOUTHAMPTON (RN 9100 grt), MSW trawler DESIREE (RN 213 grt), MSW RELONZO (RN 245 grt), MSW trawler LUDA LADY (RN 234 grt), Naval tug ST CYRUS (RN 810 grt), MSW trawler DAROGAH (RN 221 grt), Naval collier BOTUSK (RN 3091 grt)

15497(RN)), (Total 15497 grt Naval Tonnage)

*Allied Shipping*
MV NALGORA (UK 6579 grt), Drifter NEW SPRAY (UK 70 grt), Steamer PINEWOOD (UK 2466 grt),
MV EMPIRE THUNDER (UK 5965 grt), Tug LION (UK 87 grt), Trawler GADRA (UK 219 grt), Steamer H. H. PETERSEN (UK 975 grt), Trinity House Tender STRATHEARN (UK 683 grt), Steamer CLYTONEUS (UK 6278 grt), MV BASSANO (UK 4843 grt), Drifter DUSKY QUEEN (UK 40 grt), Steamer MIDDLESEX (UK 9583 grt), Drifter UBEROUS (UK 92 grt), Convoy rescue ship BEACHY (UK 1600 grt), FV ORIOLE (UK 172 grt), EUMAEUS (UK 7472 grt), Sludge vessel MANCUNIUM (UK 1286 grt), Liner OROPESA (UK 14118 grt), MV ZEALANDIC (UK 10572 grt), Liner ALMEDA STAR (UK 14936 grt), Tkr BRITISH UNION (UK 6987 grt), Steamer BONNINGTON COURT (UK 4909 grt), MV FLORIAN (UK 3174 grt), Steamer STANPARK (UK 5103 grt), Steamer TEMPLE MEAD (UK 4427 grt), Tug ENGLISHMAN (UK 487 grt), Steamer LURIGETHAN (UK 3564 grt), Steamer LANGLEGORSE (UK 4524 grt), Steamer MOSTYN (UK 1859 grt), Steamer CORHEATH (UK 1096 grt), steamer MANDASOR (UK 5144 grt), MV LURIGETHAN (UK 3564 grt), Steamer MERIONES (UK 7557 grt), Steamer RINGWALL (UK 407 grt), Trawler CAERPHILLY CASTLE (UK 275 grt) , Barge HEDON (UK 73 grt), steamer URLA (UK 5198 grt), Steamer PANDION (UK 1944 grt), Steamer MENDIP GRELROSA (UK 4574 grt), MV KING ROBERT (UK 5886 grt), Tkr W. B. WALKER (UK 10468 grt), MV WEST WALES (UK 4353 grt), steamer EURYLOCHUS (UK 5723 grt), Steamer AFRIC STAR (UK 11,900 grt), MV RUSHPOOL (UK 5125 grt), steamer PIZARRO (UK 1367 grt) , Steamer ROWANBANK (UK 5159 grt), Steamer SPEYBANK (UK 5154 grt, 

MV SESOSTRIS (EG 2962 grt) 
* *
oil refinery ship OLE WEGGER (Nor 12,201 grt), oil refinery ship SOLGLIMT (12,246grt), whalers POL VIII (Nor 298 grt), POL X (Nor 354 grt), POL IX (Nor 354 grt), TORLYN (Nor 247 grt), GLOBE VIII (Nor 297 grt), POL VII (Nor 338 grt), THORARINN (Nor 249 grt), Oil refinery tanker PELAGOS (Nor 12,083 grt) and whalers STAR XXI (298grt), STAR XXII (303grt), STAR XXIII (357grt), STAR XXIV (361grt), STAR XIX (249grt), steamer BRASK (Nor 4079 grt), Tkr SANDEFJORD (Nor 8038 grt), MV VESPASIAN (Nor 1570 grt), Steamer AUSTVARD (Nor 3677 grt) ,


Steamer NEMEA (Gk 5101 grt), steamer NICOLAOS FILINIS (Gk 3111 grt),  Steamer MEANDROS (Gk 4581 grt), steamer KAPETAN STRATIS (Gk 3574 grt), Steamer KATE (Gk 5197 grt), MV AIKATERINA ( Gk 4928 grt), 

Tkr ONOBA (NL 6256 grt), 
Steamer DIANA (NL 312 grt), Steamer BARNEVELD (Ne 5597 grt), Steamer HEEMSKERK (Ne 6516 grt), Steamer BEEMSTERDIJK (NL 6869 grt), steamer EMMAPLEIN (NL 5436 grt, 

steamer PORTUGAL (Be 1550 grt)

208414 (UK), 2982 (EG), 57596 (Nor), 26492 (Gk), 30986 (NL), 1550 (Be) 

328020 grt (Mercantile)

Total Mercantile and Military losses: 343517 grt

*Prizes captured*
steamer MENDOZA (Vichy 8199 grt), steamer SONTAY (Vichy 8917 grt), Steamer ELIZABETH BAKKE (Ex-Nor 5450 grt,), Steamer JOHN BAKKE (Ex-Nor 4718 grt), Steamer TAI SHAN (Ex-Nor 6962 grt),TAURUS (Ex-Nor 4767 grt), RANJA (Ex-Nor 6355 grt), 


*Neutral shipping*
Steamer BERTHA (SD 1216 grt), 

1216 (SD)

(1216 grt Mercantile)

*Neutral warships*
None

Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 1215 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: 344733 grt

*Prizes taken*
None

*Cumulative Losses since 9/39*
*6,178,028 grt* Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses

*Axis Warships*
DKM
TB WOLF (DKM 933 grt),

(933 grt)

RM
Marcello Class Sub NANI (RM 1043 grt), Spica Class TB VEGA (RM 795 grt), Coast Defence ship SAN GIORGIO (RM 11122 grt),

(12960 grt)

Siam
TBs TRAD (Royal Thai Navy (RTN) 379 grt) , SONGHKLA (RTN 318 grt) and CHOMBURI (RTN 318 grt), 
Defense ship DONBURI (RTN 2265 grt), 

(3280 grt)

*Axis Shipping*
GER
Pilot ship BORKUM (Ger 280 grt),  Steamer GODFRIED BUEREN (Ger 4664 grt), Steamer BRECHSEE (Ger 688 grt),  Steamer ELIZABETH BAKKE (Ex-Nor 5450 grt,), Steamer JOHN BAKKE (Ex-Nor 4718 grt), Steamer TAI SHAN (Ex-Nor 6962 grt),TAURUS (Ex-Nor 4767 grt), RANJA (Ex-Nor 6355 grt), steamer INGO (Ger 3950 grt), Steamer KONIGSBERG-PREUSSEN (Ger 2530 grt), 

(40364 grt)

(FI)
Steamer ALBANO (FI 2364 grt), steamer PALMA (FI 2715 grt), Steamer VALDIVAGNA (FI 5400 grt), steamer CARLO MARTINOLICH (FI 4208 grt), Coastal steamer GIOVANNI MARI (FI 636 grt), Steamer CITTA DI MESSINA (FI 2472 grt), Steamer LELIO (FI 1384 grt), Liner LIGURIA (FI 15,354 grt), steamer ISCHIA (FI 5101 grt), Tug URSUS (FI 407 grt)

(35194 grt)

Spain:
MV SAN CARLOS (SP 223 grt)
(223 grt)

(Vichy)
steamer MENDOZA (Vichy 8199 grt), steamer SONTAY (Vichy 8917 grt), 

(17116 grt)

Finland
*Steamer LIISA (Fn 1460 grt), Steamer YRSA (Fn 2803 grt), *

(4263 grt)

Total Axis Mercantile (97160 grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( 114332 grt)

*Captured ships*
oil refinery ship OLE WEGGER (Nor 12,201 grt), oil refinery ship SOLGLIMT (12,246grt), 
whalers POL VIII (Nor 298 grt), POL X (Nor 354 grt), POL IX (Nor 354 grt), TORLYN (Nor 247 grt), GLOBE VIII (Nor 297 grt), POL VII (Nor 338 grt), THORARINN (Nor 249 grt), Oil refinery tanker PELAGOS (Nor 12,083 grt) and whalers STAR XXI (298grt), STAR XXII (303grt), STAR XXIII (357grt), STAR XXIV (361grt), STAR XIX (249grt)

(+) (40235 grt)


----------



## parsifal (Jan 30, 2016)

*1 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S Boat S-61




*S 61 being towed by MTB 670 in La Valetta/Malta Harbour *
Allied
Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1004 (ML 1004), Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1023 (ML 1023), Motor Launch ML 196 (ML 196)

*Losses*
*MV NICOLAS ANGELOS (Gk 4351 grt)* Sunk by U-48 (Herbert Schultze) ; : Crew: Unknown (no survivors) Cargo: Empty: Route: Liverpool - New York Convoy: OB-279 (straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches; At 2125 hrs the unescorted NICOLAS ANGELOS , a straggler from convoy OB-279, was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 about 130 miles NW of Rockall after being missed by a first torpedo at 2058 hrs. The U-boat waited for the crew to abandon ship and then fired 28 rounds from the deck gun from 2150 to 2215 hours. The ship caught fire and sank by the bow at 2304 hrs. Schultze observed how the survivors set sail in their lifeboat, but they were never found.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 1 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol*
DD KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow to escort AMC CALIFORNIA from the Butt of Lewis to her patrol position. Following this duty, the DD arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 3rd.

*Northern Waters*
DDs SOMALI, ECLIPSE, ESKIMO, NAPIER departed Scapa Flow to meet BB KGV on the 3rd and escort her to Scapa Flow. NAPIER was detached from the escort and arrived at Greenock on the 6th. The BB and the 3 DDs arrived at Scapa Flow on the 6th.
​CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort WN.77 until dark. The ship returned to Scapa Flow late that night. Sub SEALION unsuccessfully attacked a German convoy off Stadlandet .

*West Coast UK*
OB.281 departed Liverpool, escort DDs MONTGOMERY, WILD SWAN, WITCH and corvettes CAMPANULA, PERIWINKLE, PIMPERNEL. The escorts were detached on the 5th when the convoy dispersed.

*SW Approaches*
DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER departed Brest to raid west of Biscay.

*Med- Biscay*
The Med Flt departed Alexandria as a diversion for operations by Fce H in Operation MC.4. CL ORION, CLA BONAVENTURE, DDs ILEX, HERO, HEREWARD departed Alexandria in the early hours.. After leaving harbour, the DDs proceeded to the NE to sweep the waters around Rhodes on the night of 1/2 February. The DDs then to proceed to Suda Bay to arrive at dawn on the 2nd. The cruisers proceeded past Kaso Strait and then turned towards Suda Bay and met the 3 DDs in the pre-dawn on the 2nd. BBs WARSPITE and BARHAM, CVL EAGLE, DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, DIAMOND, DEFENDER, WRYNECK, and RAN VENDETTA and , VAMPIRE. CL AJAX, RAN CL PERTH, DD JAGUAR departed Suda Bay late on the 1st and joined the Main Force. 
When these ships joined the Main Force, WRYNECK was detached to return to Alexandria, via the Western Desert coast. CLA BONAVENTURE was detached to return to Alexandria due to her shortage of ammunition. on the evening of the 2nd, CLs ORION, PERTH, AJAX with DDs ILEX and HEREWARD were detached to cover the movements of DDs DEFENDER and DECOY. DD HERO was detached from the ORION force to the Main Force.

RAF personnel were embarked on DD DEFENDER which proceeded to Malta for refitting. The destroyer arrived in daylight on the morning of the 3rd. DD DECOY was brought out from Malta, joining the Main Force on the 3rd.

CLs AJAX and PERTH were detached for duty in the Aegean and to cover convoys. DDrs VAMPIRE and VENDETTA were detached to fuel at Suda Bay and then escort convoy AS.14 to Alexandria and Port Said. Later on the 3rd, CL ORION with defects and DD ILEX with her ASW gear out of action were detached to Alexandria for repairs.
​At 1800, DD HASTY and corvettes HYACINTH and SALVIA departed Suda Bay escorting British steamers ETHIOPIA and LEVERNBANK. DAINTY, after towing tanker DESMOULEA to Suda Bay, departed Suda Bay at 1400 to join convoy AN.14 before dark.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.14 departed Aden, escort CL CALEDON, DD KINGSTON, sloops INDUS and SHOREHAM. The convoy was dispersed on the 3rd.

*Malta*
MALTA FIGHTER STRENGTH

261 Sqn 28 Hurricanes (8 unserviceable)
806 Sqn 3 Fulmars (1 unserviceable; 4 Gladiators (1 unserviceable)
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 2 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine.
*0944-1010 hrs *Air raid alert for a single JU 88 which flies over the Island, apparently on recon. No bombs are dropped. Malta fighters are scrambled; no interception.
*1140-1220 hrs *Air raid alert for one SM 79 escorted by 12 CR 42 fighters which fly over the Island at 20000 feet. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and shoot down one CR42 , which crashes on land at St Andrews Barracks in the Pembroke area, and another in the sea north of Malta. The bodies of both pilots are recovered 
*1342-1352 hrs *Air raid alert for two enemy a/c reported 5 miles NE of Grand Harbour. 4 Malta fighters are scrambled; raid does not materialise.
*Enemy casualties *Sergente Maggiore Andrea Baudone, 156th Gruppo Autonomo, pilot of Fiat CR 42 shot down and died. Other body not identified. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY 1941
*AIR HQ 148 Sqn *Wellington a/c attacked Tripoli. 0550-1231 hrs Sunderland anti-convoy patrol of Eastern Tunisian coast with a striking force standing by. 1013-1300 hrs Spitfire PRU despatched on special photorecon task: not completed due to cloud. 0945-1159 hrs Maryland recon of Syracuse, Augusta, Catania and Messina for ships in harbour. 0955-1530 hrs Maryland photorecon of Taranto. Slight and inaccurate AA. 0955 hrs one merchant vessel is spotted with two Cant flying boats patrolling nearby. 1451 hrs A Sunderland took off to intercept and attack an Italian ship leaving Tunis; striking force also standing by. Unable to locate ships; returned 2145 hrs. 
Photorecon results (to treat interpretation with reserve): Taranto 1 BB, 4 cruisers, 7 DDs, 4 TBs, 3 MVs, 27 Cant flying boats; Catania port 3 MVs, aerodrome 3 SM 79 bombers, 42 JU 87 bombers, 12 JU 88 bombers, 2 JU 52 transport aircraft, 14 Macchi 200 fighters, one CR 42 fighter plus other aircraft; Augusta three submarines, 18 Cant flying boats; Syracuse no ships, seaplane base not shown. 
*LUQA 69 Squadron *One Maryland photorecon Syracuse, Augusta, Catania, Messina; one Maryland photorecon Taranto.

*TOTAL MALTA GARRISON AT 1 FEBRUARY 1941*
*Officers 802; other ranks 14767*
BRITISH COMMAND STAFF: officers 48; other ranks 3;
BRIGADES: staff (Inf): officers 8 other ranks 0
M AND C D BRIGADE 

12 Field Regiment Royal Artillery (RA): officers 33; other ranks 548
13 Mob C D Regiment RA: officers 24; other ranks 269
4 Heavy Regiment RA: officers 21; other ranks 404
1 Heavy Regiment Royal Malta Artillery (RMA): officers 0; other ranks 32
7 Anti Aircraft (AA) Brigade, 7 AA Regiment RA: officers 31; other ranks 810
10 AA Regiment RA: officers 32; other ranks 578
2 AA Regiment RMA: officers 0; other ranks 11
11 AA Regiment RMA (T): officers 1; other ranks 4
4 Searchlight Regiment RA and RMA: officers 13; other ranks 423
Royal Engineers (RE) Services: officers 19; other ranks 56
Fortress Royal Engineers: officers 11; other ranks 341
No 2 Works Company RE (T): officers 3; other ranks 2
Royal Signals: officers 7; other ranks 201
RM Chaplains Department: officers 7; other ranks 0
4th Bn The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment): officers 32; other ranks 663
2nd Bn Devonshire Regiment: officers 29; other ranks 935
1st Bn Dorsetshire Regiment: officers 28; other ranks 837
2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regiment: officers 28; other ranks 879
2nd Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers: officers 36; other ranks 871
8th Bn Manchester Regiment: officers 37; other ranks 888
Malta Tank Troop: officers 3; other ranks 62
Royal Army Service Corps: officers 19; other ranks 191
30 Coy Royal Army Medical Corps: officers 40; other ranks 206
161 Field Ambulance: officers 14; other ranks 184
Royal Army Ordnance Corps: officers 22; other ranks 124
Royal Army Pay Corps: officers 9; other ranks 24
AEC: officers 0; other ranks 8
QAIMNS: officers 51; other ranks 0
CMP: officers 0; other ranks 28
1st Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment: officers 2; other ranks 3
2nd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment: officers 0; other ranks 4
3rd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment: officers 0; other ranks 5
MPSC: officers 0; other ranks 1
Recruit Training Depot: officers 2; other ranks 13
LOCAL M and C D BRIGADE

13 Mobile CD Regiment RA: officers 0; other ranks 69
4 Heavy Regiment RA: officers 0; other ranks 81
1 Heavy Regiment RMA: officers 41; other ranks 840
7 AA Brigade 2 AA Regiment RMA: officers 30; other ranks 692
11 AA Regiment RMA (T): officers 21; other ranks 426
30 Light AA Battery RMA (T): officers 0; other ranks 396
4 Searchlight Regiment RA and RMA: officers 6; other ranks 167
Fortress Royal Engineers: officers 3; other ranks 151
Admin Commandant MI and Vol: officers 2; other ranks 0
No 1 Works Company RE: officers 5; other ranks 213
No 2 Works Company RE: officers 3; other ranks 215
RAOC: officers 1; other ranks 20
1st Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment: officers 27; other ranks 746
2nd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment: officers 28; other ranks 508
3rd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment: officers 23; other ranks 558
Recruit Training Depot: officers 2; other ranks 85


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## Njaco (Jan 31, 2016)

*February 1 Saturday
ASIA:* Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto reveals Operation Z to his Chief of Staff, an attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He finally won assent from the Naval High Command by, among other things, threatening to resign. Although it was Yamamoto who initiated the plans for the attack against Pearl Harbor, Commander Minoru Genda was the plan's chief architect. The Japanese initially used the codename "Operation Hawaii" for the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was later changed to "Operation Z." For two decades, in keeping with the doctrine of Captain Alfred T. Mahan, the Naval General Staff had planned on using Japanese light surface forces, submarines and land-based air units to whittle down the American Fleet as it advanced across the Pacific, until the Japanese Navy engaged it in a climactic "Decisive Battle" in the northern Philippine Sea (between the Ryukyu Islands and the Marianas Islands), with battleships meeting in the traditional exchange between battle lines. Correctly pointing out this plan had never worked even in Japanese war games, and painfully aware of American strategic advantages in military productive capacity, Yamamoto proposed instead to seek a decision with the Americans by first reducing their forces with a preemptive strike, and following it with an offensive, rather than a defensive, "Decisive Battle." Yamamoto hoped, but probably did not believe, that if the Americans could be dealt such terrific blows early in the war, they might be willing to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Japan announces that it will be necessary to introduce rice rationing.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* At Maug Island in the Mariana Islands, “_Orion_” received one Japanese-built E8N float plane, purchased from Japan earlier that year, from German ship “_Munsterland_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-48 sank Greek ship “_Nicolas Angelos_” with a torpedo and shots from the deck gun south of Iceland at 2215 hours. The crew was took to the lifeboat, which was never found.

The “_Admiral Hipper”_ slips out of Brest for another sortie into the Atlantic.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Marine Corps brigades stationed on the east and west coasts of the United States were reorganized as the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions, respectively; it was the first time the USMC organized units on the divisional level. To the south on the island of Cuba, the US Marine Corps 4th Defense Battalion arrived at Guantanamo Bay from Parris Island, South Carolina, United States.

There is a major reorganization of the US Navy. General Order 143 split the United States Fleet into separate Atlantic, Pacific and Asiatic Fleets and ordered to gradually bring ship crews up to war establishment. Admiral Husband E. Kimmel became Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet. Admiral Ernest King assumes command of USN Atlantic Fleet.

*GERMANY: *Oberstleutnant Benno Kosch was named the commanding officer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Indian 4th Division captured Agordat, Eritrea, Italian East Africa while Indian 5th Division captured Metemma, Abyssinia. Gazelle Force was held up in crossing the River Baraka some 40 mi (64 km) from Keren where the Ponte Mussolini had been blown and the approaches to the river heavily mined. 2nd Lieutenant Premindra Singh Bhagat of the Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners won the first Victoria Cross for the British Indian Army in WW2 for a _"...continuous feat of sheer cold courage" _clearing 15 minefields and 55 miles of roads in 48 hours.

South African 2nd Infantry Brigade captures Gorai while South African 5th Infantry Brigade captures El Gumu.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain, the Air Training Corps was established to provide pre-entry training for cadets over the age of 16 intending to enter the Royal Air Force or Fleet Air Arm.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* On the Italo-Greek Front, ground and air operations come to a virtual standstill due to weather conditions.

Italian submarines “_Turchese_” and “_Uarsciek_” patrol off Greek-Albanian coast.

.


----------



## parsifal (Feb 1, 2016)

*2 February 1941
Losses*
*Naval trawler ALMOND (RN 505 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Falmouth. 18 crew members, including the skipper, were lost in the trawler.

*Steamer THE SULTAN (UK 824 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. One crewman and one gunner were lost. Trawler LORD ST VINCENT rescued twelve survivors.

Surface raider ATLANTIS captured the *tanker KETTY BROVIG (Nor 7031 grt)* north of Madagascar. On 4 March, the tanker was intercepted by British warships off Italian Somaliland and scuttled herself.







*UBOATS*
At Sea 2 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic
Sub SUNFISH unsuccessfully attacked a German steamer off Kristiansand. 

*North Sea*
FN.398 departed Southend, escort DDs PYTCHLEY, WESTMINSTER, WOLFHOUND, and arrived at Methil on the 4th. FS.402 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 4th. AA ship ALYNBANK was docked at Leith for collision damages.

*Northern Waters*
CLs ARETHUSA and AURORA and DDs MATABELE, TARTAR, INTREPID, IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow for ML operation EA. Mines were to be laid at Fro Havet (Nth of Trondheim), but bad weather prevented the operation. The ships, less AURORA, arrived back at Scapa Flow later that day with AURORA arriving about an hour later. The operation was cancelled and INTREPID and IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow for Immingham on the 4th.
CLA DIDO, refitting in the Tyne since 17 December, arrived at Scapa Flow for operations. CLA NAIAD departed Scapa Flow for refitting in the Tyne including the fitting of radar. DDs BRIGHTON and LANCASTER departed Scapa Flow independently during the evening after excercises for Loch Alsh. 
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at in the afternoon to cover WN.78 as far as the latitude of Buchan Ness. The ship returned to Scapa Flow late that night. 2300.
 
British steamer WAZIRISTAN was damaged by a near miss by the LW in Northern Waters. ASW trawler LORD MIDDLETON stood by the steamer. Later, DD DOUGLAS departed Scapa Flow to assist the steamer. The steamer was further damaged by a near miss on the 6th. She was taken in tow by tug BANDIT on the 6th, escorted by DOUGLAS. The DD was ordered to proceed to Skaalefjord for refuelling. She arrived at daylight on the 7th and departed after refuelling at 1440 to return to her escort duty. The steamer and DD arrived at Kirkwall on the 10th. On the 10th, DOUGLAS departed Scapa Flow for Londonderry to operate in the Western Approaches.

*Med- Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL launched eight torpedo planes against the hydroelectric San Chiara Ula Dam on Lake Tirso in Sardinia, Operation PICKET. No success was obtained in destroying the dam or the facilities. One Swordfish of 810 Sqn was shot down and its crew made prisoners of war. A Skua of 800 Sqn force landed in the sea, with the crew rescued. Operation RESULT, bombardment of Genoa, was cancelled due to bad weather. Force H returned to Gibraltar on the 4th.

Netlayer PROTECTOR departed Alexandria with the second half of the anti torpedo boom for Suda Bay. The netlayer was to pass the Kithera Straits during the night of 3/4 February.

Submarines TETRARCH and ROVER departed Alexandria and Malta, respectively, for patrols off Tripoli.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA CARLISLE, operating in the Red Sea, was found to have half of her starboard bracket bush missing. The cruiser could operate on only one propeller shaft. A replacement was sent from Malta on CLA BONAVENTURE in March.

Force K, with CV FORMIDABLE and CA HAWKINS were operating off Italian Somaliland in the area of DKM surface raider ATLANTIS. A/c from FORMIDABLE dropped mines in Mogadishu harbour. After the mining, 9 Albacore a/c attacked shore installations at Mogadishu in Operation BREACH.

CA SHROPSHIRE and CLs CERES and COLOMBO were blockading the port of Kismayu.

Convoy BS.14 departed Suez. The convoy was joined by CL CALEDON and sloops FLAMINGO and INDUS. The convoy was dispersed on the 8th

During the night of 2/3 February, RM DDs PANTERA, TIGRE, LEON from Massawa made an unsuccessful attack on a Convoy in the Red Sea.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
RAN CL SYDNEY arrived home in Australian waters*.*

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 3 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine, cold.
*1047-1057 hrs *Air raid alert for enemy aircraft reported nine miles from the Island; raid does not materialise.
*2350-0005 hrs *Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY 1941
*ROYAL NAVY *Under cover of a cruiser force engaged on another operation,DECOY sailed on completion of damage repairs, and DEFENDER arrived for refit. 
*AIR HQ *148 Sqn Wellingtons attacked Castel Benito aerodrome. 0545-1000 hrs Maryland photorecon Taranto. 0735-1100 hrs Maryland photorecon Tripoli: Castel Benito approx. 50 aircraft mostly light camouflaged bombers; signs of fortifications five miles east of aerodrome. 0751-1307 hrs Sunderland patrol sighted hospital ships flying Italian flag. 0945-1428 hrs Maryland photorecon Naples and special task area; latter not approached due to cloud. Factories near Pozzuoli show signs of considerable activity. 1045 hrs Spitfire photorecon Genoa, Leghorn, Spezia reported considerably overdue; no further information available. 
*LUQA 69 Squadron *One Maryland photoreconnaissance Taranto; one Maryland photorecon Tripoli, Castel Benito, Zuara; one Maryland photorecon Naples not completed due to weather. 148 Sqn 7 Wellingtons bombing attack on Castel Benito.


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## Njaco (Feb 1, 2016)

_*February 2 Sunday*_

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Torpedo bombers from British carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” attacked the hydroelectric plant at the Santa Chiara Dam on the Tirso River on Sardinia, Italy. The attack failed to damage the facilities. One Swordfish aircraft was shot down, with its crew of 3 taken prisoner.

Benito Mussolini declared the southern portion of Italy to be a war zone and put it under martial law.

The British aircraft carrier HMS “_Formidable_” replaced the damaged “_Illustrious_” in the Mediterranean. The “_Illustrious_” was sent to the United States for repairs. On her way to the Mediterranean to replace the damaged “_Illustrious_”, “_Formidable_” sends its planes to attack the harbor installations at Mogadishu.

British Force H raid against Genoa was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Indian 5th Division captured Italian fortifications defended by 8,000 troops and 32 field guns at Barentu, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. Gazelle Force of Indian 4th Infantry Division reaches Italian defensive positions at Keren. RN cruisers blockade Kismayu.

The Australian forces have already advanced well to the west of Derna on the coast and are discovering that the Italians are withdrawing at speed. Wavel agrees with O'Connor that 7th Armored Division should be sent hurrying across the center of Cyrenaica in an attempt to cut the Italians off. Supplies are being assembled to support this move but because the Italian retreat is so rapid the advance will have to start before the preparations are complete.

*INDIAN OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” stopped and captured Norwegian tanker “_Ketty Brøvig”_ in the Indian Ocean overnight. With 6,370 tons of fuel oil and 4,125 tons of diesel oil from Bahrain aboard, “_Ketty Brøvig_” was to be used as a supply ship for German raiders and warships deployed at sea.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Laval supports formation of a new pro-Nazi political party in Vichy France.

RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by five Blenheim bombers to Boulogne heavily escorted by fighters. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft to attack Brest overnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British vessel “_The Sultan_” sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

*ASIA:* The Battle of South Henan: Chinese troops in Xinyang, Henan fight against the Japanese invaders. The Japanese 11th Army abandons Wuyang.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 2, 2016)

*3 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Experimental Type PT Boat USS PT 6






Allied
FLOWER Corvette HMS ABELIA (K 184) 
_



_

Flower Class Corvette HMS VIOLET (K 35) 
_



_

Bangor Class MSW HMS BLACKPOOL (J 27) 
_



_

*Losses*
*MSW trawler ARCTIC TRAPPER (RN 352 grt) * was sunk by the LW off Ramsgate. 16 crew were lost on the trawler.

*Motor anti-submarine boat MA/SB.12 (RN 39 grt)* was mined off Milford Haven. The boat sank in tow on the 6th

*Drifter MIDAS (UK (89 grt)*, was sunk in a collision off Dungeness.

U.107 sank *steamer EMPIRE CITIZEN (UK 4683 grt)*, a straggler from from OB.279 with passengers and general cargo embarked, in the Western Approaches. Of 69 crew, 2 gunners and 12 passengers, only 4 crew and one gunner were rescued. The ship was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-107 SW of Iceland. The ship had been spotted on a zigzag course 6 hrs before and missed with a first torpedo at 0019 hrs. The U-boat observed how she sank slowly on even keel and the crew abandoned ship, then fired a stern torpedo at 0223 hrs that hit aft and caused her to sink by the stern quickly. The survivors were picked up by HMS CLARKIA and landed at Londonderry.







U.107 badly damaged *Ocean Boarding Vessel CRISPIN (RN 5051 grt) * after being detached from convoy OB.280, in the swestern Approaches. The armed boarding vessel had been detached from the convoy with armed yacht PHILANTE, corvette ARBUTUS and British steamer COPELAND. 18 of the crew were lost and 3 others including RAF personnel embarked were wounded. The vessel sank on the 4th. At 2333 hrs was hit in the engine room by one torpedo from U-107 NNW of Rockall. The ship was just detached from the dispersed convoy OB-280 together with HMS ARBUTUS, the armed yacht HMS PHILANTE and rescue ship COPELAND to join the convoy SC-20 on 4 February. CRISPIN was abandoned and foundered the following day in 56°52N/20°22W. The commander, five officers and 14 ratings were lost. Eight survivors were picked up by the rescue ship and the remaining survivors by DD HARVESTER and landed at Liverpool.






*Steamer DIONE II (UK 2660 grt)* in convoy SC.20 was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The steamer was sunk the next day in a U-Boat attack.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 3 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Western Baltic
During the night of 3/4 February, minefield RUGEN was laid by DKM MLs TANNENBERG and BRUMMER, escorted by DKM TBs off the Norwegian coast. This was the same force composition as minefield began on 26 January.

*North Sea*
FS.403 departed Methil, and arrived at Southend on the 5th..

*West Coast UK*
DD WILD SWAN, corvette ANEMONE, MSW FITZROY departed Loch Ewe for Londonderry for refuelling. WILD SWAN and ANEMONE joined DDs WITCH and MONTGOMERY, corvettes CAMPANULA, PERIWINKLE, PIMPERNEL to escort convoy HX.105 on its inbound leg. Enroute, the DDs escorted OB.281 whilst moving outbound.

British steamer CALYX (212grt) was damaged on a mine eight miles northeast of Bar Light Vessel. The steamer arrived at Liverpool on the 3rd with engine damage. 

OB.282 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ACHATES, ANTELOPE, ANTHONY, GEORGETOWN, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvette HEATHER, ASW trawlers AYRSHIRE and LADY MADELEINE. On the 5th, trawler LADY MADELEINE was detached. Corvette PICOTEE joined on the 6th. DDs ACHATES, ANTELOPE, ANTHONY, sloop FLEETWOOD, trawler AYRSHIRE were detached on the 7th. On the 8th DD GEORGETOWN and corvette HEATHER were detached when the convoy dispersed.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.107 departed Halifax, escort AMC LACONIA and corvettes MAYFLOWER and SNOWBERRY. The corvettes were detached the next day and the AMC on the 16th. On the 17th, corvette HOLLYHOCK joined the convoy. On the 18th, DD SABRE joined the escort and on the 20th, DDs ARROW and WANDERER and corvette NASTURTIUM joined. DDs ARROW, SABRE, WANDERER and corvettes HOLLYHOCK and NASTURTIUM were detached on the 20th, and on the same day the the convoy arrived at Liverpool

*Central Atlantic*
CAs NORFOLK and DORSETSHIRE departed Freetown to search for DKM surface raider KORMORAN. 

*Med- Biscay*
Convoy AS.14 of six ships, two of which were British, departed Piraeus escorted by CLA COVENTRY and corvettes SALVIA and HYACINTH. RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VENDETTA relieved the corvettes on the 4th, and arrived at Alexandria with COVENTRY on the 6th. The Port Said section was escorted by VENDETTA which arrived at Alexandria on the 7th. VENDETTA, en route from Port Said to Alexandria, developed a mechanical defect requiring ten days to repair.

ASF.14 of British steamers LANARKSHIRE, ETHIOPIA, PORT HALIFAX departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DDs HASTY and DAINTY, and arrived at Alexandria on the 6th.

On the 1st, *steamer MULTEDO (FI 1130 grt)*, along with other Fascist merchant men GIOVINEZZA, UTILITAS departed Benghazi for Tripoli escorted by TBss CIGNO and CENTAURO. MULTEDO was lost in the Gulf of Sirte in probably a marine assident. Attacks by submarine TRUANT did not account for the loss. Three torpedoes fired at by TRUANT missed steamers GIOVENEZZA and UTILITAS.






A Swordfish of 815 Sqn from Maleme forced landed on Antikythera Island. The crew were recovered unhurt. British steamer DERWENTHALL was damaged by a mine in the Suez Canal. The steamer sustained no casualties. However the rudder was blown off and the steamer arrived at Suez on 28 March under tow. DERWENTHALL was towed to Calcutta for repairs.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 4 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Cold and unsettled.
*1142-1152 hrs *Air raid alert for a single JU 88 bomber which approaches from the south east and flies over the Island at 12000 feet on reconnaissance. Two Hurricanes are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns opened fire: no claims.
*AIR HQ *_0812-1055 hrs _Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli Harbour sighted four destroyers and twenty merchant vessels with another heading for harbour. Anti-aircraft opened fire: intense and accurate. The Maryland was attacked by an Italian G50 fighter and returned fire: no damage observed.
Rome radio announced that the Spitfire overdue from yesterday’s reconnaissance mission came down yesterday near Viareggio and the pilot was taken prisoner.
*LUQA 69 Squadron *One Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli attacked by a G 50.
*


*


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## Njaco (Feb 2, 2016)

_*February 3 Monday*_
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Mussolini sent 33 Italian Fascist Party leaders to the Albanian front to bolster morale.

*NORTH AFRICA: *General Erwin Rommel was appointed as the head of a unit temporarily named "German Army Troops in Africa"; it would later become the Afrika Korps.

Italian troops in Eritrea, Italian East Africa withdrew into towns in the mountains. The British 'Northern Force' bumps into the Italian defences at Keren, but fail to crack them open. General Platt decides he must build up his forces for a major assault.

Italian 10th Army ordered to withdraw from Cyrenaica.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Empire Citizen_” 300 miles south of Iceland at 0223 hours; 77 were killed, 5 survived. At 2333 hours, U-107 struck again, sinking British ship HMS “_Cirspin_”; 20 were killed, 121 survived.

German submarine U-93 attacked British ship “_Dione II”_ 50 miles northwest of Ireland at 1410 hours; the torpedo missed. A German Fw 200 aircraft arrived later in the day and bombed the ship, causing damage. At 2300 hours, U-93 surfaced near “_Dione II_” and engaged in a brief gun battle.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Arctic Trapper_” was sunk by German bombing off Ramsgate, Kent, England; 17 were killed, 3 were wounded.

The German battle cruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” go on a commerce destroying expedition in the Atlantic under the command of Admiral Lutjens. During the night they pass through the Denmark Strait.

*GERMANY:* German military leaders presented detailed plans for Operation Barbarossa to Adolf Hitler. Hitler reviews the plans for Operation 'Barbarossa', as German intelligence estimates that 155 Red Army divisions are deployed in western Russia against just 116 German and Axis divisions. He again tries to draw attention away from the central drive toward Moscow which the Army planners think essential. The starting date is again confirmed as the 15th May 1941.

Field Marshal Fedor von Bock returns from medical leave and resumes command of German Heeresgruppe Mitte.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* The US Marine Corps established an airfield near the Ewa villages at Kapolei, Honolulu County, US Territory of Hawaii with the aircraft of Marine Aircraft Group 2 originally based at Naval Air Station Ford Island, also on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. USS “_Arizona_” arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The People's Commissariat for State Security was created in the Soviet Union. Vsevolod Merkulov was named the People's Commissar of State Security of the Soviet NKGB with responsibilities to oversee espionage and intelligence activities. The new ministry NKGB would last only until the German invasion when it would be merged back into the NKVD.

Kliment Voroshilov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the third time.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Nazis forcibly restore Pierre Laval to office in occupied Vichy France.

RAF Bomber Command sends 118 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

*ASIA: *Tokyo pledges to support independence for Burma.

Battle of Southern Honan: With Japanese 11th Army having moved on, Chinese 5th War Area recovers Paoanchai and Wuyang. Japanese 11th Army captures Chenping.
* 
.






*

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## parsifal (Feb 3, 2016)

Very cool pic of the BARHAM


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## parsifal (Feb 3, 2016)

*4 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Raumboote R-65





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS ALBERNI (K103)






Fairmile B ML HMS ML 189





*Losses*
*Drifter IMBAT (UK 92 grt) *was sunk in a collision at Scapa Flow.

*Steamer GWYNWOOD (UK 1177 grt)* was sunk by a parachute mine in the Humber anchorage. 9 crew and two gunners were lost.






U.52 sank *steamer RINGHORN (Nor 1298 grt)*; At 0838 hrs the RINGHORN a straggler from convoy OB-280 since 2 February due to bad weather, was hit by one torpedo from U-52. The torpedo struck in the starboard bow, causing a list to port and destroying the starboard lifeboat. The port boat with about eleven men reached the water, but turned over when the ship capsized and was hit by the funnel. Four of the men managed to reach a raft in the heavy seas but were not able to help the others that cried for about one hour before they drowned or died of exhaustion in the cold water. The master and all officers were lost. The survivors later spotted another man sitting on the capsized boat and unsuccessfully tried to reach him. After six hours, the five survivors were found by DD HARVESTER , which already had 113 survivors from the CRISPIN on board that had been sunk the day before by U-107 . So the DD ordered Corvette CAMELLIA to pick them up. They were landed at Greenock on 9 February.





U.123 sank *steamer EMPIRE ENGINEER (UK 5358 grt)*, an unescorted straggler from SC20, which was last seen 2 February straggling behind convoy SC.20, west of Ireland. There were no survivors, all 40 of the crew perished






*Steamer CALATATIS (Gk 4443 grt) *was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. 18 crew were missing from the steamer.

*Steamer AGHIOS GEORGIOS (Gk 3283 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Suez Canal. Two crew were killed and one was missing. The wreck was removed to clear the canal.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 4 Febbruary 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DD MEYNELL, departed Immingham on the 3rd. The minelayer laid minefield BS.50 off the East coast of England on the 4th. This operation had been cancelled several times prior due to weather. The operation was first attempted on 18 January, when the ML and DD IMPULSIVE departed Immingham. Bad weather forced cancellation and the ML arrived at Rosyth and the DD returned to Immingham. On 24 January, ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by DD WITHERINGTON, departed, but again was forced to return. On 30 January, the minelayer, escorted by DD QUORN, was forced to turn back from Spurn Point due to weather. 

ORP DD PIORUN departed Scapa Flow for Greenock to form part of the escort for convoy WS.6, arriving at Greenock on the 6th. 

FN.399 departed Southend, escort DDs HOLDERNESS and WOOLSTON. Corvette SNAPDRAGON joined on the 6th, and arrived at Methil on the 6th. FN.400 departed Southend, escort DDs VANITY, VORTIGERN, WORCESTER, and arrived at Methil on the 6th.

MSWs KELLETT and LEDA collided at Aberdeen. There was very minor 

*Northern Waters*
The 1st Minelaying Squadron with MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, PORT QUEBEC departed Loch Alsh on the 4th to lay minefield SN.7A, escort DDs BRIGHTON, LANCASTER, ST ALBANS, CHARLESTOWN. CL NIGERIA provided heavy cover for the operation. BB RODNEY and DDs INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ECHO, BRILLIANT cleared Scapa to act as distant cover for the operation. En route to the operation, ML MENESTHEUS exploded a mine nearby damaging her engines. This mine was twenty miles off the western end of minefield SN.3. There was no hull damage and no casualties. MENESTHEUS was taken in tow by AGAMEMNON and arrived back at Loch Alsh on the 7th. The mines were laid on the 6th. RODNEY, NIGERIA, INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ELECTRA, BRILLIANT returned to Scapa Flow on the 7th.

Damage to the KELLETT. LEDA was repaired at Leith from 4 February to 9 June.

*Med- Biscay*
British troopship ULSTER PRINCE and steamer DEVIS departed Alexandria at noon with troops from Tobruk. When news of aerial mining by the enemy of Tobruk Harbour was received, the ships were recalled to Alexandria. As there were no magnetic MSWs available for Tobruk, Corvettes PEONY, GLOXINIA, SALVIA, HYACINTH were recalled to Alexandria from the Kithera Patrol for refitting for magnetic sweeping. Corvettes SALVIA and HYACINTH arrived at Alexandria on the 5th. The other two corvettes arrived the next day. Sub TRUANT attacked Italian steamer CALINO as the steamer was departing Benghasi Harbour, escorted by TB LA FARINO. No damage was done. 

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
Australian troop convoy US.9 departed Sydney with troopships AQUITANIA, MAURETANIA, NIEUW AMSTERDAM, and QUEEN MARY.From 4 to 6 February, Australian CL HOBART escorted the convoy from Sydney to Fremantle. On the 12th, the convoy departed Fremantle escorted by RAN CA CANBERRA. On the 16th, liner QUEEN MARY was detached to Singapore. Off Colombo on the 20th, CANBERRA was relieved by NZ manned CL LEANDER

*Malta*
One of Malta’s first trio of defensive aircraft, the Gladiator nicknamed ‘Hope’, was written off today. In a heavy air raid on Hal Far, bombs caused damage across the aerodrome, including to three aircraft – one of which was ‘Hope’. Newly arrived pilot, P/O John Pain, described the aftermath of the raid:
_
“All the hangars [at Hal Far] had been hit, but there were a few aircraft in them and in one was ‘Hope’ of the famous Malta trio. She was in the throes of becoming a six-gun Gladiator, the only one in the RAF, but she received a bomb smack through the centre section and that was the finish of her.”
_
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 5 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Unsettled at first, becoming finer towards evening.
*1407-1421 hrs *Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
*1750 hrs *Air raid alert for two formations of JU 88 bombers heading for the Island from the east. They cross the coast over Delimara and dive bomb Hal Far and Luqa aerodromes. Two bombs damage the runway and barrack rooms at Luqa; five fall on Hal Far. Four Hurricanes are scrambled and Bofors guns on the airfield open fire. 
*1801-1838 hrs* A second formation crosses the coast over Rinella and launches a second attack. Two bombs land between Sans Souci and Marnisi. Every gun on Luqa aerodrome is firing, putting up a heavy barrage. Six more Hurricanes and two Fulmars are scrambled and engage raiders to the north of the Island.


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## parsifal (Feb 4, 2016)

*5 February 1941
Losses*

*ASW trawler TOURMALINE (RN 641 grt)*, was sunk by the LW off North Foreland.






*Special service vessel MINNIE DE LARINAGA (RN 5046 grt)* was sunk as a blockship at Dover.







*Steamer IOANNIS M. EMBIRICOS (Gk 3734 grt)* was sunk by the LW in 55-41N, 12-26W. The crew were all rescued.

*An unknown motor schooner (RN 250 grt (est)* was mined at Tobruk. Lost on the schooner was the Assistant King's Harbour Master, Tobruk, Lt Cdr J. Cochrane. 

*Steamer RANEE (UK 5060 grt) *was sunk by a mine in the Suez Canal. Nine crew were lost. The forepart of the wreck was taken to Port Said for Navy use.






*Steamer SNIA AMBA (FI 2532 grt) *was scuttled at Benghasi. The steamer was later salved, effectively making the loss an allied capture.








Submarine SEALION sank *steamer RYFYLKE (Ex-Nor 1151 grt)* whilst in German service two miles Nth of Kvitenaes Point near Stadlandet.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 5 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
West Coast UK*
CVL FURIOUS arrived in the Clyde from Operation MONSOON, flying off Hurricanes to Takoradi. The veteran carrier began refitting at Greenock. CLA PHOEBE at 1153 departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde arriving on the 6th. The cruiser departed the Clyde on the 8th to escort convoy WS.6 from the Clyde through to the Mediterranean, then join the Mediterranean Flt for operations. DDs NIZAM, COTTESMORE, ATHERSTONE, KEPPEL departed Scapa Flow. 
Destroyer NIZAM proceeded to Greenock, where she arrived at noon on the 6th. COTTESMORE, ATHERSTONE, KEPPEL proceeded to Londonderry, where they arrived at 0900/6th to escort convoy WS.6. CL NEPTUNE arrived at Scapa Flow on the 5th after duty in the Sth Atlantic. On the 8th, the cruiser proceeded to Plymouth, then on to Chatham for refitting including a full outfit with radar. The ship was under refit from March to 1 May. The cruiser was damaged by the LW on the 9th at Plymouth. On the 16th while in dockyard at Chatham, she was damaged again. Damage from both bombings and the refit were completed on 1 May.

British steamer MERCHANT ROYAL was in convoy WN.74, escorted by escort vessel JASON and MSWs CAPE NYMEMTSKI and NORTH COATES, five miles NW of Duncansby Hd when her steering gear was disabled. Escort vessel JASON was ordered to assist the steamer. Later, CL AURORA departed Scapa Flow also to provide assistance. Tug ABEILLE 4 was sent from Peterhead to take the steamer in tow.

A Fulmar and its crew were lost when it went down whilst being ferried from Worthy Down, crashed Minerva Mountain, near Wrexham.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy OG.52 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers BELMONT, VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, sloops EGRET and WESTON, corvette GENTIAN, anti-submarine trawler RUBENS. On the 6th, ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN escorted the convoy. On the 9th, sloop SCARBOROUGH relieved the DDs and sloops of the escort. DD ISIS from Gibraltar joined the convoy on the 20th, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st, escorted by DD ISIS, sloop SCARBOROUGH, corvette GENTIAN.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine OTUS left her station in the Azores patrol, which began on 17 January, for Portsmouth, arriving on the 12th. The submarine was relieved by submarine TUNA on the 6th which came from Holy Loch after patrol off Gironde. However the patrol was terminated on the 12th and the submarine proceeded to Gibraltar, arrriving on the 16th. 

*Sth Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL was refitting at Simonstown from 5 to 22 February. CORNWALL departed Simonstown on the 28th.

*Med- Biscay*
Submarine UPRIGHT made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on Italian shipping off Kerkenah.

Italian convoy of steamers ESPERIA, CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, CALITEA, carrying some elements of the DAK, escorted by DDs FRECCIA, SAETTA, TARIGO departed Naples for Tripoli. The convoy was joined by CL GIOVANNI DELLA BANDE NERE on the 6th. The convoy safely arrived at Tripoli on the 7th. The convoy also made an uneventful return trip from 9 to 11 February. 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 6 FEBRUARY 1941
_Weather _Overcast, some rain.
_0001-0300 hrs _Four alerts sounded but no air raid took place.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 5 FEBRUARY 1941
_AIR HQ Arrivals _Two Sunderland. _0730-1015 hrs _Maryland visual reconnaissance Tripoli. _0540-1400 hrs _ Two Sunderlands and one Maryland reconnaissance of shipping routes Messina to Benghazi, Benghazi to Tripoli and Tripoli to Sicily. 
_KALAFRANA _Two Sunderlands No 10 RAAF arrived from the United Kingdom with passengers and freight.
_LUQA 69 Squadron _One Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli.


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## Njaco (Feb 4, 2016)

I try to get interesting pics for that day. Sometimes it works!

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## Njaco (Feb 4, 2016)

_*February 4 Tuesday*_
*NORTH AMERICA:* The United Service Organizations, USO, was established to maintain the morale of American military personnel.

The American newspaper Chicago Tribune featured an article on the US government's secret plan for war, including details such as a 10,000,000-strong military, half of which were to be destined for the to-be-established American Expeditionary Force for fighting in Europe.

USN and USMC conduct amphibious landing exercises in Puerto Rico.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The British advance across Cyrenaica has now begun. RAF reconnaissance planes report that the Italians are beginning to evacuate Benghazi in a withdrawal towards El Agheila. The 7th Armoured Division is given immediate instructions to advance from Mechili across the desert in order to cut off the Italians escape route. At dawn, British 7th Armoured Division departed from Mechili, and moved across the desert toward Jebel El Akhdar 150 miles away. Msus is taken and the forces then move toward Antelat. In the north the Italian retreat is continuing.

The Battle of Keren: The British forces begin to attack the strong Italian positions around Keren. There are 30,000 Italian troops in this area. In the first phase of the battle, which last until February 7th, the 11th Indian Brigade manages to take Cameron Ridge but is thrown back from other positions by Italian counterattacks.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-93, having damaged British ship “_Dione II_” on the previous day with gunfire northwest of Ireland, sank the ship at 0440 hours with the deck gun and the anti-aircraft gun; 28 were killed, 5 survived.

German submarine U-52 sank Norwegian ship “_Ringhorn_” 500 miles west of Ireland at 0838 hours; 14 were killed, 5 survived.

German submarine U-123 sank British ship “_Empire Engineer_” 1,000 miles west of Ireland at 1644 hours; the entire crew of 39 was lost, some during the sinking while others, aboard rafts, were never found.

German pocket battleships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” broke out into the Atlantic Ocean via the Denmark Strait undetected by the British Royal Navy.

*GERMANY:* The Royal Air Force bombed Düsseldorf, killing 35.

Admiral Erich Raeder meets with Hitler to discuss cooperation with Japan. Raeder thought that the US entry into the war might be advantageous for the Germans as it would force Japan into belligerency.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Wolfgang Luth's U-43 accidentally sinks at its moorings in Lorient and requires three months of refitting.

RAF Bomber Command conducted numerous operations over the continent. 38 aircraft were sent to attack Brest and Le Havre overnight. German vessel “_John A. Essberger”_ is sunk by Bomber Command aircraft at Brest. 31 aircraft attacked Bordeaux and Calais overnight and 37 aircraft attacked other targets in northern France.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe conducts small-scale night raids against London and elsewhere. At anchor in the convoy anchorage in the Humber, the cargo ship 'SS _Gwynwood_' (1,177t) sank after a parachute mine landed on her deck aft and blew up. She was on a voyage from London to Sunderland.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Troop convoy US 9 departs Australia for Singapore and Egypt. General Gordon Bennett departs by air to establish HQ of Australian 8th Infantry Division in Malaya.

*ASIA: *Battle of Southern Honan: Japanese 11th Army captures Nanyang while 68th Army of Chinese 5th War Area unsuccessfully counterattacks around Hsinghokuan.
* 
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## Njaco (Feb 4, 2016)

_*February 5 Wednesday*_
*NORTH AFRICA:* The Battle of Beda Fomm: After crossing 150 miles of desert in 30 hours, armored cars of British 7th Armoured Division set up roadblocks at Sidi Saleh south of Benghazi, Libya, just in time to meet and stop the leading elements of the retreating Italian Tenth Army. In the evening, the British 4th Armoured Brigade reached Beda Fomm 10 miles north of the roadblocks, preventing Italian retreat to the east. Encircled Italian forces make desperate efforts to escape from British 7th Armoured Division and Australian infantry, south of Benghazi, but are completely defeated. Italians lose 20,000 men, 216 guns, 112 tanks and 1,500 trucks. Elements of Australian 19th Infantry Brigade take Barce.

The Battle of Keren: In the East African Campaign, the Battle of Keren began. British and Indian troops attacked Italian-held hills near Dongolaas Gorge en route to Keren, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. The 2nd Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders fought their way to the top of the ridge, feature 1616, in front of Sanchil. The ridge became a focus of fighting for the next ten days. The Cameron Highlanders and Rajputana Rifles narrowly hung on to their positions despite being under near constant attack and having to carry all food, water and ammunition up 1,500 ft (460 m) across the exposed terrain. At 1100 hours, Brig's Peak was still being held by the four platoons of 3/14 Punjab, who had suffered heavy casualties during the morning. Communications with Cameron Ridge -had been cut off and the Brig's Peak garrison was isolated. In spite of these difficulties, the Commander felt that there was no need to abandon the position before the arrival of relief. At about 1230 hours, the Italians attacked Brig's Peak supported by accurate mortar and machine-gun fire. At 1345 hours, they actually reached the top of the hill and had to be driven off by a bayonet charge. As there was little hope of relief, 3/14 Punjab withdrew from Brig's Peak at 1400 hours. It had suffered heavy casualties and was disorganized. It was ordered to collect and reorganize at the bottom of the hill where it had once again assembled by the evening. The situation at nightfall on 5 February was that 2 Camerons and 1 Rajputana Rifles were in position on Cameron Ridge, 3/14 Punjab was collected at the bottom of the hill and 3/1 Punjab was concentrated in the area of kilometres 109-110.

General Sir Leslie Morshead assumes command of Australian 9th Infantry Division. General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson named Military Governor and General Officer Commanding Cyrenaica.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Tourmaline_” was sunk by German aircraft off North Foreland, Kent, England.

British submarine HMS “_Sealion_” sank Norwegian ship “_Ryfylke_” 2 miles off the Norwegian coast near Stadlandet.

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## Njaco (Feb 4, 2016)

_*February 5 Wednesday continued.....
*_
*ASIA: *Transport ship No. 74 under construction at Kawasaki Shipbuilding Corporation's shipyard at Kobe, Japan was named “_Irako_”. She was assigned to the Sasebo Naval District.

Battle of Southern Honan: Japanese 11th Army burns down Nanyang and moves on to Tangho.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler issues general instructions for military cooperation with Italy in Tripoli, Albania, and Gibraltar. Adolf Hitler writes to Mussolini. In the letter goes his satisfaction for the work of the Italian officers at command operations in North Africa and he offers his help with one division with the condition of the Italian troops not to retreat to Tripoli.

General Walter Dornberger is notified that, per Hitler's orders, research and development of V-weapons, not their production, should have top priority.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The Luxembourgish and Belgian francs were withdrawn from circulation and replaced with the Reichsmark.

RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by 12 Blenheim bombers to St Omer heavily escorted by fighters with nine downed by Luftwaffe interceptors.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Wendell Willkie ended his visit to England with a statement intended for the German people:


> "I am proud of my German blood, but I hate aggression and tyranny, and I now tell the German people that my convictions are fully shared by the overwhelming majority of Americans of German descent. They, too, believe in freedom and human rights. We German-Americans reject and hate aggression and the lust for power of the present German government."



*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Women’s Australian Auxiliary Air Force (WAAAF) established.

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## Njaco (Feb 5, 2016)

_*February 6 Thursday*_
*NORTH AFRICA:* The Battle of Keren: 6 February was a day of counter-attacks by the Italians. They carried out no less than five separate counter-attacks on the two forward battalions. The first of these took place between 0900 hours and 1000 hours on both 2 Camerons and 1 Rajputana Rifles. It was easily repulsed. There were reports of the Colonial troops trying to outflank 1 Rajputana Rifles from the west. Gazelle Force was, therefore, ordered to occupy Mt. Tafala and Mt. Jepio. At 1200 hours the Italians counter-attacked 1 Rajputana Rifles again. This attack was repulsed, heavy casualties being inflicted. The Italians kept up continuous artillery and machine-gun fire, and C Company 1 Rajputana Rifles, which was in an exposed position to the west of Cameron Ridge, suffered many casualties; the strength of the Company falling to almost half by the evening. 3/1 Punjab was therefore moved forward to the railway line below 1 Rajputana Rifles, reaching there at 1300 hours. The next counter-attack started at 1530 hours, again on 1 Rajputana Rifles. It was repulsed and was over by 1730 hours. At 1630 hours 3/1 Punjab moved up in support of 1 Rajputana Rifles for repulsing the attack. D Company moved into line while the other companies were in reserve. At 1930 hours the Italians counterattacked C Company 1 Rajputana Rifles again. Although the company's strength had been greatly reduced it beat off the attack with great gallantry. It was in this engagement that Lance Naik Bhaira Ram of the Rajputana Rifles distinguished himself. He was in command of a platoon reduced in strength to seven men. When the Italians launched a fierce counter-attack its brunt was borne by his two small platoon posts. A platoon of D Company 3/1 Punjab located in his immediate vicinity was forced to withdraw. Not daunted by this, Bhaira Ram continued to defend his post, knowing full well that if the Italians penetrated his position, the safety of the entire battalion would be endangered. Not only did he repulse this attack, but with his remaining two men he also chased the retiring Italians with the bayonet. When all was over 11 Italian soldiers lay dead just outside his post and many more on the hillside. The last Italian counter-attack came at 2330 hours and was mainly directed against D Company 3/1 Punjab. C Company 3/1 Punjab had to be sent up in support of D Company before it was finally repelled. The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade, less 4 Sikh, moved from Agordat and was concentrated in the area of kilometres 109-110. Plans had been made by the Commander of the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade for another attack to capture Brig's Peak during the day. At 1745 hours the Divisional Commander with the Commander of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade arrived at the headquarters of the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade, and it was decided to place 3/14 Punjab under the command of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade. All efforts to break through the Italian lines or even to capture the heights overlooking Keren north of the road had failed so far.

Australian 6th Division captured Benghazi while 7th Support Group of British 7th Armoured Division captured Sceleidima; these captures further secured the envelopment of the Italian Tenth Army.

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## Njaco (Feb 5, 2016)

_*February 6 Thursday continued............
*_
*NORTH AFRICA: *Battle of Beda Fomm: On the Benghazi-Tripoli road in Libya, the trapped Italian Tenth Army attempted to break out without success. A column of Italian 20,000 troops, 160 tanks and 200 field guns is strung out along 7 miles of the coast road. They are contained by Combe Force’s roadblock at Sidi Saleh and 4th Armoured Brigade at Beda Fomm, despite a series of uncoordinated attacks all day. The British had 32 cruisers and 42 light tanks left near the Italians on the Via Balbia, with ten cruisers and eight light tanks in the 1st RTR to the north. At dawn, the Australians continued their attacks on Benghazi from the north and the 1st KRRC made slow progress at Scledeima, where Bignami was ordered to retire and send the Babini Group detachment south to reinforce the attack on the Pimple and keep the British off the rear of the column. The 2nd RTR was left near the Pimple and A Squadron, equipped with A13s (Cruiser Mk III), received the attack of the Babini Group at 830 hours. The first wave of ten M13s advanced slowly and were surprised, when turrets of the British cruisers appeared over a ridge. The cruiser gunners rapidly knocked out eight M13s, before the tanks disappeared below the ridge. The cruisers drove to the ridge near the white mosque and knocked out another seven M13s with the same tactic. The Italian artillery opened fire on the mosque and every operational tank the Babini Group had left, advanced towards the Pimple and the mosque. C Squadron, in its slower A9s (Cruiser Mk I) and A10s (Cruiser Mk II), arrived. At 1030 hours and in poor visibility, the 7th Hussars tried to find the rear of the Italian column and cut the road west of Beda Fomm, just as another big convoy arrived from the north. The Babini Group M13s mixed in with the column, kept the light tanks at a distance but these still managed to cause much damage and confusion. The units of the 4th Armoured Brigade moved from position to position among the ridges near the Pimple and mosque, raiding the column as more M13s arrived from the north. Combeforce could see the fighting and picked up Italians who got through, C Battery bombarding any Italian party which looked organized and by noon a lull had fallen. The attacks of the Babini Group left the convoy free to move past the Pimple and A Squadron pursued the Italians, firing into the convoy and setting many alight, forcing drivers to abandon their vehicles and others to leave the road for the dunes to the west, where they dodged British artillery-fire and attacks by light tanks of C Squadron, which took 350 prisoners. The 1st RTR arrived from Antelat as night was falling and intercepted the Babini Group as it was breaking out just to the north but several Italian vehicles and thirty tanks got past the Pimple. Bergonzoli abandoned attempts to hook round the eastern flank and sent the last of the Babini Group west through the dunes, just as the 2nd RTR had to rearm, which reported at 0600 hours that it was incapable of stopping the main column.**

*WESTERN FRONT: *Adolf Hitler made his final appeal to Francisco Franco to bring Spain into the war on the Axis side.

RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft to attack Boulogne during the day and 24 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British House of Commons voted for the first £1,600,000,000 war credit of the year.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German Motor Torpedo Boats S.30, S.54, S.58, S.59 sank British ship “_Angularity_” on the east coast of England; 2 were killed, 1 was captured by S.30.

German submarine U-107 sank Canadian ship “_Maplecourt_” 250 miles northwest of Ireland at 1752 hours, killing the entire crew of 37. “_Maplecourt_” was part of convoy SC-20 from Montreal, Canada, to Preston, England.

*GERMANY:* Hitler issued Directive No. 23, Directions for Operations against the English War Economy. The focus of attacks is to be merchant shipping, harbors, and aircraft industry. 
http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/23.html

Adolf Hitler ordered Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel to Africa in command of Germany’s nascent Afrika Corps. Consisting of the 15th Panzer Division, and a motorized division, the 5th Light Division, the Afrika Corps was meant to stabilize the Axis position in North Africa against British Commonwealth forces that had spent the winter of 1940-41 decimating Italian forces in the region.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *The Bishops of Norway start the Church's struggle against the occupying German forces.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Roosevelt appoints John Gilbert Winant ambassador to the United Kingdom.

*ASIA:* Battle of Southern Honan: With Japanese 11th Army having burned it down and moved on, Chinese 5th War Area recovers Nanyang.

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## parsifal (Feb 5, 2016)

*6 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-556





_A beautifully built 1:72 scale model of U-556 from the Hellenic Modellers Website. The model is 36 inches long. 6 ships sunk, total tonnage 29,552 GRT, __1 ship damaged, total tonnage 4,986 GRT Sunk on 27 June 1941 in the Nth Atlantic SW of Iceland, by depth charges from the British corvettes HMS NASTURTIUM , HMS CELANDINE and HMS GLADIOLUS. 5 dead and 41 survivors._

Type I Hunt Class Escort DD HMS QUANTOCK (L 58)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

 Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS CORIOLANUS (T 140) 

_



_

Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1017 (ML 1017)
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Tug HMS ALLIGATOR (W 51)





*Losses*

*MV MAPLECOURT (UK 3388 grt) *Sunk by U-107 (Günter Hessler); Crew: 38 (38 dead - no survivors); Cargo: Steel and General Cargo Route: Convoy:SC-20 (straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches At 1752 hrs the unescorted MAPLECOURT, a straggler from convoy SC-20, was hit just aft of the engine room by one stern torpedo from U-107 and sank rapidly by the stern about 120 miles west of Rockall. The U-boat had chased the ship for about 8 hrs and missed with one torpedo during a first submerged attack at 1353 hrs. The Germans observed how the survivors managed to abandon ship in two lifeboats, but they were never seen again: the master, 35 crew members and three gunner were lost. The MAPLECOURT was reported missing and erroneously presumed sunk in somewhat different location and time in the Admiralty report.






DKM S-Boat Flotilla 2 made a sortie against the English east coast with S.30, S.54, S.58, S.59. *Steamer ANGULARITY (UK 501 grt) *was sunk by S.30 off the east coast between Ipswich and Newcastle. One of the crew were picked up by the S-boat and taken prisoner. Two crew were lost.








*UBOATS*
At Sea 6 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
BB KGV, escorted by DDs SOMALI, ECLIPSE, ESKIMO arrived at Scapa Flow. A fourth DD, NAPIER, was detached nth of the Minches to the Clyde. DD BEAGLE departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen. At 2300 that evening, the DD met steamer BEN MY CHREE and escorted her to Lerwick. The ships arrived at Lerwick the next morning on the 7th. The DD remained to escort the steamer back to Aberdeen. DD BEAGLE was recalled from Lerwick on the 8th and arrived off Scapa Flow at 1730. She was sent to Aberdeen to meet troopship AMSTERDAM and escort her to Scapa Flow. The DD and troopship arrived at Scapa Flow on the 9th. The BEAGLE then sailed for Liverpool for refitting. BEAGLE arrived at Liverpool on the 10th.
 
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at noon and joined convoy WN.80 far as the latitude of Buchan Ness. CURACOA returned to Scapa Flow before dawn on the 7th.

*West Coast UK*
Seven ships departed Avonmouth, five ships from Liverpool, ships from the Clyde to form Convoy WS.6A. The convoy was composed of steamers LLANDAFF CASTLE, NOVA SCOTIA, ASCANIUS, LEOPOLDVILLE, CONSUELO, OPAWA, CITY OF ATHENS, BURDWAN, KINA II, CAPE HORN, CITY OF MARSEILLES, SCYTHIA, ALMANZORA, Norwegian BERGENSFJORD, LLANGIBBY CASTLE, RUAHINE, SALWEEN. The convoy was escorted by CA NORFOLK, CLA PHOEBE, and CLs EDINBURGH and BIRMINGHAM. EDINBURGH was to proceed with the convoy as far as Freetown, then return. BIRMINGHAM was to proceed with the convoy to Capetown. DD BROADWATER escorted the convoy from 6 to 9 February. DDs COTTESMORE, ATHERSTONE, KEPPEL escorted the convoy from 6 to 12 February. The DDs arrived back at Londonderry on the 13th after the escort duty. DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST LAURENT escorted the convoy from 7 to 12 February. DDs LEGION and ORP PIORUN escorted the convoy from 8 to 12 February.DD GARLAND escorted the convoy from 8 to 9 February. Cruiser EDINBURGH was detached for fleet operations after the enemy sighting by BB RAMILLIES. When convoy SLS.64 was attacked on the 12th, the convoy turned back for 24 hs. BB RODNEY and DDs ELECTRA, ECLIPSE, BRILLIANT, which departed Scapa Flow on the 12th, were with the convoy on the 15th until dusk on the 16th.

*SW Approaches*
HG.53 departed Gibraltar, escort DD VELOX and sloop DEPTFORD. The DD was detached on the 11th. The convoy was joined on the 18th by sloop LONDONDERRY, on the 20th by DD FURY, on on the 22nd by DDs LEAMINGTON and SABRE and corvette ANEMONE. FURY was detached on the 23rd, and arrived at Liverpool on the 24th.

*Med- Biscay*
Benghazi was captured by the British Army. The series of losses suffered by the Italians triggered the decision to evacuate the Cyrenaica of Libya. As the remainder of the Italian Tenth Army fled west, the British 7th Armoured Division was dispatched to give chase inland via Msus and Antelat, while the Australian 6th Division advanced along the coastal road. Major General Creagh formed the Combe Force under Lieutenant Colonel John Combe of the 11th Hussars regiment with about 2,000 men and ordered it to race for the area south of Benghazi. The Combe Force reached the Benghazi-Tripoli road in the afternoon of 5 Feb and set up road blocks near Sidi Saleh about 32 kilometers north of Ajedabia. 30 minutes later, the leading elements of the Italian Tenth Army arrived, engaging them in combat. By the evening, the British 4th Armoured Brigade reached Beda Fomm overlooking the road about 16 kilometers north of the road blocks, thus threatening the rear of the Italians. On 6 and 7 Feb, Italians attempted breakouts with tanks; the fighting was fierce, but generally without positive results. The final breakout attempt took place in the morning of 7 Feb when the last 20 Italian medium tanks of the Italian Special Armoured Brigade broke through the first line of Allied infantry, but the British field guns positions near the regimental headquarters behind stopped the tanks. Discouraged with this latest failure, the Italians surrendered. Both Babini and Bergonzoli were captured. O'Connor dispatched the 11th Hussars regiment toward Agedabia and El Agheila further to the west to wipe out the small groups of Italians that managed to flee. 

Force H departed Gibraltar in three groups for a repeat attempt at the bombardment of Genoa, Operation RESULT. Gp 1 was composed of BC RENOWN, BB MALAYA, CV ARK ROYAL, and CL SHEFFIELD. G 2 was DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, FURY, ENCOUNTER, JERSEY. Gp 3 was DDs DUNCAN, ISIS, FIREDRAKE, JUPITER.

Gps 1 and 2 departed with convoy HG.53 into the Atlantic, but turned back into the Mediterranean. The convoy continued escorted by DD VELOX and sloop DEPTFORD. Gp 3 carried out an ASW sweep of the Straits of Gibraltar and then joined Gps 1 and 2. 

CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE departed Alexandria for Suda Bay to operate in the Aegean. These cruisers relieved CLs AJAX and RAN PERTH which proceeded to Alexandria, arriving that day. DDs DECOY and DIAMOND departed Alexandria for duty in the Inshore Squadron in the Western Desert.

*Hopper barges No.34 (UK 1500 grt)* and *No.39 (UK 1500 grt),* which was involved in minesweeping, were sunk in the Suez Canal on mines. 

*Malta*
GOVERNOR CONCERNED ABOUT FOOD SUPPLIES
Lt Gen Dobbie expresses concern that the carefully planned system of rolling supplies, designed to ensure sufficient stocks in Malta, is at risk. He writes to the War Office, copy to the Commander in Chief Middle East, the Rear Admiral in charge of Alexandria and the Secretary of State for Colonies:

“_I request an immediate decision in regard to the source of supplies for Malta. The success of the current scheme is dependent on efficient co-ordination by staff for all the Island’s requirements. Supplies of refrigerated products must be made by the specified dates if the stocks in Malta are to be maintained at the required level. If this is not done, the rolling programme of convoys set up to keep the Island supplied will break down._”

AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 7 FEBRUARY 1941
_Weather _ Wet with strong north westerly wind; low cloud and poor visibility.
_1801-1845 hrs _Air raid alert for three approaching enemy aircraft which cross the Island once or twice but drop no bombs.
_1945-2045 hrs _Air raid alert for three approaching enemy aircraft which fly over the Island in very bad weather. They drop bombs in countryside near Tarxien and in the sea off Kalafrana and Delimara causing no damage or casualties.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY 1941
_LUQA 69 Squadron _One Maryland sea patrol between Tripoli and Benghazi.


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## parsifal (Feb 6, 2016)

*7 February 1941
Losses*
*Steamer BAY FISHER (UK 575 grt)* was sunk by the LW 3.5 miles NE of Bell Rock. 7 crew and one gunner were lost.






*UBOATS*
At Sea 7 February1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
CLA CAIRO arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after refitting

*West Coast UK*
British steamer SCOTTISH COOPERATION (513grt) was damaged on a mine two miles southwest of Workington Pier, Solway Firth. The steamer was beached and then returned to Workington later on the 7th.

*Nth Atlantic*
AMC LETITIA was badly damaged in a grounding on Litchfield Shoal at Hallifax during a winter gale. The cruiser was refloated on the 9th and arrived at Halifax that day. No dockyard space was available and repairs were not begun until 15 April. The ship departed Halifax on 24 April for Newport News. The cruiser was arriving on 30 April for repairs and conversion to a troopship completed on 1 December.

*Med- Biscay*
RAN CL PERTH arrived at Alexandria for inspection by the Australian Prime Minister Menzies.
The cruiser was docked for refitting and repairs from 7 to 23 February after the bomb damage received at Malta on 16 January.
 
DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, MOHAWK departed Alexandria to act as an ASW force, then proceed to Suda Bay. 

The DDs were ordered to undertake sweeps of the Kithera and Elaphonisos Channels during the night of 8/9 February, through Kaso Straits and around Rhodes on 9/10 February, sweep through Scarpanto Straits and around Stampalia on 10/11 February. The sweep on 9/10 February was cancelled due to bad weather. These sweeps were supported by CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE. On 11/12 February, a sweep of Kithera Channel was also conducted. Netlayer PROTECTOR departed Suda Bay to load anti torpedo nets captured at Tobruk and transport them to Alexandria.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA CARLISLE departed Aden for Suez for repairs prior to reinforcing the Med Flt. The cruiser could operate on only one propeller shaft. The cruiser arrived at Suez on the 11th and was docked. It was found that one shaft would have to be replaced, due to the half of the starboard A bracket bush was missing. The shaft was removed and a cover plate was fitted on the hull gland. A replacement was brought from Malta on CLA BONAVENTURE in March. However, CARLISLE was unable to be docked for the work until 0825 on 13 March. The cruiser was undocked at 1700 on 15 March.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
NZ manned CLL ACHILLES departed Auckland escorting a liner towards Panama. The cruiser was detached at Chatham Island and returned to Wellington to refuel.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 8 FEBRUARY 1941
_Weather _Unsettled; strong wind from the north west and heavy swells.
_1725-1741 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
_1841-1900 hrs _Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft which passes briefly over the north coast and then retreats over St George’s. No bombs are dropped.
_2115-2250 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which approach over Marsaxlokk and drop bombs between Marnisi Palace and Luqa aerodrome. Soon afterwards the raider returns and drops bombs between Tarxien and Tal Handaq before retreating over Qrendi.
_2306-0115 hrs _Air raid alert for approaching enemy aircraft. Three heavy high explosive bombs are dropped near Verdala Palace causing slight damage to the Palace and military property, and killing one child. Bombs are also dropped on the areas of Luqa and Hal Far. Raiders also machine gun Luqa, Hal Far and San Pietru. Four bombs are dropped in a field near post R12 and fail to explode.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY 1941
_AIR HQ Arrivals _8 Whitley for special operation. Sunderland patrol off Tunisian coast for shipping.


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## Njaco (Feb 6, 2016)

_*February 7 Friday*_
*NORTH AFRICA:* The Battle of Keren: The decision whether to advance on Keren or to cut the Keren-Asmara road after the Acqua Gap had been taken, was left to the discretion of the Commander of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade. Between Mounts Falestoh and Zelale was a col named Acqua Gap, over which a secondary track ran from the south-east to Keren. The approaches to Acqua Gap were over very rocky and broken ground. Mounts Falestoh and Zelale overlooked the whole area on both sides. In fact, it was a very strong defensive position. But, as far as was known at the time, Italian forces holding Acqua Gap consisted of two Colonial battalions, whose morale was considered to be very low on account of many desertions from them. It was therefore planned to secure Acqua Gap by a surprise attack and then break through and capture Keren. The operation was to be carried out in three phases; In the first phase, the Brigade Group was to start concentrating in the area of Pt. 1260 at 1200 hours on 7 February. In the second phase, 4 Rajputana Rifles was to capture the Acqua Gap. Other units were to move up behind 4 Rajputana Rifles and keep clear of the battle. In the third phase, after the Acqua Gap had been taken, 12 Field Company was to build a road from the foot of the Acqua Gap to over and beyond it. 4 Sikh was to secure the next bound--the high ground about Pt. 1560. After the completion of the third phase, 1st Royal Fusiliers was to advance on the orders of Brigade Headquarters. The first phase was completed by 1700 hours on 7 February. No transport had been allowed. All arms, ammunition and equipment had to be manhandled. The weather was hot and the march very exhausting. The plan was for D Company, leading the attack, to capture an intermediate objective--a ridge south of, and below, Sangar and north of, and above, the southernmost feature (Rajputana Ridge). D Company was to be followed by C Company which was to secure Sangar and the outlying features--the line of advance stretching from the mouth of the gorge to Sangar. B Company was to follow initially the advance of C Company and on the capture of that Company's objective was to exploit eastwards along the Acqua Gap to the right. By 1930 hours, 4 Rajputana Rifles was at its forming-up place at the foot of the gorge. D Company went straight on to its objective and captured it without opposition. At 2000 hours, C Company advanced towards Pt. 1565 followed by B Company and the rest of the battalion. As these companies were moving from the bottom of the gorge the Italians opened heavy mortar, grenade and machine-gun fire. This caused considerable confusion. Battalion Headquarters opened on a ledge about 400 yards to the right of D Company at about 2200 hours but even then by 0030 hours (8 February) only 3 officers and 16 other ranks of A Company had been rallied, the rest having been dispersed by the heavy mortar, grenade and machine gun fire. The position was not reassuring particularly as D Company was under very heavy machine-gun and mortar fire in an exposed position. The Commanding Officer of 4/6 Rajputana Rifles therefore ordered D Company to move to Battalion Headquarters, whence they could support the forward companies by first light. D Company got split into two parts en route and therefore did not complete its move until approximately 0530 hours. Meanwhile C and B Companies too encountered stiff opposition. C Company came under heavy fire when it was about half way to its objective. Subedar Richpal Ram showed exemplary courage in leading the attack. With two platoons he pushed on through heavy mortar, grenade and machine-gun fire and captured Pt. 1565 about midnight at the point of the bayonet. The situation at daybreak was that A and D Companies were holding Rajputana Ridge with Battalion Headquarters in the centre. The remnants of B and C Companies were collected and placed in reserve.

Battle of Beda Fomm: The Italian Special Armoured Brigade saw some initial success in a dawn attempt to break out of the encirclement of the Italian Tenth Army on the Benghazi-Tripoli road in Libya, but the breakthrough was quickly contained by Allied field guns. The remaining Italian tanks made a final, unsuccessful attack in the morning to break through British roadblocks. 20 Italian medium tanks break the British cordon but are stopped by artillery fire. More than 25,000 troops of Italian 10th Army, trapped along the coast road at Beda Fomm, eventually surrendered. Italian General Bergonzoli surrenders with his command. Over 25.000 prisoners, 100 tanks, 216 guns, and 1.500 other vehicles were captured. Although the Allied force now lacks serviceable vehicles and has suffered 555 dead and 1.400 wounded, its modest numbers have decimated an Italian group 5 times larger. Since the start of the ‘5 day raid’ two months ago, Operation Compass has destroyed 10 Italian divisions, 400 tanks and 1290 artillery pieces with a mixed force of British, Indian and Australian troops never more than 2 divisions strong. Allied losses for the whole campaign are 555 dead and missing, plus 1,373 wounded, while taking 130,000 POWs (including 22 Italian Generals). General O’Connor signals his victory to British Commander-in-Chief Middle East General Wavell in Cairo using a hunting metaphor (both are fox hunters) “Fox killed in the open”.

Leclerc's Free French force besieges Kufra oasis in southern Libya as elements of British 7th Armored Division enter Agedabia.

General Graziani asks Mussolini for substitution as a commander of the Italian forces at North Africa, and as Libyan Governor.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The first Beaufighter IF fighter (T4623) built at the Fairey factory in Stockport near Manchester, England, made its maiden flight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German raider “_Kormoran_”, supply ship “_Nordmark_”, and captured vessel “_Duquesa_” rendezvous and transfer prisoners.

British vessel “_Bay Fisher_” is sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 27 aircraft to attack Dunkirk and 37 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

*ASIA:* In Tokyo, representatives of Thailand and Vichy French Indochina negotiate final settlement to their brief campaign.

Battle of Southern Honan: Japanese 11th Army departs Tangho and moves toward Tungpo without opposition.


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## parsifal (Feb 7, 2016)

*8 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U-83





_Three 100lb A/S bombs dropped from 1500 feet in the initial attack are falling short of __U-83__ which was subsequently sunk by three depth charges dropped during a second attack run. Photo from Imperial War Museum, uploaded from UBoat Net_

5 ships sunk, total tonnage 8,425 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 96 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 2,590 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 6,746 GRT

Sunk on 4 March 1943 in the Mediterranean south-east of Cartagena, in position 37.10N, 00.05E, by depth charges from a British Hudson aircraft (500 Sqn RAF/V). 50 dead (all hands lost)

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
From Helgoland, Germany: U-73

At Sea 8 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-73, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU sighted convoy HX.106 east of Newfoundland. Under strict orders not to engage warships of similar size and power, the German ships were forced to withdraw after the escort was discovered to include the veteran BB RAMILLIES. The SCHARNHORST attempted a ruse to try and draw off the RAMILLIES (an action that drew curt rebuke from the DKM Admiralty) but a few belches of smoke from the old Battleship were enough to ward off this attack. RAMILLIES, sighted and reported the BCs. No attack was attempted. The DKM BCs moved on, and began searching for convoy SC.22 expected to soon arrive in the area.

This report sparked a complicated reaction from the RN 

BC REPULSE, CLs GALATEA, NIGERIA, ARETHUSA, and AURORA, and DDs MATABELE, PUNJABI, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow in respponse. BB NELSON, CL MAURITIUS CLA DIDO, DDs ELECTRA, ECLIPSE, TARTAR departed about an hr later. About an hour after that BBs RODNEY and KGV and DDs BEDOUIN, MAORI, ZULU, BRILLIANT, BOREAS departed Scapa Flow during the forenoon of 9 February. CL EDINBURGH was ordered to leave convoy WS.6 A and join the battleship gp.

DDs KELLY, KIPLING, KASHMIR departed Plymouth on the 9th for Scapa Flow. DD JACKAL departed Plymouth separately on the 9th also for Scapa. 

DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE were ordered to Scapa Flow from the Humber. The DDs arrived at Scapa Flow on the 10th.

Subs URGE and CACHALOT were ordered to patrol areas off Stadlandet. 801 Sqn which had just arrived in Cornwall were ordered to return to Hatston. The Squadron arrived back at Hatston on the 10th. 

DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING arrived at Skaalefjord to refuel at Skaalefjord on the 10th. The three K class DDs were ordered to depart Skaalefjord that evening to search for a Uboat reported by BB NELSON. DD JACKAL was ordered to join the Ks at this location. 

In the early morning of the 10th, British steamer EMPIRE PRODUCER reported she was being chased by a surfaced U boat. DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING, JACKAL were sent to assist. 

On the 10th, CL MAURITIUS attacked a submarine contact in 60-59N, 12-44W. DDs JACKAL and KELLY were sent to search for the Uboat. After no contact, the Fleet returned to Scapa Flow, less DD BOREAS which joined the DD KELLY group and CLs ARETHUSA and NIGERIA 
sent to Reykjavik on the 12th to refuel prior to resuming patrol in the Denmark Strait. 

CLA DIDO and CL MAURITIUS arrived at Scapa on the 11th. BB NELSON and DDs ELECTRA, ECLIPSE, TARTAR also returned to Scapa Flow on the 11th. CL EDINBURGH arrived at Scapa Flow on the 11th, Also on the 11th, BBs RODNEY and KGV with DDs BEDOUIN, ZULU, MAORI, INGLEFIELD, BRILLIANTreturned to Scapa Flow. 

On the 12th, DD JACKAL arrived at Scapa Flow to refuel. She departed at that night to rejoin DD KELLY at Londonderry, where she arrived on the 13th. DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING, BOREAS were conducting ASW sweeps in the Western Approaches. Following the sweep, BOREAS returned to Scapa Flow and the other DDs proceeded to Londonderry. However, BOREAS developed boiler defects and the search was called off. The DD was sent to Scapa Flow, escorted by DD KIPLING. DDs KELLY and KASHMIR proceeded to Londonderry, via the Minches. On the 13th, off Dunnet Head, DD KIPLING with BOREAS in tow rendezvoused with tug BANDIT. KIPLING proceeded to Londonderry arriving on the morning of the 14th. BOREAS in tow of tug BANDIT arrived at Scapa Flow at that night. 

CLs AURORA and GALATEA arrived at Scapa Flow in the early hours of the 13th. BC REPULSE and DDs ESKIMO, MATABELE, PUNJABI returned to Scapa Flow on the 13th. DD PUNJABI was docked with defects which prevented her from sailing through the end of February. DD SOMALI departed Scapa Flow that evening for repairs at docking at Rosyth. 

*West Coast UK*
OB.283 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs BURNHAM, SALADIN, SARDONYX, SKTA, corvettes KINGCUP and LA MALOUINE, ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE, ST ELSTAN, VIZALMA. BURNHAM was detached on the 11th. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 12th.

MSW HEBE, which had just completed a major refit and was en route for trials when she was damaged in a collision with an unknown ship in Great Fraserburgh Bay. The MSW was repaired at Rosyth from 8 to 22 February. 

Belgian steamer HENRI JASPAR was damaged by a mine off Sully Island. One crewman was missing. The steamer was beached at Sully Island. She was later refloated and docked at Cardiff on the 23rd. 

*SW Approaches*
Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived at Gibraltar from Western Patrol.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.22 departed Halifax, escorted by submarine SEVERN, which was detached later that day. DDs ACHATES, ANTELOPE, GEORGETOWN and corvette HEATHER joined on the 24th. The DDs were detached on the 28th. ASW trawler LEEDS UNITED joined the convoy on the 28th. Later that day, the convoy arrived at Liverpool. 

*Med- Biscay*
In operations of 830 Sqn from St ANGELO, Sub Lt (A) C. C. Thornton RNVR, was shot down in a raid on Tripoli. Thornton and Leading Airman F. W. Pickles were made a pows. 

RM BBs VENETO, CESARE, DORIA with DDs MAESTRALE, LIBECCIO, GRECALE, SCIROCCO GRANATIERE, FUCLIERE, BERSAGLIERE, ALPINO of the 10th & 13th DesDivs departed La Spezia. DD CAMICIA NERA of DesDiv 11 departed Naples to join this powerful force. RM CAs TRENTO, TRIESTE, BOLZANO with DDs CORAZZIERE and CARABINIERE of DesDiv 12 departed Messina for rendevous west of Bonifacio Strait on the 9th.

A convoy containing major elements of the Afrika Korps (DAK) troops departed Naples with German steamers ANKARA, ARCTURUS, ALICANTE escort DD TURBINE and TBs ORSA, CANTORE, MISSORI. The convoy put into Palermo to avoid Force H on the 8th, remaining until 10 February. The convoy was unsuccessfully attacked by Malta a/c on the 14th when the convoy was returning. 

Sub URSULA made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on Italian shipping off Tunisia. Sub ROVER made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on Italian shipping off Calabria.

ORP DD WARSAWA and British petrol ship HANNE departed Alexandria for Tobruk, escorted by RAN DD VAMPIRE. Dutch tanker ADINDA was damaged by two mines at Tobruk. 17 crew were lost.Tkr ADINDA departed Tobruk on the 26th escorted by tug ST ISSEY. They arrived at Alexandria on the 27th. The tanker was temporarily repaired at Alexandria and Suez and was sent on to Bombay in September for permanent repairs. Ex-Italian steamer RODI was damaged by a mine exploding close aboard in Tobruk Harbour.

*Australia/Pac/Far East*
CL DANAE completed refitting at Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 9 FEBRUARY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_1505-1525 hrs _Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which approaches from the south east over Delimara and makes a reconnaissance flight over the Island.
_1649-1722 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft seven miles west of the Island. Marsaxlokk reports a single plane flying in high from the south west. Four Hurricanes, two Fulmars and six Swordfish are scrambled; no engagement.
_1810-0315 hrs _Air raid alert. Four formations of three enemy aircraft approach the Island a few minutes apart. Bombers swoop in very low and drop bombs on Hal Far, damaging a hangar and causing considerable damage to civilian property. One civilian guard is killed, three civilians and two soldiers are wounded. Searchlights engage and illuminate four of the raiders.
Bombers attack Luqa aerodrome, damaging the runway and two Glenn Martin Marylands. Bombs are also dropped near Luqa reservoir, west of Qormi, between Mqabba and Zurieq, on Marnisi and Hamrun, and between Paola and Corradino. Six Hurricanes and two Fulmars are airborne and shoot down two JU 88 bombers plus another probable. One aircraft is reported crashing near San Pietru.
Through the night a series of enemy aircraft approach the Island in ones and twos and dive-bomb Luqa aerodrome and the surrounding area. The Leper Hospital, St Vincent de Paule hospital and some civilian houses are damaged. One civilian is killed and another severely injured. 30 goats are killed. In another attack bombs are dropped in Marsa, on Tarxien and near Hompesch Arch. During the attacks Swordfish aircraft returning from a mission landed safely at Hal Far.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY 1941
_ROYAL NAVY _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm fired five torpedoes on Tripoli harbour. One aircraft force-landed in Tunisia. 
_AIR HQ Departures _1 Sunderland. Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli Harbour. Maryland photoreconnaissance Palermo, west Sicily and Trapani; eight Whitleys arrived for operation “Colossus”. _148 Squadron _ Six Wellingtons left for Middle East. 
_KALAFRANA _One Sunderland left for Gibraltar and UK with passengers and mail. 
_LUQA 69 Squadron _One Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli; one Maryland reconnaissance of western Sicily ports.
*

*


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## Njaco (Feb 7, 2016)

_*February 8 Saturday*_
*NORTH AFRICA:* The Battle of Keren: At 0445 hours on 8 February, Headquarters 4th Indian Division informed the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade of the failure of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade attack to secure Acqua Gap and said that the Divisional Commander did not wish to risk heavy casualties or involve the reserve. In view of this, the Commander of the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade was asked to consider if the attack by the company of 3/1 Punjab on Brig's Peak should be proceeded with. The Brigade Commander, thereupon, decided to cancel the attack. On the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade front 4 Rajputana Rifles was ordered to hold the positions on Rajputana Ridge and the rest of the brigade was told to defend its areas in the bottom of the valley. Artillery maintained a steady fire throughout the day to neutralize any Italian activity. The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade found itself in a very precarious position in the valley. The whole area and the lines of communication were commanded by Italian positions all around. The surprise attack on Acqua Gap had failed. The Commander of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade was of the opinion that a frontal attack with the resources available was not feasible. One battalion had already lost heavily. Therefore he recommended a night withdrawal to the original positions on 8 February. Accordingly the Commander of the 4th Indian Division ordered Gazelle Force to relieve the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade in the Acqua Gap area by 2000 hours on 9 February.

General O’Connor has plans for Operation Compass to push onwards to Tripoli, Libya, and drive Italian forces from North Africa. However, Hitler has already decided to provide assistance to his ally Mussolini.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” detected Allied convoy HX-106, but did not attack due to the presence of British battleship HMS “_Ramillies_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Bulgaria agreed to allow German troops to transit within its borders. Bulgaria signs an agreement with Germany for military co-operation. In particular, the German 12th Army is allowed to concentrate along the frontier with Greece.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Mr. Malcolm MacDonald was appointed to be the British High Commissioner in Canada.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 265-165 in favor of the Lend-Lease bill.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Darlan consults with German Ambassador Otto Abetz, and Berlin agrees that Darlan will become head of Vichy government, but decides to retain Laval for possible future use. Philippe Pétain offered Philippe Laval a cabinet seat in the Vichy government, but the offer was declined.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The first Afrika korps troops sail for Tripoli from Naples, Italy, aboard German steamers “_Ankara_”, “_Arcturus_” and “_Alicante_” (escorted by Italian destroyer “_Turbine_” and 3 torpedo boats). Adolf Hitler puts Erwin Rommel in command of the new Deutsches Afrika Korps (German Africa Corps) with 15th Panzer Division and 5th Light Motorized Division, to rescue the Italians in North Africa.

The Luftwaffe begin attacks on Malta.

Stalemate continues between Greeks and Italians in the deep mid-Winter of the mountains in Southern Albania.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain, Lord Moyle became Secretary of State for the Colonies, Ernest Brown became Minister of Health, and the Duke of Norfolk became the Joint Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture.

*ASIA: *Battle of Southern Honan: Japanese 11th Army, having razed more towns and destroyed more Chinese units, withdrew toward bases around Hsinyang.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 15 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 8, 2016)

*9 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat S-39




_S-39 was the second boat in the S-38-S-53 series. She was finally lost in late 1944 at Le Havre. Pictured is her sister S-42 in the Black Sea. Ive uploaded this image from Die Schnellboot-Seite - Sboats-KM-Data S38 who in turn credit the image to _Kpt. z.S. K.F. Künzel
* 
Losses*
*MV COURLAND (UK 1325 grt)* Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen) Crew: 34 (3 dead and 31 survivors). Cargo: General Cargo Route: Convoy: HG-53 Lost WSW of Gibraltar, At 0430 hrs, U-37 fired two G7a torpedoes at two ships in convoy HG-53 about 160 miles SW of Cape St. Vincent, Portugal and sank both ships, COURLAND and ESTRELLANO. At 0500 hours, another G7e torpedo was fired, but it missed the ships being aimed at and did not hit a ship beyond them, as Clausen thought.
Three men of the 25 crew members, two gunners and seven passengers aboard COURLAND were lost. 31 survivors were picked up by the BRANDENBURG which was sunk by the same U-boat the next day. The only survivor of the second sinking was a passenger from COURLAND, who was picked up this time DD VELOX and landed at Gibraltar 

*MV ESTRELLANO (UK 1953 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen) : Crew: 27 (6 dead and 21 survivors)
Cargo: General Cargo and Fish Route: Leixoes - Liverpool Convoy: HG-53 Lost WSW of Gibraltar; [See above for a description of her circumstances] 5 crew members from ESTRELLANO were lost. The master, 20 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS DEPTFORD and landed at Liverpool. One further crew member died of wounds aboard the sloop and was buried at sea on 10 February.





Attacks on HG 53 by Kondor bombers:
*Steamer JURA (UK 1759grt)*, 15 crew and 2 gunners were lost on steamer JURA.

*Steamer DAGMAR I (UK(2471grt)*; 4 crew and 1 gunner were lost on steamer DAGMAR I.






*Steamer VARNA (UK 1514 grt)*, All crew on steamer VARNA were rescued. Steamer VARNA did not sink until 16 February in 44-55N, 22-30W.





*Steamer BRITTANIC (UK 2490 grt)*, 1 crewman was lost on the steamer BRITTANIC.

*Steamer TEJO (Nor 1409 grt)*; 4 crew were lost on steamer TEJO.






The stated position for this attack is 35-42N, 14-38W, in the SW Approaches HMS VELOX picked up 26 survivors from these ships and arrived back at Gibraltar on the 13th. On Febr. 9, HG 53 was attacked by U-37 (Clausen), and thanks to reports from the U-boat, 5 or possibly 6 FW 200 bombers under Hauptmann Fliegel were sent out from Bordeaux, with the result that 4 ships were sunk, and 1 damaged (later sank) in addition to the 2 already sunk that morning by U-37. At about 1500 hrs, TEJO became the victim of 2 bombs from Fliegel's plane, 1 exploding behind the wheelhouse on the main deck, blowing up the bridge deck and everything above it, the other near the forward mast, between hatches No. 1 and 2, According to the 1st mate's statements at the subsequent inquiry, he believed the captain had been in the chart room, which was set on fire by the 1st explosion. The 1st mate was rendered unconscious, but when he came to again he ordered the hoses to be used. However, before the water came on deck the fire had spread to the 1st engineer's cabin and it was impossible to work the hoses on the bridge deck. He never saw the captain again. The 1st mate and the 1st engineer went aft as they could not get to the forepart where the rest of the crew had assembled. The ship was on fire and in a sinking condition, listing heavily to starboard, all the lifeboats on the bridge deck were destroyed, and the motorboat on the No. 3 hatch could not be used because the steam pipes were broken so that the boat could not be lifted. At this point, DD VELOX came close and launched a boat, so the 2 men jumped overboard. The 1st engineer was taken over to the DD by this boat, and seeing the 1st mate in the water the DD approached him and rescued him. The lifeboat later saved the remainder of the crew who had stayed on the forecastle head to await assistance, except the 2nd engineer who had also jumped overboard and was picked up by another steamer. He was subsequently transferred to the DD because he was injured. Able Seaman Gulbransen, who had been at the wheel, was also injured, having been blown through a hole in the bridge deck and into the saloon. Through the hole blown in the saloon, he had then been able to walk over to the port side and forward to the rest of the crew. They were taken care of by the doctor on board, and on arrival Gibraltar on Febr. 13 the Norwegian Consul met them and sent them to the Colonial Hospital, including the 1st mate, who was suffering from concussion and shock.

*Coastal steamers IV NOVEMBRE (FI 61 grt)*, *TENAX (FI 115 grt)*, and *ROSANNA (FI 205 grt)* were lost in stranding on the Sirte coast.

*UBOATS*
Departures
From Kiel, Germany: U-147

At Sea 9 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-73, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-123. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow to search for the survivors of a crashed a/c off Wick, however no trace was found. Troopship AMSTERDAM departed Scapa Flow and ESCAPADE joined her and escorted her to Aberdeen.
The DD arrived back at Scapa Flow that afternoon. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 0945 to escort convoy WN.81 until dark. The ship then escorted convoy EN.69 from off Buchan Ness to Pentland Firth. On the morning of the 10th, the ship transferred to convoy WN.82 and remained with it until dark. That eveining on the 10th, the ship arrived back at Scapa Flow.

*West Coast UK*
OB.284 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VANOC and VOLUNTEER, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and TULIP. DD CALDWELL joined on the 10th. Sloop ABERDEEN and the corvettes were detached on the 12th. The remaining escort was detached on the 13th when the convoy dispersed.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.108 departed Halifax, escort AMC MALOJA and corvettes MAYFLOWER and SNOWBERRY. The AMC was detached on the 18th. BB RODNEY proceeded with the convoy on the 18th to 20 February. On the 24th, DDs MONTGOMERY, WANDERER, WITCH and ASW trawler YORK CITY joined the convoy. Corvette PERIWINKLE joined the escort on the 25th. Corvette PERIWINKLE was detached on the 26th. The remainder of their escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 27th.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARON departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol.

*Med- Biscay*
In Operation RESULT, Genoa was bombarded by BC RENOWN and BB MALAYA of Force H from 0714 to 0744. RM BB DUILO was at Genoa at this time, but was not damaged in the bombardment, but also did not respond to the attack. CL SHEFFIELD bombarded Pisa simultaneously. CV ARK ROYAL escorted by DDs DUNCAN, ISIS, ENCOUNTER, raided Leghorn and laid mines in the entrance to La Spezia. A/Sub Lt (A) N. G. Attenborough, A/T/Sub Lt (A) S. W. Foote RNVR, Leading Airman G. W. Halifax in a Swordfish of 820 Squadron were lost in the ARK ROYAL raid on Leghorn. DDs JUPITER and FIREDRAKE were off Majorica simulating radio traffic for Force H.
There wwas extensive damage to port facilities and shipping losses, however all of the shipping was repaired and returned to service. 
​Armed boarding vessels ROSAURA and CHAKLA, escorted by RAN DD VOYAGER, departed Alexandria for Tobruk.
British troopship ULSTER PRINCE with 1300 troops, escorted by RAN DD STUART, departed Alexandria for Tobruk. 
Submarines USK and TRUANT off Tripoli and UTMOST off Tunisia made unsuccessful attacks on Italian shipping.
British steamer CRISTA (2590grt) was damaged on a mine at Tobruk. 

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN.15 departed Aden, escorted by sloops SHOREHAM and RAN YARRA, and arrived at Suez on the 16th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 10 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine and clear.
*0725-0740 hrs; 1032-1050 hrs *Air raid alert; raids do not materialise.
*1430-1535 hrs *Air raid alert for a large number of enemy a/c approaching the Island in two formations. 12 Hurricanes and 3 Fulmars are scrambled and the raiders turn back without crossing the coast. 
*1620-1650 hrs *Air raid alert for an enemy aircraft flying southwards very slowly over Delimara; raid does not materialise.
*1835-1930 hrs *Air raid alert for an unidentified aircraft approaching the Island; raid does not materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *Departures 2 Sunderlands. *69 Squn* Maryland despatched for photoreconnaissance special mission (Operation Colossus) believed successful. Sunderland patrol for enemy shipping depth of 100 miles north and south Tunisian coast. 
*KALAFRANA *One Sunderland left for Middle East with passengers and freight. One Sunderland left for Gibraltar with passengers.
*LUQA 69 Squadron *One Maryland special mission successfully accomplished.


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## Njaco (Feb 8, 2016)

_*February 9 Sunday*_
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Due to the apparent success of 1./KG 40, sinking 363,000 tonnes of shipping to this date, two additional Staffeln are formed. 2nd _Staffel_ flies its first sortie this morning.

German submarine U-37 attacked Allied convoy HG-53 435 miles west of Gibraltar at 0430 hours, sinking British ships “_Estrellano_” (5 killed, 21 survived) and “_Courland_” (3 killed, 27 survived). U-37 had also reported the sighting to aircraft based in Bordeaux, France. Five Fw 200 ‘Condors’ from the newly formed 2./KG 40 take off from the airfield at Bordeaux, led by Obst. Fritz Fliegel. Contacting the convoy, HG 53, off Lisbon the bombers sink five freighters – the HMS “_Jura”_, “HMS _Dagmar_ I”, HMS “_Varna”_, HMS “_Britannic”_ and HMS “_Tejo”_.

German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” detected Allied convoy HX-106 off Newfoundland at 0830 hours. Because it was escorted by British battleship “_Ramilies_”, the German fleet withdrew at 1000 hours per orders not to engage British capital ships.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The fourteen brand new Bf 109Es of 7 _Staffel_ of JG 26, led by Oblt. Müncheberg arrives at Gela airfield in Sicily from Rome to supplement X Fliegerkorps and immediately assist the Italians on their assault on Malta.

Erwin Rommel was promoted to the rank of Generalleutnant.

British Force H, from Gibraltar (battleships HMS “_Malaya_” and HMS “_Renown_” and cruiser HMS “_Sheffield_”, escorted by aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal”_ and 10 destroyers) bombarded Genoa, Italy at 0815 hours. 273 15-inch shells and 782 6-inch shells were fired. Four merchant ships and a training vessel were sunk, 18 ships were damaged, harbor facilities and nearby industrial areas were damaged, and the cathedral was also hit. 144 Italians were killed, most of whom were civilians. The British lost 1 Swordfish torpedo bomber. Italian fleet (battleships “_Vittorio Veneto_”, “_Cesare_” and “_Doria_”, cruisers “_Trento_”, “_Trieste_” and “_Bolzano_” and 10 destroyers) attempts to intercept the British warships returning to Gibraltar but fails due to lack of air reconnaissance, poor visibility and confusion over a French merchant convoy of 6 ships heading to Corsica.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Battle of Keren: The relief of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade in the Acqua Gap area was completed within two hours and the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade moved into the rest area behind Gazelle Force. The Italian Colonial troops had been withdrawn owing to heavy casualties and desertions. By 9 February some 700 deserters had already come in (mainly from the 11th Colonial Brigade), and on this day several Eritrean deserters surrendered for the first time. But the Italian 105th Battalion had arrived and moved up to the Sanchil-Amba area during the night. A defensive position was being constructed across the plain just west of Keren, covering the rail and road approaches. It was well dug and manned by the 35th and 101st Battalions of the 42nd Colonial Brigade, which had been at Agordat, together with eight pack-guns. The road was heavily mined. The 111th Battalion, the remaining battalion, was further east on Mt. Canabai. The Commander of the 4th Indian Division planned a coordinated divisional operation for the capture of Keren. It was to take place in four phases. The capture of Brig's Peak by The 11th Indian Infantry Brigade, the capture of the Acqua Gap by Gazelle Force with 4/6 Rajputana Rifles and 4 Sikh, the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade was to exploit towards Keren and then all available forces were to be used in pursuit to cut roads leading eastwards from Keren. According to the divisional plan the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade was to launch the attack on Brig's Peak at 1500 hours on 10 February 1941.

Operation Compass. British and Australian troops reach El Agheila, 100 miles along the coast from Beda Fomm but this is as far as they will advance. While General Wavell is supportive of O’Connor’s plans to move on Tripoli, Churchill has already decided to send troops to Greece from North Africa, marking an end of Operation Compass.

*GERMANY:* 13 British aircraft from Scampton, Lincolnshire attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. The air crews reported to have caused damage, but in actuality no hits were scored.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Admiral Darlan became the new Vice Premier of Vichy France in addition to Navy Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.

Nazi collaborators destroyed the pro-Jewish cafe Alcazar Amsterdam. Alcazar had refused to hang "No Entry for Jews" signs in front.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Churchill gave an international radio address that concluded with a direct appeal to the United States:


> "Put your confidence in us. Give us your faith and your blessing, and under Providence all will be well. We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire. Neither the sudden shock of battle nor the long-drawn trials of vigilance and exertion will wear us down. Give us the tools and we will finish the job."


 Churchill warns Bulgaria against joining the Tripartite pact.

Luftwaffe conducts night raids against Plymouth, Birmingham, and Humberside.

*ASIA: *Battle of Southern Honan: Chinese 5th War Area carefully pursues Japanese 11th Army as it withdraws toward bases around Hsinyang.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 9, 2016)

*10 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Harbour Defence Motor Launches HDML 1012 (ML 1012), HDML 1048 (ML 1048), HDML 1051 (ML 1051)

BPB 70' Ex-French type Motor Gun Boat HMS MGB 63 (MGB 63)

Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 183 , Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 184





_Sister ship Ml 187_

*Losses*
*Drifter BOY ALAN (UK 109 grt)* was sunk in a collision in the Thames Estuary

*MV BRANDENBURG (UK 1473 grt) *Sunk by U-37 (Asmus Nicolai Clausen) : Crew: 54 (53 dead and 1 survivor). Cargo: Pyrites and Sulphur Route: Convoy: Lost west of Gibraltar near the Azores; At 0633 hrs, U-37 fired two G7e torpedoes at a large tanker in convoy HG-53 west of Gibraltar but missed and heard later two detonations. Clausen thought that he had hit two other ships in the convoy. In fact, the BRANDENBURG had been hit by both torpedoes and sank immediately. The master, 21 crew members and one gunner were lost. The day before, the ship had picked up 31 survivors from COURLAND and all except one were lost in the second sinking. The Uboat was forced to turn away and lose contact with the convoy when Sloop DEPTFORD made an anti-submarine attack on the submarine.The sole survivor was picked up by DD VELOX and landed at Gibraltar.

*MV CANFORD CHINE (UK 3364 grt) *Sunk by U-52 (Otto Salman) : Crew: 36 (36 dead - no survivors) Cargo: General cargo and Coal Route: Cardiff - Buenos Aires Convoy:OG-52 (Straggler) Lost in the SW Approaches; At 1435 hrs the unescorted CANFORD CHINE, a straggler from convoy OG-52 since 8 February, was hit underneath the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-52 about 165 miles SW of Rockall. The ship broke in two and sank after being hit amidships by a coup de grace at 1535 hours. The Germans later observed a lifeboat under sails at the sinking position, but the survivors were never seen again. The master, 33 crew members and two gunners were lost 





Axis shipping losses in Italian East Africa
During the night of 10/11 February, eight Italian and two German ships escaped from the East African port of Kismayu. However, only two managed to make any real escape, the following ships were captured. According to Italian wiki, were ordered to the Vichy controlled port of Diego Suarez to avoid capture

*Steamer ADRIA (FI 3809 grt); *captured by HMS CERES, 1943 base ship at Bombay and renamed GOMBROON.
(New image source: Adria (piroscafo) | Wikiwand )





*MV SAVOIA (FI 5490 grt);* Steamer SAVOIA was later used by the British as EMPIRE ARUN.

*MV ERMINIA MAZZELLA (FI 5644 grt)*; Steamer ERMINIA MAZZELLA was used as IMPALA and later as AGULHAS.

*Steamer MANON (FI 5594 grt)*; captured on the 13 February. She was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-162 on 7 October 1942 and sank in 15N 80 30E, when on voyage from Calcutta and Visakhapatnam to Colombo with 7100tons of coal. Three crew members were lost, but 76 crew and 3 gunners survived.






*MV LEONARDO DA VINCI (FI 7515 grt)*; Steamer LEONARDO DA VINCI was later used by the British as EMPIRE CLYDE.

*Steamer UCKERMARK (Ger 7021 grt)* scuttled herself on the 12th off Italian Somaliland when intercepted by a/c from CVL EAGLE and CL CERES. ( Image from : COASTERS & OTHER SHIPS REVIVED » UCKERMARK – 1930 – IMO 0000000)






*Steamer PENSILVANIA (FI 6861 grt)* was sunk on the 13th by Aircraft from CVL EAGLE and CA HAWKINS.

*Steamer ASKARI (Ger 590 grt)* was sunk on the 13th by Swordfish from CVL EAGLE air.

Of the ten ships from Kismaya, only Italian steamers DUCA DEGLI ABRUZZI (2315grt) and SOMALIA (2699grt) escaped and arrived at Diego Suarez.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-106 

Departures
Kiel:: U-69 

At Sea 10 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-123. 
12 boats at sea

 U-93 was forced to bring forward her return to Lorient for repairs after being damaged by an RAF Whitley bomber (RAF 502 Sqn, pilot J. A. Walker) bombing and strafing the boat whilst on the surface. The action accelerated her return to base at Lorient and required three months of dockyard attention to repair. .

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Steamer BENMACDHUI was damaged by the LW in 52-42N, 2-00E.The steamer arrived at Tees on the 12th under her own power

*SW Approaches*
SL.65 departed Freetown escorted by armed merchant cruiser BULOLO to 2 March, sloop MILFORD to 13 February, corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA to 13 February. Convoy SLS.65 also departed Freetown on the 10th. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy SL.65 on the 13th. 

CL KENYA joined on the 13th to protect convoys SL.65 and SLS.65. The CL was relieved on the 20th by CL SHEFFIELD, which departed Gibraltar on the 18th, to 1 March. CL KENYA arrived at Gibraltar on the 22nd. On 2 March, CLA DIDO joined and continued to 7 March. 

DDs BRIGHTON, BROADWAY, CALDWELL, ROCKINGHAM, VANOC,VOLUNTEER, WALKER, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes DIANELLA and TULIP, ASW yacht PHILANTE, catapult ship PEGASUS joined the escort on 4 March. DDs MANSFIELD and WOOLSTON joined on 5 March. Cruiser DIDO, DDs MANSFIELD and WOOLSTON, ASW yacht PHILANTE were detached on 7 March, and the convoy arrived on 8 March.

*Med- Biscay*
DD DIAMOND at Tobruk reported her stern glands were leaking seriously on the 10th. DD HEREWARD was sent immediately from Alexandria to relieve her. DIAMOND departed Tobruk on the 12th escorting tug ST ISSEY and damaged steamers CRISTA and RODI for Alexandria.These ships arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

Submarine REGENT departed Alexandria to relieve submarine TRUANT on patrol off Tripoli. Submarine TRUANT proceeded to Malta, arriving on the 13th. Submarine ROVER unsuccessfully attacked an Italian submarine off Calabria

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.15 departed Suez, escorted by sloops CLIVE and HINDUSTAN. The convoy was dispersed on the 16th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 11 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine; good visibility.
Enemy aircraft carried out continual reconnaissances during daylight hours all round Malta, particularly the south, approaching at times sufficiently close to trigger the air raid alert.
*0745-0815 hrs *Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
*1840-1920 hrs* Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft which approaches the Island and drops bombs on Hal Far and Kalafrana.
OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 10 FEBRUARY 1941
*AIR HQ* Eight Whitley aircraft left on a special operation.
*LUQA *Eight Whitleys left for Operation Colossus; one failed to return, force landed south east of Naples.


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## Njaco (Feb 9, 2016)

*February 10 Monday*

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Hitler signs the orders for ‘SONNEBLUME’ (Operation Sunflower). The German forces in Italy and Sicily are ordered to move to Tripoli to execute Hitler’s Directive 22, an effort to assist the Italian forces in North Africa. The first German convoy, carrying German troops and with one Italian destroyer and three torpedo boats in escort, departed Palermo, Sicily, Italy for Tripoli, Libya.

Operation Colossus was the codename given to the first airborne operation undertaken by the British military. The target chosen for the operation was a fresh-water aqueduct near Calitri in southern Italy, which supplied water to a large portion of the Italian population as well as several ports used by the Italian military. The plan for the operation called for six Whitleys of No. 51 Squadron RAF to transport 38 paratroopers of British No. 11 Special Air Service Battalion (X Troop) from Malta to the target area on 10 February, while another two bombers would carry out a diversionary raid against railway yards at Foggia, approximately 60 miles (97 km) to the north of the aqueduct. At 2130 hours the troop would be dropped around the objective, attack and demolish it, and then withdraw 50 miles (80 km) to the coast to the mouth of the Sele River, where the submarine HMS “_Triumph_” would pick them up on the night of 15 February. The airborne troops were delivered by the bombers to the target but equipment failures and navigational errors meant that a significant portion of the troops explosives, and a team of Royal Engineer sappers, landed in the wrong area. Despite this setback the remaining members of the troop successfully destroyed the aqueduct and withdrew from the area, but the aqueduct was rapidly repaired before local water reserves ran out. The three groups moved as fast as possible towards the coast, but were all captured within a few hours of the aqueduct being demolished. Even if any of the groups had managed to make their way to the coast and the rendezvous point, they would not have been picked up by HMS “_Triumph_”. One of the two Whitleys conducting the diversionary raid at Foggia suffered engine trouble after bombing the railway yards. The pilot radioed Malta, informing his airfield that he was ditching in the mouth of the River Sele, coincidentally the area where the rendezvous was to occur. Fearing that the message had been monitored by the Italians and that the submarine might sail into a trap, the decision was made by senior officers not to send it to the rendezvous point.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Battle of Keren: Battle resumes in the Dongolaas Gorge near Keren, Eritrea. 1st Punjab Regiment of Indian 3rd Battalion captured Brig's Peak near Keren, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. The Punjabis captured the ridge from Brig's Peak to Hog's Back by 1615 hours in spite of strong opposition and heavy shelling by the Italian pack artillery. At 1715 hours, the Italians launched a counterattack on the right feature of Brig's Peak. D Company offered resistance but ran out of ammunition and was forced to retire to the centre of Brig's Peak. Some of the Colonial troops who pursued D Company were scattered by mortar fire. At the close of the day the situation was that, with the exception of the right feature of Brig's Peak, the Punjabis had been able to consolidate their position on the ridge from the centre of Brig's Peak to Hog's Back.

To the south, British General Cunningham launched Operation Canvas against Italian positions on the Juba River in Italian Somaliland.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Stirling aircraft made its operational debut as bombers of No. 7 Squadron RAF bombed oil storage facilities at Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by six Blenheim bombers to Dunkirk heavily escorted by fighters. RAF Roadstead operation: Daylight raid by six Blenheim bombers with fighter escort against shipping off Calais. Werner Mölders claimed his 56th victory.

The Luftwaffe bombed British-held Iceland.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 attacked Allied convoy HG-53 600 miles west of Gibraltar at 0633 hours, sinking British ship “_Brandenburg_”, killing entire crew of 23 plus 26 of the 27 passengers on board. The passengers were survivors of the ship “_Courland_”, which had just been sunken by U-37 on the previous day.

German submarine U-52 sank British ship “_Cranford Chine_” 200 miles west of Ireland at 1435 hours, killing the entire crew of 35.

*GERMANY:* Over 222 British aircraft bomb Hanover, Germany, doing great damage. Seven bombers are shot down. This is the largest aerial raid against a single target so far.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Churchill orders General Wavell to prioritise helping Greece over continued operations in North Africa. In addition to honouring British commitments to Greece, Churchill hopes to sway American opinion and establish a Balkan coalition against Hitler.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Britain severed diplomatic relations with Romania due to the presence of 500,000 German troops in the country.

Romania’s indigenous fighter, the IAR 80, saw service for the first time in defense of its homeland and against the Soviets.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Merwin K. Hart told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Lend-Lease bill would probably lead the country into the war and eventually result in the establishment of a fascist or communist dictatorship in the United States.

*ASIA:* Battle of Southern Honan ends as Japanese 11th Army returns to bases around Hsinyang.

Four Japanese cruisers visit Bangkok.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* Royal Navy forms Force T to support operations along the coast of Italian Somaliland. Eight Italian and two German vessels sail from Kismayu in attempt to avoid advancing enemy ground forces and reach Madagascar. Italian vessel “_Leonardo da Vinci_” and Italian vessel “_Adria_” were captured by RN warships en route to Madagascar from Kismayu.

.


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## Njaco (Feb 10, 2016)

*February 11 Tuesday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Snapper_”, en route from the River Clyde in Scotland to the Bay of Biscay off France. The crew of 41 was never seen again. She probably ran into a minefield or was sunk by German minesweepers M-2, M-13, and M-25.

German cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” sank British ship “_Iceland_” of Allied convoy HX53 800 miles west of Gibraltar; the entire crew of 23 survived and were picked up by “_Admiral Hipper_”. “_Admiral Hipper”_ would soon detect the rest of the convoy on radar at the distance of 15 kilometers.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Battle of Keren: At 0530 hours, B Company 3/1 Punjab reinforced by a platoon launched a counter-attack and recaptured the right feature of Brig's Peak without much opposition. Two officers and twenty other ranks (including Bersaglieri) were captured. Indian 3rd Battalion captured Sanchil hill in the Dongolaas Gorge near Keren, Eritrea, but the Italian Savoia Grenadiers counterattack and recaptured the hill as well as Brig's Peak by the end of the day. To the South, British troops from Kenya captured the road junction at Afmadow at the north end of the Juba River after South African air attacks drove off Italian forces. South and east of the road, Gazelle Force had planned an attack for the capture of Acqua Gap. At 2200 hours, the Commander of the 4th Indian Division informed Gazelle Force and the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade of the partial success of the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade's attack on Brig's Peak and of the further attacks being planned to complete its capture. He added that, until the situation north of the road was cleared up, 2 Mahratta could not be released for operations in the Acqua Gap area. In view of this the attack on Acqua Gap was postponed to 12 February. At 1230 hours a conference was held at Headquarters 4th Indian Division where the Commander of the 5th Indian Division and Brigadier General Staff Headquarters and the Troops Sudan were also present. The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade made slight alterations in Gazelle Force plans for the capture of Acqua Gap. 4/6 Rajputana Rifles was still to open the attack from Rajputana Ridge at 0530 hours and capture Pt. 1565, but 4 Sikh was now to be concentrated at the foot of Rajputana Ridge by 0645 hours and to attack Acqua Gap and the lower slopes of Mount Zemale. The attack by 4 Sikh was to be launched irrespective of the success or failure of 4/6 Rajputana Rifles. During the night the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade was counter-attacked on Brig's Peak and forced to withdraw to its original line. The Commander of the 4th Indian Division informed the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade of the situation and ordered the attack on Acqua Gap to proceed according to plan.

The first German troops arrived at Tripoli, Libya.

*WESTERN FRONT: *British monitor HMS “_Erebus_” bombarded Ostend, Belgium between 0100 and 0140 hours.

Jews fought Germans and Dutch fascists in Amsterdam's Waterlooplein.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 79 aircraft to attack Bremen and 29 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Wendell Willkie, having returned from England, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and urged that the United States provide Britain with five to ten destroyers a month.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Fearing imminent invasion, Netherlands East Indies officials alert armed forces for increased readiness, order Dutch shipping to safe waters, and close ports to Japanese vessels.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 11, 2016)

*11 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-68




_U-68 attacks, with torpedoes and gunfire, sinking ss BALUCHISTAN on 8th March 1942_
32 ships sunk, total tonnage 197,453 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 545 GRT
Sunk on 10 April 1944 in the North Atlantic north-west of Madeira, Portugal, in position 33.24N, 18.59W, by depth charges and rockets from two Avenger and a Wildcat aircraft (VC-58 USN/T-22, T-24 & F-4) of the US escort carrier USS Guadalcanal. 56 dead and 1 survivor

Allied
BPB 70' Ex-French Type Motor Gun Boat HMS MGB 64 

Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 187 (ML 187)
(See photo for 10 Feb)

CL JACOB VAN HEEMSKERK 






*Losses*
*Sub SNAPPER (RN 670 grt) *was sunk by DKM MSWs M.2, M.13 and M.25 SW of Ushant after SNAPPER fired torpedoes at them. All hands were lost
(This is photograph from the collections of the Imperial War Museum)







*Steamer ICELAND (UK 1236 grt)*, a straggler from HG.53, was sunk by DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER in 37-03N, 19-50W.The crew was taken prisoner.

*Trawler JOHN DUNKIN (UK 202 grt) *was sunk by the LW 13 miles NE of Buckie. One crewman was lost.

*Trawler EAMONT (UK 227 grt) *was badly damaged by the LW in 58-15N, 3-26W.The crew of ten were all rescued, however, after the The trawler dragged ashore in bad weather on the 12th she broke in two and was lost.

*South African manned Naval whaler SOUTHERN FLOE (RN 344 grt) *was sunk on a mine off Tobruk. All but one crew member were lost, this man being rescued by RAN DD VOYAGER, 

*UBOATS*
At Sea 11 February 1941
U-37, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-123. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Monitor EREBUS, escort DDs QUORN, EGLINTON and one other, bombarded Ostend between 0100 and 0140 in Operation PX.

*West Coast*
OB.285 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ARROW, ORP BLYSKAWICA, FNFL MISTRAL and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO. BLYSKAWICA was detached on 13 January. Most of the other escorts were detached prior to dispersal on the 17th when only MISTRAL was still with the convoy.

ML PLOVER laid minefield ZME.16 in the Irish Sea. This series continued in February with the ML laying ZME.17 on the 15th, ZME.18 on the 18th, ZME.19 on the 21st, ZME.20 on the 24th. This series also continued in March and April. 

British steamer CANTICK HEAD was damaged by the LW 30 miles NW of Kinnaird Head.

*Western Approaches*
British steamer JAMAICA PRODUCER was chased by a U-Boat German in the Western Approaches. DD JACKAL was sent to assist her. No damage was done to the steamer. DD BURNHAM was also sent to search for the U Boat. BURNHAM was unable to locate the UBoat. She left the area to reinforce the escort of HX.106, whilst JACKAL after an unsuccessful search proceeded to Skaalefjord.

*Med/Biscay*
Force H returned to Gibraltar after RESULT. Italian Admiral Iachino, which had been at sea with considerable forces, was misled by aerial reports which mistook French convoys for Force H. Force H had escaped undamaged. 

DDs ILEX and HERO departed Alexandria for exercises. DD HEREWARD was sent from Tobruk to Alexandria to collect the advance clearance party for Operation SHELFORD, the clearance of Benghazi harbour. The DD arrived at Alexandria, collected the personnel and the stores from armed boarding vessel FIONA and had departed before dawn. DD DECOY left Tobruk with MSW trawlers ARTHUR CAVANAGH and MILFORD COUNTESS for Benghazi. 

Submarine TRIUMPH departed Malta on a special operation. However the operation was cancelled on the 13th and the submarine was recalled.

Submarine TRUANT made two unsuccessful attacks against Italian steamer BAINSIZZA. The steamer had departed Tripoli on the 11th for Palermo and Naples with SABAUDIA, MOTIA, UTILITAS, escorted by escort ship DEFFENU and TB MISSORI. After the attacks, the convoy returned to Tripoli until just before midnight night. The remainder of the convoy's passage was uneventful.

RN Sub UNIQUE unsuccessfully attacked German steamer ANKARA arriving in convoy (see entry 8 February) off Tripoli.

Vichy French DD Le’ TERRIBLE departed Toulon and arrived at Oran on the 12th. She departed on the 14th and arrived at Casablanca on the 15th. The DD went on and joined Force Y at Dakar, arriving on the 25th, replacing DD AUDACIEUX which was damaged on 23 September during MENACE.

*Pacific/Australia*
DD THRACIAN and ML MAN YEUNG laid more mines in the approaches to Hong Kong.

*Malta *
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 12 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine; clear and warm.
*1610-1700 hrs* Air raid alert for four enemy bombers which approach from the south west and cross the Island. Before the air raid warning is heard in the area, two JU 88s and one JU 87 swoop down on St Paul’s Bay and machine-gun the Sunderland mooring sub-station causing minor damage; no Sunderlands are at the mooring. One petrol lighter in the Bay is slightly damaged but serviceable. 
Six Hurricanes are airborne and engage. Light automatic machine guns on the ground open fire and succeed in silencing the rear gunner of one JU 88 as well as damaging the aircraft. An aircraft is seen in flames over the sea; two crew bale out. The bomb rack falls off one of the enemy aircraft and the rack and bombs are hit by an Ack Ack shell. Pieces of the rack are later gathered up in the Pembroke area. 
*2012-2029 hrs* Air raid alert for three approaching enemy aircraft. One Hurricane is scrambled. Bombs are dropped in the sea off Della Grazia and the raiders retreat.
*2055-2155 hrs* Air raid alert for approaching enemy aircraft which do not cross over the Island. Explosions are heard to the north east of Gozo
*2300-2315 hrs* Air raid alert triggered by returning friendly aircraft.
*2352-0006 hrs* Air raid alert; no raid materialises.
OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 1941
*AIR HQ *Arrivals 5 Wellingtons; 7 Whitleys. Operations from Malta by Wellington bombers and Swordfish overnight. Wellingtons attacked aerodromes in Comiso and Catania; five tons of bombs dropped starting fires and destroying aircraft.
*LUQA *Five Wellingtons arrived from UK.
*

*


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## parsifal (Feb 11, 2016)

*12 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-651
(Source : 
U-boat Archive - U-651 - Interrogation Report . This is an interesting read)






2 ships sunk, total tonnage 11,639 GRT
Sunk on 29 June 1941 in the North Atlantic sth of Iceland, , by DCs from DD MALCOLM, with assistance from DD SCIMITAR, Corvettes ARABIS and VIOLET and MSW SPEEDWELL 45 survivors (no casualties).

The after action interrogation of the crew includes the following general comments: "The six officers and thirty-nine Petty Officers and men of "U 651" formed one of the most fanatically Nazi and truculent crews interrogated for many months. Some of the more than usually unpleasant characteristics were thought to have been due partly to the teaching and example of the Captain, and partly to the extent to which Nazi propaganda had been applied and the hold which it had obtained upon the imagination of these men.

It was established that this crew had received a weekly lecture on security and on the line of conduct to be followed in the event of capture. It appears that at the time they were imbued with a highly exaggerated idea of their personal dignity and importance as Germans in general, and as members of the armed forces in particular. They had all been lectured on details of the International Convention of July, 1929, relative to the treatment of Prisoners of War. Thus they had become a set of "sea-lawyers," and attempted to argue on every possible pretext; they had a lively sense of privilege, and not the slightest sense of obligation.

The Captain, Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant-Commander) Peter Lohmeyer, aged 30 years, was born in Zanzibar. At the age of sixteen he went straight from school to the Merchant Service, joining as a seaman, where he served for seven years. He then joined the Navy and was absolved from some preliminary training on account of his experiences in the Merchant Service. 

He served in the Naval Air Arm during the Spanish was and transferred to U-Boats after the outbreak of the present war. He was at times a somewhat troublesome prisoner, and extremely security-conscious; his aggressive manner changed to apologetic concern when he was given to understand that his behaviour, though entertaining, would result in the loss of various amenities and in the application of a stricter discipline to his whole crew. Like all his officers and men he was a fervent Nazi, almost unable to listen to any other point of view, and utterly incapable of reasoned argument".

Allied
N Class DD HMAS NESTOR G 02) 
_(Photo Source: HMAS Nestor | Royal Australian Navy )






_
_HMAS NESTOR was bombed on 15 June 1942 by Italian a/c in the eastern Med about 95 nautical miles NNE of Tobruk. The ship was straddled by heavy bombs which caused heavy damage to her boiler rooms. Taken in tow by the RN DD HMS JAVELIN at 0530 hrs the next morning the DD began to settle by the bow. Permission was granted to scuttle the ship later that morning. The crew was taken off by the JAVELIN and at 0700 hrs HMAS NESTOR was scuttled by DCs using their timer switches_.

Flower Class Corvette HMS AMARANTHUS (K 17)
_ 
(Source: 50)CORVETTE AMARANTHUS K 17 - ROYAL NAVY SHIPS (133 Pages / 150 Images) - THE ROYAL NAVY IN SOUTH ATLANTIC - Articles - Sixtant - War II in the South Atlantic )





_
Bangor Class MSW HMS BUDA (J 116)
_ 
(Source: http://www.naval-history.net/Photo22MSBude1NPMarkTeadham.JPG )




_

Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 163
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
*FV CALEDONIAN (UK 8 grt)* was lost on a mine.

Submarine TIGRIS sank *FV RENE *CAMALEYRE* (Vichy 243 grt)* in 43-30N, 1-42E in the Bay of Biscay.

*Steamers INTEGRITAS (FI 5952 grt)*, *Steamer MARGHERA (FI 4531 grt)*, *Steamer CARSO (FI 6275 grt) *were scuttled at Kismaya. Steamer CARSO was salved as EMPIRE TANA.

Convoy SLS 64 and 
Just before midnight, following the sinking of the ICELAND (See 11 Feb) HIPPER's radar located another couple of targets and as the night wore on - several more. She circled the convoy at night and established it was a slow one - 7 knots on average with a base course due nth . This was not the convoy HIPPER was looking for (she was searching for HG53) but another, SLS64 from Freetown. As dawn broke on Feb. 12th Kpt. Meisel couldn't believe his luck. SLS64 wasn't only larger (19 ships) than he thought - it was completely without escort. . HIPPER, approaching from the west began the slaughter at 0615 hrs with her heavy armament followed by torpedoes and 10.5cm guns as well. The convoy Commodore immediately ordered 'scattering' but meanwhile HIPPER cut a swathe of destruction through the defenceless merchant ships. By 0700 hrs HIPPER had fired all her tube-loaded torpedoes, about 2/3rds of her 8" head-fuzed HE shells and, since the convoy had by then completely scattered and the weather and visibility deteriorated with rain squalls HIPPER broke off action at 0740. The Germans thought they had sunk thirteen ships of about 75 000 tons, but the actual tally was seven ships (and 32500 tons). Shorty after this action Kpt. Meisel signalled OKM his 'intention to return to Brest'. This, understandably, raised some eyebrows - and the quick reply read; 'assume pressing reasons for return. Otherwise fuel and re-ammunitionn from BREME ( a supply-tanker) and remain at sea...' 

Meisel decided to break off and return anyway. OKMs directions in this case appear justified, - HIPPER was as sea, supply ships were available and for the first time there were no major problems with her machinery. Despite these positive factors, Kpt. Meisel stuck to his plan and HIPPER docked at Brest on the 14th of Feb. In this battle DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER managed to sink the following
 
*Steamer WARLABY (UK 4876 grt) *in 37-12N, 21-20W. Three crew were rescued from the steamer WARLABY.





Steamer WESTBURY (UK 4712 grt) in 37-10N, 21-20W, Five crew from steamer WESTBURY were lost.





*Steamer OSWESTRY GRANGE (UK 4684 grt)* in 37-10N, 21-20W, Five crew were lost on steamer OSWESTRY GRANGE. Thirty seven survivors landed at Madiera by British steamer LORNASTON (4934grt).





*Steamer SHREWSBURY (UK 4542 grt)* in 36-46N, 20-12W, Twenty crew were lost from this steamer..

*Steamer DERRYNANE (UK 4896 grt)* in 37-12N, 21-20W. All the crew from steamer DERRYNANE were lost.





*Steamer BORGESTAD (Nor 3924 grt)* in 37-10N, 21-20W, All the crew from steamer BORGESTAD were lost.




_BORGESTAD under attack (received from Erling Skjold, Norway)._

*Steamer PERSEUS (Gk 5172 grt)* in 37-10N, 21-20W. Fourteen crew were lost on the Greek steamer.






British steamer LORNASTON was damaged by the heavy cruiser in 37-12N, 21-20W, but managed to escape. 
Ocean boarding vessels CAMITO, CORNINTHIAN, CAVINO, MARON were sent to search for survivors from this convoy. Ocean boarding vessel CAMITO rescued some of the survivors from the British ships. CL SHEFFIELD was sent to escort the surviving ships of the convoy. She arrived back at Gibraltar on the 17th. 

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel, Germany: U-46

At Sea 12 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-123. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at Dawn to meet convoy EN.70 and provide AA support from daylight until the convoy arrived in Pentland Firth. The ship arrived back at Scapa Flow just after midday 

*Med/Biscay*
For Operation SHELFORD, CLs ORION and AJAX departed Alexandria to rendezvous in the Aegean in 34-00N, 21-00E with CA YORK, CLA BONAVENTURE, DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JANUS, MOHAWK which departed Suda Bay that afternoon to join the forces from Alexandria. 

Gunboat APHIS entered Benghazi Harbour at daylight on the 12th. Armed Boarding Vessel CHAKLA with RAN DDs STUART, VOYAGER, VAMPIRE, RN MSW FAREHAM, corvettes PEONY and HYACINTH (fited out for minesweeping) departed Tobruk at 0730 to arrive at Benghazi early on the 13th. British troopship ULSTER PRINCE arrived at Alexandria with prisoners from Tobruk. 

British steamer CINGALESE PRINCE (8474grt) departed Haifa for Tobruk, unescorted. The steamer was carrying a number of lighters and other important cargo. DD DAINTY was sent from Alexandria to escort the steamer. CL GLASGOW departed Alexandria for Port Said and Suez. She had received partial repairs only for her December 1940 torpedo damage. The cruiser was being detached for convoy work only. British gunboat CRICKET arrived at Port Said to join the Mediterranean Fleet. However, due to her poor condition, she remained at Port Said and was placed in care and maintenance status on the 18th. 

Submarine UTMOST damaged Italian steaamer MANFREDO CAMPIERO (former MAULY, off Tripoli in 35-41N, 23-01E.

The 2nd Afrika Korps convoy departed Naples with steamers ADANA, AEGINA, KYBFELS, RUHR escorted by DD CAMICIA NERA and TB PROCIONE, and arrived at Tripoli on the 14th.
 

Vichy subs IRIS, VENUS, PALLAS, CERES departed Toulon on the 6th and arrived at Oran on the 9th. They departed Oran on the 11th, escorted by armed trawler LA HAVRAISE and passed Gibraltar on the 12th. They arrived at Casablanca on the 13th. 
*
Central Atlantic*
Force H with BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, DDs WISHART, JERSEY, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, FURY departed Gibraltar to cover convoy HG.53. That evening, Force H was ordered to cover convoy WS.6, relieving BB RODNEY. RENOWN and ARK ROYAL covered convoy WS.6 from 17 to 21 February. SHEFFIELD was detached on the 13th. The DDs returned to Gibraltar on the 16th. 
 
BB MALAYA, escort DDs FIREDRAKE, FOXHOUND, JERSEY, was detached from Force H to escort convoy HG.53. MALAYA and her DDs returned to Gibraltar on the 15th. The convoy was joined by DDs LEAMINGTON and SABRE and corvette ANEMONE from convoy OG.53 and sloop LONDONDERRY. Force H was involved in escorting convoy WS.6 A for a time and was relieved on the 19th by BB MALAYA, which departed Gibraltar on the 17th. 
Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol. 

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ Manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington with convoy ZT 2. The convoy safely arrived at Sydney on the 18th. LEANDER relieved CL DAUNTLESS of the escort of a troopship 300 miles east of Ceylon.

*Malta *
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 13 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine and clear.
*0813-0830 hrs* Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
*1530-1610 hrs* Air raid alert for three JU 88 bombers escorted by twelve fighters which approach Malta. Some of the fighters are identified as LW Me109s – the first which have been seen over the Island. Six Hurricanes are scrambled and there are several engagements, including a dog fight over Hal Far and another north of the Island. Two Hurricanes are missing after the raid; one pilot is rescued from the sea off Fort St Elmo, slightly wounded. A third Hurricane makes a forced landing at Luqa; the pilot is slightly wounded and the aircraft damaged but repairable. No bombs are dropped on the Island.
*1909-2000 hrs *Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which approach the Island and drop bombs near the control tower of Luqa aerodrome. Malta fighters are scrambled; searchlights do not illuminate the aircraft and there are no interceptions.
*Military casualties *Flight Lieutenant Gerald Watson, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 1941
*AIR HQ* Sunderland patrol western Ionian Sea. 0815-1327 Maryland photoreconnaissance of the results of Operation Colossus: excellent photographs show the bridge intact.
*KALAFRANA *Marine Craft Section pinnace rescued a Hurricane pilot from St Paul’s Bay.
*LUQA *One Maryland photoreconnaissance for results of Operation Colossus. *148 Squadron* Four Wellingtons bombing raid on Catania and Comiso aerodromes.
*
*


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## Njaco (Feb 11, 2016)

*February 12 Wednesday*

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The newly arrived fighters of the Luftwaffe tangle with the RAF for the first time in the Mediterranean. Three Ju 88 bombers are intercepted by a flight of four Hurricanes from RAF No. 261 Squadron. As the German bombers lead the Hurricanes out over the sea, the British fighters are bounced by Bf 109s from 7./JG 26. Three Hurricanes are destroyed including that of the flight leader, a former Wellington bomber pilot. One of the Hurricanes is shot down by Oblt. Müncheberg, his first in the Mediterranean.

The second German convoy, consisted of ships “_Adana_”, “_Aegina_”, “_Kybfels_”, and “_Ruhr_” with German troops on board, departed Naples, Italy for North Africa. Italian destroyer “_Camicia Nera_” and torpedo boat “_Procione_” escorted the transports.

Former King of Spain Alfonso XIII, living in exile in Rome, renounced the throne in favour of his third son Juan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” attacked Allied convoy HX53 800 miles west of Gibraltar at 0618 hours, sinking 7 ships (British ships “_Arlaby_”, “_Westbury_”, “_Oswestry Grange_”, “_Shrewsbury_”, and “_Derrynane_”; Norwegian ship “_Borgestad_”; and Greek ship “_Perseus_”). At 0740 hours, “_Admiral Hipper_” broke off the attack as rain helped the remaining Allied transports escape. “_Admiral Hipper_” had nearly expended all of her 203-mm shells in this attack.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Lieutenant-General Erwin Rommel arrived in Tripoli, Libya, to take command of the Afrika Korps. Rommel received assistance from Fliegerkorps X and long range aircraft from Sicily. General Gariboldi was named the new Italian Army Commander in North Africa.

Battle of Beda Fomm: Again, the Italians make further breakout attempts, which all fail. Later in the day the Italians surrender 20,000 men, 200 guns and 120 tanks to just 3,000 British troops. Anthony Eden makes a speech parodying Winston Churchill’s famous 'Battle of Britain' speech. He says "Never has so much been surrendered, by so many, to so few". Churchill orders that the bulk of Allied forces in North Africa must be transferred to Greece. Churchill congratulates Wavell for his success, and orders him to prepare to help the Greeks.

German planes attack Benghazi, the first action by the Luftwaffe in Africa.

.


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## Njaco (Feb 11, 2016)

*February 12 Wednesday continued
NORTH AFRICA: *The Battle of Keren: At 0530 hours the artillery bombardment began on Rajputana Ridge, and the forward companies crossed the start line followed by the Advanced Battalion Headquarters and the reserve platoon. The artillery barrage was greeted by a hail of machine-gun bullets and mortar bombs all along the front. The battalion fought gallantly, pushing home the attack with great determination, but it suffered heavy casualties and was only partially successful. On the right, A Company secured about two-thirds of its objective and beat off several counter-attacks. At 0730 hours B/C Companies asked for artillery support for a final assault on Sangar. Not much progress was however made and at 0815 hours B/C Companies reported that they were being heavily bombed. Naik Maula Baksh played a notable part in this attack. He was in command of a section. He advanced with a light machine-gun and took two Italian posts in the enfilade. He then attacked a third post and when the _Colonial_ troops retired to dead ground he stood up and continued to fire on them until he was killed. Captain Richhpal Ram led an Indian attack despite having his right foot blown off. Even when he was fatally wounded he still encouraged his men on to victory. Captain Ram would be posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Meanwhile D Company had also encountered stiff opposition. It came under heavy machine-gun and mortar fire from the exposed left flank as soon as its men crossed the start line. They pushed on with determination despite heavy casualties. At 0845 hours, the Commanding Officer 4/6 Rajputana Rifles asked for a fresh battalion or at least a company to push home the attack. This could not be provided. It was, however, arranged for all the artillery to fire concentrations on 4/6 Rajputana Rifles' objectives from 0920 to 0930 hours. The reserve platoon reinforced D Company for an attack at 0930 hours and B/C Companies were also ordered to attack at the same time. Only a few rounds fell on the target. The attack failed. The Italians were seen massing for counter-attack behind Pt. 1565. But no more than some mortar fire could be put down upon them. The attack was made by C Company on the right and A Company on the left. Strong resistance was met in hand-to-hand fighting. The Italians had emplacements, trenches and wire on the crest and machine guns in defiladed positions. The advance was conducted with great determination and part of C Company managed to reach the crest, but was soon driven back by hand grenade, machine-gun and mortar fire. A Company got to within fifty yards of the objective but could not advance any further. At 1000 hours the battalion was forced to withdraw some distance. Brigade Headquarters suggested another attack with all available artillery support with 1400 hours as the starting time to enable all its men to be collected and organized. But in view of the current attacks having not been successful so far, the Commander of the 4th Indian Division decided, at 1120 hours, to cancel the operation. The casualties suffered by 4/11 Sikh were 9 killed, 84 wounded and 9 missing. The casualties of 4/6 Rajputana Rifles were 37 killed, 176 wounded and 4 missing.

One British company with two sections - carrier platoon 1st Royal Sussex and one platoon Brigade Anti-Tank Company - were despatched to Nacfa. This force was lorried and later called Cubcol. As reports indicated that Nacfa was unoccupied, the force was redirected to Cam Ceua. Meadowforce was ordered up the Nacfa road, on camels.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden and General Sir John Dill, Chief of the Imperial General Staff leave London for a tour of the Balkan capitals in order to try and establish an anti-axis pact. However, Yugoslavia refuses to see them and Turkey refuses their proposals. Only Greece shows any interest.

Reserve Constable Albert Alexander, a patient at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, becomes the first person treated with penicillin intravenously, by Howard Florey's team. He reacts positively but there is insufficient supply of the drug to reverse his terminal infection. A successful treatment is achieved during May.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Mussolini met Franco for a two-day conference at Bordighera in another attempt to persuade Spain to join the Axis and enter the war. Franco once again insisted that his country was simply not in a position to do so.

Germans closed off the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam with barbed wire.

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## parsifal (Feb 12, 2016)

*13 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
M-35 Class MSW M-27 
(Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101II-MW-5896-33 / Moes, Eberhard / CC-BY-SA 3.0 )







 
Type VIIC U-557






_U-557_ commissioned in February 1941, and was assigned to Uboat Flo1 , then based at Kiel l. She spent the next four months at Konigsberg, working up in the Baltic. During this period she suffered a diving accident, during which one crewman died.[3] Werner describes this incident graphically in his book: He tells us that a routine dive in the Baltic turned into an emergency when the boat sank out of control. She hit the bottom stern-first with a thump. The depth gauge read 142 m (466 ft); the submarine was in severe difficulty, having taken on tons of water, poisonous chlorine gas was leaking from the batteries and there was the danger of an explosion. _U-557_ had also suffered her first death; a mechanic sustained fatal head injuries in the after torpedo room. A human chain of sailors was formed, passing buckets of sea water to each other, in an attempt to shift some of the weight from the stern to the bow. After many hour's toil, the boat pivoted so that the bow hit the bottom. But the sheer weight of water (about 40 tons) prevented _U-557_ from reaching the surface. The boat, having exhausted its supply of compressed air, stayed on the sea bed. The crew, under the direction of the Chief Engineer, rocked the boat by moving rapidly from stern to bow and back again. The submarine eventually worked herself free. After 20 hours, _U-557_ surfaced and sailed on to Kiel

During her operational career she sank 
6 ships sunk, total tonnage 31,729 GRT and 1 warship sunk, total tonnage 5,220 tons

U-557 sank on 16 December 1941 in the Mediterranean Sea west of Crete after erroneous ramming by the RM TB ORIONE . 43 dead (all hands lost).

Lurrssen S Boat S-39 
(Source: Die Schnellboot-Seite - Grundseite - UK )




 
Caption for this image reads "_"S 39" of 6. SFltl with "B" as Insignia without Flotilla Coat of Arms - Picture: Archives Enno Brandi"_
 
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ALISMA (K 185)
(Source: HMS Alisma in Flower Class Corvette Images Forum )






Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 143 (ML 143)
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
U.96 sank *M**otor tanker CLEA (UK 8074 grt)*, which was straggling behind convoy HX.106, in the Western Approaches. Whilst  on route from CURACAO & BERMUDA 28th january 1941 for LOCH EWE and SCAPA FLOW carrying a cargo of fuel oil she was torpedoed by German submarine U-96 and sunk. All the crew of 59 were lost.






U.103 damaged *Motor tanker ARTHUR F CORWIN (UK 10516 grt)*, straggling behind convoy HX.106. U.96 sank this tanker three hours later, with all hands lost. DDs ELECTRA, ECLIPSE, BRILLIANT en route to refuel at Skaalefjord made a sweep through this area on the 14th. The vessel was torpedoed and sunk on 13 February 1941, 700 miles west of Liverpool. A number of vessels had become separated from the the convoy after a heavy gale on the 11 February. On 13 February, they were trying to make a pre-arranged rendezvous when an explosion from the direction of CORWIN occurred. The vessel, fully loaded with high octane fuel burst into flames from stem to stern. Following Admiralty instructions for vessels in the Western Approaches and Home Waters, there was no attempt made by other vessels to rescue the stricken ship, Distress signals were sent behalf of CORWIN and all vessels altered course to put her astern using all available speed to leave the area. 30 mins later CORWIN broke in two, with both sections fiercely burning independently. Those aboard surrounding merchant ships watched helplessly as the two columns of smoke rising until they were about 20 miles away.Later, escort vessels reached the spot where CORWIN went down but no survivors were found. There had been 46 men aboard.
.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiely: U-552

At Sea 13 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-123. 
13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
CLA CAIRO departed Scapa Flow for Greenock on completion of work up. CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to provide cover for convoy WN.83. Later that evening, the ship transferred to convoy EN.71. In Pentland Firth on the 14th, CURACOA left convoy EN.71. While transferring to convoy WN.84, damage was caused by heavy seas and she returned to Scapa Flow, arriving thatr afternoon. CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow after duty in the Sth Atlantic.

*West Coast*
Convoy OB.286 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyer WOLVERINE, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes ARBUTUS, CAMELLIA, ERICA. DD HARVESTER joined on the 15th. The convoy was dispersed on the 17th.

DD ANTHONY was damaged by splinters from a near miss of a LW bomber at Glasgow. The destroyer spent no time out of service from this damage, but did begin refitting at Glasgow.

ASW trawler RUBENS (RN 320 grt) was sunk by the LW off the UK West Coast. The trawler had separated from convoy OG.52 as a result of a misunderstood signal. All hands were lost 

*Channel*
DD RIPLEY was damaged in a collision with DD BURWELL and ASW trawler NOTRE DAME DE FRANCE at Devonport. The DD was repaired at Devonport completing on 3 March.

British steamer WESTCLIFFE HALL was damaged by the LW 2 miles 10° from Whitby High Light. She arrived in the Tees with damaged steering gear. 

British steamer CAPE RODNEY was damaged by the LW off Girdleness.

*Med/Biscay*
CL GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria for Port Said to fit damaged cruiser LIVERPOOL's DCT. 
The CL returned to Alexandria on the 15th with the unit in place.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.109 departed Halifax, escort AMC AUSONIA, DD ANNAPOLIS, PV OTTER. The DD and PV were detached on the 14th. On 26 February, DDs BURNHAM, DOUGLAS, MALCOLM, corvettes CLARKIA, MALLOW, PETUNA, ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY joined the escort. The trawler was detached later that day. On the 2nd, DD DOUGLAS was detached, DDs BURNHAM and MALCOLM and corvettes CLARKIA and PETUNA were detached. Corvette MALLOW was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 4 March.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
 
British operation COMPOSITION.

A/C from CV FORMIDABLE raided Massawa in IEA. *Steamer MONCALIERI (FI 5723 grt)* was damaged by the bombing and later scuttled. Demonstrating that the Italians still had some considerable powers of resistance, A/Sub Lt (A) J. H. Jefford, Sub Lt (A) C. P. Simpson, Leading Airman F. H. Shiel of 826 Sqn and A/Sub Lt (A) D. M. R. Wynne-Roberts RNVR, P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) M. G. C. Keeley RNVR, Leading Airman W. M. Brown of 829 Sqn were shot down and made pows. They were liberated when Massawa fell to British forces in April.
*



*

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 14 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Fine and clear.
*1508-1522 hrs* Air raid alert for a single JU 88 bomber accompanied by six ME 109 fighters which approach the Island from the north on recon at 22000 feet. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but on sight of them the ME 109s turn away and fly off. AA guns open fire, hitting the JU 88 which is last seen losing height with smoke pouring from one engine. No bombs are dropped on the Island.
*1915-1932 hrs; 1942-2001 hrs; 2200-2235 hrs; 2331-2325 hrs; 2340-0040 hrs *Air raid alerts for a series of nuisance raids over the Island. Hurricane fighters are airborne in turn throughout. In the first raid bombs are dropped between Mosta and Naxxar. In the second, from Rinella to Della Grazia and one enemy bomber is damaged by a Hurricane. In the third, raiders cross the coast over Dingli; bombs are dropped to the west of Ta Qali aerodrome; three fall on B block of Imtarfa Hospital, killing three patients, seriously wounding six and slightly wounding another six. The third attack approaches from the south and drops bombs in the sea off Fort Leonardo. In the fourth, bombs are dropped on the Grand Harbour area. Searchlights pick up a single bomber heading away over the north coast. During the raids bombs are also dropped on Pembroke and on Luqa aerodrome, seriously damaging one Wellington and slightly damaging one Whitley.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 13 FEBRUARY 1941
*ROYAL NAVY *Swordfish 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm attacked and believed sank a merchant convoy heading for Libya.
*AIR HQ *Arrivals 2 Sunderlands. Sunderland patrolled western Ionian Sea. *69 Squadron * Maryland photoreconnaissance Comiso and Gela aerodromes: Comiso eight JU 88s of which one burned out, 11 HE 111s, one SM 79, plus 16 unidentified fighters; Gela seven bombers, nine fighters unidentified but with dark camouflage. 
*KALAFRANA *One Sunderland arrived from Middle East en route for UK. One Sunderland 230 Squadron arrived from Middle East with passengers.
*LUQA 69 Squadron *One Maryland photoreconnaissance Gela and Comiso.


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## parsifal (Feb 13, 2016)

*14 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS GRAYSON (DD 435)
(Source: http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0543505.jpg )





Photo of the GRAYSON dated 17 April 1941

Allied
Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1007 
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
U107 sank *steamer BELCREST (UK 4517 grt),* which was straggling behind convoy SC.21, in 54N, 21W. At 2257 hrs the unescorted BELCREST , a straggler from SC21 since 11 February, was hit on the port side by two torpedoes from U107 about 300 miles west of Ireland. The torpedoes struck the bow and just aft of amidships and caused the ship to break in two and sink within 90 seconds. The master, 35 crew members and one gunner were lost.

*MTB.41 (RN 40 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. 3 crew were lost. There are no other details on this loss.

*Steamer ELISABETH MARIE (UK 616 grt) *was sunk by the LW in 54-58N, 12-30W. One crewman was lost on the steamer. RCN DD OTTAWA rescued the survivors.

RM submarine BIANCHI sank *Steamer ALNMOOR ( UK 6573 grt) *. There are at present no further details for this attack Other sources claim this cargp vessel was sunk by U-123, but new research claimed by UBoat Net allocates this victory to the RM Sub. The crew of 42 were missing presumed lost. At the time of her loss she was a straggler from SC21, When on route from NEW YORK & HALIFAX for GLASGOW carrying a cargo of flour and a general cargo including steel and ferralloys she was torpedoed






U-123 sank *steamer HOLYSTONE (UK 5462 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. There were no survivors. There is some confusion as to who sank this boat and when. Some sources claim the U-101 on the 14th, others the BIANCHI whilst Uboat net credits it to U-123. Uboat net bases its claim on new research. 

At 0038 hrs on 15 February 1941 the unescorted HOLYSTONE , dispersed from convoy OB-284 on 13 February, was hit on port side aft by one torpedo from U-123 about 500 miles SSW of Iceland. The U-boat had unsuccessfully attacked the PEVOLVER from the same dispersed convoy on 14 February and was chasing this ship when spotting the HOLYSTONE. Moehle decided to go after the bigger freighter, but then missed her with five single fired torpedoes between 2215 hrs on 14 February and 0012 hrs on 15 February. The sixth torpedo eventually struck the ship which disappeared in a very heavy explosion, presumably caused by the detonation of the magazine for the stern gun. The master, 35 crew members and four gunners were lost.
 





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-93 

At Sea 14 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-123. 
12 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to act as additional escort for operation SN.68, and arrived the next day. 
* 
West Coast*
ML TEVIOTBANK departed Immingham, escort DD WHITSHED. She was damaged by two near misses from LW A/C off Flamborough Head. The ML was repaired in the Humber completing on 8 March.

*Western Approaches*
DD KEPPEL at Londonderry was transferred to the Western Approaches, while DD COTTESMORE departed Londonderry for the Nore following work up.

RCN DD ST LAURENT was damaged by the near miss by the LW in the Western Approaches. The destroyer spent no time out of service. The destroyer arrived at Greenock on the 15th.

*SW Approaches*
British steamer MOORLANDS was damaged by the LW two miles north of Sands End Bay, off Banff. The steamer was bombed again on the 20th in Buckie Harbour.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine ROVER damaged Italian tanker CESCO off Calabria in 38-45N, 17-25E.

Convoy AN.15, composed of six British and fourteen Greek ships, departed Port Said escorted by DDs GREYHOUND and RAN WATERHEN and from Alexandria escorted by DD HASTY. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy on the 16th, which arrived at Suda Bay on the 18th and Pireaus on the 19th.

Convoy AC.1 departed Alexandria for Benghazi escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser COVENTRY, minesweeping corvettes SALVIA and GLOXINIA, minesweeping whalers SOUTHERN ISLE and SOUTHERN MAID. Two steamers were diverted to Tobruk.

The other two steamers, British PALERMO and Belgian ESCAUT, of the convoy arrived at Benghazi on the 18th.

A Convoy of a small store ship and Belgian petrol carrier ESCAUT for Benghazi departed Alexandria. Monitor TERROR and CLA COVENTRY accompanied this convoy. Monitor TERROR arrived on the 17th

*Nth Atlantic*
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU refuelled at sea from German tankers SCHLETTSTADT (8028grt) and ESSO HAMBURG (9847grt). 

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy SLG.1A of troopships KENYA and SOBIESKI departed Gibraltar escorted by CL DUNEDIN and DDs FORESIGHT and FORTUNE. The two F class destroyers were detached on the 16th. DDs WISHART and VIDETTE departed Gibraltar at the same time and covered in the local approaches before proceeding south to Freetown.

On the 20th, ORP DD GARLAND and PIORUN RN DD HESPERUS, HURRICANE, LEGION, joined the convoy, and arrived at the Clyde on the 22nd.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Kismayu, Italian East Africa, was captured by the British.

British Force T for these operations was composed of CAs SHROPSHIRE and HAWKINS, CVL HERMES, CLs CERES and CAPETOWN, and DD KANDAHAR.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 15 FEBRUARY 1941
*Weather *Dull at first, clear later.
*1426-1513 hrs* Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
*2040 hrs *Air raid alert for the first of three air raid alerts in which a total of ten enemy aircraft, believed to be JU 88 bombers, head towards the Island in close succession under clear night skies. They approach the coast at 10000 feet and then glide along it at heights varying between 300 and 2000 feet, dropping bombs, parachute mines and flares. 
Bombs are dropped near Camerata, destroying the Elementary School, then two mines are dropped in the Dockyard area. One mine is dropped in Grand Harbour near Ricasoli and another a quarter of a mile off the coast. Bombs are dropped on Grand Harbour, St Elmo, Fort Leonardo, the Dockyard and Tigne areas, as well as in St Thomas’ Bay. Five civilians are killed and 20 injured; one serviceman is slightly injured at Tigne Barracks. 
*2150 hrs* One mine lands on lower Merchants Street in Valletta damaging the Model School and five houses and badly damaging the billet of B Company, 4th Bn The Buffs. One man is cut by broken glass, the others are slightly shaken. Two mines land in Senglea, destroying 25 houses badly damaging 30; 150 more have windows and doors blown in but are still habitable. Malta fighters are airborne through the raids; no interceptions. An inspection later confirms that mines have been laid in the sea off Fort St Elmo.
One Fulmar is despatched to patrol the southern coast of Sicily with the aim of attacking aircraft returning from the raids: no results.
*2340 hrs *All clear.
*0014-0036 hrs *Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses over Luqa aerodrome. Searchlights locate the plane, anti aircraft guns engage and the raider turns away without dropping any bombs.
*0530-0600 hrs *Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
*
*


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## Njaco (Feb 13, 2016)

*February 13 Thursday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Two German submarines attacked Allied convoy HX-106 225 miles south of Iceland. U-96 sank British tanker “_Clea_” at 1508 hours, killing the entire crew of 59. U-103 stopped British tanker “_Arthur F. Corwin”_ by two torpedoes, allowing U-96 to sink her at 1950 hours, killing the entire crew of 46.

A German Fw 200 aircraft sank British antisubmarine trawler HMT “_Rubens_” 275 miles southwest of Ireland, killing the entire crew of 21.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British carrier HMS “_Formidable_” launched 14 Albacore aircraft against Massawa, Italian East Africa, sinking Italian ship “_Moncalieri_” and damaging others. Two Albacore aircraft were shot down with six crew members taken prisoner.

Greek I and II Corps organized into Epirus Army while Western Macedonia Army continues to control units at the northern end of the front.

*WESTERN FRONT: *German authorities ordered all gentiles to leave Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter.

Petain and Franco confer at Montpelier.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British minister to Sofia said in a statement that;


> "If the Germans occupy Bulgaria and make it a base against our ally, obviously we shall have to break off relations with Bulgaria and take whatever measures the situation requires."


 
Heavy Luftwaffe night raid against London.

*GERMANY:* Italian Naval Chief of Staff, Admiral Riccardi, confers with German Naval Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Raeder.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The Battle of Keren: All efforts to break through to Keren had thus been unsuccessful. The Italians had fought stubbornly and aided by the natural strength of their positions, had held out. The British still held Cameron Ridge though they had lost Brig's Peak and other features to Italian counter-attacks. After the failure of these efforts it was clear that any further assault on Keren would be a major operation. So preparations for the next attack were planned and undertaken. It was decided to withdraw Gazelle Force and the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade during the night of 13/14 February from the Acqua Gap area. Early in the morning, the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade left in mechanical transport for Barentu. At 1900 hours the Italians opened heavy artillery fire and it was thought that they were probably going to launch a counter-attack. But no counter-attack materialised and the fire died down an hour later.

Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade captures Bulo Erillo.

.


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## Njaco (Feb 13, 2016)

*February 14 Friday*

*UNITED KINGDOM:* During the night, the pilot of a He 111 becomes very disoriented. He lands at an airfield and as he taxis up to the control tower he realizes he is at an RAF airfield in eastern England. Quickly taking off again, he performs the same feat at several other British airfields before disappearing into the night.

General Percy Hobart recalled to active duty and appointed General Officer Commanding, 11th Armored Division.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The newly arrived German forces led by Lieutenant-General Erwin Rommel, are supplemented with Bf 110s of III./ZG 26. This is in addition to a few Ju 87 _Stukas_, Hs 123 recon planes and Fieseler Storches. Rommel begins planning an attack against the British to relieve the Italians. The second convoy of German troops arrived at Tripoli, Libya, which included the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion and the 39th Anti-Tank Battalion. Lead elements of three Italian divisions leave Tripoli, heading toward Sirte. Leading elements of the German 5th Light Division are immediately moved up to Sirte to take up defensive positions.

Italian forces withdrawing from Kismayu. The 22nd East African Brigade captured the port city of Kismayu, Italian East Africa, with gunfire support from cruisers HMS “_Shropshire_”, HMS “_Hawkins_”, HMS “_Ceres_”, and HMS “_Capetown_” and captures fifteen Axis vessels. South African 1st Infantry Brigade captures Gobwen, but Italian troops from Kismayu have already crossed the Juba River.

The 14th Demi-Brigade de marche de la Légion Étrangère under the command of Colonel Raoul Magrin-Vernerey landed unopposed at Port Sudan, Sudan.

The Battle of Keren: The withdrawal of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade and Gazelle Force was completed by 0100 hours on 14 February without any loss. Both concentrated in the area of kilometre 110. At 1500 hours Cubcol made contact with the Italians two miles north of Cam Ceua. The road was heavily mined and Cubcol was held up. South African 2nd Infantry Brigade and 5th Infantry Brigade begin advancing on Mega overnight while Indian 7th Infantry Brigade enters Mersa Dersa on the Red Sea coast.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-101 sank British ship “_Holystone_” 400 miles west of Ireland at 2257 hours, killing 40.

Italian submarine “_Bianchi_” sank British ship “_Belcrest_” west of Ireland.

British motor torpedo boat MTB.41 hit a mine and sank in the North Sea, killing 8.

German raider “_Thor_” replenished by supply ships “_Eurofeld_” and “_Alsterufer_”.

*GERMANY:* Hitler pressured Yugoslavia to join the Tripartite Pact. Hitler met with the Yugloslavian Prime Minister Dragiša Cvetković at the Berghof, but was unable to convince Cvetković to sign on to the Tripartite Pact. They still refuse to commit their country, in the hope that Hitler will soon be preoccupied with relations with the Soviet Union and that they can get aid from Britain and the USA. US President Roosevelt sends a message to Prince Paul of Yugoslavia warning against cooperation with the Axis.

RAF Bomber Command sends 44 aircraft to attack Gelsenkirchen oil plants and 44 aircraft to attack Homberg oil plants overnight.

*ASIA:* Food transport ship Irako was launched at the Kawasaki Kobe Shipyard, Japan.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The new Japanese ambassador to the United States, Kichisaburo Nomura presented his credentials to Franklin Roosevelt at the White House, Washington DC, United States. The president told the ambassador that "there are developments in the relations between the United States and Japan which cause concern," and Nomura replied that he would do all he could to establish better understandings between the two nations.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* The rear echelon of the US Marine Corps 3rd Defense Battalion arrived at Midway.

The Australian Advisory War Council makes a press statement to inform the public of the country's poor defence situation.

Singapore's leader Brooke-Popham meets with the Australian War Cabinet. He says that Singapore is designed to withstand an attack for six to nine months, and a landward attack is not likely.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *RAF aircraft conducts first air drop of supplies to Polish underground forces.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek Epirus Army and Italian 11th Army heavily engaged west of Klisura.

*INDIAN OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_”, with a fleet of two prize ships and one supply ship, made rendezvous with German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_”. The ships transferred supplies amongst each other while prize ship tanker “_Ketty Brøvig”_ refueled “_Admiral Scheer_”.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 14, 2016)

*15 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-78
[NO IMAGE]
_Used as a training boat and a school boat for the entire war_

Type 1935 MSW M252
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Helgoland U-552 

Departures
Wilhelmshaven U-108 

At Sea 15 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic/Norwegian Coast*
Sub CACHALOT laid 50 mines off Norway in minefield FD.30. She also made an unsuccessful torpedo attack at Fro Havet.
* 
North Sea*
Steamer STOCK FORCE was damaged by the LW near Outer Dowsing Float, Humber.
* 
Northern Waters*
DDs INTREPID, IMPULSIVE, ICARUS of DesFlot 20 departed Scapa Flow for Plymouth, and arrived on the 18th.

The 1st Minelaying Squadron of MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT QUEBEC, AGAMEMNON departed Loch Alsh at 1815 to lay minefields SN.7B and SN.68 A, escorted by CL AURORA and DDs BRIGHTON, LANCASTER, CHARLESTOWN, and ECHO. They were covered by CLs EDINBURGH (which departed Scapa Flow on the 15th) and NIGERIA (which had departed Reykjavik after refuelling on the 14th). The minefield was laid on the 17th, and the ships returned to harbour on the 18th; EDINBURGH and NIGERIA at 1617 and AURORA at 1914.

*West Coast *
Convoy OG.53 departed Liverpool escort DDs LEAMINGTON, SABRE, SCIMITAR, sloops EGRET and FOLKESTONE, corvettes ANEMONE, DELPHINIUM, DIANELLA, GLADIOLUS, VERBENA, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN WAVE, ST KENAN, WELLARD. CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow on the 18th, and joined the convoy on the 21st and thereon accompanied it to Gibraltar. SCIMITAR was detached on the 19th, SABRE on the 20th, LEAMINGTON, EGRET, NEMONE, DIANELLA, GLADIOLUS, NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN WAVE on the 22nd, and VERBENA on the 24th. VERBENA arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th after losing touch with the convoy and temporarily joined DesFlot 13. She arrived at Gibraltar on 1 March, escorted by ARETHUSA, FOLKESTONE, and DELPHINIUM.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs HEREWARD and DECOY arrived at Alexandria from Operation SHELFORD.

DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JANUS, MOHAWK patrolled in the Kithera Straits during the night of 15/16 February.

Monitor TERROR departed Derna for Benghazi, escorted by RAN DDs STUART, VOYAGER, and VAMPIRE.

*Central Atlantic*
DKM CA ADMIRAL HIPPER arrived in Brest after sinking 8 ships of 34,042grt. DDs KELLY, KIPLING, KASHMIR, JACKAL had departed Plymouth to attempt an interception of her, but no contact was made. The CA was sent to Germany through the Channel in March to refit her turbines.

*Sth Atlantic*
Convoy WS.5B with 9 troopships departed Durban escorted by RAN CA AUSTRALIA and CL EMERALD. On the 21st, CA HAWKINS joined the convoy. EMERALD and four transports were detached to Mombasa.

DKM AO NORDMARK replenished DKM Disguised Raider PINGUIN at sea.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 18 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Dry, with poor visibility; wind rising towards evening.

_1125-1150 hrs_ Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching the Island; raid does not materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Drifter _Ploughboy_ with a skid sweep and by firing a Lewis gun into the water detonated one mine off the breakwater*.*
* 
*


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## Njaco (Feb 14, 2016)

*February 15 Saturday*

*WESTERN FRONT:* German cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” arrived at Brest, France, after a short but successful cruise that sank 8 Allied ships totalling 34,000 tons, despite efforts to intercept her by British destroyers HMS “_Kelly_”, “_Kipling_”, “_Kashmir_” and “_Jackal_”.

RAF Bomber Command sends 43 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The United Kingdom broke off diplomatic relations with Romania. Britain announced that beginning the next day it would consider Romania to be "territory under enemy occupation" and would regard the country as an "enemy destination for contraband purposes."

German aircraft raided a Northumberland mining district which embraced Blyth, Tynemouth, Wallsend, Newsham, and the Bedlington area. 130 enemy aircraft were engaged in the action on the coast from Hull to Berwick. Tynemouth suffered severely, and at the last named pit village, blocks of houses were demolished. In Blyth shopping centre many shop windows were shattered and at Tynemouth hundreds of people had to evacuate their homes because of delayed action bombs. HEs and PMs caused damage at Sunderland, Hawthorn, Seaham, Chester le Street, Blyth, Bedlington, Ashington, Seaton Delaval, Newbiggin, Cresswell, Lynemouth, where a woman died, and South Shields, where two women and a man died. Elsewhere many IBs were dropped but, thanks to the volunteer firewatchers, the few fires that were started, were soon put out. This night will be long remembered in South Shields. The port wing of a Heinkel He 111P from 6./KG 4 (5J+GP) struck a balloon cable situated at the North Foreshore, South Shields. It dived and crashed into Bent's Park, South Shields at 0035 hours. On impact, the wreckage caught fire. 25 minutes later a mine that the aircraft had been carrying exploded, killing Auxiliary Firemen Purvis, Renwick and Wharton, and a policeman, PC Lamb. Four of the plane's crew were already dead, a fifth, believed to be the pilot Oberfw W. Beetz, bailed out but was electrocuted by falling onto live trolley bus wires. Windows were broken as far away as Tynemouth and North Shields. Other enemy aircraft appeared to use the burning wreckage as a target marker, so that within minutes further attacks took place. Three people were killed in Brodrick Street and several injured nearby.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-123 sank British ship “_Alnmoor_” 600 miles west of Ireland at 0038 hours, killing the entire crew of 55.

German raider “_Pinguin_” along with captured Norwegian whaling vessels rendezvous with supply ship “_Nordmark_” and prize ship “_Duquesa_”.

*NORTH AFRICA: *British General Platt suspended the piecemeal attacks on Italian positions at Dongolaas Gorge near Keren, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. Instead, he began to plan for a larger offensive.

British and German troops engaged each other in North Africa for the first time in a skirmish near Sirte.

*NORTH AMERICA:* An advance echelon of the US Marine Corps 1st Defense Battalion departed San Diego, California, United States aboard USS “Enterprise” for Johnston Island and Palmyra Atoll via Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.

The US Congress approved the construction of a new base for the US Marine Corps' Fleet Marine Force at New River, North Carolina, United States.

Roosevelt sends James B. Conant, President of Harvard University, to Britain to exchange views on war technology.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy forced the United States to close consulates in Naples and Palermo.

Greek Epirus Army and Italian 11th Army heavily engaged west of Klisura.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 73 aircraft to attack Sterkrade oil plant and 70 aircraft to attack Homberg oil plant overnight.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* RAF aircraft, based in Britain, drop leaflets over Cracow and Katowice in southern Poland during the night.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 15, 2016)

*16 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B HDML 179 
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
*Aux MSW SOUTHSEA (RN 825 grt)* was badly damaged on a mine 5.9 cables 240° from North Tyne Pier Light. She was run aground and declared a total loss. 7 crew were lost.

*MSW trawler ORMONDE (RN 250 grt)* was sunk by German bombing off Peterhead, 7 miles 90° from Crudsen Scauer. Coull, with the loss of 18 crew members.

*Tkr EMPIRE OTTER (UK 4670 grt) *was sunk on a British mine 25 miles SW of Hartland Point. The crew were all rescued.

*Trawler THOMAS DEAS (UK 276 grt)* was sunk on a mine four miles 273° from Spurn Point. All crew were lost.

*Trawler NANIWA (UK 340 grt)* was sunk by the LW in 52-15N, 12-30W. Five crew were lost.

*Steamer JUVENTUS (FI 4957 grt)* was sunk by a Swordfish of 830 Sqn from Malta, three miles NE of Kuriat Island.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-147 

Departures
Lorient: U-95 

At Sea 16 February 1941
 U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123. 
14 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
BC REPULSE, escorted by DDs INGLEFIELD, MAORI, ZULU, departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for her first refit in 23 months. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 17th. DDs NAPIER and NIZAM arrived at Scapa Flow from Londonderry on completion of escort duties in the Western Approaches. DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to clean boilers and repair a damaged propeller shaft. The DD arrived on the 17th. 

*West Coast*
OB.287 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs VANOC, RAMSEY, WANDERER, corvettes NASTURTIUM and PERIWINKLE. VANOC and WANDERER and corvette NASTURTIUM was detached later that day. DD WITCH joined the convoy on the 17th and was detached later that day. RAMSEY and corvette PERIWINKLE were detached on the 19th. DD MONTGOMERY joined on the 20th and was detached on the 21st when the convoy dispersed.

*Med/Biscay*
British troopship ULSTER PRINCE departed Alexandria, escort DDs ILEX and HASTY, for Suda Bay and Piraeus
* 
Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 17 FEBRUARY 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_0736-0800 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy Heinkel HE 111, which approaches from the south of the Island and swoops down over Hal Far, machine-gunning the airfield and several anti-aircraft gun positions. One Swordfish aircraft is damaged. Anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims. Two Hurricanes and one Gladiator are scrambled; no interception.

_0859-0949 hrs_ Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber escorted by twelve ME 109 fighters which approach from the east and fly over the Island at 9000 feet. Six Hurricanes are scrambled and engage the raiders. The Messerschmitts immediately split into two formations, one climbing above and the other dropping below the Hurricanes. One Hurricane crashes; the pilot, F/Lt J MacLachan, bales out and lands at Marsascala, injuring his arm. Two more Hurricanes are slightly damaged and temporarily unserviceable.

_1745 hrs; 1827 hrs;_ _1930 hrs;_ _2050 hrs;_ _2207 hrs;_ _2244 hrs_; _2303 hrs_ A series of air raid alerts for enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. Those approaching the coast are engaged by anti-aircraft fire. All aircraft retreat without dropping any bombs.

_0020 hrs_ All clear.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 16 FEBRUARY 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _6 Whitley. _Aircraft casualties _Maryland attempted reconnaissance of Palermo and Trapani ports; bad weather prevented execution.

_LUQA 69 Squadron _ One Maryland photoreconnaissance attempted Trapani and Palermo prevented by bad weather. _148 Squadron_ Three Wellingtons bombing raid on Catania and Comiso.
* 

*


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## Njaco (Feb 15, 2016)

*February 16 Sunday*

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The fighters of 7./JG 26 escort Ju 87s of StG 2 on an attack on Luqa airfield. Eight RAF Hurricanes try to attack the formation but are broken up by the Messerschmitts. Three British warplanes are shot down.

Greek Epirus Army and Italian 11th Army were heavily engaged west of Klisura.

*NORTH AFRICA:* South African aircraft dive-bomb Italian positions on East bank of river Juba, in Southern Italian Somaliland. German Junkers Ju 86 Z-7 ex-passenger planes were used by the 11th and 12th squadrons of the South African Air Force (SAAF) as bombers in East Africa.

British Swordfish aircraft of No. 830 Squadron from Malta sank Italian ship “_Juventus_” 5 miles off Chebba, Tunisia.

Mersa Teclai on the Red Sea opened to light vessels and elements of Free French Brigade d'Orient begin arriving to reinforce Indian 7th Infantry Brigade.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Four people were killed and one injured when German bombers dropped HEs at Seaham Harbour, demolishing four houses and damaging others. Slight outbreak of fire was extinguished and the bridge across the railway over Lord Street was destroyed and the road blocked. Men, women and children were trapped in a subway which collapsed when a bomb fell on it. The fatalities occurred in Frederick Street.

British cruiser HMS “_Neptune_” is damaged again by German bombing at Chatham (in dock to repair bomb damage sustained at Plymouth on February 9). The scheduled refit and the repairs will be completed on May 1.

The paddle steamer '_Southsea_' (825t) was on Admiralty service as a minesweeper when she hit a mine, killing seven of her crew. She was subsequently beached and abandoned between Herd Groyne and South Shields pier.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Ormonde_” was sunk by German aircraft 25 miles east of Aberdeen, Scotland, killing 19.

German raider “_Komet_” arrives in Antarctic waters but operates without success before departing for Kerguelen.

*INDIAN OCEAN: *Troop-carrying liner “_Queen Mary_” detaches from convoy US 9 and turns for Singapore.

*WESTERN FRONT:* 10.000 Jews in Vienna are deported to Polen.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 16, 2016)

*17 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type II Hunt Class Escort DD HMS AVON VALE (L 06) 
_



_
AVON VALE at Valletta August 1941. The Type IIs emphasised AA defence

Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1005 
[NO IMAGE]

Fairmile B Motor Launch ML 252 (ML 252)
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
*MV GAISOPPA (UK 5237 grt)* Sunk by U-101 (Ernst Mengersen) ; Crew: 86 (85 dead and 1 survivor) ; Cargo: Tea, Pig Iron, silver ingots and coins ; Route: Calcutta - Freetown - Galway, Ireland - London Convoy: SLS-64 (Detached ) Lost in the SW Approaches SW of Eire; At 0008 hrs the unescorted GAISOPPA was hit on the starboard side just behind the bridge in #2 hold by one G7a torpedo from U-101 about 300 miles sw of Galway Bay, Ireland. The ship had been in convoy SL-64 which was slowed down by bad weather and running low on coal, she was detached alone to Galway on 15 February. At 1800 hrs on 16 February, the U-boat spotted the ship but had troubles to hit the target due to heavy seas and missed with a spread of two torpedoes at 2328 hrs and one G7e torpedo at 2332 hours. The GAISOPPA caught fire and settled slowly by the bow after being hit in the third attack, but Mengersen decided to give up further attacks when a coup de grace missed at 0020 hrs, assuming correctly that the burning freighter would sink anyway in the heavy seas. The survivors managed to abandon ship in three lifeboats before she sank within 20 min. However, two of the boats were never seen again and its occupants presumably perished in the cold and bad weather. The boat in the charge of the second officer set sail with eight Europeans and 23 Lascars aboard, but after seven days most had died of exposure and only four Europeans and two Lascars were still alive when the boat reached land on 1 March. Sadly, it capsized in the swell and surf of Caerthillian Cove on The Lizard, Cornwall and all occupants drowned except the second officer, who was rescued unconscious by a coastguard. The bodies of two Europeans and the two unidentified Lascars were recovered and buried in the Landewednack Churchyard. The master, 82 crew members and two gunners were lost.






* 
*
*Tkr EDWY R. BROWN (UK 10,455 grt)*; Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze), Crew: 0 (50 dead - no survivors), Cargo: POLS Route: Aruba - Halifax - Liverpool Convoy: HX-107 (Straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0633 hrs the EDWY R. BROWN, a straggler from convoy HX-107, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 in bad weather SE of Iceland. The U-boat had missed the zigzagging tanker with a first torpedo at 0615 hrs. The ship continued after being hit and only stopped after two more torpedoes struck behind the bridge at 0640 hrs and set her on fire. The Germans observed how the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and waited for the ship to sink, but she remained afloat even after being struck amidships by a fourth torpedo at 0758 hours. Schütze gave up further attacks when a coup de grace fired at 0833 hours failed to detonate and left the burning wreck in a sinking condition. The master, 47 crew members and two gunners were lost as the lifeboats were never found. 
* 




*
*MV SIAMESE PRINCE (UK 8456 grt)*; Sunk by U-69 (Jost Metzler) ; Crew: 68 (No survivors) , Cargo: Mixed Route: New York - Liverpool Convoy: Unescorted Lost in the Western Approaches; At 2119 hrs the unescorted SIAMESE PRINCE was hit forward on port side by one G7a torpedo from U-69 while steaming in very rough seas with a moderate swell at 13 knots about 150 miles NNW of Rockall. The U-boat had chased the ship for more than 5 hrs. SIAMESE PRINCE remained afloat after being hit on port side aft by another torpedo at 2141 hrs. The ship eventually sank by the bow five minutes after being hit on starboard side amidships by a third torpedo at 2212 hrs. The Germans had observed how the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats, but no survivors were ever found. The master, 56 crew members, two gunners and nine passengers were lost. 

FNFL DD MISTRAL was sent to search for this steamer. Additionally, DDs MAORI and ZULU departed Scapa Flow on the 17th to search for this steamer, but nothing was found of her or the crew. .

*




*
*Steamer KYLE RONA (UK 307 grt)* was lost to unknown cause n the Irish Sea.
*





*
*Steamer REN REIN (UK 156 grt)* was lost on a mine 3.5 miles east of Manacles off Falmouth. Two crew were lost

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-97

At Sea 17 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108,U-123. 
15 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol*
 
CL ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow from Northern patrol.

*Northern Waters*
 
DD ATHERSTONE departed Londonderry for Scapa Flow,

CL EDINBURGH departed Scapa Flow on the 20th and at noon on the 23rd relieved BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN of the TC.9 escort. CA NORFOLK escorted two North Atlantic convoys. CLA PHOEBE remained with convoy WS.6 A as through escort.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy WS.6B departed with steamers YOMA and ADDA from Liverpool and NORTHUMBERLAND, BURMA, LLANSTEPHANCASTLE , AMC CILICIA from the Clyde escort CL MAURITIUS, which had departed Scapa Flow on the 15th. DDs HESPERUS and HURRICANE escorted the convoy from the 17th to 20th. ORP DDs PIORUN, GARLAND and RN DD LEGION escorted the convoy from the 18th to 20th. Steamer BURMA returned to the Clyde on the 18th. CILICIA was detached on the 20th. Corvettes CLEMATIS and CALENDULA joined the convoy on 3 March and escorted it to Freetown. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 5 March with CL MAURITIUS and At Freetown, WS6B merged with WS.6A.

*Med/Biscay*
 
CLs ORION and AJAX departed Piraeus to cover the movement of convoys AN.15 and AC.1 during the night of 17/18 February. The cruisers then proceeded to Alexandria. DDs JERVIS, MOHAWK, JAGUAR proceeded to Alexandria. CA YORK, CLA BONAVENTURE, DD JANUS returned to Suda Bay. JANUS was later recalled to Alexandria to participate in Operate MC.8. Monitor TERROR arrived at Benghazi.

Sub PARTHIAN departed Alexandria on a recon mission for Operation ABSTENTION under the orders of the Rear Admiral, CruSqn 3.

*Nth Atlantic*
 
Canadian troop convoy TC.9 of WARWICK CASTLE , DUCHESS OF YORK, ORONTES, DEMPO, JOHANN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT, WOLFE departed Halifax with BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and AMC WOLFE in the escort force. The AMC was detached on the 18th. CL EDINBURGH, which departed Scapa Flow on the 20th, relieved ROYAL SOVEREIGN on the 23rd. On the 24th, RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE, RESTIGOUCHE and OTTAWA, and RN DD HAVELOCK, joined the convoy. HAVELOCK was detached the next day. The three RCN DDs remained with the convoy until 26 February. On the 25th, CL AURORA and DDs ECHO, ECLIPSE, INGLEFIELD, FNFL LEOPARD joined the convoy; DD LEOPARD was with the convoy only on the 25th. FNFL DD MISTRAL joined the convoy on the 26th. DD CHURCHILL escorted the convoy in the Western Approaches.

CL AURORA departed the Faroes and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow early on the 24th at to give additional escort to convoy TC.9. The convoy reached the Minches in the evening of 24 February. CL EDINBURGH and the DDs proceeded to Scapa Flow arriving on the 27th. CL AURORA took the convoy into the Clyde and arrived at Greenock on the 27th. 

*Central Atlantic*
 
Force H relieved the escorts of convoy WS.6 A. BB RODNEY proceeded to escort arriving convoy HX.108. The convoy was met on the 18th. DDs ELECTRA, ECLIPSE, BRILLIANT, formerly with RODNEY, arrived at the Faroes on the 17th and then on to Scapa Flow arriving on the 18th. All three DDs had minor weather damage.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished German supply ship ALSTERTOR at sea in the sth Atlantic (?). NORDMARK slipped the tow of captured British refrigerator ship DUQUESNA. place> from Northern patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
 
Convoy BN.16 departed Aden, escorted by DD KINGSTON and sloops GRIMSBY and RAN PARRAMATTA. The convoy was dispersed on the 20th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 19 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Fine.

_1132-1220 hrs_ Air raid alert for twelve ME 109 fighters which approach the Island in a single formation at 25000 feet. On reaching the coast they split into three formations. Eight Hurricane fighters are scrambled and maintain heights from 10-15000 feet, monitoring the raiders. They engage a group of the raiders over Falka Gap. After circling over the Island for 30 minutes the Messerschmitts make off northwards.

_1910-1926 hrs_ Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island and drop parachute flares 15 miles off the coast. They do not cross the coast and no raid materialises.

_0610-0637 hrs_ Air raid alert for a small formation of enemy aircraft approaching the Island; no raid materialises.


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## parsifal (Feb 17, 2016)

*18 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-203




Commissioning of _U-203 _in Kiel, February 1941; note the coat of arms for Essen on the conning tower 
21 ships sunk, total tonnage 94,270 GRT 3 ships damaged, total tonnage 17,052 GRT
Sunk on 25 April 1943 in the Nth Atlantic sth of Cape Farewell, , by DCs from a Swordfish a/ct (811 Sqn FAA/L) of the RN CVE HMS BITER and by the RN DD HMS PATHFINDER. 10 dead and 38 survivors.

Allied
L Class DD HMS GURKHA (ii) 





_HMS __GURKHA (ii) , about an 1 hour after being torpedoed. Originally named HMS LARNE, renamed after the loss of the Tribal Class DD HMS GURKHA (i).On 17 January 1942, HMS GURKHA (ii) was hit by one torpedo from U-133 and caught fire from bow to stern. The RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS towed the stricken DD clear of the burning oil on the surface. Most crew members were then able to transfer to the Dutch DD by boats and were landed at Tobruk in the evening. The burning DD had to be scuttled north of Sidi Barrani . HMS GURKHA (ii) had been escorting the Malta convoy MW-8B (four fast transports covered by Admiral Vian´s Mediterranean Fleet cruiser force), which arrived Malta on 19 January without further casualties._

Flower Class Corvette HMS VERONICA (K-37)




_HMS VERONICA as the USS TEMPTRESS
Transferred to the USN on 16 February 1942. Commissioned in the USN on 21 March 1942 as the USS TEMPTRESS _
 
Fairmile B HMS ML 180
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
*MV SEAFORTH (UK 5459 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew 59 (59 dead - no survivors) ; Cargo: Produce from West Africa ; Route: Monrovia, Liberia - Liverpool Convoy: Unescorted Lost in the Western Approaches; At 2133 hrs the unescorted SEAFORTH was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 sth of Iceland and sank quickly after being hit in the stern by a coup de grace at 2150 hrs. The ship had been spotted in heavy seas at 1355 hrs and missed by a first torpedo at 2130 hrs. The U-boat observed that lifeboats were launched after the first hit, but the master, 46 crew members, two gunners and ten passengers were lost.

DDs MAORI and ZULU at at point trying to find the now lost SIAMESE PRINCE at 2300 on the 18th were ordered to abandon that search and search for this steamer instead. Weather conditions were so bad that no survivors from this vessel were found either. In the forenoon of the 20th, the DDs were ordered to return to Scapa Flow, carryout an ASW sweep en route. They found nothing, and the DDs were back at Scapa Flow by the 21st.

*MV BLACK OSPREY (UK 5589 grt) *Sunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock); Crew: 37 (26 dead and 11 survivors).; Cargo: Steel and trucks; Route: Halifax, - Newport, Monmouthshire Convoy: HX 107 (Straggler) Lost in the Western Approaches: At 0227 hrs the unescorted BLACK OSPREY was missed by one G7a torpedo from U-96 about 130 miles sth of Iceland. The ship had been on her first transatlantic voyage under British flag in convoy HX-107when she lost contact to the convoy due to bad weather on 10 February. The Germans assumed that the torpedo had hit but failed to detonate when the ship stopped, but unknown to them the funnel of Black Osprey had caught fire at 0130 hrs and the crew stopped the ship in very poor visibility to get the fire under control and this apparently caused the torpedo to miss. After 90 mins they managed to put the flames out and proceeded, but the U-boat attacked again and fired another G7e torpedo at 0325 hrs. The torpedo struck on the port side, blew off the hatches and caused the ship to settle by the bow with a slight list to port. The master, 35 crew members and one gunner (the ship was armed with two machine guns) immediately began to abandon ship in all four lifeboats with some difficulties due to rough seas after sending a distress signal and a report of the attack. Some men fell overboard and the port forward lifeboat was washed back on the fore deck which was already awash at that time. The weather was so bad that the survivors broke several oars in a heavy swell when they tried to row. The ship sank by the bow about 12 minutes after being hit by the torpedo. The U-boat then left the area without questioning the survivors as the ship was already identified by her distress signal.
The lifeboats soon lost contact with each other, but the survivors in the port aft boat sighted flares from one of the other boats during the second night and spotted it the following morning. However, this was the last time they were seen as only the eleven occupants of the port aft boat were picked up by the Norwegian MV MOSDALE after being 53 hrs adrift, at 0600 hrs on 20 Feb. The survivors were so exhausted and cold that they couldn’t move and had to be carefully hauled on board by lines tied around them by the chief officer of the Norwegian ship who had climbed down into their lifeboat. The ship had altered course after picking up the distress signal and even circled around for some considerable time in a fruitless search for the missing lifeboats before proceeding to Barry, where the survivors were landed on 22 February. The master, 24 crew members and one gunner were lost
*




UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient:U-37

Departures
Helgoland U-552

At Sea 18 February 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123,U-552.
15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
DDs MATABELE, ESKIMO, TARTAR departed Scapa Flow to meet BB RODNEY which was arriving from HX.108 convoy duty. All four ships arrived back at Scapa Flow in the pre-dawn on the 23rd. CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy OG.53, which had departed on the 15th, and arrived at Gibraltar on 1 March.

*West Coast*
OB.288 departed Liverpool, escort DD GEORGETOWN. DDs ACHATES and ANTELOPE, corvettes HEATHER and PICOTEE, ASW trawler AYSHIRE joined on the 19th. The convoy was dispersed on the 22nd.

*Western Approaches*
NL tanker TARIA was damaged by the LW in the western approaches. The tanker arrived at Rothesay Bay 20 February where the oil was transferred to another vessel.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.23 departed Halifax, escort AMC ASCANIA. On 6 March, DD AMBUSCADE, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes AUBRETIA and HOLLYHOCK, ASW trawlers DANEMAN, KING SOL, LADY LILLIAN, ST APOLLO, VISENDA joined the convoy. The AMC was detached on 8 March before the convoy headed into the high risk area of the western approaches. On 8 March, DDs BEVERLEY and HARVESTER joined the escort, and the convoy arrived at Loch Ewe on 9 March. DDs AMBUSCADE, BEVERLEY, HARVESTER, sloop ABERDEEN, corvette AUBRETIA, trawler ST APOLLO were detached on 9 March. Corvette HOLLYHOCK and the rest of the trawlers were not detached until 10 March, and arrived at Loch Ewe on 9 March.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.66 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CORMORIN to 10 March. CL KENYA departed Gibraltar on the 28th to join the convoy. On 10 March, DDs MONTGOMERY, VIVIEN, WANDERER, WITCH and corvettes NASTURTIUM, PERWINKLE, PRIMROSE joined the convoy and escorted it to arrival on 14 March.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL GLASGOW departed Aden to collect Force Z (British troopships GLENGYLE, GLENEARN, GLENROY) at Durban.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Sydney escorting a liner. Off Cape Van Dieman, the cruiser was detached and proceed to Auckland arriving on the 23rd

*Malta
*


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## Njaco (Feb 17, 2016)

*February 17 Monday*

*NORTH AFRICA:* Free French led by Philippe Leclerc advance on the Italian base at Kufra oasis in the Sahara Desert, Southeastern Libya (consisting of the Buma airfield, a radio station, and the El Tag fort). Italians send out 70 men and 10 AS37 armoured personnel carriers, “Saharan company” motorized infantry, to intercept but Leclerc’s forces brush them aside and lay siege to El Tag fort.

The decision to dispatch a British Expeditionary Force to Greece was communicated to General Bernard Freyberg VC, General Officer Commanding New Zealand Division. The force initially was planned to consist of the New Zealand Division, 1st British Armoured Brigade, 6th Australian Division, Polish independent Brigade Group and 7th Australian Division. However Erwin Rommel's sudden advance into Cyrenaica of Libya would result in the Poles and 7th Australian Division being held back to defend Tobruk.

South African 5th Infantry Brigade continued attacking Mega while South African 1st Infantry Brigade seizes first bridgehead over the Juba River at Yonte.

Cubcol was relieved by the 3rd Battalion Chad Regiment, and moved back to a distance of about fifteen miles. On the same day a message was received from the 4th Indian Division to the effect that early pressure on Keren from the north was essential.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Just after midnight, U-101 sinks British SS “_Gairsoppa_” (carrying pig iron, tea, silver ingots and general cargo) 370 miles West of Cornwall, England. 82 crew and 2 gunners are killed (1 survivor makes landfall near The Lizard, Cornwall, on March 1). British tanker MV “_Edwy R. Brown_” (carrying fuel from Aruba) is left burning and sinking 100 miles South of Iceland after U-103 hits her with 5 torpedoes between 0633 and 0833 hours. 48 crew and 2 gunners abandon ship in 2 lifeboats but they are never found. At 2212 hours, U-69 sinks British MV “_Siamese Prince_”, 200 miles northwest of Outer Hebrides, Scotland. She is 1 day from reaching Liverpool, sailing from New York, USA, via Nassau, Bahamas. A notable passenger is Roy Widdicombe, who has been recuperating in Nassau from 70 days in an open boat after the sinking of SS “_Anglo Saxon_” on August 21, 1940. The 48 crew, 1 gunner and 8 passengers take to the lifeboats but all are lost in rough seas.

German vessel “_Alstertor_” joins German raider “_Pinguin_” with captured Norwegian whaling vessels, supply ship “_Nordmark_”, and captured ship “_Duquesa_”. “_Pinguin_” then sails for the Indian Ocean in company with “_Alstertor_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Turkey and Bulgaria sign a friendship agreement in Sofia, Bulgaria. Under pressure from Hitler, Turkey accepts that the movement of German troops through Bulgaria is not an act of war, allowing Germany to prepare for an invasion of Greece. This also blocks any potential British-Turkish alliance, on which Churchill has been relying to control the Balkans.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British Admiral Sir Percy Noble was appointed Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches.

Luftwaffe conducts night raid against London with 50 bombers.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The Battle of Trebeshina ended in Greek victory. The Greeks had captured the mountain ranges but it was a costly victory, particularly for the Cretan Division, which suffered 5,776 killed, wounded or missing and had ceased to exist as a combat-worthy formation.

*GERMANY:* Hitler orders study of military advance through Afghanistan to India.

*ASIA: *Tokyo offers to mediate the European conflict. Japan offers its services as mediator to end all current wars and blames Britain and USA for prolongation of European War.

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## Njaco (Feb 17, 2016)

*February 18 Tuesday*

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German aircraft mined the Suez Canal in Egypt, forcing the transit of carrier HMS “_Formidable_” into the Mediterranean Sea to be delayed.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The German 5th Light Division (later renamed the 21st Panzer Division) was formed for operations in North Africa.

Free French forces besieged El Tag fort at Kufra, Libya, bombarding the fort with 75-millimeter field guns (whose range was longer than their Italian counterparts) and 81-millimeter mortars. This will wear down the Italian defenders over the next few days.

Since mid-January, South African 1st Division has advanced into Southern Ethiopia from Kenya, as a diversion from General Cunningham’s main attack into Italian Somaliland. After a 3 day battle, they capture the Italian fort of Mega 70 miles inside Ethiopia protecting the main road to the capital Addis Ababa (taking 1000 Italian prisoners). Italian forces made attacks against South African 1st Infantry Brigade bridgehead on the Juba River.

Luftwaffe aircraft attack shipping at Benghazi and drop mines in the Suez Canal, which is temporarily closed to shipping. This delays the arrival of British aircraft carrier HMS “_Formidable_” in the Mediterranean.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-96 sank British ship “_Black Osprey_” 140 miles south of Iceland at 0227 hours; 25 were killed, 11 survived. German submarine U-103 sank British ship “_Seaforth_” 330 miles south of Iceland at 2133 hours. 59 survivors took to lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

British vessel “_Duquesa_”, captured by Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” in December and used as a supply ship, has run out of fuel and was scuttled by German supply ship “_Nordmark_”.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler met with tank generals and tank designers at his residence Berghof in southern Germany. He insisted on using larger (either 50-millimeter or 75-millimeter) high velocity guns for Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. He also demanded some soldiers to be released from the front to man tank factories.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Roosevelt asks Averell Harriman to be his special representative to London.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Amicable settlement of Anglo-Swiss dispute over British bombing raids on Basle and Zurich in December, 1940.

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## parsifal (Feb 18, 2016)

*19 February 1941
Losses*
*MV BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (Nor 7034 grt)* Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze); Crew: 36 (0 dead and 36 survivors); Cargo: general cargo, including wood pulp, lead, explosives and a/c carried as deck cargo; Route: San Francisco - Bermuda (1 Feb) - Liverpool Convoy: HX-107 (straggler), Lost in the Western Approaches. At 2222 hrs the unescorted BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, a straggler from HX-107 due to the bad weather, was struck on port side in the engine room by one G7e torpedo from U-103 about 120 miles NW of Rockall. The ship had been chased for 9 hrs and missed with a first torpedo at 2146 hrs. The U-boat waited for the ship to sink, but then fired its last torpedo as coup de grace at 2321 hrs that hit on the starboard side, where 1700 barrels of acetone were stowed. The ship disintegrated in an enormous explosion, but all crew members had already abandoned the ship by then, after after the first hit. They put into two lifeboats, which were later separated in heavy weather with snow and strong winds.
 
On 26 February, the seven sailors in one of them were picked up Corvette PIMPERNEL and landed at Liverpool two days later. The remaining survivors were rescued by the Egyptian MV MEMPHIS, but this ship in turn on 28 February had her engines disabled in heavy weather and she foundered NW of Ireland. All on board were lost including those survivors of the BENJAMIN FRANKLIN that had been picked up. On the morning of 21 Feb 1941 the RM sub BARBARIGO came across a raft with seven Norwegian survivors in approx. position 58°25N/16°55W and gave them two boxes of biscuits. It is possible that these were the seven men from BENJAMIN FRANKLIN that were later rescued by PIMPERNEL.







*MV EMPIRE BLANDA (UK 5693 grt)* Sunk by U-69 (Jost Metzler); Crew: 40 (40 dead - no survivors) Cargo: Scrap iron and steel, Route: Baltimore - Halifax - Grangemouth Convoy:HX-107 (straggler), Lost in the Western Approaches; At 0818 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE BLANDA, a straggler from HX-107 since 18 February, was hit on starboard side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-63 while steaming in rough seas about 160 miles sth of Iceland. The ship had been missed with a spread of two torpedoes at 0744 hours and a single torpedo at 0801 hrs, so the U-boat went closer to fire the fourth torpedo from a distance of only 400 meters and was almost hit by falling debris because the ship sank by the bow within 20 seconds after four heavy detonations that presumably were boiler explosions. The master, 37 crew members, one gunner and one passenger were lost. 

DKM SBoat Flot 1 with S.28, S.101, S.102 made a sortie against the British east coast. *Steamer ALGARVE (UK 1355 grt)* (an ex-Danish ship taken over by the MOWT after Danish surrender) was sunk by S.102 near Sheringham Light Float, and the entire crew lost.
(Source: http://7seasvessels.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/ALGARVE-mfs-4-1498x951.jpg )





*Steamer GRACIA (UK 5642 grt)* and tanker *HOUSANTONIC (UK 5559 grt)* were sunk by the LW in 59-39N, 7-24W from convoy OB.287. The entire crew was rescued from GRACIA. Three crew from tanker HOUSANTONIC were lost.









_SS GRACIA (left) and Tkr HOUSANTONIC (Right)_
RN Sub TIGRIS sank steamer JACOBSEN (Vichy 523 grt) off Bayonne and steamer GUILVINEC (Vichy 3181 grt) 60 miles west of St Nazaire.


*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient:U-94 , U-101

At Sea 19 February 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-552. 
13 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
British steamer FULHAM II was damaged by a mine off Tyne Piers. One crewman was lost. The steamer went ashore at Frenchman's Point. The steamer was later refloated and proceeded to Jarrow in tow.

British tanker ATHELSULTAN was damaged by the LW 2 miles 120° from May Island.
The steamer anchored in Methil Roads later that day.

During the night of 19/20 February, British tug QUEENFORTH was damaged by German bombing in King's Dock at Swansea. The tug was not lost but was not raised until early 1942. 

*Northern Waters*
DD ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow from Loch Alsh after duty escorting the MLs in operation SN.68.

DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort troopship AMSTERDAM. However, due to mining in the approaches to Aberdeen, DD ELECTRA was diverted to the Humber for docking and repairs. DD BOADICEA arrived at Scapa Flow from Plymouth to work up. DD QUANTOCK arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up. Sloop PELICAN was damaged by mining 12 miles off Harwich. The sloop was towed to Sheerness and was under repair until 1 December 1941.

CLA DIDO and DDs NAPIER and BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow to escort the BB QUEEN ELIZABETH from Rosyth to Scapa Flow. DD SOMALI, completing boiler cleaning at Rosyth, also later joined the escort. DD ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow from Loch Alsh after duty escorting the MLs in operation SN.68. DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort troopship AMSTERDAM. However, due to mining in the approaches to Aberdeen, DD ELECTRA was diverted to the Humber for docking and repairs. DD BOADICEA arrived at Scapa Flow from Plymouth to work up. DD QUANTOCK arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up. Sloop PELICAN was damaged by mining 12 miles off Harwich. The sloop was towed to Sheerness and was under repair until 1 December 1941.

Sub Lt N. D. M. Parsons and Petty Officer A. Ashby were killed when their Skua of 801 Sqn, en route from Donibristle to St Merryn, crashed in fog at Elidir Fach, near Llanberis.

*West Coast*
CA DEVONSHIRE began refitting at Liverpool which was completed on 22 May.

*SW Approaches*
CLA PHOEBE was detached from convoy WS.6A to refuel at Gibraltar. The cruiser departed that same day and rejoined the convoy

*Channel*
Dutch steamer KARANAN was damaged by the LW six miles sw of Lizard (at the western end of Cornwall). One crewman and two gunners were lost. The steamer was towed to Falmouth.

*Med/Biscay*
RN Sub UPHOLDER made an unsuccessful attack on an Italian steamer SE of Gulf of Gabes.

Operation MC.8
 
Urgent re-supply was required for Malta again and this led to Operation MC.8. This was operation planned to occur in the heartland of Axis controlled territory right into “Bomb Alley”, and was typical of the pugnacious nature of Cunningham to order such an operation right when the Germans were lauding their superiority to the Italians. One is tempted to claim that by the end of it the Italians were almost pleased at the German lack of success. For Operation MC.8 the following British forces were deployed.

CVL EAGLE with a DD screen departed Alexandria to exercise flying prior to the Main Fleet's departure.

Force A was composed of BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, ILEX, HEREWARD, HERO, HASTY, DAINTY, DECOY, departing Alexandria at 1630. EAGLE joined the force at sea. Force A was to cover the operation.

Force B consisting of CLs ORION, GLOUCESTER, AJAX and DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, DIAMOND. 410 Army personnel were embarked on ORION, 374 on AJAX and 657 on GLOUCESTER, mostly AA gunners. Also, carried by this force were 130grt of equipment, 17 Bren carriers and other vehicles, 60 motor cycles, a large quantity of Italian and other guns and ammunition (forced on the ME command because of chronic equipment shortages. A crew for DD IMPERIAL, 20 submarine torpedoes, a number of Maltese ratings, one LL minesweeping gear was carried aboard the ships. Force B departed Alexandria at 1730.

At Malta, AO BRECONSHIRE, steamer CLAN MACAULEY, DDs HOTSPUR and HAVOCK were brought away. These ships departed Malta at dusk on the 20th. CLA COVENTRY joined this force. Despite repeated and heavy attention by the LW and the RA on this group, they safely arrived at Alexandria.

Cruiser COVENTRY, DD HAVOCK, AO BRECONSHIRE arrived at Alexandria after dawn on the 23rd. Steamer CLAN MACAULEY and DD HOTSPUR arrived at Port Said at 1630; HOTSPUR then proceeding to Alexandria.

Force B arrived at Malta at 0630 on the 21st after also having suffered repeated but ineffective attacks from the Axis air assets. After unloading the force departed at 1900 that same night. DD DIAMOND remained at Malta for refitting.

DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN were detached from ForceB during the night of 21/22 February and joined Force A at daylight on the 22nd. On their arrival, DDs DECOY and HEREWARD were detached to Suda Bay. CL GLOUCESTER was detached for Suda Bay on the 22nd as well. Also on the 22nd, DDs DAINTY and HASTY were relieved by RAN DDs STUART and VAMPIRE. The earlier destroyers proceeded to duties off Tobruk. A planned airstrike on Rhodes as a follow on to this operation was cancelled due to bad weather. Force B arrived at Alexandria at 1000 on the 23rd and Force A at 1830.

RAN DD STUART was damaged by the near miss by the LW off Benghazi. She spent no time out of service.

Convoy AC.1 left Benghazi due to air attacks and poor facilities escorted by CLA COVENTRY, corvettes GLOXINIA and HYACINTH, and two trawlers. Both corvettes had been damaged by the explosion of mines in their sweeps. The convoy would be met later in the day by destroyers STUART and VOYAGER, and arrived at Tobruk on the 20th. Monitor TERROR remained at Benghazi as an AA guard ship, a role for which she was hardly suitable.

*Nth Atlantic*
In late February to the first week of March, Submarine depot ship FORTH and subs were sent to Halifax. The submarines were to revive the early war practice of assigning a sub to cover HX.convoys. Sube SEVERN arrived at Halifax on the 27th. FNFL sub SURCOUF arrived at Halifax on 3 March. Sub THUNDERBO Lt departed Holy Loch on the 19th and arrived at Halifax on 5 March. Subs PORPOISE, TAKU, TRIBUNE departed the Clyde on 24/25 February. Submarine TAKU broke down en route and returned. Subs PORPOISE and TRIBUNE arrived on 11 March.
Sub TALISMAN departed Holy Loch on 6 March and arrived at Halifax on 26 March. Depot ship FORTH departed Aultbrea on 2 March. RNeN sub O.15, already at Halifax, was also assigned to this Flotilla.

HX.110 departed Halifax. BB RAMILLIES joined the convoy on the 21st. The BB was detached on 3 March. DDs HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS joined the convoy on 6 March as the convoy was entering the high risk area and DD HURRICANE joined on 8 March. DD HARVESTER was detached on 8 March and DDs HESPERUS and HURRICANE on 10 March. ASW trawler HUDDERSFIELD TOWN joined on 8 March and DD HAVELOCK and the trawler were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 March.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 20 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Cloud and strong wind, moderating towards evening.

_1704-1722 hrs_ Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft approaching from the south west. They cross over the Island and fly away over Gozo northwards without launching any attack.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 19 FEBRUARY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Two mines in the entrance to Grand Harbour and two in the entrance to Marsamxetto Harbour were detonated in rough weather, without sweeping. Both harbour entrances are now clear.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland. 

_KALAFRANA _One Sunderland arrived from Gibraltar with distinguished passengers. One Sunderland left for Middle East with distinguished passengers.


* 
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## Njaco (Feb 18, 2016)

*February 19 Wednesday*

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 gain their first victories on the African continent when they pounce on Hurricanes of Australian No. 3 Squadron and shoot down two Hurricanes for a loss of one _Zerstörer_.

British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, Chief of the General Staff John Dill, Commander-in-Chief Middle East General Archibald Wavell, and Mediterranean Fleet chief Admiral Andrew Cunningham met in Cairo, Egypt to discuss diverting forces from North Africa to aid Greece. Under pressure from Eden, General Wavell agrees it can be done while maintaining efforts in Italian East Africa and holding gains made in Libya.

The name German Africa Korps (Deutsches Afrikakorps) was established for German forces in North Africa. Rommel’s Africa Korps patrols begin moving out of Tripoli looking for forward Allied positions in the desert.

South African 1st Infantry Brigade crosses the Juba River at Yonte and captures Jumbo. Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade crosses the Juba River at Mabungo. Kismayu is opened to Allied naval traffic.

Emperor Haile Selassie, who was brought back to Abyssinia in January to help organize resistance to the Italians, arrives at Dangilla along with Wingate's Gideon Force. During the next two weeks they harass the Italian troops around Bahrdar Giorgis and Burye with considerable success. The Italians have four brigades in the area and the Gideon Force is only 1700 strong.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The Swansea Blitz: The Swansea Blitz began, a three-day campaign by German bombers against the port city of Swansea, Wales. The attack began just after 1930 hours. Incendiary bombs as well as high explosives were dropped and the town centre was engulfed in flames. The 17th century grammar school that had stood on Mount Pleasant Hill since 1851 and was the alma mater of Dylan Thomas, Roy Jenkins and Bryan Phillips, took a direct hit and was severely damaged. The science laboratories, gymnasium and workshops survived however and, in keeping with the spirit of the time, teaching was soon resumed for older boys by using rooms in what had been the headmaster's house. Younger boys were relocated to a nearby vacant 'deaf-and-dumb' school building which had evacuated its pupils to the country. This hurriedly improvised arrangement endured until 1949. The headmaster, J. Gray Morgan, was largely responsible for this effort to avoid disrupted schooling but never received appropriate recognition. Hundreds of residents were killed or injured that night and the glow of the fires was seen 75 miles way in Fishguard. Surprisingly, some of Swansea’s oldest buildings, the Castle, Swansea Museum, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery survived but the town’s commercial heart was razed, with the Ben Evans store, which seemed to have supplied everyone with everything for upward of fifty years, was flattened. While the city is bombed, mainly with incendiary canisters, the docks are almost unscathed and nearby oil refineries at Llandarcy are not targeted.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* The Australian 8th Division arrived in Singapore to prepare the region for a possible attack by the Japanese. 22nd Infantry Brigade (2/18th, 2/19th, and 2/20th Battalions) and other elements of General Gordon Bennett's Australian 8th Infantry Division arrive aboard the “_Queen Mary_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German Motor Torpedo Boats S.28, S.101, and S.102 raided the coast of Norfolk, England, sinking British ship “_Algarve_” off Sheringham, killing the entire crew.

British submarine HMS “_Tigris_” sank French ships “_Jacobsen_” and “_Guilvinec_” 60 miles west of Bayonne, France.

At 0818 hours West of Scotland, U-69 sinks British SS “_Empire Blanda_” (36 crew and 3 gunners lost). The U-boat is almost hit by falling debris. At 2222 hours 360 miles Northwest of Ireland, U-103 torpedoes Norwegian MV “_Benjamin Franklin_” in the engine room. All 36 crew abandon ship (7 picked up 7 days later by corvette HMS “_Pimpernel_”, 28 picked up by Egyptian steamer “_Memphis_” but die when she sinks in bad weather 100 miles from the British coast on February 28, 1 picked up by another ship which is then torpedoed). A second torpedo detonates 1700 barrels of acetone, disintegrating the ship.

British vessels “_Gracia_” and “_Housatonic_” in Convoy OB 287 were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft. SS “_Gracia_” was bombed and sunk by a Focke Wulf Fw 200 aircraft. All 48 crew were rescued. The tanker SS “_Housatonic_” was bombed and sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of three crew.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German police are attacked by Jewish Action Group in Amsterdam. The German Grüne Polizei stormed into the Koco ice-cream salon in the Van Woustraat. In the fight that ensued, several police officers were wounded.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek Epirus Army attacks Italian 11th Army west of Klisura.

*NORTH AMERICA:* First shipment of aircraft for American Volunteer Group departs New Jersey by sea for Burma, where planes will be assembled in Rangoon.

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## parsifal (Feb 19, 2016)

*20 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-558
(image source: Diane & Peter Brendt - Ships )





17 ships sunk, total tonnage 93,186 GRT 1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 913 GRT 2 ships damaged, total tonnage 15,070 GRT 1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 6,672 GRT

Sunk on 20 July 1943 in the Bay of Biscay NW of Cape Ortegal, Spain, in position 45.10N, 09.42W, by DCs from a US Liberator (19th A/S Sqn USAAF/F) and a British Halifax a/c (58 Sqn RAF/E). 45 dead and 5 survivors
 
Allied
Fairmile ML149
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
ADMIRAL SCHEER captured *tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt)* and *steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt*) west of Seychilles. The Greek steamer was sunk and her twenty seven man crew was taken prisoner.
(No Image found for the GRIGORIOS C II)







*Steamer FORT MEDINE (UK 5261 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the East Coast. One crewman was lost. FORT MEDINE was an ex-Vichy vessel that had been seized in July 1940, broke in two. Both sections sank. She was on route from Wabana fort Port Talbot with a cargo of iron ore.






*Steamer RIGMOR (UK 1278 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. The entire crew was rescued.






*ASW trawler OUSE (RN 462 grt)* was sunk by a mine at Tobruk. 9 of the crew including the skipper were wounded,. These nine were all that survived, but A/Sub Lt E. P. Ede RNR, Gunner J. Edwards, ten ratings were lost.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel:U-70
Lorient:U-47
 

At Sea 20 February 1941
U-13, U-18, U-19, U-22, U-23, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-48, U-50, U-53 , U-57, U-60,U-61, U-62, U-63 
17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH departed Rosyth, escorted by CLA DIDO and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, NAPIER. She arrived at Scapa on the 21st to work up following her complete modernization.

P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) J W Ridler RNVR and Naval Airman E W E Burton were killed when their Shark aircraft of 755 Sqn crashed near Bristol. A/Sub Lt (A) T.V. Worrall of 809 Sqn was killed when his Fulmar crashed on a training mission NE of Lee (now a suburb of Nth London I believe) .

MSW BRAMBLE was bombed off Harwich. She was repaired in the Thames in four days in February.

MSW trawler MARJORY M HASTIE was mined off the Tyne and went ashore at Whitburn. She was not lost however. The trawler was refloated on 14 March and was brought into the Tyne for repairs.

British trawler SCARBOROUGH was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The trawler was towed back to port with engines disabled.

*Northern Waters*
DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow to meet troopship AMSTERDAM off Aberdeen and escort her to Lerwick. Both ships arrived at Lerwick on the 21st. That evening after unloading had been completed, both ships set course for a return to Aberdeen. Following this duty, ECHO arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.

*West Coast*
OB.289 departed Liverpool. Escort DDs BURNHAM, DOUGLAS, MALCOLM, corvettes MALLOW and PETUNIA, ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY. The trawler was detached the next day. The remainder of the convoy escort, less corvette MALLOW, was detached on the 24th. Corvette MALLOW was detached on the 25th at which time the the convoy dispersed.

*Western Approaches*
British tanker D. L. HARPER was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The tanker was able to continue her voyage and arrived at Halifax on 3 March.

British steamer ST ROSARIO was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches
The steamer was bombed again on the 22nd in 59-40N, 12-40W. The steamer returned to Rothesay Bay.

British steamer ROSENBORG was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The steamer returned to the Clyde taking on water and staying afloat with just her pumps.

*SW Approaches*
HG.54 departed Gibraltar escorted by DD FEARLESS, sloop LEITH,and corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL. Submarine TUNA departed Gibraltar escorting convoy HG.54. DD FEARLESS was detached on the 23rd for refuelling and rejoined on the 25th along with DD FURY. Both DDs and the corvettes were detached that night.

6 steamers from convoy SLS.64 departed Funchal and joined the convoy. On 6 March, DDs BROKE, VANITY, WOLSEY, SALADIN and corvette ABELIA joined the convoy.

The convoy arrived at Holy Loch on 9 March, and then pushed on to arrived at Liverpool on 12 March with the four DDs, sloop LEITH and corvette ABELIA.

*Channel*
DDs INTREPID, IMPULSIVE, ICARUS, escorted by DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING, JACKAL, laid minefield GS in the English Channel.

British tkr BRITISH SPLENDOR was damaged by the LW 1 mile sth of Black Hd, near Lizard (Cornwall).
3 March.

*Med/Biscay*
RN sub REGENT attacked a convoy composed of German transports ARTA, HERAKLEA, MENES, and MARTIZA, which departed Naples on the 21st for Tripoli escort RM DDs FRECCIA, SAETTA, and TURBINE. REGENT torpedoed transport MENES, but while damaged, she did not sink. REGENT was damaged in the counterattack by DD SAETTA but managed to just escape, and arrived at Malta on 1 March. The transport was taken in tow by DD SAETTA, arriving at Tripoli with the convoy on the 20th.

Convoy AS.15 of six British, twelve Greek, three other ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DDs GREYHOUND and RAN WATERHEN. CALCUTTA was detached from the convoy and arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd, with DD WRYNECK and Port Said with DD GREYHOUND on the 24th. GREYHOUND remained at Port Said for the next northbound convoy.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER took over convoy US 9 composed of steamers AQUITANIA, MAURETANIA, NIEUW AMSTERDAM from RAN CA CANBERRA 150 miles west of Ceylon, and arrived at Bombay on the 22nd. The cruiser departed Bombay on the 22nd to search off the Maldives for German heavy cruiser ADMIRAL SCHEER.

Italian AMC RAMB I departed Massawa for Japan.

British steamer DUQUESA, captured by German heavy cruiser SCHEER on 18 December 1940, was scuttled on the 20th at Mogadishu.

Convoy BS.16 departed Suez. The convoy was joined on the 21st by DD KINGSTON and sloops FLAMINGO and HINDUSTAN. Sloop FLAMINGO was detached on the 23rd. The convoy was dispersed on the 25th.

Convoy BA.1 departed Bombay, escorted by AMC ANTENOR, and arrived at Aden. The ships of the convoy joined convoy WS.5B and proceeded to Suez.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 21 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Fine; cloudy at times. Wind changed from north west to south east.

_1327-1335 hrs_ Air raid alert for one enemy Heinkel 111 escorted by six ME 109 fighters which cross the north coast and circle the Island at great height. Hurricanes are scrambled and the raiders recede without launching any attack.

_1658-1800 hrs_ Air raid alert for six ME 109 fighters which approach and circle the Island; Hurricanes are airborne and no raid materializes.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY HMS Breconshire _and _HT Clan Macaulay_ sailed for Alexandria at dusk escorted by _Hotspur_and _Havock_. These two destroyers have completed damage repairs and have been fitted with bow protection gear for use in special operations.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Sunderland. _0535-1558 hrs _Sunderland reconnaissance of enemy shipping east of Aqtam. Maryland photoreconnaissance of Taranto. Maryland reconnaissance of Messina returned due to low clouds. 

_KALAFRANA _One Sunderland 10 Squadron left for Gibraltar and UK with passengers and mail.

_LUQA 69 Squadron_One Maryland photoreconnaissance Taranto; one Maryland photoreconnaissance Straits of Messina prevented by low cloud.

* 

*


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## parsifal (Feb 20, 2016)

*21 February 1941
Losses*
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER sank *steamer CANADIAN CRUISER (UK 7148 grt)* about 500 miles E. of Zanzibar. The entire crew was taken prisoner

*ASW trawler LINCOLN CITY (RN 398 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Thorshavn. During this attack ASW trawler LEICESTER CITY shot down a LW bomber.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 21 February 1941

U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-552.

15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
DD BOADICEA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to carry out repairs to her boilers. The DD arrived at Rosyth on the 22nd and was under repair until 3 March. DD CLARE, which departed Plymouth on the 20th, was damaged in a collision with British steamer PETERTOWN. CLARE arrived at Plymouth on the 22nd. The destroyer was repairing and converting to a long range escort until 14 October 1941 at Portsmouth.

The LW attacked the British facilities at Skaalefjord. These facilities included British oiler WAR PINDARI and oil facilities.

Submarine CACHALOT was on patrol off Vestfjord.

*Med/Biscay*
BB WARSPITE was docked at Alexandria for refit. The BB was undocked on the 24th.

Submarine URSULA attacked a convoy of with steamers SABBIA (FI 5788grt) and SILVIA TRIPCOVICH (FI 2365 grt), which departed Trapani on the 21st escorted by TB MONTANARI. Submarine URSULA damaged Italian steamer SABBIA, however, the submarine was damaged in the counterattack. Steamer SILVIA TRIPCOVICH continued, unescorted. Steamer SABBIA, accompanied by torpedo boat MONTANARI, arrived at Tripoli on the 24th.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN arrived at Gibraltar with French steamer FORT RICHEPANSE (3485grt), which she had captured in 30-47N, 18-59W on the 9th.

BB MALAYA relieved Force H escorting convoy WS.6A and remained with the convoy until 1 March when the convoy arrived at Freetown. Convoy WS.6B joined at Freetown. On 3 March, the convoy departed Freetown escorted by CLA PHOEBE and CL BIRMINGHAM and AMC CATHAY. CATHAY was relieved by CA CORNWALL on 11 March. Sent ahead as a fast section, steamers SCYTHIA, ALMANZORA, BERGENSFJORD, LLANGIBBY CASTLE, RUAHINE arrived at Capetown on 21 March. They departed after watering for Durban on 22 March, escorted by CLA PHOEBE. The section arrived at Durban on 26 March, and arrived at Capetown on 22 March. The Capetown convoy sailed on 27 March escorted by CA DORSETSHIRE.


On 1 April, the Durban section sailed escorted by CA CORNWALL and CLA PHOEBE. The two sections rendezvoused on 2 April. CA DORSETSHIRE was detached on 7 April to Durban. Steamers LLANDAFF CASTLE and CITY OF ATHENS were detached to Mombasa on 8 April. On 10 April, steamer TALAMBA joined the convoy from the Seychilles escorted by CL GLASGOW. The cruiser remained with the convoy until 13 April. PHOEBE was detached on 10 April. RAN CA CANBERRA was with the convoy on 10 April only. Heavy cruiser CORNWALL was detached on 17 April. At Perim, the convoy dispersed and the ships proceeded independently. CL EMERALD was relieved in convoy WS.5B by CA HAWKINS.
* 
Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CV FORMIDABLE aircraft raided Massawa

*Malta*
Two additional Bns of infantry were transported to malta aboard RN ships.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 22 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Fine.

_0630 hrs _Three Cruisers disembark reinforcements including 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment and 1st Bn Hampshire Regiment.

_1134-1155 hrs_ Air raid alert for six enemy bombers escorted by ten ME 109 fighters which approach the Island from the north and circle to the south east at 23000 feet. Eight Hurricane fighters are scrambled. In response, six of the enemy aircraft dive and make a half-hearted attack on the Hurricanes but then withdraw. No bombs are dropped.

_1407-1412 hrs_ Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which crosses the coast and is engaged by anti-aircraft fire before retreating. No bombs are dropped.

_1850-1910 hrs_ Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_1955-2016 hrs_ Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft which crosses the Island and is engaged by anti-aircraft fire, then retreats without launching any attack.


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## parsifal (Feb 21, 2016)

*22 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
RaumBoats R-66, R-67, R-68 and R-69






S-Boat S-40 




_The similar "S 33" in Venice 1944 - Picture: Archives Thomas Bethke_

Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler HMT MAZURKA(T 30)

Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML 200 

BPB 60’ types MTB 332
 
U Class Submarine HMS UNION (N 56)
_UNION spent much of her short career operating in the Mediterranean, where she sank the Italian merchant PIETRO QUERINI Her success was short-lived however. UNION sailed from Malta at 1 o’clock on the morning of 14 July 1941 with orders to intercept a convoy nth of Tripoli the following day. On 20 July 1941 she was sunk with all hands during an attack on the convoy by the RM TB CIRCE. When she failed to return to Malta she was reported overdue on 22 July 1941_

*Losses*
U.96 sank *tanker SCOTTISH STANDARD (UK 6999 grt),* which was straggling behind convoy OB.287 after being damaged by LW Condors on the 20th. She sank in the Western Approaches. Five crew were lost on the tanker. The survivors were rescued by DD MONTGOMERY.






*Sub MARCELLO (RM 1043 grt)* was sunk west of the Hebrides by DD MONTGOMERY. Also in the escort group with MONTGOMERY were DD HURRICANE and corvette PERIWINKLE.







U.108 sank *steamer TEXELSTROOM (NL 1617 grt)* just sth of Iceland. There were no survivors from the crew of 25. . 






DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER sank *steamer RANTAU PANDJANG (NL 2542 grt) *in the Sth Atlantic. Two crew were lost and the rest were taken prisoner. A Walrus from CL GLASGOW sighted SCHEER and the Admiralty ordered all British units to converge on that location in an attempt to sink SCHEER. CVL HERMES and CL CAPETOWN came out from Mombasa. RAN CA AUSTRALIA and RN CA HAWKINS were detached from convoy WS.5 B. CL EMERALD recently detached from convoy WS.5 B. RAN CA CANBERRA was released from convoy US 9 after being relieved by CL LEANDER. CA SHROPSHIRE was called from patrol to the south of SCHEER. CL ENTERPRISE was called from patrol to the north of SCHEER. However, SCHEER was able to lose the seaplane and, with the aid of close monitoring by B Dienst listening services escaped back into the South Atlantic. The search was called off on the 24th


Off Newfoundland, DKM BC GNEISENAU and SCHARHORST attacked dispersed convoy OB 285 and one ship from dispersed convoy OB286





_The Scharnhorst, on 6 March 1941, seen from the German submarine U-124 in the Atlantic during Operation "Berlin"._


Steamer TRELAWNEY (UK 4689grt) in 47-12N, 40-13W
*



*



*Tanker HARLESDEN (UK 5483grt)* in 47-12N, 40-18W, 
*



*
_Crewmembers of one of the engaged merchant ships (believd to be HARLESDEN) during Operation "Berlin" is taken on board the GNEISENAU._


*British steamer KANTARA (3237grt)* in 47-12N, 40-13W
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer A. D. HUFF (UK 6219 grt)* in 47-12N, 40-13W from dispersed convoy OB.286.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

One crewman was killed ON THE TRELAWNEY and the rest were taken prisoner. Seven crew were lost on HARLESDEN and the rest were taken prisoner. The entire crew of the KANTARA were made prisoners. Two crew were killed and the rest taken prisoner from A. D. HUFF.

DKM BC SCHARNHORST also sank *tanker LUSTROUS (UK 6156 grt)* in 47-12N, 40-13W. All crew from LUSTROUS were taken prisoner.





* 
UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen:U-147
Kiel: U-74
Lorient: U-99, U-105

At Sea 22 February 1941
U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-147, U-552.

18 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*

German minelayers BRUMMER, COBRA, KONIGIN LUISE and escorted by the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla from Bergen laid minefield SWINE between the Shetlands and Korsfjord.

*Northern Waters*
 
CL AURORA, arrived at Scapa Flow with British transports QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX from the Clyde. Later that evening, AURORA departed Scapa Flow carrying AA guns and four gun crews from BB NELSON to strengthen the AA defenses at Skaalefjord.

DD AVON VALE departed Greenock for Scapa Flow to work up. 

*Western Approaches*
British steamer KINGSTON HILL was damaged by long range LW airstrikes in the Western Approaches. The steamer arrived at Loch Ewe under tow on the 25th.

British steamer KEILA (3621grt) was damaged by LW long range airstrikes in the Western Approaches. The steamer reached the Clyde under her own power.

*Channel*
DD ICARUS, escorted by DDs BERKELEY, TYNEDALE, VANSITTART, laid minefield JK in the English Channel.

British tanker LUXOR (6554grt) was damaged by German bombing at Swansea.

*Med/Biscay*
 
*Monitor TERROR (RN 8000 grt)* was damaged by the near miss of an air bomb off Benghazi at dawn. As the monitor was leaving Benghazi for Tobruk, she was damaged by striking two mines. The monitor was further damaged at 1825 on the 23rd in an Italian air attack. MSW FAREHAM and corvette SALVIA attempted to tow the monitor. DDs DAINTY and HASTY were sent to her assistance, but DD HASTY never made contact. DD DAINTY, delayed by defects, was unable to leave Tobruk until 0530. The monitor sank at 0415 on the 24th off Derna. There were no casualties. The crew were taken onboard corvette SALVIA and MSWs FAREHAM. RAN CL PERTH was sailed at 0330 from Alexandria to assist. CL AJAX and DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN were also to depart Alexandria on the 24th to support monitor TERROR. However, when word of the monitor's loss, the sailing was cancelled. There were no casualties in the loss of the monitor. After the event, the loss was credited to FKX Ju88s. Her loss was a hard blow to the efficiency of the Inshore Squadron as far as support to the land operations in Cyrenaica. TERROR was, by displacement, the largest warship sunk in the Med by Ju-88s during the entire war.





Polish ship WARSAWA, British steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA, armed boarding vessel CHAKLA arrived at Tobruk with stores and personnel. At Tobruk, ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA was damaged in a collision with a lighter.
 
Submarine REGENT unsuccessfully attacked Italian shipping off Tripoli.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 23 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Fine.

_0717-0800 hrs; 1127-1132 hrs_ Air raid alert; raids do not materialise.

_1400-1425 hrs_ Air raid alert for three ME 109 fighters which cross the coast and circle over Grand Harbour at 15000 feet. Hurricanes are scrambled but the Messerschmitts recede without making an attack before the Malta fighters can reach sufficient height to attack them. 

_1600 hrs _A mine is spotted floating in the water in Ghain Tuffieha Bay. The beach defence position is evacuated.

_0455-0555 hrs_ Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which circle over the Island for an hour without dropping any bombs. The raiders are engaged by Ack Ack_._
* 
*


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## Njaco (Feb 21, 2016)

*February 20 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *Kommodore Mölders of JG 51 shoots down two RAF Spitfires to bring his score to fifty-eight victories. Hans-Joachim Marseille returned to his unit at Berck-sur-Mer, France after a period of rest at home.


At his airfield, Heinz Pohland of I(J)./LG 2 is killed in a flying accident. He had five victories in the air battles against the Allies.


*INDIAN OCEAN:* German heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” sank Greek steamer “_Grigorios C II_” (27 survivors were taken prisoner) and captured British tanker “_British Advocate_” west of the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. “_Advocate_” was to be sent to France as a prize ship.


Italian ship “_Eritrea_”, Italian armed merchant cruisers “_Ramb I_” and “_Ramb II_”, and German supply ship “_Coburg_” broke out of Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa and sailed into the Indian Ocean. “_Ramb I_” and “_Ramb II”_ were ordered to sail east to raid Allied shipping in the Pacific Ocean.


*UNITED KINGDOM: *Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies arrived in Britain for talks with Winston Churchill.


The Swansea Blitz: German Luftwaffe bombed Swansea, Wales, for the second consecutive night with 64 aircraft. The docks and industrial works of Cardiff and Swansea made them obvious targets but there were attacks elsewhere too. Ordinance factories, oil installations, mining towns and even rural communities were bombed by orchestrated attacks, lost planes or those just eager to lose their cargo before flying home. Even Caernarfonshire, which was near the flightpath of bombers heading to Liverpool, saw five deaths in bombing raids over the course of the war. MediaBox - The Three Night Blitz


The first Beaufighter IF figher (X7540) built at Bristol's new factory at Weston-super-Mare, England, was completed.


*NORTH AFRICA:* The German Africa Korps made contact with British patrols for the first time in North Africa, near El Agheila between Benghazi and Tripoli in Libya.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French forces began attacking toward Cub Cub. In a preliminary operation, the 3rd Chad Battalion captured the ridge covering the entrance into the Cub Cub valley.


*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Regent_” attacked German ships “_Arta_”, “_Heraklea_”, “_Menes_”, and “_Martiza_” carrying German Afrika Korps troops from Naples, Italy to Tripoli escorted by Italian destroyers “_Freccia_”, “_Saetta_”, and “_Turbine_”. “_Menes_” was damaged by a torpedo hit but was able to be towed to Tripoli. “_Saetta_” counterattacked HMS “_Regent_”, causing damage.


Greece rejected a German offer to mediate in the Greco-Italian War. Greek Epirus Army attacks Italian 11th Army west of Klisura.


*NORTH AMERICA: *President Roosevelt signed legislation establishing a new Coast Guard Reserve patterned after the Navy Reserve.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British vessel “_Scottish Standard_” was damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft northwest of Scotland. British vessel “_Rigmor_” was sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.


.


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## Njaco (Feb 21, 2016)

*February 21 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *The Swansea Blitz: Wales, Cardiff and Swansea were again subject to the most sustained attacks during the last night of the Swansea Blitz from 1950 hours until after midnight. When it was all over, over the course of the three-day attack, thirty-thousand bombs were dropped; 575 business premises burnt out; 282 houses demolished and 11,084 damaged. 227 people were killed, 37 of them under the age of 16. At the height of the Swansea blitz one woman, when asked where her husband was, replied;


> 'He is in the army, the coward'.




*NORTH AFRICA: *British aircraft carrier HMS “_Formidable_”, in the Red Sea awaiting transit through the Suez Canal while it was swept for mines, launched 7 Albacore aircraft to attack the harbor of Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, causing little damage.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French forces attacked Italian 112th Colonial Battalion at Cub Cub. The Commander of the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade ordered Cubcol to move via Wadi Athara to the south of the Cub Cub positions and cut their lines of communication. Two companies from Chad Battalion were to get behind the Italians' right flank. The remainder of that battalion was to attack frontally; all objectives were to be reached by 1000 hours. The attack of the Chad Battalion was fiercely pressed home, but the Italian resistance proved too strong. Cubcol lost its way, going too far east and south, and then ran out of petrol.


The Afrika Korps, newly arrived in Libya, launch their first probing attacks against the unpleasantly surprised British Army at El Agheila.


South African 1st Infantry Brigade advanced toward Jelib from the south while Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade advanced toward Jelib from the north.


*INDIAN OCEAN: *German heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” sank British ship “_Canadian Cruiser_” 575 miles west of the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean. Before being taken prisoner, the crew radioed for help, which was received by British cruiser HMS “_Glasgow_”.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British antisubmarine trawler HMT “_Lincoln City_” shot down a German bomber but was then bombed and sunk at Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, a constituent country of Denmark, killing 8.


*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Ursula_” attacked an Italian convoy it was en route between Trapani, Sicily and Tripoli, Italy. Italian ship “_Sabbia_” was damaged, but “_Ursula_” was damaged after being counterattacked by Italian torpedo boat “_Montanari_”.


In Italy, Mussolini imposes a 50 per cent cut in rations of olive oil, cooking fats and butter.


*EASTERN EUROPE: *Agent Dora reports to Stalin from Switzerland that Germany will invade Soviet Union in May.


Changes in the Central Committee of the Communist Party are announced in Russia. Among those to be dismissed are the former ambassador to the United States, Maxim Litvinov.


*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.


*NORTH AMERICA:* Sir Frederick Banting, discoverer of insulin treatment for diabetics and Nobel Prize winner, killed in air crash whilst flying to England; aged 49.

.


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## Njaco (Feb 21, 2016)

*February 22 Saturday*
*INDIAN OCEAN: *German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” sank Dutch collier “_Rantau Pandjang_” off the east coast of Africa. Distress signals were received by British cruiser HMS “_Glasgow_”, which was already aware of “_Admiral Scheer's_” presence by the sinking of British ship “_Canadian Cruiser_” on the previous day. HMS “_Glasgow_” launched her seaplane to search for the German raider, but the aircraft would return without any findings. HMS “_Hermes_” was ordered to search for German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” in the Indian Ocean. British warships will search the area fruitlessly until February 25 while “_Admiral Scheer_” slips away to the South around the Cape of Good Hope, reaching the South Atlantic on March 1.


*WESTERN FRONT:* Revenge for the attacks on Amsterdam police on February 19 and other fights came when a large scale pogrom was undertaken by the Germans. 425 Dutch Jewish men, age 20-35 were taken hostage and imprisoned in Kamp Schoorl and eventually sent to the Buchenwald and Mauthausen concentration camps, where most of them died within the year. Out of 425, only two survived.


RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” attacked convoy OB 283 of unescorted empty cargo ships en route to the United States, sinking three British cargo ships and two tankers, totaling 25,431 tons. 10 were killed and 180 were taken prisoner. British vessels “_Trelawny_”, “_Harlesden_”, “_Kantara_” and “_Lustrous_” were sunk by the two battlecruisers. German battle cruiser “_Gneisenau_” sinks Canadian merchant ship “_A.D. Huff”_ east of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Two die, and 37 are taken prisoner.


Italian submarine “_Marcello_” sunk by RN destroyer “_Montgomery_” (recently transferred from the US Navy in the ‘destroyers for bases’ deal).


British vessel “_Scottish Standard_”, damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft on 20 February, was sunk by U-96. Dutch vessel “_Texelstroom_” was sunk by U-108.


*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Canvas: 11th and 12th African Divisions attacked Italian defenses at Jilib from Kismayu (South) and Afmadow (West). They defeat 30,000 Italian and colonial troops (many colonials down arms and disappear into the bush) to capture the road junction and open the way to Mogadishu. Italian forces unsuccessfully attacked the Nigerian 23rd Infantry Brigade at Mabungo. HMS “Shropshire” bombards Barawa, on the coast between Kismayo and Mogadishu.


South African 2nd Infantry Brigade captures Moyale on the Ethiopian border.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French forces attacked the Italian 112th Colonial Battalion at Cub Cub. The Commander of the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade was able to put into battle the battery from the 25 Field Regiment and the carriers and Anti-Tank Platoon of 4/16 Punjab. The determined attack of the Chad Battalion, thus reinforced, and finally the belated arrival of Cubcol at Cub Cub from the south-west broke the Italian resistance.


Luftwaffe bombers drop mines in the Suez Canal and attacked shipping at Benghazi.


*MEDITERRANEAN:* Greek King George II and Commander-in-Chief General Alexander Papagos met with British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and General Archibald Wavell in Athens, Greece, designing a defense plan that assumed Yugoslavia would remain neutral. The conference agreed on the risky decision to send a British expeditionary force to Greece


British monitor HMS “_Terror_” was spotted at about noon by a German Ju-88 aircraft off the Libyan coast. 5 Ju-88 aircraft were launched from Sicily, Italy at 1533 hours, and they intercepted HMS “_Terror_” 10 miles north of Derna, Libya at 1830 hours. Heavily damaged by near misses, HMS “_Terror_” was abandoned by her crew at 2200 hours. Minesweeper HMS “_Fareham_” and corvette HMS “_Salvia_” attempted to tow her back to port, but this effort would ultimately fail.


*EASTERN EUROPE:* Filipp Golikov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the first time. Dmitry Pavlov was promoted to the rank of General of the Army.


Demonstrations were held in several cities in Bulgaria protesting the German presence in the country.


*UNITED KINGDOM:* Seventeen Luftwaffe aircraft bombed the docks and industrial installations at Hull. They dropped thirty-two tonnes of HE (thirty-three bombs and mines), - twelve people were reported killed. A German aircrew reported that in one explosion, a large fire followed the detonation of a 'B' type mine, and another crew reported seeing a large explosion and a subsequent fire. Thirty minutes after the attack, four people were killed and a large UXB, believed to be a 1,800 kg bomb caused road closure problems. Strangely, only five parachute mines were reported in the North-East Region, whereas German records indicate that seventeen were dropped altogether. There was extensive damage in Rowlston Grove. A UXB near the railway crossing was not recovered. Four people were killed and four seriously injured.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 22, 2016)

*23 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Soviet M (Malyutka) class Sub M-36

*Losses*
Submarine UPRIGHT sank *steamer SILVIA TRIPCOVICH (FI 2365 grt)* off Kuriat Island





Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived from Western Patrol with s*teamers PLM 13 (Vichy 4500 grt (est))* and *LORIENT (Vichy 5000 grt (est)* whom she had captured on the 18th.

Convoy OB-288
A German Kondor a/c sighted dispersed convoy OB.288 late on the 22nd and again on the 23rd. This sighting led U.boats to the convoy, with most of the attacks occurring in the early hours of the 24th February.

U-boats U73, U69, U96, U107, U552, U97 and two RM boats, BARBARIGO and BIANCHI, after being alerted by the first sighting had lost contact on the evening of the 22nd, and had set up a new patrol line ahead of the convoys most likely course. During the 23rd, further reports were received from KG 40 (some sources do not state this) but in any event the U96, U69 and U107 had reacquired contact with the convoy, which had turned nth to try and shake off their pursuers. At this point the convoy spacing was ordered to close up, but without proper escort this was probably a bad idea.

On the night of 23-24 February, as the convoy had reached its dispersal point and they all took course for their various destinations, A pack of 6 boats, U69, U73, U95, U96, U107 and BIANCHI fell upon the unescorted merchantmen. U96, first sighted the convoy at 2346 hrs on the 23rd, when she was steaming at 9 knots on a NW heading. At 0020 hrs on the morning of the 24th, U96 ran into the attack and fired one torpedo which struck the SIRIKISHINA on her port side amidships, whereupon she stopped and blew off steam, and her master ordered the crew to abandon ship.

In all, OB288 lost 10 ships sunk by U-boats and 2 damaged by aircraft out of the 42 ships that had started out. No ships were lost from this convoy whilst it was under RN escort, but that is small comfort to the men who suffered through this devastating attack

U.107 and Italian submarine BIANCHI sank *ocean boarding vessel MANISTEE (RN 5360 grt)*, At 2242 hrs on 23 Feb 1941,U-107 fired a spread of two torpedoes at HMS MANISTEE sth of Iceland and scored a hit in the engine room. The ship had escorted OB-288 until it was dispersed at 2100 hrs the same day. She was also attacked by the RM sub BIANCHI, which fired a torpedo at 2256 hrs, claimed a hit in the stern from a distance of 600 metres and then continued to chase other ships of the convoy.

At 2258 hrs, U-107 fired two coups de grace that missed because the ship changed course. Also a stern torpedo fired at 2342 hrs missed because it was a surface-runner. The U-boat began a long chase of the zigzagging ship and fired two torpedoes at 0758 hrs on 24 February. One of them hit in the stern and caused the ship to sink. DD HMS CHURCHILL was ordered to search for survivors, but found none. The commander, 18 officers and 122 ratings were lost.





*MV MARSLEW (UK 4542 grt) * Sunk by U-69 (Metzler); Crew: 36 (13 dead and 23 survivors) Cargo: mixed Route: Glasgow to Argentina Convoy: OB-288 (dispersed) Sunk in the Western Approaches; At 2339 hrs the unescorted MARSLEW, dispersed from the convoy OB -288, was hit on the starboard side amidships in the boiler room by one G7e torpedo from U-69 about 265 miles WNW of Rockall. The explosion immediately broke the ship in two, its bow and stern raising slowly with the forepart sinking first after approximately 30 minutes and the stern sinking after floating vertically for a while. The master and twelve crew members were lost. 21 crew members and two gunners got into the boats and were picked up by the British steam merchant EMPIRE CHEETAH from the same dispersed convoy and were landed at Philadelphia on 11 March.





*Steamer HUNTINGDON (NZ 10,946 grt)* from convoy OB.288 in 58-25N, 20-23W. The entire crew was rescued by Greek steamer PAPALEMOS of the convoy. The ship was torpedoed 2.35 am 24 February by RM submarine BIANCHI. The explosion blowing a great hole on the port side of No1 hold. She settled by the head the crew mustered at boat stations, The master ordered abandon ship, lifeboats pulled clear and waited, the weather was bitterly cold and snowing. The attacking sub then fired a second torpedo at 0312 hrs the explosion causing the ship to break in two, she sank in ten minutes. Some sources credit this kill to the U-96 but ther3e are no details of the attack and KTB BDU diary is silent on the claim.





U.69 sank *steamer TEMPLE MOAT (UK 4427 grt)*, which was straggling behind convoy OB.288, in 59-27N, 20-20W. Uboat Net says the victor was U-95. Most sources say otherwise





U.95 sank *steamers CAPE NELSON (UK 3807 grt) *from convoy OB.288 in 59-30N, 21-00W. The UBoat also claimed damaging another ship, but no confirmation is available. At 0046 hrs on 24 Feb the unescorted CAPE NELSON, dispersed from convoy OB-288, was hit by a torpedo from U-95 and sank by the bow within 7 mins SW of Iceland. The master and three crew members were lost. 34 crew members were picked up by the British steam merchant HARBEWTON and landed at Halifax on 4 March.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-96 hit and sank and *MV ANGLO PERUVIAN (UK 5457 grt).* Of the 46 crew, 17 were lost. She was carrying a load of coal for export at the time of her loss. At 2327 hrs on 23 Feb 1941 the ANGLO PERUVIAN, dispersed from convoy OB-288 the same day, was hit by two torpedoes from U-96 broke in two and sank within 3 minutes SW of Iceland. The master, 26 crew members and two gunners were lost. 17 crew members were picked up by the British merchant HARBERTON and landed at Halifax on 4 March.






Uboat Net credits U-95 with the sinking of *MV SVEIN JARL (Nor 1902 grt)*, but the claim is only probable. The ship was lost however. The entire crew of 22 was lost in this attack. The ship was empty at the time of her loss. At 0027 hrs on 24 Feb 1941, U-95 fired one torpedo at a ship from the dispersed convoy OB-288 and missed the intended target, but Schreiber (the U-95 skipper) thought that he hit another ship beyond. This is not confirmed from Allied reports. At 0028 hrs, the U-boat fired a second torpedo and observed a hit in the stern of a ship and its sinking. The victim was probably SVEIN JARL which was reported missing after the convoy had been dispersed. The master and 21 crew members were lost.





*Steamer LINARIA (UK 3385 grt)* was hit and sunk by U-96. At 0116 hrs on 24 Feb 1941 the unescorted LINARIA was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-96 and sank by the stern about 265 miles south of Reykjavik, Iceland. The ship had been reported missing in approx. 61°N/25°W after being dispersed from convoy OB-288. The master, 32 crew members and two gunners were lost. There were no survivors






U-96 sank the *MV SIRIKISHINA (UK 5458 grt);* At 0020 hrs on the morning of the 24th, U96 ran into the attack and fired one torpedo which struck the SIRIKISHINA on her port side amidships, whereupon she stopped and blew off steam, and her master ordered the crew to abandon ship. Although taking a list, the SIRIKISHINA was still afloat over an hour later. The skipper of the U-96 decided to launch another attack. However, U96 had to strike down another torpedo from the upper deck since all those stowed below had been expended. This operation took quite some time, and it was not until 0636 hrs that the second torpedo was fired, which hit the starboard side amidships, whereupon she broke in two, and sank. From the crew of 32, no-one survived
(Source: http://web.onetel.com/~tanyahemmings/page2.html )






*Steamer SHOAL FISHER (UK 698 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 50-10N, 4-50W. The entire crew was rescued and taken to Falmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


U-73 sank *Steamer WAYNEGATE (UK 4260 grt)* whilst outbound fully laden with coal. All 41 of the crew managed to survive. At 0419 hrs on 24 Feb 1941 the unescorted WAYNEGATE, dispersed from convoy OB-288, was hit on the starboard side between #1 and #2 bulkhead by one torpedo from U-73 sth of Iceland. The U-boat had spotted two ships from the recently dispersed convoy during snow squalls and at 0351 hrs fired one torpedo on the second ship, the WAYNEGATE. This torpedo proved to be a dud, so a second torpedo was fired that hit. The crew immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboat as she quickly settled by the head. At 0438 hrs, the U-boat fired one G7e torpedo as coup de grace to assure the sinking. The ship sank by the bow five minutes after being hit on the starboard side in #2 hold. The lifeboats were about 100 feet away and were missed by a plate from the ship’s side blown away by the second explosion. The Germans left without questioning the crew in an attempt to catch the other ship. The master, 38 crew members and two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and two machine guns) were picked up after about six hours by FNFL DD LEOPARD and landed at Greenock on 28 February.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Helgoland: U-74

Departures
Lorient: U-124

At Sea 23 February 1941
U-46, U-47, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552.
19 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD BRILLIANT departed Scapa Flow to meet submarine SUNFISH off Bell Rock and escort her to Scapa Flow. DD BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow on the 24th to reinforce the submarine escort. The ships arrived at Scapa Flow late on the 24th.

British tanker WAR PINDARI was unsuccessfully attacked by the LW at Skaalefjord.

*West Coast*
OB.290 departed Liverpool, escort DDs VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, sloops ENCHANTRESS and WESTON, corvettes CAMPANULA and PIMPERNEL. The escort, less sloop WESTON, was detached on the 26th. On the 27th, sloop WESTON was detached at which time the convoy dispersed.

*Med/Biscay*
German merchant ships ANKARA, REICHENFELS, KYBFELS and MARBURG departed Naples for Tripoli escorted by RM DDs AVIERE and GENIERE and TB CASTOR just before sunset on the 23rd. The convoy was covered by RM CLs BANDE NERE and DIAZ with DDs ASCARI and CORAZZIERE also in the distant cover force.

The CLs also covered a return convoy of steamers ARTA, NIRVO, GIOVINEZZA, which departed Tripoli before dawn on the 24th close escort TB PAPA.

British steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA and Egyptian steamer STAR OF MEX departed Tobruk for Alexandria with personnel.

Greek submarine NEREUS reported sinking an Italian transport off Valona in 40-07N, 18-57E. There is no confirmation of this

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.111 departed Halifax, escort AMC AURANIA and corvette COLLINGWOOD. The corvette was detached the next day. The AMC left the escort on 7 March. On 8 March, DD BEVERLEY and corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA joined the escort. DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, WOLVERINE joined on 10 March and corvette CAMELLIA was detached, and arrived at Liverpool on 12 March.

*Central Atlantic*
BB RESOLUTION departed Gibraltar, escort DDs JERSEY, JUPITER, DUNCAN, VELOX, for Portsmouth. DDs DUNCAN and VELOX returned to Gibraltar. DD WRESTLER arrived at Gibraltar after refitting in England.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 24 FEBRUARY 1941

*Weather *Fine.

*0700-0715 hrs* Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which cross the coast over Grand Harbour and then retreat without launching any attack.

*1017-1055 hrs* Air raid alert for four JU 88 bombers escorted by five ME 109 fighters which approach the Island from the east, cross the coast over Delimara and drop bombs 60 yards from a gun position and on the Hal Far road at Benghaisa. They are engaged by Ack Ack: no claims. Eight Hurricane fighters are scrambled and come within sight of the raiders, who swing away west and then north. Anti aircraft guns also engage and one gun position reports two aircraft smoking badly as they retreat. 

*Enemy casualties *Oberfahrnrich Roman Heil, III/StG 1, pilot, and Gefreiter Heinrich Stamm, III/StG 1, wireless operator of a Junkers JU 87 Stuka shot down, picked up from the sea by RAF Launch and taken prisoner.


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## Njaco (Feb 22, 2016)

*February 23 Sunday*
*GERMANY: *Joachim von Ribbentrop hosted Hiroshi Oshima in his home in Germany, where Ribbentrop attempted to persuade the Japanese ambassador that it was the time for Japan to strike British territories in Asia. Ribbentrop argued that there was little worry regarding the United States as American possessions in Asia could be bypassed easily, but should the Americans decide to go to war, the Japanese Navy was vastly superior to the US Navy.


Gefr. Anton “Toni” Hafner is posted to 6./JG 51.


*MEDITERRANEAN: *In Athens, there is confusion among Greek and British commanders as to the best defense against a German invasion from Bulgaria. Prime Minister Alexandros Korizis of Greece accepted British offer of aid which at this stage is intended to be 100,000 men with suitable artillery and tank support. The Greeks are very reluctant to accept anything less since it would not be enough to fight the Germans off and would only encourage them to attack. But British and Greek commanders debated on the defense strategy against a German invasion through Bulgaria. The Greeks insist on holding the fortified Metaxas Line along their Eastern border with Bulgaria, while the British propose a line further Southwest along the Vermion Mountains and the Haliacmon River. The meeting breaks up without agreement.


Mussolini made a speech at a Fascist rally in Adriano Theatre, Rome in which he admitted that Italy had experienced "gray days" in the war so far. He attempted to minimize the disastrous Italian campaigns in Greece and North Africa but maintained that such things happen "in all wars". He lists 10 reasons why Britain cannot win the war and that;


> "..the final result will be Axis victory…. We shall fight to the last drop of our blood!"




British monitor HMS “_Terror_” sank off the Libyan coast at 0420 hours after receiving fatal damage from German aircraft on the previous day.


British submarine HMS “_Upright_” sank Italian ship _“Silvia Tripcovich”_ 50 miles off Sfax, Tunisia.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* A German Fw 200 Condor aircraft led German submarines U-69, U-73, U-96, U-107, and U-123 and Italian submarines “_Bianchi_” and “_Barbarigo_” to Allied convoy OB-288 300 miles south of Iceland. Just before midnight, U-69 sank British ship “_Marslew_” (13 killed, 23 rescued) and U-96 sank British ship “_Anglo-Peruvian”_ (29 lost, 17 rescued). U-107 and “_Bianchi_” damaged and chased British ocean boarding vessel HMS “_Manistee_” through the night.


*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Canvas. In Somaliland the main Italian forces defending the line of the Juba River have been defeated. General Cunningham splits his force sending British 12th African Division to march up the Juba River toward the Abyssinian border while the motorized British Nigerian Brigade of the 11th African Division drove up the coastal road toward Mogadishu. 22nd East African Infantry Brigade captures Modun. There is a small Free French landing in Eritrea.


Elements of Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French Brigade d'Orient capture Cub Cub with four hundred and thirty-six Italian prisoners, four guns and a large dump of stores. Cubcol was immediately ordered to advance southwards, as fast as possible. During the night, Chelamet (twenty-five miles south of Cub Cub) was reached before the Italians had time to destroy the Pass. A small column moving from Cub Cub occupied Nacfa without opposition, although Meadowforce, which had reached Madruiet on 17 February, was still held up by the Italians at Debelai Pass. 4 Motor Machine Gun Company (Sudan Defence Force), which had arrived from Khartoum, with one platoon of the Brigade Anti-Tank Company under command, was ordered to pass through Cubcol and take up the pursuit as far as the main Italian positions covering Keren on the north-east. Cubcol was to move in the rear and in support of the 4 Motor Machine Gun Company until relieved by 4/16 Punjab.


Luftwaffe aircraft attacked shipping at Benghazi and attacked Tobruk overnight.


*NORTH AMERICA:* Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg chemically identified the recently discovered new element Plutonium in the 60-inch cyclotron at the University of California at Berkeley, California, United States.


In Washington, officials insist that Britain look after her own interests in the Pacific, not to count on American help.


*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 52 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.


The SS raid on the Jewish Quarter of Amsterdam is completed. About 400 Jews are arrested and deported to the concentration camp at Buchenwald in Germany.


*UNITED KINGDOM: *Luftwaffe bombing incidents at scattered points along the North-East coast. Damage was slight and casualties were few. The docks at Hull were claimed to have been attacked by forty-nine bombers, who between 1930 and 2015 hours dropped sixty tonnes of HE (fifty-eight bombs) and 4,608 IBs, the concentration point was the Victoria and Albert Dock. The scene was supposed to have been illuminated by twenty parachute flares but they were made useless by the reflection from low cloud, so few crews bombed visually. Some crews reputedly used the presence of searchlights or barrage balloons as an indication that they were in the target area. During a raid on Sunderland, a bomb fell on a row of terraced houses, claiming seven victims, and rendered motherless an eighteen month old baby who was found practically uninjured, ten hours afterwards in a bedroom from which most of the roof had been blown off. By a curious trick of fate, a six month old baby on the other side of the road was killed. A twelve year old boy lay trapped and injured beneath the debris for four hours before rescue. Thirty people were rendered homeless and seven people were killed. A mine dropped in the Alexandra Dock in Hull exploded at 1202 hours on 26/2/41 and sank the lighters 'Monarch' and 'Brakelu'. The casualties were thirteen killed and twenty-seven seriously injured.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 23, 2016)

*24 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Soviet M class Sub M-?? (unknown or uncertain pennant number)
[NO IMAGE]

Allied
Harbour Defence Motor Launch HDML 1015 (ML 1015)
[NO IMAGE]

Fairmile B Motor Launches ML197 & ML 221
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
Convoy OB 289
3 ships sunk (16,761 tons) and 1 ship damaged (9,718 tons). In addition Axis Uboat accounted for two ships sailing independently

U.123 sank *steamer GROOTEKERK (NL 8685 grt)* in the Atlantic. The entire crew of 66 were lost. Carrying general cargo and coal, she was outward bound to Singapore at the time of her loss. The GROOTEKERK was reported missing after leaving Swansea on 18 February 1941. At that time it was assumed that she had been sunk by the DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU in approx. 56°N/25°W. In fact, U-123 came across GROOTEKERK during the morning of 23 February while heading for the convoy OB-288, but misidentified her as NESTOR or ULYSSES of the Blue Funnel Line. Moehle (the UBoat skipper) began a stern chase of the GROOTEKERK whilst the merchant vessel maintained a tight zigzag course at 14 knots. The Uboat found it difficult to catch the fast transport as the U-boat was only marginally faster. However, after a chase of 9 hours the ship turned Sth and slowed down, giving U-123 the opportunity to fire which he did at 2335 hrs. This torpedo missed, but also the GROOTEKERK failed to notice she was being fired on. At 0053 hrs on 24 February, the U-boat fired a second G7e torpedo that hit the GROOTEKERK after a running time of more than 2 mins. She stopped and was then hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grace at 0105 hrs, which was a surface runner that struck close to the area where the crew was lowering the lifeboats. The ship capsized to starboard and sank after 12 minutes about 330 miles west of Rockall. There were no survivors, all 18 Dutch and 35 Chinese crew members and 13 British passengers were lost.






U.48 sank *steamer NAILSEA LASS (UK 4289 grt)*, which was straggling behind convoy SLS-64, 60 miles SW of Fastnet. Five crew were killed and two were taken prisoner. Twenty nine crew were later rescued. The details of the attack are that at 2143 hrs the NAILSEA LASS, a straggler from convoy SLS-64, was hit under the bridge by one torpedo from U-48 and sank by the bow at 2219 hrs 60 miles SW of Fastnet Rock. Five crew members were lost. The master and the chief officer were taken prisoner, landed at St.Nazaire on 27 February and taken to the German POW camp at Milag Nord. The second officer E.J. Knight and 18 crew members landed at Ballyoughtraugh, Co. Kerry and the third officer and nine crew members near Berehaven, Co. Cork.





U.97 sank *tanker BRITISH GUNNER (UK 6894 grt) *from convoy OB.289. Three crew were lost from the tanker and 41 survived. In ballast and enroute to Aruba, the details of her loss are that at 0624 hrs the BRITISH GUNNER in convoy OB-289 was hit by one G7a torpedo from U97, 270 miles NW of Cape Wrath. Four hours later, Corvette PETUNIA having arrived on the scene ordered the crew to abandon ship, even though the master reported that his ship could be towed to port. Survivors were picked up by the corvette and landed at Stornoway, Hebrides.





U.97 sank from convoy OB.289 *steamer MANSEPOOL (UK 4894grt), T*wo crew were lost on the steamer MANSEPOOL. Outward bound in ballast and enroute to Halifax, the ships had a complement of 41. At 0212 hrs, U-97fired two torpedoes at the convoy OB 289 sw of the Faroe Islands and reported one ship sunk, but in fact both the the MANSEPOOL and JONATHAN HOLT were hit and sunk. Survivors were picked up by the British merchant THOMAS HOLT, later transferred to Corvette PETUNIA, which had earlier rescued 17 other crew members from the same vessel and brought them all to Stornoway.






U-97 also sank *steamer JONATHAN HOLT (UK 4973 grt)*, in 61-10N, 11-55W. 39 crew, two gunners, eleven passengers were lost in this incident..





U.97 damaged Norwegian tanker G. C. BROVIG from convoy OB.289 in 61-04N, 14-24W. The steamer was badly damaged. She arrived at Stornoway on the 26th assisted by Royal Navy units. She was under repair for 3 months at Falmouth, next mentioned in the convoy operations in July 1941. 

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52, U-103

Departures
Helgoland: U-74

At Sea 24 February 1941
U-46, U-47, U-48, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552.
17 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
 
MSW BLACKPOOL was machine gunned by LW a/c off the NE coast of Scotland. The MSW spent no time out of action.

*Northern Waters*
DD KELVIN arrived at Scapa Flow from theTyneto carry out degaussing range trials. Following the trials, the DD departed Scapa Flow that same day for Plymouth. DD ATHERSTONE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth following her work up..

*Channel*
DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE laid minefield GT in the English Channel. MSW trawler ERIMO was seriously damaged by a mine in the approaches to Swansea.

*Med/Biscay*
 
DDs DAINTY and HASTY were leaving Tobruk at dusk when *DD DAINTY (RN 1375 grt) * was sunk in an air attack. The ships were attacked by 13 Ju 88s of III./Lehrgeschwader 1 and DAINTY was hit by a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb which passed through the captain's cabin and detonated in the fuel tanks.This started a conflagaration on the ship that led to her loss. A major fire broke out which then caused her after magazine to explode and the ship to sink. 16 of DAINTY’s crew were killed in the attack and 18 were wounded. 




 
DD HASTY and trawler MARIA GIOVANNI rescued DAINTY's survivors. The DD arrived at Alexandria with 140 survivors, including the Commanding Officer and four officers on the 25th. HASTY was then relieved in the Inshore Squadron by RAN DD WATERHEN, which departed Alexandria on the 26th. 

Italian convoy of troopships ESPERIA, CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, VICTORIA departed Naples escort DDs BALENO and CAMICIA NERA and TB ALDEBARAN. CLs BANDE NERE and DIAZ and DDs ASCARI and CORAZZIERE provided distant cover for the convoy. 

*CL ARMANDO DIAZ (RM 5321 grt),* flagship of Admiral Moriondo, was sunk by RN Sub HMS UPRIGHT on the 25th off Sfax. Submarine UPRIGHT unsuccessfully attacked a destroyer in this force as well. 






*Central Atlantic*
 
DDs ENCOUNTER and ISIS departed Gibraltar for a trip around the Cape to Alexandria to join the Med Flt. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE, en route to Western Patrol, sailed in company. The DDs arrived at Freetown on 3 March. DD ISIS departed Freetown on 5 March for St Helena. The destroyer departed St Helena on 9 March. DD ENCOUNTER departed Freetown on 9 March and joined destroyer ISIS at sea. The DDs arrived at Simonstown on 13 March and departed on 16 March. They arrived at Durban on 18 March and departed on 25 March. The two DDs arrived atMombasaon 29 March and departed on 31 March. DDs ENCOUNTER and ISIS arrived at Aden on 4 April and departed on 5 April. They departed Suez on 8 April and arrived at Alexandria on 9 April. 

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
 
BN.17 departed Suez, escorted by sloop SHOREHAM and RAN sloop YARRA. The convoy was dispersed on the 27th.

Convoy BS.17 departed Suez. Sloops CLIVE and HINDUSTAN joined the convoy on the 25th. The sloops were detached that night. Sloops FLAMINGO and RAN YARRA joined the convoy. The convoy was dispersed on 3 March.

NZ manned CL LEANDER joined a convoy en route from Colombo to Bombay. 

*Pacific/Australia*
 
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland. On the 26th, the cruiser joined convoy AP 13 and escorted it to 450 miles northeast of Chatham Island. The cruiser returned to Wellington arriving on 2 March

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 25 FEBRUARY 1941

*Weather *Fine.

*0748-0821 hrs* Air raid alert for six ME 109 fighters which approach and circle the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled; no engagement,

*0930 hrs *Two Dornier 215s are shot down by fighters. One Malta fighter crashes (cause unknown) but the pilot is saved.

*1204-1220 hrs* Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which cross the coast… no engagement

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 24 FEBRUARY 1941

*AIR HQ *_Departures _2 Sunderland.

*KALAFRANA *One Sunderland left for Middle East. One Sunderland left for Gibraltar with passengers and mail.

*LUQA *_148 Squadron_Nine Wellingtons bombing raid on Tripoli. Flying Officer Green’s aircraft failed to return


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## Njaco (Feb 23, 2016)

*February 24 Monday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Overnight, the German-held port of Brest, France, is bombed by 57 Avro Manchesters of RAF Bomber Command 207 Squadron from Waddington, Lincolnshire. This is the operational debut of the Manchester, the forerunner to the better-known Avro Lancaster.


An open air meeting was held on Amsterdam’s Noordermarkt to organize a strike to protest against the recent pogrom as well as the forced labour in Germany. The Communist Party of the Netherlands, made illegal by the Germans, printed and spread a call to strike throughout the city the next morning.


Admiral Darlan names his Cabinet, including General Huntziger as Minister of War.


*NORTH AMERICA: *Omar Bradley was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general.


The results of a Gallup poll were published asking Americans, "Do you think the United States should try to keep Japan from seizing the Dutch East Indies and Singapore?" 56% said yes, 24% said no, 20% expressed no opinion. A different version of the question asked, "Do you think the United States should risk war with Japan, if necessary, in order to keep Japan from taking the Dutch East Indies and Singapore?" 46% said no, 39% said yes, 15% gave no opinion.


*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian ship “_Sabbia_”, damaged by an unsuccessful attack by British submarine HMS “_Ursula_” three days prior, nearly made it to Tripoli, Libya when she was intercepted and sunk by British submarine HMS “_Regent_”.


Rommel has deployed 3 Italian divisions and part of German 5th Light Division to Sirte on the Libyan coast, 150 West of the Allied defenses at El Agheila, to block any further Allied advances and conduct reconnaissance raids “to acquaint the British with the arrival of the German force”. Reconnaissance elements of the German 5th Light Division with tanks, armored cars, and motorcycles ambushed a British and Australian patrol west of El Agheila, Libya, taking 3 prisoners.


Three German He 111 bombers attacked British destroyers HMS “_Dainty_” and HMS “_Hasty_” in Tobruk harbor, Libya at 1900 hours. HMS “_Dainty_” was sunk by a 500kg bomb, killing 16.


4 Motor Machine Gun Company passed through Cubcol. Armoured car patrols moved ahead of the column and reported a road block at the entrance to the Mescelit Pass.


RAF attacked Tripoli with Wellington bombers flying from Malta.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 300 miles south of Iceland, German submarine U-107 sank British ship HMS “_Manistee_”, killing the entire crew of 141, after a chase since the previous day. German submarines U-95 and U-96 and Italian submarine “_Bianchi_” attacked convoy OB-288 (now dispersed and unescorted), which HMS “_Manistee_” was a part of, sinking 7 merchant ships before dawn. Most crews drown, although all 41 men from SS “_Waynegate_” take to the lifeboats and are picked up by Free French destroyer “_Léopard_”. In the same area, U-97 sinks 3 British steamers in convoy OB-289 (most crews rescued by corvette HMS “_Petunia_”) and damages Norwegian tanker “_G.C. Brøvig_”, which loses its bow but is towed to Stornoway by HMS “_Petunia_”.


*GERMANY: *Hitler gave a speech in Munich on the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Nazi Party declaring that the U-boat offensive would intensify in the coming months.


*UNITED KINGDOM*: Luftwaffe conducts night raid against Cambridge.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 23, 2016)

*25 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
81' Experiemental type Motor torpedo boats PT-7, PT-8




_PT 7 after she had transferred to the RCN and had been reclasdsified as B-118_
brif history notes (PT-7)
Laid down 29 March 1940 as*PT-7*by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia 
Launched 31 October 1940
Completed 25 February 1941
Transferred to the Royal Navy and reclassified*HM MTB-271*in April 1941
Transfer to the Royal Navy canceled, transferred instead to the Royal Canadian Air Force, named*RCAF Banoskik (M 408)*and used as a_High Speed Rescue Launch_at Eastern Air Command, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Reclassified*B-118*
Returned to U.S. custody in 1945
Sunk as a target in April 1945.
(PT8 similar)

Allied
Motor Launch ML151
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Flower Class Corvette HMS NIGELLA (K 19)





*Losses*
Naval whaler SARNA (RN 268 grt) of the 142nd MSW Gp was sunk on a mine in the Suez Canal. The Skipper of the whaler was able to beach his ship clear of the channel. One rating was missing and one crewman was injured

Escorting convoy FN.417, *Hunt Class DD HMS EXMOOR (i) (RN 1000 grt) was sunk*. On 23 February she was deployed with HMS SHEARWATER to escort a convoy from the Thames to Methil. The convoy was attacked by E-boats as it passed Lowestoft on 25 February. EXMOOR suffered an explosion aft, suffering major structural damage and rupturing a fuel supply line. A fire soon broke out which spread rapidly. EXMOOR capsized and sank in 10 mins. The survivors were picked up by SHEARWATER and the trawler COMMANDER EVANS, and were taken to Yarmouth. EXMOOR. Admiralty accounts state the EXMOOR had struck a mine and sunk, whilst the above the German account. It is generally accepted these days that the german account is accurate. There were only 32 survivors out of a complement of more than 135.






*Sailing barge GLOBE (UK 54 grt)* was sunk on a mine 6100 yards 79° from Garrison Pt, Sheerness. Two crew were lost.

*UBOATS*
Departures
 
Kiel: UA

At Sea 25 February 1941
 
U-46, U-47 , U-48, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA.

18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*

DKM TBs ILTIS and JAGUAR laid minefield AUGSBURG A off Eastbourne


*Northern Waters*

BB QUEEN ELIZABETH departed Scapa Flow escort DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, BEDOUIN, MATABELE for gun and full power trials. She arrived back later in the day.

Turbine defects developed in the BB on the 27th. These were repaired and trials were completed on 14 March.


DD BRILLIANT departed Scapa Flow for Portsmouth to undergo repairs prior to transferring to the Western Approaches Command . DD MENDIP arrived at Scapa Flow from the Tyne to complete work up after repairs.

*West Coast*

Convoy OG.54 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD LINCOLN. DDs KEPPEL, SHIKARI, VENOMOUS, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, LA MALOUINE, SUNFLOWER, ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the convoy on the 26th. Corvette COREOPSIS joined on the 27th. Corvette KINGCUP was detached on the 27th and corvette COREOPSIS on the 28th. On 2 March, yacht PHILANTE and corvettes DIANELLA and SUNFLOWER were detached. Destroyers KEPPEL and VENOMOUS were detached on 3 March. On 4 March, destroyers LINCOLN and SHIKARI were detached. On 6 March, NL submarine O.21 joined the convoy escort, and arrived at Gibraltar on 14 March with sloop ROCHESTER, FNFL corvette LA MALOUINE, the Dutch submarine.

*SW Approaches*


 
*Med/Biscay*
In Operation ABSTENTION and Operation MAR 2, a special assault force of 500 men were embarked on DDs DECOY and HEREWARD at Suda Bay. The main garrison for Castelelorizo was embarked in armed boarding vessel ROSAURA, which departed Alexandria on the 23rd for Famagusta (Cyprus). Gunboat LADYBIRD departed Famagusta late on the 23rd. Sub PARTHIAN acted as a beacon for the landing.

After an attack on the island during the night of 24/25 February, DDs DECOY and HEREWARD landed the commandoes before dawn on the 25th. However, 8 of the 10 boats from HEREWARD lost their bearings and returned to DD DECOY. They were later landed in daylight. Gunboat LADYBIRD arrived at daylight on the 25th and landed a party of 24 Marines. This operation was covered by CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER. Gunboat LADYBIRD was damaged by a bomb hit during the morning while in harbour.

The Marines from LADYBIRD were reembarked on the gunboat. The gunboat then proceeded to Famagusta, Cyprus. The attempt to take the island was unsuccessful, due to delays of armed boarding vessel ROSAURA.

In response to the landing, RM DDs SELLA and CRISPI and TBs LUPO and LINCE took on 240 men at Rhodes and left for Castelorizzo.

During the night of 25/26 February, DD HEREWARD contacted the RN TBs, but tried to concentrate with DD DECOY before attacking. DD DECOY, escorting ROSAURA, did not make contact. DD HEREWARD lost touch with the Italian ships and made no attack.

RM TB LUPO arrived at Castelorizzo soon after 0001hrs on the 26 February and entered the harbour. However, a storm blew up before disembarkation had progressed very far.

At 0230 on the 26th, the British ships involved in ABSTENTION were ordered to return to Alexandria. CL GLOUCESTER, CLA BONAVENTURE, DD DECOY arrived at Alexandria at 2000hrs on the 26th. DD HEREWARD and armed boarding vessel ROSAURA arrived on the 27th. The unlanded garrison on ROSAURA was transferred to DDs DECOY and HEREWARD. DDs HOTSPUR and RAN VAMPIRE departed Alexandria for Port Said to escort convoy AN.16. British troopship ULSTER PRINCE also departed Alexandria for Port Said to embark military personnel for Greece and Crete.

British tanker TYNEFIELD was damaged by German bombing at Tobruk. One crewman was lost. The forecastle of the tanker was wrecked. TYNEFIELD, escorted by ASW trawler WOLBOROUGH, arrived at Alexandria on 6 March. After repairs, the tanker sailed for Aden on 30 June.

*Central Atlantic*
BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Gibraltar, escort DDs FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, FORTUNE, after escorting convoys in the Atlantic. The DDs had departed Gibraltar on the 22nd to escort the BC and CV.

*Malta*
 
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 26 FEBRUARY 1941

*Weather *Fine.

*0705-0721 hrs* Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which cross the coast and are engaged by guns of Tigne fort

*0819-0824 hrs * Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

*0930-1019 hrs* Air raid alert for four Dornier 215 bombers, one Heinkel 111 bomber and a large formation of ME 109s which cross the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled and shoot down two Dornier 215s confirmed and one probable. Anti-aircraft guns also claim one bomber hit. One Hurricane makes a forced landing in the sea four miles off Delimara due to engine trouble; the pilot is picked up safely. No bombs are dropped on the Island.

*1220-1254 hrs* Air raid alert for two ME 109s which cross the coast; engaged by guns at Fort Delimara.

*1315-1420 hrs* Air raid alert for a small formation of ME 109 fighters which machine gun flying boats in St Paul’s Bay.

*1530-1610 hrs* Air raid alert for four ME 109 fighters approaching the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders. Ack Ack guns also open fire.

*AIR HQ *_Arrivals _Glenn Martin Maryland. _Departures _1 Whitley. Glenn Martin Maryland arrive direct from the UK having flown overland by night.

*LUQA *_69 Squadron _ One Maryland arrived from the UK.


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## Njaco (Feb 24, 2016)

*February 25 Tuesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* In Greece, The King, Prime Minister, and military commanders confer in Athens regarding situation on the front in Albania


Oblt. Müncheberg of 7./JG 26 claims a Hurricane destroyed.


British submarine HMS “_Upright_” attacked an Italian convoy 45 miles off Sfax, Tunisia at 0343 hours, sinking Italian cruiser “_Armando Diaz_”; 464 were killed, 147 survived. The convoy was traveling from Naples, Italy to Tripoli, Libya.


*WESTERN FRONT:* JG 51’s Kommodore, Major Mölders, downs a Spitfire of RAF No. 611 Squadron, his fifty-ninth kill.


The February Strike: In occupied Amsterdam, a general strike began in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazi occupation administration. The Strike was a general strike organized in the Netherlands against the anti-Jewish measures and activities of the Nazis. Its direct causes were the pogroms held by the Germans in the Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam. It was the first direct action undertaken against the anti-Jewish measures of the Nazis in occupied Europe, and it was carried out by non-Jews. The first to strike were the city's tram drivers, followed by other city services as well as companies like De Bijenkorf and schools. Though the Germans immediately took measures to suppress the strike, which had grown spontaneously as other workers followed the example of the tram drivers, it still spread to other areas, including Zaanstad, Kennemerland in the west, Bussum, Hilversum and Utrecht in the east and the south.


*GERMANY:* German battleship “_Tirpitz_” was commissioned to Kapitän zur See Friedrich Karl Topp.


RAF Bomber Command sends 80 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.


*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Canvas. Nigerian Brigade of the 11th African Division has advanced 220 miles along the coast road from Jilib in 2 days. They take Mogadishu, the capital of Italian Somaliland, unopposed and capture 400,000 gallons of fuel and other stores left behind by the fleeing Italians. Meanwhile the 12th African Division pushes up the river Juba in Italian Somaliland towards the Abyssinian border town of Dolo.


The 4 Motor Machine Gun Company continued the advance until the leading elements came under pack artillery fire when approaching the Mescelit Pass. The advanced Battalion Headquarters and two companies 4/16 Punjab reached the area behind the Motor Machine Gun Company in the evening. C Company 1st Royal Sussex (Cubcol) moved back for the defence of Chelamet. The remaining two companies of 4/16 Punjab were still at Mersa Taclai and on the line of communication. One section was detailed for work on the road and pier at Mersa Taclai.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British destroyer HMS “_Exmoor_” (escorting convoy FN417 from the Thames estuary to Methil, Scotland) hits a mine or is torpedoed by German motor torpedo boat S-30. A fuel line ruptures, igniting HMS “_Exmoor_” which sinks 12 miles off Lowestoft on the East coast of England (105 killed, 32 survivors picked up by sloop HMS “_Shearwater_” and trawler “_Commander Evans_”).


*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Russia, Viktor Abakumov was named the NKVD deputy commissar.


*ASIA: *Foreign Minister Matsuoka demands Japanese control of Oceania.


*UNITED KINGDOM:* Twenty-five German bombers attacked Hull from 1955 to 2320 hours. They dropped twenty-five tonnes of HE (fifty-two bombs) and 3,888 IBs. Bombing was mainly visual and several small fires were reported in the docks area. There was damage to houses and casualties at Hull - although the Humber Estuary was visited on three nights, very little damage was done there. An engine was however derailed there and three railway lines, including the main line at Hull were temporarily blocked.

.


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## parsifal (Feb 25, 2016)

*26 February 1941 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SC497 Class Submarine Chaser USS SC-500





_USSSC-661, a fellowSC-497class submarine chaser_

Allied
Type IV Hunt Class Escort DD HMS BRECON (L 76)





Shakespeare Class MSW Trawler OTHELLO (T 76)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


Modified Black Swan Class Sloop HMS WREN (ii) (U 28)





*Losses*
*Lugger SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE (Ger 200 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Elbe.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MINORCA (UK 1123 grt)* was sunk by DKM S.28 in the Nth Sea off Cromer. 17 crew and 2 passengers were lost. Two crew and one passenger were rescued. The steamer was taken in tow, but was abandoned on the 28th in a sinking condition.





*steamer GOTEBORG (Sd 820 grt)*, The Göteborg with 20 crew members and three passengers was reported missing after leaving Reykjavik on 25 Feb, 1941. It is considered likely that she was sunk by U-70 SE of Iceland the next day. It is not possible to confirm as this U-Boat was herself lost shortly afterwards. SE of Iceland.





*Power barge BRACKELIER (UK 230 grt)* and *barge MONARCH (UK 230 grt) *, under tow, were sunk on mines 80 feet off Alexandra Jetty, at the entrance to Alexandra Dock, Hull. Two crew were lost from the power barge and one crewman were rescued from barge MONARCH.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TENERIFFA (Nor 5655 grt)* was sunk by German bombing in 51-30N, 4-55W. The entire crew was rescued. She was sunk in the Bristol Channel, after having been machine gunned and bombed by LW a/c. At 1405 hrs, 2 enemy a/c had machine gunned the ship's decks, coming in for attack 4 times and TENERIFE got 3 direct bomb hits on the starboard side, where deck plates and several plates in her side were blown out. The first hit was in No. 2 hatch, the second in the engine room and the third in No. 3 hatch. After the 4th attack, as soon as the machine gunning stopped, the crew was able to get 3 lifeboats out (the 4th having been blown away), and at 1425 they saw the ship sink in about 27 fathoms. Just 5 minutes later they were picked up by the MSW PERDITA and landed at Cardiff the next day, Feb. 27.






Convoy OB 290
[I consider this period the closest that Britain came to being forced to the surrender table. Things simply could not continue as they were up to and including OB 290].

(Extract from the SS SAMUEL BAKKE’S log)
“_Between midnight and 0200 hrs in latitude 5536N and longitude 1342W the convoy is attacked by submarine and 3 ships are for certain known to have been sunk. When the attack began Commodore Hornell gave orders for emergency turn to starboard, but no ships responded. To avoid collision orders to turn back to original course were given. The first ship sunk was the rear ship in 3rd column on our port side. The two other ships were rear ships in the 4th column. At 09:00 same day in lat. 54 37W and long. 16 20W one enemy a/c approached and made a low level attack on the port wing column. All ships within range opened fire with H. A. and machine guns, but with little effect. 3 ships were hit in this attack. One was set on fire amidships, one had her engine room flooded and the 3rd was disabled. The Swedish steamer GYDNIA picked up 93 survivors from the stricken ships and returned to England escorted by one DD._

_The same day at 1845 the convoy is again attacked from the air, now by 3 enemy planes. The planes used the same low level attack method. The planes attacked from 3 directions and 3 ships were destroyed. The convoy put up a heavy barrage with their HA. and MGs but with very little effect. One plane approached us at low height from port side. Our 4" gun was manned and so were our MGs. At reasonable distance 2 rounds were fired from our 4" gun and as the plane was about 50 yards away both MGs opened up. Direct hits could be seen as the tracer bullets hit the plane, but had no effect. One bomb dropped on our after deck close to the foreward corner of Nr. 4 hatch on port side and caused a heavy dent, thereafter it hit the bulkhead at the galley and dented this heavily and also smashed the bench and other fittings in the galley, thereafter the bomb continued over the starboard side and exploded into the sea about 20 yards away._

_The plane also opened heavy MG fire against our gun crew and caused considerable damage to deck house bulwalk and other materials. Ship's carpenter who manned our 4" gun reports that he is certain that our second round hit the plane, as he saw parts from the under carriage being thrown away _(Note, in fact there were no losses to the attacking a/c)_, and parts from the plane was later found on deck. Further, the carpenter reports that he saw bombs fell from the plane on both sides of our ship. During these attacks we suffered no casualties. The 2nd engineer who was on watch in the engine room reports that he heard several bombs exploded on both sides of the vessel and that they appeared to be very close. Due to the explosions it is experienced that both stern glands are leaking badly. When the attack was over, orders were given to disperse the convoy_”.

_At Sea, March 5th 1941._

_Signed by Captain J. Olsen_

Attacks by KG 40 Kondors
*Steamer SOLFERINO (Nor 2580 grt)* was sunk by Kondor LR a/c in the western Approaches at 55-02N, 16-25W, The Norwegian SS SOLFERINO, in convoy from Manchester to Freetown carrying a cargo of coal, was bombed by German FW200 aircraft and sank W of Ireland. In the same attack the Dutch SS BEURSPLEIN, the Greek SS KYRIAKOULA, and the British SS LLANWERN, MAHANADA and SWINBURNE were sunk. Three crew were lost





The LW sank *steamer MAHANADA (UK 7181 grt)* in 54-07N, 17-06W,




 
They also sank *Steamer SWINBURNE (UK 4659 grt)* in 54-00N, 16-58W,





In this same attack the LW also sank *Steamer LLANWERN (UK 4966 grt)* in 54-07N, 17-06W





*Steamer BEURSPLEIN (NL 4368 grt) * was badly damaged by the LW bombing in the Western Approaches. 21 crew were lost. The ship was abandoned on fire on the 27th and later sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


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## Marcel (Feb 25, 2016)

Njaco said:


> *February 25 Tuesday*
> 
> The February Strike: In occupied Amsterdam, a general strike began in response to increasing anti-Jewish measures instituted by the Nazi occupation administration. The Strike was a general strike organized in the Netherlands against the anti-Jewish measures and activities of the Nazis. Its direct causes were the pogroms held by the Germans in the Jewish neighborhood of Amsterdam. It was the first direct action undertaken against the anti-Jewish measures of the Nazis in occupied Europe, and it was carried out by non-Jews. The first to strike were the city's tram drivers, followed by other city services as well as companies like De Bijenkorf and schools. Though the Germans immediately took measures to suppress the strike, which had grown spontaneously as other workers followed the example of the tram drivers, it still spread to other areas, including Zaanstad, Kennemerland in the west, Bussum, Hilversum and Utrecht in the east and the south.


The Ferbuari strike was the only big protest against the treatment of the Jews by non-jews in Europe during WW2. I think it doesn't get the attention it deserves. It was started when a Communist resistance group killed an NSB member (collaborator of the NAZIs).
The strike was stopped after relentless pressure from the Germans, killings and arrests.

On a personal note, my grandfather was member of the communist resistance in Groningen. He barely escaped captivity by hiding in a haystack as the story goes. His whole group was arrested following the strike and been send to Mauthausen. None survived. I think he was the only surviving member of the Noordelicht group in Hoogezand.

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## parsifal (Feb 25, 2016)

My best friend in childhood, his name was jim , had an elderly Dad who was in the Dutch resistance and was captured at about that time. sent to mauthausen as well, but managed to escape. he walked back to Holland passing himself off as a german, and spent the rest of the war in hiding. I don't know if the dad was associated with the February uprising, only that he was arrested in 1941.

His name was Splithof, and he died about 20 years ago, I recently attended the funeral of his widow, who helped keep Louie alive during the war. They were both great people.

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## Njaco (Feb 25, 2016)

*February 26 Wednesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* An attack on the British Luqa airfield on Malta by more than sixty German bombers and Stukas (7 lost) with fighter escort, destroys six RAF Wellingtons on the ground and leaves the airfield damaged. Five defending RAF Hurricanes are shot down by the escorting Bf 109s of 7./JG 26 including that of Flg. Off. Eric Taylor who is killed. F/O Taylor was the leading Malta Hurricane ace with seven victories.


Operation Abstention: Before dawn, British destroyer HMS “_Decoy_”, destroyer HMS “_Hereward_”, and gunboat HMS “_Ladybird_” landed 200 commandos and 24 Royal Marines on the Italian-held Dodecanese island of Castellorizo, off the coast of Turkey. These men were tasked to overwhelm and subdue the Italian garrison, establish a defensive perimeter, and prepare for the arrival of the second force slated for the next day. That second force sailing from Cyprus consisted of the light cruisers HMAS “_Perth_” and HMS “_Bonaventure_”, destroyer escorts, and the armored yacht/boarding vessel HMS “_Rosaura_”. Carried among them was a company of Sherwood Foresters. They would be tasked with securing and defending the island en masse, ensuring that the newly won Castellorizo remained in possession of the British Empire. Shortly thereafter the Royal Navy planned on establishing a motor torpedo base in the islands harbor, which located less than 80 miles from Rhodes, would give the British a vital forward operating base in their quest to supplant the Italians as overlords of the Dodecanese. The British destroyers HMS “_Decoy_” and HMS “_Hereward_” proceeded unmolested into Megisti harbor; their unexpected arrival no doubt shocking the 35 man Italian Garrison. The British commandos carried the day, and over a third of the Italian force became casualties. Before the radio station fell, the wireless operator was able to get off a warning to Rhodes with news about what had befallen the base; Italian reinforcements would be coming. A contingent of Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero “Sparrowhawks” and Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Pipistrello “Bats” were sent into battle from airbases on Rhodes by Rear Admiral Luigi Biancheri and attacked the newly won British positions just hours after the commandos had come ashore. The Italian aircraft damaged HMS “_Ladybird_”, which had replaced the destroyers inside the harbor to act as a communications hub for the ground contingent, forcing her withdraw back to safety in Cyprus.


Eden and Dill continue their Middle East mission with a visit to Turkey, but they get no real response to their efforts to interest the Turks in an alliance.


*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by 12 Blenheim bombers to Calais heavily escorted by fighters. Major Mölders of JG 51 scores his sixtieth victory but his _Geschwader_ loses Hans-Karl Keitel, who with eight victories in the war is killed in action.


Francisco Franco refused Hitler's 6 Feb 1941 request for Spain to enter the war. Franco belatedly replied to Hitler's three-week old letter, expressing support for the Axis but making exorbitant demands for the price of Spain's entry into the war. Franco says;


> 'I stand today already at your side, entirely and decidedly at your disposal,'


but refuses to enter the war.


The general strike spreads but Germans declare a state of siege and shoot protesters in Amsterdam effectively ending the February Strike.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-47 attacked Allied convoy OB-290 190 miles northwest of Ireland before dawn, sinking 3 merchant ships and damage 1. U-47 was attacked by depth charges, which called for assistance in the form of Fw 200 bombers of I./KG 40 based in Bordeaux, France. The aircraft attacked the convoy from 0900 to 1845 hours, sinking 8 ships.


German bombers sank 4 merchant ships and German motor torpedo boats sank 1 merchant ship at various locations on the British coast.


*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 126 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.


*UNITED KINGDOM: *Luftwaffe conducts night raid against Cardiff.


*NORTH AFRICA: *Allied Middle East command reorganizes forces in North Africa, not expecting aggressive action from Italian and German forces in Tripoli. Battle-hardened Australian 6th Division, conquerors of Libya from Bardia to Benghazi, will be sent to Greece to face the expected German invasion. They will be replaced by newly-formed Australian 9th Division, scraped together from partially-equipped infantry brigades currently training in Palestine, leaving the defense of Eastern Libya to troops “selected by the test that they are the least trained or most recently enlisted”. As Benghazi cannot be used as a supply port due to Luftwaffe bombing, troops and supplies have to travel 400 miles by road from Tobruk.


The Italians appeared to be holding Mescelit Pass in some strength and efforts were made to discover the exact strength and extent of their positions. Fighting patrols were sent out on 26 and 27 February, as a result of which the position was believed to be held by one company 107th Colonial Battalion with six mortars, four to eight machine guns and possibly some guns. An operation to outflank the Italian position was planned.


*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Depot Ship in Sydney’s Garden Island dockyard, formerly known as HMAS “_Penguin_”, was re-commissioned as HMAS “_Platypus_”, for seagoing service as a training /depot ship.


Establishment of first high frequency direction finding (HFDF) station at Garbutt aerodrome, Australia.

.


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## Marcel (Feb 26, 2016)

One should note that the February strike ended because the communist party who organised it has stated that the strike should not be longer than 2 days. Thus the communists stopped after that time. It took the momentum out of the action and when the Germans threatened with more pogroms, the rest lost their determination. 78 people were shot, hundreds went to camps.

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## parsifal (Feb 26, 2016)

*26 February 1941 (Part II)
Losses (Cont'd)*
Steamer KYRIAKOULA (Gk 4340 grt) was sunk by the LW in the eWestern Approaches. The vessel was not hit, but the bombs fell alongside the steamer which had already been abandoned. The entire crew was rescued.
*




 
*
All were from convoy OB.290 whilst outward bound in the western approaches. Three crew were lost on steamer MAHANADA. The entire crew of steamer SWINBURNE were rescued. 25 crew and two gunners were lost on steamer LLANERN

*Ships from OB-290 damaged by air attacks*
British steamer MELMORE HEAD was damaged by LR Kondor a/c in the western approaches at 55-07N, 16-00W from convoy OB.290. The steamer was abandoned, but she did not sink. She was towed into Kames Bay on 5 March and then to Rothesay Bay where she was beached pending repair. She returned to service eventually.

British steamer LEEDS CITY was damaged in the Western approaches by Kondor LR a/c at 54-00N, 17-45W from convoy OB.290. On 6 March, the steamer was towed into the Clyde. She was repaired and returned to service.

Dutch steamer SURINAME was damaged by Kondor LR a/c in the Western approaches at 54-12N, 16-40W. The steamer arrived at St Michaels on 5 March.

Attacks on convoy OB.290, by U-47*. T*he U-boat sank or damaged the following:

*Sank Steamer KASONGO (Be 5254 grt), *an ammunition ship, was sunk in the Western Approaches in 55-50N, 14-20W. Six crew were lost on steamer KASONGO, which luckily did not explode before sinking*.*





British tanker DIALA in the Western Approaches from Convoy OB-290 was hit by U-47 at 55-50N, 14W, One crewman was lost from steamer DIALA. The steamer arrived in the Clyde on the 28th. The details of the attack n the early morning on 26 February 1941 U-47 attacked the convoy OB-290 and reported four ships of 22,000 grt sunk. In fact, the KASONGO, RYDBOHOLM and BORGLAND were sunk whilst the DIALA was damaged. One crew member from DIALA was lost. DIALA was to be lost 13 months later in the mid-Atlantic to U-587.

damaged *steamer RYDBOHOLM (Sd 3197 grt)* in the Western Approaches at 55-32N, 14-24W, Steamer RYDBOHOLM was sunk by bombing later on the 26th. She was abandoned and sank in 55-48N, 14-25W. Twenty six crew and two passengers were saved from steamer RYDBOHOLM.





sank *steamer BORGLAND (Nor 3636 grt)* in 55-50N, 14W. The entire crew of steamer BORGLAND were rescued. At 0137 hrs, the BORGLAND in station #35 was struck by one torpedo on the port side in the #2 hold. The crew abandoned the slowly sinking ship with an increasing list in 55°53N/13°33W and was picked up by Corvette PIMPRNEL





*UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-106

At Sea 26 February 1941*
U-46, U-47 , U-48, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-105,U-106 , U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA*.*
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD GEORGETOWN, which departed Aultbrea on the 20th, was in a collision with an unknown ship. The DD arrived in the Clyde on the 28th. She was repaired in the Tyne completing in early June.

British steamer EMPIRE STEELHEAD was damaged by the LW ten miles 80° from Cromarty. The steamer was set on fire but did not sink. She was towed to an anchorage of Invergordon and eventually repaired. .

British trawler HOPTON was damaged by the LW bombing six miles ESE of Girdleness*.*
* 
Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow to meet convoys HX.112 and SC.24 in the Western Approaches*.*
* 
Western Approaches*
Dutch steamer AMSTELLAND was badly damaged by the LW in the Nth Western Approaches.
* 
Channel*
DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, escorted by DDs VANSITTART and WIVERN as they laid minefield JL in the English Channel during the night of 26/27 February. 
In a ML operation from North Coates, a Swordfish of 812 Sqn crashed with the crew killed.

The pilot of an RN Miles Master of 760 Sqn crashed near Somerton Erleigh. A co-passenger was unhurt. 

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy AN.16 WITH British steamer ALAVI and four Greek ships departed Port Said for Piraeus and Port Said escorted by DD GREYHOUND. DD HAVOCK joined the convoy later. CLA COVENTRY joined on the 28th. On the 28th at 1925, cruiser COVENTRY's temporary bow was badly shaken and the cruiser was forced to hove to. At 2306, the cruiser was ordered to return to Alexandria. The cruiser arrived at Alexandria at 1500 on 1 March for repairs. GREYHOUND continued with the convoy.

The convoy arrived at Piraeus on 3 March.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN arrived at Gibraltar from Western Patrol.
* 
Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 27 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Fine.

_0730-0755 hrs_ Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber escorted by six ME 109 fighters which approach the Island. Four of them attack a Gladiator over Hal Far, causing no damage. Anti aircraft guns engage and the raiders turn away without launching an attack.

_1030-1055 hrs _Air raid alert for a large formation of enemy fighters which approach the Island and split up as they cross the coast. One Messerschmitt attacks a meteorological Gladiator without success. Eight Hurricane fighters are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims

_1245-1345 hrs_ Air raid alert for 30 JU 87 and12 JU 88 bombers, escorted by 30 mixed ME 109 and CR 42 fighters which approach the Island and carry out a heavy raid on Luqa aerodrome, dropping some 150 bombs. Six Wellingtons are burned out on the ground and seven others badly damaged, of which four will be out of action for 2-3 months. Seven others will be unserviceable for up to a month. One Glenn Martin Maryland is a probable write-off, three others will be unserviceable for at least a week, another is slightly damaged. One Miles Magister is slightly damaged.

Bombs also damage buildings, including two hangars, an officers’ mess, the airmen’s cookhouse, the NAAFI, three barrack blocks and a ration store room, and the HQ of 12 Field Regiment Luqa. One 200 gallon fuel tank is burned out, one lorry written off and several others damaged. The aerodrome surface is badly cratered and likely to be unserviceable for 48 hours. Four men of 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regiment and two of the Royal Artillery are wounded. Four unexploded bombs lie within the camp and seven others on the aerodrome, mostly on the runways. Damage to civilian property in Luqa village is considerable. One JU 87 attacked by anti-aircraft fire drops its bombs on Gudja village before crashing nearby. 

Towards the end of the attack 10 Dornier 215 and 10 Heinkel 111 bombers approach the Island but drop no bombs. Malta fighters are scrambled and engage the enemy, destroying three Junkers bombers and probably destroying seven. Anti-aircraft guns engage, launching a heavy barrage over Luqa, destroying five Junkers confirmed and four probable, and damaging several more. They also damage one Dornier 215. Three Malta fighters do not return after the raid. One civilian is killed and 14 injured. 

_1345-1409 hrs _Air raid alert for two JU 88 bombers which fly over the Island at high altitude but drop no bombs. Three Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders evade engagement.

_1558-1700 hrs_ Air raid alert for one enemy Red Cross seaplane accompanied by an escort of twenty fighters on a mission to pick up casualties. They search the seas around the northern part of the Island for an hour. Eight Malta fighters are scrambled and engage the escorting Messerschmitts from time to time, along with anti-aircraft guns. One ME 109 is severely damaged. 

Two German prisoners whose JU 87 crashed in the sea during this morning’s raid are rescued by the High Speed Launch, brought ashore and interrogated at Kalafrana.

_1742-50 hrs_ Air raid alert for two enemy formations approaching the Island. Five Hurricanes are scrambled and with enemy withdraw without crossing the coast.

_0625-0730 hrs_ Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

* 



*


----------



## parsifal (Feb 27, 2016)

*27 FEBRUARY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Zerstorer Z-27







Type VIIc U-559




4 ships sunk, total tonnage 11,811 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,060 tons
2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 6,117 GRT

Sunk on 30 October 1942 in the Med NE of Port Said, by DCs from the RN DDs PAKENHAM,PETARD, and HERO and the British escort DDs DULVERYTON and HURWORTH, after being located by a British Vickers Wellesley a/c from 47 Sqn. 7 dead and 38 survivors.

This was one of the vital episodes in defeating the Uboats. The sinking boat was boarded by three men from DD PETARD who had swum over to her. Lt Anthony Fasson, Able Seamen Colin Grazier and Seamen Tommy Brown. Two of them went down with the wreck when it foundered, but they had managed to pass out the ENIGMA code machine, with the current rotor settings, and the cipher books. This allowed the Allies to read naval traffic for several weeks and crack ENIGMA codes thereafter. The bravery of these three men materially affected the outcome of the war. It is hard to find individuals who had greater effect on the war than these men.
 
The _Wetterkurzschlüssel_ and _Kurzsignalheft_ were retrieved from U-559 by Lt Anthony Fasson, Able Seaman Colin Grazier (both were posthumously awarded the George Cross) and 16 year-old Tommy Brown (who survived to receive the George Medal). Without their bravery, “Shark” (the hitherto unbreakable Uboat codes) would not have been broken before four-rotor bombes came into service, if at all. The Allies (Britain, Canada and the United States) would not then have established naval supremacy in the Atlantic until the second half of 1943 at the earliest, which would have probably delayed the D-Day Normandy landings until 1945. Few acts of courage by three individuals can ever have had so far-reaching consequences. Without Ultra, the U-boats would still have been defeated in the long run, but the cost in human life in the global conflict would have been even more terrible than it was.

Allied
Fairmile B Motor Launch HMS ML204
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Flower Class Corvette HMS SPIRAEA (K 08)





*Losses*
*Steamer ADELE OHLROGGE (Ger 1371 grt) *was sunk on a mine in the Jade (an area of sheltered water near the Frisian Islands).





*AMC RAMB I (RM 3667 grt)* was sunk in the Indian Ocean at 1N, 70E by NZ manned CL LEANDER, which had left convoy US 9 at Bombay on the 22nd. Intercepted RAMB Ioff the Maldives and challenged her. RAMB Iattempted to bluff LEANDER with misleading signals but, although RAMB I was not flying Italian colours, LEANDER ordered her to stop. RAMB I simultaneously raised the Italian flag and opened fire from 3,000 yards, splinters from her first salvo hitting the LEANDER. LEANDER replied with five salvoes within the next minute (an exceptional rate of fire), leaving RAMB I seriously damaged and on fire. She struck her colours and LEANDER ceased firing. RAMB I had been badly damaged and, as LEANDER closed, the captain gave the order to abandon ship. An explosion then destroyed RAMB I after the majority of the crew had abandoned her. The NZ cruiser picked up 103 survivors and took them to Addu arriving on the 28th




_Italian ship RAMB I sinking in 1941_
*Trawler CHRISTABELLE (UK 203 grt)* was sunk on a British mine in 61-27N, 6-05W. Ten crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer NOSS HEAD (UK 438 grt) *was lost to unknown cause in the vicinity of Gardenstown, E. Scotland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

LW bombers attacked *steamer ANCHISES (UK 10,000 grt) *in the Western Approaches at 55-30N, 13-17W. The steamer was attacked again the next day 140 miles west of Bloody Foreland and sunk. 13 crew and three passengers were lost. Most of crew were picked up by RCN DD ASSINIBOINE. Later the Captain and a skeleton crew were taken off by corvette KINGCUP.





*Steamer STANWOLD (UK 1020 grt)* was lost to unknown cause ten miles WSW of Selsey.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

LW a/c sank steamer OLD CHARLTON (UK 1562 grt) in the North sea at 51-57N, 1-40W. One crewman was lost. Steamer CATHERINE HAWKSFIELD rescued the survivors. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW trawler REMILLO (RN 266 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the Humber. 1.76 miles 274° fromSpurn Point Light House. The skipper and sixteen ratings were lost on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-74
St Nazaire: U-48

Departures
*Lorient: U-37*

At Sea 27 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-47, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-105,U-106 , U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA.
19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer NEWLANDS was damaged by German bombing in Barrow Deep (outside the thames estuary). The steamer was considerably damaged by a bomb which failed to explode
British steamer BLACKTOFT was damaged by the LW near Harwich. The steamer was taken in tow and arrived at Harwich on the 28th.

*Northern Waters*
CLA DIDO departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy SL.65. DD LEGION arrived at Scapa Flow at 1600 from Greenock to take part in Operation CLAYMORE. DD ARROW was transferred to the Home Flt at Scapa Flow from the Western Approaches.

*West Coast*
British steamer CAPECLEAR was damaged on a mine in 53-27N, 4-01W. The steamer anchored off Bar Light Vessel with engine room problems. She was docked at Liverpool on 1 March.
 
OB.292 departed Liverpool escort FNFL DD OURAGAN, RN DD AMBUSCADE, sloop ABERDEEN, corvette HOLLYHOCK, ASW trawlers KING SOL, DANEMAN, ST APOLLO. When the convoy was dispersed on 6 March, the escorts proceeded to escort SC.23.

Sub TAKU, which had departed the Clydeon the 24th, broke down in the Atlantic when the after hydroplane was carried away in heavy weather. Sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvette GLADIOLUS, tug SALVONIA were sent to assist the submarine. Submarine TAKU arrived at Londonderry on 10 March. She was under repair from 16 to 21 March.

OB.291 departed Liverpool, escort DD CALDWELL. On the 27th DDs VOLUNTEER and WALKER, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvette TULIP, seaplane carrier PEGASUS joined the escort, possibly one of the most experienced and well integrated ASW gps in the RN . The escorted was detached when the convoy dispersed on 3 March.

*Western Approaches*
RM submarine BIANCHI attacked British steamer EMPIRE ABILITY in convoy OB.290 in 54N, 14W without success

DD CHESTERFIELD, which departed Londonderry on the 27th, collided with submarine H 32 off Londonderry. The DD was able to continue on her duties. The damage was later repaired and required one week to complete.

*SW Approaches*
FNFL DD MISTRAL was damaged in a collision with British oiler BLACK RANGER. There was slight damage to the DD

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy ANF.16 of two British, one Greek, two other ships departed Ports Said escorted by destroyers VAMPIRE and HOTSPUR. The convoy was joined by anti-aircraft cruiser CALCUTTA, and arrived at Piraeus on 2 March.

Operation ABSTENTION
This was the code name given to the British invasion of the Italian controlled island of Katelorizo or Castelorizo, off the southern coast of Turkey in late February 1941. The goal was to establish a base to challenge the Italian naval and air supremacy in the Dodecanese. It was a poor showing by the British, this time against and all Italian defence.

The operation was described by Adm Cunningham as "_a rotten business and reflected little credit to everyone_". An inquiry found that HEREWARDS commander made a misjudgement by rejoining DD DECOY, instead of engaging the RM forces without delay, which in turn caused the failure of the main landing and the isolation of the commandos who were spearheading the ground assault. British commanders had also been surprised by the Italian riposte, especially the frequent air attacks which were unopposed.[ Some Italian sources claim that the British forces captured the Italian cryptographic codes, but this was contradicted in 1957 by the former admiral Marc’Antonio Bragadin and British sources make no mention of capturing codes. The Italians retained control of the Dodecanese Islands until the September 1943.




_Area map showing the location of the island_

DDs DECOY and HASTY departed Alexandria at 0700. DECOY was carrying half the ROSAURA troops. CLA BONAVENTURE and RAN CL PERTH and DDs HERO and JAGUAR departing Alexandria in the forenoon. HERO was carrying half the ROSAURA troops. DDs DECOY and HERO landed the troops. RM TBs LUPO and LINCE returned to Castelorizzo. The two TBs boats and two MAS boats landed 240 troops on the island. RM DDs CRISPI and SELLA arrived later the same day to land more troops.

DD JAGUAR engaged RM DDs CRISPI inside the harbour. Both DDs launched torpedoes, but neither ship was hit. JAGUAR reported hitting CRISPI with two gunfire hits. The British ships withdrew to SudaBay.

At dawn on the 28th, CL AJAX with DD NUBIAN departed Alexandria to take charge of the Aegean forces. CLA BONAVENTURE, screening DDs DECOY and HERO, detached RAN CL PERTH and DDs HASTY and JAGUAR to join the AJAX group. At sunset on the 28th, BONAVENTURE proceeded to Alexandria. DDs HERO and DECOY were ordered to land the Commando unit for ABSTENTION at SudaBayand return to Alexandria. DDs NUBIAN, HASTY, JAGUAR carried out a sweep after dark on the 28th between Castellerizo and Rhodes.

Radio traffic from an Italian warship was detected between Castellerizo and Rhodes, but the destroyers were unable to make contact.

Cruisers AJAX and PERTH covered the passage of convoys AN.16 and ANF.16 through the Kaso Straits during the night of 28 February/1 March.

The British troops on Castellorizo surrendered to Italian forces.

DDs HERO and DECOY arrived at Suda Bay during the morning of 1 March. They sailed again that day for Alexandria, arriving on 2 March. DDs NUBIAN, JAGUAR, HASTY arrived at Alexandria at 1800 on 1 March.

*Nth Atlantic*
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU refuelled at sea from tankers ERMLAND and FRIEDRICH BREME. 180 prisoners from the sunken British ships were transferred to the tankers

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 28 FEBRUARY 1941

_Weather _Fine.

_0834-1000 hrs _ Air raid alert for 35 enemy aircraft approaching the Island from the north in five formations. Eight Hurricanes and two Fulmars are scrambled. Only one JU 88 bomber crosses the coast while the remainder circle out to sea. The bomber is engaged by anti-aircraft guns. There are no claims.

_1510-1520 hrs_ Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which approaches the Island and aims 3-4 bombs at HM sloop Fermoy a mile out from St Thomas’ Bay; no hits. Four Hurricanes and Ack Ack guns engage; no claims.

_0515-0630 hrs_ Air raid alert for 10 enemy aircraft which approach the north coast and drop parachute mines in and off Grand Harbour and Marsamxetto Harbour. Four of the mines hit land and explode; two in Valletta cause considerable damage to property, killing at least three civilians and injuring twelve. The others damage Marsamxett police barracks, army dental centre and the Malta Chronicle Printing Office and an RAF billet, killing three service personnel and injuring ten. One mine is exploded in the air by gunfire from the ground. Anti-aircraft guns claim one enemy aircraft hit and probably destroyed.


----------



## parsifal (Feb 27, 2016)

*28 February 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS WOODRUFF (K-53)






*Losses*
RM submarine BIANCHI sank *steamer BALTISTAN (UK 6803 grt)* from convoy OB.290 in the Western approaches at 51-52N, 19-55W. Two crew were killed, forty five crew and four passengers were lost. Fourteen crew and four passengers were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.99 attacked s*teamer HOLMELEA (UK 4223 grt)*, a straggler from OB-290 fully laden with grain and with a crew of 39 on board from dispersed convoy OB.290. U-99 had no success. However, the steamer was sunk by U.47 with gunfire in 54-24N, 17-25W. One crewman was killed and twenty seven were missing. Eleven crew were rescued.




 
U.108 sank *steamer EFFNA (UK 6461 grt) *in 61-30N, 15-45W. The entire crew of 34 was lost. The ship was carrying steel and trucks at the time of her loss. The details on the attack on this ship are that at 2332 hrs on 28 Feb 1941 the unescorted EFFNA was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-108 sth of Iceland. The U-boat had spotted the ship about 5 hrs earlier and waited for the night to attack, but a G7e torpedo fired at 2247 hrs became a surface runner and missed ahead while a G7a torpedo malfunctioned after being fired at 2328 hrs. After the third torpedo eventually hit, the ship was identified by her emergency messages and the crew was seen to abandon ship in the lifeboats. However, at least one boat went alongside again after half an hour when the ship did not settle further and some men reboarded the EFFNA. At 0036 hrs on 1 March, U-108 fired a coup de grace that hit aft and caused the ship to sink quickly by the stern after a boil
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CABENDA (UK 534 grt)* was lost on a mine in the western Approaches in 51-34N, 3-54W. One crewman was lost.




 
*UBOATS*
Arrivals
To Lorient, France: U-123
To St. Nazaire, France:U-96

At Sea 28 February 1941
U-37, U-46, U-47, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, u-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD BOREAS departed Scapa Flow for Greenockto join DD ARROW escorting depot shipTYNE. BOREAS arrived at Greenockat 1000 on 1 March. On 1 March depot ship TYNEand DD ARROW and BOREAS departedGreenock for Scapa Flow, where they arrived at 1800 on 2 March. Depot ship TYNErelieved depot shipMAIDSTONE.

C in C Home Flt Destroyers transferred his flag to depot ship TYNE on 3 March. Depot ship MAIDSTONE departedScapa Flow on 3 March escorted by DDs BOREAS and MENDIP for Greenock. The ships arrived at Greenockat 0830 on 5 March. DD MENDIP departedGreenockand arrived back at Scapa Flow on 6 March. MAIDSTONE was docked at the Clydefor refitting prior to departing forGibraltar on 21 March. 

DDs NAPIER and ZULU departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to escort BC REPULSE from Rosyth. REPULSE, escorted by DDs NAPIER, ZULU, BOADICEA departed Rosyth on 3 March. On 4 March, ZULU was detached with engine room defects and arrived at Scapa Flow on 4 March. REPULSE and DDs NAPIER and BOADICEA arrived at Greenock late on 4 March. DD BOADICEA then sailed again and arrived back at Scapa Flow during the morning of 5 March. DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, TARTAR, ESKIMO, and LEGION and landing ships QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX departed Scapa Flow to participate in Operation CLAYMORE (the codename for a British Commando raid on the Lofoten Islands, on the 4 March, the first of 12 major incursions into Norway, and eventually tied down over 400000 German soldiers on Garrison in Norway).

Tovey departed Scapa Flow on 2 March in BB KING GEORGE V with BB NELSON, CLs EDINBURGH and NIGERIA, DDs INGLEFIELD, MAORI, PUNJABI, ECHO, and ECLIPSE. DD MAORI attacked a submarine contact on 3 March. On 4 March, the two CLs were detached to close support for the Caslon force.

CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow at 2100 from Rosyth after boiler cleaning and repairs

*West Coast*
OB.292 departed Liverpool

*Med/Biscay*
CL ORION departed Alexandria for Port Said where her catapult was removed to make way for additional close range anti-aircraft weapons.

Motor anti-submarine boat MA/SB.3 was beached after damage by a mine in the Suez Canal. There were no serious personnel casualties and she was refloated and towed to Suez on 3 March.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.24 departed Halifax, escorted by armed merchant cruiser WOLFE and corvette COLLINGWOOD. The corvette was detached on 1 March and the armed merchant cruiser on 15 March. On 15 March, destroyers VANQUISHER, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA joined the convoy. On 16 March, corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, PIMPERNEL joined the escort, and arrived at Liverpool on 19 March.

*Central Atlantic*
CL KENYA departedGibraltarto join convoy SL.66. 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 FEBRUARY TO DAWN 1 MARCH 1941
_Weather _Fine.
No air raids.

However, from first light enemy a/c laid mines at the entrance to the harbours and some in Grand Harbour. Both harbours were temporarily closed while the positions of mines is fixed and then cleared.

_AIR HQ _Maryland photoreconnaissance Reci Maddelena, Cagliari, Elmas and Alghero at the special request of SO Forces N. 

_KALAFRANA _During the month Sunderlands of 228 Squadron carried out 12 patrols over a wide area in search of enemy shipping. Five communication flights were made by aircraft of 228 Squadron with important passengers and freight between Middle East and Gibraltar. Several Sunderlands 10 Squadron RAAF and 230 Squadron arrived and departed conveying passengers between Middle East and UK.

_LUQA 69 Squadron_One Maryland photoreconnaissance Maddelena, Cagliari, Elmas and Alghero.
**


----------



## parsifal (Feb 27, 2016)

*Summary Of Losses February 1941*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*
Naval trawler ALMOND (RN 505 grt), MSW trawler ARCTIC TRAPPER (RN 352 grt), Motor anti-submarine boat MA/SB.12 (RN 39 grt), Ocean Boarding Vessel CRISPIN (RN 5051 grt), ASW trawler TOURMALINE (RN 641 grt), Special service vessel MINNIE DE LARINAGA (RN 5046 grt), Sub SNAPPER (RN 670 grt), MTB.41 (RN 40 grt), Aux MSW SOUTHSEA (RN 825 grt), MSW trawler ORMONDE (RN 250 grt), ASW trawler OUSE (RN 462 grt), ASW trawler LINCOLN CITY (RN 398 grt), Monitor TERROR (RN 8000 grt), ocean boarding vessel MANISTEE (RN 5360 grt), DD DAINTY (RN 1375 grt), Hunt Class DD HMS EXMOOR (i) (RN 1000 grt), MSW trawler REMILLO (RN 266 grt)

South African manned Naval whaler SOUTHERN FLOE (RN 344 grt)

*30280(RN)), 344(SA) (Total 30624 grt Naval Tonnage) *
*Allied Shipping*
Steamer THE SULTAN (UK 824 grt), Drifter MIDAS (UK (89 grt), steamer EMPIRE CITIZEN (UK 4683 grt), Steamer DIONE II (UK 2660 grt), Drifter IMBAT (UK 92 grt), Steamer GWYNWOOD (UK 1177 grt), steamer EMPIRE ENGINEER (UK 5358 grt), An unknown motor schooner (RN 250 grt (est), Steamer RANEE (UK 5060 grt), MV MAPLECOURT (UK 3388 grt), Steamer ANGULARITY (UK 501 grt), Hopper barges No.34 (UK 1500 grt) and No.39 (UK 1500 grt), Steamer BAY FISHER (UK 575 grt), MV COURLAND (UK 1325 grt), MV ESTRELLANO (UK 1953 grt), Steamer JURA (UK 1759grt), Steamer DAGMAR I (UK(2471grt); Steamer VARNA (UK 1514 grt), Steamer BRITTANIC (UK 2490 grt), Drifter BOY ALAN (UK 109 grt) MV BRANDENBURG (UK 1473 grt), MV CANFORD CHINE (UK 3364 grt), Steamer ICELAND (UK 1236 grt), Trawler JOHN DUNKIN (UK 202 grt), Trawler EAMONT (UK 227 grt), FV CALEDONIAN (UK 8 grt), Steamer WARLABY (UK 4876 grt), Steamer WESTBURY (UK 4712 grt), Steamer OSWESTRY GRANGE (UK 4684 grt), Steamer SHREWSBURY (UK 4542 grt), Steamer DERRYNANE (UK 4896 grt), Motor tanker CLEA (UK 8074 grt), Motor tanker ARTHUR F CORWIN (UK 10516 grt), steamer BELCREST (UK 4517 grt), Steamer ELISABETH MARIE (UK 616 grt), Steamer ALNMOOR ( UK 6573 grt), steamer HOLYSTONE (UK 5462 grt), Tkr EMPIRE OTTER (UK 4670 grt), Trawler THOMAS DEAS (UK 276 grt), Trawler NANIWA (UK 340 grt), MV GAISOPPA (UK 5237 grt), Tkr EDWY R. BROWN (UK 10,455 grt), MV SIAMESE PRINCE (UK 8456 grt), Steamer KYLE RONA (UK 307 grt), Steamer REN REIN (UK 156 grt), MV SEAFORTH (UK 5459 grt), MV BLACK OSPREY (UK 5589 grt), MV EMPIRE BLANDA (UK 5693 grt), Steamer GRACIA (UK 5642 grt), tanker HOUSANTONIC (UK 5559, Steamer RIGMOR (UK 1278 grt) grt), tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt), Steamer FORT MEDINE (UK 5261 grt), steamer CANADIAN CRUISER (UK 7148 grt), tanker SCOTTISH STANDARD (UK 6999 grt, Tanker HARLESDEN (UK 5483grt), Steamer TRELAWNEY (UK 4689grt),British steamer KANTARA (3237grt), Steamer A. D. HUFF (UK 6219 grt), tanker LUSTROUS (UK 6156 grt), MV MARSLEW (UK 4542 grt)steamer TEMPLE MOAT (UK 4427 grt), steamer CAPE NELSON (UK 3807 grt) MV ANGLO PERUVIAN (UK 5457 grt), Steamer LINARIA (UK 3385 grt), MV SIRIKISHINA (UK 5458 grt); Steamer WAYNEGATE (UK 4260 grt), Steamer SHOAL FISHER (UK 698 grt), steamer NAILSEA LASS (UK 4289 grt), tanker BRITISH GUNNER (UK 6894 grt), steamer MANSEPOOL (UK 4894grt), steamer JONATHAN HOLT (UK 4973 grt), Sailing barge GLOBE (UK 54 grt), Steamer MINORCA (UK 1123 grt), Power barge BRACKELIER (UK 230 grt), Barge MONARCH (UK 230 grt)steamer MAHANADA (UK 7181 grt), Steamer SWINBURNE (UK 4659 grt), Steamer LLANWERN (UK 4966 grt), Trawler CHRISTABELLE (UK 203 grt), Steamer NOSS HEAD (UK 438 grt), steamer ANCHISES (UK 10,000 grt), Steamer STANWOLD (UK 1020 grt), steamer OLD CHARLTON (UK 1562 grt), steamer BALTISTAN (UK 6803 grt), steamer HOLMELEA (UK 4223 grt), steamer EFFNA (UK 6461 grt), Steamer CABENDA (UK 534 grt),

MV NICOLAS ANGELOS (Gk 4351 grt), Steamer CALATATIS (Gk 4443 grt) Steamer AGHIOS GEORGIOS (Gk 3283 grt), Steamer IOANNIS M. EMBIRICOS (Gk 3734 grt), Steamer PERSEUS (Gk 5172 grt), steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt), Steamer KYRIAKOULA (Gk 4340 grt)

Steamer KASONGO (Be 5254 grt)*,*

MV BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (Nor 7034 grt), tanker KETTY BROVIG (Nor 7031 grt), steamer RINGHORN (Nor 1298 grt), Steamer TEJO (Nor 1409 grt), Steamer BORGESTAD (Nor 3924 grt), MV SVEIN JARL (Nor 1902 grt), Steamer TENERIFFA (Nor 5655 grt) , Steamer SOLFERINO (Nor 2580 grt), steamer BORGLAND (Nor 3636 grt) 

steamer TEXELSTROOM (NL 1617 grt), ),steamer RANTAU PANDJANG (NL 2542 grt), steamer GROOTEKERK (NL 8685 grt), Steamer BEURSPLEIN (NL 4368 grt)

Steamer HUNTINGDON (NZ 10,946 grt)

*314205 (UK), 27869 (Gk), 5254 (Be), 34469 (Nor), 17213 (NL), 10946 (NZ)*
*409955 grt (Mercantile)*
*Total Mercantile and Military losses: 440219 grt*
*Prizes captured*
steamer PLM 13 (Vichy 4500 grt (est)), Steamer LORIENT (Vichy 5000 grt (est))

*Neutral shipping*
steamer GOTEBORG (Sd 820 grt), steamer RYDBOHOLM (Sd 3197 grt)

*(4017 grt Mercantile) *

*Neutral warships*
*None*
*Total Neutral Mercantile + Military:4017 grt*
*Total Allied + Neutral: 444236 grt *

*Prizes taken*
None

*Cumulative Losses since 9/39*
6,622,262 grt Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses

*Axis Warships*
*DKM*
*None *
*RM*
Sub MARCELLO (RM 1043 grt), CL ARMANDO DIAZ (RM 5321 grt), AMC RAMB I (RM 3667 grt)

*10031 (RM grt), *

*Axis Shipping*
*GER*
steamer RYFYLKE (Ex-Nor 1151 grt), Steamer UCKERMARK (Ger 7021 grt), Steamer ADELE OHLROGGE (Ger 1371 grt), Steamer ASKARI (Ger 590 grt), Lugger SCHAUMBURG-LIPPE (Ger 200 grt)

*(10333 grt) *
*FI*
steamer MULTEDO (FI 1130 grt), Steamer SNIA AMBA (FI 2532 grt), Coastal steamers IV NOVEMBRE (FI 61 grt), TENAX (FI 115 grt), and ROSANNA (FI 205 grt), Steamer ADRIA (FI 3809 grt); MV SAVOIA (FI 5490 grt); MV ERMINIA MAZZELLA (FI 5644 grt); Steamer MANON (FI 5594 grt); MV LEONARDO DA VINCI (FI 7515 grt);Steamer PENSILVANIA (FI 6861 grt), Steamers INTEGRITAS (FI 5952 grt), Steamer MARGHERA (FI 4531 grt), Steamer CARSO (FI 6275 grt), Steamer MONCALIERI (FI 5723 grt), Steamer JUVENTUS (FI 4957 grt), steamer SILVIA TRIPCOVICH (FI 2365 grt),

*(68759 grt)*

*Vichy*
FV RENE CAMALEYRE (Vichy 243 grt), steamer PLM 13 (Vichy 4500 grt (est)), Steamer LORIENT (Vichy 5000 grt (est))

*(9743 grt) *
*Total Axis Mercantile (88835 grt)*
*Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( 98866 grt)*

*Captured ships*
*tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt),*
*steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt)*

*XXX (UK 6994 grt), (Gk 2546 grt)*
*(+) (9540 grt)*


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## Njaco (Feb 28, 2016)

*February 27 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* During the night, 30 British Wellington bombers from RAF Nos. 40, 115, 214 and 218 Squadrons based at Wyton in Cambridgeshire, Marham in Norfolk, and Stradishall in Suffolk attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_”. The 26 aircraft that arrived attacked and reported success, though the actual results were questionable. It was reported that "weather interfered greatly with the success of the operation" with no reliable observation of results.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” refueled from tankers “_Ermland_” and “_Friedrich Breme_” 1,000 miles west of the Azores. They also transferred 180 prisoners taken from Allied ships sunk on 22 Feb.


German submarine U-47 sank British ship “_Holmelea_” west of Ireland overnight; 27 were killed, 11 survived.


Norwegian tanker “_Sandefjord_”, captured by German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” in the Atlantic Ocean on 18 Jan 1941, arrived in France with the cargo of 11,000 tons of crude oil. She was to be renamed “_Monsun_” and pressed into German service.


Italian submarine “_Bianchi_” sank British ship “_Baltistan_” west of Ireland; 51 were killed, 18 survived.


*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Abstention: Before dawn, Italian torpedo boats “_Lupo_” and “_Lince_” landed a small ‘raider/recon’ party on Castellorizo. The force was made up of soldiers from the 50th Infantry Division Regina. Approximately 65 men of the 201st CN and the 13th/ IV / 9th spent several hours running reconnaissance to gauge the composition and deployment of British strength while also conducting several hit and run attacks. After approximately 5 hours the force re-embarked on to their waiting vessels, and safely departed after the successful endeavor. After moving into range, the Italian torpedo boats “_Lupo_” and “_Lince_” bombarded British positions, killing 3 and wounding 7. The second wave of the British invasion force, anchored by the Sherwood Foresters sailing aboard the boarding vessel HMS “_Rosaura_”, was scheduled to arrive on Castellorizo during the early morning hours of the 26th. This scheduled landing would not occur however, and the British commandos were denied the reinforcements they desperately required to help hold the island. The advancing British convoy had received reports from Castellorizo of Italian naval activity north of the harbor. The reports were about the Italian torpedo boats. Admiral Renouf feared for the vulnerability of the ‘smallish’ “_Rosaura_” and the troops she carried and ordered the convoy to turn around and head to Alexandria in order to transfer the troops onto larger and more heavily armed destroyers for a second attempt the next day. Renouf simultaneously ordered the destroyer “_Hereward_”, to engage the reported Italian maritime activity. The “_Hereward_” was unable to locate her adversaries, and circled back around out to sea empty handed. The British had lost the initiative. The Italians, on the other hand, were racing forward to begin the land based portion of their counter-attack. A naval flotilla, led personally by Admiral Biancheri, was sailing to deliver to Castellorizo nearly 340 soldiers and sailors, most of them hailing from the IV Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment of the 50th Infantry Division Regina. The force included about two dozen men from an anti-tank platoon with two 47-mm guns, and a mortar platoon equipped with a pair of 81-mm mortars. The Italians moved inland quickly, gaining ground as they advanced, and pushed the British back, eventually forcing most of the defenders to dig into a small area of the island known as Nifti Point. Later that night at 2300 hours, the British once again approached Castellorizo, the Sherwood Foresters having been transferred to the destroyers HMS “_Decoy_” and HMS “_Hero_”. Joining the troop carrying destroyers were two further destroyers, the “_Jaguar_” and “_Hasty_”, and the light cruisers “_Bonaventure_” and “_Perth_”. The Foresters were disembarked back onto Castellorizo after midnight from their destroyers while the reaming British vessels took up patrols off of Nifti Point. Their stay on the island was not to be long.


Italy sends Spain bill for 7,500 Million lire for military aid during Spanish Civil War.


*INDIAN OCEAN:* New Zealand cruiser HMNZS “_Leander_” sank Italian armed merchant cruiser “_Ramb I_” 200 miles west of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. “_Leander_” intercepted “_Ramb I_” off the Maldive Islands and challenged her. “_Ramb I_” attempted to bluff “_Leander_” with misleading signals but, although “_Ramb I”_ was not flying Italian colours, “_Leander_” ordered her to stop. The Italian flag was raised and “_Ramb I_” simultaneously opened fire from 3,000 yd (2,700 m), splinters from her first salvo hitting “_Leander_”. “_Leander_” replied with five salvoes within the next minute, leaving “_Ramb I”_ seriously damaged and on fire. She struck her colours and “_Leander_” ceased firing. 113 survivors were picked up by HMNZS “_Leander_” and taken to Addu Atoll, Maldives.


*NORTH AMERICA:* The former US Ambassador to France made a public announcement in which he accused the United States of not doing nearly enough or working fast enough in the present international crisis.


*ASIA: *Vice Admiral Koki Yamamoto was named the commanding officer of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan.


*NORTH AFRICA: *Free French Foreign Legion 14th Battalion arrived Mersa Taklai by small boats to reinforce Indian 7th Infantry Brigade.


It had been decided early in February to disband Gazelle Force. Created originally for the task of harassing the Italians north of Kassala and at the same time acting as a flank guard to the east of river Atbara, it had changed its role and acted as an advanced guard mobile troops to the 4th Indian Division in its rapid advance from Kassala to Agordat, and then further up to the gates of Keren. It was decided to form a new force by name of Kestrel in place of Gazelle Force with effect from 27 February. This was to be commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel P. S. Myburgh DSO, MC, 25 Field Regiment.


*UNITED KINGDOM: *SS ‘_Old Charlton_' (1,562t) cargo ship, Hartlepool to London with a cargo of coal was sunk by German aircraft off Felixstowe.

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## Njaco (Feb 28, 2016)

*February 28 Friday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *A raid on the RAF Hal Far airfield on Malta destroys almost all the aircraft on the ground leaving the Bri tish with no serviceable aircraft for operations or defense.

Greek Epirus Army attacks Italian 11th Army west of Klisura.

This day was recorded as RAF’s most successful during the Greek campaign. One squadron of RAF Hurricane fighters and one squadron of RAF Gladiator biplane fighters shot down 27 Italian aircraft over the Albanian mountains in support of Greek troops on the ground. At about 1500 hours in the air over the Kelcyre-Tepelene area, Squadron Leader H. L. I. Brown and Squadron Leader Edward 'Tap' Jones led eleven Gladiators of RAF No.112 Squadron and seven of RAF No.80 Squadron to patrol between Tepelene and the coast. They were accompanied by the 'W' Wing leader, Wing Commander ’Paddy’ Coote, flying an RAF No.80 Squadron Gladiator. Fifteen minutes later F/L 'Pat' Pattle in Hurricane V7589 led F/O Nigel Cullen (V7138), F/O Wanklyn Flower (V6749) and F/O Richard Acworth (V7288) to the same area, while F/L Young led four RAF No.33 Squadron Hurricanes to patrol near the coast. Here some S.79s were seen and chased over Corfu, two being claimed damaged, one of them by Pilot Officer D. S. F. Winsland (Winsland was later during the war shot down by Bernardino Serafini). These were probably 105o Gruppo B.T. aircraft, which reported being attacked by Spitfires, one Savoia landing at Tirana with one member of the crew dead. Meanwhile Pattle’s section spotted BR.20s of 37o Stormo B.T. flying south from Valona. Pattle selected one on the starboard flank of the formation, and after three short bursts it broke into flames and went down; a second bomber likewise burst into flames following a further attack by Pattle, and his windscreen was covered in oil from this doomed aircraft. Reducing speed, Pattle attempted to clean the screen with his scarf, but he was then attacked by five G.50bis which dived on him. After a brief skirmish he managed to get away and returned to Paramythia. Both Flower and Acworth also claimed BR.20s. although the latter thought his victim may have been a Z.1007bis. Three BR.20s were in fact shot down during this combat and a fourth force-landed near Otranto. By now the Gladiators had joined the fighting, as had CR.42s of 160o Gruppo and G.50bis of 24o Gruppo. A single Hurricane of 33 Squadron arrived late on the scene. F/O Newton scrambled from Paramythia when news of the heavy fighting was reported. On arrival over the battle area he promptly attacked a CR.42, only to find that it was an RAF No.80 Squadron Gladiator! A RAF No.112 Squadron Gladiator then got on his tail, obviously taking the Hurricane for a G.50bis, and inflicted damage on his aircraft, chasing him back towards Paramythia. A few of the Gladiators made contact with the bombers, P/O William Vale claiming an S.79 shot down, whilst F/O Edwin Banks and P/O R. H. McDonald of RAF No.112 Squadron each claimed damage to a BR.20. The Gladiators’ main claims were for nine CR.42s and two probables, plus six G.50bis and three probables after that the rest of the Gladiators made contract with the Italian fighters. The RAF made claims for 5 and 2 damaged BR.20s, 3 and 2 damaged S.79s, 13 destroyed, 3 probable and 1 damaged CR.42s and 6 and 3 probable G.50bis. In fact 4 BR.20s of 37o Stormo B.T. were lost with several damaged, 1 S.79 of 104o Gruppo was damaged, 1 CR.42 of 160o Gruppo and 2 G.50bis of 24o Gruppo were lost. Regia Aeronautica claimed 6 and 2 probable Gladiators and 1 ‘Spitfire’ while in fact only 1 Gladiator of RAF No.112 Squadron was lost. F/L Abrahams, after his victory, was attacked by another G.50bis - believed to have been flown by Tenente Mario Bellagambi - and was shot down near Sarande. He recalled:


> “The old Glad suddenly went all soft. Nothing would work. I sat there and then decided I had better get out. I couldn't, so I sat there with my hands on my lap, the aircraft spinning like mad. Then, eventually, I did manage to get out. It was so pleasant sitting there in the air than I damn nearly forgot to pull the ripcord. I reckon I did the record delayed drop for all Albania and Greece. I landed, and no sooner had I fallen sprawling on the ground than I was picked up by Greek soldiers who cheered and patted me on the back. I thought I was a hell of a hero until one soldier asked me. "Milano, Roma?" and I realized that they thought I was an Iti. They didn't realize it was possible for an Englishman to be shot down. So I said "Inglese", and then the party began. I was hoisted on their shoulders, and the "here the conquering hero comes" procession started. We wined and had fun. Jolly good chaps.”



Alfonso XIII, dethroned king of Spain aged 54, dies in exile in Rome.

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## Njaco (Feb 28, 2016)

*February 28 Friday continued
MEDITERRANEAN: **Operation Abstention:* Operation Abstention ended in Italian victory when the last remaining British commandos surrendered. Shortly after midnight, the commanders for both the commandos and the Foresters appreciated the extreme precariousness of their situation, and the realization of the high probability that without sufficient air support they would not be able to hold their tenuous position on Nifti Point. It was therefore decided a withdrawal from the island was necessary, and within three hours of landing, the troops were evacuated under the cover of darkness back to their waiting vessels. British soldiers would not again set foot on the island for over two more years. 40 British commandos were left behind and captured in the hastened retreat. Additionally, over two dozen men of the local population were arrested and later convicted of ‘aiding the enemy’, and eventually sent to Brindisi, Italy to serve their sentence. The failure of Operation Abstention came as a complete surprise to the British. The shocked Prime Minister stated in disbelief;


> “I am thoroughly mystified at this operation.”


The disastrous operation is described by Admiral Cunningham as; "


> …a rotten business and reflected little credit to everyone".


*
GERMANY: *During the night 23 British Hampden from aircraft from Waddington, Lincolnshire, England, (12 from RAF No.49 Sqn and 11 from RAF No. 44 Sqn) attacked battleship “_Tirpitz_” at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Low clouds resulted in only 4 aircraft locating the battleship, and they failed to hit their target. This is the 16th raid in 7 months but “_Tirpitz_” has suffered no serious damage.

Japanese ambassador Oshima, returning to Berlin for second tour of duty, meets with Hitler.

RAF Bomber Command sends 116 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.

General von Manstein takes command of German LVI Korps.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Bread ration was reduced from 350g to 280g in Vichy France.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian forces at Kufra, Libya began surrender negotiations with Free French and British forces.

4/16 Punjab less two companies, with two companies 1st Royal Sussex under command and A Troop 12/25th Field Battery in support, was detailed to carry out an operation against Mescelit Pass. On the evening of 28 February one company made a frontal demonstration while the other moved off round the left flank, spent the night of 28 February/1 March in a deep nullah.

RAF Blenheims and single-engined Wellesleys bomb Asmara (Eritrea).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British liner “_Anchises_”, damaged by a German Fw 200 aircraft of I./KG 40 on the previous day, began sinking slowly at 1130 hours. The remaining 33 crew members took to a lifeboat; 12 of them would be killed when the lifeboat was accidentally sucked under corvette HMS “_Kingcup's_” bow, which had arrived to rescue them. In the afternoon, German aircraft returned and completed “_Anchises_'” sinking with bombs.

German submarine U-108 sank British ship “_Effna_” 200 miles south of Iceland at 2332 hours, killing the entire crew of 33.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British monthly civilian casualty figures tally at 789 killed and 1068 injured.

General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson named to command Allied ground forces earmarked for Greece.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Rashid Ali, the Golden Square of four colonels, and the Grand Mufti meet in secret to plan overthrow of the Iraqi government.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Treasury completes secret shipment of gold reserves from New York City to Fort Knox (Kentucky).

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## parsifal (Feb 29, 2016)

*01 March 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S Boat S-41




_Heavily damaged and abandoned 20-11 1941_

Neutral
Gar Class USS GRAYLING (SS-209)




_Rammed and sunk 9 September 1943 in the Pacific_

Benson Class DD USS MEREDITH (DD 434)




_Sunk by Japanese Carrier a/c from the SHOKAKU 15 October 1942 in the Solomons_

Higgins Type USS PT-5





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ANCHUSA (K 186)





Fairmile B ML 146
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*MSW trawler ST DONATS(RN 349 grt)* was lost in a collision off the Humberwith DD COTSWOLD, which had departed Rosyth on 28 February.The DD was repaired at Chatham from 4 to 31 March.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.552 sank *tkr CADILLAC(UK 12,062 grt).* The ship had a crew of 42 aboard. Just 4 survived. She was fully laden with Aviation spirit enroute from Aruba to Avonmouth at the time of her loss. She formed part of Convoy HX.109 , and was lost the NW Approaches. At 2356 hrs 1941 the CADILLAC was struck on the port side amidships and further aft in the cross bunker by two G7e torpedoes from U-552 (Karl Topp) while steaming at 9 knots in fine weather about 150 miles NNE of Rockall. The tanker vibrated violently, took a list to starboard of 10-15° and the highly flammable cargo immediately caught fire, causing a massive explosion and illuminating all ships in the vicinity. With the ship settling by the bow and blazing furiously on the port side, the survivors tried to abandon ship on the starboard side. However, the small emergency lifeboat swamped during the launch as the forward fall was let go too quickly and its three occupants were thrown into the sea. The large rafts stored on the after deck proved to be far too cumbersome and heavy to launch them. 26 survivors managed to abandon ship in the starboard aft lifeboat, but it was surrounded by burning fuel and most men panicked as they could hardly breathe and see nothing except a wall of flame all around them. Some began calling for help, others were praying and then most jumped over the side and perished. Only five men stayed and took cover in about one feet of water at the bottom of the boat, which slowly drifted clear of the flames in the slight swell and the men frantically began to row away for about a mile with the only four oars left until they were completely exhausted. They then attracted the attention of DD MALCOLM by firing a rocket and were picked up at about 0130 hrs. The crew of the DD had seen a number of men swimming close to the flames but were unable to help them as they had lost their boats in the gale and stopping was too dangerous because the DD would have been an easy target being illuminated by the burning tanker. Unseen by the escorts, U-552 had remained on the surface nearby and Topp allowed his crew to come up to the bridge one at a time to have a look at the sea of flames before the U-boat subsequently left the area.

The CADILLAC was last seen still blazing with a list to starboard and down by the head at 0530 hrs on 2 March and apparently foundered later that day. The master, 31 crew members, two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4.7in, one 3in and two machine guns) and three passengers were lost. Five crew members survived, but four of them were badly burned and were landed at Stornoway in the morning of 3 March to be taken to a hospital as quickly as possible. However, the condition of one man was worse as he had no clothes on that could protect his skin and he died of his wounds the following night. The boatswain was brought to Londonderry to make a report and was then also taken to a hospital for treatment of his burns.





CA CORNWALL intercepted Vichy French *steamer VILLE DE MAJUNGA (4972grt)* in 34-08S, 10-18E. The steamer was taken to Capetown
[IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-69, U-107

At Sea 01 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-47, U-69, U-70, U-73, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106 , U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA.

15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.91 from Pentland Firth. The convoy was attacked by the LW from 1935 and 2014. Steamer FORTHBANK was damaged in 57-53N, 1-57W. Four crew were lost. She arrived at Invergordon on the 3rd, and on 13th, left under tow forLeith. The steamer went ashore on the 15th, but was refloated and arrived at Leith on the 17th. Steamer PENNINGTON COURT was also damaged by the German bombing, but was able to continue.

Tanker ATHELTEMPLAR was damaged by the LW in convoy EN.79 in 57-04N, 1-50W. DD ERIDGE departed Rosyth at 1800 for Scapa Flow and en route, was diverted to assist the damaged tanker. Burnt out, she arrived in tow of ERIDGE and minesweeper SPEEDWELL at Methil Roads on the 3rd. She was eventually repaired. ERIDGE arrived at Scapa Flow for work up exercises on the 3rd. CURACOA transferred to convoy EN.79 off Buchan Ness at 2300 on the 1st to cover this convoy to Pentland Firth.

DD QUANTOCK cleared Scapa to meet steamer BEN MY CHREE and escort her to Kirkwall

*West Coast*
Dutch tanker ROTULA was badly damaged by the LW ion the west coast. Sixteen crew were killed and the wreck was sunk by a British trawler.

Steamer EMPIRE SIMBA was damaged by the LW on the UK West Coast and abandoned with engine room and stokehold flooded. She was towed to Liverpool on the 4th.

*Med/Biscay*
CL cruiser ARETHUSA arrived at Gibraltar.

DD FIREDRAKE ran aground on the Spanish coast in the Mediterranean east ofGibraltar, , and was under repair at Gibraltar from 1 March to 24 April. She was sent to Portsmouth for further repairs, departed on 24 April and arrived at Portsmouth on 1 May. FIREDRAKE departed immediately for Chatham arriving on 2 May. Repairs were finally completed on 27 June.

Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol.

A supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed Naples with steamers AMSTERDAM, CASTELLON, RUHR, and MARITZA, escorted by RM TBs CLIO, PEGASO, and ORIONE. The convoy arrived without event at Tripoli on the 3rd. The return convoy was steamers ALICANTE, ARCTURUS , WACHTFELS , and LEVERKUSEN escorted by RM DD VIVALDI and TBs PROCIONE, ORSA, and CALLIOPE which also passed uneventfully, arriving at Naples on the 3rd.

Minesweeping drifter PLOUGHBOY was severely damaged by the explosion of three mines close aboard at Malta. One rating was missing and nine were wounded. The drifter was beached but she was repaired.

Greek submarine PAPANICOLIS made an unsuccessful torpedo attack off Saseno.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.112 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC RANPURA and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. The corvettes were detached later that day.

BHX.112 departed Bermudaon 27 February escorted by ocean escort AMC CALIFORNIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.112 on the 4th and the AMCs were detached at that time. On 5 March, CA NORFOLK joined the escort. The heavy cruiser were detached on the 14th. DDs SARDONYX, SCMITAR, VANOC, VICEROY, and WALKER, corvette BLUEBELL, and ASW trawler SYRINGA joined on the 15th. DD VICEROY was detached later that day. On 16 March, DD VOLUNTEER joined the escort. Corvette BLUEBELL and trawler SYRINGA were detached on the 18th and SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WALKER on the 19th. VANOC and VOLUNTEER were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th

The USN formed Support Force, Atlantic Fleet with the following initial attachments: 
Destroyer Tender PRAIRE
DesSqn 7 - PLUNKETT with the following divisions under command:

DesDiv 13 - NIBLACK (DD.13), BENSON, GLEAVES, MAYO
DesDiv 14 - MADISON (DD.14),LANSDALE, HILARY P JONES, CHARLES F HUGHES

DesSqn 30 (- DALLAS, with the following divisions under command:

DesDiv - ELLIS (DD60), BERNADOU, COLE, DUPONT
Desdiv 61 - GREER (DD.61), TARBELL, UPSHUR, LEA

DesSqn 31 - MACLEISH with the following divisions under command

DeDiv 62 - BAINBRIDGE (DD62) OVERTON, STURTIVANT, REUBEN JAMES
DesDiv 63 - MCCORMICK (DD.63), BROOME, SIMPSON, TRUXTON

*Central Atlantic*
SL.67 departed Freetown escort AMC CILICIA to 19 March, corvette ASPHODEL to 11 March, and ASW trawlers KELT, SPANIARD, and TURCOMAN providing local cover.

Due to DKM raider activity in the area, from 3 March BB MALAYA to 10 March and DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER to 11 March escorted the convoy. CV ARK ROYAL with BC RENOWN joined the convoy on the 10th and continued to 19 March. CL KENYA escorted the convoy from 19 to 21 March. DDs HAVELOCK to 24 March, HESPERUS, HURRICANE, MANSFIELD, and SALISBURY to 26 March, VERITY to 24 March, VETERAN to 25 March, and WOLSEY to 26 March, corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA to 26 March, and CAM ship PEGASUS to 26 March joined the convoy on the 21st. On the 22nd, DDs CHELSEA and DOUGLAS joined to 24 March. Corvette BEGONIA joined on the 23rd to 26 March. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CV FORMIDABLE, escorted by DDs JUNO and GRIFFIN, had arrived at Suez on 23 February, but was unable to enter the Suez Canal due to the minelaying activities of the RA and LW. They were sent to Port Sudan to await reopening of the Canal. On 1 March, her aircraft, based ashore, attacked Massawa.

RM submarine GUGLIEMOTTI departed Massawa on the 3rd, and with submarines ARCHIMEDE and GALILEO FERRARIS, which departed Massawa about the same time, refuelled from German tanker NORDMARK on 16 and 17 April. GUGLIEMOTTI was the first Italian submarine from Massawa to arrive at Bordeaux on 6 May after 64 days at sea. It was a remarkable feat of seamanship and endurance at the time and opened up possibilities for limited communications to and from the far east 

 RM submarine PERLA departed Massawa during the night of 1/2 March, and refuelled from German raider ATLANTIS on the 29th. She was the last Italian submarine from Massawa to arrive, after 80 days at sea, on 20 May 1941

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 MARCH TO DAWN 2 MARCH 1941

_Weather _Fine and warm.
_0823-0935 hrs _Air raid alert for several enemy formations totaling 20 aircraft, including JU 88 bombers and ME 109 fighters, which circle round the Island crossing the coast at intervals. Malta fighters are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns engage; no confirmed results.

_1230-1310 hrs _Air raid alert for approaching enemy aircraft. Six JU 88 bombers escorted by fighters drop bombs in the sea, on Tigne, and on a line from Rocco to Tarxien. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement. Anti-aircraft guns engage with heavy fire; no confirmed results.

OPERATIONS REPORTS 1 MARCH 1941
_MSW _ PLOUGHBOY exploded mines at the entrance to Grand Harbour and had to be beached to prevent her from sinking. One Maltese rating was killed, nine others are wounded. _Regent_ arrived from patrol off Tripoli with some damage from a depth charge attack, having sunk a merchant vessel. 

_AIR HQ 69 Sqn _Maryland photorecon Taormina nth of Catania as requested by Vice Admiral Malta; enemy fighters attempted interception but failed.


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## Njaco (Feb 29, 2016)

_*March 1 Saturday*_

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” entered the South Atlantic from the Indian Ocean.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_St. Donats_” collided with destroyer HMS “_Cotswold_” and sank 45 miles east of Grimsby, England.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Bulgarian Prime Minister Bogdan Filov signed the Tripartite Pact, which gave Germany the option of invading Greece through Bulgaria. Bulgaria was promised territories lost to Yugoslavia and Greece after WW1. King Borris III (who married the daughter of the king of Italy) could not withstand the internal and external pressures. German troops entered Romania.

Nazi extermination camps begin full operation. These include Auschwitz, Bamberg, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Chelmno, Jena, Sobibor and Treblinka. Over 2.600.000 Polish Jews are among those killed during the course of the war. Over 12.000 people would be killed daily at Auschwitz alone. By 1945 nearly 6 million Jews and more than 3 million Communists, gypsies, socialists and other dissidents will be exterminated. Concentration camps fell into varous categories. There were death or extermination camps, where the inmates were slaughtered on arrival or soon afterwards. There were labour camps, where they were fed the minimum and worked to death; and experimental camps where 'scientific' and 'medical' experiments were carried out on the hapless prisoners. There were sick camps for those who were to die when the guards decided and not before, and training camps where the SS passed on the techniques of brutality and mass murder. There were even recuperation camps, where Jews were kept in case they were needed as hostages or for exchange or sale.

Heinrich Himmler paid his first visit to Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland. During the visit, he ordered Commandant Rudolf Höss to expand the current camp to hold a total of 30,000 prisoners, expand the camp to Birkenau with capacity for 100,000 prisoners, supply 10,000 prisoners to work for the nearby I.G. Farben factory, and to expand the camp's agricultural and industrial output. Rudolf Höss and his family hosted Heinrich Himmler for dinner during Himmler's inspection.

Zhukov, having been replaced in Kiev Special Military District by Kirponos, assumes duties in Moscow as Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, replacing Meretskov.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Under-Secretary of State Sumner Welles gives full details of a likely attack of Germany on the Soviet Union to the Soviet Ambassador. The information had been first learned in August 1940, then checked carefully. Josef Stalin ignores the report.

US Navy established the Support Force Atlantic Fleet for the purpose of providing protection for merchant shipping. It consisted of destroyers and patrol aircraft. Arthur L. Bristol becomes Rear Admiral for the United States Navy's Support Force, Atlantic Fleet.

The United States Senate voted unanimously to establish a special committee to find and correct problems in American war production. This bipartisan committee became known as the Truman Committee, named for its head Harry S. Truman.

The book *Germany Must Perish!* by Theodore N. Kaufman was published in the United States. Nazi propaganda would use this book to support the claim that Jews were plotting against Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Bread rations in Italy were halved in order to increase food export to Germany.

German supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by three torpedo boats.

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## Njaco (Feb 29, 2016)

*March 1 Saturday continued*
*
NORTH AFRICA:* Free French forces from Chad captured Kufra in southeastern Libya. The Italians suffered 3 killed (all 3 were Libyan colonial troops), 4 wounded, and 282 captured (29 Italians, 273 Libyan colonial troops); the French suffered 4 killed and 21 wounded.

In Port Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, as HMS “_Formidable_” waited for mine clearing operations to complete in the Suez Canal, she launched 5 Albacore aircraft to bomb Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, causing little damage. Italian submarines “_Gauleo Ferraras_”, “_Perla_”, and “_Archimede_” departed Massawa, Eritrea for the long journey around Africa for Europe.

The 11th African Division begins a lighting pursuit of the retreating Italian forces north from Mogadishu, towards the Ogaden Plateau.

Two battalions of Indian 4th Division and 2 Free French battalions reached Mescelit Pass 15 miles northeast of Keren, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. Lacking artillery, the force's goal was only to tie down Italian forces in the region. By 0600 hours two companies 1st Royal Sussex under command and A Troop 12/25th Field Battery in support was established on the left of the Italian positions. By 0830 hours, the pass was captured without loss, the negligible opposition having been neutralized by the guns. An outline plan for a fresh attack on Keren was formulated. Both the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions were to carry it out together. The 4th Indian Division was to operate on the north and west of the road and its objectives included Mt. Sanchil, Brig's Peak, Hog's Back, Saddle, Flat Top Hill, Mole Hill and Samanna. After the left flank had thus been secured, the 5th Indian Division was to attack east of the road. In the north, the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade was ordered to launch an attack towards Keren from near the Anseba and Mescelit Junction. It was also directed to exert pressure by operating towards Keren-Habi Mantel road. The date for the attack was fixed as 15 March.

*ASIA: *Hiroshi Nemoto was named the commanding officer of the 24th Division in China. Lieutenant General Hiroshi Takahashi was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Chosen Army in occupied Korea. Lieutenant General Takaji Wachi was named the chief of staff of the Taiwan Army.

Chiang Kai-shek addresses session of the Peoples Political Council. Chaing Kai-shek told the opening meeting of the peoples Political Council that China would never reach a compromise with Japan. He also said any Japanese advance into the South Seas would further menace China.

The Battle of South Henan ended in Chinese victory.

*GERMANY: *Hans-Joachim Marseille was promoted to the rank of Oberfähnrich.

RAF Bomber Command sends 131 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Mr. John Winant, the new United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom, was greeted by the Duke of Kent on his arrival by air. On his way to London by rail he was met and welcomed by His Majesty the King.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German authorities fine city of Amsterdam 15 Million guilders for popular anti-German demonstrations.
_*

.



*_


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## Njaco (Mar 1, 2016)

*March 2 Sunday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines U-552, U-95, and U-147 attacked Allied convoy HX-109 170 miles northwest of Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom. At about midnight, U-552 sank tanker “_Cadillac_” (37 killed, 5 survived) while U-95 sank the ship “_Pacific_” (34 killed, 1 survived). Near the end of the day at 2212 hours, U-147 sank Norwegian ship “_Augvald_” (29 killed, 1 survived).

*NORTH AFRICA:* British 11th African Division began marching from Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland toward Jijiga, Abyssinia in pursuit of retreating Italian forces.

At Kufra, Libya, Free French Major Philippe Leclerc pledged not to lay down his weapons until the French flag once again flew over the cathedral at Strasbourg, France.

1st Royal Sussex took over the Mescelit Pass from 4/16 Punjab. Patrols were then sent forward to discover Italian dispositions and movements. Brigade d' Orient was concentrated in Chelamet area.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The German Twelfth Army crossed the Danube and marched into Bulgaria, effectively controlling the country through occupation. Remaining resistance to German domination henceforth was ruthlessly squelched. The move was explained to the Russians, with whom the Bulgarians had a close affinity, as a "precautionary” measure to prevent the British from gaining a foothold in Greece. The Russians protested anyway. With German forces in Bulgaria, Greece agrees to immediate deployment of British ground troops. Moscow condemns Bulgaria for joining the Axis.

*GERMANY:* The RAF conducted a heavy bombing raid on Köln (Cologne), Germany.

Hitler offers Prince Paul inducements for Yugoslavia to join the Axis and cooperate against Greece.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The United Kingdom severed diplomatic relations with Bulgaria.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Eden conferred with Greek officials in Athens to complete plans for the introduction of British troops in Greece. The Greek government had hesitated to permit the landing of Commonwealth forces until the Germans crossed the Danube. With German forces in Bulgaria, the British quickly issued orders for the rapid deployment of their forces.

The Turkish Government imposes strict controls on international shipping in the Dardanelles. Turkey closed the Dardanelles to all ships without Turkish permits and pilots.

On the Italo-Greek Front, Italian bombers attack Larissa. RAF Hurricanes shoot down five Italian bombers.

Mussolini travels to Albania to inspect Italian forces.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Airline BOAC began regular, clandestine, night flights between Northern Scotland and Stockholm, using modified Whitley bombers, carrying agents, diplomats, Swedish ball-bearings and electrical equipment, etc.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 2, 2016)

*02 March 1941
Losses*
U.95 sank *steamer PACIFIC (UK 6034 grt) *from convoy HX.109 180 miles WSW of Sydero Island, Faroes. One crewman was rescued but 34 perished . She was enroute from New York to Grangemouth carrying scrap steel. At 0046 hrs on 2 March 1941 the unescorted PACIFIC was hit by one torpedo from U-95 while steaming at 8.5 knots about 105 miles north of Rockall and sank by the stern in less than 90 seconds. The ship had been in convoy HX 109 but became a straggler after the steering gear broke down in heavy weather. The U-boat had spotted the vessel about two hours earlier and missed with a first torpedo at 0044 hours. The only survivor later reported that the ship sank so rapidly that none of the lifeboats could be launched and he just found himself pulled down by the suction of the sinking ship. He managed to reach the surface, clung to a hatch cover for about an hour until swimming to a raft that had floated free. The sinking was observed by the nearby Icelandic fishing trawler DORA, which had also been spotted by U-95 shortly before PACIFIC was sighted. U-95 did not attack the trawler because of her small size. A lifeboat launched by the trawler picked up one surviving crew member, who informed them that he had seen another survivor while waiting for rescue, but nobody else was found during an extensive search of the area. 





*Steamer SIMALOER (NL 6533 grt) *was sunk by the LW in the western Approaches. Two crew were killed.





U.147 sank *steamer AUGVALD (Nor 4811 grt)* from HX.109, 150 miles NW of Loch Ewe. One crewman was rescued. AUGVALD was bound for Hull with 7000 tons steel and tractors. Due to the bad weather, the convoy had trouble staying together and was delayed several days (1 ship stranded in Iceland, another was lost on the open sea. AUGVALD lost her port lifeboat on Febr. 26). She lost sight of the convoy on March 1 and was torpedoed the following evening by U-147 (Hardegen) in 59 30N 07 30W.





*Steamer CASTLEHILL (UK 690 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Bristol Channel. One crewman was rescued.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-73

At Sea 02 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-47, U-70, U-96, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MSW KELLETT was damaged in a collision with armed boarding vessel NORTHERN REWARD off Peterhead. The MSW was repaired in the Humber from 10 March to 9 April.

*Northern Waters*
RAN DD NESTOR arrived at Scapa Flow for work up. DD COSSACK departed Southampton for Scapa Flow on completion of refitting. On 3 March, the DD was damaged by a mine exploding close aboard 300° SW point of the Isle of Man. The DD spent no time out of service. DD COSSACK arrived at Scapa Flow at noon on the 4th.

*West Coast*
OB.293 departed Liverpool, escort DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, and WOLVERINE, and corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA. DD BEVERLEY joined the escort on the 4th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 7th.

*Med/Biscay*
CL ORION returned to Alexandria from Port Said following the removal of her catapult to allow fitting of additional close range AA.

Convoy ANF.16, escort CLA CALCUTTA and RAN DD VAMPIRE and RN HOTSPUR, arrived at Piraeus. VAMPIRE was taken in hand at Piraeus for docking and boiler cleaning.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER, coming from convoy US.9 escort, and RAN CA CANBERRA, which had refuelled in the Seychilles on 26 February, rendezvoused 100 miles east of Addu for joint operations in the Indian Ocean.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Mar 2, 2016)

*03 March 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-125





_Image of sister Boat U-128 in colour. _

_U-125 undertook 7 war patrols in which she sank 17 ships, total tonnage 82,873 GRT, Sunk on 6 May 1943 in the Nth Atlantic NE of Newfoundland, , by ramming from the DD HMS ORIBI and gunfire from the Corvette HMS SNOWFLAKE with 54 dead (all hands lost)._

Allied
Flower Class Corvette FNFL ALYSSE (K-100)





_9 February 1942 she was torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic, about 420 nautical miles east of Cape Race, Canada in position 46º22'N, 43º42'W by the German submarine U-654 while escorting convoy ON -60 _


Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS CAVA (T-145)





_Sister ship HMS AILSA CRAIG_

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS INCHOLM (T-18)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*MGB 12 (RN 50 grt)* was mined off Milford Haven. The boat finally sank on the 6th whilst in tow
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*PV COBBERS (RN 275 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Lowestoft. Four crew were rescued. The skipper and 10 ratings were killed and two ratings were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Auxiliary yacht TINY (5grt)* was sunk by the LW at Sth Dock, Sutherland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PORT TOWNSVILLE (UK 8661 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in 52-05N, 5-24W. Two passengers were lost. The steamer sank on the 4th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA (UK 1553 grt)*, which had departed Alexandria on the 1st escort ASW whaler SOUTHERN MAID with troops for Tobruk, ran aground during the night of 2/3 March two miles 273° from Ras Azzaz. There were no casualties. DD WRYNECK was sent to assist to assess the possibility of salvage. The cargo was salved. Salvage of the ship was abandoned after bombing attacks on corvette PEONY and tug ST ISSEY on the 10th.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 03 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-47, U-70, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

14 boats at sea

U-124 refuelled from the German supply ship CHARLOTTE SCHLIEMANN at Las Palmas, Spain.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British mine destructor ship CORFIELD was damaged in a collision with British steamer CORMEAD in the Thames Estuary. The mine destructor ship was repaired at Blackwall from 5 to 14 March.

*Northern Waters*
DD WHADDON arrived at Scapa Flow from the Clyde to work up

*West Coast*
DD BURNHAM, which departed Aultbrea on the 2nd, was damaged in a collision with DD MALCOLM, which departed Aultbrea on the 3rd, in the NW Approaches. BURNHAM was repaired at Liverpool completing on 27 April. MALCOLM was repaired at Liverpool completing on 7 April.

*Channel*
DD BRILLIANT arrived at Portsmouth to refit prior to transfer to the Western Approaches Cmd.

*Med/Biscay*
BB WARSPITE, CVL EAGLE, and five DDs departed Alexandria for gunnery and flying exercises. Following the exercises, RAN DD STUART proceeded to Port Said for escort duty in convoy AN.17.

Another supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed Naples with steamers AEGINA, ADANA, ARTA, and SABAUDIA escorted by RM DDs TARIGO and FRECCIA and TB CASTOR. The convoy arrived without event at Tripoli on the 6th.

*Central Atlantic*
CV ARK ROYAL with DDs FORTUNE and DUNCAN departed Gibraltar for flying exercises and returned later that day. 

Submarine PANDORA departed Gibraltar and carried out lookout exercises and ASW exercises with the convoy HG.55 before the convoy sailed. HG.55 departed Gibraltar, escort sloop SCARBOROUGH, DD WRESTLER, submarine PANDORA, and corvettes COREOPSIS, GENTIAN, and JONQUIL. DD WRESTLER was detached on the 6th. Corvettes GENTIAN and JONQUIL on the 10th and corvette COREOPSIS on the 14th. 

On 14 March, submarine PANDORA joined convoy OG.55. CL ARETHUSA joined the convoy on the 15th and escorted it through the day before continuing to Scapa Flow. DDs AMBUSCADE and BULLDOG and corvette HEARTSEASE joined the convoy on the 17th. On 18 March, corvettes ARABIS, MALLOW, and VIOLET and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington with convoy AP.14. The convoy was escorted to 300 miles SE of Chatham Island. The cruiser left the convoy on the 5th and returned to New Zealand.

CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Penang.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 2, 2016)

*March 3 Monday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” reached the Cape Verde Islands area in Central Atlantic.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Erwin Rommel moved German 5th Light Division to a narrow pass 17 miles west of the Allied forward positions at El Agheila, Libya to block any Allied advances toward Tripoli. He also ordered the construction of defensive positions in the desert to the south to prevent the Allies from bypassing the pass.

Italian submarines “_Archimede_”, “_Guglielmotti_”, and “_Ferraris_” depart Massawa and attempt to escape into the Indian Ocean.

1st Royal Sussex moved forward of the Mescelit Pass and advanced as far as the Anseba road crossing. Patrols moved beyond the cross roads and reached the northern outskirts of Mendad without opposition. 4 Motor Machine Gun Company and one platoon Brigade Anti-Tank Company, were sent to Obellet, on the coast route to Massawa to protect the left flank of the line of communication. A company of the Italians in the area was driven back by this force in the direction of Massawa.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italians bomb earthquake-stricken town of Larissa, Greece. RAF Hurricanes destroy 5 Cant bombers (probably returning from Larissa) over Corfu.

German supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Tarigo_” and “_Freccia_” and torpedo boat “_Castore_”. Meanwhile, Italian convoy of four vessels reaches Tripoli from Naples without loss.

Turkey canceled its non-aggression pact with Bulgaria after only two weeks.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *The US Marine Corps set up 8 men (6 Marines and 2 US Navy corpsmen) and 2 5-inch guns on Johnston Island.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 71 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

Netherlands NSB-leader Mussert visited Göring in Berlin.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe attacks Cardiff overnight with 47 aircraft. British vessels “_Cobbers_” and “_Port Townsville_” were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

*NORTH AMERICA: *U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an order freezing all Bulgarian assets in the United States.

A famous image of a weeping Frenchman was published in this week's issue of Life magazine. The picture is not actually a photograph, but is a still from film footage shot in Marseilles during a procession of French regimental flags on their way to Africa to preserve them from surrender.

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## parsifal (Mar 3, 2016)

*04 March 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
BPB 70’ type (Ex-French Order) MGB 65
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer ANONITY (UK 303 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1.5 miles SE of Skegness Pier. (a coastal village between Norwich and Hull). Four crew were lost of a six man crew
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U46 

At Sea 04 March 1941
U-37, U-47, U-70, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD ARROW departed Scapa Flow to meet steamer BEN MY CHREE off Aberdeen at and escort her to Thorshavn. The ships arrived at Thorshavn on the 5th. After this duty, ARROW arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 7th.

DD ELECTRA departed the Humber after completion of repairs. The DD proceeded to Aberdeen where she rendezvoused with steamer AMSTERDAM on the 5th. ELECTRA escorted the steamer to Lerwick. On the 6th, both ships departed to return to Aberdeen. ELECTRA arrived back at Scapa Flow after this duty on the 7th.

British pilot carrier LYNDIS KITWOOD was damaged on a mine off Skegness.

*Northern Waters*
Operation Claymore
This operation was the first successful operation of the Nos. 3 & 4 Commando, along with a special detachment of Royal Engineers and the Royal Norwegian Navy. This was the first of four British raids of the islands. This the first raid operation was a complete success for the British as they took no casualties and managed to destroy German fish oil factories and about 3,600 tonnes of fish oil, glycerine, kerosene and paraffin which were to be shipped in Germany. They also sunk nine German merchant ships and the armed German trawler KREBS s from which they managed to rescue a set of rotor wheels for the Enigma machine as well as its codebook. This enabled the British intelligence at Bletchley Park to make further significant progress in deciphering the German naval codes

The No. 4 Commando and other troops which were chosen for the Operation Claymore gathered at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Island on 21 February 1941 but they did not set out for Norway until 1 March. While waiting to set sail, the force prepared for the mission and made plans what to do in case DesFlot 6 was unable to wait for them to return as well as how to cover each other from enemy fire during landing. They finally left Scapa Flow at zero hours on 1 March and after nine hours reached the Faroe Islands where they refuelled. The reached the Lofoten Islands only on 4 March because they were sailing northwards from the Faroes in order to avoid being detected by the German patrols. The commanders decided to launch a simultaneous landing at 06:45 hours (15 minutes later as originally planned) and five minutes later, all troops landed on target areas. The No. 4 Commando was assigned landings at Brettesnes and Svolvær.

The troops landed without casualties and met almost no resistance from the enemy. By 1300 hrs all troops returned to the ships HMS PRINCESS BEATRIX and HMS QUEEN EMMA (the No. 4 Commando boarded the latter). More than 300 Norwegian able bodied men volunteered to return with the British to join the Free Norwegian Forces in Britain. 




_British commandos watching the destruction of oil factories in the Lofoten Islands during Operation Claymore._

Submarine SUNFISH acted as a beacon for the LCs. DD SOMALI remained at sea to watch for possible DKM interference. LSI QUEEN EMMA escort DDs BEDOUIN and TARTAR proceeded to Svolvaer. LSI PRINCESS BEATRIX escort DDs ESKIMO and LEGION proceeded to Stamsund.

The following axis controlled ships were sunk during the raid: 

*Steamers EILENAU (Ger 1404 grt)*, Sunk by gunfire from HM DD TARTAR at Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, during Operation Claymore. She was raised in 1948 and scrapped





*Steamer BERNHARD SCHULTE (Ger 1058 grt)*, sunk by demolition charges
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer FELIX HEUMANN (Ger 2468 grt)* was sunk by demolition charges after capture
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DD TARTAR sank *Fish Factory ship HAMBURG (Ger 5470 grt)* by gunfire





TARTAR also sank *Steamer PASAJES (Ger 1996 grt)* by gunfire.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer GUMBRINNEN (Ger 1381 grt)* was sunk by with demolition charges by the Army landing party.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MIRA (Ex-Nor 1152 grt)* was sunk by DD BEDOUIN.





*FV MYRLAND (Ex Nor 321 grt)* joined the British force and proceeded to the Faroes, arriving on the 7th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*PV KREBS (DKM 550 grt (est ))* Captured by the RN 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The DDs and LSIs returned to Scapa Flow on the 6th at 1300 without damage. They returned with 314 Norwegian volunteers, 213 German prisoners, and twelve Quislings traitors. .BBs NELSON and KGV, CLs EDINBURGH and NIGERIA, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ECLIPSE, MAORI, and PUNJABI arrived at Scapa Flow on the 6th. Also on the 6th, LSIs QUEEN EMMA and PRINCESS BEATRIX with DD LEGION departed Scapa Flow for Greenock.

*West Coast*
ML PLOVER laid minefield ZME.21 in the Irish Sea. The minelaying continued on the 6th with ZME.22, ZME.23 on the 14th, ZME.24 on the 20th, ZME.25/26th, and ZME.26 on the 30th all laid by PLOVER The series continued in April, completing on 21 April.

British steamer RUTH II was damaged on a mine two cables NNE of Bar Light Vessel in Mersyside. .

British steamer ANGLIAN COAST was damaged on a mine two cables 75° from Bar Light Vessel.

*SW Approaches*
British trawler EAST COAST was damaged by the LW off Fastnet (for those not from that part of the world, Fastnet is part of Ireland, off the SW coast).

*Med/Biscay*
RN CLs ORION, AJAX, GLOUCESTER and RAN CL PERTH, departed Suda Bay with troops for Piraeus. This was really the start of the build up that was to see nearly 60000 men deployed to directly support the Greeks. The reinforcement was done at the expense of operations in Libya. Though politically necessary to do this, militarily it was a disaster, the British and Greeks were not strong enough to fight the Germans on the continent, and the weakening of the forces in Cyrenaica very nearly saw the complete defeat of the Allies in the MTO, for a while at least.

This first contingent of troops were disembarked at Piraeus on the 5th. The cruisers then operate in the Aegean with four DDs to cover other troop convoys. Convoy AN.17 of four steamers departed Alexandria escorted DD HEREWARD and from Port Said and also escorted by RAN DD STUART. CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria on the 5th and joined the convoy at daylight on the 7th. These convoy arrivals were amongst the first LUSTRE Force components (British intervention forces in Greece). The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 8th. Convoy AN.16 of British steamer ALAVI arrived at Piraeus during the forenoon with DD GREYHOUND.

Convoy AS.16 of four British, fourteen Greek, and one other ship departed Pireaus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DDs GREYHOUND and HAVOCK. CLs AJAX and PERTH departed Piraeus to cover the passage of convoy AS.16 and then proceeded to Alexandria, via the west of Crete. AS.16 arrived at Alexandria on the 7th. The Port Said units arrived on the 8th.

British troopship ULSTER PRINCE, escorted by destroyer HOTSPUR, arrived at Suda Bay from Piraeus. The troopship, after unloading stores and Fleet Air Arm personnel, embarked the ABSTENTION Commando Unit.

Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta after an operation in the Gulf of Hammamet.

*Central Atlantic*
CL SHEFFIELD arrived at Gibraltar and was docked for repairs after convoy SL.65 duties.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.18 departed Suez, escorted by sloop CLIVE. DD KINGSTON and RAN sloop YARRA which joined on the 8th. The convoy was dispersed on the 12th.

BM.4 departed Karachi on the 4th with steamers TALMA and VARELA, escort AMC ANTENOR from 4 March to 12 March. Further units departed Bombay on the 8th with steamers EGRA, SANTHIA, EL MADINA, FELIX ROUSSEL, NEURALIA, RAJULA, and ROHNA joining the convoy. CL EMERALD escorted the convoy from 12 to 15 March. CL DAUNTLESS escorted the convoy from 13 to 16 March. The AMC was detached on the 16th. Steamers BAHADUR, JAPAYAMUNA, and JALADUTA departed Bombay on the 7th for Penang, independently, carrying lorries, petrol, ordnance, and stores. The convoy arrived at Penang on the 18th. All but TALMA departed on the 24th, escorted by AMC ANTENOR and CL DURBAN. The convoy arrived at Singapore on the 26th.

Sinking of the KETTY BROVIG and the COBURG
On the 4th. of March, 1941, KETTY BROVIG had been alongside the DKM supply ship, "Coburg," receiving fresh water. They were in the NW corner of the Indian Ocean, when discovered by the Walrus aircraft from H.M.A.S.CANBERRA. The ships had quickly separated, BOBURG setting a course North, and the KETTY BROVIG headed Sth. CANBERRA went after COBURG and the Walrus, trying to slow down KETTY BROVIG dropped 4 bombs, the last two falling close by, in the ship's wake. She stopped, and then unexpectedly scuttled.

CANBERRA kept her distance, at about 9.5 miles, but brought the COBURG under fire. During this process COBURG was set on fire by some 8” hits into the superstructure. At that point COBURG set off scuttling charges, and subsequently sank. It was Capain Farncomb's belief, that COBURG was, in fact, a Raider, His Walrus had so described the ship on its first sighting from the air. He stayed well clear to avoid any possible use of torpedoes against his ship, a very prudent action, one would have thought.

Some 215, 8 inch shells had been used, this drew some comment after his report of proceeding arrived at Navy Office, and C in C East Indies, also put in "his two bob's worth." In general, it was thought that if Farncomb had gone closer, he would have identified COBURG much earlier, and saved a lot of expensive 8 inch shells.

At that time, Captain Burnett, was Deputy Chief of Staff; at Navy Office, he had seen, and appended his initials to the correspondence about CANBERRA and her Captain's actions, and knew what Board members had thought and said. Later he took command of HMAS SYDNEY and was faced with the same sort of situation when meeting "KORMORAN in November. SYDNEY in that action did the reverse of CANBERRA and was lost. 

*Tkr KETTY BROVIG (Ex-Nor 7031 grt)*, captured by DKM disguised raider ATLANTIS on 2 February 1941, was sighted by a walrus seaplane from RAN CA HMAS CANBERRA which also dropped four bombs in her wake. The tanker stopped and then scuttled herself as a result 




+

*AO COBURG (DKM 7400 grt)*, in company with the tanker, was pursued by the CA attacked with guns and set on fire. The COBURGs crew scuttled the ship before the CA was able to intervene. 




_German Supply ship COBURG as seen from the HMAS CANBERRA’s Walrus, arrived as the COBURG was sinking. TheCOBURG has been set on fire by gunfire from H.M.A.S. CANBERRA and was subsequently scuttled._

NZ manned CL LEANDER had departed from the CANBERRA earlier on the 4th, but returned to assist in rescue of the survivors from the German ships. CANBERRA and LEANDER arrived at Mauritius on the 8th with the crews of the German ships


*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 3, 2016)

*March 4 Tuesday*

*INDIAN OCEAN: *An Australian Walrus seaplane of HMAS “_Canberra_” spotted German ship “_Coburg_” and captured Norwegian tanker “_Ketty Brøvig_”, which was being used to supply German armed merchant cruisers. At the request of HMAS “_Canberra_” who was standing by the tanker, HMS “_Leander_” approached the two boats and embarked five Norwegian officer survivors of the tanker, “_Ketty Brovig_”, and 15 German officers and 33 men prisoners from the merchant vessel “_Coburg_”. The boats were then sunk, while HMS “_Leander’s_” boats examined the floating wreckage for anything of value; nothing was found. HMAS "_Canberra_" decided that the scuttling of the tanker “_Ketty Brovig_” had effectively rendered salvage impossible, and at 1940 hours she fired a few rounds in to the floating fore part, and left the ship in a sinking condition. HMS “_Leander_” and HMAS “_Canberra_” then proceeded to Port Louis, Mauritius.

*GERMANY: *Prince Paul, Regent of Yugoslavia, arrived in Berchtesgaden in Germany where Hitler applied further pressure for Yugoslavia to join Tripartite Pact. Paul set his conditions for Yugoslavia to join the Axis, including that Salonika be ceded to Yugoslavia after the war. He tells Hitler that Yugoslavia would sign on to the Tripartite Pact, provided that Yugoslavia was not asked to fight and German troops would not expect transit through Yugoslavia. Hitler agreed to all conditions except that the terms of the agreement be published. Hitler offered to cede part of Macedonia to Yugoslavia in return for allowing German troops to transit into Greece. The terms are agreed to.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Lustre: Beginning today, a series of convoys moved from Alexandria to Piraeus at regular 3-day intervals, escorted by warships of the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy in response to the failed Italian invasion and the looming threat of German intervention. The movements were codenamed Operation Lustre. Four British freighters departed Alexandria and Port Said today, Egypt with men and equipment - including the 6th Australian Division, the 2nd New Zealand Division, and a Polish brigade - escorted by destroyers HMS “_Hereward_” and HMS “_Stuart_”, for Greece. A total of 56,657 men would be sent to Greece as a counter to German moves and take up position west of the Vardar River.

Indian 7th Infantry Brigade moves into position north of Keren. 7th Indian Infantry Brigade moved forward to the Cogai Pass area. Reconnaissance of the area south of Mescelit Pass was started. Keren was only a few miles to the south and the sound of the guns could be heard, but between the two positions lay a range of formidable hills covering the pass south of Mendad. The main Italian position extended from the upper slopes of Mt. Ab Aaures on the east through Mt. Cubub, across the Anseba to Mt. Bab Harmas and Mt. Laal Amba. Artillery had been located near the Anseba and the valley was heavily mined. During the night, a troop of 51 Commando fought a very successful engagement while patrolling to the northwest of Pt. 1702 and Pt. 1710. It ran into an Italian post, protected by a single apron barbed wire fence, charged it in the face of heavy fire and captured it without loss. One Italian Officer and five other ranks were killed. The Allied patrol, forty-four strong, held the post until morning.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson arrived in Athens, Greece to take command of all Allied ground forces. He discovered the Greek troops were still manning the Metaxas Line on the Bulgarian-Greek border rather than the agreed upon Aliakmon Line. From the sea, Italian warships bombarded Greek coastal positions in Albania.

Following failure of landing on Castelrosso Island, Allies cancel planned attack on Rhodes.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Richard O'Connor was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

Luftwaffe attacks Cardiff overnight with 61 aircraft.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Operation Claymore: British landing ships HMS “_Queen Emma_” and HMS “_Princess Beatrix_”, escorted by five destroyers, landed 500 British Commandos, Royal Engineers, and Free Norwegian troops at four ports in the Loftoten Islands, off Narvik, Norway at dawn. Operation Claymore, the first large scale commando raid of the war, saw the destruction of fish oil factories (along with 3,600 tons of fish oil, used for high explosives) and nine merchant ships. An unexpected bonus was the discovery of coding rotors for the Enigma cryptographic system found aboard German trawler “_Krebs_”. The raiders withdrew without a single casualty along with 228 German captives.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Bulgaria severs diplomatic relations with Belgium, the Netherlands, and Poland.

*WESTERN FRONT: *18 Geuzen resistance fighters were sentenced to death in The Hague.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 4, 2016)

*05 March 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS LUDLOW (DD438)






Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS AURICULA (K-12)

_



_
_HMS AURICULA seen after she had hit a mine off Madagascar._
_AURICULA was based in Liverpool and spent most of 1941 in escort work across the Atlantic. She was fitted with RDF in Londonderry and transferred to Freetown later in the year and patrolled the West Coast of Africa. She was moved again to Lagos, where many of the crew got malaria, and sailed for Cape Town calling in on Walvis Bay. She arrived at the Cape on Good Friday 1942 and proceeded on to Durban, the assembly port for part of the fleet carrying troops for the invasion of Madagascar. Early in the operation she hit a mine and sank the next day. Casualties were mostly head and leg injuries and the injured were transferred to the SS BATORY, the Polish trans Atlantic liner that was acting as hospital ship. The injured were then transferred to the SS ATLANTIS, a Greek passenger vessel, that took them to Durban._

Fairmile B MLs 206, 212
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Tug SILVERSTONE (UK 58 grt)* was sunk on a mine three miles above Rochester Bridge, Medway. SILVERSTONE was towing *barges ROCKSTONE (UK 96 grt)*, *SANDSTONE (UK 96 grt)*, which were also lost, as well as STONECURB and CESTONE, which were not lost. The entire crew on the tug were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.95 sank *steamer MURJEK (SD 5070 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic sth of Iceland. There were no survivors from the crew of 31. She was carrying cotton from Lagos to Goteburg. At 0525 hrs on 5 March 1941 the unescorted and neutral MURJEK (however she was in a declared area) was hit by one torpedo from U-95 WNW of Rockall. The ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 0506 hrs and sank only after four additional hits had been inflicted on her at 0533, 0551, 0625 (dud) and 0655 hrs. Schreiber reported that the ship was en route with lights set, but no nationality markings were visible and he thought of an Allied ship using its lights as a ruse, even after intercepting radio messages that identified the ship as Swedish MURJEK. By this time, being a neutral warship did not amount to much of a defence.





*Sperrbrecher STOLZENFELS (DKM 7512 grt)* was sunk by on a mine. Whilst operating as a mine clearance ship she was designated Sperrbrecher XII. Some German sources (but not all, calim she was sunk by a torpedo launched by an aircraft, or a mine on the 23 0r 24 March.


After reports of shipping at sea, Submarines UPRIGHT and UTMOST departed Malta for patrol on the Tripoli convoy routes. Submarine TRUANT departed for a coastal patrol in the Gulf of Sirte. Submarine TRIUMPH sank the following cargo ships:

*steamer MARZAMEMI (FI 958 grt)* off Calabria





*Steamer COLOMBO LO FARO (897grt)* also off Calabria.





Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN captured trawler *BIJOU BIHON (Vichy 112 grt)* west of Gibraltar where she was taken.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-74

At Sea 05 March 1941
U-37, U-47, U-70, U-74, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA
14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DKM TBs ILTIS and JAGUAR laid minefield AUGBURG off Eastbourne. p>

*Northern Waters*
DD LIDDESDALE arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth to work up l> p>

*West Coast*
BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, AMC ALCANTARA. With steamer STRATHMORE departed the Clyde for Gibraltar, escort DDs OTTAWA, ASSINIBOINE, VANSITTART, and CHURCHILL. The carrier was carrying aircraft to Takoradi to be delivered on the 22nd in operation SUMMER. The carrier, CL DRAGON, and DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND departed Freetown on the 18th.

FURIOUS arrived on schedule at Takoradi on the 22nd, escorted by CL DRAGON, which landed passengers and to refuel the DDs. DRAGON then proceeded to Lagos to refuel herself. The carrier and the destroyers arrived back at Freetown on the 25th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to join convoy EN.81 off Aberdeen. The ship remained with the convoy until midnight. The ship returned to Scapa Flow after sunrise on the 6th.

Convoy OB.294 departed Liverpool escort DDs WANDERER, WITCH, MONTGOMERY, and VIVIEN and corvettes NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE. When the convoy was dispersed on the 9th, the escorts proceeded to join convoy SL.66.

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy ANF.17 of six British and two other ships departed Alexandria escorted by destroyers ILEX, HERO, and HASTY. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy at noon on the 6th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 8th with DD HERO. CLA CALCUTTA and DDs ILEX and HASTY had left the convoy to arrive at Suda Bay during the morning of 8 March.

An Italian convoy of steamers CASTELLON, RUHR, and MARITZA departed Tripoli escort RM AMC RAMB III and TBs ORIONE and PEGASO. The convoy arrived at Naples on the 7th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.113 departed Halifax, escort AMC ALANIA and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. BHX.113 departed Bermuda on the 3rd escort AMC PRINCE DAVID. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.113 on the 8th and the ALANA was detached.

BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN joined on the 15th and the AMC was detached on the 16th. The BB was detached on the 16th. On 17 March, DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, SABRE, VENOMOUS, and WOOLSTON, corvette SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawler WELLARD joined the escort. WELLARD was detached on the 19th and the escort, less the two corvettes which had departed at the start, on the 20th. The two corvettes were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 21st.

*Central Atlantic*
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Freetown with convoy WS.6B. 

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CV FORMIDABLE, escort DDs JUNO and GRIFFIN, departed Port Sudan for Suez.

Lt D. M. Cheeke DSC, Lt (A) R. S. Illingworth, and Leading Airman G. Mitchell of 700 Squadron from heavy cruiser DORSETSHIRE were killed when their Walrus crashed into a hillside at Port Victoria in the Seychilles.

BN.18 departed Aden, escort RAN sloop YARRA. DD KINGSTON joined for escort during 8 March. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 11th.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 4, 2016)

*March 5 Wednesday*

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Lustre: British reinforcements from North Africa arrived in Greece. On the same day, the British government broke off diplomatic relations with Bulgaria in response to their alliance with Germany. Italian S.79s bombers from Rhodes attacked convoy AN.17 (Alexandria to Piraeus) of 20 ships escorted by 4 cruisers and 2 destroyers with a single S.79 narrowly missing AA cruiser “_Coventry_” at 1710 hrs.

British submarine HMS “_Triumph_” sank Italian ships “_Marzamemi_” and “_Colombo Lo Faro”_ 20 miles east of Catania, Sicily, Italy.

Italian soldiers captured by Greeks in Albania report that 1,500 Alpini troops have recently been drowned when transport “_Liguria_” was torpedoed and that Allied bombing raids have caused heavy casualties and great confusion behind Italian lines.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Hermann Göring met with General Antonescu in Vienna, Austria, demanding Romanian participation in the upcoming German invasion of the Soviet Union. A referendum on the policies of Ion Antonescu was held in Romania. The vote was recorded as 99.9% in favour.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-95 sank Swedish ship “_Murjek_”, which had been broadcasting its neutral status continuously, with 5 torpedoes 200 miles south of Iceland at 0525 hours. The entire crew of 31 was killed.

*GERMANY: *Hitler issues Fuehrer Directive No. 24 regarding cooperation with Japan against the Allies. Adolf Hitler issued the order to the German Foreign Ministry to try to draw Japan into the war by attacking British possessions in Asia, but it was still important to keep the United States out of the war at this point.
http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/24.html

*NORTH AFRICA: *The 51 Commando patrol, forty-four strong, was holding a post northwest of Pt. 1702 and Pt. 1710, near Keren when it was counter-attacked by a force of one hundred and thirty men with heavy mortar and machine-gun fire support. As it was running out of ammunition, the patrol withdrew, after inflicting about forty casualties on the Italians. The 11th Indian Infantry Brigade remained in the line for about ten days.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 5, 2016)

*6 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-560




_Used exclusively as a school boat for most of the war. The U-Boat arm was undergoing a massive expansion at this time, but in order to do this, it was first necessary to build up the training capabilities of the KTB BDU. _

Allied
HDML 1018, ML 150
[NO IMAGES FOUND]
*
Losses*
*MSW trawler KERYADO (RN 252 grt) *was sunk on a mine eight miles south of Newhaven. 9 ratings were lost on the trawler.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Barge QUEEN WASP (UK 196 grt)* and *echo sounding boat MOUSE (RN 20 grt(est))* were lost in Falmouth Inner Harbour while attempting to recover a mine. P/T/Sub Lt R. B. Sutherland RNVR, and five ratings from VERNON were killed in the explosion. Four men were wounded.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Tug SUN VII (UK 202 grt)* was sunk on a mine 1-2 miles 60° from North Knob Buoy, Barrow Deep. Five crew were lost.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Tkr MEXICO (Nor 3017 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 51-53N, 1-37E. 10 crew were lost and 23 were rescued.





*Sirena Class Submarine ANFITRITE (RM 617 grt)* was sunk by DCs and gunfire at 0715 by DD GREYHOUND in Kaso Strait, off Crete in 34-55N, 23-45E. The subs CO and 38 crew were rescued and taken prisoner. GREYHOUND was escorting convoy AS.16 with DD HAVOCK at this time.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 6 March 1941
U-37, U-47, U-70, U-74, U-95, U-97, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DKM MLs BRUMMER, COBRA, and KONIGIN LUISE, escorted by the NSWFlot 5 laid mines forty five miles east of the Outer Skerries (east of the Shetlands) in minefield WOLLEN during the night of 6/7 March.

*Northern Waters*
DD ACTIVE arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to join the Home Flt

*West Coast*
British steamer EILIAN HILL was damaged on a mine off Nell's Point, Barry Island (located on the northern side of the Bristol Channel).

*Med/Biscay*
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, HOTSPUR and RAN DDs VOYAGER and WATERHEN departed Alexandria to carry out gunnery exercises. The force, designated Force A, then proceed to the west of Crete to operate from Suda Bay in support of the LUSTRE operations.

Troops were embarked on CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER which sailed at noon as convoy AG.1.

British steamers CLAN MACAULEY and CINGALESE PRINCE, loaded with tanks, departed Alexandria as convoy AG.2, escort DDs NUBIAN, MOHAWK, and WRYNECK, for Piraeus.

Convoy AG.1 arrived at Piraeus on the 7th and the troops and cargo were disembarked. Convoy AG.2 arrived at Piraeus on the 8th and the cargo was safely disembarked.

The cruisers of AG.1 departed Piraeus the same day and returned as convoy GA.1, arriving at Alexandria on the 8th. Convoy AG.2 arrived at Piraeus on the 8th.

Convoys AN.17 and AS.16 were attacked by RA High level bombers south of the Kaso Straits. No damage was done, but the DDs used from thirty to fifty per cent of their ammunition repelling the attacks.

CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH arrived at Alexandria from the Aegean.

Corvette SALVIA departed Tobruk to return with defects to Alexandria.

*Central Atlantic*
BC RENOWN with DDs FORTUNE, DUNCAN, and VELOX departed Gibraltar to conduct exercises. They were joined at sea by DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, and FOXHOUND. The ships returned to t Gibraltar on the 7th.

*Malta*


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## Bernhart (Mar 5, 2016)

in pics of the commandos 1607 wonder what the civilian is doing amongst the soldiers?

Reactions: Like Like:
2 | Like List reactions


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## Njaco (Mar 5, 2016)

*March 6 Thursday*

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Lustre : British cruisers HMS “_York_”, HMS “_Bonaventure_” and HMS “_Gloucester_” leave Alexandria, Egypt, carrying troops to Piraeus, Greece (arriving March 7). Separately, freighters “_Clan Macauley_” and “_Cingalese_” leave Alexandria carrying tanks and equipment, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Nubian_”, HMS “_Mohaw_” and HMS “_Wryneck Prince_” (arriving Piraeus March 8). This pattern of troops on fast warships and freight carried by escorted steamers will be repeated every 3 days. Italian submarines “_Ondina_”, “_Beilul_”, “_Galatea_”, “_Malachite_”, “_Smeraldo_”, “_Nereide_”, “_Ascianghi_”, “_Ambra_”, “_Dagabur_” and “_Onice_” will patrol the convoy routes around Crete with little success against the convoys. Convoys AN.17 and AS.16 (AS-16 was an empty convoy returning from Greece to Egypt) were attacked by Italian bombing south of the Kaso Straits. No damage was done, but the destroyers used from thirty to fifty per cent of their ammunition repelling the attacks. Nine S.79s and ten S.81s of 39 Stormo bombed the convoy AN-17 of 20 ships escorted by 4 cruisers and 2 destroyers southeast of Kaso Straits. All were driven off by AA fire. Six aircraft were damaged by AA, one was forced to ditch on the sea, crew rescued next day. Destroyer HMAS “_Stuart_”, was attacked seven times by German bombers while on passage to Piraeus. In the last attack she was near-missed by a large bomb. Capt. H. Waller wrote:


> “The last aircraft seemed to be out for my blood and nursed his second bomb until I remained on a steady course. The bombs being so large, however, they could be followed all the way down and the requisite alteration could be made”.


 At 0715 hours, the empty convoy returning from Greece to Egypt was attacked by Italian submarine “_Anfitrite_” east of Crete. “_Anfitrite_” was counterattacked by RN destroyer “_Greyhound_” and forced to the surface and was scuttled by her own crew. Meanwhile an Italian convoy of four vessels reaches Tripoli from Naples without loss.

Greeks launch successful counter-attacks in central sector of Albanian front, capturing several vital mountain crags and taking 1,000 Italian prisoners. RAF and Greek aircraft fly in close support.

Greek Epirus Army and Western Macedonia Army are reorganized and ordered to prepare contingency plans for withdrawal from Albania in the event of German invasion via Bulgaria.

German aircraft began dropping acoustic magnetic mines in the Suez canal, further impeding the flow of British supplies to Greece and North Africa. The initial mine-laying operation had the immediate effect of blocking the vital waterway for three weeks while the waters were cleared.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *New German laws decreed that Polish farm workers were not to complain, were denied from any cultural events, and were forbidden to have sexual intercourse.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” departed Hamburg, Germany. “_Bismarck_” was now able to pass through the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal and left the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in Hamburg and sailed towards the Baltic.

*ASIA:* Western Hupei operation: The Western Hubei Operation was one of the engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Three Infantry, one Cavalry and an artillery Regiment of the 13th Division crossed to the south bank of the Yangtze River near Ichang to attack the Chinese positions there. 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army attacked from their bridgehead on the western bank of Yangtze River, breaking through Chinese positions around Tanchiataitze, Chaochientien, and Fanchiahu.

“_Tatsuta Maru_” departed Yokohama, Japan with new skipper Captain Toichi Takahata.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Ethiopia's Patriots led by Haile Selassie captured Bure.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill issued the Battle of the Atlantic directive, creating a committee to oversee the logistics of that theatre. He gave the highest priority to measures for knocking out German U-Boats and bombers blocking shipments to Britain.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States ordered the Italian consulates in Detroit and Newark closed in retaliation for the closings of February 15.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Kriegsmarine minelaying operations off the Shetland Islands results in the sinking of British vessel “Sun VII” and RN minesweeping trawler “_Keryado_”.

*WESTERN FRONT: *In Occupied Holland following strikes during February over the arrest of Jews and attempts to send workers to jobs in Germany, the Germans condemn 18 Dutch resistance members. These are the first such victims in Holland. The Communists have played a notable part in organizing the strikes.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 6, 2016)

*7 MARCH 1941 (Part I)
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS WALLFLOWER (K-44)





*Losses*
*MTB.28 (RN 49 grt)* was lost by fire at Portsmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Battle For Convoy OB 293 – The Happy Time comes to an end

On 6 March 1941 OB 293 y was sighted by Prien’s U-47 , who followed DKM procedure and radioed his find to U-boat Headquarters.. After sending this sighting report he set to shadowing the convoy, sending in regular updates as to its course sped and position. Through the day he was joined by three other boats; U-99, U-70 and UA. These were all veteran crews and hopes were high of yet another successful attack.

This was the first time that the uboats were pitted against an escort force that had been through the intensive ASW training courses that Western Approaches Command had set up at the instigation of some of its officers like Donald McIntyre. The British still had a lot to learn but the better training was to help a great deal in the forthcoming battle.

On the night of the 6/7 March the pack launched its attack. In the early hours of 7 March U-99 slipped into the convoy from ahead, to attack on the surface; she torpedoed the tanker ATHELBEACH, sinking her, U-99 also hit the the whale factory ship TERJE VIKEN, which was damaged and sank six days later. U-70 hit a freighter DUNAFF HEAD, which sank, and a Dutch tanker, MIJDRECHT. She was only damaged, however, rounding on U-70 and attempting to ram; U-70 was forced to crash-dive to escape. UA is believed to have hit another freighter without sinking her.

The response of the escorts was swift, and persistent. They harried the attackers mercilessly, and worked together as two teams, each ship having its ASDIC blind spots covered as successive sweeps were made and DC patterns dropped. The U-boats were subjected to a fierce bombardment as the warships chased down contacts; over 100 DCs were expended over a 5-hour period. UA was attacked by HMS WOLVERINE (it is now believed) but was able to escape; U-99 managed to escape by diving so deep the DCs were unable to be set to a depth able to reach her. Kretschmer greatly exceeded the safe diving limits of his boats to do this. He was forced to wait out the attack by which time the convoy had moved on. U-70 was damaged in the onslaught (her loss is partly due to the DC attacks by the two corvettes in the battle) and forced to the surface, where she was fired on and sunk by the corvettes CAMELLIA and ARBUTUS.

The precise fate of the U-47 is not known. She is believed to have avoided damage and was able to stay in contact with the convoy, sending further reports and requesting reinforcements. He had also been able to torpedo TERJE VIKEN, which was straggling after being damaged, though she still remained afloat. Prien was not a man who gave up easily. The escorts attempted to bring her to port, but she finally sank on the 14th; her loss was credited to both U-99 and U-47.

Meanwhile, on the night of 7th/8th, at about 1am on the 8th, WOLVERINE’s Log states that she spotted a U-boat on the surface which she identified as U-47.. She and VERITY attacked, and after 4 hours, which had shown evidence of damage, the U-boat was driven to the surface within yards of WOLVERINE, before diving again. The DD sent down a pattern of DCs and was rewarded with an underwater explosion, marked by an orange glow, and flames that broke the surface. This attack is still believed to have been the UA, which somehow survived this attack.

WOLVERINEwas credited with destroying U-47, and this featured in the official record until the late 1990s. However, after reviewing the available records modern historians regard this attack as being directed against UA, which undamaged, and survived to reach port. WOLVERINEs reports of explosions and light flashes underwater remain unexplained. My take on this was that it was the U-47, but the explosions and orange flashes had nothing to do with WOLVERINE's attacks. What the WOLVERINE saw was the destruction of U-47, but it was not of their direct doing. 

No conclusion can be reached about the fate of U-47, but she was lost on or about the 7 March whilst in action against the RN. Possible causes could be a diving accident, a mishap with her torpedoes (known at the time to sometimes detonate incorrectly) or possibly a further attack by the two Corvettes whop also recorded a further attack against an unknown contact.

The success of the defence of OB 293, with the loss of the U-boat ace Prien, coupled with the successful defence of Convoy HX-112, and the loss of two more aces, Kretschmer and Schepke, one week later, is generally regarded as the end of the Happy time and marked the first glimpses of an improving allied defence in a long battle.

U.99 torpedoed *whaling vessel TERJE VIKEN (UK 20,638 grt)* in 60N, 12-50W. The entire crew of the whaling vessel was rescued. The wreck of the whaling vessel was sunk by two DDs and one corvette on the 14th. She was empty and enroute to Curacao at the time of her loss. The details of the attacks made on her are that at 0505 hrs, TERJE VIKEN in convoy OB-293 was hit by two torpedoes SE of Iceland. This must have been U-47, which was thought to have gone missing soon after.

At 0550 hrs, the ship was missed by a spread of three torpedoes from U-70, but at the same time U-99 fired a torpedo that hit on the port side and the crew abandoned ship. Later a part of the crew reboarded the ship and tried to save her, but she capsized at 1855 hrs without sinking.

On 14 March, the wreck was scuttled by gunfire of a British salvage tug and two DDs. The survivors were picked up by HMS HURRICANE and landed at Greenock.





U.70 damaged British steamer DELILIAN from convoy OB-293. The steamer managed to limp back to Glasgow. U.70 damaged Dutch motor tanker MIJDRECHT. The tanker arrived in Rothesay Bay with extensive damage. The tkr was temporarily repaired at Govan. Later on the 7th U-70 attacked the OB-293 SE of Iceland, but was lost after a second attack at 0725 hours. The survivors claimed that they had hit three ships in the attack at 0445 hours and another in the second. In fact they had hit but not sunk ATHELBEACH, the DELILIAN and MIJDRECHT.

*Type VIIC U-70 (DKM 769 grt)* was forced to the surface after repeated attacks by corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELIA and her commanding officer and twenty four men were picked up. Twenty ratings were lost.





It was U.99 that actually sank *tanker ATHELBEACH (UK 6568 grt)* from OB-293. Seven crew were lost on tanker ATHELBEACH. Convoy escorts DDs WOLVERINE and VERITY and corvettes ARBUTUS and CAMELLIA made further anti-submarine attacks, forcing the U-99 to dive and run silent. ATHELBEACH was empty and enroute to New York, with 44 crew aboard. At 0640 hrs on 7 March, U-99 torpedoed the already damaged ATHELBEACH and the crew abandoned ship. At 0715 hours, the U-boat began to shell the tanker and sank her with a coup de grace 15 minutes later. The master and six crew members were lost. 37 crew members were picked up by Corvette CAMELLIA and landed at Greenock.





*Type VIIB U.47 (DKM 753 grt)* was lost at this time, probably to marine accident. All 48 crew were lost in the submarine.





U.37 sank *steamer MENTOR (Gk 3050 grt)* from dispersed convoy OB.292 in the Western Approaches. Seven crew were lost on the steamer. Empty and enroute to Takoradi, she had a crew of 29 before she was lost. At 1047 hrs the unescorted and unarmed MENTOR, dispersed from convoy OB-292 the day before, was hit by one torpedo from U-37 and sank by the bow with a still turning propeller about 270 miles SW of Iceland. Seven crew members were lost. The master and 21 crew members were picked up by a Faroese trawler in and landed at Thorshavn on 13 March. 






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-97 
 
At Sea 7 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*North Sea*
The Battle Of FN426 and FS429

DKM S Boat Flot 1 with S.26, S.27, S.28, S.29, S.39, S.101, and S.102 and S Boat Flot 3 with S.31, S.57, S.59, S.60, and S.61 made a mass attack sortie against convoys FN.426 and FS.429 off Yarmouth and Cromer during the night of 7/8 March. FS.429 was escorted by DD PYTCHLEY and sloop PUFFIN. Convoy FN.426 was escorted by DDs VERSATILE, BERKELEY, and patrol sloop SHELDRAKE. DDs WORCESTER and WHITSHED were dispatched to cover both convoys. Before midnight, five steamers were sunk. Additional losses were suffered in the early hours of the 8th


*Steamer DOTTEREL (UK 1385 grt) *was badly damaged by S.29 off Number 6 Buoy, Southwold. The steamer went ashor. There was no possibility of salvage. 8 crew were lost on the steamer. 3 crewman from the rescuing ship SHELLDRAKE were also lost trying to board the steamer. 19 crew were rescued.





Sloop SHELDRAKE was near missed by a torpedo.

*Steamer KENTON (UK 1047 grt)* was sunk by S.31. 4 crew were lost on the steamer.





*Steamer CORDUFF (UK 2345 grt)* was sunk by S.28 off Number 8 Buoy near Cromer. 14 crew were rescued, 2 taken as prisoner, and 7 lost.





*Steamer BOULDERPOOL (UK 4805 grt)* was sunk by S.61 off the Norfolk Coast, ten miles south of Sheringham Buoy when on a voyage from London to the Tyne in ballast, The whole crew were rescued.





(Cont'd next entry)


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## parsifal (Mar 6, 2016)

*7 March 1941 (Part II)*
The Battle Of FN426 and FS429 (cont'd)

*Steamer RYE (UK 1048 grt)* was sunk by an S.27 off Cromer. The entire crew of 22 and 2 gunners were lost.





After midnight, two more ships were sunk.

*Steamer TOGSTON (UK 1547 grt)* was sunk by S.102, two miles 305° from Smith's Knoll. 8 crew were missing from the steamer.





*Steamer NORMAN QUEEN (UK 957 grt)* was sunk by S 102 off S. Haisborough Buoy, east of Cromer. 12 crew and 2 gunners were lost on the steamer. One crewman was taken as a pow.





*Steamer FLASHLIGHT (UK 934 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the same general area the morning of the 7th. She was on passage from Sunderland for London with a 1,150-ton cargo of coal. There is no mention of what happened to the crew in the Lyods register but local histories say they all survived..





*Northern Waters*
CA LONDON, escorted by DD MATABELE, arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting. DD MASHONA, which departed Hartlepool at 0035, had also been detailed to escort the cruiser LONDON, but did not make contact. This destroyer arrived at Scapa Flow later that afternoon.

CLA DIDO parted company with convoy SL.65 and arrived in the Clyde. The cruiser sustained structural damage from heavy weather during this duty. DIDO was repaired in the Clyde and departed on the 22nd for Scapa Flow. RAN DD NIZAM departed Scapa Flow for Greenock on completion of work up. The DD arrived at Greenock on the 8th

*West Coast*
OG.55 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs ACHATES, BOREAS, and RAMSAY, sloops EGRET and WESTON, corvettes, AZALEA, FLEUR DE LYS, HEATHER, PICOTEE, and SNOWDROP, ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE, and LADY MADELEINE. ASW Trawler KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE joined the convoy on the 7th. ACHATES and BOREAS, corvettes HEATHER and SNOWDROP, and the trawlers were detached on the 12th. On 14 March, submarine PANDORA and corvette COREOPSIS joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st with DD RAMSAY, sloop EGRET, submarine PANDORA, corvettes AZALEA, COREOPSIS, and FLEUR DE LYS, and trawler KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE

*Western Approaches*
Submarine PORPOISE made an unsuccessful torpedo attack against a Uboat in 57-50N, 19-50W.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs ORION and AJAX and RAN CL PERTH, covering convoy AG.3, departed Alexandria with 1900 troops for Piraeus arriving on the midmorning of the 8th. The cruisers were ordered to remain in the Aegean to cover other convoys.

Convoy AN.18 of two British, two Greek, and one other ship departed Alexandria and Port Said escort DD HAVOCK and corvette HYACINTH. The convoy was later joined by CLA CALCUTTA and DD ILEX. DD GREYHOUND later also joined to strengthen the convoy escort. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 11th.

Greek troop transports CORINTHIA, IONIA, HELLAS, and MARIE MAERSK departed Piraeus on the 7th as convoy GA.1 1/2, escorted by RHN DDs SPETSAI and HYDRA. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 10th.

LW bombing attacks on the Malta shipyard caused additional damage during the night of 7/8 March. British steamer ESSEX in Grand Harbour was struck by three bombs and further damaged. She did not sink however. DD IMPERIAL was slightly damaged by splinters from the air attack. 

*Central Atlantic*
DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar just before midnight to rendezvous with BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, and troopship STRATHMORE and escort them into Gibraltar.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL EMERALD arrived at Colombo

*Malta*








Bernhart said:


> in pics of the commandos 1607 wonder what the civilian is doing amongst the soldiers?


My guess he is one of the 300 or so Norwegians who volunteered to join the Free Norwegian forces


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## Njaco (Mar 6, 2016)

... or one of the 228 German captives.


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## Njaco (Mar 6, 2016)

*March 7 Friday*

*GERMANY:* The maiden flight of the huge transport glider, the Messerschmitt Me 321 ‘Gigant’. Three Bf 110s initially tow the glider but after several accidents a new aircraft is developed for just such a purpose. By combining two He 111Z and adding a fifth engine, Heinkel develops the ‘Zwilling’ to tow the huge ‘Gigant’.

Battleship “_Bismarck_” entered the Kiel Canal.

German Jews began to be pressed into forced labor.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-47 with her commander KL Günther Prien, the person responsible for the sinking of HMS “_Royal Oak_”, went missing while attacking Convoy OB.293. Prien led an attack on Convoy OB.293, along with Otto Kretschemer’s U-99, U-70 and the “foreign,” modified Type IX boat U-A. They were viciously contested by the convoy’s escort of two destroyers and two corvettes, which launched a five-hour, 100-depth-charge counterattack. British whaling factory ship “_Terje Viken_” (largest in the world and 4th largest merchant ship sunk in WWII) and British tanker “_Athelbeach_” were sunk, while two others were damaged. U-70 was forced to the surface and sunk, and the rest were driven off, except for U-47. She has generally been thought to have been sunk by the British destroyer HMS “_Wolverine_” west of Ireland. The submarine was attacked by “Wolverine” and HMS “_Verity_”, which took turns covering each other's ASDIC blind spots and dropping patterns of depth charges until U-47 rose almost to the surface before sinking and then exploded with an orange flash visible from the surface. Postwar assessment showed that the boat attacked there was U-A, part of the foreign U-Boat corps. To date, there is no official record of what happened to U-47, although a variety of possibilities exist, including mines, a mechanical failure, a victim of her own torpedoes, or possibly a later attack that did not confirm any claims by the corvette team of HMS “_Camellia_” and HMS “_Arbutus_”. U-47 had a crew of 45 officers and men during her last North Atlantic patrol in early 1941, all of whom were presumed to have died. The Kriegsmarine delayed announcement of Prien’s death for ten weeks. Even his wife was kept in the dark until the British RAF began dropping propaganda leaflets asking “Wo ist Prien?” Coupled with the loss of U-boat aces Kretschmer (captured) and Joachim Schepke (sunk) a week later, his was a blow from which the service never really recovered. He was posthumously awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight’s Cross. A statement from the Wehrmacht High Command noted, “He and his brave crew will live forever in German hearts.”

German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” locate convoy SL.67 of 12 freighters 550 miles Northwest of Dakar, Senegal, and prepare to attack, but withdraw due to the presence of British battleship HMS “_Malaya_”. Under orders not to engage British capital ships, they do not attack the convoy but instead report its position to German submarines in the area.

German submarine U-37 sank Greek ship “_Mentor_” in the North Atlantic.

12 German motor torpedo boats attacked British ships of convoys FN.426 and FS.429 off East Anglia, England, sinking 5 ships, damaging 1 ship, and killing 59. Sunk in the attack were British vessels 'SS _Kenton_' (1,047t) Poole to the Tyne) Four of her crew lost. 'SS _Corduff_' (2,345t) London to Hull. Seven of her crew lost. 'SS _Boulderpool_' (4,805t) London to the Tyne. British vessels “_Dotterel_” and “_Rye_” were also sunk. British vessel “_Flashlight_” (934t) cargo ship, Seaham to London with a cargo of coal was sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft east of Spurn Point.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Lustre : British troops, mostly Australian and New Zealand motorized forces, begin arriving in Greece. British cruisers HMS “_York_”, HMS “_Bonaventure_”, and HMS “_Gloucester_” arrived at Piraeus, Greece, disembarking troops from North Africa. British 1st Armored Brigade arrives at Athens as does General Freyberg.

Greek Epirus Army attacks toward Senteli Mountain west of Klisura and takes more than 1000 Italian prisoners.

The fighters of 7./JG 26 strafe St. Paul’s Bay at Malta and damage a British Sunderland flying boat.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Field Marshal Jan Smuts arrived in Cairo, Egypt where, at an evening conference, he gave his support to Anthony Eden's firm line to commit troops to the Greek mainland.
*
SOUTH PACIFIC: *USMC 7th Defense Battalion deploys at Pago Pago.

*ASIA: *Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army began pushing forward from their bridgehead on the western bank of Yangtze River and capture Wuchiapa, Hsiawulungkou, and Chienchiatai.

.


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## Njaco (Mar 8, 2016)

*March 8 Saturday*

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” exited the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal for the last time and entered Dock C of Deutsche Werke Kiel. “_Bismarck_” embarked supplies at Scheerhafen (Kiel), ammunition, fuel, water, two Arado 196 aircraft. Striped camouflage paint was added. The ship was now fully equipped.

Erich Raeder warned Adolf Hitler of a possible American landing in northwest Africa should the United States enter the war.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Lustre : British freighters “_Clan Macauley_” and “_Cingalese_”, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Nubian_”, HMS “_Mohawk_”, and HMS “_Wryneck Prince_” arrived in Piraeus, Greece with tanks and equipment from North Africa. Australian 16th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens by sea from Egypt.

As Allied troops sail north from Egypt to Greece, the first tanks for Rommel’s Afrika Korps head south from Italy to Libya. 5th Light Division’s Panzer Regiment departs Naples in freighters “_Alicante_”, “_Arcturus_”, “_Wachtfels_”, and “_Rialto_” bound for Tripoli, Libya in two convoys arriving safely on March 10 escorted by Italian destroyers “_Fulmine_”, “_Baleno_” and “_Turbine_”. Remarkably, these parallel convoys of troops and equipment are mostly unmolested by the British and Italian submarines patrolling the Western Mediterranean.

Attacks by Greek Epirus Army west of Klisura were halted. The Italian Air Force conducted heavy attacks northwest of Klisura.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-A sank British ship “_Dunaff Head_” of Allied convoy OB.293 150 miles south of Iceland at 0119 hours; 5 were killed and 38 survived. Destroyer HMS “_Wolverine_” counterattacked and damaged U-A.

Off Western Africa, German submarines U-105, U-106, and U-124 received sighting reports of Allied convoy SL-67 from surface ships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_”. They searched for the escorting battleship HMS “_Malaya_” in failure. Instead, U-105 sank British ship “_Harmodius_” at 0341 hours and U-124 sank four ships between 0547 and 0608 hours - British vessels “_Nardana_”, “_Hindpool_”, “_Tielbank_” and “_Lahore_”. U-105 received damage from depth charges as she was counterattacked. A total of 62 British sailors were killed; 300 survivors were picked up.

German motor torpedo boats continue to attack British ships in convoys again off Cromer. 'SS _Togston_' (1,547t) cargo ship, Blyth to London, was sunk by an E Boat near Cromer. Eight of her crew were lost. 'SS _Hindpool_' (4,897t) cargo ship, Pepel to the Tees, was sunk by U-124. Twenty-seven of her crew were killed.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In the United States, Congress passes "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States", known as the Lend-Lease Act, authorizing the President to sell, lease, lend, transfer, or exchange war supplies to any nation deemed vital to defense of the US. Total value is US$1.3 billion. The Senate passed the Lend-Lease bill by a vote of 60-31.

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Hugh Mulcahy became the first major league baseball player to be conscripted in the Selective Service draft.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In London, England, Australian Prime Minister Menzies officially releases Britain from deserting naval protection of the Mediterranean to protect Australia, in the event of war in the Pacific, due to the large number of ground forces in the Middle East.

German aircraft bombed London, England overnight with 125 aircraft.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Soviet government orders 900,000 reservists called to duty between May 15 and October 20.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Martial law is proclaimed in Holland in order to extinguish any anti-Nazi protests.

*ASIA:* Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army pushes forward from bridgehead on Yangtze River as Chinese forces withdraw to the west.


.


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## parsifal (Mar 8, 2016)

*8 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-204




4 ships sunk, total tonnage 17,157 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,060 tons
Sunk on 19 October 1941 in the Gibraltar Straits off Tangier, by DCs from the corvette HMS MALLOW and the Sloop HMS ROCHESTER 46 dead (all hands lost).

Type M-35 MSW M-32
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*MSW DART (RN 550 grt (est))* was sunk on a mine in the Suez Canal. Two crew were killed and two were seriously wounded
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*steamer NURGIS (Nor 700 grt)* was sunk by the LW seven miles NW of Lizard (in Cornwall). The entire crew was rescued.






*Steamer PRINS FREDERIK HENDRIK (NL 128grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Channel. Eight crew were lost on the steamer.





UA torpedoed *steamer DUNAFF HEAD (UK 5258 grt)* from convoy OB.293 in 60-33N, 18-50W. Five crew from a 44 man complement were lost on the steamer. The steamer was empty at the time of her loss enroute to New Brunswick. The details of this attack are that at 0119 hrs the DUNAFF HEAD in convoy OB-293 was hit by one of two torpedoes from UA and sank sth of Iceland. The master, 34 crew members and four gunners were picked up by DD VERITY and landed at Loch Ewe.





Convoy SL67 
U.105 and U.124 attacked convoy SL.67 on the 8th.

U.105 sank *steamer HARMODIUS (UK 5229 grt)* about 100 miles west of modern day Mauretania. 11 crew was lost on the steamer. The ship was enroute from Indochina to Glasgow via some intermediate stops carrying pig iron and other cargo, with a crew of 75. At 0341 hrs the HARMODIUS in convoy SL-67 was torpedoed and sunk by U-105 NNE of the Cape Verde Islands. 13 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 59 crew members and one gunner were picked up by RN DD FAULKNOR, transferred to DD FORESTER and landed at Gibraltar on 16 March.





U.124 sank *steamer NARDANA (UK 7974 grt)* in the same location. Enroute from India to Britain, the ships was laden with linseed, palm kernels, pig iron and seeds. 126 people were aboard at the time of her loss. 19 crew were lost on the steamer. Between 0547 and 0608 hrs, U-124 fired six single torpedoes at the convoy SL-67 nth of the Cape Verde Islands and observed four ships going down. Schulz reported five ships with about 33.000 tons sunk and another ship damaged.In fact four ships were sunk in the attack. The NARDANA, HINDPOOL, TIELBANK, and LAHORE. The master, 104 crew members and two gunners were picked up by DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER and landed at Gibraltar on 16 March.





U.124 sank *steamer HINDPOOL (UK 4897 grt)* from convoy SL-67, Nth of the cape Verde islands. 28 crew were lost. The ship was fully laden with iron ore, enroute from Pepel (near Freetown) to the UK west coast. She had a complement of 40 at the time of her loss.






U.124 sank *steamer TIELBANK (UK 5084 grt) *from convoy SL-67, north of the cape Verde Islands about 100 miles from West African coast. Four crew were lost on the British steamer. She had a mixed cargo of ground nuts and Manganese ingots when she went down and a complement of 66. 





U.124 sank *steamer LAHORE (UK 5304 grt)* from convoy SL-67. The entire crew of 82 were rescued from the steamer. She was enroute from Calcutta to Liverpool, with a cargo of timber, tea, pig-iron and mail. After she had been hit, she caught fire, was abandoned the next day but drifted northwards for about 40 miles before finally sinking 





U.124 also claimed two more ships hit by torpedoes. DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER rescued over 300 survivors from the sunken merchant steamers. The DD arrived at Gibraltar on the 16th.

Fce H escorted convoy SL.67 until CL KENYA relieved them on the 19th for the final leg to England.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 8 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD GURKHA (ii) and MATABELE arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock (for the former) with GURKHA (ii)to work up.

*West Coast*
OB.295 departed Liverpool, escort corvette HELIOTROPE and ASW trawler NORTHERN DAWN. On 9 March, DDs ECHO, ELECTRA, INGLEFIELD, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and VALOROUS, corvettes ARABIS, MALLOW, and VIOLET, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, and NORTHERN WAVE joined the escort. DDs INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, and ECHO departed Scapa Flow to join convoy OB.295 on the 10th in the Western Approaches. The DDs returned to Scapa Flow on the 15th.

DD BEVERLEY, operating in the Western Approaches, broke down with her port engine inoperative. The DD was assisted by DD HARVESTER. BEVERLEY proceeded to the Tyne for repairs completed on 31 May.

*Med/Biscay*
AS.17 of four British ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs STUART (RAN) and HEREWARD. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 12th.

ANF.18 of five British ships departed Alexandria escort DD GREYHOUND. The convoy was joined by CLA CALCUTTA and DD ILEX. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 11th. ANF.18 with DDs ILEX, GREYHOUND, and HAVOCK slightly later. AN.18 with CLA CALCUTTA and DD ILEX arrived about 6 hours later.

BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, HOTSPUR, RAN DDs VOYAGER, and WATERHEN departed Suda Bay to cover movements of convoys through Kithera Straits. DD HOTSPUR rescued Lt R. A. Brabner and Lt J. A. Shuttleworth from a Fulmar of 806 Sqn which had force landed in Suda Bay on the 10th. The British ships arrived at SudaBay late on the 10th.

Egyptian steamer STAR OF MEX, en route to Tobruk from Alexandria with petrol, ran aground near British steamer KNIGHT OF MALTA off Ras Assaz. Corvette PEONY was sent to assist the tanker. The corvette was able to tow the tanker off successfully. Steamer STAR OF MEX was sailed to Alexandria for repairs, escorted by ASW whaler SOUTHERN ISLE..

An Axis supply convoy of steamers ALICANTE, ARCTURUS, WACHTFELS, and, escorted by RM DDs FULMINE, BALENO, and TURBINE, departed Naples for Tripoli, arriving on the 12th without event.

On 12 March, steamers ARCTURUS and WACHTEFELS and DDs LAMPO and FULMINE departed Tripoli to return to Naples, arriving on 14 February.

*Central Atlantic*
A/C from BB MALAYA, escorting convoy SL.67 with AMC CILICIAand corvette ASPHODEL, sighted DKM BCs GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST 350 miles nth of Cape Verde Islands. Later MALAYA herself sighted the two BCs. She attempted to close to engage, bu the German capital ships made off to the north at high speed, consistent with the German admiralty orders to not engage ships of equal or superior gun power. DD FORESTER at that time moving to reinforce the convoy also reported the warships. The Swordfish floatplane from MALAYA ran out of fuel on the 8th shadowing the German ships and its crew of Lt G. R. Brown DSC, Sub Lt R. G. Drake, andTAG R. H. George were picked up by Spanish steamer CABO DE BUERNA ESPERANZA and interned in Spain. They were eventually returned. MALAYAand DD FAULKNOR joined FORESTER and proceeded towards the German ships, but no action ensued as the German ships withdrew.

BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL ARETHUSA, and DDs VELOX and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar on the 7th towards SL.67. DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FOXHOUND met BC REPULSE and CVL FURIOUS. The BC and CVL were placed under the command of Force H 

Liner STRATHMORE was detached and FEARLESS, FORTUNE, and FORESIGHT escorted her to Gibraltar, arriving on the 10th. BC REPULSE and CVL FURIOUS with DD FOXHOUND arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th. CL ARETHUSA also arrived back at Gibraltar on the 10th.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER at sea.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 8, 2016)

*March 9 Sunday*

*NORTH AFRICA:* Minesweeping work completed in the Suez Canal in Egypt, and British Royal Navy commanders gave aircraft carrier HMS “_Formidable_” the go ahead to sail through from the Red Sea into the canal. She sails through from the Red Sea escorted by anti-aircraft cruiser HMS “_Carlisle_” and sloop HMS “_Grimsby_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German cruiser “_Scharnhorst_” sank Greek ship “_Marathon_” 250 miles north of Cape Verde Islands after taking the entire crew prisoner.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Gulfoss_” hit a mine and sank in the English Channel 3 miles south of Dungeness, Kent, England, killing 10.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Primavera Offensive: The Italian Spring Offensive began in the Greco-Italian War. Benito Mussolini is desperate for success in the Albanian mountains before the impending German invasion of Greece, after stalemate during the Winter months. He announced on radio that he would personally lead the offensive against Greece, a “Primavera Offensive”. On queue, 12 Italian divisions attacked the Greek lines. Following artillery and aerial bombardment, 11 infantry divisions plus 131st “Centauro” armoured Division attack through the Trebeshinë heights between the River Osum and River Vjosë. There is little subtlety to the tactical plan and much that is reminiscent of World War I. The Greek intelligence of the direction of the attack is good and their defenses well prepared. Pre-warned by the propaganda, well dug in Greek defenders repel the attack. This will continue for a week, but the Greek First Army was generally able to hold the lines.

British submarines HMS “_Unique_”, HMS “_Upholder_”, HMS “_Upright_”, and HMS “_Utmost_” detected an Italian convoy 35 miles off the coast of Tunisia. HMS “_Utmost_” made an unsuccessful attack on the armed merchant cruiser “_Deffenu_” but was able to sink the freighter “_Capo Vita”_.

Axis supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats “_Alcione_”, “_Pallade_”, “_Polluce_”, “_Clio_”, and “_Centauro_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British RAF Bomber Command was ordered to mount attacks on German U-Boat bases, construction yards and industries associated with their manufacture.

Vichy France announced that authorization was now needed for Jews to sell or rent a company.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Polish Jews from the city of Oswiecim (Auschwitz) began to be deported to the town of Chrzanow in southern Poland.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *German aircraft bombed London, England overnight with 94 aircraft, damaging Buckingham Palace and destroying the underground nightclub Café De Paris, where a bomb comes down a ventilation shaft and explodes on the dance floor (80 people killed including performer Ken 'Snakehips' Johnston who is decapitated onstage). An hour later the club would have been packed with much higher casualties. At Buckingham Palace, the first strike was from a delayed-action bomb, which went off the day after it dropped, blowing out windows in the building – including an office where, not long before, the King had been at his desk working – damaging the indoor swimming pool and causing a number of ceilings to collapse. The blitz 70 years on: Carnage at the Café de Paris

A Junkers Ju 88A-5 from 4./KG 30 (4D+FM) was shot down by fire from No 158 Light AA Battery during a sortie to Newcastle. The bomber crashed into the sea off Lowestoft. Hptmn K. Schneider (Staffelkapitn) was killed and Fw A. Ewald, Uffz K. Kirchner and Gefr K. Oetsch went missing.

*NORTH AMERICA:* A Japanese intelligence network was established in San Diego, California, United States to observe the transportation of war materials.

*ASIA: *Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army captures Kaolingpo.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 9, 2016)

*9 MARCH 1941
Losses*
*ASW trawler GULFOSS (RN 730 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the English Channel. T/Sub Lt G. K. Swindells RNVR, and nine ratings were missing from the trawler. The skipper was wounded.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MARATHON (Gk 7296 grt)* was sunk by DKM BC SCHARNHORST at 21N, 25W. The entire crew were taken prisoner.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-100, U-110, U-551

At Sea:
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-110, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to meet convoy WN.95 in Pentland Firth and provide AA cover. The ship after this duty transferred to convoy EN.83. On arrival in Pentland Firth on the 10th, CURACOA transferred to convoy WN.96. Off Aberdeen, the ship parted company and arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 11th.

LW airstrikes on convoys EN.83 and WN.95, managed to damage British steamer ESMOND off Buchan Ness in 57-21N, 1-38W. She sustained seven casualties. British steamer SYLVIA BEALE was damaged by the LW five miles ENE off Dungeness.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs MASHONA and ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow at dawn to rendezvous with AMC AUSONIA in Denmark Strait and escorted her to the Minches. After this duty, both DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow at sunset on the 11th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ZULU, COSSACK and MAORI departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with the 1st ML Sqn in the Minches for escort duty. 1st ML Sqn of MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, PORT QUEBEC, and MENESTHEUS departed Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN.68 B, initial escort DD ST MARYS. Distant heavy cover was provided by CLs EDINBURGH and NIGERIA, which departed Scapa Flow 1 hr before midnight the same day. They rendezvoused with the MLs on the 10th. The mines were laid on the 11th. The MLs and heavy cover ships arrived back on the 12th whilst DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU refuelled at Loch Alsh on the 13th. COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI departed Loch Alsh pm yjr 14th and joined convoy OB.297 at 1100 in the Minches.

BBs KGV and RODNEY escorted by DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, TARTAR, MATABELE, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow that morning to cover the convoy route. The DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow in the late morning of the 13th. BB KG V proceeded to Halifax arriving on the 15th. The BBp departed Halifax on the 17th escorting HX.115. She arrived at Scapa Flow on the 31st. BB RODNEY escorted convoy HX.114 already at sea. She then proceeded to Reykjavik to refuel arriving on the 24th. BB RODNEY proceeded to Halifax arriving on the 31st

*Channel*
MSW trawler HATSUSE was mined 1.2 miles 180° from Penlee Point (SE Cornwall). She was beached in Cawsand Bay in a sinking condition, but salved and taken to Plymouth on the 11th for repair. She was returned to service

*Med/Biscay*
RN cruisers YORK, BONAVENTURE, and GLOUCESTER departed Alexandria at noon as convoy AG.4. The cruisers arrived at Piraeus on the 10th. After disembarkation, the cruisers sailed to Suda Bay, arriving early on the 11th to take over the Aegean patrol duties.

British cruisers ORION and AJAX and RAN CL PERTH arrived at Suda Bay at early on the 10th for fuel. They sailed that day for Alexandria. Cruisers ORION and PERTH arrived at Alexandria to fit additional AAt weapons. Cruiser AJAX was detached to Port Said, arriving early on the 12th, to have her catapult removed prior to additional AA gun installations. DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK, formerly of convoy AG.2, oiled at Suda Bay and then joined the British Force A west of the Kithera Channel.

A German supply convoy of steamers ANKARA, KYBFELS, MARBURG, and REICHENFELS escorted by RM DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, MALOCELLO, FOLGORE, and LAMPO, which departed Naples on the 5th and arrived at Palermo on the 8th, departed Palermo on the 9th. Italian steamers SEBASTINO VENIER and ANDREA GRITTI which departed Naples on the 6th escorted by TB ALCIONE, arrived at Palermo on the 8th. The convoy was joined by TBs PALLADE and POLLUCE from Palermo. Both convoys were joined by TBs CLIO and CENTAURO from Tripoli. The German convoy arrived at Tripoli at noon on the 10th and the Italian convoy the next day.

An Italian convoy of steamers TANARO , CAFFARO, FENICIA, and CAPO VITA escorted by TB PAPA and RM AMC DEFFENU, departed Palermo, via Trapani, for Tripoli. When the convoy departed Trapani, it was escorted by AMC DEFFENU only. Steamer CAFFARO was detached with mechanical problems and returned with steamer TANARO to Trapani.

RN Sub UTMOST sank *steamer CAPO VITA (FI 5683 grt) * i in the Gulf ofHammanet. UTMOST also made an unsuccessful attack on DEFFENU.





*Steamer FENICIA (FI 2584 grt)* was sunk by RN sub UNIQUE on the 10th, 60 miles SE of Kerkenah.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy GA.2 of empty personnel ships departed Piraeus escorted by DDs JAGUAR, WRYNECK, and RAN VAMPIRE. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 11th.

Two RHN DDs patrolled between Santorin Is and Kaso Straits during the night of 9/10 March.

RAN DD VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Port Said for escort duties in convoy AN.19.

CV FORMIDABLE and DDs JUNO and GRIFFIN after passing through the Suez Canal departed Port Said for Alexandria, arriving on the 10th. CLA CARLISLE, traveled through the Canal with the carrier, accompanied the ships from Port Said to Alexandria. Sloop GRIMSBY, which also traveled with these ships through the Canal, remained at Port Said for convoy AN.19 duties.

Vichy submarine depot ship JULES VERNE, escorted by DDs ALBATROS and TEMPETE passed Gibraltar westbound on the 9th. These ships had come from Casablanca. DD TEMPETE arrived at Oran with convoy K 28 on the 1st and DD ALBATROS with convoy K 29 on the 3rd. The submarine depot ship departed Bizerte on the 4th and arrived at Casablanca on the 10th.


*Malta*


----------



## Njaco (Mar 9, 2016)

*March 10 Monday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *The newly worked-up aircraft carrier, HMS “_Formidable_”, passed through the Suez Canal to join Admiral Andrew Cunningham's Mediterranean fleet at Alexandria, Egypt, which has been without an armoured carrier since HMS “_Illustrious_” had been withdrawn as a result of the serious damage it had suffered from enemy dive-bombers in January 1941.

Primavera Offensive: Italian forces in Albania launched another offensive along a 130 mile long front in an effort to throw Greek forces back to their own territory. Italian 11th Army continued the offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with limited success.

The fighters of 7./JG 26 return over St. Paul’s Bay and complete the destruction of the Sunderland flying boat damaged on 7 March and damage a second aircraft.

British submarine HMS “_Unique_” sank Italian ship “_Fenicia_” 100 miles northwest of Tripoli, Libya.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Canvas. General Platt's Nigerian Brigade has advance 450 miles North from Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland, into Ethiopia. They meet Italian resistance at Degehabur, on the road 100 miles South of Jijiga. Known as the "Hindenburg Wall", these old trenches and gun pits were built by the Ethiopians in 1936 against the Italian invasion during the 2nd Italo-Abyssinian War.

The German 5th Panzer Regiment arrived in North Africa.

Belgian Congolese troops entered Ethiopia from the west and captured the Italian garrison town of Asosa by surprise.

*NORTH AMERICA: *French diplomat Gaston Henry-Haye was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in the United States.

Roosevelt requested $ 7 billion in military credit to Britain under the new lend-lease law. Churchill expressed British thanks for the measure, hailing it as a "Magna Charta". 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-552 sank Icelandic trawler “_Reykjaborg_” with surface weapons 460 miles southeast of Iceland at midnight, killing 12. Of the 3 survivors, 1 of them would die before being rescued by British corvette HMS “_Pimpernel_” four days later.

In the Straits of Dover, three cargo ships, all carrying coal in a coastal convoy, were sunk by mines:- 'SS _Corinia_' (870t) Blyth to Cowes. Seven of her crew were lost. 'SS _Sparta_' (708t) Blyth to Southampton. 'SS _Waterland_' (1,107t) Sunderland to Cowes. Five crew were lost.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *German bombers attacked Portsmouth, England with 238 aircraft overnight, sinking minesweeping trawler HMT “_Revello_” (killing 1) and damaging destroyer HMS “_Sherwood_”, destroyer HMS “_Witherington_”, destroyer HMS “_Tynedale_”, training ship HMS “_Marshal Soult_”, and 4 minesweeping trawlers. Over a thousand people were rendered homeless, 93 were killed and over 250 injured. 10 shore-based Naval personnel are also killed.

RN Force H arrives from Gibraltar to escort convoy SL.67.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Nikolai Voznesensky stepped down as the Chairman of the State Planning Committee of the Soviet Union and took the new role as the First Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union. Maksim Saburov became the Chairman of State Planning Committee of the Soviet Union.

*ASIA: *Japanese rear admiral Takijirō Ōnishi gave Isoroku Yamamoto a draft of the Pearl Harbor attack plan.

Western Hupei operation: 13th Infantry Division of Japanese 11th Army captures Kuankungling, Hutzuchung, and Hsianglingkou without resistance.

Japan resolved a number of outstanding disputes in south east Asia by winning a French cession of Cambodian territory to Thailand and receiving a monopoly on the production of all rice produced in Indochina. French authorities in Indochina also granted Japan full use of the Saigon airport. Previously, Japan had sought military rights only in the Northern section of Vietnam.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France threatens to use its navy unless Britain allows food to reach France. Beer was rationed in Vichy France due to a shortage of barley and hops. Starting March 15, beer could not be sold on Saturdays or Tuesdays.

The British four-engined Handley Page Halifax aircraft makes its operational debut. During the night, six British Handley Page Halifax bombers of No. 35 Squadron of No. 4 Group from RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, England attacked Le Havre, France. It was the operational debut of the four-engine heavy bomber. It was marred by the accidental shoot-down of one of them by an RAF nightfighter. Veterans of Halifax bomber crews recalled their relative relief knowing that, flying at the high altitude that Halifax bombers were capable of, they were safe from flak; however, they had the vulnerability of having a large blind spot beneath the back of the aircraft, which soon became a favorite angle of attack by German Luftwaffe fighters.

RAF Bomber Command sent 14 aircraft to attack St Nazaire overnight. RAF Fighter Command conducted a sweep over Calais.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 19 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Queensland’s Public Works Department began cutting and filling the ground for the first large building of the Rocklea Small Arms Factory. The site later became the Rocklea Munitions Works, taking on larger projects.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 10, 2016)

*10 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 214
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vosper 70’ type MTB 36
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamers CORINIA (UK 870 grt)*, *SPARTA (UK 708 grt)*, and *WATERLAND (UK 1107 grt)* were sunk on mines whilst enroute from Blythe to Cowes carrying coal.. Nine crew and five gunners were lost on steamer CORINIA. Nine crew were missing on steamer SPARTA. Five crew and two gunners were lost on steamer WATERLAND.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.552 sank *trawler REYKJABORG (Iceland 687 grt) *459 miles SE of Iceland. Two crew from the trawler were saved. At 2052 hrs, U-552 hit the REYKJABORG with a dud and then surfaced and fired 103 rounds from the deck gun and 592 rounds from the 2cm AA gun at the vessel between 2314 and 2347 hrs. The trawler sank about 459 miles SE of Iceland. One of the three survivors that managed to reach a raft died but on 14 March the others were picked up by Corvette HMS PIMPERNEL escorting the convoy OB-296 and later landed at Greenock.






*UBOATS*
At Sea 10 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-110, U-124, U-147, U-551, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD WORCESTER, escorting convoy FN.428 drove off three DKM S-boats off the coast of Norfolk. DD SOUTHDOWN, escorting convoy FS.429A drove off DKM S-boats off Sheringham. There was no damage to either convoy.

DKM MLs KONIGIN LUISE and COBRA, escorted by the MSWFlot 5, laid minefield PREGEL during the night of 10/11 March extending the Westwall minefield northwards

*West Coast*
OB.296 departed Liverpool, escort DD VANQUISHER and corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, and PIMPERNEL. The escort was joined on the 11th by DDs WHITEHALL and WINCHELSEA and on the 12th by DD VICEROY. On 13 March, VICEROY was detached. The three corvettes were detached on the 14th. The remaining 3 DDs were detached on the 15th when the convoy was dispersed.

Submarine H.28 was in a collision with an unknown merchant ship in the Irish Sea. The submarine was repaired at Belfast from 12 March to 14 April.

Norwegian steamer BUR was damaged by the LW off the Pembrokeshire coast. The ship put into Fishguard during the evening of 10 March in a sinking condition. The ship was beached on Goodwick Sands and later repaired at Barry.

Dutch steamer LIBRA was damaged by near misses by the LW. The steamer was towed into Swansea. 

*SW Approaches*
RNeN sub O.23 arrived at Gibraltar from England.

*Med/Biscay*
Damaged CV ILLUSTRIOUS departed Alexandria, escort DDs JUNO and GRIFFIN, for Port Said. Due to mining in the Canal, the transit of the carrier through the Canal was delayed for 5 days . The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 11th. ILLUSTRIOUS did not begin her transit of the Canal until the 15th. The carrier was then en route for repairs in the United States. These repairs required eleven months to complete, and the carrier was never able to fully recover from the damage she had received.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.25 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC LACONIA and sub THUNDERBOLT. The sub was detached on the 15th and the AMC on the 24th. On 26 March, DDs CHESTERFIELD, GARLAND, and OTTAWA, sloop WESTON, and corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, and PICOTEE joined the escort. The escorts were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th

*Central Atlantic*
BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, and DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar to protect the SL.convoy route. They relieved BB MALAYA in protecting SL.67. BB MALAYA and DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER then proceeded to Gibraltar for victualling and fuel. DDs VERITY, VETERAN, HESPERUS, HAVELOCK, and HURRICANE from convoy OB.298 joined convoy SL.67. SL.67 was also soon joined by DDs DOUGLAS, CHELSEA, WOLSEY, MANSFIELD, SALISBURY, BROKE, and SALADIN.

*Sth Atlantic*
DKM tkr NORDMARK met German supply ship ALSTERUFER (2704grt) on the 10th. On 11 March, the tanker refueled the supply ship.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.19 departed Aden, escorted by sloop AUCKLAND. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 17th.

RAN CA CANBERRA and NZ Manned CL LEANDER departed Mauritius to patrol 400 miles SE of Madagascar with AMC CITY OF DURBAN. On 20 March, LEANDER left for patrol and returned to Mauritius arriving on the 22nd. She refuelled and departed the same day to patrol a line between Mauritius and Madagascar.

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (Mar 10, 2016)

*11 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 207
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Ex-USS PT-9 Class MTB 258




_MTB 258 as the former USS PT-9. She was later to serve in the RCN _

Elco 70’ class MTB 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Higgins Type PT-5 Class MTBs 269,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

81’ type PT-6 type MTB 270, 271
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*Losses*
U.106 sank *steamer MEMNON (UK 7506 grt)* off the coast of West Africa. With a crew of 70, carrying a cargo of wheat, zinc ingots and general cargo, enroute from Port Pirie Sth Australia to Liverpool, Five crew were lost on the steamer. One gunner and three passengers were taken prisoner. Twenty crew were detained but were subsequently released.

At 1546 hrs on 11 Mar, 1941, the unescorted MEMNON was hit by one torpedo from U-106 about 200 miles west of Cape Blanco, French West Africa and sank by the stern 15 minutes later following a second hit at 1547 hrs. Distress signals sent out and received by a Spanish vessel further north were received, but the Spaniards refused to pass on the signals (a result of their new aligned status of pro-Axis non belligerent). Three crew members and two passengers (RAF personnel) were lost. The master and 21 survivors landed at Yoff near Dakar on 21 March and were detained by the Vichy French authorities. All survivors at Dakar were interned by the Vichy French authorities, but after 25 days all 7 Chinese survivors were allowed to leave across the border to Bathurst together with the master, chief engineer officer, boatswain and another crew member. Only 14 men of military age, including one gunner and three passengers, were taken to an internment camp at Koulikoro in French Sudan where conditions were described as “poor”. 3 of these men escaped from captivity in April and tried to reach British territory by following the river Niger, but were caught near the border. On 29 May 1941 all remaining internees were taken to Kaolack and allowed to leave to Bathurst in exchange of two gallons of petrol and seven French prisoners for each of the British detainees.

The remaining survivors not taken by the Vichy authorities landed at Bathurst on 24 March, one of these lifeboats with 24 survivors had been found by the DKM BC GNEISENAU, which took three passengers and one gunner as prisoners on board. 






*Steamer TREVETHOE (UK 5257 grt)*, from convoy FS.32, was sunk by S.28, NE of Yarmouth during the night of 11/12 March. One gunner was lost on the steamer. She was carrying wheat at the time of her loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler ABERDEEN (UK 163 grt)* was sunk by near misses by attacking LW a/c in Cardigan Bay (off the west coast of Wales, nth of the Bristol channel). Eight crew of a ten man crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 11 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-110, U-124, U-147, U-551, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD CATTISTOCK in the Nth Sea was damaged by LW air strikes. The damage required five days to repair. British steamer ROYAL STAR was damaged by German bombing at Stonehaven.

*Northern Waters*
DD ESCAPADE departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow following repairs, and arrived early on the 12th

*West Coast*
During the night of 11/12 March, British steamers CONTRACTOR, NOVELIST, and MARKHOR and Swedish steamer STELLA were damaged by LW air attacks at Manchester. Steamer CONTRACTOR was damaged by a near miss. Steamer NOVELIST had direct hit through number 2 hatchway. Steamer MARKHOR sustained a direct hit. She was repaired at Glasgow. Steamer STELLA was sunk at her berth, however she was refloated in October 1941 with a broken back. She was repaired and put in service as British steamer RIVER SWIFT.

*Western Approaches*
U.37 damaged Icelandic trawler FRODI with gunfire 200 miles SE of Reykjavik. Five crew were killed. The trawler arrived at VestmannIslandon the 12th. She put back toReykjavik on the 15th.

*SW Approaches*
CLs SHEFFIELD and ARETHUSA and DDs FEARLESS, FORTUNE, and FORESIGHT departed Gibraltar escorting the large British troopship STRATHMORE. On 12 March, the three DDs returned to Gibraltar. CL ARETHUSA was detached on the 15th to support sloop CARBOROUGH with convoy HG.55. DDs LEGION, BURWELL, BROADWATER, and RIPLEY were sent from Falmouth for escort duty on the inbound legs. The first three DDs joined CL SHEFFIELD, but RIPLEY failed to make contact. SHEFFIELD was damaged by the explosion of two British mines close aboard off Islay Island on the 17th. The damage was described as slight and did not require immediate repair. The force arrived in the Clyde on the 17th. 

*Channel*
Portsmouth was heavily attacked by the LW. DD WITHERINGTON was damaged by LW attacks while alongside the jetty at Portsmouth. The DD was towed to a mud bank and beached. Repair was completed in five and a half months at Portsmouth. In this heavy bombardment of Portsmouth during the night of 10/11 March, 13 officers and sailors were killed. DD TYNEDALE was damaged by near misses while berthed at Pitch House Jetty at Portsmouth. The destroyer was repaired in nine days. DD SHERWOOD, under repair at Portsmouth, was damaged by a near miss.

During the night of 10/11 March, MSW trawler REVELLO was sunk by the LW at Portsmouth. However I have not counted this as a loss, as the trawler was raised and drydocked on 20 August. The ship was repaired and recommissioned. There was one fatality. Monitor MARSHALL SOULt and four minesweeping trawlers were damaged by German bombing at Portsmouth.

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy AS.18 with four British and two other ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DD HASTY. The convoy was joined by DD HERO from Suda Bay. Convoy AS.18 arrived at Alexandria on the 14th.

AN.19 with 8 British ships, 12 Greek ships, 2 other ships departed Alexandria escorted by RHN DDs SPETSAI and HYDRA. The convoy was joined at daylight on the 13th by RAN DD VENDETTA, Sloop GRIMSBY, and steamers of the convoy coming from Port Said. CLA COVENTRY also departed Alexandria on the 12th to join the convoy. COVENTRY was unable to meet the convoy due to bad weather and was forced to take shelter at Suda Bay on the 14th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 15th.

CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER departed Suda Bay late on the 11th to patrol in the Western Aegean. British tanker DESMOULEA, torpedoed at the end of January, finally departed Suda Bay for Piraeus towed by tug IRENE VERENICOS and escorted by DD HOTSPUR. On 12 March, DD HAVOCK was sent from Piraeus to relieve DD HOTSPUR and return with the tkr to Suda Bay, due to poor weather.

RHN DD SPHENDONI reported an ASW attack six miles south of Cape Thaso on the 11th. RHN DD PSARA attacked and claimed the sinking of an RM sub on the 11th, 12 miles 200 from Falconera. Italian records don’t support this.

British gunboat LADYBIRD departed Alexandria to relieve gunboat GNAT in the Inshore Squadron.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.114 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC CHITRAL. BHX.114 departed Bermuda on the 9th escorted by AMC WORCESTERSHIRE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.114 on the 14th and the WORCESTERSHIRE was detached. With the sailing of BHX.114, the Admiralty suspended the sailing of these convoys until BHX.127 on 13 May. BB RODNEY was with the convoy on the 15th and BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN on the 16th and 17th. AMC CHITRAL was detached on the 24th. The convoy was joined by DDs COLUMBIA, MONTGOMERY, VANITY, and WANDERER, sloop WESTON, corvettes NASTRUTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE, and anti-submarine trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE for the escort in Home waters. MONTGOMERY and VANITY, sloop WESTON, and the trawlers were detached later on the 24th. The remainder of the escort was dispersed when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

*Central Atlantic*
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU refueled at sea from tankers ERMLAND and UCKERMARK. After refueling, the four ships in a line thirty miles apart swept for British shipping.

SubmarineSEVERNdeparted Halifax for Freetown, arriving on the 25th for patrol duties.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.18 A departed Port Sudan, escorted by sloop SHOREHAM. The convoy was dispersed on the 15th. Convoy BS.19 departed Suez. RAN Sloop YARRA joined on the 17th and was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 19th.


*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 10, 2016)

*March 11 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-74 attacked Icelandic trawler “_Frodi_” with her deck gun 192 miles southeast of Iceland at 0800 hours. 5 were killed in the attack. “_Frodi_” would be able to escape to Vestmannaeyjar Island on the next day.

German submarine U-106 sank British ship “_Memnon_” 200 miles west of Senegal, French West Africa, killing 5. Of the 69 survivors, 4 were captured by German battlecruiser “_Gneisenau_”, 22 made land in Senegal on 21 Mar, and 43 made land in Sierra Leone on 24 Mar.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Panzer Regiment of German 5th Light Division completed disembarking from freighters at Tripoli, Libya with 120 tanks. A parade was staged with the newly arrived tanks, with some of the tanks going around the town multiple times to make their numbers seem greater. The tanks headed east toward Sirte after the parade. Meanwhile, Rommel has flown back to Germany for further orders and has been told that when the 15th Panzer Division arrives in Libya at the end of May he is to recapture Benghazi.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *135 German aircraft dropped 122 tons of high explosive bombs and 830 incendiary bombs on Birmingham, England. Old Trafford football stadium, the home of Manchester United F.C., was hit by a bomb aimed at the industrial complex of Trafford Park, wrecking the pitch and demolishing the stands. The stadium was rebuilt after the war and reopened in 1949.

German bombers again attacked Portsmouth with 135 aircraft. Although technically not part of the second Blitz, the attacks on Portsmouth continued, when another couple of thousand incendiaries and hundreds of HE bombs were dropped over the city.

*ASIA:* Thai-Vichy French Frontier Agreement signed aboard Japanese warship in Gulf of Siam. Vichy French and Thai delegates negotiated a treaty in which Thailand regained territory west of the Mekong River. Japan dictated that France would return parts of Cambodia and Laos, which the French had gained from Thailand about 40 years prior, to Thailand.

Western Hupei operation: Having razed the countryside and inflicted considerable casualties, Japanese 13th Infantry Division ends offensive and begins withdrawing to its bases.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *As English diplomats arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, a bomb smuggled into their luggage exploded, killing 2.

Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with limited success.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US President Roosevelt signed the Lend Lease Act into law, which allowed Allied nations to purchase weapons and other supplies from the United States on credit.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Soviet A.M. Vasilevskii writes the Strategic Deployment Plan, refined from the September 1940 plan, with the main attack on Germany proposed for southern Poland. The document states that the offensive is to begin on "12.6" (June 12). Timoshenko and Zhukov meet with Stalin and Molotov and make recommendations for deployment of troops.

Anti-Axis demonstrations in Belgrade.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 27 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 11, 2016)

*12 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B RNorN ML 208
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer EMPIRE FROST (UK 7005 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in the western approaches. Six crew were lost. The steamer was taken in tow but again attacked on the 13th, at which time she sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.37 sank *trawler PERTRUSEY (Iceland 91 grt)* by gunfire south of Iceland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-108, U-147 (?) 

Departures
Kiel: U-98

At Sea 12 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551, U-552, UA

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer CAMROUX I was damaged on a mine 3 miles east of Blyth. The steamer was towed to Blyth for repairs. British steamer ESSEX LANCE was damaged by the LW. The steamer was taken in tow and beached on the 13th two miles northwest of Cromer. She was refloated on the 14th and anchored off Immingham Dock on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
Cl FIJI arrived at Scapa Flow following her repair of the September 1940 torpedo damage for work up.

*West Coast*
OB.297 departed Liverpool, escort DDs COSSACK, KEPPEL, LINCOLN, MAORI, SABRE, SHIKARI, VENOMOUS, WOOLSTON, and ZULU, corvette SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN and WELLARD. DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU were detached on the 14th. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 17th.

Liverpool was hit by a heavy raid by the LW on the night of 12/13 March. Ships sunk include the following:

*Steamer BUENOS AIRES (SD 5646 grt)*. The engines were removed from the vessel which was used as a supply ship at Scapa Flow.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British Floating crane MAMMOTH was sunk in dock at Liverpool, however the vessel was raised during 1941 and returned to service.

During the night of 12/13 March, British flat barge EXCELISOR was sunk at the east end of the south side of Trafalgar Branch Dock, Liverpool. The vessel was raised and returned to service by the end of 1941. 

*Steamer CATRINE (UK 5218 grt)*. There is no record of her return to service
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer IMPERIAL STAR was damaged. She was back in service by August, finally being sunk in the evacuation of Singapore. The bomb which struck steamer IMPERIAL STAR penetrated three decks before exploding.

British Steamer ELAX. ELAX's machinery was smashed. She was anchored in the River Mersey and used as a storage ship until a new engine was installed. She returned to service 1941 or 1942.

British Tankers EL MIRLO and DELPHINULA were damaged by German bombing at Liverpool. They both returned to service

*Med/Biscay*
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JAGUAR, HOTSPUR, RAN DDs VOYAGER and WATERHEN departed Suda Bay to cover movements of convoy AG.5. DDs ILEX and GREYHOUND joined this force from Piraeus. HOTSPUR, relieved of escort of tkr DESMOULEA, and DD WATERHEN from Force A were ordered to Piraeus to escort convoy AS.19.

AG.5 of Greek personnel ships CORINTHIA), IONIA, HELLAS, and MARIE MAERSK departed Alexandria escort RAN DD VAMPIRE and RN DD WRYNECK. DD DECOY departed Alexandria that evening to overtake the convoy at daylight on the 13th and reinforce the escort. Tkr MARIE MAERSK lost touch with the convoy and proceeded to SudaBay. The convoy arrived at Piraeus late on the 14th.

Italian troop convoy departed Naples with troopships CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, and VICTORIA escorted by DDs CAMICIA NERA and GENIERE, joined by DD FOLGORE from Palermo. Distant cover was provided by RM CAs TRIESTE, TRENTO, BOLZANO, DDs CARABINIERE, CORAZZIERE, and AVIERE, TB DEZZA, and three MAS boats. The convoy arrived at Tripolion the 13th

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Troop Convoy US.9/2 departed Bombay with Danish steamer AMERIKA, British EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, WAIRANGI, and WINDSORCASTLE, Dutch INDRAPOERA, JOHAN DE WITT, and NIEUW ZEELAND, and Turkish ML YUZBASHI HAKKI.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 11, 2016)

*March 12 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* German bombers attacked Merseyside (containing the city of Liverpool), England. 8 merchant ships were sunk, one floating crane was destroyed, and 174 people were killed in the town of Wallasey. The He 111 bombers of KG 55 flew to the Liverpool area. One bomber is shot down by a Defiant from RAF No 264 Squadron and another is destroyed by a Hurricane from RAF No 96 Squadron.

Winston Churchill thanked the US for "a new Magna Carta", referring to the Lend-Lease Act signed into law on the previous day.

Maurice Buckmaster joins Special Operations Executive, subsequently becoming head of F Section for operations in France.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with limited success and increasing losses.

Benito Mussolini visited Italian troops in Albania to bolster morale. He insists the offensive must be continued.

Italian troop convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with three passenger ships escorted by three Italian destroyers and covered by strong force of cruisers and other warships.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-37 sank Icelandic trawler "_Pétursey_" with surface weapons 300 miles south of Iceland at 1805 hours. All 10 crew members were reported to have taken to lifeboats, but they would never been seen again.

*GERMANY:* British Bomber Command sends 88 Halifax and Manchester bombers against Hamburg, 86 aircraft to attack Bremen and 72 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Italian supply convoy of four cargo vessels reaches Tripoli from Naples without loss.

Advanced Brigade Headquarters and 4/16 Punjab moved from the bivouac area at Cogai to an area two miles to the north-east of Mt. Engiahat.

*ASIA:* Western Hupei operation: Chinese River Defense Force cautiously pursues Japanese 13th Infantry Division as it withdraws to its bases.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 12, 2016)

*13 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-79
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 2,983 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 10,356 GRT
1 warship a total loss, total tonnage 625 tons
Sunk on 23 December 1941 in the Med nth of Sollum, by DCs from the British DDs HASTY and HOTSPUR. 44 survivors (no casualties).

Type VIIC U-561
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
5 ships sunk, total tonnage 17,146 GRT
1 ship damaged, total tonnage 4,043 GRT
1 ship a total loss, total tonnage 5,062 GRT
Sunk on 12 July 1943 in the straits of Messina, by a torpedo from the RN MTB 81. 42 dead and 5 survivors.

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS ERICSSON (DD440)






Allied
Fairmile B ML 224
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer TACOMA CITY (UK 4738 grt)* was sunk on a mine 2½ cables 104 from Rock Ferry Light, Mersey. Four crew were lost on the steamer.





*Steamer ULLAPOOL (UK 4891 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Princess Stage, Mersey. 14 crew and 1 gunner were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tug BULLGER (UK 270 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Druridge Bay, 16 miles nth of the Tyne. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SAMLANES (Nor 842 grt)* was sunk on a mine two miles 180° from The Lizard (southern coast of Cornwall). The entire crew was lost. The vessel had departed Swansea for Shoreham on March 12-1941 with a full cargo of coal. She struck a mine the next day about 2 n. miles off Lizard. The coast guard had observed what happened and a rescue vessel was sent out, but no survivors were found among the debris. 13 Norwegian, 1 Irish and 1 Swedish had been on board. An empty raft from SAMLANES found by a Belgian trawler 2 days later.

(German aircraft had dropped large amounts of magnetic and acoustic mines in the Mersey, Thames, Humber and Clyde inlets at this time, and had laid several mine fields on the east coast with the help of fast torpedo boats. Many ships fell victim to these operations.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-551

At Sea 13 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-552, UA

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD WORCESTER off Southwold, escorting convoy FS.34, drove off DKM S-boats attempting to attack the convoy.

British steamer NGATIRA was damaged on a mine. The steamer was beached with the engine room flooded. She was later refloated and towed to Barry.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy EN.85 off Tod Head and provide AA cover as far as Cape Wrath. The ship arrived returned to Scapa on the 15th.

*West Coast*
British steamers WEARWOOD, MOUNT STEWART, and MYRMIDON were damaged by a further air attack on Liverpool. The bomb which struck steamer MOUNT STEWART exploded in the lower hold. Steamer MYRMIDON was sunk in dock, however she was refloated and drydocked on the 27th. All were returned to service. British smack TWO BROTHERS was sunk by German bombing in Bentick Dock, Kings Lynn. The smack was raised and placed on a mud bank. She too was returned to service.

During the night of 13/14 March, British steamer CLERMISTON was damaged by the LW in Rothesay Dock at Glasgow. The steamer was sunk, however she was refloated in October 1941 and beached in Rames Bay. The steamer was towed to Ardrossan in 1942, and eventually returned to service.

During the night of 13/14 March, in LW raids on the Clyde, DDs GOATHLAND and HALDON, under construction, were damaged.

During the night of 13/14 March, steamer TREVARRACK was sunk by LW air attacks at the Dalmuir Basin, Clyde. However steamer TREVARRACK was refloated at the end of March and repaired.

*Collier BELHAVEN (UK 1498 grt)* was sunk by the LW at the Clyde during the night of 13/14 March.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PERSEUS (NL 1307 grt)* was sunk by the LW 12 miles NW of Bardsey Island )a small island off the coast of nth Wales). The entire crew was rescued. (There were several ships bearing this name at around this time).





*SW Approaches*
Sloop SCARBOROUGH, escorting convoy HG.55, intercepted Norwegian whalers STAR XIX and STAR XXIV, which had been captured by German raider PINGUIN on 15 January, in the North Atlantic as they attempted to return to a German controlled port. Both whalers were scuttled by the German prize crews. The German crews were recued by SCARBOROUGH and taken prisoner

*Med/Biscay*
CA YORK and CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER arrived at Suda Bay on the 13th. DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK, detached from Force A, joined these cruisers at Suda Bay. The British ships departed again later that day to cover convoys through the Kaso Straits. During the night of 13/14 March, the force swept ahead of convoy AS.19 in Kaso Straits. DD NUBIAN reported three Italian MAS boats in the area. The MAS boats were able to escape. DDs NUBIAN and MOHAWK proceeded to Suda Bay to refuel after the sweep. This sweep was covered by Force A.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy SL.68 departed Freetown escort AMC CANTON to 21 March, CL MAURITIUS to 15 March, corvettes CALENDULA, CROCUS, and MARGUERITE to 20 March, and ASW trawlers KELt and TURCOMAN to 15 March. DD WISHART escorted the convoy on the 15th only. BB MALAYA joined on the 15th and departed after being torpedoed on the 21st. The convoy was dispersed due to submarine activity on the 21st and the ships were ordered to Halifax, Bermuda, or Trinidad


*Malta*


----------



## Njaco (Mar 12, 2016)

*March 13 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Clydebank Blitz: 236 German bombers attacked Glasgow and Clydeside, Scotland for the first time, targeting munitions factories and docks, sinking 3 cargo ships and damaging 2 destroyers. To the south, German bombers attacked Liverpool for the second night in a row, pushing total casualty to about 500. The bombers of KG 55 return to Liverpool and lose two more Heinkels, one crashing in the Channel and another shot down by a Beaufighter from RAF No 219 Squadron.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by 6 Blenheim bombers to Calais were heavily escorted by fighters. The Kommodore of JG 51, Major Werner Mölders shoots down British ace S/Ldr Aeneas ‘Donald’ MacDonald of RAF No. 64 Squadron. MacDonald was leading a sweep over Northern France when he is attacked by the Kommodore and bales out over the Channel.

15 members of the Dutch resistance were executed by firing squad in Scheveningen.

*GERMANY:* Germany repeated its demand that Yugoslavia join the Axis. It became increasingly apparent to Berlin that German troops would be needed in Greece and access through Yugoslavia was essential.

Adolf Hitler appointed Alfred Rosenberg the minister of the eastern occupied territories, while further conquests would be assigned to Heinrich Himmler. Hermann Göring was given the responsibility of exploiting the resources in conquered Soviet territory.

Hitler issues an edict calling for an invasion of the Soviet Union. Wilhelm Keitel issues a supplement to Directive No. 21, laying down rules for administration of occupied Russia.

RAF Bomber Command sends 139 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Allied reconnaissance groups spotted from Mt. Gegghiro some Italian troops on Pt. 1967. An observation post party sent at 1200 hours from 4/16 Punjab to Mt. Gegghiro, ran into an Italian observation post, which had been established there and all the men of the Indian party were killed or captured. Thus surprise was lost. On the same day, the 1st Royal Sussex encountered Italians on the Pt. 2084 ridge. The advance was held up and all efforts to reach their objectives on the ridge during the day failed.

Erwin Rommel moved his headquarter to Sirte, Libya.

Luftwaffe attacks El Adem with fifteen Ju 87s and nine Ju 88 bombers.

Italian troop convoy from Naples arrives at Tripoli without loss.

Emperor Haile Selassie and Orde Wingate enter Burye with Gideon Force.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *British sloop HMS “_Scarborough_” intercepted Norwegian whalers “_Star XIX_” and “_Star XXIV_”, which were captured on 15 Jan 1941 by German merchant raider “_Pinguin_”, 400 miles north of the Azores. Both whalers were scuttled by their German crews to prevent capture.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with increased air support but little success.

*ASIA:* Western Hupei operation: Western Hupei operation ends with Japanese 13th Infantry Division, having razed much of the countryside and destroyed four Chinese divisions, back in its original positions along the Yangtze River near Ichang.


.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 13, 2016)

*14 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson/Gleaves Class USS MONSSEN (i) (DD436)





_USN DDs USS KEARNY (left) and MONSSEN off Iceland, October 1941, after KEARNY sustained torpedo damage, visible amidships. MONSSEN was sunk 14 November 1942 during the Battle of Guadacanal _

Allied
MSW HMS THORROD
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Douwe Aukes Class ML HMS VAN MEERLANT (M-36)




_There were two ships in this class, the Both DOUWE AUKES and VAN MEERLANT. They were paret of the RNeN (Europe) at the start of the war. They managed to escape to the UK in May 1940, where they were initially laid up. Being coal-fired and having only small range, they were only suitable for local defence duties. Limited manpower forced the RNeN to transfer these ships to the RN. _

*Losses*
RM sub EMO sank *steamer WESTERN CHIEF (UK 5759 grt)*, a straggler from convoy SC.24, in the Western Approaches. EMO did well in this attack, as the ship was attacked in broad daylight, and was armed. WESTERN CHIEF was an ex-USN naval auxiliary acquired roughly at the same time as the Destroyers for bases deal, along with roughly 1 million tons of other US and neutral shipping. She had been purchased in early 1940 by HM govt at scrap prices to offset losses sustained in the Atlantic. She made 4 crossings of the Atlantic before her loss. 22 crew were lost on the steamer.





*Steamer HERPORT (UK 2633 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. 4 crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer STANLEIGH (UK 1802 grt)* was sunk by the LW 12 miles 288° from Bar Light Vessel, Mersey. 16 crew and the gunner were lost on the steamer. STANLEIGH was in convoy off Liverpool Bay when she was attacked at night by a German Aircraft. She soon sank, rolling so that she destroyed one of her boats full of men. 6 men survived on a raft (oil barrels and planks) being picked up after a day afloat.





*Steamer ARTEMISIA (UK 6507 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea, whilst enroute from London to the Tyne. She was sunk near Aldeburgh. One crewman and one gunner were lost on the steamer.





*Steam drifter PEACEFUL STAR (UK 94 grt)* was sunk by the LW 17 miles ESE of Rockabill Light House (near Dublin). The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer RAINER (FN 2609 grt)*, whilst in Axis service was sunk by an RN submarine between Emden and Cuxhaven.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 14 March 1941
U-37, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-552, UA

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MSW FRANKLIN was damaged by four near misses from LW a/c in the Nth Sea. DDs HOLDERNESS and VANESSA in convoy FS.35 drove off DKM S-boats attempting to attack the convoy.

Naval drifter JEANNIE LEASK was mined in the Nth Sea. The drifter was beached in Brightling sea Harbour. She was bombed on the 25th. The drifter was refloated on 13 April and taken to Wivenhoe for repairs. She survived all these attacks.

Norwegian steamer TYR was damaged by the LW off the Humber Light Vessel. The steamer arrived at Immingham on the 15th, assisted by tugs.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow to operate south of Iceland. The ships rendezvoused on the 15th with DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI which were submarine hunting after escorting convoy OB.297. The Tribal DDs were sent to Reykjavik to refuel on the 16th. The DDs sailed from Reykjavik on the 16th. They rejoined on the 17th and DDs BOADICEA, ACTIVE, and ESCAPADE were then sent to Reykjavik to refuel.

DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow to escort British steamer WALMER CASTLE to the Firth of Forth. After the escort, the DD proceeded to Rosyth for refitting, arriving on the 15th. 

*West Coast*
Tug MINEGARTH (179grt), tanker SCOTTISH CHIEF (7006grt), and steamer EMPIRE SIMBA (5691grt) were damaged by German bombing at Liverpool.

Tanker SCOTTISH CHIEF was struck by a direct hit. However she remained afloat, and left Liverpool on 29 April for Manchester.

*SW Approaches*
HG.56 departed Gibraltar escort by sloop FOLKESTONE and subm OLYMPUS with DD VELOX and corvettes GERANIUM and VERBENA as local escorts, detached on the 16th. CL KENYA was with the convoy on the 23rd. The submarine was detached on the 26th to OG.56. On 27 March, DDs LEGION, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, WATCHMAN, and BURWELL, ORP DD PIORUN, sloop FLEETSTONE, corvettes ARABIS, MALLOW, and VIOLET, and convoy rescue ship ZAAFAREN joined the convoy. FNFL DD LEOPARD was also involved in the escort of the convoy in Home Waters. DD BURWELL was detached on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Liverpool with the remaining escort ships on 2 April.

*Med/Biscay*
*Hospital ship PO (FI 7289 grt) *was sunk at Valona by five Swordfish of 815 Sqn flying from Paramythia.





Italian steamer SANTA MARIA was also sunk also by 815 Sqn a/c at Valona in this raid. The steamer was later salved and restored to duty. Lt Cdr J. De F Jago, Lt J. A. Caldecott-Smith, and Leading Airman P. N. Beagley in the lead plane were shot down. They were picked up by an ItalianMASboat and made prisoners of war

ANF.20 of five British and two other ships departed Alexandria late on the 14th escort DDs RAN STUART and RN HEREWARD and corvette SALVIA. CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria on the 15th to join the convoy. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 17th.

AS.19 of nine British, two Greek, and one other ship departed Piraeus escort DDs HOTSPUR and RAN WATERHEN and corvette HYACINTH. The convoy was dispersed on the 16th. HOTSPUR proceeded to Haifa. RAN DD WATERHEN and the fast ships proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 17th. Corvette HYACINTH and the slow ships proceeded to Port Said, arriving on the 19th.

RAN DDs VAMPIRE and VOYAGER were ordered to Alexandria from Piraeus and Force A, respectively. The DDs arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine OLYMPUS departed Gibraltar was part of the escort for convoy HG.54. The submarine returned to Gibraltar on 2 April in the convoy OG.54 escort.

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (Mar 14, 2016)

*15 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-371




8 ships sunk, total tonnage 51,401 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 545 GRT
2 warships sunk, total tonnage 2,286 tons
Sunk at 0409hrs on 4 May 1944 in the Mediterranean NE of Bougie, by DCs from the US Des PRIDE, JOESEPH E CAMPBELL, FNFL DE SENEGALAIS and RN Hunt Class DD BLANKNEY 3 dead and 49 survivors.

Allied
Bar Class Boom defence vessels BARMILL (Z-67), BARRYMORE (Z-73)
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Motor Gun Boat MGB 70
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 202
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer EMINENT (Be 500 grt)* was sunk on a mine. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tug CHABOOL (RN 350 grt (est))*, manned by Lt J. L. Mumford RNR and crewed by seven ratings from CL GLASGOW, departed Aden for Berbera. She was never found and all hands lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoys OB-294 and OB-292
Attacks by SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU on Convoy OB 294. DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU sank British ships from dispersed convoy OB.294, which had departed Liverpool on the 5th and dispersed on the 9th. Ships sunk included the following

*Tkr BRITISH STRENGTH (UK 7139 grt)* was sunk by SCHARNHORST. 2 crew were killed on the tanker. The rest were taken prisoner.





*Tkr SIMNIA (UK 6197 grt)* was sunk by GNEISENAU. The British motortanker SIMNIA was shelled and sunk W of the Azores. Three of her crew were killed and 54 were taken POW





*Tkr SAN CASIMIRO (UK 8046 grt)* was captured by GNEISENAU and then scuttled on the 20th. The Master and the gunners were taken prisoner. The rest of the crew remained on the tanker. On 20 March, when sighted by British aircraft and BC RENOWN, the tanker was scuttled by the German prize crew..





*Steamer ROYAL CROWN (UK 4388 grt)* by GNEISENAU. The entire crew were rescued.





*Steamer MYSON (UK 4564 grt)* by GNEISENAU. The entire crew were rescued.
[New image Source: http://www.uboatphotos.net/operation-berlin.html]






*Steamer RIO DORADO (UK 4507 grt)* by GNEISENAU. The entire crew was lost.





*Tkr ATHELFOAM (UK 6554 grt)* On a voyage from Liverpool to Pastelillo, in ballast, the vessel was intercepted by the DKM BC SCHARNHORST, and sunk by gunfire about 500 miles S.E. of Cape Race. 45 survivors taken P.O.W. on board of the raider. One crewman and one gunner were lost.





*Tkr POLYKARP (Nor 6405 grt)* was captured by GNEISENAU on the 15th, and reached the German-occupied Gironde on the 24th.





*Tkr BIANCA (Nor 5688 grt)* BIANCA left the Clyde on March 6 in Convoy OB 294, which was dispersed March 9, bound for Curaçao in ballast. On March 15 DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU attacked 4 tankers that had belonged to this dispersed westbound convoy, in approximately 40 30N 43 45W. The British SIMNIA tried to get away, while at the same time sending out a distress signal, but in doing so was targeted straight away. The other ships were BIANCA, the POLYKARP, and the British SAN CASIMIRO. The ships dispersed from Convoy OB 294 and intercepted by SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU, in addition to those already named above, were steamers MANGKAI, RIO DORADO, SILVERFIR, EMPIRE INDUSTRY, SARDINIAN PRINCE, MYSON, ROYAL CROWN, DEMETERTON AND CHILEAN REEFER, and the tankers BRITISH STRENGTH, ATHELFOAM and the Norwegian GRANLI. Escorts attached to the convoy composed of WOLVERINE, CHELSEA, CAMELLIA, ARBUTUS and _VERITY_ (joined March 7). BEVERLEY had been detached on March 6 to return to Loch Ewe for boiler water.

BIANCAwas fired upon by GNEISENAU, the 3rd mate was injured (in his foot) by shrapnel which also caused some damages to the bridge, No. 11 tank, the radio room and one of the lifeboats. At first the crew left the ship in 2 lifeboats; the captain was ordered on board GNEISENAU. Having found out that BIANCA had enough bunkers to reach port, the crew were ordered back to the ship, whereupon a German prize crew of 15 was placed on board and course set for France, with red rectangles painted on her as a sign to German aircraft that she was a captured ship and had Germans on board. POLYKARP proceeded in a different direction but SAN CASIMIROheaded the same way as BIANCA.

Allied aircraft spotted BIANCAon March 19, and although the Germans quickly swapped the German flag for the Norwegian one, the RN BC RENOWN, covering a northbound Sierra Leone convoy (SL-67?) when notified of the situation by the recce a/ct, understood what the situation was and came to assist on the 20th. The Germans placed explosives in the engine room and pump room of BIANCAand opened all the valves, everyone having been ordered to the lifeboats, including 10 of the prize crew. The resulting fires were later extinguished by crew from _Renown_ and the Norwegians ordered back on board. They closed all the deck valves, but the engine room had filled with water and the ship could not be saved. The captain, his wife and little son plus the entire crew were taken on board RENOWN before BIANCAsank. RENOWN searched for the captured SAN CASIMIRO which was found a couple of hours later, but was scuttled.

SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU continued their raid immediately after the capture of the above ships, and already the next day another, unescorted group of ships found themselves under attack, the Norwegian GRANDI being one of them. The 2 German battle ships were spotted that evening by BB RODNEY, but the German ships evaded the RN battlewagon and arrived Brest without further incident on March 22.





*UBOATS*
Departures
St Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 15 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-552, UA

13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
CL EDINBURGH and DD SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA departed Scapa Flow for Greenock for escort duty with convoy WS.7.

*West Coast*
Tug WARRIOR, towing Norwegian tanker FERNCOURT, was damaged on a mine at the entrance to River Cart in the Clyde. The tug beached at Renfrew. She was later refloated and taken to Glasgow for repair

*Western Approaches*
HX.112 was escorted by DDs WALKER, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, SARDONYX, and SCIMITAR and corvettes BLUEBELL and HYDRANGEA.

*Channel*
MSW BRITOMART was damaged by the LW in Rye Harbour. Two crewman were killed on board. She was escorted to Portsmouth by MSW SHARPSHOOTER and repaired there from 16 March to 29 May.

Monitor MARSHALL SOULT was damaged by the LW while berthed in Portsmouth Harbour, but remained in service.

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy GA.5 of five British and three Greek ships departed Pireaus for Alexandria and Port Said escort DDs DECOY and WRYNECK.


Steamer CINGALESE PRINCE departed this convoy on the 16th and joined ASW whaler SOUTHERN MAID for Tobruk to embark motor transport. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 17th.

British Force A arrived at Suda Bay to refuel at dawn on the 15th. DDs MOHAWK and NUBIAN rejoined Force A. Force A departed Suda Bay later that day. During the night of 15/16 March, Force A covered convoys GA.5, ASN 20, and AS.19 passing through Kithera Straits.

*Nth Atlantic*
Responeses to the attacks on OB-294 and OB 292
Submarine THUNDERBOLT, which departed Halifax on the 10th, and AMC LACONIA of convoy HX.115 and SC.25 were sent to investigate. Submarine SEVERN, which departed Halifax on the 11th for Freetown, was also in the area. After unsuccessful searching, submarine SEVERN proceeded on her voyage to Freetown.

BB RODNEY, escorting convoy HX.114, detached and sent to search for the DKM raiders, sighted BC GNEISENAU which made off at high speed and no action ensued.

BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE were dispatched to the sth of Iceland to attempt to intercept the DKM BCs on the assumption they may attempt to run the Denmark Strait as they attempted to return home. CL NIGERIA located AMC ALAUNIA, en route to Reykjavik on the 16th. DDs BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE were sent to Reykjavik on the 17th to refuel after DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU rejoined the NELSON gp. DD BOADICEA, ESCAPADE, and ACTIVE rejoined NELSON on the 18th.

The NELSON gp were joined on the 21st by BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, CA LONDON, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ARROW, ECHO, ECLIPSE, and ESKIMO which departed Scapa Flow on the 19th. BC HOOD departed Rosyth on the 18th and joined this force off Dunnett Head that morning. CA LONDON was detached after radio direction finding tests. CLs NIGERIA and EDINBURGH operated to the south of the BB gp. DD ARROW was detached to Londonderry to refuel on the 21st.

Submarine L 27 departed Portsmouth to attempt to intercept the German ships. Dutch submarine O.24 and Submarine OBERON departed Rothesay to patrol off Wolf Rock for the same purpose.

DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU were detached from the main body to refuel in Reykjavik. CL EDINBURGH and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA arrived in the Clyde on the 22nd. CL NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd. BB NELSON and DDs ACTIVE, BOADICEA, and ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow just after midnight on the 23rd.

BC HOOD, BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ESKIMO, and ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd.

Despite all these efforts to catch the German raiders, there was no success for the RN .

*Central Atlantic*
On 19 March, ocean boarding vessels HILARY and CORINTHIAN on Western Patrol were ordered to attempt to intercept the captured whale factory ships as they proceeded to French ports.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Simonstown.

*Pacific/Australia*
Convoy ZK.1 departed Brisbane with two coastal steamers escorted by AMC MANOORA. The convoy arrived at Port Moresby and Rabaul. In April and July and September, three more convoys were run.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 14, 2016)

*March 14 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: * The Clydebank Blitz: 203 German bombers bombed Glasgow and Clydebank, Scotland for the second night in a row, damaging shipyards and the Rolls Royce aircraft engine factory. As a result of the Clydebank Blitz, the town was largely destroyed and it suffered the worst destruction and civilian loss of life in all of Scotland. 528 people died, 617 people were seriously injured, and hundreds more were injured by blast debris. Out of approximately 12,000 houses, only seven remained undamaged — with 4,000 completely destroyed and 4,500 severely damaged. Over 35,000 people were made homeless. A total of 439 bombers dropped over 1,000 bombs. RAF fighters managed to shoot down two aircraft during the raid, but none were brought down by anti-aircraft fire. The bombers of 6./KG 55 lose a Heinkel over Gloucestershire, shot down by a Beaufighter from RAF No 604 Squadron and another crashing at Cherbourg airfield France during the return flight. 8./KG 55 raids Liverpool again and loses a Heinkel to a RAF night-fighter when it crashes at Le Bourget aerodrome in France.

The Leeds Blitz: The Leeds Blitz comprised nine air raids on the city of Leeds. The raid affected the city centre, Beeston, Bramley and Armley. The city was affected by other raids during the Second World War, but they were relatively minor; only the March 1941 raid caused widespread damage, including significant damage to the city's museum and its artifacts. Beginning just after 2100 hours, around 40 bombers took part in the raid on Leeds. Targets hit in the city centre included the Town Hall, the city's museum (then on Park Row), Leeds New station (now Leeds City station), the Kirkgate Markets, the Central Post Office, the Quarry Hill flats, the Hotel Metropole and the area now occupied by the Inner Ring Road. Around 100 houses were destroyed,4,600 sustained damage, and around 65 people were killed. In total 25 tons of bombs fell on Leeds during the raid, a quarter of the 100 tons often used as the threshold for a "major raid".

The British Admiralty placed an order for a new battleship (to a design by Sir Stanley Goodall) to be built at Clydebank, Scotland.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” began embarking supplies at Scheerhafen, Kiel.

RAF Bomber Command sends 101 aircraft to attack Gelsenkirchen overnight. The large British bomber raid on the German oil production area scored hits, temporarily halting oil production.

RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* “_Tatsuta Maru_” arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii. Among the passengers disembarked was Kita Nagao, the newly appointed Japanese Consul General to Hawaii.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura with increased air support but little success. Seeing the Greeks had repeatedly repulsed Italian attacks in the past few days, Italian Chief of the Supreme Command General Ugo Cavallero recommended Benito Mussolini to halt the Primavera Offensive. On the same day, 5 British Swordfish torpedo bombers from Paramythia, Greece struck Vlorë, Albania, sinking Italian hospital ship “_Po_” and ship “_Santa Maria_” for the loss of one aircraft.

Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Tarigo_” and “_Freccia_” and three torpedo boats.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Emo_” sank British ship “_Western Chief _“ 250 miles south of Iceland, killing 22.

*ASIA: *The Battle of Shanggao: was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Japanese 11th army attacked the headquarters of the Chinese 19th army. Fierce fighting broke out, and a series of bloody see-saw battles continued as both sides contested the position.

Japanese aircraft attacked Cheng-tu. Wong Sun-sui, flying an I-15III fighter, was shot down by a Japanese A6M Zero fighter over Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. He made a successful crash landing, but sustained fatal injuries. Cen Zeliu, flying an I-15III fighter, was shot down and killed by an A6M Zero fighter over Shuangliu Airfield, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Axis Convoy departs Tripoli for Naples with three vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Camina Nera_”, “_Geniere_”, and “_Folgore_”.

When the presence of the Italians on Mt. Gegghiro became known from the day before, 14th Battalion Foreign Legion was, therefore, ordered to capture the feature before first light. Mt. Gegghiro was captured by 0100 hours on 14 March, but the attack on Engiahat was not successful. One company of the 14th Battalion Foreign Legion, which was sent round the south-east flank, came under fire from the Italians and suffered very heavy casualties. A reconnaissance party of 4/16 Punjab found that the Italians were holding the ridge running west of Pt. 1967. A and C Companies of 4/16 Punjab were therefore sent up in the afternoon to occupy it. They went up the five-thousand-foot climb with good speed. A party of the Italians, which was trying to occupy a feature to the north-east of Pt. 1967, was surprised and withdrew to Engiahat. Pt. 1967 was then occupied by the Punjab troops. The Foreign Legion battalion occupied Mt. Gegghiro, while the artillery registered Engiahat.

*NORTH AMERICA: * Francis S. 'Gabby' Grabreski graduates from flight school.

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## Njaco (Mar 15, 2016)

*March 15 Saturday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Primavera Offensive: Italian 11th Army continues offensive against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura without success.

Fighters of 7./JG 26 intercept a flight of RAF Wellington bombers south of Sicily. Oblt. Muncheberg destroys one of the bombers, watching it burst into flames after attacking from the ventral position.

Italian Navy's Special Weapons Section of 1a Flottiglia MAS, based at La Spezia in Italy, was renamed 10th MAS Flotilla, which served only as a cover name as the special forces function of the unit would not change. Prince Borghese was put in command of underwater units.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” received two aircraft at Scheerhafen, Kiel. Kriegsmarine cruiser “_Admiral Hipper_” departed Brest for Kiel via Denmark Strait.

RAF Bomber Command sends 21 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.

The American journalist Richard C. Hottelet was arrested by the Gestapo in Berlin on suspicion of spying.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Battle of Keren: 15 March was D day for the main Allied attack on Keren. A difficult task lay ahead of the British and Indian troops for the Italians were not only numerically superior but they had also the advantage of terrain. They had, at Keren, thirty-three battalions (possibly thirty-four) including the Savoy Grenadier Division, the best troops in the whole of Italian East Africa, over one hundred and twenty guns and a larger number of mortars and machine guns. During the course of the battle they were to bring up another nine battalions. Against this the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions disposed between them nineteen battalions and about one hundred and twenty guns. In addition there was one squadron of "I" tanks (Matildas), but it could not be used until the road block was cleared. Though the Royal Air Force had gained local air superiority it was feared that the Italians would concentrate all their air strength to break it. The plan of operations, provided for a joint attack on Keren by the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions, the former to operate on the north and west of the road and the latter to the east of it. The artillery bombardment opened at 0700 hours, but as the leading troops went forward the Italian defensive fire caused a number of casualties. Heavy artillery and machine gun fire from Mt. Sanchil and Brig's Peak was directed against 2 Camerons, which nevertheless continued to advance slowly, with C Company directed on Brig's Peak and B Company on Sanchil. By 0815 hours, C Company almost got to the top of Brig's Peak but failed to drive out the Italians. However, B Company failed to make much headway in securing Sanchil. But, in spite of reinforcements, 2 Camerons failed to capture Sanchil and Brig's Peak. Savoy Grenadiers poured machine gun fire, mortars and grenades down the slopes. On the left of 2 Camerons, 1/6 Rajputana Rifles was directed on Hog's Back. The plan was for B Company to secure Hog's Back, on the capture of which A Company was to pass through to capture Bich Hill on the right. C Company was to move behind A Company. It was to be ready to assist A Company on to its objective and to capture Saddle. D Company was to be in reserve. The battalion came under defensive fire, which the Italians put down when the British guns opened up. It suffered several casualties even before crossing the start line. However, by 0830 hours, it was able to capture Hog's Back though not without suffering severe losses. At this time the Commander of the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade felt that the battalion could not attack Bich Hill and Saddle and ordered the battalion to consolidate Hog's Back. At 1030 hours, the Italians made a counter-attack on Hog's Back but it was repulsed. To the left of 1/6 Rajputana Rifles, 2/5 Mahratta attacked Italian defenses on Flat Top. The attack was launched in accordance and heavy defensive fire from the Italian artillery and mortars came down and caused considerable losses in all companies. The Commander of D Company and some of his headquarters men were wounded but the company continued to advance and seized its objective, the Slab Rock feature, without much difficulty at 0720 hours. A Company advancing behind D, passed Slab Rock on the west and moved on towards its objective. After hard fighting the company captured its objective by 1030 hours. C Company approached Flat Top from the southeast but was held up when only fifty yards from it. Further efforts were made to get into the position round the west flank but were unsuccessful. The casualties sustained by the two companies, engaged on Flat Top, were so heavy that the idea of advancing on to Mole Hill was given up and the companies were ordered to consolidate their position on Flat Top. At 1600 hours, the total strength of the two companies on Flat Top had been reduced to one British officer, two Viceroy's Commissioned Officers and thirty-four Indian other ranks. Italian sniping from Mole Hill continued until dark. The 5th Indian Infantry Brigade detailed 4/11 Sikh to capture Mt. Samanna which advanced from Pt. 1710 at 0700 hours to capture Left Bump. Then the other two companies moved on to their respective objectives – Middle Bump and Right Bump which were held by 1st Alpini Battalion, 10th Savoy Grenadier Regiment. By about 0830 hours, the second company had reached within 200 yards from Middle Bump but was held up by determined resistance. Meanwhile the third company pushed on to Right Bump but was held up about 400 yards from the top. 1st Alpini Battalion, which held these features, offered stubborn resistance and held up the advance of 4/11 Sikh. Further efforts to capture Middle Bump were unsuccessful. The company in front of Right Bump was withdrawn successfully and ordered to assist the attack on Middle Bump. This attack, supported by artillery, was put in at 1335 hours but failed. Plans were made to attack during the night using the reserve battalion, 3/1 Punjab. This proposal was not accepted by the Commander of the 4th Indian Division, and he decided to withdraw 4/11 Sikh from the area of Middle Bump. The situation at nightfall was that 4/11 Sikh had captured Left Bump, 'but had failed to secure Middle Bump and Right Bump. It had suffered about 120 casualties during the day. The 2nd Highland Light Infantry crossed the start line at 1030 hours in order to capture Pinnacle, White Rock Hill and Dologorodoc Fort. The leading company was unable to cross the road owing to very heavy Italian artillery and mortar concentrations, and also enfilade machine gun fire from the top and the eastern slopes of Sanchil. The remaining companies tried to capture Pinnacle and Razor Hill from the south. But no progress was made. At 1500 hours, it was decided that further progress by daylight was not possible. Another attack was planned for 1700 hours. Crossing the start line at 1700 hours, 3/5 Mahratta encountered strong opposition and reached Pinnacle, where a dogged fight ensued and the objective was not finally secured until 2000 hours. 3 Royal Frontier Force Regiment, less two companies, then passed through and captured Pimple at 0005 hours on 16 March.

Vichy government announces plan to complete rail line from Algeria to Dakar.

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## Njaco (Mar 15, 2016)

*March 15 Saturday continued
UNITED KINGDOM: * Luftwaffe attacks London overnight with 101 aircraft. During the mission to London, a He 111 from Stab./KG 55 goes missing over England while a He 111 from 7./KG 55 crashes into the Channel.

Averell Harriman arrives by air via Lisbon as Roosevelt's special representative and immediately meets with Churchill.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US shipping company American Export Lines announced that it would stop taking orders from Lisbon, Portugal because there were too many refugees waiting in its ports.

Benjamin Kelsey was promoted to the war time rank of major.

At a crowded dinner of the White House Press Correspondents Association, President Franklin Roosevelt, in a trenchant speech that was beamed to Europe in fourteen languages, promised America would supply the needs of the British and Greeks with ships, planes, and food. 

*ASIA: *The Battle of Shanggao: Japanese troops launched an offensive towards Shanggao, Jiangxi Province, China. Two divisions and a brigade of Japanese 11th Army, operating in three columns, open punitive attacks in northwestern Kiangsi province. Japanese 11th Army captures Fenghsin and pushes toward Tucheng and Kaoan. After the Chinese 19th army base was lost to the Japanese, a Chinese air strike destroyed Japanese food and ammo reserves, demoralizing the Japanese and stalling their attack on the Chinese troops, who used this opportunity to dig new defensive positions. The Chinese positions now contained some 100,000 troops, in three main defensive lines of trenches and concrete-supported bunkers. Even though the Japanese still clung on to the Chinese headquarters, the Japanese commanders were determined to achieve total victory by destroying or capturing all Chinese units, and to do this, it was necessary to breach the Chinese lines.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft to attack U-boat base at Lorient overnight.

Belgian politicians formed the cross-party resistance organization Independence Front at Liege.


German commander in the West Gerd von Rundstedt is replaced by von Witzleben.

Operation Savanna: The Allies began Operation Savanna, with the goal of landing Free French paratroops into German-occupied France to ambush and kill as many pilots of the Kampfgeschwader 100 as possible, a German Pathfinder formation stationed at Meucon airfield which spearheaded night raids on Britain. Setting off from an RAF Whitley on a moonlit night, five paratroops made a blind drop at midnight, landing some eight miles east of the town of Vannes (where the Pathfinder crew billeted), and five miles off target.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-124 made rendezvous with armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” 650 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands and received 7 torpedoes and other supplies.

German submarine U-110 detected Allied convoy-112, consisted of 41 merchant ships escorted by 7 warships, and shared the finding with U-37, U-74, U-99, and U-100. Overnight, U-110 set British tanker “_Erodona_” on fire with a torpedo, killing 36, but she would be towed to Iceland for repairs.

U-105 and U-106 hounded Convoy SL.68 for a week off West Africa, sinking 7 ships and damaging battleship “_Malaya_”.

German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” attacked convoys OB.295 and OB.296, 950 miles east of Nova Scotia, Canada, sinking 3 tankers (killing 7, most of the survivors were captured) and capturing 3 tankers.

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## Njaco (Mar 16, 2016)

*March 16 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Operation Savanna: The paratroops discovered the KG 100 pilots no longer commuted between Vannes and Meucon by bus, but had taken to travelling on an ad hoc basis by cars. Hence the grand ambush and assassination had to be aborted. Seeking to gain something from the mission, Captain Georges Bergé instructed his men to disperse and go on general reconnaissance and meet at Sables d'Olonne at the end of the month for extraction by sea.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Battle of Keren: At Pinnacle and Pimple, the Commander of the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade ordered 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment to move up to the low ground between Pinnacle and Pimple, in preparation for the attack on Fort Dologorodoc. At 0400 hours, the Italians put in a strong counter-attack on Pinnacle and Pimple. This met the whole of the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade in line and was beaten off. On 11th Indian Infantry Brigade front, 1st Royal Fusiliers and 4/6 Rajputana Rifles attacked Sanchil and Brig's Peak respectively while the Italians launched strong counterattacks on 1/6 Rajputana Rifles at Hog's Back and on 2/5 Mahratta at Flat Top. In the Mahratta area, all the forward posts except one were recaptured by the Italians. This one post held on to the south-west edge of the position. A counter-attack by one Mahratta platoon was held up. Then a composite platoon from B Echelon put in another counterattack and, by 0515 hours on 16 March, had cleared the Italians from Flat Top at the point of bayonet. The Italian counterattack on 1/6 Rajputana Rifles at Hog's Back was less severe. The battalion held its ground until first light at 0500 hours on 16 March, when the Italians withdrew. At 0245 hours, the 1st Royal Fusiliers were about two hundred yards below the top of Sanchil. At 0430 hours they launched a vigorous attack to drive out the Italians from Sanchil. The attack progressed slowly against strong opposition. By 0600 hours, the forward elements of the Fusiliers managed to get through the wire on to the top, but were driven back. At 0750 hours, the Commander of the Fusiliers was wounded and the second-in-command was sent up to make a final effort for the capture of Sanchil. At 0015 hours, he reported that the Fusiliers were unfit to put in an attack on Sanchil as they had suffered heavy casualties, and the strength of the battalion at the time had fallen down to less than ninety men. Thus the Fusiliers had failed to drive out the Italians from Sanchil. 4/6 Rajputana Rifles attack on Brig's Peak was also not successful. Italian opposition was very strong and the Indian troops suffered heavy casualties. The leading elements could not get nearer than two hundred yards from the peaks. Another attack was put in at 0830 hours, using the reserves of the forward companies, but was no more successful. A further attack was arranged to take place at 1015 hours with air, mortar and machine gun. At 1005 hours, information was received that there would be no air co-operation, but that the attack was to go in at 1030 hours. It was, then, too late to change the original orders. Therefore, the attack was put in at 1015 hours, without support of any kind. It had not made much progress when it was brought to a halt by machine gun fire. On the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade front, no operations were undertaken. 4/11 Sikh consolidated its position on Left Bump. It was subjected to intermittent mortar and artillery fire. On the 5th Indian Division front, the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade consolidated the ground gained. Fort Dologorodoc had been occupied at 0615 hours by 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment. The Italian reaction to this success was violent. The first counter-attack on the Fort came at 1005 hours. Defensive fire was called for; artillery engaged the Italian assembly area and the attack was broken up. The next attack came not long after. At about 1150 hours, a large number of Italians were observed to be forming up to the east of the Fort, evidently for a counter-attack. Two field regiments engaged the target and the Italians were scattered. In view of the impending counter-attack, air support, in the form of two fighter aircraft for strafing ground targets was arranged and the guns of both divisions were laid on. When, after all, the attack did develop at 1330 hours, it was repulsed. Although there were no further counter-attacks during the day, the troops holding the Fort were constantly shelled and sniped by the Italians who had complete observation of the area from Sanchil, Zeban and Falestoh. At 1300 hours, A and C Companies 4/16 Punjab attacked Engiahat, preceded by artillery fire. The Italians put up a strong resistance. The attacking companies reached the lower slopes of Engiahat, but then ran out of ammunition and had to withdraw. Meanwhile 1st Royal Sussex had failed to make any progress on the Pt. 2084 ridge. The capture of Engiahat became difficult. On its spurs the Italians had constructed a series of fortified positions nearly a mile in depth. The only approaches to it were along two narrow ridges not permitting more than six men to pass at a time.

In British Somaliland, 2 Indian battalions (1/2 Punjab and 3/15 Punjab) conducted an amphibious landing at Berbera. The port was defended by only 60 Italian troops (Italian 70th Colonial Brigade), who surrendered without resisting.

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## Njaco (Mar 16, 2016)

*March 16 Sunday continued*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” attacked an Allied convoy 950 miles east of Nova Scotia, Canada between 0428 and 1550 hours, sinking or capturing 10 ships. Danish ship “_Chilean Reefer_” sent distress signals and returned fire with her deck gun, and was sunk by “_Gneisenau's_” 11-inch shells, killing 9. British battleship HMS “_Rodney_” received the distress signals. “_Gneisenau_” was sighted by “_Rodney_” which requested identification of the German ship. The “_Gneisenau_” replies "_H.M.S. Emerald_" and escapes.

German bombers sank British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Lady Lilian_” and damaged HMT “_Angle_” 85 miles west of Ireland.

German submarine U-106 sank Dutch ship “_Almkerk_” 220 miles off the coast of Gambia, British West Africa. The entire crew of 66 survived the attack and took to 2 lifeboats, and all would survive.

The United States Navy begins escorting US merchant ships bound for Britain.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Primavera Offensive: The Italian Spring Offensive ended in complete failure for the Italians. The Italian Primavera Offensive was called off after only 8 days as the Italians had suffered 12,000 casualties. After seven days assaulting Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura, Italian 11th Army and having suffered heavy losses for no significant gain, Mussolini suspends the offensive for three days.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Vivaldi_”, “_Malocello_”, and “_Da Noli_” and two torpedo boats.

British submarine HMS “_Parthian_” damaged Italian steamer “_Giovanni Boccaccio_” 50 miles east of Malta.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *162 German bombers attacked Bristol, England overnight, targeting the docks at Avonmouth and the city center; 257 were killed, 391 were wounded.

*ASIA: * The Battle of Shanggao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area withdrawing as Japanese 11th Army advances.

Wong Sun-sui passed away from wounds sustained during the aerial engagement two days prior at in Sumatou district, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.

*GERMANY: *Hitler gave a Heldengedenktag speech (memorial service for German war dead) at the Berlin Zeughaus, reviewing Germany's battlefield performance over the past twelve months and declaring that England would be defeated. Adolf Hitler predicted that the United Kingdom would fall by 1942;


> “Behind us lies a Winter of work. What remained to be improved has been done. The German Army is now the strongest military instrument in our history. In the months of this Winter our allies bore the brunt of the whole power of the British attack, but from now on German forces again will resume their share of this load. No power and no support coming from any part of the world can change the outcome of this battle in any respect. England will fall. The everlasting Providence will not give victory to him who, merely with the object of ruling through his gold, is willing to spill the blood of men. Germany demanded nothing of England and France. All of the Reich’s denunciations, its disarmament and peace suggestions, were vain. International finance and plutocracy want to fight this war to the finish. So the end of this war will and must be its destruction. Then may Providence find a way to lead their people, from whom the chains will be struck, into a better order! When England and France declared this war, England immediately began a fight against civil life. To the blockade of the World War, that war against women and children, it added this time air and fire war against peaceful villages and cities. In both of these modes of war England will be defeated. The air war that Churchill started will destroy not Germany but England itself. Just so, the blockade will not strike Germany but its inventor.”



A fire broke out on the docked German ocean liner SS “_Bremen_”, causing such extensive damage that the ship would be scrapped. Initially thought to be the work of raiders, the arsonist was later said to have been a cabin boy avenging a punishment.

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## parsifal (Mar 16, 2016)

*16 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-boat S-42
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML 172
[NO IMAGE]

*Losses*
SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU continued their attacks on convoy OB-204 and OB292 on the 16th. OB.292. The latter had departed Liverpool on 27 February and dispersed 6 March. Surviving ships managed to transmit the 'RRR' raider warnings and the BCs fled to the safety of Brest in accordance with German policy to minimise risks by avoiding actions with vessels of equal or superior category. 

*Steamer SARDINIAN PRINCE (UK 3491 grt)* by SCHARNHORST. The entire crew were taken prisoner.





*Steamer MANGKAI (NL 8298 grt)* by SCHARNHORST. Some of the crew were taken prisoner.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SILVERFIR (UK 4347 grt)* by SCHARNHORST. One crewman was lost. Rest were taken prisoner.




*Steamer EMPIRE INDUSTRY (UK 3721 grt)* of OB.292 by GNEISENAU. The entire crew as taken prisoner.
[New image source: http://www.uboatphotos.net/operation-berlin.html]






*Steamer GRANLI (Nor 1577 grt)* of OB.292 was sunk by GNEISENAU 300 miles east of Newfoundland. The entire crew was captured, GRANLI's crew spent 3 days at a camp near Brest before they were sent by train to Fallingbosten via Paris, Cologne and Hanover, a journey taking 6 days. The camp had about 6000 prisoners of misc. nationalities, Belgian, French, Polish and Yugoslavian. After about a month they were transferred to another camp near Triers, but were retuned to Fallingbosten a month later, then spent another month there before being sent to Sandbosen. 2 weeks later, GRANLI's crew, together with other Scandinavian seamen, were sent to Bremen where they spent 6 days at a hotel, then via Hamburg, Flensburg, Helsingör and Gothenburg they arrived Oslo, Norway. Before they were "freed" they were taken to Akershus fortress where they had to sign contracts promising to serve on Norwegian ships under German control, whereupon they were given a 2 weeks holiday. They were told, however, that if they did not show up in Oslo for service at a stipulated time, punishment would be severe. Several seamen went into hiding, were caught and duly tortured and imprisoned .

Able Seaman Anders Lunde went home to his parents where he decided not to show up in Oslo after his 2 weeks vacation were up. He stayed in hiding for several weeks, then escaped to Shetland with a fishing vessel. He was intently questioned by the Allied authorities 
(New Image source: Operation Berlin )







*Steamer DEMETERTON (UK 5251 grt)* by SCHARNHORST. The entire crew was taken prisoner.




*Independent steamer CHILEAN REEFER (UK 1739 grt)* by GNEISENAU. Seven crew and two gunners were lost from the steamer. Three crew were taken prisoner. The rest were rescued by British ships. Steamer CHILEAN REEFER was able to send off an SOS which was picked up by BB RODNEY. RODNEY turned convoy HX.114 over to battleship ROYAL SOVEREIGN, which was in the area in transit, and made for the position of the SOS
[New Image Source: Operation Berlin ]





*ASW trawler LADY LILIAN (RN 581 grt)* was sunk by the LW 150 miles SW of Bloody Foreland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ELNA E. (Nor 1174 grt)* was sunk on a mine 18 miles SW of Lundy Is. One crewman was lost on the steamer.






RN Sub PARTHIAN torpedoed *steamer GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO (FI 3141 grt)* near Palmi. The submarine claimed hitting a second ship, but did not.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Off the West Coast of Africa, U.106 sank *steamer ALMKERK (NL 6810 grt).* The entire crew of 66 survived. On 16 March 1941, U-106 was pursuing convoy SL-68, when the unescorted ALMKERK, enroute from Perth, Australia to Avonmouth carrying wheat, crossed the path of the convoy and the U-boat. U-106 attacked the unescorted ALMKERK hitting near the bridge with two torpedoes fired from a distance of about 500 metres at 1636 and 1637 hrs. The ship sank by the stern about 15 minutes later, witnessed by the ships of the convoy. One lifeboat was picked up by the British steamer MARTAND on 18 March. The other boat landed in Vichy-French Guinea. After some time in captivity, the lifeboat was allowed to depart for Freetown, where it arrived on 30 March.





Convoy HX-112
'''HX 112''' was an important convoy of the HX series and saw heavy losses for both sides. It was notable in that it saw the loss of a further two Uboat Aces with the capture of Ottoe Kretschmer and the death of Joachim Schepke.

HX.112 was an east-bound convoy of ships which sailed from Halifax 1 March 1941, bound for Liverpool. Many of the ships in HX.112 were tankers carrying vital fuel oil to Britain.

Escort was built around Escort Gp-5 which consisted of two DDs, and two corvettes, and was led by Cdr Donald McIntyre in the DD WALKER. 5th Escort Group had also been reinforced by an additional two destroyers, in view of the importance of the cargo, and met the convoy as it entered the Western Approaches

On 15 March 1941 HX.112 was sighted by commanded by Fritz Lemp in U-110, who sent in a sighting report and commenced shadowing the convoy. He was joined throughout the day by four other boats; ''U-99'' (Kretschmer), ''U-100'' (Schepke), U-37 (Clausen) and U-74 (Kentrat)

On the night of 15/16 march U-110 initiated an attack against a tanker, which was heavily damaged, At roughly the same time 'U-100' was able to torpedo a tanker, which burst into flames, but also survived to reach port; all other attacks that night were frustrated by the activities of the escorts who once again displayed excellent teamwork covering each others ASDIC blind spots and relentlessly attacking all contacts.

Keeping up with the convoy on the surface during the day, the pack tried again as night fell on the 16th. 'U-99' managed to penetrate the convoy from the nth, on its port side, and sank four tankers and a freighter in under an hour. Remaining with the central column of the convoy she sank another freighter 15 minutes later before making her getaway.

Meanwhile, the escorts, searching for U-boats outside the convoy perimeter, found *Type VIIB U-100 (DKM 741 grt)* around 1.30am moving in on the surface. She dived, but HMS WALKER attacked with a DC pattern at close range. U-100 was damaged to the point that she was forced to the surface where she was sighted and rammed by DD 'VANOC just after 0300 hrs. Schepke was killed when VANOC sliced through the conning tower of the U boat. 'U100' went down with most of her crew.

As this was happening, *Type VIIB U-99 (DKM 741 grt)* was making her escape; she nearly collided with a DD in the dark and dived. Picked up on WALKLER’s ASDIC, she was depth-charged and severely damaged. Kretschmer blew U-99s ballast tanks to brink the sinking U-99 to the surface where she was fired on by the encircling warships. U-99 was sunk, but Kretschmer and most of his crew were saved, to be taken prisoner.

There were no further attacks on HX.112 and the convoy arrived in Liverpool on 20 March

U.110, in three attacks on convoy HX.112, heavily damaged British tanker ERODONA in the Western Approaches. 32 crew and 4 gunners were lost. The ship was abandoned but then was towed to Edisvik near Reykjavik on the 30th. The after end of the tanker was lost. The ship left Reykjavik in tow in 1942 for Blyth. She was repaired and returned to service, but not until February 1944.

U.99 attacked convoy HX.112, escorted by DDs WALKER, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, SARDONYX, and SCIMITAR, and corvettes BLUEBELL and HYDRANGEA. U-99 attacked the convoy several times and sank or damaged a total of 5 ships,

*Tkr FERM (Nor 6593 grt)*; Fully loaded with a cargo of fuel for Britain and with a crew of 35 aboard, the FERM caught fire after she was torpedoed. All crew members abandoned ship and were picked up by Covette HMS BLLUEBELL. The still floating tanker was taken in tow the next day, but she sank in on 21 March.





_“U-Boats inside the Convoy: U-99 on the Surface Having Torpedoed the Tanker FERM”,by John Alan Hamilton (1919–1993) IWM (Imperial War Museums)_

*Tkr BEDUIN (Nor 8136 grt)* with a full load of petrol and a complement of 34, the BEDUIN was hit by one torpedo aft of the pump room and later broke in two. The forepart was shelled and sunk by an RN armed trawler on 19 March, while the afterpart was taken in tow by the tug OLAVES on 18 March but sank two days later. On 18 March, 20 survivors were picked up by the British steam trawler RIVER AYR and landed at Thorshavn the next evening. Ten others were put ashore at Fleetwood by the Icelandic trawler MILMIR on 23 March. Four crew from tanker BEDUIN 
was lost.





U-99 attacked and damaged British tkr FRANCHE COMTE (. Corvette BLUEBELL stood to the damaged tkr. Her fires were brought under control and the tkr arrived at Rothesay Bay on the 21st.

*Tkr VENETIA (UK 5728 grt)* was sunk. The entire crew of tanker VENETIA were rescued by corvette BLUEBELL.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer J. B. WHITE (Cdn 7375 grt)* was sunk by U-99. One crewman was lost and one crewman was missing on the Canadian steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


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## Njaco (Mar 17, 2016)

*March 17 Monday*
*NORTH AFRICA:* Battle of Keren: As the British and Indian troops in the forward line had suffered heavy casualties it was necessary to employ fresh troops for launching another attack. On the 4th Indian Division front, the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade was ordered to break through between Brig's Peak and Mt. Sanchil. The Commander of the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade planned to carry out the operation in two phases. In the first phase, 3 Royal Garhwal Rifles was to capture Sanchil and 4/10 Baluch on the left was to capture Brig's Peak. In the second phase, 2nd Highland Light Infantry was to attack the col between Sanchil and Brig's Peak and break through on to the Keren plain. On the 5th Indian Division front, the 9th Indian Infantry Brigade was to consolidate its position in the Fort area and the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade was to attack forward of the Fort and capture Falestoh Ridge. The concentration of the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade in the area of the Fort prior to the attack was very seriously delayed. The climb up the Hill was very difficult, the track being narrow and having large quantities of cable laid across and along it. 1st Worcestershire Regiment miscalculated the time needed to get to its start line and was one and a half hour late. The last battalion did not reach the Fort area until 0100 hours. The zero hour for the attack was, therefore, changed to 0230 hours. The artillery fire in support of the attack opened at 0230 hours. 1st Worcestershire Regiment made good progress and by 0730 hours had established itself a hundred yards to the south of Pt. 1552, on Falestoh Ridge. All attempts to get to the top of Mt. Falestoh were, however, unsuccessful and the battalion suffered heavy casualties--23 killed, 55 wounded and 7 missing. On the left, 3/2 Punjab made some progress. D Company, not being fired at from M.G. ridge (a small feature immediately below the Fort), moved on. Hardly had it gone 800 yards when it met the Italians in a strong position just east of a small nullah. They were attacked at once by D Company and by the two other companies following (C and A Companies) from the right and the left. Although Italian machine guns on the flanks caused heavy casualties, the attack was pressed home with determination and the position was captured. At 0600 hours, the Italians put in a counter-attack on the forward positions. This was repulsed. In order to help in repulsing this counter-attack, B Company 6 Royal Frontier Force Rifles was ordered to move up on the left flank. The ground over which it had to pass was swept by machine gun fire from Sanchil and Railway Bumps. The company, however, rushed across this area and eventually captured forty prisoners. Its own losses were three killed and five wounded. The advance of the forward companies was held up by heavy machine gun fire from M.G. ridge. B Company, in reserve, engaged the Italians in position on M.G. ridge and the machine gun fire from this ridge was neutralized by Bren and mortar fire. The advance on Zeban was resumed again. By 0730 hours, the forward troops had reached the bend in the track. Further advance was held up by heavy fire from Zeban Minor. This situation remained unchanged until 1300 hours. As no fresh troops were available to carry on it was decided to withdraw the forward troops to less exposed positions after dark. At 1900 hours, B Company 6 Royal Frontier Force Rifles was counter-attacked again. This was a very strong effort by the Italians, but the Company fought gallantly and held its ground at the cost of over a third of its total strength. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the Italians also, and the attack was finally repulsed. The withdrawal started at 2300 hours and the 1st Worcestershire Regiment moved back to a position on the slope south-east of the Fort (Big Rock area). The movement was covered by 3/2 Punjab, which retired to a position about 800 yards in front of the Fort. Meanwhile, to conform with the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade operations, the attack by the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade was so timed that the leading troops would reach their objectives about 0330 hours. 3 Royal Garhwal Rifles was led by guides provided by 1st Royal Fusiliers to within one hundred and fifty yards of the top of Sanchil. The attack was launched at 0300 hours with D Company on the right and B Company on the left, C Company being in reserve. Although the troops fought well the advance was held up by heavy machine gun fire from Brig's Peak and by grenades and mortar fire. A dogged fight continued until 0700 hours but no progress was made. The Garhwalis suffered heavy casualties. Meanwhile 4/10 Baluch too had not made much progress. The attack was met by heavy machine gun and mortar fire and could not get nearer than three hundred yards from the objective. At 0530 hours, the Italians put down defensive fire, artillery and mortar, and inflicted severe casualties. Under their accurate fire it became difficult to get the wounded away. The forward companies were withdrawn to about a third of the way from the Brig's Peak feature at 0700 hours. Throughout the day the two forward battalions, 3 Royal Garhwal Rifles and 4/10 Baluch were subjected to heavy fire. By the evening, it was clear to General Platt that the attack had failed and that the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade would have to be withdrawn. He, therefore, decided to withdraw the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade, leaving the 11th Indian Infantry Brigade to hold on to Hog's Back and Flat Top. The withdrawal was carried out during the night without incident (2nd Highland Light Infantry remained on Cameron ridge until withdrawn on the night of 18/19 March).

Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel sent a message to the besieged Italian garrison at Giarabub in southeastern Libya, asking the troops to hold on for a few more weeks and promising that his forces would arrive in relief in that time.

British 11th African Division captured Jijiga, Abyssinia, Italian East Africa unopposed. Jijiga in Ethiopia fell to British forces which had started off from Kenya and pressed through Italian Somaliland. The British now had reached a point about a thousand miles from the Kenyan border in just five weeks.

.


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## Njaco (Mar 17, 2016)

*March 17 Monday continued*
*
ASIA:* The Battle of Shanggao: Japanese 11th Army advanced toward Haulintsai and Shangfutsun. The Japanese attacked the first of the three Chinese defensive lines, but were repeatedly turned back by the dug-in troops and their heavy machine-gun fire. The Japanese suffered heavy casualties that day.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” departed Kiel, arriving at Gotenhafen on the same day.

RAF Bomber Command sends 58 aircraft to attack Bremen and 21 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” and submarine U-124 made rendezvous with cruiser “_Admiral Scheer”_ 1,150 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands. U-124 transferred quartz aboard _“Admiral Scheer”_ for her radar. Although planned, the transfer of torpedoes from “_Kormoran_” to U-124 was canceled due to rough seas.

German submarines U-99 and U-100 attacked Allied convoy HX-112 250 miles southeast of Iceland. U-99 sank 2 freighters and three tankers, while damaging another tanker. German submarine U-100 became the first submarine to be tracked by radar. At 0318 hours, destroyers HMS “_Walker_” and HMS “_Vanoc_” depth charged U-100, forcing her to surface, then HMS “_Vanoc_” rammed U-100. As U-100 sank, 38 were killed, including commanding officer Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke. At 0343 hours, HMS “_Walker_” dropped 6 depth charges on U-99, killing 3 and forcing her to surface from heavy damage. U-99 was scuttled by her crew. 6 U-100 and 40 U-99 officers and men were captured by the British, including U-99's commanding officer Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer.

German submarine U-106, after tracking Allied convoy SL.68 for the past two days, struck 250 miles west of Dakar, French West Africa at 2107 hours, sinking British ship “_Andalusian_” and Dutch ship “_Tapanoeli_”.

US Coast Guard cutter “_Cayuga_” delivered American representatives to Greenland in search of suitable locations for bases.

Kriegsmarine S-boats driven off convoy FN 33 by RN destroyers. RN anti-submarine vessel “_Mollusc_” sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Frenchman Francois Scornet, 22, became the only civilian to be executed by firing squad in Jersey of the Channel Islands throughout the German occupation. Scornet was one of 16 young Army Cadets who had fled France in a small boat with the intention of joining the Free French forces in England. Lost in rough weather, they sailed into Guernsey, Channel Islands believing it to be the Isle of Wight and were captured. As an example to other escapees, Scornet was picked out as the ringleader and shot. After the war his remains were reinterred in his home village in Brittany, France.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * 162 planes of the Luftwaffe bombed the Avonmouth district of Bristol.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Lustre : New Zealand 4th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens by sea from Egypt.

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## Njaco (Mar 17, 2016)

*March 18 Tuesday*
*NORTH AFRICA:* Battle of Keren: Between 18 and 22 March the Italians attacked Fort Dologorodoc no less than seven times. These attacks were beaten off and the British and Indian troops fought with courage and determination. The 29th Indian Infantry Brigade had withdrawn from the area of Falestoh and Zeban early in the morning. At 0230 hours, the Italians made a counter-attack from the direction of Railway Bumps and Falestoh. It was directed on the Fort and 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment had to bear the brunt of the attack. By first light, the attack had been beaten off and the Italians suffered several casualties in the fighting.

Erwin Rommel departed North Africa for a meeting with Adolf Hitler.

British Swordfish torpedo bombers of Fleet Air Arm 830 Naval Air Squadron based in Malta bombed the harbor at Tripoli, Libya; 1 Swordfish aircraft was shot down, with its crew of 2 taken prisoner.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler met with Wilhelm Keitel, Alfred Jodl, and Erich Raeder. Raeder urged Hitler to convince Japan to attack Singapore and recommended Hitler to reveal the plans of the Soviet invasion to Japan.

Battleship “_Bismarck_” entered the Baltic Sea for trials.

RAF Bomber Command sends 99 aircraft to attack Kiel and 44 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.

Germany centralized all coal mining and distribution.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British bombers attacked Vlorë, Albania, sinking Italian torpedo boat “_Aldebaran_”.

British armed boarding vessel “_Rosaura_”, carrying Italian prisoners of war, hit a mine and sank off Tobruk, Libya. 14 crew, 5 guards, and 59 Italians were killed.

British Foreign Minister Eden consults with Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Saracoglu.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-105 attacked Allied convoy SL-68 west of Senegal, French West Africa at 0400 hours, sinking British ship “_Medjerda_”, killing the entire crew of 52 and 2 gunners.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” transferred 7 torpedoes to submarine U-124 1,050 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands.

German 1st S-boat Flotilla (with 6 motor torpedo boats) raided shipping on the east coast of England, sinking French ship _“Daphne II”_ off the Humber Estuary.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * Luftwaffe attacks Hull overnight with 378 aircraft.

The French government-in-exile in Britain established a central bank.

RAF fighter pilot Douglas Bader was promoted to the rank of wing commander with RAF Nos.145, 610, and 616 Squadrons at Tangmere.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US and Canada declared a joint defense pact, which included cooperation in ship building efforts on the Great Lakes.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 19 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight.

*ASIA: *The Battle of Shanggao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area successfully attacks detachment of Japanese 11th Army around Kuchuao and Huamenlo.

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## parsifal (Mar 18, 2016)

*16 MARCH 1941 (Part II) 
Losses (Cont'd)*
U.99 sank *steamer KORSHAMN (SD 6673 grt)* from convoy HX.112 in the early hours of the 17th. 26 crew were lost on the Swedish steamer.





*UBOATS*
*Arrivals*
Lorient: U_552

*At Sea 16 March 1941*
U-37, U-46, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-100, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, UA,

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow after convoy escort duties with convoy HX.112.

*West Coast*
DD ANTHONY while under repair at Glasgow was damaged by the near miss of a German bomb.

Convoy OB.298 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers CHELSEA, MANSFILED, VANITY, VERITY, VETERAN, and WOLSEY, and corvette ARBUTUS. Destroyer VANITY was detached on the 28th. On 18 March, destroyers HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HURRICANE joined. The escort was detached on the 20th when the convoy was dispersed.

Corvette AUBRETIA, en route from Greenock to Londonderry, was damaged in a collision with British trawler GOOSANDER. The corvette was repaired at Dundee from 21 March and completing on 7 April.

*Western Approaches*
ASW trawler ANGLE was damaged by the LW 150 miles SW of Bloody Foreland. The trawler arrived Belfast in tow on the 22nd.

*Med/Biscay*
Fce A was unsuccessfully attacked by two RA torpedo planes at dusk west of Elaphonisos, 30 miles west of Crete. The Italian bombers reported hitting two large units, “probably battleships”. No ship was hit.

CLA BONAVENTURE was detached from CruSqn 3 to arrive at Alexandria on the 18th. CV FORMIDABLE departed Alexandria for exercises on 16 and 17 March escorted by DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, and HASTY. DD ILEX joined the carrier from Force A. TG returned to Alexandria on the 17th.

RAN DD VOYAGER departed Alexandria escorting British troopship ULSTER PRINCE and armed boarding vessel ROSAURA to Tobruk.

*Central Atlantic*
In air operations in the Atlantic, Sub Lt (A) D. M. Ferguson RNVR, and Sub Lt (A) J. K. M. Watt of 818 Sqn from ARK ROYAL were lost when their Swordfish failed to return from patrol. Corvette ASPHODEL arrived at Gibraltar with two steamers formerly of convoy SL.67. Corvette DELPHINIUM departed Gibraltar for Freetown en route to Simonstown and the Eastern Mediterranean

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLs GLASGOW and CALEDON, DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON, armed boarding vessels CHAKDINA and CHANTALA, RIN PVs NETRAVATI and PARVATI, motor launch ML.109, and two transports landed troops brought from Aden at Berbera in Operation APPEARANCE (recapture of Berbera).

*Malta*

*




*


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## parsifal (Mar 18, 2016)

*17 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS KAMLOOPS (K 176)





Flower Class Corvette HMS DIANTHUS (K 95)





Fairmile B ML 218
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*ASW yacht MOLLUSC (RN 597grt)* was sunk by the LW 2.5 miles 115° from Blyth Port War Signal Station. There were no casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.106 made attacks on convoy SL.68 summarised as follows.

*Steamer ANDALUSIAN (UK 3082 grt)* was sunk off West Africa The entire crew of the steamer were rescued.With a complement of 42, and enroute from Freetown to the UK west coast ports with a full load of cocoa beans, the ANDALUSIAN was attacked between 2107 and 2110 hrs on 17 March 1941 by U-106 , who fired fourfi four single torpedoes at ships in the convoy SL-68 about 110 miles east of the Cape Verde Islands and claimed three ships with 21,000 grt sunk and another with 7000 grt damaged after hearing four detonations, although only one hit could be observed in the very dark night. In fact, only two ships, the TAPANNOELI and ANDALUSIAN i were hit by one torpedo each and sank.

ANDALUSIANwas struck on the port side by the third torpedo fired by the U-boat while steaming at 6 knots and preparing to carry out an emergency turn after they had witnessed the hit on TAPANNOELI. The ship immediately listed heavily to port at an angle of approx. 40° and began to settle by the head. The crew of 40 men and two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and three machine guns) abandoned ship in two lifeboats in a moderate to rough sea about 15 minutes after being hit and without sending a distress signal or firing rockets as everything had been thrown into confusion on the bridge. ANDALUSIAN had slowly righted herself to a list of about 10° before being abandoned and was last seen well down by the head and water pouring over her deck amidships, but she apparently sank about 2215 hrs because flares from rafts that floated free were seen at that time. Afterwards the survivors saw the silhouette of a merchant vessel nearby that was evidently trying to locate the lifeboats in the darkness, but was seen to leave after two burst from a machine gun were heard. Fearing being targeted by the U-boat the occupants in the boat in charge of the chief officer crouched low under cover. The lifeboats had lost contact to each other as soon they were launched and the starboard boat in charge of the master with 23 occupants hoisted sail and steered towards Bathurst, but after making about 130 miles they were picked up by the Portuguese steam passenger ship NYASSA and landed at Funchal. The port boat with the chief officer and 18 men remained on the scene until daylight and then encountered the lifeboats from TAPANNOELI, exchanging greetings and directions to the Cape Verde Islands with them. They reached Boa Vista on 19 March, but were unable to find a suitable landing place and rode to a sea anchor for the night before trying to land on a sandy beach in the afternoon of 20 March. The boat was swamped by the very high surf, but all hands jumped clear and pulled the boat in. They removed all gear and made a camp to dry their clothes and blankets, eat some food and rest. The following morning two parties went to search for habitation and they soon found settlers, who were very hospitable and brought the survivors on donkeys to an anchorage 10 miles away, where they boarded the Portuguese steam merchant VINTE E OITO MAIO and found some of the Dutch survivors they had met earlier already on board. The ship brought them to St. Vincent on 23 March after proceeding to San Nicholas to pick up survivors from the British steam merchant CLAN MACNAB which had also been in SL-68 and foundered after a collision with the Norwegian motor tanker STRIX on 17 March.





*Steamer TAPANOELI (NL 7031 grt)* was sunk off the West African Coast by U-106. The entire crew of 65 was rescued. She was enroute from Batavia to UK via Fretown when lost, fully laden with tea, tapioca flour and vegetable seeds. TAPANOELI was armed with one 4.7in and one machine gun, and was hit on the port side by the first torpedo fired by the spread of four fish fired by U-106 t while steaming at 7 knots in a moderate sea. The explosion destroyed the forecastle, collapsed the port bridge wing, blew off the hatch covers and scattered parts of the cargo all over the ship. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats after stopping the engines and sending a distress signal as the ship began to quickly settle by the bow, sinking about 20 mins after being abandoned. Due to a misunderstanding between the chief officer and the master the confidential documents had been left behind in the cabin of the latter. The boats remained at the sinking position until dawn the following morning and then set sail towards the Cape Verde Islands. On route they encountered a lifeboat from ANDALUSIAN and exchanged greetings and directions with the other survivors. The next night one of the lifeboats got separated from the others and made landfall on Boa Vista on 19 March. Its occupants were joined two days later by the British survivors they met earlier. The Portuguese steam merchant VINTE E OITE DE MAIO brought them to St. Vincent on 23 March after proceeding to San Nicholas to pick up survivors from the British steam merchant CLAN MACNAB, which had also been in SL-68 and foundered after a collision with the Norwegian motor tkr STRIX on 17 March. On St. Vincent the crew of TAPANOELI was reunited as the other two lifeboats had made landfall there on 21 March.





The submarine attacked two other steamers in the convoy without success.

*Steamer EINAR JARL (Nor 1858 grt)* was sunk on a mine in in the Nth Sea. One crewman was lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
U-48

At Sea 17 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-99, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, UA,

11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by sloop KITTIWAKE and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE, laid minefield BS.51 off the East coast of England.

During the night of 17/18 March, DD CATTISTOCK in convoy FN.33 off Lowestoft unsuccessfully attacked DKM S Boats. DDs VESPER and COTTESMORE were also in the escort.

British steamer CORMEAD was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. British pilot cutter PIONEER was damaged by the LW at B 3 Buoy, Thames Estuary

*Northern Patrol*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENESTHEUS, AGAMEMNON, and PORT QUEBEC of the 1st ML Sqn, escorted by DDs ST MARYS,LANCASTER, CASTLETON, and CHARLESTOWN departed Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN.69. Cover was provided by CLs AURORA and GALATEA which departed Scapa Flow on the 17th. BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ACTIVE, ESCAPADE, COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI operating south of Iceland supported the operation. The mines were laid on the 19th. The ships arrived back on the 20th.

*Northern Waters*
RAN DD NESTOR, and RN DDs WHADDON, and ERIDGE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to escort BC HOOD to Scapa Flow. The four ships departed Rosyth on the 18th for Pentland Firth, where the BC joined the battle fleet at sea and the DDs were detached to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 19th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.99 in the Pentland Firth providing cover until convoy EN.68 A was met. At 0500/18th, the ship transferred to convoy EN.68 A and remained with it until its arrival in Pentland Firth. CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th.

*West Coast*
OG.56 departed Liverpool escort sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes ERICA and SNAPDRAGON, and AASW trawler ST KENAN. On 18 March, the convoy was joined by DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, SALADIN,SALISBURY, and VIVIEN and corvette CLARKIA. DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, SALADIN,SALISBURY, and VIVIEN were detached on the 21st. on the 22nd, corvette CLARKIA and trawler ST KENAN were detached. SubmarineOLYMPUSjoined the convoy on the 26th. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 2 April, escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes ERICA and SNAPDRAGON, and submarine OLYMPUS.

*Med/Biscay*
RAN CL PERTH, and RN CLs AJAX, and ORION departed Alexandria carrying troops as convoy AG.6 A to Piraeus. The cruisers arrived at Piraeus on the 18th.

CL GLOUCESTER was recalled from the Aegean to Alexandria, arriving on the 18th. DD GRIFFIN departed Alexandria for Haifa for escort duty in convoy MW.6.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.115 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC CALIFORNIA, DD ST CROIX, and corvette ORILLIA. The DD and the corvette were detached the next day. BB KGV and submarine THUNDERBOLt joined the escort on the 20th and were detached on the 28th. The AMC was detached on the 28th. DDs READING, SABRE, and VENOMOUS, sloop WELLINGTON, and corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP joined on the 29th. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 April.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.20 departed Aden, escort sloop AUCKLAND. DD KINGSTON joined on the 18th. Both escorts were detached on the 21st. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 25th.

BM.5 departed Bombay with steamers NEURALIA and DEVONSHIRE, escorted by AMC HECTOR from 17 to 20 March, CL EMERALD joined on 20 March and was detached on the 23rd. CL DURBAN joined on the 22nd.

Steamers JALAKRISHNA and JAPAPADMA departed Bombay on the 16th and proceeded independently with lorries, petrol, ordnance, and other stores for the personnel in convoy BM.5. The convoy arrived at Singapore on the 25th.

*Pacific/Australia*
US TG 9.2 with CLs BROOKLYNandSAVANNAH and DDs CASE, CUMMINGS, SHAW, and TUCKER arrived at Auckland for a three day goodwill visit. The USN ships sailed on the 20th and arrived at Tahiti on the 25th. They departed Tahiti on the 27th and returned to Pearl Harbour

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Mar 18, 2016)

*18 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 198
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.105 sank *steamer MEDJERDA (UK 4380 grt)* from convoy SL.68, off the coast of West Africa. There were no survivors from the crew of 39. At the time of her loss the ship was enroute from Sierre Leone to Middlesborough via Freetown with a full load of iron ore. At 0418 hrs the unescorted MEDJERDA, a straggler from convoy SL-68, was hit on the starboard side underneath the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-105and sank after breaking in two within 30 seconds of being hit about 90 miles east of the Cape Verde Islands.





DKM 1st SBoat Flotilla with S.26, S.29, S.39, S.55, S.101, and S.102 sortied against British shipping in the North Sea. *Steamer DAPHNE II (UK 1970 grt)*, was in convoy FN-34, when she was torpedoed by S-102 and badly damaged, off the Humber. The ship was taken in tow and beached south of Bull, however the ship broke in two and sank.





*Liner BREMEN (Ger 51, 731 grt)* was lost due to a fire followed by an explosion whilst tied up alongside Bremerhaven. The fire was deliberately lit, after a cabin boy was boxed on the ears by a Petty Officer, to avenge his humiliation the boy started a fire in one of Bremen’s storerooms. The fire quickly became uncontrollable and the ship rolled over, onto the jetty. She was scrapped where she lay. There is no record of the fate of the cabin boy.




_The burnt out Bremen, lying against a quay in Bremerhaven_

*Steamer WIDAR (Ger 5972 grt)* sank when she truck a mine in the River Ems estuary
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: UA 

Departures
Bergen: U-551
Lorient: U-69

At Sea 18 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-95, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551
12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
BC HOOD, refitting at Rosyth since 13 January, departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow.

*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow for Icelend. The cruiser refueled in Iceland and patrolled in the Denmark Strait with two AMCs. The cruiser returned to refuel at Reykjavik on 27 to 29 March.

*Northern Waters*
CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow on escort duties. The cruiser arrived back on the 22nd.

*Western Approaches*
RM submarine EMO attacked British steamer CLAN MACIVER with no effect.

*Med/Biscay*
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CLA BONAVENTURE and CL GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, GREYHOUND, and HAVOCK arrived at Alexandria. GLOUCESTER embarked General Blamey, Commanding the AIFCorps, and 1087 troops. The cruiser departed Alexandria, escorted by DD HASTY, for Piraeus.

Convoy AG.7 of Armed boarding vessels CHAKLA and FIONA, supply ship BRECONSHIRE, three Greek, and one other ship departed Alexandria, escorted by CL CARLISLE and RAN DD VOYAGER and RN DD WRYNECK. Troopship ULSTER PRINCE embarked Army personnel at Tobruk and joined the convoy on the 19th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus late on the 20th.

Convoy AN.21 of seven British, four Greek, and two other ships departed Alexandria escort DDs DECOY and RAN DD WATERHEN and corvette HYACINTH. CLA COVENTRY joined the convoy from Suda Bay.

On the 21st, British tkr MARIE MAERSK, formerly of AG.5 and joined from Suda Bay, was damaged by RA bombing off Crete. Six crew were killed, eight missing, and four were taken prisoner of war. RAN DD WATERHEN put a party aboard the ship and got the fire under control. The tkr was brought into Suda Bay under her own power by an RN navigating party, escorted by ASW trawler AMBER. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 22nd.

Convoy AS.20 of one British, one Greek, and four other ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA, RAN DD VENDETTA, sloop GRIMSBY, and one RHN DD. Enroute, VENDETTA attacked a submarine contact. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 21st and Port Said on the 22nd.

*Armed boarding vessel ROSAURA (RN 1552 grt)*, the ex French DIEPPE, was sunk on a mine 146° from Mersa Tobruk. Fourteen crew, including P/T/Surgeon Lt J. F. Roberts RNVR, five military guards and 59 prisoners of war were lost.





_Image of the ROSAURA, taken in 1917 when she was the DIEPPE, and serving as a hospital ship _

Swordfish of 830 Sqn attacked Tripoli Harbour from Malta. A Swordfish was shot down and its crew of A/Sub Lt (A) D. Grant and Leading Airman W. E. J. Thomson were made pows. They were repatriated in November 1942.

Three Albacore aircraft from 826 Sqn from aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE operating ashore torpedoed Italian steamer LABOR and destroyed two lighters at Buerat el Hsur. The steamer was able to arrive at Tripoli on the 19th. One Albacore and its crew of Sub Lt J. J. C. Coe and A/Sub Lt C. P. Bailey were lost.

*Spica Class TB ALDEBARAN (RM 640 grt)* struck a mine and sank at Valona. Some sources say this loss occurred on the 20th March






*Central Atlantic*
DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU refueled at sea 300 miles NW of the Azores from tankers ERMLAND and UCKERMARK. Approximately 400 pows were transferred to the supply ships.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BS.20 departed Suez, escorted by sloop CLIVE. The sloop was detached the next day. On the 21st, sloop AUCKLAND joined, on the 22nd, CL CAPETOWN; both were detached on the 25th when RAN sloop PARRAMATTA joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 26th.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore. CL DIOMEDE damaged her port propeller while passing through the Panama Canal.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 18, 2016)

*March 19 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* 370 German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed London, England, killing 750. Several freighters and auxiliary anti-aircraft ship “_Helvellyn_” were sunk or damaged in London docks.

Mass-produced vegetable casseroles went on sale in Britain for 8 pence per pound.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Battle of Keren:  Italian General Lorenzini was killed on the 5th Indian Division Front. At 0400 hours, the Italians again made an attack. It was carried out by 10th Alpini Battalion which had assembled in the depression of the valley to the west of the Fort. From there, two companies moved towards the Fort while one went round the north to the Hill. They could get to within seventy yards of the Fort and were driven back. The Italians reformed and made a more determined effort. They were repulsed again, and this time pursued with bayonets and grenades. They abandoned two pack guns, some mortars and machine guns. A regrouping of British and Indian forces on Mt. Dologorodoc was ordered. The various features in the Dologorodoc area were to be held by two brigades. The 9th Indian Infantry Brigade was to be responsible for holding the Fort and ridges four to six hundred yards north of it. The 29th Indian Infantry Brigade was to be responsible for the protection of both flanks. The 29th Indian Infantry Brigade was ordered to pull back and take over this area.

*GERMANY:* Erwin Rommel met with Adolf Hitler, Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch, and Chief of Staff General Franz Halder. Rommel was told to expect no reinforcements in Libya until May, when the German 15th Panzer Division would be assigned to him. Rommel was denied permission to launch a German counteroffensive in North Africa.

Adolf Hitler gave Prince Paul of Yugoslavia an ultimatum, asking him to join the Tripartite Pact within five days, or face invasion.

RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-105 sank Dutch ship “_Mandalika_” of Allied convoy SL-68 350 miles west of Nouakchott, Mauritania, French West Africa. 3 were killed and 62 survivors were rescued by British corvette HMS “_Marguerite_”.

German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” began their return voyage to Brest, France.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Lustre : Australian 16th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens from Egypt as does General Blamey.

Italian 11th Army, spearheaded by the Sienna Infantry Division, mounts new attacks against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Saetta_”, “_Fulmine_”, and “_Baleo_”.

Four ship Allied convoy MW 6 departs Egypt for Malta with heavy escort including light cruiser HMS “_Carlisle_”, aircraft carrier HMS “_Formidable_” HMS “_Barham_”, “_Valiant_” and “_Warspite_”, with the cruisers “_Glouchester_” and “_York_”.

.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 19, 2016)

* 19 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Submarine Tender USS OTUS (ARG 20)





Allied
Fairmile B ML 190
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer BENVORLICH (UK 5193 grt)* was sunk by the LW from convoy OB.298 in the Western Approaches. Four crew and one gunner was lost on the steamer. The survivors were rescued by convoy rescue ship ZAMALEK.





U-106 continued her attacks on the Convoys in the Central Atlantic. She attacked Convoy SL-68 again on this day

U-106 sank *Steamer MANDALIKA (NL 7750 grt)* off the coast of West Africa. The steamer had a complement of 61, of which 3 were lost and a full cargo of sugar. She was transporting her cargo from the NEI to the UK west coast. The details of the attack are that between 0024 and 0029 hrs, U-106 fired torpedoes at the convoy SL-68 from within the convoy columns and reported two ships sunk and another probably damaged. However, only the MANDALIKA was hit on the port side near the engine room by one torpedo. The crew abandoned ship in several lifeboats as the ship slowly sank about 100 miles NE of Cape Verde Islands. The survivors were picked up by Corvette MARGUERITE (K 54).





*Steamer CLAN MACNAB (UK 6076 grt)* was lost in convoy SL.68 when she collided with Norwegian motor tanker STRIX . The STRIX was damaged but could sail on whilst the MACNAB sank the following day. 14 people lost their lives.





*Steamer LEO (Nor 1367 grt)* was sunk by German bombing 75 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis (Nth of the Hebrides). She was 1 of 2 ships, out of a total of 31 ships, lost from Convoy EN86A, though she had detached as ordered nth of the Butt of Lewis and was headed to Icleand with food and coal when lost. The entire crew was rescued by destroyer ECHO.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-95

Departures
U-76

At Sea 19 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
The London docks were hit again by the LW in a large scale raid on the night of 19/20 March. British steamer NAILSEA MEADOW was damaged by the LW at Victoria Dock, London. Two crew were lost. The ship was struck by a bomb in the afterpeak tank. British steamer TOTTENHAM was damaged on a mine in the Southend Anchorage.

The ship was damaged by a near mine explosion. The ship was towed to Gravesend on the 20th. During the night of 19/20 March, British steamers TELESFORA DE LARRINGA was bombed and damaged. One crewman was killed on the TELESFORA DE LARRINGA. British Steamer LINDENHALL was damaged by the raid on Victoria Dock, London. LINDENHALL caught fire and sank, but was not a total loss, she was drydocked at Millwall on 23 April. She returned to service

*Steamer JUNO (UK 642 grt)* was heavily damaged by the LW attack on the Surrey Commercial Dock. The steamer was considered a constructive total loss. She was being converted to a Thames AA ship at the time of her loss.






*Northern Waters*
DD LIDDESDALE departed Scapa Flow to meet British steamer AMSTERDAM off Aberdeen and escort her to Lerwick. The ships departed Lerwick on the 20th. The DD lost touch with the steamer in bad weather during the night and returned to Scapa Flow on the 21st.

CL KENYA, relieved Force H escorting convoy SL.67. The CL arrived at Greenock on the 31st.

*West Coast*
Convoy OB.299 departed Liverpool, escort DD MONTGOMERY. On 20 March, DDs CHESTERFIELD, VANITY, and WANDERER, sloop WESTON, and corvettes NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE joined the escort. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 24th.

A Roc of 760 Sqn crashed near North Cadbury in air firing practice exercises, killing all of the crew.

*Western Approaches*
Dutch tanker MAMURA was lightly damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The tanker was able to continue to Halifax.

*Med/Biscay*
RHN DD AETOS reported being unsuccessfully attacked by RA torpedo bombers north of Candia.

Submarines UTMOST and URSULA departed Malta to patrol the east Tunisian coast. Submarine TRUANT fired torpedoes at a barge at Buerat el Sun. The torpedoes missed and passed underneath Italian tanker LABOR without doing damage.

T/A/Sub Lt (A) R. C. Kay and Leading Airman D. R. Stockman were killed when their Fulmar of 805 Sqn from Maleme was shot down over Suda Bay on the 19th.

Operation MC.9
British operation MC.9 began on the 19th (re-supply operation for Malta). British steamers CITY OF MANCHESTER, CLAN FERGUSON, andPERTHSHIRE departed Haifa escort DDs HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN and steamer CITY OF LINCOLN departed Alexandria escort DD GREYHOUND as convoy MW.6. The convoy was designated Force C. CLA BONAVENTURE joined the convoy escort on the 20th. CLA s COVENTRY, CALCUTTA, and CARLISLE and DD HAVOCK joined Force C on the 21st

On 20 March, BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, JAGUAR, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, ILEX, HERO, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria as Force A.

The convoy was also covered by CA YORK, RAN CL PERTH, CLs ORION, GLOUCESTER, and AJAX and RAN DD STUART, and RN DDs HEREWARD and HASTY, HEREWARD joined after refueling at Suda Bay. This gp, designated Force B, rendezvoused with Force A on the afyernoon of the 21st. The DDs of Force B also joined Force A.

Exercising following her refitting, destroyer DEFENDER was damaged by splinters from a near miss of an air bomb off Dellimiara Point, Malta, on the 21st.

Force A parted company with the convoy on the 22nd to stay out of the range of Axis bombers. A Fulmar of 809 Sqn ditched near the Fleet whilst flying top cover over the convoy. Lt A. J. E. Howey and Leading Airman L. J. Stevens were rescued by DD JERVIS.

CLAs COVENTRY and CARLISLE detached from the convoy somewhat later on the 22nd and proceeded to Alexandria.

Force B and destroyers MOHAWK and NUBIAN covered Force C from the northward during the night of 22/23 March. DD DEFENDER departed Malta at 1945 to join Force B during the night (now heading back to join Fce A. Convoy MW.6 arrived safely at Malta on the 23rd. Force B with DD DEFENDER rejoined Force A during the morning of 23 March.

Force C and the convoy were attacked by the LW at Malta on the 23rd. British steamers PERTHSHIRE and CITY OF LINCOLN were damaged. CLA BONAVENTURE was damaged on her port bow by splinters from near misses. One rating was killed and seven were wounded. DD GRIFFIN was damaged by a near miss which holed her forward fuel oil tanks but with no casualties.

Force B and destroyers ILEX and HASTY parted company with Force A to cover Force C. The cruisers and destroyers of Force C departed Malta at 1930 that day. At 1930, DD HEREWARD departed Force B to join Convoy AN 22 on the 24th.

Force C and Force B merged at 0730/24th and proceeded to the Aegean. CLA CALCUTTA and DDs ILEX and HASTY arrived at Port Said on the 24th. Force B covered convoy AN.22 from west of the Kithera Channel. Force A arrived back at Alexandria at 2230/24th.

CLA BONAVENTURE and DDs GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK from Force C proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 25th. The cruiser carried a replacement propeller shaft and bracket bearing for cruiser CARLISLE. CA YORK and CL GLOUCESTER arrived at Suda Bay during 25 March. CLs ORION, PERTH, and AJAX and DD ILEX remained in the Aegean to cover convoy AN.22 and AS.22 on the 25th.

*Central Atlantic*
BB MALAYA, escorting convoy SL.68 with AMC CANTON and corvettes CALENDULA, MARGUERITE, and CROCUS, was torpedoed in the bows by U.106 on the 20th. The submarine thought she had torpedoed a merchant ship.




_BB MALAYA in 1941_

DDs FORESIGHT and FORTUNE were ordered to join the damaged BB. DDs FEARLESS and WRESTLER of the group intending to join ARK ROYAL and RENOWN were ordered to return to Gibraltar. On the 21st, DDs FEARLESS and FORTUNE departed Gibraltar to join, but soon they and DDs FORESIGHT and FORTUNE were ordered to return to Gibraltar.

BB MALAYA was escorted towards Trinidad by corvette CROCUS, which was detached on the 23rd. The battleship arrived at Trinidad on the 29th. Subsequently, MALAYA arrived on 6 April in New York for repairs.

German tanker NORDMARK replenished DKM raider KORMORAN sth of the Cape Verde Is.

DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to meet CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN which had been relieved in convoy SL.67 by CL KENYA.

Submarine OTUS arrived at Gibraltar after departing Portsmouth on the 8th. The submarine had been refitting at Portsmouth in February completing on the 1st.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 19, 2016)

*March 20 Thursday*
*NORTH AFRICA:* Battle of Keren: RAF attacks against Italian positions at Keren.

Australian 2/9th Battalion attacks Jarabub oasis in southern Libya.

Indian troops captured Hargeisa in Italian-occupied British Somaliland.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Joseph Stalin was assured by this staff that Germany would not attack the Soviet Union until United Kingdom was defeated. Meanwhile, the United States shared the intelligence of a possible German invasion of the Soviet Union with Soviet Ambassador Konstantin Umansky. The knowledge was acquired by methods which could not be revealed to the Russians. U.S. Signal Intelligence Service analysts had predicted "a German attack on the U.S.S.R. within two months”. The estimate came from a reading of top secret Japanese diplomatic messages, primarily the dispatches to Tokyo from Baron Oshima, the Japanese ambassador in Berlin. 

The Yugoslavian cabinet voted 16-3 to accept Hitler's proposals and join the Tripartite Pact. In a meeting of the Royal Council it becomes clear that Regent Paul is ready to agree to Hitler's demand that Yugoslavia join the Tripartite Pact and allow free passage of German troops. Rather than accepting dictated German terms, four Yugoslavian ministers resigned their posts.

British agents kidnapped the pro German leader Milan Stoyadinovich and spirited him away to Greece to eliminate his influence in the political turmoil of Belgrade. 

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler appointed Alfred Rosenberg the Delegate for Central Planning for Questions of the Eastern European Area.

Heinrich Himmler, Rudolf Heß, Fritz Todt, Reinhard Heydrich, and other top Nazi German official met in Berlin, Germany to discuss plans for resettling Eastern Europe with Germans.

Erwin Rommel received Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” were detected by aircraft of the British Coastal Command. They were met by German aircraft at 1900 hours, escorting them as they headed for Brest, France. Meanwhile, two ships that they had captured 5 days prior, tankers “_Bianca_” and “_San Casimiro_”, were spotted by British aircraft from carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”. Battleship HMS “_Renown_” would advance in an attempt to recapture. The German crew scuttled both tankers before surrendering themselves along with the 46 prisoners of war aboard the two ships.

Kriegsmarine mine vessel “_Sperrbrecher-12_” sunk by RAF Coastal Command aircraft.

German submarine U-106 damaged Dutch ship “_Meerkerk_” of Allied convoy SL.68 and escorting battleship HMS “_Malaya_” 550 miles west of Nouakchott, Mauritania, French West Africa at 2323 hours. HMS “_Malaya_” received temporary repairs at Trinidad and then was sent to New York Naval Yard in the US for permanent repairs which would last for four months.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* King George and Queen Elizabeth visited Plymouth, England, where they took tea with Lady Nancy Astor, the first woman to take a seat in the commons. The local people took the Royal visit as a "gala day" with bands and dancing on the Hoe, but no sooner had the Royal party departed 125 German bombers appeared overhead causing great damage to the docks (sinking British tug HMS “_Sir Bevois”_ (9 killed), tug HMS “_Elan_”, and transport “_Mari II_”) and city centre.

*WESTERN FRONT*: A flight of three Manchester bombers from RAF Waddington in England set out to bomb German submarines at Lorient, France. Less than thirty minutes into the mission one aircraft developed an engine fire which forced its captain to order the crew to abandon the stricken aircraft. Four crewmen jumped but only two survived and two others were killed. The pilot (with one other crewman still aboard) then attempted to bring the aircraft home but in attempting to land struck a tree and crashed, killing both airmen. Aircraftsman Charles Leonard Wheatley, seeing that the fire threatened to explode the high-explosive bombs still aboard, bravely fought the fire, from only two yards away, and successfully prevented any further damage to the base. For this gallant action Wheatley would be awarded the George Medal from the King on 4 Nov 1941.

RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft on minelaying operations off Brest, Lorient, and St Nazaire overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA:* “_Tatsuta Maru_” arrived at San Francisco, California, United States. Among the disembarked passengers was Colonel Hideo Iwakuru, who was dispatched by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to Washington DC to help the Japanese Embassy in reconciling relations with the United States.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian 11th Army conducts another unsuccessful attack against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura. Lead elements of Allied troops -- NZ 19th Battalion -- begin digging in at the Aliakmon Line.

*ASIA:* The Battle of Shanggao: Japanese 11th Army crosses Chin River at Huifu and attacks 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area around Kuanchiao and Szehsi.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 20, 2016)

*20 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-562
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS JULIET (T-136)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Requisitioned FV DOX (RN 35 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Plymouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Requisitioned FV GLOAMING (RN 21 grt)* was sunk by mining in the vicinity of Burcom Shoal off the Humber.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Naval drifter SOIZIC (RN 72 grt)* was lost to unspecified causes
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tug SIR BEVOIS (UK 338 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Plymouth. 9 crew were lost from a complement of 14.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CIESZYN (Po 1386 grt)* was sunk by the LW 3 miles from Manacle Point. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*FV JOAN MARGARET (UK 25 grt)* was lost on a mine in the vicinity of Cleeness Lightfloat, River Humber with the loss of 5 crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*FV BIANCA (UK 174 grt)* was sunk in the Irish Sea when she picked up a German aerial torpedo or bomb in her nets. Five crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Hulk MACKAY BENNETT was sunk by Gthe LW at Plymouth, however the vessel was refloated on 26 July and docked on 28 July for repairs.

Tug ELAN II was sunk by the LW at Plymouth, but she was refloated about 1 October 1941.

Tug CHARLIGHT was damaged by near misses off Le Bas Wharf, Milwall.

British steamer MARI II was damaged by the LW near Plymouth. The ship was sunk, however she was refloated on 27 June and repaired at Plymouth.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-97

At Sea 20 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Submarine STURGEON unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Obrestad. The postwar claim she sank Norwegian tanker DRAFN whilst under German control off Stadlandet is incorrect.

*Northern Waters*
CA SUFFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow after completing repairs from her April 1940 bombing. One turbine was still defective, but this was rectified and she underwent full power basin trial on the 26th.

*West Coast*
OB.300 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ACHATES and BOREAS, corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, and PICOTEE, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. The escort, less the DDs, was detached on the 25th. The DDs were detached on the 26th when the convoy was dispersed.

*Channel*
DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE laid minefield GU in the English Channel. 

*Med/Biscay*
RHN submarine TRITON made unsuccessful attacks on a steamer and a TB off Valona. This was possibly German steamer BRUMMER and TB ALTAIR.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.26 departed Halifax, escort AMC WORCESTERSHIRE, submarine PORPOISE, and escort ship COBALT. The escort ship was detached later on the 20th, the submarine on the 29th, and the AMC on 3 April. On 3 April, DDs VETERAN and WOLVERINE joined the convoy. On 4 April, DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, and VIVIEN and corvette CONVOLULUS joined. This group, which joined on 4 April, was detached on 5 April and DD HAVELOCK and sloop SCARBOROUGH joined on 5 April. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 April.

*Central Atlantic*
British tanker SAN CASIMIRO and Norwegian tanker BIANCA, captured by DKM BC GNEISENAU on the 15th, were sighted by Aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL aircraft. The tankers were scuttled by the German prize crews when approached by BC RENOWN.

U-106 attacked the shadow of a merchant ship with a spread of two stern torpedoes in bad light from the port side of the convoy SL-68 about 250 miles WNW of the Cape Verde Islands. U-106 detected hits on her hydrophones after 2 minutes 37 seconds and 3 minutes 35 seconds. One torpedo damaged the BB MALAYA and the other the Dutch MV MEERKERK. The MEERKERK was only slightly damaged by the torpedo and returned to Freetown under own power. She left Freetown in late April 1941 with the survivors of ALMKERK on board, which had been sunk on 16 March by U-106 and arrived in Oban on 3 May

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.22 departed Bombay, escort AMC ANTENOR. The escort was detached on the 26th. On 31 March, sloops AUCKLAND and RIN INDUS joined. Sloop FLAMINGO joined on 1 April and CL CAPETOWN and DD KINGSTON on 2 April. CL CAPETOWN and DD KINGSTON were detached on 3 April, FLAMINGO and INDUSon 4 April, and AUCKLAND on 7 April when the convoy arrived at Suez

*Pacific/Australia*
USN CAs CHICAGO and PORTLAND and DDs CLARK, CONYNGHAM, REID, CASSIN, and DOWNES arrived at Sydney, Australia on a three day goodwill visit. They departed on the 23rd and arrived at Brisbane on the 25th. Departing on the 28th, they arrived at Suva, Fiji, on 1 April. The American force departed Suva on the 3rd and arrived back at Pearl Harbour on 10 April

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 20, 2016)

*March 21 Friday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Lustre : The Danish tanker “_Marie Maersk_” from convoy AN.21 was damaged by two Ju 88s from LG 1 and towed to Piraeus (later sunk there in April by He-111s). Lt. C. G. Hill, RANR, of HMAS “_Warehen_”, boarded the bombed and burning Danish tanker, after the vessel had been abandoned by her crew north of Crete. Hill directed a party of sailors from the destroyer in extinguishing the fires and steamed the tanker to Suda Bay, despite the presence of enemy aircraft. Lt. Hill was awarded the OBE for outstanding courage and leadership.

With failure of the Italian offensive on the Italo-Greek Front, Mussolini departs Albania for Rome.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The Siege of Giarabub ended in Allied victory. After laying siege to the Italian garrison at Giarabub in southeastern Libya for the past three months, Australian forces finally gathered enough strength to begin a large scale assault. The Australians used many hand-grenades clearing dugouts and soon ran out. Some of the Australians had apparently been ordered to take no prisoners and were reluctant to advance, when it became clear that few Italians intended not to fight on. The Australians were ordered to encourage the Italians to surrender and by 0726 hours, the 2/9th Battalion had occupied the first four knolls. At 1125 hours, the 2/9th Battalion advanced into the town and found the mosque intact. By midday the Australians had entered the fort and ended the siege. After just 2 days the Australians withdrew from Giarabub, because of the Italo-German advance on El-Agheila.

Nigerian Brigade of British 11th African Division attacked Italian defenses at Marda Pass east of Hadew in eastern Abyssinia at 1200 hours. Italian defenses held off the attacks for hours before falling back after sundown.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” were detected by aircraft of the British Coastal Command. They were met by friendly aircraft at 1900 hours, escorting them as they headed for Brest, France.

German submarine U-105 attacked Allied convoy SL-68 500 miles west of Cap Blanc, French West Africa at 0046 hours, sinking British ships “_Clan Ogilvy_” (61 killed, 24 survived) and “_Benwyvis_” (34 killed, 21 survived). At 2200 hours, U-105 attacked the same convoy again, sinking British ship “_Jhelum_” (8 killed, 49 survivors). The survivors landed in French West Africa and were taken as prisoners of war by Vichy French authorities.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * The cargo ship “_Halo_” struck a mine and sank in the River Thames at Beckton, London with the loss of four crew. She was later refloated and beached at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

168 German aircraft attacked British shipping off various ports in England. Minesweeping trawler HMT “_Asama_” was sunk near Plymouth. The cargo ship “_London II_” was bombed and damaged in the Bristol Channel by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of four of her eighteen crew. She sank 6 nautical miles (11 km) south of Mumbles Head, Glamorgan. “_London II_” was on a voyage from Manchester, Lancashire to Cardiff, Glamorgan. The coaster “_Millisle_” was bombed and sunk in the Bristol Channel 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) off the Helwick Lightship by Luftwaffe aircraft with the loss of ten crew. She was on a voyage from Cardiff to Cork.

*NORTH AMERICA:* George Murray was named the commanding officer of USS “_Enterprise_”.

“_Tatsuta Maru_” departed San Francisco, California, United States. Among the passengers was German Army General Werner Thiel.

*GERMANY: *Hungarian Foreign Minister László Bárdossy met with Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop in Munich to discuss the Balkan situation.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 66 aircraft to attack U-boat base at Lorient overnight.

*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army captures Shangchichia.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 21, 2016)

Havent said it in while Chris, but amazing pics, and the text aint half bad either

Reactions: Like Like:
1 | Like List reactions


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## parsifal (Mar 21, 2016)

*21 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS DAHLIA (K 59)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS FLUELLEN (T157)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MSW MMS-1
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer LONDON II (UK 1260grt)* was sunk by the LW. Four crew were lost on the steamer. The steamer was abandoned on fire and sank six miles off Mumbles Head (in the Bristol Channel).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MILLISLE (UK 617 grt)* enroute from Cardiff to Cork with a full load of coal was sunk by the LW two miles east of Helwick in the , Bristol Channel, with the loss of 9 crew and one gunner.





U.105 made attacks on convoy SL.68.

*Steamer CLAN OGILVY (UK 5802 grt)* was sunk whilst enroute from Chittagong to Glasgow via Freetown, with a complement of 82 and a mixed cargo including pig iron, nuts and tea. At 0046 hrs, U-105 attacked convoy SL-68 182 miles 350° from St. Antonio Island, Cape Verde Islands and sank the CLAN OGILVY and BENWYVIS. 61 crew were lost or killed. There were 21 survivors that were picked up by Spanish steamer CABO VILLANO and British steamer KING EDGAR, and and landed at Santos.





*Steamer BENWYVIS (UK 5920 grt)* was sunk whilst enroute from Rangoon to Liverpool via Durban and Freetown, with a complement of 55. She was transporting 3500 tons of rice, 500 tons of lead, 1100 tons of timber and 150 tons of wolfram. She was sunk at the same time in the same circumstances as the CLAN OGILVY. There were 21 survivors, picked up by the KING EDGAR and landed at Freetown. Thirty three crew and one gunner were lost from steamer BENWYVIS. A cadet, sole survivor of 34 men in a boat, was picked up by French steamer VILLE DE ROUEN (5083grt) and landed at Madagascar after being in the lifeboat for twenty eight days.





*Steamer JHELUM (UK 4038 grt)* was sunk by U-105 of the West African Coast. She was sunk whilst enroute from Izmir (Turkey) to Oban via Capetown and Freetown, with a crew of 57. She was transporting a mixed cargo when lost including including 1400 tons of borax and 1553 tons of figs when lost. At 2159 hrs the JHELUM was hit and sunk about 500 miles west of Cabo Blanco, French West Africa. Eight crew members were lost. The master, 47 crew members and one gunner landed at St. Louis, Senegal and were interned by the Vichy French authorities. It is not known when and how many were repatriated





*UBOATS*
At Sea 21 March 1941
U-37, U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer HALO was damaged on a mine in the Thames, with the loss of 4 crew. The steamer did sink however the vessel was raised and repaired at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

*Northern Patrol*
AMC DERBYSHIRE departed the Clyde carrying troops to Reykjavik. On the 22nd, DDs TARTAR and GURKHA departed Scapa Flow to meet her 19 miles 270° from Cape Wrath and escort her to 17W. The DDs then detached and carried out an ASW search before returning to Scapa Flow.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at noon to meet convoy WN.1 in the Pentland Firth and cover it until dark. The ship then covered convoy EN.89. At noon on the 22nd, CURACOA then transferred to convoy WN.2. On the 23rd, the ship then covered convoy EN.90. On the 24th, ship CURACOA parted company with convoy EN.90 in Pentland Firth and returned to Scapa Flow arriving in the late morning.

*SW Approaches*
CVE ARGUS, CL SHEFFIELD, depot ship MAIDSTONE, and troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH escort RAN DDs NAPIER and NIZAM, departed the Clyde for Gibraltar. The ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th.

*Channel*
RN MSW trawler ASAMA was sunk by the LW at Plymouth. The trawler was beached at Torpoint. She was raised and repaired

*Med/Biscay*
CV ARK ROYAL in the Bay of Biscay lost an aircraft in an operational accident, when a Swordfish of the 818 Sqn with A/Sub Lt (A) P. E. Opdall, P/T/Sub Lt (A) C. R. Hearn RNVR, and Leading Airman B. C. Biggs crashed on taking off. The depth charges carried by the a/c exploded under the ship, but did not causing some damage to the hull The crew of the aircraft were lost.

Convoy AS.21 of three Greek ships departed Piraeus escort corvette SALVIA and RHN DD VASILEVS GEORGIOS I and one other Greek DD. The convoy was attacked in the Aegean SE of Gavdo Island by 17 Ju-88 from I and II LG/1 based in Nth Africa, which had been tasked to interrupt the flow of supplies to Greece and Crete. *Steamer EMBIRICOS NICOLAOS (Gk 3798 grt)* was sunk by the LW from this convoy, with the loss of 2 crew.





*Tkr SOLHEIM (Nor 8070 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW from this convoy as well, with the loss of 1 crew member. The tanker was abandoned on the 23rd and sank sometime during the night of 23/24 March.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The survivors from both ships were picked up by the second Greek destroyer which took them back to Piraeus. The convoy arrived at Alexandria late on the 24th.

Convoy ASF.21 of British BRECONSHIRE, CHAKLA, and two other British ships, three Greek, and two other steamers departed Piraeus late on the 21st escorted by RAN DD VOYAGER and RN DD WRYNECK. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd.

*Nth Atlantic*
U-69 was depth charged for several hours by two convoy escorts from an inbound convoy from Halifax

HX.116 departed Halifax, escort AMC AUSONIA. BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN was with the convoy from 23 to 31 March. The AMC r was detached on 4 April. On 4 April, DDs AMBUSCADE, BULLDOG, and VANQUISHER and corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, HEARTSEASE, and PIMPERNEL, and ASW trawler ST APOLLO reinforced the convoy .WINCHELSEA joined on 5 April and DD WHITEHALL and corvette ORCHIS joined on 6 April. Corvette ORCHIS was detached on 7 April. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 9 April.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DD KINGSTON departed Port Sudan escorting steamer RATNAGIRI with 300 Free French troops for Mersa Taclai, arriving on the 22nd.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 22, 2016)

parsifal said:


> Havent said it in while Chris, but amazing pics, and the text aint half bad either



You're not doing so bad yourself. Giving depth to some of what I'm posting.


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## Njaco (Mar 22, 2016)

*March 22 Saturday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Over Malta, ten Ju 88s with an escort of twelve Bf 109s are bounced by eight Hurricanes from RAF No 261 Squadron. Seven of the British fighters are shot down including two for Oblt. Mietusch of 7./JG 26.

Operation Lustre : Convoy AS.21 en route between Piraeus, Greece and Alexandria, Egypt was again attacked by Axis aircraft. Three S.79s and two S.79 Sil. (silurante=torpedo) bombers along with German Ju 88 aircraft of III./KG 30 attacked the Allied convoy near Kupho Island. One of the torpedo bombers hit and sunk one ship, the Greek ship “_Embiricos Nicolaos_” (3,798 tons - 2 killed) and damaging Norwegian tanker “_Solheim_” (8,070 tons - 1 killed). Survivors were rescued by a Royal Hellenic Navy destroyer.

New Zealand 6th Infantry Brigade arrived at Athens by sea from Egypt.

An Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats “_Procione_”, “_Orione_”, and “_Orsa_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Britain agreed to allow American ships to deliver emergency flour to Vichy France. Two American ships deliver grain after they are allowed to pass through British blockade

Vichy French President Philippe Pétain signed a bill to construct a trans-Saharan railway, which was to be built by prisoners of war and Jews.

German battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” were met by friendly destroyers at 0300 hours as they approached Brest, France. They docked shortly after 0700 hours, ending Operation Berlin. As well as dispersing convoys they found, the battlecruisers have sunk a total to 22 ships of 115,600 tons. Considerable disruption to the British convoy system has been caused.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” stopped empty British tanker “_Agnita_” with shellfire in the Mid-Atlantic about halfway between Brazil and British West Africa. After capturing the crew, the Germans sank “_Agnita_” with demolition charges, nine 105mm shells, and one torpedo.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * The first production Beaufighter IIF fighter (R2270) with 1,280 hp Merlin XX engines was completed.

Edward Heath, the future British Prime Minister (1970-1974), was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

*NORTH AFRICA: *British and Indian troops continued to hold Fort Dologorodoc in Eritrea, Italian East Africa despite repeated Italian counterattacks and shelling. Elsewhere, in Abyssinia, Italian troops declared Harar an open city. British troops overran the Italians in Babille Pass.

*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army attacking around Shangkao.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 22, 2016)

*22 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc U-126




24 ships sunk, total tonnage 111,564 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 450 tons (lost aboard transport ships)
5 ships damaged, total tonnage 37,501 GRT
2 ships a total loss, total tonnage 14,173 GRT

Sunk on 3 July 1943 in the Nth Atlantic NW of Cape Ortegal, Spain, , by depth charges from a Coastal Command Wellington of 172 Sqn RAF). 55 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIc U-201





U-123 und U-201 at Lorient, 8 June 1941
9 ships sunk, total tonnage 34,615 GRT
4 ships damaged, total tonnage 35,427 GRT

Sunk at 0030hrs on 2 June 1943 in the Nth Atlantic SE of Cape Farewell, by depth charges and gunfire from the British sloop HMS STARLING. 18 dead and 30 survivors.

Allied
HDML 1028, MSW MM=15
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Tkr AGNITA (UK 3552 grt) *was sunk by DKM raider KORMORAN of the Azores, whilst enropute from from Freetown to Caripito (a port in Venezuela) in ballast. The entire crew was taken prisoner.





*Steamer ST FINTAN (UK 495 grt)* was sunk by the LW seven miles NNW of Smalls. The crew of nine were all lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-20

Departures
Lorient; U-52

At Sea 22 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*West Coast*
DD BELMONT, which departed Liverpool on the 21st, was damaged in a collision with an unknown steamer fifteen miles northwest of Chicken Rock, the Isle of Man. The DD was repaired at Liverpool completing on 24 July.

*Western Approaches*
U-48 was depth charged and suffered damage as a result by RN DDs. 

*Channel*
During the night of 22/23 March, DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE, escorted by DDs FERNIE, TYNEDALE, and CLEVELAND, laid minefield GN in theEnglish Channel.

Norwegian steamer INGER was damaged by the LW ten miles south of Smalls. The steamer arrived at Plymouth on the 23rd.

British steamer DASHWOOD was damaged by the LW in Barrow Deep.

DKM BCs GNEISENAU and SCHARNHORST were met at sea by TBs ILTIS and JAGUAR on the 22nd. They arrived in Brest after sinking 22 ships of 115,662grt in the North and Central Atlantic.





_BC SCHARNHORST at Brest after her arrival March 22_

DDs KELLY, KIPLING, KASHMIR, and JACKAL, en route from Londonderry to Gibraltar, to escort damaged BB MALAYA, were ordered to the area of Brest in an attempt to intercept the DKM BCs heading for the French Port. No contact was made and the DDs returned to Plymouth.

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy AN.22 of eight British and one Greek ship departed Alexandria escort RAN DD VENDETTA and sloop GRIMSBY. CLA COVENTRY and DD HEREWARD joined the escort on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 25th.

DDs FEARLESS, FORESTER, VELOX, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to escort CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN to Gibraltar, where they arrived on the 24th.

RM BB VENETO was transferred from Spezia to Naples.

Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Malta to embark mines for an operation NW of Sicily. The submarine departed Malta that evening on the operation.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
*Tug CHABOOL (UK 58 grt)* departed Aden on the 15th for Berbera, but never arrived. The tug was presumed to be sunk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 22, 2016)

*March 23 Sunday*
*NORTH AFRICA:* Australian troops captured Giarabub in southeastern Libya. The commander of the Italian garrison, Lieutenant Colonel Castagna, was captured and would spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war in India.

South African 2nd Division arrived in the recently recaptured Berbera, British Somaliland by sea. In Abyssinia, Nigerian Brigade of British 11th African Division advanced 36 miles toward Addis Ababa to Babile Pass, where they were paused for several hours by Italian defensive positions.

German vessel “_Oder_” and Italian vessel “_India_” departed Massawa and attempted to escape to Indian Ocean.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* A total of 59,141 tons of British shipping was lost the previous week, primarily in the North Atlantic where German U-Boats were marauding at will. German submarine U-110 fired a spread of three torpedoes at Norwegian ship “_Siremalm_” 200 miles southwest of Iceland at 0427 hours. One torpedo hit but failed to explode, while the other two missed. U-110 next attempted to attack with her deck gun, but a crewman had forgotten to remove the water plug from the gun, causing it to explode, wounding three men and causing some damage.

British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Visenda_” sank German submarine U-551 in the North Atlantic, killing the entire crew of 45.

German submarine U-97 sank British tanker “_Chama_” 600 miles west of Land's End, England, at 2326 hours, killing the entire crew of 59.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats “_Circe_”, “_Clio_”, “_Castore_”, “_Calliope_”, “_Centauro_”, and “_Pegaso_”. Greek submarine “_Triton_” attacked the Italian convoy 20 miles east of Brindisi, Italy. The transport “_Carnia_” was damaged. She would be towed to Brindisi where she intended to receive repairs, but she would ultimately be lost.

Heavy Luftwaffe raids on Malta. Ju 87 Stukas with fighter escort carried out the raid on Malta as 13 Stukas were shot down (2 RAF fighters were lost in air combat). A small British relief convoy reached Malta, but two of the ships were bombed by German planes while unloading. The quantity of supplies actually delivered to the Island’s defenders was meager. Following the heavy raids, British HQ decides to withdraw RAF bomber squadrons from the island.

*GERMANY:* Erwin Rommel departed Europe for Libya.

RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft to attack Berlin, 31 aircraft to attack Kiel and 26 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Anti-Axis demonstrations were held in Yugoslavia.

*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army attacking around Shangkao.

.


----------



## Njaco (Mar 23, 2016)

*March 24 Monday*

*NORTH AFRICA:* Rommel, returned to Libya after a series of meetings in Germany and Italy, launched his attack on the British, starting at Marsa-el-Brega at 0600 hours and continuing out towards Tobruk. Australian troops on the front line destroyed a leading German armored car, but they were soon overwhelmed by German tanks. El Agheila (the furthest point of the British advance against the Italians) was recaptured from the British by Rommel's forces. British 2nd Armored Division fell back 30 miles to Marsa Brega. General O'Connor and his experienced desert troops have been withdrawn to Greece and General Neame has been left to hold Libya with the under strength and inexperienced 2nd Armored Division, 9th Australian Division and an Indian Brigade. The tanks available are mostly old and more or less worn out. Collectively the Allied units have neither the desert experience of O'Connor's veterans nor the professionalism of Rommel's troops. Rommel has one German division, 5th Light, with a strong tank component and parts of four Italian divisions. Rommel has been forbidden to attack by the German High Command and has been told that he will receive no extra forces. The Luftwaffe supports his attack with air strikes on Benghazi.

German and Italian ships continued to leave Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa ahead of Allied advances, while Allied warships attempted to intercept them. British sloop HMS “_Shoreham_” intercepted German ship “_Oder_”, which was scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture. British Royal Navy aircraft detected Italian freighter “_India_”; to prevent capture by British warships that were sure to come, the crew entered the port of Assab nearby.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-97 sank Norwegian ship “_Hørda_” 750 miles west of Land's End, England, at 1643 hours, killing the entire crew of 30.

Italian submarine “_Veniero_” sank British ship “_Agnete Maersk_” in the Atlantic Ocean, killing the entire crew.

German submarine U-106 sank British ship “_Eastlea_” 40 miles east of Boa Vista, Cape Verde Islands, killing the entire crew of 37.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* It was announced that the Soviet Union had given Turkey an assurance that the USSR would stay neutral if Turkey found herself in conflict with a third power.

*GERMANY:* The RAF conducted its first bombing raid on Berlin, Germany for the year.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian 11th Army conducts final unsuccessful attack against Greek Epirus Army northwest of Klisura.

At Malta, Convoy MW 6 arrives from Egypt without being sighted by enemy forces.

*WESTERN FRONT:* German troops on parade in the city of Cherbourg have their show spoiled when British bombers hit the parade ground in the middle of the event.

.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 24, 2016)

*23 MARCH 1941
Losses*
U.97 sank *tkr CHAMA (UK 8077grt)* whilst she was on passage to New York in the SW Approaches. The entire crew of 59 from the tkr were lost. At 2326 hrs the CHAMA, a straggler from OG-56, was torpedoed and sunk by U-97 WSW of Fastnet.





*Trawler ELMIRA (UK 197 grt)* was sunk by LW attacks in the Western Approaches. There was just one survivor and 10 other crew lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

NZ manned CL LEANDER captured *steamer CHARLES L. D. (Vichy 5267 grt) *between Mauritius and Madagascar. The steamer was taken to Mauritius.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 23 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124, U-551

11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML TEVIOTBANK, escort patrol sloop KITTIWAKE and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE, laid minefield BS.52 off the east coast.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON, CL NIGERIA, and DDs BOADICEA, ACTIVE, and ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow. BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECHO, ELECTRA, and ESKIMO separately arrived at Scapa Flow.

DDs ARROW and ECLIPSE, which called at Lough Foyle to refuel, arrived at Scapa Flow later at 1145 and 1900, respectively.

CLA DIDO arrived at Scapa Flow after repairs and stiffening. DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to clean boilers. The DD arrived on the 24th.

DDs LIDDESDALE, AVON VALE, and QUANTOCK departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to meet battleship PRINCE OF WALES during her passage to the Pentland Firth for trials.

*West Coast*
OB.301 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BURWELL, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes ARABIS and MALLOW, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE. The corvettes were detached on the 26th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 27th.


DD RICHMOND, which departed Londonderry on the 23rd for Liverpool, was grounded off Benbena Head at Holyhead. She was temporarily repaired at Holyhead to 28 March. She was then taken to Southampton for repairs completed 28 May.

DD LEWES was damaged by the near miss by LW a/c. The DD spent no time out of service.

The pilot of a Gladiator of 759 Sqn was killed when the a/c crashed landed east of Camelford (in Cornwall while returning from gunnery practices.

*Western Approaches*
British trawler SAMURAI was damaged by the LW 30 miles NNW of St Kilda.

*SW Approaches*
CL KENYA joined convoy HG.56 for support.

*Med/Biscay*
Italian steamers CARNIA, ANNA CAPANO, VESTA, and MONSTELLA departed Bari for Durazzo on the 22nd escorted by TB CASTELFIDARO. Greek sub TRITON damaged steamer CARNIA, thirty miles NE of Brindisi. The submarine unsuccessfully attacked ANNA CAPANO.

A Fulmar of 806 Sqn from CAG taken from CV ILLUSTRIOUS, and flying into Maleme, crashed on landing. The crew were uninjured.

*Nth Atlantic*
U.110 damaged Norwegian steamer SIREMALM in the Nth Atlantic. The 105mm deck gun of U-110 burst, killing 3 men.

*Central Atlantic*
SL.69 departed Freetown escorted by AMC ARAWA to 14 April, CL MAURITIUS to 5 April, corvettes CLEMATIS and CYCLAMEN to 29 March, and FNFL sloop COMMANDANT DOMINE to 14 April. BC REPULSE was with the convoy on 27 to 30 March. AMC BULOLO was with the convoy on 28 and 29 March. REPULSE was joined by CVL FURIOUS and DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND on the 27th. CL EDINBURGH, which departed Gibraltar on 2 April, escorted the convoy from 5 to 14 April. On 14 April, DDs ROXBOROUGH and SHERWOOD, sloop WESTON, and corvettes CLARKIA and GLADIOLUS joined the convoy. On 15 April, DDs SALADIN and SALISBURY joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 16 April. rials.

*Pacific/Australia*
Italian sloop ERITREA and AMC RAMB II arrived at Kobe.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Mar 24, 2016)

*24 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Unspecified class MSW MMS-9
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*ASW yacht WILNA (RN 461grt)* was abandoned after damage from German bombing at Portsmouth. There were no casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM sub VENIERO sank *steamer AGNETE MAERSK (UK 2104 grt)*. AGNETE MAERSK was a Danish Cargo Steamer built in 1921 by Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun for Nord-Psterso red. as the AABENRAA. In 1924 she was acquired by A.P.Moller, Copenhagen and renamed AGNETE MAERSK SS. Put into Foynes 10 April 1940 and surrendered herself to UK control in Irish Sea off Dublin on 11 Feb 1941. In 1941 she was acquired by the Min. of Shipping, UK (Mark Whitwill & Co.), Belfast. There was no name change and the original crew remained on the ship. On the 24th March 1941 she was torpedoed by Italian sub VENIERO in the Nth Atlantic when on passage from Ardrossan for St.John NB in ballast. The ship was at that time from dispersed convoy OG.56. The entire crew was lost from the steamer.






U.97 sank *steamer HORDA (Nor 4301 grt)* in the SW Approaches. The ship was part of dispersed convoy OG 56, with a crew of 30, enroute empty from Liverpool to Halifax.. OG-56 a Gibraltar bound convoy (arrived there on Apr. 2), but HORDA was bound for Halifax, and had parted company with the convoy on March 20 in order to proceed to that destination. However, she did not make it to Halifax. On March 24, she was torpedoed and sunk by U-97 (Heilmann), with all 30 on board died.

"Nortraships flate" states that she had departed Liverpool in a westbound convoy that had been directed far to the south because a section of it was to head for Gibraltar, adding that the convoy was dispersed at 2000 hrs on March 23, which was also the last known position of HORDA.






U-106 sank *steamer EASTLEA (UK 4267 grt)* off the coast of West Africa. The vessel was on a voyage from Famagusta, Cyprus to Newport News via Table Bay , Freetown - St.Vincent, and Cape Verde, carrying Cotton Seed. She had a crew of 37 at the time of her loss. It wasn’t until 30 March 1941 that the the EASTLEA was reported missing in the Nth Atlantic. The master, 33 crew members and three gunners were lost.

According to the log of U-106 at 2258 hrs on 24 March, the U-boat had observed one hit amidships on a steamer running north from a distance of 600 yards. The ship broke her back and sank within ten minutes about 130 miles WNW of San Antonia, Cape Verde Islands.

For some time the vessel concerned was thought to have been the Brazilian steam merchant SANTA CLARA (2512 tons), but this ship radioed an SOS message on 14 March from following an explosion places her well outside the operating area of U-106. The ship actually hit and sunk was more likely the EASTLEA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Type VIIc U.551 (DKM 769 grt)* was sunk by ASW trawler VISENDA, operating with the Northern Patrol, south of Iceland. There were no survivors from the crew of forty five from the submarine.






*Steamer NURAGHE (FI 633 grt)* was lost through lost in a marine accident off Capo Pali, Valona.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-101

At Sea 24 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

11 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
CinC Home Flt hoisted his flag on the BB NELSON. BB RODNEY departed convoy HX.114 and proceeded to Hvalfjord for refueling. DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla escorted the battleship to Hvalfjord, arriving on the 24th.

*West Coast*
OB.302 departed Liverpool, escort DDs READING, SABRE, and VENOMOUS, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN. The convoy dispersed on the 29th.

WS.7 departed the Clyde with (mostly) troop ships and fast transports DUCHESS OF YORK, VICEROY OF INDIA, ANDES, GEORGIC, STIRLING CASTLE, DENBIGHSHIRE, JOHN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT, DEMPO, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, ORION, STRATHALLAN, OTRANTO, EMPRESS OF CANADA, STRATHEDEN, PASTEUR, WARWICK CASTLE, STRATHNAVER, STRATHMORE, STRATHAIRD, GLENORCHY, and ORCADES. STRATHAIRD collided with STIRLING CASTLE and returned to the Clyde. Steamer GEORGIC was detached to Halifax. The convoy was escorted by DDs WINCHELSEA, VICEROY, ROCKINGHAM, and LEOPARD on 25 and 26 March. DDs LEGION and PIORUN escorted the convoy from 24 to 26 March. DD BROADWATER escorted the convoy from 24 to 27 March. CL EDINBURGH and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA escorted the convoy from 24 March. The DDs were detached on the 28th and the CL on the 29th. DD ST CLAIR escorted the convoy from 25 to 27 March. BB REVENGE escorted the convoy from 24 to 28 March. When detached, she took liner GEORGIC to Halifax. CLA CAIRO was with the convoy for AA protection on 25 and 26 March.

BB NELSON and DDs ARROW, ECLIPSE, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow on the 24th to join the convoy south of Oversay Light at noon on the 25th and escort it to Freetown. BB NELSON escorted the convoy from 25 March to 4 April.

The DDs were detached at the limit of their endurance on the 27th. The DDs carried out an ASW sweep nth and sth of Rockall returning to Scapa Flow. DDs ARROW and ECLIPSE refueled at Londonderry on the 29th en route to Scapa Flow. The DDs departed Londonderry on the 30th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 31st.

DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, MASHONA, and ESKIMO arrived separately back at Scapa Flow on the 31st.

On 1 April, DDs DUNCAN and FOXHOUND joined the convoy and DDs WISHART and VIDETTE joined the convoy on 2 April. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 4 April with the four DDs. The convoy departed Freetown on 7 April escorted by BB NELSON and DDs FOXHOUND, DUNCAN, VIDETTE, and WISHART.

DDs FOXHOUND and DUNCAN were detached on 8 April. DDs VIDETTE and WISHART were detached on 9 April. BB NELSON remained with the convoy until 15 April when she was relieved by CL NEWCASTLE.

Steamers DUCHESS OF YORK, STRATHMORE, STRATHEDEN, ORION, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, ANDES, STRATHALLAN, EMPRESS OF CANADA, ORCADES, PASTEUR, and DEMPO of the convoy arrived at Capetown on 16 April. The Durban section of steamers VICEROY OF INDIA, WARWICK CASTLE, STIRLING CASTLE, JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEDVELDT, DENBIGHSHIRE, STRATHNAVER, OTRANTO, OTRONTES, and GLENORCHY continued escorted by light cruiser NEWCASTLE and they arrived on 19 April. CL NEWCASTLE proceeded to Simonstown. Steamer DEMPO proceeded to Durban from Capetown independently arriving on 20 April.

On 20 April, the other Capetown ships sailed escorted by CA HAWKINS. The Durban ships sailed on 23 April escorted by AMC CARTHAGE. The two groups rendezvoused on 24 April and the AMC was detached. CL GLASGOW and COLOMBO departed Mombasa and relieved heavy cruiser HAWKINS on 28 April..

At about this time and location, DUCHESS OF YORK, WARWICK CASTLE, STRATHMORE, and JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT was detached with CLA COLOMBO as WS.7X. They arrived at Bombay on 5 May.

The balance of WS.7 was dispersed on 3 May and the ships arrived independently at Suez on 6 May.

*SW Approaches*
DD MANSFIELD suffered a complete engine room failure. The DD was towed by destroyer SALISBURY to port. The DD returned to service in ten days.

CV ARK ROYAL and BC RENOWN departed Gibraltar, escort DDs FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FORESTER, to intercept DKM BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU should they attempt to leave Brest. FORTUNE and FORESIGHT were detached on the 25th and FORESTER was detached on the 26th. The carrier and BC were joined on the 31st, by DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, and FORTUNE, which departed Gibraltar on the 29th, and Force H arrived back at Gibraltar on 1 April.

HG.57 departed Gibraltar escort sloop ROCHESTER, DD WRESTLER, corvettes LA MALOUINE and VERBENA, and RNeN sub O.23. DD WRESTLER was detached on the 27th to join DD VELOX to escort CL SHEFFIELD, RAN DDs NAPIER and NIZAM, CVE ARGUS, submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE, and troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH en route to Gibraltar. Captured Vichy ships CHANTILLY, OCTANE, and CANTAL were in this convoy. Also in the convoy was troopship EMPIRE TROOPER, which was ordered to return to Gibraltar because she was carrying too many passengers. The submarine was detached on 3 April. CL NIGERIA joined the convoy on 3 April and continued with it until 9 April. On 4 April, corvette LA MALOUINE was detached. On 6 April, DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, ROXBOROUGH, and SALISBURY, corvette ABELIA, and ASWs ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA joined the escort. These ships were all detached on 9 April. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 April escorted by sloop ROCHESTER and VERBENA.

*Channel*
ML ABDIEL, escort DDs KIPLING and KASHMIR, laid minefield GV in the English Channel.

*Med/Biscay*
Armed boarding vessel ST DAY was in a collision with Spanish steamer GAYARRE in the Straits of Gibraltar. The boarding vessel returned to Gibraltar. Submarine URSULA unsuccessfully attacked a convoy off Cape Bon.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BN.21 departed Aden, escorted by sloop FLAMINGO. CLA CAPETOWN joined on the 25th. Both escorts were detached on the 27th and the convoy arrived at Suez on the 31st.

BS.21 departed Suez, escort CL CALEDON. The CL was detached when CL CAPETOWN and sloop FLAMINGO joined on the 29th. CAPETOWN was detached on the 30th and sloop SHOREHAM joined. RIN Sloop HINDUSTAN joined on the 31st. The convoy was dispersed on 1 April.

Sloop SHOREHAM intercepted *steamer ODER (Ger 8516 grt)* which had departed Massawa on the 23rd. The steamer scuttled herself in the Red Sea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Italian steamer INDIA, which departed Massawa at the same time, arrived at Assab. 

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Mar 24, 2016)

*25 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fighter Control Ship (later CAM shipps) Vessel HMS ARAGUANI (F105)





Dido Class CLA HERMIONE





Mk I LCT HMS LCT-25 & 26





_LCT Mk 3 (Mk 1 very similar)_

Fairmile B MLs 145 and 188
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer ROSSMORE (UK 627 grt)* was sunk by the LW 12 miles NE of Godrevy Island. (west of Cornwall). Six crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BEAVERBRAE (UK 995 6grt)* was sunk by the LW in the NW approaches. She was enroute fromLiverpool to Halifax whern lost, carrying general cargo and mail. The entire crew of 86 were rescued by DDs TARTAR and GURKHA. 15 days after her loss her sister ship BEAVERDALE was lost as well.





Returning to Scapa Flow, DD GURKHA was involved in a collision with an unknown wooden drifter in Pentland Firth. The drifter sank with no survivors. The destroyer's bow was badly damaged. DDs TARTAR and GURKHA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 26th. GURKHA departed Scapa Flow for repairs at Rosyth on the 29th.

FV ALASKAN (UK 21 grt) was sunk by a mine in the Nth Sea. The crew of five were rescued.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer BRITANNIA (UK 8799 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider THOR in the Central Atlantic. Intercepted by THOR 750miles west of Freetown and sunk with loss of 249 of the 492 crew/passenger aboard. The liner put up a brave resistance before sinking, equipped with one single light gun. 

She lowered her boats after an hour but THOR made no attempt to help survivors. The Spanish steamer BACHI picked up one boat with 63 people in it whilst another boat with 38 on board eventually reached Brazil after an amazing 23 days. The steamer departed Liverpool on the 11th, carrying a large draft of officers and ratings en route to the Mediterranean Fleet.





*Steamer TROLLEHOLM (SD 5047 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider THOR in the Central Atlantic. The crew was saved and interned.





*Tkr CANADOLITE (CDN 11,309 grt)* was captured by DKM raider KORMORAN in the Central Atlantic. A prize crew was put aboard and she was taken to Bordeaux with her crew in custody. The ship was pressed into German service as the blockade runner SUDETENLAND before being run down and sunk by HMAS SYDNEY





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-73 

At Sea 25 March1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 1100 and met convoy WN.3 in Pentland Firth. The convoy was escorted to Buchan Ness where the ship transferred to convoy EN.91. The ship then transferred to WN.4 in Pentland Firth and provided cover until dark. CURACOA arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 27th.

*Northern Patrol*

*Northern Waters*
BB PRINCE OF WALES, escorted by DDs QUANTOCK, LIDDESDALE, and AVON VALE arrived at Scapa Flow for acceptance trials and work up exercises.

CLs GALATEA and AURORA departed Scapa Flow to cover the laying of minefield SN.4. DD MENDIP departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth on completion of work up..

RNeN CLA HEEMSKERK departed Scapa Flow after work up for Greenock.

*West Coast*
AMC CIRCASSIA departed the Clyde carrying troops to Iceland, escorted by DD ANTHONY. The DD arrived at Loch Alsh on the 25th.

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*
Dutch steamer ESCAUT was damaged by German bombing twenty four miles southwest of Hartland Point (Cornwall). The steamer was abandoned and drove ashore near Bude. She was refloated and taken to Appledore on 7 September.

*Med/Biscay*
Between 1110 - 1119 hrs, HMS RORQUAL laid a minefield some 5 miles NE of Capo Gallo, Sicily, Italy. The minefield started from a position 041° - Cape Gallo - 3.7 nautical miles, a line 4.5 cables long (300 feet apart) in a direction of 280°. A total of 10 mines were laid in this position. In the morning of 28 March 1941 the *Palestro Class TB GENERALE ANTONIO CHINOTTO (RM 697 tons)*, built 1921, sank in this minefield. She was returning from a night ASW patrol with her consort GIUSEPPE MISSORI, the latter picked up seventy-one survivors, including thirty-one wounded, forty-eight men were killed or missing.






Submarine RORQUAL laid mines off Palermo. Between 0940 - 0956 hours, HMS RORQUAL laid a minefield of 19 mines starting from a position 022° - Asinelli Rock Light - 2.2 nautical miles, a line 9 cables long (300 feet apart) in a direction of 290°. Rorqual then laid her last mines (21 in total) from 1048 to 1103 hrs, starting from a position 308° - Asinelli Rock Light - 1.5 nautical miles, a line 1 mile long (300 feet apart) in a direction 29°. The same day an Italian convoy ran into this minefield losing the *water tankers TICINO (FI 1470 grt)*, built 1924) and *Steamer VERDE (FI 1432 grt)*.




_The Italian VERDE_

At 1622 hrs TICINO hit a mine laid and sank north of Trapani in position 38°06'N, 12°31'E. VERDE rescued her crew and then resumed her course, but at 1725 hrs she also detonated a mine laid and sank in less than one minute. 11 men from TICINO and 23 from VERDE were missing, a total of 52 survivors and 5 corpses were recovered.

*Steamer HELENA (FI 479 grt)* from the same convoy were sunk in this minefield on the 26th.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Convoy AG.8 of supply ship BRECONSHIRE and British steamer CAMERONIA departed Alexandria escorted by DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, and DEFENDER. CLA CARLISLE accompanied this convoy. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 27th.

AS.22 departed Piraeus with seven British ships and two Greek ships escorted by CLA COVENTRY, DDs DECOY and RAN DD WATERHEN, and corvette HYACINTH. DDs DECOY and WATERHEN were detached from the escort on the 27th. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 28th.

Submarine ROVER departed Alexandria to patrol off Burat el Sun, Tripoli.

British troopship WAIMARAMA ran aground en route from Port Said to Alexandria.

Tugs ST ISSEY and ROYSTERER were able to refloat the steamer. However, two to three months repair were require before the steamer was operational again.

British gunboat APHIS and ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA departed Alexandria for the Inshore Squadron escorting cable ship RECORDER to Tobruk.

Late on the 25th, RM DDs CRISPI and SELLA brought explosive motor boats from Leros to Suda Bay for an attack on CA YORK which arrived at Suda Bay after duty covering convoy MW.6.

Norwegian steamer HAV (5062grt) departed Piraeus on the 25th and arrived at Alexandria on the 28th. On the voyage, the steamer was damaged by LW attacks.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 24, 2016)

*March 25 Tuesday*
*NORTH AFRICA:* Battle of Keren: At 0300 hours, British and Indian troops advance along the road through the Dongolaas Gorge, under cover of an artillery barrage on Italian positions in the heights above. By 0530 hours, they capture 2 small hills (the “Railway Bumps”) overlooking the roadblock, taking 500 Italian prisoners. They achieve complete surprise and work starts at 0630 hours on clearing the road which is not guarded by the Italians.

Two Swordfish aircraft squadrons of HMS “_Eagle_” were temporarily transferred to Port Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” sank British liner “_Britannia_” 750 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa. 203 crew and 281 passengers (most of which were British military personnel) took to lifeboats. “_Thor_” began to rescue the survivors, but after taking on only one man, “_Thor_” detected British radio transmissions and fled the area before British warships arrived (which never came). 255 survivors of “_Britannia_” would be lost. Later on the same day, “_Thor_” sank Swedish merchant ship “_Trolleholm_”, capturing the entire crew of 31.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” captured empty Canadian tanker “_Canadolite_” in the Mid-Atlantic about halfway between British West Africa and Brazil. “_Canadolite_” was sent to Brest, France as a prize ship.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian destroyers “_Crispi_” and “_Sella_” departed Leros, Dodecanese Islands in Greece, each carrying three 2-ton motor assault boats loaded with 300-kg explosives. At 2330 hours, the destroyers released the motor boats 10 miles off Suda Bay, Crete, Greece to attack British warships.

Rodolfo Graziani stepped down as the Governor-General of Italian Libya, succeeded by Italo Gariboldi.

On the Ital-Greek Front, Italian 11th Army ceases further offensive operations.

*GERMANY:* Prime Minister Dragisa Cvetkovic of Yugoslavia signed the Tripartite Pact at Vienna, Austria. Hitler has convinced Prince Paul of Yugoslavia with secret protocols that permit Germany use of Yugoslav railways to bring up troops for the attack on Greece while allowing Yugoslavia to remain neutral in the conflict. The decision is deeply unpopular in Yugoslavia and 4 government Ministers have already resigned during the negotiations. Upon hearing of the signing of this document, anti-Axis demonstrations escalated in Belgrade.

The Japanese foreign minister, on a visit to Berlin, announces;


> "The Japanese nation is with you in joy or sorrow...to arrange the world on the basis of the new order."



*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao: Heavy fighting around Shangkao, with much damage to the city, as 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area attempts to encircle Japanese 11th Army. After heavy losses on both sides, Japanese 11th Army cancels attacks on Shangkao and begins withdrawing to the north overnight.

Captain Kiichi Hasegawa was assigned the commanding officer of “_Akagi_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Petre Dumitrescu was named the commanding officer of Romanian 3rd Army.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * Jams and marmalade ration in Britain was reduced to 8 ounces per person per month and meat ration cut to 6 ounces per person per week.

Germany announced its blockade of Britain would extend to within three miles of Greenland.

.


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## Njaco (Mar 25, 2016)

*March 26 Wednesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Hitler orders the immediate transfer of some 600 aircraft from France, Germany and the Mediterranean to General Alois Löhr’s Luftflotte IV airfields in Rumania and Bulgaria to support the invasion of the Balkans. Among the Luftwaffe units who begin preparations for the transfer in the next few weeks are the bombers of KG 2, III./KG 3 and II./KG 26 along with the Stuka dive-bombers of I. and III./StG 2 along with II./StG 2 from El Machina in North Africa. From France and Germany come the fighters of II./ZG 26 led by Hptm. Ralph von Rettberg, I./JG 27 led by Hptm. Eduard Neumann, Stab, I. and III./JG77, I(J)./LG 2 and I(Schlacht)./LG 2, joining II. and III./JG 27 at airfields at Deta and Arad. Major Gotthardt Handrick’s III./JG 51 is held in reserve at Rumania’s Bucharest-Pipera airfield. Those few Luftwaffe units in Sicily, mainly 7./JG 26, give up their attacks on Malta and fly from Sicily to Italy to support the upcoming invasion.

The Raid on Suda Bay: The Italian destroyers “_Crispi_” and “_Sella_” departed from Leros island in the Aegean at night, each one carrying three 2 long tons motor assault boats of the Decima known as Motoscafo da Turismo (MT). Each MT carried a 300 kg (660 lb) explosive charge inside their bow. The MTs were specially equipped to make their way through obstacles such as torpedo nets. The pilot would steer the assault craft on a collision course at his target ship, and then would jump from his boat before impact and warhead detonation. At 2330 hours, the MTs were released by the destroyers 10 mi off Suda. Once inside the bay, the six boats, under the command of Lieutenant Luigi Faggioni, identified their targets. The six MTs crippled Norwegian tanker “_Pericles_” and British cruiser HMS “_York_” (killing 2) in Suda Bay, Crete, Greece at 0446 hours; all six Italian boat drivers survived the attack, but all were captured.

Following faulty reports indicating damage to 2 British battleships by German Heinkel He111 torpedo bombers, Admiral Iachino leads the Italian Fleet on a sortie into the Aegean to disrupt the British convoys to Greece. He has Italian battleship “_Vittorio Veneto_”, 5 cruisers, and 10 destroyers and sortied out of Naples, Taranto, and Brindisi in Italy to patrol the area of the Mediterranean Sea between Egypt and Greece. Germany urges the Italian Navy to attack British convoys to Greece and promises Luftwaffe air cover.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British CIC Middle East, General Wavell, believes German forces are not prepared for a major attack and will wait at El Agheila. Churchill appreciates the danger better and cables Wavell;


> “We are naturally concerned at rapid German advance to El Agheila. It is their habit to push on wherever they are not resisted. I presume you are only waiting for the tortoise to stick his head out far enough before chopping it off”.


 Wavell, however, has no intention of counterattacking.

Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 continue in their support of Rommel’s attack on Marsa-el-Brega.

Operation Canvas. Italian retreat in Ethiopia continues following defeats in the mountain passes. Nigerian Brigade occupies the town of Harar, 20 miles from Babile, without a fight. Indian troops from Berbera, British Somaliland, advance another 100 miles and link up with General Cunningham's forces at Jijiga, Ethiopia, greatly easing supply problems for the push to the capital Addis Ababa.

Battle of Keren: Italian defenders in the hills above the Dongolaas Gorge (distracted by ground assaults and RAF air strikes) are unaware of the road repairs by Allied sappers and miners. By midday, after only 30 hours, 100 yards of craters and large boulders have been repaired and the road through the Gorge is open. Indian 9th Infantry Brigade and 10th Infantry Brigade attacked. Overnight, Italians realize their position has been turned and start withdrawing artillery and troops to Keren, leaving a rearguard behind.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The German Army High Command authorized the RSHA organization to operate death squads (Einsatzgruppen) in occupied Poland.

Anti-Axis demonstrations continued in Yugoslavia.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British conscripts could now opt for civil defense duties.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In a radio broad cast to the American people, US Colonel William Donovan said about the East African campaign,


> "The British have done a superb job, a better job than they have let the world discover".



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Canadian armed yacht HMCS “_Otter_” caught fire and sank off Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, killing 19.

Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” passes through Denmark Strait en route to Germany

*GERMANY:* Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka arrived in Berlin, Germany. He was not met by Joachim von Ribbentrop immediately as his German counterpart was busy with the recent political developments in Yugoslavia.

*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao: Japanese 11th Army withdrawing toward its bases.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 25, 2016)

*26 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S Boat S-104




_"S 104" with Ace of Hearts and Bar - Picture: Archives Ola Erlandsson_

*Losses*
*Canadian armed yacht OTTER (CDN 150 grt (est))* was sunk by an accidental fire off Halifax Lighthouse. Lt A. M. Walker, RCNVR, Chief Skipper A. F. Parker, and seventeen ratings were lost on the yacht. Submarine TALISMAN picked up four
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Cable ship FARADAY (UK 5533 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW three miles 38° from St Anne's Head (one of the promontories leading into Milford Haven). Eight crew were lost on the ship. FARADAY came under attack at about 7.45 pm from a Heinkel 111 which dropped two bombs and strafed the ship with MG fire killing eight of the crew and injuring twenty five. The bombs exploded in the oil bunkers causing a serious fire and the crew abandoned ship, which eventually ran aground off St Annes Head. The Heinkel was eventually shot down by the Faradays own gunners. The ship sank on the 27th in West Dale Bay after running aground. Nearly all her cargo of cable was salved.





*Steamer SOMALI (UK 6809 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW off Blyth. One crewman was lost on the steamer. The steamer sank on the 27th one mile east of Snoop Head, Sutherland. The Heinkel 111 bomber came out of cloud cover over the Northumberland coast to score three direct hits on the SOMALI. The hold with cargo of hay soon caught alight so her crew of 72 and the 38 passengers were taken off by the armed trawler PELICAN. The two naval gunners on board using the 12 pounders were unable to damage the German bomber. The salvage tug SEA GIANT arrived with a view to beaching the vessel but during the tow there was a large explosion resulting in the ship sinking two days after being attached by the German bomber. Although the salvage crew on board were blown off the deck into the sea , no one was injured





*Steamer EMPIRE MERMAID (UK 6381 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW. 20 crew and 2 displaced seamen were lost on the steamer. DD ACHATES rescued 19 survivors. The steamer sank on the 28th.





*Trawler MILLIMUMUL (Aus 287 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Newcastle, New South Wales. Seven crew were missing.





*FV BEINISVOR (Faeroes 85 grt)* was sunk by the LW. The crew was landed at Thorshavn.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BRIER ROSE (UK 503 grt)* was lost to unknown cause in the Irish Sea.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-76

At Sea 26 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD MENDIP departed Scapa Flow to meet steamer AMSTERDAM off the entrance to Aberdeen. However, owing to bad weather, the escort was cancelled and MENDIP returned to Scapa Flow, returning on the 27th.

British trawler KINGSWAY was damaged by German bombing ten miles east of Bell Rock (East Coast of Scotland).

*Northern Patrol*
RAN DD NESTOR departed Scapa Flow and DD ANTHONY departed Loch Alsh to meet AMC CIRCASSIA nineteen miles west of Cape Wrath and escorted her to Reykjavik. On the 28th, the DDs departed Reykjavik to join convoy HX.115 and act as an ASW force until its arrival off the Nth Minch.

DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER broke through the Denmark Strait during the night of 26/27 March. The cruiser evaded CLs FIJI and NIGERIA on patrol there and arrived in the area of Bergen on the 30th. SCHEER anchored at Grimstadfjord on the 30th and spent the day there before continuing on to Germany.

CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA patrolled the northern part of the trawler line in the Iceland Faroes Passage from 31 March. They returned to Scapa Flow on 4 April.

*Northern Waters*
On 28 March, BC HOOD and DDs TARTAR, ELECTRA, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow to relieve Force H on the HG/OG convoy route. CLs FIJI and NIGERIA joined this force at sea before dark on the 28th. The DDs were to proceed to the limit of their endurance, then proceed to Londonderry for refueling.

DDs ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, and TARTAR arrived at Londonderry to refuel on 2 April. At 1830, they sailed to rejoin the HOOD. The DDs rejoined on 4 April in 52-30N, 22W to escort the BC to Scapa Flow, where they arrived at 0800 on 6 April.

On 29 March, BB KING GEORGE V was approaching Bailey Bank on her return to Scapa Flow after leaving convoy HX.115. She rendezvoused with DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU, which departed Reykjavik on the 28th.

BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and DDs INGLEFIELD and ACTIVE were brought to one hour's notice to steam at Scapa Flow at 0100. CLs GALATEA, ARETHUSA, AURORA, and CLA DIDO departed Scapa Flow for position east of Iceland-Faroes minefield.

At noon on the 30th, BB KG V with CLA DIDO and CL AURORA were ordered to return to Scapa Flow. KG V and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU arrived at Scapa Flow on the 31st.

CA EXETER arrived at Scapa Flow to work up prior to proceeding overseas.

ML Sqn 1 of MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC, escort DDs CHARLESTOWN, LANCASTER, and ST MARYS departed Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN.4. CLs GALATEA and AURORA departed Scapa Flow on the 25th to cover the operation.

En route to the minelay, the ML force was attacked by LW long range bombers. ML MENESTHEUS was hit by two bombs and damaged further by a near miss. She was repaired in the Clyde. The minefield was laid however.

Returning from the minelay, escorting DD CASTLETON was in a collision with minelayer AGAMEMNON. CASTLETON was repaired in the Clyde from 2 April to 1 June. The ships all arrived back on the 27th. CLs GALATEA and AURORA arrived at Scapa Float separately to the main force..

Finnish steamer CAROLINA THORDEN was badly damaged by the LW at entrance to Thorshavn Bay. One passenger was missing. Eight passengers were taken aboard Swedish steamer VENEZUELA which was later sunk with no survivors. The steamer was grounded. She was later refloated, towed to Kirkwall, and later the Tyne. She was so badly damaged that she could only be used as a blockship at Scapa Flow

*West Coast*
Norwegian steamer NOLL was damaged by the LW eight miles west of Lundy Island (in the Bristol Channel). The steamer was beached at Lundy Island. Refloated and taken to Swansea arriving on the 29th, escorted by a tug.

British steamer THE LADY BELLE (331grt) was damaged by the LW ten miles sth of Grassholm Island (off the Corwall coast).


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## Njaco (Mar 26, 2016)

*March 27 Thursday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Yugoslavia removes itself from the Tripartite Pact and joins the Allies in the war against Germany. Crowds in Belgrade spit at the German Ambassador. Inspired by anti-Nazi sentiments and vague British promises of military help, Air Force General Dusan Simovic and other Serb nationalist officers in the Royal Yugoslav Air Force overthrew the pro-Axis government in Yugoslavia, placing Regent Prince Paul with King Petar II. The new Yugoslav foreign minister immediately assured the German minister in Belgrade that his country wanted to maintain its friendly relations with Germany. Although it would not ratify its adherence to the Tripartite Pact, Yugoslavia did not want to cancel any standing agreements. Hitler had been expecting this and ordered the day before for German forces to move to Rumania, Bulgaria and Italy in preparation for an assault. The German foreign ministry prepared messages to Hungary, Bulgaria, and Italy for them to join in the partition Yugoslavia. Churchill immediately promised British aid, but the new Belgrade government under General Dusan Simovich vowed to remain neutral. Hitler upon hearing of the coup, called a meeting of the commanders in chief of the Army and Luftwaffe and their chiefs of staff, Ribbentrop, Keitel, and Generaloberst (General) Alfred Jodl for 1300 hours. He informed them that he had decided to;


> "…destroy Yugoslavia as a national unit . . .with unmerciful harshness. Yugoslavia is to be beaten down as quickly as possible ... Belgrade will be destroyed from the air.'"


 At the same time Salonika and Eastern Greece are to be occupied (Operation Marita). The decision forced a crucial month-long delay in the German invasion of Russia. On the same day, 500 German military aircraft were dispatched for Bulgaria and Romania. At this time Luftflotte IV had 135 fighter and reconnaissance planes in Rumania with more scheduled to arrive in the next month. The major airfields used for the Luftwaffe during the invasion are based at Arad, Deva, Sofia, Plovdiv, Krumovo, Krainitzi, Belitza and Turnu-Severin.

Battle of Cape Matapan: British Signals Intelligence intercepts radio traffic suggesting that major Italian naval operation is in progress. Admiral Pridham-Wippell leads four light cruisers and four destroyers from Piraeus, Greece and Admiral Cunningham leads the main body of battleship HMS “_Warspite_”, battleship HMS “_Barham_”, battleship HMS “_Valiant_”, carrier HMS “_Formidable_”, and nine destroyers of the British Mediterranean Fleet from Alexandria, Egypt to hunt for the Italian fleet known to have departed bases in Italy. A Sunderland flying boat is sent out ‘spotting’ as a pretext. The Italian warships are located at noon without the promised Luftwaffe air cover.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Congress approved US$7,000,000,000 for the Lend-Lease program.

American and British staff officers concluded their conferences in Washington on a common strategy if the U.S. entered the war. Britain and the U.S. reached an agreement for the transfer of British naval and air bases in Newfoundland, Bermuda, Jamaica, St Lucia, Antigua, Trinidad, British Guiana, and the Bahamas to the U.S.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-98 sank British ship “_Koranton_” 400 miles southwest of Iceland at 1350 hours, killing the entire crew of 34.

British vessels “_Somali_”, “_Caroline Thorden_” and “_Faraday_” were heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft and subsequently sunk. 'SS _Empire Mermaid_' (638t) cargo ship, Portland, Maine. USA to Hull was damaged by a Focke-Wulf Condor aircraft, NW of the Hebrides and finally sank on the 28th March. Twenty-three of her crew were lost. 'SS _Faraday_' (5,533t) a cable ship was ½ a mile off St Abbs Head when she was attacked by German aircraft. She caught fire and sank twelve hours later. Sixteen of her one hundred and twenty-five crew were killed. SS ‘_Somali_' (6,809t) was bombed by German aircraft off Blyth and she was taken in tow by the tug '_Sea Giant_'. When off Beadnell Point near Seahouses, fire broke out and after a tremendous explosion she sank in 110ft of water.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 25, ordering the military annihilation of Yugoslavia in retaliation for its coup. Operation Barbarossa, the planned attack on the Soviet Union, is postponed from May 15 for at least a month. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/25.html

Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin, Germany in the morning. Ribbentrop noted to Matsuoka that the United States was intimidated by the Axis alliance thus would not enter into the war even if Japan joined in to strike at British possessions in Asia. In the afternoon, Matsuoka met with Adolf Hitler.

The first transfers of prisoners out of Oflag IV-C camp at Colditz Castle in Germany took place; 27 Polish officers were moved to Oflag VII-B in Eichstätt, Germany.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Battle of Keren: Allied tanks and infantry captured heights beyond the Dongolaas Gorge in Eritrea, Italian East Africa. By 1000 hours, Keren was captured without opposition as Italian troops fled toward Asmara. The Battle of Keren ended with 536 Allies killed and 3,229 wounded, while the Italians suffered 6,500 casualties. With Keren gone, all of Eritrea was open to the British. The 11th African Division captures Harar in Abyssinia after the Italians have declared it an 'open town'.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa arrived in Pearl Harbor. Yoshikawa noticed that battleships were berthed in pairs and that the in-shore ship was protected from torpedo attacks by the outboard one.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 26, 2016)

*26 MARCH 1941 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (Cont'd)*
*Med/Biscay*
*CA YORK (RN 8250 grt)* was badly damaged by Italian explosive boats at 0515 in Suda Bay. The ship was eventually to be abandoned and lost 22 May 1941. Both engine rooms and boiler rooms were flooded. The cruiser was grounded in four and a half fathoms. Two ratings in B boiler room were killed and one officer and four ratings were injured. At the time of the attack, other ships in Suda Bay were CL GLOUCESTER, CLA CALCUTTA, DD HASTY, tkrs CHERRYLEAF, DESMOULEA, MARIE MAERSK, PERICLES, and DOUMANA, and several small Greek cargo ships. Norwegian tanker PERICLES, alongside YORK, was also damaged in the attack. Six Italian crew were picked up in the harbour. DDs ILEX and HASTY hunted off Suda Bay for the submarine with no success.





Most of the oil was salved from PERICLES. However, returning to Alexandria, *tkr PERICLES (Nor 8324 grt) *broke in two as a result of the damage in heavy weather on 14 April. Both halves were sunk by gunfire thirty miles northwest of Alexandria.





British steamer BALUCHISTAN was damaged by the LW in the Eastern Mediterranean.

British steamer ADIGE, formerly Italian, was damaged by bombing at Malta. The steamer was beached in Malzara Creek but later repaired.

_Matapan Preparation_
Contrary to many popular accounts, there was no signal intelligence being read for the Regia Marina. Some indication was derived from signal traffic emanating from the LW liason in Rome. The RN could not, however be sure this was not a ruse, or simply misinformation between the two axis partners. The Italian Naval codes, unlike those of the Kriegsmarine, were never broken. Some low level merchant marine codes were occasionally read.

RM BB VENETO departed Naples with DDs GRANATIERE, FUCILIERE, BERSAGLIERE, and ALPINO of DesDiv 13. RM CAs ZARA, FIUME, and POLA of CruDiv 1 departed Taranto escort DDs GIOBERTI, ALFIERI, ORIANI, and CARDUCCI of DesDiv 9. RM CLs ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI of CruDiv 8 departed Brindisi escort DDs DA RECCO and PESSAGNO of DesDiv 16.

Convoy AG.9 of one British, three Greek, and two other ships departed Alexandria for Piraeus escort RHN DD VASILEVS GEORGIOS I, RAN DDs VOYAGER and VAMPIRE, and RN WRYNECK. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy on the 28th.

CLs ORION, AJAX, GLOUCESTER and RAN PERTH refueled in turn at Piraeus on the 26th. The cruisers and departed Piraeus to support convoys AG.8 and AG.9 on the 27th. 

Convoy AG.9 was ordered on the 27th to reverse course for twelve hours to take it clear of the Italian units. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on the 29th.

Central Atlantic
British oiler CAIRNDALE departed Gibraltar escorted by corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and COREOPSIS for operation PEDESTAL (not convoy PEDESTAL), the refueling British ships in 32-30N, 32-30W. Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN accompanied this group en route to her Western Patrol station.

Submarine PANDORA departed Gibraltar on the 29th to join the oiler and act as an anti raider escort. Operation PEDESTAL was cancelled on 11 April and oiler CAIRNDALE and submarine PANDORA returned to Gibraltar, arriving on 17 April.

DD VELOX departed Gibraltar to join DD WRESTLER to escort CL SHEFFIELD, RAN DDs NAPIER and NIZAM, CVE ARGUS, submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE, and troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH to Gibraltar.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at Capetown.

*Pacific/Australia*
ML KUNG WO laid mines lines of a minefield off Singapore.

*Malta*
_Weather _Pleasantly warm.

_0800-0818 hrs _Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which carries out reconnaissance over the Island at 24000 feet. Four Hurricanes are scrambled; no claims. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_0915-0929 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches to 20 miles from the coast before returning. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 26 MARCH 1941

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron 1040-1405 hrs _Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli Harbour: hospital ship, 6 destroyers, 2 torpedo boats, 1 fleet auxiliary, 10 merchant vessels, 30 barges, 8 seaplanes.

**
**


----------



## parsifal (Mar 27, 2016)

*27 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-563
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

3 ships sunk, total tonnage 14,689 GRT, 1 warship sunk, total tonnage 1,870 tons, 2 ships damaged, total tonnage 16,266 GRT

Sunk on 31 May 1943 in the North Atlantic NW of Cape Ortegal, , by depth charges from a/c from CC , being a Halifax from 58 Sqn, a Sunderland from 228 Sqn RAF and an Australian Sunderland from 10 Sqn RAAF. 49 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS BURDOCK (K126)





Fairmile B MLs 193 and 201
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.98 sank *steamer KORANTON (UK 6695 grt)*. She was enroute from Philadelphia to Hull, via Sydney, Canada, and was part of convoy SC-25 when lost. She was fully loaded with Pig Iron and a crew of 41. At 1350 hrs the unescorted KORANTON, a straggler from convoy SC-25, was hit by a stern torpedo from U-98, and sank immediately about 320 miles sth of Reykjavik, Iceland. The U-boat had spotted the ship 2 hrs earlier in bad weather and temporarily lost contact before carrying out a submerged attack. The Germans investigated the sinking position but only found a large field of debris.





*Steamer MEG MERRILIES (UK 642 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW one mile south of St Govan's Light Vessel. There were no casualties on the steamer. The ship was taken in tow. After the tow parted on the 27th, the vessel was abandoned and sank.





*Trawler KINCLAVEN (UK 178 grt)* was sunk to an unknown cause off the Faroes.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 27 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

12 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sub Lt P. J. Hoad, in a Whitley of RAF 78 Squadron from Dishforth, was killed when his aircraft was shot down over the River Schelde.

British A/Leading Airman G. J. B. Kendall was killed when his Battle of 1 SFTS Netheravon crashed in fog at Shrewton RLG. Petty Officer H. J. Craig was also killed in the crash.

Dutch steamer ALIOTH was damaged by mining in the Nth Sea. The steamer returned to Hull.

*Northern Patrol*
CLs NIGERIA and FIJI departed Scapa Flow for Iceland Faroes passage duty. The cruisers were diverted on the 28th to join BC HOOD.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship POZARICA arrived at Scapa Flow to operate under the orders of Rear Admiral Destroyers, Home Fleet.
British trawler FORT DEE was damaged by the LW in Northern waters

*West Coast*
British salvage vessel PALMSTONE was damaged by the LW two miles southeast of St Govan's Light Vessel. The vessel was beached at Milford Haven. She was later towed off and docked at Pembroke.

Dutch steamer OUD BEIJERLAND (396grt) was damaged by the LW three miles south of St Govan. The steamer arrived Milford Dock on the 31st.

OG.57 departed Liverpool escort DDs CALDWELL, VALOROUS, VOLUNTEER, WALKER, WOLSEY, and WOOLSTON, sloop ABERDEEN, corvettes BLUEBELL, HYDRANGEA, and TULIP, and ASW trawler LADY HOGARTH. All, except sloop ABERDEEN and trawler LADY HOGARTH, were detached on 1 April. Dutch submarine O.23 joined the convoy on 3 April. On 11 April, the convoy arrived at Gibraltar with sloop ABERDEEN, trawler LADY HOGARTH, and submarine O.23.

*Channel*
British depot ship ALECTO of the SubFlot 7 was damaged by the direct hit from a LW attack at the entrance to the English Channel.

*Med/Biscay*
Battle Of Matapan - Preliminaries 
On 27 March, Vice-Admiral Pridham-Wippell—with the CLs AJAX, GLOUCESTER, ORION AND RAN PERTH, aided by DDs HEREWARD and RAN VENDETTA and later joined by DDs ILEX and HASTY at 0630 on the 28th were operating together in the Aegean .

The cruisers and DD VENDETTA were ordered to patrol Kithera Channel. and a number of DDs sailed from Greek waters for a position south of Crete.

RM BB VITTORIO VENETO with her DDs crossed the Straits of Messina and was joined by CAs TRIESTE, TRENTO, and BOLZANO escorted by DDs CORAZZIERE, CARABINIERE, and ASCARI. At 1000, this cruiser force and escorts joined the VENETO force. At 1100, another cruiser gp, CruDiv 8, also joined the VENETO force along with their DD escorts. .

The VENETO force, under the overall command of Admiral Iachino, was to sail in company until about 2000 which would bring them to the longitude of the western tip of Crete. The CruDivs 1 and 8, designated Force Z under Admiral Cattaneo, would then go into the Aegean to the longitude of the eastern most end of Crete arriving about 0800 on the 28th. Then Force Z would return to the VENETO arriving bout 1500 about ninety miles SW of Navarino. The objective was to decimate the convoys now running manpower and supplies into Greece

BB VENETO and the CruDiv 3 were to go to a point 20 miles west of Gavdos (sth of Crete about mid way along its length) and if no contact was made by 0800 on the 28th to turn back on a reverse course.

The Italian Fleet was spotted by a Sunderland at 1200 hrs (noon), depriving Iachino of any advantage of surprise. The RN already had some signal intell, thanks to the laxity of LW security codes. The Italian Admiral also learned that FORMIDABLE was at sea, thanks to the signal decryption team aboard VITTORIO VENETO (the italians were reading some localised RN signal traffic at this time) which was later confirmed by RO43 floatplane. CruDivs 1 and 8 proceeded towards the Aegean at 1900 and the BB VENETO and the 3rd Cruiser Division set off towards Gavdos. However, at 2200, Supermarina ordered the 1st and 8th Cruiser Divisions to rejoin the VENETO force and go no further.

Nevertheless, after some discussion, the Italian headquarters decided to go ahead with the operation, to show the Germans their will to fight and confidence in the higher speed of their warships.

The Med Flt departed Alexandria in response to the Sunderland sighted of the Italian fleet. Cunningham departed Alexandria at 1900 with BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, and BARHAM, CV FORMIDABLE, DDs JERVIS, JANUS, MOHAWK, NUBIAN, GREYHOUND, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN and RAN DD STUART..

DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, and DEFENDER departed Piraeus as Force D. to patrol the Kithera Straits from dawn on the 28th. On 29 March, the Kithera Straits patrol was ceased. DDs JUNO and JAGUAR joined the Battle Force. DD DEFENDER was detached to Suda Bay for escort duties.

CLA BONAVENTURE had very little ammunition, but she did possess radar, and the RN was hoping to engage at night, something they already knew the RM was poor at. The cruiser and destroyers DECOY and RAN WATERHEN departed Alexandria on the 28th to join the Battle Force. CLA CARLISLE was at Suda Bay. Subs ROVER and TRIUMPH were on patrol in the Aegean

*Nth Atlantic*
Submarine TRIBUNE departed Halifax escorting convoy HX.117. The submarine returned to Halifax after this duty on 15 April with engine defects.

HX.117 departed Halifax, escort AMC RAJPUTANA, DDs ST CROIX, corvette COLLINGWOOD and submarine TRIBUNE. The DD and the corvette were detached on the 29th. The submarine was detached on 6 April. DD NIAGARA joined on 9 April and was detached later that day. On 10 April, DDs ACHATES, BOADICEA, COLUMBIA, MONTGOMERY, ST CLAIR, ST FRANCIS, WANDERER and corvettes MARIGOLD and TRILLIUM. DDs ACHATES, BOADICEA, and ST FRANCIS were detached on 14 April. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 15 April.

*Central Atlantic*
P/T/Sub Lt (A) O. F. Wheatley RNVR, and P/T/Sub Lt (A) R. B. Hodgetts RNVR, of 807 Sqn from CVL FURIOUS were taken prisoners by the Vichy French when they force landed after engine failure at Dakar after a reconnaissance flight

*Malta*
_Weather _Stormy.

_0721-0755 hrs _Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which approach the Island and cross the coast. They are engaged by anti-aircraft guns and turn away without launching any attack.

_0840-0846 hrs, 0924-0937 hrs, 0953-1010 hrs, 1423-1435 hrs, 1456-1525 hrs _Air raid alerts for Messerschmitt fighters approaching the coast. Hurricane aircraft are scrambled and intercept; there is no attack over land.

_1813-1818 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by the return of two Glenn Martin Marylands from reconnaissance missions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 27 MARCH 1941

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _Maryland patrolled area between Malta and Tunisian coast. Maryland photoreconnaissance Naples: 4 destroyers, 3 fleet auxiliaries, 3 merchant vessels plus convoy approaching. Maryland reconnaissance Messina, forced to take off late due to enemy action, had to be abandoned due to failing light. Maryland photoreconnaissance Brindisi. 

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron _Operational flight cancelled owing to bad weather.

**


----------



## parsifal (Mar 27, 2016)

*28 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ARMERIA (K-187)





Fairmile B ML 230
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer OLIVINE (UK 929 grt)* was lost to unknown cause in the Irish Sea or Bristol Channel. “SS Olivine was lost without trace after sailing Glasgow for Sharpness. She had a crew of 12, 2 gunners and was carrying a cargo of wheat. Left Clyde 27th March for Sharpness with cargo of grain. Carried crew of 12 + 2 gunners. Joint Arbitration Committee consider vessel lost by war causes between 27 March and 29 March. Missing Ship Committee consider vessel lost 29 March 1941”.
(Source: Lloyd's War Losses WW2, Vol II.)





*Trawler KESTREL (UK 75 grt)* was near missed by LW bombing nth of North Lundy Light. The vessel was beached on Lundy Island on the 29th. Heavy weather pounded the ship and she became a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ANTWERPEN (Ne 364 grt)* was sunk by the LW German on the west coast. 3 of the crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-76

At Sea 28 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-110, U-124

13 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer STAFFORDSHIRE was damaged by the LW. 28 passengers and crew were lost. The steamer was beached at Loch Ewe on the 29th. On 23 April, the steamer was refloated and sailed for the Tyne. 

*Northern Patrol*
DDs ECHO and ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow on the 31st for Sullom Voe, where they arrived at after dawn on 1 April. The DDs departed that afternoon with depot ship MANELA, CLA HEEMSKERK, and RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE were also in the escort, with the gp headed for Hvalfjord. On arrival at Hvalfjord at 0800 on 5 April, the DDs came under the direction of Flag Officer Iceland to escort cruisers in and out of Hvalfjord. RESTIGOUCHE returned to Greenock after the escort duty.

*Northern Waters*
DD BOADICEA departed Scapa Flow for Greenock to join the Western Approaches Command, and arrived after sunrise on the 29th.

DD LIDDESDALE departed Scapa Flow to meet steamer AMSTERDAM off Aberdeen.

The steamer was escorted to Lerwick, where they arrived after midday on the 29th. The DD stood by to escort the steamer on its return to Aberdeen. The two ships departed later that evening for Aberdeen. The ships parted company off Aberdeen midmorning on the 30th and DD LIDDESDALE arrived back at Scapa Flow that afternoon.

DD AVON VALE departed Scapa Flow on the morning of the 30th to join depot ship MANELA 15 miles west of Cape Wrath that afternoon. The DD provided escort to Sullom Voe. AVON VALE had completed her working up and was transferred to the Western Approaches Command.

*West Coast*
OB.303 departed Liverpool, escort DDs AMBUSCADE, BULLDOG, OURAGAN, VANQUISHER, and VETERAN, corvettes AMARANTHUS, CAMPANULA, FREESIA, HEARTSEASE, and PIMPERNEL, and ASW trawlers NOTTS COUNTY and ST APOLLO. Corvettes PIMPERNEL was detached later that day and DD OURAGAN on the 30th. RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE joined the escort on 1 April for the day. DDs AMBUSCADE and VANQUISHER were detached on 2 April. The escort was detached on 3 April when the convoy was dispersed.

Flying boat depot ship MANELA departed Greenock, escorted by RCN DD RESTIGOUCHE, for Sullom Voe. RNeN CLA HEEMSKERK departed Greenock at 1000 and joined the escort.

Norwegian submarine B.1 was damaged in a collision with anti-submarine trawler LADY ELSA near Campbeltown.

*Western Approaches*

*Channel*
DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE, escorted by DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, and JACKAL, laid minefield GX in the English Channel.

To man escort ships transferred from the USN, BB RESOLUTION at Portsmouth was ordered to provide 15 officers and 34 ratings and BB QUEEN ELIZABETH at Scapa Flow 27 officers and 26 ratings.

BB MALAYA, under repair at New York, provided officers and ratings to man these ships as well .

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine CACHALOT, which departed the Clyde on the 21st, laid mines off Bayonne in minefield FD 32.

Convoy AN.23 of six Greek and seven British departed Alexandria escort by DD HERO and corvette SALVIA. CLA COVENTRY joined convoy AN.23. DD DECOY joined the convoy on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Piraeus on 1 April.

A convoy of steamers ADANA, SAMOS, RUHR, GALILEA, and *Steamer HERAKLEA (Ger 1927 grt)* departed Naples escorted by DDs FOLGORE, DARDO, and MAESTRALE for Tripoli. Submarine UTMOST off Kerkenah sank German steamer HERAKLEA and damaged German steamer RUHR 22 miles SE of Kuriat. Steamer RUHR returned to Trapani with DD DARDO and assisted by TBs CIRCE, SAGITTARIO, and ALCIONE and two MAS boats while the rest of the convoy proceeded to Tripoli, arriving on the 30th, with steamer GALILEA straggling.

Submarine UPRIGHT torpedoed and severely damaged steamer GALILEA on the 31st in. The convoy departed Tripoli to return on 2 April with steamers ANKARA, KYBFELS, MARBURG, and REICHENFELS, and GALILEA, escort DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, and MALOCELLO. The convoy arrived at Naples on 4 April.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
_Weather _Fine.

_0700 hrs _Continual patrols round the Island by enemy aircraft as yesterday; Hurricanes airborne when necessary. One Hurricane force-landed due to engine failure; the aircraft is written off but the pilot uninjured. 

_1333-1345 hrs _Air raid alert for two ME 109 fighters which approach the Island and cross the coast. They are engaged by anti-aircraft guns and turn away without launching any attack.

_1718 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft patrolling close to the coast. Four Hurricanes on defensive patrol have a short combat with a ME 109. 

_1726 hrs_ One Hurricane has to make a forced landing near Ghain Tuffieha military camp; the pilot is seriously injured.

_1750 hrs _All clear.

_1820-1829 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_2300 hrs _A warning is sent out by General Staff to all military units that four Italian cruisers have been seen close to Malta. Bombardment from the sea is to be expected at dawn.

_0100-0148 hrs _Air raid alert for 18 enemy aircraft which fly over the Island from the north and use flares to light targets before dropping bombs in various locations, including Rabat, Imtarfa, Dingli, Hal Far, Kalafrana and Delimara. Reports indicate that some are delayed-action bombs. Bombs in Rabat exploded in Hal Bajjada Street, College Street and the Nigret district, causing damage to buildings and killing and injuring people. One civilian is killed and eight are wounded; several houses are demolished. There is no moon, it is very dark and no Malta fighters are scrambled. Anti-aircraft guns engage unseen targets with predicted barrage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 28 MARCH 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and Tunisian coast for enemy shipping.

_KALAFRANA _One Sunderland left for Greece with Mr Anthony Eden and other passengers.

**


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## Njaco (Mar 27, 2016)

*March 28 Friday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Battle of Cape Matapan: 150 miles off Cape Matapan, Greece at 0635 hours, Italian Ro43 seaplane spots Allied cruisers HMS “_Ajax_”, “_Gloucester_”, “_Orion_” and HMAS “_Perth_”. Italian cruisers “_Trieste_”, “_Trento_” and “_Bolzano_” close in and open fire at 0812 hours from 22km without success, then battleship “_Veneto_” joins in at 1055 hours from 23km (shell splinters cause slight damage to all 4 Allied cruisers). After the morning's exchange of shellfire, all four Allied cruisers were damaged by near misses. At 1200 and 1509 hours, Allied torpedo bombers from HMS “_Formidable_” attacked, putting battleship “_Vittorio Veneto_” out of action for about 90 minutes at the cost of one aircraft. Admiral Cunningham immediately orders Mediterranean fleet to close on the damaged Italian battleship. Torpedo bombers from HMS “_Formidable_” and from Crete (RAF No.815 Squadron) attacked at 1936 hours, crippling Italian cruiser “_Pola_”. The “_Pola_” was struck by an 18-inch torpedo. It caught fire and lay dead in the water. Cruisers “_Zara_” and “_Fiume_” remain to help “_Pola_” while “_Vittorio Veneto_” and the other ships run for cover toward Taranto. After dark, British battleships HMS “_Barham_”, HMS “_Valiant_”, and HMS “_Warspite_” pressed on in pursuit hoping to come up with the damaged “_Vittorio Veneto_” when, during the night, they find the three Italian cruisers and their escorts on radar. The British moved in within 3.5 kilometers of the Italian cruisers undetected, opening fire at 2330 hours on the unsuspecting Italians, sinking 2 Italian cruisers “_Fiume_” and “_Zara_” and 2 destroyers “_Alfieri_” and “_Carducci_” while destroyer “_Oriani_” escapes with heavy damage (2,303 Italian sailors killed).

Anti-Axis demonstrations continued in Yugoslavia. 17-year old Peter II of Yugoslavia, considered by the new government to be of age to take the throne, took the oath of King of Yugoslavia in Belgrade as crowds cheered. The British Chief of Staff, General Dill, is in Belgrade for talks with the Yugoslav authorities, but there is little he can offer them and no agreements of any importance are reached.

Oblt. Muncheberg scores his thirty-third victory, a British Hurricane over Malta.

Italian torpedo boat “_Chinotto_” hit a British mine and sank off Palermo, Sicily, Italy. The mines in the region were laid by British submarine HMS “_Rorqual_” on 25 Mar 1941.

British submarine HMS “_Utmost_” sank German ship “_Heraklea_” and damaged German ship "_Ruhr_" off the coast of Tunisia, Italian North Africa.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* En route to Brest, France, German cruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” were spotted by a British Spitfire fighter pilot.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Battle of Keren: Indian Pattern Carriers and armoured cars of Indian 4th & 5th Divisions pursue Italians East from Keren (2000 Italian stragglers taken prisoner). Italians mount a fighting retreat where the road towards the capital Asmara twists for several miles along the side of a valley, sloping steeply away into a gorge. They will hold the British and Indian advance with rocks blasted from the hillsides and hidden artillery, using guns withdrawn from Keren.

*GERMANY: *Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka again met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin, Germany.

Before dawn in Berlin, Germany, General Franz Halder completed the German invasion plan for Yugoslavia.

Hitler awarded Hanna Reitsch the Iron Cross Second Class, making her the first woman of the war to receive the medal.


.


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## parsifal (Mar 28, 2016)

Battle Of Matapan 
On 28 March, an RO-43 floatp[lane from the VITTORIO VENETO, spotted the British cruiser squadron at 06:35. At 07:55, the TRENTO group encountered Admiral Pridham-Wippell's cruiser group sth of the Greek island of GAVDOS. The British squadron was heading SE. Thinking they were attempting to run from their larger ships, the Italians gave chase, opening fire at 0812 from 24,000 yd. The three RM CAs fired repeatedly until 0855, with TRIESTE firing 132 armour piercing rounds, TRENTO firing 204 armour-piercing and 10 explosive shells and BOLZANO firing another 189 armour piercing shells, but the Italians experienced trouble with their range finding equipment and scored no significant hits. CL GLOUCESTER fired three salvos in return. These fell short but did cause the Italians to make a course change and keep their distance.

As the distance had not been reduced after an hour of pursuit, the Italian cruisers broke off the chase, turning to the NW on a course to rejoin VITTORIO VENETO. The Allied ships changed course in turn, following the Italian cruisers at extreme range. Iachino let them come on in hopes of luring the British cruisers into the range of VITTORIO VENETO guns.

An officer eating a sandwich on ORION's bridge remarked to a companion, "What's that battleship over there? I thought ours were miles away." The Italians eavesdropped on ORIONs signal that she had sighted an unknown unit and was going to investigate. At 1055, VITTORIO VENETO joined the Italian cruisers and immediately opened fire on the shadowing Allied cruisers. She fired 94 rounds from a distance of 25,000 yd, all well aimed but again with an excessive dispersal of her salvos. The Allied cruisers, until then unaware of the presence of a BB, withdrew, suffering slight damage from 381 mm shell splinters. A series of photographs taken from HMS GLOUCESTER showing Italian salvos falling amongst Allied warships was published by Life Magazine (and are reproduced below) on 16 June 1941. VITTORIO VENETO fired a total of 94 shells in 29 salvos. Another 11 rounds got jammed in the barrels.





_Naval Tracks on the 28th March_





_GORIZIA, POLA, FIUME, ZARA at Naples 1938_





_15in shells fall between HMAS PERTH and HMS GLOUCESTER_





_HMAS PERTH_ gets near-misses

Operations by HMS FORMIDABLE

At dawn on the 28th the FORMIDABLE flew off a search gp of 4 Albacores and 1 Swordfish. Results were received quickly. Thre RM gps were at sea, one built around RM BB VITTORIO VENETO and two others with cruisers. Upon receiving word of the sightings, Cunningham immediately ordered strikes to be flown from FORMIDABLE. 6 Albacores armed with 18” torpedoes escortefd by 2 Fulmars were flown off. An hour later the VITTORIO VENETO was sighted by the strike gp, Two enemy Ju88 long range fighters attempted to intervene, but were intercepted by the Fulmar escort, and driven off with one shot down.

The six Albacores positioned themselves for an attack on the VITTORIO VENETO. The BB and her four attendant DDs put a up a heavy defensive barrage, and though all six torpedoes were released, and no a/c hit, none of the torpedoes hit the target. The strike retuned to FORMIDABLE. 

From 1120 to 1140 hrs, Crete based Blenheims and Swordfish carried out further strikes, again with no results, but no losses.

Early in the afternoon, the FORMIDABLE flew off a second strike consisting of 3 Albacores, 2 Swordfish escorted again by 2 Fulmars. While engaged in launch operations, the carrier gp was attacked by a small group of RA bombers. The British force put up a lively AA barrage, which did not bring down any Italian a/c, but forced them to released their torpedoes early, thereby making it easy to evade them.

At 1500 hrs, the 3 Albacores attacked the VITTORIO VENETO again. Simultaneously the RAF mounted another high level bombing attack distracting the aim of the Italian AA guns between the two groups. The slower Swordfish came in from the head on position in a separate group.

The second attack surprised the Italians at 15:09, when Lcdr Dalyell-Stead flew his Albacore to 1,094 yards from VITTORIO VENETO, before releasing a torpedo which hit her outer port propeller and caused 4,000 tons of seawater to flood into the ship. Dalyell-Stead and his crew were killed when their a/c was shot down by AA fire from the BB. The ship stopped while the damage was repaired but she was able to get under way again at 1642, making 13 knots initially but later increasing to 19 kts. Cunningham heard of the damage to the VITTORIO VENETO, and started a pursuit. At that stage his heavy units were only 65 miles away from the VITTORIO VENETO.

Lt Cdr J. Dalyell-Stead, Lt R. H. Cooke DSC, and Petty Officer Airman G. L. Blenkhorn of 829 Squadron were lost during an afternoon strike on the Italian battleship VITTORIO VENETO. The battleship was hit, but was able to proceed.

An Albacore of 829 Sqn ditched SE of Antikithera Island after the torpedo attack. DD JUNO rescued Sub Lt G. P. C. Williams, Sub Lt G. L. Davis, and Leading Airman Booth.

A third attack by six Albacores and two Swordfish from 826 and 828 sqns from FORMIDABLE and two Swordfish from 815 sqn from Crete, was made between 1936 and 1950. Admiral Iachino deployed his ships in three columns and used smoke, searchlights and a heavy barrage to protect the VITTORIO VENETO. The tactics protected the battleship from further damage but one torpedo hit the *CA POLA (RM 14330 grt)* was hit by the last torpedo fired for the day, bringing her to a stop. This blow knocked out five boilers and the main steam line, causing POLA to lose electric power and drift to a stop. The torpedo was apparently dropped by Lieutenant F M A “Tuffy” Torrens-Spence.




_The battle of Cape Matapan, 28th March 1941, just after the battlefleet opened fire at 10.28 p.m.
From left to right: the burning ZARA, and FIUME with RN BBs BARHAM, the VALIANT , DD GREYHOUND , and the flagship WARSPITE.
(From the painting by Rowland Langmaid)_

Returning to Maleme, one of the Swordfish of 815 Sqn force landed in Suda Bay and its crew of Lt M. A. Torrens-Spence and Sub Lt P. Winter were rescued.

Unaware of Cunningham's pursuit, and proximity a squadron of CAs with three DDs were ordered to return and aid the POLA. This squadron was composed of POLA’s sister ships ZARA and FIUME. The squadron did not start to return towards POLA until about an hour after the order had been given by Iachino, officially due to communication problems, while VITTORIO VENETO and the other ships continued to Taranto





_VITTORIO VENETO withdraws from the battle area after being torpedoed by RN a/c_.

Shadowing the Italian Fleet unseen a swordfish of 826 Sqn from FORMIDABLE failed to find Maleme on its return and forced landed in Suda Bay. Its crew of Sub Lt D. W. Phillips, Sub Lt G. Dormand, and Leading Airman A. Japp were picked up by trawler MOONSTONE

Night Action 
At 2015, ORION’s radar picked up the crippled POLA dead in the water; six miles to the port of ORION. The bulk of the Allied forces detected the Italian squadron on radar shortly after 2200, and were able to close without being detected. The Italian ships had no radar and could not detect British ships by means other than sight; Italian thinking did not envisage night actions and the Italians had their main gun batteries disarmed. They managed to spot the Allied squadron at 2220, which they thought to be Italian ships. The BBs BARHAM, VALIANT and WARSPITE, unnoticed by the Italian ships, were able to close to 3,800 yards (point blank range) at which point they opened fire. The Allied searchlights illuminated their enemy; the searchlights aboard VALIANT were under the command of a young Prince Phillip Some British gunners witnessed the cruiser's main turrets flying dozens of metres into the air. After just three minutes, *CA FIUME (RM 14300 grt)* and *CA ZARA (RM 14133 grt) *had also been destroyed. FIUME sank at 2330, while ZARA was finished off by a torpedo from the DD HMS JERVIS at 0240 of 29 March.




_HMAS STUART in the Night Battle at Matapan by painter Frank Norton in 1968_

*Oriani Class DDs ALFIERI (RM 1675 grt) * and *CARDUCCI (RM 1675 grt)*, were sunk in the first five minutes. The other two, GIOBERTI and ORIANI, managed to escape, the former with heavy damage. Towing POLA to Alexandria as a prize was considered but daylight was approaching and it was thought that the danger of enemy air attack was too high. The British boarding parties seized a number of the much needed Breda AA machine guns. POLA was eventually sunk with torpedoes by the DD JERVIS and NUBIAN after her crew was taken off, shortly after 0400. The only known Italian reaction after the shocking surprise was a fruitless torpedo charge by some DDs and the aimless fire of one of ZARA’s 40 mm guns in the direction of the British warships.

The Allied ships took on survivors but left the scene in the morning, fearing Axis air reprisals. Admiral Cunningham ordered a signal to be made on the Merchant Marine emergency band. This signal was received by the Italian High Command. It informed them that due to air strikes the Allied ships had ceased their rescue operations and it granted safe passage to a hospital ship for rescue purposes. The location of the remaining survivors was broadcast and the Italian hospital ship GRADISCA came to recover them. Allied casualties during the battle were a single torpedo bomber shot down by VITTORIO VENETO’s 90 mm (3.5-inch) anti-aircraft batteries, with the loss of the three-man crew. Italian losses were up to 2,303 sailors, most of them from ZARA and FIUME. The Allies rescued 1,015 survivors, while the Italians saved another 160

Not generally acknowledged, the RHN placed 7 DDs (QUEEN OLGA, HYDRA, PSARA, KONDOURIOTIS, AETOS, IERAX, LEON, and PANTHER at the disposal of the Med flt. However 2 of these DDs did not participate as they arrived from Alexandria on the 23rd on escort duties) proceeded through the Corinth Canal to await orders to join Cunningham. The order was never sent and they spent the battle cruising between Cephalania and Zante.

Due to an error in deciphering, the Greek message stating they were awaiting "orders" was read as awaiting "oilers. "

However the Greek DDs were prominent in the number of Italian seamen they rescued; 55 officers and 850 men rescued by the Greek DDs.

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## parsifal (Mar 28, 2016)

*29 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat S-43






_Mined north of Moon Sound 26.06.1941_

Neutral
Soviet Stalinec Class Sub S-34




_Sister Boat S-33 pictured. Lost after 8 November 1941 off the Bulgarian coast near Sizopol. Possibly lost on mines on 12/13 November off Cape Emine. Two crewmembers bodies were found on 14 November 1941 on the Bulgarian shore. All hands (51 men) lost._

Allied
HDMLs 1009 and 1034
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Barge EMMA (UK 81 grt)* was lost and steamer GRENAA was damaged on mines at Rotherhithe There were no casualties on the barge whose stern was blown off by the blast.. She was grounded and considered not repairable. On steamer GRENAA, four crew were killed and three crew missing from a nineteen man crew. Steamer GRENAA was temporarily repaired on the beach at North Woolwich. She was later drydocked.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tanker OILTRADER (UK 5550 grt)* was sunk by the LW German bombing Nth Sea. .
The entire crew was rescued.





U.46 sank *steamer LIGURIA (SD 1751 grt)* from convoy OB.302 in the Nth Atlantic sth of Iceland. The steamer had sailed in convoy OG.56, but became a straggler. The steamer later joined convoy OB.302. 18 crew were missing and one died of wounds. Ten survivors from the steamer were rescued and arrived at Liverpool. Carrying a load of coal at the time of her loss, and on passage from London to Las Palmas, with a crew of 26 at the time of her loss. At 1750 hrs the unescorted LIGURIA, a straggler from convoy OB-302, was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-46 and sank within 6 mins after breaking in two about 300 miles SSW of Reykjavik. During the afternoon on 3 April, the ATHENIC came across the survivors and picked up eight men from a raft and three more from a small dinghy. Their food had run out and all were frost-bitten from the knees downwards. The second engineer died of exposure shortly thereafter and was buried at sea. On 4 April, the ship was herself torpedoed and sunk by U-767 (von Hippel), but there were no casualties and the next day all survivors were picked up by Corvette HMS ARBUTUS and landed at Liverpool on 8 April.





*Steamer DUBAC (Yug 2880 grt)* was seized by Italian authorities on the steamer's arrival at Genoa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler KIMBERLEY (UK 190 grt)* was sunk by the LW 22 miles SE of Flamborough Hd. The entire crew of the trawler were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler EXETER (UK 165 grt)* was sunk by the LW five miles sw of Ballycotton. The entire crew of the trawler were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler HORACE E. NUTTEN (UK 209grt)* was lost to a cause unknown in Moray Firth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.48 made attacks on convoy HX.115.

*Steamer GERMANIC (UK 5352 grt)* was sunk in the Nth Atlantic, sth of Iceland. Four crew were lost on the steamer. She was fully laden with wheat and on passage from Halifax to Liverpool. She had a complement of a 40 when she went down. At 0627 hrs, U-48 fired one torpedo at the British steam merchant MASUNDA of HX-115, about 170 miles south of Reykjavik, but the ship evaded the torpedo that missed ahead and the Germans claimed it struck the British motor tkr ATHELPRINCE beyond. However, SS HYLTON was the ship actually hit by the torpedo. They had seen its track approaching from the port quarter too late before it struck at the after end of the engine room just forward of #4 hold. The explosion threw up a huge column of water and debris, wrecked the engine, killed the four men on watch below and injured six crew members. No distress signals were sent because the aerials were gone. While the ship settled by the stern, the master, 34 crew members and one gunner (the ship was armed with one 4in and two machine guns) began to abandon ship in the starboard lifeboat as the other on the port side had been destroyed. The injured men were lowered into the boat lying alongside, one of them had been found lying on deck with a badly battered face after he apparently had been struck by debris of the port lifeboat. After ten minutes the boat left after everyone except the engine room staff was accounted for, but returned 15 minutes later when they saw a light flashed aboard. The chief and second engineer had been knocked unconscious as they were both in the vicinity of the explosion and recovered only after the boat left, suffering from severe shock but were otherwise not badly injured. They were taken aboard and the boat waited nearby in order to reboard their ship at daylight. At dawn the abandoned HYLTON was spotted in some distance and her survivors rowed over to the lifeboat of GEREMANIC to ask if some men could be transferred from their overcrowded boat, but they were also filled to capacity. Soon DD SABRE appeared and towed both lifeboats back to their vessels to check if they could be saved. The master wanted to go back aboard to recover some of the gear and asked a nearby armed trawler to take the injured men and the Arab crew members off first, but the trawler left to assist in the hunt for the U-boat. The survivors from both ships were eventually picked up by Corvette DIANELLA and landed at Londonderry. While they were taken aboard the wreck of GERMANIC sank by the stern at about 12.30 hours.





*Steamer LIMBOURG (Be 2483 grt)* was sunk sth of Iceland in the Nth Atlantic. There were only two survivors from the steamer. Fully laden with a cargo of phoshates and on passage from .Curaçao to Aberdeen, via Bermuda and Halifax, she had a crew of 24 at the time of her loss. At 0655 hrs the LIMBOURG of convoy HX-115 was hit on the starboard side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-48 and sank within one minute with a heavy list to starboard about 170 miles sth of Reykjavik, Iceland. She sank so fast that only two crew members survived: one of the stewards was thrown overboard by the explosion and the able seaman Polydore Paeye rescued himself on a raft which had been damaged when struck by one half of the destroyed starboard lifeboat. Paeye had seen the U-boat astern about 30 minutes before the attack, so close that it cut the log line but the 4in gun on the stern was not manned (the ship was also armed with two machine guns). At about 13.00 hours, the survivors were picked up by Corvette KINGCUP.





*Steamer HYLTON (UK 5197grt)* was sunk by U-48. See the details above. The entire crew were rescued. On passage from Vancouver to the Tyne via Panama and Halifax, she was fully laden with wheat when sunk and had a crew of 43. No crew were lost when she went down. At 0619 hrs the HYLTON was hit on the starboard side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-48 about 170 miles sth of Reykjavik, Iceland.. The torpedo apparently penetrated one of the side fuel tanks, the engine room and exploded in the #2 deep tank that held 900 tons of wheat. The engines were stopped at once and the ship took a heavy list to starboard. As the davits of the starboard lifeboat and the jolly boat had been destroyed, the crew stood by the port lifeboat until the order to abandon ship was given 30 mins after the hit with a view to get the boat away before the list rendered this impossible. The master, the commodore, six naval staff members, 33 crew members and two gunners abandoned ship in the only remaining boat in slight sea with the intent to stand by until daylight. Son appeared and towed the lifeboat back to HYLTONwhich was kept afloat by the cargo of lumber with the after deck submerged. However, the sea had increased during the night and parts of the deck cargo were floating around the ship that made boarding too dangerous. The wreck of HYLTONwas scuttled by with gunfire at about 1400 hrs. In the meantime the survivors from both ships were picked up by and landed at Londonderry. 





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-110

Departures
Lorient: U-94, U-107

At Sea 29 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow before noon to meet convoy WN.5 in the Pentland Firth. She provided cover to this convoy until meeting convoy EN.93 off Buchan Ness just before midnight, continuing with it until Pentland Firth. CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow on the afternoon of the 30th.

*Western Approaches*
Norwegian steamer VENI was damaged by the LW in the western Approaches. The steamer was repaired at Grangemouth.

*Channel*
ML ABDIEL with escort DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, and JACKAL, laid mines in minefield GY in the English Channel.

*Med/Biscay*
Damaged RM BB VENETO, , arrived at Taranto.

Lt C. W. R. Peever and Sub Lt A. C. Wallace RNVR, of 803 Sqn shot down a LW Ju.88 LR fighter CV FORMIDABLE. Wallace's Fulmar was damaged in the encounter and landed in the sea. Wallace and Leading Airman F. P. Dooley were rescued by DD HASTY. CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH were detached from the Fleet to cover LUSTRE convoys in the Aegean. CLA BONAVENTURE and DDs DECOY and RAN WATERHEN joined the Battle Force. BONAVENTURE was detached to convoy GA.8 to arrive at daylight on the 30th. DD DAINTY joined convoy AN.23. RAN DD WATERHEN returned to Alexandria.

DDs STUART (RAN), GRIFFIN, and HEREWARD were detached to Piraeus and departed later that day with convoy GA.8 of supply ship BRECONSHIRE and British steamers CAMERONIA. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 31st.

DDs DEFENDER and HASTY were sent to Suda Bay to escort damaged MARIE MAERSK (8271grt) and British steamer DUMANA (8427grt) to Piraeus.

CL SHEFFIELD, CVE ARGUS, submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE, troopship HIGHLAND MONARCH, and DDs NAPIER, NIZAM (both RAN), WRESTLER, and VELOX arrived at Gibraltar

*Central Atlantic*
DKM tanker NORDMARK replenished U.105 and U.106 at sea.

Convoy SL.70 departed Freetown escorted by CL DRAGON to 31 March, corvette CALENDULA to 4 April, and ASWs KELT and PICT to 4 April. AMC BULOLO relieved cruiser DRAGON on the 31st and continued to 19 April. CL BIRMINGHAM joined on 5 April and escorted to 20 April. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE joined on the 19th to 23 April.

DDs BEAGLE to 23 April, HARVESTER for day only, ST FRANCIS to 23 April, and WINCHELSEA for day only, corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, ORCHIS, and WINDFLOWER for the day only joined on 20 April. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 23 April.

*Sth Atlantic*
USN CA VINCENNES arrived Simonstown from Pernambuco, having departed on the 17th. The cruiser departed the next day for New York with a large gold bullion shipment. The cruiser arrived in New York on 16 April

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Mauritius.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DANAE arrived at Penang.

*Malta*
_Weather _Fine.

_2025-2028 hrs, 2115-2217 hrs, 0037-0352 hrs, 0315-0330 hrs _A series of air raid alerts sounds during the night for eight aircraft which come in singly at long intervals. They drop bombs on various localities, including Tarxien, between Rocco and Pietru, on open country near Mgarr and an anti-aircraft position at Tigne causing slight damage and no casualties. Tactics employed in the last two raids resemble the ‘tip and run’ tactics of Italian air forces.
_
AIR HQ 69 Squadron 0900 hrs _Maryland despatched on reconnaissance for enemy shipping east of Malta at the request of the Commander in Chief did not return. A communication is received from BAF Greece that the Maryland force-landed at Zante; the pilot F/O Ainley was killed, one crew member seriously injured and the other slightly hurt. _1230-1507 hrs _Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and Tunisian coast for enemy shipping.
**


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## Njaco (Mar 28, 2016)

*March 29 Saturday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France established an office to deal with Jewish affairs, placing Xavier Vallat at its helm.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Battle of Cape Matapan: British battleships HMS “_Barham_”, HMS “_Valiant_”, and HMS “_Warspite_” continued to shell the Italian fleet off Cape Matapan, Greece. At 0400 hours, British destroyers HMS “_Jervis_” and HMS “_Nubian_” approached damaged Italian cruiser “_Pola_”, captured her crew, and sank her with torpedoes. Fearing Luftwaffe air strikes, Allied ships depart at daybreak after picking up 905 survivors (16 Stukas attack later, unsuccessfully). Royal Navy signals the location of the survivors still in the water allowing Italian hospital ship “_Gradisca_” to rescue 160 more. The Battle of Cape Matapan would close with 5 Italian warships lost, killing 2,303 men; the British suffered only 3 killed, the air crew of a single torpedo bomber lost on 28 Mar 1941.

*NORTH AFRICA: *After 3 days of sandstorms which have immobilized both sides, Rommel moves more tanks up to El Agheila while the Luftwaffe bombs Allied positions (destroying a train carrying vital petroleum for the British armour). German tanks and armored cars advanced at El Agheila, Libya, engaging British counterparts in the desert between El Agheila and Mersa Brega.

Operation Canvas. Nigerian brigade withdraws, allowing 1st South African Brigade to lead the 11th African Division charge into Ethiopia. Italians retreating from Harar to Diredawa have demolished bridges and blown away whole sections of the mountainside where the road runs 2,000 feet down a cliff. South Africans overcome these obstacles in 2 days and capture Diredawa, 33 miles North of Harar. Diredawa lies on the railway to Addis Ababa (opening the way to the capital) and has an airfield to bring in supplies. The local Italian population has appealed to the British for help because of atrocities committed by deserters from the native forces after the Italian part of the garrison has withdrawn.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-48 attacked Allied convoy HX-115 120 miles south of Iceland between 0619 and 0806 hours, sinking 3 freighters. Most survivors were picked up by British corvette HMS “_Dianella_”.

German submarine U-46 sank Swedish ship “_Liguria_” 300 miles southwest of Iceland at 1750 hours; 19 were killed, 10 survived.

*GERMANY:* Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka again met with German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin, Germany. Ribbentrop offered Matsuoka that, should the Soviet Union attack Japan while Japan embarked on a military campaign against British possessions in Asia, Germany would lend military assistance. Matsuoka countered, noting that the Soviet Union seemed to be friendly toward Japan.

*NORTH AMERICA: * After 2 months and 14 separate meetings, the US and British staff conference ends with a basic framework for US-British co-operation should the USA be drawn in to the war. Most importantly an agreement was made that Germany should be defeated first.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 29, 2016)

*30 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ZINNIA (K-98)





HDML 1019
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.69 sank *steamer COULTARN (UK 3759 grt)* from convoy OB.302. Three crew were lost on the steamer. On passage from Hull to mobile, in ballast, with a crew of 42. 3 of the crew were lost. At 0734 hrs the COULTARN in convoy OB-302 was torpedoed and sunk by U-69 SW of Iceland. The master, 34 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the AMC CALIFORNIA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.124 sank *steamer UMONA (UK 3767 grt)* 90 miles SW of Freetown.100 passengers and crew were lost on the steamer from a complement of 105 (there were just 5 survivors). She was on passage from Durban to London via Freetown when lost, and was carrying a cargo of maize and jam. At 2301 hrs the unescorted UMONA was hit on port side underneath the aft mast by one G7e torpedo from U-124 and sank immediately after being hit eight minutes later by a coup de grace. One gunner and one passenger were picked up after 13 days by the British steame LORCA and landed at Freetown on 13 April. On 7 April, three Indian crew members were picked up by DD FOXHOUND, escort of convoy WS-7, in 07°25N/13°55W and landed at Freetown the next day.





*Trawler NISUS (UK 210 grt)* was lost to an unknown cause in Faroese waters.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 30 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
After repairs of her collision of 23 December 1940, AA ship ALYNBANK departed Rosyth escorting convoy EN.93 A, and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730 on 1 April.

*Northern Waters*
DD ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth on completion of boiler cleaning. ow at 0730 on 1 April.

*West Coast*
OB.304 departed Liverpool, escort DDs CHELSEA, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, HURRICANE, and VIVIEN sloop SCARBOROUGH, and corvettes ARBUTUS and CONVOLVULUS. DDs VERITY and WOLVERINE joined on 1 April. On 3 April, DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, HURRICANE, VERITY, and VIVIEN were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached on 4 April at which time the convoy dispersed.

*SW Approaches*
BC HOOD and CLs NIGERIA and FIJI were patrolling the UK to Gibraltar convoy route.

*Channel*

*Med/Biscay*
The Med Flt arrived at Alexandria after the Battle of Matapan. BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, CLs ORION and GLOUCESTER, and DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JANUS, JAGUAR, NUBIAN, MOHAWK, GREYHOUND, ILEX, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK arrived at Alexandria at dusk on the 30th.

Submarine RORQUAL sank *steamer LAURA CORRADO (Ger 3645 grt)* forty miles nth of Trapani.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

A Vichy French convoy of six steamers, escorted by DD SIMOUN, departed Casablanca for Oran. In Operation RATION, CL SHEFFIELD and DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FEARLESS, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar to intercept French convoy K.42 which included Vichy steamer BANGKOK, thought to be carrying 3000 tons of rubber, AZROU, CAP VARELLA, and SAN DIEGO. The convoy had departed Casablanca on the 28th. DD FEARLESS was unable to board the steamer when the French ships took cover under the French coastal battery at Nemours (on ther Algerian coast). Returning to Gibraltar, CL SHEFFIELD was damaged by a near miss from French bombing. The damage from this incident and the mining of 17 March required five days repair. DD FORESTER was damaged by bombing from Vichy controlled a/c. The DD was repaired in 28 days at Gibraltar.

DD HIGHLANDER arrived at Gibraltar for duty with Force H and later in the Sth Atlantic.

Submarine depot ship MAIDSTONE provided support for SubFlot 8 at Gibraltar, replacing the obsolete PIGMY, which was paid off on 1 April.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.27 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC SALOPIAN and DDs BUXTON and ST CROIX. The DDs were detached the next day and the AMC on 12 April. On 13 April, DDs KEPPEL and VENOMOUS, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the escort for the inbound run. DD LINCOLN joined on 15 April. On 17 April, DD KEPPEL and corvette KINGCUP were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 April.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
MSWs ABERDARE and HARROW departed Bombay for Alexandria and duty with the Med Flt. Italian steamer PIAVE departed Massawa and proceeded to Assab.

*Malta*
_Weather _Fine.

_0610-0640 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island and drop bombs near Imgarr and on the Hal Far and Birzebbuga areas.

_1000-1010 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft on reconnaissance at 24000 feet. Four Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_1645-1725 hrs _Air raid alert. A formation of 20 ME 109 and CR 42 fighters patrols five miles off Grand Harbour at 16000 feet to draw Malta Hurricanes while four JU 88 bombers, escorted by another four ME 109s come over the Island at 17000 feet and bomb Ta Qali aerodrome. Most bombs miss the target; only two fall on the aerodrome, including one at the east end which fails to explode. One Hurricane on the ground is slightly damaged. Twelve Hurricanes are airborne but the raiders evade contact. 

**


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## Njaco (Mar 29, 2016)

*March 30 Sunday*
*GERMANY:* Hitler held a conference in the Cabinet Room of the Chancellery in Berlin with 250 top commanders in which he said that the upcoming war with Russia would be a race war in which communist commissars and Jews would be exterminated by SS Einsatzgruppen following behind the advancing armies. In a lengthy speech, Hitler stated he expected the Soviet Union to be defeated in a matter of weeks and declared;


> "We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down."


 He makes it plain to them that the war in the east is to be conducted along different lines to any previous operation. There is to be no talk of proper "knightly" behavior and commissars and Communists are to be treated with utmost severity. Hitler told his assembled commanders of his intention to "exterminate" communism "for all time". Hitler also approves the army plans for the attack on Yugoslavia and Greece, to begin on April 6th.

*NORTH AMERICA: * The first Vultee A-31 Vengeance prototype V-72 flew from Vultee's factory at Downey, California.

Construction of defenses for the US Navy base at Palmyra and Jonston Islands began.

At a conference in Washington DC, United States, the US and the United Kingdom agreed on military coordination in the event of US entry into the war. In accordance to another agreement made in the conference, the Americans seized 2 German, 26 Italian, and 35 Danish ships in US ports; 850 Italian and 63 German officers and men were imprisoned.

*NORTH AFRICA:* An aircraft carrying British Air Marshal Arthur Tedder crash-landed in the Western Sahara; Tedder was not injured.

Correctly discerning that the British forces are weakly dispersed in positions which prevent mutual support, Rommel brings his forces forward from El Agheila toward Mersa Brega. Only part of 2nd Armored Division is ready to oppose him. The bulk of the Australian Division is near Benghazi and the remainder is back at Tobruk. British 2nd Armoured Division is reinforcing defenses on the narrow coastal defile at Mersa Brega. In order to prevent the Allied defenses becoming impregnable and to secure a source of fresh water running off the Green Mountain (Jebel Achdar), Rommel orders 5th Light Division commander General Johannes Streich to capture Mersa Brega.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-69 sank British ship “_Coultarn_” 300 miles southwest of Iceland at 0734 hours, killing 3. 39 survivors were later picked up by British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_California_”.

German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_Umona_” 90 miles southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2300 hours. 102 were killed and 5 survived.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The British RAF launched 109 aircraft after sundown to attack German cruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” at Brest, France. This was the first of 63 raids on the battlecruisers by bombers and torpedo planes during 1941. The ships, which were spotted by a Spitfire on March 28, escape unharmed.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British submarine HMS “_Rorqual_” sank Italian tanker “_Laura Corrado_” 33 miles northwest of Trapani, Sicily, Italy with torpedoes and the deck gun.

Italian submarine “_Dagabur_” attacked British cruiser HMS “_Bonaventure_”, escorting Allied convoy GA-8, in the Mediterranean Sea between Crete, Greece and Egypt at 2027 hours. The attack failed to damage the British ship.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A German Lorenz cipher machine operator sends a 4,000-character message twice, allowing British mathematician Bill Tutte to decipher the machine's coding mechanism. Churchill learns that, following Yugoslav signature of Axis Pact, 3 Panzer divisions have been railed from Rumania to Southern Poland - indicating firm intention to invade USSR - then returned to Balkans after Yugoslav revolution - indicating punitive expedition against Belgrade.

A Junkers Ju 88A (4U+GH) from 1(F)./123 was shot down by Flight Lieutenant A.D.J. Lovel DFC in a Spitfire of RAF No 41 Squadron during a reconnaissance of Manchester. The aircraft dived into the ground at Wilton Moor, Eston, Yorkshire 1550 hours and Lt W. Schloth, Lt O. Meinhold, Fw W. Schmigale and Uffz H. Steigerwald were all killed.

.


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## parsifal (Mar 30, 2016)

*31 MARCH 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-331
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 9,135 GRT, 1 warship sunk, total tonnage 31,100 tons, 1 warship damaged, total tonnage 372 tons





_U-331 at La Spezia_
Sunk on 17 November 1942 in the Med, NW of Algiers, by a torpedo from a British Albacore aircraft (820 Sqn FAA) and strafing by two British Martlets (893 Sqn FAA) from the CV FORMIDABLE, after being badly damaged by DCs and strafing from three British Hudsons (500 Sqn RAF/C, L & Z). 32 dead and 17 survivors.




_U-331 commander von Tiesenhausen receiving his Knight's Cross after sinking the RN BB HMS BARHAM _

Neutral
Mackerel Class Submarine USS MACKEREL (SS 204)





Allied
KGV Class BB PRINCE OF WALES (BB53)




_A fine ship committed to one battle with far too little preparation and another with far too little support. On both occasions, these shortcomings were avoidable_

Fairmile B HNoMS ML 233 (ML 233)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*MSW trawler LORD SELBORNE (RN 247 grt)* was sunk by mining three miles 102° from Spurn Head Port War Signal Station. 16 of the crew were lost
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.46 sank *tanker CASTOR (SD 8714 grt)* in the mid Nth Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Port Arthur (Texas) to Goteborg, fully laden with fuel and benzol fuel additive. She had a crew of 36 at the time of her loss 15 of whom were lost. 





*steam drifter HELPMATE (UK 76 grt)* was lost to an unknown cause off Newlyn, Cornwall.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler ONTARIO (UK 208 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the western approaches. The entire crew of the trawler were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-52

At Sea 31 March 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

14 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British trawler RATTRAY was damaged by the LW two miles ESE of Hook Pt (in the Nth Sea near Aberdeen).

*Northern Patrol*
CLA DIDO and CL AURORA arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol in the Faroes-Iceland Channel. 

*Northern Waters*
BB KG V, escorted by DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU, arrived at Scapa Flow after her stint escorting convoy HX.115.

*Channel*
DDs INTREPID, ICARUS, and IMPULSIVE, escorted by DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, and JACKAL, laid minefield GZ in the English Channel.

*Med/Biscay*
*Steamer UNA (Yug 1397 grt)* was seized by Italian authorities on the steamer's arrival at Genoa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dido class *CLA BONAVENTURE (RN 5600 grt)* was escorting convoy GA.8 since 30 March with CLA CARLISLE and DDs HEREWARD, GRIFFIN, and RAN STUART. The convoy was also being covered by CLs AJAX and RAN PERTH. RM submarine DAGABUR made an attack on CLA BONAVENTURE at 2027 on the 30th, which missed the target. RM submarine AMBRA attacked this convoy at 0244 on the 31st and sank CLA BONAVENTURE and narrowly missed RAN STUART. 139 of the 450 man crew were lost. The 310 survivors were picked up by DDs HEREWARD and RAN STUART. STUART also carried out ASW sweeps to try and locate the attackers.





DD GREYHOUND departed Alexandria and joined DD GRIFFIN of the GA.8 escort and then proceeded to Port Said. GRIFFIN and GREYHOUND were to be based at Suez to counter the threat of attack by the RM DDs at Massawa.

Gunboats APHIS and GNAT were stationed at Suez on this same duty.

*Mameli Class Submarine PIER CAPPONI (RM 810 grt)* was sunk by RN submarine RORQUAL south of Stromboli (a small island NNW of Messina).





A Swordfish of 815 Sqn from Maleme ditched off Kithera Island. Lt (A) E. D. J. R. L. Whatley and P/Midshipman (A) F. T. C. Wallington RNVR, were rescued.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.118 departed Halifax escort AMC WOLFE. On 3 April, BB RAMILLIES and FNFL sub SURCOUF were with the convoy. The submarine was detached on 9 April and the BB on 10 April. On 13 April, DDs CALDWELL, RAMSEY, RIPLEY, VOLUNTEER, and WALKER and corvettes KINGCUP and TULIP joined the escort. The corvettes were with the convoy for that day only. The AMC and RAMSEY were detached on 14 April. The remaining escort was detached with the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 April

*Central Atlantic*
*Tanker JOLE FASSIO (FI 5169 grt)* was scuttled at Puerto Cabello in Venezuala. She was later raised and put into US service as ALCIBIADES




_Tanker JOLE FASSIO & Tanker TROTTIERA From a contemporary Sth American Newspaper. I don’t know which one is which_

*Tanker TROTTIERA (FI 6205 grt)* was also scuttled at Puerto Cabello. There is no record of her wreck being raised.
(New Image source: Con la pelle appesa a un chiodo: Trottiera )





*Sth Atlantic*
*Steamer FELLA (FI 6072 grt)* was scuttled at Punta Arenas in Chile’s far south where the ship had been trapped since Italy joined the war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RM DDs LEONE, PANTERA, and TIGRE departed Massawa to bombard Port Sudan. However *DD LEONE (RM 2300 grt) *ran aground near Massawa on 1 April and PANTERA and TIGRE scuttled her with gunfire. The two remaining DDs then returned to Massawa.






*Malta*
_0500-0900 hrs _Several enemy reconnaissance flights are carried out to either side of Malta. No attacks or engagements.

_1137-1143 hrs _Air raid alert for a small enemy formation carrying out reconnaissance around the Island without crossing the coast. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement.

Western Desert
German 5th Light Division attacked British 2nd Armoured Division at Mersa Brega, Libya starting at 0745 hours, supported by dive bombers. After holding off the offensive for most of the day, German tanks broke through at 1730 hours, capturing the town by 1900 hours. As the sun slowly set, British commanders decided not to counterattack with their tanks, but instead withdraw 30 miles northeast toward Agedabia. The day's engagement cost the British 60 men killed, 8 armored carriers destroyed, and 1 anti-aircraft gun destroyed.


*
*


----------



## Njaco (Mar 30, 2016)

*March 31 Monday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *HMS “Prince of Wales” was commissioned into service.

By the light of seventy-four parachute flares, forty-seven Luftwaffe bombers attacked Hull. They dropped thirty-nine tonnes of HE (forty-three bombs) and 22,688 IBs. The concentration point lay between the City Docks and Alexandra Dock, however damage at the docks was only slight. Police premises and the Infirmary were hit. One large fire was started in the north east of the town besides numerous large and small fires in the docks area. A number of public buildings were destroyed or damaged. HE and PMs fell in almost every section of the city, water mains broken, roads blocked by falling buildings and main streets strewn with glass. 500 houses were made uninhabitable, while another 2,000 were damaged. Several industrial undertakings were also put out of action. Many casualties were reported, forty-four of them fatal and seventy-two seriously injured, many of the fatalities occurred in Alexandra Road, the Ferensway shelter and Freehold Street. East Hull fire station was damaged.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British Army Dental Corps Private Coe arrived in Switzerland after escaping from a German prisoner of war camp. He was the first to successfully do so.

*NORTH AFRICA:* German 5th Light Division attacked British 2nd Armoured Division at Mersa Brega, Libya starting at 0745 hours, supported by dive bombers. After holding off the offensive for most of the day, at 1730 hours German 8th Machine Gun Battalion advanced through sand dunes by the seashore and entered Mersa Brega by 1900 hours gaining Bren gun-carriers and 30 lorries. As the sun slowly set, British commanders decided not to counterattack with their tanks, but instead withdraw 30 miles northeast toward Agedabia. The day's engagement cost the British 60 men killed, 8 armored carriers destroyed, and 1 anti-aircraft gun destroyed. The few tanks with the 2nd Armored Division do not join the battle.

British and Indian troops broke through the roadblocks on the road between Keren and Asmara in Eritrea, Italian East Africa, capturing 560 Italian troops. Continuing the push south, Indian 5th Infantry Division engaged Italian troops near Adi Tekelezan, which was less than 50 kilometers from Asmara and was the last town before Asmara. To the east, Italian destroyers “_Leone_”, “_Pantera_”, and “_Tigre_” departed Massawa, Eritrea to attack British port facilities at Port Sudan, British Sudan. “_Leone_” struck underwater rocks en route, and “_Pantera_” and “_Tigre_” were forced to sink “_Leone_” by gunfire, and the attack was called off with two surviving ships heading back to Massawa.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Ambra_” sank British cruiser HMS “_Bonaventure_” 125 miles south of Crete, Greece at 0244 hours. “_Bonaventure_” was escorting Allied convoy GA.8 from Greece to Alexandria, Egypt at the time. 138 were killed, 310 survived.

British submarine HMS “_Rorqual_” sank Italian submarine “_Pier Capponi_” by torpedo 28 miles northwest of Messina, Sicily, Italy, killing the entire crew of 49.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British Naval and Air Forces had sunk one fifth of the German submarine fleet during the month. The losses were particularly damaging to the German effort since many of their experienced commanders were among those lost. British civilian air raid casualties for March were 4,259 killed, 5,557 injured.

German submarine U-46 sank Swedish tanker “_Castor_” 300 miles east of the southern tip of Greenland at 1033 hours, killing the entire crew of 15.

A US scientific/military team arrives in the Danish colony of Greenland, to consider the establishment of military bases there.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* Husband Kimmel and Walter Short received a report noting the weakness of the base at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii to surprise air attacks.

German merchant ships “_Muenchen_” and “_Hermouthis_” are scuttled by their crews to avoid capture by Royal Canadian Navy armed merchant cruiser “_Prince Henry_”, which intercepted them off Peru.

*GERMANY: *Bomber Command drops its first 4,000-pound bomb, by a Wellington aircraft over Emden, Germany.

*NORTH AMERICA:* 875 Italian and German seamen arrested on charges of sabotage.

.


----------



## parsifal (Mar 31, 2016)

*Summary Of Losses March 1941 (Unfinished)*
*Allied*
*Allied Warships*


*XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)*
*Allied Shipping*



*XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)*
*XXXX grt (Mercantile)*
*Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt*
*Prizes captured*


*Neutral shipping*


*( grt Mercantile)*

*Neutral warships*
*None*
*Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: XXX grt*
*Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXXX grt*

*Prizes taken*

*Cumulative Losses since 9/39*

*Axis Warships*
*DKM*
*XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),*

*(XXX grt)*
*RM*


*XXXX (RM XXXX grt),*

*(XXXXX grt)*

*Axis Shipping*
*GER*


*(XXXXX grt)*
*FI*


*Vichy*


*(XXXXX grt)*
*Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)*
*Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)*

*Captured ships*
*tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt),*
*steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt)*

*XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)*
*(+) (XXXXX grt)*


----------



## parsifal (Mar 31, 2016)

*01 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
BPB 70’ type (Ex-French order) MGB 66





White 73’ type MTB 44
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
The LW attacked convoy HXM.114 off Smalls. *Tkr SAN CONRADO (UK 7982 grt)* was badly damaged 13 miles 325° from Smalls. The tanker was taken in tow. When attacked again by the LW, the tow was cut, and the tanker sank on the 2nd.





*Tkr HIDLEFJORD (Nor 7639 grt)* was sunk by the LW 20 miles NW of the Smalls, with the loss of 29 crew members.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-103

At Sea 01 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER returned to Kiel after sinking 17 ships for 113,233 tons in the North and South Atlantic and in the Indian Oceans.

Swedish steamer LIDINGO was damaged on a mine west of Falsterbo (a coastal town in Sweden. The steamer was beached and was later towed to Malmo

*North Sea*
DD QUORN in the Nore Command was damaged by two near misses from the LW, sustaining light damage.

*Northern Waters*
CinC Home Fleet transferred his flag from BB QUEEN ELIZABETH to BB KG V.

A U-Boat was sighted 10 miles 305° from Dunnet Hd by CA LONDON. DDs WHADDON and QUANTOCK departed Scapa Flow at 2015 to hunt for her, and ASW whalers SOUTHERN SHORE, SOUTHERN FLOWER and SPOSA were also involved in the search. At 2330, the DDs were instructed to abandon the search and proceed to Rosyth. At 0030 on the 2nd, they were ordered to search for a downed aircrew in the Nth Sea. At 0645, but lacking success, they resumed passage towards Rosyth. The airmen were sighted off Whitten Head at 0800, but before the DDs arrived, they were rescued by an RAF launch. The DDs were able to continue to Methil and join Rosyth Command.

*West Coast*
British tanker ADELLAN was damaged by the LW seven cables from Sea Buoy, Milford Haven. The tanker was brought to Milford Haven. After the cargo was discharged, the tanker proceeded to Newport for repairs. British tanker CHESAPEAKE was attacked by the LW 15 miles Nth of the Smalls. The tanker was attacked again later that day 10 miles SW of St Goven's Head and suffered further severe damage, but remained afloat. The tanker anchored in Walton Bay on the 3rd. She was repaired and returned to service. Norwegian tkr KAIA KNUDSEN was damaged by the LW 20 miles NNW of the Smalls. The tanker was towed to Milford Haven and repaired.

On an ASW patrol, an Albacore of 828 Sqn force landed at the airfield at Whiten Head, Sutherland. All of the crew were injured, but survived

*Western Approaches*
DDs ANTHONY, RAN NESTOR and ASW trawlers of the 10th Anti-Submarine Striking Force departed convoy HX.115 at daylight and proceeded to Scapa Flow. The DDs arrived somewhat later and separately.

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy ANF.24 of six British ships departed Alexandria escorted by DDs NUBIAN and HEREWARD and corvette HYACINTH. Netlayer PROTECTOR sailed in this convoy with Fleet Air Arm torpedoes for Piraeus and nets for Suda Bay. Also in this convoy was British steamer NORTHERN PRINCE that should have arrived in the EXCESS convoy. However, after she ran aground at Gibraltar and missed the convoy, the steamer was sent around the Cape to Alexandria. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy from ASF.22 just after sunrise on the 3rd, and arrived at Piraeus on the 4th.

AG.10 which comprised two ships including the fast supply ship BRECONSHIRE departed Alexandria escort DDs ILEX, HAVOCK, and HOTSPUR. Supply ship BRECONSHIRE carried troops to be disembarked at Lemnos and Mitylene. The convoy was joined by CLA CARLISLE from Dawn on the 2nd from Suda Bay, and arrived at Piraeus on the 3rd. On the convoy's arrival at Piraeus, supply ship BRECONSHIRE and DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR proceeded to Mudros to disembark troops.

Convoy ASF.22 of seven British ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA CALCUTTA and DDs HASTY, DEFENDER, and RAN VAMPIRE. CLA CALCUTTA was detached to convoy ANF.24 sth of Kithera, and arrived at Alexandria on the 4th.

AS.23 of one British and six Greek ships departed Piraeus escorted by RAN DD VOYAGER and RN DD and WRYNECK and sloop GRIMSBY. Leaving Piraeus, destroyer WRYNECK attacked a submarine contact in Phleva Bay. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 4th and Port Said on the 5th.

Italian troop convoy of troopships ESPERIA, CONTE ROSSO, MARCO POLO, and VICTORIA escort DDs TARIGO, EURO, and BALENO and TBs POLLUCE and PARTENOPE departed Naples, and arrived at Tripoli on the 2nd.

*Central Atlantic*
BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL, joined by RAN DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, and RN DD FORTUNE which departed Gibraltar on 31 March, arrived at Gibraltar after escort duties. NAPIER and NIZAM departed Gibraltar escorting British liner HIGHLAND MONARCH for Freetown where they arrived on the 8th. All three ships departed Freetown on the 8th and arrived at St Helena on the 12th.

CL EDINBURGH arrived at Gibraltar after being relieved in convoy WS.7.

DDs HIGHLANDER, VELOX, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to meet BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, and troopship NARKUNDA arriving from Freetown and escort them to Gibraltar where the TG arrived on the 3rd.

*Sth Atlantic*
From 1 to 4 April, DKM AO NORDMARK took on fuel and stores from German tanker ILL at sea.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BS.22 departed Suez, escort sloop CLIVE. DD KIMBERLEY joined on the 3rd, DD KINGSTON on the 5th and CL CALEDON on the 6th. KINGSTON was detached on the 7th and KIMBERLEY on the 8th. The convoy was dispersed on the 9th.

German steamer LICHTENFELS made an attempt to escape the closing trap at Massawa, the steamer is unable to evade British patrols and was forced to return to Massawa.

*Steamer BERTRAM RICKMERS (Ger 4188 grt)*, departed Massawa on 29 March as she attempted to escape the British ring closing in on the port, however she scuttled herself after being intercepted by DD KANDAHAR.. The German steamer went down near Gondurmiat.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Pacific/Australia*
A number of German merchant vessels because of the shifting political situation in Sth America were forced to scuttle themselves

*Steamer HERMONTHIS (Ger 4833 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MUENCHEN (Ger 5619 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Both vessels departed Callao at 1930 on 31 March. They were both intercepted and challenged by RCN AMC PRINCE HENRY. Both vessels scuttled as a result. The wreck remained afloat, and was eventually was sunk by Peruvian cruiser ALMIRANTE GRAU off Callao, Peru.

*Steamer CERIGO (Ger 1120 grt)* was scuttled at Guayaquil, Ecuador. The steamer was later salved by Ecuador for use as 24 DE MAYO.










*Steamer EISENBACH (Ger 4323 grt)* was scuttled at Puntarenas, Costa Rica.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer FRIESLAND (Ger 6310 grt)* was scuttled at Paita, Peru.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamers LEIPZIG (Ger 5898 grt)* and *Steamer MONSERRATE (Ger 5578 grt) *were scuttled at Callao, Peru when they were unable to leave port. A Peruvian warship turned the steamers back when they attempted to leave harbour.




_Steamer LEIPZIG. No image found for the MONSERRATE_

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Mar 31, 2016)

*April 1 Tuesday*
*EASTERN EUROPE:* Moving to the Graz area of Austria are Major Johannes Trautloft’s Stab of JG 54 along with the II./JG 54 led by Hptm. Dietrich Hrabak, Moving to the Belica and Vrba airfields in Bulgaria are major Wolfgang Schnellmann’s Stab./JG 27 with II./JG 27 led by Hptm. Wolfgang Lippert, III./JG 27 led by Hptm. Max Dobislav and I(J)./LG 2 led by Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld. Moving to Deta near Temesvar are Major Bernhard Woldenga’s Stab./JG 77 along with II./JG 77 and II./JG 77. Going to Sofia is Major Johannes Schalk’s Stab./ZG 26 with I./ZG 26 under Hptm. Wilhelm Makrocki and II./ZG 26.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* To avoid being captured by the Americans and Canadians, 8 German merchant ships were scuttled by their own crews in various South American ports. German vessels “_Leipzig_”, “_Montserrate_” and “_Friesland_” were scuttled off Peru, German vessel “_Cerigo_” scuttled off Ecuador, German vessel “_Sesostris_” scuttled off Venezuela and German vessels “_Eisenach_”, “_Hameln_” and “_Orinoco_” were scuttled off Mexico.

German bombers sank British tanker “_San Conrado_” and Norwegian tanker “_Hidlefjord_” 45 miles west of Milford Haven, Wales, killing the entire crew of 29 of the latter. Three other tanks were also damaged during this attack.

*NORTH AMERICA:* 4th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron of 13th Composite Wing of 72nd Observation Group of US Army Air Corps was assigned to Losey Field in Puerto Rico.

The United States and Mexico signed an agreement in Washington allowing the reciprocal use of airfields and air space for the civil and military aircraft of both countries.

The US Navy took over San Francisco Bay’s Treasure Island.

*NORTH AFRICA:* In Italian East Africa, advancing British tanks were met by 2 police officers from Asmara, declaring the Eritrean capital an open city. Troops of Indian 5th Division entered the city at 1000 hours, accepting the surrender of 5,000 Italian prisoners of war, plus 1,500,000 shells and 3,000,000 small arms rounds. Armored cars under Colonel Bernard Fletcher ("Flitforce") are dispatched along the Via Imperiale towards Adigrat to cut off Italian retreat South into neighboring Ethiopia. To the east, German merchant ships continued to leave the port of Massawa. British destroyer HMS “_Kandahar_” intercepted German ship “_Bertram Rickmers”_, which was scuttled by her own crew.

Three sailors from HMAS “_Hobart_”, (cruiser), who were captured after volunteering to man a shore-based gun in August 1940, were released from prisoner-of-war camp in Eritria, East Africa. They were PO H. Jones, AB H. C. Sweeney, and AB W. J. Hurren.

Rommel holds 5.Leichte Division at Mersa Brega. British commander in Libya General Philip Neame (holder of both an Olympic Gold Medal and Victoria Cross) orders British forces to make a fighting retreat to Agedabia, if attacked. They will then split to cover the coastal road to Benghazi and routes through the desert South of the Green Mountain. Neither part will be strong enough to resist the German attack but they are not sufficiently mobile to provide mutual support.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The Golden Square of Pan-Arabic colonels oust the regent of Iraq, Abd al-Ilah. Pro-German officers under Rashid Ali began their move against the government of Iraq. Rashid Ali declared himself the "Chief of the National Defence Government."

*GERMANY:* The Royal Air Force dropped the first 4,000-pound blockbuster bombs of the war, by Vickers Wellington medium bombers in a raid over Emden.

Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” reaches Kiel after successful patrol.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian troop convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four transports escorted by Italian destroyers “_Tarigo_”, “_Euro_”, and “_Baleno_” and two torpedo boats.

Yugoslavian government decides full military mobilization will begin on 3 April. Dill confers with Prime Minister Simovic about military cooperation.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* RAF Air Marshal Brooke-Popham arrives at Manila to confer with MacArthur and Admiral Hart.

Lady Bowen Services Hostel, also known as the 12th Australian Defence Canteen Services Hostel was established in Spring Hill, Brisbane. The Lady Bowen Club, No. 12 Service Club and Australian Army Canteens Service Recreation Centre were opened in Albert Park, Springhill, Brisbane.

*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area recovers Kaoan and Hsiangfukuan as Japanese 11th Army withdraws toward its bases.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Railway traffic was machine-gunned by Luftwaffe aircraft near Berwick. It was estimated that by the end of the war, some 10,000 attacks on British Railways had taken place.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 1, 2016)

*02 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Vosper 70’ Type MTB 35
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U Class submarine HMS UPROAR (P-31)





*Losses*
*MSW trawlers CRAMOND ISLAND ( RN 180 grt)* and *MSW FORTUNA (RN 259 grt)* were sunk by the LW about five miles 120° from St Abb's Head. FORTUNA was proceeding to the assistance of trawler CRAMOND ISLAND when sunk. The entire crew of 15 of trawler FORTUNA were lost. Two bodies washed ashore at Berwick on the 5th. Two ratings were killed and three ratings died of wounds on trawler CRAMOND ISLAND.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Convoy SC-26
U.46 made attacks on convoy SC.26, sinking *Tkr BRITISH RELIANCE (UK 7000 grt)*. On passage from Aruba to the Clyde via Halifax, fully laden with oil, and with a crew of 50 aboard, at 2329 hrs, U-46 attacked convoy SC-26 SW of Iceland for the first time and reported a hit on the BRITISH RELIANCE and on a steamer of 5000 grt, but was not able to observe the ships sink. In fact, only the BRITISH RELIANCE was hit and foundered later. The master, 47 crew members and two passengers were picked up by SS TENNESEE and landed at Reykjavik. They were later brought to Gourock by the British Steamer ROYAL ULSTERMAN.





U-46 continued her attacks on the convoy during the early hours of the 3rd.

*Steamer BEAVERDALE (UK 9957 grt)* was sunk by U.48 in in the Nth Atlantic. On passage from St John to Liverpool via Halifax, with a mixed cargo, and a crew of 79 aboard, the ship was hit at 0100 hrs. The unescorted BEAVERDALE was hit amidships by one torpedo SE of Cape Farewell. At 0125 hrs, the U-boat began shelling the ship which exploded after 35 mins, heeled over to port side and sank. 20 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master and 25 survivors in the first lifeboat landed at Ondverdarnes, Iceland. The survivors in the second boat were picked up by the Icelandic trawler GULTOPPUR and landed at Reykjavik. They were later transferred to the British Steamers ROYAL SCOT and ROYAL ULSTERMAN and landed at Greenock on 17 April.






*Steamer FERMAIN (UK 759 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the SW approaches. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 02 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-124

15 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer MELROSE ABBEY was damaged on a mine in the River Ythan (north of Aberdeen). The steamer settled onto the river bed. The steamer was refloated on 26 July and towed to Aberdeen for repair.

*Northern Patrol*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH with DDs INGLEFIELD, ESKIMO, and ECLIPSE in attendance departed Scapa Flow. INGLEFIELD and ECLIPSE on the 6th were detached to Reykjavik, arriving early on the 7th, and operated under Flag Officer Iceland to screen cruisers in and out of Reykjavik. DD ESKIMO returned to Scapa Flow. The BB continued to Halifax to escort convoy TC.10 due to depart on the 10th

*Northern Waters*
BB KG V, CA LONDON, CLA DIDO, DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to relieve BC HOOD and CLs NIGERIA and FIJI on the OG/HG.route. CL FIJI was ordered to Gibraltar to join temporarily Fce H.

The DDs were detached to Londonderry on the 6th to refuel, arriving at dawn on the 6th. They sailed again on the 7th and rejoined at 0937 on the 8th. On the 8th, the ships left patrol and BB KG V and DDs SOMALI and MASHONA had returned to Scapa Flow by evening on the 10th. DD MATABELE was diverted to Barrow on the 10th for refitting, calling at Belfast to refuel en route. DD BEDOUIN was detached on the 10th to investigate a report on a burning ship west of Flannan Island. The DD was unable to locate the ship and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th.

DD ERIDGE departed Scapa Flow to meet steamer AMSTERDAM off the entrance to Aberdeen and escort her to Lerwick. The ships arrived at Lerwick on the 3rd and departed later that day to return to Aberdeen. ERIDGE arrived back at Scapa Flow in the afternoon of the 4th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.7 n the Pentland Firth and remain in company until dark. She returned to Scapa predawn on the 3rd.

*West Coast*
OB.305 departed Liverpool, escort corvette ABELIA and ASW trawler ROWAN. The trawler was detached the next day. On the 3rd, DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, ROXBOROUGH, SALISBURY, and VICEROY, corvette ANCHUSA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, and ST ZENO joined the convoy. The escort was detached on the 6th when the convoy dispersed.

ML PLOVER laid minefield ZME.27 in the Irish Sea. The ML laid minefields ZME.28 on the 5th, ZME.29 on the 16th, ZME.30 on the 18th, and ZME.31 on the 21st, which completed the series.

British tkr WILD ROSE was damaged by German bombing twelve miles southeast of Tuskar Light House (at the southern entramce to the Irish Sea, off the coast of Ireland. The tanker was taken in tow and beached near Rosslare Harbour. The tanker was later refloated and towed to Dublin arriving on 4 May.

*Med/Biscay*
BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL (with 12 Hurricanes embarked from CVE ARGUS, after it was realized that ARGUS did not have the flight deck length to allow a full fuel load to be carried by the Ferrying aircraft), CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, and FURY departed Gibraltar on Operation WINCH.

On the 3rd, the fly off of the Hurricanes to Malta was successfully accomplished. The Force arrived back at Gibraltar on the 4th. ARK ROYAL and DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE were sent ahead to receive more a/c from CVL FURIOUS in Operation TENDER. 4 Swordfish, now fitted with ASV radar, of 825 Sqn and 10 Fulmars of 807 Sqn were transferred to ARK ROYAL and 4 Swordfish and 9 Skuas were transferred to CVL FURIOUS. The remainder of Force H arrived at Gibraltar an half hour later. After the transfer, FURIOUS, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE, proceeded to join BC REPULSE, en route to England.

CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH departed Piraeus to cover convoys ANF.24 and AG.10. They returned to Pireaus on the 5th. Convoy AS.23 was attacked by the LW in the Aegean.

The following ships were sunk in these attacks:

*Steamer HOMEFIELD (UK 5324 grt) *hit off Gavdo Island as with the rest of the convoy, HOMEFIELD was later scuttled by DD NUBIAN of the convoy ANF.24 escort. Her survivors were taken off by RAN DD VOYAGER.





*Steamer COULOURAS XENOS (Gk 4914 grt)*, sunk off Gavdo Island.





Greek steamer TETI was damaged by near misses from the LW in these attacks off Gavdo Island. TETI was able to proceed to Crete. British steamer DEVIS in convoy ANF.24 was damaged by the LW off Gavdo Island. Corvette HYACINTH in the convoy ANF.24 escort attacked a submarine contact 170 miles sth of Scarpanto.

*Steamer KARADJORDJE (Yug 1293 grt)* and *Steamer PRESTOLONASLEDNIK PETAR (Yug 1726 grt)* were sunk by mining off Sibenik. The crews of both steamers were rescued.




_KARADJORDJE_





_PRESTOLONASLEDNIK PETAR_ 

A supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed Naples with steamers ALICANTE, MARITZA, SANTA FE, PROCIDA, and TEMBIEN escort DDs SAETTA and TURBINE and TB ORSA for Tripoli, arriving on the 5th

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RM DDs PANTERA, TIGRE, MANIN, BATTISTI, and SAURO departed Massawa to bombard Port Sudan.

*Steamer GIUSEPPE MAZZINI (FI 7669 grt)* and Steamer URANIA (FI 7099 grt) were sunk by British bombing near Dalac Island. The steamers were later salved by the British.




_GIUSEPPE MAZZINI_

[NO IMAGE OF THE URANIA]

*Malta*
_Weather _Fair.
_1547-1621 hrs_ Air raid alert for 16 ME 109 and six CR 42s which carry out a fighter sweep 5 miles off the coast of Malta. 14 Hurricanes are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims. An enemy Red Cross seaplane approaches to within five miles of the north coast, possibly searching for a fighter.

_HAL FAR AM_ Ten Hurricanes fighters and two Skuas arrived from Gibraltar. One Hurricane crashed on landing; pilot uninjured. a/c repairable

_LUQA 69 Squadron _1 Maryland photo-reconnaissance Naples at 6000 feet

Western Desert
German troops captured Agedabia and Zuetania in North Africa.


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## Njaco (Apr 1, 2016)

*April 2 Wednesday*
*GERMANY:* The Luftwaffe makes aviation history when the Heinkel He 280 twin jet-engined fighter, the world’s first jet combat fighter, the first twin-jet and the first jet other than a research aircraft, makes its maiden flight at Marienehe piloted by Fritz Schafer. The aircraft, flying without its engine cowlings because leaking fuel was collecting in them, reaches 485 mph. The flight lasts about three minutes but is enough to impress Ernst Heinkel and persuade him to show the jet to Generalluftzeugmeister Udet.

Battleship “_Bismarck_” received two aircraft.

*WESTERN FRONT:* During a sea-reconnaissance mission, a He 111 P-2 from 7./KG 55 is shot down by a Hurricane from RAF No 504 Squadron.

RAF Bomber Command sends 19 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

During one of his radio broadcasts, the anonymous pro-Nazi commentator derisively nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw confirmed his identity as William Joyce.

*NORTH AFRICA:* At dawn, British troops encounter German tanks and infantry probing in front of Agedabia. British fall back as ordered. Encouraged by this immediate withdrawal plus Luftwaffe reports of British armor moving away, Rommel orders 5.Leichte Division to advance. British 2nd Armoured Division withdraws inland to Antelat, uncovering the road to Benghazi. The 5.Leichte Division recaptures Agedabia from the British and fans out into three columns, two of which race across the desert in an attempt to cut off the retreating British, while the third pushes up the coast road towards Benghazi. In the first tank battle in the desert, 40 German and 14 British tanks tangle at dusk (Afrika Korps loses 3 tanks, British lose 5 with 1 damaged).

In Eritrea, Italian East Africa, Indian 7th Infantry Brigade and Free French Brigade d'Orient advanced toward Massawa. British troops offered surrender terms to Italian Rear Admiral Bonnetti, the commander of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla which had sortied out of Massawa on the previous day. Bonetti chose to press on with his planned attack on Port Sudan in British Sudan. Italian destroyers “_Panera_”, “_Tigre_”, “_Manin_”, “_Sauro_”, and “_Battisti_” prepared to attack the British facilities. British armored cars under Colonel Bernard Fletcher cut off the Italian retreat from Eritrea at Adigrat.

In Abyssinia, 11th African Division (now lead by 22nd East African Brigade) reaches the Awash River, 120 miles from Addis Ababa. Retreating Italians have blown bridges but they do not defend the river to prevent a crossing. British armoured cars under Colonel Bernard Fletcher ("Flitforce") reach Adigrat (just across the border from Eritrea), cutting off the Italian retreat from Eritrea and taking 3,500 prisoners.

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a Hurricane fighter near Tobruk, Libya at 1250 hours.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-48 sank British ship “_Beaverdale_” with one torpedo and deck gun 300 miles southwest of Iceland at 0150 hours; 21 were killed and 58 survived.

Allied convoy SC-26 ran into a patrol line formed by eight German submarines 460 miles southwest of Iceland. Overnight, German submarines U-46, U-69, U-73, and U-74 sank 6 merchant ships, damaged 1 merchant ship, and damaged the escorting British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Worcestershire_”; 110 men were killed.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Canadian armed merchant cruiser “_Prince Henry_” intercepted two German merchant ships off Peru. The German ships were scuttled by their own crews to prevent capture.


*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Winch: RN Force H with carriers HMS “_Argus_” and HMS “_Ark Royal_”, departs for Malta to deliver Hurricane fighters.

German bombers attacked Allied convoy AS23 25 miles south of Crete, Greece, sinking 2 freighters and damaging 2 others. HMAS “_Voyager_”, (destroyer), sank the heavily damaged cargo ships “_Homefield_”, and “_Colourous Xenox_”, after the savage German air attacks. Meanwhile an Italian supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five freighters escorted by two destroyers.

Mussolini told Japanese Ambassador Matsuoka the U.S. was deliberately provoking war. Matsuoka also visited with the Pope at the Vatican and reported to Tokyo;


> "The Pope took an utterly detached attitude, free of any favoritism regarding the European war, and approached the question from the point of view of a general peace throughout the world".



Greek government makes urgent request for US to supply weapons to equip new infantry divisions.

Yugoslavian military attaché reports German invasion will begin on 6 April but Prime Minister Simovic refuses to accept formal military agreement with the British.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Rashid Ali forms Government of National Defense in Baghdad. Newly appointed British ambassador Sir Kinahan Cornwallis arrives in Baghdad.

*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao: 19th Army Group of Chinese 9th War Area recovers Hsishan, Wanshoukung, and Shihchachieh as Japanese 11th Army withdraws toward its bases.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The boom defense vessel _'Cramond Island'_ (180t) was attacked and sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft off St Abbs Head and 'SS _Fermain'_ (759t) cargo ship, Sunderland to Cowes with a cargo of coal, sunk by German aircraft, near the 'Royal Sovereign Lightvessel'.

.

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## parsifal (Apr 2, 2016)

*03 APRIL 1941 (Part I) 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-564




_Colourised Still from a famous wartime film that showed how the germans undertook torpedo reloads at sea. U-564 was among the first Uboats to use this technique_


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl-P7Fhst60_


This is the uncolourised excerpt from the same fillm. The references that neutral shipping was respected whenb this film was made (1942) was a complete fabrication. Since the entry of the US no such protection was given to any nation to U-Boat Attack. If you were in a war zone, you were attacked, regardless of nationality.

18 ships sunk, total tonnage 95,544 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 900 tons
4 ships damaged, total tonnage 28,907 GRT

Sunk on 14 June 1943 in the North Atlantic NW of Cape Ortegal by depth charges from a Coatal Command Whitley a/c (10 OTU RAF/G). 28 dead and 18 survivors.

Type VIIC U-652




3 ships sunk, total tonnage 10,775 GRT
1 auxiliary warship sunk, total tonnage 558 GRT
2 warships sunk, total tonnage 2,740 tons
2 ships damaged, total tonnage 9,918 GRT
1 auxiliary warship damaged, total tonnage 10,917 GRT

Scuttled at 1050 hrs on 2 June 1942 in the Med in the Gulf of Sollum, after being badly damaged by depth charges from a British Swordfish a/c (815 Sqn FAA/L). 46 survivors (no casualties).

*Losses*
*River mouth patrol boat BAHRAM (RN 72 grt)* was sunk in mining in North Channel, Spurn. (Nth Sea) with the loss of 8 crew, only one crewman survived. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.69 sank *steamer DAPHNE (FN 1939 grt)* not in Allied service, in the North Atlantic, whilst transporting Coal to to a northern Noregian port for shipment to Sweden and Finland. Despite being service a neutral, even a nation with pro-German sympathies some would say, this did not prevent her loss. No ship was safe in the declared area from August 1940. She had a complement of 22 at the time of her loss, and was sailing as an independent, unescorted ship in dangerous waters. She was clearly displaying her neutral ship markings when lost. Her entire crew of 22 perished in the attack. BDU awarded this kill to U-76 for some reason, I think to hide its loss, U-76 was lost two days later, and dead men don’t speak.





*Steamer CAIRNIE (UK 250 grt)* was sunk by the LW six to eight miles SW of Tod Head. (off the east Coasty of Scotland near Montrose). The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer GREENAWN (UK 784 grt)* was lost to unknown cause in the Nth Sea, also near Montrose.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy SC-26
U.73 (some sources say U-74) sank *steamer INDIER (Belg 5409 grt)* Forty two crew from the Belgian steamer were lost. Four survivors were landed at Liverpool She was fully laden with steel when lost and had a crew of 46 at the time of her loss. She was on passage from Philadelphia to Glasgow, via New York and Halifax. At 0508 hrs, U-73 hit the WESTPOOL in convoy SC-26 with one torpedo and one minute later missed a presumed AMC with another. At 0512 hours, a third torpedo was fired which struck the INDIER under the bridge, causing the ship to sink within one minute over the bow. 42 men of the 44 crew members and two gunners on board were lost. The four survivors were picked up and landed at Liverpool.






U-74 sank *steamer LEONIDAS Z. CAMBANIS (Gk 4274 grt)*. She had a a crew of 29 when lost, of which 2 were lost, and was fully loaded with wheat. She was on passage from Halifax to Swansea when lost. At 0500 and 0501 hrs, U-74 fired two torpedoes at the convoy SC-26 and observed two detonations and saw one ship sinking after ten minutes. Kentrat reported two ships sunk, but Uboat Net expresses the opinion that both torpedoes probably hit LEONIDAS Z. CAMBANIS .





U.74 damaged AMC WORCESTERSHIRE but this ship survived because U-74 was out of torpedoes. She was escorted to Liverpool by 2 DDs, undergoing one further attack, from U-69 on route, with no further damage inflicted. Ahe was repaired and returned to service..

U.73 sank *steamer WESTPOOL (UK 5724 grt)*, with the loss of 35 men from a complement of 42. She was carrying scrap iron at the time of her loss and on passage from Baltimore to Leith via Halifax. At 0508 hrs the WESTPOOL in the reforming convoy SC-26 was hit by one torpedo from U-73 and sank in less than one minute SSW of Reykjavik. Eight crew members were picked up by and landed at Liverpool on 9 April.





U.73 sank *tkr BRITISH VISCOUNT (UK 6895 grt)*. She was fully laden with fuel oil for the Admiralty, on passage from Curacao to Scapa via Halifax, with 48 crew aboard. 28 men died in the attack. t 0832 hrs the BRITISH VISCOUNT, dispersed from convoy SC-26 3 hrs before, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-73 SSW of Iceland. The tkr caught fire, was abandoned and foundered a few hrs later. 18 crew members and two gunners were picked up by DD HAVELOCK and landed at Liverpool.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-52, U-108 

At Sea 03 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124

17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer ASSUAN was damaged by the LW in attacks off Montrose in the nth Sea. The steamer was beached two miles east of Scurdy Ness. The steamer was refloated on the 4th and berthed at Montrose. She returned to service after being repaired

*Northern Waters*
CLA DIDO departed Scapa Flow for anti-aircraft duties at Loch Ewe. The cruiser departed on the 7th with convoy OG.58.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.8 in the Pentland Firth and escort it to Methil, where they arrived on the 4th.

*West Coast*
OB.306 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ACHATES, BOADICEA, COLUMBIA, and ST FRANCIS, corvettes HEPATICA and WINDFLOWER, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. On the 4th, DD BROADWATER joined the escort was detached on the 7th. DD NIAGARA joined on the 5th and was detached with COLUMBIA on the 8th. BOADICEA was detached on the 6th. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 9th.

Mine destructor ship BUSHWOOD was damaged in a collision in Bristol Channel. The ship was repaired at Cardiff from 29 April to 7 May.

British steamer GEDDINGTON COURT was damaged by the LW on the West Coast in the Bristol Channel. 

*SW Approaches*
CL NIGERIA joined convoy HG.57 at sea. Convoy HG.58 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop EGRET, corvettes ASPHODEL, AZALEA, COREOPSIS, and FLEUR DE LYS,Dutch submarine O.21, and ASW trawler ARCTIC RANGER. Corvette ASPHODEL was detached on the 5th for Freetown, corvette COREOPSIS on the 9th, corvettes AZALEA and FLEUR DE LYS on the 10th, and submarine O.21 on the 12th.

DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, and WOLVERINE joined the convoy on the 16th for the home waters run in. On the 18th, DD CHELSEA was detached, and arrived at Liverpool on the 20th with the sloop and the other 3 DDs.

*Tanker THORN (DKM 5436 grt)*, which had been involved in refuelling ADMIRAL HIPPER on her recent sortie, was sunk by submarine TIGRIS 100 miles SW of St Nazaire.





*Channel*
Submarine UNDAUNTED departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar where she arrived on the 13th.

*Med/Biscay*
Italian submarine MICCA attacked two steamers in the Med without success.

ANF.24 was again attacked by LW Ju88s off Kithera and *munitions ship NORTHERN PRINCE (UK 10,917 grt)* was sunk in the Antikithera Straits, The cargo she carried was so desperately needed in Greece that part of her cargo intended for Egypt was not unloaded prior to sailing. The entire crew was rescued.





DDs JANUS and JAGUAR departed Alexandria for Port Said to guard against attack in the Red Sea from the RM Massawa based DDs. However this ordered was rescinded when word was received of the successful destruction of this force. The DDs were returned to Alexandria.

DDs GRIFFIN and GREYHOUND on patrol in the Straits of Jubal continued their duty until 4 April. On the 4th, both GREYHOUND and GRIFFIN as well as gunboats LADYBIRD and GNAT were ordered to return to Alexandria; all arriving on the 5th.

While minesweeping, MSW ABINGDON was damaged in by LW Dive bombers at Malta.

*Nth Atlantic*
U.73 badly damaged British steamer ATHENIC which was straggling behind convoy SC.26. The entire crew was rescued. However the steamer sank on the 5th (see entry on 4th April).

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
The surviving RM DDs of the Red sea Flotilla had remained at dock in Massawa until the very end of land operations in East Africa. Their commander ordered them to steam out on 2 April 1941, for an almost suicidal attack on Port Sudan.

The squadron was soon discovered by British air reconnaissance, and immediately bombed by Swordfish aircraft from CVL EAGLE. DD BATTISTI managed to reach the Arabian coast, where she was scuttled by her crew after engine failure. MANIN and SAURO were hit and sunk but did put up a spirited AA barrage. They are known to have continued firing their AA guns until they were sunk by the British planes

*Sauro Class DD BATTISTI (RM 1040 grt)*, en route to again attempt to bombard Port Sudan, broke down and was scuttled by accompanying Italian destroyers.





The following ships were sunk either directly or indirectly as a result of these attacks

Western Desert
Axis troops marched toward Benghazi, Libya. British troops evacuated the city per General Philip Neame's orders.


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## Njaco (Apr 2, 2016)

*April 3 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *German aircraft conducted a heavy raid on Bristol, England during the night. Shortly after 2100 hours several targets were bombed in the Bristol area. Although ninety-four bombers were sent only eighty-six managed to find their targets. For several hours numerous bomber formations of 76 aircraft attacked including six He 111s of III./KG 26, sixteen Ju88s of II./KG 1, ten Ju 88s from III./KG 1 – which lost one bomber crashing into the sea off the Isle of Wight – ten Ju 88s of II./KG 76, fourteen He 111s with the special X-Verfahren guided radar from KGr 100, twelve He 111s of II./KG 27, eight Ju 88s of I./KG 54, eleven Ju 88s of II./KG 54 and six Ju 88s of KGr 806. Between 2120 and 2230 nine German aircraft attacked Hull, delivering seventeen HEs and 3,672 IBs. Once again the targets were the docks and industrial installations. About seventy fires were started, none of which reached considerable proportions. The auxiliary patrol vessel _'Fortuna'_ (259t) was also attacked and sunk by enemy aircraft off St Abbs Head.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Overnight, RAF Bomber Command unsuccessfully sent 90 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine cruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” at Brest, France. Due to the raids, German naval staff and officers from “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” have been moved to the Continental Hotel but many are killed during dinner when bombs strike the hotel.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Churchill suggests that General O’Connor, who masterminded the successful Allied advance in January, is offered command in Libya. O’Connor refuses but nonetheless returns from convalescing in Cairo to advise General Neame. Rommel divides his force, sending 5.Leichte Division across the desert south of the Green Mountain while a mixed German/Italian unit heads along the coast road to Benghazi. Rommel flies around the battlefield in his Fiesler Storch light aircraft, giving orders and solving problems. When 5.Leichte Division tanks run low on petrol, he risks halting them for 24 hours and sends back trucks to bring more fuel. The British withdraw, following Neame’s orders, but the retreat is disoriented and confused in the open desert. A supply dump at Msus with large quantities of much-needed fuel is blown up on the erroneous rumor of approaching German tanks. This will badly hamper the mobility of British armor in the coming days.

HMAS “_Parramatta_”, (sloop), passed a flotilla of Italian destroyers at night while escorting a convoy off Port Sudan. No sighting report was made by either side.

Italian Admiral Mario Bonetti's fleet of 5 destroyers and smaller warships, which had sailed out of Massawa, Italian East Africa on the previous day, was detected and attacked by a force of British aircraft. Without air cover, one by one the Italian ships became so damaged by bomb hits that they had to be abandoned. Italian destroyers “_Manin_” and “_Sauro_” were sunk off Port Sudan by Fleet Air Arm aircraft from RN aircraft carrier “_Eagle_”. Italian destroyers “_Pantera_”, “_Tigre_” and “_Battisti_” were scuttled. The last survivor, the torpedo boat “_Orsini_”, tried to flee back to Massawa but being badly damaged by the British air attacks, she eventually settled and had to be scuttled before reaching the port. With British ground forces only an hour away from entering the port the remaining Italian ships there (“_Acerbi_” and half a dozen small MAS boats) were destroyed with demolition charges.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-76 sank Finnish ship “_Daphne_” 150 miles south of Iceland, killing both crew members.

British submarine HMS “_Tigris_” sank German tanker “_Thorn_” 100 miles southwest of Saint-Nazaire, France.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German bombers sank British munitions ship “_Northern Prince_” 17 miles west of Crete, Greece. All crew members survived.

Operation Winch. HMS “_Argus_” and HMS “_Ark Royal_” escorted by cruiser HMS “_Renown_” and HMS “_Sheffield_” plus 5 destroyers, ferrying 12 Hurricane fighters and 3 Skua dive bombers, successfully launched them to reinforce Malta, completing Operation Winch.

Operation Lustre: Australian 19th Infantry Brigade arriving Athens by sea from Egypt. General Papagos, General Wilson, and Yugoslavian General Jankovic confer on joint military operations.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The Iraqi Parliamentary government was overthrown by the military coup d’état that began two days prior. Rashid Ali had assurances from the Vichy officials in neighboring French Syria that German aircraft would operate out of Syrian bases in attacking the British in Iraq and that other German support would be forthcoming.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Winston Churchill warned Joseph Stalin (via the Soviet ambassador in London Sir Stafford Cripps) German troop movements into Poland detected by British intelligence.

German troops crossed into Hungary while the Budapest government was still considering a grant of transit rights. Germany had demanded them in order to use Hungary as a military jumping-off point. Prime Minister Count Pál Teleki received a message from London that the UK will sever relations if Hungary does not resist passage of German troops. Prime Minister Teleki 61, commits suicide in protest when he realizes he is powerless to prevent Horthy and the Hungarian military from joining the German invasion of Yugoslavia. He committed suicide rather than agree to Adolf Hitler's demands. However, the Hungarian Chief of General Staff Horthy appoints pro-German Foreign Minister László Bárdossy to succeed Teleki as prime minister.

*GERMANY: *Hitler issued Directive No. 26, Co-operation with our Allies in the Balkans. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/26.html Details are given of operations against Yugoslavia: Hungary will re-take the Babat of Temesvar (lost to Yugoslavia after World War One), Bulgaria will gain the disputed area of Macedonia, and Rumania will guard frontiers with Russia and Yugoslavia.

Subhas Chandra Bose, traveling with diplomatic papers as an Italian embassy official, arrives in Berlin from India via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union.

*ASIA:* Battle of Shangkao ends as Japanese 11th Army returns to its bases after punitive expedition in which it was unable to capture Shangkao.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 3, 2016)

*03 APRIL 1941 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (Cont'd)*
*Red Sea/Indian Ocean (Cont'd)*

*Sauro Class DD MANIN (RM 1040 grt)*,






*DD SAURO (RM 1040 grt)*





These ships were sunk in the air attacks about 10 miles from Port Sudan. It was a more closely run thing than the history book otherwise suggest, and the Italian crews who undertook the operation fought very bravely.

The following ships, after being damaged in the above air attacks, were sunk by DD KINGSTON.

*Leone Class DD TIGRE (RM 2300 grt)*
[NO IMAGE]

*Leone Class DD PANTERA (RM 2300 grt) *




_PANTERA prewar_

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL LEANDER arrived at Colombo, and then departed the same day for Madras.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 APRIL TO DAWN 4 APRIL 1941

_Weather _Fair.
_0800 hrs _Two Italian SM 79 bombers escorted by six CR 42 fighters machine-gun the high speed launch which has been positioned 40 miles west of Malta in case of forced landings by the newly-arrived Hurricanes.

_0901-0923 hrs _Air raid alert for six Italian CR 42 fighters which approach the Island from the north and circle six miles east of Grand Harbour. Anti-aircraft guns at St Julians fire a pointer round; the fighters retreat. Four Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

_1323-1404 hrs _Air raid alert for four JU 88 bombers escorted by 14 ME 109 fighters which approach the coast and bomb minesweeping trawlers _Jade_ and _Abingdon_ off the island of Filfla. _Abingdon_ suffers seven near misses from bombs which cause superficial damage. The fighters also attack a RAF launch 40 miles off the coast. Anti-aircraft guns engage: one JU 88 is probably destroyed. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 3 APRIL 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _12 Hurricane IIAs (the first for the TO) , 2 Skua arrive from CV ARK ROYAL . _69 Sqn _Maryland reconnaissance of eastern coast of Tunisia for enemy shipping.


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## Njaco (Apr 3, 2016)

*April 4 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Another massive Luftwaffe attack at night with 83 aircraft on the Avonmouth and south-east Bristol area. Kampfgeschwader engaged in the attack include fifteen Ju 88s from I./KG 77, twelve Ju 88s from II./KG 77, six Ju 88s of III./KG 77, twelve He 111s from III./KG 26 who lose a Y-Verfahren guided Heinkel crashing near Hewish in Somerset, twelve He 111s of II./KG 27, ten X-Verfahren guided He 111s from KGr 100, nine Ju 88s of I./KG 54, sixteen Ju 88s of II./KG 54 and three Ju 88s from KGr 806. The eighty-five bombers begin their attack shortly after 2100 hours and continue until 0130 hours. Free French sloops “_Conquerante_” and “_Suippe_” were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft at Falmouth.

Smoke Generators were used in Newcastle for the next ten days, starting today. Haslar Smoke Generators consumed fuel oil and water at 85 and 70 gallons per hour respectively. Countrywide the venture required 500 civilians and 10,000 members of the Army to operate and covered vital points in industrial towns and cities. None of the establishments protected by smoke screens - for example at Billingham, Derby, Newcastle and Nottingham - though the object of attention by the enemy, suffered important damage.

*GERMANY:* Hitler conferred with Ambassador Matsuoka in Berlin. At this meeting Hitler again urged the Japanese to attack the British and her Allies in Asia. Hitler denigrated the United States, apparently to ease Japans fears about possible U.S. entry in to a Pacific war. The German leader had previously told his guest;


> "England has already lost the war. It is only a matter of having the intelligence to admit it. Germany had made her preparations so that no American could land in Europe. Germany would wage a vigorous war against Americans with U-Boats and the Luftwaffe, and with her greater experience . . .would be more than a match for America, entirely apart from the fact that German soldiers were, obviously, far superior to the Americans".


 In the end Hitler assured Japan that Germany would fight against the United States if Japan got into a war with the U.S.

Hitler issued Directive No. 27, Plan of Attack on Greece. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/27.html

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine warships at Brest overnight. Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 downs two RAF Hampdens at night for his fifth and sixth victories.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines continued their attack on Allied convoy SC-26 250 miles southwest of Iceland, which was initially intercepted two days prior. Between 0000 and 0344 hours, U-94 and U-98 sank three ships; 36 were killed and 70 survived. At 1956 hours, U-76 sank “_Athenic_”; the entire crew of 40 were rescued. Destroyer HMS “_Wolverine_” and sloop HMS “_Scarborough_” were able to locate U-76 and launched depth charges, damaging the submarine.

The naval battle known as the Action of 4 April 1941 was fought in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. German raider “_Thor_” and British armed merchant cruiser “_Voltaire_” engaged in a 55-minute gun duel 900 miles west of the Cape Verde Islands at the distance of 9 kilometers. “_Voltaire_” was sunk, killing 74; “_Thor_” picked up 195 survivors.

German submarine U-97 sank British ship “_Conus_” 500 miles southwest of Iceland at 2006 hours, killing 59.

German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_Marlene_” 75 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa; 13 were killed, 47 survived.

*NORTH AFRICA: *German 3rd Recon Battalion gains Benghazi Libya, which was evacuated by British forces on the previous day. Rommel's forces then moved out swiftly along the coast and directly across the Cyrenaica desert. They pushed further east to the Green Mountain, where they were held by 3 companies of the Australian 9th Division. In the desert to the south, while German 5.Leichte Division was held in place waiting for a resupply of fuel, the British did not realize the German offensive through the desert had paused and continued to fall back. From the air, German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked a convoy of 21 trucks, destroying 1,600 gallons of gasoline.

After securing Asmara, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, Indian 5th Division moved east toward Massawa while Indian 4th Division was withdrawn from the region to reinforce Libya where a renewed Axis offensive was underway. Briggs Force approaches Massawa along the coast from the North, having advanced cross-country from Keren. 6 German and 7 Italian freighters were scuttled at Massawa to prevent Allied capture, while British RAF aircraft sank Italian torpedo boat “_Acerbi_” in the harbor. In Abyssinia, Italian troops were evacuated out of Addis Ababa as British 11th African Division advanced. South African Air Force aircraft conducted heavy attacks against Addis Ababa airfield. Italian garrison withdraws from Debra Markos due to activity of Wingate's Gideon Force. The Duke of Aosta retreats with Italian forces to mountain stronghold at Amba Alagi.

*NORTH AMERICA:* George Patton was promoted to the temporary rank of major general and takes command of 2nd Armored Division.

The Canadian federal cabinet introduces Order In Council PC 2385, The Merchant Seamen Order, giving authorities power to detain disobedient seamen from ships of any registry in Canadian ports.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian bombers sank Greek torpedo boat “_Proussa_” and Greek freighter “_Sussanna_” off Corfu, Greece.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *General Olof Thörnell, commander of Swedish forces, issues a report to government, stating that Sweden should prepare to participate in a war against the Soviet Union, for the sake of Finland, Sweden's future position, and prestige in northern Europe.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 4, 2016)

*04 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS CROMER (J-128)





HDML 1006, 1016
[NO IMSGE FOUND]

Mk I Class LCTs 28, 29, 30
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Elco 70 ‘ type MGBs 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Losses*
*Sloops SUIPPE (FNFL 604 grt)* and *CONQUERANT (FNFL 860 grt)* were sunk by German bombing at Falmouth.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.97 sank *tkr CONUS (UK 8132 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The entire crew of 59 were lost. She was outward bound, in ballast when sunk, on passage from Swansea to Curacao, and was attached to the recently dispersed convoy OB-304. At 1819 hrs on 4 April 1941 the CONUS, dispersed from convoy OB-304 was hit in the foreship by one G7e torpedo fired by U-97 and stopped SE of Cape Farewell. The U-boat then fired its last two torpedoes at the ship shortly after. The tanker capsized and sank within 10 minutes after the third torpedo hit.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.124 sank *steamer MARLENE (UK 6507 grt)* of West Africa. The ship was sailing independently at the time of her loss. She was on passage from Calcutta to a UK port, via Walvis Bay, and Freetown. She was fully loaded with general cargo and pig iron with a crew of 60. 13 crew were lost on the steamer. At 2302 hrs the unescorted MARLENE was struck under the bridge by one torpedo from U-124 SW of Freetown. The zigzagging ship had been spotted at 1608 hrs and missed by a first torpedo at 2059 hrs. 22 minutes after the first hit, she was struck by a coup de grace and remained afloat, but the crew began to abandon ship. At 2344 hours, the U-boat surfaced and began to shell the ship, but had to stop after 12 rounds of incendiary rounds were fired because the light for the gunsight stopped working. The MARLENE sank by the bow 5 mins after being hit by a third torpedo 0005 hrs on 5 April. Survivors were in the boats and landed at False Cape, Sierra Leone.





*Steamer SALVUS (UK 4815 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. Four crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Trawler WHITBY (UK 164 grt)* was sunk by the LW 3 miles SSE of Blackwater Light Vessel. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Convoy SC-26
U.98 sank *steamer HELLE (Nor 2467 grt)*, a straggler from convoy SC.26. The entire crew of 24 was rescued. At the time of her loss she was transporting a mixed cargo of wood pulp and steel , from Halifax to Liverpool. At 0029 hrs the HELLE, dispersed from convoy SC-26, was torpedoed and sunk by U-98. The 24 crew members abandoned ship in one lifeboat and were picked up in the morning by the RN DD HAVELOCK, which had been notified by the radio station at Resolution Island after the distress signals from the HELLE had been received.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.76 is credited with the sinking of *steamer ATHENIC (UK 5351 grt)*, damaged the previous day by U-73, and a straggler from Convoy SC-26 on this day. However the steamer did not sink until the 5th.

Fully laden with a cargo of wheat and with a crew of 48 aboard, she was enroute from Portland to one of the ports of London, via Halifax at the time of her loss.

At 1956 hrs the unescorted ATHENIC, dispersed from convoy SC-26, was hit on the starboard side one stern torpedo from U-76 about 340 miles south of Reykjavik. The explosion opened a large hole, blew the hatch covers off and damaged the bridge, injuring the chief officer on watch. About 28 hours earlier, the ship picked up eleven survivors from LIGURIA which had been sunk by U-46 on 29 March, but one of them died of exposure. The master, 35 crew members, two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and two machine guns) and the ten survivors immediately abandoned ship in the lifeboats in very rough seas when she developed a list to starboard. At 20.35 hours, the ship was struck on the port side in #4 hold just abaft the engine room by a coup de grace and after 17 minutes she rolled over to starboard and sank.

U-76 left the area without questioning the survivors because the ATHENIC had sent distress signals and the Germans correctly assumed that escort ships from the dispersed convoy were heading for the scene. At dawn the next morning, the U-boat was located by the warships, forced to surface after several depth charge attacks and sank after the crew abandoned ship. The Germans were taken prisoner by Corvette HMS ARBUTUS, which subsequently searched for the lifeboats and picked up the survivors at 1415 hrs, landing them at Liverpool on 8 April.





U.94 sank *steamer HARBLEDOWN (UK 5414 grt)*. She had a crew of 41 and was transporting wheat from Portland to London via Maine and Sydney Canada when lost. 14 crew and 2 gunners were lost on the steamer. At 0340 hrs the unescorted HARBLEDOWN, dispersed from SC-26 was torpedoed and sunk by U-94 SSW of Iceland.. Survivors were rescued by DD VETERAN and landed at Liverpool.





U.98 sank *steamer WELCOMBE (UK 5122 grt)* from convoy SC.26 in the Nth Atlantic.She had a crew of 41 and was fully laden with grain when lost. She was on passage from Baltimore to Loch Ewe via Halifax when lost. 20 crew were lost on the steamer. At 0344 hrs, U-98 fired a G7e torpedo at WELCOMBE in a group of ships from the recently dispersed convoy SC-26 SSW of REYJAVIK. She was hit underneath the stack and sank after 15 minutes. The ship had been missed by a first G7e torpedo at 0315 hrs. 19 crew members and two gunners were picked up by DD HAVELOCK and landed at Liverpool.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 04 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-76, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124

17 Boats at Sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
CLs ARETHUSA and GALATEA arrived at Scapa Flow

*Western Approaches*
Steamer CAPE VERDE was damaged by the LW in the EWestern Approaches

*SW Approaches*
BC REPULSE, CVE ARGUS, and troopship NARKUNDA with DDs HIGHLANDER, FURY, and VELOX departed Gibraltar for England. CVL FURIOUS departed la little later ater, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR and FORTUNE. The forces joined at sea. The DDs returned to Gibraltar.

*Med/Biscay*
BC RENOWN, CVs ARK ROYAL, CVL FURIOUS, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORTUNE, and FORESIGHT departed Gibraltar on Operation PRINCIPAL, an attack on Vichy BC DUNKERQUE. Submarines OLYMPUS and OTUS had already put to sea from Gibraltar on the 3rd for this operation. However operation PRINCIPAL was cancelled when it was found that the DUNKERQUE was not preparing to leave port. Submarines OLYMPUS and OTUS departed their patrols off Oran and proceeded to Malta and Gibraltar, respectively.

Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Malta after ML ops off western Sicily.

ASF.23 with one Greek and 2 British ships departed Piraeus escorted by CLA COVENTRY, DDs DECOY, HERO, and corvette SALVIA. Netlayer PROTECTOR sailed in the convoy to repair the boom defences at Suda Bay and transport motor generators for damaged cruiser YORK. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 7th.

GA.10 of British steamer CAMERONIA and Dutch steamer PENNLAND escorted by CLA CARLISLE, DDs ILEX, NUBIAN, and HEREWARD, arrived at Alexandria on the 6th. NUBIAN and corvette HYACINTH of convoy ANF.24 attacked a submarine contact off Phleva Is.

DD JANUS departed Alexandria for Port Said for escort duty in convoy AN.25.

Submarine PARTHIAN departed Alexandria for Port Said for docking and repairs.

RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN departed Alexandria to reinforce the Inshore Squadron.

Ex-Austrian *TB PROUSA (RHN 120 grt)* built in 1913 and *steamer SUSSANNA (Gk 932 grt) *was sunk by German bombing at Corfu.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
*AMC VOLTAIRE (RN 13245 grt)* engaged DKM Raider THOR, which was hit once by VOLTAIRE, but the British ship was sunk. 234 of the crew were lost or killed. THOR survived the engagement and rescued over 75% of the VOLTAIRES crew. Canadian armed merchant cruiser PRINCE HENRY reported oil and wreckage on 7 and 9 April at this location, but there was no information on the AMC. Cruiser VOLTAIRE was not reported missing until 3 May





*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Giuseppe Sirtori Class *TB GIOVANNI ACERBI (FI 669 grt)* was sunk at Massawa.




_Lead Ship of the class GIUSEPPE SIRTORI_

German and Italian steamers were scuttled at Massawa.
*Steamer CREFELD (Ger 8045 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer FRAUENFELS (Ger 7487 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was salved as EMPIRE NIGER.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer GERA (Ger 5155 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was salved as EMPIRE INDUS.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer LICHTENFELS (Ger 7566 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer LIEBENFELS (Ger 6318 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was salved at EMPIRE NILE.





*German steamer OLIVA (7885grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer ADUA (FI 3564* grt) was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer BRENTA (FI 5400 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer ARABIA (FI 5943 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer ROMOLO GESSI (FI 5148 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Coastal steamer IMPERO (FI 488 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer VESUVIO (FI 5430 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer XXIII MARZO (FI 5006 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

RAN CA CANBERRA departed Mauritius escorting British steamer TALAMBA, carrying 910 troops. The cruiser escorted the steamer to the Seychilles where 500 more personnel were embarked. CL GLASGOW escorted the steamer from the Seychilles until rendezvousing with convoy WS.6. The steamer continued on to the Middle East arriving on the 29th.

*Pacific/Australia*
*Mooring vessel BUFFALO (UK 750 grt)* departed Singapore on the 5th to salvage a Blenheim a/c of 27 Sqn which had crashed sth of Siglap Obelisk. She carried a dockyard party of 19, an officer and a signalman from CL DAUNTLESS, and 25 RAF personnel of RAF 151 Maintenance Unit. The vessel struck a mine in Minefield 3, laid by DD STRONGHOLD in March, and sank. 32 of those aboard lost their lives, and a further 25 were injured.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Elements of the US Pacific Flt were ordered to the Atlantic on the 4th over strong opposition from Admiral King. Units involved were BBs IDAHO, MISSISSIPPI, and NEW MEXICO, CV YORKTOWN, CL s PHILADELPHIA, BROOKLYN, SAVANNAH, and NASHVILLE, and DDs LANG, STERETT, WILSON, WINSLOW, WAINWRIGHT, STACK, MORRIS, BUCK, and ROE. DD WARRINGTON departed Pearl Harbour on the 18th. CV YORKTOWN departed Pearl Harbour on the 20th with DDs MAYRANT, TRIPPE, RHIND, MUSTIN, RUSSELL, and JOUETT. The carrier arrived at Bermuda on 12 May. BB MISSISSIPPI, CL SAVANNAH, and DDs WILSON, STERETT, and LANG departed Pearl Harbour on 19 May and arrived at Guantanamo on 5 June. NEW MEXICO and CL NASHVILLE departed Pearl Harbour on 20 May and arrived at Norfolk on 16 June. BB IDAHO and CL s PHILADELPHIA and BROOKLYN departed Pearl Harbour on 22 May for Norfolk, arriving on 16 June. CL SAVANNAH later arrived at Boston on 17 June. NASHVILLE later arrived at Boston on 19 June. PHILADELPHIA arrived at Boston on 18 June.

From San Diego, DDs SIMS, ANDERSON, HUGHES, and HAMMANN departed on 29 May for the Atlantic.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 APRIL TO DAWN 5 APRIL 1941

_Weather _Fair.
Aircraft are reported several times in the vicinity of the Island but no air raids materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 4 APRIL 1941
_AIR HQ 69 Squadron 0810-1455 hrs _Maryland intending reconnaissance of Spezia was impeded by clouds and surveyed Maddalena Harbour instead. _0846-1430 hrs_ Maryland photo-reconnaissance Bari and Brindisi harbours. _1435 hrs_ Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and Tunisian coast for enemy shipping.

Cyrenaica
Axis troops captured Benghazi, Libya, which was evacuated by British forces on the previous day. They pushed further east to the Green Mountain, where they were held by just 3 companies of the Australian 9th Division. In the desert to the south, while German 5th Light Division was held in place waiting for a resupply of fuel, the British did not realize the German offensive through the desert had paused and continued to fall back. From the air, German Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed a convoy of 21 trucks, destroying 1,600 gallons of gasoline


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## Njaco (Apr 4, 2016)

*April 5 Saturday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* In preparation for the assault on the Balkans and Greece, the Luftwaffe transfers several single and twin-engined Geschwaders to the area. The III Gruppe of JG 54 led by Hptm. Arnold Lignitz, along with the 4 Staffel from the II Gruppe arrive at Arad in Rumania along with the Stab and III./SKG 77 under Major Graf Clemens von Schönborn-Wiesentheid.

All British, Australian and New Zealand forces in Greece came under command of the veteran Australian, General (later Field Marshal Sir) Thomas Blamey to form the 1st Australian Corps. Henry Maitland Wilson officially took command of the British "W" Force in Greece. General Carton de Wiart was appointed head of British military mission to Yugoslavia.

1st Battalion of British Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment arrived to garrison Lemnos Island.

German commandos secure docks along the Danube River in preparation for Germany's invasion of the Balkans.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *At Moscow, Russia, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union entered into a non-aggression treaty. The pact marked a crucial point in the rupture between Germany and Russia. Agent reports to Stalin from Prague that Germany will invade Soviet Union on 15 May.

The German embassy in Moscow, Russia reported that Soviet exports to Germany had dramatically increased in the month of Mar 1941, but the flow of goods from Germany to the Soviet Union had slowed.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Axis forces advanced toward Msus and Mechili in Libya.

Indian 5th Division reached Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. Italian Admiral Bonetti, the head of the 10,000-strong garrison who had ignored surrender demands previously, asked for surrender terms at 1330 hours. Before the Allies responded, however, his superiors in Rome, Italy ordered him to fight until the last man. East African 22nd Infantry Brigade crosses the Awash River and advances toward Addis Ababa. South African Air Force aircraft conducted heavy attacks against Addis Ababa airfield

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Before dawn, shortly after midnight, British destroyer HMS “_Wolverine_”, corvette HMS “_Arbutus_”, and sloop HMS “_Scarborough_”, escorting Allied convoy SC-26, forced German submarine U-76 to surface 250 miles south of Iceland. The German crew scuttled the submarine to prevent capture. During the attack on the submarine, 1 German crewman was killed; the 42 survivors were captured by the British.

German submarine U-105 sank British ship “_Ena de Larrinaga_” 800 miles northwest of Natal, Brazil at 0338 hours; 5 were killed, 38 survived.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Congress passed the "Fifth Supplemental National Defense Appropriation Act, 1941", which allocated US$14,575,000 for establishing a Marine Corps training ground on the east coast of the United States.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Operation Savanna ended with the main Allied objective having failed. Captain Georges Bergé saw Geoffrey Appleyard of the SOE's Small Scale Raiding Force paddling ashore after launching from the submarine HMS “_Tigris_”. Unfortunately, two other kayaks were damaged being launched so only Bergé and Forman could be extracted. Joël Le Tac (fr) remained behind and made his way to a safehouse in Paris and continued as an SOE operative.

RN Force H patrols off Bay of Biscay to contain Kriegsmarine warships at Brest.

*ASIA: *Japan declared it would control all rubber exports from Thailand, Indochina and the Dutch East Indies through a Japanese association of rubber dealers. Japan was reduced to a month's supply of rubber stocks.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* In Australia, the trading schooner “_Gerard_” was commissioned into the RAN as an auxiliary patrol vessel.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 5, 2016)

*05 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-431
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

6 ships sunk, total tonnage 7,679 GRT
Sunk on 21 October 1943 in the Med east of Cartagena, Spain, by aWellington a/c 179 Sqn RAF. 52 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
HDML 1013
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.105 sank *steamer ENA DE LARRINAGA (UK 5200 grt)* in the central Atlantic. Five crew were lost on the steamer. Thirty eight crew were rescued. She was outward bound from Hull to Buenos Aires, carrying mixed cargo and coal. She was sailing independently at the time of her loss. At 0338 hrs on 5 April 1941 the unescorted ENA DE LARRINAGA was hit aft by one G7a torpedo from U-105 and sank slowly on an even keel 205 miles east of St. Paul Rocks. The U-boat had spotted the ship about 10 hours earlier and decided to wait for the night to attack. The master and 18 survivors were rescued after 13 days and landed at Rio de Fogo near Toures, Brazil. The chief officer and 18 survivors were picked up by the Brazilian steam passenger ship ALMIRANTE ALEXANDRO and landed at Pernambuco. The master Reginald S. Craston was awarded an OBE and the Lloyd’s War Medal for bravery at sea.





*Type VIIC Uboat U.76 (DKM 740 GRT)* was sunk by DD WOLVERINE and sloop SCARBOROUGH, escorting convoy SC.26, sth of Iceland. Corvette ARBUTUS was also involved in the attack. The commanding officer, three other officers, and thirty ratings from the submarine were rescued. One crewman was lost.





*Steamer ST CLEMENT (UK 450 grt)* was sunk by the LW in air attack 20 miles SE of Peterhead (just nth of Aberdeen). Chief Engineer was lost.




*Steamer RATTRAY HEAD (UK 496grt)* was sunk by the LW eight miles ENE of Aberdeen. Three crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 05 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124

16 Boats at Sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil at 0630 to meet convoy EC.2 and provide cover to the Pentland Firth.

ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by patrol sloop SHELDRAKE and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE, laid minefield BS.53 off the east coast of England.

*Northern Patrol*
CLs AURORA and GALATEA departed Scapa Flow to support ML opn SN.8 in the Denmark Strait. MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, AGAMEMNON, PORT QUEBEC, and MENESTHEUS, escorted by DDs COSSACK and ANTHONY, which had departed Scapa Flow on the 4th and arrived at Loch Alsh at 1630, LANCASTER, and ST MARYS, departed Loch Alsh on the 5th for ML operation SN.8. ML AGAMEMNON was carrying a reduced load of mines due to collision damage with DD CASTLETON. The operation was carried out on the 6th without incident. CAs NORFOLK from the Denmark Straitpatrol and SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow on the 5th provided cover for the operation. CA NORFOLK arrived at Hvalfjord at 0540/8th.

CLs AURORA and GALATEA returned to Scapa Flow on the 8th. CA SUFFOLK and DD COSSACK arrived at Scapa Flow later on the e 8th and DD ANTHONY arrived later still..

BB RESOLUTION with DDs PIORUN, GARLAND, LEGION, and LEOPARD departed Greenock for Hvalfjord. DDs ACTIVE and ECHO relieved the BB escort off Iceland for refuelling. The BB after a few days in the Denmark Strait pressed on to Halifax, then Philadelphia for refitting.

*Northern Waters*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to cover convoy WN.9 from the Pentland Firth.

At 1000 on the 6th, the ship transferred to convoy EN.95 and covered her to the north. After departing convoy EN.95 in Pentland Firth, the ship returned to Scapa Flow on the 7th.

*West Coast*
RCN DD ASSINIBOINE was damaged in a collision with British steamer LAIRDSWOOD in the Irish Sea. The DD was escorting British steamer GLENARTNEY to Gibraltar. DD BOREAS relieved her of the escort duty. ASSINIBOINE was repaired at Greenock from 8 April to 18 May.

*Channel*
The Admiralty reported that 6 enemy DDs passed through the Straits of Dover at about 1900, possibly en route to Brest. Three of the DDs were reported entering Cherbourg at 0720/6th. This was viewed as a prelude to the sailing of German warships from Brest. DDs KELLY and KASHMIR departed Plymouth and rendezvoused with DDs KELVIN and JACKAL ten miles 130° from Wolf Rock. No contact was made with the German ships.

*Med/Biscay*
CL FIJI arrived at Gibraltar.

AN.25 of one Greek AND five British shipS departed Alexandria escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs JERVIS and JANUS. The DDs also were carrying mines and special stores for the Fleet Air Arm in Greece, and arrived at Piraeus on the 9th. COVENTRY proceeding to Suda Bay after completion of the escort.

*Steamer SIFNOS (Gk 2290 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Milos. Some sources claim she was lost on the 23 April. She was loaded with about 600 tons of oil in drums, soap, wine, and other goods. Discharging port would be Piraeus. She called at Suda for coaling and supply of 20 tons of fresh water. On the day of her loss around 0820 hrs she arrived at the entrance of Adamas bay, Milos where she was attacked by LW Ju-88s. The ship was hit in her engine room and her Master (E. Moscholios) turned her to starboard so as to run her aground on the nearby shore. However she did not make it as a second bomb exploded in the aft hold sending the ship down fairly quickly. Of her crew of nine, four lost their lives.





*Malta*
_Weather _Fair.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 5 APRIL 1941

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _Maryland photo-reconnaissance Tripoli, Mellaha, Lampedusa. At Tripoli: 14 DDs or TBs, 23 merchant vessels. Maryland photo-reconnaissance Spezia. 

Cyrenaica

Axis forces advanced toward Msus and Mechili in Libya.


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## Njaco (Apr 5, 2016)

*April 6 Sunday*
*INVASION OF YUGOLSLAVIA AND GREECE (BALKANS)*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita/ The April War: Hitler invades Yugoslavia and the Balkans. The German plan consists of a two-pronged attack with one striking from Austria into Yugoslavia and a second force moving through the Rupel Pass from Bulgaria into Greece. Yugoslavia will be crushed from all sides in a classic blitzkrieg. The invasion was spearheaded by the German 2.Armee, with elements of the 12.Armee under Field Marshal List, a panzer group and an independent panzer corps combined with overwhelming Luftwaffe support. The 19 German divisions included five panzer divisions, two motorised infantry divisions and two mountain divisions. The German force also included three well-equipped independent motorised infantry regiments and was supported by over 750 aircraft. The Italian 2nd Army and 9th Army committed a total of 22 divisions and 666 aircraft to the operation. The Hungarian 3rd Army also participated in the invasion, with support available from over 500 aircraft. During the April War, the Führer Headquarters (FHQ) was codenamed Frühlingssturm (Spring Storm) and consisted of the Führersonderzug (Special Führer's Train) codenamed “Amerika” stationed in Mönichkirchen alongside the special train “Atlas” of the Armed Forces Operations Staff (Wehrmachtführungsstabes, WFSt).

Unternehmen 25:  The invasion commenced with an overwhelming air attack on Belgrade and facilities of the Royal Yugoslav Air Force (VVKJ) by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) and attacks by German land forces from southwestern Bulgaria. These attacks were followed by German thrusts from Romania, Hungary and the Ostmark. Italian forces were limited to air and artillery attacks. German armoured columns from Bulgaria bypass antiquated Yugoslav mountain defenses and rush down the river valleys almost 100 miles towards Greece, reaching Skopje and Veles in Southern Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav Supreme Command committed numerous forces from its strategic reserves, including the 2nd Cavalry Division, but these were harassed by the Luftwaffe during transit to the front and did not get through in any real quantities. Having reached Niš from its initial attacks from Bulgaria and broken the Yugoslav defences, the German 14th Motorised Corps headed north in the direction of Belgrade. The German 46.Panzerkorps had advanced across the Slavonian plain from Austria to attack Belgrade from the west, whilst the 41.Panzerkorps threatened the city from the north after launching its offensive drive from Romania and Hungary.

Unternehmen Marita: Hungarian, and Italian forces along with German mountain troops invade Greece from Bulgaria but they are quickly held at the Metaxas Line. 2 forts in the Metaxas Line are destroyed by German bombing. The German unit detailed for the invasion of Greece was the 12.Armee under Field-Marshal Wilhelm List, with a total of 15 divisions and other elements. Of those the XVIII and XXX Corps were to be used against Metaxas Line. The Greek units responsible for the Metaxas Line were the Eastern Macedonia Army Section under Lieutenant General Konstantinos Bakopoulos and the independent Evros Brigade under Major General Ioannis Zisis. The Yugoslav force that contributed directly to the defence of Metaxas Line was the 20th "Bregalnička" Infantry Division, part of the 3rd Territorial Army of the Yugoslav army. It confronted the German 2.Panzerdivision, which would attempt to outflank the entire Greek position crossing into Greece from Yugoslav territory. British ‘W’ Force consisting of British 1st Armored Brigade, Australian 16th Infantry Brigade and 19th Infantry Brigade, NZ 4th Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Brigade, and 6th Infantry Brigade were to hold the Aliakmon Line in northern Greece. The XL Panzer Corps — planned to attack across southern Yugoslavia — began their assault at 0530 hours. They pushed across the Bulgarian frontier at two separate points. The 2.Panzerdivision (XVIII Mountain Corps) entered Yugoslavia from the east in the morning and advanced westward through the Struma Valley. It encountered little resistance, but was delayed by road clearance demolitions, mines and mud. As the Yugoslavia defenses collapsed, the 2.Panzerdivision swung south and moved behind the Metaxas line toward Salonika.

During the battle for the bunker Beles of the Metaxas Line, Sergeant Dimitrios Itsios of the Greek Army was ordered to cover the retreat of his unit from a pillbox with an MG and then retreat once they got a chance. Five other soldiers were with him. After some time and with the Germans sending wave after wave at the pillbox, he ordered his fellow soldiers to fall back. Three of them obeyed but the other two who came from the same town where Itsios lived, refused and continued fighting with him. They only stopped fighting when they had no ammunition left. 38,000 bullets were fired and more than 230 Germans were laying dead in front of the pillbox.

The Germans captured Itsios and the other 2 soldiers. General Schörner himself showed up and asked him where his commanding officer was.

''There is none'', he replied, ‘I’m in charge here''

General Schörner continued ''Congratulations. With your resistance you revived the spirit of your ancestors.''

''I only did my duty'' said Itsios.

''And I must do mine. You cost me 200 of my men'' General Schörner replied and gave the order for his execution on the spot. The other two soldiers weren't harmed and told the story to their relatives when they got back home.

Again the Luftwaffe would continue the Blitzkrieg style by bombing the ground forces and gaining air superiority over the front. The 400 aircraft of Luftflotte IV assembled for the assault flew missions from airfields in Bulgaria, Rumania and Austria. Tactical control of all close-support aircraft was placed under the command of General Wolfram von Richthofen and his VIII Fliegerkorps. The Luftwaffe swiftly destroyed Yugoslavian Air Force on the ground. Luftwaffe dive-bombers and ground-attack fighters destroyed 26 of the Yugoslav Dorniers in the initial assault on their airfields, but the remaining aircraft were able to effectively hit back with numerous attacks on German mechanized columns and upon Bulgarian airfields.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 5, 2016)

*April 6 Sunday continued*
*INVASION OF YUGOLSLAVIA AND GREECE (BALKANS)*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen Strafgericht: One of the first missions flown by Luftflotte IV is an attack on Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia. Flying in relays from airfields in Austria and Romania, 300 aircraft, of which a quarter were Junkers Ju 87 Stukas, protected by a heavy fighter escort began the attack. The dive-bombers were to silence the Yugoslav anti-aircraft defences while the medium bombers consisting mainly Dornier Do 17s and Junkers Ju 88 attacked the city. The initial raid was carried out at 15-minute intervals in three distinct waves, each lasting for approximately 20 minutes. Thus, the city was subjected to a rain of bombs for almost one and a half hours. The German bombers directed their main effort against the center of the city, where the principal government buildings were located. When the attack was over, some 4,000 inhabitants lay dead under the debris. This blow virtually destroyed all means of communication between the Yugoslav high command and the forces in the field, although most of the elements of the general staff managed to escape to one of the suburbs.

The VVKJ put up its Belgrade defence interceptors from the six squadrons of the 32nd and 51st Fighter Groups to attack each wave of bombers, although as the day wore on the four squadrons from the 31st and 52nd Fighter Groups, based in central Serbia, also took part. The Messerschmitt 109E, Hurricane Is and Rogozarski IK-3 fighters scored at least twenty "kills" amongst the attacking bombers and their escorting fighters.

On a mission to strafe the airfield at Podgorica, 7./JG 26 shoot down the only airplanes to defend the airbase, two Avia BH 33Es of Ind. Fighter Esk. 81 (Bomber) Group. Oblt. Mietusch claims one of the Yugoslavian biplane fighters. Lt. Fritz Geisshardt of I(J)./LG 2 shoots down four Yugoslav Hawker Furies while Uffz. Steigleder of I./ZG 26 destroys a pair of Yugoslav Bf 109s. In the afternoon, Bf 109s of 8./JG 27 conduct a ground attack mission in the Rupel Pass. But the formation is bounced by Hurricanes of RAF No. 33 Squadron and four Messerschmitts are shot down with three pilots killed.

Six Wellington bombers of RAF No. 37 Squadron, flying from Greece, attack Sofia while Blenheim bombers of RAF No. 84 Squadron, flying from Greece, attack a rail station in Bulgaria.

During the night Lt. Hajo Herrmann led 7./KG 30 on an attack on the Greek port of Piraeus near Athens that was being used by the British. Lt. Herrmann flew his Ju 88 over the ships in harbor and dropped a 250lb bomb on the freighter ‘_Clan Fraser_’ as the ship was unloading ammunition and explosives. The direct hit on the 12,000 ton ship laden with TNT fully destroyed the freighter and the resulting explosion sank a further ten ships and damaged the harbor facilities from end to end rendering them useless for the next several weeks. 60 lighters were lost in the blast and an ammunition train was ignited on shore. The accident created a logistical hard ship for the British in the crucial days ahead. Boats from HMAS “_Perth_”, (cruiser), were involved in the rescue of survivors of the ships sunk in the Harbour. Over 200 of “_Perth’s_” crew were ashore at the time of the raid, but she suffered no casualties.

HMAS “_Vendetta_”, (destroyer), survived a submarine attack while on passage from Sollum to Tobruk. The torpedo passed “_Vendetta’s_” bows, ‘with several metres to spare’.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British and Australians withdraw in panic from Barce and Derna towards Tobruk, as German advances through the desert South of Green Mountain threaten to cut off their retreat along the coast. On the same day, Axis troops captured Msus, Libya, a major fuel and supply dump. The fuel was destroyed by the Allies before German capture. By 1700 hours, Germans surround British forces at the old desert fort at Mechili but British Brigadier Vaughn refuses German demands for surrender. After dark, British generals General Neame and O'Connor began evacuating themselves to Tmimi west of Tobruk, getting lost in the retreat.

South African Air Force aircraft conducted heavy attacks against Addis Ababa airfield. British 11th African Division advances 120 miles in 2 days to reach the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, but find it unoccupied. The Italian garrison originally based in Addis Ababa had withdrawn north to Gondar and Amba Alagi. The Duke of Aosta is withdrawing to the north toward Amba Alagi with the remains of the main Italian force. General Frusci is in tactical command of these troops. Italian forces continued to hold out in Galla-Sidamo (General Gazzera), Gondar (General Nasi), and at Amba Alagi (Duke of Aosta). Emperor Haile Selassie's troops occupy the Italian forts at Debra Markos, after their epic march through the Abyssinian hinterland, relying on camels to carry all their supplies with Wingate and Gideon Force. General Cunningham's African force has advanced 1,725 miles from Kenya in 72 days, capturing 22,000 Italian and colonial prisoners.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Comorin_”, carrying military personnel for British West Africa, caught fire 450 miles west of Ireland; 20 were killed, 405 survived. German submarine U-94 sank Norwegian tanker “_Lincoln Ellsworth_” 100 miles southwest of Ireland at 1700 hours with 2 torpedoes and 121 rounds from the deck gun. The entire crew survived in 2 lifeboats.

*WESTERN FRONT:* 71 RAF Beaufort aircraft torpedoed German battlecruiser “_Gneisenau_” at Brest, France, waiting to have an unexploded bomb removed before entering dry dock, sustaining extensive damage. During this attack, Flying Officer Kenneth Campbell of No. 22 Squadron RAF Coastal Command, who scored the hit with an Mk XII torpedo, was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed with the loss of the entire crew. Campbell would be awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross for his gallantry.

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Rotterdam, Calais and other targets overnight. RAF Bomber Command sent 14 aircraft to attack coastal targets. There were also several RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb operations.

*EASTERN EUROPE: * A transport of 1,021 prisoners from Pawiak Prison in Warsaw, Poland arrived at Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Famous actors Bronislaw Dardzinski, Tadeusz Hertman Kanski, Stefan Jaracz, Zbigniew Nowakowski, and Leon Schiller were among them, arrested for the murder of actor Igo Sym who collaborated with German propaganda efforts.

At 0130 hours in Moscow, the Soviet Union and the new government of Yugoslavia signed a treaty of friendship and non-aggression. The treaty was backdated to April 5, possibly in anticipation of a German attack and the Russians wanting to avoid any impression that the agreement was signed while Yugoslavia was at war.

Agent Dora reports to Stalin from Switzerland that Germany will invade Soviet Union on 15 June.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Secretary of State Cordell Hull denounces German invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece. Yugoslavian military attaché urgently requests over 700 aircraft, 100 tanks, and other weapons.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* A Seagull amphibian from HMAS “_Australia_”, (cruiser), crashed and sank when taking off in Cook Strait. HMAS “_Hobart_”, (cruiser), was in company with “_Australia_”, and landed its Seagull aircraft on the water and was able to rescue the observer and air-gunner, but the pilot went down with the aircraft.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 6, 2016)

*06 APRIL 1941 (Part I) 
Losses*
*Armed yacht TORRENT (RN 336 grt)*, former ANNA MARIE, was sunk by mining off Falmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*AMC COMORIN ( RN 15116 GRT)*, carrying military personnel for Freetown and escorting steamer GLENARTNEY with military stores for Suez, was escorted by DD LINCOLN when she caught fire in the Nth Atlantic. LINCOLN took off 121 survivors. British steamer GLENARTNEY rescued 104 survivors. DD BROKE arriving on the scene was called to assist and rescued 180 survivors. DD BROKE scuttled the crippled cruiser. 14 ratings were lost in the cruiser.






U.94 sank *tkr LINCOLN ELLSWORTH (Nor 5580 grt)* WSW of Iceland. Outward bound from Reykjavik to Trinidad, empty and with a crew of 29, the ship was hit at 1530 hrs on the port side forward of amidships by one G7a torpedo from U-94 about 150 miles WSW of Iceland. At 1601 hours, the tkr was hit aft by a coup de grace and developed a list to port, but did not sink. The U-boat surfaced and fired 121 rounds from the deck gun of which about 100 were hits, set the ship on fire and caused her to sink by the stern about 1700 hrs.

The crew had abandoned ship in two lifeboats after the first hit. The master and 12 survivors in one lifeboat were picked up after two days by HMS DERBYSHIRE off Sandar and landed at Reykjavik, while the survivors in the other boat were rescued by several small Icelandic fishing boats out of Hellissandur on 8 April.





*Steamer DUNSTAN (UK 5149 grt)* was sunk by the LW German bombing in the Western Approaches. Two crew were lost on the steamer. DD BOADICEA rescued the survivors.





*Steamer NICOLAOU ZOGRAFIA (GK 7156 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. The entire crew of thirty one was rescued by destroyer ESKIMO which took them to Greenock, arriving on the 7th. DD ESKIMO arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 8th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer OLGA S.(UK 2252 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. Four crew were lost.





*Trawler DANELAND (UK 289 grt)* was sunk by the LW 30 miles north by one half mile west of Rathlin O'Birne Island (off the west coast of Donegal). The entire crew was rescued.





*Trawler NAERABERG (Faroes 352 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Northern Waters. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 06 April 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124

16 Boats at Sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer GLENFINLAS was damaged by LW in the Nth Sea of the East Coast of England. 11 crew were killed. The steamer was towed to Harwich arriving on the 7th. She was repaired in the Tyne.

*Northern Patrol*

*Northern Waters*

*West Coast*
OB.308 departed Liverpool, escort DDs CALDWELL, RAMSEY, RIPLEY, and VOLUNTEER, and corvettes HYDRANGEA, TULIP, and WALLFLOWER. Corvette WALLFLOWER was detached on the 10th. The escort was detached on the 11th when the convoy dispersed.

OG.58 departed Liverpool escort DDs BURWELL and WATCHMAN, sloops FLEETWOOD and WELLINGTON, corvettes AMARANTHUS, ARABIS, HELIOTROPE, and PRIMULA, special service vessel FIDELITY, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN SPRAY. DD MALCOLM joined the escort on the 9th. The 3 DDs, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes ARABIS and HELIOTROPE, and the two trawlers were detached on the 12th. On the 21st, the convoy arrived at Gibraltar escorted by sloop WELLINGTON, corvette PRIMULA, RNeN submarine O.21, and special service vessel FIDELITY. Corvette AMARANTHUS had been detached several days earlier due to shortage of supplies and arrived at Gibraltar on the 19th.

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*
The German Battlecruisers holed up in Brest were reported preparing to leave port on the 6th. The proximity of major military and important civil convoys in the area forced the RN to commit substantial forces to a significant containment action

BB KG V departed Gibraltar on the 6th and joined CL KENYA which had departed Greenock. DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and MASHONA joined KGV to be in interception positions against the DKM Heavy unitsby the morning of the 8th.

CA LONDON was ordered to relieve BC REPULSE escorting CVL FURIOUS and CVE ARGUS and British steamer NARKUNDA from Gibraltar. The group was to steam along the meridian 23W.

BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and BC REPULSE were ordered to take up interception positions of the German Battlecruiser force by the 9th.

*Channel*

BC HOOD and DDs ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, and TARTAR arrived at Scapa Flow5 for refuelling. HOOD and DDs ZULU, MAORI, and ARROW departed that evening to take up interception positions by the early hours of the 8th. DD COSSACK departed Londonderry on the 9th to join the HOOD group on the 11th. Thgis was arduous service, and on the 10th DD ARROW was detached to refuel at Londonderry. On the 12th DDs MAORI and ZULU were detached to Londonderry to refuel. HOOD and DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI returned to Scapa Flow on the 14th. DD ARROW, which was unable to maintain the speed and had been detached, arrived at Scapa Flow at just after sunrise on the 15th.


British Coastal Command aircraft attacked German destroyers STEINBRINCK, IHN, and HEINEMANN off Brest. DD IHN was near missed by bombs causing problems to her delicate machinery. She was narrowly missed by two torpedoes. The RAF was beginning to mount challenges to German control of the channel airspace after many months of having conceded it to them.


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## Njaco (Apr 6, 2016)

*April 7 Monday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* After several nights of quiet the Luftwaffe returned over the Avonmouth and Bristol areas. A single X-Verfahren guided He 111 from KGr 100 leads two Ju 88s of I./KG 54, one Ju 88 of II./KG 54, two Ju 88s of KGr 806, eight He 111s of I./KG 55, two He 111s of II./KG 55 and six He 111s of III./KG 55 to attack the British cities soon after 2100 hours. The only loss of the night is a He 111 from 1./KG 55 which is attacked and shot down by a Beaufighter from RAF No 219 Squadron. Two parachute mines landed near Willington Square, Northumberland near the Old Edward Pit. Police were refused access to site by a military guard because it was a top military secret. Police said there were strange contraptions in the field.

At the same time another formation of bombers is sent to raid Glasgow with 179 aircraft, Greenock and Liverpool with 43 aircraft. Two He 111s from II./KG 1 begin the attack on the cities at 2305 hours followed by one He 111 of KGr 100, one Ju 88 from III./KG 1, one He 111 of I./KG 27 and two He 111s from III./KG 27.

German bombers sank minesweeping trawler HMT “_Rochebonne_” off the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, England, killing 11.

In the fourth Budget of the war, Income Tax was raised to 10/- (50p) in the £1. From today, there are also cuts in personal allowances, the money raised by these cuts will be treated as compulsory savings to be repaid sometime after the war. 4,000,000 new taxpayers are said to have been created.

The Gloster E.28/39 jet powered prototype piloted by Chief Test Pilot P.E.G.Sayer commenced taxiing trials at Gloster's Hucclecote airfield in Gloucestershire, England.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: In the Balkans, Germans make good progress through Southern Yugoslavia towards the Greek border. A column of German 12.Armee crosses the Vardar river in Greece and took the Skoplje Gap and the Rupel Pass, opening the way into Serbia and Northern Greece. Yugoslavian troops were forced to withdraw to southern Macedonia when the Germans captured Skopje, exposing their flank. Advanced element of a German panzer division reached Skoplje, having fought their way 60 miles in 32 hours through incredibly difficult terrain. German troops from Bulgaria are held mounting a frontal assault on the Metaxas Line. German 2.Panzerdivision had reached Strumica, Yugoslavia by the end of the day, only 10 miles and a small mountain range from crossing into Greece and getting behind the Greek defenses in the Metaxas Line. As well as the frontal pressure on the Metaxas Line its left flank was now being threatened by 2.Panzerdivision which was preparing to move south into Greece after having reached Strumica. The Greek Commander in Chief, General Papagos, further weakens the Aliakmon Line by sending forward a Greek force from it to try to block this last German advance.

Hungary and Italy joined in the attack on Yugoslavia. The Italian Second Army crossed the Julian Alps and proceeded to drive down the Adriatic coast. Hungary occupied Yugoslavia territory north of the Danube which it had lost after the last war. The United Kingdom promised aid to Yugoslavia and broke off relations with Hungary.

Unternehmen Strafgericht: On the second day of operations over Yugoslavia the Luftwaffe conducts a second day of major attacks against Belgrade. The fighters of JG 54 engage fighters of Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo {JKRV) in a massive air battle. In a strange twist of fate, the JKRV are flying former German Bf 109s given to Yugoslavia when the two enemies were allies. The JKRV Bf 109s attack a flight of twenty-six Ju 87 Stukas escorted by double that number of fighters. Hans Philipp of JG 54 downs two of the JKRV Bf 109s. Budapest claims Yugoslavian aircraft bombed three Hungarian airfields with eight bombers shot down. A whole formation of Yugoslavian Blenheim I bombers is shot down by Bf 109s of II./JG 54 along with a few RAF Hurricanes and IK-2 fighters. RAF bombers conducted a raid on Sofia, Bulgaria. The Messerschmitts of III./JG 54 conduct ground attack missions over the battlefront.

While flying from Taranto and Grottaglie in Italy, the single-engined fighters of 7./JG 26 and the twin-engined _Zerstörers_ of III./ZG 26 conduct ground attack missions on the second day of the invasion. During one sortie, Oblt. Müncheberg destroys a Yugoslav Fury biplane. By the end of the day, III./ZG 26 gives up the battle and returns to Sicily for the Malta attacks. German planes effectively neutralized Yugoslavia's rail system by knocking out key junctions. With transportation so decisive a factor, those Yugoslav troops which had penetrated into Northern Albania were forced to withdraw.

On the Italo-Greek Front, Greek Western Macedonia Army continued attacking Italian 9th Army.

A Force of Albanian partisans, accompanied by British Col. Oakley-Hill, attempts to rally anti-Italian fighters in the north.

In Rumania, the aircraft of III./JG 77 under Major Alexander von Winterfeldt, arrive at Deta airfield to begin operations against the Yugoslavians.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US Navy transferred 3 battleships, 1 carrier, 4 light cruisers, 18 destroyers, and other ships from the Pacific Fleet to the Atlantic Fleet.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Comorin_”, damaged by a fire on the previous day, was scuttled by the guns of destroyers HMS “_Broke_” and HMS “_Lincoln_” 450 miles west of Ireland after all survivors were rescued.

In the Caribbean, USA opens naval base on the British island of Bermuda (leased from Britain for 99 years in exchange for US destroyers). Captain Jules James in command. This will be home to the Central Atlantic Neutrality Patrol which initially comprises aircraft carrier USS “_Ranger_”, cruisers USS “_Tuscaloosa_” and USS “_Wichita_” and 2 destroyers. These forces will be considerably increased by three battleships and two carriers later in April and during May and June.

German submarine U-124 sank Canadian ship “_Portadoc_” with 1 torpedo and 24 rounds from the deck gun 240 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1750 hours. The entire crew of 20 survived in 2 lifeboats.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The British evacuated Benghazi. Before dawn, a motor column containing the British military governor of Cyrenaica, Libya Lieutenant General Philip Neame and British Lieutenant General Richard O'Connor got lost and were captured by a German patrol between Mechili and Derna. (O'Connor would later escape from captivity and end up commanding the VIII Corps in the Normandy invasion.) During the day, Axis troops captured Derna, Libya. By 0430 hours the first Australian units were beginning to arrive at Tmimi, where the 26th Australian Infantry Brigade took up a defensive position until the whole Division, and various other units who by design or chance had taken the desert track to the south of Derna, had passed through. Arriving at Tmimi in the early hours the senior staff officer, Brigadier A. F. Harding, found no signs of Generals Neame and O'Connor. Suspecting that they might have been captured and knowing that enemy troops were not far off, Brigadier Harding decided to establish main Command Headquarters at Tobruk, with an advanced echelon at Gazala. At 0630 hours he reported the situation to General Wavell. By the night of 7th April the general situation was as follows; 9th Australian Division, without its 24th Infantry Brigade, but with the Support Group, was in position astride the main road with its left flank at Acroma, some fifteen miles west of Tobruk. At Tobruk, preparing the defences, were the 18th and 24th Australian Infantry Brigades, the former having just arrived by sea after the move of 7th Australian Division to Greece had been stopped. A small force was at El Adem, watching the approaches from the south and south-west. At Mechili was General Gambier-Parry with his own headquarters, having taken under command Brigadier Vaughan's 3rd Indian Motor Brigade (less one regiment), M Battery R.H.A., part of 3rd Australian Anti-Tank Regiment, and various small units. He had been ordered to withdraw to El Adem that night.

Meanwhile General Rommel had intended to attack Mechili but had been unable to collect a sufficient force. British, Australian and Indian troops had dug in at Mechili (really more a series of trenches than a fort), which had been surrounded by Axis troops since the prior day. Their defenses included 1 Cruiser tank, some armored cars, 1 Bofors anti-aircraft gun, several “2 pounder” anti-tank guns and 1 “25 pounder” artillery piece. They expected reinforcements from British 2nd Armored Division tanks but they were already withdrawn to the East. Axis forces harassed the badly decimated British 2nd Armored Division and the 3rd Indian Brigade at the fort but the Axis forces were harassed throughout the day by the Blenheims of Nos. 45 and 55 Squadrons and by the one or two remaining Hurricanes of No. 3 Squadron R.A.A.F.. 'A' Squadron of the Long Range Desert Group hovered on the southern flank looking for an opportunity to make a diversion. General Johannes Streich’s 5.Leichte Division surrounded the fort but they did not attack due to a sandstorms which jammed the turrets on the 6 available Panzer tanks. Rommel was furious at Streich for the delay and orders an attack the following morning.

British CIC Middle East General Wavell signals London his forces are too weak to send troops to Iraq as Allied forces began withdrawing toward Tobruk.

British forces and French Foreign Legionnaires occupied Massawa, the main Italian naval base in East Africa. Ten thousand Italians were captured. The Red Sea was now cleared of all Italian naval activity, which allowed for unobstructed runs through the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal. The fall of Massawa also permitted President Roosevelt to declare the red Sea was no longer a combat zone and opened the way for U.S. merchant ships to use the route. 

British cruiser HMS “_Capetown_” bombarded Massawa, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. Italian torpedo boat MAS.213 counterattacked and seriously damaged HMS “_Capetown_” with a torpedo at 2315 hours, but “_Capetown_” was able to escape despite the damage. She would be towed to Bombay, India for repairs.

*GERMANY:* 229 British aircraft attack the Germany port of Kiel, temporarily halting submarine production. RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Bremerhaven overnight.

*ASIA:* Chaing Kai-shek told the Executive Yuan that the Kuomintang would pursue a policy of cooperating with the Chinese Communists; "…these border imbroglios are mere secondary questions. We can’t worry too much over such trivialities. As the international situation improves, they will automatically be settled. Let's wait at least until we get a definite assurance from England and the United States before we clamp down on the Communists".

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 7, 2016)

*06 APRIL 1941 (Part II)
OPERATIONS (Cont'd)
Med/Biscay*
Force H, with BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL (now re-equipped with ASV radar equipped Swordfish), CLs FIJI and SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, and FORESIGHT departed Gibraltar to operate in Biscay in containment operations for the German Battlecruiser force until 16 April. This was part of a major effort to blockade the German battleships at Brest. Some limited freedom of maneouvre was again available to the RN with the defeat of the Italians at Matapan.

The ships were joined at sea by DDs HIGHLANDER and FURY, which had been detached from the escort of BC REPULSE. DD VELOX on the 4th with battlecruiser REPULSE arrived back at Gibraltar on the 6th.

Oiler CAIRNDALE and submarine PANDORA were ordered to take up supporting positions further to the west.

Submarines TIGRIS, L.26, SUNFISH, H.50, TUNA, TAKU, TORBAY, H.34, OBERON, SEALION, H.44, and H.31 and Polish submarine SOKOL were on patrol in Biscay also to try and catch the German ships.

On the 8th, these dispositional orders were cancelled after information was received that the GNEISENAU was no longer seaworthy after being hit in Night Torpedo Strikes by RAF Beaforts (the pilot of the aircraft making the hit was killed and his a/c destroyed, but he received a VC for his bravery).

On the 10th, the submarines were dispersed. Submarines TORBAY and TAKU proceeded to Gibraltar and the rest returned to England. BC REPULSE, on relief by CA LONDON from daylight on the 7th, returned to Gibraltar. DDs HIGHLANDER, FURY, FORTUNE, and VELOX escorted the BC, arriving on the 12th. They had arrived off Gibraltar on the 11th, but were unable to enter because of bad weather.

BB KG V proceeded to Scapa Flow. BC HOOD and CL KENYA maintained a patrol until the 9th. BB QUEEN ELIZABETH gp maintained a patrol in vicinity of 45N, 23W until the 10th. The BB left her patrol area on the 11th and proceeded to Gibraltar.

Convoy AC 3 of troopship ULSTER PRINCE and steamer THURLAND CASTLE departed Alexandria at for Tobruk escorted by CLA CARLISLE and DDs DEFENDER and RAN VOYAGER. The convoyh were varying the remaining personnel of the 9th Div AIF then providing a rear guard against the advancing German forces in Cyrenaica and heading for Tobruk. RAN DDs WATERHEN and VENDETTA swept ahead of this convoy. CARLISLE and DDs VOYAGER and DEFENDER arrived back at Alexandria on the 8th.

*Steamer CLAN FRASER (UK 7529 grt) *of convoy ANF.24, carrying ammunition for the Allied forces in Greece was damaged by the LW and set afire in Piraeus. At 0330hrs on the 7th, her cargo of TNT exploded destroying the ship and heavily damaging the harbour.





*Tug ELPIS (gk 150 grt (est))* was sunk at Piraeus.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH had arrived at Piraeus late on the 5th after screening convoys. CLA CALCUTTA was also in Piraeus at the time of the explosion.

The following ships were sunk in the air attacks on Piraeus

*Steamer CITY OF ROUBAIX (UK 7108 grt)*. There were no casualties on steamer CITY OF ROUBAIX..






*Steamer CYPRIAN PRINCE (UK 1988 grt)*. She was beached near Salamis after having been struck by a parachute mine. Four crew were lost in the attack.





*Steamer PATRIS (UK 1706 grt)*, ex French Corte,





*Armed yacht SURF (RN 496 grt)*, a veteran of WWI
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Salvage vessel VIKING (UK (ex-Danish) 386 grt)*,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ACROPOLIS (Gk 1393 grt)*,





*Steamer STYLIANI (Gk 3256 grt)*,






*Steamer EVOIKOS (Gk 4792 grt)*,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Caique HALCYON (Gk 250 grt (est)) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PETALLI (Gk 6565 grt)* was set afire by the explosion. She was towed out of the harbour and sunk.





*Auxiliary GEORGIOS (RHN 146 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamers GOALPARA, CLAN CUMMING, CINGALESE PRINCE, DEVIS, and KATIE MOLLER and Greek steamers AGAILIANI and CONSTANTINOS LOULOUDIS were damaged by LW attack on Piraeus. Steamer CINGALESE PRINCE was repaired at Port Said and Bombay. One crewman was killed on steamer DEVIS. Steamer DEVIS was temporarily repaired at Suez.

The port was largely unusable by this incident.

CLs AJAX, RAN PERTH, and CLA CALCUTTA departed Piraeus for Suda Bay late on the 7th.

Convoy AG.11 of five British ships, including armed boarding vessel FIONA to be detached en route to Tobruk, departed Alexandria escorted by DDs MOHAWK and WRYNECK and sloop GRIMSBY. Major General Weston, RM, and a recon party were embarked in destroyer MOHAWK to prepare for the establishment of a Mobile Base at Suda Bay. Two RHN DDs relieved MOHAWK on the 9th for duty with a striking force to be based at Malta. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy on the 8th. On the 9th, the ships were dispersed to Volo, Eleusis, Khalkis, and Stylis as Piraeus Harbour remained closed. CLA CALCUTTA proceeded to Suda Bay for fuel and ammunition.

Gunboat GNAT departed Alexandria for Tobruk. SAhe was followed by Gunboat LADYBIRD during the night of 7/8 April

The Greek Campaign – Brief overview of Land Operation – The Australian perspective
The Greek campaign, in which Australian, British and New Zealand troops, under the command of the British general, Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, supported Greek forces against the Axis powers, was an ill-planned, disastrous and short campaign. It resulted from Britain's earlier guarantee to support Greece if it were attacked without provocation.

The Greeks, assisted by British forces, had defeated an Italian invasion in October 1940. On 6 April 1941, German forces attacked Greece and Yugoslavia simultaneously. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was unable to secure support from Turkey for an Allied Balkan front; furthermore, the Australian and New Zealand governments, who provided most of the troops, were not privy to the planning of the operation. Prime Minister Robert Menzies was uneasy about the operation and sought unsuccessfully to have it reassessed.

From the outset, the Allied forces were vastly outnumbered. Some 58,000 men, including two thirds of the Australian 6th Division, were transported from Africa and, together with the Greek Army, faced two German armies: the 12th, consisting of 13 divisions, and the 2nd, with 15 divisions, and including four armoured divisions in each. The campaign was hindered by poor communications between the Greek and British commanders, the primitive road and rail system in Greece, the difficult terrain, and the speed and success of the German advance. On the first day, the Germans made a devastating air attack on Piraeus; the Allies lost the initiative and never regained it. Yugoslavia capitulated quickly, cutting the Greek supply route to its forces on the Italian front. Within a week, General Wilson's forces were in retreat.

Lieutenant General John Coates has summed up the campaign thus:

_Yet, as in almost every Allied campaign in the early part of the war, the worst mistakes of the politicians and strategists were moderated by the bravery, fighting qualities and sheer dogged determination of the troops. Greece was no exception._

Australian and New Zealand troops (redesignated the ANZAC Corps) undertook some very successful local fighting but withdrawal was soon inevitable. The occupation of historic Thermopylae Pass by Vasey's 19th Bde was merely a respite in the retreat down to Athens. The evacuation began on 24 April and over 50,000 troops were removed over five successive nights. A number of small, isolated groups and individual Allied soldiers who had been cut off from the retreat were left behind in Greece but most were gotten away thanks to the RNs and RANs efforts. Many of these escaped largely owing to the bravery of the Greek people who assisted them at great risk to themselves.

Over 26,000 weary Allied troops landed on Crete in the last week of April 1941. They remained on the island for less than a month. In a brief, savage campaign, the Australians inflicted heavy losses on the German paratroopers two thirds of whom were killed or wounded. Another rearguard action by the 2/7th Battalion, AIF, and the New Zealand Maori bn left 280 German dead and allowed the retreating forces to reach the evacuation point in Suda Bay. HMAS PERTH was hit while carrying members of the AIF back to Egypt. The British admiral in charge of evacuation called it "_a disastrous period in our naval history_".

Although 15,000 men were evacuated by ships of the RN and the RAN from Crete, some 12,000 Allied troops, including 3,000 Australians, were left on Crete and became pows of war of the Germans. As in Greece, some made daring escapes. Many were sheltered by the people of Crete. The war cemetery at Suda contains the graves of 139 men of the AIF and the RAAF.

The Greek campaign remains controversial. It did not succeed in its primary object to assist the effective defence of Greece, and the Australians and New Zealanders sustained heavy losses. It came at a heavy cost in Cyrenaica as well. Afterwards, both the 6th Australian and the 2nd New Zealand Divisions had to be rebuilt and this took a lot of time.





_Australian Army Ford 4x4 artillery tractor towing a No 27 Mk I limber and an 18 pounder Mk IV field gun in the Verroia Pass, Greece, April 1941.The vehicle has just negotiated a stone bridge through the winding and steep Verroia Pass, Greece. 1400 units of these Ford vehicles were purchased by the Australian Army between 1939 and 1941 and many of these were converted to four wheel drive at the Lidcombe Railway works by fitting a Marmon-Herrington front wheel drive kit to the chassis. 441 of these vehicles were sent to the Middle East in 1940 and 54 of these subsequently saw service during the Greek campaign in April 1941. These vehicles were powered by an 85 horsepower V8 engine with a four speed gearbox and two speed transfer case. They had leaf spring suspension and were also fitted with an Australian roadster style cab, making them a uniquely Australian vehicle. The Official designation for these vehicles was Tractor 4x4, Artillery (Aust), LP No 3 and 3A (fitted with a winch). This particular vehicle, with the army registration number 9964 was transported to Greece aboard the MV Comliebank but was later abandoned when the Australian forces were evacuated._

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.119 departed Halifax AMC MONTCLARE. BB REVENGE joined the convoy at sea.

Convoy HX.119A departed Halifax, escorted by AMC AURANIA and corvettes CHAMBLY and ORILLIA. The corvettes were detached the next day. On the 8th, BB REVENGE joined the convoy and travelled with it until 11 April. CA NORFOLK was with the convoy from 14 to 16 April. The AMC was detached on the 15th. DDs HAVELOCK, HURRICANE, RESTIGOUCHE, and SAGUENAY joined the convoy for the home waters legs on the 16th. On the 17th, DD VISCOUNT, sloop SCARBOROUGH and corvettes AURICULA, CAMPANULA, HIBISCUS, PIMPERNEL, and RHODODENDRON reinforced the convoy. DD ROCKINGHAM and corvette FREESIA joined on the 18th and corvette HOLLYHOCK on the 19th. DD SAGUENAY was detached on the 20th, DDs RESTIGOUCHE and VISCOUNT and corvettes FREESIA on the 21st. The remainder of the escort was dispersed when the convoy arrived Liverpool on the 22nd.

Convoy HX.119 B departed Halifax, escort corvettes COBALt and COLLINGWOOD. The corvettes were detached the next day. AMC MONTCLARE was with the convoy from 13 to 15 April. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
*Steamer MAROUSSIO LOGOTHETI (Gk 4669 grt)* and *Steamer IANNIS (Gk 4391 grt)* were seized by Vichy French authorities at Madagascar. The steamers were renamed DUQUESNE and AMIRAL PIERRA, respectively, for French use.




_Steamer MAROUSSIO LOGOTHETI (Gk 4669 grt), no image of the IANNIS found_


*Steamer ANTONIA C. (FI 5877 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was later salved by the British.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer RIVA LIGURE (FI 2136 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TRIPOLITANIA (FI 2722 grt)* was scuttled off Dulac Is. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CAPITANO BOTTEGO (FI 2316 grt)* was scuttled off Dulac Is. The steamer was later salved.





Convoy BN.24 departed Bombay, escorted by CL COLOMBO. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 13th.

*Pacific/Australia*
At Wellington, NZ, RAN CA AUSTRALIA lost her Seagull aircraft when the catapult failed during launching. Lt J. J. Hoath was killed. Petty Officer R. Clark and Leading Airman G. A. S. Stephenson were seriously injured

*Malta*
No Air raids

Cyrenaica
British and Australian troops hurriedly evacuated Barce and Derna, Libya, falling back toward Tobruk to avoid being cut off by the advancing German troops. On the same day, Axis troops captured Msus, Libya, a major fuel and supply dump; the fuel was destroyed by the Allies before German capture. German troops besieged Mechili by 1700 hours. After dark, British generals General Neame and O'Connor began evacuating themselves to Tmimi west of Tobruk.

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## parsifal (Apr 7, 2016)

*07 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS WOODRUFF (K-53)





Bangor Class MSW HMCS COWICHAN (J-146)





Isles Class MSW Trawler HMS CANNA (T-161)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B Class MLs 210 & 229
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*MSW trawler ROCHE BONNE (RN 258 grt)*, was sunk by the LW 8 miles SSE of the Lizard. 10 of the crew were lost and 1 further crewman died of wounds
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.124 sank *steamer PORTADOC (Cdn 1746 grt)* offshore of Sierra Leone. The ship was in ballast when lost, outward bound from Canada to Freetown. At 1739 hrs the unescorted PORTADOC was hit by one torpedo in the stern fired by U-124 about 150 miles sw of Freetown. The ship settled by the stern but did not sink, so the U-boat surfaced at 1750 hrs and shelled her with 21 rounds from the deck gun and the 20mm AA gun. The master and 19 crew members had abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were provided with water after being questioned. The survivors made landfall six days later at Benty, French Guinea and were interned by the Vichy French authorities. They were eventually repatriated.





*Steamer ELISABETH (UK (ex-Danish) 945 grt)* was sunk on a mine five miles ESE of Porthscatho, S. E. Cornwall with the loss of 10 crew




*Trawler SYLVIA (UK 213 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. One crewman was lost on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
St Nazaire: U-552

At Sea XX XXXXX 1941
U-46, U-48, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124, U-552

17 Boats at Sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer KIRNWOOD was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea

*Northern Waters*
British authorities expected an air raid on Scapa Flow during the night and ships were ordered to clear the anchorage. BB PRINCE OF WALES, escorted by DDs ELECTRA and ESCAPADE, departed Scapa Flow. RAN DD NESTOR, which had departed Scapa Flow for Greenock earlier, was recalled and joined the escort. Also sailing were CA EXETER, CL ARETHUSA, CLA CURACOA, and AA ships POZARICA, and SPRINGBANK. When no raid materialised, the ships returned to Scapa Flow during the morning of 8 April. NESTOR continued to Greenock, arriving at 1116 on the 9th.

AA ship ALYNBANK did not return immediately to Scapa, She was scheduled to depart Scapa Flow to carry out exercises prior to joining convoy WN.10 in the Pentland Firth. The convoy was covered to Methil. The ship transferred to Convoy EC-4 off May Island on the 9th. ALYNBANK was back at Scapa Flow on the 10th

*West Coast*
OB.307 departed Liverpool, escort DDs KEPPEL and VENOMOUS, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER, ASW yacht PHILANTE, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN. DD KEPPEL was detached on the 11th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 13th when the convoy dispersed

*Med/Biscay*
*Steamer KYRA PANAGIA II (Gk 1012 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Piraeus.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
The U. S. Navy Base at Bermuda was commissioned, Captain Jules James, USN, commanding. American TG 7.2, which departed the New York Navy Yard on the 6th, arrived at Bermuda on the 8th with CV RANGER, CAs TUSCALOOSA, and WICHITA, DDs KEARNEY and LIVERMORE provided ASW escort 

*Central Atlantic*
German tanker NORDMARK replenished U.105 and U.106 at sea prior to the submarines proceeding to Rio de Janiero to escort German steamer LECH (3290grt).

In mid April, submarine U.105 is detached from this duty and proceeded to Freetown. -EndFragment--> italic'>[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Italian MAS.213 departed Massawa and at 2315 torpedoed CL CAPETOWN which was bombarding the port in Operation ATMOSPHERE. The CL's stern was badly damaged. Four ratings were killed. DDs KIMBERLEY and KINGSTON came into the area to assist. The ship was towed to Port Sudan by sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA and escorted by RIN sloop INDUS, arriving on the 10th. The cruiser was towed on to Bombay for repair. She arrived on 20 May in tow of tug TAIKOO and escorted by special service vessel BOTLEA. Repairs were completed in July 1942.

BN.23 departed Suez, escorted by sloop RIN HINDUSTAN. Sloop SHOREHAM joined on the 8th. Sloop HINDUSTAN was detached on the 10th and sloop SHOREHAM on the 11th. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 13th.

BS.23 departed Suez, escorted by sloop CLIVE. Sloops HINDUSTAN and SHOREHAM joined on the 11th. Sloops CLIVE and HINDUSTAN were detached on the 12th. The convoy was dispersed on the 14th.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington with RAN CA AUSTRALIA and CL HOBART escorting two liners to Australia. On the 10th, the NZ cruiser departed the convoy and put into Jervis Bay, NSW lic'>[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 APRIL TO DAWN 8 APRIL 1941

_*Weather*_Fine at first; very wet evening and night.

_1304-1317 hrs _Air raid alert for one JU 88 which passes over the Island towards Hal Far but drops no bombs. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 7 APRIL 1941

_AIR HQArrivals_7 Wellington; 4 Bombay._ 69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance eastern Tunisian coast for enemy shipping; nil report on account of bad weather. Maryland despatched for photo-reconnaissance of Tripoli is unable to reach its objective on account of bad weather and fighter patrol; reported on merchant convoys at sea. Maryland reconnaissance for shipping to the east of Sicily.

_KALAFRANA _Sunderland arrived from Greece with distinguished passengers.

*Cyrenaica*
On 7 Apr, O'Connor and Neame, while travelling to their headquarters which had been withdrawn from Maraua to Timimi in Libya, were captured by a German patrol near Martuba.

During the day, Axis troops captured Derna, Libya. 50 miles to the south, British, Australian, and Indian troops prepared their defenses at Mechili, which had been outflanked by Axis troops since the previous day. The Axis forces had not yet attacked Mechili due to sandstorms; Rommel ordered that an attack must be launched on the next day, as he was keen to secure the capture of Tobruk, which he believed to be inadequately defended.

GOC Moreshead commanding the 9th Div and the defences at Tobruk troops to occupy the so called "Red Line", the critical outer defences of Tobruk. These positions have been repaired and improved since the 9th occupied Tobruk in February.

Lt Gen Rommel receives yet another berating from his titular superior, Gen Gariboldi, for the risks he is taking. The Italians are convinced that at any moment the British forces will mount devastating flank attacks on the thinly spread and disjointed Axis forces. Rommel ignores Gariboldi. and reaps the benefit of capturing Mechili without a shot hardly being fired the following day. 




_Few photos remain on the Allied side of the retreat from Benghazi. This is a shot of members of 2/3 LAA Bn AIF just outside Derna, on or about the 7th April. _


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## Njaco (Apr 7, 2016)

*April 8 Tuesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Germans advance in Southern Yugoslavia towards and into Greece. The German offensive is extended with the start of attacks by Kleist's 1st Panzer Group. German 2.Panzerdivision traverses a small mountain range and crosses the Greek border at Dojran Lake. German 73. Infanterie-Division moves into the Monastir Valley and captures the town of Prilep, on the rail line to Salonika, ready to swarm down the wide, flat valley to the Greek border. German 6.Gebirgs-Division breaks through the Metaxas Line at a point considered impassable by the Greeks, by crossing a 7,000 ft mountain range. They advance west, into Yugoslavia, over the Bulgarian border and by evening have destroyed the Yugoslav forces on the frontier and have advanced as far as Nis. German 14.Korps under General von Kleist captures Nis. Finally, German bombers attacked Belgrade, Yugoslavia for the third time.

A Croatian government was proclaimed in Zagreb as German troops reached the outskirts of the city. Croatian soldiers mutiny in Bjelovar. The Croats were generally favorably disposed to the Germans a fact recognized by the Germans who spared all cities in Croatia from air attack.

On the Italo-Greek Front, Greek Western Macedonia Army cancels offensive when Yugoslavian forces were unable to cooperate.

An Italian supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five freighters escorted by three torpedo boats.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Aided by a drawing of the Massawa defenses discovered in the Italian War Office at Asmara, British, Indian and Free French troops capture hill forts surrounding Massawa. Colonel Ralph Monclar of the French Foreign Legion rushes ahead and captures the Italian admiralty building. RAF aircraft sank Italian minelayer “_Ostia_” in the Massawa harbor. Avoiding capture, Italian destroyer “_Orsini_” and 12 other vessels were scuttled. The harbour is an unusable mess of partially sunk ships plus dumped cargo, tanks and other vehicles. Shortly after, British General Heath accepted the formal surrender by Italian Admiral Bonetti and his 10,000-strong garrison. Prior to the surrender, ammunition and supply dumps were destroyed. But seventeen large Axis merchant ships are taken in the port along with many smaller military and civilian vessels. The 4th Indian Division, which has played a large part in the Allied campaign in Eritrea, is immediately prepared for shipping to Egypt where the Allied forces are under great pressure. The priority in the East African campaign is now to clear the road between Asmara and Addis Ababa. Forces are being sent to this task from both ends of the road.

HMAS “_Parramatta_”, (sloop), towed the damaged cruiser HMS “_Capetown_” to the port of Massawa. The cruiser had been attacked and torpedoed by Italian destroyers in the Red Sea.

Before dawn, German General Erwin Rommel sends his main force German 5.Leichte Division to attack the fort at Mechili, attacking from east and west. British, Australian and Indian troops realize that reinforcements are not coming and attempt to break out at dawn. A sandstorm confuses the fighting, allowing 300 Allied troops to get away to Tobruk but 2000 are captured. Indian 3rd Motorized Brigade was overrun and destroyed and British 2nd Armored Division commander General Gambier-Parry captured. Rommel appropriates Gambier-Parry’s plastic goggles and two Dorchester armored cars (renamed Max and Moritz after characters in a children’s story). Thus is born the image of Rommel in his command vehicle with goggles on his peaked cap. British CIC Middle East General Wavell orders that Tobruk must be held at all costs. Rommel cannot go much further without a port to resupply his armored columns but if Tobruk falls he can advance all the way to Cairo, Egypt (so weak are the British defenses). The job of holding Tobruk falls to the 9th Australian Division.

Major General John Lavarack assumed the duties of Lieutenant General Philip Neame as the British military governor of Cyrenaica, Libya; Neame was captured by a German patrol on the previous day.

British CIC Middle East General Wavell flew to Tobruk, taking with him Major-General J. D. Lavarack, commander of the 7th Australian Division. The aircraft transporting General Wavell suffered engine failure and lands in the desert near Sollum, but he was rescued by armored car.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* At 1213 hours Lt. Hans Kolbow of II./JG 51 shoots down a RAF Spitfire near Manston, England.

German bombers conducted a raid on Coventry, England overnight with 237 aircraft.

HRH The Princess Royal visited Hull.

The Gloster E.28/39 jet powered prototype made a series of short hops along the Hucclecote airfield runway in Gloucestershire, England before being dismantled and moved by road to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, England where it was felt that the longer runway would be an advantage for flight tests.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Eskdene_” with 2 torpedoes and 104 rounds from the deck gun 200 miles south of the Azores at 0742 hours; the entire crew of 39 survived. At 1940 hours, U-107 sank British ship “_Helena Margareta_” in the same region; 27 were killed, 9 survived.

German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_Tweed_” 150 miles off Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1225 hours; 3 were killed, 22 survived in 2 lifeboats.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 160 aircraft to attack Kiel and 22 aircraft to attack Bremerhaven overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 8, 2016)

*08 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-80
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Used as a school Boat throughout her career

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS CHILLIWICK (K-131)





Fairmile B ML 226
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.107 sank *steamer ESKDENE (UK 3829 grt)* in the Central Atlantic, west of Gibraltar. She was on passage to Buenos Aires with a lod of coal when lost and had a complement of 39 aboard. The entire crew was rescued. At 0742 hrs the ESKDENE, dispersed from convoy OG-57, was hit by two torpedoes fired by U-107 SE of the Azores and was sunk by the U-boat with 104 rounds of gunfire. Survivors were rescued on the same day by the British steam merchant PENHALE and landed at Pernambuco on 22 April.





U.107 sank *steamer HELENA MARGARETA (UK 3316 grt)* in the central Atlantic, whilst on passage from the Tyne to Takoradi. 27 crew were lost with only 9 crew rescued. She was empty at the time of her loss. At 1940 hrs the HELENA MARGARETA, dispersed from convoy OG-57, was hit by one torpedo fired by U-107 and sank about 330 miles west of Madeira. The master, six crew members and two gunners were picked up on 14 April by the fleet oiler CAIRNDALE and landed at Gibraltar five days later. The master Owen Thomas Jones was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.124 sank *steamer TWEED (UK 2697 grt)* off the coast of Sierra Leone, whilst on passage from the tyne to Pepel. She was empty when lost. With a crew of 31, of which 3 were lost. At 1225 hrs the unescorted TWEED, dispersed from convoy OB-296, was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-124 sw of Freetown. The ship was missed by a second torpedo two minutes later because she turned, but sank by the bow at 1230 hrs.. The U-boat surfaced after the attack, approached a capsized lifeboat and took the ten men on it aboard for questioning. While the boat was rightened, the German doctor took care of an injured crew member and they were all allowed to reboard the lifeboat. The master, 25 crew members and two gunners in two lifeboats made landfall at Conakry, French West Africa.






*Tkr AHAMO (UK 8621 grt)* was sunk on a mine struck a mine in the swept channel out of Grimsby. The explosion, occurring on the port side aft, wrecked and flooded the engine-room and adjacent crew quarters, sinking AHAMO in shallow water with her bow still buoyant. Fearing the possibility of an air or E-boat attack at daylight. Captain T. Potts gave orders to abandon ship. The survivors were picked up and returned to Grimsby the same day. Attempts to salvage AHAMO were unsuccessful and she was declared a total loss. Thirteen men lost their lives.







*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-48

At Sea 08 April 1941
U-46, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124, U-552

16 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer CORMARSH was damaged by the LW off Sheringham Buoy off the Norfolk coast. The steamer arrived at Hull.

British steamer CHAUCER was damaged by the LW near Humber Light Vessel. The steamer was attacked again on the 9th. The steamer arrived at Hull on the 9th

*Channel*
DD INTREPID, escorted by DDs CLEVELAND and FERNIE, laid minefield JO in the English Channel. DD ICARUS had also loaded mines and was planned to sail on this operation, but was held back due to vibration experienced between 15 and 25 knots.

*Med/Biscay*
An Afrika Korps supply convoy of steamers LEVERKUSEN, WACHTFELS, ARCTURUS, CASTELLON, and ERNESTO departed Naples escorted by TBs PROCIONE, CIGNO, and ORIONE, and arrived at Tripoli on the 10th without event.

CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH departed Suda Bay to provide cover for convoys AG.11 and ASF.24. Convoy ASF.24 of five British ships and supply ship BRECONSHIRE departed Piraeus escorted by DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR, and arrived at Alexandria on the 11th.

At sea on the 8th in the eastern Mediterranean were

AN.25 of nine steamers escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs JERVIS and JANUS. AG.11 of six steamers escorted by DD MOHAWK, AA DD WRYNECK, and sloop GRIMSBY. Two RHN DDs joined G.11 to replace DD MOHAWK.

DDs NUBIAN, HERO, and DEFENDER departed Alexandria in company. DDs HERO and DEFENDER relieved DDs JANUS and JERVIS in convoy AN.25 escort. DDs JERVIS, JANUS, and MOHAWK were ordered to Suda Bay. They arrived on the 9th and joined DD NUBIAN. DDs ENCOUNTER and ISIS arrived at Suez to join the Med Flt. The DDs and sloop FLAMINGO arrived at Alexandria on the 9th.

Greek steamer EKATERINI COUMANTAROU was damaged by the LW at Piraeus. The steamer was further damaged on 9, 11, and 15 April in bombing

*Central Atlantic*
AMC BULOLO captured Vichy steamer FORT DE FRANCE, which had departed Martinique on the 1st for Casablanca,. The steamer was sent towards Gibraltar under armed guard. This evoked a considerable response from Vichy naval forces

Vichy DD FOUGUEUX had departed Casablanca on the 7th to escort the steamer into port. On the 10th, CL PRIMAUGUET and DDs ALBATROS, SIMOUN, and FRONDEUR departed Casablanca to intercept the steamer and joined FOUGUEUX.

CLs GEORGES LEYGUES and MONTCALM and DDs FANTASQUE and TERRIBLE departed Dakar on the 10th to intercept the steamer if it proceeded towards Freetown.

Submarines SIDI FERRUCH, AURORE, CASABIANCA, and ARCHIMEDE departed Casablanca to search. The steamer was stopped on the 12th by CL PRIMAUGET and boarded by marines from Vichy DD ALBATROS. The steamer taken to Casablanca, arriving on the 13th. The prize crew and armed guard were interned. The prize crew was later released and arrived at Gibraltar on 18 May. On 23 May, the crew left Gibraltar in DD HAVELOCK and arrived at Liverpool on 1 June.

ASW trawler KINGSTON CHRYSOLITE sighted FORT DE FRANCE and her Vichy escorts on the 12th. 

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
*ML OSTIA (RM 650 grt)* was sunk at Massawa by the RAF with all mines still in her racks.





Sirtori Class *DE ORSINI (RM 837 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa





Old MAS Boats *MAS.204 (RM 20 grt(est))*, *MAS.206 (RM 20 grt(est))*, *MAS.210 (RM 20 grt(est))*, *MAS.213 (RM 20 grt(est))*, and *MAS.216 (RM 20 grt(est))* were scuttled at Massawa.









_RM MAS 204 and 213 at Massawa_

*Steamer COLOMBO (FI 11,760 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was later salved.





*Steamer CLELIA CAMPENELLA (FI 3245 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was salved as EMPIRE PRIZE.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr GIOVE (FI 5211grt)* was scuttled at Dulac Island. The tanker was salved as EMPIRE TROPHY.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PROMETEO (FI 4958 grt)* was scuttled at Dulac Island. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer SOLE (FI 15 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer ARDITA (FI 19 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer SAN GIORGIO (FI 90 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer PIRANO (FI 108 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer TRIESTE (FI 96 grt)* was scuttled at Massawa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer MARIO M. (FI 18 grt)* was lost in the Red Sea due to unknown cause
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Pacific/Australia*
FNFL troopship FELIX ROUSSEL, carying Indian troops, departed Singapore.

CL DAUNTLESS escorted the steamer from the vicinity of Penang to 10N, 80E. The troopship arrived at Bombay on the 18th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 APRIL TO DAWN 9 APRIL 1941
_Weather _Storm conditions; heavy rain in the morning, easing by evening.
No air raids.

_AIR HQ Departures_2 Sunderland.
_KALAFRANA _Sunderland L5806 left for United Kingdom with Mr Anthony Eden. Sunderland L5807 left for Gibraltar with passengers and freight.

Mooring vessel MOOR was sunk on a mine 270 yards 211° from Ricasoli Breakwater Light Vessel, Malta.

*Cyrenaica*
Rommel receives some protests from some of his subordinate commanders, in particular Major General Johannes Streich, who refuses to take his unit further into uncharted and unrecce’d desert. Rommel dresses him down, giving a direct order to continue, stating “one cannot allow unique opportunities for the sake of risks and trifles. Rommel’s audacity pays off, with the faultess capure of Mechili, a vital staging area for the assault he want to mount on Tobruk.

With Rommel rarely in contact with his HQ.staff during this period, it is his resourceful and capable CoS Col Von Dem Borne who changes the objective to the more ambitious Tobruk away from Mechili. There is in fact no resistance to be overcome at Mechili. Borne is recorded as saying “it is my opinion that the thrust should bypass Mechili, leaving it to the 27th Brescia, and direct its MLA to Tobruk. You are authorized to change the orders and emphasise an immediate assault on the defences at Tobruk.”. This was easier said than done, as 5th Light division by this time was strung out over several hundred kilometers, and beginning already to have supply difficulties.





_Austrlian troops occupy the Tobruk Red Line April 8th_


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## Njaco (Apr 8, 2016)

*April 9 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* 237 German bombers conducted a raid on Birmingham, England, dropping 285 tons of high explosive bombs and 1,110 incendiary bombs. The night losses of KG 55 begin to rise. During the mission to Coventry and Birmingham, the I and II Gruppen lost four Heinkels to Hurricanes from RAF No 151 Squadron and Defiants from RAF No 264 Squadron. Three of the bombers crashed in England while the fourth was damaged returning to France. British vessel “_Dudley Rose_” sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

Heavy Luftwaffe attacks on docks, dockyard and industrial installations downstream from Newcastle to Tynemouth and South Shields, between 2320 and 0426 hours. One hundred and sixteen enemy aircraft dropped 152 tonnes of HE and thousands of IBs. More than fifty German bombers dropped a large number of IBs over north and west of city, which started sixty-eight fires and caused widespread damage in Newcastle. Among the buildings hit was the Lifeboat Station near the Fish Quay and Preston Institute where the X-ray Department was demolished, and two patients and three male attendants were killed. An ambulance received a direct hit proceeding from Whitley Bay and trains in sidings at Monkseaton were set on fire. Over 400 smaller fires were also started but quickly extinguished. The manager of the North Shields works of the Newcastle and Gateshead Gas Co, Mr C.J. Duncan was awarded the BEM, his daughter Miss L. Duncan was commended for her actions and the yard foreman Mr J Callaghan was awarded the GM for the parts they played in smothering an IB which fell on a gas holder. (_Please check the link to get a sense of what just one single night during the Blitz was like_. NE Diary 1939-45; Incidents 9th April 1941 to 9th/10th April 1941 )

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The resistance of the Greek forces in the Metaxas Line collapses. German 2.Panzerdivision quickly moves south from Dojran Lake across the coastal plain to the major Greek port of Salonika on Agean Sea. There, the division’s tanks smashed into Salonika, Greece. In 4 days, they have outflanked Mataxas Line, isolating Greek forces in Macedonia and Thrace. In addition, German troops arrive at the Monastir Gap in Southern Yugoslavia ready to cross the unfortified border into Greece. This will allow them to cut off the main bulk of Greek Army facing the Italians in Albania and also to get behind the British and ANZAC forces in the Aliakmon Line defending against attack from Bulgaria. It will not be possible to hold a strong attack here, although General Wilson (commanding British and Anzac forces in Greece) has strengthened the defending force and it will, therefore, be necessary to withdraw from some of the Aliakmon positions. This possibility is discussed with Greek Commander in Chief, General Papagos, and he concurs. Nis in eastern Yugoslavia fell to the 11.Panzerdivision, opening the southern back door to Belgrade. Djevdjeliya was taken, cutting the last land link between Yugoslavia and Greece. German tanks enter Thessalonika, trapping the Greek 2nd Army in the Metaxas line, forcing General Bakopoulos to surrender the Greek Eastern Macedonia Army. Meanwhile, farther north, the German 2.Armee (commanded by Weichs) joins the attack on Yugoslavia. Two corps move south over the Austrian border, quickly taking Maribor. The third corps, 46.Panzerkorps, is based in Hungary and begins to seize crossings over the Drava River. The two corps from Kleist's force which began the attack on Yugoslavia have now moved through the southern part of the country and into Greece.

Oblt. Müncheberg’s 7./JG 26 returns to its airfields in Sicily along with a single Stuka Gruppe to continue the German attacks on Malta.

In Italy, the P.111 prototype aircraft took its first flight.

An Italian supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five freighters escorted by a destroyer and two torpedo boats.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft to attack coastal targets. RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb operations. At 1135 hours Hptm. Josef Fözö of II./JG 51 destroyed a RAF Spitfire over the beaches at Dunkirk.

*GERMANY: *RAF bombers attacked the German naval base at Kiel. RAF Bomber Command sends 80 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.

Subhas Chandra Bose submits to German Foreign Ministry a proposal for overthrowing British rule in India and forging an Indian-German alliance.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Rommel orders Italian 27th "Brescia" Division and German 5.Leichte Division to surround Tobruk, realizing the urgency of attacking before the Allied defenses are organized. However, Australian 9th Division mans the outer defensive perimeter at Tobruk (originally created by the Italians) while a new inner defensive ring is built. Australian 7th Division is diverted from going to Greece, as planned; instead 18th Infantry Brigade is sent to assist at Tobruk while the remaining brigades are to defend Egypt. Gazala and Bomba bombarded by RN gunboats “_Aphis_” and “_Gnat_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Danish ambassador to the United States Henrik Kauffmann signed an agreement with the US that made Greenland an American protectorate for the duration of the war. The agreement affirmed Greenland’s loyalty to Denmark and agreed on the need for protection against attack by a non-American power. German reconnaissance flights had been made over Greenland, causing concern that Berlin might be able to establish bases on the Island to be used in attacking North America. The Danish minister in Washington arranged the agreement, but his action was disavowed by the government in Copenhagen. Kauffmann will become known as "the King of Greenland".

Battleship “_North Carolina_” (BB-55) is commissioned at New York Navy Yard, the first new U.S. Navy battleship to enter the fleet since “_West Virginia_” (BB-48) was commissioned in 1923.

The United States Army redesignates the Northeast Air District as the First Air Force. It is responsible for the northeastern United States.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Harparthian_” 400 miles northeast of Canary Islands at 0037 hours; 4 were killed, 39 survived.

German submarine U-98 sank Dutch ship “_Prins Willem_” II 200 miles southeast of Iceland at 0216 hours; 3 were killed, 22 survived in 2 lifeboats.

*ASIA: *Prince Hiroyasu stepped down as the chief of the Japanese Navy General Staff.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The head of the Soviet Air Force Directorate Pavel Rychagov complained to Joseph Stalin that his pilots were flying in "coffins", referring to the poor condition of aircraft due to state neglect.

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## parsifal (Apr 9, 2016)

*09 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
North Carolina Class BB USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55)






Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS ASTER (K-188)




_HMS ASTER was transferred to the USN as USS INTENSITY (PG 93)_

HDML 1033
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS LAERTES (T-137)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Fairmile B ML 240
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.107 sank *steamer HARPATHIAN (UK 4671 grt)* west of French Morrocco. She was part of the dispersed OG-57, and was on passage from Middles borough to Freetown. She had a crew of 43 when lost, of which 4 went missing. She was transporting RAF stores when lost. At 0037 hrs on 9 April 1941 the unescorted HARPATHIAN, was hit by two torpedoes from U-107 and sank SE of the Azores. Three crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 36 crew members and two gunners landed at Hierro, Canary Islands. The Germans misidentified this ship as the British steam merchant MALANCHA.





U.98 sank *steamer PRINS WILLEM II (NL 1304 grt)*, in the Nth Atlantic, SW of Iceland. She was a straggler from HX.117 when lost. She had a crew of 25 , of which 3 were lost, and was fully loaded with sugar and was travelling from Demerera (Haiti I think) to London via Halifax. At 0216 hrs the unescorted PRINS WILLEM II was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-98 and sank by the stern within three minutes. The ship was straggling from the HX-117 since the night of 7/8 April due to thick mist and heavy weather. Three crew members were lost. The survivors abandoned ship in both lifeboats and were questioned by the Germans, but this proved to be difficult due to the strong winds. They apparently misunderstood the name of the vessel and reported their victim as Dutch merchant WILLELMSPLEIN. The master and eleven men abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat and rescued one man swimming in the water. They were picked up on 11 April by the Swedish MV KLIPPAREN which unsuccessfully searched for the other boat and eventually landed the survivors in Thorshavn, Faroe Islands. The port lifeboat was launched with seven men and rescued two more from the water. The occupants of this boat were rescued by TUSCAN STAR on 15 April and taken to Buenos Aires, Argentina.




U.107 sank *tanker DUFFIELD (UK 8516 grt)* west of Gibraltar. She was sailing independently and had a crew of 52, of which 25 were to lose their lives. She was fully loaded with fuel oil. At 1920 hrs the unescorted DUFFIELD was hit by two stern torpedoes from U-107 WSW of Madeira. The tanker caught fire, developed a list and stopped, but the flames went out after one minute and the crew managed to get her underway again at 12 knots. The U-boat had to work hard to overtake the fleeing ship for another attack and eventually hit the DUFFIELD amidships and in the bow with two G7e torpedoes at 0308 and 0330 hours, but only the fifth torpedo, detonated minutes later, hit the engine room and




*Tanker LUNULA (UK 6363 grt)* was badly damaged at Shellhaven jetty in Thames Haven on a mine. The LUNULA, as part of HX 114, departed Halifax on the 11th March 1941, destined for the Thames Haven refinery with a cargo of gasoline. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th, from where the vessels dispersed to their final destinations. The LUNULA arrived at Thames Haven on the 9th April 1941 and commenced to berth at No. 4 Jetty with the assistance of the tug PERSIA when it hit a mine dropped in an air raid the previous night and caught fire. The LUNULA continued to burn for 97 hrs, eventually settling its bow as well as its stern. Some reports intimate that unburned gasoline was recovered from the wreck after the fires were extinguished. 26 crew and two gunners were lost. The tanker was assessed to be a constructive total loss.




_The LUNULA on fire, a member of the crew can be seen standing on the bow of the tanker. The tug PERSIA can be seen burning to the rear._

*Tug PERSIA (UK 165 grt)* assisted the steamer to shift berth. While assisting the steamer, the tug was damaged on a mine and driven ashore on Blyth Sand.
(see image above)
British Firefighting vessel QUEEN was sunk by the LW during the night of 9/10 April while in dock at Ipswich. The vessel was raised on the 12th.
*Fire floats ALERT (UK 150 grt (est)* and *GRETA (UK 150 grt (est))* were badly damaged by the LW during the night of 9/10 April at Ipswich. Both were declared a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Motor lifeboat JOHN PYEMONT (RN 50 grt (est))* was sunk by the LW at Tynemouth when the Tynemouth boathouse was bombed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Launch FALCON (UK 20 grt (est))* was sunk by the LW at Harwich.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Steamer DUDLEY ROSE (UK 1600 grt)* was sunk by the LW 150 miles from Berry Head. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr BUESTEN (Nor 5187 grt)* was sunk by the LW four miles 150° from Berry Head. 28of the crew were lost on the tanker.The BUESTEN was on passage from Texas, she was bombed by LW, Heinkel 111's, all their bombs missed due to heavy AA. The attackers did noty give up however , attacking again with machine guns and cannon which caused an explosion. whilst carrying a cargo of Benzene and Kerosene. Only 7 of the crew survived





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-38 

At Sea 09 April 1941
U-38, U-46, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-94, U-97 U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-124, U-552

17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*Aux MSW MARMION (RN 409 grt)* was sunk by the LW alongside Harwich Pier. The MSW was beached on Harwich Hard on 10 May. She was refloated on 21 May and berthed at Harwich. She eventually was towed to Tilbury but the damaged was assessed as too extensive and she was scrapped.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Examination ship D'ARCY COOPER (UK 126 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Harwich. The skipper and two other ratings were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
British tkr BRITISH WORKMAN in convoy EC.4 was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The convoy was being escorted at the time by AA ship ALYNBANK and escort vessel GLEANER. The tanker arrived at Kirkwall on the 10th.
British tanker BRITISH STATESMAN was damaged by the LW in Barrow Deep off Harwich.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ELECTRA and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow to search for a Uboat reported to the westward of the Shetland Islands. The destroyers returned to Scapa Flow after finding nothing.

DDs BRIGHTON and LANCASTER, escorting ML AGAMEMNON, arrived at Scapa Flow en route to Rosyth. BRIGHTON and the ML departed Scapa Flow on the 10th. LANCASTER departed Scapa Flow on the 10th for Iceland.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to provide cover for convoy WN.11 from Pentland Firth to Methil. The ship arrived at Rosyth on the 10th after which she proceeded to May Island for refitting.

British steamer PANDORIAN was damaged by the LW fifteen miles from Duncansby Head (far nth of Scotland).

*West Coast*
British steamer KYLEGORM was damaged by the LW at four miles 245° from St Ann's Head. The steamer was towed to Milford Haven by a tug.
British steamer ABERHILL was damaged by the LW off the west coast. The steamer arrived at Leith on the 11th.

*Channel*
Norwegian steamer BJORNVIK was damaged by the LW four miles 150° from Berry Head. (sth coast of Cornwall across the bay from Torquay). One crewman was killed. The steamer arrived at Dartmouth on the 9th leaking through damage caused by near miss. A delayed action bomb exploded after the ship arrived at Dartmouth. 

*Med/Biscay*
CVL EAGLE departed Alexandria, escorted by DDs DECOY and ENCOUNTER, for Port Said in preparation to leaving the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. The carrier began moving through the Canal on the 11th.
Gunboats APHIS and GNAT bombarded Bomba during the nights of 9/10 and 10/11 April.
Italian supply convoy departed Naples with transports ANDREA GRITTI, SEBASTIANO VENIER, RIALTO, BIRMANIA, BARBARIGO escorted by DD DARDO and TBs CLIO, COSENZ, and PAPA, and arrived at Tripoli on the 11th.
Yugoslav DD BEOGRAD was badly damaged by the near misses by LW a/c at Sibenik.
Submarine UPHOLDER made two unsuccessful attacks on shipping off Cape Bon.
In British air operations from Maleme, a Swordfish of 815 Sqn ditched nth of Crete. Sub Lt (A) A. W. B. Drayson drowned attempting to swim ashore. T/Sub Lt (A) A. Carroll RNVR, and Leading Airman F. Faulks drifted ashore in a dingy after four days at sea.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.28 departed Halifax, escort AMC CHITRAL. Submarine TALISMAN joined the escort on the 11th. BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN joined the convoy and was detached on the 20th along with submarine TALISMAN. The submarine arrived back at Halifax on the 26th. The AMC was detached on the 21st. On the 24th, DD SCIMITAR, corvettes DIANTHUS, MALLOW, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE, and MSWs BRAMBLE, HAZARD, and SPEEDY joined the convoy. The MSWs departed that day. On the 26th, corvette MALLOW was detached. Destroyer WANDERER joined on the 27th. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessels MALVERNIAN and CAMITO arrived at Gibraltar from Western Patrol. Corvettes ERICA and SNAPDRAGON departed Gibraltar for Freetown en route to Simonstown and the Eastern Mediterranean.

*Steamer CRAFTSMAN (UK 8022 grt)* was sunk by German raider KORMORAN in the Central Atlantic. Six crew were lost and forty three were taken prisoner.





SL.71 departed Freetown escorted by AMC CILICIA that day only and corvettes CLEMATIS, CROCUS, CYCLAMEN, and CLEMATIS to 17 April. On the 10th, CL MAURITIUS joined the convoy to 23 April. MAURITIUS was relieved on the 23rd by CA LONDON which continued to 29 April. On the 28th, DDs LEAMINGTON, LINCOLN, and SHERWOOD and ocean boarding vessel MALVERNIAN joined the convoy to 4 May. On the 30th, DDs ROCKINGHAM to 2 May, VANQUISHER to 5 May, and VISCOUNT to 2 May, sloop LONDONDERRY to 5 May, and corvettes FREESIA, HIBISCUS, and PIMPERNEL all to 5 May, and ASW yacht PHILANTE to 5 May joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 May.

*Malta*
Malta completes the installation of 4 x GL-4 Gunnery radar sets, to significantly improve the accuracy of the AA defences on the island
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 APRIL TO DAWN 10 APRIL 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_1027-1048 hrs _Air raid alert for a single JU 88 which approaches the Island but does not cross the coast.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 1941
_ROYAL NAVY _As a result of information of the movement of German troop and supply convoys sailing for Tripoli, all available submarines were sailed to take up positions on the convoy route between Cape Bon, Kuriat, Kerkenah, Tripoli.
_AIR HQ
69 Sqn _Maryland reconnaissance eastern Tunisian coast for enemy shipping.
*Cyrenaica*
With the capture of Mechili by Rommel, he was now in a position to press on with the capture of Tobruk. It was vital to both sides in fact. Despite much of his forces still not being concentrated, Rommel was uncompromising that its capture was an absolute priority.

Whilst most of 5th Light was arriving via the inland route, and continuing to press forward to close the ring around Tobruk by pushing through to the sea, the coastal advance built around 27th Brescia Infantry Division with some German mobile elements to support it. Kampfgruppen under Schwerin and Olbrich were also pressed almost directly north from Mechili to assist the left flank of the encirclement. Much further back, at Tripoli, the lead elements of 15 Pz XX were landed and lost no time organizing their transfer by road transport via the coast road, the Via Balbia.

Late on the 8 April, Rommel reached the sea only hours after the retreating Australians, now reduced to just 3 companies in the rearguard. The remnants of 2nd Armoured XX, mostly the support group and the tank-less personnel of 3rd Armoured Bde had managed to extricate themselves from the town passing through the intact Australian poitions toward the relative safety of Tobruk. The small numbers of Australians meant that this escape route could not be held open for long, and large amounts equipment and support non-combatant personnel were bagged by the Axis forces on the 8th and 9th.

Ponath, a German soldier in the 5th lt scribbled in his diary on the night of the 8/9th “_Unit continues advancing through the night. Small numbers of PoWs mostly unarmed support personnel keep arriving. A LW a/c arrives with the mail, continaing orders to push on to Tobruk._”

Details of the strength and disposition of the defences at Tobruk remained obscure for the Germans at this point. Their forces were running on adrenalin and not much else, but they were supremely confident that day. Rommel received erroneous reports that a Dunkirk style evacuation was underway. Coupled with Rommels personal character it was no surprise that the initial German plan would rely almost completely on speed and surprise . This was in stark contrast to the measured and detailed preparations being organized by Moreshead within the city.


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## Njaco (Apr 9, 2016)

*April 10 Thursday*
*GERMANY:* British bombers hit Berlin in an attack which brought the war home with devastating impact. The Wellingtons gutted the State Opera House and caused extensive damage along Unter den Linden. The Opera House would be restored by 1943, but would again be bombed in Feb 1945. RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight. The first Luftwaffe night victory over Allied four-engined bombers was made when the night fighter version of the Bf 110C with nose mounted cannon, destroyed a RAF Short Stirling. Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld shot down a British Wellington bomber shortly after 0000 hours over the IJsselmeer in the Netherlands.

Hitler confronts Goering about lack of defenses against RAF bombing campaign and then departs for his Fruhlingssturm headquarters south of Vienna.

The Germany Navy, Kriegsmarine, ordered the construction of 60 submarines.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: German 14.Panzerdivision captured the Croatian capital of Zagreb. Ustasa leader Col. Slavko Kvaternik declares independence of Croatia from Yugoslavia. Croatian Fascist chief Ante Pavelic returned from exile to proclaim the independent state of Croatia. Tito, Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, forms Military Committee. All of southern Serbia was now under control of the German 12.Armee. The German 2.Armee began its main advance in Greece. 9.Panzerdivision and Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment moved through the Monastir Gap, across the Greek border, and captured the town of Florina. Sepp Dietrich's German Motorized Regiment Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler captured Monastir. Allied defenders held off the German XL Corps which was sweeping down from Yugoslavia along the Aliakmon River. In Greece, first contact was made between German spearheads and detachments of British W Force. New Zealand 4th Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Brigade, and 6th Infantry Brigade fell back from the Aliakmon Line southwest of Salonika, Greece.

Luftflotte IV halts most of the air missions over Yugoslavia and concentrates on the skies over Greece.

Italian supply convoy departs Palermo for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by three torpedo boats as an earlier Italian supply convoy arrives at Tripoli from Naples.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Siege of Tobruk, Libya, begins. General Rommel announced his conviction that the British were collapsing and must be vigorously pursued. He let it be known that his objective was now the Suez Canal. He decided to prevent the British from breaking out of Tobruk. Rommel orders probing attacks on the defenses at Tobruk but they are turned back by Australian infantry and British artillery. Australian 9th Infantry Division withdraws into Tobruk and General Morshead was appointed Tobruk Fortress Commander. The British 22nd Guards Brigade began deploying at Halfaya Pass. General von Prittwitz, commander of 15.Panzerdivision (which will soon come from Italy to join the Afrika Korps), has been flown to Libya with an advanced party of 3500 troops as reinforcements. Prittwitz was killed while personally leading a reconnaissance mission by armored cars hit by anti-tank fire on the Tobruk perimeter. German fighters based at Ain El Gazala, only eight miles from the seaport, escort Ju 87 Stukas from II./StG 2 in their bombing raids on the British defenses.

Although most of Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia and Eritrea is in British hands, pockets of Italian resistance still hold out (Assab in Eritrea; in Ethiopia, Amba Alagi in the North, Jimma in the South and Gondar in the West). Nigerian troops of the British 11th African Division moving Southwest down the road from Addis Ababa towards the Italian stronghold at Jimma reach the Omo River crossing at Abalti, to find the bridge blown and Italian troops dug in on the far side. In Eritrea, 5th Indian Division moves back from Massawa to Amara to pursue the Italians South to Amba Alagi in Ethiopia. Italians anticipate the arrival of British forces at Assab and seek to deny them use of the port facilities, scuttling 7 freighters to prevent capture.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Overnight, 53 RAF aircraft attacked German battlecruisers in Brest, France. British bombers scored four hits on the battle cruiser “_Gneisenau_” in Brest harbor, putting it out of action for several months. The “_Scharnhorst_” is also in the port undergoing engine repairs. Neither battle cruiser will be able to join the “_Bismarck_” in its cruise in May.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt, equating the defense of the United Kingdom to the defense of the United States, authorizes, under Lend-Lease, the transfer of 10 "Lake"-class Coast Guard cutters to the Royal Navy. Coast Guardsmen will train the British crews in the waters of Long Island Sound between 30 Apr and 30 May 1941.

*ASIA:* Military and conservative factions in Japan gained greater influence in a cabinet reshuffle. Musatsume Ogura, Admiral Teijiro Toyoda, and Lieutenant General Teichi Suzuki, all considered pro-expansion, were added to the cabinet. In another move strengthening the "war Hawk" point of view, Admiral Osami Nagano replaced Prince Hiroyasu Fushimi as chief of the Naval Staff. Seiichi Ito was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. Teichi Yoshimoto was named the chief of staff of Kenkichi Ueda (Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China).

The Imperial Japanese Navy formed the First Air Fleet (Dai-ichi KōKū Kantai) consisting of all seven of Japan’s aircraft fleet carriers and light carriers with a total of 474 aircraft. This was a naval battle group with the single most powerful concentration of naval aviation in the world. The large fleet carriers had three types of aircraft; fighters, level/torpedo bombers, and dive bombers. The smaller carriers had two types of aircraft, fighters and torpedo bombers. The carrier-based kokutai was staffed with 1500 pilots and over 1500 aircraft.

IJN “_Kaga_” was assigned to Carrier Division 1 of the new Japanese Navy First Air Fleet. IJN “_Akagi_” became the flagship of the newly organized First Air Fleet and also assigned to Carrier Division 1. She spent the next few weeks in and around Yokosuka, Japan and off Kyushu. Chuichi Nagumo was named the commanding officer of the First Air Fleet.

The Imperial General Headquarters ordered the Kwantung Army to place its 32nd and 83rd Sentais under the command of the China Expeditionary Army commander for the duration of the upcoming Chungyuan Operation (7 May – 15 June 1941).

*UNITED KINGDOM:* 206 Luftwaffe aircraft attacked Birmingham, England, dropping 246 tons of high explosive bombs and 1,183 incendiary bombs.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U- 107 sank British tanker ‘_Duffield’_ at 0345 hours; 25 were killed, 28 survived.

German submarine U-52 sank Dutch ship ‘_Saleier’_ 500 miles southwest of Iceland at 1955 hours. The entire crew of 63 abandoned ship in 3 lifeboats and were rescued by American destroyer USS ‘_Niblack’_. USS ‘_Niblack’_ then attacked a German submarine. The submarine escaped without being damaged. It was the first shot fired between the US and Germany.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* Heavy cruisers “_Chicago_” (CA-29) and “_Portland_” (CA-33) and destroyers “_Clark_” (DD-361), “_Conyngham_” (DD-371), “_Reid_” (DD-369), “_Cassin_” (DD-372) and “_Downes_” (DD-375) arrive at Pearl Harbor, thus winding up the Australia-New Zealand good-will cruise.

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## Njaco (Apr 10, 2016)

*April 11 Friday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *153 Luftwaffe aircraft from the combined fleets of Luftflotte 2 and 3 bombed Bristol, England. It was nicknamed the "Good Friday Raid". The Gruppen from Luftflotte 3 involved in attacking Avonmouth and Portishead were nine He 111s from I./KG 27, fifteen He 111s from II./KG 27, fifteen He 111s from III./KG 27 who lost a bomber over Lydlinch in Dorset and fourteen He 111s from KGr 100. Over the Bristol docks were sent ten Ju 88s of II./KG 1, six Ju 88s of III./KG 1, eight He 111s of III./KG 26, seventeen Ju 88s of I./KG 54, fourteen Ju 88s of II./KG 54, eight Ju 88s of KGr 806, one Heinkel from the Stab./KG 55, seventeen He 111s of I./KG 55, nine He 111s of II./KG 55 and seventeen He 111s of III./KG 55. Seven He 111s were shot down by Hurricanes from RAF No 151 Squadron and crashed either on English soil or the Channel. Losing a bomber each to the RAF were III./KG 1, III./KG 26, II./KG 54 and III./KG 55 who lost four Heinkels including a He 111 from 8./KG 55 that crashed in the sea off of France due to engine failure. The effort from Luftflotte 2 consisted of fifteen He 111s from I. and II./KG 53 that attacked Bristol shortly after 2200 hours. The city's docks, St Philip's Bridge, and residential areas were damaged. The city tramways power supply line was destroyed by a bomb that hit St Philip's Bridge. It was decided that the damage was too severe to repair and all the tram cars were soon to be scrapped for the war effort. The final tram from Old Market to Kingswood was given a push by passers-by and freewheeled its way into the depot. Trams will never run in Bristol again and none of the tram cars were preserved for historical purposes. A memorial to the system is a length of tram track still embedded in St Mary Redcliffe churchyard, where it was blown by a bomb.

A Junkers Ju 88A-5 from 3(F)/122 was shot down by Sergeant Casey and Sergeant Prytherch in Spitfires of RAF No 72 Squadron during a reconnaissance of Newcastle. Crashed at Alnmouth, Northumberland at 1940 hours.

An air attack on Bridlington where eighteen HEs caused extensive damage and killed two people, a forty-seven year old man at Lloyd Hospital and a two year old boy at New Burlington Road.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: German troops continue moving south from the Monastir Gap into Northern Greece, capturing the town of Vevi. The Italian Second Army, led by General Ambrosio, begins a cautious advance from the Triest area toward Ljubljana but Weich's forces arrive there first. Other Italian units begin to advance south along the Dalmatian coast. The German 12th Corps begins to advance over the Romanian border toward Belgrade. The Hungarians also join in with an advance from the Szeged are toward Novi Sad. They are held up more by resistance from Yugoslav civilians than by the Yugoslav army. In the evening, British and ANZAC forces have their first engagement with German troops in Greece, when a combined force of 2 Australian battalions and British 1st Armoured Brigade stops Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment at Klidi Pass, just South of Vevi.

Fighters from the newly returned 7./JG 26 bounce a flight of eight Hurricanes and shoot down three of the British fighters with claims going to Oblt. Müncheberg and Oblt. Mietusch.

Italian forces redoubled their efforts to link up with units in Albania.

The lack of air defense over the Balkans and the need for a buildup of air units for Rommel in North Africa forces the aircrews of I./JG 27 under Major Eduard Neumann to move from Graz to Munich in southern Germany in preparation for a transfer to North Africa. Leaving their Bf 109Es to Luftflotte 4 units, the Gruppe receives new Bf 109F ‘Freidrichs’ while in Germany.

Destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Janus_”, HMS “_Nubian_”, and HMS “_Mohawk_” of the British 14th Destroyer Flotilla arrived in Malta to act as a night striking force.

Axis Convoy departs for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Vivaldi_”, “_Da Noli_”, “_Mirabello_”, and “_Dardo_”.

*NORTH AFRICA:* First Siege of Tobruk: Rommel’s forces arrived at Tobruk in great strength. The isolation of Tobruk is now complete, all the remainder of the Allied force having retreated to the Egyptian border. Erwin Rommel performed a flanking movement, cutting the road east of Bardia at 1300 hours. All day, German tanks and armored cars probed the perimeter in several places hoping to exploit gaps but British and Australians had been strengthening the defenses since occupying the town in January. All the German thrust were repelled. British (1st Royal Tank Regiment) and German tanks exchanged fire at long range. On the same day, German aircraft bombed Tobruk harbor, damaging British ship “_Draco_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* George Patton was made the commanding officer of the 2nd Armored Division.

US President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed that the Red Sea was to be no longer considered as a war zone so as to enable it to be used by American shipping. Roosevelt tells Churchill that the US Navy will extend the American Defense Zone up to the line of 26 degrees West.

President Roosevelt creates the Office of Price Administrations under the direction of Leon Henderson. It is given the task of controlling prices and profits and balancing civilian and defense needs. This bureau will play an important part in holding back many increases in prices and containing inflation despite the pressures that will develop in the war economy.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-124 sank Greek ship “_Aegeon_” 200 miles southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2100 hours; 4 were killed, 27 survived.

U.S. begins neutrality patrols in the Atlantic. Neutrality patrols were created ostensibly to protect neutral shipping rights in the western Atlantic but also to give American naval commanders vital experience should the United States enter the war.

*GERMANY:* German armored train ‘Atlas’ arrived at Mönichkirchen, Germany (occupied Austria) to prepare the village for Adolf Hitler's arrival on the following day.

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini concluded their four-day meeting at Salzburg in occupied Austria, during which Hitler convinced Mussolini to remain in the war.

French Lieutenant Alain le Ray became the first Allied serviceman to escape from Colditz Castle, site of the prisoner of war camp Oflag IV-C, in Germany.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command conducts Rhubarb operations as RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

*ASIA: *Soviet Ambassador Panyushkin assures Chiang Kai-shek Moscow will not abandon support of China in order to pander to Japan.

.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 10, 2016)

*10 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-401
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
_Sunk on 3 August 1941 in the North Atlantic south-west of Ireland, in position 50.30N, 19.35W, by depth charges from the British corvette HMS HYDRANGEA . 45 dead (all hands lost)._

Type VIIC U-565
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
_3 ships sunk, total tonnage 11,347 GRT, 2 warships sunk, total tonnage 6,990 tons
Scuttled on 30 September 1944 with three depth charges in the Skaramanga Bay, in position 37.59N, 23.34E, after being badly damaged by bombs during US air raids (15th AF) in Salamis on 19 and 24 September 1944. 5 dead, unknown number of survivors._

Allied
Fairmile B Ml 161
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Thornycroft 75’ type MTB 49





*Losses*
U.52 sank *steamer SALEIER (NL 6563 grt)*, from dispersed convoy OB.306, in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was on passage from Loch Ewe to Port Said, fully loaded with Coal and with a crew of 63. The entire crew was rescued by USN DD NIBLACK, en route to Iceland. ORP DDs GARLAND and PIORUN had been searching for the crew as well. before returning to Reykjavik. After rescuing the crew, the US DD attacked a submarine contact, on the grounds of self defence, and also on the grounds of what the USN believed were international waters outside a war zone.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U 75
Lorient: U-123

At Sea 10 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-94, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-552

17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CLA NAIAD, under repair in the Tyne, was damaged by the near miss from the LW causing superficial splinter damage and some shock damage to her turbine mountings.

*Northern Patrol*
The British DS convoy series began with convoy DS.1 of troopships ROYAL ULSTERMAN and ROYAL SCOTSMAN departing the Clyde, escort DDs ST MARYS and LANCASTER. The convoy arrived at Reykjavik on the 12th.

The return convoy SD.1 departed Iceland on the 14th with the same escorts. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
DD SOMALI, began repairs to her boilers alongside depot ship TYNE at Scapa Flow. DD BROCKLESBY arrived at Scapa Flow to carry out work up.

BB KG V and DDs SOMALI and MASHONA arrived at Scapa Flow that evening.
Escorting DD MATABELE had been detached en route to refit at Barrow, arriving on the 11th.

BB RESOLUTION, AMC DERBYSHIRE, and ORP DDs PIORUN and GARLAND departed Hvalfjord for Canada. CA NORFOLK departed Hvalfjord to meet HX.119.
CL AURORA, escorting ML AGAMEMNON, departed Scapa Flow to refit at the Tyne.

British steamer THIRLBY was damaged by LW attacks 140 miles NNW of Butt of Lewis. DD BEDOUIN was sent to assist, but could not locate the steamer. ASW trawler LADY MADELEINE escorted tug BRIGAND to assist the steamer. The steamer arrived at Loch Ewe on the 11th.

*West Coast*
Dutch steamer VIRGO was damaged by the LW five miles NW of Bar Light Vessel. The steamer was towed to Liverpool.

*Channel*
British steamer BUSIRIS was damaged by the LW off Mounts Bay in Cornwall.

DKM BC GNEISENAU was struck by four bombs and was badly damaged at Brest.
Due to the damage of the DKM BCs, submarines TORBAY, TAKU, UNBEATEN, UNION, UNDAUNTED, URGE, and CACHALOT were sent on to the Mediterranean when relieved by the 6th Submarine Flotilla, transferred from Blyth.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs JERVIS, JANUS, MOHAWK, and NUBIAN departed Suda Bay for Malta to conduct raiding operations on Italian supply lines.

CLs AJAX and RAN PERTH departed Alexandria to cover their passage during the night of 10/11 April. DDs JERVIS, JANUS, MOHAWK, and NUBIAN arrived at Malta at daylight on the 11th.

AJAX and PERTH called at Salamis on the 11th. The cruisers then refuelled at Suda Bay before returning to patrol in the Aegean to cover convoys AG.12 and AS.25.

British troopship GLENROY, escorted by DDs DECOY and ENCOUNTER, departed Port Said to reembark troops recently landed at Lemnos by British supply ship BRECONSHIRE. On the 11th, troopship GLENROY and destroyers DECOY and ENCOUNTER arrived at Alexandria. CLA COVENTRY left convoy AS.25 on the 11th to join this force.
Convoy AG.12 of one British ship departed Alexandria escorted by CLA r CARLISLE, DD HEREWARD, and sloops FLAMINGO and AUCKLAND, and arrived at Phaleron Bay on the 12th. The escort remained at Salamis.

AS.25 of five Greek ships departed Piraeus escort DD WRYNECK and sloop GRIMSBY. CLA COVENTRY sailed to accompany this convoy for the first part of the voyage, then departed on the 11th to escort troopship GLENROY. CLA CALCUTTA joined the convoy from Suda Bay on the 11th. Damaged oiler PERICLES joined this convoy from Suda Bay for passage to Alexandria.

*RFA PERICLES (RN 8324 grt)* broke in half in heavy weather. Sloop GRIMSBY took off the crew and stood by while destroyer KIMBERLEY was sent to her assistance. DD KIMBERLEY sank the stern section of the tanker with gunfire, and arrived at Alexandria on the 14th




_PERICLES at Suda just prior to her loss _
DD WRYNECK escorted the Port Said section. DD KIMBERLEY and sloop GRIMSBY arrived at Alexandria on the 15th.

MSW ABINGDON was damaged by mining at Malta. She was under repair until June. British troopship ULSTER PRINCE grounded in Great Pass at Alexandria. The troopship was gotten off without serious damage, but docking was required.

Italian supply convoy of steamers BOSFORO and OGADEN and tankers PERSIANO and SUPERGA departed Palermo escorted by TBs MISSORI, and MONTANARI. The convoy was attacked off Cape Bon by submarine UPHOLDER on the 11th with no success. However, Submarine TETRARCH sank *tkr PERSIANO (FI 2474 grt)*, thirty miles NE of Tripoli on the 12th. The remainder of the convoy arrived at Tripoli later that day.




_PERSIANO as she was sinking taken the morning of her loss_

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.120 departed Halifax, escort corvettes COBALT and COLLINGWOOD. The corvettes were detached later that day. BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and AMC LACONIA joined the convoy on the 12th. AMC CHITRAL joined on the 19th. The BB was detached on the 20th and the two AMCs were detached on the 21st. DDs BULLDOG and WALKER joined on the 21st and MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL joined on the 22nd. BULLDOG was detached on the 24th. WALKER arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on the 29th.

Canadian troop convoy TC.10 of troopships GEORGIC and BATORY departed Halifax. BB RODNEY escorted the convoy for the entire voyage. RCN DD ST CROIX escorted the convoy on 10 and 11 April. On the 15th, DDs HESPERUS, LEGION, and LEOPARD joined the convoy. LEOPARD was detached the next day. On the 16th, DDs ACTIVE, ECHO, GARLAND, and PIORUN, departed Iceland on the 14th, joined the convoy. DDs ECHO and ACTIVE arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th, and arrived at Greenock on the 19th with BB RODNEY and DDs HESPERUS, LEGION, GARLAND, and PIORUN.
*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MALVERNIAN departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
*Steamer INDIA (FI 6366 grt)* was scuttled at Assab. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PIAVE (FI 7565 grt)* was scuttled at Assab. The steamer was later salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SANNIO (FI 9834 grt)* was scuttled at Assab. The steamer was later salved.





*Coastal steamer SCILLIN (FI 57 grt)* was scuttled at Assab.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer CIRCEO (FI 59 grt)* was scuttled at Assab.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer DANTE (FI 80 grt)* was scuttled at Assab.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer SICILIA II (FI 64 grt)* was scuttled at Assab.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
 
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 APRIL TO DAWN 11 APRIL 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_1230-1320 hrs_ Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which cross Gozo from north to south and then from south to north over Hal Far and San Rocco. Malta fighters are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns engage; no engagement.
_1517-1530 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft approaching the Island from the north. They circle to the west and north of the Island before moving away northwards. Nine Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement reported.
_1554 hrs_Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 10 APRIL 1941
_ROYAL NAVY _One southbound convoy located by air reconnaissance. 830 Squadron despatched after dark but failed to intercept.
_AIR HQArrivals_1 Sunderland._69 Squadron_Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli Harbour: 8 destroyers, 12 plus merchant vessels. Maryland reconnaissance Palermo Harbour: 2 cruisers, 5 destroyers, 14 merchant vessels. Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and eastern Tunisian coast for enemy shipping sighted convoy; 830 Squadron being despatched for torpedo attack.
_HAL FAR PM _Operational flight by 8 aircraft 830 Squadron, target Tripoli; all returned safely.
_KALAFRANA _Sunderland arrived from Middle East with freight.
*Cyrenaica*
Ponaths advance elements approaching the outer defences of the Red Line were pulled up short 11 miles short of the township by the long range artillery fire from the 51st British Hvy Artillery Regt, and later by the direct firing of Australian manned ATGs, some of which were captured Italian 47mm Bohler guns.. Another officer, Prittwitz diving in a Kubelwagen was killed at milestone 13 by a direct hit. From artillery fire. The Australian guns were obviously ranged and fire was deadly. Prittwitz was killed instantly. Streich, another regimental commander under Rommel’s command was furious with Rommel, because he regarded Prittwitz’s death as toitally unnecessary and firmly because of Rommels over confindence.

The forward defences were under the commend of Captain Vernon Northwood of A Company, 2/28 Bn. He watched the rash advance of the forward elements of the german attack fromhis forward command post, and had given orders for the Australian guns to commence firing as soon as the range was found for the advancing targets. The Australians displayed none of the usual fear normally afforded to the German Panzer waffe truppen. Several Australians were wounded by German return fire, and their comrades had to endure their screams for the entire day until the cover of night allowed their safe evacuation. 

It was at about this time that the logistic sums facing Rommel began to be nutted out. Rommels supply was dependant upon a single seal road, stretch 1875 miles back to Tripoli. Once it was operational Benghazi could assist in the transfer of supplies to Rommels command. But between them, Tripoli and Benghazi could allow a maximum of 75000 tons of supplies to pass, with the minor ports adding a further 5000 to that total. Tobruk could add a nother 25000 tons a month to that figure, moreover its closeness to the front made it a critical piece of real estate to control. Rommels minimum supply needs by the end of the year were just over 70000 tons a month under normal combat conditions, and with an army of 7 divs under his command. To take Alexandria, Rommel needed to capture Tobruk.




 
_“Gunners” (in reality Infantry) of the 2/28 manhandle a captured Italian 149mm gun just behind the sw sector of the Red line where the Germans made their initial contact_


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## parsifal (Apr 10, 2016)

*11 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type II Escort DD HMS BLANKNEY (L-30)





HDML 1049
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 213
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class MSW No 11
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Boom defence vessel OTHELLO (RN 201 grt)* and *Boom tender YORKSHIRE BELLE (RN 56 grt)* were sunk on mines at the entrance to the Humber. 15 of the crew from the two ship were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.124 sank *steamer AEGEON (Gk 5285 grt)* off the coast of Sierra Leone. The ships was fully laden with wheat and on passage from Buenos Aires via Freetown.. Four crew were lost when the steamer was sunk. At 2059 hrs the unescorted AEGEON was hit in the engine room by one torpedo from U-124 about 170 miles WSW of Freetown. The ship sank by the stern at 2135 hrs, shortly after the U-boat surfaced and left without questioning the survivors because the ALCINOUS had been sighted. The crew had managed to send a distress signal before they abandoned ship and HMS WISHARTwas redirected to their position, but the destroyer found no trace of wreckage or lifeboats during a short search of the area the next morning and had to return to Freetown as she was low on fuel. The survivors were picked up by the British motor merchant SHEAF HOLM landed at Freetown on 14 April.






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-69
St Nazaire: U74

At Sea 11 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-552

17 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD MANSFIELD with a Norwegian crew departed Lerwick on the 8th. She carried commandoes to Hammerfest, near North Cape, to destroy a fish oil factory at Oksfjord on 11/12 April. The DD arrived back on the 14th

*West Coast*
DD MANSFIELD with a Norwegian crew departed Lerwick on the 8th. She carried commandoes to Hammerfest, near North Cape, to destroy a fish oil factory at Oksfjord on 11/12 April. The DD arrived back on the 14th

*Med/Biscay*
DD GREYHOUND departed Alexandria escorting netlayer PROTECTOR and ASW trawlers SYVERN and KOS 23 for Suda Bay. They were joined at sea by corvette SALVIA and Sth African (SA) MSW MUROTO for Piraeus. The corvette and the SA MSW were to assist corvette HYACINTH in clearing Piraeus harbour. Both sections arrived on the 14th.

CL ORION with RAN DD STUART, EN DDs GRIFFIN, JUNO, JAGUAR, and HASTY departed Alexandria at 2000 to join CLs AJAX and RAN PERTH for an offensive sweep along the Cyrenaican coast eastwards from Benghazi during the night of 12/13 April in Operation MBD.3.

Gunboats APHIS and GNAT bombarded Bomba during the night of 10/11 April. The gunboats bombarded the same district and the Gazala airdrome during the night of 11/12 April.

RAN DDs WATERHEN and VENDETTA arrived at Alexandria at 0400 with British steamer THURLAND CASTLE carrying captured tanks from Tobruk. The DDs departed Alexandria again that day with another supply ship for Tobruk.

DDs JERVIS, JANUS, MOHAWK, and NUBIAN arrived at Malta from Suda Bay. They immediately refuelled and sailed to intercept the southbound convoy of steamers BOSFORO, OGADEN, PERSIANA, and SUPERGA, escorted by TBs MONTANARI, MISSORI, and PERSEO between Lampione Island and Kerkenah Bank. They failed to intercept a subsequent message from submarine UNIQUE which corrected the speed of the convoy. No contact was made and the destroyers returned to Malta.

During the night of 11/12 April, Greek cruiser AVEROFF departed the Gulf of Saronikos and proceeded unescorted to Alexandria. No escorts could be spared for this unit.




_The AVEROF is a floating museum in Athens harbour today _

*Cable ship RETRIEVER (674grt)* was sunk by the LW one mile 264° from Aliki Rocks, off Phleva Island, Greece. Eleven crew were lost and six were taken prisoner. 29 crew were rescued.





*Hospital ship ATTIKI (Gk 2561 grt)* was sunk by German bombing in Doro Channel.
Twenty eight crew were missing.





*Steamer DRACO (UK 2018 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Tobruk and beached. The steamer was bombed again on the 21st and was a total loss. The gunner was killed, but rest of the crew were rescued.





*Central Atlantic*
DD BOREAS arrived at Gibraltar with British steamer GLENARTNEY

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA had departed Colombo on 24 March with two empty troopships for convoy US.10 back to Australia. On the 7th, AUSTRALIA and CLs ACHILLES and HOBART departed Wellington with two liners for Australia to sail in the convoy. NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Jervis Bay, NSW. with liner QUEEN MARY on the 11th to join convoy US.10 at Sydney. This convoy was composed of QUEEN MARY, QUEEN ELIZABETH, ILE DE FRANCE, MAURETANIA, and NIEUW AMSTERDAM. On the 12th, ACHILLES and AUSTRALIA were detached from the convoy for patrol. They then proceeded to Sydney to refuel. The NZ manned CL then returned to New Zealand. Liner NIEUW AMSTERDAM was detached to Singapore. The troops from this liner were embarked on troopship AQUITANIA which departed Singapore on the 27th, escorted by CL DANAE. Troopship AQUITANIA arrived at Colombo on 1 May. On the 27th, convoy US.10A departed Trincomalee with liners QUEEN ELIZABETH and QUEEN MARY, escorted as far as Perim by RAN CA CANBERRA, arriving on 1 May, and arrived at Suez on 3 May, escorted by RAN sloop PARRAMATTA. On 6 May, convoy US.10B departed Colombo for Suez with liners AQUITANIA, ILE DE FRANCE, and MAURETANIA.

NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Madras with a convoy for Singapore. The convoy was turned over to light cruiser CERES on the 12th. The cruiser proceeded to Trincomalee arriving on the 13th. She then proceeded on to Colombo arriving on the 14th.

Convoy BM.6 departed Madras for Malaya with steamers TALMA, SANTHIA, NEURALIA, and DEVONSHIRE, escorted by NZ manned CL LEANDER to 12 April when CL DANE relieved her.

Steamers JALAPADMA and JALAKRISHNA departed Madras on the 12th, unescorted, with vehicles and stores for the troops being carried in convoy BM.6, and arrived at Penang on the 16th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 APRIL TO DAWN 12 APRIL 1941

_Weather _Fine.

_0648-0720 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_0935-1020 hrs_Air raid alert for seven Italian CR 42 fighters, followed by a second plot of six, which carry out reconnaissance. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders north of Malta. Two CR 42s are probably shot down.

_1125-1155 hrs_Air raid alert for twelve Messerschmitt fighters and one JU 88 which carry out an offensive patrol over the Island. Heavy and Light anti-aircraft guns engage and eight Hurricanes are scrambled. One ME 109 and one ME 110 are confirmed shot down, the JU 88 is probably shot down. Hurricanes flown by F/O P Kennett and Sgt P Waghorn are shot down into the sea by enemy raiders. P/O Kennett is spotted offshore and the rescue launch heads for the spot but he is found dead. Sgt Waghorn’s plane is seen to go down near St Paul’s Bay; he does not survive. Both pilots arrived in Malta just eight days ago with Operation Winch.

Sgt A H Deacon’s Hurricane is badly damaged in a dogfight with a ME 109; he heads for Ta Qali but cannot land as anti-aircraft guns are still in action against enemy aircraft. Deacon flies on to Hal Far and is able to land but his undercarriage collapses and he is slightly injured. P/O Mortimer’s Hurricane is also badly damaged in combat; he also has to divert to Hal Far where his aircraft lands awkwardly, causing him some injuries.

_2156-2247 hrs_Air raid alert for nine JU 87 Stuka bombers which approach the Island at 4-6000 feet singly and in pairs, and carry out a bombing raid on Mgarr, Siggiewi, Mdina and Ta Qali aerodrome. Several civilian houses are damaged at Siggiewi. At Mgarr three houses are destroyed in St Peter’s Street and 15 badly damaged in Fisher Street. Five civilians are killed and seven injured – three seriously. No damage is caused on the airfield. Some of the raiders are illuminated by searchlights and Malta fighters are scrambled. One JU 87 is shot down near Il Maghtab church by ground defences: 2ndBn Royal Irish Fusiliers are believed to have shot it down with small arms fire. One JU 87 is probably shot down by fighters. 

_Military casualties _Pilot Officer Peter Kennett, Royal Air Force (VR), 261 Squadron. Sergeant Peter Harry Waghorn, Pilot, Royal Air Force (VR), 261 Squadron.

_Civilian casualties Gharghur _Rosaria Mifsud, age 8._Mgarr _Josephine Borg, age 44; Mary Vella, age 36; Saviour Vella, age 60._Siggiewi_Michael Sammut, age 46.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 11 APRIL 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Jervis, Janus, Mohawk_and_Nubian_arrived for operations against the Tripoli convoy route. After fuelling, the destroyers sailed to intercept a southbound convoy located by aircraft between Lampion and Kerkennah Bank, and reported as steaming at 15 knots. The destroyers failed to intercept and from a subsequent signal from_Unique_, which failed to get through by wireless telegraph, it was apparent that the convoy’s speed had not exceeded 9 knots.

_AIR HQArrivals_1 Sunderland. Swordfish engage in night attack. Maryland photo-reconnaissance Tripoli. 2 Maryland on sea patrol.

_HAL FAR _Two Hurricanes from Ta Qali crash-landed after air battle; one of 2 pilots slightly hurt.

_KALAFRANA_One Sunderland arrived from Gibraltar with freight.

*Cyrenaica*
By noon on 11 April it was apparent that Rommel's forces were astride the El Adem Road in considerable force and were to continuing to move eastward to complete the encirclement At 12.20pm 10 tanks approached within 1000 yards of Post R59 (on 2/28 Bn's front in the southeast sector); 5 were put out of action by the 24th Anti-Tank Company and the rest withdrew. 

The supporting infantry dismounted from trucks and attacked post R63; they were repulsed, but 2 men of 2/28 Bn were wounded, one mortally. 

The various actions undertaken during the day all seemed to point to the imminence of an assault on the fortress and to the likelihood that it would be made at first light next morning near the boundary of the 20th and 24th Brigades, in the southeastern centre east of the El Adem road. However, this attack did not take place where and when anticipated. 

This was the first defeat of blitzkrieg methods in north Africa, and tactical handling was worked out by Moreshead personally. The crux was to break the armoured spearhead of the panzers from the wooden shaft of the spear (their support troops). The Australian infantry deliberately held fire allowed the panzers passed and then attacked the support troops, The panzers blundered into a carefully prepared second defence line of artillary dug in and a small mobile reserve of Britsih tanks. With little support they retreated, abandoning their own infantry to their fate. The mutually supporting Infantry/Armour teams that was the hallmark of German combat methods began to fall apart in this small battle. 

This action took several days to unfold and was to see the awardf of the 9ths first Victoria Cross on the 14th


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## Njaco (Apr 11, 2016)

*April 12 Saturday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: German troops captured Belgrade in the Serbia region of Yugoslavia as Hugarian troops also crossed the border into Yugoslavia, joining the invasion. Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia, fell to the Germans as armored columns of the XLVI Panzer Corps stormed in from three sides. Even before the tanks entered, a young German captain and nine enlisted men bluffed their way into the city, and virtually the entire defense garrison surrendered. Zagreb was occupied, and the Germans were greeted enthusiastically by the Croatian population. On the Danube River in Yugoslavia, German Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, sink the river monitor “_Drava_” (54 were killed, 13 survived) while forcing three others, “_Morava_”, “_Sava_”, and “_Vardar_”, to be scuttled.

To the south in Greece, German SS troops overran British and Australian troops south of Vevi, forcing the Allies to fall back. Outnumbered Australian troops at Vevi, in the Monastir gap just south of the Yugoslav border, fought a bitter defensive battle with a panzer division but finally had to yield. With the Aliakmon Line unhinged, Allied forces to the East pull back to a line inland from Mount Olympus to block both the valley from Vevi and the coastal route from Salonika. On the same day, British anti-aircraft cruiser HMS “_Coventry_”, destroyer HMS “_Decoy_”, destroyer HMS “_Encounter_”, and troopship “_Glenroy_” evacuated a battalion of troops, 1,000 tons of supplies, and 40 vehicles from the Greek island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea near Salonika. British vessel “_Marie Maersk_” was sunk by Axis aircraft at Piraeus.

Operation Lustre: Australian 17th Infantry Brigade began arriving Athens by sea from Egypt.

British submarine HMS “_Tetrarch_” sank Italian tanker “_Persiano_” 55 miles northeast of Tripoli, Libya.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Werner Hübner, a seven victory pilot with JG 51 is shot down and killed in combat against the Allies.

RAF Bomber Command sends 66 aircraft to attack warships at Brest and 24 aircraft to attack airfield at Bordeaux overnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_St. Helena_” 100 miles southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 0509 hours; all 41 aboard survived and were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Wishart_”.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Kormoran_” sank Greek ship “_Nicolaos D. L_.” 920 miles southwest of British West Africa, capturing the entire crew of 38.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* British bombers conducted a raid on the fish oil factories in Hammerfest, Norway.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US established air and naval bases in Greenland. South Greenland’s governor informed the American consul at Godthaab that he would not recognize the agreement concluded by the Danish minister in Washington giving the U.S. military base rights in Greenland. He said he would resist any such move until "faced with the fate accompli." The U.S. presented him with the fate accompli when it sent a contingent of U.S. Marines and three coast guard cutters to Greenland. The German government demands the Danish Government try Minister Henrik de Kaufmann for treason for negotiating the treaty with the United States for protection of Greenland, and to announce that the Danish government is not bound by the treaty.

The 8th airfield in the Panama Canal Zone was declared operational.

*NORTH AFRICA: *First Siege of Tobruk: German 3rd Recon Battalion troops captured Bardia, Libya. At Tobruk, the German probing attacks with tanks and armored cars were repulsed. Rommel underestimated the number of Allied troops at Tobruk (about 30,000) and their determination. German tanks and armored cars again probe the perimeter in small groups but were repelled. Luftwaffe and artillery bombarded Tobruk (3 Stukas shot down over the harbour). Believing the Allies ready to evacuate Tobruk, Rommel also sent columns further east to chase the British into Egypt (his stated goal is the Suez Canal). To prevent this, British prepared blocking positions at Halfaya Pass, near Sollum, Egypt. RAF bombs and strafes German columns moving around Tobruk and towards the frontier with Egypt.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler arrived at Mönichkirchen, Germany (occupied Austria) via his personal train Amerika. He would remain in his village to oversee the operations in the Balkan Peninsula.

RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen in daylight.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *General Henry Arnold arrives London from US via Lisbon and begins meeting with Churchill, Beaverbrook, Portal, and others about cooperation on air issues.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 12, 2016)

*April 13 Sunday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The German Leibstandarte SS Regiment attacked through the Metsovon Pass in an attempt to flank the Greek positions on the front with Albania. To prevent this, Greek General Papago ordered Greek troops in Albania to fall back. Italians pursue the withdrawal along the entire front, allowing Italian 11th Army capturing the towns of Korçë, Permet and Porto Palermo on the Mediterranean coast. Further south, German aircraft attacked Piraeus, Greece, sinking Greek destroyer “_Psara_” and damaging destroyer “_Vasilevs Georgios I_”.

The Battle of Ptolemaida was fought, resulting in German victory. The Battle of Ptolemaida refers to two distinct engagements, the first around the village of Sotir north of Ptolemaida and the second around the village of Proasteion south of Ptolemaida, during the German invasion of Greece. These battles were delaying actions fought by Allied units under the overall command of the British 1st Armoured Brigade against the German 9.Panzerdivision, to cover the Allied withdrawal from their positions at Klidi and Mt. Vermion toward the new defensive line of Mt.Olympus - river Aliakmon - Mt. Siniatsikon.

The Battle of Kleisoura Pass began. The battle was fought over the narrow pass that crosses between Mt. Vitsi and Mt. Siniatsiko, between elements of the Greek 20th Infantry Division which were occupying the pass and the German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, a mechanized infantry unit of brigade level. The pass was strategically important for it stood on the main Allied defensive line (Mt.Vitsi– Mt. Siniatsiko– river Aliakmon – Mt. Olympos), behind which passed the withdrawal route of the Greek army engaged against the Italians in Albania. The Greek 20th Division's task was to occupy and defend the passes of Kleisoura and Vlasti. With the Dodecanese Regiment of the division detached and attached to Mackay Force at Klidi pass, the 80th Regiment was tasked with defending Kleisoura Pass and the 35th Regiment with the defence of Vlasti Pass. Realizing the importance of the Kleisoura Pass and the organization of the location, the commander of TSKM sent ahead on motor vehicles the infantry battalions I/87 and II/80 as well as two sapper companies and a battalion (two batteries) of mountain artillery on 10 April, to prepare the defences. The first contact was made at 1700 hours on 13 April. German forward elements attacked the Greek line, particularly battalion I/87 on height Sargonitsa. With intense effort and artillery support, the attacking Germans managed at 2100 hours to throw back the I/87 in disarray. The Germans remained idle, and did not continue their maneuver. Throughout the night exchange of artillery fire continued, which depleted the Greek ammunition stocks. A total of 50 Greek officers and soldiers were killed during the fighting of 13 April.

Over Greece, three Bf 109s from 8./JG 27 bounce a flight of six Bristol Blenheim IV bombers of RAF No. 211 Squadron and destroy the entire British formation.

Luftwaffe aircraft conducted a raid on Malta. On a morning patrol over Malta, RAF ace F/O “Imshi” Mason finds a _Schwarm_ of Bf 109s below him. Leaving his wingman, Mason dives on the Messerschmitts only to have his target fly off leaving him among the remaining three German fighters. Trying to get away, Mason is hit in the hand and his Hurricane is shot up but does not catch fire. Mason makes it back to his base and spends time at hospital, leaving Malta and never returning. Oblt. Mietusch of 7./JG 26 is credited with a kill for the action.

The II Gruppe of JG 77 under Hptm. Lange joins Major von Winterfeldt’s III Gruppe of JG 77 at the airfield at Deta in Rumania.

Pope Pius XII broadcast an Easter address asking listeners to pray for an early peace. He directed a message to the occupying powers as well, saying;


> "let your conscience guide you in dealing justly, humanely and providently with the peoples of occupied territories. Do not impose upon them burdens which you in similar circumstances have felt or would feel to be unjust."


 The pope also called for an end to attacks against civilian targets.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The Soviet Union and Japan sign a five year Neutrality Agreement. For Stalin this is an invaluable piece of diplomacy which, backed by secret information from Soviet spies in Tokyo, will allow him to transfer forces from Siberia to face a possible German attack. These moves begin now. The agreement represents a complete change in Japanese policy and marks the growing concern of the Japanese military leaders and statesmen to look south to the resources of the East Indies. The agreement has been negotiated almost alone by Foreign Minister Matsuoka, in Moscow on the way back from a European visit. German ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg reported that Joseph Stalin was unexpectedly friendly to both Japanese and German diplomats on this date.

*NORTH AFRICA:* First Siege of Tobruk: Rommel has finally received 2 maps of Tobruk’s defenses from his Italian allies (he keeps 1 map and gives the other to 5.Leichte Division commander General Streich). Rommel decides to concentrate his armor and plan an attack on Tobruk in force, using 5.Leichte Division plus Italian Ariete and Trento Divisions from the South at dusk. Allied defenders observe the preparations. Axis artillery bombarded Allied defensive positions at Tobruk at 1700 hours, and 30 minutes later German 5.Leichte Division, Italian Ariete Division, and Italian Trento Division commenced an attack. After an artillery barrage, German infantry advancing at 1730 hours were prevented from blowing the wire and filling anti-tank ditches by accurate British artillery fire. German tanks mill around overnight unable to find gaps to penetrate. Australian troops repulsed the repeated attacks. Further east, German troops captured Fort Capuzzo near the Libyan-Egyptian border. Fort Capuzzo has now changed hands 4 times since June 1940. Later Rommel receives orders from Berlin that he is to consolidate on the Egyptian frontier and concentrate of capturing Tobruk. Only then will he be allowed to push into Egypt. The result of this order is that Rommel decides to rest his exhausted troops and wait until the 15.Panzerdivision arrives at the end of May before making a major assault against Tobruk.

In Ethiopia, the Indian 29th Infantry Brigade began advancing south toward Amba Alagi from Eritrea while South African 1st Infantry Brigade advanced north toward Dessie from Addis Ababa and East African 22nd Infantry Brigade pushed south from Addis Ababa.

The two Swordfish aircraft squadrons of HMS “_Eagle_” which had been temporarily transferred to Port Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan three weeks prior returned to the carrier shortly after she had transited the Suez Canal.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-108, having tracked and unsuccessfully attacked the British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Rajputana_” for the past two days, sank her with a torpedo 100 miles west of Iceland at 0743 hours; 40 were killed, 283 were rescued by destroyer HMS “_Legion_”.

German submarine U-124 sank British ship “_Corinthic_” 75 miles west of Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2229 hours; 2 were killed, 39 survived.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Alarmed by the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, US President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the US Navy to scale back operations in the Atlantic Ocean to avoid war with Germany, as naval resources might need to be diverted to the Pacific Ocean to counter this new threat.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British battleship HMS “_King George V_”, light cruiser HMS “_Nigeria_”, and destroyers HMS “_Mashona_”, HMS “_Electra_”, and HMS “_Escapade_” departed Scapa Flow, Scotland at 0107 hours in poor weather.

The forty Manchester bombers on the strength of RAF Nos. 207 and 97 Squadrons were grounded for engine modifications. During the work alterations were also made to allow the carriage of 4000-pound HC (high capacity) bombs; the first of which was dropped by a RAF No. 207 Squadron aircraft on Berlin, Germany on the night of 8 to 9 May 1941.


.


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## parsifal (Apr 13, 2016)

*12 APRIL 1941*
*Losses*
U.124 sank steamer *ST HELENA (UK 4313 grt)* off the coast of Sierra Leone. The entire crew was rescued. She was on passage from Montevideo to hull, via Freetown with a mixed cargo (mostly canned meats). She was sailing independently when lost. At 0509 hrs the unescorted ST HELENA was hit under the bridge by one torpedo from U-124 and sank capsizing to port about 100 miles sw of Freetown. The U-boat surfaced and questioned the survivors before leaving the area. The master, 35 crew members, two gunners and three passengers were picked up by DD WISHART and landed at Freetown.





*Steamer ARBEL (Belg 901 grt)* was sunk by the LW off the UK west coast. Three crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KEXHOLM (SD 3815 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the western approaches. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Grain elevator CHICAGO (UK 250 grt (est))* was sunk by the LW at Millwall Dock, London.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer NICOLAOS D. L. (Gk 5486 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider KORMORAN in the Central Atlantic whilst on passage from Vancouver to Durban. The entire crew was taken as prisoners of war.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-65
St Nazaire: U-95, U-96
At Sea 12 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-552

18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
*Naval drifter RYPA (RN 31 grt)*, with a Norwegian crew, was lost in Loch Ewe in heavy weather.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
OB.309 departed liverpool, escort DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, VETERAN, and WOLVERINE, armed boarding vessel MARON, seaplane carrier PEGASUS, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes BEGONIA, CONVOLVULUS, and LARKSPUR. Destroyers CHELSEA and VERITY were detached on the 15th and sloop DEPTFORD on the 16th. On the 15th, DD ROCKINGHAM and corvettes CAMPANULA and PIMPERNEL joined the escort. DDs VETERAN and WOLVERINE were detached on the 18th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 19th when the convoy dispersed.

British steamer DARTFORD was damaged by the LW 1.5 miles sth of Mumbles Lighthouse, in the Bristol Channel. The steamer was towed to port.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine UNBEATEN departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar arriving on the 21st.
RM sub TAZZOLI attacked a DD without success in the SW Approaches.

*Med/Biscay*
CLA PHOEBE arrived at Suez for duty in the Med Flt after duty as WS.6A convoy escort. The cruiser moved through the Canal in the dark. DD KIMBERLEY also arrived at Suez on the 12th to join the Med Flt.

CLA COVENTRY, DDs DECOY and ENCOUNTER, and troopship GLENROY evacuated Mudros. The entire bn of troops, over 1000 tons of stores, and forty army vehicles were embarked in 12 hrs. The ships departed Mudros at 0645 on the 13th and arrived at Alexandria on the 15th.

In Operation MBD.3, DDs STUART (RAN), GRIFFIN, JUNO, and JAGUAR were sweeping off Cyrenaica from Ras Tayones to Ras et Tin covered by CLs ORION, AJAX, and RAN PERTH and DD HASTY during the night of 12/13 April. This operation was repeated the next night.

Destroyers JUNO and JAGUAR swept from Ras Tayones to Ras Tolmeita. DDs STUART and GRIFFIN swept from Ras Tolmeita to Ras el Hillal. DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN swept from Ras el Hillal to Ras el Tin. The sweep was covered by the same covering force as the night before. On both nights, the sweeps started at midnight. There were no contacts on either night. After the sweep, VENDETTA and WATERHEN returned to the Inshore Squadron. CL PERTH and DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, STUART, GRIFFIN, and HASTY returned to Alexandria. En route, DDs GRIFFIN and STUART were diverted to Sollum to arrive at daylight on the 14th. CLs ORION and AJAX remained to the west of Crete to cover convoy movements.

Submarine URSULA unsuccessfully attacked shipping south of Cape Bon.

Destroyers JERVIS, JANUS, MOHAWK, and NUBIAN departed Malta to again attempt to intercept southbound convoy of steamers ANKARA, MARBURG, KIBFELS, REICHENFELS, and GALILEA, escorted by DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, MALOCOLLO, and DARDO. TBs CIRCE and MONTANARI joined from Tripoli. In air attack on this convoy during the night of12/13 April, A/Sub Lt (A) A. P. Dawson with Leading Airman A. Todd and Petty Officer Airman C. H. Wines with Leading Airman L. M. Edwards of 830 Squadron from ST ANGELO, were shot down and interned by the French. The DDs failed to make any contact and returned to Malta.

Sub OLYMPUS arrived at Malta to reinforce the flotilla based there. However, she was in such poor condition, she was to be sailed back to Gibraltar as soon as repairs could be arranged.

*Tanker MARIE MAERSK (UK 8271 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Piraeus. The steamer was later refloated and repaired at Trieste. She was renamed LUISA for Italian use.





*Central Atlantic*
BC REPULSE arrived at Gibraltar, escorted by DDs HIGHLANDER and FORTUNE. DDs FURY and VELOX were detached off Gibraltar to join arriving BB QUEEN ELIZABETH. DD BOREAS departed Gibraltar on the 12th to join the other two DDs to escort the BB. CL FIJI arrived separately at Gibraltar.

Ocean boarding vessel CAMITO departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol.

AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE captured s*teamer BANFORA (Vichy 4000 grt (est))*, which had departed Dakar on the 10th, near Port Etienne. The steamer arrived at Freetown on the 17th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 APRIL TO DAWN 13 APRIL 1941
_Weather _Fine. 
_0707-0738 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which carry out a patrol to the north of the Island.
_1935 hrs _Four destroyers leave Grand Harbour.
_2307 hrs _Air raid alert for nine enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly from the north and the south east. One raider machine-guns the Sergeants’ Mess at Kalafrana. Bombs are dropped on St Paul’s Bay. Anti-aircraft guns engage the enemy south east of St Paul’s Bay using predicted barrage. One Hurricane is scrambled; no claims.
_0030 hrs _Air raid alert as another single enemy aircraft crosses the coast and drops bombs on the Ta Qali area, breaking windows in the Station headquarters and the Pottery, as well as near Naxxar and by the salt pans at Salina Bay. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims. An unexploded bomb is reported at Naxxar.
_0134 hrs _All clear.
_0217-0355 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft which approach and patrol round the Island; no bombs are dropped. Anti-aircraft guns engage using predicted barrage and one Hurricane is scrambled; no claims.
_0443-0615 hrs _Air raid alert for several enemy aircraft (believed to be JU 88 bombers) which cross the coast and drop bombs on Luqa, Hal Far and Ta Qali airfields. Three bombs causing craters on the edge of Ta Qali aerodrome are found to be filled with concrete. A large number of bombs falls in the area of B Company and headquarters 4th Bn The Buffs, causing severe damage to property and two casualties, one very serious. 24 unexploded bombs are later found in the area. The bombers also attack four destroyers returning from enemy convoy patrol. Anti-aircraft guns engage using visual and predicted barrages; no claims.
OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 12 APRIL 1941
_ROYAL NAVY _Submarine _Olympus_ arrived at Malta to reinforce the Mediterranean submarines.
830 Squadron strike force attacked a fast enemy convoy located by reconnaissance aircraft off the entrance to the Gulf of Hammamet; no hits were scored and two aircraft were lost. The convoy turned north and retired at high speed, passing to the west of Pantelleria at 0230 hrs. Destroyers sent to attack were unable to locate the convoy. _Upholder_ located, engaged and diverted the convoy but 14 Flotilla was already on the way back to Malta. 
_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance between Cape Bon and Trapani for enemy shipping: convoy located and a second Maryland sent to shadow it for a Swordfish operation at night.
_HAL FAR _P/O Sugden crashed on landing after an early morning flight; he was unhurt. _PM _Operational flight by 830 Squadron against Tripoli; two aircraft failed to return (pilots S/Lt Dawson and P O Wines).
 
*Cyrenaica*
Initiating the first of Moresheads aggressive patrols beyond the perimeter, pioneers from 2/17 reserve company found the enemy had withdrawn from the AT ditch, except for a detachment of enemy pioneers from their Assault Bn 200, who were discovered cutting through the wire and were equipped with demolition charges and some makeshift bridging equipment. The enemy troops were driven off easily with several captured and almost their entire supply of engineering equipment in the bag as well. However, this and other discoveries from the patrols made it clear the enemy intention was to attack in the SE sector at the command demarcation point between 20th and 24th Bdes. In response reserve troops of the defence were detailed to lay additional minesalong the front of the threatened Bns. 
The D company war diary reported that everything was quiet before dawn in the vicinity of a position the Australians referred to as “Kings Cross”. The dawn saw some dust whipped up by the rising wind, and British artillery began some suppressive fire at long range. In addition, Moreshead ordered four batteries of 25 pounders dug in near the junction of the El Adem / Bardia road junctions to provide a ready use fire support source and act as a reserve back up position should the forward defences be forced back. Moreshead also moved up several 2 pdr ATGs from 3 RHA to Kings Cross. The RAF in Egypt were requested to provide Blenheims as air support to attack Axis vehicle concentrations further to the rear. 
 
The entire garrison was stood to arms predawn on the 12th but the anticipated assault did not materialize immediately. Mid morning, some tanks did appear in front of 2/17 Bn, looking for gaps in the AT Ditch. One concentration of enemy vehicles was heavily sheled for 90 mins. German Infantry advanced on to posts R-33 and R-35, but were suffering steady attrition from the suppressive fire and for a time were brought to ground 500 yds from the perimeter. They were pinned for almost an hour but did eventually restart their advance. The B/O Btty of 1 RHA delivered a concentrated amount of fire which broke up thjis further attack, systematically working over the enemy flanks and then finally their centre. Most of the German Infantry took shelter in the AT ditch, but a small group near R=33 got into an intense fire fight. 6 RAF bombers appeared and dropped bombs on them at which point the Germans decided they had had enough and retired to beyond the line about 1500 yds distant. Up to this point, the germans had made no inroads into the Australian defences.

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## parsifal (Apr 13, 2016)

*13 APRIL 1941*
*Losses*
U.108 sank *AMC RAJPUTANA (RN 16,444 grt) *west of iceland in the Denmark Strait. DDs ECHO, GARLAND, ST MARYS, and LANCASTER were sent to assist. DDs LEGION and PIORUN rescued the 277 survivors and took them to Iceland. 42 crew members were lost. At 0743 hours on 13 April 1941, HMS RAJPUTANA was hit by one torpedo from U-108 west of Reykjavik. She had been command ship of HX 117 but was then dispatched to patrol the Strait of Denmark. The AMC had been first spotted by the U-boat at 0945 hrs on 11 April and was followed while she was patrolling on a zigzag course at high speed and sometimes making 180° turns. The chase was hampered by problems with the periscope, pack ice and snow. Two torpedoes were fired at 1808 hrs on 11 April missed as did two more fired at 2046 and 2048 hrs on 12 April. A fifth torpedo at 0740 hrs on 13 April missed, but the sixth at 0743 hrs hit the stern and caused a fire on the ship, which then opened fire on the periscope. An intended coup de grace at 0823 hrs failed, but the next torpedo at 0930 hours struck in the after part and caused the ship to sink by the stern with a list to port.





 
U.124 sank *steamer CORINTHIC (UK 4823 grt)* off the coast of Sierra Leone. She was on passage from Rosario to Freetown, and then intended to make the journey to the UK. She was carrying a cargo of grain when lost and had a crew of 41 embarked. At 2229 hrs the unescorted CORINTHICwas hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-124 and stopped sw of Freetown. Because the vessel did not sink the U-boat fired a coup de grace at 2244 hrs, but this proved to be a dud and they had to fire another torpedo 10 mins later that hit and sank the ship. Two crew members were lost. The master, 36 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the Dutch tanker MALVINA and landed at Freetown. Some sources state that only one crewman was lost on the steamer.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel U-141, U-553

At Sea 13 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-141, U-552, U-553

20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow for Siedisfjord. The cruisers then proceeded to Reykjavik, via Akureyri. After refuelling at Reykjavik, the cruisers patrolled in the Denmark Strait.
*Northern Waters*
BB KG V, CL NIGERIA, and DDs MASHONA, ELECTRA, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow. However, bad weather delayed the ships' progress. The DDs were detached to Londonderry to refuel on the 16th. They sailed on the 17th and rejoined on the 20th.

CLA HERMIONE arrived at Scapa Flow to work up and join CruSqn 15.

DD ERIDGE departed Scapa Flow for Londonderry to join the Western Approaches Command, following work up.

*West Coast*
OB.310 departed Liverpool, escort DDs AMAZON, BULLDOG, and CHESTERFIELD, corvettes AUBRETIA, HOLLYHOCK, NIGELLA, and PICOTEE, MSWs GOSSAMER, HARRIER, and SALAMANDER, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO. The MSWs and the trawlers were detached that day. On the 15th, ASW trawlers BUTTERMERE, WASTWATER, and WINDERMERE joined the convoy. The escort was detached on the 18th when the convoy dispersed.

British steamer BARON BELHAVEN was damaged by the LW off the west coast UK. Four crew were killed on the steamer. The steamer was towed to Milford Haven and later drydocked at Barry.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine UNION departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar where she arrived on the 22nd

*Channel*
Submarines UNDAUNTED, having departed Portsmouth on the 3rd, and TORBAYand TAKU from patrol in the Bay of Biscay arrived at Gibraltar.

*Med/Biscay*
CVL EAGLE passed through the Suez Canal to return to England.

CLA PHOEBE and DD KANDAHAR arrived at Alexandria for duty with the Med Flt.

Convoys GA.12 of three British ships and ASF.25 departed Piraeus in company escort CLA CARLISLE, DDs HEREWARD and DEFENDER, and sloop AUCKLAND. Sloop FLAMINGO at Piraeus was retained by the Naval Attache Athens for AA duties atSalamis. CARLISLEarrived atAlexandria to refuel on the 15th. GA.12 arrived at Alexandria with DDs HEREWARD and DEFENDER on the 15th. HEREWARD immediately departed with three ships to join convoy AN.27.

Convoy ASF.25 arrived at Alexandria late on the 15th, escort DD HEREWARD and sloop AUCKLAND.

DD ISIS and RAN DD VAMPIRE departed Alexandria for Port Said. They arrived and departed that same day with troopships GLENEARN and GLENGYLE for Alexandria.
The force arrived safely at Alexandria on the 14th.

RHN DD VASILEVS GEORGIOS I was badly damaged by German bombing near Piraeus in the Saronikos Gulf. She was to be captured and pressed into German service, the only DKM DD in the Med. For the moment, the DD was docked at Salamis.

*Hydra Class DD PSARA (RHN 1389 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Gulf ofAthens with the loss of 37 crew. Some sources say she was lost on the 20th April.




ASW whaler SKUDD IV was damaged by the LW at Tobruk. Trawler MOY towed the trawler into harbour.

*Steamer CITY OF KARACHI (UK 7140 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Volo, Greece. There were no casualties on the steamer. On the 14th, the steamer was towed, assisted by British steamer DESTRO and an RHN DD, and beached in a bay southwest of Volo. Bombed again on the 15th, she became a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BRATTDAL (Nor 4968 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Volo Bay. One crewman was killed in the attack. The steamer sank on the 17th after further repeated air attacks.





*Central Atlantic*
BC REPULSE departed Gibraltar, escort DDs HIGHLANDER and FORTUNE, for patrol near the Azores.

CL FIJI departedGibraltarfor Freetown.

*Malta*

Cyrenaica
The axis forces were to continue in their attacks, given that the 12th activity was essentially a rconnaisance. The main assault force was a Kampfgruppe from 5th Light. On their left was almost the entire Ariete armoured div, and farther to the left a regiment of Trento Motorized Infantry Div. 27th Brescia infantry Div was astride the Derna Road to the west 

The Axis forces used much of the night of 12/13 April getting their forces into position and artillery set up. The first real signs of movement along the sector held by 2/17 Bn did not arise until the afternoon. From about that time enemy aircraft were flying over the sector, and armoured car probes searched the southern perimeter for weaknesses. 
Further back, out of sight, enemy truck borne Infantry, about 4000 in number began assembling. Small groups of German Infantry, built around machine guns mostly moved forward to the 1500 yd line and began to engage any Australians seen in movement along this sector. 

At 1600 Lt Col Crawford (2/17 commander) ordered his reserve (B Company) to move forward to the D Company positions, then manning posts R30 through to R-35 inclusive.

At 1700 the Germans opened up with their heavy artillery support, concentrating on the D company sector, but no ground assault immediately developed after this. However, at 1730, the Australian forward OPs reported several enemy tanks and some Infantry about 500 yds from the wire, advancing under covering fire. Concentrated artillery fire from 1 and 107th RHA broke this advance up. 

After dark 3 enemy tanks patrolled singly along the AT ditch, possibly probing for crossing points. At 2300 it was reported that, before blowing a gap in the AT ditch, the Germans infiltrated across the wire with 2 small Infantry guns, a mortar and 8 MGs and about 30 Infantry. They broke through the wire and dug in 100 yds east of Post R-33. The R-33 defenders returned fire, but when that failed to dislodge the Germans, the post commander, Lt Col <ackell and six of his men counterattacked with grenades and bayonets. 12 germans were killed , one was captured and the remainder fled. One of the attacking infantrymen was Cpl Jack Edmondson who was to be awarded a posthumous VC for bravery, the first awarded to an Australian in WWII 




_Jack Edmondson. Photograph taken by an unknown photographer whilst the 9th was in training_
During the night, the Australians again conducted some very aggressive patrolling. Crawford sent out two patrols , one described above, in the vicinity of post R-33. Both patrols brought back prisoners and captured equipment. Both prisoners were from the 5th Light’s 8th MG Bn. With this information, Crawford alerted B Company , then located 500 m behind the R-33, at post R-32, to be ready to make a strong counterattack at dawn of the 14th


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## Njaco (Apr 13, 2016)

*April 14 Monday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The Greek Epirus Army continued to withdraw from Albania, and German 73rd Infantry Division attempted to block it at Kastoria Pass, resulting in heavy fighting. On the eastern coast of Greece, the German advance was halted at Platamon between Mount Olympus and the Aegean Sea. As the Yugoslavian surrender is imminent, King Petar II of Yugoslavia fled to Athens, Greece as German troops advanced on his capital. In the evening, the Yugoslavian government asked General Ewald von Kleist of the German 1st Panzer Group for a ceasefire.

The Battle of Kleisoura Pass: The 9.Panzerdivision established a bridgehead across the Haliacmon river, but an attempt to advance beyond this point was stopped by intense Allied fire. The Germans attacked from both roads on the eastern exit of the pass, using smoke screens and intense machinegun fire for cover. One attack was directed astride the road and north of the ravine Bisti towards Daouli col, supported by "tanks" (i.e. assault guns), while the other was directed south of the ravine and towards the village of Kleisoura and the height Tzouma Manou. From their positions on Sargonitsa height, the Germans opened fire on the flank of the Greek 6th Machine-gun battalion defending Daouli col. Beginning at 0900 hours, the 6th P.MG. Battalion’s line began to unravel, its machine-guns getting knocked out one by one and elements retreating to the rear. At 1030 hours, ammunition (2,000 rounds per machine-gun) had been depleted, and the remainder of the battalion surrendered. Battalion I/80 to the south was not attacked in force, however its commander recognizing the danger of encirclement from the north ordered a withdrawal. The commander of the 20th Division tried to reorganize the units west of the pass, sending the artillery to the west to cover the infantry, while using a sapper company and the 20th Reconnaissance Group to block the retreat. However the German artillery and air force scattered the Greek columns and the wave of flight overran the blocking units. The Germans continued their advance, attacking the I/23 battalion and other elements of 13th division the next day, 15 April, in the Battle of Lake Kastoria.

British Swordfish torpedo bombers of RAF No. 815 Squadron based in Paramythia, Greece sank Italian steamers “_Luciano_” and “_Stampalia_” at the port of Vlorë, Albania overnight; 1 Swordfish aircraft was shot down, with 1 airman killed and 2 captured.

Expedition of Albanian partisans, accompanied by British Col. Oakley-Hill, ends in failure and withdraws.

*WESTERN FRONT: *During a ‘special mission’ a He 111 from Stab./KG 55 crashes into the sea north of Caen, France.

The first major mass arrest of Jews in Paris, France took place.

RAF Bomber Command sent 14 aircraft to attack power stations in the Netherlands during the day and 14 aircraft to attack coastal targets. RAF Bomber Command sent 94 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight.

*NORTH AFRICA: *First Siege of Tobruk: General Erwin Rommel begins his attack on Tobruk, Libya. German infantry filled anti-tank ditches and cut wires at the El Adem road starting at 0230 hours, with the work interrupted periodically by Allied fire. At 0520 hours, 36 tanks of German 5.Panzerregiment moved through the gap created by the infantry. Australian troops are trained to let the tanks pass and trap the following infantry in crossfire. 2 miles ahead, the German tanks were halted by British guns and dug-in Crusader tanks. In the air, British, German, and Italian fighters engaged in combat over the battlefront while 40 German Stuka dive bombers escorted by the fighters of 7./JG 26 and III./ZG 26 attacked the Tobruk harbor. At 0730 hours, the Axis offensive was called back after losing 16 tanks and 400 men (150 killed, 250 captured). Corporal John Edmondson of 2/17th Battalion of Australian 9th Division led a bayonet charge at Tobruk despite being shot in the stomach and neck, later dying of these wounds. He would be awarded a Victoria Cross. Australian infantry outside Tobruk reported the sighting of a number of "long-barreled guns on strange carriages". This was the first indication that the Germans were deploying the dreaded 88-mm anti-tank gun in the Western Desert (although on this occasion the guns were soon withdrawn when German infantry failed to create a gap). General Streich will later be removed from command of 5.Leichte Division by Rommel for failing to secure and expand the penetration.

British gunboat HMS “_Aphis_” bombarded Bardia, Libya, while gunboat HMS “_Gnat_” bombarded German troops at Sollum, Egypt. German aircraft damaged HMS “_Gnat_”, killing 1.

King Farouk of Egypt invited Adolf Hitler for a discussion on Egyptian independence from the United Kingdom.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-52 sank Belgian passenger ship “_Ville de Liège_” 400 miles southwest of Iceland at 0117 hours; 40 were killed, 12 survived.

*SOUTH ASIA:* The British cargo ship, “_Fort Stikine_”, carrying 1,400 tons of explosives and 124 gold bars worth £1 million, caught fire in Bombay harbour, India and exploded, showering the docks with blazing debris. The blast and tidal wave which followed sank four ships and damage a further eleven, one of which, a troopship, was hurled out of the water and onto the roof of a warehouse. Half an hour later, the wreck of the “_Fort Stikine_”, was devastated by a second massive explosion which threw debris 3,000 feet into the air and over a square mile of the docks and city. The two explosions killed 231 and injured a further 476. The bodies of more than 500 dock workers and civilians were also recovered, another 1,000 people simply disappeared and 2,000 were hospitalized. Eleven ships were lost. In 1960 a dredger working in the harbour recovered a single gold bar.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* A US Marine Corps garrison designated Marine Detachment, 1st Defense Battalion, was established at Palmyra Atoll.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A Halifax bomber operating from Linton on Ouse airfield near York, crashed into a tree in a forced landing at Tollerton, near the base, after the port inner engine failed. According to the book 'Action Stations 4', the flight engineer cut all engines, by mistake, when instructed to turn on all cocks. Two of the crew were injured.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 14, 2016)

*14 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Gar Class Sub USS GAR (SS 206)





Allied
RNorN Town Class DD St ALBANS (I-15)





*Losses*
U.52 sank *steamer VILLE DE LIEGE (Belg 7430 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, whilst she was on passage from New York to Liverpool. She had a crew of 52, of which 40 were lost. She was transporting mostly steel, but also wool and bacon at the time of her loss. At 0117 hrs the unescorted VILLE DE LIEGE was hit aft by one of two torpedoes fired by U-52 about 700 miles east of Cape Farewell. At 0210 hrs, the ship sank burning after being hit by another G7a at 0130 hrs. The master, nine crew members and two passengers were the only survivors.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-98
Uncertain: U-553, U-141

Departures
Lorient: UA

At Sea 14 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-123, U-124, U-552, UA

18 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0900 to join convoy WN.13 in the Pentland Firth and cover it to Methil, where they arrived on the 15th.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine URGE departed Portsmouth for Gibraltar where she arrived on the 23rd.

*Med/Biscay*
Gunboat APHIS bombarded Bardia. Gunboat GNAT bombarded Sollum, supported by RAN DDs STUART and RN GRIFFIN, which were detached from the RAN CL PERTH force returning to Alexandria. Gunboat GNAT was attacked by the LW and badly damaged, although the gunboat was able to proceed under her own power to Mersa Matruh. One rating was killed. From Mersa, after emergency repairs, GNAT arrived at Alexandria on the 16th and was sent on to Port Said for repairs. STUART and GRIFFIN arrived at Alexandria on the 15th.

RM sub SIRENA attacked two DDs NNW of Cape Spada without success at 2337.

*Steamer CLAN CUMMING (UK 7264 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Eleusis Bay, whilst on passage from Piraeus to Alexandria. Shortly after leaving port she struck a mine and sank after a large explosion. At this time she had 110 persons on board including the crew, 3 gunners and 77 Prisoners of War. Fortunately everyone was rescued. The steamer had been damaged some days earlier in the CLAN FRASER incident.





British hospital ship VITA was damaged by the LW off Tobruk. She was clearly marked as a hospital ship when attacked, by no less than 8 Ju-87 a/c. RAN DDs WATERHEN and VENDETTA and tug ST ISSEY was sent to assist the hospital ship. The hospital ship was returned to Tobruk. Hospital ship VITA at Tobruk was again attacked and damaged on 21 and 22 April. She was not however listed as lost

*Steamer TRABZON (Tu 2485 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Laurium (Daidaro nisos) while en route from Istanbul to Piraeus for repairs.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy AN.27 of four British and six Greek ships departed Port Said and Haifa. A strong wind prevented three of the four ships in the Alexandria section from sailing.

DDs ISIS and RAN VAMPIRE were sailed to intercept the Port Said and Haifa section and escort the single ship from Alexandria. DD HEREWARD, which arrived at Alexandria with convoy GA.12 on the 15th, departed with the other three ships of AN.27 on the 15th to join the convoy which turned back to meet them. HEREWARD then joined convoy ASF.25 to return to Alexandria.

On the 16th, when the decision to evacuate Greece was made, four motor transport ships of convoy AN.27 were ordered to return to Alexandria. DD HOTSPUR from Alexandria and RAN DD VENDETTA from the Inshore Squadron were ordered to meet these four ships. VOYAGER was sent in place of VENDETTA. These four ships and VOYAGER were recalled to Alexandria on the 18th. CLA CARLISLE departed Alexandria and joined convoy AN.27 on the 17th, and arrived at Suda Bay on the 18th.

During the night of 14/15 April, Swordfish torpedo bombers sank *steamer LUCIANO (FI 3329 grt)* and *Steamer STAMPALIA (FI 1228 grt) *at Valona.




_LUCIANO. No image of the STAMPALIA was found_

Submarines TORBAY, TAKU, and UNDAUNTED departed Gibraltar for Malta.
When submarine TAKU was attacked by an Italian submarine, submarines TAKU and TORBAY were recalled to Gibraltar.

*Central Atlantic*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH arrived at Gibraltar at 0900 and CLs SHEFFIELD and DUNEDIN arrived at 0700. DUNEDIN later that day departed for Freetown.
*Pacific/Australia*
RAN CL embarked Australian delegates for the ABDA conference and departed for Singapore, arriving on the 19th. The light cruiser returned to Australia. The ABDA conference was held at Singapore from 21 to 27 April. The conference was presided over by the British Commander in Chief Far East Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham. Attending were Commander in Chief China Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, KCB DSO, Chief of the General Staff Netherlands East Indies Major General H. ter Poorten, representatives of Australian, New Zealand, British Indian armed forces, and Captain William R. Purnell, USN, Admiral Hart's Chief of Staff 

*Malta*

*Cyrenaica*
The Germans had been surprised on the 12th and 13th, having assumed that the shipping at Tobruk was to evacuate the garrison. They now planned another night attack by the 5th Lt Division for 13/14 April which was again repulsed and summarized for the preceding day. Beginning at dawn of the 14th, groups of Axis vehicles were attacked by 45 and 55 squadrons RAF, which rearmed at the airfields inside the perimeter to increase the sortie rate throughout the day. Axis aircraft were also present with considerable effect, since it was not until the 19th April that the first Hurricanes were assigned to provide air cover over Tobruk.

The attack began after dark, with an attempt to get over the anti-tank ditch this time west of the El Adem road but still in the 2/17th Australian Bn sector. The Australians repulsed this effort. Another attempt was made later in the morning and this did secure a small bridgehead across the AT Ditch. It was in this sector that the 5th Panzer Regt drove through and turned northwards, with the objective to divide into one column for the harbour and one to move west to stop the escape of the garrison.

The German tanks were engaged head on by the 1st RHA and veered away, only to drive into the path of the British cruiser tanks, waiting dug in and also was the target of AT fire from three sides, losing 16 of 38 tanks that had been committed and retreated. The Australian infantry pinned and then suppressed the supporting German Infantry, forcing it back with considerable losses for the germans. As the German retreat continued, every gun and aircraft at Tobruk fired into the area. The German 8th Machine-Gun Battalion, one of the lead elements, lost 75% of its men, The garrison losses in this battle were 26 men killed, 64 wounded,two tanks and a field gun knocked out. German losses exceeded 400 and more than 25 tanks for the three days of fighting Attacks being developed from the south were abandoned and the 5th Light Division dug in, with the Schwerin Group (renamed after Prittwitz had been killed) to the east.




_Captured Mk III tank photographede some time after the Easter battles, with 2/17 commander John Crawford and others standing in front Moreshead and his men had shown that it was possible for Infantry to defeat armour in the desert _


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## parsifal (Apr 15, 2016)

*15 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Abdiel Class ML HMS ABDIEL (M-39)





Bathurst Class MSW HMAS BURNIE (J-198)






Fairmile B ML 228
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
RM sub ENRICO TAZZOLI sank *steamer AURILLAC (UK 4733 grt)* off the coast of Portugal. One crewman was lost on the steamer. However it was some time before the survivors were rescued. Ocean boarding vessel CAMITO located wreckage, but did not locate any survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tug AQUILA (UK 59 grt)* sunk by the LW in Alexandra Dock, Hull.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-110

At Sea 15 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-552, UA

19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD BATH departed Sheerness for Scapa Flow for work up. During the night, the DD was involved in a collision with an unknown merchant ship five miles north of No.20 Buoy and was diverted to the Tyne for repairs, arriving on the 16th. She was under repair until 19 May

*Northern Waters*
CL EDINBURGH, which had been on escort duties since 25 March, arrived at Scapa Flow after convoy SL.69 duties. DD ACHATES departed Greenock at 0840 for Scapa Flow. En route at 1400, the DD was diverted to Loch Alsh where she arrived just after midnight on the 16th. The DD departed Loch Alsh at midday on the 16th and arrived at Scapa Flow that evening.

DD TARTAR departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, escorting depot ship GREENWICH. Both ships arrived at Methil on the 16th. The DD stood by to provide AA protection. TARTAR arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 17th.

*SW Approaches*
OG.59 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BEAGLE, COLUMBIA, and ST FRANCIS, sloop SANDWICH, corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, ORCHIS, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER. Corvettes COLUMBINE and GARDENIA joined on the 17th. The DDs and the earlier corvettes were detached on the 20th. On the 24th, RNeN sub O.24 joined the convoy escort and on the 28th, Anti-submarine trawler ST WISTAN. The corvettes were detached before the convoy arrived at Gibraltar and arrived the day after the convoy, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th, escorted by ASW ST WISTAN and O.24. Sloop SANDWICH, which was separated in bad weather, arrived later.

HG.59 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes GENTIAN, GERANIUM, and JONQUIL, and Dutch submarine O.24. Included in this convoy was French ship PLM 13, which was captured on 18 February. On the 22nd, corvetes GENTIAN and JONQUIL were detached, on the 23rd, corvette GERANIUM and submarine O.24. DDs KEPPEL and SABRE, corvette KINGCUP, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, NORTHERN DAWN, and WELLARD joined the convoy on the 27th, and arrived at Liverpool on 1 May.

*Med/Biscay*
CL GLOUCESTER and DD HASTY departed Alexandria. These ships bombarded Italian motor transport at Capuzzo and Bardia early on the 16th.

DD DECOY departed Alexandria for Tobruk to carry out a special raiding operation with gunboat LADYBIRD during the night of 16/17 April. Gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Gazala.

DDs JERVIS, JANUS, MOHAWK, and NUBIAN departed Malta for a shipping sweep off Kerkenah Bank.

DD GREYHOUND joined the Inshore Squadron. During the night of 15/16 April, the DD joined RAN DD VENDETTA for a sweep along the Cyrenaican coast.

The following ships were sunk at Piraeus by the LW

*Steamer GOALPARA (UK 5314 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

and *Steamer QUILOA (UK 7765 grt)*.




The ships were beached and the crews from both ships were rescued.

Vichy subs ACTEON, FRESNEL, and HENRI POINCARE, which departed Toulon on the 10th and Oran on the 14th, passed Gibraltar en route to Casablanca, where they arrived on the 16th, escorted by TB LA BATAILLEUSE.

The FAA attacked Valona for a second night by Swordfish from Swordfish 815 sqn operating ashore. They sank the following two freighters:

*Steamer LUCIANA (FI 3329 grt) *





and *STAMPALIA (FI 1228 grt)* were sunk by British air bombing at Valona.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub Lt (A) W. C. Sarra and A/Sub Lt (A) J. Bowker of 815 Squadron, operating from Paramythia, were shot down and made pows.

*Central Atlantic*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH departed Gibraltar for Freetown, escort DDs VELOX, WRESTLER, and FURY.

*Malta*

AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 APRIL TO DAWN 16 APRIL 1941
_Weather _Very cold and blustery; wet overnight.
_2010-2055 hrs _Air raid alert for suspected enemy aircraft. A Wellington bomber approaches from the north and is attacked by small arms fire from the ground. The pilot flashes the correct recognition signal before coming in to land safely and without damage.
_0010-0223 hrs _Air raid alert for three, then 12, then 14 enemy aircraft which approach from the north in close succession and drop bombs on Ta Qali, Rabat, Imtarfa, Mosta Fort, Madliena, Siggiewi, Dingli, Targa, Naxxar, Attard, Ricasoli, Grand Harbour, St Clements, Luqa aerodrome and Siggiewi. Bombing seems indiscriminate with no apparent definite objective apart from the Mental Hospital at Attard, which is singled out by several aircraft and straddled by 20 bombs; one patient is killed and nine injured. A large number of bombs fail to explode. A Malta night fighter is scrambled but searchlights illuminate targets on only two occasions and there are no interceptions. Anti-aircraft guns engage raiders heavily five times; no claims. 
_0237-0405 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which circle the Island separately on ‘nuisance’ raids’. One anti-aircraft battery engages; no claim.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 15 APRIL 1941
_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _2 Swordfish despatched overnight to locate and shadow a convoy of 5 merchant vessels and 3 destroyers reported by Maryland. Convoy located off Kerkenah when British destroyers had begun action. Aircraft located another southbound convoy at 1357 hrs. A later sighting gave the convoy speed as 8 knots. 14th Destroyer Flotilla, destroyers _Jervis, Janus, Mohawk_ and_ Nubian_ sailed at 1800 hrs under cover of rain and low cloud for a shipping sweep off Kerkennah Bank.
_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance eastern Tunisian coast for enemy shipping; convoy of five merchant vessels and three destroyers. Second Maryland despatched to shadow convoy for destroyer striking force. Maryland reconnaissance Palermo unsuccessful due to low cloud and rain.
_1st Bn CHESHIRE REGIMENT _We have taken over a number of Lewis guns for use in the defences. A short refresher course is being held today and tomorrow. B Company moved to their Dockyard position at the Naval Canteen. One platoon of C Company took over their old HQ at Notre Dame Ravelin.

*Cyrenaica*
On 15 Apr, Rommel shifted the weight of the attack on the western side of Tobruk. At 1730 hours, 1,000 Italian troops attacked the defensive line held by the 2nd Battalion of the Australian 24th Brigade, overrunning one position quickly; only the arrival of an additional company plus heavy artillery fire by the 51st Field Artillery Regiment drove back the Italians.


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## Njaco (Apr 15, 2016)

*April 15 Tuesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Belfast Blitz: Belfast is the target tonight for the bombers of Luftflotte 2 and 3. Starting at 2300 hours, the heavy German air raid by 200 Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast, Northern Ireland. The attack would last until 0500 hours on the next day. A total of nine He 111s and Ju 88s from KG 77, KGr 100, KGr 806 and III./KG 55 begin the raid shortly before midnight. A He 111 from 8./KG 55 crashes at Villacoublay airfield returning from the mission. Hit by anti-aircraft fire over the target, three of the crew bail out over England and become Prisoners of War. Two more Heinkels from KG 55 are shot down by Beaufighters from RAF No 604 Squadron. Luftwaffe bombers dropped 203 tons of high explosive bombs, 80 parachute mines and 800 incendiary canisters on the city. 900 civilians are killed, 1,500 injured and 56,000 homes (half of the houses in Belfast) were damaged leaving 100,000 homeless. Volunteer fire crews from Ireland cross the border to assist and stay 3 days. Four aircraft of 3./KG 53 took off from Vitry-en-Artois at 2200 hours on April 15th to attack Belfast. As the plane, a Heinkel, approached Kirkby Stephen on its flight across England, the oil pressure on its starboard engine fell to zero - there had been no fighter attack or AA gunfire, so the prime suspect was mechanical failure. The decision was made to return to base but it proved impossible to maintain height on one engine. Just as the plane was nearing Ripon the troublesome engine burst into flames, whereupon the large HE bomb was jettisoned. The crew baled out, landed safely and were captured. The plane crashed at Bull Lane Bridge, Huby in Yorkshire at 0200 hours.

Luftwaffe night raid on Liverpool with 51 bombers.

Newcastle, Sunderland, Hebburn and South Shields were attacked by a total of thirty-eight enemy aircraft which dropped a total of thirty-eight tons of HE (sixty-four bombs), twenty-nine PMs and 4,200 IBs. Incidents were reported in eastern Newcastle and at dock installations at Hebburn and South Shields. A school and a nearby Warden's post were demolished by a mine. An air raid warden and a firewatcher were killed at their post in Billy Mill Lane and a woman died in Balkwell Avenue. Ocean View was badly hit, with fourteen of the fifteen people killed died at Ocean View, the fifteenth died in Mason Avenue. The Catholic Church at Tynemouth was also damaged by blast. In an air raid on Cowpen, damage was reported at the Port Sanitary Hospital, Cowpen Cemetery Church, Cowpen Road and John Street. Eighteen people were killed, thirty-six seriously injured and seventy-nine slightly injured at about 0300 hours when four PMs, HEs and a number of IBs fell at Sunderland. Three hundred people were rendered homeless. The premises of Sunderland Forge& Engineering Co (where five of the fatalities occurred) and T.W. Greenwell& Co, South Dock were damaged and production slightly affected. The Winter Gardens (and its parrots) in Mowbray Park was hit, the Museum and Art Gallery were seriously damaged.

Eleven German aircraft raided Hull. There was industrial, residential and railway damage. In this raid, the casualties were fifty-five killed and twenty seriously injured. Five hundred people in the vicinity were rendered homeless. Ellis Terrace, Holderness Road, a thickly populated area, a public shelter received a direct hit and all the occupants were killed (twenty-six of the fatalities occurred in Ellis Terrace and/or its public shelter) and a fire was started in Jennings Street.

RAF Coastal Command is brought under the operational control of the Admiralty which will lead to an increase in its effectiveness in the battle against the U-boats.

Charles de Gaulle, the leader of the Free French forces, issues a formal declaration, requesting that French nationals serving the Royal Air Force apply to be incorporated into the Free French Air Force by 25 April. Their service in a foreign country's armed forces violated French civil law, but de Gaulle's declaration promises that they will face no charges of wrongdoing if they meet the 25 April deadline.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: In Greece, German aircraft bombed the British RAF airfield at Larisa at dawn, destroying 10 Blenheim aircraft on the ground. A whole squadron of Blenheims were destroyed at Niamata while forty-four Yugoslav aircraft which had escaped to the Greek airfield at Paraythia were attacked and destroyed. In the air, the Luftwaffe destroyed four British Gladiators, three Greek PZL P-24s and one RAF Hurricane – three of the Allied planes being shot down by Oblt. Gustav Rödel of II./JG 27. Italian 9th Army captures Koritza practically forcing the British Commonwealth Forces to abandon the defence of Greece. List now detached SS 'Adolf Hitler' from the main axis of advance of XXXXth corps and sent it forward in the direction of Koritsa. Far from counter-attacking, however, the demoralized Greeks gave way and thus allowed the Italians to occupy the town without resistance. Troops of Leibstandarte SS Regiment took the road to Greneva, isolating the Greek Epirus Army which was attempting to move from Albania back into Greece. This move also exposed the flank of the Allied Mount Olympus Line. With 9th Armored division crossing the upper Aliakhmon and reaching Servia on the next day, the British forces on the Olympus found themselves surrounded on both flanks. At 1000 hours, British General Wilson orders a retreat 80 miles south to the Thermopylae line, yielding all of Northern Greece but protecting the capital Athens on the peninsula of Attica. They now started falling back across Thessaly to Thermopylae, leaving in their wake 20,000 Greek troops who, being less well endowed with motor vehicles, failed to escape in time and were captured by the Germans. ANZAC troops will hold the Mount Olympus line for a few days to cover the retreat of the mobile Allied forces but the Greek Army (which is still north of this line and moving on foot) will be abandoned. This defense had three main components: the Platamon tunnel area between Olympus and the sea, the Olympus pass itself, and the Servia pass to the southeast. By channeling the attack through these three defiles, the new line offered far greater defensive strength for the limited forces available. The defenses of the Olympus and Servia passes consisted of the 4th New Zealand Brigade, 5th New Zealand Brigade, and the 16th Australian Brigade. The advance of the 9.Panzerdivision was stalled in front of these resolutely held positions. A ruined castle dominated the ridge across which the coastal pass led to Platamon. During the night of April 15 a German motorcycle battalion supported by a tank battalion attacked the ridge, but the Germans were repulsed by the 21st New Zealand Battalion under Colonel Macky, which suffered heavy losses in the process. As the situation grew dire, British Admiral Cunningham began considering a general evacuation from Greece.

Elements of German 164th Infantry Division occupy island of Thasos.

British vessels “_Quiloa_” and “_Goalpara_” are bombed and destroyed by Axis aircraft in the Aegean Sea.

Resistance in Yugoslavia is more or less over. Yugoslav 2nd Army, holding Sarajevo, capitulates as 2 Panzer Divisions enter the city simultaneously. German 16th Motorized Division triumphantly enters the city. Sarajevo. Other Yugoslav units have withdrawn into mountainous areas in the West of the country. Bulgarian 5th Army begins occupying Morava and Macedonia.

Croatian fascist leader Ante Pavelić returns to Zagreb to set up the Independent State of Croatia in collaboration with Nazi Germany. Hitler sends congratulatory message to Pavelic for his assumption of power in Croatia. Rome and Bratislava recognizes independent Croatia.

The dive-bombers of the I Gruppe of Major Graf Clemens von Schönborn-Wiesentheid’s SKG 77 leave their airfield at Arad and move near Bucharest.

Lt. Hans-Jacob Arnoldy of II./JG 77 is shot down by a RAF Hurricane and severely injured. He dies by the end of the day with seven victories to his credit.


.


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## Njaco (Apr 15, 2016)

*April 15 Tuesday continued
WESTERN FRONT:* Major Adolf Galland, Kommodore of JG 26, scores his sixtieth victory. Later on an invitation to Theo Osterkamp’s birthday party at Le Touquet, Major Galland and his wingman, Lt. Westphal take off loaded with champagne and lobsters. But instead of a direct route, Major Galland flies over England. RAF Spitfires are sent to intercept him. During the battle Major Galland downs one Spitfire but the British are too many and Galland decides to break off the fight. Escaping the battle he almost crashes at the airfield when he forgets to lower his landing gear. Ground crews finally alert him to his mistake and he lands safely.

Major Galland’s contemporary at JG 51, Kommodore Major Mölders downs a Hurricane of RAF No. 615 Squadron while flying his new Bf 109F ‘Friedrich’. The Hurricane, Major Mölders sixty-third kill, goes down over Boulogne.

RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft to attack Boulogne docks overnight and 14 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt signs executive order allowing Navy, Marine Corps, and Army Air Corps individuals to sign contracts with the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) in China for one year, after which time the men can rejoin their respective services with no loss in rank. This is the first step toward forming the American Volunteer Group (AVG), which will become known as the "Flying Tigers." Over half of the pilots in the AVG will be from the Navy and Marine Corps.

Test flight of the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 helicopter. America's first practical helicopter, it pioneered the single main rotor concept that became the predominant helicopter configuration throughout the world. The principles that were developed and demonstrated by the VS-300 had direct application in the design of the early mass-production helicopter, marking the beginning of the world's rotorcraft industry. Sikorsky fitted utility floats (also called pontoons) to the VS-300 and performed a water landing and takeoff, making it the first practical amphibious helicopter. The helicopter completes a 1 hour 5 minutes endurance flight at Stratford, Connecticut, piloted by Igor Sikorsky.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Italian submarine “_Tazzoli_” sank British ship “_Aurillac_” 500 miles west of Lisbon, Portugal, killing 1.

The British Royal Navy parks a tanker and a support ship in Hvalfjord, Iceland, as a refueling depot for convoy escort ships.

*NORTH AFRICA:* First Siege of Tobruk: Despite yesterday’s setbacks, Rommel presses his attack on the Allied defensive perimeter. 1,000 Italian troops attacked Tobruk, Libya at 1730 hours, overrunning Australian defensive lines, but they were driven back at 1815 hours upon the arrival of an Australian reserve company and heavy artillery. 250 Italians were killed and 113 were captured in this failed attack.

RN warships including cruiser “_Gloucester_” bombard Axis positions along the coast of Cyrenaica.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* US Ambassador Laurence Steinhardt warns Soviets of impending German invasion. Josef Stalin prepares the country for war with Germany, including partial mobilization, transferring forces from Siberia to the west, sending 28 rifle divisions and four armies to the border with Germany, and begins assembling a fifth army near Moscow.

A German reconnaissance aircraft with a camera and exposed film of Soviet installations crashes near Rovno in the Soviet Union, but no Soviet attention to preparations for a possible German attack results.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 96 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight (210 killed).

*ASIA: *The Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) signs an agreement with the Chinese government to equip and administer the American Volunteer Group in China.


*.




*


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## parsifal (Apr 16, 2016)

*16 APRIL 1941
Losses*
*Steamer SWEDRU (UK 5379 grt)*. On 16 April she was attacked by a LW long range bomber (FW 200 Condor) from KG 40 while en route from Freetown to Liverpool in convoy SL69. Two 250 lb bombs (with ~15 second delay fuses) were dropped from 250ft, struck the bridge and exploded. The captain and other senior officers were instantly killed. She subsequently caught fire and the third Officer Ellis, R. C. ordered the boats away. 32 survivors were picked up by the corvette HMS GLADIOLUS. 17 crew and 7 passengers were lost. The steamer was sunk by HM ship on the 19th.





*Steamer ANGELESEA ROSE (UK 1151 grt)* was sunk by the LW Nth of St. Ives (on the nth side of Cornwall) when on voyage from Barry for Plymouth with a cargo of coal.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AMIENS (UK 1548 grt)*, was also sunk in this attack
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BOLETTE (Nor 1167 grt)* was hit by 2 bombs from a German a/c 1941 off St. Ives, Cornwall near Lands End on a voyage from Workington for Devonport with a cargo of coal and sank with the loss of 8 crew. .





*Steamer FAVORIT (Nor 2826 grt) *was sunk by the LW NW of the Hebrides. Assigned as part of SC-27, she had suffered steering gear problems on the 7th that found her on her own on the 16th. when she was attacked by an aircraft at 10:40 GMT on the 16th, position 60 06N 08 32W. 2 bombs hit near No. 3 hatch, causing heavy damages and destroying the motor boat. The crew did not take to the boats immediately, as the ship was still being strafed and the a/c was strafing the decks. Rhe a/c dropped more bombs, 1 of which detonated in the sea on the starboard side, another on the foredeck. By then the starboard lifeboat had been manned and launched, but it was already full of water and capsized. The port boat had better luck and those who were in the water were subsequently picked up by this boat. The a/c now returned a 3rd time, dropping 2 bombs on the after deck, and she started to sink by the stern.

The captain and 10 men set sail in a southerly direction in the one surviving (but still leaking) shgips boat, in the hope of reaching an area with more traffic. The remaining survivors had been distributed on 2 rafts which were tied together, with 7 men on one, 11 on the other.

The lifeboat was spotted by an RAF flying boat which threw down food and medicines to them that same afternoon. At about 2330 that night they were rescued by the Hull trawler COMMANDER HORTON, en route from Iceland with fish. The people on the trawler told them that they had been hailed by a DD an hour earlier and told to keep a lookout for a lifeboat. Upon being notified about the rafts the trawler's captain did not think it advisable to go back and look for them as he knew that the DD would be out looking for them. In fact, the 18 on the rafts had already been picked up by DD LINCOLN that afternoon.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-147 

At Sea 16 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and joined convoy EC.7 off May Island. The ship arrived at Scapa Flow on the 17th after this duty.

*Northern Waters*
CLA NAIAD arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting in the Tyne.

DD SOMALI departed Scapa Flow to join steamers AMSTERDAM and ARCHANGEL off Aberdeen at 2130 and escort them to Lerwick and Scapa Flow, respectively. The DD and steamer AMSTERDAM arrived at Lerwick on the 17th. They departed again at 2000 for Aberdeen. DD ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow on the 18th to relieve SOMALI, which arrived back at Scapa Flow later on the 18th. ANTHONY parted company with the steamer off Aberdeen on the 18th, arriving back at Scapa the same day.

DD ARROW departed Scapa Flow on the 18th to escort steamer ARCHANGEL to Aberdeen. The steamer was detached off Aberdeen and destroyer ARROW arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 19th.

*West Coast*
CVL FURIOUS, under repair at Belfast, was damaged by German bombing.

OB.311 departed Liverpool, escort ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY. The convoy was joined on the 17th by corvette MALLOW and on the 18th by corvette VIOLET and MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL. DDs MALCOLM, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN joined on the 19th. Corvette MALLOW and the trawler were detached on the 20th. On the 22nd, DD SCIMITAR and the MSWs were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 25th when the convoy dispersed

*SW Approaches*
British trawler KING ATHELSTAN was damaged by the LW 3 miles off Ballinskelligs (off the sw coast of Ireland). The trawler was beached with hull damage. She was temporarily repaired and was able to proceed under her own steam

*Med/Biscay*
On this day, the decision to evacuate forces on mainland Greece was taken. The RN was becoming adept at reading when the british army had bitten off more than it could chew, as evacuation planning at Med flt HQ had been developing for some days!

British troopships GLENGYLE and GLENEARN departed Alexandria escorted by CLA CARLISLE and RAN DDs STUART and VOYAGER and RN WRYNECK, for a raid by special troops on Bardia. Submarine TRIUMPH had sailed on the 15th to act as a beacon for the operation. After dark, CARLISLE departed this force to join convoy AN.27. CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria on the 16th to join the force at daylight on the 17th.

This operation was to be conducted during the night of 16/17 April, but was cancelled due to bad weather. During the night of 19/20 April, British commandoes did raid Bardia.

The raid was successful, but sixty seven men lost their way and were left behind. The remainder of the force were embarked and returned to Alexandria.

DD DECOY and gunboat LADYBIRD departed Tobruk at 1630 for a raid by special troops on Marakeb. The raid was carried out during the night of 16/17, but was unsuccessful. DECOY ran aground, but was gotten off without serious damage. Both ships returned to Alexandria.

DD HERO, operating in the Piraeus – Suda Bay area, was ordered to Kotor to embark the Yugoslavian King and Government and British diplomatic staff. However, the sailing was cancelled since it was unknown if Kotor was still in allied hands. The passengers relying on this transport did find their way out of Yugoslavia

Armed boarding vessel CHAKLA was grounded in a storm at Suda Bay. She was towed off by netlayer PROTECTOR.

*Steamer MEMAS (Gk 4359 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Chalkis (chief town of the island of Euboea, nth of Athens and situated on the Euripus Straits at its narrowest point)..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Battle of the “Tarigo” convoy
RN DesFloot 14 intercepted an Axis supply convoy on passage from Naples to Tripoli off Kerkenah at 0158 on the 16th and attacked at 0210. The entire convoy including the three RM DDs in escort were sunk or disabled.

The convoy consisted of four German troopships (ADANA, ARTA, AEGINA and ISERLOHN) and an Italian ammunition ship (SABAUDIA). The convoy was escorted by three DDs; LUCA TARIGO(flagship), BALENOand LAMPO, under the command of Capitano Pietro de Cristofaro. The convoy was delayed by bad weather, sailing in the evening of 13 April.

The British had been alerted to the convoy's sailing by intercepted radio messages. On 15 April, a Malta based Maryland recon a/c sighted and shadowed the convoy. Two RA SM-79s that were ordered to provide air cover failed to materialise, apparently due to the continuing bad weather (though this does not make sense given the Marylands were airborner). During the night of 15–16 April, the convoy was intercepted by the DesFlot 14 commanded by Captain Philip Mack). At least three of these destroyers were equipped with radar, which was to prove decisive. The encounter took place as the Italian convoy maneuvered around the shallow waters surrounding the Kerkennah Islands.

By the use of the radar, the British force ambushed the Axis convoy in the dark. As the convoy passed a buoy marking sandbanks, the British opened fire at 2,000 yards and closing to as near as 50 yards. Three of the Axis transports were sunk, and the other two beached on the sandbar and became total losses as well.

LAMPO was run aground with heavy damage and losses, but she was later salvaged. BALENO sank in shallow waters. The flotilla commander, Capitano de Cristofaro, on board the TARIGO, had his leg shot off and later died of his wounds; he was posthumously awarded the Medaglia d’Oro (the highest Italian military decoration). While listing to port and sinking, TARIGO (now under the command of the only surviving officer, Ensign Ettore Bisagno) launched two torpedoes which hit HMS MOHAWK, which was was subsequently scuttled by HMS JERVIS, and settled on the sandy bottom at a depth of 12 meters. The outcome of the battle marked the end of the relatively unopposed Axis transport to Libya, which they had enjoyed since June 1940. It was a heavy defeat for the Axis forces, coming at a time when the allies were taking very heavy blows in the Balkans. Almost an entire Blackshirt Regt was lost in this attack. 

Summary of losses: 
*Steamers ANDANA (Ger 4205 grt)*, sunk
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AEGINA (Ger 2447 grt)*, sunk





*Steamer ARTA (Ger 2452 grt)*, sunk
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

and *Steamer ISERLOHN (Ger 3704 grt)* sunk





*Steamer SABAUDIA (FI 1590 grt)* sunk
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Folgore Class DD LAMPO She was disabled and forced ashore with 141 of her 205 crew killed in action, but she was later salvaged and put back into service. She was eventually sunk by bombers on 30 April 1943 off Cape Bon, while carrying ammunition to Tunisia, with the loss of 60 out of 213 crewmen.

Navigatori Class *DD LUCA TARIGO (RM 1900 grt)*, was able to hit HMS MOHAWK with torpedoes, crippling the RN DD (she had to be scuttled), before being torn to pieces and sunk.





Folgore Class *DD BALENO (RM 1220grt)* She was disabled on 16 April 1941 by RN DDs JERVIS, NUBIAN, MOHAWK AND JANUS ran aground and sank on the following morning. Only 37 of her crew survived.





*Tribal Class DD MOHAWK (RN 1854 grt)* was torpedoed by Italian destroyer TARIGO. 41 officers and crew lost. 161 crewman, including the CO were rescued. DD NUBIAN picked up survivors from the water whilst DD JERVIS rescued two men from r MOHAWK's fo'c'sle, before she took action to scuttle the MOHAWK.





RM DDs VIVALDI and DA NOLI were rushed to the scene to pick up survivors. When the threat of continued attack by RN units was realized, CL BANDE NERE and other units (BARBIANO and DI GUISSANO) departed Palermo to cover rescue operations. Over the next 7 days, DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, MALOCELLO, and DARDO, TBs CIGNO, CLIO, CENTAURO, MISSORI, PAPA, PERSEO, and PARTENOPE, hospital ships ARNO and GIUSEPPE ORLANDO, and rescue aircraft rescued 1248 troops (3000 had been aboard the ships).

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.121 departed Halifax, escort AMC CALIFORNIA and corvettes CHAMBLY, COLLINGWOOD, and ORILLIA. The corvettes were detached later that day. BB REVENGE joined the convoy on the 19th and was detached on the 23rd. DDs INGLEFIELD, MALCOLM, MAORI, and WATCHMAN and corvette VIOLET joined the convoy on the 25th. MAORI and WATCHMAN and corvette VIOLET were detached later that day. INGLEFIELD and MALCOLM were detached on the 28th. The AMC was detached on the 27th. DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and ROXBOROUGH, corvettes GLADIOLUS, LOBELIA, and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA joined on the 28th for the home waters escort. Corvette ABELIA joined on the 29th. On the 30th, DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and ROXBOROUGH, corvette VERONIA, and the ASW trawlers were detached. Corvette GLADIOLUS was detached on 1 May and corvette ABELIA on 2 May. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 May

*Central Atlantic*
DKM supply ship NORDMARK replenished RM subs ARCHIMEDE, GUGLIEMOTTI, and FERRARIS at sea on 16 and 17 April

BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL arrived at Gibraltar from Bay of Biscay patrol.
Escorting DD FEARLESS was fired upon from Algeciras, but was not damaged.

*Steamer SIR ERNEST CASSEL (SD 7739 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider THOR. The entire crew was taken as prisoners of war. Their ultimate fate as crew working under a neutral flag is unknown.





*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 APRIL TO DAWN 17 APRIL 1941
_Weather _Thick fog at first, then cold and rough.
_0941-1000 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
_1000 hrs _Southern Infantry Brigade sends out a message that three friendly destroyers are due.
_1040-1100 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
_0551-0616 hrs _Air raid alert for a small formation of Messerschmitt 110 fighters which appear to the west of Malta as Wellington bombers are arriving. One Wellington is attacked by a ME 110 ten miles offshore. Other Wellingtons counter-attack with two good bursts of machine-gun fire and is last seen diving into the dawn mist. The attacked Wellington lands safely, with superficial damage.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 16 APRIL 1941
_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _Three aircraft in overnight operation against ships anchored off Tripoli with Wellington bombers of 148 Squadron but target ships swung bows on to the entrance making an attack impossible. Destroyers returned from night operation under cover of low cloud. 
_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance of Tripoli Harbour. Maryland reconnaissance Palermo Harbour and aerodrome. _148 Squadron_ 7 Wellingtons night bombing attack on Tripoli Harbour with 830 Squadron FAA. 
_HAL FAR PM _Four aircraft 830 Squadron on operational flight; one returned after 30 minutes, remainder safely after mission completed.
 
*Cyrenaica*
On 16 April, Rommel led an attack from the west, with the 132nd Armoured Division _Ariete _reinforced by the 62nd Infantry Regiment of the 102nd Motorised Division _Trento_. The 2/48th Australian Battalion counter-attacked and took 803 prisoners that evening. In the morning, the 132nd Armoured Division _Ariete _attacked again and some tanks reached the most advanced Australian posts, found that their infantry had not followed and retired after five tanks were knocked out. Morshead ordered the garrison to exploit Axis disorganisation and inability quickly to dig in on stony ground, with patrols and small sorties,which in the coming days the defenders carried out with great success.

Italian and allied accounts differ from the above for this attack. These other versions of the attack state that 'Trento' Division launched a courageous but futile attack against Tobruk. Despite the failure of Rommel to issue clear orders and a German Panzer unit failing to show up, the Italians press forward but are soon forced to stop and dispersed because of heavy artillery fire. Some accounts also claim the Germans opened fire on Trento, (San Jose News, 21 April 1941) The Australians reported at the time that "The Italians attacked our 48 Bn and whilst withdrawing they (the Italians) were fired upon by German tanks supposedly supporting the attack." ( 2/43rd Battalion War Diary) The Australians send out Bren-Gun carriers to outflank and capture the Italians caught in the crossfire. This extra firepower finally breaks the will of the Italians, and all firing ceases. Italian casualties turn out to be 24 dead, 112 wounded and 803 prisoners, including their commanding officer. The Italian colonel was furious at having his unit shot up from behind by supporting German tanks. It certainly looks that something more than a "friendly fire" incident occurred that day.


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## parsifal (Apr 16, 2016)

*17 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-566




6 ships sunk, total tonnage 38,092 GRT
1 warship sunk, total tonnage 2,265 tons

Scuttled on 24 October 1943 in the North Atlantic west of Leixoes, , after being badly damaged by six DCs from a British Wellington a/c (179 Sqn RAF/A). 49 survivors (no casualties).
 
*Losses*
U.123 sank *steamer VENEZUELA (SD 6991 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. Outward bound from Goteburg to Buenos Aires with a crew of 49 and a cargo of paper pulp, she was sailing independently. It is now believed her neutral identity was clearly displayed at the time of her loss, but virtually any ship in the Nth Atlantic was by now being attacked on sight by BDU. At 1550 hrs, U-123 fired a single G7a stern torpedo at the unescorted and neutral VENEZUELAand hit her amidships SSW of Rockall. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 0430 hours and decided to attack it because “she was not following the routes for neutral vessels”, according to the U-123’s log. The “mistake” was only noticed after the attack, however the boat still fired a further torpedoes to finish off the kill despite recording that she had made a mistake. The boat did however wait for the crew to abandon ship in lifeboats, before the U-boat fired a coup de grace which was a dud and at 1603 and 1626 hours two torpedoes that hit in a hold and the engine room and settled slowly. Because the ship remained afloat another torpedo was fired at 1727 hrs, which also was a dud but when the U-boat surfaced two hours later after reloading the torpedo tubes the ship was not longer visible. Aboard the VENEZUELA were eight passengers from the Finnish motor merchant CAROLINE THORDEN, which had been sunk by German He115 aircraft of KFlGr 706 near the Faroe Islands on 26 March. The entire crew was lost.





The German 2nd MTB Flotilla with S.41, S.42, S.43, S.55, and S.104 made a sortie against Convoy FS 464 off Great Yarmouth.

*Steamer EFFRA (UK 1446 grt)* was sunk by a DKM S-boat near Cross Sand Light Vessel. Two crew were missing.




_Model of the EFFRA built in 1946_

*Steamer NEREUS (NL 1298 grt)* was sunk by a DKM S-boat two miles south of No. 5 Buoy, Great Yarmouth. The crew was rescued.





British steamer ETHEL RADCLIFFE was damaged by German S-boat near No. 6 Buoy off Great Yarmouth. There were no casualties on the steamer. The steamer was towed to Yarmouth by ASW trawler SAPPHIRE .

The German S-boats were later engaged by British MGB.60, MGB.59, and MGB.64 which had sailed in Operation QE on the 16th.

*Steamer MONTALTO (UK 623 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Rochester. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen; U-141, U-553

At Sea 17 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow at 1700 to refit at Devonport, arriving on the 19th. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN.15 and escort it to Methil. The convoy and escort arrived at Methil on the 18th.

*West Coast*
CA LONDON and CVE ARGUS departed the Clyde for Gibraltar. The carrier carried aircraft for Operation DUNLOP. She was joined on the 22nd by CL SHEFFIELD and DDs FAULKNOR and WRESTLER, which had departed Gibraltar on the 20th. The CA then joined convoy SL.71 and arrived back at Scapa Flow on 1 May.

*Med/Biscay*
DD KINGSTON, the last of the three K class DDs from the Red Sea, arrived at Alexandria to reinforce the Med Flt.

DD GREYHOUND and RAN DD VOYAGER carried out a sweep westwards from Tolmeita, sinking *Barque ROMAGNA (FI 195 grt)*, carrying bombs and fuel for Derna.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT, on a reconnaissance mission off the Cyrenaican coast, sank *ammunition barque VANNA (FI 279 grt)* with bombs and fuel for Derna with gunfire off Appolonia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT attacked *steamer SAMOS (Ger 2576 grt)* one mile west of Benghazi. The attack was unsuccessful, but the steamer went off course and was sunk on a magnetic mine on the 19th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Five British A lighters A.1, A.5, A.6, A.16, and A.19 of the 1st Tank Landing Craft Flotilla, escorted by sloop AUCKLAND and ASW whaler SOUTHERN MAID departed Alexandria on the 17th and arrived at Tobruk on the 18th. The A lighters departed Tobruk that evening for Suda Bay, led by ASW whaler SKUD V. A.1, A.6, A.16, and A.19 arrived on the 21st. A.5 was detached to Nauplia independently. A sixth lighter A.15 was delayed at Alexandria with mechanical problems, but later proceeded directly to Suda Bay.

Beograd Class *DD ZAGREB (Yug 1210 grt)* was scuttled in Kotor Harbour at the loss of two of her officers.




*Beograd Class DD BEOGRAD (Yug 1210 grt)* surrendered to Italian forces at Kotor. She was passed to Regia Marina, repaired and refitted, re-entering service in August 1942 as the SEBENICO




_BEOGRAD as the Italian SEBENICO_

Dubrovnik Class *DD DUBROVNIK (Yug 1880 grt)* was captured in Kotor Bay by Italian troops and 25/4/1941 commissioned by Italian Navy as PREMUDA. 9/9/1943 she was captured by German troops at Genoa and commissioned by Kriegsmarine as TA32. 24/4/1945 she was scuttled at Genoa..




Italian troops also captured the damaged *DD LJUBJANA (Yuy 1220 grt)* in dock at Sebenico Harbour. She was damaged in 1940 and had been under repair since that time, Renamed the LUBIANA in RM service, she was wrecked in a grounding at Split on 24 January 1940 and again in 1943, the second time resulting in her total loss.





*Steamer DAMASKINI (Gk 1196 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Oreos Channel, north of Euboea Island.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PETRAKIS NOMIKOS (Gk 7020 grt)* was badly damaged by air attack at Piraeus. The steamer was beached and bombed again on the 23rd. The vessel was was later salvaged by the Germans, renamed WILHELMSBURG. She was finally lost July 7th, 1943, when she was torpedoed and sunk by RN sub HMS RORQUAL five miles W. of Tenedos on a voyage from the Black Sea to Greece, with 8,000 tons of oil.





*Central Atlantic*
Submarine PANDORA arrived at Gibraltar escorting British oiler CAIRNDALE.

DDs KASHMIR and JACKAL and corvette SPIRAE arrived at Gibraltar escorting the 3rd ML Flotilla of ML.121, ML.129, ML.130, ML.132, ML.134, ML.135, and ML.168. These ships had departed the UK on the 12th.

Convoy SL.72 departed Freetown escorted by CL DRAGON to 19 April, DDs VIDETTE and WISHART for the day only, and corvettes ASPHODEL and CALENDULA for the day only. On the 19th, CL FIJI relieved DRAGON. FIJI continued with the convoy to 1 May. On the 20th, AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE joine to 11 May. DDs COLUMBIA escorted to 13 May, KEPPEL to 13 May, LINCOLN to 13 May, and SABRE to 12 May, sloop FLEETWOOD to 13 May, corvettes ALISMA to 13 May, DIANELLA to 13 May, and KINGCUP to 13 May, and ASWs MAN O.WAR to 13 May, ST LOMAN to 13 May, and WELLARD to 13 May joined the convoy, and arrived at Liverpool on 13 May.

*Sth Atlantic*
*Steamer ZAMZAM (EG 8299 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider ATLANTIS in the Sth Atlantic. The crew and passengers, including 138 Americans, were transferred to German supply ship DRESDEN and landed at St Jean de Ruz.




_Ten minutes after shelling by ATLANTIS, Life photographer David Scherman in Lifeboat 1 took this picture of the stricken passenger ship ZAMZAM, with another lifeboat pulling for open sea._

Cyrenaica
After the failure to capture Tobruk off the march, _Comando Supremo_ and OKW agreed that Tobruk should be captured and supplies accumulated, before the advance into Egypt was resumed. Rommel thought that Tobruk could only be taken by a deliberate attack, which could not begin until support units had arrived in the area and the Luftwaffe had been reinforced, particularly with transport aircraft to carry ammunition, fuel and water. On 27 April, Major-General Friedrich Paulus Deputy Chief of the General Staff, arrived from OKH in Berlin, to question Rommel on his intentions, impress on him that there was little more help available and to forecast the defensive possibilities of the area, if Sollum was lost. Paulus refused to allow an attack planned for 30 April, until he had studied the situation and on 29 April, allowed the attack to go ahead, as did Gariboldi who had arrived on 28 April. Nothing more ambitious than securing the Axis hold on the Egyptian frontier, from Siwa oasis north to Sollum was envisaged or undertaken. Along the engaged Tobruk front, Rommel ordered the italaians for the time being to take over the containment rings around the fortress and for the italians to concentrate on improving defensive works by digging in and also communications and road connections. The Australians also enaged in improving the defensive works and laying over 5000 additional mines around the perimeter, whilst also continuing the policy of aggressive patrolling which yielded considerable success in keeping the Axis forces off balance.

The Tobruk garrison's continued work on the defences and sowed minefields, concentrated firstly in the south-west, between the outer and inner perimeters. Twelve infantry tanks had been delivered among 5,000 tons of supplies landed during the month, despite Axis bombing of the harbour and the sinking of two supply ships. The Axis attack was to be made in the sw, either side of the hillock of Ras el Medauar, about two weeks after the previous attempt, using the 5th Light Division on the right and the 15th Panzer Division on the left, even though it had only recently arrived in Africa. 
 
*Malta*


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## Njaco (Apr 16, 2016)

*April 16 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* Kommodore Mölders of Stab./JG 51 downs two Hurricanes of RAF No. 601 Squadron with his new Bf 109F. The first RAF plane falls over Dungeness and the second is destroyed south of Le Touquet. He now has sixty-five kills against the Allies.

The Belfast Blitz: At 0500 hours, the German air raid on Belfast, Northern Ireland, which began at 2300 hours on the previous date ended; the 203 tons of high explosive bombs, 80 parachute mines, and 800 incendiary bombs dropped killed 758, wounded 1,500, and destroyed 56,000 homes; 100,000 residents were made homeless. British aircraft carrier “_Furious_”, under repair at Belfast, was damaged by the German bombing. British vessels “_Anglesea Rose_” and “_Amiens_” were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

At the end of the day and into the next day, 681 German aircraft bombed London, England, causing massive damage. Nearly 900 tonnes (992 short tons) of high explosive were dropped on the city. Parliament buildings and St. Paul's Cathedral suffer damage, and more than 2,250 fires are touched off by incendiary bombs.

The first US Lend-Lease food shipment arrived in Britain.

British Minister of Labour, Ernest Bevin, announced a National Registration of Women for war work. The first registrations, for women in the age group 20 and 21, was to commence on 19 April 1941.

*NORTH AFRICA:* First Siege of Tobruk: Determined to crack the perimeter at Tobruk, Rommel observes in person as troops of the Italian 62nd "Trento" Regiment attacked the besieged town in the late afternoon. They are shelled as they assemble for the attack, which drives off their tanks, and the infantry are pinned down with machinegun fire. The attack was driven back by the heavy artillery fire, and the entire 1st Battalion of the Italian 62nd Regiment was captured. Australian Bren gun carriers are sent out and round up the entire Battalion, (800 men including 25 officers). This is the second time in 2 days that Italian troops have dispersed when shelled and Rommel is losing faith in his ally.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Yugoslavs try to sign an armistice but their emissary does not have sufficient authority to sign the surrender and is sent to back Belgrade with a draft agreement. In Zagreb, Croatian leader Ante Pavelic formally came into power as the head of the Independent State of Croatia.

In Greece, while Allied troops retire towards Thermopylae, the defensive line in the North begins to crumble. German tanks and infantry attack the narrow Platamon pass between Mount Olympus and the Aegean Sea, forcing New Zealand troops to withdraw across the river in the steep Tempe Gorge (using a flat-bottomed ferry pulled by hand along ropes), a move that greatly alarmed Allied leadership. Realizing that German penetration along the coast will unhinge the Allied withdrawal, New Zealanders are ordered to sink the ferry and hold the Gorge “until 19th April even if it means extinction”. Meanwhile, German 6th Mountain Division attacked across Mount Olympus using goat paths, taking heavy casualties.

The Battle of the Tarigo Convoy: Ultra intercepts of German radio signals alert Royal Navy to a convoy of 4 German troopships and 1 Italian ammunition ship carrying 15.Panzerdivision troops and light vehicles (but no tanks) from Naples to Tripoli. British destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Janus_”, HMS “_Nubian_”, and HMS “_Mohawk_”, lie in wait after dark, unnoticed by the escort of 3 Italian destroyers which have no radar, as the convoy moves slowly through shallow waters near the Kerkennah Islands (East coast of Tunisia). British destroyers close to within 1 mile and sink all 5 transports and the Italian destroyers “_Luca Tarigo_”, “_Baleno_”, and “_Lampo_”. (1800 German troops of 15.Panzerdivision and Italian sailors killed, 1200 survivors rescued by Italian warships and hospital ships). “_Luca Tarigo_” was able to fire two torpedoes at HMS “_Mohawk_”, which hit and killed 43 men. HMS “_Mohawk_” would soon be scuttled in a hurry, leaving behind secret documents outlining Alexandria, Egypt defenses for Italian divers to capture shortly after.

Yugoslavian submarine “_Nebojsa_” and MTBs “_Kajmakcalan_” and “_Durmitor_” make a run for Crete to escape advancing Axis forces.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” stopped Swedish ship “_Sir Ernest Cassell_” with two warning shots 500 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands. The crew of “_Sir Ernest Cassell_” was taken aboard, and the ship was scuttled with demolition charges.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The German embassy in Moscow, Russia continued to report unexpectedly friendliness from the Soviets toward Germany.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Roosevelt outlined four essential points as a foundation for relations between nations. 1. territorial integrity, 2. Non-interference in the affairs of other countries, 3. Equal commercial opportunity, and 4. a status quo in the Pacific. The points were made as talks began in Washington between U.S. and Japanese officials.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Circus operation: Daylight raid by bombers to Berck-sur-Mer heavily escorted by fighters.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 16, 2016)

*April 17 Thursday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* King Petar II of Yugoslavia arrived at London, England, via Athens, Greece.

The bombing of London, England, which began on the previous date ended before dawn. 1,179 were killed. Revenge for what Berlin said were RAF attacks on residential and cultural centers on April 9th and 10th, the German raids dropped hundreds of bombs over London, leveling whole streets and leaving a high number of dead and wounded as the result. Hardest hit were industrial sections of London, but numerous neighborhoods were devastated by the almost continuous rain of bombs falling on the city from dusk to dawn. The Admiralty (now the Old Admiralty) building, Whitehall, was damaged by German aircraft. Bombers of KG 55 that attacked London, suffer a He 111 from 6 Staffel destroyed when it crashes at Chartres airfield on the return flight.

Luftwaffe attacks Portsmouth overnight with 249 aircraft.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft to attack coastal targets including Cherbourg. Fw. Babenz of JG 26 records his first victory by shooting down a RAF Blenheim. RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight.

I./JG 1 loses a pilot and plane when Ofhr. Friedhelm Gottschalk crashes into the North Sea flying Bf 109 ‘Yellow 5’ and is killed.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Yugoslavia formally surrendered to Germany as Foreign Minister Cincar-Marcovic signed the armistice with German and Italian representatives in Belgrade. The Hungarians, technically "not at war with Yugoslavia", do not sign the armistice. Germans captured Yugoslavian destroyers “_Beograd_” and “_Dubrovnik_” at Kotor, but destroyer “_Zagreb_” was scuttled by her crew (2 killed in the process). In Greece, New Zealand 21st battalion reinforced by Australian 2/2nd Battalion demolished the Pinios River railway bridge and held the Tempe and Pinios Gorges, delaying the German advance down the Aegean coast, allowing other Allied troops to withdraw to new defenses on the Thermopylae line. British Prime Minister Churchill agreed to the proposal for the evacuation of Allied troops from mainland Greece to the island of Crete, should it become necessary; this plan was then communicated to the government of Greece shortly after.

Eighteen surviving Yugoslav Air Force aircraft flee Yugoslavia, bringing Yugoslav aerial resistance to the German invasion to an end. In its 11 days of combat, the Yugoslav Air Force attacked targets in Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and Greece and attacked German, Italian, and Hungarian troops.

British submarine HMS “_Truant_” sank Italian barque “_Vanna_” off the Libyan coast; “_Vanna_” was carrying ammunition and fuel to Derna, Libya.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German motor torpedo boats S.41 S.42 S.43 S.55, S.104 attacked Allied convoy FS464 off Great Yarmouth, England, sinking 2 small freighters and damaging a large steamer. The German S-boats were engaged by British motor gun boats MGB.60, MGB.59, and MGB.64, without success.

German submarine U-123 sank Swedish MV “_Venezuela_” 600 miles west of Ireland at 1730 hours; the crew of 49 abandoned ship in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” attacked Egyptian passenger liner “_ZamZam_” without warning 1,400 miles west of South Africa at 0600 hours, mistaking it for a British troop ship. All 129 crew and 202 passengers escaped in lifeboats before the Germans scuttled the ship with demolition charges. Life magazine photographer David Sherman, who was aboard “_ZamZam_” during the attack, took a photograph of “_Atlantis_”.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Rashid Ali al-Gaylani's 16-day old Iraqi government submitted a request to Germany for military assistance in its attempt to remove British forces from Iraq. Meanwhile, Iraqi forces surrounded the RAF airbase at Habbaniya while British 1st Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment, originally based in Karachi, India, arrived at RAF Shaibah near Basra.

*ASIA: *Masafumi Arima became the deputy commanding officer of Yokosuka Naval Air Corps and the chief training officer of the same unit.

*NORTH AFRICA: *First Siege of Tobruk: The remnants of the 'Trento' Division launches a courageous but futile attack against Tobruk. Despite the failure of Rommel to issue clear orders and a German Panzer unit failing to show up, the Italians press forward. Again, the attack is broken up by British artillery fire but 6 tanks break through the wire, crossing an Allied minefield which fails to detonate. 7 British cruiser tanks engage the tanks while Australian troops again trap the following infantry in crossfire. The Australians send out Bren-Gun carriers to outflank and capture the Italians caught in the crossfire. This extra firepower finally breaks the will of the Italians, and all firing ceases. Only 1 Italian tank escapes back through the wire. Italian casualties turn out to be 24 dead, 112 wounded and 436 prisoners, including their commanding officer. The Italian colonel was so furious at having his unit shot up from behind by supporting German tanks that he fully cooperated with Tobruk Headquarters. After dark, there is a running tank exchange across the perimeter wire (3 of 12 Axis tanks destroyed). Rommel, running low on ammunition and other supplies, decides to wait until 15.Panzerdivision arrives in strength before making a concerted attack on Tobruk.

South African 1st Infantry Brigade probing General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* SS-Untersturmfuehrer Maximilian Grabner at Auschwitz Concentration Camp announced that urns containing the ashes of Polish political prisoners who died at Auschwitz no longer needed to be sent to their families.

*GERMANY:* A large RAF bombing force struck Berlin in the heaviest raid to date. 118 aircraft were detailed to bomb the German capital. Of these were 50 Wellingtons (one lost), 39 Hampdens (two lost), 28 Whitleys (five lost) (all twin engined aircraft) and one Stirling (first operation). Three of the Hampden Squadrons RAF Nos. 44, 50 and 83 sustained casualties which accounted for 50% of the total Hampdens involved. One aircraft of RAF No. 83 Squadron reported "target location obviously impossible. Bombs dropped on a large town estimated to have been in Ruhr district." Over Berlin most crews found that thick haze and cloud made pinpointing the target difficult.

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## Njaco (Apr 17, 2016)

*April 18 Friday*
*GERMANY:* The Messerschmitt Me 262 prototype had its first test flight, although only with a piston engine at first. The Me 262 V1 example, bearing its Stammkennzeichen radio code letters of PC+UA, since its intended BMW 003 turbojets were not ready for fitting, used a conventional Junkers Jumo 210 engine mounted in the V1 prototype's nose, driving a propeller, to test the Me 262 V1 airframe. The V1 through V4 prototype airframes all possessed what would become an uncharacteristic feature for later jet aircraft designs, a fully retracting conventional two wheel gear setup with a retracting tailwheel.

A new night-fighter unit, NJG 4, is formed and Major Rudolf Stoltenhoff is posted as Kommodore. The unit is based at Metz flying Bf 110s and Do 217s.

*NORTH AFRICA: *First Siege of Tobruk: It is a quiet day at Tobruk after the fury of the Easter weekend. Rommel awaits the arrival of 15.Panzerdivision’s heavy armor. Australian General Leslie Morshead (known as Ming the Merciless for his scowl), reorganized the defenses at Tobruk, Libya, creating additional reserve brigades and building secondary defensive lines, all in order to create additional depth to the city's defenses.

By this date, the Bf 110s of III./ZG 26 have shot down five Blenheims and three Hurricanes since 7 April, supporting Rommel’s attacks near Marsa-el-Brega. The first fighters of I./JG 27 arrive at their new airfield at Ain-el-Gazala.

South African 1st Infantry Brigade probing General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie.

Britain warns that if Cairo is bombed, then the RAF will attack Rome.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: German 3.Regiment and 2.Panzerdivision crossed the Pinios River in Greece while German 6.Gebirgs-Division crosses Mount Olympus to get behind the ANZAC defenders, putting the Australian and New Zealand troops at the Pinios Gorge in danger. Germans are converging from 3 directions on the strategically-important crossroads at the town of Larisa, through which all Allied troops are withdrawing towards Thermopylae. The Luftwaffe bombs and strafes the 70 mile long column of trucks on the road south but most Allied troops get away safely from the danger of entrapment. As German troops continued to move south in Greece, Prime Minister Alexandros Koryzis committed suicide in the evening. In response to this suicide, Athens was placed under martial law by the government to maintain stability. General Wilson in a meeting with Papagos, informed him that the British and Commonweath forces at Thermopylai would carry on fighting till the first week of May, providing that Greek forces from Albania could redeploy and cover the left flank.

German dive bombers sank empty British troopship HMS “_Fiona_” 50 miles northwest of Sidi Barrani, Egypt, killing 54.

British vessel “_British Science_” sunk by Axis aircraft off Crete.

Italian supply convoy departs Trapani for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boats “_La Farina_”, “_Da Mosto_”, “_Calliope_”, and “_Orione_”. Another Italian supply convoy departs Palermo for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Geniere_”, “_Grecale_”, and “_Camicia Nera_” and torpedo boat “_Pleiadi_”.

Operation MD 2: British Mediterranean Fleet sailed from Alexandria with HM Battleships “_Warspite_”, “_Barham_”, “_Valiant_”, HMS “_Illustrious_”, HM Cruisers “_Calcutta_”, “_Gloucester_”, “_Ajax_”, “_Orion_” and “_Phoebe_” screened by destroyers to provide cover for passage of HM Supply Ship “_Breconshire_” a newly built Glen Line ship of 10,000 tons and 18 knots, which had been commissioned as a supply ship, to Malta from Egypt and bring out empty ships in Convoy ME7 from Malta (Operation MD.2) and bombard Tripoli in Operation MD.3.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Indian 20th Infantry Brigade landed at Basra, Iraq unopposed. It was originally based in Karachi, India and had arrived in Iraq in 8 transports which were escorted by carrier HMS “_Hermes_”, cruiser HMS “_Emerald_”, cruiser HMNZS “_Leander_”, 6 sloops, and gunboat HMS “_Cockchafer_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The United States declared that the Pan-American Security Zone, last defined with the 3 Oct 1939 Declaration of Panama, to be extended to 26 degrees west longitude, 2,300 nautical miles east of New York on the east coast of the United States. It was just 50 nautical miles short of Iceland, which was a major Allied convoy staging area.

Admiral Ernest J. King, commander in chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, ordered U.S. ships and planes to attack any Axis ship within 25 miles of the western Hemisphere on the assumption it was hostile.

British submarine HMS “_Urge_” sank Italian tanker “_Franco Martelli_” in the Bay of Biscay north of Spain.

British destroyers HMS “_Newark_” and HMS “_Volunteer_” collided just off the northern coast of Ireland. Both were seriously damaged and would be under repair at Belfast until Aug 1941.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* US Navy Admiral Kimmel wrote a letter to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark requesting additional resources for base construction at Wake Island and for a US Marine Corps defense battalion to be stationed there.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The groundbreaking ceremony for the future Consolidated-Vultee aircraft plant in Fort Worth, Texas, United States was held, attended by General Gerald Brant and local civic leader Amon Carter.

US President Franklin Roosevelt told a Press Conference that he did not think that public opinion in America was yet fully aware of the gravity of the military crisis in Europe or its implications for the safety of the United States.

General Thomas Holcomb, Commandant of the US Marine Corps, insists African-Americans have no right to serve in the Marines.

Angler POW Escape: 80 prisoners attempted to escape from the Angler POW camp near Neys Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The Angler Camp was designed to hold prisoners who were a threat to Canada. As a result, several German POWs were held there. A tunnel was dug 45 m (150 ft) long that reached outside the wall, with side tunnels entering some of the barracks. The ground under and around the camp was mostly sand, making it easier for the prisoners to dig a tunnel. The initial intent was for 100 prisoners to escape, but the escape was interrupted, when a guard heard noises made by the prisoners and alerted the rest of the camp. Most were quickly apprehended except for two who managed to get all the way to Medicine Hat, Alberta by train until they were recaptured. Though they were given 28 days of solitary confinement at the Camp for their actions, they were asked to sign autographs in Alberta before returning and were greeted upon their return by the Commandant who said, “As a sportsman, I congratulate you…” Horst Liebeck was sent back to Germany after the War with the other POWs, but he later returned to Canada and got a job there.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* German deserter warns the Soviets that Wehrmacht invasion will begin on 22 June.

In the village of Audrini, Latvia, Boleslavs Maikovskis, chief of police for the second precinct of Rezekne, ordered the arrest of all the 200-300 people in the village after Soviet partisans shot and killed several policemen. He also ordered every house to be burned down. 200 villagers were then executed, but he claimed to have nothing to do with the slaughter. He was charged with mass murder in Germany and his trial began in 1988 but in Feb 1994 the court ruled that he was too frail to continue.

*ASIA: *Major attack by Japanese aircraft against Chungking.

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## Njaco (Apr 18, 2016)

*April 19 Saturday*
*NORTH AFRICA:* I./JG 27 flies its first desert sorties from its new base at Ain-el-Gazala in Libya with the first Staffel shooting down four Hurricanes, two going to Oblt. Karl-Heinz Redlich. All three Staffeln of the Gruppe are being transferred to the area and are stationed on the African mainland to assist the Italians. Members of the Gruppe include Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Eduard ‘Edu’ Neumann, Oblt. Ludwig Franzisket (fourteen victories), Oblt. Karl-Heinz Redlich (ten victories), Lt. Willi Kothmann (seven victories), Oblt. Gerhard Homuth (fifteen victories), Obfw. Hans-Joachim Marseille (seven victories) and Hptm. Erich Gerlitz (three victories).

The Bardia Raid: Overnight, 450 British commandoes land at Bardia, Libya, from Landing Ship HMS “_Glengyle_”, escorted by cruiser HMS “_Coventry_” and 3 destroyers. Finding Bardia unoccupied by German or Italian troops, they destroy a supply dump and a coastal artillery battery. While most men were successfully evacuated after the raid, 1 was killed by friendly fire and 67 were captured after getting lost and going to the wrong beach.

Lt.-General Erwin Rommel personally inspected the front lines in the Libyan-Egyptian border area. He observes the weakness of the British defenses on the escarpment from Sollum Southeast to Sofafi. He decides to attack here while he waits for reinforcements to deal with Tobruk.

Indian 5th Division (marching south from Amara, Eritrea, Italian East Africa) and British 1st South African Brigade (marching north from Addis Ababa, Abyssinia) attacked toward the 7,000-strong Italian garrison at Amba Alagi, Abyssinia. 1st South African Brigade are held at the city of Dessie, a regional Italian administrative center 130 miles South of Amba Alagi.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The Germans attack south through Greece on a wide front. German troops captured Larisa, Greece, theoretically allowing them to move south along the eastern coast of Greece, but their progress is hampered by roads and bridges that were destroyed by retreating Allied troops. Elsewhere, troops of German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment captured Ioannina 50 miles from the western coast of Greece. This also cuts off the retreat from Albania of Greek Army of Epirus, creating a gap in the center of Greece through which German armored columns pour south. British General Wavell flew to Athens, Greece for a meeting with King George II where the king agreed that the Allies could not hold Greece, and preparations should begin immediately to evacuate troops to Crete to prevent further destruction of the country. Wavell meets General Wilson and General Blamey, the commander of the Australian forces. They decide that it will probably be necessary to evacuate their troops from Greece, but promise the Greeks that they will keep fighting as long as the Greeks themselves do so. General Wilson was ordered to prepare for a stand at Thermopylae with a small rearguard force to protect the southward evacuation of British troops.

Operation MD3: HMS “_Ajax_”, at Suda Bay with HM Battleships “_Warspite_”, “_Barham_”, “_Valiant_”, and carrier HMS “_Illustrious_” sailed after destroyers had refueled as Force C with HMS “_Formidable_”. HMS “_Orion_” and HMAS “_Perth_”, screened by HM Destroyers “_Decoy_”, “_Defender_”, “_Greyhound_” and “_Ilex_” to provide air cover to major warships designated Force B during bombardment of Tripoli (Operation MD3).

Elements of German 164th Infantry Division occupy island of Samothrace.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* British Prime Minister Winston Churchill personally informs Josef Stalin of an impending German attack, based on "Ultra" intelligence intercepts.

*ASIA:* 32nd and 83rd Sentais under the command of the China Expeditionary Army commander arrived in the area and were placed under the command of the 3rd Hikodan at Hsinhsiang airfield. The China Expeditionary Army then instructed the 3rd Hikoshidan, which had been supporting the Eastern Chekiang Province Operation with its main strength deployed at Ani and Hsinhsiang airfields to cooperate with ground forces of the North China Area Army.

The Japanese Army of the South China Theater launched the Fuzhou Operation. Fuchow remains an important regional port with an airfield. The 13th Troop of the Japanese Army launched the Zhedong (the eastern part of Zhejiang Province) Operation.

*GERMANY:* King Boris III of Bulgaria meets with Hitler as does the Hungarian minister.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

*MIDDLE EAST:* In Iraq, a British convoy begins to land troops from the 20th Indian Brigade at Basra. A small British contingent has already been sent in by air to protect the air base at Shaibah, near Basra. By the treaty of 1930 the British are entitled to send troops across Iraq to and from Palestine and with no prospect of immediate German help of any size Rashid Ali's new government cannot object at first to the British landings. In diplomatic exchanges they unsuccessfully oppose any addition to the British force.

In Iraq six RAF Gladiator aircraft reinforce Habbaniya from Egypt.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The first registration of women for war work under a new Employment Order begins.

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## parsifal (Apr 18, 2016)

*18 APRIL 1941*
*Losses*
Submarine URGE, on passage to the Mediterranean, sank blockade runner *tkr FRANCO MARTELLI (FI 10,535 grt)* about 300 miles W of St. Nazaire. The vessel was on passage from Recife to Bordeaux carrying a precious cargo of petrol





*FV GUIDO MOHRING (Ger 289 grt)* was sunk by a torpedo near Port Ley.
[NO IMAGE]

*Naval drifter YOUNG ERNIE (RN 88 grt)* was sunk in a collision in the Tyne.
[NO IMAGE]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient U-94
At Sea 18 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-147, U-552, UA

19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
FNFL sub MINERVE attacked unsuccessfully a German steamer two miles sw of Tungenes (SW Norway).

*North Sea*
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Scapa Flow at 0552 after refitting in the Tyne. DD SIKH departed the Tyne Scapa Flow, but was diverted to search for a dingy whilst on passage. The dingy was not found and destroyer SIKH arrived at Scapa Flow on the 19th.

DD WHITSHED and FNFL TB LA MELPOMENE were in a collision off Harwich. There was no damage to WHITSHED, but LA MELPOMENE was under repair at the Humber until 20 May.

*West Coast*
OB.312 departed Liverpool, escort DD WANDERER, corvettes DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM,PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE, MSWs BRAMBLEHAZARD, and SPEEDY. DD SCIMITAR, corvette MALLOW, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE joined on the 23rd. DDs INGLEFIELD and MAORI joined the convoy. On the 24th, all were detached except DD SCIMITAR, corvette MALLOW, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE which were detached on the 25th when the convoy dispersed.

DDs NEWARK and VOLUNTEER collided north of Rathlin Island (nth of Northern Ireland). Both DDs were seriously damaged. Five ratings were lost in VOLUNTEER. The DDs were both repaired at Belfast, with NEWARK completing on 9 August and VOLUNTEER on 20 August.

ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by sloops GUILLEMOTT and KITTIWAKE, laid mines in minefield BS.54 off the east coast of England. MDWs SNAEFELL and THAMES QUEEN also escorted the ships on the minelay.

British Tkr SCOTTISH MUSICIAN was damaged by the LW 3 miles 205° from St Ann's Head. One crewman and one gunner were lost. The tkr arrived at Newport on 2 May in tow.

*Western Approaches*
Panamanian steamer CSIKOS was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. Two crew were killed on the steamer. The steamer arrived at Lough Foyle in tow on the 19th 

*Med/Biscay*
The Med Flt departed Alexandria to send supply ship BRECONSHIRE into Malta and bring out empty ships in Operation MD.2 . An extension to this plan was to bombard Tripoli in MD.3. BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, and BARHAM, CV FORMIDABLE, CLAsPHOEBE and CALCUTTA, and DDs JUNO, JAGUAR, KINGSTON, KIMBERLEY, GRIFFIN, HAVOCK, HEREWARD, and ENCOUNTER departed at 0700. DD DEFENDER fouled the buoy on departure and joined the Fleet later in the day.
On the 18th, a Fulmar of 803 Sqn was lost when it crashed during landing. One crewman was rescued (wounded), but the observer was lost. The force arrived at Suda Bay at midday on the 19th. The DDs were refuelled. BB WARSPITE carried air compressors, timbers, and equipment to repair the CA YORK still laid up disabled at Suda. The fleet sailed at mid afternoon on the 19th.

RAN CL PERTH and DD HOTSPUR departed Alexandria at dusk on the 19th escorting supply ship BRECONSHIRE to join the Fleet sw of Kithera at daylight on the 20th. PHOEBE and CALCUTTA were detached during the morning of 19 April to join a convoy escorted by sloop FLAMINGO departing Athens. After passing the Kithera Straits, PHOEBE and CALCUTTA returned to the Main Flt and the convoy safely proceeded to Alexandria.

The resources of the Med flt at this time were beginning to be over stretched as demands on multiple crises began to have effect.

DDs JERVIS, JANUS, NUBIAN, and DIAMOND (having just completed her extended of refit) departed Malta at dark on the 19th escorting British steamers CITY OF LINCOLN, CLAN FERGUSON, CITY OF MANCHESTER, and PERTHSHIRE in convoy ME.7 ex-Valletta.

Meanwhile, CLs ORION, AJAX, GLOUCESTER and DDs HERO and HASTY rendezvoused with Cunningham on the 20th. At noon on the 20th, convoy ME.7 was met by the Main Force. DDs NUBIAN and DIAMOND took the convoy on to Alexandria, while DDs JERVIS and JANUS joined BB WARSPITE. The Tripoli bombardment was a substitute for the original plan of blocking the harbour. It had been planned that the demilitarized ex-BB CENTURION, coming round the Cape from England, was proposed for this purpose to be sunk in the channel. Later Churchill wanted BB BARHAM and CL CALEDON to be expended. This proposal was firmly rejected by Admiralty and Cunningham. In hindsight, Churchills idea did not seem worth the cost.

At dark on the 20th, FORMIDABLE,CLs ORION, RAN PERTH, and AJAX, and DDs GRIFFIN, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, and NUBIAN were detached for flying operations. FORMIDABLE aircraft dropped flares and attacked facitlities in the town .Lt J. H. Shears and P/T/Sub Lt (A) E. J. H. Dixon RNVR, of 806 Squadron from aircraft carrier FORMIDABLE were shot down and lost on the 20th. At about this time and simultaneous to the bombardment operation, supply ship BRECONSHIRE and DD ENCOUNTER were detached to Malta.

Early on the 21st, Tripoli was bombarded by Naval forces, consisting of BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, light cruiser GLOUCESTER, and DDs HASTY, HAVOCK, HEREWARD, HERO, HOTSPUR, JAGUAR, JANUS, JERVIS, and JUNO.

Submarine TRUANT acted as beacon ship. Submarine TRIUMPH was also at sea in the area. Italian TB PARTENOPE and six freighters were damaged in the bombardment, whilst for the allies, BB VALIANT detonated a mine. She sustained slight damage.
On the 21st, cruisers ORION, PERTH, GLOUCESTER, and AJAX were detached at dark to sweep to the northward of the Battle Fleet. DDs JERVIS, JANUS, JUNO, and JAGUAR were detached to Malta on the 21st, arriving on the 22nd. CLs ORION, PERTH, GLOUCESTER, and AJAX rejoined the Battle Fleet at daylight on the 22nd. DD KANDAHAR joined the Fleet at noon on the 22nd and DD GRIFFIN was detached to reinforce convoy ANF.29 after oiling at Suda Bay.

CL GLOUCESTER and gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Bardia, commencing at 0700. GLOUCESTER then set course for to Alexandria to refuel. However, that afternoon, orders wqere changed and GLOUCESTER was ordered to Malta, arriving on the 24th.

CL PERTH joined CLA PHOEBE in the Aegean. Meanwhile, ME.7 arrived at Alexandria on the /22nd. The Fleet arrived at Alexandria the next morning on the 23rd.

After delivering convoy AN.27 to Suda Bay, CLA CARLISLE and DDs ISIS and RAN VAMPIRE continued to Pireaus to escort convoy AS.26.

*Convoy service ship FIONA (UK 2190 grt) *was lost 50 miles 311° from Sidi Barrani Light to LOW divebombers. Griffiths, Lt J. Dorrance RNR, T/Lt W. E. Simkin RNR, P/T/Surgeon Lt A. K. Beardshaw RNVR, and forty nine ratings were lost on the ship. Lt J. B. Shillitoe RNR, died of wounds on the 23rd.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BRITISH SCIENCE (UK 7138 grt)* was sunk by the LW north of the Kithera Channel. The entire crew was rescued by DD HERO which took them to Suda Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The following greek ships were lost on this day in the Greek TO:

*Steamer FOKION (Gk 1158 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer LEON (Gk 968grt) *




Both were sunk by the LW near Psara, Euboea Island.

*Steamer CHIOS (Gk 1121 grt)* was sunk bythe LW at Eretria, near Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MOSCHA L. GOULANDRI (Gk 5199 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW off Chalkis. The steamer was beached at Chalkis. She was bombed again on 20 and 23 April and written off as a total loss.





*Steel flat PUNDUAH (UK 500 grt (est))* sank while in tow of HM ship in the Aegean
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

An Afrika Korps supply convoy of steamers ALICANTE, MARITZA, SANTA FE, and PROCIDA, escorted by DDs AVIERE, GENIERE, CAMICIA NERA, and GRECALE and TB PLEIADA departed Naples on the 14th and arrived at Palermo on the 17th to avoid contact with British forces. The convoy departed Palermo on the 18th for Tripoli, arriving on the 20th.

Italian tanker ALBERTO FASSIO departed Trapani with TB CLIMENE and joined an Italian convoy of NICOLO ODERO, MADDALENA ODERO, and ISARCO which sailed from Palermo on the 18th escorted by torpedo boats LA FARINA, MOSTO, and CALLIOPE for Tripoli. Tanker LUISIANO with TB ORIONE from Marilibia joined the convoy. The convoy arrived on the 21st.

Both convoys passed without event.

*Central Atlantic*
DD HIGHLANDER departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

*Sth Atlantic*
DD NAPIER, en route from England to the Mediterranean Fleet, was docked at Capetown from 18 to 20 April 

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER arrived at Bahrein and Basra on the 18th where she joined CL EMERALD which also arrived on that day. RAN AMC KANIMBLA, corvette SNAPDRAGON, and gunboat COCKCHAFER were also at Basra. On the 12th convoy BM.7 departed Karachi with steamers LANCASHIRE, EL MADINA, EGRA, VAERLA, ROHNA, RAJULA, BAHADUR, JALAVIHAR, RISALDAR, and JALADUTA, with one Indian brigade and one artillery group for Malaya, escorted by RAN sloop YARRA, for Basra. Sloop FALMOUTH and RIN sloop LAWRENCE joined on the 17th off Basra.
On the 19th, the troops from the convoy were landed at Shatt el Arab. The cruisers remained there until 22 April.

*Malta*


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## parsifal (Apr 18, 2016)

*19 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-372





Allied
MSW MMS-2
[NO IMAGFE FOUND]

Fisher 58’ class MTB-273 and 274 (Ex-USN PT-3 and PT-4)

*Losses*
*MSW trawler KOPANES (RN 351 grt)*, was sunk by the LW near 20.G Buoy, Coquet Island. There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Dredger FRAVIS (UK 133 grt)* was lost on a mine at Langstone Harbour (near Portsmouth).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-553
Kiel: U-143

At Sea 19 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
FNFL sub MINERVE sank *aux MSW M.1101 (DKM 550 grt)* sw of Norway. German tanker TIGER, being escorted by the minesweeper, was missed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DD BEDOUIN departed Rosyth after boiler repairs. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow that evening.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow a to cover convoy EC.8 to Pentland Firth, and returned next morning

DD WILD SWAN, in drydock at London, was damaged by the near miss from LW a/c during the night of 19/20 April. She sustained no additional time out of service, completing repairs on the 26th. DD WINCHESTER, also under repair at London, was damaged by near misses.

Submarine SUNFISH, which had departed Portsmouth, collided with netlayer MINSTER in convoy in the North Sea. The damage was not severe, but opportunity was taken to conduct a refit while the ship was in port for the repair. The submarine was in dockyard hands at Tyneside from 24 April to 27 September.

*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK and CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed Icelandic waters. The CA had arrived at Hvalfjord on the 17th after convoy HX.119 escort.

BC HOOD, CL KENYA, and DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and MAORI had departed Scapa Flow on the 18th to relieve BB KG V on Biscay Patrol. They were diverted to support the cruiser patrol in the Iceland Faroes passage after the radio intercept reports on Bismarcks move north was reported. DD INGLEFIELD joined the battlecruiser HOOD force at sea. BC HOOD and DDs COSSACK, INGLEFIELD, MAORI, and ZULU arrived at Hvalfjord early on the 21st to remain at two hours' notice. .

CAs SUFFOLK and EXETER, CL EDINBURGH, and DDs TARTAR, ACHATES, INGLEFIELD, ECHO, and ANTHONY at Scapa Flow raised steam and departed Scapa Flow at 0606 also for deployment in or near the Northern Patrol areas.
*Northern Waters*
RN radio intercepts and radio signal fixing establishes that the DKM BB BISMARCK, two cruisers, and three Zerstorers had passed the Skaw. The Admiralty reported this movement at 0117.

DDs BEDOUIN, ARROW, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow late afternoon on the 20th to join BB KG V. They were to refuel at Londonderry, but they diverted to hunt a submarine in the Western Approaches. When it was decided the contact was a whale, they were sent to assist armed boarding vessel NORTHERN SKY attacking a U-Boat contact. The search was discontinued on the 21st and the DDs arrived at Scapa Flow at 2100 that evening.

CAs SUFFOLK and EXETER and DDs TARTAR, ACHATES, ECHO, and ANTHONY were ordered to return and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st. DD ANTHONY escorting EXETER arrived at mid afternoon. TARTAR arrived independently that evening. DDs ECHO and ACHATES escorting SUFFOLK arrived about an hour later. BB KG V and DDs ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, and MASHONA arrived at Scapa Flow on the afternoon of the 22nd.
*West Coast*
BB RODNEY and ORP DDs PIORUN and GARLAND, and RN DD SALADIN departed the Clyde. BC REPULSE departed Gibraltar on the 21st and was ordered to the Clyde with all dispatch. On the 21st, battleship RODNEY and her escorts were ordered to the Clyde. En route, they were diverted to Scapa Flow where they arrived on the 23rd at 0115.
*SW Approaches*
BB KG V and CL NIGERIA turned nth, but returned to their patrol area when it was realised they could not be in position in time. KG V and NIGERIA met DDs ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, and MASHONA on the 20th west of Ireland in the Nth Atlantic..

*Med/Biscay*
British tanker DESMOULEA departed Suda Bay, in tow of armed boarding vessel CHAKLA and escorted by anti-submarine trawlers LYDIARD and AMBER. The tkr and the armed boarding vessel safely arrived at Port Said.

*Steamer MARGIT (Pan 3257 grt) *was sunk by German bombing at Kalkara Creek, Malta.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TETI NOMIKOU (Gk 1822 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM CruDiv 7 of CLs EUGENIO DE SAVOIA, DUCA D'AOSTA, MONTECUCCOLI, and ATTENDOLO and DDs PIGAFETTA, ZENO, DA MOSTA, DA VERAZZANO, DA RECCO, and PESSAGNO laid 321 mines and 492 explosive floats east of Cape Bon in barrages S.11, S.12, and S.13 from 19 to 23 April. The second half of the minefield with 740 mines were laid on 23/24 April.
*Nth Atlantic*
SC.29 departed Halifax, escort AMC RANPURA, corvettes COBALT and COLLINGWOOD, and submarine PORPOISE. The corvettes were detached that day. Submarine PORPOISE was detached on the 29th. On the 30th, DDs BURWELL and SCIMITAR and corvette MALLOW joined the convoy. On 1 May, DDs MALCOLM and WATCHMAN, corvette VIOLET, and ASW trawler NORTHERN WAVE joined the escort for the home waters run in. The AMC and the escorts joined on the 30th and 1 May were detached, replaced by DDs SALADIN, SKATE, VETERAN, and WATCHMAN, corvette WALLFLOWER, and MSWs HARRIER, SEAGULL, and SHARPSHOOTER. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 May.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs FEARLESS and KASHMIR departed Gibraltar to rendezvous with BC REPULSE and escort her to Gibraltar. Sloop ABERDEEN departed Gibraltar for Halifax with twenty six officers and thirty one ratings for Coast Guard cutters being commissioned 

*Malta*


*Cyrenaica*
On 19 April, Hurricanes of 73 and 274 squadrons, intercepted a Stuka raid escorted by fighters. After another two days, 73 Squadron was down to five operational aircraft with very tired pilots. By 23 April, three more Hurricanes had been shot down and two damaged and on 25 April the squadron was withdrawn. The fighters of 274 Squadron stayed at Gerawla and 6 Squadron remained at Tobruk, to fly tactical reconnaissance sorties. Fighter cover could only be maintained at intervals by the last 14 Hurricanes in the desert; Axis airfields at Gazala, Derna and Benina, were bombed at dusk and night to limit Axis air attacks on Tobruk

The arrival of Me 109s to Cyrenaica had an immediate and decisive effect on the conduct of the air war in the TO. Pairing exceptional pilots with a very high quality fighter, in a TO where Spitfires were conspicuously absent, and against crews still learning their jobs (most of the MTO formations had been combed out several times for pilots to defend Britain)

The first Bf109 actions over tobruk occurred on the 19April, after the a/c had been fitted hastily with improvised air filters

From the allied standpoint, the TO was crying out for 1st line fighters better than the Hurricane Is that remained the dominant fighter for the allies backed up by the US made Tomahawks. Tactically, the allies misused their marked advantage in numbers, tying their fighters to close escort low alti tude and slow escort speeds.

Repeated requests for something better in the form of Spitfires were repeatedly denied by the leaders in London.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 19, 2016)

*20 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 228
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.73 sank *steamer EMPIRE ENDURANCE (UK 8570 grt)* in the north Atlantic.
Lost on the steamer were *ML.1003 (RN 75 grt)* and *ML.1037 (RN.75 grt)*. She was also carrying military stores (including the MLs) and some general cargo when lost, and was sailing independently. She was the Ex-German ALSTER (captured during the Norwegian campaign and pressed into British service as the EMPIRE ENDURANCE. 
At 0332 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE ENDURANCE was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-73 sw of Rockall. The ship had been missed with one G7a stern torpedo 7 minutes earlier. She broke in two and sank after being hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grace at 0357 hrs. Most of the survivoros were rescued by RCN Corvette HMCS TRILLIUM and landed at Greenock on 26 April. The corvette searched in vain for the lifeboat in charge of the master with 28 occupants. On 9 May this boat was found by the British motor passenger ship HIGHLAND BRIGADE. However, most survivors including the master had died of exposure and only seven crew members were still alive. Two of them died shortly after being picked up and another died in a hospital at Liverpool where the men were landed on 11 May.





*Sailing Vessel R. S. JACKSON (UK 60 grt)* was sunk by the LW in another attack on the London Docks.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Barges HARRY (UK 100 grt (est))* and *PERCY (UK 100 grt (est))*were sunk by German bombing at Nash and Miller Moorings, Shadwell, London. Both barges were raised and broken up.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-138

At Sea 20 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Western Approaches*
BB RODNEY, arriving with convoy TC.10, rammed and sank *ASW trawler TOPAZE (RN 608 grt)* in an accidental collision off the Clyde. 17 of the crew were lost in the accident
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Armed boarding vessel NORTHERN SKY attacked a Uboat contact in the western approaches. DDs BEDOUIN, ARROW, and ESKIMO who had been sent to investigate a submarine contact reported by a/c, were diverted to assist NORTHERN SKY. Nothing was found and the search was abandoned on the 21st..

*Channel*
During the night of 20/21 April, DDs INTREPID and ICARUS laid minefield HB in the English Channel.

*Med/Biscay*
AS.26 of 14 British and 11 Greek ships departed Athens early on the 20th escort CLA CARLISLE and DDs ISIS and RAN VAMPIRE, and arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd.

Some sources say RHN DD PSARA was sunk by Italian air attack off Megara, but the Greeks themselves say she was sunk on the 14th April. RHN DD VASILEVS GEORGIOS I was unsuccessfully scuttled in the floating drydock at Salamis she was captured and put onto DKM service as the HERMES). Intention to sink the DD and drydock in deep water were cancelled when the dock was damaged in a bombing raid and could not be moved from its berth.

Minesweeper STOKE, en route to Alexandria, was damaged by near misses from LW a/c. The damage required two weeks to repair.

British troopship GLENROY ran aground in Boghas Pass when leaving harbour and could not be refloated until 25 April.

*Steamer ASSIMINA BAIKA (Gk 1344grt )* was sunk by German bombing at Politika, north of Chalkis.




*Steamer PTEROTI (Gk 176 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MOSCHANTHI (Gk 311 grt)* was sunk by the LW near Vostizza near Athens. She was raised and repaired by the Germans, as the UJ-2307
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr CHRYSSOROI (Gk 379 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Phleva.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ITHAKI (Gk 675 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Suda Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.122 departed Halifax, escort BB RAMILLIES, AMC ALAUNIA, and corvettes CHAMBLY and ORILLIA. The corvettes were detached later that day and the BB on the 23rd. DDs BROADWAY and BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, HOLLYHOCK, NIGELLA, and PICOTEE, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO were assigned as escort to the convoy once it was underway. This group, less PICOTEE, was detached on the 4th. On the 4th, DDs CALDWELL, CHESTERFIELD, ELECTRA, ESCAPADE, RAMSEY, and WALKER, corvettes CANDYTUFT, HONEYSUCKLE, and HYDRANGEA joined. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 May.
*Central Atlantic*
On 20 and 21 April, a German tkr replenished RM sub PERLA, supply ship ALSTERUFER, and surface raiders ATLANTIS and KORMORAN..

CL SHEFFIELD and DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to join CVE ARGUS and CA LONDON. The CL and DDs relieved the CA and proceeded with ARGUS to Gibraltar.

Corvette AMARANTHUS departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Apr 19, 2016)

*April 20 Sunday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The Bf 110s of 5./ZG 26 escort Ju 87 Stukas to the Athens area in Greece and are intercepted by fifteen RAF Hurricanes. In a massive twenty minute air battle, known as the Battle of Athens, both sides suffer losses, but the British suffer the most when the Hurricane of South African Squadron Leader Marmaduke "Pat" Pattle, with about fifty victories to his credit, is shot down and killed over the Saronic Gulf off Piraeus, Greece, during a German bombing raid on the city. German and Italian records later confirm 27 aerial victories for him, although unofficial sources credit him with 44 and 50 victories, and as the leading Gloster Gladiator (15 kills) and Hawker Hurricane (35 kills) ace. Based on the unofficial totals, he is considered by some to be the Royal Air Force's World War II ace of aces. 100 Luftwaffe dive bombers attack Athens and Piraeus, Greece sinking Greek destroyer “_Psara_” with 37 killed. The Greek destroyer “_Vasilefs Georgios_” was scuttled in the Salamis Naval Base to prevent capture. The Germans later raised it and put it into service as “_Hermes_”. On a ground strafing mission to the RAF airfield at Menidi, twelve RAF Blenheim bombers are destroyed on the ground. Victories went to several _Zerstörer _pilots along with some fighters from JG 27 who joined the battle late. 22 German aircraft were lost while the British lost 10 Hurricane fighters. Unable to withstand the German advances, British forces withdrew from Mount Olympus toward Thermopylae on the same day that King George II led a new government. Most Allied troops pass through Thermopylae, although the retreating column is still 10 miles long and under dive bomb attack. The Regia Aeronautica destroys hundreds of trucks packed with troops and equipment as the Greeks sought to escape across Perati Bridge. The 4th Bersaglieri Regiment overruns a Greek division and smash their way through the Greek Evzones rearguards with the use of flamethrowers. Many Greeks are burned alive in their bunkers. A war correspondent with the Italian spearheads reports that "Two regiments of the Evzones were wiped out almost to a man", and that "a single Greek battalion had 500 dead." To the north in Albania, Greek General Georgios Tsolakoglou, determined to deny the Italians the satisfaction of a victory he believed they had not earned, surrendered the Greek Epirus Army (the III Army Corps), without authorization, to the German Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment. All Greek soldiers were allowed to return home, while officers were allowed to retain their side arms. Italian leader Mussolini protested, requesting that the surrender must be accepted by an Italian general.

Italian supply convoy departs Naples and Palermo for Tripoli with five transports escorted by four destroyers as Italian supply convoys arrive Tripoli from Palermo and Trapani.

HMAS “_Vampire_”, (destroyer), took off the crew of the burning tanker “_British Judge_”, while under heavy air attack north of Crete.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Messerschmitt Bf 109E fighters from the newly arrived 1st Staffel of JG 27 shoot down a RAF Wellington. British CIC Middle East, General Wavell, is aware that Rommel’s Afrika Korps is receiving a full Panzer division to reinforce the under strength 5.Leichte Division. Worried about holding Tobruk and the Egyptian frontier due to the parlous state of his worn out armour, he appeals to London for more tanks particularly the fast but lightly armoured cruiser tanks. Churchill has always wanted to send tanks through the Mediterranean, so he redirects a convoy that is set to sail for Egypt via Cape of Good Hope, reducing the travel time from 50 days to 10 days (Operation Tiger). He adds an additional ship to carry 67 more cruiser tanks, realizing that “all may turn on a few hundred armoured vehicles” (total, 295 tanks).

South African 1st Infantry Brigade probing General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie. Indian 29th Infantry Brigade advancing toward Amba Alagi from the north.

*ASIA: *Japanese forces land at several places on the Fukien and Chekiang coast. They occupy Ningpo (Ningbo), Wenchow and Haimen, then advance into the interior. Fuchow is occupied.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* This day was Hitler's birthday and the Luftwaffe celebrated the event by dropping 1,000 tons of bombs on London. 712 German bombers conducted a heavy raid on London, England, starting in the evening hours of the day before. Although the primary target was the London docks, the Old Place School in Poplar, East London, which was being used as a sub-fire station, was struck by a stray bomb, killing 13 London firefighters of both genders and 21 male Beckenham firemen. Many schools in the city were standing empty, the children already evacuated to the country. The Old Palace School in St. Leonard's Street, Poplar, was now sub-station 24U of the London Auxiliary Fire Service. The playground was ideal for training and the parking of fire appliances. Fire service crews were standing by in anticipation of a heavy raid on the Capital. At precisely 0153 hours, a land mine, dropped from a Luftwaffe bomber, scored a direct hit on the school. Thirty two firemen and two fire women were killed. The bodies of the two firewomen, mother of three Winifred Peters and twenty one year old Hilda Dupree, on duty in the watch room, were never found. It was the largest single loss of firefighters in British history.

Via a speech made in Ireland, Irish Prime Minister Eamon De Valera protested the German bombing of Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom;


> "...they are our people", he said, "we are one and the same people, and their sorrows in the present instance are also our sorrows".



*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-73 sank British ship “_Empire Endurance_” 400 miles west of Ireland at 0332 hours; the ship was the former German ship “_Alster_”, having been captured in Norway in the previous year. 65 were killed and the military supplies destined for Egypt were lost.

British anti-submarine trawler HMT “_Topaze_” was accidentally rammed by British battleship HMS “_Rodney_” and sank in the Clyde Estuary, Scotland, killing 18.

*GERMANY:* Admiral Erich Raeder confers with Hitler regarding Soviet-Japanese Pact and cooperation with Japan. Raeder attempted to convince Adolf Hitler to allow German submarines to attack American ships. Hitler rejected the request, citing his unwillingness to provoke the Americans to fully enter the war.

Count Galeazzo Ciano meets with Hitler.

RAF Bomber Command sends 61 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight and 22 aircraft to attack coastal targets. RAF Fighter Command conducts a sweep over northern France.

Captain Peter Churchill was landed by RN submarine “_Unbroken_” and evacuated French General Francois d'Astier de La Vigerie overnight.

.

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## Njaco (Apr 20, 2016)

*April 21 Monday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Anxious to avoid dealing with the Italians, General Tsolakoglou had the previous day offered to surrender the whole Greek Army to SS General Josef "Sepp" Dietrich. To his dismay, the Germans turned their backs on the Greeks. Ioannina and the Port of Kalamatas in southern Greece come under attack from Luftwaffe bombers. German officers imposed stringent new terms on the surrender of remnants of the Greek Epirus Army and Western Macedonia Army which General Tsolakoglou signed under duress in Ioannina. The Regia Aeronautica mercilessly bombs Ioannina and Arta, forcing the Greek generals to admit defeat to General Alberto Ferrero, Chief of Staff of the Italian Army in Albania. The capital of Epirus blazed. Two bombs fell on the operating theatre of the 1st Military Hospital, killing a great number of people. Arta was also hit. British and ANZAC troops have withdrawn past the fearsome cliffs at Thermopylae which are now held against German attack by a rearguard force. At 1800 hours, the first German attempts to cross the valley are broken up by 2 Australian 25-pounder field guns. Luftwaffe aircraft, flying from hastily constructed airfields, attack the cliffs at Thermopylae and harass shipping off the coast. German air and ground forces attacked British, Australian, and New Zealand troops at Thermopylae as Dive bombers sank Greek torpedo boat “_Thyella_”, hospital ship “_Ellenis_”, hospital ship “_Esperos_”, and several freighters. Operating unopposed, German aircraft sink 23 ships in Greek waters, including a Greek destroyer and two hospital ships.

Operation MD3: British battleships HMS “_Warspite_”, HMS “_Barham_”, and HMS “_Valiant_”, supported by cruiser HMS “_Gloucester_” and 9 destroyers, bombarded Tripoli before dawn. Albacores of 826 and 829 NAS and Fulmars of 803 and 806 NAS from carrier HMS “_Formidable_” dropped flares to aid the bombardment as it took place before dawn. Italian torpedo boat “_Partenope_” and 6 freighters were damaged. HMAS “_Perth_”, (cruiser), and HM Ships “_Ajax_” and “_Orion_”, (cruisers), provided support for the bombardment. Adm Sir Andrew Cunningham has only undertaken this operation under protest and with direct orders from Churchill. At first Churchill wished to try to block the post by sinking the battleship “_Barham_” in the entrance to Tripoli Harbor.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Folgore_”, “_Saetta_”, “_Strale_”, and “_Turbine_” with two cruisers and two destroyers providing support.

The He 111 bombers from the II Gruppe of Oberst Hans-Joachim Rath’s KG 4 move to new airbases at Zilistea.

*NORTH AFRICA:* 24 German bombers escorted by 21 fighters attacked Tobruk, Libya, sinking 2 ships and damaging another 2. RAF Hurricane fighters of No. 73 and No. 273 Squadrons shot down 4 German aircraft. Major Eduard Neumann’s I./JG 27 finishes arriving at its new desert home at Ain-el-Gazala in North Africa and continues with operations at Gruppe strength. An Allied Hurricane falls to fighters of 1./JG 27 during one of the day’s missions.

General Carton de Wiart, head of British mission to Yugoslavia, is captured by Italians after his airplane crashes at sea off Tobruk. After refuelling in Malta, the Wellington Bomber left for Cairo with enemy territory to the north and south. Both engines failed off the coast of Italian-controlled Libya, and the plane crash landed in the sea about a mile from land. Carton de Wiart was knocked unconscious, but the cold water brought him to. When the plane broke up and sank, he and the rest aboard were forced to swim to shore. They were captured by the Italian authorities.

Gold Coast 24th Infantry Brigade reaches Italian positions at Wadara in Galla-Sidamo. South African 1st Infantry Brigade attacking General Frusci's Italian forces around Cambolcia Pass on the road to Dessie.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack coastal targets. Lt Heinz Bär of 1./JG 51 destroys a RAF aircraft to bring his score to fifteen kills.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* HMCS “_Trillium_” rescued 24 survivors of the British merchant ship “_Empire Endurance_”, which was sunk between Iceland and Ireland on the previous day by German submarine U-73.

German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Calchas_” 300 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands at 1500 hours; 24 were killed, 89 survived.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* US Marine Corps established the temporary command Marine Aircraft, South Pacific to assist with administrative and logistical duties of 1st and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wings.

British, Dutch, and American conference on joint defense policy in the Far East at Singapore.

*ASIA: *The town of Nigata and the village of Hiro were merged into Kure, Japan.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The writer Rex Stout made a speech in New York City in which he attacked the isolationist activism of Charles Lindbergh, saying;


> "I wish I could look you in the eye, Colonel Lindbergh, when I tell you that you simply don't know what it's all about ... A desperate war is being fought, and the winners of the war will win the oceans. No matter what we do, we shall be either one of the winners, or one of the losers; no shivering neutral will get a bite of anything but crow when the shooting stops. It would therefore seem to be plain imbecility not to go in with Britain and win."



UNITED KINGDOM: Montgomery takes command of British XII Corps.


.


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## parsifal (Apr 21, 2016)

*21 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Gar Class Sub USS GUDGEON (SS 211)





*Losses*
*Tug REGENCY (UK 76 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Dagenham. The tug was also towing three or four barges which also sank. One tug crewman and one lighterman were lost. The tug and one of the barges were later raised and repaired.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.107 sank *steamer CALCHAS (UK 10,305 grt)* in the central Atlantic off the WQesta African Coast. The ship had been on passage from Sydney Australia to Liverpool via Freetown, and transporting a cargo of wheat, butter, steel and mixed cargo. She had a complement of 117 aboard. She was sailing independently when lost. At 1420 hrs the unescorted CALCHAS was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-107 about 550 miles north of the Cape Verde Islands. The ship stopped and sank after being hit amidships by a coup de grace at 1458 hrs. The master, 25 crew members, one gunner and one of the nine passengers were lost. 33 survivors landed at Sal Maria Island, Cape Verde on 4 May. 23 survivors landed at Boavista Island, Cape Verde and 33 survivors landed at St. Louis, Senegal after sailing 650 miles in 16 days. Two Chinese crew members died of exhaustion after reaching land.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 21 April1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British fishing vessel ALPHA was damaged on a mine in Whittaker Channel, Essex.

*Northern Waters*
DD BLANKNEY departed Scapa Flow for work up. The DD returned at noon on the 22nd.

*SW Approaches*
RM sub CAPPELLINI attacked two large liners, escorted by 3 DDs in 54N, 18W without success.

*Channel*
CA KENT, under repair at Plymouth, was damaged by the LW. During the night of 21/22 April, DD LEEDS was damaged in a bombing raid on Plymouth. The DD was under repair until December 1941. British tkr BRITISH RENOWN was damaged by German bombing three miles southeast of Dartmouth. The tanker put back to Dartmouth with her engine room flooded. She was repaired at Falmouth.

British steamer MAIDSTONE was damaged by the LW at Plymouth. The steamer was repaired at Falmouth.

*Med/Biscay*
AN.29 departed Alexandria and Port Said escorted by RAN DDs WATERHEN and VENDETTA and sloop GRIMSBY. CLA PHOEBE provided escort for the convoy on the 23rd. The convoy arrived at Suda Bay on the 24th with steamers Greek THEMONI, Dutch ZEELAND, British KIRKLAND, British RUNO, and British ARAYBANK.

Sloop AUCKLAND arrived at Suda Bay with the five A lighters from Tobruk.

DD GREYHOUND was near missed by bombing at Mersa Matruh. The DD returned to Alexandria.

Submarine TRUANT attacked Italian tanker PROMETEO off Tripoli. The torpedoes missed, but the tanker in evading ran aground. The tanker was later salvaged.

*Hospital ship ESPEROS (Gk 1461 grt)*, while anchored off Missolonghi taking on wounded, was sunk by the LW. The ship was clearly marked as a hospital ship when lost.





*Hospital ship ELLENIS (Gk 876 grt)* was damaged by German bombing near Patras. The ship was brought to Patras and disembarked the wounded. The steamer was sunk later in the month. She was clearly marked as a hospital ship. ELLENIS was later refloated by the Germans.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

(Recent research by George Karelas and others suggests these attacks were deliberate)

*Steamer IONNA (Gk 1192 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Patras.





*Steamer ARCHON (Gk 1364 grt)*, formerly the SINELOA, was sunk by the LW at Euboea.





Submarine UNDAUNTED arrived at Malta from Gibraltar to join the SubFlot 1

British tanker BRITISH LORD in convoy AS.26 was damaged by the LW. One crewman was lost. RAN DD VAMPIRE took off the crew. The tanker taken in tow by sloop AUCKLAND. On the 24th, netlayer PROTECTOR relieved sloop AUCKLAND for duty with convoy AG.15. The two ships were escorted by RAN DD VOYAGER.
The tkr and netlayer arrived at Alexandria on the 25th. The tanker went on to Port Said arriving on the 29th. She was later towed to Bombay for repairs.

An axis supply convoy departed Naples with transports CASTELLON, ARCTURUS, LEVERKUSEN, and GIULIA escorted by DDs STRALE, FOLGORE, TURBINE, and SAETTA. Distant cover was given the convoy by CLs BANDE NERE and CARDONA and DDs SCIROCCO and MAESTRALE.

On the 23rd, RN DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JANUS, and JUNO departed Malta to attack this convoy. On the 23rd, the destroyers sank *Armed Motor Ship EGEO (FI 3311 grt)*, which departed Benghazi without escort on the 21st for Tripoli, near the convoy 80 miles 10° from Tripoli, but the convoy itself escaped damage. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 24th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
BC REPULSE and DDs FEARLESS and KASHMIR arrived at Gibraltar. After refuelling, the BC departed Gibraltar later that day to take up patrol positions in the Central Atlantic


Cyrenaica
Tobruk came under sustained and heavy air attack, with the attackers concentrating their efforts on the harbour.

*Steamer BANKURA (UK 3185 grt)* was badly damaged by bombing at Tobruk. The entire crew were rescued. The steamer was subsequently damaged in further attacks and became a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer URANIA (UK 1953 grt) *was sunk by the LW at Tobruk.




*Malta*


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## Njaco (Apr 21, 2016)

*April 22 Tuesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *The Plymouth Blitz: Starting after sundown and lasting until the next day, 120 German bombers attacked Plymouth, England, damaging cruiser HMS “_Kent_”, destroyer HMS “_Lewes_”, and destroyer HMS “_Leeds_”. The royal dockyards at HMNB Devonport were the main target in order to facilitate Nazi German efforts during the Battle of the Atlantic. Despite this, civilian casualties were very high and the dockyards continued in operation. The communal air-raid shelter at Portland Square took a direct hit which killed 72 people. In the early 2000s (decade) this was commemorated by the University of Plymouth, which named a new building on the site after the incident, and also commissioned a local artist to create a commemorative piece. KG 55 loses two He 111s during the night. The Blitz is part of five devastating night raids, April 21-22 to April 29-30 by total of 640 bombers (17 lost). Few public buildings or houses escape damage; 750 killed, 30,000 homeless.

*GERMANY:* Lt. Gerhard Krems from the Stabstaffel of KG 27 is awarded the Bomber Aircrew Qualification Clasp in Bronze for completing twenty operations.

The Soviet Union protested to Germany regarding border violations by German troops and aircraft. 80 such incidents have taken place between March 27 - April 18. Among the evidence presented was a downed German aircraft in Soviet territory which contained maps of the Soviet Union, aerial photographic equipment, and rolls of exposed film. The Soviets, however, remained generally friendly toward Germany.

Erich Raeder reported to Adolf Hitler regarding American belligerency despite neutrality pledges.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita:  German aircraft attacked British-controlled airfields near Athens, Greece, forcing remaining British fighters in the region to be withdrawn to Argos in southern Greece. In the Saronic Gulf, German dive bombers sank Greek minelayer “_Aliakmon_”, hospital ship “_Sokratis_”, 11 freighters, and 1 tanker. At 1800 hours, 35 German dive bombers sank Greek destroyer “_Hydra_” at Piraeus; sinking her in 15 minutes (41 killed, 115 survivors reach the small nearby Island of Lagossa). Further south, German aircraft damaged cruiser HMS “_York_” at Suda Bay, Crete with near misses. Finally, on the same day, Yugoslavian torpedo boats “_Kajmakcalan_” and “_Durmitor_” arrived at Suda Bay and joined the Allied fleet. The Commanding Officer of the 139th Infantry Regiment ('Bari' Division), Lieutenant-Colonel Achille Lauro is gravely wounded and posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Military Valour, for his outstanding leadership in the Battle of Ponte Perati.

Operation MD3: British warships continued to bombard Tripoli, Libya. On the return trip, battleship HMS “_Valiant_” hit a mine and was lightly damaged.

*NORTH AFRICA:* At Tobruk, Australians conduct aggressive patrolling beyond the perimeter wire, remembering that control of no-man’s land was essential to the capture of Bardia and Tobruk from the Italians. At dawn, General Morshead sends out 3 raids on Axis positions in front of the wire, including Carrier Hill (named after a wrecked carrier) which is sheltering Italian infantry and a field gun battery. 455 Italian prisoners are captured and artillery and anti-aircraft guns destroyed (27 Aussies killed, 28 wounded). From above, approximately 30 Luftwaffe and Italian Ju 87s bombed Tobruk harbor, hitting British hospital ship “_Vita_”, (437 patients, 6 doctors & 6 nurses taken off by Australian destroyer HMAS “_Waterhen_”).

Erwin Rommel received the Gold Medal of Military Valor in Silver.

British 1st South African Brigade captured Camboicia Pass, Abyssinia and 1,200 Italian prisoners of war.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Congress passed an act that would increase the authorized enlisted strength of the US Navy and the US Marine Corps; the latter's active list was to be 20% of the former.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 26 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight and 14 aircraft on coastal sweeps off Norway.

.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 22, 2016)

*22 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS WILKES (DD 441) 





Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler TANGO (T-146)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steam barge CORONATION OF LEEDS (UK 87 grt) *was lost on a mine off Thames Haven. The crew of three were all lost. The afterpart of the barge was raised on 5 September 1941.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-201
At Sea 22 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*Steamer OBRA (Ger 551grt)* was sunk on a mine off Greifswald.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
British Steamer ANTONIO was damaged by the LW off T.2 Buoy, Tyne. The steamer arrived at Shields on the 23rd in tow.

British steamer CROHAM (391grt) was damaged by German bombing at Peterhead (a town on the east Scotland coast nth of Aberdeen).

*Northern Patrol*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, MENETHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC, escort DDs ACHATES, ANTHONY, BRIGHTON, and ST MARYS departed Loch Alsh for minelaying mission SN.71. The operation was covered by CLs KENYA and EDINBURGH from the Iceland - Faroes patrol.

DDs COSSACK and ZULU departed Hvalfjord on the 25th to carry out an ASW sweep in the line of advance of the MLs. On completion of the sweep, DDs COSSACK and ZULU relieved DDs ANTHONY and ACHATES which proceeded to Reykjavik. British minefield SN.71 was completed on the 26th. The cruisers proceeded to Scapa Flow after the minelay, arriving on the 29th. COSSACK and ZULU returned to Scapa Flow on the 29th.
*Northern Waters*
CL BIRMINGHAM arrived at Scapa Flow after being away on escort duties since 8 February. DDs WALPOLE and ST ALBANS departed Sheerness to work up at Scapa Flow, and arrived on the 23rd. DDs ACHATES and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 1500 to join convoy WN.17 in the Pentland Firth. Fog delayed the arrival of the convoy and the ship arrived back at Scapa Flow later that evening.

*West Coast*
OB.313 departed Liverpool, escort corvette ALISMA. On the 23rd, DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, SABRE, and SHERWOOD, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSE, NORTHERN DAWN, and WELLARD joined the escort. On the 27th, the escort, except DDs LINCOLN and SHERWOOD and corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER, were detached. The remaining escort was detached on the 28th when the convoy dispersed.

DD LEWES was damaged by bombing at Devonport. The DD was not restored to service until February 1942. Salvage vessel MISS ELAINE was sunk by the LW at Plymouth. However the vessel was raised on 14 May and repaired at Southampton.
*Med/Biscay*
British hospital ship VITA was deliberately targeted by LW Stukas off Tobruk. She was badly damaged in the attack RAN DD WATERHEN attempted to tow the ship without success. The DD took off 437 patients, six doctors, six nurses, and 47 sick berth ratings to Alexandria.




_HMAS WATERHEN attempting to take the VITA in tow off Tobruk _

RHN DD LEON was badly damaged by the LW at Suda Bay.

Pre-WWI *DD THYELLA (RHN 350 grt)* was sunk in Vouliagmeni Bay and KIOS was sunk by German bombing the Gulf of Athens.




_THYELLA at her launch at Yarrow in 1907_

From 22 to 25 April, The following RHN TBs were sunk in the Gulf of Athens by LW and RA a/c

*TB AIGLI (RHN 120 grt)*, built in 1913
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aigli Class *TB ALKYONE (RHN 120 grt)*,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aigli Class *TB ARETHOUSA (RHN 120 grt)*,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

and Aigli Class *TB DORIS (RHN 120 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

AG.13 with troopship ULSTER PRINCE and commanding landing ships GLENGYLE and GLENEARN departed Alexandria at noon for Suda Baye scort RAN DDs STUART and VOYAGER. The convoy proceeded directly to the beaches at Raphtis and Nauplia for Operation DEMON.

MSWs ABERDARE, HARROW, and WIDNES, from the East Indies Station, arrived at Alexandria for duty with the Med Flt.

*DD YDRA (or HYDRA) (RHN 1350 grt)* sunk by the LW near the island of Melos off Athens.




_YDRA (D-97) with her sister ship PSARA in the background. These were an Italian design of four units, all built at Odero shipyard. _

*Steamer ATHINAI (Gk 968 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Itea Harbour (east of Patrai).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AVLIS (Gk 223 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Raphina.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AGHIOS MARKOS (Gk 4514 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Peristeri (Salamis Island).




_(Note: I am very uncertain that this is an image of the 1941 AGHIOS MARKOS)_

*Steamer FRINTON (Gk 1361 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Megalo Pefko )a small town on the west Coast of the Peloponnese.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer IOANNIS NOMICOS (Gk 637 grt)* was sunk by the LW near Rhion, in the Gulf of Corinth. The wreck of this ship is described as “completely ruined” in dive guides.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PANCRATION (Gk 2171 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Milos (mid point between Athens and Crete).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Hospital ship SOKRATIS (Gk 1134 grt)*, (or SOCRATES) clearly marked (according to Keralas) with international recognition symbils was sunk by the LW at Antikyra, Gulf of Corinth.




*Tkr THEODORA (Gk 1054 grt)* was near missed by a German bomb at Antikyra, Gulf of Corinth. This near miss killed the Master and twelve crew. The remainder of the crew attempted to move the tanker away from burning THEDOL 2. However, THEODORA also caught fire and was lost.




*"*_SOCRATES" being bombed by the Luftwaffe, while "THEODORA" is sinking. Photo taken from one of the 87 Stukas involved in these attacks)_
(Source: http://pierrekosmidis.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/uncovered-air-attacks-against-hospital.html

*Tkr THEDOL 2 (Gk 657 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Antikyra, Gulf of Corinth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer THRAKI (Gk 1511 grt)* was sunk by the LW near Sombraina, Gulf of Corinth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer THASSOS (Gk 1565 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Megara.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TETI (Gk 2747 grt)* was badly damaged by German bombing in Greek waters. The steamer was grounded to avoid sinking. She was captured and repaired and then used by the Germans. She was finally lost whilst in German service off Vols, running aground on the 22 October 1942.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MESSARYA NOMIKOU (Gk 985 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Nafpactos. The steamer was salved by the Germans for their use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SIFNOS (Gk 315 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Suda Bay. Around 0820 hrs she arrived at the entrance of Adamas Bay, Melos where she was attacked by LW divebombers. The ship was hit in her engine room and her Master turned her to starboard with the intent to run her aground on the nearby shore. However she did not make it as a second bomb exploded in the aft hold sending the ship down fairly quickly. Of her crew of nine, four lost their lives. Some sources say she was raised and used by the Germans, but the wreck was located and identified in this location by divers in 2007.





RHN DD VASILISSA OLGA (sister ship to the captured VASILEFS GEORGIOS) departed Greece with the King of Greece and the government. The destroyer safely arrived at Suda Bay.
Yugoslav ORJEN Class Torpedo Boats (large MTBs really) KAJMAKCALAN and DURMITOR arrived at Suda Bay after escaping from Yugoslavia, via Navarino Bay. After this escape they were renamed _TC5_ and _TC6_, later _TC391_and _TC392. _They were a very goods design, not , are handed over for scrapping until 1962-1963




CA YORK and netlayer PROTECTOR, (which was assisting YORK), were damaged by near misses from the LW at Suda Bay. A lighter A.16 alongside the cruiser was also damaged. The lighter was scuttled on 2 June.

ANF.29 departed Alexandria for SudaBay with Dutch steamer PENNLAND and British steamers THURLAND CASTLE and DELANE. The convoy was escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs WRYNECK and DIAMOND. LSI GLENROY had run aground leaving Alexandria in Boghas Pass on the 20th. Her beach party was transferred to steamer THURLAND CASTLE. DD GRIFFIN joined the convoy at sea. ANF.29 arrived at Suda Bay on the 25th.

Two A lighters departed Alexandria for Suda Bay escorted by two ASW trawlers.

Submarine REGENT departed Malta on the 17th for Kotor in hopes of effecting a rescue of the British Minister to Yugoslavian and British civilians. Lt D. Lambert was sent ashore to contact the British Minister, but taken prisoner. He was later exchanged on 11 December for the Italian officer taken on board REGENT when Lambert had been sent ashore. Departing the area, submarine REGENT was damaged by a near miss of an air bomb. The commanding officer, Lt Cdr H. C. Browne, and a rating were seriously wounded by machine gun fire from the shore. The submarine arrived back at Malta on the 27th.

*Steamer SERAFIN TOPIC (Yug 4294 grt)* was interned by Algerian authorities at Oran.. She was handed over to the Italians and renamed COSALLA for Italian use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vichy subs ORPHEE, MEDUSE, and ANTIOPE departed Casablanca, escorted by minesweeper LA BOUDEUSE. The ships passed Gibraltar on the 23rd and arrived at Oran on the 24th. ORPHEE and MEDUSE were placed in caretaker status at Oran. They relieved submarines DIANE and EURYDICE which departed Oran, with submarine ANTIOPE on 10 May and arrived Toulon on 14 May.
 
*Pacific/Australia*
*Steamer TOMISLAV (Yug 5387 grt)* was seized by Italian Marines at Shanghai. The ship was renamed VENEZIA GIULA for Italian use and was later transferred to Japan as TEIAN MARU.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*


----------



## Njaco (Apr 22, 2016)

*April 23 Wednesday*
*UNITED KINGDOM: *Hermann-Friedrich Joppien of JG 51 and a friend of Helmut Wick, scores his seventieth victory. Lt. Gerhard Krems of Stabstaffel./KG 27 completes his thirty-ninth mission over England then stands down as the Kampfgeschwader prepares to move east for the invasion of Russia.

*MEDITERRANEAN: * Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Athens, Greece falls to the German Army. From the town of Ioannina, German troops rush down the West (Ionian) coast towards Delphi and the Peloponnese peninsula, both of which flank Allied positions at Thermopylae and threaten the evacuation. Bulgarian 2nd Army begins occupying Thrace. Meanwhile, German paratroopers landed on Aegean Islands. On the same day, German bombers sank Greek torpedo boat “_Kios_”, minelayer “_Nestos_”, hospital ship “_Policos_”, battleship “_Kilkis_”, battleship “_Lemnos_”, 12 freighters, and 1 tanker; damaged Greek torpedo boat “_Doris_” was scuttled to prevent capture. “_Lemnos_” was beached at Salamis, Greece during a German air raid to prevent sinking. At Mussolini's insistence, a second Greek surrender document was signed up in Thessaloniki that included the Italians. King George II of Greece, Crown Prince Paul, Prime Minister Emmanuel Tsouderos and other important figures of the Greek government were evacuated by the RAF to Crete, where an attempt to evacuate personnel from Crete to Egypt had begun; King George II instructed that his wine cellar should be distributed to the Allied troops who fought to defend his country (1 bottle for each soldier, 2 for officers). The British find they cannot continue to conduct air operations from their airfields around the city and move to Argos in southern Greece. The Bf 109s of JG 77 and the Bf 110s of ZG 26 find the British airfield and destroy thirteen Hurricanes on the ground (forcing the survivors to evacuate to Crete). In an air battle over the airfield, Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Fritz-Heinz Lange destroys a Hurricane in the air but is then shot down himself and killed. Hptm. Helmut Henz is named Gruppenkommandeur in his place.

Hostilities on the Albanian front are finally declared at an end at 14.45 hours local time with the Italian high command reporting that:


> "The enemy Army of the Epirus and Macedonia has laid down its arms. The capitulation was made at 9.45 last night by a Greek military delegation to the command of the Italian Eleventh Army on the Epirus front."



An Axis convoy was spotted by British aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea sailing toward Tripoli, Libya. British destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Jaguar_”, HMS “_Janus_”, and HMS” _Juno_” failed to intercept. Overnight, however, destroyer HMS “_Juno_” was able to find and sink empty Italian troopship “_Egeo_” off the Libyan coast.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Rommel visits Carrier Hill at Tobruk and finds the Italian Fabris Battalion missing (captured in the Australian raid yesterday). Worried by Allied patrolling at Tobruk and on the Egyptian frontier, Rommel requests more troops and air cover. Instead, German Chief-of-Staff General Franz Halder sends General Friedrich von Paulus to North Africa to "correct matters which had got out of hand;


> "If I go to North Africa, I must have command authority. Brauchitsch has reservations, and mentions difficulties with the Italian High Command. I know this is only a pretext, but perhaps it would be preferable to sent Generalleutant Paulus. He is on friendly terms with Rommel, from former times and may be in a position to use his personal influence to put an end to the initiatives of this lunatic."


_From the diary of Field Marshal Von Manstein._ 

Approximately 20 Luftwaffe and Italian Ju 87s attack Tobruk habour in waves, sinking more ships but anti-aircraft guns and RAF Hurricanes shoot down 6 German aircraft.

The whole of I./JG 27 takes to the skies destroying two Blenheims and five Hurricanes. Oblt. Franzisket and Lt. von Moller each score two victories. Obfw. Hans-Joachim Marseille scored his 8th kill, a British Hurricane II fighter, over Tobruk, Libya during the morning sortie. In the afternoon sortie, he was shot down and safely landed in German territory.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The America First Committee holds its first mass rally in New York City, with Charles Lindbergh as keynote speaker. At the meeting Charles Lindbergh addresses 30,000 people and publicly called for the United States to stay out of the war. He condemns Britain for having 'encouraged the smaller nations of Europe to fight against hopeless odds', and warns that the British are attempting to drag the USA into the 'fiasco of this war'.

*GERMANY:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Thor_” arrived at Hamburg, Germany, ending a 322-day raiding mission that covered 57,532 miles which saw the sinking of 11 merchant ships and 1 British armed merchant cruiser.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet agent reports to Stalin from Prague that Germany will invade in May. The German build up for Operation 'Barbarossa' continues with 59 divisions now deployed along the border with the Soviet Union.

Bulgaria signs contract for delivery of captured French tanks from Germany.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 67 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight and 37 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Rashid Ali appeals again to Germany and Italy for military assistance. General Blamey appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Middle East.

*ASIA:* Chiang Kai-shek admonishes the US for not delivering promised aid.

.


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## Njaco (Apr 23, 2016)

*April 24 Thursday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: 
The Battle of Thermopylae: When the order to retreat was received on the morning of the 23rd, it was decided that each of the two Allied positions was to be held by one brigade each. These brigades, the Australian 19th and 6th New Zealand were to hold the passes as long as possible, allowing the other units to withdraw. General Vasey, commander of the 19th Brigade said: “Here we bloody well are and here we bloody well stay!” This was interpreted by his brigade major as the "Brigade will hold its present defensive positions come what may". The Germans attacked on 24 April, met fierce resistance, lost 15 tanks and sustained considerable casualties. The Australians and New Zealanders held out the entire day. With the delaying action accomplished, they retreated in the direction of the evacuation beaches and set up another rearguard at Thebes.

Operation Demon: The British begin evacuating Greece by sea and head for Crete and 13,500 troops are taken from Raphtis (South of Athens) and Nauplia (Peloponnese peninsula) overnight. HMAS “_Perth_”, (cruiser), and HMA Ships “_Stuart_”, “_Vampire_”, “_Vendetta_”, “_Voyager_”, and “_Waterhen_”, (destroyers) all took part in evacuating troops from Greece, HMAS “_Perth_” from Port Rafti, whilst HMA “_Stuart_”, and HMA “_Voyager_” the port of Navplion embarking 301 troops, plus a party of Australian, New Zealand, and British nurses. HMAS “_Vendetta_”,, (destroyer), evacuated 350 ANZAC troops from the beach at Megara, in Greece. Another 70 were taken off by sister ship HMAS “_Waterhen_”, which was giving seaward cover to the evacuation. German paratroopers captured the Corinth Canal in Greece. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe again mauls shipping off the Greek coast. German aircraft sank hospital ship “_Andros_” and 11 freighters off the coast and damaged British cruiser HMS “_York_” and submarine HMS “_Rover_” at Suda Bay, Crete. Greek torpedo boats “_Aigli_”, “_Alkyoni_”, and “_Arethousa_” were scuttled to prevent capture. British troops held off German attacks through the afternoon at Thermopylae, destroying 15 German tanks, before withdrawing after sundown. At 1900 hours, Greek luxury yacht “_Hellas_” was bombed at Piraeus while boarding 500 British civilians and 400 wounded Allied soldiers, killing 500. During the British withdraw, the _Jabos_ of II./JG 77 attack the shipping off the coast of Greece. Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Huy succeeds in sinking a 20,000 ton troop transport in the Bay of Nauplion.

Operation Dunlop: Force H with aircraft carrier “_Ark Royal_” departs Gibraltar to deliver 22 Hurricane fighters to Malta. Bristol Blenheims and Beaufighters were also flown in. Three battleships and an aircraft carrier covered the fast transport HMS “_Breconshire_” from Alexandria to Malta. The operation was coordinated with four ship convoy ME 7 from Malta to Alexandria.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* US Navy extended its range for Neutrality Patrols to as far east as Iceland and as far south as Rio de Janeiro. Roosevelt formally orders US warships to report the movements of German warships west of Iceland. This is happening unofficially already. The information is usually passed one way or another to the British.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *The German Naval Attaché in Moscow, Russia reported back to German Navy headquarters that it had been learned that the British had deduced the German invasion of the Soviet Union to take place around 26 Jun 1941, and the British had shared this information with the Soviet Union.

*NORTH AFRICA:* At 0700 hours Italian infantry attack the Tobruk defenses at 2 points after an artillery barrage at dawn. Advancing in suicidally close formation, they are broken up by Australian small arms fire from the forward gun pits and British artillery fire from the rear. The attacks are over within an hour (107 Italian POWs captured).

Approximately 18 Luftwaffe and Italian Ju 87s attack Tobruk.

Indian 29th Infantry Brigade advancing southward toward Amba Alagi.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The first M3 tank constructed at the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant in Michigan, United States was delivered to the US Army.

In a statement, Frank Knox, the United States Secretary for the Navy, proclaimed:


> "We can no longer occupy the immoral and craven position of asking others to make all the sacrifices for this victory which we recognize as so essential to us."



*GERMANY:* Hitler and Hungarian leader Admiral Horthy confer and dine in the Fuhrer's train near Graz (Austria). Horthy lavishes praise on the Fuhrer, but Hitler refuses to be drawn into promising major territorial concessions in return for Hungarian participation in Operation Barbarossa.

RAF Bomber Command sends 69 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight and 24 aircraft to attack coastal targets. RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb operations.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A German night fighter attacked a training aircraft near Church Fenton airfield.

Dutch Prince Bernhard became an RAF pilot.

.


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## parsifal (Apr 24, 2016)

*23 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Black Swan Class Sloop RIN SUTLEDGE (U-95)





*Losses*


*UBOATS*
At Sea 23 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-73, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, UA

22 boats at sea

U-101 encountered a British submarine in the Nth Atlantic, which fired two torpedoes, but both missed.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
DKM CA PRINZ EUGEN was mined in the Baltic during preparations for a sortie with BB BISMARCK into the Atlantic.

*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0600 and joined convoy WN.17 in the Pentland Firth. The ship later transferred to convoy EC.10 off Buchan Ness. ALYNBANK transferred to convoy WN.18 on the 24th. The convoy with ship ALYNBANK arrived at Methil on the 25th.

*Northern Patrol*

*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY arrived at Scapa Flow after having been detached on escort duties since 9 March. DD ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with steamers AMSTERDAM and ARCHANGEL and escort them to Kirkwall and Scapa Flow, respectively. The DD returned to Scapa Flow on the 24th.

DD SALADIN and ORP DDs PIORUN and GARLAND departed Scapa Flow at 0600. The RN DD for Londonderry and the Polish DDs for Greenock.

*West Coast*
OB.314 departed Liverpool, escort DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and ROXBOROUGH, corvettes ABELIA, GLADIOLUS, and VERONICA, MSW NIGELLA, and ASW trawlers NOTTS COUNTY, ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA. On the 27th, DDs AMAZON and CHESTERFIELD joined the convoy and on the 28th, corvettes HOLLYHOCK and NIGELLA joined. The escorts, except DDs AMAZON and CHESTERFIELD and corvettes HOLLYHOCK and NIGELLA, were detached on the 28th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 30th when the convoy dispersed.

*Med/Biscay*
At Tripoli, corvette GLOXINIA, MSW FAREHAM, and ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA were near missed by LW airstrikes. GLOXINIA sustained damage from the near misses.

British A lighters arrived off the Greek coast. A.1 (T/Sub Lt L. D. Peters RNVR) and A.19 (T/Skipper R. S. Cooper RNR, Lt Cdr P. C. Hutton DSC, (emergency), Commander of the 1st TLC Flotilla aboard) were attacked off Megara by German bombing. A.1 was badly damaged and later scuttled. A 6 (T/Sub Lt J. D. Sutton RNVR) off Raphtis was bombed and strafed, but escaped serious damage.

*Pre-Dreadnought KILKIS (RHN 12500 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Salamis




*Pre-Dreadnought LEMNOS (RHN 12500 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Salamis.





*Steamer SANTA CLARA VALLEY (UK 4665g rt)* was sunk by the LW in Nauplia Bay. One crewman, one military personnel, and five muleteers were lost on the steamer.





*Steamer ASSIMI (Gk 722 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Krioneri, in the Northern harbour of Patras. She was possibly salvaged after war..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ELVIRA (Gk 372 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Chalkis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr KATERINA (Gk 2398 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Methana (Piraeus).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Steamer KERKYRA (Gk 1461 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Punta gun emplacement on Salamis.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KYMA (Gk 223 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Patras.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
The following two ships were sunk at Trisonis, 7 miles nth of Patrai:

*Steamer MACEDONIA (Gk 1839grt)*. She was raised and put into German service, finally being permanently sunk 13 December 1942after being torpedoed by RN Sub HMS UMBRIA.





*Steamer NICOLAOS NOMICOS (Gk 625 grt)*. The ship was refloated and towed to Piraeus for drydocking. However she was found to be too mheavily damaged to be economically repaired and was scrapped by the Germans.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer NICOLAOU GEORGIOS (Gk 4108 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Navplion. She was loaded with munitions when sunk and blew up when she sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Hospital ship POLICOS (Gk 875 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Methana. She was clearly visible and marked as a Hospital ship when attacked.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The following two ships were sunk in air attacks by the LW at Megara
*Steamers STATHIS A. (Gk 385 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer HYDRA (Gk 231 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ATHINAS. (Gk 273 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Psathopirgos. The steamer was subsequently raised and put into German service.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KRITI (Gk 1028 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Antirion. She was later raised and taken to Italy where she was used by the Italians.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub TORBAY departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Sub UNBEATEN departed Gibraltar for Malta.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Basra to Colombo. En route, the cruiser operated in Raider Hunting Group V built around CVL EAGLE and CAs CORNWALL and HAWKINS. On the 26th, a Swordfish from EAGLE of 813 Sqn ditched during a search operation. A/Sub Lt (A) J. L. Cullen, P/A/Sub Lt (A) J. D. Rowland RNVR, and Leading Airman B. K. J. Willis were picked up by British steamer MATHURA and taken to Aden. At some point before the 29th LEANDER was detached from the hunter group and proceeded to Volombo, arriving on the 29th.

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (Apr 24, 2016)

*24 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc U-127, 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
No ships sunk in her career
Sunk on 15 December 1941 in the North Atlantic west of Gibraltar, by depth charges from the Australian DD HMAS NESTOR. 51 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIc U-567
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
2 ships sunk, total tonnage 6,809 GRT
Sunk on 21 December 1941 in the Nth Atlantic NE of the Azores, by depth charges from the British sloop HMS DEPTFORD. 47 dead (all hands lost).

Other vessels added to the Kriegsmarine in April
(3 April ) Type M-35 MSW M202
(10 April )R Boats R70, 71, 72, 73, 74
(19 April): S Boat S-44
(21 April) Type M-35 MSW M253
(28 April) S-Boat S-45

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS POLYANYHUS (K-47)





*Losses*


*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-138
St. Nazaire: U-73

At Sea 24 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
DDrs INGLEFIELD and MAORI departed Hvalfjord at 0200 and joined convoy HX.120 as an ASW striking force, one of the first to be formed. However, the DDs were diverted to join convoy OB.312. They remained with this convoy until departing this convoy at daybreak on the 25th to join convoy HX.121. They parted company with convoy HX.121 at longitude 8 at 2130/29th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship HMS POZARICA (converted to this role in August 1940) departed Scapa Flow at 0500 to join convoy WN.18. The ship then proceeded to Chatham for alterations.




British steamer DOLIUS was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The steamer was able to proceed to Leith.

*SW Approaches*
HG.60 departed Gibraltar escort DD FIREDRAKE, sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes COREOPSIS, FLEUR DE LYS, and SPIRAEA, and Dutch submarine O.23. FIREDRAKE was detached on the 28th, the corvettes on the 30th, and the submarine on 2 May. On 7 May, the convoy was joined by DDr BOADICEA, sloop EGRET, corvettes SNOWFLOWER, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. Destroyer NIAGARA joined on 9 May, and arrived at Liverpool on 12 May.

*Med/Biscay*
Yugoslav submarine NEBOJSCA arrived at Suda Bay. The submarine was found to be unserviceable and was never used operationally.

*Steamer CAVALLO (UK 2269 grt) *was badly damaged by the LW at Navplion.
The steamer had been attacked on the 23rd, but not hit. However, the crew had abandoned the steamer. The steamer sank on the 25th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Armed yacht CALANTHE (RN 370 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Milos. Four crewman and a gunner were killed on the yacht.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Pilo class *TB SIMONE SCHIAFFINO (RM 912 grt)* was sunk on an Italian mine off Cape Bon.





Submarine ROVER, alongside heavy cruiser YORK supplying power to the cruiser, was badly damaged by the LW in sustained air attacks at Suda Bay. The submarine was beached. The cruiser was further damaged by the near misses. The sub was towed by DD GRIFFIN and escorted by netlayer PROTECTOR and MSW trawler MUROTO to Alexandria arriving on the 29th. The submarine was temporarily repaired at Port Said completing on 6 July. The submarine departed Port Said on 10 July. She was towed to Singapore for refitting arriving on 31 July.

ROVER was towed from Singapore on 29 January 1942 to Batavia by destroyer EXPRESS. She was towed from Batavia on 14 February by steamer CITY OF PRETORIA (8049grt) to Trincomalee, arriving on 21 February. The submarine was taken to Bombay for repairs. The submarine arrived at Bombay on 4 March 1942.

Naval tanker BRAMBLELEAF, escorted by DDs ISIS, HERO, HEREWARD, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria on the 24th and arrived at Suda Bay, arrived very early in the morning on the 26th. The DDs joined the Vice Admiral, Light Forces on cruiser ORION. The ORION and DDs DECOY, HASTY, and HAVOCK had only just arrived at suda from Alexandria herself. DD DEFENDER from Tobruk joined early on the 25th. The ships arrived at around 1800 on the 25th.

RAN CL PERTH joined CLA PHOEBE at Suda Bay to patrol Kithera Straits and to cover convoy AG.13.

Convoy AG.14 of troopships Dutch COSTA RICA, British CITY OF LINCOLN, British DILWARA, British SALWEEN, Egyptian KHEDIVE ISMAEL, and Dutch SLAMAT departed Alexandria escorted by CLA CARLISLE and DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON entering the Aegean on the 26th. The convoy did not go into Suda Bay.

Convoy AG.15 departed Alexandria escorted by DD KIMBERLEY and RAN DD VAMPIRE. Sloop AUCKLAND, after being relieved of the tow of tanker BRITISH LORD, refuelled at Suda Bay and joined the convoy. AG.15 arrived at Suda Bay during the afternoon of the 26th with troopships Greek IONIA, Greek CORINTHIA, British ITRIA, British COMLIEBANK, British BELRAY, and Dutch ELEONORA MAERSK. The convoy was escorted by DD KIMBERLEY and sloop AUCKLAND. The escort ships joined Vice Admiral, Light Forces on cruiser ORION.

DD VAMPIRE of this convoy had been detached en route to aid British steamer SCOTTISH PRINCE, bombed on the 26th. VAMPIRE relieved DD HASTY which had been standing by. Sloop GRIMSBY also later joined. VAMPIRE, along with sloop GRIMSBY, and bomb damaged SCOTTISH PRINCE arrived at 0610 on the 27th at Suda Bay.

During the night of 24/25 April in Operation DEMON evacuations of British troops from Greece began. The ships involved departed Suda Bay on the 24th. From Raphtis:CLA CALCUTTA, commando ship GLENGYLE, and corvette SALVIA. Australian CL PERTH was at Raphtis in a support role and did not embark any troops.

From Navplion: PHOEBE, commando ship GLENEARN (damaged en route on the 24th by the LW, but able to continue), troopship ULSTER PRINCE (grounded at Navplion. Corvette HYACINTH and lighter A 5 attempted to tow her clear without success. The troopship was bombed and set afire on the 25th), destroyers STUART and VOYAGER, and corvette HYACINTH.




_Command Ship GLENEARN was heavily damaged but survived_

A total of 13,500 troops were brought off from Raphtis and Nauplia.

Submarine OTUS was under repair at Gibraltar from 24 April to 12 July for the removed of her main motor armature.

WWI era *TB PERGAMOS (RHN 243 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Salamis.




*Hospital ship ANDROS (Gk 2068 grt) *was sunk by LW in apparently deliberate attacks off Loutraki, Gulf of Corinth.




*Steamer HELLAS (Gk 2295 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Piraeus.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KEHREA (Gk 1968 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the anchorage, Bay of Frangolimano (a small harbour on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Corinth).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KYRIAKI (Gk 5528 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Suda Bay. There were no casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MANNA (Gk 238 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Aedipsos (a port at the northern end of Euboea).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PETROS (Gk 634 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Porto Heli (a port in the province of Argolis, in the Peloponnese, on the Aegean coast). The steamer was refloated by the Germans , but found too damaged to be returned to service. She was scrapped at Piraeus.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer POPI S. (Gk 2083 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Milos Island.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PYLAROS (Gk 932 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Galaxeidion (northern coast of the Gulf Of Corinth .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SPETSAI (Gk 379 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Psathopyrgos, Gulf of Corinth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer POINT JUDITH (Gk 4810 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Kythnos Island. The entire crew was rescued. Date of loss is also sometimes given as 26 April.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
TF 3 (Rear Admiral Jones H. Ingram) with USN CLs MEMPHIS, CINCINNATI, OMAHA, and MILWAUKEE and DDs SOMERS, JOUETT, DAVIS, WINSLOW, and MOFFETT sailed from Newport R. I. to patrol Trinidad, Cape San Roque, and Cape. 

*Central Atlantic*
CVE ARGUS, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORTUNE, and WRESTLER arrived at Gibraltar. CLA DIDO, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DDs KELLY, KIPLING, KELVIN, and JERSEY arrived at Gibraltar from the UK.

*Malta*


----------



## Njaco (Apr 24, 2016)

*April 25 Friday*
*GERMANY:* Hitler signs his _Directive No. 28 For the Invasion of Crete_ http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/28.html which contains the following:

“_As a base for air warfare against Great Britain in the Eastern Mediterranean we must prepare to occupy the island of Crete (Operation Mercury). . . Command of this operation is entrusted to the Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe who will employ for the purpose, primarily, the airborne forces and the air forces stationed in the Mediterranean area . . _.” The basic plan is to involve 22,750 paratroops, 650 combat aircraft and is to be launched on 18th May 1941, although this is put back to 20th May 1941.

RAF Bomber Command sends 69 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita:  Allied rearguard forces from Thermopylae, traveled 100 miles within 12 hours and reached the Greek capital of Athens around noon time. While crowds welcomed their arrival, diplomats of various countries burned papers as Axis capture was imminent. Allied evacuation (Operation Demon) continues but only 5500 troops leave from beaches South of Athens after troopship “_Pennland_” was damaged by German aircraft while attempting to evacuate troops, resulting in 4 deaths (347 rescued by destroyer HMS “_Griffin_”). Luftwaffe reconnaissance identifies the evacuation beaches but British will change the embarkation points using Ultra intercepts. Out at sea, German aircraft sank 6 merchant ships and 1 yacht; 6 Greek destroyers and 5 submarines were able to escape toward Alexandria, Egypt. British vessel “_Ulster Prince_” bombed and destroyed by Axis aircraft.

The German 8.Panzerregiment departed Italy in three convoys for North Africa. The Convoy departs for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Fulmine_” and “_Euro_” and three torpedo boats supported by three cruisers and three more destroyers.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-103 sank Norwegian ship “_Polyana_” 200 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands at 0038 hours, killing the entire crew of 25.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Frustrated by the lack of progress at Tobruk, Rommel resumes the offensive along the Libyan/Egyptian border. The British Mobile Force columns based at Halfaya, Sofafi, Buq Buq and Sidi Barrani began to harass the Germans in the area around Capuzzo and Sollum and after an ambush near Sidi Azeiz, the local German commander sent an alarmist report to Rommel, leading to an attack by Group Herff that pushed the British back to Buq Buq and Sofafi. German troops engaged the British patrols near Fort Capuzzo forcing the British to withdraw to prepared defenses where the desert plain drops towards the coast through Halfaya Pass. German Group Herff then attacked toward Halfaya Pass. The 2 remaining Hurricane fighters in Tobruk were withdrawn to Egypt to join the mere 13 Hurricane fighters there, leaving Tobruk with only Lysander aircraft to perform artillery spotting duties and no aircraft capable of air defense. Luftwaffe will control the skies over Tobruk. Out at sea, British submarine HMS “_Upholder_” sank Italian ship “_Antonietta Lauro_” off the Tunisian island of Kerkenah.

*NORTH AMERICA:* During a press conference, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt seemed to compare Charles Lindbergh to Clement Vallandigham and the Copperheads of the American Civil War. Without using Lindbergh's name, Roosevelt said;


> "There are people in this country ... [who] say out of one side of the mouth, 'No, I don't like it, I don't like dictatorship,' and then out of the other side of the mouth, 'Well, it's going to beat democracy, it's going to defeat democracy, therefore I might just as well accept it.' Now, I don't call that good Americanism ... Well, Vallandigham, as you know, was an appeaser. He wanted to make peace from 1863 on because the North 'couldn't win.' Once upon a time there was a place called Valley Forge and there were an awful lot of appeasers that pleaded with Washington to quit, because he 'couldn't win.' Just because he 'couldn't win.' See what Tom Paine said at that time in favor of Washington keeping on fighting!"


 In response, Lindbergh resigns his commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve on April 28.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *An indication that the Germans were considering Crete, Greece as a target for major parachute assault was discovered by the code-breakers at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in Britain through an interception of the German Luftwaffe's lax cypher discipline.

Luftwaffe attacks Sunderland with 57 aircraft overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 27 aircraft to attack coastal targets during the day.


*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) established.

.


----------



## Njaco (Apr 25, 2016)

*April 26 Saturday*
*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Heinkels of KG 55 again conduct a raid on Bristol during the night. Luftwaffe attacks Liverpool overnight with 92 aircraft.

Operation Tiger: British freighters “_Clan Chattan_”, “_Clan Campbell_”, “_Clan Lamont_”, “_Empire Song_”, and “_New Zealand Star_”, carrying 295 tanks for Egypt, departed from the Clyde in Scotland in Operation Tiger. They were escorted by battleship HMS “_Rodney_”, cruiser HMS “_Naiad_”, destroyer HMS “_Havelock_”, destroyer HMS “_Hesperus_”, and destroyer “_Harvester_”.

*NORTH AFRICA:* German troops attack British and Australian positions at Halfaya Pass. German Group Herff attacked the British 22nd Guards Brigade at Halfaya Pass. 22nd Guards hold the Pass all day but withdraw overnight to Buq Buq, Egypt. Possession of good defensive positions at Halfaya Pass allows Rommel to concentrate his forces for an attack on Tobruk.

South African 1st Brigade captured Dessie, Abyssinia, taking 4,000 Italians as prisoners of war. Indian 29th Infantry Brigade reaches Amba Alagi from the north.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: The Battle of the Corinth Canal was fought, resulting in German victory. With Germans advancing on Athens and Luftwaffe attacks on mainland evacuation beaches, most Allied troops have been sent across the Corinth Canal Bridge to evacuate from the safety of the Peloponnese peninsula. Just after dawn, two battalions of German 2nd Fallschirmjäger Regiment paratroops land on both sides of the bridge which is quickly blown up by Allied demolition charges (killing several German troops) but German engineers have a crossing operational by the end of the day. British 1st Armoured Brigade and New Zealand 4th Brigade, trapped on the mainland, turn around and march back to beaches South of Athens. Overnight, 8,300 Allied troops were evacuated from beaches south of Athens while 12,950 were evacuated from beaches on the Peloponnese Peninsula. The Luftwaffe relentlessly attacks the embarkation ports and ships at sea sinking Greek torpedo boat “_Kydonia_” and 3 steamers. To the north in Yugoslavia, British destroyer HMS “_Defender_” evacuated the crown jewels of Yugoslavia. HMAS “_Perth_”, (cruiser), carried 911 Australian and New Zealand troops, and HMAS “_Stuart_”, (destroyer), evacuated 109, from Tolos to Suda Bay, Crete. Earlier that night “_Stuart_”, had ferried 600 troops from Tolos to Navplion, where they were transferred to “Orion”.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* General Georgy Zhukov, the recently appointed Soviet Chief of Staff, ordered a creeping mobilization to begin, in response to widespread evidence that German forces were moving eastward.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Wolfgang Falck, stationed at Deelen in the Netherlands, was ordered to attend a meeting at Hamburg, Germany. He would use the opportunity to learn more about new aircraft-mounted radar systems under development: Morgenstern, Flensburg, and SN-2 (Lichtenstein).

RAF conducts a fighter sweep near Boulogne while RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 50 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

.


----------



## Njaco (Apr 26, 2016)

*April 27 Sunday*
*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: At 0400 hours, Dutch passenger liner “_Slamat_” departed Nauplia in southern Greece with 211 crew and 500 evacuating Allied troops. “_Slamat_” and escorting destroyers HMS “_Diamond_” and HMS “_Wryneck_” were all sunk by German Stuka dive bombers at 0700 hours, killing about 900. Of 983 on board SS “_Slamat_”, HMS “_Diamond_” and HMS “_Wryneck_”, only 66 survive. Later in the same morning, German 2.Panzerdivision motorcycle troops captured Athens, raising the Nazi German flag above the Acropolis as a sign of victory and capturing large quantities of fuel, ammunition, and heavy vehicles. Surrendered Greek officers were allowed to retire to their homes with their sidearms without being interned as prisoners of war. German 5.Panzerdivision moved across the Corinth Canal all day and Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Regiment crossed onto the Peloponnese Peninsula in southern Greece at Patras at 1730 hours. However, 4200 troops including British 1st Armoured Brigade are evacuated from beaches South of Athens. Allied troops evacuate from the Peloponnese to Crete by boat but Greek Cretan 5th Division are left behind, trying to return home for the defense of their island. German bombing sinks 5 steamers. RAN ships evacuating troops from Greece, picked up the last message from Radio Athens as German troops entered the city; ‘Closing down for the last time and looking forward to happier days. God be with you and for you’.

Operation Dunlop: The British reinforce their meager fighter force on Malta by flying twenty-four Hurricanes and three Fulmar fighters from the aircraft carrier ‘_Ark Royal_’. The first flight of seven Hurricanes are led to the airfield by a Sunderland flying boat. As the Sunderland moors to a buoy, two Bf 109s from 7./JG 26, flown by Oblt. Müncheberg and his wingman, Oblt. Mietusch, flying at wave-top level, attack and destroy the flying boat, leaving it in flames. The pair of Messerschmitts also damage another Sunderland boat in the attack.

*GERMANY: *Heinrich Himmler visited Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-110 sank British ship “_Henri Mory_” 300 miles west of Ireland at 0130 hours; 28 were killed, 4 survived. 80 miles south of Iceland, U-552 sank British trawler “_Commander Horton_” at 0210 hours, killing the entire crew of 14. Shortly after, at 0242 hours, 100 miles southwest of the Faroe Islands, U-147 sank Norwegian ship “_Rimfakse_”; 11 were killed, 8 survived. At 1612 hours, U-147 struck again, sinking British ship “_Beacon Grange_”; 2 were killed, 82 survived.

*NORTH AFRICA: * German troops cross the Egyptian border and capture the Halfaya Pass, forcing the British to pull back to a defensive line running from Buq Buq on the coast to Sofia some 50km in to the desert. The British also begin construction of a major defensive line in front of Mersa Matruh.

At Tobruk, German high-level bombers draw the fire of British anti-aircraft guns guarding the harbour while 24 dive bombers attack the AA gun emplacements (4 guns are destroyed, 8 killed); 1 German aircraft was lost. After these losses, the British moved the anti-aircraft guns to conceal positions while dummy guns were constructed in the old anti-aircraft gun positions (during raids, explosives are set off to simulate firing of the dummy guns).

German Deputy Chief of Staff General Friedrich Paulus arrived in Libya. Paulus was dispatched to North Africa to exert some control from High Command over Erwin Rommel, who had been disregarding most orders from Berlin. He has orders from OKH to try to bring Rommel under control and sort out a situation which, from Germany, seems very confused. He immediately halts preparations for more attacks on Tobruk.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill made a radio broadcast reporting on the war situation.


> "When I spoke to you early in February many people believed the Nazi boastings that the invasion of Britain was about to begin. Now it has not begun yet, and with every week that passes we grow stronger on the sea, in the air and in the number, quality, training and equipment of the great armies that now guard our island," Churchill said. Returning to the line in that February speech asking for the "tools" to "finish the job," Churchill said that "that is what it now seems the Americans are going to do. And that is why I feel a very strong conviction that though the Battle of the Atlantic will be long and hard and its issue is by no means yet determined, it has entered upon a more grim but at the same time a far more favourable phase."



Luftwaffe attacks Portsmouth overnight with 38 aircraft.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* British, Dutch, and American conference reaches agreement on joint planning against Japan.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Rashid Ali's government refuses to allow additional British troops into the country. British ambassador informs Iraqi government that additional troops have nonetheless to be landed at Basra. Elements of British 1st Battalion of King's Own Royal Regiment are airlifted from RAF base at Shaibah to RAF base at Habbaniya.

.


----------



## parsifal (Apr 27, 2016)

*25 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 225
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.103 sank *steamer POLYANA (Nor 2267 grt)* from dispersed convoy OG.58 in the Central Atlantic. She was on passage from Sunderland to Freetown, carrying Coal with a crew of 25 when lost. At 0038 hrs the POLYANA was hit near the bridge by one torpedo from U-103, capsized fast and sank within one minute. The ship was last seen when detached from the convoy OG-58 and was not reported missing until 30 April when she did not arrive at her destination. The U-boat had missed the freighter with a first torpedo at 2357 hours on 24 April.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 25 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
Norwegian tanker POLARSOL was damaged by German bombing 180 miles 130° from Myrdals Jokull Light, Iceland. The tanker arrived in tow at Kames Bay on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
DD BROCKLESBY departed Scapa Flow escorting steamers AMSTERDAM from Kirkwall and ARCHANGEL from Duncansby Head to Aberdeen. Following the escort, the DD arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 26th.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked shipping in the Bay Of Biscay area.

*Med/Biscay*
DD NUBIAN and sloop FLAMINGO after repairs departed Alexandria to join the Vice Admiral, Light Forces on the ORION. NUBIAN arrived at Suda Bay pre dawn on the 26th. That evening Sloop FLAMINGO arrived in Suda Bay as well.

CL ORION and DDs DECOY, HASTY, HAVOCK, and DEFENDER arrived at Suda Bay at 1800. DDs DECOY, HASTY, and HAVOCK were sent to Navplion to investigate the situation and discover the fate of troopship ULSTER PRINCE.

Submarine UPHOLDER sank *troopship ANTONIETTE LAURO (Ger 5428 grt)* 2.5 miles 125° from Kerkenah. The troopship was badly damaged and stranded on Kerkenah Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RHN DDs KOUDOURIOTIS and SPETSAI from Athens, PANTHER, IERAX, SPEHNDONI, and AETOS arrived at Alexandria. RHN submarines GLAUCOS, KATSONIS, NEREUS, PAPANICOLIS, and TRITON also escaped to Alexandria.
Submarine GLAUCOS had been under repair at Salamis. Greek TBs APHIS and NIKI also escaped to Alexandria.

During the night of 25/26 April Operation DEMON continued.

From Megara: CLA COVENTRY, DDs DIAMOND, GRIFFIN, and WRYNECK, and troopships THURLAND CASTLE and PENNLAND. *Troopship PENNLAND (NL 16322 grt)* was badly damaged en route by the LW off Bela Pouli, near San Giorgio Island. Four crew were lost. 247 crew and about a 100 troops were rescued by DD GRIFFIN which took them to Suda Bay. DD GRIFFIN scuttled the troopship.





Troopship THURLAND CASTLE was also bombed, but was not seriously damaged. RAN DDs WATERHEN and VENDETTA from convoy AN.29 were sent to support the Megara force. Both these DDs embarked troops at Megara. In addition, DDs HASTY, HAVOCK, and DECOY were sent to Megara to carry troops for the lost steamer PENNLAND.

*Lighter A.19 (RN 250 grt (est))* embarked troops from the beaches and carried them to the ships. The lighter was later abandoned and was lost when she broke down.

Some 5500 troops were evacuated from Megara.

CL ORION, CLA PHOEBE, and RAN CL PERTH with DD DEFENDER covered these operations.

*Yacht THRAKI (Gk 100 grt(est))* was sunk by the LW at Myli.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SOFIA (Gk 1722 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Megara.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

s*teamers ANNA MARIA (Gk 128 grt)* and *MARIOUS (Gk 602 grt)* were sunk by the LW at Vostizza (Gulf of Corinth).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer GEORGE A. DRACOULIS (Gk 1570 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Chalkis. Date of loss is also given as 20 April.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer THRAKI (Gk 982 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Port Kheli (Argolis, eastern Peloponnese).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DIMITRIOS NOMIKOS (Gk 1171 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Karystos, Euboea. The steamer was raised by the Germans and repaired for their use.

Force H departed Gibraltar on Operations SALIENT and DUNLOP with BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FURY, and FORTUNE. Accompanying was Force S.of CLA DIDO, ML ABDIEL, and DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, KIPLING, JERSEY, and JACKAL being sent to Malta. This movement was the transfer of ships to the Med Flt in Operation SALIENT and a flyoff of aircraft from ARK ROYAL to Malta in Operation DUNLOP. The flyoff was delayed due to bad weather until 27 April. The ships arrived at Malta on the 28th.

CLA DIDO, ML ABDIEL, and DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JAGUAR, and IMPERIAL (which had just completed her October 1940 mine damage repair) departed Malta on the 28th escorting BRECONSHIRE to Alexandria. DD JANUS remained at Malta for repairs.

DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KELVIN, KIPLING, JERSEY, and JACKAL remained at Malta to operate as a striking force with CL GLOUCESTER. The DIDO force arrived at Alexandria on the 30th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.123 departed Halifax, escort amc DERBYSHIRE and corvettes COBALT and COLLINGWOOD. The corvettes were detached later that day. BB RAMILLIES joined the convoy on the 30th and remained until 4 May. On 6 May, DD WOLVERINE and corvette BEGONIA joined the convoy. DD VERITY joined on 8 May. DDs CAMPBELTOWN, CHELSEA, MANSFIELD, NEWMARKET, and WESTCOTT, sloop ROCHESTER, and corvettes AURICULA, DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM, and PRIMROSE joined on 9 May. On 9 May, the AMC, DDs CHELSEA, MANSFIELD, NEWMARKET, VERITY, and WOLVERINE and corvette BEGONIA left the escort. The remaining escorts were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 May.

*Central Atlantic*
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Gibraltar after being relieved by CA LONDON of the escort of convoy SL.71. The CL had embarked the crew of a Wellington bomber which had forced landed at sea in 36-19N, 7-06W. The crew had been rescued by Spanish steamer NORTE and transferred to the cruiser.

Ocean boarding vessel MARON captured ocean going FV JOSEPH ELISE which had departed Casablanca for fishing.A 15 man armed guard, under the command of A/Sub Lt P. G. Martin RNR, was placed aboard the vessel which was sent off towards Gibraltar. The French crew overpowered the British guardon the 26th and the vessel arrived back at Casablanca on the 27th. The guard were interned.

CL DIOMEDE departed Bermuda to intercept Spanish steamer MARQUES DE COMMILLAS, which had departed New York on the 24th, carrying the Italian Naval Attache to Washington. The ship was intercepted and both arrived at Bermuda on the 30th. The steamer was released on 4 May.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
*Steamer EMPIRE LIGHT (UK 6828 grt)* was sunk by DKM Raider PINGUIN north of the Seychelles.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (Apr 27, 2016)

*26 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-81




24 ships sunk, total tonnage 41,784 GRT
Sunk at 1130hrs on 9 January 1944 in the Adriatic at Pola, , by bombs during a US air raid (15th AF). 2 dead and 44 survivors.

Type VIIc U-432




20 ships sunk, total tonnage 67,991 GRT
Sunk on 11 March 1943 in the North Atlantic, by depth charges and gunfire from the FNFL corvette ACONIT, suffering 26 dead and 20 survivors.

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS NANAIMO (K-101)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS RAMOUSKI (K-121)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS COPINSAY (T-147)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Black Swan Class Sloop HMS ERNE (U-03)





MSW MMS - 39
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer MOUNTPARK (UK 4648 grt) *was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. Six crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

U.110 sank *steamer HENRI MORY (UK 2564 grt) *in the Western Approaches. The ship was on passage from Freetown to Barrow on Furness via Bermuda, with a cargo of manganese and a crew of 32 aboard. At 2330 hours on 26 (some sources put the attack on the 27th) the unescorted HENRI MORY was hit on the starboard side in the after end of the engine room by one torpedo from U-110 while steaming on a non-evasive course at 4 knots in fine and clear weather about 330 miles WNW of Blasket Islands, Ireland. The ship had been dispersed from convoy SL-68 on 21 March, went to Bermuda and then proceeded independently to the UK because the vessel was too slow to join a transatlantic convoy, barely able to make 6 knots and later further reduced due to troubles with its boiler tubes. The crew of 32 men began to abandon ship in the lifeboats, but had difficulties to so in the very dark night and a heavy swell caused the port lifeboat to drift away unoccupied. HENRI MORYsank in less than four minutes and only a few survivors managed to escape the suction of the sinking ship. The master, 25 crew members and two gunners were lost. The port lifeboat was boarded by the cook and he was soon thereafter joined by the chief officer, who was exhausted from swimming to it and could only get aboard after 20 minutes. In the meantime, the U-boat picked up a Russian sailor who clung to wreckage from the upper bridge and subsequently went alongside the lifeboat. The Germans asked the chief officer the usual questions about the name of the ship, cargo and routing and then transferred the rescued man to the boat with a bottle of cognac. He had been interrogated while aboard, given a good drink of cognac and two packs of cigarettes. However, the Germans somehow misidentified the ship as the ANDRE MOYRAND. When U-110 left the area at about 0200 hrs the commander shouted: "_Goodbye, you will be picked up shortly. Tell Winston Churchill there is a war on". _
Despite the sea anchor and attempts to keep the head to the wind with oars and sails, the lifeboat was riding the easterly swell beam on until daylight as the occupants were all exhausted. No more survivors were found at the sinking position, but in the afternoon a raft with one man aboard was seen about a mile away. Until darkness they attempted to reach the raft but this was prevented by the heavy swell and lack of strength of the three survivors. The lifeboat was circled twice by a British Catalina flying boat in the morning of 29 April and the next day a corvette was seen about four miles away, but the chief officer and the two crew members were eventually picked up by DD HMS HURRICANE at 1545 hours and landed at Gourock in the evening of 1 May. The survivor on the raft was rescued after eight days by the British steam merchant LYACOM.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: UA

At Sea 26 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553

20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Finnish steamer LAPPONIA was damaged by mining off Aalborg whilst in Axis service. The ship sank, but was later raised and repaired at Aalborg.

*North Sea*
DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE departed the Humber to join the Home Fleet replacing DDs COSSACK and ZULU, which in turn were being transferred to the Plymouth Command.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil to provide cover for convoy EC.11 from May Island to Pentland Firth. The ship then proceeded to Scapa Flow.

*Northern Patrol*
CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed the Iceland Faroes patrol when relieved by CA EXETER and CL NIGERIA.

CA SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow with DDs ECHO and ACTIVE at 1630 to relieve heavy cruiser NORFOLK on Denmark Strait patrol. The ships arrived at Hvalfjord on the 28th.

*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow on the 30th

*West Coast*
AMCs CALIFORNIA, ALAUNIA, and DERBYSHIRE arrived at Greenock on the 26th.

Convoy WS.8 A of steamers HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN, EMPRESS OF ASIA, DOMINION MONARCH, REINA DEL PACIFICO, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, STRATHAIRD, SOBIESKI NEW ZEALAND STAR, CLAN CAMPBELL, CLAN LAMONT, CLAN CHATTAN, ABEEKERK, ARONDA, EMPIRE SONG, and AMC PRETORIA CASTLE departed the Clyde.

Steamers CLAN CHATTAN, CLAN CAMPBELL, CLAN LAMONT, EMPIRE SONG, and NEW ZEALAND STAR were detached to Gibraltar on 2 May as the TIGER convoy for the Mediterranean. CLA NAIAD and DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HARVESTER were in the convoy escort for the voyage to Gibraltar. DDrs BEAGLE and ERIDGE escorted the convoy from 26 April to 30 April when they joined convoy SL.71.

RCN DDs OTTAWA, RESTIGOUCHE, SAGUENAY, RN DD LEGION and HURRICANE, and ORP DD PIORUN, escorted the convoy from 26 to 29 April. 
BB RODNEY departed Scapa Flow on the 26th to escort the convoy. The BB was relieved by BC REPULSE from Gibraltar. REPULSE arrived at Gibraltar with the three H.class DDs on 5 May. CLA NAIAD was detached from the convoy and arrived at Gibraltar on 4 May.

On 2 May, CL MAURITIUS joined the convoy. On 5 May, DDs DUNCAN and WISHART joined the convoy and on 6 May, DDs HIGHLANDER and BOREAS joined the convoy. On 9 May, the convoy arrived at Freetown with AMC PRETORIA CASTLE, CL MAURITIUS and four DDs.

The convoy departed Freetown on 14 May. The convoy was joined by liner IMPERIAL STAR (10,733grt) which had proceeded independently to Freetown from the UK.

Liner HIGHLAND CHIEFTAIN did not depart with the convoy. She sailed on 15 May escorted by armed merchant cruiser CILICIA to overtake the convoy.

The convoy from Freetown was escorted by DDs HIGHLANDER, WISHART, DUNCAN, and BOREAS from 14 to 16 May. CL MAURITIUS was with the convoy until relieved by CA HAWKINS on 24 May. AMC PRETORIA CASTLE was with the convoy from 24 to 27 May when the convoy arrived at Durban. Troopship STRATHAIRD was detached to Capetown arriving on 24 May and then proceeded to rejoin the Durban section the next day. Troopships IMPERIAL STAR, STRATHAIRD, and EMPRESS OF ASIA arrived at Capetown on 24 May. CA HAWKINS and steamers EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, ARONDA, SOBIESKI, DOMINION MONARCH, STRATHAIRD, REINA DEL PACIFICO, and ABBEKERK arrived at Durban on 27 May.
Steamers SOBIESKI, ARONDA, STRATHAIRD, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, and ABBEKERK departed Durban on 31 May escorted by CA HAWKINS. The steamers arrived at Aden on 10 June and ships proceeded independently to Suez from that point .

*SW Approaches*
OG.60 departed Liverpool escort DDs ROCKINGHAM, VANQUISHER, and VISCOUNT, sloops DEPTFORD and LONDONDERRY, corvettes FRESIA, HIBISCUS, PIMPERNEL, and RHODODENDRON, and anti-submarine yacht PHILANTE. Corvette RHODODENDRON was detached that day. The remainder of the escorts, less sloop DEPTFORD, were detached on the 30th. The convoy was joined en route by Dutch submarine O.23. OG.60 arrived at Gibraltar on 10 May escorted by sloop DEPTFORD and submarine O.23.

*Channel*
DD ANTELOPE departed Portsmouth to join the Home Fleet, arriving at Scapa Flow on the 27th.

*Med/Biscay*
CL AJAX departed Alexandria to join Vice Admiral, Light Forces. Corvettes HYACINTH and SALIVA and MSW trawler MUROTO were withdrawn from Piraeus. En route to Suda Bay, they swept the approaches to Navplion.

British steamer SCOTTISH PRINCE was damaged by the LW in the Aegean. The steamer was assisted by RAN DD VAMPIRE and sloop GRIMSBY. The steamer made it back to Alexandria on 12 May, badly damaged on her starboard side.

Operation DEMON continued during the night of 26/27 April.

Raphina and Raphtis:commando ship GLENGYLE, steamer SALWEEN, CLA CARLISLE, and DDs NUBIAN, DECOY, and HASTY. A lighter A.6 ferried troops from the beaches to the ships. Navplion and Tolon:commando ship GLENEARN, troopships SLAMAT and KHEDIVE ISMAEL, CLA CALCUTTA, and DDs ISIS, HOTSPUR, GRIFFIN, DIAMOND, and HAVOCK.

Commando ship GLENEARN was bombed en route. She was towed to Kissamo Bay by DD GRIFFIN. GLENEARN was towed from Kissamo Bay by sloop GRIMSBY and later netlayer PROTECTOR to Alexandria arriving on 1 May. To compensate for the loss in lift capability brought about by the withdrawal of the GLENEARN, CLs ORION and PERTH and RAN DD STUART were dispatched from Suda Bay to carry for to fulfil the evacuations that had been tasked to the GLENEARN. PERTH and STUART proceeded to Tolon. ORION proceeded to Navplion where she embarked embarked more than 300 troops lifted off the beach. At Tolon DD STUART saved even more troops, about 600 in fact. Midshipman D. F. Swithinbank was unable to return to cruiser ORION before sailing. He was later able to escape and rejoin British forces. Midshipman (E) J. O. Wigg was wounded and one rating was killed and five ratings were missing.

*Troopship SLAMAT (NL 11403 grt) *was late in getting away from Navplion in the morning. On the evening of 26 April three cruisers, four DDs, troopship KHEDIVE ISMAIL and the SLAMAT were in the Bay of Navplion.. The only available tenders were one LC, local caiques and the ships' own boats. Two cruisers and two DDs embarked nearly 2,500 troops, but the slow rate of embarkation onto the large troopships meant that KHEDIVE ISMAILdid not get its turn and did not embark any troops.




At 0300 hrs CALCUTTA signalled all ships to sail, but SLAMAT disobeyed and continued embarking troops. CALCUTTA and KHEDIVE ISMAIL sailed at 0300 hrs; SLAMAT did follow at 0415 hrs, by which time she had embarked about 500 troops: about half her capacity.

The convoy steamed sth down the Argolis Gulf, until at 0645. LW a/c attacked it firstly with 3 Bf 109 E-7 fighter bombers, then 9 Ju87s from JG77, Ju88 and Do17Z bombers and additional 9 Bf 109s. A 250 kg (550 lb) bomb exploded between SLAMAT's bridge and forward funnel, setting her afire. Her water system became disabled, hampering her crew's ability to fight the fire. Another bomb also hit her and she started to list to starboard.

SLAMAT's captain, Tjalling Luidinga, gave the order to abandon ship at about that time. . The bombing and fire had destroyed some of her lifeboats and her remaining boats and rafts were launched under a second _Stuka_ attack. The DD HMS HOTSPUR reported seeing four bombs hit SLAMAT. Two lifeboats capsized; one from overloading and another when, in the midst of transferring survivors, DD DIAMOND had to speed away from her to evade an air attack. Some aircraft were observed machine-gunning survivors in the water.

The rest of the convoy were ordered to keep moving, while CALCUTTA rescued some survivors and ordered the DIAMOND to continue rescue operations. At 0815 hrs DIAMONDwas still rescuing survivors and still under more or less continuous attack with the LW continuing it terror attacks on men in the water. At 0916 hrs 3 DDs from Crete reinforced the convoy, so CALCUTTA sent one of them, HMS WRYNECK , to assist DIAMOND. By 0925 hrs DIAMOND signalled that she had rescued most of the survivors and was heading for Suda Bay. WRYNECK reached DIAMOND about 1000 hrs and requested aircraft cover at 1025 hrs. It never arrived.

DIAMOND accompanied by WRYNECK returned to SLAMAT, arriving about 1100 hrs. They found two lifeboats from SLAMAT and rescued their occupants. SLAMAT by this time was afire from stem to stern, and DIAMOND fired a torpedo at her port side that sank her By now DIAMOND was carrying about 600 of SLAMAT's survivors, including Captain Luidinga.

About 1315 hrs a Staffel of Ju 87 bombers came out of the sun in a surprise attack on the two DD sinking both of them . Two bombs damaged *D Class DD HMS DIAMOND (RN 1375 grt)* was hit on the superstructure, destroying both of her lifeboats and sank her in under 8 mins.





Three bombs hit *V&W Class DD WRYNECK (RN 1118 grt)*; she capsized to port and sank in 10–15 minutes. WRYNECK launched her whaler and each DD launched their three Carley FloatsSeveral men in the Carley floats died either from wounds or from drowning in the swell





WRYNECK's engineer, Maurice Waldron, took command of her whaler and she set off east past Cape Maleas towing two Carley floats and their occupants. In the evening the wind increased, causing the floats to strike the boat, so Waldron reluctantly cast them adrift. DD HMS GRIFFIN rescued survivors from WRYNECK and DIAMOND, some of whom were survivors from SLAMAT. She later took the survivors from to Port Said

After 1900 hrs on 27 April Pridham Wippell became concerned that DIAMOND had not returned to Suda Bay and was not answering radio signals. WRYNECK had been ordered to keep radio silence, so no attempt was made to radio her. Pridham-Wippell sent the DD GRIFFIN to the position where SLAMAT had been lost. She found 14 survivors in two Carley floats that night, more floats and another four survivors in the morning, and took the survivors to Crete.
Survivors in WRYNECK's whaler reached Crete in three stages. On 28 April they aimed for the island of MILOS but were too exhausted so they landed at Ananes Rock, about 13 nautical miles (24 km) SE of Milos. There they met a caïque full of Greek refugees and British soldiers evacuated from Piraeous, who were sheltering by day and sailing only by night to avoid detection. In the evening everyone left Ananes and headed south for Crete, with most people in the caïque and five being towed in the whaler. On 29 April the caïque sighted an LC that had left Porto Rafti near Athens. She took aboard everyone from the caïque and whaler, and the next day they reached Suda Bay.

Nearly 1,000 people were killed in the loss of SLAMAT, DIAMOND and WRYNECK Of the 500 or so soldiers that SLAMAT embarked, only eight survived. Of her complement of 193 crew and 21 Australian and New Zealand DEMS gunners and NZEF Medical Corps, 11 survived. Of DIAMOND's 166 complement, 20 survived. Of WRYNECK's 106 crew, 27 survived

Untouched in these attacks were DDs, VENDETTA, and WATERHEN which were escorting the main group while this drama was unfolding.

After the above losses, VENDETTA and WATERHEN relieved DDs ISIS and HOTSPUR which were escorting troopship KHEDIVE ISMAEL. DDs ISIS and HOTSPUR then ran on to Suda Bay. DD HAVOCK carried the Army HQ and also the Flag Officer Attached Middle East at Navplion and took them to Monemvasia. The DD was then to escort *Steamer SANTA BARBARA (UK 5000 grt (est)) *from Monemvasia. However, the steamer was sunk by bombing before the destroyer arrived.
[NO IMAGE FOUND

Kalamata:Troopships CITY OF LONDON, COSTA RICA, and DILWARA, CLA PHOEBE, DDs HERO, HEREWARD, and DEFENDER, and sloop FLAMINGO. DEFENDER embarked the Yugoslav crown jewels for transport to Alexandria. Cruiser PHOEBE and DDs HERO and HEREWARD returned empty.

CLs ORION and PERTH and DD STUART arrived at Suda at 1100 with 2000 men. A total of 4300 men were evacuated from Navplion. 8300 men were evacuated from Raphtis and Raphina. 8650 men were evacuated from Kalamata.

Gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Gazala airdrome. Gunboat APHIS bombarded an enemy column in the Halfaya Pass.

*Steamer MAIOTIS (Gk 1712 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Aegean. The steamer was later salved and taken to Trieste and used in Italian service.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MARIA STATHATOU (Gk 6303 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Mylos.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ZAKYNTHOS (Gk 960 grt) *was sunk by the LW off Monemvasia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TAKU departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Submarine UNION departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on 4 May.

*Central Atlantic*
British troopship EMPIRE TROOPER departed Gibraltar, escorted by corvette PRIMULA, for Freetown.

US CV WASP with CA QUINCY and DDs LIVERMORE and KEARNEY departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol. This patrol concluded at Bermuda on 12 May. This is the first use of the aircraft carriers on this patrol.

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (Apr 27, 2016)

*27 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Hunt Class Type II Escort DD HMS FARNDALE (L-70)





Fairmile B ML 249
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Auxiliary fighter catapult ship PATIA (UK 5355 grt)* was sunk off the Tyne near 20.G Buoy, Coquet Island. Baker, T/Lt C. S. Nicholls RNVR, and T/Sub Lt (E) B. K. Prim RNR, and eighteen ratings were killed on the ship. A rating died of wounds on the 28th and T/A/Sub Lt W. Kirkham RNVR, died of wounds on the 29th. Lt F. J. Owen RNR, T/Lt E. L. Riley RNVR, and P/T/Lt B. E. T. Williams RNR, and thirteen ratings were missing. T/Lt (E) E. Jones RNR, T/Paymaster Sub Lt J. McDonald RNR, T/Sub Lt (E) E. H. Maddock RNR, and T/Surgeon Lt A. Watt RNVR, were wounded.





U.552 sank *trawler COMMANDER HORTON (UK 227 grt)* SE of Iceland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.147 sank *Steamer RIMFAKSE (Nor 1134 grt)* in the Denmark Strait. The ship was transporting coal to Iceland from Blyth, with a crew of 19. 11 crew were lost in the attack. At 0242 hrs the unescorted RIMFAKSE was struck on the port side by one torpedo from U-147 about 130 miles NW of Scotland and sank by the bow with a heavy list to port within two minutes. Eleven crew members were lost. The Germans tried to question the survivors in the water but got no answers. The master and seven survivors managed to get on a raft, but they were not able to help others that were crying for help in the dark. At dawn they reached another raft by paddling, distributed themselves on the rafts and tied them together. Later that day, the survivors were picked up by HENGIST and taken to Scrabster.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.552 sank *steamer BEACON GRANGE (UK 10,160 grt)* in the Denmark Strait about 130 miles SE of Iceland. The ship was outward bound and empty when lost, on passage from the Tyne to Buenos Airess with a crew of 82. Two crew were missing from the steamer. Corvette GLADIOLUS and Belgian trawler EDOUARD ANSEELE rescued the survivors.





*Steamer CELTE (UK 943 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Denmark Strait. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 27 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553

20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DDs SOMALI and BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow to search for a submarine reported by aircraft. The destroyers were recalled at 23330 and arrived back at Scapa Flow before dawn on the 29th.

DDs TARTAR, ESKIMO, and BROCKLESBY departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth. TARTAR was to boiler clean at Rosyth, whilst ESKIMO and BROCKLESBY were to escort ML AGAMEMNON from Rosyth. The two DDs and the minelayer departed Rosyth on the 29th for Loch Alsh.

Destroyer FARNDALE arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

*West Coast*
OB.315 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BULLDOG, CHELSEA, MANSFIELD, and VERITY and corvette LARKSPUR. On the 29th, BULLDOG was detached and MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER joined. VERITY was detached on 1 May and DD CHELSEA and MANSFIELD on 3 May. The remainder of the escort was detached on 4 May when the convoy dispersed.

Sloop ROSEMARY was damaged in a collision with British steamer CARRICKMACROSS at Milford Haven. The sloop was repaired at Milford Haven from 28 April to 6 June.

*Med/Biscay*
*U Class Submarine HMS USK (RN 540 grt)* was lost on a minefield off Cape Bon. 32 men (the entire crew) were lost. 





Submarine TORBAY unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Cape Ferrato.

Steamer SNA.7 (Vichy 3500 grt (est)) was sunk on a mine off Cape Bon.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

To relieve congestion in Crete, convoy GA.14 departed Suda Bay with commando ship GLENGYLE, troopships Egyptian KHEDIVE ISMAEL, British SALWEEN , British DILWARA , British CITY OF LONDON, and Dutch COSTA RICA.

*Troopship COSTA RICA (NL 8672 grt)* was sunk by the LW bombing north of Crete with 2600 troops embarked, while this convoy was forming. The entire crew and all passengers were rescued by CLA PHOEBE and DDs HERO, HEREWARD, and DEFENDER. The convoy was escorted by CLAs COVENTRY and CALCUTTA, RAN DDs STUART, VENDETTA, WATERHEN, and VAMPIRE, and sloop FLAMINGO. DD WRYNECK was supposed to be in this force, but at this time it was not known she was lost.





DD GRIFFIN was sent north to attempt to locate DDs DIAMOND and WRYNECK and found a liferaft carrying one officer and forty eight ratings. CL PERTH and CLA PHOEBE and DDs DECOY, HASTY, NUBIAN, HEREWARD, HERO, and DEFENDER covered the convoy, and arrived at Alexandria on the 29th.

During the night of 27/28 April DEMON continued.

CL AJAX and DDs KINGSTON, KIMBERLEY, and HAVOCK, assisted by three Greek caiques, lifted 4200 troops from Raphina and Raphtis.

*Steamer EVANGHELOS GEORGIOU (Gk 441 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Kithera.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ASTIR (Gk 1350 grt)* was sunk by the LW German bombing at Kapsalion.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TASSOS (Gk 333 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Hermione.

*Steamer FRAGISCOS (Gk 441 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Aegean Archipelago.

*Steamer HOLLANDIA (Gk 1759 grt)* anchored at Hermione with engine trouble on the 23rd. She was sunk by the LW at Hermione, near Navplion Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DANAPRIS (Gk 2113 grt)* was damaged by the LW at Piraeus. Immobilised, she was captured and then put into service by the Germans
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARON intercepted five French steamers, escorted by a patrol vessel in the central Atlantic. The Admiralty directed that the convoy should be allowed to proceed. The convoy, escorted by auxiliary patrol vessel ASPRIANT BRUN, departed Casablanca on the 24th and arrived at Dakar on 2 May.

SL.73 departed Freetown escort AMC ESPERANCE BAY for the day only and corvettes CLEMATIS, CROCUS, CYCLAMAN, and MARGUERITE to 6 May. DD DUNCAN escorted the convoy from 29 April to 1 May. On 3 May, CL DRAGON joined to 6 May. DDs BOADICEA to 25 May, COLUMBIA to 25 May, and ST FRANCIS to 21 May and ocean boarding vessels HILARY and REGISTAN, both to 25 May joined on 19 May. On 20 May, DD ST CLAIR for the day only, sloop EGRET to 25 May, and corvettes ARROWHEAD, HEPATICA, SNOWBERRY, and SPIKENARD, all to 25 May, joined, and arrived at Liverpool on 25 May.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed St Helena.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DAUNTLESS departed Singapore. 

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (Apr 29, 2016)

*28 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Cimarron Class AO USS SALAMONIE (AO 26)





*Losses*
*ASW trawler CAROLINE (RN 253 grt)* with a Dutch crew was sunk on a mine off
Milford Haven, 13.6 cables 224° from Great Castle Head. All hands were lots
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Ammunition storage ship MONCOUSU (UK 1420 grt) *was sunk by German bombing at Plymouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CLAN BUCHANAN (UK 7266 grt) *was sunk by DKM Raider PINGUIN in the Indian Ocean. The entire crew were picked up, but 107 of these captives. were lost when PINGUIN was sunk on 8 May.




U.65, U.96, and U.552 attacks on convoy HX.121. 
With assistance from Enigma intercepts, the British hunter killer groups then beginning to form enjoyed their fir first successes.

*Type IXB U-65 (DKM 1178 grt) *was sunk on 28 April 1941 in the North Atlantic SE of Iceland, in position 59.51N, 15.30W, as she was maneuvering to attack HX 112 by DCs from the RN DD HMS DOUGLAS with 50 crew lost (all handst).





SE of Iceland, in position 60.04N, 15.45W, the British corvette HMS GLADIOLUS depth charged U-96. She was forced to dive deep and this did affect her performance in the ensuing convoy battle but disappointingly, there was no damage inflicted on U-96.
These attacks were for many years believed to be those that caused the loss of U-65.

U-552, after torpedoing a ship in HX 121 sth of Iceland, was depth charged in five separate attacks from the escort attached to the special striking Gp, HMS MAORI and INGLEFIELD, forcing the boat to remain submerged for hours until the convoy was out of range

U.552 torpedoed *tanker CAPULET (UK 8190 grt)* in the Western Approaches. She was on passage from Curacao directly to Scapa. Carrying Fuel Oil. A crew of 44 was embarked. The tanker was abandoned on fire and was later sunk by gunfire from U-201 on the 2 May . Eight crew and one passenger were lost on the tanker.





U.96 sank *tkr OILFIELD (UK 8516 grt)* in the Western Approaches. On passage from Aruba to London via Halifax, she had a crew of 55 and a full load of benzene when lost. 45 crew and two gunners were lost on the tanker. At 1925 hrs, U-96 fired three single torpedoes at three tankers in HX-121south of Iceland and reported the sinking of two tankers with 18,000 tons and damaging another with 6000 tons after observing three hits. The tankers OILFIELDand the CALEDONIA were sunk and the freighter PORT HARDY was hit and sunk after the torpedo had missed the intended target.
The OILFIELD caught fire immediately and burned until she broke in two and sank the next day. The master, 44 crew members and two gunners were lost. Six crew members and two gunners were picked up by HMS ST ZENO and landed at Londonderry.





U.96 sank *tkr CALEDONIA(Nor 9892 grt) *in the Western Approaches. She was on passage from Aruba to Glasgow via Halifax, carrying Fuel Oil when lost. Seven crew members of the 35 men and two gunners aboard the CALEDONIA died in the engine room. Five others jumped overboard and tried to get to the only launched lifeboat, but they drifted into the burning inferno around the nearby torpedoed OILFIELD and died. The 25 men in the lifeboat desperately tried to rescue them, but this had to be given up because of the intense heat. The survivors were picked up by the British rescue ship ZAAFARAN and landed in Gourock on 1 May.





U.96 sank *steamer PORT HARDY (UK 8897 grt)* in the Western Approaches. One crewman was lost. The vessel was on passage from Wellington (NZ) to Avonmouth via Halifax with a crew of 98 and carrying a cargo of meat and dairy products, and some zinc ore. The PORT HARDY was hit on the port side abaft the main mast by one torpedo and sank after about three hours about 165 miles NNW of Rockall. One crew member was lost. The master, 82 crew members, four gunners and ten passengers were picked up by the British rescue ship ZAAFARAN and landed at Greenock on 1 May.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 28 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-65, U-75, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553

20 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer MARIE DAWN was damaged by the LW near Sheringham Buoy (off the Norfolk coast). British steamer EMPIRE STRAIT was damaged by the LW off Great Yarmouth.

*Northern Patrol*
BC HOOD and DDs ECHO, ACTIVE, ACHATES, and ANTHONY departed Hvalfjord to cover convoys HX.122, escorted by AMC ALAUNIA, and SC.29, escorted by AMC RANPURA. CA SUFFOLK departed Iceland on patrol. 

*West Coast*
OB.316 departed liverpool, escort DDs WOLVERINE and WOOLSTON and corvette BEGONIA. WOOLSTON was detached on the 29th. On the 30th, DDs SALADIN and SKATE and MSW HARRIER joined the convoy. DD WOLVERINE and the MSW were detached on 3 May. DDs SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN were detached on 4 May. The convoy was dispersed on 5 May and corvette BEGONIA was detached.

Submarine H.31 and DD VENOMOUS collided during A/S training exercises at Londonderry. VENOMOUS was repaired at Londonderry completed on 18 May. 
The submarine received damage to her aft hydroplanes.

*Western Approaches*
DDs INGLEFIELD and MAORI, which formed a striking force for HX.121, attacked a submarine contact in 60-10N, 17W, where they claimed sinking a submarine.

DDs SOMALI and BEDOUIN were sent from Scapa Flow to investigate a submarine contact reported by aircraft in 59-16N, 7-23W.

*Med/Biscay*
Salvage work on CA YORK was suspended.

During the night of 28/29 April, DEMON continues.

Kithera - sloop AUCKLAND, corvettes HYACINTH and SALVIA embarked 750 RAF and other personnel.

Monemvasia - CL AJAX and DDs HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, ISIS, and GRIFFIN lifted 4320 troops, including the units delivered there by DD HAVOCK on the 27th.

Kalamata – RAN CL PERTH, CLA PHOEBE and DDs NUBIAN, HERO, DEFENDER, HEREWARD, DECOY, and DEFENDER.

DDs KINGSTON, KIMBERLEY, and KANDAHAR were sent to join the Kalamata force to pick up Yugoslav refugees. On arrival at Kalamata, the harbour was reported to be in enemy hands. DD HERO was sent to investigate and the Main Force retired. DDs HERO, KIMBERLEY, KANDAHAR, and KINGSTON did pick up some 450 troops from Kalamata.

Lighter A.15 departed Suda Bay to assist damaged lighter A.5 off Monemvasia. The lighter had been damaged by the LW. The lighter was later sunk.

En route, *lighter A.15 (RN 250 grt (est))* was sunk by the LW with all hands aboard lost.
(NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Pre WWI TB KYZIKOS (RHN 243 grt) *was sunk by the LW at Salamis.




*Steamer AIKATERINI (Gk 462 grt) *was sunk by German bombing off Spetsopoulou. The attackers again engaged in machine gunning the survivors in the water.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ELENI CANAVARIOTI (Gk 797 grt)* was sunk by German bombing. The survivors were landed at Izmir.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

During the night of 28/29 and 29/30 April, Malta was heavily bombed.

DD ENCOUNTER in drydock at Malta was badly damaged in attacks on 29 and 30 April. On the 29th, a bomb penetrated her forecastle and exploded inside the ship. The DD was further damaged by bombing on 16 May. ENCOUNTER was repaired completing in mid July and sailed for Gibraltar on 23 July.

*MSW FERMOY (RN 250 grt(est)) *was damaged beyond repair in dock at Malta on 29 and 30 April.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ASW trawler CORAL and MSW drifter TRUSTY STAR were also damaged by bombing.

A Swordfish of 810 Sqn ditched off Gibraltar on take off. Sub Lt R. S. Charlier was picked up by CL SHEFFIELD, but Leading Airman D. R. B. Evans was lost.

Force H arrived back at Gibraltar after operations DUNLOP and SALIENT. DDrs FEARLESS, FURY, and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to join battleship QUEEN ELIZABETH and escort her to Gibraltar.

Submarine URGE departed Gibraltar for Malta.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CVL HERMES and CL ENTERPRISE were in the Persian Gulf covering the landings at Basra from convoy BP.1 of steamers NEVASA, BANDRA, ESPERANCE. Steamer WESTERNLAND travelled in this convoy and proceeded on to Suez. Convoy BP.1 departed Bombay on the 21st, escorted by AMC ANTENOR. Sloop LAWRENCE joined on the 25th and sloop FALMOUTH on the 28th. Sloop LAWRENCE was detached on the 28th when RAN sloop YARRA and gunboat COCKCHAFER joined. The convoy arrived at Basra on the 29th.

On the 30th, convoy BP.1A of troopships DEVONSHIRE and NEURALIA departed Bombay, escorted by RAN AMC KANIMBLA. Sloop FALMOUTH joined on 3 May. The convoy arrived at Basra on 6 May.

Convoy BP.2 departed Karachi on 6 May with troopships ROHNA, LANCASHIRE, and VARELA, escorted by KANIMBLA. The convoy arrived at Basra on 10 May.

Convoy BP.3 departed on 9 May from Bombay, escorted by AMC ANTENOR, with troopships TALMA, RAULA, EKMA, and SANTHIA for Basra and STRATHMORE for Suez and from Karachi, escorted by AMC KANIMBLA with EGRA and EL MADINA for Port Sudan. The convoy arrived at Aden on 15 May.

On 10 May, steamers RISALDAR, BAHADUR, JALAVIHAR, and JALADUTA departed Bombay, independently, for Basra.

Convoy BP.4 departed Bombay on 23 May with troopships NEURALIA, DEVONSHIRE, and ISLAMI, escorted by armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR. Sloop SHOREHAM joined on 23 May. The convoy arrived at Basra on 30 May.

The BP series continued and ended 1941 with BP.29 sailing on 18 December. AMCs ANTENOR or KANIMBLA being the escorts through BP.11. After BP.16 and through BP.40 in March 1942, the convoys travelled without escort.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DANAE departed Penang.


*Malta*


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## parsifal (Apr 29, 2016)

*29 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIb U-84




6 ships sunk, total tonnage 29,905 GRT
Sunk on 7 August 1943 in the North Atlantic south-west of Bermuda, in position 27.55N, 68.30W, by a “Fido” homing torpedo from a US B-24 aircraft (VB-105 USN/B-4). 46 dead 

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS PICTOU (K-146)




Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS ARRAN (T-06)





Brigand Class Rescue Tug HMS FREEBOOTER (W-01)





Motor MSW MMS - 12




_Motor Minesweeper J 636 underway in British coastal waters_

*Losses*
U.75 sank *Liner CITY OF NAGPUR (UK 10,146 grt)* in the N th Atlantic, whilst she was on passage from Glasgow to Karachi via Freetown carrying about 2000 tons of general cargo. 468 passengers and crew were aboard at the time. At 0229 hrs the unescorted CITY OF NAGPUR was hit on the starboard side by one G7e torpedo from U-75 about 600 miles west of Valentia Island, Ireland. The U-boat had spotted this ship and another merchant one day earlier, but then missed her with a first G7e torpedo at 0608 hrs and the other ship with a G7e torpedo at 1314 hours. The CITY OF NAGPURsent radio messages after being hit, but stopped when the Germans fired at her with machine guns. At 0252 hrs, the U-boat fired a stern torpedo, which was a dud. An attempt to set the ship on fire by gunfire was not successful, so a coup de grace was fired at 0333 hrs, which hit on the port side and caused a list. The CITY OF NAGPUR finally sank by the stern one minute after being hit aft by a third torpedo at 0600 hrs. 15 crew members and one passenger were lost. The master, 170 crew members, eight gunners and 273 passengers were picked up by DD HMS HURRICANE and landed at Greenock, where one crew member died of wounds in a hospital.





*Steamer KALUA (UK 722 grt)* was sunk by the LW 1.5 miles NNE of T.2 Buoy, mouth of Tyne. The entire crew were rescued.





DKM S-Boat Flotilla 1 with S.26, S.27, S.29, and S.55 attacked Convoy EC.13 of 57 ships off Cromer.

*Steamer AMBROSE FLEMING (UK 1555 grt)* was sunk by S.29 with the loss of ten crew and one gunner from a complement of 22. DDs WORCESTER, EGLINTON, WHITSHED, and WALLACE engaged the S-boats and were mostly successful in protecting the convoy .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*ML.278 (RN 76 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Portsmouth. The entire crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U141
Lorient: U-94 

At Sea 29 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553

21 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML AGAMEMNON departed Rosyth after repairs escorted by DDs ESKIMO and BROCKLESBY for Loch Alsh. The DDs arrived proceeded to Scapa Flow on 1 May after the escort.
British steamer PROWESS was damaged by mine off Projector Buoy, Humber.
British steamer CORGLEN and Norwegian steamer ASKELADDEN were damaged by the LW off T.2 Buoy, Tyne. Both ships were towed back to port.

*Northern Waters*
DD ARROW departed Scapa Flow at for Chatham to refitting and arrived on the 30th. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.20 in the Pentland Firth and provide escort until meeting convoy EC.13, on 1 May in Pentland Firth. EC. 13 was escorted to Methil, arriving on 2 May.

*Channel*
In heavy LW air attacks during the night of 29/30 April, CL TRINIDAD under construction at Devonport was hit by a bomb. There was some damage to offices and cabins. Aux PV PESSAC was damaged by the LW attacks at Plymouth. The ship sank with heavy bottom damage. The vessel was repaired in 1942. Lighter C.293 was sunk by German bombing at Plymouth. She was raised, repaired and returned to service

*Med/Biscay*
Convoy GA.15 departed the Aegean with troopships DELANE (6054grt), THURLAND CASTLE (6372grt), COMLIEBANK (5149grt), CORINTHIA (3701grt), ITRIA (6854grt), and IONIA (1936grt) and oiler BRAMBLELEAF. The convoy was escorted by CLA CARLISLE, DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON, and sloop AUCKLAND.

The convoy was covered by Vice Admiral, Light Forces in CL ORION which departed Suda Bay and joined the aborted Kalamata force cruisers PERTH and PHOEBE and the Monemvasia cruiser AJAX north of Crete. DDs DECOY, DEFENDER, NUBIAN, HASTY, and HEREWARD covered the convoy.

DDs HOTSPUR, HAVOCK, ISIS, KIMBERLEY, and HERO were left behind to collect stragglers from the islands.

Rawlings departed Alexandria with BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE and RAN DDs STUART, VENDETTA, VAMPIRE, WATERHEN, VOYAGER, and RN GREYHOUND to support the convoy. Rawlings met Pridham Wipple south of Kaso Strait on the 30th. PHOEBE and PERTH and DD NUBIAN joined Rawlings and the rest of the force was sent on to Alexandria, arriving on the 30th. Rawlings was also joined by DD ILEX from Alexandria and DDs JUNO and JAGUAR from Malta about this time.
Rawlings contacted convoy GA.15 shortly after and PERTH and NUBIAN were detached to the convoy for close support. DD NUBIAN was damaged by the near miss from the LW. The DD required docking on arrival but her damage was described as “light”.




_Med Flt at sea and under escort from the “Scrap Iron” Flotilla_

After leaving the convoy, Rawlings then turned north to support the Melos and Kalamata forces, and arrived at Alexandria on 1 May. DDs DECOY and DEFENDER continued on to Port Said with two steamers. The Mediterranean Fleet returned to Alexandria on 3 May.

During the night of 29/30 April, DEMON continued.

DDs ISIS, KIMBERLEY, and HERO embarked on 16 officers and 17 other ranks from Kalamata. The reports that the harbour had been captured were not yet fully in effect.
DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR moved a battalion of troops from Suda Bay to Heraklion.

*Convoy service ship CHAKLA (RN 3081 grt)* was sunk by German bombers inside Tobruk Harbour. Two ratings were wounded in the sinking of the ship.





*Steamer AETOS (Gk 125 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Greek waters.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The following two ships were bombed and damaged by the LW. Unable to move, they were captured and put into German service at the end of May .

*Steamer ELSI (1433grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KONISTRA (Gk 3537 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine PANDORA departed Gibraltar for patrol off Naples.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.30 departed Halifax, escort AMC SALOPIAN, corvettes COBALT and COLLINGWOOD, and submarine THUNDERBOLT. The corvettes were detached the next day and the submarine on 10 May. On 12 May, DD WATCHMAN, corvette VIOLET, and ASW trawlers ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA joined the convoy. Corvette ABELIA joined the convoy on 14 May. DD WATCHMAN was detached on 15 May. CAM ship ARIGUANI, DDs ERIDGE, LEAMINGTON, and ROXBOROUGH, and MSWs HUSSAR and NIGER joined on 15 May and were detached on 18 May. AMCs SALOPIAN was detached on 17 May. DD BURWELL and corvettes ANEMONE and VERONICA joined on 18 May. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 20 May.

*Central Atlantic*
Corvettes GARDENIA and COLUMBINE arrived at Gibraltar from the UK after escort duty with convoy OG.59. 

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Colombo to search for German raider PINGUIN six hundred miles west of the Maldives.

*Cyrenaica*
Bryant's diary: Tuesday 29th April 1941
We had four very intense air-raid attacks in our area. One in the morning, two at dinner time and one at tea-time. There were over 50 planes used in the latter raid and although they drop a large number of bombs and make a terrible amount of noise they do remarkably little damage. I struck it lucky today and found plenty of tinned food and this should be a good reserve.

*Malta*


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## Njaco (Apr 30, 2016)

*April 28 Monday*
*NORTH AFRICA:* At 0600 hours the Luftwaffe bombs Tobruk harbour and defensive positions, to cover the continued buildup of German and Italian troops and armour around the perimeter. General Paulus (German Deputy Chief of Staff), who arrived yesterday, orders Rommel to delay his planned attack on Tobruk, reflecting concerns that Rommel is being too reckless.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” attacked British ship “_Clan Buchanan_” in the Arabian Sea 1,200 miles east of Mogadishu, British Somaliland. Before the crew of 110 surrendered and the ship scuttled, a distress signal was sent out, and British warships were dispatched to the area to hunt for “_Pinguin_”.

Obfw. Marseille scores his second victory (his 8th kill overall) in North Africa, a RAF Blenheim bomber over the water off Tobruk.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Members of the 'America First Committee' held a rally in Chicago. In the speeches, mention of Winston Churchill's name drew boos from the 10,000 person audience. A speech by Colonel Charles Lindbergh, the respected US isolationist, was interrupted by applause when he said that England was in a desperate situation, her shipping losses serious, 'her cities devastated by bombs'. Two months later, the city council of Charlotte, North Carolina, changed the name of Lindbergh Drive to Avon Terrace.

Charles Sweeney joined the United States Army Air Corps. He would later become the pilot of B-29 Superfortress bomber ‘Bockscar’ that delivered the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-123 detected Allied convoy HX121 150 miles south of Iceland and radioed the finding to 5 other submarines. At 0415 hours, U-552 sank a tanker. At 0725 hours, U-96 sank 2 tankers and 1 freighter. U-552 and U-96 are both depth charged by the convoy escorts. While attacking, U-65 was sunk by depth charges launched by British destroyer HMS “_Douglas_”, killing the entire crew of 50.

*GERMANY:* British Stirling bombers of No. 7 Squadron RAF attacked Emden, Germany during the day.

In Berlin, Germany, German ambassador to the Soviet Union Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg attempted to convince Adolf Hitler that the Soviet Union was generally friendly toward Germany, and the two nations could achieve greater friendship by working closer together.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita:  German aircraft sank Greek torpedo boat “_Kyzikos_” and 2 other ships during the day. Overnight, 4170 Allied troops are evacuated from the Peloponnese peninsula. 2 German companies (5.Panzerdivision) drive into the port of Kalamata and capture the quay as the evacuation begins. Though Allied forces would recapture the port by the end of the day, all British ships had already departed from Kalamata. Royal Navy warships sail back to sea, having embarked only 322 men. HMAS “_Perth_”, had been sent to Greece again to embark troops at Kalamata, which was unsuccessful, and some 6000 troops were left behind to fall into German hands. Most Allied troops are too exhausted to resist but there are several independent small group actions. Sergeant Jack Hinton of New Zealand 2nd Division led an attack to retake the quay at Kalamata, Greece, clearing out 3 machine gun nests and a mortar with grenades and capturing a 6-inch gun. He was shot in the stomach and taken prisoner. He would later win the Victoria Cross (he will receive his medal from King George at Buckingham Palace on May 11 1945, after his release). Allied forces recapture the quay (41 Germans killed, 60 wounded, 100 taken prisoner) but it is too late, the warships are gone.

The Italians began occupying the Ionian and Aegean Islands.

A Seagull amphibian aircraft from HMAS “_Perth_”, (cruiser), was shot down by German aircraft off Anti Kyrethia, Greece. The aircraft crashed into the sea, but her crew of three, (Flight Lieutenant E. V. Beaumont, RAAF, SBLT G. F. Brian, RAN, and PO Telegraphist D. Bowden), swam to a nearby island and were later rescued by HMS “Havock”.

Günther Altenburg was made the Reich Plenipotentiary for Greece.

German bombers attacked Malta overnight, badly damaging destroyer HMS “_Encounter_” in the drydock and destroying minesweeper HMS “_Fermoy_”.

Operation Temple: Such was the desperate condition of Malta that it was decided to explore the possibility of supplying the island by means of clandestine passage by unescorted merchant ships. The steamer “Parracombe” proceeded as a single ship escorted by the corvettes “Columbine” and “Gardenia” to pass through the Strait during the night. Patrols had explicit orders neither to approach nor challenge the ship, whose escort was to detach off Europa Point. “Parracombe” was loaded with 21 cased Hurricane fighters and their associated spares, 68 UP (unrotated projectile) rocket projectors and ammunition for them, and various other military stores. Passing through the Straits she wore the Spanish ensign, assuming French colours when well to the eastward, off the Algerian coast. Her orders were to pass close to Cape Bon, and then to break for Malta during the dark hours to arrive within 50 miles of Malta at dawn to receive fighter cover.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe attacks Plymouth overnight with 124 aircraft.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Caroline_”, manned by Dutch sailors, hit a mine and sank off Milford Haven, Wales, killing the entire crew.

Winston Churchill, without reference to the Chiefs of Staff, issued a directive stating that there is no need at the present time to make provisions for the defence of Malaya and Singapore.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command conducts a Roadstead operation and a Rhubarb operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft to attack warships at Brest overnight.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* A clampdown is made in Norway against degenerate literature, with large-scale book burnings being held.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *A beginning was made by the Royal Australian Navy in the employment of women, when 12 members of the Womens’ Emergency Signalling Corps were engaged for duty as telegraphists at Harman wireless station, Canberra, ACT.


.


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## Njaco (Apr 30, 2016)

*April 29 Tuesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita: Allied resistance on mainland Greece ended at 0530 hours when 8,000 British, New Zealand, Australian, Greek, and Yugoslavian troops surrendered at Kalamata, Greece. The evacuation is over, although men will be collected from various small Greek islands over the next few days. Germans take 6508 British, 2030 Australian, 1614 New Zealand prisoners, plus 3806 Cypriots and Palestinians. Allied support of the British government commitments to Greece (executed mainly by NZ and Australian troops) has cost 2250 killed and wounded and 14,000 taken prisoner (out of 58,000 sent to Greece). In addition, 104 tanks, 192 field guns, 164 anti-tank guns, 40 anti-aircraft guns, 1812 machine guns, 8000 trucks are lost plus 209 aircraft destroyed (72 lost during the combat phase, 55 bombed on the ground by Luftwaffe, 82 destroyed or abandoned during the evacuation). Germany has overrun Greece in 23 days with 1318 killed and 3360 wounded (plus 166 killed and 392 wounded in Yugoslavia). In contrast, the Greco-Italian war in Northern Greece and Southern Albania (which was ended by the German invasion) costs Greece and Italy each about 14000 killed with 60,000 wounded. On the same day, British intelligence picked up positive information about the German invasion of Crete. In response, most British troopships at Suda Bay in Crete were dispatched to Alexandria, Egypt to prevent being attacked by German aircraft.

Six Ju 88s attack Valleta in the early evening. Seventeen Hurricanes are scrambled and shoot down one Ju 88.

Mihailovic and small group of officers and men cross into German-occupied Serbia to form nucleus of Cetnik resistance.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Charles Lindbergh announced in a letter that he was resigning as a member of the Army Air Corps Reserve due to President Roosevelt's implied criticism of him. The U.S. War Department accepted his resignation.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Luftwaffe attacks Plymouth overnight with 162 aircraft, damaging cruiser HMS “_Trinidad_” and sinking auxiliary patrol vessel “_Pessac_”. British vessel “_Moncousu_” damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft at Plymouth and subsequently sinks.

The British Admiralty issued a request for six C-3 Liberty hulls to be converted to fighter aircraft carriers. Five of these (HMS “_Archer_”, “_Avenger_”, “_Biter_”, “_Dasher_” and “_Tracker_”) would enter service in 1943 equipped with Martlet and Swordfish aircraft.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Rommel is still prevented from launching an attack by General Paulus (OKH Deputy Chief of Staff). German bombers again attack the defensive perimeter, to cover the troop movements around the perimeter, and the harbour, sinking HMS “_Chakla_” (previously an Indian passenger ship commissioned into the Royal Navy).

*MIDDLE EAST: *Another Brigade from the British 10th Indian Division lands at Basra, ignoring Iraqi's protests. The Iraqi Army lays siege to The RAF base at Habbaniyh, although RAF planes fly numerous air strikes against them.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-75 hit British passengerliner “_City of Nagpur_” 500 miles west of Ireland with 4 torpedoes between 0230 and 0600 hours, ultimately sinking her and killing 16; 452 survivors were picked up by destroyer HMS “_Hurricane_”.

10 miles off the coast of England, in the North Sea, German motor torpedo boats sank British ship “_Ambrose Fleming_”, killing 11.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 71 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Roadstead operation: Daylight raid by bombers with fighter escort against shipping off Calais. RAF Bomber Command sends 31 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 39 aircraft to attack coastal targets.


.


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## Njaco (Apr 30, 2016)

*April 30 Wednesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen 25/ Unternehmen Marita:  The British are finished in their defense of Greece and have withdrawn to Crete and Egypt. Since the beginning of the invasion on 6 April to today, the Luftwaffe have destroyed sixty-four British aircraft in the air and a further eighty-seven on the ground.

The Italian 2nd Paratroop Battalion from the 'Folgore' Division drops in on Zante, Cephalonia and San Mauro, capturing the Greek islands and 250 Greek troops. That same day, a Blackshirt unit captures Corfu and a Greek battalion that had regrouped in the local woods.

The Greek island of Crete, with a major Royal Navy base at Suda Bay, is the obvious next stop for the German invasion. New Zealand General Bernard Freyberg VC was appointed commander of Allied forces on Crete, Greece, commanding a garrison of poorly-armed 29,000 British, Australian, and New Zealand troops and 9,000 Greek troops. Many are unarmed and most guns and vehicles have been abandoned on the mainland. Freyberg is briefed by General Wavell on German plans to attack with ‘airborne troops plus a possible sea attack' using intelligence from ‘most secret sources' (Ultra intercepts, but Freyberg is not told this).

German aircraft bombed Malta with a heavy raid against the harbour and Valleta. A bomb passed through British cruiser HMS “_Gloucester_” without detonating. The cathedral and a Greek Orthodox church are destroyed.

Georgios Tsolakoglou was named the Prime Minister of the German puppet Hellenic State. Germany appoints Milan Acimovic leader of Serbian puppet government.

Italian supply convoy departs Messina and Augusta for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Euro_” and “_Fulmine_” and three torpedo boats.

In Croatia, Pavelic government passes more anti-Jewish laws, including stripping Jews of citizenship.

*NORTH AFRICA: *After General Paulus has decided to allow a further effort against Tobruk, the heaviest German attack yet goes in after a bombardment by artillery and many Stuka bombers. The ground assault was launched at 2000 hours after an entire day of artillery shelling at Ras el Madauar near Tobruk. German tanks broke through the defensive perimeter, and German infantry overrun several Australian gun posts penetrating as far as 3 kilometers but some Australians hold out, preventing a complete collapse of the defenses. To their right, Italian Brescia Division fails to break in. The Afrika Korps’ second attempt to capture Tobruk is again repulsed by the Australians. A salient in the western section of the perimeter around the Ras el Madauar hill is gained by the attack but vigorous defense halts it there.

By the end of the month, the small Luftwaffe air force of the Afrika Korps is successful in the skies over North Africa. The British have lost twenty-two warplanes during April as opposed to German losses of four aircraft. This forces the British to pull back their aircraft from bases around Tobruk. Obfw. Marseille scores two more victories over Allied aircraft in the desert.

British gunboats HMS “_Aphis_” and HMS “_Ladybird_” bombarded Axis positions at Gazala, Libya and Sollum, Egypt.

A six victory Experten with ZG 76 flying Bf 110s, Helmut Fahlbusch is shot down and killed.

Ribbentrop responds to letter from King Farouk of Egypt with a message indicating Germany has no territorial ambitions in Arab lands.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Overnight, 6,000 Iraqi troops with 30 artillery pieces leave Baghdad on a ‘training exercise’. By dawn, they occupy a plateau overlooking RAF airbase at Habbaniya (45 miles West of Baghdad). Rashid Ali expects the arrival of German aircraft and airborne troops but he will be disappointed. RAF Habbaniya is reinforced with 300 men of 1st Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment flown from RAF Shaibah. British Ambassador, Sir Kinahan Cornwallis, warns British civilians to leave Baghdad (230 escorted by road to Habbaniya and then airlifted to Shaibah, 350 take refuge in the British Embassy and 150 in the American Legation).

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler confers with Jodl about last details for Operation Barbarossa and set the launch date to 22 Jun 1941.

RAF Bomber Command sends 81 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Lassell_” 300 miles southwest of Cape Verde Islands at 2200 hours; 2 were killed, 51 survived.

En route to Liverpool from Nova Scotia, passenger and cargo steamer, SS “_Nerissa_”, was carrying 145 Canadian servicemen, RAF and Royal Norwegian Air Force personnel, Northern Electric technicians, members of the press and a number of civilians. She had sailed across the Atlantic alone and was only 200 miles from her destination when, at 2330 hours, she was struck amidships by a torpedo fired from German submarine U-552. As the lifeboats were being lowered, an explosion split the ship in two, destroying the unlowered boats. U-552 had fired an additional torpedo to ensure the ship’s sinking, striking “_Nerissa_”, three minutes after the first. In the short time between the two impacts and her rapid sinking, the ship’s radio operator was able to send a Mayday signal along with the ship’s position. At first light a Bristol Blenheim of Coastal Command circled the scene. The British destroyer HMS “_Veteran_” arrived an hour later and picked up the survivors who were transferred to the Flower class corvette HMS “_Kingcup_” and landed at Derry. All but 84 of the ship’s complement of 290 passengers and crew were lost. SS “_Nerissa_”, was the only transport carrying Canadian troops to be lost during World War 2.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Four old US Coast Guard Cutters were commissioned into British Royal Navy service at New York, New York, United States. They were christened HMS “_Banff_”, HMS “_Culver_”, HMS “_Fishguard_”, and HMS “_Hartland_” and were manned by crew members of battleship HMS “_Malaya_”, which was currently under repair.

The USA proposes to transfer part of the US Pacific fleet to the Atlantic Ocean. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill supports the move.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

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## Njaco (Apr 30, 2016)

*May 1 Thursday
MEDITERRANEAN:* In one of their almost daily attacks, Axis aircraft raid Valetta harbor, Malta. Spotting a flight of four Hurricanes over the north coast of Malta, Oblt. Muncheberg from 7./JG 26 dives and attacks the flight. He shoots down two of the British fighters in less than two minutes while his wingman claims another Hurricane. Oblt. Muncheberg’s score now stands at forty victories.

Italian troops begin occupying islands of Cephalonia, Ithaca, and Zante.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Ofw. Erich Rudorffer of I./JG 2 is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_ for achieving nineteen aerial victories.

RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft on anti-shipping mission off the Netherlands.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Rommel’s attack at Tobruk peters out as early morning fog confuses both sides. At 0715 hours, panzers move forward but stumble into a newly-laid minefield where they are pinned down by 2-pounder anti-tank guns (12 tanks immobilized). The 'Ariete' and 'Brescia' Divisions with the help of Bersaglieri, Guastatori and Fiat flamethrower tanks smash a large hole in the Australian defenses, capturing 7 strongpoints ( R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8) outside Tobruk. British tanks and artillery are sent in to contain the breach (2 Matilda and 2 Cruiser tanks destroyed). In the evening, counterattack by Australian 2/48th Battalion is repelled with heavy casualties. Rommel had expected to take the town of Tobruk. Instead, he has a salient 2 km deep and 3 km wide, won at heavy cost (1240 casualties, only 35 out of 81 Panzers serviceable with 12 destroyed). RAF bombs Benghazi sinking an Italian freighter.

British submarine HMS “_Upholder_” sinks freighters “_Arcturus_” and “_Leverkusen_” (in an empty Afrika Korps convoy returning from Tripoli) near the Tunisian island of Kerkenah.

Fighting in western Ethiopia between the Italian and Belgian Congolese colonial forces was halted for six weeks due to the rainy season. Despite this Italian Duke of Aosta (Viceroy of Italian East Africa) and 7,000 troops are trapped at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia. 5th Indian Division has arrived from Eritrea in the North, while 1st South African Brigade is pushing up from Dessie in the South.

Luftwaffe and Italian aircraft attack Tobruk. Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down his 10th and 11th kills, two British Hurricane fighters, while escorting German Stuka dive bombers to Tobruk, Libya.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Iraqi force overlooking RAF Habbaniya increases to 9,000 troops with 50 artillery pieces, 12 British Crossley armoured cars and some Italian Fiat light tanks. Despite being on a ‘training exercise’, they demand that all flying from RAF Habbaniya cease immediately. RAF continues reconnaissance flights while Air Vice Marshall Harry Smart seeks advice from London. Unsurprisingly, Churchill’s response is to defend British interests vigorously;


> "If you have to strike, strike hard. Use all necessary force.".



*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 0027 hours 100 miles North of Ireland, U-552 sinks British liner “_Nerissa_” (83 crew and 124 passengers lost, 29 crew and 54 passengers picked up by destroyer HMS “_Veteran_”). At 1834 hours 200 miles off Sierra Leone, U-103 sinks British SS “_Samsø_”. 400 miles north of the Azores, Italian tanker SS “_Sangro_” is captured by British ocean boarding vessel HMS “_Cavina_” and then escorted to Britain by another ocean boarding vessel HMS “_Camito_”.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz: Overnight, Luftwaffe begins a 7-day blitz on Liverpool. The first bomb landed upon Seacombe, Wallasey, Wirral, at 2215 hours. Liverpool Cathedral was hit by a high explosive bomb which pierced the roof of the south-east transept before being deflected by an inner brick wall and exploding mid-air, damaging many stained glass windows. Another landed on the front steps without exploding but incendiaries destroyed equipment in the contractor's yard at the west end.

The British Government created the Ministry of War Transport. Frederick Leathers, an industrialist who started work as an office boy in the coal trade, was appointed head of the new ministry by Mr. Churchill. He will amalgamate the ministries of shipping and transport, and a peerage on joining the government. Another change is the move of Lord Beaverbrook to be Minister of State - a rank without precedent. Lord Brabazon becomes Minister of Aircraft Production.

*GERMANY:* Groß-Rosen Concentration Camp, formerly a satellite camp of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, became an independent camp. It was located in Groß-Rosen, Lower Silesia, Germany (now Rogoznica, Poland).

Generalleutnant August Krakau succeeded Robert Martinek as the commanding officer of the German 7th Mountain Division.

Day and night fighter interceptor controls are united under a single command post. German flak units remain under the control of the individual air district headquarters (Luftgaukommandos), but in other respects German air defense now makes up a single unified military organization.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The Marine Barracks of New River, North Carolina, United States was established with Lieutenant Colonel William P. T. Hill in command.

Joint Army-Navy Board completes Rainbow-5 calling for abandonment of the Philippines upon the outbreak of war and the sacrifice of the garrison. Hart advised by Navy Department that he would be given at least four days’ notice prior to the start of hostilities. Hart instructs his staff to base all plans on a two days’ warning.

*ASIA:* “_Kaga_” entered the drydocks at Sasebo, Japan. “_Kasuga Maru_” began conversion into an escort carrier at Sasebo, Japan.

.


----------



## Njaco (May 1, 2016)

*May 2 Friday*

*MIDDLE EAST: *The Iraqi Army has concentrated a force of more than a division in strength overlooking Habbaniya. The British Flying School Squadron in Habbaniya armed with Gladiator fighters and supported by Wellington bombers from the RAF base at Shuaiba bombs the Iraqi troops in their positions only a mile away from the airbase. At 0500 hours during Muslim morning prayers, 33 aircraft from RAF Habbaniyah and 8 Wellington bombers from RAF Shaibah bomb and strafe Iraqi artillery on the plateau above Habbaniyah, causing the Grand Mufti in Baghdad to declare jihad against Britain. Iraqis reply by shelling RAF Habbaniyah (13 killed and 29 wounded, including civilians on the base). The British have about 80 obsolescent aircraft at Habbaniyah, many of them training types. Despite their age and unsuitability they are immediately employed against the Iraqi forces with considerable success. The British are aided by five companies of Kurds. The British are, therefore, encouraged to hold Habbaniyah although their ground force there is very small. RAF also bombs Iraqi air force base at Rashid airfield near Baghdad (destroying 22 aircraft on the ground). RAF loses 5 aircraft in all. There are also some skirmishes at several points near the Persian Gulf, especially at Basra where there are riots and some shooting in opposition to further British landings.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Fighting continues in the German salient at Tobruk but sandstorms limited the offensive capabilities of German tanks. German infantry are held by Allied reserves sent to plug the gap while sandstorms prevent Rommel from using his Panzers. British gunboat HMS “_Ladybird_” bombards Afrika Korps positions at Derna.

Hans-Joachim Marseille was promoted to the rank of Unteroffizier while stationed in Libya.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British destroyer HMS “_Jersey_” hits a mine off Grand Harbour, Malta, and sinks next to the breakwater (35 crew killed, 48 wounded). As a result, cruiser HMS “_Gloucester_” and destroyers HMS “_Kipling_” and “_Kashmir_” divert to Gibraltar.

Operation Temple: British steamer “_Parracombe_”, carrying 21 crated Hurricane fighters to Malta, sinks on a mine off Cape Bon, Tunisia.

Cyprus Governor announces population from major towns will be relocated to the countryside due to fears of air attack.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft on anti-shipping missions along coast of occupied Europe from France to Norway. German anti-submarine trawler Vp 808 is sunk by RAF bombing off the island of Borkum, near the Dutch/German border. _'Channel Stop'_ a 2,000-ton ship is claimed off Ostend.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Alberic_” and destroyer HMS “_St. Albans_” collide in Pentland Firth between the North of Scotland and the Orkney Islands. HMT “_Alberic_” sinks with the loss of 13 crew. The destroyer sails to Southampton for repairs to her bows (completed on June 4).

*NORTH AMERICA: *Royal Navy commissions convoy escort ship HMS “_Lulworth_” (ex-US Coast Guard Cutter) at New York with a crew from British battleship HMS “_Resolution_” (under repair in USA).

Admiral Ernest J. King assumes command of the USN's Atlantic Fleet.

The USN's Office of Naval Intelligence initiates a three-week indoctrination course to prepare naval officers for foreign and domestic intelligence duties.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz: Luftwaffe bombs Liverpool again overnight with 65 aircraft.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Romanian government established the National Center for Romanianization, which was mainly tasked with expropriating Jewish properties and distributing them to Romanians.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 95 aircraft to attack Hamburg and 17 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

.


----------



## parsifal (May 2, 2016)

*30 APRIL 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc U-501





RM Soldati Class DD LEGIONARO





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS TRAIL (K-174)





Flower Class Corvette HMS CELANDINE (K-75)





Banff Class Sloop HMS BANFF (Y-43)





Banff Class Sloop HMS CULVER (Y-87)





Banff Class Sloop HMS FISHGUARD (Y-59)




_Following the exchange of 50 over age DDs, 10 USCG cutters were loaned to the RN and reclassified as sloops. These 1700 ton sloops built between 1927 and 1931 were among the largest convoy escorts and possessed good range as a result. These 16 knot sloops were slightly slower than surfaced U-boats, but their 5"/51 guns sometimes could persuade an evading U-boat to submerge. _

_The BANFF class escort ships were commissioned with crews drawn from BB MALAYA, under repair at that time. _

MMS 1 Class MSW MMS 16





*Losses*
U.107 sank *Steamer LASSELL (UK 7417 grt)* off the west coast of Africa. She was on passage from Liverppol to Buenos Aires when lost, carrying general cargo. She was sailing independantly, but had previously been attached to the now dispersed OB-309. She had a crew of 53, of which 2 were lost when she sank. At 2155 hrs the unescorted LASSELL was hit on the port side in the engine room by one torpedo from u-107 about 250 miles SW of the Cape Verde Islands. The ship had been in convoy OB-309, which was dispersed on 19 April. Her engines stopped immediately and the ship sank by the stern after about 8 minutes. Two crew members on watch below were lost. One lifeboat had been destroyed by the explosion and another was damaged during launching, so the survivors had to be distributed between the two remaining boats, which lost contact to each other after 3 days. The master, second officer, 22 crew members and one lady passenger were picked up from their lifeboat on 9 May by the BENVRACKIE, which was herself sunk four days later by U-105. 15 survivors from LASSELL were lost in this later incident. The master, nine others and the survivors of BENVRACKIE were rescued after 13 days in lifeboats by the British hospital ship OXFORDSHIRE and landed at Freetown. The chief officer H.W. Underhill, four officers, 13 crew members and eight gunners in the other lifeboat were picked up on 10 May in position by the British steam merchant EGBA and landed at Freetown five days later.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 30 April 1941
U-38, U-52, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-124, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
Dutch submarine O.13 arrived at Scapa Flow to act as an ASW training ship. DDs COSSACK and ZULU departed Scapa Flow for Plymouth to join the Plymouth Command.

DD IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to escort the steamer AMSTERDAM for Aberdeen to Lerwick. The two ships departed Aberdeen in the early jmorning and arrived at Lerwick mid-afternoon. On 3 May, the two ships departed Lerwick and proceeded to Aberdeen. Steamer ARCHANGEL joined at 0500 off Duncansby Head. The three ships proceeded to Aberdeen. Delivering the steamers, DD IMPULSIVE returned to Scapa Flow arriving that evening on the 3 May

*West Coast*
OB.317 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BOADICEA, COLUMBIA, NIAGARA, and ST CLAIR, sloop EGRET, corvettes HEATHER, HEPATICA, ORCHIS, SNOWBERRY, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER, and ASW trawlers AYRSHHIRE, LADY MADELEINE, and ST LOMAN. The escort was detached on 6 May when the convoy was dispersed.

Convoy SA.1 of British steamers EMPIRE CONDOR, EMPIRE CURLEW, EMPIRE EGRET, and EMPIRE WIDGEON was formed at sea and escorted by DDs LEGION, OTTAWA, PIORUN, and RESTIGOUCHE. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on 3 May.

Sloop ERNE was seriously damaged by a near miss, while still in her builder's yard at Westgarth. The sloop was repaired in the Tyne completing on 21 June 1942.

*SW Approaches*
DKM raider THOR arrived in port after sinking eleven ships for (83,000grt). The raider was met in Biscay by DDs IHN, HEINEMANN, and STEINBRINCK.

Armed boarding vessel LOCH OSKAIG captured *steamer CAP CANTIN (Vichy 5500 grt (est))*, which had departed Bayonne on the 25th for Casablanca, in 38-10N, 10W, twenty five miles from Cape Espichel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The steamer was sent to Gibraltar under armed guard and was met by BC RENOWN and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FURY, FOESTER, and FORTUNE on 2 May. BC RENOWN and the DDs returned to Gibraltar that evening. DD FORESIGHT was detached to escort the steamer and both ships arrived at Gibraltar on 3 May.

*Med/Biscay*
Naval minesweeping drifter TRUSTY STAR was sunk by the LW at Malta. The drifter was later salved and recommissioned.

CL GLOUCESTER was damaged by the LW in the Mediterranean. The bomb passed through the ship without exploding. The damage required one day for temporary repairs.

Despite the evacuation efforts from mainland Greece having officially ended, the RN continued for some days to snatch trapped soldiers from the jaws of catpture, at considerable risk to themselves. During the night of 30 April/1 May, DDs ISIS, KIMBERLEY, and HERO lifted 24 officers and 176 other ranks from Kalamata. The DDs joined CLA PHOEBE during the afternoon of 1 May and proceeded to Alexandria. DDs HOTSPUR and HAVOCK lifted over 700 troops between them from Milos and returned to Alexandria. These ships all arrived at Port Said on 2 May to refuel, as Alexandria Harbour had been closed earlier that day due to a mine being detonated in the Channel.

At the final, actual, completion of Operation DEMON some 50,672 troops from evacuated from Greece. Nearly 10,000 British and commonwealth troops had been killed or captured in this brief, disastrous campaign.

An Axis supply convoy for the Afrika Korps departed Messina and Augusta with German steamers MARBURG, REICHENFELS, KYBFELS and Italian steamers BIRMANIA and RIALTO escort DDs EURO and FULMINE and TBs CASTORE, ORIONE, and PROCIONE. Distant cover was given the convoy by CAs TRIESTE and BOLZANO, CL EUGENIO de SAVOIA, and DDs ASCARI, CARABINIERE, and GIOBERTI. Attacks on this convoy on 1 May by submarines and aircraft are unsuccessful.

CL GLOUCESTER and DDs KELLY, JACKAL, KELVIN, JERSEY, KIPLING, and KASHMIR departed Malta on 1 May to intercept, but could not make contact. The convoy arrived safely at Tripoli.

Simultaneously a return convoy of German CASTELLON, ARCTURUS, LEVERKUSEN, and WACHTFELS and Italian steamer GIULIA escort DDs FOLGORE, SAETTA, STRALE, and TURBINE departed Tripoli for Naples. On 1 May, submarine UPHOLDER successfully attacked this convoy two miles south of Kerkenah and sank *steamer ARCTURUS (Ger 2596 grt)*


----------



## parsifal (May 2, 2016)

*30 APRIL 1941 (PART II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*
*Med/Biscay*
UPHOLDER also badly damaging steamer LEVERKUSEN. Nine hours later, the submarine returned to the stricken vessel after the DD counterattacks died off and sank *steamer LEVERKUSEN (Ger 7386 grt)* 4 miles SE of Kerkenah.





The convoy put into Trapani to avoid further attacks. The convoy departed Trapani on 5 May for Naples.
Gunboat APHIS bombarded Sollum on the 30th. Gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Gazala on the 30th.
At the end of April, *tanker MINATITLAN (Mex 10,000 grt),* *tanker PANUCO (Mex 7800 grt)*, and *tanker TACONA (Mex 10,000 grt)*, building at Genoa for Mexico, were seized by Italian authorities.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]
*Steamer INES (Pan 190 grt)* was taken over by the Germans in Greece.
The steamer was rammed and cut in two by an Australian warship in Cretan waters in May.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.124 departed Halifax, escort AMC CIRCASSIA and corvettes COBALt and COLLINGWOOD. The corvettes were detached later the same day. DD BROADWAY and corvettes AUBRETIA, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA joined on 11 May. DDs AMAZON, BURWELL, MALCOLM, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, corvettes HELIOTROPE, MALLOW, and VIOLET, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN WAVE, NOTTS COUNTY, and VIZALMA joined on 12 May. Corvettes ANEMONE, CLARKIA, VERBENA, and VERONICA joined on 14 May. DDs BURWELL, MALCOLM, and SCIMITAR, corvettes AUBRETIA, HELIOTROPE, HOLLYHOCK, MALLOW, NIGELLA, VERBENA, and VERONICA, and the ASW trawlers were detached on 14 May. The AMC and DD WATCHMAN were detached on 15 May. DDs BURNHAM, ERIDGE, LEAMINGTON, and SALISBURY, MSWs HUSSAR and NIGER, and CAM ship ARIGUANI joined on 15 May. DD ROXBOROUGH joined on 18 May and SALADIN on 19 May. DD LEAMINGTON and corvette ANEMONE were detached on 18 May. The remainder of the escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 20 May.

*Central Atlantic*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, escorted by DDs FEARLESS, FURY, and WRESTLER, arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown to join Force H 

CL MAURITIUS departed Gibraltar to rendezvous with convoy WS.8 A and escort the convoy to Freetown. BC REPULSE, CLA NAIAD, and DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HARVESTER departing the convoy with steamers CLAN LAMONT, CLAN CHATTAN, CLAN CAMPBELL, EMPIRE SONG, and NEW ZEALAND STAR for Gibraltar for the TIGER operation.

Corvettes GARDENIA and COLUMBINE departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
On the 30th, DDs NIZAM and NAPIER arrived at Aden after duty in convoy WS.7. The destroyers departed Aden escorting liners QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH which arrived at Suez on 3 May. RAN DD NAPIER arrived at Port Said on 2 May. RAN DD NIZAM arrived at Suez on 2 May. The DDs, carried LL gear for minesweepers, arrived at Alexandria on 4 May for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet.

*PV PARVATI (RIN 1548grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Indian Ocean. One warrant officer and 15 ratings were missing. The commanding officer, a warrant officer, and twelve ratings were wounded. The 21 survivors were picked up by a British warship.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Pacific/Australia*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed Singapore with the Australian delegates of the ABDA conference. The cruiser then proceeded to Sydney arriving 3 May. 

*Cyrenaica*
After receiving panzer reinforcements, Rommel planned another assault on Tobruk—an operation viewed by both sides as a "do-or-die" operation. At 6:30 pm on April 30, 1941, the Afrika Korps mounted its heaviest attack to date on the garrison. Stukas and artillery pieces pounded the Allied positions while panzers and grenadier units rushed the southwestern corner of the defenses. The defenders had been forewarned by their intelligence service, but the Germans managed to gain a toehold on the outer defenses and push two miles inside the perimeter. Again, losses were heavy. The enemy failed to eliminate a number of fortified outposts manned by Australian troops who fought, Rommel reported, “_with remarkable tenacity. Even their wounded went on defending themselves and stayed in the fight to their last breath_.”

*Malta*


----------



## parsifal (May 2, 2016)

*Summary Of Losses April 1941 (Unfinished)
Allied
Allied Warships*


*XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)
Allied Shipping*



*XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt
Prizes captured*


*Neutral shipping*


*( grt Mercantile)*

*Neutral warships
None
Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: XXX grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXXX grt*

*Prizes taken*

*Cumulative Losses since 9/39*

*Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),*

*(XXX grt)
RM*


*XXXX (RM XXXX grt),*

*(XXXXX grt)*

*Axis Shipping
GER*


*(XXXXX grt)
FI*


*Vichy*


*(XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)*

*Captured ships
tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt),
steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt)*

*XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)*


----------



## parsifal (May 2, 2016)

*01 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-568

1 ship sunk, total tonnage 6,023 GRT
Sunk at 0500hrs on 28 May 1942 in the Med nth-east of Tobruk, by DC attacks from the RN DD HERO and the British escort DDs ERIDGE and HURWORTH after being located by a British Blenheim aircraft (203 Sqn RAF/S). 47 survivors (no casualties).





Neutral
Gar Class sub USS GRENADIER (SS210)





*Losses*
MSW trawler *JEAN FREDERIC* (RNeN 329 grt) escorting a convoy, was sunk by the LW off Start Point with the loss of 2 crew,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Balloon barrage vessel *SATURNUS* (NL 200 grt) with a Dutch crew was declared a constructive total loss after damage.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.552 sank *steamer NERISSA (UK 5583 grt)* in the Western Approaches. The ship was on passage from Halifax to Liverpool, transporting aluminum, motor trucks and some ammunition. She had a crew of 300, including 175 passengers. 83 crew and 124 passengers were lost on the steamer. At 0027 hrs the unescorted NERISSA, a straggler from HX-121, was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 SE of Rockall.. Of the survivors, 30 crew members, five gunners, 53 passengers and three stowaways were picked up by DD VETERAN, transferred to HMS KINGCUP and landed at Londonderry.




U.103 sank *steamer SAMSO (UK 1494grt)* in the Central Atlantic, off the West African Coast. She was on passage from Freetown to the UK, transporting agricultural nuts. She had a crew of 20, of which 1 man was lost. At 1834 hrs the unescorted SAMSO was hit by one torpedo from U-103 SW of Freetown and sank slowly in 50 minutes.. The master and 18 crew members in three lifeboats landed at Los Island, French Guinea on 3 May, were taken to Conakry and thence to Freetown on 16 May.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-52
Lorient: U-124

Departures
Kiel: U-556
Lorient, France: U-98
St. Nazaire: U-97

At Sea 01 May 1941
U-38, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-110, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-553, U-556

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer SEA FISHER (2950grt) was damaged on a mine in the Nth Sea. The steamer was beached by tugs. She was refloated and arrived at Middlesborough on the 5th.

*Northern Waters*
CA LONDON arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy SL.71. DDs BEDOUIN and ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow at 2345 to investigate a submarine contact reported in Preswick Bay. No contact was made and the DDs arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 2nd.
DD MAORI departed Scapa Flow to join the Plymouth Command. DD SIKH departed on the 11th for the same assignment. DesFlot 4 was replaced in the Home Fleet by the DesFlot 20

DD IMPULSIVE, escorting steamer AMSTERDAM, departed Aberdeen for Lerwick arriving several hours later. On the 3rd, the DD and steamer departed Lerwick for the return to Aberdeen. At 0500, steamer ARCHANGEL from Kirkwall join company off Duncansby Head. Off Aberdeen, the DD parted company and returned to Scapa Flow, arriving that evening.

RAN DD NESTOR departed Greenock at 1330 to rejoin the DesFlot 7 also operating with the Home Fleet, and arrived at Scapa Flow during the daylight forenoon on the 2nd.

*SW Approaches*
Ocean boarding vessel CAVINA captured *tkr SANGRO (FI 6466 grt)*, which departed Teneriffe on 21 April for France, on the 1st in 44-36N, 30-20W. The vessel turned the tanker over to
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Ocean boarding vessel CAMITO for the voyage to Gibraltar. Corvettes HEATHER and ORCHIS were ordered to meet and escort the two ships to Gibraltar. However U.97 sank *ocean boarding vessel CAMITO (RN 6833 grt)* and the tkr on the 6th in 50-42N, 21-20W. 29 RN crew were lost 





Two of CAMITO's prize crew on SANGRO and all but four of SANGRO's Italian crew were lost. Survivors of both ships were picked up by corvette ORCHIS.

Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN captured *three masted schooner MARTIN PECHEUR (Vichy 350 grt)*. The ship sank as a result of a fire on the 10th in 37-07N, 8-34W. The prize crew made their way to Gibraltar in one of the ship's boats.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
DD FAULKNOR with Dutch submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for exercises. Ex-Italian Steamer POLINICE under British control was sunk by the LW at Malta. The steamer was later salved and returned to service.

ASW LOCH OSKAIG captured *steamer CAP CANTIN (Vichy 3317 grt)* Early on the 2nd, BC RENOWN and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FURY, FORESTER, and FORTUNE departed Gibraltar to ensure the French would not attempt to recapture the steamer. DD FORESIGHT took over escort of the steamer and the ASW trawler returned to patrol.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DDs JAGUAR and JUNO attacked a submarine contact in 32-59N, 27-52E. A premature explosion of a DC on JUNO killed Gunner (T) S. C. Parker, which died of wounds on the 2nd, and 11 other crew were wounded. The ship sustained minor damage only.

Submarine TRUANT arrived at Malta from patrol. Owing to the danger from night minelaying, she was sailed at 2000 for Gibraltar.

Sub Lt R. D. B. Hopkins, on loan to the RAF in a Beaufighter of 525 Sqn, was taken prisoner by the Vichy after the a/c crashed between Speval and Gibraltar.

RM CLs EUGENIO DI SAVOIA, DUCA D'AOSTA, and ATTENDOLO and DDs PIGAFETTA, ZENO, DA MOSTO, DA VERAZZANO, DA RECCO, and PESSAGNO laid mines north of Tripoli.

*Steamer LARRISA (Ger 1819 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Gulf of Volos.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SERDICA (FI 1533 grt)* was sunk by the RAF at Benghazi.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
When a direction finding bearing indicated an Italian submarine in 35-00N, 15-30W, Corvettes FLEUR DE LYS, SPIRAE, and COREOPSIS departed Gibraltar to search.

On the 4th, the corvettes attacked a firm contact 110 miles 280° Cape Spartel. Corvettes JONQUIL, GERANIUM, and AZALEA were ordered to join in the search.

*Malta*
_0728-0830 hrs _Air raid alert for ten ME 109s which circle round the Island. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; one is damaged and another shot down by a raider; the pilot is safe.

_1023-1125 hrs _Air raid alert for nine Ju88s approaching the Island. One JU 88 is fired at by AA guns at Benghaisa.

_1643-1805 hrs _Air raid alert for six bombers and 20 ME 109 fighters approaching the Island from the north at high altitude and head for Grand Harbour. Bombs are dropped in the sea outside the Harbour, believed to be aimed at an A/S trawler. 16 Hurricanes are scrambled and succeed in breaking up the formation of ME 109s which then scout around the coast of the Island in pairs. One group of Hurricanes is caught in a surprise attack. One of them is shot down and crashes near Ghaxaq church; the pilot P/O R A Innes is injured but bales out safely. A second Hurricane is damaged in combat, pilot Sgt Walmsley is slightly injured.

_2023-2105 hrs _Air raid alert for thirty enemy a/c which approach Grand Harbour and lay mines as well as dropping bombs in the area. One Hurricane is scrambled but does not engage. AA fire 16 barrages against targets exposed by searchlights. LAA guns also engage and claim hits on raiders. One enemy aircraft crashes in the sea off Salina Bay.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 1 MAY 1941
_AIR HQ 69 Sqn _Two Marylands patrolled eastern Tunisian coast, sighted a convoy. Maryland special patrol north and south point of western Sicily for enemy shipping.

_21 Squadron _Six Blenheims made two sorties to attack; during the second attack one merchant vessel and one destroyer were attacked and left stationary.

_HAL FAR _Hurricanes of C Flight 261 Squadron began operating today. Two casualties as a result of combat with the enemy: P/O Innes and Sgt Warmsley were injured.

*Cyrenaica*
The battle commenced the previous day raged on through the night, and the Allied strongpoints were still active the following morning. They harassed the invaders from behind as other Allied units retaliated with artillery and tank fire from in front and at the flanks of the salient. Dust storms made tactical coordination difficult for both sides. The seesaw struggle continued for three days before Rommel called off the offensive on May 4. His troops retained a two-mile-deep salient near Fort Pilastrino for the rest of the siege, but it had been his most costly attack so far; DAK lost more than a thousand men (German casualties). Lt. Gen. Friedrich Paulus, who had been sent by OKH to observe operations, was shocked by the casualties and the fact that the German troops were “_fighting in conditions that are inhuman and intolerable_.” He advised Rommel that there was no chance of capturing Tobruk with the current forces.

The failure to seize the stronghold, the forward base Rommel badly needed for a proposed thrust into Egypt, was the Wehrmacht’s first major reverse of World War II. Rommel received orders from Berlin forbidding him to attack Tobruk again or from advancing further into Egypt. He was told to hold his position and conserve his forces. The hard-driving general was bitter at being compelled to wage a defensive campaign.
Encouraged by Rommel’s unexpected setback, British troops advanced from their defensive line in western Egypt and drove the Germans and Italians back toward the strategic Halfaya Pass near the port of Sollum. So far, the British forces had destroyed about 300 German tanks and inflicted 38,000 casualties (twice those of the Allies) since the start of the Axis counteroffensive, most of them Italian. The British had been reinforced by the arrival of almost 300 tanks, dispatched in a fast convoy, on the orders of Prime Minister Winston Churchill.


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## parsifal (May 2, 2016)

*02 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Banff Class Sloop HMS LULWORTH (Y-60)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Commissioned at New York with crews from BB RESOLUTION under repair.

*Losses*
*MSW trawler ALBERIC (RN 286 grt)* was sunk in an accidental collision with DD ST ALBANS in Pentland Firth, with the loss of 13 crew members. The DD proceeded to Southampton at 0400/9th for repairs to her bows, completing on 4 June.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Armed yacht NYULA (RN 48 grt) *was sunk in a collision off the Tyne.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.201 sank tanker CAPULET, which had been torpedoed and abandoned on 28 April, after being hit by the U-552. (Refer April 28).

*Aux ASW trawler Vp 808 (DKM 321 grt)* was sunk by British bombing NW of Borkum.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-101, U-108
St Nazaire: U-553

At Sea 02 May 1941
U-38, U-75, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-110, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-556

19 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*West Coast*
OB.318 departed Liverpool escort DDs CAMPBELTOWN and NEWMARKET, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes MARYGOLD, NASTURTIUM, and PRIMROSE, and ASW trawler ANGLE. DD WESTCOTT and corvettes AURICULA and DIANTHUS joined on the 3rd. The DDs, which joined on the 2nd, and the trawler were detached on the 7th. On the 7th, DDs AMAZON, BROADWAY, and BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA, AMC RANPURA, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO joined the escort. On the 8th, DD WESTCOTT, sloop ROCHESTER, and corvettes AURICULA, DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURUTIUM, and PRIMROSE were detached; the corvettes to join HX.123. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 10th when the convoy was dispersed.

*Med/Biscay*
Alexandria Harbour was closed due to mining, but was reopened at 1730 that day. DDs KANDAHAR, JUNO, JAGUAR, IMPERIAL, and HASTY sailed after Alexandria Harbour reopened to relieve RAN DDs STUART, VOYAGER, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, and WATERHEN escorting the Battle Fleet. The RAN DDs arrived at Alexandria that evening.

DDs DECOY and DEFENDER departed Port Said late on the 2nd to embark troops at Mersa Matruh and transport them to Tobruk.

*J class DD HMS JERSEY (RN 1690 grt) *entering Grand Harbour, Malta, was sunk on a mine that had been laid by the RA. JERSEY sank next to the Grand Harbour breakwater.
35 crew members were killed. When JERSEY sank the wreck blocked the entrance to Grand Harbour, meaning movements into and out of the harbor were impossible for several days (other anchorages were unnaffected). DDs KELLY, KELVIN, JACKAL and the repairing JANUS were left marooned in the harbor until the wreck was cleared. Some of the ships that rescued the surviving crew had to take passage to Gibraltar. On 5 May the wreck broke into two sections. It was only until after 1946 that the after section was cleared from the entrance, in a series of controlled demolitions carried out between 1946 and 1949. Further salvage and clearance work was done in 1968 to make the harbour safe for large vessels





Because there were no MSWs available, CL GLOUCESTER and DDs KIPLING and KASHMIR, stuck outside the harbor, were sent to Gibraltar after rescuing some of the survivors. .

On the 3rd, CL GLOUCESTER exploded a mine in her paravane at 0224. She was also attacked by RA low level bombers and hit on the stern by a bomb which did not explode at 1325. Neither incident caused significant damage to the cruiser which was docked briefly to correct the damage on her arrival at Gibraltar. GLOUCESTER and KIPLING and KASHMIR arrived at Gibraltar on the 4th.

Gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Derna.

*Steamer PARRACOMBE (UK 4702 grt)*, carrying crated 21 Hurricanes and other stores brought from England in convoy OG.59 for Malta, was sunk 9.5 miles off Cape Bon on a mine. This movement had been designated Operation TEMPLE. 18 crew were interned in Bizerte.




Greek steamer VIRGINIA (2041grt) arrived at Tobruk with supplies. After unloading, the steamer departed during the night of 2/3 May, escorted by ASW trawler WOLBOROUGH. Despite incessant And heavy air attacks in Tobruk Harbour on the 2nd and at sea on the 3rd, the steamer was not damaged.

*Central Atlantic*
DD FOXHOUND arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown. DD VIDETTE arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown escorting British steamer NYHOLT.

 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 MAY TO DAWN 3 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_0734-0745 hrs _Air raid alert for nine ME 109 fighters which patrol off the coast of the Island; no interceptions or air raid.

_0819-0835 hrs_Air raid alert for a JU 88 bomber which crosses the Island from Kalafrana to Tigne on recon accompanied by two ME 109s. The bomber is engaged by HAA and is observed to be emitting smoke from its tail as it flies away to the nth.
_1445-1600 hrs _13 Beaufighters land at Luqa.

_1553-1611 hrs _Air raid alert for a patrol by two Messerschmitt 109 fighters which do not cross the coast. Hurricane fighters are scrambled: no interception.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 2 MAY 1941
_AIR HQArrivals_2 Sunderland. 252 Sqn 13 Beaufighters._Departures_2 Sunderland.

_A/C casualties _One Hurricane crashed, killing the pilot; loss not due to enemy action.

_69 Sqn _Two Marylands patrolled eastern Tunisian coast. Maryland recon of Tripoli reported convoy.

_21 Sqn 1500-1840 hrs_ 6 Blenheims 21 Sqn attacked two merchant vessels and one destroyer leaving them enveloped in smoke.

_HAL FAR _Hurricane, pilot Sgt Ottey, crashed from a great height on approaching the aerodrome and burst into flames; pilot killed outright. 3 aircraft 830 Sqn took off on operational flight; all returned safely.

_LUQA_12 Beaufighters 252 Squadron arrived from the UK.

*Cyrenaica*
Rommel commits more than 50% of his available German tank force, more than 80 AFVs to the battle in the salient. 40 of these vehicles are lost when they veer of to the right and immolate themselves on a minefield. German casualties now exceed over 1000 to about 800 Allied losses. Italian losses are similarly heavy.


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## Njaco (May 3, 2016)

*May 3 Saturday*

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Italian torpedo boat “_Canopo_” and Italian steamers “_Birmania_” and “_Citta D' Bari_” are sunk by RAF bombing at Tripoli. British submarine HMS “_Triumph_” sinks Italian coastal steamer “_Tugnin F_”. with gunfire off Mersa Brega but submarine HMS “_Usk_” does not return from patrol between Sicily and Tunisia (all 30 hands lost).

At 0224 hours, British cruiser HMS “_Gloucester_” hits a mine and at 1325 hours she is attacked by Italian bombers (a bomb hits the stern but does not explode). HMS “_Gloucester_” suffers only minor damage and will arrival at Gibraltar tomorrow.

The Province of Ljubljana was created when Italy annexed part of Slovenia including the city of Ljubljana.

The Germans hold a victory parade in Athens.

*NORTH AFRICA: * General Morshead’s defense in depth has contained the German breakthrough at Tobruk and he goes onto the offensive to pinch out the German salient. After dark, Australian troops and British light tanks attack under a creeping barrage from artillery and British destroyers HMS “_Decoy_” and “_Defender_” in the Mediterranean. Their advance is held up by German machine-gunners (preventing the infantry from keeping up with the barrage) and the attack is called off at 0330 hours with 150 Allied casualties. Italian troops repulsed the counterattack, losing only one bunker.

The British forces begin attacks from the north against the Italian positions at Amba Alagi. These positions guard passes in the road between Asmara and Addis Ababa. They are based on a number of steep and rugged hills and there are numerous caves. The position is very strong. 29th Indian Brigade, 5th Indian Division (which has advanced South from Eritrea) attacks up the Falaga Pass towards Italian fortifications at Amba Alagi. Although the attack is a feint, Italian troops are diverted from other approaches and British artillery causes several hundred Italian colonial troops surrender.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Iraqi artillery on the plateau begins shelling RAF Habbaniya at dawn. The muzzle flashes allow spotters to locate the guns which are then bombed and strafed. RAF again bombs the air force base at Rashid airfield near Baghdad (previously RAF Hinaidi) and an Iraqi Savoia SM 79 bomber is shot down heading for Habbaniya. RAF transport aircraft evacuating women and children from Habbaniya to Shaibah.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 0325 hours 200 miles Southwest of Iceland, U-95 sinks Norwegian MV “_Taranger_” (1 killed, 32 survivors escape in lifeboats). At 2223 hours 75 miles off Sierra Leone, U-103 sinks British SS “_Wray Castle_” (1 killed, 56 survivors).

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz (Liverpool): Overnight, Germans bomb Merseyside docks with 298 aircraft, sinking numerous freighters. A deflated barrage balloon ignites freighter SS “_Malakand_”, loaded with 1000 tons of shells and bombs. The explosion completely destroys part of Huskisson Dock (4 killed). The explosion was so violent that some pieces of the ship's hull plating were blasted into a park over 1 mile (1.6 km) away. It took seventy-four hours for the fire to burn out. The ship’s anchor weighing 2 tons lands 1.5 miles away outside Bootle General Hospital. Luftwaffe also bombs Portsmouth, damaging cruiser HMS “_Sirius_” which is under construction. SS “_Europa_” (10,224 GRT), Canadian Government passenger-freighter an ex-Danish registered ship, was sunk by Luftwaffe bombers while alongside in Liverpool. Seventeen people were killed, fourteen seriously injured and thirteen slightly injured, when twelve HEs and many IBs fell in the South Dock area of Sunderland. Eighty-five people were rendered homeless. Three large HEs straddled Fulwell, destroying the Caretaker's house at Redby Schools which was completely demolished, the school premises were also seriously damaged. In Duke Street, shelters were no match for the power of the bomb where Mr and Mrs Anthony Storey were killed together with their daughters Audrey (four) and Edith (thirteen months). A Mr and Mrs Frederick Forster were also victims, while 200yds. away in Westcott Terrace another nine lay dead. A retired policeman returned to his home in Westcott Terrace after a firewatching duty, and found his house in ruins and his seventy year old wife and forty year old daughter dead. An attack between 2320 hours and 0225 hours on a target area that stretched from Hartlepool to West Hartlepool and onto the northern part of Middlesbrough by twenty German aircraft which dropped thirty-two tons of HE and 2,160 IBs. Bombs were also dropped at York.

At 2312 hours the air raid sirens sounded in North Shields, a town on England's north-east coast. A lone German bomber dropped four bombs on the town, two exploding harmlessly, the third hitting a private house killing the two occupants. The fourth bomb made a direct hit on the three-storey Wilkinson's Lemonade Factory, the basement of which was used as a communal air raid shelter and on this night was crammed with 192 men, women and children. The top three stories, filled with heavy factory machinery, collapsed onto the basement trapping the occupants and killing 102 persons including 36 children under the age of 16. Three others died later in hospital bringing the final death toll in the shelter to 105. Whole families were wiped out, including one of six. A soldier was called upon to identify his wife and four children, aged from two to fourteen. One of the heroines of this ghastly night was Mrs Ellen Lee, a woman warden who, although badly burned about the face, rescued thirty-two people from the shelter.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 101 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 33 aircraft to attack German naval facilities and warships at Brest overnight. Another 21 aircraft were sent on anti-shipping missions along coast of occupied Europe from France to the Netherlands. Two Blenheims of RAF No. 101 Sqdn are lost attacking shipping off Boulogne for no result.

*ASIA:* Major attack by Japanese aircraft against Chungking.

Coronation ceremony for Prince Norodom Sihanouk, king of Cambodia.

.


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## Njaco (May 3, 2016)

*May 4 Sunday*
*WESTERN FRONT: *Kommodore Mölders of JG 51 flying a new Bf 109F destroys a Hurricane of RAF No. 601 Squadron.

RAF Bomber Command sends 97 aircraft to attack German naval facilities and warships at Brest overnight and another 12 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

*NORTH AFRICA: * Rommel's attacks on Tobruk stall. General Paulus, representing the German High Command, suggests to Rommel that he abandon the attacks at Tobruk in favour of a passive siege to starve the defenders into submission. Rommel halts his attack on Tobruk. The Germans will continue to hold the enclave in the perimeter that they have won but will not be able to extend it at any time later in the siege. For both sides life at Tobruk settles down into a style not unlike the trench warfare of World War I. The ground is very hard so that trenches are often shallow at first. This means their occupants must stay virtually motionless during the day. Neither side is well supplied. Rommel creates a ring of posts to limit Allied sorties outside the wire, while Luftwaffe will try to prevent resupply of the Tobruk garrison by sea. The positions held by 5 Battalion of 8 Bersaglieri under Major Gaggetti around Redoubts 6, 7 and 8 were counter-attacked by the Australians. The Italians responded with strong defensive fire and launched a counter-attack supported by three L3 light tanks. The latter were quickly destroyed at close quarters, and the Australians captured Redoubt 7. The Bersaglieri supported by one M13 tank and three armoured cars, counter-attack and forced them back.

29th Brigade, 5th Indian Division again attacks the Italian mountain fortifications at Amba Alagi. While Italian defenders are distracted by the feint in the Falaga Pass, 6/13th Frontier Force Rifles battalion and 3/2nd Punjab battalion capture 3 foothills (Pyramid, Whale Back and Elephant) between 0415 and 0730 hours. The path to the next hill is over a steep, narrow ridge exposed to Italian machinegun fire, so they wait for dark to advance.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 1915 hours off the coast of French Guinea, West Africa, U-38 sinks Swedish SS “_Japan_” with 3 torpedoes and shellfire from the deck gun (barrel of the deck gun bursts, injuring the gun crew). All 50 crew and 4 passengers reach land and are interned by the Vichy French. German bombing sinks British minesweeper “_Fermoy_” in dock at Malta.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz: The German bombing on Liverpool, England, that began on the previous date ended before dawn on this date, killing 850 people and destroying ammunition ship “_Malakand_” in the harbor. Luftwaffe attacks Liverpool overnight with 53 aircraft. The Times on 5 May 1941, carried the following report:


> "The Germans stated that Saturday night's attack on Liverpool was one of the heaviest ever made by their air force on Britain. Several hundred bombers had been used, visibility was good and docks and industrial works, storehouses and business centres, had been hit. In addition to many smaller fires, one conflagration, it was claimed, was greater than any hitherto observed during a night attack."


Luftwaffe attacks Barrow-in-Furness overnight with 55 aircraft and Belfast overnight with 204 aircraft. An attack by seventeen German aircraft on dock installations at Hartlepool, started single fires, the raid lasted from 0020 hours until 0245 hours. Middlesbrough was attacked at the same time.

A Junkers Ju 88 landed on the sea following engine failure off Bridlington at 0015 hours. The crew were rescued and captured by a passing ship, the aircraft sank and was lost. Another Junkers Ju 88 was shot down by a night fighter and dived into houses at 13-15 High Street, Idle, Bradford at 0045 hours. Two civilians were killed and two died later from their injuries, two others were also injured. The crew baled out and were captured.

The Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Robert Menzies, paid a glowing tribute to British womanhood in a speech broadcast today. He praised;


> "…the courage, the action, the endurance of Britain's women. Wherever I go I see them and I marvel at them. Is it possible to believe that not long ago we called them 'the weaker sex'?"



The first mission of the North Atlantic Return Ferry Service flies from Montreal to Blackpool using the Consolidated LB-30A.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Operation Claymore: British Commandos carried out Operation Claymore, a raid on the Lofoten Islands in occupied Norway. The Lofoten Islands were an important centre for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out by the men of No. 3 Commando, No. 4 Commando, a Royal Engineers Section and 52 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy. Supported by the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and two troop transports of the Royal Navy, the force made an unopposed landing and generally continued to meet no opposition. They achieved their objective of destroying fish oil factories and some 3,600 tonnes (800,000 imperial gallons) of oil and glycerine. Through naval gunfire and demolition parties, 18,000 tons of shipping were sunk. Perhaps the most significant outcome of the raid, however, was the capture of a set of rotor wheels for an Enigma cypher machine and its code books from the German armed trawler “_Krebs_”. The British experienced only one accidental injury; an officer injuring himself with his own revolver; and returned with some 228 German prisoners, 314 loyal Norwegian volunteers and a number of Quisling regime collaborators. Operation Claymore was the first of 12 commando raids directed against Norway during the Second World War.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Politburo appointed Joseph Stalin the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, thus taking over as the actual head of the Soviet government, which position was previously held by Vyacheslav Molotov.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler made an address to the Reichstag reviewing the Balkan campaign and declaring that the German Reich and its allies were superior to any conceivable coalition in the world. Flanked by Göring and Hess, the Fuhrer strode into the Kroll Opera House - where Reichstag deputies have met since the fire of 1933 - to deliver the speech.


> "In this Jewish-capitalist age", Hitler declared, "the National Socialist state stands out as a solid monument to common sense. It will last for a thousand years."


The greater part of the speech consisted of an attack on Churchill, who was portrayed as a blood-thirsty warmonger lacking the qualities needed to fight a war. Hitler declared;


> "The gift Mr. Churchill possesses is the gift to lie with a pious expression on his face and to distort the truth until finally glorious victories are made of the most terrible defeats.”



Grand Admiral Raeder urges Hitler to exploit the victories in Greece and Yugoslavia and launch a major offensive to capture Egypt and Suez. "This stroke", Raeder says, "would be more deadly to the British Empire than the capture of London." But Hitler is obsessed with Operation Barbarossa.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian convoy departs for North Africa with seven vessels escorted by destroyers “_Vivaldi_”, “_Da Noli_”, and “_Malocello_” and three torpedo boats supported by three cruisers and five more destroyers.

German troops occupy islands of Lesbos and Chios.

*MIDDLE EAST:* An airfield at Mosul which is being used by a small German force is one RAF target on this day. The German force is receiving supplies from and via Syria with the cooperation of the Vichy authorities.

.


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## parsifal (May 3, 2016)

*03 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-205




1 warship sunk, total tonnage 5,450 tons, 11 war patrols.
Badly damaged on 17 February 1943 in the Med NW of Derna, , by DCs from the RN DD HMS PALADIN, assisted by a South African Bisley a/ct (15 Sqn SAAF). She was forced to the surface, and captured by a boarding party that seized valuable confidential books and documents and forced the captors to be kept away from other prisoners after their capture. The boat foundered a few hours later while under tow by the British corvette HMS GLOXINIA off Ras al Hilal. 8 dead and 42 survivors.

Type VIIc U-451




1 warship sunk, total tonnage 550 tons
Sunk 21 Dec, 1941 near Tangiers, by DCs from a Swordfish a/c (812 Sqn). 44 dead and 1 survivor.

Allied
U Class Sub P-32 (P/N H-44)





*Losses*
U-103 sank *Steamer WRAY CASTLE (UK 4253 grt)* off the SW tip of Africa near Dakar. The ship was on passage from Mauritius to the UK via Freetown with a full load of sugar when lost. She had aboard a crew of 57 of which 1 was to perish. At 2223 hrs on 3 May 1941 the unescorted WRAY CASTLE was hit by two torpedoes fired by U-103 and sank within a few minutes about 110 miles SSW of Freetown. The master, 49 crew members and six gunners were picked up by the Portuguese steam merchant ANGOLA, landed at St. Thomas, Gulf of Guinea and later brought to Freetown by the Portuguese steam merchant LAURENCO MARQUES.




U-95 sank *steamer TARANGER (Nor 4873)* in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was empty when lost, on her way from Liverpool to Vancouver. She had a crew of 33, of which 1 was lost in the attack. 
The TARANGER had been escorted by British aircraft after leaving Liverpool, which attacked a U-boat contact on 30 April. U-95 spotted the unescorted ship at 0620 hours on 2 May and began to track her, but course changes and the high speed of the ship prevented any attacks until a torpedo was fired at 0208 hours on 3 May, but it became a surface-runner. At 0245 hours, the U-boat attempted to stop the vessel with MG fire about 150 miles SW of Reykjavik, but the ship (armed with two Hotchkiss MG) tried to escape zigzagging at full speed and sent emergency messages. The Uboat opened fire with the deck gun after 10 minutes and scored 16 hits with 21 rounds (excellent shooting for the Uboat). After the first hits, the engines were stopped and the crew began to abandon ship while the shelling continued from the starboard side. The port lifeboat got clear, but before the starboard boat could be launched the master was killed and three crew members were wounded. The U-boat went to the other side and fired at torpedo at 0312 hours which again became a surface-runner and a dud. At 0316 hrs, the stern torpedo was fired that hit underneath the bridge and the ship broke in two and sank after being hit by a second coup de grace at 0325 hrs.

Alerted by her radio calls, RN DD HMS ECHO was sent out, but after a fruitless search for 8 hours she headed for Iceland. Both lifeboats set sail for Iceland, but the starboard boat lagged behind. The next day, its occupants spotted the convoy OB 320, and were picked up by Corvette HMS BEGONIA and landed at Reykjavik on 10 May. On 5 May, the seriously injured first engineer had been transferred to DD HMS WOLVERINE which had a doctor on board. In the morning on 5 May, the 17 men in the port boat saw land and were shortly thereafter rescued by the Icelandic motor fishing vessel SIGURFARI about 46 miles from the coast. The vessel took the lifeboat in tow for Akranesi from where they were taken by passenger vessel to Reykjavik on 6 May.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-23, U-58
Trondheim: U-101 

Departures
Lorient: U-93, UA

At Sea 03 May 1941
U-38, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-110, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-556, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil to cover convoy EC.14 from May Island. In Pentland Firth on the 4th, the ship was detached from the duty and returned to Scapa Flow arriving that morning.

ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by patrol sloops SHELDRAKE and KITTIWAKE, laid minefield BS.55 off the east coast of England. Paddle MSWs SNAEFELL and THAMES QUEEN accompanied the minelay.

*Steamer ROYSTON (UK 2722 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW 270° from 62C Buoy, Humber. The steamer was taken in tow but sank on the 5th..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SITONA (Nor 1143 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW also off the Humber. The entire crew was rescued. The steamer sank on the 4th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TRAJAN (Nor 1347grt)* was sunk near Harwich enroute to London by the LW. The entire crew was rescued.





*Light vessel SIRIUS (UK 176 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Albert Dock, Liverpool

*Northern Patrol*
CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to relieve CA EXETER and CL NIGERIA on Iceland Faroes Channel patrol. EXETER proceeded to Hvalfjord, whilst NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 5th.

BC HOOD and DDs ECHO, ACTIVE, ANTHONY, and ACHATES were ordered to return to Scapa Flow. The ships called at Reykjavik to refuel DDs. DD ECHO also arrived at Hvalfjord late in the evening. The HOOD group departed Iceland on the 4th and arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 6th.

*West Coast*
The LW also hit Liverpool. ML ADVENTURE, under repair, was damaged by bomb splinters at Liverpool during the night of 3/4 May.

The LW attacks on Liverpool.
*Steamer CORBET (UK 468 grt)* was sunk on a mine two cables 248° from Herculaneum Dock entrance, Liverpool. Eight crew were lost. One was rescued from the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sailing barge BARNACLE (UK 138 grt)*, *tug BONITA (UK 65 grt)* in Waterloo Dock, *motor barge EMILY BURTON (UK 58 grt)*, *sailing barge PIKE (UK 168 grt)*, *sailing barge LING (UK 164 grt)*, *steam barge WALTON (UK 82 grt)* at Huskisson Branch No. 3 Dock, *sailing barge SILVERDALE (UK 176 grt)* at Canada Dock, *motor vessel IVY P. (UK 79 grt)* at Langton Branch Dock, *flats GROSENOR, ROVER, BRILL (UK 318 grt combined )*, *DACE (UK 143 grt)*, *LUCE (UK 143 grt)* at Canada Dock, *MUS (UK 81 grt)*, *RAY (UK 91 grt)*, *ROACH (UK 108 grt)*, *launch SURVEYOR No. 3 (UK 7 grt)*, *barges LONGENDALE (UK 177 grt)*, *ELLESPORT (UK 55 grt)*, *ORRELL (UK 55 grt)* at Alexandra Dock No. 3, and *PIKE (UK 55 grt)*, and *steamer BRA-KAR (Nor 3778 grt)*

were sunk in the raids at Liverpool. Casualties at least aboard these vessels were modest.

*Steamer MALAKAND (UK 7649 grt)* carried ammunition. She caught fire and exploded, destroying the entire Huskisson Number 2 dock. The explosion is often attributed to a burning barrage balloon, but port records show this fire was put out. The cause of the explosion was from the spread of flames from dock sheds that had been bombed and set alight by incendiary bombs. These fires spread to the MALKAND, and the fire services could not contain the fire. A few hours after the raid had ended, the ship exploded, destroying the entire Huskisson No. 2 dock and killing four people. It took 74 hours for the fire to be put out in the dock.





*Steamer ELSTREE GRANGE (UK 6598 grt)*,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DOMINO (UK 1453grt)* at Canada Dock, with no casualties
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer EUROPA (Cdn 10,224 grt)*, was lost when steamer MALAKAND exploded.





*Barge ELLESPORT (UK 100 grt (est))* was also destroyed when the MALAKAND went up
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer TACOMA STAR was sunk, but was later salved. One crew member was killed

*Flat LUCE (UK 105 grt)* was lost when she caught fire from the explosion of steamer BRA-KAR and sailing barge OYSTER.

British steamers AUSTRALIA STAR and CANTAL were damaged by German bombing at Liverpool. One crewman was lost on the steamer CANTAL.

During the night of 3/4 May, British steamer BARONESE, British steamer LOBOS, Tug WAPITI, British steamer MAHOUT, British tanker SAN FABIAN at Stanlow, Liverpool, steamer SILVERSANDAL, British steamer BUSIRIS, British sailing barge LIMPET, British sailing barge OYSTER, British sailing barge GLITTO, and British sailing barge CLAM, Greek steamer KADIN, and Dutch steamer SALLAND were damaged at Liverpool by German bombing. Damage to steamer MAHOUT was caused by explosion of steamer MALAKAND. Tanker SAN FABIAN was repaired at Mobile.
Steamer SILVERSANDAL was set afire by the MALAKAND explosion. One crewman was killed on the steamer. One crewman was killed on Norwegian steamer SALLAND.
They all were returned to service

*Channel*
In a LW attack on on Portsmouth during the night of 3/4 May, CL SIRIUS under construction was damaged by a bomb which went through her.

*Med/Biscay*
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, and DDs ILEX, KANDAHAR, JUNO, JAGUAR, GREYHOUND, HASTY, and IMPERIAL arrived at Alexandria.

CLA PHOEBE and DDs HERO, HOTSPUR, ISIS, HAVOCK, and KIMBERLEY departed Port Said and arrived at Alexandria on the 3rd. DDs DECOY and DEFENDER shelled Tobruk during the night of 3/4 May. They then returned to Alexandria.

*Steamer ARAYBANK (UK 7258 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Suda Bay. The steamer was bombed again on the 16th and became a total loss.




*Spica Class TB CANOPO (RM 620 grt)* was sunk by British bombing at Tripoli.


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## parsifal (May 3, 2016)

*03 May 1941 (Part II)*
*OPERATIONS (Cont'd)*
*Med/Biscay* (Cont'd)
*Steamer BIRMANIA (FI 5305 grt)* was set afire and exploded in Tripoli harbour.






*Steamer CITTA D' BARI (FI 3339 grt)* was lost from the explosion of steamer BIRMANIA.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer GUISSEPPE ORLAND (FI 838 grt)* was lost on a mine at Tripoli.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal steamer TUGNIN F. (FI 425 grt)* was sunk by Submarine TRIUMPH gunfire 11 miles northwest of Mersa Brega.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
CL DELHI arrived at New York to refit. The refit was not completed until 12 January 1942.
*Central Atlantic*
DKM AO NORDMARK replenished U.105 and U.107 at sea.

Ocean boarding vessel HILARY intercepted *tanker RECCO (FI 5595 grt)*, which had departed Teneriffe on 21 April.The tanker scuttled herself to avoid capture.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER arrived at Colombo.

*Malta*
_Weather _Fine.
_0715-0750 hrs_ Air raid alert for enemy fighters which approach the Island and carry out a patrol off the coast; no air raid.
_1438-1515 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single JU 88 bomber which carries out reconnaissance with an escort of ME 109s. The JU 88 is engaged by HAA guns; no claims. Hurricane fighters are also scrambled. During the raid a Beaufighter takes off for a local test despite signals from the aerodrome trying to stop it. The Beaufighter flies towards a Sunderland moored at Kalafrana at high speed, raising the suspicions of the Hurricanes which turn and attack with long-range fire, before recognising the friendly aircraft. The Beaufighter’s undercarriage is damaged and the pilot Flt/Lt William Riley has to make a forced landing on the aerodrome; the crew are all safe, and a/c damaged but repairable.
_2045-2245 hrs_ Air raid alert for 30+ HE 111 and JU 88 bombers which approach from the north and carry out a heavy mine-laying and bombing raid on the Dockyard, Valletta, Floriana and Luqa, causing considerable damage to civilian property, chiefly in Valletta which is hit by both mines and bombs. A bank, a church and the main civil hospital are hit; over 100 houses are demolished, gas and water mains are damaged; 4 civilians are killed and 5 wounded.

Casemate Barracks is hit by a mine and another lands close to Floriana Pavilion; both buildings are severely damaged. Eight Royal Engineers (RE) and one civilian employee of Royal Army Service Corps are killed, five RE seriously injured and several more slightly injured. Three members of Royal Malta Artillery and two of 3rdBn Kings Own Malta Regiment are wounded. 
AA guns fires a heavy counter barrages. One raider is destroyed plus another possible by Bofors guns. A Malta night fighter is scrambled but does not engage as searchlights illuminate raiders only briefly.

_0145-0323 hrs _Air raid alert for 15-20 enemy a/c which approach from the north and drop bombs in the areas of Luqa, Hal Far, Grand Harbour, Floriana and Zabbar. In the Dockyard workshops and stores are damaged, a large crater is blown in Oil Wharf which partially collapses. HMS FERMOY in No 5 dock is hit again, this time amidships; she floods and sinks but is raised and repaired. Parachute mines are laid inside and outside Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. A night capable Hurricane up but illuminations too brief for interception. Bombs create several craters on Luqa aerodrome and damage equipment. AA guns fire 12 barrages; no claims. A night fighter is scrambled; no engagement.
_AIR HQArrivals_1 Sunderland with passenger Sir Arthur Longmore en route to UK._Departures_1 Sunderland._ 
69 Sqn _Two Maryland recon Tunisian coast.
_21 Sqn _4 Blenheims despatched on a sweep of Tripoli and Benghazi for enemy supply ships; nil report.
_HAL FAR _Three aircraft 830 Sqn took off on operational flight; all returned safely.
_LUQA _One Maryland B crew arrived from Middle East by Sunderland.


----------



## Njaco (May 4, 2016)

*May 5 Monday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Tiger. Overnight, British freighters (carrying 295 tanks to General Wavell in Egypt) pass through the Strait of Gibraltar with a large escort of warships from Force H. Force H was to cover convoy WS 8A through the Mediterranean to Egypt.

The III Gruppe of JG 27 returns to the airfields on Sicily to assist in the upcoming invasion of the island of Crete.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The besieged Allied garrison at Tobruk is resupplied by Navy warships for the first time. Australian destroyers HMAS “_Voyager_” and HMAS “_Waterhen_” complete the round trip from Alexandria to Tobruk overnight. From now until the end of the siege two destroyers will be used on such missions on most nights and at about weekly intervals reinforcements will be brought in and the wounded evacuated.

At 0415 hours, 3/2nd Punjab battalion advances across the ridge from Elephant to Middle Hill (towards Italian stronghold at Amba Alagi). As dawn breaks, they get held up in barbed wire and are pinned down by 12 Italian machineguns only 500 yards ahead (8 killed, 28 wounded). They wait all day under fire to retreat back to Elephant after dark.

Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie triumphantly returns to his capital Addis Ababa, 5 years to the day since fleeing the Second Italo-Abyssinian War on May 5 1936. The streets of the city were lined with black and white African troops. After being welcomed with a 21-gun salute he spoke of his gratitude;


> "...to Almighty God that I stand in my palace from which the Fascist forces have fled."



*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 1117 hours, U-38 sinks British MV “_Queen Maud_” (1 killed, 43 survivors) 200 miles off Sierra Leone.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz: Luftwaffe bombing of Navy yard at Belfast, Northern Ireland, does minor damage to British aircraft carrier HMS “_Furious_”, seaplane tender HMS “_Pegasus_”, destroyer HMS “_Volunteer_”, corvettes HMS “_Bryony_”, “_Buttercup_” and “_La Malouine_” (seized from the French at Portsmouth on June 22 1940). HMS “_Furious_” departs next day for Liverpool. Bombing of shipyards on the Clyde Estuary, Scotland, does more serious damage to destroyer HMS “_Marksman_” and submarines HMS “_Traveller_” and “_Trooper_”, which are under construction.

Luftwaffe attacked Glasgow overnight. Some 386 enemy planes passed over the area in waves of about thirty every seven minutes or so, on the way to 'blitz' Clydeside. At Newcastle, enemy aircraft were overhead for most of the alert period. Bombs fell at Newcastle, North Shields and Cullercoats in Northumberland, Cleadon, Annfield Plain and Blaydon in Co Durham and Hull in Yorkshire. Twelve enemy bombers also attacked Hull between 2341 hours and 0205 hours, fourteen tonnes of HE were dropped and damage was reported in the dock area.

A Heinkel He 111H damaged by a night fighter in an attack on Greenock, eventually crashed at Whorlton Park near Newcastle at 0300 houts. Three of the crew were captured and one was killed, and according to the book 'Front Line' another bomber fell into the sea at Druridge Bay, from which there were no survivors. A single HE dumped from the Heinkel which crashed at Whorlton Park fell near the top of Shibdon Dene near the end of Widdrington Road (Quarry Gardens near Rydal Mount) and near to an air raid warden's post.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler visited the naval yard at Gdynia (Gotenhafen). He inspected both “_Tirpitz_” and “_Bismarck_”. Since the harbour was not large enough to accommodate both battleships at the same time, “_Tirpitz_” was moored at the Seebahnhof pier and “_Bismarck_” anchored in the roadstead. Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm Keitel, and Günther Lütjens embarked battleship “_Bismarck_”. Hitler inspects the interior of U-57, a U-boat which had been raised after sinking near Brünbuttel, as part of the inspection visit to the Kriegsmarine base at Gotenhafen.

RAF Bomber Command sends 141 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Stalin informed by Richard Sorge in Tokyo that Hitler will invade Soviet Union in mid-June. Soviet military intelligence reports about 105 German divisions concentrated in the east, facing the Soviet Union. Stalin announced at a passing-out ceremony for military cadets that there did exist a threat from Germany for which the Red Army had to prepare itself rapidly.

*MIDDLE EAST:* British Defence Committee transfers control of operations in Iraq to the Middle East Command under General Sir Archibald Wavell.

*ASIA: *Tokyo signals its embassy in Washington, warning that coded messages are being read by the Americans. After an investigation, a reply on May 20 suggests that low-level messages may be compromised, but not high-level diplomatic messages.

*INDIAN OCEAN: *Fears that the Axis forces might use the French colony island of Madagascar as a base from which they could cut the Allied supply line to India round the Cape of Good Hope, British and two East African brigades invaded the island on May 5, 1941, (Operation Ironclad). This was its first action against French troops in World War II. British casualties were 109 killed and 284 wounded. French casualties were some 200 killed and 500 wounded. The total number of deaths from malaria has never been published but is estimated to be higher than those who died from battle wounds. After the invasion of the island most of the French troops who had surrendered volunteered to join De Gaulle and fight the Germans.

*WESTERN FRONT:* In response to appeals by Petain's government, the US delivers 14,000 tons of flour.

U-69 (Jost Metzler) departed Lorient for the first long range mission by a Type VIIC U-boat. She headed into the Central Atlantic to operate off the West Coast of Africa and to lay mines. Metzler received a Knight's Cross for this voyage on return to base.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The White House announced:


> “We can offer no official confirmation that 26 American merchant ships loaded with tanks, anti-aircraft guns, and other war material landed in the Suez Canal. We can only say that we do not rule out the possibility”.



.


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## parsifal (May 5, 2016)

*04 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Abdiel Class ML HMS LATONA (M-76)





*Losses*
U-38 sank *MV JAPAN (SD 5230 grt)* off the west coast of Africa. The ship had previously been part of OB-310 but was sailing unescorted when attacked. She was travelling from Milford Haven to the Middle East via Freetown when lost, transporting some general cargo and coal. She had a crew of 54, all of whom survived. At 1829 hrs the unescorted and unarmed JAPAN was missed by two G7e torpedoes fired by U-38 249 miles NW of Freetown. The U-boat then surfaced and began shelling the ship, setting the cargo in the forward holds on fire after three or four hits. The crew had stopped the engines when the U-boat surfaced nearby and immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboats when it opened fire. The barrel of the deck gun burst after the ninth round, injuring some members of the gun crew. At 1915 hrs, a coup de grace was fired that hit aft and finally caused the ship to sink vertically by the stern after one hour, still burning. On 7 May, the crew and four passengers made landfall at the coast of French Guinea and were interned by the Vichy French authorities. They were later transferred to Marseilles and the Swedish crew were allowed to return to Sweden.





*MSW trawler BEN GAIRN (RN 234 grt)* was sunk by a parachute mine Waveney Dock, Lowestoft. There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TREGOR (UK 222 grt)* was sunk by the LW six miles off Trevose Head (nth coast of Cornwall), whilst transporting flour from Avonmouth to Hale. The crew of six were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 04 May 1941
U-38, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-110, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-556, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow for docking at Rosyth to replace a damaged propeller. The cruiser departed Rosyth after repairs on the 11th. Departing, the cruiser was involved in a collision with Dutch skoot SPARTA, but no damage was done to the cruiser.

DD PUNJABI departed Rosyth escorting AMC MORETON BAY to Cape Wrath. After this escort, the DD proceded to Scapa Flow arriving during the evening of the 5th.

DD SOUTHDOWN, departed Sheerness on the 3rd but was was damaged the next day in the Nth Sea by a near miss from the LW. The DD's hull was leaking and her steering motors were temporarily out of action.

MSW SELKIRK was damaged by the near miss off Roughs Buoy. The ship was towed to port and was under repair in the Thames from 15 May to 31 July. Patrol yacht FRANC TIREUR was also damaged by a near miss.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to escort ML opn SN.9A.

*West Coast*
Belgian steamer MARIE FLORE was damaged by the LW off the UK west coast. The steamer was beached at Padstow (nth Cornwall coast)on the 5th.

*PNEUMATIC ELEVATOR No. 11 (UK 295 grt)* was sunk at Liverpool as a result of the explosion of steamer MALAKAND the previous night.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tug BISON, British steamer TALTHYBIUS, British steamer BARON INCHCAPE, Tug HORNBY, Tug ENID BLANCHE, British hopper barge No. 33, barge AID, flat JOHN, and British steamer ROXBURGH CASTLE were damaged by follow up raids on Liverpool by the LW. BARON INCHCAPE settled onto the seabed. She was bombed again on the 6th. Steamer TALTHYBIUS was bombed again on the 8th. ROXBURGH CASTLE is known to have been repaired at Birkenhead. During the night of 4/5 May, British sailing barge BONGO was damaged by German bombing at Liverpool.

*Med/Biscay*
MSW FERMOY was sunk in dock at Malta by the LW. Hospital ship KARAPARA was damaged by German bombing at Tobruk. The hospital ship arrived at Alexandria on the 6th and continued on to Port Said. Submarine TAKU made an unsuccessful attack on a coastal steamer in the Messina Strait.

*LA Masa Class TB GIUSEPPE LA FARINA (RM 785 grt)* , which had departed Tripoli on the 3rd for Trapani with tanker LUISIANO, was sunk by a mine off Kerkenah.





An Italian convoy with troopships VICTORIA, ANDREA GRITTI, SEBASTIANO VENIER, MARCO FOSCARINI, BARBARIGO, CALITEA, and ANKARA departed Naples escorted by DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI and MALOCELLO and TBs PEGASO, ORIONE, and CASSIOPEA. The convoy was covered by CLs EUGENIO DI SAVOIA, DUCA D' AOSTA, and ATTENDOLO and DDs PIGAFETTA, ZENO, DE RECCO, DA MOSTA, and VERAZZANO. En route to Tripoli, DDs PIGAFETTA and ZENO attacked a submarine contact. The convoy arrived without loss on the 5th. On the convoy return, the distant force covered a German convoy to Italy of steamers MARBURG, KYBFELS, REICHENFELS, MARCO POLO, and RIALTO escort DDs EURO and FULMINE and TBs PROCIONE, ORSA, CENTAURO, CIGNO, and PERSEO from Tripoli on the 5th. 
The convoy arrived at Palermo on the 7th.

*Central Atlantic*
CL FIJI from convoy SL.72 and CLA NAIAD from convoy WS.8A arrived at Gibraltar and embarked ammunition for the passage to the Eastern Mediterranean.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN sloop YARRA arrived to Basra to quell rebellion. A few days later, the sloop engaged Iraqi gunboats and captured them along with some Axis merchantships.

*Malta*
_Weather _Fine.
_0735-0750 hrs _Air raid alert for a small formation of enemy fighters approaching the Island. AA guns engage at long range one ME 109 which does not cross the coast splashes into the sea. Hurricanes do not intercept.

_0804-0835 hrs _Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which approaches the Island with two ME 109s and carries out reconnaissance from south to north over the Island. AA guns engage the bomber; no claims. Three Hurricanes are scrambled and engage the JU 88; it falls into the sea 20 miles north. One Hurricane is blinded by oil from the JU 88 and has to break off combat. The ME 109s counter-attack the Hurricanes, damaging one and slightly wounding the pilot.

_0825-0930 hrs_ Air raid alert for six enemy search planes which circles north of the Island looking for the JU 88 that had been brought down earlier.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 4 MAY 1941
_830 Sqn Fleet Air Arm_Swordfish overnight ops ML approaches to Tripoli.

_AIR HQArrivals _1 Beaufighter; 69 Sqn 2 Maryland.
_Departures_1 Sunderland._69 Sqn_Maryland patrolled eastern Tunisian coast. One Hurricane attempted recon of Comiso but clouds prevented visibility.
_HAL FAR _One Hurricane damaged in combat with the enemy; pilot P/O Hall sustained a splinter wound in the left arm.

_LUQA _One Maryland A crew arrived in Maryland; B crew took it on reconnaissance of Ionian Sea and returned.

*Cyrenaica*
As the enemy had failed to resume the offensive, Morshead began planning to use his reserves in a counter-attack directed at retaking the lost territory. Brigadier Wootten, who knew his commander’s mind, had spent the day with the 20th Brigade acquainting himself with the situation in the battle area.

Orders for the operation were given at a conference at div hq on the morning of 3rd May. Wootten was given a choice of three possible methods of counter-attack. He chose a method involving a night attack from the flanks with artillery support, hoping thus to get in behind the forward enemy positions in the Salient. The attack was to be made by two battalions attacking from right and left along the perimeter and rolling up the enemy’s flanks to the apex at Ras el Medauuar. The 2/12th Battalion (Lieut-Colonel Field), on the right, was to attack through to Medauuar, the 2/9th (Lieut-Colonel Martin), on the left, up to the left shoulder of that feature, stopping at R1. The 2/10th Battalion was to push forward from its positions in the centre, send out fighting patrols to give support on the left flank of the 2/12th Battalion’s attack, and assist in mopping up. Some of the artillery had been redisposed during the night in preparation for the attack. Approximately three artillery regiments were to support the operation. A timed artillery program was worked out. Barrages were to move to the first objectives at the rate of 100 yards in three minutes, then fire on the second objective for 90 minutes, followed by timed concentrations of less duration on subsequent objectives. An anti-tank regiment, 2 platoons of machine-guns, 12 light tanks and 7 infantry tanks were to be available for consolidation. The start-time was fixed at 7.33 p.m.

Wootten’s counter-attack was made in almost pitch darkness with little aid from a low moon which was in its first quarter and obscured by a slightly overcast sky. Field’s battalion on the right started on time, but Martin’s battalion was late in coming forward, necessitating half an hour’s postponement of its attack.

From its assembly area in a wadi on the left of the Fig Tree Road (where it had received some casualties from intermittent shelling), Field’s battalion moved, without drawing any fire, to the start-line on the right of the Fig Tree Road behind the 2/10th Battalion’s forward positions. The attack was made on a frontage of 500 yards with two companies up, “C” and “A” Companies in front (“C” on the right), “D” and “B” Companies (“D” on the right) followed 100 yards in rear. “C” Company was to take the first three posts encountered (S7, 6 and 5); “D” was then to come round and take the next two.

After passing through the 2/10th Battalion positions the forward companies ran into cross-fire from each flank fired from mgs situated, on the right, outside the perimeter, and on the left, deep within the Salient. This put the troops to ground, and the noise and darkness combined to render coordinated movement forward extremely difficult. On the right some groups were able to infiltrate outside the perimeter along the anti-tank ditch past S7, and on the left other groups got forward to the vicinity of S6 by following a pipe-line ditch. Many of the men simply got lost. For four hours and a half efforts were made to re-establish organisation and infiltrate the troops forward while the ground continued to be lacerated by mg and mortar fire from nests mainly outside the zone covered by the supporting artillery. At 12.30 a.m. the commander of “C” Company informed Field that he would be able to mount an assault on S6 and S7 if 15 minutes of artillery fire could be arranged. Field at first tried to arrange an artillery program on the unneutralised machine-gun positions on the flanks but found that to do so would require lengthy calculations, which ruled it out as an immediate possibility. Eventually a repetition of the original program was arranged for 15 minutes from 1.15 a.m. The enemy fire was not neutralised, however, and the attack could not be pressed home. Field reported the failure to Wootten.

On the left of Field’s battalion, Captain Lines 70 company of the 2/10th Battalion was given the task of mopping up enemy posts established forward of a line of diggings running south-west of the Water Tower. The two forward platoons were stopped by heavy cross-fire, but Lieutenant Bidstrup 71 co later succeeded in working his way to the left and got through to the tank ditch. There a position was taken up, from which a German patrol of seven men was ambushed and captured. Lines’ company later assisted in reorganising “A” Company of the 2/12th Battalion and getting out their wounded.

A patrol of two platoons from the reserve company of the 2/10th Battalion under Lieutenant Cook 72 co was given the task of mopping up an advanced enemy position 800 yards west of Bianca. The patrol set off at 9.10 p.m. after its objective had been bombarded with mortars for 10 minutes but, some 400 yds from its start-line, ran into mg fire from at least six guns. Lt Cook immediately ordered his platoon to charge the mg nest with the bayonet. As the men drew close, grenades were thrown into the enemy position, which was then stormed and captured without loss. On the left Lt Beames’ platoon was caught in a cross-fire as it advanced. Beames and other members of the patrol were wounded and the platoon was pinned down. At Cook’s behest Lance-Corporal Taylor made three searches in an endeavour to find Beames’ party. During one of these he located an enemy machine-gun post and charged it single-handed with his Tommy-gun, slaying all six of the crew

As the night wore on it became obvikous that whilst the counterattacks were making progress, and the Australians were getting the better of the German defenders the original objective of fully pinching out the salient was not going to be achieved at tolerable cost.




_18th Brigade attack, 3rd–4th May_

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## Njaco (May 5, 2016)

*May 6 Tuesday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* In Paris, senior German diplomat Otto Abetz and French Foreign Minister Admiral Darlan negotiate a preliminary agreement to send Vichy French war materiel in Syria to the Iraqis (in return, French “occupation costs" are reduced from 20 million to 15 million Reichsmarks a day). Although later rejected by the French government and never ratified, the Paris Protocols also allow Germany use of airbases in Syria to transport aircraft to Iraq. Luftwaffe Colonel Werner Junck is ordered to establish Fliegerführer Irak with 12 Messerschmitt Bf110 fighters and 12 Heinkel He111 bombers.

Flying a new Bf 109F, Kommodore Mölders of JG 51 downs a Hurricane of RAF No. 601 Squadron.

RAF fighters and Blenheim bombers conduct Roadstead operation to Gravelines while RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on anti-shipping missions along coast of occupied Europe from France to Germany

*NORTH AMERICA:* The maiden flight of the Republic XP-47B with Lowry P. Brabham at the controls. Although there were minor problems, such as some cockpit smoke that turned out to be due to an oil drip, the aircraft proved impressive in its first trials. The Republic XP-47B-RE Thunderbolt (40-3051) was originally ordered as the XP-47-RE. This aircraft is the first of 15,579 P-47s accepted by the USAAF.

The Douglas XB-19 four-engined bomber begins taxi tests. It has a length of 132.25 feet (40,34 meters), a wingspan of 212 feet (64,62 meters), an empty weight of 86,000 pounds (39 009 kilograms), normal range of 5,200 miles (8 369 kilometre) and a maximum range of 7,710 miles (12 408 kilometres). Although not delivered with armament, it was designed to have one 37 mm cannon and one .30 calibre (7.62 mm) machine gun in the nose and forward dorsal turret; a .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine gun in the tail, rear dorsal turret, ventral turret, left and right waist positions; and a .30 calibre machine gun on each side of the bombardier's position and on each side of the fuselage below the horizontal stabilizer. A normal crew consisted of 16-men but two additional flight mechanics and a six-man relief crew could be accommodated in a special compartment fitted with eight seats and six bunks. To feed this mob, a complete galley was included. The government paid Douglas $1.4 million ($17.32 million in 2006 dollars) but Douglas had spent an additional $4 million ($49.47 million in 2006 dollars) of their own money. During the next 2-1/2 years, it was transferred from Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, to Patterson Field in Dayon, to Lockbourne AAAB in Columbus, Ohio, and finally to Clinton County AAFld, Wilmington, Ohio. Finally, it was placed in storage at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona on 17 August 1946 and was scrapped in 1949.

Igor Sikorsky sets a new helicopter endurance records when he flies his VS-300 helicopter for 1 hour, 32 minutes and 26 seconds.

Henry Stimson, the United States Secretary for War, made a surprise statement by telling his countrymen that the United States must use its fleet to ensure the triumph of democracy.

*MIDDLE EAST:* After four days of non-stop British air raids, the Iraqi troops were forced to leave the high ground around Habbaniya. Overnight, Iraqi troops withdrew from the plateau overlooking RAF Habbaniya after suffering 1,000 casualties, largely by RAF aircraft. They abandon 6 Czech 3.7 inch howitzers, 1 field gun, 1 Italian tank, 10 Crossley armoured cars, 79 trucks, 3 anti-aircraft guns, 56 machineguns, 340 rifles and 500,000 rounds of ammunition. They were pursued by the British King's Own Royal Regiment, which leaves RAF Habbaniya in armoured cars (carrying 2 WWI-era 4.5 inch howitzers, previously used as ornaments at the entrance to the officers' mess) and caught up with the Iraqi troops at Sinn El Dhibban, taking 433 prisoners at the cost of 7 British troops killed and 14 wounded. To the south, the 21st Infantry Brigade of the Indian 10th Division arrived by sea at Basra.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines U-103 and U-105 sank 3 more British freighters off Sierra Leone, British West Africa, and killing 12. The crew of U-103 stopped to help the survivors righting a listing lifeboat.

German submarine U-97 sank British ocean boarding vessel HMS “_Camito_” and recently captured Italian tanker “_Sangro_” 500 miles west of Ireland, killing 28.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Tiger: With the Afrika Korps driving through North Africa towards the Suez Canal, pushing the Western Desert Force before them and British forces close to collapse and strategic locations threatened, the British High Command risks sending a reinforcement convoy across the Mediterranean to Alexandria. The convoy consists of five large transport ships, escorted by “_Ark Royal_”, the battleships HMS “_Renown_” and HMS “_Queen Elizabeth_”, the cruisers HMS “_Sheffield_”, HMS “_Naiad_”, HMS “_Fiji_”, and HMS “_Gloucester_”, and screened by destroyers of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla. This convoy coincided with reinforcements for the Mediterranean Fleet, a six ship convoy MW 7 from Egypt to Malta, along with 48 more Hurricanes to be flown off HMS “_Ark Royal_” and “_Furious_” (Operation Splice) to Malta. ‘Tiger’ was transporting tanks (Matildas and the new Crusaders) needed for the operations in North Africa. Prior to “_Ark Royal's_” departure, Captain Holland left to recuperate from stress and poor health, and was replaced by Captain Loben Maund. The convoy left Gibraltar on 6 May, and was detected by Italian aircraft. The convoy, limited to 14 knots (26 km/h) and escorted by so many capital ships, is such a tempting target that Italian and German aircraft are mobilized.

British submarines HMS “_Taku_” and HMS “_Truant_” sank Italian ship “_Bengasi_” off Italy.

Allied commander on Crete, General Bernard Freyberg received intelligence that the Germans were likely to launch a large airborne assault on Crete, Greece on 17 May. He would continue to expect the invasion to come from the beaches rather than the sky, however.

*NORTH AFRICA: * The German 8.Panzerregiment arrived in North Africa.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Polish doctor Zygmunt Klukowski noted in his diary that, on this date, he observed Germans conscripting Polish civilians to build military airfields and air raid bunkers even though there was no active war in Eastern Europe.

Stalin receives warning from military attaché in Berlin that Hitler intends to invade Soviet Union later in the month.

Stalin nominated to serve as President of the Council of People's Commissars.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Greenock Blitz: The Luftwaffe bombed the town of Greenock, Scotland for the first of two consecutive nights. Luftwaffe attacks Liverpool overnight with 232 aircraft. The Luftwaffe bombs Belfast with incendiaries. An attack on Tyneside and Northumberland lasted from 0000 hours until 0200 hours by twenty-eight enemy aircraft. Bombs were dropped at Newcastle, Seaton Sluice, Bedlington, Ashington, Ouston, Belford, Whitley Bay, Mitford Steads, Seahouses, Chathill, Blyth and Yetlington in Northumberland, Haverton Hill, Seaton Carew, Coundon, Crawcrook, West Hartlepool, Redmarshall, Brandon, Consett, Leam Lane and Boldon in Co Durham. At Newcastle six HEs were dropped at Walker, eight houses demolished, several seriously damaged, these were on the carriageway at Blackwell Avenue. One demolished a garage, another hit Wilkin's chocolate factory at Cremona Park (present site of Minories and Buist's garages) and the other two (1 UXB) fell in open ground. Twelve HEs were dropped by one enemy aircraft, on the RAF Station, Ouston, Stamfordham. Sixteen RAF personnel slightly injured by splinters and machine gun bullets. Hangar damaged by shrapnel and fire, three planes destroyed by fire, AFS units from Newburn and Gosforth attended. Water mains fractured. After dropping the bombs, plane circled round, came low down and machine-gunned the aerodrome. Planes belonging to the aerodrome were in the process of landing at the time of the occurrence. In Co Durham, One HE fell on Davy and United Roll Foundry, (Toys' Foundry) causing severe damage to buildings, plant, an electric sub-station and the compressor house. A chimney stack 120 feet high was destroyed. The Steel Foundry, machine shop and cranage were seriously disrupted and power was cut off, seriously affecting melting, moulding and dressing shop operations. (Production was back to normal six days later). Two workmen were fatally injured.

A Junkers Ju 88 was shot down and crashed on the north side of Holy Island at 0400 hours. The crew were all captured, after they had destroyed their aircraft. A Heinkel He 111-H crashed at St Georges Mental Hospital, Morpeth, narrowly missing the buildings, at 2359 hours. The cause of the crash is uncertain. Five German airmen were arrested by hospital attendants and made prisoners at the hospital.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 115 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

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## Njaco (May 6, 2016)

*May 7 Wednesday*
*MEDITERRANEAN: * After gaining three more victories in the past week over the British at Malta, Oblt. Muncheberg of JG 26 is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The May Blitz (Liverpool): For the seventh successive night Liverpool and Merseyside are ablaze. Liverpool was bombed with an attack by 166 aircraft for the seventh (and final) consecutive night, damaging destroyer HMS “_Hurricane_”. In the city the Custom House, Corn Exchange, Museum and Central Station were destroyed. Lewis's department store was gutted and a wing of Walton jail was demolished killing 22 prisoners. A Mersey Ferry, the “_Royal Daffodil_”, was sunk and a school shelter was hit, killing 160. Sixty patients and staff of a hospital died in a direct hit. One of the worst fires occurred at the Bryant and May match factory. By this time, 75% of Liverpool's port capacity had been destroyed. Sixty-nine out of 144 deep water berths were put out of action, and the total tonnage of cargo landed was down by 75 percent by the end of the seventh night, an impressive result considering the accuracy of such attack at the time. Seventy-six thousand people are made homeless and 3,000 were killed or injured. Troops have been brought in to help clear the streets of wreckage. Cars have been banned from entering the centre, and so many telephone cables and exchanges are out of action that people have been unable to get through. British vessels “_Marton_” and “_Trentino_” were destroyed overnight by Luftwaffe aircraft while in drydock at Liverpool. Defiants from RAF No. 256 Squadron destroy several He 111s, including one from 3./KG 55 that crashes in Flintshire, another Heinkel from 6 Staffel crashing in Denbighshire and a third from 1./KG 55 going down in Yorkshire. A Beaufighter from RAF No 604 Squadron destroys a 3./KG 55 He 111 over Dorset. Another Heinkel from 1 Staffel fails to return and is listed as missing.

The May Blitz (Hull): Seventy-two German aircraft raided industrial and dock installations at Hull, and dropped 110 tonnes of HE (311 bombs) and 9,648 IBs. The raid was due to German aircraft being diverted from their primary target of Liverpool. There was extensive damage and major fires started at the Riverside Quay and the shopping centre as well as domestic, industrial and railway damage. An extensive fire was also seen to the west of the docks and near to three large mills situated at the riverside. It is said that when the extent of the raid was realized every man and woman in the Civil Defence Service, whether on rota duty, on reserve, or free from duty, reported to his or her HQ, despite bombs, shrapnel, or the difficulty of travelling, except on foot. This made it possible, within two hours, to halve parties, thus dealing with two incidents instead of one. The elder among the school children, boys and girls, even turned out to act as messengers, and since normal means of communication were either destroyed or partly out of action, their services were invaluable. Casualties were heavy and included 264 killed and 165 seriously injured. This was the night on which British pilots leaving the coast of Denmark were able to see Hull on fire. The barges _'Delite'_, _'Ladore'_ and _'Whitakers II'_ were sunk. German planes were dropping all types of bombs, at first, mainly IBs, but as the night went on it became evident that the technique was to start a small fire with an IB or an oil bomb, and then use HEs to damage surrounding property. An open roof would act as a chimney, helping to create an upward draught. Often the result was that before a fire unit arrived the building was an inferno. To add to the difficulties the river water was low and the water mains were damaged. Many fires raged and some in the centre of the city were immense. It was a night of 464 outbreaks, almost all of a major character. Windows would grow red and then become molten; walls, roofs and ceilings fell in, adjoining structures caught fire from sparks or flying embers, the firemen fought on, concentrating on keeping the fires in as confined a space as possible. The branch office of the Yorkshire Post and the Yorkshire Evening Post, Paragon House, Paragon Street, was destroyed by the fire which swept the centre of the city during the attack. At 0836 hours 8 May, the Regional Officer at Leeds received the following report:- " All fires under control.".

Bombs again fell at Tynemouth Borough in Northumberland, West Hartlepool, Hartlepool and Billingham in Co Durham and Middlesbrough in Yorkshire. Three HEs fell close to the Cramlington Colliery Railway between Flatworth Pit and High Flatworth. Three HEs fell on and beside the Backworth Colliery Railway at High Flatworth. The Luftwaffe made attacks on the Docks and Installations at Hartlepool by five aircraft, West Hartlepool by nine aircraft, Middlesbrough and a large Chemical Works at Billingham by five aircraft. Five people were injured when three HEs fell east and south of the Travellers Rest Hotel, Stockton Road causing considerable damage to residential property.

Churchill wins vote of confidence in Parliament. In a speech to the House of Commons Churchill says:


> "Some have compared Hitler’s conquests with those of Napoleon. It may be that Spain and Russia will shortly furnish new chapters to that theme. It must be remembered, however, that Napoleon’s armies carried with them the fierce, liberating and equalitarian winds of the French Revolution, whereas Hitler’s empire has nothing behind it but racial self-assertion, espionage, pillage, corruption and the Prussian boot."



Douglas Bader shot down a German Bf 109 aircraft and claimed another probable.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Royal Navy knows that German weather ships in the North Atlantic receive encrypted signals using the German naval Enigma codes. HMS “_Somali_” captured the German weather ship “_München_” off Iceland along with an Enigma cypher machine and code book.

German submarine U-94 sank British ship “_Ixion_” and Norwegian ship “_Eastern_” Star 150 miles south of Iceland at 2300 hours. Destroyer HMS “_Bulldog_” and sloop HMS “_Rochester_” dropped 98 depth charges over 4 hours, but U-94 was able to escape with only minor damage.

Italian submarine “_Tazzoli_” sank Norwegian ship “_Ferlane_” off West Africa.

*INDIAN OCEAN: *German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” stopped small British tanker “_British Emperor_” 400 miles off British Somaliland with gunfire, whose crew was able to send distress signals before being taken prisoner. The tanker was scuttled with torpedoes from “_Pinguin_”. Meanwhile, British cruiser HMS “_Cornwall_” sailed toward the location of the distress signal.

*NORTH AFRICA:* During the day, German bombers sank British minesweeper HMS “_Stoke_” at Tobruk, Libya, killing 21. After nightfall, British cruiser HMS “_Ajax_” and destroyers HMS “_Havock_”, HMS “_Hotspur_”, and HMS “_Imperial_” bombarded Benghazi, Libya, sinking Italian ships “_Tenace_” and “_Capitano Cecchi_”.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Indian 20th and 21st Brigades marched out of Basra, Iraq to attack nearby port of Ashar. Brigadier Slim arrives at Basra from India as chief of staff to General Edward Quinan.

*ASIA:* The Battle of South Shanxi began. The Battle of South Shanxi, also known as the Battle of Jinnan and Zhongtiao Mountains Campaign by the Chinese and as the Chungyuan Operation by the Japanese, was one of the 22 major engagements between the National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Japanese North China Front Army with six divisions and three brigades launched the offensive to clear Chinese forces from the north bank of the Yellow River between Loyang and Tungkuan. Japanese troops assaulted Shanxi in an attempt to occupy the Chungtiao mountains. Japanese North China Front Army began attacking Tungfeng, Fulochen, and Chiangtienchen. Japanese 3rd Air Group was deployed to support ground operations. During the Chungyuan Operation the 1st Hikodan at Ani airfield supported the ground operations of the 1st Army, while the 3rd Hikodan supported the operations of the 21st and 35th Divisions.

*GERMANY:* Fritz Grobba departs Berlin to become German representative in Iraq.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF fighters and Blenheim bombers conduct Roadstead operation to Gravelines. RAF Bomber Command sends 15 aircraft to attack St Nazaire and 89 aircraft to attack German naval facilities and warships at Brest overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

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## Njaco (May 8, 2016)

*May 8 Thursday*
*WESTERN FRONT:* Kommodore Moelders of JG 51 in a Bf 109F destroys a Spitfire from RAF No. 92 Squadron.

Germany and Spain sign an agreement for Spain to send workers to the Reich.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz (Hull): German aircraft conducted the last of the two consecutive nightly raids on Hull. In bright moonlight, the Luftwaffe made another heavy attack on Hull with 120 aircraft. As with last night, this raid assumed major proportions through the addition of aircraft diverted from another target, this time Sheffield which was still attacked with 34 aircraft. Between 00.00 and 03.40 - 120 enemy aircraft dropped 157 tonnes of HE and 19,467 IBs. The areas most affected were the King George, Alexandra and Victoria Docks, and east and north Hull. There was much domestic, industrial and railway damage and major fires in Hedon Road and in the timber on the docks. Casualties were once again, very heavy, and included 116 killed and 160 seriously injured. Numerous large fires erupted all over Hull, with 150 burning at one time, the biggest was in the vicinity of the Albert and William Wright Docks and among factories along the river. Explosions and fire was reported at the Gasworks (Hull was without gas for six weeks after the attack) and a power station was destroyed. Almost the whole of the riverside was razed by fire, Riverside Quay and Alexandra docks were damaged. Ruins along the banks of the river Hull (a small tributary of the Humber) included flour mills and stores bearing such names as Ranks - Spillers - Gilboys - Rishworth - Ingleby and Lofthouse. Dock warehouses burst open and thousands of tons of burning grain slid into the river Humber.

Hull became greatly indebted to the 2,000 military who helped by taking on rescue work, directing traffic, demolishing dangerous buildings, and running transport. It is worth mentioning that officials of the Dogs Home and the RSPCA, together with other animal lovers, dealt with 700 domestic pets, not hesitating to enter dangerous buildings to rescue them.

The Nottingham Blitz was an attack by the German Luftwaffe on Nottingham with 95 aircraft. By the time of the raid, Nottingham had built a significant number of public shelters. The John Player & Sons tobacco company had built a network of tunnels at its factory and under local streets sufficient to house around 5,000 of its workers. There were over 100 bombers in the Nottingham raid. The X-Gerät beams set up to cover the Rolls Royce works were detected, and radio counter-measures diverted the attack to the moors north east of the town. A Starfish decoy fire system located near Cropwell Butler in the Vale of Belvoir confused the aircraft, and many of the bombs intended for Nottingham were dropped on open farmland in the vale. Records list 12 fires as serious, 40 as major and 42 as medium. In some cases, fires started by incendiary bombs were put out before they took hold. There were fierce fires at Trivett's Building near St. Mary's Church, in Short Hill and three of the Boots' factories in Poplar Street, Island Street and Station Street. Casualties were heavy. There were 159 people recorded as killed with 274 injured. At the Coop bakery on Meadow Lane, 49 employees and members of the Home Guard were killed, and 20 others injured. At University College, 45 people were killed.

Among German aircraft losses were three Heinkel 111s, all shot down by Defiants during the attack on Hull. The first crashed at Wellings Farm, Patrington, near Hull at 0130 hours. Four of the crew were killed and one captured. The second force landed at Long Riston, near Hull at 0140 hours. Two of the crew were killed and two captured and the third crashed at Sunk Island Road, Patrington, near Hull at 0200 hours. Three of the crew were killed, one captured and one listed as missing.

*INDIAN OCEAN:* A Walrus seaplane from British cruiser HMS “_Cornwall_” spotted German armed merchant cruiser “_Pinguin_” 400 miles off British Somaliland. The two ships fired on each other at 1714 hours. “_Pinguin_” was fatally damaged by “_Cornwall's_” superior firepower, but “_Cornwall_” was also hit, killing 1 and wounding 3. Shortly after “_Pinguin's_” commanding officer gave the abandon ship order, an eight-inch shell hit “_Pinguin_”, detonating her store of 130 naval mines and sinking her; 341 crew and 214 prisoners were killed, 66 crew and 22 prisoners survived.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-97 sank British ship “_Ramillies_” in the North Atlantic; 29 were killed, 12 survived.

*GERMANY:* 359 British RAF bombers attacked Hamburg and Bremen in Germany. RAF Bomber Command sends 19 aircraft to attack Kiel Canal overnight.

*NORTH AFRICA: * Indian troops attacked Amba Alagi, Abyssinia at dawn, taking the Falagi Pass and three hills east and south of the city, respectively. Later in the morning, Italian troops counterattacked and recaptured two of the hills.

Destroyers detached from RN Mediterranean Fleet bombard Benghazi.

*MIDDLE EAST:* British and Transjordanian forces began the Assault on Rutbah Fort. A column of the Arab Legion, under Glubb Pasha, reached the fort at Rutbah. They picketed the ground surrounding the fort, to wait for the impending Royal Air Force bombardment. The H4-based Blenheims of No. 203 Squadron RAF arrived and bombed the fort, and thinking that the fort had surrendered, left. The fort did not surrender and the RAF returned twice that day to bomb the fort without success.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Tiger: ‘Tiger’ Convoy comes under air attack, first by the Italian Air Force, then the Luftwaffe and were engaged by Fleet Air Arm fighters from carriers “_Ark Royal_” and “_Formidable_”. The ‘Tiger’ convoy had escaped discovery due to bad weather and poor visibility until 8 May but from this day on, it became the focus of air battles for the next four days. The first incoming raid was reported at about 1345 hours, some 32 miles from the ships. HMS “_Ark Royal_” of Force H embarked a second squadron of Fulmars to assist the resident Fulmars of RAF No. 808 Squadron under Lieutenant Commander Rupert Tillard. This was RAF No. 807 Squadron under Lieutenant Commander J. Sholto Douglas. Only twelve aircraft were serviceable this morning but two sections (four aircraft) of RAF No. 807 Squadron were scrambled to join the four Fulmars of RAF No. 808 Squadron already on patrol. Five torpedo bombers (SM 79s) of the 280o Squadriglia (led by Capitano Dante Magagnoli) attacked the convoy, escorted by 15 CR.42s of 3o Gruppo C.T. The four Fulmars of RAF No. 808 Squadron intercepted them, but as Lieutenant Commander Tillard led the attack they were themselves attacked by a dozen escorting CR.42s of the 3o Gruppo. Almost immediately Tillard’s Fulmar was shot down. He and his observer, Lieutenant Somerville (Admiral Somerville's nephew), were killed. The three other Fulmars were also hit. The 280o Squadriglia reported that Sottotenente Marini’s aircraft was hit and crashed near La Galite (a French flying boat took the crew to Tunisia, which later was repatriated). Sottotenente Cappa, hit by cannon fire, launched a torpedo against a large ship from close range, and then disappeared into the water with the loss of all the crew. He was awarded a posthumous Medaglia d’oro al valor militare. The Italian pilots claimed five Fulmars shot down, one of these being credited to Capitano Giorgio Tugnoli. This was the only combat with biplane fighters over the convoy but the battle continued all day. 16 SM 79s of 38o Gruppo from Sardinia, attacked the ‘Tiger’ convoy in small groups from 1520 hours to 1700 hours. The protecting Fulmars nevertheless managed to protect the fleet and no ships were sunk. Over the day, “_Ark Royal's_” twelve Fairey Fulmars drove off over fifty aircraft, with the assistance of targeting information from HMS “_Sheffield's_” radar and anti-aircraft fire from the escorts. British vessel “_Ranwsley_” was damaged by the Axis aircraft and towed to Crete. Italian cruisers and destroyers sortied unsuccessfully to intercept the RN forces. Italian vessels “_Tenace_” and “_Capitano A. Cecchi_” were sunk by destroyers detached from RN Mediterranean Fleet.

*ASIA: *The Battle of South Shanxi: Japanese North China Front Army attacked Tungfeng and captured Tsiyuan, Menghsien, Fulochen, and Yuanchu.

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## parsifal (May 8, 2016)

*05 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARSING (Z-75)
(NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B MLs 158 and 253
(NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-38 sank the *MV QUEEN MAUD (UK 4976 grt) *off the west Coast of Africa. She was on passage from UK to Alexandria via the Cape carrying coal and govt stores including a/c spare parts. She had been part of OB-309, but was now sailing independently. She had a complement of 44, of which one was lost in this incident. At 1105 hrs the unescorted QUEEN MAUD, was hit by two torpedoes fired by U-38 208 miles west of Freetown and sank within three minutes after a coup de grace hit at 1117 hours. One crew member was lost. The master, 38 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the Portuguese merchant MIRANDELLA, transferred to HM cruiser DRAGON and landed at Freetown on 8 May. 





*BV FIDELIA (RN 147 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Lowestoft.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steam barge TRAFFIC (UK 155 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Huskisson Dock, Liverpool. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer FAIR HEAD (UK 1719 grt)* , formerly known as the ZEALAND, was sunk by the LW at Belfast. Two crew were lost.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-69
Wilhelmshaven:U-111

At Sea 05 May 1941
U-38, U-69, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-110, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-552, U-556, UA

23 boats at sea

U-141 was attacked by a Hudson from RAF 269 sqn about 50 miles astern of OB 318. Damage from three depth charges forced the U-boat to break off the patrol. A Whitley aircraft, DDs HMS ELECTRA and HMS ESCAPADE were directed to the scene, but did not locate the U-boat.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD TARTAR arrived at Scapa Flow after boiler cleaning at Rosyth.
*Northern Patrol*
MLs AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC of the ML sqn 1 departed Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN.9A escort DDs INTREPID, IMPULSIVE, ST MARYS, and BRIGHTON. CL KENYA was with the force from the Butt of Lewis. CLs EDINBURGH, MANCHESTER, and BIRMINGHAM of CruSqnn18 departed Scapa Flow on the 5th to cover the minelay which was accomplished on the 6th.

After the minelaying, Cru Sqn 18 units joined DDs SOMALI, NESTOR, BEDOUIN, and ESKIMO, which had departed Scapa Flow on the 5th and refuelled at Skaalefjord, for operation EB. The DDs departed Skaalefjord at 0730/6th and joined the cruisers at sea.

CL NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow after Faroes-Iceland patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DD BROCKLESBY with ASW trawler HAMLET departed Scapa Flow to escort tanker WAR DIWAN to Skaalefjord. The ships arrived on the 6th. Late that evening, DD BROCKLESBY, trawler HAMLET, and tanker WAR PINDARI departed Skaalefjord. 
Fve miles 270° from Gloup Holm on the 7th, the ships met tanker WAR BHARATA for escort to Scapa Flow. DD BROCKLESBY arrived back at Scapa Flow after this escort duty late on the 8th.

*West Coast*
CVL FURIOUS and seaplane tender PEGASUS were damaged by the LW at Belfast. Neither ship was significantly damaged. The carrier was struck by one small bomb, and a parachute mine powerful enough to lift her stern out of the water. She also suffered a near miss that slightly damaged the funnel ducting. Despite her age she was a strong ship and absorbed this damage rather well. She was not taken out of service for repairs. The seaplane tender required seven days repair. The next day, FURIOUS departed Belfast for Liverpool. DD VOLUNTEER, under repair and in drydock, was also damaged by German bombing. Corvette LA MALOUINE at anchor in Musgrave Channel was damaged by a near miss. The corvette was repaired at Belfast in three months. Corvettes BRYONY and BUTTERCUP were also damaged.
British steamer ST EUNAN was damaged by mining 5 miles SW of St Ann's Head (at the entrance to Milford Haven .

British steamer SILVERSANDAL (which had been slightly damaged by bombing on the 3rd), and British steamer CLAN MACINNES were damaged by the follow on LW attacks on the Liverpool docks. British whaler SUMBA was also damaged by a near miss. The whaler was beached in Sully Bay, Barry Roads. She arrived at Barry for repairs on the 12th.

DD NEWARK under repair at Belfast was damaged in the bombing. British steamers SHEPPERTON FERRY and CAPE BRETON and blockship FREDERIKA LENSEN were damaged by German bombing at Belfast. Steamer CAPE BRETON was sunk in dock. She was refloated and repaired. DD MARKSMAN, under construction at Greenock was lifted off the blocks and severely damaged in the air attack. The DD suffered severe damage to her stern. The construction of the destroyer, renamed MAHRATTA, was restarted in another berth on 18 August.

Subs TRAVELLER and TROOPER, under construction, at Greenock were damaged in the attacks on the Scotts yard.

*Western Approaches*
DDs ELECTRA and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow to join convoy HX.122 being shadowed by a U-Boat. En route, the DDs were involved in a U-Boat search reported by a/c. The search was unsuccessful and the DDs joined the convoy by dark. After safely delivering the convoy, the DDs turned about to escort in SC.29 on the 6th. They were detached from SN.29 at dark on the 7th and then proceeded back to Scapa Flow at noon on the 8th.

Corvette BEGONIA picked up 17 survivors from a sunken merchant ship. She transferred these survivors to DD WOLVERINE.
*SW Approaches*
OG.61 departed Liverpool escort sloop SCARBOROUGH and ASW trawler MAN O.WAR. The trawler was detached on the 6th and replaced by ASW trawler WELLARD, which continued with the convoy until dark. On the 7th, DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, and SABRE, sloop FLEETWOOD, and corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP joined the convoy. Sloop FLEETWOOD and the corvettes were detached on the 9th and the DD on the 10th. RNeN submarine O.21 joined the convoy on the 13th and corvettes AZALEA, GERANIUM, and JONQUIL, which departed Gibraltar on the 13th, on the 14th. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 19th, escorted by sloop SCARBOROUGH and submarine O.21.

*Med/Biscay*
Part of WS.8A neared Gibraltar after being escorted from England by BC REPULSE, CLA NAIAD, and DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HARVESTER. This convoy, famously designated TIGER, was merchant ships CLAN LAMONT, CLAN CHATTAN, CLAN CAMPBELL, NEW ZEALAND STAR, and EMPIRE SONG. BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and DDs VELOX, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, and FORTUNE departed Gibraltar on the 4th to relieve REPULSE and the three H.class DDs which proceeded to Gibraltar, arriving on the 5th.

BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CLs FIJI and SHEFFIELD, and DDs WRESTLER, KASHMIR, and KIPLING met the convoy and the two groups passed Gibraltar during the night of 5/6 May. On the 6th, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, and HESPERUS departed Gibraltar and joined the force. CLA NAIAD and CL GLOUCESTER departed on the 5th and 6th, respectively. BC REPULSE was left at Gibraltar due to her inadequate AA protection. CLAs CARLISLE and COVENTRY, DDs DEFENDER, GREYHOUND, and HASTY, corvette GLOXINIA, and whaler SWONA departed Alexandria on the 5th with the slow Malta convoy MW 7B consisting Norwegian tankers HOEGH HOOD and SVENOR. SWONA was to complete fitting LL sweeps at Malta.

DD DEFENDER departed with convoy MW 7 B, but had to return to Alexandria on the 6th with condenser problems.

In Operation MD.4, the Med Flt built around BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, CLs AJAX, ORION, and RAN CL PERTH, ML ABDIEL, and DDs JERVIS, JUNO, JAGUAR, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, RAN NAPIER, RAN NIZAM, IMPERIAL, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria on the 6th. Fast supply ship BRECONSHIRE also departed Alexandria to refuel DDs at Malta.

CLAs DIDO and PHOEBE, and CALCUTTA, and DDs ILEX, ISIS, HERO, and HEREWARD departed Alexandria after the Fleet with the fast Malta convoy MW 7 A supply ships British SETTLER, Norwegian THERMOPYLAE, Danish AMERIKA, and Norwegian TALABOT, and tug ST ISSEY. On the 7th, the Med Flt DDs were refuelled at sea from supply ship BRECONSHIRE.

During the night of 7/8 May, CL AJAX and DDs HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, and IMPERIAL bombarded Benghazi.

*Steamer TENACE (FI 1142 grt)* was sunk after being hit repeatedly by gunfire from HM warships AJAX, HOTSPUR and HAVOCK just outside the small harbour at Benhazi.





*Steamer CAPITANO CECCHI (FI 2321 grt)* was also sunk in by the same ships, with the location given as 2½ miles 314° from Tre Palme, respectively.





The British ships rejoined the Battle Fleet on the 8th.

RM CLs DUCA DEGLI ABRUZZI, GARIBALDI, BANDE NERE, and CADORNA and 5 DDs departed Palermo on the 8th. They were reported by British air west of Trapani on the 8th.

The escorts of both Malta convoys were detached at dark on the 8th before the convoys arrived at Malta to join the TIGER convoy off Pantelleria. Both convoys safely arrived at Malta on the 9th following corvette GLOXINIA's minesweeping of the Channel. Supply ship BRECONSHIRE and DD HOTSPUR, HAVOCK, and IMPERIAL proceeded to Malta on the 8th, arriving the next day.

Pilot Lt Cdr R. C. Tillard DSC and Observer Lt M. F. Somerville DSC, in a Fulmar of the 808 Sqn from aircraft carrier ARK ROYAL was lost on the 8th.

Pilot Lt C. W. R. Peever and Petty Officer Airman F. Coston in a Fulmar of 803 Sqn, Lt Observer Lt (A) G. B. Davie RNVR, and Petty Officer Airman W. T. Chatfield in aFulmar of 803 Sqn and Pilot T/Sub Lt (A) K. H. Smith RNVR, Observer P/T/Sub Lt (A) B. H. Groves RNVR, and Leading Airman C. F. Norman in an Albacore of 829 Sqn from CV FORMIDABLE were lost on the 8th. A second Albacore was shot down, but its crew was rescued. Additionally, an Albacore of 826 Sqn, piloted by Lt Cdr W. H. G. Saint ran out of fuel and ditched astern of BB BARHAM which rescued the crew.

BC RENOWN had a gun accident on the 8th which killed six ratings and wounded Sub Lt D. M. Brightman RNVR, and twenty five ratings. BB QUEEN ELIZABETH was attacked by one RA torpedo plane during the night of 8/9 May and was near missed. Damage was claimed in this attack on BC RENOWN, but she suffered no damage.

*Steamer EMPIRE SONG (UK 9228 grt)* of the TIGER convoy was lost in the Narrows off Malta on the 9th on a mine. Her crew was picked up by DD FORESIGHT, which was damaged by debris and concussion damage to her machinery from the exploding steamer and sustained several casualties. DD FORTUNE was also standing by the steamer and picked up all but A/Gunner (T) A. E. Carter which was killed from FORESIGHT's whaler which was also sunk in the explosion. Eighteen crew and passengers were lost on the steamer.




Steamer NEW ZEALAND STAR was lightly damaged by mining at the same time as steamer EMPIRE SONG.

Force H.was relieved on the 9th in the Narrows 50 miles sth of Malta of the escort of the convoy by CLAs PHOEBE, DIDO, COVENTRY, CALCUTTA, and CARLISLE, and DDs ILEX, ISIS, HERO, HEREWARD, GREYHOUND, and HASTY.

Force H.DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESIGHT, FORTUNE, FORESTER, and FEARLESS proceeded into Malta to refuel. The convoy escort was still composed of BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, CL GLOUCESTER, and FILI and CLA NAIAD..

The Malta destroyer force of destroyers KELLY, JACKAL, KELVIN, and JANUS had been mined in port since JERSEY's loss on the 2nd. Minesweeping corvette GLOXINIA was able to clear a channel to allow the destroyers to depart to meet the TIGER convoy on the 9th.

Depth charges had been used also to clear a channel to sea out of the blocked Malta harbour.

Passing the Narrows, the convoy was left to CLAs DIDO, NAIAD, PHOEBE, CARLISLE, CALCUTTA, and COVENTRY, and the DDs. The rest of the ships joined the Med Flt Main Body.

RA air recon reported a cruiser and four destroyers (DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FORTUNE, FORESTER, and FEARLESS returning to rejoin Force H.after refuelling at Malta; DD FORESIGHT remained at Malta) proceeding at high speed towards Gibraltar.

31 RA planes attacked this force on the 10th and claimed damaging a cruiser. DD FORTUNE was badly damaged by a near miss. DD FURY escorted the damaged DD. On the 11th, tug ST DAY and four motor launches met DD FORTUNE. CL SHEFFIELD and DDs HARVESTER and HESPERUS were detached to escort. They arrived at Gibraltar on the 12th. DD FORTUNE was repaired to complete in November, including refitting, at Chatham.

Before sunset on the 10th, the RN Malta based DDs KELLY, KIPLING, JACKAL, KASHMIR, and KELVIN were detached from the Battle Fleet to bombard Benghazi before returning to port. The bombardment was accomplished. DDs KELVIN, KELLY, KASHMIR, and JACKAL were all near missed by LW JU87s after the bombardment.

Lt (A) P. S. Touchbourne and Leading Airman C. H. Thompson of 806 Sqn from FORMIDABLE was killed when their Fulmar crashed taking off on the 10th. On the 11th, CLAs DIDO and CALCUTTA and DDs JANUS and ISIS were detached from the Battle Fleet to proceed to Alexandria to refuel.

On the 11th, sub Lt (A) P. D. J. Sparke and Leading Airman A. S Rush of 806 Sqn from FORMIDABLE were killed when their Fulmar was lost after colliding with a LW bomber. The DIDO group arrived at Alexandria early on the 12th and departed the same day to join convoy ANF.30.

DDs KELLY, JACKAL, KELVIN, KASHMIR, and KIPLING arrived at Malta during the morning of the 12 May.

The Mediterranean Flt arrived back at Alexandria at 1300 with BBs WARSPITE, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, CLAs NAIAD, CARLISLE, and COVENTRY, CLs GLOUCESTER, FIJI, and RAN PERTH, and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JUNO, NAPIER, NIZAM, GREYHOUND, GRIFFIN, ILEX, HERO, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, HASTY, HEREWARD, IMPERIAL, KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, and KIMBERLEY.

Force H.of BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL,and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FEARLESS, and HAVELOCK arrived at Gibraltar on the 12th.

RAN DDs VOYAGER and WATERHEN departed Alexandria on a transport mission to Tobruk during the night of 5/6 May. The DDs arrived at 0030 on the 6th and departed at 0400 the same day proceeding to Alexandria.

*Central Atlantic*
DD VIDETTE departed Gibraltar for refitting in the United Kingdom

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN sloop PARRAMATTA arrived at Suez to reinforce the Med Flt. However, she was ordered to remain there temporarily to provide protection for liners QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES arrived at Suva with a liner from Auckland.
*Cyrenaica*
The failure of the 18th Bde’s counter-attack marked the end of a phase. No longer was it possible to regard the ground given up as a temporary loss to be recovered at first opportunity. The aim of re-establishing the perimeter on the original line, if not discarded, was at least deferred. The immediate emphasis changed to a policy of improving the new line opposite the Salient and of recovering organisation by reverting as far as possible to normal brigade groupings through a succession of reliefs. There had been a degree of improvisation in the dispositions made to block further penetration after the perimeter had been breached.

The regrouping was to begin on the night of 4th–5th May. In the Salient sector Lieut-Colonel Windeyer’s 2/48th Battalion was ordered to take over the right of the new defence line from the two right-hand companies of Lieut-Colonel Verrier’s 2/10th Battalion, while Lieut-Colonel Martin’s 2/9th Battalion, coming under command of Brigadier Murray’s brigade, was to take over defences in the centre of the Salient, near Bianca, from the left company of the 2/10th Battalion and the right company of Lieut-Colonel Brown’s 2/1st Pioneer Battalion.

On the afternoon of 4th May, Martin made preliminary moves in conjunction with Brown’s battalion, bringing forward part of his own battalion to close a gap on Brown’s right flank. Simultaneously Brown’s right-hand company, under Captain Graham, moved forward for about a quarter of a mile, dislodging an enemy machine-gun post in the process. Three members of a covering party provided by the 2/1st Pioneers for the forward move of the 2/9th were killed. Private Rundle2saw Privates Cheney3and Goodfellow fall. From a position of comparative safety he went to their assistance, found Goodfellow dead, but decided to carry in the mortally wounded Cheney; on this compassionate errand Rundle was shot down and killed. Heavy machine-gun fire caused some of the ground taken up by the 2/9th to be relinquished.

The planned reliefs took place on the night of the 4th May. Graham’s company of the 2/1st Pioneers was relieved by the left company of Martin’s battalion, then side-stepped to the left and pushed forward through the neighbouring company of the Pioneer battalion which held the switch-line running north from R14, and took up a position in front of the old switch-line and to the right of the previously isolated forward perimeter posts west of R14. The 2/10th Battalion was withdrawn, after its relief, into reserve at Pilastrino.

Later in the night the main body of the 2/32nd Battalion, of which one company was already in the fortress, arrived at Tobruk from Mersa Matruh in the DDs DECOY and DEFENDER. This brought Morshead’s infantry strength up to four complete brigades. The new bn was temporarily placed under Brigadier Wootten’s command and immediately put into a defensive position near the junction of the El Adem and Bardia Roads.
On the morning of 5th May Colonel Martin, surveying the positions he had taken over during the night, found his bn holding a general north-south line running through the important track junctions (not all printed on the map) behind and east of Bianca. Appreciating the need of denying to the enemy that dominant point of vantage and observation, Martin at once decided to push his line forward. The move was executed in the early afternoon under intense machine-gun fire and shelling. Ten men were killed and 22 wounded (one mortally) and 2 men were reported missing; but though costly in life the realignment added greatly to the security of the defence at its weakest point and moreover enabled an excellent, if vulnerable, observation post for the artillery, later known as “Nixon’sPost” (named after onbe of the soldiers who fell taking it), to be established.




_Tobruk – Disposition 5 May 1941_


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## parsifal (May 8, 2016)

*05 MAY 1941 (Cont'd)*
*OPERATIONS*
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 MAY TO DAWN 6 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine with a fresh wind.
_0828-0843 hrs_ Air raid alert for a small formation of enemy fighters which approach the Island and patrol off the coast; no air raid.
_2010-2030 hrs_ Air raid alert triggered by the return of a Maryland aircraft.
OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 5 MAY 1941
_ROYAL NAVY830 Sqn Fleet Air Arm_Swordfish overnight operations minelaying approaches to Tripoli. Information received that one Merchant Vessel blew up and one Merchant Vessel burned out while they were laying the mines. As no bombs were dropped it is suspected that a flare from a Swordfish landed on the ship unloading petrol and ammunition
_AIR HQ _
_Departures_1 Sunderland._ 69 Sqn _Maryland on shuttle service recon from Middle East via Greek coast and Zante. 2 Marylands recon eastern Tunisian coast. Marylands departed Gibraltar 1530 hrs arrived Malta safely; no shipping or aircraft seen en route. Beaufighter patrols to 60 miles west of Malta from dawn to 1000 hrs in connection with air escort for special merchant vessel due Malta; ship not sighted. Patrols will be repeated tomorrow at the same time.
_LUQA _Maryland B crew left; C crew arrived PM. Two flights of Beaufighters went out to escort British vessel PARRACOMBEto Malta but did not find it.


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## parsifal (May 8, 2016)

*06 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type M-1935 MSW M-151
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

S boat S-105




_“S 105" with Heart-Ace and "S 80" with Diamonds-Ace_

*Losses*
U-103 sank the *MV DUNKWA (UK 3218 grt)* west of Freetown. The ship was dispersed from convoy OB-310, and was on passage from Glasgow to Nigeria, carrying a cargo of mixed iterms and Government stores. A crew of 47 were aboard, of which 7 were to be lost. At 1717 hrs the DUNKWA, was hit aft by one stern torpedo fired by U-103 and sank within 8 minutes 216 miles west-northwest of Freetown. Five crew members and three gunners were lost. The Germans noticed that the 39 survivors were in only one overcrowded lifeboat, so they righted a swamped lifeboat and provided water to the survivors. The master, 37 crew members and one gunner were picked up by the POLYDORUS and landed at Oban.





U-103 sank the unescorted *MV SURAT (UK 5529 grt)* NW of Freetown.. She was on passage from Karachi to the Uk, carrying pig iron, rape seed and peas, with a crew of 65 of which 4 were to be lost. At 0515 hrs SURAT was hit by a stern torpedo from U-103 NW of Freetown. The U-boat had spotted the ship, en route with 13 knots, at 1603 hrs the day before and only could keep up with her due to her zigzag course that also caused a first torpedo fired at 2345 hours to miss. The crew apparently noticed the attack and evaded two torpedoes fired at 0510 hours and a first stern torpedo five minutes later. The second stern torpedo fired shortly afterwards then hit the stern and stopped the ship, but also a first coup de grace at 0526 hours missed. The ship sank immediately after being hit amidships by two coups de grace at 0613 and 0625 hrs respectively. Four crew members were lost. The master, 58 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the British hopper barge FOREMOST and landed at Freetown





U-105 sank the *steamer OAKDENE (UK 4255 grt)* whilst she was on passage from the Cardiff to Buenos Aires with a cargo of coal in the Central Atlantic midway between West Africa and the Sth American Coast. She had embarked a crew of 35, all of whom survived the loss. She had been part of OG-59, but was dispersed when hit. At 1052 hrs the OAKDENE was hit aft by one G7e torpedo from U-105 and sank NW of St. Paul Rocks. The master, 31 crew members and three gunners were picked up by CA DORSETSHIRE.





U-556 sank the *trawler EMANUEL (Faroes 165 grt)* with gfunfire just off the Faroe Islands
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire; U-552

Departures
Kiel: U-109

At Sea 06 May 1941
U-38, U-69, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-110, U-111, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-556, UA

23 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*West Coast*
CVL FURIOUS arrived at Liverpool to complete her refit that had commenced at at Belfast.

British steamer INDUSTRIA was damaged by the LW at Liverpool. The steamer proceeded to Greenock where she was drydocked on the 19th. Greek steamer MOSCHA D. KYDONIEFS was damaged by the LW at Liverpool.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy HG.61 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop SANDWICH, corvettes AZALEA, GERANIUM, and JONQUIL, and Dutch submarine O.21. The convoy was joined on the 7th by special service vessel FIDELITY. The corvettes were detached on the 12th and the submarine on the 13th. Ocean boarding vessel HILARY joined the convoy with captured Italian tanker GIANNA M. on the 12th and ocean boarding vessel CAVINA joined on the 14th. On the 16th, the convoy was joined by DDs LEGION, READING, VANQUISHER, and WINCHELSEA, sloop LONDONDERRY, corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, PIMPERNEL, and RHODODENDRON. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

Submarine CACHALOT arrived at Gibraltar from Devonport on the 6th. The submarine departed on the 8th for Malta arriving on the 15th from England with supplies. After unloading, the submarine departed on the 16th for Alexandria.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TRIUMPH attacked a convoy of German steamers BROOK and TILLY L. M. RUSS which departed Tripoli on the 5th for Benghazi escorted by RM TB CLIMENE off Buerat, but was unsuccessful.

Submarine TAKU sank *steamer CAGLIARI (FI 2322 grt)* at 1944, three miles from Fuscaldo,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT sank *steamer BENGASI (FI 1716 grt)* three miles 131° from Cavoli.




Lt N. K. Cambell and Lt (A) G. D. Nutt of 830 Squadron from ST ANGELO were shot down and made prisoners of war in a raid on Tripoli. Petty Officer Airman W. G. T. Welsh died of injuries on the 7th.

Convoy AN.30 of British steamer LOSSIEBANK, CAPE HORN, CITY OF CANTERBURY, and RAWNSLEY departed Haifa escorted by sloop GRIMSBY and Port Said escorted by sloop FLAMINGO for Suda Bay. RAN DDs STUART, VAMPIRE, and WATERHEN and Sloop AUCKLAND joined the convoy north of Alexandria on the 7th. The convoy was delayed by engine problems in steamer CITY OF CANTERBURY, then in steamer RAWNSLEY. On the 7th, STUART developed defects and was sent back to Alexandria being relieved by RAN DD VOYAGER.

*Steamer RAWNSLEY (UK 4998 grt)* was badly damaged by LW torpedo bombing on the 8th. The steamer was taken in tow by sloop GRIMSBY and escorted by RAN DD WATERHEN. The steamer was towed to Herapatra Bay. Bad weather prevented the steamer from being towed further on the 10th. The steamer was anchored at Herapatra Bay and sloop GRIMSBY returned to Alexandria. Steamer RAWNSLEY was sunk by German air attack on the 12th off Herapatra.





RAN DD STUART attacked a submarine contact 28.5 miles 278° from Ras el Tin. She was joined by ASW trawler KINGSTON CYANITE and ASW whaler KOS 22. The convoy arrived at Suda Bay on the 9th.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.125 A departed Halifax escorted by BB REVENGE, AMC ASCANIA, and corvettes COBALt and WETASKIWIN. The corvettes were detached later that day. Escort vessels BANFF, CULVER, FISHGUARD, and HARTLAND joined the convoy on the 7th. The BB was detached on the 13th. On the 16th, DDs CHELSEA, CHURCHILL, MANSFIELD, VERITY, and WOLVERINE and corvettes BEGONIA, CONVOLVULUS, and LARKSPUR joined the escort and were detached on the 18th. On the 18th, DDs RAMSEY, RIPLEY, WALKER, and WATCHMAN, sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes BLUEBELL, CANDYTUFT, HONEYSUCKLE, HYDRANGEA, TULIP, and WALLFLOWER , and MSW SALAMANDER joined the convoy. DD CALDWELL joined on the 19th. MSWs BRAMBLE, GOSSAMER, SEAGULL, and SHARPSHOOTER were with the convoy on the 19th. DDs ESCAPADE and INGLEFIELD joined the convoy on the 20th and corvettes TULIP and WALLFLOWER were detached. DDs ESCAPADE and INGLEFIELD and corvette HONEYSUCKLE were detached on the 21st.

HX.125B departed Halifax, escorted by sloop ABERDEEN. The escort vessels BANFF, CULVER, FISHGUARD, and HARTLAND arrived at Greenock on the 22nd. Both convoys arrived at Liverpool on the 22nd

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
P/T/Sub Lt (A) L. M. Herbert RNVR, of 814 Sqn in CVL HERMES, was killed when he was struck by a propeller blade.

NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Colombo with liners AQUITANIA, ILE DE FRANCE, and MAURETANIA (35,739grt) of troop convoy US.10B. The convoy was turned over to RAN CA CANBERRA on the 7th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 MAY TO DAWN 7 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_1154-1250 hrs_ Air raid alert for six HE 111 bombers approaching the Island escorted by 30+ ME 109s. They carry out a high level bombing raid on Luqa, dropping 15 high explosive bombs on the aerodrome. One Beaufighter is written off, two badly damaged and six slightly damaged. A shelter of 2ndBattalion Royal West Kent Regiment is hit but no personnel are inside. 11 Hurricane fighters are scrambled and attack the bombers, one of which is last seen with its engine on fire and unlikely to reach base. Hurricanes are shot down by raiders but all the pilots bale out and are safe: Sgt R A Branson suffers burns to his right leg and P/O C K Gray is wounded in the left thigh. A third Hurricane crash lands and is written off. P/O A Dredge’s Hurricane crashes in flames on the airfield; he suffers severe burns. Pilot Officer P D Thompson’s Hurricane is damaged but he manages to land, despite suffering from a splinter wound in his leg. One ME 109 is damaged by AA.

_1755-1830 hrs_ Air raid alert for five JU 88 bombers, with an escort of 20 ME 109s. The bombers carry out a second high level attack on Luqa. A bomb hits tar barrels north of the aerodrome, starting a large fire. Hurricanes are again scrambled and shoot down one JU 88.

_2020-2330 hrs_ Air raid alert for 36 enemy aircraft which come over in three waves, including JU 87s, JU 88s and HE 111s. Bombs are dropped on Luqa aerodrome; bombs and mines on the Grand Harbour area. The Northern Petroleum tank at Marsa is destroyed, causing a large fire. 14 houses are destroyed in Casa Paola and Cospicua; one civilian is killed. Luqa runway is damaged with craters and another shelter of 2ndBn Royal West Kent Regiment is damaged. Three Marylands are damaged and unserviceable but repairable. In the Dockyard several workshops are extensively damaged, stores and sheds destroyed. Parachute mines laid in and outside Marsamxetto and Grand Harbour.

A new defensive policy for AAt guns is put into operation, while searchlights achieve a good number of illuminations. Two Hurricanes are scrambled to 10000 and 15000 feet in the first part of the raid, with no AA fire. They shoot down one raider confirmed, plus one probable and one damaged. AA then engages with a barrage, followed by the scramble of further Hurricanes. Heavy AA fire eight barrages. Bofors guns fire at parachute mines and at all aircraft below 3000 feet, destroying two: one lands on the Ordnance Repair Shops at the Ospizio.

Air raid alert triggered by an enemy search party then circles the island 15 miles off the coast for 45 minutes.

*Cyrenaica*
The enemy made a last attempt to extend the breach of the perimeter on the morning of 6th May. About 7.30 a.m. a strong German fighting patrol closed in on Post S9 in the area held by Captain Malloch’s company of the 2/23rd Battalion. The attack was driven off with the help of artillery fire and supporting fire from Post S8 but one man in the post was killed and another wounded. More enemy, estimated to be in excess of one company, were then observed about 300 yards from the wire; but after enduring fire for two hours the enemy withdrew at 9.30 a.m.

Henceforward the positions in the Salient were steadily improved by digging, wiring and mining, and were edged forward when opportunity offered. As each side developed its positions and pushed them out towards the other, the strain on the men holding the front, particularly in the Salient, became intense, sapping vigour and draining away enthusiasm.


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## Njaco (May 8, 2016)

*May 9 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-110 and U-201 attacked Allied convoy OB-318, sinking 3 British freighters. U-110 was forced to surface by 10 depth charges from British corvette HMS “_Aubretia_”, then shelled by destroyers HMS “_Bulldog_” and HMS “_Broadway_” embarking on what was later called Operation Primrose. The German crew thought the submarine had already been fatally damaged and sinking, and abandoned ship. Recognizing the opportunity to capture the ship, the commanding officer of HMS “_Bulldog_” quickly rescued many of the German crew and put them below decks so they could not observe (but submarine commander Lemp died in the water, possibly shot as he attempted to swim back to the submarine), and sent a boarding party to capture her. The capture was completed at 1245 hours, yielding an Enigma cipher machine and code book. The British cargo ship “_Empire Cloud_” was torpedoed and damaged on her maiden voyage by German submarine U-201 near Cape Farewell, Greenland with the loss of five crew. She would be towed, repaired and returned to service. U-201 was damaged by 99 depth charges but was able to return to her home port for repairs.

German submarine U-103 sank British ship “_City of Winchester_” 700 miles west of Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2309 hours; 6 were killed, 92 survived. In the same area, Italian submarine “_Tazzoli_” sank Norwegian tanker “_Alfred Olsen_”; the entire crew survived.

*ASIA:* A peace treaty was signed between Thailand and France in Tokyo, Japan, officially ending the Franco-Thai War; the French was coerced by the Japanese to relinquish their hold on the disputed border territories.

The Battle of South Shanxi: Japanese North China Front Army attacked 9th Army of Chinese 1st War Area around Fengmenkou and Lungwanwo and captured Wangyuan. Japanese aircraft conduct major attack against Chungking. The 4th Hikodan (8th and 14th Sentais) were placed under the command of the commander of the 3rd Hikoshidan. It was stationed at Taiyuan and Hankou and together with the 75th Sentai, ordered to cooperate with the future operations of the 13th Army. The 4th Hikodan had previously supported South China Area Army in the landing in the vicinity of Fuchou.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The Soviet Union declared that it no longer recognized the diplomatic standing of Belgium, Norway and Yugoslavia.

Soviet agent reports to Stalin from Bulgaria that Germany will invade in June.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler disembarked battleship “_Bismarck_”.

RAF Bomber Command sends 146 aircraft to attack Mannheim and Ludwigshafen overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Tiger: When the Convoy WS 58 was passing about 12 miles off Cape Bon three mines were exploded in the paravanes of the “_New Zealand Star_” and the “_Empire Song_” at about midnight. British transport ship “_Empire Song_” hit two of the mines and sank. In addition to the 18 men killed, 57 tanks and 10 Hurricane fighters aboard were also lost. The survivors were taken on to Malta in the destroyer HMS “_Foresight_”. British vessel “_New Zealand Star_” was damaged by the third mine.

*MIDDLE EAST: *The Assault on Rutbah Fort: The RAF continued to bomb the fort at Rutbah at intermittent intervals. One plane sustained such heavy small-arms fire that it crashed on the way back to the airfield, killing the pilot. That evening, 40 trucks armed with machine guns arrived at the fort to reinforce the garrison. Half of the trucks were irregulars under the command of Fawzi al-Qawuqji and the other half were Iraqi Desert Police. Commander Glubb Pasha decided to withdraw his soldiers back to H3 to await the reinforcement of the main column.

The Grand Mufti decrees jihad against the British Empire.

German aircraft begin to stage through Syrian airfields to support Iraqi nationalists in revolt against British rule. As a result, Churchill instructs Wavell to allow Free French under General Catroux to invade Syria. Free French consist of only five battalions (mostly African) and some artillery. Wavell demurs – he has just dispatched his only (fully-equipped) cavalry brigade across the desert to Iraq, he is expecting the German assault on Crete to begin soon, and dealing with axis forces in the western desert, so cannot support such an operation.

*NORTH AFRICA: * German intelligence intercepted a British radio transmission containing weather information in the Libyan-Egyptian border region. This gave suspicion that an offensive was about to be taken place. The Afrika Korps war diary noted that "In the past, such reports had always been issued prior to the important enemy offensives to capture Sidi Barrani, Bardi, Tobruk, and the Gebel." Rommel's response was to strengthen the eastern side of his cordon around Tobruk as a precaution against sorties from the garrison, and to order Kampfgruppe von Herff to adopt a more aggressive posture.

After nightfall, Australian destroyer HMAS “_Vendetta_” departed Alexandria, Egypt and arrived in Tobruk, Libya to embark wounded troops.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz: 500 Luftwaffe aircraft mount a heavy raid on London. At RAF Waddington in Waddington, Lincolnshire, England, a direct hit by a German bomb on the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) station and a nearby air-raid shelter killed three airmen and seven women who worked in the NAAFI, including Mrs. Raven, the manageress. The Luftwaffe attempted to hit the Rolls-Royce aero engine factory in the East Midlands, but their bombs only managed to kill a few farm animals.

Before midnight the sirens went again at Hull, and a third night of raids was expected and prepared for. But few of the enemy made landfall, and with exception of four bombs at Sutton, little happened except the strain of a five hour stand-by for officials and civilians alike, all by now, exhausted.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft to attack coastal targets.


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## parsifal (May 8, 2016)

*07 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS WOOLSEY (DD 437)





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS MIGNONETTE (K-38)





Fairmile B ML 215
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDML 1042
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-94 sank the *steamer EASTERN STAR (Nor 5658 grt) *in the Nth Atlantic. She was part of convoy OB 318 when lost. She had a crew of 40, all of whom survived , She was outward bound from Liverpool to Halifax, carrying general cargo, naphthaline, cresylic acid and 16 aircraft in boxes. Between 2310 and 2312 hours on 7 May 1941, U94 fired four torpedoes at the convoy OB-312 about 200 miles SW of Reykjavik and reported four ships sunk, but Kuppisch apparently interpreted depth charges dropped by HMS BULLDOG and HMS ROCHESTER immediately after the torpedoes had detonated on the IXON and EASTERN STAR as hits on other ships. Both escorts dropped together 67 depth charges on the U-boat, damaging it slightly. The EASTERN STAR was hit on the starboard side by one torpedo, caught fire and sank some hours later. All crew members abandoned ship in three lifeboats and were picked up by Armed Yacht HMS DANEMAN shortly thereafter and landed in Reykjavik on 12 May.




U-94 sank *steamer IXION (UK 10258 grt)* in the nth Atlantic. The ship was attached to OB-318 when lost. All 105 crew survived, She was outward bound, on passage from Liverpool to New York with a cargo of general cargo and over 900 bags of mail. The IXION was hit on the port side by one torpedo and sank. The master and 18 crew members were picked up by Corvette HMS MARIGOLD and landed at Greenock. 77 crew members and nine gunners were picked up by the British steam merchant NAILSEA MOOR and landed at Sydney, Nova Scotia.




*MSW trawler SUSARION (RN 260 grt)* was sunk by the LW three miles SE of Humber Light Vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Naval drifter GOWAN HILL (RN 96 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Greenock.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM Sub TAZZOLI sank *steamer FERLANE (Nor 4310 grt)* in the SW Approaches. The crew were all rescued.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*steamer RIL IDA (UK 53 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Victoria Dock, Hull.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Flat ELLESBASNK (UK 43 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Stanley Dock at Liverpool.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BLUESTONE (UK 106 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Greenock. The crew were all rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steam Barge KINEENAN (UK 72 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Liverpool. All five crew were killed on the barge.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sailing barge IDA BURTON (UK 46 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Liverpool.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*FV WATERLILY (UK 12 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Bessom Creek, West Mersea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steam barge KINEENAN (UK 72 grt) *was sunk on a mine at Liverpool. All five crew were killed on the barge.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*UBOATS*
At Sea 07 May 1941
U-38, U-69, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-110, U-111, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-556, UA

23 boats at sea

U-94 was attacked repeatedly after an attack on OB-318 and damaged as the escorts pounded the boat with depth charges for four hours after she had audaciously sank two ships in the convoy. The damage was repaired and U-94 continued on patrol, but was prevented from making further attacks on this convoy

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0600 to escort convoy WN.23. At 1400, she transferred to convoy EC.16. At 0400on the 8th, the ship transferred to convoy WN.24 which she escorted to Methil arriving early on the 9th.

*Northern Patrol*
CLs EDINBURGH, MANCHESTER, and BIRMINGHAM after covering ML Opn SN.9 A met DDs SOMALI, RAN NESTOR, BEDOUIN, and ESKIMO, which had just refuelled at Skaalefjord, for Operation EB to search for a German weather vessel.
On the 7th, *weather ship MUNCHEN (Ger 306 grt)* was captured off Iceland. The British cryptologist Harry Hinsley then working at Bletchley Park realised at the end of April 1941 that the German weather ships, were using the same ENIGMA code books as were being used on the U Boats. The trawlers, which were transmitting weather reports to the Germans, were in turn being sent naval Enigma messages.

Although the weather ships did not transmit enciphered weather reports on ENIGMA machines, they still needed to have one of the machines on board if they were to decode the ENIGMA signals transmitted to them. Hinsley realised that if the code books could be captured from one of these vulnerable trawlers, the naval ENIGMA system could be broken, with British intelligence able to decipher messages to U-boats and discover their locations. The problem remained that if the navy were to attempt to capture one of the weatherships, the German crew would have time to throw their current Enigma settings into the sea before they were boarded. Hinsley instead reasoned that the following month's ENIGMA settings would be locked in a safe aboard the ship, and could be overlooked if the Germans were forced to hastily abandon ship. On being informed, the RN despatched seven ships to the NE of Iceland at the beginning of May 1941. The target was the MUNCHEN, one of the weather ships operating in the area. In the course of the raid, the weather ship, and the ENIGMA settings for June 1941 were captured. As a result, naval ENIGMA messages transmitted during June 1941 could be quickly deciphered.

Halfway through June 1941 the Germans replaced the “bigram” tables used in ENIGMA. This would have resulted in a code breaking blackout unless further settings could be captured. Hinsley and the Admiralty were concerned that capturing another weather ship might alert the Germans to their vulnerability and cause them to immediately alter them again. It was eventually decided to take the risk and on 25 June 1941 four warships were despatched to capture the codebooks from the LAUERNBURG, another weather ship operating north of Iceland, which Hinsley had selected. Among the mass of charts and signaling papers naval intelligence office Allan Baker discovered some vital information; he had come across three loose sheets that Hinsley had hoped he would find. Two of these were headed _Steckerverbindungen _(plug connections) and one was a list of the _Innere Finstellung_ (inner settings) i.e.: the ENIGMA wheel order, and the settings for the rings around the wheels that could be altered only by fiddling around inside the ENIGMA machine. It was thanks to these documents that naval ENIGMA messages were read throughout the remainder of 1941.




_WBS 6 MUNCHEN and HMS SOMALI - May 1941. The RN reported her sunk to try and preserve their ENIGMA secrets. The ruse apparently worked. In fact she was quietly sold in 1943 to the Faeroes islands as the FROYEN. _

*Northern Waters*
DD NESTOR arrived at Scapa Flow on the 8th. The cruisers and DD SOMALI arrived at Scapa Flow on the 10th. DDs BEDOUIN and ESKIMO, which had been detached to search for a U-Boat 60 miles west of the Shetlands, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 10th. The German ship arrived at Thorshavn on the 9th. DD FARNDALE departed Scapa Flow on the 13th to escort the ship. The DD and the trawler, disguised as Norwegian trawler FROYEN, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 15th.

DD WALPOLE departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to meet steamers AMSTERDAM and ARCHANGEL off the entrance that night and escort them to Lerwick and Kirkwall, respectively. At 2050 on the 8th, WALPOLE departed Lerwick escorting steamer AMSTERDAM back to Aberdeen. The steamer was delivered to Aberdeen on the 9th. The DD returned to Kirkwall, arriving at 1300 to escort steamer ARCHANGEL to Aberdeen. They departed at 1800 and arrived off Aberdeen on the 10th. WALPOLE returned to Scapa Flow during midmorning on the 10th after this escort duty.

*West Coast*
OB.319 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes ANEMONE and CLARKIA. DDs BURNHAM, ERIDGE, and SALISBURY, CAM ship ARIGUANI, and MSW HUSSAR joined the escort. MSW NIGER, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and VIZALMA joined on the 9th. DDs BURNHAM and SALISBURY and the CAM ship were detached on the 12th. DDs MANSFIELD and WOLVERINE and corvette CONVOLVULOUS joined on the 12th. The escort was detached on the 13th when the convoy was dispersed.

During the night of 7/8 May, DD HURRICANE was sunk by the LW in the continuing bombing campaign against Liverpool in shallow water at Liverpool. The destroyer was salved and returned to service in January 1942. DD VISCOUNT was also damaged in this air raid. The destroyer was taken to Devonport and repair was completed in January 1942. CAM ship MAPLIN was hit by a bomb at Liverpool. British Tug HORNBY grt) was sunk by the LW at Liverpool, however the tug was salved and repaired. British steamer CLAN MACINNES was damaged by German bombing at Liverpool.

*Med/Biscay*
*MSW STOKE (RN 350 grt (est))* was sunk by the LW at Tobruk. Commissioned Engineer G. L. Rose and Twenty ratings were lost on the minesweeper. Gunboat LADYBIRD rescued the survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MSW whaler SVANA was damaged by a near miss in the same attack.

*Steamer KATINA P. (Gk 1216 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Astakos (in the Gulf Of Corinth).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer TANAIS (Gk 1700 grt (est))* was damaged by the LW at Suda Bay. The steamer sank, but was salved by the Germans for their use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer PASCOLI (FI 2939 grt) *was sunk off Saseno (an island off the Albanian coast) on a mine.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
DDs VELOX and WRESTLER departed Gibraltar to meet CL DUNEDIN and troopships MONARCH OF BERMUDA and EMPRESS OF JAPAN, coming from Freetown. The ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 8th. CL DUNEDIN was taken in hand for repairs to boiler tubes.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
*Tanker barge SAFIYEH (UK 176 grt)* was sunk by Italian bombing near Basra . The barge was refloated and towed to Abadan for repair.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Tanker BRITISH EMPEROR (UK 3663 grt)* sunk by DKM Raider PINGUIN at 8-30N, 56-25E in the Indian Ocean.The tanker was able to radio an SOS. CVL EAGLE and CA HAWKINS put out from Mombasa as well as CA CORNWALL. NZ manned CL LEANDER, which had departed Colombo on the 6th with an ANZAC convoy, was ordered to turn her convoy over to RAN CA CANBERRA and assist in the search. CL s LIVERPOOL and GLASGOW and AMC HECTOR also assisted in the search.

The crew of 44 from the tanker were taken on board the raider as pows. The next day the raider was shelled and sunk by CA CORNWALL with the loss of 341 crew and 200 prisoners of war on board 





*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 MAY TO DAWN 8 MAY 1941
_Weather_Overcast with low cloud.
_0904-0925 hrs; 1019-1048 hrs_ Air raid alerts for a formation of ME 109s which carry out patrols round the Island Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no engagements.

_1319-1340 hrs_ Air raid alert; for 8 ME 109s spotted heading towards the SE coast. Guns at Delimara and Benghaisa forts open fire and the raiders retreat without crossing the coast

_1548-1620 hrs_ Air raid alert for one JU 88 which approaches the Island escorted by 6 ME 109s. The JU 88 crosses the Island on recon and is engaged by HAA guns; no claims. Hurricane fighters are scrambled. The weaver of the formation collides with another aircraft; both crash and are written off. Pilot Sergeant H H Jennings died when his aircraft hit the ground near Gharghur. The other pilot Sergeant Walker, managed to bale out before his aircraft plunged into the sea

_2032-2141 hrs_ Air raid alert for 12 enemy a/c approaching the Island from the north. Low cloud makes it difficult to locate targets and some raiders turn away without dropping any bombs. Others drop bombs on Luqa aerodrome and in the sea off Tigne. Four bombs hit a military post near Ghar Dalam, destroying a store and damaging an accommodation hut. Three men are slightly wounded. Searchlights illuminate raiders twice and AA guns fire an immediate barrage; no claims. A Hurricane NF is scrambled but does not engage.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 7 MAY 1941
_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron_operations against small a convoy inside Lampedusa which already been attacked by Blenheims.

_AIR HQArrivals_1 Bombay._Departures_1 Bombay._69 Sqn_Maryland despatched recon Naples returned to report a convoy: 5 Blenheims 21 Sqn and 3 Beaufighters 252 Squadron despatched to attack; two ships received direct hits and a Beaufighter shot down one RA SM81 transport. A second Maryland sent to reconnoitre the convoy after the attack failed to return. Maryland photo-recon of Taranto. Planned recon of Naples delayed 24 hours. 

*Cyrenaica*
The decision at the end of April to withdraw combatant aircraft from Tobruk was followed by an order from Western Desert Force headquarters that the army-cooperation squadron personnel should be returned. Morshead protested without avail in a message sent on 7th May. He submitted that execution of the order would prejudice the security of the fortress unless, before No. 6 Squadron was withdrawn, it was replaced by an army-cooperation unit equipped to provide tactical and artillery reconnaissance under his orders; he had no effective air reconnaissance at all and it was urgently necessary that he should be provided with air observation for his artillery and the means to photograph enemy positions of which ground observation was impossible. General Beresford-Peirse replied with sympathy, expressing hopes of better things to come, but indicated that nothing could be provided from the current scanty resources of aircraft*.*


----------



## parsifal (May 9, 2016)

*08 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-569




_U-569 under air attack just prior to her loss_
1 ship sunk, total tonnage 984 GRT. Scuttled on 22 May 1943 in the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland, in position 50.40N, 35.21W, after being badly damaged by depth charges from two TBF Avenger a/c (VC-9 USN/T-6 & T-7) of the CVE USS BOGUE. 21 dead and 25 survivors.

S-Boat S-114
*



*
_S 114" of der 6. SFltl with Letter "H" in Finnland 1944 - Picture: Archives Ola Erlandsson _

Allied
Bathurst Class Corvette HMAS BENDIGO (J-187)





*Losses*
U-97 sank *steamer RAMILLIES (UK 4553 grt)* in the Western Approaches. The ship was unescorted at the time, but had been attached to OB-317. She was on passage from Tyne to Baltimore carrying high grade coke (refined coal), with a complement of 41, of which 29 were to lose their lives. At 0800 hrs, U-97 spotted two merchants on west course southeast of Cape Farewell and four hours later two others that followed the first group. All ships had been dispersed from convoy OB-317. The U-boat chased the first ships and fired at 1704 hours a torpedo at the RAMILLIES, but missed and was not able to fire at the ships of the second group because they were too far away. So the U-boat had to overtake the first group again during the night and fired at 1214 hours on 8 May another torpedo at the same ship but again missed. At 1813 hours, a third torpedo was fired which hit the RAMILLIES and stopped her but did not sink. At 1848 hours, a coup de grace was fired that malfunctioned, but the second at 1903 hrs hit the ship in the stern and caused her to sink fast in the vertical. The master, 25 crew members and three gunners were lost. Eleven crew members and one gunner were picked up by the British steamer GEDDINGTON COURT and landed at Halifax.





*UBOATS*
Departures
St Nazaire: U-74

At Sea 08 May 1941
U-38, U-69, U-74, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-110, U-111, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-556, UA

24 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*MSW trawler SILICIA (RN 250 grt)* was mined 190° from Albert Dock entrance, Hull.
Seven men were killed and three were wounded. The survivors were rescued by ML.211.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Naval drifter THISTLE V (RN 79 grt)* was lost by mining off Lowestoft, 10 of the crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing smack THISTLE (UK 16 grt)* was sunk on a mine. There were no casualties on the smack.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Naval drifter UBERTY (RN 93 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Lowestoft. 13 crew were lost. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DDs WHADDON and VIVACIOUS, both under repair in the Tyne, were damaged by the LW. Patrol sloop PUFFIN, en route from Humber to Flamborough, was damaged by the explosion of two practice DCs. She was under repair for two days.

In LW attacks on Alexandra Dock, Hull, the following vessels were sunk;

*Sailing barge DELITE (UK 89 grt)*,

*Sailing barge LADORE (UK 91 grt)*,

*Barge WHITAKERS No. II (UK 48 grt)*,

and *Lighter WELCOME HOME (UK 38 grt)*.

There were no casualties on the four ships.

*Ketch WELCOME HOME (UK 38 grt) *was sunk by the LW at Hull. No details on precise location or casualties.

*Northern Waters*
Vice Admiral W. J. Whitworth CB, DSO, struck his flag of Vice Admiral Battle Cruiser Squadron on battlecruiser HOOD. Vice Admiral L. E. Holland CB, formerly Vice Admiral 18th Cruiser Squadron, was named to replace him and hoisted his flag on HOOD on the 12th.

DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, MASHONA, INGLEFIELD, ECHO, and ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow to hunt for a U-Boat reported by CC a/c six miles 110° from Sule Skerry. The DDs INTREPID and IMPULSIVE, returning from escort of the 1st Minelaying Squadron in SN.9A, joined the submarine hunt. The search was called off on the 9th and the DDs returned to Scapa Flow.

*West Coast*
OB.320 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes GLADIOLUS and VERONICA and ASW trawlers ST KENAN and ST ZENO. DDs LEAMINGTON and ROXBOROUGH and corvette ABELIA joined on the 9th. Corvette LARKSPUR joined on the 13th. On the 13th, DDs LEAMINGTON and ROXBOROUGH, corvettes ABELIA and VERONICA, and the trawlers were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 14th when the convoy was dispersed.

In heavy air attacks by the LW on the Clyde disruption to the building schedule of DD PAKENHAM and monitor ROBERTS was achieved.

*ASW yacht VIVA II (RN 521grt)* was sunk by the LW 13 miles west of Trevose Head.
20 of the crew were lost. Only officers were to survive, wounded, picked up by DD CLEVELAND... 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

In LW attacks on Liverpool, the following ships were lost on this night at Canada Dock

*Steamer MARTON (UK 4969 grt)*, with no crew on steamer MARTON listed as casualties when bombed.

*Steam barge ROSE (UK 143 grt)*,

*Steamer TRENTINO (UK 3079 grt)*. The entire crew of steamer TRENTINO was rescued.

*Steam barge BURMAH (UK 127 grt)* were sunk at Liverpool.

British steamer ROYAL DIAFFODIL II, Finnish steamer ANNENBERG, Belgian steamer LEOPOLD II, Norwegian steamer STROMBOLI, and British crane HERCULES were damaged by the LW at Liverpool. The crane was sunk, but was salved and repaired

*SW Approaches*
BC REPULSE, CVE ARGUS, and troopships EMPRESS OF JAPAN and MONARCH OF BERMUDA departed Gibraltar for the UK, arriving on the 15th.

*Channel*
*Tug IRISHMAN (UK 99 g rt) *and *dredger F. W. No. 20 (UK 83 grt) *both blew up off Sword Sands in Langston Harbour, Portsmouth. There were five killed on the tug and three lost on the dredger.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TRUANT, which was proceeding from Malta to Gibraltar intercepted Vichy steamer GALLIUM, en route from Bone to Sete, and escorted her towards Gibraltar. On the 9th, Norwegian steamer BAALBECK reported to the Vichy authorities that the French steamer was proceeding escorted by a Submarine east of Majorca. Vichy DD SIMOUN departed Oran on the 9th to intercept. On the 10th, Vichy TB LA BAYONNAISE and subs DIANE, EURYDICE, THETIS, and ANTIOPE departed Oran.
On the 11th, the steamer was recaptured by the French ships. Steamer GALLIUM arrived at Marseilles on the 14th.

Submarine CACHALOT arrived at Malta with stores from Alexandria. The submarine departed on the 16th and arrived back at Alexandria on the 22nd.

*FV LUIS PUEBLA (Sp 106 grt)* was sunk on a mine during the night of 8/9 May 160 miles northeast of Gijon. Nine crew of a crew of twelve were lost

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Sinking the Raider DKM PINGUIN 
Just after 0500 hrs. on 7 May, PINGUIN intercepted and sank tanker BRITISH EMPEROR, which was on passage from Durban to Abadan, about 375 nmi ESE of Cape Guardafui. The tkr had transmitted a distress message and HMS CORNWALL and other ships had been ordered to try and assist. CORNWALL, en route to refuel at the Free French controlled Seychelles Islands intercepted the message, when about 520 nmi sth of the attack. CORNWALL altered course to NNW and increased speed to 20 kn. A plan was devised to catch the raider, using the Walrus spotter a/c aboard the CORWALL to close the raider's furthest on line escape line was put into effect and then search to cover the largest potential variations of the raiding ship's speed and course. CORNWALLs captain increased speed to 25.5 kn, and heading was altered to due g north between the Seychelles and the Chagos Is.
Vice-Adm Ralph Leatham the CinC East Indies Station, ordered other ships to participate in the search. NZ manned CL LEANDER was sailing westwards at 25 kn from nine Degree Channel towards Socotra, while CL HMS LIVERPOOL, which was north of Cape Guardafui, sailed for Eight Degree Channel, making fo Colombo. CL HMS GLASGOW, steaming from the Gulf of Aden, passed Cape Guardafui that morning at 23 kn, to a position about 100 nmi south-east of the headland. The ship then turned SW at 20 kn towards the Equator, about 300 nmi from the African coast. Farther west, AMC HMS HECTOR, patrolled from the Equator to a position 300 nmi to the SW.
On the afternoon of 7 May, the two a/c on CORNWALL flew recon sorties for 3 hrs and then altered course to get on the line of the main search. This was plotted for a mean speed of 13 kn for an hour after the time of the raider report, assuming that the raider needed an hour to sink _British Emperor_ and then depart at full speed until dark. At 2130 hrs, CORNWALL turned ESE and slowed to search on this line, before the moon set. At dawn, CORNWALL sent both aircraft to search an area three knots on either side of the raider's estimated speed and turned east at 18 kn (steaming away from the raider). At 0707 hrs on 8 May, one of the a/c sighted a ship heading SW at 13 kn, about 65 nmi west of CORNWALL but did not report the sighting, until landing at about 8:00 a.m. At 0825 hrs. CORNWALL altered course to about WSW increasing speed to 23 kn. The second a/c was launched again at 1015 hrs. and at 1223 hrs. it reported that the unknown ship was steaming at 15 kn and had hoisted the signal letters of Norwegian MV TAMERLANE, which the raider resembled but was not on the list of expected ships.
CORNWALL increased speed to 26 kn then to 28 kn. At 1345 hrs, an a/c was launched to give the bearing, course and speed of the suspected ship by wireless; the ship was finally sighted by CORNWALL at 1607 hrs. The ship began transmitting "raider reports", continuing to claim she was the TAMERLANE. Despite orders to heave-to and two warning shots, the ship maintained course and speed for more than an hour, until the range was below 12,000 yards. At 1710 hrs, CORNWALL turned to port and the suspected raider made a larger turn to port, opening fire with five guns just before 1715 hrs, running up the German battle ensign before doing so. Due to mechanical failures, CORNWALL did not immediately return fire for about two minutes and was frequently straddled by shells fired at a rapid rate. German disguised Raiders had hand picked crews with the very best gunners in the KM assigned to them. Two minutes after being fired upon, the CORNWALL returned fire firing two salvoes from the forward 8-inch turrets. The fore steering gear of _Cornwall_ was disabled by a 5·9-inch shell hit and after going out of control for a moment, the after steering gear used. By 1718 hrs, all of CORNWALLs guns had opened fire, with the advantage of superior range finders and director and military grade fire control, instead of local gun control as the PINGUIN was forced to use. A salvo hit PINGUIN, which blew up at 1726 and sank 500 nmi north of the Seychelles, about 300 nmi from where it had sunk BRITISH EMPEROR. Lt (E) G. C. Winslade was the only British fatal casualty. Three ratings were wounded. The cruiser rescued three officers, fifty seven ratings, and twenty two prisoners, ten from CLAN BUCHANAN, one from EMPIRE LIGHT, and eleven from BRITISH EMPEROR. Eighteen officers, 323 ratings, and 200 prisoners, including ninety seven from CLAN BUCHANAN, were lost on the German ship. Raider PINGUIN (DKM 7766 grt) had sunk 17 ships, plus 11 whalers captured, for a total of 136,551 tons.




_PINGUIN as she is thought to have appeared at the time of her loss_

Cruiser CORNWALL proceeded to Durban for repair completing 10 June. The survivors from cruiser PINGUIN departed the Seychilles on the 17th in steamer KHANDALLA and arrived at Mombasa on the 20th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 MAY TO DAWN 9 MAY 1941
_Weather _Overcast, wet and misty; poor visibility, improving later.

_1650-2000 hrs _Air raid alert for about 10 enemy a/c which cross the coast and drop five bombs in the area of Della Grazia. Night Hurricanes are scrambled but two searchlight illuminations are too brief for them to intercept the raiders. AA fire one barrage. Many bombs are dropped in the sea and a few on land.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 8 MAY 1941
_ROYAL NAVY 830 Sqn Fleet Air Arm_One Swordfish search for Fulmar failing to arrive from FORMIDABLE

_AIR HQ Arrivals_2 Sunderland; 4 Wellington._69 Sqn_Maryland patrol between Skerki Bank and Cape Carbonara; visibility bad. 

_LUQA 4_ Wellingtons arrived from Gibraltar.

*Cyrenaica*
Wavell developed his plan to seize the initiative on the Egyptian frontier (Operation BREVITY). The nature of the forward British defence on the frontier was the same, though the formations and units had changed. It rested on a screen of four mobile columns, three above the escarpment on the open desert flank, and one on the coast, the inland and coast forces each being under a separate headquarters. Both headquarters were in the Buq Buq area after 7th May, when the 7th Armoured Div SG HQ, in charge of the inland columns, came there from Sidi Barrani. Attached to each force was a troop of Major Argent’s 12th Btty, 2/3rd AT Regt, with the third troop providing a section of guns with each force headquarters.
On 6th May the German High Command, on the recommendation of Gen Paulus, ordered General Rommel to prepare a defensive line from Gazala to Gadd el Ahmar on which to fall back if the Sollum - Bardia front had to be abandoned. The message was intercepted by the British Intelligence and encouraged Wavell to move quickly.
Preliminary British moves on 8th and 9th May in the Sidi Suleiman, Point 206 (sth of Capuzzo) and Halfaya areas alerted the enemy and an intercepted weather report, transmitted by the British to all units in a form known from experience to precede a British operations, confirmed the apprehensions of the German command, which made dispositions to meet the threat. The_33rd Reconnaissance Unit_, a bn of the_Trento Div_, Hohmann’s_II Bn_of the_5th Pz III_ an MC II were sent from Tobruk to join the Herff Group at Sollum, and on 11th May an extensive sweep of mobile forces and armour aimed at Deir el Hamra was made across the plateau south of Sollum dislodging British outposts. On the 12th the German screening columns edged forward both above and below the escarpment to an area north-east of Sofafi. Near Qaret el Reteim a gun of Sergeant Gillam’s troop of the 12th AT Btty engaged German ACs and scored a direct hit.) The German columns drew back to the Salum area on the night of the 13th.
General Beresford-Peirse’s instructions to Morshead for participation by the fortress were sent under cover of a letter written on 8th May but were not delivered to Morshead until 13th May. They reached him just as a major relief within the fortress was being effected. The chance that aggressive action by the fortress might affect the enemy’s dispositions favourably for the prospects of a frontier operation was not great in view of the disclosure of the real intention and the taking up of pre-battle dispositions before Morshead could act. Nevertheless Morshead did the best he could at such short notice and planned operations with real, if limited, objectives while seeking at the same time to aggrandise them in the enemy’s eyes to the appearance of a full-scale attack. The deceptive measures for this purpose were to be simulated radio and wireless deception and transport moves on a scale for major operations.


----------



## Njaco (May 9, 2016)

*May 10 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-556 attacked Allied convoy OB-318 between Greenland and Iceland, sinking British ship “_Empire Caribou_” (34 killed, 11 survived) and Belgian ship “_Gand_” (1 killed, 43 survived) and damaging British ship “_Aelybryn_” (1 killed).

German submarine U-110, captured by HMS “_Bulldog_” on the previous day, sank while being towed toward Iceland. Her Enigma cipher machine and code book, however, had already been retrieved by the British.

*ASIA: *The Battle of South Shanxi: Japanese North China Front Army capture Fengmenkou and Lungwanwo and then attacked Tungfeng. Japanese aircraft conduct major attack against Chungking.

Bulgaria established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

Vice Admiral Toshio Shimazaki was named the Chief of Staff of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan.

*GERMANY:* A rocket engine (RII-203) for the Messerschmitt Me163 reaches a test speed of 623mph. The engine is not yet mounted and flying but in a test rig on the ground.

RAF Bomber Command sends 119 aircraft to attack Hamburg and 23 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.

British Lieutenant Anthony "Peter" Allan escaped the Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle, Germany by hiding in a straw mattress that was being carried out of the camp by cooperative French laborers.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Tiger: RN destroyer “_Fortune_” heavily damaged by Axis aircraft. RN Force H turns for Gibraltar as other RN destroyers were detached from Mediterranean Fleet to bombard Benghazi.

Italian manufacturing firm Caproni delivered midget submarines CB-3, CB-4, CB-5, and CB-6 to the Italian Navy at La Spezia, Italy.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The Assault on Rutbah Fort: The Arab Legion arrived back at H3 in the morning and found No. 2 Armoured Car Company RAF under Squadron Leader Michael Casano waiting there. The squadron had been sent up ahead of the main column to assist the Arab Legion in taking Rutbah. Casano took his armoured cars to Rutbah whilst the Arab Legion replenished their supplies at H3. Casano's armoured cars fought an action against al-Qawuqji's trucks for most of the rest of the day, and although the result was not decisive the trucks retired to the east under the cover of dark to leave the garrison to its fate. That night the RAF succeeded in a night bombing, with several bombs landing inside the fort.

The Germans in Athens set FliegerFührer Irak in motion when several Me110s and a number of troop transports flew to Baghdad via Rhodes-Aleppo-Damascus-Mosul. The aim of this operation was to provide aid to the rebel Iraqi generals so as to threaten the flank of the British forces in North Africa. Churchill said later that at that time the Germans actually had an airborne landing troop strong enough to have enabled them to seize Syria, Iraq and Persia with their precious oilfields. 4./ZG 76 under Lt. Col. Holbein, formed part of the "Junck Special Aerial Force" which was to initiate the planned operation in Iraq. All the German aircraft carried Iraqi national emblems. Colonel Junck reported later: "The force was deployed overhastily with aircraft that were not equipped with tropical kits. Some of them did not even have the maps and charts which were indispensable for such missions."

*NORTH AFRICA: * British destroyers HMS “_Kelly_”, HMS “_Kipling_”, HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Kashmir_”, and HMS “_Kelvin_” from Malta bombarded Benghazi, Libya at 1700 hours. German dive bombers fought back but caused no damage. After nightfall, also in Libya, British gunboat HMS “_Ladybird_” shelled Gazala 30 miles west of Tobruk.

Indian troops marched out the Falagi Pass, which was captured on the previous day, toward the 11,400-foot Mount Gumsa east of Amba Alagi, Abyssinia. Italian troops who held Mount Gumsa would be withdrawn into Amba Alagi after sundown.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The May Blitz: The Luftwaffe mounts the largest night raid on London of the war. 570 German Bomber crews flying two and even three sorties drop 708 tons of HE and 2,393 incendiary bomb bins that caused more than 2,000 fires. This raid inflicts more damage than previous raids with more than 3,000 people killed or injured. At the same time the Luftwaffe suffers its heaviest night-raid losses. 27 German aircraft are shot down, a toll which had previously only been reached during day raids. KG 55 loses two He 111s from I Gruppe during the attacks. Low tide on the River Thames made firefighting difficult as it was harder to draw water, thus fires caused more damage than usual. The House of Commons, the roof of Westminster Hall and the top of Victoria Tower were alight. In the City of London, the Mint and the Tower were both ablaze.

The Flight of Rudolf Hess: Sparking a controversy that will last long after the war, Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess landed in Scotland with a Bf 110 fighter (3869) Aircraft VJ+OQ in an attempt to dissuade Duke of Hamilton to introduce him to King George VI in order to broker peace between the United Kingdom and Germany. This mission was not authorized by Adolf Hitler. Hess, Deputy Führer of the Third Reich and Hitler’s private secretary – he took dictation for Hitler’s book ‘_Mein Kampf_’ - , takes off from Augsburg in an unarmed plane and flies to the British Isles to attempt peace negotiations on his own. Dressed as a Luftwaffe flight lieutenant, his airplane stalls and he bales out over a Scottish farm. He landed 12 miles from the Duke's residence, broke his ankle, and was arrested by a farmer and taken to a Glasgow hospital. After his identity is established, he is interned at the Tower of London, asking the British to join Germany in its fight against bolshevism. Hitler orders Propaganda minister Göbbels to declare Hess’ flight an act of a deranged man, stating; “_It seemed that Party Member Hess lived in a state of hallucination, as a result of which he felt he would bring about an understanding between England and Germany . . . The Nationalist Socialist Party regrets that this idealist fell a victim to his hallucination. This, however, will have no effect on the continuance of the war which has been forced on Germany._” British Prime Minister Churchill later writes that despite standing by Hitler, Hess had atoned for his sins by “_his completely devoted and frantic deed of lunatic benevolence._” Hess never sees freedom again. Convicted at Nuremburg in 1946, he will be held in Spandau Prison, West Berlin, until his death in 1987.

The 200th Beaufighter aircraft was completed.

RAF Headquarters announced: Last night a Dutch bomber squadron was deployed for the first time. Up to now Dutch air crews in the Dutch aerial formation, served as reconnaissance fliers. Shipments from the USA have now made it possible to set up the first Dutch bomber wing, which flew its mission last night against a German Luftwaffe base in Kristiansund, southern Norway.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The Strike of the 100,000: The Strike of the 100,000 was an 8-day strike in Belgium which took place from 10–18 May 1941 during the German occupation. It was led by Julien Lahaut, head of the Belgian Communist Party (Parti Communiste de Belgique or PCB), even though the Nazi—Soviet Pact was still in force. The object of the strike was to demand a wage increase though it was also an act of passive resistance to the German occupation. The strike originated at the Cockerill steel works (Cockerill Fonderie) in the industrial town of Seraing, in eastern Belgium. The date significantly marked the first anniversary of the German invasion of Belgium.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack coastal targets.

.


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## parsifal (May 10, 2016)

Njaco said:


> British Lieutenant Anthony "Peter" Allan escaped the Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle, Germany by hiding in a straw mattress that was being carried out of the camp by cooperative French laborers.


 
Peter Allan was on the run for 9 days before being recaptured due to exhaustion and running out of money. Colditz is located in Saxony, and Allan had firstly travelled to Poland to escape via Sweden before changing plans and making for Vienna, during which he had hitched a lift with a helpful SS officer! He was part American and had hoped for assistance from the still neutral US embassy. He was short of money and very cold and hungry by the time he reached vienna, and had to be depressed and exhausted by then. He was caught sleeping rough in a park and unable to move his legs when caught .

There is dispute about how many successful escapes from colditz there actually were, but the most knowledgeable appear to be 16 from the castle proper. This is not bad as a batting average with 31 escape attempts known to have been foiled. There may have been others that went unreported however.

The known successful escapes were:

1. French Lieutenant Alain Le Ray escaped April 11, 1941. He hid in a terrace house in a park during a game of football. First successful Colditz escapee and first to reach neutral Switzerland.
2. French Lieutenant Rene Collin escaped May 31, 1941. He climbed into the rafters of a pavilion during exercise, hid there until dark and slipped away. He made it back to France.
3. French Lieutenant Pierre Lebrun escaped July 2, 1941. He was captured trying Collin's method. Later vaulted over a wire in the park with the help of an associate. He reached Switzerland in eight days on a stolen bicycle.
4. Dutch Lieutenant Hans Larive escaped August 15, 1941. He hid under a manhole cover in the exercise enclosure, emerged after nightfall, took a train to Gottmadingen, and reached Switzerland in three days.
5. Dutch Lieutenant Francis Steinmetz also escaped August 15, 1941 with Larive
6. Dutch Major C. Giebel escaped September 20, 1941 using the same method as Larive and Steinmetz.
7. Dutch Lieutenant O L Drijber escaped September 20, 1941 with Giebel.
8. British Lieutenant Airey M S Neave escaped January 5, 1942. Crawled through a hole in a camp theatre (after a prisoner performance) to a guardhouse and marched out dressed as a German soldier. He reached Switzerland two days later. This first successful British escape was a joint British Dutch effort. Neave later joined MI9.
9. Dutch Lieutenant Anthony Luteyn escaped January 5, 1942 with Neave.
10. British Lieutenant Hedley Fowler escaped September 9, 1942. Slipped with four others through a guard office and a storeroom dressed as German officers and Polish orderlies. Only he and Van Doorninck reached Switzerland. Like Luteyn and Neave, this was another successful British Dutch effort.
11. Dutch Lieutenant Damiamen joan van Doorninck escaped September 9, 1942 with Fowler.
12. British Capt. Pat Read escaped October 14, 1942. Slipped through POW kitchens into the German yard, into the Kommandantur cellar and down to a dry moat through the park. It took him four days to reach Switzerland.
13. Canadian Flight Lieutenant Howard Wardle (one of the original 6 officers sent to colditz in 1940) (RAF) escaped October 14, 1942 with Reid.
14. British Major Ronald B Littledale escaped October 14, 1942. He slipped through POW kitchens into the German yard, into the Kommandantur cellar and down to a dry moat through the park. He reached Switzerland in five days.
15. British Lieutenant-Commander William E Stephens escaped October 14, 1942 with Littledale.
16. In a sign of the hardening german attitudes, British Lieutenant William Millar escaped January, 1944. He broke into the German courtyard and hid in a German truck intending to go to Czechoslovakia. He never reached home and is listed missing on the Bayeux memorial. There is speculation that he was caught and executed in Mauthausen concentration camp as a victim of the secret Kugel-erlass ("Bullet decree") July 15, 1944
A number of the escapees owe something to not less than the SS itself. Once escaping from captivity, POWs still faced the considerable challenge of negotiating their way to non-hostile territory. The "Singen route" into Switzerland was discovered by Dutch naval lieutenant Hans Larive in 1940 on his first escape attempt from Oflag VI-A in Soest. Larive was caught near Singen close to the Swiss border. The interrogating Gestapo officer was so confident that the war would soon be won by Germany that he told Larive of a safe way across the border. Larive memorized it and many prisoners later escaped using this route. This includes Larive himself, Francis Steinmetz, Anthony Luteyn, Airey Neave, Pat Reid, and Howard Wardle in their escapes from Colditz.

The inmates at colditz could not, by any stretch be considered well treated, but they were treated with some respect by the Germans and suffered less than some of the other, more notorious camps

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## Njaco (May 10, 2016)

*May 11 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-103 sank British ship “_City of Shanghai_” with the last torpedo 750 miles southwest of Sierra Leone, French West Africa at 0130 hours after tracking her for 16 hours; 6 were killed, 67 survived.

*ASIA: *The Battle of South Shanxi: Japanese North China Front Army advancing toward Yellow River, captures Wufuchien and begins attacking Tungfeng.

Troops of Wang Ching-Wei's puppet government begin operations against Nationalist forces along the lower Yangtze River. Chiang Kai-shek and Chou En-Lai meet in Chungking.

Japan makes proposals to the USA in order to improve relations. They demand that the USA stop supplying war materials to China and that they normalize trade relations. These are rejected by the USA, although both sides agree to continue talks.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler summoned top Nazi Party officials to discuss how to handle Rudolf Heß's unauthorized flight to the United Kingdom. Adolf Galland was ordered by Hermann Göring to dispatch his pilots to search for and shoot down Rudolf Hess' Me-110 aircraft somewhere over the North Sea.

Hitler met with Vichy Vice-Premier François Darlan at the Berghof. Hitler agreed to release French World War I veterans from POW camps (with the exception of officers and professional soldiers) in exchange for the Vichy government compromising its neutrality by allowing German planes to land in French Syria and to help supply the Afrika Korps from French Tunisia. Hitler tells Admiral Darlan that France must collaborate fully with Germany or be treated like Poland.

RAF bombers attacked Hamburg and Bremen in Germany. RAF Bomber Command sent 92 aircraft to attack Hamburg and 81 aircraft to attack Bremen.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German forces completed the occupation of the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. German troops occupy island of Kythera.

Axis Convoy, delayed since 8 May, departs Naples for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Geniere_”, “_Grecale_”, “_Camicia Nera_”, and “_Dardo_” and supported by four cruisers and nine destroyers.

*MIDDLE EAST: *British Habforce, following behind Kingcol, departs Palestine to reinforce Habbaniya. British Brigadier Kingstone departed Haifa, Palestine with a column of horse cavalry and armored cars to reinforce RAF Habbaniya, Iraq. Meanwhile, the first 3 German Luftwaffe aircraft from Greece landed at Mosul, Iraq. Bf-110 fighters of Zerstörergeschwader 76 reach Syria en route to Iraq. Two French Morane 406 fighter planes of 7 Squadron, 1st Fighter Group (GCI/7), forced the 3 Bf-110's from 4./ZG 76 to land in the Syrian city of Palmyra because the German planes had crossed French territory without announcing their presence. Major Axel von Blomberg, Luftwaffe liaison officer to Rashid Ali, was sent to Baghdad to make arrangements for a council of war with the Iraqi government. However, Blomberg was killed by friendly fire from Iraqi positions. His Heinkel 111 bomber was shot at from the ground as it flew low on approach and Blomberg was found to be dead upon landing.

*NORTH AFRICA: * South African 1st Brigade finally reaches Amba Alagi, having fought up the road from the capital Addis Ababa in the South. The Italian mountain stronghold is now surrounded but they have laid in supplies and ammunition for a lengthy seige.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The May Blitz: At night the Luftwaffe attack 45 RAF airfields - although two-thirds of the airfields hit are dummy installations. A night attack on Linton on Ouse airfield near York, caused damage and several casualties including the Station Commander, who was killed. During the day, German Luftwaffe aircraft bombed RAF Feltwell in England.

After last night’s raids so many London streets are impassable - estimated at a third - that people can hardly struggle to work. Every main line railway terminus is out of action. Over 150,000 people are without gas, water or electricity. John Colville, secretary to Winston Churchill, observed great fires burning on the southern shore of River Thames in London, result of the previous night's bombing. Rescue parties are still digging. Among the dead are the mayors of Westminster and Bermondsey. Many fires are still burning. There is huge gin fire in City Road and in the west the burning Palmolive soap factory is perfuming the air as the water directed on it turns into froth.

During the night mission to London, KG 55 lost six He 111s from I and III Gruppen. F/Lt D.A.P. McMullen DFC, flying a Defiant of RAF No 151 Squadron, claims one of the bombers from 9./KG 55. London’s Bridgewater House was bombed. A major work by French painter Paul Delaroche, "Charles I Insulted by Cromwell's Soldiers" (1837) depicting the British monarch shortly before his execution in 1649, was thought to have been virtually destroyed. In 2009 it was unrolled and found to be in good condition.

The 1st Messerschmitt 109F was shot down above England.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The first combat mission by the RAF's new four-engine Halifax bombers failed to succeed when the bombers failed to find their French targets.

Operation Josephine B: British and Free French forces began Operation Josephine B with the objective of destroying an electrical transformer station in Pessac. The plan was to drop a team of saboteurs by parachute; they were to break into the transformer station, attach bombs and incendiaries with delay timers. The bombs would wreck the transformers and the incendiaries would set fire to the transformer cooling oil to complete the destruction. The sabotage team was sent to SOE's Station XVII for training in industrial sabotage by Cecil Vandepeer Clarke. The sabotage team parachuted into France and hid their container of equipment and reconnoitered their target. They were dismayed to discover a high tension wire just inside the top of the 9-foot-high (2.7 m) perimeter wall and the sound of people moving about inside. They also failed to obtain bicycles on which they had planned to make a silent get-away. Discouraged, they lost heart and gave up.

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## parsifal (May 11, 2016)

*09 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class HMCS MATAPEDIA (K-117)





Hunt class Escort DD HMS BROCKLESBY (L-42)





HDMLs 1021, 1027
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Bangor Class MSW HMS POLRUAN (J-97)





ASW Trawler TARANTELLA (T-142)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-103 sank *Steamer CITY OF WINCHESTER (UK 7120 grt)* in the central Atlantic, midway between West Africa and the Brazilian coast. She was on passage from London to Beira then Capetown carrying a mixrf cargo. 98 crew were aboard, of whom 6 were to lose their lives. At 2309 hrs the unescorted CITY OF WINCHESTER, dispersed on 28 April from convoy OB-313, was hit by one of two torpedoes and sank after being hit amidships by a coup de grace at 2346 hrs about 400 miles SSW of the Cape Verde Islands. Six crew members were lost. The master, 84 crew members and seven gunners were picked up by the Norwegian motor merchant HERMA and landed at Takoradi. 




U-110 sank *Steamer BENGORE HEAD (UK 2609 grt)* in the nth Atlantic. The ship was on passage from Belfast to Montreal with a crew of 41, of which one member was to be killed. The ship had sailed as part of OB-318. At 1158 hrs, U-110 attacked the convoy east of Cape Farewell and sank BENGORE HEAD and ESMOND but was then captured after being heavily damaged in the counterattack of the escort ships and foundered later. One crew member from BENGORE HEAD was lost. The master, 35 crew members and four gunners were rescued: 16 survivors by the Norwegian steam merchant BORGFRED and landed at Sydney on 18 May and 24 survivors by Corvette HMS AUBRETIA and landed at Reykjavik.




According to the interrogation reports prepared by the Admiralty Intelligence Division (http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-110A/U-110INT.htm) U-110 remained at periscope depth for some time after these attacks and was preparing for a further attack on a large merchant ship of around 10000 tons, but the OB-318 escort vessels responded. The escort group was well integrated and trained with British corvette HMS AUBRETIA locating the U-boat with ASDIC whilst her blind spots were covered by DD HMS BROADWAY. At various times both ships dropped DCs, forcing _U-110_ to surface. U-110 survived these attacks, but was seriously damaged with her attackers now including HMS BULLDOG, after AUBRETIA used all her DCs. The two DDs remained in contact. BROADWAY shaped course to ram, but fired two depth charges beneath the U-boat instead, in an endeavour to make the crew abandon ship before scuttling her. Lemp announced "Last stop, everybody out", meaning "Abandon ship". As the crew turned out onto the U-boat's deck they came under fire from the two attacking DDs with casualties from gunfire and drowning. The British had believed that the German deck gun was to be used and ceased fire when they realised that the U-boat was being abandoned and the crew wanted to surrender.

Accounts state Lemp realised that U-110 was not sinking and attempted to swim back to it to destroy the secret material, but was never seen again. A German eyewitness testified that he was shot in the water by a British sailor, but his fate is not confirmed, and this version does not appear in the after action reports by either ship neither does it get a mentioned by war correspondent Helmut Ecke who was on board at the time. But the death of Lemp remains a questionable episode. Including Lemp, 15 men were killed in the action, 32 were captured. Certainly ther was a lot at stake, and both sides knew it.

HMS BULLDOGs boarding party, led by sub-lieutenant David Balme, got onto U-110 and stripped it of everything portable, including her Kurzsignale code book and naval ENIGMA machine withg the additional rotors. William Stewart Pollock, a former radio operator in the RN and on loan to BULLDOG, was on the second boat to board U-110. He retrieved the Enigma machine and books as they looked out of place in the radio room. U-110 was taken in tow back toward Britain, but sank en route to Scapa. The documents captured from U-110 played a vital part for Bletchely Park codebreakers solve “Reservehandverfahren” (a reserve German hand cipher).

*Type IXB U-110 (DKM 1040 grt) *The ship was captured but hen foundered, or was deliberately sunk the day after its capture. DD BROADWAY was damaged alongside the submarine when the submarine's hydroplane pierced the DD's engine room. BROADWAY was repaired at Dundee in two months. The submarine sank in tow of DD BULLDOG during a storm on the 10th.





_U-110 departing Lorient on her second and final cruise _

*Mine destructor ship QUEENWORTH (UK 3010 grt)* was sunk by the LW eight cables 85° from Outer Dowsing Light Buoy (in the Nth Sea) . No crew were killed in the loss.





U-201 sank *MV GREGALIA (UK 5,802 grt)* when on route from GLASGOW for BUENOS AIRES in Convoy OB-318 in ballast she was torpedoed by U-201 and sunk ENE of Cape Farewell. Crew of 66 saved rescued by British steamer AELYBRYN.




*Steamer CRITON (Vichy 4564 grt)* was seized by AMC CILICIA at 10-11N, 20-17W off Freetown. The steamer was taken to Freetown, arriving on the 11th. CRITON joined convoy SL.78 on 19 June for passage to Belfast. The steamer fell out of the convoy and was returning to Freetown. She was intercepted on 21 June by auxiliary patrol vessel AIR FRANCE IV and armed trawler EDITH GERMAINE which ordered her to proceed to Konakri. After the steamer made a radio report, the French ships took off the crew and sank the steamer. Twenty four crew and the armed guard under the command of A/Sub Lt S. K. Stretten RNR, were interned at Konakri. Three crew of the steamer died during internment and a fourth later died of illness sustained.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM submarine TAZZOLI sank *tanker ALFRED OLSEN (Nor 8817 grt)* in the SW Approaches. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler TANKERTON TOWERS (UK 97 grt)* was sunk by the LW off St Goven's Light Vessel. The crew of eight were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND

*UBOATS*

At Sea 09 May 1941
U-38, U-69, U-74, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-110, U-111, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-556, UA

24 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*North Sea*
Mine destructor ship CORFIELD was damaged by near misses by the LW in the Humber. British sailing barge WHITAKER'S No. 17, British steamer DAN Y BRYN, and steamer CASTILIAN were damaged by thje LW at Hull. Two crew and two gunners were lost on steamer CASTILIAN. During the night of 9/10 May, British tankers SAN ROBERTO and BRITISH STATESMAN were damaged by the LW 22 miles ENE of Spurn Point, 53-44N, 0-38E. Both tankers were towed to Immingham.

*West Coast*
AMC CIRCASSIA arrived at Greenock on the 9th. British Steamer OSTREVENT was damaged by the LW near Swansea. British steamer FISHPOOL was damaged by the LW at Barrow.

*Med/Biscay*
AS.30 departed Suda Bay escorted by RAN DDss VAMPIRE, WATERHEN, and VOYAGER and sloops FLAMINGO and AUCKLAND. MSW DERBY and RHN DD SPHENDONI joined the escort force later. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 12th escorted by VAMPIRE and VOYAGER and sloop AUCKLAND.

RAN DD VENDETTA evacuated wounded from Tobruk during the night of 9/10 May to Alexandria.

*Nth Atlantic*
British steamer EMPIRE CLOUD was damaged in the nth Atlantic. Five crew were lost. Survivors were picked up by Corvette NIGELLA. The ship arrived at Rames Bay on the 20th in tow of tug THAMES.

SC.31 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC WOLFE and corvettes COBALT and COLLINGWOOD. The corvettes were detached the next day. Escort vessel LULWORTH joined on the 11th. The AMC was detached on the 21st. DDs AMAZON and BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA, and ASW trawler DANEMAN joined on the 21st and were detached on the 24th. On the 24th, DDs CAMPBELTOWN, WANDERER, and WESTCOTT, sloops FLEETWOOD and ROCHESTER, and corvettes AURICULA, DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURITUM, and PERIWINKLE joined the escort force. Sloop ROCHESTER and corvette PRIMROSE were detached on the 27th. All, but CAMPBELTOWN and corvette PERIWINKLE, were detached on the 29th. The remaining two escorts were detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

USN TG with CV RANGER, CA VINCENNES, and DDs SAMPSON and EBERLE departed Bermuda on neutrality patrol concluding at Bermuda on the 23rd.

 
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 MAY TO DAWN 10 MAY 1941
_Weather _Overcast with extremely poor visibility; some rain.

_0935-1035 hrs_Air raid alert for four JU 87 dive-bombers escorted by 16 fighters approaching the Island. Despite the poor visibility the raiders launch an attack on a convoy approaching Grand Harbour; the attack is unsuccessful. Two Swordfish, two Fulmars, five Hurricanes and five Beaufighters are scrambled to attack the raiders. One Beaufighter shoots down a JU 87, another is probably shot down by fighters.

_1100-1145 hrs_Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach from the NE heading for shipping outside Grand Harbour. HM ships engage with AA fire; no bombs are dropped. A convoy of seven ships arrives safely.

_1532-1550 hrs_Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 9 MAY 1941
_ROYAL NAVY _Marsaxlokk is used as an oiling base by 8 DDs and BRECONSHIRE. All available AA guns are mounted around the Bay.Convoys MW 7A and 7B, consisting of BRECONSHIRE, four merchant vessels, and two tankers arrived safely.

_AIR HQ 0715-1530 hrs _5 Beaufighters standing patrol for a convoy passing southwards.

_HAL FAR _Three Fulmar aircraft arrived from the aircraft carrier _Formidable_.


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## Njaco (May 11, 2016)

*May 12 Monday*
*ASIA: *The Battle of South Shanxi:  Japanese North China Front Army captures Kuangkou, Maotien, and Shaoyuan, holding north bank of Yellow River. Japanese North China Front Army continues attacking Tungfeng.

Japanese government suggests a complete settlement of all disagreements with the US.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Moscow recognizes Rashid Ali's Iraqi government.

*GERMANY:* Admiral Günther Lütjens and other staff officers embarked battleship “_Bismarck_”.

The Nazi Party issued a press release on the subject of Rudolf Hess, claiming that he was "suffering from mental illness" and that the Führer had ordered the immediate arrest of those who helped Hess. Believing they might be involved in the flight of Rudolf Hess, Hitler orders arrests of all astrologers, occultists, and clairvoyants. Hitler abolished Rudolf Hess' post of Deputy Führer, transferred its duties to the new title of Chief of the Nazi Party Chancellory and appointed Martin Bormann to the job.

Polish Lieutenant Mietek Chmiel and Lieutenant Miki Surmanowicz failed in their attempt to escape the Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle, Germany.

Finnish military delegation invited to discussions about cooperation against Soviet Union.

RAF Bomber Command sends 105 aircraft to attack Mannheim and Ludwigshafen overnight. The RAF's attack on targets in northern Europe continued last night for the second night running. There have been raids on Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Emden and Rotterdam, and although not terribly effective, they have had some spectacular and deadly results. One airman described the explosion of a heavy bomb on Hamburg:


> "The flash was like a great flaming red ball, half a mile across ... we felt a kick from the blast."



*MEDITERRANEAN:* The lone fighter squadron defending Malta, RAF No 261 Squadron, is ordered disbanded and its equipment given to the newly formed RAF No 185 Squadron. Defense of the island is now up to RAF No 249 Squadron, recently flown in to Malta from the aircraft carrier _‘Ark Royal_’.

Italian torpedo boats “_Pleiadi_” and “_Pegaso_” sank British submarine HMS “_Undaunted_” off Tripoli, Libya at 2030 hours, killing the entire crew of 32.

Operation Tiger was completed successfully. The British convoy carrying 135 infantry tanks, 82 cruiser tanks, 21 light tanks, and 43 Hurricane fighters arrived at Alexandria, Egypt having traveled through the dangerous Mediterranean Sea. Churchill’s gamble has paid off and Allied forces in North Africa can face the Afrika Korps on level terms. RN Mediterranean Fleet returns to Alexandria and Force H returns to Gibraltar.

British submarine HMS “_Rorqual_” sank two small Greek vessels carrying German troops off the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea.

*MIDDLE EAST: *6 Luftwaffe He-111s under the command of Colonel Junck landed in the Syrian capital of Damascus on their way to Iraq to support the revolt of Rashid Ali.

*NORTH AFRICA: * 47 German dive bombers sank British gunboat HMS “_Ladybird_” in Tobruk harbor, Libya with two bomb hits, killing 4 and wounding 14; “_Ladybird's_” gunners damaged two German dive bombers in return. Although she settled in 10 feet of water, her 6-inch gun was still above water, and thus she would remain useful as a stationary anti-aircraft gun platform while repairs were being done. Admiral Andrew Cunningham sent the message to her commanding officer; "Great fighting finish worthy of highest ideals and tradition of the Navy and an inspiration for all who fight on the seas."

*NORTH AMERICA: *Three former US Coast Guard Cutters were commissioned into Royal Navy at New York, United States as HMS “_Sennen_”, HMS “_Walney_”, and HMS “_Totland_”. Like cutters commissioned shortly before them, they were manned by the crew of battleship HMS “_Malaya_”, which was currently under repair in the United States.

In Washington, the Japanese ambassador, Nomura Kichasaburo, presents Secretary of State Cordell Hull with a proposal for the establishment of "just peace in the Pacific."

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Bombs were dropped on Newcastle and Eshott in Northumberland, Billingham, Stockton, Darlington, North Hylton, Darlington, and Hartlepool in Co Durham and Middlesbrough, Northallerton, Thornaby and Hull in Yorkshire. In brilliant moonlight, Jesmond was attacked, a few IBs dropped in Reid Park Road and St George's Terrace. IBs were dropped near St George's Church. A large chemical works at Billingham was attacked by nineteen enemy aircraft between 00.30 and 02.10 hours. They dropped twenty-seven tons of HE (twenty-five bombs) and 1,584 IBs. Worst damage and casualties were near St Peters Church where several properties had to be demolished. An unusual feature of this raid was a double smoke screen seen in the sky. It has never been fully explained.

British MPs met for the first time in their new temporary home, the House of Lords.

Anti-shipping missions conducted by 125 Luftwaffe aircraft along British coast. British vessels “_Richard de Larrinaga_” and “_Fowberry Tower_” were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

The Right Honorable Charles, Earl of Suffolk and Berks, a volunteer bomb-disposal officer who had worked on many new and unknown devices, is killed with his assistants attempting to defuse delayed-action bomb in London: aged 35. (George Cross)

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## parsifal (May 12, 2016)

*10 MAY 1941
REINFORCEMENTS*
None
*LOSSES *
U-556 sank the *MV EMPIRE CARIBOU ( UK 4861 grt)* She was on passage from London to Boston with a cargo of chalk when lost. She was part of OB-318, and had a complement of 45, of which 34 were to lose their lives. t 0752 hrs the EMPIRE CARIBOU, had completed her dispersal from convoy OB-318, was torpedoed and sunk by U-556 about 465 miles SW of Iceland. The master, 31 crew members and two gunners were lost. Nine crew members and two gunners were picked up by DD HMS MALCOLM, landed at Reykjavik and then brought to Greenock by DD HMS SCIMITAR.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-556 sank* MV GAND (BE 5086 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. She was on passage from Liverpool to Nova Scotia when lost, travelling in ballast with a crew of 43 of whom 1 was to perish. At 2037 hrs on the GAND, dispersed from convoy OB-318, was torpedoed and sunk by U-556 about 210 miles SE of Cape Farewell. One crew member was lost and another wounded. The master, 38 crew members and four gunners were rescued.





*UBOATS
At Sea:*
U-38, U-69, U-74, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-141, U-143, U-147, U-201, U-556, UA
23 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil with convoy EC.17 from May Island to Pentland Firth. On the 11th, the ship and DD WINDSOR, which had been sent to Scapa Flow to work up, arrived at Scapa Flow.
LW attacks on the port of London sank small auxiliary ships *ALTAIS (UK 5 grt), COMET I (UK 5 grt),* *FAISLANE (UK 5 grt)*, *IGLOO (UK 5 grt), JAKE II (UK 6 grt), NOMAD III (UK 6 grt), SAFARI (UK 4 grt) , and MISS ENGLAND (UK 4 grt). *British steamer TOWER FIELD was damaged by the LW off Outer Dowsing Buoy. Sludge vessel HENRY WARD was damaged by the LW in Dry Dock, Green and Silley Weir, London.

*Northern Patrol*
CLs GALATEA and ARETHUSA were relieved on the Iceland Faroes Passage patrol by CLs NIGERIA and KENYA.

*Northern Waters *
CA LONDON and DDs MASHONA and TARTAR departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to provide escort for CVL FURIOUS. The three ships arrived on the 11th.

DD BLANKNEY departed Scapa Flow and met CL NEPTUNE off Rattray Head. The two ships arrived at Scapa Flow that afternoon. NEPTUNE had been sent to Scapa Flow following her refit to work up. NEPTUNE departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde after working up on the 25th. She arrived the next day.

*West Coast*
Submarine TRIBUNE arrived at Holy Loch on the 25th*.*

*Western Approaches*
Steamer AELYBRYN was damaged by U&-556, though the B-Dienst claimed her to be sunk, the ship in fact was not lot until 1943, to U-160 in the Indian Ocean

*Med/Biscay*
ML.1011 (RN 49 grt), on passage from Suda Bay to Sphakia, was sunk by the LW. During the night of 10/11 May, gunboat LADYBIRD bombarded Gazala.

*Nth Atlantic*
AMC AURANIA and submarine TRIBUNE departed Halifax with convoy HX.126 with a local escort of RCN corvettes CHAMBLY and ORILLA. The convoy was joined on the 20th by DD MALCOLM and on the 21st by DDs BURNHAM and BURWELL, corvettes ARABIS, HELIOTROPE, MALLOW, and VERBENA. DD SCIMITAR joined on the 22nd and DDs KEPPEL and SABRE, corvettes DIANELLA, GLADIOLUS, and KINGCUP, ASW trawler LADY ELSA, and CAM ship SPRINGBANK on the 23rd. ASW trawlers NORTHERN WAVE and NORTHERN GEM escorted the convoy in Home Waters. The AMC was detached on the 21st. DDs BURNHAM and MALCOLM on the 22nd, corvettes ARABIS, HELIOTROPE, MALLOW, and VERBENA on the 23rd, DD SCIMITAR on the 24th, DDs KEPPEL and BURWELL and corvette GLADIOLUS on the 26th, and DD SABRE on the 27th. DD VENOMOUS joined on the 26th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th with destroyer VENOMOUS and corvette KINGCUP.
Central Atlantic

Convoy SL.74 departed Freetown escorted by AMC BULOLO until 29 May. Corvettes AMARANTHUS, ANCHUSA, ASPHODEL, and CALENDULA escorted the convoy from 11 May to 19 May. CA DORSETSHIRE joined the convoy on the 12th to 26 May.

On the 30th, DD READING to 4 June, VANQUISHER to 2 June, and WINCHELSEA to 2 June, and corvettes GENTIAN to 4 June, HIBISCUS to 4 June, PIMERNEL to 4 June, and RHODODENDRON to 4 June joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 4 June.

Ocean boarding vessel HILARY captured tkr GIANNA M. (FI 5719 grt), which had departed Las Palmas on 27 April, 325 miles north of the Azores, 45N, 24-42W. The ocean boarding vessel escorted the tanker to join convoy HG.61. The tanker arrived in Belfast Lough on the 20th and was used by the British as EMPIRE CONTROL.
Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 MAY TO DAWN 11 MAY 1941
_Weather _Overcast with poor visibility.

_1136-1150 hrs_Air raid alert for three ME 109 fighters which patrol round the Island. Their presence suggests the passage of JU 52 transport aircraft north to south off Malta. Three Beaufighters are sent to investigate; one fails to return. The other two Beaufighters find no trace of the JU 52s. A fourth Beaufighter is sent to search for the missing aircraft. F/Lt J Lowe and F/Sgt J H Tranter are reported missing.

_1408-1420 hrs_ Air raid alert for a small formation of ME 109s which patrol round the Island without crossing the coast.
_1843-1942 hrs_ Air raid alert for six ME 109 fighters which approach the Island, split up and patrol at 20000 feet. One group circles for some time off Kalafrana before one ME 109 dives down and machine-guns a Sunderland at its moorings in Marsaxlokk Bay; the aircraft burns out and sinks. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the ME 109s, claiming one probably shot down. Heavy and light AA guns also engage; Bofors claim a direct hit on a Messerschmitt.
_Military casualties _Flight Lieutenant John Joseph Lowe, Flight Sergeant John Henry Tranter, Royal Air Force, 252 Sqn
.
OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 10 MAY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY HMS FORESIGHT_arrived for repair of defects.

_AIR HQ Departures_1 Sunderland.

69 sqnMaryland shuttle from the Middle East via the Greek coast. Maryland patrol off eastern Sicilian coast. Maryland photo-reconn of Tripoli; about 25 merchant ships seen, some 9000 tons. Maryland Ionian Sea patrol. Maryland shuttle service to Zante and back.

_252 sqn _Nine Beaufighters carry out a daylight successful strafing attack on aerodromes at Catania and Comiso doing much damage. Wellington bombers night attack on Tripoli caused several large explosions and large fires. All aircraft returned safely.

_HAL FAR _830 sqnFive aircraft carried out operational flight against Tripoli; all aircraft returned safely.


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## Njaco (May 13, 2016)

*May 13 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarines U-98 and U-111 attacked Allied convoy SC-30 off Greenland in the morning, sinking British ship “_Somersby_” (entire crew of 43 survived and rescued by Greek ship “_Marika Protopapa_”) and armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Salopian_” (3 were killed, 287 survived). Also in the morning, U-105 sank British ship “_Benvrackie_” at 0748 hours 700 miles off Sierra Leone, British West Africa; 28 were killed, 55 survived.

*ASIA: *The Battle of South Shanxi:  Japanese North China Front Army captures Tungfeng. Isolated north of Yellow River by Japanese North China Front Army, units of Chinese 1st War Area ordered to break out to the north in small groups and commence guerrilla operations.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Four Soviet armies of the high command reserve are ordered to move from the interior to the Western and Kiev army groups. The Red Army commenced the movement of substantial forces to the western frontier, but out of the thirty-three divisions deployed only four or five were fully equipped by the outbreak of war.

Soviet Defense Commissar Marshal Timoshenko and Chief of General Staff Georgi Zhukov submit a plan to Premier Josef Stalin for a land force of 152 divisions and 3000-4000 aircraft to destroy 100 German divisions in a pre-emptive strike in southern Poland. Stalin recognizes a lack of preparation for war, and refuses to sanction this or a general mobilization.

*GERMANY:* Battleship “_Bismarck_” and heavy cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” conducted refueling exercises.

In Germany, a new Decree on wartime military jurisdiction was published, which removed crimes against civilians from the sphere of courts martial and suspended any obligation to punish offences against "hostile civilian persons" committed by soldiers.

At a diplomatic reception, a drunken Professor Karl Bömer, head of the Foreign Press Department, announces to diplomats and journalists that he was being promoted to Gauleiter of the Crimea, following the invasion of Russia on June 22.

The Royal Air Force bombed Heligoland.

German ambassador Papen reports to Berlin on favorable prospects for Turkey allying with Germany.
*
MIDDLE EAST:* A shipment of Vichy French weapons arrived in Mosul, Iraq from French Mandate of Syria, containing 15,500 rifles, 6 million rounds of ammunition, 200 machine guns, 4 75-mm field guns, and 10,000 shells. Meanwhile, a British mobile column from Palestine reached Rubah, Iraq, finding it already abandoned by Iraqi forces. The fort at Rubah (protecting the oasis spring and an airstrip for refueling British civilian aircraft flying to India) had been occupied by Iraqi troops on May 2 but abandoned on May 10 after bombing by RAF Bristol Blenheims of RAF No. 203 Squadron from Basra.

*NORTH AFRICA: * British troops began gathering for the Operation Brevity offensive in the Libyan-Egyptian border region. Axis aircraft discovered and bombed one tank concentration. Conceived by the commander-in-chief of the British Middle East Command, General Archibald Wavell, Brevity was intended to be a rapid blow against weak Axis front-line forces in the Sollum–Capuzzo–Bardia area of the border between Egypt and Libya.

British gunboat HMS “_Gnat_” shelled the German airfield at Gazala, Libya 30 miles west of Tobruk after sundown in an attempt to disrupt the German aerial campaign against the besieged Tobruk.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz: Another large scale raid on London, similar to that of May 10, is mounted, again damaging large portions of the city.

Homeless members of the House of Commons met today in Church House, Westminster, normally the assembly hall of the Church of England. Their own chamber is a heap of rubble. Only the scorched walls remain - the Speaker's chair, the table and its despatch boxes all perished. A small bomb struck Big Ben, denting and blackening the clock face, but is it still chiming the hours. 'Parliamentary business will not be interrupted by enemy action," Churchill declared at Question Time in the substitute chamber.

A Junkers Ju 88 shot down by AA gunfire from the patrol boat _'Protective'_, crashed into the sea off Spurn Head at 0032 hours. Two of the crew were killed.

Anti-shipping missions conducted by 40 Luftwaffe aircraft along British coast.

British scientists begin intensive work on "Oboe", the code name for a system of wireless navigation and bombing.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 44 aircraft on anti-shipping missions along coast of occupied Europe.

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## Njaco (May 13, 2016)

*May 14 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_” sank British ship “_Rabaul_” with shellfire 500 miles west of South Africa; 7 were killed, 51 were captured.

*ASIA:* The Battle of South Shanxi: Japanese North China Front Army mops up along north bank of Yellow River and attempts to interdict isolated remnants of Chinese 1st War Area as they escape to conduct guerrilla operations.

“_Kaga_” departed the drydocks at Sasebo, Japan.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Romania passed laws which required all adult Jews to become forced laborers.

*GERMANY: *“_Bismarck’s_” 12-ton port side crane and catapults broke during exercises with the light cruiser “_Leipzig_”. Operation Rheinübung was again delayed until the crane was repaired. Lütjens and Lindemann received the code date for Operation Rheinübung: ‘Marburg 5724’. By combining the first and last digits and dividing that number (54) by three, Lütjens and Lindemann learned that they were to pass through the Great Belt on the night of 18 May. Lütjens, however, refused to sortie without Bismarck’s port cranes and catapults in working order. ‘Marburg’ was postponed for at least three days.

*MEDITERRANEAN: * The forces needed for Unternehmen MERKUR, the Crete invasion, are not assembled so the invasion is postponed. But VIII Fliegerkorps begins flying sorties over the island as a prelude. Luftwaffe switches attacks from British shipping off Crete to airfields on the island. Two Hurricanes are destroyed in air combat and a Hurricane and a Fulmar are destroyed on the ground. But the Luftwaffe loses six Bf 109s shot down including one to anti-aircraft fire. British vessel “_Dalesman_” sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft at Suda Bay.

British cruiser HMS “_Dido_” departed Suda Bay, Crete, Greece and headed for Alexandria, Egypt with £7,000,000 worth of Greek gold aboard. She was escorted by destroyers HMS “_Stuart_”, HMS “_Vendetta_”, HMS “_Janus_”, and HMS “_Isis’_.

Col. Kippenberger takes command of composite New Zealand 10th Infantry Brigade for operations on Crete.

Bulgaria annexed part of Greek Macedonia and Greek Thrace.

*MIDDLE EAST: *A British Blenheim bomber flying reconnaissance over Syria spotted a German Ju 90 transport aircraft at the Vichy French airfield at Palmyra. The British government gave permission to attack, and RAF fighter soon attacked the airfield, damaging two He 111 bombers. Later that afternoon 3 British Blenheim bombers with 2 Curtiss Tomahawk fighters flying cover, made a low-level strafing attack on Palmyra without visible success. This was the first time that Curtiss Tomahawks were deployed in the war.

Fearing a concentrated Axis offensive against the Middle East from the Balkans via Syria, the Chiefs of Staff order Wavell to secure Syria as soon as possible. Wavell tells the UK Chiefs of Staff that occupation of Syria will require an entire corps including an armoured division.

*NORTH AFRICA: * Axis aircraft attempted to locate British troop concentrations near the Libyan-Egyptian border as a British offensive was suspected; none were found.

*NORTH AMERICA:* USN Pacific Fleet Exercise No. 1 commences off California coast.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British RAF formed No. 121 Squadron, also known as the second Eagle Squadron. It was consisted of American volunteers.

Karl Richter, a German spy, is arrested in East Anglia shortly after parachuting in.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Lord Gort was appointed the Governor of Gibraltar.

The first mass round-up of Jews in Paris took place. More than 3,700 foreign Jews were arrested when they reported to a gymnasium for police examination of their status. They were sent to the internment camps of Pithiviers and Beaune-la-Rolande. Nazi occupiers in Netherlands forbade Jewish music.

French Admiral Francois Darlan, leader of the armed forces of Vichy France, broadcast to the citizens that only within the confines of the Third Reich can France thrive. Darlan tells Petain that he will collaborate with Hitler to prevent France's "Polandization".

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## Njaco (May 15, 2016)

*May 15 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-105 sank British ship “_Benvenue_” 400 miles off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2029 hours; 2 were killed, 55 survived and rescued by British liner “_Empire Trader_”. To the north, 430 miles west of Brest, France, German submarine U-43 sank French sail “_Notre Dame du Châtelet”_; 28 were killed, 10 survived.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* In Russia a document from military planners was issued recommending a short strike against any assembling forces threatening Soviet territory.

Stalin informed by Richard Sorge in Tokyo that Hitler will invade the Soviet Union on 21 or 22 June.

*GERMANY:*  Dr. Sigmund Rascher requested Heinrich Himmler via a letter requesting concentration camp prisoners to be placed in his disposal to conduct experiments in decompression chambers which simulated high altitude environments.

RAF aircraft conducted raids on Berlin, Cuxhaven, and Hannover in Germany. RAF Bomber Command sends 101 aircraft to attack Hannover and 14 aircraft to attack Berlin.

The Dame of Sark Sibyl Mary Hathaway was reported to be transferred to a German concentration camp as reprisal for civil disobedience.

Adolf Hitler addresses the Reichstag in the Kroll Opera House in Berlin, Germany. Part of his address states;


> "Germany can no longer be subjugated. She is so strong that no combination of Powers could ever successfully prevail against her.".



*MEDITERRANEAN: * There were powerful German air attacks on the island of Crete. These are in preparation for the coming landing and designed to subdue the garrison, hopefully to compel the RAF to withdraw its few aircraft from Crete. This will continue until the launch of the Operation. German Luftwaffe aircraft attacked Salamis Navy Yard at Suda Bay, Crete, sinking Greek destroyer “_Leon_”.

At midnight, British cruisers HMS “_Gloucester_” and HMS “_Fiji_” completed the transfer of the 2nd Battalion Leicester Regiment from Alexandria, Egypt to Heraklion.

*MIDDLE EAST: *An Iraqi Bristol Blenheim bombs and strafes Kingcol, British column advancing from Rutbah to Habbaniya (no damage or casualties). British Fairey Swordfish, from aircraft carrier HMS “_Hermes_” in the Indian Ocean, bomb the Al Qushla (Ottoman Barracks) in the Iraqi city of Samawah. 1 Swordfish is shot down but Lieutenant James Dundas (Fleet Air Arm air-sea rescue) wins the DSC for rescuing the crew. The RAF has bombed Luftwaffe aircraft on the ground at three airfields in Vichy-French Syria: Damascus, Rayak, east of Beirut, and Palmyra. General Dentz, Petain's High Commissioner in Syria, protested last night at the raids, which were a response to German efforts to ship aircraft, tanks, and other arms to Iraq to bolster Rashid Ali, the anti-British politician who seized power in Iraq last month.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Brevity: General Archibald Wavell—the commander-in-chief of the British Middle East Command—conceived Operation Brevity as a rapid blow in the Sollum area. The key to holding the border between Libya and Egypt is Halfaya Pass, where the coastal road cuts up the steep escarpment onto the desert plateau, which is currently held by Italian and German troops under German Colonel Maximillian von Herff. Operation Brevity would be carried out by the 22nd Guards Brigade and elements of the 7th Armoured Division. Its armoured component consisted of 29 cruiser tanks of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2RTR) and 24 infantry tanks of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4RTR). The Royal Air Force (RAF) allocated all available fighters and a small force of bombers to the operation. The main Axis opposition was Kampfgruppe von Herff, positioned on the desert plateau. It included 30–50 tanks of the 2nd Battalion 5.Panzerregiment, an Italian motorized infantry battalion of the Trento Division, and supporting arms. At 0600 hours, the three columns began their advance, supported overhead by a standing patrol of Hawker Hurricane fighters. The British forces advanced and captured Halfaya Pass and Fort Capuzzo before noon, capturing 347 Axis prisoners (mostly Italians). Concealed in hull down positions behind a ridge near the fort were 20–30 German tanks, supported by anti tank guns. These engaged A Squadron, disabling five tanks, but were forced to withdraw as the squadron pressed its attack. In the afternoon, one company of the 2nd Scots Guards probed toward Bardia, the infantry coming under heavy machine gun fire from three positions as they neared Sollum barracks. A group of Universal Carriers—commanded by Sergeant F. Riley—charged the gun positions and quickly neutralized them. On the desert flank, 2RTR advanced with the 7th Armoured Brigade group. Most of the German force had pulled back, but three tanks were located and brought under fire. One Panzer IV was disabled and the other two driven off, for the loss of one British tank. A second force of 15 German tanks was engaged by two tanks of No 2 Troop, destroying a Panzer III and forcing the remainder to withdraw. By midday on 15 May, Axis command was showing signs of confusion. It erroneously believed that the offensive involved more than 100 tanks and repeated requests were made to both the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica for a concerted effort to defeat it. Axis forces around Tobruk were redeployed east of the besieged city, to block any attempt at relief and to prevent the garrison from breaking out to meet the British advance. The Germans concentrated their riposte against the central column. Von Herff—who had been prepared to fall back—instead launched a local counter-attack toward Fort Capuzzo during the afternoon with the 2nd Battalion 5.Panzerregiment. By 1445 hours 5.Panzerregiment was reporting that it had recaptured Capuzzo, inflicting heavy casualties on the British and taking 70 prisoners. Colonel von Herff—believing the British had two divisions operating in the area—had then grown uneasy. He broke contact with the British, expecting to join up with Cramer's 8.Panzerregiment to mount a concentrated counter-attack the following morning. Colonel von Herff later praised the Bersaglieri anti-tank gunners and protecting riflemen, saying they defended Halfaya Pass;


> "...with lionlike courage until the last man against stronger enemy forces. The greatest part of them died faithful to the flag."



South African and Indian troops linked up at Triangle Hill near Amba Alagi, Abyssinia; they were also joined by Abyssinia guerrilla forces. Meanwhile, Allied shelling of the Italian fortress damaged an oil tank, causing a major oil leak into the garrison's only source of drinking water.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Roosevelt broadcast criticizes Vichy France for collaborating with Germany as US government seizes eleven French vessels in American ports. Roosevelt tells Vichy France to 'choose between Germany and US'.

At the chemical warfare research facility in Suffield, Alberta, Canada, metallic cadmium mixed with explosive RDX is test-fired in shells. If used against humans they would create harmless-looking smoke which would cause fibrosis of the lungs.

During a parachute training flight in a Douglas R2D-1 over Kearny Mesa in San Diego, California, United States Marine Corps Second Lieutenant Walter S. Osipoff is pulled out of the aircraft by a cargo pack being dropped overboard and is left dangling in the plane's slipstream by a tangle of static lines. Seeing Ossipoff's plight, United States Navy Lieutenant John Lowery and Aviation Chief Machinist's Mate John McCants take off from North Island in a Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull and rendezvous with the R2D. McCants grabs Ossipoff at an altitude of 3,000 feet (914 meters), but finds it impossible to untangle him and lower him into the SOC's rear cockpit until the SOC accidentally bucks upward and its propeller saws off a small part of the R2D's tail cone and cuts the static lines. Both planes return safely, and the badly injured Ossipoff eventually fully recovers. Lowery and McCants receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for the flight.

USN Patrol Squadron Fifty Two (VP-52) deploys to Naval Air Station (NAS) Argentia, Newfoundland from NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island with ten PBY-5A Catalinas. Support is provided by the seaplane tender USS "_Albemarle_" (AV-5). These aircraft will fly antisubmarine warfare (ASW) patrols over the North Atlantic.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British losses in France and Norway were publicly announced to be 13,250 killed and 41,000 captured out of 437,000 deployed.

RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sent 20 aircraft on anti-shipping missions along coast of occupied Europe.

Admiral Darlan returned from meeting with Hitler and Ribbentrop. Vichy-French cabinet approved German concessions as well as French counter-concessions.

Near Saint-Omer on the French channel coast, a Junkers Ju 52 7U+OM was shot down by F/Lt Jerzy Jankiewicz, flying a Supermarine Spitfire II P8130, and Sgt Wacław Giermer, flying a Spitfire II P7786, from the No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. Onboard was Generaloberst Ulrich Grauert who was killed. Generaloberst Grauert was Commander of I. Fliegerkorps and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The British attempted to keep the Nazis guessing as to what Rudolf Hess had told them by having Labour Minister Ernest Bevin say in the government's first official statement on the matter:


> "I do not believe that Hitler did not know that Hess was coming to England. From my point of view Hess is a murderer. He is no man I would ever negotiate with and I don't change even for diplomatic reasons. I am not going to be deceived."



Luftwaffe night operations by thirty-nine bombers and fourteen night fighters. They took part in minor scattered attacks which included Newcastle, Scarborough and Middlesbrough's dock installations.

Gloster's E.28/39 prototype jet fighter took its first flight at RAF Cranwell. The test pilot was Lieutenant Gerry Sayer who flew the aircraft for 17 minutes. This was not the first jet-powered aircraft to fly, however; that honor fell to the German-built Heinkel He 178 in August 1939. The Gloster is powered by a single 860-lb thrust Whittle W. 1 turbojet engine. Afterwards Wing-Cdr frank Whittle, Britain's jet engine pioneer, said:


> "I was very tense, not so much because of any fears about the engine, but because this was a machine making its first flight."


Afterwards there was an impromptu celebration in the officers' mess. Further test flights will now be made.

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## Njaco (May 15, 2016)

*May 16 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* 10 miles off Aberdeen, Scotland, German bombers sank British troopship SS “_Archangel_” carrying troops back from the Orkneys (40 crew and 12 troops killed, 35 crew and 400 troops rescued by destroyer HMS “_Blankney_”).

German submarine U-105 attacked British ship “_Rodney Star_” 400 miles west of Sierra Leone, British West Africa between 0548 and 0930 hours, hitting her with torpedoes and gunfire. “_Rodney Star_” sank and the entire crew of 83 survived.

*ASIA:* Japanese aircraft conduct major attack against Chungking.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Vsevolod Merkulov reported to Joseph Stalin regarding the final deportation plan for the Baltic States, which targeted political leaders, land owners, officers, and others, plus their families. He recommended 8-year imprisonment in labor camps for them, and the exile to faraway lands in the Soviet Union for their families.

*GERMANY:* Lindemann reported that the damaged port side crane aboard “_Bismarck_” was repaired. Lütjens informed High Command that the ships were operational. Thereupon, Group North wired ‘Marburg 5297’, meaning that the task force was to pass through the Great Belt on 19 May. The date for the beginning of Operation Rheinübung was set to be 18 May.

RAF Bomber Command sends 93 aircraft to attack Köln (Cologne) and Bramsfield in Germany; at the latter target the Atlantik rubber works was damaged. The RAF attack on Cologne caused fires on both banks of the Rhine.

Karl Haushofer, a close friend of Rudolf Hess, was arrested by the Nazis.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The final British reinforcements arrived on Crete, Greece. Luftwaffe bombs British anti-aircraft emplacements and RAF airfields on Crete, to weaken British air defenses in preparation for the invasion (2 Hurricanes of RAF No. 33 Squadron at Maleme are shot down). Suda Bay is also bombed, sinking several freighters and causing further damage to crippled British cruiser HMS “_York_”.

German bombers damaged British destroyer HMS “_Encounter_” in drydock at Malta.

Wing Commander J. Warfield was named the commanding officer of RAF Station Takali on Malta.

*MIDDLE EAST:* German Bf 110 and He 111 bombers attacked RAF Habbaniyah in Iraq, surprising the British; (1 British Gloster Gladiator shot down, 1 Heinkel is damaged and ditches in the desert). Meanwhile, German aircraft strafed British reinforcements traveling eastward from Palestine. Then the aircraft of the British Fleet Air Arm raided the Iraqi airfield at Mosul and destroyed one He 111 bomber and 2 Bf 110 destroyers of the Junck force.

German vessels stranded at Bandari Shahpur were ordered to scuttle themselves in the Shatt al-Arab to block the channel and prevent British tankers from reaching refineries.

*NORTH AFRICA: * Operation Brevity: Rommel is instructed to concentrate the German Afrika Korps against the British at Sollum and leave Italians to guard Tobruk. Italian sappers cleared barbed wires and mines as the subsequent attack on Tobruk saw Italian troops capturing several bunkers. 'Brescia' infantry and Guastatori with flamethrowers attack the Australian 2/9th and 2/10th Battalions, forcing the Australians to abandon the S8, S9 and S10 strongpoints. Colonel von Herff wants to withdraw, believing the British force to be bigger than it really is. Rommel suspects the Allied attack is a major breakout from Egypt to relieve the besieged forces at Tobruk and orders von Herff to counterattack. German 5.Panzerregiment and 8.Panzerregiment counterattack. In the face of German reinforcements, Brigadier Gott withdraws British tanks and infantry from the desert around Sollum and Fort Capuzzo, to consolidate a hold on Halfaya Pass on the Egyptian-Libyan border. British 22nd Guards Infantry Brigade withdraws from Fort Capuzzo and Sollum and British 7th Armored Brigade withdraws from Sidi Aziz.

The Italian army in Ethiopia is seeking terms of surrender. The Italian Viceroy Duke of Aosta and his 18,000 troops had made a last stand in the arid mountains of Tigre. The defenses seemed unscaleable, but the morale of the Italians weakened. With drinking water fouled in the Italian stronghold of Amba Alagi, Abyssinia, the Duke of Aosta requested the British to send in fresh water. When the British refused, he called for a ceasefire in order to begin surrender negotiations. By this point, his forces had suffered incurring 289,000 casualties. With over-stretched defenses, and believing that the main attack would come through the Falaga Pass in the east, the Italian western defenses crumbled when attacked by Indian and British troops.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The first P-43 Lancer fighter delivery was made to the United States Army.

US President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the defense of China to be vital to the United States.

General Krueger takes command of US 3rd Army.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Percival takes up appointment as General Officer Commanding, Malaya.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The May Blitz: German fighter-bombers raid southeastern England. The last bombing of the "night Blitz" on British cities is carried out by 111 Luftwaffe aircraft striking Birmingham and West Midlands. Most Luftwaffe bomber formations in France and Belgium were being transferred to airfields in eastern Germany and occupied Poland. Luftwaffe night raid on Birmingham overnight with 111 aircraft effectively ended the Blitz. Mr. Percy Barnard Weller (d. 1979), a worker in an explosives plant, rescued a man from a blazing building after a blast. Unfortunately the man died. (Edward Medal).

*WESTERN FRONT:* Iceland severs personal union with Denmark. Government proclaims that a Regent will be elected and the union with Denmark will be abrogated.

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## Njaco (May 16, 2016)

*May 17 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-107 attacked Dutch tanker “_Marisa_” with a torpedo at midnight, killing 2; U-107 allowed the 47 survivors to abandon ship before sinking her with guns.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 95 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight. British bombers attacked Bramsfeld, 12 kilometers northwest of Köln, Germany. The Atlantik rubber plant was hit with 2 high explosive and 44 incendiary bombs. RAF Bomber Command sends 70 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

Hitler ordered the arrest of Willi Messerschmitt because Rudolf Hess took off from the company airfield at Augsburg, but the aircraft chief knew nothing of his plan. Hess's aides have also been arrested. Everybody, British and German alike, remain baffled by Hess's flight to Scotland.

Hitler issued Directive No. 29, Proposed Military Government of Greece. Führer Directive x

*MEDITERRANEAN: * The German air attacks on the island Crete continued. These are in preparation for the coming landing and are designed to subdue the garrison and compel the RAF to withdraw its few aircraft from Crete.

During an RAF bombing attack on Athens-Tatoi airfield the one remaining Junkers G38 transport of Lufthansa the 'Generalfeldmarschal von Hindenburg' is destroyed.

In Albania, King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy and Albanian Prime Minister Shefqet Vërlaci survived an assassination attempt when 19-year old Albanian nationalist Vasil Laçi fired four shots at a car they were riding in. Laçi was arrested immediately and executed ten days later.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Sonderkommando Junck, a special formation of German Luftwaffe fighters, bombers and transports which had been hastily painted with Iraqi markings, commenced (with a dozen Bf 110 aircraft of 4./ZG 76) air attacks on British positions, especially those at Habbaniya, Iraq. For the next ten days the Bf 110 aircraft attacked, losing several aircraft in the process. Late in the evening, Kingcol, the British mobile column from Palestine, arrives at Habbaniya late the evening. Overnight, elements of the Gurkha battalion, a company of RAF Assyrian Levies, RAF Armoured Cars towing captured Iraqi howitzers cross the River Euphrates using improvised cable ferries to advance 10 miles East on the town of Falluja.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Brevity: German Colonel Maximilian von Herff launched a counterattack in the area near Bir Wair and Musaid after 1600 hours. British Brigadier General William Gott withdrew his troops into the Halfaya Pass, Egypt, ending his offensive operation.

Australian destroyer HMAS “_Vampire_” delivered fresh Australian troops to Tobruk, Libya at 0100 hours; the artillery pieces of the 2/12th Field Regiment that arrived with the destroyer were deployed on the front lines as early as 0530 hours to support a failed probing attack on the German salient. This is the first time Australian artillery supports Australian infantry at Tobruk.

Elements of Sudan Defense Force and Ethiopian troops advance eastward from Gallabat and unsuccessfully attack Italian positions at Chilga west of Gondar.

Viceroy of Italian East Africa Duke of Aosta surrendered Amba Alagi, Abyssinia to the British at 1730 hours.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Arthur Compton and the United States National Academy of Sciences published a report noting the success rate of developing an atomic weapon was favorable. On the same day, Vannevar Bush created the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD).

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *First shipment of P-40's (31 P-40B’s) arrives in the Philippines. Because no Prestone was included, these planes were unflyable.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Pilot Officer Mike Kolendorski, an American serving in the British RAF, became the first No. 121 Squadron RAF member to be killed. Approximately 10,000 US citizens are fighting under the British flag. Most of them are attached to the RAF as pilots, observers and aerial gunners, or assigned to the training camps. Some US citizens have joined the ranks of General de Gaulle's Free French.

The prisoner in the Tower of London today is Rudolf Hess, brought by train from Scotland after his "peace flight" from Germany. He is kept in a room near the White Tower and spends much of his time watching guardsmen drilling. He will remain in the Tower until a Hampshire country house has been fortified for his detention.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 14 aircraft to attack Rotterdam and 15 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

.


----------



## parsifal (May 16, 2016)

*11 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette FFL MIMOSA (K-11)





MMS I Class MSW HMS MMS 5
(NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-103 sank the *Steamer CITY OF SHANGHAI (UK 5876 grt)* off the West African Coast whilst on passage from the Tyne to Turkey via the Cape, carrying government equipment and military deck cargo. She was sailing independently, having previously been dispersed from OB-313. She a crew of 76, 8 of whom were to be lost. On 10 May 1941 the unescorted CITY OF SHANGHAI, was spotted by U-103, but the lookouts of the vessel also spotted the U-boat and tried to escape. At 0130 hours on 11 May, after a hunt of over 16 hours, the U-boat fired its last torpedo and hit the CITY OF SHANGHAI, which was then finished off with the deck gun off St. Paul Rocks. Six crew members were lost and two more died of wounds in one of the lifeboats. 28 crew members were picked up by the NL steam merchant STAD ARNHEM and landed at Freetown. The master and 17 crew members were rescued by the RICHMOND CASTLE and landed at Glasgow. 22 crew members were picked up by the Argentinian steam merchant JOSEFINA S*. *and landed at Pernambuco.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-147
Lorient: U-123, U-141

Departures
Lorient U-43

At Sea 11 May 1941
U-38, U-69, U-74, U-75, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-143, U-201, U-556, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*Aux petrol base ship GYPSY (UK 361 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Tower Pier, London.
(NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK relieved CA EXETER on Denmark Straits patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DDs INGLEFIELD, INTREPID, IMPULSIVE, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow Hvalfjord to act as a special anti-submarine striking force. The destroyers arrived at Hvalfjord on the 13th.

DD CHURCHILL arrived at Scapa Flow escorting steamer BEN MY CHREE. After refuelling, the DD departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord.

*West Coast*
OB.321 departed Liverpool, escort DD READING and corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, HIBISCUS, and PIMPERNEL. DDs VANQUISHER and WINCHELSEA, sloop LONDONDERRY, and corvettes GENTIAN and RHODODENDRON joined on the 12th. DD WINCHELSEA, sloop LONDONDERRY, and corvettes CAMPANULA, FREESIA, HIBISCUS, and PIMPERNEL were detached on the 16th. DDs MASHONA and TARTAR were with the convoy on the 16th only. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 17th when the convoy was dispersed.

*Western Approaches*
*Steamer SOMERSET (UK 8790 grt)* was in convoy SL.72, when she was attacked on 11 May 1941 by LW FW200 Kondor bomber a/c, off West-Ireland. She broke in two, the aft part sank immediately. The fore part remained afloat and was sunk by escorting HMS ALISMA. There were no casualties.





British steamer CAITHNESS was damaged by LW Kondor a/c whilst travelling with SL-72. The steamer arrived in Belfast on the 12th.

*Channel*
Tug DENCADE and FV SILVER LINING and Belgian trawler HERNIEUWEN IN CHRISTUS were damaged by the LW at Brixham off the southern Cornish coast.

*Med/Biscay*
Sub RORQUAL departed Port Said on the 5th to lay mines in the Gulf of Salonika, whilst Sub PANDORA made an unsuccessful attack on a tanker off Naples.

ANF.30 departed Alexandria escorted by RAN DDs STUART and VENDETTA. Early on the 12th, CLAs DIDO and CALCUTTA and DDs JANUS and ISIS joined the convoy. On the 14th, the convoy and its escort arrived at SudaBay.

MTB Flotilla 10 with MTB.67, MTB.68, MTB.213, MTB.214, MTB.215, MTB.216, and MTB.217 departed Alexandria for Suda Bay, refuelling at Mersa Matruh and Tobruk, en route. MTB 68 and MTB.215 broke down at Mersa Matruh and were sent back to Alexandria for overhaul. Two more were defective, but were able to arrive with the other three at Tobruk. MTB.67, MTB.213, MTB.214, MTB.216, and MTB.217 refuelled during the night of 12/13 May and sailed for SudaBay.

A German-Italian convoy departed Naples with steamers PREUSSEN, WACHTFELS, ERNESTO, GIULIA, TEMBIEN, and COL DI LANA escorted by RM DDs AVIERE, GENIERE, GRECALE, CAMICIA NERA, and DARDO.

Distant cover was given by CLs BANDE NERE, CARDONA, DUCA DEGLI ABRUZZI, and GARIBALDI and DDs ALPINO, FUCLIERE, SCIROCCO, BERSAGLIERE, MAESTRALE, DA RECCO, USODIMARE, PESSAGNO, and PANCALDO. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 14th.

*Malta*
 
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 MAY TO DAWN 12 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_0905-0915 hrs_ Air raid alert for two SM 79 bombers which approach the Island but do not cross the coast or drop any bombs. Two anti-aircraft gun positions engage; no claims. 
_0919-1005 hrs_ Air raid alert for six unidentified enemy aircraft which approach from the north and patrol to the east. One JU 88 bomber crosses the Island from Marsaxlokk to St Paul’s Bay and is engaged by anti-aircraft guns; no claims. Hurricanes are scrambled; one chases a JU 88 out to sea and severely damages it.
_1830-1850 hrs_ Air raid alert triggered by the return of friendly aircraft.
_2032-2230 hrs_ Air raid alert for 19 unidentified aircraft which approach the Island and launch a bombing attack dropping bombs on Spinola, Luqa, Grand Harbour, Fleur de Lys, Clements, Ta Qali, Zeitun and St Paul’s Bay. Searchlights effect two short illuminations and anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_0017-0128 hrs_ Air raid alert for 15 enemy aircraft which cross the coast at various places from the north and east in a continuous stream, dropping bombs on Luqa and Safi, Grand Harbour and Valletta, and the Tarxien area. Searchlights illuminate the raiders on two occasions.

_0154-0235 hrs_ Air raid alert for unidentified aircraft which cross the coast at Marsaxlokk and drop bombs on Kalafrana and Luqa.
_0553-0610 hrs_ Air raid alert; raid does not materialise. 
_Military casualties_Lance Bombardier Saviour Mangion, 4 Battery, 5 Coast Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery.
_Civilian casualties Zeitun _Dolores Degabriele, age 5; Joseph Degabriele, age 2; Bernarda Mifsud, age 33.
OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 11 MAY 1941
_AIR HQArrivals_3 Bombay._Departures_5 Blenheim to Gibraltar._21 Squadron_left for UK._69 Squadron_Maryland reconnaissance Cape Bon to Trapani. Maryland shuttle service Zante and back. Maryland patrol Greek coast._0330-1600 hrs_Beaufighters standing patrol over fifth destroyer flotilla. Operations by Wellingtons and Swordfish against Tripoli.


----------



## parsifal (May 16, 2016)

*12 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-128




12 ships sunk, total tonnage 83,639 GRT. Sunk on 17 May 1943 in the Central Atlantic sth of Recife, Brazil, by DCs from two USN Mariner a/c (VP-74 USN/P-5 & P-6) and gunfire from the USN DDs MOFFETT & JOUETT with 7 dead and 47 survivors.
 
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS BARRIE (K-138)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS CHICOUTIMI (K-156)





Flower class Corvette HMCS NAPANEE (K-118)





Flower Class Corvette HMS BERGOMOT (K-189)





Banff Class Sloop HMS SENNEN (Y-21)





Banff Class Sloop HMS TOTLAND (Y-88)





Banff Class Sloop HMS WALNEY (Y-04)





Thornycroft 75’ RNorN MTB-50





*Losses*
None 

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-138

At Sea 12 May 1941
U-38, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-143, U-201, U-556, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*Steamer FOWBERRY TOWER (UK 4484 grt)* was sunk by the LW one mile WSW of Humber Light Vessel.On the 12th May 1941 the ship had just left Hull on passage for the USA when attacked and sunk. The attack was at night, just outside the Humber estuary. She was in ballast and carrying two passengers and a crew of 48, with six of her crew being lost. It was a moonlit night and the LW could easily pick up coal burning ships from their smoke. The SS ROYSTON met the same fate eight days earlier on the 4th May.





*Steamer RICHARD DE LARRINGA (UK 5358 grt)* was sunk by the LW four cables north of 20R Buoy, Tyne. No lives were lost on the steamer. She was towed until her back broke at Herd Sands.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
CA EXETER departed Hvalfjord after being relieved in the Denmark Strait by CA SUFFOLK. CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow on the 17th to reinforce the patrol.

*Northern Waters*
RIN sloop SUTLEJ arrived at Scapa Flow at 0800 to work up. DD BULLDOG arrived at Scapa Flow at 1800 to refuel. DD BRIGHTON arrived at Scapa Flow from Loch Alsh to carry out underwater repairs in dock.

A Walrus aircraft carrying Rear Admiral, DDs Home Fleet, made a forced landing in the sea ten miles NW of Dunnet Head while on passage to Scapa Flow. The passengers and crew of the a/ct were taken aboard British trawler ST OLA. The aircraft was salved by DDs BLANKNEY and BROCKLESBY which departed Scapa Flow that evening. The DDs arrived back with the aircraft at 2330.

*West Coast*
OB.322 departed Liverpool, escort DDs RAMSEY and WALKER. On the 13th, DD CALDWELL, sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes BLUEBELL, CANDYTUFT, HONEYSUCKLE, HYDRANGEA, and WALLFLOWER, MSW SALAMANDER, and ASW trawlers KING SOL, NORTHERN SUN, and NORTHERN WAVE joined. Corvette ARABIS joined on the 14th. DDs CALDWELL, RAMSEY, and WALKER, sloop ENCHANTRESS, corvettes BLUEBELL, CANDYTUFT, HONEYSUCKLE, HYDRANGEA, and WALLFLOWER, and trawler KING SOL were detached on the 18th. DD BURNHAM, BURWELL, and SCIMITAR and corvettes HELIOTROPE and MALLOW joined on the 20th. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on the 20th.

*Western Approaches*
DD RIPLEY, which departed Londonderry on the 10th, was damaged by the near miss from a LW a/c. The DD spent no time out of service and returned to Londonderry on the 16th after her duties.

*SW Approaches*
CVL FURIOUS, CA LONDON, dummy BB ANSON (old battleship CENTURION), and DDs TARTAR, MASHONA, LEGION, and BRILLIANT departed the Clyde at 2030. The carrier was en route to Gibraltar. DDs TARTAR and MASHONA were detached at daylight on the 15th to act as an ASW striking force for convoy OB.321 until noon on the 16th. The DDs, less DD BRILLIANT, returned to the Clyde on the 18th. FURIOUS, LONDON, dummy BB ANSON, and r BRILLIANT arrived at Gibraltar on the 18th.

*Channel*
CA BERWICK departed Spithead escort DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, BERKELEY, and BLENCATHRA. WIVERN and WILD SWAN escorted the cruiser only until Smalls Light Vessel and then returned to Portsmouth. The two HUNTS escorted the cruiser until dark on the 13th when they were relieved by RAN DD NESTOR off Dunnet Head. The CA arrived at Rosyth on the 14th.


----------



## parsifal (May 16, 2016)

*12 MAY 1941 (Part II) *
*Med/Biscay*
RM TBs CLIO, ORIONE, and PEGASO departed Tripoli escorting steamers MADDALENA ODERO (5479grt) and NICOLO ODERO (6003grt). Torpedo boat PEGASO made an attack on a contact near the convoy that evening. TB PLEIADI, escorting steamer BOSFORO, also made an attack on a submarine contact off Tripoli. These attacks may have claimed submarine UNDAUNTED. Otherwise the submarine may have been lost on a mine off Tripoli. In any event, *U-class Sub HMS UNDAUNTED (RN 730 grt)*, was lost to unknown agent off Tripoli. All hands were lost




*Gunboat LADYBIRD (RN 645 grt)* was sunk at Tobruk by RA a/c. Three ratings were killed and one rating died of wounds. Fourteen crew were wounded. The wreck continued as an AA platform in the harbour




Sub RORQUAL sank coastal steamer AGHIOS PARASKIVI (Ex-Gk 25 grt) and another small schooner, both carrying German troops, off Lemnos.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. 
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 MAY TO DAWN 13 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_1003-1025 hrs_Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber which carries out reconnaissance at 22000 feet escorted by six ME 109 fighters. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no interceptions.

_1027-1047 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single JU 88 bomber which carries out reconnaissance at over 22000 feet. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no interceptions. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_1305-1400 hrs_The Radio Direction Finder indicates 30 enemy aircraft approaching in three formations. 17 Hurricanes are scrambled but the enemy remains at a distance of 10 miles.

_1801-1835 hrs_ Air raid alert for one JU 88 escorted by four ME 109s which approach the Island and patrol five miles off the coast at 24000 feet. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no interceptions.

_2152-2320 hrs_ Air raid alert for 12-15 enemy aircraft which cross the coast at various points and drop bombs on Luqa and Kalafrana, Rinella and Zabbar, Dragonara and St Georges Bay. In the Dockyard a heavy bomb collapses the roadway at Garden Reach and undermines a nearby store and wharf. A large bomb explodes at the Bighi Royal Naval Hospital, badly damaging two houses and the mortuary. The Laboratory and Administrative Blocks are also affected by blast. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_0054-0115 hrs_ Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_0205-0310 hrs_ Air raid alert for eight to ten enemy aircraft which cross the coast at various points and drop bombs on Luqa, between Luqa and Gudja (including Gudja camp with no casualties) and Kalafrana anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 12 MAY 1941
_ROYAL NAVY Kelly, Kipling, Jaguar, Kashmir_and_Kelvin_returned from Operation MD 4, having carried out a successful bombardment of Benghazi. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 2100 hrs _Swordfish departed on offensive operations on a convoy sighted by a Maryland at 1638 hrs. 1 Flare Dropped and 4 strikes with torpedoes; one destroyer and one merchant vessel probably sunk.

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron_Maryland patrol off eastern Sicilian coast. Maryland patrol eastern Tunisian coast.

_HAL FAR _C Flight 261 Squadron ceased to exist. 185 Squadron was formed under the command of Squadron Leader Mould.


----------



## parsifal (May 16, 2016)

*13 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
L Class DD HMS LANCE (G-87)





Black Swan Class Sloop RIN JUMNA (U-21)





Flower Class Corvette HMS CLOVER (K-134)





Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS VALSE (T-151)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-105 sank *Steamer BENVRACKIE (UK 6434 grt)* in the Central Atlantic mid way between the West African and Brazilian Coasts. She was on passage from London to Beira (in Mozambique) via Capetown carrying general cargo, silver and a gypsy moth aircraft. A crew of 83 was embarked of which 28 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0748 hrs the BENVRACKIE (Master William Edward Rawlings Eyton-Jones), dispersed from convoy OB-312, was hit aft by two G7e torpedoes fired byU-105 and sank after 4 minutes about 700 miles SW of Freetown. On 9 May, the ship had picked up 25 survivors from the LASSELL, which had been sunk by U-107 on 30 April. U-105 had spotted the zigzagging ship in the evening on 11 May, missed with one G7a and one G7e torpedo at 2030 and 2054 hrs on 12 May and finally sank her after a chase of 34 hours. 13 crew members and 15 survivors were lost. The survivors were questioned by the Germans. The master, 40 crew members, four gunners and ten survivors were rescued after 13 days in lifeboats by the British hospital ship OXFORDSHIRE and landed at Freetown.
The master William Edward Rawlings Eyton-Jones was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.





U-111 sank *steamer SOMERSBY (UK 5170 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was a straggler from SC-30 with a crew of 43. She was on passage from Halifax to Hull via the West Coast, carrying a cargo of grain when lost. At 1141 hrs the SOMERSBY, was hit amidships by one of two torpedoes fired by U-111 SW of Reykjavik. The ship capsized and sank after being hit in the bow by a coup de grace at 1246 hrs. The master, 38 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the Greek steam merchant MARIKA PROTOPAPA and landed at Loch Ewe. 





U-98 sank *AMC HMS SALOPIAN (RN 10549 grt)*. At 0400 hrs, the AMC was spotted by U-98 while escorting the convoy SC-30 about 400 miles SE of Cape Farewell and missed with a first spread of two torpedoes because the ship zigzagged every 7 to 12 mins. The next two torpedoes at 0619 and 0622 hrs also missed and the skipper of U-98 took the considerable risk to reload two bow tubes at the surface while running at high speed to search the vessel in the fog. At 0720 hours, the AMC was again sighted and five minutes later both reloaded bow torpedoes were fired like MTB style on the surface. The torpedoes hit amidships and in the bow but the U-boat had to dive because the ship opened fire. At 0800 and 0805 hrs, two torpedoes were fired that both hit in the engine room, but the ship remained afloat. The U-boat then reloaded the tubes and observed how more than ten boats were launched and a motor boat tried to cover the ship by laying a smoke screen. At 1043 hrs, a coup de grace was fired that struck amidships and caused the ship to break in two and sink in two minutes. Early on 14 May, HMS INGLEFIELD, HMS INTREPID, HMS IMPULSIVE and HMS ESCAPADE arrived in the area and unsuccessfully searched for the U-boat. The commander and 277 officers and ratings were picked up by HMS IMPULSIVE and taken to Hvalfjord. One officer and two ratings were lost.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen : U-143
St Nazaire: U-95

Departures
Bergen: U-43
Kiel: U-66, U-587

At Sea 13 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-201, U-556, U-557, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MSW FRANKLIN was damaged by the LW near misses in the Nth Sea. The MSW spent no time out of service. British steamer LOTTINGE was damaged by the LW 3 miles off the mouth of the Tyne. The steamer returned to the Tyne 

*Northern Waters*
DDs ELECTRA, ANTHONY, and ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow at 2215 for Loch Alsh. The DDs returned the next day..

*West Coast*
*Hopper barge F (UK 496 grt)* was sunk on a mine 350 yds sth of Dingle Oil Jetty (in Liverpool). 5 of an 11 man crew were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler FORT RONA (UK 203 grt)* was sunk by the LW 15 miles WSW of Bardsey Island. (Wales) The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
*FV NUEVA ELISA (Sp 55 grt (est))* was sunk on a mine in the Bay of Biscay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLs ORION and AJAX and RAN CL PERTH with DDs JUNO, KANDAHAR, and KINGSTON departed Alexandria in Operation MD.8 to bombard El Fateyah airdrome near Derna. The bombardment, scheduled for the night of 13/14 May was not carried out as a position could not be fixed accurately. Gunboat GNAT bombarded the Gazala airdrome during the night of 13/14 May. MTB Depot ship trawler VULCAN arrived at Suez to join the Med Flt.

*Tug CORNFLOWER (UK 150 grt (est))* was sunk by German bombing at Mersa, Malta.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
*Steamer BOURBONNAIS (Vichy4484 grt)*, which had departed Dakar without escort for Tamative on the 12th, was seized by AMC BULOLO at 13-07N, 19-22W on the 13th.
A distress signal from the steamer caused DDs FANTASQUE and TERRIBLE to depart Dakar on the 13th to assist. CL s GEORGES LEYGUES and GLOIRE departed Dakar on the 14th. On the 14th, CL DRAGON relieved the AMC and both arrived at Freetown on the 16th. The French ships returned to Dakar without contacting the French steamer.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Indian sloop CLIVE and Armed merchant cruiser KING GRUFFORD proceeded to Dante, seventy miles south of Cape Guardafui (Somalia). The ships arrived on the 16th and embarked Italian prisoners of war.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 MAY TO DAWN 14 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_0735-0753 hrs_ Air raid alert for a JU 88 bomber which carries out recon escorted by 3 ME 109 fighters. AA guns engage; no claims.

_1342-1421 hrs _ Air raid alert for a small formation of bombers escorted by 25 ME 109s approaching the Island from the east. Bombs are dropped on the Luqa aerodrome damaging one Wellington bomber, and on Tal Handaq, Marsa Creek and Ta Qali, Qormi and Hamrun, where 10 houses are destroyed, one civilian is killed and 12 injured, five seriously. Qormi New Chapel and Government School are destroyed. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; ME 109s swoop down from 20000 to 10000 feet to attack them. Two Hurricanes are shot down; pilot P/O P J A Thompson is killed, the other pilot bales out and is slightly injured.
_0001-0402 hrs_Air raid alert for 18 enemy a/c approaching from the NE. They head directly for Luqa, dropping 12 HE bombs on the airfield. Three Maryland aircraft are damaged – two will be unserviceable for at least 12 days; one is destroyed, two barrack blocks and the NAAFI are damaged. Bombs are also dropped on Imtarfa Hospital, destroying the Royal Engineers office and one lorry. Two Hurricanes are scrambled, one of which engages and damages one Heinkel HE 111 bomber which is illuminated by searchlights. AA guns fire several barrages. Two Beaufighters are scrambled and pursue the raiders back to their base in Sicily where they attempt to attack them during landing; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 13 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli reported two convoys. Maryland eastern Tunisian coast.

_HAL FAR _F/Lt Westmacott injured in aerial combat.
_LUQA _Two Beaufighters 252 Sqn patrolled Sicilian coast to intercept enemy raiders returning from Malta; no interceptions.


----------



## parsifal (May 16, 2016)

*14 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-82




8 ships sunk, total tonnage 51,859 GRT
Sunk on 6 February 1942 in the North Atlantic NE of the Azores, , by depth charges from the British sloop HMS ROCHESTER and the British corvette HMS TAMANISK. 45 dead (all hands lost).


Allied
T Class Sub HMS THRASHER (N-37)





*Losses*
*Examination vessel M. A. WEST (UK 96 grt)* was sunk by the LW one mile 105° from Great Yarmouth Harbour entrance. There were no casualties on the drifter.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Harbour defence patrol vessel MINICOY (RN 5 grt)* was sunk on a mine eleven cables 94° from St Ann's Head. The skipper and some ratings were lost in the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KARLANDER (Nor 1843 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in the western approaches. The entire crew was rescued. The steamer was sunk by an escort vessel on the 14th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer RABAUL (UK 6809 grt)* was sunk by DKM Raider ATLANTIS in the Sth Atlantic. Nine crew were killed. One was taken prisoner and 46 crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux MSW PURIRI (RNZN 927 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Auckland. CL ACHILLES rescued the survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 14 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-201, U-556, U-557, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD BULLDOG departed Scapa Flow for Iceland. DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to escort the new carrier VICTORIOUS.
The DDs arrived on the 14th.
CV VICTORIOUS departed Rosyth on the 15th, escorted by CL AURORA, and DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, and ESKIMO for Scapa Flow where she arrived the same day at 2200.

DD BLANKNEY departed Scapa Flow at 1400 for Aberdeen to meet steamers AMSTERDAM and ARCHANGEL at 2100 off the harbour entrance. The DD escorted the steamers northward. Steamer ARCHANGEL was detached to Kirkwall. Steamer AMSTERDAM was escorted on to Lerwick.

The DD and steamer AMSTERDAM arrived at Lerwick on the 15th and departed later that day for Aberdeen. BLANKNEY returned to Scapa Flow on the 16th to escort steamer ARCHANGEL from Kirkwall to Aberdeen. The two departed that evening.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to escort WN.26 from the Pentland Firth southwards. Early on the 15th, the ship transferred to convoy EC.Special 2 and provided cover until arrival in the Pentland Firth. DD BROCKLESBY departed Scapa Flow on the 15th to provide additional escort for convoy EC.Special 2. ALYNBANK returned to Scapa Flow on the 15th. BROCKLESBY after escort proceeded to Plymouth for duty in the south of the country.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy HG.62 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop DEPTFORD, corvette FLEUR DE LYS, and Dutch submarine O.24. The submarine was detached that day and the corvette on the 21st. On the 26th, the convoy was joined by DDs LEAMINGTON and SALADIN, corvettes CLARKIA and GLADIOLUS, and ASW trawler ST ZENO. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 June.

*Med/Biscay*
On the 14th, BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and BARHAM, CLAs NAIAD and PHOEBE, and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, GREYHOUND, HASTY, RAN NIZAM, DEFENDER, and IMPERIAL cleared port. PHOEBE developed cracks in her hull plating aft and was forced to return to Alexandria, arriving on the 16th. RAN CL PERTH was detached from the CruSqn 7 as a replacement for cruiser PHOEBE. After refuelling, the cruiser joined the QUEEN ELIZABETH gp. This ships constituted Forces A and D for the defence of Crete.

AS.31 departed Suda Bay with merchant ships British LOSSIEBANK and Dutch NIEUW ZEELAND escorted by CLA DIDO and RAN DDs STUART, VENDETTA, RN DDs JANUS, and ISIS. CLA DIDO was carrying £7,000,000 sterling of Greek bullion. LOSSIEBANK broke down and DD STUART was sent ahead with steamer NIEUW ZEELAND. The convoy was attacked by air on the 15th, but no damage was done. British Forces A and D.joined the convoy for support. CLAs DIDO and CALCUTTA were detached from the convoy at dark on the 15th. They proceeded to Alexandria to refuel, arriving early on the 16th.

Three RHN DDs departed Alexandria on the 15th. They relieved RAN DDs VENDETTA and RN ISIS at daylight on the 16th. DD JANUS had already been detached and arrived at Alexandria on the 16th with damaged steamer CAPE HORN. DDs STUART, ISIS, and VENDETTA arrived at Alexandria on the 16th. Convoy AS.31 arrived at Port Said escorted by the RHN DDs on the 16th.

Submarine UNBEATEN attacked two schooners in Khoms Roads. The submarine claimed sinking one with torpedo and the other with gunfire. Neither ship was lost.

*Steamer DALESMAN (UK 6343 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in Suda Bay. She settled on an even keel and for three days efforts were made to salvage as much cargo as possible. She was abandoned by her crew 17/05/1941. The crew were taken prisoner on Crete and the ship was raised on 17/6/1941 by Italian salvors and towed to Trieste and repaired. She was torpedoed by British MTB 406 on 7/2/1945 off Novigrad, towed to Trieste. 20/2/1945 bombed and sunk (again!) during an Allied raid on Trieste.
1945 raised by the Royal Navy and repaired, returned to owners in 1946
Scrapped at Ghent in 1959





Gunboat GNAT bombarded a mobile enemy battery near the entrance of Tobruk Harbour. Gunboat APHIS rejoined the Inshore Squadron after repairs.

British steamer CAPE HORN (5643grt) was damaged by German bombing at Port Said.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER arrived at Colombo

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 MAY TO DAWN 15 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_0724-0755 hrs_ Air raid alert for two JU 88 bombers and 12 ME 109 fighters which cross the coast at Marsaxlokk and drop small bombs on Luqa aerodrome; reports indicate that some are dropped by ME 109s. One bomb falls 50 feet from the camp of 1stBn Hampshire Regiment and cuts a high-tension cable. Company Quartermaster Flatman is electrocuted and killed while trying to put out a fire caused by the broken cable. Hurricanes are scrambled and Bofors guns engage; no claims.
_1253-1320 hrs_ Air raid alert for one JU 88 which carries out reconnaissance escorted by three Me 109s. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.
_1625-1710 hrs_ Air raid alert for 18 ME 109s which approach the Island from the east and drop bombs on the Ta Qali area. Four Hurricanes are destroyed on the ground. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage; two are destroyed by raiders. Pilot P/O C E Hamilton, 185 Squadron, is killed, the other bales out and is injured. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims. 
_2356-0020 hrs_ Air raid alert for six-eight enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly, crossing the coast from the south west and passing over Grand Harbour. Hurricanes are scrambled and engage one raider without result. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.
_0033-0115 hrs_ Air raid alert; for 16 unidentified enemy aircraft which cross the coast singly and carry out a bombing raid on the Dockyard, Valletta, Luqa, Salina Bay, St Thomas’s Bay and Zabbar, where 31 houses are destroyed. The old civil barracks at St Elmo are damaged, Valletta police depot and several houses in the City destroyed. Two civilians are killed, seven seriously injured. Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire one barrage; no claims.
_0145-0210 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single unidentified enemy aircraft which approaches from the east and drops bombs on the Grand Harbour area and on Safi, where Malta Tank troop billets are destroyed by a mine (not a parachute type, probably a G mine). Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire one barrage; no claims.
_0354-0418 hrs_ Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
_0434-0515 hrs_ Air raid alert for two unidentified enemy aircraft which approach from the north, passing over Gozo, and drop bombs on Anchor Bay.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 14 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _6 Hurricanes, 1 Wellington to Mersa Matruh._69 Squadron_Maryland reconnaissance Naples reports convoy vessels. Maryland reconnaissance eastern Tunisian coast. Two Marylands afternoon patrol off eastern Sicilian and eastern Tunisian coasts.
_HAL FAR _P/O Hamilton killed as a result of aerial engagement with enemy.


----------



## parsifal (May 17, 2016)

*15 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-570




No ships sunk. Captured by British forces on 27 August 1941 in the Nth Atlantic south of Iceland, after being damaged by a CC Hudson a/c (269 Sqn RAF). Towed to Thorlakshafn, Iceland and salvaged. 44 survivors (no casualties). The ship was commissioned into the RN as HMS GRAPH but was stricken after she ran aground in 1944

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS BADDECK (K-147)




HDMLs 1010 & 1073
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Losses*
U-105 sank *steamer BENVENUE (UK 5920 grt)* in the central Atlantic off the West Coast of Africa. She was sailing independently but had previously formed part of OB-314. She was on passage from London via the west coast ports to India, carrying general cargo and some aircraft as deck cargo. She had a crew of 57 of which 2 were to lose their lives. At 2029 hrs the BENVENUE, was torpedoed and sunk by U-105 about 420 miles WSW of Freetown. One crew member and one gunner were lost. The master, 47 crew members, one gunner and six passengers (Army personnel) were picked up by the EMPIRE TRADER and landed at Freetown. 





U-43 sank the *Schooner NOTRE DAME DU CHÂTELET (Vichy 488 grt)* , en route from St Malo to the Grand Banks in the SW approaches 28 of her 38 man crew were lost. After 0415 hrs the three masted NOTRE DAME DU CHÂTELET was sunk by U-43 with 45 rounds from the deck gun and AA gunfire about 400 miles east of Ouessant. Lüth suspected the vessel to report the position of U-boats to Allied forces, while some of the survivors thought they had been attacked by a British submarine. The day before, the sailing vessel had encountered the RM Sub CAPPELLINI. The ten survivors abandoned ship in three dories: Two men were picked up by the Italian submarine OTARIA 23 May, three men were rescued by the French fishing trawler PETITE BERNADETTE off Belle-Île on 24 May and the remaining five men reached the Berlengas archipelago off Portugal on 28 May, after sailing approx. 600 miles in their dory. The survivors reported that they were attacked without warning and that their dories were machine-gunned while they abandoned ship





*UBOATS*
Departures
St Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 15 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-201, U-556, U-557, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*Steamer OSSIAN (“Ex-Sd” 1564 grt)* was sunk whilst working for the Germans, by British aircraft near Bremen. Two crew on the steamer were killed and another died later.





*North Sea*


*Northern Patrol*
MLs AGAMEMNON, MENESTHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC of the 1st Minelaying Squadron laid minefield SN.9 B, escorted by DDs ANTHONY, ELECTRA, ANTELOPE, and ST MARYS. CLA HERMIONE, which departed Scapa Flow on the 14th, covered the MLs. CLs NIGERIA and KENYA, which departed the Iceland-Faroes Channel patrol on the 15th, provided support for the operation. Following the minelay, the cruisers returned to their patrol stations. HERMIONE arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 17th, and ANTELOPE, ANTHONY, and ELECTRA on the 18th

*Northern Waters*
DD ICARUS arrived at Scapa Flow for Home Flt operations in DesFlot 3

DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow after night exercises to meet CA BERWICK off Dunnet Head on the 16th and escort her to Rosyth. She was escorted as far as May Island, and PUNJABI arrived back at Scapa Flow early on the 17th.

*West Coast*
BC REPULSE, CVE ARGUS, and liners MONARCH OF BERMUDA and EMPRESS OF JAPAN arrived at the Clyde from Gibraltar.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy OG.62 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop BIDEFORD, and was joined on the 16th by DDs BOADICEA and ST FRANCIS, sloop EGRET, corvettes ARROWHEAD, ASTER, HEPATICA, SNOWBERRY, SPIKENARD, and WOODRUFF, and ASW- trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and STELLA CARINA. AYRSHIRE detached later on the 16th, the two DDs, SPIKENARD and ARAB on the 19th, and EGRET, ARROWHEAD, HEPATICA, and SNOWBERRY on the 20th. On the 22nd, Dutch submarine O.24 joined the convoy escort. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th, escorted by sloop BIDEFORD, submarine O.24, corvettes ASTER and WOODRUFF, and trawler STELLA CARINA. The sloop and the corvettes were temporarily assigned to the 13th Destroyer Flotilla.

*Med/Biscay*
The Med Flt was divided on the 15th into groups in anticipation of enemy action against Crete.

Force A - BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH, BARHAM and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, RAN NIZAM, DEFENDER, and IMPERIAL – were deployed to the west of Crete by daylight on the 16th.

Force B - CLs GLOUCESTER and FIJI embarked the Second Battalion, Leicester Regiment at Alexandria and departed forenoon on the 15th. The troops were landed at midnight of 15/16 May at Heraklion. This movement was covered by Force A.

Force C - CLA COVENTRY and DDs KANDAHAR, NUBIAN, KINGSTON, and JUNO departed Alexandria at 2000 and proceeded towards the Kaso Straits. The force was to sweep Kaso Straits at dark and sweep north of Crete. CLA DIDO joined the force on the 16th.

Force D – CLA NAIAD, RAN CL PERTH and DDs GREYHOUND and HASTY patrolled between Antikithera and Piraeus.

DDs ILEX, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria on the 15th. ILEX joined Force A and HOTSPUR and HAVOCK Force B after the disembarkation of the troops.

In Reserve (as casualties were expected) - BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, CV FORMIDABLE, and CLs ORION and AJAX. 

Sub RORQUAL was on patrol off Lemnos.

ML ABDIEL departed Alexandria on the 17th for Haifa to embark mines for a minefield between Cephalonia and Levkos (on the western side of the Peloponnese). She laid 150 mines east of Cape Dukato during the night of 19/20 May and returned to Alexandria, arriving on the 21st.

*DD MIRABELLO (RM 1811 grt)*, escorting steamers ANNARELLA (5999grt) and LAURA C (6181grt) and tankers DORA C (5843grt) and STROMBO (5232grt) with armed merchant cruiser BRINDISI from Brindisi for Patrasso, was sunk on this minefield off Cephalonia on the 21st.





The following axis steamers were lost on this minefield on the 21st:
*Steamer KYBFELS (Ger 7764 grt) *





*Steamer MARBURG (Ger 7564 grt)*
[N O IMAGE FOUND]

These losses were more significant than they would seem, though admittedly ther is a lot of confusion in the records. Elements of 2nd Panzer Div appear to have been on the ships in transit back to Germany for refit. The confusion amongst sources is quite extreme for this movement of the division from Greece to Germany. According to one divisional history, (Die 2.Panzer-Division - Bewaffnung-Einsatz-Manner, by Franz Steinzer), 

''_The wheeled elements of the 2nd Panzer Division moved back to Jugoslavia via Albania and were entrained in Split. The tracked elements of the division were taken aboard the freighters "MARBURG" and "KYBFELS"in Patras harbour. They were to be ferried to Tarent in Italy from where they should be brought back to the Reich via rail. During their second voyage both ships were lost to enemy action en route with a full load of panzers, APCs and artillery tractors aboard. While personnel losses were moderate, all of the "hardware" had to be written off_''. 

Jentz agrees with this. The losses in the tracked components of this division were very severe and an event seldom acknowledged in the losses for the greek campaign. It was a major impediement in the depoloyment of 2 pz Div in the upcoming Barbarossa operation.

Halders Diary also mentions these losses.

*Aetos Class DD LEON (RHN 1038 grt)*, was damaged on 18 April 1941 when she collided with the passenger ship ARDENA. Two depth charges rolled overboard and in the explosion her stern was blown off. LEON was towed from the Salamis Navy Yard to Suda Bay, Crete where she was bombed on the 22 April and again on thye 15th when she was finally sunk. She was run aground a total loss.





Lt P. F. Scott of 806 Sqn was killed when the Gladiator he was ferrying between Maleme and Egypt crashed 100 miles south of Crete.

*Steamer SAN GIUSTO (FI 861 grt)* was sunk on a mine 15 miles 25° from Tripoli.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
RM submarine BARBARIGO attacked steamer MANCHESTER PORT without success in the Nth Atlantic.

*Central Atlantic*
DD VELOX departed Gibraltar for Freetown to join the Sth Atlantic command.

USN CAs QUINCEY and VINCENNES and USN Desron 11joined the Bermuda based Central America Neutrality Patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
In a dive-bombing attack on the Sumawar barracks, Iraq, a Swordfish of 814 Sqn from CVL HERMES, operating from Shaibah, was shot down. Sub Lt (A) G. R. Coy, Lt J. H. Dundas, and Leading Airman L. E. Lasson were rescued.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 MAY TO DAWN 16 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_0743-0810 hrs_Air raid alert for a JU 88 bomber which approached and carried out recon over the Island while escorting enemy fighters patrol out to sea. AA guns engage the bomber without result.
_1211-1240 hrs _ Air raid alert for 25 ME 109 fighters which cross the coast at various points and drop bombs on the Luqa area. One Wellington is burned out and three Beaufighters damaged. Hurricanes are scrambled and engage the raiders; one Hurricane is destroyed in combat but pilot survives. A ceiling barrage by AA guns is unsuccessful.
_1523-1615 hrs_Air raid alert for 15-20 ME 109s which carry out a bombing raid on Luqa and Hal Far aerodromes, where a Fleet Air Arm store is badly damaged. AA guns engage; no claims.Enemy fighters then scout the island in small formations, one of which attacks Hurricanes on patrol. One Hurricane is shot down and the pilot killed. 
_0312-0500 hrs_Air raid alert for 12 enemy a/c in three formations which approach from the nth, cross the coast at various points and drop bombs and mines on Grand Harbour, Valletta and the Luqa area. In the Dockyard, a bomb on Hamilton Wharf damages a generator station. _HMS Encounter_ is hit by a small bomb in the boiler room, causing considerable damage. _MV Amerika_ suffers superficial damage from a near-miss. More mines are laid at the entrances to Grand Harbour and Marsamxetto Harbour. A new type of mine is dropped in the raid, identified as G mines, rather than the parachute mines used recently. Two Hurricane night fighters are scrambled. There is only one illumination low down: Bofors and light anti-aircraft guns engage the raiders; no claims.
OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 15 MAY 1941
_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _Maryland patrol east Sicilian coast. Maryland reconnaissance eastern Tunisian coast. Hurricane photo-reconnaissance Gela aerodrome; photos reveal 18 unidentified aircraft, believed fighters.


----------



## Njaco (May 17, 2016)

*May 18 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British battleship HMS “_Nelson_” and aircraft carrier HMS “_Eagle_,” en route from Cape Town, South Africa to Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa in search of German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_”, sailed within 7 kilometers of the German ship without detecting her.

German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Piako_” 130 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2227 hours; 10 were killed, 65 survived and rescued by British sloop HMS “_Bridgewater_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *Soviet leadership began a purge against Soviet Air Force officers.

*GERMANY:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: The aim of Unternehmen Rheinübung was for German Battleship “_Bismarck_” and heavy cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” to break into the Atlantic and attack Allied shipping. Grand Admiral Erich Raeder's orders to Admiral Günther Lütjens were that;


> "...the objective of the ‘Bismarck’ is not to defeat enemies of equal strength, but to tie them down in a delaying action, while preserving her combat capacity as much as possible, so as to allow ‘Prinz Eugen’ to get at the merchant ships in the convoy" and "The primary target in this operation is the enemy's merchant shipping; enemy warships will be engaged only when that objective makes it necessary and it can be done without excessive risk."


 The original plan was to have the Kriegsmarine battleships “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” involved in the operation, but “_Scharnhorst_” was undergoing heavy repairs to her engines, and “_Gneisenau_” had just suffered a damaging torpedo hit days before which put her out of action for 6 months. Lütjens had requested that Raeder delay Rheinübung long enough either for “_Scharnhorst_” to complete repairs to her engines and be made combat worthy and to rendezvous at sea with “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” or for Bismarck's sister ship “_Tirpitz_” to accompany them. Raeder had refused, as “_Scharnhorst_” would not be ready until early July. The crew of the newly completed “_Tirpitz_” was not yet fully trained, and over Lütjens's protests Raeder ordered Rheinübung to go ahead. At 1000 on the morning of 18 May 1941 in Gotenhafen, Admiral Lütjens inspected “_Prinz Eugen's_” crew. Afterwards, a commanders’ conference was held on “_Bismarck_”. In attendance were Kapitän zur See Harald Netzband (Lütjens Chief of Staff), Generaladmiral Alfred Saalwächter (Commanding Officer, Group West) and the two commanding officers concerned. It was then that Lütjens revealed the details of Unternehmen Rheinübung to Lindemann and Brinkmann. It was decided that if the weather proved favorable, they would not stop in the Korsfjord (today Krossfjord). They would, instead, sail north to refuel from the “_Weissenburg_” before cruising into the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland. Between 11:12 hours and 11:15 hours “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” left their berths in Gotenhafen (Gdynia) and anchored in the roadstead to embark supplies and fuel. While refueling in the roadstead, one of the fuel-oil hoses broke and “_Bismarck_” could not be refueled to her full capacity. After sundown, “_Bismarck_” and cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” departed for the North Atlantic. “_Prinz Eugen_” sailed at about 2100 hours followed at 0200 hours, 19 May, by “_Bismarck_”. The entire fleet was commanded by Admiral Günther Lütjens aboard “_Bismarck_”. Both ships proceeded under escort, separately and rendezvoused off Cape Arkona on Rügen Island in the western Baltic. It was then that Captain Lindemann informed “_Bismarck's_” crew by loudspeaker that they were going into the North Atlantic to attack British shipping for a period of several months. Various supply ships were already at sea.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italy annexed Dalmatia into its borders.

In Rome, The Duke of Spoleto accepts the crown of Croatia from a Croatian delegation; he will be King Tomislav I. Count Ciano writes:


> "The Croatians arrive with Pavelich at their head. They are in good humour and well-disposed toward us. I should say that they are better disposed than the Albanians when they offered the crown. The ceremony is more or less the same as that with the Albanians. In the streets, few and undemonstrative people. Not many realize the importance of the event. When His Majesty designated the Duke of Spoleto and the delegates saw him, there was a murmur of approval among them. Let us hope that it will be the same when they hear him speak. Everything went in due form; also the signing of the Acts, the content of which seemed to those who had knowledge of them to bear a better political meaning than was expected. It now remains to be seen if what we have built will be lasting. Maybe I am mistaken in my personal impression, but there is a feeling in the air that Italian domination in Croatia is to be temporary. And this is why the public is indifferent..."



German dive bombers attacked British hospital ship “_Aba_” 50 miles south of Crete, Greece. Petty Officer Alfred Sephton of British light cruiser HMS “_Coventry_” won the Victoria Cross for directing anti-aircraft fire against the German aircraft despite being partially blinded by a machine gun bullet. He would die from his injuries on the next day.

In anticipation of a German invasion of Crete, Greece, 700 Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders were transported from Port Said, Egypt, on troopship “_Glengyle_”; they would land at Tymbaki, Crete after sundown.

*MIDDLE EAST:* In addition to forces crossing the River Euphrates, 4 Vickers Valentia biplanes land a company of King's Own Royal Regiment on the Baghdad road. British aircraft from RAF Habbaniya bombed Iraqi positions in Falluja throughout the day. Meanwhile, Arab troops loyal to Britain relieved the besieged RAF Habbaniyah which was defended only by out-of-date training aircraft. The base had been under attack from the pro-German forces of General Rashid Ali using Bf 110 and He 111 aircraft.

General Dentz broadcasts, warning his troops in Vichy French controlled Syria to meet force with force. Airfields in Syria are bombed again by the RAF.

*NORTH AFRICA: * General Mosley Mayne, British commander of 5th Indian Division, lunches with Duke of Aosta in his mountain cave at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia, while Italian troops bury their dead and prepare to leave. Italians honour the Duke’s agreement not to destroy guns or stores and to dismantle or identify mines and boobytraps.

*UNITED KINGDOM: * At Scapa Flow, Admiral Tovey was considering how best to cover the possibility of a German warship breakout. Tovey ordered the cruiser HMS “_Suffolk_”, which was on patrol in the Denmark Strait, to keep a special watch on the passage close to the ice pack.

.


----------



## parsifal (May 17, 2016)

*16 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS LEVIS (K-115)





Flower Class Corvette HMS JASMINE (K-23)





Flower Class Corvette HMS LAVENDER (K-60)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS BALTA (T-50)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-105 sank the *MV RODNEY STAR (UK 11803 grt)* sw of Freetown. The ship was on passage from Uruguay to Glasgow, with a cargo of refrigerated meat and a crew of 83. All crew members survived the attack. At 0548 hrs the unescorted RODNEY STAR was hit in the stern by one of two torpedoes fired by U-105 about 420 miles WSW of Freetown. The ship was hit in the bow and amidships by two coups de grace at 0620 and 0746 hours, but remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and fired 91 high explosive rounds and 22 incendiary rounds from the deck gun into the waterline. Shortly before the ship sank by the stern in a shell exploded in the barrel which was tore apart and wounded six men of the gun crew. The survivors were picked up six days later by HMS BOREAS and BATNA and landed at Takoradi on 23 May.i





*Steamer ARCHANGEL (UK 2448 grt) *was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea, ten miles NE of Aberdeen. Forty of a crew of seventy five and twelve of four hundred troops on board were lost. The survivors were rescued by DD BLANKNEY which landed them at Aberdeen. She attempted to take the steamer in tow, but she was beached off Black Dog, five miles south of Newburgh, and broke in four pieces.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ETHEL RADCLIFFE (UK 5673 grt)* had been damaged by a DKM S boat on 17 April. She was sunk by LW at Great Yarmouth on the 16 May, written off as a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 16 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-201, U-556, U-557, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sloop BLACK SWAN arrived at Scapa Flow at 1930 from Rosyth after large repairs for working up.

MLs TEVIOTBANK and PLOVER, escort DD CATTISTOCK, laid minefield BS.56 off the east coast of England. Paddle minesweepers SNAEFELL and THAMES QUEEN accompanied them.

*Northern Waters*
CLs EDINBURGH, GALATEA, and AURORA departed Scapa Flow to investigate a large warship reported by aircraft to the nth. BC HOOD, CL BIRMINGHAM, and DDs ACHATES, ICARUS, and ACTIVE came to half hour's notice which was cancelled at 1600. The cruisers returned to Scapa Flow on the 17th after an unsuccessful search.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.27 to the south. On the 17th off Tod Head, the ship transferred to convoy EC.20. In the Pentland Firth, she was detached and returned to Scapa Flow on the 18th.

*West Coast*
Steamer JOFFRE ROSE was damaged by the LW off St David's Head, (on the Welsh coast) beached in Dale Bay on the 16th, and damaged again on the 18th in Dale Bay. She was refloated and drydocked.

Steamer OBSIDIAN was damaged by the LW off the west coast of the UK

*Channel*
ML LATONA, which had completed construction on the 4th, departed Portsmouth for Alexandria, via the Cape. She arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th and Alexandria on 21 June.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs GLOUCESTER and FIJI, after landing troops at Heraklion, were able to clear the anchorage before dawn on the 16th. They met DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR and then joined Force A and Force D. DD ILEX joined these forces on the 16th. During the day, the 10 DDs of Forces A, B, and D refuelled from the two battleships of Force A. CLA DIDO and DD JUNO departed Alexandria during the morning of 16 May to join Force C.
During the night of 16/17 May, the British cruiser forces swept off the north coast of Crete. No contact was made.

The stricken CA YORK was damaged by a near miss from the LW at Suda Bay.

Troopship GLENGYLE departed Alexandria for Port Said, escort DD DECOY to embark new landing craft. She departed Port Said on the 17th, escorted by RAN DDs VOYAGER and WATERHEN and sloop AUCKLAND. CLA COVENTRY from Force C was detached to join this group at daylight on the 18th. During the night of 18th/19th, GLENGYLE landed 700 Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders at Tymbaki, then withdrew to Alexandria with COVENTRY, VOYAGER, WATERHEN and AUCKLAND, arriving on the 20th.

RAN DD VAMPIRE carried troops and supplies to Tobruk during the night of 16/17 May.

Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked escorted two transports near Tripoli.

Lt A. H. M. Ash and Lt H. J. C. Richardson of 805 Squadron, attached to the RAF 33 Squadron at Maleme, were killed when their Hurricanes were shot down on the 16th.

In air raids on Malta, DD ENCOUNTER was damaged again in the dockyard. She had already been damaged during raids on 29 and 30 April. Corvette GLOXINIA, minesweeping at Malta, was damaged by the explosion of a mine close aboard. She remained in service.

MSW WIDNES was damaged by LW near missews and machine gunning in the eastern Med.

*Steamer LOGICIAN (UK 5993 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Suda Bay. She was bombed again on the 25th and sank two miles and two cables, bearing 303° from Kalani Prism Five crew were killed and one was missing. Twenty five Australian troops were killed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KYTHERA (Gk 1070 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Suda Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer NICOLAOU OURANIA (Gk 6397 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW at Suda Bay, beached, later refloated and towed to Piraeus. She was used under the name of NIKOLAUS for German use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.127 departed Halifax, escorted by BB RAMILLIES, DD ST CROIX, and corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN. The corvettes detached on the 18th. Convoy BHX.127 departed Bermuda on the 13th escorted by AMC CHITRAL as ocean escort. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.127 on the 20th and CHITRAL detached. DD LINCOLN and corvettes SUNFLOWER joined on the 23rd and detached on the 27th. DD SALISBURY joined on the 27th. On the 28th, DDs OTTAWA and RESTIGOUCHE, sloop STORK, corvette BEGONIA, anti-submarine trawler ST KENAN, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined the escort. DD SKATE and corvette LARKSPUR joined on the 29th. RCN DD OTTAWA and the yacht were detached on the 29th. DDs FARNDALE and HAMBLEDON were with the convoy on the 30th. Sloop SUTLEJ was with the convoy in Home Waters. On 1 June RESTIGOUCHE, SKATE and STORK detached. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 June.

*Central Atlantic*
CV ARK ROYAL, BC RENOWN, CL SEHFFIELD, and DDs WRESTLER, FEARLESS, FORESTER, and FURY sailed from Gibraltar for exercises, returning on the 17th.

DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HARVESTER departed Gibraltar to join CVL FURIOUS, CA LONDON, dummy battleship ANSON (old battleship CENTURION with wooden guns), and DD BRILLIANT arriving from the Clyde and escorted them to Gibraltar, arriving on the 18th. On the 19th, "ANSON" departed Gibraltar for Freetown, escorted by DD WRESTLER and corvettes JONQUIL and GERANIUM as local escort.

Ocean boarding vessel MARON arrived at Gibraltar from Western Patrol.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 MAY TO DAWN 17 MAY 1941
_Weather_Fine.
_0725-0750 hrs_ Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_0952-1056 hrs_ Air raid alert for two JU 88 bombers which cross the Island singly, apparently on reconnaissance. Five Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_1124-1155 hrs_ Air raid alert for 15 ME 109 fighters which circle to the east of the Island, then cross the coast near Kalafrana before splitting into several formations. Ten 250kg high explosive bombs are dropped on Hal Far from 15000 feet, damaging three Swordfish and killing two contractors’ labourers. Seven Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement. 17 anti-aircraft gun positions engage the raiders with two heavy barrages; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 16 MAY 1941
_AIR HQArrivals_5 Blenheims 139 Squadron arrived from Gibraltar to replace 21 Squadron._69 Squadron_Maryland photo-reconnaissance Tripoli. Maryland patrols eastern Sicilian coast AM and PM. Maryland patrols eastern Tunisian coast AM and PM.

_LUQA_Two Beaufighters 252 Squadron left for an operation from Crete attacking enemy aircraft on Hassani, Argos and Moladi.


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## parsifal (May 17, 2016)

*17 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-206
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

2 ships sunk, total tonnage 3,283 GRT. Missing since 29 November 1941 in the Bay Of Biscay. Precise date and details of loss are not known, but possibly sunk on or about 30 November sw of St. Nazaire, by an air-laid mine in the British minefield “Beech”. 46 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS DAUPHIN (K-157)





ML 219
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub Tender HMS ANTEOUS
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-107 sank *tkr MARISA (NL 8029 grt)* in the Central Atlantic SW of Freetown. She was empty and outward bound, with a crew of 49 of which two were to lose their lives. At 0036 hrs the unescorted MARISA was hit in the engine room by one torpedo fired by U-107, killing the fourth engineer and one crew member. The U-boat had followed the tkr since 1249 hours the day before. The tkr stopped and was hit in the stern by a coup de grace at 0115 hrs, after the crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats. 15 minutes later the U-boat surfaced, opened fire with the deck gun and hit the ship with 20 rounds, but the next shell burst in the barrel and made the deck gun useless. The burning tkr settled by the stern, but the bow remained afloat. At 0217 hours, the 20mm AA gun was used to open holes in the empty tanks until the weapon was damaged too by a round that exploded in the barrel. A part of the barrel hit a man standing on the conning tower, but fell off without wounding him. Hessler wrote in the KTB: _What kind of weapons and munitions do we have, when we must be afraid of them. _On 20 May, one lifeboat was found by HMS COLUMBINE and a second by the British patrol yacht HMS SURPRISE. The third lifeboat with the master landed at the coast of French-Guinea on 23 May.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 17 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-201, U-556, U-557, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
BB RODNEY departed Scapa Flow escorted by DDs SOMALI, BEDOUIN, and ESKIMO for the Clyde, arriving on the 18th. DD BLANKNEY arrived at Scapa Flow after assisting sunken ship ARCHANGEL. DD LANCE arrived at Scapa Flow for work up.

*West Coast*
OB.323 departed Liverpool escort corvette SUNFLOWER. On the 18th, DD VETERAN, CAM ship SPRINGBANK, and corvette HEATHER joined the escort. DDs VENOMOUS, KEPPEL, LINCOLN, and SABRE, corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and PETUNIA, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and WELLARD on the 19th. DDs VENOMOUS and VETERAN and corvettes DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER were detached on the 22nd. Also on the 22nd, DDs MANSFIELD and WOLVERINE and corvettes BEGONIA, and LARKSPUR joined. On the 23rd, DDs KEPPEL and SABRE, corvettes HEATHER, PETUNIA, and SUNFLOWER, and trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and WELLARD were detached. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 25th when the convoy was dispersed.

*Western Approaches*
*Steamer STATESMAN (UK 7939 grt)* was sunk by the LW. The attack was carried out west of Ireland when on route from New Orleans for Belfast and Liverpool.. One crewman was lost on the steamer.





*Channel*
British steamer ARTHUR WRIGHT was damaged by German bombing five miles south of Shoreham near Brighton.

Norwegian steamer ALA was damaged by the LW in the same location. One crewman was killed on the steamer. The steamer was beached about one and a half cables west of entrance pier, Shoreham. The steamer was refloated on the 19th and eventually towed to Southampton for repairs.

*Med/Biscay*
Hospital ship ABA (7938grt), on passage to Haifa, was attacked fifty miles south of Crete south of Kaso Strait by the LW. The ships status was clearly marked. 

Force C cruisers DIDO and COVENTRY came to the hospital ship's assistance. CLA COVENTRY suffered some casualties to strafing. British Forces C and D were recalled to Alexandria. Force C with CLA NAIAD, CL PERTH and DDs GREYHOUND and HASTY arrived at Alexandria on the 18th. Force D with CLAs DIDO, and COVENTRY, and DDs KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, JUNO, and NUBIAN arrived at Alexandria on the 18th.

*Tkr ELEONORA MAERSK (UK 10,694 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Suda Bay. 23 crew were missing and seven were made prisoners of war. 17 crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer THEMONI (Gk 5719 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Suda Bay. She was partially loaded with ammunition when lost. There were no casualties as the crew was not on board. The wreck was scrapped after the war.





Submarine REGENT arrived at Gibraltar from Malta.

Submarine PANDORA arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Tyrrhennian Sea 

*Nth Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN intercepted *aux schooner IZARRA (Vichy 488 grt)* and sent her to St John's, Newfoundland, under armed guard. The schooner arrived on the 27th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy SL.75 departed Freetown escort AMC CATHAY to 12 June and corvettes CROCUS, CYCLAMEN, and MARGUERITE to 25 May. BB NELSON joined the convoy on 1 June to 5 June. Corvette ARABIS joined on 8 June to 12 June. On 9 June, DDs ROXBOROUGH, SALISBURY, and SKATE, and corvettes ANEMONE, CLARKIA, and VERONICA joined; all to 12 June. On 12 June ASW trawler VIZALMA joined to 13 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 13 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 MAY TO DAWN 18 MAY 1941

_Weather _Fine.

_0716-0740 hrs_Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber escorted by three ME 109 fighters which carries out reconnaissance across the Island. Malta fighters on standing patrol are in position above the approaching enemy raiders. Wireless trouble prevents interception.
OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 17 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ252 Squadron_Offensive operations._69 Squadron_2 Marylands reconnaissance eastern Tunisian and Sicilian coast. Maryland reconnaissance between Malta and Corfu reports convoy. Dawn operation by Beaufighters 252 Squadron against aerodromes in Greece.


----------



## Njaco (May 18, 2016)

*May 19 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-96 sank British ship “_Empire Ridge_” 50 miles northwest of Ireland at 0324 hours; 31 were killed, 2 survived and rescued by destroyer HMS “_Vanquisher_”.

U-69 on her long voyage that paved the way for long-range U-boat operations off the US East Coast, refuelled from German tanker “_Egerland_”. At this time several German tankers and supply ships were at sea partly in preparation for the breakout of “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_”.

HMS “_Norfolk_”, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral W.F. Wake-Walker, Rear-Admiral Commanding First Cruiser Squadron, was ordered to proceed from Hvalfjord, Iceland and relieve “_Suffolk_”. “_Suffolk_” was to return to Hvalfjord to refuel and then rejoin “_Norfolk_” on patrol.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet NKGB agent Richard Sorge in Japan again warns Josef Stalin that nine German armies with 150 divisions are preparing for war with the Soviet Union. Stalin rejects the credibility of the information.

*GERMANY: *Unternehmen Rheinübung: Battleship “_Bismarck_” departed Gotenhafen at 0200 hours and made rendezvous with heavy cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_”. After this, “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” sailed west escorted by the destroyers Z-23 (Commander Friedrich Böhme) and Z-16 “_Friedrich Eckoldt_” (Commander Alfred Schemmel). At 2230 hours, the destroyer Z-10 “_Hans Lody_” (Commander Werner Pfeiffer) with the Chief of the 6th Flotilla (Commander Alfred Schulze-Hinrichs) on board, joined the formation. The German task force approached the Great Belt at 2234 hours. All German maritime traffic had been suspended in the Danish Belts for the night.

"Guidelines for the behavior of the troops in Russia” - published today - demanded that German troops use "ruthless and energetic action against Bolshevik agitators, guerrillas, saboteurs (and) Jews" and approved the complete liquidation of any "active or passive resistance".

*MEDITERRANEAN: *This is the last day of the bombing raids on Crete. This air campaign succeeded and forced the Royal Air Force to move its planes to Alexandria. The remaining British fighters on Crete, four Hurricanes and three Gloster Gladiators leave the island for Egypt. This leaves the island with no air defense for the upcoming invasion. The land assault on the island itself is about to begin, the next day.

To support the German invasion, eleven Italian submarines (_'Nereide'_, _'Tricheco'_, _'Uarsciek'_, _'Fisalia'_, _'Topazio'_, _'Adua'_, _'Dessie'_, _'Malachite'_, _'Squalo'_, _'Smeraldo'_ and _'Sirena'_, take up their assigned positions off Crete and the British Sollum and Alexandria bases in Egypt.

Operation Splice: Force H departs Gibraltar with Hurricane fighters for Malta. 48 Hurricane Mk IIs of RAF No. 249 Sqdrn set sail on HMS “_Ark Royal_” and “_Furious_”.

Axis Convoy, delayed since 16 May, departs Palermo for Tripoli with seven vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Folgore_”, “_Euro_”, “_Fulmine_”, “_Strale_”, and “_Turbine’_ supported by two cruisers and three more destroyers.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Iraqis surrender the town of Fallujah after 57 RAF aircraft drop 10 tons of bombs and field guns bombard their positions. 300 Iraqi troops were taken prisoner. On the same day, German bombers attacked RAF Habbaniya in Iraq. RAF aircraft attack Luftwaffe and Vichy French aircraft at Damascus.

*NORTH AFRICA: * The largest Italian army still fighting in Ethiopia formally surrendered today. 4,777 Italian and colonial troops formally surrendered at Amba Alagi, Abyssinia at 1115 hours, parading out of the fortress with rifles on their shoulders. They march down the hill with their rifles passing British General Mayne, who takes their salute, and a guard of honour (1 officer and 25 men from each battalion of the 5th Indian Division). The pipe band of the 1st Transvaal Scottish plays. The Duke of Aosta surrenders with 7,000 more Italian troops. Of the 230,000 Italians that started this campaign in East Africa only 80,000 remain. Few Italian troops now remain to be "mopped up" in Ethiopia. Many of the prisoners returned to India or Australia or aboard the 'Queens' passenger liners that had taken the commonwealth soldiers to the North Africa and the Middle East. About 20,000 were in Australia. The rest went to other Commonwealth countries. From May 1943 the Italian prisoners were employed as farm laborers without supervision but under the supervision of nearby control centers staffed by the army. They were paid a minimum of one pound and the scheme was generally considered a success by the Government the prisoners and the farmers. The prisoners were not repatriated immediately after the war because of shortages of shipping, but all had returned home by January 1947. Duke of Aosta spends 1 more day in his mountain stronghold and formally surrenders next day. He will die from tuberculosis in a POW camp in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 3, 1942.

British Army Sergeant Nigel Leakey was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross after being killed in action single-handedly knocking out Italian tanks in Abyssinia.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The New York Times reports an address by Dr. Fritz Reinhardt, German State Secretary of Finance in which states that;


> "...with the German tax and other ordinary revenue estimated at the record sum of 40,000,000,000 marks for 1941 and the war debt considerably smaller than that of Britain, the finances of the Reich are in a healthier condition than ever and there can, therefore, be no question of using the printing press for the financing of the war."



*WESTERN FRONT: *Vichy France announced the repatriation of 100,000 French prisoners of war.


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## parsifal (May 19, 2016)

*18 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
HDMLs 1010, 1073
NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-107 sank *Steamer PIAKO (NZ 8286 grt)* SW of Freetown whilst on passage from Albany (West Australia) to Liverpool via Freetown . She was carrying a mixed cargo of primary produce and mail with a crew of 75 of whom 10 were to perish. At 2227 hrs on 18 May 1941 the unescorted PIAKO was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-107 about 130 miles SW of Freetown, stopped, sent distress signals and was abandoned by the crew. A coup de grace was fired at 2243 hours, which hit in the after part, broke off the stern and caused the ship to sink. Ten crew members were lost. The master, 62 crew members and two gunners were picked up by HMS BRIDGEWATER and landed at Freetown.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 18 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, , U-556, U-557, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
BISMARCK's Departure.
At 1000 on the morning of 18 May 1941 in Gotenhafen, Admiral Lütjens inspected PRINZ EUGEN’s crew. Afterwards, a conference was held on board the BISMARCK, where the Admiral briefed the operative plan to the two ships' commanders, Captains Ernst Lindemann and Helmuth Brinkmann. It was decided that if the weather proved favourable, they would not stop in the Korsfjord. They would, instead, sail north to refuel from the WEISSEBURG before cruising into the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland with the intention of making the breakout undetected.




_Operation Rheinubung 18-27 May 1941_

*North Sea*
British steamer ESKBURN was damaged by the LW off Blyth (Newcastle on Tyne). The steamer arrived in the Tyne in tow on the 19th. 

*Northern Waters*
CL EDINBURGH departed Scapa Flow to patrol in the Bay of Biscay.

*West Coast*
OB.324 departed Liverpool, escort DD WANDERER and covettes AURICULA, DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM, and PERIWINKLE. The escorted was joined on the 19th by DDs CAMPBELTOWN and WESTCOTT, sloops FLEETWOOD and ROCHESTER, and sloop PRIMROSE. On the 24th, DDs CAMPBELTOWN, WANDERER, and WESTCOTT, sloops FLEETWOOD and ROCHESTER, and corvettes AURICULA, DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE were detached. DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, and VETERAN, and corvette CONVOLVULUS joined. The escort was detached on the 27th when the convoy was dispersed.

*Naval drifter JEWEL (RN 84 grt) *was sunk on a mine one mile 215° from Pile Light, Belfast Lough. Cresswell and 13 ratings were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BEGERIN (UK 483 grt)* was sunk by the LW 17 miles 295° from South Bishops. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Channel*
Free French fishing vessel LA BRISE was damaged by the LW ten miles west, NW of Seven Stones Light Vessel (WNW of Lands End). The vessel arrived at Newlyn on the 19th.

*Med/Biscay*
BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CL AJAX, and DDs NAPIER, KIMBERLEY, JANUS, ISIS, HEREWARD, DECOY, HERO, and GRIFFIN departed Alexandria at 2000 as Force A 1 to relieve Force A off Crete.

Near misses caused by LW air strikes on Suda Bay again damaged CA YORK and corvette SALVIA. The cruiser was further damaged on 18, 19, 20, and 22 May.

*Naval tanker OLNA (RN 12,667 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in Suda Bay and run aground. She was a total loss, the wreck being broken up after the war.





Submarine TETRARCH sank *steamer GIOVINEZZA (FI 2362 grt)*, which departed Tripoli for Benghazi escorted by TBs POLLUCE, off Benghazi.





*Nth Atlantic*
After being relieved by German tanker EGERLAND, German tanker NORDMARK returned to Germany. The tanker was met on the 18th by DDs ERICH STEINBRINCK, BRUNO HEINEMANN, and FRIEDRICH IHN in the Bay of Biscay. The DDs were relieved on the 19th by DKM MSWs M3, M.4, and M.20. The tanker proceeded up the coast and arrived at Hamburg on the 20th.

*Sth Atlantic*
BB NELSON and CVL EAGLE departed St Helena to proceed to Freetown. DDs DUNCAN and HIGHLANDER joined on the 21st and were detached for refuelling on the 23rd. On the 24th, DDs BOREAS and VELOX joined the BB and CVL and later that day DDs DUNCAN and HIGHLANDER rejoined after refuelling. All ships arrived at Freetown on the 25th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 MAY TO DAWN 19 MAY 1941

_Weather _Cloudy; very poor visibility.

_0713-0736 hrs_Air raid alert for one JU 88 bomber with a small escort of ME 109 fighters which carries out reconnaissance across the Island at 26000 feet. Malta Hurricanes are scrambled; no interceptions. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_0825-0845 hrs and 1654-1708 hrs_ Air raid alerts; raids do not materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 18 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ 139 Squadron _5 Blenheims patrolled 90 miles south east of Malta for possible ships detected by RDF; nothing seen._69 Squadron_2 Marylands patrol eastern Tunisian coast. Maryland patrol eastern Sicilian coast AM reports hospital ship 70miles from Malta.


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## Njaco (May 19, 2016)

*May 20 Tuesday*
*ASIA:* A Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" fighter is shot down by the Chinese over the city of Chengdu, north of Chungking. From the wreckage, and from interrogating Japanese prisoners, the Chinese managed to assemble a very accurate data sheet and three-view drawings of the new Japanese fighter. The drawings were given to the U.S. naval attaché, Marine Corps Major James McHugh, who passed them on to the Navy Department in Washington. (_for a review of the data sheet_ - A6M: sussing out the "Chengdu Zero")

PO1c Ei-ichi Kimura (Otsu 5) of the 12th Kokutai was shot down and killed by AA fire over Central China during the day.

The Japanese Army of the North China Theater launched the Jidong (the eastern part of Hebei Province) Operation.

The Central Committee of the CCP Central China Bureau was established.

Japanese ambassador to Washington Kichisaburō Nomura sent confirmation to Tokyo that the Americans were reading some of their coded messages. Nomura replied that while its low-level coded messages may be compromised, its high-level diplomatic messages are secure.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarines U-94, U-98, U-109, and U-556 attacked Allied convoy HX-126 250 miles southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland, sinking 7 ships. At 0458 hours, the “_Norman Monarch_” in station #91 of convoy HX-126 was torpedoed and sunk by U-94. The “_Harpagus_” in station #93 was the designated rescue ship for the column and dropped back to rescue survivors. After picking up the whole complement of 48 men, she set course to regain the convoy. At 2320, the “_Harpagus_”, having almost regained position, was struck by two torpedoes from U-109 in the starboard side and sank very quickly. 25 crewmembers, four gunners, three passengers and 26 survivors were lost. The master, 17 crewmembers and 22 survivors were picked up by destroyer HMS “_Burnham_” and landed at Reykjavik. At 1448 hours, 1450 hours and 1516 hours, U-556 fired torpedoes at Convoy HX-126 south of Cape Farewell and sank three ships, the “_Darlington Court_”, “_British Security_” and “_Cockaponset_”. The “_British Security_” caught fire after she was hit and burned for three days until she sank. The master, 48 crewmembers and four gunners were lost. The master and 40 crewmembers from the “_Cockaponset_” were picked up by the Dutch rescue ship “_Hontestroom_” and landed at Reykjavik. The master Charles Hurst, ten crewmembers and one gunner from the “_Darlington Court_” were picked up by the rescue ship “_Hontestroom_” and landed at Reykjavik. 22 crewmembers, three gunners and three passengers were lost. At 1817, the “_John P. Pedersen_”, dispersed from Convoy HX-126 was torpedoed by U-94 about 160 miles south of Greenland. One British gunner was lost and 37 survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats. The U-boat sank the tanker with two coup de grâce fired at 1850 and 1920. 16 survivors in one boat were picked up by the Dutch rescue ship “_Hontestroom_” on 23 May and taken to Reykjavik. Four of them joined the Norwegian Navy there, while eight continued to Gourock on board the Dutch vessel. Another three were sent to Preston, while one was briefly admitted to a hospital at Reykjavik. The other lifeboat with 21 survivors, including the master (13 Norwegians, two Dutch, two Swedish and four British) was never found.

German submarine U-138 sank British ship “_Javanese Prince_” 155 miles northwest of Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Italian submarine “_Otaria_” sank British ship “_Starcross_” 430 miles west of Ireland; the entire crew survived.

The USN's Task Force 2 consisting of the aircraft carrier USS “_Wasp_” (CV-7); the heavy cruiser USS “_Quincy_” (CA-39); and the destroyers USS “_Kearny_” (DD-432) and USS “_Livermore_” (DD-429) departs Bermuda for a 4,000+ mile neutrality patrol that concludes in Bermuda on 3 June. The Wasp Air Group consists of Marine Bombing Squadron Two (VMB-2), Fighting Squadron Seventy One (VF-71) and Scouting Squadron Seventy Two (VS-72).

*GERMANY:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: The German force and their escorting aircraft and ships continued north and west through Scandinavian waters. Though Group North had attempted to keep the route clear of shipping in order to preserve secrecy, to Lütjens's dismay, there was a hole in Group North's net. A squadron of Swedish aircraft flying a routine reconnaissance mission about 20 nautical miles west of Vinga spotted the German ships and reported their sighting to the naval headquarters in Stockholm. The weather was clear, and at 1300 hours, the German ships were sighted by the Swedish cruiser “_Gotland_” (Captain Agren) which reported the sighting to Stockholm. Lütjens assumed this ship would report his position, and at 1737 hours radioed this incident to Group North, the German Naval command station based in Wilhelmshaven then under the command of Generaladmiral Rolf Carls. The Swedish then leaked it to the British Naval Attaché, Captain Henry W. Denham. Later in the day, from the British embassy in Stockholm, Denham transmitted the following message to the Admiralty in London:"Kattegat, today 20 May. At 1500, two large warships, escorted by three destroyers, five ships and ten or twelve planes, passed Marstrand to the northeast. 2058/20." Meanwhile, at 1615 hours in the afternoon, the 5th Minesweeping Flotilla (Fregattenkapitän Rudolf Lell) joined the German battle group temporarily to help. Admiral Lütjens gave the order not to pass through the cleared opening in the Skagerrak mine barrier out of fear that British submarines might be lurking just beyond. Instead, he ordered Fregattenkapitän Lell to open a new passage through the field. It was a time-consuming operation. The German ships, now making 27 knots and heading due west, finally passed the Kristiansand minefield. The three destroyers, Z-10, Z-16, and Z-23, were ahead, followed by “_Bismarck_” and _“Prinz Eugen_” respectively. They were then sighted from the coast by Viggo Axelssen, of the Norwegian resistance, who duly reported the sighting to the British in London via Gunvald Tomstad's secret, unregistered personal transmitter at Flekkefjord. The British now had independent confirmation of Denham’s earlier report. During the night the Germans headed north following the Norwegian coast.

Polish Lieutenant J. Just, a prisoner of war of Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle in Germany, escaped from the hospital at Villingen, Germany but was captured near Basel on the Swiss-German border.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* THE INVASION OF CRETE:
Unternehmen Merkur: Hitler invades the island of Crete (Unternehmen Merkur). The German plan of assault was actually a compromise of two plans. Generaloberst Alexander Lohr of Luftflotte 4 favored landings around Canea and Maleme in the western part of the island with the forces striking east. Generalleutnant Kurt Student, the founding father of the German airbourne forces, proposes landing at three points – Canea-Maleme, Retimo in the west and Heraklion in the center. The compromise is a two phase attack, phase one consisting of a drop on Canea-Maleme in the morning and drops on Retimo and Heraklion in the afternoon. The forces used in the attack consist of General Student’s XI Fliegerkorps containing VII Fliegerdivision – three parachute regiments and an Airborne Assault Regiment of three parachute battalions and a gliderborne battalion totaling 8,100 men. Generalmajor Conrad’s transport corps has available 493 Ju 52 transports and seventy-two DFS 230 gliders of KGzbV 1, 101, 102, 105 106, the specially formed KGzbV 40 and 60 and Luftlandgeschwader 1 . A follow-up of two battalions of mountain troops and a mountain division under Generalleutnant Julius Ringel will come by sea escorted by the Italian Navy. There is massive air support from the Luftwaffe which has over 400 bombers and 200 fighters. Air support is to be provided by VIII Fliegerkorps with bombers from I and III./KG 2, and III./KG 3. X Fliegerkorps would also provide bombers from LG 1, II./KG 26 and III./KG 30 flying out of Foggia, Brindisi and Apulia. Close fighter cover is provided by II and III./JG 77 and I(J)./LG 2 totaling 119 Bf 109s along with Stukas from StG 2. Generalleutnant Student is in command and has 5th Mountain Division in reserve. Altogether the Germans employ 23,000 troops. The garrison consists mostly of troops recently evacuated from Greece. There are 32,000 British and Commonwealth troops and about 10,000 Greeks. General Freyberg is in command.

The invasion begins at dawn with air raids against Maleme and Canea by General Wolfram von Richthofen’s VIII Fliegerkorps with Bf 109s of JG 77 and Bf 110s of ZG 26. The drop of the first wave of German paratroops by forces of the 7th Paratroop Division from German 11th Air Corps went off almost without a hitch and contrary to expectations, losses of transport aircraft were few. Only 7 of the Ju 52s deployed failed to return to their bases in Greece. But during descent and landing, the paratroops were met by strong defensive fire. 500 glider troops of Group West landed at the airfield at Maleme along with 1,800 paratroopers. Many companies of troops were too widely dispersed. They suffered heavy losses and were virtually incapable of going on the offensive, thus they failed to capture the important Hill 107 near Maleme airfield which was being held by New Zealanders. Despite this the Germans were able to gain a toehold on the Canea-Maleme area. The paratroops were hard hit by the defenses. The survivors were reduced to two groups who take refuge in a chapel and an olive oil factory. German airborne infantry, who made glider landings in the rocky terrain, met surprisingly vigorous Allied fire and suffered far higher losses than they predicted. Instead of carrying out their assignment to secure the landing zone, they were immediately put on the defensive. General Meindl was one of the casualties of the first wave. When news reached Greece that Meindl was out of action, Hermann Bernhard Ramcke, who was then between assignments, decided to accompany the next wave of Fallschirmjäger jumping into the Maleme perimeter. He landed at Maleme and took charge of that sector. Meanwhile the second wave of German paratroop regiments were standing by at Greek airfields, waiting for the return of the transport aircraft that were due to drop them on Crete that same afternoon. But the first wave transports were delayed in arriving back at their takeoff bases and most had to be refueled out of portable fuel drums, which was a slow process. It was no longer possible to relay new orders because British agents had cut all the telephone cables between Luftwaffe XI Corps. The Germans therefore attacked Rethimnon and Heraklion at 1615 hours and 1730 hours. It took almost an hour for the 1,500 troops of Group Centre to land at Retimo because of the heavy traffic back at the Ju 52 airbases. The 2,000 men of Group East also suffered heavy casualties landing at Heraklion. The second wave was expected by the defenders and they were shot to pieces by tanks which appeared before they could free themselves from their parachutes. The attacks on the airfields failed. Regia Aeronautica aircraft bomb and strafe British, Australian and Greek troops defending the Rethimnon-Heraklion sector. As a result, the paratroops of the second wave were often dropped unprotected and, because of the large dust-clouds at the Greek airfields, with considerable delays. 1,856 German airborne troopers were killed during the second attack wave. General Freyberg, still misreading Ultra signals and expecting amphibious landings, holds back artillery and reserve troops. Overnight, amid confusion about who controls Maleme airfield, New Zealand defenders fall back to regroup for an attack in the morning (but reinforcements do not arrive).

The 7th (British) General Hospital, west of Canea, was bombed and machine-gunned from the air and then overrun by German paratroops of III Battalion, 3rd Parachute Regiment. They drove out patients able to walk, herded them and hospital staff into the nearby area of 6th (NZ) Field Ambulance, and later marched their captives towards Galatas. At Suda Bay, Crete, German bombers sank British minesweeper HMS “_Widnes_”. She is later salved by the Germans and commissioned into the Kriegsmarine as UJ.2109.

After sundown, British destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Nizam_”, and HMS “_Ilex_” bombarded the German-controlled airfield on the Greek island of Karpathos. Italian torpedo boats unsuccessfully attack RN Force C off Crete overnight.

At Luftflotte 4’s operational headquarters at Athens, it is learned that a Ju 52 flown by Captain Kleye is able to land at Maleme under small arms fire and it is this information that convinces General Student to reinforce Group West only.

Flt. Lt. Montague T St. John "Pat" Pattle of 80 Sqn., a South African and the RAF's greatest ace with 41 confirmed victories, is killed in action.

*MIDDLE EAST: *RAF aircraft attack Luftwaffe aircraft at Mosul as Air-to-air combat between RAF fighters and Luftwaffe fighters occurs over Fallujah. Luftwaffe aircraft attack RAF base at Habbaniya.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British General Wavell orders 7th Aust Division (Maj-Gen John Lavarack) to move from Mersa Matruh to Palestine in preparation for invasion of Syria.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Prime Minister Churchill noted that he was not prepared to make a statement on the arrival of Rudolf Heß in Britain.

Thomas Adlerson of British Air Raid Precautions was presented the George Cross award by King George VI.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The Gestapo arrest the Communist and Resistance leader Gabriel Peri in Paris.

A circular issued by the central office of emigration tells German consulates that Göring has banned all emigration of Jews from France and Belgium because of the "doubtless imminence of the final solution."

Italian submarine “_Perla_” arrives Bordeaux from Eritrea and German vessel “_Dresden_” arrives Bordeaux with prisoners captured from “_Zamzam_” by raider “_Atlantis_”.


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## Njaco (May 20, 2016)

*May 21 Wednesday
ASIA:* Seven I-153 fighters of 21st Pursuit Squadron of Chinese 4th Pursuit Group and one I-15 from the 29th Squadron flying in 2 formations on patrol, intercepted 27 unescorted G3M bombers of Japanese Mihoro Kokutai (based in Tainan, Taiwan) over Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China. The first group of I-15s led by Squadron Commander Chen Sheng-hsing shot down one of the Japanese Mitsubishi G3M long rang bombers and damaged another (70 bullet holes were found). This was the first Chinese claim with the Polikarpov I-153.

“_Kaga_” was made the flagship of Carrier Division 1 of the Japanese Navy First Air Fleet at Sasebo, Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-69 sank unarmed American freighter “_Robin Moor_” by torpedo and gunfire 800 miles off the coast of British West Africa at 0525 hours. “_Robin Moor_” was the first American merchantman to be sunk by a German submarine in WW2. All 46 aboard survived. The ship was enroute to South Africa and Mozambique and U.S. flags were prominently painted on her sides. US President Roosevelt protested the sinking and unsuccessfully demanded compensation from Germany. He describes this as "an act of intimidation" to which "we do not propose to yield". At midnight at the very end of the day, U-69 struck again, sinking British ship “_Tewkesbury_”; all 42 aboard survived. U-69 continued on her secret mission to mine Takoradi and Lagos, but with her position compromised, she radioed back in plain text (she'd passed over her ENIGMA machine and code books earlier because of the risk of capture) to Doenitz that she had sunk “_Robin Moor_” too. Both “_Tewkesbury’s_” lifeboats were independently picked up. Captain Pryse's boat was spotted by USS “Exhibitor” after five and a half days. Chief Officer Howlett's boat was spotted by USS “Antinous” after thirteen and a half days. Howlett eventually received an MBE for his leadership, whilst Bosun Ramirez received a King's Commendation for Brave Conduct for grappling a shark that mounted the sternsheets of his lifeboat, thereby saving the occupants. One of “_Robin Moor's_” boats was picked up by a British merchantman on 3 June and the other on 8 June by a Brazilian merchantman.

German submarine U-93 sank Dutch tanker “_Elusa_” off Greenland; 5 were killed, 49 survived. German submarine U-98 sank British ship “_Marconi_”; 22 were killed, 56 survived and rescued by US Coast Guard patrol boat “_General Greene_”.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *At a meeting of the Central Committee War Section in Moscow, Russia, the intelligence reports, provided by Communist sympathizers in Germany, that an attack on the Soviet Union was imminent was greeted with much apprehension. Stalin however still refused to accept the intelligence, believing that the reports must be either deliberate provocation of misinformation by the British to get the Soviet Union involved in the war. When General Proskurov, the head of Soviet Intelligence, argued personally with Stalin, he was duly arrested and shot.

*GERMANY:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: German battleship “_Bismarck_” and cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” stopped in Grimstadfjord, Norway to refuel. While at their anchorages, “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” were repainted, took on additional supplies, and “_Prinz Eugen_” topped up her fuel tanks, but “_Bismarck_” did not. It was now very important for the British to locate the two German ships and to keep track of their movements. The Royal Air Force began to undertake reconnaissance missions along the coast of Norway in an attempt to locate and positively identify the reported German warships. On the morning of 21 May, RAF photographic-reconnaissance Spitfires took off from northern Scotland to scout the lower portion of the Norwegian coastline, especially its fjord systems which could easily hide the ships. At 1315 hours, RAF Flying Officer Michael Suckling, flying a Spitfire fighter, spotted the warships in Grimstadfjord. After this discovery, RAF Bomber Command was immediately ordered to attack her anchorage. British Home Fleet commander Admiral John Tovey dispatched all available warships to prevent the Germans from breaking out to the North Atlantic. The German ships completed refueling at 1900 hours and the formation continued on its way, moving westwards. Later that evening, the weather worsened and the sky became completely overcast. At about 2300 hours they turned away from the rocky shoreline with the destroyers in the lead, followed by “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_”. After dark, British bombers attacked the empty Grimstadfjord. Two of the Home Fleet's capital ships, HMS “_Hood_” and HMS “_Prince of Wales_” (the latter new and still working up), sailed from Scapa Flow towards Iceland to support the cruisers on Northern Patrol.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: Overnight, the 22nd New Zealand Infantry Battalion withdrew from Hill 107, leaving Maleme airfield undefended. During the previous day, the Germans had cut communications between the two westernmost companies of the battalion and the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Andrew VC, who was on the eastern side of the airfield. The lack of communication was assumed to mean that the battalion had been overrun in the west. With the weakened state of the eastern elements of the battalion and believing the western elements to have been overrun, Andrew requested reinforcement by the 23rd Battalion. Brigadier James Hargest denied the request on the mistaken grounds that the 23rd Battalion was busy repulsing parachutists in its sector. After a failed counter-attack late in the day of the 20 May, with the eastern elements of his battalion, Andrew withdrew under cover of darkness to regroup, with the consent of Hargest. Captain Campbell, commanding the western-most company of the 22nd Battalion, out of contact with Andrew, did not learn of the withdrawal of the 22nd Battalion until early in the morning, at which point he also withdrew from the west of the airfield. This misunderstanding, representative of the failings of communication and coordination in the defense of Crete, cost the Allies the airfield and allowed the Germans to reinforce their invasion force unopposed with elements of the 5. Gebirgsjäger Division. Student decided to concentrate on Maleme, as this was the area where the most progress had been made and because an early morning reconnaissance flight over Maleme airfield was unopposed. He commits the last reserve of his 1,880 paratroops into Maleme. General Student sends in 2 more companies of paratroops who are slaughtered as they land among New Zealand Maori troops. Student then ignores German doctrine not to reinforce failure and sends 40 Ju52 transports to land 650 5. Gebirgsjäger Division troops on Maleme airfield. The men of German 5. Gebirgsjäger Division landed in time to support the paratroopers already in position against a British counter attack on the airfield. The wounded General Meindl was succeeded by Colonel Ramcke. Ramcke and 500 Fallschirmjäger reinforcements drop into Crete west of the Tavronitis and east of the airfield at Maleme. Upon landing, Ramcke was briefed on the current situation by Oberleutnant Göttsche, the Nachrichtenoffizier of Luftlande Sturmregiment Stab. Maleme airfield had been captured but allied artillery spotters were dug in on the slopes of Hill 107, which overlooked the airfield and were directing fire on to the airstrip. Many of the transport aircraft that delivered the troops were damaged or destroyed on the airfield before they could take off as the Allies continued to pour artillery fire into the area. One German assault group was about to launch an attack on Hill 107 and the first of the Ju 52's carrying the badly needed Mountain Troops had just landed, although under heavy artillery fire. Once grouped, the Gebirgsjäger were ordered to head south and outflank the enemy positions. Two battle groups of Fallschirmjäger were ordered eastwards to try and break through to Group Centre at Chania. Meanwhile New Zealand General Freyberg had held back his reserves despite the German presence at Maleme, believing that the main German invasion was still to come at the beaches but by the afternoon, Freyberg ordered a counter-attack to retake Maleme airfield. The 2/7th Battalion was to move 18 miles (29 km) north to relieve the 20th Battalion, which would participate in the attack. The 2/7th Battalion had no transport and vehicles for the battalion were delayed by German aircraft. By the time the battalion moved north to relieve 20th Battalion for the counter-attack, it was 23:30 hours and the 20th Battalion took three hours to reach the staging area, its first elements arriving around 02:45 hours. The counter-attack began at 03:30 but failed because of German daylight air support. Gunfire from HMS ‘_Juno_’ bombards the Scarpanto airfield. StG 2 responds with air attacks. Italian bombers from 41 Gruppo based on Rhodes finally sink HMS _'Juno'_. Out at sea, German aircraft damaged HMS “_Dido_”, HMS “_Orion_”, and HMS “_Ajax_”.

During the night, a German convoy attempting to reach the island is intercepted and turned back without loss by a force of cruisers and destroyers. In the early hours, 3 British cruisers and 4 destroyers intercepted and sank 11 small Axis vessels, killing 297 Germans. At the nearby island of Milos, 19 fishing boats and 2 small passenger ships disembarked 2,331 German infantry.

The Brothers von Blücher were a trio of German brothers and Fallschirmjäger of the Luftwaffe who fell in combat within hours of the same day during the fierce Battle of Crete. The first to fall was youngster Hans-Joachim Graf von Blücher, who was attempting to resupply his brother, Oberleutnant Wolfgang Graf von Blücher, with ammunition when the latter and his platoon were surrounded by members of the British Black Watch. The 17-year-old Hans-Joachim had commandeered a horse, which he attempted to gallop through British lines. The talented equestrian almost reached his brother's position, and in fact was shot before his brother's very eyes. 24-year-old platoon commander Wolfgang and his men of the Fallschirmjägerregiment 1, who had arrived with the first wave and were hopelessly surrounded, were at last out of ammunition. The rest of their platoon was overrun by British armoured vehicles and killed around midday. Wolfgang’s younger brother, the 19-year-old Leberecht Graf von Blücher, had also arrived with the second wave. He was reported killed in action on the same day but his body was never recovered. In 1974, Wolfgang and Hans-Joachim were reunited in a single grave at the German War Cemetery on a hill behind the airfield at Maleme, Crete. For years afterward, Cretan villagers reported seeing a ghostly rider galloping at night down a road near the spot where the young Fallschirmjäger Hans-Joachim Graf von Blücher was shot. Yet until they were told the story of the German von Blücher brothers, they had assumed that the ghostly rider was British.

German vessel “_Marburg_” sunk by a mine while en route from Patrai to Taranto with loss of 61 tanks and 654 men of 2.Panzerdivision. German vessel “Kybfels” was also sunk by a mine while en route from Patrai to Taranto with the loss of 61 tanks and 683 men of 2.Panzerdivision.

Operation Splice: Forty-eight Hurricane fighters take off from RN aircraft carriers “_Ark Royal_” and “_Furious_” of Force H, all landing safely at Malta. In the air fighting over Malta since January the Germans have lost 62 aircraft and the Italians 15. The British losses in the air have been 32 machines, as well as an equal number destroyed on the ground.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Wavell orders General Maitland Wilson to prepare plans for invasion of Syria. Wilson will have 7th Australian Division (less one brigade), 5th Indian Brigade and 5,000 Free French. Altogether the initial invasion force will be about 34,000 – 18,000 Australians, 9,000 British, 5,000 Free French and 2,000 Indians. The Vichy commander General Dentz has about 35,000 troops comprising 20 battalions of French-led Senegalese, Algerian and Moroccan troops, plus four battalions of 6th French Foreign Legion Regiment. These 3,000 mixed French, Spanish, Germans, Russians and Irish will prove the best troops on the Vichy side and will frequently be shifted to threatened sectors. Crucially, General Dentz has 90 first-line tanks, whereas the British have none, and only limited Australian light armour. The allies have 70 aircraft versus 100 French aircraft. The French Dewoitine S520 will prove the equal of Commonwealth Hurricanes and Tomahawks. Both sides will make use of naval bombardment on the coastal axis, however the allies have a stronger naval force. Vice-Admiral King RN has three cruisers, six destroyers and a landing ship versus several French destroyers. A French defector, Colonel Collet, informs the Free French that the Vichy French army in Syria would not oppose arrival of German air units and would fight the Allies. They had already assumed defensive positions along the border.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The 3rd Staffel of I./JG 27 shoots down five RAF Blenheims.

East African 22nd Infantry Brigade captures Colito in Galla-Sidamo.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt promises six additional small aircraft carriers to PM Churchill. The first three should be available in three or four months. These were six Bobue/Prince William Class ships that the US Navy identified as BAVG's, i.e., British Aircraft Escort Vessels. The ninth Lake-class US Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC “_Shoshone_” (CGC-50), is transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS “_Languard_”.

The USN begins work on a liquid-fuelled assisted takeoff unit for use on patrol planes which became known as jet assisted takeoff.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Norway Theatre Strike: A theatre strike began in Norway as a response to the revocation of working permits for six actors who refused to perform on Nazi-controlled radio. The six actors were called to meet at the police headquarters Victoria Terrasse for interrogation, and all six were revoked of their working permits as actors. From the next day onward, the theatres in Bergen and Trondheim also joined the strike. This was the first time during the occupation that a complete occupational group went on strike. The conflict quickly escalated, as the Nazi authorities did not accept such behavior.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Grunert recommends to Marshall that a conference be held at the Philippine Department Headquarters at Fort McKinley to develop plans for defense of the islands, this to be paid for from the $52 million in impounded “Sugar Excise Funds”. This was either ignored or not approved. Marshall informs Stimson that MacArthur would command when the Philippine forces were mobilized.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The Women's Land Army in the United Kingdom was declared to have over 11,000 members.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A Vichy French military court sentenced 56 enlisted soldiers who sided with de Gaulle to death or hard labor, in absentia.

Vichy France government confiscated all property owned by Free French troops.

The Germans request that foreign diplomatic agents in Paris evacuate by June 10.

RAF Fighter Command conducted Circus operations against Gosnay power station as RAF Bomber Command sent 45 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

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## Njaco (May 21, 2016)

*May 22 Thursday*
*ASIA:* At 1020 hours, the Chinese 4th PG ordered its aircraft to fly to dispersal strips. Liu Chi-Sheng, Squadron Commander of the Chinese 24th Pursuit Squadron, led seven I-16s towards Wu Wei with a Tupolev SB-III flown by Yang Chung-An, Squadron Commander of the Chinese 9th Bomb Squadron, providing navigational support. One of the I-16s could not retract its gears and diverted to Hsi Ku Cheng Airfield at Lanzhou. At 1102 hours the remaining I-16s found bad weather in the vicinity of Wu Wei and diverted to Chung Chuan Chun Airfield north of Lanzhou. Shortly after 1210 hours when everyone had landed, 25 Japanese G3M bombers from the unit of Mihoro Kōkūtai (based in Tainan, Taiwan) with A6M Zero fighters in escort attacked Lanzhou. As the Japanese bombers were sighted overhead, one of the I-16s flown by Kao You-hsing having just landed with the engine still running, took off to attack the Japanese planes, anticipating that the Japanese would turn back to attack the Chinese planes on the ground. Sure enough, nine bombers returned flying at 5,000 meters and were attacked by Kao. The first pass was made from the left side, followed by a pass from the front. Kao fired from 400 meters and dived under the formation after the pass. Two G3Ms; the leader and no. 2 of the 3rd shotai, were seen to emit smoke. Kao made three more passes from the side disrupting the Japanese bomb runs. With the precious time bought by Kao’s attack, the Chinese ground crews were able to get the remaining I-16s started. All five remaining fighters got away with only one of them suffering damage from the fragments of 45 bombs that the G3Ms dropped on the airfield. One G3M, flown by Lieutenant Shin-Taro Hashimoto, went down between Hai Yuan and Ching Yuan. All onboard were killed. Most of the G3M bombers, however, bombed the city uncontested.

As a result of air attacks, 17 aircraft (I-153s) of the 5th PG were sent to Nanzheng (Henan Province) during the day in order to defend it from the Japanese attacks. While refuelling at Tianshu (Gansu Province) they were all destroyed on the ground. The newly appointed commander of the group, Lu Enlung was relieved of command. The Japanese didn’t suffer any losses in this attack.

The 12th Kokutai attacked Chengdu during the day. During the attack PO3c Shizuo Ishi-I claimed an SB bomber for his first victory (totally 29 – 3 in China).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* HMS “_Edinburgh_” intercepted German ship “_Lech_” in the Bay of Biscay.

German submarine U-111 sank British ship “_Barnby_” 400 miles southwest of Ireland at 1340 hours; 1 was killed, 44 survived.

German submarine U-103 sank British tanker “_Grenadier_” 50 miles off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at midnight; the entire crew of 49 survived.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Vyacheslav Molotov met with Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg in Moscow, Russia. Schulenburg, the German ambassador, reported that Molotov was extremely friendly.

Jews in Croatia were required to wear yellow badges.

*GERMANY:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: British aerial reconnaissance finally confirmed that the German battleship “_Bismarck_” and cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” had left Grimstadfjord, Norway. Around 0500 hours, Lütjens released the destroyers that had shielded the formation from British submarines. From now on, the “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” were alone, and the squadron continued northwards at 24 knots. Lütjens was still uncertain whether to go north or south of Iceland. At noon, Lütjens advised the “_Prinz Eugen_” that he intended to go direct for the Denmark Strait but not to oil from “_Weissenburg_” (German tanker) unless the weather lifted. At 1237 hours, “_Bismarck_” sounded her submarine and aircraft alarms - a periscope sighting had been reported. The task force turned to port and steered a zigzag course for half an hour, but nothing transpired and at 1307 hours it resumed its former course. Due to poor weather and thick fog the “_Bismarck_” shone her big searchlights astern to help the “_Prinz Eugen_” keep position. They were now in the northern latitudes, where the nights are almost as light as the days, so they could stay in a tight formation and maintain 24 knots even in poor visibility.

A German aerial reconnaissance to Scapa Flow, Scotland, seeing dummy warships in port, reported that the British fleet was still in port. The main body of the Home Fleet had already left Scapa Flow and were heading west. Admiral Tovey had ordered HMS “_Hood_” and HMS “_Prince of Wales_” to take station south of Iceland. There they would be in a position to cover the Denmark Strait passage or turn east to back up the forces covering the Faeroes-Iceland passage should “_Bismarck_” appear in that area. The “_Suffolk_” was ordered to join the “_Norfolk_”, in the Denmark Strait. The light cruisers “_Arethusa_”, “_Birmingham_” and “_Manchester_” were directed to resume their patrol of the Faeroes-Iceland passage after refueling at their bases in Iceland. Admiral Tovey then formed his second task force from the remainder of the Home Fleet that was still at Scapa Flow. This included the battleship “_King George V_”, aircraft carrier “_Victorious_”, light cruisers “_Aurora_”, “_Galatea_”, “_Hermione_”, “_Kenya_”, and “_Neptune_”, and six destroyers. This second force left port some time before midnight. The “_Repulse_”, about to embark on convoy duty, was recalled from the Firth of Clyde near Glasgow and ordered to join Admiral Tovey's force at sea north-west of Scotland. There the task force would lie in wait behind the light cruiser screen, ready to pounce on the “_Bismarck_” should she attempt the Iceland-Faeroes passage, or be prepared to turn westward and support the “_Hood”-“Prince of Wales_” task force should the Germans come through the Denmark Strait. At 2322 hours Lütjens ordered a course change to the west: a course toward the Denmark Strait.

Himmler formed a Norwegian SS organization, modeling it after the German counterpart.

Erich Raeder responded to Adolf Hitler's inquiry regarding a German occupation of the Azores islands as long range bomber bases (although Germany had no such bombers at that time) as difficult, as the German Navy was not strong enough to guard the islands should they be taken.

Kesselring moves the headquarters of his air fleet east to Posen.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: Australian and New Zealand troops counterattacked at Maleme at 0330 hours, but German 5. Gebirsgäger Division troops repulsed the attack. Australian and New Zealand troops were then pulled back from Maleme to Suda Bay to protect the main supply point while regrouping for another counterattack. The empty positions on Hill 107 were found early in the morning. With control of Maleme airfield, General Student sends more Junkers Ju 52 transports bringing in 2 battalions of fresh troops. The airfield is still under Allied artillery fire and many Junkers are destroyed with considerable casualties but, during the day, Germans establish control on the West end of the island. The Gebirgsjäger commander, General Ringel, lands and Ramcke hands over command of German forces in the west of the island. He then joins his battlegroups who had broken out to the east and taken part in the fierce fighting for the Platanias Ridge, which overlooked the northern coast toward Chania. Additional Ju 52 aircraft brought two more battalions of troops (2,000 paratroops) at Maleme. Allied commanders, many miles from Maleme, are mistakenly under the delusion that Germans are using Ju 52 transport planes to withdraw from the island. They withdraw the ANZAC troops to prepare a counterattack to regain the airfield.

The British Eastern Mediterranean Fleet, commanded by Admiral Andrew B. Cunningham, was given the task of destroying the seaborne follow-on element of the German force. The RN would operate without air support, which had been withdrawn to Egypt. To cover all avenues of approach, Cunningham divided his fleet into four separate forces. Two cruiser-destroyer forces were used to cover the west end of Crete and one was placed in the east. A battleship support force was kept to the southwest of Crete in the event that the Italian Fleet put to sea to support the invasion force. Cunningham directed that the British forces should retire south of Crete by day beyond the range of German aircraft. He also directed his forces to concentrate for better anti-aircraft barrage fire. Force A, made up of the battleships “_Warspite_” and “_Valiant_” with the destroyers “_Napier_”, “_Kimberley_”, “_Janus_”, “_Isis_”, “_Imperial_” and “_Griffin_”, was positioned 100 miles southwest of Crete. Vice-Admiral H.B. Rawlings commanded with his flag in “_Warspite_”. Force B, made up of the light cruisers “_Gloucester_” and “_Fiji_” with the destroyers “_Greyhound_” and “_Griffin_”, carried out sweeps between the mainland of Greece and Kythira Island. Captain H.A. Rowley commanded with his flag in “_Gloucester_”. Force C, made up of the light cruisers “_Naiad_” and “_Perth_” plus four destroyers covered the Kaso Strait at the east end of Crete. Rear Admiral E.L.S King commanded with his flag in “_Naiad_” Force D, made up of the light cruisers “_Dido_”, “_Orion_” and “_Ajax_” with the destroyers “_Hasty_”, “_Hero_” and “_Hereward_”, was positioned off the west end of Crete. Rear-Admiral I.G. Glennie commanded with his flag in “_Naiad_”. Dawn on the morning of 22 May found Forces B, C, and D off the northwest coast of Crete. Admiral King's Force C intercepted a German convoy in the mid-forenoon and destroyed approximately half of the force before threat of air attack forced King to break off the pursuit. In order to prevent the Royal Navy from attacking the German support fleet, the Luftwaffe sent bombers against the British fleet. A force of four cruisers and three destroyers from the British Mediterranean Fleet were spotted to the north of the island. They are attacked by Ju87s of St.G 2 and later by Do 17s of KG 2 and Ju88s from Hptm Cuno Hoffman's I./LG 1 from Eleusis, damaging HMS “_Naiad_” (6 killed), HMS “_Calcutta_” (14 killed), and HMS “_Kingston_” (1 killed) at 1000 hours. ZG 26's Bf 110s, based at Argos, in company with Bf109s from I.(J)/LG 2 and II. and III./JG 77 escort the bombers and dive-bombers of VIII Fliegerkorps. At 1200 hours, HMS “_Greyhound_” was sunk (76 killed) and HMS “_Warspite_” was damaged (43 killed). The cruiser HMS “_Gloucester_”, going to pick up Greyhound's survivors was rendered dead in the water by a heavy aircraft attack west of Crete and was sunk by bombs from St.G 2 and I. and II./LG 1 (722 killed). Three hours later cruiser HMS “_Fiji_” (257 killed) was caught by a single Bf 109 fighter-bomber which reduced her speed to 17 knots and a heavy list. Then she took three hits above the A boiler room and rendered dead in the water. With no ammunition left on board she finally rolled over and sank. There are 248 casualties, but HMS “_Kingston_” and HMS “Kandahar” returned after dark and rescue 523 officers and men, amongst them Stoker Walter Arnold who had survived the sinking of HMS “_Thetis_”. In the afternoon Bf 109E _Jabos_ from I(J)./LG 2 attack the battleship HMS ‘_Warspite_’. Led by Wolf-Dietrich Huy, the four Messerschmitts approach the ship head-on and destroy several guns on the battleship. Continued attacks by bombers, Stukas and Bf 110s from ZG 26 and Bf 109E-4 _Jabos_ of JG 77 – led by Major Kurt Ubben - finally seriously damage the battleship. The British battleship HMS ‘_Valiant_’ is also heavily damaged.

New Zealand Second Lieutenant Charles Upham commanded a forward platoon in an attack on Maleme, during which he led his unit in advancing 3,000 yards, destroying many enemy defensive positions along the way, including wiping out a machine gun post with a grenade by himself. While falling back, he helped a wounded man out of the battle zone under fire and helped an isolated company back to friendly lines. He would later win the Victoria Cross award.

*MIDDLE EAST:* General Wilson meets Maj-Gen Lavarack for the first time at Sarafand in mid-Palestine. Australian troops are ordered not to wear slouch hats within 10 miles of the frontier. General Wilson’s planning will be based on the assumption that the French in Syria will show little resistance. Therefore he proposes to advance in three separate brigade columns along isolated roads with no lateral communications.

Iraqi 6th Infantry Brigade counterattacked the British troops at Fallujah, Iraq with Italian-made light tanks, unsuccessfully. There is fighting all day but the British hold the town with reinforcements from RAF Habbaniya (capturing 6 light tanks).

Six sailors from HMAS “_Yarra_”, (sloop), disguised as Arab fishermen, carried out a daring reconnaissance of Maqil, Iraq. This was in preparation for Operation Scoop, which was the British invasion of Iraq to prevent the country siding with Germany.

*NORTH AFRICA: *East African 22nd Infantry Brigade captures Soddu in Galla-Sidamo in Ethiopia. Italian 21st and 24th Colonial Divisions ordered to withdraw west across the Omo River in Galla-Sidamo.

RAF bombers raid Benghazi in Libya.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The first batch of the Curtiss Hawk 81 fighters, known as Kittyhawk I to the British and P-40D to the Americans, was ordered by both the British Royal Air Force and the US Army.

US Navy transferred ships from the Pacific Fleet to the Atlantic Fleet.

President Roosevelt orders immediate preparations for American occupation of the Azores.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Norway Theatre Strike: Theatre directors were summoned to the Gestapo and instructed to order the actors to resume performing. The instructions were accompanied with threats of strongest reprisals.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb operations while RAF Bomber Command sent 16 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

The British government warned the Vichy government of consequences if it continues to collaborate with Germany.

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## Crimea_River (May 22, 2016)

I never get tired of the Bismarck story.....

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Njaco (May 22, 2016)

*May 23 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: Early in the morning German battleship “_Bismarck_” and cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” entered the Denmark Strait. By the late afternoon, “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” were approaching the pack ice off the coast of Greenland. From there, they turned on a southerly course. The German squadron proceeded cautiously down the dangerous channel during the rest of the afternoon. The narrow passage was the most dangerous part of the breakout, being at this time of year not more than 48 kilometer (30 miles) to 64 kilometer (40 miles) wide. In the early evening, the alarm bells on “_Bismarck_” sounded again. “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” had been spotted by British cruisers HMS “_Suffolk_” and HMS “_Norfolk_” in the Denmark Strait. “_Bismarck_” sighted “_Suffolk_” on her portside at 1922 hours, then cruiser “_Norfolk_” at 2030 hours. As soon as the lookouts on “_Suffolk_” spotted the German ships, “_Suffolk_” turned toward the coast of Iceland to hide inside the fog. “_Suffolk_” later came around and fell astern of the German task force to begin shadowing it. A few minutes before 2030 hours, the radar of the “_Bismarck_” detected a new contact closing from the port bow. It was the “_Norfolk_”, which had come up to assist the “_Suffolk_” after receiving her sighting report. The British cruiser was in the clear, and “_Bismarck_” immediately took her under fire with her main armament. Her main battery fired at “_Norfolk_” but did not score any hits. The “_Norfolk_” fell back and joined “_Suffolk_” shadowing the German squadron. The blast from “_Bismarck's_” guns when firing at “_Norfolk_” had put her forward radar out of action, and she was now blind ahead. A desire to have eyes in front of him and also perhaps a fear that the shadowing British ships might creep up on “_Prinz Eugen_” in bad visibility, caused Lütjens to signal to “_Prinz Eugen_” to take station ahead. Now “_Prinz Eugen_” was in the lead, “_Bismarck_” astern of her, “_Norfolk_” and “_Suffolk_” ten to fourteen miles astern of “_Bismarck_”, all going at nearly thirty knots. HMS “_Hood_” and HMS “_Prince of Wales_”, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Electra_”, HMS “_Anthony_”, HMS “_Echo_”, HMS “_Icarus_”, HMS “_Achates_” and HMS “_Antelope_”, continued to press on to intercept west of Iceland. Throughout the rest of the evening, both forces continued on their convergent courses. The Germans made several attempts during the night to shake off their pursuers, but to no avail. At about 2200 hours, “_Bismarck_” doubled back on her course hoping to catch the British cruisers by surprise, but they were nowhere in sight. The “_Suffolk_” had detected the maneuver on her radar, and both cruisers disappeared in the fog as the German ship approached. When the “_Bismarck_” returned to her original course, both British cruisers resumed their shadowing duties astern of the German task force. The Germans kept on a course, about parallel to the coast of Greenland.

German submarine U-38 sank Dutch ship “_Berhala_” 200 miles off Guinea, French West Africa at 2020 hours; 3 were killed, 59 survived.

*GERMANY: *Adolf Hitler issued Directive 30 to send forces to aid Iraq in its war against the British. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/30.html

Göring issues a directive for economic exploitation of the USSR. Göring ordered the plunder and destruction of Soviet industrial centers since the conquered Soviet population would be no more than low laborers for Germany. He says that famine and the deaths of millions of Russians are inevitable.

Finnish military delegation, headed by Lt. Gen. Erik Heinrichs, travels to Germany. In the next two days they're engaged in negotiations with generals Jodl and Halder about the Finnish military dispositions in the event of a Russo-German war. While the Finns are not empowered to make any binding promises, it is understood that Finland shall prepare to go to war against Soviet Union. Since the end of the Winter War in March 1940, Finland had looked for an opportunity to seek redress for issues, one way or another. During the Winter War Germany had been very cool towards Finland, respecting the pact it had with Stalin. But in late 1940 the attitude began to change. Hitler had decided to go to war with the Soviet Union, and the Finns were in that case valuable allies. Germany began to sell arms to Finland, and soon began dropping hints about a possible change in the Russo-German relations. In the spring of 1941 the Fenno-German co-operation had become quite concrete, and German troops were streaming into northern Finland.

RAF Bomber Command sends 51 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: On Crete, bitter fighting continued. The Allies are pushed back to Galatas as German forces build-up around Maleme. During the night Ramcke's forces break though to Oberst Heidrich at Galatos. German Sturm Regiment links up with 3rd Fallschirmjäger Regiment and begins pushing NZ forces toward Canea. During the day, German reinforcements arrived at Maleme airfield, but the attempts to land troops by sea were rebuffed. The first Luftwaffe fighters land at Maleme as RAF bombers and long-range Hurricanes attack German positions at the airfield. The Germans now controlled the west end of the island as German 1st Fallschirmjäger Regiment is holding a coastal perimeter east of Heraklion. Paratroops push along the North coast against the British and ANZACs while mountain troops tackle the hilly backbone of the island held by poorly-armed Greek troops and Cretan guerrillas. The New Zealand defence line is smashed by Stuka dive bombers and the way to Chania is open. German bombing of Suda Bay sank 5 British motor torpedo boats. 24 Ju87 dive-bombers of Oblt. Oscar Dinort’s StG 2 attacked the British 5th Destroyer Flotilla and sank the HMS ‘_Kelly_’ and HMS ‘_Kashmir_’. HMS “_Kelly_” commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten, great grandson of Queen Victoria and the only man other than the King to hold rank in all three military services simultaneously, was sunk 35 miles south of Crete at 0800 hours. There are 128 survivors, including Mountbatten who is thrown in to the Mediterranean. Mountbatten was still on the bridge of the ship when it finally flipped over; nevertheless, he managed to swim to shore and take control of the rescue operation. Destroyer HMS “_Kashmir_” sinks within two minutes of the air attack. There are 153 survivors who are rescued by HMS “_Kipling_” which is also attacked, but escapes by some nifty handling. It leaves her so short of fuel that net layer HMS “_Protector_” has to be sent out from Alexandria to supply her with fuel. “_Kipling_” lands 281 survivors from both destroyers.

Twelve Fiat CR-42 fighters of 155th Squadriglia depart Italy for Iraq.

HMS “_Hasty_” (Capt. Nigel Austen) in company with HMS “_Hotspur_” sink U-79 after a long and determined pursuit in which both warships almost exhausted their supply of depth charges. For this Capt. Austen will receive his first DSO and a personal visit from the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, who is delighted at this first U-boat kill in the eastern Mediterranean.

*MIDDLE EAST:* At Fallujah, Iraq, fighters of the German Fliegerführer Irak squadron strafed British positions.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Newfoundland Command and Newfoundland Escort Force (NEF) established. There were virtually no naval facilities in existence in St. Johns and initially, ships of the Royal Navy provided from operational support alongside. The RN auxiliary oiler “_Teakwood_” arrived on 29 May and the stores ship “_City of Dieppe_” arrived on 03 June. A second oiler, “_Clam_”, arrived on 9 June and on 14 June the submarine depot ship “_Forth_” arrived. She was replaced in September by the destroyer depot ship “_Greenwich_”, which, despite her smaller size and greater age, was more suited to the needs of the NEF. A Great Lakes passenger steamer, known as HMCS “_Avalon II_”, was added to serve as an floating barracks. Cmdre Leonard Warren Murray RCN arrived to assume command on 15 June. Corvettes HMCS “_Aggasiz_”, “_Alberni_”, “_Chambly_”, “_Cobalt_”, “_Collingwood_”, “_Orillia_” and “_Wetaskiwin_” departed Halifax for St John's to join Newfoundland Escort Force.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Norway Theatre Strike: At a meeting between directors and actors in Oslo, the German threats were communicated to the actors. The meeting decided to keep on striking, with 110 against 18 votes.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The "black propaganda" station GS1 makes its first broadcast to Germany, calling Churchill a "flat-footed bastard of a drunken old Jew."

The Admiralty invites the governments of Canada and Newfoundland to use St. John's, Newfoundland as an advanced base for joint escort services. This will enable continuous naval escort over the whole of the north Atlantic route.

In May 1941, the Germans started dropping a new type of mine, known as 'G' type, which had no parachute and which if it did not explode on impact, buried itself deeply in the ground (twenty to thirty feet or more). On 22 May 1941, Lt Frederick Ronald Bertram Fortt, RNVR, and Lt Denis James Patrick O'Hagan RCNVR were sent to Nuneaton to deal with one of the first 'G' mines dropped on land and unexpended. It was already known that it contained a new anti-handling mechanism activated by a photo-electric cell, which would explode when exposed to daylight and it was necessary to remove the unit of the mine containing this device before the mine would be safe to handle. Instruction showed that it was necessary to work in darkness and also that the mine would probably be magnetically alive and sensitive to any magnetic influence. The Nuneaton Bomb Disposal Squad (Lt R.A. McClune) volunteered to work on the preliminary heavy excavation, up to the point of locating the mine. The mine was found at twenty-two feet and Fortt and O'Hagan freed the end from the surrounding sub-soil; then widened the bottom of the shaft sufficiently for the necessary operations to be carried out upon the magnetic unit. The soil being in the form of petrified clay, work could only be carried out with picks and shovels regardless of any effect which the vibrations would have upon the mechanism of the mine -- then very largely and unknown quantity. To add to the difficulties, those parts which had to be removed in the early and most dangerous stages of the operation were very heavy, in practice too heavy for one man alone -- this was why two officers were sent. Working in the dark, they successfully removed the magnetic unit and primer and, after further excavation, the fuse. Dealing with an unknown mine, courage of a very high order is required. The operation was brought to a successful conclusion. Fortt has been in Land Incident Section for eight months and has dealt with thirty mines. O'Hagan for ten months and has dealt with twenty-three mines.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy Vice-Premier François Darlan made a radio broadcast to the French people denying that he was ever asked to hand over the French Navy or any colonial territory during his recent conversations with Hitler.


> "France freely is choosing the road she is taking," Darlan stated. "On her depends her present and her future. She will have the peace which she makes herself. She will have the place in the organization of Europe which she will have made for herself. It is necessary for her to choose between life and death. The Marshal and the Government have chosen life".



Gillian Gerson -- a citizen of Chile and pre-war resident of Paris, still holding valid French visa -- enters the unoccupied zone of Vichy as the first female SOE agent in France.

RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft on anti-shipping missions along coast of occupied Europe.

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## parsifal (May 23, 2016)

*19 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MGB 316, ML231, ML241, ML 266
[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*Losses*
U-96 sank the *MV EMPIRE RIDGE (UK 2922 grt)* in the Western Approaches. The ship was attached to convoy HG-61, and was on passage from Melilla Spain to Liverpool carrying iron ore. A crew of 33 were embarked, of which 31 were to perish in the attack. At 0324 hrs the EMPIRE RIDGE in convoy HG-61 was hit by one of two torpedoes fired by U-96, broke in two and sank about 90 miles west of Bloody Foreland. The master, 27 crew members and three gunners were lost. One crew member and one gunner were picked up by HMSVANQUISHER, transferred to HMS LEGION and landed at Greenock.





*Armed yacht SEA ANGLER (RN 23 grt)* was destroyed by fire.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer WINKFIELD (UK 5279 grt)* was sunk on a mine one mile SW of B4 Buoy, Thames Estuary, whilst on a voyage from Bombay to London..Ten crew were lost on the steamer.





*Paddle minesweeper CITY OF ROCHESTER (RN 194 grt)* was sunk on a parachute mine in Acorn Yard, Rochester. The MSW had been paid off and was awaiting scrapping. There were no casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 19 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-556, U-557, UA

21 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Operation Rheinubung 
At noon, the BISMARCK left the berth under the tunes of the fleet band, and then she anchored in Gotenhafen's roadstead to take on supplies and fuel. Operation Rheinubung had begun. At about 2100, the PRINZ EUGEN weighed anchor and BISMARCK followed suit at 0200 in the early morning of 19 May. Both ships sailed independently until they joined together off Rügen Island at noon on 19 May. It was then that Captain Lindemann informed BISMARCK's crew by loudspeaker that they were going into the Nth Atlantic to attack British shipping for a period of several months. After this, the BISMARCK and PRINZ EUGEN sailed west escorted by the DDs _Z-23_ and FRIEDRICH ECKOLDT (Z-16). At 2230, DD HANS LODY (Z-10) joined the formation. During the night of 19/20 May the German ships passed through the Great Belt, which remained closed to merchant ships, and then reached the Kattegat in the morning of 20 May.




_Bismarck in Gotenhaven shortly before her departure _

*North Sea*
British steamer DIXCOVE was damaged on a mine in the North Sea. The steamer arrived at Gravesend on the 20th in tow.

*Northern Patrol*
CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow with the Vice Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetlands for the Faroes and Iceland. The CL arrived and departed the Faroes on the 20th. ARETHUSA arrived at Reykjavik on the 21st.

DDs INGLEFIELD, INTREPID, and ESCAPADE departed Hvalfjord to provide ASW protection for convoy HX.125. INTREPID with engine defects returned to Hvalfjord at 2200. After repairs to her forecastle, destroyer INTREPID departed Hvalfjord on the 20th for Scapa Flow.

*Northern Waters*
DD WALPOLE departed Scapa Flow on completion of work up for London to carry out machinery repairs. Sloop STORK arrived at Scapa Flow to carry out work up.

Finnish tanker JOSEFINA THORDEN was damaged by the LW. The steamer arrived at Thorshavn (Faeroes) in tow on the 22nd. She left on 1 June for Kirkwall in tow. Repaired in the Tyne.

*Channel*
Between 19 May and 22 August, MTBs and MLs laid minefields PW 9 to PW 14 in the English Channel.

*Med/Biscay*
BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs HESPERUS, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER departed Gibraltar to feint westwards prior to commencing Operation SPLICE.

CVL FURIOUS, CA LONDON, and DDs FAULKNOR, FOXHOUND, FURY, and FORESTER departed later to rendezvous with Force H. On joining, CA LONDON and DDs HAVELOCK and HARVESTER were detached to sail westward to cover the movement of dummy BB ANSON and troopship ARUNDELCASTLE. DD BRILLIANT joined Force H. on the 20th. CA LONDON and DDs HARVESTER and HAVELOCK returned to Gibraltar on the 20th. CV ARK ROYAL flew planes off to Malta on the 21st.

After the flyoff, CVL FURIOUS and DDs BRILLAINT and HESPERUS were detached to return to Gibraltar for a quick docking for the carrier to repair damage and repack her stern glands from the bombing on the 5th at Belfast. DD FORESIGHT departed Malta and returned to Gibraltar during this operation. Force H.arrived back at Gibraltar on the 22nd.

Naval forces off Crete reorganise and units on station since 16 May were sent to Alexandria to refuel.

Force A-1 - BBs WARSPITE, VALIANT, CL AJAX, and DDs NAPIER, KIMBERLEY, JANUS, ISIS, HEREWARD, DECOY, HERO, and GRIFFIN.

Force A - BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and BARHAM retired to Alexandria, detaching DDs HOTSPUR and IMPERIAL to the WARSPITE force. Force A arrived at Alexandria on the 20th

Force B - CLs FIJI and GLOUCESTER to Alexandria to refuel, then join A-1. Force B departed Alexandria to return on the 20th.

Force C – CLA NAIAD, CL PERTH and DDs KANDAHAR, NUBIAN, KINGSTON, JUNO departed Alexandria from refuelling on the 19th.

Force D – CLA DIDO, CL ORION and DDs HASTY and GREYHOUND departed Alexandria on the 19th. They were joined by AJAX, HERO and HEREWARD at sea from A-1.

An Axis convoy departed Naples on the 16th with steamers PREUSSEN, SPARTA, CAPO ORSO, CASTELVERDE, and MOTIA, and tanker PANUCA escorted by RM DDs EURO, FOLGORE, FULMINE, STRALE, and TURBINE. Tkr SUPERGA joined at Palermo. Distant cover was given by CLs DUCA DEGLI ABRUZZI and GARIBALBI and DDs GRANATIERE, ALPINO, and BERSAGLIERE. On the 19th at 1130, while evading submarine attack, steamer PREUSSEN and tanker PANUCA collided.
Both ships were able to continue. On the 20th, submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked steamer CAPO ORSO and tanker SUPERGA. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 21st.

Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attack Italian steamer SILVIO SCARONI off Tagiura. The steamer had departed Tripoli on the 19th, escorted by torpedo boat PLEIADI, for Bengasi, where they safely arrived on the 15th

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.32 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC LACONIA, submarine TALISMAN, and corvettes COBALT and COLLINGWOOD. The corvettes were detached the next day. Corvettes HELIOTROPE, PETUNIA, and VERBENA joined the convoy on the 29th. The submarine was detached on the 30th and arrived back at Halifax on 9 June. The AMC was detached on the 31st. Corvettes HEPATICA, MAYFLOWER, and TRILLIUM joined on 1 June. On 1 June, DDs BEAGLE and BOADICEA and corvette WINDFLOWER joined. Sloop EGRET, minesweepers BRAMBLE and GOSSAMER, and anti-submarine trawlers LADY MADELEINE and ST LOMAN joined on 3 June. MSW GOSSAMER was detached on 6 June. The escort was detached when the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 MAY TO DAWN 20 MAY 1941

_Weather _Dull with slight rain and wind.

_1702-1711 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_0405-0429 hrs_Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft which approach singly from the north west, diving in to drop bombs on Valletta, demolishing a church and 15 houses, blocking three streets and damaging a water main. Two civilians are killed and two others missing, two more are severely injured. Bombs are also dropped on St Julian’s Bay. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage with three barrages; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 19 MAY 1941
_AIR HQ 69 Squadron_2 Marylands reconnaissance eastern Tunisian and Sicilian coast. Maryland reconnaissance Malta to Corfu to Zante. Operations hampered by poor visibility due to mist haze.


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## parsifal (May 23, 2016)

*20 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Banff Class Sloop HMS LAND GUARD (Y-56)






MLs 185 and 264
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-138 sank the *MV JAVANESE PRINCE (UK 8593 grt)* in the Western Approaches whilst she was outbound travelling empty to New York. A crew of 60 was embarked, of which two were to lose their lives in the attack. At 2124 hrs the JAVANESE PRINCE was hit in the engine room by one of three torpedoes fired by U-138 and sank slowly 155 miles NW of the Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. Two crew members were lost. The master, 45 crew members, eight gunners and four passengers were picked up by HM Ships FAULKNOR, LINCOLN and ASSURANCE. All survivors were transferred to the rescue ship TOWARD and landed at Gourock on 28 May.





U-556 sank the *Tkr BRITISH SECURITY (UK 8470 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic whilst part of HX-126. The ships was on passage from Curacao to Liverpool via Halifax carrying a full load of gasoline. A crew of 53 was on board, all of them were to perish in the attack. It was one of the most tragic losses in the merchant marine for some time. At 1448, 1450 and 1516 hrs, U-556 fired torpedoes at the convoy HX-126 sth of Cape Farewell and sank three ships, the DARLINGTON COURT, BRITISH SECURITY and COCKAPONSET. The BRITISH SECURITY caught fire after she was hit and burned for three days until she sank. The master, 48 crew members and four gunners were lost.





U-556 sank the *Steamer COCKAPONSET (UK 5595 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic whilst part of HX-126. The ships was on passage from Houston to Cardiff via Halifax carrying steel, carbon graphite, TNT and trucks. A crew of 41 was on board, all of them were to survive the attack. The master and 40 crew members from the COCKAPONSET were picked up by the Dutch rescue ship HONTESTROOM landed at Reykjavik on 27 May.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-556 sank the *Steamer DARLINGTON COURT (UK 4974 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic whilst part of HX-126. The ships was on passage from New York to Liverpool via Halifax carrying wheat and a/c. A crew of 40 was on board, 28 of them were to perish in the attack. The master, ten crew members and one gunner from the ship were picked up by the rescue ship HONTESTROOM and landed at Reykjavik on 27 May. 22 crew members, three gunners and three passengers were lost.





U.556 damaged British tanker SAN FELIX in the Nth Atlantic as part of her attacks on HX 126. The tkr arrived at St John's, NF, on the 26th. She was drydocked at Halifax and later sent to New York for permanent repairs.

U-94 sank the *tkr JOHN P PEDERSEN (Nor 6128 grt)* whilst travelling in HX 126. The ships was on passage from Curacao to the Clyde via Halifax carrying Admiralty fuel oil. A crew of 38 was on board, 22 of them were to perish in the attack. At 1817 hrs the JOHN P PEDERSEN, dispersed from convoy HX-126 the same day, was torpedoed by U-94 about 160 miles south of Greenland. One British gunner was lost and 37 survivors abandoned ship in two lifeboats. The tanker was sunk by the U-boat with two coups de grace fired at 1850 and 1920 hours. 16 survivors in one boat were picked up by the Dutch rescue ship HONTESTROOM on 23 May and taken to Reykjavik. Four of them joined the Norwegian Navy there, while eight continued to Gourock on board the Dutch vessel. Another three were sent to Preston, while one was briefly admitted to a hospital at Reykjavik. The other lifeboat with 21 survivors, including the master (13 Norwegians, two Dutch, two Swedish and four British) was never found.





U-94 sank *MV NORMAN MONARCH (UK 4718 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, as part of the attack on HX 126. The ship was on passage from Halifax to the Barrie Roads with a cargo of wheat. A crew of 48 was on board, all of them were to survive the attack. At 0453 hrs the NORMAN MONARCH in position #91 of the convoy was hit on the starboard side by one of two torpedoes fired by U-94 and sank about 200 miles SSE of Cape Farewell. The HARPAGUS in station #93 was the designed rescue ship for the column and dropped back to rescue survivors. After picking up the master, 41 crew members and six gunners the ship tried to rejoin the convoy, but was torpedoed and sunk herself by U-109. The master 19 crew members and six gunners from the NORMAN MONARCH did not survive the second sinking, the remaining 22 crew members were picked up by HMS BURNHAM and landed at Reykjavik.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
U-98 sank *steamer ROTHERMERE (UK 5624 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, as part of the attack on HX 126. The ship was on passage from Halifax to the London via Liverpool with a cargo of paper pulp and steel. A crew of 56 was on board, 22 of them were to perish in the attack. At 1729 hrs the ROTHERMERE, dispersed from the convoy the same day, was hit in the engine room by one torpedo fired byU-98 SE of Cape Farewell. The ship sank by the stern after being hit by a coup de grace at 1756 hours. The master, 18 crew members and three gunners were lost. 32 crew members, one gunner and one passenger were picked up by the Icelandic steam merchant BRUARFOSS and landed at Reykjavik.





U-109 sank *steamer HARPAGUS (UK 5163 grt)* a straggler from HX 126, in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was on passage from Baltimore to the UK west coast, via Halifax, with a cargo of grain. She had a complement of 98, of which 58 were to lose their lives in the attack. The HARPAGUSin station #93 was the designated rescue ship for the column and dropped back to rescue survivors from the stricken NORMAN MONARCH . After picking up the whole complement of 48 men, she set course to regain the convoy.

At 2320 hrs the HARPAGUS, having almost regained position, was struck by two torpedoes from U-109 in the starboard side and sank very quickly about 250 miles SSE of Cape Farewell. 25 crew members, four gunners, three passengers and 26 survivors were lost. The master, 17 crew members and 22 survivors were picked up by HMS BURNHAM (H-82) and landed at Reykjavik.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

RM submarine OTARIA badly damaged *steamer STARCROSS (UK 4662 grt)* from convoy SL.73 in the SW Approaches. The entire crew were rescued by RCN DD ST FRANCIS. The steamer was scuttled by the convoy escort.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 20 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-201, U-556, U-557, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Operation Rheinubung
On 20 May, while in the Kattegat, the battle group was sighted by numerous Danish and Swedish fishing boats. The weather was clear, and at 1300, the German ships were sighted by the Swedish cruiser GOTLAND which reported the sighting to Stockholm. This report was passed to the British embassy. Lütjens assumed this ship would report his position, and at 1737 radioed this incident to Group North, the German Naval command station based in Wilhelmshaven. The Swedish had reported the sighting and then it was leaked to the British Naval Attaché, Captain Henry W. Denham. Later in the day, from the British embassy in Stockholm, Denham transmitted the following message to the Admiralty in London:

"_Kattegat, today 20 May. At 1500, two large warships, escorted by three DDs, five ships and ten or twelve planes, passed Marstrand to the northeast. 2058/20._"

Meanwhile, at 1615 in the afternoon, MSW Flot 5 joined the German battle group temporarily to help them pass through the minefields that blocked the entrance to the Kattegat. At dusk on 20 May, the German ships were already getting out of the Skagerrak near Kristiansand. They were then sighted from the coast by Viggo Axelssen, of the Norwegian resistance, who duly reported the sighting to the British in London via Gunvald Tomstad's secret, unregistered personal transmitter at Flekkefjord. During the night of 20/21 May the Germans headed north.




_BISMARCK during her voyage to Norway 20 May 1941_

*Northern Waters*
CA EXETER departed Scapa Flow after refitting, and arrived in the Clyde on the 21st. DD BRIGHTON departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh after repairs.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked RM DD ALPINO in the central basin

*Steamer ZEFFIRO (FI 5165 grt)* was sunk and Italian steamer PERSEO damaged 5.8 miles 130° from Cape Bon on a newly laid Italian minefield.





Operation Mercury
On the morning of 20 May 1941, the Germans launched an airborne invasion of Crete, under the code-name Operation Mercury. Despite initial heavy casualties, Maleme airfield in western Crete fell to the Germans and enabled them to fly in heavy equipment and reinforcements and overwhelm the Allied forces. After a week of heavy fighting, British commanders decided that the situation was hopeless and ordered a withdrawal from Sfakia. During the next four nights, 16,000 troops were evacuated to Egypt by sea. A smaller number of ships were to withdraw troops on a separate mission from HeraKlion, but these ships were attacked en route by LW Divebombers. Without air cover, Cunningham's ships suffered serious losses. Cunningham was determined, though, that the "_navy must not let the army down_", and when army generals feared he would lose too many ships, Cunningham famously said, ”_It takes the Navy three years to build a destroyer. It takes 300 years to build a tradition. The evacuation will continue_”

The "never say die" attitude of Cunningham and the men under his command meant that of 22,000 men on Crete, 16,500 were rescued but at the loss of three cruisers and six destroyers. Fifteen other major warships were damaged.

Status at daylight on the 20th.

Force A-1 - BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT with DDs KIMBERLEY, ISIS, JANUS, GRIFFIN, and IMPERIAL were west of Crete.

Force B – CLs GLOUCESTER and FIJI were en route to join A-1.

Force C – CLA NAIAD, RAN CL PERTH and DDs KANDAHAR, NUBIAN, KINGSTON, JUNO were in Kaso Strait.

Force D – CLA DIDO, CLs ORION, AJAX with DDs HASTY, HEREWARD, HERO, and GREYHOUND were in Antikithera Strait.

Mediterranean Fleet night deployment for 20/21 May.

Force B - CLs GLOUCESTER and FIJI swept off Cape Matapan. They were to join A-1 at dawn on the 21st.

Force C – CLA NAIAD, CL PERTH with DDs NUBIAN, KINGSTON, JUNO, and KANDAHAR passed through the Kaso Strait to be off Heraklion by dawn on the 21st. In Kaso Strait, the force engaged five RM MAS boats. No damage was done to either side. CLA CALCUTTA departed Alexandria to join the Force at daylight on the 21st off Heraklion. Force C was attacked by RA torpedo carrying a/c near Kaso Strait at 2040. The attacks were unsuccessful. An hour later, six Italian MAS boats attacked Force C and were engaged by CLA NAIAD and DDs JUNO and KANDAHAR. The British force claimed sinking one MAS boat and damaging two, but no damage was done to either side.

Force D – CLA DIDO, CLs AJAX, ORION and DDs ISIS, KIMBERLEY, IMPERIAL, and JANUS. They swept through the Antikithera Strait and were to be off Canea by daylight on the 21st to join Force A 1. *Steamer PADRE ETERNO (FI 52 grt) *was sunk north of Canea by Gunfire.

Force E - DDs JERVIS, NIZAM, and ILEX departed Alexandria on the afternoon of the 20th. They bombarded Scarpanto airdrome at 0242 on the 21st, and were joined by CLA CARLISLE at dawn for protection and joined Force C at daylight. At 0115 on the 21st, RM submarine ONICE attacked RAN DD NIZAM of Force E, eight miles south of Kaso Strait without success.

*Steamer AGHIOS GEORGIOS (ex-Gk 194 grt)* was sunk by shell fire off Crete.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*DD CURTATONE (RM 953 grt)* was sunk by Greek mines in the Gulf of Athens.





*MSW WIDNES (RN 710 grt)* was badly damaged by German bombing at Suda Bay.
The minesweeper was run aground a total loss.




*Armed trawler KOS XXIII (RN 353 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in Suda Bay. 
The trawler was declared a total loss on the 23rd. Two officers were taken prisoner on Crete
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.128 departed Halifax, escort AMC CALIFORNIA, corvettes ALBERNI and RIMOUSKI, and escort ships SENNEN, TOTLAND, and WALNEY. The corvettes were detached later that day. BHX.128 departed Bermuda on the 18th escort AMC MONTCLARE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.128 on the 27th and the MONTCLARE was detached. BB REVENGE joined the convoy on the 28th. On the 30th, DD BURWELL joined the escort. Corvettes HEPATICA, HYDERANGEA, TULIP, and WINDFLOWER joined on the 31st. On 1 June, BB REVENGE and corvettes HEPATICA and WINDFLOWER were detached and minesweepers HEBE, SEAGULL, and SHARPSHOOTER joined. On the 2nd DDs MALCOLM and SCIMITAR and corvette MAYFLOWER joined and corvette TRILLIUM, which had joined, was detached. DD RIPLEY joined on 3 June. DDs BURWELL and MALCOLM and corvette SPIKENARD, which had joined, were detached. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 June.

US CV WASP, CA QUINCY, and DDs LIVERMORE and KEARNY departed Bermuda on neutrality patrol. They arrived back on 3 June.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine TRUANT departed Gibraltar to refit in the U. S. The sub arrived at Portsmouth, N. H. on 10 June for refitting completed on 16 September.

ML cruiser LATONA arrived at Gibraltar with stores and personnel for the Eastern Mediterranean. After embarking Oerlikon guns from CVL FURIOUS, the ML departed Gibraltar on the 21st for Freetown and beyond. The ML was ordered to return to Gibraltar on the 23rd, but the message was not received and the ship continued to Freetown.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES escorted British steamer RANGATIRA from Auckland to Fiji, and arrived back at Wellington on 2 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 MAY TO DAWN 21 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
 
_0805-0831 hrs _Air raid alert for a single JU 88 bomber escorted by three ME 109s which carries out reconnaissance off the east coast of the Island at 23000 feet. Anti-aircraft guns engage and Hurricanes are scrambled; no claims.
 
_0954-1010 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by the return of friendly aircraft.
_1035-1045 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.
_1155-1230 hrs _Air raid alert for a formation of 23 ME 109 and ME 110 fighters which approach from the north and dive down from 17000 to 10000 feet to bomb Luqa aerodrome, setting a Beaufighter alight which burns out. The control tower is damaged by a near-miss; the runways are undamaged. One civilian employee is killed. Heavy and light anti-aircraft guns put up an intense barrage; no claims. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not intercept.
_1728-1814 hrs _Air raid alert for 12 ME 109 fighters which approach from the north west over Gozo and drop bombs on Ta Qali aerodrome from 12000 feet, damaging one Hurricane on the ground. Anti-aircraft guns put up a barrage; no claims. Malta fighters are scrambled; one Hurricane is shot down in combat with an enemy fighter – the pilot bales out and escapes with only slight injuries. A second Hurricane is riddled with bullet holes but lands safely. 
 
OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 20 MAY 1941
_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Sunderland; 4 Wellington. _Departures _2 Sunderland; 1 Bombay. _69 Squadron _2 Marylands searched area north and east of Messina for convoy reported to be leaving Patras. Maryland patrol Corfu to Zante and return.
_HAL FAR _One Hurricane crashed on landing; pilot F/Lt Hancock was unhurt.


----------



## parsifal (May 23, 2016)

*21 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-129




29 ships sunk, total tonnage 143,748 GRT. Decommissioned in August 1944 at Lorient and scuttled sw of U-boat pen _Keroman I_ on 18 August 1944. Wreck captured by US forces in May 1945 and handed over to France. Raised and broken up in 1946.

Type VIIC U-402




14 ships sunk, total tonnage 70,434 GRT, Sunk on 13 October 1943 in the Nth Atlantic north of the Azores, by a “Fido” homing torpedo from two Avenger a/c of the USN CVE CARD 50 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
MGB 67, ML227, MTB 45
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Losses*
U-69 sank *MV ROBIN MOOR (US 4999 grt)* in the Central Atlantic midway between the west African and Brazilian coasts. The ship was on passage from to New York to Mozambique, with a general cargo, including tin plate, steel rails, refrigerators, automobiles, trucks and tractors and a crew of 46 all of whom survived the attack. At 0525 hours the unescorted, unarmed and neutral ROBIN MOORwas ordered to stop with a Morse lamp by U-69 about 750 miles west of Freetown. After questioning the chief mate that came aboard the U-boat, Metzler told him that he was to sink the ship in accordance with the prize rules and ordered the crew to leave their ship in 30 minutes. The nine officers, 29 crewmen and eight passengers (four men, three women and one child) abandoned ship in four lifeboats and the boat with the master then came alongside U-69. However, the cargo manifest shown to Metzler only confirmed his view that the ship was carrying contraband. The Germans gave four tins of bread, two tins of butter, some cognac and bandages to the lifeboats and then submerged. At 1005 hrs, the U-boat fired one G7e torpedo from the stern torpedo tube that hit ROBIN MOOR on the port side amidships, but surfaced again 40 minutes later because the ship only settled slowly and began shelling her with the deck gun, firing 39 rounds and causing the ship to sink by the stern after 17 minutes. The wooden crates carried as deck cargo floated free and were sunk with gunfire from the anti-aircraft guns.
The lifeboats initially remained together, but one of them became separated after three days. The occupants of three boats were picked up after sailing about 600 miles in 13 days by the CITY OF WELLINGTON and landed at Capetown on 18 June. The ten crew members and one passenger in the boat in charge of the third officer were rescued by OZORIO on 9 June in position 00°46N/37°37W and two days later landed at Recife, Brazil.





U-69 sank *MV TEWKESBURY (UK 4601 grt)* in the Central Atlantic midway between the West African and Brazilian coasts. The ship was on passage from Montevideo to Oban, with a general cargo, including wheat and tinned meat. and a crew of 42 all of whom survived the attack. At 2342 hrs the unescorted TEWKESBURY was hit on the starboard side underneath the bridge by one G7a torpedo from U-69 about 540 miles south of the Cape Verde Islands. The explosion threw up a terrific column of water that washed over the ship, sweeping away the starboard jolly boat and pouring water into the engine room through the skylight and ventilators. The men on watch below immediately secured the engines and the crew of 38 men and four gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in and four machine guns) began to abandon ship in two lifeboats when she developed a 10° list to starboard. The master tried to collect the confidential books from the bridge, but found them buried under the collapsed cement protection. He then brought a sextant and chronometer to the starboard lifeboat before abandoning ship in the port boat after helping the chief officer to launch it. Shortly after the boats had rowed away, the U-boat fired a star shell to illuminate the target at 2358 hrs and then commenced shelling the ship from the port bow with 21 incendiary shells, but all failed to ignite upon impact. At 0036 hrs on 22 May, the TEWKESBURY was struck on the port side in the stokehold by a coup de grace and sank by the bow about 7 mins later. The Germans then left the area without questioning the survivors as the ship had already been identified by her distress signal.

The radio officer had managed to send the distress signal several times, so the lifeboat waited 24 hrs in the vicinity for assistance but then decided to sail for Fernando de Noronha, about 760 miles to the sw. In the meantime the master had transferred to the starboard boat and left the chief officer in charge of the port boat, but the boats soon lost contact in the morning of 23 May. On 26 May, the master and 20 survivors were picked up by the US MV EXHIBITION. The ship then unsuccessfully searched the area for the other lifeboat in a radius of 30 miles until noon the next day. As she was bound for Bombay, the survivors were transferred to HMS CILICIA after a week and eventually landed at Freetown after 12 days. On 2 June, the chief officer and 20 survivors were picked up with their lifeboat by the ANTINOUS and taken to Capetown. All survivors were found in good health.

The master Theodore Pryse was awarded the OBE for his actions, but when this was published in the London Gazette he had already been lost while in command of NEWBURY which was sunk by U-94 on 15 Sep 1941.





U-93 sank *tkr ELUSA (NL 6235 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic whilst on passage from Curacao to the Clyde via Halifax as part of HX 126. She was transporting gasoline with a crew of 54, 5 of whom were lost in the attack. The ELUSA was in HX-126 which had already lost seven ships the day before. Her crew witnessed the explosion of the BRITISH SECURITY, which was also carrying gasoline and was sunk with all hands by U-556. U-93 had tried for hours to come into a position from which an attack was possible, and when at last a torpedo was launched it missed the target, a tanker. In a second attack at 0522 hrs two single torpedoes were launched on a freighter and on a tanker, but missed the targets again. However, the torpedo aimed at the freighter hit the ELUSA at 0529 hrs. Immediately after the tkr was hit, the cargo caught fire, mainly in the rear section of the vessel where the crew quarters were located. According to regulations they had stopped the main engines. Some crewmembers at the rear of the ship did not wait for orders to abandon ship. They immediately lowered the lifeboats and left the vessel, which saved their lives. Amidships some Chinese crewmembers also lowered a lifeboat without orders, and rowed away before the other crewmembers could enter it. Remembering the fate of the BREITISH SECURITY, doubtless they wished to waste no time distancing themselves from their explosive cargo. The other crew members succeeded in lowering another lifeboat, in which all the remaining crew members found a place. The master coolly remained on board the ELUSA, throwing the classified documents overboard and succeeding in leveling the vessel, which was listing to starboard. Thirty minutes after the hit a British DD arrived, rescued the crew members in the three lifeboats and took the master aboard. The DD stayed near the burning ship during the night. Soon it became clear that the first engineer was missing (caught by surprise by the fire). Moreover two Chinese, the third cook and a donkeyman drowned when they tried to get into the lifeboats. In the next morning the master, the first mate and the second engineer re-boarded the ELUSA and they saw how devastating the fire had been, but they also discovered that the boilers of the vessel were still in good shape. But fact was that the vessel was not able to sail under its own power and the distance to the nearest tug was too big, so they left the ELUSA who was still afloat (She sank later in 58.30N/38.10W). The 49 survivors were disembarked at Reykjavik on 25 May.





U-98 sank *MV MARCONI (UK 7403 grt)* of OB 322 in an empty condition whilst she was on passage from Liverpool to the River Plate. 22 of the 78 man crew were lost. At 0512 hrs the unescorted MARCONI, dispersed from convoy OB-322, was hit by one torpedo from U-98 and sank after 33 minutes SSE of Cape Farewell. The ship had already been missed by the same U-boat at 1836 hrs on 20 May. The master and ten crew members were lost. The survivors abandoned ship in the lifeboats but eight of them died before they were picked up by USCGC GENERAL GREENE and landed at St. John’s, where three others died in a hospital. 52 crew members and four gunners survived.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 21 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U U-556, U-557, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.29 to the southward. During the afternoon, the ship transferred to convoy EC.22. The ship remained with convoy EC.22 until night in the Pentland Firth. On the 22nd, she met convoy WN.30 in Pentland Firth and provided cover for the convoy to Methil where they arrived at 0830/23rd.

Operation Rheinubung
Early on 21 May, the Admiralty received the sighting report from Denham, and a/c were instructed to be on the alert for the German force. At about 0900, the German squadron entered the Korsfjord sth of Bergen with clear weather. Admiral Lütjens had wanted to continue to the north without stopping in Norway, but because of the clear weather he decided to enter the Korsfjord and continue the voyage that night under cover of darkness. Pilots were taken aboard the German ships, and at noon, the BISMARCK anchored in the Grimstadfjord at 250-500 meters off the nearest shore. The EUGEN headed nth with the 3 DDs and anchored in Kalvanes Bay. As a measure of precaution two merchant ships were laid along both sides of _Prinz Eugen_ as torpedo shields.

Meanwhile, at 1100 on 21 May, RAF CC had dispatched a long range Spitfire PRU from Scotland to look for the German ships. At 1315, the Spitfire successfully sighted and photographed the German ships in the Korsfjord from an altitude of 26,200 ft, and then returned to Scotland where it landed at Wick Airfield at about 1415. The sighting of the battle group by the Swedish cruiser GOTLAND in the Kattegat as well as by Norwegian resistance operatives the previous day, had proven very unfortunate for the Germans.

During their brief stay in the Korsfjord, the two ships painted over their striped camouflage paint with outboard grey. In addition, EUGEN with less than 2,500 tons of fuel oil left in her tanks refuelled from tanker WOLLIN. The BISMARCK did not refuel and this would later prove to be a mistake. It seems that refuelling the BISMARCK was not scheduled, and that PRINZ EUGEN was refuelled only because she absolutely had to be due to her shorter endurance. By 1700, the PRINZ EUGEN completed refuelling, and at 1930, the German ships weighted anchor. At this time, BISMARCK's BDienst team received a message from Germany, in which, based on an intercepted radio message, British a/c had been instructed to be on the alert for two battleships and three destroyers proceeding on a northerly course. Around 2000, just before night fall, the five German ships left the Norwegian fiord, and after separating from the coastline, set a course of 0º at 2340, due North.

Upon receipt of the first sighting reports, the CinC Home Fleet, Admiral Sir John Tovey, immediately began to consider the possible intentions of the German warships. He ordered CAs SUFFOLK and NORFOLK, both under the command of Rear-Admiral William Frederick Wake-Walker, to patrol the Denmark Strait. Later in the afternoon, the photos taken by the Spitfire arrived, thus positively identifying the BISMARCK and EUGEN in Bergen. Therefore, shortly before midnight on 21 May, BC HOOD flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Holland, the BB PRINCE OF WALES, and DDs ACHATES, ANTELOPE, ANTHONY, ECHO, ELECTRA, and ICARUS, cleared Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord in Iceland. Their mission to cover the access points sth and east of Iceland.




_BISMARCK in Korsfjord on the morning of 21 May1941 _

At 1830, all available Home Fleet warships came to two hours' notice for sailing as a result of air reconnaissance of the German ships at Korsfjord.

On the 22nd, a Martin Maryland of 771 Sqn from Hatston advised the German ships had sailed. The crew of the Maryland were Lt N. E. Goddard, Cdr G. A. Rotherham, Leading Airman J. D. Milne, and Leading Airman J. W. Armstrong.

*Northern Waters*
DD FARNDALE departed Scapa Flow and met steamers AMSTERDAM and LADY OF MANN off the entrance to Aberdeen at 1500. After providing escort for these two ships, the DD arrived back at Scapa Flow later that evening.

DD WALPOLE departed Scapa Flow to return to the Nore following her work up.

*West Coast*
OB.325 departed Liverpool, escort DD SALADIN and corvette GLADIOLUS. The escorted was joined the next day by DD LEAMINGTON, corvette CLARKIA, and ASW trawler ST ZENO. The escort was detached when the convoy was dispersed on the 25th.

*Med/Biscay*
RM TB LUPO departed Milos early on the 21st with a convoy for Canea. RM TB
SAGITTARIO departed Piraeus with a convoy for Heraklion. SAGITTARIO was accidently attacked by German bombers, but was not damaged. At about the same time, RM DD SELLA was seriously damaged by the LW out of a group of 5 DDs which had just departed Piraeus. Both convoys for Crete were being sent in desperation due to casualties and lack of success of the German paratroop landing. Some hundreds of Germans trropps were to lose their lives to drowning in these attempts.

British air reconnaissance located these convoys and Force C was sent to the NW of Crete to intercept.

RAN DDs STUART, VOYAGER, and VENDETTA departed Alexandria to join A-1.

*J Class DD HMS JUNO (RN 1690 grt)* was hit by three bombs and sank in two minutes off the Crete coast. 128 of the crew went down with the ship and 21 were wounded. It was just the start of heavy losses for the RN. Just 15 officers and men were rescued unhurt. 




CL AJAX was damaged by the near misses. There were no casualties. The cruiser sustained some shaft distortion.

Force A-1, B, and D operated SW of Kithera to deal with any possible sortie by the RM battlefleet. These were BBs WARSPITE and VALIANT, CLs FIJI, GLOUCESTER, , AJAX, and ORION, CLA DIDO and DDs ISIS, IMPERIAL, KIMBERLEY, JANUS, NAPIER, DECOY, GRIFFIN, and HOTSPUR.

DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING, JACKAL, KELVIN of DesFlot 5 departed Malta at dusk to join the Med Flt operating off Crete. DD FORESIGHT left at the same time to rejoin Force H.and arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd.

CLAs CALCUTTA and CARLISLE joined Force C on the 21st. DDs JERVIS, ILEX, and RAN NIZAM arrived at Alexandria to refuel. British Force E, after refuelling, departed Alexandria on the 21st to return to the Kaso Strait area. RAN DDs STUART, VOYAGER, and VENDETTA departed Alexandria to join Force A-1.

Sloop AUCKLAND departed Alexandria with British oiler CHERRYLEAF to refuel destroyers in a position one hundred miles northwest of Alexandria. On the 22nd, the escort duties of the oiler was taken over by RHN DD AETOS.

At 2330 on the 21st NE of Canea, the convoy being led by RM LUPO convoy was attacked by CLA DIDO, CL AJAX, and ORION and DDs KIMBERLEY, HASTY, HEREWARD, and JANUS of Force D. The bow of cruiser AJAX was bent through ramming a caique. ORION sustained some damage to her bridge from pom pom fire from DIDO. Two men were killed and nine were wounded. DIDO expended 70% of her ammunition, CL ORION 62%, and AJAX 58%.

*Ten schooners (FI 5000 grt (est))* were sunk by the British ships. *Steamer CARMEN SYLVA (Ru 1601 grt)* was also sunk.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

RM TB LUPO was hit by 18 six inch shells but incredibly survived despite heavy damage. The action was broken off at 0400/22nd. RM TB LIRA rescued some of LUPO convoy survivors.

Force D joined Force A 1 at 0800 outside of Kithera Straits. At 1045, due to the ammunition shortages in the cruisers, Force D was detached to Alexandria.

Cruisers ORION and AJAX were detached to join Force E, but when it was found they could not reach the rendezvous in time, they returned to Force D

Force D arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd.

Coastal steamer GLADIATOR (FI 248 grt) was sunk on a mine at Sibenik.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARON departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol.


----------



## parsifal (May 23, 2016)

*21 MAY 1941 (CONT'D)* 
Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 MAY TO DAWN 22 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_0916-0946 hrs _Air raid alert for a single JU 88 bomber which crosses the Island from south east to north on reconnaissance at 20000 feet while its fighter escort patrols down the east coast. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage the bomber; no claims.
_1117-1156 hrs _While numerous delivery Blenheims and Hurricanes continue to come in to land at Luqa, the air raid alert sounds for 15 ME 109 fighters which cross the coast at various points and drop bombs on the aerodrome. Two Wellingtons are burned out, one Blenheim, one Hurricane and one Beaufighter damaged. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage the raiders; no claims.
_1650-1820 hrs _Air raid alert for four ME 109 fighters which approach the Island and patrol off the coast at 21000 feet for 1½ hours, possibly as a screen for the convoy reported by a reconnaissance Maryland. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no interception.
_1724-1750 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the Island and is engaged by anti-aircraft fire; no claims. No bombs are dropped.
_0339-0420 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the north east and drop bombs in the sea to the north east, east and south east of Grand Harbour. Anti-aircraft guns engage and manage to turn the leading raider off course.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 1941
_ROYAL NAVY _A large number of Hurricanes and Fulmars arrived safely from Force H aircraft carriers (Operation Splice). _Foresight_ left for Gibraltar at 2000 and Fifth Destroyer Flotilla sailed for operations at Crete._Urge_sank one destroyer (part of covering force).
_AIR HQ Arrivals _249 Squadron from UK. 4 Fulmar; 46 Hurricane. _Departures _2 Sunderland; 4 Beaufighter, 17 Hurricane. _252 Squadron _four Beaufighters to UK. _139 Squadron _Following receipt of information of a small convoy 5 Blenheims were despatched to attack but failed to locate._ 69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance eastern Tunisian coast reports two convoys. 
_HAL FAR _Four Fulmars and 14 Hurricanes arrived at Hal Far from Gibraltar; all machines landed safely.

_LUQA _One Maryland escorted Hurricanes to Malta from _HMS Ark Royal_. Four Beaufighters 252 Squadron left for Gibraltar; two escorted Hurricanes to Malta*.*


----------



## parsifal (May 23, 2016)

*22 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-373




Used in Training until June 1944. Active service from then on, however she only survived a few days whilst on active patrol. 3 ships sunk, total tonnage 10,263 GRT. Sunk on 8 June 1944 in the Bay Of Biscay, west of Brest, , by depth charges from a British Liberatoraircraft (224 Sqn RAF/G). 4 dead and 47 survivors.

Type VIIC U571




5 ships sunk, total tonnage 33,511 GRT. Sunk on 28 January 1944 in Nth Atlantic west of Ireland, , by DCs from an Australian Sunderland aircraft (461 Sqn RAAF/D). 52 dead (all hands lost).

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS AVIDA (K-113)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS CUMBRAE (T-154)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDML 1014
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

70’ type MGB 18
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B MLs 237, 239, 260
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-103 sank the *MV BRITISH GRENADIER (UK 6857 grt)* off the West African coast, whilst she was outward bound, empty, from Freetown to Aruba. A crew of 49 was aboard at the tim of loss. All would survive the attack. At 2252 hrs the unescorted BRITISH GRENADIER was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 while steaming on a zigzag course SW of Freetown. The ship stopped and was then hit amidships by a coup de grace, but remained afloat. At 2359 hours, the U-boat fired a second coup de grace that hit in the engine room, causing the tanker to settled slowly by the stern. The BRITISH GRENADIER was left in a sinking condition and later foundered. The master, 22 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the GANDA and 24 crew members were rescued by the Spanish tanker JOSE CALVO SOTELO and landed at Freetown.





U-111 sank *MV BARNBY(UK 4813 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The ship had been travelling in convoy HX 126, on passage from St Johns to Hull via Halifax, loaded with flour and with a crew of 45, of which on be was to be lost. At 1340 hrs the BARNBY, dispersed from convoy HX-126, was torpedoed and sunk by U-111 southwest of Iceland. One crew member was lost. The master, 35 crew members and eight gunners landed at Reykjavik. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DITMAR KOEL (Ger 5088 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Juist (near the port of Emden). 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-96

Departures
St Nazaire:U-48

At Sea 22 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U U-556, U-557, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML TEVIOT BANK, escort DD CATTISTOCK, laid minefield BS.61 off the east coast of England. Paddle MSWs SNAEFELL and THAMES QUEEN accompanied the ML.

DDs INGLEFIELD and ESCAPADE at 0545 and INTREPID at 1000 arrived at Scapa Flow after supporting convoy HX.125.

*Northern Waters*
DD HAMBLEDON arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after completion of repairs.

CLA HERMIONE arrived at Scapa Flow. The cruiser had a defect involving one of her turrets. This defect had been discovering during her work up the month before. The repairs would require fourteen days once personnel and facilities were available to do the work.

Operation Rheinubung
On 22 May, the weather worsened. During the night, the German battle group headed Nth, with the 3 DDs in the lead (experiencing station keeping difficulties) and the PRINZ EUGEN closing the formation. At 0420, the worsening weather forced the DDs to be detached and headed east to Trondheim, while the BISMARCK and PRINZ EUGEN maintained their northward course at 24 knots. At 1237 there was a submarine and air alarm, and the German ships zig-zagged for about half an hour. When the alarm ended, the tops of the main and secondary turrets were painted over, and the swastikas on the decks were covered with canvas, as they could help enemy aircraft to identify the German ships. Afterwards, the group set a NW course to the Denmark Strait. It was cloudy the entire day and the fog was so thick that the two ships had to switch on their searchlights from time to time in order to maintain contact and keep position. The weather conditions were therefore very favourable for an undetected breakout, which was the prime objective of these early moves.




_BISMARCK Photographed from PRINZ EUGEN with her stern light on 22 May 1941_
BC HOOD and BB PRINCE OF WALES with DDs ACHATES, ANTELOPE, ANTHONY, ECHO, ELECTRA, and ICARUS departed Scapa Flow at 0100 to cover the forces on patrol in the Denmark Strait. In the Iceland-Faroes Channel were CLs MANCHESTER and BIRMINGHAM and five trawlers. The two CLs refuelled in the Faroes to refuel on the 22nd. CL ARETHUSA, which arrived at Reykjavik on the 21st, was sent to reinforce these ships. CA NORFOLK was patrolling in the Denmark Strait. CA SUFFOLK, after refuelling at Hvalfjord on this date, returned to reinforce this patrol.

The Home Fleet departed Scapa Flow at 2300 with BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CLs GALATEA, AURORA, KENYA, and CLA HERMIONE, and DDs ACTIVE, PUNJABI, RAN NESTOR, LANCE, WINDSOR, INGLEFIELD, and INTREPID. DD LANCE returned to Scapa Flow with boiler defects. The DD was able to depart again after noon on the 23rd for Skaalefjord, pre-dawn on the 24th. She departed at early after dawn sailing westward to join the fleet.

BC REPULSE was already at sea, putting out from the Clyde at 1600 with DDs LEGION, SAGUENAY, and ASSINIBOINE. The BC and DDs rendezvoused with Tovey off the Butt of Lewis at noon on the 23rd. 

DDs ANTHONY and ANTELOPE were detached on the 23rd from the BC HOOD force to refuel at Hvalfjord. The DDs refuelled and departed at 2100 to rejoin. At 2000 on the 23r, the BC Gp was in 62-45N, 25-30W. Tovey's force was in 61-30N, 22-00W.

At 2032, CA NORFOLK glimpsed the German ships in 66-50N, 25-30W. CA SUFFOLK also sighted the ships and the two cruisers commenced shadowing the German force through the night.

CL GALATEA and CLA HERMIONE proceeded to patrol to the NE of Iceland should the enemy attempt to turn back, but these ships were later recalled to the Tovey group and CLs MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, and ARETHUSA carried out the patrol.

DD ACTIVE refuelled at Hvalfjord on the 24th and departing the same day. RAN DD NESTOR refuelled at Iceland, departing on the 26th. DD WINDSOR was detached to Iceland on the 24th, but remained until 26 May. DDs PUNJABI, INGLEFIELD, and LANCE refuelled in Iceland arriving and departing on the 26th. DD INTREPID arrived in Iceland to refuel on the 26th, but did not depart due to machinery defects until at 0930 on the 31st. DD INTREPID arrived at Scapa Flow at 1630 from Iceland.

On the 24th, RCN DD SAGUENAY was detached to Hvalfjord to refuel. The DD departed the same day to rejoin. On the 26th, DDs LEGION and ASSINIBOINE arrived at Hvalfjord to refuel and departed the same day to rejoin. On the 27th, all three DDs arrived at Londonderry.

CV VICTORIOUS refuelled at Hvalfjord on the 27th. CL GALATEA on the 27th and departed on the 28th.CL AURORA on the 27th and departed 30 May. CL KENYA on the 27th and departed 30 May. CLA on the 26th and departed Hvalfjord on the 31st to relieve CL ARETHUSA on Denmark Strait patrol.

On the 25th, BC REPULSE was ordered to proceed for refuelling and arrived at Conception Bay, Newfoundland, on the 27th. The BC departed Conception Bay on the 29th to escort convoy HX.129.

That night of 22/23 May, after receiving the report, Winston Churchill cabled to president Franklin D. Roosevelt: "_Yesterday, twenty-first, BISMARCK, PRINZ EUGEN and eight merchant ships located in Bergen. Low clouds prevented air attack. Tonight they have sailed. We have reason to believe that a formidable Atlantic raid is intended. Should we fail to catch them going out your Navy should surely be able to mark them down for us. KG V, PoW, HOOD, REPULSE and CV VICTORIOUS, with auxiliary vessels will be on their track. Give us the news and we will finish the job._"

*West Coast*
Troopship BRITANNIC departed the Clyde escorted by BB RODNEY, en route to the US for extensive overhaul, and DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, TARTAR, and MASHONA.
DDs BEDOUIN and IMPULSIVE with ML SOUTHERN PRINCE had departed Loch Alsh on the 21st en route to the US. The ML carried equipment for battleship RODNEY's refitting and specialist naval ratings en route to Canada. The two groups joined at sea for the Atlantic crossing. The ML arrived at Bermuda on 2 June.

Convoy WS.8B departed the Clyde with steamers CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS, ABOSSO, GEORGIC, MARTAND, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, ALMANZORA, and ORDUNA.
Escort was provided by CA EXETER, CLA CAIRO, and DDs COSSACK, SIKH, MAORI, ZULU, (ORP) PIORUN, (RCN) OTTAWA, (RCN) RESTIGOUCHE, and ERIDGE. All were detached on the 26th except cruiser EXETER. Included in this convoy were CV VICTORIOUS and CVE ARGUS. VICTORIOUS was soon detached from the convoy for Fleet operations. Liners ORDUNA and ALMANZORA collided on the 31st. DD BOREAS and DUNCAN joined the convoy on 2 June and remained until 4 June. Corvette MARGUERITE joined the convoy on 3 June and remained until 4 June. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 4 June. The convoy, less CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS and ABOSSO, departed Freetown on 6 June escort DDs BOREAS, DUNCAN, and HIGHLANDER from 6 to 8 June. CA EXETER proceeded with the convoy. On 20 June, the convoy arrived at Durban. The convoy, plus steamer NIEUW ZEELAND departed on 23 June, still escorted by EXETER. The convoy arrived off Aden on 4 July and proceeded independently to Suez.

*SW Approaches*
CA LONDON with DDs HAVELOCK and HARVESTER departed Gibraltar to escort steamer ARUNDEL CASTLE and convoy SL.75 to England.

*Channel*
British steamer EMPIRE PROGRESS was damaged by the LW 3 miles SW of Needles (Isle of Wight). Four crew were killed. The steamer was beached in Totland Bay on the 23rd. She was refloated the same day and taken to Southampton for drydocking.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine RORQUAL laid mines in the Gulf of Salonika.

British troopship ARUNDEL CASTLE arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.

Battle For Crete
Force B CLs GLOUCESTER and FIJI with DDs GRIFFIN and GREYHOUND, returning from an uneventful sweep through Matapan Strait, was bombed for 1.5 hrs from 0630 as it was returning to join Force A-1. GLOUCESTER received some splinter damage from near misses. Cruiser FIJI received slight hull damage from near misses. GLOUCESTER only had 18% of her AA ammunition remaining. Cruiser FIJI only had 30% remaining. Force B joined Force A 1 at 0830.

British Force C, composed of CLAs NAIAD, CALCUTTA and CARLISLE, and RAN CL PERTH, as well as DDs KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, and NUBIAN attacked the RM convoy being escorted by TB SAGITTARIO. Torpedo boat SAGITTARIO was hit several times and at least one caique was set on fire. However the attack was broken off due to air attacks. The force withdrew to the SW, but was hampered in that CARLISLE's maximum speed was only twenty one knots, due to various defects.

CLA NAIAD sustained four near misses and her speed was limited to 16 knots. Two of her turrets were knocked out. The damage was structural. 7 men were killed and 31 wounded. NAIAD was able to proceed to Alexandria arriving on the 23rd.

CLA CARLISLE was hit on the bridge by a bomb and badly damaged. The skipper was was killed. The cruiser was also struck by a second bomb. 15 crew were killed and 25 were wounded. The cruiser was repaired at Port Said from 26 May to 20 June.

DD KINGSTON closed to take off survivors from cruiser CARLISLE, but was ordered away. The cruiser was able to continue unassisted. KINGSTON was damaged by a near miss which caused damage to her machinery and hull. One rating was killed and two were wounded on the DD.

RAN CL PERTH was damaged by a near miss which damaged her six inch fire control. She sustained no personnel casualties. The cruiser arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd.

Force C joined Force A 1 at 1500. The German air attacks continued. BB WARSPITE was hit by a bomb at 1332 that put her starboard 4" and 6" batteries out of action. Her speed was reduced to 18 knots. Commissioned Boatswain A. E. Harding and seven ratings were killed, twenty four were missing, eleven died of wounds, and sixty nine were wounded. The BB arrived at Alexandria on the 24th. On 25 June, BB WARSPITE departed Alexandria for repairs at Bremerton, Washington. The BB departed Honolulu on 4 August and arrived at Esquimalt on 10 August escorted by two Canadian warships. She departed that day, under US.escort, for Bremerton, arriving on 11 August. Repairs were completed on 18 December 1941.

BB VALIANT was struck by two bombs aft that caused no serious damage or any personnel casualties.

At about noon, *GHI Class DD GREYHOUND (RN 1350 grt) * was detached to sink a caique, sighted by BB WARSPITE, between Pori and Antikithera. The DD sank the caique, but then was sunk herself by bombing while rejoining the Fleet. 76 officers and crew were lost with the ship. A further 8 crew were killed while in the water when strafed by attacking Me 109s. Some of the crew ended up on Crete, where 4 ratings were make POWs.





What followed was a major blow for the RN. HMS GLOUCESTER formed part of a naval force acting against Axis military transports that themselves were trying desperately to get reinforcements to the hard pressed paratroopes fighting for Maleme airfield. The force began in operations nth of Crete with some success. On 22 May 1941, while in the Kythera, about 14 mi nth of Crete, she was attacked by LW Ju87s and sank, having sustained at least four heavy bomb hits and three near-misses. Of the 807 men aboard at the time of her sinking, only 85 survived. Her sinking is considered to be one of Britain's worst wartime naval disasters.

DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON picked up survivors. KINGSTON was damaged by near misses of air bombs. CLs FIJI and GLOUCESTER were ordered to support DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON.

Colony Class CL FIJI in company with GLOUCESTER, returning to join Force C, came under heavy air attack at 1550. Town Class CL GLOUCESTER (RN 9400 grt) was hit by bombs and sunk. Cruiser FIJI dropped rafts for the survivors and continued with DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON.





On 30 May 1941, in a letter to the First sea Lord Dudley Pound, Admiral Cunningham wrote, "_The sending back of GLOUCESTERand FIJI to the GREYHOUND was another grave error and cost us those two ships. They were practically out of ammunition but even had they been full up I think they would have gone. The CO of FILI told me that the air over GLOUCESTER was black with planes_"

Colony Class CL FIJI (RN 8530 grt) was sunk at 1830 by the LW. DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON dropped rafts and left the area, returning after dark to rescue survivors. KINGSTON picked up 339 survivors and KANDAHAR picked up 184. There were 523 survivors of the 780 man crew.





DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON were able to refuel from the battleships in Force A 1.

RAN DDs STUART, VOYAGER, and VENDETTA coming from Alexandria were also ordered to pick up FIJI survivors, but they were unable to locate any. DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, KIPLING, KELVIN, and JACKAL from Malta joined Force A 1 later on the 22nd. At 1930, the DDs were detached to search of survivors of CLs GLOUCESTER and FIJI.

DDs DECOY and HERO were detached from Force A-1 to pick up the King of Greece, the Greek Prime Minister, and other important personages at Suda Bay.

Commando ship GLENROY with 900 troops departed Alexandria for Tymbaki escorted by CLA COVENTRY and sloops AUCKLAND and FLAMINGO. They were ordered at 2335 on the 23rd to return to Alexandria.

DDs JAGUAR and DEFENDER with ammunition for the troops on Crete departed Alexandria and joined Force A-1 off Crete. The DDs were detached to Suda Bay at 2359 on the 23rd.

CA YORK was abandoned after further damage by the LW.

During the night of 22/23 May in Crete operations, DD DECOY picked up the King of Greece and his party from Crete. DD HERO in company picked up other important persons. Both DDs rejoined Force A-1 on the 23rd. The DDs were sent on ahead later on the 23rd.
DDs KELLY, KASHMIR, and KIPLING were on patrol in the Canea Bay area. DD KIPLING experienced a steering defects and withdrew to the west to correct it. DDs JACKAL and KELVIN patrolled in Kissamo Bay without event and returned to Force A-1 at dawn. DDs JERVIS, RAN NIZAM, ILEX, and HAVOCK patrolled Heraklion.
CLs ORION and AJAX were to join, but were unable to rendezvous in time and returned to Force D
DD ILEX was damaged by a near miss from the LW during the morning of 23 May. There was damage to her propeller, but sustained no personnel casualties. DD HAVOCK was near missed by the LW with damage to the boiler room. 15 men were killed and 10 were wounded. Force E arrived at Alexandria at 2000/23rd.
 
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 MAY TO DAWN 23 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_1126-1310 hrs_Air raid alert for six ME 109s which patrol to the east of the Island. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no interception.

_1547-1618 hrs_ Air raid alert for four ME 109s which patrol to the west of the Island. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no interception.
OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 22 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ69 Squadron_Maryland reconnaissance after Blenheim attack reveals merchant vessel smoking and probably abandoned. Two Marylands patrol eastern Tunisian coast report a convoy. A Maryland is despatched to shadow. Four Blenheims 139 Squadron are despatched to attack and successfully bomb a tanker.


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## Njaco (May 23, 2016)

*May 24 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Unternehmen Rheinübung: Battle of the Denmark Strait: In the early morning hours, the German battleship “_Bismarck_” and cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” steamed southwesterly through the Denmark Strait, shadowed by the British heavy cruisers “_Suffolk_” and “_Norfolk_”. Shortly before 0600 hours, “_Prinz Eugen_”, which was ahead of “_Bismarck_”, sighted ships to the southeast. These were the Royal Navy's battlecruiser “_Hood_”, long the World's largest warship, and battleship “_Prince of Wales_”, a new ship that was not yet properly "shaken down". The British capital ships soon opened fire with their forward turrets, while rapidly closing the range. “_Hood_” initially fired her fifteen-inch guns at “_Prinz Eugen_”. Her consort, which carried fourteen-inch guns, shot at “_Bismarck_”, but neither made hits. As the British began a turn to bring their after turrets to bear, the two Germans opened fire at “_Hood_”, whose identity was clearly apparent. “_Bismarck's_” fifteen-inch guns, and the much smaller eight-inchers of “_Prinz Eugen_”, soon found the range and started hitting. “_Prinz Eugen_” scored the first hit on HMS “_Hood_”. Fire broke out amidships on “_Hood_” as “_Bismarck_” was hit on the port side by three shells from HMS “_Prince of Wales_”. At 0600 hours, immediately after “_Bismarck’s_” fourth salvo, a 15 inch shell penetrated “_Hood's_” thin deck armor. The great battlecruiser's after-ammunition magazines exploded in a jet of flame and a large cloud of smoke. “_Hood's_” bow rose as her shattered after-hull filled with water, and she was soon gone. Only three survivors were picked up by the destroyer HMS “_Electra_”, leaving 1418 casualties. Now it was HMS “_Prince of Wales_” turn to be the target. Between 0602 and 0609 hours, “_Bismarck_” scored four hits on HMS “_Prince of Wales_”, causing her to break off from the battle at 0604 hours after being hit 7 times. At 0801 hours, “_Bismarck_” reported damage with electric plant no. 4 and boiler room no. 2. One of the three British 14" projectiles hit “_Bismarck's_” hull forward, flooding some of the German ship's bow compartments. Another hit low and amidships, brought more water into the ship. This damage, though hardly vital, left “_Bismarck_” listing to port, down at the bow and unable to use all her oil fuel. Her maximum speed, seakeeping ability and range were all reduced, and she was now leaving an oil slick in her wake. The brief Battle of the Denmark Strait, which lasted only about seventeen minutes from opening shot to "cease fire", caused the Germans to terminate “_Bismarck's_” sortie. Lütjens had now decided that the “_Bismarck_” needed some repairs in a dockyard. At 0801 hours, Lütjens signaled Group North, together with a report on “_Bismarck's_” damage and the efficacy of British radar, his intensions to release “_Prinz Eugen_” for independent cruiser warfare and for “_Bismarck_” to put into St. Nazaire. Luftflotte 3 Headquarters was notified of ‘_Bismarck_’s intention to dock at Saint-Nazaire and given the order to do all it can to secure the ship’s arrival at port. But nothing can be done for two days while the ship was out of range of land-based Ju 88s and He 111s. British cruisers HMS “_Suffolk_” and HMS “_Norfolk_” and for a while the damaged “_Prince of Wales_”, continue following “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_”. About 1000 hours, Lütjens ordered the “_Prinz Eugen_” to take up position aft of “_Bismarck_” temporarily in order to observe her loss of oil. An hour later, the “_Prinz Eugen_” resumed her previous position in front of the “_Bismarck_”. At 1240 hours the German task force changed course to due south at 24 knots. Admiral Tovey hurried west with the rest of the Home Fleet. The British battleships “_Rodney_” and “_Ramillies_” leave the convoys they have been escorting to join the hunt. The Admiralty decided that the destruction of the “_Bismarck_” was the highest-priority task facing the Royal Navy, and it was willing to take certain risks to achieve that goal. Admiral Somerville's Force H, standing by at Gibraltar, was now committed to the pursuit. That force consisted of the battlecruiser “_Renown_”, the aircraft carrier “_Ark Royal_”, and the light cruiser “_Sheffield_”. At 1830 hours the “_Bismarck_” was firing at 18,000 meters (20,000 yards) against the “_Suffolk_” which was the more persistent ship in maintaining contact, but she was able to avoid damage by turning away under a smoke screen. Between 1840 and 1856 hours, there was an exchange of shells at long distance with the “_Prince of Wales_”. “_Bismarck_” was trying to hold the British ships to let the “_Prinz Eugen_” escape. The last thing her crewmen on deck saw of the “_Bismarck_” was the flashes of her guns as she continued to fire on the British ships until the cruiser was in the clear. Later in the evening, while it was still light, Admiral Tovey's second task force came within aircraft range of the “_Bismarck_”, and he ordered an air strike from the “_Victorious_” in an effort to disable her or at least slow her down. At 2210 hours, nine Swordfish torpedo planes of the RAF No. 825 Squadron were sent to delay the German fleet. At 2300 hours, they were followed by three Fulmars, and at 0100 by two more. At 2350 hours, the Swordfish torpedo bombers attacked “_Bismarck_” after she had resumed her southerly course. The “_Bismarck_” received a single torpedo hit at 2338 hours on the starboard side, amidships, at the level of the main belt which resisted the impact without much problem. Except for two Fulmar's which ran out of fuel, all of the aircraft returned safely to the “_Victorious_” in spite of the heavy anti-aircraft fire directed against them and poor visibility as darkness fell. After the attack of the Swordfish, the “_Bismarck_” reduced her speed from 27 to 16 knots to do some repairs in the forecastle.

U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron Fifty Two (VP-52) based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Argentia, Newfoundland, dispatches their eleven PBY-5 Catalinas in the face of strong gales to search for the German battleship “_Bismarck_”. Because of the weather, none of the aircraft are able to return to NAS Argentia and they land in Labrador, Quebec and other places in Newfoundland.

German submarine U-38 sank British ship “_Vulcain_” off British West Africa at 0249 hours, killing 7. In the same general area, U-103 sank Greek ship “_Marionga_” at 0356 hours, killing 26. German auxiliary cruiser “_Atlantis_” sank British ship “_Trafalgar_” 850 miles off South Africa; 12 were killed, 33 survived.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: In the face of a constant flow of fresh German troops at Maleme and continued fighting around the airports at Rethimnon and Heraklion, the Allies began a series of retreats south across Crete. German 55.Kradschützenbataillon, armed with Spandau machine guns mounted on side-cars, advances towards the south coast to prevent Allied reinforcements arriving from North Africa. German bombers attacked Chaniá on the northern coast, causing great damage. After dark, British minelayer HMS “_Abdiel_” transported 200 British commandos from Alexandria, Egypt to Suda Bay, Crete. Another effort to transport 800 commandos to Port Lutro, Crete was canceled due to bad weather. Admiral Cunningham receives orders from London to prevent at all costs German reinforcements reaching Crete by sea.

King George II of Greece departed Crete, Greece for Cairo, Egypt.

Axis convoy departs for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Camicia Nera_” and “_Freccia_” and three torpedo boats supported by two cruisers and three more destroyers. Italian vessel “_Conte Rosso_”, in convoy bound for Tripoli, sunk by RN submarine HMS “_Upholder_” with over 800 Italian troops lost. British Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Wanklyn of the submarine HMS “_Upholder_” won the Victoria Cross for sinking an Italian transport off Sicily, Italy and surviving 37 depth charges in 20 minutes. By the end of the year he had sunk 140,000 tons of enemy shipping. Wanklyn and “_Upholder_” were lost off Tripoli in Apr 1942.

*MIDDLE EAST: *British sappers, airlifted in and out, demolish a bridge in Syria to close the Aleppo-Mosul railway. But a train carrying war supplies provided by Vichy arrives at Mosul from Syria via Turkey.

The sloop HMAS “Yarra”, (CMDR W. H. Harrington, RAN), was involved in the attack on Iraqi positions at Habib Shawi, and landed Gurkha troops to neutralize the position. On completion, the troops were re-embarked.

*NORTH AFRICA:* In southern Abyssinia Soddu falls to the Allied forces. In this area General Gazzera leads seven weak Italian divisions. The attacking Allied force is made up of the 11th and 12th African Divisions.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Norway Theatre Strike: The Germans presented a new ultimatum, and arrested union representatives at the theatres in Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British government collected £124,000,000 in donations after a week-long War Weapon Week event.

Jan Smuts was made a field marshal of the British Empire.

.

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## parsifal (May 24, 2016)

*23 MAY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Gar Class Sub USS GRAMPUS (SS 207)





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS QUESNEL (K-133)





*Losses*
U.38 sank *steamer BERHALA (NL 6622 grt),* from dispersed convoy OB.318,. Three crew were lost on the steamer. She was sunk off the West African Coast whilst on passage from Hull to Turkey via Freetown and the cape. She was carrying general cargo at the time, and a crew of 64, 3 of whom were to lose their lives in the attack . At 1925 hrs the unescorted BERHALA, dispersed from convoy OB-318 10 May, was hit on the port side in the engine room by one of two G7a torpedoes fired by U-38 while steaming on a non-evasive course in calm weather about 280 miles WNW of Freetown. The explosion killed three crew members on watch below and destroyed the port lifeboats. In their haste to leave the ship that developed a list the Chinese crew members cut through the ropes of both starboard lifeboats and rowed away in them. The survivors left behind were forced to jump overboard and swim to the boats when a G7a torpedo struck the ship on port side amidships as coup de grace at 1951 hrs, causing the ship to break in two and sink within nine minutes. The U-boat did not question the survivors as it immediately departed the scene to chase and sink the VULCAIN which had been spotted in the distance during this attack. Shortly after the sinking of BERHALA, the survivors were picked up by HMS BOREAS and taken to Freetown. 





*UBOATS*
At Sea 23 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U U-556, U-557, UA

22 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
Minefield SN.64 in the Faroes-North Rona field was postponed due to the German activity.

DD FARNDALE departed Scapa Flow at 0400 for Rosyth. The destroyer met AMC MOOLTAN and RNorN DD SLEIPNER off May Island and escorted them to Pentland Firth, where they arrived on the 24th having been delayed by bad visibility. DD BLANKNEY departed Scapa Flow and relieved DD FARNDALE of the escort.

Sloop BLACK SWAN departed Scapa Flow for Dundee for machinery repairs. The sloop arrived that evening.

DD BRIGHTON arrived at Scapa Flow from Loch Alsh and berthed alongside DD depot ship TYNE for repairs.

Operation Rheinubung
On 23 May the weather remained the same. At 1811 in the afternoon, the Germans sighted ships to starboard, but soon realised they were actually icebergs which were common in those latitudes. Meanwhile, the battle group reached the ice limit, and set a course of 240º. At 1922, the BISMARCK and PRINZ EUGEN were sighted and positively identified by the RN CA SUFFOLK at a distance of seven miles. The SUFFOLKsent an enemy report: "_One battleship, one cruiser in sight at 20º. Distance seven miles, course 240º_." The Germans had detected the British cruiser as well, but were unable to engage the enemy because the _Suffolk_ took cover in the fog and was able to maintain her tracking mission using her surface radar. About an hour later, at 2030, the Germans sighted a second RN CA, HMS NORFOLK and this time the BISMARCK opened fire immediately. She fired five salvos, three of which straddled the RN ship throwing some splinters on board. The NORFOLK was not hit by any direct impact, but had to launch a smoke screen and retire into the fog. The British cruisers then took up positions astern of the German ships; the SUFFOLK (equipped with a new Type 284 radar) on the starboard quarter, and the NORFOLK (with an old Type 286M radar) on the port quarter. Both ships would keep RDF contact and report the Germans’ position until more powerful British ships could engage.

On board the BISMARCK the forward radar instrument (_FuMO 23_) had been disabled by the blast of the forward turrets. Because of this, Admiral Lütjens ordered his ships to exchange positions and PRINZ EUGEN with her radar sets (_FuMO 27_) intact took the lead. BISMARCK's powerful armament would serve to keep the British cruisers from coming any closer. This change would produce great confusion for the British the next morning.

After being sighted by the RN cruisers, Lütjens could have then turned around and head for the Norwegian Sea in order to refuel from tkr WEISSENBURG . He had already done this earlier that year when in command of SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU his force was detected by the CLA NAIAD in the Faeroes-Iceland gap. An early retreat at this point would have forced the four British capital ships (HOOD, PRINCE OF WALES, KING GEORGE V and REPULSE) that had already put to sea, to go back to Scapa Flow with a considerable expenditure of fuel. This time however, Lütjens continued towards the Atlantic with the hope of shaking off the British cruisers at night and believing he had little to fear from the british capital ships all of which were inferior to his own. The weather conditions in the Denmark Strait were favourable to do so. When Lütjens decided to press on, it is probably because he believed that the heavy units of the Home Flt were too far away to intercept him, and that they may still be in Scapa Flow. The German recon reports seemed to confirm this, although the truth is that Vice-Admiral Holland's force was already approaching the area at high speed. Another thing Lütjens did not count on was the effective use of British radars. At about 2200, the BISMARCK reversed her course trying to catch the SUFFOLK, but the British cruiser withdrew maintaining the distance. Therefore, the BISMARCK returned to the formation behind the PRINZ EUGEN.





_HMS SUFFOLK FINDS SMS BISMARCK - DENMARK STRAIT 23 MAY 1941 – watercolour by Commander Eric Tufnell RN (1888-1979). signed and inscribed "HMS SUFFOLK, 23rd May 1941"_

*West Coast*
Submarine TROOPER, under construction at the Scotts yard, was damaged by the LW at Greenock.

*Med/Biscay*
RAN DD WATERHEN delivered stores to Tobruk during the night of 23/24 May. RM sub SCIRE passed into the Atlantic. Late on the 24th, the submarine sent up the Guadalite River to Cadiz where SLC crews waited in the interned Italian tanker FULGOR (6504grt). Early on the 25th, submarine SCIRE departed Cadiz.

On the 26th, the SLCs were launched against Gibraltar. However, they were discovered entering Gibraltar and no damage was done.

Battle For Crete
*JKN Class DD HMS KELLY (RN 1760 grt)* and *JKN Class DD HMS KASHMIR (RN 1760 grt)* were sank two caiques in Canea Bay, before they themselves were attacked and sunk by the LW. DD KIPLING rejoined this force during the attacks and was able to rescue survivors from both ships. 99 crewmembers from the KELLY and 83 crew members were lost from the KASMIR 





_HMS KELLY _






_HMS KASHMIR_

DD KIPLING was badly damaged when the bow of DD KELLY's submerged wreck punctured her fuel tanks, while KIPLING was alongside the sinking ship. DD KIPLING was slowed to 20 knots and had a heavy list to port. The destroyer ran out of fuel 70 miles from Alexandria early on the 24th. Netlayer PROTECTOR refuelled the DD and KIPLING arrived in Alexandria under her own power. KIPLING departed Alexandria on the 27th for repairs at Suez.

Forces A-1 and C returned to Alexandria to refuel and take on ammunition. All forces arrived at Alexandria early on the 24th. DDs DEFENDER and JAGUAR with ammunition for Suda Bay were detached from Force A-1, as it retired to Alexandria. The ammunition was delivered early on the 24th and the DDs then returned to Alexandria alone, arriving on the 24th.

At Suda Bay,* MTB.67, MTB.213, MTB.214, MTB.216, and MTB.217 (RN 375 grt combined) *were sunk in a heavy LW dive bombing attack. There were no personnel casualties.

Damaged Corvette SALVIA arrived at Alexandria from Suda Bay.

*Nth Atlantic*

*Central Atlantic*
CA LONDON, DDs HAVELOCK and HARVESTER, and troopship ARUNDEL CASTLE departed Gibraltar for the UK.

Submarine PANDORA departed Gibraltar for the UK, but orders were changed whilst at sea, and the submarine proceeded to the United States. She arrived on 28 June and was refitting at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, completing on 18 December. The submarine departed after trials on 7 January 1942. En route on the 23rd, the submarine sighted and pursued an Italian submarine in 41-12N, 11-00W. Anti-submarine trawler IMPERIALIST was sent to assist.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Trincomalee for Aden where she arrived on the 29th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 MAY TO DAWN 24 MAY 1941

_Weather _Intermittent rain (heavy later) and squalls; poor visibility.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 23 MAY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Upholder _attacked _Captaine Damiani_; probably sunk._ 
AIR HQ 69 Squadron _One Maryland reconnaissance eastern Tunisian coast. Marylands reconnaissance of northern part of eastern Tunisian coast. Blenheims could not be despatched due to very unfavourable weather conditions.


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## parsifal (May 24, 2016)

*24 MAY 1941 (PART I)
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-433




No ships sunk. Sunk at 2155hrs on 16 November 1941 in the Med East of Gibraltar, by depth charges and gunfire from the British corvette HMS MARIGOLD. 6 dead and 38 survivors.

Type VIIc U-752




7 ships sunk, total tonnage 32,966 GRT. Sunk on 23 May 1943 in the Nth Atlantic, , by rockets from a Swordfish a/c (819 Sqn FAA/G) of the RN CVE HMS ARCHER. 29 dead and 17 survivors.
*Losses*
U-103 sank the *Steamer MARIONGA (Gk 4236 grt)* off the West African coast. The ship had been part of OB 317 but was dispersed and sailing independently when lost. She was on passage from Glasgow to Takoradi carrying government stores when lost. From her crew of 31, 26 were to lose their lives. At 0356 hrs the unescorted MARIONGA, was hit underneath the aft mast by one torpedo fired by U-103 and sank by the stern within four minutes about 30 miles WSW of Buchanan, Liberia. The U-boat had spotted the ship 8 hours earlier, but had to wait for the night due to the very good visibility and then missed with the first two torpedoes fired at 0036 and 0154 hrs. On 28 May, three survivors were picked up from a raft by the British steam merchant CITY OF RANGOON and were landed at Capetown on 9 June. Two survivors landed at Monrovia on 10 June. 





U-38 sank the *Steamer VULCAIN (UK 4362 grt)* off the coast of West Africa. The ship had been part of OB 317 but was dispersed and sailing independently when lost. She was on passage from Newport to Freetown with a load of coal and a crew of 42, of which 7 were to perish. At 0249 hrs the unescorted VULCAIN, was hit on the starboard side underneath the bridge in #2 hold by one G7a torpedo fired byU-38 165 miles NW of Freetown. The ship was steaming on a zigzag course at only 6 knots as she had boiler troubles and sank rapidly by the bow after being hit. Seven crew members were lost. The U-boat had spotted her while chasing the BERHALA in the evening on 23 May, sank the other ship and managed to locate VULCAIN again, but missed with a spread of two G7a torpedoes at 0032 hrs. One of the torpedo that missed had been observed passing from port by the third mate on watch and the crew of 38 and four gunners (the ship was armed with one 12pdr, one 25mm and four machine guns) heard and felt the concussion after it detonated at the end of its run, so they were alert and able to quickly abandon ship in the lifeboats when hit. The survivors later made landfall at Boffa, French West Africa, where they were interned by the Vichy French authorities and after some months repatriated to Freetown. The master was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-147
Kiel: U-204

At Sea 24 May1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-111, U-138, U-147, u-204, U-556, U-557, UA

24 boats at sea

*West Coast*
British tkr OCTANE was damaged on a mine on the west coast. Three crew were killed on the tkr. The tkr was beached one cable NW of Anthony. The tkr was drydocked at Falmouth on 4 June and later taken to Barry. British steamer SARNIA was damaged by German bombing at anchor in Milford Haven. The steamer was towed to Milford Docks. British steamer CRESSDENE was damaged by German bombers in Mumbles Roads.

*Steamer MATRONNA (Gk 2846 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Dale Roads at Milford Haven. The crew were all rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Western Approaches*
Three Western Approaches convoys were at sea. Convoy OB.324, which departed Liverpool on the 18th was escorted by DDs CAMPBELTOWN, WANDERER, and WESTCOTT, sloops FLEETWOOD and ROCHESTER, and corvettes AUICULA, DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE. This escort was relieved on the 24th by DDs CHELSEA, VERITY, and VETERAN and corvette CONVOLVULUS. OB.325, which departed Liverpool on the 21st was escorted by DDs LEAMINGTON and SALADIN, corvettes CLARKIA and GLADIOLUS, and ASW trawler ST ZENO. OB.326, which departed Liverpool on the 22nd, was escorted by DDs ASSINIBOINE (RCN), SALISBURY, and SKATE, corvettes ABELIA, ALISMA, and ANEMONE, and ASW trawler ST KENAN.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarines SEVERN and CLYDE departed Gibraltar on the 27th to take up offensive patrols in the Straits of Gibraltar.
ML ABDIEL departed Alexandria during the night of 23/24 May and landed 200 commandoes at Suda Bay during the night of 24/25 May. The ML returned to Alexandria on the 25th. 800 commandos from troopship GLENROY were embarked on DDs NIZAM (RAN), ISIS, DECOY, and HERO which departed Alexandria at on the 24th. These troops were not landed at Port Lutro due to bad weather. The operation was covered by CLA DIDO and CL AJAX and DDs KIMBERLEY, HOTSPUR, IMPERIAL, and JANUS which departed Alexandria at early on the 24th. JANUS was detached soon after sailing to return to Alexandria. AJAX and DIDO with DDs KIMBERLEY, HOTSPUR, and IMPERIAL were to bombard Maleme during the night of 24/25 May. The operation was cancelled when AJAX was unable to arrive due to bad weather. The Force returned towards Kaso Strait to sweep the north coast during the night of 25/26 May.

DDs NAPIER, KELVIN, and JACKAL departed Alexandria on the 25th to relieve the 3 DDs in the AJAX force.

Submarine UPHOLDER torpedoed Vichy French tanker CAPITAINE DAMIANI, which had departed Marseille on the 19th in company of tanker ALBERTA for Constanza. 
The tkr reached Messina that evening. She departed the next day and arrived at Naples on the 27th. Tanker CAPITAINE DAMIANI departed Naples under the tow of tug GOLIATH on 12 June after temporary repairs. They arrived at Marseilles on 19 June.

*Naval drifter AURORA II (RN 76 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Tobruk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DD BRILLIANT departed Gibraltar for Freetown. Submarine CLYDE arrived at Gibraltar from Holy Loch.

Greek troopship NEA HELLAS, returning from the Middle East, arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.

*Nth Atlantic*
DDs ECHO, ICARUS, ELECTRA, and ACHATES were detached from the BC HOOD force to search north, then refuel at Hvalfjord.

The Battle of the Denmark Strait, also known as the Iceland Battle, was a brief naval engagement of little more than a quarter of an hour. It was a clash of titans in which the largest warships in the world were put to the test, and it will be remembered as a battle that ended in the sinking of a mythic ship but also a battle that doomed another.





_Battle Of Denmark Strait 24 May 1941 – Battle Map _

In the early morning of 24 May, the weather improved and the visibility increased. The German battle group maintained a course of 220º and a speed of 28 knots, when at 0525, the PRINZ EUGEN's hydrophones detected propeller noises of two ships on her port side. At 0537 the Germans sighted what they first thought to be a CL at about 19 miles (38,480 yards) on port side. At 0543, another unidentified unit was sighted to port, and thereafter the alarm was given aboard the BISMARCK and PRINZ EUGEN. Aboard the BISMARCK the identification of the enemy ships was uncertain, and they were now both mistakenly thought to be CAs. Correct identification at this time was vital in order to choose the right type of shells. PRINZ EUGEN's First gunnery, LCDR Paulus Jasper, also believed the approaching ships to be cruisers and ordered to load 20.3cm HE shells. At this point, the British warships (in reality the BC HOOD and BB PRINCE OF WALES (PoW) were approaching the German battle group on a course of 280º at 28 knots. Vice-Admiral Holland, aboard the HOOD, familiar with the vulnerability of his BC in long range combat (horizontal protection from plunging fire was particularly weak in the HOOD), was probably trying to get closer quickly before opening fire. Admiral Lütjens did not have any other choice but to accept the combat.





_BISMARCK astern of PRINZ EUGEN on the morning of 24 May _
Due to the similar silhouettes of the German ships, at 0549 Holland ordered his ships to both engage the leading German ship (the PRINZ EUGEN) believing she was theBISMARCK. After this, the British ships made a 20º turn to starboard on a new course of 300º. At 0552, just before opening fire, Holland correctly identified the BISMARCK at last, and ordered his force to shift target to the right-hand ship, but for some reason HOOD kept tracking the leading ship. Aboard the PRINCE OF WALES, however, they correctly targeted the BISMARCK which followed in PRINZ EUGEN'S wake a mile or so behind. Suddenly, at 0552½, and from a distance of about 12.5 miles (25,330 yards), the HOOD opened fire, followed by the PRINCE OF WALES half a minute later at 0553. Both ships opened fire with their forward turrets (4 x 38 cm + 6 x 35.6 cm), since their after turrets could not be brought to bear due to the ships' unfavourable angle of approach. Admiral Lütjens immediately signalled to Group North: "_Am in a fight with two heavy units_". But Lutjens did not give the order to openb fire immediately, and this has been the subject of disagreement postwar. Some believe that Lutjens was suffering clinical depreassion and was dealing with the relaisatiuon that the battlegroup had been discoverdd. In any event, the order to return fire was never given by Lutjens, it was given by Captain Lindemann. The first salvo from PRINCE OF WALES landed over and astern of BISMARCK. Soon after the start of the battle, PRINCE OF WALES started suffering the first of many mechanical problems, as "A" turret's no. 1 gun broke down temporarily and could not fire anymore. Her second, third and fourth salvoes fell over BISMARCK. HOOD'S first two salvoes fell short from PRINZ EUGEN throwing some splinters and much water on board.




_BISMARCK opens fire on the HOOD about 0555_

*The Destruction of the Hood.*
At 0600, the HOOD and PRINCE OF WALES were in the process of turning another 20º to port in order to bring their after turrets into action, when BISMARCK's fifth salvo hit the HOOD. The distance was less than 9 miles (18,236 yards). At the time it was believed that at least one 15-inch shell penetrated HOOD’s armour belt and reached an after magazine where it exploded. However dive evidence by the Mearns expedition in 2001 shows no evidence of a belt penetration though the aft magazine did explode and was the cause of the ships loss. It is now uncertain what precisely caused the loss, though one theory is that a shell blast blew open one of the vent shutters and further forced flame down these shafts into the magazine area. The German observers were awestruck by the enormous explosion. Sunderland Z/201 (Flight-Lieutenant R. J. Vaughn) that had just arrived in the neighbourhood from Iceland saw the *BC HOOD (RN 46680 grt)* blowing up from the air before coming under heavy A.A. fire from the German ships and forced to take immediate cloud cover.

The HOOD, the mighty HOOD, pride of the Royal Navy and during 20 years the largest warship in the world for much of that time, split in two and sank in three minutes at about 63º 22' North, 32º 17' West. The stern portion sank first, end up and centre down, followed by the bow portion, stem up centre down. It all happened so fast that there was not even time to abandon the ship. Out of a crew of 1,418 men, only 3 survived. Vice-Admiral Holland and his fleet staff, the commander of the HOOD Captain Ralph Kerr, and everyone else perished. The three survivors were rescued after three and a half hours in the water by the DD ELECTRA, and later landed in Reykjavik




_0601 hours. The Hood blows up as seen from the Prinz Eugen. It took the Bismarck 40 shells to sink the Hood. _

DDs ELECTRA, ACHATES, ANTHONY, ECHO, ICARUS, and WINDSOR arrived at Hvalfjord at 2140on the 24th for refuelling. The sixth DD with the BC force, DD ANTELOPE was continuing to search for HOOD survivors until 2200 before proceeding to Hvalfjord. DD MALCOLM from convoy escort duty was also ordered into the area to search for survivors.

After the HOOD blew up, the BISMARCK concentrated her fire on the PRINCE OF WALES. It did not take long for her to gain the upper hand. The British BB had since altered her course to avoid the wreck of the HOOD, and this placed her between the sinking BC and the German ships. The Germans were thus presented with an easily visible and vulnerable target. At 0602, the BISMARCK hit PRINCE OF WALES' bridge, killing everybody there, except the commander, Captain John Leach and another man. The distance had decreased to 15,310 yards, and now even the 10.5 cm heavy AA battery on PRINZ EUGEN (and probably on BISMARCK too, though there is no record of that) entered in action. The PRINCE OF WALES was at a clear disadvantage, and at 0603 launched a smoke screen and retreated from the combat after being hit a total of four times by the BISMARCK and three more by the PRINZ EUGEN. Though by no stretch of the imagination can it be seen that the Prince Of WALES gained an advantage, at some stage BISMARCK suffered at least three hits that were to prove her ultimate undoing. Just after 0605 the German ships began doing a series of avoidance monoeuvres after torpedoes had been erroneously detected by hydrophones and bubble trails spotted from the bridge of PRINZ EUGEN. These sudden changes of course undoubtedly affected the fire of the Germans that didn't get anymore hits on the enemy. The British battleship, in turn, fired three more salvoes with "Y" turret under local control while retreating, but did not obtain any hits either. At 0609 the Germans fired their last salvo and the battle ended. For the British, this must have been incredible, the German ships kept the same course instead of following the damaged PRINCE OF WALES and finishing her off. In fact the Kriegsmarine had a strict policy of not seeking to engage like for like targets as the risk of loss were simply too high, and Hitler had many times repeated this maxim to his naval commanders (though in the angry recriminations that followed the BISMARCKs loss he flatly denied ever having issued such a directive).





_0604-0605 - BISMARCK switches fire to the PRINCE OF WALES _

The PRINZ EUGEN was not hit during the battle and remained undamaged, even though some HOOD'S shells landed close by in the opening phase of the engagement and fragments landed on board. However, the BISMARCK had been hit on the port side by three 14-inch shells. The PRINCE OF WALES had in fact achieved three hits on BISMARCK. The first shell hit BISMARCK amidships below the waterline in section XIV, passed through the outer hull just below the main belt, and exploded against the 45-mm armoured torpedo bulkhead. This hit caused the flooding of the port electric plant No. 4. The adjacent No. 2 boiler room also took some water, but this was contained by the damage control parties through the use of hammocks. The second shell hit the bow in section XX-XXI, just above the waterline. This projectile entered the port side, passed through the ship above the 20-mm upper platform deck without exploding, and exited the starboard side leaving a hole of 1.5 meters in diameter. Around 1,000 tons of salt water got into the forecastle, and as a consequence of this several hundred tons of fuel oil were blocked down in the lower tanks. The third shell simply passed through a boat amidships without any appreciable damage at all.

As a result of these hits, the top speed of the BISMARCKwas temporarily reduced to 27 knots. The BB was 3º down by the bow and had a 9º list to port. Because of this, the blades tips of the starboard propeller were out of the water at times. Therefore the starboard void tanks in sections II and III were flooded to reduce the bow trim and list. The damage was not particularly serious, the BISMARCKmaintained intact her fighting capability, good speed, and there were no casualties among the crew; only five men had been slightly wounded. However, the loss of fuel was to affect the remaining course of action.

*The chase of the BISMARCK*
After the battle in the Denmark Strait, the German ships continued on a SW course. At this time Lütjens had two main options. The first was to return to Norway and the second to carry on into the Nth Atlantic. Today most people agree that, if at all possible, Lütjens should have destroyed or at least disabled the already damaged PRINCE OF WALES, then turn around, and head for Trondheim, via the Denmark Strait. Lütjens could also have taken a shorter path to Bergen, via the Faeroes-Iceland passage, although the chances of being intercepted by Tovey's battle group (KING GEORGE V, REPULSE, and VICTORIOUS) coming from Scapa Flow were greater. as well. Instead, the German Admiral opted not to pursue the PRINCE OF WALES (per his standing directive) and headed for the Atlantic. At 0801, Admiral Lütjens sent a series of messages to the Group North informing it of his intention to take BISMARCKto Saint-Nazaire for repairs. The PRINZ EUGEN, which was undamaged, would stay in the Atlantic to attack enemy convoys on her own. His decision to make for the French Ports was not supported by Captain Lindemann, and Lutjens propensity to break radio silence would give away his position to the British at critical times.

The decision to head for Saint-Nazaire shows that after a survey of the damage sustained, Lütjens had correctly decided to cancel Operation Rheinübung at least temporarily until the BISMARCKcould be repaired in port. But big questions remain as to why he chose to make a run for Saint-Nazaire. The French port was farther than Norway and it required greater fuel expenditure. Lütjens probably thought France was the best place to resume the battle of the Atlantic as soon as possible following Raeder's wishes. In fact, he had successfully entered Brest with SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU a couple of months earlier.

At 0950, Captain Brinkmann was informed by semaphore of the damage received by BISMARCK, and afterwards Lütjens ordered the PRINZ EUGEN to take up position aft of BISMARCK temporarily in order to ascertain the severity of her oil loss. By 1100, the PRINZ EUGEN resumed her previous position in front of the battle group. The three British pursuing ships, now under command of Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, were still shadowing the Germans; the SUFFOLK from the starboard quarter, and the NORFOLK with PRINCE OF WALES from the port quarter. At noon, the German command transferred the operative control of Operation Rheinübung from Group North to Group West, and at 1240 the battlegroup set a new course of 180º due south at 24 knots.


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## Njaco (May 25, 2016)

*May 25 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: After the attack of the Swordfish, the “_Bismarck_” reduced her speed from 27 to 16 knots to do some repairs in the forecastle. The distance between both forces decreased, and at 0131 hours the “_Prince of Wales_” fired two salvos from 15,000 meters (16,000 yards) against the “_Bismarck_” which responded with another two salvos. However the visibility was very bad and no hits were scored. The “_Prinz Eugen_” had escaped, and now it was the “_Bismarck's_” turn to try to shake her pursuers. The crew of the “_Bismarck_” noted that HMS “_Suffolk_” and “_Norfolk_” were staying on her port quarter and that they had begun zigzagging, probably as a precaution against U-boats believed to have been dispatched to help the “_Bismarck_”. Once darkness had fallen, the “_Suffolk_” could maintain contact with the “_Bismarck_” only by radar, but at times her zigzagging took her temporarily out of radar range. Admiral Lütjens, realizing that this might be the case, decided to take advantage of those circumstances and try to break away from his pursuers. At 0306 hours, the “_Suffolk_” was beginning to make another south-eastward swing on her zigzag course which would again put her out of radar contact with the “_Bismarck_” for a few moments. When the cruiser seemed to be approaching the limit of her south-eastward swing, Lütjens ordered the “_Bismarck_” to make an immediate turn to starboard and to continue almost due west at high speed away from the British force. The maneuver worked. When the “_Suffolk_” returned to the south-westward leg of her zigzag course, her radar did not pick up the “_Bismarck_” as it had done after earlier zigzags. Concentrating on the “_Bismarck_”, the “_Suffolk_” was not yet aware that the “_Prinz Eugen_” had already escaped. When the loss of radar contact with the “_Bismarck_” was reported to Admiral Wake-Walker on the “_Norfolk_”, he immediately ordered his two cruisers to steam in a south-westerly and then a westerly direction in an attempt to regain it. Lütjens, however, instead of renewing his southerly course after breaking free, decided to make a wide swing to the north and circle around to the rear of the British ships. Once he had completed the circle, he headed in a southeasterly course toward St. Nazaire. By dawn, it became apparent that the “_Bismarck_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” had successfully eluded their pursuers and that it would take the combined resources of all available British air and sea forces to find them again. British commanders do not know the “_Bismarck’s_” location but Lütjens breaks radio silence to report and this is picked up on the British direction-finding equipment. This information is passed to Admiral Tovey but is at first misinterpreted. Tovey now has “_King George V_” and “_Rodney_”, but both are short of fuel and by this mistake they lose their chance of meeting the “_Bismarck_” unless her speed can be reduced. All British attempts to locate “_Bismarck_”, however, failed. Admiral Tovey continued to sail in a south-westerly direction while the “_Prince of Wales_” was ordered to remain on a southerly course and join his task force. Force H, now more urgently required than before, was proceeding northward off Spain after leaving its convoy a few hours earlier. Other units of the Royal Navy were also converging on the area to assist in the search for the “_Bismarck_”. As soon as it became light enough on the morning of 25 May, the “_Victorious_” was ordered to make an air search to the north-west for the “_Bismarck_”, but by that time she was already south-east of that area and heading further away. Several Swordfish took off and after a search of several hours, they returned without success. One Swordfish did not return and was lost without trace. During the day, the “_Bismarck_” was forced to reduce her speed to a more economical 20 knots instead of her maximum sustained speed of 28 knots. A repair crew was later able to bypass some of the damaged pipes and valving and thereby allow part of the fuel reserves earlier cut off to be tapped for use, but this only slightly alleviated the problem.

German submarine U-103 sank Egyptian ship “_Radames_” off Monrovia, Liberia at 1631 hours, killing 1. At 2213 hours, U-103 struck again, sinking Dutch ship “_Wangi Wangi_”, killing 1.

*ASIA: *At Haiphong in French Indochina, Japanese soldiers remove $10 million worth of American goods from two warehouses.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *100 troop trains are moved every 24 hours as the German High Command builds up its attacking forces on the Russian border.

*GERMANY:* Finnish military delegation arrives for discussions about cooperation against Soviet Union.

German Navy Chief, Admiral Raeder warns that US convoying of British war supplies would be considered an act of war.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: The Germans decide to go on the offensive having now received substantial reinforcement through Maleme airfield on Crete. German Stuka dive bombers attacked Allied lines at 1600 hours, softening defenses for a ground assault toward Galatas on the northern coast. German paratroops and mountain troops attack the town (on the approach to Suda Bay) from both South and West. Allied forces quickly withdraw but a group under Major John Russell holds their position and is surrounded. New Zealand Colonel Howard Kippenberger immediately organizes a scratch force with 2 British light tanks (3rd Hussars) to counterattack. Led by a Maori war chant (haka), New Zealand troops charge into Galatas with bayonets fixed, causing a German retreat and freeing Russell Force. Germans mortar fire pushes them back out of the town with the loss of 1 tank. Elsewhere on the island, German aircraft bombed Heraklion. Australian 19th Infantry Brigade attacked German 2nd Fallschirmjäger Regiment near Retimo. 1st Battalion of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders arrives from Tymbaki on the south coast to reinforce British 14th Infantry Brigade at Heraklion.

Operation MAQ3: British Intelligence had assessed that most of the damaging Stuka attacks on Royal Navy ships in the Mediterranean were being launched from Scarpanto (now known as Karpathos) in the Dodecanese Islands, some 50 miles east of Crete. Commander-in-Chief Admiral Cunningham ordered HMS “_Formidable_” to put to sea and her aircraft were to attack the airfield in an operation code-named Operation MAQ3. “_Formidable_” sailed with a reduced complement of seven Albacores and eight Swordfish along with 13 Fulmars aboard. At noon, Force A departed Alexandria for Scarpanto Island for Operation MAQ3.

Sloop HMS “_Grimsby_” and the supply ship she is escorting on the run to Tobruk are both sunk by bombers northeast of the port.

*MIDDLE EAST:* One of the last two serviceable Bf 110's from II./ZG76 in Iraq, were dispatched against Habbaniyah. Bf 110 WrNr 4035 made a successful wheels-up landing not far from the target, and was recovered by the RAF. Using spare parts salvaged from wreckage found at Mosul, the Bf 110 was restored to airworthiness and test flown, both at Habbaniyah by Sqn Ldr Al Bocking of No 11 Squadron and, later, at RAF Heliopolis near Cairo in Egypt. By now the otherwise anonymous aircraft, which had been adopted as a unit ‘hack’ by RAF No. 267 Squadron, was given the name THE BELLE OF BERLIN, and allocated RAF serial HK846.

Fiat CR-42 fighters of Italian 155th Squadriglia arrive at Aleppo en route to Iraq. British Habforce arrives Habbaniya from Palestine.
*
WESTERN FRONT:* Pierre Laval criticized the Vichy French government during an interview with American journalist Ralph Heinzen in Paris, France.


RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft on anti-shipping missions along coast of occupied Europe. Kriegsmarine mine vessel “_Sperrbrecher-33_” was sunk by RAF aircraft. RAF Bomber Command sends 48 aircraft on minelaying operations off Brest and St Nazaire overnight.

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## Njaco (May 25, 2016)

*May 26 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: In 30 hours since her last sighting by the British, German battleship “_Bismarck_” travels 750 miles Southeast towards France. A Catalina flying boat of RAF Coastal Command 209 Squadron discovers the battleship “_Bismarck_” about 700 nm from Brest, its port of destination at 1030 hours. Another Catalina of RAF No 240 Squadron with Lieutenant James E. Johnson, USN, aboard begins shadowing the German ship. British Admiral Tovey orders Royal Navy ships to the area, including Force H from Gibraltar with aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”. Soon the light cruiser HMS “_Sheffield_” also from Force H, was spotted by the “_Bismarck_”. Now that the “_Bismarck_” had been discovered, it would just be a matter of time before all of the available resources of the Royal Navy would be thrown against her. At 1450 hours 15 Swordfish launch from “_Ark Royal_” but attack British cruiser HMS “_Sheffield_” in error (no damage done) and return to “_Ark Royal_” to reload torpedoes. At 1915 hours, another fifteen Swordfish took off from the “_Ark Royal_”. The torpedo bombers attacked between 2047 and 2115 hours. Two or three torpedoes hit her, one of which hit the stern and jammed her rudder at 12 degrees to port, causing “_Bismarck_” to steam in circles. At 2140 hours, she radioed in the message "Ship unable to maneuver. We will fight to the last shell. Long live the Führer." Tovey sends 6 destroyers to harry “_Bismarck_” and maintain contact overnight while the capital ships converge. On the day when the Luftwaffe can finally protect the ‘_Bismarck_’, a weather front arrives making flying almost impossible. A few planes take off but with no results although one Fw 200 does sight the British fleet. The British fleet is about 750 miles off the French coast while the maximum distance that the Luftwaffe bombers can fly is 550 miles. Take-off is planned for the next morning.

*ASIA:* Eighteen I-153s of Chinese 29th Pursuit Squadron led by squadron commander Yu Ping-Xiang were flying from the region of Gansucheng to Lanzhou when they encountered Japanese fighters. Yu Ping-Xiang and Zhang Senyi were shot down, both baling out. The remainder followed the Squadron Vice-commander Tang (or Tan) Zhouli, but when they landed for refueling, the remaining 16 I-153s were destroyed on the ground by the Japanese. The Japanese didn’t suffer any losses in this attack.

A flight of eleven A6Ms from the 12th Kokutai under the command of Lieutenant Minoru Suzuki flew a long-range attack during the day. They left Ichang base and attacked Tienshui and Nancheng. During the sortie PO3c Masayuki Nakase claimed three enemy aircraft and PO3c Kunimori Nakakariya (in his first combat) claimed two more enemy aircraft.

The Kayaba Ka-1, Army Model 1 Observation Autogyro makes its maiden flight. In 1939, the Japanese Army purchased a Kellet KD-1A single-engine two-seat autogyro from the U.S. (The USAAC purchased nine KD-1s and designated them YG-1s.) Unfortunately for the Japanese, the machine was damaged beyond repair in a crash during flight tests at low altitude. The wreck was delivered to the Kayaba Industrial Co. Ltd. and they were told to develop a similar machine. A two-seat observation machine was built based on the KD-1A but modified to Japanese production standards. This machine makes its first flight today. About 240 Ka-1s were built.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler met with tank generals and tank designers at his residence Berghof in southern Germany. In a similar meeting three months prior he had asked for 75-millimeter guns for Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. Because 75-millimeter guns relied on special tungsten shells, Hitler now asked for 88-millimeter guns to be used for future heavy tanks. He also demanded 100-millimeter frontal armor and 60-millimeter side armor.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: During the day, German aircraft misidentified the German column moving from Galatas, Crete, Greece toward Canea on the Suda Bay. When the German attack around Galatas stalled and the attackers suffered high losses, the Wehrmacht operation staff requested Mussolini to send army units to Crete and thus take some of the pressure off the German forces there. Mussolini immediately agreed, and two days later an Italian regiment, reinforced with armour and artillery, landed near Sitia in the eastern part of the island. Overnight, confused orders from General Freyberg and other Allied commanders cause a botched changeover in front of Canae, allowing Germans to surround 1000 fresh Allied troops held in reserve until this point. Also during the night, British minelayer HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Hero_” and HMS “_Nizam_” arrived at Suda Bay from Alexandria, Egypt and disembarked 750 British commandos under Colonel Robert Laycock; they evacuated personnel from the naval base as they departed.

Operation MAQ3: By 0300 hours, Force A had made its way to about 100 miles south-south-west of Scarpanto. A force of 12 aircraft was ranged on deck for the strike. Things did not go well. Seven Albacores were prepared for the dawn attack. Each carried a load of 4x 250lb GP bombs and 12x 40lb bomblets. Six Fulmars were to join the strike as escort and to strafe the airfield. One of the Albacores failed to start after it had been hauled up to the deck. But the remaining six flew off at 0330 hours. One returned 30 minutes later to make an emergency landing with engine trouble. The Albacore strike was reduced to just four machines. Six Fulmars had been ranged for take-off at 0430 hours after the Albacores had departed. But their launch was delayed by the Albacore’s emergency landing. Once the deck had been cleared and reorganised by 0500, only four Fulmars departed - 30 minutes late. Two had developed faulty engines while warming-up and had been struck below. The four remaining Albacores attacked Scarpanto between 0505 and 0515 hours, dropping their bombs in the dark. A few RAF Wellingtons had timed their arrival to participate in the attack. The Fulmars made their strafing runs at 0545 hours and reported seeing at least two destroyed aircraft on the ground. Observers counted 15 Ju87s and 15 CR42s arrayed in lines on the field. The four Albacores and four Fulmars that participated in the attack all returned safely to “_Formidable_” and Force A then withdrew to the south. While the strike Albacores and Fulmars were over Scarpanto, HMS “_Formidable’s_” radar had been tracking a considerable number of air movements in the area. A fighter section from RAF No. 806 squadron was launched at 0535 hours as a precautionary air patrol. At 0700 hours, Force A’s defenses were augmented by the arrival of the cruisers HMS “_Ajax_” and “_Dido_”, along with the fleet destroyers HMS “_Napier_”, “_Kelvin_” and “_Jackal_”. All morning and into the afternoon, the Fulmars chased and attacked numerous single flights of Ju 88s that tried to attack the formation. All four of these Fulmars landed on HMS “_Formidable_” at 1310 hours. But the Luftwaffe wasn’t finished. After sweeping along the coast towards Alexandria in a hunt for convoys or fast supply ships, the Stukas of II./StG 2 were at the edge of their range and preparing to turn back. This is when Oberleutnant Bernhard Hamester spotted Force A and the ultimate target in the war for the Mediterranean: a British carrier. He immediately led his Staffel in for the attack. The other formations followed suit. On HMS “_Formidable_” the last remaining available Fulmars, Brown Section, were flown off at the same time the Grey and Red Sections came in to land. By the time Brown Section was launched at 1310, the Fighter Controllers had reported the raid appeared to be of several formations. Brown Section, which had not had enough time to gain effective operational height, was directed towards the enemy’s position at 1318. The hostile aircraft were quickly sighted some 5000ft above the Fulmars. German records reveal the attacking force was made up of 17 Ju87Bs from II./StG2 which had flown out of North Africa. They had been joined by 11 Ju88s of LG1. The first Stuka formation was from II./StG2 led by Major Walter Enneccerus. Staffel 4, led by Oberleutnant Eberhard Jakob, and Staffel 6, led by Oberleutnant Fritz Eyer, immediately followed suit. The dive-bombers plunged through the flak to strike the carrier. She was hit twice in a short space of time. “_Formidable’s_” two Fulmars gave chase to the departing Stukas. Each claimed a Stuka destroyed. Brown Section was then forced to break away after being attacked by four Bf110s. At 1400 hours a fresh group of enemy aircraft was detected at 55 miles distance. It was estimated to contain 12 aircraft. At 1425 the formation carried out a high-level bombing attack. Their weapons fell around HMS “_Nubian_” and “_Jervis_”, at that time positioned in the outer screen some 5 miles from the main body of the fleet. HMS “_Nubian_” had been hit aft and had her stern blown off. But the damage was mostly above the waterline, and she was able to continue at 20 knots. A variety of RAF aircraft had appeared over the fleet from 1532 hours onward, but communications and identification proved difficult. HMS “_Ajax_” opened fire on two Blenheim heavy fighters before the error was realized. Several flights of Hurricanes also made appearances over the fleet. Shortly after, the carrier was detached with HMAS “_Voyager_”, “_Vendetta_” and HMS “_Hereward_” for the refuge of Alexandria. HMS “_Decoy_”, which had just rendezvoused with Force A, was also assigned to the carrier’s escort. The night passage was uneventful.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Vivaldi_” and “_Da Noli_” and three torpedo boats and supported by a cruiser and two more destroyers.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Iraqi forces received supplies by train from Vichy French forces in Syria, including 8 155mm guns, 6,000 shells, 30,000 grenades, and 32 trucks. By this date, all German fighters in Iraq had become unserviceable after 10 days of engagements with British fighters; the Germans then evacuated their main base at Mosul, Iraq before the Commonwealth forces could overrun it. Eleven remaining Fiat CR-42 fighters of Italian 155th Squadriglia arrive at Kirkuk and begin attacking British units in the Fallujah-Baghdad area.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Unternehmen Skorpion: Unternehmen Skorpion was intended to recapture Halfaya Pass by a demonstration on a wide front, to bluff the British into a withdrawal. On the frontier, Kampfgruppe von Herff (Oberst Maximilian von Herff), included Panzer Regiment 8 and troops from Motorised Infantry Regiment 15, Reconnaissance Battalion 33 and a battalion of Rifle Regiment 104. The panzer regiment had 160 tanks but insufficient fuel and only 70 panzers were used in the attack. The Kampfgruppe was divided into Group Wechmar on the right, with much of the artillery that was to perform a flanking move to the right towards Deir el Hamra. In the centre, Group Cramer with most of the tanks, was to advance on Sidi Suleiman to the south-west of the pass and on the left (coastal) flank, Group Bach was to advance close to the escarpment against the British infantry positions, where there was bad going for tanks. Group Knabe was held in reserve and if the British stood their ground, Group Wechmar and Group Cramer were to concentrate before attacking. During the evening of 26 May, Kampfgruppe von Herff assembled on the coast at the foot of Halfaya Pass.

*NORTH AMERICA:* America's first experimental blackout takes place at Newark, New Jersey.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb operations while RAF Bomber Command sent 12 aircraft on shipping sweeps. RAF Bomber Command sends 38 aircraft on minelaying operations off Brest overnight.

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## Njaco (May 26, 2016)

*May 27 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Unternehmen Rheinübung: On the morning of 27 May Admiral Tovey maneuvered his squadron so that it would approach the “_Bismarck_” from the west and have the target silhouetted by the morning light. The battleships, “_King George V_” and “_Rodney_”, sailed in line abreast about 550 meter (600 yards) apart toward the last reported position of the enemy. At 0710 hours, battleship “_Bismarck_” sent in what would become her last radio report. She was sighted by battleships HMS “_King George V_” and HMS “_Rodney_” at 0844 hours, and their guns fired 3 minutes later, hitting “_Bismarck_” and quickly disabling her guns. Heavy cruisers HMS “_Norfolk_” and HMS “_Dorsetshire_” joined in on the attack shortly after. After receiving about 400 gunfire hits from the British ships and several torpedo hits from HMS “_Dorsetshire_”, “_Bismarck's_” crew set off scuttling charges in the boiler room to scuttle her. She sank at 1039 hours; 2,091, most of her crew, were killed including Admiral Lütjens and her captain, Ernst Lindemann. German weather ship “_Sachsenwald_” picked up 5 survivors next day. Five Ju 88s of Coastal Gruppe 606 had taken off in the morning to search for the ‘_Bismarck_’ but it was too late. Nevertheless the bombers tried to intervene during the after-battle. Taking aim on a cruiser they dropped their bomb loads. Every bomb misses. An hour later seventeen He 115s of I./KG 28 arrive but the great battleship has already sunk. They instead attack the ‘_Ark Royal_’ but heavy fire from the fleet keeps them away. Following KG 28 were bombers from Kampfgruppe 100, II./KG 1, II./KG 54 and I./KG 77 but they fail to find the British fleet.

German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Colonial_” off Guinea, French West Africa at 0146 hours; the entire crew of 100 survived and rescued by HMS “_Centurion_”.

The first catapult equipped merchantman, the steamship _'Michael E_' puts to sea, with its complement of two Hurricanes. It is later sunk by torpedo.

The convoy HX129, becomes the first to have continuous escort protection across the Atlantic.

*ASIA:* The Battle of South Shanxi ended in Japanese victory with Japanese North China Front Army holding its positions and Chinese 1st War Area of 150,000 troops broken up and out of action.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 64 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: The Battle of 42nd Street: Overnight, Allied troops begin retreating from Canea and Suda Bay, crossing the White Mountains to the South. However, Germans mistakenly push east along the coast road towards Rethymno and Heraklion, where they meet stern ANZAC resistance – The Battle of 42nd Street. The weakened Australian 2/7th and 2/8th Battalions, supported by the New Zealand 21st, 28th, 19th, 22nd and 23rd Battalions, had taken up positions along 42nd Street, south-east of Canea where they formed a rearguard to protect the rest of the Commonwealth forces that were being pushed south. The road was nicknamed after the 42nd Field Company of the Royal Engineers, who had previously been camped there; but was known locally as Tsikalarion Road. The 1st Battalion of the 141st Gebirgsjager Regiment were seen approaching 42nd Street, estimated by the Australian and New Zealand defenders as numbering about 400 men. In response, two companies of the Australian 2/7th Battalion – 'C' and 'D' Companies – charged the Germans, attacking on their flank with bayonets and small arms, and soon heavy close quarters fighting ensued. The New Zealand 28th (Maori) Battalion also joined in the charge, followed by the other battalions, and supported by machine guns of the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion. The charge resulted in the Germans retreating back 1,500 metres. Over 280 Germans were killed and three taken prisoner; 10 Australians from the 2/7th were killed and 28 wounded, while the Maori Battalion suffered a further 14 casualties. The action halted the German 5th Alpine Division for the remainder of the day. That afternoon though, German forces were seen moving to the south-west on the flanks of the mountains trying to encircle the Anzacs. The Anzac troops withdrew joining the columns retreating south. The Mayor of Canea initially refuses to surrender to Germans entering Canea due to the disheveled appearance of their commander Captain von der Heydte. Later Archibald Wavell sent a message to Churchill explaining that Crete was "no longer tenable" and that troops must be withdrawn. The Chiefs of Staff agreed and ordered evacuation. In the afternoon, General Wavell ordered the evacuation of Crete from Sphakia on the south of the island. A brigade of the 'Regina' Division, protected by the RM destroyer _'Crispi'_ and the Spica-class destroyer-escorts _'Lira'_, _'Lince'_, and _'Libra'_, land unopposed at Sitia and link up with the Germans.

“_Scirè_” launched three manned torpedoes into Gibraltar harbor. They failed to damage any enemy vessel.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Allied forces advanced toward Baghdad, Iraq in two columns. From the south, Indian 20th Brigade advanced north along and on the Euphrates River while Indian 21st Brigade advanced on the Tigris River from Basra. From the west, British forces departed Fallujah. Also on this date, 12 Italian CR.42 biplane fighters arrived at Mosul to reinforce the German and Iraqi forces in the area.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Unternehmen Skorpion: Kampfgruppe von Herff attacked the British positions at Halfaya Pass, intending to bluff the British into retiring from the plateau above the escarpment. A panzer battalion west of Fort Capuzzo manoeuvred as a decoy, to give the British the impression that an outflanking move was under way on the desert flank. Only Group Bach encountered opposition and in the afternoon, Herff ordered the tanks of Group Cramer to move northwards to defeat the British at Halfaya. Group Knabe attacked the head of the pass, Group Bach attacked the foot and the panzers appeared at the top of the escarpment and bombarded the coastal plain. The Allied commander of the nine 4th RTR tanks at Halfaya, ordered an advance to engage the German tanks until finally during the morning, Gott authorized a withdrawal. Moubray managed to extricate the battalion, although some Guards were captured at the bottom of the pass by Group Bach. There were no British forces near enough to reinforce and the pass was re-occupied by Axis troops. British casualties were 173 men, four 25-pounder field guns, eight 2-pounder anti-tank guns and five Infantry tanks. Herff reported that forty prisoners, nine 25-pounder field guns, seven Matilda (A12) tanks and two other tanks had been captured. The Coldstream Guards lost 100 men.

The Allies captured Gondar in Ethiopia to complete the elimination of the Italian Empire in East Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Franklin Roosevelt warned America of Nazi designs on the Americas. He promised to extend US patrols in the Atlantic to protect the sea-lanes to Britain, and announced that he had proclaimed an "unlimited national emergency." requiring that its military, naval, air and civilian defenses be put on the basis of readiness to repel any and all acts or threats of aggression directed toward any part of the Western Hemisphere. The US was rearming only for self-defense, he said. He also declares that labour and capital must defer to government mediation processes "without stoppage of work."

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In Britain a secret War Office memo banned Fascists and Communists from joining the Home Guard. All those already in the service are to be dismissed as "Services no longer required".

*WESTERN FRONT:* During an armed reconnaissance mission over the Channel, a He 111 from 4./KG 55 is shot down by P/O F. Oliver of RAF No 66 Squadron in a Spitfire and crashes west of St. Ives, Cornwall.

The Vichy vice-premier, Admiral Darlan, signs the "Paris Protocols", granting Germany access to airfields in the Levant, ports of Bizerte and Sousse for supplying Axis forces in North Africa, and Dakar as U-boat base. In exchange, Germany agrees to release 6000 prisoners including General Juin, allow some rearmament of French forces in North Africa, and grant more freedom of movement for French warships.

RAF Bomber Command sends 14 aircraft on shipping sweeps. RAF Bomber Command sends 60 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations off Boulogne, Brest, and St Nazaire overnight.

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## parsifal (May 27, 2016)

*24 MAY 1941 (PART II)*
*OPERATIONS (CONT'D)*

*Nth Atlantic (CONT'D)*
*Dispositions made by the British Admiralty.*
The unexpected sinking of the HOOD caused enormous indignation in London, and the British Admiralty began to divert all available warships from their original missions in order to join in the chase for BISMARCK. Some accounts claim that the convoys at sea at the time, in the area around the action were left unescorted. This is not generally the case, however.
DDs BULLDOG and AMAZON, corvettes AUBRETIA, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA, and ASW trawler DANEMAN were with convoy SC.31 to the sth of BC HOOD nearest the HOOD sinking. The convoy was taken into Hvalfjord to avoid contact, arriving on the 25th.
BB RODNEY and DDs SOMALI, TARTAR, and MASHONA were ordered to leave troopship BRITANNIC to DD ESKIMO and proceed towards BISMARCK. DD ESKIMO remained with the troopship until 0200 on the 26th when she proceeded to Hvalfjord. The Admiralty ordered RODNEY to operate against BISMARCK and at 1036 on the 24th signalled: "_If BRITANNIC cannot keep up, leave her behind with 1 DD._" Therefore RODNEY and DDs TARTAR, MASHONA and SOMALI left BRITANNIC with DD ESKIMO at noon. BB RAMILLIES to the South of Cape Farewell was also instructed to leave the convoy she was escorting (HX-127) and "_proceed so as to make contact with enemy from westwards, subsequently placing enemy between RAMILLIES and C.-in-C_". In addition, the BB REVENGE in Halifax was ordered to put to sea, and she left port at 1500, then headed east.
DD LANCE proceeded to Hvalfjord at 1030. DDs BEDOUIN and IMPULSIVE having left ML SOUTHERN PRINCE in 48-35N, 31-45W were also en route to Hvalfjord. DDs BEDOUIN and IMPULSIVE remained with ML SOUTHERN PRINCE until 25 May at which time they too joined the hunting groups. DDs BEDOUIN and IMPULSIVE had been detached to refuel with instructions if they encountered the German ships DD IMPULSIVE was to make a contact report, while destroyer BEDOUIN engaged them. DD JUPITER, which had departed Plymouth for Scapa Flow to work up, was diverted to refuel at Skaalefjord and await orders there. On the 26th, the DD was ordered to refuel at Londonderry and join the BB RODNEY.

Despite these extensive calls to any available units of use,. At this point it was the Home fleet that bore the main responsibility for intercepting the German BG and for some critical time the Home Fleet headed north when it should have headed in a southerly direction. By the time the error was realised, the Home Fleet was more than 130 miles astern the BISMARCK.
DDs ELECTRA, ANTHONY, ECHO, and ACHATES departed Hvalfjord at 2200on the 25th to meet BB PRINCE OF WALES.

Submarine THUNDERBOLt departed Halifax on the 25th to attempt to intercept the German ships. Submarine SEALION departed Portsmouth for patrol in Biscay and submarine H.44 departed Holyhead for Biscay. Submarines SEAWOLF, STURGEON, TIGRIS, and PANDORA were also deployed in Biscay to intercept.

*The PRINZ EUGEN is Detached.*
Later that morning of 24 May, Admiral Lütjens had already decided to detach the PRINZ EUGEN, and at 1420 sent a semaphore signal to Captain Brinkmann:

“_Intend to shake stalker as follows: During rain squall, the BISMARCK will change course west. PRINZ EUGEN will maintain course and speed until he is forced to change position or three hours after the departure of Bismarck. Subsequently, is released to take on oil from "Belchen" or "Lothringen". Afterwards, pursue independent cruiser war. Implementation upon cue word, "Hood_".

This was to be a diversionary manoeuvre in which the BISMARCK intended to distract the British ships long enough to let the PRINZ EUGEN escape. Meanwhile, Vice-Admiral Karl Dönitz had ordered the U-boat force a complete cessation of operations against merchant shipping in order to support the BISMARCK. At this time Lütjens urged Dönitz on a radio telegram to assemble his U-boats in quadrant AJ 68. His intention was that BISMARCK would be able to lead the British pursuing ships into a trap the next day. Therefore Dönitz stationed several U-boats (U-93, U-43, U-46, U-557, U-66, U-94) in the given area to the South of the southern tip of Greenland. At 1540, the German battle group entered a rain squall, and the execution order of "Hood" was given. The BISMARCK turned to starboard at 28 knots (speed had been restored), however the SUFFOLK was shadowing with radar very close from the starboard quarter and the manoeuvre failed. Therefore, at 1600 the BISMARCK resumed her position on PRINZ EUGEN'S wake. 2 hrs later, at 1814, repeated the manoeuvre. This time the manoeuvre was successful and the PRINZ EUGEN maintained her course and left the formation. The BISMARCK closed on the SUFFOLK, and at 1830 opened fire from 19,685 yards, but the cruiser quickly retired under a smoke screen. Subsequently, the BISMARCK became engaged with the PRINCE OF WALES at long distance, and after an exchange of shells the fire ceased at 1856. After this action, in which no hits were scored by either side, the SUFFOLK joined the NORFOLK and PRINCE OF WALES back to the port side of the BISMARCK, probably to avoid being surprised by the DKM BB if she decided to reverse her course again. This left BISMARCK’s starboard side open. The British would pay a high price for this manoeuvre a few hours later, but before this they would still have an opportunity to attack the BISMARCK.

The fuel situation aboard BISMARCK had become serious, and at 2056, Lütjens informed Group West that, due to fuel shortage, he was to proceed directly to Saint-Nazaire. In fact, at this time the BISMARCK had less than 3,000 tons of fuel-oil available, and unless some of the 1,000 tons of fuel blocked under the forecastle could be retrieved, the battleship would be forced to slow down in order to reach the French coast. Had BISMARCK been refuelled in Bergen on 21 May, now she would have some 1,000 tons more of additional fuel available. That would have given BISMARCK more freedom of movement and would have enabled Lütjens to make a diversionary manoeuvre to try shake off his pursuers. But the reality was that the fuel shortage hampered the original idea to drive the pursuing British forces into the western U-boat screen, and it forced BISMARCKto follow a steady course to France. As a result of this change of plans, all available U-boats in the Bay of Biscay were now ordered to form a patrol line to cover BISMARCK's new expected course.

*Central Atlantic*
CL EDINBURGH, patrolling near the Azores looking for German blockade runners, was ordered to close DKM BB BISMARCK's last known location. CA DORSETSHIRE left convoy SL.74 without permission. The escort was left to AMC BULOLO. CA LONDON, escorting steamer ARUNDEL CASTLE with DDs HAVELOCK and HARVESTER from Gibraltar to join convoy SL.75, was detached to close BISMARCK's location, but shortly after was directed to the Azores to intercept German tankers. On the 26th, the cruiser was directed to join convoy SL.75. She was diverted to Bathurst, arriving to refuel on the 31st and to join convoy SL.76. On the 25th, the DDs were instructed to reverse course for twelve hours, then return to their original route.

BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, FURY, and HESPERUS departed Gibraltar at 0200 to intercept BISMARCK. At 1245, DDs FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND, and FURY were detached to return to Gibraltar. On the 25th, DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, and HESPERUS returned to Gibraltar to refuel.

BB NELSON was ordered from Freetown to Gibraltar. Later she escorted convoy SL.75 to 46N before returning to Scapa Flow, arriving on 8 June.

*Sth Atlantic*
*Steamer TRAFALGAR (UK 4530 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider ATLANTIS in the sth Atlantic, whilst on voyage from Newport to Alexandria carrying coal.. 12 crew were lost on the steamer.






*Pacific/Australia*
British troopship DUCHESS OF YORK departed Singapore with 326 personnel. The troopship was escorted by CL GLASGOW to 0-50N, 70E when RAN CA CANBERRA relieved the CL. One hundred and forty additional personnel were embarked at Colombo. The troopship arrived at Mombasa on 9 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 MAY TO DAWN 25 MAY 1941

_Weather _Heavy rain and strong, cold wind, clearing later.

_1455-1505 hrs _Air raid alert for a patrol of 12 enemy aircraft which approach to within 10 miles of the north coast of the Island before turning back to the north.
OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 24 MAY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Upholder _sank _Conte Rosso_.

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron PM _Maryland patrol east Sicilian coast. 2 Marylands patrols eastern Tunisian coast including Lampedusa Harbour to Zuara reported several vessels and convoy movements. One Maryland machine-guns a Dornier 18 from 50 feet with no opposition. _139 Squadron _Two Blenheims are despatched to attack merchant vessels south of Djerba and score hits with two bombs.


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## parsifal (May 27, 2016)

*25 MAY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-653




*Losses*
U-103 sank *MV RADAMES (EG 3575 grt)* off the West African Coast. One crewmember lost his life in the attack. The vessel was on passage from Vizagapatam (near Madras, India) to Barry Roads, carrying iron ore, groundnuts and flour. At 1631 hrs the unescorted RADAMES was hit in the stern by one torpedo fired by U-103 after being chased for about five hours and sank slowly by the stern about 80 miles from Monrovia, Liberia.





U-103 sank *MV WANGI WANGI (NL 7789 grt)* off the West African coast whilst on passage from Sydney (Australia) to the Clyde via Durbasn and Freetown. She was carrying steel, lead and other cargo at the time of her loss, and was manned by a 93 man crew, of whom 1 man would be lost in the attack. At 2213 hrs the unescorted WANGI WANGIwas hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-103 and sank after 30 minutes about 90 miles south of Monrovia, Liberia. One Lascarian stoker was lost. The master, 87 crew members and four passengers abandoned ship in a motorboat and a lifeboat, reached the Liberian coast the next day and were taken to Robertsport and later to Freetown. The survivors in one boat were questioned by the Germans, provided the course to Monrovia and offered food and water, but this was refused 





*UBOATS*
Departures
Unknown: U-108

At Sea 25 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-138, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-556, U-557, U-561, UA

27 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*North Sea*
*FV HARRY (Faeroes 125 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW 30 miles nth of Rattray Hd. The vessel was sunk 17 miles NW of Kinnaird Hd after an unsuccessful attempt to tow.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SILVIA (Ger 1049 grt)* was sunk by bombing near Den Helder (at the entrance to the Ijsscelmeer).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
DD JUPITER in the Irish Sea was ordered to join the screen of BB RODNEY. The DD did not join until after BISMARCK had been sunk.

*SW Approaches*
[The BISMARCK operation, despite the post war claims to the contrary had virtually no immediate effect on convoy traffic to and from Britain. Had the Battle group (BG) been able to break into the seal lanes undetected it would have been a different story, and had the BISMARCK been joined by TIRPITZ, SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU, as had been the original planned, there was a strong (or at least arguable) chance that Britain would have been forced to make terms with Germany]. 

OG.63 departed Liverpool escorted by DD READING, corvettes HIBISCUS and PIMPERNEL, ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN, and ASW trawlers RUNSWICK BAY and ST MELANTE. The ocean boarding vessel was detached that same day.
On the 26th, the convoy was joined by DD VANQUISHER and sloop WELLINGTON. On the 27th, corvette FREESIA joined the escort. DD VANQUISHER were detached to Fleet operations and later joined SL.74. On the 30th, DD READING and corvettes FREESIA, HIBISCUS, and PIMPERNEL were detached to convoy SL.74. Corvette JONQUIL, RNN sub O.23, and ASW trawler LADY HOGARTH joined the convoy on 1 June. DD WRESTLER departed Gibraltar on 7 June after submarine attacks to reinforce the convoy to Cape Spartel, then join CV VICTORIOUS. On 7 June, corvette AZALEA joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 7 June.

HG.63 departed Gibraltar escort sloop SCARBOROUGH, RNN sub O.23, and corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL, and ASW trawler LADY HOGARTH. The corvettes, submarine, and trawler were detached on the 31st. On 2 June, the convoy was joined by DDs CAMPELTOWN, WANDERER, and WESTCOTT, corvettes AURICULA, MARIGOLD, and PERIWINKLE, and CAM ship PEGASUS, which was detached on 8 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 9 June.

*Med/Biscay*
An Italian convoy departed Naples on the 24th for Tripoli with *troopships CONTE ROSSO (FI 17,879 grt)* with 2729 troops and crew, MARCO POLO (12,272grt), VICTORIA (13,098grt), and ESPERIA (11,398grt) escorted by DDs FRECCIA and CAMICIA NERA and TBs PROCIONE, ORSA, and PEGASO. The convoy was supported by CAs TRIESTE and BOLZANO and DDs CORAZZIERE, LANCIERE, and ASCARI. The convoy was just clearing the Straits of Messina on the 25th when submarine UPHOLDER sank the CONTE ROSSO ten miles 85° from Capo Murro di Porco. TBs CIGNO, PALLADE, and CLIO were involved in rescuing the survivors from the troopship. After the loss of the CONTE ROSSO, the convoy returned to Naples.




A Convoy to Tobruk consisting of *tkr HELKA (UK 3471 grt)* escorted by sloop GRIMSBY and trawler SOUTHERN MAID was attacked by RA bombers near Tobruk.
HELKA was sunk





In these attacks, *sloop GRIMSBY (RN 990 grt)* was hit by two bombs and also sunk 40 miles northeast of Tobruk. Eleven ratings were lost on the sloop. One crewman and one gunner were lost on the tanker. Trawler SOUTHERN MAID rescued the survivors from both ships.





_View from an unidentified ship of the British sloop HMS Grimsby (left) listing in the water and a tanker, probably the Helka, sinking at right. The ships had been attacked and severely damaged by German aircraft in the waters off the besieged port city of Tobruk_.

*Steamer LEROS (Gk 846 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Heraklion.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.31 arrived at Hvalfjord on the 25th to avoid contact with the DKM BG with DDs CAMPBELTOWN, WANDERER, and WESTCOTT, sloops FLEETWOOD and ROCHESTER, and corvettes AURICULA, DIANTHUS, MARIGOLD, NASTURTIUM, PERIWINKLE, and PRIMROSE which had relieved the DD BULLDOG group the day before. The convoy was able to proceed and arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

*First Air Attack by HMS VICTORIOUS Swordfish Torpedo Planes.*
At 1509 (25th), Admiral Tovey had CV VICTORIOUS and CLs GALATEA, AURORA, KENYA and CLA HERMIONE to close the range and deliver a torpedo attack. At 2210, some 120 miles from BISMARCK, VICTORIOUS launched nine Swordfish torpedo planes of the 825th Squadron under the command of Lcdr Eugene Esmonde. At 2300 (in darkness), they were followed by three Fulmars of the 800Z Sqn, and at 0100 (26th) by two more to maintain touch. Esmonde obtained a surface contact on his ASV (Air-to-Surface Vessel) radar at 2350, and prepared his a/c for the attack, but instead of BISMARCK he initially found the US Coast Guard Cutter MODOC. The BISMARCK, only six miles away, spotted the British a/c and opened fire immediately while increasing the speed to 27 knots.

One Swordfish lost contact with the rest of the squadron in a cloud layer, and only eight planes proceeded to attack around midnight. The German AA fire was very intense but not very accurate and even the main and secondary batteries opened fire. The press buttons of the steering gear were successfully applied to avoid the first six torpedoes when suddenly the battleship was hit. A 18 inch MK XII torpedo struck BISMARCK's starboard side, amidships, at the level of the main belt which resisted the explosion very well. The damage was minimal, although the explosion caused one fatality aboard the ship and seriously injured 6 others.

On a search mission after the raid, sub Lt (A) P. B. Jackson died on the 25th when the plane crashed landed in the sea. A/Sub Lt (A) D. A. Berrill and Leading Airman F. G. Sparkes from Jackson's plane were able to survive in an abandoned lifeboat before being picked on 3 June up by Icelandic steamer LAGARFOSS which took them to Reykjavik. Lt (A) H. C. M. Pollard, sub Lt (A) D. M. Beattie RNVR, and Leading Airman P. W. Clitheroe of 825 Sqn were lost when their Swordfish failed to return on the 26th from a search mission.



+
_BISMARCK Photographed by a Swordfish observer from 825 sqn HMS VICTORIOUS_

Despite the heavy AA none of the attacking Swordfish were shot down, and by 0230, on the 25th all of them had landed safely back on the carrier. However, the last two Fulmars that had been launched were not so fortunate, and they were lost after they ran out of fuel and were forced to land in the sea. The crew of one of them was rescued later by the merchant ship BEAVERHILL.

After the Swordfish attack, the BISMARCK reduced her speed to 16 knots to alleviate the pressure in the forecastle and carry out repairs. The distance between both forces decreased, and at 0131 on 25 May, the PRINCE OF WALES opened fire on BISMARCK. The BBs exchanged two salvoes each at a range of 16,400 yards, but due to the poor visibility neither side scored any hits. Morale aboard the BISMARCK was high and sometime about then, the crew wished the Chief of Fleet a happy birthday by the ship's loudspeaker system.

*Admiral Lütjens Makes His Move.*
All three British ships that were shadowing the BISMARCK from the port quarter had begun to zig-zag in case of a possible U-boat attack. At 0306, taking advantage of the enemy’s disposition and the darkness, Lütjens saw his opportunity to break the contact with his pursuers. The BISMARCK increased her speed to 27 knots and turned to starboard, in a manoeuvre very similar to the one executed the previous afternoon when the PRINZ EUGEN was detached. The BISMARCK succeeded in breaking contact and established a new course of 130º, to Saint-Nazaire. The British ships tried in vain to re-establish contact with the BISMARCK, and at 0401 the SUFFOLK reported: "_Enemy contact lost_."

Vice-Admiral Wake Walker's order to change the position of SUFFOLK in the previous afternoon (24 May) now had its consequences. It gave the BISMARCK room to manoeuvre, and Lütjens pounced on the opportunity. With the SUFFOLK stationed on BISMARCK's starboard quarter, it would have been much more difficult for the DKM BB to break contact.

Nevertheless, on board the BISMARCK they did not realize that the contact had been broken. Lutjens was able to see the radar impulses of the shadowing British cruisers, and automatically assumed those impulses were returning images to those cruisers of the BISMARCK. In fact the radar aboard the RN cruisers was not returning signals strong enough for them to see the German ship. This miscalculation by Lutjens led him to make a couple of serious blunders. At 0700 Admiral Lütjens sent the following message to the Group West: "_One BB, two CAs keeping contact_." At 0900, Lütjens sent another long message to the Group West. Neither message reached Group West until well after 0900, and gave valuable clues as to BISMARCK’s whereabouts to the British. . Ironically, Group West had previously sent (at 0846) a message confirming that the British had lost contact. After this, BISMARCK kept strict radio silence, but the British had already intercepted her signals allowing them to calculate her approximate position.

At 1152, Lütjens received a personal message from Admiral Raeder: "_Heartiest Birthday Wishes! In view of your recent great armed feat, may you be granted many more such successes [as you enter] a new year of your life_!" Minutes later, at noon, Lütjens delivered the following speech to the crew by the loudspeakers:

"_Soldiers of the BISMARCK! You have achieved great fame! The sinking of the HOOD does not only have a military, but also a morale value, because HOOD was England’s pride. The enemy will now attempt to gather its forces and deploy them toward us. Therefore, I released PRINZ EUGEN yesterday noon so that he can conduct his own war on merchant vessels. He has accomplished to evade the enemy. By contrast, because of the hits we have sustained, we have received the order to head for a French harbour. The enemy will gather on the way and will engage us in battle. The German Nation is with you [in spirit] and we will fire until the barrels glow and until the last projectile has exited the barrel. For us the battle cry as of now is: “Victory or death!_”

This speech has been criticised post war as some survivors say it instilled fear and doubt amongst the crew.

At 1625, Lütjens received yet another message of congratulations, this time from Hitler: “_I send to you today my very best congratulation for your Birthday!_" That same afternoon, BISMARCK’s crew began to construct a dummy funnel. This would give the battleship two funnels and hopefully confuse the enemy, should BISMARCK be detected again. During the night of 25/26 May, the BISMARCK maintained her course and there were no incidents on board.

*Central Atlantic*
RN oiler CAIRNDALE and store ship CITY OF DIEPPE departed Gibraltar, escorted by submarine SEVERN. The storeship was detached in 43-00N, 35-00W for St Johns, Newfoundland. The oiler and submarine patrolled in the vicinity of that position to refuel British ships as necessary. On the 25th, submarine SEVERN was recalled to patrol in the Straits of Gibraltar against a possible passage by the DKM BB BISMARCK. Submarines SEVERN and CLYDE departed Gibraltar on the 27th for this patrol. When word of the sinking of the BISMARCK was received, SEVERN was ordered to overtake storeship CITY OF DIEPPE and escort her. This was later cancelled and submarine was ordered to return to Gibraltar. Oiler CAIRNDALE was also ordered to return to Gibraltar. DD WISHART arrived at Gibraltar from Bathurst. CL DUNEDIN departed Gibraltar for Freetown. Her defective boiler had been blanked off. DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar to meet arriving CVE ARGUS and escort her to Gibraltar

*Malta*
AMMUNITION USAGE FOR WEEK ENDING 25 MAY
4.5” HE 191 rounds
3.7” HE 1260 rounds
3” HE 134 rounds
40mm 40 rounds

AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 MAY TO DAWN 26 MAY 1941
_Weather _Very hot.

_1150-1214 hrs _Air raid alert for 30 to 40 enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the north and withdraw before reaching the coast.

_1327-1430 hrs _Observers report the approach of three formations of enemy aircraft which have not been reported by fighter control and raise the alarm. While one plot of four ME 109s circles the Island, apparently screening aircraft in transit between Tripoli and Sicily, a second formation turns inland and is over Ta Qali moments after the alert sounds. The ME 109s machine-gun a searchlight station on the airfield, wounding one gunner. Two Hurricanes are burned out and three others seriously damaged on the ground (but repairable). A Lister engine is damaged and 90 gallons of oil are lost. One pilot and one airman are injured by shrapnel and admitted to hospital; two other airmen are slightly wounded. Bofors, heavy and light anti-aircraft guns engage; the Bofors claims hits on two ME 109s. One ME 109 is believed probably shot down into the sea. No Hurricanes are scrambled owing to the apparent error in fighter control which is immediately under investigation.

_1755-1820 hrs _Air raid alert for a large fighter patrol which scouts round the Island. Seven Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders do not cross the coast; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 25 MAY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _Since it is now apparent that Lampedusa is used as a refuge for small merchant vessels on the Sicily to Tripoli route, 4 Swordfish were despatched to lay ‘cucumber’ magnetic mines. A fifth Swordfish carried flares but owing to electrical failure none were dropped. Illuminating cartridges lit the harbour for short periods enabling two cucumbers to to be laid near the harbour entrance. Moderate light anti-aircraft fire was encountered. Two Swordfish returned with their cucumber mines, one with engine trouble. All aircraft returned safely.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland; transatlantic flying boat Golden Horn from Gibraltar carrying Air Vice Marshal Lloyd, MC, DFC. _Departures _1 Sunderland; transatlantic flying boat._ 69 Squadron _Maryland southern part of eastern Tunisian coast. Maryland reconnaissance northern part eastern Tunisian coast. Maryland patrol east of Malta up to Cape Stilo for a convoy reported yesterday by a submarine. Maryland photoreconnaissance Tripoli reports convoy. Maryland reconnaissance eastern Sicilian coast reports enemy vessels.

_LUQA _Six Blenheims 139 and 82 Squadrons searched for troopships without success


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## Njaco (May 27, 2016)

*May 28 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Throughout the day the Luftwaffe sends bombers over the British fleet returning from the sinking of the ‘_Bismarck_’. With 218 sorties flown over the past several days, the Luftwaffe manages only to sink a single destroyer. Low on fuel after the hunt for “_Bismarck_”, British destroyers HMS “_Tartar_” and HMS “_Mashona_” return slowly to Scapa Flow, Scotland. German bombers attacked HMS “_Tartar_” and HMS “_Mashona_” 100 miles west of Ireland in the morning, killing 36 men as a bomb hit “_Mashona_”. HMS “_Tartar_” rescued 184 survivors and destroyers HMS “_Sherwood_” and HMCS “_St. Clair_” scuttled “_Mashona_” with gunfire.

German submarine U-107 sank Greek ship “_Papalemos_” off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1600 hours; 2 were killed and 27 survived.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 14 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine battleship “_Tirpitz_” at Kiel overnight without success.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: The British decide that Crete is lost and begin evacuating its forces from the island. Allied troops retreat south from Canae and Suda Bay to evacuate from Sphakia on the South side of the island, while Colonel Laycock’s commandos fight a rearguard action. At dawn near Stylos on the route to Sphakia, ANZAC troops ambush German 85th Mountain Regiment, ending a week of bravery - once silencing a mortar and three snipers - that wins the VC for Sergeant Clive Hulme, New Zealand 2nd Division. British cruisers HMS “_Ajax_”, HMS “_Orion_”, and HMS “_Dido_” and destroyers HMS “_Decoy_”, HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Imperial_”, HMS “_Hotspur_”, HMS “_Kimberly_”, and HMS “_Hereward_” departed Alexandria, Egypt for Heraklion, Crete to help with the evacuation. German aircraft damaged HMS “_Ajax_” (killing 6, wounding 18, and forcing her to turn back) and HMS “_Imperial_” (wounding 1). The force, less “_Ajax_”, arrived at Heraklion at 2330 hours. Italian SM.84 bombers damaged the destroyer HMS “_Imperial_” (later scuttled).

*MIDDLE EAST:* Indian 20th Brigade, en route to Baghdad in Iraq, reached the city of Ur. The Vichy French won their first air victory when Lt. Vuillemin of 7 Squadron 1st Fighter Group (GCI/7), shot down an RAF Blenheim reconnaissance plane, while he was flying a Morane 406. Reinforcements also arrive for the French in the form of twenty-eight Dewoitine D.520s, France's most modern fighter. 6 Squadron, 3rd Fighter Group (GCIII/6) lands at Rayak after a journey from Algeria which began on May 24 and skirted the northern coast of the Mediterranean; 2 of the planes were lost over Turkey.

*NORTH AFRICA:* British General Archibald Wavell ordered Operation Battleaxe against Axis positions in Libya. It was to be launched on 7 June.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British Lord Woolton announced experimental egg rationing and further restrictions on fish and milk. Successful prosecutions under Food Control Orders now totaled 17,319.

South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts was appointed as a Field Marshal in the British Army. He was the first South African to hold the rank.

British government concludes formal agreement with Norwegian government-in-exile for establishing Norwegian armed forces under Allied command.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Fighter Command sends a sweep along the French coast.

.


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## Njaco (May 28, 2016)

*May 29 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-557 sank British ship “_Empire Storm_” in the North Atlantic at 2043 hours; 3 were killed, 40 survived and were rescued by Norwegian ship “_Marita_”.

German submarine U-38 sank British ship “_Tabaristan_” 250 miles off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 2350 hours; 21 were killed, 39 survived and were rescued by British armed trawlers HMS “_Bengali_” and HMS “_Turcoman_”.

*GERMANY: *13 British and Polish prisoners of war of Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, Germany attempted to escape via a tunnel, but the attempt was a failure.

The German Navy began to execute its plans for the invasion of the Soviet Union.

*MEDITERRANEAN* Unternehmen Merkur: With evacuation of British 14th Infantry Brigade, German 1st Fallschirmjaeger Regiment moves into Heraklion. German forces pushing eastward reach Retimo. A British force of cruiser and destroyers embarked 3,486 men at Heraklion, Crete and departed for Egypt at 0245 hours. At 0400 hours, HMS “_Imperial's_” steering failed. She transferred her crew and passengers, and then was scuttled by HMS “_Hotspur_”. After dawn, HMS “_Hereward_” was bombed by Italian aircraft, 76 were killed and 89 survivors were captured. Cruisers HMS “_Orion_” and HMS “_Dido_” were also attacked, killing 105 crew and 260 passengers on the former and 27 crew and 100 passengers on the latter. The force would finally arrive at Alexandria, Egypt at 2000 hours.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The last three remaining He-111s of the Junck Special Unit fly their last mission. British forces push to within five miles of Baghdad. RAF aircraft attack Italian airfield at Kirkuk. One Italian Fiat CR-42 fighter shot down by an RAF Gladiator. 2/4th Gurkha Battalion of Indian 20th Infantry Brigade airlifted from Basra to Habbaniya.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Navy extended its boundaries of Neutrality Patrol to North and South Atlantic.

In Washington, an Army-Navy planning board draws up a plan for the occupation of the Portuguese Azores Islands in the event that Germany invades Spain and/or Portugal. The joint Army-Marine occupation force of 14,000 Marines and 14,000 troops will be commanded by Major General Holland M. Smith, USMC, Commanding General 1st Marine Division.

U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron Fifty Two (VP-52), based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Argentia, Newfoundland with PBY-5 Catalinas, deploys four aircraft to Reykjavik, Iceland, based on the seaplane tender (destroyer) USS “_Belknap_” (AVD-8). The aircraft survey the east coast of Greenland where Danish weather stations are suspected of being in use by the Germans for relaying weather forecasts to the submarine wolfpacks. Inspections of the facilities shows that they are abandoned and the detachment returns to NAS Argentia on 8 June 1941.

The US agrees to train RAF pilots to fly American planes supplied under Lend-Lease.The U.S. Army Air Corps (superseded by the US Army Air Forces effective 20 June 1941) activates the Air Corps Ferrying Command to assist the British in the movement by air of American-built planes from factories in the United States to Britain and the Middle East. Initially, the aircraft were flown to Canada or to bases in the U.S. where British pilots would pick them up. But the command was shortly tasked with delivering aircraft across the Atlantic to the UK and Africa.

The U.S. Navy's Task Group Three (TG 3) consisting of the aircraft carrier USS “_Ranger_” (CV-4), heavy cruiser USS “_Tuscaloosa_” (CA-37) and three destroyers, gets underway from Bermuda for a 4,000+ mile (6,437+ km) neutrality patrol in the Atlantic that will end in Bermuda on 8 June.

*WESTERN FRONT:* “_Prinz Eugen_” arrived at Brest, France effectively ending Unternehmen Rheinübung.

.


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## parsifal (May 30, 2016)

*26 MAY 1941 (PART I)*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS EASTBOURNE (J-127)





Flower Class Corvette HMS STARWORT (K-20)





Fairmile B ML 243
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vosper 70’ MTB 38
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 26 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-138, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-556, U-557, U-561, UA

27 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer GROS PIERRE was damaged by the LW off Sunderland (just sth of Newcastle on Tyne). The steamer was beached. She was refloated and repaired.

*Northern Waters*
DD HAMBLEDON arrived at Loch Ewe for refueling. HAMBLEDON and sloops SUTLEJ and STORK returned to Scapa Flow after this duty on 1 June.

Sub P.32 departed Holy Loch for the Med. On the 31st, the sub was damaged by near misses by the the LW off Cape Finisterre. Sub P.32 arrived at Gibraltar on 3 June and was under repair 4 June to 4 July.

British trawler H. E. STROUD was damaged by the LW ten miles 135° from Lamb Head, Stronsay (Orkneys). One crewman was killed. The trawler was towed by another trawler to Kirkwall and later repaired.

*West Coast*
Sub H.31 ran aground at Lagan. The sube was repaired at Belfast from 28 May to 9 June

*Western Approaches*
BB RAMILLIES rejoined HX.127 after an uneventful part in the BISMARCK chase. DDs FARNDALE and HAMBLEDON and sloops SUTLEJ and STORK departed Scapa Flow to also join the convoy 

*SW Approaches*
*The BISMARCK is Located.*

On the morning of 26 May, as the BISMARCKwas approaching the French coast, the crew was ordered to repaint the top of the main and secondary turrets yellow. Hard job considering the state of the seas, nevertheless it was carried out although the yellow paint washed off at least once.

A few hours earlier, at 0300, two Coastal Command Catalina flying boats had taken off from Lough Erne in Northern Ireland on a recon mission in search for the BISMARCK. At about 1010, Catalina Z of 209 Sqn commanded by Dennis Briggs sighted BISMARCK which responded with accurate AA fire. The Catalina jettisoned her four depth charges and took evasive action after her hull was holed by shrapnel. Then reported: "_One BB, bearing 240º, distance 5 miles, course 150º. My position 49º 33' North, 21º 47' West. Time of transmission 1030/26._" After more than 31 hours since the contact was broken, the _Bismarck_ had been located again. Unfortunately for the British, however, Admiral Tovey's ships were too far away from the BISMARCK. The KGV was 135 miles to the north, and the RODNEY (with a top speed of 23 knots) was 125 miles to the NE. They would never catch up with the BISMARCKunless her speed could be seriously reduced.

Only the Force H, under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir James F. Somerville, which had sailed from Gibraltar, had a chance to intercept BISMARCK. ARK ROYAL, RENOWN, and SHEFFIELD accompanied by DDs FAULKNOR FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FORTUNE FOXHOUND and FURY were dispatched to the Atlantic on 23 May to search for the BB. On 26 May, a Swordfish from _ARK ROYAL _located BISMARCKand began to shadow her, while the Home Fleet continued their pursuit.




_A Swordfish from ARK ROYAL returns after the first attempted airstrike on the BISMARCK_

The ARK ROYAL had despatched 10 Swordfish at 0835 to carry out searches. Once the report of the Catalina sighting arrived, the two closest Swordfish altered course to intercept. At 1114, Swordfish 2H located the BISMARCK, followed seven minutes later by the 2F. Shortly afterwards two more Swordfish, fitted with long-range tanks, were launched to relieve 2H and 2F and keep touch with BISMARCK. BISMARCK’s attempts to remain undetected had failed.

At 1450, 15 Swordfish commanded by LCDR J. A. Stewart-Moore completed launch and formed up for a strike to attack the BISMARCK. At 1550, they obtained radar contact with a ship and dived to attack. The attack, however, turned out to be a failure since the ship sighted was actually the CL SHEFFIELD which had been detached from Fce H to make contact and shadow the BISMARCK. In the friendly fire incident that followed, no hits, no a/c losses and no casualties were suffered. SHEFFIELD was not hit by any of the 11 torpedoes launched because they had faulty magnetic pistols. This information was transmitted back to the ARK ROYAL and adjustments made to the torpedo settings to compensate for follow up strikes. Two torpedoes exploded upon hitting the water, three on crossing the cruiser wake, and the other six were successfully avoided. The Swordfish returned to the ARK ROYAL where they landed after 1700 with difficulty, but here the superior rough weather characteristics of the Swordfish were a standout feature of the operation. The rise and fall of the stern was measured to be 56 feet, and three a/c smashed their undercarriages against the flight deck (they were repaired and returned to service within hours). Shortly afterwards, at 1740, the SHEFFIELD obtained visual and radar contact with the BISMARCK.

The ARK ROYAL launched a second strike for a night time attack, an extremely difficult undertaking. The RN knew this was their last real chance to stop or at least slow down the BISMARCK. If they failed again, the BISMARCKwould be within range of LW lr fighter cover and probably reach the French coast on the next day, since another air strike late at night was unlikely to succeed. Therefore, at 1915, another group comprised of fifteen Swordfish, mostly the same used in the previous attack, took off from the ARK ROYAL, and this time their torpedoes were armed with contact pistols.

At 1910, ARK ROYAL launched 4 Swordfish of 810 Sqn, 4 of 818 Sqn, and 7 of 820 Sqn. At 2230on the 26th, the Swordfish attacked battleship BISMARCK. A hit wrecked the battleship's steering gear. In 1 Swordfish of 820 Sqn, sub Lt (A) F. A. Swanton and Leading Airman J. R. Seager of 820 Sqn were wounded and Sub Lt (A) G. A. Woods RNVR, was unhurt when the a/c was badly shot up.

Meanwhile, the pursuing British forces had run across U-556 which sighted BC RENOWN and the ARK ROYALat 1948. The U-Boat was in a good firing position, but could do nothing as it had no torpedoes left after its attacks on HX 126.

The Swordfish striking force, this time under the command of Lcdr T.P. Coode, first approached the SHEFFIELD to get the range and bearing to the BISMARCK, and at 2047, began the attack. BISMARCK's AA battery opened fire immediately. During the course of the attack, the BISMARCKreceived at least two torpedo hits (RN sources claim 3, German sources admit only 2). One torpedo (or two) hit the port side amidships, and another struck the stern in the starboard side. The first hit(s) did not cause important damage, but the stern hit jammed both rudders at 12º to port. The hit in the rudder machinery robbed BISMARCK of steering capability, so that the ship circled and speed slowly dropped from 24 kn to 13 kn. An attempt was made to seal the leak in compartment II with a furthering sail; however, these efforts failed due to the high seas. After some time, divers were able to rig a manual rudder to reestablish makeshift steering capability of BISMARCK. At the same time, the ship was brought up head-to-wind against the sea by reverse steering with the screws. A speed of 19-24kn was apparently resumed after reestablishment of some steering capability. Bismarck had a list of almost 5 degrees. The re-establishment of limited control was not enough to enable her to escape…..The ship was doomed. 




_“Air Attack on the BISMARCK” a post war painting of the great event_

At 2140, an encrypted radio telegram time-segment 2140 to Supreme Command of the Navy and Group West from Chief of Fleet [Admiral Lütjens]:“_Ship unmanouverable [ship’s rudder unresponsive]. We will fight until the last shell. Long live the Führer_!” Chief of Fleet.

Thus, from this radio that, according to the testimony of the survivors, the utilization of the manual rudder control was just an was just an emergency measure without lasting effectiveness. Instead, attempts were made to hold the ship head-to-sea by steering with the screws, without success.

Most of the accounts that have survived suggest continued iron discipline aboard the ship, but a perceptible loss of morale as a realization of their fate became general knowledge.

Where all the might and power of the RNs battlefleet could not make a difference on the BISMARCK, a fabric covered obsolete a/c flying in the worst imaginable conditions could ensure BISMARK’ destruction.

The impact in the stern area caused the flooding of the steering and other adjacent compartments. This meant that all repair attempts would have to be done under water. Divers were ordered to enter the steering compartment in order to free the rudders, but the violent movement of the water inside made this an impossible task. It was not possible to lower divers over the side due to the high seas. As an alternative, it was considered to blow the rudders away with explosives and try to steer the ship using the propellers alone, but the idea was rejected fearing that the explosion could damage the propellers.

*DDs Attack BISMARCK.*
At 0200 on the 26th, DDs COSSACK, SIKH, and ZULU were detached from WS.8B to join the main body of the Home Flt. DDs MAORI and ORP PIORUN were detached from the same convoy to join BB RODNEY. DDs ICARUS, WINDSOR, RCN SAGUENAY, ACTIVE, and RCN ASSINIBOINE departed Reykjavik at 0800 on the 26th to join CV VICTORIOUS. DD ANTELOPE remained at Reykjavik with defects that made her unfit for sea. DDs INGLEFIELD, RAN NESTOR, PUNJABI, LEGION, and LANCE departed Iceland for Londonderry. The DDs refuelled on the 28th. DD SOMALI was detached on the 26th from battleship RODNEY to refuel. DDs TARTAR and MASHONA were detached from BB RODNEY during the night of 26/27 May to refuel.

At 2310/26th, DDs COSSACK and ZULU sighted the DKM BB. At 0100/27th, DDs COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH, and ZULU carried out torpedo attacks. DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and ZULU were damaged by splinters from the BB's fire. Three crew on ZULU were wounded. Several crew on DD MAORI, including Cdr H. T. Armstrong were wounded. CL SHEFFIELD exchanged shots with the BISMARCK. The CL was damaged by splinters and sustained 12 men wounded; 3 of these ratings died of wounds.

After the aerial torpedo attack, the new erratic course of the BISMARCKcaused her to close the range with the SHEFFIELD. At about 2145, BISMARCKopened fire on the SHEFFIELD at a range of about nine miles. BISMARCKfired a total of six salvoes and the British cruiser turned away to the north under the cover of a smoke screen. The SHEFFIELD was not hit, but some splinters disabled her radar and injured twelve men of whom three died later.3 The turn caused SHEFFIELD to lose contact with BISMARCK, but at 2200, she made contact with the DD of Capt Vian’s DesFlot 4the (COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU, SIKH and ORP PIORUN), and provided them with the approximate bearing and distance to the BISMARCK.

At 2238, the ORP DD PIORUN sighted the BISMARCK, which responded with three salvoes. The DDs proceeded to attack, but BISMARCKdefended herself vigorously in the dark. At 2342, splinters knocked down COSSACK's antennas. Shortly after midnight, on the 27th, star shells from the DDs began to illuminate the area. About an hour later, a star shell fell on BISMARCK's bows starting a fire there that had to be extinguished by some crew members. Throughout the night the DDs attacked the BISMARCK. These attacks were carried out in heavy seas, rain squalls and low visibility, and no torpedo hits were obtained, that time after time repelled every attack with heavy and accurate fire from her main and secondary batteries. By 0700, a total of 16 torpedoes had been fired by DesFlot 4.

*Med/Biscay*
British commando ship GLENROY departed Alexandria on the 25th escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs STUART (RAN) and JAGUAR. The movement was covered by Force A. The mission was abandoned later in the day after damage to the commando ship suffered bomb damage from the LW attacks. The GLENROY force returned to Alexandria.

Convoy AN.31 of three Greek ships departed Alexandria for Crete escorted by and sloop AUCKLAND. AN.31 was joined by CLA CALCUTTA and DD DEFENDER. Greek steamer ALFIOS returned to Alexandria after an engine failure. The convoy was ordered back to Alexandria on the 27th

*Steamer EMMANUEL PTERIS (Gk 145 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Candia Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ROKOS (Gk 6426 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Suda Bay.




RM TBs CIRCE, CALLIOPE, CLIO, and PERSEO laid mines east of Malta.

An Italian supply convoy of steamers ANDREA GRITTI, SEBASTIANO VENIER, MARCO FOSCARINI, RIALTO, ANKARA, and BARBARIGO, escort DDs VIVALDI and DA NOLI and TBs CIGNO, PEGASO, PROCIONE, departed Naples for Tripoli. Distant cover was given by CL CARDONA and DDs MAESTRALE and GRECALE.
An air attack on the convoy from aircraft from Malta damaged steamers SEBASTIANO VENIER and MARCO FOSCARINI. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 28th.

ML ABDIEL and DDs HERO and RAN NIZAM departed Alexandria on the 26th landed the troops, originally embarked on troopship GLENROY, then DDs ISIS, NIZAM, DECOY, and HERO, at Suda Bay during the night of 26/27 May. 750 troops were landed., whilst 930 unnecessary personnel were evacuated. The movement was covered by BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and BARHAM with DDs HASTY, JANUS, NAPIER, JERVIS, and KELVIN.

A planned sweep off Milos by DDs NUBIAN, KANDAHAR, and JANUS in the night of 26/27 May with a feint staged by CL AJAX and CLA DIDO and DDs NAPIER (RAN), KELVIN, and JACKAL was cancelled after air attacks which damaged FORMIDABLE and NUBIAN.


----------



## parsifal (May 30, 2016)

*26 MAY 1941 (PART II)*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]*
*Med/Biscay (Cont'd)*
*Operation MAQ 3*
Operation MAQ 3 was put into motion. BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and BARHAM, CV FORMIDABLE (with 27 a/c), and DDs JERVIS, NUBIAN, HEREWARD, KANDAHAR, HASTY, JANUS, and RAN VOYAGER, and VENDETTA departed Alexandria. 

It was a move hinting at desperation and bowing to the intense political pressure being applied to the navy at that time. The Navy was suffering acute shortages of a/c due to the priority given to Hurricane and Spitfire production several months earlier. 

British Intelligence had assessed that most of the damaging Stuka attacks were being launched from Scarpanto, some 50 miles east of Crete. HMS FORMIDABLE’s aircraft were to attack the airfield.
In a marathon effort, FORMIDABLE had been able to restore 803 and 806 Sqns to a total of 27 aircraft. A narrative dated 24 May, 1948, by Admiral Cunningham reports the carrier had a total of 12 operational Fulmars (though some were rated as “suspect”). 

Captian A.W. Bisset’s Proceedings Report adds that Formidable sailed with a reduced complement of seven Albacores and eight Swordfish. There were 13 Fulmars aboard, though one was already unserviceable after a deck-landing accident.

Nevertheless, the number was considered adequate to protect the carrier, the fleet, and conduct a strike.
At noon on May 25, Force A departed Alexandria for Scarpanto Island for operation M.A.Q.3.
By 0300 on May 26 the fleet had made its way to about 100 miles SSW of Scarpanto. A force of 12 aircraft was ranged on deck for the strike.

Things did not go well. Seven Albacores were prepared for the dawn attack. Each carried a load of 4x 250lb GP bombs and 12x 40lb bomblets. Six Fulmars were to join the strike as escort and to strafe the airfield. Admiral Cunningham’s report states: 

_“Of four other aircraft intended to take, part in the attack, two could not be flown off and two returned to the carrier owing to unserviceability.”_

_



_
_Readying a/c for the strike on Scarpanto _

One of the Albacores failed to start after it had been hauled up to the deck. But the remaining six flew off at 0330.
One returned 30 minutes later to make an emergency landing with engine trouble. Its wingman subsequently lost touch with the main formation and, after a fruitless effort trying to find it, also returned to the carrier at 0509. The Albacore strike was reduced to just four machines.

Six Fulmars had been ranged for take-off at 0430 after the Albacores had departed. Their mission was to make strafing runs as the Albacores attacked. But their launch was delayed by the Albacore’s emergency landing. Once the deck had been cleared and reorganised by 0500, only four Fulmars departed - 30 minutes late. Two had developed faulty engines while warming-up and had been struck below.

The 4 remaining Albacores attacked Scarpanto between 0505 and 0515, dropping their bombs in the dark. A few RAF Wellingtons had timed their arrival to participate in the attack. The Fulmars made their strafing runs at 0545 and reported seeing at least two destroyed aircraft on the ground. Observers counted 15 Ju87s and 15 CR42s arrayed in lines on the field. 

The 4 Albacores and 4 Fulmars that participated in the attack all returned safely to FORMIDABLE – the TSRs at 0625 and the fighters at 0655. Force A then immediately began its withdrawal to the sth. Admiral Cunningham’s narrative states that FORMIDABLE had only 8 remaining serviceable a/c at this point. These would sortie 24 times during the forenoon, engaging in 20 combats, he wrote. Such was the dire condition of the FAA as all available resources were being diverted to the RAF.

While the strike Albacores and Fulmars were over Scarpanto, HMS FORMIDABLE’s radar had been tracking a considerable number of air movements in the area. Some were believed to have been the Wellingtons that had attacked Scarpanto. But others were unidentified. As the radar contacts continued to appear after dawn, a fighter section from 806 sqn was launched at 0535 as a precautionary air patrol. At this time Force A was about 100 miles SW of Scarpanto..

Grey Section was ordered to attempt an interception at 0640 when an unidentified echo was detected at 45 miles. This could have proven difficult: the Fulmars from the Scarpanto raid were beginning to land on the carrier. Grey Section was recalled when the contact was lost.

A second detection was made at 0700, with an echo coming from the north at 55 miles. The fighters encountered a Ju88, but the bomber’s speed was too great for an effective engagement. Captain Bisset’s “Report of Proceedings” says Grey Leader’s a/c was received slight bullet damage in this encounter.
Also at 0700, Force A’s defences were augmented by the arrival of CL AJAX and CLA DIDO, along with the fleet DDs NAPIER, KELVIN and JACKAL.





_HMS FORMIDABLE suffers a direct hit_

A relief patrol, White Section, was launched at 0733 and almost immediately directed towards a new contact. This Ju88 was engaged and shot down about 30 miles nth of the fleet at 0750.
A third fighter patrol was launched at 0810. Designated Black Section, it was later ordered to intercept a contact 10 miles nth of the fleet. They engaged at 0840. Black 2 (piloted by Jackie Sewell of 806 Sqn) claimed to have shot the He111K down. It was Sewell’s 13th victory.

As Black Section was returning it was redirected towards a new echo. At 0855 they engaged and drove off a Ju88. It was seen flying low and slow with its starboard engine stopped before it ditched. Most accounts agree that it failed to return. 
The engagement came at a price: Black Leader, flown by 806’s Sqn Leader Garnett, was hit in the engine cooling system and was forced to ditch near the fleet. DD HEREWARD came to the rescue of both crew members at 0940. Black 2 landed on FORMIDABLE 5 mins later.

Brown Section had been launched as replacement air patrol at 0903. They were directed to a contact 40 miles from the fleet which they engaged at 0944. Piloted by Lt Bob MacDonald-Hall and Sub Lt Graham Hogg, the pair of Fulmars intercepted a two Ju88s. Attacking in unison, one Ju88 was set on fire. Following it down, the Fulmars observed the bomber striking the sea. This action made Sub Lt Hogg an ace. 

Yellow Section was launched on air patrol at 0948. For a time, the flt had four Fulmars in the air. At 1008 Yellow and Brown Sections were sent to a contact to the SE. Both flights failed to intercept and the enemy a/ct sighted the fleet about 1015 before passing out of range to the NW at 1030. Another failed interception occurred after an echo was located 70 miles from the fleet at 1050. Yellow Section was directed to intercept, but failed to gain visual contact with the enemy. The a/c circled the flt from 1110 at a distance of 15 miles. Attack on the flt appeared inevitable. 

Grey Section had taken of at 1100. The FCs directed the Fulmars into a favourable position by 1120. The Ju88 sighted the approaching fighters and turned to flee. The chase lasted some 10 minutes, but the Fulmars were not able to get any closer than 600 yards. 

Grey Section aborted the chase at 1135, and the Ju88 turned back shortly afterwards.

Grey 2, which had become detached during the initial interception, was sent after the bomber at 1200. Once again, the Ju88 proved too fast for an effective attack.

Force A altered course once again. This time it turned west to provide distant cover for a convoy – a convoy the Germans determined to attack.

Red Section’s Fulmars took to the air at 1212. By 1220 the fighters had gained enough height to join in the patrol. They were directed towards the same elusive Ju88, which was sighted at 1225.

This time the Fulmars were in a favourable position and were able to make a good attack run. The Ju88, apparently not significantly damaged, retired to the NW. It survived the attack. All 4 of these Fulmars landed on HMS FORMIDABLE at 1310.

The German attack came after sweeping along the coast towards Alexandria in a hunt for convoys or fast supply ships, the Stukas of II/StG 2 were at the edge of their range and preparing to turn back. 

This is when Oberleutnant Bernhard Hamester spotted Force A and the ultimate target in the war for the Mediterranean: a British carrier. He did not hesitate. He immediately led his staffel in for the attack, whilst sending a message for other formations to follow suit.

The last remaining available Fulmars, Brown Section, were flown off at the same time the Grey and Red Sections came in to land. It was directed towards a contact that the radar office had been tracking since 1240 at a distance of 87 miles. By 1253 the signal was shown to be closing with the fleet, and by all indications it was a large gp of bogies.

Force A was logged at 1300 as being some 90 miles NE of Bardia. At 1310, the Battle Sqn was recorded as being 150 miles from Kaso Strait. By the time HMS FORMIDABLE launched Brown Section at 1310, the FCs had reported the raid appeared to be several formations ranging from 30 to 39 miles in distance. Another set of contacts had been made to the west: these were 47 miles, 58 miles and 61 miles away respectively.

Brown Section, which had not had enough time to gain effective operational height, was directed towards the enemy’s position at 1318. The hostile a/c were quickly sighted some 5000ft above the Fulmars. Brown Section’s Observers reported seeing 17 Ju87s, 11 Ju88s and a number of supporting Me110, Me109 and He114s. German records reveal the attacking force was made up of 17 Ju87Bs from II/StG2 which had flown out of North Africa. They had been joined by 11 Ju88s of LG1. It was common for British pilots to believe Stukas firing at them with their fixed forward machine-guns were in fact fighters, and misidentify them as such. There appear to be no records of German fighters taking part in the action..
The fleet’s HAA opened fire at 1321. But the large number of different strike groups approaching from different directions soon threw the defence into confusion.

The Germans believed HMS FORMIDABLE had been caught flat-footed. They thought she was in the process of recovering aircraft and therefore not in a position to launch fresh fighters to defend herself. According to German accounts, the first Stuka formation was from II/StG2 led by Major Walter Enneccerus. This gp had previously taken part in the attack on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. Oberleutnant Bernhard Hamester leading 5 Staffel spotted FORMIDABLE and took advantage of the opportunity by attacking at once. 

Staffel 4, led by Oberleutnant Eberhard Jakob, and Staffel 6, led by Oberleutnant Fritz Eyer, immediately followed suit. Brown Section had been unable to attack the higher German aircraft before they commenced their bombing runs. But the Ju87s were low enough after their strikes for the Fulmars to engage. The dive-bombers plunged through the flak to strike HMS FORMIDABLE. There are conflicting reports as to whether they were carrying 500kg (1100lb) or 1000kg (2200lb) bombs. But the War Damage Report compiled by the DNO after the carrier had been repaired in Norfolk, United States, reports them to have likely been 1000kg (2200lb) weapons. And therefore had ample capacity to penetrate the armoured flight deck. 

FORMIDABLE ’s two Fulmars gave chase to the departing Stukas. Each claimed a Stuka destroyed. Brown Section was then forced to break away after being attacked by four Me110s. The Fulmars sought refuge within the fleet’s DD screen. Brown 2’s Observer had been wounded four times in the leg. In the confused swarm of attacking Ju87 and Ju88s, HMS FORMIDABLE’s command staff identified at least eight aircraft making attack runs on the carrier. She was hit twice in a short space of time. Neither struck the armoured-box hangar. At that point the carrier was still operational 
The Fulmars, low on ammunition and damaged, landed on the carrier at 1340 – shortly after the smoke and flames had been doused. Whether through fatigue, damage to the machine or to the ship, Brown Leader’s Fulmar went into the crash barrier. 

About 1352 another group closed to within gun range. This formation also turned away without dropping bombs. At 1400 a fresh group of enemy a/c were detected at 55 miles distance. It was estimated to contain 12 a/c. At 1425 the formation carried out a high-level bombing attack. Their weapons fell around DD NUBIAN and JERVIS, at that time positioned in the outer screen some 5 miles from the main body of the fleet. NUBIAN
had been hit aft and had her stern blown off. But the damage was mostly above the waterline, and she was able to continue at 20 knots.





_NUBIAN in Alexandria Harbour after losing her stern to a bomb hit._

By 1542 HMS FORMIDABLE had recovered enough from her damage to fly off Fulmars. Green Section, made up of two Fulmars from 803 Sqn, took off to provide air cover. A single Fulmar of Yellow Section, also 803 Sqn, flew off as relief at 1805.

A variety of RAF a/c had appeared over the fleet from 1532 onward, but communications and identification proved difficult. CL AJAX opened fire on two Blenheim heavy fighters before the error was realised. Several flights of Hurricanes also made appearances over the fleet. The final Fulmar was landed on HMS FORMIDABLE at 2015. It had been a long day for the Med Flt.

Shortly after, the carrier was detached with HMAS, VOYAGER, VENDETTA and HMS HEREWARD for the refuge of Alexandria. HMS DECOY, which had just rendezvoused with Force A, was also assigned to the carrier’s escort. The night passage was uneventful.

Shortly before dawn, at 0500, the TSRs were flown off to the FAA support base at Dekheila. What Fulmars remained airworthy were flown off to Aboukir at 0545. FORMIDABLE entered Alexandria harbour at 0715. In all, nine ratings were killed and eight wounded in the attacks. Two of the wounded later died. It would take six months to repair the FORMIDABLE. 

After emergency repairs, CV FORMIDABLE departed Alexandria on 23 July and passed through the Suez Canal on 24 July. She arrived at Norfolk, Virginia for repairs on 26 August. Repairs were completed on 12 December 1941.
DD NUBIAN after emergency repairs proceeded to Port Tewfik (near Suez) arriving on 13 June. She was drydocked at Port Ibrahim from 23 July to 10 August. The DD was accompanied by damaged DD ISIS to Aden where she waited a month for the monsson season to pass. The DD arrived at Bombay on 27 September in company of DD ISIS for repairs completed in September 1942.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RHN gunboat VAN KINSBERGEN captured *Steamer WINNIPEG (Vichy 8379 grt)* east of Madagascar.





Convoy BA.2 departed Bombay, escorted by AMC KANIMBLA (RAN)_, which was detached on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Aden on 8 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 MAY TO DAWN 27 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_1629-1644 hrs _Air raid alert for nine enemy aircraft which approach to within 12 miles of the north coast. 12 Hurricanes are scrambled but the enemy turns away northwards before any encounter.
_1743-1812 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches to within sight of the east coast of Malta and then circles for some time apparently unable to sight land. One stick of bombs is dropped on the coast of Gozo. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception.
_2146-2303 hrs _Air raid alert for three unidentified aircraft; two approach from the north and one from the east. One from the north crosses the coast at St Paul’s Bay but is driven off by a heavy anti-aircraft barrage. The other two retreat without launching any attack.
_0305-0435 hrs _Air raid alert for three unidentified aircraft approaching from the north east. One crosses over Gozo and passes down the Malta coast to Dingli. Flares and one bomb or mine are reported in the Mellieha Bay area.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 26 MAY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _Swordfish offensive operations.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Beaufighters. _Departures Aircraft casualties 139 Squadron _Two Blenheims 139 Squadron dropped 8 x 250lb bombs on a merchant ship at anchor, scoring three direct hits which bounce off; no damage observed. Two more Blenheims 139 Squadron attacked the same ship which was abandoned. It was hit below the water line. Three Blenheims despatched to attack two ships reported due to leave Sfax; ships seen stationary outside harbour but the Blenheims did not attack. On the return they dropped 8 x 250lb bombs on an abandoned merchant vessel, scoring near misses. All aircraft returned safely. _69 Squadron _2 Marylands patrol eastern Tunisian coast, one AM the other PM. 2 Marylands patrol eastern Sicilian coast, one AM the other PM. 

_LUQA _Two Beaufighters arrived from Gibraltar.


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## parsifal (May 30, 2016)

*27 MAY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 235
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-138

At Sea 27 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-556, U-557, U-561, UA

26 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DD COTSWOLD, laid minefield BS.62 off the east coast of England. 

*MSW trawler EVESHAM (RN 239grt)* was sunk by near misses by the LW off Yarmouth. No crew were killed in the loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Northern Patrol*
CLs GALATEA and AURORA arrived at Hvalfjord. On the 28th, CS.2 transferred to AURORA from CL GALATEA. GALATEA then departed Hvalfjord on the 28th for the Clyde to store and embark passengers for the Med. She arrived in the Clyde on the 30th. GALATEA continued on and arrived at Plymouth on the 31st.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 2100 and met convoy WN.32 in the Pentland Firth. Off Buchan Ness on the 28th, the ship transferred to convoy EC.25. In the early part of the morning of 29 May, the ship transferred to convoy WN.33. The convoy was taken to Methil arriving at noon on the 30th.

*West Coast*
CA DEVONSHIRE departed Liverpool to rejoin the Home Flt after refitting which began on 14 February. The heavy cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow on the 28th.

OB.326 departed Liverpool, escort DD SKATE and ALISMA. The corvette was detached the next day. DDs ASSINIBOINE and SALISBURY, corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE, ASW yacht PHILANTE, and ASW trawler joined on the 23rd. The escort was detached when the convoy was dispersed on the 26th.

DD MATABELE completed repairs at Barrow. Leaving Barrow on 4 June, the destroyer ran aground on 5 June and returned for further repair. The DD was under repair until August.

CAM ship, MICHAEL E, sailed as escort to convoy OB.327. However, before she catapulted her Hurricane aircraft, she was sunk on 2 June by U.108.

*Western Approaches*
*Steamer ROYKSUND (Nor 695 grt)* was sunk by the LW in 50-46N, 5-18W.
Three crew and three gunners were lost on the steamer. Ten survivors were rescued by DD CLEVELAND.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*SW Approaches*
*The Final Battle *





_Bismarck’s Final Battle Map_

The sea ran high with the wind from the NW at force 8 (34-40 knots). On board the BISMARCK, the atmosphere was tense. The crew knew it was only a matter of time before the British engaged them with heavy ships. The BISMARCK was steering against the wind at seven knots. The flooding in the stern compartments had reduced the bow trim although the ship had a slight list to port. At 0833, KGV and RODNEY altered their course to 110º, and ten minutes later at 0843, they sighted the BISMARCKat 23,000 25,150 yds.

KGV and RODNEY drew closer to BISMARCKin line abreast, their enemy well illuminated by the morning sun in the background. RODNEY steered to the east so that her gunfire would work the length of BISMARCK, while KGV took the side. They opened fire at 0847. BISMARCKreturned fire, but her inability to steer and her list to port severely affected her shooting accuracy. She had slightly increased speed to 11 kts but this was still far too slow to be of much help to her and also made her an easy target. She was soon hit several times by the main batteries of the two RN BBs, with the CAs NORFOLK and DORSETSHIRE adding their firepower later. The first hits were made 0903, and the BISMARCK weas firing under local Fc by 0920. her main guns were silenced by 0935, and all effective resistence was over by 1000 hrs.





_British shells rain down on the crippled BISMARCK just after the order to commence firing had been give_

After BISMARCK's heavy guns had all been put out of action. One 16-inch (406 mm) salvo from RODNEY destroyed the forward control post, killing most of the senior officers, while other salvoes destroyed all four gun turrets. Within 40 minutes, all of BISMARCK'sguns had all been silenced, and the ship was sitting lower in the water. RODNEYnow closed to under 3000 yds to fire into the superstructure while KGV poured fire from further out; to achieve a plunging effect from a more vertical angle and be more likely to penetrate the decks.




_RODNEY moving to point blank range _

BISMARCKrefused to strike her colours. The BB's upper works were almost completely destroyed and although her engines were still functioning, BISMARCK was slowly settling by the stern from uncontrolled flooding with a 20 degree list to port. She no longer had any functioning guns, therefore First Officer Hans Oels ordered the men below decks to abandon ship; he instructed the engine room crews to open the ship's watertight doors and prepare scuttling charges. Gerhard Junack, the chief engineering officer, primed the charges and ordered the crew to abandon the ship. Junack and his comrades heard the demolition charges detonate as they made their way up through the various levels. It is estimated that about 800 of the 2200 man crew made it into the water. Few sailors from the lower engine spaces got out alive.

With no sign of surrender, despite the unequal struggle, the British were loath to leave BISMARCK. Their fuel and shell supplies were low.. However, when it became obvious that their enemy could not reach port, RODNEY, KING GEORGE V and the DDs were sent home. It was left to cruiser NORFOLK to fire the last torpedoes into the wrecked ship Three additional 21” torpedoes hit the BISMARCK. BISMARCKwent under the waves at 10:39 that morning.



+
_BISMARCK just before sinking _
*BB BISMARCK (KM 50900 grt)* finally rolled over and sank at 1039. It is thought that about 800 men made it alive into the water, but only 115 here rescued, rescue operations curtailed by fear of U-Boat attacks
Around 800 sailors managed to abandon the BISMARCK before she sank. The rest of the crew, many of them still alive sank with the BB. An hour later, the NORFOLK picked up 86 sailors and the DD MAORI another 25. The temperature of the water was 13º C. The British did not recover more men because there were U-boats in the area. Hours later, the U-74 rescued three more sailors.. The next day (28th), the German weather observation ship SACHSENWALD found two more.. Meanwhile, the Spanish CA CANARIAS had left the port of Ferrol at 1140 on 27 May in an attempt to rescue some survivors.. On 30 May, after a brief meeting with the SACHSENWALD the CANARIAS found two dead bodies floating in the sea which were pulled up aboard. At 1000 on the next day (31st), they were given a naval burial service and their bodies were committed to the deep. In the end, out of a crew of more than 2,200 officers, non-commissioned officers and men only 115 survived.

Following the sinking of the BISMARCK, the LW had been sent to look for Admiral Tovey’s force that had run low on fuel and was on its way back home. On 28 May, the DDs TARTAR and MASHONA were attacked by LW bombers. *Tribal Class DD MASHONA (RN 1854 grt) *was hit by a bomb on her port side and sank with the loss of 46 men. The TARTARrescued about 170 men, including MASHONA’s commander. The rest of the British fleet arrived safely in port.




*Channel*
Ocean boarding vessel REGISTAN, en route to Southampton for refitting, was damaged off Cape Cornwall by the LW. DDs WIVERN, VANSITTART, and WILD SWAN departed Plymouth to assist the vessel. DD WILD SWAN picked up a party of twenty in charge of T/Paymaster Sub Lt J. S. Learmond RNR. Four survivors died of wounds. DD WIVERN picked up thirty six survivors and eight dead. The St Ives lifeboat, two motor launches, and a tug was sent to assist. Cdr Divers and five men reboarded the vessel which was taken in tow. The vessel was taken to Falmouth and beached

*Med/Biscay*
BB BARHAM was bombed on Y turret off Kaso while covering the withdrawal of the ML ABDIEL force, with 7 men killed and six crew wounded. BARHAM departed Alexandria, after emergency repairs, on the 31st escort DDs JANUS and KANDAHAR and sloop FLAMINGO, with the 3 escorts returning to Alexandria on 1 June. The BB repaired at Durban, completed 30 July.

DDs IMPERIAL, KIMBERLEY, and HOTSPUR embarked troops for Suda Bay at Alexandria, but the sailing was cancelled.

Submarine UNBEATEN was repairing grounding damage at Malta until 4 June.

RM DD CRISPI, TBs LIRA and LINCE, and two MAS boats departed Rhodes to land troops at Sitia Bay, Crete during the night of 28/29 May.

*Armed trawler THORBRYN (RN 305 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Tobruk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Naval whaler SYVERN (RN 307 grt)*, on passage from Crete, was sunk by the LW. Two men were wounded .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamers ANTONIOS (Gk 1187 grt)* and *Steamer JULIA (Gk 4352 grt)* were sunk by the LW at Suda Bay. The crews were landed safely in Crete.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT sighted as suspicious tanker in 40-13N, 38-19W, but lost contact. The submarine was unable to regain contact.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.129 departed Halifax, escort AMC CHITRAL and RCN DDs BUXTON and ST CROIX; both of which detached the next day. BHX.129 departed Bermuda on the 27th escorted by AMC RANPURA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.129 on the 31st and the RANPURA was detached. BC REPULSE joined on the 31st. On 3 June, corvettes COLINGWOOD and ORILLIA joined the convoy and were detached on 7 June. CA SUFFOLK joined the escorted on 4 June and the BC was detached. On 6 June, DDs VERITY, VETERAN, and WOLVERINE and corvettes BEGONIA and CONVOLVULUS joined and the CA was detached. DDs CHELSEA, LINCOLN, MANSFIELD, and VENOMOUS, CAM ship SPRINGBANK, corvettes ALISMA, KINGCUP and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawler WALLARD joined. Corvette ALISMA was detached on 10 June and DDs CHELSEA, LINOLN, MANSFIELD, VETERAN, and WOLVERINE and corvette SUNFLOWER were detached on 11 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 MAY TO DAWN 28 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_0719-0745 hrs _Air raid alert for two Italian SM79 bombers which approach the Island possibly on their way south for reconnaissance. Anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

_0923-0957 hrs _Air raid alert for two SM 79 bombers escorted by 12 ME 109 fighters which cross over the Island from the north at high altitude, apparently on reconnaissance, then split formation, reform to the east of the Island and recede northwards. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

_2250-0010 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which cross over Grand Harbour singly, laying mines. Anti-aircraft guns fire one short barrage; no claims.

_0025-0050 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching from the north. One stick of bombs is dropped on Gozo.

_0335-0402 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy bomber which crosses the Island, dropping bombs near Qormi.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 27 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance east of Malta to Cape Stilo. Maryland reconnaissance southern part of eastern Tunisian coast reports convoy. Maryland sent to locate ships reported by RAF finds convoy 80 miles east of Malta, escorted by 4 SM 79s and one Cant Z501. _139 Squadron_Six Blenheims (five of 82 Squadron, one of 139 Squadron) attacked a large convoy escorted by destroyers. F/Lt Fairbairn and Sgt Inman were shot down.

_LUQA _One Beaufighter 252 Squadron left for Middle East.


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## parsifal (May 30, 2016)

*28 MAY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
L Class DD HMS LIGHTNING (G-55)





Type II Hunt Class DD ORP KRAKIOWIAK (L-115)





Fairmile B MLs 216, 242, 258
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDMLs 1069, 1070
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-107 sank *MV PAPALEMOS (GK 3748 grt)* off the coast of West Africa. The ship was on passage from Rosario to Liverpool via Freetown, with a full cargo of Argentinean grain. A crew of 29 was aboard, of whom 2 would lose their lives. At 1452 hrs the unescorted PAPALEMOS was hit on the port side by one torpedo fired by U-107. The explosion destroyed large parts of the superstructure and a lifeboat. After the crew had abandoned ship in two lifeboats the sinking was accelerated with shots from the AA guns into the waterline at 1600 hrs. The U-boat went to the lifeboats for questioning, took care of three wounded survivors and provided them cigarettes, chocolate and provisions before leaving the area on a deception course.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-101

At Sea 28 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-556, U-557, U-561, UA

27 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD BRIGHTON departed Scapa Flow on completion of repairs for Loch Alsh.

*West Coast*
OB.327 departed Liverpool, escort DDs RAMSEY and RIPLEY. RIPLEY was detached the next day. On the 29th, DD WALKER and MSWs HEBE, SEAGULL, and SHARPSHOOTER joined. The escort was detached when the convoy dispersed on 1 June.

*Med/Biscay*
During the night of 28/29 May, the evacuation of Crete began.

Heraklion, Force B - CLA DIDO, CLs AJAX and ORION with DDs HOTSPUR, KIMBERLEY, HEREWARD, JACKAL, DECOY, and IMPERIAL departed Alexandria on the 28th. En route on the 28th, both AJAX and IMPERIAL were near missed by the LW. Damage to AJAX also included an aerial torpedo hit which caused AJAX to return to base. DD IMPERIAL was able to continue. In this action, AJAX sustained five ratings killed and Commissioned Gunner C. N. Lewis and eighteen ratings, one dying of wounds, were wounded. Destroyer IMPERIAL had one man wounded. The force arrived at Heraklion at 2330 and set off at 0300/29th.

After lifting troops, the steering gear on *GHI Class DD HMS IMPERIAL (RN 1335 grt)* failed. The DD was abandoned and scuttled by DD HOTSPUR.




Bombing attacks while the force was returning badly damaged *GHI Class DD HMS HEREWARD (RN 1345 grt)* which was later sunk after being left. 85 ratings were taken prisoner; one dying whilst in captivity.





CL ORION was hit by LW attacks on A turret at 0900 and on the bridge at 1045. The cruiser was also near missed at 0930, causing damage. 107 of the crew were killed and 84 wounded. Of the 1100 troops on the cruiser, 155 were killed and 216 were wounded. ORION arrived at Alexandria later on the 28th. The cruiser was later taken to Simonstown for temporary repair. She departed Aden en route on 29 June. ORION was under repair at Simonstown from 14 July to 5 August. The cruiser then proceeded to Mare Island, California, where she was under repair from 5 September to 15 February 1942.

CLA DIDO was hit on B turret by a bomb. 27 ratings were killed and 10 crew were wounded and 19 soldiers were killed and 28 soldiers were wounded. DIDO arrived at Alexandria later on the 28th. DIDO departed Alexandria on the 31st. On 1 June, she arrived at Port Said. On 2 July, the cruiser arrived at Durban. She proceeded on to New York and was repaired in the Brooklyn Navy Yard completing on 31 October.

DD DECOY was damaged by a near miss. She sustained 1 crewman killed 8 were wounded. The balance of Fce B reached Alexandria on the 29th. 3408 troops were evacuated from Heraklion.

Sphakia, Force C – RAN DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, RN DDs KELVIN, and KANDAHAR departed Alexandria at the same time as Force D The group lifted 1000 men without loss.
Force C returned to Alexandria on the 29th.

Cdr G. H. Beale and Warrant Observer E. S. Wicks, from GREBE operating from Maleme, were made prisoners of war on the 29th.

Submarine PERSEUS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Gulf of Nauplia.

*Steamer GEORGOS (Gk 667 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Candia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AGHIA KYRIAKI (Gk 298 grt)* was sunk by the LW near Cape Kephola, Crete.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*ML.1030 (RN 50 grt)* was lost on passage from Suda Bay.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine OLYMPUS arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

*Central Atlantic*
CL EDINBURGH intercepted *steamer LECH (Ger 3290 grt)*, which had left Rio de Janiero on 28 April, four hundred miles north of the Azores. The steamer scuttled herself.




DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, and WISHART departed Gibraltar to escort Force H.into port. BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, and WISHART arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th amid a hero’s welcome home.

Submarine SEVERN sighted a submarine on the surface in 36-58N, 10-48W.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL LIVERPOOL departed Manila for San Francisco for repair of October 1940 bomb damage.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 MAY TO DAWN 29 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 28 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _3 Beaufighters. _ 69 Squadron _Maryland patrol eastern Sicilian coast including Augusta and Syracuse harbours. 2 Marylands patrol of eastern Tunisian coast AM and PM. Maryland reconnaissance Messina Harbour and approaches. _139 Squadron _Two Blenheims 139 Squadron attacked a ship in Sfax harbour and blew it up.

_LUQA _Three Beaufighters left for the Middle East.


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## Njaco (May 30, 2016)

*May 30 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-106 sank British ship “_Silveryew_” near Cape Verde Islands at 0036 hours, killing 1.

German submarine U-38 sank British ship “_Empire Protector_” off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1407 hours, killing 5.

*GERMANY:* Grand Admiral Erich Raeder recommended to Adolf Hitler an attack on the Suez Canal in Egypt. He renewed his proposal to Hitler that there should be a 'decisive Egypt-Suez offensive for the autumn of 1941which would be more deadly to the British Empire than the capture of London.' Hitler decides that this can wait until the collapse of the Soviet Union which should happen no later than October.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen Merkur: Before dawn, British cruisers HMS “_Phoebe_”, “_Perth_”, “_Calcutta_” and “_Coventry_”, destroyers “_Janus_”, “_Hasty_” and “_Jervis_” and assault ship “_Glengyle_” (with landing craft) embark 6029 troops at Sphakia. RAF fighters protect the convoy returning to Alexandria, Egypt, keeping most German and Italian bombers at bay but enroute, they were attacked by Axis aircraft. A bomb hit on cruiser HMS “_Perth_” (4 crew, 2 Marines, 7 troops killed), but RAF fighter escorts prevented Axis aircraft from dealing the kind of damage they did on the previous day against a different evacuation convoy. Destroyer HMS “_Kelvin_”, sailing north from Egypt, was damaged by a bomb enroute, killing 1. Continued Allied evacuation from Sfakia on the southern coast. Brigadier Vasey's Australian 19th Infantry Brigade covers the final evacuations at Sfakia as rearguard. Luftwaffe aircraft strafe and bomb thousands of Allied troops waiting to evacuate in the cliffs above Sphakia. Remnants of Australian 2/1 and 2/11 battalions, cut off from retreating to evacuation, surrender near Retimo. German forces advancing from the west reach 1st Fallschirmjäger Regiment at Heraklion. German forces advancing from the west link up with Italian troops on the eastern end of the island.

*MIDDLE EAST:* British troops of the 4th Cavalry Brigade of 1st British Cavalry Division stood at the gates of Baghdad after travelling 500 miles across the desert from Palestine. Rashid Ali, the German and Italian diplomats in Iraq, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, and members of the National Defence Government flee to Persia and then on to Germany. A cease-fire agreement was signed. The main British forces are at Ur, the force from Habbaniyah has advanced slightly.

*NORTH AMERICA:* HMCS “_Restigouche_” and “_Ottawa_” arrived in St John’s, Newfoundland, and became the first destroyers to join the newly formed Newfoundland Escort Force.

*NORTH AFRICA:* East African 22nd Infantry Brigade, advancing west from Soddu, reaches Sciola in Galla-Sidamo. Italian defenders withdraw from Sciola overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweep.

.


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## Njaco (May 30, 2016)

*May 31 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-Boats were successful all across the Atlantic this day. German submarine U-69 sank British ship “_Sangara_” at Accra harbor, Gold Coast at 0025 hours. German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Sire_” off Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 0739 hours; 3 were killed, 46 survived and were rescued by British corvette HMS “_Marguerite_”. German submarine U-38 sank Norwegian ship “_Rinda_” off Liberia at 0024 hours; 13 were killed, 18 survived and were rescued by British anti-submarine trawler HMS “_Pict_”. German submarine U-106 sank British ship “_Clan MacDougall_” near Cape Verde Islands at 0334 hours; 2 were killed, 85 survived. German submarine U-147 sank British ship “_Gravelines_” 100 miles northwest of Ireland; 11 were killed, 25 survived and were rescued by British sloop HMS “_Deptford_”. German submarine U-204 sank small Icelandic fishing boat “_Holmsteinn_” northwest of Iceland at 0515 hours, killing the entire crew of 4.

US 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons, both operating P-40 Warhawk fighters, was assigned to St. Croix Airfield, US Virgin Islands.

The U.S. Navy's Task Group 1 consisting of the aircraft carrier USS “_Yorktown_” (CV-5), the heavy cruiser USS “_Vincennes_” (CA-44) and the destroyers USS “_Sampson_” (DD-394) and USS “_Gwin_” (DD-433) begin a 4,500+ mile (7,424+ km) neutrality patrol voyage which concludes at Hampton Roads, Virginia on 12 June. The Yorktown Air Group consists of Fighting Squadron Forty One (VF-41), Scouting Squadrons Forty One and Forty Two (VS-41 and VS-42) and Torpedo Squadron Five (VT-5).

*EASTERN EUROPE: *A Soviet decree stated that children of traitors could be criminally charged after they reached the age of 15.

*GERMANY:* After successfully escaping the Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle, Germany earlier in the month, British Lieutenant Anthony "Peter" Allan failed to secure assistance from the US Consulate at Vienna in occupied Austria. Giving up, he turned himself in at a local police station and was eventually returned to Colditz.

Himmler has approved Sigmund Rascher's request to submit prisoners at Dachau to pressure-chamber experiments.

The German government has urged parents in areas most affected by the war to send their children to country camps where they will be cared for by specially-trained teachers. But the church is unhappy about this evacuation and says that the camps are being used to separate children from their parents and institute "education by the state." Artur Axmann, the Reich youth leader, recently visited camps in Slovakia in an attempt to reassure parents.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Unternehmen Merkur: British destroyers HMS “_Napier_” and HMS “_Nizam_” embarked 1,510 troops at Sphakia, Crete, Greece and departed before dawn for Egypt; they were attacked by Axis aircraft en route, causing minor damage. At 0600 hours, British cruiser HMS “_Phoebe_”, minelayer HMS “_Abdiel_”, and destroyers HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Kimberley_”, and HMS “_Hotspur_” departed Alexandria, Egypt for Sphakia to evacuate more troops. On the same day, 54 senior level Allied officers, including General Freyberg, were evacuated from Crete in 2 Sunderland flying boats.

*MIDDLE EAST:* A British-Iraqi armistice is signed at Baghdad. The mayor of Baghdad, Iraq surrendered to British Ambassador Sir Kinahan Cornwallis at the Washash Bridge. As a sign of good faith, the British allowed the Iraqi Army to return to their barracks, and all captured equipment were returned. Both sides released captured prisoners of war with the exception of German and Italian troops captured by the British. Rashid Ali flees Baghdad. The Regent is restored. Rioting and looting in Baghdad.

Having lost all fourteen Bf-110 fighters and five He-111 bombers, Luftwaffe pilots and groundcrew escape to Syria. Remaining CR-42 fighters of Italian 155th Squadriglia depart Kirkuk for Syria enroute to Rhodes.

Grand Mufti and Rashid Ali arrives Tehran from Iraq and takes refuge in Japanese legation.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US Naval uniform regulations are changed today. The eagle is to face to the left in the rates comprising the Seaman Branch, Boatswain Mate, Turret Captain, Signalman, Gunners Mate, Fire Controlman, Quartermaster, Mineman and Torpedoman's Mate. All other rating badges are to have an eagle facing right.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Before dawn, German bombers attacked Merseyside, England. Luftwaffe conducted the night attack against Liverpool with 130 aircraft. On their way to attack Liverpool, four German bombers from a group of some 90, lost their way and by mistake dropped their bombs on the City of Dublin in neutral Ireland. 28 were killed and 87 were wounded, while about 25 homes were destroyed and about 300 homes were seriously damaged. Germany would later offer compensation.

The voyage of the SS “_Dunera_”, a troopship which sailed to Australia last July with 2,700 internees aboard, has led to the court martial of their British Army escort, including the commanding officer, after repeated questions in parliament. After the ship reached Australia in September, it was reported that the internees, most of them Jews who had fled from Hitler, were brutally searched. They were confined below deck during the two-month journey in squalid conditions. Some were physically assaulted. One jumped overboard. The voyage was the worst incident of several which followed a series of decisions between 12 May and 26 June 1940 to intern anyone from Germany, Austria and Italy who was in Britain, although the great majority were eager to help the war against Hitler. The court martial found three men guilty, including Major William Patrick Scott, the CO, who was severely reprimanded. His regimental sergeant major was jailed for 12 months.

Long after a bomb had exploded, the crater that remained was capable of dealing out death. A little seven year old girl, who had been playing among debris in Back Tarset Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, disappeared into a 10' deep bomb crater. An 11 year old Boy Scout tied a rope around his body and went to her rescue. He also succumbed to the fumes and some adults who had witnessed the incident called for help. Two firemen who were passing by at the time promptly entered the crater in search of the children were also overcome by the gas, so the Fire Brigade were sent for. Completely without protection against the fumes and fully aware that the previous attempts had proved fatal, Fireman Larry Young assisted by Leading Fireman Bruce descended into the crater in search of the victims. Leading Fireman Bruce collapsed in the poisonous atmosphere, but was rescued by Young, who then recovered the bodies of the other four victims. Fireman Young was invested with the George Medal on 2nd December 1941 at Buckingham Palace. Leading Fireman Bruce was commended for his part in the rescue attempt and one of the victims, Auxiliary Fireman Wanless, was awarded a posthumous commendation.

.


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## Njaco (May 31, 2016)

*June 1 Sunday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-105 sank the ship “_Scottish Monarch_” southwest of the Cape Verde Islands at 0052 hours; 1 was killed, 44 survived.

German submarine U-107 sank British ship “_Alfred Jones_” 140 miles off Freetown, Sierra Leone, British West Africa at 1409 hours; 14 were killed, 62 survived and rescued by British corvette HMS “_Marguerite_”.

The US Coast Guard begins patrolling off Greenland with 4 cutters. The U.S. Coast Guard establishes the South Greenland Patrol consisting of the Coast Guard cutters USCGC “_Modoc_” (CGC-39) and USCGC “_Comanche_” (CGC-57); yard tug USCGC “_Raritan_” (CGC-72); along with the U.S. Navy's unclassified auxiliary vessel USS “_Bowdoin_” (IX-50), a schooner. The ships will patrol from Cape Brewster to Cape Farewell to Upernivik.

*ASIA: *The Japanese destroyed four of the Chinese 12th BG’s SBs at the aerodrome at Zhaotung.

The Chinese and the US Governments announced officially a document concerning the establishment of the reciprocal relationship.

*GERMANY: *The Blohm and Voss BV 141, one of the oddest aircraft the Luftwaffe has ever built, is flown for the first time. The aircraft, the V-10 of the redesigned B-series, had finally received a propeller and took to the skies. The plane was made in response to a RLM requirement for a tactical aircraft with a crew of three with excellent all around vision. The single engined BV141 has the power plant in the fuselage and the cockpit section located on the wing along with an offset tail aileron.

Oblt. Wilfried Balfanz is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I / JG 53.

All Catholic publications were banned in Nazi Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Unternehmen Merkur: Before dawn, British cruiser HMS “_Phoebe_”, minelayer HMS “_Abdiel_”, and destroyers HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Kimberley_”, and HMS “_Hotspur_” embarked 3,710 Allied troops at Sphakia, Crete, Greece and departed; the force would arrive safely at Alexandria, Egypt later on the same day. Anti-aircraft cruisers HMS “_Calcutta_” and HMS “_Coventry_” were dispatched from Alexandria to cover this force. HMS “_Calcutta_” was attacked by Axis aircraft, sinking at 0945 hours with 118 lost and 255 wounded. Although the Allied efforts had evacuated 16,511 men from Crete, 5,000 still remained. They would be surrendered by Australian Lieutenant Colonel Theo Walker by the end of the day, thus ending the German campaign on Crete. British Commonwealth losses amount to 1,742 dead and 1,737 wounded, while the German have lost 3,985 dead and missing and 2,131 wounded. The Germans have lost 220 planes to the RAF's 46. The Royal Navy has taken a severe pounding - three cruisers and six destroyers sunk and 17 ships crippled, with the loss of 2,011 lives. Some 15,000 troops are saved but at a cost to the RN of 2,000 men killed.

Axis Convoy departs for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Geniere_”, “_Dardo_”, and “_Camica Nera_” and supported by two cruisers and four more destroyers.

Operation ROCKET: Aircraft carrier HMS “_Furious_”, after a fast passage to the UK and turn round, arrived at Gibraltar with 48 Hurricane Mk II aircraft, loading some into HMS “_Ark Royal_” immediately on arrival. HMS “_Argus_” made a stern to stern transfer of her aircraft to HMS “_Furious_”, at the same time, the ultimate stowage being 20 Hurricanes in HMS “_Furious_” and 24 in HMS “_Ark Roya_l”, the balance were landed at Gibraltar for station there.

*MIDDLE EAST:* A pro-British government was established in Iraq under Amir Abdul Illah. Having waited several days at RAF Habbaniya, the Regent of Iraq, Amir Abdul Illah, returns to Baghdad to restore the monarchy. Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Tedder is appointed C-in-C air forces in the Middle East.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The balance of the 15th Panzer Division is now present in North Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The First Issue of US Technical and Tactical Trends is published.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Major Joachim Seegert is made Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 77 in place of Hptm. Walter Grommes. Hptm. Alfred von Lojewski is posted as Gruppenkommandeur of the newly formed IV./JG 77.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* RAAF No. 24 Squadron (Wirraways) arrived at Garbutt aerodrome, Townsville.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Throughout the night, the Luftwaffe conducts several single bomber raids on England. The first raid begins at 0120 hours by a single He 111 of II./KG 53 with the bomber dropping its load on Bristol. The second occurs shortly after at 0157 hours when Avonmouth is attacked by a solitary Heinkel from III./KG 26. At 0220 hours three Ju 88s from KGr 806 attack Bristol again and an hour later one He 111 of I./KG 28 attacks Bristol for the last raid of the night. Before dawn, German bombers attacked Merseyside in the early hours of the day. The Luftwaffe sends 110 aircraft to attack Manchester and 130 bombers to attack Liverpool.

Clothing rationing was introduced in Britain. Everyone was allowed 66 clothing coupons a year; equivalent to about one complete outfit. A man's overcoat cost 16 coupons; a dress 11; a pair of pajamas eight; a nightdress six; underpants four; a pair of stockings two; a handerchief could be had for half a coupon. People were taken completely by surprise by today's announcement that clothes are now rationed and that they must give up their margarine coupons to buy them until special ration cards have been printed. Husbands can give up their coupons to their wives (and vice-versa), and both can give them up for their children. Second-hand clothes are unrationed. There was a run on second-hand shops today. None of the traders in Petticoat Lane market were taking coupons.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The pilots and crews of JG 26 transfer to new bases along the Channel coast. I Gruppe go to Clairmairais near St. Omer, II Gruppe goes to Maldegem in Belgium and III Gruppe is based at Liegescourt near Abbeville.

Erich Müller was made the military governor of the Channel Islands, succeeding Rudolf von Schmettow.

German cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” arrived in Brest, France to join battlecruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” docked there for refits.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 1, 2016)

*June 2 Monday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-147 attacked Allied convoy OB-329 northwest of Ireland, damaging Belgian ship “_Mokambo_” (all 47 aboard survived), but was destroyed by depth charges from British destroyer HMS “_Wanderer_” and corvette HMS “_Periwinkle_”, killing all 26 German sailors aboard.

German submarine U-108 sank British catapult-armed merchant ship “_Michael E.”_ (Catapult Armed Merchantman or CAM ship, carrying a Hurricane fighter in a catapult to combat long-range German bombers targeting shipping and directing U-boats) about 1,050 miles west of Land's End, England at 2043 hours; 4 were killed, 47 survived. The Hurricane fighter aboard was also lost.

First escort of a convoy by the NEF (Newfoundland Escort Force) undertaken when HMCS “_Chambly_”, “_Collingwood_” and “_Orillia_” joined the 57-ship Halifax to Liverpool convoy HX129. The convoy, which left Halifax on 27 May, was the first to have continuous close escort all the way across the Atlantic. It arrived safely in Liverpool on 12 June 41.

*ASIA: *The commander of the Chinese 3rd PG, Lo Ying-Teh with parts of the command and flying staff were sent to Rangoon, Burma, to take delivery of the Hawk 81A (P-40C) which had been purchased in America. After trying the combat capabilities of these aircraft however, they determined that they would not be able to stand up against the Zero. Therefore the transfer was declined and the aircraft were delivered to Claire Chennault’s Flying Tigers.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 44 bombers to conduct a raid in the Ruhr region of Germany. RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: 9 Blenheims of RAF No.105 Sqn. attack the Kiel Canal. Seven ships are attacked and several villages and the naval barracks at Friedrichskoog are bombed. Two ships are sunk blocking the Canal for the next ten days. At the same time RAF No.107 Sqn. bombs towns between the Ems and Elbe and RAF No.110 Sqn. try to hit the liner “_Europa_” berthed at Bremerhaven. RAF Bomber Command sends 150 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 25 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The battle for Crete is over. The whole island has been freed from the enemy. Yesterday German troops occupied the last base of the beaten British, the port of Sfakion, capturing 3,000 more prisoners in the process. The German Luftwaffe effectively supported these final mopping-up actions. In the sea territory between Crete and Alexandria, German bombers demolished a British destroyer with three direct hits as it was travelling with a naval formation.

In light of the successful campaign at Crete, Greece, Göring boasted that there was no such thing as an unconquerable island, hinting a similar fate for Britain. As for the killings of German paratroopers by civilians at Crete, Göring officially ordered reprisals to be conducted as if the killers were partisan fighters.

The Massacre of Kondomari refers to the execution of male civilians from the village of Kondomari in Crete by an ad hoc firing squad consisting of German paratroopers on 2 June 1941 during World War II. The shooting was the first of a series of reprisals in Crete. It was orchestrated by Generaloberst Kurt Student, in retaliation for the participation of Cretans in the Battle of Crete which had ended with the surrender of the island two days earlier. The massacre was photographed by Franz Peter Weixler, a German army war correspondent whose negatives were discovered 39 years later in the federal German archives. .TOM CLARK: A Monster from the North: The Day the Germans Came to Kondomari (George Seferis: Postscript)

The Führer called Mussolini to a summit meeting at the Brenner Pass today, supposedly to review the war situation. For two hours the two dictators were alone, and Hitler did most of the talking, dropping hints about German plans for action "if the shipping losses do not suffice" to knock Britain out of the war. During the five-hour conference Hitler ranted about Rudolf Hess and other recent events, but kept Mussolini in the dark about the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union. At the end Mussolini departed for Rome no wiser than when he had arrived. Mussolini reportedly told Count Ciano after the meeting,


> "I wouldn't be at all sorry if Germany in her war with Russia got her feathers plucked."


 Not so the Japanese ambassador in Berlin, Hiroshi Oshima who was given the same "hint hint" treatment by Hitler. Oshima told his foreign ministry in Tokyo that Hitler was about to attack Russia.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Vichy French aircraft claimed a British Blenheim aircraft shot down over Syria-Lebanon.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Vichy France grants Germany use of Tunisian port of Bizerta for transport food, clothing and supplies to North Africa (but excludes troops, equipment and ammunition).

East African 22nd Infantry Brigade begins crossing the Omo at Sciola in Galla-Sidamo.

*NORTH AMERICA:* USS “_Long Island_”, Aircraft Escort Vessel Number 1 (AVG-1), the first escort aircraft carrier, is commissioned at Newport News, Virginia. “_Long Island_” was a flush-deck escort aircraft carrier converted from the cargo ship SS “_Mormacmail_” in 67 working days. She was redesignated Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier Number 1 (ACV-1) on 20 August 1942 and Escort Aircraft Carrier Number 1 (CVE-1) on 15 July 1943. During WWII, she served as an aircraft transport hauling airplanes to the Pacific and as a training ship for new pilots. US Marine SBD Douglas Dauntless dive-bombers and Grumman F-4F3 Wildcat fighters will launch from her deck headed for Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. They become the first aircraft of the "Cactus Air Force"

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Joseph Rochefort reported to the main US Navy building at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii for his new duty heading up a cryptanalysis section.

RAAF No.3 Base Stores Depot (BSD) established at Spring Hill. The site is now an Energex Depot.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Manchester Blitz: Before dawn, German bombers attacked Manchester and Salford in England in the early hours of the day; 70 were killed and 86 were seriously injured. Thousands of incendiary bombs and many tons of high-explosive were dropped indiscriminately. Once again, churches, hospitals and the homes of the people were among the buildings damaged. One of the worst incidents occurred at a nurses' home, which was wrecked by a heavy bomb. Two other hospitals received damage through fire or explosive bombs, but fortunately the patients had been removed to safety. Five [ARP] wardens were killed on patrol and a curate was killed on shelter duty outside his church. Two small and two medium sized HEs were dropped in Park Grove, Hull. This was Hull's fiftieth raid, and though it was small, it had most unfortunate results. The "Raiders Passed" signal had sounded, and people were making their way from shelters to their homes when the bombs dropped. The casualty list included, twenty-seven killed and eleven seriously injured, all killed and injured within minutes of thinking they were safe.

A Junkers Ju 88A was shot down by a Hurricane, into the sea four miles NE of Tynemouth at 2229 hours. Two of the crew were killed and two were taken prisoner.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy French government published anti-Semitic legislation based on German laws; among it was the banning of Jews from holding public office.

.


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## parsifal (Jun 2, 2016)

*29 MAY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-132




7 ships sunk, total tonnage 32,356 GRT. sunk on 4 November 1942 in the Nth Atlantic SE of Cape Farewell, in approx., when the British ammunition ship HATIMURA blew up in a huge explosion. U-132 had torpedoed this ship earlier and was probably waiting nearby for her to sink when caught in the lethal radius of the explosion. 47 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIC U-452
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

No ships sunk. Sunk on 25 August 1941 in the Nth Atlantic sth of Iceland, , by DCs from the British ASW trawler VASCAMA and from a CC Catalina aircraft (209 Sqn RAF). 42 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIc U-572
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

6 ships sunk, total tonnage 19,323 GRT. Sunk on 3 August 1943 in the Nth Atlantic NE of Trinidad, by DCs from a US Mariner a/c (VP-205 USN). 47 dead (all hands lost).
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS SWANSON (DD443)






Allied
CALLENBURGH Class RNN DD ISAAC SWEERS





HDML 1041 and Fairmile B ML 272
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-38 sank *MV TABARISTAN (UK 3258 grt)* off the West African Coast. The ship was carrying ground nuts , pig iron and manganese and was on passage from Basra to Liverpool via Capetown and Freetown. She had a crew of 60, of whom 21 were to lose their lives. At 2350 hrs, U-38 fired two G7a torpedoes at the unescorted TABARISTANabout 250 miles SW of Freetown. The ship was hit by both torpedoes and sank by the stern after four minutes. 20 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 36 crew members and two gunners were picked up by Armed Yachts HMS BENGALI and HMS TURCOMAN and landed at Freetown.





U-557 sank *steamer EMPIRE STORM (UK 7290 grt)* whilst she was a straggler from HX-128. She was on passage from Montreal to the UK via Halifax, and had a cargo of grain and flour with a crew of 43, of whom 3 were to lose their lives in the combat. At 2043 hrs the EMPIRE STORM, a straggler from HX-128, , was torpedoed and sunk by U-557sth of Cape Farewell. Three crew members were lost. The master, 35 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the Norwegian merchant MARITA and landed at St.Johns, Newfoundland on 4 June. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-109
St Nazaire: U-98 

Departures
Kiel: U-77
St Nazaire:U-79

At Sea 29 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-556, U-557, U-561, UA
27 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived in the Tyne to refit.. DD LIGHTNING arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth to work up.

*Northern Waters*
CL EDINBURGH arrived at Scapa Flow after Bay of Biscay patrol

*West Coast*
OB.328 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BEAGLE and BOADICEA. The convoy was joined on the 30th by DDs COLUMBIA and NIAGARA, sloop EGRET, MSWs BRAMBLE and GOSSAMER, and ASW trawlers LADY MADELEINE and ST LOMAN. The escort was detached on 2 June when the convoy was dispersed

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar.

After an a/c sighted a submarine on the surface in 35-30N, 10-16W, DDs FORESTER and FURY and five MLs departed Gibraltar to search. DD FORESTER attacked a submarine on the surface in 35-41N, 10-00W. RM sub VENIERO reported torpedoing one of the attacking DDrs.

During the night of 29/30 May, the evacuation of Crete continued.

Force D departed Alexandria on the 28th with CLAs PHOEBE, having completed her hull repairs, and RAN CL PERTH, troopship GLENGYLE, CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY, and DDs JERVIS, JANUS, and HASTY. The CLAs were not to embark troops and provided AA protection only.

Sphakia:
CLA PHOEBE and CL PERTH, CLAs CALCUTTA and COVENTRY, commando ship GLENGYLE, and DD JANUS, HASTY, and JERVIS. HMAS PERTH carried two landing craft. After the force had departed Alexandria on the 28th, it was thought to recall GLENGYLE and substitute for her DDs STUART, JAGUAR, and DEFENDER. However, the order came to late to justify sending GLENGYLE back, but the three DDs joined anyway to assist in AA protection, joining at daylight on the 30th. 6029 were embarked. The Greek Commander in Chief was aboard cruiser PHOEBE.

Damage to this force was limited to a single bomb hit in CL PERTH's engine room on the 30th. The cruiser sustained four ratings, two Marines, and seven passengers killed.
The cruiser arrived at Alexandria on the 30th. She was repaired at Alexandria in June.

RAN DD VAMPIRE passed through the Suez Canal and departed Suez to refit at Singapore, arriving on 19 June.

*ASW trawler SINDONIS (RN 913grt)* was sunk by the LW in Tobruk Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

MTB depot ship VULCAN and MTB.68 and MTB.215 of the 10th Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron departed Port Said and Alexandria, respectively for Famagusta, via Port Said and Haifa.

On 1 June, MTB.215 arrived at Famagusta. MTB.68 arrived later in the day under tow.

*Nth Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MALVERNIAN captured *weather ship AUGUST WRIEDT (DKM 407 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The weather ship was sent into St John's, Newfoundland with a prize crew. The ship used under the name MARIA as a wreck dispersal vessel in the RN .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Sth Atlantic*
CVL EAGLE departed Freetown, escorted by DD VELOX, to search for German supply ships in the Sth Atlantic. CL DUNEDIN was ordered to join EAGLE and rendezvoused on the 31st. DD VELOX was detached on 1 June. Light cruiser DUNEDIN departed on 5 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 MAY TO DAWN 30 MAY 1941
_Weather _Fine.
_1032-1055 hrs _Air raid alert for a single JU 88 bomber escorted by 20 ME 109s which carries out reconnaissance at high altitude over the Island, passing over Luqa and Naxxar. Anti-aircraft guns engage and destroy the JU 88.
_0259-0436 hrs _Air raid alert for five enemy aircraft which approach the Island individually from the north east. Four turn drop bombs in the sea to the north then turn back before reaching the coast. One crosses the coast and drops bombs on fields the Grand Harbour area. No anti-aircraft guns engage and no Hurricane fighters are scrambled.
OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 29 MAY 1941
_AIR HQ Arrivals _10 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance southern part of eastern Tunisian coast. 2 Marylands reconnaissance Greek coast report enemy ship movements. Maryland reconnaissance of shipping route to east of Malta.
_LUQA _Ten Beaufighters arrived from Gibraltar.


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## parsifal (Jun 2, 2016)

*30 MAY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS MYOSOTIS (K-65)





U Class Sub HMS P-33





MSW MMS 10 (J-510), MSW MMS-13 (J-513), MMS 501 (J-517)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
MA/SB 23, Fairmile B ML 265
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-106 sank the *Steamer SILVERYEW (UK 6373 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. She was on passage from Calcutta to England via the Cape, carrying pig iron, kernels, manganese ore and 382 tons of kyanite ore. A crew of 54 was aboard of whom 3 were to lose their lives. At 0036 hrs the unescorted SILVERYEW was hit in the stern by one of two torpedoes from U-106 and sank west of the Cape Verde Islands. The master and two crew members were lost. 47 crew members, three gunners and one passenger made landfall at San Antonio, Cape Verde Islands.





U-38 sank the *Steamer EMPIRE PROTECTOR (UK 6181 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. She was on passage from Port Sudan to London via the Cape and Freetown. She was transporting cotton, cotton seed and copper with a crew of 38, of whom 5 were to lose their lives. At 1311 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE PROTECTOR was hit by one of two G7a torpedoes from U-38 sw of Freetown. The ship sank within a few minutes after being hit aft by a G7a coup de grace at 1407 hours. Five crew members were lost. The master, 29 crew members and three gunners were picked up by ARUNDA and landed at Freetown. 




RM submarine MARCONI sank *Naval tanker CAIRNDALE (RN 8129 grt) *170 miles WSW of Trafalgar, Five crew were lost on the tanker. Escorting corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS attacked the submarine. DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, and FURY were sent to assist the corvettes. Later on the 30th, corvettes AZALEA and WOODRUFF and ASW trawler IMPERIALIST joined the search. DD WRESTLER and sloop BIDEFORD sailed later. After more than seven consecutive DC attacks, the sweeps were discontinued finally on the 31st British tanker BRITISH YEOMAN reported she had been torpedoed in 35-28N, 8-11W. DD FAULKNOR and ASW trawler ALOUETTE departed Gibraltar and the five MLs were diverted to this position. The ship later arrived at Gibraltar and it was found she had received only slight damage.




*Steamer WESTAVON (UK 2842 grt) *was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea . The entire crew were rescued.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-74, U-556
St Nazaire: U-97

At Sea 30 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-557, U-561, UA

24 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CA DORSETSHIRE arrived at the Tyne for refitting completed on 15 July.

*Northern Patrol*
CLs AURORA and KENYA departed Hvalfjord for patrol.

*Northern Waters*
Sloop BLACK SWAN departed Dundee on completion of repairs and arrived at Scapa Flow at 1745 on the 31st having carried out gunnery practices en route.

In a flying accident, a Swordfish of 774 Squadron was lost near Tintagel. P/T/Sub Lt (A) J. H. Formby RNVR, Ordinary Seaman E. W. Page, and Ordinary Telegraphist F. Thurlow were killed.

*Western Approaches*
British steamer KYLECLARE was damaged by German bombing off Limerick.

*Med/Biscay*
During the night of 30/31 May, the evacuation of Crete continued.

Sphakia - DDs KELVIN, KANDAHAR, NAPIER, and NIZAM departed Alexandria at 0600/30th. However, soon after sortie, DD KANDAHAR broke down and forced to return to Alexandria. Soon thereafter, DD KELVIN was damaged by a near miss and also forced to abort. The DD sustained one rating killed and four crew wounded. DDs NAPIER and NIZAM continued to Sphakia and lifting 1510 men. Returning to Alexandria, they were both damaged by near misses. Both DDs sustained machinery damage from the near misses, but neither sustained any personnel casualties. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 31st.

Submarine TRIUMPH torpedoed and damaged Italian armed merchant cruiser RAMB III, which was en route from Tripoli to Benghazi, off Benghazi.

Submarine UTMOST attacked a convoy of steamers TILLY RUSS and CA'DA MOSTO, escorted by TBs PALLADE and POLLUCE off Sirte. The convoy arrived safely at Tripoli on the 31st.

Submarine TORBAY reported sinking two caiques in the Aegean by gunfire.

*steamer KNYAGUINYA MARIA LUISA (Bulg 3821 grt)*, in axis service was sunk near Piraeus by a torpedo or bomb attack from British Wellington a/c. There is some dispute about how this ship was lost, some greek historians claim she blew up due to sabotage. The accepted cause of loss is that she was bombed by British aircraft at the entrance to Piraeus harbour on May 30th, 1941. Her deck cargo of benzine in drums caught fire and this detonated her cargo of munitions. The ship blew up with an explosion that sank two or three other ships in the harbour and caused some 200 casualties.





The steamer blew up and sank *steamer ALICANTE (Ger 2140 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

and *steamer JIUL (Rum 3127 grt)* both nearby.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AGHIOS PANTLEMON (Gk 105 grt)* was sunk by the LW when she lost touch with her escort of MSW whaler FALK off Tobruk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
CVE ARGUS and DDs FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, and FOXHOUND arrived at Gibraltar.

Convoy SL.76 departed Freetown escort AMC MORETON BAY to 21 June and corvettes AMARANTHUS to 1 June, ASPHODEL to 7 June, CLEMATIS to 1 June, and COLUMBINE to 7 June. DD VELOX escorted the convoy from 4 June to 6 June. CA CUMBERLAND escorted the convoy from 10 to 16 June. Corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS escorted the convoy from 13 to 18 June. CL SHEFFIELD escorted the convoy from 14 to 16 June. On 16 June, DDs PIORUN and ROXBOROUGH and ocean boarding vessels CORINTHIAN and MARON joined to 21 June. DD WESTCOTT and corvettes AURICULA and PERIWINKLE joined on 18 June to 21 June. On 19 June, DD WANDERER and corvettes FREESIA, HIBISCUS, and MARIGOLD joined to 21 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 21 June.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 MAY TO DAWN 31 MAY 1941
_Weather _ Fine and warm. 

_2143-2214 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach Grand Harbour from the north east but are turned away by a barrage from anti-aircraft guns, two raiders dropping their bombs in the sea.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 30 MAY 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _8 Beaufighter. Remainder of 252 Squadron left for UK. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrol of eastern Tunisian coast; convoy not identified due to a mishap in the aircraft which went out of control over the target. 2 Marylands reconnaissance Malta to Greek coast for enemy naval movements. Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli approaches for enemy shipping. _82 Squadron_ On information that Italian merchant vessel Florida previously attacked and damaged had been towed out of Sfax Harbour, three Blenheims despatched to attack and dropped 4 x 250lb bombs, scoring near-misses with delayed action bombs.

_LUQA _Eight Beaufighters left for Middle East, the other two remaining for repairs.


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## parsifal (Jun 2, 2016)

*31 MAY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1937 TB DKM T-13





Type IXC U-502




14 ships sunk, total tonnage 78,843 GRT. Sunk on 6 July 1942 in the Bay of Biscay west of La Rochelle, , by depth charges from a CC wellington (172 Sqn RAF). 52 dead (all hands lost).
Allied
Tug HMS DART
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Banff Class HMS GORLESTON





*Losses*
U-106 sank *MV CLAN MACDOUGALL (UK 6843 grt)* off the West African Coast. The ship was on passage from Glasgow to West Africa with a mixed cargo. She had a crew of 87, of whom 2 were to lose their lives. At 0313 hrs the unescorted CLAN MACDOUGALL) was hit by one torpedo from U-106 nth of the Cape Verde Islands. The U-boat had observed the vessel leaving a harbour on Sao Vicente and followed her. A second torpedo became a circle runner and a third torpedo missed at 0324 hrs. The ship sank eleven minutes after being hit by a coup de grace at 0334 hours. Two crew members were lost. The master, 74 crew members and ten gunners landed at Santo Antão, Cape Verde Islands.





U-107 sank the *MV SIRE (UK 5664 grt) *off the west African Coast. She was a dispersed ship from OB-320, on passage from the UK to Pepel, travelling empty , with a crew of 49, of whom 3 were to lose their lives. At 0739 hrs the SIREwas hit on the starboard side in the bow by one torpedo from U-107 and sank after 10 minutes WSW of Freetown. Three crew members were lost. The master and 45 crew members were picked up by corvette HMS MARGUERITE and landed at Freetown on 6 June.





U-147 sank *MV GRAVELINES (UK 2491 grt)* in the Western Approaches. She was part of the inbound HX-127 but was straggling when lost. She was carrying timber and had a crew of 36 on board, of whom 11 were to lose their lives. On 31 May 1941 the GRAVELINES, a straggler from HX-127, was torpedoed by U-147 NW of Bloody Foreland and broke in two. The master and 10 crew members died. 23 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the British sloop HMS DEPTFORD and landed at Liverpool. The afterpart of the GRAVELINES sank and the forepart was towed to the Clyde and beached at Kames Bay on 3 June. The vessel was declared a total loss and was broken up in Rothesay in 1942. 





U-204 sank the* FV HOLMSTEINN (Iceland 16 grt)*





U-38 sank the *steamer RINDA (Nor 6029 grt)* off the west African Coast. She was on passage from Haifa to the UK via the Cape and Freetown. She was carrying coton and general cargo, with a crew of 31, of whom 13 were to lose their lives. At 0024 hrs the unescorted RINDA was hit by two torpedoes from U-38 off Liberia. When the torpedoes struck they blew off the funnel and the entire after deck. Four men on deck and the master and another seaman on the bridge were killed. The survivors attempted to lower the lifeboats but the ship sank before they were free and the men were pulled down by the suction, drowning some of them. Only one lifeboat with one man hanging on to it and four rafts floated free. A few survivors rightened the boat and picked up others during the night in the light of burning cotton. Finally, it contained 18 survivors (four of them badly burnt) and set sail for Freetown. On 1 June, they were picked up by Armed Yacht PICT after being located by a/c and taken to Freetown, where the wounded men were taken to a hospital ship.
Among the survivors was also the cat, that was found swimming in the ocean by the lifeboat during the night. She remained on board of the armed trawler that that rescued the survivors and was renamed ….'Rinda".





U-69 sank *steamer SANGARA (UK 5445 grt)* in the gulf of Guinea. She was on passage from Liverpool to Lagos carrying a mixed cargo. 1 of the crew was lost in the attack At 0025 hrs U-69 fired one torpedo at the SANGARA lying at anchor in the roads of Accra after arriving there on 30 May. She sank by the stern in 33 feet of water with her bow still visible above the water. One crew member was lost. The master died in an accident on 13 June 1941, apparently drowning while examining the wreck of his ship.

At 21.10 hrs on 12 August 1941 the Italian submarine ENRICO TAZZOLI fired a torpedo at the bow of SANGARAbut missed. On 1 April 1943 the wreck of SANGARAwas sold to two locally based engineers for the sum of 500 pounds stirling, was refloated and towed to Lagos roads, but it was not clear what should happen with her and she was then towed to Douala at the mouth of the Cameroon River where the cargo was salvaged and sold.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-141

At Sea 31 May 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-557, U-561, UA

25 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and met convoy EC.24 off may Island. The convoy was escorted to the north. In Pentland Firth, the ship was detached from the convoy. Ship ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow at 1800 escorting Dutch submarine O.14 into harbour.

*Northern Waters*
CL BIRMINGHAM arrived at Scapa Flow from patrol. DD WINDSOR departed Greenock for Dundee to carry out repairs to weather damage. She arrived at 1030 on 1 June. DD IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow escorting steamer LADY OF MANN and AMSTERDAM to Aberdeen where the ships arrived at 1900. She returned that evening.

*West Coast*
OB.329 departed Liverpool, escort DDrs CAMPBELTOWN, WANDERER, and WESTCOTT and corvettes AURICULA and PERIWINKLE. The escorted was joined on 1 June by seaplane carrier PEGASUS and corvette MARIGOLD. The escorted was detached on 5 June when the convoy was dispersed.

WS.8X departed the Clyde with steamers PORT WYNDHAM, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, and WAIWERA and AMC ESPERANCE BAY. CV VICTORIOUS and CL NEPTUNE escorted the convoy from 31 May to 5 June. CA NORFOLK was with the convoy from 31 May to 11 June, when the convoy arrived at Freetown. DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY escorted the convoy locally. The convoy was escorted by DDs SHERWOOD, LEGION, PIORUN, WIVERN, WILD SWAN, VANSITTART, SAGUENAY, ST MARYS, and BRIGHTON from 31 May to 3 June. All, but WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and VANSITTART, returning to England. AMC ESPERANCE BAY was detached on 3 June.

DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and VANSITTART arrived at Gibraltar on 6 June. DD VELOX and corvette ASTER joined the convoy on 9 June and escorted the convoy into Freetown on 11 June. The convoy departed Freetown and escorted by CL NEPTUNE. They arrived at Capetown on 24 June. Convoy WS.8 X departed Capetown on 28 June, escorted by CL NEPTUNE. The convoy called at Kilindini on 6 July and departed the same day for Aden. They arrived on 11 July and proceeded independently to Suez arriving on 15 July. 

*Med/Biscay*
During the night of 31 May/1 June, the final night of evacuation of Crete took place.

Sphakia – CLA PHOEBE, ML ABDIEL, and DDs JACKAL, KIMBERLEY, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria at 0600on the 31st and lifted 3710 men in the last night of the evacuation.

*CLA HMS CALCUTTA (RN 4190 grt) *and COVENTRY sortied from Alexandria on 1 June to assist this force, but CALCUTTA was sunk at 0945 on 1 June soon after leaving port. Cdr G. P. Hunter-Blair Rtd and Lt F. J. March and one hundred and one ratings were killed. One Marine and four ratings were missing. Ten ratings died of wounds. CLA COVENTRY picked up 255 survivors from the cruiser.





In the evacuation of Crete, 16,511 were disembarked at Alexandria. In addition to the evacuations by Royal Navy ships, 54 men were evacuated by flying boat on the 31st/1 June.

RM TB PLEIADI was damaged by an Italian bomber falling out of control off Tobruk. Her superstructure was destroyed and her hull was damaged by fire. The torpedo boat was run aground to prevent sinking. While being salvaged, she was further damaged by RAF bombers on 13 October 1941. The torpedo boat was written off as a constructive total loss.
*Nth Atlantic*
CA SUFFOLK arrived at Conception Bay (Newfoundland) to refuel. After refuelling, she returned to patrol.

USN CV YORKTOWN, CA VINCENNES, and DDs SAMPSON and SWIN departed Bermuda on neutrality patrol. The group arrived back at Hampton Roads on 12 June 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 31 MAY TO DAWN 1 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_1030-1040 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by the return of a Glenn Martin Maryland.
No enemy air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 31 MAY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _During the month three or four submarines were continuously on patrol. 830 Squadron had only five flying crews through the month. Blenheims of anti-ship bomber squadrons reported successful attacks on twelve merchant vessels and two destroyers. The Bomb Safety Officer dealt with 14 unexploded 50kg bombs and one 500kg. 
_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Sunderland. _Departures _2 Sunderland; 1 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _2 Marylands patrol eastern Tunisian coast AM and PM. 2 Marylands patrol PM Ionian Sea to Greek coast. _82 Squadron_ Three Blenheim bombers attacked _Florida II_ off Sfax; direct hits were scored, causing explosions and volumes of black smoke. 
_LUQA _One Beaufighter left for the Middle East*.*


----------



## parsifal (Jun 2, 2016)

*Summary Of Losses April 1941 (Unfinished)
Allied
Allied Warships


XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)
Allied Shipping*



*XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)
Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt
Prizes captured*


*Neutral shipping*


*( grt Mercantile)*

*Neutral warships
None
Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: XXX grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXXX grt*

*Prizes taken*

*Cumulative Losses since 9/39*

*Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),*

*(XXX grt)
RM*


*XXXX (RM XXXX grt),*

*(XXXXX grt)*

*Axis Shipping
GER*


*(XXXXX grt)
FI*


*Vichy*


*(XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)*

*Captured ships
tanker BRITISH ADVOCATE (UK 6994 grt),
steamer GRIGORIOS C II (Gk 2546 grt)*

*XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)*


----------



## parsifal (Jun 2, 2016)

*01 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Motor MSW MMS-6
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-105 sank the *MV SCOTTISH MONARCH (UK 4719 grt)* in the Central atlantic. The vessel was dispersed from OB-319, and on passage from Newcastle on tyne to Freetown with a load of coal. She hadf a crew of 45 at the time of her loss, of whom 1 would be lost. At 0022 hrs the SCOTTISH MONARCH, was hit in the bow by one torpedo fired by U-105 SW of the Cape Verde Islands. The ship had been spotted at 0700 hours the day before and missed with a spread of two torpedoes at 1535 hrs. One crew member was lost. The survivors abandoned ship after the hit and the U-boat fired at 0036 and 0052 hours two coups de grace. The first was a dud but the second detonated near the bridge and caused the ship to sink by the bow after a boiler explosion. The U-boat then questioned the survivors before leaving the area. The master and 23 survivors were picked up on 8 June by the Dutch MVALPHARD and landed at Freetown five days later. The chief officer M. Macleod and 19 survivors were picked up on 11 June by the British steam merchant CHRISTINE MARIE and landed at Freetown on 19 June.




U-58 sank the *Boom Defence Vessel HMS ASTRONOMER (RN 8401 grt)* in the Nth Sea, off the east coast of Scotland. Of the 105 man crew, 4 would lose their lives in the attack. At 2348 hrs was hit in the stern by one G7e torpedo from U-58 30 miles SE of Wick. At 0318 and 0443 hrs on 2 June, the vessel was hit by two coups de grace and sank about 1 hour after the last hit. The master, 51 crew members, one gunner and 48 naval officers and ratings were picked up by Naval Yachts HMS STOKE CITY and HMS LEICESTER CITY and landed at Rosyth.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-558 
At Sea 01 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-561, UA

26 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by DD HOLDERNESS, laid minefield BS.63 off the east coast of England.

Norwegian steamer FERNBANK was damaged by the LW off Peterhead, arrived at Aberdeen on the 1st, and later went on to the Tyne for repairs.

*Northern Patrol*
CL EDINBURGH departed Scapa Flow on Denmark Strait patrol. She arrived in Iceland on the 3rd and after refuelling departed on the 4th to relieve CLA HERMIONE. CL ARETHUSA departed the Denmark Strait patrol when relieved by HERMIONE, which departed Hvalfjord on 31 May, and arrived in Iceland. ARETHUSA departed Iceland for patrol in the Iceland-Faroes Channel.

*Northern Waters*
Home Fleet Status at the first of June at Scapa Flow.
BB KGV, CLs MANCHESTER and GALATEA, and 7 DDs.
CA SUFFOLK and CLs KENYA and AURORA were all attached to the home Flt, but were at sea sweeping for DKM supply ships.

BB NELSON, CLs NEPTUNE and SHEFFIELD, and 14 DDs would be available to the Home Fleet by 20 June as they completed various yard periods.

DDs COSSACK, ZULU, MAORI, and SIKH departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to escort convoy WS.9A, and arrived in the Clyde on the 2nd.

DDs PUNJABI, ESKIMO, and ICARUS departed Scapa Flow at 1500 for the Clyde to screen BB RODNEY. The DDs arrived in the Clyde at 0730 on the 2nd, joining DD TARTAR already there.

*SW Approaches*
DKM CA PRINZ EUGEN arrived at Brest.

RM submarine MARCONI sank *fishing trawler EXPORTADOR I (Pt 318 grt)* with artillery 137 miles SW of Cape St Vincent. Two crewmen were killed and twenty rescued.
[NO IMAGFE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
Tanker PASS OF BALMAHA (UK 758 grt), escorted by sloop AUCKLAND and trawler SOUTHERN MAID, departed Alexandria for Tobruk, where whey arrived at 2330 on the 3rd, delivering much needed fuel. Then after unloading, and escorted by AUCKLAND, departed Tobruk during the night of 4/5 June.

Submarine CLYDE sank *steamer SAN MARCO (FI 3076 grt)* five miles 90° from Capo Carbonara, SE of Sardinia.A second torpedo attack on another steamer on this date was unsuccessful.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Submarine TORBAY sank a caique, carrying German troops and stores, in the Doro Channel with artillery. Nearly6 100 Germans lost their lives

*Nth Atlantic*
Submarine SEVERN departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Atlantic.

HX.130 departed Halifax, escorted by BB RAMILLES, corvettes PICTOU and RIMOUSKI, and aux PV RAYON D’OR. BHX.130 departed Bermuda on 30 May escorted by AMC ALAUNIA. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.130/5th and the AMC was detached. On the 4th, corvettes AGASSIZ, ALBERNI, and WETASKIWIN joined. DDs BURNHAM and CHURCHILL joined on 8 une. BB RAMILLIES was detached on the 9th and AMC DERBYSHIRE joined on the 11th. The two DDs were detached on 14 and 13 June, respectively. The three corvettes and the AMC were detached on the 15th. DDs SARDONYX and WATCHMAN, corvettes HELIOTROPE, PETUNA, VERBENA, and VIOLET, escort ships BANFF, CULVER, FISHGUARD, and HARTLAND, and CAM ship ARIGUANI joined on the 15th. DD WATCHMAN and escort ship BANFF were detached on the 18th. DD SARDONYX and escort ships CULVER, FISHGUARD, and HARTLAND were detached on the 19th.ASW trawlers NOTHERN GEM and NORTHERN PRIDE escorted the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

SC.33 departed Sidney CB, escorted by AMC DERBYSHIRE, DD ST CROIX, and aux PV RACCOON. The DD was detached on the 3rd and the escort vessel on the 4th. On the 4th, corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN joined the convoy. DD BURNHAM and corvette ALBERNI joined on the 7th.Escort ship FISHGUARD joined on the 13th. DD BURNHAM was detached on the 14th and the AMC the next day. On the 15th, DD BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA and CARNATION, escort ship BANFF, MSWs BRITOMART and SALAMANDER, CAM ship ARIGUANI, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO. The two escort ships were detached on the 18th. DD BULLDOG was detached on the 19th. The remainder of the escorts, less the two MSWs were detached on the 20th. The convoy, escorted by the two MSWs, arrived at Liverpool on the 21st.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 JUNE TO DAWN 2 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.
_1616-1645 hrs _Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft believed to be a JU 88 bomber on reconnaissance, escorted by nine fighters. The bomber carries out reconnaissance over Grand Harbour at 19000 feet. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims. Hurricanes are scrambled but do not engage as they are unable to reach height in time.
_1905-1909 hrs _Air raid alert caused by the return of a Maryland aircraft.
OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 1 JUNE 1941
_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _Four Swordfish launched a successful attack with 4 ‘cucumbers’ against Tripoli.
_AIR HQ Departures _1 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _4 Marylands special reconnaissance southern coast of Italy. AVM H P Lloyd, MC, DFC appointed Air Officer Commanding, Malta. 
_HAL FAR _G/C M L Taylor, AFC, assumed command of RAF Station, Hal Far.
_LUQA _G/C Cahill, BDFC, AFC, assumed command of RAF Station, Luqa.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 2, 2016)

*02 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Baglietto (and others) MAS 555 class MAS Boat MAS 555




(approximate commissioning date. From about this time through to 1942, at a rate of about 2 per month, a total of 13 MAS 555 class boats were completed for the RM

Acciaio Class Sub RM PLATINO





Neutral
CVE USS LONG ISLAND (CVE 1)




USS LONG ISLAND, a 7886-ton CVE, was launched in January 1940 at Chester, Pennsylvania, not the first of her kind, even in US service (see the USS LANGLEY) but should stil be viewed as a prototype in her conception. She was converted from the US Merchant vessl MORMACMAIL. The U.S. Navy acquired her in March 1941 and converted her to its prototype CVE conversion design. LONG ISLAND was commissioned in early June 1941 and conducted trial operations in the Atlantic during the rest of that year. Among the results of these tests was a lengthened flight deck. She also performed some convoy escort duties and, during the first months of 1942, but served most of the war as a training carrier and aircraft transport in the pacific.

Allied
HDML 1000, MASB 24, MSW MMS 24, MTB 51
[NO IMAGES FOUND] 

*Losses*
LOSSES
U-108 sank *CAM Ship MICHAEL E (UK 7628 grt)* in the North Atlantic in an attack on OB-327. The outbound ship was in ballast, on passage from Belfast to Halifax. A crew of 51 was aboard, of whom 4 were to be lost in the attack. At 2043 hrs the MICHAEL E, dispersed on 1 June from convoy OB-327, was hit on the port side by one of two torpedoes fired by U-108 while steaming on a non-evasive course at 10 knots in hazy weather about 700 miles SW of Cape Clear. Two hrs earlier, the U-boat had spotted three ships from the dispersed convoy and decided to attack the second one at dusk. The explosion opened a large hole in the port side and the upper deck, blew the hatch covers onto the top deck and broke the shaft which stopped the engines immediately. After sending a distress signal and discussing the possibility of launching the Hurricane fighter from its catapult, the crew of 35, five gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 12pdr and four machine guns) and eleven FAA personnel, including two pilots and a fighter direction officer (FDO), began to abandon ship in four lifeboats as the ship quickly settled by the stern without a list. The torpedo had hit underneath the mess used by the naval ratings, killing 2 and wounding 12 others, three of them seriously. At 2221 hrs, the ship sank vertically by the stern. The U-boat surfaced shortly afterwards and questioned the survivors in each lifeboat before leaving.
The boats then set sail and two of them were spotted by ALCINOUS the ship of the convoy commodore from the dispersed convoy OB-328, in the afternoon on 3 June. The ship picked up the occupants and afterwards searched for the other two boats, locating them about 5 miles away. However, a crew member died of injuries and was buried at sea on 9 June. On 10 June, the survivors were landed at Halifax and the injured men were taken to a hospital where an air fitter died of injuries later that day.





*Steamer BEAUMANOIR (UK 2477 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW near, Robin Hood's Bay off the York Coast. The steamer was taken in tow. The steamer was sunk after a second air attack.





*Steamer PRINCE RUPERT CITY (UK 4749 grt)* was sunk by the LW in in the Northern Waters area. Four crewmen were lost on the steamer.





*Trawler JOHN (Be 197 grt)* was sunk by the LW ninety miles SE of the Scottish East Coast known as Inglos Hofdi. There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE]

*Steamer KASTELHOLM (FN 5417 grt)* was sunk by a mine SE of Iceland. One crewman was lost on the steamer. The rest of the crew were landed at Thorshavn. Some sources say this ship was sunk on the 6th June after being torpedoed by U-559





*UBOATS*
At Sea 02 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U 147, U-204, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-561, UA

26 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CL NIGERIA undocked at Rosyth, departing the next day for Scapa Flow. ML PLOVER, escorted by patrol sloop GUILLEMOT, laid minefield BS.57 off the east coast of England. MSWs ELGIN, SUTTON, and ALBURY of MSWFlot 4 accompanied the minelay.
RNN submarine O.14 was damaged in a collision, and repaired at Grangemouth from 8 June to 9 July.
British steamer THORPEBAY was damaged by the LW six miles off Coquet Lighthouse (off the east Coast in Northern England). The steamer returned to the Tyne. The ship arrived at Scapa Flow on the 17th in tow.
British Trawler BEN SCREEL was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The trawler returned to the Tyne.

*Northern Patrol*
DD BEDOUIN arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting steamer BEN MY CHREE to Cape Wrath from Iceland.

*Northern Waters*
CL BIRMINGHAM departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde for escort of convoy WS.9A. The cruiser arrived in the Clyde on the 3rd. Following this duty, the ship proceeded for duty in the South Atlantic.
*West Coast*
OB.330 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvette ALISMA and ASW trawler NORTHERN DAWN. The convoy was joined on the 3rd by DDs LINCOLN, SABRE, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ARROWHEAD, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER, CAM ship SPRINGBANK, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and MAN O.WAR. The convoy was dispersed on the 7th

*Western Approaches*
U.147 damaged Belgian steamer MOKAMBO in the Western Approaches, with the steamer arriving in the Clyde on the 4th in tow. After this attack *Type VIIC U.147 (DKM 749 grt)* was sunk NW of Ireland in the ASW counterattack by DD WANDERER and corvette PERIWINKLE, escoring convoy OB.329. The entire crew of of the Uboat were lost.






Ex-US Coast guard cutter/escort ship HARTLAND, which had arrived at Londonderry on 29 May from the US, was damaged in a collision with British steamer WELSH COAST. The escort ship sustained minor damage which was repaired at Falmouth, during a scheduled refit from 8 June to 18 July.

*SW Approaches*
Sub P.32, on passage to Gibraltar, was damaged by the LW off Finisterre. Considerable damage was done to the batteries. The submarine arrived at Gibraltar on the 3rd.

*Channel*

*Med/Biscay*
*Military whaler KOS XXII (RN 353 grt)* was sunk on passage from Crete.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine CLYDE made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on a small steamer off Terranova.

NZ manned CL LEANDER arrived at Suez and arrived at Alexandria on the 5th for duty with the 7th Cruiser Squadron.
*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 JUNE TO DAWN 3 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Cloudy and dull.

_2255-2335 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast from the south east, dropping 12 bombs on the perimeter of Luqa aerodrome and also north of Fort Benghaisa. The raider is engaged by AA fire and one Hurricane is airborne but is unable to engage enemy aircraft; no claims.

_Night _ A German Junkers 52 troop carrier is picked up by coastal searchlights moving southwards off the coast of Malta and is shot down into the sea. Wreckage retrieved next morning.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 2 JUNE 1941

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _5 Marylands on reconnaissance.


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## Njaco (Jun 2, 2016)

*June 3 Tuesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British cruisers HMS “_Aurora_” and HMS “_Kenya_” attacked German tanker “_Belchen_” 80 miles southwest of Greenland as the tanker refueled submarine U-93. U-93 escaped, but “_Belchen_” was damaged by shellfire and a torpedo from Aurora; her crew scuttled the ship. 5 were killed during the attack; U-93 later returned and picked up 50 survivors. The attack on “_Belchen_” was enabled by Ultra intercepts. To the south, U-48 and U-75 attacked Allied convoy OB-327 950 miles west of Brest, France, sinking Dutch ship “_Eibergen_” (4 killed; 35 survived) and British tanker “_Inversuir_” (45 survived).

British passenger liner “_Mamari_”, modified to look like carrier HMS Hermes, was attacked by German aircraft off Cromer, Norfolk, England. She became stuck on the wreck of tanker “_Ahamo_” while evading the attack. After sundown, German E-boats arrived and hit “_Mamari_” with torpedoes.

Three wounded German airmen owe their lives to the gallantry of the second officer of a British merchant vessel which they had tried to bomb. When their aircraft was shot into the sea by the ship’s gunners they scrambled on to a raft, and in a heavy swell the ship was maneuvered alongside and ropes were thrown to the men, but they were too badly injured to help themselves. Though he knew the risk of being crushed against the ship’s side, the second officer climbed down a ladder, jumped on to the raft, and roped the three men so that they could be hoisted on board.

“_City of Dieppe_”, RN stores ship, arrived St. John's and joined the NEF. Extremely limited naval facilities at St. John's could not support operations without extensive afloat resources. The RN provided both depot ships and stores ships to act as tenders for RCN and RN escorts. Fuel was provided from commercial and naval auxiliary tankers berthed in the port. Canadian shore facilities were expanded throughout the WW.II, although some were not completed before hostilities were ended.

*ASIA: *The Japanese 59th Sentai at Hankou was selected as the first unit to receive the new Nakajima Ki-43 Type 1 Fighter ‘Hayabusa’ (‘Oscar’). The unit returned to Japan during June-August 1941 to collect some 30 examples of the Ki-43-Ia, which were then flown to Hankou. During these ferry flights and in training flights, folds began appearing in the wings following sharp turns and several mid-air disintegrations occurred. Four or five aircraft out of 20 examined proved to have defects in the wing construction, and at once the Sentai’s ground personnel attempted to install reinforcement. Their efforts proved to be in vain, and the major part of the unit therefore returned to Tachikawa in October to convert to the –Ib model.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* German Ambassador Graf von Schulenburg tells the head of Soviet International Affairs that Adolf Hitler had decided to begin war with the Soviet Union on June 22. Josef Stalin considers the information to be disinformation.

*GERMANY:* Hitler received Japanese ambassador Hiroshi Ōshima at the Berghof and informed him of the plan to attack the Soviet Union.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *The Razing of Kandanos: The Holocaust of Kandanos refers to the complete destruction of the village of Kandanos in Western Crete (Greece) and the killing of about 180 of its inhabitants on 3 June 1941 by German occupying forces. It was ordered by Generaloberst Kurt Student in reprisal for the participation of the local population in the Battle of Crete that had held advancing German soldiers for two days. The destruction constituted one of the most atrocious war crimes committed during the occupation of Crete by Axis forces in World War II. German troops from the III Battalion of the 1st Air Landing Assault Regiment (most probably led by Oberleutnant Horst Trebes) reached Kandanos, following Student's order for reprisals. The Germans killed about 180 residents and slaughtered all livestock; all houses were torched and razed. Nearby villages such as Floria and Kakopetro met a similar fate. After its destruction, Kandanos was declared a 'dead zone' and its remaining population was forbidden to return to the village and rebuild it. Finally, inscriptions in German and Greek were erected on each entry of the village. One of them read: Here stood Kandanos, destroyed in retribution for the murder of 25 German soldiers, never to be rebuilt again.

*MIDDLE EAST:* British Gurkha troops (2/4 Gurkha Rifles) arrives by air transport to occupy Mosul. British regain control of Debarech, near Gondar (Ethiopia), after Italians have twice recaptured the town. British forces are now moving through the country establishing control of key points. Some of the British troops will be ready to move into Syria later in the month. In the power vacuum in Baghdad following the collapse of the Rashid Ali regime, two days of violence known as the Farhud broke out against the local Jewish population. Arab supporters of Rashid Ali riot, killing hundreds of Jews and looting Jewish shops.

RAF aircraft attack oil facility at Beirut.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* From today until the 6th of June, the Finnish and German military leadership negotiate at Helsinki on co-operation in event of a Russo-German war. An agreement regarding the Finnish Army and Air Force is reached. Although formally the idea of a Russo-German war is hypothetical, the Finns have already understood that the Germans are in all probability about to invade the USSR. The Finnish High Command granted the German General Staff permission to use northern Finland as a staging area for the planned attack on the Soviet Union.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Before dawn, German bombers attacked Hull and Tweedmouth in England in the early hours of the day. An enemy plane passed over Boulmer dropped bombs and machine-gunned the village. A Spitfire was seen chasing the plane. A corporal in the RAF Marine Section was seriously injured by machine-gun fire at North Side, Amble and was taken to the RAF Station, Acklington. A soldier was slightly hurt in High Street, Alnmouth. A lady of Scotsgap received a slight burn to the face and neck. The guard on the train, was struck on the top of the head by a bullet and taken to Alnwick Infirmary.

The Attlee memorandum approved by 2,430,000 to 19,000 at Labour Party conference in Britain.

Troop convoy WS 9A departs the Clyde, some for Suez and some for Bombay-Colombo-Singapore as WS 9AX.

*WESTERN FRONT:* A German He 111 bomber encountered a British de Havilland Dragon aircraft en route back to France and shot it down. The de Havilland Dragon turned out to be a civilian joy-riding aircraft and had just taken off from St Mary’s on the Isles of Scillies for the short 25 mile hop back to the mainland at Penzance when it was intercepted by the German bomber, apparently returning from a raid on the north of England. The forward guns easily dealt with the unarmed Dragon aircraft which crashed into the sea with no survivors. The pilot and all 5 passengers were killed.

Led by Weygand, Petain and his Council of Ministers refuse to accept Darlan's concessions to Germany in Paris Protocols.

Vichy vows it will defend Syria and Tunisia against Allied incursions.

.


----------



## Njaco (Jun 3, 2016)

*June 4 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Royal Navy continues rounding up German supply ships all over the Atlantic. British cruiser HMS “_London_” and destroyer HMS “_Brilliant_” intercepted German tanker “_Esso Hamburg_” 750 miles southwest of Cape Verde islands based on Ultra intercepts. “_Esso Hamburg's_” entire crew of 87 survived the attack and the tanker was scuttled. Also from Ultra intercepts, British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Esperance Bay_” and aircraft from HMS “_Victorious_” spotted German supply ship “_Gonzenheim_” 380 miles northeast of the Azores. Battleship HMS “_Nelson_” and cruiser HMS “_Neptune_” approached to board but not before “_Gonzenheim_” was scuttled; all 63 aboard survived and picked up by “_Neptune_”. Finally, ocean boarding vessel HMS “_Marsdale_” captured German tanker “_Gedania_” also off the Azores. “_Gedania_” would later be pressed into British service as “_Empire Garden_”.

German submarine U-101 attacked British ship “_Trecarrell_” 1,200 west of Brest, France at 0503 hours, killing 4; 41 abandoned ship. At 0640, U-101 rammed “_Trecarrell_”, bending “_Trecarrell's_” bow, and then left “_Trecarrell_” to sink on her own.

*ASIA:* The destruction of bridges along the Burma Road by Imperial Japanese Navy bombers based at Hanoi in French Indochina forces the road to close.

*GERMANY: *Heinrich Rühl with five victories flying with JG 53 goes missing in action.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation ROCKET: RN Force H – aircraft carriers HMS ‘_Ark Royal_” and HMS “_Furious_”, escorted by battlecruiser “_Renown_”, cruiser “_Sheffield_” and destroyers “_Foulknor_”, “_Fearless_”, “_Foresight_”, “_Forester_”, “_Foxhound_” and “_Fury_” - departs for central Mediterranean with 43 Hurricane Mk IIs for Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Axis air raid on Alexandria kills 170 people.

Nigerian 23rd Infantry Brigade, advancing south from Addis Ababa, begins crossing the Omo at Abalti in Galla-Sidamo. Gideon Force is disbanded, and Wingate reduced in rank and ordered to Egypt.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported that development of airborne television had progressed to the point that signals transmitted by this means could be used to alter the course of the transmitting aircraft.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British Home Security Situation Report noted that, for the week ending at 0600 hours on 4 Jun 1941, about 178 were killed by German bombing in Britain, and 185 were seriously injured.

During an early evening mission to England fighters from JG 51 collide with Spitfires from the RAF. Two British fighters are shot down over Folkestone with the credit going to Fw. Janke and Fw. Helmut Jürgens of IV./JG 51.

Later at night the Bristol area is attacked again by Luftwaffe bombers. Around 0230 hours four He 111s of III./KG 27 attack airfields and aircraft factories at Cheltenham and Bristol. Several buildings are damaged and a Gloster aircraft is destroyed. An Junkers Ju 88C on a night intruder sortie, flew into a hill in bad visibility at Skelder Moor near Whitby 0030 hours. The crew of three were killed.

British intelligence intercepted Ambassador Ōshima's coded message which included considerable details of Germany's plan to attack the USSR. However, due to a lack of either translators or interest, the report was not delivered to the Joint Intelligence Committee for eight days.

LCDR R. C. Robison, RAN, was awarded the DSC for 'bravery and enterprise' while serving on HMAS “_Stuart_”, (destroyer), at the battle of Matapan. Robison was later to command HMAS “_Voyager_”, (destroyer), and was in command when the ship ran aground, and was subsequently destroyed, at Betano Bay, Timor, in September 1942.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Former German Emperor and King of Prussia Kaiser Wilhelm II died in Doorn, Netherlands. Kaiser Wilhelm II (1859-1941), Germany's last Kaiser, was born in Potsdam in 1859, the son of Frederick III and Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria. Wilhelm became emperor of Germany in 1888 following the death of Frederick II. At the time of his accession Otto von Bismarck was still German Chancellor; however he was effectively dismissed from office by Wilhelm II two years later. With revolution spreading to Berlin, Wilhelm was forced to abdicate on 9 November 1918. Chancellor Max von Baden pre-empted Wilhelm's decision by announcing his abdication to the public. Wilhelm sought exile in Holland, where he lived for the rest of his life. Holland refused to extradite Wilhelm as a war criminal to the Allies following the Armistice.

RAF Fighter Command conducted sweeps and Roadstead operations. RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: Aircraft from RAF Nos. 18, 107 and 139 Sqns. make low-level attacks on Dutch airfields. RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 4, 2016)

*June 5 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The first submarine is sunk by an RAF aircraft equipped with metre-wave radar and the new Leigh Light, a searchlight fitted beneath the wing. The pilot is PO W. Howell, a US citizen who had joined the RAF before the war.

British cruiser HMS “_London_” and destroyer HMS “_Brilliant_”, using Ultra intercepts, intercepted and attacked German tanker “_Egerland_” 700 miles southwest of Cape Verde islands. “_Egerland's_” crew scuttled the ship; all 94 aboard survived.

German submarine U-48 sank British ship “_Wellfield_” 670 miles north of the Azores at 0131 hours; 8 were killed, 30 survived.

*ASIA:* Japanese aircraft flew more than 20 sorties against Chongqing, China over a 3-hour period, dropping bombs on civilian sections of the city. In the Jiaochangkou air raid shelter tunnel, more than 1,000 Chinese died from asphyxiation.

Japanese luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” departed Yokohama for Vancouver, with some Jewish refugees on board.

*GERMANY:* JG 51 loses Heinz Wiest when he is killed in a flying accident. He has six victories with JG 51.

The German Kriegsmarine issued orders for 102 new submarines to be constructed.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Germany announced that 15,000 British and Commonwealth prisoners of war were captured at Crete, Greece.

Off the coast of Libya between Misrata and Sirte, British submarine HMS “_Triumph_” and WWI-era Italian gunboat “_Valoroso_” engage in a duel of deck guns. HMS “_Triumph_” sinks “_Valoroso_” and 2 tiny Italian steamers “_Frieda_” and “_Trio Frassinetti_”.

From Alexandria the Greek Prime Minister-in-exile Emmanouil Tsouderos made a broadcast to the people of occupied Greece.


> "Unite as one man more closely than ever around our national symbols, around our flag and our heroic King," Tsouderos said. "Keep your heads high as men who have been victorious. Do not trust the enemy; and have confidence in the final victory. Help each one of you, with every means at your disposal in order that we may achieve the final victory. Help our country to overcome the present misfortunes until the glorious day of liberation of a Greece great and new."



Cyprus reinforced by Australian troops—After their heavy losses during the invasion of Crete, German plans to launch a similar attack against Cyprus were abandoned.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Three British Blenheims raid Aleppo airfield, where a number of Italian CR.42 fighters and SM.79 transport aircraft had been observed. One aircraft and a hangar were demolished. Three French Morane 406 fighters tried in vain to ward off the attack.

British forces occupy Kirkuk.

Vichy French planes bombed the Transjordanian capital of Amman.

General Wilson directs that Maj-Gen Lavarack and HQ 1st Australian Corps will take over the direction of the Syrian campaign after Damascus and Beirut have been secured. Until then, Wilson proposes to command the invasion himself from the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. Brig Rowell (Australian BGGS in Palestine) protests that this is not feasible and that 1st Australian Corps should command the invasion from the start. Wilson disagrees but later events will force the adoption of Rowell’s proposal. Anticipating this, HQ 1 Australian Corps moves to Nazareth.

*NORTH AFRICA: *East African 22nd Infantry Brigade captures over 1000 Italian troops across the Omo River at Sciola in Galla-Sidamo.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The Roosevelt administration asks Congress for $10,400 million for defense spending in 1942, in the army appropriation. This is equivalent to US $ 122.4 billion in Year 2000 dollars.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Before dawn, German bombers attacked Birmingham, England in the early hours of the day. The bombs mostly missed their targets and fell outside the city.

Speaking at the Labour Party's annual conference, MP, Manny Shinwell says:


> 'Roosevelt's statement on our shipping losses did not disclose all the facts. It was a triumph of understatement. The position is much worse than he said. Unless we can speedily repair our vessels ... and replace ships lost ... I do not know whether victory is within sight, because ultimate victory rests upon the inviobility of seapower.'



.


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## Njaco (Jun 5, 2016)

*June 6 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Aircraft from HMS “_Eagle_” sank German blockade runner “_Elbe_” in the South Atlantic. The German blockade runner was sunk by a Swordfish, flown by sub Lt (A) J.B. Murray of RAF No. 824 Squadron. A search for survivors was unsuccessful. On the 21st, ocean boarding vessel “_Hilary_” rescued nineteen survivors from the German ship.

Italian submarine “_Marconi_” sank British ship “_Baron Lovat_” (the entire crew survived) and Swedish ship “_Taberg_” (15 killed) 350 miles west of Gibraltar.

Axis submarines have a busy day in the mid-Atlantic. German submarine U-106 sank British ship “_Sacramento Valley_” 250 miles west of Cape Verde Islands at 0503 hours; 3 were killed, 39 survived. German submarine U-43 sank Dutch ship “_Yselhaven_” 930 miles northwest of the Azores at 2024 hours; 24 were killed, 10 survived. Three hours later at 2325 hours, 630 miles northwest of the Azores, U-48 sank British ship “_Tregarthen_”, killing all 45 aboard.

*ASIA:* The Chinese 5th PG received six I-153s to use as night fighters.

*GERMANY:* Hitler issues Guidelines for the Treatment of Political Commissars (Commissar Order, Kommissarbefehl), which would bring about the summary execution of any captured Soviet political commissars. He says: "Any German soldier who breaks international law will be pardoned. Russia did not take part in the Hague Convention and thus has no rights under it." This order is tacitly disobeyed by most German army and corps commanders who deem it contrary to German military custom and tradition.

Hitler hints to the Japanese ambassador that Germany will soon invade the Soviet Union.

Admiral Raeder meets with Hitler about conduct of war in the Mediterranean. Croatian leader Pavelic meets with Hitler.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Rocket: RAF Hurricanes were launched from RN carriers “_Ark Royal_” and “_Furious_” of Force H to reinforce Malta. One Hurricane returned with defects, the remaining 43, escorted by 8 Blenheims from Gibraltar, arrived safely.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Australian 7th Division is in position on the Palestine-Syria border. On the French side at the coast, elements of 24th Colonial, 22nd Algerian and 6th French Foreign Legion Regiments are entrenched, supported by seven battalions of artillery. The British invasion force has little reliable intelligence and only 1:200,000 scale maps. Some information is provided by Palestinian Jews attached to the British Army. Air support to the invasion is initially inadequate with 70 aircraft versus 100 French. As the invasion progresses it will be enhanced, eventually including: 80 Sqn RAF (Hurricanes) based at Haifa, 3 Sqn RAAF (Curtiss Tomahawk IIBs) based at Jenin, 208 Sqn RAF (Hurricanes) at Aqir, 203 Sqn RAF (Blenheim fighters), 803 and 806 Sqns FAA (Fulmars). Bomber support will consist of 84 and 11 Squadrons RAF (Blenheim) and 815 Squadron FAA (Swordfish). Finally, 'X' Flight RAF is formed at Habbaniya this day from the Gladiators remaining after the Iraqi Revolt.

RAF fighters shot down a French 167F bomber over Palestine.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Nigerian 23rd Infantry Brigade is pushing south from the Omo River at Abalti in Galla-Sidamo. Italian defenders from Abalti begin withdrawing toward Jimma in Galla-Sidamo.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Gerow recommends to Marshall that the Philippine forces not be called into Federal service. Further recommends MacArthur be given command of the Philippine Department.

President Roosevelt said during a press conference that many Americans were being duped by German propaganda into believing that Britain was on the verge of collapse and would soon be suing for peace.

US Naval Air Station established at Balboa in the Canal Zone.

The first US navy vessel constructed specifically as a mine layer, USS “_Terror_”, was launched.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* First 120 Finnish volunteers for German Waffen-SS depart for Germany.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British Air Ministry issued a contract to Avro for the supply of 454 Lancaster Mk I heavy bombers powered by four Merlin XX engines, plus two prototype Lancaster Mk II fitted with four Bristol Hercules VI engines.

British Intelligence receives reliable information that Germany will attack Russia on 22 June.

Over Durham at 1500 hours, a single German aircraft dropped one 500kg bomb, 20 yards W of the LNER railway line at East Jarrow. Two pigs and a number of hens were killed by blast. No other damage or casualties were reported. One HE was dropped at Whitefield Pit, Penshaw, near to houses where damage was caused to about fifty of them, a small water pipe and an electric cable. A male and two females sustained injuries.

.


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## parsifal (Jun 6, 2016)

*03 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
M-35 Class MSW DKM M-203
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS NICHOLSON (DD442)





Allied
Motor MSW MMS 20 (J520)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-75 sank *MV EIBERGEN (NL 4801 grt)* in the SW Approaches. The ship had been part of OB327 until its dispersal. It was making passage from Newcastle on Tyne to Sierra Leone in ballast, with a crew of 39, 4 of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0345 hrs on 3 June, the unescorted EIBERGEN was hit aft by one torpedo from U-75 about 650 miles north of the Azores. The U-boat had chased the ship for more than 9 hrs, missed with a first torpedo at 0237 hrs and then a spread of two torpedoes at 0253 hours before hitting the ship with the fourth. The Germans observed how the ship settled by the stern and the crew began to abandon ship in two lifeboats, but suddenly the U-boat was illuminated by a searchlight and opened fire with the AA gun to destroy it. U-75 then turned around and fired its stern torpedo as coup de grace at 0400 hrs. The torpedo struck amidships and caused the EIBERGEN to break in two and sink within one minute. Two crew members on watch below were killed and two British gunners failed to leave the ship. The survivors were not questioned by the Germans because the identity of the victim was known from its distress signals. HMCS NIAGARA from the dispersed OB 328 and the ocean boarding vessel HMS MALVENIAN were sent to the area to search for the lifeboats, but were unable to find them. On 7 June, the survivors were picked up by CL CAIRO and landed at Gourock.





U-75 sank *Tkr INVERSUIR (UK 9456 grt)* in the SW Approaches. The ship had been part of OB327 until its dispersal. It was making passage from Stanlow to Aruba in ballast, with a crew of 45. There were to be no deaths in this attacks. At 0101 hrs the INVERSUIR, was hit in the foreship by one torpedo from U-48 north of the Azores. The ship stopped and developed a heavy list to port after being hit amidships by a coup de grace at 0111 hours. The U-boat then fired 51 rounds from the deck gun and set the tanker on fire. At 0359 hours, a second coup de grace hit her in the bow and she was left in a sinking condition.

The wreck of INVERSUIR was finally sunk by U-75 with two coups de grace fired at 2033 and 2051 hrs.





*Tanker BELCHEN (DKM 6367 grt)* was sunk by CLs AURORA and KENYA in the Greenland area. U.93 rescued some fifty survivors. It was the start oif a stready program by the RN to round up and eliminate the supply tail that was allowing extensive world wide operations by surface raiders, made possible by the progress in breaking into the German naval codes.




*Steamer ROYAL FUSILIER (UK 2187 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW off the west Coast. The steamer sank four miles 200° from May Island. The entire crew was rescued.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-751

At Sea 03 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-93, U-94, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-204, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-751, UA

26 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MSW FRANKLIN was damaged by two near misses from the LW in the Nth Sea. The MSW spent no time out of action.

Decoy ship MAMARI (Fleet Tender C) struck the sunken wreck of tanker AHAMO in the Nth Sea. The ship remained fast and attempts to remove the ship during the day were unsuccessful. During the night of 3/4 June, German S-boats attacked the decoy ship with a torpedo striking the AHAMO. The crew of the decoy ship was rescued by resuce tug SABINE and landed at Grimsby. The MAMARI is not recorded as a loss at this time.

In an attack on German shipping, a British Swordfish of 816 Sqn from Thorney Island was shot down. P/T/Sub Lt (A) C.M. Richards RNVR, observer, and Leading AirmanA.J. Atkin were killed. T/A/Sub Lt (A) E.K. Margetts RNVR, pilot, was taken prisoner.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ELECTRA, IMPULSIVE, and ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow to Londonderry to refuel prior to joining the escort of arriving BB NELSON. The DDs arrived at 1330 and departed at 1900 to meet the BB. On the 4th, ELECTRA damaged her ASDIC dome to hitting a whale. DD ICARUS was ordered to leave BB RODNEY and join the NELSON group.

*West Coast*
BB RODNEY, escort DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, ESKIMO, and ICARUS, departed the Clyde for refitting in the U.S. Also sailing in company was British liner WINDSOR CASTLE . The BB arrived at Boston on the 13th.

WS.9A departed with steamers SAMARIA, HIGHLAND BRIGADE, EASTERN PRINCE, AAGTEKERK, CAPETOWN CASTLE , EMPRESS OF JAPAN, FRANCONIA, MOOLTAN, ORBITA, LLANGIBBY CASTLE, DURBAN CASTLE, EMPIRE CONDOR, EMPIRE CURLEW, EMPIRE EGRET, and EMPIRE WIDGEON. CLA CAIRO and DDs RICHMOND, RAMSEY, COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH, ZULU, OTTAWA, RESTIGOUCHE, VANQUISHER, and WINCHELSEA were with the convoy form 3 to 7 June. AMC AUSONIA was with the convoy from 3 to 6 June. AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE and CL BIRMINGHAM, which departed the Clyde, were with the convoy from 3 to 18 June. DDs VANSITTART and WILD SWAN joined the convoy on the 13th and escorted it to Freetown arriving on the 18th. DDs HIGHLANDER, VELOX, BOREAS, and BRILLIANT were with the convoy from 16 to 18 June when the convoy arrived. The convoy and steamers BERGENSFJORD, ARONDA, THYSVILLE, and CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS departed Freetown on the 20th. They were escorted by DDs BOREAS, VELOX, WILD SWAN, and VANSITTART as local escort from 20 to 22 June and CL BIRMINGHAM as ocean escort. Steamers EASTERN PRINCE, CAPETOWN CASTLE, EMPRESS OF JAPAN, LLANGIBBY CASTLE, DURBAN CASTLE, and EMPIRE WIDGEON arrived at Capetown on 1 July. The remaining ships and BIRMINGHAM continued towards Durban. CA HAWKINS relieved the CL on 2 July. The convoy arrived at Durban on 4 July. The Capetown ships departed Capetown on 5 July escorted by BIRMINGHAM. Durban ships ARONDA, AAGTEKERK, THYSVILLE, EMPIRE CONDOR, EMPIRE EGRET, and EMPIRE CURLEW departed on 8 July escorted by heavy cruiser HAWKINS. They rendezvoused on 9 July with the Capetown section and light cruiser BIRMINGHAM was detached.
Steamers EMPRESS OF JAPAN, CAPETOWN CASTLE, and DURBAN CASTLE were detached at 9-10N, 51-40E with AMC HECTOR as convoy WS.9 AX for Bombay. The convoy arrived on 24 July. Convoy WS.9 AX departed Bombay escorted by AMC ANTENOR and arrived at Colombo on 30 July. Steamers EMPRESS OF JAPAN and CAPETOWN CASTLE departed Colombo on 1 August escorted by CL MAURITIUS. The CL was relieved later by CL DURBAN. The convoy arrived at Singapore on 5 August. The remaining ships arrived at Aden on 21 July and proceeded independently to Suez.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine P.32 arrived at Gibraltar from Holy Loch

*Channel*
British steamer DENNIS ROSE was damaged by the LW five miles SW of Start Point (Sth coast Of Cornwall).

*Med/Biscay*
British troopship GLENGYLE departed Alexandria, escorted by two RHN DDs, for Port Said to load equipment and LC for EXPORTER, the invasion of Syria. DDs ILEX and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria for Famagusta to embark special service troops and transfer them to troopship GLENGYLE. The DDs joined the troopship at Port Said on the 4th.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA, after duty in the Red Sea, arrived at Alexandria for duty with the Med Fleet.

ASW Trawler KLO was damaged by the LW arriving at Mersa Matruh. The skipper was killed. And another crew member, died of wounds on 2 July.

RM CruSqn 7 with CLs EUGENIO D'SAVOIA, DUCA D'AOSTA, and ATTENDOLO and CruSqn4 with CLs BANDE NERE and DI GUISSANO with DDs PIGAFETTA, DA MOSTA, DA VERAZZANO, DA RECCO, USODIMARE, GIOBERTI, and SCIROCCO laid two minefields NE of Tripoli.

An Italian convoy of steamers AQUITANIA, NIRVO, *Steamer MONTELLO (FI 6117 grt)*, CAFFARO, *Steamer BEATRICE C. (FI 6132 grt)*, and POZARICA escort DDs AVIERE, GENIERE, DARDO, and CAMICIA NERA departed Naples for Tripoli.
Distant cover was provided by CLs DUCA DEGLI ABRUZZI and GARIBALDI and DDs GRANATIERE, FUCLIERE, BERSAGLIERE, and ALPINO from Palermo.

The convoy was attacked 20 miles NE of Kerkenah by British a/c on the 4th and steamers BEATRICE C. and MONTELLO were sunk.





_Steamer MONTELLO_



_



_
_Steamer BEATRICE C._

Submarine PARTHIAN torpedoed *tkr STROMBO (FI 5232 grt)* in Salamis Bay. The tanker was beached off Dardanelles a total loss.



+

Submarine UNIQUE damaged Italian steamer ARSIA off Lampedusa. The steamer had departed Tripoli on the 1st in a convoy of steamer COSTANZA and tug COSTANTE NERI and escorted by gunboat GRAZIOLI LANTE for Trapani.
Submarine TORBAY sank a unknown caique (Ex-Gk 250 grt(est)), carrying oil drums, off Mitylene with gunfire.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MTB.215 sank Turkish auxiliary schooner IKI KARDESHLER (Tu 250 grt (est)) in 35-56N, 32-52E.. The schooner was carrying petrol and was found to be sailing under false orders. She was sunk on suspicion she was co-operating with the enemy. The days of the sanctity of neutral shipping were long gone. .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
Corvette ASTER departed Gibraltar for Bathurst.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DANAE departed Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 JUNE TO DAWN 4 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.rbour, escorted by twelve fighters. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage; no damage to enemy aircraft. Hurricanes are scrambled but unable to reach height in time to engage the raiders.
_PM _ One Italian three-engined aircraft passing to the west of Malta is attacked by four Hurricanes of 249 Squadron and shot down in the sea. The crew are seen on the wing. The Gozo boat and Hurricanes conducted a search but were unable to find any survivors.
_2125-2135 hrs _Air raid alert for four formations of enemy aircraft which approach the Island and circle east of Kalafrana and Grand Harbour for one and a half hours. 15kg bombs are dropped on land west of Island Bay and in the sea. Night Hurricanes are airborne but unable to locate the raiders due to heavy cloud.
_2143-2300 hrs _Air raid alert. Two enemy aircraft cross the coast near Kalafrana and drop 15kg and incendiaries near the airfield and in the sea. Searchlights illuminate the raiders on two occasions and anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims. Night Hurricanes are airborne but unable to locate the raiders due to heavy cloud.
_2327-0045 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island from the south west and drops bombs in the sea south west of St Thomas’ Bay. During the raid four Swordfish aircraft land at Hal Far. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage the raiders; no claims. Night Hurricanes are airborne but unable to locate the raiders due to heavy cloud.
 
OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 3 JUNE 1941
_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron_ Six Swordfish in two unsuccessful attempts in poor visibility to intercept southbound convoys passing to the westward of Lampedusa. _Unique_ successful attack on Lampedusa Harbour; 1000 ton ship destroyed.
_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _5 Maryland on reconnaissance. 4 Blenheims of 139 Squadron and 1 of 82 Squadron attacked a convoy escorted by destroyers: one ship blown up and a second set on fire. The Blenheim which bombed the latter ship was hit by debris from it and exploded; it then crashed into the sea.


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## parsifal (Jun 6, 2016)

*04 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS BRORA (T-990
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Losses*
U101 sank the *Steamer TRECARRELL (UK 5271 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The ship had sailed as part of OB-327, but this convoy dispersed 1June. She was on passage from Hull to New Brunswick in Ballast with a complement of 47, 4 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 0503 hrs the TRECARRELL, was hit in the stern by one G7e torpedo from U-101west of Cape Race. The ship had been chased for about 11 hrs and missed by a first G7e torpedo at 0405 hours the previous night. Four crew members were lost. After the survivors abandoned ship in three lifeboats and one raft, a coup de grace hit the stern of the ship at 0524 hrs. She developed a heavy list to port, but remained afloat so the U-boat opened fire with the deck gun at 0555 hrs. They scored a hit with the first shot, but one man of the gun crew was thrown overboard by the recoil so they were forced to cease fire. MtrOGfr Horst Jackl wore a life jacket but the search for him was futile and this crewman was lost. At 0640 hours the U-boat dived to fire another coup de grace, got to close and rammed the floating steamer, bending its bow to starboard. After so many unlucky events, the commander decided to left the sinking steamer behind. The master, 38 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the British steam merchant CORNERBROOK and landed at Halifax. 



+

U-69 laid mines that sank *Dredger ROBERT HUGHES (UK 2879 grt)* 14 of her 31 man crew lost their lives. On 4 June 1941 the ROBERT HUGHES struck a mine laid on 29 May by U-69 in the entrance to Lagos Harbour and sank. 14 crew members were lost. The master and 16 crew members were rescued by harbour craft.





*AO ESSO HAMBURG (DKM 9849 grt)* was scuttled when she was intercepted by CA LONDON and DD BRILLIANT sth of the Azores, as part of the RNs round up of DKM auxiliaries operating in the Atlantic, andf in consequence to the recent progress in cracking the ENIGMA codes. The entire crew of 87 were rescued.





*Supply ship GONZENHEIM (DKM 4104 grt)* was first located by AMC ESPERANCE BAY, but the cruiser was not fast enough to intercept. The ship was next sighted by an a/c from CV VICTORIOUS in the mid Nth Atlantic.BB NELSON, from convoy SL.75, intercepted the supply ship and ordered CL NEPTUNE to board. The supply ship scuttled herself in 43-29N, 24-04W. NEPTUNE, which had been detached from convoy WS.8 X, rescued 63 survivors from the German ship and took them to Gibraltar.




*AO GEDANIA (DKM 8923 grt)* was captured in the Nth Atlantic in 43-38N, 28-15W by Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE. The tkr was carrying 48 eight torpedoes to replenish U-boats. The vessel was taken for British use and renamed EMPIRE GARDEN.



RE

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-94

Departures
Kiel U-559

At Sea 04 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-204, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

26 boats at sea
*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0615 to join convoy WN.35 in Pentland Firth and escort it southeastward. On meeting convoy EC.28, the ship transferred to that convoy and remained in company through the day. On the 5th, ship ALYNBANK transferred to convoy WN.36 west of the Orkneys. The convoy was attacked during the evening of 5 June and a steamer was set afire and a trawler was damaged.

*Steamer QUEENSBURY (UK 3911 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea from convoy WN.36. 10 crewmen and one gunner were lost on the steamer. The convoy and ship ALYNBANK arrived at Methil at 0900 6th.





*Northern Waters*
CL NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting at Rosyth.

*SW Approaches*
OG.64 departed Liverpool, escort ASW trawlers CANNA, LADY SHIRLEY, LAERTES, and LORD IRWIN. On the 5th, the convoy was joined by DDs ROXBOROUGH, SALISBURY, and SKATE, sloop FOLKESTONE, ocean boarding vessel HILARY, corvettes ANEMONE, CLARKIE, and VERONICA. The ocean boarding vessel departed the convoy that night. The DDs and corvettes were detached on the 8th. On the 12th, corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS and RNN sub O.21 joined the convoy. Corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS were detached on the 13th. DDs AVONVALE, ERIDGE, and FARNDALE, arriving from the Irish Sea Force, and WRESTLER, which departed Gibraltar on the 13th, joined the convoy on the 17th. ASW trawler LADY SHIRLEY was detached and arrived at Gibraltar on the 16th, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 18th with sloop FOLKESTONE, the 4 DDs, submarine O.21, deperming vessels SPRINGTIDE and SPRINGDALE, MSWs CORBRAE and LORD IRWIN, ASW trawler LAERTES, naval trawler CANNA, and whalers GOS 7, KOS 10, KOS 11, and KOS 12.

HG.64 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop BIDEFORD, corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS, RNN sub O.21, and ASW trawler STELLA CARINA.Two MLs departed with the convoy for local escort. Corvette WOODRUFF joined on the 5th and was detached the next day for Bathurst. The ASW trawler was detached on the 10th.
Corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS were detached on the 12th to convoy OG.64. On the 14th, ocean boarding vessels LADY SOMERS and MALVERNIAN joined the convoy. DDs SKATE and WALKER and corvettes HYDRANGEA and WALLFLOWER joined the convoy on the 15th. HG.64 arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

CVE ARGUS and Greek troopship NEA HELLAS, escorted locally by DDs FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, and FURY departed Gibraltar for the UK. Corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL were to escort the ships during daylight on the 5th, but a forecast of bad weather which would make the escorts inefficient forced the ships to return to Gibraltar, arriving on the 5th.

*Channel*
*RNN ML VAN MEERLANT (RNN 687 grt)* was sunk by mining in the Thames Estuary, with the loss of 42 crew.





*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 JUNE TO DAWN 5 JUNE 1941

_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1036-1117 hrs _Air raid alert for a fighter patrol by six ME 109s which cross the Island near St Thomas’ Bay at 12000 feet; they are observed over the Zabbar area, then recede south west. No bombs are dropped. Two heavy anti-aircraft positions engage; no claims. 12 Hurricane fighters are scrambled and intercept the ME 109s 45 miles north of Malta, chasing them back towards Sicily. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 4 JUNE 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Wellingtons en route for Egypt. _Departures _3 Wellingtons. _69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance.


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## parsifal (Jun 6, 2016)

*05 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-573




1 ship sunk, total tonnage 5,289 GRT. Badly damaged on 1 May 1942 in the Med NW of Ténes (area east of Oran in Algeria), by DCs from an ASV equipped Hudson a/c (233 Sqn). 1 dead and 43 survivors. She was towed to Cartagena, Spain on 2 May 1942. Sold to Spain on 2 Aug, 1942. Became the Spanish submarine G 7. In service until May 1970.

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS BUCTOUCHE (K-179)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS SHERBROOKE (K-152)




 
*Losses*
U-48 sank *tkr WELLFIELD (UK 6054 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The ships had been attached to OB-328, but was on this day dispersed. She was in ballast, on passage from Liverpool to Curacao, with a crew of 42. 8 of the crew were to be lost in this attack. At 0131 hrs the unescorted WELLFIELD, was hit aft by two torpedoes fired by U-48 SE of Cape Farewell. The tkr had been spotted at 1409 hrs the day before and was sunk by one G7e coup de grace at 0156 hrs. The master and seven crew members were lost. 19 crew members were picked up by BRITISH ARDOUR and landed at New York. On 11 June, 15 crew members were picked up by the HEINA and landed at Halifax. . 




_Model of the WELLFIELD held at the British National Maritime Museum showing her appearance as built. _

*ASW trawler ASH (RN 505 grt)* was lost on a mine in the Thames Estuary. Exact casualties are not recorded.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*AO EGERLAND (DKM 9789 grt)* scuttled herself when she was intercepted by CA LONDON and DD BRILLIANT. The entire crew of 94 officers and ratings were rescued and taken prisoner.





*Coal hulk HIMALAYA (UK 3540 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Portland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Balloon barrage drifter LAVINIA L. (RN 73 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Sheerness. One crewman was lost on the drifter.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Willhelmshaven: U-26 

Departures
Kiel, U-79, U-203, U-371

At Sea 05 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

29 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CLs AURORA and KENYA arrived at Iceland after searching for DKM supply ships. AURORA continued on to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 7th. CLA HERMIONE arrived at Iceland after Denmark Strait patrol. AMC AURANIA arrived at Iceland after being withdrawn from Northern Patrol after a submarine was reported in her area.

*Northern Waters*
DD MATABELE struck a submerged object after leaving Barrow on the 4th for Scapa Flow. The DD returned to Barrow, arriving on the 5th, for repairs completing in August.
DD INTREPID departed Scapa Flow for Immingham to fit TSDS and carry out repairs. 

*West Coast*
British steamer MYRMIDON was damaged on a mine in Crosby Channel. The steamer returned to Liverpool, but permanent repairs were completed in the US

*Med/Biscay*
BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL and CVL FURIOUS, and six DDs departed Gibraltar to fly off 43 Hurricanes to Malta on the 6th in Operation ROCKET. Group 1 was BC RENOWN, CVL FURIOUS, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FOXHOUND. Group 2 was CV ARK ROYAL, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FEARLESS and FURY. Force H.safely returned to Gibraltar on the 7th after the fly off.

CLA COVENTRY and DDs ISIS and HERO departed Alexandria to join troopship GLENGYLE at Port Said.

Submarine RORQUAL departed Alexandria with supplies for Malta where she arrived on the 11th.

RAN DDs VOYAGER and VENDETTA departed Alexandria to deliver supplies to Tobruk during the night of 5/6 June. The DDs unloaded and returned to Mersa Matruh.

Submarine TRIUMPH sank *gunboat VALOROSO (built 1913) (RM 434 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The sub then sank *steamer FRIEDA (FI 245 grt)* and *Steamer TRIO FRASSINETTI (FI 244 grt)* in 31-39N, 15-39E.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Pacific/Australia*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA and NZ manned CL ACHILLES escorted convoy VK.2 of two ships from Sydney to Wellington, where they arrived on the 9th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 JUNE TO DAWN 6 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1449-1505 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_2207-2245 _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach and cross the Island from different directions. One Sunderland approaching at the time is warned to keep clear. 17 high explosive bombs of 15kg fall are dropped between Kalafrana and Marsaxlokk and in the sea south of Hal Far. One 15kg bomb hits the roof of Loreto Church causing slight damage.

_0102-0220 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the north east at 16000 feet, then cross the coast at Kalafrana. 15kg bombs are dropped on Ta Qali, the Dockyard, Tarxien, in the sea off Kalafrana, on Birzebbuga, Hal Far and Island Bay areas. Searchlights illuminate three times. A Hurricane night fighter of 185 Squadron piloted by F/Lt P Hancock engages a Heinkel 111, attacking from such close range that the two aircraft nearly collide; the Heinkel is severely damaged and the raider is suspected to have crashed in the sea.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 5 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Utmost _returned after carrying out successfully another special mission in the Gulf of Hammamet.

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance._ 139 Squadron _Squadron returned to UK. Underground operations room now in use.


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## parsifal (Jun 6, 2016)

*06 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-103
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Bathurst Class Corvette HMAS MARYBOROUGH (J-195)





HDML 1045
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-106 sank *MV SACRAMEBTO VALLEY (UK 4573 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. She was on passage from Carfiff to Pernambuco via Freetown, with a load of Coal. 49 crew were aboard the vessel, of whom 3 were to lose their lives. At 0503 hrs the SACRAMEBTO VALLEY, dispersed on 27 May OB-324, was hit on the port side just abaft amidships in the engine room by one torpedo fired by U-106 while steaming on a zigzag course at 9.5 knots about 250 miles NW of the Cape Verde Islands. The explosion killed the third engineer and two Indian fireman on watch below and destroyed the port lifeboat. The master, 39 crew members and six gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 40mm and four machine guns) abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat and two jolly boats within five minutes when the ship settled by the bow with a list to port. The radio operator sent distress signals on the emergency aerial, but got no reply and left the ship as last together with the master. The ship sank vertically by the bow about 10 minutes after the hit. The U-boat surfaced, questioned the survivors in the lifeboat and gave them the direction to the nearest land before leaving.

The boats remained at the sinking position for about 7 hrs after sending further distress signals with the emergency set, but when no help arrived they set sail towards the Cape Verde Islands. The lifeboat in charge of the second officer had 34 men aboard, including a greaser with a broken leg and drew ahead of the smaller jolly boats. On 9 June, they were picked up by the British MV CAITHNESS, which later that day also located the jolly boat in charge of the master and took its five occupants aboard. The ship searched in vain for the third boat and then proceeded to Freetown, where the survivors were landed on 14 June. The seven men in the jolly boat in the charge of the bosun had lost contact with the others during the second night and then decided to steer west, observing three ships passing them without being spotted. In the evening on 24 June, they were picked up by the Panamanian steam tanker STANVAC CALCUTTA and landed at Aruba on 3 July.





U-43 sank *Steamer YSELHAVEN (NL 4802 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. She was on passage from Liverpool to St Lawrence in ballast when lost, with a crew of 34, of whom 24 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 2024 hrs the YSELHAVEN, dispersed from convoy OB-328 on 2 June, was hit by two torpedoes from U-43 and sank within two minutes about 600 miles east of Newfoundland. The master and eight crew members were lost. The remaining crew members abandoned ship in two lifeboats, but one of them with 15 occupants was never seen again. The other boat with 10 men under command of the first mate A. Boutkan set sail for Cape Race but was hit by a gale, so they had to lower the mast and dropped a sea anchor. On 15 June, the survivors were picked up by the Finnish steam merchant HAMMERLAND and taken to Norfolk, Virginia.
*



*

U-48 attacked and sank *Steamer TREGARTHEN (UK 5201 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. She was on passage from Cardiff to Jamaica with a cargo of Coal and a crew o45, all of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 2325 hrs the unescorted TREGARTHEN, dispersed on 5 June from convoy OB-329, was hit in the stern by two torpedoes fired by U-48 NNW of the Azores. The ship capsized and sank within 3 minutes taking all of the crew with her.





*Blockade runner ELBE (Ger 9179 grt)*, which had left Darien on 20 April, was sunk by a Swordfish, flown by sub Lt (A) J.B. Murray of 824 Sqn, from CVL EAGLE in the Sth Atlantic. A search for survivors was initially unsuccessful, however on the 21st, ocean boarding vessel HILARY rescued nineteen survivors from the German ship and took them prisoner.





*Steamer GLEN HEAD (UK 2011 grt)* formerly the SS PENTHAMES, was sunk by the LW in the SW Approaches. 27 crewmen were lost on the steamer.





*Steamer TAURUS (Nor 4767 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. The entire crew were rescued.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 06 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

29 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British trawler EMULATOR was damaged by the LW seven miles east of Scarborough.

*Northern Waters*
DD ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow and met steamer AMSTERDAM and LADY OF MANN off the entrance to Aberdeen. The ships were escorted to the Orkneys; steamer LADY OF MANN to Long Hope and DD ANTHONY and steamer AMSTERDAM to Kirkwall. ANTHONY and steamer AMSTERDAM departed Kirkwall at 0430 for Lerwick where they arrived at 1000. DD ANTHONY escorting steamer AMSTERDAM departed Lerwick at 0430 on the 8th.Steamer LADY OF MANN departed Scapa Flow at 0930 and joined off Duncansby Hd. On arrival at Aberdeen at 1545, ANTHONY parted company and returned to Scapa Flow later that evening.

*SW Approaches*
Italian submarine VENIERO attacked convoy HG.64 in the SW Approaches. British steamer ARIOSTO was missed by torpedoes. The Italian submarine reported attacking another steamer in this convoy.

Italian submarine MARCONI attacked convoy OG.63 in 35N, 11W in the same vicinity of convoy HG.64. It is believed the MARCONI was responsible for the sinking of *steamer BARON LOVAT (UK 3395 grt)*. There were no casualties on the steamer.





MARCONI also sank *Steamer TABERG (SD 1392 grt)*, with 15 og the crew lost on the Swedish steamer. The Italian submarine reported sinking one more ship and damaging another, but no information is available.





Italian submarines VELELLA and EMO joined in the attack on the convoy wmulating DKM wolfpack tactics. The two submarines claimed sinking two steamers each, but no confirmation is available.

Submarine TORBAY damaged *tkr ALBERTA (Vichy 3357 grt)* with artillery eight miles 75 from Cape Helles. The tkr was boarded and further damage was done by the sub. When Turkish tug TAXIARCHIS tried to tow the damaged tanker on the 9th, submarine TORBAY fired a torpedo which missed. The ALBERTA sank on the 10th.





*Nth Atlantic*
BC REPULSE arrived at Conception Bay after escorting HX.129.

HX.131 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC CHESHIRE and corvettes PICTOU and RIMOUSKI. BHX.131 departed Bermuda on the 4th escorted by AMC WOLFE. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.131 on the 9th and the WOLFE was detached at that time. The convoy was joined on the 12th by corvette HONEYSUCKLE.All these escorts were detached on the 17th.Joining on the 17th were DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, and SALISBURY, CAM ship MAPLIN, corvettes GLADIOLUS, NIGELLA, ORCHIS, and POLYANTHUS, MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER, and ASW trawlers AYRSHIRE, LADY MADELEINE, and ST LOMAN. Corvette GLADIOLUS was detached on the 18th, DDs BEAGLE and SALISBURY and corvette POLYANTHUS on the 19th, and DD BOADICEA and corvette NIGELLA on the 20th. The remainder of the escort arrived with the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and VANSITTART arrived at Gibraltar after escort duty with convoy WS.8X for refuelling.

CVE ARGUS and troopship NEA HELLAS, escorted by DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and VANSITTART, departed Gibraltar to meet CV VICTORIOUS and CL NEPTUNE. The DDs would return with VICTORIOUS and NEPTUNE to Gibraltar. ARGUS and steamer NEA HELLAS arrived in the Clyde on the 14th. At 1100 on the 8th, the DDs joined VICTORIOUS and NEPTUNE. DD WRESTLER, after reinforcing the OG.63 escort, also joined the VICTORIOUS escort.

*Malta*
DAWN 6 JUNE TO DAWN 7 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_2005-2030 hrs _Air raid alert for three unidentified enemy aircraft which approach from the north east to Kala Bay. 15kg bombs are dropped on Kala Bay and searchlight site, on Gudja and Zabbar.

_2354-0120 hrs _Air raid alert for several formations of three or more aircraft which approach from the north west and circle the Island. One aircraft crosses the coast and drops 15kg bombs on Ta Qali and near St Andrews, and between Salina Bay and Wardia. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but searchlight illuminations are prevented by cloud and there is no engagement.

_0210-0300 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which drop bombs on Luqa aerodrome, setting fire to a Blenheim aircraft, and on Kirkop. A large number of 15kg bombs land on the Safi area. Bombs are also dropped in the sea off St Julians and to the north of Ta Qali. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 6 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _Five aircraft in operations against Tripoli.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _43 Hurricanes. _46 Squadron _arrived from UK. _69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.

_HAL FAR _17 Hurricanes (with the new extra long range tanks) landed at Hal Far from Gibraltar.


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## mikewint (Jun 6, 2016)

From the beginning everything went wrong at Omaha. Special amphibious Sherman tanks fitted with flotation screens that were supposed to support the 116th Regiment sank in the choppy waters of the Channel. Only 2 of the 29 launched made it to the beach. With the exception of Company A, no unit of the 116th landed where it was planned. Strong winds and tidal currents carried the landing craft from right to left. The 16th Regiment on the east half of the beach did not fare much better, landing in a state of confusion with units badly intermingled.

Throughout the landing, German gunners poured deadly fire into the ranks of the invading Americans. Bodies lay on the beach or floated in the water. Men sought refuge behind beach obstacles, pondering the deadly sprint across the beach to the seawall, which offered some safety at the base of the cliff. Destroyed craft and vehicles littered the water’s edge and beach, and at 0830 hours all landing ceased at Omaha. The troops on the beach were left on their own and realized that the exits were not the way off. Slowly, and in small groups, they scaled the cliffs. Meanwhile, navy destroyers steamed in and, scraping their bottoms in the shallow water, blasted the German fortifications at point-blank range. By 1200 hours German fire had noticeably decreased as the defensive positions were taken from the rear. Then one by one the exits were opened.

By nightfall the 1st and 29th divisions held positions around Vierville, Saint-Laurent, and Colleville—nowhere near the planned objectives, but they had a toehold. The Americans suffered 2,400 casualties at Omaha on June 6, but by the end of the day they had landed 34,000 troops. The German 352nd Division lost 20 percent of its strength, with 1,200 casualties, but it had no reserves coming to continue the fight.


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## parsifal (Jun 6, 2016)

[Thanks Mike and very impressive post. I think this is not quite the format that Chris was looking for however, as the brief is to cover WWII day by day from 1 September 1939 through to 7 December 1941, and should be read in conjunction with Syscom's earlier thread on the war day by day from 7 December to the very end in 1945.

once this project is completed we will have as complete a record as any on the net of WWII daily events.

I would really encourage you to think about making contributions for the upcoming campaign in Russia which I think both Chris and me are looking at with a lot of trepidation. All contributions will be included and appreciated].

*07 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U-85




_U-85 leaving Wilhelmshaven. The U-boat arm never learnt that an upside down horse shoe was very bad luck!_
3 ships sunk, total tonnage 15,060 GRT
Sunk on 14 April 1942 in the Nth Atlantic off Cape Hatteras, by gunfire from the DD USS ROPER. 46 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIC U-207




2 ships sunk, total tonnage 9,727 GRT
Sunk on 11 September 1941 in the Denmark Strait SE of Angmagssalik, Greenland, by DCs from the British DDs HMS LEAMINGTON and HMS VETERAN. 41 dead (all hands lost).

Type VIIC U-332




8 ships sunk, total tonnage 46,729 GRT
Sunk on 29 April 1943 in the Bay of Biscay Nth of Cape Finisterre, by DCs from a British Liberator a/c (224 Sqn RAF). 45 dead (all hands lost).

Neutral
Soviet SHCHUKA Class Serie X Bis Sub SHCH-405




_Serie X Bis profile_

Soviet SHCHUKA Class Serie X Bis Sub SHCH-406




_The Diesel engines of SHCH 406_
*Losses*
*Examination vessel No.10 (RN 281grt)* was sunk in mining off Milford Haven.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Hamburg : U-751
St Nazaire U-553

At Sea 07 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

30 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and escorted convoy EC.29 from May Island. ALYNBANK arrived at Scapa Flow on the 9th after having parted company with the convoy off Cape Wrath.

*Northern Waters*
Fleet units at Scapa Flow went to one hour's notice at 2000 on a report of German main fleet units. The notice was subsequently cancelled on the 8th.

*Med/Biscay*
DD HERO departed Port Said on the 6th for Haifa to complete final arrangements with the Army for EXPORTER.

ForceB of CLA PHOEBE and CL AJAX and DDs KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, JACKAL, and JANUS departed Alexandria on the 7th to be off the Syrian coast at daylight on the 8th for Operation EXPORTER.

Force C of British troops ship GLENGYLE, escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs ILEX, HOTSPUR, and ISIS departed Port Said on the 7th to land troops in Syria.

BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CVL FURIOUS, CL SHEFFIELD with DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESTER, and FURY departed Gibraltar to meet CV VICTORIOUS.

Submarine REGENT departed Gibraltar for Malta.

Submarine O.24 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Gulf of Genoa.

Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar after patrol.

*Nth Atlantic*
BC REPULSE departed Conception Bay for Halifax, and arrived on the 9th to escort convoy TC.11.

*Malta*
With some indications of faltering morale on the island Churchill wrote to the Governor declaring “_You may be sure we regard Malta as one of the master-keys of the British Empire. We are sure you are the man to hold it and we will do everything in human power to give you the means.”_

AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 JUNE TO DAWN 8 JUNE 1941

_Weather _Fine and warm.

_0527-0621 hrs _Air raid alert for three formations of twelve, three and four enemy aircraft approaching the Island from the south. Twelve ME109 fighters cross the coast rapidly. While eight remain at altitude, four dive low to machine-gun Hal Far aerodrome. Heavy and light anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims. Ten Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception.

_0251-0429 hrs _Air raid alert for four Italian BR 20 bombers which approach from the north east and drop 15kg bombs on the Wardia, Luqa and Marsa areas, and on Manoel Island. Two Hurricane fighters are scrambled. One BR 20 is illuminated by searchlights and engaged. The aircraft bursts into flames, the crew bale out and it crashes between Qrendi and Hagiar Qim. One parachute is seen descending over Marsaxlokk. 3rd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment posts a guard over the aircraft and take two prisoners – an Italian flying officer at the Blue Grotto and a sergeant at Wied Bassasa – who are handed over to the Detention Barracks at Corradino. A dead body is later discovered 300 yards from the aircraft and buried at St Andrews Cemetery. A second BR 20 is illuminated and hit by a Hurricane; it is badly damaged and last seen over Hal Far heading out to sea, believed destroyed. A third enemy aircraft is badly damaged.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 7 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish in successful attack on Tripoli: ‘cucumbers’ in harbour entrance.

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance of Catania aerodrome revealed 10 JU 52s, 9 HE 111s or JU 88s, 9 unidentified fighters.


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## Njaco (Jun 6, 2016)

> ....the upcoming campaign in Russia which I think both Chris and me are looking at with a lot of trepidation.



AMEN!!!!!!


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## Njaco (Jun 6, 2016)

*June 7 Saturday*
*ASIA:* Japan diplomatically recognized the Independent State of Croatia.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Polish physician Zygmunt Klukowski's diary entry for this date noted his observation of heavy German military traffic moving east.

Soviet Armaments Commissar Boris Vannikov was arrested.

*GERMANY:* King Boris of Bulgaria meets with Hitler.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with three vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Freccia_”, “_Strale_”, “_Marco Polo_”, and “_Victoria_” supported by two cruisers and three more destroyers.

The captured Italian vessel “_Giovanni_”, (schooner), commanded by Australian Lt. A. Palmer, DSC, RNR, ran aground in the approaches to Tobruk, and was destroyed by German ground fire. “_Giovanni_”, and her captain, had a legend built around them through their ghosting in and out of the besieged port with vital supplies. Palmer, who lost an arm in the engagement, was repatriated from a German POW camp in 1943.

HMS “_Furious_” sailed for the UK to load more aircraft, joining “_Argus_” at sea en route.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Allied invasion begins. On the coastal axis, Palestinian Jewish guides (including a young Moshe Dayan) lead Australian forces who infiltrate the frontier before hostilities are declared. From a kibbutz at Hanita they cross the border at 2130 hours to cut signal wires and probe for mines. Heavy seas prevent British commandos from ‘C’ Battalion British Special Service Brigade from landing behind the border to prevent the French blocking the narrow coastal road. The advance of 21 Australian Brigade is halted by heavy French fire short of the bridge over the Litani River. On the central axis, 25 Australian Brigade sweeps aside the French frontier posts but is then halted by determined French troops in well-chosen positions. On the desert (eastern) axis, 5 Indian Brigade seize Deraa (site of Lawrence of Arabia’s torture in WWI) and penetrate to Kuneitra. Churchill telegraphs to de Gaulle:


> "...best wishes to our joint enterprise in the Levant. ....At this hour when Vichy touches fresh depths of ignominy, the loyalty and courage of the Free French save the glory of France."



*NORTH AFRICA: *British Operation Battleaxe, an offensive against Axis positions in Libya, was delayed.

The RAF bombards Benghazi and Derna. Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria and Suez overnight with 31 Ju 88 bombers from bases on Rhodes, killing 230 people. Italian aircraft bomb Tobruk.

British transport “_Glengyle_” departs Port Said with No. 11 Commando for landing at the mouth of the Litani river in Lebanon

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Roosevelt learned that Germany was unlikely to invade the Iberian Peninsula, and suspended the planning for the occupation of the Portuguese Azores islands.

President Roosevelt signed a bill authorizing the requisitioning of all foreign merchant ships idling in American ports. He then issued an executive order authorizing the Maritime Commission to operate or dispose of the ships in the interest of national defense. The marine commission began to commandeer foreign vessels and allocate them to whatever service may be most useful for national defence. They include 39 Danish, 28 Italian and two German ships as well as others in Lithuanian, Estonian, and Romanian registry. The pride of the catch is the 83,423-ton French liner “_Normandie_”, the former holder of the Blue Ribbon for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The first of five heavy night raids by the RAF begins. RAF Bomber Command sends 33 aircraft to attack Kreigsmarine cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” at Brest, but fail to hit her. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

Behind the screen of the continuing raids on Britain, the Luftwaffe is being switched to the east. The powerful air fleet which destroyed Belgrade and blasted the way clear for the Wehrmacht to march through the Balkans is being transferred to Poland, where it is being joined by squadrons taken there from France. There are now 2,770 German aircraft, formed into three fleets, facing the Soviet Union.

Operation Josephine B ended in Allied success when a sabotage team blew up an electrical transformer station in Pessac.

.


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## mikewint (Jun 7, 2016)

Sorry Gentlemen, did not notice your time line restrictions. Being parochial had only thought in terms of the US involvement

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Njaco (Jun 7, 2016)

*June 8 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* U-69 was unsuccessfully attacked by a British Sunderland aircraft as she approached St Nazaire. U-69, commanded by Kapitän-Leutnant Jost Metzler arrived in St Nazaire later that day to a huge welcome having spent 65 days at sea, and covered 7,680 nautical miles. Metzler had made, at the time, the longest voyage ever undertaken by a Type VIIC, and had demonstrated the feasibility of operating long-range mining missions, tied up British naval resources and sank at least seven ships.

*GERMANY:* Germany experienced the largest RAF bombing raid thus far with 360 aircraft. RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft to attack Dortmund overnight.

In a supplement to Hitler's Commissar order of two days ago, the OKH directs that political commissars shall be summarily shot.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): The Free French forces commanded by General Legentilhomme, number 6,000 infantrymen, with 8 guns and 10 tanks supported by 24 aircraft. The remainder of the forces are one Australian division, a cavalry and two infantry brigades. and the support of about 60 aircraft. The Vichy forces under General Dentz comprise 18 regular battalions with 120 guns, 90 tanks and as many aircraft; in all more than 45,000 men. Allied forces totaled 34,000 troops - 5,000 Free French; 9,000 British; 18,000 Australian, 2,000 Indian troops. Commonwealth and Free French forces in northern Palestine crossed the border into southern French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon. The Free French promised the counties full independence for their co-operation. The Allies make no progress on the coastal axis at the Litani Bridge, or on the central axis. But mostly the Allied advance continues to make good progress. Tyre, Marjayoun and El Quneitra are all taken in the advance from Palestine. In the drive from Transjordan Dera'a is taken. The Free French contingents pass through (as planned) up the desert road towards Damascus. A planned landing of 420 commandos from the British No. 11 (Scottish) Commando was to conduct an amphibious raid in an attempt to secure a crossing on the Litani River for the Australian troops, but bad weather delayed their arrival by sea.

60 RAF aircraft take part in the Invasion of Syria. The first operations are raids on the French airbase at Rayak. 80 Squadron RAF Hurricanes are ordered to destroy the Martin 167 Maryland bombers of French 39 Squadron, 1st Bomber Group (GBI/39), which had just arrived at Rayak and by this time had started bombing British columns approaching Quneitra. Next, 5 Tomahawk fighters of the Australian 3rd Fighter Wing raided Rayak, where the French ground defenses took them for French planes because this was the first time they had seen the Tomahawk. Between them they claim six aircraft destroyed on the ground. 803 Squadron FAA lose three Fulmar fighters against French Dewotine D520 fighters. Plt-Off Roald Dahl (80 Squadron RAF) claims a Potez 63 shot down into the sea. French ace Sous-Lt Pierre Le Gloan shoots down a 208 Squadron RAF Hurricane, his first victory of the Syrian campaign and his 12th of the war.

Captain Moshe Dayan, of the Palestine Regiment, leading a section of the Allied attack, receives an eye injury when a stray bullet hits his binoculars. He was a company commander in the Palmach. His company was acting as scouts for the Allied forces.

French destroyers “_Valmy_” and “_Guépard_” bombarded Allied troops in the Litani River area, but they were driven off by New Zealand cruiser HMNZS “_Leander_” and British destroyers HMS “_Janus_”, HMS “_Hotspur_”, HMS “_Isis_”, HMS “_Jackal_”. The French opened fire at 17,000 yards and “_Janus_”, responded at 15,000 yards. At 10,000 yards “_Janus_”, was rapidly hit by five rounds. Everyone on the bridge, other than the captain, was killed and both boilers were put out of action. “_Janus_”, lost steering and power. Fortunately for “_Janus_”, French accuracy deteriorated after this. “_Jackal_” came up and the French ships retired in a running gun battle. “_Janus_”, had to be towed but a fire broke out, which burned for a day. “_Janus_”, was towed to Haifa, where the fire was eventually extinguished. “_Janus_”, was out of action until March 1942.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy and Chico Marx stage the first Hollywood "camp show" at Camp Roberts near Paso Robles, California.

En-route to Rio Hato, Panama, for a training flight from France Field, Panama in an OA-46A aircraft, Corporal R. Stubbs of Haverhill along with Augustus J. Allen of Myrtle Springs, Texas and Staff Sergeant James D. Cartwright of Los Angeles are lost when their plane goes down.

*NORTH AFRICA:* After two German air raids on Alexandria, Egypt, which had killed 400 people, 40,000 residents were evacuated from the city.


*NORTHERN EUROPE: *German troops begin arriving in Finland.

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## Njaco (Jun 8, 2016)

*June 9 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-46 sank British ship “_Phidias_” in the North Atlantic with the deck gun in the early hours of the day; 8 were killed, 43 survived. German submarine U-101 sank British ship “_Trevarrack_” in the North Atlantic at 1835 hours; 45 survived the attack in 3 lifeboats, but they were never found.

*GERMANY:* At Berchtesgaden, Germany, Adolf Hitler issued the summons for his top military leaders to gather for the final planning meeting for Operation Barbarossa. Hitler issued Directive No. 31, German Military Organization in the Balkans. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/31.html

*MEDITERRANEAN:* MV “_Leaving_”, (RN landing barge SD15), arrived at Sidi Barrani. The vessel was stolen from the Germans in Crete, and was sailed across the Mediterranean by a crew of Australian and English soldiers. An Italian submarine intercepted the barge two days out from Crete and removed the officers. Although ordered by the Italians to return to the island, the intrepid band made sails from blankets, and continued their voyage to freedom.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): As the British commando raid to secure crossings on the Litani River in French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon had been delayed by weather, Australian troops crossed the river in canvas boats. British troopship “_Glengyle_” (escorted by destroyers HMS “_Ilex_” and “_Hero_”) departs Port Said, Egypt, and lands 420 British Commandos who aid Australian troops in crossing the Litani River in canvas boats and capturing Vichy French positions. 2/16 Aust Bn cross the river under fire and secure the far bank by the afternoon. By 0130 hours next morning engineers have built a pontoon bridge across the river. Further off the coast, French submarine “_Caiman_” attacked British cruiser HMS “_Phoebe_”, but without success. The Allies were able to secure several strongpoints on the opposite shore of the Litani River by the end of the day. On the central axis, Australians capture Fort Khiam after a sharp bombardment, but can make no progress towards Merdjayoun. Gloster Gladiators of 'X' Flight RAF begin operations from Amman, flying patrols over Free French troops on the road to Damascus. General de Verdilhac (Vichy Dep C-in-C) orders II/6 Battalion French Foreign Legion and 6th Chasseurs d’Afrique (armoured) to assemble in Nahr el Awaj area for counter-attack.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The plan for a joint U.S. Army-Marine Corps invasion of the Azores in the event that German invades Spain and Portugal is suspended when intelligence sources learn that Germany has no intentions to invade the Iberian Peninsula.

President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8773, authorizing the Secretary of War to take over the striking North American Aviation plant in Inglewood, California. The president explained in a statement that the work stoppage could not be allowed to continue because it had created a situation that was "seriously detrimental to the defense of the United States."

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The United Kingdom established a national Fire Service Council, with 1,400 local brigades being merged in to 32 regional ones.

During a low level _Jabo_ attack on a shipping convoy off Portland, Oblt. Werner Machold of 7./JG 2 flying a Bf 109E “White 15”, is damaged by anti-aircraft fire from a Royal Navy destroyer and crash lands near Swanage, Dorset. He is captured and spends the rest of the war as a POW. The _Ritterkreuz_ holder ends the war in captivity with thirty-two victories.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The funeral of ex-kaiser Wilhelm II was held in Doorn. Although Hitler had wanted a state funeral in Berlin with himself in a prominent role, Wilhelm's family insisted on respecting instructions he'd given in 1933 that he was to be buried in Doorn if Germany was not a monarchy at the time of his death. However, a delegation of Nazi officials led by Arthur Seyss-Inquart was allowed to attend as well as a Wehrmacht guard of honour, and Wilhelm's wishes that Nazi regalia not be displayed at his funeral were ignored.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on coastal sweep.

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## Njaco (Jun 9, 2016)

*June 10 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British steamship “_Royal Scot_” hit an acoustic mine and sank in the Humber estuary on the eastern coast of England while escorting Thames/ Forth coastal convoy FN447. Patrol vessel HMS “_Pintail_” arrived to assist, but also struck a mine, sinking immediately; 55 were killed aboard “_Pintail_”, 22 survived.

*ASIA:* Desperate for sources of raw materials, Japanese leadership was infuriated when the United States won the contract to purchase all the Tungsten mined in Bolivia over the next three years following rejection of Japanese counter-bid.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyer “_Malocello_” and three torpedo boats.

British submarine HMS “_Torbay_” attacks an Italian convoy 15 miles off the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey, sinking steamer “_Giuseppina Ghirardi_” and hitting “_Utilitas_” with a torpedo that sticks in the hull but does not explode.

On the first anniversary of Italy's entry into the war, Mussolini said in a speech to the Grand Council of Fascism that the United States was already in a de facto state of war with the Axis, but that;


> "America's attitude does not bother us excessively ... American intervention would merely lengthen the war and would not save England."



*MIDDLE EAST: *Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Allied troops make slow progress north out of Palestine. Allied troops captured several villages in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon as they advanced toward Beirut. On coastal axis 21st Australian Brigade continue the advance past the Litani but are stopped in the afternoon by French positions on the coast road. Free French 1st Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade attack Kissoue south of Damascus. During a reconnaissance flight over Deraa, a well-known French pilot, Capitaine Jacobi of 6 Squadron, 3rd Fighter Group, was shot down by the British air defence. Crews of French 7 Squadron, 1st Fighter Group received orders to "drive off small units of the British Navy" that were firing uninterruptedly at the French-held coast; but it turned out that these "small units" were the whole of the British 15th Cruiser Squadron, and the French swiftly halted their operations.

RAF forms a new RAF No. 127 Squadron at Habbaniya, Iraq, equipped with four Hurricanes and four Gladiators.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Chronometer: Indian 3rd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment lands at Assab, Eritrea. Assab is the last Italian Red Sea port, mainly held by assorted survivors retreating from various battles in Eritrea plus 5 batteries of coastal guns manned by the Navy. This is the prize for the Allied victory in Eritrea. Last year, when Italy declared war, the US Congress declared the Red Sea a combat zone. Neutral US ships must stay out. For 11 months supplies were unloaded at the Cape, reloaded onto British ships and brought to Egypt. Now with the entire East African coast in Allied hands, and Italy's naval squadron at the bottom of the Red Sea, Congress will reverse its position, and US ships may sail to Suez.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In Canada, twenty Four River Class frigates are ordered: HMCS “_Dunver_”, “_Cape Breton”_, “_Outremont_”, “_Valleyfield_”, “_Thetford Mines_”, “_Joliette_”, “_Cap-de-la-Madeleine_”, “_Stormont_”, “_Matane_”, “_Montreal_”, “_Grou_”, “_Saint John_”, “_Stettler_”, “_Edmunston_”, “_Magog_”, “_Longueuil_”, “_La Hulloise_”, “_Eastview_”, “_Beacon Hill_”, “_Kokanee_”, “_St Catharines_”, “_Waskesiu_”, “_Prince Rupert_”, “_Swansea_”.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finnish armed forces begin partial mobilization.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Lord Simon met with Rudolf Heß for 2.5 hours, during which Hess asked Lord Simon to work with the British government to negotiate peace with Germany.

Conduct of campaign in Crete hotly debated in the House of Commons. Hore-Belisha declares:


> 'For the first time in history an island has been captured by an airborne attack.'


He asks why all the mistakes made in Norway have been repeated in Crete. Winston Churchill responds:


> "I have not heard that Herr Hitler had to attend the Reichstag and say why he sent the “BISMARK” on her disastrous cruise. I have not heard that Signor Mussolini has made a statement about losing the greater part of his African Empire."


 He was annoyed that the Commons forced a debate about the loss of Crete, and said that it would be better for the government to decide the timing of discussions about the conduct of the war. He fiercely defended the government, but insisted that as Parliament's "lifelong servant" he will do as it says.

Luftwaffe sends 35 bombers to attack Pembroke overnight.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The German authorities expel most of the foreign diplomatic staff from Paris.

Vichy Vice-Premier François Darlan made a speech to the French people warning of those who were


> "trying to darken the nation's understanding." Darlan said that "de Gaullist and Communist propaganda" both had "the same goal - to create disorder in the country, to increase the misery of the population, to prevent the rebirth of the nation ... Frenchmen, beware and help the government in its heavy, very heavy task. This task of the government is triple: to ameliorate the French people's situation, to prepare for peace in that measure a conquered nation can, and to prepare France's future in a new Europe."



RAF Fighter Command conducts Rhubarb operations over Belgium. RAF Bomber Command sends 104 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine warships at Brest without success overnight.

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## Njaco (Jun 10, 2016)

*June 11 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-79 sank Norwegian ship “_Havtor_” 150 miles west of Iceland at 2051 hours; 6 were killed, 14 survived.

*ASIA:* At a Japanese Liaison conference between army and navy, Naval Chief of Staff Nagano Osami astounded his colleagues be vehemently calling for the Southward Advance. He and the navy's powerful "First Committee" were anxious to make a move before the American navy's huge "two-ocean" building programme was completed.

Trade negotiations between Japan and Netherlands East Indies are broken off, because Dutch are unwilling to consider exorbitant Japanese demands for raw materials.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Red Army units from the Transbaikal are transferred westwards but are not put on alert.

*GERMANY: *Unternehmen Sommerreise: German heavy cruiser “_Lützow_” (repaired after damage from Norwegian shellfire and a British torpedo attack during the invasion of Norway in April 1940) departs Kiel for Norway, escorted by light cruisers “_Emden_” and “_Leipzig_” and six destroyers.

After dark, British bombers conducted the first of 20 consecutive nightly raids on the Ruhr and Rhineland industrial areas in Germany. Several German port cities such as Hamburg and Bremen were also hit. RAF Bomber Command sent 25 aircraft to attack Bremerhaven in daylight but 19 turned back. RAF Bomber Command sent 98 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 80 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

Hitler starts to prepare for the period after Barbarossa, ordering his generals to plan for an assault on Gibraltar and operations in Turkey and Iran. Hitler issues Fuehrer Directive No. 32 regarding preparations for post-Barbarossa operations, including occupation of oilfields in Near East and resumption of active warfare against British Isles. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/32.html

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British Submarine HMS “_Torbay_” rammed and sank a Greek fishing boat being used as a German troop transport 15 miles south of the island of Lesbos, Greece.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Chronometer: The 15th Punjab Regiment of the Indian 3rd Battalion captured Assab, Eritrea, Italian East Africa, thus securing the Red Sea. This will allow President Roosevelt to declare the area a non-combat zone and permit US ships to proceed through the Suez Canal, providing much relief to British forces in the Mediterranean.

British submarine HMS “_Taku_” sank German ship “_Tilly LM Russ_” in Benghazi Harbor, Libya.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US President Roosevelt frees a British division by agreeing to replace the British garrison in Iceland with American troops.

The United States sent a note to Portugal reserving the right to act in self-defense should the Azores and Cape Verde Islands be threatened by belligerent powers.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Widespread German night raids over England. Leaflets were dropped over rural areas in East Anglia threatening starvation as a result of German victory in Battle of the Atlantic.

Over the Channel Oblt. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 downs a Hurricane from RAF No 248 Squadron.

Major General Douglas Wimberley took over command of British 51st Highland Division from Sir Neil Ritchie who moved to a staff appointment in British Eighth Army.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb and Roadstead operations over the continent. RAF Bomber Command sent 24 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight and 20 aircraft on minelaying operations. RAF 11 Group flew a Roadstead to Tanker and Flak-ships off Dunkirk. Fighters taking part were 12 aircraft of RAF No. 74 Squadron and 12 aircraft of RAF No. 609 Squadron. Bombers taking part were 5 Blenheim IV from 16 (GR) Group. Direct-hit on Tanker was noted.

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## Njaco (Jun 11, 2016)

*June 12 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Unternehmen Sommerreise: German heavy cruiser “_Lützow_”, light cruiser “_Emden_”, light cruiser “_Leipzig_”, and destroyers passed through the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden.

A good day for the U-boat wolf packs. German submarine U-48 sank British ship “_Empire Dew_” in the North Atlantic; 23 were killed, 18 survived. The master, 16 crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by destroyer KNM “_St Albans_” and landed at Liverpool. German submarine U-371 sank British ship “_Silverpalm_” in the North Atlantic, killing the entire crew of 68. German submarine U-558 sank British ship “_Susan Mærsk_” (all 24 aboard killed) and Norwegian tanker “_Ranella_” (all 29 aboard survived) in the North Atlantic. The “_Ranella_”, dispersed from Convoy OG-64, was hit on the port side in the tank #4 by one torpedo from U-553. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, the tanker was hit by a coup de grace. German submarine U-552 sank British ship “_Chinese Prince_” west of Ireland; 45 were killed 19 survived.

As part of the effort to cleanse the Atlantic of German supply ships refueling surface raiders and U-boats, British cruiser HMS “_Sheffield_” sank German tanker “_Friedrich Breme_” with shellfire in the Atlantic Ocean; 2 were killed 86 survived.

*EASTERN EUROPE: *130 German army divisions are reported massed on the Russian border.

*GERMANY:* Hitler met with Romanian leader Ion Antonescu in Munich. An agreement was reached for Romania to participate in the invasion of the USSR.

A three-day conference of SS men of SS-Gruppenführer rank began at the SS castle of Schloß Wewelsburg in Büren, Germany.

Hptm. Herbert Nebenfuhr takes over as Gruppenkommandeur of Erg. Gruppe./JG 27 from Hptm. Erich Gerlitz.

RAF Bomber Command continues with more attacks on Germany, sending 91 aircraft to attack Soest, 84 aircraft to attack Schwerte, 61 aircraft to attack Osnabruk, 82 aircraft to attack Hamm and 18 aircraft to attack Huls overnight. Berlin civil defence authority warns population to take immediate shelter during air raids owing to danger posed by heavy HE bombs and mines, which have caused 'a great number of bomb victims'.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British submarine HMS “_Taku_” sank Italian ship “_Silvio Scaroni_” 70 miles west of Benghazi, Libya. Italian torpedo boats “_Pallade_” and “_Polluce_” counterattacked without success.

British submarine HMS “_Torbay_” sank Italian schooner “_Gesue E Maria_” off the island of Skiros, Greece.

Dutch submarine O.24 sank Italian tanker “_Fianona_” and auxiliary patrol ship “_Carloforte_” 10 miles north of the island of Elba, Italy.

Over Malta, RAF and Italian fighters engage in fierce battles. Flight Commander Thomas Francis Neil of RAF No. 249 Squadron destroyed a Mc 200.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): 21st Australian Brigade continues to advance up the coast road towards Sidon. French now have six battalions (including two FFL) and most of their 90 tanks assembled between Mount Hermon and the desert for a counter-attack. A further three Tunisian battalions are in the Jebel Druse area. Unaware of this, General Lavarack decides to switch most of 25th Australian Brigade from the central axis to the coast to join 21st Australian Brigade, leaving a small holding force at Merdjayoun. Indian and Free French forces under French General Paul Legentilhomme captured Deraa, Sheikh Meskine, and Ezraa in southwestern French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon, but were held up Kissoué. General Legentilhomme is wounded supervising attempts to capture Kiswe south of Damascus. He is replaced by Brigadier Lloyd (5th Indian Brigade). General Wavell orders 16th British Brigade from Egypt to Syria to reinforce the invasion force.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The South African Air Force embarked on its first combat mission in North Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Men of the US Naval Reserve were called to active duty.

Air Marshal Arthur Harris arrives in the United States as head of RAF purchasing, inspection, and training commission.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* In the early morning hours a solitary Heinkel He 111 from I./KG 28 raids the city of Birmingham.

Representatives of fourteen Allied countries and governments-in-exile made a pact in London to fight until victory was won and not make separate peace treaties with any Axis countries. The Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Government of Belgium, the Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia, the Governments of Greece, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Yugoslavia, and the representatives of General de Gaulle, leader of Free Frenchmen, engaged together in the fight against aggression, are resolved:

1. That they will continue the struggle against German or Italian aggression until victory has been won and they will mutually assist each other in this struggle to the utmost of their respective capacities;

2. There can be no settled peace and prosperity so long as free peoples are coerced by violence into submission to domination by Germany or her associates or live under the threat of such coercion;

3. That the only true basis for enduring peace is the willing cooperation of the free peoples in a world in which, relieved of the menace of aggression, all may enjoy economic and social security; and that it is their intention to work together with other free peoples both in war and peace to this end.

Churchill declares that every trace of Hitlerism will be 'blasted from the surface of the Earth', and that the RAF 'will continue to teach the German homeland that war is not all loot and triumph.'

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweep while RAF Fighter Command conducted more Rhubarb and Roadstead operations. RAF 11 Group Roadstead to shipping off Gravelines included 24 fighters from RAF No. 74 and 92 Squadrons and 12 fighters from RAF No.611 Squadron. Bombers taking part were 3 Blenheim IVs from 2 (B) Group.

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## parsifal (Jun 11, 2016)

*08 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
HDML 1043
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-103 sank *MV ELMDENE (UK 4853 grt)* in the Central Atlantic off the coast of West Africa. The vessel was on passage from Newcastle on Tyne to Alexandria via Freetown with a load of coal, munitions and 20 a/c as deck cargo, She had a crew of 36, all of whom would survive the attack. At 12.34 hrs the unescorted ELMDENE, dispersed from OB-324 n 27 May, was torpedoed and sunk by bout 200 miles WSW of Freetown. The master and 35 crew members were rescued by the and taken to Freetown.





U-107 sank *Liner ADDA (UK 7812 grt)* in the Central Atlantic off the coast of West Africa. The vessel was on passage from Liverpol to Lagos via Freetown, Takoradi, and Accra carrying 415 passengers and crew at the time of her loss. 10 were lose their lives in the attack. At 0442 hrs the ADDA, the ship of the convoy commodore from the dispersed convoy OB-323, was hit aft by a G7a torpedo from U-107 and sank slowly 82 miles WSW of Freetown. The commodore, seven crew members and two passengers were lost. The master, 141 crew members, four gunners, five naval staff members and 264 passengers were picked up by Corvette HMS CYCLAMEN and landed at Freetown on 8 June.





U-108 sank the *Steamer BARON NAIRN (UK 3164 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Barrow to Nuevitas (Cuba) in Ballast and with a crew of 40, 1 of whom was to perish in the attack. At 0006 hrs the BARON NAIRN, dispersed on 2 June from convoy OB-328, was torpedoed and sunk by U-108 west of Cape Race. One crew member was lost. 18 crew members were picked up by the RCN Corvette CHAMBLY and landed at St.Johns. The master and 20 crew members were rescued after 19 days in a lifeboat and landed at Galway, Ireland on 27 June. Master John Kerr was awarded the Lloyd´s War Medal for bravery at sea.





U-108 sank *Steamer DIRPHYS (Gk 4240 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the ship was on passage from Swansea to Montreal with a load of high grade coal. She had a crew of 25, 6 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 0604 hrs the unescorted DIRPHYS was hit amidships by a G7e torpedo from U-108 about 600 miles east of Newfoundland. The ship broke in two and sank after a boiler explosion. The Germans tried to question the survivors, but most of them were swimming in the water or clinging to debris and were picked up by the only lifeboat that could be launched.

On 10 June, the U-boat encountered this lifeboat again and this time took a German speaking radio operator (Robert Conine from Hasselt, Belgium) aboard for questioning. He told them that he had been three months in prison in Liverpool after the Secret Intelligence Service filed a charge against him because he had met a former crew member of ADM GRAF SPEE in Rosario and asked to be taken home, but the commander refused. The Germans gave the radio operator the course to the nearest coast and sent him back to the boat, which was provided with water, bread, two bottles of rum, aspirin and a box of matches.





U-38 sank *Steamer KINGSTON HILL (UK 7628 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Cardiff to Alexandria via Capetown when lost, with a cargo of with a load of coal and a small amount of general cargo (some sources say mail), and a crew of 62, 14 of whom were to be lost in the attack. At 0108 hrs the unescorted KINGSTON HILL was hit by two torpedoes from U-38 nd sank slowly SW of the Cape Verde Islands after the last torpedo proved to be a dud at 0125 hours.. 16 crew members were picked up by DD HMS ACHATES and landed at Greenock. 26 crew members and six gunners were picked up by the US tkr ALABAMA and landed at Capetown.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-48 sank *Tkr PENDRECHT (NL 10746 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, whilst on passage from Holyhead to New York. She was empty when lost, with a crew of 36, all of whom were to survive the attack. At 1545 hrs the PENDRECHT, dispersed on 5 June from OB-329, was hit on the port side amidships and the stern by two torpedoes from U-48 about 500 miles NW of the Azores. The tanker was en route to the USA for permanent repairs of the torpedo damage inflicted by the attack the previous December by U-96. The master tried to stabilize her by counter flooding, but the tanker caught fire and sank by the stern within minutes after being hit underneath the funnel by a coup de grace at 1617 hrs. All crew members had abandoned ship in 3 lifeboats, 12 in each one. On 10 June, the survivors in the lifeboat in charge of the master were picked up by the British steam merchant ALRESFORD and taken to Sydney, Nova Scotia. On 18 June, the men in the second boat were picked up by HMS PANDORA and brought ashore on 28 June in Portsmouth. The occupants of the third lifeboat were picked up by the American passenger ship EXCALIBUR on 22 June and were taken to New York, arriving on 28 June.





*Naval drifter COR JESU (RN 97 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Alnmouth with the entire crew rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler HOPTON (UK 202 grt)* was sunk on a British mine off Iceland, 11 crewmen were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 08 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

31 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL KENYA departed Iceland to reinforce CL EDINBURGH on Denmark Straits patrol.
However, KENYA was recalled to fuel and proceed to the Iceland Faroes passage patrol.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON, escort DDs ELECTRA, IMPULSIVE, and ANTELOPE, arrived at Scapa Flow to rejoin the Home Fleet after duty in the Sth Atlantic. DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, and ESKIMO arrived at Scapa Flow at 1930 after escorting BB RODNEY.

*West Coast*
OB.331 departed Liverpool escort DDs ASSINIBOINE (RCN) and BULLDOG, corvettes ARROWHEAD, AUBRETIA, CARNATION, HOLLYHOCK, and PRIMROSE, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, DANEMAN, and KING SOL. The convoy was joined on the 9th by MSWs BRITOMART and SALAMANDER and CAM ship ARIGUANI. The CAM ship was detached on the 11th. On the 11th, sloops ABERDEEN and LONDONDERRY and corvette CAMELLIA joined. DD BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, CARNATION, and HOLLYHOCK the MSWs, and the ASW trawlers were detached on the 12th.Sloop LONDONDERRY and corvette ARROWHEAD were detached on the 13th and DD HARVESTER joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 18th.

OB.332 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes DIANTHUS, NASTURTIUM, and SPIKENARD and CAM ship MAPLIN. DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes HEPATICA, MAYFLOWER, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined on the 9th. DD CHESTERFIELD was detached on the 10th. On the 10th, DDs HARVESTER and HAVELOCK, sloop SANDWICH, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined. DD HARVESTER was detached on the 12th. On the 13th, sloop LONDONDERRY and corvettes ARROWHEAD, EYEBRIGHT, and SNOWBERRY joined. DD HAVELOCK was detached on the 18th.Sloop SANDWICH and corvettes HEPATICA, SNOWBERRY, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER were detached on the 19th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 23rd.

British trawler REMAGIO was damaged by the LW near Bamburgh during the night of 8/9 June. The trawler was abandoned ashore one quarter mile north of Bamburgh, but was . refloated on the 26th and brought to Holy Island.

*Med/Biscay*
British troopship GLENGYLE with DDs ILEX and HERO returned to Port Said when the landing was cancelled due to heavy surf on the beach on the Litani River in the Levant. Orders were received to land the troops before dawn on the 9th. Troopship GLENGYLE and DDs ILEX and HERO departed Port Said and the troops were landed as planned. CLA PHOEBE, CL AJAX and DDs KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, JACKAL, and JANUS arrived off Syria on the 8th to support the Army. DD KIMBERLEY engaged a French shore battery near Kahn Bridge. Two Fulmars of 803 Sqn from Dekheila were shot down. Lt J.M. Christian with Sub Lt N. Cullen and Petty Officer J.A. Gardner with Leading Airman H. Pickering were lost.

DD KELVIN and gunboat APHIS departed Alexandria for Port Said. APHIS for repairs at Port Said, whilst KELVIN continued on to Bombay for repairs, arriving on the 19th. The DD's repairs were completed at the end of December. She sailed from Bombay on 31 December and arrived at Aden on 4 January. KELVIN returned to t Suez 6 January.

Submarine CLYDE unsuccessfully attacked an RM DD off Naples. However , that evening, the sub sank *steamer STURLA (FI 1195 grt)* with gunfire five miles off Policastro.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Sub TAKU sent a shore party into Benghazi Harbour and damaged a steamer in harbour.

Submarine PARTHIAN sank *two schooners and a lighter (FI 600 grt (est))* in Mitylene Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
U-46 attacked and damaged Tkr ENSIS in the Nth Atlantic After torpedoing the ENSIS, U-46 was rammed by her victim. The conning tower and periscope were damaged, forcing a return to base

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy SL.77 departed Freetown escort AMC ARAWA to 2 July, corvettes GARDENIA and MARGUERITE to 13 June, and ASW yacht SURPRISE from 8 to 13 June. Corvette CYCLAMEN escorted the convoy on 10 and 11 June. CA NORFOLK joined on the 15th and continued to 27 June when she was detached to Scapa Flow.
On the 23rd, ocean boarding vessels CAVINA and HILARY joined to 3 July. DDs BATH to 2 July, VANOC, and WALKER and corvettes HYDRANGEA and WALLFLOWER joined on the 29th, and arrived at Liverpool on 3 July.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 JUNE TO DAWN 9 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.
_2321 hrs; 0018 hrs _Air raid alerts for enemy fighter patrols which approach to within ten miles of the Island. Two Hurricane fighters at a time are scrambled and raiders recede with no engagement.

_Enemy casualties _Primo Aviere Giovanni Bonanno, air gunner; Sergente Maggiore Gugliemo Mazzolenis, 2ndpilot; Primo Aviere Francesco Minuto, wireless operator; Primo Aviere Michele Turco, mechanic; all 99o Gruppo, 43o Stormo, crew of Fiat BR 20 shot down and died. Tenente Sergio Reggiani, pilot, survived and was taken prisoner. Primo Aviere Lamberto Mariani, crewman; Aviere Scelto Marc N Mascellaro, crewman; Primo Aviere Umberto Micheli, crewman; Aviere Scelto Antonio Plamiere, crewman; Sottotenente Marcello Weber, pilot, all 193a Squadriglia, crew of Savoia SM 79 bomber, shot down into the sea and died. Maresciallo Luciano Fabbri, pilot, survived and was taken prisoner.

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Sqn_ Swordfish dropped flame floats in an attempt to set fire to the large amount of oil floating in Tripoli Harbour, following the recent sinking of the _MV Barmania_. Flame floats were dropped in large numbers without result. Also bombing attack on ships in harbour and quays.

_AIR HQ _General Haining and party passed through Malta. _Arrivals _2 Wellington, 2 Blenheim, 1 Maryland, 2 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. One Maryland chased by fighters from Pantelleria, two others chased by Macchi 200 fighters, one attacked. _82 Squadron _2 Blenheims attacked three Q-boats near Pantelleria.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 11, 2016)

*09 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 77’ PT20





Allied
Aux ML HMAS BUNGAREE (M-29)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS SASKATOON (K-158)





Flower Class Corvette HMS VERVAIN (K-190)





Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS VELETA (T-130)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 236
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vosper 70’ type MTB 218
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-101 sank *Steamer TREVARRACK (UK 5270 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic whilst the vessel was on passage from Glasgow to Montreal in ballast with a crew of 44. All of the crew were lost in this attack. At 1835 hrs the unescorted TREVARRACK, dispersed on 5 June from convoy OB-329, was hit on the starboard side underneath the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-101 and sank by the bow in less than three minutes after a boiler explosion about 600 miles east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The U-boat had spotted the ship coming out of fog at 1710 hrs and reported seeing three lifeboats after the sinking. However, the master, 36 crew members and seven gunners were not seen again.





U-46 sank *Steamer PHIDIAS (UK 5623 grt)* in the nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from Greenwich to Capetown with a mixed cargo including a/c. The vessel had embarked a crew of 51, 8 of whom were to be lost. At 0001 hours on 9 June 1941 the PHIDIAS, dispersed from OB-330, was hit by one torpedo from U-46 Nth of the Azores, but it did not sink immediately. The U-boat was now out of torpedoes, so they opened fire at 0010 hours with the deck gun. The ship first fought back, but soon she caught fire and stopped shooting because the crew abandoned ship. At 0045 hrs, the U-boat ceased fire after firing 71 rounds and left the burning and sinking wreck. The master and seven crew members were killed. 40 crew members and three gunners were picked up by EMBASAGE and landed at Sydney Canada.





*Steamer DIANA (UK 942 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. One gunner was lost on the steamer. The survivors were picked up by ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND and taken to Thorshavn. A few sources state the steamer struck a mine and sank in the Channel with the loss of 8 crew.





*Steamer DAGMAR II (UK 844 grt)* was attacked by FW-200 aircraft and sank about 200 miles W of Cape Vincent. Three crew were lost in the attack.





*Steamer FENIX (FN 1894 grt)* was sunk by the LW in THE Western Approaches. One crewman was lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-143

At Sea 09 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CL KENYA sailed from Iceland for the Iceland Faroes passage and CL MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow for Iceland. DDs INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, and ACHATES departed Scapa Flow for Reykjavik where they arrived during the afternoon of 10 June

*Northern Waters*
CA SUFFOLK rejoined the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy HX.129 and searching for German supply ships. DDs IMPULSIVE and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow at 0600 for Loch Alsh to escort MLs during minelay SN.64.

*Med/Biscay*
*Steamer SABINA (SP 2421 grt)* was sunk on a mine forty miles from Genoa. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLA PHOEBE was attacked by a Vichy submarine CAIMAN off the Syrian coast, but was not damaged. At this point, Admiral King withdrew his cruisers to Haifa. Vichy DDs VALMY and GUEPARD from Beirut bombarded British positions in Syria. DD JANUS, alone off Sidon, engaged the French destroyers and was badly damaged. DDs HOTSPUR, ISIS, and JACKAL joined and eventually drove the Vichy DDs off. DDs KIMBERLEY and KANDAHAR carried out a bombardment mission against Khan Bridge and were also joined DD JANUS. JANUS was towed to Haifa by KIMBERLEY at a speed of 12 knots while DDs ISIS, HOTSPUR, JACKAL pursued the retreating Vichy DDs.

DD JACKAL sustained slight damage from a shell hit. She had no time out of service.
DD KANDAHAR covered JANUS' retirement and recovered the pilots from a Vichy fighter and a pilot from an RAF Hurricane which collided during the raids on JANUS. 
The Vichy DDs returned to Beirut. JANUS arrived at Haifa on the 10th. The DD was towed from Haifa by netlayer PROTECTOR and escorted by sloop FLAMINGO on the 11th to Port Said, arriving on the 12th. Netlayer PROTECTOR and sloop FLAMINGO then returned to Alexandria. The DD was eventually taken to Simonstown for repair through the end of 1941.

RAN DD STUART and RN DDs JAGUAR, GRIFFIN, and DEFENDER departed Alexandria to reinforce Force B.

British submarine URGE unsuccessfully a steamer NW of Lampedusa.

NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Alexandria for Port Said to have her catapult removed. The cruiser returned to Alexandria on the 10th.

British troopship GLENEARN, towed by netlayer PROTECTOR and escorted by sloop FLAMINGO, departed Alexandria for Port Said. After arriving, PROTECTOR and sloop FLAMINGO proceeded to Haifa to tow damaged destroyer JANUS.

*Central Atlantic*
CV VICTORIOUS and CL NEPTUNE, escort DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and VANSITTART, were met at sea by BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL and CVL FURIOUS, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FORESTER, and FURY. CL NEPTUNE was sent into Gibraltar, arriving on the 9th to land German POWs and captured documents from the German ship weather ship GONZENEHEIM. DD WIVERN was sent into Gibraltar on the 9th and DDs WILD SWAN, VANSITTART, and WRESTLER arrived on the 10th. Force H.arrived safely at Gibraltar on the 11th.

CVL FURIOUS, after transferring personnel and a/c to VICTORIOUS, returned to England, accompanied by CL SHEFFIELD and DD FURY. CL SHEFFIELD was detached from the carrier and ordered to patrol an area bounded by 45N, 23W and 44N, 25W. The DD was also detached to rejoin Force H. The carrier arrived in the Clyde on the 14th. CL SHEFFIELD joined convoy SL.76 on the 14th to return to England for refitting. The cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th.

CL NEPTUNE departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DAUNTLESS completed refitting at Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 JUNE TO DAWN 10 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_Early AM _Air movement monitors pick up four SM 79 bombers being ferried from Sciacca to Castel Benito, which are plotted on course to pass 30 miles west of Malta. Four Hurricane fighters are sent to attack and intercept the bombers 50 miles south of the Island. They shoot down one SM 79 in flames into the sea. A second is last seen breaking from the formation in a sharp dive, apparently out of control. Two other SM 79s are badly damaged. One Hurricane is damaged and ditches in the sea.
A search for survivors finds the Hurricane pilot uninjured. One Italian crew is rescued from the sea. One of two Swordfish of 830 Squadron taking part in the search has to make an emergency landing on the sea; all the crew are rescued. 
Enemy search aircraft are monitored all afternoon to the south of the Island but Hurricanes are unable to intercept.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 9 JUNE 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Wellington, 1 Cunliffe Owen Flying Wing, 1 Beaufighter. _Departures _2 Blenheim, 2 Beaufighter._69 Squadron _3 Marylands on reconnaissance, one on shadow patrol; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. 2 Blenheims on search to attack convoy but failed to locate. 

_HAL FAR _1 Swordfish 830 Squadron force-landed in the sea. The crew were picked up safely and returned to Hal Far.


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## parsifal (Jun 11, 2016)

*10 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
HDML 1040, MA/SB 22, ML 263, MSW MMS 40
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Losses*
U-108 sank *Steamer CHRISTIAN KROHG (Nor 1992 grt) *in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from Oban to St Lawrence. The ship was empty when lost with a crew of 23. All of the crew were to lose their lives in the attack. The CHRISTIAN KROHG had been sailing in convoy OB-329, which was dispersed on 5 June 1941 and she proceeded alone. On 9 June, she was missed by U-108 with one torpedo, but U-108 sank her the next day. All 23 on board died: 17 Norwegian, three British, one Swedish, one Estonian and one Canadian were in the crew. 





U-204 sank *MV MERCIER (Be 7886 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic in the area that was soon to be known as the Mid Ocean Meeting Point (MOMP). She was on passage from Liverpool to montreal via Halifax, transporting training a/c and mail. She had a crew of 62, 7 of whom were to lose their lives. At 0248 hrs he unescorted MERCIER, dispersed from OB-330 on 7 June, was hit by one of two torpedoes fired by U-204 when steaming on a non-evasive course at 12 knots about 450 miles east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The officer on watch sighted the U-boat breaking surface about 500 yards off the port beam shortly before the attack and course was immediately altered to starboard applying full helm, but it proved to be too late and the track of one torpedo was seen before it struck on the port side in #2 hold, while the second was apparently a dud. The explosion tore open the deck from the rail to the hatch combing and threw the hatch covers and a large amount of water into the air. The ship took a list to starboard which gradually increased when the engines were stopped after going full astern to slow her down, making a 180° turn in the progress. The crew and six passengers (one Canadian and five Poles) prepared to abandon ship after distress signals were sent, but no reply received. At 0257 hrs, a single G7e torpedo was fired as coup de grace which struck on the starboard side. A violent explosion shuddered the MERCIER, put the radio out of action and the list to starboard increased rapidly because the back of the ship was broken and the bow and stern began to raise. The survivors left as quickly as possible in two lifeboats, but rough sea and heavy swell made it difficult and many men fell overboard during the launch of the starboard aft boat. The port aft boat was launched when the ship was already sinking and those who remained aboard were told to jump into the water. The whistle of the ship was faintly heard several times before her boilers exploded and the MERCIER sank about 20 minutes after being hit by the second torpedo. Her stern raised vertically and then sank rapidly as last part, the scene being illuminated by two Holmes lights which had been ignited to facilitate abandoning ship. The master and six crew members were lost and six men were injured. The U-boat waited for the ship to sink and then left the area without questioning the survivors.





U-552 sank the *MV AINDERBY (UK 4860 grt)* in the Western Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Santos to the Tyne with a cargo of iron ore, and a crew of 41, of whom 12 were to be lost in the incident. At 1055 hrs the unescorted AINDERBY was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 130 miles NW of Bloody Foreland. The master, 27 crew members and one gunner were picked up by DD HMS VETERAN and landed at Greenock.

This attack was carried close to Home waters and it is odd to me that the vessel was travelling unescorted that close to the main combat area.




 
*UBOATS*
At Sea 10 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-66, U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-93, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Kingfisher class* sloop HMS PINTAIL (RN 510 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the Humber, escorting convoy FN.477. 53 officers and ratiungs were killed with only 22 surivors.





The sloop was sunk as she attempted to give assistance to *steamer ROYAL SCOT (UK 1444 grt)* which was also sunk on a mine five cables 70° from 62 Buoy, Humber River entrance. Ten crewmen and one gunner was lost on the steamer.





British steamer CLEARPOOL was damaged by the LW off 18B Buoy, Scarborough (Yorkshire). Two crewmen were lost on the steamer. The steamer arrived at Tees on the 11th.She was repaired at Hartlepool.

*Northern Patrol*
MLs AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS and DDs BRIGHTON, ST MARYS, IMPULSIVE, and ANTHONY departed Loch Alsh on the 9th. CL NIGERIA departed Scapa Flow on the 9th and joined at sea for escort duties. The MLs laid minefield SN.64 on the 10th in the Faroes North Rona minefield. The MLs and DDs BRIGHTON and ST MARYS returned to Loch Alsh on the 11th, whilst DDs IMPULSIVE and ANTHONY parted company with the force off Cape Wrath and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 11th. NIGERIA returned to Skaalefjord on the 11th to refuel before proceeding on patrol.

CLs EDINBURGH and NIGERIA departed the Denmark Strait patrol to refuel at Hvalfjord. CL ARETHUSA departed the Iceland Faroes patrol and arrived at Scapa Flow.

*Northern Waters*
ORP DD KRAKOWIAK departed Scapa Flow to work up after a refit and returned .later on the 11th. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 2315 to join convoy WN.38 in Pentland Firth and escort it southeastward. During the afternoon of 11 June, the ship transferred to convoy EC.31 south of Buchan Ness. Off Duncansby Hd on the 12th, the ship shifted to convoy WN.39 and escorted it to Methil where they arrived on the 13th. 

*West Coast*
OB.333 departed Liverpool, escort DD WALKER and corvettes GENTIAN, WALLFLOWER, and ZINNIA. DDs AVON VALE, ERIDGE, and FARNDALE joined on the 11th and were detached on the 13th. HMS WALKER and corvette WALLFLOWER were detached on the 14th. The convoy was dispersed on the 21st.

*Med/Biscay*
Force B of CLAs PHOEBE and COVENTRY, CL AJAX, and DDs KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, JACKAL, ILEX, ISIS, HOTSPUR, and HERO. DDs STUART (RAN), JAGUAR, GRIFFIN, and DEFENDER as a separate anti-submarine force returned for operations off the Levant coast.

Submarine TORBAY unsuccessfully attacked a six ship convoy, including steamers UTILITAS, ALBARO, and GIUSEPINA GHIRADI, in the Dardenelles. In a second attack, the submarine struck steamer UTILITAS with a torpedo which did not explode, but imbedded in the hull.

In a third attack, submarine TORBAY sank *steamer GIUSEPPINA GHIRARDI (FI 3319 grt)*, which was straggling, 15 miles off Cape Helles.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamer DURENDA was damaged by the LW approaching Port Said. British steamer RABY CASTLE in company was not damaged. The steamers were not escorted.
The DURENDA received temporary repairs at Port Said and permanent repairs at Bombay.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.132 departed Halifax, escort BB REVENGE, DD ANNAPOLIS, and aux PV HMCS REINDEER. The DD and the PV were detached later that day. Convoy BHX.132 departed Bermuda on the 8th escorted by AMC MALOJA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.132 on the 13th the AMC was detached. RCN DDs NIAGARA and SAGUENAY joined on the 14th. Corvette COBALT joined on the 15th. On the 16th, DDs COLUMBIA, RAMSEY, RESTIGOUCHE (RCN), and RICHMOND and corvette CANDYTUFT joined the convoy. DDs COLUMBIA and RESTIGOUCHE were detached on the 18th.BB REVENGE was detached on the 20th. DDs RICHMOND and SAGUENAY and corvette COBALT were detached on the 23rd. On the 23rd, DDs BROKE and SALADIN, corvettes ABELIA, ANEMONE, and VERONICA, MSW HUSSAR, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, and ST ZENO joined. Corvette CANDYTUFT was detached on the 24th. The remainder of the escort arrived with the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 28th.

SC.34 departed Sidney CB, escorted by AMC RANPURA and aux PVs RACCOON and REINDEER. The PVs were detached in the harbour approaches on the 11th. DD RESTIGOUCHE joined on the 15th and was detached on the 18th. DDs COLUMBIA, NIAGARA, RAMSEY, RICHMOND, and SAGUENAY and corvettes CANDYTUFT and COBALT joined on the 16th. DDs RAMSEY and RICHMOND were detached on the 22nd. The rest of the original escort, less DD NIAGARA, but including the AMC was detached on the 23rd. On the 23rd DD BROKE joined the escort. On the 24th, DDs LINCOLN, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER, MSWs, GOSSAMER, HAZARD, and HEBE, and CAM ship PEGASUS joined. DDs LINCOLN and NIAGARA and corvette ALISMA were detached on the 27th. DDs BROKE, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS and the MSWs were detached. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on the 29th.

*Central Atlantic*
ASW trawlers ST MELANTE and RUNSWICK BAY departed Gibraltar for Bathurst, escorting salvage tug VALKYRIE, which was on passage top the Eastern Med.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
British operation CHRONOMETER (capture of the last remaining Italian controlled port on the IEA coast)was carried out. An Indian Bn was landed at Assab from a transport covered by CLA DIDO, armed boarding vessel CHAKDINA, and Indian sloops CLIVE and INDUS. DIDO carried out a bombardment prior to the landing. On the 11th, DIDO and sloops CLIVE and INDUS departed for Aden.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington with convoy AP 41. This convoy, was renamed convoy VK.12, and was escorted to Wellington by RAN CA AUSTRALIA. ACHILLES escorted the convoy to 230 miles east of Chatham Island.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 JUNE TO DAWN 11 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1506-1534 hrs _Air raid alert for four ME 110 fighters which approach to within five miles of Grand Harbour. 17 Hurricanes are scrambled but do not intercept due to faulty radio transmission.

_2013-2015 hrs _Air raid alert caused by the return of friendly Maryland aircraft.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 10 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron_ 7 Swordfish in operation to intercept a northbound convoy between Pantelleria and Marittimo Island unsuccessful.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.


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## parsifal (Jun 11, 2016)

*11 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-130




21 ships sunk, total tonnage 127,608 GRT
Sunk on 12 March 1943 in the Nth Atlantic west of the Azores, by DCs from the USN DD CHAMPLIN. 53 dead (all hands lost).

Neutral
Elco 77’ type USS PT-25
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net Tender USS ALOE (AN-6)





Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS FLOTTA (T-171)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 261, MMS I Class MSW HMS MMS 21 (J-521), Thornycroft 75’ type RNorN MTB 54,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*Losses*
U-79 sank *MV HAVTOR (Nor 1524 grt)* in Northern waters, in the Denmark Strait, roughly near where the Hood had been sunk. The ship was on passage from Reykjavik to nova Scotia, travelling empty with a crew of 20, 6 of whom were to lose their lives. At 2051 hrs the unescorted HAVTOR was torpedoed by U-79. The ship did not sink fast, so the master had time to dump the secret papers overboard and organize assistance for the 9 injured before they abandoned ship in a lifeboat. But they had to leave one seriously wounded man, who had tried to get out through the porthole and was found there unconscious. He had gotten so stuck it was impossible to get him loose. He went down with the ship. At 0033 hrs on 12 June, the U-boat shelled and sank the vessel after the crew had left the ship. The lifeboat set sail for Iceland, was spotted 5 miles off Reykjanes and picked up by the motor fishing vessel PILOT.

Able seaman Ole Normann Lorentzen was awarded St. Olavsmedaljen and Krigsmedaljen posthumously. He had been on board HIRD during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, had been torpedoed on that ship in September 1940 and survived also the sinking of his next ship, the BEDUIN in March 1941





*Steamer BARON CARNEGIE (UK 3178 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. Nine crewmen were killed and sixteen crewmen were missing. The steamer sank in tow of British steamer SEINE in 52-04N, 5-01W.





*Steamer MOORWOOD (UK 2056 grt)* was sunk by the LW abeam 19 C Buoy, north of Whitby. The entire crew were rescued. MOORWOOD was on passage London to Blythe in ballast. The vessel foundered and was lost seven miles NW of Whitby after being torpedoed. Crew of 19 and 3 gunners, no lives lost.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-60
Unknown U-93

At Sea 11 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-751, UA

30 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
DKM CS LUTZOW, CLs EMDEN and LEIPZIG, and DDs LODY, Z.23, Z.24, ECKHOLDT, and GALSTER departed the Baltic. On the 12th, light cruisers EMDEN and LEIPZIG were detached to Oslofjord. CS LUTZOW and the five DDs passed out of the Skagerrak. The Pocket Battleship was torpedoed by a British torpedo plane off Lindesnes on the 13th. DD ECKHOLDT took the CS in tow and the other DDs screened the withdrawal. LUTZOW was able to proceed under her own power an hour later. The Task Group, less the other units that had diverted to Oslo returned to Germany. During the return DD Z.24 was near missed by British bombing. LUTZOW was again under repair, this time from 14 June to January 1942.

The Fleet at Scapa Flow came to 1 hr's notice at 0430 on receipt of reports of the movements of the German surface fleet including the heavy unit DKM CS LUTZOW in the Skagerrak approaching the Nth Sea.

DKM S Boat Flotillas and other light forces have by now moved to the Eastern Baltic in readiness for Operation Barbarossa. Only two S-Boat Flotillas remain in the west. flot

*North Sea*
British steamer WESTBURN was damaged by the LW three miles north of Skinningrove off Hartlepool. The steamer arrived at Hartlepool on the 11th in tow.

*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER, escort DDs INGLEFIELD and ICARUS, arrived in Iceland and sailed that day on patrol with DDs INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, and ACHATES. DD ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow to join this force and arrived in Iceland on the 13th. CA SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord, arriving on the 13th.

*Northern Waters*
Sub Lt T P D'Donovan and Sub Lt H. Morris were killed when their Fulmar of 800 Sqn collided with a Martlet of 881 Squadron off Lee (in the sth of England). The Martlet’s pilot, Lt J A Rooper was also killed.

During night take off at Arbroath (East Coast Scotland), Sub Lt (A) S.H.Bunch was killed when his Sea Hurricane hit a Swordfish, flown by sub Lt R P Cross. He was not injured. This was among the first mentions Ive seen of a Sea hurricane in operational context

DD HAMBLEDON departed Scapa Flow to escort steamers AMSTERDAM and LADY OF MANN from Aberdeen. The ships were met early on the 12th off Aberdeen and steamer AMSTERDAM was escorted to Lerwick where they arrived that afternoon.Steamer LADY OF MANN was detached en route to Scapa Flow when off Duncansby Hd. DD HAMBLEDON escorting steamer AMSTERDAM departed Lerwick predawn on the 13th and met steamer LADY OF MANN from Scapa Flow off Duncansby Hd. The two steamers were taken to Aberdeen. DD HAMBLEDON arrived back at Scapa Flow after this duty just prior to midnight on the 13th.

*West Coast*
Submarine H.32 grounded in the Clyde. The submarine was repaired at Ardrossan.

*Med/Biscay*
DD NUBIAN (which had lost her stern in the Battle for Crete) was sailed from Alexandria to Port Said escorted by sloop AUCKLAND. NUBIAN arrived at Port Said on the 12th and was passed through the Canal. Sloop AUCKLAND returned to Alexandria.

A British Fulmar of 800 X Sqn ditched off Delimara Point Malta returning from a patrol over Sicily. Petty Officer A.W. Sabey and Lt J.S. Manning were rescued after dawn.

A Buffalo of 805 Sqn flew into the ground at Dekheila. Sub Lt J.B. Musson RNVR, was killed.

Submarine TAKU sank *Steamer ILSE L. M. RUSS (Ger 1600 grt)*, at one time the ELFRIDA and sometimes referred to as the TILLY L M RUSS, on the 11th in Benghazi Harbour.





A convoy of steamers SILVIO SCARONI, CADAMOSTO, and AOSTO departed Tripoli on the 9th for Benghazi, escorted by TBs PALLADE and POLLUCE. The next day, submarine TAKU sank *steamer SILVIO SCARONI (FI 1367 tons)* 70 miles 283° from Benghazi. The submarine was counterattacked by torpedo boats PALLADE and POLLUCE, but was not damaged and took up patrol positions outside Benghazi on the 10th.





Submarine TORBAY also sank by ramming an *unnamed caique (Ex Gk 350 grt)* carrying several hundred German troops and stores, 15 miles south of Mitylene.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
OB.334 departed Liverpool, escort corvette POLYANTHUS and ASW trawler AYRSHIRE. DD BEAGLE reinforced the escort on the 12th and corvettes GLADOILUS, NIGELLA, and ORCHIS, CAM ship MAPLIN, MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER, and ASW trawlers LADY MADELEINE and ST LOMAN separately but on the same day. The DD, CAM ship, corvettes GLADIOLUS and NIGELLA, and the MSWs were detached on the 17th. The convoy was joined on the 17th by DD BURNHAM and CHURCHILL, AMC AURANIA, and corvettes DIANTHUS and SPIKENARD for escort as far into the Atlantic as was then possible for the short ranged escorts that at that time made up most Escort Command. DD CHESTERFIELD was with the convoy on the 19th. The AMC, DD BURNHAM, and corvettes DIANTHUS, ORCHIS, and SPIKENARD were detached on the 20th. BB REVENGE and AMC s BULOLO and CALIFORNIA joined on the 20th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 25th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BA.3 departed Karachi, escorted by armed merchant cruiser ANTENOR. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 20th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 JUNE TO DAWN 12 JUNE 1941

_Weather _Strong winds.

_0620 hrs _Air movement monitoring picked up two enemy aircraft patrolling four miles to the south of Malta. Hurricanes are scrambled and attempt to intercept; no claims.
_0845-0930 hrs _Air raid alert for an Italian SM 79 bomber on reconnaissance, escorted by ten ME 109 fighters approaching the Island from the north, then turning to cross the coast over Kalafrana towards Hal Far. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage heavily, breaking up the formation. The ME 109s sheer off northwards and take no further part in combat. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the SM 79 bomber to the east of Filfla. In the engagement, one Hurricane and the SM 79 crash into the sea close to one another off Benghaisa. An extensive search recovers only one body, that of the Italian airman. Pilot F/Lt Burnett of 46 Squadron is missing.

_1407-1420 hrs; 1436-1453 hrs; 1540-1612 hrs; 1623-1640 hrs _Air raid alerts triggered by a total of 22 enemy aircraft in five formations patrolling 30 miles north of the Islands. Hurricanes are scrambled on each occasion and the raiders turn back before engaging or reaching the Island.

_0200-0230 hrs _Air raid alert for three unidentified enemy aircraft which approach from the north east to Zonqor Point. Two raiders cross the coast. 20 bombs are dropped off St Thomas’ Bay, in the sea two miles east of Kalafrana and also to the north west of Anchor Bay. Nine red Very lights are seen fired from the sea east of Delimara Point.

_0319-0338 hrs _Air raid alert for a single unidentified enemy aircraft which approaches from the north east and crosses the coast over St Paul’s Bay, dropping bombs between Ta Qali and Mosta, as well as eight east of Valletta.

_0352-0410 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island but turns back before reaching the coast.

_Military casualties _Flight Lieutenant Norman Whitmore Burnett, pilot, Royal Air Force, 46 Squadron; Squadron Leader Michael L Watson, Royal Air Force, 82 Squadron.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE 1941

_AIR HQ _General Haining and party passed through Malta. _Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Beaufighter, 1 Sunderland, 1 Cunliffe Owen Flying Wing. _ 69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance. 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance of Gerbini aerodrome, revealing 12 ME 109s and 3 SM 79s; also Catania aerodrome, identifying 20 twin-engined aircraft and 10 Italian fighters. _82 Squadron _2 Blenheims attack convoy; 1 shot down.


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## parsifal (Jun 11, 2016)

*12 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VII C U-574
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
1 warship sunk 1141 grt.
Sunk on 19 December 1941 in the North Atlantic east of Ponta Delgada, Azores, in position 38.12N, 17.23W, by ramming and depth charges from the British sloop HMS STORK. 28 dead and 16 survivors.

Allied
HDML 1008, LCTs 114 & 115, MGB 313
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
 
*Losses*
U-371 sank *MV SILVERPALM (UK 6373 grt)* in the nth Atlantic, whilst thje vessel was on passage from Calcutta to Glasgow via the Cape and Freetown with a mixed cargo and a crew of 68 aboard. None of the crew would survive the attack. At 0326 hrs, U-371 hit the vessel with two torpedoes and observed it sinking after 38 minutes. Although some uncertainty exists as to the victim, this must have been the SILVERPALM, which was reported missing in the Nth Atlantic after being seen the last time on 1 June. On 15 July, a lifeboat with eight bodies was sighted by the British trawler CAVE.





U-48 sank *Steamer EMPIRE DEW (UK 7000 grt) *in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from Newcastle on Tyne to Port Brunswick, travelling empty and with a crew of 43. 23 of the crew were lost in the attack. At 0251 hrs the unescorted EMPIRE DEW, detached from convoy OG -64, was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 Nth of the Azores. The master, 18 crew members and one gunner were picked up by RNorN ST ALBANS on 18 June and landed at Liverpool.





U-552 sank *Steamer CHINESE PRINCE (UK 8593 grt)* in the Western Approaches. The vessel was on passage from Port Said to Liverpool via Capetown. The ship was carrying a mixed cargo of Potash, dried fruits and magnesite, with a crew of 64 aboard, of whom 46 were to be lost in the attack. At 0414 hrs the unescorted CHINESE PRINCE was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 sth of Rockall. The master, 43 crew members and two gunners were lost. 18 crew members were picked up by HM Corvettes ARBUTUS and PIMPERNEL and landed at Londonderry. 





U-553 sank *tkr RANELLA (Nor 5590 grt)* in the nth Atlantic whilst on passage from Clyde to New York. The ship was empty when lost with a crew 29 aboard, all of whom would survive the attack. At 1505 hrs the unescorted RANELLA, dispersed from convoy OG-64, was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-553. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, the tkr was hit by a coup de grace at 1635 hours behind the mast and broke in two but remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and after 1706 hrs fired 100 rounds from her deck gun until she sank. The boats were separated the next day in bad weather, but both sailed about 300 miles in twelve days and reached Figueira da Foz, Azores Islands.




_RANELLA broke in two after being torpedoed twice_

U-553 sank *Steamer SUSAN MAERSK (UK 2355 grt)* in the SW Approaches whilst the ship was travelling empty from Newport to Milford Haven A crew of 24 was aboard, all of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 0122 hrs, U-553 fired one torpedo at an unescorted freighter 370 miles NNE of the Azores and observed how the ship sink within 90 seconds after being hit. The U-boat had spotted the ship about five hrs earlier and missed with a stern torpedo at 0105 hrs. The SUSAN MAERSK was reported missing after being detached from convoy OG-64.





*AO FRIEDRICH BREME (DKM 10,397 grt)* was sunk by CL SHEFFIELD in 49-48N, 24-00W. 88 German sailors were rescued, including twelve wounded of which two died of wounds.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-123

Departures
Bergen: U-651
Lorient: U-138

At Sea 12 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-48 U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA
32 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
BB KG V, CLs AURORA and ARETHUSA and DDs BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, ESKIMO, and RAN NESTOR departed Scapa Flow at 0127. BB NELSON and CA DEVONSHIRE remained at Scapa Flow, but continued on one hour's notice. On patrol, CL AURORA intercepted *steamer ROLFSBORG (FN 1831 grt)* (now known to be treating with the enemy) and sent her into Kirkwall for inspection. She was impounded after the entry of Finland on the Axis side. CL ARETHUSA intercepted *steamer KRONOBORG (FN 6537 grt)* and sent her to Kirkwall also. She was impounded as well after Finland sided with the Germans. The British ships returned to Scapa Flow on the 14th .

*Northern Patrol*
DDs ELECTRA and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde where they arrived on the 13th. DD ANTELOPE joined these DDs after departure from Scapa for a special convoy escort.

*West Coast*
Ex-US Coast Guard cutter/escort ship SENNEN was damaged in a collision with harbour drifter ANIMATE in the Clyde.

*Med/Biscay*
NZ manned CL LEANDER and DDs JERVIS and HASTY departed Alexandria to relieve CL AJAX and DDs STUART, KANDAHAR, JAGUAR, and HOTSPUR off Syria.

Corvette HYACINTH arrived at Haifa from Alexandria.

*Tanker ADOUR (Vichy 1105 grt)* was damaged by a British torpedo plane off Syria. The tanker was able to proceed to Turkey where she was interned for the duration.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine CACHALOT departed Alexandria with supplies for Malta.

Submarine TORBAY sank *schooner GESUE e MARIA (FI 239 grt)* off Skiros Island (in the Aegean).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.24 sank *tanker FIANONA (FI 6660 grt)* south of Vada (Im uncertain of that location) in 43-08N, 10-30E on the 12th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND}

The next day the Dutch submarine also sank *aux PV trawler CARLOFORTE (FI 143 grt)* with a demolition charge 36 miles 294° from Gorgara (location uncertain).
[NO IMAGE FOUND}

*Central Atlantic*
CA NORFOLK departed Freetown to escort convoy SL.77, which had departed Freetown on the 8th, to the UK. The CA carried 181 German prisoners from the tankers ESSO HAMBURG and EGERLAND. NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 JUNE TO DAWN 13 JUNE 1941

_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_0925-0956 hrs _Air raid alert for an enemy aircraft on reconnaissance over Grand Harbour, escorted by Macchi 200 fighters, which passes over Luqa and Hal Far before leaving to the south west. The raiders are heavily engaged by anti-aircraft fire which splits the formation. 18 Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage and shoot down five enemy fighters into the sea. Two Hurricanes also crash into the sea; P/O R Saunders is rescued, badly wounded. The second, P/O R Munro, does not survive. A third Hurricane is damaged on landing.

_Noon_ A formation of enemy aircraft is reported approaching the Island. Hurricanes of 46 Squadron are scrambled and intercept. They fire at a Cant Z 501 flying boat before seeing that it is marked with red crosses, and evidently searching for casualties. The Hurricanes immediately turn away but the flying boat catches fire and the crew bale out as it dives towards the sea. In the ensuing dogfight four enemy fighters are confirmed destroyed. One Hurricane crashes into the sea; the pilot Sgt N Walker is rescued. 

_Evening_ Another flying boat approaches the Island and is attacked and shot down by Hurricanes.

_0220 hrs _While searching for the Hurricane pilot missing after this morning’s raid, _HMS Jade _is attacked by two E boats 17 miles south of Cape Passero, Sicily. Both E boats fire torpedoes which miss _Jade_; a spirited encounter ensues at close range; one of _Jade_’s crew is killed by machine-gunfire. _Jade_ returns fire, constantly raking the E boats with machine-guns and damaging both, one seriously.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 12 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish despatched to attack Tripoli Harbour and quays. Two returned with engine trouble; the remaining four dropped 2000lbs of high explosive bombs and 100lbs of incendiaries over Spanish Quay and buildings, starting several fires. 

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance. One Sunderland en route to Malta from the Middle East attacked an Italian submarine 240 miles off Malta; the submarine crash-dived.

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar force-landed in the sea; crew picked up safely and returned to Hal Far.


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## Njaco (Jun 12, 2016)

*June 13 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Unternehmen Sommerreise: German heavy cruiser “_Lützow_”, light cruiser “_Emden_”, light cruiser “_Leipzig_”, and destroyers passed through the Skagerrak between Denmark and Norway. Despite aerial cover by Bf 110 fighters, a British force of Beaufort torpedo bombers with fighter escort was still able to get through and attack, damaging “_Lützow_” with a torpedo hit in the engine room. “_Lützow_” was forced to return to Kiel, Germany for repairs.

German submarine U-107 sank Greek ship “_Pandias_” 300 miles north of the Azores islands at noon; 11 were killed, 23 survived. 4,894 tons of coal and 1,050 tons of military equipment, including 11 crated Spitfire fighters, originally destined for Alexandria, Egypt for the Allied troops, were lost.

German submarine U-77 sank British ship “_Tresillian_” 300 miles off Newfoundland, Canada at 0545 hours. All 46 aboard survived and rescued by US Coast Guard cutter “_Duane_”.

*ASIA:* Russo-Japanese trade agreement is announced in Tokyo.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Stalin is informed by Richard Sorge in Tokyo that Hitler will invade the Soviet Union at dawn on 22 June. Timoshenko and Zhukov ask permission to alert troops at the border and begin deploying forces, but Stalin refuses. The Soviet news agency TASS denied any German threat and labeled such rumors as hostile propaganda. The Russians begin to arrest those in the Baltic States who might support a German occupation. In all, about 50,000 are rounded up, with the majority never to be seen alive again. Thousands of Jewish community leaders were deported to Siberia as part of the general purge. The Soviet Union, which had occupied the former Romanian province a year earlier, loaded 22,600 Moldovans on cargo trains bound for Siberia, where the deportees were used for forced labor.

*GERMANY:* Walther von Brauchitsch returned to Berlin, Germany from an inspection of invasion forces in Poland.

Rashid Ali, the Grand Mufti, and other Arab leaders who escaped from Iraq are invited to Berlin.

RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft to attack Schwerte overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian submarine “_Brin_” sank British ship “_Djurdjura_” (33 killed, 5 survived) and Greek ship “_Eirini Kyriakides_” (entire crew of 31 killed) of Allied convoy SL75 100 miles east of the Azores islands.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): The Free French and British have invaded Vichy Syria but so stretched are General Wavell's men and materials that some of the invading army are riding to war on horseback. Australian troops attack around Sidan. Vichy French troops held up the Australian 7th Division at the steep pass at Jezzine, halfway from the Palestinian border to Beirut. Australian Private James Gordon won the Victoria Cross medal for single-handedly neutralizing a French machine gun post while fighting in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon. Armoured cars and lorried infantry of 1st Spahis (Vichy) probe Kuneitra.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Allied Troop convoy WS 8A arrives at Suez from UK.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Marine Corps Major General Holland M. Smith relinquished command of the 1st Marine Division to become the commanding general of the I Corps (Provisional) attached to the US Navy Atlantic Fleet. The mixed Marine-Army corps was consisted of the 1st Marine Division and the 1st Infantry Division.

L. W. Murray heads new Canadian convoy escort force based on Newfoundland; NW Atlantic Canada's responsibility.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* No.24 Squadron RAAF took over the Garbutt H/F D/F Station. Its purpose was to assist aircrew in navigating by giving a course to steer to reach the area of the H/F D/F station and consisted of four vertical masts (aerials). HF/DF station Garbutt transferred to RAAF.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe sends 135 bombers to attack Portsmouth, Southampton, and Chatham overnight. Luftwaffe bombers conducted a raid on the British naval base at Chatham, England with little effect. Bombs were scattered widely over South and East England and 7 aircraft were shot down. British vessels “_King Henry_”, “_St Patrick_”, and “_Kingstown_” were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft. 29 people were killed, when German dive-bombers sank the Great Western Railway steamer “_St. Patrick_”.

Cpl James Hendry (b. 1911), Royal Canadian Engineers, died when a burning magazine blew up. Hendry was serving with No.1 Tunnelling Company of the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, who had been given the task of digging the tunnel between Loch Spey and Loch Laggan to supply water to the British Aluminium works at Fort William, when a fire broke out in an explosives store near Loch Laggan. The twenty-nine-year-old ordered his colleagues to run to safety and attempted to extinguish the blaze, rather than attempt to escape the inevitable explosion. The huge blast also killed his colleague Sapper John MacDougall Stewart, and seven more were injured. (George Cross)

*WESTERN FRONT:* Anti-Semitic laws are extended in Vichy, with 12,000 Jews arrested and property confiscated. The excuse that 12,000 Jews were involved with an "anti German/French coup plot" is used by the Vichy government to justify authorizing various Anti-Semitic laws. These laws now restrict Jews in Vichy France as they have in Hitler controlled countries.

RAF Bomber Command sends 110 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine warships at Brest without success overnight.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 13, 2016)

*June 14 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-751 sank British ship “_St. Lindsay_” 700 miles west of Ireland at 0346 hours, killing all 44 aboard.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Croatia became the newest member of the Tripartite Pact.

In Moscow, Russia, Vyacheslav Molotov informed Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg that the Soviet Union was to publish, on the next day, that the rumors of a German attack on the Soviet Union were all fabricated by the British. Molotov refuses to believe intelligence of upcoming German attack, saying that;


> "…only a fool would attack Russia."



The June Deportation, which was the first major wave of Soviet mass deportations and murder of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, began. Arrests had begun after Soviet Union occupied Estonia in July 1940, but they were made quietly. There were about 7,000 people arrested before 14 June, mostly Estonian politicians, high level officers and others whom the Communists considered dangerous. In Lithuania the Russian secret police gathered up some 40,000 men, women and children and exiled them to Siberia in cattle cars. This was the first of many shipments. Arrests and deportations totaled some 34,260 people.

All German vessels in Soviet ports were ordered to depart.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler met with his High Command regarding Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, including a planned start date. Hitler informs his senior generals that during the forthcoming attack on Russia, prisoners of war do not have to be treated according to the Articles of the Hague Convention since the USSR has not signed the latter. Soviet Commissars are 'not to be considered POWs' (i.e., they are to be summarily executed). The "Lucy" spy ring in Germany promptly passed along this information.

Commander Theodore Eicke of the SS Death's Head division informs his officers of Hitler's "Commissar" order to kill all Communist officials on sight.

RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight. The first Canadian bomber mission was carried out during the night. Three RCAF No. 405 Squadron Wellingtons bombed railway marshalling yards at Schwerte, as another Wellington aborted.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *British submarine HMS “_Clyde_” sank Italian ship “_Giovanni Bottigliere_” south of Sardinia, Italy.

Operation Tracer: British aircraft carriers HMS “_Ark Royal_” and HMS “_Victorious_”, escorted by cruiser HMS “_Renown_” and 7 destroyers, set sail from Gibraltar for Operation Tracer and launched 47 Hurricane fighters for Malta; 43 of them would reach their destination safely.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter):  Australian 21st Infantry Brigade attacks Vichy French positions at Sidon with naval gunfire support from British destroyers HMS “_Jervis_” and HMS “_Griffin_”. Two French destroyers based in Beirut counterattacked at 1620 hours, but was chased off by New Zealand cruiser HMNZS “_Leander_” and British destroyers. Vichy French defenders withdraw from Sidon overnight. 25th Australian Brigade captures Jezzine after long truck journey from Merdjayoun to the coast. On the eastern axis French in Kiswe continue to resist fiercely. Eight German Ju 88 aircraft also attempted to attack, but were driven off by P-40 Tomahawk fighters of No. 3 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force based in the British Mandate of Palestine, shooting down 3 Ju 88 aircraft.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8785, freezing all German and Italian assets in the United States. In response, Germany and Italy have taken measures with a view to freezing US assets, said to be worth GBP 105 million in Germany and GBP 36 million in Italy.

The first tests of the launcher, rocket antitank, T1, codenamed "The Whip". This is later known as the bazooka.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Battleaxe: Wavell launches Operation Battleaxe, which has as its aim the destruction of Rommel's forces and to achieve a decisive victory in North Africa. If all else failed the attack might at least relieve Tobruk. The attack was to be led by the new commander of 13 Corps. Lt-General Beresford-Pierse, who had replaced the captured General Neame. To achieve this aim, the British had to capture the old frontier posts at the Halfaya Pass, Fort Capuzzo and Sollum in the first attack. This would be achieved by the Indian 4th Division with the Matilda tanks of the 4th Armoured Brigade in close support. Once they had succeeded in penetrating the enemy line, 7th Armoured would come forward, join with 4th Armoured and break through to Tobruk. This done, 7th Armoured, now reinforced by the Tobruk garrison, would push on and secure a line along the axis between Derna and Mechili. Wavell estimated that Rommel had 13,000 men and 100 tanks close to the wire with another 25,000 men and 200 tanks around Tobruk, 80 miles to the west. The true figures were that the British had 300 assorted tanks to Rommel’s 200, of which only about 100 were the gun-armed PzKw IIIs and IVs. But Rommel had prepared a defensive line and moved all his anti-tank forces forward, including 88mm guns, which could easily penetrate the thick armour of the Matildas. During the day, British armour, reinforced with tanks from the Tiger convoy, moves forward in Egypt to within 25 miles of German positions on the Libyan border. Rommel has the newly arrived 15.Panzerdivision on the border and he orders up reinforcements when he learns of the British movement, leaving 5.Leichte Division to prevent any break out from Tobruk. After sundown, German artillery bombarded Tobruk.

Hans-Joachim Marseille suffered damage in the engine of his fighter and was forced to crash land in friendly territory in Libya. He returned to based, took off in another fighter, and later was shot down once again, and again was able to crash land and escape unharmed.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* During one of the largest night raids for the month conducted by the Luftwaffe against England, eight He 111s of KGr 100 attacked the aircraft factory at Filton shortly after midnight. One Heinkel is lost during the raid.

In a letter to General Hastings Ismay, Winston Churchill criticized Bernard Freyberg's tactical handling of the defense of Crete, Greece, in particular the fact that no counter-attack had been mounted in the western sector (e.g. around Maleme airfield) for 36 hours after the initial German assault.

Air Marshal Sir Philip Joubert takes command of RAF Coastal Command.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The British RAF began the first of month-long series of daylight fighter 'sweeps' by RAF Fighter Command over Channel and Northern France. RAF 11 Group Circus 12 to St. Omer Airfields had 12 fighter squadrons escorting 12 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group. One Blenheim IV from RAF No.110 Sqn was lost. Ofw. Robert Menge of 3./JG 26 was shot down and killed near Marquise, France by Squadron Leader James E. Rankin of No. 92 Squadron RAF. At the time of his death Menge had 18 kills to his credit. RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

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## stona (Jun 14, 2016)

The human cost.






Left to right, Fw Heinz Schulz, Uffz Helmut Baehner and Uffz Jakob Ried, the crew of that Ju 88 C-4. W.Nr. 0335. They all perished. In better times we would have been playing football against them, not shooting them down into Norfolk mud flats. 

Steve

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Njaco (Jun 14, 2016)

*June 15 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Aircraft from HMS “_Eagle_” damaged German tanker “_Lothringen_” in the South Atlantic, allowing the ship to later become captured by the crew of HMS “_Dunedin_”.

Whilst operating with the North Atlantic Escort Force, HMS “_Thunderbolt_” attacks but misses U-557 with a six torpedo salvo. This interception is one of the first resulting from Ultra intelligence. Shortly after the 2nd Submarine Flotilla is disbanded and HMS “_Thunderbolt_” is sent to the Mediterranean theatre, as is U-557 who sinks her on 15th December.

USN Task Force 3 begins Atlantic patrols from bases at Recife and Bahia.

*ASIA: *Japanese aircraft bomb Chunking (Chongqing) and some bombs land near the river gunboat USS “_Tutuila_” (PR-4), the US military attaches' office and the US Navy canteen. The Japanese air raid on Chongqing also damaged the US embassy. US government criticized the Japanese raids on civilian sections of Chongqing, China. Japanese Admiral Shimada Shigetaro expresses regret and tells the Americans that the bombing was "wholly unintentional."

A Vietnam Independence League (Viet Minh) has been formed to be an army of liberation aimed at eliminating not only Japanese but also French control of Indochina. The League held its first meeting last month under the auspices of the Communist Party at Pao Bo. Although led by the Communists, the Viet Minh aims to provide a united front for all parties who want to end foreign domination of Vietnam. Its driving force is the founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Van Thanh - better known as Ho Chi Minh, meaning "He Who Enlightens"

*EASTERN EUROPE:* German units moved into their start positions for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Likewise, the Soviet Union moved the new conscript units into forward positions.

Galeazzo Ciano sent a message to his Hungarian counterpart, advising that Hungary should prepare to deal with a potential Soviet attack, which might be forthcoming due to suspected German aggression against the Soviet Union.

Kriegsmarine ordered to begin "accidentally" sinking Soviet submarines in the Baltic.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command: 35 aircraft are sent to bomb the oil refinery at Hamburg, 26 claim to attack. RAF Bomber Command sends 91 aircraft to attack Cologne, 31 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 16 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

The Independent State of Croatia signed the Tripartite Pact.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): In the early hours HMS “_Jervis_” and HMS “_Kimberley_” had a short engagement with Vichy French destroyers “_Guepard_” and “_Valmy_” with the latter again using their superior speed to retire after having straddled HMS “_Jervis_” several times. On the Eastern axis, Indian and Free French troops (Gentforce, now under the command of British Brigadier Lloyd French as General Paul Legentilhomme has been wounded) attacked Kissoué in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon at 0400 hours, capturing it by 0900 hours, breaking a 5-day deadlock. Vichy troops outflank them along a parallel road 5 miles to West and threaten Allied troops holding Quneitra, well behind Gentforce. French mobile column captures Ezraa, cutting Lloyd’s communications with Transjordan. Another column threatens Kuneitra and remaining communications with Palestine. Lloyd detaches Free French infantry and British artillery to the rear to hold Sheikh Meskine. On the Central Axis, French infantry regiment with tanks and artillery attack Australian holding force at Merdjayoun (2/33 Battalion, 2/2 Pioneers, battery 2/5 Field Arty, Scots Greys and part of 6 Australian Cavalry). Australians are forced out of Merdjayoun, however many French tanks are knocked out by 25-pdrs and French cannot advance further. On coastal axis, British destroyers bombarded Sidon in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon and were retaliated against by German Ju 88 aircraft, hitting HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Ilex_”, and HMS “_Isis_”. “_Jackal_” suffers minor damage from a bomb passing through the upper deck and into the sea. Both HMS “_Ilex_” and “_Isis_” go to Haifa for temporary repairs. “_Isis_” will go to Bombay and Singapore where she is further damaged by Japanese bombing on January 17 1942. “_Ilex_” will go to Aden, Mombassa, Durban and USA for repairs, completed in October 1942. Shortly after, 21st Australian Brigade enters Sidon. French forces counter-attack at Jezzine but are stopped by divisional artillery. In the evening, aircraft of French 4th Naval Air Group bombed British naval units off the Syrian coast.

Six Gladiators of X Flight are patrolling over Kissoue at 8,000ft when they are bounced by Dewotine D520's. Fl-Off J N Craigie is shot down and killed in the first pass. Another Gladiator is badly damaged. One Dewoitine crashes in British territory. The pilot is captured. The other, flown by French ace Sous-Lt Le Gloan, crash-lands at Rayak airfield and is written off.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Battleaxe: The British launched Operation Battleaxe. At 0200 hours, British troops (including 11th Indian Infantry Brigade) in armoured cars, 100 infantry tanks and 90 cruiser tanks move forward from Egypt. They attack German/Italian defenses on the Libyan border at 0600 hours, moving along the coast and across the desert covered by RAF Hurricane fighters. The first phase of this advance, to capture the Hafid Ridge, went well, but prior reconnaissance had failed to reveal that the Hafid Ridge was actually three ridges. The Germans fake a retreat to lure the British tanks over a ridge into a trap (the first of many times Rommel will use this tactic). The dawn attack by the right-hand column on the Halfaya Pass (named Hellfire Pass by the British), made along the top of the escarpment was stopped when "C" Squadron, 4 RTR, supporting the 2nd Cameron Highlanders, ran against the entrenched 88mms which were in stone-built sangars, with only their muzzles visible. The "C" Squadron commander, Major Miles, was last heard on the radio reporting, "They are tearing my tanks apart." 15 heavy Matilda infantry tanks are quickly destroyed. The fight at Halfaya went on until about 1000 hrs when "C" Squadron was down to one Matilda and one light tank, and the Camerons were then forced to withdraw by infantry counter-attacks covered by machine-gun fire, and retreated down the pass with great loss. Other squadrons of 4 RTR engaged the enemy along the wire to keep the enemy busy while, further south, advancing along the escarpment, the centre column, led by 7th Royal Tanks, captured Fort Capuzzo (has now changed hands 9 times since June 1940), losing five tanks in the process. Meanwhile the main force of 7th Armoured Division was preparing to hook round the German southern flank, led by 7th Armoured Brigade, which hd been re-equipped with the new Crusaders. To keep these tanks a surprise, the column was led 2nd RTR in A9 and A10 cruisers. One Squadron moving forward was decimated with only two tanks surviving an encounter with a line of anti-tank guns concealed behind dummy vehicles. The Germans counter-attacked with about 35 tanks coming up from the south-east. The British with only 20 tanks left that were fit for action were ordered to hold this force, but they were outgunned and by nightfall five tanks were lost. Although the race to bring reinforcing armour to North Africa has been a tie, Germans take the first round due to superior anti-tank weapons.

The Luftwaffe has about thirty-six fighters from I./JG 27, 7./JG 26 and 8./ZG 26 to defend against about 150 RAF warplanes. The Bf 109s shoot down eight Hurricanes and two bombers but lose two of their own fighters.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Japanese spies Itaru Tachibana and Toraichi Kono were arrested in the United States.

Naval Air Station Kodiak on Kodiak Island, Aleutian Islands is established.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Churchill telegrams FDR opining that the Japanese seem intent on war in the next several months. He suggests that the Japanese will content themselves with occupying strategic points in the NEI and will not invest the troops to besiege Singapore. Churchill requests that FDR station USN heavy units in Singapore as a deterrent.

General Miles Dempsey takes command of 46th Infantry Division.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 15, 2016)

*June 16 Monday*
*ASIA:* In Tokyo, the US government hands the Japanese a sharp diplomatic protest, stating that on 11th and 14th June, a twin-engined Japanese military aircraft had flown over Guam at very high altitude. The Japanese government denies all knowledge of this.

*GERMANY:* Gen. Eugen Meindl is awarded the Knight's Cross for his leadership in the opening phase of the battle for Crete and especially for the overall performance of his regiment in this campaign.

Kesselring transfers his headquarters in preparation for Unternehmen Barbarossa and meets with Bock, whose Heeresgruppe Mitte will be supported by Luftflotte 2.

RAF Bomber Command sends 105 aircraft to attack Cologne, 72 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 39 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Galeazzo Ciano met with Joachim von Ribbentrop in Venice, Italy. When Ciano asked Ribbentrop about the rumors of a German attack on the Soviet Union, Ribbentrop denied the rumors, but he shared the confidence that, should war really break out, a German victory would be achieved very quickly.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Further French attacks on Jezzine are repulsed by 25th Australian Brigade. Before dawn a French mobile column of 7th Chasseurs d’Afrique, a company of Senegalese and some artillery under Col. Lecoulteux capture El Quneitra from 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers after an all-day fight, taking 470 prisoners. This cuts key roads behind 5th Indian Brigade (Damascus) and 7th Australian Division (Merdjayoun). 177 officers and men surrendered at 1900 hours. Despite this disaster in his rear, Brig Lloyd (5th Indian Brigade) sends one Indian battalion to the Kuneitra road to cut off the French in turn, and aggressively continues his advance on Damascus. Alarmed by the general French counter-attack over the whole front, Generals Wilson and Lavarack throw in their few reserves. Leading elements of 16th British Brigade arriving from Egypt are diverted to Deraa; 2/3 MG Battalion is sent to hold crossings on the Jordan; Brig Berryman (BGRA 1st Australian Corps) is placed in command of all troops around Merdjayoun. Bennett decided to advance down the hill against the French flank. Lieutenant Copp's platoon fixed bayonets and charged, then Marshall's platoon charged on his right, while Dwyer's men, farther to the right, established themselves overlooking the track along which the French would have to withdraw to Ferdisse. Copp's platoon advanced among the French with Tommy guns and bayonets, and the enemy ran. Buttrose's company joined in the chase, and his mortars and Dwyer's Bren gunners poured fire into the fugitives. More than fifty French troops were killed. Both companies then took up defensive positions on the high ground west of Rachaya until, about 1700 hours, orders came from Monaghan to withdraw to Bmeriq. They did so and took up positions there that night. Thirty-two French cavalry horses, fine Arab stallions, were captured in the fight at Rachaya. The battalion used them to mount its messengers and for officers' chargers. Finally these horses were handed over to the 6th Cavalry Regiment to mount a troop known as the "Kelly Gang". Further north, Indian and Free French troops advanced toward Damascus. Fleet Air Arm torpedo-bomber flying from Cyprus sink the large Vichy destroyer “_Chevalier Paul_”, while it is trying to bring in a supply of ammunition. A second super-destroyer “_Vaquelin_” succeeds in reaching Beirut but is then damaged by British air attack.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Operation Battleaxe: There is stalemate at Halfaya Pass where British tanks are held at bay by the 88s. The British move south to the Sidi Omar area, where action continues throughout the morning. Two-pounder and Besa fire cause much damage among a large concentration of Germans, who later withdraw in a north-easterly direction. The British attack at Halfaya had not been as successful as had been hoped, and although Fort Capuzzo was taken at bayonet point by the infantry the Germans were forming for a strong counterattack. With the British attack stopped by German anti-tank guns and numerous tank breakdowns, Rommel sends in his armoured reserves. 5.Leichte Division attempts to outflank the British at dawn, bypassing Hafid Ridge to the west, but they are spotted by British 7th Armoured Regiment. There are running battles all day as the series of skirmishes toward Hafid Ridge saw many British tanks destroyed by the heavier guns of the Panzer IIIs and IVs. By nightfall, 7th Armoured Brigade was down to just 25 tanks. At dusk, 7th Armoured Regiment retreats, allowing 5.Leichte Division to swing east at Sidi Omar aiming to encircle the British at Halfaya Pass. 15.Panzerdivision attacks Fort Capuzzo all morning but loses 50 of 80 tanks to British 25-pounder anti-tank guns by noon. They are then ordered to cut south to Sidi Omar to join 5.Leichte Division in the encircling maneuver. The 15.Panzerdivision counter-attacked around Capuzzo, while the 5.Leichte Division made the hook around the British left flank, with the aim of reaching the Halfaya Pass and cutting off both British divisions from supply or escape down the escarpment. The 4th Indian Division struggles to hold 15.Panzerdivision. At 1600 hours, Erwin Rommel decided to launch a decisive counterattack on the next day.

Hans-Joachim Marseille suffered heavy damage with his fighter while in combat in North Africa. Unable to see due to oil-smeared windscreen, he still landed successfully, guided down over the radio by his flight leader Reiner Pöttgen.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The U.S. State Department orders all German consular establishments be closed and all German consular officials, agents, clerks, and employees to leave the country. Also included in this order are German nationals connected with the German Library of Information in New York City, the German Railway and Tourist Agencies, and the Trans-Ocean New Service. The Germans are ordered out of the country by 10 July 1941. The reason given for this action is that these agencies "have been engaged in activities...of an improper and unwarranted character" and "wholly outside the scope of their legitimate duties."

The US Marine Corps established the 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) at Charleston, South Carolina, United States under the command of Brigadier General John Marston. The brigade was soon to be transferred to Iceland.

The First Canadian Tank Brigade leaves Canada, destined for England.

The new Washington National Airport opened southwest of DC. In 1945, Congress passed a law that established the airport was legally within Virginia but under the jurisdiction of the federal government. In 1998 it was renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *In anticipation of Barbarossa, Finnish troops are withdrawn from the island of Morgonland, which they were using to observe Soviet naval traffic at the occupied port of Hanko, on the south-westerly tip of Finland, and the surrounding waters are mined by both sides.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill received an honorary degree from the Rochester University in New York. In his radio address shortly after receiving this degree, he told his American listeners that it gave him;


> "..comfort and inspiration to feel that I think as you do, that our hands are joined across the oceans, and that our pulses throb and beat as one ... A wonderful story is unfolding before our eyes. How it will end we are not allowed to know. But on both sides of the Atlantic we all feel, I repeat, all, that we are a part of it, that our future and that of many generations is at stake.”.



Luftwaffe sends 60 bombers to attack Gloucester. A single He 111 from KGr 100 attacks the Gloster aircraft factory outside Bristol at 0135 hours.

British unemployment figures for May 1941 was at its lowest, showing 243,656, compared to over 600,000 one year prior.

In military custody, Rudolf Hess tries to commit suicide by throwing himself off a staircase, but only breaks a leg.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The RAF conducts ‘Circus No. 14’, a raid on Boulogne by ten Blenheim bombers from RAF Coastal Command and ten RAF No. 11 Group fighter squadrons as escort. Flying low to avoid the anti-aircraft fire, the formation is bounced by Bf 109s of I./JG 26. The RAF lose two Blenheims and nine Spitfires while the Luftwaffe loses four Messerschmitts. Flying with 1./JG 26, Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller shoots down a RAF Spitfire and a Blenheim in 10 minutes over Boulogne. Obstlt. Galland of 8./JG 26 destroys a Hurricane from the escorting Allied fighters. Of the four Bf 109s lost, two pilots are killed – including one from 8 Staffel -, another bails out over the Channel and is rescued while the last Messerschmitt crash lands at Audembert.

RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: In operations against 'squealers', short-wave radio equipped trawlers used as early warning stations by the Luftwaffe in the North Sea, 3 Blenheims of RAF No. 21 Sqdn. sink a trawler, but not before one aircraft had struck the ships mast and cartwheeled into the sea.

RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft on anti-shipping missions with heavy Fighter Command escort.

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## Njaco (Jun 16, 2016)

*June 17 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* German submarine U-43 sank British ship “_Cathrine_” 250 miles southwest of Ireland at 0315 hours; (24 crew lost, 3 in a lifeboat rescued after 33 days by the British trawler “_Boreas_”).

Convoy HX-113, with 58 ships, makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean. Escort ships are Royal Canadian Navy destroyer “_Ottawa_” and corvettes “_Chambly_”, “_Collingwood_”, and “_Orillia_”. Six merchant ships are lost during the convoy.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Luftwaffe aircraft conduct recon flights over Zapolyarnyj.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command: The RAF bombs Cologne, Duisburg and Dusseldorf. RAF Bomber Command sends 76 aircraft to attack Cologne, 57 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 26 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

Hitler decides on June 22, 1941 for the invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter):  Concerned that the French counter-attack may swing westward and cut off 7th Division in the mountains of Lebanon, Lt-Gen Lavarack orders 21st Brigade (Brig Stevens) to halt the coastal advance and detach a battalion to reinforce Jezzine. On the Eastern axis 2nd Battalion Queens attack from Deraa and drive French forces out of El Quneitra. An initial thrust by Free French Senegalese against Ezraa is repulsed but a second attempt drives out the French forces and take 160 prisoners. In the central sector the French again attack Jezzine but are driven off by elements of 25th Australian Brigade. 70 weary and hungry Vichy Senegalese troops are taken prisoner. 2/2 Pioneer and 2/25 Battalions under Brig Berryman attack Merdjayoun but are driven back by fierce French resistance. British bombers attacked a French destroyer, carrying ammunition which she had brought from France, in the port of Beirut in French Syria-Lebanon.

British Habforce was ordered to advance from Iraq into Syria.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Operation Battleaxe: At 0430 hours German 5.Leichte Division and 15.Panzerdivision drive east to cut off the British still attacking Halfaya Pass. General Messervy senses the trap and orders 22nd Guards Brigade at Fort Capuzzo and 11th Indian Brigade at Halfaya Pass to retreat. The British 7th Armoured Division tanks form a screen against the advancing Panzers until 1600 hours, allowing the retreating infantry to avoid the German encirclement. In the evening the Germans advanced upon the British forcing them to retire, firing as they left. Within 15 minutes the 2nd RTR had only five tanks left and they were unable to hold the rapid advance of the Germans. With the enemy occupation of Sidi Suleiman the action ended. In the afternoon, the Allied leadership decided to call off the Operation Battleaxe offensive. A grim faced Commander-in-Chief flew in from the Western Desert and dictated a cable to London which began:


> "I regret to report the failure of 'Battleaxe'."


 General Wavell's first major counter-offensive had ended in defeat. The British forces were 30 miles east of the position they started out from three days ago and morale was low. British losses during Battleaxe were 381 killed and missing, 588 wounded, 91 tanks (27 cruiser tanks and 64 Matildas), 33 RAF fighters and 3 bombers. Although losses are not large, less than a thousand men killed, wounded and missing, 91 tanks had been lost and 80% of the British tanks were out of action. The Germans lose 328 killed and missing, 350 wounded, only 12 tanks and 10 aircraft destroyed. The failure of the operation, especially in regards to the heavy losses in tank strength, would soon cost Wavell his position as the British commander-in-chief in the region. Wavell will be replaced as CIC Middle East by Churchill for this failure to relieve Tobruk with the new tanks from the Tiger convoy. Although Egypt lies undefended before him, Rommel cannot exploit this success due to long supply lines from Tripoli and the threat from Allied forces at Tobruk.

Obfw. Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down two Hurricane fighters over Halfaya Pass in Egypt while escorting Stuka dive bombers; they were his 12th and 13th kills.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Lt Denis James Patrick O'Hagan RCNVR awarded George Medal.

Destroyer HMCS “_St Clair_” is heavily damaged in a collision with the oiler “_Clam_” soon after joining the Newfoundland Escort Force. “_St Clair_” is diverted to St. John's for repairs that will last until 2nd December 1941. It is highly unlikely that “_Clam_” and “_St Clair_” were engaged in underway refueling at the time of the collision. “_Clam_” was used for 'afloat tankage' and for shuttling fuel to St. John's from Halifax. Fuelling was done alongside the oilers while they lay either at a berth or at mooring buoys. This was also the RN practice at Greenock.

Canadian destroyers from British home waters return to Canada, to serve with the Newfoundland Escort Force.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finland began to secretly mobilize its military for Operation Silver Fox, the Finnish invasion of the Soviet Union in concert with the German Operation Barbarossa. Notices on street corners order all reservists up to the age of 44 to report for duty. The Finnish army, with its knowledge of the country and ability to use the terrain, would also be able to hold the Russian army in the north while the Germans launched a Blitzkrieg towards Moscow. Many in Britain will be sad to see the Finns allying with Hitler, but hatred of Russia outweighs all other considerations. Finland announced its withdrawal from the League of Nations.

The Swedish government allows Germany's Engelbrecht Division to pass by Swedish rail from Norway to Finland.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Guards Armoured Division was established by the British Army with Major General Sir Oliver Leese in command.

This evening the British public was let into the secret of radio-location (also known as RDF, or radar) for the first time. Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, who last week took over RAF Coastal Command, paid tribute to Robert Watson-Watt, the scientist who pioneered the system which did much to help win the Battle of Britain. He gave no technical details, but he did say that it was a system of rays "which are unaffected by fog or darkness. Any aircraft or ship in the path of this ray immediately sends back a signal to the detecting station." Watson-Watt himself, who has been made a CB and Fellow of the Royal Society, insists:


> "I am just an ordinary man."



*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on R.A.F. No. 11 Group Circus 14 mission near Boulogne while RAF Fighter Command flies R.A.F. No. 10 Group Roadstead off Cherbourg and Circus operations. Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 downs a Hurricane west of Cap Gris Nez for his twenty-third victory.

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## parsifal (Jun 16, 2016)

*13 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-47




_S 47" in the Black Sea still without the Kalotte (Picture from the heritage trust of Kpt zS a.D. K.F. Künzel)_

Neutral
Elco 77’ class PT USS PT-21
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS COTILLION (T-104), MA/SB 25,
[NO IMAGEs FOUND]
 
*Losses*
U-107 sank *Steamer PANDIAS (Gk 4981 grt)* in the Central Atlantic, off the West Coast of Africa. The vessel was on passage from Newport to Alexandria via Milford Haven and Table Bay with a cargo of Coal and about 1000 tons of military hardware including 11 Spitfires. She had a crew of 34, 11 of whom would be lost in the attack. The details of the sinking are that at 1157 hrs the unescorted PANDIAS was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-107 and sank by the stern. The U-boat surfaced and provided the survivors in the lifeboats with cigarettes, water and rum.





U-77 sank *Steamer TRESILLIAN (UK 4743 grt) *in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was on passage from Immingham to the St Lawrence Gulf travelling empty with a crew 46, all of whom were to survive the attack. At 0404 hrs the TRESILLIAN, dispersed on 7 June from OB–330, was hit amidships by one torpedo fired by U-77 SE Cape Race. The ship had been spotted at 0028 hrs and was hit by a dud three hrs later. After the hit, the ship stopped but the crew only prepared the lifeboats for launch and sent out emergency messages, so the U-boat opened fire with a machine gun at the bridge and after the crew abandoned ship shelled her with 87 rounds from the deck gun until 0530 hrs. Between 60 and 65 hits were scored, but no effect could be observed except a small fire. At 0545 hours, a coup de grace was fired which hit amidships and caused the ship to sink after breaking in two. All of the crew were rescued by the US Coast Guard cutter USS DUANE and landed at St. Johns





RM sub BRIN attacked convoy SL.75 in the SW Approaches. The submarine sank *steamer DJURDJURA (UK 3460 grt)*, formerly the PENRITH CASTLE, whilst the vessel was engaged in the transport of iron ore from Pepel for Oban.. 33 crewmen were lost on the British steamer, with only 5 crewmen rescued.





RM sub BRIN also sank *steamer EIRINI KYRIAKIDES (Gk 3781 grt)* in the SW Approaches, also from SL.75, whilst on passage from Lourenco Marques to Ardrossan with iron ore. All the crewmen from the Greek steamer were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The submarine claimed sinking two more steamers, but no more were damaged.

*Steamer KINGSTOWN (UK 628 grt)* was sunk by the LW nine miles NW of Bishops Light, Bristol Channel, whilst on voyage from Waterford to Swansea in ballast. The vessel was taken in tow but sank six miles off St. Anne's Head whilst under tow.. The entire crew were rescued. The steamer sank in tow of a trawler six miles 287° from St Anne's Head.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Ferry ST PATRICK (UK 1922 grt)* was sunk by the LW on her usual run from Rosslare (Ireland) to Fishguard (Wales) in the St Georges Channel. The vessel broke in two and sank with the loss of 12 passengers, 17 of her crew and one gunner.





*Steamer ALA (Nor 933 grt)*, in tow of tug SECURITY from Shoreham to Southampton after 17 May bombing damage, was sunk by the LW in 50-42N, 0-52W. One crewman was lost on the steamer.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-105
St Nazaire: U-46

At Sea 13 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

30 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*Gate vessel KING HENRY (UK 162 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Lowestoft.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamer EMPIRE CREEK was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea near Aberdeen. The ship was disabled by near misses. The steamer arrived at Aberdeen.

British steamer DALEMOOR was damaged by German bombing off the Firth of the Forth. Six crewmen were killed and two were missing. The steamer was towed to Leith.

*Northern Patrol*
Sloops BLACK SWAN and STORK departed Scapa Flow at 0900 for Fair Island Channel to search for a submarine reported by aircraft fifty miles SE of Fair Island. The sloops were later joined by two MLs and ASW Trawlers OPHELIA and CELIA. That evening, sloop STORK made an attack 15 miles 73° from Seal Skerry Light. Motor launch ML 218 also attacked a contact. No further attacks were made and the ships returned to Scapa Flow arriving at 0500/15th.

*West Coast*
Norwegian steamer BOKN was damaged by German bombing off St Ives (Cornwall). The steamer returned to St Ives.

*Med/Biscay*
BC RENOWN, CVs ARK ROYAL and VICTORIOUS, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, HESPERUS, and WISHART departed Gibraltar to fly off 47 Hurricanes to Malta on the 14th in Operation TRACER. 
Force H.arrived back at Gibraltar on the 15th after completing the transfer successfully .

MSW ABERDARE ran aground near Mersa Matruh, but was refloated without serious damage.

ASW trawler JADE was attacked by two Italian MAS boats 17 miles 192 from Cape Passaro at 0220 while searching for downed Hurricane pilot. The British trawler was able to drive off the two Italian craft without damage to herself, but Midshipman J.C. Creasy RNR, was killed by machine gun fire. 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 JUNE TO DAWN 14 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 13 JUNE 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance.


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## parsifal (Jun 16, 2016)

*14 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1937 Class TB DKM T-14




Neutral
Acceptor Class MSW USS COTINGA (AMc-43)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Hamul Class Destroyer tender USS HAMUL (AD-20)





Vulcan Class Repair Ship USS VULCAN (AR-5)




_(USS VULCAN was not struck off until 1992, her last active service being during Operation Desert Storm )._

Allied
Bathurst Class MSW HMAS LITHGOW (J-206)




 
*Losses*
U-751 sank *Steamer St LINDSAY (UK 5370 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was on passage from the Clyde to Trinidad and Buenos Aires with general cargo. A crew of 47 were embarked, all of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0346 hrs the unescorted St LINDSAY, detached from OG-64, was hit on port side by one G7e torpedo from U-751 while steaming at 9 knots in rough sea about 580 miles east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The U-boat fired the torpedo on the surface from a distance of only 350 meters, remaining unseen in the dark night with low visibility, after earlier having missed the ship with a first torpedo at 0248 hrs. The hit caused a very heavy detonation after which the vessel rapidly settled by the bow and sank vertically with the stern raising out of the water after 80 seconds. It was some time before her lost was known to the allies. 





*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel : U-71

At Sea 14 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

31 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil at noon to cover convoy EC.32. Departing the convoy in Pentland Firth, the ship arrived in Scapa Flow at noon on the 15th. 

*West Coast*
CVL FURIOUS and CVE ARGUS, Greek liner NEA HELLAS, and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and SIKH arrived in the Clyde.

Indian sloop SUTLEJ departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to join Escort Command after working up. DD ECLIPSE departed Plymouth for Scapa Flow on completion of her refitting. The DD arrived at Greenock on the 15th with engine problems. The DD was able to continue and arrived at Scapa Flow early on the 18th.

DDs ELECTRA, ANTHONY, and ANTELOPE departed the Clyde and topped off fuel at Londonderry to escort a special outbound troop convoy LC.1 of AMC cruisers CALIFORNIA and BULOLO for Halifax, BULOLO on to Baltimore for refitting, steamer MENDOZA for Montreal, and steamer ULYSSES EN.route to the Far East.

On the 17th the DDs parted company with the convoy and steamer ULYSSES was detached for independent passage. DDs ELECTRA and ANTHONY proceeded to Scapa Flow and DD ANTELOPE to Iceland. BB REVENGE joined the convoy on the 19th and escorted the convoy to Canada. DD ANTELOPE arrived at Hvalfjord on the 19th.En route to Scapa Flow, DDs ELECTRA and ANTHONY were detailed to search for a submarine reported by aircraft in 56-10N, 10-58W. The search continued until the 20th. 
DD ELECTRA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th. DD ANTHONY arrived at Loch Ewe on the20th to refuel.She then continued and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine THRASHER departed Holy Loch for Gibraltar, arriving on the 20th.

OG-65 departed Liverpool, escort DD WESTCOTT, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes MARIGOLD and PERIWINKLE, and ASW trawlers SYRINGA and HOLLY.
Corvettes AURICULA, FREESIA, and HIBISCUS and ASW trawler RUMBA joined on the 15th.

Trawler RUMBA was detached later on the 15th, DD WESTCOTT and corvettes AURICULA, FREESIA, HIBISCUS, MARIGOLD, and PERIWINKLE were detached on the 17th.Sloop DEPTFORD was detached on the 18th. Submarine OLYMPUS and corvettes GERANIUM, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA joined the convoy on the 22nd, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th with sloop DEPTFORD, ASW trawlers SYRINGA and HOLLY, whalers GOS 2 and GOS 3, and corvettes GERANIUM and JONQUIL and submarine OLYMPUS.

HG.65 departed Gibraltar, escort sloop WELLINGTON, submarine OLYMPUS, corvettes GERANIUM, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA, and anti-submarine trawler LADY HOGARTH. DD FORTUNE departed Gibraltar on the 15th and joined the convoy for passage to the UK for refitting. The trawler was detached on the 20th and the remainder of the escort, less sloop WELLINGTON, was detached on the 22nd. DDs CHELSEA, MANSFIELD, and VERITY, corvettes BEGONIA and JASMINE, and CAM ship SPRINGBANK joined the convoy on the 25th. DD VETERAN joined on the 26th.
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine SEVERN departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

DDs JERVIS and GRIFFIN bombarded Sidon to ease opposition for the troops ashore. Two Vichy DDs were sighted by DD GRIFFIN off Beirut at 1620. When CL LEANDER closed to engage the DDs, the Vichy DDs retreated into the harbour.

Submarine CLYDE sank *steamer GIOVANNI BOTTIGLIERE (formerly GUGLIELMO) (FI 331grt)* sth of Sardinia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Pacific/Australia*
Swedish steamer NINGPO was damaged by a mine at Singapore when she picked up a floating mine in her screw. The steamer was towed to Hong Kong for repairs. 

*Malta*
_Weather _Hot and sunny.
No air raids.

_0315 hrs _One Bombay crashes into the sea off Marsaxlokk with the loss of all crew.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 14 JUNE 1941
_AIR HQ Arrivals _43 Hurricane, 4 Hudson. _Departures _1 Wellington, 1 Sunderland, 21 Hurricane._ 69 Squadron _3 Marylands on reconnaissance.

_HAL FAR _11 Hurricanes with Long Range Ferry tanks tanks arrived at Hal Far from Gibraltar.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 16, 2016)

*15 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Hamul Class AD (Destroyer Tender) USS MARKAB (AD 21)




*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-123

At Sea 15 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*FV AUDACIOUS (UK 7 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. One crewman was rescued from the fishing vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
CL EDINBURGH and DD INGLEFIELD departed Iceland.

*Northern Waters*
DD INTREPID arrived at Scapa Flow from the Humber where she fitted TSDS equipment. DD CHARLESTOWN arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after refitting prior to rejoining the Minelaying Force at Loch Alsh.

*West Coast*
OB.336 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN. The convoy was joined on the 16th by DDs LINCOLN and SHIKARI. On the 17th, DDs SABRE and VENOMOUS, CAM ship PEGASUS, corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN joined the convoy.MSWs GOSSAMER, HAZARD, and HEBE were with the convoy on the 18th. The convoy was dispersed on the 22nd.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine THUNDERBOLT unsuccessfully attacked U.557 in the SW Approaches

*Med/Biscay*
Bombarding Sidon, CLA PHOEBE, CL LEANDER and DDs ILEX, HASTY, and ISIS off Syria were attacked by Vichy and LW bombers. ISIS was damaged by the LW from a near miss at 1700. The DD proceeded to Haifa, escorted by CLA COVENTRY. DD ISIS departed Haifa on 26 July, escorted by corvette HYACINTH, for Alexandria. The DD was able to depart Alexandria on 8 August for the transit of the Suez Canal. ISIS in company with DD NUBIAN (damaged in the Cretan battles) arrived at Bombay on 27 September. DD ISIS departed Bombay on 2 October for Colombo. DD ISIS then transferred to Singapore on 13 October for repairs. The DD was still under repair at Singapore on 17 January 1942. On that date, she was damaged by Japanese bombing. The destroyer was towed in February by DD ELECTRA to Batavia arriving on 7 February and later in the month by British steamer MALANCHA to Colombo. Her repairs were completed in March 1942.

DD ILEX was also by Vichy AF bombing at 1900 and taken to Haifa. Partly towed by DD HASTY and finally under her own power at daylight on the 16th. ILEX was towed from Haifa on the 28th by DD DECOY and escorted by CLA CARLISLE and DDs HOTSPUR and HMAS NIZAM. On arrival at Port Said, NIZAM proceeded to Alexandria. CLA CARLISLE and DDs HOTSPUR and DECOY returned to Haifa.

DD ILEX departed Port Said on 20 July after temporary repairs and arrived at Aden on 24 July. She departed Aden on 15 September and proceeded to Mombasa with engine room problems. The DD arrived at Durban in November and departed on 5 February. The DD departed Simonstown on 11 February for Freetown and finally Charlestown, South Carolina, arriving on 14 March 1942. Repairs were completed in October. There were only two minor injuries from the damage of the two destroyers.

DD JACKAL was struck on the upper deck by a bomb which passed through the deck and into the sea. The bomb exploded in the sea causing superficial damage. The DD spent no time out of service.

*Central Atlantic*
*AO LOTHRINGEN (DKM 10,746 grt)* surrendered when she was intercepted in Operation SALVAGE by CL DUNEDIN and a/c from CVL EAGLE of Force F in the Central Atlantic, aided by Enigma intelligence. The tanker was taken for British use and renamed EMPIRE SALVAGE.





BC RENOWN, CVs ARK ROYAL and VICTORIOUS, and DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FEORESIGHT, FORESTER, and HESPERUS departed Gibraltar for a position in the Central Atlantic. CV VICTORIOUS and DD HESPERUS were detached to return to the UK.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL EMERALD, which departed Basra on the 1st for Singapore, collided with CL DAUNTLESS, which departed Singapore on the 15th, near Malacca Light. Both ships were slightly damaged and repaired at Singapore. CL DAUNTLESS had one rating killed. CL EMERALD had twelve ratings injured and one Marine died of injuries. EMERALD was under repair until 2 August. DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore on the 17th June and was under repair until 13 August.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 JUNE TO DAWN 16 JUNE 1941

_Weather _Cloudy; rain overnight.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 15 JUNE 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Bombay, 2 Wellington. _Departures _2 Wellingtons, 28 Hurricanes left for Middle East; 7 Hurricanes turned back after losing lead Wellington in cloud. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands on reconnaissance.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 16, 2016)

*16 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
M-35 Class MSW DKM M-254
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Delta Class AR (Repair Ship) USS DELTA (AR9)





_USS DELTA Photographed in 1967 whilst on deployment to Vietnam_

Project 26 Bis Class CA VMF (Soviet Navy) MOLOTOV




_CA MOLOTOV as she appeared in 1942_

Allied
HDML 1026, MGBs 312 & 314, Fairmile B ML 274,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
At Sea 14 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
MLs AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS with DDs BRIGHTON, CASTLETON, ST MARYS, and WELLS departed Loch Alsh on the 15th. CL AURORA departed Scapa Flow for AA support on the 15th. British minefield SN.66 in the Iceland Faroes field was laid on the 16th by AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS covered by CLs AURORA, NIGERIA, and KENYA.

*Northern Waters*
BBs KG V and NELSON and DDs BEDOUIN, INTREPID, JUPITER, RAN NESTOR, PUNJABI, and ESKIMO were brought to one hour's notice on the report of two unidentified ships departing Brest. However these were shown in fact to be merchant ships, and the Home Fleet the notice was cancelled.

*West Coast*
OB.335 departed Liverpool, escort DDs RIPLEY and SHERWOOD, sloop FLEETWOOD, and corvettes CELANDINE and NASTURTIUM. The convoy was joined on the 23rd by AMCs CHESHIRE and DERBYSHIRE. The escorts were detached on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on 2 July.

*Channel*
British steam trawler ATLANTIC was damaged by the LW 3 miles SE of Eddystone.
The trawler returned to Plymouth on the 16th

*Med/Biscay*
Vauquelin Class *DD CHEVALIER PAUL (Vichy 2660 grt)* was sunk by FAA a/c near Latakia at 0400 as she attempted to carry supplies to Syria. The attack was made by six British Swordfish of 815 Sqn. One was shot down and its crew of Lt M.G.W. Clifford and Sub Lt P. Winter were taken prisoner. The survivors from the DD were picked up by Vichy DDs VALMY and GUEPARD which also picked up the crew of the downed British aircraft. Six French sailors were lost in the DD and nine wounded.





Just after the rescues, the Vichy DDs were engaged by DDs JERVIS and KIMBERLEY and both Vichy DDs suffered some damage.

CLA NAIAD and DDs KINGSTON, HAVOCK, and JAGUAR departed Alexandria to relieve CLA PHOEBE and DDs GRIFFIN and DEFENDER on the blockade/fire support duties.

Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked a large, zigzagging liner south of the Messina Strait.

Submarine CLYDE arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Mediterranean. She had on board seven Italian prisoners from Italian steamers STURLA and GIOVANNI BOTTIGLIERE.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.133 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC WOLFE and RCN DDs ANNAPOLIS and ST CROIX joined the convoy on the 17th. ANNAPOLIS was detached on the 20th.
BHX.133 departed Bermuda on the 14th escorted by AMC LACONIA. The convoy merged with convoy HX.133 on the 20th at which time the LACONIA was detached.

On the 20th, RCN DD OTTAWA and corvettes CHAMBLY, COLLINGWOOD, ORILLIA, and VIOLET joined and DD ST CROIX was detached. Corvette POLYLANTHUS joined on the 23rd. DDs MALCOLM, RIPLEY, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, sloop FLEETWOOD, corvettes ARABIS, CELANDINE, GLADIOLUS, and NASTURTIUM, and MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL joined on the 27th.AMC WOLFE and the OTTAWA escort group were detached on the 27th.Sloop FLEETWOOD and corvettes GLADIOLUS were detached on the 27th. On the 29th, DD RIPLEY and corvette NASTURTIUM were detached. DDs MALCOLM, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN and corvette CELANDINE were detached on the 30th. In Home Waters, the convoy was escorted by DD ICARUS, CAM ship MAPLIN, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN WAVE. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 July

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 JUNE TO DAWN 17 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_0958-1005 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach to within 35 miles east of the Island, apparently in an attempt to intercept a Maryland reconnaissance aircraft. 11 Hurricanes are scrambled and the raiders turn back.

_0250-0319 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. The first turns west and drops bombs near Gozo, receding north. The second raider approaches to within five miles of St Paul’s Bay, dropping bombs in the sea. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but searchlights do not illuminate the raiders and there are no engagements.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 16 JUNE 1941
_ROYAL NAVY Unique_ successful attack on 20000 ton merchant ship; two probable hits (as reported locally, in fact she was unsuccessful). _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 7 Swordfish in operations against Tripoli. 8 Swordfish attacked shipping in Lampedusa Harbour; turned back due to low cloud.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Wellington (one landed in sea off Kalafrana and was lost). _Departures _8 Hurricane, 1 Blenheim, 1 Hudson. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands on reconnaissance.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 16, 2016)

*17 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD ORP KUJAWIAK (L-72)





Flower Class Corvette FNFL ALYSSE (K-100)
_



_

Flower Class Corvette HMCS ROSTHERN (K-169)





Bangor Class MSW HMS BLYTH (J-15)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS ISLAY (T-172)




Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS POLKA (T-139)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MA/SB 26
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-43 sank the *MV CATHRINE (UK 2727 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic whilst the vessel was on passage from Freetown to Barrow, carrying a cargo of iron ore and with a crew of 27, 24 of whom were to perish after the attack. At 0315 hrs the unescorted CATHRINE, a straggler from convoy SL-76, , was hit by two torpedoes from U-43 about 600 miles west of Cape Clear. The ship immediately broke in two and disappeared within two minutes. The survivors had no time to launch the lifeboats and clung to wreckage, rafts and an upturned boat after jumping overboard. The U-boat approached to hailing distance some 15 minutes after the ship sank and the Germans reportedly asked the survivors whether they were all right but none of the men replied because they found the question quite absurd, so the U-boat left without questioning them further. Four of the 14 men clinging to the upturned lifeboat lost their grip and drowned during the day, before the remaining survivors managed to right the boat with the help of a sea anchor and baled it out. At about sunrise on 20 June, U-204 spotted this lifeboat and shortly thereafter a raft from the same vessel in approx. 48°45N/23°15W. The survivors later stated that they asked the Germans for water but were told: _We have no water for Britishers._ The U-boat then left without having asked the usual questions about the name of the vessel, its port of departure or cargo. Subsequently seven of the ten occupants of the lifeboat died from starvation and exposure. During the last eight days there was no food on board and only a small quantity or rain water to sustain them. Eventually, a convoy passed about half a mile away, but they were much too weak to attract attention of the ships or the a/c overhead. On 19 July, only three men were still alive when the boat was found by the British steam trawler BOREAS 35 miles west of Valentia Bay, Co. Kerry. They were landed at Valentia and admitted to a hospital to recover from their ordeal. The master, 21 crew members and two gunners were lost.




*Steamer TOTTENHAM (UK 4762 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider ATLANTIS in the Central Atlantic. 17 crewmen landed at Trinidad on 2 July, whilst 26 crewmen were made prisoners of war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

AMC PRETORIA CASTLE captured *steamer DESIRADE (Vichy 9645 grt)* east of the Antilles.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 17 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

32 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML PLOVER, escorted by patrol sloop GUILLEMOT, laid minefield BS.58 off the east coast of England. MSWs ELGIN, SUTTON, and ALBURY of the MSWFlot 4 accompanied the minelay.

British steamer JIM was damaged by the LW off the Tyne estuary. The steamer returned to the Tyne on the 18th.

*Northern Patrol*
CL KENYA arrived at Scapa Flow from Iceland Faroes passage and covering minelay SN.66. CL AURORA also arrived at Scapa Flow also after covering SN.66. CA SUFFOLK and DD ACTIVE departed Iceland for the Denmark Straits patrol. CLA HERMIONE arrived at Iceland from Denmark Straits patrol, refuelled, and was sailed for Scapa Flow. HERMIONE arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
DD WINCHESTER arrived at Scapa Flow to work up following repairs prior to join Nore Command.

*Western Approaches*
DD LANCE departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to join Western Approaches following work up. The DD arrived at Greenock on the 18th.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine P.33 departed the Clyde for Gibraltar arriving on the 28th. 

*Med/Biscay*
CLA PHOEBE and DDs GRIFFIN and DEFENDER arrived at Alexandria on the 18th.

ML ABDIEL departed Alexandria for Famagusta with Fleet Air Arm torpedoes and a small quantity of stores.

A British Buffalo of 805 Sqn failed to return from a patrol over British ships NW of Sidi Barrani. LT K.L. Keith was taken prisoner, but died of wounds on the 26th.

Dutch submarine O.24 unsuccessfully attacked a tanker off La Spezia.

*Nth Atlantic*
Petty Officer G.H. Fynn and Petty Officer S.G. Blatchford in a Walrus of 773 Squadron were lost when they failed to return to Bermuda after dummy attacks at sea.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived at Gibraltar from Western Patrol 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 JUNE TO DAWN 18 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_0210-0421 hrs _Air raid alert for six unidentified enemy aircraft which approach from the north east. Four of them cross the coast at various points, and drop 15kg bombs on Iz-Zebbieh, Hal Far, Luqa, Ta Qali, Rabat and in the sea off St George’s Bay. 27 of the anti-personnel bombs are dropped close to the headquarters of 8th Bn Manchester Regiment at Ta Saliba. Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire two barrages; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 17 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron_ Operation to attack enemy A/S vessels in Lampedusa, but were forced to turn back owing to bad weather.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Bombay. _Departures _9 Hurricane, 1 Blenheim, 2 Hudson, 2 Bombay, 2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _5 Marylands on reconnaissance.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 16, 2016)

*18 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-753




3 ships sunk, total tonnage 23,117 GRT
Sunk on 13 May 1943 in the Nth Atlantic SW of Ireland, by depth charges from the Canadian corvette DRUMHELLER, supported by RN Frigate HMS LAGAN and am RCAF Sunderland from 423 Sqn (RCAF). 47 dead (all hands lost)

Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT-26
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Allied
Fairmile Type B FNFL ML 084, HDML 1025, Shakespeare class ASW Trawler HMS ROMEO (T-10)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-552 attacked and sank *MV NORFOLK (UK 10948 grt)* in the Western Approaches, whilst the vessel was outbound from Newport (UK) to New Zealand via New York. She was carrying some steel plate and general cargo, but not to full capacity. She had embarked a crew of 71, of whom 1 man was to lose his life in the attack. The details of the attack are that at 0328 hrs on 18 June 1941 the unescorted NORFOLK was torpedoed by U-552 about 175 miles NW of Malin Head and sunk by two coups de grace at 0419 and 0438 hrs. One crew member was lost. The master, 63 crew members and six gunners were picked up by HMS SKATE and landed at Londonderry. 





*UBOATS*
Departures
Gotenhaven: U-144, U-135, U-149 (heading east as part of the _Drach Nach Osten_) 

At Sea 18 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-138, U-141, U-143, U-144, U135, U-149, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-651, U-751, UA

35 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*FV DORIS II (UK 6 grt)* was sunk on a mine three cables SE of Outer Bar Bell Buoy off Sheerness. The crew of two were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
CL EDINBURGH arrived at Scapa Flow from Denmark Straits patrol. CL MANCHESTER and DD ACHATES arrived at Iceland from Denmark Straits patrol. DD INTREPID departed Scapa Flow for Iceland to join the ASW force operating there. The DD arrived at Reykjavik on the 20th.

*Northern Waters*
DD IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow for Immingham for refitting and installation of TSDS equipment. CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Scapa Flow en-route to refitting after duty in the Sth Atlantic and escorting convoy SL.76 with CL SHEFFIELD.

ORP DD KUJIWIAK, working up, was attacked by the LW. MG fire from the aircraft set off the four inch ready use ammunition locker. One man was killed. The DD called at Dundee to repair and land the dead man. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow to resume work up on the 20th.

DD BATH departed Scapa Flow after working up practices and arrived at Liverpool to join Escort Command on the 19th.

DD WINDSOR departed Dundee on completion of repairs to continue working up practices.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.41 from Pentland Firth. In the afternoon, the ship transferred to convoy EC.34 covering this convoy until its arrival in Pentland Firth. ALYNBANK returned to Scapa Flow later that night..

*Med/Biscay*
Vichy DDs VALMY and GUEPARD bombarded British advanced positions in Syria for a short time.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA and RN tug ST ISSEY and ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA returned to Alexandria from Mersa Matruh. British troopship GLENROY carried five lighters, some stores, petrol, and military personnel and netlayer PROTECTOR carried a full load of cased petrol to Mersa Matruh where it was unloaded on the 18th.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FOXHOUND, returning to Gibraltar after escorting CV VICTORIOUS away, attacked a submarine contact. *Type IID U-138 (DKM 314 grt)* was forced to the surface by repeated DC attacks carried out by DDs FAULKNOR and FORESTER and then sank 70 miles off Cape Trafalgar. DD FEARLESS picked up the entire crew of 27. The DDs arrived at Gibraltar later that day.





DD WISHART departed Gibraltar to join troopship SCYTHIA and DD DUNCAN, arriving from Freetown. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol in company with Norwegian steamer SYDHAV and destroyer FURY as local escort.

SL.78 departed Freetown escorted by AMC ESPERANCE BAY to 27 June, sloop BRIDGEWATER to 21 June, and corvettes ARMERIA, ASHODEL, ASTER, and BURDOCK to 28 June. CA SHROPSHIRE was with the convoy on 26 to 27 June. The cruiser was ordered to leave the convoy and position herself 100 miles west of the convoy. After further attacks on the 27th, AMC ESPERANCE BAY also left the convoy.
Corvette FLEUR DE LYS departed Gibraltar on the 27th and was with the convoy on the 29th. Later on the 29th the corvette returned to Gibraltar. On 7 July, DDs CHELSEA, MANSFIELD, and VERITY, CAM ship PEGASUS, corvettes ARBUTUS to 11 July, BEGONIA, CONVOLVULUS, JASMINE, LARKSPUR, PIMPERNEL, and ROHODENDRON joined the convoy, and arrived at Liverpool on 12 July 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 JUNE TO DAWN 19 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_0915-0929 hrs; 0959-1013 hrs _Air raid alert for fifteen enemy aircraft which approach to within 25 miles north of St Paul’s Bay. Nine Hurricanes are scrambled and the raiders recede north. The all-clear sounds but the raiders turn south again and repeat their tactics but are driven off again.

_1634-1706 hrs _Air raid alert for two formations of six and three Italian Macchi 200 fighters which approach the Island in the St Paul’s Bay area. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and intercept the second formation 20 miles north of Grand Harbour, shooting down one Macchi 200 and a second probable. One Hurricane catches fire due to a Glycol leak and has to make a forced landing in the Mosta area. The pilot Sgt Livingston bales out but too low for his parachute to open fully and he is killed.

_2002 hrs _Six Blenheim bombers arrive.

_2035 hrs _Four Blenheim bombers arrive.

_0457-0502 hrs _Air raid alert caused by the approach of Wellingtons returning to base.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 18 JUNE 1941
_AIR HQ Arrivals _10 Blenheim. _Departures _2 Bombay. _69 Squadron _5 Marylands on reconnaissance. F/Lt Warburton special operation in Beaufighter crashed on take-off; aircraft destroyed but crew unhurt._ 82 Squadron _Arrived Malta.


----------



## Njaco (Jun 17, 2016)

*June 18 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-552 sank British ship Norfolk 150 miles northwest of Ireland at 0438 hours; 1 was killed, 70 survived.

British destroyers HMS “_Faulknor_”, HMS “_Fearless_”, HMS “_Forester_”, HMS “_Foresight_”, and HMS “_Foxhound_” sank U-138 with depth charges 100 miles west of Gibraltar; all 27 German crew members of U-138 survived and were all taken prisoner.

*ASIA:* Tokyo halts economic negotiations with Netherlands East Indies.

A Chinese DB-3 was destroyed while flying off on alert to Lanzhou, killing the pilot, Meng Zong-Gao, his navigator and radio operator.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Stalin leaves Moscow for his holiday. But before he leaves, Stalin receives warning of a German invasion from the Soviet embassy in London. A German defector to Russian territory says the attack will be made at 0400 hours on 22 June.

Luftwaffe aircraft conduct recon flights over Zapolyarnyj and are fired upon by Soviet AA guns.

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, Kriegsmarine vessels lay mines in the Baltic overnight. Halder tours military units and confers with Rumanian Minister of War.

*GERMANY: *The German–Turkish Non-Aggression Pact was signed.

Hitler informs Antonescu of the opening date for Operation Barbarossa.

RAF Bomber Command sends 100 aircraft to attack Bremen overnight.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Lt-Gen Lavarack (1st Aust Corps) takes command of operations in Syria (vice Gen Wilson).

The Battle of Damascus: The Battle of Damascus was the final action of the Allied advance on Damascus in Syria. During the night, 5th Indian Brigade (Brig Lloyd) undertakes 12-mile advance through Mezze (3 miles West of Damascus on the road from Quneitra, behind the Vichy French lines) to cut Damascus-Beirut road. They reached Mezzeh at 0415 hours. By 0530 hours, after an hour of fierce hand-to-hand fighting, Mezzeh was captured. However, there was a major problem: the equipment and anti-tank guns travelling up the main road had earlier got ahead of the infantry and run into a Vichy roadblock where most of the vehicles were knocked out. Furthermore, the planned advance by the Free French to Qadim had been delayed, allowing the Vichy defenders to concentrate on the Mezzeh action, putting intense pressure on the Allied position whilst thwarting any attempt to relieve them and bring in vitally needed anti-tank weapons.

Six Gladiators surprise a formation of Dewoitine’s over Kissoue and shoot down two, the last kills by a Gladiator in WWII.

*NORTH AFRICA:* RAF bombers attack Benghazi. Three RAF Brewster Buffaloes are shot down by I./JG 27. As of this date the RAF has lost fourteen warplanes since 16 June including nine from No 1 Squadron of the South African Air Force.

Obfw. Hans-Joachim Marseille was granted medical leave; he would depart Libya for Berlin, Germany shortly.

*NORTH AMERICA:* William Donovan and Secretary of the Navy Knox meet with Roosevelt about setting up new intelligence coordination organization.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British press reported details of development of radiolocation technology (later more popularly known by its American acronym RADAR) and its use in Battle of Britain.

King George and Queen Elizabeth toured Tyneside and visited shipyards and armament factories.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 6 aircraft heavily escorted by Fighter Command on R.A.F. No. 11 Group Circus 15 mission against Bois de Licques. 13 fighter squadrons escorted 6 Blenheims from RAF 2 Group. Ten Luftwaffe fighters were claimed for the loss of 4 British aircraft. RAF Bomber Command sends 57 aircraft to attack Kriegsmarine warships at Brest overnight without success.

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## Njaco (Jun 18, 2016)

*June 19 Thursday*
*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet agent reports to Stalin from Germany and Finland that invasion will begin on 22 June. Soviet Navy issues Grade 2 Alert to fleet commanders. The Soviet Union ordered black-outs in all cities along the border with Germany and the camouflaging of airfields, but still did not deploy for defense. The latter order, the camouflaging of airfields, would be scarcely commenced when the invasion took place.

General Pavel Batov takes command of 9th Rifle Corps.

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, Kriegsmarine vessels lay mines in the Baltic overnight.

In Rumania, Jews are ordered to relocate to specified urban centers.

*GERMANY:* In tit-for-tat reprisals, Germany and Italy expel the US consuls. Germany and Italy requested United States consular staffs to evacuate territories under their control by July 15, following United States request of June 16 for German consular evacuation by July 10.

RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Cologne and 20 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Folgore_”, “_Euro_”, “_Saetta_”, and “_Fulmine_”.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): The Battle of Damascus: Indian and Free French troops launched a two-prong attack on Damascus from the south. Major-General John Evetts, commander of the British 6th Infantry Division, arrived to relieve Lloyd and take control of the Allied forces east of Merdjayoun. With the losses suffered by the Indian brigade, he requested that the British 16th Infantry Brigade be detached from the 7th Australian Division and sent to his sector. Generals Lavarack and Wilson decide to concentrate 7th Australian Division (Maj-Gen Allen) on coastal sector as offering best prospects of advance. Australian attack on Merdjayoun is again repulsed after fighting in outskirts. Brig Berryman continues to pound Merdjayoun with artillery. Elsewhere in the region, Vichy French troops held Free French troops at Qadim. By nightfall, the Allied position at Mezzeh was desperate. Ammunition was running low, no food had been eaten for 24 hours, casualties were severe, and medical supplies were exhausted. During the night (when Vichy attacks were suspended), three men managed to reach Gentforce headquarters with the news of the position in Mezzeh.

Vichy asks the American Consul-General to enquire of the British and the Gaullists what their conditions would be for a cessation of hostilities.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Tobruk Ferry. Australian and British destroyers and sloops (11 vessels) carry out frequent night supply/troop transport missions from Alexandria and Mersa Matruh to Tobruk (June 19-20 to July 11-12). Axis aircraft sink sloop “_Auckland_” and destroyers “_Waterhen_” and “_Defender_”.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US president Roosevelt signed Two Ocean Navy Expansion Act.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Finnish High Command learns the opening date for Barbarossa.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* King George VI and Queen Elizabeth toured the North-East area including a visit to Billingham to see factories, meet people and see war damage.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Operation Blot III: The Dock-yards at Le Havre were the target for the RAF. This was a Medium-level attack by 24 Blenheims of 2 Group, followed by a Low-level attack by 12 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group. Weather in the Channel was clear above 6,000 ft., with thick haze below this height. Of the 36 Blenheim IVs, only 24 managed to make the rendezvous over Tangmere, due to poor visibility occasioned by the thick haze. Of the 24 Blenheims, the twelve making the low-level attack abandoned the task due, once again, to the thick haze and fog. A total, therefore, of 9 Blenheim IV attacked getting strikes on the No. 1 Dry-Dock. Light-Flak was encountered, but no enemy-fighter opposition. On the return, RAF No. 616 Squadrons engaged Luftwaffe fighters off Le Havre claiming one as a probable.

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## parsifal (Jun 18, 2016)

*19 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-575




_U-575 under attack on the day of her loss _
8 ships sunk, total tonnage 36,010 GRT. Sunk on 13 March 1944 in the Nth Atlantic north of the Azores, , by DCs and gunfire from the Canadian frigate HMCS PRINCE RUPERT, US DD USS HOBSON, US DE USS HAVERFIELD, and by depth charges and rockets from an RAF Wellington and two RAF Flying Fortresses (RAF 206 & 220 Sqns) and a USN Avenger a/c (VC-95 USN) of the US CVE USS BOGUE, with 18 dead and 37 survivors.

Neutral
Cimarron Class AO USS GUADALUPE (AO-32)




_USS GUADALUPEunderway bound for the Philippines in September 1941 with a deck cargo of six PT boats (PTs 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 41 of PT-RON-3)*.*_

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS MOOSEJAW (K-164)





HDML 1040
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-48
Gotenhafen: U-140 (headed east)
Kiel: U-431, U-562, U-565, U-652
Lorient: U-556
St Nazaire: U-96

At Sea 19 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-140, U-141, U-143, U-144, U145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

40 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD VANESSA was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The DD was then involved in a collision with ASW trawler TURQUOISE. The DD was towed to Yarmouth by DD VESPER. The DD received temporary repairs at Great Yarmouth from 19 to 30 June. The DD was then towed to the Thames and repairing at London to 15 April 1942.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy WN.42 in the Pentland Firth and escorted it to Methil where they arrived on the 19th.

ML PLOVER, escort DD COTSWOLD and a number of MSWs, laid minefield BS.59 off the east coast of England.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO departed Scapa Flow for Reykjavik to reinforce the ASW screen for the cruisers on the Denmark Straits patrol. The DDs arrived on the 21st.

*SW Approaches*
*Steamer EMPIRE WARRIOR (UK 1306 grt)*, after breaking away from convoy HG.64 was sunk by FW 200 a/c 2.75 miles off Guadiana Bar, Gulf of Cadiz,. The entire crew were rescued by a Portuguese DD.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer GUNDA (SD 1770 grt)* after breaking away from convoy HG.64 was sunk by FW-200 a/c. The steamer had been taken in tow by British steamer PETEREL, but later sank 269°, 3.1nm west of Cape Sardao (Portugal). The entire crew were rescued by the steamer and ASW trawler IMPERIALIST.





*Central Atlantic*
DD WRESTLER departed Gibraltar for Freetown to join the Sth Atlantic Command

*Pacific/Australia*
British steamer ELLENGA departed Singapore with personnel aboard. The steamer called at Penang on the 21st and embarked additional personnel. The steamer was escorted by CL DURBAN to 85E.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 JUNE TO DAWN 20 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_1018-1038 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy bomber escorted by 15 fighters which approach at very high altitude, then cross the Island from east to west, apparently on reconnaissance. Four heavy anti-aircraft guns engage, firing pointer rounds; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 19 JUNE 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _5 Blenheim, 1 Maryland, 3 Wellington, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _3 Wellingtons. _69 Squadron _5 Marylands on reconnaissance. One fired on an aerodrome near Misurata, making two runs to machine-gun eight SM 79 bombers, setting three on fire. 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance Comiso reports 5 Macchi 200s and at Gela 12 medium unidentified fighters. _82 Squadron _4 Blenheims sent to attack a merchant ship; one returned with wireless failure and a second landed in the sea near Malta, cause unknown. The crew were not found. The remaining two attacked the enemy ship scoring near-misses.


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## Bernhart (Jun 19, 2016)

Njaco said:


> Three RAF Brewster Buffaloes are shot down by I./JG 27.


 didn't realize they used the buffalo in the desert

Reactions: Like Like:
1 | Like List reactions


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## parsifal (Jun 19, 2016)

Im relying on a single source for that statement. May well prove to be wrong. However the source is pretty good (RN day by day) and the fact that they mention a specific unit and a specific pilot suggests its a valid statement. Also I understand that 805 at that time was operating Buffaloes for a while at least, whilst shore based.

I think I might at least be able to confirm 805 was operating buffaloes at this time, and that the sqn was deployed in the Western Desert at that time from the FAA website. if I get a minute ill check


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## Njaco (Jun 19, 2016)

*June 20 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *German submarine U-123 sank Portuguese ship “_Ganda_” off Casablanca, French Morocco at 2030 hours; 5 were killed, 61 survived.

U-203 sights the American battleship USS “_Texas_”. (BB-35) inside Germany's blockade area around Britain. U-203 attacks, but the attack fails and the U-boat remains undetected by the “_Texas_”. The USN's battleship USS “_Texas_”. (BB-35), escorted by three destroyers, is sailing in what the Germans consider as the war, or "blockade" zone, when sighted by the submarine U-203. The Americans are unaware of the sub but they outdistance the sub preventing an attack. As a result of this event, Grossadmiral Erich Raeder, chief of the German Navy, issues an order stating that U.S. warships may only be attacked if they cross the western boundary of the blockade area by 20+ miles (32.2+ km) or within the 20-mile (32.2 km) strip along the western edge of the zone.

*EASTERN EUROPE:* The German troops amassing on the border with the Soviet Union were told that they were undergoing a large scale exercise.

A Soviet aerial formation, the 6th Fighter Corps, is set up in Moscow for the defence of the capital. On Sunday 22 June, civil air raid precautions in Moscow are to be tested "under realistic conditions."

*GERMANY: *Alfred Rosenberg delivered a speech in which he stated that the job of feeding Germans was the top German priority, while feeding the conquered peoples in Eastern Europe was not of Germany's concern.

RAF Bomber Command sends 115 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter):  Maj-Gen Evetts (6th British Division) is ordered to take over the whole eastern sector. He is reinforced by two battalions of 6th Australian Division and ordered to take Damascus. Brigadier Lloyd, having handed over to Evetts command of the 5th Indian Brigade, sent a force comprising 2 companies from the 3/1st Punjab Regiment, two companies of French Marines and a battery of artillery to fight its way through to Mezzeh in an attempt to relieve the surrounded Indian 5th Infantry Brigade at Mezze. But the attack on Vichy French would result in failure. They could not blast a way through and they progressed only slowly against determined opposition from French tanks. The Indian defenders at Mezzeh had continued to hold out. But by 1330 hours with ammunition exhausted and having had no rations for 50 hours, they were being shelled at point blank range. A decision was made to ask for a truce to evacuate the wounded, to try to buy time for the relieving column (which could be heard fighting in the distance), to reach them. However, the white flag was mis-read as a signal of surrender by the Vichy forces who rushed the positions of the remaining bayonet-wielding defenders and overpowered them. In evening, 2/3 Battalion opened a renewed attack on Mezze and Beirut road, clearing forts southwest of Damascus. A French counter-attack recaptured some of the heights and the CO and HQ of 2/3 Battalion. A detached coy of 2/3 Battalion cut the Damascus-Beirut road. After sundown, Free French troops, British anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns and an Australian machine-gun battalion finally capture Qadim on the Deera-Damascus road. The relieving column, reinforced by a battalion of Australian infantry, recaptured Mezzeh at 1900 hours that evening to find it empty save for the dead.

*NORTH AFRICA:* In view of the failure of "Operation Battleaxe", Churchill has decided to replace Sir Archibald Wavell as C-in-C Middle East. He believes that the defeat, coming so soon after Rommel's successful offensive and his rebuff of the Allied attack last month, shows that fresh blood is needed to restore British fortunes. Wavell will be told shortly that his successor is to be General Sir Claude Auchinleck, C-in-C India. Although the latter's only combat experience so far in this war has been command of the Anglo-French forces at Narvik, he saw much action in Mesopotamia in 1914-18 and later on the North-West Frontier of India. Known as "The Auk", he is highly regarded and has a keen brain, although he is not as intellectual as Wavell.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Franklin Roosevelt addressed the US Congress in regards to the sinking of American freighter Robin Moor by German submarine on 21 May 1941. In his speech, the President notes that the sinking of the ship is a;


> "...warning that the United States may use the high seas of the world only with Nazi consent. Were we to yield on this we would inevitably submit to world-domination at the hands of the present leaders of the German Reich. We are not yielding and we do not propose to yield."


 The speech is forwarded to the German Embassy for their information.

The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was renamed the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) under the command of Major General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold. The USAAF was to be autonomous from the US Army and the Office, Chief of the Air Corps and the Air Force Combat Command are assigned to the USAAF. Major General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold is named Chief of the USAAF and made directly responsible to the Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall. The reason for the change is to coordinate the activities of the Air Force Combat Command and the office of the Chief of the Air Corps..

US Navy placed a contract with the Douglas Aircraft Company for two prototype aircraft of a new carrier torpedo/dive bomber design.

The USN's Task Group 2.6 consisting of the aircraft carrier USS “_Wasp_” (CV-7), the heavy cruiser USS “_Tuscaloosa_” (CA-37) and two destroyers departs Hampton Roads, Virginia, for a neutrality patrol that ends at Bermuda on 4 July. Serving in USS “_Wasp_” are Marine Bombing Squadron One (VMB-1), Fighting Squadron Seventy One (VF-71) and Scouting Squadron Seventy Two (VS-72).

Three USN submarines conduct deep submergence tests off Portsmouth, New Hampshire. At 0738 hours, USS O-9 (SS-70) submerged with 33 men aboard. The sub did not surface thereafter but was crushed by the pressure of the water 402 feet (122.5 m) below. The sub went down 15 miles (24.1 km) off Portsmouth in the area where submarine USS “_Squalus_” (SS-192) had been lost on 23 May 1939. The sub was too deep for rescue efforts and the ship was declared a total loss on 22 June.

Charles Lindbergh delivers strong isolationist speech in Los Angeles.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *In south-eastern Finland, the civilian population in municipalities along the Fenno-Soviet border are evacuated.

The theatre strike in Norway was settled after a month.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* A Halifax bomber operating from Middleton St George, Co Durham, set off on a mission to Kiel. It left the airfield making a wide circle inland, before setting course for the target - the pilot, concentrating intently on the numerous tasks required, heard with dismay his wireless operator call out " We're heading into the balloon barrage Skipper". The balloon barrage was that protecting Middlesbrough. At the same time a warning device broadcasting from the ground confirmed this. The plane was flying at 4,000 feet and when the pilot looked up, sure enough 7-800 feet above them were the balloons. Skillfully steering in between them and climbing at the same time, he 'tip-toed' out of danger. As a result of this near squeak, an arrangement was entered into with the balloon commander - the Middlesbrough barrage would be hauled down to 500 feet during the bomber's take-off and landing times in future.
*
WESTERN FRONT:* Petain secretly sends emissary to London to discuss cooperation in the Levant.

RAF Bomber Command sends 11 aircraft on anti-shipping missions.

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## Njaco (Jun 20, 2016)

*June 21 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Bombardier Henry Herbert Reed (b. 1911), Royal Artillery, was hit in an attack on the SS “_Cormount_”, but only stopped firing to carry another wounded man to safety before falling dead from his wounds. (George Cross)

*EASTERN EUROPE:* Soviet military attaché to France Major General Ivan Sousloparov warned his superiors in Moscow, Russia of a potential German invasion, which Joseph Stalin immediately disregarded as British provocation. Stalin's opinion was agreed by head of Soviet State Security Lavrentiy Beria, who told Joseph Stalin that Germany would not attack the Soviet Union in 1941. Georgy Zhukov disagreed, but it would not be until 1905 hours when the military attaché to Germany Mikhail Vorontsov provided concrete evidence of German movement when Stalin and the Politburo were finally convinced to organize two new wartime fronts (rather than peacetime military districts) to prepare the defenses. By the time the telegrams were deciphered many units would already be bombed by German aircraft. Elsewhere, in the evening, Soviet Foreign Minister Vycheslav Molotov met with German Ambassador Friedrich Werner von der Schulenburg and asked him regarding the rumors of invasion, which Schulenburg denied as false. Within hours, however, to Schulenburg's surprise, he would receive orders from his superiors to destroy documents, code books, ciphers, and communications equipment, and he would receive a declaration of war to be delivered to Molotov in the morning.

Several fighter Gruppen in Rumania are moved closer to the upcoming frontline to support the Russian invasion. On this date, the Stab, II and III./JG 77 transfer from airfields around Bucharest to new fields at Bacau and Roman.

Semyon Timoshenko belatedly ordered the manning of fortifications along the Molotov Line in Soviet-occupied Poland, but only some would be ready for fighting when the German invasion commenced in few hours time. Fighter pilots are ordered not to fire on a German plane which flies over Soviet airspace. The border guard is put on alert, but is forbidden to take any "provocative" action.

Soviet aircraft engineer A. M. Isayev proposed to use compressed air rather than a pump to force propellant into the rocket engine that he was developing for a new fighter design.

*GERMANY:* Hitler and his staff arrive at the Wolfsschanze [Wolf's Lair], Hitler's eastern headquarters. In the afternoon, Adolf Hitler wrote a message to Benito Mussolini, informing him of the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union. This message would not reach Mussolini until early in the next day, less than an hour before the operation began.


> "I waited until this moment, Duce, to send you this information, it is because the final decision itself will not be made until 7 o'clock tonight," Hitler wrote. "I earnestly beg you, therefore, to refrain, above all, from making any explanation to your Ambassador at Moscow, for there is no absolute guarantee that our coded reports cannot be decoded. I, too, shall wait until the last moment to have my own Ambassador informed of the decisions reached."



In response to the failed attack on the US battleship “_Texas_” Doenitz instructs his U-boats thus:


> “Fuhrer orders avoidance any incident with USA during next few weeks. Orders will be rigidly obeyed in all circumstances. In addition attacks till further orders will be restricted to cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers and then only when identified beyond doubt as hostile. Fact that warship is sailing without lights will not be regarded as proof of enemy identity.”



*MIDDLE EAST: *Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter): Free French troops captured the city of Damascus in the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon, but fighting would continue in the surrounding villages. The city, which Vichy troops evacuated yesterday, surrendered to Colonel Cateau and the Australians. It has been a bloody triumph. Elsewhere in the region, at the village of Mezze, the Indian 5th Infantry Brigade surrendered to Vichy French troops after being surrounded for two days; the victorious Vichy French troops, however, would fall back toward Beirut, allowing Australian troops to capture the village later on the same day. The "Habforce" Commonwealth army advances from Syria into Iraq. Habforce is three British and Indian brigades including the British 4th Cavalry Brigade. They are still subject to persistent French air attack on the approaches to Palmyra.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Italian garrison at Jimma surrenders to Ethiopian troops under British command. General Gazzera escapes capture when the British forces take Jimma, sw of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *After dark, German bombers bombed Southampton, England, and dropped many naval mines in surrounding waters. The bombing caused a leak in the King George V Dry Dock, and demolished the down-line platform of the Southern Railway Central Station, blocking much rail traffic.

*WESTERN FRONT:* While Luftwaffe units are being transferred to the East in preparation for the upcoming invasion of Russia only two Jagdgeschwader are left on the French Coast to battle the British. The planes of JG 2 and JG 26 total about 140 available Bf 109Es and Fs for operations. Because of the depletion of units on the Western front The Night Blitz on England is halted.

RAF 11 Group Circus 16 was an attack on the St. Omer Airfields at 1200 hours. Bombers taking part were 6 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group escorted by 17 fighter squadrons. One Blenheim from RAF No.21 Sqn was lost. At 1600 hours, RAF 11 Group flew Circus 17, a raid on the airfield at Desvres. Again, there were 6 Blenheim IVs of 2 (B) Group escorted by 17 fighter squadrons.

This day has its ups and downs for Oberstleutnant Galland, Kommodore of JG 26. At noon all three Gruppen of JG 26 are sent to intercept a formation of RAF bombers raiding the airfield at St. Omer. At 1232 hours Obslt. Galland shoots down a Blenheim bomber over the airfield at St. Omer and at 1236 hours he destroys another Blenheim, his 68th and 69th victories. But his plane is damaged by escorting British Spitfire fighters from RAF No. 145 Squadron and he breaks away to land at Calais-Marck airfield. He returns to his base by courier at Audembert but his wingman, Obfw. Hegenauer, who is shot down in the morning, does not return. At 1600 hours a second British attack sends the Geschwader into the air again. Obslt. Galland takes off alone and joins up with I./JG 26. Sighting the British escorting fighters, he dives and shoots down a Spitfire northeast of Boulogne, his 70th kill. But while trying to confirm the kill, Obslt. Galland is himself shot down and suffers serious injury. This time he ditched the aircraft, his parachute barely opening before reaching ground, and was brought to a first aid station by French civilians using a horse-drawn cart. He spends some time in hospital where he smokes one of his trademark cigars while on the operating table. While at the hospital he is visited by Oberst Theo Osterkamp who lets him know that Galland is to be awarded the newly created_ Schwerten _or Swords to his Knights Cross, the first Luftwaffe pilot so honored.

Douglas Bader shot down a German Bf 109E aircraft off Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, France.

Near Ramsgate, Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 downs a Spitfire from RAF No 603 Squadron for his twenty-fourth kill. The British lose six fighters and one Blenheim shot down during the raids while the Luftwaffe lose four pilots killed – including one from JG 2, Carl-Hans Röders with eight victories,– and two taken prisoner including five victory Experte Franz Luders of JG 26.

Vichy France enacted a law to exclude Jews from schools. The law limited Jews to only 3 percent of university students.

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## Njaco (Jun 21, 2016)

*June 22 Sunday*
*UNTERNEHMEN BARBAROSSA*
*EASTERN FRONT:* Germany invades the Soviet Union.

At 0415 hours, Germany invades the USSR, breaking their non-aggression agreement, in the largest military operation ever. 3.5 million German and Romanian troops (with 3,350 tanks, 600,000 motor vehicles and 750,000 horses) cross the border along an 1800 mile front from East Prussia on the Baltic Sea, Poland in the middle and Romania on the Black Sea, overwhelming Soviet defenses which were further disadvantaged by poor communications. Facing them is the world's largest army comprised of 230 divisions of 14,000 men each, with 20,000 tanks (many obsolete.) The Russian Army is organized into four Military Districts. Commanded by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, Armeegruppe Mitte was tasked with attacking from Poland through the Białystok - Minsk - Smolensk axis towards Moscow. The Armeegruppe included the 9. and 4.Armees. Its armored forces were Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe and Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe. The two infantry Armies fielded 33 divisions and the Panzer Armies fielded nine armored divisions, six motorized divisions and a cavalry division.

At about 0100 hours, the Red Army was ordered to assume defensive posture, but it was too late to improve defenses significantly as Germany tore up the non-aggression pact and launched Operation Barbarossa. At 0325 hours, Georgy Zhukov woke Joseph Stalin by phone to inform him of the news of the invasion; initially, Stalin refused to give Zhukov the permission to strike back at the Germans, believing it to be a German provocation. At 0130 hours Stalin is convinced of a German invasion and orders an alert and dispersal of Red Air Force units in the western border areas of the U.S.S.R, stating, “_Before dawn on June 22nd all aircraft are to be dispersed on their airfields and carefully camouflaged. All units will come to immediate readiness._” But the orders are delayed and don’t reach the airfields until later in the morning. General Dmitry Pavlov ordered, belatedly as the German invasion had already begun, his troops to man the fortified regions in his sector in Byelorussia at 0300 hrs. At 0630 hours, Stalin finally realized it was a full scale invasion and gave his authorization for the Red Army to fire back.

Italy declares war on the Soviet Union. Rumania declares war on the Soviet Union. Ankara declares strict neutrality in the Russo-German conflict.

*GROUND OPERATIONS*
Armeegruppe Nord: German Armeegruppe Nord (Army Group North), commanded by Wilhelm von Leeb, attacks through the Baltic states heading to Leningrad. Kuchler's 18.Armee, Hoepner's 4.Panzergruppe and Busch's 16.Armee attacks into Lithuania. Dietl's German BergkorpsNorwegen crosses from Norway and deploys along the Soviet border in the Petsamo region of Finland. Lithuanian Activist Front begins anti-Soviet uprising and partisan operations. Germany insists on transit of a division from Norway to Finland and other concessions from Stockholm. Baltic Military District redesignated Northwestern Front, commanded by General Fedor Kuznetsov.

Operation Renntier: The Germans executed Operation Renntier to secure the nickel mines around Petsamo in Finland. The German 2.Gebirgs-Division occupied the area around Liinakhamari and the German 3.Gebirgs-Division occupied Luostari.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Armeegruppe Mitte (Army Group Center), commanded by Fedor von Bock, attacks north of the Pripet Marshes from Brest-Litovsk. Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe, Stauss's 9.Armee, Kluge's 4.Armee and Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe attacks into Lithuania and Byelorussia. Western Military District redesignated Western Front, commanded by General Dmitrii Pavlov.

The Battle of Białystok–Minsk: 3.Panzergruppe attacked, cutting the 11th Army from Western Front, and crossed the Neman River. The 2.Panzergruppe crossed the Bug River. The Panzer Groups' objectives were to meet east of Minsk and prevent any Red Army withdrawal from the encirclement. Operating with the Panzer Groups to encircle the Soviet forces, the 9.Armee and 4.Armee cut into the salient, beginning to encircle Soviet Armies around Białystok.

Armeegruppe Sud: German Armeegruppe Sud (Army Group South), commanded by Gerd von Rundstedt, attacks south of Pripet Marshes toward Kiev. Reichenau's 6.Armee, Kleist's 1.Panzergruppe and Stulpnagel's 17.Armee attacks into the Ukraine. The 11th Army of Romanians and Germans attack across the Pruth River into Bessarabia. Kiev Military District redesignated Southwestern Front, commanded by General Mikhail Kirponos. At about 2115 hours, Soviet Defence Minister Timoshenko issues Directive No. 3, ordering Soviet ground forces in the Southwestern Army Group in the general direction of Lubin, 55 miles inside Poland.

Defense of Brest Fortress: The defence of Brest Fortress was one of the first battles of Operation Barbarossa. The Brest Fortress, defended by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht, held out longer than expected and, after the Second World War had finished, became a symbol of Soviet resistance. The initial artillery fire took the unprepared fortress by surprise, inflicting heavy casualties. Fierce battles were fought in the town of Brest and in the fortress itself. The first German assault on the fortress took place half an hour after the bombardment started. The surprised Soviet defenders were unable to form a solid front and instead defended isolated strongpoints–the most important of which was the fortress itself. Some managed to escape the fortress; most were trapped inside by the encircling German forces. Despite having the advantage of surprise, the subsequent attempt by the Germans to take the fortress with infantry quickly stalled with high losses: about 281 Wehrmacht soldiers died the first day in the fighting for the fortress.

*AIR OPERATIONS*
At 0340 hours the combined assets of four Luftwaffe air fleets strike a powerful blow to the Red Air Force using 1280 operational aircraft. Using classic blitzkrieg tactics, Luftwaffe bombs supply dumps, railways and airfields. The first Luftwaffe strikes are conducted between 0305 hours and 0315 hours in unison with the Werhmacht’s ground attack. Twenty to thirty aircrews deliver special fragmentation bombs (SD-2 2 kg bomblettes and SD-10 10 kg bomblettes) against Soviet airfields using flights of three aircraft assigned to each airfield. The timing of the attack was agreed upon after discussions about who should start first, the Luftwaffe or the Army. The Army’s position was to attack first to attain the surprise needed for victory whereas the Luftwaffe’s position was to attack first to clear the air of Red Air forces being used to harass the Army. A compromise was reached where the bombing would start at the same time as the Army and 25 minutes before the Luftwaffe’s main operations. Orders for the offensive were delivered to aircrews in sealed target folders - some only eight hours before the start of the operation. The selected targets for the first day – derived from photo intelligence gathered from Lufthansa civil aircraft which made scheduled flights over Russia - were thirty-one Russian airfields, three suspected High Staff quarters, two barracks, two artillery positions, one bunker position, one petroleum, oil and lubricant depot and the port facilities at Sevastopol. A total of 868 aircraft – 637 strike aircraft (Stukas, bombers, destroyers) and 231 fighters (Bf 109s) – take part in the destruction of these targets.

At Armeegruppe Nord is Luftflotte 1 commanded by Generaloberst Alfred Keller with I Fliegerkorps. Fighter units in this area are all three Gruppen of JG 54. A formation of Ju 88s from I./KG 76, led by Major Robert Poetter, take off at 0210 hours and attack the Russian airfield at Kadania in Lithuania. The Gruppe loses one bomber when it hits a SD-2 bomblette dropped by another Ju 88. Fighters from JG 54 are tasked with escorting the bombers of KG 1, 76 and 77 and later attack a formation of nine unescorted Russian bombers. Five of the bombers are destroyed. Uffz. Otto Kittel, flying his first mission with 2./JG 54, downs a Russian SB-2 and a Yak 1 to begin his victory tally. Hptm. Heinz Bretnütz, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 53 – attached to JG 54 for operations in the northern sector - shoots down a Russian Bomber for his thirty-seventh victory but is shot down himself, crash landing behind enemy lines severely wounded. He is hidden by friendly farmers until German forces arrive.

In Armeegruppe Mitte is Luftflotte 2 with II Fliegerkorps and VIII Fliegerkorps. Fighter units in this area are II and III./JG 27, the four Gruppen of JG 51 and the three Gruppen of JG 53. Stukagruppen include II and III StG 1, I and III StG 2, all three Gruppen of StG 77 and IV(Stuka)./LG 1. After an initial attack against Russian airfields, 127 He 111s of KG 53 and Ju 88s of KG 3 bomb Moscow dropping 104 tons of High Explosives and 46,000 incendiary bombs on the city. At Bug near Brest-Litovsk, a single Russian fighter squadron is destroyed while attempting to take-off during an emergency scramble. As the German planes, Ju 87 Stukas from StG 77, land at their airfield after the mission, bombs begin to explode on the airfield. In the hour since the invasion started the Russians have flown formations of bombers to strike back at the Luftwaffe airfields and six Soviet planes are attacking the German airbase. As the six Russian twin-engines planes turn away from the field, German fighters pounce on the formation. Hptm. Herbert Pabst, Staffelkapitän of 6./StG 77 describes what happened next;


> “_As the first one fired, thin threads of smoke seemed to join it to the bomber. Turning ponderously to the side, the big bird flashed silver, then plunged vertically downwards with its engines screaming. As it crashed, a huge sheet of flame shot upwards. The second bomber became a glare of red, exploded as it dived, and only the bits came floating down like great autumnal leaves. The third turned over backwards on fire. A similar fate befell the rest, the last falling in a village and burning for an hour. Six columns of smoke rose from the horizon. All six had been shot down! They went on coming the whole afternoon. From our airfield alone we saw twenty-one crash and not one get away._”


 The Russian bombers keep coming straight in all day in formations of upwards of ten aircraft. As soon as one formation is shot down another flight of ten bombers would appear only to be destroyed. It is a slaughter.

One of the most successful of the Jagdgeschwader on the Russian front are the pilots of JG 53 who accounted for the destruction of sixty-two Russian aircraft on this first day of operations. The most successful is the Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53, Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, who shoots down five Soviet fighters during three separate missions. At 0400 hours he destroys three I-15s. Later he downs an I-16 and in the afternoon an I-17 fighter. Hptm. Wilcke’s Gruppenstab also score against the Russians. Lt. Jürgen Harder begins his victory tally with the destruction of a Russian I-17 and Franz Schiess downs a Russian I-153 at 0725 hours for his first kill.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 21, 2016)

*June 22 Sunday continued*
*UNTERNEHMEN BARBAROSSA*
*EASTERN FRONT: *
JG 51 has its share of victories with its pilots claiming sixty-nine aerial victories over Russian aircraft. Obstlt. Werner Mölders of Stab./JG 51 claims four Soviet aircraft – an I-153 and three SB-2 bombers – bringing his score to seventy-two kills and is immediately awarded the _Schwerten_, the first award of the Russian campaign and second to Major Galland of JG 26, who received his award the day before. Fw. Heinrich Höfemeier, also with Kommodore Mölders’ I./JG 51, claims four kills. Other victors for the day from JG 51 include Herbert Bareuther of 2./JG 51 for his first victory and George-Peter Eder who destroys two Soviet aircraft to bring his score to three. But JG 27 does not fare so well. Major Schnellmann, Kommodore of JG 27 shoots down an I–16 to bring his score to twenty-five but debris from his victim damages his airplane and he bales out and is captured by the Russians. Lt. Hans Witzel of the 5th Staffel, claims a Russian I-15 at 0354 hours and another I-15 at 0355 hours. But his claim of being the first Luftwaffe pilot to destroy a Soviet aircraft goes to another Experten in the Southern sector, at JG 3.

In Armeegruppe Sud is Luftflotte 4 commanded by Generaloberst Alois Lohr with IV Fliegerkorps and V Fliegerkorps. Aircraft units are all four Gruppen of JG 3, I and III./JG 52, II and III./JG 77 and I(Jagd)./LG 1.

Oblt. Robert Olejnik of 1./JG 3 is given credit for the first aerial kill of the campaign. As Oblt. Olejnik comments;


> “_Everybody knew that I was an early riser and liked to fly the dawn missions. So, shortly before 0330 hours, I took off with my wingman to reconnoiter the Russian airfields along our stretch of the border.Everything seemed quiet in the semi-darkness below. It was not until we were returning to base, and flying back over the first airfield we had visited some 20 minutes earlier, that I spotted signs of activity. Two Russian fighters were preparing to scramble. As we circled 700 – 800 meters overhead, I saw the Russians start their engines and begin to taxi out. They took off immediately and climbed towards us, obviously looking for a fight. They were still some 300 – 400 meters below us when we dived to the attack. I caught the leader with a short burst on my first pass and he went down in flames. His wingman disappeared. Arriving back over our own airfield I waggled my wings to indicate a victory. My comrades, most of whom had only just woken up, peered sleepily from their tent flaps shaking their heads in disbelief.” _


Oblt. Olejnik is officially credited with the destruction of an I-16 at 0340 hours even though he himself states that this occurred at 0358 hours! Oblt. Olejnik’s Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm. Hans von Hahn describes how surprised the Germans are at the strength of the Russians.


> “_We could hardly believe our eyes. Every airfield was chock full of reconnaissance aircraft, bombers and fighters, all lined up in long straight rows as if on parade. The number of landing strips and aircraft the Russians had concentrated along our borders was staggering._”



The two Geschwader operating in the Southern Front account for only forty kills on the opening day of the invasion. The fighters of JG 3 have the most with twenty-five kills, mostly from Gruppenkommandeur Lothar Keller’s II./JG 3 who claims two I-16s and two I-153s for the day bringing his overall total to twenty victories. Four pilots of JG 3 begin their victory scores including Oblt. Walther Dahl of the Stabstaffel, who downs an I-18. The Kommodore of JG 3, Major Gunther Lützow destroys a Russian I-18. But not all of JG 3’s pilots are successful. Oblt. Willy Stange, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 3 is shot down in his Bf 109F by Russian anti-aircraft fire and captured. He is killed by his Soviet captors. He has twelve victories with JG 3.

All the victories from the other fighter unit on the Southern Front – fifteen kills for the day for JG 77 - comes from its III Gruppe. Oblt. Kurt Ubben, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 77 destroys an I-16 and an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber.

Soviet aircraft losses from the first Luftwaffe strikes total about 222 destroyed in the air and 890 destroyed on the ground. German losses are two Bf 109s, one Bf 110, one Ju 87 Stuka, eight Ju 88 and six He 111 bombers. By noon the Russians have 1,200 aircraft destroyed and by the end of the first day of the campaign the Luftwaffe has lost thirty-five aircraft as opposed to 322 Russian aircraft shot down from the air and another 1,489 destroyed on the ground. But of those lost by the Luftwaffe, fifteen are destroyed from non-combat action such as problems with the SD-2 bomblettes that have a habit of exploding prematurely or to detonate upon landing. Many crews are surprised to see several Ju 88s and Do 17s suddenly break in the air and crash to the ground in flames, usually on return trips from the front. Not only were the bombers affected by the faulty bombs but also specially equipped Bf 109 fighters. These Messerschmitts have racks beneath the fuselage that the air pressure of flight causes several of the bombs to remain racked. Shortly after the start of the campaign, SD type munitions are banned from all aircraft that have to carry them internally and only Ju 87s and Hs 123s – with the bomb racks located on the wings within sight of the pilot – are allowed to use the bombs.

At 0715 hours, Soviet Defence Minister Marshal Timoshenko issues Directive No. 2, for bomber and ground-attack aircraft to destroy German aircraft on airfields and concentrations of ground forces, to a depth of 60-95 miles. By this time, most Soviet front-line planes have already been destroyed, and it is not known where German forward air bases or troop concentrations are. The Russian pilots try their best to repulse the invasion. At 0415 hours, Junior Lt. D. W. Kokoryev of the 124th Fighter Regiment knocks the tail off a reconnaissance Do 215 near Sambruv after the guns of his MiG-3 have jammed from attacking a Bf 110. Both planes crash to the ground and Lt. Kokoryev lives. At 0425 hours, Senior Lt. I. T. Ivanov of the 46th Fighter Regiment, destroys a He 111 by ramming the bomber over Rovno. Both planes crash and Lt. Ivanov is killed. Around noon, small formations of Russian medium bombers begin to attack the German front lines.

Finnish ground troops quickly isolated the Soviet base at Hanko and its 25,300-man Soviet garrison. Though Mannerheim initially declared that liberating Hanko would be a primary goal of the war, Finnish troops in the area did not receive authorization to attack the base. The front remained mostly static, with action consisting mainly of artillery strikes and some limited probing or patrol activities on both sides. Small scale naval and amphibious actions took place in the surrounding archipelago. Finnish forces surrounding the base initially consisted of the 17th Division, the 4th Coastal Brigade, and supporting units.

Jews from the Dorohoi district of Romania were branded as communists and spies and transported by cattle cars to concentration camps in Tirgu and Craiova.

At 2300 hours, Vyacheslav Molotov gave a broadcast authorized by Stalin to the citizens of the Soviet Union;


> "This war has been forced upon us, not by the German people, not by German workers, peasants and intellectuals, whose sufferings we well understand, but by the clique of bloodthirsty Fascist rulers of Germany who have enslaved Frenchmen, Czechs, Poles, Serbians, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Greece and other nations," Molotov said. "The government of the Soviet Union expresses its unshakable confidence that our valiant army and navy and brave falcons of the Soviet Air Force will acquit themselves with honor in performing their duty to the fatherland and to the Soviet people, and will inflict a crushing blow upon the aggressor."



*GERMANY: *Goebbels reads over the radio a proclamation to Germany regarding invasion of the Soviet Union.

RAF Bomber Command sends 70 aircraft to attack Bremen and 27 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *At about 0300 hours, Benito Mussolini was awakened as an urgent message was received from Adolf Hitler's office, informing Mussolini of the invasion of the Soviet Union. Though annoyed by not having been notified earlier, he dutifully declared war on the Soviet Union. Romania would also make a declaration of war on the Soviet Union on this date.

Operation RAILWAY I : HMS “_Furious_” having returned to the Clyde from Operation Rocket, then loaded her largest cargo so far - 64 Hurricanes and 9 Swordfish. Sailing from the Clyde escorted by the cruiser “_Hermione_“ and destroyers “_Lance_”, “_Legion_”. “_Vanquisher_” and “_Winchelsea_” were local UK escort. Later “_Faulknor_”, “_Fearless_”, “_Forester_”, “_Foxhound_” and “_Fury_” joined from Gibraltar, where HMS “Furious” arrived on June 25.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Invasion of Syria (Operation Exporter):  British Habforce begins siege of Palmyra in northeastern Syria. After dark and into the next date, a British fleet of two cruiser and six destroyers attacked French destroyer “_Guepard_” off Syria; “_Guepard_” was able to flee under the cover of darkness.

Vichy French destroyer “_Vauquelin_” damaged by RAF aircraft at Beirut.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Winston Churchill gave a speech announcing the German invasion of the Soviet Union and explaining Britain's new alliance with Russia.


> "No one has been a more consistent opponent of Communism than I have for the last twenty-five years," Churchill said. "I will unsay no word that I have spoken about it. But all this fades away before the spectacle which is now unfolding ... Any man or state who fights on against Nazidom will have our aid. Any man or state who marches with Hitler is our foe ... It follows, therefore, that we shall give whatever help we can to Russia and the Russian people. We shall appeal to all our friends and allies in every part of the world to take the same course and pursue it, as we shall, faithfully and steadfastly to the end."



*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft on anti-shipping missions and a Circus mission heavily escorted by Fighter Command. RAF 11 Group Circus 18 was an attack on the rail-yards at Hazebrouck. The Blenheim IV bombers from 2 (B) Group were escorted by 16 fighter squadrons.


.


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## parsifal (Jun 22, 2016)

*20 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-351
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
Used during the war as a training boat

Neutral
Aloe Class Netlayer USS CATALPA (AN-10)




Allied
CVE HMS AUDACITY (D-10)





Abdiel Class ML Cruiser HMS MANXMAN (M-70)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS HOXA (T-16)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class MSW HMS MMS-33 (J-533)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-123 sank the *MV GANDA (Pt 4333 grt)* off the French Moroccan Coast. The ship was on passage from Lisbon to Luanda (Angola), and Mozambique with a cargo of general cargo. A crew of 66 was aboard, 5 of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 2010 hrs the unescorted and neutral GANDAwas hit near the engine room by one of two torpedoes from U-123 off Casablanca. After the crew abandoned ship, she was hit by a coup de grace at 2019 hrs. When the ship settled but did not sink, the U-boat surfaced and sank her by gunfire. As the Germans approached the lifeboats for questioning they noticed their mistake of sinking a neutral ship and left. After the patrol the war diary was altered upon order of the BdU.

The second officer, the chief engineer, a crewman and two passengers were lost and 19 others wounded. The master, 46 crew members and 14 passengers abandoned ship in a motorboat and a lifeboat. The 26 occupants of the lifeboat were picked up by a ship and landed in Lisbon on 22 June. The 42 occupants of the motorboat were later picked up by a Spanish trawler about 300 miles from the coast and landed at Huelva.





*Steamer SCHIELAND (Nor 2249 grt)* from convoy FS 520 was sunk by the LW and SBoats in the Nth Sea. There were nine survivors from the steamer; one of which later died of injuries, picked up by DD MENDIP.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-137
Horten (Oslo): U-431, U-653

At Sea 20 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-48 U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-140, U-141, U-143, U-144, U145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

40 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*Aux MSW trawler RESMILO (RN 258 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Peterhead (near Aberdeen, Scotland). There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ML TEVIOTBANK laid mines in the Nth Sea in minefield BS.64, escort DD MENDIP.

British steamer ILSE was damaged on a mine on the west side of Hartlepool Approach Channel, off the English East Coast.. One crewman was killed. The back of the ship was broken. The afterpart was taken to Middlesborough and a new forepart was built for the ship

British steamer CORMOUNT was damaged by the aerial torpedoes fired by LW a/c off Outer Dowsing Light Vessel in the Nth Sea. One gunner was killed on the steamer.

*Northern Patrol*
U.203 sighted USN BB TEXAS, escort USN DD TRIPPE, off Iceland. As one of the last nations that the Germans had not yet declared unrestricted U-Boat warfare on, the U-Boat did not attack the US ships.

*Northern Waters*
CL SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow to refit at Rosyth.

DD HAMBLEDON departed Scapa Flow to meet steamers AMSTERDAM and LADY OF MANN off the entrance of Aberdeen.Steamer LADY OF MANN was detached off Duncansby Head to Kirkwall.Steamer AMSTERDAM was escorted to Lerwick.
The two ships departed Lerwick on the 21st and steamer LADY OF MANN joined that afternoon. The ships arrived off Aberdeen just before midnight. The DD then proceeded to Chatham for fitting of SA equipment prior to joining the Nore Command

*West Coast*
OB.337 departed Liverpool, escort DDs CHELSEA and VETERAN, CAM ship SPRINGBANK, and corvettes ARBUTUS, BEGONIA, LARKSPUR, PIMPERNEL, and RHODODENDRON. DDs MANSFIELD and VERITY and corvette JASMINE joined on the 21st. DD VETERAN was detached on the 21st and DDs MANSFIELD and VERITY on the 24th. The convoy was dispersed on the 28th.

*Channel*
British tanker INVERARDER was damaged by the LW off the Isle of Wight. The tkr was beached off Motherbank Buoy, Solent. The taken was refloated and taken to Southampton for repairs.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs DECOY, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria for Haifa. On the 21st DDs HERO, KIMBERLEY, and JACKAL departed Haifa on relief for Alexandria.

Submarine PARTHIAN departed Alexandria to patrol off the Levant. Submarine SEVERN unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Palermo. Submarine TETRARCH unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Lemnos.

RM submarine ONDINA sank *steamer REFAH (Tu 3805 grt)* 40 miles sth of the Turkish port of Mersin. 25 crewmen and 142 military passengers were lost on the steamer. At the time it was suspected that the ship had been sunk by Vichy forces. Vichy patrol a/c had circled the sinking ship but failed to report anything to Turkish authorities. Survivors did give an account confirming a torpedo hit and this immediately strained relations with the Germans and the Italians. The Italian Navy suppressed the sinking had been carried out by them until many years after the war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BUCCARI (FI 4543 grt)* was mined and sunk off Ginosa (Taranto) when on passage from Messina for Taranto.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar to escort BC RENOWN and CV ARK ROYAL into Gibraltar. DD FURY was ordered to part company with ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE and join the escort. On the 22nd, Force H.arrived back at Gibraltar.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.134 departed Halifax, escort BB REVENGE, AMC MALOJA, corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE, and auxiliary PV RAYON D’OR. The corvettes and the PV were detached later that day. The convoy joined with BHX.134 on the the 23rd, which haddeparted Bermuda on the 19th escorted by AMC ASCANIA, which detached on the 23rd.

On the 24th, sloops ABERDEEN and SANDWICH and corvettes HEPATICA, PRIMROSE, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined. This group, and the AMC, were detached on 4 July. Corvette BITTERSWEET joined on 3 July and on 4 July, DDrs ROSBOROUGH, SALISBURY, and SHERWOOD, corvettes CARNATION, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA, MSWs BRITOMART and SALAMANDER, and ASW trawler ST APOLLO joined. DD BULLDOG joined on 5 July. DD BULLDOG, sloop ABERDEEN, and corvette AUBRETIA were detached on 8 July. The remainder of the escorts arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 9 July.

Convoy SC.35 departed Sidney CB, escorted by AMC AUSONIA and aux PVs RACCOON and REINDEER. The PVs were detached on the 24th. On the 24th, sloop ABERDEEN and corvettes TRILLIUM and WINDFLOWER joined the convoy. The corvettes were detached on 4 August. On 4 August, DDs BULLDOG and SALISBURY, corvettes AUBRETIA, CARNATION, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA, and MSWs BRITOMART and SALAMANDER joined the convoy. MSWs SEAGULL and SHARPSHOOTER joined on 7 July. Corvette PICOTEE joined on 8 July. On 8 July, sloop ABERDEEN and the minesweepers were detached. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on 9 July.

*Central Atlantic*
British vessels SPRINGTIDE and SPRINGDALE and naval trawler CANNA departed Gibraltar for Freetown with DD AVONVALE as local escort. Norwegian tkr NORVINN sailed and company and proceeded to the west.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL MAURITIUS relieved CA SHROPSHIRE in the 4th Cruiser Squadron at Colombo.

USN CV WASP, CA TUSCALOOSA, and DDs ANDERSON and ROWAN departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol. The patrol concluded on 4 July at Bermuda.

*O-Class submarine O.9 (USN 559 grt)* on a test dive SE of Portsmouth New Hampshire, , was lost in an accident with the entire crew of 33 also losing their lives.




On the morning of 19 June 1941, _O-9_ and two of her sisters, O-6 and O-10, left as a group from the submarine base in New London, for the submarine test depth diving area east of the Isle of Shoals. Upon reaching their designated training area the following day, some 15 mi (24 km) off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, _O-6_ made the first dive, followed by _O-10_. Finally, at 08:37, _O-9_ began her dive. At 10:32, _O-9_ had not returned to the surface.
Rescue ships swung into action immediately. Sister ships _O-6_ and _O-10_, submarine TRITON, Rescue Ship FALCON and other ships searched for _O-9_. That evening, pieces of debris with markings from _O-9_ were recovered. In water 450 ft (140 m) deep, she was thought to be crushed, since her hull was only designed to withstand depths of 212 ft

Divers went down from 1300 hrs on 21 June until 1143 on 22 June. Divers could stay only a short time at the 440 ft depth but nonetheless set endurance and depth records for salvage operations until those operations were cancelled, as they were considered too risky. Rescue operations were discontinued on 22 June. The boat and her 33 officers and men were declared lost as of 20 June.

The precise location of the wreck remained unknown until 20 September 1997. Based on several years of research by Glen M. Reem (USNR Retired) the O-9 was finally located.. Her hull has been crushed from just abaft the conning tower all the way to the stern, though the forward hull appeared intact. There are no plans to salvage _O-9_.




_Sonar imagery of the located O-9 wreck_

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 JUNE TO DAWN 21 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.
No air raids.
OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 20 JUNE 1941
_AIR HQ Arrivals _8 Blenheim. _Departures _1 Hudson. _69 Squadron _5 Marylands on reconnaissance; F/O Warburton machine-gunned aircraft on aerodrome at Misurata, with success. _82 Squadron _5 Blenheims searched for reported convoy without success.


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## parsifal (Jun 22, 2016)

*21 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-374



+_Unno Von Fischel, sole survivor of the U-374_

1 ship sunk, total tonnage 3,349 GRT. Sunk on 12 January 1942 in the Med SW of Cape Spartivento, , by torpedoes from RN Sub HMS UNBEATEN. 42 dead and 1 survivor.

Type VIIC U-434




No ships sunk or damaged. Sunk on 18 December 1941 in the Central Atlantic Nth of Madeira, by DCs from the British escort DD HMS BLANKNEY and the RN DD HM STANLEY. 2 dead and 42 survivors.

Allied
Type II Escort DD HMS HEYTHROP (L-85)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS MINUET (T-131)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Steamer GASFIRE (UK 3001 grt)* was sunk on a mine 10 miles east of Southwold (off the Norwich coast)





Steamer KENNETH HAWKSFIELD (UK 1546 grt) was sunk on a mine off the east Coast of England. One crewman was lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-137
Gotenhafen: U-142
Kiel: U-81

At Sea 21 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

41 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Sloop STORK departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth on completion of work up. DD ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to clean boilers. The DD arrived that evening.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and escorted convoy EC.35 to Pentland Firth, arriving on the 22nd. The ship then proceeded to Scapa Flow.

DD PYTCHLEY was escorting convoy FN.483 with DD VORTIGERN. The PYTCHLEY was damaged by a mine two miles off Flamborough Head. There were no casualties. DD VORTIGERN towed the destroyer to the Tyne. PYTCHLEY was under repair until December 1942.

MSW PLOVER, escort DD EGLINTON, laid minefield BS.60 off the east coast of England.

British steamer DORINE was damaged by the LW off Sheringham The steamer arrived at Hartlepool on the 23rd.

Norwegian steamer SKUM was damaged by the LW near No. 57 Buoy. The steamer was towed to Great Yarmouth and subsequently to London for repairs.

 
*Northern Patrol*
CL AURORA departed Scapa Flow to relieve CL NIGERIA on patrol west of the Iceland Faroes minefield. DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO arrived in Iceland. The ECHO departed that day to join CA SUFFOLK on Denmark Straits patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DD ARROW departed Chatham to rejoin the Home Fleet after repairs. However, off Flamborough Head, the DD struck a mine at 2000 and was badly damaged. She arrived at Middlesborough for repairs on the 22nd. Repairs were completed on 20 November.

DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow at 1015 for Sheerness for refitting. The DD arrived on the 22nd.

*West Coast*
CV VICTORIOUS arrived in the Clyde after ferrying aircraft to Malta. OB.338 departed Liverpool. On the 22nd, DDs MALCOLM, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, CAM ship MAPLIN, corvettes ARABIS and VIOLET, MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, NORTHERN SPRAY,and NORTHERN WAVE joined the convoy outside Liverpool. This group was detached on the 26th. On the 26th, RCN DDs NIAGARA and SAGUENAY, AMC RANPURA, and corvettes PICOU and RIMOUSKI joined. DD NIAGARA was detached on 2 July. The convoy was dispersed on 3 July.

*SW Approaches*
CLA HERMIONE was attached to the Western Approaches Command. The CLA departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to escort CVL FURIOUS on a ferry trip to Gibraltar.

On the 22nd, the ships with DDs LANCE and LEGION departed the Clyde for Gibraltar

*Med/Biscay*
ML LATONA arrived at Alexandria to join the Med Flt. The ML had departed England on 16 May and proceeded, via Capetown. Corvette ERICA arrived at Alexandria to join the Med Flt.

Vichy DD VAUQUELIN arrived at Beirut that morning with the same mission as destroyer CHEVALIER PAUL had attempted earlier. The DD had been sighted by British a/c at 1340 on the 20th. However, contact was lost and no attack could be was made.

Vichy hospital ship CANADA (9684grt) was intercepted by DD JACKAL in 34-12N, 31-05E at 1400. Force B of CLA NAIAD and DDs DECOY, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK supported the operation. The hospital ship was taken to Haifa, escorted by destroyer JACKAL, for inspection and released on the 22nd.

Submarine OSIRIS arrived at Gibraltar from Holy Loch after refitting at Chatham from 25 January to 10 May.
*
Nth Atlantic*
ML LATONA arrived at Alexandria to join the Med Flt. The ML had departed England on 16 May and proceeded, via Capetown. Corvette ERICA arrived at Alexandria to join the Med Flt.

Vichy DD VAUQUELIN arrived at Beirut that morning with the same mission as destroyer CHEVALIER PAUL had attempted earlier. The DD had been sighted by British a/c at 1340 on the 20th. However, contact was lost and no attack could be was made.

Vichy hospital ship CANADA (9684grt) was intercepted by DD JACKAL in 34-12N, 31-05E at 1400. ForceB of CLA NAIAD and DDs DECOY, HOTSPUR, and HAVOCK supported the operation. The hospital ship was taken to Haifa, escorted by destroyer JACKAL, for inspection and released on the 22nd.

Submarine OSIRIS arrived at Gibraltar from Holy Loch after refitting at Chatham from 25 January to 10 May.

*Central Atlantic*
*Supply ship BABITONGA (DKM 4422 grt)* was scuttled when she was intercepted by Heavy cruiser LONDON in the central Atlantic, near St Paul Rocks.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CRITON (Ex-Vichy 4564grt)* was captured by AMC CILICIA on 9 May off Freetownat. The steamer was taken to Freetown arriving on 11 May. The steamer joined convoy SL.78 on the 19th for passage to Belfast, but she straggled and eventually mechanical problems forced her to begin a return to Freetown. She did not make it, as she was intercepted by Vichy PV l AIR FRANCE IV which ordered her to proceed to Konakri. When the steamer made a radio report, the PV sank the steamer. 10crewmen were killed on the steamer whilst 24 crewmen and the armed guard from AMC QUEEN OF BERMUDA under the command of Sub Lt S.K. Stretton RNR, were interned at Konakri.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

No air raids.

_0217-0245 hrs _Air raid alert for four unidentified enemy aircraft which approach singly from the north east, crossing the coast at various points. Bombs are dropped near Della Grazia searchlight and in the sea off Delimara and Rinella. Ten heavy anti-aircraft gun positions fire three barrages; no claims. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no engagements.

_0256-0317 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft approaching the Island. They turn away before reaching the coast.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 21 JUNE 1941


_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Blenheim. _Departures _3 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _2 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 22, 2016)

*22 JUNE 1941*
*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic *

*Eastern Front*
Note on sources: There is contradictory and incomplete information concerning the naval conflict on the Eastern Front. For this reason Ive tried to use both German and Russian source material, in addition to the regular histories Ive used so far:

Sources Ive consulted to put this together include:

I used following Russian-language sources: 

A.V. Platonov "_Sovetskie boevye korabli 1941-1945_" ("Soviet warships 1941-1945"), part 3 "_Podvodnye lodki_" ("Submarines") St.Petersburg 1996 

M.Morozov "_Podvodnye lodki tipa SC_" ("Submarines type SC") 2002 

German sources include Jurgen Rohwer's "ASA"

On line sources include:

“_Siege of Odessa_” 8 Aug 1941 - 16 Oct 1941" Contributor Peter Chen http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=128


“_Soviet Empire_” no stated author; two separate pages, one for the Baltic and one for the Black Sea. 
http://www.soviet-empire.com/ussr/viewtopic.php?f=149&t=53730

Axis forces

Baltic

Marinekommando Nord under the command of Admiral Claasen and headquartered in Kiel, had the following forces at its disposal for Barbarossa: 

*Pre-Dreadnoughts*: SCHLESIEN SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN
*U-Boats*: 22nd U-Boot flotilla, commanding (U140, 142, 144, 145, and 149) 
*MSW gps*: GRILLE, PREUSSEN, SKAGERRAK & VERSAILLES
*Minesweeper groups Nord*: 5th, 15th, 17th, 18th and 31st Sweeper Flotillas
*Sperrbrecher groups*: 6th, 8th and 138th
*Subchasers*: 11th Submarine chaser flotilla, 11th and 12th Räumboote flotilla
*Naval Group "D"*: MSW gp "Cobra", S-Boat Flot 1 (S26, 39, 40, 101, 102, and 103) S-Boat Flot 5 (S27, 28, 29, 45 and 47), MSW Flot 5 (part) (R56, 57, 58, 60, 61 and 62), Base ships CARL PETERS & TSINGTAO,

The Finnish Navy
(Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS". I will refer to merchant shipping simply as FN)

FN Coastal Patrol Flotilla (V304-308 and V310- 314), Coastal gunboats ILMARINEN, VÄINÄMÖINEN, HÄMEENMAA, KARJALA, TURUNMAA & UUSIMAA, 3 submarines and some lesser ships. Most of the Finnish Merchant Marine had however been turned over to the Allies after many vessels had been seized by the Germans in 1939. 

Supporting the Marinekommando Nord was a force known as _Baltenflotte_, which had been formed at the insistence of the Fuhrer and consisted of the BB TIRPITZ, CS Adm SCHEER, CLs EMDEN, KOLN, LEIPZIG, NURNBERG, DDs Z-25, Z-26, Z-27, and TB-Flot 2. It had been tasked with destroying the Soviet Baltic Fleet should it try to escape to neutral Sweden or venture from the Gulf of Finland. As this did not happen, and aerial reconnaissance showed severe damage to the remaining ships of the Soviet Baltic Fleet, the _Baltenflotte_ was disbanded before October 1941.

Black Sea
In the Black Sea, the main responsibility for naval matters fell to the Romanian Fleet (Romanian Royal Navy which were referred to as “NMS” _Nava Majestati Sale. _In 1939 there were 35 ocean going merchant vessels totaling 111,617 grt.

The Bulgarians had a very small navy which took no part in the war against Russia, but her merchant shipping such as it was consisted of 14 vessels with a 17646grt of ocean going vessels in 1939, were sometimes requisitioned (at a price) by the Germans.

NMS forces in the Black Sea in 1941 consist4ed roughly as follows:


The Navy was made up of two tactical units: the Sea Division and the Danube Division. There were also the smaller "Sulina" Naval Detachment and the Upper Danube Sector.

The Sea Division had the mission to defend the coast line from any enemy attack. It consisted in the Sea Naval Force, the “Constanta” Harbour Area Command, the “Constanta” Coastal Artillery Group (6 batteries), the Seaplane Flotilla (3 squadrons with 20 airplanes in total), the Naval Equipment and Materials Storehouses, the Service Group and the sedentary part of the Coastal Artillery Regiment.


The Sea Naval Force was made up of:



the Destroyer Squadron: 4 ships
the Gunboat Section: 3 ships
the Corvette Section: 3 ships
the Mine-laying Section: 5 ships
the Submarine and Torpedo Boats Group: 1+3 ships
The Danube Division had the mission to defend the Romanian part of the river. It consisted in:



the River Naval Force:
the Monitor Squadron: 3 ships
the Torpedo Boat Section: 2 ships
the Landing Company
the Underwater Defence Group
the Service Group

the "Tulcea" Tactical Group:
the River Group: 2 monitors and 4 torpedo boats
the Underwater Defence Sector
the Supply Convoy

The "Sulina" Naval Detachment had the mission to secure the defence of the Danube Delta. It had three smaller detachments: "Sulina", "Periprava" and "Chilia Veche" and the Patrol Boat Section.

The Upper Danube Sector had the mission to defend the line along the river from Cazane to Portile-de-Fier. It was made up of 2 artillery batteries, a search-light section, a river boat section (2 ships), the sedentary part of the Marine Regiment and of the Navy Engineer Regiment.


On 22 June 1941, the navy had at its disposal 40 main military ships: 23 on the Black Sea and 17 on the Danube. The 4 DDs (NMS REGELE FERDINAND, NMS REGINA MARIA, NMS MARASESTI and NMS MARASTI) were the most important Romanian warships, but only the first two were newer (1928-29). Sub NMS DELFINUL was launched in 1936. The 3 corvettes (NMS NALUCA, MEUL and SBORUL) and the 3 gunboats (NMS GHICULESCU, STIHI and DUMITRESCU) were built before WWI. The 3 modern MTBs (NMS VIFORUL, VIJELIA and NMSVISCOLUL) and ML NMS AMIRAL MURGESCU were the most modern ships (from 1939).

On the Danube, the main warships were the 7 monitors (NMS KOGALNICEANU, BRATIANU, LAHOVARI, CATARGIU, BASARABIA, BUCOVINA, and ARDEAL). The first four were built in 1907 and the other three shortly before WWI. There were also 4 torpedo boats built in 1907, two armoured patrol boats and 5 riverboats imported from Czechoslovakia in 1940-41.

The Navy had requisitioned many ships (cargo-boats, tugs, oil tankers etc.) from the Romanian Maritime Service, the "Steaua Romana" company, the Romanian River Navigation company and others.

Soviet Forces 
Northern Fleet
The fleet included 8 destroyers, 15 submarines, 2 torpedo boats, 7 patrol boats, 2 minesweepers, and 116 airplanes.

In August 1940, the Soviets created the White Sea Military Base to defend the coastline, bases, ports, and other installations. The "White Sea Flotilla" was established in August 1941

The Baltic Fleet

The Baltic Fleet is known to have consisted of at least the following units 22 June 1941
(Note in this account Soviet naval vessel will have the prefix VMF (_Voyenno-Morskoy Flot_), whilst merchant vessel will be simply prefixed SU): 

_3rd Battle Group_: 
BBs MARAT, OKTYABRASKAYA REVOLUSTIYA, DDs LENINGRAD, MINSK, ARTYOM, ENGELS, JAKOV SVERDLOV, KALININ, KARL MARX, VOLODARSKY

_Light Battle Group_: 
CAs KIROV, MAKSIM GORKIY, DDs GNEVNOY, GRODNOY, GROZHJASHTSHY, SMETLIVOY AND STEREGUSHTSHY, STOROZHEVOI, STOIKII, SILNOI, SEREDITOI. DD LENIN was in refit at the time of the attack

There were 6 Novik Class DDs (WWI types), but I have been unable to pinpoint their names
65 subs organized into 4 “Submarine Brigades”, 7 Escort Vessels, 39 Mine warfare Vessels, and 48 MTBs. Soon after the invasion there were many extemporized additions, and the river flotillas remain a bit of a mystery Im afraid. 

The German submarine bases named Krefeld and Seeburg were established in Saaristomerre, Finland. 

The precise size of the Soviet Merchant service is not known, but Lloyds register of ships in 1939, gives the Soviets 1,316, 766 tons in all areas, contained within 716 vessels. The average size of Soviet merchant vessel was small, at 1800 grt.

I have no data on the size of the merchant fleets for the Baltic States, now under soviet occupation. My guess is that they might have owned or controlled around 100000 tons each. Most of these ships had been divided up more or less evenly between Germany and USSR, with a few still working for the allies.


The Black Sea Fleet
BB PARIZHSKAYA KOMMUNA, CAs MOLOTOV, VOROSHILOV, KRASNI KAVKAZ, CLs CHERVONA UKRAINA, and KRASNI KRIM, DDs (Leaders), 2 x LENINGRAD class and TASHKENT, 6 Type 7 DDs, 5 Type 7U DDs, 4 x WWI Type Dds (Novik Class) 44 submarines, 2 ocen going gunboats 18 MSWs and 84 MTBs. There were numerous river craft of various types

East Front Naval Operations 
Germany began the Baltic Sea campaign by laying a number of minefields just prior to and right after 21 June 1941. Specifically, the Germans laid three minefields in proximity to German waters – “Wartburg I” minefield off of the coast of Klaipeda (Memel), “Wartburg II” minefield between Karlskrona, Sweden, and Klaipeda (Memel), and “Wartburg III” minefield off of the Gotland coast close to Swedish waters. The primary purpose of these minefields was to prevent the Soviet Baltic Sea Fleet from attacking the vital German-Swedish commerce routes. In addition to establishing these mine fields, Helsinki became a German forward-area naval base. The Wartburg mining efforts were successful as they caused the Soviet navy to take losses in the early days of the war.

Although DKM had started its minelaying campaign in the Baltics a few days before Barbarossa, the first official naval action between the DKM and the Soviets forces is believed to have occurred at 0345 hours, 22 June 1941. *Border Guard Boat (PV) MO-4 type motor ASW boat MO-238 (NKVD 57 grt)*was intercepted by DKM S Boats and sunk with the claim awarded to DKM S-44.

On the same day, DKM S-Boat S-59 torpedoed and sank *MV GAYSMA (SU 3077 grt)* (cargo of timber), Master, 6 crew were lost / 2 were captured / 24 crew survived, while S-31 sank *MV LIIZA (SU 782 GRT)*. Crew were captured.

VMF Fugas-class MSW TSZCZ-204 FUGAS laid over 200 mines near Libau between 22 and 23 June 1941 , which caused the sinking of *MSW M-3134 (DKM 350 grt (est))* on 1 July 1941. 

Other losses on this minefield 
*SC UJ-113 (DKM 550 grt)* on 10/July.
*PV V-309 MARTIN DONANDT (DKM 350 grt)*on 28/October.
*MSW M-1708 ALDEBARAN (DKM 700 grt)* on 31/October.
MSW *M-1706 GERTRUDE (DKM 700 grt) *on 22/November.
*Soviet Cargo Ships seized by the Axis on 22-6-41*

The extent to which the Soviets were supporting the German war effort up to Barbarossa is indicated by the amount of shipping that was seized on the 22nd June.

According to _Soviet Merchant Marine Losses in WW2_, by Andrey Nelogov ( http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/guides/Soviet_Merchant_Marine_Losses_in_WW2 )
the following losses were incurred 22-6-41
*Steamer HILDUR (Est 1856 grt)* at Stettin. Renamed RIMAGE.
*Steamer AUSEJKUS (UK 1309 grt)*. Renamed CORTELSBURG.
*Steamer DNESTR (SU 3580 grt)*. Renamed PERNAU, Master and 34 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin.
*Steamer ELTON (SU 1799 grt)*. Renamed INSTERBURG. Master and 31 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin
*Steamer KAGANOVITCH (SU 3663 grt)*. Renamed LIBAU. one of Soviet Leaders, Chief of Soviet Railways) Cargo ship / 3663 BRT / Baltic State Shipping Co. / Capt.S.N.Ermolaev; Master and 42 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*Steamer KHASAN (SU 3979 grt)*. Renamed PALATIA.
*Steamer MAGNITOGORSK (SU 3566 grt)*. Renamed TROSTBURG. Master and 38 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Danzig.
*Steamer SPIDOLA (Lat 2833 grt)*. Renamed RUDAU.
*Steamer TALLINN (SU 4479 grt)*. Renamed DITMAR KOEL.
*Steamer VOLGOLES (SU 3946 grt)*. Renamed CALMAR. Baltic State Shipping Co. Master and 34 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin. One of Volgoles type timber carriers
*Steamer hopper MAJA (SU 550 grt (est))*was built at Hamburg for Russia, completing trials on the 19th, was seized by the Germans. .
*MV HASAN (SU 3979 grt)* Baltic State Shipping Co. Master and 35 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin.
*MV ANDREJS KALNINS (SU 3002 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 35 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*MV ARIA (SU 3678 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 27 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*MV AUSMA (SU 1905 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co; Master and 35 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin.
*MV VALDONA (SU 3042 grt)*Latvian State Shipping Co; Master and 8 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Rotterdam.
*MV GAUJA (SU 1408 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co; Master and 19 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin
*MV GUNDEGA (SU 3583 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 29 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*MV DOLE (SU 3811 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 27 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*MV KANGARS (SU 2722 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 27 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Hamburg.
*MV KAUPO (SU 2905 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co; Master and 26 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*MV KLINTS (SU 1250 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co; Master and crew were blocked in Port of Lissabon.
*MV CONSUL P.DANNEBERG (SU 2747 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co; Master and 24 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin.
*MV KRIVS (SU 1340 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co. / Capt.K.Steins; Master and 19 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Hamburg.
*MV SPORTS (SU 3283 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 23 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Danzig.
*MV TAUTMILA (SU 3724 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 5 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Rotterdam.
*MV EVERONIKA (SU 3743 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co; Master and 29 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*MV EVERTONS (SU 4107 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.; Master and 34 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin.
*SAILING VESSEL GUN (SU 1600 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. She was captured by Germans in Copenhagen.
*MV IRENE (SU 620 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. She was captured by Germans in Copenhagen.
*MV KADRI (SU 2775 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co.; Master and 30 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Gotenhaven.
*MV KOIDULAA (SU 3741 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co.; Master and 33 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Lubeck.
*MV MAI (SU 1549 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and 33 crew were arrested in Sweden.
*MV PEET (SU 2111 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and 30 were arrested in Sweden.
*MV SIGRID (SU 1809 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and 27 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Stettin.
*MV TALLINN (SU 7800 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and 39 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Gotenhaven.
*MV TOOMAS (SU 1372 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and crew were detained in Sweden.
*MV HILDUR (SU 1856 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and 27 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Hamburg.
*MV EGON (SU 607 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and crew were taken prisoners in Denmark.
*FERRY ESTONIA (SU 1080 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. She was captured by Germans at Sea on route from Stockholm and Tallinn. Master and 29 crew were taken prisoners.
*MV KOIDULA (SU 1893 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Master and 27 crew were taken prisoners in Port of Koenigsberg.
*TUG PERKUNAS (SU 150 grt)*She was sunk by German aircrafts
*FERRY RUHNO (SU 498 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. Leningrad Sea Port Canal; Mines; 3 crew were lost

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## parsifal (Jun 22, 2016)

*22 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
none

*Losses*
U-141 sank *Steamer CALABRIA (SD 1277 grt)* in the Western Approaches. The vessel was on passage from Freetown to Humber via Belfast when lost, transporting palm kernels and copra. A crew of 24 was aboard, 3 of whom were to be lost in the attack At 0329 hrs the unarmed CALABRIA, a straggler from convoy SL-76 due to a foul bottom since 4 June, was hit on the starboard side aft of amidships by one torpedo from U-141 and sank by the stern after 30 minutes about 100 miles 280° from Inishtrahull Lightship. The ship had been missed with the first two torpedoes at 0027 and 0213 hours. Three crew members on watch below were killed by the explosion. All survivors, four of them injured, abandoned ship in the port lifeboat about ten minutes after the hit because the starboard boat had been destroyed in the attack. While the lifeboat sailed for the nearby coast, they observed an outbound convoy and twice spotted an aircraft without being able to attract attention until a third aircraft finally saw them about three miles off land and alerted DDs HMS COSSACK and SIKH, which were on an ASW patrol in the area and had inspected the Swedish ship a few days before the attack. At 2300 hrs on 23 June, the survivors were picked up by the latter about 1,5 miles from Inishtrahull, transferred to HMS GUARDIAN and landed at Londonderry.





U-77 sank *Steamer ARAKAKA (UK 2379 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic The ship was travelling to St johns when lost, empty and with a crew of 40, all of whom were to lose their lives. At 2236 hrs the unescorted ARAKAKA was hit at the aft end of the engine room by one stern torpedo fired by U-77 and sank by the stern within one minute about 450 miles east of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The U-boat had spotted the slowly moving vessel about one hour earlier in heavy fog and had some troubles getting into a favorable attack position due to deteriorating visibility and high seas, losing contact momentarily until eventually carrying out a submerged torpedo attack from a distance of less than 600 meters. Surfacing after the attack, the U-boat investigated the sinking position and found a large oil slick, a wide field of debris and a few survivors clinging to an upturned lifeboat. They were questioned by the Germans, who apparently misunderstood the name of the ship as the Greek steam merchant ALEXANDRIA. The master, 35 crew members, one gunner and three meteorological office personnel were lost. The ship had been employed as a weather observation ship in the Atlantic since September 1940.





*Steamer BALZAC (UK 5372 grt)* was sunk by DKM disguised raider ATLANTIS she was sunk 400 miles E of Maceio, Brazil. Two crewmen were killed and one died on the steamer. 45 crewmen were made PoWs.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Horten: U-373

At Sea 22 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

41 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
(See Previous Posts)

*Northern Waters*
DD HEYTHROP arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

*ASW trawler BEECH (RN 540 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Scrabster (far nth of the Scottish mainland. The skipper was lost with the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
Submarine SEVERN unsuccessfully attacked a submarine in 40-44N, 14-20E

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine THRASHER departed Gibraltar with supplies for Malta, arriving on the 29th.

Submarine UNION sank *steamer PIETRO QUERINI (FI 1004 grt)* south of Pantelleria.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vichy DD VAUQUELIN, which arrived on the 21st from Toulon, was damaged by FAA airstrikes at Beirut.

British tankerPASS OF BALMAHA departed Alexandria escorted by sloops AUCKLAND and RAN PARRAMATTA for Tobruk.

Greek store ship ANTIKLIA departed Alexandria for Tobruk, escorted by sloop FLAMINGO. Due to air attacks on the tanker convoy, this group was ordered on the 25th to remain at Mersa Matruh.

Submarine THRASHER departed Gibraltar with stores for Malta and Alexandria.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs WISHART and DUNCAN with troopship SCYTHIA arrived at Gibraltar. DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, and FURY departed Gibraltar on the 22nd to intercept a German supply ship sighted by ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE.

British ship CORBRAE and ASW whalers KOS 10 and KOS 11 departed Gibraltar for Freetown, with local escort of DD ERIDGE

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 JUNE TO DAWN 23 JUNE 1941

_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_1118-1135 hrs _Air raid alert for four separate formations of two or more aircraft approaching from the north. One formation turns at 35 miles and recedes. A second circles at about 45 miles from Malta. Two Macchi 200s approach to within eight miles of Gozo. 27 Hurricanes are scrambled, of which six intercept and attack, shooting down one Macchi 200 fighter into the sea. A search finds no survivors. A second escapes by executing a spinning dive almost to sea level before pulling out. The remaining enemy fighters in the area turn away on the approach of the Hurricanes.

_2015 hrs _A submarine is reported surfacing three miles north of Marsalforn Bay, Gozo.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 22 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Union _successful attack, sank 2800 ton ship.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Blenheim. _Departures 69 Squadron _5 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. _82 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked convoy; one failed to return.

_KALAFRANA _A Swordfish floatplane manned by personnel of Fleet Air Arm was allocated permanently to Kalafrana to augment existing facilities for rescue work.


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## parsifal (Jun 22, 2016)

*23 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
White 73’ Type MTB 46

*Losses*
*Steamer HULL TRADER (UK 717 grt)*, formerly SS EDITH, was sunk on a mine one mile 270° from No.57C Buoy, Cromer. Eleven crewmen were lost on the steamer.





*Steamer TRELISSICK (UK 5265 grt)* was sunk by the LW 3½ miles 114° from Sheringham Buoy, Cromer. Two crewmen were lost on the steamer.





*U-BOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-451
Lorient: U-66
St Nazaire: U-98

At Sea 23 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

43 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*East Front*
 
Baltic
*Type IX (Stalinec) Class Sub S-1 (VMF 840 grt)* was sunk off the Hiiumaa coast.





DKM S Boat S-44 torpedoed and sank *MV ALF (SU 166 grt)* whilst S-43 sank the *Lightship KHIUMADAL (SU 150 grt(est)*

German sources claim Soviet S101 was lost near Hiiumaa island, however Soviet sources state this ship survived the war, not being discarded until the 1950’s. USN intelligence reports from the ‘50s support this, so I have disallowed the claim. That same day, the Soviet CA “MAXIM GORKI” hit a German 250kg mine in the Apolda mine field. She made it to Tallinn, was made seaworthy again and proceeded to Kronstadt a few days later. On 28 June 1941, five German S-boats boldly entered Liepaja harbor and took the port. The German 291.Infanterie-Division arrived a day later. 

In addition to the Baltic Sea, minor naval engagements also took place on Estonia’s Lake Peipus. In 1915, the Russian first formed a small fleet on Lake Peipus. During the interwar period, Tartu was the home of the Estonian Lake Peipus Fleet. The largest vessels were approximatley 140 ton gunboats armed with 102mm, 75mm and 47mm guns. All of these-Estonian boats were heavily damaged through Luftwaffe attacks. Once the Germans had secured the area, they repaired all of the boats for their own use.

*Serie VI Bis submarine M.78 (VMF 161 grt)* was sunk by U.144 east of Ventspils, Latvia, west of Windau.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Gnevnyi class DD GNEVNY (VMF 1855 grt)* was sunk by a mine off Hango.





*Gnevnyi class DD BYSTRYI (VMF 1855 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Sevastapool. Some sources are in conflict with this claim, saying the ship was lost to mines. Perhaps the ship was lost to a mine dropped by LW a/c?





Ex-Latvian *Ronis Class Sub RONIS (VMF 350 grt)* was scuttled by the retreating Soviet Army at Libau to prevent her capture by the Germans.





Ex-Latvian *Ronis Class Sub SPIDOLA (VMF 350 grt)*was scuttled by the retreating Soviet Army at Libau to prevent her capture by the Germans.

Black Sea/Caspian
_Battle of Danube (or Tulcea)_*.*
(my apologies for my poor translation of Soviet history)

The clashes on Danube river on the first days of war are still unclear and go largely unreported in western accounts. The Romanians deployed their riverine monitors and claims that Basarabia and Mihail Kogalniceanu clashed in two consecutive days against their soviet rivals.

They claimed to have hit at least 3 soviet monitors, 2 patrol boats, 1 tug and to have sunk another patrol boat.

Actually they clashed against the monitors ROSTOVTSEV, ZHEMCHUZHIN and ZHELEZNAKOV supported by small BK gunboats.





_Painting of ZHELEZNAKOV_.

There are more details about the first engagement.: the Romanians shelled the Soviet bank (with unclear effects, also shelling civilian areas) to focus later on the Soviet monitor. ZHELEZNAKOV suffered moderate damages after a near miss, the Soviet units returned fire even if they mostly focused on ground targets (batteries).

There are even less details about the skirmish on day 23 June, but Soviet units suffered no damage.

There are not clear details for now about the Romanian evaluation of the soviet fire.

The operations on Danube river were ended by August: most of the soviet units managed to reach the open sea and overcome the Romanian attempts to prevent it (such block was attempted only with batteries).

*North Sea*
*MSW trawler NOGI (RN 299 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Norfolk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamer CAMROUX II was damaged on a mine one mile NE of No.17 Buoy, Flamborough Head. The steamer was towed to Immingham.

British steamer TOLWORTH was damaged by the LW in the NthSea. The steamer was drydocked in the Tyne for repairs.

*Northern Patrol*
CL NIGERIA arrived at Scapa Flow from Faroes Iceland patrol. CL MANCHESTER and DD ECLIPSE departed Iceland to relieve CA SUFFOLK on Denmark Straits patrol.

*Med/Biscay*
Vichy DD GUEPARD was engaged by CLA NAIAD and CL LEANDER and DDs JAGUAR, KINGSTON, and RAN NIZAM north of Beirut.. GUEPARD was damaged by British gunfire, whilst CL LEANDER was struck by one shell which did not explode.

DDs JERVIS, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, and DECOY were carrying ASW sweeps in the area.

Following temporary repairs at Alexandria, light cruiser ORION departed Alexandria on the 23rd for Port Said to have her catapult re-embarked. The cruiser departed Aden for Simonstown on the 29th. At Simonstown, her catapult was removed and installed on CVS ALBATROSS.

The CL crossed the Pacific and departed Balboa on 28 August. ORION arrived at MareIsland on 5 September and was under repair until 15 February 1942.

There was a German air raid on Alexandria from 0315 to 0510 on the 23rd. BB WARSPITE was slightly damaged by a near miss of a heavy bomb.Two bulges were flooded.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.133 was sighted by U.203.

*Central Atlantic*
*Supply ship ALSTERTOR (DKM 3039 grt)* was located on the 22nd by Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE and a Catalina aircraft, but contact was lost. The supply ship scuttled in 41-12N, 13-10W after she was intercepted by destroyers FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, and FURY of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla.

The ALSTERTOR was built as reefer vessel in Sweden for Norwegian owners. She was bought by Sloman, Hamburg for the South-American fruit-run (Hamburg-Santos) but taken over one year later by the Kriegsmarine. She then served as supply vessel in the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. On 22. of June 1941 she was on voyage for France. On board were many prisoners of ships which were scuttled by the DKM Raider ATLANTIS.

She was spotted on latitude off Gibraltar. She was then chased by the RN DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, FOXHOUND and MARSDALE. Finally the crew scuttled the ship south off Cap Finisterre. They were then picked up by the pursuing RN DDs. Survivors from the ship included 78 British pows from British steamers TRAFALGAR and RABAUL.





The DDs then proceeded to meet CVL FURIOUS arriving from the Clyde. Submarine P.33, which had also been searching for the German ship was ordered to continue her passage to Gibraltar.

Dutch submarine O.24 arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Mediterranean.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 JUNE TO DAWN 24 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

No air raids.

Two submarines were reported surfacing three and six miles respectively from Marsalforn. Swordfish are sent to investigate but see nothing. It was suspected that the submarines were searching for the missing pilot of a Macchi fighter shot down yesterday.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 23 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish despatched to attack Spanish Quay and port facilities in TripoliHarbour. 7000 lbs of high explosives and 450 lbs of incendiaries were dropped. Direct hits were observed on the railway, and a fire is started near a customs house.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland, 1 Heinkel 115 float plane. _Departures _8 Blenheim. 4 Hurricanes attacked flying boats moored at Syracuse, scoring a number of hits on boats, a hangar and barracks. _69 Squadron _4 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. _82 Squadron _3 Blenheims attacked an enemy ship near Kerkennah; scored near-misses. Two aircraft went out for a second attempt to sink the ship but it had disappeared.


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## Njaco (Jun 22, 2016)

*June 23 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* British vessel “_Trelissick_” and British minesweeping trawler “_Nogi_” are sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

Convoy HX-133: In the North Atlantic, the largest convoy battle to date begins around HX-133. Ten U-boats are concentrated to attack the convoy, which at first has four escorts. After leaving Halifax, the convoy had just sufficient time to form up when dense fog came in and remained for four or five days. During this time there were several collisions resulting in five ships having to return to port.

*ASIA:* German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop sends a cable message to Japan, urging them to attack the Soviet Union to the north. Japan decides to wait until Germans capture Moscow and reach the line of the Volga river. At an official conference in Japan of army-navy executives and civilian government representatives, the decision is made to adopt a north-south integration strategy. The military would be ready to move in either or both directions, depending on future events.

*EASTERN FRONT: *Unternehmen Barbarossa: The German offensive continues to make astonishing progress, spearheaded by the armored and motorized forces. German Panzers penetrate 40-50 miles into Soviet territory. German panzer units begin to meet Soviet tank formations rushing to the front. The Soviet columns are badly organized and depleted because of constant air attacks. The Soviet Army’s counter-attack near Tilsit, Ostpreußen, Germany (now Sovetsk, Russia) was beaten back. Meanwhile, German forces crossed the Bug River, penetrating 50 miles beyond the Soviet lines. On the approaches to Vilnius, German tank columns bypass pockets of resistance and drive deep into the Soviet rear areas.

Armeegruppe Nord: German 18.Armee crosses into Latvia. German 4.Panzergruppe (Hoeppner) defeated a Soviet counterattack and continues pushing toward Dvina river while 16.Armee pushes toward the Niemen river. 4.Panzergruppe has advanced almost 50 miles.

The German 6.Panzerdivision encountered Soviet KV tanks for the first time at the Dubysa River in Lithuania. German General Reinhard was surprised to learn that the Soviet military possessed such a heavy tank, especially after learning that some German 105-millimeter shells were bouncing off the thick armor, and that some KV tanks had reportedly crushed German vehicles and guns by driving over them.

Armeegruppe Mitte:  German 3.Panzergruppe (Hoth) captures Grodno and have captured bridges over the Niemen River. 2.Panzergruppe (Guderian) pushes toward Slutsk and have made deep penetrations on either side of Brest Litovsk.

Armeegruppe Sud: German 6.Armee advances into the Pripet marshes. 1.Panzergruppe (Kleist) has made some ground but the Soviet defense in their southern front is stronger. 1.Panzergruppe captures Berestechko and reaches the Styr river (_see Battle of Brody_ ) and 17.Armee pushes toward Lvov.

The Battle of Brody: was a tank battle fought between the 1.Panzergruppe’s III Armeekorps and XLVIII Armeekorps (Motorized) and five mechanized corps of the Soviet 5th Army and 6th Army in the triangle formed by the towns Dubno, Lutsk, and Brody. Although the Red Army formations inflicted heavy losses on the German forces, they were outmaneuvered and suffered enormous losses in tanks. This was one of the most intense armoured engagements in the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa and one of the largest tank battles of World War II. 1.Panzergruppe, led by Generaloberst Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist, was ordered to secure the Bug River crossings and advance to Rovno and Korosten with the strategic objective of Kiev. It deployed two Corps forward and advanced between Lviv and Rovno in an attempt to cut the Lviv–Kiev railway line, thus driving a wedge along junction point between the Soviet 5th and 6th Armies. Stavka ordered a general counter-attack under the title of directive No. 3 on the authority of Chief of General Staff Georgy Zhukov. Six Soviet mechanized corps, with over 2,500 tanks, were massed to take part in a concentric counter-attack through the flanks of 1.Panzergruppe. The intention was to later attempt a pincer movement from the north (Soviet 5th Army) and south (6th Army) that met west of Dubno in order to trap units of the 6th and 17th German Armies on the northern flank of Armeegruppe Sud. The Soviets sent their surviving aircraft to support the offensive. The air battle resulted in heavy casualties for the attacking Soviets. JG 3, under the command of Fliegerkorps IV, shot down 24 Tupolev SBs on the first day. Among the casualties was the commander of 86 SBAP, Lt.-Col. Sorokin. Just 20 of the initial 251 SBs remained with the unit. German losses were also heavy, with 28 destroyed and 23 damaged aircraft (including 8 He 111s and Ju 88s). Many Soviet front-line commanders were left to their own devices, and this had an impact on the effectiveness of Soviet command and control. In one instance, the commander to the 41st Tank Division of the 22nd Mechanized Corps, for want of any new directives, moved his division to the designated assembly point for his corps at Kovel laid out in the pre-war plan, and in so doing, moved his division away from the fighting. As a result of these and other problems assembling the forces for the attack, the scheduled time for the operation was set back 6 hours to 04:00 on 24 June. By the time this decision was made on the evening 23 June, barely 48 hours since the war had begun, the 11.Panzerdivision, with the 16. Panzerdivision traveling in its wake, had already penetrated 40 miles into Soviet territory. The 13. and 14. Panzerdivisionen were well their way up the road to Lutsk with the objective of reaching the Styr River on the 24th, and the 44., 298., and 299. Infanterie-Divisionen were moving up to consolidate the advance. Even with the delayed schedule, the counter-attack began piecemeal, since the full complement of forces could not be brought into position until two days later. Only two tank divisions of 15th Mechanized Corps in the south and a single tank division of 22nd Mechanized Corps in the north were in position to begin the attack on the 24th.

From the air, German Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed another 1,200 Soviet aircraft on this day. In Army Group North, the Messerschmitts of JG 54 fly against Soviet bombers raiding the German advance. At 1145 hours the fighters of JG 54 intercept a formation of nine Russian SB-2 bombers over the Kedainiai area. Eight of the bombers are shot down. The last bomber is attacked by Obstlt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of 9 Staffel who nearly exhausts his ammunition trying to bring the twin-engined plane down. Running low on fuel and ammunition, Obstlt. Bob tries one more time and comes to within fifty meters and scores hits on the Russian plane. As he pulls up over the burning bomber, the Russian rear gunner fires and damages Obstlt. Bob’s Messerschmitt. Unable to return to base, Obstlt. Bob belly lands in a clearing 200 kilometers behind the lines. Sustaining no injuries, Obstlt. Bob makes his escape into some nearby woods and prepares to make it back to the German lines. In Army Group Center JG 27 loses Wilhelm Wiesinger when he is killed in combat. He has ten aerial victories. In Army Group South, Hptm. Woitke of II./JG 52 shoots down three Russian I-16s during a single sortie. Hptm. Bernhard Woldenga, Kommodore of JG 77, is appointed Kommodore of JG 27 in place of the captured Major Schnellmann. Hptm. Woldenga’s place at JG 77 is taken by Major Gotthard Handrick, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 52. Major Albert Blumensaat, Gruppenkommandeur of Erg. Gruppe JG 77, is posted as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 52 in place of the departing Major Handrick. The Luftwaffe claims 775 Russian aircraft destroyed during the day, many of them on the ground.

General Kopets, commander of Soviet bomber forces, commits suicide.

German submarine U-144 sank Soviet submarine M-78 9 miles west of Vindava, Latvia at 0654 hours, killing all 15 aboard. Soviet destroyer “_Gnevniy_” hit a mine and sank off the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. Soviet destroyer “_Bystryb_” hit a mine and sank in the Black Sea off Sevastopol, Russia. Soviet submarines “_Ronis_”, “_Spidola_”, and S-1 were scuttled by their own crews at Libau, Latvia to prevent German capture.

Light cruiser “_Voroshilov_” bombarded Constanza, Romania.

German Gestapo leader Mueller issued directives to the Gestapo office in the city of Tilsit, Germany (now Sovetsk, Russia) to set up Einsatkommando Tilsit which would be responsible for killing Jews in Lithuania.

Stavka was created with Stalin and Molotov as civilian members. Timoshenko, Zhukov, Voroshilov, and Budenny serve as Red Army members of Stavka and Admiral Nikolai Kuznetsov serves as Red Fleet member. Beria, Shaposhnikov, Meretskov, Vatutin, Kulik, Zhigarev, Voronov, Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Voznesensky, Zhdanov, Malenkov, and Mekhlis appointed as advisors to Stavka.

Pavelic government of Croatia offers to send troops to fight under German command against Soviet Union.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 62 aircraft to attack Cologne, 41 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 26 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Mussolini offers to send an Italian expeditionary corps of three divisions to join German forces on the Russian Front.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The 5,000 man 1st Greek Brigade was established by the British in Palestine under the command of Colonel Ev. Antoniou. The Brigade (under Colonel Pafsanias Katsotas) would later see action in 1942 at El Alamein in Egypt as a part of the British 50th Division.

HMAS “_Nizam_”, (destroyer), and HM Ships “_Naiad_”, “_Leander_”, “_Jaguar_”, and “_Kingston_”, engaged the French destroyers “_Guepard_” and “_Valmy_”, in a running battle 10 miles north of Beirut, Syria, (now Lebanon). The enemy vessels withdrew into port.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark ordered the 1st Defense Battalion of the Fleet Marine Force of the US Marine Corps to be established at Wake Island as soon as possible.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Juozas Ambrzevicius (Juozas Brazaitis), one of the leaders of the Lithuanian Activist Front (LAF), began serving as the acting PM of the Provisional Government of Lithuania and continued to August 5, 1941. He died in exile in 1974.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The Southern Railway Central Station in London, England, damaged by German bombing over the night of 21 to 22 Jun 1941, was cleared of debris and returned to full operational status.

Britain completes the first chain of three GEE aircraft guidance stations.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 39 aircraft on anti-shipping missions and Circus missions heavily escorted by Fighter Command. RAF 11 Group Circus 19 was an attack on Chocques by 21 Blenheim IVs of 2 (B) Group. The operation was escorted by 18 fighter squadrons. A formation of Spitfires is bounced by Bf 109s from I./JG 26. Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 destroys a RAF Spitfire over the Somme Estuary while Oblt. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 claims a Spitfire near Samer. Oblt. Heinz Gottlob, also of 1./JG 26 destroys a Spitfire. JG 2 loses Carl-Hans Röders who has eight combat victories when he is killed in action. R.A.F. No. 11 Group Circus 20 was an attack on the airfield at Mardyck. Six Blenheim IVs of 2 (B) Group were escorted by 14 fighter squadrons and lost 2 bombers. 13-5-4 were claimed for 2 aircraft lost.

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## Njaco (Jun 23, 2016)

*June 24 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Convoy HX-133: A big day for U-boat U-203. Convoy HX-133 was attacked by U-203 at 0140 hours resulting in Norwegian vessel S/S “_Soloy_” being torpedoed and sunk. U-203 then attacked and sunk British vessel “_Kinross_” and Dutch vessel “_Schie_”. The convoy was again attacked at 1800 hours by U-651, resulting in British vessel S/S “_Brockley Hill_” also being torpedoed and sunk. Finally, Norwegian vessel “_Vigrid_” was attacked and sunk by U-371.

*ASIA:* Japan asserted pressure on France for Indochina.

Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China again, damaging the British Consulate among other buildings.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Hiyo_” launched after conversion from passenger liner.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The German attacks continue to make rapid gains. In the Baltics, Kaunas is captured as is Vilna, farther east, by forces of 3.Panzergruppe (left flank of Armeegruppe Mitte). Farther south, the Soviet garrison of the fortress town of Brest-Litovsk, which is now far behind the front line, is assaulted by forces of German 4.Armee (right flank of Armeegruppe Mitte).

Armeegruppe Nord:  Forces of German Armeegruppe Nord moved into Lithuania and Byelorussia. German 16.Armee captures Kaunas. Finnish forces land and occupy the previously demilitarized Aaland islands.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe captures Wilno (Vilna) as 2.Panzergruppe pushes toward Baranovichi. German 4.Armee attacking Soviet defenders besieged in Brest-Litovsk but Soviet 15th and 22nd Mechanized Corps counterattacked the German Panzer group.

Armeegruppe Sud:  German 17.Armee captures Nemirov. Ivan Bagramyan attempted to launch a counterattack against German advances in Ukraine, but it would fail to achieve much due to the unprepared state of his troops.

The Battle of Brody: Gustav Shrodek, a tank commander of the 15.Panzer Regiment (11.Panzerdivision), recorded the scene:


> "_At dawn of June 24th, the regiment underwent its first attack by Russian bombers. It shall not be the only one this day; completely the opposite. As a result of this the regiment now has several dead and wounded."_


Near total Luftwaffe air superiority was to be a major factor in breaking up the Soviet counter-attack. Three Soviet formations deployed a potent force of modern T-34 and KV tanks: the 4th, 8th, and 15th Mechanized Corps. The 717 such tanks comprised almost a half of the country's 1,600 production of these two models. There was little to no communication between the individual corps to ensure co-ordination. The 22.Mechanisierte Korps attacked towards Voinitsa. The battle between 1.Panzergruppe and the Soviet mechanized corps was the fiercest of the whole invasion, lasting four full days. The Soviets fought furiously and crews of German tank and anti-tank guns found to their horror that the new Soviet T-34 tanks were almost immune to their weapons. The new KV-1 and KV-2 heavy tanks were impervious to virtually all German anti-tank weapons, but the Red Army's logistics had completely broken down due to Luftwaffe attacks. The five Red Army corps were mishandled while being concentrated into large powerful groups. The German troops sought to isolate individual units and destroy them. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe ranging over the battlefields was able to separate the supporting infantry and deny them resupply of fuel and ammunition. Ultimately due to lack of adequate planning and overall coordination, the Soviet counter-attack failed to meet at Dubno.

Leningrad Military District was redesignated Soviet Northern Front, commanded by General Popov. General Aleksei Antonov appointed Chief of Staff, Southwestern Front.

In the Northern sector Obstlt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of 9./JG 54 continues to make his way to German lines. At one point he enters what he believes is an abandoned hut in the woods. Opening the door he comes face to face with two Russian soldiers. Obstlt. Bob determines that the Russians are deserters and after a short greeting, quickly leaves the two soldiers in the hut. In the Central sector Moscow is subjected to two raids of 115 Luftwaffe bombers then another 100 bombers during the day.

The Russian NKVD executes Major Schnellmann, the captured Kommodore of JG 27. Hptm. Franz von Werra, famous for his escape from Canada, takes over as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53 when Oblt. Wilfried Balfanz goes missing in action. Oblt. Balfanz had ten victories flying with JG 51 and JG 53.

The fighters of JG 51 destroy fifty-seven Lend-lease Martin bombers the Russians use to raid the German front line. Gefr. Anton “Toni” Hafner of 8./JG 51 scores his first victory as does Hans Strelow who gets his first kill. Karl-Heinz Schnell, another pilot with Gefr. Hafner’s 8th Staffel, begins the day with nine kills to his credit and destroys six Russian aircraft to almost double his victory total. The Kommodore of JG 51, Obstlt. Mölders only gets one kill for the day, a Russian SB-2 to bring his score to seventy-four victories. 

In Russia a Council of Evacuation was set up with emergency powers to oversee the evacuation of machinery, skilled workers and food stuffs on a large scale, away from the German advance.

Soviet Air Force Directorate chief Pavel Rychagov, as well as his wife Maria Nesterenko, a famed aviatrix, were arrested during the purge of the Soviet Air Force. Soviet Deputy Defense Commissar General Kirill Meretskov was arrested by agents of the 3rd NKO Directorate. He would later be cleared of suspicion in Sep 1941 and was given front line command once again.

Hungary broke relations with the Soviet Union.

The entire Jewish male population of Gorzhdy, Lithuania, was exterminated.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack Cologne, 48 aircraft to attack Kiel and 31 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight. A RAF Handley Page Halifax four-engined bomber is destroyed by a night-fighter version of the Bf 110C with a nose mounted cannon.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* “_Scirè_” launched manned torpedoes into Grand Harbour, Malta. They failed to damage any enemy vessels.

All day, German and Italian bombers attack British sloop HMS “_Auckland_” and Australian sloop HMAS “_Parramatta_”, escorting tanker “_Pass of Balmaha_” from Alexandria to Tobruk with 750 tons of aviation fuel. At 1736 hours, HMS “_Auckland_” is hit by a bomb which destroys her stern and then capsizes (38 killed). 162 crew are rescued from the water by HMAS “_Parramatta_”, under continued dive bomb attack, before HMS “_Auckland_” explodes and sinks. “_Pass of Balmaha_” is damaged by near-misses and towed into Tobruk by Australian destroyer HMAS “_Waterhen_”.

RAF bombers attack Benghazi and Tripoli.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Australian 25th Infantry Brigade recaptures Merjayun.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Roosevelt announces United States will send aid to the Soviet Union.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Captured whaler “_Adjutant_” with German prize crew arrives in New Zealand waters for minelaying operations.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* British House of Commons voted for the second £1,000,000,000 war credit of the year as war expenditure now exceeded £10,250,000 per day.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Large demonstrations began in Madrid, Spain in support of the German invasion of the Soviet Union; demonstrations soon spread to other parts of Spain. Spanish Foreign Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer encourages Spaniards to volunteer to fight with Germany against Russia. Within days, 18,000 openings for a complete division are filled. Agustin Muñoz Guardes is selected as General. The unit becomes known as the Blue Division.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on a Circus mission heavily escorted by Fighter Command. RAF 11 Group Circus 21 was an attack on the Thermal Power-Station at Comines. Seventeen RAF 2 Group Blenheims made rendezvous with the Escort Wing, at 2000 hours at 5.000 ft., over Martlesham. Before setting-course 2 bombers returned to base early due technical failures. The remainder proceeded to Comines, making landfall over Dunkirk at 12,000 ft. and dropping 7.5-tons GP bombs from 10,000 ft. The formation returned via Dunkirk and Dungeness without event. Several combats occurred in which 9-7-5 was claimed for the loss of 2 pilots.

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## Njaco (Jun 24, 2016)

*June 25 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Greek vessel “_Anna Bulgaris_” was sunk by U-77 and Greek vessels “_Ellinico_” and “_Nicolas Pateras_” were sunk by U-108.

*ASIA: *Japanese Imperial General Headquarters agrees to use troops if necessary to force France to allow bases in southern Indochina. Japanese Imperial General Headquarters sets deadline of 10 August for decision about attacking Soviet Union, thus allowing time to concentrate troops and conduct campaign before winter.

*EASTERN FRONT: *Unternehmen Barbarossa:
Armeegruppe Nord: Soviet 12th Mechanized Corps attacked German 4.Panzergruppe with KV and T-34 tanks. Escorted by warships of the Northern Fleet, Soviet ground reinforcements were transported by sea to Murmansk. Soviet defenses stiffen around Murmansk, stopping the Germans short of their goal. The Germans would never capture the vital supply port. General Popov of Soviet Northern Front orders construction of defensive line from Kingisepp to Lake Ilmen to protect Leningrad.

Armeegruppe Mitte:  Major Russian forces are close to being surrounded in the Bialystok area by Panzer units of Armeegruppe Mitte. The forces of Soviet West Front (Pavlov), principally deployed in the Bialystok salient and containing forces of the Soviet 3rd Army (Kuznetsov) southwest of Grodno and 10th Army (Golubev) west of Bialystok as well as 4th Army (Korobkov) to the south of the salient, are threatened by a double envelopment by the infantry of the German 9.Armee and 4.Armee (of Armeegruppe Mitte) marching from the north and south. German 2.Panzergruppe captures Baranovichi, threatening to encircle Soviet Western Front. In the evening, German 47.Panzerkorps (part of 2.Panzergruppe) cuts the main route from Bialystok to the east, between Wolkowysk and Slonim, isolating the Soviet 3rd and 10th Armies in the Bialystok salient. General Pavlov's Soviet Western Front begins disintegrating under these attacks by German Armeegruppe Mitte. The Soviet 13th Army withdrew from Maladzyechna.

Armeegruppe Sud: Armeegruppe Sud meets stiff opposition as the Soviet Southwest Front concentrates large tank formations in front of the advancing 1.Panzergruppe. Soviet counter attacks around Grodno continue but begin to falter. German Army 1.Panzergruppe captured Dubno and Lutsk in Ukraine. German 17.Armee engaged around Lvov.

In the North Obstlt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of 9./JG 54 comes upon a German column and rejoins his Geschwader. Soviet Air Force attacked several Finnish airfields, hoping to destroy Luftwaffe aircraft believed to be stationed there. The fighters of II./JG 27 and III./JG 53 in the Central sector each claim twenty-five Russian bombers shot down by each Geschwader Gruppen. Lt. Gustav Langanke of 5./JG 27 downs seven Tupolev SB-2 bombers. Fw. Hermann Neuhoff of III./JG 53 downs three Russian aircraft including an IL-2 Sturmovik. At JG 51, Oblt. Hans Kolbow Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 51 destroys five Russian bombers in a row to become an ‘instant Experten’. The Kommodore of JG 51, Obstlt. Mölders, claims only a SB-2 to reach seventy-five kills. Rudolf Nielinger of II./JG 51 also destroys an SB-2 for his first victory.

Lithuanian militiamen in Kovno were encouraged by German security officers to stage a pogrom, and that night 1,500 Jews were murdered with particular savagery.

Colonel General Vasily Kuznetsov was ordered by Semyon Timoshenko to organize a defense along the Daugava River (Western Dvina). Soviet Southern Front created, commanded by General Tiulenev. Soviet task force led by cruiser Voroshilov departs Sevastopol to bombard Constanza.

*GERMANY:* French Lieutenant E. Boulé, a prisoner of war at Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, Germany, was nearly successful at his escape. Dressed as a young German woman and readily walking away from the castle, he accidentally dropped his watch and was caught when a German guard returned the watch to him.

Himmler departs aboard his headquarters train for Russian front with adjutant Jochen Peiper.

RAF Bomber Command sends 64 aircraft to attack Bremen and 47 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Geniere_”, “_Gioberti_”, and “_Da Noli_” and supported by two cruisers and three more destroyers, but convoy diverted to Taranto.

*MIDDLE EAST: *British submarine HMS “_Parthian_” sank Vichy French submarine “_Souffleur_” by torpedo off Syria.

*NORTH AMERICA: *President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8802, which calls for the “Full Participation in the Defense Program by All Persons, Regardless Of Race, Creed, Color, Or National Origin". Roosevelt also created the Fair Employment Practice Committee to implement it. He also declared that the Siberian port Vladivostok, would be exempt from the neutrality statutes so supplies could flow to Russia.

USN task force departs Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol.

*NORTH AFRICA: *General Wavell accompanies Averell Harriman to East Africa. Allied aircraft attack airfields at Gazala.

RAF aircraft attack isolated Italian positions at Debra Tabor.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* In Stockholm, Sweden the Riksdag sanctioned the passage of the German Wehrmacht's Engelbrecht Division from Norway across Swedish soil to the front in Finland. German 163rd Infantry Division begins transferring by rail across Sweden to Finland. After two weeks, 15,000 troops with weapons and supplies have been transported.

Soviets denounced Finland. Moscow broadcast denounced Finland, adding,


> "The Finnish militarists have flagrantly violated the Soviet-Finnish peace treaty. The rulers of Finland have begun military operations against our country . . . The Soviet Union has fulfilled the peace treaty conscientiously. But the rulers of Finland, under orders from Hitler, have plunged the long-suffering Finnish people into a war against the Soviet Union. Scoring the most elementary of international laws and the vital interests of their own people, the Finnish warmongers have again launched a campaign against the Soviet Union. . . . The ignoble rulers of Finland have not learned any lesson from the campaign of the winter of 1939 and 1940. They are asking for another, a final, lesson, and that lesson the Finnish perpetrators of fascism will get."


 Soviets attack Finnish targets including Helsinki with almost 500 aircraft, opening air offensive. Helsinki declares that due to Soviet air attacks, Finland finds itself in a state of war.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* Captured Norwegian whaler “_Adjutant_” with German prize crew lays mines off Lyttelton and Wellington, New Zealand.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *During the day, a report was released that, for the week ending at 0600 hours on 25 Jun 1941, about 39 people were killed and 116 were seriously injured in Britain due to German bombing; none of the casualties were from London, England. After dark, German bombers bombed Southampton and dropped many naval mines in surrounding waters.

General Brian Horrocks takes command of 44th Infantry Division.

During the day a total of three Heinkel He 111s of I./KG 26 were lost in an attack on Newcastle, their fates being unknown.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft on anti-shipping missions and Circus missions heavily escorted by Fighter Command. The RAF conducted two raids over France, both raids consisting of two squadrons of Blenheims and sixteen squadrons of fighters. RAF 11 Group Circus 22 containing 12 Blenheim IVs of 2 (B) Group under heavy fighter escort from 16 fighter squadrons, bombed the Hazebrouck marshalling yards, blowing up munitions train and bridge. The I./JG 26 intercepted the first raid and shot down five Spitfires without any losses for the Gruppe. Oblt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 downs one of the Spitfires over Gravelines. The second raid was RAF 11 Group Circus 23 – an attack on the airfield at St. Omer. 13 Blenheim IVs of 2 (B) Group were escorted by fighters from 19 squadrons. The second RAF raid was described by Oblt. Heinz Gottlob;


> “_Priller led one Schwarm, and I led the other. We saw about eighteen Spitfires over the Channel. They had apparently already seen us, since they were flying in a defensive circle. We were at about 8,500 meters. The Indians were about 500 meters below us. Priller banked to the left to reach firing position. My Schwarm cut behind him. Suddenly there was an explosion in my airplane. Holes appeared in the floor of the cockpit, between my legs. I saw the legs of my fur flying boots ripple as several shots passed through them. Then several cannon shells hit the right side of my cockpit. I tried to dive away using my elevators, but got no response . . . Since I was already in a left bank, I kicked the rudder sharply and entered a wingover toward the ground. I needed to dive to an altitude at which I could bail out without suffocating. During the dive, I noticed that my oxygen cylinder was empty, surrounded by blue fumes. Shot through! Fortunately, I was not prone to altitude sickness. I ripped my mask off at 4,200 meters and prepared to bail out. I was then hit again. Since all the fragments came from beneath my instrument panel and flew back above my head, I believe that this was my own ammunition exploding. Everything now happened lightning-fast . . . Suddenly I was struck on the chin with such force that my head flew back to the right . . . I felt terrible, piercing pain in my nose, eyes and skull. I began to lose my will and my consciousness. I squinted at the release lever, but could not summon the strength to bail out. As everything was turning black, a voice called out ‘Get out now!’ I actually heard the voice, but have no memory of what came afterward. . . I do not know whether my parachute opened by itself, or whether I struck the tail and that caused it to open. Although the battle had begun over mid-Channel, I was now over French soil, fortunately near the Naval hospital at Hardinghem . . . At 2105 hours I landed at the feet of a surgeon from the hospital, who was out taking a walk . . . I regained consciousness eight days later._”


Douglas Bader shot down two German Bf 109F aircraft.

.


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## Njaco (Jun 25, 2016)

*June 26 Thursday*
*ASIA:* IJN aircraft carrier “_Junyo_” launched after conversion from passenger liner.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Zhukov returns from Southwestern Front to Moscow and meets with Stalin, Timoshenko, and Vatutin about critical situation of the Western Front. Konev takes command of Soviet 19th Army. Meretskov recalled from Leningrad, arrested and tortured, but subsequently released and rehabilitated after implicating other Soviet generals in anti-Stalin plot.

Armeegruppe Nord: German forces of Armeegruppe Nord capture Dünaburg in Latvia and 4.Panzergruppe forces begin working to take bridgeheads over the Dvina River. Tanks of von Manstein's 4.Panzergruppe capture the Dvina River bridges at Daugavipils intact German. 18.Armee was engaged in heavy fighting around Liepaja while 4.Panzergruppe shattered Soviet 3rd and 11th Mechanized Corps. German 56.Panzerkorps reached Daugava River (Western Dvina) as 8.Panzerdivision and 3.Motorisierte Abteilung established bridgehead near Daugavpils, Latvia. German forces captured Daugavpils. Hitler orders these forces to stop, consolidate, gather supplies and wait for the infantry forces, far to the rear, to catch up. Luftwaffe bombers attack Leningrad.

Siege of Hango: The Russian garrison at Hango holds out in the naval base, west of Helsinki, until evacuated, in December 1941. Finnish ground troops quickly isolated Hanko and its 25,300-man Soviet garrison. Though Mannerheim initially declared that liberating Hanko would be a primary goal of the war, Finnish troops in the area did not receive authorization to attack the base. Instead, as the Finns had built the Harparskog line on the border of the leased area during the Interim Peace, they moved to occupy these positions. The front remained mostly static, with action consisting mainly of artillery strikes and some limited probing or patrol activities on both sides. Small scale naval and amphibious actions took place in the surrounding archipelago. Finnish forces surrounding the base initially consisted of the 17th Division, the 4th Coastal Brigade, and supporting units.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German Panzer units closed the Bialystok pocket in Poland as German 3.Panzergruppe reaches the edge of Minsk. The 7.Panzerdivision (Rommel's old unit from France) driving north of Minsk, cuts the Minsk-Moscow highway, the main supply route for the Soviet West Front. Soviet Western Front becomes isolated by German Armeegruppe Mitte. General Boldin, deputy commanding officer of Soviet Western Front, was trapped in encirclement west of Minsk. German 2.Panzergruppe continued its push toward Bobruisk. Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe is driving hard to complete the encirclement of the Soviet forces around Minsk.

In Belarus Soviet NKVD mass-executed prisoners from Minsk in the nearby Tsagelnya forest. The wooden statue Mourning Ange, by sculptor Gennady Matusevich, was later erected at the location. Commemorative events are held every year in June.

Armeegruppe Sud: The Soviets launch fresh and very strong counterattacks against the German spearheads. These attacks fall particularly hard on the 16.Panzerdivision in the area around Ostrov. Soviet 9th, 15th, and 19th Mechanized Corps counterattacked German 6.Armee and 1.Panzergruppe. Further to the north, 11.Panzerdivision is blocked in it's advance at Dubno. The advance of this army group is temporarily stopped. By the evening of June 26, 1941, at Brest Fortress most of the northern Kobrin fortification, except the East Fort, was captured. Small Soviet forces tried to break out from the siege but were unsuccessful and sustained heavy casualties.

In the northeastern city of Iasi, Romania, up to 12,000 people are believed to have died as Romanian and German soldiers swept from house to house to killing Jews. Those who did not die were systematically beaten, put in cattle wagons in stifling heat and taken to a small town, where what happened to them would be concealed. Of the 120 people on the train, just 24 survived. In 2010 a mass grave was found containing the bodies of an estimated 100 Jews killed by Romanian troops in a forest near the town of Popricani, about 350 km northeast of Bucharest. It contained the bodies of men, women and children who were shot in 1941.

Aircraft of the German Luftwaffe began to bomb Leningrad, Russia. Hptm. Lothar Keller of II./JG 3 is killed in an accident flying a Fiesler Storch. He had four Russian victories to bring his total to twenty victories overall. His place as Gruppenkommandeur is taken by Hptm. Gordon Gollob. Near Daugavpils Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 destroys a Soviet DB-3. JG 51’s Kommodore, Obstlt. Mölders destroys a Russian Pe-2 and an I-16 to reach seventy-seven kills. Joachim Brendel of JG 51 destroys a Soviet DB-3 for his first victory in the air.

In the Soviet capital of Moscow, Joseph Stalin visited the General Staff headquarters twice, voicing frustration at the heavy losses that the Red Army was suffering against the invading German forces.

Bombing of Kassa: Two aircraft bombed the Hungarian border town of Kassa, killing 20 and injuring 41. Hungary blamed USSR, but the raid was probably fabricated by Luftwaffe. This attack became the pretext for Hungary to declare war on the Soviet Union the following day.

Soviet task force led by cruiser “_Voroshilov_” bombards Constanza. Soviet flotilla leader “_Moskva_” was sunk by a mine during Constanza operation. Soviet aircraft suffered heavy losses during the attack on Constanza, trying to support the naval operation.

*GERMANY:* Adolf Hitler officially named Hermann Göring his successor.

RAF Bomber Command sends 51 aircraft to attack Cologne, 44 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 41 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Operation Railway I: Twenty two aircraft were transferred to “_Ark Royal_” which sailed from Gibraltar escorted by “_Renown_”, “_Hermione_“ and “_Faulknor_”, “_Forester_”, “_Fury_”, “_Lance_” and “_Legion_” to reinforce Malta.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Tomahawk fighters of No. 3 Squadron RAAF destroyed 5 French D.520 fighters and damaged a further six on the ground at Homs Airfield in Syria.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The mixed Marine-Army I Corps (Provisional), which was attached to the US Navy Atlantic Fleet, was redesignated Task Force 18 of the Atlantic Fleet.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Allied aircraft attack airfields at Gazala.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Finland issued declaration of war against the Soviet Union.

In the Baltic Sea, Soviet warships conducted minelaying operations while Kriegsmarine S-boats conducted minelaying operations. After running into each other while both groups were minelaying, Kriegsmarine S-boats engaged the Soviet warships. Estonian vessel “_Lidaza_” was sunk by Kriegsmarine S-boats.

In Norway an adviser to collaborationist leader Vidkun Quisling suggested in a letter, four days after Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, that northern Russia would be better used by Germanic peoples because Slavic peoples "don't know how to make use of the land." The document was not made public until 2010.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Spain officially began to organize a unit of volunteers to fight in Russia on the side of the Axis.

RAF Fighter Command conducts major sweep along French coast. RAF 11 Group Circus 24 was an attack on the power station at Comines. 23 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group were escorted by fighters from 19 squadrons. Bombers abandoned mission because of thick haze.

.


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## parsifal (Jun 25, 2016)

*24 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT-22

Allied
Fairmile B MLs 178, 203

*Losses*
U-203 sank *MV KINROSS (UK 4956 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic whilst on passage from Dunbdee, Scotland to Sydney (CB) travelling empty with a crew 37, all of whom would survive. The ship was part of convoy OB-336. At 1200 and 1205 hrs,U-203 attacked the convoy OB-336 SE of Cape Farewell and reported two ships sunk. In fact, only the KINROSS was hit and sunk. The master and 36 crew members were picked up by RCN ORILLIA and landed at Reykjavik.





U-203 also attacked ships in HX-133, sinking *MV SOLOY (NOR 4402 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. This ship was on passage from Buenos Aires to Hull via Bermuda, transporting wheat. The ship had a crew of 32 embarked, all of whom would survive the attack. At 0331 hrs, U-203 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a ship of 15.000 grt in HX-133 during a surface attack by night, but the first did not detonate and the second missed the intended target and struck another ship in the convoy. Two minutes later, a second spread of two torpedoes was fired and one detonation was heard, but no observations could be made because the U-boat had to crash dive. The only ship hit during the attack was the SOLOY.

The SOLOY was struck on the port side in the after part of #4 hold and received a leak in the tunnel. It was not possible for the first engineer to close the tunnel door, so the ship started to sink and was gone after 15 minutes. While the crew successfully launched the port lifeboat, the other boat on starboard had to be cut loose because a seaman got his hand jammed during the lowering. The boat broke apart after the fall into the sea and its occupants were thrown into the water. However, all men survived and were later picked up by TRAVELLER and landed at Liverpool on 3 July.





U-371 as part of the attack on HX-133 sank the straggler *MV VIGRID (NOR 4765 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from New Orleans to Manchester via Bermuda and Belfast, with a mixed cargo. A crew of 47 was embarked, 26 of whom were to be lost in the attack. At 1132 and 1133 hrs, U-371 fired two torpedoes at the VIGRID about 400 miles SE of Cape Farewell and, causing her to sink rapidly after the second hit. The ship straggled about 40 miles behind the convoy after engine troubles in the evening of 23 June. The master, 33 crew members, three gunners and ten passengers (American Red Cross nurses) abandoned ship in four lifeboats of which two set sail to Greenland while the others set course for Iceland. One of the latter boats was never heard of again, while the other was located by DD HMS KEPPEL on 13 July and the surviving two officers, three crewmen and two passengers were brought to a hospital in Londonderry on 17 July. Meanwhile, the two boats sailing for Greenland stayed together but came into storms and heavy seas and one boat disappeared one night, while the other was found by DD USS CHARLES F HUGHES (DD428) on 5 July and the master, two officers, six crewmen, one gunner and four passengers were landed at Reykjavik on 8 July after a fruitless search for the other lifeboat.





U-651, as part of the attack on HX-133, sank *Steamer BROCKLEY HILL (UK 5297 grt)* whilst the ship was on passage from Montreal to London with a load of grain. A crew of 42 was embarked, all of whom were to survive. At 2106 hrs the BROCKLEY HILL in convoy HX-133 was torpedoed and sunk by U-651 SE of Cape Farewell. The master, 37 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the SAUGOR and landed at Loch Ewe.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Horten: U-451
St Nazaire: U-73

At Sea 24 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

42 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*East Front*
Baltic
*Serie IX Submarine S.3 (VMF 840 grt)* was scuttled to avoid capture off Stienort.
Initially ignoring the order to scuttle the submarine S-3 in Libau harbor, the commander tried to sail away from Libau, carrying also 100 people (the crew of the submarine and many workers of the harbor). The submarine sailed slowly and could not dive, and was attacked by two DKM S Boats (S-60 and S-35). The attacking S-Boats missed the VMF Submarine with torpedoes. A gun battle erupted and the S-Boats quickly established the advantage of being small and fast targets for the submarine, with higher rate of fire of fire for their 20mm cannon that outmatched the slower, less accurate Soviet return fire of 100mm and 45mm. The two S-60 and S-35 however were affected by near misses, (with a total of 4 wia on S-35 ), but the damage on Sub S-3 was heavier and was also hit with hand grenades and finally S-60 launched a depth charge directly in front of the submarine, sinking it. The germans then proceeded to commit their first atrocity in the East by machine gunning the survivors in the water (only 3, 9 or 20 according different sources, were later captured).





*M Class Sub M-74 (VMF 206 grt)* was scuttled in Libau by the retreating Soviet Army to prevent capture
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*M Class Sub M-80 (VMF 206 grt)* was scuttled in Libau by the retreating Soviet Army to prevent capture
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Icebreaker SILACH (SU 3200 grt)* Ship was destroyed by retreating Soviet Army during retreat from Port of Liepaya.





*North Sea*
British steamer LEVENWOOD was damaged by the LW in the Nth sea off TeesBay. The steamer arrived at Hartlepool in tow on the 25th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK and DD ECHO arrived at Iceland from Denmark Straits patrol

*Northern Waters*
Fast minelayer MANXMAN arrived at Scapa Flow to work up. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and met convoy WN.44 in Pentland Firth. At noon on the 25th, the ship transferred to convoy EC.37 off Buchan Ness. Sloop BLACK SWAN departed Scapa Flow on the 25th to provide additional protection for the convoy. In Nth Channel, the sloop was detached and proceeded to Belfast to join the Escort Cmd following work up at Scapa Flow. The AA ship transferred to convoy WN.45 at 0500/26th and provided cover to Methil where they arrived at noon on the 27th.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy OG.66 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BATH and WALKER, sloop SCARBOROUGH, and ocean boarding vessel MALVERNIAN. On the 25th, DD VANOC and ASW trawlers CORDELLA, FANDANGO, MORRIS DANCE, NORSE, and SARABANDE joined the convoy. Corvette HYDRANGEA joined the convoy on the 26th. The DDs and the corvette were detached on the 29th. The ocean boarding vessel left the convoy on the 30th. On 3 July, DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, LANCE, and LEGION joined the convoy. On 4 July, corvette COREOPSIS and ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH and LADY SHIRLEY joined the convoy. DDs ERIDGE and FARNDALE joined on 6 July. DDs LEGION and LANCE were detached on 3 July, DD FAULKNOR on 5 July, DDs FEARLESS and FORESTER on 6 July, and arrived at Gibraltar on 8 July with sloop SCARBOROUGH and ASW trawlers FANDANGO, MORRIS DANCE, SARABANDE, CODRELIS, NORSE, and local escorts.

Convoy HG.66 departed Gibraltar escort DDs FARNDALE and WISHART, sloop FOLKESTONE, corvette AZALEA, Dutch submarine O.21, ASW trawler STELLA CARINA, and three MLs as additional local escort. The trawler was detached later that day. DD WISHART was detached on the 27th. DD FARNDALE was detached on the 30th. Submarine O.21 was detached on 1 July. On 4 July, the convoy was met by DDs GARLAND, MAORI, SARDONYX, and WESTCOTT and on 5 July by DD ST ALBANS and corvettes FREESIA and MYOSITIS. Sloop FOLKESTONE was detached on 8 July. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 9 July.

*Med/Biscay*
NZ manned CL LEANDER and DDs HASTY and JAGUAR shelled the Syrian coast Nth of Beirut at dawn on the 24th. MSW HARROW swept the coast off Sidon.

Corvettes PEONY was sailed to Haifa and HYACINTH to Famagusta from Alexandria.

The British Tobruk convoy was attacked by Axis a/c. Tanker PASS OF BALMAHA was damaged by bombing and abandoned. The escort consisted of HMS AUCKLAND and HMAS PARRAMATTA. After the attack that led to the tkr being abandoned and the loss of Corvette AUCKLAND the tanker was re-boarded by the crew, the fires extinguished and the ship taken in tow to Tobruk by RAN DD WATERHEN from dusk that day, escorted by RAN DD VENDETTA. Some repairs were made in Tobruk and the tanker returned under escort by HMAS PARRAMATA having delivered the vital fuel. She arrived back at Alexandria on 30 June.





_“The Tobruk Ferry Service”, HMA Ships PARRAMATTA, WATERHEN and VENDETTA, June 1941. Painting by Phil Belbin of the Naval Heritage Collection_

Egret Class *Sloop AUCKLAND (RN 1200 grt)* was sunk after repeated air attacks. 20 miles NE of Tobruk, the convoy AUCKLAND was escorting into the harbour was hit by 48 Ju-87s (some from the RA). There were 3 formations, each of 16 Junkers 87 (Stuka) dive bombers that attacked her and the Australian sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA as well as the ships in the convoy itself. The battle was bitterly contested, with no less than 4 German and Italian a/c lost and many others driven off. AUCKLAND was hit, she emerged from a cloud of smoke, out of control and heading for PARRAMATTA, who had to turn to avoid her, as she passed the Australian ship, she was a wreck abaft the mainmast, with no stern visible, she was on fire aft, but her forward guns were still firing. After about 15 minutes there was a brief respite, Auckland stopped, and her crew abandoned ship, and Parramatta closed in on her and dropped whalers and skiffs, life belts and floats, to rescue the survivors who were being machined gunned in the water by the attacking aircraft. At this time Auckland blew up with an explosion that lifted her slowly and steadily about six or seven feet into the air. Her back broke with a pronounced fold down the starboard side, and she rolled over and sank about 30 nautical miles east-north-east of Tobruk, Libya in position 32º15'N, 24º30'E.





LT (E) C.L. Meadley, 32 ratings and the NAAFI manager were killed on the sloop. Three ratings died of wounds. Surgeon Lt C.J. Robarts and seven ratings were wounded.

Sloop PARRAMATTA picked up 162 survivors, including Cdr Thomas, Lt D.G.D. Hall-Wright, Lt A.P. Culmer, Lt J.F. House, Surgeon Lt C.J. Robarts, and T/A/Sub Lt P. Whitehead RNVR and proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 25th. RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN arrived to assist. They picked up the survivors from AUCKLAND. Destroyer WATERHEN took the PASS OF BALMAHA in tow and proceeded to Tobruk, screened by DD VENDETTA. The tanker was unloaded on the 28th and escorted from Tobruk by sloop PARRAMATTA and ASW whaler SOUTHERN MAID.

*Nth Atlantic*
After being sighted by U-203, HX-133 and OB-336 were attacked by a wolfpacks, led by U-203.

*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*
CL NEPTUNE arrived at Simonstown. British CVS ALBATROSS was docked for refitting at Simonstown. The refitting was completed on 4 August.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DKM raider KORMORAN, approaching Madris to lay mines, encountered AMC CANTON. The German ship escaped undetected, but the minelaying was cancelled.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington escorting British liner AQUITANIA to Bass Strait. On the 30th, the CL joined liners QUEEN MARY, and QUEEN ELIZABETH to form convoy US.11A.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 JUNE TO DAWN 25 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_1018-1035 hrs; 1135-1152 hrs_ Air raid alerts for several enemy formations heading towards the Island. 20 Hurricanes in total are scrambled but the raiders remain far to the north of Malta and do not come close enough for the Hurricanes to engage. Several interceptions are attempted but the enemy aircraft recede out of reach in every case.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 24 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _All available submarines including _Urge, Unbeaten, Upholder_ sailed to patrol positions to intercept an important convoy believed proceeding through Straits of Messina to Tripoli.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 4 Wellington 148 Squadron. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron_7 Maryland missions on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.

_KALAFRANA _A Heinkel Float Plane arrived from UK to undertake special operational work for the Government Intelligence Section, manned by civilian personnel.


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## parsifal (Jun 25, 2016)

*25 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
RM Acciaio class Sub RM ASTERIA





Type VIIC U-403





2 ships sunk, total tonnage 12,946 GRT. sunk on 18 August 1943 in the Central Atlantic sth of Dakar, by DCs from a FNFL Wellington a/c (344 Sqn). 49 dead (all hands lost).

Neutral
Acceptor Class MSWS USS FULMAR (AMc-46) and USS JACAMAR (AM-c-47)
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Elco 77” PT-23





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS LETHBRIDGE (K-160)






HDML 1068, Fairmile B ML 256,
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Losses*
U-108 sank *MV NICOLAS PATARAS (Gk 4362 grt)* from dispersed convoy OB-336 well out in the Nth Atlantic. She was travelling empty when lost. Her entire crew went down with the ship. At 1614 hrs the NICOLAS PATARAS, dispersed from convoy OB-336, whilst on passage from Liverpool to Father Point, was hit amidships by one torpedo fired by U-108, sth of Greenland. The U-boat then surfaced, began shelling the ship at 1713 hrs and fired 97 shells until she sank by the bow at 1755 hours. The gun crew had some problems with the heavy seas and strong wind during firing.





U-108 sank *Steamer ELLINICO (Gk 3059 grt)* from dispersed convoy OG-65 well out into the Nth Atlantic. She was empty at the time of her loss. All of her crew were lost in the attack. At 0620 hrs the ELLINICO, dispersed from convoy OG-65, was hit amidships by one torpedo fired by U-108 and sank by the stern within three minutes. The ship had been spotted at 2037 hrs the day before and missed with two torpedoes just after midnight.





U-75 sank *Steamer SCHIE (NL 1967 grt)* from dispersed convoy OB-336 whilst the vessel was on passage from Aberdeen to Curacao via Loch Ewe , travelling empty. There was a crew of 29, all of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 1135 hrs, U-75 fired a stern torpedo on a steamer of estimated 4000 tons, which had been pursued for the last 3 hours in a SSW direction. The torpedo hit and caused the ship to sink by the stern within four minutes. There were no survivors and no distress signal was sent. A long time it was thought that SCHIE was sunk in by U-203 on 24 June 1941, but the ship was straggling from the convoy, so it is not possible that she was sunk in that attack.





U-77 sank *Steamer ANNA BULGARIS (Gk 4603 grt)* in the nth Atlantic in the Nth Atlantic gap whilst she was sailing independently, empty and with a crew of 35 (all of whom were to lose their lives). At 0436 hrs the unescorted ANNA BULGARIS was hit aft by a stern torpedo fired by U-77 about 600 miles south of Cape Farewell. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 2136 hrs the day before and hit her with a dud at 0030 hrs. The Germans observed how the survivors abandoned ship in lifeboats before she sank, but they were never seen again. 





*Steamer DASHWOOD (UK 2154 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the NthSea The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Trondheim: U-372

Departures
Horten: U-431

At Sea 25 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

42 boats at sea

The RN corvette HMS GLADIOLUS sighted U-71 on the surface as she was attempting to penetrate a convoy and forced her to dive. GLADIOLUS then dropped 30 DCs over five runs before the arrival of the corvette HMS NASTURTIUM, which dropped six DCs. U-71 managed to make her escape on the surface, in a damaged condition. She is known to have suffered at least one hit on the conning tower. 

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Steamer ESTONIA (Ex-Est 1181 grt)* is known to have been seized by German forces. (Note: This might be the vessel LISSA)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DD LIDDESDALE was damaged by the LW in the North Sea. ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DD WALPOLE, laid minefield BS.65 off the east coast of England. Trawler ISLE OF WIGHT was damaged by German bombing off Scarborough.

*Northern Patrol*
CL NIGERIA and DDs BEDOUIN, TARTAR, and JUPITER departed Scapa Flow on Operation EC to locate *weather ship LAUENBERG (DKM 344 grt)*. The ships proceeded to Skaalefjord to first refuel. The ships departed on the 26th. On the 28th, weather ship LAUENBURG was captured off Jan Mayen Island. After a thorough search of the LAUENBURG was sunk by DD TARTAR.

Halfway through June 1941 the Germans had decided to replaced the bigram tables used in Enigma. This would have resulted in a codebreaking blackout unless further settings could be captured. Hinsley and the Admiralty were concerned that capturing another weather ship might alert the Germans to their vulnerability and cause them to immediately alter them again. It was eventually decided to take the risk and on 25 June 1941 the above four warships were despatched to capture the codebooks from the LAUENBURG, another weather ship operating north of Iceland, which Hinsley had selected. 

At around 7pm on 28 June, a lookout aboard DD TARTAR sighted the LAUENBURGoff Jan Mayen, and TARTAR began firing. The LAUENBURG crew quickly abandoned the ship in two lifeboats. Minutes later, TARTAR steamed alongside and a boarding party seized the LAUENBURG. Once again the crew of a German warship had failed to destroy vital code information. A large amount of material was collected and transferred to the TARTAR. The Allied warships then fired on and sank the LAUENBURG.

The recovered material allowed further understanding of the Enigma codes and resulted in faster decoding of encrypted messages, as well as providing an up-to-date set of codes. The ships arrived at Scapa Flow after the operation on the 30th. DDs BEDOUIN and TARTAR at 1630 and DD JUPITER at 2200.






Minefield SN.70B was laid by MLs AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS, escorted by DDs BRIGHTON, CASTLETON, and WELLS. The operation was covered by CLs KENYA and ARETHUSA which departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd. CL AURORA relieved ARETHUSA on the 25th. ARETHUSA went to Iceland Faroes patrol.

On the 25th, DD BRIGHTON came out of a dense fog and hit KENYA starboard side abreast B turret. No deaths were reported and there is no reference to any injuries. 

KENYA proceeded to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 27th, and later to the Tyne for repairs.

BRIGHTON, whose bow was severely damaged, was escorted to Reydarfjord by AURORA and WELLS. DD ECLIPSE sailed from Reykjavik to provide additional ASW protection for the MLs. DD ECHO departed Hvalfjord to assist on the 25th and arrived on the 26th at Reydarfjord where the damaged DD and AURORA had arrived. ECLIPSE arrived at Loch Alsh on the 27th after assisting the escort.

KENYA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth on the 28th, arriving on the 29th. On the 28th, BRIGHTON departed for the Clyde in tow of tugs MARAUDER and THAMES escorted by AURORA and ECHO. The escort ships were reinforced en route by DD LIGHTNING, which departed Scapa Flow on the 29th. BRIGHTON, still under tow, detached in the North Minches. AURORA, LIGHTNING and ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow on 1 July. She sailed to the Clyde later on 1 July without her bow, which had broken away en route.

*Med/Biscay*
NZ manned CL LEANDER and DDs DECOY, HAVOCK, and NIZAM swept north of Beirut during the night of 25/26 June. At dawn on the 26th, the force bombarded the Damur area.

Submarine PARTHIAN sank Requin Class *submarine SOUFFLEUR (Vichy 974 grt)* about 2.5 miles outside of Beirut, at 1242. PARTHIAN reportedly caught the Vichy submarine on the surface as she attempted to recharge her batteries. 52 men were killed immediately, of the 5 men on the bridge, 5 got out of the boat and attempted to swim to shore, but one drowned. The boat broke in two, taking 52 of the crew with her.





RAN CL PERTH and CLA CARLISLE departed Alexandria on the 25th to relieve cruisers LEANDER and COVENTRY off Syria. CLA CARLISLE had been in the floating dock at Alexandria from 21 to 25 June. PERTH at that time was only partially repaired from the Crete bombing damage. Cruisers LEANDER and COVENTRY departed Haifa and joined the Battle Fleet at sea. They returned to Alexandria on the 27th. DDs HASTY and JAGUAR departed Haifa to return to Alexandria.

Sub RORQUAL departed Alexandria on a supply run to Malta.

An Italian convoy of troopships ESPERIA, MARCO POLO, OCEANIA, and NEPTUNIA departed Naples for Tripoli, calling at Taranto on the 27th.

The convoy was escorted by RM DDs AVIERE, GENIERE, GIOBERTI, and DA NOLI and was given cover by CAs TRIESTE and GORIZIA and DDs CORAZZIERE and CARABINIERE. DD ASCARI departed Messina on the 25th and joined the covering force.

Submarine URGE, already on patrol off Messina, and submarines UNBEATEN and UPHOLDER, at Malta, were ordered to intercept the convoy. When no contact was made, subs UNBEATEN and UPHOLDER returned to Malta on the 27th. In British air attacks on the convoy on the 25th, Sub Lt (A) D.A.R. Holmes and Leading Airman J.R. Smith were lost when their Swordfish of the 830 Sqn hit the side of the ship being attacked. Liner ESPERIA received light damage from the air attacks. DD ASCARI arrived at Messina on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 29th.

Submarine OSIRIS departed Gibraltar for Malta with seventy tons of petrol. RNeN sub O.23 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Gulf of Genoa.

*Nth Atlantic*
USN CLs PHILADELPHIA and SAVANNHA with DDs LANG and WILSON departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol ending at Bermuda on 8 July.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL FURIOUS, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs LEGION, LANCE FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, and FURY, which joined on the 24th, arrived at Gibraltar.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 JUNE TO DAWN 26 JUNE 1941

_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_0856-0927 hrs_ Air raid alert for an Italian SM 79 bomber escorted by 15 Macchi 200 fighters which crosses the Island, apparently on reconnaissance, at 21000 feet. Nine Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders at great height, 20 miles south of Delimara. The bomber is hit and damaged, its undercarriage drops and a stream of oil is seen from the aircraft. Three Macchi 200s are shot down. The rest of the raiders are chased out almost to CapePassero. An SOS is picked up, stating “Macchi 200 fallen into the sea 11 miles south of CapeReligione; go immediately.” Wreckage is seen in the sea 20 miles north-east of St Paul’s Bay. One heavy anti-aircraft gun fires a pointer round; no claims.

_1345-1349 hrs_ Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach to within 3 miles of GrandHarbour before turning away to the north. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled but unable to intercept because the leader cannot reach the altitude of the enemy in his aircraft.

_2210-2310 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island from the north, unobserved by early warning systems_._ Bombs are dropped on San Pietru and in the sea north east of St Paul’s Bay. The air raid alert then sounds. During the raid several Malta aircraft depart on offensive operations, their navigation lights on and landing lights on the aerodrome exposed. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the raider; no claims.

_2321-2338 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which drops bombs in the sea off St Thomas’ Bay before receding northwards.

_0141-0158 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast to the south east of GrandHarbour and drops 500lb high explosive bombs on Zeitun.

_0238-0349 hrs _Air raid alert for five enemy aircraft which approach singly from the north, on the same course as Wellington bombers of 148 Squadron flying in from the Middle East, two hours ahead of schedule. 100lb and 500lb high explosive bombs are dropped between Safi, on the road between Zurrieq and Qrendi, on Zabbar, and the sea 15 miles east of GrandHarbour, off Filfla and in St Thomas’ Bay. The night Hurricanes are scrambled and engage on two occuasions; no claims.

_NAVY _Important transport convoy of four large liners departed Naples; sighted south of Messina and attacked at dusk by 4 Maryland aircraft with bombs and 2 Swordfish of 830 Squadron with torpedoes. 2 hits claimed; one merchant vessel was seen burning amidships, and the convoy turned towards Taranto. 1 Swordfish (crew S/Lt Holmes and L/A Smith) and 1 Maryland failed to return.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. Photos of Castel Benito show 45 bombers, 22 fighters and 8 transport aircraft; at Mallaha 6 fighters and 2 bombers; at Palermo 14 fighters, 2 transport aircraft; at Trapani 18 fighters. 

_TA QALI _Hurricane caught fire during refuelling (fire extinguished); cause so far unknown.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 25, 2016)

*26 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1936 class ("Narvik") DD DKM Z-29





1937 class TB DKM T-15





Type VIIC U-453
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

9 ships sunk, total tonnage 23,289 grt; sunk on 21 May 1944 in the Ionian Sea NE of CapeSpartivento, , by DCs from the RN DDs TERMAGENT, TENACIOUS and Escort DD HMS LIDDESDALE. 1 dead and 51 survivors.

Type VIIC U-576
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
4 ships sunk, total tonnage 15,450 grt. Sunk on 15 July 1942 in the Nth Atlantic off CapeHatteras, by DCs from two US Kingfisher a/c (VS-9) and gunfire from the US MV UNICOI.

Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT-27





Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS EURYALUS





Flower Class Corvette HMCS PRESCOTT (K-161)





M1 Class ML HMS M-5 (M-74)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MA/SB-27, Fairmile B ML ML 270, 275
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*MSW trawler TRANIO (RN 275 grt)* whilst in tow, was sunk by the LW near No. 57 Buoy (Smith's Knoll). There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RN Sub HMS SEVERN sank *steamer POLINNIA (FI 1292 grt)* SE of Ischia..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RN Sub HMS UTMOST sank *steamer ENRICO COSTA (FI 4080 grt)* four miles from CapeTodaro..





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-141

At Sea 26 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

41 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*East Front*
Baltic
U-149 was lightly damaged by VMF SCs with DCs. Her operational readiness was unaffected.

The VMF inflicted its first losses at sea in the Baltic. At heavy cost they had managed to lay minefields close to the CourlandCoast. Mines laid by DDs SERDITYI, STOIKYI and STOROZHEVOYI in Irben straits between 24 and 25 June sank on night of 26/27 June *S-Boat S-43 (DKM 100 grt)*Mines laid by DDs SERDITYI, STOIKYI, STOROZHEVOYI, SILNYI, STRASHNYI, SMETLIVYI and GROZYASHCHYI between 26 and 27 June sank the *S boat S-106 (DKM 105 grt)* on the same night.

Black Sea/Caspian
_The Battle Of Constanta_
*Leningrad Class DDs MOSKVA (VMF 2150 grt)* and KHARKOV bombarded the Romanian Naval Port of Constanta, firing over 350 rounds of 5” ammunition into the port and setting ablaze the oil storage farm and destroying a munitions train in the attack. The bombardment was covered by VMF CA VOROSHILOV and DDs SMYSHLENY and SOOBRAZITELNY. The Romanians returned fire with all caliber of coastal guns, including two batteries of 280cm guns. DD KHARKOV was damaged by splinters from the return fire of the Romanians. DD MOSKVA was sunk by a mine (there is some doubt about the stated course of loss) as the DDs retired. Romanian sources also state that the retreat occurred after a raging combat in which there was an intense exchange of gunfire between the VMF DDs and NMS DDs REGINA MARINA and MARASTI, later supported by the NMS MTBs VIFORUL and VIJELIA which were at sea at the time of the attack. The Romanian DDs, together with defending harbour CA batteries, succeeded in turning around the Soviet vessels. The wreck of the MOSKVA was located in post war dives between MidiaCape and Tuzla. Although the precise cause is not precisely known, it is known that the MOSKVA suffered a huge explosion and sank in less than 5 mins. There were 268 persons declared missing, while 69 survivors were rescued by the Romanians. Romanians did not again risk their larger warships in pitched battles with the Black sea Fleet.



+

DD KHARKOV was damaged by near misses from counterattacking a/c. DDs SMYSHLENY and SOOBRAZITELNY escorted KHARKOV. CA VOROSHILOV was also damaged by a hit from a mine. DDs BESPOSCHADNY and BODNY departed Sevastapool to join the cruiser and escort it back to port.




_"The Battle of Constanta” Post war dramatizing painting_

*Northern Waters*
DD WINCHESTER departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to form part of the escort for CV VICTORIOUS to Scapa Flow. DD HAMBLEDON arrived at Scapa Flow from Chatham after fitting of SA equipment. RIN sloop JUMNA departed Scapa Flow escorting tkr WAR BHARATA to the Faroes. The sloop returned to Scapa Flow on the 27th after problems with the tanker's machinery were encountered. The sloop sailed again at 1400 escorting tkr WAR PINDARI, which had taken the place of the original tkr. After delivering the tkr, the sloop departed on the 28th escorting tkr WAR DIWAN and QUENTIN ROOSEVELT to Scapa Flow arriving at noon on the 30th.

*West Coast*
OB.339 departed Liverpool, escort DD BROADWATER, sloop LEITH, and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. On 2 July, DDs RAMSEY and RICHMOND and corvettes COBALT and POLYANTHUS joined. DD RAMSEY was detached on 3 July. AMC WOLFE joined on 6 July. On 9 July, DDs BURWELL and RICHMOND and sloop LEITHwere detached. On 10 July, DD BROADWATER and corvette COBALT were detached. The convoy arrived at Halifax on 12 July.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine P.33 arrived at Gibraltar from the Clyde. On the 28th, the submarine departed for Malta.

*Med/Biscay*
BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FEARLESS, and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar. FEARLESS and FOXHOUND were relieved before the operation by DDs LANCE and LEGION. On the 27th, CV ARK ROYAL flew a/c off to Malta in Operation RAILWAY. Force H. returned to Gibraltar on the 28th.

BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH, WARSPITE, and VALIANT, CL AJAX, ML Cruiser ABDIEL, and DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, HERO, JAGUAR, DEFENDER, KIMBERLEY, and HASTY departed Alexandria for gunnery and other exercises between Alexandria and Port Said. BB WARSPITE was detached that afternoon for Port Said, escorted by DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, and KIMBERLEY arriving on late on the 26th. The BB transited the Canal and began the passage to the USA, via Colombo and Singapore. KANDAHAR and GRIFFIN then proceeded to Haifa to operate off Syria.

DD KIMBERLEY rejoined the Battle Fleet. On the 26th, CLA PHOEBE and ML Cruiser LATONA joined the Fleet exercises.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.135 departed Halifax, escort RCN DD ST CROIX, sloop LONDONDERRY, corvettes BARRIE and MATAPEDIA, and aux PV REINDEER. The corvettes and the PV were detached that day. The DD was detached on the 29th. BHX.135 departed Bermuda on the 24th escort AMC PRINCE DAVID (the AMCs were detached to return some time later). The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.135/29th and the armed merchant cruiser was detached. On 1 July, escort ships CULVER and HARTLAND joined the convoy and BANFF and FISHGUARD joined on 4 July. MSW HUSSAR and corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE joined on 6 July. DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, SALADIN, and SKATE, corvette VERONICA, and anti-submarine trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, and ST ZENO. DDs SALADIN and SKTA were detached on 10 July and the remainder of the escort on 11 July. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 July.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
British troopship NIEUW AMSTERDAM departed Suez with the King of Greece, members of the Royal Family, the Greek Prime Minister, other ministers and their families, British, Dutch, and Polish Ministers and families, 151 other passengers, five naval personnel, 1000 pows of war, and 75 armed soldiers as escort. The troopship was met by CA CORNWALL on 3 July. They arrived at Durban on 7 July.

*Steamer MAREEBA (UK 3472 grt)* was sunk by DKM Raider KORMORAN The MAREEBA left Singapore on June 1st, 1941, for Colombo. On the 26th June 1941 she was intercepted and scuttled by the KORMORAN about 350 miles N.W. of the Nicobar Islands. 26 crewmen were lost and 25 were rescued and made pows.





*Steamer VELEBIT (Yug 4153 grt)* whilst on passage from Colombo to Moulmein was sunk by DKM raider KORMORAN in the Bay of Bengal. Six crewmen were rescued; of which two died. Twelve crewmen were made pows. 7 were killed by the gunfire which sank the ship and 7 crewmen were listed as simply missing.





*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 JUNE TO DAWN 27 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 26 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Reconnaissance of Taranto Harbour AM showed two liners in harbour, but PM reconnaissance showed a convoy of four large ships steering south off Taranto. _Utmost_ successful attack, sank 6000 ton ship. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish bombed shipping and port facilities in Tripoli Harbour.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Wellington 148 Squadron. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. 4 Marylands made a high-level bombing attack on Tripoli Harbour in daylight, dropping 3000 lbs of high explosive, damaging Spanish Wharf and causing fires. _148 Squadron _4 Wellingtons made a successful night bombing attack on Tripoli Harbour.


----------



## parsifal (Jun 26, 2016)

*27 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
LCT Mk 2 Class LCT 110
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*MSW trawler FORCE (RN 324 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Great Yarmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MONTFERLAND (NL 6790 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. The entire crew were rescued. She was on passage from Mackay (Australia to Humber) with as load of sugar and some minerals when lost.





_Attacks on SL-78_
U-123 attacked Convoy SL-78 and sank *MV OBERON (NL 1996 grt)* in the Central Atlantic off the coast of Spanish Sahara. The ship was on passage from Duala to Hull, with a cargo of Palm Kernels and some general cargo. A crew of 34 was embarked, 6 of whom would perish in the attack At 2357, 2358 and 24.00 hrs on 27 June 1941, U-123 fired one torpedoes each at three ships in SL-78 from between the columns WSW of the Canary Islands. The first torpedo sank FNFL P.L.M. 22 (see below) the second the OBERON and the third missed the intended target, but was thought to have hit another ship in the convoy. The OBERON was struck by a torpedo in the engine room, killing four men on watch below and a purser. The survivors were picked up by a British corvette, but one man later died of wounds.





U-123 attacked Convoy SL-78 and sank *MV P.L.M. 22 (FNFL 5646 grt)* in the Central Atlantic off the coast of Spanish Sahara. The ship was on passage from Pepel to Middlesborough transporting a cargo of Iron Ore with a crew of 44 (33 of whom would perish in the attack) when sunk. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner were lost. Nine crew members, one gunner and one passenger were picked up by Corvette HMS ARMENIA, transferred to Corvette HMS ASPHODEL and landed at Freetown on 4 July.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-69 sank *Steamer RIVER LUGAR (UK 5423 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Pepel to Barry Roads via Freetown with a cargo of iron ore and a crew of 46, 40 of whom were to perish in the attack. The ship sank in seconds, with the the master, 34 crew members, four gunners and one passenger from the RIVER LUGAR lost. Six crew members were picked up by Corvette HMS BURDOCK and landed at Milford Haven.





U-69 sank *Steamer EMPIRE ABILITY (UK 7603 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Mauritius to Liverpool via Freetown with a cargo of sugar and a crew of 109, 2 of whom would perish. At 0119 hrs, U-69 fired a spread of two torpedoes at two overlapping steamers in SL-78 about 200 miles SE of the Azores and heard one detonation, but no hit can be confirmed from Allied sources. At 0149 hrs, another torpedo was fired that hit the RIVER LUGAR amidships, which broke in two and sank within seconds. In a third attack at 0237 hrs, the EMPIRE ABILITY was hit by a torpedo, caught fire and sank after 21 minutes. The master, 60 crew members, two gunners, 17 military personnel and 27 passengers were picked up by the AMERIKA, transferred to Corvette HMS BURDOCK and landed at Milford Haven.





After sinking two ships in the convoy, U-69 was fired on by escorts, but in the in the confusion following the attack, She escaped unharmed. U-123, having torpedoed two ships from the convoy was depth charged for 11 hrs, but escaped by diving to 654 feet, below the range of British DCs at that time.

_Attacks on HX.133._
U.564 damaged Norwegian tkr KONGSGAARD during the wolfpack attack on HX-133. The tanker arrived at Belfast Lough on 2 July.

U.564 sank *steamer MAASDAM (NL 8812 grt)*. She was on passage from Halifax to Liverpool, with unkown cargo and a crew of 80 of whom 2 would lose their lives. At 0155 hrs U-564 fired three single torpedoes in one minute intervals at the convoy HX-133 about 300 miles sth of Iceland and observed three hits. The MAASDAM, MALAYA II and KONGSGAARD were all hit. The MAASDAM was hit by one torpedo on the port side. Several lifeboats were destroyed, but the most of the 48 crew members and 32 passengers (17 American Red Cross nurses and US Marines under Maj Walter L. Jordan, the advance detail for the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in London) safely abandoned ship before she sank. Two passengers were lost. 44 survivors, among them nine of 17 American Red Cross nurses, were rescued by the Norwegian tkr HAVPRINS and landed at Barry. The remaining survivors were picked up by another Norwegian vessel.





U.564 sank *steamer MALAYA II (UK 8651 grt)* in attacks on HX-133. The ship was on passage from Montral to Cardiff, with a cargo of metals and some TNT and a crew of 49, 43 of whom would perish in the attack. The MALAYA II was hit by one torpedo in hold #2 and disintegrated when the cargo of dynamite exploded. The master, 38 crew members and four gunners were lost. Six crew members were picked up by RCN Corvette COLLINGWOOD and landed at Reykjavik.





U.70 damaged Dutch tanker TIBIA from convoy in the Nth Atlantic. The tanker was repaired in the Tyne.

*Type VIIC U.556 (DKM 769 grt)* was sunk by Corvettes NASTURTIUM, CELANDINE, and GLADIOLUS SW of Iceland in thye latter part of the battle. There were 5 dead and 41 survivors taken prisoner
[NO IMAGE FOIUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-204

At Sea 27 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

39 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*East Front*
Baltic
Captures
*MV MOLE (SU 117 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co. / She was seized by the wehrmacht in Elgava

*FERRY NEPTUNAS (SU 191 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co. Seized German Army in Elgava.

*MV RIGA (SU 1207 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co. Seized German Army in Riga.

U-149 sank *M Class sub M-99 (VMF 206 grt)* At 0427 hrs on 27 June 1941. M-99 (Sr Lt Boris M. Popov) was hit by two torpedoes from U-149, which the day previously had beer slightly damaged by Soviet escorts . M-99 and sank immediately east of DagöIsland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*M Class Sub M-83 (VMF 206 grt)* was scuttled off Libau while returning to port on 27 June 1941. It is thought she had been damaged on the 25th by a/c.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM S-Boats attacked a group of VMF DDs while they were carrying out ML missions. DD STOROZHEVOYI was hit by S-31 or S-59 and damaged by a torpedo but didn’t sink (84 kia). It was assumed at the time that the attacker was a submarine. That night was also lost the *G-5 Class (series 11) MTB TK-47(VMF 19 grt)*, (ex-TK-163). DKM S-35. was fired upon by VMF DD STOIKYI reported to have fired at MTBs previously on the 26th, while on the 27th was subjected to another attack but could not fire against the attacking MTBs. STOROZHEVOYI was the largest Soviet warships ever hit by German MTB. She survived this attack, and was towed back to Leningrad, where she was rebuilt and repaired, returning to service at the end of 1942.

*MV MARIAMPOL (SU 1565 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co. The Ship was destroyed by Soviet Army during the retreat from the port of Riga.

*FERRY VIENIBA (SU 288 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co. She departed Liepaja in convoy with MSWs VIENIBA and TKA-27 having on board several hundreds wounded and civilian passengers. Vieniba as well as both MSWs were sunk by the LW. 25 crew and passengers were rescued, others were lost

*Ships captured by the wehrmacht in Port of Liepaia*

*MV AUSEKLIS (SU 1700 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co

*MV VELTA (SU 3100 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.

*MV VENTA (SU 2830 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.

*MV KAIA (SU 244 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.

*MV OGRE (SU 416 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.

*MV RAUNA (SU 3100 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.

*MV SPIDOLA (SU 4650 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ICARUS, with damaged propellers, departed Reykjavik at 1200 to meet convoy HX.133 and then proceed to Ardrossan to repair.

*Northern Waters*
CA CUMBERLAND, escorted by HAMBLEDON and WINDSOR, departed Scapa Flow to refit at Chatham. The CA arrived at Sheerness on the 28th. DDs LIGHTNING, ESKIMO, RAN NESTOR, and ORP KRAKOWIAK departed Scapa Flow to search for a submarine reported by air in the area. The DDs returned the next day.

*West Coast*
Ships for WS.9B departed Avonmouth on the 27th, Liverpool on the 28th, and the Clyde on the 29th. The three sections rendezvoused at sea on the 30th. Steamers TAMAROA, PULASKI, ANSELM (which returned with defects), ORONSAY, ATHLONECASTLE , MONARCH OF BERMUDA, CERAMIC, CLAN FORBES, ARUNDELCASTLE , MATAROA, PAMPAS , RANGITATA, and ELISABETH BAKKE composed the convoy. DD WELLS escorted the convoy from 29 June to 1 July. CLA CAIRO and DDs ST FRANCIS, GARLAND, READING, ORP PIORUN, VANQUISHER, WINCHELSEA, MAORI, and CASTLETON escorted the convoy from 29 June to 2 July. CL EDINBURGH, departed Scapa Flow on the 25th for the Clyde and arrived on the 26th, and DD WOLVERINE escorted the convoy from 28 June to 3 July. AMC CATHAY was with the convoy from 29 June to 4 July. AMC CHITRAL was with the convoy from 29 June to 7 July. CL GALATEA and AMCMORETONBAY were with the convoy for the entire voyage to Freetown. DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and BRILLIANT and corvette ASPHODEL joined the convoy on 10 July and escorted it to Freetown, and arrived at Freetown on 13 July.

On 16 July, the convoy sailed escort DDs BRILLIANT, VELOX, VANSITTART, and BOREAS from 16 to 18 July. CL GALATEA escorted the convoy through to Capetown.

Steamers CERAMIC, CLAN FORBES, PAMPAS, ELISABETH BAKKE, PULASKI, and RANGITATA arrived at Capetown on 27 July. Steamers ORONSAY, ATHLONECASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, ARUNDELCASTLE, TAMAROA, and MATAROA arrived at Durban on 30 July. Steamers CLAN FORBES, PULASKI, PAMPAS, and ELISABETH BAKKE departed Capetown on 30 July escorted by AMC QUEEN OF BERMUDA. They rendezvoused with ORONSAY, ARUNDELCASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, and ATHLONECASTLE which sailed from Durban on 3 August escorted by CL GALATEA, and arrived at Aden on 14 August. The ships travelled independently to Suez.

OB.340 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ASSINIBOINE and BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, CARNATION, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA, MSWs BRITOMART and SALAMANDER, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, KING SOL, NOTTSCOUNTY, and ST APOLLO. This section was detached on 3 July when DD HAVELOCK, sloop FLEETWOOD, and corvettes ALBERNI, CHAMBLY, COLLINGWOOD, and ORILLIA joined. The convoy was dispersed on 13 July.

Submarine L 26 grounded on the west coast of Mull. The submarine was refloated on the 28th. Submarine L 26 was repaired at Ardrossan from 8 July to 26 July.She was permanently repaired at Plymouth from 19 September to 5 February 1942.

*SW Approaches*
DD FIREDRAKE departed Chatham after repairs to return to Gibraltar and duty with Force H.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine OSIRIS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

RN Sub TRIUMPH sank *Argonauta Class Sub SALPA (RM 650 grt)* off Mersa Matruh





RM submarine JANTINA unsuccessfully attacked HMA ship PARRAMATTA near Tobruk. The sloop counterattacked and was joined by RAN DD STUART, but the submarine was not damaged.

CLA NAIAD and DDs KINGSTON, JERVIS, and HOTSPUR bombarded Damur at dawn on the 27th.

*Central Atlantic*
*Submarine GLAUCO (RM 1054 grt)* was sunk by destroyer WISHART, which just left convoy HG.66, west of Gibraltar.. Seven officers and forty four ratings were rescued from the submarine. The DD arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th.





Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar westward for Operation VIGOROUS. Due to mistaken identity, she was attacked by DD AVONVALE in the Straits and sustained some damage. However, the submarine was able to continue on her mission.

The operation was a patrol in the area of the Canary Islands for a German supply ship, reportedly due to supply a German submarine on the 30th. Nothing was found and the submarine returned to Gibraltar on 5 July.

SL.79 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNOTTAR CASTLE to 10 July and corvettes COLUMBINE, CROCUS, and CYCLAMEN to 5 July. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE departed Gibraltar on 11 July and joined the convoy for passage to England. On 14 July, the convoy joined convoy HG.67 for the passage to England, and arrived at Liverpool on 24 July.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Mombasa after escorting convoy CM 11 to Aden. Observer Sub Lt (A) M.S.T. Broadwood of 700 Sqdn, PO Airman H.D. Millington, PO Airman W.A.H. Peters, and Air Artificer 4/c T.G. Finan were killed in an air accident in CA EXETER in Mozambique Channel.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 JUNE TO DAWN 28 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.
_1010 hrs _Hurricanes begin landing at Luqa from Operation Railway.

_1146-1220 hrs _Air raid alert for a SM 79 bomber escorted by 25 Macchi 200 fighters which approach Grand Harbour from the north. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage, destroying six Macchis confirmed, plus two probable, and damaging the SM 79 and other fighters. Two Macchis are seen to crash; one near Birzebbuga is completely burned out and scattered over four fields. The pilot bales out but the parachute fails to open; his body is found near Ta Karach and an ambulance attends the scene. The second Macchi crashes into the sea; its pilot is rescued and taken prisoner. P/O Barnes, who shot him down, visits the Italian pilot for afternoon tea.

_2152-2220 hrs_ Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching from the north. Seven heavy anti-aircraft guns launch a barrage and one aircraft recedes north. The other crosses the coast north of Grand Harbour and drops 50kg bombs between Valletta and Sliema, including Pieta Creek. One bomb demolishes a house in Pieta, where a crater in the road causes a traffic diversion. One gunner is killed and three injured. 50kg bombs are also dropped in the sea off Salina Bay and St Thomas’ Bay. Anti-aircraft guns launch a barrage; no claims. Hurricane night fighters are scrambled but searchlights do not illuminate raiders and there are no interceptions.

_0305-0350 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the north and drops 50kg high explosive bombs on Zabbar and Marsa, as well as Ta Qali and in the sea off the north coast. One stick of bombs start a fire at Salvatore Gate which is soon under control. Several unexploded bombs are reported on land. Anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims. Malta night fighters do not intercept due to lack of searchlight illuminations.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 27 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _A convoy of four liners (same as departed Naples 25 June) arrived in Taranto, but not known whether these were original four. The ships were later attacked in harbour by Blenheim aircraft which claim to have damaged _Esperia_ (causing slight damage) and _Neptunia_. 

_AIR HQ Arrivals _21 Hurricane, 4 Wellington. _69 Squadron _6 Maryland reconnaissance missions. _82 Squadron _3 Blenheims made a surprise low-level bombing attack on Tamet aerodrome, setting fire to three aircraft and machine-gunning others, as well as personnel on the ground. _148 Squadron _6 Wellingtons night bombing raid on Tripoli Harbour, especially Spanish Wharf and the main unloading facilities.

_TA QALI _10 Hurricanes arrived ex Ark Royal. One overshot aerodrome on landing; pilot uninjured


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## parsifal (Jun 26, 2016)

*28 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS CAVA (T-145)





Higgins 70’ type MGB 100





Fairmile B ML-205
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-146 sank *MV PLUTO (FN 3496 grt)* in waters off the Nth of the UK. The vessel was enroute from Sth America to Petsamo via New York with a cargo of grain, coal and oil. A crew of 39 was embarked, of whom 3 would perish in the attack. She effectively became a blockade runner after Finland joined the Axis. This did not save her from attentions of the U-Boats as she travelled these dangerous waters

At 0207 hrs the unescorted and unarmed PLUTO was hit in the engine room by one torpedo fired by U-146 and sank after 30 minutes about 75 miles NW of Butt of Lewis. Eight days earlier, the ship had been stopped by HMS SUFFOLK in the Denmark Strait and was first sent to Iceland with ten Royal Marines on board and then to Kirkwall for contraband control. The master, 25 crew members and the prize crew were rescued by HMS NORTHERN DUKE and landed at Kirkwall on 29 June.





RM submarine DA VINCI sank *tanker AURIS (UK 8030 grt)* in the central Atlantic whilst she was on passage from Trinidad to Gibraltar carrying crude oil. 32 crewmen were lost on the steamer. DD FARNDALE departed convoy HG.66 to assist and picked up 27 crewmen.





*Steamer BARRHILL (UK 4972 grt)* was sunk by the LW off Great Yarmouth Roads on passage New York for London with grain. Five crewmen were lost on the steamer.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Trondheim: U-431

Konigsberg: U-401
Lorient: U-109

At Sea 28 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

40 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Novik Class DD LENIN (VMF 1260 grt)* was scuttled by the retreating Soviet Army at Libau.





*Serie IX Bis Submarine S.10 (VMF 856 grt)*mined and sunk in the Irben strait on or around 28 June 1941. All hands (40) lost.





*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and joined convoy EC.38 off MayIsland. The convoy was escorted to Pentland Firth and the ship arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

*West Coast*
CV VICTORIOUS departed the Clyde escort DDs CHARLESTOWN, ST MARYS, and WINCHESTER for Scapa Flow. DD ECLIPSE departed Loch Alsh at 2330/28th to join the escort. DD ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow on the 29th to meet the CV and bolster the escort. The carrier, escorted by DDs ESKIMO, ECLIPSE, and WINCHESTER, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

*Med/Biscay*
RAN CL PERTH and DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, HAVOCK, and JERVIS carried out a sweep of Damur during the night of 27/28 June. The cruiser, supported by CLA CARLISLE and DDs JERVIS, DECOY, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, and RAN NIZAM, bombarded Damur during the afternoon of 28 June.

Sub SEVERN sank *steamer UGO BASSI (FI 2900 grt)* whilst the steamer was on passage from Civitavecchia to Cagliari. The vessel sank five miles 24° from Capo Monte Santi in the Gulf of Orosei.





RN Sub OSIRIS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
RM CL s ATTENDOLO and DUCA D'AOSTA escorted by DDs PIGAFETTA, PESSAGNO, DA MOSTO, DA VERAZZANO, and DA RECCO laid mines in the Sicilian Channel.

For Operation RAILWAY 2, CVL FURIOUS, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, LANCE, and LEGION cleared port at dusk on the 28th to feint to the west as Force A. DD LANCE was later moved to the BC RENOWN group. As Force B, BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, WISHART, and AVONVALE departed at 0130 hrs on the 29th. DDs WISHART and AVONVALE were detached after local escort duties. The two groups proceeded to Malta in company.

On the 30th June ARK ROYAL flew 26 Hurricanes whilst FURIOUS flew 8 Hurricanes. All a/c were transferred to Malta. The operation suffered a mishap when one of the aircraft crashed into the bridge structure and started a fire on the flight deck. Two officers and one rating were killed. One other officer and two ratings died of injuries on the 30th.Two officers and four ratings later died of wounds. Ten ratings were seriously injured. The mishap prevented the last six aircraft from being flown off FURIOUS.

The force returned to Gibraltar after the operation on 1 July.

Subs UNIQUE, UPRIGHT, UNIQUE, and UPHOLDER departed Malta to intecept Vichy vessels expected to proceed to support Syria. All, less UPHOLDER, returned to Malta without contact on 3 July. UPHOLDER arrived at Malta on 8 July.

ASW trawlers LORD IRWIN and LAERTES and whaler GOS 7 departed Gibraltar for Freetown. Norwegian tanker SILDRA departed in company and set off for the west.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 JUNE TO DAWN 29 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 28 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _All available submarines (_Union, Upright, Unique, Upholder_) to patrol East of Messina to intercept Vichy French vessels thought likely to proceed to support Syria.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Wellington, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _5 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.


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## Njaco (Jun 26, 2016)

*June 27 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Cargo ship “_Empire Ability_” from convoy SL 78 was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-69. Cargo ship “_Empire Activity_” was torpedoed off Newfoundland by German submarine U-96. Dutch cargo liner “_Maasdam_” was torpedoed and sunk off Greenland by German submarine U-564.

*ASIA: *After months of negotiations, Netherlands East Indies agrees to only minor concessions, and Japanese trade delegation departs.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union. Denmark severs diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.

Armeegruppe Nord:  The Battle of Raseiniai ended in German victory. The Battle of Raseiniai was a tank battle fought between the elements of the 4.Panzergruppe commanded by Gen. Erich Hoepner and the 3.Motorisierte Abteilung commanded by Major General Kurkin and 12.Motorisierte Abteilung commanded by Major General Shestapolov in Lithuania 75 km northwest of Kaunas in the attempt by the commander of the Northwestern Front, Kuznetsov to contain and destroy German troops that had crossed the Neman River (Nemunas). The result of the battle was the almost complete destruction of Soviet armoured forces of the Northwestern Front, clearing the way for the continued German offensive towards the crossings of the Daugava River (Western Dvina).

Armeegruppe Mitte: Forces of the Soviet 13th Army (Filatov), recently assigned to West Front, are struck by the attacks of German 3.Panzergruppe, advancing southward, and 2.Panzergruppe, striking northward. Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe and Hoth’s 3.Panzergruppe link up near Minsk, trapping another 3 Soviet rifle divisions in what is now the Bialystok-Nowogrodek pocket. There are about 20 Soviet divisions encircled with 200,000 men from the Russian 3rd, 10th and 13th Armies. German 9.Armee and 4.Armee began reducing Soviet pocket at Bialystok. German troops captured Bobruisk in Byelorussia and Przemysl in Poland.

Armeegruppe Sud:  Soviet 9th, 15th, and 19th Mechanized Corps continue attacking German 1.Panzergruppe. The Soviet counter attacks north of Dubno begin to sputter as uncoordinated Soviet battle groups are destroyed by the more coordinated German efforts. However, the attacks approaching from south of Dubno are more successful and create some confusion in the German attacks. Meanwhile, 11.Panzerdivision drives east of Dubno, breaking through the Soviet defenses and capturing Ostrog, 30 kilometers in the Soviet’s rear. Once the East Fort of Brest Fortress could not be taken by infantry, the Luftwaffe bombed it twice and forced its approximately 360 defenders to surrender. German 17.Armee began attacking Lvov.

Hptm. Heinz Bretnutz, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 53 dies of his wounds suffered on the opening day of Operation Barbarossa. Hptm. Bretnütz had thirty-five victories in the air. Hptm. Walter Spies is appointed Gruppenkommandeur in his place. Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld, Gruppenkommandeur of I(J)./LG 2 shoots down his fifteenth Russian aircraft and fortieth victory of the war and is immediately awarded the _Eichenlaub_. Hptm. Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_ for his twenty victories attained so far. But Adolf Kinzinger of JG 54 is killed in captivity. He has six victories flying with the 'Green Hearts' Geschwader. JG 27 loses Hans Umbach when he is killed in action. He has five victories.

Lietukis Garage Massacre: In Kaunas, Lithuania, a group of Lithuanian nationalists gathered more than 50 Jewish men in a horse stable and beat them violently with iron bars in public view. None of the victims survived.

Soviet submarine SC-206 mistakenly attacks Soviet flotilla leader “_Kharkov_” and is in turn sunk by Soviet destroyers.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia appointed Tito as Commander-in-Chief of the Yugoslavian Peoples Army.

Joseph Stalin gave permission to military tribunals to give out death sentences to members of the Red Army without his personal approval.

Sir Stafford Cripps arrives in Moscow at the head of British delegation.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 108 aircraft to attack Bremen and 28 aircraft to attack Vegesack overnight. Fourteen do not return.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy from Naples, having been diverted, departs Taranto for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Geniere_”, “_Gioberti_”, and “_Da Noli_” and supported by two cruisers and three more destroyers.

Axis air raids lead to heavy air-to-air combat over Malta. Hurricanes disperse a formation of Italian Macchi fighters off Malta, shooting down 6.

Operation Railway I: 22 RAF Hurricane fighters launched from RN carrier “_Ark Royal_” of Force H escorted by Blenheims to reinforce Malta. Only one Hurricane failed to complete the delivery flight, while “_Ark Royal_” and her escort returned to Gibraltar.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the offices of the Socialist Workers Party in Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, United States, seizing large quantities of Communist literature.

First flight of Douglas B-19 world's largest bomber at Santa Monica. The XB-19 project was intended to test flight characteristics and design techniques for giant bombers. Douglas Aircraft wanted to cancel the expensive project. Despite advances in technology that made the XB-19 obsolete before it was completed, the Army Air Corps felt that the prototype would be useful for testing. Its construction took so long that competition for the contracts to make the XB-35 and XB-36 occurred two months before its first flight.

*NORTH AFRICA:* De Gaulle names Catroux commander-in-chief of Levant with all powers of the French High Commissioner.

East African 22nd Infantry Brigade captures Dembi in Galla-Sidamo. RAF aircraft attack isolated Italian positions at Debra Tabor.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* After minelaying operation in New Zealand waters, captured whaler “_Adjutant_” scuttled by prize crew in company with German raider “_Komet_”.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command conducts two major sweeps along the French coast. The first was a RAF 11 Group Roadstead against MVs off Calais. Then RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on RAF 11 Group Circus 25 to Lille heavily escorted by Fighter Command. 21 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group where escorted by fighters from 19 squadrons.

Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, one of Adolf Galland’s younger brothers, is posted to II./JG 26. All three brothers are now flying within the same combat unit.

German blockade runner “_Regensburg_” reaches Bordeaux from Manchukuo.

One battalion of Vichy French troops and trainloads of supplies and ammunition depart for the Levant.

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## Njaco (Jun 27, 2016)

*June 28 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The German weather ship “_Lauenburg_” was intercepted by British warships north of Iceland. A boarding party from the destroyer HMS “_Tartar_” seized a large amount of material that would be useful in cracking German codes, and then the “_Lauenburg_” was sunk by gunfire.

*ASIA:* Japanese Government decides not to join Germany in invading Soviet Union.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Italian-controlled Albanian government declares war on Soviet Union.

Armeegruppe Nord:  Soviet 21st Mechanized Corps makes unsuccessful attack against German 4.Panzergruppe at Daugavipils.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe and 3.Panzergruppe attacked around Minsk and finally captured the city, encircling 27 Soviet Army divisions in the process. The Gestapo also enters the city, ordering all men from 15 to 45 years of age to appear at the registration point. Thousands obey and are marched off to Drozdy camp. 3.Panzerdivision of German 2.Panzergruppe captures Bobruisk. German 9.Armee (Strauss) and 4.Armee (Kluge) continue reducing Soviet pocket at Bialystok by linking up east of Bialystok by nightfall, cutting off the Soviet forces concentrated in the Bialystok pocket from the larger Nowogrodek pock. General Heinz Guderian’s advancing 2.Panzergruppe is held up by the fortress of Brest-Litovsk managed by a commissar school of the Red Army. The fortress blocks the only supply route to the German front and after a week of attacks by Ju 87 Stukas the walls are still not breached. The Ju 88s of KG 3 are then called upon to attack using 3,500 lb bombs. Heavy fire disrupts the bombing runs but at 1800 hours two 3,500 lb bombs – or ‘block busters’ - do manage to hit the walls of the fortress and force the Russians to surrender.

Armeegruppe Sud: Armeegruppe Sud meets tougher than expected resistance in its drive through the southern Ukraine. German forces captured Rovno in Ukraine but Soviet mechanized counterattacked ending German 2.Panzergruppe’s push around Rovno. Soviet counter-attacks in the Dubno region collapse. Russian forces are now withdrawing on all fronts.

The Soviet NKVD, NKGB, and the Chief Prosecutor Office signed a top secret joint order to coordinate the investigation of traitors. Meanwhile NKVD began murdering thousands of Ukrainian nationalist prisoners in Lvov and deporting many others to the east.

Rioting breaks out in the newly "liberated" city of Kaunas. The German military authorities stand by as 3800 Jews are killed by the angry mobs.

*GERMANY:* Joachim von Ribbentrop sent a message to the Japanese embassy in Berlin, Germany, asking the Japanese to jointly invade the Soviet Union by tearing up the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and attack Vladivostok, Russia.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* “_Scirè's_” mission to attack Grand Harbour, Malta was canceled.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Indian 21st Infantry Brigade crosses into northeastern Syria from Iraq, advancing toward Palmyra.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* London requests a division from Australia to reinforce Malaya. Oliver Lyttelton appointed to serve as British minister in the Middle East.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 24 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group on RAF 11 Group Circus 26 to Comines heavily escorted by 19 squadrons from Fighter Command. RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

While battling Spitfires over St. Omer, Oblt. Gustav “Mickey” Sprick, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26 performs a turn and has the wing of his Bf 109F collapse and break away. He has no chance to escape and dies when the plane crashes. He has thirty-one victories at the time of his death.

In Spain, General Agustin Munoz Grandes appointed to command new Blue Division for service on the Russian Front. Government soon begins recruiting for Blue Division.

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## Njaco (Jun 28, 2016)

*June 29 Sunday*
*ASIA:* Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China. Among the property damaged were the British Embassy in the city and American gunboat USS “_Tutuila_” at Lungmenhao lagoon.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa:  The German armies are maintaining their advances and the Soviet positions are further stretched by the start of joint German-Finnish attacks in the Karelian Isthmus and farther north near Petsamo. Meanwhile, the last Soviet resistance in the Citadel area of Brest-Litovsk is eliminated. The past week shows that the Luftwaffe is having incredible success against the Soviets. Reichsmarschall Göring announces “_In the first week of the campaign the Luftwaffe has destroyed 4,990 Russian enemy aircraft for the loss of 175 of its own._” Moscow orders a policy of unrelenting scorched earth in the face of German advances. The Soviet government tells the people to leave nothing for the Germans, ordering the removal of all rolling stock, leaving not a single locomotive, not a truck, not a kilogram of bread, not a liter of fuel. Collective farms must drive away their cattle. All property of value, any, including ferrous metals, bread and fuel which cannot be taken away, must, without exceptions be destroyed. This was the famous “Scorched Earth” policy.

Armeegruppe Nord: Unternehmen 'Silber Fuchs': The German 20.Gebirgsarmee Armee launches Operation 'Silver Fox', an offensive to capture the Soviet port of Murmansk, while the Finnish Karelian Army activates its offensive towards Leningrad. Soviet warships land reinforcements for Murmansk on the Fisherman's Peninsula. Three successive German attacks all fail and Dietl's troops dig in along river Litsa in September. German troops attempted to take Riga by storming the railroad bridge over the Dvina River. They were successful in establishing a foothold on the eastern bank, but counter-attacking Russian forces destroyed the invaders. Colonel General Vasily Kuznetsov was ordered by Semyon Timoshenko to maintain pressure on the German bridgehead on the Daugava River (Western Dvina) near Daugavpils, Latvia. Kuznetsov would use all his reserves to mount a counterattack that would be repulsed by the Germans. On snow-covered tundra under the midnight sun, Dietl's German BergkorpsNorwegen crosses the Russian border, breaks through Russian border fortifications, and fords the Titovka River. The German advance out of Norway, directed at the vital northern port of Murmansk is stopped by determined Soviet defenses. German 18.Armee captures Liepaja, Jelgava, and Riga. German 4.Panzergruppe renews its offensive from Daugavpils. Soviet marines and elements of the 67th Rifle Division defending the Libau naval base far to the rear of the Germans run out of ammunition and time. The city and base are surrendered after inflicting heavy losses on the Germans.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Armies of Soviet Western Front encircled and destroyed.

Armeegruppe Sud: The Defense of Brest Fortress ended in German victory. After eight days of fierce fighting the Germans had captured the whole fortress. But the strategic objectives - control over the Panzerrollbahn I, i.e. the road to Moscow, the important railway line, and the bridges over the Bug river - were accomplished the very first day of the war. The Germans took 7,000 prisoners, including 100 officers. German losses were 1,000 killed, including 32 officers, and 700 wounded. The magnitude of these losses can be weighed by the fact that total German losses on the Eastern Front up to 30 June 1941 amounted to 8,886 killed. The fighting at Brest therefore accounted for over 5 percent of all German fatalities. Forces of Armeegruppe Sud eliminate pockets of resistance, consolidate their forces, and regroup for the continued advance toward Kiev.

A haggard and tense Stalin set up a Soviet Defence Committee consisted of Molotov, Voroshilov, Malenkov, Beria, and himself, and then retired to his dacha on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, staying there until the following day writing a speech to the Soviet people and drafting two important directives on the Soviet war effort.

Romanian troops conducted a pogrom against Jews in the town of Jassy, killing 10,000.

*GERMANY: *Hitler formally declares Goering will be his successor.

RAF Bomber Command sends 106 aircraft to attack Bremen and 28 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight. Six do not return.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* In the name of Greater Albania, Italy announces annexation of districts of Yugoslavia along Albanian borders.

Operation RAILWAY II: RN Force H departs Gibraltar for central Mediterranean with aircraft to reinforce Malta. On the return of “_Ark Royal_” to Gibraltar, “_Furious_” transferred a further 26 aircraft retaining 16 and both carriers then sailed for a further flying off, being escorted by the battlecruiser “_Renown_”, cruiser “_Hermione_“ and destroyers “_Faulknor_”, “_Fearless_”, “_Forester_”, “_Foxhound_”, “_Fury_”, “_Lance_” and “_Legion_”.

RN destroyer “_Waterhen_” sunk by Italian Stukas from 239th Squadriglia off Bardia while on supply mission to Tobruk.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Former US President Herbert Hoover warned against aiding the Soviet Union.


> "If we go further and join the war and we win, then we have won for Stalin the grip of communism on Russia.... If we join the war and Stalin wins, we have aided him to impose more communism on Europe and the world."



King Carol II arrives in Mexico where in exile he attempts unsuccessfully for the remainder of the war to build a Free Rumania movement and government-in-exile.

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## parsifal (Jun 28, 2016)

As I recall Minsk was as far as OKH pre-invasion logistics planning had anticipated was needed to bring about the collapse of the Soviet Army and the surrender of the regime. The Germans reached Minsk, on time, and having achieved nearly all the military objectives they had set themselves. It was the military manifestation of Hitlers assertion of "_all we need to do is kick in the door and they will come crashing down_ " dogmas that underpinned this lunatic campaign. The failure to secure soviet surrender passed almost un-noticed at the time and the Soviets showed no signs of capitulation and further began the first of many military rallies. The Germans, for their part began a series of extemporised campaigns, each one considered the "final push" needed to force the Soviets to their knees. these series of "final pushes" would drag the heer to the gates of Moscow and final defeat in this climactic campaign.

Halders diary on this day outlined a number of the fuhrers concerned, of which halder was generally dismissive of. however his diary does include the following

"_Russians are fighting to the last man. Sometimes treacherous methods are used, especially where Mongolians are among the troops (Sixth Army, ninth Army). A singular note is, that as a rule only very few soldiers are taken with captured Battrys, etc. Some let themselves be killed, while others run away, get rid of their uniforms and. try to make their way back as "peasants « Morale of our troops everywhere is described as very good, also where they had to go through hard fighting. Horses very tired. 

G-en. Ott (inf.) reports in particular on his impressions on the battlefield of Grodno, how, for once, our troops are compelled, by the stubborn Russian resistance, to fight according to their combat manuals. In. Poland and in the" West they could take liberties, but here they cannot get away -with it. Enemy air effort against our troops appears to be on a very minor scale_".

http://militera.lib.ru/db/0/pdf/halder_eng6.pdf


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## Njaco (Jun 29, 2016)

*June 30 Monday*
*ASIA: *The Netherlands Purchasing Commission placed an order with North American Aviation to purchase 162 B-25C bombers for the Dutch government-in-exile. These aircraft were intended for the Dutch East Indies to counter the growing Japanese threat.

*EASTERN FRONT: *Unternehmen Barbarossa: Troops from Armeegruppe Sud take Lvov in the south while to their left other units make deeper advances toward Kiev. Bobruisk is taken by 2.Panzergruppe (part of Armeegruppe Mitte) and operations begin to cross the Berezina River. Hitler accepts Mussolini's offer to send an Italian expeditionary corps of three divisions to join German forces on the Russian Front.

Armeegruppe Nord: German 18.Armee, 4.Panzergruppe, and 16.Armee continue pushing toward Leningrad. With most of his armies destroyed, Kuznetsov was replaced by Sobennikov at Soviet Northwestern Front.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Armeegruppe Mitte continues to constrict the Bialystok pocket to the west of Minsk. Armies of Soviet Western Front were ordered to withdraw to the Berezina. General Pavlov was dismissed from command of Soviet Western Front and ordered to report to Moscow where he is tried for dereliction of duty. Eremenko takes command of Soviet Western Front. Bobruisk is taken by 2.Panzergruppe, and operations begin to cross the Berezina River.

Armeegruppe Sud:  Edwald von Kleist's 1Panzergruppe troops captured Lvov, Ukraine. Elements of Bandera's faction of Ukrainian National Movement arrive at Lvov and proclaim renewal of independent Ukrainian state under leadership of Iaroslav Stetsko. German and Romanian troops threaten the Soviet town of Kishinev.

The Hungarian Army joins the war against the Soviets. The Hungarian Carpathian Group - which comprised the 1st Mountain and the 8th Border Guard Brigades as well as all of its corps troops (VIII. Corps) and the Gyorshadtest which comprised the 1st and 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigades as well as the 1st Cavalry Brigade and, the 15th Bicycle Battalion from 2nd Cavalry Brigade - began its attack on 30 June with attempts to clear the passes through the Carpathians. The defenders demolished many of the roads and bridges in the area which slowed down the advance considerably. The Soviets surprised the Hungarians with their skillful delaying tactics, but the Soviets made no real effort to hold on to the area between the Carpathians and the Dneiste

Over Lvov, Luftflotte 4’s fighter units claim forty-one Russian aircraft shot from the sky and forty-five destroyed on the ground. The Russians fly hundreds of SB-2 and DB-3 bombers around Minsk to prevent the German Army from surrounding the city. The fighters of JG 51 intercept the bombers and destroy 113 of the bombers – sixty of the pilots returning to base with one or more victories to their scores. Three pilots claim five kills apiece including the Geschwader’s 1,000th enemy aircraft destroyed since the beginning of the war. One is JG 51’s Kommodore, Obstlt. Werner Mölders who claims five Russian planes destroyed to bring his total to eighty-two, surpassing the world record of eighty kills by the First World War I ace Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen. The other two pilots to record five kills are Hptm. Hermann-Friedrich Jöppien, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 51 and Lt. Heinz “Pritzl” Bär. The Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 51 Hptm. Josef Fözö brings his score to twenty kills as does the Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 51, Hptm. Richard Leppla. Oblt. Hermann Staiger of 7./JG 51 shoots down four Russian SB-2s for the day while Oblt. Hans Kolbow of 5./JG 51 also claims a Russian kill. But the Geschwader loses Helmut Jürgens, a pilot with thirteen victories, when he is killed in action against the Soviets.

In the north near Dunaberg waves of Russian bombers fly to attack the bridges over the Duna River that 4.Panzergruppe needs to continue advancing. Included in the group of Russian aircraft lost are sixty-four bombers shot down by anti-aircraft units protecting the bridge captured by the Germans. Uffz. Otto Kittel of 2./JG 54 manages to shoot down two Russian IL-2 Sturmoviks, the Soviet’s heavily armoured aircraft used for ground support missions. Uffz. Kittel becomes so good at shooting down the Sturmoviks – known as ‘butchers’ to the German ground troops, - that he is known as the “Butcher-killer” to the German soldiers of Armeegruppe Nord. Other pilots of JG 54 have success as Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7 Staffel downs three Russian aircraft , Oblt. Hannes Trautloft claims two Russian DB-3s and Obstlt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of 9 Staffel claims four Soviet aircraft. The Geschwader claims sixty-five Soviet aircraft destroyed for the day.

The Soviet Union formed the State Defense Committee (GKO) to coordinate defense efforts; it consisted of Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Kliment Voroshilov, Georgy Malenkov, and Lavrentiy Beria.

Stalin begins executions of the commanders who failed to stop the invasion (conveniently forgetting that he was the one who kept on ignoring reports from the frontier and his own spies that the invasion was coming). Pavlov, commander of the Western Front was most notable among those who "lost their jobs".

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft to attack scattered targets during the day. The Handley Page Halifax bomber made its first daylight operation during a raid on Kiel, Germany but it did not take long to discover that its defensive armament was inadequate for daylight use and by the end of the year Halifax bombers were only used on night raids.

RAF Bomber Command sends 64 aircraft to attack the Ruhr overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* “_Scirè_” launched manned torpedoes into Grand Harbour, Malta. They failed to damage any enemy vessels.

Operation RAILWAY II: 35 RAF Hurricanes launched from RN carriers “_Ark Royal_” and “_Furious_” of Force H to reinforce Malta. During the flying off, “_Furious_” had a serious flight deck accident when the tenth aircraft to take off hit the island. Consequently when both ships returned to Gibraltar with 6 Hurricanes remained onboard, their pilots having become casualties in the accident, and were landed at Gibraltar. All the 35 aircraft that were successfully launched arrived at Malta, being led in by six Blenheim bombers.

RN gunboat “_Cricket_” was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft off Matruh, towed to Alexandria, and written off.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The active duty strength of the US Marine Corps was reported to be 3,339 officers and 51,020 enlisted men for the total of 54,359.

USN aircraft carrier “_Yorktown_” leads task force departing Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld's Bf 110 aircraft collided with another Bf 110, piloted by Rudolf Schoenert while in exercise over northern Netherlands.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group on RAF 11 Group Circus 27 to attack the power stations at Pont-au-Vendin heavily escorted by 19 squadrons from Fighter Command.

Vichy France decides to break diplomatic ties with the USSR.


> "_The French Government had become convinced that diplomatic and consular agents of the Soviet in France were exercising influence affecting the security of the State."_



.


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## parsifal (Jun 29, 2016)

Halder's diary 30 June 1941

"Afternoon (1630) Visit by the Fuehrer to the camp. Report presented at OKH HQ . Report by me on progress, with estimate of the situation and the resulting operational possibilities.

The Fuehrer stresses the following points" (my note: and shows that hitlers decisions behind the kiev pocket diversion had little to do with the military situation. Further, there is no hint here of any opposition to the fuhrer's distractions from the main objective of Moscow by his professional staff, making the argument 'it was all hitler's fault' a spurious defence. Hitler is being distracted by economic issues already).

"a) Mastery of the Gulf of Finland must "be secured at the earliest. For only elimination of the Russian Navy will give us free communications through the Baltic (iron ore shipments from Lulea). After seizing the

Russian seaports from the landside we must allow three to four weeks for all enemy submarines to be positively out of action. Four weeks mean 2 million tons of iron ore.

2) Ukraine: Significance for food supply and industry.

He attaches great importance to reaching Leningrad as soon as possible with the Inf. Divs. of AGp North, but Armor need not wait for their advance. He does not see clear yet whether Leeb's strength, especially his Armor, is sufficient, for the purpose. He expects that after reaching Smolensk in the 'middle of July, we would not be able to take Moscow by Infantry assault before August; Armor alone cannot do it. The time it takes for the Inf. to get to Moscow, he believes could be utilized ''our Armor to. make a clean slate in the north. Then we could mass Armor east of Moscow. Speeding of gasoline supply to Hoepner and 6th is emphasized.

Evening Situation: Slow but steady developments in all Army Gps, In AGp. Center-, however, enemy forces have broken through Guderian's Armd. Gp. between Slonim and Minsk. This is awkward, but probably is of no major importance. In AGp. North, the Riga railroad bridge appears to have been blasted of enemy elements, who penetrated into our lines in the confused fighting.

Hoepner thinks he will be ready to advance on 2 July., Coming behind him,. AGp. North will "be ready to cross the Dvlna on 4 July. Hoth reports that he likewise will be ready to continue advance on 2 July. But Guderian is still lagging "behind., south of Minsk,, where his forces are partaking in the encirclement of the Novogrodsk pocket. He so will take several days longer then the others to get ready for new operations. Irrespective of these plans, Guderian's right wing could secure the Dniepr crossings at Mogilev and to the south.

Air Force is "being reinforced in the sector of AGp. South and on the Romanian front. In AGp. South, very effective action "by our Air Force against enemy Air Force and enemy columns retreating "before our troops ( as many as three columns abreast are reported) . A total "bag of over 200 aircraft shot down during this day. Enemy reported to "be already reduced to sending very: old four-engine models into the battle."


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2016)

*29 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type II Hunt Class Escort DD HMS CROOME (L-62)



+

Flower Class Corvette HMCS KENOGAMI (K-125)





*Losses*
U-103 accidentally sank *Blockade Runner ERNANI (FI 6619 grt)* in the central Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Las Palmas, Azores, to Bordeaux, carrying scrap iron with a crew of 34 aboard, 2 crew were to be lost in the attack At 0051 hrs, U-103fired its last torpedo at an unescorted steamer of 6600 GRT, observed a hit in the engine room and the subsequent sinking of the ship about 450 miles west of the Canary Islands. The steamer had been spotted at 1642 hours the day before and was missed with a stern torpedo at 2328 hrs. After the sinking, the U-boat approached the lifeboats and Schütze questioned some survivors but he did not believe them when they told him that they were from the Italian steamer ERNANI en route from Las Palmas to Horta, because the course of the ship didn’t correspond with the mentioned destination. In fact, the U-boat had sunk the Italian blockade runner ERNANI, disguised as the Dutch steam merchant ENGGANO. She was the ninth and last Italian merchant ship that left the Canary Islands to run the blockade in an attempt to reach a French port (only five managed to reach their destination) and planned to arrive at Bordeaux between 9 and 11 August. Her crew began to disguise the ship only after leaving Las Palmas and they built a fake crow’s nest on a mast and additional bulwarks, removed the other mast and painted the hull and funnel black, but the work was not yet completed when the ship was torpedoed. The torpedo struck on the starboard side and opened a large hole, causing the ship to sink by the stern within four minutes. Two crew members on watch below were killed, while the remaining crew members had barely time to abandon ship in both port lifeboats because both boats on the starboard side had been destroyed. As the Germans questioned the Italians in English, the master thought that they had been sunk by a British submarine, lied about the port of destination and asked for help. He was told that they couldn’t help them in any way but promised to send a radio message after leaving the area as no distress signal had been sent. The lifeboats unsuccessfully searched the area for the two missing men until midnight and then began to row and sail towards the nearest land. On 10 July, the weather deteriorated and the boats were tossed around violently by strong wind and heavy seas. The lifeboat in charge of the first officer began leaking during the storm and had to be abandoned eventually. Its occupants were taken aboard the other lifeboat which was in charge of the master. Around noon on 12 July, the exhausted survivors made landfall near Fuencaliente Lighthouse on La Palma, Canary Islands. The sinking of ERNANI was investigated by the BdU after the RM protested, but no action was ever taken against any member of the U-Boat. Schütze the Uboat commander had not been informed about the presence of a friendly ship in the area and could not recognize the ship correctly as her appearance had been altered.



+

_Convoy SL-78_
*Steamer CUSHENDALL (UK 626 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. Two crewmen were killed on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-66 sank *Steamer GEORGE J. GOULANDRIS (Gk 4345 grt)* off the coast of West Africa. The ship was transporting a cargo of sugar from Mauritius to leith via Freetown, with a crew of 28 aboard. 8 members of the crew would be lost in the attack. At 1146 hrs the unescorted GEORGE J. GOULANDRIS, a straggler from convoy SL-78, was hit on the starboard side by two G7e torpedoes from U-66 about 380 miles west of the Canary Islands. The first torpedo struck in #2 hold and the second in #4 holds, blowing off the hatches and sugar from the cargo over the decks. The crew could not send a distress signal as the wireless had been wrecked and abandoned ship in two lifeboats within three minutes when the ship began to settle quickly, sinking 15 minutes after being hit. The U-boat surfaced shortly afterwards and the Germans questioned the master, asking the usual questions about the name and nationality of the ship, its cargo and destination. They then gave provisions and cigarettes to the occupants of both boats before leaving the area. The survivors were picked up two hours after the sinking by BATNA from the same convoy and were landed at Oban on 12 July. 





U-123 sank the *STEAMER RIO AZUL (UK 4088 grt) *from SL-78 in the Central Atlantic. The steamer had a crew of 42, 33 of whom were to perish in the attack. She was transporting iron ore from Pepel to Middlesborough via Freetown. At 1936 hrs the RIO AZUL was hit near the bridge by one stern torpedo from U-123 about 200 miles SE of the Azores. Y-Boat skipper Hardegen assumed that the ship was a Q-ship but this was not the case. She broke in two and sank in a short time. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner were lost. Six crew members and three gunners were picked up by HMS ESPERANCE BAY and landed at Scapa Flow, Orkneys. 





_Convoy HX.133._
DDs MALCOLM and SCIMITAR, corvettes ARABIS and VIOLET, CAM ship MAPLIN, MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL, and three ASW trawlers joined the convoy.

U-564 sank the *Steamer HEKLA (Iceland 1215 grt)* sth of greeneland as she was on passage empty from Reykjavik to New York. A crew of 20 were embarked, 14 of whom were to be lost.
At 1958 hrs the unescorted HEKLA was torpedoed byU-564 and sank within two minutes. Seven men survived the sinking and spent 10 days on a life raft before they were picked up by Corvette HMS CANDYTUFT escorting the convoy OB-341, but one man died the next night onboard the corvette. The surviving 6 men were taken to St. Johns, Newfoundland. One of the men spent over 6 months in a hospital before going back to Iceland.





U-651 sank *Steamer GRAYBURN (UK 6342 grt)* of HX-133 in the western approaches sth of Iceland, whilst the vessel was on passage from Baltimore to Swansea via Halifax, with a cargo of steel, scrap and truck as deck cargo. 52 crew were aboard, of whom 35 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0030 hrs, U-651 fired two G7e torpedoes at HX-133 sth of Iceland and sank the GRAYBURN.

The ship had changed to station #93 after some ships straggled from the convoy in heavy fog. She was hit on port side amidships by a torpedo, immediately settled on an even keel and sank within 5 minutes. Because the port lifeboat had been destroyed, most survivors tried to abandon ship in the starboard lifeboat which was pulled down and turned over by the suction from the sinking ship, throwing the 30 occupants into the water and drowning all but two of them. Five men managed to launch a small jolly boat and others rescued themselves on rafts or cling to debris. 16 survivors, two of them slightly injured, were picked up by Corvette HMS VIOLET and Armed Yacht HMS NORTHERN WAVE, later transferred to the British rescue ship ZAAFARAN and landed at Gourock on 2 July. Another survivor was rescued by Corvette HMS ARABIS and landed at Londonderry. The master, 26 crew members and all eight gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 40mm and four machine guns) were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Type VIIC U-651 (DKM 769 grt)* was sunk by the escort vessels of the convoy later that day.

All of the crew were rescued. The U-boat was sunk south of Iceland, after DC attacks forced her to the surface. She was hunted by RN DDs MALCOLM, and Scimitar, also Corvettes HM Ships ARABIS and VIOLET and MSW HMS SPEEDWELL
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Horton: U-652

At Sea 29 June 1941
U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

36 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*East Front*
Baltic
On 29 June 1941, Ju-88's from KG 806 seriously damaged the Pre-WWI DD KARL MARX (a Ukraiyna class destroyer built in Tallinn in 1904) in Tallinn. The Soviet vessel MO-229, moored next to the Karl Marx, was also pulverized. 

*MV MARTA (SU 1414 grt)* Estonian State Shipping Co. was sunk by LW a/c; No information about crew is available.

*North Sea*
CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Sheerness for refitting at Chatham completed on 11 October. CL KENYA began repairs for her collision and refitting in the Tyne. British steamer SILVERLAUREL was damaged by the LW in King George Dock, Hull.

British steamer EMPIRE METEOR was damaged by the LW in the NthSea.

The steamer arrived in the Humber on the 30th in tow. British tug EMPIRE LARCH was damaged by the LW off Great Yarmouth. The steamer arrived at Great Yarmouth on the 30th Norwegian tkr LEIESTEN (6118grt) was damaged on a mine off B 3 Buoy, Barrow Deep. The tanker arrived at Gravesend on the 30th in tow.

*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy SL.77. ML cruiser ADVENTURE arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after repairs for her January mine damage.

*West Coast*

*Western Approaches*

*SW Approaches*

*Channel*

*Med/Biscay*
CLA NAIAD and two DDs operated off Damur during the night of 29/30 June and carried out minor bombardments. DD JERVIS was detached from operations off Syria to Alexandria.

DD DEFENDER and RAN DD WATERHEN, carrying supplies to Tobruk, were attacked by the 5 LW and 7 RA Ju-87s. DD WATERHEN was badly damaged at 2005.As DD DEFENDER approached to tow, a submarine was sighted close ahead of the DD. ASW attacks were conducted on RM sub TEMBIEN, but no damage was done. The Australian destroyer was taken in tow by destroyer DEFENDER. However V&W Class *DD HMAS WATERHEN (RAN 1100 grt)* capsized and was lost in 32-15N, 25-20E at 0150/30th. There were no casualties on the destroyer.





_Troop laden HMAS WATERHEN stopped and sinking off Tobruk_

DD JACKAL departed Alexandria to assist destroyer WATERHEN, but when it was found she had been lost, she returned with destroyer DEFENDER.

Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked an Italian GORIZIA class CA (the BOLZANO). RM CA BOLZANO was in the company of a second CA and four DDs.

The submarine was heavily counterattacked, but did not sustain damage. Submarine UTMOST unsuccessfully attacked an Italian heavy cruiser in the same force on that day

*Nth Atlantic*
USN CV YORKTOWN, CAs QUINCY and VINCENNES, and DDs WAINWRIGHT, HAMMANN, MUSTIN, and STACK departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol. YORKTOWN and DDs WAINWRIGHT and STACK were detached on 10 July and arrived back at Hampton Roads on 12 July. CAs QUINCY and VINCENNES and DDs HAMMANN and MUSTIN continued patrol and arrived at Bermuda on 15 July.
**
*Central Atlantic*
DD WISHART and AVONVALE departed Gibraltar to meet arriving AMC CILICIA escorting troopship CAMERONIA from Freetown. The DDs relieved the cruiser and took the troopship to Gibraltar, arriving on 4 July.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DANAE arrived at Penang. CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 JUNE TO DAWN 30 JUNE 1941
_Weather _Cloudy; humid.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 29 JUNE 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Urge _successful attack on cruiser (believed to be _Gorizia_); two hits claimed, followed by a large explosion. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish sent to attack Tripoli encountered severe weather and turned back.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Wellington. _Departures _2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. 3 Marylands made a high level (15-21000 ft) bombing raid on TripoliHarbour in daylight; results not observed. _82 Squadron_ 9 Blenheims despatched to attack convoy approaching Tripoli. One Blenheim received a direct hit by a bomb from another aircraft. 6 Blenheims went out again to attack merchant ships in TripoliHarbour; one returned with engine trouble. The remainder crossed the coast wide of the target and bombed Sorman aerodrome nearby, starting several fires among aircraft on the ground. _148 Squadron_ 7 Wellingtons sent to attack Spanish Quay and shipping in TripoliHarbour encountered severe weather. 4 aircraft reached target and attacked, damaging quay and ships.


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2016)

*30 JUNE 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Gar Class Sub USS GRAYBACK (SS-208)



+

Elco 77’ type USS PT-28



+
_USS HORNET (CV-8) arrives at Pearl Harbor after the Doolittle Raid on Japan, 30 April 1942. PTs-28 & 29 are speeding by in the foreground_

Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS EURYALUS (42)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS CAMROSE (K-154)





Flower Class Corvette HMS SAMPHIRE (K-128)





Bangor Class MSW HMCS WASAGA (J-162)





HDML 1104, LCT 116,

*Losses*
U-66 sank *MV SAINT ANSELM (UK 5614 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Calcutta to Hull, via Freetown with a cargo of pig iron, linseed and ground nuts. A crew of 61 was aboard, 34 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. She was a straggler from the convoy when lost. She required 7 torpedoes to sink, and her skipper had shown great skill in avoiding the torpedoes fired at his ship. SAINT ANSELM was missed by a first torpedo at 0110 hrs after which the master was alerted and avoided skillfully several attacks. The second torpedo fired at 0146 hrs from a distance of only 400 meters was avoided, also the next at 0328 hrs from 1000 meters. Two minutes later a torpedo hit but proved to be a dud while the fifth torpedo at 0332 hrs missed again. The U-boat then reloaded the tubes and fired another torpedo at 0558 hrs which was also a dud before the seventh torpedo hit one minute later.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Gotenhaven: U-140
Stormelo: U-144

Departures
Kiel: U-68
St Nazaire: U-95

At Sea 30 June 1941
U-43, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-77, U-79, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

36 boats at sea

U-371 was attacked at 1230 hrs in the Bay Of Biscay, whilst inbound: Blenheim Z5959 (surprised U-371 after being misidentified as a German Ju88 and dropped two 250lb A/S bombs and one 250lb GP bomb in a dive bomb attack from astern, the bombs detonating 30 yds off the starboard bow. After U-371 dived, another GP bomb was dropped off the port beam, which detonated over the bows, but she escaped.

U-371 was attacked again that day by RAF a/c with the time of attack recorded as 1705 hrs. A Beaufort (RAF 217 Sqn ) on A/S sweep (misidentified as a Sunderland in the KTB report) attempted to surprise U-371 with a dive bomb attack out of the sun, but the boat managed to dive in time and the two 250lb A/S bombs released detonated about 40ft (12m) ahead of the bows. The aircraft turned and dropped four depth charges ahead of the dive point, but U-371 had already dived below 130ft and again escaped without damage.

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic

Baltic
*MV KRIMULDA SU 1970 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co., Mined; 5 crew were lost;

*MO-4 ClassSC MO-143 (VMF 51 grt)* The MO-4-class patrol boat struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Mhni.

Black Sea/Caspian
Ships, which were destroyed by Soviet Army during retirement from *Odessa*:

*MV PSKOV (SU 3549 grt)* Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa: The cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

*MV OREL (SU 5152 grt)* Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

*MV PLEKHANOV (SU 3344 grt)* Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

*MV VOIKOV (SU 2052 grt)* Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

*MV PETER THE GREAT (SU 7200 grt)*. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.


*North Sea*
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow and arrived in the Tyne at 2200 for refitting.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK departed Iceland to relieve CL MANCHESTER on Denmark Straits patrol. CL ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow after Faroes Iceland patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DD CROOME departed Greenock at 1630 to work up at Scapa Flow, where she arrived at 1400 on 1 July.

*West Coast*
BC REPULSE, RNeN CL HEEMSKERK, and DDs COSSACK, SIKH, INGLEFIELD, ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTELOPE, and INTREPID arrived in the Clyde after escorting convoy TC.11.

OB.341 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ST ALBANS and WESTCOTT and corvettes AURICULA, FREESIA, HIBISCUS, MARIGOLD, MYOSOTIS, and PERIWINKLE. Corvette PERIWINKLE was detached on 4 July. The DDs and corvettes FREESIA and MYOSOTIS were detached on 5 July. The convoy was dispersed on 6 July.

*Med/Biscay*
RNeN sub O.23 sank *steamer CAPACITAS (FI 5371 grt)* sth of Livorna, seven miles off San Vincenzo. The submarine unsuccessfully attacked a second steamer in the LigurianSea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TORBAY sank an *unnamed CAIQUE (FI (Ex-Gk) 250 grt(est))* off CapeMalea with artillery.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

LW a/c carried out air attacks on a Tobruk bound convoy composed of Greek steamers MIRANDA (279grt) and Greek ANTIKLIA (951grt), which departed Mersa Matruh on the 29th escorted by sloop FLAMINGO, trawler SOUTHERN ISLE, and gunboat CRICKET. The convoy was taken under attack by a large German bombing force from 1340 on the 30th. Sloop FLAMINGO was damaged by a near miss. *Insect Class Gunboat HMS CRICKET (RN 625 grt)* was severely damaged.She was towed back to Alexandria by sloop FLAMINGO and later tug ST ISSEY. On 2 July, gunboat CRICKET arrived at Alexandria in the tow of tug ST ISSEY. Sloop FLAMINGO also arrived at Alexandria on 2 July. The gunboat was judged to be a total loss.





RHN cruiser GEORGIOS AVEROFF, DD PANTHER, TB SPHENDONI, submarine KATSONIS, and depot ship HIPHAISTOS departed Alexandria, escorted by RHN DDs IERAX and AETOS, for the transit of the Canal. These Greek ships were temporarily stationed at Suez.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.136 departed Halifax, escort AMC s ASCANIA and CALIFORNIA, corvettes ARROWHEAD, CAMELLIA, EYEBRIGHT, and MAYFLOWER, ASW yacht PHILANTE, and ASW trawler KOS XX. Convoy BHX.136 departed Bermuda on the 28th escorted by AMC ASCANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.136 on 3 July and the ASCANIA was detached. On 4 July, DDs BURNHAM and CHESTERFIELD, corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN joined. DD CHURCHILL joined on 6 July. On 13 July, the original escorts and those joining on 4, less trawler KOS XX, and 6 July were detached. DDs KEPPEL, SABRE, and SHIKARI, corvettes DIANELLA and KINGCUP, MSW HEBE, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and WELLARD joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 July.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL DUNEDIN captured *steamer VILLEDE TAMATAVE (Vichy 4993 grt)* east of tiny Island of St Paul in the far south of the Indian ocean. (Note there are counter reports thast this ship foundered in January 1941).




CL ENTERPRISE departed Colombo on patrol.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 JUNE TO DAWN 1 JULY 1941

_Weather _Very windy.

_1200-1219 hrs_ Air raid alert for 11 Macchi 200s which approach to within 25 miles north east of Malta in two formations. Hurricanes 46 Squadron are scrambled and intercept just below cloud at 17000 feet, shooting down two Macchis. A third is chased by a Hurricane to within 15-20 miles of Sicily, attacked and damaged. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 30 JUNE 1941

_GENERAL STAFF _Improvement in mail deliveries and weekly broadcasts are much appreciated by all ranks.

_ROYAL NAVY _Good progress was made in the month in clearing the corners of the harbours and the dangerous area of the North East Coast of enemy mines.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _35 Hurricane, 6 Blenheim. _Departures _3 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _6 Marylands sorties on reconnaissance. _82 Squadron _6 Blenheims made a low level attack on ships in TripoliHarbour. Six direct hits were made on a merchant vessel, probably the Erperia and two on the Oceania or Neptunia. Seaplanes on the water and disembarked troops were machine-gunned. 

_KALAFRANA _June saw a considerable increase in the use of Kalafrana by flying boats on communication flights between the UK, Gibraltar and Middle East. There were 31 arrivals and departures during the month. The increase in operations from the Island increased demand for services of the Marine Craft Section for search and rescue work. 15 patrols rescued 8 British personnel (1 dead) and 2 Italian (1 dead). 3 patrols by Swordfish resulted in the rescue of one Italian pilot.

_TA QALI _46 Squadron arrived from Hal Far. 9 Hurricanes arrived ex HMS Furious, 12 ex Ark Royal.


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2016)

Summary Of Losses XXXXXX 1941 (Unfinished)

Allied
Allied Warships




XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)


Allied Shipping




XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)


Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt



Prizes captured




Neutral shipping




( grt Mercantile)



Neutral warships



Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 1215 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXX grt



Prizes taken
None



Cumulative Losses since 9/39
XXXXXX grt Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses


Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),



(XXX grt)


RM


XXXX (RM XXXX grt),



(XXXXX grt)



Axis Shipping
GER


(XXXXX grt)


(FI)




Vichy


(XXXXX grt)


Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)



Captured ships




XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2016)

*01 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-131





Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS ASH (AN-7)

Acceptor Class MSW USS COURLAN (AMc-44)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Naval Tug HMS CANUTE
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-108 sank *Steamer TORONTOCITY (UK 2486 grt)*, employed as a meteorological vessel in the nth Atlantic. There were no survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DURAZZO (Ger 1153 grt)* at Maracaibo was seized by the Venezuelan govt and renamed PAMPERO.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-371
Lorient: U-43

At Sea 01 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

34 boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*East Front*
Baltic
*M Class Sub M-81 (VMF 206 grt)* Mined and sunk off Vormsi, Estonia
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Black Sea/Caspian
*Gnevnyi Class DD BYSTRY (VMF 1855 grt)* was mined off Sevastapol and beached. She became a total loss






*North Sea*
*Drifter DEVONCOUNTY (UK 86 grt)* was sunk by a mine in 51-28-51N, 0-59-14E in the Thames Estuary. There were three ratings killed in the drifter.

*Steamer HOMEFIRE (UK 1262 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. Two crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*FV STRATHGAIRN (UK 211 grt)* was sunk on a mine about twenty miles southwest of Barra Head. Five of the crew were missing. Six crew were landed at Stornoway.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamers HIGHWOOD and JAMAICA PLANTER were damaged by the LW at Barry while in drydock. One crewman was killed on steamer HIGHWOOD.

*Northern Patrol*
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Hvalfjord from Denmark Strait patrol

*Northern Waters*
DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster, and returned to Scapa Flow later that evening. DD CROOME arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock at 1400 to carry out working up exercises. RIN sloop JUMNA departed Scapa Flow with convoy EC.39 at 1800 to join the Western Approaches following her working up exercises. The sloop arrived at Greenock at 0100 on the 4th escorting depot ship GREENWICH. CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow, following refitting at Rosyth, having escorting convoy EC.39 from MayIsland to Pentland Firth.

*Med/Biscay*
DKM CA PRINZ EUGEN was bombed and damaged at Brest

*Armed boarding vessel MALVERNIAN (RN 3133 grt)* was abandoned after being bombed, North Atlantic. Of a crew of 164, fifty seven survivors were landed. Not included in this total are those that landed in occupied France and taken prisoner.

Sloop SCARBOROUGH proceeding to the scene picked up a boatload of survivors, but could not locate the damaged vessel. She abandoned vessel was again hit by LW a/c 11/7/1941 but remained afloat; sighted drifting on 19/7 and finally sunk on that day.

The Captain and 31 others made it in boats to Corunna on 21/7.Another boat of 21 survivors arrived at Vigo on 22/7. Finally, a last boat was picked up by SKM MSWs.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vichy DDs GUEPARD, VALMY, and VAUQUELIN departed Beirut to escort a troopships into Beirut. However this vessel, *Steamer ST DIDIER (Vichy 2778 grt)* was sunk by British Albacore a/c in the Gulf of Adalia on the 4th. Steamer CHATEAU YQUEM was recalled in view of steamer ST DIDIER's fate.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLA NAIAD and DDs KANDAHAR, DECOY, and HAVOCK departed Haifa for a night sweep off Syria. Corvette HYACINTH ran aground four miles south of Famagusta. She could not be readily refloated and corvette ERICA was damaged in the attempt.

On the 3rd, corvette PEONY departed Haifa and tug ST ISSEY departed Alexandria to refloat the grounded corvette. Corvette HYACINTH was unsuccessfully attacked by enemy bombers, without success, during the evening of 4 July. The corvette was refloated on the 5th by corvette PEONY. Corvette PEONY and tug ST ISSEY returned to Alexandria. Corvette HYACINTH proceeded to Alexandria, via Haifa, for repairs, completed on the 15th.

British trawler VULCAN and MTB.68 and MTB.215 were sailed from Famagusta to Haifa.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.36 departed Sidney, CB, escort corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE and ASW yacht PHILANTE. The corvettes were detached on the 4th. DD CHESTERFIELD joined on the 3rd, corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN joined on the 4th, and DD CHURCHILL on the 8th. On the 13th, the escort was detached when it was relieved by DDs SABRE, SCIMITAR, and SHIKARI, sloop SANDWICH, corvettes ARABIS, DIANELLA, HELIOTROPE, KINGCUP, MALLOW, VERBENA, and VIOLET, MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN SPRAY. The sloop, MSWs, and trawlers were detached on the 17th. The remainder of the escort, less corvette ARABIS, were detached on the 18th.With corvette ARABIS, the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, LANCE, and LEGION departed Gibraltar to meet arriving convoy OG.66 and escort it to Gibraltar. CLA HERMIONE departed Gibraltar to patrol in the area of 40N, 15W for enemy raider or supply ships.

Dutch submarine O.21, escorting convoy HG.66, was recalled and ordered to establish a patrol in the vicinity of 43N, 11W to attack any enemy raiders making for Biscay ports.

*Sth Atlantic*
Norwegian whaler POL IX, captured on 14 January 1941 by German raider PINGUIN and renamed ADJUTANT, was scuttled on this date by the German cruiser.

*Malta*
RAID SUMMARY JUNE 1941

No of air raid alerts 67 (including 25 night raids)

Days without air raid alerts 7
Total time under alert 32 hours 2 mins
Average length of alert 28.7 mins
Civilians killed by enemy action 5
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 JULY TO DAWN 2 JULY 1941

_Weather _Hot and humid.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 1 JULY 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Wellington. _Departures _6 Blenheim, 1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands special patrol western Sicilian coast and east Tunisian coast. Patrols Cape Bon to western Sicily and Pantelleria-Lampedusa area. At 1730 hrs six merchant vessels were seen north east of Pantelleria heading south. _82 Squadron _4 Blenheims despatched Homs bombed the coast road causing several craters; one lorry destroyed, reservoir received direct hit. Six more Blenheims were despatched tonight to attack a staging post at Homs and Beurat; they are not yet due back in Malta. _148 Squadron _5 Wellingtons attacked Spanish Port Mole, Tripoli. Bombs were dropped from 10000 feet, achieving six direct hits on the Spanish Mole and others on the base of Karamanli Mole. A fire was started on the edge of the town. One medium merchant vessel probably two direct hits, believed set on fire but hidden by heavy smoke screen. Anti-aircraft fire experienced. One Wellington made a second attack on Tripoli, the others could not be turned round in time to do so due to poor visibility. All Wellingtons returned safely.


_LUQA _Four Wellingtons arrive, one of which fires the recognition signal and sets alight a small cornfield near the airfield.


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## parsifal (Jul 1, 2016)

Halder’s Diary

1 July 1941

The Air Force has greatly underestimated the numerical strength of the enemy. Itis quite evident that the Russians initially had far more than 8,000 planes (as originally estimated). Half of this number probably have already been shot down or destroyed on the ground,-so that numerically we should now be about equal ( _in point of fact, the VVS still had in excess of 15000 a/c, including reserves, but were running dangerously low on aircrew. Their tactical handling of their air assets continued to be abysmal_).

But Russian flying efficiency cannot nearly compare with ours, owing to their poor training of their pilots and crews, and that is why entire enemy squadrons, or large parts of them, get shot down so often in combat, as, for instance, happened yesterday over-Dvinsk and Bobruisk.


At present, Air Force estimates Russian air strength opposite AGp, South, at 800 to 1,000 operational first line craft; in AGp. Center, at 400 500; and in sector of AGp. North, at 400 500. In the battles of the last few days, the Russians have been using obsolete planes side by side with latest models.


(_Soviets have increased_) transport movements from the east, perhaps also from the west into the level area, apparently intended for the buildup of a defense line in the corner between the Dvina and the old Russo—Estonian border. Russians have large reserves.

(_Report from_ )Gen. Wagner (Quarter master general)

a) The supply situation in AGN. is -satisfactory (due to the early capture of ports) Armd. Gp. 4 will start operations on 2 July with a full issue of ammunition and fuel for 400. km. By 7 July, the bulk of Army Gp.,, will have on hand in the Dvinsk supply base, in addition to complete issues to the troops: one additional full issue of ammunition, three fuel quotas and two days' rations. (Start of operations by this AGp. scheduled for 5 July.)


In AGC Sector (only) 17,000 tons of supplies, in addition to the hand supplies of AGC will have been accumulated in dumps, representing a total of 25,000 tons (_note that a ton is roughly equal to cubic metre of fuel_). An advance detachment of Krumpel's staff goes to Minsk to prepare everything. The stockpile is to "be increased to 73,000 tons -one issue of ammunition, (_there are margin notes with concerns about these supply levels. AGC was short of supply already_. _By this stage the AG was down to 5 fuel quotas and 5 days fodder and rations)_.

AGS reports considerable booty found at Lvov including fuel in surface and underground dumps. 1 July, several large Forward Supply Points will be moved closer to front, including one to Rovno.

Fuel situations is estimated daily consumption 9,000 m3, or, 250,000 m3, per month, i.e., 22 trains daily. Actual consumption has been 11,500 m3.per day, or, 330,600 m3 per month, quite a lot more than expected. About one-third of this comes out of "booty. Daily re

Requirements until 6 July, 7 trains "beginning (expected) 6 July. We shall again need 14 trains, daily.

c) Pacification of the Rear Areas is a matter of serious concern. Owing to our method of advance, our communication lines are liable to serious disruption by isolated enemy elements. 'The Security Divs. alone cannot do the job in this vast territory. It will be necessary to detach combat Divs. for these suppression operations (the heer was never able to secure its LOCs).

_So the situation was that the northern and southern army groups were relatively okay for supply, but despite being hopeful the centre was short of supply. It was the centre where the next big battle was to be fought, leaving the Infantry in particular exhausted. _


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## Njaco (Jul 3, 2016)

Sorry everyone. My wife has been in the hospital the last 4 days and I haven't gotten to the thread. Will soon.


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## Njaco (Jul 3, 2016)

*July 1 Tuesday
ASIA:* The American Volunteer Group, also known as the Flying Tigers, was officially formed. The Chinese Air Force 5th PG was disbanded.

German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop encourages Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka to convince his government to attack the Soviet Union.

Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of the Japanese 51st Division.

The Axis nations of Japan, Germany and Italy recognize the pro-Japanese government of Henry P'u Yi. They would be the only ones who would. Germany and Italy officially recognize the Japanese puppet government of Wang Chingwei. The Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang government has broken off diplomatic relations with Germany and Italy in retaliation for the decision by the Axis powers to recognize its new rival, the Reformed Kuomintang, the puppet regime set up the Japanese in Nanking under General Chingwei. The Kuomintang leader, General Chiang Kai-shek, has reluctantly ordered the recall of the Kuomintang’s ambassador in Berlin and its charge d’Affaires in Rome. The Axis decision to support the Nanking regime is the result of diplomatic pressure from Tokyo, overriding the views of German officials in China who oppose recognition for Nanking. They argue that, following the outbreak of war with the Soviet Union, Germany and China - the latter at war with the Communists in the north - should unite against Communism.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Soviet Navy dispatches six submarines to operate off coast of northern Norway.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Soviet Union government declares it would apply the international law of war, especially the Fourth Hague Convention of 1907 and the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War.

Heeresgruppe Nord: Panzer spearheads of Heeresgruppe Nord cross the Dvina and advance on Pskov. The German 4.Panzergruppe and 18.Armee captured Riga, Latvia. The overwhelming majority of Latvians greeted the Germans as liberators since only a week before the Soviet NKVD carried out despicable killings and mass deportation of tens of thousands of innocent Latvians to Siberia.

German XXXVI Korps attacked in the Salla sector as the Finnish 14th Infantry Division began crossing the border and advancing toward Rukajarvi en route to Murmansk railroad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German began 3.Panzergruppe fighting in the vicinity of Minsk. In the centre, Heinz Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe panzers crossed the Berezina.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Operaţiunea München: Operaţiunea München was the Romanian codename of a joint German-Romanian offensive during the German invasion of the Soviet Union with the primary objective of recapturing Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, ceded by Romania to the Soviet Union a year before (Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina). German 11.Armee, Romanian 3rd Army, and Romanian 4th Army crossed Prut River into the Bessarabia and Bukovina regions of Moldova. After spending the latter part of June mobilizing, the Rumanians launched their first serious attacks across the Prut River, although several more minor exchanges had occurred prior to this date. The Rumanian forces (Army Group Antonescu) on the Rumanian border launched their offensive against the Soviet’s Southern Front, supported by the German 11.Armee, (Schobert, with seven German divisions). Although the German 11.Armee, was technically subordinate to Army Group Antonescu, in reality it received (and acted on) direction from von Rundstedt in Heeresgruppe Sud.

German 6.Armee and 1.Panzergruppe advanced around Rovno, Dubno, and Kremenets as the remnants of the Russian 8th Mechanized Corps manages to break out from its encirclement around Dubno and escape to the east.

The Broniki Massacre: Around 180 German soldiers of the 2nd and 6th Infantry Regiments and the 5th Artillery Regiment were taken prisoner by the Red Army in the town of Broniki, Ukraine. Most were suffering from battle wounds.

Field Marshal List appointed to command German forces in the Balkans.

Soviet Naval Air Unit 401 IAP went into action with its new MiG-3 fighters and destroyed four German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters on its first operation. This unit was commanded by a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, Lieutenant-Colonel Stepan Suprun (who was already an ace with fifteen Civil War victories), Hero of the Soviet Union. Many of Suprun's pilots were pre-war test pilots and therefore highly experienced airmen. During the next two days the 401st IAP destroyed eight enemy aircraft for no loss.

The pilots and staff of II./JG 27 leave the fighting on the Eastern front and return to Germany to re-equip with new Bf 109Fs. The _Gruppe_ has thirty-nine victories after only ten days on the Eastern Front.

Joseph Stalin returned to the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia as Chairman of the new State Defence Committee, set up by law the day before.

Vnukovo Airport opens southwest of Moscow in the Soviet Union's Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic.

*GERMANY: *Under the provisions of a German Law on the use of Prisoner Labour, Russian prisoners of war were permitted to be sent to work camps for employment in agriculture, construction or heavy industry. The death rate on these camps would be extremely high.

Hitler accepts offer of Croatian troops to serve under German command against Soviet Union.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Operation Substance: Convoy from Gibraltar comprising six merchantmen with Naval escort delivers 65,000 tons of supplies to island of Malta. RN Force H returns to Gibraltar.

*MIDDLE EAST: *The Battle of Palmyra: The Battle of Palmyra was fought in Syria, resulting in Allied victory. On the morning of 1 July Sukhna was attacked by the Vichy 2nd Light Desert Company northeast of Palmyra, Syria. The Arab Legion occupiers had been reinforced by a squadron from 4th Cavalry Brigade's Household Cavalry Regiment and after a sharp battle, the French retreated before an enthusiastic charge by Arab Legion troopers and ended up trapped in a box valley before surrendering. British mechanized cavalry and an Arab Legion desert patrol broke up the Vichy French mobile column, capturing four officers and 60 men. This freed Habforce to move 40 miles west along the pipeline to Homs and threaten the communications of the Vichy forces fighting the Australian 7th Division on the Lebanon coast.

Leading elements of 10th Indian Division (Maj-Gen W. Slim) enter eastern Syria from Iraq. 2/25 Bn commence operations to clear enemy from flanks of 21st Australian Brigade at Beit ed Dine in the Damour valley. Four Hurricanes of 127 Sqn RAF catch two De520’s over Deir ez Zor and damage one. The Arab Legion destroys a French “light company” (raiding party) at Sukhna, capturing 80 prisoners and six armoured cars.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Erwin Rommel was promoted to the rank of General der Panzertruppe.

General Sir Claude Auchinleck officially takes over as C-in-C Middle East from General Wavell, who has been appointed C-in-C India. Oliver Lyttelton is appointed Minister of State, and is resident in the Middle East. This removes some of the political responsibilities from CiC India. Churchill has tired of Wavell and with the failure of the latest North African offensive has been able to make changes.

Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria overnight with 16 bombers.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Unternehmen Polarfuchs: Unternehmen Polarfuchs was the codename given to a campaign by German and Finnish forces during World War II against Soviet Northern Front defenses at Salla, Finland. The operation was conducted parallel to Operation Platinum Fox (Platinfuchs) in the far north of Lappland. The principal goal of Operation Arctic Fox was to capture the town of Salla and then to advance in the direction of Kandalaksha (Finnish: Kantalahti) to block the route to Murmansk. The offensive commenced with the Finnish 6th Division crossing the border at midnight. Several hours later the 6th SS-Gebirgs-Division Nord started its frontal assault against the Soviet line, but was not able to make any gains.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The first landing, takeoff and catapult launching form an escort aircraft carrier were made aboard USS "_Long Island_" (AVG-1), by Lieutenant Commander William D. Anderson, commanding officer of Scouting Squadron Two Hundred One (VS-201).

Eisenhower becomes Kreuger's 3rd Army chief of staff.

USN organizes Naval Coastal Frontiers: North Atlantic, Southern, Caribbean, Panama, Pacific Southern, Pacific Northern, Hawaiian, and Philippine. USN organizes Task Force 1 through Task Force 10 for operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

US Coast Guard establishes Northeast Greenland Patrol.

Icelandic-American exchange of letter respecting defense of Iceland.

Aircraft from the United States Navy start antisubmarine patrols from bases in Newfoundland. USN begins basing Patrol Wing 7 at Argentia. USN Task Force 19 escorts and transports carrying 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) depart Argentia for Iceland.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* It was announced today that coal deliveries are to be limited to one ton per month, maximum, for all establishments. This did not bother householders too much, because most households didn't use that much anyway!

The British Special Air Service (initially titled "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade) was formed by Colonel David Stirling.

Bruce Fraser was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. At Downing Street the visiting Canadian leader, Mackenzie King, presents Churchill with the Canadian “Torch of Victory”.

A Consolidated B-24 flies from Washington via Montreal and Newfoundland, thus completing the types first transatlantic delivery. The RAF took 26 B-24s in exchange for a similar number of LB-30s. The first six were YB-24s (designated LB-30As) and they went into the North Atlantic Return Ferry Service. Today’s flight used a modified B-24A of the USAAF’s Air Corps Ferrying Command on this, the North Atlantic Transport Service for the aerial transport of passengers and cargo. The flight originated at Bolling Field, Washington D.C.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 45 aircraft to attack various targets during the day. RAF Bomber Command sends 52 aircraft to attack Brest, scoring one hit on cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_” overnight. In the early morning hours, Hptm. Werner Streib of the _Stab_ flight of I./NJG 1 shoots down a British Whitley bomber.

RAF began daylight bombing raids in France and the Low Countries. Beginning at 1400 hours, the RAF sends several flights of bombers to attack targets in Occupied Europe. One of the first _Geschwaders_ to intercept the bombers are the fighters of JG 52. At 1400 hours, Uffz. Summerer of 3./JG 52 claims a B-17 Fortress over Borkum. Five Minutes later Uffz. Buy destroys a RAF Stirling bomber. A second flight of British bombers at 1500 hours is met by fighters from ZG 76. At 1516 hours Uffz. Einar Arngrim of 6./ZG 76 downs a British Stirling and at 1520 hours Lt. Oskar Hautt, also of 6th _Staffel_, brings down one of the British four-engined bombers who are making their first appearance on the battlefront.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 3, 2016)

*July 2 Wednesday*
*ASIA: *The Japanese Army ordered a conscription of one million men.

Japan is preparing for war against Britain and the US over Indochina by conscripting one million men and recalling all its merchant ships from the Atlantic. While 400,000 conscripts will reinforce the Kwantung army in China, the rest will be committed to south-east Asia. The decision to open up the southern front - known as the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere - has been spurred by the speed of the German successes in Europe. An Imperial Conference (a meeting of Japanese government and military leaders and the Emperor to explain policy to the Emperor and nominally to take important decisions — in practice these are already taken at the Liaison Conferences between the politicians and the military leaders) records the decision that attempts should be made to take bases in Indochina even at the risk of war. At another imperial conference at which the emperor made rare appearance the war minister, Hideki Tojo, urged the cabinet that now is the time to secure more empire or risk missing the bus. The US authorities very soon know of this determination through their code-breaking service which has managed to work out the key to the major Japanese diplomatic code and some other minor operational codes. The information gained from the diplomatic code is circulated under the code name Magic.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Marshal Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko is appointed western front commander with 19th Army, 20th Army, 21st Army, and 22nd Army, replacing Eremenko. Timoshenko realized clearly that unless the Germans, who had now crossed the Berezina, were held on the Dnieper and on the lower Western Dvina they would drive on from Borisov and Vitebsk to Smolensk.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  After a rapid concentration and regrouping Hoeppner’s 4.Panzergruppe attacks with renewed vigor toward Ostrov. German forces break through the Russian border defences on the Dvina River.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heavy rains affect to roads, the armoured reconnaissance detachment of the German 7.Panzerdivision under General Baron von Funck reported that it had been forced to halt its drive “because the prescribed roads have been reduced by heavy rainfall to an untrafficable swamp.” 3.Panzerdivision of German 2.Panzergruppe reaches the Dniepr River.

Headquarters of German 2.Armee, arriving from the Balkans, activated under control of Armeegruppe Mitte.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Operaţiunea München: German 11.Armee, Romanian 3rd Army, and Romanian 4th Army attacked out of Moldavia towards Vinnitsa and Odessa, Ukraine. German 1.Panzergruppe began attacking toward Zhitomir and Berdichev.

The Broniki Massacre: Advancing Wehrmacht troops discovered 153 bodies in a clover field near the town of Broniki. All had been brutally murdered. According to the twelve survivors of the massacre, they were taken to the field just off the main road and forced to undress. All valuables such as money, rings, watches as well as their uniforms, shirts and shoes were stolen. Standing there naked, the prisoners were then fired upon by machine guns and automatic rifles. A few managed to escape by fleeing to the nearby woods. Similar reports from other regiments gave rise to the suspicion that the Soviets, in the early stages of the war, were not taking any prisoners.

The Ponary Massacre: The Ponary Massacre was the mass murder of up to 100,000 people by German SD, SS and Lithuanian Nazi collaborators, such as the Ypatingasis būrys units, in Reichskommissariat Ostland. The executions took place between July 1941 and August 1944 near the railway station of Ponary, now known as Paneriai, a suburb of what is today Vilnius, Lithuania. Some 70,000 Jews were murdered in Ponary, along with between 2,000 and 20,000 Poles and 8,000 Russian POWs, many from nearby Vilnius. Soviet POWs dug fuel tank pits near the Ponariai suburb of Vilnius, where they were shot or buried alive. The mass deportations and shooting of Jews continued until 1943.

Oblt. Gerhard Barkhorn of 6./JG 52 scores his first kill on the Eastern front. Another rising _Experte_, Heinz Bär of JG 51, is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_ and promoted to Lieutenant. He has twenty-seven victories at this time.

The local police in Riga, Latvia was organized by a German commander to murder 400 Jews and burn down all Riga's synagogues.

*GERMANY: *RAF bombed the German cities of Bremen and Köln overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 67 aircraft to attack Bremen, 42 aircraft to attack Cologne and 39 aircraft to attack Duisburg.

French Lieutenant Pierre Mairesse Lebrun, a prisoner of war at Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, Germany, escaped the camp by leaping the wire fence and scaling outer brick wall. He would eventually successfully make it to Switzerland.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Vichy French aircraft from Lebanon bomb Haifa.

*NORTH AFRICA:* A force of 4,500 Italians and levies besieged by Ethiopian patriots surrender to a British force of one squadron and one company.

RAF attacks Tripoli overnight with Wellington bombers and Swordfish bombers flying from Malta.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Air Force is set up.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Unternehmen Polarfuchs: The 6th SS-Gebirgs-Division tried repeatedly to break through the Soviet lines, but all attempts failed. While the German advance stalled, the Finnish 3rd Division in the south was making good progress. The Division's first opponent was the Soviet 54th Division.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee assigned the responsibility of writing its final draft of the report of its findings on the development of atomic weapons to James Chadwick.

Douglas Bader was awarded the Bar to his Distinguished Service Order. Later on the same day, he claimed one Bf 109 fighter destroyed and another damaged.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The British conduct Circus No. 29 from RAF No. 2 Group, a raid against Lille. Shortly after 1200 hours, a formation of twelve Blenheim bombers escorted by Spitfire fighters from 12 fighter squadrons including the American Eagle Squadron of the RAF crossed the coast. The American escorts encountered stiff resistance from about 60 Bf 109 fighters. The two _Kanalfront_ _Geschwaders_, JG 26 and elements of JG 2, were scrambled to intercept the formations and numerous air battles ensued. In a confused close-quarter dog-fight two RAF fighters were destroyed in a mid-air collision. One or both are thought to be Eagles. But the RAF fighters in turn shot down three Messerschmitts. Two were shot down by young US pilot officers. A third fell to the British flight leader. In the same action a British sergeant pilot shot down two planes with a single fusillade. Violating an order from Hitler and Reichsmarschall Göring to be grounded, Obstlt. Adolf Galland instead led a flight against the British bombers over St. Omer. After downing a RAF Blenheim over Merville at 1230 hours he was jumped by Spitfires and badly damaged. Just barely arriving back at the airfield with injuries, he learns he was only alive due to some extra armour placed in his cockpit by his ground crew. Four British bombers were shot down with credit going to Obstlt. Galland for his seventieth, Hptm. Rudolf Bieber of _Stab_ I./JG 26 for his first kill and Fw. Günther Seeger of the Stab./JG 2. Eight British fighters were shot down with credit going to Oblt. Josef Priller of 1./JG 26 for his twenty-ninth, Hptm. Gerhard Schöpfel of III./JG 26 for his twenty-seventh, Hptm. Rolf Pingel of I./JG 26 for his twenty-second, Oblt. Walter Schneider of 6./JG 26 for his fourteenth, Ofw. Rudolf Täschner of 1./JG 2 for his thirteenth, Lt. Horst Ulenberg of 2./JG 26 for his tenth, Lt. Bruno Stolle of 8./JG 2, Fw. Heinz Jahner of 9./JG 2 and Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Hepe of 4./JG 2. Only four Messerschmitts were lost from combat and no pilots were killed. But the _Kanalfront_ _Geschwaders_ do suffer a loss. While trying to reach the combat area, the _Staffelkapitän_ of 2./JG 26, Oblt. Martin Rysavy is hit by German anti-aircraft fire and killed.

While in the dock at Brest, France, “_Prinz Eugen_” was hit by a bomb during an Allied air raid. 

.


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## Njaco (Jul 3, 2016)

*July 3 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 0436, U-69 began a gun duel with the armed “_Robert L. Holt_” NW of the Canary Islands. She had been the ship of commodore Vice-Admiral NA Wodehouse CB RN from the dispersed Convoy OB-337. The ship sank at 0650 after the U-boat had fired 102 high explosive rounds and 34 incendiary rounds from the deck gun, 220 rounds from the 20-mm gun and 400 rounds with the MG34. The master, the commodore, 41 crewmembers and six naval staff members were lost.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa:  Stalin broadcasts for the first time since the German invasion. The reason for his delay in responding is not clear. He calls for total effort and a policy of scorched earth before the German advance, and guerilla warfare in their rear. He also defends the 1939 non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany on the grounds of his desire for peace. The broadcast is the first of many to emphasize patriotic nationalism. Joseph Stalin called the Soviet people "brothers and sisters" for the first time. Stalin has demanded a great deal from the people of the Soviet Union. Some of them will not obey him - in some areas the invading Germans have been welcomed with bread and salt - but others will do anything for Holy Mother Russia if not for communism.

Heeresgruppe Nord: In the area of Heeresgruppe Nord, clear weather permits the Luftwaffe to provide close air support again. Soviet 8th Army, 27th Army, and 11th Army crumbling under attacks by Heeresgruppe Nord. The German 41.Panzerkorps (4.Panzergruppe) makes good progress against the relatively weak forces of the Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps, and two reserve rifle corps, of the Soviet Northwest Front (Sobennikov).

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Bialystok pocket in Poland was eliminated by elements of German 9. and 2.Armee taking 300,000 prisoners.

There were surprised faces at 18.Panzerdivision headquarters in the Borisov bridgehead when a signal was received from the division's air unit: "Strong enemy armoured columns with at least 100 heavy tanks advancing along both sides of Borisov-Orsha-Smolensk road in the area of Orsha. Among them very heavy, hitherto unobserved models."


> "Where do they come from?" General Nehring asked in surprise. "These Russians seem to have nine lives."


 It was, in fact, the 1st Moscow Motorized Rifle Division with T-34s under Major-General I. G. Kreyzer, whom Yeremenko had sent into action against Guderian's armoured spearhead. It was a crack unit, the pride of the Soviet High Command. Six miles east of Borisov, near the village of Lipki, Nehring's and Kreyzer's armoured spearheads made contact. When it first hove into sight the T-34 struck a good deal of terror among the German armoured spearheads and Panzerjägers. But abreast of it, at a distance of about 100 feet, came an even bigger monster—a KV-2, weighing 52 tons. The light T-26 and BT tanks between the two giants were soon set on fire by the German Mark Ills. But their 5-cm. shells made no impression whatever on the two giants. The first Mark III received a direct hit and went up in flames. The other German tanks scuttled out of the way. The two Soviet monsters continued to advance. But the heaviest German tanks then in existence were still some three tons lighter than the T-34, and the range of their guns was considerably less. However, the German commanders soon discovered that the crew of the T-34 were unsure of themselves and very slow in their fire. The German tanks underran its fire, weaved round it, and dodged its shells. They got the giant between them. They shot up its tracks. The Soviet crew got out and tried to escape, but ran straight into a burst of machine gun fire from a Mark III. Meanwhile the huge 52-ton KV-2 with its 15-2-cm. cannon was still shooting it out with two German Mark Ills. The German shells penetrated into the Russian tank's plating as far as their driving bands, and then got stuck. Nevertheless the Russians suddenly abandoned their vehicle—probably because of engine trouble. This incident reveals the cardinal mistake of the Russians. They employed their T-34s and super-heavy KVs not in formation, but individually among light and medium tanks, and as support for the infantry. Those were very outdated tank tactics. The result was that these vastly superior Soviet tanks were smashed up one by one by the German tank companies, in spite of the terror they originally struck among them. In this way General Kreyzer's counter-attack near Lipki collapsed.

Hoth reports that losses for 3.Panzergruppe stand at 125 officers and 1,644 of all other ranks. Hoth and Guderian officially resumed their thrust for the Dnepr and Dvina rivers.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  A total of 45 professors at the University of Lvov (now Lviv) were executed by an Einsatzkommado unit after the city was captured by the Germans on June 30. Aided by the Ukrainian 'Nachtigall' battalion, they started the roundup of the professors their families and relatives. Most of the Jewish inhabitants of the city were simply shot on the spot. Some 38 professors were taken to a place of execution in the Wulka hills outside the city and there shot to death. Another seven, including Professor Dr. Bartel, a former Prime Minister of Poland, were shot in the courtyard of the Brygidki Prison, the same courtyard where days previously they found the murdered bodies of the prison inmates.

German soldiers arrive in Kolomiya, (later part of Ukraine) which belonged to Poland at this time, and tacked up posters that declared in three languages "Death to All Jews."

Soviet Naval Air unit 402 IAL, based at Idritsa in Russia and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel P. Stefanovsky, went into action with its new MiG-3 fighters and destroyed six enemy aircraft, followed by a similar number on the next day. The unit's primary task was close support and low level fighter reconnaissance, and its pilots had orders to avoid combat if possible. The unit's adjutant, Major K. A. Gruzdev however was an aerobatic champion and soon devised a tactic to bring the enemy to battle. This involved making a steep spiral climb to between 15,000 and 18,000 feet where the MiG-3 fighters enjoyed a performance advantage over the German fighters. The German pilots almost always followed the climb, believing they were chasing a novice pilot, only to realize their mistake when Gruzdev suddenly stall-turned and shot them down. By the end of the year this talented pilot had no less than nineteen confirmed victories to his credit.

Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu lectures his staff at the Ministry of Internal Affairs:


> “We find ourselves at the broadest and most favourable moment for a complete ethnic unshackling, for a national revival and for the cleansing of our people of all those elements alien to its spirit”



*GERMANY:* Werner Mölders was presented Swords to his Knight's Cross by Adolf Hitler.

RAF Bomber Command sends 90 aircraft to attack Essen and 68 aircraft to attack Bremen overnight. The 90 British bombers attempting to attack the Krupp arms works and rail targets in Essen, scatter their bombs so widely that they bomb Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, Hagen, Wuppertal, and other cities as well as Essen. In Essen, they succeed only in inflicting minor housing damage, injuring two people.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The last French aerial reinforcements for Syria - 21 Dewoitine D.520 fighters of 3 Squadron, 2 Fighter Group (GC II/3) - land at the German-Italian airbase at Rhodes after coming from Tunis via Brindisi and Athens.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The Battle of Deir ez-Zor was fought in Syria, resulting in Allied victory. Allied field commander William "Bill" Slim of Iraq Command outflanked Vichy French troops at Deir ez-Zor, Syria. Progress on the poor road was slow and made more difficult by air attacks from Vichy aircraft but by early afternoon there were units within 9 miles of Deir ez-Zor. The 2/10th Gurkha Rifles attacked from the south-west at 0900 hours on 3 July. The flanking column (comprising infantry of 4/13th Frontier Force Rifles and armoured cars of the 13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers) had left Mayadin at 0415 hours, crossing the Palmyra road running south-west across their path about 20 mi (32 km) from Deir ez-Zor and reaching the Aleppo road by 1030 hours. As Slim had hoped, surprise was complete and the flanking force advanced rapidly into the city, capturing the bridges intact and destabilizing the defences facing the Gurkhas advancing from the south-east. By 1100 hours, these positions were abandoned and the two attacking forces joined up in the city. By 1530 hours, the last opposition in the city had been silenced although the Vichy air force continued to make telling attacks on the Allied ground forces. Only 100 prisoners were taken because the bulk of the Syrian troops changed into civilian clothes and merged into countryside. However, 50 lorries, nine guns and five aircraft were captured and a considerable haul of arms, ammunition and petrol was made.

The Vichy French fort at Palmyra surrenders to Habforce after a long defense. Survivors of French Foreign Legion in Palmyra (165 men, mostly Germans and Russians) surrender. They have withstood 12 day of attacks by four allied cavalry regiments (including the Arab Legion) and an infantry battalion.

RAF No. 127 Sqn attacks a formation of Leo451s but are driven off by escorting Dewoitine S520s, losing two Hurricanes.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Belgian 3rd Colonial Infantry Brigade attacks Italian positions at Dembidollo in Galla-Sidamo. “Mopping up” of the Italian forces in East Africa continues as the Italian garrison at Debra Tabor surrenders to the British. Italian General Pietro Gazzera surrendered to Belgian Congolese forces after his stronghold at Saio in the Ethiopian Highlands was surrounded.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The only daylight bombing on Britain during the week of 2 Jul to 9 Jul occurred on this date at Land's End in southwestern England. The German aircraft dropped bombs but they failed to explode.

The Mk II, Handley-Page Halifax makes its first flight. It is armed with a two-gun dorsal turret and equipped with more powerful engines.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Shortly after 0100 hours, Oblt. Reinhold Knacke of 2./NJG 1 destroys a British Whitley bomber and a Hampden bomber.

While testing a new Bf 109F near Aire, Major Wilhelm Balthasar, Kommodore of JG 2, is bounced by British Spitfires and killed. _Ritterkreuztrager_ Major Balthasar had forty-seven victories flying with several _Kanalfront_ _Geschwaders_, including JG 27, JG 1, JG 2 and JG 3. Oblt. Walter Oesau is later appointed Kommodore in his place.

The British continue with their "Nonstop Offensive" with two attacks against Hazebrouck. The first, Circus No. 30, commences shortly before noon. The fighters of JG 2 and JG 26 are sent to intercept the bombers and tangle with the escorting fighters. Lt. Hans Naumann of 9./JG 26 brings down a RAF Spitfire for his third victory and five minutes later Oblt. Rudolf Pflanz from the Stab of JG 2 brings down another Spitfire. The second attack, RAF Circus No. 31 was 6 Blenheim IVs of 2 (B) Group escorted by 17 fighter squadrons. This formation is met again by the _Kanalfront_ _Geschwaders_ at 1530 hours. Four Spitfires are shot down with claims going to Lt. Siegfried Schnell of 9./JG 2, Lt. Julius Meimberg of 3./JG 2, Lt. Karl-Heinz Harder of 2./JG 26 and Fw. Karl Pfeiffer for his sixth victory.

Denmark announced request for United States consular staffs to evacuate by July 15.

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## Njaco (Jul 3, 2016)

*July 4 Friday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * US Marines arrived at Iceland for occupation duties, freeing British troops for war efforts elsewhere.

USN PBY aircraft of VP 72 begin anti-submarine patrols from Reykjavik.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: German intelligence reports indicate the Soviets are down to 30 effective divisions. The euphoria of victory infects the German high command. Soviet strength continues to build after the disasters on the frontier. Despite losing scores of divisions and tons of supplies and equipment, the Russians have 180 divisions at or in the immediate vicinity of the front.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 4.Panzergruppe reaches Ostrov (southeast of Lake Peipus in Russia) and falls to forces of the German 41.Panzerkorps (4.Panzergruppe). The Germans are now less than 200 miles from their goal of Leningrad as they advance across the 1939 Polish-USSR border.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe holding bridgeheads across the Dniepr River.

Heeresgruppe Sud: On German Armeegruppe Sud’s front, heavy fighting around Mogilev-Podolski sector.

Unhappy with the progress of III./JG 52's performance in the Russian campaign, Reichsmarschall Göring sends a letter to the _Gruppenkommandeur_, Major Albert Blumensaat,


> "_Your unit continues to distinguish itself by its failure to shoot down the enemy. Just how much longer are the Russians to be allowed into your airspace unhindered?"_



While flying a MiG-3 fighter Lieutenant-Colonel Stepan Suprun, commanding officer of Soviet Naval Air Unit 401 IAP, was shot down by a German Fw 200 aircraft.

The Soviet NKVD arrested Colonel General Dimitry Pavlov for not attacking German forces as Joseph Stalin had ordered.

*GERMANY: *Twelve British Blenheim bombers attack Bremen, bombing an aircraft factory and a minesweeper. Four planes are shot down. Wing Commander Hughie Edwards of 105 Squadron RAF won the Victoria Cross for leading the low level attack on Bremen, in which his Blenheim bomber was hit twenty times.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* French vessel “_St Didier_”, carrying troops and supplies to the Levant, sunk off southern coast of Turkey by British Fleet Air Arm aircraft based on Cyprus. French vessel “_Chateau Yquem_”, carrying troops and supplies to the Levant, turns back.

*NORTH AFRICA:* In Cairo, Orde Wingate -- demoted, ill, and depressed -- unsuccessfully attempts to commit suicide by stabbing himself in the neck, and subsequently returns to UK to recuperate.

Luftwaffe aircraft attack Tobruk.

*NORTH AMERICA:* In an Independence Day broadcast, Roosevelt warns the American public that the USA 'will never survive as a happy and prosperous oasis in the middle of a desert of dictatorship'.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *British Communist Party decided to stop campaigning for peace. Instead, they supported the national war effort.

Douglas Bader collided with a German Bf 109E fighter during a dogfight. The German fighter was scored as a probable kill. 

Scattered targets attacked by 75 Luftwaffe aircraft overnight. British vessel “_Ravenscar_” sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Circus 32A to Chocques was conducted in the afternoon. Twelve Blenheim IVs of No. 2 Group made rendezvous at 14.30 hours with the Close-Escort, provided by North Weald Wing [71, 242 Squadrons], Escort-Cover by Biggin Hill Wing [74, 92, 609 Squadrons], Target-Support No.1 by Hornchurch Wing [54, 611, 603 Squadrons], Target-Support No.2 by Tangmere Wing [145, 610, 616 Squadrons], and Rear-Support by a No.12 Group Wing [56, 65, 601]. Bombs were released on Aire rail-station without results being observed. A Blenheim was damaged by Flak, and was ditched off Gravelines. At 1500 hours fighters from JG 2 and JG 26 intercept the flight. In a dogfight over St. Omer, eleven Spitfires were shot down and one Blenheim bomber was destroyed. Most of the claims are made by pilots of 9./JG 2 with credit going to Uffz. Karl Nowak for the bomber, Lt. Siegfried Schnell who claims four Spitfires, and Ofw. Erwin Busch for his fifth kill. Other pilots claiming kills are Oblt. Josef Priller of 1./JG 26 for his thirtieth victory, Oblt. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 for his eleventh victory, Gefr. Ernst Christof of 1./JG 26 for his first kill, Fw. Erwin Richey of 3./JG 2 and Hptm. Heinz Greisert of the Stab II./JG 2.

RAF Circus 32B was to the Marshalling-Yard at Abbeville which was conducted in the afternoon. Twelve Blenheim IVs of No. 16 Group made rendezvous with the Close-Escort composed of the Kenley Wing [258, 12, 485], and 308 Squadrons [Northolt]. Due to haze the rendezvous was not made, so the bombers returned to base. The remainder of the force swept Rye-Abbeville-Saint Pol, back to the Channel, without incident.

RAF Bomber Command sends 88 aircraft to attack Brest and 47 aircraft to attack Lorient overnight. During the early morning’s hours, the _Nachtjäger_ are busy against British bombers. At 0043 hours Oblt. Helmut Lent of 4./NJG 1 destroys a British Wellington bomber north east of Emmen. Later at 0233 hours, Hptm. Werner Streib of the Stab flight I./NJG 1 downs a Whitley V. The last night-fighter kill is at 0505 hours when Oblt. Wilhelm Herget of 4./ZG 76 shoots down a Handley-Page bomber.

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## parsifal (Jul 4, 2016)

*2 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 77’PT USS PT-28

Allied
Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARSOUND (Z-89)

*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-107
St Nazaire: U-71, U-552

Departures
Kiel: U-331, U501
St Nazaire: U-97

At Sea 2 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

33 Boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
Finnish submarine SAUKKO is believed to have received slight damage when she was depth charged by VMF SCs. SAUKKO was attacked after a failed attempt to attack Someri harbor (Hango Peninsula). Details on this combat are very sketchy.

Storozhevoi Class DD (project 7U) VMF STRASHNY was badly damaged on a mine in Irben (or Irba) Straits (the main exit out of the Gulf of Riga). The rest of the force, DDs SERDITY and SILNY laid mines. STRASHNY managed to escape as well and was repaired. DKM MSW 11 and Type 1935 class MSW M.31 clashed with VMF DD SILNY. In a brief encounter, DD SILNY was lightly damaged. The DKM ships were undamaged.

*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy EC.40 off Buchan Ness and provide escort to Pentland Firth. On the 3rd, the ship transferred to convoy WN.48 in Pentland Firth and escorted the convoy to Methil where they arrived at 1500 on the 4th.

ML PLOVER, escorted by DD HAMBLEDON, laid minefield BS 66 off the east coast of England.

Lt Cdr (A) F.D.G. Jennings, Commanding Officer of 768 Squadron, was killed when his Martlet dived into the sea after an engine failure at Abirlot, near Arbroath.

*Northern Waters*
CL MANCHESTER departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 3rd.
DD ICARUS arrived at Ardrossan at 0600 to effect repairs to her propellers, having taken passage from Iceland in convoy HX.133.

British steamer EMPIRE AUDACITY arrived at Scapa Flow, escorted by sloop STORK.

The steamer departed the next day for Campbeltown, escorted by sloop STORK.In September, this steamer would be the converted to CVE AUDACITY.

*West Coast*
DDs INTREPID, ACTIVE, and ANTELOPE departed Greenock for Loch Ewe to refuel, then escort convoy OB.341A to the westward until relieved by escort vessels from Iceland.

DD ACTIVE, with defective machinery, departed Loch Ewe at 2200 on the 3rd for Scapa Flow. She had been withdrawn from the escort duty. The destroyer arrived at Scapa Flow at 0730 on the 4th. DDs INTREPID and ANTELOPE escorted the convoy until 0800 on the 7th. They arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0930 on the 8th.

OB.341 A (there was no OB.342) departed Liverpool, escort DDs ANTELOPE and INTREPID and corvettes HEATHER and MIMOSA. This group, less corvette MIMOSA was detached on the 7th. On the 7th, DD OTTAWA and corvettes CANDYTUFT, GLADIOLUS, and NASTURTIUM joined. On the 8th, DD RIPLEY and AMC MALOJA joined. The group was detached on the 15th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 18th.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs JACKAL and HASTY departed Alexandria for Haifa. On their arrival at Haifa, DDs KANDAHAR and DECOY departed on the 3rd for Alexandria.

Yugoslavian MTBs KAJMAKCALAN and DURMITOR departed Alexandria for Haifa to operate under the orders of CS.15. ML.1032 departed Alexandria for Famagusta.

RAN CL PERTH and CLA NAIAD with DDs KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, HAVOCK, and GRIFFIN shelled French positions east of Damur. PERTH was attacked in error by British aircraft, but no damage resulted.

DDs JACKAL and HASTY departed Alexandria for Haifa. Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked an AMC in the med.

Sub TORBAY sank *AMC CITTA DI TRIPOLI (FI 2933 grt)* in the Aegean. This ship was commandeered by the RM on 22 December 1940 and joined the Aegean line as an AMC (Incrociatore Ausiliario). On July 2nd sailing from Samos to Piraeus, part of a convoy comprising of another steamer and two escorting DDs, she was attacked by the TORBAY with the result that she was sunk south of the Doro Channel and between the isle of Keos and the Greek mainland. The other steamer of the convoy escaped the attack. The escort launched a counter attack, dropping 18 depth charges in an attempt to sink the HMS TORBAY, but she managed to escape unharmed..





*Central Atlantic*
ASW whalers GOS 2 and KOS 12 and MSW trawler HOLLY departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 JULY TO DAWN 3 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and humid.
No air raids.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 2 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _8 Swordfish layed mines in approaches to Tripoli Harbour;, they also bombed three large and several small motor vessels and started fires, damaging German steamer SPARTA and Italian steamer ERITREA..

_AIR HQ Arrivals _8 Blenheim 110 Squadron, 2 Wellington. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 6 Wellington. _Aircraft casualties 69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Pantelleria and TripoliHarbour. _82 Squadron _3 Blenheims attacked Homs destroying barracks and vehicles. 3 Blenheims attacked Buerat barracks, destroying vehicles. _148 Squadron_ 7 Wellingtons bombed port facilities and ships in TripoliHarbour; ships damaged. 

_TA QALI _Two Hurricanes collided on landing, both badly damaged.


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## parsifal (Jul 4, 2016)

Halders Diary 2 July

Field Marshal yon Leeb (on phone)

a) Necessity to comb out forests south of Riga; 271st Div. turned off to the area.

b) Von Leeb wants to move up XXIII Corps behind his right wing under his command, whereas we have already assigned the Corps to the neighboring Ninth Army. This wish cannot "be complied with, -Ninth Army itself is very much interested in moving this Corps to the front along AGp boundary line.

At noon OKH is called to the Fuehrer:
He is apprehensive about the Novogrodek pocket. The Fuehrer thinks the ring must "be contracted and tightened, and wants it bolstered with reserves. It seems there was still some discussion about launching the new operations by Armd Gps. 2 and 3, which have already "been authorized "by us.

There they go worrying again.

OKH makes various suggestions on how to compress and crack the pocket. He wants to use Eighteenth mot. Div. and South Armd. Div., which "belong to the assault wave of Armd.

Gps. 2 and 3, set to strike on 3 July. object. I call up AG-p. Center to discuss that with Greiffenberg.

Field Marshal yon Bock in reply to my talk With his Chief of.Staff he states: An enemy "breakthrough from the forest pocket of Novogrodek to the NE is highly unlikely. Behind Fourteenth mot. Div., 900th Bde will be brought up from Yilna tonight. Pressure on the front of fourteenth mot.Div. is also eased "by arrival of 16'lst Div. On its right wing. Moreover, the northeastern edge of the forest area has "been amply mined "by Hoth.

Of V Corps, 35th and 5th Divs. have reached the forest region. VIll Corps, south of the Niemen, has crossed the Baranovichi-Lida railroad.

The situation is more difficult for Fourth Army and Guderians Armd. Group 2. He is under orders not to withdraw any units from the encircling ring, without orders.

Armd. Groups 2 and 3 are ordered to push their inner wings ahead to the forest edge (eastern edge of the "big forest”), if the situation permits. The process is most difficult between the "big forest” and Slonim. This area would afford the enemy with the "best operational opportunities; "but there are no signs that he is trying to take advantage of -them. This Novogrodek pocket cannot "be compared with the Volkovysk pocket, where the enemy suffered very heavy losses. Any unit that escaped into the Novogrodek pocket, is "badly mauled, and the enemy has no ammunition' no food _(in fact many units in this and other pockets were infiltrating past the thinly held cauldrons passing through the lines back to Soviet held territory)_. This accounts for his passivity. it will "be impossible to .

prevent some smaller enemy, "bodies seeping through, to 'the southeast. IX Corps has already crossed the Szczara river and will reach Molozadz tomorrow.

XIICorps is one day's march, LIIICorps two days 1 marches "behind schedule. But advance elements of these Corps are already committed next to Regt* Grossdeutschland and to reinforce the ring encircling, the Slonim area.

Fighting on the southern outskirts of Minsk. Von Kluge cannot move up his troops.
After this conversation, I report "briefly to OKH and then talk with. Jodl (OKW) to ease the Fuehrer's mind.

Evening reports.

AGp,. South: A heavy enemy attack was repulsed with severe enemy losses, west of *Rovno. III Corps (northern wing of the Armd. Gp.) temporarily stalled; central sector and southern wing advancing. In Romania, the Pruth river has been crossed and our forces have penetrated about 12 km into enemy territory. On the front of Seventeenth Army, the enemy is effecting a planned withdrawal, apparently under cover of strong Armd. forces* Our Divisions are in close pursuit.


Ib, AG-d. Center strong elements of Armd. Gps 2 and 3 have started to move forward in order to be as close as possible to the Dniepr and Dvina line on jump-off day ( 3 July). Good progress. Stubborn enemy resistance on the Beresina is broken by Armd. Gp. 2. The other components of Army Gp. after the close of the Bialystok battle, are regrouping for a now offensive against the line Mogilev-Polotsk. The ring encircling the forest pocket east of Uovogrodek is now complete.

AGN Armd. Gp. 4 has started operations and advanced halfway to Pskov. The Inf. Divs. are following close behind.

At the Fuehrers HQ they now seem to be reassured about the situation in the Novogrodek pocket stabilized. Start of new offensive by Armd. Gps, is approved.


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## parsifal (Jul 4, 2016)

*3 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-577

Neutral
Barnegat Class CVS’s USS BARNEGAT (AVP-10) and BISCAYNE (AVP-11)





Cimarron Class oiler USS CHEMUNG (AO-30)




_USS CHEMUNG (AO-30) refueling USS BOYD (DD-544), 1969_

Elco 77’ type PT USS PT-30




_PT-30 near Sand island, Midway island Group, after the Battle of Midway_


Allied
AA Ship HMS POZARICA





Bangor Class MSW HMS ROTHESAY (J 19)





HDML 1064, 244, 259, MTB 219,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-123 sank *steamer AUDITOR (UK 5444 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. She had formed part of the now dispersed OB-337. The ship was on passage from London to Beira, with general cargo and military a/c. A crew of 75 was embarked, 1 of whom was to lose his life in the attack At 0355 hrs the AUDITOR dispersed on 28 June, was hit by one torpedo fired by U-123 and sank about 600 miles NW of the Cape Verde Islands. One gunner was lost. The master and 50 crew members landed at St. Michael Island, Azores and 20 crew members and four gunners landed at Taffalal Bay, San Antonio Island, Cape Verde Islands and were brought to Bathurst by HMS GORLESTON.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Horten:U-501
St Nazaire U-75
Trondheim: U-81, U-401, U-652

At Sea 3 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-77, U-79, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-331, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

32 Boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
FN submarine VESIKKO suffered slight damage after depth charging by VMF SCs after the Finnish sub had torpedoes and sunk *MV VYBORG (SU 3183 grt)*. The precise identity of the surface forces is not clearly stated in the Soviet material, but most likely were small MO-4 class SCs. Another English language source states that Finnish sub VETEHINEN attacked Soviet steamer VYBORG (tonnage stated as 4000 grt) firstly with gunfire north of Stenskaar. The steamer escaped, but was sunk by the next day (4th July) by Finnish submarine VESIKKO in the manner described above.






*North Sea*
*Drifter RECEPTIVE (UK 86 grt) *was sunk on a mine in 51-20-50N, 0-54-35E.
T/Lt R.H.A. Remington RNVR, was lost in the drifter.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Aux ship ROSME (UK 82 grt) *was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
DDs INGLEFIELD and ACHATES departed Greenock in the afternoon escorting BC REPULSE to Scapa Flow, where they arrived in the forenoon of the 4th.

*Med/Biscay*
CL AJAX and CLA PHOEBE with DDs JACKAL and NIZAM departed Alexandria on the 3rd arrived off Syria later that day.

Submarine UPHOLDER sank *Liner LAURA COSULICH (FI 5870 grt) *east of Calabria.





CLA PHOEBE, RAN CL PERTH, and DDs KINGSTON, HOTSPUR, and GRIFFIN swept off the Syrian coast. RM sub MALACHITE attacked HMS PHOEBE during this sweep, without success.

En route to Tobruk, RAN DD STUART sighted a submarine on the surface off Mersa Matruh. HM DD DEFENDER hunted the submarine without success, while DDs STUART and VENDETTA continued to Tobruk.

*Central Atlantic*
Corvette COREOPSIS and ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH and LADY SHIRLEY departed Gibraltar to join convoy OG.66. On joining, they relieved DDs LANCE and LEGION which proceeded to Gibraltar. Convoy SL.80 departed Freetown escort AMCs ESPERANCE BAY to 22 July and CANTON to 7 July, DD HIGHLANDER to 8 July, corvettes AMARNTHUS and BERGAMOT to 11 July, ASW yacht SURPRISE to 9 July, and ASW trawler CANNA to 11 July. On the 23rd, DDs BROKE and WOLVERINE to 29 July and VERITY to 26 July after a collision with destroyer BROKE and corvettes HIBISCUS and PERIWINKLE to 29 July, joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Malta*

AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 JULY TO DAWN 4 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 3 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ RN Sub OSIRIS arrived at Malta with seventy tons of bulk petrol, unloaded at Marsaxlokk. . Sub UTMOST arrived at Malta from patrol. operations north of Sicily where she blew up a railway tunnel and sank a 6000 ton ship as part of a special op.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Blenheims 110 Squadron, 1 Bombay, 1 Catalina, 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Wellington._ 69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli Harbour and special patrols. _148 Squadron _5 Wellingtons night bombing Tripoli causing a fire and explosion near the Mole. 

_HAL FAR _Reconnaissance following yesterday’s mission by 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm yesterday showed mines laid kept ships out of Tripoli Harbour. 7 more Swordfish of the squadron left today to attack an enemy convoy but the attack was called off.


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## parsifal (Jul 4, 2016)

Halder's diary 3 July 1941


Daily reports of 2 July and morning reports of 3 July indicate that the enemy fronting 11A has apparently withdrawn behind the Pruth river, but is still fighting strong rear guard actions.. Our advance-is slowed by pouring rains, which turn roads into bogs.


The Hungarians are still fighting at the entrances to the mountain passes and have made no important advances. 17A, whore two Slovak Divisions have "been introduced on the right wing, is pressing on in pursuit behind the yielding enemy. This pursuit is repeatedly checked "by counter thrusts of individual enemy groups, mostly against the flank and as a rule with tank. Tarnopol is taken.

As a result of this advance, 17A has developed greater depth, which is all to the good, and now has its main concentration on its left wing, in conformity with the basic operational dispositions of Army Gp, Next to it, 6A with its main concentration on the right wing, has continued its southeastward movement in good formation. This puts its main weight "between 9 and 16 Pz divs, on the right, and III Corps (11, 13, and 14 Pz XXs). On the left. AGp, has developed a definite wedge pointing at Berdichev. To the north, AGS, that is, its left wing (III Corps), is still severely hampered in its movements "by attacks from the Pripet area, which the enemy now is launching west of Rovno,

This threat to the northern flank from the Pripet area has been a matter of concern for days. .Everybody is vying for the honor of telling the most hair-raising tale about the danger from the north. Foremost are the radio intelligence people, who claim to have located a large number of enemy troops, namely three Armd.Corps and two Infantry Corps under the command of an Army Eq, This assertion is baseless and therefore dangerous. The events over several days do show that there are enemy forces in this maze of swamps and. forests, but they certainly are not stronger than 2 or 3 Divisions; there cannot be any doubt that they include some motorised elements and tanks (_Halder was incorrect in terms of the numbers, but clearly right as to their combat powers_). The attacks are conducted in a manner which plainly shows that their command is completely disorganised. Also the tactics employed in these attacks -are singularly poor. Riflemen on trucks abreast with tanks drive against our firing line, and the inevitable result are very heavy losses to the enemy. Such desultory attacks cannot be regarded as a threat to our operations. Nevertheless it would be intolerable to allow this factor of uncertainty to persist unchallenged on our flank. It must be removed by offensive action and systematic combing out of the marshes.

In AGC the Novogrodek pocket has been further contracted and sealed, as agreed upon yesterday. The moves of Second ,and Ninth Army are continuing according to plan, and with forced marches, in order to introduce Infantry with greatest rapidity behind the Pz Gpswhich are launching the offensive today. Both Pz Gps .have already started off. Guderian forced the Beresina river this forenoon, Hoth's left wing reached the Dvina NW of Polotsk by noon.


In AGN Hoeppner advanced but slowly, owing to very bad weather which give him the worst road conditions. Still, his left wing is already midway 'between the Dvina and. Pskov He has "been directed by teletype orders issued .last night, to occupy the areas between Velikie Luki and Lake Ilmen and take Pskov, with a view to safeguarding them-toward the east, and to advance northward Beyond the lineLake Ilmen-Lake Peipus –Lake Ilmen - Pskovonly on orders from OKH, The latter advance will have the twofold aim of closing the gap between the -Gulf of Finland and Lake Peipus, and of cutting off Leningrad between the 'Gulf Of Finland and Lake Ladoga. 16 and 18A by forced marches, are moving on in excellent formation, witJa a strong right wing behind Pz Gp, toward the Dvina. On the Army Gp boundary close contact is maintained with the vigorously pushed left of 9A.


Enemy intelligence bring no important findings. In front of our southern wing (AG S), the enemy has ceased reinforcing. In Center triangle of Orsha Vitebsk Smolensk) there is still some movement, but with the movement which apparently came from the Caucasus brought to a close it is on a much smaller scale than in the past few dayg. In the "dry route I',, trench digging is in -progress. Owing to bad weather there are no new developments in the Bevel Group. The enemy situation in the Pripet Marshes remains obscure. We must not overrate the strength 'of this enemy. On the whole, with no more signs of enemy activity in the Novogrodek pocket, we may be fairly sure that the enemy in the Bialystok sector, who was estimate! at 15 20 Divs. by a Captured Russian Corps CG-, is annihilated except, for some negligible remnants. On the front of AGN. we may also figure, with 12 -15 Divs. completely wiped out. On the front of AGS the enemy's withdrawal and the crumbling of his front certainly cannot be interpreted as a disengaging movement planned by his command; it must be explained by the fact that his troops have been cut up. and for the most part scattered by our Unceasing massive blows.

On the whole, then, it may be said even now that the objective to shatter the bulk of the Russian Army this side of the Dvina and Dniepr, has been accomplished. Ido not doubt the statement of the captured Russian Corps CG that, east of the Dvina and Dniepr, we would encounter nothing more than partial forces, not strong enough to hinder realisation of German operational plans.. It is thus probably no overstatement to say that the Russian Campaign has been won in the space of two weeks. Of course, this does not yet mean that it is closed. sheer geographical vastness of the country and the stubbornness of the resistance, which is carried on with all means, will claim our efforts for many more weeks to come


Future Plans :

a) for the continuance of the Russian operations it will be of primary importance to gain a new jump off line between Smolensk and Moscow, and another base around Leningrad. From here we could proceed to the capture of Nthn Russia and the industrial region around and subsequently, in conjunction with AGS, of the Donets industrial region _(Halder and OKH believed the capture of the Donets region would bring about thecollapse of Soviet industry. In fact the main industrial heartland was now far to the eastand much of the europeanindustry was being dismantled. The Red Army was already playing for time)._

Once we are across the Dvina and Dniepr, it will be less a question of smashing enemy armies, than of denying the enemy and so prevent possession of his production centers and his raising a new Army with-the aid of his gigantic industrial potential and his inexhaustible esources



b) As soon as the battle in the East changes from an effort to annihilate the enemy armed forces to one of paralyzing the enemy economy, our nest tasks in the war against Britain will come to the foreground and require preparation:


General Wagner (Quarte master General) Summary of casualty reports, .booty reports etc)

Casualties. Total for period 22 -30 June: 41,087 or 1,64% of actual strength of 2.5 million) Killed/Wounded 524/966 Officers t 8,362/28528 EM


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## Njaco (Jul 4, 2016)

*July 5 Saturday*
*ASIA: *Vice Admiral Hidehiko Ukita succeeded Vice Admiral Teruhisa Komatsu as the commanding officer of the Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * In the morning, U-96 was pursuing a convoy contact report from a Condor aircraft through fog about 300 miles north of the Azores, when she came upon a curious formation of six vessels: survey vessel HMS “_Challenger_”, leading the troopship “_Anselm_”, the AMC HMS “_Cathay_” and three corvettes, HMS “_Petunia_”, “_Lavender_” and “_Starwort_”, which were deployed to port, starboard and astern of the troopship. At 0829, U-96 fired a salvo of four torpedoes and thought that she had scored hits on the AMC and a yacht (the survey ship). However, two torpedoes hit the “_Anselm_”, sinking her within 22 minutes, but that was time enough for the crew to launch all but one of the lifeboats. None the less, four crewmembers and 250 of the service personnel on board were lost. The three corvettes immediately started a counter-attack on the U-boat, but the ASDIC of “_Starwort_” was out of commission, so “_Petunia_” and “_Lavender_”, which had firm contacts, delivered the attack. The first corvette launched six depth charges and the latter twenty. Then the attack carried the corvettes close to the survivors in the water, so the depth charging had to be broken off, but they had damaged U-96 so badly, that she had to abort her patrol. In the meantime the master, 93 crewmembers, three gunners and 965 service personnel were picked up by the survey ship (including 60 men from the water) and the third corvette. The survivors were later transferred to the AMC and landed at Freetown. Sqn-Ldr the rev Herbert Cecil Pugh (b. 1898) serving on the British troopship HMT “_Anselm_”, carrying RAF personnel to Africa, would later be awarded a posthumous George Cross in 1947 for tending to the wounded, helping with life rafts, and finally asking to be lowered into the flooding hold to be with his comrades who could not escape.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Soviets launch a major counter attack between Ostrov and Pskov on the approach to Leningrad. The attacking force is heavily reinforced with heavy KV-I and KV-II tanks. The defending Germans of the 1. and 6.Panzerdivisionen are hard pressed.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German XXXVI Korps attacking in the Salla sector.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: In attacks east of Minsk the German advance reaches the Dniepr. Soviet 22nd Army counterattacks in the Orsha sector. 3.Panzergruppe establishes a bridgehead over the Dvina River.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  The German 6.Armee breaches the Soviet defense line west of Zhitomir. 1.Panzergruppe (Kleist) begins to move through the gap but is somewhat held back by orders from Hitler. On the same day, Romanian 3rd Army captured Chernivtsi, Ukraine.

Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 downs three Russian SB-3s.

The Kommodore of JG 27, Hptm. Bernhard Woldenga is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_.

The Soviet Special Group (later 4th NKVD Directorate) was formed, initially with 5,000 members, with the goal of terrorizing the enemy rear areas.

Kriegsmarine U-boats begin operating along northern coast of the Soviet Union.

A 49-year-old Communist who organized groups of his fellow Yugoslav’s to fight Franco in the Spanish Civil War issued a call to his country “to rise like one man in this battle against the invaders and hirelings.” Josip Broz, alias “Tito”, has recruited many partisans from the Yugoslavs who have fled to the mountains to escape forced labour under the Germans.

*GERMANY:* 63 British Wellington bombers attacked Münster, Germany at between about 0050 hours and 0250 hours local time with 396 500-pound bombs, 50 250-pound bombs, and almost 6,000 4-pound incendiary bombs. The railway station was the intended main target. German authorities at Münster estimated 240 high explosive bombs and 3,000 incendiary bombs were dropped. 21 were killed and several fires were started. It was the first time Münster was subjected to large scale bombing. At 0157 hours, Ofw. Heinz Strüning, of 1./NJG 2 downs a British Wellington bomber.

RAF Bomber Command sends 39 aircraft to attack Osnabruck and 33 aircraft to attack Bielefeld overnight.

Hitler’s adjutant says that the murder of thousands of Russian Jews by SS Einsatzgruppen [action squads] or by local militia is part of a “necessary mopping-up operation.”

Ukrainian nationalist leader Stefan Bandera transported to Berlin, placed under house arrest, and interrogated.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Australian 21st Brigade arrived at the Damour River in Lebanon.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Iva Toguri, subsequently known as Orphan Ann and Tokyo Rose, in order to visit relatives sails for Japan where she becomes stranded when war breaks out.

*SOUTH AMERICA:* Ecuadorian-Peruvian War: Clashes erupt along the border of Ecuador and Peru around Huaquillas on the Zarumilla River, with each side blaming the other for initiating hostilities. Peruvian troops begin crossing Zarumilla River and pushing into El Oro province.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* At 0100 hours in the morning, Ofw. Peter Laufs of 1./NJG 2 scores his ninth victory when he shoots down a RAF Fairey Battle over Wells-next-Sea.

General Sikorski and Ambassador Maisky meet under British auspices to open negotiations about restoring diplomatic relations and other topics. British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden officially ruled out any chance of negotiations with Germany.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The targets for today's "Nonstop Offensive" by the British were the airfields at Lille and Abbeville. RAF Circus 33A to Lille was conducted in the afternoon by Three Stirlings of No.3 Group, Bomber Command. Close-Escort was provided by RAF No. 258, 485 and 308 Squadrons: and Escort-Cover was Kenley and Northolt Wings: Rear-Support was the No.12 Group Wing comprising 19, 257 and 401 Squadrons. All bombers returned. The attack is again met by fighters from JG 2 and JG 26. Intercepted over Dünkirchen, the Luftwaffe shoots down four Spitfires and one ‘Blenheim’. Claims go to Oblt. Josef Priller of 1./JG 26 for his thirty-first kill, Lt. Robert Unzeitig also of 1./JG 26 for his second victory, Lt. Horst Ulenberg of 2./JG 26 for his eleventh kill, Oblt. Helmut-Felix Bolz of 5./JG 2 and Lt. Bruno Stolle who is given credit for the British bomber. RAF 11 Group Circus 33B to the Rail-yards at ABBEVILLE by RAF 3 Group 1 Stirling Is was uneventful.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 5, 2016)

*Halders diary 4 July 1941 *


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## parsifal (Jul 5, 2016)

*4 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements*
None

*Losses*
*Steamer BALFRON (UK 362 grt)* was sunk by the LW 3.5 miles 38° from Ravescar. Four crew were missing on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer LUNAN (UK 363 grt) *was sunk on a mine in the Western Approaches. 
Five crew of a crew of six were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.69 shelled and sank *steamer ROBERT L. HOLT (UK 2918 grt)* with the loss of whole crew (56 men) off the West coast of Africa, in the Central Atlantic. The ship was on passage from Liverpool to Warri when lost, travelling in Ballast. At 0436 hrs, U-69 began a gun duel with the armed ROBERT L. HOLTNW of the Canary Islands. She had been the ship of commodore Vice-Admiral N.A. Wodehouse, CB, RN from the dispersed convoy OB-337 The ship sank at 0650 hrs after the U-boat had fired 102 HE shells and 34 incendiary rounds from the deck gun, 220 rounds from the 20mm gun and 400 rounds with the MG34. The master, the commodore, 41 crew members, eight gunners and five naval staff members were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Ocean boarding vessel CAVINA intercepted *steamer FRANKFURT (Ger 5522 grt)*, which had departed Rio de Janiero on 26 June, in the Nth Atlantic. Steamer FRANKFURT scuttled herself. The CAVINA rescued twenty six survivors from the steamer. Some twenty crew members were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
To Bergen: U-137
To Lorient: U-101

At Sea 4 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-77, U-79, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-331, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

30 Boats at sea

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
ML PLOVER, escorted by DD HAMBLEDON, laid minefield BS 67, off the east coast of England.

*Trawler AKRANES (UK 550 grt (est))* was sunk by the LW off Bridlington Bay. There were no casualties on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*

*Northern Waters*
DD ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow for Sheerness and refitting at London. The DD arrived at Sheerness on the 8th. Her refit was completed in September.

*West Coast*
Motor vessel GOLDFINCH was damaged by a mine 10 miles 273° from St Bees Head, Solway Firth. The vessel was towed to Whitehaven.

*SW Approaches*
OG.67 departed Liverpool escort DDs CHELSEA and VERITY, sloop BIDEFORD, corvettes ARBUTUS, BEGONIA, CONVOLVULUS, JASMINE, LARKSPUR, and RHODODENDRON, ocean boarding vessel LADY SOMERS. The ocean boarding vessel was detached that evening. On the 5th, CAM ship PEGASUS and corvette PIMPERNEL joined the escort. On the 9th, the destroyers and corvettes ARBUTUS, BEGONIA, CONVOLVULUS, JASMINE, and PIMPERNEL, and the CAM ship were detached. Corvettes COREOPSIS from Gibraltar and JONQUIL and SPIRAEA from convoy HG.67 joined the escort on the 14th.Corvette SPIRAEA was detached on the 15th to assist ocean boarding vessel LADY SOMERS, which had been torpedoed. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th, escorted by sloop BIDEFORD, ASW trawler ARCTIC RANGER, corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS, NL submarine O.24, and naval trawlers COPINSAY and ARRAN.

CLA HERMIONE from raider hunting and DDs LANCE and LEGION from convoy OG.66 escort arrived at Gibraltar. CVL FURIOUS and troopships SCYTHIA and CAMERONIA departed Gibraltar for the Clyde, escorted by CLA HERMIONE and DDs LANCE, LEGION, WISHART, and FURY. CL EDINBURGH relieved HERMIONE after being detached from convoy WS.9B 3 July. HERMIONE proceeded to patrol duties. DD FAULKNOR was detached from convoy OG.66 on the 5th to join CVL FURIOUS. DD WISHART departed the escort on the 8th to refuel at Ponta Delgada and then return to Gibraltar. On the 9th, FURIOUS rendezvoused with BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and CL EDINBURGH was detached. CL EDINBURGH and CLA HERMIONE arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th. DDs FAULKNOR and FURY arrived back at Gibraltar on the 14th.

CVL FURIOUS was bombed by 3 FW200s in 36-28N, 10-51W on the 5th, but was not damaged. The carrier arrived in the Clyde on the 12th with BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, steamers SCYTHIA and CAMERONIA, carrying 188 pows, and ORP DD PIORUN, and RN DDs LANCE, and LEGION.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

CLA NAIAD and CL AJAX with DDs JACKAL, NIZAM, KIMBERLEY, and HAVOCK shelled French positions on the Syrian coast.

Submarine TORBAY sank two *caiques (FI 550 grt (est)) *with troops and stores with artillery off Doro Channel.

*Central Atlantic*
British troopship CAMERONIA arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown. ASW whaler GOS 3 departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CA EXETER arrived at Aden. The cruiser operated from Aden from 4 July until the end of September 1941 when she docked at Colombo. Dutch steamer SIBAJAK departed Durban with 800 personnel from convoy WS.8X. The steamer was escorted by CL COLOMBO to 5-20S, 50E, where the escort was relieved by CL MAURITIUS. MAURITIUS escorted to 4-25N, 86-50E where she was relieved by CL DURBAN. The steamer arrived at Singapore on the 19th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 JULY TO DAWN 5 JULY 1941

_Weather _Fine; humid

_1013-1041 hrs _Air raid alert for 25 Macchi 200 fighters escorting an unidentified reconnaissance aircraft approaching from the north west. They come to within 10 miles of St Paul’s Bay when they are intercepted by four Hurricanes of 185 Squadron. One Hurricane attacks three Macchi fighters, damaging one badly which descends in a spin from 8000 feet. A second Hurricane badly damages a Macchi six miles north of Spinola. Several others are damaged. The enemy aircraft split up and recede north east. Ten more Hurricanes pursue the raiders as far as Cape Passaro but do not engage again. HMS GLOXINIA picks up the body of a dead Italian pilot who is buried at sea. 

_2231-2243 hrs; 2259-2333 hrs; 0007-0036 hrs; 0107-0210 hrs _Air raid alerts for a total of 7 enemy aircraft: operating singly or closely following each other in pairs they cross the coast at about 16000 feet. In the first three raids Malta night fighters are scrambled and searchlights active but there are no illuminations due to haze, and no engagements. In the last alert only searchlights and anti-aircraft guns are active; no claims. Bombs are dropped on Hamrun near ARP headquarters, destroying houses and causing civilian casualties. In other attacks bombs are dropped near Mosta and Lija with no serious damage or casualties; others are dropped in the sea. One of the raiders fires its machine guns in the direction of Filfla for no apparent reason.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 4 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Submarine URGE arrived at Malta from patrol south of Messina claiming to have sunk cruiser believed to beBOLZANO, obtained one hit on a 9000 ton merchant vessel and blew up a train in a tunnel.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheims 110 Squadron, 1 Bombay. _Departures _1 Bombay, 1 Catalina, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli, Homs, Sirte and special patrols. _110 Squadron_ 6 Blenheims attacked troop motor transport on the Buerat-Sirte road, with three direct bomb hits on lorries plus others destroyed by machine-gun fire. 

_HAL FAR _Sir Oliver Lyttleton, AOC Middle East, visited Hal Far with the AOC Mediterranean.


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## parsifal (Jul 5, 2016)

A fortnight in and I think so far we are okay......

*Halders diary 5 July 1941 
*




*
















*

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## Njaco (Jul 5, 2016)

*July 6 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Transports USS “_Munargo_” (AP-20) and USAT “_Cheaeau Thierry_” arrive at Tungugdliarfik Fjord, Greenland, to begin construction of an air base at Narsarssuak. This was designated Bluie West One (BW-1). Bluie was the code name for Greenland and “W-1” indicated that this was the first base constructed on the west coast of Greenland; bases on the east coast were designated BE-numeric. Also debarking from the freighter SS “_Siboney_” were a small cadre of Army Airways Communications System (AACS) personnel. AACS had been tasked with supporting the Air Corps Ferrying Command’s flights across the North Atlantic by providing communications services to disseminate weather information and navigational aids. AACS detachments had already established sites at Gander, Newfoundland, in March 1941 and Goose Bay, Labrador. BW-1 went on the air on 21 August. By November 1941, AACS had established stations as far east as Reykjavik, Iceland.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa:  Fighters from JG 54 attack a formation of seventy-three Russian bombers attacking a bridgehead at Ostrov. Sixty-five bombers are shot down. Lt. Ostermann of 7 _Staffel_ claims his nineteenth and twentieth victories.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Heeresgruppe Nord continues its advance, reaching a line from Lake Peipus through Reval to Parun, North of the Gulf of Riga. The Soviets launch a major counter attack between Ostrov and Pskov on the approach to Leningrad. The attacking force is heavily reinforced with heavy KV-I and KV-II tanks. The defending Germans of the 1. and 6.Panzerdivisions are hard pressed. The Soviets claim to have carried out successful counterattacks in Latvia and in Belorussia.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Lieutenant-General P.A. Kurochkin's 20th Army begins a Stavka ordered counterstroke against Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe. Soviet forces counter-attack the bridgehead over the Dvina. The Soviets attacked the Panzer divisions of Heeresgruppe Mitte with 700 tanks. But the Red Army was quickly defeated with counterattacks from the Luftwaffe.The attacks would end in three days, with heavy losses to both sides. A Soviet ambush of German forces north of Zhlobin results in the destruction of 22 German tanks.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  German 1.Panzergruppe and 6.Armee keep pushing toward Kiev and German 17.Armee and Rumanian 3rd Army continue attacking in the south. Rumanian 3rd Army enters Chernovtsy and were welcomed by the civilian population on entering the city.

Lithuanian militiamen, on German orders, kill 2,514 Jews.

The Military Collegium of the Soviet NKVD sentenced four teenagers to death for being the son and nephews of Nestor Lakoba, political enemy of Lavrentiy Beria (already killed in Dec 1936).

*GERMANY:* Melnyk's faction of Ukrainian National Movement unsuccessfully petitions Hitler for permission to form military unit to serve on the Russian Front.

RAF Bomber Command starts a three day bombing of Münster, Germany. RAF Bomber Command sends 47 aircraft to attack Münster and 46 aircraft to attack Dortmund overnight. In the end, a quarter of the city would be gutted.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *RAF aircraft bomb Palermo, Italy.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Australian 7th Infantry Division attacking across the Damour River toward Beirut. Lieutenant Roden Cutler won the Victoria Cross for clearing enemy positions in Syria. Wounded, he lay in the open for 26 hours before comrades could get to him, by which time his leg required amputation.

Australian troops attacked French troops at El Atiqa and El Boum in Lebanon, capturing both positions by nightfall.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria overnight with 15 bombers. Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica aircraft attack Tobruk.

*NORTHERN FRONT: *While waiting for the main attack by Lt. Gen. Heinrichs’s Karelian Army to begin, Col. Heiskanen’s 11th Div. (VI Corps) attacks near Vartsile to gain better starting positions for the coming main attack. Finnish 14th Infantry Division captures Repola en route to Murmansk railroad.

The Finns decide to re-occupy the island of Morgonland and a lone lieutenant, Fred Luther, is landed for a two-day reconnaissance.

German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen begins attacking across the Litsa River as the Soviet Navy lands a naval battalion behind the German forces. 

*SOUTH AMERICA:* Ecuadorian-Peruvian War: Peru ousts Ecuadorian forces from two disputed areas and recaptures Matapalo Island (occupied by Ecuador in 1938). Peruvian troops pushing into El Oro province. Peruvian aircraft support the ground attacks. US, Argentinian and Brazilian mediators arrange cease-fire.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* After sundown, German bombers conducted a light attack on Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 109 aircraft to attack Brest overnight in a RAF 11 Group Roadstead. Another 21 aircraft are sent on coastal sweeps. The night-fighters of the Reich take to the skies in force against the continued night time bombing by the British. The first _Nachtjäger_ to score a victory this night is Oblt. Helmut Lent of 4./NJG 1 who destroys a Whitley bomber south of Apeldoorn at 0056 hours. Almost an hour later, Ofw. Strüning of 1./NJG 2 gains his sixth victory when he destroys a Wellington bomber east of Nottingham. But the most successful part of the early morning begins at 0300 hours when NJG 2 intercepts a British bomber formation heading inland over the coast. At 0308 hours Ofw. Wilhelm Beier of 3./NJG 2 destroys a Wellington over Texel for his seventh victory then gains his eighth victory at 0336 hours when he brings down a Blenheim. The next attack is a force of RAF Hampdens that are bounced around 0430 hours by fighters from ZG 76. In a space of five minutes three British bombers are shot down by Ofw. Lambert Spitzer, Uffz. Albert Hoffmann and Lt. Oskar Hautt, all of 6./ZG 76.

RAF No. 11 Group's Circus No. 35 is an attack on the Fives works at Lille shortly after 1430 hours in the afternoon. 6 Stirlings of 3 Group were escorted by 18 fighter squadrons. Intercepted again by fighters from JG 2 and JG 26, thirteen British Spitfires are claimed shot down, most over Calais and Dunkirk. Victorious pilots include Hptm. Walter Adolph of Stab II./JG 26 for his nineteenth victory, Lt. Horst Ulenberg of 2./JG 26 who downs two Spitfires to bring his score to thirteen, Ofw. Rudolf Täschner of 1./JG 2 who also downs two fighters for his fourteenth and fifteenth kills and Uffz. Gerhard Oemler of 9./JG 26 for his second. Scoring victories for the first time are Oblt. Walter Otte of 3./JG 26 and Lt. Friedrich Uiberacker of 1./JG 26. Lt. Paul Galland, younger brother of Adolf Galland and posted to 8./JG 26, scores his first victory when he shoots down one of the RAF Spitfires. The day ends when Ofw. Wilhelm Beier of 3./NJG 2 again takes to the skies and shortly before midnight destroys two British Whitleys north east of Bacton to bring his score to ten kills.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 6, 2016)

*05 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-133
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIC U-208





Type VIIC U-654
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
O Class DD HMS ORIBI (G-66)





MMS I Class MSW MMS-36 (J-536)

MTB 55

M (Malyutka) Class subs VMF M-111, 112 and 113 (Black Sea)




_M-173 illustrated_

*Losses*
U-96 sank *Troopship ANSELM (UK 5954 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Gourock to Freetown, transporting 1210 RAF and military personnel and a crew of 106. She was lost in the Nth Atlantic, well west of Portugal. IU-96 was pursuing a convoy contact report from a FW-200 through fog about 300 miles north of the Azores when the she came upon a formation of six vessels: the British survey vessel HMS CHALLENGER, leading the troopship ANSELM, the AMC HMS CATHAY and corvettes PETUNIA, LAVENDER and STARWORT which were deployed to port, starboard and astern of the troopship. At 0829 hours, U-96 fired a salvo of four torpedoes and thought that she had scored hits on the AMC and a yacht (the survey ship). However, two torpedoes hit the ANSELM, sinking her within 22 minutes, but that was time enough for the crew to launch all but one of the lifeboats. Nonetheless, four crew members and 250 of the service personnel on board were lost.

The three corvettes immediately started a counter-attack on the U-boat but the sonar o STARWORT was out of commission, so the main attacks were by the other two escort ships which gained a firm contact, and delivered a sustained DC attack. The first corvette launched six depth charges and the latter twenty. Then the attack carried the corvettes close to the survivors in the water, so the depth charging had to be broken off, but they had damaged U-96 so badly that she had to abort her patrol. In the meantime the master, 93 crew members, three gunners and 965 service personnel were picked up by the survey ship (including 60 men from the water) and the third corvette. The survivors were later transferred to the AMC and landed at Freetown.






*Marconi class sub MICHELE BIANCHI (RM 1195 grt)* was sunk by Submarine TIGRIS in 45N, 04W in Biscay. There were no survivors from the Italian submarine.





*Aux MSW SNAEFELL (RN 466 grt)* was sunk by the LW in a bombing raid off Sunderland with the loss of the skipper and three crewmen wounded.





*Steamer FOWEY ROSE (UK 470 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the western English Channel. Eight crew were missing on the steamer.





*Steamer BENCRUACHEN (UK 5920 grt)* was sunk on a mine 9.8 cables 297° from Mex High Light (location uncertain). Three crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Motor yacht WYREEMA (UK 31 grt)* was lost when the steamer was sunk.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-126
Lorient: U-74

At Sea 05 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-77, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-126, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-331, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-564, UA

29 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*Steamer STIG GORTHON (SD 2241 grt)* whilst operating for the Axis, was mined and sunk NW of Outer Jade Light Vessel, Weser on the 5th July 1941. The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Baltic
*MV RASMA (SU 3204 grt)* Latvian State Shipping Co. Capt.Zaichik; Mohni; She was damaged on mines was damaged on a mine laid by Finnish submarine VESIHIISI on 23 June north of Ekholm. The steamer was beached to avoid sinking, but was sunk by DKM S-boats S.26 and S.28 on the 10th. Soviet sources also say she was bombed by the LW.





*North Sea*
DD HOLDERNESS struck a mine in the North Sea. The damage required twenty six days to repair.

*Northern Patrol*
For Operation DN, CL NIGERIA, CLA CURACOA, and DDs BEDOUIN, PUNJABI, TARTAR, and ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow at 0630 to strike German shipping near Stadtlandet (in Norway). The force was sighted by LW a/c on 5/6 July. The ships then returned to Scapa Flow, arriving at 1300 on the 8th.

*Northern Waters*
CA SHROPSHIRE, carrying 60 pows, arrived at Scapa Flow from the East Indies to join the Home Fleet.

DD JUPITER departed Scapa Flow for Greenock to carry out minor repairs prior to joining Western Approaches Cmd. The DD was to have been in the escort for convoy WS.9C, but repairs required longer than expected. DD LIGHTNING replaced her in the convoy escort.

RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up.

ASW trawler NORTHERN FOAM sighted a U-boat on the surface in 62-20N, 15-37E. The U-Boat escaped at high speed on the surface. ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRINCESS and NORTHERN SKY joined the hunt, but the U-Boat was not re-contacted.

*West Coast*
Submarines TRAVELLER and TROOPER, fitting out at the Scotts yard at Greenock, were damaged by German bombing. The submarines were damaged again on the 8th by bombing.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX and PERTH, CLA CARLISLE, and DDs JACKAL, KINGSTON, RAN NIZAM, GRIFFIN, HAVOCK, and HOTSPUR, with air support, bombarded Damur.

A night sweep was conducted by light cruiser PERTH, anti-aircraft cruiser CARLISLE, and destroyers NIZAM and HAVOCK.

Submarine TORBAY sank *Argonauta class submarine JANTINA (RM 611 grt)* south of Melos. On 5 July 1941, while sailing on the surface from Leros to Brindisi for repairs because of failures reported in the preceding days, the JANTINA was attacked by the British submarine TORBAY. HMS TORBAY fired six torpedoes of which two struck the JANTINA. The submarine sank very quickly, but 6 crewmen were rescued..





Submarine CLYDE returned to Gibraltar after Operation VIGOROUS.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 JULY TO DAWN 6 JULY 1941

_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_Night _ Four air raid alerts during which in all ten enemy aircraft pass over the Island, seven of which drop bombs in the sea. The other three dropped bombs on and near Mosta, in Lija cemetery and in fields near Zeitun and Birkirkara. Hurricanes are scrambled five times and anti-aircraft guns fire several barrages; no claims. 

_2243-2300 hrs; 2321-0034 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the north east and drops bombs in the sea west of Kalafrana. Searchlights illuminate the raider for two minutes and eight heavy anti-aircraft guns fire a barrage at 18000 feet; no claims.

_0113-0133 hrs_ Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast north of GrandHarbour and drops bombs near Ta Qali.

_0151-0309 hrs_ Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching the Island singly from the north and drop bombs in the sea off St Thomas’ Bay, near Kalafrana, and on land near Ta Qali. Searchlights illuminate the targets for 2 minutes. Anti-aircraft guns fire a barrage at aircraft south of Kalafrana; they immediately recede east and then northwards.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 5 JULY 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _5 Blenheim 82 Squadron. _69 Squadron_Marylands reconnaissance Sciacca, Castel Vetrano, Syracuse, Augusta, Gela, Tripoli and special patrols. _110 Squadron _4 Blenheims searched for reported ship without success. 

_LUQA _5 Blenheims 82 Squadron left for Middle East, one crashed on Gudja, killing 2 and injuring 2.


----------



## Njaco (Jul 6, 2016)

*July 7 Monday
ASIA: *General Seishiro Itagaki was named the commanding officer of the Japanese Chosen Army in occupied Korea, relieving Kotaro Nakamura.

On the fourth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek sent a message to friendly nations asking for; "close co-operation with one another" to fight the Axis because "the war in the Far East is no longer to be viewed as merely a conflict between two nations, for the European and Asiatic Wars have now become closely interrelated. Scarcely a single country remains unaffected because this predatory group of powers excludes no country from the scope of its design to dominate the world by force."

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Iceland, coerced by the United Kingdom, allowed the United States to oversee the defense of the island. US 1st Marine Brigade arrived later on the same day and began to relieve the British garrison. The US troops are from General Marston's 1st Marine Brigade and the transport ships are from Admiral Breton's TF-19, which also includes two battleships, two cruisers and 12 destroyers. President Roosevelt sent Congress a message explaining that the United States could not allow Germany to occupy Iceland because it would constitute a threat to Greenland, to shipping in the North Atlantic and to the steady flow of munitions to Britain which Congress had already freely approved as a matter of broad policy.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Stalin replaced top army commanders, putting Marshal Kliment Voroshilov in command of the Northern Front, Marshal Semyon Timoshenko in the Central Front, and Marshal Semyon Budyonny on the Southern Front.

5.Panzerdivision, one of two Panzer divisions strategically reserved due to being used in the Balkans attacks, is ordered to prepare for movement to Russia.

Heeresgruppe Nord: The German 4.Panzergruppe captured Pskov, Russia as it moved towards Leningrad. Russian and German tanks clash at Ostrov, a key point of the road to Leningrad.

Jürgen Stroop was assigned to the infantry regiment of German 3rd SS Division Totenkopf.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 20.Panzerdivision crossed the Daugava River (Western Dvina), threatening to outflank the Polotsk Fortified Region in Byelorussia. The 20th Motorized Division cross the Ulla River.

The German 9.Armee complains that it was receiving only 1/3 of its allotted daily requirement in rail supply leaving the army to rely largely on the Grosstransportraum and its largely horse drawn supply. The length of this supply line stretches 400 kilometers. The war diary of 2.Panzergruppe records that 18. and 3.Panzerdivisions are at 35% combat readiness while 4. and 17. Panzerdivisions are at 60%. The most fit panzer unit is 10. Panzerdivision at 80% combat readiness.

Heeresgruppe Sud: The 13.Panzerdivision reached Berdychiv. The Germans are now less than 100 miles from Kiev.

Reversing former statements, Maxim Litvinov broadcasted from Moscow in English that the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom must work together against Germany.

Occupied Yugoslavia was carved up between Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria, with Croatia becoming an independent state. Italy annexes Dalmatian coast; Hungary annexes Drava 'triangle'; Croatia independent state; Serbia under German military administration. Bulgaria receives part of Macedonia.

Uprising in Serbia : The Uprising was initiated by the Communist Party of Yugoslavia against the German occupation forces and their Serbian quisling auxiliaries in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia. It began when Žikica Jovanović Španac urged a crowd in the village of Bela Crkva to resistance, then shot two policemen and escaped.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 114 RAF Wellingtons to attack Cologne, 72 aircraft to attack Osnabruck, 40 aircraft to attack Monchengladbach and 49 aircraft to attack Münster again overnight.

Sgt James Allen Ward (1919-41), Royal New Zealand Air Force, 75th Squadron, was second pilot in a Wellington Mk. I. The aircraft was hit by Flak over Germany in a fuel tank and engine. The crew tried using fire extinguishers but the slipstream swept the spray away. Sgt. Ward volunteered to try to put the fire out and climbed out a hatch, tethered by a rope. Kicking holes in the fabric covering, Sgt. Ward was able to smother the fire. Although he was badly burned, the aircraft made it home. The New Zealander was awarded the Victoria Cross but never received the medal, being killed on a raid two months later.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Australian troops outflanked French positions at Damour, Lebanon.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Marine Corps organized Marine Air Group 1. The First Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW), under Lieutenant Colonel Louis E. Woods composed of a Headquarters Squadron and Marine Air Group 1 (MAG-1), is organized at Quantico, Virginia. This is the first of its type in the USMC and the first of five wings organized during the war.

Having acquired aircraft, pilots, groundcrew, and supplies for the American Volunteer Group, Chennault departs San Francisco by air for China.

The USAAF orders 150 model NA-91 P-51 Apaches intended for the RAF under Lend-Lease as Mustang Mk. IAs. These aircraft retained the Allison V-1710-39 engine.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* On the left flank of Karelian Army Group Oinonen (Maj. Gen. Oinonen) crosses the border near Ilomantsi to capture better starting positions for the coming main attack. The attack is soon stopped by stiff Soviet resistance.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *After sundown, German bombers attacked Southampton, England.

Winston Churchill sent a letter to Stalin saying that there was "genuine admiration" in Britain for the "bravery and tenacity of the soldiers and the people" of the Soviet Union. Churchill also pledged, "We shall do everything to help you that time, geography and our growing resources allow." Stalin was unimpressed by the vagueness of the letter and responded by asking for a formal agreement, since he wanted to ensure that Britain would not stand aside while Germany and the Soviet Union destroyed each other.

Anthony Eden recommends to the War Cabinet that Britain increase the Malaya defences, send Australian troops to Dutch Timor and Ambon, and renounce the trade treaty with Japan.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft on coastal sweeps. RAF No. 105 Sqn. makes a midday attack against a convoy of 8 ships between Ijmuiden and the Hague and are joined in the target area by six Blenheims of RAF No. 139 Sqn. Two ships are badly damaged for the loss of 5 aircraft and 3 crews.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Hazebrouck. RAF 11 Group Circus 36 was a single Stirling of 3 Group, escorted by 11 fighter squadrons that attacked at 0920 hours.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Albert. RAF 11 Group Circus 37 was 4 Stirlings of 3 Group, escorted by 9 fighter squadrons that attacked Meaulte at 10.00 hours.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Choques. RAF 11 Group Circus 38 was 3 Stirlings of 3 Group, escorted by 14 fighter squadrons that attacked Chocques at 15.00 hours. A RAF 11 Group Roadstead against MVs off Gravelines by 6 Blenheim IVs at 15.23 hours was uneventful.

Joseph “Pips” Priller shoots down 2 more Spitfires today, his 32nd and 33rd victories. He was the most successful German pilot in battles with Spitfires claiming at least 68 of them of his 101 kills.

Founding of the Legion des Volontaires Francais contre le Bolchevisme, Legion of French Volunteers against Bolshevism.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 7, 2016)

*06 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-107
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Town Class DD HMCS HAMILTON (I-24) (Ex-USS KALK, Ex HMS HAMILTON)





MGB 318

*Losses*
*Trawler WESTFIELD (UK 140 grt) *was sunk by the LW off St Govens Head, near LundyIsland in the Bristol Channel .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Stormel: U-145

Departures
Bergen:U-143
Horten- U-451

At Sea 06 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-126, U-142, U-143, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-331, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, UA

29 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*East Front*
Arctic

Baltic
While the VMF DDs SERDITYI and SILNYI were laying mines, they spotted a group of ships: the German support-ship MRS-11 OSNABRUCK and the MSW M-31. The DDs attacked the enemy, SILNYI received a direct hit of a 105mm fired by the MSW M-31 causing moderate damage and a small fire (casualties were 4 kia and 7 wia), the unit stopped the action after having fired 33 shells of 130mm. However SERDITYI kept fighting, she fired 115 shells of 130mm: some sources claim that MRS-11 received light/splinter damages due near misses. However other German sources do not report any damage on MRS-11. The first Soviet DD engagement was fought at great distance, this caused the enemy to escape without damage.

On that same day, Finnish motor torpedo boats SYOKSY, VINHA and RAJU sank an *UN-NAMED SAILING VESSEL (SU 50 grt (est))* with depth charges.

*North Sea*
Swedish steamer BIRGITTA was damaged by the LW in the NthSea. The steamer was towed to Great Yarmouth for repair.

British steamer NORTH DEVON was damaged by the LW in the nth sea, off Sheringham. Five crew were killed on the steamer. The steamer was towed to Immingham for repairs.

*West Coast*
OB.343 departed Liverpool, escort DDs SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes CLARKIA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, NORTHERN DAWN, and WELLARD. This group, less corvette CLARKIA, was detached on the 12th. On the 12th DD HARVESTER, AMC AUSONIA, and corvettes HEPATICA, PRIMROSE, TRILLIUM, TULIP, and WINDFLOWER joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 20th.

*SW Approaches*
Dutch submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for patrol off Finisterre.

A Catalina aircraft sighted a submarine on the surface in in the SW Approaches. DDs FEARLESS and FORESTER with convoy OG.66 were ordered to that position, but did not make contact.

*Channel*
P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) T. Duncan RNVR, and Air Mechanic B.E. Randle were killed when their Fulmar of 759 Squadron crashed near Ilchester (Cornwall).

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX and PERTH, CLA CARLISLE, and DDs JACKAL, KINGSTON, NIZAM, GRIFFIN, HAVOCK, and HOTSPUR bombarded Damur in support of army operations.

A night sweep was conducted by CLAs NAIAD and PHOEBE and DDs KIMBERLEY and HASTY.

Submarine TRIUMPH sank *steamer NINFEA (FI 607 grt)* and escorting *gunboat DE LUTTI (RM 700 grt(est))* off Benghazi. In the encounter, submarine TRIUMPH was hit by an Italian shore battery shell and was forced to return to Malta with damage to her forward torpedo tubes.
[NO IMAGES FOUND}

Submarine P.33 arrived at Malta from Gibraltar.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.137 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC CIRCASSIA and corvettes DIANTHUS, SNOWBERRY, and SPIKENARD. Convoy BHX.137 departed Bermuda on the 4th escorted by AMC CHESHIRE. The convoy rendezvoused with HX.137 on the 10th and the CHESHIRE was detached. Corvettes BARRIE and MATAPEDIA joined on the 7th and were detached on the 8th. On the 9th, DDs READING and SALISBURY, AMC CHESHIRE, and corvette HONEYSUCKLE joined the escort. Corvette HONEYSUCKLE and AMC CHESHIRE was detached on the 10th. The escort was detached when relieved by DDs AMAZON, BULLDOG, ORP BURZA, and GEORGETOWN, corvettes AUBRETIA and NIGELLA, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO. DD AMAZON was detached later that day and the rest of the escort, less corvette AUBRETIA on 21 August. Corvette AUBRETIA arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on the 22nd.

*Pacific/Australia*
British troopship ELLEGNA departed Madras for Penang with personnel and lorries, escorted by RAN CA CANBERRA to 10N, 92E. CL DANAE relieved the CA. They arrived at Penang on the 10th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 JULY TO DAWN 7 JULY 1941

_Weather _Stormy.

_2218-2252 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft approaching from the north. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but do not engage due to bad weather. The raiders drop bombs on rocks at Mellieha and in the sea.

_2313-0049 hrs _Air raid alert for ten enemy BR 20 bombers which approach the Island and drop high explosive bombs on St Julians demolishing several houses, on Pieta, and in the north of GrandHarbour. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage the raiders with two barrages; no claims. Two Hurricanes are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims.

_0106-0206 hrs _Air raid alert for a single bomber which crosses the coast and drops bombs on Marsa. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no claims.

_0228-0317 hrs _Air raid alert for 12 enemy aircraft which approach the Island in three separate formations. They cross the coast singly between GrandHarbour and Delimara, and drop bombs on Paola killing several civilians. Bombs are also dropped on Vittoriosa and near St Thomas’ Bay. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 6 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Mine detonated in Floating Dock. _P33_ arrived from Gibraltar. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 8 Swordfish bombed and laid 5 cucumbers off Tripoli. 

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Blenheims, 1 Catalina. _82 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked shipping PalermoHarbour.

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar patrolled over Catania and attacked a large aircraft which burst into flames.


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## Njaco (Jul 7, 2016)

*July 8 Tuesday*

*ASIA:* British embassy destroyed in another Japanese air attack on Chungking.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Halder meets Hitler to present the state of the war in Russia. In this meeting he tells Hitler that of the 164 known Soviet rifle divisions, 89 had been pretty much destroyed. He also convinced Hitler to release 70 Mark IIIs, 15 Mark IVs, and the remaining Czech tanks for use on the eastern front.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 4. Panzergruppe fighting in Pskov where Reinhardt's XXXXI Panzerkorps captures Pskov, defeating defenses along the Stalin Line.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe attacking toward Vitebsk. Heeresgruppe Mitte official numbers of enemy losses is placed at 287,704 men, 2,585 tanks destroyed or captured, and 1,449 guns captured.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Soviet 5th Army counterattacks German 1.Panzergruppe and 6.Armee. German forces outside Soviet town of Kishinev abandon that target, switching their attack northward.

Rationing of basic foodstuff begins in Moscow, Leningrad and other major Soviet Union cities.

Walter Margstein, of JG 53, is killed in action against the Soviets. He had seven victories during the war. 

Jews in the Baltic States were forced to wear the Star of David.

*GERMANY:* Hitler declares that Moscow and Leningrad will be wiped from the face of the earth.

The RAF Bomber Command’s No. 90 Squadron based at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, dispatches three Fortress Mk. Is (B-17Cs) to bomb the German Naval base at Wilhelmshaven, Germany; this is the RAF’s first B-17 mission. The three aircraft fly individual sorties and the results are far from successful. The USAAF criticizes the individual sorties stressing that attacks by large formations are more effective. The RAF flies a total of 51 individual sorties in 26 raids by September and abandons operations over Europe with the Fortress identifying difficulties with the Norden bombsight, numerous mechanical failures and a tendency for the guns to freeze up at altitudes up to 30,000 feet (9,144 m). The most serious defect was the inadequate defensive armament. In October 1941, four of the Fortress Mk. Is are sent to Egypt to serve with Coastal Command’s No. 220 Squadron where they served until May 1942 bombing Benghazi at night and attacking shipping in the Mediterranean. In October 1942, the surviving aircraft were all transferred to Coastal Command and they served in Scotland until replaced by the Fortress Mk. II (B-17F) and IIA (B-17E).

RAF Bomber Command sends 51 aircraft to attack Münster overnight. The reading room of the state archive, warehouse of the state theater, the post office at the Domplatz, and the eastern wall of the cathedral were destroyed. During the day, German anti-aircraft guns began arriving at the city in response to the recent successive night bombings.

RAF Bomber Command sends 73 aircraft to attack Hamm, 33 aircraft to attack Bielefeld and 14 aircraft to attack Merseburg overnight.

American journalist Richard C. Hottelet was released from German custody in a prisoner exchange after spending almost four months in Berlin jail on suspicion of espionage.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Australian troops cut off the road leading into the northern part of Beirut, Lebanon. South of Beirut, Australian 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion and elements of the 6th Divisional Cavalry Regiment also approached Beirut.

*NORTH AMERICA: *First echelon of pilots, groundcrew, and staff of American Volunteer Group depart San Francisco aboard Java Pacific liner “_Jaegerfontein_”.

Major General Benjamin Lear, commanding general of US Second Army, was playing golf at the Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee in civilian clothes on Sunday, July 6, 1941, when a convoy of 80 U.S. Army trucks carrying men of the 35th Division rolled past. The troops in the passing trucks subjected a group of women in shorts to a series of whistles and “lewd and obscene” catcalls. Lear had the convoy stopped and told the officers that this conduct was unacceptable, and they had disgraced the army. Lear’s punishment was to make every one of the 350 men in the convoy march 15 miles (24 km) of the 45 mile (72 km) trip back to Camp Joseph T. Robinson, Arkansas in three 5 mile sections. This they did in the 97°F (36C) heat. Many men straggled and a number collapsed. There was a storm of public criticism of Lear’s action from people who felt that the soldiers had been harshly and collectively punished when they had done nothing wrong. The commander of the 35th Division, Major General Ralph E. Truman was well-connected politically, his cousin being Senator Harry S. Truman, and some Congressmen called for Lear to be retired. However, to Army eyes this was not a case of sexual harassment but of indiscipline, and no action was taken against Lear. The derogatory nickname “Yoo-Hoo” stuck.

Patrol Wing 8 commissioned at San Diego.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen forced to halt its attack along the Litsa River.

*PACIFIC OCEAN: *USS “_Arizona_” arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* After sundown, German bombers conducted a light attack on Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England.

The Albert Medal was gazetted for Cadet David George Montagu Hay (1921-79), RNR, who left a life raft of the sinking SS “_Euryiochus_” to rescue another officer, as sharks swam all around.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Lens. RAF 11 Group Circus 39 was against the power stations at Lens. 3 Stirlings of 3 Group were escorted by 13 fighter squadrons and lost one bomber.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Lille. RAF 11 Group Circus 40 was against the power stations at Lille. 3 Stirlings of 3 Group were escorted by 19 fighter squadrons and lost seven fighters.

RAF Fighter Command sweep over northern France.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 8, 2016)

*July 9 Wednesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 0155 hours, the “_Designer_”, dispersed on 6 July from Convoy OB-341, was torpedoed and sunk by U-98 NNW of the Azores. The master and 66 crewmembers were lost. On 10 July, ten crewmembers (lascars) and one gunner in one lifeboat were picked up by the Portuguese sailing ship “_Souta Princesca_” and landed at Leixoes. At 0528 hours, the “_Inverness_”, dispersed on 6 July from Convoy OB-341, was torpedoed by U-98 NNW of the Azores. The ship broke in two and sank after a coup de grâce was fired at 05.44 hours. Six crewmembers were lost. The master, 31 crewmembers and five gunners landed at Corvo Island, Azores.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The head of Gosplan, the young economist Nikolai Voznesensky, was given responsibility for drafting a new war production plan for the whole Soviet economy.

Heeresgruppe Nord: Pskov falls to the 36. Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General Otto Ottenbacher). The Germans are 150 miles from Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Soviet attacks against 3.Panzergruppe collapse, but the heavy losses taken by the Germans force a temporary halt to their advance. Troops of the German 3.Panzergruppe captured Vitebsk, Byelorussia. The pockets earlier surrounded by Heeresgruppe Mitte have now all been cleared. At least 300,000 prisoners have been taken and more than 40 divisions have been eliminated from the Soviet Order of Battle after the 2.Panzergruppe and 3.Panzergruppe encircled them at Vitebsk and Pskov forming the 4.Panzer Armee. It has now crossed the Dnieper and Dvina Rivers advancing to encircle Smolensk.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  The German 13.Panzerdivision took the Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr.

Under attack at their airfield by a 27-aircraft Soviet Air Force bomber regiment, Luftwaffe Major Günther Lützow of Jagdgeschwader 3 and his Messerschmitt Bf 109F fighter unit take off and shoot down all 27 Soviet bombers without loss to themselves.

Iaroslav Stetsko, recently proclaimed leader of Ukrainian state by Bandera's faction of Ukrainian National Movement, arrested in Lvov by German authorities.

Hptm. Hans “Gockel” von Hahn of I./JG 3 is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_ for achieving twenty-four victories.

Kriegsmarine minelayers “_Tannenberg_”, “_Hansestadt Danzig_” and “_Preussen_” were sunk by mines in the Baltic Sea.

Soviet aircraft engineers met to compile a report on their rocket-powered fighter development, which was to be forwarded to Joseph Stalin.

*GERMANY: *The British Air Ministry instructed Bomber Command to concentrate its efforts against the German transportation system and breaking the morale of the civilian population. RAF Bomber Command sends 82 aircraft to attack Aachen and 57 aircraft to attack Osnabruck overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *RAF bombers attack Naples, Italy.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The Australian troops advancing north along the coast take Damour. There is now no obstacle blocking their approach to Beirut. Homs also falls to the Allied advance. The French High Commissioner in Syria, General Henri Dentz, applied to the British authorities for discussions to begin which would lead to an armistice.

The Vichy French destroyers “_Guepard_”, “_Valmy_” and “_Vaquelin_” sail from Syria bound for Salonika to embark a battalion of French troops to reinforce Beirut. These troops have crossed by land to Greece with the co-operation of the Axis. However, this attempt fails, the loaded destroyers turning back to Salonika after sighting British aircraft.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria overnight with 23 bombers. British positions at Tobruk are bombarded by Axis aircraft and artillery.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The US Congress authorized the funding of $14,990,000 for the construction of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point over 32 square-kilometers of land in North Carolina, United States.

Franklin Roosevelt announced that American troops were to relieve British troops in the occupation of Iceland. Adolf Hitler responded by publicly noting that it was a clear act of aggression against Germany; however, when Erich Raeder asked Hitler whether it was time for the German Navy to deliberately attack American vessels, Hitler still rejected the request.

Submarine “_Flying Fish_” was launched at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, sponsored by the wife of US Navy Admiral Husband Kimmel.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Finnish VI Corps (Maj. Gen. Talvela) starts its attack in the evening, slightly before the rest of Karelian Army. The aim is to capture certain positions before the Army main attack next day. Because of stiff Russian resistance VI Corps (5th and 11th Divs) fail to capture these positions in time.

The Finns re-occupy Morgonland, establishing an observation and artillery direction post with a party of five men under the command of Lt. Per-Erik Ahlblad.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *A British report noted that, for the week ending at 0600 hours on 9 Jul 1941, an estimated 78 people were killed by German bombing while an estimated 67 people had been seriously injured.

A brief discussion was held in the British House of Commons about the arrangement by the Nazis for P. G. Wodehouse to give weekly radio broadcasts from Germany to the United States. Foreign Affairs Secretary Anthony Eden said he would take into consideration the suggestion from Geoffrey Mander "to bring to the attention of Mr. Wodehouse and others the grave peril in which they place themselves by playing the Nazi game during the war."

British cryptologists break the secret code used by the German army to direct ground-to-air operations on the Eastern front. The British had broken their first Enigma code as early as the German invasion of Poland and had intercepted virtually every message sent through the occupation of Holland and France. Britain nicknamed the intercepted messages Ultra. Now, with the German invasion of Russia, the Allies needed to be able to intercept coded messages transmitted on this second, Eastern, front. The first breakthrough occurred on July 9, regarding German ground-air operations, but various keys would continue to be broken by the Brits over the next year, each conveying information of higher secrecy and priority than the next.

Seven 8th Air Force P-38 Lightnings arrive in the UK via the North Atlantic route, this being the first time single-seat USAAF aircraft have flown this route.

*WESTERN FRONT: *Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 becomes the first night-fighter pilot awarded the _Ritterkreuz_ for achieving eleven night victories.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Mazingarbe power station. RAF 11 Group Circus 41 was an attack on the power station by 3 Stirlings of 3 Group escorted by 16 fighter squadrons.

RAF Bomber Command sends 15 aircraft on coastal sweeps.

A report issued by HQ RAF 11 Group this date concerned Camouflage of Enemy-Fighters. The enemy-fighters encountered recently during Circus operations have been reported as having a variety of camouflage schemes, and the following colorings of Bf 109s have been encountered in the past few days:


> 1. Grey, with Black crosses outlined in Yellow.
> 
> 2. All Dark Grey, no Yellow coloring on nose.
> 
> ...



.


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## Njaco (Jul 9, 2016)

*July 10 Thursday*

*ASIA:* Joachim von Ribbentrop again asked the Japanese to attack Vladivostok, Russia. Relations between the Germans and Japanese become strained as, after many requests by the Germans to attack Russia from their positions in China, the Japanese inform their allies that they will not be attacking the Soviet Union.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Stalin relieves Marshal Timoshenko as commander of the Red Army, taking the job for himself. On Stalin’s orders Pavlov, the failed commander of the Bialystock sector, has been shot, and a new line of defence has been established under the command of the defence minister, Timoshenko. Soviet High Command creates Northwestern Theater under Voroshilov with Northern Front, Northwestern Front, Northern Fleet, and Baltic Fleet. Soviet High Command creates Southwestern Theater under Budenny with Southern Front, Southwestern Front, and the Black Sea Fleet.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 4.Panzergruppe attacks lead to heavy fighting around Pskov.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Elements of the 20.Panzerdivision take Vitebsk and are now only 250 miles from Moscow. The 20.Panzerdivision took it by storm as fanatical Komsomol members set fire to the town. It was blazing. But Hoth’s Panzer divisions needed no quarters for the night. They simply drove past the burning town, forward, farther to the east, into the rear of Smolensk. Moving within this great stream of armed violence, the 7. Panzerdivision (Major General H. von Funck) now slipped south of Vitebsk and projected itself onto the main road between Smolensk and Moscow. Soviet 19th Army continued counterattacking in Vitebsk sector. Soviet 5th Mechanized Corps of the 20th Army was withdrawn from combat and re-directed north of Orsha. German 3.Panzergruppe began attacking toward Nevel as 2.Panzergruppe attacks across the Dnepr River south of Mogilev, decimating the Russian 13th Army. XXIV.Armeekorps’s 3. Panzerdivision (GL Walter Model) makes an assault crossing of the Dnepr at Starye Bykhov, about 110 miles downriver from Smolensk. General Hoth is sweeping north to by-pass Smolensk and cut the road to Moscow. But to their right the Russian 5th Army still held its forward positions in the Pripet Marshes.

In 18 days of combat, German Heeresgruppe Mitte has moved 360 miles, occupied all of Belorussia, and inflicted 417,790 casualties including 341,073 killed. The Soviets by this point have lost 4,799 tanks, 9,427 guns and mortars, and 1,777 combat aircraft.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Zhitomir falls and elements of the 13.Panzerdivision, racing for Kiev, reach the Iprev River. The Germans are now 10 miles from the capital of the Ukraine. The Soviets launch heavy counter-attacks in the Korosten-Malin area against the advancing forces of Heeresgruppe Sud. Potapov and Muzychenko attempt to slow the German advance towards Kiev by striking at the 6.Armee's northern group east of Novgorod-Volynskii. This force also hopes to rescue the 7th Rifle Corps which were encircled along the Sluch' river. At 04:00 hours the forces on the left flank of the Soviet 5th Army (19th, 9th, 22nd Mechanized Corps) moved 10-20km forward and reached Kiev highway. The 22nd Mechanized Corps captured Kournoe, Tsvetyanka, Pulin (South) and crossed Kiev highway. There the corps was fighting the 113th German Rifle Division, 25. Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Lieutenant General H. Cloessner) and SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) Liebstandarte der SS Adolf Hitler (Obergruppenfuhrer Sepp Dietrich). Kleist’s 1.Panzergruppe holds back the attack amid heavy fighting.

The Red Air Force announces that it has flown 47,000 missions since the start of the war, dropping a total of 10,000 tonnes of bombs.

Former Mongolian Prime Minister Amar tried, convicted of treason, and executed in Moscow.

In Jedwabne, Poland, some 300-400 Jews were herded into a barn by the local villagers and burned to death. In 1949 a communist-era court convicted 12 Poles in the massacre, saying they assisted German forces in the killings.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 130 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

The Blohm and Voss, BV-222 flying boat (the largest to attain operational status during the war), completes its first freight mission for the Luftwaffe, flying from the Finkenwerder factory, near Hamburg to Kirkenes, in the far north of Norway.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian expeditionary force departs for the Russian Front. The 61,000 men of the Italian Expeditionary Corp in Russia (Corpo Spedizione Italiano in Russia or CSIR) begin their long trek to the Eastern Front. General Francesco Zingales briefly commands the CSIR until General Giovanni Messe takes over on 17 July 1941. A legion from the Independent State of Croatia is part of the Italian corps.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Fuciliere_”, “_Alpino_”, and “_Malocello_” and three torpedo boats.

*MIDDLE EAST: *Australian units occupy Damur, leaving Beirut as the only Vichy stronghold. British 6th Infantry Division attacking Jebel Mazar on the Damascus-Beirut road. Troops of Australian 21st Brigade neared Beirut, Lebanon.

After sundown, Pte James Heather Gordon of 2/31 Bn Australian 7th Division crept forward under heavy fire during fighting in Syria and knocked out a machine-gun post at Greenhill, north of Jezzine, which was holding up his company. He bayoneted four French machine-gunners. For this act of gallantry along with continued bravery exhibited through the following day, he would later be awarded the Victoria Cross in Oct 1941.

Five French D.520 fighters intercepted a flight of Blenheim bombers of No. 45 Squadron RAF escorted by 7 Tomahawk fighters of No. 3 Squadron RAAF over Syria; 3 British bombers and 4 French fighters were destroyed in the engagement.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The US Marine Corps established the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at San Diego, California, United States under Colonel Francis P . Mulcahy.

The progress of the defence program is announced to the Congress. Only $3.6 billion out of $20 billion voted was actually spent on the army. During June 1,476 aircraft were produced out of a planned 3,000 a month. Last August the army has 300 modern combat planes, today it has 250. There are also fewer anti-tank guns than there were a year ago, but the number of rifles has increased by 200,000 and the number of motor vehicles rose from 745 to 125,000.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Finnish Army began an attack toward Lake Ladoga north of Leningrad, Russia. Lt. Gen. Heinrichs’ Karelian Army begins its main attack. Maj. Gen. Talvela’s VI Corps already began its attack late yesterday evening, and Maj. Gen. Hegglund’s VII Corps (7th and 19th Divs) initiates its assault today at 1520 hours. Field Marshal Mannerheim gives his so-called “Sword Scabbard” daily order. “I won’t put my sword back into its scabbard before Finland and East Karelia are free.” The order, which is mainly meant to inspire the troops, starts public discussion on what Finland’s war aims should be - not everybody is comfortable with the idea of capturing territory east of the 1939 border (’East Karelia’ is a name commonly used in Finland of the Soviet territory immediately east of Finnish border where there lived peoples related to Finns). The cabinet had no foreknowledge of the order, and is completely taken by surprise. Social Democrat members of cabinet demand explanation and threaten with resignation.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Luftwaffe conducts night raid against Hull.

The British begin using the new Short Stirling four-engined heavy bomber against the Luftwaffe and on this day send three of the bombers on a mission to attack Boulogne. Over the city, one of the bombers is hit by German flak and explodes. The second bomber is attacked by a lone Bf 109 Messerschmitt on the return flight. Damaged in the tail section, the bomber's gunners manage to get hits in the Messerschmitt's engine area and the fighter loses altitude over England. Force landing near Dover, Oblt. Rolf Pingel, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of I./JG 26 presents an almost undamaged Bf 109F-2, the Luftwaffe’s newest and latest fighter, to the RAF. Oblt. Pingel becomes a prisoner of war and ends his wartime flying days with twenty-two victories. His Bf 109 'Friedrich' is repaired and used by the British in mock combats until it is crashed on 20 October, 1941.

The first British citizen to die under the 1940 Treachery Act was hanged today at Wandsworth jail. He was sentenced to death at the old Bailey on 8 May. George Johnson Armstrong, a ship’s engineer, was arrested on his return to Britain from America. While in the US he had met a German consul and offered his services as a spy for the Nazis. But when he was caught spying it was for the Soviet Union. Three foreigners have been executed for treachery, having landed on a wild piece of the British coast with radio sets. The other Briton to be sentenced to death, Dorothy O’Grady, has had her sentence commuted to 14 years in jail.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command Circus operation. RAF 11 Group Circus 42 was another attack against Chocques. 3 Stirlings of 3 Group escorted by 17 fighter squadrons lost one bomber.

RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb operation.

Douglas Bader claimed one German Bf 109 aircraft over Bethune, Pas-de-Calais, France, and later shot down a Bf 109E aircraft over nearby Calais. James Lacey shot down a German Bf 109 fighter.

RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to sweep the Channel. Two low-flying formations of 12 Blenheims raid Cherbourg and Le Havre docks. RAF 10 Group Gudgeon I was 12 Blenheim IVs of 16 (GR) Group, Coastal Command who were escorted by 3 fighter squadrons and attacked shipping off Cherbourg. RAF 10 Group Gudgeon II was 12 Blenheim IVs of 16 (GR) Group, Coastal Command who were escorted by 3 fighter squadrons and attacked dock-yards of Le Havre. One crew shot their bomb-load into a railway tunnel. This was direct disobedience since they had been ordered to avoid essentially civilian targets - the pilot was later court-martialled. The pilots were also ordered to avoid flying so low that the wake made by the aircraft on the sea was visible to fighters.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

Halders Diary 6 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

*7 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS CAMPION (K-108)





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-108, U-111
St Nazaire: U-77

Departures
Gotenhaven: U-140
Kiel: U-84
Stormelo: U-144

At Sea 7 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-109, U-123, U-126, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, , U-149, U-201, U-202, U-331, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-564, UA

28 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
FV NEUENFELDE (Ger 193 grt) was sunk on a mine near Kolberg.

*North Sea*
Submarine SEALION, in operations off Ushant, sank *fishing trawlers GUSTAV JEANNE (Vichy 39 grt)* and *GUSTAV EUGENE (Vichy 120 grt)* on the 7th.

On the 8th, the submarine sank *FV CHRISTUS REGNAT (Vichy 28 grt)* and on the 9th, *ST PIERRE D'ALCANTARA (Vichy 329 grt)*.

*Drifter LORD ST VINCENT (RN 115 grt)* was sunk by mining off North East Gunfleet Buoy in the Thames Estuary. One rating was killed and one rating died of wounds in the drifter.

*Northern Patrol*
US Marines landed at Reykjavik, Iceland. The landing force was designated Task Force 19 (Rear Admiral David McC. Le Breton) and had departed Argentia on the 1st.

BBs NEW YORK and ARKANSAS.
CL s BROOKLYN and NASHVILLE.

Inner Screen:
Destroyer Squadron 7
DD PLUNKETT

DesDiv 13
DDs NIBLACK, BENSON, GLEAVES, and MAYO

DesDiv 14
DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, LANSDALE, HILARY P. JONES

Outer Screen:
DesDiv 60
DDs ELLIS, BERNADOU, UPSHUR, LEA, and BUCK

Transport Force:
Transports WILLIAM P. BIDDLE, FULLER, HEYWOOD, ORIZABA,
ARCTURUS, HAMUL, SALAMONIE, and tug CHEROKEE

Following disembarkation, the TF departed Iceland on the 12th and arrived at Argentia on the 19th.

*Northern Waters*
DD HEYTHROP departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh.

A Dominie aircraft of 782 Squadron crashed ferrying passengers between Hatston and Donibristle. Petty Officer W.C. Jones, 1st Officer M.E.J. Dobson WRNS, Lt F.P. Tennyson of EXCELLENT, and passengers 2nd Lt J.L. Day RA, Mr.C.W. Young of Vickers Armstrong, and Mr. T. McCabe were all killed.

*West Coast*
CVE ARGUS completed her refit at the Clyde. The carrier was allocated for deck landing training duties.

OB.344 departed Liverpool, escort DDs HESPERUS, SARONDYX, ST FRANCIS, and WATCHMAN, CAM ship ARIGUANI, and escort ships SENNEN, TOTLAND, and WALNEY. The CAM ship and DD SARDONYX were detached on the 11th. The remainder of this section was detached on the 16th. RCN DDs ASSINIBOINE and OTTWAW joined on the 15th and were detached on the 17th when the convoy was dispersed.

*Western Approaches*
ORP submarine SOKOL unsuccessfully attacked a large transport in 46-41N, 20-30W.

Norwegian tanker FERNCOURT was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. 

Two gunners were lost on the tanker. The tanker returned to Milford Haven and was docked at Swansea.

A Fulmar of 804 Sqn was launched from CAM ship PEGASUS to intercept a German FW 200 bomber. The bomber was not located and the Fulmar proceeded towards Algergove in bad visibility. Sub Lt T.R.V. Parke and Leading Airman E.F. Miller were killed when the aircraft crashed into Kerran Hill, near Southend, Kintyre

*Med/Biscay*
After a ML raid on Haifa, CLAs NAIAD and PHOEBE and DDs JACKAL, HOTSPUR, NIZAM, and HAVOCK remained at sea off the harbour. CLA CARLISLE had to be towed clear of a suspected mine dropped near her. During the night of 7/8 July, MTB.68 entered Beirut harbour twice and dropped depth charges along two merchant ships along the mole.

RM CLs ATTENDOLO and DUCA D'AOSTA of the 7th Cruiser Squadron and BANDE NERE and DI GIUSSANO of the 4th Cruiser Squadron with DDs PIGAFETTA, PESSAGNO, DA RECCO, DA MOSTA, DA VERAZZANO, MAESTRALE, GRECALE, and SCIROCCO laid mines in the Sicilian Channel.

*Central Atlantic*
Destroyer AVON VALE arrived at Gibraltar towing in a Catalina aircraft which has forced landed in the sea west of Gibraltar.

DD ERIDGE reported sighting a U-boat in the Central Atlantic. A Catalina a/c was ordered to assist. DDs ERIDGE and FARNDALE, which had departed convoy OG.66, searched until the following day without result.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 JULY TO DAWN 8 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_2321-0023 hrs _Air raid alert for five enemy BR 20 bombers which approach the Island singly from the north east and drop 100kg and 250kg high explosive bombs in various locations. One bomber flies past the Island and turns to approach from the south west, crossing the coast near Zurrieq to drop four bombs on the Hal Far dispersal area; no serious damage is caused. Bombs are also dropped near Naxxar in the sea off San Pietru, to the north of Sliema and off St Paul’s Bay. Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire a barrage at 18000 feet; no claims. Fighters are not scrambled due to the raider’s unusual direction of approach.

_2354-0027 _hrs Air raid alert for a single bomber which approaches from the south west, crosses the coast and drops five bombs on Hal Far. No fighters are scrambled. Searchlights illuminate the raider briefly and anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 7 JULY 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Wellington. _Departures _1 Catalina. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Palermo, Taranto, Augusta and Syracuse, and special patrols. One Maryland to Middle East escorting Hurricanes. _148 Squadron_ 6 Wellingtons night bombing raids on railway goods yards at Tripoli starting several fires. 

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar on protective patrol over Catania; no engagement.


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

Halders Diary 7 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

*8 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB U-86






Type IXC U-161





Neutral
Acceptor Class MSW USSMARABOUT (AMc- 50)

PT-31

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS SHEDIAC (K-110)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS Hoy (T-114)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARONIA (Z-87)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MTB-47

*Losses*
*Fishing vessel JAN HUBERT (Ger 460 grt)* was sunk in a collision in southwest Norway.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-69

Departures
Trondheim : U-565

At Sea 8 July 1941

U-66, U-68, U-74, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-109, U-123, U-126, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, , U-149, U-201, U-202, U-331, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

28 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to meet convoy EC.42 south of Duncansby Head to provide AA protection to the convoy. At 2300, the ship transferred to convoy WN.50 east of Cape Wrath and escorted it to Methil where they arrived at 0730 on the 10th.

Lt Cdr A.J. Tillard, Lt R.H. Furlong, and Lt Cdr W. Thompson were killed when their Walrus of 778 Squadron crashed off Arbroath.

*Northern Waters*
RAN DD NESTOR departed Scapa Flow to join DD JUPITER at Greenock prior to proceeding to the Mediterranean. The DD arrived at Greenock on the 9th.

*SW Approaches*
HG.67 departed Gibraltar, escort sloop DEPTFORD, DDs FOXHOUND and AVON VALE, corvettes JONQUIL, PETUNIA, and SPIRAEA, CAM ship MAPLIN, and Dutch submarine O.24. Captured Vichy steamer CAP CANTIN proceeded to the UK in this convoy. DD FARNDALE and corvette COREOPSIS departed Gibraltar on the 9th and overtook the convoy. DDs AVON VALE and FARNDALE were detached on the 12th. Early on the 13th, DD AVON VALE sighted a submarine on the surface near the convoy. The DD, joined by FARNDALE searched for the submarine without success, but there were no attacks on the convoy.

On the 14th, the corvettes, less PETUNIA, and the submarine were detached to convoy OG.67. On the 14th, the convoy merged with convoy SL.79. On the 19th, DDs CAMPBELTOWN, ST ALBANS, and WANDERER joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 24th.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TORBAY sank *steamers LXIV and LI (Ger tonnage unknown)*east of Kithera with artillery.

Dutch submarine O.21 arrived at Gibraltar from patrol.

Submarine UPHOLDER arrived at Malta from patrol.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived at Gibraltar from Western Patrol
*
Sth Atlantic*
CA CORNWALL collided with the wharf at Durban. The cruiser's stem was buckled.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 JULY TO DAWN 9 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_1101-1130 hrs _Air raid alert for a SM 79 which crosses the Island on reconnaissance escorted by 13 Macchi fighters.

_2214-0025 hrs _Air raid alert for a single SM 79 bomber which approaches from the north and drops bombs in the sea off Bubaqra. Searchlights illuminate one BR20 and the raider is engaged by a Hurricane fighter. Pilot F/O Cassidy follows the bomber and engages at very close range at 15000 feet, shooting it down in flames in the sea south of the Island. Further aircraft then cross the coast and drops bombs near the Blue Sisters’ Hospital, near Tal Qroqq, on Qormi, Hamrun, Birkirkara and St Julians, and off Tigne fort. 

_0059-0202 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly, crossing the coast north of GrandHarbour, and drop 100kg high explosive bombs on Marsa and on Luqa, where a Wellington is hit and burned out.

_0324-0416 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches form the north, crosses the coast and drops 100kg high explosive bombs on Kalafrana, causing slight damage to buildings and injuring two NAAFI employees.

During the three raids Hurricanes are airborne 11 times, with several engagements. Two enemy aircraft are believed damaged. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 8 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Upholder_ returned from patrol south of Messina, having sunk a fully laden westbound merchant vessel of 6000 tons. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 8 Swordfish bombed and laid 5 cucumbers at Tripoli. 

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheims 110 Squadron, 1 Bombay. _Departures _1 Bombay, 7 Hurricane, 1 Maryland. _69 Squadron_Marylands reconnaissance Augusta, Syracuse, Catania, Tripoli, Quara, Taranto, Naples and special patrols. 

_HAL FAR _A Fulmar patrolled over Catania but returned due to deterioration in the weather.

_TA QALI _8 Hurricanes took off for Middle East; two returned after a collision in mid-air


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

Halders Diary 8 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

*9 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
HDML 1046, MA/SB 28

*Losses*
U-98 sank *Steamer DESIGNER (UK 5945 grt)* previously from Convoy OB-341 in the Nth Atlantic. She was carrying mail and military stores and was on passage to Capetown when lost. A crew of 77 were embarked, 66 of whom were to perish in the attack. At 0155 hrs the unescorted DESIGNER, dispersed on 6 July from convoy OB-341, was hit in the foreship by one of two torpedoes from U-98 and sank after six minutes NNW of the Azores. The master, 61 crew members and four gunners were lost. On 10 July, ten crew members (lascars) and one gunner in one lifeboat were picked up by the Portuguese sailing ship SOUTA PRINCESCA and landed at Leixoes.





U-98 sank *Steamer INVERNESS (UK 4897 grt)* previously from Convoy OB-341 in the Nth Atlantic. She was carrying military stores and was on passage from Liverpool to the Middle east via Capetown when lost. A crew of 43 were embarked, 6 of whom were to perish in the attack

At 0528 hrs the INVERNESS, dispersed on 6 July from convoy OB-341, was torpedoed by U-98 NNW of the Azores. The ship broke in two and sank after a coup de grace was fired at 0544 hrs. Six crew members were lost. The master, 31 crew members and five gunners landed at Corvo Island, Azores.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-558 
St Nazaire: U-96

Departures
Trondheim: U-372, U-401

At Sea 9 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-84, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-109, U-123, U-126, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, , U-149, U-201, U-202, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-553, U-557, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

28 boats at sea.

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
The following DKM MLs were sunk on a Swedish minefield as they were returning from Finnish waters to Swinemunde, being sunk just of the island of Oland.

*ML TANNENBERG (DKM 5504 grt)*





*ML PREUSSEN (DKM 2529 grt)*,





*ML HANSESTADT DANZIG (DKM 1415 grt) *





*East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
VMF DesDiv 2 with DDs TASHKENT, BODRY, BOIKI, BESPOSCHCHADNY, and BEZUPRECHNY operated in the Fidonisi area in the Black Sea on a shipping sweep, but did not make contact.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK arrived at Hvalfjord after Denmark Strait patrol. After refuelling, the cruiser departed for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 11th. CA DEVONSHIRE departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord. En route, she intercepted Panamanian steamer ST-CERGUE (4260grt) and sent her to Skopenfjord under armed guard. The cruiser on the 10th at Hvalfjord. The cruiser arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 15th.

*Northern Waters*
MLs AGAMEMNON, MENETHEUS, and PORT QUEBEC, escort DDs CASTLETON, WELLS, and HEYTHROP, laid minefield SN.67A of the Northern Barrage. On the 8th, CL NIGERIA and later on the same day BC REPULSE departed Scapa Flow to cover the operation.

On the 10th, DD HEYTHROP was detached and after collecting mails at Loch Alsh proceeded to Scapa Flow, where she arrived that evening. NIGERIA also returned to Scapa Flow on the 10th.

CLs AURORA, ARETHUSA, and MANCHESTER departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to escort convoy WS.9C. The cruisers arrived on the 10th. AURORA was replaced in the operation by ML cruiser MANXMAN. The cruiser arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 13th.

A U-Boat was reported by British aircraft in 60-36N, 3-20W. ORP DD KRAKOWIAK and DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow at 2100 to search for the submarine. The Polish DD was later relieved by DD WINCHESTER, which departed Scapa Flow on the 10th. The Polish DD arrived at Scapa Flow just after midnight on the on the 11th. The search was unsuccessful. DDs ECHO and WINCHESTER returned to Scapa Flow on the 11th.

*Med/Biscay*
Leaving Tobruk Harbour, DD DECOY and RAN DD STUART were damaged by near misses by the LW. Both DDs required repair on their return to Alexandria. DD HERO replaced destroyer DECOY in the Tobruk operations.

RAN DD NAPIER departed Alexandria for Port Said to complete repairs on her turbines.

Submarine CACHALOT departed Alexandria on a supply run to Malta, where she safely arrived on the 16th.

Submarine TORBAY sank *steamers LVI and LV (Ger 500 grt (est))* and damaged L 12 with artillery and scuttling charges east of Kithera.

Vichy DDs GUEPARD, VALMY, and VAUQUELIN departed Tripoli, Syria, for Salonika to pick up troops transported there by rail from France. These DDs were able to get within two hundred miles of Syria on their return journey when they were located by British aircraft. The Vichy DDs were ordered to retire to Toulon, putting an end to the naval phase of the Syria operations.

*sloop ELAN (Vichy 630 grt)*, *auxiliary tanker L'ADOUR (Vichy 4500 grt)*, *small tanker CYRUS (Vichy 405 grt)*, *patrol vessels DJEBEL SAMIN (Vichy 1130 grt)*, *JEAN MIC (Vichy 1500 grt)* , and *MASSALIA (Vichy 1800 grt)*, *MSWs AVOCETTE (Vichy 500grt (est))* and *LECID (Vichy 500grt (est))*, *tugs MARIUS (Vichy 150 grt (est)*, *CHAMBRUM (Vichy 150 grt (est)*, and *MARSEILLAISE (Vichy 150 grt (est)*, and *trawler LA VAILLANTE (Vichy 550 grt (est) *were interned at Iskanderun, Turkey. Submarine CAIMAN proceeded to Bizerte.

On 18 September, the last of the interned ships had been moved, under Turkish escort, to Mersin and Erdek.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 JULY TO DAWN 10 JULY 1941

_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_AM_ Four Hurricanes of 185 Squadron interrupt an enemy patrol of two seaplanes escorted by four Macchi 200 fighters ten miles off the coast of Sicily, probably a rescue party for the downed BR 20 bomber last night. One Macchi and one seaplane are damaged.

_1939-2010 hrs _Air raid alert for 12 enemy aircraft spotted 40 miles north of Malta. 14 Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders turn back for Sicily before they can be engaged.

_2350-0024 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island from the south west and drops four 100kg high explosive bombs on Hal Far. Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire two barrages; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 9 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY C308, St Angelo _and _Justified _landed troops for a military exercise.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Blenheims, 1 Bombay, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _2 Blenheim, 1 Bombay. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli, Syracuse. F/O Warburton had a running fight with a Macchi 200 which was probably destroyed._ 110 Squadron _6 Blenheims dawn attack on Tripoli; prevented by fog. 7 Blenheims made a low-flying attack on Tripoli Harbour with good results but 4 aircraft failed to return (S/Ldr Seale who landed in the sea, F/Lt Potier, P/O Lowe, Sgt Twist). _148 Squadron _9 Wellingtons night bombing raid on Naples; 3 returned owing to bad weather before reaching target. 6 bombers dropped 12000 tons of bombs and 2400 incendiaries on the Central Railway Station from 6500 feet. Bombs were also dropped on warehouses near an aircraft factory, causing fires and explosions. Ack Ack was slight and all aircraft returned safely.

_HAL FAR _Lt Governor Sir Edward Jackson visited Hal Far with AOC Mediterranean. _185 Squadron_ 2 Hurricanes attacked sea planes in Syracuse at sea level and inflicted heavy damage. 4 Hurricanes attacked float planes at Syracuse, damaging 8. A Fulmar patrolled the Catania area. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ Swordfish despatched to attack Tripoli but returned without reaching objective due to low cloud and bad visibility


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

Halders Diary 9 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 10, 2016)

*10 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-503





Type VIIC U-578
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT-32




_PT-32 on her sea trials_

Allied
LCT 137, MGB 315, MSW MMS 34 (J-534),

U Class Sub HMS UMPIRE (N-82)






*Losses*
*Trawler ISABELLA FOWLIE (UK 196 grt)* was sunk by the LW seven miles ENE of Longstone. Three crew were lost on the trawler.

*Steamer SVINT (Nor 1174 grt)* was sunk by the LW seven miles NW of Kellan Head, Trevose. One crewman was lost on the steamer.





*Steamer HERMES (ex- KARNAK),(Ger 7209 grt)* was scuttled when intercepted by AMC CANTON 300 miles NW of St Paul.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-146
Lorient: U-557

Departures
Kiel: U-563
Lorient: U-124
St. Nazaire: U-203
Trondheim: U-431 

At Sea 10 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-76, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic
DKM DDs HANS LODY, KARL GALSTER, HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, and RICHARD BEITZEN arrived at Kirkenes

Baltic
*ASW Trawler UJ-113 (DKM 550 grt)* struck a mine laid by VMF ML TSZOZ 204 during the opening days of the war and sank

The German 1st Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla with S.28, S.26, S.101, S.40, and S.39 sortied to attack a Soviet force in the Gulf of Finland near Ekholm. No contact was made with the Soviet force. However, DKM S-Boats S-26 and S-28 attacked and sank with torpedo the already heavily damaged and abandoned (after mine hit) *MV RASMA (SU 3204 grt)*. Ship had a cargo of flour and grain.

*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Methil at 1500 to escort convoy EC.43 from MayIsland to Pentland Firth. The ship arrived at Scapa Flow at 1800 on the 11th.

*Motor boat CELANO (UK 14 grt)*, being used as a tender to diving ship TEDWORTH, was sunk on a mine one cable 100° from Number 1 Channel Buoy. All six crew on the boat were lost.

*Northern Waters*
ML Cruiser MANXMAN departed Scapa Flow at 1900 after working up for Greenock where she arrived on the 11th. The cruiser was to join convoy WS.9C and replaced light cruiser AURORA in the escort.

*Western Approaches*
Submarine TUNA unsuccessfully attacked a submarine in 46-00N, 09-40W.

*SW Approaches*
CL EDINBURGH, which had been with convoy WS.9 B, and CLA HERMIONE arrived at Gibraltar. EDINBURGH was docked at Gibraltar the next day.

*Med/Biscay*
CL AJAX and RAN CL PERTH with four DDs were at sea off Syria during the night of 9/10 July in support of the Army. No contact was made during the patrol.

BB VALIANT, CL LEANDER, and DDs were at sea from Alexandria exercising during the day.

Submarine TORBAY damaged Italian tanker STROMBO off the ZeaCanal. The submarine was in turn damaged by escorting TBs CLIMENE and CALATAFIMI.

Dutch submarine O.23 arrived at Gibraltar after a patrol in the Gulf of Genoa. The submarine was forced to depart the patrol area early on the 7th because of a fuel leak.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 JULY TO DAWN 11 JULY 1941
_Weather _Cloudy.

_0009-0112 hrs; 0136-0221 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft in total which approach the Island singly. Three cross the coast from the south and south west. Bombs are dropped on near Bardia Ridge, near Dingli and on Ghain Tuffieha camp. One falls on the Ghain Tuffieha searchlight and fails to explode. The site is evacuated. Bombs are also dropped on Wardia Ridge and in the sea west of the Island. Two Hurricanes are scrambled with each approach. Searchlights illuminate raiders but there are no engagements. Wellington aircraft come in to land during the raid, causing confusion among the Island’s defenders.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 10 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Rorqual_ proceeded on patrol, but returned at 2200 hrs with engine defects. 4 Swordfish left to attack Tripoli, but returned as weather unsuitable.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Blenheim (3 of 114 Squadron, 1 of 82 Squadron), 1 Sunderland. _Departures _3 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli and convoy search. _148 Squadron_ 9 Wellingtons night bombing attack on railway marshalling yards at Naples causing damage and fires plus a large explosion in an airframe factory. 1 Wellington was struck by lightning but returned safely.

_HAL FAR _A Fulmar patrolled the Catania area but returned due to bad weather.

_KALAFRANA _Overnight 20 small 15kg bombs were dropped on the south slipway and barrack areas. Two small store buildings received direct hits and the flying boat hangar; the Heinkel float-plane housed within received superficial damage from bomb splinters. Two Army personnel were injured by bomb splinters.


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## Njaco (Jul 10, 2016)

*July 11 Friday*

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Soviet State Defense Committee establishes three new command areas for the Red Army. Marshal Voroshilov is to command in the North (Northwest Front), Marshal Timoshenko the central West Front, and Marshal Budenny the Southwest Front.

Hitler issued Directive No. 32, Plans following defeat of the Soviet Union. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/32.html

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, commander of the German Heeresgruppe Nord, recorded in his diary: "heavy losses... If further attacks are to be conducted at this pace we will soon reach a state of exhaustion."

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Colonel General Heinz Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe reaches the Dnepr River in the Smolensk area. On his own Initiative, with no encouragement from OKH or General Feld Marshal Fedor von Bock, Guderian decided not to wait for the following horse-drawn infantry armies but to cross the Dnepr with his motorized infantry. Generalfeldmarschall Gunther von Kluge, commander of 4. Armee and Guderian's immediate superior, ordered Guderian not to cross the river but to await the following infantry. Despite the expected tenacious resistance along the last great natural barrier to Moscow, Guderian attacked. Guderian's divisions crossed the Dnepr at several locations with only light casualties, a tour de force by Guderian on his mission to seize Moscow. Units of 2.Panzergruppe crossed the Dnepr River, XXXIV.Panzerkorps units at Starye Bychov, XXXXVI.Armeekorps (mot.) units near Shklov and XXXXVII.Armeekorps (mot.) at Kopys. He immediately ordered exploitation of the success by directing his XXXXVII.Armeekorps (mot.) to move against Smolensk. Guderian had impressed on the commander of his corp's 29.Infanterie-Division (mot.) the necessity to reach Smolensk with all speed, and after the division crossed the Dnepr, it immediately made a drive toward Smolensk. The Soviets were so surprised and confused that German motorized infantry of the division overran them conducting air operations at Sobowa air field, destroying or capturing twenty operational fighters on the ground. Later in the day, evidently out of touch with the operational situation, two Soviet staff officers, carrying maps of the headquarters 20th Army and the 23rd Air Division, landed on the field. German infantry disabled the aircraft, rushed it, and captured the crew, the staff officers, and the documents.

German 3.Panzergruppe was attacking toward Nevel. After five days of intense fighting, Lieutenant-General Kurochkin's 20th Army was decimated by the 3.Panzergruppe.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  1.Panzergruppe renews its advance toward Kiev and beats off a major Soviet counter-attack. The Germans - who have taken 600,000 Russians prisoner - are ten miles from Kiev. A Soviet counter-offensive by 5th and 6th Armies fails. The city was cut off in a huge pincer movement. The Russian 3rd Mechanized Corp joins in the strong counterattacks on the approaches to Kiev. The Red Army uses a large body of its new T-34 main battle tank for the first time. The Germans are stunned by the effectiveness of the new tank and tactics. XIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (Gen.d.Inf. Gustav von Wietersheim) and XLVIII.Armeekorps (mot.) (Gen.d.PzT. Werner Kempf) cleared the southern Ukraine while III.Armeekorps (mot.) (Gen.d.Kav. Eberhard von Mackensen) skirted Kiev to the South and reached the Dnepr River at Kremenchug. The implications of the moves by the German forces that would result in the huge pocket being formed to the east of Kiev were lost on Marshal Semyon Budenny, commander of the Soviet South West Front, and he continued to funnel troops into a salient that would soon be cut off.

Hptm. Josef Fözö of II./JG 51 is injured when his new Bf 109F crashes during a take-off accident.

Soviet armored cutters BKA-11 and BKA-134 were sunk during unsuccessful operations in the Danube estuary.



> "When I see even at this time of the year how our vehicles, after it's rained a little, can barely make the grade, I just can't imagine how it will be in the autumn when the rainy period really sets in. We're fighting in a solid mass of dirt."


 - Wihelm Prüller, NCO in German motorized regiment.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Heavy air-to-air combat over Malta.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Vichy-French planes bombed Tel Aviv and killed 20 Jews.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The British destroyer HMS “_Defender_” was bombed and subsequently scuttled off Sidi Barrani by a Junkers Ju 88 dive bomber piloted by Gerhard Stamp. “_Defender_” was returning from Tobruk in company with the Australian destroyer “_Vendetta_”. They were attacked by a single Junkers Ju 88 bomber of I./LG 1 piloted by Gerhard Stamp on a reconnaissance flight along the coast before dawn. The bomber scored a near-miss on “_Defender_” which detonated under the ship, just forward of the engine room. The shock broke the ship's back and flooded the engine room, although there were no casualties among her crew or passengers. “_Vendetta_” took “_Defender_” in tow, leaving a skeleton crew aboard the damaged ship, but she started to break up and “_Vendetta_” was forced to scuttle her with a torpedo and gunfire off Sidi Barrani about five hours later.

Luftwaffe attacks Port Said and Ismailia with 52 bombers overnight.

During the night of 11/12 July, two Australian night-fighting-patrols from the 2/12th Battalion attacked the forward elements of the 'Pavia' in the form of a reinforced rifle platoon, dug-in near El Adem Road. Under the cover of artillery fire, one patrol marched off into the night, but soon came under machine-gun fire and seeking cover suffered three casualties due to Italian booby-traps before being able to resume their advance and capture three and kill or wound a number of Italians, but at the cost of another three casualties. In the meantime, the other patrol managed to reach the other part of the Italian platoon with the help of artillery fire, killing or wounding "between 30 and 40" Italians and capturing two, but at the cost of seven more Australian casualties. During the action, Second Lieutenant Cesare Giacobbe, the Italian platoon commander from the 27th 'Pavia' Infantry Regiment, won posthumously the Gold Medal of Military Valour. Despite being wounded, the young officer personally fired an automatic rifle and employed hand grenades, helping cover the retreat of the remainder of his platoon, before being shot a second time and killed.

*NORTH AMERICA: *US President Roosevelt asks Congress for $3,323,000,000 for the navy and the Maritime Commission. He also appoints William Donovan to head a new civilian intelligence agency with the title “coordinator of defense information.” This appointment will lead to the creation of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) which in turn will develop into the modern CIA.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen renews attack across the Litsa River. Maj. Gen. Talvela’s VI Corps achieve a breakthrough and advance rapidly. However, Talvela is dissatisfied with the commander of the 5th Div Col. Koskimies and releases him from the command. Koskimies is replaced by Col. Ruben Lagus who had advanced rapidly with his Jäger Brigade. Maj. Gen. Hegglund’s VII Corps has much tougher time. The defending Soviet forces are experienced and fight vigorously. In Lapland the attacking Germans are forced to recognize their operative mistakes and ask for reinforcements. Especially the SS-Division ‘Nord’ has been a disappointment. Finns send Infantry Regiment 14 which was originally meant to defend the Ahvenanmaa (Åland) islands in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Yainville. RAF 11 Group Circus 43 was 3 Stirlings of 3 Group escorted by 6 fighter squadrons at 11.00 hours.

RAF 11 Group flew Circus 44 at 14.35 hours as a Diversionary Feint prior to Circus 45. 8 fighter squadrons flew with 1 Blenheim of 60 Group that employed I.F.F. broad-band jamming. RAF Fighter Command Circus 45 mission to Lille with 13 fighter squadrons escorting 3 Stirlings of 3 Group.

RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb missions to Norrent-Fontes.

Since 16 June,1941 to this date, Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 has destroyed nineteen RAF aircraft including seventeen Spitfires to bring his total to thirty-nine air victories.

In the morning, east of Wimereux, Hptm. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 downs a Spitfire. Landing back at base after the combat, Hptm. Seifert finds that he has been appointed _Gruppenkommandeur_ of I./JG 26, taking the place of the captured Oblt. Rolf Pingel. But another _Kanalfront_ _Geschwader_ loses a pilot when Horst Beyer of JG 3 is killed in action against the Allies. He had eight victories against Western pilots.

The 2nd great roundup of Jews of Amsterdam took place.


.


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## Njaco (Jul 12, 2016)

*July 12 Saturday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *1st US Marine Brigade completed taking over the occupation of Iceland from British troops.

Soviet patrol vessel “_Passat_” and Soviet trawler “_Molotov_” were sunk by Kriegsmarine destroyers.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: An Armed Forces High Command communiqué, issued on 12 July, mentioned that 6,233 Russian planes had been destroyed against very minor Luftwaffe losses. 550 German planes have been destroyed so far with another 336 damaged. This is about 40% of all combat ready aircraft that was available to the Luftwaffe at the beginning of the conflict. Werner Mölders reported that under his command JG 51 had destroyed 500 Soviet aircraft at the cost of only three casualties during the first 20 days of Unternehmen Barbarossa. Soviet communiqués covering the same period spoke of 1,900 Russian planes lost against 2,300 German planes destroyed - 300 more than the total number of German planes committed in the Russian theater. Even though these figures are obviously exaggerated and differ so greatly, they do convey an idea of the impact of the initial air battles.

Heeresgruppe Nord: XLI. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops G-H Reinhardt) reached the Plyussa River in northern Russia. 4.Panzergruppe, attempting to advance beyond Pskov toward Leningrad, calls a halt to their advance to allow the infantry to catch up. Since taking Pskov three days ago, the German tankers have made less than 10 miles of advance into the dismal swamp land of northern Russia against an ever strengthening Red Army.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe attacking north of Orsha as German 2.Panzergruppe attacks south of Orsha.

The German 1. Kavallerie-Division ( Lieutenant General O. Mengers) has lost a total of 2,292 horses since the beginning of the Unternehmen BARBAROSSA with only 1,027 captured horses to offset the losses.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Rumanian forces capture Balti. Kirponos withdraws the headquarters of Kostenko's 26th Army into front reserve ordering it to attack to the northwest to link up with Potapov's 5th Army.

Luftwaffe conducts first bombing attack on Moscow.

Soviet destroyer “_Bditelny_” and Soviet flotilla leader “_Kharkov_” were damaged by mines.

German Einsatzgruppen C and D killing units start operating on Ukrainian territory killing Jews and later Ukrainians. Officials of the nationalist, anti-Soviet Provisional Ukrainian Government were arrested by German forces. Germans arrest Ukrainians in Stetsko government. Bandera, Stetsko and others are taken as prisoners to Sachsenhausen Prison in Germany.

In Kovno, Lithuanian police have murdered over 3,000 Jews under German supervision. In Jassy Romanian troops killed over 200 Jews and crammed 5,000 into sealed cattle trucks. In Bialystock, the Nazi soldiers spent the first day of the occupation herding the city’s Jews into their own blazing synagogue where they died. Pavelic government begins forced relocation of Jews to camp in Zagreb. In Lwow, the Nazis have posted photographs of Ukrainian nationalist prisoners slaughtered by the retreating Russians and captioned “Jewish killings.” They are exploiting a local tradition of nationalism and anti-Semitism to recruit a local militia. Just two days after the Germans arrived, local people were massacring Jews in ‘ Aktion Petlura’ a symbolic revenge for the killing of a Ukrainian by a Jews in Paris 15 years ago.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 61 aircraft to attack Bremen.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The Vichy French government fails to gain Turkish permission to send military supports to their forces in Syria. With this last hope gone, the forces still in Syria seek a truce with the Allied forces. French Lieutenant-General Joseph-Antoine-Sylvain-Raoul de Verdillac attended the French-British negotiations for a ceasefire in the French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon. Making progress in the discussions during the day, the process to draft the Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre began at 2200 hours near Acre, British Mandate of Palestine. Meanwhile, French naval vessels and aircraft were ordered to go to neutral Turkey, where they were interned.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Ettore Bastico replaced Italo Gariboldi as Commander-in-Chief of Axis forces in North Africa.

Luftwaffe attacks Suez Canal with 20 bombers overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Naval Research and Development Board created. Naval Air Station established at Quonset Point, Rhode Island.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Finnish Army of Karelia captures Kokkari and Tolvayarvi northeast of Lake Ladoga.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *Four days after the Soviet military mission arrived in London, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union signed an agreement of mutual assistance, noting that neither country would negotiate a separate peace with the Axis powers. The USA perceived this to mean that the USSR intended to support the re-establishment of independent Polish, Czech, and Yugoslav states at the end of the war.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command Circus 46 mission to Arques.

RAF Fighter Command sweep across northern France (RAF 11 Group Circus 47).

RAF Bomber Command sends 38 aircraft on sweeps off Dutch coast.

Douglas Bader shot down a German Bf 109 fighter and damaged three others over Pas-de-Calais, France. The fighter units guarding the Channel lost several pilots. At JG 26 Horst Ulenberg was killed in action against the Allies. He had seventeen enemy kills.

Juan Pujol Garcia, later known as agent Garbo, ostensibly departs Lisbon for the UK in order to work for German intelligence.


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## Njaco (Jul 13, 2016)

*July 13 Sunday*
*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hitler reiterated the idea of using Heeresgruppe Mitte to capture Leningrad, but decided instead that the army group should swing to the southeast to take the Ukraine. Bock and virtually every officer at higher levels of command, but not those immediately around Hitler in OKW, would fight this decision. This turmoil would keep Heeresgruppe Mitte halted east of Smolensk and delay its excursion into the Ukraine until almost September 1941.

Heeresgruppe Nord: The German Armeegruppe Nord continued advancing towards Luga in northern Russia. Reinhardt's XXXXI Motorized Corps reach the Luga south of Kingisepp and capture several bridgeheads across the river. In the first 3 weeks of fighting, Leeb's Heeresgruppe Nord had advanced 270 miles into the Soviet Union and had captured most of the Baltic republics. The Soviets have lost 90,000 soldiers, more than 1,000 tanks, 4,000 guns and mortars, and over 1,000 aircraft.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe pushing toward Nevel and Smolensk. German 2.Panzergruppe was attacking into Orsha. Guderian's XXXXVI.Panzerkorps passed north of Mogilev and his XXIV.Panzerkorps south of the city trapping the 13th Army's 61st Rifle and 20th Mechanized Corps. Komkor L.G. Petrovky's 63rd Rifle Corps drive German forces back from Rogachev and Zhlobin. At the same time, F.F. Zhmachenko's 67th Rifle Corps accompanied by Major-General S.M. Krivoshein's 25th Mechanized Corps launch a doomed attack on Guderian's southern flank.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Soviet general Mikhail Kirponos began counterattacking against the Zhytomyr corridor. The pressure exerted by the Russian Fifth Army from the Pripyat Marshes against the army group's flank diverted more and more 6. Armee (General of the W. von Reichenau) troops from their original mission. The Soviet 19th and 20th Armies arrive in Smolensk. Defenses across Smolensk were prepared under the direction of the Soviet 16th Army.

Luftwaffe bombers attack Kiev. Soviet bombers attack Ploesti, causing considerable damage to oil facilities.

Siegfried Freytag begins his scoring by downing a Russian MiG 3 while he flying with 6./JG 77.

In the Baltic, Soviet naval forces consisting of destroyers and motor torpedo boats as well as bombers make a concerted effort to destroy a German convoy off the coast of Latvia. One ship is sunk.

Montenegro starts an uprising against the Axis Powers shortly after the Royalists in Serbia begin theirs. Questionable Communist plans instigate parallel uprising and civil war.

Efraim Zuroff is kidnapped by a gang of Lithuanians roaming the streets looking for Jews with beards to arrest. He is taken to Lukiskis Prison, the main gaol in the city, and is murdered, along with his wife and two boys.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command continues its raids on German ports. Over 100 bombers attempted to hit Bremen. RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft to attack Vegesack overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Luftwaffe again attacks Suez Canal with 20 bombers overnight.

In Turkey, repatriated Soviet Berlin Embassy staff arrived through Bulgaria, at Svilengrad. The German embassy staff were then permitted to leave the Soviet Union.

*MIDDLE EAST:* The Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre negotiations at Acre, British Mandate of Palestine was stalled as the French rejected British demands.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The newspaper The New York Times reported that the famed Polish Jewish violinist Henri Czaplinski (aka. Genrikh Maksimovich Chaplinsky in Soviet documents) had escaped an NKVD prison in Lvov, Ukraine during a German bombing.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Germans in Lappland (Gebirgsarmee Norwegen) continues its attacks towards Murmansk across the Litsa River. The advance bogs down soon and on 16 July Germans are forced to regroup for defence.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The first of the Spanish volunteers began leaving Spain for military training in Germany. 

.


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

My sincere apologies people. Have been quite ill for several days now, bit of a leg infection.

Reactions: Like Like:
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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

Halders Diary 10 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

*11 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-49
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT 33
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS ALGOMA (K-127)





Bangor Class MSW HMS FELIXSTOWE (J-126)





MGB 323, ML 250,

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Gotenhafen: U-149
Trondheim: U-451

Departures
Bergen: U-146

At Sea 11 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-76, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-146, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Motor vessel RIVER TRENT was damaged by a mine in the Nth Sea. The vessel was towed to Great Yarmouth.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow providing escort for MLs.122, 124, 125, 128, 208, 210, 213, 233 of the 4th Motor Launch Flotilla proceeding to Skaalefjord and thence to Reykjavik. The force arrived at Skaalefjord just before midnight at 2300.

The force departed Skaalefjord on the 13th for Reykjavik, where they arrived at 1015 on the 15th. At 1800 on the same day, the DD departed to return to Scapa Flow, arriving at 0530 on the 17th.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON, with escort DDs LIGHTNING, ORP KRAKOWIAK, and KUJAWIAK departed Scapa Flow at 0830 for the Clyde. The ships arrived at Greenock at 1054 on the 12th. DD KRAKOWIAK, which had completed working up practices proceeded to Plymouth at 1500. DD KUJAWIAK departed Greenock at 1430 to return to Scapa Flow, arriving at 1130 on the 13th. DD LIGHTNING remained at Greenock to escort convoy WS.9C.

*West Coast*
DD ICARUS, on completion of repairs, departed Ardrossan at 0500 escorting tanker MONTENOL to Loch Alsh. The DD then proceeded to Scapa Flow where she arrived at 1000 on the 12th.

OB.345 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ARROW, BULLDOG, and GEORGETOWN, corvettes AUBRETIA and NIGELLA, and ASW trawler ST APOLLO. This group was detached on the 16th. On the 16th, AMC CALIFORNIA, DDs CHESTERFIELD and CHURCHILL, and corvettes ARROWHEAD, CAMELLIA, and EYEBRIGHT joined. This group was detached on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 26th.

*Med/Biscay*
During the night of 10/11 July, CL AJAX and CLA PHOEBE with DDs JACKAL, GRIFFIN, KINGSTON, HASTY, and KIMBERLEY searched the Syrian coast for French merchant ships reported by air the previous day. There was no contact and the ships arrived back at Haifa at daylight.

At midnight on 11/12 July, the Army ceased hostilities with French forces in Syria.

DD DEFENDER and RAN DD VENDETTA, after carrying supplies to Tobruk, were bombed by the LW t 0520 near Sollum as they returned.

DD DEFENDER was damaged. DD VENDETTA towed the damaged RN DD for a time before *D-Class DD DEFENDER (RN 1375 grt)* sank seven miles north of Sidi Barrani. There was no loss of life in the DDm but five crew were wounded.





Gunboat CRICKET, in tow of tug ST ISSEY, and gunboat GNAT, sailing on one engine, departed Alexandria for docking at Port Said.

CV ARK ROYAL and CLA HERMIONE departed Gibraltar to exercise in the Mediterranean. A Swordfish ditched during the exercises and its crew was picked up by DD FEARLESS.

Subs URSULA and P.33 departed Malta to intercept a convoy west of Lampedusa. URSULA was forced to return to Malta on the 12th with a defective generator

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.138 departed Halifax, escort DDs ANNAPOLIS and CROIX and AMC AURANIA. Corvette RIMOUSKI joined on the 12th and sloop LEITH and corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE on the 13th. The corvettes were detached on the 13th. The AMC was detached on the 14th and the DD on the 15th. DDs BROADWATER and ST LAURENT and corvette POLYANTHUS joined on the 15th and DDs BURWELL and RICHMOND and corvette COBALt on the 16th. These escorts were detached on the 23rd when relieved by DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, and ROXBOROUGH, corvettes HEATHER, ORCHIS, and PICOTEE, and ASW trawlers ARAB, LADY MADELEINE, and ST LOMAN. The DDs and corvette HEATHER were detached on the 26th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 27th with the remainder of the escort.

*Central Atlantic*
ASW trawlers FANDANGO, MORRIS DANCE, SARABANDE, SYRINGA, NORSE, and CORDELIA, escorting British steamer PINZON (1365grt), departed Gibraltar for Freetown, via Bathurst.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 JULY TO DAWN 12 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_0730 hrs _‘Exercise Asia’ cease fire is given. Military commanders review the Exercise, with many lessons learned in the past five days.

_1321-1347 hrs _Air raid alert for 40-50 Macchi 200 fighters approaching the Island from the north in three formations at 15000, 10000 and 500 feet. They are believed to come from Catania aerodrome. 15 cross the coast near St Paul’s Bay. Six Macchis dive down over Luqa, machine-gunning the airfield. They destroy one Wellington and damage four more, two Marylands are also damaged and will be grounded for up to 6 days. The raiders are engaged by 12 Hurricanes of 185 Squadron who break up all three formations. Heavy and light anti-aircraft fire and light machine-guns also engage. The Hurricanes pursue the raiders in a running fight up to 15 miles north east of GrandHarbour. They destroy three Macchis which crash into the sea, severely damage four and damage another four. Five or six others are hit by light Ack Ack fire at Luqa and Safi, one hit is claimed by infantry firing machine guns. 

_0235-0253 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast south of GrandHarbour and drops 15kg high explosive bombs near Zeitun. Two Hurricanes 46 Squadron are scrambled but do not reach sufficient altitude to engage.

_0402-0431 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which cross the coast over GrandHarbour and drop 15kg high explosive bombs across four streets of Hamrun including the main street, demolishing four houses and damaging seven more. Eight civilians are killed and seven seriously injured; eleven are treated for minor injuries. One unexploded bomb is reported. Two Hurricanes 46 Squadron are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 11 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula_ and _P33_ sailed at 1700 to intercept convoy west of Lampedusa.

_AIR HQ Departures _4 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands patrols to locate convoy north of Sicily; reconnaissance Catania and Syracuse.


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

Halders Diary 11 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

*12 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT 34





Allied
HDML 1053

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-103
Oxhoft (Gydnia): U142

Departures
Horten: U-501
Kiel: U-82
St Nazaire: U-93, U-94

At Sea 12 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-140, U-143, U-144, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-501, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

30 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*

*East Front*
Arctic
DKM DDs HANS LODY, KARL GALSTER, HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, and RICHARD BEITZEN swept off the Kola coast.

DDs LODY, GALSTER, and ECKHOLDT encountered a Soviet convoy near CapeTeriberski.

*PV PASSAT (VMF 350 grt (est)* and *Trawler RT 67 (SU trawler MOLOTOV 350 grt(est))* were sunk. Auxiliary PV RT 32 was able to escape. Two barges being towed by RT-67 were also lost





The other two DDs off Iokanga found no targets.

Black Sea/Caspian
VMF DD BDITELNY was badly damaged and KHARKOV was slightly damaged by LW air attack on Sevastapool.

*Northern Waters*
In a flying accident on CV VICTORIOUS T/Sub Lt (A) J.B. Ganner RNVR, and Leading Airman L. Powell in a Fulmar of 809 Squadron were killed.

*West Coast*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at 0930 to cover convoy WN.51 from the Pentland Firth to Tod Head where she transferred to convoy EC.44. In the Pentland Firth, the ship left convoy EC.44 and arrived at Scapa Flow at 2100 on the 13th. Corvette ARBUTUS was in a collision with British steamer BLACKHEATH (4637grt) in 55-58N, 10-38W. Corvette PIMPERNEL stood by the damaged corvette. Corvette ARBUTUS was repaired at Liverpool completing on 19 August.

OG.68 departed Liverpool escort DDs BATH and WALKER, corvettes AZALEA, BLUEBELL, CAMPANULA, HYDRANGEA, WALLFLOWER, and ZINNIA. The convoy was joined on the 13th by ocean boarding vessels CAVINA and HILARY. On the 14th, corvette AZALEA was detached. On the 18th, the DDs and the ocean boarding vessels were detached. DD WISHART and sub CLYDE from convoy HG.68 joined the convoy on the 22nd. On the 25th, the submarine was diverted to patrol in the vicinity of 40N, 15W. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 26th with the five corvettes.

*Med/Biscay*
RAN CL HOBART arrived at Suez from Australia to join the Med Flt. The cruiser could not immediately be passed through the canal due to mining. The CL and DD KIPLING, following repairs at Suez, were able to proceed through the Suez Canal on the 16th.

Submarine RORQUAL departed Malta for Alexandria and arrived on the 20th.

Among the items brought to Alexandria was a new stem piece, forged at Malta, for CLA COVENTRY.

Submarine TRIUMPH arrived at Malta for damage repairs incurred in patrol off Benghazi.

NL steamer ALPHARD was damaged by the LW at Port Said. Four crew were lost on the steamer.

Greek steamer PATRIA was sunk by the LW at Port Said. However, tThe steamer was raised and restored to service.

BC RENOWN departed Gibraltar and joined CV ARK ROYAL and CLA HERMIONE for exercises. The three ships arrived back at Gibraltar later that day.

Submarine OTUS departed Gibraltar, carrying stores, for Malta, arriving on the 20th.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.37 departed Sydney, CB, escort corvettes BARRIE, CHICOUTIMI, and MATAPEDIA. AMC AURANIA joined the next day and was detached on the 14th. The three corvettes were detached on the 15th. On the 15th, DDs BURWELL and RICHMOND and corvettes COBALt and POLYANTHUS joined. These were detached on the 23rd, when relieved by DDs LEAMINGTON and SALADIN, corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST ZENO. DD DOUGLAS joined on the 24th.Corvette ANEMONE was detached on the 26th, DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, SALADIN, and SKATE, and trawler ST ZENO on the 27th.Corvette ABELIA and trawler ST ELSTAN arrived with the convoy in the Clydeon the 28th.

*Central Atlantic*
CA LONDON arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.

*Malta*
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1125-1135 hrs_ Air raid alert for nine enemy aircraft which approach to within 10 miles of GrandHarbour. 19 Hurricanes are scrambled; the raiders turn back to the north and there is no engagement.

_Night _ Three short air raid alerts due to the approach of single aircraft but none came closer than 15 miles from Malta.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 12 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula _returned to harbour with defective generators. _Triumph_ arrived from patrol off Benghazi for damage repairs. _Rorqual _sailed at 1900 for Alexandria with stores and passengers.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands patrols to locate convoy. _110 Squadron_ 6 Blenheims search for convoy but return due to poor visibility.

_LUQA _1 Wellington crashed after take-off for Middle East.


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

Halders Diary 12 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

*13 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Aloe Class Netlayer USS LOCUST

Allied
ML 277

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Horten: U-82

At Sea 13 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-140, U-143, U-144, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-501, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British Steamer COLLINGDOC was sunk on a mine four cables 200° from Southend Pier. Two crew were lost on the steamer. The steamer was refloated on the 21st and towed to Gravesend. The steamer was converted to a hulk and towed to Rosyth. (I have not included this ship in the losses tally, though I concede their is good argument to do so).

British steamer SCORTON was damaged by the LW two miles west of 57C Buoy, near Smiths Knoll. The steamer arrived in tow at Immingham.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy WS.9C formed at sea from ships sailing from Avonmouth, Liverpool, and the Clyde. This convoy was primarily the SUBSTANCE convoy for Malta.

The Clyde section escorted by CLs ARETHUSA and the NL CLA HEEMSKERK departed on the 10th. The convoy consisted of BB NELSON, CLs MANCHESTER, ARETHUSA, and HEEMSKERK, cruiser minelayer MANXMAN, and steamers DEUCALION, AVILA STAR, LEINSTER, PORT CHALMERS, PASTEUR, MELBOURNE STAR, DURHAM, SYDNEY STAR, and CITY OF PRETORIA.

DD WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy on the 12th. Sloop STORK escorted the Avonmouth section and remained with the convoy until 13 July. CLA HEEMSKERK and DDs GURKHA, GARLAND, VANOC, and WANDERER escorted the convoy from 12 to 15 July. BB NELSON, CLs MANCHESTER and ARETHUSA, and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH, NESTOR, and LIGHTNING escorted the convoy from 12 to 17 July. Liner PASTEUR was detached to Gibraltar on the 17th escorted by CL MANCHESTER and DDs NESTOR and LIGHTNING. Liner LEINSTER was detached to Gibraltar escorted by DDs COSSACK, SIKH, and MAORI. Cruiser minelayer MANXMAN escorted the convoy from 15 to 16 July. Steamer AVILA STAR was detached as an independent on the 16th.

DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND,FURY, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar on the 14th and joined the convoy on the 18th. DD FIREDRAKE departed Gibraltar the next day and joined the DDs at sea. They remained with the convoy until arrival on the 20th. CL EDINBURGH joined the convoy on the 20th and arrived with it at Gibraltar. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TAKU sank *steamer CALDEA (FI 2703 grt)*, en route from Brindisi to Benghazi, ten miles 312° from Benghazi. RM TB MONTANARI from Tripoli was escorting the steamer, but was unable to damage the submarine.





Returning from a supply run to Tobruk, DD DECOY sighted a submarine off Bardia. After an unsuccessful attack, due to the threat of air attack, the DD proceeded to Alexandria. RAN DD VOYAGER, in company, was reduced to 17 knots due to a mechanical defect.

*Tanker PEGASUS (UK 3597 grt)* was sunk on a British mine at Beirut.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 JULY TO DAWN 14 JULY 1941

_Weather _Hot and hazy.

_AM _Three small formations of enemy aircraft approached the Island separately during the morning. Hurricane fighters were airborne three times in response. No interceptions were made owing to bad visibility and the fact that no enemy aircraft came within 40 miles of the Island.

_0130-0227 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft which approach the Island separately from the north, the north east and the west. Bombs are dropped on land east of Delimara, in the sea off Delimara and on Luqa aerodrome. Bombs are also dropped on Paola, the Dockyard, St Thomas’ Bay and KalafranaBay off Benghaisa. Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire three barrages; two succeed in causing raiders to turn away. No Hurricanes are scrambled due to bad visibility and low haze. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 13 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish left to intercept convoy southbound; mission failed owing to poor visibility.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Wellington._ 69 Squadron _Marylands patrol to locate convoy heading for Tripoli and conduct reconnaissance of Tripoli. _110 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked convoy near Tripoli destroying a tanker and a schooner and setting a merchant ship on fire.


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

Halders Diary 13 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

*14 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
MSW USS OSTRICH

Allied
FNFL ML GUENOLA, ML 271

*Losses*
*Steamer ASPEN (SD 1305 grt)*, whilst operating as a neutral was sunk by the LW 45 miles from Rotterdam. Two crew were missing on the steamer.





RM submarine MOROSONI sank *steamer RUPERT DE LARRINAGA (UK 5358 grt)*, from dispersed convoy OG.67, in 36-18N, 21-11W. 44 survivors were picked up by Spanish tanker CAMPECHE. The vessel was on passage from the Tyne via Oban for Las Palmas with coal and general cargo for the Spaniards.





RM submarine MALASPINA sank *steamer NIKOKLIS (Gk 3576 grt)*, from dispersed convoy OG.67, 105 miles sw of the Azores, with the loss of 17 crew.
[NO IMAGES FOIUND

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-143
Kiel: U-146

Departures
Lorient: U-141
Stormelo: U-145

At Sea 14 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-140, U-143, U-144, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-501, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
DKM SBoat Flotilla 1 with S.28, S.27, S.40, S.101, and S.26 attacked a Soviet convoy near Ekholm without success.

*Northern Waters*
CA BERWICK departed Scapa Flow for turbine repairs at Rosyth. En route, the cruiser experienced further engine defects. DD TARTAR departed Scapa Flow with DD HEYTHROP to join the cruiser. En route, DD HEYTHROP was recalled returning to Scapa Flow early on the 15th. The cruiser was safely escorted to Rosyth by DD TARTAR, which returned to Scapa Flow on the morning of the 15th.

DD WELLS arrived at Scapa Flow from Loch Alsh to carry out a short program of practices.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to carry out exercises in Pentland Firth and then join convoy WN.52 off Duncansby Head. The convoy was taken to Methil, arriving on the 15th.

Cruiser minelayer ADVENTURE departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh, where she arrived that evening. A Swordfish of 821 Sqn crashed at Ballantrae, en route from detling-Prestwick to Hatston. T/A/Sub Lt (A) S.F.J. Wood RNVR, Leading Airman F.B. Bavidige, and passenger Air Mechanician M. Robinson were killed.

*West Coast*
OB.346 departed Liverpool, escort sloop WELLINGTON, corvettes CLOVER and VERVAIN, and escort ships CULVER and LANDGUARD. On the 15th, DDs ST ALBANS and WESTCOTT, CAM ship MAPLIN, and corvettes AURICULA, HIBISCUS, MARIGOLD, and PERWINKLE joined. DDs ST ALBANS and WESTCOTT were detached on the 18th, corvettes AURICULA and MARIGOLD on the 20th, corvettes HIBISCUS and PERWINKLE on the 21st, corvettes CLOVER and VERVAIN on the 23rd, and CAM ship MAPLIN on the 28th. On the 31st, DD WRESTLER, sloop BRIDGEWATER, and corvettes AMARANTHUS and BERGAMOT joined the convoy which arrived at Freetown on 1 August.

*Med/Biscay*
CLAs NAIAD and PHOEBE, RAN CL PERTH, and DDs GRIFFIN, HAVOCK, KIMBERLEY, and HOTSPUR departed Haifa at 1800 to return to Alexandria, arriving on the 15th.

CL AJAX and DDs JACKAL, NIZAM, HASTY, and KINGSTON remained on station on the Syrian coast and CLA CARLISLE remained at Beirut.

During the night of 14/15 July, DD HERO and RAN DD VENDETTA ran supplies to Tobruk. DD VENDETTA was holed while alongside, but was able to return to Alexandria after temporary repairs at Mersa Matruh.

Submarine OSIRIS damaged Italian steamer CAPO D'ORSO in the central basin.

An Axis convoy of steamers RIALTO, ANDREA GRITTI, SEBASTINO VENIER, BARBARIGO, and ANKARA departed Tripoli for Naples escort DDs MALOCELLO, FUCLIERE, and ALPINO and TBs PROCIONE, PEGASO, and ORSA.

RN Sub UNION departed Malta just after midnight to intercept the convoy sth of Pantellaria. Swordfish aircraft departed Malta on 14 and 15 July to shadow the convoy, but no contact was made.

RN Sub P.33 sank *steamer BARBARIGO (FI 5293 grt)* on the 15th eight miles sth of Pantelleria. The submarine sustained hull damage from heavy depth charging. The convoy arrived at Naples on the 16th.Submarine P.33 arrived at Malta for repairs on the 16th.






*Central Atlantic*
DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FURY, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar to meet convoy WS.9C, arriving from the UK.

Sloop SCARBOROUGH and corvette GERANIUM departed Gibraltar for exercises in the Atlantic. SCARBOROUGH returned to Gibraltar to escort convoy HG.68 departing Gibraltar on the 18th, while GERANIUM arrived back at Gibraltar on the 18th, escorting British oiler HORNSHELL.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
British troopship GEORGIC of convoy WS.9 A was bombed by German bombers in SuezBay. The troopship was set afire and drifted to the beach, fouling and slightly damaging landing ship GLENEARN en route. Twenty six on the troopship were killed.

RAN CL HOBART was able to later pass a line to landing ship GLENEARN towing her free. Troopship GLENEARN departed Suez for Bombay on 1 August in the tow of BritishsteamerCITY OF KIMBERLEY. The troopship was salved in November and towed to Bombay. Troopship GEORGIC arrived in UK 1 March 1943 for repairs.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 JULY TO DAWN 15 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and humid.

_0205-0335 hrs; 0403-0440 hrs _Air raid alerts for a total of three enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the north at intervals. One aircraft drops bombs between Il Gzira and Kalafrana and on a road in open country. Bombs are also dropped on Birzebbuga destroying 15 houses but causing no casualties, on Zurrieq, Marsaxlokk and near Luqa, and in the sea. During the first raid three Hurricanes 249 Squadron are scrambled; searchlights do not illuminate and there are no engagements. During the second alert a single raider approaches as the aerodrome beacon is illuminated for Wellington bombers coming in to land.

_0500-0507 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by the return of a Wellington not showing appropriate identification lights.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 14 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Union_ sailed at 0100 for position 10 miles south of Pantelleria to intercept northbound convoy.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _5 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Taranto. _110 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims attacked Zuara aerodrome. _148 Squadron_ 8 Wellingtons attacked Messina causing extensive fires. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 6 Swordfish left to look for convoy leaving Tripoli, but returned owing to poor visibility and low clouds.

_HAL FAR _A Fulmar took off for Catania and Gerbini but returned due to a glycol leak.


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

Halders Diary 14 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

*15 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MGB 82 (ii), 83, 84, 85

*Losses*
*Landing ship PRINCE PHILIPPE (UK 2938 grt)* was sunk in a collision with steamer EMPIRE WAVE (7463grt) off west of Scotland. T/Sub Lt (E) F.G. Moncur RNR, died of injuries sustained in the collision.





*Ocean boarding vessel LADY SOMERS (UK 3500 grt (est))* was sunk by Italian submarine MOROSINI in in the Central Atlantic. Corvette SPIRAEA of convoy OG.67 was ordered to her position to assist. The entire crew of one hundred and thirty eight man crew were picked up by Spanish steamer CAMPECHE.Sloop BIDEFORD and ASW trawlers LOCH OSKAIG and IMPERIALIST were ordered to intercept the steamer and take off the survivors due to the difficulty in obtaining the release of seamen from Spain. The survivors were landed by the Spanish ship at Lisbon. They arrived back at Gibraltar on the 18th in British steamer PROCRIS.

*Steamer FARFIELD (UK 468 grt)* was sunk by the LW five miles 250° from Sth Stack. One naval rating was saved, but the remaining crew of eight were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-84
Trondheim: U-501

Departures
Kiel: U-125

At Sea 15 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-144, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

30 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
DKM S-Boats of their 3rd Flotilla, (consisting of S.54, S.47, S.58, and S.57) attacked a VMF DD in the Bay of Riga without success.

*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Methil and joined convoy EC.45 off MayIsland. The ship left the convoy in Pentland Firth and arrived at Scapa Flow that evening. CURACOA departed at the same night to rejoin a portion of the convoy which had proceeded north of the Orkneys.

ML TEVIOTBANK, escorted by DD CASTLETON and survey ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.21 A of the Northern Barrage.

*Med/Biscay*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Alexandria to reinforce the British forces at Haifa.

Submarine UNBEATEN sank *sailing vessel (FI 150 grt (est)* off Mara Zuag Roads. The submarine reported sinking a second patrol vessel. This is in conflict with Italian records. Italian records say UNBEATEN sank a schooner with gunfire at Marsa Zuag roads, Libya. Another schooner was only damaged. According to Italian sources these were only local fishing vessels and only one was hit and suffered some damage with three wounded.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TAKU sank *Aux MSWVINCENCO (FI 270 GRT)* and damaged a tug NETTUNO in position 30°41'N, 18°19'E. The TAKUs log states

_(All times are zone -3)
1430 hours - An armed tug and a schooner were sighted in position 30°56'N, 17°56'E. Weather conditions were unfavourable for gunnery action. Taku shadowed the ships._

_2126 hours - The ships were at anchor close inshore in position 30°41'N, 18°19'E. Taku surfaced to launch a folbot party. The folbot however broke in a wave and the idea of a folbot attack was abandoned. (A folbot is a folding kayak)._

_2314 hours - The armed tug was engaged with gunfire from 300 yards. A lighter was sighted laying astern of the tug. The lighter was slipped and drifted ashore. The tug was hit, the crew slipped the anchor cable and beached itself. Taku now shifted fire to the schooner. 12 rounds were fired from 150 yards. The schooner was then boarded. Charts, books, etc. were captured. The schooner was the Vincenzo P. and was loaded with provisions. The schooner was then sunk by gunfire. (Italian sources give the tug as Italian tug *Nettuno*. She was badly damaged and beached, The crew was saved and the tug was later salvaged.)_

Lighters A.10 and A.11, en route to Tobruk, were attacked by German dive bombers in 32-15N, 25-26E. A.10 was hit and abandoned, after attempts to take her in tow by A.11 failed. One rating was killed and three ratings were wounded in lighter A.10. T/A/Sub Lt W.G. Jenkins RNVR, was wounded in A 11.

*Nth Atlantic*
USN CruDiv 7 with CLs PHILADELPHIA, BROOKLYN, SAVANNAH, and NASHVILLE relieved CAs WICHITA, QUINCEY, and VINCENNES from Central Atlantic Neutrality Patrol.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs FIREDRAKE, VIDETTE, VIMY, and BEVERLEY, ML 126 of the 3rd ML Flotilla, and the 9th ML Flotilla of MLs 169, 170, 172, 173, 174, 175, and 176 arrived at Gibraltar. DD FIREDRAKE departed later that day and joined DesFlot 8 en route to join convoy WS.9C.

SL.81 departed Freetown escort AMCs CAPE SABLE to 8 August and MORETONBAY to 2 August, DD WRESTLER to 23 July, and corvettes CLEMATIS, CYCLAMEN, MIGNONETTE, and WOODRUFF to 23 July. On the 30th, corvettes CARNATION to 6 August, HELIOTROPE to 8 August, and MALLOW to 4 August joined. DDs CAMPBELTOWN,ST ALBANS, and WANDERER to 8 August, CAM ship MAPLIN to 7 August, and corvettes BLUEBELL, CAMPANULA, HYDRANGEA to 5 August, LA MALOUINE to 6 August, WALLFLOWER to 8 August, and ZINNIA to 8 August joined on 3 August. On 3 August, a Hurricane from MAPLIN shot down a FW.200. Pilot Lt R.W.H. Everett then baled out and was picked up by a dingy from the CAM ship. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 August.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 JULY TO DAWN 16 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_AM_ A formation of about 20 aircraft, approaches Malta and circles to the north. Malta fighters are scrambled but recede before they make contact with the raiders.

_1738-1801 hrs _Air raid alert for two formations of enemy fighters which circle well to the north of the Island. Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders turn north before any interception.

_0104-0155 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach from the north and cross the coast over St Paul’s Bay, drop bombs on Baida Ridge and retreat over Ghain Tuffieha, dropping bombs on the camp, injuring one driver and two personnel of 2nd Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers. Bombs are also dropped in the sea nearby. Hurricanes are scrambled and remain airborne for two hours; no engagement.

_0205-0450 hrs _Air raid alert for 11 enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly, crossing the coast at various points and dropping bombs apparently indiscriminately, including on Baida Ridge (and in the sea nearby), near Anchor Bay, west of Gudia (and in the sea nearby), in Kalafrana Bay, and on land near Madalena, between Nigret and Lapsi, near Pitkali searchlight station and near Rabat. Searchlights illuminate one raider for two minutes: heavy anti-aircraft fire a barrage; no claims. Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement. Three unexploded bombs are reported by 2nd Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 15 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish left to locate convoy off Kerkennah Bank. Failed to sight due to poor visibility, but torpedoed a wreck off the Bank mistaking it for a ship of the convoy. 2 mines off Tigne and 1 off Viaduct and breakwater successfully countermined.

_AIR HQ Departures _4 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli and patrol to locate convoy (Sgt Lee failed to return). Maryland patrol to navigate Blenheims to attack on convoy. _110 Squadron _3 Blenheims attacked convoy of 4 merchant ships escorted by 4 destroyers; one merchant ship is destroyed and another badly damaged. Anti-aircraft guns hit one Blenheim killing the Observer.

_HAL FAR _Two Fulmars on ‘intruder operations’ patrolled Catania and released four 20lb bombs which started a fire.


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

Halders Diary 15 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 15, 2016)

*16 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-701






Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT-35

Allied
Flower Class Corvette FNFL LOBELIA (K-05)





HDML 1065

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
Oxhoft: U-139

At Sea 16 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-144, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

30 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
British steamer ELIZABETE was damaged by the LW halfway between 20C Buoy and T.2 Buoy, off the Tyne. The steamer returned to the Tyne.

*Northern Waters*
DD WELLS departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh where she arrived that evening

*West Coast
MGB.90 (RN 40 grt)* and *MGB.92 (RN 40 grt)*were destroyed by fire in PortlandHarbour.

OB.347 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BEAGLE and BOADICEA, corvettes HEATHER, ORCHIS, and PICOTEE, MSW SHARPSHOOTER, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, LADY MADELEINE, and NORWICHCITY. DDs ROXBOROUGH and SALISBURY joined on the 18th. These escorts were detached on the 22nd. On the 22nd, DD BURNHAM and corvettes AGASSIZ, CELANDINE, MAYFLOWER, and WESTASKIWIN joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 31st.

P/T/Midshipman (A) R.L. Waddy RNVR, was killed when his Swordfish of 767 Sqn crashed near Arbroath during exercises.

*Med/Biscay*
CLA CARLISLE, carrying a base party, MSWs HARROW, MOY, and LYDIARD from Haifa, and corvette SALVIA and motor launch ML.1032 from Famagusta arrived at Beirut.

Captain J.A.V. Morse was named Naval Officer in Charge of Syrian ports with his headquarters at Beirut. Corvette HYACINTH with LL sweeper FELLOWSHIP departed Alexandria for Famagusta.

DD JAGUAR departed Alexandria with a petrol tanker of convoy LE 25 for Beirut. DD KANDAHAR departed Alexandria for Port Said to join the remainder of convoy LE 25.KANDAHAR departed Port Said with the two ships of LE 25 on the 17th. CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria at noon on the 17th to meet Beirut convoy LE 25 off Port Said. The convoy was covered by light cruiser AJAX and two destroyers. Convoy LE 25 arrived at Beirut on the 17th.COVENTRY relieved CLA CARLISLE which sailed for Alexandria, arriving on the 19th.

DD JERVIS departed Alexandria for Haifa to operate with British forces there.

On JERVIS's arrival at Haifa on the 17th, DDs JACKAL, NIZAM, and HASTY departed Haifa for Alexandria.

Italian troopships MARCO POLO, NEPTUNIA, and OCEANIA departed Taranto for Tripoli escort DDs GENIERE, GIOBERTI, LANCIERE, and ORIANI and TB t CENTAURO. Distant cover was provided by heavy cruisers TRIESTE and BOLZANO and destroyers ASCARI, CARABINIERE, and CORAZZIERE.

On the 18th, Sub UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked troopship OCEANIA. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 18th. UNBEATEN reported she had damaged a large tanker twenty three miles SSW of Messina.

Italian submarine NEREIDE claimed damage on Greek submarine TRITON in torpedo and artillery attacks in 37-25N, 25-52E.

Sub OLYMPUS and Dutch sub O.21 departed Gibraltar to patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea to support Operation SUBSTANCE

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.139 departed Halifax, escorted by corvettes BITTERSWEET, FENNEL, and PICTOU, and AMC RANPURA.Corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL were detached later that day. On the 17th, corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE joined and were detached later the next day. On the 18th, escort ships SENNEN and TOTLAND joined, on the 19th, sloop FLEETWOOD, and on the 20th, corvette CHAMBLY. DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS and MSW HEBE joined. AMC RANPURA and corvette CHAMBLY were detached on the 26th.Corvette PICTOU was detached on the 28th, the two escort ships on the 29th, and DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, and SHIKARI and sloop FLEETWOOD were detached on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 31st with DD VENOMOUS.

USN CLs PHILADELPHIA and SAVANNAH and DDs MEREDITH and GWIN departed Bermuda on neutrality patrol. They arrived back on the 25th

*Central Atlantic*
DDs AVON VALE, ERIDGE, and FARNDALE departed Gibraltar to meet CL MANCHESTER, troopship PASTEUR, and DDs LIGHTNING and NESTOR, arriving from the UK.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 JULY TO DAWN 17 JULY 1941
_Weather _Very hot and humid.

_0950-1004 hrs _Air raid alert for 20 enemy aircraft which head towards the Island but split up while still 40-50 miles north. While the remainder turn back, ten raiders approach to 20 miles from Malta. Hurricanes are scrambled and the enemy aircraft retreat.

_0416-0445 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which cross over GrandHarbour and drop bombs on Fort St Angelo. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but are forced to land due to weather closing in. Searchlights illuminate the raiders but anti-aircraft guns cannot open fire while Hurricanes are approaching.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 16 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY P33_ arrived on time at 1230, having suffered hull damage during counter attack of 116 depth charges, and being forced deep after obtaining two hits on northbound convoy. HM submarine Cachalot arrived from Alexandria with stores for Malta. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 4 Swordfish attacked Tripoli, hitting one tanker with torpedo and causing explosion on Spanish Quay.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Palermo, Messina, Catania, Augusta, Syracuse, Trapani, Catania and Reggio, and Tripoli. _148 Squadron_ 4 Wellingtons bombing attack on TripoliHarbour by moonlight, dropping 12250lbs of bombs, achieving many hits and causing a large explosion on Spanish Quay plus damage to a merchant ship alongside.
_
HAL FAR _Two Fulmars on ‘intruder operations’ patrolled Catania and released four 20lb bombs which started a fire.


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## Njaco (Jul 17, 2016)

*July 14 Monday*

*ASIA: *Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Oshima informed German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop that, in regards to the 10 Jul 1941 request for Japan to attack Vladivostok, Russia, Japanese Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka was in agreement with the proposal but the Japanese cabinet in general did not agree with such a suggestion.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Observing the German forces reaching the River Luga thus expecting a rapid victory in northern Russia., Hitler ordered the arms industry to switch production from guns and tanks to aircraft and submarines. Hitler issues War Directive 32a which included, among other things, a call for a future reduction in the size of the army with those resources being redirected to the air force. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/32a.html

Heeresgruppe Nord: 6.Panzerdivision achieved a bridgehead over the Narva River. German troops reach the river Luga and now threaten Leningrad directly, only 100 miles away. Oberst Erhard Raus’s grenadiers, aided by an attached group of “Brandenburg” special-operation troops driving captured Soviet trucks and dressed in Russian Army uniforms, seized the twin bridges over the Luga River at Porechye - thus fording the last natural obstacle to Heeresgruppe Nord’s ultimate goal of the capture of Leningrad. German 4.Panzergruppe captures Soltsy. Soviet Luga Operational Group began counterattacking German Heeresgruppe Nord. The Soviet 11th Army counterattacked against the LVI.Panzerkorps at Soltsy.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe pushes toward Nevel while German 2.Panzergruppe attacks toward Smolensk. Meanwhile, near Orsha, Red Army artillery forces launch a salvo of katyusha rockets, for the first time, against the German held railhead causing substantial damage and panic. During a clash near Smolensk, just seven of the experimental launchers decimated a German infantry formation in the town of Rudnya. The barrage struck with such intensity, the Axis troops broke and fled from the city. The demonstration was enough to convince the Soviet high command that the rockets could be a game changer. Detachments of four mobile launchers were quickly raised and sent into battle. Originally designed as a cheap ad hoc alternative to conventional artillery, the truck-mounted 132-mm Katyusha launcher could fire as many as four-dozen warheads distances of more than six miles (9 km) in a single ten-second burst. While woefully inaccurate when compared to ordinary howitzers, concentrations of Katyushas could shower vast areas with a dense hail of high explosives and then speed to safety before enemy guns could even get a fix on them – a practice known as “shoot and scoot”.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Romanian Maj. Gen. Vasile Atanasiu’s III Romanian Corps resumed the attack on the Prut and the Cornesti Heights, while on his left flank the German LIV. Armeekorps (General of the Kavalry E. Hansen) committed its German 50. Infanterie Divisionen (Lieutenant General K. Hollidt) and V Romanian Corps (General L, Gheorghe) to an attack from the northern flank. Despite heavy counter-attacks, the Romanian-German offensive ground forward.

Six Russian bombers are sent to attack the Rumanian oil refineries at Ploesti. Defending German fighters shoot down four of the bombers.

*GERMANY:* Hitler mentioned that Moscow would have to be bombed from the air if the center of Communist resistance was to be hit and the orderly evacuation of the Soviet Government prevented.

The Nazi government seized the property of all Christian Science churches in Germany.

In discussions with ambassador Oshima, Hitler invites Japan to invade Siberia and suggests collaborating to crush America.

RAF Bomber Command sends 97 aircraft to attack Bremen and 85 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

Oblt. Werner Baumbach of KG 30 is awarded the _Eichenlaub_.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Malocello_”, “_Alpino_”, and “_Fuciliere_” and three torpedo boats.

Ju-88 bombers attack Suez from Crete damaging harbour installations and ships.

*MIDDLE EAST: *French High Commissioner for Syria and the Lebanon signed the Armistice of Saint Jean d'Acre at Acre, British Mandate of Palestine, surrendering his command to the British. In exchange, he received the British agreement for the French soldiers to retain their personal arms and full honors. The agreement contained no reference to the Free French. Vichy forces in Syria and Lebanon surrender leaving the two Arab states occupied by British and Free French forces. Most of the Vichy forces were allowed to leave as part of the armistice agreement. The cease-fire begins at 2100 hours. The casualties in the campaign have been about 2500 on the Allied side and 3500 among the Vichy French forces. In addition the Vichy authorities have had a number of prisoners flown out to Europe including a few after the armistice terms forbidding this have been agreed.

*NORTH AFRICA:* German Ju 88 bombers based in Crete, Greece attacked Suez, Egypt, damaging harbor facilities and ships in port. The British troopship “_Georgic_” was bombed in the Gulf of Suez with the loss of 26 lives and beached.

*NORTH AMERICA: *Captain Robert Henry English, Jr. was named the commanding officer of USS “_Helena_”, relieving Captain Max Burke DeMott.

German General Wilhelm Keitel appeared on the cover of the American news publication Time Magazine.

*NORTHERN FRONT: *Soviet warships land 325th Rifle Regiment at Bay of Litsa to counterattack German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft on coastal sweeps. RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: Blenheims raid Le Havre at low-level. Considerable damage is done to dock installations, but there are few ships in harbour. Two aircraft are lost to fighters.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Hazebrouck.

At 0947 hours, Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 claims his fortieth victory over the RAF. Lt. Priller describes his attack in his Combat Report,


> "_I wanted to attack two Spitfires that were high above us in the vapor trails. But my engine was acting up, and it was impossible to overtake them. The Spitfires turned about and came towards us. I pulled my aircraft's nose up and opened fire from about 100 metres, directly in front of them. I hit one in the cockpit and engine, and its pilot bailed out. I_ _then had to dive away steeply, as I came under attack by the second Spitfire, which was firing at me from very close range._"


Upon returning to base, Lt. Priller finds his aircrew ready with a garland of oak leaves for him, anticipating his awarding of the Eichenlaub. At this time, forty kills were required for the honor. South of Dunkirk, the _Gruppenkommandeur_ of I./JG 26, Hptm. Johannes Seifert also destroys a RAF Spitfire.

Japanese ambassador presents Vichy with demands for air and naval bases in southern Indochina.

General Agustin Munoz Grandes, commanding Blue Division, departs by air for Berlin for briefings.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 17, 2016)

*July 15 Tuesday*

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *ShCh-401 attacked German auxiliary submarine chasers UJ 177 and UJ 178 off Kiberg, Norway with a torpedo; the torpedo missed.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Obstlt. Werner Mölders, Kommodore of JG 51 becomes the first pilot to ever score 100 kills after shooting down two Russian aircraft to reach 101 kills overall and is awarded the _Brillanten_ (Diamonds) to his Knight's Cross, the first person so honored. He is promoted to Oberst and immediately banned from further operational flying. Hptm. Walter Oesau, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of III./JG 3 destroys his forty-fourth enemy aircraft in Russia to bring his total to eighty kills.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Soviet 11th Army troops began a counter offensive against German 4.Panzergruppe in the Lake Ilmen area to gain time for the building of further fortifications around Leningrad. The attacking forces lose heavily in their efforts because the troops are very inexperienced. In the outskirts of Leningrad, hundreds of thousands of Soviet civilians, mostly women and teenagers, begin constructing over 300 miles of trenches and field fortifications.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heavy city fighting erupts in Smolensk as German infantry attempt to storm the city. Troops from 29. Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Major General W. von Boltenstern) reach the southwestern suburbs of the city. They attack at 0400 hours and control the city by night. Other German troops encircled Smolensk and 7.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General H. von Funck) captured Yartsevo. The 19.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General O. von Knoblesdorff) takes the town of Nevel.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Battle of Uman: The Battle of Uman was the German and allied encirclement of the 6th and 12th Soviet Armies—under the command of Lieutenant General I. N. Muzyrchenko and Major General P. G. Ponedelin, respectively—south of the city of Uman during the initial offensive operations of German Heeresgruppe Sud, commanded by Generalfeldmarshall Gerd von Rundstedt. General Ewald von Kleist’s 1.Panzergruppe drove a wedge between the two Soviet sectors of the front south of Kiev and north of Vinnytsia, capturing Berdychiv. General Karl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel’s 17. Armee advanced to the South of Uman and General Eugen Ritter von Schobert’s 11. Armee advanced northward from the Romanian border. Stavka and the Southern Front's command staff mistakenly assumed that the Germans were striving to reach the crossing of the Dnieper between Kiev and Cherkasy for a further offensive toward Donbass, and underestimated the danger of encirclement for the 6th and 12th armies.

German 228th Regiment cleared four Stalin Line bunkers and crossed the Ljadowa River, a tributary of the Dniester River, in Ukraine. German forces capture Kazatin severing Kirpono's lateral communications.

Stavka Directive No. 01 reorganized the army by eliminating the rifle corps and creating smaller field armies consisting of five or six rifle divisions, two or three tank brigades, one or two light cavalry divisions and several reserve artillery regiments. The directive also abolished mechanized corps.

The Red Army uses the Katyusha Rocket launcher for the first time in combat in a counter-attack at Orsha. This turned out to be a remarkable effective weapon in delivering 320 132mm rockets on target in 25 seconds. The weapon became known as "Stalin's Organ". The modern day equivalent of this system is the US Army MLRS. The victims of this surprise were parts of Hoth's 12.Panzer-Divisionen. At first the effect on the troops was really terrifying. The German troops nicknamed the rocket mortar "Stalin's organ-pipes." The Russians called it "Katyusha"— Little Kate. Luckily, Yeremenko had only one unit. Thus the appearance of the howling Katyusha at Rudnya did not turn the tide of the battle, but it was another reminder of the technological capacity of the Soviets.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 38 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Inigo Campioni was appointed governor of the Italian Aegean Islands, also known as the Italian Dodecanese.

Italian vessel “_Barbarigo_” was sunk by RN submarine P33, Italian vessel “_Nettuno_” was sunk by RN submarine “_Unbeaten_” and Italian vessel “_Vincenzo Padre_” was sunk by RN submarine “Taku”.

*MIDDLE EAST:* Honoring Charles de Gaulle's previous proclamation that the Allies had invaded the Vichy-held French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon as liberators rather than conquerors, the British who had accepted the Vichy surrender on the previous day handed control of the territory to the locals. When they invaded a month ago General de Gaulle said in a broadcast: “I come to end the mandatory regime and to proclaim you free and independent.” Thus Syria and Lebanon - to strong Vichy protests - join Eritrea in being offered self-determination.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Erwin Rommel was officially declared the commanding officer of Panzergruppe Afrika.

The Italian 'Pavia' and 'Brescia' Divisions derail 2nd New Zealand Division's attack on Ruweisat Ridge. Several hundred attackers are captured. While the attacking brigades had been able to cut large gaps through the defences held by the Italian infantry, they had not been able to subdue all the resistance. Not surprisingly, most of the smaller outposts and defended localities had fallen easily but some of the larger posts had been bypassed during the night. The outposts which remained contained substantial number of anti-tank guns, machine guns and infantry. When daylight came, these posts were able to cover the area south of the ridge by fire and shot up any trucks foolhardy enough to drive forward.

*NORTH AMERICA: *The United States established a Naval Air Station and a Naval Operating Base at Argentia Bay, Newfoundland. The two facilities established on this date were the U.S. Naval Air Station and the U.S. Naval Operating Base.

Aircraft carrier USS “_Lexington_” laid down.

Canada receives its first shipment of mustard gas and phosgene shells from Britain.

*NORTHERN EUROPE: *Soviet commandos attacked the island of Morgonland in Finland and captured the 5 men stationed at the observation station. The prisoners are taken to camps in Kazakstan; only one survives the War.

Finnish Army of Karelia captures Loymola northeast of Lake Ladoga.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* All pilots of the US Army 3rd Pursuit Squadron and 20th Pursuit Squadron based in the Philippine Islands were certified to fly the P-35A fighters.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *The British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee issued its final report on atomic weapons.

The US Marine Corps activated the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in London, England.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 17, 2016)

*July 16 Wednesday*

*ASIA:* The Japanese government falls as hard-liners insist on not dealing with Washington. Great Britain, the United States, and the Dutch East Indies freeze all Japanese assets and halt most trade.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: On the twenty-fifth day of the campaign, the first strategic objective of Operation Barbarossa had been reached: the first troops of Army Group Centre were in the area Yarzevo-Smolensk-Yelnya-Roslavl. They had covered 440 miles. It was another 220 miles to Moscow. Only at Mogilev, now far behind the German lines, did fierce fighting continue.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  The spearhead of the 8.Panzerdivision (Major General Erich Brandeburger) found itself pinned against the Shelon River by a Soviet counterattack and nearly sliced off from the rest of the LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein). Seething and vengeful after horrific defeats, the Soviets hit the 8.Panzerdivision with elements of the 70th Infantry and 21st Tank Divisions, trapping 8.Panzerdivision against the Shelon River and hitting them from three sides. For two days, most of the 8.Panzerdivision fought for its life. They’d advanced out of range of their own artillery regiment and were utterly on their own. Manstein sent in the 3.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General Curt Jahn) to rescue 8.Panzerdivision, but soon they were beaten up almost as bad. At one point Manstein had to air-drop supplies to his panzers.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Smolensk falls to the Germans. Soviet forces are now pocketed around Vitebsk, Orsha, Smolensk, and Mogilev by German Heeresgruppe Mitte. Heeresgruppe Mitte had encircled or partly encircled vast Soviet forces west of Smolensk and, as occurred earlier at Minsk, would take approximately two weeks to get the advancing infantry around the several small cauldrons in the rear areas of Panzer Groups Guderian and Hoth and the great pocket on the boundary between them just north of Smolensk. The Germans were now 200 miles from Moscow. However, Soviet resistance was becoming more fierce and supplies of fuel and ammunition for the far flung panzer divisions becoming scarce. The Germans develop an important bridgehead over the Dniepr River near Mogilev.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Battle of Uman: Koziatynwas captured by elements of General Ewald von Kleist’s 1.Panzergruppe. An attempt was then made by Marshal Semyon Budyonny to counter-attack from north of Uman in the direction of Berdychiv to prevent 1.Panzergruppe from cutting off his lines of communication. However this counterstroke failed to contact significant German armoured forces which passed only some 50 km (31 mi) to the east of the Soviet concentration in its continued offensive.

Romanian tanks entered Kishinev in the early morning hours of the 16th, taking a number of Soviet units there by surprise. By nightfall the Red Army was retreating from the city, heading toward the Dniester River bridge at Tighina on the border between Bessarabia and Ukraine.

Soviet battleship “_Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya_” and cruiser “_Kirov_” bombard German forces in Riga.

Soviet Army Lieutenant Jacob Jughashvili, son of Joseph Stalin, was taken prisoner by the Germans.

Hans Kolbow of JG 51 is killed in action, with twenty-seven enemy aircraft destroyed as his final score. Kurt Sauer of JG 53, is shot down and captured by the Russians, becoming a prisoner of war, having destroyed a total of nine enemy aircraft.

Anatoliy Mikheev accused Semyon Timoshenko as being a traitor. Joseph Stalin did not order Timoshenko's arrest, but he would relieve Timoshenk as the defense commissar (NKO) several days later and would assume the title himself.

The peculiar pre-war practice by the Red Army of "dual command" was reestablished. This scheme placed political commissars and field commanders on an equal command level, in effect each formation had two leaders - military and political. Red Army officers now not only had to deal with Germans to his front but the Commissar to his back.

*GERMANY:* Alfred Rosenberg's appointment as the Reich Minister for Occupied Eastern Territories was confirmed by Adolf Hitler during a conference at Adolf Hitler's headquarters in East Prussia, Germany. In that conference, which was led by Hitler and also attended by Hermann Göring, Wilhelm Keitel, Martin Bormann, and Hans Lammers, Hitler provided his vision of the future of Eastern Europe in which the Baltic States were to be incorporated into Germany, Crimea to be populated with ethnic Germans, Caucasus to be a German concession, and Leningrad given to Finland. He instructed that Ukraine and the Kola Peninsula in northern Russia were to be annexed into Greater Germany in the future, while East Karelia in northern Russia was to be given to Finland. In secret, he instructed other German leaders to prepare plans for a possible future annexation of Finland.

Germany reversed a prior decree by allowing those who were 50% Jewish and those who were married to women who were 50% Jewish to serve in the military.

RAF Bomber Command sends 107 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Axis Convoy departs Taranto for Tripoli with three vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Geniere_”, “_Lanciere_”, “_Gioberti_”, and “_Oriani_” and a torpedo boat supported by two cruisers and three more destroyers.

Luftwaffe attacks Suez Canal with 24 bombers overnight and Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica aircraft attack Tobruk. Meanwhile RAF bombers attack Benghazi and attack Tripoli.

*NORTH AFRICA: *General Weygand appointed governor general of Algeria.

The Australian 2/23rd Battalion attempts to retake Tel el Eisa, but are forced to retreat after suffering heavy casualties. Later, recounting the 2/23rd Battalion attack, Australian historian Mark Johnston wrote that "On 16 July, they were ordered to retake it and the rest of Tel el Eisa Ridge. After initial success, they suffered nearly 50 percent casualties and had to withdraw." In his diary, Rommel wrote: "Next day, the 16th July, the British attacked again, but this time only locally. After intensive artillery preparation, the Australians attacked in the early hours of the morning with tank support and took several strong-points held by the Sabratha.“

*NORTH AMERICA:* US Army General Leonard Gerow recommended General George Marshall to activate the Philippine Army and to provide it additional funding. He also recommended that Douglas MacArthur to be asked to return from the retired list as the commander in chief in the Philippine Islands. General Marshall informs General Arnold that reinforcements will be dispatched to the Philippines, including B-17 bombers.

American transport USS “_West Point_” embarked 137 Italian and 327 German citizens off Staten Island, New York and set sail for Lisbon, Portugal at 1455 hours.

British Major General A.E. Grasett meets with Canadian Chief of General Staff Major General Harry Crerar in Ottawa, Canada. Grasett convinces Crerar that Hong Kong could be adequately defended with an additional two battalions.

*NORTHERN EUROPE:* Soviet warships land an additional battalion at Bay of Litsa. Finnish Army of Karelia clears Soviet positions along east shore of Yanis Lake and captures Koirinoja on the northeast shore of Lake Ladoga. The Soviets will be able to get some of their troops away by boat.

Germany threatens to invade Göteburg, Sweden, if any ship leaves the harbor for Britain. German Intelligence in Sweden learned that ships with special steels were preparing to leave for Britain.

*UNITED KINGDOM: *General Wladyslaw Sikorski was presented with the Standard of the Polish Air Force at RAF Swinderby in England, United Kingdom. Smuggled out of Poland, via Stockholm in Sweden, the Standard would subsequently be held by each Polish Squadron in the United Kingdom during the war years.

*WESTERN FRONT:* Vichy France enacted a law to exclude Jewish lawyers.

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Rotterdam docks during the day. 36 British Blenheim bombers attacked Rotterdam port, hitting 22 ships including former Dutch liner “_Baloeran_”. The Blenheims passed over Rotterdam, where two warehouses and a factory were set alight, so low that one aircraft severed the cable of a derrick. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered and four of our bombers were lost, two of these having scored direct hits before being shot down.

Charles de Gaulle protested the Armistice of Saint Jean D'Acre between the United Kingdom and Vichy France for it made no mention of the Free French.

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## Njaco (Jul 17, 2016)

*July 17 Thursday*

*ASIA: *Yasunori Yoshioka was named the chief of staff of Japanese 44th Army, also known as the Kwangtung Defense Army, based in Xinjing, northeastern China.

*EASTERN FRONT: *Unternehmen Barbarossa: Stalin calls for the British to open a Second Front to relieve pressure on the Soviet Union.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Soviet 11th Army and 27th Army counterattacking the forces of German Heeresgruppe Nord.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Panzer forces from 2. Panzergruppe and 3. Panzergruppe meet east of the city of Smolensk, surrounding nearly 300,000 men from in several small pockets. However, the ring around the surrounded troops was so full of holes that the bulk of the troops were able to escape in reasonably good order. German 3. Panzergruppe begins attacking toward Velikiye Luki.

2. Panzergruppe’s Colonel General Heinz Guderian was awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz).

Heeresgruppe Sud: German Armeegruppe Sud encircled 20 Soviet Army divisions near Uman, Ukraine. Further south, troops of the Rumanian 3.Armee reached the Dniester River, captured a row of bunkers on the far bank, and repulsed a series of Soviet counterattacks. XI. Armeekorps crossed the Dniester River. The Rumanian 4.Armee (Dumitrescu) captures Kishinev on the lower Dniester.

The Political Commissars were re-introduced into the Soviet Army and Soviet Navy organizational structures. The Red Army officially gave the responsibility for "preventing panic, and dealing with cowardice and treachery" to the political commissars. This gave these Communist party apparatchik the power to summarily execute anyone in their command. The Soviet 3rd NKO Directorate was merged back into the NKVD, becoming NKVD's Special Departments Director (UOO). Viktor Abakumov was named UOO's chief and Solomon Milshtein was named the deputy.

Field Marshal Keitel's son Hans-Georg Keitel died from wounds received in combat.

Reinhardt Heydrich ordered the four SS Einsatzgruppen under his command to exterminate Jewish and Roma communities in his sphere of influence.

General Giovanni Messe assumes command of Italian expeditionary force.

*GERMANY: *The commander VIII Fliegerkorps of _General der Flieger_ Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, is awarded the Eichenlaub to become the twenty-sixth soldier honored with the award.

RAF Bomber Command sends 75 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

The first elements of the Spanish Volunteer Division arrived at the large training camp at Grafenwöhr in southern Germany. Spanish uniforms were exchanged for German; the only item of clothing retained being the Falangist dark blue shirt, from which the title "Blue Division" (officially the 250th Infantry Division) was derived.

Alfred Rosenberg officially took on the position of Reich Minister for Occupied Eastern Territories. Among his responsibilities were the Germanization of the occupied lands and the exploitation and extermination of Jews.

German Kriegsmarine placed an order for four submarines; this order would later yield U-487, U-488, U-489, and U-490. The keel of German submarine U-449 was laid down and U-579 was commissioned into service.

The Oflag IV-C prisoners of war camp at Colditz Castle in Germany hosted a visit from the Orthodox Bishop of Dresden, Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Regia Marina introduced a new cipher, so the Royal Navy had no preventive information about the planned cruise of “_Colleoni_” and “_Bande Nere_”.

Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica aircraft attacked airfields on Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA: *The Twin Pimples Raid: The Twin Pimples Raid was a British Commando raid on a feature in the Italian lines during the siege of Tobruk. The raid, carried out by men of the No. 8 (Guards) Commando and the Royal Australian Engineers, was a complete success. The plan called for three officers and 40 men of No. 8 Commando and a small number of Australian Engineers (to deal with ammunition dumps and gun emplacements) to cross the Italian forward positions to the road that they used to bring up supplies and then follow the road to the rear of the Twin Pimples and engage the position from behind. The Commandos left their own lines at 23:00 hours on 17 July and crossed the Italian forward positions and main lines undetected. Upon reaching the supply road they had to take cover and wait, as the attack was planned for 01:00 hours on 18 July.

The Italian 'Trento' Division supported by tanks from the 'Trieste' Division overrun part of the 9th AIF Division, capturing no less than 200 Australians. The incredulous Australians assume the attackers were crack Panzergrenadiers, even though German records later proved that Italians from the 3rd Battalion, 61st Trento Infantry Regiment delivered the blow. The Australian 2/32nd captured the Trig 22 and linked with the 2/43rd but the Germans resisted fiercely and counter-attacked with tanks. The 2/32nd suffered heavily: nearly half its number were either killed or wounded and nearly 200 became prisoners of war. The Australian companies had seized the enemy positions on the ridge, but, in the dark, the men of A Company overshot their objective, Point 22, by 1,500 yards. By the time they realized their mistake they were under such heavy fire that they could not withdraw. By 08.00 hours Italian tanks and infantry began to encircle their positions and eventually forced the entire company to surrender.

Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica aircraft attack Tobruk as RAF bombers attack Tripoli.

*NORTH AMERICA:*George Marshall approved Leopard Gerow's recommendation to re-activate Douglas MacArthur from the retired list and plans regarding the Philippine Army; Marshall forwarded Gerow's proposals to US Secretary of War Henry Stimson for further review and implementation.

US President Franklin Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull met with Japanese Ambassador Kichisaburo Nomura in Washington DC, United States in an attempt to open negotiations between the two countries regarding peace in the Pacific region.

President Roosevelt enacted Proclamation 2497, which blacklisted 1,800 Latin American firms for aiding Germany or Italy.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* After sundown, German bombers attacked Hull, Yorkshire, England. 160 fires displaced 3,500 people and several factories were damaged. 111 were killed and 108 were seriously injured.

James Lacey shot down a German He 59 seaplane.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command conducted sweeps over northern France. RAF Fighter Command Roadstead missions to Boulogne and RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb mission to Dunkirk.

General Franco makes speech condemning US refusal to sell urgently needed supplies of wheat to Spain and declaring that the Wehrmacht is fighting a 'crusade' in Russia. Franco warns United States not to enter the war.

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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2016)

*July 18 Friday*

*ASIA*: A new Japanese government is formed, which is nearly identical to the last hard-line government. Prince Fumimaro Konoe retained his office as he was named the 39th Prime Minister of Japan. Prince Konoye re-forms his Cabinet with Baron Hiranuma as deputy prime minister and Admiral Toyoda as foreign minister. He removes the pro-Axis foreign minister, Yosuke Matsuoka and replaces him with Vice Admiral Chyoda Teifiro. Already personally unpopular, Matsuoka is removed because he has been urging that the Neutrality Agreement with the Soviets should be abandoned and that Japan should join with Germany in the attack on the USSR. The other Japanese leaders do not wish to take such a decisive step, and have decided that without Matsuoka and his known liking for Hitler they have a better chance of reaching an agreement with the US over the pressing problem of oil resources.

Finland established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

Over 35,000 pro-Japanese soldiers attack the New Fourth Army’s stronghold in Kiangsu. 27 Mitsubishi G4Ms attacked Chungking.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: From Finland to the Black sea, the German war machine was declared to be striking tremendous blows, with the most spectacular action for the moment unfolding at the gates of Kiev, the industrial capital of the rich Ukraine, but with the power drives in the direction of Moscow and Leningrad continuing. Stalin calls 9 million men to arms.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  The counter-attack near Sotsy by the Russians against General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein's LVI. Armeekorps (mot.) ends. Although the Germans did escape from a small encirclement, their 8.Panzerdivision did take serious losses in the four-day battle.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heavy fighting as German 2. Panzergruppe and 3. Panzergruppe attempt to seal Soviet pocket around Smolensk. The armored pincers of the two German Panzer Groups came within 16 km (9.9 mi) of closing the gap. However, Timoshenko had built up a hastily assembled force, which stopped the German advance and was continuously reinforced. The open gap allowed a number of Soviet units to escape.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  German 6.Armee attacking Soviet 37th Army protecting Kiev. German 17.Armee seizes bridgehead across the Bug near Vinnitsa. German 11.Armee pushes forward around Soroki.

*GERMANY*: The Orthodox Bishop of Dresden, Germany completed his two-day visit of the Oflag IV-C prisoners of war camp at Colditz Castle and departed.

German Heroes of Crete visit the Führer.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: German and Italian aircraft conducting series of small raids on the island of Cyprus.

*NORTH AFRICA*: The Twin Pimples Raid: At 01:00 hours men of the No. 8 (Guards) Commando and the Royal Australian Engineers moved closer to their objective just prior to the start of the diversionary attack by the 18th Cavalry. The diversion was a success, and Italian machine-gun fire and very lights were directed towards the Indian cavalrymen. The Commandos managed to get within 30 yards (27 m) on the Twin Pimples before being challenged. The challenge was answered by a frontal attack by the Commandos. So as not to confuse their own forces with the Italians in the darkness, the password Jock was used when a position had been taken. The fire fight lasted about four minutes and the Australian Engineers planted explosives on several mortars and an ammunition dump. The planners had estimated that the Commandos could spend no longer than 15 minutes on the Italian position before it was engaged by the Italian artillery. The raiders had only got about 100 yards (91 m) from the Twin Pimples when the Italian artillery started to come down onto their own position. The cost of the raid to the Commandos was five wounded, one of whom later died of his wounds. The only soldier to be killed on this raid was Corporal John “Jackie” Edward Trestrail Maynard of the Duke of Cornwall’s light Infantry and No 8 (Guards) Commando. The No. 8 Commando, together with the rest of Layforce, was disbanded soon after. Two members of No. 8 Commando, David Stirling and Jock Lewes, would form the Special Air Service by the end of July 1941.

General Blamey requests relief of Australian units holding besieged Tobruk.

The _Jagdfliegerführer_ (Jäfu) 2, Generalmajor Theo Osterkamp, is appointed _Fliegerführer Afrika _and placed in command of the air region in Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Works Progress Administration Assistant Commissioner Corrington Gill reported to the House of Representatives of the US Congress that 5,000,000 Americans would remain unemployed in the latter half of 1941.

*SOUTH PACIFIC*: Vice Admiral Sir Guy Royle, KCB, CMG, was appointed Australian First Naval Member and Chief of Naval Staff.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: One hundred and eight Luftwaffe aircraft attacked targets in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, East Anglia and Buckinghamshire. They dropped 173.9 tonnes of HE and 6,194 IBs, these attacks lasted until 0331 hours. Direct hits were made on Rank's flour mill, East Hull gas undertaking, Messrs Reckitt's factory, Franklin Street shelter, Holderness Road, the General Post Office, Crowle Street police station and the YPI George Street, - altogether more than 200 industrial buildings were hit. Approximately 7,000 houses received damage of a more serious nature than broken windows, 1,500 made uninhabitable.

British ASV radar equipment was deployed to one PBY Catalina and two PBM Mariner aircraft.

RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: ‘Channel Stop’: Three Blenheim bombers of No. 21 Squadron of No. 2 Group RAF damaged a German tanker in the English Channel off Gravelines, France. No damage done, but one Blenheim lost to Flak.

The Soviet Union signed a friendship treaty with the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile in London, England. Britain formally recognizes the Benes government as the legal provisional government of Czechoslovakia. A friendship and mutual assistance agreement between the Czechs and the Soviets is signed in London. Free Czechoslovakian army to be formed in the Soviet Union.

Stalin wrote to Churchill again saying,


> "It seems to me that the military position of the Soviet Union, as well as that of Great Britain, would be considerably improved if there could be established a front against Hitler in the West- Northern France, and in the North- the Arctic."



*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command Roadstead mission to Dunkirk.

In a speech, Franco declares the Allies have lost the war.

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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2016)

*July 19 Saturday*

*ASIA:* In line with the Imperial Conference decision of July 2nd, the Japanese present an ultimatum to the representatives of the Vichy French government demanding bases southern Indochina.

Owen Lattimore arrived in Chongqing as a political advisor to Jiang Jieshi.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* At 1042 hours, the “_Holmside_”, dispersed from Convoy OG-67, was torpedoed and sunk by U-66 NE of the Cape Verde Islands. 18 crewmembers and three gunners were lost. The master, 13 crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by the Portuguese merchantman “_Sete Cidades_” and landed at Lisbon on 1 August.

The United States Atlantic Fleet forms TF-1 for the protection of the American forces on Iceland and support for convoys bound there. The carrier “_Wasp_” flies a cargo of P-40 fighters to the island. A naval buildup begins. The US Navy has instructions to provide escorts for ships of any nationality sailing to and from Iceland. Atlantic Fleet Operation Order No. 6 instructs that American naval forces are to guarantee the safety of any convoys in the North Atlantic whenever the strategic situation demanded.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hitler signs Directive No. 33 Continuation of the War in the East. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/33.html In a major change of operational plans, Hitler orders the German 4.Armee (von Kluge) and 2.Panzergruppe (Guderian) of Heeresgruppe Mitte (von Bock) to suspend their attacks toward Moscow and join 6.Armee (von Reichenau) and 1.Panzergruppe (von Kleist) of Heeresgruppe Sud (von Rundstedt) with the objective of destroying the Soviet Fifth, Sixth and Twelfth Armies west of the Dnepr-Dnestr line. The idea behind this directive is to begin exploiting the great agricultural and mineral riches of the Ukraine for the German war effort just as soon as the Soviet forces in that region are defeated. Both Kluge and Guderian object, but are curtly overruled by Hitler. Hitler directs that Russian armies must be wiped out before they can retreat.

Joseph Stalin declared himself the Soviet Defense Commissar (NKO). Viktor Abakumov officially assumed the role as the head of UOO of the Soviet NKVD.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Heavy fighting between German and Soviet forces took place near Lake Peipus near Leningrad, Russia. The Germans are continuing their thrust towards Leningrad in the face of increasing Russian resistance. The German infantry has still not been able to break through in support of its advance tank units. A Soviet communiqué claims that Red Army troops surrounded and destroyed enemy mechanized units between Pskov and Porkov, 180 miles south-west of Leningrad. Leningrad is now under attack from three directions: the Finns are approaching from the north and north-east, on both sides of Lake Ladoga, while the Germans are attacking through Estonia and the Luftwaffe are mounting heavy raids on the city and the rail link with Moscow. After the 12. Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach) had arrived northwest of Nevel, the ring around the enemy forces (approximately two divisions) fleeing from the XXIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Albrecht Schubert) and from the southern wing of the 16.Armee (Colonel General Ernst Busch) had closed.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Adolf Hitler ordered the German 2.Panzergruppe to move south toward Kiev, Ukraine as soon as the group completed the conquest of Smolensk, Russia. Colonel General Heinz Guderian, commanding officer of the 2.Panzergruppe, protested and cited Moscow, Russia as the logical primary target, but Hitler would overrule him. OKH orders that most of 3.Panzergruppe will move north to assist attack toward Leningrad. The 19.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General O. von Knoblesdorff) takes the town of Velikie Luki, but a strong counter-attack forces them to abandon that position. While the Soviets suffered heavy losses in trying to retake the city, the High Command of the 4. Armee (General Feld Marshal Gunther Hans von Kluge), in outrage over the supposedly unauthorized actions of the 19.Panzer-Divisionen beyond the zone of Heeresgruppe Mitte, ordered the division to withdraw. With a heavy heart the brave troops retreated overnight to Nevel, taking with them the wounded and the prisoners. Uncoordinated attacks began against the 20.Panzer-Divisionen on both sides of Ustye on the Vop.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Eremenko resumes command of Soviet Western Front.

Lt. Walter Nowotny of III./JG 54 begins his war career by shooting down three Polikarpov I-153 biplanes. But with his own aircraft damaged, he ditches in the Gulf of Riga and climbs into a one-man life raft. Believing that the coast is about 40 miles away, and with no food or water, he begins paddling south.

Up to this date the Luftwaffe has lost 1,284 aircraft, almost the total strength of the Air Force when the invasion of Russia began.

In small groups, 5,000 Jews have been shot dead and thrown into pits at Ponar, outside Vilna.

Soviet destroyer “_Stremitelny_” and Soviet patrol vessel “_Shtil_” were sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

*GERMANY*: Oberst Werner Mölders of JG 51 is appointed to the newly created position of _General der Jägdflieger_, the General of The Fighter Arm and transferred to the Air Ministry in Berlin. He is replaced as Kommodore of JG 51 by Oblt. Friedrich Beckh.

Adolf Hitler ordered that American shipping were not to be attacked by German forces in order to keep the United States from fully entering the war.

RAF Bomber Command sends 49 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft on minelaying operations at the mouth of the Elbe and Weser.

German-Swiss trade agreement concluded.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Italo Gariboldi stepped down as the Governor-General of Italian Libya, succeeded by Ettore Bastico.

Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica attack Malta.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Of two German Abwehr agents attempting to reach Indian border area, one is killed and the other captured by Afghan police.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Alexandria overnight as RAF bombers attack Tripoli and Benghazi.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Tuskegee Army Air Field officially opened.

Marshall informs Grunert that his supplies are now being calculated on a war reserve sufficient for 50,000 men for six months less the supplies necessary for 30,000 Philippine Army troops for the same time (allocations for the Philippine Army were much lower than for the US soldiers).

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: General Olof Thörnell, commander of Swedish forces, suggests Sweden should contribute to the defeat of the Soviet Union.

*SOUTH AMERICA*: State of siege declared in Bolivia due to pro-Nazi activities and fears of a possible coup, which eventually turn out to be the result of a British forgery. German Minister Herr Wendler declared persona non grata.

*SOUTH PACIFIC*: Fijian ship “_Viti_” departed Suva, Fiji for Gilbert and Ellice Islands with New Zealand military servicemen aboard. She was to drop off small reconnaissance parties on many of the atolls and small islands to act as lookouts, or "coastwatchers", to watch for German surface raiders. Each atoll will have a civilian radio operator and, where there were no other Europeans, two unarmed soldiers. Radio operator John Jones, a volunteer from the Post and Telegraphic Department’s training school in Courtenay Place, recalls that;


> “it sounded like a nice job, something different and we were all young guys. And in our innocence we went away and when we got to Suva we knew we would be on a tropical island.”


 None of the coastwatchers ever saw a German.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Just after midnight a message from Churchill was read over the air by a mysterious "Col. V. Britton" (actually BBC news editor Douglas Ritchie) calling upon the people of Nazi-occupied Europe to mobilize under the V for Victory campaign. The first four notes of Ludwig von Beethoven's Fifth Symphony match the Morse code for the letter "V": dot dot dot dash. Listeners are instructed to tap the code, and to paint the "V" in occupied territories.

British citizen George Armstrong was executed at Wandsworth prison for spying.

Submarine HMS “_Umpire_” collided with a trawler off Kent, England, during her sea trials, sinking in 60 feet of water; 22 men were lost.

Winston Churchill decided to share military intelligence gained by deciphering the German Enigma-encoded messages with the Soviets, but the Soviets would not be told how the intelligence was gained. Instead, they were told that the intelligence was gained through spies in Berlin.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Captured (by German armed merchant cruiser Atlantis on 10 Nov 1940) Norwegian tanker “_Ole Jacob_” arrived at Bordeaux, France, carrying aviation fuel and the captured crew of tankers “_Ole Jacob_” and “_Teddy_”.

RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: ‘Channel Stop’: 11 British Blenheim bombers from RAF No. 105 Sqn. attacked an 8-ship German convoy escorted by 6 anti-aircraft ships off the Hague, Netherlands, sinking four of the transports and damaging another. Two Blenheims were lost.

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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2016)

*July 20 Sunday*

*ASIA*: Japanese luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” arrived at Osaka, completing her 73rd round trip across the Pacific.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-126 spotted transport “_Canadian Star_” in the Atlantic Ocean at 0100 hours and proceeded to attack at 0242 hours with both torpedoes fired missing. U-126 and “_Canadian Star_” engaged in a duel with surface guns, and U-126 was forced to abandon the attack.

German submarine U-95 attacked transport “_Palma_” in the Atlantic Ocean at 0505 hours with both torpedoes fired missing. At 0528, U-95 opened fire with her deck gun, hitting “_Palma_” three times (though the German lookouts only spotted and recorded one hit), but “_Palma_” would be able to escape.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Lt. Nowotny, still adrift on the Baltic, writes a farewell message, and watches as two Soviet destroyers pass close by and come under fire from German shore batteries.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Stavka commits Soviet 24th Army, 28th Army, 29th Army, and 30th Army against German Heeresgruppe Mitte, especially around the Smolensk area. This put a heavy strain on the overextended Panzer forces, which had to cover a large area around the perimeter. However, poor coordination and logistics on the part of the Soviets allowed the Germans to successfully defend against these offensive efforts, while continuing to close the encirclement. 10.Panzerdivision (Lieutenant General F. Schaal) occupied Yelnya. When Guderian ordered Lieutenant-General Schaal's 10.Panzerdivision and General Hausser's SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) "Das Reich" to capture the Russian town of Yelnya, it sounded simple enough. It was anything but simple for Guderian's Panzer divisions. The shocking roads, the heat, and the dust were more dangerous enemies than the Red Army. The tanks were enveloped in thick clouds of dust. The dust and grit wore out the engines. The filters were continually clogged up with dirt. Oil-consumption became too heavy for supplies to cope with. Engines got overheated and pistons seized up. In this manner the 10.Panzerdivision lost the bulk of its heavy Mark IV tanks on the way to Yelnya. General Schaal, commanding the 10.Panzerdivision, has described the operation;


> “Between Gorodishche and Gorki the division's vanguard had driven through a patch of thick forest. The bulk of the division got past the same spot during the night. But the artillery group which followed was suddenly smothered with mortar-fire from both sides and attacked by infantry at close quarters. Fortunately a motor-cycle battalion of the SS Division 'Das Reich' was bivouacking nearby. They came to the assistance of the gunners and hacked them free.”


 The wide anti-tank ditch which Russian civilians had built around the town in ceaseless round-the-clock work was overcome by the infantry of 69.Schützenregiment in spite of murderous gunfire. The division suffered heavy losses, but worked its way forward yard by yard. By evening the infantry had pushed through Yelnya and dug in on the far side. Lieutenant-General Rokossovskiy, commanding hurriedly collected reserves, drove his regiments against the German positions. But the line of 10.Panzerdivision held. On 20th July the SS Division "Das Reich" took up position on the high ground to the left of them. The troops needed a breather.

Stalin informs Timoshenko of his order to mount a major counter-attack to try to break the Soviet units trapped in Smolensk out and to recapture the city. Zhukov orders the Western Front reinforced by four armies of the Stavka's Front of Reserve Armies. These forces are ordered to conduct a counteroffensive to rescue the 16th, 19th and 20th armies around Smolensk. In a desperate breakthrough attempt, a large Soviet infantry force hurled itself through a weak spot in the front of the 14. Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) ( Lieutenant General F. Fuerst) and reached the Nevel-Gorodok road, where it was routed by the 19. Panzer-Divisionen.

Heeresgruppe Sud: German 1.Panzergruppe pushes toward Uman.

The Soviet Union resumed diplomatic relations with the countries occupied by Germany.

Soviet Northern Fleet destroyer “_Stremitel’ny_” bombed and sunk by Stukas in Kolafjord.

Stalin orders all units to "purge unreliable elements". Part of this order was to detain any officers and men who escaped German encirclements so that they could be interrogated by the NKVD (early version of the KGB) to weed out "German spies". So after defying death at the hands of the Germans, these lucky few would be turned over to the not so tender mercies of their own countrymen.

Heinrich Himmler tasks the SS police leader in the Lublin district, Odilo Globocnik to prepare the Lublin region to be Germanized by expelling all the Jews and Poles from the area.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 113 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Italian torpedo boat “_Circe_” sank British submarine HMS “_Union_” with depth charges southwest of the Italian island of Pantellaria between Sicily and Tunisia.

RAF bombers attack Naples.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: German Lt. Fred Luther and the 2nd Rannikkoiskukompania (Coastal Shock Company) are landed as reinforcements on the strategically important Finnish island of Bengtskär, whose 52m lighthouse provides a commanding view of the entry to the Gulf of Finland and thus the approach to Leningrad.

Heavy attacks and counterattacks involving German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen along the Litsa River.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Churchill wrote back to Stalin explaining that opening a new front in the west was presently out of the question.


> "To attempt a landing in force would be to encounter a bloody repulse, and petty raids would only lead to fiascos doing far more harm than good to both of us", Churchill wrote. "You must remember that we have been fighting alone for more than a year, and that, though our resources are growing, and will grow fast from now on, we are at the utmost strain both at home and in the Middle East by land and air, and also that the Battle of the Atlantic, on which our life depends, and the movement of all our convoys in the teeth of the U-boat and Fokke-Wulf blockade, strains our naval resources, great though they may be, to the utmost limit."


Churchill did agree to conduct air and sea operations in the north to attack enemy shipping.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group: ‘Channel Stop’: 6 British Blenheim bombers of 18 and 139 Sqns. damaged a 7,000-ton tanker off Le Touquet, France with three high explosive bombs and several incendiary bombs, forcing the ship to beach near Berck-sur-Mer to prevent sinking. Two British aircraft and one German Bf 109 fighter were shot down.

RAF Fighter Command makes a sweep over northern France and conducted Roadstead missions. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweeps.

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## parsifal (Jul 21, 2016)

How are you old friend. big catch up day for me tomorrow (which is Saturday here in oz0. ive been rather unwell for about two weeks now, still not quite right but will do my best to catch up

Halders Diary 16 July 1941


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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2016)

No worries. As you can see, I've been a bit lax myself. We still have the best chronology on the internet!

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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2016)

*July 21 Monday*

*ASIA*: The Vichy government, completely unable to do anything about it, gives the Japanese permission to occupy military bases in French Indochina. The Japanese now have air bases capable of staging bombers in range of Singapore.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: “_Orion_” rounded Cape Horn and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: On the Baltic Sea, Lt. Nowotny comes close to shore, paddles in and collapses on the beach. He is found by two Latvian auxiliaries and taken to hospital.

Heeresgruppe Nord: Hitler visited the headquarters of Heeresgruppe Nord on the Eastern Front.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heavy fighting around Smolensk pocket as German 2. Panzergruppe begins reducing the Mogilev pocket. 4. Panzer-Divisionen (Major General W. von Langermann) cuts off 10 to 12 thousand Soviet troops in a forest near Cherikov. But after taking around 2,000 prisoners decided to let the rest escape to the Soviet lines rather than try and contain their attempted breakout with their own depleted forces.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Soviet 6th Army and 12th Army are nearly surrounded by German Heeresgruppe Sud as Kleist's panzers approach Tarashche and Uman. Soviet troops evacuated from the positions along the Dniestr River in western Ukraine. German forces captured Vinnytsia. XLVIII. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops Kempff) reached Monastyrishche.

The Luftwaffe bombed Moscow for the first time. 195 German Luftwaffe bombers, comprising Ju 88s from KG 3 and KG 54, He 111s from KG 53 and KG 55, along with two pathfinder _Gruppen_ from KG 28, _Kampfgruppe_ 100 and III./KG 26, took off from an airfield near Smolensk, Russia to attack the Soviet capital of Moscow in multiple waves during the night; the resulting air alarms were the first to be sounded in the city. The commander of the Moscow air defense, Maj. Gen. M.S. Gromadin, set off the first grand alert in the Soviet capital. The bombers drop over 100 tons on the city but failed to cause significant damage. Bombers from II./KG 55 targeted the Kremlin but the incendiary bombs fail to destroy the building. The attack is a fiasco as Moscow had one of the most extensive anti-aircraft defense systems of any city in the world at that time. Moscow had strong anti-aircraft defenses, the city was protected by 170 fighters, and the citizens were able to take shelter in the newly completed underground railway stations, but German air crews reported the presence of very few Soviet fighters after sunset. The Soviet high command, STAVKA, allegedly knew about the German preparations for the assault 2 days before it took place, and this explains why German air crews reported that defensive fire over Moscow was even more powerful than over London. The raid also showed a severe weakness in the German arsenal - they had no long range, heavy, four engine strategic bomber. They were completely unable to stage the kind of mass destruction the British and, later the Americans could with their massive bombers. On the next day the Soviets would report the downing of 22 German bombers, but German records only showed 6 bombers failing to return.

The OKW war diary describes Hitler's feeling on the capture of Moscow: "In this regard it could then happen that 2. Panzergruppe turns to the south so that for the thrust on Moscow only infantry armies of Heeresgruppe Mitte remain. This eventuality does not worry the Führer because Moscow is for him only a geographical term."

Outside Minsk, Byelorussia, German SS troops ordered 30 Byelorussians to bury 45 Jews alive in a pit. Upon meeting refusal, the SS men executed the entire group of 75 by machine gun fire.

The Majdanek Concentration Camp near Lublin, Poland became operational.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 71 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 44 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

Ukrainian nationalist leader Stefan Bandera imprisoned.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Substance: A major operation, code named Substance, is launched by the British Gibraltar forces to bring supplies to Malta. The Allied convoy - Convoy GM 1 escorted by RN Force H - departed Gibraltar to supply Malta. There are seven transports in the convoy and they are covered by Force H which has been reinforced for the operation. In addition to “_Renown_”, “_Ark Royal_”, a cruiser and eight destroyers, the Home Fleet has sent “_Nelson_”, three cruisers and nine destroyers. HMAS “_Nestor_”, (destroyer), embarked troops and sailed from Gibraltar as an escort of Force H, bound for Malta.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Folgore_”, “_Euro_”, “_Saetta_”, and “_Fulmine_”. Italian vessel “_Brarena_” sunk by RAF aircraft.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Free French leader Charles de Gaulle met with British Minister of State in Cairo Oliver Lyttleton in Cairo, Egypt, complaining of the shortcomings in the arrangement in the Middle East where Free French troops were placed under British command. Angry over the treatment of the Free French by the Syrian armistice he hands Lyttleton a memorandum:


> “Free France, that is to say France, is no longer willing to entrust to the British military command the duty of exercising command over the French troops in the Middle East. General de Gaulle and the French Empire Defence Council are resuming full and entire disposal of all the French forces of the Levant as from 24 July 1941, at midday.”


 Lyttleton makes several concessions to de Gaulle. General Dentz and several Vichy French officers should be segregated, if necessary, in Palestine; that the British government should not intervene in political and administrative affairs in Syria; and that it would ‘protect the historical interests of the French in Syria.’ de Gaulle proposes a new application of the armistice convention. He also suggests that the British should limit themselves to ‘the military operations against the common enemy.’ Lyttleton agrees on behalf of the British.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Franklin Roosevelt asked the United States Congress to modify the Selective Service Act, increasing the period of service from one year of active service to also include 30 months in reserve. He asked Congress to declare a full or limited national emergency as a means of retaining more members of reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the National Guard.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Finnish Amy of Karelia captures Salmi on the northeast shore of Lake Ladoga.

German vessel “_Wandsbek_” sunk by RAF aircraft at Narvik.

*SOUTH PACIFIC*: The Naval Auxiliary Patrol was established as a formation of the RAN. A volunteer patrol had operated from Australian ports from the outbreak of WWII. In the first 10 days of the NAP’s existence, 450 men were enlisted. The vessels used by the patrol, peacetime pleasure cruisers, became known as ‘nappies’.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Hugh Dalton informed Winston Churchill that his Special Operations Executive was now ready to support covert operations in German-occupied Europe.

Churchill tank enters mass-production.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command Roadstead missions to Le Touquet and Gravelines, a Circus mission to Lille and several sweeps over northern France. RAF Bomber Command sent 13 aircraft on coastal sweeps.

Shortly after 0800 hours, Oblt. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 shoots down a Spitfire southwest of Ypres. Fifteen minutes later he destroys a Stirling bomber of RAF No 15 Squadron over the Channel.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 21, 2016)

*July 22 Tuesday*

*ASIA*: Japanese Foreign Minister Teijiro Toyoda, who had replaced Yosuke Matsuoka only four days prior, reaffirmed Japan's alliance with Germany and Italy, meanwhile, he attempted to stabilize the deteriorating relations with the United States.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Vichy French vessel “_Ville de Rouen_” captured by British cruiser “_Dunedin_”.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: For the first time in a month, the exhausted Germans temporarily halt offensive operations having driven over 400 miles into Russia in many areas during the last month. They stand at the gates of Kiev and are fighting along the last defense line before Leningrad. To date, the Germans have captured over 720,000 square miles of territory. The Soviets, badly mauled in the attack, still field a massive army and despite losing a great deal of territory and cities, has been successful in moving (literally picking up factories, putting them on rail cars) most of its industrial might into the Urals, outside the reach of German bombers and ground troops.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German spearheads halt for rest and recuperation near Lake Ilmen, south of Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: In the Heeresgruppe Mitte sector, German forces continue reducing Mogilev pocket and Smolensk pocket. The 19.Panzer-Divisionen arrived at Velizh and the 14. Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) was relieved by the XXIII Corps and was sent through Bayevo so that all parts of 3. Panzergruppe (Colonel General H. Hoth) were finally reunited for joint action between Smolensk and Bely.

18. Panzer Divisionen (Major General W. Nehring) is reinforced with 30 new Panzer Mark IIIs and IVs which only bring the division up to 20 percent of its full operational strength.

For the second consecutive night, German bombers attacked Moscow, Russia. Of the 115 bombers dispatched, two failed to returned, one of which was a pathfinder aircraft while the other served in the traditional bomber role.

In captivity at the Lefortovo Prison in Moscow, Russia, General Dimitry Pavlov explained that out of the 600 artillery fortifications on the western border, only 169 of them actually had guns inside, and other similar facts explained why he could not counterattack the German forces as Joseph Stalin had ordered. Regardless, he was found guilty and was executed before the end of the day. His rank was stripped and his properties were confiscated by the state.

The Soviet NKGB was merged into the NKVD.

Reinhard Heydrich, serving as a Luftwaffe major flying Bf109 fighters, was shot down in no-man's land and evades, but he is no longer allowed to fly combat missions.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 63 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 29 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Substance: Part of the Operation Substance convoy is located by Italian planes but the Italian fleet stays in port, expecting only a repeat of the previous carrier operations to fly planes to Malta. The Italian sub Alagi heard the convoy of Operation Substance but could not attack while the Italian submarine “_Diaspro_” fired four torpedoes on HMS “_Ark Royal_” and HMAS “_Nestor_” escorting the convoy in the Mediterranean Sea. All torpedoes missed. 8 SM79s torpedo bombers and 15 bombers (SM79 and Cant Z1007) took off from Sardinia, Italy to attack the same convoy, but they would fail to locate any of the ships.

Axis supply convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by six destroyers and one MTB. German vessel “_Preussen_” is sunk by RAF aircraft.

Adolf Hitler sent an armored train equipped with anti-aircraft weapons to Benito Mussolini as a birthday present.

Italian Count Galeazzo Ciano noted in his diary that Benito Mussolini had staged a mock air raid over Rome, Italy on this date, with anti-aircraft positions firing. The purpose of this production was to give the citizens the impression that a serious war was going on.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Suez Canal overnight.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Finnish Army of Karelia captures Manssila northeast of Lake Ladoga.

While the Finnish attack in Karelia is in progress (often against heavy Soviet resistance), Colonel Ruben Lagus, commanding officer of Finnish 5th Division, was nominated the first recipient of a new decoration, the Mannerheim Cross (2nd class).

*SOUTH AMERICA*: US authorities temporarily stopped shipping through the Panama Canal as "maintenance work” was needed. Interestingly enough, several Japanese ships were forced to divert around South America because of the action. The last Japanese ship departed the Panama Canal Zone.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Vichy France enacted a law that required Jews to register their businesses, which in effect excluded all Jews from commerce and industry.

RAF Fighter Command conducted a sweep over northern France and a Circus mission to Le Trait.

Kriegsmarine battleship “_Scharnhorst_” moves from Brest to La Pallice.

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## Njaco (Jul 22, 2016)

*July 23 Wednesday*

*ASIA*: The US declares its intent to break talks with Japan over the occupation of Indochina, declaring that talks would be fruitless since the "Japanese government intended to pursue the policy of force and of conquest."

Admiral Decoux makes local arrangements to grant Japan air and naval bases in southern Indochina.

Imperial General Headquarters published Army Department Order No. 517 directing the commanders of the China Expeditionary Army, Kwantung Army and the 1st Hikoshidan (located in Japan with units on Formosa) to assist one another by transferring small air units to the areas where they were most needed at a particular time either in Manchuria or China. Until the war’s end, this order was used many times as authority to move small air units from place to place according the urgency of the situation.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: A Hudson aircraft, while on convoy escort duty, shot down a German aircraft 107 miles west-southwest of Achill Head, Achill Island, Ireland; the German crew was later rescued and interrogated.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Another 115 German bombers return over Moscow to bomb the city. Very little damage is done. Following the heavy air attacks, the Communist Party and STAVKA start to evacuate the families of government members and high-ranking military men from Moscow. General S. M. Shtemenko, the Soviet chief of operations, reports that bombs were frequently dropped near his offices at night, and that consequently the Red Army general staff headquarters was always shifted to the Byelorosskaya subway station in the evening so that the Soviet officers could get on with their work in peace. Later the general staff are moved to the Kirovskaya subway station, which had been specially remodeled for the purpose.

Heeresgruppe Nord: As the German 4.Panzergruppe begins attacking the Luga line, Soviet General Pyadyshev is relieved of command of Luga Operational Group and executed.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Stavka forms a new Central Front under Colonel-General F.I. Kuznetsov consisting of Lieutenant-General M.G. Efremov's 21st and Lieutenant-General V.F. Gerasimov's 13th Armies. This front is ordered to protect Gomel' and the Sozh river sector. Around Smolensk, the forces of the Soviet 20th Army (Lieutenant General P.A. Kurochkin) counterattack forces of German 2.Panzergruppe even though the army flanks are unsecured. The Soviet fortress of Brest-Litovsk finally surrendered.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Soviet forces counterattacked at Monastyrishche.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 51 aircraft to attack Mannheim and 33 aircraft to attack Frankfurt overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: HMS “_Edinburgh_” arrived at Malta.

Operation Substance: One British destroyer is sunk and one cruiser and three destroyers are hit in Italian air attacks on the Operation Substance forces. Airplanes from Sardinia attacked the convoy starting from 0942 hours. They were part of the 283 and 280 Sqd AS (SM79 torpedo bombers), 32 Stormo BT (SM79 level bombers) and 51 Gruppo BT (Cant Z1007). Destroyer, HMS “_Fearless_” is hit aft by an air dropped torpedo from a SM79 of the 280 Sqd and completely disabled. As nothing can be done to save her, the crew were taken off and she is scuttled by HMS “_Forester_”, south of Sardinia. There are 27 casualties. RN cruiser “_Manchester_” suffered an aerial torpedo hit on the port quarter. In the afternoon SM79 bombers damaged with a near-miss the DD “_Firedrake_”. The “_Firedrake_”, in the process of towing a two speed destroyer sweep (TSDS) was narrowly missed by a 500 kilo bomb which exploded on the starboard side, close alongside No.1 boiler room, causing severe structural damage. The side plating which was blown inwards from upper deck to bilge keel over most of the length of No.1 boiler room, and over the fore end of No.2 boiler room; both boiler rooms were flooded and Nos.1 and 2 boilers actually shifted position as a result of the blast. After inspecting the damage, “_Firedrake_” was forced to return to Gibraltar. On her way back to Gibraltar the “_Firedrake_”, was passed by Force H making their way back to Gibraltar after delivering the convoy to Malta. Admiral Somerville C-in-C Force (H) had sent a message to all the ships of the Force to cheer the “_Firedrake_” as they passed her, and every ship with all their crews on deck cheered “_Firedrake_” as they sailed by. When she arrived back in Gibraltar there was a band waiting for her, the band played Rule Britannia as she entered the dock.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The Syrian armistice is again changed to allow the Free French to contact Vichy troops. The captured war material was French property and the Syrian and Lebanese troops would be placed under Free French command.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In Washington DC, Senator Wendell Willkie (the defeated Republican candidate at the 1940 Presidential election) urged America to give unlimited aid to Britain.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Finnish Army of Karelia reaches 1939 border east of Lake Ladoga. The defending forces on the Finnish island of Bengtskär are reinforced by a 20 mm Madsen cannon with a crew of three.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A British No. 44 Squadron Hampden bomber, returning from to Waddington, Lincolnshire, England, from a minelaying sortie, crashed into the staff residence of Lincoln Girls High School on Lindum Hill in the nearby city of Lincoln. The crew of four were all killed immediately as was the senior French mistress who died trying to escape from the burning building. Four other members of staff were injured and exploding ammunition peppered the surrounding area, seriously hampering the work of the fire and rescue teams.

*WESTERN FRONT*: At 0915 hours British RAF Coastal Command Reconnaissance detects that the Kriegsmarine battleship “_Scharnhorst_” has left her consorts “_Gneisenau_” and “_Prinz Eugen_” in Brest, and has slipped south to the small port of La Pallice. An attempt has been made to conceal her absence by the substitution of a large tanker, covered with camouflage netting. Fearing that she might be about to attempt an Atlantic raid, six Bomber Command Stirlings brave the German defenses in an unsuccessful evening attack; one failed to return. RAF Bomber Command sends another 30 aircraft to attack La Pallice overnight.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Circus mission to Mazingarbe and a Circus mission to Bois d'Esperlecques. RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft on coastal sweep.

Two weeks after his younger brother begins his victory score, Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland gains his first victory, a Spitfire. Douglas Bader added a German Bf 109 aircraft to his score.

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## Crimea_River (Jul 22, 2016)

Njaco said:


> We still have the best chronology on the internet!



Got that right!

Reactions: Like Like:
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## Njaco (Jul 23, 2016)

*July 24 Thursday*

*ASIA*: Japanese forces occupy Tonkin.

The Japanese government demands of Vichy France permission to occupy airbases in southern Indochina, and use the naval base at Camranh Bay. Vichy France reluctantly signs a Treaty for the Defence of Indochina. Japanese forces enter Saigon and occupy key positions throughout Indo-China.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Another 100 German bombers attack Moscow but again do very little damage.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Soviet forces continue attacking German 2.Panzergruppe at Yelnya while Soviet forces recapture Velikiye Luki.


> "The gunners, working like fury, finally beat off the first Russian tank attacks, but these were then renewed in greater strength and then our motorcycle battalion came under heavy pressure. We were smothered in a drum fire such as we had never before experienced....Because of the severe losses which it had sustained [the] motor-cycle battalion had to be taken out of the line and was replaced by an East Prussian engineer battalion. With the help of that formation we stemmed the Russian advance, albeit only temporarily, for soon ammunition for the guns began to run out and we were only allowed to fire against certain, specified targets."


 - Heid Ruehl, a soldier in the Das Reich Division describing the effort to hold the Yel'nya salient.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  On the Eastern Front, Operation München ended in Axis victory.

Major Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn, Kommodore of JG 53, is awarded the _Eichenlaub_ for not only his forty-two victories but also as an appreciation of his leadership.

An Einsatzgruppe [action squad] commander reports back to Berlin that 4,435 Jews have been liquidated in the town of Lachowicze.

*GERMANY*: 68 Dutch officers arrived at the Oflag IV-C camp at Colditz Castle in Germany. They were the first Dutch prisoners at this POW camp.

RAF Bomber Command sends 64 aircraft to attack Kiel and 47 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Mussolini offers Germany another army corps for service on the Russian Front.

Operation Substance: British convoy GM 1 arrives at Malta but British vessel “_Sydney Star_” is damaged by Italian motor torpedo boats MAS 532 and MAS 533. Following Operation Substance a group of empty merchantmen leave Malta for Gibraltar - Convoy MG 1. Empty ships from previous trips join Force H for the return to Gibraltar. RN Force H eventually returns back to Gibraltar with convoy MG 1. South of Sardinia they are attacked by SM79s torpedo bombers (280 Sqd), the tanker “_Hoegh Hood_” is sunk.

C-in-C, Mediterranean, Admiral A. B. Cunningham, signaled HMAS “_Nestor_”, (destroyer):


> “I hasten to add my congratulations and those of all in Force H. Another good piece of work by NESTOR. You have done so much for the common weal of substance”.


 HMAS “_Nestor_”, (CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, DSO, RAN), stood by the damaged merchant ship “_Sydney Star_”, which had been torpedoed by Italian E boats north of Pantellaria. Under continuous air attack and the threat of further E boat attacks, “_Nestor_” went alongside the “_Sydney Star_”, and took off 467 troops and her crew of 231. The transfer was hampered by a lifeboat snagged alongside. Although it was dark LS R. J. Anderson and AB J. S. McLeod leapt into the water, and physically removed the boat, allowing the ships to come together for the transfer. The two sailors were awarded the DSM. “_Nestor_” later took the merchant ship in tow, and for 72 hours fought off air and E boat attacks until Malta was reached. CMDR Rosenthal was awarded the DSO.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Free France, distrustful of British command of its troops in the Middle East, took back control effective at 1200 hours.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US Marine Corps established a Marine Detachment under the 1st Defense Battalion at Johnston Island.

Some 700 employees of the Alcan aluminum company went on strike in Arvida, Quebec, Canada. Since the industry had been classified as essential to the war effort, the strike was illegal.

The air echelon of the USAAF’s 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor), consisting of 30 P-40s and 3 primary training aircraft (Stearman PT-13 Kaydets), are loaded on the aircraft carrier USS “_Wasp_” at Naval Operating Base Norfolk, Virginia. The ship will sail for Iceland on 28 July and the aircraft will be launched on the morning of 6 August 1941.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Finnish 14th Infantry Division destroys Soviet pocket around Omelia en route to Murmansk railroad. Finnish Army of Karelia captures Vidlitsa and Rajakonru northeast of Lake Ladoga.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The RAF submitted a report for the week ending 24 Jul 1941. Coastal Command flew 252 patrols (364 sorties) and escorted 94 convoys (264 sorties). Fighter Command flew 704 shipping protection patrols (1,476 sorties).

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bombers hit the German battle cruisers “_Scharnhorst_” and “_Gneisenau_” and cruiser “_Prinz Eugen_”. In the first attack, RAF Bomber Command attack the Kriegsmarine battlecruiser “_Gneisenau_” at Brest without success. Three Fortress bombers fly high toward Brest, while 18 Hampden bombers with Spitfire escort come in below. Two Hampdens are shot down. Then 79 Wellington bombers arrive in a second wave. Ten are shot down. 15 Halifax bombers attack Kriegsmarine battlecruiser “_Scharnhorst_” at La Pallice. Five direct hits were recorded on the battleship, but three armour-piercing bombs passed straight through the “_Scharnhorst_” without exploding, but causing a large amount of water to flood some areas. Five planes are shot down, the others are all damaged. “_Scharnhorst_” is damaged and forced to return to Brest for repairs. Seventeen bombers are lost in the raids. The repairs required will not be complete until 1942. Since “_Prinz Eugen_” has been hit earlier in the month and “_Gneisenau_” is under repair, this means that none of the German heavy ships in and around Brest are fit for operations in the near future.

RAF Bomber Command sends 36 Blenheim bombers on a diversionary raid on Cherbourg docks, heavily escorted by Fighter Command. Nine are shot down.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Hazebrouck.

James Lacey engaged two German Bf 109 fighters and claimed kills on both of them after the two German aircraft collided in mid-air during the dogfight.

US transport “_West Point_” delivers German and Italian diplomatic personnel and families to Lisbon, Portugal.

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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

*17 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-579
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS INGRAHAM (DD 444)






_An early wartime colour photo. The now standard radar fits are missing from this photo, probably the work of the wartime sensor_

Allied
FNFL ML 268

Flower Class Corvette HMS NARCISSUS (K-74)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS RONALDSAY (T-149)
[NO IMAGE FOUND}

*Losses*
Submarine THRASHER damaged *fishing trawler VIRGO FIDELIS (Vichy 129 grt)* off San Sebastian. The trawler was run aground a total loss.

*Fishing trawler BEN GLAMAIR (UK198 grt)* was lost to an unknown cause near Dunstanburgh.

*Drifter FERTILE VALE (UK 91 grt)* was sunk in a collision off the River Tay.

RM submarine MALASPINA sank *steamer GUELMA (UK 4402 grt)* in the central Atlantic, 150 miles south of Madeira. The entire crew were rescued by Submarine THUNDERBOLt on the 17th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-143
Trondheim: U-81, U-652

At Sea 17 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-144, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

31 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow from the Tyne on the completion of her refitting.

British steamer EMERALD QUEEN was damaged by the LW in the NthSea. The steamer, carrying Admiralty Stores and ammunition, was towed to Hartlepool.

*Northern Waters*
DD WINCHESTER departed Scapa Flow after completion of work up bound for Rosyth. En route, the DD joined convoy WN.53 as additional escort. DD ORIBI arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up.

DD HEYTHROP departed Scapa Flow escorting British tankers WAR SUDRA and DAXHOUND. At 1700, trawler NORTHERN SKY with steamer LOCHGARRY was met. The force proceeded to Skofenfjord in the Faroes. They arrived at 1630 on the 18th. The DD and WAR SUDRA proceeded on to Seidisfjord, where they arrived on the 20th.

The DD departed Seidisfjord at 0730 on the 21st and proceeded to Skaalefjord, arriving at 0800 on the 22nd. On the 22nd, DD HEYTHROP, tankers DAXHOUND and WAR PINDARI, and ASW trawler LORD AUSTIN departed Skaalefjord. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd; the other ships having been detached to Kirkwall.

ORP DD BURZA arrived at Scapa Flow escorting oiler BLACK RANGER. The DD later left to return to the Western Approaches.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow to provide AA protection for convoy WN.53 from Pentland Firth until south of Buchan Ness, where she transferred to convoy EC.46.

Later in the day off Cape Wrath the ship transferred to convoy WN.54.During the morning of 20 July, the ship transferred to convoy EC.47. On arrival in Pentland Firth, the ship departed the convoy and arrived at Scapa Flow at 0200 on the 21st.

*Med/Biscay*
CL NEPTUNE arrived at Suez after repairs. The cruiser passed through the Canal and at Port Said disembarked her catapult to make room for additional AA weapons. NEPTUNE then proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 19th.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Alexandria for Port Said for escort duties.

Italian tanker PANUCO (6212grt) was damaged at Tripoli by British aerial torpedo attack of three Swordfish of 830 Squadron from Malta. The tanker was unable to unload her cargo. The tanker departed Tripoli on the 19th with her cargo still aboard, escorted by TBs CENTAURO and MONTANARI. She docked at at Palermo on the 22nd.

Sub P.32 departed Gibraltar to patrol to support Operation SUBSTANCE, then proceed to Malta. Submarine UTMOST departed Malta for Operation SUBSTANCE.

*Nth Atlantic*
OB.348 departed Liverpool, escort DDs DOUGLAS and SKATE, corvette ANEMONE, MSW LEDA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST ZENO. DD LEAMINGTON and corvette ABELIA joined on the 22nd. These escorts were detached on the 22nd. On the 22nd, DDs READING and RCN SAGUENAY and corvettes DIANTHUS, HONEYSUCKLE, and SNOWBERRY joined. The escorts were detached off Halifax on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 31st.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine TALISMAN arrived at Gibraltar from Halifax

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 JULY TO DAWN 18 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1126-1145 hrs _Air raid alert for one SM 79 on reconnaissance escorted by 15 fighters which cross over the GrandHarbour area and fly over the centre of the Island from north to south at 23000 feet. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage. 19 Hurricanes are scrambled (eight of 249 Squadron, 11 of 185 Squadron) 185 see the raiders but are 4000 feet too low to engage. 249 Squadron chase the raiders out to sea, eventually engaging them at 16000 feet, 55 miles north of the Island. Two Macchi 200 fighters are shot down into the sea and another is damaged. One Hurricane of 249 Squadron is lost; the pilot Sgt Guest is killed.

_0110-0134 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the north and drops bombs on the Sliema area and in the sea, including off Filfla.

_0155-0355 hrs _Air raid alert for a series of four enemy aircraft which approach singly from the north at intervals, then drop bombs on the north of the Island and Ta Qali. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage with one barrage; no claims. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no interceptions due to no searchlight illuminations. One unexploded bomb is reported at Targa Gap.

_0411-0442 hrs_ Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island at the same time as Wellingtons are returning, then drop bombs on Kalafrana and in St Thomas’ Bay. Other sticks of small bombs fall on fields across a mile stretch of open country. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagements.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 17 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Utmost_ sailed for ‘Operation Substance’.

_AIR HQ Departures _5 Hurricane. _69 Squadron _Maryland search for convoy ship.

_HAL FAR _Fulmar ‘intruder operation’ on Catania met with heavy ground opposition. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_3 Swordfish attacked Tripoli and successfully torpedoed a 7000 ton tanker as well as dropping bombs on Spanish Quay causing a huge explosion, despite heavy ground defences. _148 Squadron_ 5 Wellingtons attacked Palermo Harbour, dropping 20000lb of bombs on four cruisers and six destroyers; results not seen.


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

Halders Diary 17 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

*18 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Tangier Class AV USS POKOMOKE (AV 9)





ELCO 77’ PTs USS PT 37 and 38

Allied
ML 255, MSW MMS 42

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
At Sea 18 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-144, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-553, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

31 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
_Defence of the RigaGulf Area 12-18 July 1941_
While German forces started their advance to the Baltic States, the Baltic Fleet carried out a series of defensive operations against German barge traffic, ferries and transports that had infiltrated into the Riga Gulf. A number of attacks were carried out by VMF MTBs, a/c and DDs. The first VMF MTBs attack of the conflict was carried by TK-17, TK-87, TK-73 and TK-93 on 13 July. They attacked a convoy formed by the gunboat SAT-3 AUGUST, LAT-21 GRETCHEN and LAT-23 Siebel Ferry DEUTSCHLAND , the command unit FEYYA and a number of barges and tugs and other ships, escorted also by MSWs M-251, R-28, R-29, R-168, R-169, R-170 and MTBs S-54 and S-58 (then joined by S-47 and S-57). Despite their torpedoes missing the targets, the gunboat SAT-3 AUGUST was damaged (struck by 60 hits of machine guns) and were damaged too by gunfire the barges B-1P, B-2P and EEMLAN.





_Painting of the MTB attack_.


Air raids were more successful, sinking the *Siebel Ferry DEUTSCHLAND (DKM 130 grt)*



+
_Siebel Ferry similar to the DEUTSCHLAND_

These air attacks also managed to damages to the tugs R.18 and D.118, the barges A-279, A-291, S-289, and the MSWs R-169 and MTB S-58 . Also the assault boat UK.126 suffered underwater damage. Human losses on ferries, tugs and transport and barges were very light with only 5 kia, 27 wia, all caused by air attacks. Other damages (and light casualties) were inflicted by air attacks to other convoys over the next several days. In the end the Soviet claimed to have sunk , destroyed or damaged 37 targets but in reality they only sank one ship whilst damaging a total of 2 badly damaged and 23 with light damages. During the last engagement on 18 July the *G-5 Class MTB TK-123 (VMF 15 grt)* was sunk by the LW.






DD STRASHNYI carried the first and only torpedo attack (by DD) in Baltic, launching 2 torpedoes without hits (she was then damaged by mine, 11kia and 7 wia, DKM claims this damage was by S-Boats. At the same time DD STEREGUSHCHYI claimed to have sunk 5 barges and 2 escort units (later it was claimed only 2 barges sunk and 2 damaged), but according to DKM sources this action caused only light damages to the MSWs R-30 and R-31. MSW R-168 was also later damaged by air attacks with 3 wia.

The largest naval operation in 1941 took place in the Gulf of Riga. The Baltic fleet considered the results to be poor at the time, and this appears to be a correct conclusion. However these operations were crucial to the advancing germans and appear to have casused some delay to the German operations. 

Black Sea/Caspian
*Steamer KOLA (SU 2654 grt)* was sunk in the Kerch strait She was lost on a way from Novorossiysk to Feodosia with 3 crew were lost and 30 crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DD ANTHONY arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth on the completion of her refitting.

*Northern Patrol*

*Northern Waters*
BC REPULSE, escorted by DDs ICARUS, ACTIVE, and ACHATES departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth where the ships arrived on the 19th.

DD BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow for refitting in the Humber. The DD arrived on the 19th.

*Western Approaches*
British steamer PILAR DE LARRINAGA was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. Four crew were killed on the steamer. The steamer was towed to Belfast Lough.

*SW Approaches*
HG.68 departed Gibraltar, escort DDs BEVERLEY and WISHART, sloop SCARBOROUGH, submarine CLYDE, ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH, LADY SHIRLEY, and LEYLAND. Captured Vichy trawler GROUIN DU COU in the convoy was forced to return to Gibraltar on the 22nd when she could not keep up with the convoy. On the 24th, captured Vichy trawler L'ORAGE returned to Gibraltar with boiler defects. Corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and GERANIUM departed Gibraltar on the 19th and joined the convoy at sea. DD BEVERLEY was detached on the 19th with captured French ship ISAC. On the 22nd, submarine CLYDE, corvette FLEUR DE LYS, and DD WISHART were detached. The submarine and DD going to convoy OG.68.

Corvettes CLOVER and VERVAIN joined on the 23rd. Trawlers LADY HOGARTH and LADY SHIRLEY were detached on the 25th. On the 27th, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER joined the convoy. DDs BATH, VANOC, and WALKER, CAM ship ARIGUANI, and corvettes CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, and MALLOW. Corvettes CLOVER and VERVAIN were detached on the 28th. On the 29th, corvettes CARNATION and LA MALOUINE were detached. Corvette GERANIUM was detached on the 31st for refitting in the UK. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 2 August.

*Med/Biscay*
In Operation GUILLOTINE, beginning on this date and continuing into August, troops and supplies were moved from Port Said and Haifa to Famagusta in cruisers, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DDs.

Australian steamer SALAMAUA, carrying an AA battery and RAF 80 Sqn, proceeded to Famagusta from Port Said, escorted by sloop PARRAMATTA in serial S.1 of this operation. The ships arrived at Famagusta on the 21st.

DDs HERO and HOTSPUR carried supplies to Tobruk. They returned to Alexandria on the 18th.

BBs VALIANT and QUEEN ELIZABETH, CLA PHOEBE, and DDs JACKAL, NIZAM, HASTY, KIPLING, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria for exercises.

ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA had departed Alexandria the prior day for further exercises.

RAN CL PERTH, after having been relieved by RAN CL HOBART, departed Alexandria to return to Australia. Before departing the Med Flt, PERTH had a quadruple pom pom removed and a catapult, previously carried in CL AJAX, mounted at Port Said on the 19th. The CL passed through the Suez Canal on the 20th. PERTH was refitting and repairing defects at Sydney from 11 August to 30 October.

*Central Atlantic*
CA LONDON departed Gibraltar to return to Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 23rd.

DD VIDETTE departed Gibraltar to join British tanker BRITISH HONOUR and escort her to Gibraltar, arriving on the 21st.

Corvette GERANIUM arrived at Gibraltar, escorting British oiler HORNSHELL.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 JULY TO DAWN 19 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_0927-0950 hrs _Air raid alert for five enemy Macchi fighters five miles off the south of the Island.

_0945 hrs _An unexploded bomb at Targa Gap is removed by the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Section.

_0222-0340 hrs; 0400-0435 hrs _Air raid alerts for a total of nine enemy aircraft which cross the Island at intervals, dropping small calibre bombs on Zabbar damaging a water main near the Poor House, on isolated areas near Luqa, Naxxar and Gudja, and in the sea off the north coast near Dragonara and Valletta. Rinella wireless station is slightly damaged. Two Hurricanes and one Fulmar are airborne throughout the raids but searchlights do not illuminate any raiders and there are no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 18 JULY 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. Overnight (17/18) the Inspector General, Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, and staff arrived by Sunderland from Gibraltar. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance Catania, Augusta, Syracuse recorded 8 JU 52, 15 BR 20, 11 other unidentified bombers and 42 fighters. _148 Squadron _5 Wellingtons night bombing raid on PalermoHarbour. _110 Squadron _2 Blenheims attacked Tripoli power station achieving direct hits and causing explosions. 1 Blenheim of W/C Hunt was shot down by enemy fighters near Tripoli; probably no survivors.

_HAL FAR _Fulmars on ‘intruder operations’ over Catania and Gerbini dropped bombs on Gerbini and Augusta.


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

Halders Diary 18 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

*19 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-153





Type VIIC U-375





Allied
Fairmile B FNFL ML ST ALAIN

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS BURRA (T-158)

Fairmile B ML 291,

MMS Class MSW MMS 25 (J-525)

*Losses*
U-66 sank *Steamer HOLMSIDE (UK 3433 grt)* from dispersed convoy OG-67 off the coast of West Africa. The ship was on passage Hull to Pepel, travelling empty. Of the crew of 37 embarked 21 would be lost in the attack. At 1042 hrs the HOLMSIDE, was hit by three torpedoes from U-66 and sank within 15 minutes NE of the Cape Verde Islands. During a first attack the ship had been missed with two stern and two bow torpedoes between 0316 and 0323 hours. 18 crew members and three gunners were lost. The master, 13 crew members and two gunners were picked up by the Portuguese steam merchant SETE CIDADES and landed at Lisbon on 1 August.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-201
St Nazaire: U-553
Stormelo: U-144 

Departures
Kiel: U-373

At Sea 19 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-373, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

28 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
VMF MSW TSZCZ-202 laid mines that damaged the FN MTB VINHA. She was towed away by the RAJU while the SYOKSY launched torpedo with no effect. There were no casualties for either side.

VMF DDs SERDITY and STEREGUSHCHI attempted to attack a German convoy off Dunamunde. No contact was made. DD SERDITY was badly damaged by the LW off Oesel and scuttled on the 22nd.

*North Sea*
*U class Sub HMS UMPIRE (RN 540 grt)*, which departed Sheerness on the 17th in convoy EC.47, was sunk in an accidental collision just nine days after commissioning with the loss of 22 men. She stopped overnight at Sheerness and joined a convoy headed Nth. The submarine suffered engine failure with one of the two diesel engines and as a result fell behind the convoy; the propellers were driven purely by electric motors on the surface and when submerged with no mechanical linkage to the diesel engines. The convoy passed a Southbound convoy around midnight while about 12 nautical miles off Blakeney (Norfolk), with the two convoys passing starboard to starboard; this was unusual since ships and convoys should pass port to port. No ships showed any lights because of the risk from S-Boats. However, an ASW trawler, PETER HENDRIKS in the southbound convoy accidentally struck HMS UMPIRE causing her to sink in 18 metres of water.[





BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs ACTIVE, ACHATES, and ICARUS departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow, arriving that evening.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine TUNA attacked German tanker BENNO (former Norwegian OLE JACOB), escorted by DKM MSWs M.18, M.25, M.27, and M.30, 60miles west of the Gironde.

The submarine claimed hits on a steamer and a destroyer, but no ships were damaged.

*Med/Biscay*
BBs VALIANT and QUEEN ELIZABETH, CLA PHOEBE, ML cruiser LATONA, and DDs JACKAL, NIZAM, HASTY, KIPLING, and HAVOCK arrived at Alexandria after exercises.

ML cruiser ABDIEL and DD DECOY departed Alexandria to carry supplies to Tobruk. The supplies were delivered and both ships returned to Alexandria on the 20th.

Submarine UNBEATEN arrived at Malta from patrol. Submarine UPHOLDER departed Malta at 2200 for her part in Operation SUBSTANCE.

*Central Atlantic*
RN ML cruiser MANXMAN, which had been with convoy WS.9C, arrived at Gibraltar at 0530 on the 19th. The cruiser's arrival had been delayed one and a half hours by fog.

FNFL troopship PASTEUR arrived at Gibraltar, escorted by destroyers LIGHTNING, NESTOR, AVON VALE, FARNDALE, and ERIDGE.

DD BEVERLEY with convoy HG.68 intercepted *steamer ISAC (Vichy 500 grt (est))*. The incident was raised in British Parliament, where Hansard records accurately the legality of British stop and search procedures. “_The ship was carrying three locomotive chassis and parts weighing 127 tons, 165 tons of sugar and 248 tons of general cargo for Casablanca, Dakar and other West African ports. This vessel was seized under Article 2 of the Reprisals Order in Council of 31st July, 1940, whereby any vessel on her way from a port through which goods might come from enemy territory, and which is not provided with a valid ship navicert, is deemed to be carrying goods of enemy origin or ownership and shall be liable to seizure as prize., which had departed Bordeaux on the 14th for Casablanca and Dakar, in 35-12N, 9-12W_”.

The steamer was escorted towards Gibraltar by the DD until relieved by a tug that afternoon. HMS BEVERLEY arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th. The tug and French ship arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 JULY TO DAWN 20 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_AM_ Hurricanes are scrambled in response to a formation of six enemy aircraft located some distance to the north of the Island. The raiders turn away and there is no engagement. 

_0246-0338; 0405-0437 hrs _Air raid alerts for four enemy aircraft which approach the Island at intervals from the north east and drop bombs mostly in the sea, except for one stick south east of Zeitun. 17 heavy anti-aircraft funs fire three barrages; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 19 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unbeaten_ returned from coastal patrol west of Tripoli – sank 2 schooners by gunfire. _Upholder_sailed at 2200 for Operation Substance. Four Swordfish dropped bombs on Tripoli Harbour near-missing a merchant vessel and starting a fire on the foreshore.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Beaufighter, 6 Blenheim, 2 Maryland, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington._69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli, Zliten, Sirte area, Palermo, Messina, Naples, Pantelleria, Catania, Cagliari, Elmas, Monserrato. _126 _

_Squadron _Hurricane pilot Sgt J D McCracken was killed in an accident on take off.

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish attacked Tripoli with torpedoes and bombs; observation of results difficult due to poor visibility. Fulmar operation on Catania; small bombs were dropped.


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

Halders Diary 19 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

*20 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
L Class DD HMS LIVELY (G-40)





*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
Horten: U-82

At Sea 20 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-81, U-82, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-373, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic

*Gnevnyi Class DD STREMITELNY (VMF 1855 grt)* was sunk by German bombing off Polarnoye (which I think is a base in the Arctic). Another article by Chris Chant states _“SOKRUSHITELNYI and STREMITELNYI were also transferred to the Arctic, in 1939 and 1940 respectively, and while the former foundered during a storm in the Barents Sea on 20 November 1942, the latter sank after being struck by German bombers in Ekaterinski Gavan on 20 July 1941”_
*



*


Baltic
DDs YAKOV SVERDLOV, VOLODORSKYI and MSW TSZCZ-207 heavily engage against German units, the SVERDLOV fired against S-boats but they believed it was coastal artillery fire. Then other VMF ships rushed to the scene including MO and TK, but the only ongoing engagement was still the YAKOV SVERDLOV that chased the s-boats and fired against a group of r-boats. There was no report of damage from either side.

*North Sea*
CVL FURIOUS, escorted by DDs GARLAND, CASTLETON, and CHARLESTOWN and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st from Greenock after flying practices in the Pentland Firth. CLA EURYALUS, escorted by DD WORCESTER, arrived at Rosyth to complete fitting out.

British steamer UMVUMA was damaged by the LW off Number 57 Buoy, off the Humber. The vessel was able to proceed disabled to Humber.

*Northern Waters*
AA ship POZARICA departed Scapa Flow to join the Western Approaches after completion of her fit out.

*West Coast*

*Western Approaches*
U.95 damaged British steamer PALMA with gunfire in 50-14N, 17-53W after an unsuccessful torpedo attack.

*SW Approaches*
OG.69 departed Liverpool escorted by corvettes BEGONIA, JASMINE, LARKSPUR, PIMPERNEL, and RHODODENDRON and ASW trawler ST NECTAN. Corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER joined on the 21st. On the 26th, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP were detached. On the 27th, corvette SUNFLOWER was detached. Corvette BEGONIA on the 28th, and corvette RHODODENDRON on the 30th. Corvette FLEUR DE LYS and anti-submarine trawlers LADY HOGARTH and LADY SHIRLEY joined the convoy on the 27th. DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar on the 28th to escort this convoy, but they were later recalled for Operation STYLE. Steamer ADJUTANT of the convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 1 August with corvettes JASMINE, PIMPERNEL, and LARKSPUR and ASW trawler ST NECTAN. The corvettes went back out and arrived with the convoy on 2 August.

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser LATONA and RAN DD STUART departed Alexandria carrying supplies to Tobruk. At Tobruk, the cruiser was able to unload only 50 tons of her cargo due to a delay in arrival and difficulties in unloading. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 21st.

An Italian convoy composed of damaged German steamer MENES in tow of Italian tug CICLOPE and German tug MAX BERENDT departed Tripoli on the 17th escorted by RM TB CIRCE. On the 20th, *U Class Sub UNION (RN 540 grt)* attacked the convoy SSW of Pantelleria and was sunk in return by the torpedo boat. Galloway (the skipper), Lt D.L. Carr, Lt R.D.C.G. Simmons, Lt D.A. Tarrant RNR, and 28 ratings were lost on the submarine.





Submarine UTMOST unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Ustica. Subamrine TETRARCH unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Aegean.

In Operation GUILLOTINE, NZ manned CL LEANDER and RN DD KINGSTON departed Haifa on the 20th for Port Said, where they arrived that day to embark troops and supplies in serial S.2 A of the Operation. The supplies were unloaded at Famagusta during the night of 20/21 July. DD JERVIS with troops from Haifa also disembarked at Famagusta during the night of 20/21 July in Serial S.2B of the Operation.

Cruiser LEANDER and destroyer KINGSTON arrived back at Haifa on the 21st.

*Central Atlantic*
U.203 damaged British steamer CANADIAN STAR (8293grt) with gunfire in 49-15N, 21W, after the steamer evaded torpedoes from submarine U.126. The steamer arrived at Curacoa on the 30th.

CL EDINBURGH, ML cruiser MANXMAN, and DDs NESTOR, LIGHTNING, FARNDALE, AVON VALE, and ERIDGE departed Gibraltar at 0145 to meet arriving convoy WS.9C.

CLs MANCHESTER and ARETHUSA and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and SIKH arrived at Gibraltar escorting troopship LEINSTER. DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, BEVERLEY, FURY, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER arrived at Gibraltar to refuel.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 JULY TO DAWN 21 JULY 1941
_Weather _Fine and sunny.

_0118—0233 hrs; 0250-0320 hrs _Air raid alerts for three enemy bombers which approach at intervals among returning Wellingtons. The first aircraft drops bombs on fields near Luqa, the other two drop bombs in the sea off GrandHarbour. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

_0245-0355 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island and is illuminated off GrandHarbour and attacked with a barrage from heavy anti-aircraft guns. Bombs are dropped in the sea. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 20 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Otus_ arrived from Gibraltar and discharged petrol and RAF Stores at Marsaxlokk. Submarines UPRIGHT and UNIQUE departed Malta to take position in preparation for Operation SUBSTANCE..

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Beaufighter, 1 Maryland, 1 Sunderland, 3 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli and eastwards. _148 Squadron_ 9 Wellingtons attacked railway sidings near the harbour at Naples causing large fires and explosions.


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

Halders Diary 20 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

*21 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT 39

Allied
Fairmile B ML FNFL ST IVES

HDML 1050

White 73’ MTB HMS MTB 48

*Losses*
*Steamers HANS CHRISTOPHERSON (Ger 1599 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Terschelling.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM sub TORELLI sank *tanker IDA KNUDSEN (Nor 8913 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. Five crew were missing on the tanker, whilst 14 survivors were picked up by Portuguese trawler ALTAIR and landed at Las Palmas.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-143

Departures
Lorient: U-79

At Sea 21 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*M Class Sub M-94 (VMF 206 grt) *was sunk by U-140 who in turn was damaged by DCs dropped by VMF SCs. U-140 sank M-Class Submarine M-94 (VMF 206 grt) in an area designated “Patrol Area Uto” off the coast of Tallinin. At 0655 hrs, M-94 was hit by one torpedo from U-140 and sank, while the U-boat attacked a second submarine at 0706 hrs with another torpedo, but missed. The second submarine was M-98 which rescued the commander and two survivors with a rubber dinghy shortly afterwards. They had been on the conning tower when the torpedo hit and thought that the men inside were dead, but the submarine sank in shallow waters lying on its stern at an angle of 60°. This made it possible for 8 men (M-Class had a nominal crew of 20, so the net losses from this attack were about 9 men). to leave through the main hatch and were brought ashore by a launch. They reportedly made it back to friendly controlled territory.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DD ASHANTI was recommissioned on the Tyne after a long period of repair. She was unable to depart the Tyne for Scapa Flow until 30 August, as further defects continued to prevent her departure. The DD finally arrived at Scapa Flow to work up on 7 September.

*Northern Waters*
ML cruiser ADVENTURE arrived at Scapa Flow, en route to Archangel. AA ship PALOMARES arrived at Scapa Flow at 1300 to work up.

*West Coast*
OB.349 departed Liverpool, escort DDs KEPPEL and SHIKARI, corvettes ALISMA, ALYSSE, DIANELLA, FREESIA, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN and WELLARD. DD VENOMOUS joined on the 22nd. On the 26th, this group was detached. On the 26th, DDs BROADWATER and RCN ST LAURENT, AMC CIRCASSIA, and corvettes RIMOUSKI and SKIKENARD joined. The convoy was dispersed on 1 August. This was the last of the OB.series. Beginning on the 26th, the “ON” series began with ON.1 departing Liverpool.

*Med/Biscay*
Corvette PEONY departed Port Said with Dutch steamer TRAJANUS (1712grt) in Operation GUILLOTINE. This movement, S.2C, of the Operation arrived at Famagusta on the 23rd. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Alexandria for Port Said for a GUILLOTINE escort in serial S.3. The sloop departed Port Said on the 22nd escorting motor transport ship KEVINBANK for Famagusta, arriving on the 24th.

Submarine PARTHIAN departed Alexandria for Malta and the United Kingdom for refitting.

A German-Italian convoy of steamers MADDALENA ODERO, NICOLO ODERO, CAFFARO, and PREUSSEN departed Naples for Tripoli escorted by DDs FOLGORE, EURO, SAETTA, and FULMINE. The convoy was later joined by DDs ALPINO and FUCLIERE. On the 22nd, *steamer PREUSSEN (Ger 8203 grt)* was sunk by Swordfish of 830 Sqn 30 miles SE of Pantelleria. TB PALLADE joined the convoy from Tripoli.

*Tkr BRARENA (FI 6996 grt)* departed Palermo on the 21st, escort DD FUCLIERE, to join the convoy. The tanker was sunk on the 22nd by Swordfish of 830 Sqn. DD FOLGORE from another convoy assisted FUCLIERE.

Submarine TAKU sent a landing party into Benghazi harbour and attached explosive charges to one of the ships in harbour.

Submarine OLYMPUS unsuccessfully attacked a convoy of two steamers and one escort off Naples.

RHN submarine GLAUKOS sank *steamer SAN NICOLA (FI 210 grt)* NW of Rhodes with gunfire.

_Operation Substance_
Operation SUBSTANCE was a British naval operation in July 1941 to escort convoy GM 1, the first of the series from Gibraltar to Malta. The convoy defended by Fce H which had been reinforced by units drawn from home waters commands. Fce H and the convoy were attacked by RM Subs, RA a/c and MAS light forces, but the main RM surface fleets remained in harbour

The RN observed throughout July decreasing intensity of the Sardinian based RA attacks as the torpedo inventory at Sardinia (torpedoes for aircraft being in short supply at this time for both the RA and the LW for much of 1941). The ships of convoy GM 1 sailed from Home waters on 13 July 1941 as part of convoy WS (Winston Specials) 9C, and arrived at Gibraltar on 20 July. Ships of the Med Flt began demonstrating loudly in the eastern basin making heavy radio traffic in the hope of diverting attention to possible preparations for a major operation in the eastern Med. Italian histories dispute the success of these measures, but the italains were still unready for the passage of the GM-1 convoy once it had started. The RM adduced the convoy was merely the ARK ROYAL TG flying-off replacement a/c to Malta, and chose to remain in port. 

The convoy came under sustained low level attack by 9+ SM79s torpedo bombers and 6+ Z1007 level bombers on the 23rd. Four Fulmars met the torpedo planes head-on and shot one down before another SM.79 launched a torpedo which hit HMS MANCHESTER before also being shot down. ARK ROYAL launched another 7 Fulmars which were unable to engage the level bombers before they released bombs which failed to hit the convoyed ships. Three Fulmars were shot down in these battles which were heavily escorted by the RA fighters. A later attack by two SM.79s sank HMS FEARLESS killing 35 of her crew. Another bombing attack near-missed HMS FIREDRAKE causing damage requiring the DD to be towed back to Gibraltar. Bristol Beaufighters from Malta were now assisting the ARK ROYAL CAG defending the convoy from these attacks. HMS COSSACK detected MAS boats 532 and 533 approaching the convoy after dark with her radar, but was unable to prevent them from torpedoing SS SYDNEY STAR. HMAS NESTOR towed the damaged 11,000-ton cargo ship to Malta

7 empty ships sailed from Malta as convoy MG 1 on 23 July to be convoyed back to Gibraltar by Force H.One was damaged by an aircraft torpedo on the voyage west. ARK ROYAL lost a total of six Fulmars defending convoy MG 1 and the Malta bound ships from Gibraltar. At least 12 Axis a/c were shot down by ARK ROYAL’s fighters alone, with total Axis losses exceeding 20 a/c

The six cargo ships of convoy GM 1 arrived in Malta on 24 July where they were observed by a Z-506 recon seaplane escorted by 42 MC200 fighters. Malta launched 22 Hurricanes which shot down three of the escort without loss. An audacious attack on GrandHarbour by other MAS boats and manned torpedoes (Maille) on the night of 25–26 July was thwarted due to the advance warning provided by ULTRA intelligence. The Italians had made the mistake of telling the germans of their intentions, which effectively passed the information via their leaky security to the british.

The Operation SUBSTANCE convoy (convoy GM 1) for Malta of steamers SYDNEY STAR, CITY OF PRETORIA, PORT CHALMERS, DEUCALION, DURHAM, and MELBOURNE STAR, escorted by BB NELSON, CL EDINBURGH, ML cruiser MANXMAN, and DDs NESTOR, LIGHTNING, FARNDALE, AVON VALE, and ERIDGE passed Gibraltar in the Mediterranean at 0145. BB NELSON and CLs ARETHUSA, EDINBURGH, and MANCHESTER were on temporary loan from the Home Flt. CLs MANCHESTER and ARETHUSA, troopship LEINSTER, and DDs COSSACK, SIKH, and MAORI departed Gibraltar at 0200. Troopship LEINSTER ran aground departing Gibraltar and was left behind. Troop reinforcements were not the main reason for the convoy.

Fleet oiler BROWN RANGER, escort DD BEVERLEY, proceeded at 0200 to sea to refuel DDs during the operation. The two ships returned to Gibraltar on the 23rd. They sailed again on the 25th on the same mission, but were recalled later that day.

At 0300, BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HEMOINE, DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, FURY, and DUNCAN departed Gibraltar.

Eight British and Dutch submarines were at sea to intercept the Italian Fleet should it attempt to intervene with the passage of the convoy. Submarines OLYMPUS in the Tyrrhenian Sea and P.32 off Cagliari and Dutch submarine O.21 in the TyrrhenainSea operated from Gibraltar and UNIQUE off southern entrance to the Straits of Messina, UPHOLDER north of Marittimo, UPRIGHT off southern approaches to the Straits of Messina, URGE off Palermo, and UTMOST north of Messina operated from Malta.

On the 22nd, the Mediterranean Flt sortied from Alexandria under the cover of darkness.BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and VALIANT, CLAs NAIAD and PHOEBE, CLs NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DDs JACKAL, RAN NIZAM, KIPLING, KIMBERLEY, GRIFFIN, HASTY, and HAVOCK operated to the west of Crete.

CLs AJAX and LEANDER with DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, KANDAHAR, and KINGSTON departed Haifa and rendezvoused with the Main Fleet off Alexandria at dawn on the 23rd. CLA CARLISLE alsojoined the Fleet at daylight on the 23rd.

At sundown on the 23rd, the Fleet turned backed eastward and CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DD KIMBERLEY were detached on serial S.4 of the GUILLOTINE operation. They departed Port Said on the 24th. The troops were delivered on the 24th and the ships arrived back at Port Said on the 25th.

On the 24th, CL LEANDER and DD JAGUAR departed the Fleet for Port Said where they arrived on the 25th. The Main Body of the Med Flt returned to Alexandria on the 25th. CL LEANDER and DD JAGUAR embarked troops for Famagusta and departed on the 25th on Serial S.6 with ML cruiser LATONA, arriving during the night of 25/26July. LATONA was damaged in a collision with DD JAGUAR while berthing at Famagusta, but was able to depart with the DD on the 26th for Haifa. CL LEANDER arrived at Alexandria on the 26th.

CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DD KIMBERLEY departed Port Said for Famagusta on serial S.7 of the GUILLOTINE operation on the 26th. The troops were landed during the night of 26/27 July. On completion, the ships proceeded to Haifa.

Submarines REGENT and PERSEUS on the 24th created the impression by means of radio signals that the BB were still at sea and that the SUBSTANCE convoy was a through convoy.

RM sub DIASPRO attacked the SUBSTANCE convoy and narrowly missed RAN DD NESTOR, whilst she was engaged escorting CV ARK ROYAL, the western Med. near Bougie. The RA hit and damaged CL MANCHESTER. 26 of the cruisers crew were injured in the attack. The damaged forced the MANCHESTER to return to Gibraltar, escorted by DD AVON VALE, with three out of four engines inoperative. Before arriving at Gibraltar, DDs VIDETTE and VIMY joined the screen. DD WISHART later sailed and relieved DD AVON VALE. Tug ST DAY departed Gibraltar to assist. They arrived at Gibraltar shortly before midnight on the 25th.

Motor launches ML.130, ML.126, ML.168, ML.121, and ML.129 departed Gibraltar to sweep ahead of the cruiser and provide additional escort. Later, tugs ROLLICKER and ST OMAR with ML 173, and ML.169 departed to join the cruiser.

Cruiser MANCHESTER, after temporary repairs at Gibraltar, sailed on 17 September for the Philadephia Navy Yard where she was under repair from 23 September to 15 February 1942.

The RA also torpedoed *F Class DD HMS FEARLESS (RN 1350 grt)*was torpedoed by an aerial torpedo north of Bone and was later scuttled by DD FORESTER in the Sicilian narrows. The DD had 18 crewmembers missing and a further 20 injured, 9 of whom would die of their wounds.





DD FIREDRAKE was damaged by bombing on the 23rd and was under tow for 37 hrs back to Gibraltar by DD ERIDGE and escorted by DD AVON VALE, which was sent back to join after being relieved from the also crippled MANCHESTER escort. DD SIKH joined en route. DD FIREDRAKE was able to restore some power and arrived at Gibraltar, under her own power at the end, on the 27th, escorted by DDs AVON VALE and ERIDGE. The DD was under repair for 6 months, including four months at Boston Navy Yard from 23 September to 18 January 1942.

DD FOXHOUND was damaged by a near miss of bombing on the 23rd, but spent no time out of action.

On the 24th, RM MAS boats MAS.532 and MAS.533 attacked the SUBSTANCE convoy. These boats were undamaged, despite claims by CLs EDINBURGH, DD COSSACK, and ML MANXMAN that they each sank an MAS.boat.

MAS.533 torpedoed steamer SYDNEY STAR. The steamer fell out of the convoy and destroyer NESTOR and later light cruiser HERMIONE were detailed to protect the steamer and escort it to Malta, without further incident, arriving on the 24th. The steamer was drydocked at Malta on 18 August.

CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA, ML MANXMAN, and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH, NESTOR, and FARNDALE escorted the convoy into Malta on the 24th. The remainder of Force H returned to Gibraltar.

Convoy MG 1 of steamers SETTLER, THERMOPLYLAE, AMERIKA, TALABOT, HOEGH HOOD, SVENNOR, and supply ship BRECONSHIRE with DD ENCOUNTER was brought out from Malta, departing at 0500 on the 23rd. Steamer SVENNOR hit the breakwater leaving harbour and had to be docked. She was able to depart the next day.

Corvette GLOXINIA assisted in the escort of the convoy during the first day, then returned to Malta. DD FARNDALE had to remain at Malta with condenser problems. Tanker HOEGH HOOD was damaged by bombing on the 24th, but was able to continue.

P/T/Sub Lt (A) K.G. Grant RNVR, and his gunner Leading Airman H. McLeod in a Fulmar of 807 Squadron and Lt A.J. Kindersley and his gunner Petty Officer (A) F.A. Barnes in a Fulmar of 808 Sqn were lost on the 25th when they were shot down 120 miles SW of Sardinia. T/A/Sub Lt (A) R.C. Cockburn RNVR, and Petty Officer Airman W./E. Cuttriss of 808 Sqn were also shot down but picked up by DD NESTOR. Supply ship BRECONSHIRE and steamer TALABOT, escorted by DD ENCOUNTER arrived at Gibraltar on the 26th. DD FORESTER with steamers AMERIKA and THERMOPYLAE arrived later in the day.

Steamer SETTLER and HOEGH HOOD arrived at Gibraltar on the 27th and Norwegian tanker SVENNOR arrived on the 28th. Force H and the supporting cruisers arrived back at Gibraltar on the 27th.

On 13 September, the damaged CL MANCHESTER and DD FIREDRAKE in company departed Gibraltar for repairs in the United States, via England. They were escorted by DD HEYTHROP as far as 25W.

The Italian Fleet did not sail. BBs LITTORIO, VENETO, and DUILO at Taranto, CAs TRIESTE, BOLZANO, and GORIZIA at Messina, and CLs GARIBALDI, MONTECUCCOLI, DI GIUSSANO, and DA BARBIANO at Palermo were brought to notice, but the intention of the British forces was discovered too late as the Italians believed the convoy was travelling all the way to Alexandria.

*Nth Atlantic*
Canadian troop convoy TC 12 departed Halifax with liners DUCHESS OF YORK, EMPRESS OF CANADA, ORION, STRATHMORE, and STRATHNAVER. DDs ASSINIBOINE and BUXTON were escorting the convoy from 21 to 23 July. DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, COLUMBIA, and RESTIGOUCHE escorted the convoy from 21 to 26 July. BB MALAYA escorted the convoy from 21 to 27 July.DDs HARVESTER and RIPLEY escorted the convoy from 23 to 26 July. DD GURKHA, LANCE, LEGION, PIORUN, SALISBURY, VANQUISHER, and WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy from 26 to 29 July. DDs CROOME, HEYTHROP, and ISAAC SWEERS departed Scapa Flow on the 27th and were with the convoy on the 27th. The DDs took BB MALAYA to Scapa Flow, where they arrived at noon on the 28th. CLA CAIRO escorted the convoy from 27 to 29 July. The convoy safely arrived on the 29th.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine THUNDERBOLT, which had departed St Johns on the 8th, arrived at Gibraltar for duty in the Mediterranean.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DD ILEX, after temporary repairs at Port Said, passed through the Suez Canal for repairs at Durban. The DD arrived at Aden on the 24th. She remained there until 15 September when she departed for Durban. Engine problems required further temporary repairs at Mombasa and the DD did not arrive at Durban until November.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 JULY TO DAWN 22 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_1010-1045 hrs _Air raid alert for one a single enemy aircraft crossing the Island on reconnaissance at 23000 feet with an escort of 20 fighters. The fighters split up into three formations. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not engage as they do not gain sufficient height.

_2130-2220 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the direction of Catania. Two cross the coast and drop bombs on Marsa and between Luqa and Safi. Searchlights do not illuminate the raiders and Hurricanes do not intercept. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 21 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish left at 1910 to attack convoy but failed to intercept.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _8 Beaufighter, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 5 Wellington 148 Squadron. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Sicily and Gulf of Taranto; shadowing of convoy. 

_KALAFRANA _The Inspector General of the Royal Air Force, Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, visited the Station.


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

Halders Diary 21 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

*22 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT 40

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS BRANDON (K-149)






*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
BokFjord: U-652
Windau: U-139

Departures
Brest: U-204

At Sea 22 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

30 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic
DKM DDs KARL GALSTER, HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, and RICHARD BEITZEN departed the Kirkenes on an anti shipping sweep. The DDs sank Soviet surveying ship MERIDIAN between Iokanga and Teriberka. The DKM forces returned to Kirkenes on the 24th.

Baltic
*G-5 Class MTB TK71 (VMF 15 grt)* and *Icebreaker LACHPLESIS (SU 580 grt)* were sunk by DKM S-Boats.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DD CROOME departed Scapa Flow on passage to Rosyth where they arrived later that day.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and met convoy WN.55 in Pentland Firth. On meeting convoy EC.48 at 2200, the ship transferred to that convoy and provided cover northward. On the 23rd, after this escort duty, the ship returned to Scapa Flow.

Minelayer TEVIOTBANK, escorted by survey ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.21B of the Northern Barrage.

*Northern Waters*
At 1247 on the 22nd on reports that DKM BC SCHARNHORST had departed Brest were received, This prompted BB KGV, CA SHROPSHIRE, CLs NIGERIA and AURORA, and DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, ICARUS, INTREPID, ESCAPADE, and ACHATES to be brought to one hour's notice. At 1616 CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK were brought to one hour's notice as well. At 1829 CV VICTORIOUS, CVL FURIOUS and DDs INGLEFIELD, ANTELOPE, ACTIVE, and ANTHONY were brought to one hour's notice.

FURIOUS reverted to normal notice at 1756 to allow urgent maintenance to be carried out. At 1720, CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK and CL AURORA reverted to normal notice for the same reason. At 1226 on the 23rd, the ships returned to normal notice when the BC was found to be still at at La Pallice.

DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO departed Scapa Flow escorting tkr BLACK RANGER to Seidisfjord.

*Med/Biscay*
Yugoslavian TBs DURMITOR and KAJMAKLAN departed Haifa to return to Alexandria.

Submarine TETRARCH shelled Karlovassi and claimed damaging a number of caiques in harbour.

Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked a small convoy off Palermo.

Greek submarine GLAUKOS reported sinking a *caique (FI 250 grt (est))* with artillery off Castelorizzo.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.140 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC ASCANIA and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. The convoy was joined on the 23rd by corvettes CHICOUTIMI and MATAPEDIA, which were detached later that day. On the 24th, escorted ship WALNEY and corvette BUCTOUCHE joined. Escort ship WALNEY was detached the next day. On the 25th, DDs RAMSEY and COLUMBIA, corvettes CANDYTUFT, GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and NASTURTIUM, MSW SPEEDWELL, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN SPRAY and NORTHERN WAVE joined the escort. Corvette BUCTOUCHE was detached on the 26th, corvette NASTURTIUM on the 27th, and MSW SPEEDWELL on the 28th. DD COLUMBIA was detached on 1 August, AMC ASCANIA and corvettes BITTERSWEET, CANDYTUFT, FENNEL, GLADIOLUS, and MIMOSA. DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, NIGELLA, VERBENA, and VIOLET joined on 2 August. DD AMAZON joined on 3 August. The DDs were detached on 5 August and the corvettes arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 6 August.

SC.38 departed Sydney, CB, escort AMC CHITRAL and corvettes BARRIE, DAUPHIN, and NAPANEE. The corvettes were detached on the 25th. DD COLUMBIA and corvettes GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and NASTURTIUM joined on the 25th.Corvette NASTURTIUM was detached on the 27th, DD COLUMBIA on 1 August, and AMC CHITRAL and corvettes GLADIOLUS and MIMOSA on 2 August. ORP DD BURZA, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, and NIGELLA, and MSW BRITOMART joined on 2 August. DDs AMAZON and GEORGETOWN joined on 3 August. Corvettes AUBRETIA and NIGELLA were detached on the 8th, DDs AMAZON and GEORGETOWN and corvette HEARTSEASE on the 7th. On 7 August, ASW trawlers DANEMAN and NOTTSCOUNTY joined and escorted the convoy into Liverpool on 8 August.

*Central Atlantic*
ASW trawler STELLA CARINA departed Gibraltar escorting British tanker HORNSHELL to the west. The trawler would then join Panamanian tanker NORVINN arriving. Trawler COPINSAY departed Gibraltar later on the 22nd to join trawler STELLA CARINA. On the 26th, tanker NORVINN, arriving from Trinidad, escorted by trawlers STELLA CARINA and COPINSAY, arrived at Gibraltar.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL DUNEDIN captured *steamer VILLEDEROUEN (Vichy 5383 grt)* east of Natal in the Sth Atlantic. The ship was taken to East London, South Africa, arriving on 4 August.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 JULY TO DAWN 23 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and sunny.

_1105-1130 hrs _A formation of enemy aircraft is reported of Cape Passero, heading south. Hurricane aircraft are scrambled but the formation turns away. As the Hurricanes head back towards Malta, a second formation of 25 enemy aircraft is reported heading for Malta. Another flight of Hurricanes is scrambled. The raiders approach to within 15 miles of Grand Harbour, then turn back northwards. The Hurricanes set off in pursuit bur are unable to catch the enemy.

_2117-2342 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach from the north east individually, crossing the coast east of Salina Bay and Grand Harbour respectively. Bombs are dropped in the Marsa area.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 22 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 5 Swordfish left to attack convoy of 1 tanker 7000 tons, 1 destroyer, and 1 small merchant vessel intercepted south west of Lampion. They hit the tanker with 2 torpedoes and claimed sunk, one hit with a torpedo on the stern of the destroyer was also secured. All aircraft returned.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Beaufighter. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 4 Wellington 148 Squadron. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Taranto shot down a Cant seaplane on return. Reconnaissance Naples, Messina, Palermo, Trapani; search patrol and night shadowing of convoy._ 110 Squadron _4 Blenheim attacked a convoy and sank two ships; the Observer of one Blenheim was killed. After inspecting the Command the Inspector General, Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, and staff proceeded to the Middle East.


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

Halders Diary 22 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

*23 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT-41

Allied
Flower Class Corvette FNFL ACONIT (K-58)





_Remote Control model of the ACONIT_

Bathurst Class Corvette HMAS MILDURA (J202)






*Losses*
*Auxiliary PV Vp.1508 (DKM 354 grt)*, ex whaler RAU III, was sunk by a MTB SW of Boulogne.

*Barge OMFLEET (UK 130 grt)* was sunk on a mine in Alexandra Dock, Hull. There were no casualties on the barge.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 23 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

30 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Fishing vessel NORDMARK (Ger 462 grt)* was lost on a mine in the Irben Straits (at the entrance to the Gulf of Riga).

Black Sea/Caspian
*MV ADZHARIA (SU 4727 grt)* from the Black Sea State Shipping Co. / OdessaGulf; She was sunk in the Odessa Gulf by the LW. 4 crew were lost.

*North Sea*
DD GARTH was damaged by near misses from the LW in the NthSea. The DD spent no time out of action.

British sailing vessels ADAMANT and SOAVITA were damaged on mines at Alexandra Dock, Hull. Both vessels sank, but were salved.

*Northern Patrol*
For Operation EF, a British force departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd with CAs DEVONSHIRE (Flag Wake Walker) and SUFFOLK, CVs VICTORIOUS and FURIOUS, and DDs ESCAPADE, ACTIVE, ANTHONY, ACHATES, ANTELOPE, and INTREPID. The force arrived at Seidisfjord (a town and municipality in the Eastern Region of Iceland, settlement datng as far back as the 8th century used by the allies in WWII as a naval base and airstrip). on the 25th. ML cruiser ADVENTURE departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd for Seidisfjord and arrived on the 24th. DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO with oiler BLACK RANGER for this operation had departed for Seidisfjord on the 22nd and arrived on the 24th.

MSWs NIGER, SALAMANDER, and HALCYON arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd en route to Iceland.

DD ACHATES struck a British mine of minefield SN.69 at 0300 on the 25th and badly damaged in Seidisfjord. The DD lost 65 ratings. The DD was towed by DD ANTHONY into Seidisfjord. ACHATES was towed by tug ASSURANCE, escorted by DD ANTELOPE to the Faroes. DD TARTAR escorted the tow on to the Tyne. ACHATES was under repair in the Tyne from 3 September to 13 March 1942. DDs INGLEFIELD and ICARUS departed Scapa Flow on the 25th and relieved DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO which joined the Main Force to replace DDs ACHATES and ANTELOPE.

MSWs HALCYON and SALAMANDER departed Scapa Flow on the 28th and were sent to Seidisfjord to provide ASW protection. The MSWs arrived on the 31st. The British force departed Seidisfjord on the 26th for operation EF.


CV VICTORIOUS and her escorts had positioned themselves off the northern anchorage of Kirkenes, and launched an air strike of 20 Albacore torpedo bombers of 827 Sqn (Lt Cdr J.A. Stewart-Moore) and 828 Sqn (Lt Cdr D.E. Langmore) escorted by nine Fulmar fighters of 809 Sqn (Lt Cdr V.C. Grenfell) on Kirkenes on the 30th. Three additional Fulmars flew as protection for the carrier. DKM ML BREMSE and other German ships were at Kirkenes. Some damage was done to piers and oil tanks and steamer ROTTVER was damaged, but six Albacores of 827 Sqn and five Albacores of 828 Sqn and two Fulmar fighters of 809 Sqn were shot down by German gunners and a/c.

The raid on Kirkenes was an unmitigated disaster. The LW had been alerted and had Bf 109, and Bf110 fighters airborne and ready as well as some Ju87s used as stop gap fighters. The Fulmars were unable to rendezvous with the Albacore sqns, who were thus left without fighter protection. There are some reports of shipping losses, but these are not fully confirmed as German records are very incomplete. One Bf 109, two Bf 110s and one Ju87 were claimed shot down for the loss of 11 Albacores and two Fulmars, with a further eight Albacores damaged. Again, because of incomplete LW records it is impossible to confirm precisely german losses, but they did lose at least one Bf 110 to a Fulmar and one Ju 87 to an Albacore.

CVL FURIOUS launched an air strike of 9 Swordfish of 812 Sqn (Lt Cdr W.E. Waters), 9 Albacore torpedo bombers of 817 Sqn (Lt Cdr D. Sanderson), and 6 Fulmar fighters of 800 Sqn (Lt Cdr J.A.D. Wroughton DSC) on Petsamo on the 30th. Four of the new Sea Hurricanes of 880A Flight (Lt Cdr F.E.C. Judd) were flown off as protection for the carrier. Some damage was done to the piers by the torpedo bombers. One Albacore torpedo plane of 817 Sqn were shot down and came ashore at Murmansk and two Fulmar fighters of 800 Sqn with Sub Lt (A) F.J.G. Gallichan and Petty Officer Airman J.F. Black and P/T/Sub Lt (A) E.S. Burke RNVR, Leading Airman J. Beardsley were shot down and their crews lost.

On the 31st, FURIOUS was sent back to Scapa Flow because of a fuel shortage. Five Albacore aircraft of 817 Squadron were transferred to VICTORIOUS before her departure. During the air strikes, cruiser minelayer ADVENTURE, escorted by DD ANTHONY, which departed Seidisfjord on the 26th, was passed to Russia. The minelayer was detached at 0300 on the 30th and proceeded unescorted to Archangel with mines in Operation EF. It was the first direct assistance provided by the allies to the Soviets. DD ANTHONY, which returned to embark part of the crew of damaged DD ACHATES, departed Seidisfjord early on the 31st and arrived at Scapa Flow at 2300. The minelayer arrived at Archangel on 1 August.After unloading, minelayer ADVENTURE departed on 4 August for Loch Alsh, arriving on 11 August.

From 10 to 15 September, these mines were laid by VMF DD of their DesDiv1, including DDs GREMYASHSCHI, GROMKI, GOZNY, and SOKRUSHITELNY in the area of Fisherman's Peninsula.


On 4 August, CV VICTORIOUS launched 3 Fulmar fighter planes to recon Tromso. The fighters attacked two armed trawlers and one fighter was lost. Pilot Lt H.D. Mathew of the 809 Sqn was killed and observer T/Sub Lt (A) R.A. Burroughs RNVR, was captured

The first steps had been taken in the arctic. They were anything but a success in a tactical sense, but were a beginning of a long, and hard fought campaign in the North.

*Northern Waters*
ORP DD KUJAWIAK departed Scapa Flow at 2100 for Plymouth on completion of working up exercises.

*SW Approaches*
RM submarine BAGNOLINI made two attacks on convoy OG.68, claiming sinking one steamer and damaging another. However, No confirmation of damage is available.

*Med/Biscay*
DD HERO was damaged by bombing in Tobruk harbour during the night of 22/23 July. The DD received temporary repairs at Mersa Matruh.

Submarine P.33, on patrol near Pantelleria, was damaged by Italian DCs, but was able to continue patrol. Submarine OLYMPUS unsuccessfully attacked a liner off Naples.

Lt P.R.E. Woods was killed when his Martlet of 805 Sqn ditched in the sea one mile near Mersah Matruh.

*Steamer TIRPITZ (Ger 7970 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Cape del Arma near San Remo. Other versions state she was sunk by a torpedo fired by a british submarine, though none were in that area at the time. Yet another version states she was lost in 1943 The mine and lost in July 1941 is the most plausible version of her loss. She was lost while transporting mechanical parts and spare war material.





*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CV FORMIDABLE departed Alexandria for repairs in the USA. The carrier passed through the Suez Canal the next day. Arriving at Norfolk, Virginia on 26 August, FORMIDABLE was under repair until 12 December.

*Pacific/Australia*
British troopship ERINPURA departed Madras for Penang with personnel, escorted by CL MAURITIUS to 10N, 92-35E. The cruiser was then relieved by CL DANAE. The steamer arived at Penang on the 27th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 JULY TO DAWN 24 JULY 1941

_Weather _Sunny and hot.
.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 23 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Convoy MG 1 escorted by _Encounter _and _Gloxinia_ sailed at 0500. _SS Svenor_ fouled the boom and rammed the breakwater. She returned to harbour and docked with damage to bow.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Maryland. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Taranto, Palermo, Trapani, Messina and Catania. 6 Marylands closing patrol MarittimoIsland to Carbonara from dawn to dusk. _110 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked merchant shipping in TrapaniHarbour hitting two ships and bombing a nearby aerodrome. Sgt Cathles’ aircraft was damaged as he approached the target and crashed into a hillside in Sicily; the crew are believed killed. 11 Beaufighters escorted a convoy from near Bizerta towards Malta; Sgt Deakin failed to return.


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## parsifal (Jul 24, 2016)

Halders Diary 23 July 1941


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## Njaco (Jul 24, 2016)

*July 25 Friday*

*ASIA*: Lieutenant Commander Otoji Nakamura became the commanding officer of I-68.

An executive order by President Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the United States. At Chiang Kai-shek's request, the order was extended to Chinese assets as well. Japanese Foreign Minister Toyoda informed Ambassador Grew that Japan felt that it was being surrounded by hostile forces and its occupation of Indochina was simply a defensive action similar to that of the British in the occupation of Syria.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 5, Oblt. Theodor Weissenberger, gains a five-in-one day score when he shoots down two Russian lend-lease Airacobras and three Pe-2 bombers.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 18. Armee (Colonel General Georg von Kuchler) opens new attack in Tartu-Parnu sector and defeats Soviet 8th Army.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Continued Soviet attacks on German 2.Panzergruppe at Yelnya.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  General Paul von Kleist's 1.Panzergruppe clashed with no fewer than six Soviet mechanized corps under the capable General Mikhail Kirponos in Ukraine. A sprawling tank battle, the largest of the war up to that point, swayed backwards and forwards across the steppes for four days, before superior German tactical handling and communications, plus their use of 88-mm guns, won the day. Kiponos was forced to retreat eastward towards Kiev. Soviet Southwestern Front withdrawing toward Uman.

He 111 bombers of German II./KG 4 were briefed for a night bombing mission over Moscow, Russia, but at the last minute they were ordered to mine the waters off Saaremaa island (German: Ösel) off Gulf of Riga, Estonia. He 111 bombers of German I./KG 55 attacked Soviet anti-aircraft positions at Dorogobush, Smolensk Oblast, Russia. One bomber was shot down.

The Nazi occupation regime in the Baltic States called the Reichskommissariat Ostland was established.

The Spanish Volunteer Division of the Wehrmacht is designated the 250th (”Azul/Blue”) Infantry Division. It is called the “Blue Division” because the original uniform includes the dark blue shirts of the Spanish Fascists (the Falange).

*GERMANY*: Werner Mölders traveled to the Wolf's Lair at Rastenburg, East Prussia, Germany and met with Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm Keitel, and Hermann Göring.

British bombers took off at 2230 hours on the previous day, reaching Kiel, Germany at about 0145 hours on this date. Bombs were dropped on the Deutsche Werke shipyard facilities. Surviving attackers landed at their bases in Britain at about 0600 hours. On the same day, Bombers of British No. 102 Squadron RAF attacked Hanover, Germany after sundown.

RAF Bomber Command sends 55 aircraft to attack Hannover and 43 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: With the Grand Harbour unusually filled with merchant ships from the newly-arrived convoy - Operation Substance - the Italian Decima Flottiglia Mas is ordered to strike. Italian naval auxiliary ship “_Diana_”, carrying 8 small EMB's (or MTLs , literally “tourist motor boats”), and 2 Torpedo Boats each towing a Maiale leave the port of Augusta, Sicily for the surprise attack. The attack had been planned for months. The plan was to attack the convoy ported in Grand Harbour, while one Maiale attacks any submarine ported in Fort Manoel and the other was to blast through the defenses of Grand Harbour, which would create a breech for the EMB's to sink the convoys. One group of “frogmen” would blow up a hindrance net suspended from a bridge to allow all the MTLs access to the harbour. The MTL pilots would race down the huge harbour and aim their exploding boats at ships before ejecting themselves over their sterns. This was all to occur with a simultaneous attack by the Regia Aeronautica to cause disorder. This plan was destined to fail from the start. The first thing to go wrong was that the Auxiliary ship “_Diana_” was spotted on radar 20 miles of the coast of Malta. The second problem was that the air attack by the Regia Aeronautica was concluded to early, much before the Maiale's were in position to strike. This early strike only caused the defenders of Malta to be more alert. Nevertheless, the plan continued. The “_Diana_” put her EMB's overboard, and they, along with the motorboats, navigated towards the Grand Harbour. Major Teseo Tesei and Chief Diver Pedretti manned the human torpedo Maiale's. The plan almost worked, except that Major Tesei, blew up the bridge and himself, blocking access for the MTLs, which found themselves helpless, floodlit by harbour searchlights as the Royal Malta Artillery opened fire. The viaduct to the Grand Harbour was then destroyed by another explosion by either Tesei's warhead or an EMB that managed to enter the Harbour after the first explosion. This inadvertently closed the entrance to the Harbour, but at this point, the Italian attack no longer had the element of surprise. The remaining EMB's raced to the Harbour to do as much damage as possible, but all were managed to be sunk by artillery from shore. Major Teseo Tesei and Chief Diver Pedretti were never seen again.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of III Corps at Presidio of Monterey, California.

Reports come over the radio that “five bombing planes flying for England have crashed at different places in Ohio. All these accidents have taken place within 24 hours.”

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Finnish Army of Karelia begins taking up defensive positions along Tuloksa River east of Lake Ladoga. The advance of Finnish Karelian Army is stopped north of Lake Ladoga after Col. Lagus’ 5th Division reaches Tuulos, about 20 miles east of pre-1939 border. After beating back Soviet counter-attacks the Finnish troops regroup into defence. More to north (in northern Karelia) the Finnish advance is slowed down by heavy Soviet resistance in well-prepared positions.

Seven Soviet MO boats, carrying 60 Border Guards under the command of Lt. P. Kurilov and Commissar A.I. Rumjantsev set out from the Soviet-held port of Hanko to seize the Finnish island of Bengtskär, which is held by less than 30 men.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris, the German-controlled radio announced that the Vichy government had decided to deport all British subjects from its territory. Members of the sizeable British expatriate community on the Cote d’Azur were told to leave a month ago. Many of them are elderly and cut off from their incomes by the speed of the French collapse last year. The decision reflects the bitter anti-British resentment of Admiral Darlan, the Vichy vice-premier, over what the radio called “the numberless British aggression” against Dakar, Syria and the French fleet.

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## Njaco (Jul 26, 2016)

*July 26 Saturday*

*ASIA: *Chennault inspects Kyedaw airfield where his American Volunteer Group pilots will train.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: At 0328 hours, U-141 attacked Convoy OS-1 and Schüler thought he scored one hit on each of three ships. The first vessel was seen being abandoned, the second exploded and the third, which had four masts, was seen to develop a heavy list. In fact, the “_Botwey_” was sunk and the damaged “_Atlantic City_” was abandoned, but later reboarded and salvaged.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: A notation in the German War Diary says, "The mass of the operationally effective Russian Army has been destroyed.”

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Stavka activates Soviet 34th Army south of Lake Ilmen.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Armee reduces the Mogilev pocket. Three Soviet armies are encircled and destroyed in the Mogilev area. Mogilev falls to the Germans after 5 days of heavy fighting. Upon entering the industrial area of the city, the Germans noted a brownish frothing liquid running down the streets and into the Dniepr River. Upon further examination it was found that the mean spirited Soviet defenders of the city had destroyed the vats at the local brewery and thousands of gallons of beer were destroyed. Now that is Scorched Earth.

Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe is renamed Panzergruppe Guderian in recognition of his successes and is removed from its subordination to von Kluge's 4.Armee and put directly under the control of Heeresgruppe Mitte. This is due to severe disagreements between the von Kluge and Guderian, which are disabling operations. He answers directly to Bock, Commander of Armeegruppe Mitte. Fierce battles rage 25 miles to the east of Smolensk.



> "A state of absolute exhaustion is noticeable...among all men of the battalion. The reason is...far too great mental and nervous strain. The troops were under a powerful barrage of heavy artillery...That the men were promised a few days of rest...but instead found themselves in an even worse situation...had a particularly grave effects. The men are indifferent and apathetic, are partly suffering from crying fits, and are not to be cheered up by this or that phrase. Food is being taken only in disproportionately small quantities."


 - Divisional Diary, 18. Panzer Divisionen.

German aircraft bombed Moscow, Russia. Many bombs fell near the Kremlin, and the images were captured on film by journalist Margaret Bourke-White.

3,800 Lithuanian Jews were killed during a pogrom in Kovno. Three days of rioting begin in Lvov as locals murder 2000 Jews. In Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 120 civilians (mostly Jews), are rounded up and executed in retaliation for an attack on a military truck convoy. In Vilna this morning the Germans arrested members of the ghetto’s Judenrat [Jewish council]. They demanded five million roubles for their release, of which two million must be found by tomorrow morning. Failure to pay will mean their execution. As the news spreads through the ghetto, the Jewish community is trying desperately to raise the money to save their lives. Men are donating watches and women jewelry.

*GERMANY:* Werner Mölders was presented Diamonds to his Knight's Cross by Adolf Hitler.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Commander Ernesto Forza took over command of 10th MAS Flotilla at La Spezia, Italy, which was in actuality a special forces unit for the Italian Navy.

Six Italian E-boats escorted by MC.200 fighters attempted to attack shipping in Valletta's Grand Harbour at Malta. The Hurricane fighters of RAF Nos. 126 and 185 Squadrons were scrambled and set about the E-boats, sinking four and causing the other two to surrender.

Convoy MG 1 arrives at Gibraltar from Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Luftwaffe bombers attack Alexandria overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA:* US President Franklin Roosevelt passed executive orders to freeze all Japanese and Chinese assets, forbade the export of oil, iron, and rubber to Japan, as well as marking the Panama Canal off-limits to Japanese shipping. Roosevelt seizes Japanese assets in the United States in retaliation for the Japanese strong arming the Vichy government to allow IJA forces to occupy formerly French military bases in Indochina. These actions are quickly followed up by Britain and the Netherlands. Suddenly, Canada ends its trade agreement with Japan. Japan has been denied 90% of their oil imports.

Frustrated by the need for provincial approval to deploy troops to end the Arvida strike, Canadian Munitions and Supply Minister C. D. Howe submitted his resignation to Prime Minister King. At a subsequent cabinet meeting Howe agreed to withdraw his resignation on the condition that he be granted powers to deal with such emergency situations.

AA cruiser USS “_San Diego_” launched. The “_San Diego_” was a light cruiser-one of four of the Atlanta class-and the only one of her sisters to survive the war unscathed. The “_San Diego_” steamed over 300,000 nautical miles, engaged the enemy on 34 different occasions, and never lost a man. She earned 18 battle stars for her World War 11 service, more than any other Navy ship except for the carrier “_Enterprise_”. In recognition of her battle record, Admiral Halsey designated the “_San Diego_” to be the first allied warship to enter Tokyo Bay at the war’s end.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Finnish Army of Karelia reaches Lake Onega.

The Battle for Bengtskär: Soviet landing troops made a surprise attack on the skerry of Bengtskär with a goal to blow up the lighthouse situated on the skerry so that it would not disturb Soviet military operations. Finnish troops situated on the skerry managed to defend the lighthouse and eventually drove the Soviets back with the help of support troops.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* US Army recalled Douglas MacArthur to active service as the commander of units in the Far East; Philippine troops already under MacArthur's command were integrated into the US Army.

US Navy Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered long range air patrols to be conducted from various Pacific Ocean bases in case Japan reacted aggressively against US President Franklin Roosevelt's executive order to freeze Japanese assets.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Roderick Carr was named the commanding officer of No. 4 Group RAF.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Lisbon the transport USS “_West Point_” (AP-23, ex SS "_America_"), embarks American and Chinese diplomatic personnel and their families from consulates in Germany, German-occupied countries and Italy and sets sails for the New York. Also on board are 21 US ambulance drivers who had been passengers on the Egyptian ship SS “_Zamzam_” which had been sunk the German auxiliary cruiser “_Atlantis_” on 17 April.

The British ships HMS “_Cattistock_”, HMS “_Mendip_” and HMS “_Quorn_” bombard Dieppe.

Marx Dormoy, former French Minister of Interior and outspoken critic of Vichy Government, killed by terrorist bomb; aged 51.

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## Njaco (Jul 26, 2016)

*July 27 Sunday*

*ASIA:* The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters officially decided to pursue a southern advance, abandoning the previous ambitions against Russia. Masatsune Ogura, Japan’s Finance Minister, declares that the urgent thing for Japan to do is to “forge ahead towards establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity sphere.”

Japan will station troops within striking distance of Thailand when she lands at least 24,000 men in southern Indo-China. 8,000 troops will be garrisoned at Pnom-Penh, 4,000 will be garrisoned at the naval base of Cam Ranh Bay, the north-east of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Five British motor torpedo boats (MTB) sailed from Dover, England, United Kingdom to attack a German destroyer in the English Channel. Two of the boats narrowly escaped collision when crossing each other's bows at top speed by only ten feet. When the attack took place the torpedoes were fired at too great a range scoring no hits, in fact one torpedo actually just missed one of the friendly MTBs. On the way home one of the MTBs opened fire on a British aircraft which came down to investigate them.

The first section of the US Army 5th Infantry Division arrives at Iceland.

The ground echelon of the USAAF’s 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) sails for Iceland in the transport “_American Legion_”. The ship is part of Task Force 16 consisting of the battleship USS “_Mississippi_” (BB-41), the heavy cruisers USS “_Quincy_” (CA-39) and USS “_Wichita_” (CA-45), five destroyers, the miscellaneous auxiliary USS “_Semmes_” (AG-24), the store ship USS “_Mizar_” (AF-12), and the cargo ship USS “_Almaack_” (AK-27). Within a few days, TF 16 is joined by the aircraft carrier USS “_Wasp_” (CV-7), carrying the air echelon of the 33d Pursuit Squadron, the heavy cruisers USS “_Vincennes_” (CA-44), and the destroyers USS “_Walke_” (DD-416) and USS “_O’Brien_” (DD-415).

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Spain reciprocates the favor Germany gave during the Spanish Civil war by sending a volunteer aircraft fighter group, the _Escuadra Azul_, to the Eastern Front. On this date, the group joins with III./JG 27 becoming 15./JG 27 in Luftflotte 2. Equipped with Bf 109Es the unit is led by Spain’s greatest ace, Captain Angel Salas Larrazabal.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 18.Armee pushes toward Tallinn. German 16.Armee is fighting around Velikiye Luki. Later, German troops captured Tallinn, Estonia.


Heeresgruppe Mitte: German forces completed the encirclement of the Red Army at Smolensk and took 100,000 prisoners. The German XXXIX. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops R. Schmidt) of Hoth’s 3.Panzergruppe links up with XLVII. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops J. Lemelsen) of Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe east of Smolensk and surround large portions of the Soviet 16th, 19th and 20th Armies. Mogilev finally falls to the Germans when the defenders inside run out of ammunition and food. 35,000 Soviet prisoners are taken. Elements of Soviet forces in Mogilev pocket attack toward the east and escape.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Soviet 26th Army counterattacks German 1.Panzergruppe. German 17.Armee pushes toward Uman.



> "It must be understood that without a rapid and plentiful supply of track rollers, track links and bolts for the Mark IV and track bolts for the Kpfw 38(t) the number of available panzers will sink further, so that the combat strength of the panzer regiments will be greatly weakened. Still especially urgent is the delivery of fully operational motors, gearboxes, oil and specialized panzer grease."


 - LVII. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops A. Kuntzen).

Last remaining territory of Rumania's lost provinces liberated. Adolf Hitler requested Rumanian leader Ion Antonescu to conquer and occupy the Ukrainian territory between Dniester and Bug Rivers.

Wilhelm Keitel ordered all copies of the 13 May 1941 order, which effectively allowed German military personnel to murder Soviet civilians, destroyed. Several copies would remain, however, and surface during the Nuremberg Trials.

Four teenagers, son and nephews of Nestor Lakoba, political enemy of Lavrentiy Beria (already killed in Dec 1936), were executed in Moscow, Russia as sentenced by the Military Collegium of the Soviet NKVD. State Defense Committee passes death sentence on nine senior Soviet officers, to be executed by Beria's NKVD. In Vilna, the Germans murder two members of the Judenrat [Jewish council] when the community fails to pay an enormous bribe.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Italian manned torpedoes and motor torpedo boats attacked Grand Harbour, Malta, causing minor damage to British vessels and installations but nearly all Italian vessels were lost in the attack. Commander Vittorio Moccagatta was among the Italian fatalities.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Freccia_”, “_Dardo_”, “_Strale_”, and “_Turbine_” supported by two cruisers and two more destroyers. Another Axis Convoy departs Taranto for Tripoli with three vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Geniere_”, “_Camica Nera_”, and “_Oriani_”.

Force H and empty transports from Malta arrive in Gibraltar without further loss.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Suez Canal overnight.

General Ettore Bastico replaces Gariboldi as Axis commander-in-chief in North Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Japanese diplomats deliver a protest to the U.S. State Department regarding the shipment of U.S. supplies to Vladivostok, USSR, through Japanese waters.

*SOUTH AMERICA:* Ecuadorian-Peruvian War: Peruvian paratroopers capture Puerto Bolivar.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* At No. 1, Calle Victoria in Manila, the headquarters of the newly created United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) was established. General Douglas MacArthur, military adviser to the Commonwealth of the Philippines, was recalled to active service as USAFFE commander. MacArthur, who had retired from the U.S. Army on December 31, 1937, was promoted to the position of lieutenant general. MacArthur had never previously held this rank, though his father had been one of the few Lieutenant Generals in the US Army from the Civil War until World War II. MacArthur would hold this rank until he was promoted to full General following the Japanese assault on the US and its possessions in December, 1941. MacArthur was subsequently promoted, over his protest, to temporary General of the Army and then to permanent General of the Army, the rank he held at his death in 1964.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The United Kingdom nationalized railroads for the duration of the war.

After ten weeks of calm, German bombers started nightly raids against London again. Luftwaffe attacks London overnight with 50 aircraft. Four bombers were lost.

*WESTERN FRONT:* British Commandos carried out Operation Chess, an overnight raid on Ambleteuse, France. It was carried out by 17 men of No. 12 Commando commanded by a Second Lieutenant Pinckney. The target for the raid was Ambleteuse, Pas-de-Calais, France. The raiding party was towed across the English Channel in two Landing Craft by a Motor Launch. The Motor Launch cast them off two miles from the Slack River near Ambleteuse. They remained ashore for one hour, no prisoners were taken. Cdr. Sir Geoffrey Congreve Bt DSO died of his wounds received during the raid.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Le Trait. RAF Bomber Command sends 14 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight and sends 36 aircraft on minelaying missions off Lorient and St Nazaire overnight.

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## Njaco (Jul 27, 2016)

*July 28 Monday*

*ASIA:*  Japan froze American assets in retaliation of a similar action committed by the US on 26 Jul 1941. Japanese assets in the Dutch East Indies are frozen and the oil deals cancelled. Oil exports to Japan from Netherlands East Indies are effectively halted.

Japanese troops begin landing in Indochina. Units of Japanese 25th Army begin landing at Saigon and occupying bases in southern Indochina, including airfields within range of Singapore. The build-up includes elements of the Japanese navy, which have sailed into Camranh Bay, and aircraft which are flying into Saigon. Japanese troops have also begun disembarking in Cambodia where 8,000 men will be within striking range of Siam. It is clear that the main use for such bases would be in an invasion of Malyasia, the East Indies or the Philippines.

Advance party of first echelon of Chennault's American Volunteer Group arrives Rangoon by sea.

108 Japanese aircraft attacked into the Sichuan Province. Only seven aircraft of the Chinese 27th PS were able to oppose them. Lieutenant Gao Chunchou (I-153 no. P-7237) was shot down and only four of the seven scrambled aircraft returned.

“_Tatsuta Maru_” set a new trans-Pacific crossing record.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The joint US Army and US Marine Corps unit Task Force 18, attached to the US Atlantic Fleet under Major General Holland M. Smith, was redesignated the 1st Joint Training Force.

Between 2127 and 2128, U-203 fired four torpedoes at Convoy OG-69 NW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive after the attack. U-203 interpreted the heard detonations and sinking noises and reported three ships sunk and a destroyer probably damaged. In fact, only the “_Norita_” and “_Lapland_” were hit and sunk. The master, 22 crewmembers and three gunners from the “_Lapland_” were picked up by HMS “_Rhododendron_” and landed at Gibraltar.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Stavka Directive No. 00549, "Concerning Measures to Regulate the Employment of Artillery in the Defense" ordered the concentration of anti-tank assets in an integrated region along the Germans most likely avenue of advance.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 4.Panzergruppe captures Kingisepp as German Panzers drive in the Leningrad defenses west of the Luga River (which is still holding firm for the Russians).

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German troops begin to eliminate the Russian forces trapped in the pocket to the west of Smolensk.

Hptm. Walter Oesau leaves III./JG 3 to take the position of Kommodore of JG 2. Hptm. Werner Andres takes his place as _Gruppenkommandeur_ of III Gruppe JG 3. Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 downs a Russian I-18.

Himmler issues order for annihilation of all Jews in occupied Soviet Union.

A special commission created on Heinrich Himmler's orders arrived at Auschwitz Concentration Camp to select prisoners within the framework of the "Euthanasia Program" for the incurably ill, extended in 1940 to Jews and in the middle of 1941 to prisoners of concentration camps. The 573 selected, most were sick Polish prisoners from Block 15, were told that they were to be transferred to other camps for easier work because of their conditions. At last moment, two German criminals Johann Siegruth and Ernst Krankemann were added to the list. The 575 were sent to Sonnenstein Castle under the supervision of Franz Hössler and were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in a gas chamber disguised as a shower room.

RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft on minelaying operations in the Baltic Sea overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: RAF attacks on Sicilian airfields destroy 36 aircraft. General Federigi, CO Italian Regia Aeronautica in Central Mediterranean, reported killed in action over Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Suez Canal overnight.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Finland ends diplomatic relations with Great Britain. Finnish Foreign Minister Witting informs the British Ambassador Sir Gordon Vereker that Finland has to ‘interrupt’ her diplomatic relations with United Kingdom.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Dutch government-in-exile prohibits commercial and financial transactions with Japan.

Roosevelt's personal assistant, Harry Hopkins departs via aircraft for Archangel and Moscow.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Vichy government agrees to build German aircraft in France.

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## Njaco (Jul 28, 2016)

*July 29 Tuesday*

*ASIA: *Japan and the Vichy French government sign an agreement which, in essence transfers responsibility for the defense of Indochina over to the Japanese. Japanese troops take ownership of the naval base at Camranh Bay.

The Chinese fighter daitai joined the 1st Kokutai, flying patrols over Hankou between 29 July and 31 August. The 3rd Kokutai advanced to Hanoi, French Indochina.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: “*_Orion_” sank the ship “_Chaucer_” by gunfire in the South Atlantic. The entire crew of 48 was rescued by “_Orion_”.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The pilots and crew of II./JG 77 are transferred from Norway to the Russian Front. Along with the _Gruppe_ is Oblt. Anton “Toni” Hackl and Siegfried Freytag.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 18.Armee continues attacking in Estonia as German 16.Armee continues fighting in the Velikiye Luki sector. Hitler removes Richthofen's VIII Air Corps from Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 giving it to Luftflotte 1 supporting Leeb's drive towards Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Soviet 30th Army counterattacks against German 3.Panzergruppe north of Smolensk. Soviet 4th Army counterattacks against German 2.Panzergruppe south of Yelnya. Guderian's panzer group has shrunk down to 286 tanks from its initial strength of 953. Of these remaining tanks, 132 were outdated Mark I and IIs.

Heeresgruppe Sud: German 1.Panzergruppe resuming attacks after regrouping. Colonel General Ewald von Kleist orders Kempf's XVIII Motorized Corps to advance toward Pervomaisk. German 6.Armee made its first direct assault on the city of Kiev. Unable to take Kiev, forces of Heeresgruppe Sud, veer to the south. Resistance is stiff as the Soviet 6 and 12th Armies give ground toward Uman.

Stalin demotes General Georgi Zhukov from the position of chief for the General Staff, for advising a tactical surrender at Kiev, replacing him with Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov. Zhukov takes command of newly forming Reserve Front and prepares for counterattacks against German 2.Panzergruppe around Yelnya. Eremenko is relieved of command of Soviet Western Front.

Photographs of the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich as a firefighter were taken in Leningrad. The photographs were published around the world as a symbol of Soviet determination.

General Ludwig von Schroeder, the former head of civil defense and president of the 13,000,000 membership of the “Air Raid Protection League,” dies of injuries received in a plane crash near Belgrade.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RN submarine “_Thrasher_” arrives in Egypt with 78 British troops rescued from Crete.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Washington denounces the occupation of Indochina saying the occupation of bases was;


> "...for the purpose of further and more obvious movements of conquest in adjacent areas." and these actions "jeopardize the procurement by the United States of essential materials ... for the normal economy of this country ..."



The Arvida strike ended when the Canadian government amended the Defence of Canada Regulations to allow the Minister of National Defence to call out troops to deal with labor disputes without requiring permission from municipal or provincial authorities. A subsequent royal commission concluded that while the strike was illegal, it was caused by workers' frustrations over salaries and working conditions rather than subversives as Munitions and Supply Minister C. D. Howe had claimed.

In Canada, Minister of Defence James Ralston proposes to the Cabinet War Committee that the army overseas force be extended from four divisions to six. The committee turns it down.

General Lewis Brereton takes command of US 3rd Air Force.

The US Secretary of the Navy approves the installation of a Radar Plot aboard aircraft carriers as “the brain of the organization” protecting the fleet from air attack. The first installation is planned for the island structure of USS “_Wasp_” (CV-7).

*SOUTH AMERICA:* Ecuadorian-Peruvian War: After tentative ceasefire, Peruvian forces renew advance into Ecuadorian territory.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *Joseph Rochefort reported to US Navy Admiral Husband Kimmel that the Japanese fleet detected outside of Japanese home waters were heading back to Japan, thus there was no immediate threat of an aggressive Japanese response to Franklin Roosevelt's decision to freeze Japanese assets.

*UNITED KINGDOM:*  British merchant seaman David Hay was awarded an Albert Medal for his daring rescue of a fellow sailor from shark infested waters during the journey between Liverpool, England, and Takoradi, British Gold Coast.

General Auchinleck and Air Marshal Tedder arrive London to discuss upcoming offensive in Western Desert.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Vichy signs final agreement to grant Japan air and naval bases in southern Indochina.

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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*24 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1937 class TB DKM T-16





Type VIIC U-454
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIC U-580





Neutral
Acceptor Class MSW USS ACCEPTOR (AMc-36)

Allied
Stalinec Class Sub VMF S-12





*Losses*
None 

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-137
Trondheim:U-205, U-451

At Sea 24 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-141, U-145, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-652, UA

30 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic
The small unarmed *transport MERIDIAN (SU 840 grt)* was sunk by the DKM DDs Z-4, Z-7, Z-16 and Z-20

*North Sea*
CLA EURYALUS, escorted by DD CROOME, departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow, where they arrived late in the evening.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.56 from the Pentland Firth until meeting convoy EC.49 at approximately midnight. After parting with convoy EC.49 in Pentland Firth, the ship arrived at Scapa Flow at sunset on on the 25th.

*West Coast*
OS.1 departed Liverpool, escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE and corvettes AZALEA and PENSTEMON. The corvettes were detached on the 26th and 25 July, respectively. The convoy was joined on the 25th by DDs BATH, VANOC, and WALKER. The DDs were detached on the 28th, 26 July, and 3 August, respectively.Also joining on the 25th were anti-aircraft ship ARIGUANI which was detached on the 28th, corvettes CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, and MALLOW which were detached on the 28th, trawlers BALTA, KOS IX, and LORINDA which were detached on 3 August, boom defense vessels CONSBRO, LORD GAINSFORD, PANORAMA, and PHYLLISIA which were detached on the 26th.

Sloops LONDONDERRY and WESTON joined on the 26th and were detached on 9 August. Destroyer CHELSEA joined on the 28th and was detached on the 30th.Corvettes ANCHUSA, ASPODEL, and CALENDULA joined on 9 August and arrived with the convoy at Freetown on 10 August.

*Channel*
A British raid of 149 RAF bombers was launched against DKM heavy units at La Pallice and Brest. BC SCHARNHORST was badly damaged at La Pallice. BC GNEISENAU at Brest was not damaged.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine UPHOLDER damaged Italian steamer DANDOLO, escorted by a DD, off the west coast of Sicily.

Submarine UPRIGHT unsuccessfully attacked floating dock G022 off Cape dell'Armi. The submarine was heavily counterattacked.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said escorting motor transport ship GUJARAT to Famagusta in Serial S.5 of the GUILLOTINE Operation. The sloop returned to Port Said on the 28th.

Italian submarine SQUALO claimed damaging a British tanker in 32-20N, 24-53E

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy SL.82 departed Freetown escorted by AMC DERBYSHIRE to 10 August, DD VANSITTART to and corvettes ARMERIA, ASTER, BURDOCK, and MARGUERITE to 31July.Corvette AMARANTHUS joined the convoy from 25 to 27 July.

On 10 August, DDs VICEROY and WOLLSTON joined the convoy and on 11 August, destroyers VANOC and WALKER joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 15 August.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CV FORMIDABLE, after temporary repairs at Alexandria, departed Alexandria for Port Said escorted by ML cruiser LATONA and DDs JERVIS, KANDAHAR, and JAGUAR.

RAN DD VOYAGER departed Alexandria to return to Australia. The destroyer passed through the Suez Canal on the 25th. The DD arrived at Port Darwin on 25 September

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 JULY TO DAWN 25 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1015 hrs _Six JU 87 Stuka bombers attack a British convoy approaching Malta. Beaufighters are on patrol over the convoy; one chases the raiders half way to Sicily and shoots down one JU 87 in flames and another which crashes into the sea.

_1400 hrs _A convoy enters Grand Harbour.

_1739-1754 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft heading towards Malta; they turn back before reaching the Island.

_2154-2230 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. The first heads towards Gozo and circles south west of the Island before dropping bombs in the sea west of Mellieha. The second crosses the coast near St Julians and drops bombs near Luqa. The third crosses over St Paul’s Bay and recedes south east of Ghain Tuffieha, passes to the south of Filfla, turns and crosses the coast again and drops bombs near Nigret. Hurricane fighters are scrambled. Searchlights illuminate one raider but the Hurricanes are unable to close in time.

_0015-0050 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft approaching the coast. Searchlights illuminate the raider and a Hurricane engages the raider, firing short machine-gun bursts; no results are seen. The raider drops bombs in the sea and turns away.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 24 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Operation Substance arrived safely, less _Leinster_, who had run ashore at Gibraltar. _Sydney Star_ torpedoed, but arrived safely, drawing 40 feet forward. _Farndale_ remained behind with condenser trouble. Captain Wright, Royal Navy, sailed for United Kingdom. 830 Squadron maintained continuous anti-submarine patrol over Operation Substance from daylight. 1 of 4 Swordfish on anti-submarine patrol force landed in the sea due to engine failure and was lost; the crew were rescued. HM Submarine _Upright_ attacked a floating dock which was proceeding in tow around CapeSpartivent to the westward.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance Taranto, Trapani, Palermo, Messina. 2 Fulmars patrolling Pantelleria to Sicily covering the convoy. 6 Marylands patrol MarittimoIsland to CapeCarbonara from dawn to 1630 hrs covering convoy. 9 Beaufighters escorting British convoy from the west to Malta.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 24 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*25 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-50
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class Net tender USS BOXWOOD AN-8

Elco 77’ PT USS PT 42

Allied
Fairmile “B” ML FNFL ML 267

63’ type MA/SB HMS MA/SB29

Fairmile C MGB HMS MGB 330





_Fairmile C MGB_

*Losses*
RM submarine BARBARIGO sank *steamer MACON (UK 5135 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. 21 crew and one passenger were saved from the steamer.25 were missing from the steamer.Two crew died in the ship's boat and one was killed.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Oxhoft (Gydnia): U-142

At Sea 25 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-141, U-142, U-145, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-652, UA

31 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA SHROPSHIRE departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord and Denmark Strait patrol. The cruiser arrived at Hvalfjord on the 27th.

*Channel*
DDs MENDIP, QUORN, and CATTISTOCK departed Portsmouth at 2100 to bombard Dieppe in operation GIDEON. A brief bombardment was carried out early on the 26th, but the rest of the operation was cancelled due to weather.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TETRARCH sank *PV B 247 ( RM 350 grt(est))* (ex trawler MARIA IMMANCOLATA) off GaideroIsland. The submarine reported an unsuccessful attack on a German ship.

A Swordfish of 815 Sqn was lost 44 miles west of Cape Kormakiti, Cyprus, when the airframe and engine parted. Sub Lt D.A. Wise and Sub Lt A.H. Cann were killed.

*Sth Atlantic
steamer ERLANGEN (Ger 6101 grt)* scuttled herself when she was intercepted by CL NEWCASTLE SE of River Plate.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 JULY TO DAWN 26 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1059-1130 hrs _Air raid alert for one SM 79 and one BR 20 bomber escorted by 40 Macchi fighters approaching the Island for reconnaissance at 22000 feet. 22 Hurricane fighters of 185 and 249 Squadrons are scrambled and engage the raiders over GrandHarbour. Hurricanes of 249 Squadron attack the BR 20 and it begins to emit smoke. Pilots of 185 Squadron give chase and attack, setting the port engine on fire and further damaging the fuselage. It is last seen on fire, breaking up and descending towards the sea 20 miles north east of Malta. Four pilots of 185 Squadron attack the SM 79. The undercarriage falls and one parachute is seen descending from the aircraft which crashes in to the sea in flames 20 miles east of the Island. 

A pilot of 249 Squadron shoots down a Macchi; the pilot bales out but his parachute fails to open properly and he is killed. He is later identified as Sottotenente Francesco Liberti. The Macchi crashes into the cellar of a bomb-damaged shop in Strada Reale, Valletta. Two more Macchi 200s are shot down over the sea. A wounded Italian airman is picked up by the sea rescue services six miles north east of GrandHarbour and taken to hospital. The body of another is found on land, his parachute only half open. All Hurricanes return safely. 

Italian sloop DIANA and motor torpedo boats MAS.451 and MAS.452 departed Augusta. Sloop DIANA carried one large motorboat leader, eight explosive boats, and towed another motorboat. The MASs each towed one explosive SLC boat each.

The next day, these forces attempted to attack the SUBSTANCE convoy in Malta, but British air attacks destroyed all but DIANA which was able to return to base.

The Italian boats blew up the harbour boom, but no other damage was done. Three officers and fifteen ratings were captured.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 25 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _At 2300 an enemy ship was detected and approached to within 14 miles of Malta.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Swordfish. _69 Squadron _Marylands special patrols. Beaufighter searched area between Malta and Sicily for Motor Torpedo Boats but found none.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 25 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*26 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type XB U-116





Type VIIC U-134





Neutral

Net tender USS CHESTNUT

Allied
AA ship ULSTER QUEEN






*Losses*
U-141 sank *MV BOTWEY (UK 5106 grt)* in the western approaches whilst travelling as part of convoy OS-1. The ship was empty at the time of her loss, with a crew of 53, all of whom survived the attack. At 0328 hrs, U-141 attacked the convoy OS-1 365 miles 270° from Bloody Foreland. The Uboat commander, Schuler, thought that he had scored one hit on each of three ships. The first vessel was seen being abandoned, the second exploded and the third, which had four masts, was seen to develop a heavy list. In fact, he had only managed to sink the BOTWEYand damage the ATLANTIC CITY. The master, 48 crew members and four gunners from BOTWEY were picked up by the British rescue ship COPELAND and landed at Greenock on 28 July
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM submarine BARBARIGO sank *tanker HORN SHELL (UK 8272 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. 17 crew were lost on the steamer. The survivors were picked up by Portuguese trawler MARIA LEONOR. On 19 August, the trawler was intercepted off CapeJuby by destroyer AVON VALE and the survivors were removed.






*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel; U-83, U-146
St Nazaire: U-46. U-559
Trondheim: U-566

At Sea 26 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-141, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-652, UA

35 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic

Baltic
_Battle of Bengtskar_
During the Soviet failed attempt to land on Bengskar the soviet submarine chaser *MO-306 (VMF 51 grt) *(previously known as PK-238) was sunk by the Finnish gunboat UUSIMAA. (other Soviet units involved were MO-238, MO-311 and MO-312, and on Finnish side the gunboats HAMENMAA and patrol boat VMV-13). The same Finnish gunboat UUSIMAA and the coastal BB ILMARINEN (that together the sister ship VAINAMOINEN had started to sail to the island, fearing the action of VMF DDs, that never occurred) were lightly damaged by a/c with 2 kia and 13 wia. Soviet crewmembers of MO-306 suffered 16 pow. Also MO-237 and MO-236 bombarded the island.







During a short engagement, Soviet MTBs atttempted to attack German R-boats, after that an air raid had sunk *R-169 (DKM 160 grt)* (11 kia, 12 wia) and damaged R-53 and R-63, but they were repelled by R-170 and R-168 with no damage inflicted on both sides.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM TB T.3 claimed sinking a VMF DD in a surface action in the Baltic, but there are no corroborating records to support this claim .

*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.57 from Pentland Firth until meeting convoy EC.50

*West Coast*
DDs BROKE and VERITY, escorting convoy SL.80, collided near Londonderry. BROKE sustained damage to her bow. temporary repairs were done at Liverpool. Permanent repairs were done at the Hebburn on Tyne yard from 11 August to 12 September. VERITY sustained extensive damage below the waterline. The DD was repaired at Belfast from 28 July to 21 September.

ON.1 departed Liverpool, escort sloop STORK. The sloop was detached the next day when the convoy was joined by DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN and corvettes VERBENA and VIOLET, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE, NORTHERN SPRAY, and NORTHERN WAVE. DDs SARDONYX and SCIMITAR were detached on the 30th and the remainder of the escort on the 31st when relieved by DDs BURWELL and RICHMOND and corvettes COBALT and POLYANTHUS. BURWELL was detached on 1 August. The remainder of the escort remained until the convoy was dispersed on 9 August.

*Med/Biscay*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Alexandria for Port Said and New Zealand after being relieved by CL NEPTUNE. LEANDER departed Suez on the 31st to return to New Zealand.

Sloop FLAMINGO departed Port Said with MV SALAMAUA for Famagusta in serial S.8 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The sloop arrived at Famagusta on the 28th and departed the same day.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 JULY TO DAWN 27 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_0415 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching the Island. They turn away without dropping any bombs.

_0445 hrs _Five explosive motor torpedo boats (MTB) are reported off GrandHarbour.
_



+_

_Italian explosive MTBs _

_0446 hrs _A large explosion is heard from the direction of GrandHarbour.

_0450 hrs _MTBs, one-man motor boats and two-man submarines are reported off GrandHarbour. The St Elmo alarm sounds again and sentries take up positions on all beach posts.

_0500 hrs_ The vessels are engaged by the twin six-pounders of the Harbour Fire Command at a range between 3000 and 500 yards. Bofors gun positions at Dragut Point, Fort St Elmo and Ricasoli also engage. Defence posts of 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment engage the boats with machine-gunfire. Hurricane fighters join in the attack on the Italian MTBs.

Two MTBs are sunk and two disabled, along with the entire force of one-man speed boats and two-man submarines. One Bofors claims six hits on a MTB. 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment reports hitting one MTB with machine-gunfire at 1450 yards; the vessel then explodes. 

Eight two-man submarines attempt to break through the boom defences of Marsamxetto and GrandHarbour. Seven are either sunk or destroyed before reaching their target; one reaches the viaduct of Elmo breakwater and explodes, blowing it up. Gas and water mains are broken by the impact; supplies are shut off by Royal Engineers personnel. 

_0525 hrs _Air raid alert for a large formation of enemy aircraft approaching the Island 15 Hurricanes fighters are scrambled. Nine of the Hurricanes sight two enemy rescue boats 15 miles from Malta on a north-easterly course. Two fighters dive towards the boats and open fire from 500 yards, five of the remaining Hurricanes follow in to attack while one remains on lookout. One of the boats is halted and appears to be sinking, the other is pursued for five miles before bursting into flames. Hurricanes also attack MTBs off the coast of Grand Harbour and Marsamxetto.

A Macchi fighter approaches and attacks one of the Hurricanes. Another Hurricane launches a counter-attack on the Macchi and shoots it down into the sea. Hurricanes engage 15 Macchi fighters apparently on their way back to Sicily; two Macchis are shot down. One Hurricane is shot down in the engagement and P/O Winston is reported missing. Another pilot reports having seen him in the sea 25-30 miles north east of GrandHarbour. 

_0622 hrs _Raiders passed signal is sounded. Heavy machine-gun fire is heard out to sea.

St Elmo Viaduct has been damaged but the Harbour defences have not been penetrated. Reports claim a mixture of ten vessels including MTBs and one-man submarines sunk by shore gun batteries and Hurricane fighters; numbers are difficult to confirm due to the half-light. However, excellent work by the twin six-pounders of the Harbour Fire Command undoubtedly accounted for the majority of the craft destroyed.

_DAY _Swordfish aircraft and rescue boats from Kalafrana carry out patrols to search for survivors, totalling five and a half hours. P/O Winston is picked up unhurt. Eighteen Italians are rescued alive and taken prisoner. One disabled MTB is brought into GrandHarbour. A one-man speed boat is also recovered intact and it is hoped to salvage other craft. 

The enemy also carry out searches for the missing MTBs, small submarines and Macchi pilots throughout the day. Hurricanes make no further contact with enemy aircraft. 

_2152-2218 hrs; 2231-2348 hrs _Air raid alerts for six Italian BR 20 bombers which approach the Island singly. Although there is little moon, the raiders manage more hits on the Island than usual. Bombs are dropped on fields between Mosta and St Paul’s Bay, where they cause a fire among crops which acts as a beacon for a second raider to drop more bombs. 250kg high explosive bombs are also dropped between Naxxar and Mosta, on Zonqor Point and Maddalena, on Zabbar and near Marsascala, on fields behind Sliema, and in the sea. Hurricanes 249 Squadron are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns fire one barrage; no claims. 

An enemy hospital ship searches through the night for survivors of this morning’s engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 26 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Dawn attack on GrandHarbour and Marsamxett by enemy E and smaller M boats. Attack decisively defeated, believed a total of 15 boats sunk by harbour defences and RAF. 18 prisoners collected. St Elmo Viaduct torpedoed – our only casualty. _Cachalot_ sailed for Alexandria with stores and personnel.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Sicily, Tripoli, Castel Benito and special patrols. _110 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims sent to attack ship reported by patrol but failed to locate it.

_HAL FAR _Wing Commander R H Harris took over command of Station.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 26 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*27 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
None

*Losses*
U-126 sank the *Steamer ERATO (UK 1335 grt)* from convoy OG-69 west of the coast of Portugal . The ship was on passage from Tyne to Gibraltar. She was transporting coal and coke with a crew of 19 embarked (3 of whom would be lost in the attack) At 2351 hrs, U-126 fired four bow torpedoes and then two stern torpedoes at the convoy OG-69 200 miles west of Cape Finisterre. U-Boat skipper Bauer reported that one ship exploded, another hit on a small ship beyond and hits by the stern torpedoes on two different ships aft and amidships. The last vessel was seen sinking after it broke in two. However, only two ships were reported sunk at this time, the ERATO (the first ship hit) and the INGA I (which broke in two). Eight crew members and one gunner from the ERATO, the ship of the convoy commodore, were lost. The master, the commodore, five naval staff members, 22 crew members and four gunners were picked up by Corvette HMS BEGONIA (K-66) and landed at Gibraltar.






U-126 sank the *Steamer INGA I (UK 1304 grt)* from convoy OG-69 west of the coast of Portugal . The ship was on passage from Liverpool to Gibraltar, via the Portuguese port of Oporto. She was transporting general stores as well military equipment with a crew of 42 embarked (9 of whom would be lost in the attack). The INGA I was hit on the starboard side between the engine room and boiler room by one torpedo and sank in two minutes. Three crew members were lost. The master and 15 crew members were rescued by an escort vessel and landed at Gibraltar on 30 July.





U-202 sank the *steamer HAWKINGE (UK 2475 grt)* from convoy OG-69 off the west coast of Portugal. The ship was on passage from Glasgow to Lisbon , carrying a load of coal, with a crew of 31 (15 of whom would be lost in the attack). At 0254 hrs, U-203 attacked the OG-69 about 800 miles SW of Fastnet and reported the sinking of two ships, totalling 14.000 grt. However, only the HAWKINGE was hit. 13 crew members and two gunners were lost. The master and five crew members were picked up by Corvette HMS SUNFLOWER (K-41) and landed at Londonderry. Seven crew members and three gunners were picked up by DD HMS VANOC (H-33) and landed at Liverpool.





U-79 sank *steamer KELLWYN (UK 1459 grt)* from convoy OG-69. The vessel was transporting
Coke from Tyne to Lisbon with a crew of 23 (14 of whom would perish in the attack). At 0022 hrs, U-79 fired a spread of four torpedoes and the stern torpedo at the OG-69 about 350 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive because a DD was closing in, so Uboat skipper Kaufmann only saw a column of fire and heard several detonations. He reported three ships sunk and two others probably damaged. In fact, only the KELLWYN was hit and sunk, the later explosions almost certainly were DC from the escorts. The master, ten crew members and three gunners were lost. Nine crew members were picked up by the ASW trawler HMS St NECTAN and landed at Gibraltar on 1 August.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing trawler BEN STROME (UK 198 grt)* was sunk by the LW 15 miles SE of Fuglo Island. The crew of ten were all lost.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-564

Departures
Helsingor (Denmark): U-563

At Sea 27 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-141, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-652, UA

34 Boats

U-68 as part of the wolf pack attacking OG-69 was kept down and held off a convoy by 24 depth charges from Flower Class corvette HMS RHODODENDRUM. Another U-boat was also held away from the convoy from HMS SUNFLOWER and HMS PIMPERNEL at roughly the same time. Both U-Boats failed to attack the convoy.

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
DKM 3rd S-Boat Flotilla with S.54, S.55, S.57, and S.58 attacked Soviet ships in the Gulf of Riga.

*STOROZHEVOI Class DD SMELYI (VMF 2192 grt)*, already disabled after striking a mine, was sunk by S.54, in company with S.55, in the Gulf of Riga. S 57 and S.58 unsuccessfully attacked two Soviet minesweepers at Oesel. Soviet sources claim the ship was scuttled by Soviet MTB TKA-27






Black Sea/Caspian
*Liner LENIN (Sov 2717 grt)* Black Sea State Shipping Co. In voyage from Sevastopol to Yalta the ship either hit a mine or was attacked by a submarine whilst transporting between 1250 5200) evacuees and a crew of 43 crew. About 600 were rescued. At least 900 passengers were lost (according to unofficial sources up to 4600 passengers were lost).





*North Sea*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed the Tyne for Scapa Flow, escorted by DDs WINDSOR and WORCESTER. The cruiser arrived on the 28th.

AMC ESPERANCEBAY arrived at Scapa Flow for onward passage to London

*Northern Waters*
Precursor to Operation Gauntlet
At the end of July 1941, an RN TG under the command of Vice Admiral Phillip Vian reconnoitered Spitsbergen to ascertain the situation not knowing whether or not a German military presence was on the islands. There was not, and both the Norwegian and Soviet settlers were cooperative. A Norwegian officer, Lt Ragnvald Tamber, was left at Longyearbyen to act as a representative and Force K returned to Britain with 70 volunteers for the Free Norwegian forces and a loaded collier. All this had been done without alerting the Germans, who remained in ignorance of Allied activity.

Lt. Tamber maintained normal radio contacts with the mainland and encouraged the despatch of additional colliers to collect coal, but detained them with the expectation that they would, in fact, sail to Britain. Eventually three ships were held at Longyearbyen.

En route to Britain, Vians Force visited Bear island, destroyed the weather station there and evacuated the Norwegian personnel on 1 August. This action finally alerted the Germans to Allied activity and, thereafter, Force K was shadowed by LW a/c.

Vian returned to London to discuss the possibilities with the CoS. His advice was that a military occupation would be possible but the location was unsuitable as a naval base, mainly due to seasonal ice. Churchill applied pressure for a plan to be devised quickly. The plan, agreed with Churchill, the Soviet ambassador and King Haakon, and proposed Force K to return to Spitsbergen, destroy the mining facilities and fuel stocks, repatriate the Russians, and bring the remaining Norwegians and any available ships back to Britain.

On the 27th CLs NIGERIA and AURORA with DDs TARTAR and PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow as Force A for Seidisfjord, arriving on the 29th. British oiler OLIGARCH, escort ORP DD GARLAND had departed Scapa Flow on the 24th for Seidisfjord, arriving on the 27th. They departed Seidisfjord later that day with trawlers SEALYHAM and WASTWATER to refuel Force A. Force A departed Seidisfjord on the 29th. They met the oiler OLIGARCH group on the 31st to refuel.

DD TARTAR was sent ahead to land a Norwegian officer at the W/T station at Kap Linne.
On the 31st, CL NIGERIA and DD TARTAR entered Advent Fjord, Spitsbergen. 

CL AURORA and DD PUNJABI proceeded to Gronfjord. DD GARLAND was engaged on ASW patrol at the entrance to Isfjord. On 1 August, oiler OLIGARCH refuelled the ships at Spitsbergen. DD GARLAND and Norwegian steamer DAGNY I joined the OLIGARCH group. DD GARLAND, ASW trawlers SEALYHAM and WASTWATER, and oiler OLIGARCH proceeded to sea. A party was landed at BearIsland on 2 August to demolish the W/T station and embark four Norwegian operators. The ships refuelled again on 3 August.Oiler OLIGARCH was then sent with DD GARLAND and trawler SEALYHAM to Seidisfjord.

Steamer DAGNY I and whaler WASTWATER were detached on 3 August and proceeded to the Faroes.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.2 departed Liverpool, escorted by sloop BLACK SWAN and corvette CONVOLVULUS. Both escorts were detached the next day. On the 28th, ORP DD BURZA, corvettes AUBRETIA, NIGELLA, and SNOWDROP, MSWs BIRTOMART, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN, NOTTS COUNTY, and ST APOLLO. Destroyers AMAZON and GEORGETOWN and corvette HEARTSEASE joined on the 30th. DD GEORGETOWN and MSW BRITOMART were detached on 1 August, DDs AMAZON and BURZA, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, NIGELLA, and SNOWDROP, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO on 2 August. AMC RANPURA, DD BURWELL, and corvettes CHAMBLY and PICTOU joined on 2 August. The convoy was dispersed on 8 August.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TETRARCH sank caique NICITA (FI 250 grt (est)) five miles south of Kos

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.141 departed Halifax, escort AMC MONTCLARE and corvettes NANAIMO, ORILLIA, and TRAIL. Corvettes CHICOUTIMI and MATAPEDIA joined on the 28th.Corvettes CHICOUTIMI, NANAIMO, and TRAIL were detached on the 30th. On the 30th, DD SKEENA and corvettes ALBERNI and PRIMROSE joined the convoy. The escort was detached on 6 August when relieved by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and SKATE, corvette VERONIA, and MSW SPEEDY. The corvette and the MSW were detached on 8 August and DDs were detached on 9 August. ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST ZENO escorted the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 August.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN arrived at Gibraltar after Western Patrol.

Corvette GARDENIA intercepted Vichy auxiliary PV EDITH GERMAINE at 12-38N, 17-55W.Corvette AMARANTHUS was in company. The trawler was taken towards Freetown by the two corvettes. When it was determined the trawler was going to Dakar, it was allowed to continue.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL CERES damaged her port screw when it contacted the pier during docking at Trincomalee.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 JULY TO DAWN 28 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and humid.

_AM _Two SM 79 bombers were intercepted 50 miles off Malta by Hurricanes of 185 Squadron. Both enemy aircraft were shot down into the sea.

_2230-2314 hrs _Air raid alert for a single Italian BR 20 bomber which crosses the Island from St Paul’s Bay to Mtarfa, turns south and then north, crossing the Island again over the same course. Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire three barrages at 18000 feet; no claims. No Hurricanes are scrambled.

_2334-0021 hrs _Air raid alert for two BR 20 bombers which approach the Island a mile apart. The first drops bombs in the sea north of St Paul’s Bay; the second drops 250kg high explosive bombs on St Julian’s which puts a searchlight out of action wounding three men, two seriously. 250kg bombs are also dropped on Tal Qroqq. No Hurricanes are scrambled.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 27 JULY 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _7 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 5 Wellington. _Departures _2 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands special patrol Ionian Sea and search patrol. The Commander in Chief Middle East, General Auchinleck, and the Air Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Tedder with their staffs arrived today en route for the UK. They are expected to leave tomorrow.

_HAL FAR _AOCinC Air Marshal A W Tedder, CB, and AOC Mediterranean visited the station.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 27 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*28 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette FNFL RENONCULE (K-117)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Isles class ASW Trawler HMS INCHOLM (T-18)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BPB 70’ type MGB 19
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 269
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMSI class MSW MMS 41
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Thornycroft 75’ type MTB RNorN MTB 56
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-203 sank *MV LAPLAND (UK 1330 grt)* off the coast of Portugal whilst the vessel was on passage from London to Lisbon with a cargo of tinplate and general cargo. All of the crew of 26 survived the attack. At 2127 hrs, U-203 fired four torpedoes on merchants and a DD in convoy OG-69 NW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive after the attack. Uboat skipper Mutzelburg interpreted the heard detonations and sinking noises and reported three ships sunk and a DD probably damaged. In fact, only the NORITA and LAPLAND were hit and sunk. The master, 22 crew members and three gunners from the LAPLAND were picked up by Corvette HMS RHODODENDRON (K-78) and landed at Gibraltar.





U-203 sank *Steamer NORITA (SD 1516 grt)* off the coast of Portugal whilst the vessel was on passage from Hartlepool to Huelva with a cargo of coking coal and general cargo. A crew of 20 were embarked, 2 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 2127 hrs, U-203 fired four torpedoes on merchants and a DD in convoy OG-69 NW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive after the attack. Uboat skipper Mutzelburg interpreted the heard detonations and sinking noises and reported three ships sunk and a DD probably damaged. In fact, only the NORITA and LAPLAND were hit and sunk.





U-561 sank the *Steamer WROTHAM (UK 1884 grt)* from OG-69 off the coast of Portugal. The ship was on passage from Androssan to Huelva, Spain, in ballast. A crew of 26 were embarked, all of whom were to survive the attack. At 0424 hrs, U-561 fired three torpedoes at the convoy OG-69 west of Cape Finisterre and recorded in her war log a hit and flames on a large tkr, a hit on a freighter that sank in 30 seconds and thought that they hit a third ship in the convoy. However, only the WROTHAMwas hit and sunk. The master, 22 crew members and three gunners were picked up by Corvette HMS FLEUR DE LYS (K-122) and Corvette HMS RHODODENDRON (K-78) and landed at Gibraltar. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-563
Kirkenes: U-451
Lorient: U-125

Departures
Brest: U-558
Stormelo: U-144

At Sea 28 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-141, U-142, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-652, UA

35 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
VMF submarine SHCH.307 sank *Type IID U.144 (DKM 460 grt)* in the Gulf of Finland, nth of Dago . The entire crew of twenty eight were lost in the submarine.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ELBING III (Ger 315 grt)* was sunk near Libau by Soviet bombing. Some sources say she was mined. Perhaps she was lost to mines laid by VVS a/c.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow before noon and escorted convoy WN.58 from the Pentland Firth. On meeting convoy EC.51 during the morning of 29 July, the ship then transferred to that convoy. Detaching the convoy in Pentland Firth, ALYNBANK returned to Scapa Flow on the evening of the 29th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SHROPSHIRE departed Hvalfjord for patrol duties on Denmark Strait patrol

*Northern Waters
Trawler STRATHLOCHY (UK 212 grt)* was sunk by the LW 180 miles NW of Rora Head, Orkneys.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy HG.69 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop BIDEFORD and ASW trawler STELLA CARINA. The convoy was joined on the 29th by DDs BEVERLEY and DUNCAN, corvette COREOPSIS, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA, and submarine SEVERN. DD BEVERLY refuelled at Ponta Delgada on 3 August and then rejoined the convoy.

DD DUNCAN was detached on 2 August and returned to Gibraltar. On 5 August, submarine SEVERN and corvettes COREOPSIS, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA were detached; the corvettes transferring to convoy OG.70. On 6 August, trawler STELLA CARINA was detached to convoy OG.70 and ocean boarding vessel HILARY joined the convoy. DDs LEGION and ORP PIORUN joined the convoy on 7 August and DDs CHELSEA and WOLVERINE and corvettes GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, MYOSOTIS, and PERIWINKLE joined on 8 August. DDs BEVERLEY, LEGION, and PIORUN were detached on 9 August to Londonderry. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 August.

*Channel*
In Operation CHESS, a patrol from an assault landing craft (LC) was landed near Fecamp (a coastal area between Dieppe and Le Havre) just after midnight. T/Lt (E) J. Templeton RNR, and one rating were killed. The LC was able to retire and met the covering force of motor launches 10 miles SE of Dover.

*Med/Biscay
Lighter A.8 (RN 250 grt (est))* was sunk off Bardia by the LW. 8 of the crew were lost.

Lighter A.14 in company was able to escape.

Submarine OLYMPUS was damaged by RA bombing off Cavoli Light in the Tyrrhenian Sea.After emergency repairs, the submarine was able to return to Gibraltar.

DD JERVIS departed Haifa and joined CL NEPTUNE, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DD JAGUAR to return to Alexandria. These ships were relieved by RAN CL HOBART and DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY at Haifa. The NEPTUNE group arrived at Alexandria on the 29th.

Corvette HYACINTH was detached from the escort of damaged DD ISIS off Port Said. The corvette escorted MV KEVINBANK in serial S.9 of the GUILLOTINE Operation to Famagusta, arriving on the 30th, before she returned to Port Said on the 30th.

DD HOTSPUR and RAN DD VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Tobruk. The DDs loaded troops at Tobruk early on the 29th and proceeded to Mersa Matruh where they arrived at 0900 on the 29th. On the 30th, the destroyers departed for Alexandria. At 2215, a submarine contact was obtained. DD HOTSPUR attacked the contact and DD VENDETTA continued to Alexandria, arriving on the 31st.

A convoy of steamers ERNESTO, CASTELVERDE, AQUITANIA, NITA, and NIRVO and gunboat PALMAIOLA departed Tripoli on the 27th escort DDs FOLGORE, SAETTA, FUCLIERE, and ALPINO. Distant cover was provided by CLs GARIBALDI and MONTECUCCOLI and DDs GRANATIERE and BERSAGLIERE. DD FULMINE joined the convoy escort at 1815 on the 28th. CL GARIBALDI was torpedoed by Submarine UPHOLDER off Cape St Vito on the 28th. DDs FUCLIERE and ALPINO joined the damaged cruiser that evening. The CL arrived at Palermo at 0630 on the 29th. She was under repair for four months to repair the damage. TB SIRTORI joined the convoy escort on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Naples on the 30th.

Submarine UTMOST sank *steamer FREDERICO (FI 1466 grt)* off western Calabria. Records show she was escorted, who counterattacked immediately, but with no success.





Submarine OLYMPUS made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in 40-40N, 9-50E.

RNeN submarine O.21 sank *steamer MONTEPONI (FI 747 grt)* ten miles north of CapeComino. Some sources say the target survived, but there are no other references to this ship for the remainder of the war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.24 departed Gibraltar to patrol in the Gulf of Genoa and Tyrrhenian Sea.

Submarine UPRIGHT arrived at Malta from patrol.

Submarine URGE arrived at Malta from patrol.

*Central Atlantic*
DD HIGHLANDER rescued Norwegian steamer LIDVARD at 12-35N, 17-52E at 0500 on the 28th. The steamer had escaped from Dakar during the night of 26/27 August. French auxiliary patrol vessel EDITH GERMAINE intercepted the steamer on the 27th. DD HIGHLANDER was soon joined by destroyer BOREAS. Vichy CLs GLOIRE and GEORGES LEYGUES, submarine ACTEON, and naval aircraft were at sea in an attempt to return the steamer to Dakar. The steamer was escorted to Freetown by DDs HIGHLANDER and BOREAS and arrived on the 29th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 JULY TO DAWN 29 JULY 1941
_Weather _Hot and humid.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 28 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Upright_ returned from patrol, having obtained 2 hits on a 500’ Floating Dock. HM submarine_Upholder_ hit an Italian cruiser with two torpedoes. _Urge_ returned from patrol (Commanding Officer sick). 5 Swordfish left to intercept convoy, but turned back owing to high oil temperatures of engines. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 5 Swordfish despatched to attack a southbound convoy off Pantelleria had to return due to overheated engines.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _13 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 3 Wellington. _Departures _5 Blenheim, 2 Wellington. The Commander in Chief Middle East, General Auchinleck, and the Air Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Tedder with their staffs left for the UK. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Sicily, Tripoli and search patrols. _110 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims searched for two merchant ships, not found but bombed a converted sailing ship. _252 Squadron _8 Beaufighters attacked Catania, Syracuse, Marsala with success, 2 attacking each target. They destroyed a large number of aircraft and damaged many more, and killed 25 ground staff. One Beaufighter navigator Sgt T Armstrong was wounded. Hurricanes provided cover between Sicily and Malta.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 28 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*29 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
LCT-43

MGB 322

U Class Sub HMS ULTIMATUM (P-34)






*Losses*
*Steamer ADAM'S BECK (UK 2816 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW one mile 235° from 20C Buoy, Tyne. One crew was missing on the steamer. The steamer sank on the 30th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer CHAUCER (UK 5792 grt)* was captured at 16-46N, 38-01W by DKM raider ORION. The entire crew were made prisoners of war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-566
Stormelo: U-145

Departures
St Nazaire: U-73, U75
Windau: U-139

At Sea 29 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-141, U-142, U-144, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-652, UA

36 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*Steamer BERNHARD (Ger 1890 grt)* was lost in a collision with Swedish steamer FRODE (1535grt) near Norderney.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
DKM DDs destroyers KARL GALSTER, HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, and RICHARD BEITZEN swept towards Yugor and Kara Straits (in the Barents Sea). However, the sweep was abandoned when the British carrier force was reported.

Baltic
*Steamer LEONTES (Ger 338 grt)* was lost on a VMF mine near Windau
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
Sub Lt C. Wheatley, Midshipman L.E.W. Byam, and Leading Airman G. Curwen were lost when their Albacore of 832 Squadron crashed west of Kintyre.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TALISMAN departed Gibraltar for Malta with stores.

Submarine THRASHER arrived at Alexandria with seventy eight men from Crete which had been in hiding since the island fell.

Submarine OLYMPUS was damaged by near misses from an Italian bomber 3½ miles 107° Cavoli Light, The submarine sustained considerable damage to her battery and many fittings were damaged causing leaks. Submarine OLYMPUS arrived back at Gibraltar on 2 August.

*Central Atlantic*
British supply ship BRECONSHIRE, escorted by corvettes WALLFLOWER, ZINNIA, HYDRANGEA, CAMPANULA, and BLUEBELL departed Gibraltar for Liverpool.

Submarine CLYDE arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Atlantic.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 JULY TO DAWN 30 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 29 JULY 1941
_AIR HQ Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Sicily and Tripoli.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 29 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*30 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-504





Neutral
Elco 77’ PT USS PT-44

Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS PUCKERIDGE (L-108)





T Class Submarine HMS TRUSTY (N-45)





Flower Class Corvette HMS SNOWDROP (K-67)





Flower Class Corvette HMS STONECROP (K-142)





Vosper 70’ MTB HMS MTB 220,

*Losses*
U-371 sank *steamer SHAHRISTAN (UK 6935 grt)* in the Central Atlantic whilst the vessel was attached to convoy OS-1 (convoy was dispersed when attacked). The ship was on passage from London to Basra when sunk carrying 68 passengers, and general cargo. She had a total crew of 141 (including passengers). 65 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0138 hrs the unescorted SHAHRISTAN, dispersed from convoy OS-1, was torpedoed and sunk by U-331 SE of the Azores. The master, 38 crew members and 26 passengers were lost. 33 survivors were picked up by the Spanish tanker CAMPECHE and 37 survivors by Corvette HMS SUNFLOWER (K-41) and landed at Ponta Delgada, Azores. Six survivors were rescued by HMS DERBYSHIRE and landed at Gourock. 





U-371 sank *steamer SITOEBONDO (NL 7049 grt)* in the Central Atlantic whilst the vessel was attached to convoy OS-1 (convoy was dispersed when attacked). The ship was on passage from London to Calcutta via various ports when sunk carrying and general cargo. 77 passengers and crew were embarked, of which 14 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0246 hrs the unescorted SITOEBONDO , dispersed from OS-1 was hit by a torpedo from U-371 SE of the Azores, after they had witnessed the sinking of SHAHRISTAN about 1 hr earlier by the same U-boat. She sank after being hit by two more torpedoes at 0254 and 0337 hrs. The 71 crew members and six passengers had abandoned ship in three lifeboats after the first hit when the ship settled by the stern. The occupants of two boats were picked up by the Spanish tanker CAMPECHE next day. Two crew members on a raft were rescued by the Spanish tanker CAMPERO after about six days. The third boat with twelve crew members and two passengers was never found.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient:U-562, UA

Departures
Horten: U-373
Kiel: U-432
Kirkenes: U-451, U-566

At Sea 30 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-141, U-142, U-144, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-401, U-431, U-432, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-565, U-566, U-652

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*FV PICKHUBEN (Ger 238 grt)* was lost on a mine in the southern North Sea

*Northern Waters*
BB MALAYA, AMCESPERANCEBAY, and DDs CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN, and CROOME departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth where they arrived on the 31st. The AMC later continued on to London. The screen returned to Scapa Flow arriving late on the 31st.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.59 from Pentland Firth. The ship and convoy arrived at Methil in the forenoon on the 31st.

ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by survey ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.21C of the Northern Barrage.

*SW Approaches*
OG.70 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes AURICULA, MARIGOLD, and SAMPHIRE.

On the 31st, CAM ship MAPLIN, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvette CONVOLVULUS joined the convoy. DDs ST ALBANS, CAMPBELTOWN, and WANDERER were with the convoy during the day and were detached that ight. MAPLIN was also detached on 1 August. Corvettes COREOPSIS, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA and ASW trawler STELLA CARINA from convoy HG.69 joined on 6 August. DDs ENCOUNTER and NESTOR departed Gibraltar on 6 August and joined on 8 August. DD FORESIGHT from convoy HG.34 F also joined on 8 August. DD ENCOUNTER, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes AURICULA, CONVOLVULUS, JONQUIL, MARIGOLD, and SAMPHIRE were detached on 10 August and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 August. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 12 August with DDs FORESIGHT and NESTOR and corvettes COREOPSIS and SPIRAEA.

*Med/Biscay*
RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said escorting MV GUJARAT to Famagusta in Serial S.10 of the GUILLOTINE Operation. The ships arrived at Famagusta on 1 August and sloop PARRAMATTA departed that day to return to Port Said.

Corvette DELPHINIUM departed Alexandria to relieve corvette PEONY, with defects, at Famagusta.

Motor torpedo boat MTB.104, which had been laid up with defects at Port Said, departed Port Said for Alexandria to be paid off.

*Grampus Class Submarine CACHALOT (RN 1520 grt)*, which departed Malta on the 26th, was rammed and sunk by RM TB PAPA nth of Benghazi. Only one rating was lost. The remainder of the crew were rescued by the RM TB. The crew were taken prisoner.One officer managed to escaped captivity and get back to friendly territory .






In Operation STYLE, British Force X of CLA HERMIONE, CL ARETHUSA and ML cruiser MANXMAN with DDs SIKH and LIGHTNING departed Gibraltar on the 31st carrying the troops and supplies that had been on troopship LEINSTER and CL MANCHESTER which had not reached Malta during Operation SUBSTANCE.

BB NELSON, BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, NESTOR, FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, ENCOUNTER, and ERIDGE departed Gibraltar on the 30th to create a diversion for this operation.

Force S.was oiler BROWN RANGER and DD AVON VALE which departed Gibraltar on the 30th. On the return to Gibraltar, DDs AVON VALE and ERIDGE were exchanged.

On the 31st/1 August, DDs COSSACK and MAORI were detached to bombard the harbour of Alghero, (Sardinia) and fire star shells for a night raid by aircraft from CV ARK ROYAL. On 1 August, a Swordfish of the 810 Sqn landing on the ARK ROYAL crashed injuring the pilot, Lt (A)C.M. Jewell, which died of wounds and killing observer, Sub Lt (A) L.A. Royall, and gunner of the aircraft and A/Lt D.G. Bowker, A/Lt (E) T.I. Gay, and two ratings of the deck party, Leading Airman H.F. Huxley and Stoker Hunt.

CLA HERMIONE rammed and sank *Adua Class submarine TEMBIEN (RM 680 grt)* off Tunis on 2 August. The CLA sustained light damage.





On 2 August, HERMIONE, ARETHUSA, MANXMAN, and DDs SIKH and LIGHTNING arrived at Malta. They unloaded the reinforcements and departed later that night with DD FARNDALE with her condenser problems repaired. However, DD FARNDALE with further problems had to return to Malta for additional repair.

ARK ROYAL flew off Hurricanes to Malta on 2 August. Force H and the Malta reinforcement group returned to Gibraltar on 4 August. BC RENOWN was docked for repairs to bulge plating on her return .

*Nth Atlantic*
USN CV YORKTOWN, CL BROOKLYN, and DDs ROE, GRAYSON, and EBERLE departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol ending at Bermuda on 10 August.

*Central Atlantic*
British steamers SETTLER and CLAN MACNAUGHTON, en route to Freetown, and ARDEOLA and BRITISH HONOR, en route to Las Palmas and Trinidad, respectively, departed Gibraltar, escort DDs VIDETTE and VIMY and trawlers ARRAN and COPINSAY. On the 31st, trawler ARRAN was forced to return to Gibraltar with defects. DD VIDETTE was detached on 2 August and VIMY on 3 August to return to Gibraltar.

Trawler COPINSAY continued with the Freetown ships.

*Pacific/Australia*
Australian troop convoy US.1B departed Melbourne with Dutch steamer JOHN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT, British steamer KATOOMBA, and Dutch steamers MARNIX VAN ST ALDEGONDE and SIBAJAK. Steamer KATOOMBA proceeded only to Fremantle. Steamer SIBAJAK proceeded to Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 JULY TO DAWN 31 JULY 1941
_Weather _Sunny with a cool breeze.

_2332 hrs _A mine guard loop indicates the presence of a vessel. The minefield is detonated but a subsequent search reveals no wreckage.

_Night _ An enemy fighter patrol approached to within 25 miles of Malta then turn back. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not made contact as raiders retreat before engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 30 JULY 1941

_AIR HQ _ Arrivals 4 Blenheim, 5 Wellington._Departures _5 Blenheim, 4 Wellington. _69 Squadron_Marylands reconnaissance Sicily. 6 Beaufighters successful ground-strafing operation Elmas aerodrome and seaplane base, southern Sardinia destroying eight aircraft and damaging many more and causing a large fire in a hangar. One Beaufighter attacked a large transport aircraft south of Pantelleria putting two engines out of action before running out of ammunition; the enemy aircraft was last seen descending towards the sea.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 30 July 1941


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## Njaco (Jul 30, 2016)

*July 30 Wednesday*

*ASIA: *The Japanese bomb Chungking and manage to hit the US Navy Gunboat “_Tutuila_” (PR-4). Within hours of damaging the “_Tutuila_”, Japan formally apologized to the USA. The Japanese aircraft dropped a bomb 8 yards astern. There is no damage to the ship nor are there any casualties, but the motor boats are badly damaged. It is unlikely, however, that the latter will be re-assured. The state department is certain now that Japan, having moved into Indochina, has its eyes on the Dutch East Indies and is testing United States resolve.

Troop convoy WS 9AX arrives Colombo en route to Singapore.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: USN task force departs Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa:  Hitler issued Directive No. 34, postponing for now the objectives of Directive 33 due to strong resistance in the center of the Russian front, where Guderian is involved in a delaying operation fighting for the town of Roslaul. The northern sector is to press on to surround Leningrad. The centre group is to go on the defensive. The south-east is to destroy forces west of the Dnieper River. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/34.html

Heeresgruppe Nord:  The I. Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Kuno-Hans von Both) captures Shimsk and forces Morozov's 11th and Berzarin's 27th Armies to withdraw to Staraia Russa.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Germans pocket a small group Soviet troops east of Smolensk. The encirclement was not tight and the troops inside were shattered remnants of formations ground up in the German advance. Many escaped. Soviet forces continue to counterattack German 3.Panzergruppe north of Smolensk. The OKH declares a virtual standstill for Heeresgruppe Mitte so they can rest and refit. XXXXVII Panzer Corps discusses merging the 17.Panzer Divisionen and 18.Panzer Divisionen to make up for personnel and material losses in the two divisions.

The Allies aid Russia for the first time in an attack from the air on Kirkenes and Petsamo. Twenty-eight aircraft from RN carrier “_Furious_” attack Petsamo at the cost of 2 planes. Twenty-nine aircraft from RN carrier “_Victorious_” attack Kirkenes sinking a small ship and setting fire to another and claiming three German fighters shot down in exchange for the loss of 13 planes. But the Germans have advanced knowledge of the attack and remove most of the ships from the ports. Sending up Bf 109Es, Bf 110s and Ju 87s to intercept, the Jagdflieger shoot down twelve Albacores and four Fulmars, with most of the remaining warplanes heavily damaged. The British attack came just after Finland had informed UK that the diplomatic ties will be ‘interrupted’. The attack gave the Finnish Government the official reason for the severing of the diplomatic ties, and the fact was made public on 1 Aug.

Stavka activates Reserve Front, commanded by Zhukov with 24th Army, 28th Army, 29th Army, 30th Army, 31st Army, and 32nd Army.

Antonescu writes to Hitler that Rumania will fight beside Germany until the Soviet Union is destroyed.

Stalin summons Voroshilov and Zhdanov to Moscow to express his dissatisfaction with their "lack of toughness" in the Northwestern Theater.

*GERMANY:* RAF Bomber Command sends 43 aircraft to attack Kiel Canal and conduct coastal sweeps during the day and 116 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyer “_Malocello_” and four torpedo boats.

Submarine HMS “_Cachalot_” mistakes an Italian torpedo boat for a tanker in poor visibility. The Torpedo boat suddenly appears out of fog and rams “_Cachalot_” holing Z tank, but not the pressure hull. The commander orders ‘abandon ship’ and opens the main vents, and the submarine gently sinks bows first into 200 feet of water. The Italian torpedo boat commander lowers boats and ensures the safety of all the submarine crew except a Maltese steward who has disappeared, before he requests permission of the submarine commander to discontinue the search. There is just the single casualty. This sinking takes place off Benghazi.

*NORTH AMERICA:* A committee consisted of US Treasury, State, and Justice Department officials granted an exception of the rule to freeze Japanese national assets so that “_Tatsuta Maru's_” owners could withdraw enough funds to pay for fuel for a return trip to Japan.

US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall informs the War Department Staff that it was now US policy to defend the Philippines but that European concerns took priority.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Finnish 14th Infantry Division attacking around Rukajarvi en route to Murmansk railroad.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* Seventeen Japanese fishing boats, each equipped with radio transmitters and cameras and carrying a reserve officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy, are seized off Hawaii for alleged spy activities.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The Sikorski–Mayski agreement was signed between the Soviet Union and the Polish government-in-exile in which the government of the USSR recognizes that German-Soviet treaties of 1939 regarding Polish territories are now invalid. Diplomatic relations are restored. The first result of the treaty will be the formation of a Polish army from prisoners of war held in Russia. General Sikorski, the exiled Polish Prime Minister, said after the signing that, while not all questions had been settled between Russia and Poland, the treaty provided a basis for useful collaboration. Britain issues a Note to the Polish Government, saying it does not recognize changes to its territory by Germany or the Soviet Union since August 1939.

.


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## Njaco (Jul 30, 2016)

*July 31 Thursday*

*ASIA: *Japanese aircraft conduct another major attack against Chungking.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Tallinn, the Estonian capital, has been surrounded by von Leeb’s Army Group North as he strikes for Leningrad. “Fast Heinz” Guderian’s tanks are approaching Moscow, Kiev is threatened by von Kleist and the Black Sea, the Romanian 4th Army is advancing on Odessa. The triumphal progress of the Wehrmacht is shown by the scale of Russian casualties - over a million in little more than a month of fighting, although the German casualties have been heavy too, over 100,000, more than in all its previous campaigns. Weaknesses are beginning to show in the German war machine. Some tanks are breaking down because their air filters cannot cope with the dust of the Russian steppes, and supply lines are stretched to breaking point. General Hopner, leading the Panzer thrust to Leningrad has been forced to delay his attempt to seize the city because he is short of shells. The scorched-earth policy is also denying the invaders the opportunity to live off the conquered lands. The three German army groups have suffered 213,301 casualties, but have only received 47,000 replacements.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 16.Armee, which is slowly advancing toward Leningrad, reaches Lake Ilmen, to the south of Novgorod. However, its troops are very fatigued due to the marshes and heavily wooded terrain. Field Marshall Leeb admits that he cannot defend his eastern flank in his drive towards Leningrad since it now is 360 kilometers in length.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heeresgruppe Mitte continues its liquidation of the Smolensk pocket. Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe open their attacks south of Smolensk. Initially they met minimal resistance. Soviet troops put up fierce resistance near Orsha and Vitebsk west of Smolensk. A powerful counter-offensive is launched at Gomel south of Mogilev against German bridgeheads over the Dnieper River.



> "I have almost no reserves left to meet the enemy massing of forces and the constant counterattacks. They took away my offensive air power and heavy artillery and diverted some of the reserves originally destined for my front, the painful consequences of which are beginning to show. With the present state of the railroads I can't receive any help from home or through the shifting of forces...Greiffenberg briefed the Army High Command and asked that any units from home - replacement formations or whatever - be moved up into the rear area, because I urgently need those of my divisions still there at the front." - Field Marshall Bock



Romanian leader Ion Antonescu formally accepted German leader Adolf Hitler's request for Romanian troops to conquer and occupy the Ukrainian territory between Dniester and Bug Rivers.

Soviet destroyer “_Sokrushitelny_” made rendezvous with British minelayer HMS “_Adventure_” near the Gorodetski lighthouse at the entrance to the White Sea in northern Russia.

At the end of 14 days of continuous slaughter, Einsatzkommando groups have killed 10,000 Jews at Kishinev and 2,500 at Zhitomir. Immediately after a region is occupied by German troops, the Einsatzgruppen move in, gather together the local Jews, strip them of clothing and valuables and shoot them dead in a remote part of the countryside. The corpses are thrown into a shallow ditch.

Harry Hopkins meets with Stalin regarding Lend-Lease.

Soldiers of the Spanish Blue Division swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler prior to deployment on Russian Front.

*GERMANY:* In written instructions to Reinhard Heydrich, Göring at the behest of Hitler orders the creation of;


> "... a general plan showing the measures for and organization for action necessary to carry out the desired final solution of the Jewish question."


This was the first time the term endlösung or "final solution" was used as a written state policy of Nazi Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Style: RN Force X departs with troops and supplies for Malta covered by Force H.

RAF bombers attack various targets on Sicily. Destroyers and aircraft from HMS “_Ark Royal_” attack Alghero in Sardinia.

*NORTH AFRICA:* The Axis forces are reorganized. General Crüwell now commands the German Afrika Korps (DAK) with Rommel in charge of the new Panzerarmee Afrika. The 5.Leichte-Division is renamed as 21.Panzer Divisionen and Rommel, therefore, has two panzer divisions and one German infantry division in his force. In addition there are seven Italian divisions.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Formation of Economic Defense Board headed by Vice-President Wallace.

The first Lockheed Ventura makes its maiden flight. It is the first of 675 ordered by the British Purchasing Commission and is designed to replace the Hudson.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Reichskommissar Josef Terboven declared Norway under a state of emergency.

The Finnish reconquest of the Karelian Isthmus began. II Corps (Maj. Gen. Laatikainen) begins its attack on Karelian Isthmus. The Corps consists of 2nd, 15th and 18th Divisions (with the 10th Division waiting in Supreme HQ’s reserve). The ultimate goal of the attack is to recapture Viipuri (Vyborg), the second largest city of Finland before 1939, lost to Soviet Union after the Winter War. The defending forces are Soviet 142nd and 115th Divisions in well-prepared positions. The Soviet fortification works had been concentrated near the river Vuoksi and along the roads, so the Finns concentrated their forces on narrow, deep breakthroughs over the roadless terrains which were supported by pioneers building temporary supply roads through the forests and over the swamps. The 18th Division (Col. Pajari) attacked through the forest against the northernmost section of the Soviet 115th Division and instead of following roads they secured a roadcrossing and advanced again over the forest to the next road where they did the same. The roadcrossings were occupied by stronger units, which had to defend against several armor supported Soviet counterattacks. During one of those counterattacks Private Vilho Rättö captured a Soviet AT gun and aiming through the barrel he managed to destroy four enemy tanks, earning him the first Mannerheim Cross granted to a private.

Germany requests transit of another division from Norway to Finland through Sweden, but government declines.

*SOUTH AMERICA:* The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War ended in a cease-fire. Ceasefire goes into effect, but Peruvian troops continue to operate against Ecuadorian posts in the Amazon jungle.

*SOUTH PACIFIC:* The US Asiatic Fleet and US Army Harbor defense Command close Manila harbor by mining. Henceforth, civilian shipping requires escort through the minefields by Asiatic Fleet vessels or by US Army Mine Planters assigned to the Harbor defence Command.

The first Australians were trained as instructors for the Special Forces (guerrilla warfare) school at Wilson’s Promontory in Victoria, Australia.

A chartered Philippine Airlines Douglas DC-4 ferries 40 American servicemen to Oakland, California, from Nielson Airport in Makati City, Manila, in the Philippine Islands with stops at Guam, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, and Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii. The flight makes Philippine Airlines, Asia's first airline, the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific Ocean. Philippine Airlines will begin a scheduled transpacific service in December.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Civilian air raid casualties this month were 900 people killed and 908 injured.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 is slightly injured when his Ju 88 night-fighter crashes during take-off from the airfield at Gilze-Rijen.

RAF Fighter Command Roadstead missions to St Valery en Caux.

.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*31 JULY 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC U-581




_Image from Squadron modeling site_

Neutral
Submarine Tender USS GRIFFIN (AS 13)





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS BATTLEFORD (J-251)





Flower Class Corvette HMS MONKSHOOD (K-207)





Flower Class Corvette HMS PENTSTERMON (K-61)





Stalinec Class Sub VMF S-13






*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-85, U-203

Departures
Bergen: U-563
Horten: U-752

At Sea 31 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-141, U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-652

35 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Methil during the afternoon and met convoy EC.52 off MayIsland. The convoy was escorted to Pentland Firth when the ship was detached at on the morning of 1 August and proceeded to Scapa Flow.

*Northern Waters*
CA LONDON and RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS, following work up, departed Scapa Flow at 2200 for Greenock. The ships arrived on 1 August to escort convoy WS.10.

British steam trawler ONWARD was damaged by the LW and gunfire from a FW 200 twenty miles east of Nolso, Faroes.

*West Coast*
ON.3 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and SKATE, corvette VERONICA and ASW trawler ST ELSTAN. and ST ZENO which joined on 1 August and corvettes MIMOSA and NASTURTIUM on 4 August. The DDs, corvette VERONICA, and the trawlers were detached on 5 August. DD COLUMBIA and corvette GLADIOLUS joined on 5 August. AMC ASCANIA joined on 5 August and was detached on 8 August. The convoy was dispersed on 14 August and DD COLUMBIA and corvettes GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and NASTURTIUM began their return.

*Channel*
FNFL DD TRIOMPHANT departed Plymouth after refitting for the Pacific, via Panama. The DD arrived at St Johns on 6 August, Panama on 16 August, San Diego on 25 August; departing on 5 September, Honolulu on 15 September, and Papeete on 23 September. In the Pacific, the DD was used for escort duties between Australia and New Caledonia. She spent most of 1942 in Sydney in overhaul.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine REGENT reported Italian steamer IGEA (160grt) seven miles NW of Benghazi.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol.

DD VANSITTART intercepted *steamer OUED GROU (Vichy 792 grt)*, which had departed Ziguinchor on the 31st for Dakar. DD HIGHLANDER was ordered to join VANSITTART. On 1 August, DD VELOX relieved HIGHLANDER and took the steamer into Freetown. HIGHLANDER proceeded to Bathurst to refuel en route to Gibraltar.On 3 August, VANSITTART was detached to proceed to Freetown. VELOX and the steamer arrived at Freetown on 4 August, despite an attempt by the crew to scuttle the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 31 JULY TO DAWN 1 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_Day_ Nine enemy aircraft come to within 25 miles of GrandHarbour and then turned back. 23 Hurricanes are scrambled but make no contact with the enemy. S/Ldr Barton’s Hurricane’s engine fails and he has to make a forced landing but sustains no injuries. 

_2200-2248 hrs _Air raid alert for a three enemy BR 20 bombers which approach singly from the north east and attack Grand Harbour, dropping 250kg bombs near the floating dock and on the Parade Ground of St Angelo destroying three mess rooms and injuring three people. Bombs are also dropped in the sea. Hurricanes of 126 Squadron are scrambled. Searchlights illuminate raiders three times but the Hurricanes are unable to make contact. P/O Stone chases a raider 30 miles out to sea but is unable to see it beyond the searchlights. 

_2350-0017 hrs _Air raid alert for a single BR 20 which approaches from the north and drops 250kg bombs in the GrandHarbour area, as well as in the sea north east of Ricasoli. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 31 JULY 1941

_ROYAL NAVY P32_ arrived from United Kingdom. _Upholder_ arrived from patrol off Marittimo, having sunk a 6000 ton laden merchant vessel, and obtained 2 hits on a Condottiere D class cruiser. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 5 Swordfish left to intercept a southbound convoy of 4 merchant ships and 5 destroyers 20 miles west of Lampion. Owing to poor visibility, convoy was located by ASV (radar). 2 torpedoes were fired and 1 hit obtained (unconfirmed).

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Wellington. _Departures _3 Wellington, 4 Blenheim (leader had engine failure and all returned)._69 Squadron _Marylands made 8 reconnaissance flights including Sicily, Elmas and Monserrato. Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli strafed enemy aircraft on the ground at Zuara. Marylands on special patrol. _105 Squadron _6 Blenheims sent to attack convoy but were intercepted by enemy fighters and returned without dropping bombs.

_KALAFRANA _During July Sunderland and Catalina flying boats made considerable use of the station for flights between the Middle East and UK, with 28 arrivals and departures of aircraft during the month. Passengers included Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, Inspector General of the Royal Air Force, and Rt Hon Captain Lyttleton, AOC, Middle East. The rescue Swordfish carried out 8 patrols and marine craft 6. Numbers rescued during the month were 3 Italians by marine craft, 1 British and 1 Italian by floatplanes. Total rescues since 11 June 1940 are 42 by marine craft (including 7 dead) and 3 by floatplane.


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

Halders Diary 31 July 1941


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## parsifal (Jul 30, 2016)

*01 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Acciaio Class Sub RM PLATINO





Neutral
Mackerel Class Sub USS MARLIN (SS 205)





Allied
HDML 1002, 1076, ML 192

*Losses*
*Steamer TRIDENT (UK 4317 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW four miles 208° from the Tyne harbour entrance. Theentire crew were rescued. TRIDENT sank on the 2nd. She was part of the southbound 41-ship convoy FS.557 (Methil-Southend) and had just arrived from Montreal, heading for London via the Tyne with 6000-ton cargo of bagged grain and beans. 






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-561
Lorient: U-69, U-141
Trondheim: U-37

At Sea 01 August 1941
U-46, U-66, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-652

32 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
CA SHROPSHIRE arrived at Akureyri (Iceland) from Denmark Strait patrol. Later that day, she departed for Hvalfjord, arriving on the 2nd.

*Northern Waters*
Monitor EREBUS arrived at Scapa Flow, escorted by DD QUORN. DD LIVELY arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up. MSW HARRIER arrived at Scapa Flow to replace MSW NIGER, which had developed defects requiring yard time to repair.

*Med/Biscay*
Corvette HYACINTH departed Port Said with motor transport ship SALAMAUA for Famagusta in Serial S.11 of the GUILLOTINE operation. They arrived on the 3rd.

DDs JERVIS, KINGSTON, JACKAL, and NIZAM departed Alexandria to sweep north of Bardia for a reported submarine. A flying boat cooperating in the search was shot down by RM submarine DELFINO, but the DDs had no contact. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 2nd.

DDs HERO and DECOY departed Alexandria on a supply run to Tobruk.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT departed Gibraltar with aviation spirits for Malta, arriving on the 8th. After delivering the aviation spirits at Malta, the submarine departed on the 10th and arrived at Alexandria on the 18th

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.142 departed Halifax, escort DD ANNAPOLIS, AMC AUSONIA, and corvettes COLLINGWOOD and ROSTHERN. Corvette ROSTHERN was detached later that day. Corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE joined on the 2nd and were detached later that day. DD ANNAPOLIS was detached on the 3rd. DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes HEPATICA, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined on the 4th, DD CHURCHILL and corvettes ARROWHEAD and EYEBRIGHT joined on the 5th, and corvette CAMILLIA joined on the 6th. Corvette COLLINGWOOD was detached on the 5th and the remaining escorts were detached on the 12th when relieved by DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, KEPPEL, SABRE, SALISBURY, SHIKARI, and SKATE, corvettes HEATHER, ORCHIS, and SNOWDROP, MSWs HAZARD, HEBE, and SEAGULL, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and NORWICHCITY. DDs KEPPEL, SHIKARI, and SKATE, the MSWs, and the trawlers were detached on the 13th. On the 14th, DD SALISBURY was detached, on the 15th, DD SABRE and corvette ORCHIS were detached, on the 16th, DD BEAGLE. On the 17th, corvette ARABIS joined and on the 18th, the convoy arrived at Liverpool with DD BOADICEA and corvette ARABIS.

SC.39 departed Sydney, CB , escort AMC MALOJA and corvettes BARRIE and CHICOUTIMI. These three escorts were detached on the 4th. On the 4th, DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes BUCTOUCHE, HEPATICA, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined the convoy. Corvettes HEPATICA and TRILLIUM were detached on the 8th and remainder of the escorts were detached on the 12th, when relieved by DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, and SHIKARI, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, MATAPEDIA, and SUNFLOWER, MSWs HAZARD and HEBE, and ASW trawlers MAN O.WAR and NORTHERN DAWN. This escort group was detached on the 17th. DDs BOADICEA and SABRE joined on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 AUGUST TO DAWN 2 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 1 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Five reconnaissance flights, including one by five Marylands, covering Sicily, Tripoli, Lampedusa, Marittimo and CapeCarbonara. One Swordfish Fleet Air Arm patrolled Ionian Sea. _105 Squadron_ 6 Blenheims sent to attack convoy failed to locate after a search_. 82 Squadron_ 3 Blenheim successful attack on shipping in Lampedusa. One Blenheim was hit by anti-aircraft fire and force-landed in the sea ½ mile from shore. The air gunner of another is was injured.


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## Njaco (Jul 31, 2016)

*August 1 Friday*

*ASIA: *Hiroaki Abe became the commanding officer of Japanese Navy Cruiser Division 8.

Denmark established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo while Bangkok recognizes sovereignty of Japanese puppet state Manchukuo.

The Japanese began an offensive in the south and strengthened their attacks on the Yunnan Province. The situation in Kunming became tense and in order to escape the bombing, the new aircraft factory was moved to a new location on the outskirts of Guiyang. Here three shops were organized, each of about 400 to 500 square meters. They all were dispersed among the mountain ravines. The director Zhu Jiaren and a small contingent of personnel and equipment remained in Kunming. Evidently the final assembly was completed there, while production of the components was dispersed in the mountains.

Chiang Kai-shek officially places Chennault in command of American Volunteer Group, and Chennault styles himself Colonel. Captain Claire L. Chennault, a 51-year-old Texan maverick, compulsorily retired from the US Army Air Corps in 1937 because of deafness. He came here shortly after to retrain Chinese pilots at the direct request of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. American mercenary pilots hired to fly fighter and bomber missions for the Chinese Nationalists are to become official members of the Chinese armed forces on the orders of General Chiang Kai-shek. The 101 volunteers, nicknamed the Flying Tigers but officially designated the American Volunteer Group, are due here next month. All the pilots are retired officers of the US Army and Navy Air Forces or serving officers who have been granted leave on “inactive status” and guaranteed no loss of seniority after their one-year contracts expire. They are being paid $750 a month each, plus a $500 bonus for every Japanese plane they shoot down. The Tigers will fly P-40 fighters, rejected as obsolete by Britain, financed by the US under the recent $50 million lend-lease agreement between China and the USA. The AVG began training at Kyedaw airfield, near Toungoo. The 1st AVG was to have been joined by the 2nd AVG in the winter of 1941-42. This was to be a bomber group equipped with A-29s, but the group and its equipment had barely begun the journey across the Pacific when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Japanese air offensive launched against Chungking, Tzeliutzsing, and other targets. With the successful conclusion of the Chungyuan Operation in middle of June, the Fifth Air Operation (also known as Operation No. 102) was launched. During this operation the 1st Hikodan attacked Chungking, Tzeliutsing as well as important areas in north China using Ani airfield while the 3rd Hikodan on the Yangtze River attacked strategic areas in Central China from Kingmen, Hankou and Wuchang. Japan attacks Communist troops in the Shansi-Chahar-Hopeh border area, launching the “Three All” campaign.

As a consequence of the American restrictions on oil exports, Japan is left with only limited stocks of oil. The position is such that Japan must either change her foreign policy very radically or decide to go to war and try to secure access to oil from the East Indies.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa:


> "The situation has become critical. The encirclement of the 6th and 12th Armies is complete. The direct threat of the breakup of the 6th and 12th Armies' combat formation into two isolated segments centered at Babanka and Teklievka regions is at hand. There are no reserves. Please clear the way by committing new forces in the Ternovka and Novo-Arkhangel'sk sectors. There is no ammunition. Fuel is running out." - Lieutenant General Ivan Muzychenko.



Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 16. Armee (Colonel General Ernst Busch) attacking toward Staraya Russa.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  Armeegruppe Mitte continues its liquidation of the Smolensk pocket. Soviet troops put up fierce resistance near Orsha and Vitebsk west of Smolensk. German 2.Panzergruppe keeps attacking toward Roslavl. Guderian's attacks meet and defeat the Soviet 4 Airborne Corp, but those troops buy the Russians enough time to bring up reinforcements. A powerful counter-offensive is launched at Gomel south of Mogilev against German bridgeheads over the Dnieper River. The Soviets attack only the northern edge of the Pripet Marshes from west of Gomel with the aim of striking into the German rear areas. In most target areas the Germans can withstand the attacks. XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) broke out of its bridgehead on the Sozh River and hit the east flank of group Kachalov and 28th Army.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Perhaps sensing that the German forces would be focused on Uman, Kirponos ordered 5th Army to launch a surprise attack against the flank of German 6.Armee (General of the W. von Reichenau) - LV.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry E. Vierow) and XVII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Kienitz). The attack force was comprised of the 5th Army’s 15th and 31st Rifle Corps, the remnants of the 9th and 22nd Mechanized Corps, and 1st Airborne Corps. The attack went in near Malin south of Pripet Marshes and continued for five days. Although the Soviets managed a five mile advance the German line remained unbroken. XXX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry von Salmuth) continued to advance eastwards. 11.Armee (Colonel General E. Ritter von Schobert) continued piling on the pressure however with LIV.Armeekorps (General of the Kavalry E. Hansen) also attempting to breakout of its bridgehead over the Dniester at Dubossary (to the south-west of Balta).

The Soviet Union makes the first operational use of parasite fighters, attacking Constanza, Rumania with modified Polikarpov I-16s carried into action by Tupolev TB-3s. Vladimir S. Vakhmistrov gained Soviet air force approval in 1931 to carry out some of the earliest experiments with parasite fighters to be carried by bomber aircraft following his proposal of the idea in mid-1930. The concept was not only to provide a defensive escort for bombers over distances normally beyond escort range, but also to enable offensive sorties by the parasite aircraft, and long-range supervision of air space. A squadron of six TB-3/AM34s and twelve SPBs was formed in the last months before Russia went to war with Germany. A Zveno group took off from an airfield on the Black Sea to attack the Negru Voda bridge across the Danube, in Constanza, Rumania. The SPBs separated near the target and attacked with their 250 lb. bombs, then escorted the parent aircraft home. This was the first and only offensive use of the parasite aircraft unit.

During the evening, Lt. Max-Hellmuth of 7./JG 54 downs a Russian DB-3 near Luqa, this being the 1,000th victory for JG 54.

Joseph Stalin, satisfied with the progress of the rocket-powered fighter development project, issued an ordered in late July (and dated for 1 Aug 1941) for a prototype aircraft to be completed in a little more than a month.

British minelayer HMS “_Adventure_” arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia and delivered a supply of naval mines.

Luftwaffe minelaying operations near Muhu (Moon) Island in the Baltic Sea off coast of Estonia. Soviet motor torpedo boat TK A-122 sunk in engagement with Kriegsmarine 1st Minesweeping Flotilla.

Vasilevsky appointed Head of Operations Directorate, General Staff. General Pavel Batov appointed Deputy Commanding Officer 51st Army.

Ghettos are established in Bialystok and Lvov. Shmuel Verble, chairman of the Jewish Council in the Ukrainian village of Kamien Koszyrski, volunteers for death after discovering an execution list with the names of 80 ghetto residents.

*GERMANY:* Uffz. Hugo Dahmer, from 1./JG 77 based in Norway is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_.

German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels fabricated a quote from US Secretary of War Henry Stimson suggesting that Stimson thought the British war situation was hopeless.

Walter Grabmann was named the commanding officer of the Zerstörerschule 2 training unit based in Memmingen, Germany.

Making even a short journey as a civilian in war-torn Germany is now fraught with every imaginable difficulty. Since the outbreak of war the entire transport system of the Reich has been geared towards the Wehrmacht and the armaments industry. Now shortages of spare parts and fuel have made cars a largely forgotten luxury, so that there are more commuters seeking fewer trains. In Breslau in June passenger demand is reported to have exceeded train capacity by 200 per cent.

Fritz Houtermans works out the basic ideas needed to make a atomic bomb in Germany, but the processes determined will depend solely on uranium and the use of heavy water.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The second wave of Alikianos executions were carried out on Crete. The Alikianos executions (Greek: εκτελέσεις στον Αλικιανό) refer to the mass execution by firing squad of mostly male civilians from Alikianos and nearby villages in Crete, Greece by German paratroopers. The executions were ordered by Generaloberst Kurt Student, commander of the XI Air Corps, in reprisal for the active participation of Cretan civilians in the Battle of Crete.

Operation Style: RN Force H bombards Alghero. Nine Fleet Air Arm aircraft from RN carrier “_Ark Royal_” conduct attacks.

*NORTH AFRICA:* A Short Sunderland of No.230 Squadron becomes the first Royal Air Force (RAF) maritime reconnaissance aircraft to be shot down during an attack on an enemy submarine by the submarine under attack. While searching for a hostile submarine reported to be somewhere in the Gulf of Sollum, the crew of the Sunderland sight the Italian submarine “_Delfino_” on the surface and immediately proceed to attack. The Sunderland releases six depth charges, which do not permanently damage to the “_Delfino_”, however, machine gun fire from the submarine damages the aircraft so severely that it subsequently crashes. Four survivors from the twelve-man crew of the Sunderland are rescued by the “_Delfino_”.

Nine British Blenheim bombers escorted by Hurricane fighters attacked Axis vehicles at Sidi Omar, Libya.

In North Africa, fighting flares up around the perimeter of Tobruk.

*NORTH AMERICA:* U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced an embargo on the export of oil and aviation fuel to anywhere outside the Western Hemisphere with the exception of the British Empire. This action was aimed at Japan.

Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber took flight for the first time. Grumman's TBF design was selected as the replacement for the TBD and in April 1940 two prototypes were ordered by the Navy. Designed by Leroy Grumman, the first prototype was called the XTBF-1. Although one of the first two prototypes crashed near Brentwood, New York, rapid production continued.

US transport “_West Point_” delivers American diplomatic personnel and families from Italy, Germany, and Axis-occupied nations to New York.

Microwave (AI-10) radar developed by the Radiation Laboratory and featuring a Plan Position Indicator (PPI) scope was given its initial airborne test in the Lockheed XJO-3 aircraft at the Boston, Massachusetts Airport. During the test flights, which continued through 16 October, scientists operated the radar and devised modifications. During the tests, surface vessels were detected at ranges up to 40 miles (64.4 km); radar-guided approaches against simulated enemy aircraft were achieved at ranges up to 3.5 miles (5.6 km).

“Parade” magazine devotes three full pages to a feature article describing the U.S. Army’s new vehicle, the “Truck, 1/4-ton, 4x4.” The magazine calls it “...the Army’s most intriguing new gadget.” The gadget is a “tiny truck which can do practically everything.” The new “gadget” is more commonly known as the “Jeep.”

General Chaffee, the first chief of the Armored Forces dies of cancer.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Britain broke off diplomatic relations with Finland for invading Russia. Just over a year earlier, Britain had supported the Finns against the Russians.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* The US Navy established the Naval Air Station at Midway under Commander Cyril T. Simard.

General Puttick appointed New Zealand Chief of General Staff.

RAAF No.20 Squadron formed at Port Moresby, New Guinea, utilizing Catalina and Empire flying boats.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: RAF Fighter Command sweep of the Channel.

RAF No. 133 Squadron Fighter Command is formed. It will be composed of American pilots.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 1, 2016)

*August 2 Saturday*

*ASIA: * Croatia established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Peregrine Falcon"), Allied reporting name "Oscar", entered service with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force with the 59th and 64th Groups. The second unit to re-equip with the Nakajima Ki-43 was the 64th Sentai. Pilots returned to the homeland in August, receiving their new aircraft at Fussa, near Tokyo. Major Tateo Kato, understood fully why the Ki-43 had been adopted, and at once stressed training in over-sea navigation and long distance flights. Consequently the 64th Sentai pilots were able to achieve ranges of 700 km, whilst those of the 59th Sentai, who had not trained in the same way, could manage only 600 km. However the 64th Sentai remained dissatisfied with the integrity of the wings, and subsequently flew to Tachikawa for to be properly strengthed, then flying back to Canton in November.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Italian Pasubio Infantry Division and Torino Infantry Division move to the front.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 16. Armee (Colonel General Ernst Busch) begins to attack Staraya Russa just south of Lake Ilmen on the right of their drive toward Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe attacking toward Roslavl. Russian forces launch massive counter-attacks against German troops defending the "Yelna salient", east of Smolensk. Guderian, further to the south is stopped in his attacks and ordered to withdraw his panzer forces from the front in preparations for redeployment.

Heeresgruppe Sud: The XLVIII.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops Kempff)’ 11.Panzer Division (Major General L. Crüwell) linked up with 17.Armee (General of the Infantry C-H von Stumpfnagel)’s 101.leichte Division (Major General Eric Marcks) (LII.Armeekorps (General of the Kavalrie von Briesen)) south-east of Uman. At around the same time the XIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry G. von Wietersheim)’s 16.Panzer Divisionen linked up with German and Hungarian troops at Pervomaisk. The 6th and 12th Armies, and a large part of 18th Army were sealed in a pocket between Uman and Pervomaisk.

The Soviet submarines M99 and S11 were sunk by German mines in the Baltic Sea.

Soviet NKVD operatives were ordered to arrest those who injure themselves on the front lines just as they would arrest deserters.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 80 aircraft to attack Hamburg, 53 aircraft to attack Berlin and 50 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* German dive bombers attacked Allied convoys off Libya, but they were driven away by British fighters; about 3 German aircraft were shot down at a loss of 3 British Hurricane fighters.

Operation Style: RN Force X arrives at Malta with troops and supplies.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Britain called on the governments of Iran and Afghanistan to expel all Germans immediately.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Two Australian companies attacked Italian positions near Tobruk, Libya with the support of over 60 field guns. The attacks were repulsed after suffering heavy casualties. This particular attack represented the last Australian attempt to regain positions lost in early May 1941. 7th Bersaglieri Regiment played a direct role in defeating the 2/43rd and 2/28th Battalions in the final Australian attempt to recover their lost strongpoints.

HMAS “_Vendetta_”, (destroyer), sailed on her 39th run to besieged Tobruk. The destroyer made more runs to Tobruk than any other British or Australian ships.

*NORTH AMERICA:* The United States extended Lend-Lease to apply to the Soviet Union. Harry Hopkins, representing FDR in Moscow, announces that the US and the USSR have come to agreement on an aid package which will assist the Soviets in recouping some of their material losses to date.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and his cabinet have a long discussion in a cabinet meeting concerning “ways and means to sell directly or indirectly” 50 to 60 overage destroyers to the British. Everyone agrees “that the survival of the British Isles under German attack might very possibly depend on their (the British) getting these destroyers.” Everyone also agrees that legislation to permit the sale of these ships is necessary.

The first Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin V-1650 aircraft engine is completed.

*NORTHERN FRONT: *The German authorities have imposed a state of emergency in Norway to try and clamp down on native resistance to the occupation. Strikes have virtually crippled some regions and acts of sabotage by partisans aimed at Wehrmacht (Heer) installations and railways have also had a devastating effect. The Germans regard British radio propaganda as responsible for the resistance and they have confiscated 90 per cent of the population’s radios.

London extends naval blockade of Europe to include Finland.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* Dutch patrol boat Bellatrix seizes Vichy French vessel Dupleix, which is transferred to Netherlands East Indies control.

USAAF Brigadier General Henry Clagett arrives Java to meet Dutch officers and survey airfields and facilities.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* London opens a mosque for soldiers serving in their armed forces.

RAF No.129 (Mysore) Squadron took over 'readiness' for the afternoon, for the first time, at Leconfield airfield, near Beverley, and at just 16.00 hours two Spitfire pilots of that squadron took off on a scramble. One hour later they had found and shot down a Junkers Ju 88 off Flamborough Head.

*WESTERN FRONT: *RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb and Roadstead operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft on coastal sweep from Cherbourg to Texel.

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## Njaco (Aug 2, 2016)

*August 3 Sunday*
*ASIA: *The Chinese 9th and 30th BS re-equipped with the Lockheed A-29 attack bomber.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The German submarine U-401 is sunk southwest of Ireland, by depth charges from the RN’s destroyer HMS “_Wanderer_” and corvette HMS “_Hydrangea_” and the Norwegian destroyer HMS “_St. Albans_” (I-15) (formerly USS THOMAS (DD-182)). All hands on the U-boat, 45 men, are lost.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa:


> "At the beginning of the 7th week of battle the army group stands with partially worn out units, limited munitions supply and without meaningful reserves, in a difficult and costly struggle to achieve the victorious end of the encirclement at Smolensk. The enemy is in number and material greatly superior. On the outer defensive front the bridgehead at Yel'nya is a deeply endangered flashpoint." - Heeresgruppe Mitte diary.



Heeresgruppe Nord:  Remnants of Soviet 325th Rifle Regiment evacuated from Litsa Bay by sea.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  The battle at Roslavl in Russia ended with 38,000 encircled Soviet soldiers being taken prisoner. XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) had encircled Roslavl from the south and linked up with 4.Armee’s IX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry H. Geyer) advancing south. The resulting Roslavl Pocket yielded around 38,000 POWs; this was most of Group Kachalov as well as 28th Army’s offensive forces. The shattered 28th Army quickly withdrew behind the Desna River. In the meantime the German 4. Armee (General Feld Marshal Gunther Hans von Kluge) had eliminated the forces still in Mogilev (later designated a hero city by the Soviets for its tenacious defense, unlike Smolensk) and captured another 35 000 POWs.

Heeresgruppe Sud: General Nicolae Ciuperca's Romanian 4th Army crossed the Dniester River in Ukraine and begins advancing into territory not previously part of Rumania. Tanks from Panzergruppe 1 (Colonel General Ewald von Kleist) break through Russian defenses and surround a large body of Russian defenders in the Uman area. German 16.Panzer Divisionen and 1. Gebirgs-Division (Major General H. Lanz) linked up at Pervomaisk and closed the Uman pocket.

Luftwaffe bombers conduct night attack against Moscow.

Over Kiev, Oblt. Kurt Sochatzy of III./JG 3 shoots down an IL-2 for his thirty-eighth victory. But the Russian airplane hits Oblt. Sochatzy’s Bf 109 and tears off a wing. He bales out for the third time in Russia and is taken prisoner by the Soviets.

German troops in Slobodka, Ukraine, fill the local synagogue with dead cats and force Jews to tear up the Torah scrolls and scatter the pieces atop the dead animals. The Nazi troops then set fire to the building. In Jelgavia, Latvia SS Einsatzkommandos under Lieutenant Hamann murder 1,550 Jews. Twelve hundred Jews are arrested by the local Einsatzgruppen at Chernovtsy, Romania; 682 are executed by German and Romanian police. Fifteen hundred Jews are murdered at Mitau, Latvia. Several hundred Jewish professionals are shot at Stanislawów, Ukraine.

*GERMANY*: The German Catholic Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen gave a sermon condemning the Nazi practice of euthanasia. Thousands of copies of the sermon were distributed throughout Germany, breaking the secrecy that surrounded the euthanasia programme known as Aktion T4. He said:


> “It is a terrible doctrine which seeks to justify the murder of innocent people and which allows the violent killing of invalids, cripples, the incurably ill, the old and the weak who are no longer able to work ... once the principle that it is permissible to kill “unproductive” humans has been admitted and applied then we must all pity ourselves when we, too, grow old and weak.”


Father Bernhard Lichtenberg, dean of St. Hedwig’s Cathedral in Berlin, also denounces the so-called euthanasia program. In late October he declares that he wants to share the Jews’ fate of deportation to the East so that he can continue to pray for them there. He is subsequently denounced to the Gestapo and arrested.

RAF Bomber Command sends 39 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 34 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Lieutenant Robert Everett RNVR of British No. 804 Squadron Fleet Air Arm became the first pilot launched from a CAM ship (HMS “_Maplin_”) to shoot down a German FW 200 Condor aircraft which had sighted the Atlantic convoy SL81 en route from Sierre Leone, British West Africa.

*NORTH AFRICA*: 21 British Maryland bombers attacked Axis positions at Tobruk, Libya while fighters swept nearby airfields.

Luftwaffe bombers attack Suez and Port Said overnight. British vessel “_Escaut_” sunk by air attack off Suez.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US President Franklin D Roosevelt travels from Washington, DC to the Naval Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut by train. In the evening, he boards the presidential yacht USS “_Potomac_” (AG-25) and, accompanied by the tender USS “_Calypso_” (AG-35), sets sail to Point Judith, Rhode Island, where the ships anchor for the night.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: After three days’ intense fighting the divisions of Maj. Gen. Laatikainen’s II Corps break through Soviet defences in southern Karelia.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Luftwaffe bombers conduct night attacks over England. There were a few minor incidents on the North and North-East Coasts, but only at Spittal near Berwick was any damage done. Four houses and a shop were destroyed and one hundred houses and a church damaged. In Northumberland, 5 houses demolished, twelve dwelling houses temporarily uninhabitable, one hundred dwelling houses damaged. Three Public Houses damaged (Red Lion severely damaged). Severe damage to Allan's Garage. Windows and doors of St Paul's Presbyterian Church blown in. Doors blown off mills of Johnson and Darling, East Street. The siren had not sounded, which was causing concern among a number of people. Six dead (two men, three women and one boy). Three seriously injured (one man, two women) (two severe shock and one compound fracture of the leg) to Berwick Infirmary. Eight others (four men, three women and one boy) attended Spittal First Aid Post.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb operations.

In Belgium, a collaborationist military organization, Legion Wallonie (Wallonian Legion), is established.

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## Njaco (Aug 3, 2016)

*August 4 Monday*

*ASIA: *The Japanese government affirms its position not to get involved in the Soviet-German war.

"The Mongolian Border Allied Autonomous Government" was reorganized into "the Mongolian Autonomous Country."

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *At 2055 hours, the “_Robert Max_” was stopped by two shots across her bow by U-126 near the Azores and was sunk two hours later by 17 rounds from the deck gun and gunfire after the crew was allowed to leave their ship in a lifeboat. They were questioned by the Germans, who offered cigarettes, gave them the course to San Miguel and wished good luck before leaving the area. The survivors reached the Azores after three days and were repatriated from Oporto to Grand Bank by the British sailing vessels “_James_” and “_Stanley_”.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Polish General Anders released from Soviet prison.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  Adolf Hitler visited Fedor von Bock's Heeresgruppe Mitte headquarters in the Soviet Union. The anti-Nazi officer plotted to arrest Adolf Hitler upon arrival, but failed to do so as he had under-estimated Hitler's personal guards. Hitler met with von Bock, Heinz Guderian and Hermann Hoth. All three generals agreed that a drive on Moscow should be top priority and could commence as early as August 20, but Hitler favored other objectives such as the elimination of enemy pockets. Hitler ordered Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe to aid Wilhelm von Leeb in the north and Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe to assist Paul von Kleist in the south. Guderian tells Hitler that he believes the Soviet Army is scraping the bottom of its manpower barrel. Hitler was told that his armies had destroyed or captured 12,000 tanks since the start of the invasion (actually a fairly accurate number). He was stunned and said,


> "Had I known they had as many tanks as that, I'd have thought twice before invading."


 After meeting the front line generals, Hitler agrees to release one month production for the eastern front. This equated to 400 tank engines and only 35 newly produced tanks.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Kirovohrad fell to the Germans. On the south wing, the Southern Front’s 9th Army and badly damaged 18th Army were ordered to fall back to the Bug as soon as it became obvious that the Uman pocket was irrecoverable. This was because they were now totally exposed to a continued German advance south and subsequent isolation. With great difficulty, Southern Front started to withdraw the bulk of 9th Army towards Nikolayev and 18th Army eastwards across the Bug towards Nikopol. These withdrawal orders were timely because XIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry G. von Wietersheim) was already moving south along the east side of the Bug River.

*GERMANY*: Germany and Italy codify terms under which Italian expeditionary corps will operate on Russian Front.

*MEDTERRANEAN*: Axis Convoy departs Naples and Palermo for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Geniere_”, “_Camicia Nera_”, “_Gioberti_”, and “_Oriani_” and a torpedo boat.

HMA Ships “_Bathurst_” and “_Lismore_”, (minesweepers), joined the Mediterranean Fleet. ADML A.B. Cunningham returned them to duty in the Red Sea, considering them unsuitable for service in the Mediterranean.

*NORTH AFRICA:* Luftwaffe attacks Ismailia with fifteen bombers overnight.

The Vichy government indicates that it will refuse military facilities to the Axis in North Africa.

South Africans bomb Gondar - last Italian stronghold in East Africa.

*NORTH AMERICA: * “_Tatsuta Maru_” departed San Francisco, California, United States with US$2,500,000 worth of raw silk and 85,589 gallons of oil, both which was only allowed after Captain Toichi Takahata fought hard for due to the recently passed executive order to freeze Japanese assets in the United States.

Mark Clark promoted to Brigadier General and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (G-3) at US Army General Headquarters.

The US presidential yacht USS “_Potomac_” (AG-25), bearing President Franklin D Roosevelt, and the tender USS “_Calypso_” (AG-35) sail from Point Judith, Rhode Island to South Dartmouth, Massachusetts where Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her party board. After a day of fishing, the guests are put ashore and the two ships sail to Menemsha Bight, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts where they join the heavy cruisers USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31) and USS “_Tuscaloosa_” (CA-37) and 5 destroyers.

Amphibious maneuvers involving the US 1st Marine Division and the Army’s 1st Division begin at New River, North Carolina. Also involved is the aircraft escort vessel USS “_Long Island_” (AVG-1); the aircraft from the ship provide close air support for the “invaders.”

The first Ryan NR-1 trainer is delivered to NAS Jacksonville, Florida for primary flight training of the USN.

*NORTHERN FRONT: *Three aircraft from RN carrier “_Victorious_” attack Tromsø at the cost of one plane.

The Finns had reached Petrozavodsk on the west shore of Lake Onega, but by now the Soviet resistance had stiffened and they continued fighting to the west of the Finns’ advance line, including as far east as Sortavala. The Soviet 7th Army continued to put up dogged resistance so that by early August the Finns were only about halfway to their objective, which was the Svir River line. The commander of the Soviet 23rd Army, Lt. Gen. M. Gerasimov, ordered that 198th Rifle Division cease its counterattack near Sortavala and move south to attack advancing 2.Division together with 142.Division. Meanwhile, 115.Division and 43.Division should tie up the Finnish reserves. Unfortunately this wasn't sufficient and 115.Division retreated to river Helisevänjoki, where hills and a river formed good defensive positions against attacking 18.Division.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Churchill and party, including Harry Hopkins, depart Scapa Flow for Argentia aboard RN battleship “_Prince of Wales_”.

Six cargo ships, each of them carrying coal from the Tyne to London, and an escorting trawler in a south-bound convoy ran aground on the Haisborough Sands, off Cromer, the naval trawler _'Agate'_ and 'SS _Betty Hindley'_, sailing from the Tyne to London were lost.

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## Njaco (Aug 4, 2016)

*August 5 Tuesday*

*ASIA: *Thailand established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Ordeal of Convoy SL-81: At 0150, 0154 and 0159 hours, U-372 fired four torpedoes at Convoy SL-81 west of Ireland. The first torpedo struck the “_Belgravian_”, which burned out and sank the next day. Neumann reported that the second torpedo missed the target but exploded on a ship beyond and that the fourth hit an ammunition freighter, which exploded and sank in 50 seconds. The ship missed was the British steam merchant “_Volturno_”, but it is not reported that the torpedo did hit another ship. The ship sunk was the “_Swiftpool_”. Three crewmembers from the “_Belgravian_” were lost. The master, 40 crewmembers and six gunners were picked up by corvette HMS “_Bluebell_” and landed at Gourock. At 0540 hours, U-74 fired a spread of two torpedoes at Convoy SL-81 west of Ireland and three single torpedoes at 0541 and 0542. The U-boat observed a hit amidships with the second torpedo and heard three detonations after the boat had to dive. Kentrat reported one ship sunk and three others damaged, however, only the “_Kumasian_” was hit and sunk. At 0520, U-75 attacked Convoy SL-81 west of Ireland and observed a column of fire and water after a first hit and a column of water after a second hit. Ringelmann then had to dive and was not able to make further observations. The two ships hit were the “_Harlingen_” and the “_Cape Rodney_”. “_Cape Rodney_” was taken in tow by tug HMS “_Zwarte Zee_” two days later. On 9 Aug the ship foundered west of Ushant. The master, 31 crewmembers and four gunners were picked up by corvette HMS “_Hydrangea_” and landed at Gourock. Three crewmembers were picked up by corvette HMS “_Zinnia_” and landed at Londonderry. Three crewmembers from the “_Harlingen_” were lost. The master, 34 crewmembers and four gunners were picked up by “_Hydrangea_” and landed at Gourock.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: At the beginning of Operation BARBAROSSA the average German infantry division consisted of 17,000 men. By the end of August casualties had reached 4,000 men in 14 divisions, 3,000 in 40 divisions, 2,000 in over 30 divisions and under 2,000 in 58 more. By the end of August, German casualties had reached 400,000 with 14,457 of them being officers. Army Group Centre needed 24 trains a day to maintain its supplies just for normal operation. In reality they only received about 18 per day. Some of Timoshenko's Western Front divisions number only 1,000 to 2,000 troops.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  18.Armee (Colonel General Georg von Kuchler) was besieging Tallinn (with 3 divisions) and was approaching Narva between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Peipus. By 5th August Heeresgruppe Nord had established a continuous line just north of Kingisepp, just east of Staraya Russa and Kholm, and linked up with Heeresgruppe Mitte’s 9.Armee which had (temporarily) captured Velikiye Luki. Despite desperate fighting however, large pockets of Red Army soldiers were not captured by Heeresgruppe Nord as they were in the more critical sectors further south.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The First Battle of Smolensk ended in German victory. The Germans have wiped out the “Smolensk Pocket”, destroying the Russian sixteenth and Twentieth Armies and capturing 300,000 Russian soldiers, 3,200 tanks and 3,100 guns. It is a shattering defeat for the Red Army but the Soviets admit far lower losses. The pocket was created by General Hoth’s Panzer Group 3 and General Guderian’s Panzer Group 2 sweeping on from their victory at Minsk and then splitting north and south to encircle Smolensk. Smolensk itself, the “gateway to Moscow”, fell on 16 July and the Russian forces east of the city were surrounded. At first they were contained only by the tanks, which had to wait for the infantry to arrive before attacking the pocket. Last night the German High Command claimed: “the mass of Soviet forces surrounded east of Smolensk is now annihilated. The remainder faces disbandment.” Marshal Timoshenko, commanding several newly-raised armies, tried to rescue the trapped armies, but his attacks were poorly prepared and, although some units broke through, the rescue attempt failed. By any assessment, the second Western Front that had been formed from the Stavka’s strategic reserves on 22nd June 1941 had been virtually eliminated by 5th August.

Fighting continues around Roslavl where the Soviet 28th Army has also been hastily assembled to try to break the ring. Guderian’s launched his tanks (German 2.Panzergruppe ) against Roslavl on 1 August, captured it three days ago and badly mauled the Soviet 28th Army in the process. So total is this victory that many of the German soldiers think that there is little left between them and Moscow; they are putting up signposts pointing the way to the Russian capital. However, Hitler has already decided to switch Hoth to the north to reinforce the attack on Leningrad and Guderian to Kiev to the south, leaving Moscow to the infantry. In the meantime, reserve Soviet units are being hurried into a new defensive line 20 miles to the east of Smolensk. It is a thin line, but it could hold the German infantry deprived of tanks.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Rumanian forces and elements of the German 11.Armee (Colonel General E. Ritter von Schobert) close on the Black Sea port of Odessa and begin a 73 day siege of the city. The Red Army and Navy personnel defending Odessa had already been ordered to fight to the last man. The Soviet 5th Army launches attacks from the Korsun area to relieve the beleaguered forces of the 6th and 12th Armies trapped south of Uman. The attacks meet heavy resistance. The XXIX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry H. von Obstfelder) surprisingly managed to push 37th Army as far back as the outer suburbs of Kiev.

Father Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish-Catholic priest and an inmate at the Auschwitz, Poland, concentration camp, sacrificed his life by volunteering to take the place of a fellow prisoner condemned to death. The Nazis agreed to the switch and brutally murdered the priest. Incarcerated for disseminating his religious and social views, Kolbe continued to practice his faith at Auschwitz. In July 1941, when a prisoner from his block escaped from the camp, the SS ordered the execution of ten inmates as retribution. One of the selected victims, Francis Gajowniczek, pleaded for his life, sobbing over his wife and children. The priest stepped from the numbed, terrified ranks and offered himself, saying he had no family. Locked naked in a dark, foul-smelling, underground cell, without food or water, he clung to life for two weeks. Impatient, the SS gave him a lethal injection of carbolic acid. In 1982 the Catholic Church canonized Kolbe as a saint.



> "With the destruction of the Russian divisions cut off at Smolensk, the three-week 'Battle at the Dnepr and Dvina and of Smolensk' has concluded in another brilliant victory for German arms and German fulfillment of duty. Taken as booty were: 309,110 prisoners, 3,205 captured or destroyed tanks, 3,000 [artillery] guns, 341 aircraft. The numbers are not yet complete. This deed of yours, too, has become part of history! It is with gratitude and pride that I look upon a force that is capable of such an accomplishment. Long Live the Führer!" - Field Marshal Bock's order to Heeresgruppe Mitte on the completion of the battle for Smolensk.



*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 65 aircraft to attack Mannheim, 97 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe and 68 aircraft to attack Frankfurt overnight.

*MEDTERRANEAN*: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Freccia_”, “_Strale_”, “_Turbine_”, and “_Malocello_” and a torpedo boat.

*NORTH AFRICA: *Admiral Darlan is promoted to be in charge of government policy in North Africa. Wegand is to be his subordinate.

General Dentz arrested and held in custody until all Allied POWs captured in the Levant released by Vichy French forces.

*NORTH AMERICA: * At 0530 hours in Menemsha Bight, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts, the presidential yacht USS “_Potomac_” (AG-35), with President Franklin D Roosevelt aboard, comes alongside the heavy cruiser USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31) and moored; the President and his party board the cruiser and the ship embarks at 0617 hours. For security purposes, the President’s flag however, remained in “_Potomac_” while she, accompanied by the tender USS “_Calypso_” (AG-35), transited the Cape Cod Canal to New England waters. A Secret Serviceman, approximating the President in size and affecting the Chief Executive’s mannerisms when visible from a distance, played a starring role in the drama. Press releases issued daily from USS “_Potomac_” led all who read them to believe that “FDR” was really embarked in his yacht on a pleasure cruise. Meanwhile, USS “_Augusta_”, accompanied by the heavy cruiser USS “_Tuscaloosa_” (CA-37) and 5 destroyers, stood out of Vineyard Sound at 0640 hours, at 20 knots passing the Nantucket Shoals lightship at 1125 hours. Increasing speed slightly during the night, the ships steamed on, darkened, to Ship Harbor, Placentia Bay, Argentia, Newfoundland to rendezvous with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The first Vultee SNV-1 flies and was delivered to Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Troop convoy WS 9AX arrives at Singapore from UK with reinforcements.

Lieut-General Sir Iven Mackay appointed General Officer in Charge — Australian Home Forces.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb operations and escort operations to Cherbourg. RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft on coastal sweep from the Scheldt to the Frisian Islands.

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## Njaco (Aug 5, 2016)

*August 6 Wednesday*

*ASIA: *In Tokyo, Konoye’s government presents proposals involving some concessions in China and Indochina to the US, asking in return for the end of the freeze on Japanese assets. The proposals are not acceptable to the US and when the rejection is made known to the Japanese they propose that Konoye and Roosevelt meet to discuss the issues at stake. The question of this meeting is not resolved until after Roosevelt and Churchill meet at Placentia Bay.

The Kwantung Army is ordered to avoid any border incidents with the Red Army.

*ARTIC OCEAN*: At 1900 hours, Soviet dispatch vessel PS-70 was hit by one torpedo from U-652 and sank seven miles off Cape Teriberka. This was the first U-boat success in the Arctic.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* USN Task Force 16 consisting of the battleship USS “_Mississippi_” (BB-41), heavy cruisers USS “_Quincy_” (CA-39) and USS “_Wichita_” (CA-35) and 5 destroyers delivers US Army troops to Reykjavik, Iceland. Accompanying TF 16 are the aircraft carrier USS “_Wasp_” (CV-7), the heavy cruiser USS “_Vincennes_” (CA-44) and 2 destroyers. The Army troops are in the Army transport “_American Legion_” while stores ship USS “_Mizar_” (AF-12) and cargo ship USS “_Almaack_” (AK-27) bring supplies and equipment. During the morning, USS “_Wasp_”, the heavy cruiser USS “_Vincennes_” and their 2 destroyers part company from TF 16 and soon thereafter, the carrier turned into the wind and commenced launching the 30 P-40s and 3 PT-17 Kaydets of the USAAF’s 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) which land at Reykjavik Airport. As the P-40’s and the trainers droned on to Iceland, “_Wasp_” heads home for Norfolk, her three escorts in company. Also at Reykjavik, Iceland, are detachments of USN Patrol Squadrons 73 (VP-73), with PBY-5A Catalinas, and VP-74, with PBM-1 Mariners; both squadrons, which are serviced by the seaplane tender, destroyer USS “_Goldsborough_” (AVD-5), begin routine air patrols over the North Atlantic on this date.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The first German strategic reports on progress in Russia claimed that Germany had taken nearly 900,000 prisoners and destroyed or captured 13,100 tanks, 9,100 aircraft and more than 10,000 heavy guns. Special communiqué issued by German High Command claims that Wehrmacht has inflicted 'annihilating blows unique in history'. Total casualties on the Eastern Front since the start of BARBAROSSA now number 266,352 with Army Group Centre having 88,400 of those casualties.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German infantry forces from 16.Armee captures the town of Staryya Russa on the south shore of Lake Illmen. Soviet destroyers bombard German coastal positions.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: After running out of ammunition, Soviet National Air Defense Forces pilot Viktor Talalikhin rams a German Heinkel He 111 bomber over Moscow with his Polikarpov I-16 fighter, destroying both aircraft. Talalikhin parachutes to safety.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Kostenko's 6th Army tries to fight out of encirclement near Uman to the east while Ponedelin's 12th Army attempted a breakout to the south. Reichenau's forward elements reach the outskirts of Kiev but are stopped by Vlasov's 37th Army.

General Wladyslaw Anders is appointed C-in-C of the new Polish army to be formed in Russia.

The first awards of the Hero of the Soviet Union order occurred on August 6, 1941 (detachment commanders Pavlovskiy and Bumazhkov).

*GERMANY*: Leutnant Hans Thurner of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

RAF Bomber Command sends 53 aircraft to attack Frankfurt, 38 aircraft to attack Mannheim and 38 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* The Vickers Wellington bombers of No.38 Squadron arrive on Malta. The squadron returns to Egypt on 25 October.

The Ustaše regime in the Independent State of Croatia perpetrated the Prebilovci massacre, throwing some 600 women and children alive into a deep pit near Šurmanci.

Three Italian submarines depart for Bardia on transport mission with fuel and supplies.

Italian vessel “_Nita_” sunk by RN Fleet Air Arm torpedo bombers off coast of Tunisia. Italian vessel “_Bombardiere_” sunk by Free Dutch submarine O-24.

HMAS “_Nestor_”, (destroyer), attacked a surfaced German submarine off Gibraltar. The submarine fired a torpedo which passed down the destroyer’s length.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Alexandria and Suez overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA: * The clearing of the land to build a US Marine Corps airfield (future Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point) began in North Carolina, United States.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: An executive order transfers the U.S. Coast Guard’s Honolulu District from the Treasury Department to the U.S. Navy in the first step toward shifting the USCG to USN control.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The first Bell Airacobra fighter arrived in the United Kingdom. By the end of Sep 1941, eleven machines had been received by No. 601 Squadron RAF, but during trials by the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford it was found that the much publicized performance figures claimed by the manufacturer were much overrated (having been obtained by a highly polished machine weighing a ton less than the production aircraft delivered to the RAF). The maximum speed for example being some 33 mph slower than anticipated and, although pleasant enough to fly, was definitely inferior to the Hurricane and Spitfire in climb rate and ceiling.

In the British House of Commons, British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden warned Japan that any action threatening the independence and integrity of Thailand would be "of immediate concern" to the British government. U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull mirrored those statements that same day when he said at a press conference that any move by Japan into Thailand would be a matter of concern to the United States. Japan denied having any aggressive intentions against Thailand.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Hull.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Belgium, a collaborationist military unit, Legion Vlaandern (Flanders Legion), is established.

RAF Bomber Command sends 38 aircraft to attack Calais overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft on coastal sweep during the day. RAF Fighter Command escort operations.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 6, 2016)

*August 7 Thursday*
*ASIA: *The Japanese Government exempted taxation on imported goods from "Manzhouguo."

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Thunderstorms drop heavy rains on the entire eastern front. Continuing into the 8th of August it turns the roads into deep mud.

Heeresgruppe Nord: Tallinn, the capitol of Estonia, was surrounded when German forces reached the sea near Kunda. Soviet 48th Army committed in Novgorod sector.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: In conjunction with the German 2. Panzergruppe attacking towards Gomel, the XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) started advancing south-west towards Starodub. Heeresgruppe Mitte’s objective was the destruction of the 21st Army (in the Central Front which was formed on 24th July), and in so doing effect a junction with Heeresgruppe Sud to destroy the Southwestern Front. The Stavka were still generally unheeding of this danger as they believed the main German offensive would be directed towards Moscow. Accordingly they continued to deploy the large majority of newly mobilized and newly arriving forces along the Moscow-Smolensk axis, whilst supplying Central Front with only limited resources and ordering Southwestern Front to dig in around Kiev and along the lower Dnepr River.

Heeresgruppe Sud: After a final attempt to breakout, the 6th and 12th Armies fell to the Germans. The Germans record capturing 107,000 officers and men including Generals Ponedelin and Muzychenko, 4 corps commanders, and 11 division commanders. Another 2 corps commanders and 6 division commanders were killed in the fighting.

Stalin promoted himself to Generalissimo of the Soviet Army.

Hitler, Rundstedt and Rumanian Head of State Antonescu meet at Heeresgruppe Sud’s headquarters in Berdichev. Hitler awards Knight's Cross to Antonescu and discusses further Rumanian participation in the war.



> "The situation is nevertheless extremely tense. If I want to create a reserve and try to pull out a division to do so, it is declared 'impossible,' if a division deployed in the rear army area arrives at the front it is snatched from my hands! I therefore wrote to the commanders of the armies and armored groups, made them aware of the results of such a blinkered policy, and asked them to be reasonable on this point. - I don't exactly know how a new operation is to take place out of this situation and with the slowly sinking fighting strength of our constantly attacking forces - but things are undoubtedly even worse for the Russian!" - Field Marshall Bock.



In Romania 551 Jews were shot in the Kishinev ghetto.

*GERMANY*: British bombers continue their nightly bombing raids over the continent. After dark, 84 British aircraft were launched to attack Essen, Germany (108 tons of high explosive bombs and 5,720 incendiary bombs were dropped, damaging the Krupp coke oven batteries), 31 launched against Hamm (damaging rail marshalling yard), 32 launched against Dortmund, 88 launched against Kiel (104 tons of high explosive bombs and 4,836 incendiary bombs were dropped, damaging Deutsche Werke Shipyards), and a number of bombers were launched against Hamburg (poor visibility and results were not observed).

13 Ilyushin DB-3 bombers of the Soviet Navy's Baltic Fleet Air Force conduct a raid on Berlin without loss. It is the first of ten Soviet Naval Aviation raids on Berlin.

Werner Mölders was named the Inspector General of Fighters of the Luftwaffe.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Off Gibraltar, the British destroyer HMS “_Severn_” sinks the Italian submarine “_Michele Bianchi_”.

Benito Mussolini's son was killed in a plane crash. Captain Bruno Mussolini, commander of the 274a Squadriglia, dies while in a training flight on a P108 Bomber in Pisa. Mussolini never fully recovers from the loss of his son.

*MIDDLE EAST*: First Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 4777 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack shipping in Alexandria harbor overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The Senate passes an extension of the draft period from one year to thirty months (and a similar increase for service in the National Guard) after considerable debate.

The USN heavy cruiser USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31) arrives in Placentia Bay, Argentia, Newfoundland, with US President Franklin D Roosevelt. The President spends the day fishing from the forecastle and inspecting the US Naval base while awaiting the arrival of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Soviet 168th and parts of 115th divisions are encircled in a large motti around Sortavala (Serdobol) on the north-western shore of Lake Ladoga by the Finnish II Corps. At this point Mannerheim decides to form a new I Corps (2nd, 7th and 9th divisions) commanded by Colonel Einar Mäkinen whose assignment is to destroy the enemy troops in the motti. The only way out for the Russians is Lake Ladoga, and they soon start evacuating their troops out by the lake.

*SOUTH PACIFIC: *The Australian government warned that it would not stand by and watch Japanese expansion in the Pacific.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Major. Johannes Seifert of I./JG 26 destroys a Spitfire near Gravelines, England.

The 4th Escort Group, based at Greenock in Scotland, leaves port to join part of the convoy ONS.4 at sea, proceeding to Iceland.

Twice during the week casualties have been caused by members of the public trespassing on minefields. In the first instance three people were killed in Northumberland on Thursday, and there were two fatal casualties at Torquay on Saturday.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command Circus operations. RAF carries out repeated sweeps over north France: 10 fighters lost, 7 Bf 109s shot down.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

Halders Diary 1 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

*02 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC DKM U-154





Allied
MSW HMS MINES (J-165), ML 182

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-73
Trondheim: U-752

Departures
Lorient: U-43
St Nazaire: U-71, U-77, U-96, U-751

At Sea 02 August 1941
U-43, U-46, U-66, U-71, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-652, U-751

37 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Serie IX Submarine S.11 (VMF 840 grt)*; Hit a mine and sank off Hiiumaa Island, Estonia some 5 nautical miles west of Emmaste i on 2 August 1941. 3 crewmembers managed to raise from 11 m depth through a stern torpedo tube. The others (44 men) went down with the ship. The wreck was found in 1949, raised in 1955, and broken up at Riga during 1957-1958.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
Steamer KOOLGA was damaged by the LW, near 54.D Buoy, Smiths Knoll, and arrived in tow at Great Yarmouth on the 3rd.

*Northern Waters*
DD HEYTHROP departed Scapa Flow for Greenock on completion of work up and arrived on the 3rd. DD ORIBI departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to convey Admiral Horton to Scapa Flow, and arrived that evening. MSW HARRIER departed Scapa Flow for Seidisfjord, where she arrived on the 5th.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow at 0615 to provide escort for convoy WN.60 from the Pentland Firth until joining convoy EC.53 at 2300. She parted company with EC.53 in Pentland Firth late on the 3rd and arrived at Scapa Flow.

*Med/Biscay*
LL magnetic MSW SOIKA was recalled from Port Said to aid in minesweeping at Tobruk. Corvette SALVIA departed Beirut to relieve her at Port Said. SOIKA proceeded to Alexandria and minesweeping whaler SOTRA departed Alexandria for Tobruk.

RAN DD VENDETTA and DD HAVOCK, en route to Tobruk, were attacked by the LW. South African (SAF) air support was able to repulse the attack and the DDs were undamaged.

RNeN submarine O.23 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

*Central Atlantic*
Tkr LAURELWOOD and Panamanian tkr NORVINN departed Gibraltar for Curacoa and Trinidad, respectively, escorted until dark on the 4th by DD WISHART and ASW trawler LADY HOGARTH.

Motor launches ML.130, ML.129, and ML.168 departed Gibraltar to conduct an anti-submarine search north of AlboranIsland.

*Malta*
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1000 hrs _Convoy arrives in GrandHarbour.

_1744-1816 hrs _Air raid alert for a formation of 15 enemy aircraft sighted 40 miles to the north of Malta. 21 Hurricanes are scrambled; the raiders approach to a point 22 miles from the Island and turn back before they can be engaged.

_2308-2330 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

_2337-0032 hrs _Air raid alert for two unidentified enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly from the north east. No Hurricanes are scrambled. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage and force the raiders to drop their bombs in the sea, the first near St Elmo breakwater and the second raider in the sea off Tigne Point. Both then turn away and recede north east. 

_0101-0214 hrs _Air raid alert for three unidentified enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly from the north east. The first turns back before reaching the coast. The second crosses the coast in north west of St George’s and is engaged by heavy anti-aircraft guns but flies on to drop bombs on the Gzira area, east of Gudja and in the sea off Kalafrana. The third does not approach the coast but drops flares in the sea and recedes northwards.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 2 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _‘Operation Style’ successfully completed. _Farndale_ returned with defects.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. Beaufighters and Hurricanes provided fighter escort for incoming Naval units. _69 Squadron _5 Marylands on patrols between Sicily and South Sardinia; one Maryland F/O Drew photo-reconnaissance Taranto, Messina, Brindisi, Valona and Reggio Calabria. Maryland patrols Tripoli and Comiso._830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _Anti-submarine patrols ahead of Naval units leaving Malta; no incidents. _143 Squadron_ 2 Beaufighters attacked Rizzo Aerodrome; damaged and destroyed aircraft. 2 Beaufighters sent to attack Pantellaria aerodrome unable to reach target.

_HAL FAR _One Swordfish patrolled Ionian Sea. _105 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims sent to attack barracks and aerodrome at Misurata destroyed buildings. 

_KALAFRANA _A draft of 100 men arrived at the Station from the UK.


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

Halders Diary 2 August 1941 (NOTE DATE SHOWN IS AN ERROR)


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

*03 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
None

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
Horten: U-129
Lorient: U-105
Trondheim: U-568

At Sea 03 August 1941
U-43, U-46, U-66, U-71, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-568, U-652, U-751

39 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CA BERWICK departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow and arrived later that day. Turbine problems had not yet been repaired and she was only capable of a maximum of 22.5 knots.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow at sundown and escorted convoy WN.61 to southward. On the 4th, she transferred to convoy EC.54 in the vicinity of Tod Head, and arrived at Scapa Flow just after midnight on the 6th after parting from the convoy to the west of the Orkneys.

MSW NIGER departed Scapa Flow pre-dawn for Dundee to refit, arriving that evening The refit was completed 28 September. She returned to Dundee on 6 October for further refitting which continued until 15 December.

*Northern Patrol*
CVL FURIOUS, CA SUFFOLK and DDs INTREPID, ECHO, and ECLIPSE arrived at Seidisfjord at 1000 on completion of Operation EF. The ships went on to Scapa Flow after refuelling. FURIOUS, ECHO and ECLIPSE arrived on the 5th. INTREPID which had been separated in bad weather, proceeded to Loch Ewe to fuel and arrived that morning. The DD later proceeded to Greenock. DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, and HARVESTER arrived at Scapa Flow at 0815 from Reykjavik.

*Northern Waters*
DD QUORN departed Scapa Flow at 1200 after a short period of practices for Rosyth. DD ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster during the afternoon to embark special personnel, and arrived back later that evening.

*West Coast*
Convoy WS.10 was formed at sea from ships departing Avonmouth on 30 July, Liverpool on 31 July, and the Clyde on the 2nd. It was composed of steamers PHEMIUS, DIOMED, INDIAN PRINCE, INDRAPOERA, ANDES, RANGITIKI, ORCADES, BRITANNIC, HIGHLAND MONARCH, MANCHESTERPORT, STARTHALLAN, VOLENDAM, CAMERONIA, REINA DEL PACIFICO, NEA HELLAS, STIRLINGCASTLE, WINDSORCASTLE, WARWICKCASTLE, and NIGERSTROOM. On the 6th, steamers WINDSORCASTLE and WARWICKCASTLE collided. WARWICKCASTLE was detached to Halifax and escorted by AMC WORCESTERSHIRE. The convoy was escorted by AMC WORCESTERSHIRE and DDs GURKHA, ORP PIORUN, RNeN ISAAC SWEERS, BROADWAY, LANCE, and LEGION from 2 to 6 August. CLA CAIRO and DDs WHITEHALL, WITCH, and WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy from 2 to 5 August. CA LONDON escorted the convoy from 2 to 10 August. On the 10th, CL EDINBURGH, which departed Gibraltar on the 8th, relieved the CA and escorted the convoy until 17 August when it arrived at Freetown. The CA proceeded to 40N, 30W to attempt to intercept an armed enemy merchant ship reported by civil aircraft. DDs WRESTLER and VELOX and corvette BERGAMOT escorted the convoy from 14 to 17 August and corvette CYCLAMEN escorted the convoy from 15 to 17 August. DD JUPITER was involved in the escort of the convoy at some time prior to the arrival at Freetown.

OS.2 departed Liverpool. On the 4th, DDs CHELSEA and WOLVERINE joined the convoy and were detached on the 8th. Also joining on the 4th were sloop SANDWICH which was detached on the 19th, corvettes GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, and MYOSOTIS which were detached on the 8th, and anti-submarine yacht PHILANTE which was detached on the 19th. French sloop COMMANDANT DOMINE joined the convoy on the 4th and was detached on the 18th. On the 7th, DDs VICEROY and WOOLSTON joined the convoy and were detached on 9 and 10 August, respectively. On the 19th, DD BRILLIANT and corvettes AMARANTHUS, ARMERIA, and WOODRUFF joined the convoy and arrived at Freetown with the convoy on the 22nd.

*Western Approaches*
CAM ship MAPLIN, which had left convoy OG.70 en route to convoy SL.81, scored the first kill for a ship of this type when her Hurricane shot down a FW 200 aircraft. LT (A) R. W. H. Everett RNVR was the pilot, and after his success, landed in the sea near DD WANDERER of convoy SL.81 and was rescued.

*SW Approaches*
*Type VIIC U.401 (DKM 769 grt)* was sunk by convoy SL.81 escorts, DDs WANDERER and ST.ALBANS and corvette HYDRANGEA, formerly of convoy SC.81, well south of Iceland, in 50-27N, 19-50W. The entire crew of forty four were lost. DD CAMPBELTOWN and corvettes LA MALOUINE, ZINNIA, CAMPANULA, BLUEBELL, WALLFLOWER, CARNATION, and HELIOTROPE were also escorting this convoy.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
RNeN submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked a sailing vessel south of Sardinia. Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta from patrol.

*MV ESCAUT (Be 1087 grt)* was sunk by the LW 17.3 cables 232° from South Beacon Ships Head, Attika Bay, Suez. The Master and two crew were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Belgian tkr ALEXANDRE ANDRE was damaged by the LW eight miles S of Suez. RAN sloop PARRAMATTA arrived at Port Said from Famagusta. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Port Said with motor transport ship KEVINBANK for Famagusta in Serial S.12 of the GUILLOTINE operation. they arrived on the 5th.

RAN MSW HMAS BATHURST passed through the Suez Canal and proceeded to Alexandria for duty with the Med Flt. BATHURST and LISMORE had been retained at Suez to assist with the large liners of the US.11A convoy.

Tkr DESMOULEA was damaged by the LW at Suez off the west beacon, and towed to Bombay for repairs.

*Steamer ELISA (FI 216 grt)* was sunk by the RAF off Benghazi. DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and BOREAS departed Freetown at 0800 to proceed to Bathurst to refuel en route to Gibraltar.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy WS 10, having arrived at Freetown from the UK on the 17th, departed on the 21st, escorted by CL EDINBURGH to 2 September when BRITANNIC, INDRAPOERA, REINA DEL PACIFICO, STIRLING CASTLE, STRATHALLAN, VOLENDAM, WINDSOR CASTLE, NIGERSTROOM, and PHEMIUS arrived at Capetown. On 6 September, liners ORCADES, ANDES, CAMERONIA, HIGHLAND PATRIOT, NEA HELLAS, RANGITIKI, DIOMED, INDIAN PRINCE, and MANCHESTERPORT arrived at Durban, escorted by CA HAWKINS. On 6 September, liners BRITANNIC, STIRLINGCASTLE, WINDSORCASTLE, VOLENDAM, INDRAPOERA, STRATHALLAN, NIGERSTROOM, and PHEMIUS departed Capetown escorted by AMCCARNARVONCASTLE. Liner BRITANNIC was detached on 8 September to Durban to embark passengers from liner CAMERONIA. She rejoined with steamer ARONDA departing Durban on 9 September with CA HAWKINS. On rendezvous, AMCCARNARVONCASTLE was detached with VOLENDAM, INDRAPOERA, PHEMIUS, and NIGERSTROOM to Durban CA HAWKINS then escorted the convoy until 15 September, when CL EMERALD took over the escort of the convoy. The convoy arrived at Bombay on 20 September. Steamers not departing Capetown on 6 September went forward to Aden in convoy CM.17.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 AUGUST TO DAWN 4 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_AM _A small fighter patrol approaches the Island. Malta fighters are scrambled and the enemy formation recedes immediately.

_2300-2320 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches GrandHarbour from the north and drops a single 250kg high explosive bomb on land in fields south of Zeitun, near Delimara and another in the sea before receding. Malta fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no engagements.

_2340-0056 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach GrandHarbour from the north east but do not cross the coast, dropping bombs on Tarxien, Zabbar and in the sea off Della Grazia. A fourth raider approaches Grand Harbour and drops several 250kg high explosive bombs in the dockyard area damaging NAAFI stores and an Officers Mess as well as electric and telephone cables. One makes a crater 15 feet by four, damaging main drains. Other bombs are dropped in the sea. A fifth aircraft approaches over Grand Harbour and is caught for a moment in searchlights, at which he changes direction and immediately releases bombs on Sliema, destroying several houses and damaging many others. Part of SacredHeartChurch receives a direct hit. Two civilians are admitted to hospital with broken bones; several onlookers suffer minor injuries. Malta fighters are scrambled but there are no other searchlight illuminations and no engagements.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 3 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Utmost_ arrived from patrol north of Messina, having sunk a 4000 ton ship and blown up a train.

_AIR HQ Departures _3 Beaufighter, 2 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance: Regio Calabria and Messina; Marittimo to CapeCarbonnera; Tripoli and Misurata. _143 Squadron _2 Beaufighters sent to attack fighters on Reggio Calabria aerodrome damaged aircraft on the ground. _105 Squadron _ 5 Blenheims sent to attack shipping in Tripoli harbour scored direct hits on ships and damaged buildings and port installations. Sgt Williams aircraft hit several times and had to make a belly-landing on return. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 2 Fulmars patrolled Catania and Gerbini aerodromes, dropping bombs on Gerbini; no results observed. 

_KALAFRANA _2 Fulmars, Fleet Air Arm, patrolled over Catania and Gerbini aerodromes. Each Fulmar dropped four bombs on the flarepath of Gerbini aerodrome.


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

Halders Diary 03 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

*04 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS MALPEQUE (J-148)





Bangor Class MSW HMS SIDMOUTH (J-47)




_Sister ship HMS GUYSBURY _

MMS I Class MSW HMS MMS 26 (J-526)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-126 sank *Schooner ROBERT MAX (UK 172 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Grand Banks to Oporto (Portugal). She had a load of codfish at the time and a crew of 7, all of whom survived the attack At 2055 hrs the schooner ROBERT MAX was stopped by two shots across her bow fired by U-126 near the Azores and was sunk 2 hrs later by 17 rounds from the deck gun and gunfire after the crew was allowed to leave their ship in a lifeboat. They were questioned by the Germans, who offered cigarettes, gave them the course to San Miguel and wished good luck before leaving the area. The survivors reached the Azores after three days and were repatriated from Oporto to Grand Bank by the British schooners JAMES AND STANLEY and HELEN FOSSEY.





*Steamer TUNISIA(UK 4337 grt)* carrying a cargo of manganese ore, was bombed by FW200 a/c in the Western Approaches and sank about 350 miles W of Achill Head, Co. Mayo. Thirty eight crew of a crew of 43 were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 04 August 1941
U-43, U-46, U-66, U-71, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-568, U-652, U-751

39 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic
*PV TUMAN (VMF 1218 grt)* a former trawler, was sunk by 3 DKM DDs at the entrance to KolaBay
*



*


*North Sea*
Ex-US Coast Guard cutter. escort ship BANFF was damaged in a collision with a Thames lighter in the Thames Estuary. She had just departed Tilbury, and returned following for repairs, which were completed on the 8th.

*Channel*
Submarines TIGRIS and TRIDENT departed Holy Loch 26 July and 1 August, respectively and arrived at Polyarnoe on the 4th and 10 August. They were relieved by submarines SEALION and SEAWOLF, which departed Portsmouth on 16 and 25 October, respectively and arrived at Polyarnoe on 6 and 10 November. These two then returned to Home Waters in December, and were relieved by submarine STURGEON which departed Scapa Flow on 1 January and arrived on 11 January.

*Med/Biscay*
Force H and Force X arrived at Gibraltar.

On the 8th, DDs COSSACK, MAORI, ZULU, and LIGHTNING escorted BC RENOWN and troopship PASTEUR, carrying 15 officers and 157 ratings of damaged CL MANCHESTER to the Clyde. DDs INGLEFIELD, IMPULSIVE, and ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow on the 11th to meet the BC on the 12th and escort her to Rosyth for refitting, arriving on the 14th. INGLEFIELD was taken in hand for boiler cleaning at the same time.

The Force H DDs and the troopship arrived in the Clyde. MAORI proceeded to London for refitting. The other two Tribal DDs returned to the Mediterranean escorting convoy WS.11 which departed the Clyde on the 30th. LIGHTNING returned to the Home Fleet.

Submarine UNIQUE arrived at Malta from patrol.

CLA CARLISLE departed Alexandria for Suez to provide AA defense. CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DDs JACKAL and KIPLING departed Alexandria for Port Said for one serial of GUILLOTINE operation. The ships would then relieve RAN CL HOBART and DDs at Haifa. DDs JAGUAR and NIZAM carried supplies to Tobruk.

MSW whaler SOTRA was attacked by the LW off Mersa Matruh. The Whaler’s skipper was killed.

*Nth Atlantic*
DDs ORIBI and CROOME departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster and returned to Scapa Flow that same day with personnel. BB PRINCE OF WALES departed Scapa Flow escorted by DDs ORIBI, HAVELOCK, HARVESTER, and HESPERUS, but ORIBI returned to Scapa Flow that evening. The other DDs were detached on the 5th in heavy weather and proceeded to Reykjavik.

On the 6th, the BB was met by RCN DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ASSINIBOINE and DD RIPLEY, which came out from Iceland. PRINCE OF WALES and her escort arrived at Placentia Bay on the 9th. In harbour at this time were US BB ARKANSAS, CA s AUGUSTA and TUSCALOOSA, DDs MCDOUGAL, MADISON, SAMPSON, WINSLOW, MOFFETT, BELKNAP, RHIND, and MAYRANT, DD READING, and oiler SALINAS.

RESTIGOUCHE while refuelling touched ground and damaged her screws. She was repaired at St Johns and Halifax, completing on 9 October. The Atlantic Charter was signed on the 10th.

The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration released by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on August 14, 1941 following a meeting of the two heads of state in Newfoundland. The Atlantic Charter provided a broad statement of U.S. and British war aims. It was not without its problems but also laid the foundations towards a close relationship between the two great democracies that greatly contributed to the ultimate allied victory.

PRINCE OF WALES departed Placentia Bay on the 14th escorted by RIPLEY, ASSINIBOINE, SAGUENAY, and READING and the American RHIND and MAYRANT. RIPLEY and READING were detached on the 16th.

DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow on the 11th and arrived at Hvalfjord on the 12th. The DDs put to sea on the 14th to meet the returning BB. On the 16th, the BB arrived at Hvalfjord, escorted by TARTAR, PUNJABI, and ESCAPADE. Churchill went on to Reykjavik on ASSINBOINE. Churchill addressed the crews of ships at Hvalfjord on this date. Included at Hvalfjord on the 16th were BB USS NEW MEXICO, RN BB RAMILLIES, CAs SHROPSHIRE and USS QUINCEY, five DDs, including CHURCHILL, five USN DDs and depot ship HECLA. PRINCE OF WALES departed Hvalfjord on the 16th escorted by TARTAR, PUNJABI, and ESCAPADE. On the 17th, when a submarine was reported off Cape Wrath, DDs ECLIPSE and ORIBI departed Scapa Flow to search for the submarine. The DDs joined the BB at midnight on the 17th. The BB, escorted by the five DDs, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th.

*Central Atlantic*
Corvette VERVAIN broke down with boiler problems at 18-50N, 20-35W while on patrol duty . On the 5th, she was able to proceed on one boiler, but by mid-afternoon on the 8th, could not steam at all with both boilers defective. Corvette CLOVER took her in tow for Freetown, arriving on the 9th.

Ocean boarding vessel CAVINA intercepted *steamer FRANKFURT (Ger 5522 grt)* west of the Azores in 31-34N, 37-42W. The steamer scuttled herself to avoid capture, and 26 crew were rescued. A second boatload refused to be picked up and were lost. CALVINA arrived at Gibraltar on the 11th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL CALEDON departed Suez for Bombay where she was refitting from 18 August to 13 October.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 AUGUST TO DAWN 5 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

_1205-1235 hrs _Air raid alert for three Macchi 200 fighters which approach to within a few miles of GrandHarbour at 25000 feet. Hurricanes are scrambled and the raiders retire before they can be engaged.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 4 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unique_ arrived from patrol south of Messina, having wrecked two trains.

_AIR HQ Departures _2 Beaufighter, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Four strike force patrols by Marylands. Photo-reconnaissance Comiso aerodrome, Tripoi and Misurata. 105 Squadron 2 Blenheims sent to attack a merchant ship north of Misurata attacked a schooner leaving the vessel damaged. 

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _3 Swordfish special westerly search for an enemy submarine seen earlier by a Maryland.


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

Halders Diary 04 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

*05 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS AMHERST (K-148)





*Losses*
_SL-81_




_An escort from Escort Group 7 counterattacking _

U-Boats received course and speed information from FW 200 a/c from KG-40 the day previous to the attack

Between 0150 and 0159 hrs, U-372 fired four single torpedoes at ships in the convoy SL-81 west of Ireland. 

*Steamer BELGRAVIAN (UK 3136 grt)* with a cargo of kernels, groundnuts and tin ore from Port Harcourt, was torpedoed by U-372 at around 0200 hrs, when the convoy had reached the west of Ireland in position 53.03N, 15.54W . The master, 40 crew members and six gunners were rescued up by the corvette HMS BLUEBELL and landed at Gourock. Three crew members were lost





The fourth torpedo fired by U-372 hit *Steamer SWIFTPOOL (UK 5205 grt)* which was carrying munitions when she was torpedoed by U-372, when the convoy had reached the west of Ireland in position 53.02N 15.58W. The ship exploded and sank by the bow in 50 seconds. The ship missed was the British steam merchant VOLTURNO.There were only two survivors and the master and 41 crew members and gunners lost their lives..





After sinking two ships from the heavily escorted convoy SL-81 (which represented somewhat the change in U-boat operatiuons at this point as the U-Boats began attacks on escorted convoys as well as stragglers) SL-81, U-372 was attacked in turn by its third intended victim, the British freighter VOLTURO , and the corvette HMS ZINNIA, which fired on U-372 and made to ram her. The boat managed to dive, and escape, but the opportunity for further attacks for the moment had passed. .

At 0520 hrs, west of Ireland, *Steamer CAPE RODNEY (UK 4512 grt)* with a cargo palm kernels, groundnuts and manganese ore from Lagos), was torpedoed and damaged by U-75 west of Ireland. On August 7, when in position 52.11N, 14.42W, she was taken in tow but sank on August 9 in position 52.44N, 11.41W. The master (Peter Allan Wallace), 31 crew members and four gunners were picked up by HMS HYDRANGEA and landed at Gourock and three crew members were rescued by HMS ZINNIA and landed at Londonderry. There was no loss of life*.*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

At 0520 hrs, west of Ireland, *Steamer HARLINGEN (UK 5415 grt)* (with a cargo of 8,000 tons of West African produce from Lagos), was torpedoed by U-75. The master and 38 other survivors were picked up by HMS HYDRANGEA and landed at Gourock and three crew members were rescued by HMS ZINNIA and landed at Londonderry. Three crew members lost their lives..





At 0540 hrs, west of Ireland, *Steamer KUMASIAN (UK 4922 grt)* with 7,000 tons of general cargo from Lagos was torpedoed by U-74. The master, 43 crew members and six gunners and nine passengers were picked up by Corvette LA MALOUINE and landed at Liverpool. Two crew members lost their lives.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-66

Departures
Trondheim: U-206, U-567

At Sea 05 August 1941
U-43, U-46, U-71, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-652, U-751

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*MSW trawler RIVER CLYDE (RN 276 grt)* of MSW Gp 6 was sunk on a mine off Aldeburgh Light Float (in the NthSea) . 11 ratings were killed and one died of wounds in the trawler. Skipper Grant was wounded.
[NO IMAGE FORUN]

OA.194 departed Methil escort DD HESPERUS and sloop HASTINGS. Convoy FN.243 departed Southend. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th. Convoy MT.131 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 5th. Convoy FS.243 departed the Tyne, escort sloops BLACK SWAN and HASTINGS and patrol sloop KITTIWAKE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 7th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ASHANTI and MASHONA proceeded to Lerwick to escort British steamer LOCHNAGAR which departed Lerwick at 1705 for Aberdeen

*West Coast*
DDs ACHATES and FIREDRAKE patrolled in the area of Cape Wrath-North Rona-Butt of Lewis area after a submarine was reported in the area.

*Western Approaches*
Due to heavy losses to shipping by submarine attacks, DDs KEPPEL and the A class DDs were to be transferred to the Commander in Chief Western Approaches. A division of the J and K destroyers were to join the Nore Command.

*Nth Atlantic*
USN CAs WICHITA and QUINCY departed Bahia for Perambuco, arriving on the 9th.

The cruisers departed on 13 September and arrived at Montevideo 23 August. Departing on the 28th, they arrived at Buenas Aires on the 29th. WICHITA and QUINCY departed Buenas Aires on 3 September and arrived at Rio de Janiero on 6 September. They departed Rio on 10 September and arrived back at Norfolk, Virginia on 24 September.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 AUGUST TO DAWN 6 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_2138-2315 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy bombers which approach from the north east and drop bombs on Ricasoli, Tigne, Valletta, Marsa, Paola, Tarxien, Zonqor and Latnia. At Rinella a bomb puts a Bofors gun out of action; the crew is badly shaken. Two bombs on Cospicua damage houses. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and searchlights illuminate so that they can engage. P/O Barnwell shoots down one BR 20 and another unidentified bomber in flames. F/O Cassidy spots a raider on the edge of the formation and closes in. The raider opens fire first and after several volleys at each other parts of the enemy aircraft are seen to fly off and it rapidly loses height. Catania HQ is later heard signalling to Syracuse rescue station to report the loss of a pilot.

_2346-0055 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching in succession. The first crosses the south-east coast of the Island and drops bombs on Zonqor point, receding to the north east where it is engaged by a Hurricane. The second raider crosses the coast in the GrandHarbour and drops bombs four miles from Luqa and in the sea off Dingli. The third aircraft recedes without crossing the coast.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 5 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _6 Swordfish attacked Augusta with bombs. All returned.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheim. _Departures _2 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols of Tunisian coast, western Ionian Sea, Pantellaria-Marittimo-Empedocle. Photo-reconnaissance Catania, Augusta, Syracuse. San Giovanni and Messina. _105 Squadron_ 4 Blenheims sent to attack merchant ships failed to locate but attacked coastal vessels. 2 Blenheims sent to attack shipping in Gulf of Sirte but not sighted; bombed barracks in Misurata. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 2 Fulmar patrolled Catania and Gerbini aerodromes dropped bombs on Gerbini.

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _Six Swordfish successfully attacked the submarine base at Augusta, causing several large fires. 2 Fulmars patrolled over Catania and Gerbini aerodromes, dropping bombs on the flarepath of Gerbini. One Fulmar later gunned a searchlight position at Augusta


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

Halders Diary 05 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

*06 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC DKM U-404





Allied
MMS Class MSW HMS MMS 38
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-565

Departures
Lorient: U-38

At Sea 06 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-652, U-751

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic
The armed soviet motorboat POLYARNIK attacked DKM U-451 claiming to have scored a single hit with a 45mm shell. There is no record of this in German records. The Soviets also claimed that the U-Boat decided to dive and retreat.

At 1900 hrs *Despatch vessel the PS-70 (VMF 568 grt)* was struck on port side aft by one G7e torpedo from U-652 while en route alone about seven miles NW of Cape Teriberskij. A lookout had spotted the periscope of the U-boat in a distance of only 400 meters just before the torpedo explosion, too late to take evasive action. The vessel settled rapidly by the stern with a list to port and sank in less than one minute. The survivors were rescued by Soviet motorboats that were sent from the nearby coast. This was the first U-boat success in the Northern theater*.*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DDs EXPRESS, ESK, ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, INTREPID of DesFlot 20 departed Immingham on the 5th and met their MTB escort. Early on the 6th, the DDs laid minefield CBX.4 off the Dutch coast in the Schoonveld and West Pit Passages off Thornton Ridge.

DD INGLEFIELD, on passage from Loch Alsh to Scapa Flow, DD ANTHONY, escorting CVL FURIOUS on practices, proceeded to intercept two Dutch motor coasting vessels proceeding westward through the Pentland Firth. The Dutch ships were intercepted. They were turned over to anti-submarine trawler REGAL (409grt) which brought them to port for examination.

DDs COSSACK and SIKH departed Scapa Flow to carry out ASW patrols from 1700 in Fair Island Channel. No contact was made. The DDs met convoy WN.5 on the 7th in the Minches near TroddayIsland and escorted it to Pentland Firth. The DDs were relieved at 0400 in convoy WN.5 off Cape Wrath by DD BERKELEY, which departed Scapa Flow at 2015 on the 8th. DD BERKELEY continued south with the convoy to join the Nore Command.

Submarine SEALION was rammed at periscope depth by DKM Aux ASW vessel UJ.123 while attacking a convoy southwest of Stavanger. The submarine's periscopes, masts, aerials were wrecked. German steamer CLARE HUGO STINNES was missed by torpedoes and not damaged. SEALION arrived at Rosyth on the 10th. She was repaired in the Tyne from 15 August to 23 October.

FN.244 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN, sloop LOWESTOFT, patrol sloop GUILLEMOT. The convoy arrived in the Tyne on the 8th. MT.132 departed Methil. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.244 departed the Tyne, escort DD WINCHESTER and sloop WESTON. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 8th.

*Northern Waters*
DDs ACHATES and FIREDRAKE patrolling off Cape Wrath joined HX.60 A to give ASW protection in Pentland Firth. The DDs arrived at Scapa Flow on the 7th after escorting the convoy to Pentland Firth.

DDs COSSACK and SIKH joined convoy OA.195 at 1515 on the 8th and escorted it to Cape Wrath. COSSACK and SIKH returned to Scapa Flow at in the early morning hours.

DD AMAZON departed Scapa Flow to investigate a suspicious merchant ship report two miles 080° from Wick.

DD KEPPEL, ANTHONY, AMAZON departed Scapa Flow late in the evening and with DD ACHATES of convoy HX.60A proceeded to the Clyde to join the Western Approaches Command.

*West Coast*
OB.194 departed Liverpool escort DDs WARWICK and HARVESTER and corvette CLARKIA from 6 to 9 August. WARWICK and the corvette were detached to convoy SL.81.

The Clyde section of WS.2 of British steamers EMPRESS OF CANADA, ES, FRANCONIA, SUFFOLK, MEMNON, LANARKSHIRE departed at 0630 escorted by CA SHROPSHIRE, CL EMERALD, DDs FORTUNE, FURY, WATCHMAN, VORTIGERN. The Liverpool section of WS.2 of British steamers CLAN MACAULEY, WAIWERA, ASKA, ORMONDE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, ORION, OTRANTO, STRATHEDEN, BATORY, EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, STRAITHARD departed escorted by CA CORNWALL and DDs HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, HURRICANE, HARVESTER. Steamer ORION was forced to put into the Clyde the same day with engine defects. Both sections rendezvoused on the 6th and traveled together at sea.

Various ships were detached en route and the troopships arrived safely at Capetown. on the 31st, the "slow group" WS.2 B of liners ORION, STRATHEDEN, ORMONDE, BATORY departed Capetown for Bombay. On 12 September, the "fast group" WS.2 A of liners EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, EMPRESS OF CANADA, ANDES departed Capetown. SHROPSHIRE arrived at Simonstown on the 28th and joined the East Indies Command. CA CORNWALL arrived at Simonstown on the 30th.

In the Indian Ocean, WS 2 A was escorted by RAN CL HOBART and RN CL CARLISLE and DDs KANDAHAR and KINGSTON and WS.2 B was escorted by CA CORNWALL and AMC KANIMBLA.

*Med/Biscay*
RM CLs BARBIANO and GUISSANO with DDs PIGAFETTA and ZENO laid mines near Pantelleria escorted by TBs CASSIOPEA, CIGNO, PLEIAI, ALDEBARAN.

In Operation TUBE, submarine PANDORA, which departed Gibraltar on 31 July, arrived at Malta with supplies of spares and ground equipment for the Hurricanes CVE ARGUS delivered in HURRY.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BN2A departed Aden, escorted by CL CERES and RAN sloop PARRAMATTA. The convoy arrived at Suez on the 12th

*Pacific/Australia*
German steamer FULDA at Dairen was sold to Japan as TAKAI MARU

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 AUGUST TO DAWN 7 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_0247-0325 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching from the north. Two raiders turn back 40 miles before reaching Malta. The third approaches to ten miles north of St Paul’s bay when the raider begins to lose height and dives in flames; its bombs explode as it hits the sea. A series of distant explosions is heard from the direction of Sicily. Three Hurricanes are scrambled but there is no opportunity to engage.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 6 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _6 Beaufort, 9 Wellington. _Departures 69 Squadron _Strike force patrols by two Marylands. Photo-reconnaissance Gela, Comiso, Licata, San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Catania, Messina, Comiso and Augusta. _105 Squadron_ 4 Blenheims sent to attack convoy of 6 merchant vessels and 6 destroyers unable to complete mission. _Fleet Air Arm _2 Fulmar patrol over Gerbini and Catania, machine-gunned bombers Gerbini aerodrome.

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish attacked a convoy of 6 merchant ships and 6 destroyers. Three merchant vessels were torpedoed, leaving one submerged and another sinking fast.


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

Halders Diary 06 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

*07 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Acciaio Class sub RM GRANITO





Type VIIC DKM U-582





Allied
MMS I Class Motor MSW MMS 7 (J-507)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*Motor MSW MMS.39 (RN 350 grt (est))* was lost on a mine in the Thames Estuary.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-558
Kirkenes: U-81, U-652

Departures
Lorient: U-101
St Nazaire: U-73, U-553
Trondheim : U-501

At Sea 07 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-97, U-101, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-451, U-551, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-751

41 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
Tanker GOLD SHELL was damaged by the LW in the NthSea. She was towed to Hull and then taken to Middlesborough for repairs.

*Northern Patrol*
DDs ANTELOPE and ACTIVE arrived Seidisfjord on completion of Operation EF. ACTIVE departed later in the day for Scapa Flow arriving at 1330/8th. ANTELOPE departed late in the evening escorting damaged DD ACHATES in the tow of tug ASSURANCE sailing for the Tyne. The DDs arrived on the 10th, the destroyers arrived at the Faroes after having been forced to hove to in bad weather. They later arrived at Skaalefjord on the 11th. ANTELOPE departed for Scapa Flow, arriving late on the 11th.

MSW HARRIER departed Seidisfjord to investigate a submarine and minesweeping search in Vidfjord.

*Northern Waters*
CA DEVONSHIRE, CV VICTORIOUS, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ICARUS, and ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow on completion of Operation EF. CLs NIGERIA and AURORA and DDs TARTAR and PUNJABI arrived separately at Scapa Flow on completion of Operation FB.

*Channel*
DD SOMALI departed Southampton for Greenock on completion of refit. The DD arrived at Greenock on the 8th and departed that evening for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 9th.

T/Sub Lt (A) J. R. Allen RNVR, Leading Airman A. A. Shields, and Mr. J. Goddard were killed when their Albacore of 820 Squadron crashed off Stokes Bay Pier.

*Med/Biscay*
Dutch submarine O.24 sank *coastal steamer MARGHERITA MADRE (FI 296 grt)* 15 miles off Anzio. The submarine had made an unsuccessful attack on another steamer in the LigurianSea four hours earlier.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DD JACKAL departed Port Said for Famagusta in Serial S.15 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The troops were landed during the night of 7/8 August. They ships then proceeded to Haifa.

DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh, but they were recalled at dark.

Tug AMIRAL LACAZE was sunk by the RA at Famagusta, but was later refloated and repaired.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine SEVERN unsuccessfully attacked a submarine west of Gibraltar

The 17th ML Flotilla of ML.242,ML 266, ML.256,ML 261, ML.263,ML 265, and ML.274 arrived at Gibraltar, escorted by ASW whaler SOUTHERN GEM. ML.272 of the Flotilla arrived on the 8th, escorted by ASW whaler SOUTHERN PRIDE. On the 16th, the Flotilla, escorted by the two whalers and ASW trawler ARRAN departed Gibraltar for Bathurst, arriving on the 23rd. The ML’s and whalers proceeded to Freetown separately at the end of the month.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 AUGUST TO DAWN 8 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Squally.

_AM _Enemy rescue aircraft with fighter escort carry out several searches between Sicily and Malta. Hurricane fighters remain on patrol throughout.

_1113-1128 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by enemy rescue search as above. Patrol withdraws without approaching the coast.

_2322-0012 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching from the north. One crosses the coast alone, the other two together. 250 kg high explosive bombs are dropped on Naxxar, Salina, Zonqor Point and Gudja. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but searchlights do not illuminate the raiders and there are no engagements.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 7 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheim, 6 Wellington. _Departures _3 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _Photo-reconnaissance of Comiso reveals that the number of fighters has returned to its previous high of 53. Photo-reconnaissance Comiso, San Giovanni, Reggio, Tripoli. Reconnaissance of Homs, Misurata, Lampedusa. _105 Squadron_ 8 Blenheims sent to attack convoy scored direct hits; one aircraft damaged but all returned safely._ 38 Squadron _6 Wellingtons successfully attacked Tripoli damaging harbour facilities and causing fires.


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## parsifal (Aug 6, 2016)

Halders Diary 07 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 7, 2016)

*August 8 Friday*
*ASIA: * “_Shokaku_” was commissioned into service at Yokosuka, Japan.

Japanese air forces begin a week of air raids on Chungking. A total of 40 raids are recorded by August 13th.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Marshal Timoshenko issues a proclamation to all Soviet citizens in enemy-occupied areas urging them to join partisan forces, carry out Stalin’s “scorched-earth” policy and “wreak merciless vengeance on the enemy... for the death of your children...”

Heeresgruppe Nord: Heeresgruppe Nord opens a major offensive against the Soviet Luga River defenses southwest of Leningrad. Extremely heavy fighting occurs between the German 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) and 6. Panzer-Divisionen (Major General Franz Landgraf) and the Soviet 125 and 111 Rifle Divisions. Elements of the 18.Armee reach the Gulf of Finland, cutting off the Estonian capital and massive naval base at Tallinn. Reinhardt's XXXXI.Armeekorps (mot.) and XXXVIII.Armeekorps advance along the Kingisepp-Krasnogvardeisk axis in an attempt to reach the Narva-Leningrad railroad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German troops smash Russian defenders at Kazaki. XXIV. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) finishes the elimination of the Roslavl pocket claiming 38,000 prisoners. 3.Panzer-Divisionen ( Lieutenant General W. Model) notes that sending its trucks to the eastern rail-heads often results in them sitting idle for days while they wait for trains with supplies to arrive.

Heeresgruppe Sud: The Battle of Uman ended in Axis victory. The 6th and 12th Soviet Armies in the Uman Pocket in Ukraine were wiped out by German troops; over 100,000 Soviet prisoners were taken. Some 15 Rifle and 5 Tank divisions are destroyed leaving very little to defend the Ukraine south of Kiev. With the Soviet 6th, 12th and a large part of 18th Army destroyed in the Uman pocket, the whole south flank of Southwestern Front and the northern flank of Southern Front were now shattered, making any defense of the territory west of the Dnepr untenable. From north to south, the Southwestern Front now deployed the 5th Army (north of Kiev and in the Pripet Marshes), the new 37th Army in Kiev, the 26th Army south of Kiev behind the Dnepr, the new 38th Army at Kremenchug behind the Dnepr, and the mobilizing (second) 6th Army at Kharkov. From north to south, the Southern Front now deployed the mobilizing (second) 12th Army near Dnepropetrovsk, the remains of 18th Army retreating towards Nikopol on the Dnepr, and 9th Army retreating towards Nikolayev on the Bug River. In addition the 51st Separate Army was mobilizing to defend the Crimea. Heeresgruppe Sud was moving to clear the Soviet forces west of the Dnepr and making preparations to cross the river south of Kiev. The 6.Armee (General of the W. von Reichenau) was exerting significant pressure on the 5th and 37th Armies around Korosten-Kiev, with the Soviets having to launch counter-attacks to keep the Germans out of Kiev itself. The 17.Armee (General of the Infantry C-H von Stumpfnagel) was advancing eastwards, north of the Bug River towards Kremenchug on the Dnepr. The 11.Armee (Colonel General E. Ritter von Schobert) and 3. Romanian Army (General P. Dumitrescu) were marching south-east towards the Black Sea coast and Nikolayev, and the 4. Romanian Army (General N. Cuiperca) was ingesting Odessa. Meanwhile Heeresgruppe Sud’s main mobile offensive force (1.Panzergruppe (Colonel General Ewald von Kleist)) was somewhat dispersed. The III. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Kavalrie E. von Mackensen) was moving south-eastwards along the Dnepr River line towards Cherkassy and Kremenchug. The XLVIII.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops Kempff) was at Kirovograd and advancing towards Krivoirog. The XIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry G. von Wietersheim) was near Pervomaisk and was planning to wheel eastwards and head for Dnepropetrovsk. Evidently Rundstedt was attempting to catch the Southern Front’s 18th and 9th Armies before they could retreat over the Dnepr, as well as planning for a breakout across the Dnepr River.

The Siege of Odessa began. The Romanian General Staff issued Directive No. 31 calling for the capture of Odessa and the defeat of Soviet forces between the Dniester River and the Tiligulskiy Estuary in Ukraine. It was thought that the city garrison, which was heavily outnumbered, would surrender quickly. Odessa was heavily fortified by three defensive lines and, thanks the presence of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, could not be completely surrounded. The first line was 80 km long and situated 25–30 km from the city. The second and main line of defense was situated 6–8 km from the city and was about 30 km long. The third and last line of defense was organized inside the city itself. The forces that initially manned the fortifications were made up of the 25th and 95th Rifle Divisions, the 2nd Cavalry Division, the 421st Rifle Division, the 54th Rifle Regiment and an NKVD Regiment. The Red Army had 34,500 men and 240 artillery pieces in the area.

Soviet destroyer “_Valerian Kuibyshev_” made rendezvous with British submarine HMS “_Tigris_” off northern Russia.

Joseph Stalin ordered the formation of eight Guards mortar regiments directly under the control of the Stavka to operate Katyusha rocket launchers.

German troops and Lithuanian collaborators massacre Jews in the village of Zeimel.

After some shuffling around the Stavka of the Supreme High Command [Stavka Verkhnogo Glavnokomandovaniia - SVGK] is formed with Stalin as the Supreme High Commander.

*GERMANY*: The Red Air force targets Berlin for the first time in the war. Five Ilyushin Il-4 heavy bombers took off from bases in Estonia. Two bombers were shot down, two failed to find Berlin and one dropped its bombs just outside the city. Berlin is bombed on six more occasions by the Soviets this month.

RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack Kiel and 44 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight. Flying a Dornier Do 215B-5 night fighter (‘G9+OM’), Luftwaffe Oberleutnant Ludwig Becker achieves Germany's first aerial victory employing airborne radar, using a low-UHF-band Lichtenstein radar (FuG 202 radar unit) to detect and close with a British Vickers Wellington bomber participating in the raid on Hamburg, before shooting down the Wellington.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Yugoslavia was dissolved, with Italy annexing large areas.

RAF bombers attack Corinth Canal overnight.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Gioberti_”, “_Camicia Nera_”, and “_Oriani_”.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Ismailia, Port Said, and Suez overnight.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: During the morning two Spitfire pilots operating from Leconfield airfield, near Beverley, were sent up to investigate an enemy aircraft reported off Flamborough Head. After fifteen minutes they spotted a Messerschmitt Me 110 with two extra fuel tanks under its wings, which after a while, was shot down into the sea about 70 miles E of Flamborough Head.

*WESTERN FRONT: *The pro-Nazi Rexist (Belgian fascist) leader, Leon Degrelle, and more than 800 Belgian volunteers depart Brussels to form Wallonien Legion for service under German command on the Russian Front.

In the Netherlands, the Nazi controlled “robber bank” of Lippmann, Rosenthal and Co., referred to as “Liro”, issues its first decree, requiring Jews to register all assets and private property; additionally, they are to turn over to the Liro Bank all credits, securities, and large sums of Dutch and foreign currency. Jewish “customers” are allowed to keep a thousand guilders in cash, which they can use at their discretion.

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## Njaco (Aug 8, 2016)

*August 9 Saturday*

*ASIA: *Japanese Imperial General Headquarters decides to postpone any operations against Soviet Union until spring 1942. The Japanese high command formally endorses the "Go South" strategy, to strike south into the weakly defended islands with valuable natural resources.

*ARCTIC OCEAN: *Kriegsmarine destroyers make sortie to Kola Inlet sinking Russian patrol ship, but withdraw under heavy air and artillery bombardment.Soviet patrol vessel SKR-12 sunk by Kriegsmarine destroyers near mouth of Kola Inlet.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *The RN battleship HMS “_Prince of Wales_”, with Prime Minister Winston Churchill aboard, arrives at Placentia Bay escorted by the RN destroyer HMS “_Ripley_” [ex USS “_Shubrick_” (DD-268)] and Royal Canadian Navy destroyers HMCS “_Restigouche_” and HMCS “_Assiniboine_”. Churchill is here to meet with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt who arrived in the heavy cruiser USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31) two days ago. Churchill calls on Roosevelt on board USS “_Augusta_” and the two confer over lunch and dinner before Churchill returns to HMS “_Prince of Wales_”. Both are accompanied by their military staffs. The discussions cover the situation in Europe and the Far East. The result of this historic conference would be the Atlantic Charter which outlined the broad goals for resolving the war.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Heeresgruppe Nord:  The German 16.Armee (part of Army Group North) begins its offensive toward Novgorod on Lake Illmen. The main weight of the attack was borne by General Sponheimer’s 21.Infanterie-Divisionen, which, reinforced by 424th Infantry Regiment, 126.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Paul Laux) was to advance along the strongly fortified main road towards Novgorod. The ground was tricky even for infantry. Swamps, thick undergrowth, and numerous streams and river-courses made movement difficult. The Russians, moreover, had developed the whole area into a fortress: there were pillboxes, minefields, machine-gun nests, and mortar positions blocking what few roads and paths led through the swampy ground. At 0430 hours exactly the company commanders of 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 3rd Infantry Regiment, as well as 1st Battalion, 45th Infantry Regiment, leapt out from their hideouts. The men dragged inflated dinghies to the river-bank and, under cover of the artillery umbrella, ferried themselves across. In the late afternoon the 24th Infantry Regiment took the village of Mshaga. By nightfall the Soviet defenses had been pierced to a depth of five miles.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe repulses Soviet counterattacks in Yelnya sector.

Heeresgruppe Sud:  Romanian 30th Dorobanti Regiment captured the village of Ponyatovka, Ukraine while other Romanian units captured the railway town of Razdelnaya. German Heeresgruppe Sud, with forces from 11.Armee and 17.Armee, begins attacks along the line of the River Bug. German 6.Armee attacking in the Kiev sector.

The Soviet Shchuka-class submarine ShCh-307 (Treska) commanded by N. I. Petrov torpedoed and sank the German submarine U-144 west of Hiiumaa Island in the Baltic Sea.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Air Marshal Arthur Coningham arrives from UK and takes command of RAF No. 204 Group.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Charles Lindbergh made a speech in Cleveland in which he accused American interventionists of plotting to create "incidents and situations" that would plunge the United States into war "under the guise of defending America."

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Battalion of Swedish volunteers serving under Finnish command begins moving into the line facing Hango approximately this date.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A Messerschmitt Bf 110 was brought down sixty-five miles off Flamborough Head after its reconnaissance flight over Hull.

*WESTERN FRONT*:  Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Douglas Bader was involved in a mid-air collision with a German Bf 109 fighter over northern France. He parachuted from his crippled aircraft by releasing and leaving behind in his Spitfire fighter one of his two artificial legs. He is captured, and spends the rest of World War II as a German prisoner-of-war. He is credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable, and 11 enemy aircraft damaged before his capture.

RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations and Fighter Command sweeps.

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## Njaco (Aug 9, 2016)

*August 10 Sunday*
*ASIA: *While intercepting a Japanese attack on Chengdu at dawn, Captain Ou Yangdeng (no. 7261) of the Chinese 21st PS was killed. He was flying with the remnants of the 5th PG when his aircraft was hit and he crash-landed. Unfortunately he died from lack of medical attention.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* The Atlantic Charter Conference between U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill continues for a second day in Placentia Bay. Roosevelt boards the destroyer USS “_McDougal_” (DD-358) and is transported to religious services in the battleship HMS “_Prince of Wales_” as a guest of Churchill. After inspecting the topsides of the British battleship, the President returns in “_McDougal_” to heavy cruiser USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31). That night, the President hosts the Prime Minister at dinner.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Russian aircraft destroyed by the Luftwaffe for this day total fifty-four warplanes.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 4. Panzergruppe attacking Luga. The German 16.Armee and X. Armeekorps (General of the Artillery Christian Hansen) attack toward Novgorod and east of Staraia Russa. Manstein's LVI. Armeekorps (mot.) (element of Army Group North) is committed to the attack on the cities of Luga and toward Novgorod. All along the front the fighting was fierce and only XXXI. Armeekorps (mot.) (at Kingisepp) made much progress. Shimsk, at first to be bypassed, fell to the Germans. The Germans are considering abandoning this axis of attack as casualties mount for very little gain.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Elements of German Panzergruppe Guderian are attacking toward Gomel. Since the beginning of the invasion, Panzergruppe Guderian has lost 26,230 men including 1,275 officers; Panzergruppe Hoth has lost 17,201 men including 763 officers.


> "So long as the agreed motors and spare parts remain undelivered the panzer situation cannot be decidedly improved. It would be false to remain inactive waiting for further refitting. In the absence of spare parts and motors, the rest period will produce no noticeable improvement" - General Heinz Guderian.



General Boldin leads small column of troops to safety after 45 days of encirclement, breaking through to Soviet lines near Smolensk.

Heeresgruppe Süd: At Odessa in the sector of the Rumanian 3rd Corps, the bulk of the 7th Infantry Division reached Elssas, while the 1st Guard Division arrived on the alignment Strassburg – Petra Evdokievka. In the sector of the 5th Corps, the 1st Armored Division broke through Odessa's first line of defense. That evening, the Romanian division reached the second line of defense. The 1st Cavalry Brigade took Severinovka and joined the 1st Armored Division. At the same time, the 10th Dorobanţi Regiment overran the Soviet forces at Lozovaya. The 4th Army gradually closed the circle around Odessa.

Soviet Southern Front’s 9th Army began the difficult task of evacuating its forces to the eastern bank of the Bug River at Nikolayev.

German vessels conduct minelaying operations. Soviet transport “_Molotov_” with 3500 wounded aboard damaged by mine.

Luftwaffe conducts night attack against Moscow.

*GERMANY*: Soviet Air Force sends 10 bombers to attack Berlin overnight, of which seven lost.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Alexandria, Suez, Port Said, and Ismailia overnight.

*SOUTH AMERICA*: Local officials in Chile, Argentina and Cuba uncover attempts by the Germans to subvert those governments. These nations were ably assisted by the US FBI.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: London: Britain and the USSR promise to go to the assistance of Turkey in the event of an attack by any European power. In identical statements presented to the Turkish foreign office by their ambassadors, the two Allies have also pledged themselves to “observe the territorial integrity of the Turkish republic.” The statements are seen as counters to German propaganda that Russia would take advantage of Turkey and invade should the latter enter the war.

A Spitfire pilot flying from Leconfield airfield, near Beverley, broke away from the formation he was flying in and dived into the ground near Driffield. The cause of the accident is not known.

*WESTERN FRONT*:  RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead operations and Fighter Command sweeps.

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## Njaco (Aug 10, 2016)

*August 11 Monday*

*ASIA: *Matome Ugaki was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. Captain Yoshioki Tawara was named the commanding officer of “_Naka_”.

The Japanese conducted another dawn attack on Chengdu and four I-153s of the 29th PS were scrambled. Squadron Commander Tang (or Tan) Zhouli and two of his deputies, Wang Chongshi and Huang Rongfa were killed in the ensuing combat. During this combat the last I-153s were destroyed. Gitaro Miyazaki of the 12th Kokutai claimed his second and final victory over China during this attack.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: President Franklin D Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill continue their meeting at Placentia Bay. Both are accompanied by their military staffs. The discussions cover the situation in Europe and the Far East. They confer twice today aboard the US heavy cruiser USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31) in Placentia Bay, Argentia, Newfoundland.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hitler decides to postpone a direct advance on Moscow in favour of massive onslaught against Kiev.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German Heeresgruppe Nord pushes across the Luga River. Soviet resistance crumbles under the intense pressure on the Luga River Line. The German 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) breaks through the Soviet lines at Opolye and advances 30 miles into the Soviet rear area.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Red Army counterattacked around Yelnya. Guderian pushes south towards Gomel.

Heeresgruppe Süd: Nikolayev Bridge destroyed by Hungarian bombers, trapping 60,000 Soviet troops.

*GERMANY*: The Soviet Air Force makes its first raid on Berlin, as 11 Petlyakov Pe-8s attack the city. German defenses shoot down five Pe-8s, and Soviet antiaircraft artillery mistakenly shoots down another as it returns to base.

RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Krefeld and 24 bombers to attack Monchen-Gladbach overnight. The 24 Wellington bombers attacked a railway target at Monchen-Gladbach, on the edge of the Ruhr. All the bombers returned safely. Although cloud covered the target, the raid was noteworthy in that two aircraft, from 115 Squadron, were equipped with a new navigation device codenamed “Gee”. Until now British bombers have had to reckon on dead reckoning and astro-navigation to find their way to targets by night. The result has been that up to 90 per cent of bombs have missed their target. Robert Dippy, a scientist working at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) at Worth Matravers in Dorset, has produced a radio navigation system known as TR 1335. This is based on three radio transmitters, situated on a 200 mile baseline, sending signals to the aircraft. These are observed by the navigator on a cathode-ray tube and can tell him his position to within a mile. The initial results are very encouraging. The only drawback is that the system is line-of-sight and limited to a range of 400 miles, and that it can be jammed. As yet there are only 12 sets available, and it is planned to carry out further operational trials with these this month before TR 1335 is cleared for production.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The Italian hospital ship “_California_” was sunk off Syracuse, Sicily by Fairey Swordfish torpedo aircraft of British No. 830 Naval Air Squadron.

*NORTH AMERICA*: A famous pin-up photo of Rita Hayworth appeared in this week's issue of Life magazine, showing Hayworth perched on her bed wearing a negligee. The iconic picture was the second-most popular among American servicemen during World War II (only Betty Grable's over-the-shoulder photo from 1943 was bigger).

*NORTHERN FRONT:* Finnish Army of Karelia captures Khitola on the north shore of Lake Ladoga. The Finnish South-Eastern Army (comprising 2nd Corps, which included 2nd, 10th, 15th and 18th Divisions plus second coastal artillery brigade, and 4th Corps, which included 4th, 8th and 17th Divisions) pushes deep into the Karelian Isthmus, with elements reaching Vuosalmi south of Lake Ladoga.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Lieutenant Colonel Harold D. Shannon, executive officer of the US Marine Corps 6th Defense Battalion, arrived at Midway to prepare for his battalion to relieve the 3rd Defense Battalion.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Vichy France enacted a law to exclude Jewish doctors.

RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight.

General Huntziger, Minister of War, becomes Commander-in-Chief of Vichy French ground forces.

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## Njaco (Aug 11, 2016)

*August 12 Tuesday*
*ASIA: *Light carrier “_Hosho_” became the flagship of Carrier Division 3.Battleship No. 1 departed Kure, Japan for trials.

Zhao Chengshou signed a secret armistice with the Japanese.

Crown Prince Yi Un was assigned to Jinzhou, Liaoning Province, China.

The N.Y.K. “Silk Express” Liner “_Asama Maru_” is recalled by the Japanese to Japan without touching a United State port because the Unites States had not given general assurances of the inviolability of Japanese ships. The “_Asama Maru_” is carrying a number of American passengers and a large cargo of silk. This is the sister ship of the “_Tatu Maru_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * The conference between US President Franklin D Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Placentia Bay, Argentia, Newfoundland, is held in the US heavy cruiser USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31).It is agreed to send strong warnings to the Japanese and it is understood the America will almost certainly enter the war if Japan attacks British or Dutch possessions in the East Indies or Malaysia. A message is also sent to Stalin, proposing a meeting in Moscow. The conference is most remembered for the agreement later called the Atlantic Charter. This is a statement of principles governing the policies of Britain and the USA and states that all countries have the right to hold free elections and to be free from foreign pressure. The conference also gives British and American staffs an opportunity to get to know each other and to work together. The Atlantic Charter was signed but not made public until two days later. After the last meeting, the battleship HMS “_Prince of Wales_” and her escort depart Newfoundland for England while USS “_Augusta_”, with USS “_Tuscaloosa_” (CA-37) and 5 destroyers, sail to Blue Hill Bay, Maine, where the presidential yacht USS “_Potomac_” (AG-25) and her tender, USS “_Calypso_” (AG-35), are anchored.

The US Army-US Marine Corps 1st Joint Training Force under Major General Holland M. Smith was redesignated the Atlantic Amphibious Force.

HMS “_Picotee_” (Lieutenant R. A. Harrison) was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-568 while the Flower class corvette is escorting convoy ON.5 south of Iceland.

The Canadian Hall Corporation merchantman “_Eaglescliffe Hall_” (1,900 GRT) was damaged by bombs from Luftwaffe aircraft in the North Sea, off Sunderland. There is no record of casualties in this incident.

US Navy takes over patrolling convoy routes in the North Atlantic and tracking German submarines for the Royal Navy in violation of Neutrality Act.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party ordered the security forces to deport the entire population of the Volga German Autonomous Republic to destinations in Central Asia and Siberia. Semyon Timoshenko drafted an order calling for the execution of deserters; it would be revised by Joseph Stalin and issued as Order No. 270 four days later.

Heeresgruppe Nord: The Soviets, reeling from their defeats at the hands of Operation Barbarossa launch a hastily organized counter-attack at Staraya Russa, south of Lake Ilmen in Novgorod, against elements of Heeresgruppe Nord. This envisaged the newly formed Soviet 48th Army attacking from the Novgorod region along the west side of Lake Ilmen, while the newly formed 34th Army, supported by 11th and 27th Armies, would attack south of Lake Ilmen. The Soviets concentrated 8 rifle divisions, a cavalry corps and a tank division for the offensive, with the objective of capturing Staraya Russa and Dno station, and destroying 16.Armee’s X.Armeekorps (General of the Artillery Christian Hansen). The Soviet counterattack at Staraya Russa by the 34th Army succeeds in caving in the flank of the German X.Armeekorps. Three German divisions are threatened with encirclement on the south bank of Lake Illmen. North of Lake Illmen, German armored formations break into the clear and advance toward Leningrad. The Ushnitsa River was forced by a frontal attack. The infantrymen were weighed down by their weapons and ammunition-boxes. Everything had to be carried. The Russians were resisting stubbornly. Along the railway embankment especially they contested every inch of ground.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  German II. Armeekorps and elements of 2. Panzergruppe attacking toward Gomel. XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) had encircled elements of Central Front near Krichev, and the German II. Armeekorps already had 3 divisions across the Dnepr south of Zhlobin.

Heeresgruppe Süd: The OKH orders Rundstedt to destroy all Soviet forces between Zaporozh'e and the mouth of the Dnepr to trap the 9th, 18th, and Coastal Armies against the Black Sea. With units of both Axis forces operating in close proximity, hostilities nearly erupt between Hungarian and Rumanian troops near Voznessensk on the Bug River.

The Soviet Politburo granted thousands of Polish prisoners of war amnesty for the formation of a Polish unit under General Wladislaw Anders to fight against Germany.

Siegfried Freytag of JG 77 scores his tenth victory, a MiG 3. At JG 3, the Staffelkapitän of 7th Staffel, Oblt. Kurt Sochatzy, is rammed during a dogfight by a Russian I-16 over Kiev. Both machines crash and Oblt. Sochatzy survives although he is captured and imprisoned. Later in the day Oblt. Sochatzy is awarded the _Ritterkreuz_, even though he is still a prisoner of the Russians.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack power stations at Cologne in daylight in conjunction with Fighter Command operations. Cologne was hit by 54 Blenheims and four US made Flying Fortresses, setting fire to two power stations.

78 British bombers, escorted by 485 fighters, conducted the heaviest daylight attack against Germany to date, targeting the powerplants near Köln (Fortuna Power Station in Knapsack and Goldenburg Power Station in Quadrath) and other targets in a wide area. RAF Bomber Command sends 70 aircraft to attack Berlin, 36 aircraft to attack Magdeburg and 35 aircraft to attack Essen overnight. The Germans were only able to scramble few fighters, but anti-aircraft fire was heavy. The Germans could not offer as much opposition as they once did because many of their planes had been diverted to the Eastern Front. The Germans suffered four fighters shot down (plus five likely shot down) and heavy damage to both powerplants; the British suffered 12 British Blenheim bombers shot down and 10 British fighters shot down. South east of Vlissingen, Major Johannes Seifert of I./JG 26 shoots down a Blenheim. The attack follows a bombing directive by Air Vice-Marshal Norman Bottomley, the deputy chief of the air staff, claiming that strikes on industrial towns undermine civilian morale. Last month he wrote: “Destroy the morale of the civilian population as a whole and the industrial workers in particular.” The air ministry says that the raiders had a fighter escort to Antwerp. Then “the bombers went on alone, ... on their 150 mile penetration of the German air defence system. The power stations were attacked at point blank range.” Due to their success, power output is reduced by 10 percent for nine days.

Hitler issues a Supplement to Directive 34. Army Group North is ordered to continue its efforts in the direction of Leningrad. Army Group South is to begin the battle for the Crimea, Kharkov and the Donets. Army Group Center is to halt and provide help to the other army groups. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/34a.html

The Finnish Ambassador in Berlin, T. M. Kivimäki informs the German Foreign Ministry that Finland doesn’t think it necessary to join the Anti-Comintern Pact, because ‘the Finnish attitude towards communism is already clear’.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Apprentice John Sedgwick Gregson (b. 1924) helped free a gunner on the sinking MV “_Deucalian_”, then swam 600 yards with the helpless man to another ship. He is later awarded the Albert Medal.

Italian vessels conduct minelaying operations in the Sicilian Narrows.

*NORTH AFRICA*: In response to pressure from the Australian government concerning the relief of their troops in Tobruk, Allied naval forces evacuate 5000 Australian troops from Tobruk and land 6000 fresh troops from a Polish Brigade over the course of several nights (August 12-18th). The fast minelayers “_Abdiel_” and “_Latona_” are prominent in these moves. A cruiser and two destroyers are also employed.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The United States Congress passed a modification to the Selective Service Act, which extended the service period of draftees as requested by Franklin Roosevelt, by a single vote.

The Canadian government ordered all Japanese Canadians to carry a registration card that have their thumbprint and photo.

The manoeuvres held at New River, North Carolina, since 3 August involving the 1st Marine Division and the Army’s 1st Division, end.

US Navy Motor Torpedo Squadron 3 is commissioned and sent to the Philippines.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: No. 489 (NZ) Squadron RAF was formed at RAF Leuchars, Fife, Scotland, from New Zealand personnel under the command of Wing Commander J. A. S. Brown. The squadron would see extensive service on anti-shipping strikes in the North Sea and protection of the North Cape convoys.

British convoy Dervish departs Liverpool for Archangel via Iceland.

*WESTERN FRONT*: French Marshal Philippe Pétain appointed Admiral François Darlan as Minister for War, the Navy, the Air and the Colonies. General Maxime Weygand was thus placed under Darlan's orders. General Petain declares that the Vichy government will cooperate completely with the Nazi Germany. Pétain made an address announcing the appointment in which he also announced a series of harsh new measures including the dissolution all political parties, the creation of a Council of Justice to judge;


> "...those responsible for our disaster," and the new requirement that all ministers and high officials swear an oath of loyalty directly to him. "In 1917 I put an end to mutiny," Pétain said. "In 1940 I put an end to rout. Today I wish to save you from yourselves."


The powers of the police and of the departmental prefects have been increased, and a council for political justice will be set up to punish those responsible for the collapse of France last year. Commissioners will be appointed to root out secret societies and action will be taken immediately against Freemasons in particular. All ministers and high officials will be required to take an oath of allegiance to Marshal Petain. The marshal acknowledged that his “national revolution” was proving more difficult than he had expected, and that the collaboration “offered with great courtesy” by Hitler was slow. Minds were falling prey to anxiety, he conceded; he even admitted that this unease was in part caused by “insidious propaganda”, an apparent admission of the widespread popularity of the BBC news broadcasts from London. In effect, the Marshal proposes to replace “Petainism by persuasion” with “Petainism by discipline,” thus imposing on the French people a conservative revolution which they have refused to adopt of their own free will.

RAF Fighter Command Circus operations and diversions in conjunction with Bomber Command daylight attack on Cologne. RAF Bomber Command sends 14 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight.

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## Njaco (Aug 12, 2016)

*August 13 Wednesday*
*ASIA: *After a week, the Japanese have recorded 40 air raids on Chungking. After seven days of heavy Japanese bombing, the city of Chungking is devastated.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: For new Free Polish Army under General Anders, Moscow orders release of all Polish prisoners, including soldiers such as Menachem Begin and Leopold Okulicki. Stalin released the Polish prisoners of war taken in Sep 1939, ostensibly to form a Polish Army in Russia.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 4. Panzergruppe involved in heavy fighting around the Luga bridgehead. The German X.Armeekorps (General of the Artillery Christian Hansen) retreats in the face of the counterattack in the Staraya Russa area. The LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (now with only two motorised divisions) was ordered to disengage at Luga and assist X. Armeekorps (General of the Artillery Christian Hansen) by moving south-west and attacking the Soviet 34th Army. However the imperiled X. Armeekorps had to hold on because The LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) was already heavily engaged and could not disengage and relocate until 18th August.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: General Guderian resists the suggestion that the Yel'nya salient be abandoned since he felt it would represent a significant victory for the Soviet forces. General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburgs' XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) eliminates a pocket at Krichev taking 16,000 prisoners, 76 guns, and 15 tanks.

Heeresgruppe Süd: German 1.Panzergruppe advancing toward Nikolaev. Soviet destroyers support ground operations near Grigorevka.

Ostland Reichkommissar Hinrich Lohse ordered that all property belonging to Jews was to be confiscated and registered, and all money and valuables in their possession handed over immediately.

*GERMANY*: The maiden flight under rocket power of the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet takes place at Karlshagen.

A Wellington bomber carrying prototype navigation equipment is lost after a raid. A prototype of the GEE or AMES Type 7000 British radio navigation system was lost on a raid over Hanover, Germany. GEE was devised by Robert Dippy and developed at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) at Swanage. Dippy later went to the United States where he worked on the development of the LORAN system. Loran, long-range navigation, later fell out of favor with the development of satellite-based navigation systems.

Dutch prisoners Dufour and Imit escaped the Oflag IV-C prisoner of war camp at Colditz Castle in Germany; they would be recaptured within a few days.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Journalist Richard Capell paid tribute in a radio broadcast the defenders of Tobruk, Libya, with specific mention of anti-aircraft gunners but also generally of Australians, Indians, and British; "boys", who "within weeks, turned into hardened men."

Beginning last night 6,000 Polish troops replace 5,000 Australians at Tobruk. These troop movements will continue through the 18th. They are being made at the request of the Australian government.

Luftwaffe bombers attack Alexandria overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The Roosevelt Administration issued an executive order suspending the eight-hour day for mechanics and laborers employed by the War Department on public works projects such as airfields, troop housing units and fortifications so as to hasten their construction.

The Canadian government authorized the creation of the Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC).

*SOUTH PACIFIC*: The Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) was raised. Australian Women’s Army Service was formed to release men from certain military duties for service with fighting units.

Troop convoy WS 9BX detaches from WS 9B off Aden and turns for Bombay.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Three places on the north-east coast were attacked by the Luftwaffe. The railway south of Alnmouth station and property and public utilities suffered at Sunderland when four people were killed and some injured and damage to plant at Horden Colliery caused delay in production. Two dead, twenty-eight injured when two HEs fell in Horden Colliery Yard, damaging offices, lamp cabins and colliery buildings. The plane machine gunned streets in Horden causing slight damage to property.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Fighting breaks out in Paris. At the porte Saint-Denis and the porte Saint-Martin, fighting breaks out between demonstrators and the French and German police. Those arrested are communists.

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## Njaco (Aug 13, 2016)

*August 14 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill jointly issued the Atlantic Charter, stating the Allied goals for the post-war world. British deputy Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, has broadcast the terms of a joint Anglo-American declaration of common principles. The United States and Britain declare that they seek no territorial gains from the war. They say they hope that all nations will co-operate economically after the war, and they look forward to a lasting peace and the end of the use of force. Roosevelt feels that the entry of the USSR into the war makes it desirable that the western democracies should spell out their creeds. To British relief he did not insist on denouncing protectionism or empires.

While returning to the US from the Atlantic Charter Conference, US President Franklin D Roosevelt, in USS “_Augusta_” (CA-31), watches flight operations conducted by the F2A Buffaloes and SOC Seagulls of Scouting Squadron Two Hundred One (VS-201) in aircraft escort vessel USS “_Long Island_” (AVG-1), the first “jeep” aircraft carrier. During the afternoon, USS “_Augusta_” reaches Blue Hill Bay, Maine, where he re-embarks in the presidential yacht, USS “_Potomac_” (AG-25).

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa:


> "Battles on 13 and 14 [August] very costly, also in material. there was little benefit [in the fighting] because the enemy mass had already evacuated. Truck in bad condition. Men tired. Division increasingly more worn out...Russian tanks, especially the heavy ones, are good." - 4. Panzer-Divisionen war diary.



Heeresgruppe Nord: Soviet positions on the Luga collapsing. Heavy fighting around Tallinn, Narva, and Staraya Russa sectors.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  German 2.Panzergruppe was pushing toward Bryansk. German II. Armeekorps was attacking toward Gomel. Meanwhile the Stavka continued to believe Moscow was the primary objective, but as a precautionary measure they formed the new Bryansk Front (Eremenko) south of Reserve Front. The Bryansk Front (initially allocated the newly mobilized 50th, and the 13th and 3rd Armies) was tasked with protecting Kiev from an attack from the north, and preventing any eastward advance of 2.Panzergruppe and II.Armeekorps, and so protect the southern flank of the Moscow approaches.

Heeresgruppe Süd: German forces captured Krivoy Rog. German 11. Armee pushing toward Nikolaev. The Soviets begin to evacuate their Black Sea naval base at Nikolayev. Eight destroyers of the Black Sea fleet cover the operation (lasting through August 17th). Of the ships under construction in the port, 13 are far enough advanced to be towed away but one battleship and 10 other vessels on the stocks are blown up. Soviet battleship “_Sovetskaya Ukraina_”, battlecruiser “_Sevastopol_”, cruisers “_Ordzhonikidze_” and “_Sverdlov_”, three destroyers, two gunboats, and three submarines destroyed at Nikolaev.

The Soviet transport ship “_Sibir_”, carrying 2,500 wounded soldiers from Estonia, was bombed by German aircraft. There were few survivors.

The _Eichenlaub_ is awarded to Oblt. Heinz Bär of JG 51 after achieving sixty kills and Hptm. Hans ‘Assi’ Hahn of JG 2 with forty-two victories.

Over the Bay of Kolga, Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 destroys two Soviet I-153s.

Auschwitz. Ten Polish prisoners had been condemned to die after a prisoner had escaped. When the ten were selected, one begged and pleaded to be saved for his wife and children. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan friar and fellow prisoner, had stepped forward and asked to take the place of the family man. The offer was accepted. The ten were marched off to a starvation bunker. As one by one they died, Fr. Maximilian comforted them. The last survivor of the ten, Fr. Maximilian was executed by lethal injection on August 14. The man he died to save was present in St. Peter’s Square in 1982 when Fr. Maximilian was proclaimed St. Maximilian Kolbe.

*GERMANY*: RAF bomber command continues its nightly raids on German targets. Tonight the British bombers hit railway yards in Hannover, Brunswick and Magdeburg. RAF Bomber Command sends 152 aircraft to attack Hannover, 81 aircraft to attack Brunswick and 52 aircraft to attack Magdeburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with seven vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Freccia_”, “_Euro_”, and “_Dardo_” and three torpedo boats.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Edmund Herring was promoted to the temporary rank of major general and was given command of Australian 6th Division in Egypt.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: British vessel “_Australind_” sunk by German raider “_Komet_” south of the Galapagos.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The Luftwaffe bombed Northumberland. One bomb dropped in barley field, one in oat field, two at roadsides. Two roads blocked, telephone wires and overhead electricity cables down. A few houses were wrecked and utilities affected at Gateshead, where four people were killed. Three children and an elderly lady died when HE struck houses on Howard Street off Sunderland Road, Gateshead. About 150 small Anti Personnel Bombs were dropped in Close House District in Bishop Auckland, four of which failed to explode. Slight damage to roofs of dwelling house and two outhouses and an electric conductor was broken but was soon repaired.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 26 aircraft on coastal sweeps. RAF Fighter Command flew escort operations and sweeps.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

*08 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
R Boat DKM R-79, R-80
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Acceptor Class MSW USS LIMPKIN (AMc-48)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Acceptor Class MSW USS LORIKEET (AMc-49)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Dance Class ASW Trawler HMS COVERLEY (T-106)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Mk2 Class LCT HMS LCT 131
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Naszaire: U-97

At Sea 08 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-451, U-551, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-751

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
Swedish steamer VENERSBORG was damaged by RAF bombing in the Great Belt, and towed to a Danish port.

*East Front*
Baltic
*Izyaslav Class DD KARL MARX (VMF 1350 grt)*was sunk by the LW near Reval.






*North Sea*
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow to escort convoy WN.63 from Pentland Firth southward. She arrived at Rosyth on the 11th to clean boilers and carry out repairs.

MSW SELKIRK was damaged by a near miss by the LW in the Nth sea.

*Northern Patrol*
ORP DD GARLAND arrived at Hvalfjord with ASW trawler SEALYHAM and oiler OLIGARCH, and then reverted to the Western Approaches Command.

*Northern Waters*
DD PUCKERIDGE arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth to work up. DD ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for boiler cleaning. The DD arrived on the 9th. DD CROOME departed Scapa Flow for Liverpool on completion of work up exercises, and arrived during the afternoon of the 9th.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs HERO and JAGUAR departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh to intercept an enemy supply ship reported by air. No contact was made and the DDs returned to Alexandria, arriving on the 9th.

DDs DECOY and HOTSPUR were at sea exercising with submarine OTUS.

Sloop FLAMINGO departed Port Said with MV SALAMAUA for Famagusta in Serial S.16 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The sloop arrived at Famagusta on the 10th and sailed for Port Said, where she arrived on the 11th. Serial S.17 of the Operation was cancelled.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy WS.8C (Operation LEAPFROG) departed the Clyde on the 8th with landing ships KARANJA, ROYAL SCOTSMAN, ULSTER MONARCH, BACHAQUERO, MISOA, QUEEN EMMA, and PRINCE CHARLES, oilers DEWDALE and ENNERDALE, steamers NARKUNDA, WINCHESTER CASTLE, BATORY, ORMONDE, CLAN MACDONALD, MACHARDA, SUFFOLK, DUNEDIN STAR, SILVERTEAK, and POTARO, escorted by DDs BULLDOG, INTREPID, ECHO, CHARLESTOWN, CASTLETON, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, and WITCH. This convoy was the force for the intended seizure of the AzoresIslands.

The convoy entered Scapa Flow on the 10th. Steamers SUFFOLK and POTARO were in a collision when entering Scapa Flow. DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, GEORGETOWN, and SALADIN arrived at Scapa Flow on the 15th to strengthen the escort for the convoy.

When the operation was cancelled, the ships, less SUFFOLK and POTARO, sailed for the Clyde on the 15th, escorted by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, INTREPID, CHARLESTOWN, CASTLETON, GEORGETOWN, ANTELOPE, SALADIN, and LEAMINGTON and anti-aircraft ship POZARICA.

The convoy arrived back in the Clyde on the 17th

*Central Atlantic*
DDs VANSITTART and VELOX joined CVL EAGLE and CL DUNEDIN at sea and escorted them to Freetown, arriving on the 10th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BA.4 departed Bombay, escorted by AMC HECTOR, sloop CORNWALLIS, and aux PV DIPAVATI. The sloop and PV were detached on the 9th. The convoy was dispersed on the 12th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 AUGUST TO DAWN 9 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Squally.

_0856-0920 hrs _Air raid alert for three JU 87 Stuka dive-bombers which approach from the north and cross the coast over GrandHarbour before receding over Delimara without dropping any bombs. Hurricanes are scrambled; no engagement. Hurricanes of 185 Squadron are scrambled but raiders remain at 29000 feet and Hurricanes do not intercept. F/O Oliver bales out when his engine fails out at sea. He is rescued by a Float Swordfish.

_1229-1241 hrs _Air raid alert for three JU 87 Stuka dive-bombers which approach the Island from the north at 26000 feet, turn west over Gozo and change course on two more occasions before eventually crossing the Island from Ghain Tuffieha to St Paul’s Bay without dropping any bombs. Hurricanes of 185 Squadron are scrambled but altitude of raiders prevents engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 8 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY HM Submarine Thunderbolt _arrived with aviation spirits for Malta.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland, 3 Blenheim. _Departures _2 Beaufort, 3 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron_Strike force patrols of Tunisian coast and western Ionian Sea. Reconnaissance of Tripoli and Misurata. Photoreconnaissance Catania port and aerodrome, Augusta and Syracuse. _38 Squadron_ 7 Wellingtons sent to attack Tripoli. A total of 16000lbs of high explosive bombs, 1500 lbs of anti-personnel bombs and 5280lbs of incendiaries were dropped on target from a height of 7000 feet, between 0155 and 0317 hrs, causing large fires and explosions. _105 Squadron_ 5 Blenheims sent to attack ships in Catania harbour causing underwater explosions near ships and the quay. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ Fulmar patrolled Gerbini and Catania area, dropped bombs on Gerbini aerodrome starting fires. It is believed that his Fulmar gave Malta a raidless night.

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar patrol over Catania and Gerbini, gunning five bombers and dropping one flash bomb. In a second Fulmar patrol in the afternoon three bombs are dropped on Gerbini starting two fires. The Fulmar flies on to Comiso and drops three bombs on the aerodrome; results not observed.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 08 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

*09 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1938A DD DKM Z-28




(image source: German Destroyers - Z28)

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS COWSLIP (K-196)





Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARBOUR (Z-169)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-206 sank *trawler OCEAN VICTOR (UK 206 grt)* in the Icelandic fishing grounds. A crew of 13 was aboard, all of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0528 hours the OCEAN VICTOR was hit by one torpedo from U-206 and sank immediately SE of Iceland. The trawler was reported missing after leaving Iceland 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DD ELECTRA, her refitting completed, departed Sheerness at 0615 as additional escort for convoy FN.503. *Steamer CORDENE (UK 2345 grt)* in the convoy was sunk by the LW, but the entire crew was rescued. ELECTRA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 11th.





*Motor gunboat MGB.62 (RN 50 grt)*was sunk in a collision in the NthSea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Stormelo: U-142

Departures
Bergen: U-84
Horten: U-432
Kirkenes: U-81, U-652
Stormelo: U-145

At Sea 09 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-432, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-652, U-751

44 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Type IID U.144 (KM 364 grt) *was sunk by VMF submarine SC.307 in the Gulf of Bothnia.

*Steamer GERTRUD III (Ger 210 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Windau.

*North Sea*
Steamer GLENDALOUGH was damaged by the LW in the NthSea. She was initially towed to Yarmouth Roads, then to Hull

*Northern Patrol*
RNeN submarine O.14 departed Scapa Flow for the Faroes patrol.

*Northern Waters*
Norwegian steamer DAGNY I was sent by CL NIGERIA from Spitzbergen to Thorshavn, and safely arrived on the 7th. The steamer and whaler WASTWATER then departed on the 9th for Kirkwall. En route, *Steamer DAGNY I (Nor 1392 grt)*was attacked by the LW in 61-40N, 6-10W at 1430 on the 9th and sank at 0900 on the 10th in tow of trawler LEICESTERCITY. Two passengers were killed, and the survivors rescued by LEICESTERCITY. DD IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow on the 10th and proceeded to Thorshavn to embark the 61 survivors from the steamer. She arrived at 1800 and departed at 1930 for Scrabster, arrived there at 0700/11th and disembarked the volunteers. IMPULSIVE arrived back at Scapa Flow at 0840.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
Norwegian submarine B.1 was damaged by an explosion of her battery and ammunition while under repair at Blyth.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy HG.70 departed Gibraltar, escorted by DDs ERIDGE and AVONVALE, submarine CLYDE, corvettes BEGONIA, JASMINE, LARKSPUR, PIMPERNEL, and RHODODENDRON, and ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH and LADY SHIRLEY. The trawlers were detached that night. DDs FAULKNOR joined the escort on the 10th as Senior Office Escort. She was returning to England for turbine repairs at Portsmouth. CLYDE was detached and arrived at Gibraltar on the 11th. On the 11th, DDs ENCOUNTER, NESTOR, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvette CONVOLVULUS joined. All but NESTOR of this group were detached that evening. On the 12th, BOREAS and WILD SWAN joined the escort. They had departed Gibraltar on the 11th with DDs DUNCAN and FORESTER, later joined by DD FURY, for an ASW sweep west. After the sweep, the two DDs proceeded to join HG.70. Sloop STORK joined the convoy on the 13th and was detached that evening. BOREAS and NESTOR were detached on the 13th, AVONVALE and ERIDGE on the 14th, and WILD SWAN on the 15th. They all arrived at Gibraltar on the 16th. DD COSSACK joined the escort on the 14th and was detached that night. DD DUNCAN, which departed Gibraltar on the 13th, and sloop BLACK SWAN joined the escort on the 15th. BLACK SWAN was detached on the 21st. DUNCAN arrived at Londonderry on the 20th; she departed on the 22nd for convoy OG.72 for the return to Gibraltar. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

After a commercial aircraft sighted a suspicious merchant ship in 46-37N, 9-22W, DD WISHART, which had been detached from convoy HG.34F on the 8th, was directed to investigate. CLA HERMIONE also departed Gibraltar at 2330/9th to attempt to locate the merchant ship. On the 10th, CA LONDON, detached from convoy WS.10, also proceeded to this position. No contact was made by any of the searching warships. On the 11th, HERMIONE was ordered to return to Gibraltar, arriving on the 13th.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs JERVIS and KINGSTON departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh, and returned to Alexandria on the 10th. DDs DECOY and HAVOCK departed Alexandria with supplies for Tobruk.

DDs KANDAHAR and RAN VENDETTA departed Alexandria to rescue a crew of a bomber in the sea about 180 miles NW of Alexandria, but were later recalled.

Submarine PARTHIAN arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. On the 11th, she departed Gibraltar for Portsmouth. On the 28th, she left Portsmouth and arrived at Portsmouth, New Hampshire on 16 September for refitting completed on 30 January 1942.

*Central Atlantic*
DD DUNCAN departed Gibraltar to join DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and BOREAS, which had departed Freetown on the 3rd and refuelled at Bathurst, en route. WIVERN had developed condenser problems and was in tow. The four DDs arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th.

Submarine SEVERN sighted an Italian submarine in 35-16N, 10-09W, but the Italian submerged before SEVERN could attack.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 AUGUST TO DAWN 10 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Squally.

No air raids. The enemy carried out some patrols off Sicily which Malta fighters twice attempted to intercept; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 9 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish left to attack large merchant vessel at Syracuse harbour. One torpedo was fired. Result unobserved, although pilot reported torpedo running true, when seen 1000 yards from target. Intense anti-aircraft fire prevented further attacks.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 9 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

*10 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MMSI Class Coastal MSW HMS MMS 35 (J-535)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Unknown: U-81, U-432, U-652

At Sea 10 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-431, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-751

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*Fishing Vessel H. A. W. MULLER (Ger 460 grt)* was sunk by long range RAF air attacks near Lindesnes.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
U-451 sank *Guard Ship SKR 27 ZHEMCHUG (VMF 550 grt)*. At 2112 hrs the ZHEMCHUGwas hit by one torpedo from U-451 while on patrol duties between Sviatoj Nos Cape and Kanin Nos Cape (in the Barents Sea). The U-boat observed how the ship sank immediately west of Kanin Nos and later saw debris and two survivors, but all hands were lost. Only a life buoy of the ship was found ashore some days later.
*



*
_Sister ship SKR 28 “RUBY” also served with the Northern Fleet_

*North Sea*
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.65 from Pentland Firth to Methil, where they arrived on the 11th.

*West Coast*
CL ARETHUSA arrived in the Clyde from Gibraltar.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh to act as a strike force. Originally, their orders called for an attack on Bardia harbour during the night of 10/11 August, but this was later cancelled. They returned to Alexandria on the 11th. DDs DECOY and HAVOCK departed Alexandria to carry supplies to Tobruk, and arrived back at Alexandria on the 11th. RAN DD VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Haifa for mechanical repairs.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.144 departed Halifax, escort DD ANNAPOLIS and AMC MALOJA. On the 11th, corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE joined, and on the 13th the DDs BURWELL and COLUMBIA and corvettes DIANTHUS, HONEYSUCKLE, and SNOWBERRY. Corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE were detached on the 12th and DD ANNAPOLIS was detached on the 13th. The remaining escorts were detached on the 22nd when relieved by DDs AMAZON, BELMONT, DULLDOG, GEORGETOWN, SKATE, WESTCOTT, WHITEHALL, and WITCH, corvettes AUBRETIA and HEARTSEASE, MSW BRITOMART, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, CAPEWARWICK, DANEMAN, and NOTTSCOUNTY. DDs SKATE, WESTCOTT, WHITEHALL, and WITCH, the MSW, and the trawlers were detached later that day. Corvette NIGELLA joined on the 23rd. On the 24th, DDs BURNHAM and CHURCHILL joined for the day. DDs BELMONT and GEORGETOWN were detached on the 27th, DDs AMAZON and BULLDOG and corvette AUBRETIA on the 28th, and corvettes HEARTSEASE and NIGELLA on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

SC.40 departed Sydney, CB escorted by corvettes BARRIE, CHICOUTIMI, and MATAPEDIA. These escorts were detached on the 13th, when relieved by DD NIAGARA and corvettes ALYSSE, CELANDINE, and COLLINGWOOD. AMC CHITRAL joined on the 19th. The escorts were detached on the 22nd. On the 22nd, DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA, ANEMONE, and VERONICA, and MSWs LEDA and SPEEDY. On the 28th, MSWs GOSSAMER, HAZARD, and HEBE joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 29th.

*Central Atlantic*
U.79,U 93, U.94, U.109, U.124, U.126, U.331, and U.371 and RM boats FINZI, MARCONI, and VENIERO formed a wolfpack intended to concentrate on shipping, thought to be convoy HG.69, from 10 to 16 August, however Escort Command re-routed the convoy away from the wolfpack and no contact was made. No ships were lost.

Corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and AZALEA departed Gibraltar to meet arriving tanker CAPSA from Trinidad, while DD VIDETTE and ASW trawler ST.NECTAN left to meet arriving tanker BENEDICK from Curacao. Both groups arrived at Gibraltar on the 17th.

Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Atlantic.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CA EXETER arrived at Bombay from Aden, and departed on the 11th, escorting convoy BP.12 of troopships KHEDIVE ISMAEL, RAJULA, TALMA, VARELA, LANCASHIRE, ROHNA, SANTHIA, and VARSOVA to Basra. She returned to Bombay on the 17th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 AUGUST TO DAWN 11 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and fresh.

No air raids.

While on a test flight in a Hurricane S/Ldr Rabagliati sees a Cant Z506 floatplane flying not far from the Sicilian coast. He attacks, shooting the aircraft down into the sea. The aircraft sinks but the four crew are seen to escape.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 10 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Thunderbolt_ sailed for Alexandria. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 4 Swordfish carried out night search of East Sicilian coast and eventually released 3 torpedoes at a 7–10,000 merchant vessel in Syracuse. Two hits claimed.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Blenheim, 1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _4 Maryland strike force patrols Ionian Sea and east Tunisian coast. Photoreconnaissance Misurata and Tripoli. Photoreconnaissance Catania port and aerodrome, and Syracuse. The Maryland signals engine trouble while returning. As it approaches land the engine fails and the aircraft crashes, killing F/Lt Wylde and Sgt Mortimer. Sgt Clarke is injured. The aircraft is burned out. _39 Squadron _9 Wellingtons sent to attack north west area of Tripoli dropped many bombs on target. _105 Squadron_4 Blenheims sent to attack merchant shipping scores hits and disables ship. 

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar patrolled over Catania and Gerbini aerodromes and dropped four bombs on Gerbini; results not observed.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 10 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

*11 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-655
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS VETCH (K-132)





BPB 70’ type MGB HMS MGB 20
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-146
St. Nazaire: U-431

Departures
Brest: U-202
Lorient: U-106
Trondheim: U-82, U-569

At Sea 11 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-751

42 Boats
While shadowing an Allied convoy off Portugal U-93 was heavily bombing by an RAF CC a/c that forced the boat to return to France.

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic
RN Submarine HMS TIGRIS departed Murmansk on patrol, and on the 17th, sank *coaster HAAKON JARL (Ex-Nor 1482 grt)* in 70-58N, 26-48E.

*Northern Patrol*
ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by surveying ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.22 A in the Northern Barrage.

*Northern Waters*
HM King George VI, who had arrived at Scapa Flow, on the 9th, visited the depot ship TYNE during the forenoon and inspected representative contingents from the Home Fleet. He then visited DDs ECLIPSE and CHARLESTOWN berthed alongside.

The King inspected the Lyness Base and then embarked in DD INGLEFIELD for transport to Scrabster, escorted by DDs TARTAR and PUNJABI. DD ICARUS departed Scapa Flow and proceeded to Scrabser to provide passage back to Scapa Flow for the Captain of the Fleet.

DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow for Sheerness for refitting, and arrived on the 13th.

DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord, arriving on the 12th.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.6 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvette ARABIS, ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY. The convoy was joined on the 13th by DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, corvettes VERBENA and VIOLET, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and NORTHERN WAVE. DDs MALCOLM and WATCHMAN and corvette VERBENA were detached on the 15th, DD SCIMITAR and ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and NORTHERN WAVE on the 16th, and corvettes ARABIS and VIOLET and ASW trawler NORTHERN SPRAY on the 17th. On the 17th, DDs CHESTERFIELD and RIPLEY, AMC AUSONIA, and corvettes HEPATICA, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined and escorted the convoy until it was dispersed on the 24th.

*Channel
Steamer SIR RUSSELL (UK 1548 grt)* was sunk by a DKM S.49 of the 4th S boat Flotilla six cables 349° from No.10 Buoy near Dungeness (in the Channel). The entire crew was rescued.





*Med/Biscay*
Netlayer PROTECTOR, on passage from Port Said to Alexandria, was badly damaged by an aerial torpedo dropped by an RA SM-79 in 31-42N, 32-04E at 1700. DD HERO was sent from Alexandria to assist, and sloop FLAMINGO, corvette SALVIA, and trawlers from Port Said. SALVIA was able to take her in tow and they arrived at Port Said on the 12th.

She received temporary repairs at Suez, and on 25 November, departed in tow of British steamer EMPIRE KANGAROO.

DDs JERVIS and KINGSTON departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh to act as a striking force, and arrived back at Alexandria on the 13th.

RAN sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA departed Port Said, escorting motor transport ship KEVINBANK, for Famagusta in serial S.18 of the GUILLOTINE operation. They arrived on 13 July.

*Hospital ship CALIFORNIA(FI 13,060 grt)* at Syracuse was sunk by a Swordfish from the 830 Squadron from Malta.





*Central Atlantic*
RM submarine MARCONI attacked and claimed to have sunk sloop DEPTFORD, which had been detached from convoy OG.70 to join convoy HG.70 in 37-16N, 9-50W. However the vessel was undamaged, and with corvette CONVOLVULUS carried out a search for the submarine.

DDs FORESTER, FURY, DUNCAN, BOREAS, and WILD SWAN departed Gibraltar to sweep. BOREAS and WILD SWAN were then ordered to join convoy HG.70, while FORESTER, FURY, and DUNCAN arrived at Gibraltar late on the 11th.

*Steamer EMPIRE HURST (UK 2852 grt)*, which had fallen astern of convoy HG.70, was being escorted by ASW trawler LADY HOGARTH, when she was attacked and sunk by FW 200 a/c about 400 miles west of Gibraltar. Twenty six crew were killed, and nine survivors rescued by the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 AUGUST TO DAWN 12 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and fresh.

_0040-0200 hrs Raid no 813 _Air raid alert for nine unidentified enemy aircraft which approach from the north east at intervals and cross the coast over GrandHarbour. They carry out an hour-long raid over the Island. Some 250kg and 500kg high explosives, and hundreds of incendiary bombs are dropped on GrandHarbour, Marsa, Pieta, Salvatore Gate, Gzira, Lija, San Nicola, Ta Silch and Ta Qali. The incendiaries are of a type not seen in Malta before. Warehouses in Marsa are ignited, damaging some timber; the fire was soon extinguished. A few houses in Lija are slightly damaged and a donkey killed. Four Hurricanes are scrambled and searchlights illuminate raiders on two occasions. Two enemy aircraft are shot down in flames in the sea; three crew are seen baling out. A rescue launch is sent out but finds no survivors.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 11 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _2 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Marylands on strike force patrols for enemy shipping. Photoreconnaissance Comiso and Syracuse. _38 Squadron_ 5 Wellingtons sent to attack north west of Tripoli dropped bombs from 6000 feet on targets causing fires and destroying large buildings. Machine gun attacks launched on a military convoy near Homs. _105 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims sent to attack chemical works attacked military facilities with success. 3 Blenheims sent in follow up attack scoring further direct hits. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _A Swordfish sunk the 13000 ton Italian hospital ship _California_ at Syracuse.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 11 August 1941


----------



## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

*12 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SC USS SC453 (prototype)





Acceptor Class MSW USS ROLLER (AMc-52
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
HDML 1077
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-564 sank *Flower Class Corvette HMS PICOTEE (RN 925 grt)*; At 0311 hrs, U-568 fired torpedoes at the convoy ON-4 sth of Iceland, observed a hit on a corvette and heard another detonation. The U-Boat commander (Preuss) assumed that he had probably damaged a tanker in the convoy but this was not the case. However, HMS PICOTEE was hit by the torpedo underneath the bridge, broke in two and sank immediately, while her own depth charges detonated. The commander, four officers and 61 ratings were lost. This corvette, from Escort Gp 4 was only reported missing after she did not return to the convoy from a search for a reported U-boat. After this attack, the other escorts counterattacked and held the boat down while the convoy escaped.





*Auxiliary vessel EXPRESS (RN 16 grt)* was sunk on a mine one mile SW of East Spaniard Buoy off Whitstable.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes; U-451
St. Nazaire:U-74
Trondheim: U-432

Departures
Lorient: U-125

At Sea 12 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-501, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-751

41 Boats

U-79 was heavily depth charged by convoy escorts near the Portuguese coast and forced to abort its attack.

U-123 was attacked by convoy escorts near Portugal. 126 depth charges were dropped, including 30 "close by" as reported by the Germans, but caused only moderate damage. The boat returned to France, having been at sea for over 60 days when this attack took place.

Whilst inbound in the Bay of Biscay inbound U-372 was attacked by an RAF Blenheim which attempted to surprise U-372 by carrying out a dive bomb attack from cloud cover, but she evaded by turning towards the attacker and then immediately crash-diving. A 250lb A/S bomb detonated about 35 yards off the port bow and a second was dropped shortly after the U-boat submerged. 

Although the boat was damaged, as it seems there were some difficulties diving, as the aircrew observed her stern remain visible above water until it disappeared in an oily patch left by a large air bubble.

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CL SHEFFIELD, after refitting, departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow to work up, and arrived that evening.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and escorted convoy EC.58 from MayIsland to Pentland Firth. In the Firth on the 13th, the ship left the convoy and arrived at Scapa Flow that morning.

Steamer EAGLESCLIFFE HALL was damaged by the LW 1/2 mile south of S.2 Buoy, approximately two miles east of Sunderland. She was towed to Sunderland arriving on the 13th.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ANTHONY, escorting salvage tug LE LUTTEUR, departed Scapa Flow for Skaalefjord, where the tug was to effect repairs to DD ACHATES to render her seaworthy for the passage to the Tyne. They arrived at Skaalefjord on the 14th, and ANTHONY sailed that evening to return to Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 15th.

MSWs HARRIER, SALAMANDER, and HALCYON departed Seidisfjord for Reykjavik. HALCYON with defects put into Reydarsfjord and with SALAMANDER returned to Seidisfjord. HARRIER arrived at Reykjavik on the 13th.

*Med/Biscay*
On Biscay patrol in 40-24N, 29-51W, CA LONDON sighted a submarine, which was bombed by her Walrus aircraft.

CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DD JACKAL departed Haifa for Port Said for a GUILLOTINE operation. DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh to load then proceed to Tobruk. They arrived back at Alexandria on the 13th.

Submarine TORBAY attacked a convoy of steamers BOSFORO and ISEO, escorted by torpedo boat PARTENOPE, four miles west of Benghasi, without success.

Subamrine RORQUAL arrived at Malta from Alexandria, having departed on 31 July, with petrol and stores. Submarine P.33 departed Malta on patrol. RNeN submarine O.24 unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the LigurianSea.

*Lighter A.14 (RN 50grt (est))* was sunk on a mine in Tobruk Harbour. No crew were killed.
[NO IOMAGE FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
RM submarine TAZZOLI attacked and claimed to have damaged steamer SANGARA in 4N, 9W, but she was unharmed.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 AUGUST TO DAWN 13 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and fresh.

_1716-1739 hrs _Air raid alert for twelve enemy fighters which approach Gozo from the north east, and carry out a patrol round the Island at 24000 feet. Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders recede eastwards, turn north east and finally north.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 12 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _All ships of the 2 August convoy have completed unloading, except for coal. _Rorqual_ arrived from Alexandria with petrol and stores. _P32_ sailed for patrol east of Tripoli.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols of Tunisian coast and western Ionian Sea. Hurricane photoreconnaissance Catania aerodrome and port, and visual recce of Augusta. _38 Squadron_ 4 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli railway station area dropping bombs and incendiaries, damaging the station and railway line, buildings and vehicles. 

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar machine-gunned aircraft on Catania aerodrome and dropped two bombs plus one flash bomb on both Catania and Gerbini aerodromes.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 12 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

*13 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS RYSA (T-164)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile C MGB HMS MGB 331
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
*FV SJOBORG (Faroes 158 grt)* was sunk on a mine about 61-31N, 5-40W while fishing in a prohibited area.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-372
Trondheim: U-81, U-652

Departures
Lorient: U-557

At Sea 13 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-751

41 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*West Coast*
DD LIGHTNING departed Greenock for Scapa Flow to rejoin the Home Fleet after operations in the Western Approaches and Western Mediterranean. She arrived at Scapa Flow on the 14th.

OS.3 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD ST.ALBANS which was detached on the 18th and corvette CAMPION which was detached on the 15th. On the 14th, DDs CAMPBELTOWN and WANDERER joined and was detached on the 17th and 29 August, respectively, AMCDUNNOTTARCASTLE joined and arrived with the convoy on 1 September, escort vessel BANFF joined and detached to Bathurst on the 29th, and ocean boarding vessel MARON joined and was detached on the 17th. On the 15th, sloop EGRET joined and was detached on the 29th toBathurst. On the 16th, escort vessel FISHGUARD joined and was detached to Bathurst on the 29th. On the 29th, corvettes ASTER, BURCOCK, and STARWORT joined and arrived with the convoy at Freetown on 1 September.

*SW Approaches*
OG.71 departed Liverpool escorted by DD BATH, sloop LEITH, and corvette ZINNIA.

Corvettes BLUEBELL, CAMPANULA, CAMPION, HYDRANGEA, and WALLFLOWER joined on the 15th. BATH was detached on the 18th and was sunk early the next day by U.204. DDs GURKHA and LANCE from convoy WS.10 X joined the escort on the 20th and DDs BOREAS departed Gibraltar on the 19th, joining on the 23rd and WIVERN on the 20th to join on the 22nd. DD VIDETTE departed Gibraltar on the 21st and joined the convoy on the 23rd. Corvette ZINNIA was sunk on the 23rd by U.564 in 40-43N, 11-39W. The convoy was dispersed on the 23rd to Lisbon. HYDRANGEA arrived at Gibraltar on the 22nd with nine survivors from BATH. DDs LANCE, GURKHA and corvettes WALLFLOWER, CAMPION, and CAMPANULA arrived at Gibraltar on the 24th.

*Med/Biscay*
CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DD JACKAL departed Port Said with personnel for Famagusta in Serial S.20 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The troops were landed on the 14th, after which NEPTUNE proceeded to Alexandria, and ABDIEL and JACKAL to Port Said. RAN CL HOBART and RN DDs DECOY and HAVOCK departed Alexandria for Port Said to relieve NEPTUNE.

CLA COVENTRY departed Beirut to return to Alexandria, where she arrived on the 14th.

DDs HASTY and JAGUAR departed Alexandria with supplies for Tobruk. *Schooner KEPHALLINIA (UK 1267 grt)* foundered and sank off Alexandria, while en route to Tobruk with supplies. DD HERO assisted her.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Italian convoy of steamers ANDREA GRITTI, RIALTO, VETTOR PISANI. FRANCESCO BARBARO, and SEBASTIANO VENIER, escorted by DDs VIVALDI, FOLGORE, STRALE, MALOCELLO, FULMINE and TB ORSA departed Naples for Tripoli. On the 14th, during an air attack, one of VIVALDI’s guns exploded and she was forced to return to Italy. There were also reported submarine attacks during the air attack, but there is no corresponding report. The convoy arrived at Tripoli and 15 August, undamaged by the British.

*Central Atlantic*
On the 25th, LANCE and corvette SPIRAEA departed Gibraltar to carry out an ASW patrol off Cape St Vincent to cover steamers sailing independently from Lisbon to Gibraltar from the former convoy. Later in the day, DD WILD SWAN arrived at Gibraltar and departed to join in the patrol off Cape St Vincent. WILD SWAN, VIDETTE, LEITH, BLUEBELL and SPIRAEA arrived at Gibraltar on the 27th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 AUGUST TO DAWN 14 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_0148-0223 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy bomber which approaches from the north, circles east of Delimara, turns west and eventually crosses the coast near Benghaisa. Hundreds of small incendiary bombs are dropped across Kalafrana and on Benghaisa, including near an anti-aircraft gun position. 22 fires are reported in the direction of Hal Far. There are no reported casualties. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish attacked Augusta submarine base. Due to poor visibility so Swordfish pilots chose individual targets. Bombs were dropped on Syracuse as well as Augusta, with large fires and explosions in both places.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Blenheim, 5 Wellington. _Departures 69 Squadron _4 Maryland striking force patrols Ionian Sea and east Tunisian coast. Reconnaissance Lampedusa harbour. One Maryland was sent out to drop propaganda leaflets on Bizerta, Tunis, Sfax and surroundings but failed to return. _38 Squadron_ 7 Wellingtons sent to attack Tripoli in two formations of 4 and 3 aircraft dropped bombs on target. Sgt Williams crashed on Luqa aerodrome on landing, badly damaging his aircraft. 8 Hurrricanes carried out a fighter sweep over southern Sicily.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 13 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

*14 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-108
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIc DKM U-583
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-126 sank *Steamer SUD (Yug 2580 grt)*, a straggler from convoy HG-70 in the Atlantic, west of Portugal. The ship was empty, with a crew of 33, all of whom were to survive the attack, on passage from Gibraltar to Halifax. At 0955 hrs, U-126 spotted the SUD, a straggler from convoy HG-70 and tried to get into an attack position. In the meantime, the Italian submarine MARCONI first unsucessfully attacked the same ship at 1201 hrs with a torpedo and then shelled her with the 100mm deck gun, scoring hits with about 25 rounds. Shortly after 1515 hrs, the U-boat also opened fire with the deck gun and scored eight hits with 33 rounds fired. Both submarines ceased fire as the freighter began to burn, but the ship did not sink and the MARCONI’s skipper refused to use another torpedo on such a small freighter, so the U-126 skipper fired a stern torpedo at 1601 hrs and hit SUD near the aft mast causing her to settle within two minutes. The survivors were picked up by the Portuguese steam merchant ALFERRARADE. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AUSTRALAND (Aus 5020 grt)* was sunk by DKM Raider KOMET near the Galapagos Islands. Three crew were killed in this attack, the remainder taken prisoner , and the rest made prisoners of war, but one died on the raider.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest: U-201
Lorient: U-111

At Sea 14 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-751

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Baltic*
*steamer LOTTE HALM (Ger 1193 grt)* was sunk by the RAF off Borkum.

*Northern Waters*
DD FOXHOUND arrived at Scapa Flow for fuel while on passage from the Force H to Sheerness.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.66 to the south. Off Buchan Ness that night, LW a/c attacked the convoy, but no damage was done. The ship transferred to convoy EC.59 shortly after midnight. On arrival in Pentland Firth, she left the convoy and arrived at Scapa Flow that afternoon.
.
*West Coast*
DD MATABELE departed Barrow to carry out trials after repairs, and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 16th.

*Med/Biscay*
CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria with DDs NIZAM and KINGSTON escorting troopship GLENROY to Port Said. She was passed through the Suez Canal on the 15th.

RHN DD VASILISSA OLGA departed Alexandria for Famagusta, arrived on the 16th and departed that day to return to Alexandria.

Submarine TALISMAN fired torpedoes in error at submarine OTUS in 32-41N, 27-35E. At the time, TALISMAN was arriving at Alexandria while OTUS had just left for Malta with stores. Neither submarine was damaged.

*Central Atlantic*
AMC CIRCASSIA captured *steamer STELLA (FI 4272 grt)*, which had departed Recife, west of Cape Verde Island at 24-55N, 40-23W. She was sent under prize crew to Bermuda, and used by the British as EMPIRE PLANET.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BB NELSON, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HERMIONE and DDs departed Gibraltar for the east for exercises. On the 16th, NELSON, HERMIONE, and DD VIMY arrived back at Gibraltar, followed on the 17th, by ARK ROYAL with DDs NESTOR, ENCOUNTER, FURY, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 AUGUST TO DAWN 15 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1720-1746 hrs_ Air raid alert for a small enemy fighter patrol off the north of the Island. Twelve Malta fighters are scrambled but the raiders flee before they can be intercepted.

_0239-0326 hrs _ Air raid alert for five JU 87 and BR 20 aircraft approaching from the north east. A formation of JU 87s crosses the coast from Salina Bay over Ta Qali and recedes northwards. Four 500kg high explosive bombs are dropped near Tal Balal crossroads. The second group of bombers crosses the coast over Zonqor, dropping incendiary bombs near Zebbug. The raiders then head south to Delimara, where anti-aircraft guns open fire and they recede north east, dropping bombs in the sea.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 14 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Beaufighter, 3 Blenheim, 5 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols of Tunisian coast and Ionian Sea. Photoreconnaissance Tripoli, Catania and Augusta. _38 Squadron _4 Wellingtons two sorties against shipping in Catania scored several hits on merchant vessels and harbour. _105 Squadron _4 Blenheims searched for convoy.


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## parsifal (Aug 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 14 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 14, 2016)

*August 15 Friday*
*ASIA: *Australian 27th Infantry Brigade arrives in Singapore from Sydney and Melbourne aboard “_Marnix_”, “_Sibajak_”, and “_Johan Van Oldenbarneveldt_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: * “_Orion_” reached Spanish territorial waters and disguised herself as the Spanish ship “_Contramestre Casado_”.

German vessel “_Norderney_” is scuttled to avoid capture by RN cruisers “_Despatch_” and “_Pretoria_”.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: By August 15, the 53rd day of the war in the East, German casualties had reached a total of 389,924 of whom 98,600 were killed or missing. These figures were a grim contrast with the 218,109 casualties and 97,000 dead of the years September 1939 to May 1941 that encompassed the campaigns in Poland, Norway, France, the Balkans and North Africa. They were a portent of what was to come.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German Army Group North captures the Luga line and over 20,000 Soviet troops. The German 3rd Infantry Regiment then saw the famous “Novgorod the Golden” spread out in front of them in the morning sun. Throughout its thousand-year history Novgorod had never been occupied by a foreign enemy, apart from a very brief episode in the Nordic War at the beginning of the seventeenth century. But now Russia’s golden city was about to suffer that humiliation. The 21.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Otto Sponheimer) from East Prussia intercepted a signal from Moscow to the Soviet Forty-eighth Army. It ran: “Novgorod is to be defended to the last man.” As chance would have it, it was the Soviet 21st Armoured Division which was to defend Novgorod to the last man, against the attack of the German 21.Infanterie-Divisionen. At 1730 hours Luftflotte VIII began a heavy air raid on the Russian positions along the city’s battlements, and kept it up for twenty minutes. Novgorod stood in flames. The three infantry regiments of 21.Infanterie-Divisionen lined up for the assault. From the edge of the ancient moat came the stutter of machine-guns, the crash of guns, and the plop of mortars. The Germans attacked.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  Hitler informs Brauchitsch that he wants one panzer division and two motorized divisions sent from Army Group Centre to Army Group North as fast as possible. XXIV. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) moved off again— towards the south—with 3.Panzer-Divisionen and 4.Panzer-Divisionen in the forefront, followed by 10.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General F-W von Loeper).

Heeresgruppe Süd: German 11.Armee attacking around Nikolaev. Soviet gunboats support ground operations near Grigorevka.

Roosevelt and Churchill sent a joint message of assistance to the Soviet Union.


> "We realize fully how vitally important to the defeat of Hitlerism is the brave and steadfast resistance of the Soviet Union and we feel therefore that we must not in any circumstances fail to act quickly and immediately in this matter on planning the program for the future allocation of our joint resources," the statement concluded.



Master spy Richard Sorge informed his Soviet masters that the Japanese would not assist the Germans by invading Siberia.

Two days of rioting at Roskiskis on the Lithuannian-Latvian border begin. 3200 Jews would be killed. In Minsk, German authorities prohibit Jews from most public places including busses, trams, trains, parks, playgrounds, theaters, libraries or museums. The only food delivered to the ghetto would be that in excess of the needs of non-Jews.

*GERMANY*: In Germany it became a criminal offence for Jews not to wear the yellow Star of David. Jews in the German-occupied zone are ordered to wear a yellow star and live in designated ghettos. The Nazi administration bans them from public places and transport and forbids the ownership of wireless sets or motor cars.


*NORTH AMERICA*: Naval Air Station, Palmyra, FPO SF 309 is commissioned today.

President Franklin D Roosevelt in the presidential yacht USS “_Potomac_” (AG-25), fishes while the ship is anchored in Pulpit Harbor, Penobscot Bay, Maine.

*NORTHERN FRONT*:  The troops of Finnish 7th ID (Col. Svensson) are the first to enter recaptured Sortavala. Although the Russians have been able to evacuate most of the defending men, some 540 Red Army soldiers are captured. Sortavala is the first major population centre lost to the Soviet Union in 1940 recaptured. (Sortavala is today (2001) Serdobol in Russian Karelia. In the lands that were lost to Soviet Union in 1940 there lived some 400, 000 people before the Winter War. Practically everybody left rather than stayed to live under the new masters (the fact that everybody left was so embarrassing to the Soviet propagandists that they claimed that the capitalists and their henchmen forcibly evacuated the civilians). Now, when it seems that these lost lands are about to be reconquered, the first civilians are returning. As the recaptured areas are still unsafe, the returnees are warned to have weapons with them and move around with caution. Only people able to take care of themselves are allowed back. Children, elderly and sick have to wait until later date.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The Philippine Army Air Corps was officially inducted into the United States Army Forces in the Far East. Douglas MacArthur oversaw the induction of the Philippine Army Air Corps into federal service at Camp Murphy. MacArthur convenes a meeting of all senior military personnel assigned to the Philippines and advises them that he would fight for the islands.

*UNITED KINGDOM* : German parachutist Josef Jakobs, captured in Britain on 1 Feb 1941, was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London in England, at 0715 hours. He was the last person to be executed at that site.

The London-based Polish government in exile signs a military cooperation agreement with the government of the USSR.

D.M. Butt, of the British War Cabinet Secretariat, completes an analysis of 630 photos taken on bomber night operations. Overall, of aircraft recorded as hitting their targets, only one third had actually struck within five miles.

The Luftwaffe returned to the North-East of England. Five HEs from a single aircraft were dropped on Norton ave. A direct hit on 160 Norton Avenue killed all seven occupants, a forty-five year old widow, five children (all boys , their ages ranged from fourteen down to six), and a seventy-three year old woman. At 116 Norton Avenue, a sixty-four year old widow was killed. Some bodies were never recovered. A second HE fell not far away and three others in fields in a line WNW towards the AA site off Junction Road and Durham Road, known as "Kiora" which was equipped with 4.7" guns. Each bomb landed about 300 yards apart over the sites of the present day Rochester, Radcliffe and Redditch Avenues and Riveaulx Close. Nos 152-164 Norton Avenue, 23, 24 and 25 Darlington Back Lane and four houses in Ancaster/Alveston Roads had to be demolished. Two bungalows near Fussick Bridge were severely damaged and one had to be demolished. Blast caused damage over a large area smashing several panes of greenhouses glass in Fewster's Redpath Lane Nurseries.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 14, 2016)

*15 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Aloe Class Net tender USS CINCHOVA (AN-12)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML HMS ML 289
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-557

At Sea 15 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-501, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-751

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Steamer MEMELLAND (Ger 542 grt)* was lost on a Soviet mine south of Helsinki.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Black Sea/Caspian
VMF Sub SC-211 sank *MV PELES (Rom 5708 grt)* S to the north of Emine Cape. On 14/15 August 1941 PELES was heading for the Bosphorus in convoy with Italian tankers SUPERGA and SECAVA escorted by two (unknown) Bulgarian MLs. At dusk the convoy was attacked with two torpedoes fired by SC-211. Both torpedoes struck the PELES which caught fire then exploded . the vessel quickly sank in shallow water. The escorting MLs rescued most of the crew. Later, a LW flying boat rescued another subgle crew members. At least one of the crew died in the attack. 






*North Sea*
BC REPULSE departed Rosyth at 0720 escorted by DDs IMPULSIVE, ECLIPSE, and ACTIVE, and arrived at Scapa Flow that evening.

*Northern Waters*
CA DORSETSHIRE departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde for escort duty with convoy WS.10 X, and arrived on the 16th.

*West Coast*
ON.7 departed Liverpool. The convoy was joined on the 16th by DDs AMAZON, BULLDOG, ORP BURZA, and GEORGETOWN, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, NIGELLA, MSW BRITOMART, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, CAPE WARWICK, DANEMAN, and NOTTS COUNTY. DDs AMAZON and BURZA were detached on the 18th. The remainder of the escort was detached on the 21st when the convoy was joined by DD CHURCHILL and corvettes ARROWHEAD, CAMELLIA, and EYEBRIGHT. The DD was detached on the 23rd and the corvettes on the 25th when the convoy was dispersed.

*Med/Biscay
Steamer ADUA (FI 400 grt)* was sunk by the RAF in the Gulf of Sirte.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BB BARHAM arrived at Suez after repairs of Crete battle damages in Durban. The BB departed Port Said that evening escorted by CLA COVENTRY and DDs JACKAL, RAN NIZAM, KIPLING, and KINGSTON. Troopship GLENGYLE was also in company. The ships arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

RAN CL HOBART, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DDs DECOY and HAVOCK departed Port Said for Famagusta with troops in Serial S.21 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The HOBART group disembarked their troops at Famagusta during the night of 15/16 August. ABDIEL departed for Alexandria; the remainder of the group proceeded to Haifa.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA was at Famagusta to provide ASW protection. PARRAMATTA departed Famagusta on the 16th for Port Said, where she arrived on the 17th.

After departing Port Said on 13 July, Corvette PEONY arrived at Famagusta with MV GUJARAT of Serial S.19 and then departed for Beirut.

DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY landed stores at Tobruk during the night of 14/15 August and returned to Alexandria. DDs HASTY and JAGUAR departed Alexandria with stores for Tobruk. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 16th.

Submarine THRASHER unsuccessfully attacked German steamer ANKARA, escorted by TB SIRIO, in Mandri Channel.

Dutch submarine O.24 arrived at Gibraltar after patrol in the Gulf of Genoa and Tyrrhenian Sea.

Submarine OSIRIS arrived at Malta from Alexandria, having departed on the 7th, to discharge petrol, stores, mail, and passengers.

*Nth Atlantic*
USS CV YORKTOWN, CL BROOKLYN, and DDs GRAYSON and EBERLE departed Bermuda on neutrality patrol. The patrol concluded on the 27th when they arrived back at Bermuda.

*Central Atlantic*
*Steamer NORDENEY (Ger 3667 grt)* scuttled herself when she was intercepted by CL DESPATCH and AMC PRETORIA CASTLE northeast of the Amazon Estuary.





SL.84 departed Freetown escorted by DD BRILLIANT, corvettes AMARANTHUS, ARMERIA, MIGNONETTE, and WOODRUFF, and ASW trawlers SARABANDE and ST.WISTAN to 19 August. On the 18th, sloops FOLKESTONE and LONDONDERRY joined the convoy to 8 September. Sloop WESTON joined on the 20th August to 8 September. DD ST.ALBANS joined on 2 September to 8 September. CAM ship SPRINGBANK and DDs CAMPBELTOWN, WANDERER, and WESTCOTT joined on 3 September to 8 September. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 8 September.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 AUGUST TO DAWN 16 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1716-1737 _Air raid alert for a single enemy bomber which carries out reconnaissance escorted by six Macchi 200 fighters. 17 Hurricanes are scrambled; no claims.

_0347-0415 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft approaching from the north and drop bombs in the sea before receding. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions. 

_0424-0510 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast at Dingli and follows the coastline to Hal Far, dropping containers of hundreds of incendiary bombs near Siggiewi, Zurrieq and Hal Far. The containers are reported as resembling ‘Molotov bread baskets’. High explosive bombs are also dropped on Zabbar and on Hamrun, where houses are demolished and one civilian seriously injured. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 15 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Osiris_ arrived from Alexandria and berthed in Marsaxlokk to discharge petrol.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Bombay. _Departures _1 Bombay._ 69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance Catania harbour, western Ionian Sea, Tunisian coast. Reconnaissance for results of convoy attack last night. On reconnaissance over Tripoli one Maryland was attacked by three fighters, shots were exchanged but no damage caused. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons sent to attack Catania harbour in two waves of 4 and 5 aircraft. Fires started and bombs damaged railway station, lines and buildings, and destroying oil tanks. _105 Squadron_ 5 Blenheims sent to attack merchant ships approaching Benghazi exploded one tanker left a second on fire; two other vessels were hit and damaged. Two Blenheims failed to return. 

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar patrolled over Gerbini and Catania.


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## parsifal (Aug 14, 2016)

Halder's Diary 15 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 16, 2016)

*August 16 Saturday*
*ASIA: *The Japanese Ambassador in Washington (Nomura) sends the following message to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo:


> “As I have successively reported to you, Japanese-American relations have today reached a stage in which anything might happen at any moment, and they are likely to grow worse suddenly as soon as Japan makes her next move. That this sudden change will take place with Japan’s occupation of Thailand is a view upon which both Japanese and Americans agree.”



*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *Since August 9th, 8 German and 3 Italian submarines have made repeated, though unsuccessful, attacks on convoy HG-69, northwest of Gibraltar.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Stalin agrees to an Anglo-US request for a conference to determine the best means to assist the Soviet Union. This would lead to the massive assistance to the Russians from the west. Britain is granting Russia a £10 million credit at 3% interest. Whitehall stressed that this low rate shows that Russia is seen as a dependable customer. Considerable two-way trade is promised. The credit covers only the balance by which British exports to Russia exceed Soviet ones to Britain, and there will be similar credits when these are needed. Russia expects to pay cash for some imports.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German forces reach Novgorod and cross the Volkhov River. The German I. Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Kuno-Hans von Both) of 16.Armee (Colonel General Ernst Busch) takes Novgorod on the road to Leningrad. At first light the German assault companies were inside the blazing city. At 0700 hours the 1st Battalion, 424th Infantry Regiment, of 126. Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Paul Laux) —for this attack under the command of 21.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Otto Sponheimer) —hoisted the swastika over Novgorod's Kremlin. But there was no time for victory celebrations. The objective was Chudovo and the October Railway. "Keep going," Major von Glasow, commander of the reconnaissance detachment and now leading the hurriedly formed vanguard of 21.Infanterie-Divisionen, urged his men. The men of the bicycle companies of 24th and 45th Regiments pedaled for all they were worth. The cavalry squadrons moved off at a trot, followed by the motorized platoon of Panzerjägers and by heavy motorized batteries of II./37.schwere Feldhaubitzen-Abt. (mot.). There were no tanks at all, and only a few self-propelled guns of 666. Sturmgeschütz-Bttr.. The brunt of the fighting was borne by 37.schwere Feldhaubitzen-Abt. (mot.), as well as the heavy artillery battalions, 9. Nebelwerfer-Abt. (mot.), and 272. Heeres-Flak-Abt., all of them grouped under Artillery Commander 123. - In that way the companies of 45th Infantry Regiment made their assault. LVI. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein) is attacking near Dno, 75 miles SW of Novgorod but his panzer forces are redirected from their attacks on Leningrad to restore the deteriorating situation south of Lake Illmen where the Soviet 34th Army continues its successful attacks.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe was attacking toward Bryansk and German 2.Armee began attacking toward Gomel. The 3.Panzer-Divisionen took the road intersection of Mglin.

Heeresgruppe Süd: German and Rumanian forces of Heeresgruppe Süd (von Rundstedt) capture Nikolaev, an important Soviet naval base on the Black Sea and captured warships, ammunition and repair facilities. Soviet submarines S-36 and S-37 are blown up at Nikolayev. Nearby, Romanian troops launched a renewed attack on Odessa.

Joseph Stalin issued Order No. 270, ordering all deserters executed and deserters' families arrested.

*GERMANY:* Dutch prisoners Steinmetz and Larive escaped the Oflag IV-C prisoners of war camp at Colditz Castle in Germany. They would later become the first successful Dutch escapees of Colditz.

An appeal to housewives to donate unwanted rags and cloth for recycling is to end next week. They have been asked to bring their “textile scrap” to collection points so that it can be used to make reprocessed wool and cotton wool - both of which are used in the production of synthetic fibre and artificial silk. Nazi propaganda explains that the money saved by recycling will be used for the armaments industry. But the people have been unenthusiastic, many fearing that a bottleneck in textile supplies will result in more rationing.

RAF Bomber Command sends 72 aircraft to attack Cologne, 52 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 54 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *While defending the Ploesti oilfields from Soviet air attack, a Royal Romanian Air Force Heinkel He 112 succeeds in shooting down a Red Air Force bomber.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Vivaldi_”, “_Da Recco_”, “_Gioberti_”, and “_Oriani_” and a torpedo boat.

RAF bombers attack Syracuse and Catania.

*MIDDLE EAST*: UK and Soviet Union insist German personnel must be evicted from Iran.

Second Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 5094 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The presidential yacht USS “_Potomac_” (AG-25) with US President Franklin D Roosevelt aboard, arrives at Rockland, Maine. Roosevelt and his party disembark and board a train for Washington. Thus ends Roosevelt’s trip to Newfoundland to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Finnish Army of Karelia captures Sortavala on north shore of Lake Ladoga. Finnish forces, reinforced by Germans, destroyed three encircled Soviet battalions at Tolvajaervi and Aeglaejaervi [about 170 miles north of Leningrad] after fierce battles in that wild and swampy region 50 miles north of Lake Ladoga.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Douglas MacArthur received word from his superiors in Washington DC, that the Philippine Islands would start receiving reinforcements, shipped from the US no later than 5 Sep 1941. This included the 200th Coastal Artillery Regiment, a tank battalion, and an ordnance battalion.

The US heavy cruisers USS “_Northampton_” (CA-26) and USS “_Salt Lake City_” (CA-25) arrive at Rabaul on New Britain Island for a good-will visit. Captain David M. Selby arrives at Rabaul with his group of 54 men who are to make up the anti-aircraft unit for the area. The air defense consists on only two 3-inch guns. Of the two, one will not be so much as test fired until needed to defend against the Japanese because of a crack in its breech.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations and massed sweeps as RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft on coastal sweeps and Circus operations during the day.

Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 downs a RAF Wellington twin-engined bomber over Scunthorpe. But debris from the destroyed bomber puts one of Lt. Hahn’s engines of his Ju 88 out of action and he barely makes it back to base on the remaining engine.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 16, 2016)

*August 17 Sunday*
*ASIA: “*_Tatsuta Maru_” departed Yokohama, Japan. Captain Toichi Takahata was replaced by Japanese Navy Reserve officer Captain Sakao Kimura.

In Tokyo, the United States government presents a formal warning to the Japanese along the lines agreed at Placentia Bay. The text of the note has been toned down somewhat from the draft originally agreed with the British and Dutch, so they do not present their notes in order to avoid appearing to disagree with the American position. No decision on the Japanese proposal of a meeting between Roosevelt and Konoye is offered at this time.

The Chinese Nationalist government endorses the Anglo-US Atlantic Charter.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *American ship “_Longtaker_” was sunk by a German submarine while delivering supplies to the US military garrison in Iceland.

Returning from Atlantic Conference at Placentia Bay, Churchill visits Iceland.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: In an effort to slow down the retreating Russian forces around Dnepropetrovsk, fighters from I. and II./JG 3 along with III./JG 52 conduct a series of raids on the city. The three Gruppen claim thirty-three kills including twenty-nine Russian bombers.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  The German Army’s Heeresgruppe Nord (von Leeb) in its drive toward Leningrad captures Narva, Estonia.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Rakutin's 24th Army begins assaulting German positions on the El'nia bridgehead. German 2.Panzergruppe continues attacking toward Bryansk and German 2.Armee pushes to Gomel.

Heeresgruppe Sud: The attacks of Army Group South reach the Dniepr River at Dnepropetrovsk. The town is captured by German 1.Panzergruppe. Romanian troops captured the water reservoirs of Odessa, Ukraine with heavy casualties.



> "The condition of the trucks is in large part bad...For major repairs, which are necessary for many trucks, there are no spare parts. It must therefore be understood that with the beginning of the new operation, trucks will have to be towed in order to take them with us." - 10. Panzer Division diary.



In Yugoslavia, Tito's partisans begin coordination with Comintern in Moscow.

*GERMANY: *RAF Bomber Command sends 59 aircraft to attack Bremen and 41 aircraft to attack the rail station at Duisburg overnight. Air crews reported poor visibility due to bad weather.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: RAF bombers attack Syracuse.

*NORTH AMERICA*: President Franklin D Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull talk with Japanese Ambassador Nomura Kichasaburo. The Americans state their conditions for resuming negotiations with the Japanese. A US note to Japan is formally presented. This note maintains the lines as agreed at Placentia Bay. Roosevelt, after discussions with the Japanese ambassador, agrees to informal talks to see if a peaceful resolution to the differences between their two countries would be possible.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Dutch vessel “_Kota Nopan_” captured by German raider “_Komet_” near Galapagos Islands.

The Federal Government approved the formation of Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS).

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Britain and the USSR protest to Iran about the large number of German “tourists” in Iran.

Only one Luftwaffe aircraft flew over the North-East of England on Sunday. The aircraft dropped no more bombs, but it opened fire on some men working on the main Edinburgh - Newcastle line, one of whom was killed and others injured.

Hull was the centre of night operations by the Luftwaffe. Raided by about twenty-seven enemy aircraft which concentrated mainly on eastern Hull, the central district also suffered. Twenty HEs were dropped including two 1000kg. Three shelters were damaged, residential and industrial property also damaged. Twenty people were killed and fifteen seriously injured.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Spanish freighter “_Navemar_” departed from Lisbon with 1,180 refugees, mostly Jewish, bound for Cuba and New York. The ship was horribly overcrowded as it was only built to accommodate 15 people, and it soon acquired the nickname "the floating concentration camp".

RAF Fighter Command flew Circus, Roadstead and Rhubarb operations.

RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft on coastal sweeps. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on minelaying operations off Denmark overnight.

In Portugal, Juan Pujol Garcia, later known as agent Garbo, ostensibly in London, reports to German intelligence he has recruited an agent.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 17, 2016)

*16 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIC DKM U-135





Allied
Type II hunt class DD HMS LAMERTON (L-88)





*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-79
St. Nazaire: U-94

Departures
Brest: U-564

At Sea 16 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-139, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-501, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-751

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT departed Murmansk on patrol. On the 19th, the submarine damaged German steamer LEVANTE by gunfire. On the 22nd, the submarine sank *steamer OSTPREUSSEN (Ger 3030 grt) *North of Tromsö in the Kvanangenfjord..





On the 30th, submarine TRIDENT sank *steamers DONAU (Ger 2931 grt)*was torpedoed (whilst being used in a troop convoy) off Solven Island (Lofoten, Norway).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

TRIDENT also sank *Steamer BAHIA LAURA (Ger 8561 grt)* from the same convoy off the Lofotens. Also in the convoy were DONAU (see above), Vichy CORNOUAILLE , and Ex-Norwegian AUGUST BOLTEN, escorted by DKM DDs LODY and GALSTER, SC UJ.178, and aux SCs Vp.6113 and Vp.6111, joined by UJ.176 and UJ.177 off Nordkinn.





The survivors from the two ships were rescued by destroyer GALSTER (490 men), destroyer LODY (38 men), Vp.6111 (178 men), Vp.6113 (360 men), Norwegian steamer MITTNATTSOL (200 men), and R.153 twenty three men. On the 31st, Russian submarine SC.402 unsuccessfully attacked this convoy in Kjoellefjord. Some 1,700 German troops were lost with a total of 1,196 men rescued

*North Sea*
CL ARETHUSA departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 17th. DD VIVACIOUS departed the Humber for Scapa Flow to work up. En route, the DD developed engine defects and put into Rosyth for repairs.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.67 from the Pentland Firth to Methil, where they arrived on the 17th. The ship proceeded to Rosyth to clean boilers.

Tug NESS POINT was damaged by a near miss by the LW at Lowestoft, sank, but was raised on the 23rd and repaired.

*Northern Waters*
DD LIVELY departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster. The DD embarked the Senior Officer of Force A, Rear Admiral P. L. Vian DSO, and returned to Scapa Flow, arriving that evening.

*West Coast*
Convoy WS.10 X departed Liverpool on the 15th and the Clyde on the 16th. On the 16th, the two sections rendezvoused. The convoy was composed of liners STRATHNAVER, PALMA, STRATHMORE, BRISBANE STAR, ORION, and PORT JACKSON. The convoy was escorted by RNeN CLA HEEMSKERK and DDs WHITEHALL and WITCH from 15 to 19 August. DDs GURKHA, LANCE, ORP PIORUN, and RNeN ISAAC SWEERS escorted the convoy from 17 to 19 August. CA DORSETSHIRE escorted the convoy from 17 to 28 August, when the convoy arrived at Freetown. DDs BRILLIANT and WRESTLER and corvettes CROCUS and CLEMATIS escorted the convoy from 26 to 28 August. DD VELOX escorted the convoy on 26 and 27 August. 

The convoy arrived at Freetown on the 28th and sailed on 1 September.

Convoy ON.8 departed Liverpool escorted by corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE. The convoy was joined on the 17th by corvette VERONICA and ASW trawlers ST.ELSTAN and ST.ZENO. On the 18th, DDs DOUGLAS, LEMAINGTON, SALADIN, and VETERAN, MSWs LEDA and SPEEDY, and ASW trawlers ST.KENAN and VIZALMA joined. These were all detached on the 21st when relieved by DD BURNHAM, AMC WOLFE, and corvettes AGASSIZ, LEVIS, and MAYFLOWER. The convoy was dispersed on the 25th.

*Med/Biscay*
Sloop FLAMINGO departed Port Said escorting a MV SALAMAUA to Famagusta in Serial S.22 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The sloop arrived at Famagusta on the 18th and returned to Port Said. DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY carried supplies to Tobruk. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 17th.

Submarine TORBAY sank captured steamer EVANGELISTRA (Ex-Gk 28 grt)near Benghazi.

RNeN submarine O.23 unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in 39-35N, 13-18E.

Yugoslav TBs DURMITOR and KAJMAKALAN departed Alexandria to operate out of Mersa Matruh on patrol off Bardia.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.145 departed Halifax escort DD BROADWATER, AMC CALIFORNIA, corvettes RIMOUSKI and SPIKENARD, and ASW whalers KOS IX and KOS VIII. The whalers were detached that night. Corvettes ARVIDA and MATAPEDIA joined on the 17th for the day. Corvette CHILLIWACK joined on the 20th. The escorts were detached on the 25th when relieved by DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, and SALISBURY, corvettes HEATHER and NARCISSUS, MSW SEAGULL, and ASW trawlers ARAB, NORWICH CITY, and ST.LOMAN. The MSW and the trawlers were detached later that day. On the 29th, DDs SKTA and WITCH and MSWs HEBE and SPEEDWELL joined. DD SALISBURY, corvettes HEATHER and NARCISSUS, and the MSWs were detached on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 31st.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy WS10 X, having arrived from Liverpool on the 28 August, departed Freetown on 1 September. The convoy was escorted by BB REVENGE from 1 to 11 September, when the convoy arrived at Capetown. Corvette AMARANTHUS escorted the convoy on 1 and 2 September. Corvettes WOODRUFF, MIGNONETTE, and ARMERIA from 1 to 3 September. REVENGE was in a collision with liner ORION on 2 September and sustained slight damage to her bulges. The convoy arrived at Capetown on 11 September and sailed on 14 September. The convoy was escorted by REVENGE until 23 September when CL CERES took over the convoy. CERES remained with the convoy until 27 September when the convoy arrived at Aden. The liners proceeded independently to Suez.

Corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS departed Gibraltar escorting ocean boarding vessel CAVINA. Out of the local approaches, the corvettes joined arriving tanker CARDIUM.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 AUGUST TO DAWN 17 AUGUST 1941

_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

_1730 hrs _Four enemy aircraft cross the Island at 24000 feet unseen by Malta fighters.

_0430-0505 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast and drops incendiary bombs just outside the boundary of Hal Far aerodrome. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 16 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Blenheim, 4 Hurricane. _69 Squadron _5 Marylands on striking force patrols. Photoreconnaissance of Catania port and aerodrome. Four Hurricane fighter sweeps over Southern Sicily in the morning and afternoon.

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish attacked central quay and merchant ships at Catania harbour with determination and great success; large fires and explosions were observed.


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## parsifal (Aug 17, 2016)

Halder's Diary 16 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 17, 2016)

*17 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Schuka class Sub VMF SHCH-216





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-109

Departures
Kiel: U-141

At Sea 17 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-94, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-139,U-141, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-501, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-751

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
CL PENELOPE departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow to work up after long repairs. DD LAMERTON departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow to work up.

CLA CURACOA departed Rosyth on completion of boiler cleaning and proceeded northwards to meet convoy WN.68 in Moray Firth. The ship escorted convoy WN.68 to May Island. Off May Island on the 18th, CURACOA transferred to convoy EC.61 and escorted it northward. The convoy was attacked off Aberdeen by the LW, but no damage was done and also successfully repeling the attack on the convoy. In Pentland Firth on the 19th, the ship parted company with convoy EC.61 and arrived at Scapa Flow that evening.

British steamer KINDERSLEY was damaged by the LW three miles southeast by east of B.1 Buoy (Blyth). The steamer arrived at Blyth on the 18th.

*Northern Patrol*
*Steamer LONGTAKER (Pan 1700 grt)*, ex Danish freighter SESSA, whilst in US Govt service was sunk by U-38. Some sources say this event happened on the 18thAugust 1941. The ship was on passage from USA to Reykjavik carrying a cargo of timber and food stuffs for the US installed military garrison. U-38 reported the sinking, but after the identity and purpose of the vessel was found, the records of the sinking were suppressed by BDU. It remains a sinking not reported in German sources (although U-Boat Net does now acknowledge its sinking). It is believed the sinking was suppressed to try and avoid tensions with the US govt.

On September 6th, USN DD LANSDALE (DD-426) rescues only three survivors from Panamanian freighter. 24 crewmen (one of whom is an American) had perished.
++

*Northern Waters*
AA ship PALOMARES departed Scapa Flow on completion of work up. The ship joined convoy EC.60 and proceeded to Belfast where she came under the orders of the Western Approaches Cmd .

*Med/Biscay*
An Italian convoy of steamers MADDALENA ODERO, NICOLO ODERO, CAFFARO , MARIN SANUDO, GIULIA , and MINATITLAND escort DDs FRECCIA, EURO, and DARDO and TBs PROCIONE, PEGASO, and SIRTORI was attacked by RNeN submarine O.23.

Steamer MADDALENA ODERO (FI 5479 grt) was torpedoed by the submarine. The steamer, escorted by TBs PEGASO and SIRTORI, but was sunk by British aircraft on the 18th at Lampedusa. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 19th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DDs KIPLING and NIZAM landed supplies at Tobruk during the night of 17/18 August.
The DDs then returned to Alexandria.

Submarine REGENT at Alexandria was damaged when an air vessel of a torpedo exploded. There were no casualties.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA and CA HAWKINS were ordered to search for a French convoy which departed Tamatave on the 12th. The operation which was a RATION operation was given the codename of KEDGREREE. AUSTRALIA departed Durban on the 18th and HAWKINS departed Durban on the 19th. The convoy consisted of Vichy steamers VILLE D'ORAN, LINOIS, DALNY, LEPARI (tons), and SAGITTAIRE (7706grt). The operation ended on the 25th, without contact with the French convoy.

*Pacific/Australia*
*Steamer KOTA NOPAN (Ne 7322 grt)* was captured by German raider KOMET off the Galapagos Islands. The ship came within range of an unidentified ship with Japanese markings. Capt. Hatenboer of the KOTA NOPAN ordered his ship to swing around and make all speed away from the ship, the unidentified ship pursued him, raised the Kriegsmarine battle ensign and opened fire. The gunners on KOTA NOPAN fired back, but the raider was out of range, following several more shots from the raider, none of which hit the ship, and clearly being unable to outrun her, Hatenboer ordered his ship to stop and surrender. 


The commander of KOMET, Kapitän Eyssen found the ship he had stopped was carrying valuable cargo to the Reich as she was carrying tin, rubber and manganese ore. Germany was in great need of the material in this ship, but as she was bound for New York she did not carry enough fuel to make the return to France so Eyssen contacted his superiors. He was sent to the Tuamote archipeligo to rendezvous with the ATLANTIS and the supply ship MUNSTERLAND.


KOMET and KOTA NOPAN, now a prison ship carrying her 51 man crew and 42 crewmen from the AUSTRALAND (captured and sunk Aug. 14) and 144 crewmen from the DEVON (captured and sunk Aug. 19) arrived at the prearranged position on Sept. 24. After supplies were divided and the ships refueled, they departed and headed for Bordeaux, KOTA NOPAN arrived at that port on Nov. 17, 1941. She was renamed KARIN and used as a fast blockade runner completing two more voyages before being detected and forced to scuttle in 1943.






*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 AUGUST TO DAWN 18 AUGUST 1941

_Weather _Sunny and fresh.

_PM _Eleven Hurricanes are scrambled to intercept a formation of six enemy aircraft spotted 60 miles north of Malta. Four of the raiders turn back towards Sicily, followed later by the other two. Five Hurricanes are ordered to land and three others develop various troubles and have to land. The remaining three are ordered to intercept a single aircraft identified as a Caproni seaplane which is reported 10 miles east of Zonqor Point. Two Hurricanes open fire and see black smoke emitting from the seaplane’s port wing; the aircraft then jettisons a large object, believed to be a mine. Later reconnaissance of the area reveals a large patch of oil and some wreckage on the surface. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 17 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands on shipping patrols. Three Hurricanes sent to attack seaplanes in Syracuse Harbour, damaging several aircraft. _38 Squadron _4 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli Harbour, Spanish Quay and area. _105 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims sent to attack shipping south of Pantelleria.

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish attacked a convoy of 6 merchant ships and 6 destroyers. One merchant ship was torpedoed and bombed, a second was hit and down by the bows, one tanker was struck by a torpedo and left on fire. One Fulmar patrolled over Gerbini and Catania aerodromes dropping bombs on Gerbini.


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## parsifal (Aug 17, 2016)

Halder's diary 17 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 17, 2016)

*August 18 Monday*
*ASIA: *The Japanese flew a reconnaissance sortie over Kyedaw to do reconnaissance on the AVG.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The plan of operations submitted to Hitler on 18th August by Colonel-General Franz Halder, Chief of the Army General Staff, as the proposal of the High Command, to strike at Moscow included the Bryansk area. Guderian, on the other hand, did not wish to strike via Bryansk, but to drive towards Moscow from the Roslavl area along both sides of the Moscow highway. Hitler rejects the proposals from General Halder and Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch, the army C-in-C, for an attack on Moscow.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German troops take Kingisepp, on the Luga River, east of Narva. There is also heavy fighting near Novgorod, on the Volkhov River, north of Lake Ilmen.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heeresgruppe Mitte (Centre) is involved in fierce engagements with Soviet troops that have been overrun during the massive advances of Barbarossa but are still fighting behind the lines, near Gomel, east of the Pripet Marshes. Guderian's panzers and Second Army infantry move into Pochep. The Soviet 19th Army supported by the 101st Tank and 64th Rifle Divisions force the Vop river and penetrate six miles deep into the German 161.Infanterie Divisionen (Lieutenant General H. Wilck) line.

Heeresgruppe Süd: In southern Ukraine, German troops established a bridgehead across the Dnieper River at Zaporizhia. Further southwest along the river, German 1.SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) Leibstandarte der SS Adolf Hitler (Obergruppenfuhrer Sepp Dietrich) began an attack on the city of Kherson situated on the western bank of the river. Budenny, commanding the Soviet armies in the Ukraine, begins to withdraw as many of his troops as possible behind the line of the Dniepr River. Red Army engineers blow the dam and hydroelectric station at Dnepropetrovsk before Tiuleneve's 9th and 18th Armies can get across the Dnepr delaying their crossing until the 22nd. The port facilities of Odessa, Ukraine were struck by He 111 bombers of German Luftwaffe KG 27. The pilots reported overwhelming success in terms of Soviet shipping destroyed. Out at sea, two Romanian torpedo boats, NMS “_Viscolul_” and NMS “_Vijelia_”, damaged a Soviet destroyer south of Odessa.

Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 shoots down two Russian I-16s over Leningrad.



> "The situation has a bad effect upon on the troops, for everyone is aware of the absence of harmony. That is the product of unclear orders and counter orders, absence of instructions sometimes for weeks...we are missing so many opportunities. But it is annoying when no one knows the reasons. These most probably cannot be put right in this war which we will win despite it all. That is human nature in great moments and with great men." - General Heinz Guderian.



Soviet destroyer “_Statny_” is mined and sunk in Moon Sound.

*GERMANY*: Hitler also orders the deportation of Berlin’s remaining 76,000 Jews to ghettos in Poland. Hitler also orders that the systematic murder of the mentally ill and handicapped be brought to an end because of protests within Germany. This program had been initiated in 1939 and 50,000 German adults and children had been killed before it was terminated.

Cologne is raided by 62 Blenheims of No. 2 Group RAF. They are escorted by the Westland Whirlwind twin-engined fighter. RAF Bomber Command sends 41 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

Soviet Air Force sends 5 bombers to attack Berlin overnight.

The Nazis arrested over 300 Swing Kids in Hamburg. Most were sent home and some had their long hair cut as punishment, but the suspected leaders of the swing youth were imprisoned in concentration camps or sent to the front lines.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* Radio Belgrade played an obscure German record which had been found in a pile of dusty 78s in the cellar of Radio Vienna. The song, _Lili Marleen_, sung by Lale Andersen, was an instant success. Within a week the station was receiving thousands of requests from the soldiers of the Deutsche Afrika Korps for it to be played over and over again. The song's success did not end there for, with English lyrics, it would become equally popular with the British and Commonwealth soldiers fighting in the Western Desert.

Italian troop transports are sunk in the en route to North Africa as the battle for the Mediterranean Sea begins to heat up.

RN Submarine P33 is believed to have been lost in a depth charge attack off Tripoli on this day. The only clues to her fate were reports of a severe depth charge attack by P.32 and HMS "_Unique_" which appeared to come from the area allocated to P.33. Subsequent attempts by P.32 to contact P.33 were unsuccessful. After hearing the depth charge attack, which may have foretold the demise of P.33, RN submarine P.32 attempts to manoeuvre into a position to attack a convoy of five merchant ships under escort in the swept channel approach to Tripoli Harbour. Realizing that they were not in a good position to carry out an attack Lt. D. A. B. Abdy (Later Lt.Cdr.) decided to run under a minefield, running at full speed for about ten minutes until he believed that he had reached the swept channel. Periscope depth was ordered and P32 was just rising when she struck a mine forward on the port side. The whole of the boat forward of the control room had been destroyed, killing the eight crew members forward. The remaining 24 sought refuge in the after spaces. The decision to attempt escape was taken. The engine room offered the brighter prospect of escape , however, taking into consideration the number of crew members in the engine room (23 besides himself) and the amount of time that P.32 had been submerged Lt. Abdy decided to split the group up. The Coxswain (Petty Officer E. Kirk), and ERA Martin volunteered to join Abdy in an attempt to make what was believed to be the more dangerous escape via the conning tower. Abdy and the coxswain escaped successfully but ERA Martin was dead on his arrival on the surface (in actuality, any successful escape, even with DSEA gear, was considered impossible beyond 150’). Both Abdy and Kirk were later picked up by an Italian naval vessel shortly after being spotted by an aircraft which had been searching the area after the mysterious explosion. When it was reported by Abdy that others would appear shortly, the Italians opted to remain for several hours but no other survivors were seen to escape. Abdy and Kirk were made prisoners of war and eventually chosen for prisoner exchange in March 1943.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Relief of Australian troops in Tobruk begins. The eyes of the world have focused since April on the dusty, sand-blown seaport of Tobruk, much of it lying in ruins after four months of bombardment. In Berlin, the Göbbels propaganda machine has delighted in calling the Australian garrison “rats caught in a trap”. It was not long before the Aussies themselves took up the title and were calling themselves “the Rats of Tobruk.” They beat off one massive German assault and have remained a major thorn in the flesh for Rommel, who desperately needs Tobruk’s port facilities to ease his heavily-stretched supply lines. Despite the Luftwaffe’s nightly bombings - the record so far is 21 raids between dusk and dawn - the real hazards for the garrison are boredom and monotony of a diet of bully beef, tinned stew and canned fruit supplemented by vitamin tablets. Although the siege continues, night-time ferries have nonetheless brought in some supplies, and the Australians were delighted last night when Polish, British, South African and Indian troops broke through to join them after a daring naval operation in darkness.

*NORTH AMERICA:* President Franklin D Roosevelt announces that the U.S. is ferrying combat aircraft via Brazil and Africa to the British in the Near East. The company that will ferry the aircraft is Pan American Air Ferries, a subsidiary of Pan American World Airways. This activity resulted from a meeting between Juan Trippe, the head of PanAm, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London in June 1941. Over dinner, Churchill asked if PanAm could fly aircraft and supplies to Cairo, Egypt, to counter the Germans in North Africa. On his return to the U.S., Trippe met with President Roosevelt and was told to set up the routes across Africa as soon as possible; the U.S. Government also provided money to assist in this effort. Pan American Air Ferries was established on 24 July 1941, all available pilots were hired, and the operation began shortly thereafter.

The government tasks the U.S. Coast Guard with enforcing laws to protect war-lanes in Alaskan waters.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles informs the Finnish Ambassador Hjalmar Procope that Soviet Union is willing to discuss peace terms with Finland. The Soviets are even willing to modify the terms of the Peace of Moscow of 1940 (ending the Winter War) more advantageous to Finland. Welles stresses that he is merely passing the information on, not acting as an official middle-man. Stalin had earlier, on 4 Aug, written to Roosevelt that he would appreciate if Finland could be withdrawn from the war. Procope replies by asking if the western powers are willing to give guarantees to Finland in the case Germany loses the war. Welles is unwilling to discuss the matter. In the end Finnish government is forced to give no definite answer to the tentative peace offer. As the German armies are advancing everywhere in the eastern front, there is perceived to be no sound basis for a peace between Finland and Soviet Union.

From Kairala in northern Finland, 20.Gebirgsarmee (Dietl) begins an offensive with the objective of capturing the vital Lend-Lease port of Murmansk. Elements of Finnish Army of Karelia cross Vuoksi River north of Pakkola while other elements push south from Kegsgolm along western shore of Lake Ladoga. The supply of the Soviet front in the Far North as well as Anglo-American lend-lease shipments to Russia remained completely undisturbed by the loss of the southern portion of the Murmansk railroad.

*UNITED KINGDOM* : The Butt Report is issued. British War Cabinet member Mr. Butt wrote a report to the RAF Bomber Command, noting "[o]f those aircraft recorded as attacking their target, only one in three got within five miles" of the intended targets. The conclusion was reached after studying post-bombing reconnaissance photos taken between 2 Jun and 25 July 1941.

The National Fire Service was inaugurated today. 118,000 strong, with 180,000 auxiliaries and 60,000 women, under Sir Aylmer Firebrace, a former London fire chief. Some 1,450 previous commands have been merged into 37 fire forces and 200 divisions. Fire drills have been standardized and emergency water tanks are now installed on bomb sites.

Luftwaffe raiding was not of a serious nature this evening, but there was some concentration on the Tyneside and Teesside areas. Shops, houses and an ambulance depot were wrecked at West Hartlepool and twenty-three people were killed, six houses were demolished, service pipes and cables superficially affected. At Middlesbrough, the slag disposal plant of a steel-works were damaged. The offices, buildings and coke ovens of the works were slightly damaged by blast. At West Hartlepool, Twenty-three dead, forty-five injured. (includes a Special Constable who was not on duty). Damage was caused to gas and electric mains but repairs were soon under way. Approximately one hundred persons rendered homeless. In Norton, during the early hours, a bomb, believed to be a PM, fell between Benson Street and Pine Street causing considerable damage. Nos 25-41 and 32-36 Benson Street and 32 and 34 Pine Street were demolished and Norton Board School was damaged. Twenty-one were seriously injured and a fifty-three year old woman, her eighty-three year old mother and her twenty-one year old son were killed at 33 Benson St. At No 31 a forty-nine year old man, his forty-five year old wife and an air raid warden, aged thirty-seven, of 35 Benson Street were killed or are missing. A woman from Junction Rd was injured on duty at 27 Benson Street and died in hospital a few days later. Approximately twenty people made homeless.

*WESTERN FRONT:* The RAF is very active over the Continent. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft on coastal sweeps. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft on Circus operations covered by fighters from RAF Fighter Command. RAF Fighter Command also flew a Roadstead operation. Finally RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight.

The concentration camp at Amersfoort, Netherlands, opened.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 18, 2016)

*18 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1937 Class TB DKM T 17





Neutral
Acceptor Class MSW USS BATELEUR (AMc-37)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS BADSWORTH (L-03)





HDML 10
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BPB 63’ TYPE MA/SB 30
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile C MGB326
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Coastal MSWs HMS MMS-37 (J-537), MMS 47 (J-547)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine Depot Ship RNeN COLOMBIA





*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Stormelo U-139
Unknown: U-79, U-94

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-552
Trondheim: U-571, U-752

At Sea 18 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-141, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-371, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-751, U-752

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Type 7U (Storozhevoi) Class DD STATNY (VMF 2192 grt)* was mined and sunk off Oesel while with the Baltic Fleet.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AXEL CARL (SU 2170 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Leningrad Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DD QUORN, between Harwich and Chatham, was damaged on a mine. The damage was repaired at Chatham and was completed on 13 September.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for Greenock to join DDs INTREPID and ANTELOPE to provide escort for CVE ARGUS and troopship EMPRESS OF CANADA. The ships sailed on the 19th. On the 19th, Force A in CL NIGERIA with CL AURORA and DDs TARTAR, ICARUS, and ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow to meet the ARGUS force. Fifteen miles north of the Butt of Lewis at 2100, the two forces rendezvoused. ARGUS with DDs TARTAR, INTREPID, and ECLIPSE proceeded to Scapa Flow where they arrived on the 20th. The troopship and cruisers NIGERIA and AURORA and DDs ICARUS, ANTELOPE, and ANTHONY proceeded to Reykjavik, where they arrived on the 21st.

ASW whaler WASTWATER departed Scapa Flow for Iceland, escorting motor launches ML.1043 and ML.1045, via the Faroes

*Northern Waters*
CA LONDON arrived at Scapa Flow from convoy WS.10 escort and Biscay patrol. DD NEWARK arrived at Scapa Flow to work up. P/T/Midshipman (A) J. M. Down RNVR, was killed when his Martlett of 802 Sqn crashed after an engine failure on take off near Campbeltown.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs JACKAL and KINGSTON departed Alexandria to carry supplies to Tobruk. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 19th.

*U-Class Submarine HMS P.33 (RN 540 grt)*, which departed Malta on the 6th, was sunk by mining or by RM ASW attack north of Tripoli on the 18th. All hands were lost. Her sister boat P-32, which was attacking the same convoy along with HMS UNIQUE, reported hearing a prolonged depth charge attack on 18 August and subsequently attempted unsuccessfully to contact P33. P32 was herself sunk later that day. P33 became overdue on 20 August and was almost certainly have been sunk in this attack.. Lost aboard P33 was Lt Richard Cunningham, the son of Vice Admiral John (“ABC”) Cunningham, C in C Med Flt.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*U-Class Submarine HMS P.32 (RN 540 grt)* had departed Malta on the 12th. Attempting to attack the convoy, she was damaged on a mine off Tripoli. The damage killed the eight crew forward in the submarine. The submarine was grounded on the bottom. Only one officer and one rating were able to successfully evacuate the submarine and were picked up by an RM MAS boat. 30 others of the crew were lost on the submarine.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarines UNBEATEN and URGE departed Malta to intercept a convoy north of Pantelleria.

Submarine TETRARCH fired torpedoes into Benghazi Harbour. The torpedoes exploded on the boom defense.

*Central Atlantic*
DDs AVONVALE and ERIDGE departed Gibraltar for Freetown, en route to the Med Flt. Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Atlantic.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN Corvette BATHURST arrived at Port Said from Alexandria to pass through the Suez Canal. The Corvette joined the East Indies Fleet. RAN Corvette LISMORE was also transferred to the East Indies Fleet, passing through the Canal on the 21st. In exchange, armed boarding vessels CHANTALA, which passed through the Canal on the 20th, and CHAKDINA, which arrived at Suez on the 29th, were attached to the Med Flt.

Armed boarding vessel CHAKDINA arrived at Alexandria on 2 September.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 AUGUST TO DAWN 19 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 18 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unbeaten_ and _Urge_ sent out to intercept convoy north of Pantelleria.

_AIR HQ Departures _2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols Tunisian coast and searches for convoy. Patrols of western Ionian Sea, Messina, Reggio Calabria, Augusta and Syracuse. _38 Squadron _5 Wellingtons sent to attack Tripoli harboub, dropping bombs and incendiaries form 4-9000 feet. _105 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims set to attack shipping near Lampedusa.


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## parsifal (Aug 18, 2016)

Halders Diary 18 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 18, 2016)

*August 19 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The first small supply convoy is sent from Iceland to the Soviet Union. The carrier “_Argus_” also brings a cargo of Hurricanes to the Soviet Union, complete with RAF pilots who will fly them in combat for the first few weeks.

USS “_Hopewell_” (DD-181), (commissioned as HNoMS Bath (I-17) (LtCdr Frederick Melsom) on 23 Sep. 1940) while escorting her sixth convoy (OG-71) between Liverpool and Gibraltar, as part of the 5th Escort Group about 400 miles southwest of Ireland Bath is torpedoed by U-204 and sank rapidly today at 02.05 hours. The commander and 88 crewmembers were lost. U-201 sank SS “_Aguila_” and “_Ciscar_” in Convoy OG-71. U-559 sank SS “_Alva_” in Convoy OG-71. The surviving crew members from “_Alva_” were picked up by corvette HMS “_Campanula_” and transferred to destroyer HMS “_Velox_” and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August 1941.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Joachim von Ribbentrop requested Japan to join in the attack on the Soviet Union by attacking Vladivostok in eastern Russia; Japan responded by saying that such a venture would require much time for deliberation and planning.

Heeresgruppe Nord: LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein) launches its attack against the Soviet 34th Army west of Staraya Russa. The Corps’ attack caught the 34th Army in the flank and by surprise. The 34th Army was badly damaged and attempted to withdraw. The Russians crumble quickly having exhausted themselves in their offensive and the German X. Armeekorps (General of the Artillery Christian Hansen) is saved from destruction. However, the redirection of the Panzer Corp against the Russian attack also may have saved Leningrad from direct assault. German 18.Armee begins attacking Tallinn.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Armee enters Gomel.

Heeresgruppe Süd: Admiral G.V. Zhukov is placed in command of the Odessa Defensive Region. German 6.Armee (General of the W. von Reichenau) is attacking in the Korosten sector while German 1.Panzergruppe (Colonel General Ewald von Kleist) is fighting in Dnepropetrovsk. The Stavka alters the defenses around Kiev first by ordering Kirponos to withdraw Potapov's 5th Army back across the Dnepr where it is to defend the west bank. Vlasov's 37th Army is assigned to defend a bridgehead around Kiev, and Lieutenant-General K.P. Podlas's 40th Army is deployed between the 21st and 13th Armies to protect the north from Guderian.

*GERMANY*:


> "We talked about the Jewish problem. The Führer is convinced that his earlier prophecy in the Reichstag is proving correct, that if the Jews succeed again in provoking another world war it would end with the annihilation of the Jews. This is being proved in these weeks and months with an apparently eerie certainty. In the east the Jews must pay for this..." - Joseph Goebbels.



RAF Bomber Command sends 108 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Polish troops begin the relief of Tobruk. The Australian and Indian troops are scheduled for rest in Egypt.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Operation Gauntlet: A joint Anglo-Canadian-Norwegian expedition lands on Spitsbergen, Norway to sabotage the coal mines and bring the miners back to Britain. RN Force K departs Scapa Flow for Spitsbergen and lands Allied troops. The population of Spitsbergen is evacuated and the Norwegians taken to Britain and the Soviets to the USSR.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The first permanent military garrison was established at Wake Atoll, which consisted of 449 men of the US Marine Corps 1st Defense Battalion under the command of US Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham. The Wake Detachment arrives in the cargo ship USS “_Regulus_” (AK-14) to begin work on defensive positions.

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on Circus operations escorted by RAF Fighter Command. Lt. Erich Rudorffer of II./JG 2 shoots down three RAF Spitfires in sixteen minutes. Shortly before noon, Major Johannes Seifert of I./JG 26 downs a Spitfire near Gravelines. Later at 1940 hours he destroys a Spitfire from RAF No 111 Squadron near Cassel.

Replacement prosthetic leg for captured Douglas Bader was dropped by a British bomber over Saint-Omer, Pas-de-Calais, France with permission by German Luftwaffe leaders. After the delivery, the British bomber took the opportunity to surprise-attack a power station in occupied France (though the attack would fail to materialize due to weather).

In Paris, two demonstrators captured on the 13th are executed, “the Jew Szmul Tyszelman,... Henry Gautherot”.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2016)

*19 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIB DKM U-87





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS SOREL (K-153)





KIWI Class ASW Trawler HMNZS MOA (T-233)




_Sister Ship HMS BLACKBIRD. The Kiwi class was a subtype of the RNs Bird Class_

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS MULL (T-110)





HDML 1044
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B HMS ML 288
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
RM submarine TAZZOLI sank *tanker SILDRA (Nor 7313 grt)* in 5-30N, 12-50W. The entire crew were rescued.





*Motor barge GOLDEN GRAIN (UK 101grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. The crew of three were all lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy OG-71
After several months of relatively light losses the U-bots counterattacked with fury on OG-71. The convoy departed Liverpool on 13 August 1941 and was found on 17 August by a FW200 of KG40. The convoy was attacked by a wolfpack of 8 U-boats from DKM SubFlot 1, operating out of Brrest. Ten ships comprising a total tonnage of 15,185 tons were sunk before the U-boats lost contact on 23 August.

This convoy was known in the Merchant service as the "Nightmare Convoy". Eight merchant ships, two naval escorts and over 400 lives were lost, including 152 from the convoy command ship AGUILA. They included the 22 _"lost "_ WRENS who were _en route _to Gibraltar. After this, WRENS were never sent again moved on Liners in convoys, but transported on HM Ships. Five of the convoy's surviving merchant ships reached Gibraltar; 10 retreated to neutral Portugal. This was described as _"a bitter act of surrender could ever come our way"_. After this experience, ships from the Irish free state, on the advice of their masters, decided not to sail their vessels in British convoys, a practice that continued until the entry of the US to the war.

On the first day the close escort to the convoy comprised of sloop LEITH, corvettes CAMPANULA, HYDRANGEA, BLUEBELL, CAMPION, WALLFLOWER, and ZINNIA and ASW trawler LORD NUFFIELD, attacks began on the 19th and continued through 23 August.

*Liner AGUILA (UK 3255 grt)* was sunk by U-201. 168 crew and passengers were aboard when she went down, as well as about 1500 tons of general cargo. Her planned route was Liverpool to Gibraltar then back to Lisbon. At 0406 hrs, U-201 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the convoy OG-71 WSW of Fastnet Rock and observed two detonations on a tanker and two further detonations on two ships beyond her. UBoat skipper Schnee claimed three ships sunk with 20,000 grt, but in fact only the CISCA and AGUILA were sunk.

The AGUILA was the ship of the convoy commodore and sank within 90 seconds after being hit by two torpedoes. The commodore, five naval staff members, five gunners, 54 crew members and 88 passengers were lost. The master, five crew members, one naval staff member and two passengers were picked up by Corvette HMS WALLFLOWER and landed at Gibraltar. Five crew members and one passenger were rescued by the EMPIRE OAK, but five of them were lost when this ship was sunk as well by U-564 on 22 August. One crew member was picked up by Corvette HMS CAMPANULA, transferred to DD HMS VELOX and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August.

Among the passengers on board the AGUILA were 22 WRENS who had volunteered for cypher and wireless duties in Gibraltar. None of the WRENS survived the sinking. As a tribute to their memory, a lifeboat named AGUILA WREN was built and launched on 28 June 1952 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.





*Steamer CISCAR (UK 1809 grt)* was hit and sunk by U-201 in its attack on OG-71. The ship had 48 crew embarked, 13 of whom were to be lost, she was on passage from Bristol to Gibraltar carrying General cargo and government stores when lost. The master, 29 crew members and five gunners from the CISCAR were picked up by PETREL and landed at Lisbon. Nine crew members and four gunners were lost. Four crew members from the CISCAR were later repatriated on the CERVANTES, which was sunk by U-124 on 26 September. Three of them were lost when this later ship went down. .





U-204 sank *Town Class DD BATH (RNorN 1060 grt)* in the SW approaches, whilst escorting OG-71. HnoMS BATH was a unit of the 5th Escort Group. She was detached from convoy OG-71 and was proceeding behind the convoy about 400 miles SW of Ireland, when hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-204 at 0205 hrs. The U-boat then fired a coup de grace from the stern torpedo tube, but it passed underneath the vessel, which shortly thereafter capsized to port and sank within 6 minutes. As the vessel sank, her depth charges exploded and killed the commander and many other survivors swimming in the water. 39 survivors were picked up by Corvette HMS HYDRANGEA and all but nine transferred to DD HMS WANDERER, which picked up four survivors herself. The survivors were taken to Gibraltar, but two of them died of wounds en route. The commander, two Norwegian officers, 68 Norwegian ratings, two British officers and ten British ratings were lost.

*Steamer ALVA (UK 1559 grt)* was sunk by U-559. She was part of OG-71 at the time of her loss. She had a crew of 25, 1 of whom was to be lost in the attack, with a cargo of Coal on passage from Glasgow to Lisbon. At 0208 hrs, U-559 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the convoy OG-71 about 600 miles west of Ushant, observed one hit and heard one double and one single detonation. The assessment of the BdU was that two ships of 17,000 grt had been sunk and another ship of 7000 grt damaged. In fact, only the ALVA was sunk in this attack. One crew member was lost.

The master, ten crew members and two gunners were picked up by the CLONIARA, but nine of them died when this vessel was sunk by U-564 some days later.. The survivors were picked up by Corvette HMS CAMPION and landed at Gibraltar on 24 August. Eight crew members and three gunners were picked up by the EMPIRE OAK which was sunk by the same U-boat later on 22 August. Four shipwrecked men from ALVA were lost and the survivors picked up by HMS CAMPANULA, transferred to HMS VELOX and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August.
[NO IMAGE FOUN]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-371
Kirkenes: U-556
Lorient: U-331

Departures
Kirkenes: U-451
Lorient, France:U-108
Trondheim, Norway: U-452

At Sea 19 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-143, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-451, U-452, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-559, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-751

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Baltic
*Hospital ship SIBIR (SU 3767 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Gulf of Finland. Some 400 passengers were lost on the ship.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
DD INGLEFIELD departed Rosyth after boiler cleaning and arrived at Scapa Flow that day.

*Northern Waters*
CA LONDON departed Scapa Flow for boiler cleaning in the Clyde, arriving on the 20th.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy OG.72 departed Liverpool. On the 20th, DDs CHELSEA, CROOME, HEYTHROP, and WOLVERINE, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, and MALLOW, and CAM ship MAPLIN joined the convoy. DD DUNCAN departed Londonderry on the 22nd and joined the convoy. DDs CHELSEA and WOLVERINE were detached on the 23rd. DDs CROOME and HEYTHROP were detached on the 27th and arrived at Gibraltar on the 30th. DD LANCE joined the escort from patrol on the 26th and DD BOREAS departed Gibraltar on the 27th to join. Destroyer DUNCAN arrived at Gibraltar on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 1 September with DDs BOREAS and LANCE, sloop ROCHESTER, corvettes MALOW, HELIOTROPE, CRNATION, and LA MALOUINE, and CAM ship MAPLIN.

*Med/Biscay*
Operation TREACLE began. 6000 troops of the Polish Carpathian Bde were ferried to Tobruk, covered by the cruisers of the 7th and 15th Cruiser Squadrons. On the first night of TREACLE, DDs JERVIS, KIMBERLEY, and HASTY departed Alexandria for Tobruk in the first series. The DDs returned at Alexandria on the 20th. *Whaler THORBRYN (RN 150 grt (est)*, towing two D.lighters, was sunk by the LW off Tobruk. 7 of the crew were killed on the whaler. 19 others were taken prisoner.

One *D lighter (RN 50 grt (est))* as sunk and the second drifted onto the enemy coast. Skipper P. D. Jackson RNR, was killed and T/Skipper J. J. Fortune RNR taken prisoner.

CL GALATEA arrived at Suez to join the Med Flt. CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria for the Canal Area. The cruiser arrived at Suez on the 20th. There she escorted liners ILE DE FRANCE, NIEUW AMSTERDAM, and ORION to Port Taufiq.

DD HOTSPUR departed Alexandria to relieve DD HAVOCK at Haifa. DD HAVOCK returned to Alexandria on the 20th.

Submarine TETRARCH unsuccessfully attacked Italian steamer CADAMOSTO, which was arriving at Benghazi from Tripoli.

Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked a convoy of liners MARCO POLO, ESPERIA, NEPTUNIA, and OCEANIA, escorted by DDs VIVALDI, DA RECCO, GIOBERTO, and ORIANO and TB DEZZA, 15 miles nth of Pantelleria. After the attack, the convoy was joined by DDs MAESTRALE, GRECALE, and SCIROCCO. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 20th.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said escorting MV KEVINBANK to Famagusta in Serial S.23 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The sloop arrived on the 21st and then sailed for Port Said.

*Pacific/Australia*
*Steamer DEVON (NZ 9036 grt)* was sunk by DKM raider KOMET about two hundred miles SW of the Galapagos Island, in 5S, 91W. The entire crew was rescued and made prisoners of war.






*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 AUGUST TO DAWN 20 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1034-1055 hrs_ Air raid alert for twelve Macchi 200 fighters which approach to within six miles of Grand Harbour at 23000 feet before turning away northwards. Twelve Hurricane fighters are scrambled and have time to reach sufficient height to pursue the raiders towards the coast of Sicily. F/Lt Lefevre shoots down one Macchi over land and is attacked as he turns away but evades damage. P/O Burke shoots down one Macchi in flames over land and a second over the sea. His own aircraft is slightly damaged but he is able to land safely. The remaining nine Macchis turn away from the engagement.

_2122-2200 hrs _Air raid alert for five enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the north at 17000 feet and drop hundreds of incendiary bombs on Zeitun and along a ridge Ghaxaq-Bir-id-Deheb-Luqa causing a string of fires, including a large one near Gudja. Two people are killed and five wounded in Zeitun. Five fall near HQ of 1stBn Hampshire Regiment at Xlejli Tower and ignite but are extinguished within three minutes. One other rank is slightly injured. A large number of high explosive bombs are dropped in the sea. Two Hurricanes are scrambled. Searchlights effect one illumination but there is no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 19 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Beaufort, 9 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Maryland reconnaissance of Tripoli, Lampedusa, and several aerodromes in Sicily. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ Two Swordfish carried out shipping searches in the Pantellaria area.


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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2016)

Halder's Diary 19 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 19, 2016)

*August 20 Wednesday*
*ASIA: *Captain Takahiko Kiyota was named the commanding officer of “_Nachi_”. Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki stepped down as the chief of staff of Kure Naval District, Japan.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hitler, in discussion with chief architect Albert Speer, orders the inclusion of captured booty from the Russian front be included as decorations for Berlin buildings in recognition of his victory over the Bolsheviks.

Heeresgruppe Nord: The German siege of Leningrad, Russia began. Marshal Voroshilov calls on the citizens of Leningrad to defend their city to the death. Leningrad would be besieged by Army Group North for 900 days. By the time it was finally liberated in January 1944 over 600,000 Leningraders had starved to death and 200,000 had been killed by the German bombardment. As starvation set in with the onset of winter those who could find a few frozen potatoes, some glue or linseed oil, or a share in a dead horse, dog or rat regarded themselves as lucky.

German 16.Armee cuts the Leningrad-Moscow rail line at Chudovo. Towards noon, Sergeant Fege with his platoon of German 45th Infantry Regiment rushed the road bridge leading over the Kerest stream towards Chudovo from the south-east and seized it by a surprise coup. Second Lieutenant Kahle occupied the railway bridge over the Kerest before the Soviet bridge guard was able to touch off the demolition charge. Meanwhile the 24th Regiment took the bridge which carried the October Railway. They captured it intact. And that was not all. That day seemed an unending string of lucky incidents. Lieutenant-Colonel Matussik with his 2nd Battalion, 45th Infantry Regiment, with great presence of mind seized the chance to drive on towards the east. There lay the huge railway bridge over the Volkhov, the line to Moscow. In a captured lorry Matussik drove right up to the bridge. There was no guard. On and across! The battalion raced over to the other side of the river. It was shortly to become a fateful river for Heeresgruppe Nord.

German XXXXII.Armeekorps (Gen. d. Pio. Walter Kuntze) begins an attack on Tallinn.

Marshal-of-the-Soviet-Union G.I. Kulik's 54th Army abandons the region north of Luga and tries to infiltrate through a German encirclement to Krasnogvardeisk, but are utterly destroyed by German forces. XXXXI. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops G-H Reinhardt - now reinforced with the 8. Panzer-Division) and 18.Armee (Colonel General Georg von Kuchler) had isolated the main elements of the Soviet’s Luga Operational Group and trapped 30 000 men. The remnants of the Luga Operational Group contained 9 divisions (including a tank division): the fact that the average division was down to regimental strength (around 3 300 men each) is an indication of the fierce fighting in this sector, the tenacity of the Soviet defenders, and the speed with which the German Army could wear down even a dug in enemy force.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  German 2.Panzergruppe and 2.Armee are turning southward. 2.Panzergruppe continues pushing toward Bryansk while the Soviet 24th Army is attacking the Yelnya sector. 267.Infanterie-Division (Major General R. Martinek) of the 2.Armee reports that over the last 6 days they have lost around 1,000 men and that since the start of the war in the east they had lost a total of 2,700 men.

Heeresgruppe Süd: The German 17.Armee (General of the Infantry C-H von Stumpfnagel) gained a bridgehead over the Dnieper at Kremenchuk. German 11.Armee (Colonel General E. Ritter von Schobert) captured Kherson, Ukraine. Romanian aircraft destroyed a Soviet armored train at Odessa Ukraine. 1. Panzergruppe (Kleist) crosses the Dnepr as the southern pincer against Southwestern Front. 6.Armee (General of the W. von Reichenau) is now face to face with Kiev. The gate to the Crimea lies open to the Germans.

The Red Army, pursuing Stalin’s scorched-earth policy, have blown up the Lenin-Dnieproges Dam at Zaporoje, on the Dnieper, one of the Soviet Unions’ greatest achievements. The dam was the world’s greatest hydro-electric power complex. Completed in 1932, it was proudly shown to foreign visitors as an example of Communist efficiency, although American engineers designed and built most of it. It consisted of nearly half a mile of ferro-concrete, and contained huge sluices and docks which enabled cargo ships to pass along the river. The importance of the dam to Soviet industry cannot be over-estimated. The industries of the Dnieper valley, including the iron mines at Krivoi Rog, captured by the Germans, depend on the power it produces. Kharkov, a vital part of the Soviet defence industry, with its tractor works and machine-tool factories, is heavily dependent on the dam’s power. The Russians claim that new factories now coming into operation east of the Urals will compensate for the loss. This will deprive the Germans of much of the riches of the Ukraine.

German 250th Infantry Division, nicknamed "Blue Division" and consisted of Spanish volunteers, was formed and began to move to Poland.

Erich Koch officially appointed Reichskommissar for the Ukraine.

*GERMANY:* Dornberger and von Braun present Hitler and Keitel film and information about rocket weapons. Based upon the presentation, Hitler authorizes the development of the V-2 rocket.

Soviet Air Force sends 9 bombers to attack Berlin overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN: *Italian troops in Yugoslavia occupy the island of Pag. There they discover evidence of mass murder of Serbs and Jews by local Ustachi fascists. The mass grave was exhumed to find 791 bodies including 293 women and 91 children.

RAF bombers attack Augusta.

British tanker “_Turbo_” heavily damaged by air attack and subsequently sinks. But British submarines score success in the Med. Italian vessel “_Enotria_” sunk by RN submarine “_Upholder_”. RN submarine “_Unique_” sinks Italian vessel “_Esperia_” with 1770 men aboard, of which 1139 rescued. Greek vessel “_San Stefano_” sunk by RN submarine “_Thrasher_”.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Advance elements of Polish Carpathian Brigade arrive at Tobruk by naval transport from Egypt.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: General der Infanterie Waldemar Erfurth, the representative of the OKW at the Finnish Supreme Headquarters, informs Mannerheim that Hitler wishes that the Finns would encircle Leningrad from the north with as many troops as possible. Mannerheim rejects the proposal and says that he has to negotiate with the President and cabinet first. Erfurth gets the impression that the Finns don’t want to have anything to do with Leningrad.

*WESTERN FRONT: *After sundown, the second mass round-up of Jews in Paris began at the request of the Gestapo's Jewish Affairs Department. 5,000 foreign born Jews are arrested and sent to the deportation camp at Drancy. Their French passports were confiscated, and they would eventually be deported to Drancy and later to various concentration camps in Germany and Eastern Europe. 50,000 people are arrested in occupied and Vichy France as a hunt goes on for railroad saboteurs.

RAF Fighter Command flew sweeps and escort operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on coastal sweeps.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2016)

*20 AUGUST 1941*
*Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS ILFRACOMBE (J-95)





HDMLs 1036, 1066
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
Convoy OG-71
DDs GURKHA and LANCE from convoy WS.10 X reinforced the convoy from 20 to 23 August. DD VIDETTE, which departed Gibraltar on the 21st, from 21 to 23 August.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest: U-561
Lorient: U-557

At Sea 20 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-93, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-143, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-451, U-452, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-559, U-561, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-751

44 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
*Steamer CZESTOCHOWA (Pol 1971 grt)* was sunk by DKM S Boat S.48 in the Nth Sea and damaged British steamer DALEWOOD. One crewman was lost on the Polish steamer. Three crew and a naval gunner were lost on the British steamer. The steamer was towed to Humber badly damaged aft.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
DD TARTAR departed Scapa Flow for Skaalefjord, arriving on the morning of the 21st. TARTAR escorted damaged DD ACHATES in tow of tug ASSURANCE and with salvage vessel LE LUTTEUR in company departed Skaaleford for the Tyne. The ships arrived in the Tyne on the 24th.

*Northern Waters*
BB KING GEORGE V departed Scapa Flow at 2100 for Rosyth, escorted by DDs INGLEFIELD, LIGHTNING, and PUNJABI. The ships arrived off May Island at dawn on the 21st. DD PUNJABI continued to Rosyth to boiler clean. DDs INGLEFIELD and LIGHTNING returned to Scapa Flow, arriving that mid afternoon.

DD PUCKERIDGE departed Scapa Flow to convey the CinC, Home Flt to Scapa Flow. On arrival, she returned to Scapa Flow, to carry out practices in the Pentland Firth on passage.

*Trawler SOLARRIS (Faroes 236 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Seidisfjord. Four crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
BB DUKE OF YORK (Captain C. H. J. Harcourt, CBE) was completed (not yet commissioned) at John Brown Shipyard on the West Coast of Scotland. DD BADSWORTH departed Greenock for Scapa Flow to work up. The DD arrived on the 21st.

Convoy ON.9 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, SALISBURY, and WINCHELSEA, corvette NARCISSUS, MSW SEAGULL, and ASW trawlers AYRSHIRE and LADY MADELEINE. Corvette HEATHER joined on the 21st. DDs BOADICEA and WINCHELSEA and the trawlers were detached on the 23rd. DDs BEAGLE and SALISBURY, corvettes HEATHER and NARCISSUS, and MSW SEAGULL were detached when the convoy was dispersed on the 25th.

*SW Approaches*
*Fishing trawler JULIET (UK 173 grt)* was sunk by the LW thirty miles south of Old Head of Kinsale (off the sth coast of Ireland). The entire crew was rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
On the 19th, an Italian convoy of troopships ESPERIA, MARCO POLO, NEPTUNIA, and OCEANIA departed Naples for Tripoli escorted by DDs VIVALDI, DA RECCO, GIOBERTI, and ORIANI and TB DEZZA. The convoy was reinforced later the same day by DDs MAESTRALE, GRECALE, and SCIROCCO after an attack by submarine UNBEATEN. Submarine UNIQUE sank *troopship ESPERIA (FI 11,398 grt)* eleven miles north of Tripoli on the 20th. 31 troops were lost on the troopship. 1139 men were rescued. All of their equipment was of course lost. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 20th.





Submarine UPHOLDER sank *steamer ENOTRIA (FI 852 grt)* six miles NW of Cape St Vito, NW Sicily.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine THRASHER sank *steamer SAN STEFANO (ex-Gk 250 grt (est))* off Cape Malea with gunfire.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE departed Alexandria covering ML cruiser LATONA and DDs KIPLING, NIZAM, and KINGSTON en route to Tobruk in the second series of the TREACLE operation. Returning from the operation, destroyer NIZAM was damaged by a near miss nth of Bardia. The DD was taken in tow by DD KINGSTON for a time until she could proceed under her own power. The light cruisers provided cover for the DD's return to Alexandria.

DDs HOTSPUR and DECOY were sailed from Haifa to Beirut.

*Tkr TURBO (UK 4782 grt)* was badly damaged by SM-79s of the RA nth of Port Said. Sloop FLAMINGO and trawlers from Port Said assisted the tanker. The entire crew was rescued. The tanker arrived at Port Said on the 21st. On 23 September, the tanker was moved to Suez. On 1 April 1942, the tanker departed Suez for Aden in the tow of British steamer GLADYS MOLLER. At 25-16N, 35-25E on 4 April 1942, the tkr broke in half and sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RNeN submarine O.23 arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Med.

Submarine OTUS arrived at Malta from Alexandria with stores, including a submarine generator, twelve cases of U-class submarine spares, petrol, and 18 passengers.

Submarine URGE arrived at Malta from patrol.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine SEVERN departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Atlantic.

*MSW trawler LORINDA (RN 348 grt)*, en route to Port Harcourt in company with trawler BALTA, was lost through engine trouble and a fire off Freetown. Corvette LAVENDER proceeded to assist. The entire crew were rescued by trawler BALTA which returned to Freetown
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 AUGUST TO DAWN 21 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 20 AUGUST 1941
_
ROYAL NAVY Otus_ arrived with petrol and stores from Alexandria. _Urge_ returned from patrol having sighted convoy, but was prevented from attacking by counter attacks.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols Lampedusa, eastern Ionian Sea, Trapani and Tripoli harbour. _126 Squadron_ 6 Hurricanes attacked barrage balloons, seaplanes and petrol tanks at Augusta.


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## parsifal (Aug 19, 2016)

Halder's Diary 20 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 20, 2016)

*August 21 Thursday*
*ASIA: *Japanese aircraft sank Chinese gunboats “Jiangxi” and “Jiangkun” at Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China. 

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The first Allied Arctic convoy, codenamed Dervish, set sail from Hvalfjörður, Iceland for Archangelsk, Russia.

*EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa:  *Adolf Hitler orders the investment, not capture, of Leningrad, (aiming for the linking up with Finnish forces) and the transfer of several divisions from the North and Center to capture the Crimea and the Donets Basin, (aiming for the oil fields in the Caucasus region) an industrial region vital to the Soviet war effort. He believes that the loss of the symbolic capital of the Russian Revolution would deal a crushing blow to Soviet morale.


> "The proposal by the army for the continuation of the operations in the east, dated 18.8, do not meet with my approval. I order the following: The principal objective that must be achieved before the onset of winter is not the capture of Moscow, but rather in the south the occupation of the Crimea and the industrial and coal region of the Donets, together with the isolation of the Russian oil regions in the Caucasus. In the north, the encirclement of Leningrad and the union with the Finns." - Adolf Hitler.


 General Alfred Jodl of OKW issued a directive, which summarized Hitler's instructions, to Brauchitsch commander of the Army. The paper reiterated that the capture of Moscow before the onset of winter was not a primary objective. Rather, that the most important missions before the onset of winter were to seize the Crimea, and the industrial and coal region of the Don; isolate the oil-producing regions of the Caucasus from the rest of the Soviet Union and in the north, to encircle Leningrad and link up with the Finns. Among other instructions, it also instructed that Army Group Center is to allocate sufficient forces to ensure the destruction of the "Russian 5th Army" and, at the same time, to prepare to repel enemy counterattacks in the central sector of its front. Hitler referred to the Soviet forces in the salient collectively as the "Russian 5th Army". Halder was dismayed, and later described Hitler's plan as "utopian and unacceptable", concluding that the orders were contradictory and Hitler alone must bear the responsibility for inconsistency of his orders and that the OKH can no longer assume responsibility for what was occurring; however, Hitler's instructions still accurately reflected the original intent of the Barbarossa directive of which the OKH was aware of all along. Halder offered his own resignation and advised Brauchitsch to do the same. However, Brauchitsch declined, stating Hitler would not accept the gesture, and nothing would change anyhow. Halder withdrew his offer of resignation.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German armored formations cut the Moscow-Leningrad railroad at Chudovo and take Gatchina, 25 miles from Leningrad. Hitler ordered that the Russian city of Leningrad was to be besieged, not captured.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Soviet 24th Army continues attacking Yel’nia sector. After significant loses, Rakutin gets permission to halt his attack on the Yel'nia bridgehead by his 24th Army. The 24th Army was then seriously reinforced with replacements and new divisions. German 2.Armee and elements of 2.Panzergruppe continued pushing south between Bryansk and Gomel. The Red Army retreats from Gomel after a long series of unsuccessful counterattacks against the Germans.

Heeresgruppe Süd: Hitler orders 2.Armee and 2.Panzergruppe southward into the Ukraine. German 1.SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) Leibstandarte der SS Adolf Hitler (Obergruppenfuhrer Sepp Dietrich) captures Kherson on the lower Dniepr River but by this time the 18th and 9th Armies had managed to evacuate across the Dnieper. German 6.Armee launched a concerted attack against the retreating 5th Army. German 51st Corps rushed the retreating defenders (the 27th Rifle Corps) and gained a crossing (of the Dnepr) at Okuminovo, north of Kiev.

The Red Army blows up the Dnieper Dam to halt the German advance and as part of their “scorched-earth” policy. The Zaporozhye dam astride the Dneiper river was a huge and impressive structure—2500 feet long, with a railway track and a dual-carriageway road running along its top. With the water backed up by the dam the turbines of the power-station generated 550,000 kilowatts. The power-station supplied electric current to the whole West Ukrainian industrial region. The plant was a showpiece of the Bolshevik regime, a symbol of the communist aim of electrifying and industrializing the whole country. For that reason the power-station bore the name of Lenin, the man who in 1920 coined the slogan: "_Communism means Soviet power plus electrification of the whole country._" The dam was blown up and the shipping lock rendered useless.

After Hoth's scheduled refit of the Panzer divisions, there was not appreciable increase in force strength. His report showed division strengths as follows: 7.Panzer-Divisionen 45 percent, 19.Panzer-Divisionen 60 percent, 20.Panzer-Divisionen 49 percent, and 12.Panzer-Divisionen 45 percent.

M-172, under the command of Israel Fisanovich, became the first M-class submarine to have broken into an enemy port and to successfully sink a target. 

The Bila Tserkva massacre was the mass murder of Jews by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen and its Ukrainian auxiliaries in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine. German General Walther von Reichenau, commander of the 6.Armee, ordered his men to assist the Einsatzgruppen and its Ukrainian auxiliaries with killing the Jews of Bila Tserkva. Over the course of the following days, virtually the entire adult Jewish population of Bila Tserkva was shot. All that remained were the children and a few of the women, who were dumped off at a school to await execution. The two chaplains attached to the 295th Infantry Division, the Catholic Father Ernst Tewes and the Lutheran Pastor Gerhard Wilczek, visited the school. They were appalled by the condition of the frightened, hungry children. The chaplains asked the local army commander to free the children, but he refused. The chaplains won over staff officer Lieutenant-Colonel Groscurth to their cause. He ordered a postponement of the planned massacre of the children. Ultimately, General von Reichenau himself intervened and ordered the executions to go ahead. The protests at Bila Tserkva were unique as being the only time during the war that Wehrmacht chaplains tried to prevent an Einsatzgruppen massacre.

*GERMANY*: German General Herman Bernhard Ramcke who flew out to Crete in May to replace the dead Gen. Meindl receives the Knight’s Cross for his decision and subsequent leadership. As does Dr. Heinrich Neumann who took over command of I. Battalion Sturm Regiment.

Spanish Blue Division begins moving to the Russian Front.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: HMAS “_Nizam_”, (destroyer), was damaged by near-misses from German bombers east of Tobruk. “_Nizam_” was taken in tow by HMS “_Kingston_”, but after self-repairs “_Nizam_” returned to port under her own steam.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Polish Carpathian Brigade begins arriving in Tobruk by sea to relieve Australian 18th Infantry Brigade. Australian 18th Infantry Brigade begins departing Tobruk for Alexandria by sea.

*NORTH AMERICA*: President Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses the U.S. Congress about the Atlantic Chargers. He says,


> “Finally, the declaration of principles at this time presents a goal which is worthwhile for our type of civilization to seek. It is so clear cut that it is difficult to oppose in any major particular without automatically admitting a willingness to accept compromise with Nazism; or to agree to a world peace which would give to Nazism domination over large numbers of conquered nations. Over a week ago I held several important conferences at sea with the British Prime Minister. Because of the factor of safety to British, Canadian, and American ships, and their personnel, no prior announcement of these meetings could properly be made.”



*NORTHERN FRONT*: Finnish Army of Karelia captures Suvilakhti northeast of Lake Ladoga. In the Finnish attacks farther north Kexholm is taken from the Soviets. In southern Karelia IV Corps (Lt. Gen. Lennart Oesch) starts its attack today, one day earlier than originally planned. The Corps consists of 12th ID (Col. Vihma), IR 25 and 8th ID (Col. Winell) with 4th ID (Col. Viljanen) in reserve. It is opposed by the three divisions of the Soviet 23rd Army (123rd, 43rd and 115th divisions). The aim is to encircle and destroy the Soviet troops around Viipuri and western Karelian Isthmus. The attack is originally planned for 22 Aug, but on the 21st it is found out that the Soviet troops are withdrawing along the whole front. The Finnish troops are ordered to immediately pursue the enemy.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* An RAF Hurricane Mk. IIB, s/n Z5070, which was on a delivery flight, makes a forced landing at Athboy, County Meath, Ireland. This aircraft is repaired by the Irish Army Air Corps and becomes their sixth fighter aircraft in service; the six consist of three Gloster Gladiator Mk. Is, a biplane with a top speed of 253 mph (407 km/h), and three Hurricanes, two Mk. IIBs and a Mk. X.

*WESTERN FRONT*: A German naval cadet became the first victim of French Resistance, shot in a Metro station in Paris, France. Pierre Georges, a French communist who would become ‘Favien’ in the underground, kills Lt. Moser, a German naval attaché, in the Paris subway. Over 150 Parisians were shot in reprisal. Fabien will soon assume the rank of colonel in the FTP.

RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Ijmuiden during the day while RAF Fighter Command flew Circus and Roadstead operations. Lt. Erich Rudorffer of II./JG 2 shoots down another Spitfire.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 21, 2016)

*21 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-376





Type VIIc DKM U-455





Type VIIc DKM U-584





Cagni Class Sub RM Ammiraglio Cagni





Allied
HDML 1071

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-93

Departures
Lorient: U-141
St. Nazaire: U-69, U-95

At Sea 21 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-141, U-143, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-451, U-452, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-559, U-561, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-751

46 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*MV LEENI (SU 1842 grt)* was mined and sunk in the gulf of Finland; No information about crew losses or whose mine sank her is available.
NO IMAGE FOUND
]
*North Sea*
FFL submarine RUBIS, which departed Dundee on the 14th, laid mines in minefield FD 33 off Jaederens (sth of Stavanger Fjord). On the 21st, the submarine attacked two steamers and sank *steamer HOGLAND (FN 4360 grt)* whilst the ship was in Axis controlled waters. In the attack, two torpedoes exploded shortly after leaving the torpedo tubes and damaged the submarine. Early on the 22nd, the submarine was able to signal her situation. CLA CURACOA, which was already at sea with convoy WN.70, DDs LIVELY and LIGHTNING, which departed Scapa Flow at dawn on the 22nd, DD WOLFHOUND, ASW trawlers CLEVELLA and FILEY BAY, and tug ABEILLE IV were sent to assist. DDs LIVELY and LIGHTNING arrived back at Scapa Flow late on the 24th. En route, DD LIGHTNING rescued three Norwegians from Bergen in a dinghy. The submarine, escorted by destroyer WOLFHOUND, arrived at Dundee on the 24th for repairs.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CA SHROPSHIRE departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow, via Akureyri and East of Iceland.
The cruiser arrived at Scapa Flow on the 24th.

_Operations GAUNTLET and BENEDICT_

Force K of CLs NIGERIA and AURORA and DDs ANTHONY, ANTELOPE, and ICARUS departed Hvalfjord escorting troopship EMPRESS OF CANADA on Operations GAUNTLET and BENEDICT (a large scale Combined Operations raid by Cdn troops, with British Army logistics support and Free Norwegian Forces) on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, 600 miles south of the Nth Pole, carried out from 25 August to 3 September 1941. The objective was to destroy the important coal mines there together with associated equipment and stores, which the Germans intended to make use of. These mines on Norwegian territory were owned and operated by Norway and a second mine by the USSR and both governments agreed to their destruction and the evacuation of their nationals).

Oiler OLIGARCH arrived at Spitzbergen on the 24th, escorted by trawlers HAZEL and ELM. After demolishing the coal fields at Bergensburg, NIGERIA departed on the 26th with DDs ANTHONY, ANTELOPE, and ICARUS escorting troopship EMPRESS OF CANADA to Archangel.

On the 26th, colliers INGERTO (ex-Nor 3089 grt), NANDI (Ex-Nor1999 grt), and MUNIN (Ex-Nor 1285 grt) were taken as prizes, escorted by ASW trawler SEALYHAM, and until the morning of 27 August by CL AURORA, The ships departed Spitzbergen fully loaded for Hvalfjord, arriving on 1 September. This convoy was designated Convoy Drover. The warships returned to Spitzbergen on 1 September and joined r AURORA.

_Convoy DERVISH_
Convoy DERVISH departed Liverpool on the 12th, escorted by AA ship POZARICA and MSW trawlers CELIA, HAMLET, and MACBETH, ASW trawlers ST.CATHAN and LE TIGRE for Reykjavik. The convoy called at Scapa Flow on the 15th and departed at dusk on the 16th with DDs ELECTRA, IMPULSIVE, and ACTIVE with CL AURORA as additional escort until 18 August. The convoy departed Reykjavik on the 21st with British steamers LANCANSTRIAN PRINCE, NEW WESTMINSTER CITY, ESNEH, LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE, and TREHATA, Dutch steamer ALCHIBA, and British oiler ALDERSDALE escorted by DDs ELECTRA, ACTIVE, and IMPULSIVE, MSWs HALCYON, HARRIER, and SALAMANDER, and MSW trawlers HAMLET, MACBETH, and OPHELIA.

Distant cover for the convoy was provided by CV VICTORIOUS, CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK, and DDs ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE, and INGLEFIELD from 24 to 30 August, when the ships called at Spitzbergen to refuel. The convoy arrived on the 31st at Archangel.

DERVISH was an adhoc operation hastily organized. It delivered raw materials and just 15 Hurricane aircraft (reserves for the 24 hurricanes with pilots delivere by CVE ARGUS at the same time). After DERVISH proved the proof of concept of the arctic run, the British Govt organized regular transport convoys to the Arctic, folloed somewhat reluctantly by the US after her entry.

*Northern Waters*
DDs SOMALI and ORIBI departed Scapa Flow escorting CVL FURIOUS to Greenock.
The ships arrived at Greenock early on the 22nd. ORIBI proceeded to Glasgow for repairs. SOMALI returned to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 23rd.

DD NEWARK departed Scapa Flow to rejoin the Minelaying Command at Loch Alsh. At 2100 a U-boat was suspected attempting to force a passage into Scapa Flow. A patrol was established through the night with DDs LIGHTNING, MATABELE, INTREPID, and PUCKERIDGE, trawlers, and motor launches.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.70 from Pentland Firth to May Island. The CLA and AA ships operating with the WN.and EC.convoys came under the administration of Commander in Chief, Rosyth.

*Channel*
FFL drifter GLORIA IN EXCELSIO DEO was damaged by the LW at Southampton. The drifter sank, but was later raised and repaired.

*Med/Biscay*
Force H departed Gibraltar with BB NELSON, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs NESTOR, FORESTER, FURY, FORESIGHT, and ENCOUNTER for operations against Sardinia in Operation MINCEMEAT.

In response, RM BBs LITTORIO and VENETO cleared Taranto with 6 DDs and CAs TRIESTE, TRENTO, BOLZANO, and GORIZIA with 4 DDs departed Messina to guard against Force H operations. 5 DDs departed Trapani and joined the Italian force. CLs ABRUZZI, ATTENDOLO, and MONTECUCCOLI and 5 DDs departed Palermo and were stationed north of Tunisia. The Italian dispositions were made on the assumption that another Malta re-supply operation was in progress.

On the 24th, British recon sighted the RM BB force. After ARK ROYAL aircraft dropped incendiary bombs in the cork woods west and southeast of Tempio, Sardinia, Force H returned to Gibraltar.

The Force H operations were a diversion for a minelaying operation by ML MANXMAN which slipped into position undetected by the Italians. The ML cruiser had departed England on the 17th and arrived at Gibraltar on the 21st. Minelayer MANXMAN departed Gibraltar early on the 22nd, disguised as a French LEOPARD DD for the passage to and from off Livorno in the Gulf of Genoa, where mines were successfully laid.

Submarine UPHOLDER reported sighting one RM BB, two CAs, and six DDs in the Central Mediterranean on the 24th. The submarine made an unsuccessful attack on CL LUIGI DI SAVOIA.

British steamer DURHAM, which departed Malta independently on the 21st for Gibraltar, was damaged by mining west of Pantelleria. The steamer continued, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 24th and was drydocked for repairs.

British steamer DEUCALION (7516grt) departed Malta on the 26th and proceeded independently to Gibraltar, followed by DD FARNDALE. Both arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th. The steamer having sustained slight damage by mine explosions.

On the 26th, while the Italian forces were returning to port, Submarine TRIUMPH sighted a group of these ships composed of battleship LITTORIO, heavy cruisers BOLZANO and TRIESTE, and 10 DDs. TRIUMPH torpedoed and badly damaged CA BOLZANO north of Messina.

BB NELSON, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HERMIONE, and the DDs of the operation arrived back at Gibraltar on the 26th. ML MANXMAN returned to Gibraltar on the 25th. The ML departed Gibraltar on the 26th and arrived back in England on the 30th.

DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, and JACKAL departed Alexandria for Tobruk in the third series of the TREACLE operation. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 22nd. DD NAPIER departed Port Said for Alexandria after turbine repairs to rejoin the Med Flt.

On the DD's arrival at Alexandria on the 22nd, CinC DesFlot 7 reembarked.

A report that British liner DUNERA was under attack by a/c caused RAN Corvette BATHURST to be diverted to search for her. CLA COVENTRY was sailed from Suez to protection shipping in anchorage F. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Port Said for Suez.

It was later discovered the report was an inaccurate re-broadcast of “SOS”of the tanker TURBO attack.

Gunboat GNAT departed Alexandria to relieve gunboat APHIS at Mersa Matruh.

RHN armoured t cruiser AVEROFF departed Port Sudan for Aden and Bombay for boiler repairs.

Egyptian steamer EL FATH was damaged by the RA at Famagusta. Four crew were killed.

Subamrine TAKU arrived at Malta from Alexandria with stores. On the 25th, the submarine departed for Gibraltar, arriving on 1 September. She departed on 4 September and proceeded to Chatham for refitting, arriving on 15 October, via Rothesay on 13 September and Blyth on 6 October.

Submarine UNBEATEN arrived at Malta after patrol.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.146 departed Halifax escorted by AMC WORCESTERSHIRE and corvettes KENOGAMI, MOOSE JAW, and PRESCOTT. Corvettes BARRIE and MATAPEDIA joined on the 22nd. The corvettes were detached on the 24th when relieved by DD BROADWAY and corvettes COBALT, POLYANTHUS, and TRAIL. The entire escort, including the AMC was detached on 2 September when relieved by DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, NIAGARA, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA, ALYSSE, COLLINGWOOD, DIANELLA, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and MAN O.WAR. DD NIAGARA and corvettes ALYSSE and COLLINGWOOD were detached later that day. DDs LINCOLN and SABRE, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and SUNFLOWER, and the trawlers were detached on 5 September. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 September.

*Central Atlantic*
British steamer ATLANTIC COAST departed Gibraltar for Freetown, escorted by ASW trawler STELLA CARINA until dark.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 AUGUST TO DAWN 22 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Very windy.

_0602-0700 hrs _Just before dawn there are a number of reports from ground stations of the report of an aircraft with navigation lights on. A formation of enemy raiders appears 20 miles north east of the Island. Hurricanes are ordered to carry out a dawn patrol and are scrambled when a single aircraft appears 18 miles north of Malta. Several enemy aircraft follow and 105 Squadron are scrambled. Three raiders eventually make low-flying attacks on Hal Far and the Safi dispersal area. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders in a dogfight over Luqa. Bofors, light anti-aircraft guns and light machine guns engage the raiders vigorously. A Bofors guns claims two hits on one Macchi.

Another formation of nine enemy aircraft appears 18 miles north and 126 Squadron are scrambled. The raiders circle 30 miles north of the Island before turning back towards Sicily. The Hurricanes do not intercept.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 21 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Taku_ arrived from Alexandria en route to UK; discharged bulk kerosene. _Unbeaten_ returned from patrol, having obtained 1 hit on convoy or escort, results unobserved owing to counter attack. _P33 _did not arrive at 0700 as ordered. _SS Durham_ sailed independently for Gibraltar.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _5 Wellington. _Departures _1 Beaufort. _69 Squadron _Patrols Pantellaria to Marittimo Island and Tripoli. Beaufort patrolled Tunisian coast. _38 Squadron_ 16 Wellingtons sent to attack Tripoli harbour damaged buildings and port facilities

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _9 Swordfish attacked three escorted troopships returning from Tripoli but attack hampered by poor visibility.


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## parsifal (Aug 21, 2016)

Halder"s Diary 21 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 21, 2016)

*August 22 Friday*

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Axis armies pause in their advance, having conquered 700,000 square miles of Russian territory. Popov's Northern Front is disbanded, with forces split into Karelia Front and Leningrad Front. Stavka forms Soviet Karelia Front, commanded by General Frolov. Stavka forms Soviet Leningrad Front, commanded by Popov with 8th Army, 23rd Army, and 48th Army.

Heeresgruppe Nord: The LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein) reached the Lovat river having captured 12 000 men from the retreating 34th Army. The 16.Armee and LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) pushed deeper into the Valdai Hills.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe attacking toward Velikiye Luki. German 6.Armee attacking toward Kiev.

Heeresgruppe Süd:  German forces occupied Cherkasy. Soviet 9th Army and 18th Army withdraw across the Dniepr River. Major Kononov's 436th Infantry Regiment of Soviet 155th Rifle Division deserts en masse and crosses to German lines, subsequently reformed as Don Cossack unit in German service.

Soviet passenger ship “_Pomorie_” hit a mine and sank in the White Sea in northern Russia; 60 were killed, 20 survived.

Joseph Stalin decreed that every Soviet soldier should receive 100 grams of vodka per day.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 97 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Mincemeat: RN minelaying cruiser “_Manxman_” departed Gibraltar early in the morning disguised as a French LEOPARD-class destroyer for the passage to and from the Livorno area in the Gulf of Genoa, where she successfully laid mines.

HMAS “_Stuart_”, (destroyer), left the Mediterranean. With the departure of “_Stuart_”, the famous 10th Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet ceased to exist. The 10th was Australia’s ‘Scrap Iron Flotilla’. C-in-C Mediterranean, ADML A. B. Cunningham, signaled the Australian Naval Board:


> “It is with great regret that we part with HMAS “_Stuart_” from the Mediterranean Station. Under the distinguished command of CAPT Waller, she has an unsurpassed record of gallant achievement. She has taken a leading part in all the principal operations of the Mediterranean Fleet and has never been called upon in vain for any difficult job.”



*MIDDLE EAST*: Third Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 4952 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Finnish Army of Karelia begins attacking toward Viipuri.

*WESTERN FRONT*: German authorities in Paris threaten to shoot hostages if attacks on German troops continue. A German order signed by Otto von Stülpnagel decreed that in response to the previous day's assassination of a member of the German Armed Forces, all Frenchmen detained by or on behalf of German authorities would be considered as hostages. If any further incident occurred, a number of these hostages were to be shot. About 20,000 German troops are engaged in searches in the city for suspects.

The Communist Law was passed in Nazi-occupied Denmark, banning the Communist Party of Denmark and other communist organizations.

RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on coastal sweeps. RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations and sweeps.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 22, 2016)

*22 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-boat DKM S-52
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS CLAYOQUOT (J 174)





HDML 1047

Fairmile C MGB 327

*Losses*
_Convoy OG-71_
DDs BOREAS and WIVERN reinforced the convoy from 22 to 23 August. 

Submarine U.564 made four attacks on the 22nd and sank British steam tug EMPIRE OAK (484grt) and British steamer CLONLARA (1203grt) in 40-43N, 11-39W. She reported damaging two other steamers.

U-564 sank the *MV CLONLARA (Eire 1203 grt)* from OG-71 whilst she was transporting coal from Cardiff to Lisbon for the British. She hadf a crew of 33 embarked, 20 of whom would perish in the attack. At 2331 hrs, U-564 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the OG-71 west of Aveiro, Portugal and observed four different detonations and three columns of fire, later lifeboats were seen. The U-Boat skipper Suhren thought that he had sunk two ships and damaged two others. However, only two ships were hit and sunk, the EMPIRE OAK and CLONLARA.

The CLONLARA had picked up 13 survivors from the ALVA on 19 August. The master, ten crew members and nine survivors were lost. Eight crew members and five survivors were picked up by Corvette HMS CAMPION and landed at Gibraltar on 24 August.






U-564 also sank *MV EMPIRE OAK (UK 464 grt)* as she travelled withy OG-71 to Gibraltar. There are no details of her cargo , if any when lost. The EMPIRE OAK had picked up 6 survivors from AGUILA and 11 survivors from ALVA on 19 August. 11 crew members, 3 gunners, 5 men from AGUILA and 4 from ALVA were lost. The master, five crew members and eight of the shipwrecked men were picked up by Corvette HMS CAMPANULA, transferred to DD HMS VELOX and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-204
Kirkenes: U-752
St. Nazaire:U-559

At Sea 22 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-141, U-143, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-205, U-206, U-451, U-452, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-561, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-751

44 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea
Netlayer HMS TONBRIDGE (RN 682 grt)* was sunk by the LW three cables 108° from Scroby Elbow Buoy off Yarmouth. Brown and 34 ratings were lost.





*Northern Patrol*
ML AGAMEMNON, escorted by DD NEWARK, laid minefield SN.22B in the Northern Barrage.

USN DD HUGHES was damaged in a collision with British steamer CHUMLEIGH at Reykjavik.

*Med/Biscay*
An Italian convoy of Italian transport LUSSIN with steamer ALCIONE in tow and steamer ALBERTO FASSIO departed Palermo for Tripoli escorted by TBs CIGNO and PEGASO. On the 22nd, submarine UPHOLDER sank *MV LUSSIN (FI 3958 grt)* near Cape St Vito.





ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs JERVIS, HASTY, and KIMBERLEY departed Alexandria for Tobruk in the fourth series of the TREACLE operation. The operation was covered by CLAs PHOEBE, NAIAD, and CL GALATEA. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 23rd.

RAN DD STUART departed Alexandria with one engine inoperative to return to Australia, arriving on 16 September at Fremantle. The 10th Destroyer Flotilla (the “scrap iron flotilla”) at this time ceased to exist. DD VENDETTA was then attached to the 7th Destroyer Flotilla and DD DECOY was attached to the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla. DD STUART was sent on to Williamstown for refitting.

Greek steamer LESBOS was damaged by the LW at Tobruk.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB RODNEY departed Newport, Rhode Island, for Bermuda to work up after repairs

*Central Atlantic*
Corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and AZALEA departed Gibraltar escorting tankers BENEDICK and CAPSA. The corvettes then joined arriving tanker CORDELIA and escorted her to Gibraltar, arriving on the 31st.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 AUGUST TO DAWN 23 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 22 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY P33_ reported as overdue.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols of Lampedusa and western Ionian Sea. _105 Squadron_ 5 Blenheims carried out a sweep off the coast between Misurata and Seurat for shipping found none and attacked military targets on land, destroying vehicles.


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## parsifal (Aug 22, 2016)

Halder's Diary 22 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 22, 2016)

*23 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
R Boat DKM R-80
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type IXc DKM U-155





Acciaio Class Sub RM PORFIDO





Allied
Fairmile C MGB 320
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B MLs 233 and 287
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class MSW HMS MMS 50 (J-50)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-143 sank *Steamer INGER (Nor 1409 grt)* off the coast of the Outer Hebrides. The ship was carrying coke and coal when lost, on passage from Newport to Reykavik via Milford Haven. A crew of 23 was embarked, of whom 9 were to perish in the attack. At 2347 hrs the INGER was torpedoed and sunk by U-143 about 30 miles NW of Butt of Lewis, Scottland. The ship had been ordered to return to Loch Ewe escorted by two ASW trawlers for unknown reasons. She was hit by two torpedoes and sank immediately. One of the lifeboats floated free and three survivors rescued 11 more, but no more survivors were seen the following morning. Seven Norwegian crew members and two British gunners were lost. The escort ships had continued without looking for possible survivors. The lifeboat was later located by an aircraft and the survivors were picked up by the HMS LADYBIRD that evening and taken to Stornoway.





_Convoy OG-71_
U-201 sank steamers STORK (UK 787 grt) with the loss of 19 crew and ALDERGROVE (UK 1974 grt) in 40-43N, 11-30W on the 23rd. She reported damaging two other steamers. One naval rating was lost on steamer ALDERGROVE. DD BOREAS rescued four survivors from the steamer. Corvette CAMPANULA rescued the remainder of the survivors. Three crew were rescued by corvette CAMPION. U-564 on the 23rd claimed to have damaged Norwegian steamer SPIND (2129grt) in 40-43N, 11-39W. The submarine reported damaging another steamer. Corvette ZINNIA was sunk by U.564 in 40-43N, 11-39W west of Portugal on the 23rd.

U-552 was the U-Boat that actually damaged steamer SPIND (Nor 2129grt) in 40-43N, 11-39W with the vessel finally scuttled by DD HMS BOREAS. The entire crew was rescued by DD BOREAS.

U-201 sank the *Steamer ALDERGROVE (UK 1974 grt)* in the SW Approaches, west of Portugal. The ship was carrying drum fuel when lost, with 39 aboard, 1 of whom was lost in the attack. At 0214 hrs, U-201 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the convoy OG-71 nw of Lisbon and saw one hit on a freighter and two on a tanker which sank burning after 15 minutes. Two minutes later a stern torpedo was fired and a detonation heard. U-201s skipper Schnee claimed two ships with 9000 grt sunk and two with 12,000 grt damaged. In fact, only the STORK and ALDERGROVE were sunk in this attack.

On the ALDERGROVE , the master, 32 crew members and five gunners were picked up from the lifeboats after two hours by Corvette HMS CAMPANULA and landed at Gibraltar the next day. The only crewmember lost was a naval rating who was aboard at the time..





As indicated above, U-201 sank the *steamer STORK (UK 787 grt)* in its attack on OG-71. It was carrying aviation fuel in drums when lost. She was n passage from Preston to Gibraltar with a crew of 22, of whom 19 were to perish in the attack. The master, 16 crew members and two gunners from STORK were lost. Three crew members were picked up by Corvette HMS Campion and landed at Gibraltar on 24 August.





U-552 sank the *MV SPIND (Nor 2129 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Barry to Lisbon with a load of coal, coke and engines. A crew of 25 were aboard all of whom would survive the attack

At 0648 hours on 23 August, U-552 fired a spread of two torpedoes at the SPIND, but both were surface runners and missed. After surfacing seven minutes later, the U-boat opened fire with all guns and fired 20 rounds of 8.8cm and 250 rounds of 20mm before the Germans were forced to dive at 0715 hrs because DD HMS BOREAS was approaching the area and fired at the U-boat. The gun crew of SPIND was able to fire two shots at the U-boat before all men abandoned ship in two lifeboats and by jumping overboard after about 20 minutes. The second mate was shot and badly injured while lowering himself down to the starboard boat. U-Boat skipper Karl Topp then tried to sink the burning SPIND with a coup de grace, which was a dud. The escorting DD first approached the lifeboats to tell the survivors that they will be picked up later and went on to drop DCs, but U-552 managed to escape unharmed.

The SPIND was by now in a sinking condition, and was burning in the accommodations amidships and the bunker coal in the ´tween deck. The BOREAS tried to extinguish the fire before picking up the survivors. After a second attempt to extinguish the fire, the ship was shelled by the DD and sank within five minutes. All survivors were landed in Gibraltar on 25 August.





U-564 sank Flower Class Corvette *HMS ZINNIA (K-98) (RN 940 grt)* in the battle for Convoy OG-71. At 0525 hrs, U-564 fired three single torpedoes at ships in OG-71 about 80 miles WNW of Cabo Mondego, Portugal and claimed the sinking of two steamers and a corvette. However, only the loss of HMS ZINNIA was scored. 17 survivors were rescued by the corvettes HMS WALLFLOWER, HMS CAMPION and HMS CAMPANULA. One injured crewmen that was rescued died shortly after being picked up and another died in Gibraltar where the survivors were landed in the evening.




_A rendered image of the HMS ZINNIA, produced by a modeller by the name of “Spiton”_

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-123, U-205

Departures
Kirkenes: U-752
Trondheim: U-570, U-652

At Sea 23 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111,U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-141, U-143, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-206, U-451, U-452, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-561, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-570, U-571, U-652, U-751, U-752

45 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
MSW SPEEDWELL was damaged in a collision with British steamer ST.JULIAN in the North Sea. The damage to the minesweeper was minor.

*Northern Patrol*
CAs DEVONSHIRE (SO Force M) and SUFFOLK, CV VICTORIOUS, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECLIPSE, and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow as Force M.to operate in the northern waters in Archangel and Murmansk areas in Operations E. G. V. 1 and E. G. V. 2. An Albacore of 832 Sqn ditched off Cape Wrath. DD INGLEFIELD rescued the crew who were unhurt.

MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT QUEBEC, and ADVENTURE, escorted by DDs CASTLETON, NEWARK, and CHARLESTOWN, laid minefield SN.70A east of Iceland. The CA DEVONSHIRE force provided cover for this minelay as they proceeded on their operation.

*West Coast*
Convoy OS.4 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs CALDWELL, CASTLETON, VANOC, VOLUNTEER and WALKER. The DDs were detached on the 28th. Also departing with the convoy was FFL sloop CHEVREUIL which was detached on the 27th, special service vessel FIDELITY, which was detached on 2 September, escort vessels GORLESTON and LULWORTH, which were detached on 9 September, and AA ship PALMORES which as detached on the 28th. On the 31st, escort vessels SENNEN and TOTLAND joined the convoy and were detached on 9 September. On 9 September, DD VANSITTART joined the convoy and escorted it into Freetown arriving on 11 September.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TETRARCH sank *steamer FRATELLI GARRE (FI 413 grt)* twelve miles NW of Sirte and *MV FRANCESCO GARRE (FI 395 grt)* at one miles from Sirte.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

DDs NAPIER and JACKAL departed Alexandria to intercept any supply ships attempting to enter Bardia. A merchant ship was sighted by submarine TALISMAN in 33-30N, 24-20E. No further contact was made. The ship turned northward to avoid the British ships and managed to escape. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 24th.

*Steamer CONSTANZA (FI 582 grt)* was sunk by British Blenheims from Malta south of Lampedusa.
++

*Central Atlantic*
German raider ORION arrived at Bordeaux, escorted by submarines U.75 and U.205, after raiding in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. The cruiser in her voyage had sunk 9.5 (some shared) for 57,744 tons. She shared seven kills with cruiser KOMET.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 AUGUST TO DAWN 24 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_2354-0020 hrs Raid no 824 _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach separately from the north. The first crosses the coast north east of Grand Harbour and large numbers of incendiary bombs on Corrodino. The second drops incendiaries north east of Ta Silch, on Safi and on St George’s Barracks as well as in the sea. A line of fires extends from Grand Harbour to Luqa aerodrome but they quickly burn out. Five small incendiaries fall within Dockyard area; the resulting small fires are quickly extinguished and there is no appreciable damage. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but searchlights do not illuminate the raiders and there are no engagements.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 23 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unique_ returned from patrol northwest of Tripoli, having sunk 14,000 ton _Esperia_.

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _Maryland patrols south of Pantellaria and around Lampedusa. _38 Squadron _10 Wellingtons sent in three waves to attack the north west of Tripoli, causing several fires. _105 Squadron_ 5 Blenheims sent to attack a convoy scoring hits on ships scores hits on several smaller vessels. 

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish took off to attack a merchant ship off the Tunisian coast but all aircraft overheated and developed engine trouble and returned to base.


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## Njaco (Aug 22, 2016)

*August 23 Saturday*
*ASIA:* “_Shokaku_” arrived at Ariake, Tokyo, Japan and became the flagship of 1st Air Fleet of Carrier Division 5.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Whilst escorting convoy OG.71, Flower class corvette HMS “_Zinnia_” is torpedoed by U-564 West of Portugal. The corvette exploded after the torpedo struck and caused 49 casualties. SS “_Spind_” was damaged by U-564 in Convoy OG-71 and then sunk by U-552. U-143 sank SS “_Inger_”. U-201 sank SS “_Aldergrove_” and SS “_Stork_” in Convoy OG-71.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: General Franz Halder convened with General Feld Marshal Fedor von Bock and Colonel General Heinz Guderian in Borisov (in Belorussia), and afterwards flew with Guderian to Adolf Hitler's headquarters in East Prussia. During the meeting, with neither Halder nor Brauchitsch present, Hitler allowed Guderian to make the case for driving on to Moscow. Guderian provided the Führer with a true picture of the state of his armor, two thirds of which was already out of action and was just beginning its rehabilitation. For example, since the beginning of the campaign, 2.Panzergruppe strength had dwindled from 988 to 494 tanks, and the quantity of trucks had fallen by about 50 percent in his armored (panzer and motorized) divisions and 25 percent in his infantry divisions. Guderian argued that Geyr’s XXIV Motorized Corps, his only corps still in action, was in no condition to conduct the armored thrust Hitler was ordering, which extended a total of 200 kilometers south from Starodub, across the Desna River, and across the Kiev-Konotop railroad between Nezhin and Konotop. Although Geyr’s corps was indeed closest to the OKW’s desired objective, it was also Guderian’s weakest corps in terms of its strength and combat readiness and effectiveness. Specifically, Geyr’s corps retained only 15 percent of its tank strength (of roughly 250 tanks), 50 percent of its armored infantry, and, as was usually the case, 75 percent of its artillery strength. Therefore, on a good day, Geyr’s corps could field a force of roughly 30-40 operational tanks, and its 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions, about 15-20 tanks each. Even the most optimistic estimates suggested Geyr’s corps would require at least two weeks of rest and refitting in order to increase its strength to the 75 percent level across the board. Nor was Lemelsen’s XXXXVII Motorized Corps in much better condition. Since it lacked 50 percent of its tanks (roughly 120), 35 percent of its armored infantry, and more than 10 percent of its artillery, it would also require two weeks to restore its combat effectiveness. Finally, even Vietinghoff’s XXXXVI Motorized Corps, which was at about 75 percent of its required combat effectiveness, needed 10 days to rehabilitate its units and restore their effectiveness. In short, if the three corps were to restore their effectiveness, they would have to do so by relying on their own resources and ingenuity, since they would receive no new equipment. Hitler is unimpressed by the argument of Guderian, and rejected his advice and instead, he orders troops moved to the south. Hitler reiterated that once the flanks of Army Group Center were cleared, especially the salient in the south, then he would allow the army to resume its drive on Moscow, an offensive, he concluded, which "must not fail.". In point of fact Hitler had already issued the orders for the shift of Guderian's panzer group to the south. Guderian returned to his panzer group and began the southern thrust in an effort to encircle the Soviet forces in the salient. The bulk of 2.Panzergruppe and 2.Armee were detached from Army Group Centre and sent south. Its mission was to encircle the Southwestern Front, commanded by Budyonny, in conjunction with 1.Panzergruppe of Army Group South under Kleist, which was driving up from a southeasterly direction.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Voroshilov assigns the 48th Army to the Northern Front and ordered it to defend the approaches to Leningrad. General Alexander Novikov appointed to command air forces of Soviet Leningrad Front.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: After being seriously reinforced with replacements and new divisions, the Soviet 24th Army contained 10 divisions, including 2 tank and 1 motorized division (effectively an armoured corps), as well as no fewer than 21 corps and RVGK artillery units. This massive artillery force was going to pound an exposed salient only 20km wide at the neck and 32km deep! The new offensive was scheduled to commence on 30th August, planned to coordinate with the much larger Western and Briansk Front’s offensives further north and south. Timoshenko was mandating and Khomenko and Konev were organizing a massive assault by the forces on 30th and 19th Armies’ adjoining left and right wings. The front commander’s hope was that, in three days of combat, the combined forces, reinforced by virtually all of their available tanks (roughly 30 in each army), could smash a hole through V and VIII Army Corps’ defenses in the sectors of their seriously weakened 106th, 35th, and 5th Infantry Divisions. If they could do so from 29-31 August, then they were convinced the entire front could do the same on 1 September with reasonable expectations for success. Therefore, 30th and 19th Armies were, in reality, completing the first stage of Timoshenko’s grand counteroffensive.

Heeresgruppe Süd: Soviet Transcaucasus Military District is redesignated Transcaucasus Front, commanded by General Kozlov with 44th Army, 45th Army, 46th Army, and 47th Army. District headquarters was subordinated to the front's military council and directed the formation of new units. The boundary of the Front extended along the border with Turkey and along the Black Sea coast from Batumi to Tuapse. It was commanded by Lieutenant-General Dmitri T. Kozlov. Also part of the District were three fortified regions and District troops, which included artillery and NKVD frontier units.

*GERMANY*: Ribbentrop concedes to the Japanese ambassador in Berlin that the war against the Soviet Union might last into 1942. Japanese Kwantung Army officials and senior Japanese Army officials decide to not fight the USSR.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Italian troops from their 2nd Army begin relieving German forces from their garrison duties in Yugoslavia. The Germans thus relieved are earmarked to make up for the massive losses in Russia.

Operation Mincemeat: Italian fleet begins searching unsuccessfully for RN Force H. RN submarine P-33 sunk by Italian torpedo boat “_Partenope_” off Pantelleria. Italian vessels “_Fratelli Garre_” and “_Francesco Garre_” were sunk by RN submarine “_Tetrarch_”.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: The Finnish reconquest of Ladoga Karelia was completed. Finnish Army of Karelia isolates elements of Soviet 23rd Army around Viipuri.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King made a speech to 10,000 Canadian troops in Aldershot, England. Some of the soldiers, tired of endless training exercises and anxious to see some action, booed and heckled the Prime Minister.

Towards evening, six Luftwaffe aircraft were engaged on a search for a convoy believed to have been off the Northumberland coast. A Heinkel He 111H-5 (3691) from Stab./KG 26 was hit by fire from a destroyer and crashed into the sea. Hptm G. Wilhelm, Dep Staffelkapitän, Uffz H. Hilpert, Uffz O. Seidel and Obergefr F. Schmidt picked up in a dinghy after twenty minutes and taken prisoner. Aircraft 1H+EA sank in sea.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Vichy French officials begin a concerted campaign to crack down on anti-Nazi activities. General Schaumburg as Kommandant von Gross-Paris announces:


> “...all Frenchmen taken into custody, either by the German authorities in France or on orders originating with them, will be regarded as hostages. Should any further criminal action occur, hostages will be shot in a number corresponding to the seriousness of that action.”


 Marshal Pétain established Vichy military courts with the authority to impose the death penalty for acts of terrorism and sabotage. He decrees death by guillotine for terrorist attacks.

The German merchant cruiser “_Orion_” returns from its cruise and arrives in the Gironde Estuary. The cruise has lasted 510 days and six ships of 39,000 tons have been sunk, as well as seven more in company with the raider “_Komet_”. This 235,828-kilometer voyage would prove to be “_Orion's_” only war time mission. On 4 May 1945, en route to Copenhagen, Denmark, she was hit by bombs off Swinemünde (now Swinoujscie, Poland) and sank, killing all but 150 of her over 4,000 passengers.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 22, 2016)

Halder's Diary 23 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 24, 2016)

*24 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
M-35 Class MSW DKM M-204
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-126

Departures
Trondheim: U-207

At Sea 24 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111,U-124, U-125, U-129, U-141, U-143, U-145, U-201, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-451, U-452, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-561, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-570, U-571, U-652, U-751, U-752

45 Boats

U-101 was attacked by RAF CC a/c near Rockall. Over the next 3 days she was repeatedly forced to dive and evade air attacks made on her by other aircraft. She suffered no damage, but was unable to make contact with an enemy convoy as a result of these repeated attacks.

A Catalina aircraft sighted and attacked a U-boat 30 miles SW of the River Tagus. DDs BOREAS and WIVERN searched the area without result

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*Novik Class DD ENGELS (VMF 1260 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Cape Juminda.





*North Sea*
DD VIVACIOUS arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth to work up.

*Steamer SKAGERAK (UK 1283 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the River Orwell, Harwich. Seventeen crew and the pilot were killed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*ASW whaler KOS XVI (RN 350 grt)*was sunk in a collision with Destroyer WOLSEY in the Irish Sea.Damage to the DD was minor and did not remove her from service. The vessel was built for Norwegians to a standard whaling vessel design in 1932, very similar to the Flower Class vessels. Hired by RN in July-1940, with Norwegian crew.The report on her loss states "_At noon 1145 hrs. the 24th. August 1941 the destroyer HMS Wolsey, in clear weather, in high speed hit Kos XVI from behind, position N of buoy 62B off Hull. After the collision the captain on Wolsey called a trawler to the site and ordered it to escort Kos XVI to the nearest port.In spite of all pumps working on top speed, the water slowly filled the engine room, and shortly after midnight on the 25th. August the bulkhead between the engine room and the aft compartments gave way, and Kos XVI turned over in a few seconds and sank. The escorting trawler picked up the crew from Kos XVI and taken them to Grimsby. The mas ter of Kos XVI, Lt. M. Fredriksen, was the last man to leave the ship. The British commission to investigate the accident stated later: ´No blame is considered attributed to HMM trawler Kos XVI´". _




_Sister ship KOS XIX_

*Northern Waters*
CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to refit in the Tyne. DD SOMALI departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to embark the First Lord of the Admiralty. The DD arrived on the 25th and after embarking the First Lord sailed for Stornoway. SOMALI arrived later that afternoon. That same day the DD departed for Scapa Flow and arrived on the 26th. At Stornaway, the first Lord was transferred to BB PRINCE OF WALES.

*West Coast*
Sloop BLACK SWAN, escorting a convoy in the Irish Sea, was damaged by LW long bombing. The damage required three weeks to repair at Milford Haven.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE departed Alexandria covering ML cruiser LATONA and DDs KIPLING, KINGSTON, and GRIFFIN in the fifth series of the TREACLE operation. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 25th.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.41 departed Sydney, CB escorted by AMC RANPURA and corvettes ARVIDA, CHICOUTIMI, and MATAPEDIA. The corvettes were detached on the 26th when relieved by DD ST.CROIX and corvettes BUTOUCHE, GALT, and PICTOU. DD RAMSEY joined on 2 September. Corvettes ARABIS, MONKSHOOD, and PETUNIA and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN WAVE joined on 5 September, DD SARDONYX on 6 September, and DDs MALCOLM and WATCHMAN on 11 September. DD ST.CROIX was detached on 5 September and DD RAMSEY and corvettes BUTOUCHE and GALT on 6 September. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 September.

*Central Atlantic*
In Operation CUTTING, British steamer LADY DENISON-PENDER departed Freetown, escorted by sloop MILFORD, to cut and lift about sixty miles of the Dakar - Pernambuco underwater telegraph cable. The ship arrived in position on the 28th and the operation required one week to complete.

Convoy SL.85 departed Freetown escorted by DD VANSITTART to 28 August, sloop MILFORD to 28 August, and corvettes ASTER, BURDOCK, STARWORT, and VERVAIN to 28 August. On the 28th, sloop SANDWICH to 17 September, sloop COMMANDANT DOMINE to 17 September, and ASW yacht PHILANTE to 17 September joined. On 2 September, corvette WALLFLOWER joined to 11 September.

On 11 September, DDs BOREAS, CALDWELL, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, and WALKER and corvettes BLUEBELL, CAMPANULA, CAMPION, CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, HYDRANGEA, LA MALOUINE, and MALLOW joined. Sloop LEITH joined on 14 September. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 17 September with ocean boarding vessel CAVINA and the escorts which joined on 11 and 14 September.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL CERES was damaged in a collision with Norwegian tanker GYLFE off Bombay. The cruiser's stem was fractured, but the cruiser was able to depart Bombay that day escorting convoy BM 8 to Trincomalee.

Convoy BM 8 departed Bombay with steamers EKMA, NEVASA, EGRA, ETHIOPIA, and EL MADINA, escorted by light cruiser CERES to Trincomalee. The convoy was escorted on by AMC ANTENOR to 31 August, when CL DAUNTLESS relieved her.

The convoy arrived at Port Swettenham on 2 September

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 AUGUST TO DAWN 25 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and fresh.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 24 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY P32_ reported overdue. _Farndale_ completed refit and carried out sea trials. _HM Submarine Upholder _attacked three 6in gun cruisers with one possible hit.

_AIR HQ Departures _2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols Tunisian coast and western Ionian Sea, Empedocle and Licata, eastern Sicily and the toe of Italy. Special reconnaissance south of Sardinia AM and PM. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons sent to attack Tripoli, docks and petrol dumps drop bombs across the city causing considerable damage. _105 Squadron_ 4 Blenheims sent to attack shipping scored hits on vessels. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish sent to attack shipping off Augusta/Catania areas failed to locate target.


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## parsifal (Aug 24, 2016)

Halder's Diary 24 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 24, 2016)

*August 24 Sunday*
*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Oblt. Hans Philipp of II./JG 54 becomes the thirty-third soldier of the German Armed Forces to be awarded the _Eichenlaub_ for achieving sixty-two kills, over forty of which were gained in Russia.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 18.Armee were slowly pushing into Tallinn in Estonia. The Soviets withdraw their garrison, 10th Rifle Corps, from Tallinn by sea. Several convoys attempt to get through to Kronstadt, but incur heavy losses to mines and air attacks. Almost all the transports and many of the escort vessels from the Baltic fleet are sunk. The LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) and 18.Armee (Colonel General Georg von Kuchler) had started ‘probing’ the heavily fortified line through Krasnogvardievsk, only 20 miles from Leningrad. By this time the XXXIX.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops R. Schmidt) had arrived from Army Group Centre and its orders were to isolate Leningrad from the south-east while LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) attacked the city’s defences from the south-west.

German 3.Panzergruppe were fighting within a mile of Velikiye Luki. During the night, the remnants of 22nd Army, perhaps as many at 15-20,000 men, began running the gauntlet northward out of Velikiye Luki, squeezing in between the panzers and panzer grenadiers of 19. Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General O. von Knoblesdorff), which was advancing into the city from the east, and XXIII.Armeekorps’ 253.Infanterie-Division (Lieutenant General Otto Schellert), approaching the city from the west. The remainder of Ershakov’s army, about 25,000 men, left behind in small pockets south of the city and a larger one 15-20 kilometers southeast of the city, fought to the death or surrendered individually or in small groups over the next two days. The deadly deed of crushing the encirclement pocket fell to XXIII Army Corps’ 253.Infanterie-Division, 251. Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Hans Kraftzert), and 86.Infanterie Divisionen, which formed a cordon extending from Velikiye Luki southeastward 20 kilometer to Vas’kovo, while 19.Panzer-Divisionen and 20.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General H. Stumpff) occupied blocking positions along and south of the railroad and road from just east of Velikiye Luki southeastward to Vatolino, 17 kilometers east-southeast of the city. As these forces crushed the pocket, elements of 253.Infanterie-Division and German artillery and dive bombers pummeled Ershakov’s columns moving northeastward along dirt roads.

Weichs’ Second Army and Geyr’s XXIV Motorized Corps essentially halted their operations. Thereafter, while Weichs’ army consolidated its gains south of Gomel’, it also began liquidating the forces of Golubev’s 13th Army, which, wedged precariously in the region north of Novozybkov, were caught between the pincers formed by Second Army’s XII and XIII Army Corps in the west and 10th Motorized and 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions of Geyr’s XXIV Motorized Corps to the east. The forces in this loose pocket included the remnants of Golubev’s army and Krivoshein’s still largely intact 25th Mechanized Corps.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Soviet troops under Marshal General Konev lead a new but hastily organized counterattack in the Gomel area. The counteroffensive bogs down and fails. By evening, the main forces of Timoshenko’s Western Front, specifically, Konev’s 19th and Khomenko’s 30th Armies, had weathered the most powerful counterstroke Strauss’ 9. Armee could throw at them. Konev’s 19th Army met and defeated 9. Armee’s reinforced 7.Panzer-Divisionen, destroying or damaging roughly two-thirds of its tanks and forcing it to withdraw from combat to lick its wounds. For the first time in the war, Red Army infantrymen, cooperating closely with field and antiaircraft artillerymen, a handful of tanks, sappers, and some supporting pilots and their crews were able to repulse a German armored thrust and, by doing so, keep the 19th Army’s bridgehead intact. However, as he penned his after-action-reports to Timoshenko, Konev also understood his victory had a price. Specifically, the heavy losses his army suffered during the recent fighting had severely sapped its combat effectiveness. Unless reinforcements arrived, Konev concluded, it would be exceedingly difficult for his army to match its recent performance in the near future. To the north, Khomenko reached the same conclusion regarding his threadbare 30th Army. Thus, in this sense, the victories the two armies had won over the past week were largely Pyrrhic in nature.

Heeresgruppe Süd: Rumanian forces attack at Odessa, taking heavy losses and making little headway against the Soviet defenders. The German 6.Armee reached Desna.


> "This is the seventh or eighth time in this campaign that the army group has succeeded in encircling the enemy. But I'm not really happy about it, because the objective to which I have devoted all my thought, the destruction of the enemy armies, has been dropped. Perhaps we will overrun the Russians in from of my northern wing and thus get things going to the point that at least pressure on my eastern front is relieved...If, after all the successes, the campaign in the east now trickles away in dismal defensive fighting for my army group, it is not my fault" - Field Marshall Bock.



Kriegsmarine minelayers lay more mines in the Baltic Sea with success. Soviet destroyer “_Engels_” is sunk by mine. Two Soviet minesweepers and three Soviet transports are sunk by mines.

*GERMANY*: Hitler has ordered the termination of the “T4” action, under which 70,273 mentally-ill people have been liquidated since September 1939. Although the murders were supposed to be carried out in strict secrecy, rumors about the specially-designed “euthanasia” centers have been spreading. On 31 July the bishop of Münster denounced the killings in a sermon. Hitler now appears to have bowed to public pressure. Some doctors would continue to kill the mentally-ill through the end of the European War.

RAF Bomber Command sends 44 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Mincemeat: HMS “_Manxman_” (disguised as large French destroyer) lays 140 mines off Livorno. Mines are also laid off Leghorn. Force H also carries out an air offensive operation. Fleet Air Arm aircraft from “_Ark Royal_” attack the Italian airfield at Tempio in northern Sardinia. The battleship “_Nelson_” is in support. The Italian battleships “_Vittorio Veneto_” and “_Littorio_” also come out but they move against a suspected Malta operation and there is no contact. Italian auxiliary is gunboat sunk by British aircraft. The Italian cruiser “_Bolzano_” is torpedoed by the British submarine “_Triumph_”.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: The Finnish attacks continue to press forward and Viipuri is surrounded. The troops of Col. Winell’s 8th ID cross the Bay of Viipuri unopposed. They are able to consolidate their positions on the eastern shore before the Soviets react. Finnish Army of Karelia clears last Soviet forces from Kilpola sector on north shore of Lake Ladoga.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in a radio address, made public the scope of Einsatzgruppen activities in Eastern Europe. He disclosed that "whole districts" were being exterminated, and that "scores of thousands of executions in cold blood" were being perpetrated by "German police-troops upon the Russian patriots who defend their native soil." Churchill didn't mention that Jews were being exterminated. He could not reveal this since it would have warned the Germans that British intelligence forces had cracked their secret radio codes. In a speech to the House of Commons Churchill says:


> “Napoleon in his glory and genius spread his Empire far and wide. ... Napoleon’s armies had a theme. They carried with them the surges of the French Revolution - Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. ... There was a sweeping away of outworn, medieval systems and aristocratic privilege. There was the land for the people, a new code of law. Nevertheless, Napoleon’s empire vanished like a dream.”



Taking advantage of low cloud, six Luftwaffe aircraft briefly attacked targets from Blyth to Teesside. The RCAF’s No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron, equipped with Hurricane Mk. Is and based at Northolt, Middlesex, England, shoots down two RAF Blenheim bombers which were mistaken for Junkers JU-88s.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Vichy France passed anti-terrorist laws, punishable with death sentences, to deal with the resistance movement.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 24, 2016)

*August 25 Monday*
*ASIA*: German MV “_Munsterland_” departs Yokohama to replenish raiders in the Pacific. MV “_Munsterland_” was taken over by the Kriegsmarine in 1940 and used as a blockade runner.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: A British RAF Catalina Mk. 1 of No. 209 Squadron cooperating with naval forces sank German submarine U-453 off Iceland.

British anti-submarine trawler HMS “_Vascama_” and a British Catalina aircraft sank German submarine U-452 with depth charges in the North Sea, killing all 42 aboard.

At midnight, 30 miles off Grimsby, East coast of England, British destroyer HMS “_Wolsey_” rams and sinks British minesweeper “_Kos XVI_” (Norwegian whaler taken over in July 1940 by Royal Navy but still with a Norwegian crew).

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hptm. Hermann-Friedrich Jöppien of I./JG 51 is killed when his airplane comes out of a turn and crashes. He is awarded the _Eichenlaub_ posthumously for achieving seventy aerial victories before his death.

Heeresgruppe Nord: The XXXIX.Armeekorps (mot.) and LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein) attacked, and with the deepening crisis the (Soviet) GKO assigned the newly mobilized 4th, 52nd and 54th Armies along and east of the Volkhov River. The Stavka also approved the formation of two new Armies: the 42nd and 55th, which would defend Leningrad itself. The XXXIX.Armeekorps (mot.) soon captured Lyuban and closed up to the Neva River, while 4.Panzergruppe and 18.Armee put pressure on the shrinking line around Leningrad and the Oranienbaum region. The LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) crushed the 34th and 11th Armies driving them back to the Lovat River.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe is still attacking into surrounded Velikiye Luki. The 131. Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General H. Meyer-Buerdorff) and 112.Infanterie-Division (General der Infanterie Friedrich Mieth) of Heinrici’s XLIII.Armeekorps approached Novozybkov from the west, captured the town, and, together with 10.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General F-W von Loeper), cut off and liquidated a sizeable portion of 13th Army. While this pocket was being reduced, a “deadly minuet” soon developed in the region west of the Desna River, Briansk, and Trubchevsk. Here, in a virtual bridgehead anchored on the towns of Pochep and Pogar on the Desna’s western bank, 29. Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Major General W. von Boltenstern) and 17. Panzer Divisionen (Lieutenant General H-J von Arnim) and 18. Panzer Divisionen ( Major General W. Nehring) of Lemelsen’s XLVII.Armeekorps (mot.), while performing their covering force mission, literally ran into the forces of the Briansk Front’s 50th Army and the surviving portion of Golubev’s 13th Army, which were themselves attempting to erect defenses to protect Briansk and Trubchevsk.

General Heinz Guderian, commander of the 2.Panzergruppe launches his forces south to encircle Kiev. Beginning late on 25 August, a new race loomed between Army Group Center and Timoshenko’s Western Main Direction Command, - a race with far greater strategic implications than previous ones. Succinctly stated, this contest pitted the three fronts of Timoshenko’s Western Direction Command, which were striving to defeat Army Group Center, against Guderian’s panzer group and Weichs’ army, which were trying to eliminate the threat to Army Group Center’s southern flank. At stake in this race was nothing less than the long-anticipated German advance on Moscow. Timoshenko planned to conduct a new counteroffensive in three distinct stages. The first stage was designed to include defensive operations in 22nd Army’s sector aimed at halting Group Stumme’s attack and extensive regrouping, reinforcement, and reorganizing on the part of 16th and 20th Armies within the context of continued attacks by 19th, 29th, and 30th Armies. The second stage, which involved a general counteroffensive involving all of the front’s armies in cooperation with Zhukov’s Reserve Front, sought to penetrate Army Group Center’s tactical defenses east and southeast of Smolensk and fulfill the front’s immediate missions, most importantly, the destruction of the Germans’ Dukhovshchina grouping. During the third and final stage, all of the front’s armies were to exploit their successes and reach final objectives designated by the Stavka, presumably meaning the seizure of the entire Smolensk region by concentric attacks from the north, east, and southeast. If Timoshenko’s and Zhukov’s forces could achieve this objective, the Stavka believed Army Group Center would have no choice but to halt Guderian’s forces and return them to the Smolensk region. Based on the Stavka’s strategic concept, Eremenko’s front was to attack into the teeth of Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe as it advanced southward, crush the advancing panzers, and restore a coherent defensive front from the Dnepr River south of Gomel’ eastward to Novgorod-Severskii on the Desna River and northward along the Desna to south of Yel’nia. Eremenko was to do so by attacking the left flank of Guderian’s advancing 2.Panzergruppe across a broad front extending from Novgorod-Severskii northward along the Desna River to Zhukovka, 50 kilometers northwest of Briansk. Although not under Eremenko’s control, a newly-formed 40th Army was to attack the “nose” of Guderian’s advance before it reached the Desna River. The Briansk front commander, Eremenko, boasted,


> “I will smash this scoundrel Guderian, no doubt about it.”



Schmidt's XXXIX. Armeekorps (mot.) captures Liuban. Soviet Central Front, encircled and destroyed around Chernigov, is formally disbanded.

Tykocin pogrom: About 1,400 to 1,700 Jewish residents of Tykocin in occupied Poland were taken to nearby Łopuchowo forest and massacred by the SS.

*GERMANY*: The German Navy placed orders for 61 submarines to be constructed. German Navy issued the order to build the future submarine U-869.

Held responsible for the failure of the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, and believing that his superiors had abandoned him, and convinced that his arch rival Inspector General Erhard Milch was plotting his down fall, the normally ebullient Ernst Udet (who was already showing signs of illness through depression and strain) reported sick. His duties were assumed by Milch.

Benito Mussolini arrived at Adolf Hitler's Wolfsschanze headquarters in eastern Germany (now Poland). Hitler requests that more Italian troops take over garrison duties in the Balkans in order to free German troops for fighting in the east. In talks with Mussolini, Hitler rails against Spain’s refusal to join the war. Count Galeazzo Ciano, son-in-law and Foreign Minister is also in attendance. Mussolini would stay in the area until August 29 - his longest visit of the war - touring battle sites, reviewing troops and meeting with German officials. After this meeting, both leaders then tour the Ukraine together. Mussolini confesses to Hitler that he cannot rely on loyalty of Italian Army. Also today, Hitler receives Count Hiroshi Oshima, the Japanese ambassador, for consultation.

RAF Bomber Command sends 49 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe and 38 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Operation Countenance: The United Kingdom and the Soviet Union jointly attacked pro-German regime in Iran. They have been worried by reports of German “tourists” being in the country and have decided to demand that Iran accept their “protection” of its oil supplies. The British land forces are led by General Quinan and their naval support by Admiral Arbuthnot. The advance in two areas, to seize the oil installations near Abadan, and from the northeast of Baghdad to take similar sites around Kermanshah. The Soviet forces advance in three columns under General Novikov’s command. One column moves on Tabriz while the other two advance on either side of the Caspian Sea. There are also British landings at Bandar Shapur, Abadan and Khoramshahr in the Persian Gulf area. Two small Iranian warships are sunk and several Axis merchant ships are seized. The British forces moving on Kermanshah, commanded by General Slim, and all three Soviet columns soon make good progress. The Soviets bomb Tabriz. There is little Iranian opposition to either the British or the Soviet forces. While the British troops crossed the western border and Soviets to the north, the respective ambassadors in Tehran demanded Iran to accept British and Soviet protection of oil supplies.

The sloop HMAS “_Yarra_”, (CMDR W. H. Harrington, RAN), sank the Persian sloop “_Babr_” at Khorramshahr. “_Yarra”_ attacked under the cover of darkness, and illuminated the enemy vessel at her berth. “_Yarra’s_” guns pounded the “_Babr_” at point-blank range until she sank. While this operation was in progress HMS “_Kanimbla_”, (an Australian manned armed merchant cruiser), attacked the port of Bandar Shapur, seizing the port installations and enemy shipping in the anchorage. During this latter action, PO J. T. Humphries, RAN, “_Kanimbla’s”_ diver, was sent aboard the burning German merchant ship “_Hohenfels_”. The ship’s sea-cocks had been opened, and the vessel was rapidly filling. PO Humphries dived in the flooded engine room, and in complete darkness found and closed the cocks, saving the ship from sinking. PO Humphries was awarded the George Medal in February 1942, for his outstanding gallantry.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Hans-Joachim Marseille returned to Ain el Gazala, Libya from his home leave in Berlin, Germany to Libya.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: The Allies launched Operation Gauntlet, a raid on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, a Norwegian island in the Arctic Ocean, destroying fuel bunkers and machinery as well as freeing some 2000 Soviet citizens who would be evacuated to Murmansk. Originally a ground force of two battalions had been allocated to the landings, but this was reduced to one on confirmation that there were no Germans in the area. The troops mainly comprised elements of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade, under Brigadier A. E. Potts, with 3 Field Company, RCE attached, a party of Norwegian servicemen based in the United Kingdom. There was demolition and logistic support from British Army units including a detachment from the Kent Fortress Royal Engineers, a unit with demolition experience. This was a total force of 645 All Ranks, including 527 Canadians. The liner RMS “_Empress of Canada_” acted as the troopship, escorted by Force K: two Royal Navy cruisers, HMS “_Nigeria_” (flagship) and HMS “_Aurora_” and five destroyers: HMS “_Icarus_”, HMS “_Eclipse_”, HMS “_Tartar_”, HMS “_Anthony_” and HMS “_Antelope_”; Philip Vian remained in command. The troops landed and, as hoped, met no opposition throughout and were enthusiastically greeted by the islanders. When the demolitions at Barentsburg were complete, some 2,000 Soviet miners and their movable belongings and equipment were taken to Arkhangelsk, in Russia, on the RMS “_Empress of Canada_”, escorted by “_Nigeria_”, where a group of nearly 200 Free French were found waiting. These French had escaped from German prison camps and were duly taken on board for passage to the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the rest of Force K and the demolition parties had moved on to Longyearbyen.

Finnish Army of Karelia began attacking around Viipuri. A sudden counter-attack by two Soviet divisions stops the advance of Light Brigade 'T' north-east of Viipuri. The brigade commander Col. Tiiainen is lethally wounded and the brigade is forced back. After two days of intense fighting the 12nd ID manages to stop the Soviet attack.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Churchill is quoted in the Times as saying that Britain would offer unhesitating aid to the US if a peaceful settlement with Japan could not be reached.

The production of the Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber has now been subcontracted to to a number of firms, including English Electric at Preston, Rootes at Speke, Fairey at Stockport and the London Aircraft Production Group. The first of these aircraft, a MK II (V 9976), flies today.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Pierre Laval is shot four times by student Paul Collete as he saw off French volunteers going off to fight with the Germans in Russia. Laval survived the assassination attempt, but was seriously wounded particularly by a bullet that penetrated his body about an inch from his heart.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 25, 2016)

*August 26 Tuesday*
*ASIA: * The United States sends a military mission to China to determine what materials are needed to defend their nation from Japanese aggression. The White House issues a statement that “this Government is preparing to send a military mission to China. The mission will be sent for the purpose of assisting in carrying out the purposes of the Lend-Lease Act. It is being organized and it will operate under the direction of the Secretary of War. Its chief will be Brigadier General John Magruder.”

Tokyo complains to Moscow about US Lend-Lease cargo passing through Vladivostok.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Cutter HMS “_Lulworth_” went to the rescue of survivors from a torpedoed Merchantman. The night was dark, with heavy seas running, so that the rescue work was slow and hazardous. As HMS “_Lulworth_” was about to abandon search, two men and a woman were found clinging to the wreckage. The men were saved, but as the woman, who was unconscious, was being hauled on board, she slipped from her lifejacket, disappeared below the surface, and came up astern. Lt Keefer at once dived into the sea to try to save her. He reached her, but both were swept away by the heavy seas, and though search was made for an hour, neither was seen again.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: By this date the German Army had suffered 461,100 casualties, including 94,222 killed, 345,650 wounded, and 21,228 missing in action. Officer losses amounted to 4,264 killed, 10,792 wounded, and 381 missing in action. Therefore, on the basis of the Army’s total strength of 3,780,000 men in the East, it had lost over 12 percent of its manpower. Each and every day for 66 days, 6,683 more German soldiers and more than 300 officers became casualties, 1,435 of them killed, a figure equivalent to the loss of a full infantry division every two days. As a result, while the German Army in the East required approximately 11,000 officer-replacements, despite enormous efforts, including the transfer of many officers from the West and accelerating graduation from officer candidate courses, the army was short 3,000 officers, and perhaps as high as 11,000 officers, a figure cited in a report prepared on 15 August. If this attrition rate continued, without adequate replacements, the Army in the East would be reduced to nothing within nine and one half months.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Soviet forces at Velikiye Luki launch a counter attack. Local German forces contain the offensive, so the advance to encircle Leningrad is not affected. Soviet forces in Velikije Luki were surrounded and destroyed by the German Armeegruppe Nord. German 18.Armee attacking into Tallinn as German 4.Panzergruppe is attacking into southern outskirts of Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:  German 2.Panzergruppe crosses the Desna River at Novgorod-Seversky.

Heeresgruppe Süd: German tanks from 1.Panzergruppe (Army Group South) capture the major industrial city of Dnepropetrovsk. XLVII.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops J. Lemelsen) captured Chernobyl. Most of the important industries had already been moved east. The Hungarian Army rounded up 18,000 Jews at Kamenets-Podolsk, Ukraine.



> "It seems possible to envelope the Starodub position, destroy the enemy in Starodub and close up the 13th and 21st Armies' flanks. The Supreme High Command considers the conduct of such an operation completely feasible and capable of yielding good results." - Stavka message to Eremenko directing him to stop Guderian's advance along the Brainsk Front.



Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini inspected Axis troops at Uman, Ukraine. During Mussolini's visit to Ukraine to review his troops, General Messe informs Mussolini that morale was high, but some important shortages, especially in good quality anti-tank rounds, were apparent. An OKW memorandum accepted by Hitler states that the war against Soviet Union won’t be finished before the end of 1941.

*GERMANY:* Otto Skorzeny was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class medal for recovering a damaged vehicle under enemy fire at the bridgehead in Yel’nia, Russia.

RAF Bomber Command sends 99 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight. Six British Blenheim bombers set out for Heligoland, as a diversion while others attack German shipping. Four planes are shot down.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: After weeks of small air raids on the island, the first Italian aircraft is downed over Cyprus by RAF fighter.

*MIDDLE EAST*: British troops captured Abadan, Iran, along with the oil-related installations there. Far to the north, Soviet troops captured Tabriz while aircraft bombed Tehran. Following RAF attacks, Iranian forces abandon Paitak Pass.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Corvette HMCS “_Buctouche_” departed St. John’s to join the 64-ship Sydney to Liverpool convoy SC41 which arrived safely on 11 Sep 41.

Lt Gregory Boyington resigns his commission in the US Marines in order to join American Volunteer Group.

In Canada, a Privy Council order calls for the establishment of an experimental offensive chemical warfare station in Suffield, Alberta, and for the Chemical Warfare Laboratories in Ottawa to work on defense. In the chemistry lab at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a poison gas based on fluorine is discovered. The element causing the extreme toxicity is named Compound Z. It is later cited as one of Canada's most significant contributions to chemical warfare. Its existence is kept secret for over 40 years.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Operation Gauntlet; A combined force of Canadian, British, and Norwegian commandos landed on Spitzbergen. The coal-mining installations and equipment there were destroyed and the Norwegian civilian populace was evacuated.

Swedish recruiting underway for German armed forces.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Philippine Department Air Force is re-designated USAFFE Air Force. The Philippine National Army is brought into existence.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Mountbatten departs to take command of RN aircraft carrier “_Illustrious_” -- undergoing repairs in Virginia -- and make goodwill tour of the US.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 36 aircraft on coastal sweeps. Wing Commander David Lascelles, a cousin of the British Royal family, was killed leading a daylight anti-shipping strike. Lascelles was No. 82 Squadron's seventh commanding officer in eleven months and the third to be killed. RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations and sweeps.

RAF Bomber Command sends 29 aircraft to attack Le Havre and 16 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

Paul Collete was arrested after shooting and wounding Pierre Laval. Laval would recommend giving Collete a light sentence, citing that the young man was likely only a pawn used by more senior plotters behind the scenes. 

.


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## Njaco (Aug 26, 2016)

*August 27 Wednesday*
*ASIA: *Prince Konoye, leader of the Japanese government, personally invites Roosevelt to meet with him to discuss resolving the outstanding issues between his country and the United States “to discuss from a broad standpoint all important problems between Japan and America covering the entire Pacific area, and to explore the possibility of saving the situation.”

The Japanese government sends a protest to the US government concerning the shipment of goods from the US to Vladivostok, USSR via Japanese waters.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The German submarine U-570 (Kptlt Hans-Joachim Rahohmlow) is captured by the British in the Atlantic. U-570 had left Trondheim, Norway, to operate in the North Atlantic on her first operational patrol. At 1100 hours, the captain raised the periscope and saw nothing and thus surfaced his almost stationary boat. Directly above the submarine, in its periscope “blind spot,” was an RAF Hudson, aircraft “S” of No. 269 Squadron (Sqn Ldr J.H. Thompson RAF) based at Kaldadarnes, Iceland. The pilot noticed the dream target and placed four 250-pound depth charges all around U-570 and returned for strafing. The submarine was disabled and forced to surface. Her inexperienced crew surrendered the vessel intact. The Hudson pilot contacted his superiors and was told to fly watch while they figured out how they could get vessels to the area. The Hudson was relieved by a Catalina flying boat of RAF No. 209 Sqn. in the evening and finally after 12 hours the H.M. Trawler “_Northern Chief_” showed up but the weather was too bad to capture her at that time so she waited for reinforcements that arrived during the night in the form of the H.M. Trawlers “_Kingston Agate_”, “_Windermere_” and “_Wastwater_” and the destroyer HMS “_Burwell_”. The last ship to the scene was the Canadian destroyer HMCS “_Niagara_” [ex USS “_Thatcher_” (DD-162)]. While awaiting the British to send a capture party, confidential papers and the cipher machine were dumped overboard. The next day, the German crew was removed and the captured vessel returned to a British port. Eventually, the ship was brought into the Royal Navy as HMS “_Graph_”. As HMS “_Graph_” she even later fired a torpedo towards U-333 but missed. She later ran aground on the Island of Islay of Scotland in 1944 and was wrecked. HMS “_Graph_” was broken up in 1961. No other German submarine surrenders to enemy forces during World War II prior to the final days of the war.

German submarine U-557 attacked Allied convoy OS-4 300 miles west of Ireland between 0125 and 0426 hours, sinking four ships. U-557 sank SS “_Embassage_”, SS “_Tremoda_”, SS “_Saugor_” and Norwegian vessel “_Segundo_”. German submarine U-202 sank British trawler “_Ladylove_” off Iceland at 1435 hours, killing the entire crew of 14.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Finnish forces attack Soviet garrison at Hango. Finnish Army of Karelia isolates elements of Soviet 23rd Army around Viipuri.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  German 18.Armee begins final assault on the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Soviet “Red Banner” Baltic Fleet has permission to break out of the Baltic port with over 200 military and civilian vessels (including former Estonian and Latvian warships). The Soviet 10th Rifle Corps starts to evacuate by sea the units that have been holding the city. 190 ships would attempt to traverse 150 miles of mine infested water with the airspace dominated by the Luftwaffe. In the end, 5000 soldiers and civilians would be killed before reaching the relative safety of Leningrad. Soviets begin deploying 4th Army, 52nd Army, and 54th Army in defense of Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: By day’s end, Group Stumme was ideally positioned to begin its final drive on Toropets and Staraia Toropa. By this time, General Stumme announced that the bag of prisoners captured at and southeast of Velikie Luki amounted to about 34,000 men and 300 guns, considering 22nd Army’s dead, more than half of the original strength of Ershakov’s 22nd Army.

German 250th Infantry Division, consisted of Spanish volunteers, began to march on foot from the Polish-Lithuanian border toward Smolensk, Russia. German 3.Panzergruppe recaptures Velikiye Luki. German 2.Panzergruppe expands its bridgehead across the Desna at Novgorod-Seversk.

Heeresgruppe Süd:  Hitler and Mussolini travel, dine, and confer in their private trains.

*GERMANY*: Soviet Air Force dispatches bombers to attack Koenigsberg. RAF Bomber Command sends 91 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*MIDDLE EAST*: The British advance continue towards Kermanshah with elements of Indian 10th Infantry Division entering Paitak Pass and Shahabad. Meanwhile in the south, Indian 18th Infantry Brigade and 25th Infantry Brigade are deploying to attack Ahwaz. RN seizes Italian vessel “_Hilda_” at Bandar Abbas as German vessel “_Weissenfels_” is scuttled to avoid capture. HMAS “_Yarra_”, (sloop), towed the abandoned and burning “_Hilda_” from Bandar Abbas to Chahbar Bay, Persia, where she was taken over by a tug. The Iranian government resigns. The Shah of Iran, Rezā Shāh, appoints Mohammad Ali Foroughi as Prime Minister of Iran (replacing Ali Mansur), who immediately began negotiations with the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom to end the hostilities. Soviet 44th Army captures Bandar-i Pahlavi on the Caspian Sea and advance on Tehran from the North and British troops seize oil fields and refineries in the South and West.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Dusko Popov, former spy of Germany, now double-agent for Britain, meets with US FBI Bureau Chief J. Edgar Hoover in Washington. Popov shows a German spy questionnaire, with a section asking detailed questions about Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, intended for Japanese intelligence use. Hoover ignores the information.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British government took over the control of railways for the duration of the war; the private owners and operators were to receive £43,000,000 per year as compensation.

An RN Fairey Fulmer makes a forced landing on Tramore Strand in County Donegal. The crew and aircraft are returned to Northern Ireland.

William Dunn, while flying with RAF No. 71 Squadron downs his 4th and 5th enemy aircraft to become the first American Ace of the war. Joining the Canadian Army at the outbreak of war in September 1939, he was an infantryman until he transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in late 1940. He was assigned in April 1941 to the American volunteer No. 71 ‘Eagle’ Squadron based at Martlesham Heath near Ipswich, flying the Hawker Hurricane. He was the first pilot in the Eagle Squadron to shoot down an enemy aircraft, on 2 July 1941, and later became the first American ace of the war. After 3 claims, the Squadron converted to the Spitfire. Two claims on 27 August made Dunn the first American 5-kill ‘ace’, although he was wounded in the right leg during the same action. After recovery, he instructed at various units in the UK and the USA, and in late 1942 he served briefly with No 130 Squadron, RCAF. After service in an RAF Eagle Squadron, he joined the United States Army Air Force in 1943. He saw service with the 53rd Fighter Group (as Gunnery Officer), and then from October 1943 with the 406th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force. Participating in the Normandy invasion and in Patton’s sweep across France, he claimed 2 more kills up until October 1944. Unusually, he claimed a Messerschmitt Bf 110 shot down with a salvo of .5 inch RP rockets on 18 June 1944. By the end of the war he had claimed 8.5 kills, with another 4 unconfirmed, 3 probables and 4 damaged, with 12 more destroyed on the ground, flying 234 operational sorties. Immediately after the war he fought in the Chinese Civil War on the side of the Nationalists. He later helped trained the Iranian Air Force and the Brazilian Air Force. His final overseas duty was in Vietnam during 1967, with HQ, 7th US Air Force, flying 62 missions evaluating infra red location equipment. Lt. Col. Dunn, a veteran of 38 years of military service and 378 combat missions, retired from the U.S.A.F. in 1973.



> "Although personally I am quite content with the existing explosives, I feel we must not stand in the path of improvement, and I therefore think that action should be taken in the sense proposed by Lord Cherwell" - _Winston Churchill upon approving of the MAUD Committee's suggestion that development of an atomic bomb must go forward_.



*WESTERN FRONT*: Pierre Laval, the vice-premier of Vichy’s council of state until last December, has been almost killed in an assassination attempt. Laval and a prominent pro-German newspaper editor are shot and wounded near Versailles by a young member of a resistance group. The shooting took place while Laval was seeing off the first members of the Legion des Volontaires Français contre le Bolshevisme on their way to the Russian front. Marcel Deat, the editor of the fascist L’Ouvre, was also wounded. Laval was close to death when a German officer told him: “your assassin has been arrested; we are about to shoot him.” Always a politician, he replied: “Don’t do that. You do not know the French reaction as I do.” He had a bullet just half a centimeter from his heart when he said this and his teeth were discolored by blood. Few are upset by the shooting. Laval - who rose from peasant prime minister, and favours strong collaboration with Germany - is not popular in France as Marshal Petain is.


> “An audouillette is like a government,” Laval once said of black pudding, “you need some dung in it, but not too much.”


This incident is taken as an excuse by the Vichy government to round up many of its opponents, describing them as communists. This is not the first act of violence by the French Resistance. Last week a German officer cadet called Moser was shot in the Paris metro. Six Communists have been executed in reprisal.

RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations and sweeps. RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

*25 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-333




New source: Photographs from the U-boat War

Neutral
Tangier Class CVS USS TANGIER (AV8)





Allied
Abdiel Class ML Cruiser HMS WELSHMAN (M-84)





Fairmile B ML 209, 294
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-201
Lorient: U-124
St. Nazaire: U-75

Departures
Bergen: U-433
Brest: U-558
Lorient: U-562
Trondheim: U-432

At Sea 25 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-46, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-129, U-141, U-143, U-145, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-570, U-571, U-652, U-751, U-752

45 Boats

*Type VIIc U-452 (DKM 769 grt)* was sunk in the North Atlantic south of Iceland, , by depth charges from the British A/S trawler HMS VASCANAAND with assistance from an RAF CC Catalina from 209 Sqn. The entire crew of 42 were lost.





*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
*Steamer TROYBURG (Ger 2288 grt)* was lost when she was stranded at Faresund (at the western end of the Skagerrak). .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
U-752 sank *MSW T-898 (VMF 553 grt)*; at 1011 hrs, U-752 fired a stern torpedo at T-898 and scored a hit on the port side after 47 seconds. The vessel was alone on guard duty between Cape Chernyj and Cape Svyatoj Nos and sank almost immediately after the hit about 80 miles east of Cape Chernyj. There were just 2 survivors from the crew of 43.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
CL KENYA departed Rosyth after repairs and arrived back at Scapa Flow. Her repair trial was not satisfactory and speed was limited to a maximum of 28.5 knots.

ML Cruiser WELSHMAN departed Rosyth to carry out a practice lay of mines and then proceed to Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 26th. The cruiser then began her work up.

*Northern Patrol*
MLs SOUTHERN PRINCE, PORT QUEBEC, and ML cruiser ADVENTURE, escorted by DDs CASTLETON, NEWARK, and CHARLESTOWN, laid minefield SN.70 A in the Northern Barrage. SOUTHERN PRINCE, returning from this operation wasdamaged by U.652 west of the Faroes. There were no casualties in the ML. DDs LIGHTNING and LAMERTON departed Scapa Flow on the 26th to assist the ML. She was escorted as far the Minches. The DD returned to Scapa Flow on the 27th. SOUTHERN PRINCE was repaired at Belfast.

*West Coast*
AA ship ULSTER QUEEN arrived at Scapa Flow from Belfast to work up.





*Med/Biscay*
CLAs NAIAD, PHOEBE and CL GALATEA departed Alexandria to cover ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs JACKAL, HASTY, and KANDAHAR on the series six of the TREACLE operation. The cruisers were unsuccessfully attacked at dusk by enemy a/c on the 25th. The ships safely returned to Alexandria on the 26th.

Yugoslav TBs DURMITOR and KAJMAKCALAN, after two operations off Bardia, were ordered to depart Mersa Matruh and return to Alexandria. The boats arrived on the 26th.

*Nth Atlantic*
USN CV WASP and CL SAVANNAH with DDs MEREDITH and GWIN departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol ending on 10 September at Bermuda.

*Central Atlantic*
T/A/Sub Lt (A) G. L. Stewart RNVR, was killed when his Walrus of 749 Squadron crashed in the West Indies near a town called Piarco. Two students, Leading Airman B. C. Hamilton, RNZNVR, and Leading Airman H. Hunt RNVR, were also killed.

Corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS arrived at Gibraltar, escorting British tanker CARDIUM from Curacao.

*Sth Atlantic*
On the 25th, the Argentinian govt finally acceded in part to their obligatins under the Pan American Neutrality agreements and seized the following Italian cargo vessels, at that time sheltering in their ports. They were all taken over by Argentina for their own use.

*MV AMABILITAS (FI 5245 grt)*, *MV CAPO ROSA (FI 4699 grt)*, *MV CASTELBIANCO (FI 4900 grt)*, *MV CERVINO (FI 4363 grt)*, *MV DANTE (FI 4901 grt)*, *MV FORTUNSTELLA (FI 4864 grt)*, *MV GIANFRANCO (FI 8181 grt)*, *MV INES CORRADO (FI 5159 grt)*, *MV MONTESANTO (FI 5850 grt)*, *MV MARISTELLA (FI 4872 grt)*, *MV PELORUM (FI 5314 grt)*, *MV PRINCIPESSA MARIA (FI 8918 grt)*, *MV TESEO (FI 4966 grt)*, *MV VALDARNO (FI 5696 grt)*, *MV VITTORIO VENETO (FI 4595 grt)*, *MV VOLUNTAS (FI 5597 grt*

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
_Operation Countenance_
Operation COUNTENANCE was the operation for the invasion and occupation of Iran. There were three naval operations and two ground forces operations in this plan. The name RAPIER was originally given to operations at Abadan and Korramshahr, but was not used. Operation BISHOP was the capture of the port and shipping at Bandar Shapur.

RAN AMC KANIMBLA, gunboat COCKCHAFER, sloop LAWRENCE, corvette SNAPDRAGON, MSW trawlers ARTHUR CAVANAGH and LILAC, Anglo Iranian Oil Company salvage tugs ST ATHAN and DELAVAR, R.A.F. Launch 20, and dhow DAIF were in BISHOP.

Sloop LAWRENCE seized *Gunboat CHAZBAAZ (Iran 350 grt)* and *Gunboat KARKAZ. (Iran 350 grt)*, sister vessels. These vessels were taken over by the Indian Navy and returned to Iran in 1945.




_Gunboat CHAZBAAZ (I think, it may well be her sister)_

*Steamer HOHENFELS (Ger 7862 tons)* was captured by a boarding party from KANIMBLA and renamed EMPIRE KEMAL. The steamer left Bandar Shahpur under tow for Karachi on 11 October.





_HOHENFELS under water at high tide. It had been grounded by Australian captors, crew of HMS Kanimbla, on 1941-08-25, being salvaged over a period of six weeks. The cargo of ilimenite sand was discharged on 1941-10-04 to 1941-10-06 and Hohenfels sailed in tow for Karachi on the 1941-10-08._

*Steamer MARIENFELS (Ger 7575 tons)* was captured by a boarding party from HMAS KANIMBLA and was renamed EMPIRE RANI. The steamer sailed for Karachi on 8 September.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer WILDENFELS (Ger 6224 tons)* was captured by a boarding party from KANIMBLA and was renamed EMPIRE RAJA. The steamer departed on 2 September for Karachi.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer STURMFELS (Ger 6288 tons)* was captured by corvette HMS SNAPDRAGON and was renamed EMPIRE KUMARI. The steamer sailed for Karachi on 5 September. She was torpedoed and lost in August 1942






*Steamer BARBARA (FI 3065 tons)* was set afire, but sloop LAWRENCE put a fire fighting unit aboard the steamer, assisted by ARTHUR CAVANAGH and DELAVAR. The steamer was renamed EMPIRE TAJ. The steamer departed Bandar Shahpur under of tow of SNAPDRAGON on 3 September 1941 for Karachi. At Chahbar on 9 September, Australian YARRA took over the tow and they arrived at Karachi on 13 September.






*Tanker BRONTE (FI 4769 tons)* was set afire by her crew, but was salved and renamed EMPIRE PERI. On 4 September, tanker BRONTE left Basra in tow of British sloop FALMOUTH for Karachi.





_Bandar Shapur waterway, Iran, 1941-08-25. HMS KANIMBLA (fully manned by an Australian crew, alongside the burning italian tanker BRONTE. the crew of BRONTE had set their ship on fire in an attempt to prevent it being captured but a salvage crew from KANIMBLA extinguished the blaze within eight hours._


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

25th AUGUST 1941 Cont'd
RED SEA (Cont'd)
*Steamer WEISSENFELS (Ger 7861 tons)* was scuttled and was beyond salvage.





See:
http://navyleague.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Navy-Vol_70_No_1-Jan-2008.pdf


*Steamer CABOTO (FI 5225 grt)* was scuttled to prevent her capture sloop LAWRENCE. The steamer had been set afire, but the fire was extinguished by LAWRENCE, ARTHUR CAVANAGH, and DELAVAR. The steamer was towed by sloop SHOREHAM to Karachi departing on 1 September.





_CABOTO on fire whilst tied up alongside in the in the Bandar Shapur waterway _

Gunboat COCKCHAFER captured a floating dock.

US steamers PUERTO RICO and ANNISTON CITY were at Bandar Shapur but were unharmed.

Operation MARMALADE was the destruction of Iranian Naval Forces at Khorramshahr at the junction of the Shatt Al-Arab and the Karun River. Sloops FALMOUTH and HMAS YARRA, Kenyan launch BALEEKA, and armed river tug SOURIYA operated at Khorranshahr.


YARRA sank *Gunboat BABR (Iran 950 grt)* at Khorranshahr in Operation MARMALADE and captured gunboats CHAROGH and SIMORGH, depot ship IVY, and tug NEYROU.





_Khorramshahr, Persian Gulf. 1941-08-21. H.MASs.YARRA is proceeding in company of HMS FALMOUTH to the entrance of Karun River on an operation planned to destroy or capture Iranian warships and the occupation and holding of the naval barracks situated on the left bank of the river. In the subsequent action the Iranian sloop BABR was destroyed and two other gunboats( the CHAZBAAZ and KARKAZ) captured. Ninety Iranians, including three officers, were taken prisoner and brought aboard YARRA. Picture shows karun river, with persian sloop "BABR" aground and burning and tugs and depot ship alongside naval base after capture by.YARRA_. _In the defense of the Iranian naval base, the Iranian Naval Commander in Chief Rear Admiral Bayendor was killed ashore_

*Steamer HILDA (FI 4901 tons)* was captured at Banda Addas on 27 August by RAN sloop YARRA. The ship was afire, but the fires were extinguished. The sloop towed her to Chahbar Bay before a salvage tug was required. The departed Chahbar Bay for Karachi under tow of the tug SYDNEY THUBRON on 8 September.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Operation CRACKLER was the capture of the oil refinery on the island of Abadan.

Armed yacht SEABELLE, sloop SHOREHAM, RIN Aux MSW LILAVATI, armed river steamers IHSAN and ZENOBIA, five Eureka motor boats, two motor dhows, and one motor launch were deployed against Abadan in CRACKLER. Sloop SHOREHAM sank Iranian gunboat PALANG.

The landing of troops at Abadan was Operation DEMON.

Operation MOPUP was successfully undertaken on 26 August to clear the Khazalabad area between Khorramshahr and Abadan.

Convoy BA.5 departed Bombay, escorted by AMC HECTOR and aux PVs DIPAVATI and SONAVATI. The patrol vessels were detached on the 26th. The convoy was dispersed on the 31st.

CL EMERALD arrived at Seychilles.
*Pacific/Australia*
CL DANAE arrived at Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 AUGUST TO DAWN 26 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.
_1600 hrs _A single enemy aircraft believed to be on photoreconnaissance crossed the Island at a great height; no interception was made.

_0306-0345 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy BR 20 aircraft which approach the Island and cross the coast singly, dropping hundreds of incendiary bombs near Birkirkara, Mosta, Naxxar and Madalena. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 25 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Taku_ sailed for Gibraltar and UK.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands on striking force patrols Lampedusa, Kerkennah, Misurat. Two Marylands on morning and evening patrols to relocate the Italian Fleet south of Sardinia. Photoreconnaissance east coast of Sicily and Calabrian coast, including aerodromes. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons sent in 3 waves to attack Tripoli dropped bombs and incendiaries causing fires and damage to buildings. 1 Wellington, pilot Sgt Gilbert, crashed on landing at Luqa. _105 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims sent to attack enemy shipping unable to locate target.


Halder's Diary 25 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

*26 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-505





Neutral
Gato Class Submarine USS SILVERSIDES (SS-236)





Auk Class MSW USS AUK (AM-57)





ELCO 77’ Class PT USS PT49
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS VANCOUVER (K-240)





Kiwi Class ASW Trawler HMNZS TUI (T-234)





MMS I Class Coastal MSW HMS MMS 80 (J-580)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Elco 77’ Class HMS MTB 307
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-46
St. Nazaire: U-552

At Sea 26 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-129, U-141, U-143, U-145, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-570, U-571, U-652, U-751, U-752

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
U-571 torpedoed the *depot ship MARIJA ULJANOVA (VMF 3870 grt),* causing the total loss of the ship. According to Russian sources, while the DD URITSKYI stood to the stricken vessel to try and save her, the Pre-WWI DD VALERIAN KUYBYSHEV dropped depth charges.U-571 was hit and suffered minor damaged with a leak from the conning tower hatch door.




_Photo of the DD VALERIAN KUYBYSHEV, the first VMF DD in Arctic to damage a U-Boat. _

German sources differ in details and state that at 0459 hrs the MARIJA ULJANOVA, escorted by DDs URITSKYI and VALERIAN KUYBYSHEV, was hit on the starboard side aft by one torpedo from U-571 27 miles north of Teriberskij lighthouse and hit by a coup de grace at 0502 hrs. Tghere is no mention of damage to U-571 in German records. However the German account does state U-571 was forced to dive and evade by the sustained depth charge attacks and was forced to return to port after that. After chasing away the U-boat with depth charges the VMF DDs returned and VALERIAN KUJBYSHEV picked up 14 survivors who had been blown overboard by the explosions.

Two hours after being hit about 11 metres from the stern of MARIJA ULJANOVA broke off, but the vessel remained afloat and was taken in tow by URITSKYI, later assisted by the Soviet salvage tug PAMYAT’ RUSLANA. The screen was reinforced at some point by VMF DDsGROMKYI and GREMIASKYI, one SKR patrol vessel and three MO SCs. LW a/c unsuccessfully attacked the ships twice, the Soviets claiming two a/c shot down. The next day, the badly damaged ship was beached at Teriberka and declared a total loss. She was later used as oil storage hulk and broken up after the end of the war.
*



*
_VMF Submarine depot ship. MARIJA ULJANOVA under her former name YAN RUDZUTAK_

*North Sea*
DD INTREPID arrived at Sheerness on the 28th to disembark ammunition. The DD then proceeded to refitting at London, arriving on the 29th. The DD departed Sheerness for Scapa Flow on 23 October after the refit.

DD TARTAR departed the Tyne and joined convoy FS.577 as additional AA protection to the Humber. The DD arrived at Sheerness on the 27th to disembark ammunition prior to going up river to refit. DD TARTAR arrived at London on the 28th for refitting which continued until 17 October.

*Northern Waters*
DD INTREPID departed Scapa Flow to join convoy ES.78 off May Island and act as additional escort to Sheerness

*West Coast*
CA LONDON departed the Clyde after boiler cleaning and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 27th.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE departed Alexandria escorting ML cruiser LATONA and DDs JERVIS, GRIFFIN, and HAVOCK in the seventh series of the TREACLE operation. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 27th.

CLA CARLISLE, having passed through the Canal on the 24th, arrived at Alexandria. DDs DECOY and HOTSPUR arrived at Alexandria from Haifa.

Submarine RORQUAL laid fifty mines off Skinari.

Sub Lt (A) G. B. Pudney (RN) was killed when his Hurricane of 806 Sqn was shot down ten miles north of Sidi Barrani.

The 166th Sth African Minesweeping Group, consisting of trawlers GRIBB, IMHOFF, SEKSERN, and TREERN, arrived at Suez. The trawlers were sent to Haifa to fit out.

*Nth Atlantic*
Canadian troop convoy TC.12B departed Halifax with British steamers DOMINION MONARCH, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, and STRATHDEN. The convoy was escorted on 26 and 27 August by DDs ANNAPOLIS and RICHMOND. On the 27th, DDs ASSINIBOINE, HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, RIPLEY, SAGUENAY, and ST.LAURENT joined the convoy and remained with it until its arrival on 1 September.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy ST.1 of four steamers departed Freetown. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 31st.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA HAWKINS arrived at Simonstown.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 AUGUST TO DAWN 27 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1705 hrs _15 Macchi 200 fighters are spotted circling 40-50miles north of the Island. 18 Hurricanes are scrambled and successfully intercept the raiders who are in three formations. One Macchi is destroyed and one probably destroyed. The Hurricane of Sgt J Maltby fails to return. An extensive search by Swordfish and Hurricanes finds no trace of his aircraft.

_2244-2326 hrs Raid no 826 _Air raid alert for two enemy BR 20 bombers which approach the Island from the north and cross the coast singly, dropping hundreds of incendiary bombs on the Dockyard Victualling Yard, Boiler Wharf and a nearby depot, as well as Vittoriosa, Marsa, Birkirkara and Hamrun. Most incendiaries were quickly dealt with before they had time to start fires. Hurricane fighters are scrambled. One bomber is illuminated by searchlights and turns away towards the south. Hurricanes follow and attack; the raider’s rear gunner returns fire but the bomber is badly damaged. The second is illuminated and heads away to the south west where it is engaged by Hurricanes and badly damaged. The first aircraft is seen to turn upside down and the second begins to lose height, smoking badly.


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

Halder's Diary 26 August 1941


----------



## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

*27 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
ELCO 77’ Class PT USS PT-76
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-202 sank *trawler LADYLOVE (UK 230 grt)* of the Icelandic coast. Her entire crew of 14 were lost. At 1435 hrs, U-202 fired one G7e torpedo at a trawler about 110 miles sth of Iceland and observed the vessel to sink within 15 seconds after being hit on the starboard side. This must have been the LADYLOVE which was reported missing from 30 August. 





_Convoy OS-4_
U-557 sank *MV EMBASSAGE (UK 4954 grt)* whilst on passage from Hull to Pepel via the Northern waters route. She was carrying a mixed cargo and a crew of 42, 39 of whom were to perish in the attack. At 0426 hrs the EMBASSAGE in convoy OS-4 was torpedoed and sunk by U-557 about 100 miles west of AchillIsland. Just 3 crew members were picked up after four days by HMCS ASSINBOINE (I-18) and landed at Greenock.





U-557 sank *MV SAUGOR (UK 6303 grt)* whilst on passage from London to Calcutta via Freetown, with a cargo of general stores and 28 a/c. She had a crew of 82, of whom 59 were to perish in the attack. Between 0125 and 0143 hrs, U-557 fired four single torpedoes at the convoy OS-4 west of Ireland and reported three ships sunk and another damaged which was hit after the torpedo had missed the intended target. In fact, only SEGUNDO and SAUGOR were hit and sunk. 52 crew members and seven gunners from the SAUGOR were lost. The master and 22 survivors were picked up by the British rescue ship PERTH and landed at Greenock the next day.





U-557 sank *MV SEGUNDO (Nor 4414 grt)* in the Western Approaches. She was on passage from Liverpool to Curacao, travelling empty with a crew of 34, 7 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. The details of the attack are that the SEGUNDO was struck on the port side at the #2 hold by a torpedo and sank by the bow within seven minutes. The crew stopped the engines and abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat and the port motor boat and by jumping overboard. After about 30 minutes, HMS LULWORTH picked up two men from rafts, then 23 survivors from the boats and after a couple of hours another two men hanging on to some debris. The master, five crew members and the female secretary Gudrun Torgersen (the wife of the first mate) were lost.

The first mate Arnt Olav Torgersen was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea. He jumped into the rough sea from a lifeboat in an attempt to rescue two men, but in spite of his desperate efforts they drifted away. He was not able to return to the boat and clung to a hatch cover until he was rescued by the sloop.





U-557 sank *MV TREMODA (UK 4736 grt)* in the Western Approaches, west of Ireland. The ship was on passage from London to Cameroons, via Duala carrying war stores when lost, with a crew of 53 aboard, 32 of whom would perish in the attack. At 0205 hrs the TREMODA in convoy OS-4 was torpedoed by U-557 west of AchillIsland and was last seen drifting the next day. The master, 25 crew members and six gunners were lost. 20 crew members and one gunner were picked up by FFL CHEVREUIL and landed at Kingston, Jamaica. 






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-504
Kirkenes: U-571
St. Nazaire: U-69

Departures
Trondheim: U-81

At Sea 27 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-129, U-141, U-143, U-145, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-652, U-751, U-752

40 Boats

*Type VIIC U-570 (DKM 765 grt)* was captured by RN and CC forces. On 27 August, U-570 spent much of the morning submerged. She had been four days at sea and this was to give respite to a crew that was suffering acutely from sea sickness (several had been incapacitated). Earlier that morning, she had been attacked by a RAF CC Hudson of 269 sqn flown by Sgt Mitchell and operating from Iceland. The Hudson's bomb-racks failed to release its DCs during the attack.

The U-boat surfaced at around 1050 hrs immediately below a second 269 Sqn Hudson. Flown by Squadron Leader James Thompson, it was patrolling the area after being summoned by radio by Mitchell. The U-Boat skipper, (Rahmlow), who had climbed out onto the bridge, heard the approaching Hudson's engines and ordered a crash-dive. Thompson's aircraft reached the submarine before she was fully submerged and dropped its four 250-lb DCs—one detonated just 10 yards from the U-boat.

The U-boat quickly resurfaced and around ten of the crew emerged. The Hudson fired on them with mgs, but ceased when the U-boat crew displayed a whits sheet in surrender. An account of what happened was given to British naval intelligence interrogators by the captured crew members—the DC explosions had almost rolled the boat over, knocked out all electrical power, smashed instruments, caused water leaks and contaminated the air on the boat. The inexperienced crew believed the contamination to be chlorine caused by acid from leaking battery cells mixing with sea-water, and the engine-compartment crew panicked and fled forward to escape the gas. Restoring electrical power—for the underwater electric motors and for lighting—would have been straightforward, yet there was nobody remaining in the engine compartment to do this. The submarine was dead in the water and in darkness. Rahmlow believed the chlorine would make it fatal to stay submerged so he resurfaced. The sea was too rough for the crew to man their anti-aircraft gun so they displayed a white flag to forestall another, probably fatal, depth charge attack from the Hudson—they were unaware the aircraft had dropped all its depth-charges.

Most of the crew remained on the deck of the submarine as Thompson circled above them, his a/c now joined by a second Hudson that had been en route from Scotland to Iceland and had broken off its journey to lend assistance. A radio request for help resulted in a PBY Catalina of 209 sqn being scrambled at Reykjavik; it reached the scene three hours later. The German crew radioed their situation to the German naval high-command, destroyed their radio, smashed their Enigma Machine and dumped its parts overboard along with the boat's secret papers. Dönitz ordered U-boats in the area to go to the aid of U-570 after receiving this report and the U-82 responded, but was prevented from reaching U-570 by Allied air patrols.

U-570’s transmission was in plain language and it was intercepted by the British. Adm Percy Noble, commander of Western Approcahes Cmd, immediately ordered ships to race to the scene.] By early afternoon, fuel levels had forced both Hudsons to return to Iceland. The Catalina, a very long-range aircraft, was ordered to watch the submarine until Allied ships arrived. If none came before sunset, the aircraft was ordered to signal (with aldis lamp) U-570’s crew to take to the water, then sink the submarine. The first vessel to reach the U-boat was ASW trawler HMS NORTHERN CHIEF which arrived around 10pm, and was guided to the scene by flares dropped by the Catalina. The aircraft then returned to Iceland after circling the U-570 for 13 hrs.

The German crew remained on board U-570

Overnight; they made no attempt to scuttle their boat as NORTHERN CHIEF had signalled she would open fire and not rescue survivors from the water if they did this (The trawler’s captain, N.L. Knight, had been ordered to prevent the submarine from being scuttled by any means). During the night, five more Allied vessels reached the scene, the ASW trawler KINGSTON AGATE, two ASW whalers, RN DD HMS BURWELL and RCN DD HMCS NIAGARA

At daybreak, there were a series of messages by Aldis Lamp between the Allies and Germans, with the Germans repeatedly requesting to be taken off as they were unable to stay afloat, and the British refusing to evacuate them until they secured the submarine and stopped it from sinking—the British were concerned that the Germans would deliberately leave behind them a sinking U-boat if they were evacuated. The situation became more confused when a small float-plane (a Northrop N-3PB of 330 (Nor) sqn) appeared. Unaware of the surrender, it attacked U-570 with small bombs and fired on the NORTHERN CHIEF (which returned fire). No damage was done and BURWELL ordered the aircraft away by radio.

The weather worsened; several attempts to attach a tow-line to the U-boat were unsuccessful. Believing the Germans were being obstructive, BURWELL’s captain, S.R.J. Woodsordered warning shots to be fired with a machine gun, but five of the German crew were accidentally hit and slightly wounded. With much difficulty, an officer and three sailors from the trawler HMS KINGSTON AGATE reached the U-Boat using a Carley Float. After a quick search failed to find the U-boat's Enigma machine, they attached a tow line and carried out the transfer of the five wounded men and the U-Boat’s officers to the KINGSTON AGATE. The remaining crew were taken on board HMCS NIAGARA, which by this time had come alongside the U-boat.

The ships began slowly sailing to Iceland with U-570 under tow, and with a relay of Hudsons and Catalinas constantly patrolling overhead. They arrived at dawn on 29 August. There, the submarine was beached as she had been taking on water and was thought to be in danger of sinking.




_U-570 with an RN ASW Trawler standing to, photographed from a circling RAF Catalina_

There were definately no US warships involved in the capture of U-570.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*

*East Front*
Arctic
U-752 sank *Trawler RT-8 SELD (SU 608 grt)*; in the Archangel fishing banks nth of the port, with all of the crew lost. At 1210 hrs, u-752 fired one G7e torpedo at a patrol vessel off Cape Kanin Nos and observed how the ship disappeared in an explosion after being hit aft of the funnel after 1 minute 37 seconds. The ship sunk must have been the fishing trawler rt-8 SELD which had left port in late August 1941 and was reported missing in October 1941 after she failed to return.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
CLA EURYALUS and DD PUCKERIDGE departed Scapa Flow at 0100 to join BB MALAYA and DD PUNJABI off MayIsland and escort the BB to Scapa Flow.

*Northern Waters*
DD LIVELY departed Scapa Flow for Greenock having completed her work up. The DD arrived on the 28th.

*West Coast*
ON.10 departed Liverpool. The convoy was joined on the 29th by DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA and DIANELLA, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and MAN O.WAR. On 1 September, the convoy was joined by corvettes DIANTHUS, HONEYSUCKLE, and SNOWBERRY. DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, SABRE, and SHIKARI were detached on that date. On 2 September, DD NIAGARA and corvettes ALYSSE, CELANDINE, and COLLINGWOOD joined. These escorts, less DIANTHUS, were detached on 10 September. The convoy was dispersed on 11 September and the corvette was detached.

*Western Approaches*
Canadian T/Lt C. A. Keefer RCNVR, of escort vessel LULWORTH, drowned rescuing a passenger from Norwegian steamer INGRIA. Both ships were in convoy OS.4.. Keefer was awarded the Albert Medal.

*Med/Biscay*
CLAs NAIAD, PHOEBE, CL GALATEA, departed Alexandria covering ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs KIPLING, KINGSTON, and HOTSPUR in the eighth series of the TREACLE operation (rotation of army formations defending Tobruk). PHOEBE was torpedoed by RA a/c in a twilight attack at 2145 on the 27th, 100 miles NE of Tobruk.

The light cruiser reported eight ratings killed. DDs JERVIS, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, and HASTY departed Alexandria to escort the damage ship. PHOEBE was able to proceed to Alexandria under her own power. ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs KIPLING, KINGSTON, and HOTSPUR returned to Alexandria from Tobruk, independently, arriving on the 28th. The CLA after temporary repairs was sent to the USA for permanent repairs. She was undocked at Alexandria on 9 October and passed through the Suez Canal on 13 October. On 26 October, the cruiser arrived at Durban from Mombasa and departed on 28 October for Simonstown. PHOEBE was under repair at New York Navy Yard from 20 November to 15 April 1942.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said for Famagusta with Motor transport ship SALAMAUA of Serial 24, the last of the GUILLOTINE operations. The ships, plus steamer RODI, arrived at Famagusta on the 29th. The sloop returned to Alexandria.

*Whaler SKUDD III (RN 245 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Tobruk. T/Midshipman J. T. Bloxham RNR, and two ratings were killed. T/Sub Lt E. R. Swift RNVR, died of wounds. Two ratings were missing and six ratings were wounded.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

An Italian convoy of steamers ERNESTO, AQUITANIA, COL DI LANA, and POZARICA departed Naples on the 26th for Tripoli escorted by DDs ORIANI and EURO and TBs PROCIONE, ORSA, and CLIO. TB PEGASO joined at Trapani. 

Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked steamer POZARICAoff Marettimo.

On the 27th, Submarine URGE torpedoed steamer AQUITANIA. The steamer and TB ORSA arrived at Trapani on the 27th. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 29th.

Submarine URGE was not damaged by heavy counterattacks by TB CLIO.

Submarine TRIUMPH captured, then sank a small fishing vessel off the FurianoRiver.

Dutch submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the South Tyrrhenian Sea.

Submarine UPHOLDER arrived at Malta from patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CA EXETER departed Aden, escorting troopship MAURETANIA, and arrived at Durban on 2 September.

*Malta*
MALTA GARRISON AUGUST 1941
Malta Tank Troop

Malta Signal Company
HQ Fixed Defences
HQ Royal Artillery (RA): 4 Coast Regt RA, 17 Defence Regt RA, 12 Defence Regt RA, 1 Coast Regt Royal Malta Artillery (RMA), 26 Defence Regt, 12 GOR, 12 AADC HQ
7 Light Ack Ack Brigade (LAA): 32 LAA Regt RA, 74 LAA Regt RA, 3 LAA Regt RMA, 4 Searchlight Regt RA/RMA
10 Ack Ack Brigade (AA): 2 Heavy Ack Ack (HAA) Regt RMA, 4 HAA Regt RA, 7 HAA Regt RA, 10 HAA Regt RA, 11 HAA Regt RMA
Royal Engineers (RE): HQ Fortress RE, 24 Fortress Coy RE, Bomb Disposal Section RE, No 1 Works Coy RE (Malta Territorial Force), No 2 Works Coy RE (Malta Territorial Force), 173 Tunnelling Coy RE, Works Services
Northern Infantry Brigade: 4th Bn the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regt), 8th Bn Manchester Regt, 2nd Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1st Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment, 2nd Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment
Southern Infantry Brigade: 1st Bn Hampshire Regt, 2nd Bn Devonshire Regt, 1st Bn Dorsetshire Regt, 3rdBn Kings Own Malta Regt, 8th Bn Kings Own Royal Regt
Central Infantry Brigade: 11th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers, 1st Bn Cheshire Regt, 2nd Bn Royal West Kent Regt
Royal Army Medical Corps: 30 Coy 90 General Hospital, No 45 General Hospital, 15 Field Ambulance, 161 Field Ambulance, 57 Fd Hygiene Section, Convalescent Depot, Medical Stores
Royal Army Ordnance Corps: LAD Det (12 Fd Regt RA), 2 Ordnance Depots, 2 Ordnance MT Sub-Depots, 1 Ordnance Ammunition Depot and Sub-Depot, 2 Ordnance Workshops
Other: RA CH D (7CE, 6RC), 72 Det Royal Army Pay Corps, Army Dental Corps, QAIMNS, CMP, RTD, Kings Own Malta Regiment Static Group

AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 AUGUST TO DAWN 28 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

_2305 hrs _The sound of engines is heard off Gozo.

_2355 hrs_ 8th Bn Manchester Regiment is ordered to ‘stands to’ at Gozo beach defence posts. Reports are received on Malta that a number of enemy motor torpedo boats are in the vicinity of the Island. Malta beach posts are ordered to ‘Stand to’.

_0145 hrs _Orders are issued to all posts firing over GrandHarbour to be ready for ‘Stand to’.

_0245 hrs _Central Infantry Brigade orders coastal defence posts surrounding GrandHarbour and MarsamxettoHarbour to be manned.

_0330 hrs _All posts are now manned.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 27 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Upholder_ returned from patrol off Marittimo, having sunk a ship thought to be Italian Fleet Auxiliary _Tarvisio_, a 2000 ton merchant vessel, and obtained an extremely doubtful hit on a cruiser.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Marittimo-Pantelleria, shipping patrol south of Lampedusa and photoreconnaissance of Comiso, Gerbini and Catania. _105 Squadron_ 5 Blenheims sent on a special sweep of Ionian Sea. 

_HAL FAR 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _9 Swordfish attacked a convoy 37 miles north west of Lampedusa. Due to cloud cover only one torpedo was released hitting a merchant ship. One Swordfish crashed on take-off; crew safe.


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

Halder's Diary 27 August 1941


----------



## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

*28 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-352





Type VIIc DKM U-585
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIc DKM U-754





Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS BEAUMARIS (J-07)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARSTOKE (Z-32)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-554 sank *MV OTAIO (UK 10298 grt)* in the Western Approaches whilst the the ship was on passage Liverpool to Sydney (Australia) via Curacao. The ship was carrying a mixed cargo, with a crew of 71, 13 of whom were to perish in the attack. At 1641 hrs the OTAIO in convoy OS-4 was torpedoed and sunk by U-558 about 330 miles NW of Fastnet Rock. Twelve crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 53 crew members and four gunners were picked up by DD HMS VANOC and landed at Liverpool.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Oxhöft: U-145

Departures
Helsingör: U-137
Kirkenes: U-571
Lorient, France: U-66
Stormelö: U-139, U-142
Trondheim: U-85

At Sea 28 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-129, U-139, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-652, U-751, U-752

45 boats

At 0303 hrs, west of Ireland: U-101 was forced to dive by a DD while operating against convoy OS-4. Several escorts then dropped a total of 30 DCs on the boat during a series of attacks that lasted three hours. The attacks were accurate, but the boat survived, with a damaged periscope. She was unable to make contact with the convoy.

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
Soviet gunboats BK-213 and BK-214 raided the Finnish coast and intercepted a convoy of Finnish motorboats towing pontoons. Soviet commanders decided to not open gunfire, to not alert Finnish patrol boats, and the pair started a series of "taran" (ramming) attacks. In a short time, 4 Finnish motorboats were sunk alongside 2 pontoons, while other 2 pontoons were destroyed. Finnish sources confirm such losses (Soviets actually claimed a bit more: 10 targets sunk), and they suffered 3 killed and 4 wounded.

_The VMF evacuation of Tallinnin_
The Soviet evacuation of Tallinnin, also called Tallinnin disaster or Russian Dunkirk, was a Soviet operation to evacuate the 190 ships of the Baltic Fleet and a large number of Red Army troops and technical personel the fleet's encircled main base of Tallinnin during August 1941. It was a success, but a very costly operation

German forces advanced rapidly through the Baltic States, and by the end of August the Estonian capital of Tallinnin was surrounded, while a large part of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet was bottled up in Tallinnin harbour.
In expectation of a Soviet breakout, DKM and the Finnish Navy carried out intensive minelaying activity from 8 August 1941 off Cape Juminda on what is known as the Lahemaa coast. While VMF MSWs tried to clear a path for retreating Soviet naval forces through the minefields, German coastal artillery installed a battery of 150 mm (5.9 in) guns near Cape Juminda and the Finnish navy gathered their 2nd MTB Flotilla with VMV9, VMV10, VMV11 and VMV17. At the same time the German 3. Schnellbootflottille with S-26, S-27, S-39, S-40 and S-101 was concentrated at Suomenlinna near Helsinki and a full gruppen of Ju88s from KG 806 based on airfields in Estonia were put on alert. On 19 August the final German assault on Tallinn began.

During the night of 27/28 August 1941 the Soviet defences, centres on their 10th Rifles Corps disengaged from the enemy and boarded transports in Tallinnin.

The embarkation was protected by smoke screens, however, the mine-sweeping in the days before the evacuation began was ineffective due to bad weather, and there were no Soviet a/c available for protecting the embarkation. This, together with heavy German shelling and aerial bombardment killed at least 1,000 of the evacuees in the harbor.

Twenty large transports, eight auxiliary ships, nine small transports, a tanker, a tug, and a tender were organized into four convoys, protected by the VMF KIROV, with Admiral Vladimir Tribuits on board, two Leningrad class leaders , 9 DDs (some modern), three TBs, 12 subs, ten modern and fifteen obsolete minehunters, 22 MSWs, 21 SCs, three gun boats, a ML, 13 PVs and 11 MTBs.

The armada started to move out at 2200 on the evening of 27 August. Five ships were sunk on 28 August by LW Ju88s. At 1600, 28 August, the first ship approached the heavily mined waters off Cape Juminda. The first ship to hit a mine and sink was the steamer ELLA, and a few moments after her, several other ships hit mines, while German bombers and Finnish coastal artillery opened fire. In the attempt to force the passage the Soviet Navy lost five DDs, two TBs, a PV, three minehunters, three submarines, two gun boats, two smaller warships and fifteen transports. Two DDs, a flotilla leader, a minehunter, and a transport were also damaged.

Later that evening the armada was attacked by Finnish and German torpedo boats, and the chaotic situation made organized mine sweeping impossible. Darkness fell at 2200 and the Soviet armada stopped and anchored at midnight in the heavily mined water.

Early on 29 August Ju 88 bombers again attacked the remains of the convoys off Suursaari, sinking two transports. Meanwhile, the undamaged ships made best speed to reach the safety of the Kronstadt naval base near Leningradwhich was heavily protected by shore based coastall artillery and AA. The heavily damaged merchant ship KAZAKHSTAN disembarked 2300 men of the 5000 on board before steaming on to Kronstadt. In the following days ships operating from Suursaari rescued 12,160 survivors.

Despite heavy losses , the VMF evacuation of Tallinn was a success , evacuating 165 ships, 28,000 civilaians,, and about the same number of troops, 66,000 tons of equipment. . However, at least 12,400 are thought to have drowned in circumstances little known outside the former Soviet Union. The event was long downplayed by the Communist regime after the war. The evacuation may have been the bloodiest naval disaster since the Battle Of Lepanto

Summary of known losses
*Icebreaker KRISJANIS VALDEMARS (Ex-Latvian 1932 grt)*,





*Izyaslav Class DD KALININ (VMF 1260 grt)* was mined and sunk off Cape Juminda.






*Orfrey Class DD ARTEM (VMF 1310 grt)*, modified Novik and Derzkhi class WWI DDs





*Novik Class DD VOLADARSKI (VMF 1260 grt)* a WWI era DD
NO IMAGE FOUND]


*Storozhevoi Class DD SKORYI (VMF 2192 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Uragan Class Guardship SNEG (VMF 450 grt)*





*Uragan Class Guardship TSKLON (VMF 450 grt)*






*Gunboat I-8 (VMF 33 grt)* 28 August 1941, off Cape Juminda





_(Near sister class I-124 Class armoured gunboats)_


*MSW No. 71 (VMF 150 grt)* - 28 August 1941, off Cape Juminda
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW No. 42 (VMF 150 grt)* - 28 August 1941, off Cape Juminda
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Uragan class Guard ship SATURN (VMF 450 grt)* (possibly the CIKLON)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MO-4 Class SC MO 202 (VMF 50 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*TK Type “MTB” TK 103 (VMF 32 grt)* actually a PV as no torps carried
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Serie IX Bis Class Sub S-5 (VMF 856 grt) *




_Serie IX class leader S-1, a sister to the Serie IX Bis Sub S-5 _


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

*28 AUGUST 1941 (Cont'd)
OPERATIONS (CONT'D)
East Front (Cont'd)*
Baltic(Cont'd)
*Series III Class Sub ShCh-301 (VMF 578 grt)* was lost 28 Aug 1941to a mine.






*MV JARVAMAA (SU 1363 grt)* The Russian controlled Estonian steamship JARVAMAA was mined by the Finns and sank 10 miles E of Hogland Island, Finland on the 28th August 1941




_(Note this list is very incomplete. At least 25 merchant ships were sunk, some may have been previously mentioned)._

VMF CL KIROV was damaged by the LW at Tallinn.

VMF DDs LENINGRAD and MINSK were badly damaged in minings off Tallinn.

*Northern Waters*
DD PUCKERIDGE embarked the First Lord of the Admiralty and transported him to Scrabster. The destroyer returned to Scapa Flow later the same day.

*West Coast*
British tanker DONOVANIA was damaged by the LW three miles 208° from St Ann's Head. The steamer proceeded to Milford Haven. One crewman was killed on the tanker.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE departed Alexandria escorting ML cruiser LATONA and DDs NAPIER, JACKAL, and DECOY in the ninth series of the TREACLE operation. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 29th.

Submarine RORQUAL sank *steamer CILICIA (FI 2747 grt)* off Morea (off the south coast of Greece). Escorting torpedo boat ANTARES rammed the submarine and damaged her periscope.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked an Italian submarine north of Sicily.

Submarine UTMOST unsuccessfully attacked a steamer east of Calabria.

Dutch submarine O.24 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Gulf of Genoa

*Nth Atlantic*
CVE USS LONG ISLAND, CL NASHVILLE, and DDs LIVERMORE and KEARNY departed Bermuda on neutrality patrol. The patrol concluded at Bermuda on 9 September.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 AUGUST TO DAWN 29 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

_0625 hrs _Troops on beach defence posts are ordered to ‘Stand down’.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 28 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _3 Blenheim, 2 Hurricane, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron_Maryland searches of Ionian Sea, photoreconnaissance of Tripoli and patrols eastern Sicilian and east Calabrian coasts. F/O Warburton dropped two 40lb bombs on buildings 10 miles west of Homs scoring direct hits and two more on barrack blocks south of Homs scoring a direct hit. _105 Squadron_ 5 Blenheims sent to attack merchant ships scoring several hits.

Halder's Diary 28 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

*29 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMNoS EGLANTINE (K-197)





Fairmile B ML 280
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-137
Lorient:U-67

At Sea 29 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-129, U-139, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-652, U-751, U-752

45 boats

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
BC REPULSE, CL SHEFFIELD, and DDs LIGHTNING, BADSWORTH, and VIVACIOUS departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde. The BC and CL were required for escort duties with convoy WS.11. The ships arrived in the Clyde in the forenoon of the 30th. The DDs returned to Scapa Flow, arriving just after sunrise on the 31st.

DD LAFOREY arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

*West Coast*
DD ST.MARYS was damaged in a collision with troopship ROYAL ULSTERMAN in convoy SD 10 off the west coast of Scotland. The DD proceeded to Greenock for temporary repairs, then proceeded to Liverpool, arriving on 2 September. The DD was repaired at Liverpool, completing on 15 December.

*SW Approaches*
OG.73 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs CAMPBELTOWN, ST.ALBANS,WANDERER, and WESTCOTT, sloop FOWEY, corvettes GENTIAN, JASMIN, MYOSOTIS, PERIWINKLE, and STONECROP, AA ship SPRINGBANK, and ocean boarding vessel HILARY. The ocean boarding vessel was detached that night.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs GRIFFIN and HAVOCK departed Alexandria for Tobruk in the tenth and final series of the TREACLE operation. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 30th.

DDs KINGSTON and HASTY departed Alexandria for Beirut.

An Italian convoy of troopships NEPTUNIA, OCEANIA, and VICTORIA, escorted by DDs AVIERE, DA NOLI, CAMICIA NERA, GIOBERTI, USODIMARE, and PESSAGNO, departed Naples for Tripoli. Submarine URGE made an unsuccessful attack on VICTORIA off Capri. Submarines UPHOLDER and URSULA departed Malta to intercept a convoy east of Tripoli.

DDs VIMY, VIDETTE, and WILD SWAN, corvettes CAMPANULA, WALLFLOWER, CAMPION, and HYDRANGEA, and motor launches ML.170 and ML.172 departed Gibraltar to patrol in the Straits of Gibraltar to intercept any U-boat attempting passage

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.147 departed Halifax escorted by AMC LACONIA and corvettes GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and WETASKIWIN. DD COLUMBIA joined on 2 September. On 8 September, the corvettes were detached when relieved by DDs AMAZON, BELMONT and BULLDOG, corvettes ACONIT, AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, and NIGELLA, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN, NORTHERN WAVE, and ST.APOLLO. DD COLUMBIA was detached on 8 September. On 11 September, DDs AMAZON, BELMONT, and BULLDOG and corvette ACONIT were detached. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 September.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Auckland and met British steamer RIMUTAKA off Cape Palliser. The steamer was escorted to 250 miles SE of Chatham Island. On 2 September, the steamer was detached and the CL escorted another steamer that it met back to Wellington.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 AUGUST TO DAWN 30 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

_1300 hrs _Six enemy raiders are reported leaving the Sicilian coast. Malta fighters are scrambled but there is no interception.

_1728-1740 hrs _Air raid alert for 12 enemy aircraft which approach from the north. Six cross the coast over St Paul’s Bay at great height, then recede without dropping any bombs. 20 Malta fighters are scrambled but there is no combat.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Upholder_ and _Ursula_ brought to short notice and sailed to intercept convoy east of Tripoli.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Bombay. _Departures _2 Blenheim, 1 Bombay. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli, patrols of Cape Bon and western Sicily and photoreconnaissance Sicilian coast. Two 40lb bombs are dropped on land west of Lampedusa harbour. _38 Squadron _15 Wellingtons despatched to attack shipping and specified targets in Tripoli hitting vessels and buildings and causing damage and several fires. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 9 Swordfish sent to attack a convoy of 6 destroyers and 3 merchant vessels south of Cape Spartivento. Owing to an effective smoke screen only one hit was scored on an 8000 ton merchant vessel. Two Hurricanes returning from a special patrol see a small schooner a mile offshore at Pozzello and dive to attack; no damage caused. 

_HAL FAR _2 Fulmars patrolled over Comiso, Gerbini and Catania, dropping two bombs on Gerbini and machine-gunning a control building.


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## parsifal (Aug 28, 2016)

Halder's Diary 29 August 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 28, 2016)

*August 28 Thursday*
*ASIA: “*_Tenryu_” was assigned to Truk, Caroline Islands to join Cruiser Division 18 of Japanese 4th Fleet. Captain Mitsutaro Goto was named her new commanding officer.

“_Tatsuta Maru_” departed Kobe, Japan. Among the passengers were 349 Jewish refugees.

Tokyo reassures United States it will not use military force against its neighbors. Japan requests talks with the US, indicating its desire for peace, and declared Japan;


> “..offers broad assurances of its peaceful intent, including a comprehensive assurance that the Japanese Government has no intention of using without provocations military force against any neighboring nation”.



*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarines U-101 and U-558 attacked Allied convoy OS-4 330 miles west of Ireland; U-558 sank British merchant ship “_Otaio_” (13 were killed, 58 survived); U-101's attack was unsuccessful and invited a 3-hour counterattack by 30 depth charges which caused little damage.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Stavka disbands Voroshilov's Northwestern Theater headquarters.

Heeresgruppe Nord: With the German XLII Corps entering the Estonian capital Tallinn, Soviet “Red Banner” Baltic Fleet leaves port, heading 200 miles East through Gulf of Finland for Kronstadt near Leningrad. 200 vessels carrying Soviet 10th Rifle Corps sail in 7 groups starting at 1118 hours. Several convoys attempt to get through to Kronstadt, but incur heavy losses to mines and air attacks. At 1600 hours, Soviet ships become trapped in German/Finnish minefields off Cape Juminda, and it was soon targeted by shore-based artillery, German aircraft, and German and Finnish torpedo boats. Almost all the transports and many of the escort vessels from the Baltic fleet are sunk. Soviet submarines S-5 and Shch-301 of the Baltic Fleet are mined off Cape Juminda and sink in the Gulf of Finland. The main battlefleet with cruiser “_Kirov_”, under the command of Vice-Admiral Vladimir Tributs, is the last to depart at 1452 hours. German Ju88 bombers attack immediately. Soviet destroyers “_Artyom_”, “_Kalinin_”, “_Volodarsky_”, “_Yakov Sverdlov_” are all sunk by mines. The Izyaslav-class destroyer “_Kalinin_”, Soobrazitelnyy-class destroyer “_Skoryi_”, Orfey-class destroyer “_Volodarski_” and Novik-class destroyer “_Yakov Sverdlov_” were all among the Soviet ships that sank in the Baltic Sea during the evacuation. A total of 15 warships and submarines and 15 transports ships are sunk (12,000 lives lost). Soviet ships anchor overnight, unable to proceed through the minefield.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe repulses Soviet counterattacks in Velikiye Luki sector.

General Halder recorded in his diary: the panzer divisions in Army Group Center’s 2.Panzergruppe and 3.Panzergruppe were operating with average daily tank strengths of 45 percent, with 7.Panzer-Divisionen the lowest at only 24 percent strength.

Heeresgruppe Süd: Rundstedt orders Kleist's 1.Panzergruppe and the 6.Armee and 17.Armee to cross the Dnepr in as many places possible. Axis troops launched a renewed offensive against Odessa, Ukraine. The Soviet NKVD blew up Zaporozhye hydroelectric dam, which provided power to much of the industrial cities of the lower Dnepr, in the Ukraine. Thousands of civilians who resided downstream were killed by the flooding. One of the great symbols of Soviet modernization is utterly destroyed to prevent the Germans from using it.


> "Employ the Briansk and Reserve Fronts' air forces, the 1st Reserve Aviation Group, and no fewer than 100 DB-3 aircraft for the operation to destroy the enemy tank group. In all, 450 combat aircraft must participate in the operation. The operation will begin at dawn on 29 August or 30 August and will be completed by day's end on 31 August 1941." - Stavka orders to Eremenko after his first attempt at a counterstroke fails.



The killing of 23,600 Hungarian Jews begins at Kamianets-Podilskyi (southwest of Kiev) as their nation refuses German demands to repatriate the deported citizens. the SS marches the Hungarian Jews to bomb craters at Kamianets-Podilskyi, orders them to undress, and then machine-guns them. Those who didn’t die from the gunfire are buried alive under the weight of corpses that piled atop them. Tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews had been expelled from Hungary and had migrated to the Ukraine. The German authorities tried sending them back, but Hungary would not take them. That is when SS General Franz Jaeckeln vowed to deal with the influx of refugees by the “complete liquidation of those Jews by September 1.” The Kamianets-Podilskyi massacre ended with a total of 23,600 Jews killed.

At Kedainiai in Lithuania, over 2,000 Jews are driven into a ditch and shot dead. A Jewish butcher resists by inflicting a fatal bite upon the throat of one of the Einsatzkommando soldiers. The butcher and the other Jews are immediately shot.

Joseph Stalin issued a formal Decree of Banishment abolishing the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and, fearing they could act as German spies, exiling all Volga Germans to the Kazakh SSR and Siberia. Many were interned in labor camps merely due to their heritage.

Hitler and Mussolini visit an Italian unit on the Russian Front. During the flight from Uman to Lvov carrying Hitler, Mussolini, Himmler, Ribbentrop and others, Mussolini asked to pilot the aircraft himself. Hitler was so surprised that he said nothing and managed only an awkward smile. Since no one was willing to voice an objection, Mussolini took the controls and flew the plane himself for over an hour while everyone else on board was made extremely nervous. Hitler eventually returns to his Wolfsschanze headquarters in East Prussia.

*GERMANY*: British prisoner of war Lieutenant Airey Neave attempted to escape the Oflag IV-C camp at Colditz Castle in Germany with a fake German guard uniform; he was spotted near the front gate and captured.

The decree promulgated by Nazi Gauleiter Adolf Wagner forbidding Catholic prayers and Crucifixes from all Bavarian schools in April 1941 was officially rescinded today per order of Adolf Hitler after mass demonstrations by Bavarian mothers who threatened to remove their children from the schools, and a determined stance from the pulpit by Archbishop of Munich-Freising, Cardinal Michael von Faulhaber. The protesters were not punished.

RAF Bomber Command sends 118 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British Submarine HMS “_Rorqual_” sank Italian ship “_Cilicia_” 130 miles west of Crete, Greece. Italian torpedo boat “_Antares_” counterattacked by ramming the submarine, damaging the periscope.

A landing party from HMS “_Triumph_” demolishes an important railway bridge near Carsonia, Sicily.

*MIDDLE EAST*: With the Indian 18th Infantry Brigade and 25th Infantry Brigade attacking Ahwaz, a new government headed by Mohammad Ali Foroughi takes office and declares a ceasefire. Foroughi signed a treaty allowing the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union to occupy oil fields and the Trans-Iranian Railway in Iran, as well as closing down German, Italian, Hungarian, and Romanian legations in Tehran. However, he refused to allow British and Soviet troops in the capital city. The Iranian Premier orders his forces to stop their resistance to the Anglo-Soviet invasion.

*NORTH AFRICA*: On his first combat mission after returning from home leave to recover from dysentery, Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a South African Air Force Hurricane fighter flown by Lieutenant V. F. Williams; it was his 14th kill.

The Australian 18th Brigade continues to leave Tobruk, with the remainder of the 9th AIF Division leaving in September and October. Tobruk was warned that the moon would soon be coming up and that all destroyer operations would end, for the time.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The final P-43 Lancer fighter delivery was made to the United States Army.

Chesty Puller returns from duty in China to take command of 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull meet with the Japanese Ambassador, Nomura Kichisaburo at Nomura’s request. Nomura hands the President a communication from the Prince Premier of Japan requesting a meeting between the two. Roosevelt states that it would be difficult and time consuming for him to travel to a meeting in the Territory of Hawaii and suggests a possible alternative, Juneau, Territory of Alaska. The only point raised by Nomura is that the conversation be held as early as possible. Nomura then hands the President another note which states that Japan desires “to pursue courses of peace in harmony with the fundamental principles to which the people and Government of the United States are commuted.” At the conclusion of the reading of the communication, the President said to the Ambassador that he could say to his Government that he considered this note a step forward and that he was very hopeful. He then added that he would be keenly interested in having three or four days with Prince Konoye, and again he mentioned Juneau.

In Washington, President Franklin Roosevelt signs an executive order establishing the Office of Price Administration (OPA). The new government agency is charged with controlling consumer prices in the face of war. OPA initially imposed rent controls and a rationing program which initially targeted auto tires. Once the U.S. entered the war, the agency began issuing coupon books for sugar, coffee, meat, fats, oils, and numerous other items. Though goods were in tight supply, Americans were urged to stick to the system of rationing. The agency’s record of service during the war was fairly impressive: by VJ Day, consumer prices had increased by 31 percent, a number which was noticeably better than the 62 percent bloating of prices during World War I.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* Australian Prime Minister Robert Menzies resigns as the leader of the United Australia Party (UAP) and as Prime Minister. He is replaced by Country Part leader A.W. Fadden. Menzies had formed a coalition government before the war but victories by the Labour Party in the September 1940 election had severely weakened the coalition forcing him to resign. Under pressure from his political opposition he demands the relief of the 9th Australian Division from Tobruk in Libya.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations and sweeps. 18 British Blenheim bombers attacked German targets at Rotterdam, the Netherlands. 7 bombers were shot down. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Ostend and Dunkirk overnight.

Three Resistance members are guillotined under the new anti-terrorist laws.

.


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## Njaco (Aug 28, 2016)

*August 29 Friday*
*ASIA: *Franco-Laotian Treaty of Protectorate signed by Vichy French Admiral Jean Decoux, Governor General of Indochina and King Sisavang Vong of Louangphrabang attaches the provinces of Vientiane, Xiangkhoang and Louang Namtha to the King’s domain recompensing the loss of Lao territories to Thailand and normalizing Laos’ status as a protectorate of Vichy.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: German divisions fighting in the Soviet Union and sustaining steady losses were surprised and delighted to accept a continuous stream of civilians and surrendered Soviet troops offering their services, and soon these men were unofficially employed as manual labour in all units and, in emergencies, as combat reinforcements. The Germans organized the first volunteers into armed units - ten Estonian, Russian and Ingermanland security battalions and the 'Anti-Partisan Regiment' (Freijagerregiment) in Army Group North, and five combat battalions (Kampfbataillone) in Army Group Centre. Attached to German divisions on anti-partisan duties or as front-line reinforcements these troops consistently proved their commitment and combat value. Cossack cavalry squadrons were raised for anti-partisan duties with security divisions, or mounted reconnaissance for Panzer divisions, usually with one squadron (Sotnia) per division: in late 1942 these expanded to 11 battalions. In 1942 three mounted regiments, three infantry regiments and six infantry battalions were recruited with Cossack field officers.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  Leeb orders his forces to encircle Leningrad by capturing bridgeheads over the Neva as well as taking the towns of Uritsk, Pulkovo, Pushkin, Kolpino and Izhora. This was to be completed before Hoepner's 4.Panzergruppe departed for Army Group Centre. General of Panzer Troops R. Schmidt's 12.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General J. Harpe) and 20.Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Major General H. Zom) reach the Neva River.

Soviet troops evacuated the Karelian Isthmus as Finnish forces retook Viipuri in northern Russia. Around noon the advance patrols of 4th and 8th IDs enter the center of Viipuri (today Vyborg in Russian Karelia), the second largest city of pre-1939 Finland. The Soviet units defending the city has been ordered to withdraw the day before, so there has been no fighting. The recapture of Viipuri marks the achievement of one of the main aims of the war. The men entering the city’s medieval castle intend to raise a Finnish flag to the castle’s main tower, but failing to find one a private’s white shirt is raised. This “flag”-raising has special symbolism attached to it: one of the most famous pictures taken during the Winter War was taken on 13 March 1940, just minutes before the end of the war, of a Finnish flag still defiantly flying from the highest tower of the Castle of Viipuri, soon to be given over to Soviet Union in the harsh peace that ended that war. Soon after the recapture of the city that same flag that was lowered from the castle is again raised to celebrate the moment. Finnish troops also capture Terioki, 30 miles north of Leningrad, recovering all of the territory they were forced to surrender to the Soviets in the Winter War. Despite the prodding of the Germans, the Finns refused to advance on Leningrad. The news of the recapture causes great celebrations around the country. Flags are flying and special thanksgiving services are held in churches. Hitler awards Mannerheim the Knight’s Cross. Two days later a victory parade is staged in the recaptured city although fighting is still going on nearby and time bombs left by the retreating Soviets are being feverishly searched and defused by engineers.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Soviet 30th Army attacks and penetrates the German line east of Vilizh as Soviet 29th Army is counterattacking in the Velikiye Luki sector. Major-General L.M. Dovator's Calvary Group consisting of the 50th and 53rd Cavalry Divisions exploited the gap by conducting raids deep into the German rear areas lasting over a week.

Heeresgruppe Süd:  Mussolini meets Hitler at the Führer’s military headquarters at Rastenburg in East Prussia. After talks about military and political strategy, the dictators toured the recently-conquered territory in the Ukraine and visited the Italian units serving alongside the Germans. This, the seventh meeting between the two men since the start of the war, was a full-scale affair with Mussolini resplendent in uniform, striding past knocked-out tanks and blasted buildings.

Soviet “Red Banner” Baltic Fleet resumes the voyage through the Gulf of Finland from Tallinn to Kronstadt. The warships steam as fast as possible to Kronstadt near Leningrad while the slower vessels are again attacked by German bombers, sinking 2 troop transports. Three Soviet vessels are sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft while three others were severely damaged and beached. 25 of 29 larger transports are lost. The Baltic fleet loses 5 destroyers, two corvettes, two submarines and two patrol boats. Only 1 bomb-damaged transport will reach Kronstadt, carrying 2700 troops after leaving 2300 on an island in the Gulf of Finland. A special salvage force of ships operating from the island of Suursaari will rescue 12,160 survivors from damaged vessels and Gulf islands (although a Soviet submarine covering this operation will be lost, presumably to mines). Finnish VMV patrol boats sink one sailing ship and capture two tugs.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 143 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 94 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: General Milan Nedic establishes a government in Serbia. He, of course, is a puppet to the Nazis. The partition of Yugoslavia by the Germans is now complete. The Government of National Salvation succeeded the Commissioner Government as the puppet government in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with three vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Aviere_”, “_Da Noli_”, “_Camicia Nera_”, “_Gioberti_”, “_Usodimare_”, and “_Pessagno_”.

*MIDDLE EAST*: In Iran the fighting has come to an end.

Fourth Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 4044 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

The following gallantry awards were made to personnel of HMAS “_Yarra_” for her action in the Persian Gulf:- DSO: LCDR W. H. Harrington, RAN; DSM: PO N. Fraser, DSM: PO Steward R. J. Hoskins DSM: PO Stoker D. D. Neal.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Australian 18th Infantry Brigade completes withdrawal from Tobruk to Alexandria by sea with the rest leaving in September and October, 1941.

Italian convoy with five transports escorted by two destroyers and three torpedo boats departs Tripoli for Naples.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Charles Lindbergh said at an America First Committee rally in Oklahoma City that Britain might turn against the United States "as she has turned against France and Finland." Montana Senator Burton K. Wheeler spoke next and said,


> "If our interventionists want to free a country from the dominion of another country, we ought to declare war on Great Britain to free India. I have never seen such slavery as I saw in India a few years ago."


Many Americans started turning against Lindbergh at this time, as Gallup polling showed that the public favored the president's specific interventionist moves.

*PACIFIC OCEAN: *Following the resignation of Prime Minister Menzies, Artie Fadden (Country Party) becomes prime minister. Menzies is to be the minister for Defence Co-ordination.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Luftwaffe suffers its first frontline loss of a new Focke-Wulf Fw 190 when Lt. Heinz Schenk of 6./JG 26 is shot down over Dunkirk by German - or ‘friendly’ – anti-aircraft fire.

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft on Circus operation heavily escorted by Fighter Command. RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation.

In Paris the Germans execute a naval officer, Comte Jean d’Estiennes d’Orves and two others who were amongst the first agents sent from London by de Gaulle, in reprisal for the assassination of a German naval cadet on the 21st.

RAF Bomber Command dispatches first operations to support Resistance movements by dropping supplies and agents in occupied territories.

.


----------



## Njaco (Aug 29, 2016)

*August 30 Saturday*
*ASIA*: Joachim von Ribbentrop asked Soemu Toyoda regarding a possible Japanese attack on Vladivostok, Russia. The Japanese Navy admiral responded by saying that Japan was preparing for such a venture, and required more time to complete the preparations.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Convoy SC-42 of 62 merchant ships leaves Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, headed for England. Five more ships join the convoy near St. John's, Newfoundland. The slow-moving convoy is escorted initially by only four Canadian warships: destroyer “_Skeena_”, and corvettes “_Orillia_”, “_Alberni_”, and “_Kenogami_”. Before reaching England, fifteen ships of 70,000 tons will be sunk, one of the worst convoy losses of the war.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: Soviet destroyers “_Grozny_”, “_Oritsky_”, and “_Kuibyshev_” escorted the Allied convoy Dervish into the Dvina River and on to Arkhangelsk, Russia. Crewmen of the merchant ships of this first Allied convoy to arrive in Arkhangelsk reported poor cooperation from the Soviets. No stevedores were found so the crewmen attempted to unload the cargo themselves, only to be stopped by Soviet armed guards because they did not have the proper passes to step onto the shore. The situation was only improved after the arrival of higher ranking Soviet officers later in the day.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German troops captured Mga, Leningrad Oblast, Russia, severing the last railway leading into the city of Leningrad. Food and fuel would no longer reach the city in quantities needed for basic survival. Finnish Army of Karelia advancing toward Leningrad captures Raivola.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Yel’nia Offensive began on the Eastern Front when the Soviets began a counterattack southeast of Smolensk. The forces of Zhukov's Reserve Front, organized into two shock groups launched a counter attack on the Yel’nia salient in the first coordinated offensive by the Russians since the beginning of the war. After penetrating 10 kilometers into Kluge's southern flank, Bock was forced to send two divisions including 10.Panzer Division (Lieutenant General F. Schaal) to restore the line.

Heeresgruppe Süd:  1.Panzergruppe of Army Group South under Paul von Kleist and 2.Panzergruppe of Army Group Center under Heinz Guderian began to envelope the Soviet Southwestern Front (850,000 men under General Mikhail Kirponos) at Kiev, Ukraine. Romanian troops captured Kubanka, Ukraine, but Soviet forces recaptured the city later in the day. Romanian 4th Army under General Nicolae Ciupercă and elements of German 11th Army are held by the Soviet the defensive line 6km around Odessa (Romanian 4th Army has already suffered 27,307 casualties, including 5,329 killed).


> "Launch an offensive and, while attacking in the direction of Roslavl' and Starodub, destroy the enemy grouping in the Pochep, Novgorod-Severskii, and Novozybkov region. Subsequently exploit the offensive in the general direction of Krichev and Propoisk and reach the Petrovichi, Klimovichi, Belaia Dubrava, Guta-Karetskaia, Novozybkov, and Shchors region by 15 September." - _Stavka's increasingly desperate orders to Eremenko as Guderian continued to move on the Briansk Front._



Germany and Rumania sign agreement for Rumanian administration of Transnistria.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Elements of Indian 10th Infantry Division enter Kermanshah. Soviet and British troops meet at Sinneh.

*PACIFIC OCEAN:* MacArthur advises Marshall that the Philippines would be defensible by April, 1942, but admits that the Philippine Army is currently not adequately trained, especially at battalion level and above.

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS “_Ballarat_”, (LCDR A. D. Barling, RANR(S)), was commissioned. “_Ballarat_” was laid down in Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, Australia on 17 April 1940, and launched on 10 December 1940. Mrs. Dunstan, (Wife of the Premier of Victoria), performed the launching ceremony.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: German documents examined after the war revealed that a Junkers Ju 88 of 1(F)/120 ditched in the North Sea after it hit a balloon cable over the Humber Estuary on this day. Three of the crew were rescued by a German vessel on September 4th.

*WESTERN FRONT*: British Commandos executed Operation Acid Drop, an overnight raid on Pas-de-Calais, France. This was the first commando raid carried out by No. 5 Commando and consisted of two simultaneous operations. Each raid consisted of one officer and 14 men, their targets were the beaches at Hardelot and Merlimont in the Pas-de-Calais, France with the aim of carrying out reconnaissance and if possible, to capture a German soldier. It was a hit and run type raid with only 30 minutes ashore but in the event neither party encountered any Germans.

RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead operations.

.


----------



## parsifal (Aug 30, 2016)

*30 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-136






Type VIId DKM U-213





_These boats, designed in 1939-1940, were basically a longer version of the standard Type VIIc. They were lengthened to allow extra SMA mines in launching tubes on their dorsal area just aft the conning tower. They were armed with 12 torpedoes or 26 TMA mines (39 TMB) and had the 88mm deck gun with 220 rounds. The mine launching tubes should be considered a forerunner to the modern missile carrying SLBM subs as this was the first time sub launched weapons were carried and launched in this way.. Another variant of the VII attack U-boats was the large Type VIIf torpedo transports._

_6 Type VIIds were built. Losses were heavy with only one boat surviving the war. _

Type VIIc DKM U-435
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Black Swan Class Sloop HMS IBIS (U-99)





Bathurst Class Corvette HMAS BALLARAT (J-184)
_



_

Bangor Class seagoing MSW HMCS QUINTE (J-166)





BPB 63’ Class HMS MA/SB 31
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-129

Departures
Kirkenes:U-566

At Sea 30 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-95, U-96, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-139, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-652, U-751, U-752

43 boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD ASHANTI departed the Tyne to return to Scapa Flow on completion of her long repairs, but a defect developed on passage. The DD arrived at Rosyth for repairs on 1 September.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SHROPSHIRE (SO Force L), CVE ARGUS, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Seidisfjord in Operation STRENGTH. The ships arrived off Seidisfjord on 1 September, but were unable to enter port due to thick fog. DD PUNJABI was able to enter Seidisfjord and sailed that afternoon to rejoin the Force.

CA LONDON departed London for Akureyri and Hvalfjord.

USN BB NEW MEXICO, CA QUINCEY, and DDs SIMS, HUGHES, and RUSSELL departed Hvalfjord to operate in the Denmark Strait after a suspicious vessel was reported by US.Coast Guard cutter ALEXANDER HAMILTON.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.11 departed Liverpool. The convoy was joined on 1 September by DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, and WATCHMAN, corvettes ARABIS, MONKSHOOD, and PETUNIA, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, NORTHERN SPRAY, NORTHERN WAVE, and WISTARIA. These escorts were detached on 4 September when relieved by DD BURWELL, AMCs CALIFORNIA and MALOJA, and corvettes CHILLIWACK, SPIKENARD, and TRAIL. These were detached when the convoy was dispersed on 11 September.

Convoy WS.11 departed Liverpool on the 30th and the Clyde on the 31st. The convoy was composed of the following steamers KINA II, BHUTAN, BARRISTER, GLAUCUS, MOOLTAN, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, NORTHUMBERLAND, ABOSSO, ORONTES, SCYTHIA, VICEROY OF INDIA, HMS LARGS BAY, HMS GUARDIAN, DUCHESS OF YORK, OTRANTO, CITY OF EDINBURGH, GLENORCHY, CITY OF MANCHESTER, and MANCHESTER PROGRESS. The convoy was escorted by BC REPULSE, CVL FURIOUS, CL SHEFFIELD, CLA CAIRO, AMC DERBYSHIRE, DDs COSSACK, ZULU, LEGION, LIVELY, RNeN ISAAC SWEERS, HIGHLANDER, ORP PIORUN, ORP GARLAND, and WINCHELSEA, sloop SUTLEJ, and escort ships TOTLAND and SENNEN. FURIOUS suffered an engine room defect on the 31st and put into Bangor. She was able to sail at 0548 on 1 September, escorted by destroyer LIVELY, and rejoined the convoy. The convoy split into Fast and Slow sections on 5 September.

WS.11 Fast was MOOLTAN, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, KINA II, ORONTES, SCYTHIA, VICEROY OF INDIA, HMS LARGS BAY, HMS GUARDIAN, DUCHESS OF YORK, BHUTAN, CITY OF EDINBURGH, OTRANTO, and GLENORCHY escorted by BC REPULSE and RAN DD NESTOR, which departed Gibraltar on the 31st, and ENCOUNTER, which departed Gibraltar on 3 September. Off Freetown, the convoy was joined by DDs VELOX and WRESTLER and corvette STARWORT. The convoy arrived on 13 September.

WS.11 Slow with GLAUCUS, BARRISTER, NORTHUMBERLAND, ABOSSO, RAPIDOL, and CITY OF MANCHESTER was escorted by AMC DERBYSHIRE and escort ships SENNEN and TOTLAND. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 15 September.

The convoy re united at Freetown and departed on 18 September, less ABOSSO, HMS GUARDIAN, and NORTHUMBERLAND, plus liner NIEUW ZEELAND. The convoy was escorted by DDs WRESTLER and VELOX from 18 to 20 September. BC REPULSE and AMC DERBYSHIRE escorted the convoy to the Cape.

Steamers DUCHESS OF YORK, CITY OF MANCHESTER, NIEUW ZEELAND, CITY OF EDINBURGH, KINA II, LARGS BAY, VICEROY OF INDIA, ORONTES, GLAUCUS, BHUTAN, and GLENORCHY arrived at Capetown on 30 September escorted by the DERBYSHIRE.

Steamers MOOLTAN, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, SCYTHIA, OTRANTO, BARRISTER, and MANCHESTER PROGRESS arrived at Durban on 3 October.

The Capetown ships departed on 3 October, steamer GLAUCUS not sailing until 4 October and overtaking the convoy, escorted DERBYSHIRE.

The Durban ships, plus steamers DILWARA, CITY OF CANTERBURY, PULASKI, EASTERN PRINCE, LLANDAFF CASTLE, NIEUW HOLLAND, and JOHANN DE WITT, less EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA and SCYTHIA, departed on 7 October and rendezvoused with the Capetown ships on 8 October. On rendezvous, DERBYSHIRE returned to Capetown. BC REPULSE escorted the convoy to 13 October, when she was relieved by CL CERES. On 17 October, steamers GLENORCHY, CITY OF EDINBURGH, BARRISTER, ORONTES, NIEUW ZEELAND, VICEROY OF INDIA, LARGS BAY, JOHAN DE WITT, OTRANTO, DUCHESS OF YORK, KINA II, and GLAUCUS were detached from convoy WS.11 as convoy WS.11 X escorted by CL GLASGOW. Steamers GLENORCHY and CITY OF EDINBURGH were detached as independents on 19 October for Basra. The convoy arrived at Bombay on 22 October. The convoy departed Bombay on 27 October with steamers GLAUCUS, KINA II, JOHAN DE WITT, ELLENGA, ORION, NIEUW ZEELAND, and LARGS BAY, escorted by armed merchant cruiser HECTOR. The convoy arrived at Colombo on 30 October, less steamer KINA II, detached on 29 October. On 31 October, the convoy, plus RANGITIKI, departed Colombo, escorted by light cruiser MAURITIUS arriving at Singapore on 6 November.

*Channel*
DDs BERKELEY and ATHERSTONE departed Portsmouth at 2000 to hunt a submarine in Operation ILIAD. After an unsuccessful search, the destroyers returned to Portsmouth.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine UNBEATEN sank *steamer ALFA (FI 373 grt)* off Augusta.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TALISMAN damaged Italian auxiliary PVs SAN MICHELE and TENACEMENTE three miles north of Benghazi.

*Steamer EGADI (FI 861grt)* was sunk by British aerial torpedo from a Swordfish of 830 Squadron from Malta thirty miles northeast of Lampedusa.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer RIV (FI 6630 grt)* was sunk by British Wellington aircraft at Tripoli.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.42 of sixty five ships departed Sydney, joined by five more ships from St John on 2 September. The local escort of the convoy was RCN DD SKEENA and corvettes ALBERNI, KENOGAMI, and ORILLIA.

Convoy SC.42 departed Sydney, CB escorted by corvettes ARVIDA, BARRIE, and NAPANEE. These corvettes were detached on 2 September when the convoy was joined by corvettes ALBERNI, KENOGAMI, and ORILLIA. Corvette ORILLIA was detached on 9 September. On 10 September, the convoy was joined by corvettes CHAMBLY, GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, MOOSE JAW, and WESTASKIWIN and anti-submarine trawler BUTTERMERE. DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, SALADIN, and VETERAN and ASW trawler WINDERMERE joined on 11 September. DDs BELMONT, COLUMBIA, SKATE, SKEENA, and ST.CROIX joined on 12 September. Corvettes ALBERNI, KENOGAMI, and MOOSE JAW were detached on 13 September. USN DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, RUSSELL, and SIMS escorted the convoy on 14 September and then were detached. DD COLUMBIA, corvettes GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and WETASKIWIN, and ASW trawlers BUTTERMERE and WINDERMERE were detached on 16 September. DD SALISBURY and corvettes LOBELIA, NARCISSUS, and RENONCULEjoined on 16 September. DDs SALADIN, SKEENA, and ST.CROIX and corvette CHAMBLY were detached on 17 September. DDs LEAMINGTON, SKATE, and VETERAN were detached on 18 September. The convoy arrived Liverpool on 19 September.
*Central Atlantic*

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 AUGUST TO DAWN 31 AUGUST 1941
_Weather _Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 30 AUGUST 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _5 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Tripoli. Special patrol sighted two passenger liners 110 miles south of Malta steering south eat. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons despatched to attack shipping and specified targets in Tripoli in 3 waves. Several bombs struck the target area, causing fires and damage to buildings. _105 Squadron_ 6 Blenheims sent to attack a power station and chemical factory at Licata score hits on buildings and large fires. The attack was a complete surprise and there was no opposition. 

_HAL FAR _One Fulmar patrolled over Comiso and Gerbini but low cloud prevented any attack. Four bombs were dropped on barracks at Pozzallo, starting a fire. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish on anti-shipping search located a 1500 ton merchant vessel 20 miles west of Lampedusa and scored a hit with one torpedo and probably a second.


----------



## parsifal (Aug 30, 2016)

Halder's Diary 30 August 1941


----------



## Njaco (Aug 30, 2016)

*August 31 Sunday*
*ASIA: * “_Kasuga Maru_” completed her conversion into an escort carrier at Sasebo, Japan. She was renamed “_Taiyo_”.

Admiral Hart has advised British Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, Commander of the RN’s East Asia Squadron, that Washington was refusing to endorse proposed British plans for Allied cooperation should war come.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Unternehmen Barbarossa: After discussing with Marshal Mannerheim and Lt. Gen. Walden (the Minister of War) about the German request that Finland take part in the capture of Leningrad, President Ryti gives his permission that the Finnish troops can cross the pre-1939 border in Karelian Isthmus within few kilometres. The condition is that the Germans deliver 25,000 tons of rye. Mannerheim informs General Erfurth, the OKW representative, the next day. The Finns learning of the withdrawal of eight Russian divisions from the Karelian Isthmus to bolster the defences of Leningrad, have made a rapid advance to the village of Kivennapa, on the Leningrad to Viipuri road. They have thus recovered almost all the territory that they lost to the Russians in the “Winter War” last year. The Russians have abandoned, or been forced out of their fortifications based on the former Finnish defences of the Mannerheim Line, and have taken up new positions in the Stalin Line across the isthmus north of Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Nord:  The Soviet evacuation of Tallinn ended. The Soviet Baltic Fleet completed its evacuation from Tallinn, Estonia to Kronstadt off Leningrad, Russia. 165 vessels arrived in Leningrad with 28,000 military personnel and civilians on aboard. The last ships arrive at Kronstadt naval base on Kotlin Island, 19 miles West of Leningrad, where they will serve as a floating battery firing on German forces attacking Leningrad. Soviet counter-attacks at Mga succeed in driving the Germans out of the city, but the vital rail line into Leningrad remains blocked. Field Marshal von Leeb is tightening his grip on Leningrad. The Red Army has abandoned Novgorod, 100 miles south of the city after a savage week-long battle, and Moscow Radio admits “the enemy is at the approaches of Leningrad.” In the city posters proclaim: “The enemy is at the gates.” But the autumn rains have started early turning the battlefield into a quagmire, halting the Panzers and grounding the Luftwaffe. The Russians are using the respite to turn the city into a fortress. Shop windows are full of sandbags, militia units march through the streets and every gate is guarded. Everyone is expected to fight. Andrei Zhdanov, the city’s Communist Party secretary, says:


> “We must dig fascism a grave in front of Leningrad.”


 Large fires started in the city by General Wolfram von Richthofen’s Fliegerkorps VIII are being fought by action groups organized by Zhdanov. Special teams have also been organized to safeguard Leningrad’s treasures. Fire units are based on the city’s beautiful Tsarist palaces and churches, now kept as museums, ready to deal with incendiary bombs. The priceless painting of the Hermitage are already safe. An armoured train took 500,000 of the finest works to safety as the threat to the city developed. With the left flank in shambles, Stavka allows Popov to reorganize his fortified regions south of Leningrad into Major-General I.G. Lazarov's 55th Army defending the western sector and Lieutenant-General F.S. Ivanov's 42nd Army defending the eastern sector.

Heeresgruppe Mitte:


> "The offensive on Roslavl' by the Reserve Front's 43rd Army is developing successfully. However, the enemy is bringing forces up for an attack from the south. Consequently, it is necessary to speed up the preparations for the 50th Army's offensive and to begin it on 1 September or, in the last resort, on 2 September, in order to assist the 43rd Army's attack and prevent the enemy from concentrating forces against it. The 50th Army must continuously and energetically continue reconnaissance with reinforced battalions along the front." - Boris Shaposhnikov



Heeresgruppe Süd: German forces starting to run short of manpower and supplies, face a renewed Red Army offensive along the Dnepr river. Soviet Bryansk Front heavily engaged against German 2.Armee and 2.Panzergruppe. The LII.Armeekorps (General of the Kavalrie von Briesen) captures a bridgehead at Derievka just south of Kremenchug.

In the Rostov area, JG 51 was tasked with providing air cover as the Wehrmacht erects a pontoon bridge over the River Dnieper to allow the Panzers to head into Rostov and the Donets Basin.

Erich Schmidt, a 47 kill Experte from JG 53 is listed as missing in action.

According to German records of the action at Vilnia, 3700 Jews (2019 women, 864 men and 817 children) were trucked out to the mass graves at Ponar and shot.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 103 aircraft to attack Cologne and 71 aircraft to attack Essen overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The Battle of Loznica involved an attack on the German garrison of that town by the Jadar Chetnik Detachment. Following the German invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was partitioned. At the time, Loznica was part of the German-occupied territory of Serbia, which included Serbia proper. The Chetniks attacked, led by Lieutenant Colonel Veselin Misita, who was killed during the assault. The Germans surrendered, and 93 were captured. This battle was closely followed by the joint Partisan-Chetnik attack on the German garrison at Banja Koviljača. Following its capture, the Chetniks established a command post in the town and mobilized the populace. Supporters of the Partisans formed a local unit and directed workers into the fields and a nearby mine. The Partisans also set up a workshop in the town to manufacture hand grenades. After their failed attack on Bogatić, the two Chetnik detachments decided to attack Banja Koviljača.

*MIDDLE EAST*: In Iran, Soviet and British troops link up at Kazvin.

*NORTH AFRICA*: German bombers attacked Alexandria, Egypt, killing 2 British Royal Navy officers but otherwise doing little to no damage to ships and port facilities, which were the primary targets.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: British Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, commander of the garrison in Malaya and Singapore, has made two visits this month to Manila to confer with Hart and MacArthur.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill informs Australia of the intention to build a Far East fleet of capital ships by the end of the year, based within the triangle Aden - Singapore - Simonstown.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A mixed-gender anti-aircraft battery with 200 men and an equal number of women was established, with great public interest, in Richmond Park, London, England. The women were the first to take a combat role in Britain.

Grave doubts about Bomber Command’s claims of damage done to enemy targets are prompted by a new analysis of photographs of the targets. This is made by D.M.D. Butt, a civil servant member of the war cabinet secretariat. Butt examined 633 flash photographs taken from aircraft at the time of bomb release. On 100 separate raids against 28 targets on 48 nights during June and July. He allowed as a hit any bomb falling within five miles of the target area: a zone of 75 square miles. He found that on average only one bomber in three got hits within the zone. In the industrial Rühr, the ratio lengthened to one in ten. Aided by a full moon, two out of five scored, but so did the enemy, for the better light aided night fighters. Since these figures excluded aircraft which did not find or attack the target area (and many did not), the proportion of hits to total sorties was well under one in three. The prime minister has said that the report demands urgent attention. Air Vice Marshal Robert Saundby, a senior air staff officer, accepted the report, but said that Butt’s figures “might be wide of the mark.”

Tonight brought a concentrated Luftwaffe attack on Hull, where a direct hit on a shelter caused many casualties; about two hundred homes were demolished or damaged, and thirty-eight people were killed.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Cheese rationing is introduced in Switzerland.

RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft to attack Lille during the day. RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations and several naval cooperation operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2016)

*31 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements*
None

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Gotenhafen: U-139, U-142

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-98

At Sea 31 August 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-652, U-751, U-752

42 boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD BEDOUIN departed the Humber to return to Scapa Flow on completion of her refitting, and arrived 1 September.

*SW Approaches*
DD DUNCAN arrived at Gibraltar from convoy OG.72 duty.

*Med/Biscay*
RAN CL HOBART departed Haifa for Alexandria, where she arrived on 1 September. CLA CARLISLE arrived at Suez. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Alexandria for Port Said for intended duty in the Red Sea.

An air raid on Alexandria late on the 31st and early on 1 September caused a number of casualties on shore, but no damage was done to ships or facilities.

RNeN submarine O.21 made an unsuccessful attack on an Italian submarine in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta from patrol.

Italian convoy of liners NEPTUNIA, OCEANIA, VICTORIA, escorted by DDs AVIERE, DA NOLI, CAMICIA NERA, GIOBERTI, USODIMARE, and PESSAGNO, departed Tripoli for Taranto on the 31st. Off Tunisia, submarine UPHOLDER made an unsuccessful attack on the convoy, which arrived at Taranto without loss on 2 September.

*Central Atlantic
Steamer RECCA (FI 5441 grt)* was seized by Cuban authorities at Avana, Cuba, and renamed LIBERTAD for Cuban use. She was to be lost to U-boat attack in 1943. 





RAN DD NESTOR departed Gibraltar to refuel at Ponta Delgada prior to joining convoy WS.11. She then proceeded with the convoy to Freetown.

DDs FORESIGHT, FURY, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar to carry out ASW patrols in the Straits during the night.

Corvettes AZALEA and FLEUR DE LYS arrived at Gibraltar with tanker CORDELIA, arriving from Curacao.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 31 AUGUST TO DAWN 1 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Very strong wind and one short heavy cloudburst.

No air raids.

_ROYAL NAVY Utmost_ returned from patrol on Calabrian coast. Unsuccessful attack on a convoy and blew up a railway bridge.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Beaufighter, 2 Blenheim. _Departures _2 Blenheim, 4 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Marylands striking force patrol off northern Tunisian coast. Photoreconnaissance of Comiso, Gerbini and Catania, and Tripoli harbour and railway line. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons despatched to attack shipping in Tripoli harbour in 3 waves hitting several targets. Most bombs struck the target area, causing fires and damage to buildings. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish searched for southbound merchant vessel off Syracuse but found no trace. One Fulmar patrolled over Gerbini and machine-gunned the aerodrome, then patrolled over Catania, returning to Gerbini to release incendiaries and machine gun aircraft on the ground, starting five good fires.


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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2016)

Halder's Diary 31 August 1941


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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2016)

Summary Of Losses XXXXXX 1941 (Unfinished)

Allied
Allied Warships




XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)


Allied Shipping




XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)


Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt



Prizes captured




Neutral shipping




( grt Mercantile)



Neutral warships



Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 1215 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXX grt



Prizes taken
None



Cumulative Losses since 9/39
XXXXXX grt Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses


Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),



(XXX grt)


RM


XXXX (RM XXXX grt),



(XXXXX grt)



Axis Shipping
GER


(XXXXX grt)


(FI)




Vichy


(XXXXX grt)


Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)



Captured ships




XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)


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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2016)

*1 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM M-153
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Coastal MSWs R82 to R-88
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Submarine Depot Ship HMS TALBOT (F-06)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

SHch (schuka) Class sub VMF SHCH-135 (Pacific Flt)




_Sister Ship SHCH 114 also from the Pacific Fltc_

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest: U-565
St. Nazaire: U-69

At Sea 1 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-652, U-751, U-752

44 boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD ASHANTI was docked at Rosyth to correct a defect developed on passage to Scapa Flow.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SHROPSHIRE with DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI (Force L) arrived off Seidisfjord at sunrise , but in heavy fog only PUNJABI was able to enter port, arriving mid morning. The others ships proceeded to rendezvous with Force M (CA DEVONSHIRE gp) at sea, departing Seidisfjord approaches that afternoon to rejoin Force L.

CL NIGERIA, DDs ICARUS, ANTELOPE, ANTHONY with liner EMPRESS OF CANADA arrived at Gronfjord from Archangel to embark the Norwegians volunteers from Spitzbergen.

British trawler HAZEL, Belgian trawler VAN OOST and tanker OLIGARCH arrived at Sveagruva (Spitsbergen) , and departed on the 3rd. Following operations EGV One and Two, these ships, DD ESCAPADE arrived at Reykjavik on the 14th.

The USN assumed patrol of the Denmark Strait with BBs IDAHO, MISSISSIPPI, NEW MEXICO (two of these were on patrol at a time), CAs WICHITA, TUSCALOOSA, and DDs of DesSqn 2 - MORRIS, ANDERSON, HAMMANN, RUSSELL, SIMS, WALKE, CHARLES F HUGHES, O'BRIEN, MUSTIN and DesDiv 22, GWIN, GRAYSON, MEREDITH and MONSSEN. The USN found operations in the far north tough going for their ships.

*Northern Waters*
DD BEDOUIN arrived at Scapa Flow after refitting.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.12 departed Liverpool 1 September, escorted by corvette HEARTSEASE, ASWtrawlers ANGLE, CAPEWARWICK, ST APOLLO. Joined on the 2nd by ASW trawler DANEMAN. Joined on the 4th by DDs AMAZON, AMBUSCADE, BELMONT, BULLDOG, corvettes ACONIT, AUBRETIA, NIGELLA. Detached on the 4th DD AMBUSCADE. Joined on the 7th by DD BROADWAY, corvettes COBALT, POLYANTHUS, escorts detached on the 7th HEARTSEASE, ANGLE, CAPE WARWICK, ST APOLLO, DANEMAN, AMAZON, BELMONT, BULLDOG, ACONIT, AUBRETIA, NIGELLA. Joined on the 10th by DD RAMSEY,AMC WORCESTERSHIRE, corvettes BUTOUCHE, GALT. Detached on this date BROADWAY, COBALT, POLYANTHUS. Detached on the 14th RAMSEY, WORCESTERSHIRE, BUTOUCHE, GALT. Convoy dispersed on the 14th.

*Med/Biscay*
MTB.68 and MTB.215 arrived at Alexandria from Haifa, but both were out of action due to numerous serious defects. Trawler VULCAN, the MTB's depot ship, arrived at Alexandria on the 2nd.

Submarine UPHOLDER arrived at Malta from patrol.

An Italian convoy of steamers ANDREA GRITTI, RIALLTO, VETTOR PISANI, FRANCESCO BARBARO, SABASTIANO VENIER departed Naples escort DD DA RECCO, DARDO, FOLGORE, and STRALE. On the 3rd, *Steamer ANDREA GRITTI (FI 6338 grt)* was sunk in an attack by nine British Swordfish of 830 Sqn from Malta south, southeast of CapeSpartivento. In the same attack, FRANCESCO BARBARO was damaged by 830 Sqn Swordfish, but taken in tow by DD DARDO and escorted by DDs ASCARI and LANCIERE back to Messina. The remainder of the convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 4th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine OTUS departed Malta with mail and 15 passengers, and later that day, unsuccessfully attacked an AMC. She arrived at Alexandria on the 11th.

*Malta*
RAID SUMMARY AUGUST 1941


No of air raid alerts 30
No of raids 25 (including 18 night raids)
Days without air raid alerts 15
Total time under alert 18 hours 38 mins
Average length of alert 38 mins
Civilians killed by enemy action 5; injured 5

AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 2 SEPTEMBER 1941

_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1039-1110 hrs _Air raid alert for twelve Macchi 200 fighters which approach from the north and cross the coast over St Paul’s Bay without dropping any bombs. Selected gun emplacements fire pointer rounds. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not engage.

_2111-2206 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy bombers which approach singly from the north east and drop incendiary bombs plus a small number of high explosives across Marsa, Hamrun, Gudja, PembrokeRanges and IslandBay, and in the sea north of St George’s. High explosive bombs are dropped on PembrokeRanges. One bomb falls on a tennis court at Sliema. Four people are slightly wounded in the raid. It is believed that they did not go into a shelter. Three Hurricanes are scrambled; no interceptions. P/O Robertson crashes on landing; he is unhurt.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _5 Swordfish searched area to eastward for northbound convoy without success. _Upholder_returned from interception of convoy east of Tripoli. Convoy sighted and attacked without success.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Beaufighter, 5 Blenheim. _Departures _2 Beaufighter, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron_Reconnaissance east Tunisian coast. Special search by Blenheim. 2 Fulmars offensive patrol Gerbini-Comiso area dropped incendiaries on Gerbini and Augusta. _38 Squadron_ 7 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli power station dropped bombs and incendiaries causing damage and fires. _105 Squadron_ 7 Blenheims attacked chemical works, ship and railway in southern Calabria. 5 Hurricanes fitted with cannon despatched on a special railway patrol near Pozallo Railway Station. They dived on a train and attacked from the rear, hitting the engine and driver’s cabin. Coaches in the station were also hit. Machine-gun fire retaliated from both sides of the line; Sgt Parker’s windscreen was hit by one bullet.


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## parsifal (Aug 31, 2016)

Halder's Diary 1 September 1941


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## Njaco (Aug 31, 2016)

*September 1 Monday
ASIA: *Mineichi Koga was named the head of the China Area Fleet of the Japanese Navy. Nobutake Kondo was named the commanding officer of the Japanese 2nd Fleet. Captain Chiaki Matsuda was named the commanding officer of “_Settsu_”. Vice Admiral Ikuta Sakamoto was named the commanding officer of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea.

In China, the American Consul-General at Shanghai, the commander of the Yangtze Patrol, and the commanding officer of the 4th Marine Regiment at Shanghai recommended that all naval forces in China be withdrawn.

Second Battle of Changsha: The Japanese renewed their attack at Changsha. The attack was along the shores of, and across, Lake Tung-Ting. Japanese 11th Army began assembling in Yochow - Linhsiang - Hsitang - Chungyang sector for the new offensive. The Fifth Air Operation was halted in order to prepare for the Pacific Area Operations. Squadrons from the Chinese 1st, 2nd and 6th BGs took part in the battles for Changsha. They flew 34 sorties against shipping and troop concentrations. At the end of September an order was received to redeploy the aircraft to the front. The 2nd BG went to Hunan. During this period the 1st and 2nd BGs operated together.


> "What you recommended was understandable but I have resolved to carry out the Pearl Harbor attack no matter what the cost. So please do your best to develop the plan from now on. I will place all the details of the project in your hands." - _Isoroku Yamamoto after a heated debate with Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka on the prospect of attacking Pearl Harbor._



111 I-16s had been assembled at Soviet Aircraft Factory No. 600. However, the factory did not deliver them to the Chinese at that time, possibly due to the worsening, and eventual break in relations with Chiang Kai-Shek. From the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, all the assembled fighters were used in the battles against Germany.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The US Atlantic Fleet announces the formation of a Denmark Strait Patrol. Battleships USS “_Idaho_”, USS “_Mississippi_”, and USS “_New Mexico_”, escorted by 2 cruisers and 13 destroyers, were dispatched to patrol the Denmark Strait to protect American merchant shipping. The US Navy is now permitted to escort convoys in the Atlantic containing American merchant vessels. The USN assumes responsibility for escorting convoys from a point off Argentia, Newfoundland to Iceland.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Over the pontoon bridges on the Dnieper river, JG 51 claim seventy-seven Russian bombers shoot down.

Armeegruppe Nord: German 4.Panzergruppe recapture Mga. The important rail hub would be held for nearly three years. Advancing Germany armies are within artillery range of the city of Leningrad. To the east of the city, their attacks are nearing the shores of Lake Lagoda. By the end of September Army Group North will have suffered 60,000 loses, but the Leningrad forces will suffer far greater casualties. The Northern Front reported 55,535 casualties between 10 July and 23 August out of 153,000 men engaged. The Leningrad Front had 116,316 casualties from 23 August to 30 September out of 300,000 men engaged. Finally, the Northwestern Front casualties from 10 July to 30 September were 144,788 men out of 272,000 engaged.

Finnish troops encircled two Soviet divisions (43rd and 115th) in Porlammi - Ylä-Somme area south of Viipuri in the Karelian Isthmus. The Soviet units caught in the encirclement begin to surrender, although many men are able to break out, leaving their equipment behind. Finns capture a large amount of booty (including 306 artillery pieces, 246 mortars and 55 tanks) together with some 9000 POWs, among them commander of the 43rd Division, Major-General Kirpitshnikov. More than 7000 dead Red Army soldiers are buried in the field, but some 12 000 succeeded breaking out before the surrender.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The Yel’nia Offensive Operation: As Guderian launches his forces south to encircle Kiev, General Timoshenko begins a major counter attack at Gomel. The cumulative effects of these attacks was to apparently force Army Group Centre to keep its mobile forces (3.Panzergruppe and especially 2.Panzergruppe) pinned down and prevent them conducting dangerous operations further north and south. However the scale of these attacks and their persistence in the face of horrendous casualties, indicate that these offensives were deliberate attempts to forestall any German offensive eastwards and severely damage Army Group Centre in the process. The new offensive was planned to coordinate with the much larger Western and Briansk Front’s offensives further north and south. Soviet 24th Army begins counterattacking German 4.Armee in the Yel’nia sector and Soviet 5th Army and 21st Army counterattacks German 2.Panzergruppe and 2.Armee. The Western Front's 16th, 19th, and 20th Armies launch a combined attack on German forces east of Smolensk along a front from Dukhovshchina to Iartsevo. Unsurprisingly the 24th Army succeeded in penetrating the salient defenses, but only after extremely heavy fighting.

Armeegruppe Sud: The German 17.Armee’s LII. Armeekorps (General of the Kavalrie von Briesen) and elements of III. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Kavalrie E. von Mackensen) assaulted the Soviet 38th Army across the Dnepr River around Kremenchug. The Germans rapidly established a bridgehead and the infantry from LII. Armeekorps poured across.

Operation Beowulf was the German amphibious invasion of the main Baltic islands of Ösel (also called Saaremaa) and Dagö (also called Hiiumaa). These islands (along with the Hango peninsula in Finland) controlled naval movement into and out of the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Finland. The islands were garrisoned by 23,700 men of the 3rd Rifle Brigade and support units (originally assigned to 27th Army), and had been heavily fortified. Operation Beowulf involved the 61.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Siegfried Hanicke), several combat pioneer units, about 100 ships and barges, and 180 small assault boats and was set to begin on 8 September. Cruiser “_Köln_” began supporting the invasion of Dagö and Ösel islands with a bombardment and disabled the Soviet coastal batteries at Cape Ristna.

A Japanese fishing trawler strikes a mine and sinks near the Soviet port of Vladivostok. Japan demanded a guarantee of safety for their ships and reparations for the lost ship. The Russians told Japan they would pay for nothing and they should stay clear of Soviet ports.

The BI-1 rocket-powered prototype aircraft was ready for unpowered flight at Khimki, Moscow Oblast, Russia.

The 9th Company of German Police Battalion 322 participated in the murder of more than 900 Jews from the Minsk area in Byelorussia. On the same day, the Police Regiment South reported shooting 88 Jews, and Battalion 320 reported shooting 380. Karl Jäger, commander of an SS Einsatzgruppen operating around Vilnius reports that day they killed “1,404 Jewish children, 1,763 Jews, 1,812 Jewesses, 109 mentally sick people, one German woman who was married to a Jew, and one Russian woman.” Jäger notes the essential help of local Lithuanians and says that 4,000 Jews were liquidated by pogroms and executions at the hands of Lithuanian partisans.

Hurricane fighters of RAF No. 81 Squadron and No. 134 Squadron fly off RN carrier “_Argus_” to base at Vaenga near Murmansk.

*GERMANY*: Command changes in the Luftwaffe. Oberst Heinrich Conrady replaces Oberst Wolfgang von Chamier-Glisczinski as Kommodore of KG 3. At KG 40, Oblt. Dr. Georg Pasewaldt takes over command of the _Kampfgeschwader_ from Major Edgar Petersen. Oblt. Walter Siegel is posted as Kommodore of SKG 3 in place of Oblt. Karl Christ. KG 51 finds Oberst Paul Koester posted as Kommodore in place of Major Hans Bruno Schulz-Heyn. The _Jagdgeschwader_ also make changes when Oblt. Dr. Erich Mix is posted as _Gruppenkommandeur_ to I./JG 1 who has been without a commander since July 1940 when Hptm. Joachim Schlichting was transferred out of the _Gruppe_. At II./JG 51, Hptm. Hartmann Grasser is posted as _Gruppenkommandeur_ in place of Hptm. Josef Fözö who left on 7 July. IV./JG 77, also known as _Jagdgruppe_ _Kirkenes_ has a new _Gruppenkommandeur_ when Major Hennig Strumpell is posted in place of Hptm. Alfred von Lojewski.

RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

All Jews above the age of six in Germany and occupied lands were ordered to wear the yellow Star of David with the word "Jude" inscribed in black within; this was to be effective 19 Sep 1941.

Werner Heisenber discovers that a sustained chain reaction in uranium would produce element 94 and saw the road for creating an atomic bomb for Germany with this element.

Hitler meets Munoz Grandes, commander of Spanish Blue Division.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: By this date, small groups of Albanian Communist partisans beginning to coalesce and collaborate.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Da Recco_”, “_Dardo_”, “_Folgore_”, and “_Strale_”.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Fifth Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 5216 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Panzergruppe Afrika was activated with newly promoted General der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel in command while General Crüwell is appointed to command Afrika Korps. The Panzer Group controlled the Afrika Korps plus some additional units that were sent to Africa (notably the 90th Light Infantry Division), as well as two Italian corps, X and XX.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Roosevelt indicates that he would make every effort to defeat Germany because he feels that everyone is “threatened by Hitler’s violent attempts to rule the world.” An official state of war between Germany and the United States is still 10 weeks away.

First production order for 150 Northrop P-61 night fighters is placed.

Fermi's first pile constructed to prove a controllable chain reaction yields a neutron output of only 0.87 neutrons per absorption. (The number will have to be over 1.00 in order to be a sustainable chain reaction).

Walter Bedell Smith becomes Secretary of the General Staff for General Marshall.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Operation Gauntlet (Allied destruction of coal mines on Norwegian island of Spitsbergen). Troopship RMS “_Empress Of Canada_” and escorts British cruiser HMS “_Nigeria_” and 3 destroyers return to Spitsbergen from Arkhangelsk, USSR (carrying 200 French escapees from German POW camps who traveled to Arkhangelsk). All Allied forces embark for UK plus 800 Spitsbergen inhabitants and 15 sled dogs.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Douglas MacArthur mobilized the Filipino military. First 12 Filipino infantry regiments are inducted into Federal service.

Marshall assesses Hawaii as adequately defended and wishes all additional men and materiel sent to the Philippines.

Major General J. Northcott appointed to command new 1st Armored Division in Australia.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Introduction of new British coding method makes it easier for German Intelligence to break convoy codes.

Newcastle was the Luftwaffe’s target for the night, when twenty-five long-range bombers operated. The attack was sharp, and only lasted an hour, but it resulted in considerable damage to property, over a hundred houses being demolished. Forty-nine people were killed and it is estimated that about 1,000 were made homeless. Jesmond and Shieldfield shared the brunt of the attack. New Bridge Street Goods Station of the LNER was destroyed by IBs and an oil bomb. It burned for forty-eight hours and smouldered for a long time afterwards. Three hundred tons of foodstuffs were destroyed and the building was completely gutted; it burned for several days and was tackled by relays of firemen from all over Tyneside. A man and his wife were in an Anderson shelter on the very verge of a crater. Their two sons were standing just outside the entrance when the bomb exploded. The man and his sons were killed, his wife was slightly injured.

*WESTERN FRONT*: An Air France Bloch 220, msn 12, registered F-AQNL, crashes into a lake after an engine failed on takeoff at Bollemont. Only 2 of the 17 aboard survive.

RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead operations.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 1, 2016)

*September 2 Tuesday
ASIA: “*_Kasuga Maru_” was commissioned into service.

The Japanese government sets up the Air Defence Bureau, which will organize air-raid precautions throughout Japan.

The "Manzhouguo" Government enacted the "Second Five-Year-Plan of Industrial Development."

*EASTERN FRONT*: All along the Eastern Front, the Red Army withdraws from use its so-called five number code. This code was used in communications between divisions and armies, and the Soviets had become aware that it is compromised. After a week a new version of the code is introduced. For the Finnish codebreakers this marks an end of a golden era. Thanks to hard work, good luck, help from the Japanese and Soviet blunders, Finns had been able to read some 80% of the Soviet five-number code traffic from the beginning of the Continuation War in June. The significance of this intelligence for the Finnish offensive can be imagined. Major-General Taavetti Laatikainen, commander of the Finnish II Corps, once told to Lieutenant-Colonel Reino Hallamaa, chief of the radio intelligence, that thanks to the intelligence reports he received, Laatikainen often knew the enemy troop dispositions better than his own.

Armeegruppe Nord: In Karelian Isthmus the Finnish troops have reached the pre-1939 border, and are crossing it. Units have received orders to cross the old border to reach the shortest line across the Isthmus some distance behind it.

A desperate battle is raging at Gatchina, some 20 miles south-west of Leningrad, as the defenders try to halt the German advance. The guns of the naval squadron on the river Neva have joined in the battle, pounding the German positions with heavy shells. To the south-west the railway town of Mga has fallen to the Germans after a see-saw battle lasting three days. This means that Leningrad’s rail links with the rest of Russia have been severed and the German ring around the city is almost complete. There is, however, little left here except people. While the Red Army has been holding up the Germans nearly 300 trains have carried the machine tools of 90 factories, including two heavy tank works, to safety behind the Urals where they are being reassembled. The major problem which is emerging is food. Leningrad’s population of 2,500,000, with 100,000 refugees and the armed forces, must all be fed if a siege is mounted. Lack of bread, not bombs, may bring about Leningrad’s capitulation.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Field Marshall Bock decides to abandon the Yel’nia salient amidst a strong Soviet counterattack.

Armeegruppe Sud: German 6.Armee begins attacking Soviet 37th Army in the Kiev sector.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 126 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 49 aircraft to attack Berlin overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: In Italy the fascist newspaper Il Popolo d’Italia reports that Hitler and Mussolini propose to unify Europe and foster “harmonious cooperation of all European peoples.”

*NORTH AMERICA*: The US grants a large loan to Mexico for cooperation in the military and economic defense of the hemisphere. The U.S. also negotiates currency stabilization agreements with Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Operation EGV.1: was an air strike against German installations at Tromso, Norway, from British aircraft carrier HMS “_Victorious_”. This day the aircraft carrier HMS “_Victorious_”, heavy cruisers “_Suffolk_”, “_Devonshire_” and destroyers “_Eclipse_”, “_Escapade_”, “_Inglefield_”, “_Electra_”, “_Active_” and “_Impulsive_” departed Sardam Bay after refueling for a raid on a German convoy off Hammerfest on the 3rd. Senior Officer of Force M transferred his flag from “_Devonshire_” to “_Victorious_” from 1 to 4 September when he returned to the heavy cruiser.

In Norway German vessel “_Oslebshausen_” is sunk by RAF aircraft.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: MacArthur informs Hart that there was “plenty of time” to prepare for war with Japan.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: It is announced in the London Gazette that OS Albert Howarth (d. 1976) of HMS “_Foresight_” was blown into the sea when a ship exploded, but helped another man before being saved himself; it was then seen he had lost a foot. (Albert Medal)

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF bombers began daylight bombing of targets in northern France, responding to criticism of lack of accuracy in night bombing. RAF Fighter Command flew sweeps and Roadstead operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 2, 2016)

*2 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
U Class Submarine HMS UMBRA (P-35)





*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Departures
St. Nazaire: U-94
Trondheim: U-572

At Sea 2 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

46 boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer OSLEBSHAUSEN (Ger 4989 grt)* was sunk by a torpedo near Obrestad. As this does not correspond to any noted sinking by an allied vessel or aircraft, she was presumably lost on a mine.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
U-566 was attacked by an unidentified VMF submarine off Kildin Island. U-566 escaped unharmed.

*North Sea*
DD ESKIMO departed London on completion of refitting and proceeded to Sheerness. On the 5th, she departed Sheerness for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 6th.

FFL DD LA CORDELIERE ran aground in Scottish waters and damaged her ASW dome.

*Northern Patrol*
Force M, with CV VICTORIOUS, CAs SUFFOLK, DEVONSHIRE and DDs ECLIPSE, ESCAPADE, INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ACTIVE and IMPULSIVE departed Sardam Bay after refuelling for a raid on a German convoy off Hammerfest on the 3rd. Senior Officer Force M transferred his flag from DEVONSHIRE to VICTORIOUS from 1 to 4 September when he returned to the CA. At dawn on the 3rd, the force was sighted by German reconnaissance and the rendezvous with Force L was changed to 75-25N, 6-50E.

CL NIGERIA with DDs ICARUS, ANTELOPE, ANTHONY and liner EMPRESS OF CANADA arrived at Isfjord (Spitsbergen) from Archangel. CL AURORA departed Sveagruva (Spitsbergen)on the 2nd for Gronfjord (Spitsbergen).

Trawler ELM with four Norwegian prizes departed Gronfjord on the 3rd for Akureyri (Spitsbergen). The ships all arrived on the 10th to coal. They departed Akureyri on the 12th for Reykjavik, arriving on the 14th.

The entire Spitzbergen community was embarked on the EMPRESS OF CANADA and the town then comprehensively demolished. On the 3rd, the cruisers, DDs, and the liner departed Spitzbergen for the Clyde. On the 4th, the cruisers were detached from the force. On the 6th, CLA PENELOPE departed Scapa Flow to rendezvous with the ships that evening. DD LIGHTNING departed Scapa Flow on the 6th to rendezvous with the force. LIGHTNING and ICARUS escorted the liner to the Clyde, arriving on the 7th. ANTELOPE and ANTHONY were detached to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 7th. Off Cape Wrath, PENELOPE was detached and returned to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 7th.

ASW trawler CAPE PALLISER (497grt) on Northern Patrol reported an enemy ship 20 miles 25° from 62N, 17W. CA BERWICK and CL KENYA at Scapa Flow were brought to one hour's notice and CA LONDON at Hvalfjord was ordered to stand by. This was later cancelled when it was determined the ship was a friendly motor vessel.

*Northern Waters*
CA LONDON arrived at Hvalfjord from Scapa Flow, via Akureyri. CL SHEFFIELD was detached from convoy WS.11 and proceeded to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 4th. CLA EURYALUS departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to change a propeller, and arrived on the 3rd.

*West Coast*
Convoy OS.5 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers MANSFIELD and WOLVERINE which were detached on the 8th. Sloop ENCHANTRESS and escort vessel HARTLAND joined on the 3rd and were detached on the 17th. Escort vessel WALNEY joined on the 6th and was detached on the 17th. On the 17th, DD BRILLIANT, corvettes AMARANTHUS and ASPHODEL, and ASW trawler SARABANDE joined. The DD, corvette AMARANTHUS, and the trawler were detached on the 18th. Corvette ASPHODEL was detached on the 20th. The convoy arrived at Freetown on the 21st.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy HG.72 departed Gibraltar escorted by DDs BOREAS, FARNDALE, VIDETTE, and WILD SWAN, sloop LEITH, CAM ship MAPLIN, and corvettes CAMPION, CAMPANULA, BLUEBELL, WALLFLOWER, and HYDRANGEA. The CAM ship and DD VIDETTE were detached later on the 2nd. DD BOREAS was detached to refuel at Ponta Delgada, then rejoined and escorted the convoy to Londonderry. DDs CROOME and VIMY departed Gibraltar on the 4th to join the convoy. DD CROOME then transferred to to convoy OG.73. On the 7th, DDs FARNDALE and WILD SWAN were detached to refuel at Ponta Delgada and then join convoy OG.73. Sloop ROCHESTER and corvettes CARNATION, LA MALOUINE, HELIOTROPE, and MALLOW departed Gibraltar on the 4th and joined the convoy on the 8th. Sloop DEPTFORD joined the convoy on the 10th, sloop SANDWICH, FFL sloop COMMANDANT DOMINE, and ASW yacht PHILANTE joined on the 11th. DDs CALDWELL, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, and WALKER joined on the 12th. On the 14th, a Hurricane from CAM ship MAPLIN drove off a LW FW.200 bomber one hundred miles sth of Ireland. Sub Lt C. W. Walker baled out and was picked up by sloop ROCHESTER. On the 15th, sloop DEPTFORD was detached. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 17th.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine URSULA arrived at Malta from patrol east of Tripoli. Submarine TRIUMPH arrived at Malta from patrol off the north coast of Sicily.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy ST.2 departed Freetown, escorted by corvettes ARMERIA and ASPHODEL, and arrived at Takoradi on the 7th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 3 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula_ returned from interception of convoy east of Tripoli. Escort only sighted. _Triumph_returned from operations on north coast of Sicily. Viaduct blown up and 6 Italian fishermen brought to Malta after their craft had been mistaken for an E boat and sunk. One hit claimed on a cruiser at northern entrance of Messina Straits.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Blenheim, 2 Beaufighter. _Departures _4 Blenheim, 1 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _Photo-reconnaissance Licata shows considerable damage done by Blenheims on 30 August. 2 Fulmars offensive patrol Gerbini-Catania areas attacked aircraft, dropped bombs on aerodromes and made a low-level machine-gun attack on a dispersal area. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 9 Swordfish on shipping sweep east of Cape Spartivento attacked a convoy of 7 destroyers and 5 merchant vessels scoring several hits. All 8 torpedoes were released; one ammunition ship blew up and disappeared; two more ships were badly damaged.


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## parsifal (Sep 2, 2016)

Halder's Diary 2 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 2, 2016)

*September 3 Wednesday*
*ASIA: *Japanese aircraft sank Chinese vessel “_Ganlu_” at Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China. Chinese forces recapture Foochow from Japan.

The Japanese are informed that a meeting between Prince Konoye and President Roosevelt cannot take place.

A Japanese liaison conference agreed that;


> "...if by the early part of October there is still no prospect of being able to obtain our demands, we shall immediately decide to open hostilities against the United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands."



German vessel “_Kulmerland_” departs Kobe for France, replenishing raiders along the way.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German bombers damaged British ship “_Fort Richepanse_” at noon in the Atlantic Ocean. At 2042 hours, German submarine U-567 caught up with the damaged ship 450 miles west of Ireland, sinking her with 41 deaths; 22 survived.

*EASTERN FRONT*: In air combat against Soviet fighters, Hans Esser of JG 77 is shot down and killed. He had only ten victories in the air.

Armeegruppe Nord: German heavy artillery began shelling Leningrad. German 4.Panzergruppe pushes back Soviet 48th Army outside Leningrad.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe pushes south and captures Krolovetz. Guderian, having seized bridgeheads over the Desna near Korop and Novgorod-Severskii begin to threaten Kirponos' rear area.

Armeegruppe Sud: German and Romanian troops captured the village of Vakarzhany, Ukraine.

The equivalent of a whole Red Army Division under NKVD officers was sent south to round up and deport all the Soviet Union's ethnic Germans they could find. By Jan 1942, 800,000 Germans from all parts of the Soviet Union had been shipped eastward.

Experimental trials of gas chambers at Block II of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland began, using Soviet prisoners of war as test subjects. Zyklon-B was used. 600 Russian prisoners and 300 Jews were killed as German authorities at Auschwitz, seek a cost effective and less messy method of execution than simply shooting them. The experiment was deemed a success. Since the autumn of 1939 the Germans have used carbon monoxide to kill their incurable mental patients and other “undesirables.” The powder, Zyklon-B, is crystalline prussic acid, supplied by a Hamburg firm under license from the chemical giant IG Farben. It is usually used for killing rats.

The Soviet government extends mandatory service in the military to all those born in 1922 (19 year olds) and cancels all previous deferments.

*GERMANY*: Soviet aircraft bomb Berlin overnight, killing 30 with one plane lost.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: From an Axis convoy en route Naples to Tripoli, one Italian vessel was sunk and another severely damaged by RAF torpedo aircraft from Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Polish Carpathian Brigade begins moving into positions of Australian 20th Infantry Brigade at Tobruk.

Italian air attacks against airfields around Sidi Barrani with 23 G.50bis fighters.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Operation EGV.1, The British carrier “_Victorious_” sends air attacks against German installations in and around Tromsø but little damage is done. The attack was later cancelled due to lack of cloud cover.

Operation Gauntlet ended in Allied success. An Allied task force has robbed the Nazis of their most northerly asset: the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen, 500 miles from the North Pole. The civilian population of 700 has been evacuated and valuable coal mines wrecked. No Germans were present as an invasion force of Norwegians, Canadians and British landed to take over the radio station. When it was clear that the soldiers were welcome the force commander, from Saskatchewan, made a formal landing from a small commando craft and soon afterwards, at a community centre, was greeted by the commissar (Norway allows the USSR to mine on the island) and handed gifts of Russian cigarettes. At the Norwegian settlement of Svalbard nearby, a Norwegian major read a proclamation from the exiled King Haakon. For several days the invaders billeted cheerfully with the locals. Before the final evacuation of Norwegians and Russian miners, parties took place and a dance at which Norwegian girls danced with the soldiers.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Alan Brooke inspected 70 Welsh Young Soldiers’ Battalion at Duxford, A Company of 70th King's Royal Rifle Corps at Debden, and B Company of 70th King's Royal Rifle Corps at Castle Camp in the morning. After lunch with Prime Minister Winston Churchill, he inspected A and B Companies of 70th Suffolks regiment at Martlesham and A and B Companies of 70th Essex regiment at Southend. He was disappointed by the progress of the training of the Essex regiment.

Canadian Lieutenant-General Arthur Grasett MC, DSO (1888-1971), the former General Officer Commanding in Hong Kong, suggested to the Chiefs of Staff in London, that with the addition of two or more battalions, the colony's garrison would be strong enough to resist, for an extensive period, any Japanese siege. He further affirmed that Canada might be prepared to provide the battalions.

Fifteen long-range Luftwaffe bombers operated over the North-East, bombs being dropped at three places in Co Durham and the East Riding, causing slight damage to crops.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 140 aircraft to attack Brest overnight.

.

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## parsifal (Sep 4, 2016)

*3 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-702
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class Netlayer USS BUTTERNUT (AN-9), ELCO 77’ Class USS PT-45
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
HDML 1022, MMS I Coastal MSW M-55
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-567 sank *Steamer FORT RICHEPANSE (UK 3485 grt)*, Ex-Vichy ship of the same name captured 9 Feb 1941. The ship was lost in the western approaches. The ship was on passage from Montral to Liverpool carrying a mixed cargo, mostly eggs and mail. She had a crew of 58, 36 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 2042 hrs the unescorted FORT RICHEPANSE was torpedoed and sunk by U-567 about 450 miles sw of Bloody Foreland. The master, 25 crew members, five gunners and five passengers were lost. 15 crew members and seven passengers were picked up by ORP DD GARLAND and ORP DD PIORUN and landed at Greenock.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-562

At Sea 3 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

45 boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
ML Cruiser MANXMAN arrived from Loch Alsh. The ML, escorted by VL KENYA and DD LIGHTNING, departed Scapa Flow that morning to lay minefield EH off Stadtlandet during the night of 3/4 September. The force returned to Scapa Flow on the 5th. The ML cruiser departed Scapa Flow later on the 5th to return to Loch Alsh.

Submarine TRIDENT, returning to Polyarnoe, unsuccessfully attacked U.566.

DD WOLFHOUND was seriously damaged by a near miss by the LW in the North Sea. The DD was under repair for nineteen months at Chatham.

*Northern Patrol*
CV VICTORIOUS's planned air strike as part of Operation EGV.1 against Tromso was canceled due to the lack of cloud cover.

*SW Approaches*
RNeN submarine O.23 departed Gibraltar for Dundee for refitting from 23 September to 4 February 1942.

*Med/Biscay*
DD ENCOUNTER departed Gibraltar for South Africa, via the Cape. She refuelled at Ponta Delgada and then joined BC REPULSE escorting convoy WS.11. The DD operated off East Africa for a time. ENCOUNTER arrived at Alexandria on 16 October for operations with the Med Flt.

BB VALIANT, RAN CL HOBART, and DDs were at sea exercising from Alexandria during the day.

Submarine OTUS attacked a southbound convoy in 35-40N, 18-07E. The submarine reported two hits on a steamer, but the Italians have no records of this. .

RHN submarine PAPANICOULIS, on passage from Alexandria to Port Said for docking, broke down. The submarine was towed back to Alexandria arriving during the night of 3/4 September. It was determined the submarine would be out of action for at least two months. Maintaining submarines of foreign navies and manufacture was a difficult task at times.

RHN DD PANTHER departed Port Said to return to Alexandria after repairs at Suez.

*Steamer COMMANDANT BAFILE (FI 1790 grt)* was lost when she ran aground near Cape Comino, Sardinia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 4 SEPTEMBER 1941

_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1120 hrs _Air raid alert for twelve enemy aircraft which approach from the north east to within 50 miles of the Island. 20 Hurricanes fighters are scrambled but only one of the raiders continues its approach as far as 10 miles off the coast before turning back. A single fighter then crosses the Island at 16000 feet on reconnaissance. 

_2315-2336 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft approaching from the north west. No attack is made.Two Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not engage.

_0040-0115 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft which approach from the south and drop bombs on the south east of the Island. Two Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not engage.


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## parsifal (Sep 4, 2016)

Halder's Diary 3 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 4, 2016)

*4 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-156





Type VIIc DKM U-586





Neutral
Repair Ship USS ALCOR (AR 10)





Allied
Fairmile C MGBs 319, MGB 324, Fairmile B ML 284

*Losses
Steamer ABBAS COMBE (UK 489 grt)* was sunk by the LW 5 miles NNW of Bardsey Island. Four crew were missing on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: Uy-101

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-562
Trondheim: U-373

At Sea 4 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

46 boats

_The incident with USS GREER_
On 4 September 1941 an RAF bomber from CC signalled the US DD USS GREER that a U-boat was in the vicinity. GREER picked up a sonar contact at close range and started to track the boat. The aircraft dropped four depth charges and then left the scene. Shortly afterwards U-652 fired a torpedo at the US warship, perhaps believing she was responsible. GREER then went on the attack, and a two hour battle followed, during which she dropped 19 DCs and the U-boat fired another torpedo - no damage to either side.

RN DD HMS WATCHMAN joined briefly at 1415 and was then detached.

President Roosevelt used this event in his campaign to convince the US to go to war against Germany, and the "undeclared war" between U-boats and US escorts escalated dramatically from this point.




_USS GREER_

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD RIPLEY ran aground off Flamborough Head. The DD was towed off the same day. She received temporary repairs at Grimsby until 25 September and permanent repairs at Middlesbrough to 15 March.

DDs BEDOUIN and VIVACIOUS departed Scapa Flow to meet BB KING GEORGE V at Oxcars Gate and provide escort for her to Scapa Flow on the 5th.

ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by DD NEWARK, laid minefield SN.23 A.

*Western Approaches*
Dutch Steamer TON S. was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches.
The steamer arrived at Newport on the 6th for drydocking.

*Med/Biscay*
An Italian convoy of steamers SIRENA, SPARVIERO, and IMPERIA, escorted by TBs PALLADE and CENTAURO, departed Tripoli for Benghazi. PALLADE was detached on the 5th. On the 7th, Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank *steamer SIRENA (FI 974 grt)* 50 miles west of Benghazi. The ship sank about an hour after the torpedo explosion.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RAN DD VENDETTA arrived at Port Said for escort duties to Famagusta. The DD provided escort for British steamer SALAMAUA which arrived on the 6th. The DD then proceeded to Haifa. DDs KINGSTON and HASTY departed Beirut for Haifa.

British steamer HARPALYCUS was damaged by the LW off Ashrafi Reef, Gulf of Suez. British steamers CITY OF AUCKLAND, ROSS, and KING EDGAR were also attacked, but were not damaged. HARPALYCUS arrived at Suez on the 5th.

Submarine UNBEATEN arrived at Malta from patrol in the Straits of Messina.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.148 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC ALAUNIA and corvettes LETHBRIDGE, SHEDIAC, and SHERBROOKE. The corvettes were relieved on7 September by DD RICHMOND and corvettes BITTERSWEET, CANDYTUFT, and FENNEL. Corvettes BITTERSWEET and CANDYTUFT were detached on the 10th and DD RICHMOND and corvette FENNEL on the 11th. On the 12th, DDs MONTGOMERY, WHITEHALL, WINCHELSEA, and WITCH, corvettes ABELIA, ANEMONE, and VERONICA, and ASW trawler ST ZENO joined the escort. DD BOADICEA joined on the 13th and DD WITCH was detached. DDs BEAGLE and SHIKARI joined on the 14th and DD MONTGOMERY was detached. On the 15th, DD BOADICEA, the AMC and corvette ANEMONE were detached. BEAGLE and SABRE and corvettes ABELIA and VERONICA were detached on this date. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 17th.

*Central Atlantic*
Corvettes FLEUR DE LYS and AZALEA departed Gibraltar escorting tanker CORDELIA and steamer DEUCALIOIN westwards, then meeting tanker INVERLEE for inward escort. The corvettes and tankers INVERLEE and BRITISH FREEDOM arrived at Gibraltar on the 13th.

ASW trawlers LADY SHIRLEY and LADY HOGARTH departed Gibraltar to meet tanker NOREG for inward escort. The trawlers arrived at Funchal on the 9th; LADY SHIRLEY under tow with condenser problems. The tanker arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th, escorted by corvette JONQUIL.

Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar from Atlantic patrol.

SL.86 departed Freetown escorted by sloop EGRET to 24 September and corvettes ASTER and BURDOCK to 7 September. On the 7th, escort vessel BANFF joined to 24 September and on the 8th, escort vessel FISHGUARD joined to 24 September.

Ocean boarding vessel HILARY joined on the 18th to 25 September. DDs BROKE, CHELSEA, and MANSFIELD joined on the 22nd to 26 September. DD VANSITTART escorted the convoy on the 24th only. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 5 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1043-1115 hrs _Air raid alert for 20 Macchi 200 fighters approaching the Island. 12 Hurricanes 126 Squadron are scrambled and attack the formation 20 miles north of Grand Harbour, shooting down four Macchis and damaging another. Nine Hurricanes 185 Squadron also engage the raiders out to sea, shooting down one. One Macchi crosses the coast and flies over the Island at low altitude. Bofors gun positions at Kalafrana and Hal Far engage, both claiming hits, and the Macchi is observed losing height over Dingli Cliffs.

_1546 hrs _Eight Hurricanes of 249 Squadron engage 12 Macchi 200 fighters five miles off Cape Passero. Three Macchis are destroyed, plus one probable, and two damaged. Two Hurricanes are shot down; P/O Smith and Sgt Kimberley are reported missing. The Macchis follow the Hurricanes back towards Malta. One Hurricane is struck by a bullet during the return flight.

_0443-0530 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island with incoming Wellington bombers. The raiders drop high explosive bombs in the sea at Delimara Point, and incendiaries over Kalafrana and in fields near Marsaxlokk. Searchlights illuminate a bomber which is engaged by Hurricane fighters and shot down in flames into the sea. Two crew bale out; one wounded man is rescued and taken prisoner. The bomber is later identified as a Cant Z1007, the first time that this type has been identified over Malta at night.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unbeaten_ returned from patrol in Straits of Messina having sunk a schooner Q ship. Vichy convoys and a hospital ship were sighted but nothing else.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _Reconnaissance of Kerkennah area, western Ionian Sea and Tripoli. Two Fulmars patrolled Catania, Gerbini and Comiso; bombs dropped on Comiso and Catania. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ Three Swordfish, two with torpedoes and one with a mine, left for Tripoli to attack shipping outside harbour. No shipping was located but a mine was laid outside the harbour; torpedoes were not released. _38 Squadron _13 Wellingtons attacked motor transport depot destroying several buildings and starting fires. _105 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked shipping and port facilities Crotone Harbour. Enemy fire blew off the wing of Sgt Wallace’s Blenheim and the aircraft crashed, killing the crew.


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## parsifal (Sep 4, 2016)

Halder's Diary 4 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 4, 2016)

*September 4 Thursday
ASIA: *Admiral Yamamoto organized his Combined Fleet into eight separate commands. Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team detected the sudden increase in Japanese naval radio traffic. Rochefort and American radio intelligence at Station HYPO obtained the details and informed Admiral Kimmel of the reorganization.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: American destroyer “_Greer_” (DD-145) pursued German submarine U-652 for 2 hours 190 miles southwest of Iceland. The two ships attacked each other but no damage was inflicted on either side. The torpedoes fired at USS “_Greer_” represented the first German attack on a US warship. Roosevelt declared that any German or Italian warship entering waters under US protection would do so “at their peril”.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Bessarabia and Bukovina formally restored to Rumania by order of Antonescu.

Armeegruppe Nord: Finnish Army of Karelia attacking Soviet 7th Army northeast of Lake Ladoga. Finnish troops captured Beloostrov, which was 20 miles from Leningrad, Russia. Germany requested Finland to immediately press on against the city, but Finland rejected, noting that Finland was only attempting to reclaim territory lost to the Soviets.

German forces begin shelling Leningrad with 240 mm guns and four days later the city comes under daylight bombing raids by Luftwaffe aircraft. Last pockets of Soviet resistance in Estonia surrender.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Rakutin's 24th Army's renewed attack on the Yel’nia bridgehead have deeply penetrated the German positions threatening the German XX. Armeekorps (General of the Infantry W. Materna) (defending the salient), with encirclement. Unable to reinforce the defenders, especially with any armored forces as they were all committed elsewhere, Army Group Centre ordered the infantry divisions in the salient to conduct a fighting withdrawal.

*GERMANY*: German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” departed the Baltic Sea for Oslo, Norway. Shortly after, the ship was called back to Germany to form part of the so-called "Baltic Fleet".

With the immanent loss of their forward airbases in Estonia, the Soviets launch the fifth, (and last for some time) air raid against Berlin. It causes no significant damage.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Sixth Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 3156 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The government extends Lend-Lease aid to Poland because “._ . . the gallant resistance of the forces of the Government of Poland is ‘vital to the defence of the United States._”

*NORTHERN FRONT*: General der Artillerie Alfred Jodl visits Finland. He discusses with the Finnish leadership about the Finnish war effort, particularly the possibility of a Finnish attack towards Leningrad. Mannerheim rejects the idea of a Finnish participation, but agrees to pursue the retreating Russians as far as the first Soviet fortification-line north of Leningrad. Mannerheim informs Jodl about the situation on the Finnish front: Karelian Army has just started its attack towards the River Syväri (Svir). Jodl also hands Mannerheim the Knight’s Cross Hitler had awarded him a couple of days earlier.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: William Mackenzie King, the Canadian prime minister, warned today that Britain is now the only obstacle in the way of an attack by Hitler’s “enslaving hordes of new barbarians” on the New World. He made an impassioned plea to the US for a declaration of support for Britain similar to that promised by Mr Churchill for the Americans in the Far East. Otherwise, he said,


> “the war may drag on for years, carrying in its train famine, pestilence and horrors still undreamed of.”


The Canadian leader was speaking at the Mansion House, in the City of London. Mr Churchill endorsed the Canadian call and added:


> “Time is short and the struggle is dire. To save humanity all free men must stand together.”



*WESTERN FRONT*: The first Lysander mission to France took place when a British Special Operations Executive agent was landed in a field near Issoudun, France, about 100 kilometers south of Orleans, and another was collected. The Lysander aircraft, painted matte black, spent just two minutes on the ground.

The first detachment of the Legion des Volontaires Français [Legion of French Volunteers] sets off to join the German army on the eastern front.

RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead and Circus operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack Mazingarbe and Cherbourg during the day.

.

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## Njaco (Sep 4, 2016)

*September 5 Friday*
*ASIA: *Japanese Navy Captain Shutoku Miyazato (former commanding officer of Naka) was posted as the Chief Equipping Officer of Battleship No. 1. Captain Karou Umetani was named the commanding officer of light carrier “_Hosho_”; “_Hosho_” was relieved the duty of being Carrier Division 3's flagship.

A song in mourning of Prince Nagahisa was released in Japan. The music was composed by Yuji Koseki, the lyrics were written by Count Yoshinori Futara, and it was performed by popular singer Akiko Futaba and veteran Takeo Ito.

Yamamoto travels to Tokyo to see Nagano to try and dissuade him from pursuing war preparations against the United States to no avail. He then presents to the Japanese Naval Staff his plan for air attack on US fleet at Pearl Harbor.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: British ships returning from Spitsbergen, Norway (Operation Gauntlet) are alerted to a German convoy. Cruisers HMS “_Nigeria_” and HMS “_Aurora_” refuel from oiler “_Oligarch_” and steam off to intercept while the destroyers continue back to Britain.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 claims a Russian aircraft destroyed. The crew of III./JG 77 finally receive a commander when Major Kurt Ubben is posted as _Gruppenkommandeur_ in place of Major Alexander von Winterfeldt who left the _Gruppe_ on 2 August.

Armeegruppe Nord: German forces complete the occupation of Estonia, occupied by the USSR in 1940. Except for the Baltic Island holdouts, all of the Baltic States are cleared of Soviet troops and occupied by the Germans.

Authorities in Moscow order the evacuation of all children 12 and under from the city.

Voroshilov replaces Popov as commander of Leningrad Front. General Werth resigns as Hungarian Chief of General Staff.

Roosevelt promises 5 B-17’s to the USSR as a token gesture.



> "The Stavka has familiarized itself with your report and will permit you to create blocking detachments in those divisions that show themselves to be unreliable. The purpose of the blocking detachments is to prevent the unauthorized withdrawal of units and, in instances of flight, to halt them using all necessary weaponry." - Stavka response to Eremenko's request to form blocking detachments to prevent his troops from retreating without orders.



*GERMANY*: British bombers attacked chemical works at Hüls, Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: In the Mediterranean 2 miles east of Corsica, Dutch submarine O.21 sinks Italian SS “_Isarco_” (22 survivors picked up O.21 and taken to Gibraltar). In the Aegean Sea 22 miles northwest of the Greek island of Lesbos, British submarine HMS “_Perseus_” hits Italian tanker “_Maya_” which is beached.

*NORTHERN FRONT:* British RAF Flying Fortress bombers attack the German pocket battleship “_Admiral Scheer_” in Oslo Fiord.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: U.S. Army’s Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall offers MacArthur a “first-class” National Guard division. MacArthur declines and asks for more aircraft. Initial flight of nine B-17D’s of the 14th Bombardment Squadron of the 14th Bombardment Squadron of the 19th B.G. are transferred to the Philippines.

The U.S. Army’s Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall, issues a memorandum giving a “Brief Periodic Estimate of the World Situation.” The estimate for Japan states;


> “...beset with uncertainties, may do nothing, may attack the Maritime Provinces (the islands north of Hokkaido and the entire Sakhalin peninsula), may seek to expand to the Southwest; it is even possible that she may withdraw from the Axis. Japan also has the capability of concentrating her newly augmented forces against China and seeking a decision there. No indication or likelihood of this is seen. In the general picture and excluding China, where she must continue to fight, her most likely, but by no means certain course is inaction.”



HMAS “Canberra”, (cruiser), escorted the troop ships “_Queen Mary_” and “_Queen Elizabeth_” from Sydney, to join troop convoy US 12A.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British 1st Parachute Brigade was founded with Brigadier Richard Gale in command.

A Hurricane pilot who had run out of ammunition forced down a Bf- 109 during a battle over Kent. He gunned the German, feigned an attack, and eventually forced him to land in a field. Then he circled low and dropped a packet of cigarettes to the Nazi, who picked them up and waved acknowledgement.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The exhibition "Le Juif et la France" ("The Jews and France") opened in Paris, France based on the work of the anti-Semitic French Professor George Montandon with the urging of the Nazi German occupation. In its first days Le Juif et la France drew 100,000 Parisians. Exhibits appealed to French patriotism by portraying the Jew as the enemy, a monster intent on destroying France.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 5, 2016)

*5 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Aloe Class Netlayer USS BUCKEYE (AN-13)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Acceptor Class MSW USS DEMAND (AMc-74)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Griffin Class Submarine Tender USS PELIAS (AS-14)





Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS UMGAVA (J-149)





MMS I Class Coastal MSW HMS MMS 43 (J-543)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS PLADDA (T-144)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Gnevnyi (Type 7) Class DD VMF RESHITELNIY





SHCH (Serie XBis) or Scuka Class submarine VMF SHCH - 136




_Sister ship SHCH - 303_

*Losses*
U-141 sank *trawler JARLINN (Iceland 190 grt)* whilst she was returning from the fishing banks near Fleetwood to Reykjavik. Her entire crew of 11 were lost. At 2337 hrs on 5 September 1941 the JARLINN was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-141 and sank immediately with all hands about 120 miles north east of Rockall.





U-501 sank *MV EINVIK (Nor 2000 grt)* as she straggled behind convoy SC-41. The ship was on passage from Quebec to Cardiff with a crew of 23, all of whom would survive. The EINVIK had lost contact with SC-41 for nearly a week and was sailing alone since a week, when she was torpedoed by U-501 on 5 Sep 1941 about 450 miles sw of Iceland and later sunk by gunfire. Iceland Radio had received her distress signals and an a/c was sent to the position. The aircraft found nothing and they reported that there were probably no survivors. At that time all 23 crew members were heading for Iceland in two lifeboats, which were separated in a storm four days after the sinking. On 12 September, an Icelandic motor boat found twelve men in a lifeboat just west of Heimaey, Iceland and were brought to Vestmanna. The other lifeboat landed at Herdisvik, Iceland the next day.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM submarine BARACCA sank *steamer TRINIDAD (Pan 434 grt)* in the Central Atlantic. Ten crew reached Oporto after twenty days in open boats.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer STEEL SEAFARER (US 5718 grt)* was sunk by the LW 200 miles sth of Suez near Shadwan Island. 24 survivors had reached Shadwan Island by boat. These survivors were picked up by CLA COVENTRY. A further 12 crewman had reached Hurghada by boat. No crew were lost. On a voyage from New York to Suez, Eqypt the vessel, clearly marked with an American flag painted on the side, came under attack from the LW in the Red Sea. at 2328 hrs. Steaming at 4 knots with a full load cargo, she proceeded with her navigational lights lit in clear weather and rough seas. The vessel was struck by one bomb in the #5 double bottom tank. An abandon ship order was immediately given and the ship abandoned. The crew launched three boats and the vessel rolled over and sank in 15 mins. All nine officers and 27 crewmen reached Eqypt the next day, 5 men receiving treatment ashore for injuries. Some reports say the ship was carrying 5,700 tons of munitions, being one of numerous American flagged freighters by then carrying, under lucrative charter terms, munitions for British operations in North Africa.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-571

At Sea 5 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

45 boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
RN DDs ELECTRA and ACTIVE arrived at Murmansk on the 5th. The DDs sailed that evening for Archangel.

*North Sea*
BB KING GEORGE V with DDs BEDOUIN, VIVACIOUS, and VERDUN departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow. DD LAFOREY departed Scapa Flow to relieve DD VERDUN off Kinnaird Head. VERDUN, on relief, returned to Rosyth. The BB and DDs BEDOUIN, VIVACIOUS, and LAFOREY arrived at Scapa Flow that evening.

*Northern Patrol*
CLs NIGERIA and AURORA refuelled from oiler OLIGARCH and departed Seidisfjord to operate against German shipping off Norway. In a night attack on the 7th at 0130, they attacked a convoy of German steamers BARCELONA and TRAUTENFELS, escorted by Gunnery ship BREMSE, in an inlet east of North Cape. *Gunnery Training ship BREMSE (DKM 1870 grt)* was sunk in the action. NIGERIA was badly damaged during the engagement, probably striking a Soviet mine. BREMSE was able to draw the cruisers away from the transports. Some sources say she was sunk when rammed by NIGERIA and cut in half. 160 men, over half of her crew, died. Whatever the cause NIGERIA was able to proceed only at eight knots.






DDs BEDOUIN and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow at 0230for Seidisfjord and proceeded from that port to meet the cruisers. The DDs met the cruisers on the 9th.

CA LONDON departed Hvalfjord on the 9th to assist cruiser NIGERIA, but was recalled to Hvalfjord for operations against DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER. All four ships arrived at Scapa Flow on the 10th. On the 11th, NIGERIA, escorted by DDs LAMERTON and BADSWORTH departed Scapa Flow for the Tyne. En route, DDs HOLDERNESS and MEYNELL, which departed Sheerness on the 11th, relieved the DDs off May Island on the 12th. The damage to NIGERIA was arrived in the Tyne on the 12th. She was repaired at Newcastle, completing on 15 December.

*Northern Waters*
Monitor EREBUS, escorted by motor launch ML.188, departed Scapa Flow at 1600 for Lerwick to carry out special trials in the Shetlands. The two ships arrived at Lerwick on the 6th for trials expected to take six days.

DD LINCOLN arrived at Scapa Flow after escort duty in convoy ON.10 to refuel and carry out degaussing trials. LINCOLN departed Scapa Flow on the 6th to join convoy FS 588 and provide additional escort to the Thames.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.13 departed Liverpool eoscted by corvette VERONICA. The convoy was joined on the 6th by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE, and ASW trawlers ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA. DD LEAMINGTON and trawler VIZALMA were detached on the 8th and DDs DOUGLAS, SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN on the 9th. The remaining escorts remained with the convoy until it was dispersed on the 11th.

*Med/Biscay*
RNeN submarine O.21 sank *steamer ISARCO (FI 5738 grt)* 28 miles SE of Ischia. The submarine picked up twenty two survivors from the steamer and arrived back at Gibraltar on the 12th. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

An Italian convoy of steamers ERNESTO, COL DI LANA, and POZARICA departed Tripoli for Naples, escorted by DDs DA RECCO, FRECCIA, FOLGORE, and STRALE. The escort was joined on the 7th by torpedo boat CIRCE. Twenty miles north of Pantelleria, on the 7th, steamer ERNESTO was damaged by Dutch submarine O.21. Steamer ERNESTO with DD STRALE and TB CIRCE arrived at Trapani on the 8th. The convoy arrived at Naples later on the 8th.

Submarine PERSEUS damaged *tanker MAYA (FI 3867 grt)* which ultimately caused the tankers loss, 5 miles off the turkish island of Tenedos in the Aegean. The ship was from a convoy consisting of Rumanian steamer BALCIK and tanker MAYA, escorted by TB SIRIO, which departed Piraeus for the Dardanelles on the 4th. Because the steamer could not be towed, she was beached becoming a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine OSIRIS departed Malta for Alexandria with stores and twelve passengers. The submarine arrived on the 12th.

Sth African ASW trawler PROTEA arrived at Suez from South Africa to join the 22nd ASW Trawler Group.

*Nth Atlantic*
SC.43 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by AMC AUSONIA and corvettes ARVIDA, BARRIE, DAUPHIN, and HEPATICA. The AMC was detached on the 8th and DD READING and corvette PRESCOTT joined. On the 16th, DD READING and corvettes HEPATICA and PRESCOTT were detached. DDs KEPPEL, SABRE, and VENOMOUS joined on the 16th and DDs CAMPBELTOWN, ST ALBANS, and WESTCOTT joined on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 20th.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA HAWKINS arrived at Durban

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Sydney with British liner AQUITANIA The ships arrived at Wellington on the 8th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 6 SEPTEMBER 1941

_Weather _Cooler and very pleasant.

_0445-0545 hrs _Air raid alert for a three enemy aircraft approaching from the east. Only two make a half-hearted attempt to cross the coast. One drops nine bombs in and around the grounds of Villa Gauci where troops are billeted; two bombs fail to explode and the Villa is evacuated. Other bombs are dropped north of Dingli and in the sea east of the Island. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations or interceptions. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Osiris_ sailed for Alexandria with stores and passengers. Defensive minelaying in Marsaxlokk was completed.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _Departures _5 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron_Photoreconnaissance Catania, Augusta and Syracuse, Palermo Harbour, aerodrome and hydro-electric plant and Tripoli Harbour. Reconnaissance patrols of Tunisian coast and western Ionian Sea. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons attacked ships alongside Tripoli Harbour; results uncertain.


----------



## parsifal (Sep 5, 2016)

Halder's Diary 5 September 1941


----------



## Njaco (Sep 5, 2016)

*September 6 Saturday*
*ASIA: *An Imperial Conference decides that war preparations should be complete by the middle of October. And further that if agreement is not reached by then with the US the decision to go to war should be taken. Further conciliatory proposals to the US are not taken seriously. Emperor Showa of Japan agreed with the proposal that, unless peace could be achieved by 10 Oct 1941, Japan was to prepare for war. In conference with his military and civilian subjects, Emperor Hirohito concludes that the defeat of America is impossible but shifting the American public opinion by inflicting as much damage on their military as possible, might force a settlement more favorable to Japan.” This was a grave misjudgment. Prime Minister Konoye bows to military pressure to agree to prepare for war by mid-October, if no agreement is reached with the Americans over the oil-embargo.

U.S. Ambassador Joseph Grew meets with Japanese Prime Minister Prince Konoye. Prince Konoye states that Japan subscribes to the four principles of President Roosevelt and presents proposals for a basis of discussion. Grew goes on to say that,


> “The Prime Minister hopes that as a result of the commitments which the Japanese Government is prepared to assume . . . a rational basis has been established for a meeting between the President and himself.”


The American Ambassador Grew cautions the United States that if Konoye’s conciliatory proposals are not considered, the Japanese Prime Minister could well be replaced by a Military Dictatorship.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Troop convoy WS 10B detaches from WS 10 off South Africa and sails for Bombay.

The Grumman Martlet fighter makes its first carrier deployment aboard Royal Navy aircraft carriers on convoy protection duties. It is the first carrier-based combat use of any variant of the F4F Wildcat.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Hitler issued Directive 35 for Operation Typhoon, which he intended should destroy in a swift blow any remaining Soviet resistance. Army Group South is to make a surprise movement north-west, and Army Group Centre is to launch an attack against the Russian Army east of Smolensk at the end of the month. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/35.html

Armeegruppe Nord: Supported by strong air attacks, German 4.Panzergruppe is assaulting the Schlusselberg sector.

Armeegruppe Mitte: After weeks of bloody fighting, the Soviets recapture Yel’nia on the Moscow axis. The defeat for the Germans forces Hitler to accelerate his plans for the “final” attack against Moscow.

Armeegruppe Sud: German 2.Panzergruppe is pushing south toward Konotop.

In the air over Russia another two kills go to Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54. But another Eastern Front _Geschwader_, JG 52, loses August-Wilhelm Schumann, a thirty victory _Experte_, in a flying accident. The crews of III./JG 27 led by Hptm. Max Dobislav, move from their base at Spaskaja-Polist and transfer to a new airfield at Ljuban.

The Red Army newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda ("Red Star") noted that it was a shame to become captured by the enemy.

The Vilna Ghetto was established in Lithuania, containing 40,000 Jews.


> "I know that the 108th Tank Division has fallen into encirclement and has lost many tanks and crews. This could have occurred only because of you bad management. It is not permissible to launch a division into the attack alone, neither covering its flanks nor protecting it with aviation. If aviation could not fly due to bad weather conditions, you should have postponed the tank division attack until the moment the weather improved and aviation was capable of supporting the tank division. Henceforth, I oblige you to not tolerate such rash actions. I also oblige you to find means to rescue the tankists and, in so far as possible, the tanks from encirclement. Also consider that the reference to pilots in bad weather is not always correct. Shturmoviki [assault aircraft] can fly even during bad weather, if the visibility is not less than 100-150 meters. Tell Comrade Petrov that I oblige him to refer to bad weather less and that it is a little better to employ Shturmovki for flights in bad weather." - Joseph Stalin



In Hungary General Szombathelyi is appointed Chief of General Staff.

*GERMANY*: Heydrich, head of German Security Services and the Security Police orders that all Jewish persons over the age of six are to wear a yellow badge, “Star of David” to distinguish them as Jews.

RAF Bomber Command sends 86 aircraft to attack Huls overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: In the Gulf of Suez, the unarmed U.S. freighter SS “_Steel Seafarer_” (carrying cargo earmarked for the British Army in Egypt) is bombed and sunk by a Luftwaffe Ju 88 off the Shadwan Islands; her 36-man crew is rescued unharmed.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Ismailia and other targets in the Delta overnight. The hospital ship, RFA “_Maine_”, was badly damaged during an air raid on Alexandria, Egypt. Four of her crew, including a Medical Officer, were killed, but fortunately none of the patients sustained injury.

General W. H. E. 'Strafer' Gott takes command of British 7th Armored Division.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In Washington, the Japanese Ambassador Nomura hands Secretary of State Cordell Hull a draft proposal outlining what the U.S. and Japan will do to establish peace in the Pacific. Two of the items that the Japanese purpose to undertake are (1) that Japan will not make any military advancement from French Indo-China against any of its adjoining areas, and likewise will not, without any justifiable reason, resort to military action against any regions lying south of Japan and (2) that Japan will endeavor to bring about the rehabilitation of general and normal relationship between Japan and China, upon the realization of which Japan is ready to withdraw its armed forces from China as soon as possible in accordance with the agreements between Japan and China.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: German Chief of Staff General Jodl visits Helsinki to ask the Finns to continue their offensive into Leningrad. However, Finnish commander Mannerheim and President Ryti have previously agreed only to restore the 1939 borders. Despite this, Ryti will spend 5 years in prison as a War Criminal after the war.

RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight off Norway.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Winston Churchill visited the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Alan Touring met British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during Churchill's visit at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park.

British minesweeping trawler HMT “_Brora_” becomes grounded on the island of South Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, while acting as escort to SS “_Northern Star_”. She rolls over at low tide and sinks. Another minesweeping trawler HMT “_Strathborve_” sinks on a mine in the Humber Estuary (15 killed or missing).

A Luftwaffe raider followed returning RAF aircraft over the coast and dropped two HE bombs at 03.30 hours at South Shields. One landed in a back lane between Charlotte Street and Franklin Street, another on vacant land at the west end of Mount Terrace. Both bombs failed to explode but damage was done to walls, water and gas mains etc. No casualties resulted but a large number of people had to be evacuated, pending the removal of the unexploded bombs.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris a German non-commissioned officer, Hoffman, is shot in the Gare de l’Est.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 6, 2016)

*6 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis*
S-boat DKM S-53
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*
Neutral*
Elco 77’ class PT USS PT-46

*Allied*
Bangor Class MSW HMCS BURLINGTON (J-250)
*




*
Flower Class Corvette HMCS MORDEN (K-170)
*




*
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS SHAPINSAY (T-176)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 302
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
*
Losses*
U-141 sank *trawler KING ERIK (UK 228 grt)* between the UK and Iceland, whilst she was on passage from Fleetwood to Icelandic fishing banks. She was empty when lost, with a crew of 15, all of whom were lost in the attack. At 2330 hrs, U-141 fired one torpedo at the KING ERIK, which was hit and sank immediately after a heavy explosion about 120 miles WSWt of the Faroe Islands.
*




*
U-95 sank *MV TRINIDAD (Pan 434 grt)* in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Lisbon to Dublin with a cargo of cork and port wine. She had a crew of 10, all of would survive the attack. At 2350 hrs on 5 Sep 1941 the unescorted and neutral TRINIDAD was ordered to stop by U-95 and to bring her papers for contraband control about 380 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre. After ten minutes, some rounds were fired over the ship with a machine gun when her crew did not comply. Shortly afterwards a boat was launched and the master came aboard the U-boat. The papers revealed that they were obviously trading for British interests because the cargo was bought in London and the owner of the vessel was a Spaniard living in Cardiff. The crew were ordered to abandon ship. The TRINIDAD was sunk with 37 rounds from the deck gun at 0123 hours on 6 September. The survivors were picked up after 22 days in a lifeboat by the Spanish trawler MODERNO AGUJOS and landed at Oporto.
*



*

*MSW trawler STRATHBORVE (RN 216 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Humber. 15 of the crew including the skipper were killed or missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler BRORA (UK 530 grt)* was lost in a grounding in the Hebrides.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*steamer EMPIRE GUNNER (UK 4492 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW off the UK west coast. The steamer sank early on the 7th in 52-09N, 5-16W. The entire crew were rescued.
*





UBOATS
Arrivals*
Kiel: U-36
Swinemünde: U-14
Wilhelmshaven: U-13
(these boats were all at sea on training exercises and aren’t included in the “at sea” running total)
*
At Sea 6 September 1941*
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

46 boats
*
OPERATIONS
North Sea*
British steamer STANMOUNT was damaged by the LW off 54D Buoy off Great Yarmouth. The steamer arrived at Immingham the next day

*Med/Biscay*
In a German air raid on Alexandria Harbour, DD KANDAHAR and depot ship WOOLWICH were damaged by near misses.

Hospital ship MAINE was near missed. Surgeon Cdr R. W. Nesbitt, MB, FRCPI, and four ratings were killed. Fifteen ratings were wounded.

DD GRIFFIN departed Alexandria to relieve DD KINGSTON at Haifa. DD KINGSTON in turn arrived back at Alexandria on the 7th.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Alexandria to reinforce sloop FLAMINGO operating in the Gulf of Suez. The sloop passed through the Canal on the 7th.

RNeN sub O.24 attacked AA barque CARLA (RM 347 grt) off La Spezia. The barque was forced aground by gunfire.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked an AMC in the Tyrrhenian Sea

*Nth Atlantic*
DDs CHESTERFIELD and BURNHAM collided in St John's Harbour (Newfoundland).There was no serious damage to CHESTERFIELD. The DD departed St Johns with convoys HX.149/SC 44 to Iceland. The DD arrived at Portsmouth on 6 October for refitting. DD BURNHAM was sent to Boston for refit and repairs. She arrived on the 17th and repairs were completed on 23 October. The DD departed Boston on 1 November, when she sailed for Halifax.
*
Central Atlantic*
Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar on patrol. The submarine arrived back from the Atlantic patrol on the 9th.
*
Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 7 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and fresh.

_0010-0050 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the north at 14000 feet and drops bombs in the sea six miles off the coast before turning away. Two Hurricanes were scrambled but as searchlights could not illuminate the raiders at such distance there was no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. Striking force patrols Ionian Sea and east Tunisian coast by two Marylands, one Blenheim and one Beaufort. _69 Squadron_ Maryland patrol east Sicilian and east Calabrian coasts. 2 Fulmar sent to patrol Catania and Gerbini developed engine trouble so went to Comiso and dropped incendiaries. The crew returned to Malta, change aircraft and took off again at 0001 hrs for Catania where they dived and machine-gunned the airfield, damaging three aircraft. At 0115 hrs they dived on Gerbini airfield, dropping incendiaries and machine-gunning three more aircraft on the ground. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 7 Swordfish attacked a northbound convoy of three merchant ships and three destroyers south of Pantelleria. One merchant ship was claimed as sunk, and one damaged. 5 torpedoes were released.
*



*


----------



## parsifal (Sep 6, 2016)

Halder's Diary 6 September 1941


----------



## Njaco (Sep 6, 2016)

*September 7 Sunday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese forces attack Chinese positions near Yuezhou at the beginning of the Second Battle of Changsha. The Battle of Changsha was Japan's second attempt at taking the city of Changsha, China, the capital of Hunan Province, as part of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The offensive was carried out by more than 120,000 Japanese troops including supporting naval and air forces. The Chinese forces under the command of General Xue Yue—the 9th Army Group—gathered more than 300,000 with help from the 5th, 6th, and 7th Army Groups, but due to poor intelligence on the Japanese invading forces plus its telegraphic messages having been code-broken by the Japanese army, the defense was on the passive end of the battles. The battle started when a small Chinese guerrilla force clashed with the Japanese 6th Division in the mountains southeast of Yueyang.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German motor torpedo boats S.48, S.49, S.50, S.52, and S.107 attacked an Allied convoy off the coast of Norfolk, England, sinking British ship “_Duncarron_” (9 killed) and Norwegian ship “_Eikhaug_” (15 killed, 4 survived).

*EASTERN FRONT*: An upcoming _Experte_ of JG 3, Heinz Brenner with twelve victories, is shot down and killed during combat against the Soviets. Another pilot with JG 54, Hans-Leopold Henkemeier, is also shot down and killed. He had seven victories. And JG 77 loses Armin Stumpf with seven kills to his credit when he is shot down and killed in combat.
Armeegruppe Nord: The 20.Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Major General H. Zom) supported by the 12.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General J. Harpe) capture Siniavino and take Schlusselberg on the south shore of Lake Ladoga. Finnish Army of Karelia captures Olonets and Nurmoyla northeast of Lake Ladoga. Soviet battleship “_Marat_” and cruiser “_Maksim Gorki_” shell German 18.Armee outside Leningrad.

Armeegruppe Mitte: After a week of heavy combat, Hitler permitted Army Group Center's commander Fedor von Bock to evacuate the Yel’nia bridgehead. The Soviets retook Yel’nia itself.

Armeegruppe Sud: The German 6.Armee broke through near Konotop, Ukraine. 262.Infanterie-Divisionen (GL Edgar Theissen) crosses the Desna River at Oster, about 100 miles west of Konotop. 2.Panzergruppe units move south making a breakthrough at Konotop. Specifically, 3.Panzer-Divisionen (GL Walter Model) of XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Leo Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenberg) crosses the Seim River north of Konotop. Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe driving south, behind the Soviet forces defending Kiev, reaches Lokhvista. Nearly 600,000 Russians face encirclement in the Kiev area.

German XIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry H. Felber), XLIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry G. Heinrici) and XXXV.Armeekorps captured Chernihiv. Soviet warships bombard Rumanian positions around Odessa.

The autonomous Volga German Republic was formally abolished; all German males were formed into construction brigades working as forced labourers wherever the regime directed them in conditions littler different from the Gulag camps.

HMS “_Argus_” delivered Hurricane fighters of No. 81 Squadron RAF and No. 134 Squadron RAF to Vaenga near Murmansk, Russia.

*GERMANY*: Overnight, 200 RAF bombers attack Berlin for 4 hours. Flight Lieutenant Peter Stevens (a German Jew born Georg Franz Hein, flying in the RAF) crash-lands his damaged Handley Page Hampden bomber near Amsterdam. He is captured next day and spends the rest of the war in POW camps.

RAF Bomber Command sends 51 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

Kriegsmarine orders first group of U-boats readied for transfer to Mediterranean.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Thunderbolt_” attacked an Axis convoy and sank Italian ship “_Sirena_” 50 miles west of Benghazi, Libya.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Seventh Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 4472 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Italian aircraft attack airfields around Sidi Barrani. Afterwards RAF aircraft withdraw from airfields around Sidi Barrani.

*NORTH AMERICA*: 360 refugees disembarked the Spanish freighter "_Navemar_" at Havana, Cuba. Four died in the overcrowded conditions during the voyage across the Atlantic.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: British cruisers HMS “_Nigeria_” and HMS “_Aurora_” attacked a German convoy in Hammerfjord in northern Norway at 0130 hours. The German training ship “_Bremse_” was rammed and sunk with the loss of over half the crew by the British cruiser HMS “_Nigeria_”. HMS “_Nigeria_” was damaged in the bow and was sent back to Britain for repairs. Elsewhere, British Albacore aircraft from HMS “_Victorious_” searched for German shipping off Tromsø, Norway.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: United States Major James Doolittle arrives on fact-finding tour for US aircraft production.

At Northumberland, England twenty to thirty APBs, were dropped near Gallowgate Farm, Birchill House and near RAF Winfield. A German plane passed over the village and machine-gunned the roofs of council houses. Three council houses were damaged by anti-personnel bombs - one on Birchill House caused damage to roof and windows. Whilst approaching one of the small UXAPBs at Norham to render it harmless, a corporal in the Royal Engineers, and a member of No 1 Bomb Disposal Company, attached to Company HQ, Mayfield, was killed outright when it exploded. Another UXAPB dropped in this raid, was found in February 1942 at Castle Bank Dene, Norham by children gathering firewood in a plantation. Seven HEs were dropped in fields at Springwell causing damage to an electric grid wire. Two horses were killed and two seriously injured, both of which were later destroyed. A Dornier 217 of 4./KG 40 failed to return from this raid.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Germans execute Pierre Roche, a member of the Resistance who sabotaged German military telephone lines.

RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on sweeps along Dutch coast and 38 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 8, 2016)

*7 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Disguised Raider DKM MICHEL





Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS DEVELIN AMc 45)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
DKM S Boats S.48, S.49, S.50, S.52, and S.107 of the 4th S Boat Flotilla attacked a Convoy off the Norfolk coast. *Steamer DUNCARRON (UK 478 grt)* was sunk three miles east of Sheringham. Six crew and three gunners were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer EIKHAUG (Nor 1436 grt)* was also sunk. 15 crew were lost. Four survivors were picked up.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The LW sank *Steamer MARCREST (UK 4224 grt)* in the vicinity of 54D Buoy, two miles 90° from Yarmouth. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The LW sank *steamer TRSAT (UK 1369 grt)* seven miles ENE of Kinnaird Head. Two crew and a gunner were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*FV OPHIR II (UK 213 grt)* was sunk by a mine four miles NE of Humber Light Vessel.
Five crew were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-71, U-73

Departures
Trondheim: U-132

At Sea 7 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

46 boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
CVE ARGUS flew two Squadrons with 12 Hurricanes each to an airfield at Vaegna (near Murmansk in Operation STRENGTH. Forces L of CA SHROPSHIRE and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI and Force M.of CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK, CV VICTORIOUS, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECLIPSE, and ESCAPADE operated nearby.

Black Sea/Caspian
VMF DD SPOSOBNY was damaged by the near misses by the LW in the Black Sea

*North Sea*
DD ASHANTI departed Rosyth after repairs developed on passage to Scapa Flow. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 7th to work up after long repairs.

*Northern Waters*
CL PENELOPE departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to escort BB DUKE OF YORK.
The cruiser arrived on the 8th.

ML AGAMEMNON, escorted by DD CASTLETON, laid minefield SN.61. After the operation, CASTLETON departed Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow on the 8th. The DD arrived on the 9th to dock and effect repairs to her ASW gear.

DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for boiler cleaning. The DDs arrived on the 8th.

British steam trawler NAIRANA was damaged by the LW 7 miles off Myggenaes, Faroes.

*West Coast*
ON.14 departed Liverpool. It was joined on the 8th by corvettes LOBELIA, NARCISSUS, and RENONCULE and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, and SALISBURY and corvette HEATHER joined on the 9th. On the 11th, SALISBURY and trawlers AYRSHIRE and LADY MADELEINE were detached and on the 12th BEAGLE and BOADICEA were detached. The remaining escorts were with the convoy until dispersal on the 14th.

*Med/Biscay*
A German convoy of German steamers LIVORNO and SPEZIA, escorted by TB FABRIZI, departed Naples for Benghazi. At Messina, FABRIZI was relieved by TBs POLLUCE and CENTAURO. On the 11th, Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank *steamer LIVORNO (Ger 1829 grt)* off Bougie. The convoy arrived at Benghazi on the 11th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLA NAIAD and DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR were at sea during the night of 6/7 September to control night fighters operating against enemy aircraft which might attack Alexandria or the Canal area.

Submarine TORBAY reported an enemy submarine offshore of Palestine. DDs GRIFFIN and HASTY departed Haifa, RAN DD VENDETTA departed Port Said, and DDs HERO, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, and KINGSTON departed Alexandria to carry out ASW searched in the area. The search ended unsuccessfully, and the DDs returned to their respective ports of departure on the 10th.

Dutch submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked an aux ML in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

CVL FURIOUS with DDs COSSACK, LEGION, ZULU, and LIVELY arrived from England. DD WIVERN departed Gibraltar for refitting in the UK.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 8 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _3 Blenheim. Reconnaissance of western Ionian Sea by 1 Maryland, 1 Beaufort and 1 Hurricane. _69 Squadron _2 patrols east Tunisian coast. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons attacked Palermo Harbour in three waves caused a series of explosions. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish attacked shipping off Augusta


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## parsifal (Sep 8, 2016)

Halder's Diary 7 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 8, 2016)

Halder's Diary 8 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 8, 2016)

*September 8 Monday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army skirmishes with 4th Army and 58th Army of Chinese 9th War Area around Chungfang and Hsitang.

“_Shokaku_” arrived at Yokosuka, Japan and disembarked Commander First Air Fleet.

Ho Chi Minh forms the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh).

Wavell arrives from India by air via Baghdad, Cairo, Malta, and Gibraltar.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: British destroyer HMS “_Croome_” forced Italian submarine “_Maggiore Baracca_” to surface 275 miles northeast of the Azores islands, then proceeded to ram the submarine, resulting in her sinking. 23 Italian sailors were killed; 34 survived. HMS “_Croome_” was damaged in the stern and was ordered to Gibraltar for repairs.

The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: British Admiralty diverts Atlantic convoy SC-42 north to hug the eastern coast of Greenland to avoid German submarines.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Major Friedrich Beckh of the Stab./JG 51 shoots down a Russian aircraft for the _Geschwader’s_ 2000th kill.
Armeegruppe Nord: German forces from Army Group North capture Schlusselberg on the banks of Lake Ladoga. All land communications with Leningrad are now cut. The city of Leningrad is now completely encircled by German and Finnish troops. The Finns have cut the Stalin canal, completing the encirclement trapping 2,950,000 civilians and 450,000 soldiers and sailors. Hitler has decided “to wipe the city of Petersburg (Leningrad) from the face of the earth" by artillery bombardment and aerial bombing. Field Marshal von Leeb’s Panzers are within ten miles of the city, which is being pounded by long-range artillery and the Luftwaffe. German bombers begin raids against civilian targets in Leningrad, dropping nearly 6000 incendiary bombs on food warehouses in the city. Hundreds of tons of food were destroyed along with four acres of warehouses in the Badayev district. Continuing Finnish attacks between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega advance across the Svir and capture Lodenoye Pole. This cuts the railway line from Murmansk to Leningrad. Arkangel is still available to use now, but the winter ice will close this. This would force the Russians to build hundreds of miles of new lines to reach the important supply link to the west. The land attack on the city is being mounted by 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) thrusting along the left bank of the Neva and the 6.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General Franz Landgraf) following the Moscow-Leningrad railway line. It is not going to be a walkover for them. They have been held up for three weeks by suicidal Russian counter-attacks. Their men and machines are worn out by fighting both the Russians and the mud caused by incessant rain. If they had made their assault a month ago they would be in the Romanov’s palaces today. Instead, they are caught up in hastily-built defences manned by Opolchenye - militia units armed with rifles, Molotov cocktails and grenades. This is not the sort of fighting the Panzers enjoy. In fact, von Leeb’s attempt to capture the city may not last. Hitler wants to switch his tanks to the forthcoming attack on Moscow, leaving Leningrad to “wither on the vine”. He would rather subject the city to a long siege by gun and bomber and so relieve the German army of the necessity of feeding the population during the winter. Von Leeb however, can almost taste the glory of capturing the old Tsarist capital and will carry on his assault until told to stop.

The Russians are heavily out-numbered in the air, but their pilots are fighting ferociously against the swarms of Stukas which are attacking the heavy Russian ships in the harbours of Kronstadt and Leningrad. They are carrying specially-developed 2,000 pound bombs. Their particular targets are the battleships “_October Revolution_” and “_Marat_”, whose 12-inch guns are pounding the German rear echelons.

German XIX.Gebirgskorps opens new attack across the Litsa River. German forces land on Vormsi Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia and begin attacking Soviet 8th Army positions. Voroshilov orders all warships of the Soviet Baltic Fleet to prepare to scuttle.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The Soviets deport 600,000 ethnic Germans who had lived on the upper Volga for nearly 200 years. Hundreds of villages in the area were emptied. The ethnic German community is exiled to Siberia because of Kremlin fears that it might become a fifth column of Nazi sympathizers.

Armeegruppe Sud: The Germans captured Kremenchuk. Rakutin's forces cross the Desna river and reach the German defenses along the Ustrom and Striana rivers. Shaposhnikov, the Chief of the General Staff orders the Western Front to go over to the defensive.

The entire Jewish community of Meretsch is exterminated.

Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy and other Hungarian leaders began a three-day visit to Hitler at his Wolfsschanze [Wolf's Lair].

Zhukov meets with Stalin overnight and is ordered to take command of the Leningrad Front.

*GERMANY*: RAF bombers inflicted heavy damage on Berlin last night in the heaviest raid yet on the German capital. RAF Bomber Command sends 95 aircraft to attack Kassel overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: The bombers of II./KG 51 leave their base at Balti in the Balkans.

German aircraft attacked and damaged British destroyers HMS “_Kipling_”, HMS “_Kimberley_”, and HMS “_Decoy_” as the ships carried supplies from Alexandria, Egypt for besieged Tobruk, Libya.

RN task force with aircraft carrier “_Ark Royal_” departs eastward with air reinforcements for Western Desert via Malta. 69 more British Hurricane fighters are being shipped to Malta with the help of British navy’s Force H using the “_Ark Royal_” and the “_Furious_”.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 4 Fortress aircraft to attack the Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” at Oslofjord, Norway in daylight, but they are intercepted and unsuccessful, with two lost and one crashed on landing.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The first prototype de Havilland Mosquito IV Bomber variant (W 4072) makes its maiden flight. The new bomber has a level speed of 400 mph and fighter-agility.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team detected increased radio traffic between carriers and land bases, and interpreted it as the Japanese Navy conducting fitting out operations of carriers with new air groups.

Nine B-17’s of the 14th Bombardment Squadron arrive at Clark AAF, Philippines.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris the German authorities arrest 120 leaders of the city’s Jewish community as hostages for the murder last week of a German officer.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 8, 2016)

*September 9 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Dutch submarine O.24 sank Italian ship “_Italo Balbo_” 2 miles east of Corsica, France.

The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: At 2137 hours, Convoy SC-42, moving across the Atlantic along the Greenland coast, is attacked by German submarines for the first time. U-432 torpedoes and sinks SS “_Muneric_”. Two more merchant ships are torpedoed before midnight.

*EASTERN FRONT:* The Siege of Leningrad begins and one of the first raids by the Luftwaffe against the city is launched. A flight of Ju 87 _Stukas_ from StG 2 escorted by fighters from JG 54 attack the Soviet Baltic fleet near the city. But the day ends tragically for JG 54 when Oblt. Hubert Mütherich, _Staffelkapitän_ of 5./JG 54, is killed when his badly damaged Messerschmitt somersaults while trying to land outside Leningrad. His final tally is forty-three kills with thirty-three of them gained since the beginning of the Russian campaign.
Armeegruppe Nord: Guns from the battleships “_October Revolution_” and “_Marat_” are fired in defense of Leningrad. Most of the sailors of the Red Banner Fleet have been taken off their ships and given rifles to defend the city, but the ships act as floating batteries.

The Finnish advance in Karelian Isthmus is stopped. The troops have reached the outermost defenses of Leningrad and dig into defense. Three years of trench warfare follows here, until the Soviet attack in June 1944. The Karelian Army advances into eastern Karelia north of Lake Ladoga. The first signs of war weariness are already showing in the men. There have been instances of men declining to follow orders to cross the pre-1939 border; the common opinion is that the war is fought to reconquer the territory lost in the Winter War, not to annex new ‘living space’ from east. However, the majority of men are content with grumbling, and the serious cases of insubordination are few. The official explanation for crossing the old border is to get as short lines of defense as possible. Tactically this is true, but the Finnish leadership is already discussing what shape the post-war ‘Greater Finland’ shall take. The most favored option is the so-called ‘border of three isthmuses’: Karelian Isthmus (between Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga), Onega Isthmus (between Lakes Ladoga and Onega) and the isthmus between Lake Onega and White Sea, of which English name I don’t have a clue (”Maaseln Kannas” is the Finnish name). The status of Kola Peninsula is still unclear; whether it will be claimed by Finland or Germany has not been decided yet.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Marshal Budyenny, commanding an Army in the Kiev area, makes his first request to abandon Kiev. Stalin denies the request.

Armeegruppe Sud: Soviet 5th Army and 37th Army trapped between German 2.Armee and 6.Armee. Recon elements of Generalleutnant Walter Model’s 3.Panzer-Divisionen (XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.)(General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) discovered a gap in Soviet defenses between Konotop and Baturin.

Marshall Ion Antonescu fires the commander of the 4th Army, General Cuiperca. It comes after the first two rounds of bloody fighting, in which the Romanians failed to completely breach the Russian defenses (backed up by prodigious quantities of artillery and mortar fire) at Odessa. Cuiperca frankly reported to Antonescu that his troops lacked the strength, both physically and in terms of morale, to successfully resume the assault. Antonescu, known for his frank speaking himself in a command culture where direct talk was often perceived as impolite and insulting, did not respond well to this analysis. Antonescu claims that Cuiperca lacks “faith in the battle capacity of the Romanian Army.” Antonescu has brought in his own defense Minister, Iacobici, to replace Cuiperca at 4th Army - a man considered one of the great academic brains of the Romanian staff.

Vojtech Tuka, with the guidance of German SS-Hauptstrumführer Dieter Wisliceny, enacted the Ordinance Judenkodex which required Slovakian Jews to wear the yellow Stars of David, annulled all debts owed to Jews, confiscated Jewish property, and deported all Jews from the capital Bratislava.

The Wehrmacht is getting help from a group of allies in its assault on Russia. Mussolini has sent an expeditionary corps, the Romanian army is engaged in the drive on Odessa, the Hungarians are supporting the thrust through the Ukraine and Franco has sent a contingent of Spanish “volunteers”. The Spanish Volunteer Division, “Blue Division” arrives to serve with the German Army on the Leningrad Front. The “Blue Division,” listed as the 250th Infantry Division in the Wehrmacht order of battle, will get a reputation for not retreating and also of having its way with the local ladies. The Slovaks too, have soldiers fighting for the Germans, and volunteers from Holland, Denmark, Belgium and Norway have been formed into legions of the Wehrmacht. The Finns are a disappointment to the Germans, doing no more than holding the northern line round besieged Leningrad.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: British carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” launched 14 Hurricane fighters to reinforce Malta.

RAF bombers attack Reggio Calabria and Messina.

*MIDDLE EAST*: The Iranian Government accepted the Soviet and British terms, which included the closure of Axis legations and the surrender of German nationals. All Axis-aligned consulates would be closed and German nationals would be turned over to the British or Russians. The Allies would control Iranian roads, airports and communication. Iran expels German and Italian “tourists” and diplomats.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a Hurricane fighter over the Bay of Sollum in the morning, his 15th kill. In the afternoon, on another mission, he shot down another Hurricane fighter, the 16th kill, while escorting Stuka dive bombers toward Bardia, Libya.

Luftwaffe bombers attack Ismailia overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The USN’s Bureau of Aeronautics requests that the National defense Research Committee and the Naval Research Laboratory to develop an interceptor radar suitable for installation in a single-engined, single-seat fighter, e.g., the F4U Corsair.

Congressional hearings opened in Washington investigating allegations of propaganda in American films. North Dakota Senator Gerald Nye set the tone of the hearings on the first day by suggesting that propaganda was being injected into films by a cabal of foreign-born Jews who owned or operated the major movie studios.

Formation of Naval Coastal Frontier Forces.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: German cruiser “_Admiral Scheer_” was ordered to sail from Oslo, Norway for Swinemünde, Germany (now Swinoujscie, Poland).

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team in US Territory of Hawaii noticed carrier “_Akagi_” was using new call signs in her radio communications.

MacArthur complains to Grunert that the training of the mobilized Philippine troops is not going well. Marshall advises MacArthur that he had “the highest priority” for supplies and for the filling of the “authorized defense reserve” of 50,000 men.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: In the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill insists that Article 3 of the Atlantic Charter could not apply to the British Empire.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew operations over the Netherlands and a Rhubarb operation over France.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 9, 2016)

*8 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-51
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS SWEETBRIAR (K-209)





HDML 1058




_starboard side view of HMA harbour defence motor launch ml1129 during power trials off Sydney Heads NSW_.

Higgins Class 70’ type HMS MGB 71




_British MGB 476 (Motor Gun Boat) 1943 _

*Losses
Mine destructor ship CORFIELD (RN 3000 grt)* was sunk on a mine two miles south of the Humber Light Vessel. There were no casualties on the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-751

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-74
Trondheim: U-575

At Sea 8 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

47 boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD VIVACIOUS departed Scapa Flow to join DDs LIGHTNING and ICARUS at the Clyde to escort BB DUKE OF YORK from the Clyde to Rosyth on the 9th. VIVACIOUS arrived in the Clyde on the 9th. At 0600 on the 9th, BB DUKE OF YORK, CL PENELOPE, and DDs LIGHTNING, ICARUS, and VIVACIOUS departed the Clyde for Rosyth to complete her pre-acceptance trials and work up. DDs LIGHTNING and ICARUS were released from the escort on the 10th. DD LIGHTNING returned to Scapa Flow and ICARUS proceeded to the Humber to commence a refitting at Immingham, arriving on the 11th. DUKE OF YORK and DD VIVACIOUS arrived at Rosyth on the 10th. VIVACIOUS departed Rosyth to return to Scapa Flow that same day, arriving on the 11th.

*West Coast*
Sloop ROSEMARY was damaged in a collision with ORP DD BURZA inside Milford Haven Harbour. The sloop was repaired at Milford Haven completing on the 15th. The DD was repaired at Glasgow completing on the 20th.


*Med/Biscay*
CVL FURIOUS arrived at Gibraltar on the 7th. 26 Hurricanes were transferred to CV ARK ROYAL. ARK ROYAL and DDs GURKHA, FORESTER, LIVELY, and LANCE departed Gibraltar on Operation STATUS. They joined CLA HERMOINE which had departed to the westward the evening before. One flight of Hurricanes were flown off on the 9th. Force H returned to Gibraltar on the 10th.

During the evening of the 10th, CVL FURIOUS with DDs LEGION, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar. At 2100on the 10th, CV ARK ROYAL, BB NELSON, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs ZULU, GURKHA, LANCE, and LIVELY departed Gibraltar. On the 13th, ARK ROYAL flew off 26 Hurricanes and FURIOUS flew off 19 Hurricanes.

DDs KIPLING, JAGUAR, and DECOY departed Alexandria to carry supplies to Tobruk.
DDs DECOY and KIPLING were lightly damaged by near misses from the LW near Tobruk. DD KIMBERLEY at sea covering this operation was also near missed by bombing and slightly damaged. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 9th.

CLA CARLISLE departed Suez to relieve CLA COVENTRY at Anchorage F at 27-49N, 33-57E.

CLA NAIAD with DDs NAPIER and NIZAM were at sea from Alexandria controlling night fighters during the night of 8/9 September.

RNeN submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked a convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

*Nth Atlantic*
An American convoy departed Argentia for Reykjavik. The convoy was escorted by BBs IDAHO and NEW MEXICO, CA VINCENNES, and DDs MORRIS, SIMS, HUGHES, HAMMANN, MUSTIN, and O'BRIEN of Desron 2, NIBLACK, HILARY P. JONES, GLEAVES, CHARLES F. HUGHES, MADISON, and LANSDALE of the Desron 7, and SIMPSON, MACLEISH, TRUXTON, OVERTON, REUBEN JAMES, and BAINBRIDGE. The convoy and escort arrived on the 16th.

*Central Atlantic*
Marconi class *Submarine MAGGIORE BARACCA (RM 1140 grt)* was sunk by DD CROOME by gunfire and ramming east of the Azores. The Captain, five officers, and twenty eight ratings were rescued, but 28 men were also lost. The DD sustained damage to her stern. CROOME arrived at Gibralta on the 10th and was under repair from 12 September to 4 October at Gibraltar.




_Marconi class RM DA VINCI, the top scoring Italian submarine in WWII with120,243 grt of shipping to her credit_

*Pacific/Australia*
Vichy CL LAMOTTE PICQUETT departed Saigon for Osaka, where she arrived on the 15th for urgent repairs. She departed on the 27th escorting Vichy steamer KINDIA to Saigon, where they both arrived on 9 October.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 9 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_2138-2228 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. Three drop high explosive bombs and incendiaries on various parts of the Island including Rabat, Ta Qali and Hal Far. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no engagements.

_2313-0017 hrs _Air raid alerts for 12 enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly at intervals. Only two of the raiders cross the coast, dropping high explosive bombs and incendiaries, killing one civilian and seriously injuring three more. High explosive bombs are dropped between Mosta and Imtarfa, on Ta Qali and Luqa, and on the Bingemma area. Incendiaries are dropped over Marsa. Six high explosives fall close to the headquarters of 1st Bn Hampshire Regiment; there are no casualties. Bombs also land on the road behind the Royal Army Service Corps depot at Rabat used by 4th Bn The Buffs as a billet. Two Hurricanes of Malta Night Fighter Unit are scrambled to intercept. Following a formation, one Hurricane spots a light three miles astern and 4000 feet above him. Climbing at full throttle, he comes into range of the Cant 1007 just after it has passed out of searchlight range. The Hurricane hits the Cant with several accurate bursts of machine-gun fire, setting light to its port and starboard engines. The Cant descends quickly to the sea. A motor launch and a Swordfish rescue aircraft find five survivors who are taken prisoner and brought ashore at dawn.

_0442-0454 hrs _Air raid alert for a single approaching enemy aircraft which may have been triggered by a Wellington coming in to land..

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 1941
_
AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Bombay, 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Wellington. _69 Squadron _2 Maryland patrols of east Tunisian coast. In the second, F/O Warburton drops bombs on Pantelleria. 2 Maryland patrols western Ionian Sea. Two Fulmars on offensive patrols between Gerbini and Catania, dropped bombs on Gerbini and machine-gunned the aerodrome. One Fulmar went on to Augusta and machine-gunned the aerodrome. The second dropped incendiaries on the southern boundary of Catania. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons attacked shipping in Palermo Harbour, dropping 33750lb of high explosives, damaging vessels and harbour facilities.


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## parsifal (Sep 9, 2016)

*9 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC U-162





Neutral
Elco 77’ class PT USS PT-47
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS DUNVEGAN (K-177)





Fairmile C MGB 325
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
_Convoy SC-42_
U-81 sank *MV EMPIRE SPRINGBUCK (UK 5591 grt)* from convoy SC-42. This ex-American ship transferred in 1940 to the British Ministry of War Transport (MOWT). At the time of her loss she was on passage from Sydney CB to leith then London, having previously travelled from Cuba. She hadf a crew of 39, all of whom were lost and was transporting steel and phosphates when lost. At 0655 hrs the EMPIRE SPRINGBUCK, an unescorted straggler from convoy SC-42, was hit on port side by two G7e torpedoes from U-81, while steaming in good weather about 150 miles NE of Cape Farewell. The ship was seen to quickly burn from stem to stern after the second torpedo hit and to sink immediately after several heavy explosions that shook the submerged U-boat in a distance of 1200 meters. The Germans assumed that the ship carried ammunition but instead the cargo of phosphates had been ignited.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.85 attacked British steamer JEDMOOR in convoy SC.42, but did not damage her.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-83

At Sea 9 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

46 boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Patrol*
Force M of CA DEVONSHIRE, CV VICTORIOUS, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI refuelled at Bell Sound. Force L had been detached, accompanied for a time by CA SUFFOLK, and was proceeding to Seidisfjord. Force M departed Bell Sound for Operation EGV.2 on the 10th. Before sailing, the Commander of the Force transferred from CA DEVONSHIRE to CV VICTORIOUS.

CA SUFFOLK rejoined Force M on the 10th.

CVE ARGUS, CA SHROPSHIRE, and DDs INGLEFIELD, IMPULSIVE, and ECLIPSE arrived Seidisfjord for refuel on the 12th. The ships departed at 2000 that day for Scapa Flow. Force L arrived at Scapa Flow on the 14th.

*Northern Waters*
BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs LAFOREY, PUCKERIDGE, ASHANTI, CASTLETON, LAMERTON, and BADSWORTH were brought to 30 minutes notice and BB KING GEORGE V to 60 mins notice on the report that DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER had departed Oslo. It was later found that she was returning to Swinemunde after two unsuccessful bombing raids on her while at Oslo on the 5th and 8th.

*Channel
Steamer TRIFELS (Ger 6198 grt)*, (former Fr SAINTE LOUISE recaptured at the fall of France, former German TRIFELS captured on 14 November 1939) was sunk by MTB.54 off Boulogne, which was part of a force of MTB.35 (SO), MTB.218 and MTB.54. MGB.43 and MGB.52 were also at sea in the Varne area. DKM escorting PVs Vp.202 (trawler HERMANN BOSCH, 470grt) and Vp.208 (trawler WALTER DARRE, 391grt) rescued the crew.





*Med/Biscay
Steamer ERNA OLDENDORFF (Ger 2095 grt)* was sunk in a collision with a tanker off St Nazaire.





BBB BARHAM, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DDs NAPIER and NIZAM were at sea from Alexandria for exercises. A Swordfish of 815 Squadron from Dekheila ditched offshore. ML ABDIEL picked up the pilot, Sub Lt D. W. Phillips and his crew after five and a half hours in the water. The CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART of the CruSqn 7 were also at sea exercising.

British gunboat GNAT departed Mersa Matruh for Tobruk, but returned when her engines broke down. The gunboat later proceeded to Alexandria for repairs.

Dutch submarine O.24 sank *steamer* *ITALO BALBO (FI 5114 grt)* ten miles west of Elba in 42-47N, 9-57E.





*Nth Atlantic*
Corvette CANDYTUFT, escorting convoy HX.148 with DD RICHMOND and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL, was damaged in 51-20N, 39-08W. Lt D. M. Hall RNR, and T/Sub Lt H. F. T. Davies RNVR, and nine ratings were killed when the ship's starboard boiler exploded. The corvette was taken in tow by corvette BITTERSWEET and arrived at St Johns on the 14th. She was later taken from St Johns on 2 October for Halifax arriving on 6 October. Beyond the capacity of the Halifax repair facilities, the corvette was towed from Halifax on 8 October for New York where she arrived on 11 October. The corvette was repaired from 11 October 1941 to February 1942 at New York Navy Yard.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 10 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Operation Status Phase I completed, but only the first Flight arrived. The second Flight did not start, owing to the failure of guiding Blenheim to appear.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Beaufighter, 14 Hurricane, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Bombay, 1 Sunderland, 3 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Reconnaissance Striking Force patrols Ionian Sea and east Tunisian coast carried out by 3 Marylands and 1 Beaufort. Hurricane photoreconnaissance patrol of Sicilian and Calabrian coasts. _Fleet Air Arm _Fulmar patrol of Trapani aerodrome unable to locate target due to poor visibility dropped bombs on Castelvetrano aerodrome causing a large fire. _38 Squadron_ 8 Wellingtons attacked Messina. 

_TA QALI _5 officers and 9 sergeant pilots arrived by Hurricane from _HMS Ark Royal_.


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## parsifal (Sep 9, 2016)

Halder's Diary 9 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 9, 2016)

*September 10 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara was named the commanding officer of the Japanese Navy 11th Air Fleet. Koichi Shiozawa stepped down as the commanding officer of the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.

“_Shokaku_” became the flagship of Carrier Division 5. She would remain at Yokosuka, Japan for the rest of the month.

Japanese Combined Fleet training exercise begins in the North Pacific.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: Allied convoy SC-42 was tracked near Cape Farewell, Greenland by the German submarine U-85. A running battle between sixteen U-boats and the convoy of 65 merchants under Canadian escort occurred as submarines U-81, U-82, U-85, U-432, and U-652 attacked the Allied convoy. Over the next three nights a total of 16 ships from the convoy were sunk by the German Wolfpack. U-111 sank SS “_Marken_”. U-432 sank SS “_Muneric_”, SS “_Winterswijk_” and SS “_Stargard_” in Convoy SC-42. U-652 damaged SS “_Baron Pentland_” and SS “_Tahchee_” in Convoy SC-42. U-81 sank SS “_Sally Maersk_” in Convoy SC-42. U-82 sank SS “_Empire Hudson_” in Convoy SC-42. U-85 sank SS “_Thistleglen_” in Convoy SC-42. In the end, 15 merchant ships and one escort were sunk. Two submarines, U-207 and U-501, were lost.

The German submarine U-501 (KptLt Hugo Förster CO) is sunk at 2330 hours in the Straits of Denmark south of Angmagsalik, Greenland, by depth charges and ramming from the RCN corvettes HMCS “_Chambly_” (Cdr. James Douglas “Chummy” Prentice RCN Commanding Officer) and HMCS “_Moosejaw_” (Lt. Frederick Ernest Grubb RCN, CO). The Canadian ships had been proceeding to the assistance of escort of convoy SC-42 when they made an ASDIC contact and “_Chambly_” immediately depth charged. After the first depth charge run U-501 surfaced right next to HMCS “_Moosejaw_” during her turn. The commander of U-501 leaped about 9 feet (2.7 meters) from his boat and onto the bridge of the corvette without even getting his feet wet! Fearing another boarding attempt the corvette opened the range and, as the U-boat passed her bows, rammed the U-boat and then straddled her with gunfire preventing the German crew from manning their deck armament and causing enough damage to cause her to start sinking. A boarding party from “_Chambly_”, led by Lt Edward Theodore Simmons, then boarded the U-boat and once inside found the lighting system and instrumentation wrecked and heard the tell tale sound of rushing water, all of the boarding party except one were able to clear U-501 before she sank. Stoker William Irvin Brown of “_Chambly_” and 11 members of U-501’s crew were lost as she sank. Of the sub crew, 37 of the 48 men aboard survived.

German submarine U-111 sank Dutch merchant ship “_Marken_” 300 miles north of Brazil; all 37 aboard survived and were given food by U-111's crew. The survivors would later be rescued by a Spanish ship on 21 Sep 1941.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Before noon, Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 shoots down a Russian I-26 aircraft.
Armeegruppe Nord: The Luftwaffe raided Leningrad hitting the cities dairy and starting dozens of fires. 200 citizens were killed in the night’s raid. Zhukov arrives in Leningrad by air from Moscow and assumes command from Voroshilov. German 4.Panzergruppe reaches Duderhof Heights outside Leningrad.

Under German attack, Soviet defenders on Vormsi Island withdraw to Hiiumaa (Dago) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Sud: German General Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe attacks southward on Soviet forces east of Kiev reaches Konotop. General Kleist’s 1.Panzergruppe begins a breakout from their bridgehead over the Dniepr near Kremenchug. German 1.Panzergruppe and 2.Panzergruppe completed the crossing of the Dnieper River in southern and northern Ukraine, respectively, and were both heading toward Kiev. Both Army Groups Centre and South are aimed at Kiev. Generalleutnant Walter Model’s 3.Panzer-Divisionen (XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.)) captures Romny. Soviet 38th Army counterattacks in the Kremenchug sector.


> "The enemy tank group has penetrated to Romny and Gaivoron. The 21st and 40th Armies are not able to liquidate this group. They request that forces be immediately transferred from the Kiev Fortified Region to the path of the enemy advance and a general withdrawal of front forces" - Colonel-General M.P. Kirponos


*GERMANY*: Generalleutnant August Krakau succeeded Robert Martinek as the commanding officer of the German 7th Mountain Division.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: “_Scirè_” departed La Spezia, Italy for Gibraltar with three manned torpedoes on board. Axis Convoy departed Naples for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Oriani_” and “_Fulmine_” and five torpedo boats.

RAF Bomber Command sends 76 aircraft to attack Turin, Italy overnight. They do little damage to military targets.

RN aircraft carrier “_Ark Royal_” launches fourteen Hurricane fighters for Egypt via Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA*: General Cunningham takes command of Western Desert Force.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The first B-24 Liberator bombers were en route for Britain.

The US 88th Infantry Battalion commenced training to convert to an air-landed role, following in the footsteps of the 550th Battalion which had successfully converted in late 1940.

At the Congressional hearings in Washington, Charlie Chaplin was accused of using the cinema to “poison the minds of the American people to go to war”. Senator Bennett Champ Clark, a leading isolationist, told a Senate sub-committee investigating propaganda charges against Hollywood that United Artists was dominated by Chaplin and Alexander Korda, two British subjects, who were using it to make pro-war propaganda. United Artists made The Great Dictator. Chaplin, he said, had made his fortune in America, but never thought well enough of it to become a US citizen. He claimed that British propaganda had dragged America into the last war.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: German authorities in Oslo, Norway, declare martial law in their efforts to thwart a trade union plan for a general strike. Scores of trade union officials were arrested by the puppet government of Josef Terboven, Hitler’s commissioner for Norway. Guards with Tommy guns are patrolling the streets of Oslo. Two trade union leaders have been executed after a summary court martial and four others have been sent to gaol. An 8pm to 5am curfew is in force. Dance halls are closed and the sale of alcohol is forbidden. Newspaper editors have been sacked and all meetings, indoors and outdoors have been banned. Terboven declared martial law after reports that the Norwegian unions were calling a general strike in opposition to the Nazi regime. Terboven accused “communist elements” in the unions of “_disturbing the industrial peace in a criminal manner_.” The underground anti-Nazi newspaper Fri Ragbevegelse has called on the people to remain calm, but to fight “_with all secret means for their rights.”_

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: German raider “_Atlantis_” captures Norwegian vessel “_Silvaplana_” west of Society Islands, subsequently departs for France with prize crew.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A proposal to send two Canadian battalions to Hong Kong reaches British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's desk for approval. He accepts the recommendation.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The collaborationist newspaper, L’Oeuvre describes the burgeoning black market for food.;


> “Nothing has been settled about how to feed Paris. .... indispensable vegetables are swept off the board and only the minority who can pay through the nose enjoy them. People of average means are .. deprived, ...and have not the wherewithal to take the time to go and eat in Normandy or Brittany. Potatoes are .. unfindable. But the Black Market manages to infiltrate enormous quantities for restaurants or customers willing to pay 8 or 9 francs a kilo.”


German blockade-runner “_Anneliese Essberger_” arrives at Bordeaux.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 10, 2016)

*September 11 Thursday*
*ASIA*: Emperor Hirohito assumes personal command of the Japanese Army, a move misread by American intelligence analysts as indicating a personal commitment to peace by the Japanese sovereign. A United Press dispatch from Tokyo gives the following information:


> “Emperor Hirohito today took direct command of Japanese Army Headquarters and moved to assure close Army collaboration with Premier Fumimaro Konoye’s Government, which appeared to be trying to keep Japan out of war even if that meant drifting away from her Axis ties.”



Japanese Combined Fleet conducts a training exercise in the North Pacific. Yamamoto meets IJN General Staff for ten days of map exercises, including two days devoted to operations against US fleet in Hawaiian Islands.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: Attack on convoy SC-42 continues. German submarines U-82, U-202, U-207, U-432, and U-433 attacked and sank seven merchant ships 100 miles east of Greenland. U-105 sank SS “_Montana_”. U-207 sank SS “_Berury_” and SS “_Stonepool_” in Convoy SC-42. U-432 sank SS “_Garm_” in Convoy SC-42. U-433 sank SS “_Bestum_” in Convoy SC-42. U-82 sank SS “_Bulysses_”, SS “_Empire Crossbill_”, SS “_Gypsum Queen_” and damaged SS “_Scania_” in Convoy SC-42. U-202 sank SS “_Scania_”. British destroyers HMS “_Leamington_” and HMS “_Veteran_” sank German submarine U-207, killing all 41 aboard. USS “_Twiggs_” (DD-127) was commissioned as HMS “_Leamington_” (G-19) on 23 Oct. 1940, part of the destroyers-for-bases deal.

Soviet warships unsuccessfully attack German convoy near Petsamo.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Near Jamjedrowo before noon, Lt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 claims two more Russian kills. But the “Green Hearts’ _Geschwader_ loses another pilot when Peter von Malapert with five victories is shot down and captured, becoming a prisoner of war to the Russians.
Armeegruppe Nord: The 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) captures Dudergov. German artillery batters the city of Leningrad daily at 0800 hours-0900 hours, 1100 hours -1200 hours, 1700 hours -1800 hours and from 2000 hours -2200 hours, to disrupt the schedule of normal life, but starvation and the coming winter are the main problems facing the population. Leningrad has livestock, grain, flour and fats for 30-40 days and sugar for 60 days. There is little firewood already cut and stored for heating. Some food, supplies and ammunition arrives across Lake Ladoga by boat until the lake freezes over in November. The Leningrad Front's strength sits at 452,000 men with about 2/3 of them deployed south of Leningrad. They faced about an equal number of Germans.

Finnish 14th Infantry Division captures Rukajarvi en route to Murmansk railroad. German artillery begins preparatory bombardment of Soviet positions on Muhu (Moon) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Mitte: General Semyon Budyenny Commander-in-Chief of the Southwest Direction makes his second appeal to Stalin to withdraw from the Kiev area. This time the request was co-signed by the ranking commissar, Nikita Krushchev. Budyenny was sacked within hours and replaced him with Semyon Timoshenko. Only 60 miles separated the jaws of the great German encirclement at Kiev.


> "Do not abandon Kiev and do not blow up the bridges without Stavka permission" - _Joseph Stalin in response to Kirponos' request to withdraw from Kiev to a better defensive position_.



Armeegruppe Sud: Soviet cruiser “_Krasny Kavkaz_” bombards Rumanian positions near Odessa.

Konstantin Rokossovsky was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. Rokossovsky takes command of Soviet 16th Army. Stavka disbands Western Theater headquarters. Voroshilov, relieved of command of Leningrad Front by Zhukov, departs for Moscow.

The Soviet Far East command begins moving forces facing the Japanese to Moscow.

The Soviet government warns Bulgaria against allowing its territory to be used as a basis of attack by Germany and Italy.

*GERMANY*: Hitler directs that all the armed forces, including the Luftwaffe, restrict development of new prototypes except those approved by the Führer himself. These restrictions severely hamper the creation of modern aircraft and force the Luftwaffe to redesign or upgrade old types. The outcome of this is that massive man-hours and material are wasted before a conclusion can be reached about what type should be produced at all.

Hitler meets with Spanish ambassador and Portuguese ambassador.

RAF Bomber Command sends 56 aircraft to attack Rostock, 55 aircraft to attack Kiel and 32 aircraft to attack Warnemunde overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Thunderbolt_” sank German ship “_Livorno_” 65 miles southwest of Benghazi, Libya.

Luftwaffe bombers attack the Suez Canal overnight.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Hans-Joachim Marseille claimed shooting down a South African Maryland bomber over Libya, but the kill was not confirmed. But JG 27 lost an _Experte_ when Hans Richter with twenty-two aerial kills is shot down and killed in combat against the Allies.

*NORTH AMERICA*: America takes one more step closer to war. US President Roosevelt gave a fireside chat on maintaining freedom of the seas and the “_Greer_” incident. In response to the attack on the USS “_Greer_”, Roosevelt announced that United States Navy warships will attack German or Italian submarines on sight in American defense waters stating;


> “It is clear to all Americans that the time has come when the Americas themselves must now be defended. A continuation of attacks in our own waters, or in waters which could be used for further and greater attacks on us, will inevitably weaken American ability to repel Hitlerism. . . .”


 In effect, an undeclared state of war now existed between German and America.

Charles Lindbergh made a speech on behalf of the America First Committee in Des Moines, Iowa which included remarks that would be instantly controversial. In the speech Lindbergh said;


> “The three most important groups who have been pressing this country toward war are the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration.”


Lindbergh said he admired the British and Jewish races, but claimed that the Jews' "greatest danger to this country lies in their large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio and our government." Lindbergh’s pro-fascist stands were still embraced by a sizable portion of the American public.

Ground breaking ceremonies for the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. take place. The 38-acre Pentagon was built in Arlington, Va., over the next 2 years. Construction was ordered by Brig. Gen. Brehon B. Sommervell to consolidate the 17 War Dept. buildings. It cost $83 million and was located on a plot known as Arlington Farms, that was bordered by 5 roads.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Marine Corps 6th Defense Battalion relieved the 3rd Defense Battalion as the garrison force at Midway.

George advises MacArthur that the total end strength of the FEAF ought to be 27 pursuit squadrons, eighteen light or medium bomber squadrons, and thirty heavy bomber squadrons.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: RAF No. 56 Squadron at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, becomes the first RAF squadron to receive the Hawker Typhoon Mk. IA.

Of the twenty long-range German bombers and five fighters sent into action, about thirteen operated over eastern England between Tynemouth and Brighton. Bombs were dropped at a dozen points including Durham and the North Riding. An incident occurred at Saltburn in Yorkshire, where some damage was caused to an ironworks (Skinningrove Iron Works), production was delayed for no more than three hours, however. One person was killed in this attack.

*WESTERN FRONT*: King Leopold III of Belgium, whilst a prisoner of the Germans, secretly married London-born Lilian Baels. As this had no validity under Belgian law a second ceremony was conducted on 6 Dec 1941.

RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Le Havre and Boulogne overnight. During the day RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on coastal sweeps and 43 aircraft on assorted anti-shipping and minelaying operations.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2016)

*10 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type X Bis (Schuka) Class VMF SHCH 407 and 408




_SHCH 408_

Fairmile B ML 293, ML 297




_Fairmile B of the RAN _

*Losses*
U-111 sank *Steamer MARKEN (Ne 5719 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Cardiff to Calcutta via Trinidad and Capetown. She was mostly empty when lost, withy just 5 training aircraft aboard. All of the 37 crew survived the attack. At 1953 the unescorted MARKEN was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-111 while steaming on a zigzag course at 12 knots about 335 miles NNW of Fortaleza, Brazil. The explosion blew the hatch covers off and lifted one of the aircraft carried as deck cargo into the air. The crew stopped the engines and began to abandon ship in two lifeboats after it was reported that the wireless gear and the 4in gun at the stern (the ship was also armed with four machine guns) were out of action, all hands having left about 15 minutes after the hit. Shortly afterwards a second torpedo struck on starboard side, falling the main mast and causing the ship to sink quickly. The U-boat then surfaced and approached the lifeboats to question the survivors. Initially the conversion was in English but soon carried on in German, asking for the name of the ship and nature of cargo. The commander asked if any of the boats needed food, brandy or a compass, offering to supply them if necessary, but no assistance was required so he only gave them the course to the nearest land. The survivors were picked up after 54 hours by the Panamanian steam tanker STANVAC NANILA which was attracted by the use of a flashing lamp and landed at Santos on 19 September.





*Drifter CHRISTINE ROSE (RN 250 grt (est))* was lost when she grounded on Knap Rock, Argyll. The skipper was lost in the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SC-42_
65 ships departed Sydney Nova Scotia on 30 August 1941 under local escort, bound for Liverpool.. A week later, they were met by the Canadian 24th Escort Group with RCN DD SKEENA, Flower class corvettes ALBERNI, KENOGAMI, and ORILLIA Corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSE were also with the convoy undertaking operational training. Escort command were expecting trouble and had units on standby to reinforce the escort if the need arose as the convoy entered an area where U-boats were known to be waiting. Ranged against them was the _Markgraf wolf pack _of 14 boats in a patrol line SE of Greenland.

Early on 9 September U-85 sighted the convoy near Cape Farewell made an immediate sighting report, and then moved to attack immediately which was unsuccessful. She then commenced shadowing, while other _Markgraf_ boats moved into position. The moon rose on the southern side on the convoy that night, and U-432 torpedoed the silhouetted *freighter MUNERIC (UK 5229-GRT)*_, _which was carrying iron ore. The ship sank almost immediately and took all 63 of her crew.





Steamer KENOGAMIcommenced firing on a surfaced U-boat without any starshells or flashless powder, and quickly lost contact as the crew lost their night-vision in the flash of gunfire.

The convoy made two emergency turns over the next 30 mins as ships in convoy reported sighting three more surfaced U-boats. Another emergency convoy turn 90 minutes later caught SKEENA pursuing a contact at speed. While maneuvering to avoid collision, SKEENA passed a surfaced U-boat on a reciprocal course, being fired upon by ships in convoy so closely that SKEENA’s guns could not be depressed to bear.

U-652 torpedoed *Steamer BARON PENTLAND (UK 3410 grt)* whilst carrying timber. Two of the crew were lost. The vessel remained afloat due her load of timber despite of a broken back and the wreck was eventually torpedoed and sunk by U-372 on 19 September.





The attack by U-652 also damaged tanker TAHCHEE. Tanker TAHCHEE was towed back to port by ORILLIA

Another emergency turn by the convoy brought 2 hrs of suspenseful quiet while ORILLIA aided TAHCHEE and searched for survivors astern of the convoy. Then U-432 managed to torpedo the* freighter WINTERSWIJK (Ne3205-GRT).* Between 0707 and 0709 hrs, U-432 fired three bow torpedoes and one stern torpedo and observed one ship sinking in two minutes and a hit on another ship. The ships hit were WINTERSWIJK and STARGARD. The survivors from WINTERSWIJK were picked up by a corvette and landed at Gourock.





*Steamer STARGARD (Nor 1113-GRT)* carrying lumber and a crew of 17 (2 were die in the attack) was hit amidships in the engine room by one torpedo. The explosion tore open the bridge deck and destroyed both port lifeboats and caused a heavy starboard list when the ship settled by the stern with the entire midships section enveloped in steam. Two men on watch below were killed and the master and two crewmen were thrown overboard, but were rescued by a starboard lifeboat, which had been launched by three men. The remaining survivors stayed on board and were soon thereafter taken off by the Norwegian steam merchant REGIN. The men in the boat were picked up after 30 minutes by a corvette and landed in Reykjavik on 13 September, where the master and two crewmen were taken to a hospital. The ship was last seen about two hours after being torpedoed, lying on her starboard side.





Whilst carrying out the rescue work REGIN opened fire on a surfaced U-boat. While SKEENA and and KENOGAMI searched for U-boats around stricken WINTERSWIJK and STARGARD, U-81 torpedoed and sank *Steamer SALLY MAERSK (UK 3252-GRT)*, and the convoy made another emergency turn to avoid a surfaced U-boat. All 34 crew were rescued, but the cargo of wheat was of course lost. The details of the attack are that at 0728 hrs, U-81 fired two torpedoes at the SC-42 and observed a ship sinking after two hits. At 0729 hours, another spread of two torpedoes was fired and two detonations were heard, but at the time visibility was bad. At 0753 hours, the stern torpedo was fired that hit but was probably a dud. The U-Boat skipper reported one ship certain and two others probably sunk, but from Allied reports only the sinking of SALLY MAERSK is confirmed. The master, 28 crew members and five gunners were picked up by HMCS KENOGAMI (K-125) and landed at Reykjavik.





U-82 torpedoed the *CAM Ship EMPIRE HUDSON (UK 7465-GRT)* British less than two hours after SKEENA regained station ahead of the convoy. At 0957 hrs the EMPIRE HUDSON in convoy SC-42 was torpedoed and sunk by U-82. Four crew members were lost. The master, 47 crew members, six gunners and nine RAF personnel were picked up by the British merchant BARON RAMSAY and the Norwegian merchant REGIN and landed at Loch Ewe.




_The similar EMPIRE DARWIN _

Daylight on 10 September brought several periscope sightings and emergency turns by the convoy before U-85 torpedoed the *freighter THISTLEGLEN (UK 4748-GRT)*. SKEENA and ALBERNI counterattacked and damaged U-85 after she had attacked and mortally hit THGISTLEGLEN. They attacked with depth charges. THISTLEGLEN sank with the loss of 3 crew. She was carrying both iron and steel when lost. At 1642 hrs, U-85 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a ship in the convoy and reported one ship sunk and another probably damaged after observing one hit and hearing a second detonation. However, only THGISTLEGLEN, the ship of the vice-commodore, was hit by one torpedo and sank later. Three crew members were lost. The master, 39 crew members and six gunners abandoned ship in three lifeboats and two rafts and were picked up after about one hour by the LORIENT, a straggler from the same convoy and landed at Belfast.

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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2016)

*10 SEPTEMBER 1941 [CONT'D*]
*Losses (cont'd)*
_Convoy SC-42 (cont'd)_
RCN corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSEJAW, en route to join convoy SC.42, sank *Type IXC U.501 (DKM 1120 grt)* in the Denmark Strait, south of Angmagsalik, Greenland. The boat was sunk at 2330hrs. after sustained depth charge attacks and finally by ramming. 37 of the crew were rescued, but 11 of the German crew were lost. One Canadian rating was lost after boarding the submarine prior to sinking.
*





UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-563
St Nazaire: U-77, U-206, U-568

Departures
Brest: U-372
Lorient: U-103

At Sea 10 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-81, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-207, U-372, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

46 boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer JULIUS HUGH STINNES 27 (Ger 2530 grt)* was lost on a mine near Kolberg.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea
Aux MSW M.1102 (DKM 460 grt)* (ex-trawler H. A. W. MULLER,) was sunk by an RAF aerial torpedo in 58-08N, 6-38E.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
CA LONDON was ordered to patrol the western approaches to Denmark Strait. That evening on the 12th, CA LONDON was ordered to return to Hvalfjord and return to normal notice. LONDON arrived back at Hvalfjord on the 12th.

*Northern Waters*
BB PRINCE OF WALES departed Scapa Flow with DDs LAMERTON, BADSWORTH, and PUCKERIDGE to exercise west of Hoy. Somewhat later, ML cruiser WELSHMAN and DDs LAFOREY and ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow to relieve the HUNT DDs in the BB PRINCE OF WALES' screen. The BB and screen would then proceed to Havlfjord to prepare for operations against DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER which was expected to attempt a break through into the Atlantic. Mid afternoon, BB PRINCE OF WALES was ordered to remain in her practice area and that afternoon to return to Scapa Flow. The ships were ordered to revert to normal notice on the 11th. All ships arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 11th when the operation was canceled.

ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh. CL SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde in her return to Gibraltar. The cruiser arrived at the Clyde on the 11th.

DD LIGHTNING, en route to Scapa Flow from escorting BB DUKE OF YORK, was in a collision with MSW trawler STRATHGELDIE. The DD was damaged and the trawler was badly damaged. DD LIGHTNING escorted the trawler to Wick before continuing on to Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 11th. LIGHTNING departed Scapa Flow on the 15th for the Clyde for repairs.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine PROTEUS arrived at Gibraltar from refitting at Portsmouth from December 1940 to 17 August. The submarine had departed Holy Loch on the 3rd.

*Med/Biscay*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DDs JACKAL and NIZAM were exercising from Alexandria.

CLA NAIAD with DDs JACKAL and HOTSPUR were at sea that night to direct night fighters. JACKAL rescued a party of two Army officers, three soldiers, and nine Greeks which had escaped from Greece in a caique and were making for Alexandria.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank *steamer SVAM I (FI 388 grt)* in the Gulf of Sirte.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Panamanian steamer HONDURAS was damaged by the LW off Suez.. The steamer was able to arrive under her own power at Zafarana.

RM submarine TOPAZIO sank *Ferry MUREFTE (UK 691 grt)* off Alexandria. One crewman was lost on the ferry. The survivors were picked up by Egyptian steamer TALODI. DDs KIPLING, JACKAL, HASTY, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria and destroyers HERO and GRIFFIN departed Haifa to hunt for this submarine. DDs KIPLING and HASTY returned to Alexandria on the 13th. DDs HERO, GRIFFIN, JACKAL, and HOTSPUR arrived at Haifa on the 14th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TORBAY damaged German steamer NORBURG in Candia Harbour (Greece).

RAF bombers from Malta damaged RM CA BOLZANO at Messina. 12 crew were killed and 30 wounded.

*Nth Atlantic*
HX.149 departed Halifax, escorted by DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON and AMC ASCANIA. DD CHURCHILL joined on the 12th. DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON were relieved on the 13th by corvettes ARROWHEAD, CAMELLIA, CELANDINE, and EYEBRIGHT. DD CHURCHILL and the four corvettes were relieved on the 20th by DDs MALCOLM and WATCHMAN, corvettes ARABIS and PETUNIA, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN SPRAY. Corvette MONKSHOOD joined on the 22nd. The AMC and corvette PETUNIA were detached on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 11 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ 38 Squadron _8 Wellingtons attacked power station, train and ferries at Messina. _69 Squadron_Reconnaissance Tripoli, plus special search and patrol.

_TA QALI _4 officers and 9 sergeants left for Luqa by Hurricane to proceed to the Middle East.

Halder's Diary 10 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2016)

*11 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc U-587
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS ACME (AMc-61)





Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS CHACHALACA (AMc-41)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS SUMMERSIDE (K-141)





Bangor Class MSW HMS PETERHEAD (J-59)





*Losses
Steamer SILVAPLANA (Nor 4793 grt)* was captured by DKM raider ATLANTIS at 26-16S, 164-25W.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SC-42
U-82_ torpedoed *tkr BULYSSES (UK 7519 GRT)* during the early hours of of the 11th. 4 of the 61 man crew were lost in the attack. The ship was transporting gas and oil when lost, from New York to Stanlow via Sydney CB. At 0151 hrs on 11 September 1941 U-82 fired four torpedoes at SC-42 and then a stern shot south of Cape Farewell. The first three torpedoes of the forward tubes missed and the fourth hit the BULYSSES, which exploded. The stern shot at 0212 hours hit the GYPSUM QUEEN which sank within one minute. The master, 50 crew members and six gunners were picked up by the Polish steam merchant WISLA from the same convoy and landed at Liverpool





As indicated above _U-82_ torpedoed the *freighter GYPSUM QUEEN (UK 3915 GRT)* with her stern launched torpedo, shortly after the convoy ordered an emergency turn. GYPSUM QUEEN sank quickly with 5500 tons of sulfur and 10 of her 36 man crew. Other ships in convoy rescued the survivors.





Some accounts place the loss of U-501 (see previous day’s entry). According to these accounts corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSE JAW observed the fireworks of these attacks and surprised U-501 while steaming to reinforce the escort. It is reported that after being rammed and disabled, the captain of _U-501_ jumped from the conning tower to MOOSE JAW's deck; and MOOSE JAW sent a boarding party to enter the submarine. 11 Germans and one of the Canadian boarding party (Stoker William Brown) were lost when _U-501_ sank. _U-501_ was the first U-boat sunk by Canadian escorts.

U-207, just after midnight 10/11 September sank and the *freighter STONEPOOL (UK 4815 GRT)* while CHAMBLY and MOOSE JAW were attacking _U-501_. She was on passage from Montreal to Avonmouth via Sydney CB with a crew of 49, 42 of whom would perish in the attack. The master, 33 crew members and eight gunners from STONEPOOL were lost. Six crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMCS KENOGAMI and landed at Loch Ewe.





Just after this attack U-207 torpedoed the *freighter BERURY(UK 4924 GRT).* The after action reports state that at 0245 hrs on 11 Sep 1941 the STONEPOOL at station #111 and five minutes later the BERURY at station #112 in convoy SC-42 were torpedoed and sunk east of Cape Farewell. There are no attack reports for this time from the German side, so the attacker must have been U-207, which herself was sunk a few hours later by the escorts. The BERURYwas sunk with gunfire by an escort ship. One crew member was lost. The master, 36 crew members and four gunners were picked up by HMCS KENOGAMIand landed at Reykjavik and HMCS MOOSEJAW and landed at Loch Ewe
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Then U-432 torpedoed the *freighter GARM (SD 1231 GRT)*. The vessel was on passage Sydney CB ro Kings Lynn with half a cargo of timber. A crew of 20 were embarked, 6 of whom would perish in the attack. At 0406 hrs U-432 fired two torpedoes at two overlapping ships in the convoy and observed one hit after 3 minutes 15 seconds. The ship hit was the GARM in station #24. The survivors were shortly thereafter rescued from their lifeboats by the DESTRUM and were landed at Reykjavik three days later.





U-82 torpedoed the *freighter EMPIRE CROSSBILL (UK 5463 GRT)*, with the loss of all of the 49 crew. The ship was fully loaded with steel and was on passage from Philadelphia to Hull. At 0705 hrs, U-82 fired three torpedoes at three ships into the convoy east of Cape Farewell and observed two hits. One of the ships hit was the the EMPIRE CROSSBILL, which sank within 30 seconds and the second ship (the SCANIA, see below) was hit and later finished off by U-202. The EMPIRE CROSSBILL sank with all hands: the master, 38 crew members, nine gunners and one passenger were lost.





The other ship hit by U-82 was the *freighter SCANIA (Sd 1980 GRT)*. U-82 hit her and caused her to stop, but did not sink her. Two hours after being hit by U-82, the now helpless ship was hit again by U-202, while escorts ALBERNI, KENOGAMI and MOOSE JAW were rescuing survivors of BERURY and STONEPOOL. The ship was transporting timber from the Canada to the UK. She had a crew of 24, all of whom would survive the attack. The SCANIA was abandoned after the first hit and fell behind the convoy where she was sunk by two torpedoes from U-202 at 13.32 and 13.47 hrs that afternoon.





U-43 launched torpedoes, but fail to hit anything. U-433 scored a hit on Norwegian Bestum, but did not sink this ship

U-105 sank the straggling *steamer MONTANA (Pan 1549 GRT)*. This ship had a complement of 26, all of whom would perish in the attack. She was transporting lumber from Wilmington NC to Reykjavik. At 1650 hrs the unescorted and neutral MONTANA was hit on port side by one of four G7e torpedoes fired by U-105 in very bad visibility about 330 miles NE of Cape Farewell. The torpedo struck just ahead of the bridge and caused the ship to sink slowly by the bow with a heavy list to port. The survivors were observed to abandon ship in two lifeboats by an Allied aircraft, but they were never found.





Corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSEJAW joined the convoy on the 11th. Later in the morning, the convoy was joined by Canadian corvette WETASKIWIN, Corvettes MIMOSA and GLADIOLUS, and anti-submarine whaler BUTTERMERE. During the afternoon of 11 September, the 2nd Escort Gp joined the convoy with DDs DOUGLAS, VETERAN, SALADIN, SKATE, and LEAMINGTON.

Also on the 11th, DDs LEAMINGTON and VETERAN sank *Type VIIc U.207 (DKM 769 grt)* in the Denmark Strait. The entire crew of forty one were lost. A total of 21 DCs were dropped by LEAMINGTON and VETERAN, with assistance also provided by S Class DDs SKATE and SALADIN. Sighting information was also passed by a patrolling CC a/c searching in front of the convoy.
[NO NEW IMAGES]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-106

Departures
Brest: U-562
Lorient: U-68

At Sea 11 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-372, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
British steamer CORMEAD was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The steamer anchored at Great Yarmouth Roads on the 12th.

British trawler WAR GREY was damaged by the LW off Sunderland.

*Northern Waters*
CL KENYA departed Scapa Flow for repairs in the Clyde. These repairs were to complete repairs to damage from her collision with DD BRIGHTONon 25 June. The CL arrived in the Clyde on the 12th.

*West Coast*
ON.15 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs KEPPEL, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN. DD VENOMOUS and corvette SUNFLOWER were detached on the 13th, DD SABRE on the 14th, and DD KEPPEL on the 15th. The remainder of the escorts remained with the convoy until it was dispersed on the 16th.


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## parsifal (Sep 11, 2016)

*11 SEPTEMBER 1941 [CONT'D]*
*OPERATIONS [CONT'D]
Med/Biscay*
DDs NAPIER, KINGSTON, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria for Tobruk with supplies. On their return, Senior Naval Officer, Inshore Squadron, Captain A. L. Poland DSO DSC, took passage to Mersa Matruh in DD NAPIER. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 12th.

*Steamer ALFREDO ORIANI (FI 3059 grt)* was sunk by British Blenheim bombers outside Benghazi. The steamer which had departed Petrasso on the 11th was escorted by RM TB CANTORE.





*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.44 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by AMC WOLFE and corvettes LETHBRIDGE, NAPANEE, and SHEDIAC. Corvette AGASSIZ joined on the 12th. The escort which left with the convoy on the 11th were detached on the 14th when relieved by DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes ALYSSE, HONEYSUCKLE, LEVIS, and MAYFLOWER. Corvette LEVIS was lost on the 20th. Corvettes ARROWHEAD and EYEBRIGHT joined on the 20th. Corvette HONEYSUCKLE was detached on the 21st and DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes AGASSIZ, ALYSSE, ARROWHEAD, EYEBRIGHT, and MAYFLOWER were detached on the 22nd. DDs AMAZON, BELMONT, BULLDOG, and GEORGETOWN and corvettes ACONIT and HEARTSEASE, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, CAPE WARWICK, DANEMAN, NOTTS COUNTY, and ST APOLLO joined on the 22nd. DDs AMAZON and BULLDOG and corvettes ACONIT and HEARTSEASE were detached on the 27th. DDs BELMONT and GEORGETOWN and the trawlers were detached on the 28th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

*Central Atlantic*
RAN DD NESTOR was damaged by the premature explosion of a depth charge off Bathurst. NESTOR arrived at Freetown on the 12th. After temporary repairs at Freetown, the DD proceeded to Gibraltar, arriving on the 25th. The DD departed Gibraltar on the 26th and proceeded to Devonport for permanent repairs, completing on 5 December.

*Sth Atlantic*
CL EDINBURGH departed Simonstown after escorting convoy WS.10 to Capetown. 
The cruiser arrived at Freetown on the 17th and Gibraltar on the 21st for Operation HALBERD.

*Pacific/Australia*
British steamer ELLENGA departed Singapore for Penang. The steamer departed Penang on the 13th, escorted by CL DAUNTLESS to 10N, 84E. Steamer ELLENGA arrived at Madras on the 20th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 12 SEPTEMBER 1941

_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1135-1145 hrs _Air raid alert for a report of nine enemy aircraft which approach to within eight miles north of Grand Harbour at 23000 feet. Ten Hurricane fighters are scrambled. Eight of 249 Squadron are unable to attain sufficient altitude to attack. The two Hurricanes of 185 Squadron follow the raiders to within 10-15 miles of Sicily but cannot reach them and return to base.

_2047-2210 hrs _Air raid alert for five enemy aircraft approaching the Island. One turns back well before reaching Malta but the remaining four cross the coast and drop bombs on land around Kalafrana and Ta Qali. Ant-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons attacked Palermo. _69 Squadron _5 Blenheims on sweep of Ionian sea; attacked shipping. _105 Squadron _1 Blenheim special patrol. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish attacked a convoy of 6 merchant ships and 7 destroyers off the Tunisian coast. 5 torpedoes were fired, sinking one merchant ship and damaging a second. 2 Fulmar offensive patrols over Sicilian aerodromes unable to attack due to thick cloud; they dropped high explosives and incendiaries on chemical works at Licata and machine-gunned harbour installations, then dropped high explosives and incendiaries on the railway at Sciata starting a fire. 


Halder's Diary 11 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 11, 2016)

*September 12 Friday*
*ASIA*: Japanese Combined Fleet continues training exercise in the North Pacific.

In a secret meeting with Prime Minister Konoe in effort to avoid war, Yamamoto promises the Navy will win many victories in the first year, but can't guarantee ultimate success.

Japanese air offensive against Chungking, Tzeliutzsing, and other targets were halted in order to withdraw air units in preparation for operations in the Pacific. The 3rd Kokutai reorganized from a bomber unit to a pure fighter group (as the first Kokutai to do so). The attack daitai of the 1st Kokutai returned to Kanoya, Japan, while the fighter daitai at the same time was abolished. The majority of its pilots were absorbed into the newly created 3rd Kokutai or into the Tainan Kokutai. The Genzan Kokutai returned to Genzan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: After the loss of 13 ships in 2 days, convoy SC-42 is reinforced. Three Allied corvettes (British HMS “_Gladiolus_”, Canadian HCMS “_Wetaskiwin_”, and Free French “_Mimosa_”) and eight destroyers (British HMS “_Douglas_”, British HMS “_Veteran_”, British HMS “_Leamington_”, British HMS “_Saladin_”, British HMS “_Skate_”, American USS “_Sims_”, American USS “_Russell_”, and American USS “_Charles F. Hughes’_) are added to Allied convoy SC-42's escort force. In the air, British Catalina aircraft of RAF No. 209 Squadron also appeared to provide protection during the day. The escorts prevent the U-boats from sinking any ships for the next 5 days.

United States Coast Guard cutters USCGC “_Northland_” (WPG-49) and USCGC “_North Star_” (WPG-59) seize the Norwegian trawler “_Buskoe_” in MacKenzie Bay. The crew of the “_Buskoe_” is attempting to establish and service German weather stations in Greenland. This the first capture of a belligerent ship by the U.S. in WWII. Her capture led to the discovery of a German radio station about five hundred miles up the Greenland coast from Mackenzie Bay. A night raiding party from “_Northland_” captured three Nazis at Peter Bregt, with equipment and code, as well as German plans for other radio stations in the far north.

*EASTERN FRONT*: In the Leningrad sector, Stavka disbands 48th Army and creates 4th Army. Konev replaces Timoshenko in command of Soviet Western Front.
Armeegruppe Nord: The 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) captures Krasnoe Selo but are halted at Pulkovo in Leningrad's southwestern suburbs. Hitler halts the advance in the Leningrad area and orders the bulk of the armored and mechanized forces in Army Group North, to move south and prepare for the attack on Moscow. Hitler proclaims, “Leningrad will be starved into submission.” The daily bread ration in Leningrad, Russia was cut to 500 grams for manual workers and 300 grams for office workers and children under 12.

Finnish 14th Infantry Division halts advance toward Murmansk railroad and assumes defensive positions east of Rukajarvi. Finnish Army of Karelia crosses the Svir and captures Podporogye.

Armeegruppe Mitte: North of Kiev, the city of Chernigov, on the Desna River is evacuated in the face of the advancing German 2.Armee. Kleist moves 1.Panzergruppe from Kremenchug to form part of a pincer ring around Soviets protecting Kiev. As Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe drives south to encircle the Soviet forces around Kiev, an early snowfall hits most of the front in Russia turning the landscape into mud. The Germans, completely unprepared for the poor weather are completely incapable of dealing with the situation, call a temporary halt to the attacks by their mechanized forces.

Armeegruppe Sud: Axis troops launched a renewed offensive against Odessa, Ukraine. German 1.Panzergruppe attacks from the Kremenchug bridgehead.

Royal Air Force planes went into action against the Germans in the Murmansk area for the first time. JG 77 encounters for the Hurricanes of 151 Wing, an RAF fighter squadron flying out of Murmansk that was sent to demonstrate to the Russians how to operate the Hurricane. In the action, the British pilots shot down three enemy planes at a loss of one to themselves. The Russians were so pleased with the action that three of the pilots involved were awarded “Order of Lenin”, the only non-Russians given the award.

Nadejda Russo was awarded the Gold Cross of the Order of Aeronautical Virtue with Swords.

A SS Einsatzkommando murders 3,434 Jews at Ponary, outside Vilna.

*GERMANY*: Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, the Chief of Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, the Armed Forces High Command [OKW], issued an explicit directive to his troops on how they should treat Jews in the USSR. “_Jews in the newly occupied eastern territories”,_ Keitel’s directive says: “The struggle against Bolshevism demands ruthless and energetic measures, above all against the Jews, the main carriers of Bolshevism.”

An authorized Nazi spokesperson said that President Roosevelt "wants war" and that Germany would take "appropriate measures". That same day, an editorial by the prominent Italian journalist and unofficial Axis spokesman Virginio Gayda was published in the Giornale d'Italia, in which he declared that the "act of unprovoked aggression" by Roosevelt had left the Axis warships no alternative "but to attack United States naval ships on sight."

RAF Bomber Command sends 120 aircraft to attack Frankfurt overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Flying from bases in Britain and North Africa, British bombers struck at Italy’s industrial north and at targets in Sicily, in the south, tonight. The British based Stirlings took advantage of the longer nights to fly 1,200 miles across France and the Alps and bomb the royal arsenal at Turin, where at least nine large fires were started. More fires were started at Messina and Palermo - both major supply ports for the Italian army in Libya - with crews reporting hits on merchant ships, oil tanks and a power station.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Eighth Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 2842 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant. In the Red Sea, British vessel “_Tai Koo_” was sunk by mine.

*NORTH AFRICA*: In North Africa the relief operations begin for Tobruk. Approximately 6300 soldiers, from Scobie’s 70th British Division, and supplies for them are transported into the city. 6000 of the Australian garrison are taken out.

*NORTH AMERICA*: 
White House Press Secretary Stephen Early said there was "striking similarity" between Nazi propaganda and Charles Lindbergh's comments in Des Moines. Lindbergh's remarks were widely criticized in the American press, even among pro-isolationist newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and the Hearst media empire. The public standing of the America First Committee was severely damaged as a result.


> "Germany and Russia are fighting for world domination, which ever wins will be a long way on the road to domination; England cannot win, the best its empire can gain is a respite; Japan fights for domination in order to keep from being destroyed later; the United States does not look out for its own interests, is not united internally, has no objective except the restoration of the status quo, is shot through with elements of weakness and therefore stands to lose regardless of the victor in the present war; finally, if any one power dominates Asia, Europe, and Africa, our country will ultimately become a second class power even if we gain South America and the whole of North America." - Colonel Paul Robinett of the General Staff.



Stimson protests to the Cabinet that Roosevelt’s gift to the USSR of 5 B-17’s were needed for the Philippines. Roosevelt apologizes but the gift stands.

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) authorizes the creation of the USNs first photo interpretation (PI) school.

The Spanish freighter “_Navemar_” arrived in New York with 787 refugees.

Chuck Yeager enlists in US Army Air Forces.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: In Operation EGV2, British Fairey Albacore aircraft from British carrier HMS “_Victorious_” (escorted by cruisers HMS “_Devonshire_” and “_Suffolk_” and HMS destroyers “_Somali_”, “_Matabele_” and “_Punjabi_”) damage the Glomfjord hydroelectric power plant, Norway. They also attack ships at Bodö (20 miles away) with torpedoes.

The Norwegian Government under the pro-German leadership of Quisling bans the Boys Scouts and other youth clubs. Boys are required to join youth sections of the Nasjonal Samling Party.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: In the Philippine Islands, the first nine USAAF B-17 bombers arrive via air reinforcement route from Hawaii.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British Air Vice-Marshal G. R. Bromet was appointed Air Officer Commanding, No. 19 Group RAF with the primary task of attacking surfaced German submarines in the Bay of Biscay.

The prototype Airspeed A.S. 51 Horsa troop-carrying glider (DG 597) is flown. It has a crew of two pilots and can carry 20-25 troops.

One of the three Luftwaffe aircraft overland dropped bombs in fields near Seaham Harbour. There was slight window damage. During a raid on Durham, damage was reported to the railway and at Flamborough, damage was done to some houses. Seven HEs dropped and one of these fell on the LNER's Lanchester Valley line between Blackhill and Knitsley. A railway engine and ten wagons were derailed. Other bombs fell harmlessly in open fields.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Germans shoot 12 of the Jewish hostages taken on 8 September.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead operation and a Rhubarb operation over the Netherlands. RAF Bomber Command sends 11 aircraft on coastal sweeps off the Dutch coast. RAF Bomber Command sends 21 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight and 10 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

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## Njaco (Sep 12, 2016)

*September 13 Saturday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese Combined Fleet completes the 4-day training exercise in the North Pacific.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: British Submarine HMS “_Tigris_” sank Norwegian coastal steamer “_Richard With_” off Breisund, northern Norway.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The German OKW determined that Soviet prisoners of war would receive fewer rations than prisoners of other nationalities.
Armeegruppe Nord: German Army Group North continues to press toward Leningrad. General Georgy Zhukov, hero of the 1938 Soviet victory over Japan at Khalkhin Gol, flies from Moscow and arrives in Leningrad with trusted lieutenants Major-Generals I.I. Fediuninsky and M.S. Khozin to replace Marshal Kliment Voroshilov as the commanding officer of the city's garrison who is unable to control the numerous military and civilian groups defending the city. He orders the harshest of punishments for dereliction of duty and orders immediate counter-attacks. His actions, in large part, save the city from the Germans. Zhukov dismisses General Ivanov for incompetence and appoints General Fedyuninsky to command 42nd Army.

German forces land on Muhu (Moon) Island and Saaremaa (Osel) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Model's 3.Panzer-Divisionen and Hube's 16.Panzer-Divisionen capture Lubna and Lokhvista and the 9.Panzer Divisionen (Lieutenant General Dr. A. Ritter von Hubicki) captures Mirgorod.

Armeegruppe Sud: Spearheads of German 1.Panzergruppe and 2.Panzergruppe have nearly isolated Soviet Southwestern Theater. XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) took Lokhvytsia. Manstein takes command of 11.Armee in German Army Group South.

Walther Dahl of II./JG 3 shoots down three Russian aircraft.

Stavka appoints Timoshenko to replace Budenny as commander of the Southwestern Direction High Command.

Suspicious that the Allies may be decoding its radio messages, Berlin orders German commanders in the Soviet Union to send future reports of Nazi executions of Jews and other Soviet civilians by courier instead of radio.

Eleven members of the Jewish Council of Piotrkow, Poland, who had cooperated with the city’s Jewish underground, are executed following two months of Gestapo torture.

*GERMANY*: Werner Mölders married Luise Baldauf (née Thurner), widow of a friend who had been killed in combat. They would have one daughter, Verena, born after Mölders' death.

The food shortage is beginning to bite in the Third Reich. In a report soon to be issued by the ministry for food and nutrition, Germans will be urged to be more economical in the way that they eat potatoes. “In every household in Germany, potatoes should now only be served in their skins,” it says. “It is most important that in canteens and restaurants, potato peelers are not used.”

*MEDITERANNEAN*: The British cruiser HMS “_Coventry_” is sunk by aircraft off Tobruk. Three Italian vessels from a convoy bound from Naples to Tripoli are sunk by RAF aircraft from Malta.

RN aircraft carriers “_Ark Royal_” and “_Furious_” launch 45 Hurricane fighters, 22 to reinforce Malta and 23 onward to Egypt.

Operation Propeller: A Convoy departs Gibraltar for Malta. Such was the desperate condition of Malta that it was decided to explore the possibility of supplying the island by means of clandestine passage by unescorted merchant ships. An attempt was made under the title Operation PROPELLER by the freighter “_Empire Guillemot_”. She had been repainted in peace time colors and left the convoy early in its passage and proceeded as a single ship. Patrols had explicit orders neither to approach nor challenge the ship. This time the ship was loaded with fodder. In explanation it must be appreciated that civilian transport in Malta now relied solely upon horse or donkey, as did work on the land, and that these animals also provided a food reserve. Even in normal times, much fodder was imported, in siege conditions little could be grown as cultivable land was devoted to food production for the population.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a British Hurricane fighter over Sofafi, Libya, his 17th kill. The Hurricane fighter was flown by Sergeant Nourse.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: The Finnish ‘armored ship’ “_Ilmarinen_” hits a mine and sinks while on a deception maneuver to draw Russian attention from the invasions of the islands of Hiidenmaa and Saarenmaa (two large islands off the western coast of Estonia). They were to sail with other ships as conspicuously as possible for a while and then turn back. ‘_Ilmarinen’_ sank just when they were about to turn. 132 men are saved but 271 die, making it Finland’s worse maritime disaster.

Norwegian passenger ship “_Barøy_” was sunk in the Vestfjord by a Fairey Albacore of No. 817 Squadron, Royal Australian Navy.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: First Naval Member Vice Admiral Sir Guy C.C. Roy/e KCB, CMG, made a very brief inspection of A.C.H., Townsville, when on route to Rabaul by air.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Yugoslavian government-in-exile in London begins radio communications with Mihailovic.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 147 aircraft to attack Brest overnight.

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## Njaco (Sep 13, 2016)

*September 14 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The U.S. Navy provided escorts for British convoy Hx-150, the first time that the Americans took a direct part in the North Atlantic campaign.

A Hurricane from catapult ship “_Maplin_” drove off a German Fw.200 bomber one hundred miles south of Ireland. Sub Lt C. W. Walker bailed out and was picked up by sloop “_Rochester_”.

As the USN’s Task Force 15 (TF 15) proceeds toward Iceland, destroyer USS “_Truxtun_” (DD-229) reports a submarine emerging from the fog 300 yards (274 meters) away, but low visibility and uncertainty as to the position of USS “_MacLeish_” (DD-220), also in the screen of TF 15, prevents USS “_Truxtun_” from opening fire. After the submarine submerges, USS “_Truxtun_”, USS “_MacLeish_” and “_Sampson_” (DD-394) make depth charge attacks with no verifiable result.

*EASTERN FRONT*: British forces are operating from Russian soil for the first time since Lord Ironside’s expedition to help the White Russians in 1919. In a changed world, the “Reds” are now Britain’s allies against Germans, so RAF pilots are flying Hurricanes from Vaenga. Two squadrons - 81 and 134 - began operations three days ago after arriving at Archangel on 7 September on the carrier HMS “_Argus_”. Their chief target is a force of Stuka dive-bombers, the main German tool against Soviet defenses, whether tanks or cities. The RAF will not stay here for the rest of the war. It will teach Soviet pilots to fly Hurricanes and hand them over.
Armeegruppe Nord: German XLI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops G-H Reinhardt) attempts to pinch off a Soviet salient 50 miles along the South shore of Gulf of Finland from Leningrad. Soviet General Zhukov who took command yesterday launches counterattacks into the flanks of XLI.Armeekorps (mot.) to hold the salient, desperate to obey Stalin's orders to attack immediately no matter the cost. When Soviet 8th Army fails to carry out orders to attack, Zhukov replaces its commander, Shcherbakov, with General Shevaldin. Shaposhnikov tells Zhukov that Stavka has no reinforcements for Leningrad, and Zhukov must make do with local resources. The unfinished Soviet cruiser “_Petropavlovsk_” (formerly the German cruiser “_Lützow_”) was sunk at Leningrad by German artillery.

German 61.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Siegfried Hanicke) conducts additional amphibious landing on Muhu (Moon) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The German Armeegruppe Mitte begins an encirclement of two full Soviet Armies near Kiev, Ukraine. Spearheads of German 1.Panzergruppe and 2.Panzergruppe are nearing Lokhvista.


> "Major-General Tupikov has submitted a panicky report to the General Staff. On the contrary, the situation requires the maintenance of extreme coolness and steadfastness on the part of commanders at all levels. Avoiding panic, it is necessary to take all measure to hold occupied positions and especially to hold on to the flanks. You must compel Kuznetsov and Potapov to cease their withdrawal. You must instill the entire front with the necessity to fight on stubbornly, and, without looking back, it is necessary to fulfill the orders given to you by Stalin on 11 September" - _Joseph Stalin in an official communiqué to Shaposhnikov_



*GERMANY*: Hitler’s order of 1 September, that all Jews under German rule must wear a yellow star of David, comes into effect.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Unternehmen Sommernachtstraum [Midsummer Night's Dream]. This was a German small-scale reconnaissance operation by elements of the 3rd Aufklärungsabteilung of Generalleutnant Johann von Ravenstein’s 21.Panzerdivision to exercise new tactical doctrine, to test the state of British preparations for an attack on Tobruk and to capture a large British supply depot believed to be at Bir Khirreigat in Egypt. It was intended to deliver a surprise attack against British logistics forces south of the Sollum Front. Unternehmen Sommernachtstraum was not blessed with success. The Afrika Korps was divided into three battle groups for the operation: Kampfgruppe Stephan, Kampfgruppe Schuette with elements of 15. Panzer-Divisionen forming the last of the groups. Under the command of Obstlt. Stephan, Kampfgruppe "Stephan" consisted of Panzer-Regiment 5, 11./155.Artillerie-Rgt., 2./8.Machinengewehr-Btl. and 1./200.Pionier-Btl.. The operation was unsuccessful as there were neither large-scale British combat forces in the vicinity nor the expected logistical forces and depots. The DAK ran short of fuel and became engaged by a British support group that was backed by air support. The RAF commenced bombing the exposed German units and Rommel withdrew his German units out of fire and ordered the Italians to guard the flanks. The German reconnaissance group did not find signs of a British build-up for a counteroffensive and no depots were found.

Eleven Italian Ju87R aircraft run out of fuel, force land in enemy territory near Fort Maddalena, and are captured with their crews.

Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down the Australian Hurricane fighter flown by Lieutenant Pat Byers over Bardia, Libya, his 18th kill.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Army General Headquarters (GHQ) maneuvers commence in Louisiana. The Army’s neglect of aviation support for its ground troops during the interwar period compels it to ask the Navy to provide planes to take part. Five Navy squadrons [Bombing Squadron Two (VB-2), Fighting Squadrons Forty One and Seventy Two (VF-41 and -72) and Scouting Squadrons Five and Forty Two (VS-5 and -42)] and four Marine Corps squadrons [Marine Fighting Squadron One Hundred Eleven (VMF-111), Marine Observation Squadron One Hundred Fifty One (VMO-151), and Marine Scout Bombing Squadrons One Hundred Thirty One and One Hundred Thirty Two (VMSB-131 and -132)] take part in the large-scale war games.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Three Kriegsmarine minesweepers are destroyed and two damaged by sabotage while in a Helsinki dockyard.

Finland Government publicly announces their limited war aims of recovering lost territories. Finnish Foreign Minister Vaino Tanner in a speech at Vaasa:


> “Although we happen to be brothers-in-arms of Germany, there is no difference of opinion among us that our war concerns Finland alone. We have no part in the World War, and we do not want to become involved in its battles.”


Norwegian vessel “_Mittnattsol_” sunk by Soviet warships off northern Norway.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A very small number of German aircraft operated off Scarborough apparently looking for a convoy. One flew over Scarborough and dropped two bombs there. Two houses were demolished, water and gas mains damaged, and the main Scarborough - Whitby railway line was damaged and temporarily blocked. One person was killed and a few injured in the town. This was the only bombing incident of the night.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweeps off the Dutch coast.

.


----------



## parsifal (Sep 14, 2016)

*12 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
None

Neutral
Fulton Class Submarine Tender USS FULTON (AS-11)





Allied
Fairmile B MLs 293, 336,
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

MMS I Class Coastal MSW MMS59
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Tug TAI KOO (UK 688grt)* was sunk by a mine at 16-45N, 40-05E, between Aden and Massawa. Twenty six crew were lost. Thirty seven crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SC-42_
DDs ST CROIX from convoy SC.41 and COLUMBIA from convoy HX.147 joined the convoy on the 12th. On the 12th, U.84 attacked and reported damaging a steamer in the convoy. Allied records don’t support this.

With the arrival of these reinforcements as well as those that arrived in the afternoon of the 11thfurther attacks by _Markgraf_ were stifled. Though the group continued to shadow, it was unable to mount any further assaults.

The arrival on 12 September of these reinforcements permitted the remaining original escorts (SKEENA, ALBERNI, KENOGAMI) to leave for refuelling. 

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-143
Kirkenes: U-451
St. Nazaire: U-96, U-567

At Sea 12 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-202, U-372, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

39 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol*
CA DEVONSHIRE (Force M), CV VICTORIOUS, CA SUFFOLK, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI carried out operation EGV.2 when VICTORIOUS launched aircraft against northern Norway. The planes reported torpedoing a 2000 ton ship and attacked several small ships at Bodo and damaged the power station in Glomfjord.

An Albacore aircraft of 832 Squadron with a crew of Lt P. F. King, Lt T. L. Seccombe, and Leading Airman W. F. Lovell was damaged by flak. The airman was slightly wounded.

*Northern Waters*
Monitor EREBUS and ML.188 departed Lerwick at 0500 on completion of trials. The monitor arrived at Scapa Flow on the evening of the 12th. 

CA BERWICK departed Scapa Flow to complete machinery repairs at Rosyth. The cruiser arrived later that day.

DD BADSWORTH, returning to Scapa Flow from escorting damaged CL NIGERIA, was ordered at 0850 to search for a downed British aircraft off Kinnaird. The search was unsuccessful and the DD later arrived at Scapa Flow.

DD PUCKERIDGE departed Scapa Flow for Portsmouth following work up. The DD arrived at Portsmouth on the 14th to join the DesFlot 1.

*West Coast*
CL SHEFFIELD, carrying 300 service personnel, departed Greenock at 2230 for Gibraltar, arriving on the 17th at 1500.

Convoy OS.6 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD CAMPBELTOWN, which was detached on the 15th. On the 13th, destroyers WESTCOTT and ST ALBANS and sloops STORK and WELLINGTON joined the convoy. The DDs were detached on the 17th and the sloops on the 29th. Indian sloop JUMNA joined on the 17th and was detached on the 29th. On 1 October, corvettes CLOVER and CYCLAMEN joined and escorted the convoy into Freetown arriving on 3 October. DD BRILLIANT joined on 3 October outside Freetown.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy OG.74 departed Liverpool and the Clyde escorted by CVE AUDACITY, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes PENTSTEMON, MARIGOLD, and VETCH. Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN and DD ROCKINGHAM joined on the 13th and corvettes ARBUTUS and RHODODENDRON joined on the 14th. The ocean boarding vessel was detached on the 18th. A Martlet aircraft, piloted by Sub Lt (A) N. H. Patterson and Sub Lt (A) G. R. P. Fletcher RNVR, of 802 Squadron from aircraft carrier AUDACITY shot down the carrier's first Fw.200 on the 21st. Sloop DEPTFORD arrived at Gibraltar on the 25th. Corvette COWSLIP which had proceeded independently from the UK after failing to meet the convoy also arrived on the 25th. CVE AUDACITY and corvettes ARBUTUS and MARIGOLD arrived on the 26th with survivors from the sunken ships. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar later on the 26th with DD ROCKINGHAM, corvettes PENTSTEMON, VETCH, and RHODODENDRON and ASW trawler LAUREL.

*Med/Biscay*
An Italian convoy of steamers TEMBIEN, CAFFARO, NIRVO, BAINSIZZA, NICOLO ODERO, and GIULA departed Naples on the 10th, escorted by DDDs ORIANI and FULMINE and TBs PROCIONE, PEGASO, ORSA, and CIRCE from Trapani, and OERSEO which joined on the 13th.

*Steamer CAFFARO (FI 6476 grt)* was sunk by FAA land based Swordfish of 830 Sqn from Malta NW of Tripoli.





Italian steamer TEMBIEN was damaged by the 830 Sqn attack.

*Steamer NICOLO ODERO (FI 6003 grt)* was damaged in the attack. She was sunk on the 14th by RAF bombing in 32-51N, 12-18E after the convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 13th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine UTMOST departed Malta to search for a crew of a downed Blenheim. The crew was rescued and UTMOST returned to Malta on the 14th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Australian troop convoy US.12A departed Fremantle with liners QUEEN ELIZABETH and QUEEN MARY.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 13 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Operation Status Phase II postponed. _HM Submarine Utmost_ departed to search for the crew of a downed Blenheim.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland, 5 Wellington. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _7 Wellingtons attacked a convoy approaching Tripoli. _69 Squadron _Photo reconnaissance Taranto, Messina, Palermo. _105 Squadron _1 Blenheim special patrol. 8 Blenheims attacked a convoy. S/Ldr Charney’s Blenheim was shot down in flames, S/Ldr Sgt Brandwood and Sgt Mortimer failed to return. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish attacked a convoy setting a tanker and a merchant vessel on fire.One Fulmar on offensive patrol over Catania and Gerbini aerodromes dropped high explosives and incendiaries on Gerbini and machine-gunned both aerodromes.


----------



## parsifal (Sep 14, 2016)

Halder's Diary 12 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2016)

*13 SEPTEMBER 1941*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-110
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS ROSEWOOD (AN-31)





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS DRUMHELLER (K-167)





*Losses*

*Steamer BLOOMFIELD (UK 1417 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the western Approaches. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SC-42_
US DDs SIMS, CHARLES F. HUGHES, and RUSSELL reinforced the convoy escort to allow the DD of the 2nd Escort Group low on fuel to refuel on the 13th

*UBOATS*
Departures
St. Nazaire: U-431

At Sea 13 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-202, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-432, U-433, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*Aux PV VP 308 (DKM:314 grt)* (ex trawler OSKAR NEYNABER) was sunk by a VMF MTB off Porkkala in Finnish waters.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Coastal defense ship ILMARINEN (FN 3900 GRT)* was mined and sunk in the Gulf of Finland. 13 officers and 258 men were lost on the ship. 132 survivors were picked up by patrol boats.







*North Sea*
CLA EURYALUS departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow, arriving later that day.

Submarine TIGRIS sank *steamer RICHARD WITH (Nor 905 grt)* whilst in German service off Breisund (between Bergen and Trondheim)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
CV VICTORIOUS, CAs SUFFOLK and DEVONSHIRE, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI arrived at Scapa Flow on the 13th.

DD ANTHONY arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth following boiler cleaning.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.16 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, and WATCHMAN. The convoy was joined on the 14th by ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN SPRAY. Corvettes ARABIS and PETUNIA joined on the 15th. DDs BADSWORTH and LAMERTON were with the convoy on 17 and 18 September when they were detached. DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, and WATCHMAN were detached on the 19th. DD COLUMBIA joined on the 19th. DD SKEENA and corvettes ORILLIA, RIMOUSKI, and WETASKIWIN joined on the 20th and the corvettes ARABIS and PETUNIA and the trawlers were detached. DD COLUMBIA was detached on the 24th. The convoy was dispersed on the 27th.

P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) J. A. Dowling RNVR, and Naval Airman W. Sands were killed when their Proctor of 755/756 Squadron crashed near Stratford on Avon.

*Med/Biscay*
Corvette PEONY arrived at Alexandria from Beirut.

British steamer EMPIRE GUILLEMOT, which had arrived at Gibraltar in convoy OG.73, departed Gibraltar for Malta escorted through the day by corvettes GENTIAN and JASMINE in Operation PROPELLER. The steamer safely arrived on the 19th.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT unsuccessfully attacked Italian minesweeper ZIRONA off Benghazi.

Submarine THRASHER unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Gulf of Sirte.

Corvettes JONQUIL and SPIRAEA departed Gibraltar ecorting tanker NOREG.

CL MANCHESTER and DD FIREDRAKE departed Gibraltar for repair of damage received during the SUBSTANCE operation. The ships proceeded for Philadelphia and Boston, respectively. They were given local escort by DD HEYTHROP to 25W.

Submarine TRUSTY arrived at Gibraltar from Holy Loch, where she had departed on the 6th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 14 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1117-1130 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching the Island. Ten Hurricanes 249 Squadron and nine 195 Squadron are scrambled. The raiders turn away before reaching Malta and there are no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _7 Wellingtons attacked TripoliHarbour. _69 Squadron _1 Blenheim special patrol; photo-reconnaissance east Sicilian coast. _105 Squadron _3 Blenheims searched for missing Blenheim crews. 3 Blenheims search and sweep for shipping, central Ionian Sea.

_Fleet Air Arm _One Fulmar offensive patrol over Gerbini and Catania dropped high explosive bombs south east of Gerbini and incendiaries near Moto.

_TA QALI _8 officers and 6 sergeant pilots arrived by Hurricane from HMS Ark Royal. 6 officers and 5 sergeant pilots arrived by Hurricane from HMS Furious. 8 officers and 7 sergeant pilots left by air for the Middle East.


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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2016)

Halder's diary 13 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2016)

*14 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-109
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
MMS I Class Coastal MSW HMS MMS 28
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Unknown: U-38

At Sea 14 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-201, U-202, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-432, U-433, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
The soviet motor torpedo boats TK-13, TK-14 and TK-15 of D-3 class had the first clash with the enemy. They met the larger German patrol ships V-6109 NORDWIND and V-6111 Franke. During the short engagement, the V-6109 suffered one hit.
*



*
_Photo of TK-15_

*Northern Patrol*
CA LONDON departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 16th. CL PENELOPE departed Scapa Flow for Akureyri, arriving on the 16th.

*Northern Waters*
ML cruiser WELSHMAN departed Scapa Flow on completion of gunnery and ASW training in her work up. The cruiser proceeded to Loch Alsh.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy SL.87 departed Freetown escorted by DD BRILLIANT, corvettes AMARANTHUS and ASPHODEL, and ASW trawler SARABANDE to 16 September.

FFL sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC joined on the 15th and escorted to 22 September. Sloop BIDEFORD, corvette GARDENIA, and escort vessels GORLESTON and LULWORTH joined on the 16th and escorted to 6 October. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 October.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs JACKAL and HOTSPUR departed Haifa for an ASW sweep. The DDs returned to Haifa on the 16th.

RAN DD VENDETTA and Corvette SALVIA arrived at Famagusta with British steamer SALAMAUA. The DD remained with the steamer to escort it to Haifa. The corvette proceeded to Beirut.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT unsuccessfully attacked German steamer TINOS, escorted by TB POLLUCE thirty miles northwest of Benghazi.

Submarine PROTEUS departed Gibraltar with stores for Malta.

When she did not send a message after her test dive, destroyer VIDETTE was dispatched to search for her. However, the submarine arrived back at Gibraltar on the 15th with radio problems. The submarine was able to proceed later on the 15th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 15 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 14 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Utmost_ returned, having rescued the crew of a Blenheim.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Blenheim, 1 Maryland. _Departures _10 Hurricane, 1 Wellington. _69 Squadron_Photoreconnaissance Lampedusa, Zuara and Tripoli. 1 Blenheim, 1 Beaufort special patrol, 1 Blenheim special search.

_TA QALI _6 sergeant pilots left by air for the Middle East.


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## parsifal (Sep 14, 2016)

Halder's diary 14 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 14, 2016)

*September 15 Monday*
*ASIA*: Lieutenant Commander Hirota Tachibana was named the commanding officer of destroyer “_Yuzuki_”. Captain Jisaku Okada was named the commanding officer of “_Kaga_”.

Japan begins preparations for war to the south, to secure oil supplies. The 12th and 14th Kokutais was disbanded as a result of reorganization. Most pilots of the 12th Kokutai were transferred to the Tainan Kokutai or to the 3rd Kokutai.

Soviet spy Richard Sorge in Tokyo, Japan, informs the Soviet Union Government that; "_The Soviet Far East can be considered safe from Japanese attack._”

The Foreign Office in Tokyo, Japan, requests the Japanese consul in Honolulu to report on the deployment of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-94 sank British ship “_Newbury_” at 0816 hours (all 45 aboard survived but were never seen again), Greek ship “_Pegasus_” at 2038 hours (16 killed after lifeboat capsized, 13 survived), and British ship “_Empire Eland_” at 2348 hours (all 38 survived but were never seen again) 800 miles west of Ireland. All three ships were members of Allied convoy ON-14.

Norwegian vessel “_Renoy_” was sunk by Soviet warship off northern Norway.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Stalin asks for 25 to 30 British divisions to be sent either through Iran or the northern port at Archangel to aid the Soviet struggle against invasion.
Armeegruppe Nord: Hoepner's 4.Panzergruppe begins shifting to Army Group Centre. Soviet 8th and 42nd Armies clashed with the German XLI.Armeekorps (mot.) southwest of Leningrad on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Neither side gains the upper hand. Soviet Generals Shcherbakov and Ivanov, commanding 8th and 42nd Army, respectively, are on the verge of giving up and are replaced by Zhukov. Schlusselberg on the south side of Lake Ladoga falls to the Germans. Leningrad is completely isolated from land routes to the rest of the Soviet Union. This siege will last for 3 years.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Lead elements of the 16.Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Major General S. Heinrici) (Panzergruppe 1 [Colonel General Ewald von Kleist]), meet 3.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General W. Model) (2.Panzergruppe [Colonel General Heinz Guderian]) at Lokhvista, 125 miles east of Kiev. The jaws of the trap have slammed shut. Four Soviet Armies (5, 21, 26 and 37), over 600,000 soldiers, are surrounded in the Kiev area. The cordon is weak, but it is there.

Armeegruppe Sud: Soviet troops outside of Odessa, Ukraine withdrew southeast toward the city.

Stavka orders Trans-Baikal Military District redesignated Trans-Baikal Front, commanded by General Kovalyov with 17th Army and 36th Army.

*GERMANY*: Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was awarded the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe goblet.

169 British bombers attacked the rail station at Hamburg, Germany.

Hitler re-activated the rocket program at Peenemünde Army Research Center. The Wehrmacht considered in a report that manufacturing rockets at Peenemünde is a "particularly urgent objective of development." V-weapons production granted the same top level of priority as research and development.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: After sundown, British destroyers HMS “_Napier_”, HMS “_Nizam_”, and HMS “_Havock_” set sail from Alexandria, Egypt to the besieged city of Tobruk, Libya with supplies. They would all return to Alexandria in the morning of the next day.

Axis Convoy departs Taranto for Tripoli with troop transports “_Neptunia_”, “_Oceania_”, and “_Vulcania_” escorted by Italian destroyers “_Da Recco_”, “_Da Noli_”, “_Pessagno_”, “_Usodimare_”, and “_Gioberti_”.

*NORTH AFRICA*: East African 25th Infantry Brigade arrives by sea at Massawa and begins moving to Wolchefit, north of Gondar in Ethiopia.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The United States Attorney General rules that the Neutrality Act is not violated when US ships carry war material to British territories in the Near and Far East or the Western Hemisphere.

The 1st Battalion, 297th Infantry Regiment, Alaska National Guard is inducted at Juneau.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The 1st Battalion of the British Parachute Regiment was established.

*WESTERN FRONT*: German soldiers were attacked by resistance fighters in Paris, France.

Werner Heisenberg visits Niels Bohr in Copenhagen and discusses potential of atomic weapons.

RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 45 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight.
.


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## Njaco (Sep 15, 2016)

*September 16 Tuesday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: Convoy SC-42 has almost reached safety when German submarine U-98 sank British ship “_Jedmoor_” 100 miles northwest of Isle of Lewis, Scotland at 2316 hours; 31 were killed, 5 survived.

5 PBM Mariner aircraft and 1 PBY Catalina aircraft received radar to help these American aircraft conduct their neutrality patrols. Located with the Western Approaches HQ, and under its operational control, is No. 15 Group RAF Coastal Command. Its aircraft range far and wide over the north-east Atlantic from their bases in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Iceland. The north-west Atlantic is covered by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Both forces still suffer from a lack of very long-range aircraft, which means that the mid-Atlantic, south of Greenland, does not have air cover. Known as the “Black Pit” or “Black Gap”, it presents the most dangerous area for convoys. Despite this, improved methods of detecting U-boats, with more and better-trained escort vessels, are helping to reduce losses.

Convoy HX 150 set sail from Nova Scotia, escorted for the first time by U.S. Naval vessels. Royal Navy vessels were freed from escort duties between North America and Iceland. Leaving Halifax the convoy will be escorted by the Canadian Navy up to a point south of Newfoundland, where US navy destroyers will take over, giving formal protection. They will take the convoy to a mid-ocean meeting point where the escort will be handed over to the British Western Approaches Command. This is intended to be the pattern for all fast convoys of the HX type in future. The Canadians will continue to escort the slower SC convoys all the way to the mid-ocean meeting point.

Second echelon of US 5th Infantry Division arrives in Iceland, including 10th Infantry Regiment.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Heinrich Hoffmann of 12./JG 51 has a very successful day against the Soviets when he destroys five Russian aircraft to bring his score to sixty kills.
Armeegruppe Nord: The XLI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops G-H Reinhardt) and XXXVIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Fr-Wm von Chappuis) foils a planned counterattack by the Russian 8th Army by attacking and defeating the army before they could complete their attack preparation. The XLI.Armeekorps (mot.) successfully cut off the 8th Army in the Oranienbaum Pocket southwest of Leningrad, Russia after two days of fighting. 8th Army is separated from the main garrison in Leningrad but still protects the causeway to the island fortress and naval base at Kronstadt. German forces capture the town of Pushkin, a suburb of Leningrad. Soviet battleships “_Marat_” and “_Petropavlovsk_” were damaged by German artillery fire. The Germans captured several trams filled with workers returning home from factories in Leningrad before the service was shut down. This would mark the “high water” mark for German advances toward Leningrad. They would get no closer.

German forces land on Hiiumaa (Dago) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The forces of German Panzergruppe Guderian and 1.Panzergruppe (Kleist) link up near the town of Lokhvista, encircling 600,000 Soviet troops in a pocket which stretches west for a 100 miles to Kiev, a total of 5 Soviet Armies. The Kiev pocket begins to collapse as Soviet forces begin to withdraw. General Timoshenko, commander of the Soviet High Command (STAVKA), authorizes the withdrawal. However, Stalin would not confirm the orders for 48 critical hours. Meanwhile, German 2.Armee begins to withdraw from the line and redeploy northward for renewed offensive toward Moscow

Armeegruppe Süd: Timoshenko takes command of Soviet Southwestern Theater. Romanian troops captured the heights northwest of Gross-Liebenthal district of Odessa, Ukraine. Heavily escorted transports begin transferring Soviet 157th Rifle Division from Novorossisk to reinforce Odessa.

Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, in response to the growing threat of partisan bands attacking his lines of communications establishes standing orders that for every German soldier killed by “bandits”, 100 Russians are to be executed.

Bock issues his directive for the capture of Moscow codenamed Unternehmen TYPHOON.

*GERMANY*: Hamburg suffered a heavy RAF attack. RAF Bomber Command sends 55 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Italian submarine “_Smeraldo_” sank in the Mediterranean Sea to unknown cause, killing all 45 aboard.

*MIDDLE EAST*: In Iran the Allies decide to occupy Teheran. This comes after the current Shah of Iran, Reza Khan Pahlevi, has not done enough to expel Axis nationals from the country. The Shah abdicates in favor of the Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, his pliable 22 year old son, who will flee his country in 1979. With Soviet and British armies threatening Tehran, he has little choice. For two weeks since the armistice following the Anglo-Russian invasion, the shah had refused Allied demands to expel Germany’s legation, to hand over Iran’s German community for internment, and to facilitate Allied rail links from the Persian Gulf to the USSR.

Free French forces, with British backing, terminate the French mandate and agree to guarantee Syria’s independence. THE NEW YORK TIMES states that “Free France acting in agreement with her ally, Great Britain, has undertaken to terminate the mandate and grant Syria the status of an independent sovereign State and to guarantee the new State by treaty.”

*NORTH AFRICA*: Without authorization, Hans-Joachim Marseille flew over an Australian airfield in Libya, amidst anti-aircraft fire, to deliver a message that pilot Lieutenant Pat Byers, whom he shot down two days prior, was being treated at a German hospital in Libya.

Luftwaffe bombers attack Cairo and other targets overnight, killing 39 civilians.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) is formed, effective October 1, 1941. The Bombers remained within the 4th Composite Group.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris, Hauptmann Scheben is shot dead on the boulevard de Strasbourg, 12 French citizens are shot in consequence. Attacks on German military property result in another ten French citizens being executed.

RAF Fighter Command flew sweeps and Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on coastal sweeps.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 16, 2016)

*15 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Coastal MSWs R75, R-76, R-77
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type IXC DKM U-157
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type IXC DKM U-506
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Elco 77’ class PT 48
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS BUTE (T-168)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 234
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-94 sank *Steamer EMPIRE ELAND (UK 5613 grt)* in the mid Nth Atlantic. The vessel was a straggler from Convoy ON-14, on passage empty from Liverpool to Tampa. A crew of 37 were aboard, all oif whom would be lost in the attack. At 2348 hours on 15 September 1941 the unescorted EMPIRE ELAND, a straggler from convoy ON-14, was hit on starboard side aft by one G7e torpedo from U-94 while steaming on a zigzag course in bad weather about 570 miles ESE of Cape Farewell. The ship had been first spotted at 1400 hours, but the lookouts shortly afterwards spotted another straggler from the same convoy and sank the PEGASUS first. The U-boat then chased and torpedoed EMPIRE ELAND. At 2357 hrs, a further torpedo was fired, but missed. It was unnecessary as the ship sank anyway by the stern about 40 minutes later at at 0030 hours on 16 September. The Germans had observed how the crew abandoned ship after the first hit. However, the master, 31 crew members and five gunners were never found..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-94 sank *MV NEWBURY (UK 5102 grt)* in the mid Nth Atlantic. The vessel was a straggler from Convoy ON-14, on passage from Cardiff to Buenos Aires with a load of coal. She had a crew of 45, all of whom were lost in the attack

U-94 sank *Steamer PEGASUS (GK 5762 grt)* in the mid Nth Atlantic. The vessel was a straggler from Convoy ON-14. The ship was on passage from Leith to Alexandria via Trinidad and the Cape, carrying military stores. She had a crew of 29, 16 of whom would perish. At 2038 hrs the PEGASUS, a straggler from convoy ON-14, was hit by one stern torpedo from U-94 and stopped. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, but one overturned and several men drowned. A Swedish ship stopped near the torpedoed vessel and rescued the survivors, when the U-boat fired a coup de grace at 2128 hours which broke the ship in two. Parts of the wreck remained afloat until they were shelled and sunk by an Allied warship.





*Steamer BIRTLEY (UK 2873 grt)* was badly damaged on a mine in the nth Sea. Three crew were lost on the steamer. The steamer sank on the 16th..





*Steamer DARU (UK 3854 grt)* was sunk by the LW at the southern entrance to the Irish sea. She was was on passage from Duala to Liverpool with a cargo cocoa, palm kernels and 50 boxes of coins (possibly silver), when she was sunk There were no casualties on the steamer.





*Tug FLYING KITE (UK 260 grt)* was sunk by a mine off the Dalmuir Basin, Clyde.
Five crew of a crew of eight were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Tug ATLANTIC COCK was damaged on a mine in near the Dalmuir Basin. The tug was beached and refloated on 11 October for docking.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 15 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-201, U-202, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-432, U-433, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
German motor ship HANSEAT was lost in a stranding near Rugen (East of Rostock).

*East Front*
Arctic
VMF patrol ship SKR-25 BRIZ lightly damaged with depth charges the German submarine U-752
*



*


*North Sea*
CA NORFOLK departed the Tyne to return to Scapa Flow after refitting. The cruiser was escorted part of the way by DDs WINDSOR and WINCHESTER. The cruiser arrived later on the 15th.

Belgian tanker PONTFIELD was mined in the Nth Sea. The tanker broke in two and the forepart sank. The aft part was towed to Salt End and later the Tyne where a new forepart was fitted.

*Northern Patrol*
Submarine TIGRIS unsuccessfully attacked German steamer BESSHEIM at Lopphavet.
(Far north of Norway)

DD ESCAPADE with tanker ALDERSDALE arrived at Hvalfjord from the eastwards

*Northern Waters*
BB PRINCE OF WALES, CLA EURYALUS, and DDs CASTLETON and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde at 0800 for convoy WS.11X. DD LAFOREY relieved DD CASTLETON at the start. CASTLETON returned to Scapa Flow. She departed again at 1000 and proceeded to Loch Alsh, that evening. DD LIGHTNING also departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde for convoy WS.11X. The DD arrived on the 16th. PRINCE OF WALES, cruiser EURYALUS, and DDs LAFOREY, ESKIMO, and LIGHTNING arrived at the Clyde on the morning of the 16th. ESKIMO returning to Scapa Flow was diverted on the 16th to join DesFlot 6 in an ASW sweep.

*West Coast*
DD BROCKLESBY and RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS collided in the Irish Sea. There was minor damage to both ships but both remained operational.

*Western Approaches*
Norwegian tanker VINGA was damaged by the LW in the Western Approaches. The tanker was towed to Rothesay Bay and later repaired at Glasgow.

*Channel*
Lt J. D. M. Briscoe and P/T/Sub Lt (A) J. D. Pomfret RNVR, were killed when their Hurricanes of 801 Squadron collided at Kingsmill (near Plymouth).

*Med/Biscay*
ORP submarine SOKOL arrived at Gibraltar from Dartmouth.

DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria to carry supplies to Tobruk.

CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and HOBART and DDs KINGSTON and KIMBERLEY departed Alexandria to provide cover for the operation. All ships returned to Alexandria on the 16th.

CL GALATEA departed Alexandria to operate in the Red Sea. The cruiser arrived at Suez on the 16th.

Corvette PRIMULA arrived at Suez from the United Kingdom to join the 10th Corvette Group.

P/T/Sub Lt (A) L. K. Harper RNVR, in a Martlett of 805 Squadron from GREBE, was killed when taking off at night, the aircraft went into a spin at the southwest side of Sidi Barrani North.

*Nth Atlantic*
BB RODNEY, after refitting in the United States, departed Bermuda to rendezvous with convoy WS.11 X during the morning of 21 September.

*Pacific/Australia*
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington as the ocean escort for liner AQUITANIA for convoy US.12B. On the 18th, the CL turned the liner over to RAN CL s ADELAIDE and SYDNEY and returned to Auckland.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 16 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Overcast with light rain.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _12 Hurricane, 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _10 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli. _69 Squadron _1 Maryland special patrol.

_HAL FAR _Pilot Officer R A Innes became Commanding Officer of 185 Squadron.


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## parsifal (Sep 16, 2016)

Halder's Diary 15 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 16, 2016)

*16 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Aloe Class Net layer USS BUCKTHORN (AN 14)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net layer USS EBONY (AN 15)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net layer USS GUM TREE (AN 15)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette FFL COMMANDANT DETROYAT (K 183)





HDML 1085
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
_Convoy SC-42_
On the 16th, U.98 sank *steamer JEDMOOR (UK 4392 grt)* in the Western Approaches and reported damaging another steamer. Thirty one crew, including five gunners, were lost on the steamer JEDMOOR. Between 2311 and 2316 hrs, U-98 fired four single torpedoes at the convoy NW of St. Kilda and heard two detonations. The uboat commander reported one ship sunk and another damaged. In fact, only the JEDMOOR was hit and sunk. The master, 25 crew members and five gunners were lost. Three crew members were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant KNOLL and two other crew members by the SS CAMPUS.





DDs ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, PUNJABI, IMPULSIVE, ANTHONY, VIVACIOUS, LAMERTON, and BADSWORTH departed Scapa Flow at 1630 to assist in escorting convoy SC.42 in its final inbound leg. DD ESKIMO, en route from the Clyde to Scapa Flow, joined this force off the Butt of Lewis.

Convoy SC.42 was not joined as its position was uncertain, but the force was ordered to join convoy ON.16 in the same area.

On the 17th, destroyers LAMERTON and BADSWORTH were ordered to join the escort of convoy ON.16 for twenty four hours.

Rest of the DDs were detached on the 17th and arrived at Scapa Flow in the early morning hours of the 18th, less DD VIVACIOUS, which had been detached to sink a floating mine en route and arrived just before dawn..

DDs LAMERTON and BADSWORTH arrived at Scapa Flow on the 19th

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-558
St Nazaire: U-553

Departures
Brest: U-371, U-564
Kirkenes: U-451
Lorient: U-124

At Sea 16 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-201, U-202, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-552, U-557, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer YARRAWONGA (SD 4900grt)* was sunk by BC at Hamburg whilst in German service. The steamer was eventually salved and taken to Gothenburg for repairs, but she appears to have not returned to service until after the war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Baltic
DKM CLs EMDEN and LEIPZIG and TBs T.7, T.8, and T.11 bombarded the Sorve (or Sworbe) Peninsula (a peninsula which forms the southernmost section of the Estonian island Saaremaa) on 16 and 17 September as part of the wehrmachts campaign to occupy these Baltic islands.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ESCAPADE departed Vestmannaeyjar (a small island that lies to the south of the Icelandic mainland) escorting the ML-Flot 4 to Stornoway. The MLs were detached at the North Minch whilst ESCAPADE arrived at Scapa Flow on the 19th. The ML Flotilla arrived at Stornoway mid morning on the 19th.

ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by DD NEWARK, laid minefield SN.23B.

*Northern Waters*
CA SUFFOLK departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to boiler clean, and arrived on the 17th.

An Albacore of 827 Squadron from CV VICTORIOUS crashed landed in the sea thirteen miles off Brough Head, Orkneys. P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) M. A. Lambert RNVR, and P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) J. H. C. Ashworth RNVR, were drowned. The pilot Midshipman W. G. R. Beer was saved by CA SHROPSHIRE's WALRUS and transferred to Dutch ship AMARAPOORA.

*Med/Biscay*
CLA NAIAD departed Alexandria to reinforce the Red Sea Escort Force, in response to the Axis air forces campaign of air attacks at the entrances and within the Suez Canal. The cruiser arrived at Suez on the 17th.

DDs HERO and GRIFFIN departed Haifa to conduct an anti-submarine sweep on the Port Said - Haifa shipping route. The DDs returned to Haifa on the 17th.

*Sirena Class SMERALDO (RM 842 grt)* was lost to an unknown cause in the Central Mediterranean. The patrol of the SMERALDO began on September 15th, 1941 when, along with other boats, it was positioned in the Strait of Sicily to form a naval screen against British naval forces. These forces had left Gibraltar between the 8th and the 14th, on passage to Malta. RM naval and air forces needed contact information to assist in early intercdeption of these forces. SMERALDO was assigned a patrol area off the Tunisian coast in the mine free channels of the Sicilian narrows.. The boat’s return was scheduled for the 26th, but after the departure from Augusta all contact were lost. There is no record of a British attack on the sub. There are however mine from both sides situated near to the patrol area. It is believed the submarine was lost following contact with a mine between the 16th and 26th of September, 1941.





Lt (A) CB Lamb and T/A/Sub Lt (A) J. E. Robertson RNVR, were interned after they crashed landed their Swordfish of 830 Squadron near Sousse. Despite the crash, they had successfully delivered an agent to the area.

Dutch submarine O.24 arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Mediterranean.

Submarines URSULA, UNBEATEN, UPHOLDER, and UPRIGHT departed Malta to intercept a fast Italian convoy east of Tripoli.

Submarine TRIUMPH departed Malta for special service and patrol in the Adriatic

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.150 departed Halifax, escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and corvettes ALGOMA and BRANDON. The DD was detached on the 17th. On the 17th in 46N, 55W, this convoy became the first trans-Atlantic convoy to be assisted by USN.escort forces when USN DDs ERICSSON, EBERLE, UPSHUR, ELLIS, and DALLAS. Corvettes ALGOMA and BRANDON were detached on the 18th. On the 20th, DD EBERLE rescued the crew of British steamer NIGARISTAN which has an engine room fire. The USN group was relieved on the 25th by DDs BLANKNEY, CHURCHILL, and WITCH and corvettes ARROWHEAD, CAMELLIA, CELANDINE, and HONEYSUCKLE. DD BADSWORTH joined on the 26th for the day only. DD BLANKNEY was detached on the 27th. The DDs and corvettes CAMELLIA and CELANDINE were detached on the 28th. Corvette ARROWHEAD was detached on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th with corvette HONEYSUCKLE.

*Central Atlantic*
DD HIGHLANDER arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown, departing on the 11th and coming via Bathurst.

Ocean boarding vessel MARON arrived at Gibraltar from patrol. ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH and ARCTIC RANGER departed Gibraltar escorting tanker INVERLEE westwards. They returned with tanker BENEDICK, arriving on the 28th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 17 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Cool and overcast.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula, Unbeaten, Upholder _and _Upright_ proceeded for interception of a fast convoy to east of Tripoli. _Triumph_ sailed for special service and patrol in the Adriatic.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _38 Squadron _7 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli. _69 Squadron_Photoreconnaissance Crotone, Augusta, Catania and Syracuse. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish laid 6 mines in the entrance to Tripoli harbour.


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## parsifal (Sep 16, 2016)

Halder's Diary 16 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 16, 2016)

*September 17 Wednesday*
*ASIA:* Second Battle of Changsha: The Japanese 11th Army, some 125,000 strong, launches attacks at Changsha in the Hunnan Providence, 350 miles east of Chungking. The 11th Army crosses Hsinchiang River in four columns at Hsinchiangshih, Tunghsichieh, Hsilufang, and Kangkou against minimal opposition.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The US Navy increases its role in escorting Atlantic convoys. It assumes responsibility for some of the Halifax to Britain convoys and the security of traffic to Iceland. It will augment the Canadian Naval escorts which travel to 22 degrees west until British ships take over.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Lt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 shoots down a Russian fighter.
Armeegruppe Nord: German 18.Armee attacks Kopino and Pulkovo outside Leningrad. German 4.Panzergruppe captures Pushkin outside Leningrad.

Soviet defenders withdraw from Muhu (Moon) Island to Saaremaa (Osel) Island in the Baltic Sea off coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Heavy fighting in the outlying areas of the city of Kiev between Soviet and German forces. The withdrawal from the Kiev pocket is finally approved by Stalin, but it is far too late. General Kirponos, commander of the forces in Kiev, would share the fate of many of his soldiers when his column, attempting to withdraw was ambushed and he was cut down. In the end, only 15,000 would escape the encirclement. This was a grave blow to the Red Army.

Armeegruppe Süd: Erich von Manstein took command of the German 11.Armee following the death of Eugen Ritter von Schobert. German 11.Armee then began attacks across the Dniepr River at Berislav and advances toward the Crimea. Soviet destroyer “_Dzerzhinski_” bombards Rumanian positions outside Odessa.

On this date, the Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 337 adult male, 687 adult female, and 247 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,271 people. 4 Communists were also executed in Vilnius by Jager's Einsatzgruppen on this date.

In Belgrade, following attacks on German soldiers in the city, indefinite martial law has been proclaimed by the Serbia puppet regime set up by the Nazis. The regime is planning a punitive expedition into the mountains to round up rebels.

*GERMANY*: At Adolf Hitler's Wolfsschanze headquarters in East Prussia, Germany, Erich Raeder once again asked Hitler for permission to attack American shipping; Hitler again rejected him.

The general deportation of German Jews began.

Listening to foreign radio in the German Reich became punishable by death.

Hitler confirms orders for first six U-boats to be transferred to the Mediterranean.

RAF Bomber Command sends 38 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: At dawn today, a Royal Navy submarine landed a British agent, Colonel D T Hudson, on the Dalmatian coast for a rendezvous with Tito and the other resistance leader, Mihailovich. Hudson’s orders are to find out which of the two is putting up the tougher fight against the Nazi occupation. Direct, coordinated action between Britain and the partisans had begun.

*MIDDLE EAST*: The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran concluded. Great Britain and the Soviet Union set up a joint occupation of the country. Allied forces occupy the capital Tehran to ensure that Axis influence is halted.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Supercharge. Australian 9th Division continued to be withdrawn from Tobruk, Libya, following Australian Government’s request that all Australian forces in the Middle East fight under one command. Relieving them was the British 70th Infantry Division, currently in Beirut in the French Mandate of Syria and Lebanon awaiting transportation by British cruisers HMS “_Ajax_”, HMS “_Neptune_”, and HMS “_Hobart_” which had just departed from Alexandria, Egypt. After sundown, British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Jaguar_”, and HMS “_Hasty_” made a roundtrip from Alexandria to Tobruk with supplies for the besieged city.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The United States Government allocates US$100,000,000 (US$1.176 billion in year 2000 dollars) to the Soviet Union for the purchase of war materials.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Admiral Thomas Hart proposed to move his naval forces in the Philippine Islands south to combine with the British allies to better counter the more powerful Japanese Navy should it attack. He would change his mind on this plan before the start of the Pacific War.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British government ordered potatoes to be sold at 1d so people would eat more of them. The British are being cajoled into eating more potatoes, one of the few staple food of which there is no shortage. The ministry of food has fixed their retail price at a penny a pound throughout the year. Ministry advertisements featuring a cartoon character called “Potato Pete” suggest serving a pound per person per day. “Use potatoes in pastry,” he recommends, even going so far as to recommend mashed potato sandwiches. The ministry also sings the praises of carrots and swedes in all guises. Plans are now being made to apply “points” rationing to tinned foods, beginning in November. Each person will get 16 points to spend on what he or she chooses every four weeks.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Marzingarbe power station and chemical works. RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 15 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

The ‘Kanalfront' _Geschwader_, JG 26 ‘_Schlageter’_ loses Hans-KarlWitzel in combat against the Allies. He had fourteen victories flying with JG 27 and JG 26.

German Nobel prize-winning physicist Werner Heisenberg attends a conference in German-occupied Copenhagen, Denmark. He warns his mentor Niels Bohr (a Danish Jew who is also a Nobel laureate) that Germany has an atomic weapons program. As proof, he gives Bohr a drawing of a reactor, which will end up in Allied hands and spur their development of atomic weapons.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 17, 2016)

*September 18 Thursday*
*ASIA:* Second Battle of Changsha: The Japanese 11th Army pushes south from Hsinchiang River.

Admiral Soemu Toyoda was named the commanding officer of Kure Naval District, Japan.

Japanese Army is ordered to prepare for offensive operations in Asia and the Pacific.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: The remnant of convoy SC-42 arrived in Liverpool. The cargo lost from SC-42 amounted to 15,050 tons of wheat, 14,400 tons of iron ore, 11,200 tons of steel, 9,300 tons of gas oil, 7,000 tons of other grains, 5,500 tons of sulphur, 4,275 tons of phosphates, 2,400 tons of pig iron, 2,100 general cargo, 525 tons of oats, and a large but unspecified tonnage of lumber. Two hundred and thirty-seven merchant sailors lost their lives in this battle. The battle for convoy SC-42 is considered to be one of the greatest convoy battles of the Second World War.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Hptm. Gordon Gollob, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of II./JG 3 is awarded the _Ritterkreuz _for achieving forty-two victories.
Armeegruppe Nord: Change of German strategy against Leningrad, Russia, switching from assault to besieging. 4.Panzergruppe (Colonel General Erich Hoepner) begins redeploying South, in compliance with Führer Directive 35 of September 6 to send “essential units of the motorized forces” to support the drive on Moscow (Operation Typhoon). Fieldmarshall Ritter von Leeb, in command of Army Group North, is forced to order his remaining forces to establish siege lines around Leningrad. The tanks of 4. Panzergruppe were soon loaded onto trains for Moscow. This shift in strategy partially resulted from Adolf Hitler's order earlier that Leningrad was to be razed to the ground. 1.Panzer-Divisionen and SS-Polizeiabteilungen capture Pushkin and the XXVIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Mauritz von Wiktorin) capture Slutsk. Soviet battleship “_Petropavlovsk_” in Kronstadt harbor is again heavily damaged by German artillery fire while Soviet cruiser “_Maksim Gorki_” is lightly damaged.

Finnish Army of Karelia begins attacking around Petrozavodsk on western shore of Lake Onega.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The encircled forces at Kiev continue to withdrawal. 37th Army is ordered to hold Kiev to the last. 5th Army heads for the junction between the two Panzer Groups at Lookhvitsa, while 26th Army would attempt to infiltrate the German cordon at Lubny. 21st Army was to attack Romny from the west while, outside the pocket, 2nd Cavalry Corp attacked from the east. 21st Army forces counterattack German 2. Panzergruppe at Romny but all efforts would fail over the course of the next week.

Armeegruppe Süd: Units of Heeresgruppe Süd capture Poltava in the Ukraine.

The Soviet Union announced conscription for all men aged 16-50.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: British aircraft located a convoy of three Italian troopships escorted by four destroyers from Taranto, Italy, sailing for Tripoli, Libya. Submarines HMS “_Upholder_”, HMS “_Upright_”, HMS “_Ursula_”, and HMS “_Unbeaten_” were dispatched to attack. HMS “_Upholder_” sank troopships “_Neptunia_” and “_Oceania_” over a four hour period about 70 miles east of Tripoli (384 killed, 6,500 survived), while HMS “_Ursula_” attacked troopship “_Vulcania_” unsuccessfully.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Supercharge: After dark, British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Latona_” and destroyers HMS “_Napier_”, HMS “_Havock_”, and HMS “_Nizam_” sailed from Alexandria, Egypt and delivered supplies to the besieged garrison at Tobruk, Libya. They would return to Alexandria in the morning of the next day. HMS “_Nizam_” was damaged on the return trip when she hit the wreck of Italian ship “_Serenitas_” at Tobruk.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US President Franklin Roosevelt requested US Congress to allocate US$1,500,000,000 for the Lend-Lease program.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: The Finnish Moscow embassy staff arrives home. They left Moscow on July 26 and spent from July 8th to August 31st stranded in railway carriages in the rail yard of Leninakan near the Turkish border. Denmark’s ambassador visited them at the end of July and observed that ‘the situation must be both physically and psychically very painful to Hynninen and his staff’. (In a meeting with Paasikivi shortly after returning Finland, Hynninen referred to 54 days spent ‘in difficult circumstances’ in Leninakan.) When they were finally able to leave, the journey continued through Ankara, Beograd, Vienna and Berlin to Lybeck, where they took a ship to Turku.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Navy Department approves Hart’s proposal to confine Asiatic Fleet to Philippine waters.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead operation over Ostend and encounters the new Focke Wulf Fw190 fighter for the first time. Eight Fw 190As of II./JG 26 led by Hptm. Walter Adolf, take off to escort a German tanker off Ostend. They encounter a force of RAF Blenheims from RAF No. 88 Squadron escorted by Spitfires and Hurricanes. Two Blenheims are destroyed but Hptm. Adolph does not return from the mission and is listed as missing in action until his body washes up on a Belgium beach three weeks later. Hptm. Adolph had twenty-five victories at the time of his death and becomes the first Luftwaffe combat casualty in the new Fw 190.

RAF 11 Group Circus 97: RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack Rouen and Abbeville. Six Hampdens of RAF 5 (Bomber) Group were detailed to Abbeville. Escort Wing: RAF Nos.402, 607, 411, 129 and 616 Squadrons. Escort-Cover Wing: Northolt 306, 308 and 315 Squadrons. Target-Support Wing A: North Weald 111, 71 and 222 Squadrons. Target-Support Wing B: Hornchurch 54, 603 and 611 Squadrons. Forward-Support: 12 Group Wings, 266, 56 and 601 Squadrons. Weather was 10/10th cloud, with fog/mist over southern coast of England. Ground-haze over France, clear skies above. The bombers attended the Rendezvous precisely on-time, circled for 25 minutes, then returned to base leaving the escort behind. 607 Squadron (Debden), 402 (Hornchurch) make rendezvous at West Malling, proceeded with Tangmere Wing (41, 129 & 616) to the vicinity of Beachy Head where 11 Blenheim IVs, in one box of six followed by one box of 5, were observed to be without escort. The remnants of Circus 97 then joined these bombers and supported them to the target at Rouen on Circus 99.
.


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## parsifal (Sep 18, 2016)

*17 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-405





Type VIIc DKM U-656
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML 273
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

K (Katjusa) Class Sub VMF K-51





*Losses*
DKM S-Boats S.50, S.51, and S.52 of 4th S-Boat Flotilla attacked a Convoy off Cromer.
*Steamer TEDDINGTON (UK 4762 grt)* was badly damaged by the DKM S Boats. The steamer was taken in tow, but went ashore on the 18th 2 ¾ miles ESE of Cromer Pier. The entire crew were rescued, but the vessel became a total loss. .
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamer TETELA was damaged in this attack. The steamer was taken in tow and beached at Haile Sand Flat. The steamer was refloated on the 18th and berthed at Hull.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-202
Kirkenes: U-752

At Sea 17 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-201, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-552, U-557, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652,

41 Boats

At 1114hrs U-451 was attacked by an aircraft about 45 miles north of the North Cape while returning from Kirkenes to Germany for an overhaul and escaped damage by crash diving, reporting one bomb being dropped. In fact U-451 was attacked in error by a German He111 aircraft (1H+ML of 3./KG 26, pilot Oblt Fischbach), which subsequently claimed the sinking of a Soviet K class submarine with a stick of four bombs.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
In Stockholm Harbour, Swedish DDs KLAS UGGLA, KLAS HORN, and GOTEBORG were seriously damaged in an explosion. DD KLAS HORN was repaired from components of KLAS UGGLA and GOTEBORG. DD GOTEBORG was not repaired until after the war.

*Steamer JOHANN WESSELS (Ger 4601 grt)* was lost on a mine on the Norwegian coast.
[NO IMAGE FOUN D]

*North Sea*
DD LANCASTER departed the Humber on completion of refitting for Scapa Flow. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 18th to carry out work up exercises.

DD MENDIP was escorting convoy FS 605 when it was attacked by the LW.

*Northern Patrol*
Submarine TIGRIS unsuccessfully attacked German convoy R.152 one mile SW of Loppa (off the Norwegian far north coast.

*Northern Waters*
CVE ARGUS and DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde. Off Shianti Island, ECLIPSE was detached and returned to Scapa Flow, arriving at daybreak on the 18th.

The CVE continued unescorted to the Clyde, arriving on the 18th.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.17 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD BOREAS. On the 18th, DDs BELMONT andBULLDOG. corvettes ACONIT andHEARTSEASE, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, CAPEWARWICK, DANEMAN, NOTTS COUNTY, and ST APOLLO joined. DDs AMAZON, GEORGETOWN, and ST CROIX joined. These escorts were detached on the 21st when relieved by DD RICHMOND and corvettes FENNEL, GLADIOLUS, HEPATICA, and MMIMIOSA. DD RICHMOND was detached on the 24th. The corvettes escorted the convoy until its dispersal on the 29th.

*SW Approaches*
Convoy WS.11X, which departed Liverpool on the 16th and the Clyde on the 17th, rendezvoused off Oversay on the 17th. The convoy consisted by supply ship BRECONSHIRE and steamers ULSTER MONARCH, QUEEN EMMA, PRINCESS BEATRIX, ROYAL SCOTSMAN, LEINSTER, STRATHEDEN, CLAN MACDONALD, CLAN FERGUSON, AJAX, IMPERIAL STAR, CITY OF LINCOLN, ROWALLAN CASTLE, DUNEDIN STAR, and CITY OF CALCUTTA. The convoy was escorted by BB PRINCE OF WALES, CLA EURYALUS, CL KENYA, and DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, and ORIBI, which departed the Clyde on the 16th, WHITEHALL, WITCH, BLANKNEY, PIORUN, GARLAND, and RNeN ISAAC SWEERS from 17 September to Gibraltar. DDs HAVELOCK and HARVESTER escorted the convoy from 17 to 19 September when they were detached escorting liner STRATHEDEN to Halifax. DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY, and LEGION, escorting CVL FURIOUS, and ZULU, GURKHA, and LANCE departed Gibraltar on the 18th to join the convoy on the 19th in 42N, 22-30W. CL SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar on the 20th to join the convoy. DD LIVELY departed Gibraltar on the 20th to join, as did DDs COSSACK, HEYTHROP, and FARNDALE on the 23rd. Troopships ULSTER MONARCH, QUEEN EMMA, PRINCESS BEATRIX, and ROYAL SCOTSMAN, and LEINSTER proceeded only to Gibraltar. The remainder of the convoy was the HALBERD convoy for Malta. During the night of 20/21 September, troopship PRINCESS BEATRIX and storeship AJAX were in a minor collision.

Convoy HG.73 departed Gibraltar with DDs DUNCAN, FARNDALE, and VIMY, sloop FOWEY, corvettes BEGONIA, GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, JASMINE, LARKSPUR, MYOSOTIS, PERIWINKLE, and STONECROP, and CAM ship SPRINGBANK.

DD WILD SWAN departed Gibraltar on the 19th to join the escort. DDs DUNCAN and FARNDALE were detached on the 20th. DDs VIMY and WILD SWAN on the 22nd. The CAM ship was sunk on the 27th. DD HIGHLANDER departed Gibraltar on the 20th and joined the convoy escort on the 22nd. She remained until 26 September. DD WOLVERINE joined the convoy on the 28th. The corvettes were detached on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 1 October with destroyer WOLVERINE.

*Med/Biscay*
From 17 to 27 September, 6300 British Commonwealth and fighting allied troops and 2100 tons of supplies were moved to Tobruk in Operation SUPERCHARGE.

CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART departed Alexandria for Beirut to embark troops. CLs AJAX and HOBART arrived at Beirut on the 18th. CL NEPTUNE was detached to spend the night of 18/19 September at Haifa, rejoining at Beirut on the 19th.

ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, and HASTY departed Alexandria carrying supplies to Tobruk in Serial 1 of the Operation. ABDIEL and DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 18th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL GALATEA arrived at Port Said.

*Pacific/Australia*
Dutch steamer WESTERNLAND departed Bombay for Singapore with 2061 personnel. From Ceylon, the steamer was escorted by CL DAUNTLESS. Steamer WESTERNLAND arrived at Singapore on the 25th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 18 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Blenheim, 1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _5 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli. _69 Squadron _Marylands special patrol, photoreconnaissance Catania, Gerbini, Comiso; Blenheim special search. _105 Squadron _1 Blenheim searched for Swordfish aircraft. 4 Blenheims attacked a convoy. P/O Robinson and Sgt Bendall failed to return. _107 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked Licata. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish attacked a southbound convoy off Marittimo hitting one merchant vessel and slowing the convoy


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## parsifal (Sep 18, 2016)

Halder's Diary 17 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 18, 2016)

*18 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-456





Tpe VIIc DKM U-588
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS DETECTOR (AMc-75)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Netlayer USS MANGO (AN-24)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B MLs 285, 290
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-141
Lorient: U-79, U-82, U-652
St Nazaire: U-85

At Sea 18 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-81, U-84, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-201, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-552, U-557, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575,

36 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*Northern Waters*
DD ANTELOPE arrived at Scapa Flow on completion of boiler cleaning at Rosyth, having departed on the 17th, whilst DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow to carry out boiler cleaning at Rosyth.. DD INGLEFIELD departed Scapa Flow for the Humber to refit at Hull, where she arrived on the 19th. DD BEDOUIN departed Scapa Flow for Thorshavn with the Governor of the Faroes Islands. The DD arrived on the 19th with the Governor. That evening at sunset, the DD departed Thorshavn to return to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 20th.

DDs MATABELE and PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow to intercept a possible enemy ML off Saxavord. They proceeded to intercept to the westward of the North Rona - Faroes minefield. DDs MATABELE and PUNJABI returned to Scapa Flow that morning after an unsuccessful search.

DDs ASHANTI, IMPULSIVE, and VIVACIOUS departed Scapa Flow to carry out a patrol between the Orkneys and Sule Skerry in support. ASHANTI, IMPULSIVE, and VIVACIOUS returned to Scapa Flow on the 19th after the patrol.

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Plymouth laid minefield HF off Les Heaux.

British Malta based a/c sighted Italian convoy of troopships NEPTUNIA, OCEANIA, and VULCANIA, escorted by DDs DA RECCO, DA NOLI, PESSAGNO, USODIMARE, and GIOBERTI which departed Taranto on the 16th for Tripoli.

Submarines UPHOLDER, UPRIGHT, and UNBEATEN stationed NE of Tripoli and URSULA stationed off Tripoli harbour were guided to the convoy. Submarine UPHOLDER attacked this convoy off Misurata and sank *troopship NEPTUNIA (FI 19,475 grt)* and damaged troopship OCEANIA in the same attack..





Submarine UPHOLDER returned four hours later and sank the damaged *troopship OCEANIA (FI 19,507grt)*.





There was heavy loss of life. Hocking reports that over 5000 soldiers were lost, whilst the Italian navy claims that loses amounted to 518 men for all three ships

Troopship VULCANIA escaped and continued on to Tripoli escorted by destroyer USODIMARE.

Off Tripoli, troopship VULCANIA was attacked by submarine URSULA, but was not damaged.

The Submarines arrived back at Malta on the 20th.

Submarine TRIUMPH damaged Italian steamer ARDOR, shown in reports as tanker LIRI off Cape Cimiti in the Adriatic. The tanker was able to proceed into Crotone Harbour.

ML cruiser LATONA and DDs NAPIER and NIZAM departed Alexandria with supplies and some troops. DD HAVOCK sailed later to load at Mersa Matruh and joined the ships en route in Serial 2 of the SUPERCHARGE operation.

While berthing alongside the wreck of Italian steamer SERENITAS at Tobruk, NIZAM was damaged forward when a cross wind blew the DD into the wreck.

The ships arrived back on the 19th. DD NIZAM was out of action for 14 days to repair.

In Serial 3 on the same date, A lighters A.2, A.9, and A.11 proceeded to Tobruk.

Serial 4 was also conducted on this date with schooners KHEYR EL DINE and HILMI. However, these ships returned to Mersa Matruh and completed the operation on the 21st.

RAN DD VENDETTA and British steamer FOUADIEH departed Port Said for Famagusta.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.45 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by AMC RANPURA and corvettes CHICOUTIMI, MATAPEDIA, and SHERBROOKE. Corvette SPIKENARD joined on the 19th. The escort group departing Sydney with the convoy was detached on the 21st when the convoy was joined by corvettes BITTERSWEET, CHILLIWACK, COLLINGWOOD, DIANTHUS, PICTOU, and SNOWBERRY. Destroyer ST LAURENT joined on the 22nd and was detached on the 29th. The corvettes joining on the 21st were detached on the 30th when relieved by destroyers BROADWATER, LEAMINGTON, SKATE, and VETERAN and corvettes ABELIA, ANEMONE, TRAIL, and VERONICA. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 4 October.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL FURIOUS departed Gibraltar for Bermuda, escorted by DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY, and LEGION. FURY returned to Gibraltar on the 22nd and sailed again on the 23rd to join convoy WS.11X.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 19 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Upholder_ sank the 19,500-ton transports _Neptunia_ and _Oceania_. _Triumph_ damaged Italian steamer _Ardor_ (8960grt off Cape Cimiti in the Adriatic. The tanker was able to proceed into Crotone Harbour.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _5 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _Departures _2 Beaufort. _38 Squadron _8 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli. _69 Squadron _Marylands special patrol and reconnaissance Tripoli. 1 Blenheim reconnaissance Crotone, Augusta and Syracuse. _107 Squadron _3 Blenheims attacked shipping at Tripoli. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _8 Swordfish attacked a northbound convoy with torpedoes and bombs, stopping one merchant vessel.


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## parsifal (Sep 18, 2016)

Halder's Diary 18 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 18, 2016)

*September 19 Friday*
*ASIA:* Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army reaches and crossed the Milo River during advance on Changsha.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-74 sank Canadian corvette HMCS “_Lévis_” of Allied convoy SC-44 125 miles east of Iceland at 0603 hours; 18 were killed, 40 survived).

The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: U-372 claims a final victim in convoy SC-42, sinking British SS “_Baron Pentland_” at 1433 hours 100 miles East of Iceland. “_Baron Pentland’s_” back had been broken on 10 September by a torpedo from U-652 (2 crew lost, 31 crew and 8 gunners picked up by HMCS “_Orillia_” and landed at Reykjavik) but she remained afloat on her cargo of timber.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Armeegruppe Nord: Leningrad is struck by the heaviest air raid it would suffer during the war as 276 German bombers hit the city killing 1000 civilians. Heavy fighting at Uritsk outside Leningrad as the Leningrad defensive perimeter begins stabilizing at Pulkovo, Kuzmino, and Portolovo.

German XIX.Gebirgskorps halts new attack across the Litsa River in the face of heavy resistance.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German troops captured Kiev, Ukraine, along with 600,000 prisoners, 2,500 tanks, and 1,000 artillery pieces. Elements of the 296.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General W. Stemmermann) (6.Armee [General of the W. von Reichenau]), break through the Russian defenses at Kiev and enter the town after nearly a month of heavy fighting. German infantry of 2.Armee, 6.Armee and 17.Armee pour into the Kiev pocket to annihilate the Soviet Southwestern Front (850,000 troops under General Mikhail Kirponos). Stalin’s orders were “stand fast, hold out, and if need be die.” When Marshal Budenny, the Soviet commander in the south, requested permission to retreat, Stalin sacked him. General Kirponos, commanding in Kiev, eventually got Stalin’s permission to withdraw, but it came too late. Kirponos has been killed in an ambush along with most of his 1,000 strong command column; the Red Army is facing its greatest disaster of this war.

Armeegruppe Sud: Light cruiser “_Voroshilov_” bombarded Axis troop positions near Sevastopol, Russia. German 11.Armee continues advancing toward the Crimea. Major Kononov's 436th Infantry Regiment of Soviet 155th Rifle Division, having deserted en masse and crossed to German lines, reforms as Don Cossack unit in German service.

In Occupied Yugoslavia, Draža Mihailović and Josip Broz Tito met at Struganik in an attempt to reach an agreement to co-operate and to discuss resistance to the Germans. Major political differences divide the two groups and no accommodation is reached. Supporters of the respective factions soon begin fighting each other. Tito and Mihajlovic quarrel after attempting to discuss resistance to the Germans. There continued attempts to resolve their differences will fail and fighting between their followers will start.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 72 aircraft to attack Stettin overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Operation Propeller: Convoy arrives at Malta from Gibraltar.

*MIDDLE EAST*: They are changing the guard today at the Peacock Palace, Tehran. Soviet troops who have occupied the city for several days are leaving and British troops are replacing them, with much saluting. This is the first time that British and Russian troops have seen each other. The British troops are impressed by the Russian soldiers’ armor. The Russian troops seem surprised by the British soldiers’ short trousers.

*NORTH AFRICA*: The desert _Geschwader_, JG 27 loses another _Experte_ when Ernst Riepe with only six kills is shot down and killed in combat against the Allies.

Operation Supercharge. British 16th Infantry Brigade begins arriving at Tobruk by naval transport at night while Australian 24th Infantry Brigade is withdrawn to Egypt. British Cruisers HMS “_Ajax_”, HMS “_Neptune_”, and HMAS “_Hobart_” return to Alexandria, Egypt, with 6000 troops of British 70th Infantry Division. Over the next few nights, these men will be shuttled to Tobruk to replace Australian 9th Division. To reduce German air attacks, this has to be done using fast warships during moonless periods of the month.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US Secretary of State Cordell Hull sends a note to the German Charge d’Affaires asking for $2,967,092 in reparations for the sinking of the US freighter SS “_Robin Moor_”. The unarmed freighter was sunk on 21 May 1941 about 700 miles (1,127 km) off the west coast of Africa. The ship had been stopped by the German submarine U-69 and was then sunk by gunfire and torpedo even though US flags were prominently painted on both sides of her hull. She was the first American merchant vessel sunk in the war. All 38-crewmen and 8-passengers make it into life boats and the U-boat captain provides rations; 35 of the 46 survivors are rescued on 3 June and the remaining 11 are rescued on 8 June. The German embassy acknowledges receipt of the note.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Lord Woolton called the black market in Britain "a thorn in our side".

The first Rhubarb (armed recce) by Curtiss Tomahawks of the RAF is flown today by RAF No. 239 Squadron from Gatwick.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Hptm. Jochen Müncheberg is given command of II./JG 26 to replace Hptm. Adolf, who is missing in action against Spitfires from the day before. Oblt. Klaus Mietusch is appointed _Staffelkapitän_ of 7./JG 26.

In Paris, due to the recent shootings of German soldiers, a curfew is imposed from nine at night to five in the morning. Restaurants, cafés, cinemas are shut at eight o’clock. Anyone in breach of the curfew will be held hostage.
.


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## Njaco (Sep 19, 2016)

*September 20 Saturday*
*ASIA*: Staff of Japanese 16th Army ordered to prepare plans for invasion of Netherlands East Indies.

Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army crosses Milo River at four points against minimal opposition.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: An accidental fire aboard HMS “_Eagle_” killed one aircraft mechanic and damaged many Swordfish aircraft while sailing in the South Atlantic.

German submarine U-124 sank British ships “_Baltallinn_” and “_Empire Moat_” of Allied convoy OG-74 500 miles west of Brest, France at 2331 hours; 60 survivors were rescued by British rescue ship “_Walmer Castle_”. Meanwhile, a Martlet Mk II fighter of RAF No. 802 Squadron from escort carrier HMS “_Audacity_” shot down a German Fw 200C Condor aircraft attempting to shadow OG-74; it was the first kill by a British carrier-based aircraft.

Allied convoy SC-44 was attacked in the North Atlantic by Wolfpack Brandenburg. German submarine U-552 sank two tankers and U-74 sank catapult armed merchant ship “_Empire Burton_”, all of Allied convoy SC-44, 200 miles east of Iceland between 0113 and 0327 hours; 102 survivors were rescued by British corvette HMS “_Honeysuckle_”.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Armeegruppe Nord: Soviet 8th Army attacks from the Oranienbaum pocket.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The 3.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General W. Model) attacks southwest of Lokhvista capturing General V.N. Sotensky, the 5th Army's artillery commander. Later in the day, in the Shumeikovo Woods, Kirponos, Potapov, and around 2,000 troops fought the advancing German division. By the end of the day, Colonel-General Mikhail Kirponos and Major-General V.I. Tupikov were killed and Lieutenant-General Potapov was captured.

On this date, the Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 128 adult male, 179 adult female, and 99 children, all Jews, were killed in Nemencing, Lithuania for a total of 403 people.


> “The German Army in fighting Russia is like an elephant attacking a host of ants. The elephant will kill thousands, perhaps even millions, of ants, but in the end their numbers will overcome him, and he will be eaten to the bone.”- Colonel Bernd Von Kleist


*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 74 aircraft to attack Berlin and 34 aircraft to attack Frankfurt overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Italian midget submarines attack shipping in Gibraltar harbor. They sink 2 ships. Led by Prince Giunio Borghese, three two-man submarines penetrated the defenses and sank 20,000 tons of shipping. Their mother ship is a converted submarine, “_Scirè_”, moored off the Spanish coast. “_Scirè_” launched three manned torpedoes into the harbor, which sank tanker “_Fiona Shell_” (killing 1), damaged tanker RFA “_Denbydale_”, and damaged freighter “_Durham_”. All six Italian personnel manning the three torpedoes swam to Spain and would eventually return to Italy as heroes.

A British convoy bound for Gibraltar is attacked by a German submarine. Five of the twenty-seven ships were sunk. One of these, the “_Walmer Castle_”, was sunk by an air attack while attempting to rescue survivors from the previous attack. The next day, the submarine returned and sunk four more merchant vessels.

At Malta, The first ‘Hurribomber’ Hawker Hurricane fighter-bomber conversions go into service. They can carry two 250-lb bombs.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Supercharge: British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Jervis_”, HMS “_Kimberley_”, and HMS “_Hasty_” delivered 1,000 troops and 120 tons of supplies to Tobruk, Libya after sundown. They departed for Alexandria, Egypt 30 minutes after arrival.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The ferry vessel SS “_Portsdown_” sank in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and England, after hitting a mine. There had been disquiet for some time that that no minesweeping had been carried out in the eastern Solent, despite enemy mines becoming an increasing problem. The day before the sinking a meeting of steamer captains agreed by a majority of 4 to continue the night time sailings to the island and Captain H. Chandler, who was commodore of the Southern Railways Company fleet, decided he would take command of the next night crossing which was to be a 0400 hours mailboat, the SS “_Portsdown_”. Captain Chandler died along with 20 crew members, military personnel (going home on leave) and one civilian.

Churchill authorizes the release of the most secret German "Vulture" to the Soviet Union. These messages detailed troop concentrations and aircraft strength in the Smolensk area. Enigma decodings give Britain and the USSR advance warning of an all-out German assault on Moscow.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations. While flying an offensive sweep over Northern France, the pilots of No. 452 Squadron, RAAF, equipped with Spitfire Mk. VBs and based at Kenley, Surrey, England, claims seven Luftwaffe Bf 109s shot down and two damaged.

The first successful sortie by the photo-reconnaissance variant of the de Havilland Mosquito was made today when W 4055 (LY-T) of the RAF Photographic Development Unit based at RAF Benson flew a daylight reconnaissance over Brest, La Pallice and Bordeaux, returning over Paris. Although it was chased by three Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters, the Mosquito easily outpaced them at 23,000 ft.

RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft on coastal sweeps.
.


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## Njaco (Sep 20, 2016)

*September 21 Sunday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Chinese 9th War Area conducts minor, unsuccessful counterattacks against Japanese 11th Army south of Milo River.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-201 sank British ships “_Runa_”, “_Lissa_”, and “_Rhineland_” of Allied convoy OG-74 500 miles west of Brest, France at 2320 hours. While British rescue ship “_Walmer Castle_” came to aid the survivors, a German Fw200 aircraft attacked her, killing 16 previously-rescued survivors onboard the ship. “_Walmer Castle_” sustained heavy damage in the attack and was scuttled by British corvette HMS “_Marigold_” and sloop HMS “_Deptford_”.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Baltic Red Fleet at Kronstadt is attacked by Luftwaffe Stuka dive bombers sink or damage nine ships, including battleship “_Marat_”, which settles on the bottom after losing its bow by a 1000 kg bomb hit. Stukas hit Soviet WWI-era battleship “_Oktyabrskaya Revolutsia_” with 6 medium bombs (damaged but remains afloat) and destroyer “_Stereguschy_” is also hit and capsizes.

Armeegruppe Nord: Soviet troops evacuate the Latvian capital, Riga, and the Germans capture the key naval base at Oesel.

Armeegruppe Mitte: After days of extremely heavy fighting, the Soviet 37th Army surrenders, giving the Germans Kiev.

Armeegruppe Sud: The German 11.Armee reaches the Sea of Azoz, cutting off the Crimean Peninsula. Soviet forces attacked the Romanian 15th Infantry Division near Odessa, Ukraine by landing 1,617 troops of the 3rd Naval Rifle Regiment (by Soviet cruiser “_Krasni Kavkaz_”, cruiser “_Krasni Krym_”, destroyer “_Boyki_”, destroyer “_Besposhchadny_”, destroyer “_Bezuprechny_”, and destroyer “_Frunze_”) and by launching 157th and 421st Rifle Divisions on the ground. Destroyer “_Frunze_” was sunk by German Stuka dive bombers in the action.

Joseph Stalin sent a message to Georgy Zhukov, Andrei Zhdanov, Nikolai Kuznetsov, and Vsevolod Merkulov, noting that if the Germans used Russian civilians as messengers to request Soviet troops at Leningrad, Russia to surrender, those civilians must be all killed for that they were "more dangerous than the fascists".


> “The Stavka of the Supreme High Command demands that you report immediately: 1. Whether or not your units have abandoned Kiev? 2. If Kiev has been abandoned, whether or not the bridges been blown up? 3. If the bridges have been blown up, then who will vouch for the fact the bridges have been blown up?" - _Marshal Shaposhnikov in Stavka VGK Directive No. 002202 asking for a status report from Colonel-General Kirponos, Kirponos had been killed the day before in the collapsing pocket around Kiev_



*NORTH AMERICA*: U.S. Congress passes the Revenue Act of 1941 increases the taxes paid by Americans.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on a Circus mission to Gosnay and Lille escorted by RAF Fighter Command. Escort provided by 12 Spitfire Vb of RAF No. 71 Sqn., 12 Spitfire Vb of RAF No. 222 Sqn., 12 Spitfire Vb of RAF No. 111 Sqn. and 11 Spitfire Vb of RAF No. 403 Sqn.. The new Focke-Wulf 190s of 6./JG 26 encounter a formation of RAF Spitfires over Boulogne and shoot down four of the British fighters without losing a pilot or a plane in the action. Two Spitfires from RAF No. 111 Sqn. were reported lost with pilots Sgt. R.H. Wharton and Sgt. K.J. Haine killed.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 21, 2016)

*19 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-62
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette FFL ROSELYS (K-57)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Flower Class Corvette HMCS SHAWINIGAN (K-57)





HDML 1081

Mk II class LCT 138

*Losses
Steamer BRADGLEN (UK 4741 grt)* was sunk by mining two miles 230° from B.3 Buoy off Barrow Deep. Seven crew were missing and one crewman died in the hospital.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing vessel GLEN ALVA (UK 6 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Jenkin Buoy, Southend. Both crew on the vessel were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SC-42_
On the 19th, U.372 sank the disabled and abandoned British steamer BARON PENTLAND (already tallied), after being torpedoed on the 10th.

_Convoy SC-44 _
U-74 sank the *Flower Class Corvette LEVIS (RCN 925 grt)*, U-74 fired a salvo of four bow and one stern torpedoes at the convoy about 120 miles east of Cape Farewell and observed two hits on each of two ships. The first vessel sank immediately and the other flashed a lamp signal _Help_ and sank within one minute. However, Allied reports only confirm one hit on RCN LEVIS of the 19th Escort Group, which lost her bow and was abandoned by the crew. She was taken in tow after two hours by Corvette RCN MAYFLOWER until the tow parted at 0900 hrs, but it could be reestablished about 90 minutes later. About 1910 hrs, the damaged ship capsized to starboard and sank. 17 ratings were lost. The survivors were picked up by the and RCN AGASSIZ. The commander T/Lt C.W. Gilding, RCNR was reprimanded for ordering the ship to be abandoned without inspection of the damage, leaving in the first boat and not returning with the reboarding party when the corvette did not sink.






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-81, U432
Lorient: U-557

Departures
Kirkenes: U-752 (transitting to Germany)

At Sea 19 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-84, U-94, U-95, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-201, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-433, U-552, U-451, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-566, U-569, U-572, U-575,

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Fishing vessel BUNTE KUH (Ger 262 grt)* was lost on a mine in the Kattegat.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
British steamer PRESTATYN ROSE was damaged by the LW three miles northeast of Sunk Buoy, Harwich. The steamer arrived at Harwich on the 19th in tow and beached. Steamer PRESTATYN ROSE was refloated on the 28th and sailed to the Tyne on the 30th.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.18 departed Liverpool. The convoy was escorted from 21 September by DDs LEAMINGTON, SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA, ANEMONE, and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, and VIZALMA. These escorts were detached on the 24th when relieved by American destroyers CHARLES F. HUGHES, GLEAVES, LANSDALE, MADISON, and SIMPSON. The American destroyers escorted the convoy until it was dispersed on 2 October.


*Med/Biscay*
During the night of 19/20 September, RM submarine SCIRE launched explosive boats into Gibraltar Harbour.

*Oil depot ship FIONA SHELL (UK 2444 grt)* was sunk One crewman was lost on ship FIONA SHELL.





*Oiler DENBYDALE (UK 8145 grt)* was sunk





_Sister ship DINGLEDALE_

steamer DURHAM was badly damaged on the 20th. The vessel was beached. She was refloated and drydocked. On the 3rd, DURHAM sailed in tow from Gibraltar for Falmouth.

CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART departed Haifa with 6000 troops for Tobruk. Destroyers GRIFFIN and HOTSPUR from Haifa joined the cruisers off Beirut and escorted them to Alexandria, arriving on the 20th.

Submarine TORBAY unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Gaidoro.

ORP submarine SOKOL departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Mediterranean to support HALBERD operations.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy ST.3 departed Freetown, escorted by corvettes BURDOCK and MARGUERITE. Corvette CALENDULA joined on the 23rd. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 24th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 20 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1412-1440 hrs _Air raid alert for ten enemy aircraft approaching the Island in two formations. Six Hurricanes 249 Squadron and eight 185 Squadron are scrambled. The raiders come within a short distance of the coast but do not cross it and there are no interceptions.

_0508-0545 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft approaching the Island; some bombs are dropped in the sea. One raider crosses the coast and drops incendiaries on land near Dingli causing no damage or casualties. Two Hurricane night fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Empire Guillemot_ arrived safely under Operation Propeller.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Sunderland. _38 Squadron _7 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli Harbour. _69 Squadron _Photoreconnaissance Catania, Gerbini, Comiso. 1 Maryland special search. _107 Squadron _4 Blenheims on shipping sweep. 2 Blenheims attacked shipping at Tripoli._830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish carried out a sweep off Kerkenah. For an enemy convoy. Three possible hits are claimed, resulting in one merchant vessel probably and one possibly being damaged.


----------



## parsifal (Sep 21, 2016)

Halder's diary 19 September 1941


----------



## parsifal (Sep 21, 2016)

*20 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-251





Neutral
Accentor class MSW USS TAPACOLA (AMc-54)





Allied
O Class DD HMS OFFA (G-29)





Assurance Class Rescue tug HMS FRISKY (W-11)





_Sister ship HMS ANTIC_

*Losses*
U-111 sank *Freighter CINGALESE PRINCE (UK 8474 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic, whilst she was on passage from Bombay to Liverpool, via Trinidad and Capetown. She was transporting a cargo of manganese and Pig Iron with a crew of 77 embarked, 57 of whom would perish in the attack. On 20 Sep 1941 the unescorted CINGALESE PRINCE was torpedoed and sunk by U-111 east-southeast of St.Paul Rocks. The master, 48 crew members and eight gunners were lost. 15 crew members and three gunners were rescued after 12 days by the Spanish merchant CASTILLE MONTJUICH and landed at St.Vincent, Cape Verde Islands. One crew member was picked up by the British sloop WESTON and one officer by the sloop LONDONDERRY and landed at Londonderry on 3 November.





*Ferry PORTSDOWN (UK 342 grt)* was sunk on a mine off the UK west coast. Eight crew and fifteen passengers were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Trawler MARCONI (UK 322 grt)* was lost in a collision off Harwich.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SC-42_
Convoy SC 42 arrived in Liverpool on 20 September 1941. Sixteen ships totalling 68,259 grt had been sunk and four ships (14,132 GRT) damaged. One ship had turned back. Forty four ships arrived safely and unharmed, and two U-Boats had been destroyed, though one of these sinkings was not confirmed until after the war

_Convoy OG-74_
OG-74 was sighted by an outward bound U-Boat on 20th September. One other boat (U-201) took part in the pursuit. U-124 intercepted the convoy southwest of Ireland. 27 ships was at that time escorted by 6 corvette sized escorts from Escort Gp 36. also present in the convoy was a new type of Atlantic escort, CVE HMS AUDACITY. She carried 6 Martlet II Fighters. The CAG was tiny, but it proved its worth. One Martlet forced U-201 to dive, causing the convoy to bypass this U-Boat. However, U-124 penetrated the screen and sank two ship from within the convoy,

The next day three FW 200s attempted to also attack the convoy but were surprised to be met by the martlets, They were driven off, with the loss of one a/c

The combination of air patrols, and aggressive action by EG-36 under the capable direction of Captain Johnny Walker caused the U-Boats to break contact and seek easier prey. They did not have long to wait. The Germans switched their attentions to the north bound convoys, starting with HG-73 a few days later.

Over the total life of this convoy battle, further attacks were made in conjunction with the attacks on the northbound convoys, resulting in the loss of 4 additional ships from OG-74 (or previously OG-74)

U-124 sank *MV EMPIRE MOAT (UK 2922 grt)* whilst on passage from London to Gibraltar, travelling in ballast. The ship had a crew of 32 embarked all of whom would be rescued. The ship was hit at 2331 hrs, NNE of the Azores The master, 28 crew members and three gunners from the vessel were picked up by the British rescue ship WALMER CASTLE. On 21 September, five crew members were lost when the rescue ship was bombed and sunk NE of the Azores by a Fw 200 aircraft of I./KG 40. The remaining men from the EMPIRE MOAT were picked up by the Corvette HMS MARIGOLD and the Sloop HMS DEPTFORD and landed at Gibraltar on 28 September.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

In the same torpedo broadside, U-124 also hit and sank the *steamer BALTALLINN (UK 1303 grt)*. The ship was on passage from Preston to Gibraltar, carrying a part cargo of government supplies. She had a large crew of 35, 7 of whom would perish in the attack. Seven crew members from BALTALLINN were lost. The master, 22 crew members and five gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship WALMER CASTLE. On 21 September, the rescue ship was bombed and sunk by an FW 200.. Ten crew members and one gunner from BALTALLINN were lost. The master, 12 crew members and four gunners were picked up by Sloop HMS DEPTFORDand landed at Gibraltar on 28 September.





_Convoy SC-44_
At 0113 hrs, U-74 led off the attack on Convoy SC-44 by torpedoing *CAM ship EMPIRE BURTON (UK 6966)*. CAM ships were still freighters, and EMPIRE BURTON was carrying a cargo of wheat from Halifax to Liverpool with a crew of 54, 3 of whom would perish in the attack. U-74 fired a spread of four torpedoes at SC-44 east of Cape Farewell. The U-Boat reported two hits on a first ship and one hit on a second vessel which sank later. The fourth torpedo hit a third ship but was a dud. However, only the EMPIRE BURTON) was hit and sunk. One crew member and two gunners were lost. The master, 41 crew members, three gunners and six passengers (RAF personnel) were picked up by HMS HONEYSUCKLE and landed at Reykjavik.





At 01.38 hours on 20 Sep 1941, U-552 fired the stern torpedo at a ship in convoy SC-44 east-northeast of Cape Farewell and missed the intended target but the torpedo struck the *SS T.J. WILLIAMS (UK 8212 grt)* in station #102 after 2 minutes 2 seconds. The tanker sank fast by the stern after being hit. 15 crew members and two gunners were lost. The master, 20 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS HONEYSUCKLE at Reykjavik.





At 0151 hrs, U-551 struck again, sinking the *SS PINK STAR (Pan 4150 grt)* whilst the ships was on passage from New York to Liverpool. A crew of 35 was embarked, 13 of whom would perish in the attack. The U-boat observed observed a hit on the targeted ship without seeing any effect and a hit on a ship beyond which sank immediately after breaking in two. In fact, only the PINK STAR was hit and sunk.





Two and half hours later, U-552 struck a third time, hitting the *Tkr BARBRO (Nor 6325 grt)*. The ship was fully loaded with petrol and a crew 34, all of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. BARBRO was hit by two torpedoes and her cargo caught fire. At 04.30 hours, U-69 tried to administer a coup de grace, but the torpedo did not detonate. All on board, the master and 33 crew members died in the flames, helplessly watched by other ships around her.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes:U-566,
Lorient: U-95, U-105, U-561

Departures
Brest: U-204
St Nazaire: U-97, U-203, U-559

At Sea 20 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-84, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-433, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-569, U-572, U-575

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*Series X Sub ShCh-319 (VMF 590 grt)* was lost to a mine approximately this day.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
Monitor EREBUS departed Scapa Flow for Chatham on completion of work up. DD VIVACIOUS departed Scapa Flow for Sheerness on completion of her work up practices. The DD was ordered to overtake the monitor and escort her to Sheerness. DD WINDSOR departed Harwich at 1130 to meet monitor EREBUS and DD VIVACIOUS off May Island and act as additional escort to Sheerness. Monitor EREBUS and DD VIVACIOUS arrived at Sheerness on the 22nd.

AA ship ULSTER QUEEN departed Scapa Flow after work up. The ship arrived at Belfast on the 21st to join the Western Approaches cmd.

RNorN DD DRAUG departed the Humber for Scapa Flow and arrived on the 21st.
*
Steamer METZ (Ger 728 grt)* was lost near Rotterdam
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Channel*
ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Portsmouth and laid minefield JT off Le Havre

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs JERVIS, KIMBERLEY, and HASTY departed Alexandria with about 1000 troops, brought to Alexandria by the 7th Cruiser Squadron, and one hundred and twenty tons of stores in Serial 5 of the SUPERCHARGE operation. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 21st.

DDs HERO and JACKAL departed Haifa for an ASW sweep of the Haifa - Port Said - Alexandria shipping routes.

DD HAVOCK grounded to the west of the Great Pass while waiting to enter harbour after an anti-submarine exercise. Both propellers were damaged beyond repair and both shafts and A bracket were distorted. Repairs in dock required some fourteen days.

Submarine TRUSTY departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Mediterranean to support HALBERD operations.

*Central Atlantic*
CL SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar to rendezvous with convoy WS.11X.

*Sth Atlantic*
At St Helena, CVL EAGLE had a serious fire in her hangar deck. Fourteen aircraft were seriously affected by salt water used to extinguish the fire. The aircraft carrier sustained some damage. One rating died from injuries. On the 28th, the CVL, escorted by CA DORSETSHIRE, departed St Helena for Freetown, arriving 3 October. The ship called at Gibraltar for emergency repairs and finally arrived back at Liverpool on 26 October. EAGLE was refitting from 30 October to 9 January 1942.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
British steamer CLAN FORBES with twenty four officers and four hundred and eight other ranks and troopship GLENROY with thirty seven officers and five hundred and forty four other ranks departed Suez for Port T, which was the Indian Ocean anchorage at Addu. The ships were escorted from Aden by CA CORNWALL and arrived on the 30th.

CL EMERALD arrived at Colombo from the Seychelles

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 21 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1029-1118 hrs _Air raid alert for three Macchi 200 fighters which approach the Island from the north and cross the coast over Grand Harbour at 23000 feet while three others circle 35 miles off the coast. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but the Macchis recede rapidly over Delimara evading engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula, Unbeaten, Upholder_ and _Upright_ returned from convoy interception east of Tripoli. _Upholder_ sank one ship of the Neptunia class and damaged a second whose fate is not known. _Ursula_g ot one hit on _Vulcania_.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _2 Wellington. _Departures _1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Photoreconnaissance Catania, Gerbini and Comiso. _105 Squadron _1 Blenheim reconnaissance east Sicilian coast. _107 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked a merchant ship off Kerkennah Bank.


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## parsifal (Sep 21, 2016)

Halder's diary 20 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 21, 2016)

*21 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MMS I Class coastal MSW HMS MMS 79
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Tanker VANCOUVER (UK 5729 grt)* was sunk on a mine about two miles from Sunk Light Vessel in the Thames estuary. The vessel caught fire after the cargo of petrol leaked then ignited. She burned for several days as no one could approach her due to petrol burning on the water. Amazingly three people managed to escape this inferno, but thirty four crew and six gunners were killed.





_Convoy OG-74_
On the 21st, U.201 sank *steamer RUNA (UK 1575 grt)* in the SW Approaches. She was outbound, carrying coal from Barry to Lisbon. A crew of 23 were aboard, 14 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 2250 hrs the RUNA in convoy OG-74 was torpedoed and sunk by U-201 NNE of the Azores.. The master, seven crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS DEPTFORD and landed at Gibraltar.





RUNA was hit at 2250 hrs. 30 minutes later, U-201 struck again hitting 2 more ships.

U-201 sank *Steamer RHINELAND (UK 1381 grt)* in this second attack in the SW Approaches. These attacks occurred about 800 miles NNE of the Azores and occurred around 2320 hrs for the LISSA and the RHINELAND. The ship was outbound, carrying coal and mail from the Clyde to Gibraltar via Lisbon. A crew of 26 were aboard, all would perish in this attack





U-201 also sank in this attack steamer *steamer LISSA (UK 1511 grt)* in the SW Approaches. These attacks occurred about 800 miles NNE of the Azores and occurred around 2320 hrs for the RHINELAND and the LISSA. The ship was outward bound from Barry to Lisbon with a load of coal. Like the RHINELAND all of the crew of 26 periched in the attack. 





*Convoy rescue ship WALMER CASTLE (RN 906 grt)* was badly damaged by FW200 a/c whilst returning with rescued sailors. The rescue ship had thirty survivors of steamer EMPIRE MOAT, twenty eight survivors from steamer BALTALLINN, and twenty three crew from steamer CITY OF WATERFORD (1071grt), which had been sunk in a collision with tug THAMES on the 19th. Ten crew and passengers were lost in the ship. The rescue ship was scuttled by sloop DEPTFORD and corvette MARIGOLD of the convoy escort later on the 21st. Whaler SOUTHERN ISLE proceeded to the area and took the hull in tow, but it sank on the 23rd before they could arrive in harbour.





_Convoy HG 73_
Convoy HG.73 departed Gibraltar on the 17th, and was sighted by RM submarine TORELLI and U.371, but contact was soon lost. U.371 was en route to the Mediterranean. Contact was regained on the 21st, but the submarine was soon badly damaged by DD VIMY
.
*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-569

Departures
Lorient: U-109

At Sea 21 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-84, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-433, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-575

32 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*Derzkhi Class DD FRUNZE (VMF 1100 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Tendra Island (Leningrad) in the Baltic.





A Soviet submarine (unknown class) may have been sunk by the LW off Peteroff.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.19 departed Liverpool. It was escorted from 22 September by DDs BEAGLE, MONTGOMERY, ROXBOROUGH, and SALISBURY, corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS, MSWs BRITOMART, GOSSAMER, and LEDA, and ASW trawler NORWICH CITY. The convoy was joined on the 23rd by corvettes ALBERNI and KENOGAMI and MSW HUSSAR. The MSWs were detached on the 25th. Corvettes ALYSSE and MAYFLOWER joined the convoy on the 27th and with corvettes ALBERNI and KENOGAMI escorted the convoy when the rest of the escorts were detached. Corvette MAYFLOWER was detached on 6 October. The convoy was dispersed on 7 October and the other three corvettes were detached.

*Channel*
ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Portsmouth and laid minefield JU off Dieppe.

*Med/Biscay*
Italian submarine ASCIANGHI set on fire by gunfire the *steamer ANTAR (Palestinian 389 grt)* near Haifa. The crew landed at Tyre.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ML cruiser LATONA and DDs NAPIER, KINGSTON, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria on Serial 7 of the SUPERCHARGE operation. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 22nd.

British troopship GLENGYLE departed Alexandria for the Canal Area to relieve troopship GLENROY at the Combined Operations Training Centre at Kabret. DDs HERO and JACKAL met troopship GLENGYLE off Alexandria and escorted her to Port Said. HERO and JACKAL arrived back at Alexandria on the 22nd.

Corvettes PEONY, HYACINTH, and ERICA departed Beirut on an anti-submarine sweep.

At sunset, the flag of Cruiser Squadron 15 was hauled down from CLA NAIAD. Vice Admiral E. L. S. King CB, MVO, was ordered to the appointment of Assistant Chief Naval Staff (Trade) in the Admiralty. Captain W. H. A. Kelsey DSC, assumed the duties of Senior Officer, CruSqn 15 and Senior Officer, Suez Escort Force.

RNeN submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Mediterranean to support HALBERD operations.

*Central Atlantic*
CL EDINBURGH arrived at Gibraltar after escorting convoy WS.10 to the Capetown. DD LIVELY departed Gibraltar to join convoy WS.11X.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 22 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Very cool.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _1 Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli Harbour. 1 Maryland on search for convoy. 1 Maryland patrol of eastern Tunisian coast. _105/107 Squadrons _2 Blenheims attacked a convoy. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish attacked convoy within sight off Lampedusa. Two torpedoes were fired in conditions of poor visibility, but the target proved to be Lampion Rock; the convoy was not located. One Swordfish crashed on landing at Hal Far with its torpedo still on board. The missile exploded, killing the pilot Lt Aldridge and seriously injuring the wireless operator L/A Pimlott.

_TA QALI _A Blenheim force landed at the aerodrome having been damaged by enemy action. Three Swordfish landed at the aerodrome.


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## parsifal (Sep 21, 2016)

Halder's Diary 21 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 21, 2016)

*September 22 Monday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Chinese 9th War Area withdrawing as Japanese 11th Army advances southward.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-562 sank British ship “_Erna III_” 200 miles east of Iceland at 0233 hours, killing all 25 aboard.

German submarines U-68 attacked Allied convoy SL-87 300 miles west of the Canary Islands at 0222 hours, damaging British merchant ship “_Silverbelle_”. At 2346 hours, U-103 attacked the same convoy, sinking British merchant ships “_Edward_” (all 63 aboard survived) and “_Niceto de Larrinaga Blyden_” (2 killed, 53 survived).

The US 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) was placed under the command of the US Army's Iceland Base Command.

*EASTERN FRONT*: On this date, The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 512 adult male, 744 adult female, and 511 children, all Jews, were killed in Riess, Lithuania for a total of 1,767 people.



> "The Führer has decided to erase the city of Petersburg from the face of the earth. I have no interest in the further existence of this large city after the defeat of Soviet Russia...We propose to blockade the city tightly and erase it from the earth by means of artillery fire and continuous bombardment from the air." - _German directive_


Armeegruppe Mitte: Soviet forces in the Ukraine begin a head long retreat west as they regroup from the defeat at Kiev. Counter attacks are canceled and the new line will be Kharkov-Rostov.

Armeegruppe Sud: German Stuka dive bombers damaged Soviet destroyer “_Bezuprechny_” at 1300 hours, destroyer “_Besposhchadny_” at 1630 hours, and destroyer “_Boyki_” in the Black Sea off Odessa, Ukraine.

Supporters of Melnyk's faction of Ukrainian National Movement arrived at Kiev and attempt to recruit and organize.

*GERMANY*: The German government tells Bulgaria to enter war or be occupied.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Supercharge: British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Kandahar_”, HMS “_Jaguar_”, and HMS “_Griffin_” departed Alexandria, Egypt with supplies for Tobruk, Libya. They would arrive overnight and return on the following day.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The United States removes the embargo on export of arms to Cuba.


> "Germany cannot be defeated by supply of munitions to friendly power, and air and naval operations alone. Large ground forces will be required" - _George C. Marshall to FDR in his concerns with the diversion of material for the army to satisfy the needs of Lend-Lease_



*NORTHERN FRONT*: Norwegian Ambassador J. W. Michelet presents the Finnish Foreign Minister Rolf Witting a British note, stating that if Finland doesn’t withdraw its forces behind the pre-1939 borders, His Majesty’s Government is forced to consider Finland an enemy. Even if Finns comply, diplomatic relations won’t be restored and blockade lifted as long as there are German troops in Finnish territory.

Hitler issued Directive No. 36, Instructions for Winter operations in Norway, ordering a halt in attacks toward Murmansk, but to attempt to cut off Murmansk rail communications before winter, and prepare for a renewed attack toward Murmansk. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/36.html

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: MacArthur and Hart meet. MacArthur informs Hart he will ignore any plans which do not call for the full defense of the Philippines. Stark informs Hart that he will receive 12 new Fleet submarines, an additional submarine tender, and 6 PT boats and outlines Army reinforcements being sent by the War Department.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British cruiser HMS “_London_” departs Scapa Flow carrying the Anglo American supply mission (Lord Beaverbrook and Averell Harriman) to Archangel, USSR, escorted by both British and Soviet destroyers. Beaverbrook and Harriman will arrive on September 27 and travel to Moscow to discuss Lend-Lease with the Soviet leaders.

King George II of the Hellenes, with members of his family and government who have escaped from Crete, Greece arrived in England.

"Russian Tank Week" began in the United Kingdom. From this day through September 26, all armored vehicles produced in Britain were to be delivered to the Soviets.
.


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## parsifal (Sep 22, 2016)

*22 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
None

*Losses
ML.144 (RN 110 grt)* was lost in a mining in the English Channel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*steamer VECHTSTROOM (Ne 845 grt)* was sunk by the LW g two miles NE of 62 C Buoy. The entire crew were rescued.





_Convoy SL-87_
Convoy SL.87, escorted by sloop BIDEFORD, cutter GORLESON, corvette GARDENIA, and French sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC, was sighted by Uboats

U-68 sank *SS SILVERBELLE (UK 5302 grt)* from SL-87, as she was on passage from Durban to Liverpool via Freetown with a load of Phosphate. A crew of 60 were embarked, all of whom would be rescued. The ship was lost in the Central Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa. At 0223 hrs, U-68 fired four torpedoes at SL-87 SW of the Canary Islands and reported that she had scored two hits on the first ship, causing a boiler explosion, a column of fire on a second ship following a small detonation and a hit on a tanker. In fact, the only ship hit was the SILVERBELLE, which was taken in tow by FFL COMMANDANT DUBOC. The U-boat spotted the vessel with a heavy list being supported by two escorts the next day and fired two spreads of two torpedoes at her at 0322 and 0415 hours, but missed in both attacks and had to give up because they had ran out of torpedoes.

On 29 September, the SILVERBELL had to be cut loose southwest of the Canary Islands and sank soon after.. The crew and five passengers were picked up by the French escort and landed at Freetown.





U-103 sank the *Steamer NICETO LARRINAGA (UK 5591 grt)* in the Central Atlantic SW of the Canary Is. She had a cargo of palm kernels and manganese ore when lost. A crew of 51 was embarked, 3 of whom would be lost in the attack. She was on passage from Lagos to London, via Freetown. At 2346 hrs, U-103 fired four bow torpedoes at SL-87, followed shortly after by two stern torpedoes at 2347 hrs. They observed a ship capsizing after a small explosion and two other ships going down by their sterns after two further explosions. The fourth torpedo was a shallow hit causing a large column of water and the fifth exploded with a blue-green flash. The U-Boat skipper thought that four ships were sunk and another damaged. However, the EDWARD BLYDEN and NICETO LARRINAGA were each hit by two torpedoes.

One passenger (DBS) from the NICETO LARRINAGA was lost. The master, 41 crew members, five gunners and three passengers (DBS) were rescued, but one crew member and one gunner died of injuries. Eleven survivors were picked up by Corvette GARDENIA and landed at the Azores. The remaining survivors were picked up by ASW vessel LULWORTH and landed at Londonderry on 4 October.





U-103 sank *Steamer EDWARD BLYDEN (UK 5003 grt)* whilst she was transporting general cargo from Takoradi to Liverpool via Freetown. A crew of 63 were embarked, all of whom would survive the attack. The crew were rescued by HMS BIDEFORD and landed at Londonderry on 5 October.





_Convoy ON-16_
U-562 sank *MV ERNA III (UK 1590 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, in the mid-Atlantic gap. The ship was empty, travelling from Milford Haven to Montreal. A crew of 27 were aboard, all of whom would perish in the attack. At 0244 hrs the unescorted ERNA III (recently detached) was hit amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-562 and sank by the bow within 14 minutes about 275 miles ENE of Cape Farewell. The U-boat had first sighted the ship about 18 hrs earlier and had to overtake it three times after missing with a spread of two G7e torpedoes at 1545 hrs on 21 September and one G7e torpedo at 0106 hrs on 22 September. The fourth torpedo eventually struck after a running time of just 18 seconds respectively a distance of only 270 meters. The Germans observed that two lifeboats were launched, but did not question the survivors who were never found. The vessel was reported missing after straggling from station #12 in convoy ON-16 due to heavy weather on 21 September and was presumed lost about 25 September.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-84, U-109

Departures
Kirkenes:U-566

At Sea 22 September 1941
U-43, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-433, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-575

31 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
LW Stuka dive bombers damaged VMF DDs BEZUPRECHNY, BESPOSHCHADNY and BOYKI in the Black Sea off Odessa during sustained attacks over a six hour time frame. The attacks are in broad daylight and in conditions of ideal visibility. .

*North Sea*
RNoN MTB.56 departed Harwich for Scapa Flow, via the Tyne and Aberdeen. The MTB arrived at Scapa Flow on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
DD BADSWORTH departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster and returned that day with the officers taking passage to Murmansk in CA LONDON. LONDON departed Scapa Flow to take the Anglo American supply mission to Archangel, arriving on the 27th.

ML cruiser WELSHMAN laid minefield SN.23C.

DDs LAMERTON and BADSWORTH departed Scapa Flow after work up to join the Western Approaches Cmd. DD LAMERTON arrived at Liverpool on the 24th.

DD BADSWORTH was ordered that evening to proceed to Iceland and after refuelling join convoy HX.150. BADSWORTH arrived at Hvalfjord on the 24th. After refuelling, the destroyer departed at 1700 to join convoy HX.150.

DD LANCASTER departed Scapa Flow on completion of exercises to rejoin Rear Admiral Minelaying at Loch Alsh, arriving on the 23rd.

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs KANDAHAR, JAGUAR, and GRIFFIN departed Alexandria for Tobruk on Serial 8 of the SUPERCHARGE operation. CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART departed Alexandria to cover the DDs and rendezvous with ABDIEL at daylight on the 23rd. All ships involved returned safely to Alexandria on the 23rd.

Returning to Hal Far after searching for merchant ships between Kuriat and Pantellaria, T/Lt (A) L. F. E. Aldridge RNVR, was killed and his gunner Leading Airman K. Pimlott died in hospital from injuries when their Swordfish of 830 Squadron crashed and exploded on landing.

Sub Lt R. G. Drake was lost in a captured He.115 flown by a Free French crew, that crashed shortly after takeoff from Malta. The two French crew were lost as well.

RM DDs CORAZZIERE, ASCARI, CARABINIERE, and LANCIERE laid mines SE of Malta escorted by DDs AVIERE and CAMICIA NERA.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.151 departed Halifax, escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS. The DD was detached on the 24th when relieved by USN DDs DECATUR, KEARNEY, LIVERMORE, and PLUNKETT. The American group was relieved on 1 October by DDs BEAGLE, MONTGOMERY, ROXBOROUGH, and SALISBURY, corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS, and ASW trawlers NORWICH CITY and ST LOMAN. DDs BEAGLE and SALISBURY were detached on 4 October. DD ROXBOROUGH and corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS were detached on the 5th and DD MONTGOMERY on 6 October. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 7 October.

*Central Atlantic*
CL KENYA and CLA EURYALUS, which had departed convoy WS.11 X on the 21st, arrived at Gibraltar at 2300. The cruisers refuelled and departed on the 23rd before daylight to rejoin the convoy.

Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar for a patrol in the vicinity of the Canary Islands and then to proceed to Freetown. On the 25th, she was ordered to patrol in Cape Verde Islands, as German submarines were suspected of using Tarafa Bay.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 23 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Heavy rain mid-day.

_0153-0214 hrs _Air raid alert for one enemy aircraft which approaches the Island but does not cross the coast. Bombs are dropped in the sea eight miles from shore.

_0338-0355 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast over Dingli, drops bombs on Balzan causing two slight casualties and damage to houses before turning south over Luqa and receding, dropping more bombs in the sea off Delimara.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Spitfire, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _2 Wellington. _38 Squadron _3 Wellingtons attacked a liner. 5 Wellingtons attacked motor transport depots near Tripoli. Sgt Secomb failed to return. _69 Squadron _1 Maryland patrol east Tunisian coast. 1 Maryland photoreconnaissance Catania, Gerbini, Comiso. 1 Maryland on search for a convoy. _105 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked barrack blocks and fuel dumps at Homs. _107 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked barrack blocks and fuel dumps at Misurata. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish attacked convoy off Kuriat, firing two torpedoes hitting one merchant ship amidships and another in the bows.


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## parsifal (Sep 22, 2016)

Halder's Diary 22 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 22, 2016)

*September 23 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army advancing toward Changsha against minimal opposition. The commander of the Chinese 1st BG, Gu Zhau-Xiang led a combined formation of SBs from the 1st and 2nd BG to bomb positions near Lake Dungtinghu. When his aircraft malfunctioned the formation was disrupted and the combat mission was aborted. In the confusion many aircraft strayed off course and made forced landings.

The Japanese Government calls for meeting between Prime Minister Konoe and Roosevelt.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Luftwaffe continues their strategic bombing campaign against the Russian Naval fleet. German Stuka dive bombers attacked Soviet warships at Kronstadt near Leningrad, hitting battleship “_Marat_” (already sunk in shallow water on 21 Sep 1941) with two bombs, igniting the forward magazine. Ju 87s from Obstlt. Dinort’s I and III./StG 2, including the _Stuka_ of Oblt. Hans-Ulrich Rudel, attacked the Russian fleet , targeting the 23,600 ton battleship ‘_Marat_’ which is destroyed by a single bomb from Oblt. Rudel’s Ju 87 Stuka. His gunner reported back to Rudel seconds after he released the bomb that the “ship is blowing up, you got her”. The 1000kg bomb fell down the “steamtower” and exploded inside the ship. Rudel thus also destroyed a battleship in addition to the hundreds of tanks he hit in the war. “_Marat_” will be refloated and her rear turrets used as a floating battery, firing 1971 12-inch shells in the defense of Leningrad. The dive bombers return in the afternoon and continue the destruction. This time the shipyard in Leningrad was attacked. Soviet cruisers “_Maksim Gorki_” (damaged) and “_Kirov_” are damaged while under repair and submarines P-2 and M-74 are sunk in the dockyards. But the second attack causes them to suffer themselves. Hptm. Steen, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of III./StG 2, is killed.

Armeegruppe Nord: German 18.Armee launches unsuccessful attacks around Pulkovo outside Leningrad. German forces begin attacking Soviet positions on Saaremaa (Osel) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Remnants of Soviet 37th Army surrender in the Kiev pocket.

Armeegruppe Sud: German soldiers massacre the population of Krasnaya Gora after partisans kill three German sentries.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Exiled King Zog writes to Allied leaders, petitioning to be recognized as legitimate ruler of Albania and head of the country's anti-Axis resistance.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Fw. Franz Blazytko of JG 27 is shot down and captured. The prisoner of war had thirty aerial victories.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US President Roosevelt announces the possibility of arming American merchant vessels against German attacks. The concern about possible German attacks has pushed this issue to the front.

The USN’s South Dakota Class battleship “_Massachusetts_” (BB-59) is launched at the Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Massachusetts. Destroyer USS “_Macomb_” is also launched.

Depot ship HMCS “_Avalon II_” (ex “_Georgian_”) (Lakeways Lines Steamer, Great Lakes passenger service) is requisitioned for use in St John’s, Newfoundland as the base facilities there were rudimentary. She was used as an administrative and accommodations facility to support minor warships until the end of the war. Purchased May 42, Laid up Mar 46, later sold.

Canada's War Committee of the Cabinet discusses Britain's request for two battalions for Hong Kong. They agree, subject to opinions from the Minister of National Defence and General Andrew McNaughton.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The Free French became a reality today as Charles de Gaulle became the head of the French government-in-exile. General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French, announced at a press conference the setting up of a “national committee”. He said that it would be up to the United States and other countries to recognize the committee as his country’s government in exile, rather than the German-backed Vichy regime. In fact, de Gaulle retains all authority and merely consults his nine commissioners, who include Admiral Muselier for the navy, Maurice Dejean, a former diplomat, for foreign affairs and Herve Alphand for the economy. Most colorful is Thierry d’Argenlieu, a former naval captain who spent several years a Trappist monk and escaped to England in a small boat disguised as a Norman fisherman.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The three-day curfew imposed on Paris by the military governor, General Stülpnagel, has now been lifted. He had imposed draconian measures after a spate of attempts by the Resistance to assassinate members of the German occupation forces. Travel has been banned between 9pm and 5am and places of entertainment have been forced to close at 8pm. Those arrested for breaking the curfew are treated as hostages to prevent any further resistance. Last week, the Germans murdered 22 hostages in reprisal for crimes which included the attempted assassination of a Wehrmacht captain. But the German authorities have issued a decree that stated that any French man concealing or assisting a British Airman would be shot, and any woman would be sent to a concentration camp.

German troops in France are ordered to send their blankets to their eastern front colleagues.

German blockade runner “_Rio Grande_” departs France for Japan.

.

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## Njaco (Sep 23, 2016)

*September 24 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese Cousul in Hawaii, Nagai Kita is instructed to report on the precise number and type of warships moored at Pearl Harbor. The following message was sent to the Japanese consulate in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii:


> “Henceforth, we would like to have you make reports concerning vessels along the following lines insofar as possible: 1. The waters (of Pearl Harbor) are to be divided roughly into five sub-areas. (We have no objections to your abbreviating as much as you like.) Area A. Waters between Ford Island and the Arsenal. Area B. Waters adjacent to the Island south and west of Ford Island. (This area is on the opposite side of the Island from Area A.) Area C. East Loch. Area D. Middle Loch. Area E. West Loch and the communicating water routes. 2. With regard to warships and aircraft carriers, we would like to have you report on those at anchor, (these are not so important) tied up at wharves, buoys and in locks. (Designate types and classes briefly. If possible we would like to have you make mention of the fact when there are two or more vessels alongside the same wharf.)”


This message is in the J-19 code and is translated on October 9th. The message is intercepted by American intelligence services but lack of descriptors and transport problems would delay translation until October 9, when officials decided to ignore the message and consider it the same as routing espionage activities already going on in Mania, Panama and Seattle.

Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army continues advancing toward Changsha against minimal opposition.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: US Marine Corps 1st Provisional Marine Brigade was detached from US Navy jurisdiction for service with the US Army in Iceland.

Allied convoy ON.18 became the first westbound convoy to be escorted by American ships as it made rendezvous with US destroyers USS “_Madison_”, USS “_Gleaves_”, USS “_Lansdale_”, USS “_Hughes_” and USS “_Simpson_” in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Near Leningrad, after four days of Luftwaffe attacks on the Soviet Baltic Fleet, the battleship “_Marat_” is sunk, the “_Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya_” has been hit by 6 bombs and 2 cruisers are damaged.

Armeegruppe Nord: Meretskov assumes command of Soviet 7th Army on the Svir. German 18.Armee continues to unsuccessfully attack toward Leningrad.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Hitler visits Rundstedt at headquarters of Army Group Center. Soviet 5th Army and 21st Army surrender in the Kiev pocket. There was a bomb explosion in German headquarters in Hotel Continental in Kiev.

Armeegruppe Süd: The German Armeegruppe Süd launches its attacks toward Kharkov and the Crimean Peninsula. Armeegruppe Süd’s offensive is against the vital land bridge to the Crimea at Perekop, a heavily fortified natural Soviet defensive barrier at the great ‘tartar Ditch’ (’Tartarengrab’) stretching across the narrow 5-7 km wide isthmus of Perekop which separates the Crimean Peninsula from the Ukraine. The attack is made by elements of Gen. d. Inf. von Manstein’s 11.Armee. The still shattered defenders gave ground quickly on the Kharkov axis and the panzers penetrate to within 40 miles of Kharkov. However, the 11.Armee attacks into the Perkov isthmus leading into the Crimean were stopped cold by dogged defense on the narrow defile.

The German Einsatzgruppe C set up its headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine.

*INDIAN OCEAN*: German auxiliary cruiser “_Kormoran_” stopped, evacuated, and scuttled Greek ship “_Stamatios G. Embiricos_” in the Indian Ocean 600 miles west of the Maldives islands; the crew of 31 were captured.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Tito, leading a poorly armed and equipped band of 70,000 partisans, attacks and takes the town of Uzice with it’s rifle factory capable of making 400 guns a day. Tito and his troops would hold the city for two months.

The Mediterranean U-boat Campaign began when U-371 passed Gibraltar, entering the Mediterranean Sea. Over the next two weeks 6 more U-Boats will pass into the Mediterranean. The German Submarine Force will later have about 50% of its active submarine force engaged in the Mediterranean.

Operation Halberd is launched by the Allies, to carry supplies to Malta. The initial convoy is nine transports carrying 81,000 tons of military equipment and supplies with an escort of three battleships, one carrier, five cruisers and eighteen destroyers. Operation Halberd was at the time the largest Malta resupply effort of the war. Force H, under the command of Admiral James Somerville, accompanied the convoy as defense against Italian surface ships. Force H consisted of the battleships HMS “_Nelson_”, “_Rodney_” and “_Prince of Wales_” with the aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” operating 12 Fairey Swordfish and 27 Fairey Fulmars of Nos. 807 and 808 Naval Air Squadrons. Force H included cruisers HMS “_Kenya_”, “_Edinburgh_”, “_Sheffield_”, “_Euryalus_” and “_Hermione_”, and was screened by destroyers HNLMS “_Isaac Sweers_”, ORP “_Garland_” and ORP “_Piorun_”, and HMS “_Duncan_”, “_Farndale_”, “_Foresight_”, “_Forester_”, “_Fury_”, “_Heythrop_”, “_Laforey_”, “_Lance_”, “_Legion_”, “_Lightning_”, “_Lively_”, “_Oribi_”, “_Cossack_”, “_Gurkha_” and “_Zulu_”. Submarines HMS “_Ursula_” and “_Unbeaten_” patrolled south of the Strait of Messina while HMS “_Upright_” and “_Utmost_” patrolled north of the Strait. The Polish submarine ORP “_Sokół_” patrolled north of Sicily with HMS “_Urge_” and “_Upholder_” while the Dutch submarine HNLMS O-21 patrolled south of Sardinia. Malta had recently received 27 long-range fighters (22 Bristol Beaufighters and 5 Bristol Blenheims), which had been bombing and strafing Italian airfields on Sicily and Sardinia, and would provide air cover for the convoy after Force H retired before reaching the Sicilian narrows. Admiral Somerville shifted his flag from “_Nelson_” to “_Rodney_” and “_Nelson_” sailed west into the Atlantic at 18:15 hours escorted by “_Garland_”, “_Piorun_” and “_Isaac Sweers_” to give the impression the strength of Force H was being reduced.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down his 19th through 24th kills. In the morning, Lt. Marseille of 3./JG 27 destroys a British Martin Maryland bomber during a patrol. In the afternoon, the fighters of JG 27 engage the British in a massive dogfight over Halfaya Pass. Lt. Marseille destroys four British Hurricanes during the combat to bring his score to five enemy aircraft shot down during the day. Among his victims were South African Captain C. A. van Vliet, South African Second Lieutenant J. Mac Robert, South African Lieutenant B. E. Dodd, and New Zealand Pilot Officer D. F. Westenra. The beleaguered aircrews of I./JG 27 receive reinforcements when II./JG 27 is transferred from Russia to North Africa. Leaving their airbase at Döberitz, the II _Gruppe_ led by Hptm. Wolfgang Lippert arrives at Ain-el-Gazala on this date.

Operation Supercharge: British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Napir_”, HMS “_Kingston_”, and HMS “_Hotspur_” departed Alexandria, Egypt with troops and supplies for the besieged Tobruk, Libya. They would set sail to return to Alexandria overnight, arriving in the following day.

*NORTH AMERICA*: On the defensive since Lindbergh's remarks in Des Moines, the America First Committee issued a statement denying that Lindbergh or his fellow AFC members were anti-Semitic and inviting Jews to join the organization's ranks.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Arthur Coningham was made Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

The Inter-Allied Council met in St James's Palace. Representatives from 15 Allied countries unanimously affirmed the common principles of policy set forth in the Atlantic Charter. The countries are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, USSR and Yugoslavia. The Atlantic Charter commits the signatories to a postwar world of mutual co-operation and of freedom for countries under Nazi occupation, with no annexations or frontier changes without the freely expressed wishes of the people concerned.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Tobacco ration in Paris, France dropped to 4 cigarettes per day for men and 0 for women.
.


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## Old Wizard (Sep 24, 2016)



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## Njaco (Sep 24, 2016)

*September 25 Thursday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese aircraft carrier “_Zuikaku_” was commissioned into service. Captain Tsunekichi Fukuzawa was named the commanding officer of repair ship “_Akashi_”.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: In first successful US Navy escort of convoys during World War II, Navy escort turn over HX-150 to British escorts at the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point. All ships reach port safely.

*EASTERN FRONT*: On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 215 adult male, 229 adult female, and 131 children, all Jews, were killed in Jahiuna, Lithuania for a total of 575 people.

Armeegruppe Nord: Hitler ordered a halt to attacks on Leningrad in northern Russia, instead ordering that the city be starved into submission. The formal siege of the city, which would last for some 900 days, begins in earnest.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German forces continue reducing the final remnants of Soviet forces in the Kiev pocket.

Armeegruppe Sud: German and Romanian troops under German General Erich von Manstein seize the 7 km-wide Perekop Isthmus, linking the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. Soviet forces are now isolated on the Crimea itself and the major Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odessa. German paratroop attacks begin near Perekop.

To prevent a breakout by Soviet Fleet from the Gulf of Finland, newly-formed German Baltic Fleet (battleship “_Tirpitz_”, battlecruiser “_Admiral Scheer_”, cruisers “_Köln_” and “_Nürnberg_”, 3 destroyers and 5 torpedo boats) patrols the Baltic Sea. “_Admiral Scheer_” is damaged when 2 depth charges explode on the deck (returns to Blohm & Voss shipyard at Hamburg via the Kiel Canal for repairs until October 24).

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends one aircraft to attack Emden, in the final RAF attempt to operate B-17 Fortress aircraft by day. The daylight career of RAF No 90 Squadron and its Fortresses was brought to a halt less than two months after it had started, the type having had little success in the high-altitude daylight role since its first operation in early July.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Italy begins the occupation of Croatia. The Italians reoccupy the demilitarized zone to secure Italy’s Adriatic flank.

Operation Halberd: Force H separated from the merchant ships in the early hours so Axis aerial reconnaissance might think only Force H was at sea. Fulmars from “_Ark Royal_” provided air cover over the convoy. Italian aircraft found Force H on the afternoon, and assumed the battleships were on a bombardment raid against the Italian coast.

*NORTH AMERICA*: John F. Kennedy enlisted in the US Navy. Kennedy was appointed an ensign in US Naval Reserve.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor are greeted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and cheering crowds as they arrive in Washington for their first visit together.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Marshall requests Stark delay converting three freighters into escort carriers to increase shipping lift for the reinforcements being sent to the Philippines.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2016)

*23 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bathurst Class Corvette/MSW HMAS WARNAMBOOL (J-202)





Bangor class Seagoing MSW HMCS GEORGIAN (J-144)





Bangor class Seagoing MSW HMS FRASERBURG (J-124)




_Sister Ship HMS ROMNEY_

*Losses*
_Convoy HG-73_
Initially reported by RM submarine DA VINC, The convoy was heavily protected by a DD, 2 sloops, 8 corvettes and the CAM ship HMS SPRINGNANK equipped with a single FAA Fulmar fighter. The Fulmer managed to drive off the Condor attackers on the first day.

The defence of HG-73 was less successful than OG-74, as the attacking U-Boat wolfpack slipped through the screen on several nights, sinking a total of 9 ships. 

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-43
Trondheim: U-752

Departures
Lorient: U-205

At Sea 23 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-433, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-575

31 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*BB MARAT (VMF 24900 grt)* was sunk by German bombing at Kronstadt. She was sunk at her moorings on 23 September 1941 by two near-simultaneous hits by 1,000-kg (2,200 lb) bombs near the forward superstructure. They caused the explosion of the forward magazine which heaved the turret up, blew the superstructure and forward funnel over to starboard and demolished the forward part of the hull from frames 20 to 57. 326 men were killed and the ship gradually settled to the bottom in 11 meters of water. Her sinking is commonly credited to the Hans Ulrich Rudelof StG-2 but Rudel dropped only one of the two bombs. The rear part of the ship was later refloated and she was used as a floating battery although all of her 120 mm guns were removed. Initially only the two rearmost turrets were operable, but the third turret was repaired by the autumn of 1942. She fired a total of 1,971 twelve-inch shells during the Siege of Leningrad

In December 1941 granite slabs 40–60 millimeters (1.6–2.4 in) thick from the nearby harbor walls were laid on her decks to reinforce her deck protection. Another transverse bulkhead was built behind frame 57 and the space between them was filled with concrete to prevent her sinking if the original bulkhead was ruptured. Throughout the war, Axis air and artillery made repeated ateempts to finish her off, to no effect.

She resumed her original name on 31 May 1943. After the war there were several plans to reconstruct her, using the bow of the FRUNZE but they were not accepted and were formally cancelled on 29 June 1948. She was renamed VOLKHOV, after the nearby river on 28 November 1950 and served as a stationary training ship until stricken on 4 September 1953. The ship was subsequently broken up.





VMF BB OCTOBER REVOLUTION was damaged by German shore guns at Kronstadt. She was badly damaged on 21 September by three bomb hits on her bow that knocked out two turrets and she was sent to the Ordzhonikidze Yard at Leningrad on 23 October for repairs. The Soviets took advantage of this time to add four more 37-mm AA guns and another twin 76.2-mm K-81 gun mount between February and April 1942. She was hit again by one heavy and three medium bombs dropped by He111s of KG-4during the night of 4–5 April. and again by three bombs on 24 April. Her repairs were completed in November 1942, and a quadruple 37-mm 46-K gun mount was added in September 1943. She supported Soviet forces during the Siege of Leningrad and was finally returned to seagoing service for the Leningrad Breakouts of 1944. She was fitted with a Lend lease type 279 air-warning radar sometime during 1944. On 22 July 1944 she was awarded the Order Of the Red Banner. She was one of the last surviving Dreadnoughts, her hull not being broken up until 1958.

VMF DD MINSK, under repair at Kronstadt, was bombed and damaged. VMF cruiser MAKSIM GORKI, under repair at Leningrad, was damaged by the LW. Cruiser KIROV, also repairing at Leningrad, was attacked, but was not damaged.

*Northern Patrol*
BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CL AURORA, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, ASHANTI, and PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord where they arrived on the 25th for Operation EJ.

CL PENELOPE departed Hvalfjord on the 23rd and arrived back at Reykjavik on the 29th. The cruiser then returned to Hvalfjord.
BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CL AURORA, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, ASHANTI, and PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord where they arrived on the 25th for Operation EJ.

CL PENELOPE departed Hvalfjord on the 23rd and arrived back at Reykjavik on the 29th. The cruiser then returned to Hvalfjord.

*West Coast*
CA SUFFOLK departed the Clyde to return to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 24th.

Convoy OS.7 departed Liverpool. On the 24th, sloops FOLKESTONE and WESTON and corvette AURICULA joined the convoy. The sloops were detached on 12 October. The corvette arrived with the convoy at Freetown on 14 October for duty in the Sth Atlantic. On the 26th, sloop LONDONDERRY and corvette VIOLET joined the convoy and were detached on 12 October. On 10 October, DD BRILLIANT joined the convoy and on 11 October, corvettes CLOVER and CYCLAMEN joined. All arrived with the convoy on 14 October. Corvettes ANCHUSA, MIGNONETTE, and WOODRUFF joined the convoy on 14 October outside Freetown.

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser LATONA and DDs JERVIS, KIMBERLEY, and HASTY departed Alexandria for Tobruk on Serial 9 SUPERCHARGE operation. These ships returned to Alexandria on the 24th. Also sailing was petrol carrier PASS OF BALMAHA, Greek steamer SAMOS, and A 2 and A 9 lighters, carrying tanks, in convoy for Tobruk, escorted by ASW trawler FALK and MSW trawler SOIKA. The convoy arrived on the 26th.

DD JUPITER arrived at Suez to join the fleet after having proceeded independently from Gibraltar. The DD was in need of docking for repair to serious leaks in her oil fuel tanks.
To carry out these repairs she docked at Alexandria on the 25th.

Submarine TRIUMPH sank *steamer LUVSEE (Ger 2373 grt)* six miles NE of Sibenik, Yugoslavia.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

TRIUMPH also damaged Italian steamer POSEIDONE four miles off Ortona on the 24th.

Submarine THRASHER made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer near Benghazi.

Submarine TORBAY made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer off Suda Bay.

*Steamer CARMELO NOLI (FI 109 grt)* was sunk on a mine south of Livorno.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Central Atlantic*
BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, and ORIBI arrived at Gibraltar from Greenock late on the 23rd. The ships were refuelled and departed before daylight to rejoin the WS.11 X convoy.

DDs COSSACK, HEYTHROP, and FARNDALE departed Gibraltar to join convoy WS.11 X at 0800/24th.

Convoy ST.4 departed Freetown, escorted by sloop BRIDGEWATER, corvettes ARMERIA and CALENDULA, and anti-submarine trawler COPINSAY. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 28th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
British troopship STIRLING CASTLE departed Bombay with 1650 personnel. The troopship was escorted by CL EMERALD, later relieved by CL GLASGOW, in turn relieved by CL DAUNTLESS escorted the troopship on to Singapore, arriving on the 29th.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 24 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather_Rain mid-day.

_0123-0130 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy bomber which approaches the Island and drops bombs in the sea off Delimara Point. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _5 Blenheim, 1 Catalina, 5 Maryland. _38 Squadron _8 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli. One Wellington failed to return. _69 Squadron _2 Marylands reconnaissance Kerkennah, Kelibia and special mission. _107 Squadron _2 Blenheims attacked transport on Misurata road. S/Ldr Warren failed to return.


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2016)

Halder's Diary 23 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2016)

*24 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM M-204
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
U Class submarine HMS P-36





Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARFOAM (P-282)





Mk2 Class LCT HMS LCT 144
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BPB 63’ class MA/SB 32
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
Raider KORMORAN since June had moved to an isolated part of the Indian Ocean and between 2 and 17 July refitted herself. She then ranged the Indian Ocean without success until 26 September when she intercepted and sank *steamer STAMATIOS G. EMBIRICOS (Gk 3941 grt)*. Five crew were lost on the steamer. This was her last merchant victim. From 16 to 25 October she refuelled and re-provisioned from the supply ship KULMERLAND in the south-eastern Indian Ocean and then proceeded to operate off Shark Bay, Western Australia. Five men and the Captain of the steamer were picked up by the Raider. Another 24 survivors in a boat lost touch in dark and were rescued three days later by the KORMORAN who took them as PoWs
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SL-87_
After three nights of attacks on this convoy, only four ships of the eleven ship convoy remained.

*Steamer LAFIAN (UK 4876 grt)* was sunk by U-107 WNW of the canary Is. She was on passage from Port Harcourt to Liverpool via Freetown, with a cargo of palm kernels and timber. A crew of 47 were embarked, all of whom would survive the attack. At 0631 hrs, U-107 attacked the convoy and reported three ships sunk. These ships were JOHN HOLT, LAFIAN and DIXCOVE. The entire crew were rescued by HMS GORELSTON and landed at Ponta Delgada, Azores.





*Steamer JOHN HOLT (UK 4975 grt)* was sunk in the above attack, with the loss of one crewmember from her ships complement of 60. She was on passage from Duala to Liverpool, carrying a mixed cargo of produce. The crew were rescued by HMS GORLESTON and landed at the Azores.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer DIXCOVE (UK 3790 grt)* was sunk in the above attack, with the loss of 2 of her crew of 53. She was on passage from Port Harcourt to Liverpool, via Freetown, carrying a mixed cargo of produce. The crew were rescued by HMS GORLESTON and HMS LULWORTH landed at Londonderry.





On the 24th, U.67 sank *steamer ST CLAIR II (UK 3753 grt)* WNW of the Canary islands. Twelve crew and one gunner from the 44 man crew were lost on steamer. She was on passage from Lagos to Liverpool via Freetown with mainly a cargo of palm kernels. At 0028 hrs, U-67 fired all of her bow torpedoes at three ships in the convoy. The torpedoes hit the first ship with one torpedo and saw it sinking by the stern. The master, 26 crew members and four gunners were rescued: 26 survivors by the HMS GORLESTON and landed at Ponta Delgada, Azores and five survivors by HMS LULWORTH and landed at Londonderry on 4 October.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy HG-73_
From reports from a German aircraft, RM submarine MALASPINO sank two steamers on the 24th, but the submarine then went missing and what became of her is unknown.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-126, U-331

At Sea 24 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-433, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-575

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*ML KONIGIN LUISE (DKM 2400 grt)* was lost on a Soviet minefield near Helsinki. She was returning from a minelaying sortie in the Gulf Of Finland.





*West Coast*
British steamer DALTONHALL was damaged by a mine dropped by the LW near Liverpool. The steamer arrived at Holyhead under her own power. She later proceeded to Liverpool for repairs.

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs NAPIR, KINGSTON, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria for Tobruk on Serial 10 of the SUPERCHARGE operation.

DDs JAGUAR and GRIFFIN were at sea exercising and remained at sea for the night of 24/25 September.

An Italian convoy of steamers CASTELVERDE, PERLA, and AMSTERDAM, escorted by destroyers LAPINO, ORIANI, and FULMINE, and STRALE, reported a submarine attack off Pantelleria. No damage was done. There is no corresponding allied report.

Submarine TRIUMPH damaged Italian steamer POSEIDONE four miles off Ortona and Italian steamer SIDAMO in Ortona Harbour. Submarine TETRARCH made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in the Gulf of Athens. RHN sub TRITON made an unsuccessful attack on Italian naval ship CYCLOPS off Suda Bay.

*Steamer PROSPERO (FI 971 grt)* was sunk by the RAF at Benghazi.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Operation Halberd_
Operation Halberd was a British naval operation that took place in 24-28 September 1941,. The British were attempting to deliver a convoy from Gibraltar to Malta . The convoy was escorted by several BBs and a CV, to deter interference from the Italian surface fleet, while a close escort of cruisers and DDs provided an AA screen.

The Italian fleet did sortie after the convoy was detected, but turned back after learning the strength of the escorting force. The RA made repeated attacks on the British fleet and convoy and fighters damaged several ships, and forced one of the merchant vessels to be scuttled. The rest of the convoy arrived at Malta and discharged their cargo.




_An RA torpedo bomber on fire and crashing during Operation Halberd, just beyond is HMS ARK ROYAL _

Force H under the command of Adm James Somerville, accompanied the convoy as defense against Italian surface ships and provide aircover from the ARK ROYAL. .Force H consisted of theBBs NELSON, RODNEY, CV ARK ROYAL (12 Swordfish in one sqn and 27 Fulmars in 807 and 808 sqns). The capital ships and the convoy were given cruiser support by CLs EDINBURGH and the radar equipped SHEFFIELD, AA protection by CLAs EURYALUS and HERMIONE. Light forces and ASW protection was built around DDs ISAAC SWEERS (RNeN), ORP GARLAN and PIORUN, HM DDs Duncan, FARNDALE, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY, HEYTHROP, LAFOREY, LANCELEGION, LIGHTNING, LIVELY, ORIBI, COSSACK, GURKHA and ZULU. Many of the DDs were now fitted with radar and enhanced AA protection.

Submarines URSULA and UNBEATEN, patrolled south of the Straits of Messina while submarines UPRIGHT and UTMOST patrolled north of the Strait. The Polish submarine ORP SOKOL patrolled north of Sicily with RN subs HMS URGE and UPHOLDER while the RNeN submarine O-21 patrolled south of Sardinia. Malta had recently received 27 long-range fighters (22 Bristol beafighters, and 5 Bristol Blenheims), which had been bombing and strafing Italian airfields on Sicily and Sardinia, and would provide air cover for the convoy after Force H retired before reaching the Sicilian narrows

DDs LEGION, LIVELY, and ZULU arrived at Gibraltar from WS.11 X escort at 1830.

Oiler BROWN RANGER, escorted by corvette FLEUR DE LYS, departed Gibraltar at 2000 as Force S.to oil DDs in the HALBERD operation.

BB RODNEY, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs DUNCAN, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, LIVELY, ZULU, GURKHA, LEGION, and LANCE departed Gibraltar 30 mins before midnight.

Ranged against the allies were strong elements of the Regia Marina and Regia Aeronautica. Italian submarines deployed to ambush the RN BBs thought to be planning a bombardment raid against the Italian coast. DANDOLO, ADUA, and TURCHESE, patrolled south of Ibiza while AXUM, SERPENTE, ARADAM, and DIASPRO patrolled east of the Balearic islands. SQUALO, BANDIERA, and DELFINO patrolled SW of Sardinia and NARVALO was off the African shore of the Sicilian narrows. CLs MUZIO ATTENDOLO and DUCA ABBRUZZI, were at PALERMO ready to sail, with Maestrale class DDs MAESTRALE, GRECALE and SCIROCCO . BBs VITTORIO VENETO and LITTORIO were at Naples with DDs GRANATIERE, FUCILIERE, BERSAGLIERE and GIOBERTI, and DDs NICOLOSO DA RECCO, PESSAGNO, and FOLGORE. Cruisers TRIESTE, TRENTO, and GORIZIA from Taranto with DDs CORRAZZIERE, CARABINIERE, ASCARI, and LANCIERE prepared to join them.

Sardinia deployed 30 Macchi MC 200s, 20 CR42s, and 26 SM-79s and SM84 torpedo bombers against the convoy while Sicily deployed 15 C.200, 3 RE2000, and 9 Ju87s with 24 BR20, SM.79 and SM.84 as high-level bombers and plus three with torpedoes. More Italian aircraft were operational, but were assigned other missions including bombing Malta.

Losses at the end of the operation would amount to 1 freighter fore the allies scuttled and 4 aircraft lost in combat (there were other losses to noncombat attrition. The Italians lost a submarine and 22 aircraft to combat ( some to AA some to the fighters). The Italians also suffered non-combat losses.

Convoy HALBERD consisted of steamers CLAN MACDONALD, CLAN FERGUSON, AJAX, IMPERIAL STAR, CITY OF LINCOLN, ROWALLAN CASTLE, DUNEDIN STAR, CITY OF CALCUTTA, and BRECONSHIRE. It passed Europa Pont at 0130 on the 25th under escort from Force H

Much of the RM could not sail due to fuel shortages and training shortcomings as a number of critical units were still completing work up and debugging from Taranto

*Nth Atlantic*
Captain F. D. Kirtland (USN) takes command of the escort forces for convoy ON.18 at the mid ocean meeting point (MOMP) with a force of USN DDs MADISON, GLEAVES, LANSDALE, HUGHES, and SIMPSON. This is the first westbound convoy escorted by the USN. The USN has orders to attack any detected DKM Uboat or surface vessel.

Convoy SC.46 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by corvettes LETHBRIDGE, NAPANEE, and SHEDIAC. Corvette GALt joined on the 25th. The original escort group was detached on the 27th. DDs BROADWAY, BURWELL, and OTTAWA and corvettes ALGOMA, BRANDON, BUCTOUCHE, and COBALt joined on the 27th. DDs CALDWELL, VANOC, VOLUNTEER, and WALKER joined on 4 October. The 27 September joining group was detached on 5 October. DD VOLUNTEER was detached on 9 October and the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 10 October.

*Central Atlantic*
BB RODNEY and DDs ISAAC SWEERS (RNeN), and ORP DDs PIORUN, and GARLAND arrived at Gibraltar that morning.

Corvettes JONQUIL, SPIRAEA, and AZALEA departed Gibraltar to join the troopships of convoy WS.11 X convoy at 0900 and bring them into Gibraltar. The ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 25th. CL EDINBURGH departed Gibraltar at 1230 to join the HALBERD convoy. DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, GURKHA, and LANCE arrived at Gibraltar from convoy WS.11 X escort. BB NELSON with DDs ISAAC SWEERS, PIORUN, and GARLAND departed Gibraltar on Operation HALBERD that evening.

Corvettes SAMPHIRE and CONVOLVULUS arrived at Gibraltar escorting the 26th ML Flotilla of ML.209, ML.244, ML.251, ML.271, ML.277, ML.279, ML.281, and ML.289.

Convoy SL.88 departed Freetown escorted by DD VANSITTART to 27 September, sloop ENCHANTRESS to 8 October, corvettes ASTER, BURDOCK, and VERVAIN to 27 September, and anti-submarine trawlers FANDANGO and MORRIS DANCE to 27 September. On the 27th, escort vessels HARTLAND and WALNEY joined to 8 October. Destroyers VIMY and WILD SWAN escorted the convoy on 1 October only. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HG.74 on 8 October. The convoy arrived Liverpool on 18 October.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 25 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and fresh.

_0005-0035 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching the Island from the west. Two only cross the coast and drop high explosive bombs on the Bajda Ridge area. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no engagement.

_0047-0058 hrs _Air raid alert; raid does not materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _13 Beaufighter, 2 Blenheim, 2 Wellington. _Departures _1 Catalina. _38 Squadron _2 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli. 6 Wellingtons attacked Palermo Harbour. _69 Squadron_Photoreconnaissance Marsala and Licata harbours and eastern Ionian Sea. _107 Squadron _2 Blenheims attacked transport on Misurata road. S/Ldr Warren failed to return; a search was carried out but was unsuccessful. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish laid mines outside Tripoli Harbour and dropped bombs on a barrack block. A diversion created by Wellington bombers was very effective.


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2016)

Halder's diary 24 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2016)

*25 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXC DKM U-158






Type VIIc U-589
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile C MGB 329





Fairmile B ML 283
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class coastal MSW MMS 113




_Because of the small size and their initials (they only had numbers) they were nicknamed “Micky Mouse boats”.

The design of the short MMS was based on the larger sort of motor fishing vessels which were being used around the coasts of Britain. The most promising design of these was hastily adapted to combat Hitler’s first “secret weapon” the magnetic mine. Their displacement (weight) was 255 tons, but when they were sold after the war as fishing boats, their gross register tonnage (based on volume) was about 170grt. They were powered by a single diesel engine of about 500bhp but because these were made in different factories to the makers’ own designs there were variations. MMS 15, Wivenhoe Shipyard’s yard number 11, was one of the first of these new craft to go to sea.

The long MMSs were developed by the Admiralty to overcome the shortcomings of the earlier type. They were intended to be more powerful with two engines of the same sort as the 105′ class and less cramped, with more room for the crew and the increasing amount of equipment that was found necessary for their work. Their displacement was 360 tons and when sold out of service to commercial owners their tonnage was about 290 grt. Unfortunately there was a shortage of suitable engines and it was decided to change the design for them to have only one, just like the shorter ships.

However they managed to perform their work adequately, although their Cold War replacements had two engines_.

*Losses*
_Convoy HG 73_
U.124 sank *steamer EMPIRE STREAM (UK 2922 grt)* NNE of the Azores whilst she was on passage from Huelva to Dundee with a cargo of potash. She had a crew of 35. Four crew, two gunners, and two stowaways were lost in the attack. She was hit at 0744 hrs in station #33 of HG-73 by two torpedoes from U-124. The master, 24 crew members and two gunners were picked up by Corvette BEGONIA and landed at Milford Haven on 30 September.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-433

At Sea 25 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-94, U-97, U-98, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-575

32 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Sloop IBIS departed Rosyth and arrived at Scapa Flow the same say to work up.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK with DDs IMPULSIVE, ANTHONY, and ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord to fuel prior to escorting convoy PQ.1. The ships arrived on the 27th.

*Northern Waters*
The Flag of Rear Admiral, CruSqn 1, was transferred from CA DEVONSHIRE to CA NORFOLK, which then proceeded to the Clyde, where she arrived on the 27th, for duty escorting convoy WS.12.

*Med/Biscay*
P/T/Sub Lt (A) D. Simmonds, RNZVR, was killed when his Fulmar of 761 Sqn crashed near West Camel.

RAN DD VENDETTA arrived at Alexandria from Haifa.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy ON.20 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs VANOC, VOLUNTEER, and WALKER and corvette HYDRANGEA. The convoy escort was reinforced on the 26th by DD CALDWELL. These escorts were relieved on the 30th by USN DDs BENSON, HILARY P. JONES, NIBLACK, REUBEN JAMES, and WINSLOW. Corvette ALGOMA joined on 3 October and was detached the next day. The US DDs were detached on 9 October when the convoy was dispersed

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARON departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol, eoscrted by anti-submarine trawlers LADY SHIRLEY and ERIN.

Trawler ERIN was to join arriving tanker LA CARRIERE for escort duties to Gibraltar.

Trawler LADY SHIRLEY was detached on the 28th to relieve sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC towing damaged steamer SILVERBELLE to Las Palmas.

*Pacific/Australia*
RAN CL ADELAIDE departed Melbourne escorting a steamer to SE of Chatham Island.
The CL then proceeded to Wellington, arriving on the 30th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 26 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_2356-0015 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island and drop high explosive and incendiary bombs eight miles off the west coast before receding to the west.

_0032-0055 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches to within eight miles of the Island, drops bombs in the sea off Dingli and recedes to the south west. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Maryland, 2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _1 Blenheim patrol eastern Sicilian coast and Crotone. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons attacked motor transport yards and barracks in Tripoli. _105 Squadron_5 Blenheims attacked lorry convoys east of Sirte. _107 Squadron _2 Blenheims attacked transport near Beurat. 1 Blenheim attacked a convoy.

_TA QALI _4 sergeant pilots proceeded by Hurricane to the Middle East


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## parsifal (Sep 25, 2016)

Halder's diary 25 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 26, 2016)

*September 26 Friday*
*ASIA*: Raizo Tanaka was named the commanding officer of 2nd Destroyer Squadron. He brought his flag aboard light cruiser “_Jintsu_”.

Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese forces encircle Changsha. Japanese 11th Army begins attacking Changsha overnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The completely ad hoc organization of the Newfoundland Escort Force led to the piecemeal generation and deployment of forces. Ships frequently sailed as singles or in small groups to join their convoys. This left dangerous windows where the escort force was depleted and disorganized. The lack of proper support facilities in St. John’s was a problem that plagued the RCN throughout the war. The USN advance base at Argentia was soon supporting American, British and when space was available, Canadian escorts.

Convoy HG-73: German submarines U-124 and U-203 attacked Allied convoy HG-73 500 miles north of the Azores islands and sank 6 merchant ships. HMS “_Larkspur_” counterattacked U-203 with depth charges but caused no damage. U-124 sank SS “_Cervantes_”, SS “_Lapwing_” and SS “_Petrel_” and U-203 sank SS “_Avoceta_”, SS “_Cortes_” and SS “_Varangberg_”. U-66 sank SS IC “_White_”.

Convoy SC-46: Corvette HMCS “_Brandon_” a Flower-class corvette, A/LCdr. John Coldecott Littler RCNR CO, departed St. John’s to join the close escort for the 53-ship Sydney to Liverpool convoy SC-46. SC-46 arrived safely in Liverpool on 10 Oct 41. Convoy SC-46, one of the most heavily attacked convoys of WW II, attacked by 14 U-boats, which sank 15 ships, a total of 65,776 tons, U-boats that scored or shared in kills were: U-81; U-82, U-85, U-98, U-202, U-207, U-372, U-432 and U-652. U-82 Kpt/Lt Siegried Rollmann CO, sank 4 ships in this convoy.

*EASTERN FRONT*: General de Gaulle's Free French government signed an alliance with the Soviet Union.

Armeegruppe Nord: In the Leningrad sector, General Kulik relieved of command of Soviet 54th Army, replaced by General Khozin.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Most fighting ceases around Kiev, Ukraine as the last significant units in the pocket surrendered. German Field Marshal von Rundstedt has been able to feed fresh infantry into the cauldron. In contrast, surrounded Soviet forces are starving and running out of ammunition, having not received supplies, and they are leaderless following the death of General Mikhail Kirponos in a German ambush on September 20. 4 Soviet Armies have been destroyed, comprising 850,000 men. 150,000 escaped the encirclement and about 300,000 are taken prisoner by the Germans – only 6,000 will return from captivity. The Kiev Pocket remains to this day the largest single pocket of enemy combatants ever encircled in the history of warfare. It ultimately yielded over 665 000 POWs; the largest number of POWs ever captured during a single battle. In excess of an additional 100 000 Red Army soldiers were killed in the pocket. A few days after the occupation of Kiev, downtown buildings were blown, killing hundreds of members of the Wehrmacht. SS and Wehrmacht officers meet and decide that as a reprisal the majority of the Jews in Kiev shall be killed.

Armeegruppe Sud: Soviet 9th Army and 18th Army attack Rumanian forces in German Army Group South.

Lithuanian Activist Front banned and most of its leaders arrested.

A Lithuanian policeman in Kovno thought he heard a shot fired in a street of the Jewish ghetto. When the German authorities were informed, the 1800 men, women and children living on the street were taken to the local fortress and executed.

*GERMANY*: German battleship “_Tirpitz_” sailed with other warships to patrol off of the Aaland Islands in the Baltic Sea to prevent Soviet naval maneuvers.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Tetrarch_” sank Italian ship “_Citta Di Bastia_” off Greece. The Italian ship was en route from Piraeus to Crete.

Operation Halberd: Italian Admiral Iachino, leads a force consisting of two battleships, six cruisers and fourteen destroyers to stop the Allied relief convoy sailing to Malta. The Italian fleet attempted to intercept the convoy but did not make contact with it as they turned away after learning that the Royal Navy force included several battleships and an aircraft carrier. HMS “_Prince of Wales_”, followed by the slower HMS “_Rodney_”, attempted in vain to intercept the Italian force.

The first reports of “bandit bands” operating in the Balkans are received in Berlin.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Supercharge: British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Latona_” and destroyers HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Kimberley_”, and HMS “_Hasty_” departed Alexandria, Egypt with troops and supplies for the besieged Tobruk, Libya. They would set sail to return to Alexandria overnight, arriving in the following day.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The U.S. Navy orders the protection of all ships engaged in commerce in U.S. defensive waters—by patrolling, covering, escorting, and by reporting or destroying the German and Italian naval forces encountered.

The German Charge d’Affaires in Washington replies to the U.S. note of 19 September regarding reparations for the sinking of the US freighter SS Robin Moor. The Germans state that President Roosevelt’s address to Congress on 20 June and the State Department note on 19 September “are not such as to lead to an appropriate reply by my government.”

The U.S. Army establishes the Military Police Corps.

The Congressional hearings on allegations of propaganda in American films adjourned with the intention to resume in January 1942. The media was almost universally critical of the attacks made on the film industry during the hearings, as the isolationist Senators who initiated the proceedings came across as anti-Semitic and more paranoid about Hollywood than any threat from Hitler.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Mountbatten tours Pearl Harbor, meets General Short and Admiral Kimmel, and lectures US officers on progress of the war in Europe and lessons learned.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead and Rhubarb operations.

.


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## parsifal (Sep 26, 2016)

*26 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS ADAMANT (AMc-62
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML 444
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer BRITISH PRINCE (UK 4979 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea.The vessel was on passage from New York to London with a cargo of steel and copper and a crew of 32 & 6 gunners, no lives lost.





*Schooner KANTARA (UK 250 grt(est))* was lost, cause and location unknown.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-66 sank the *tkr I. C. WHITE (Pan 7020 grt)* in the sth Atlantic off the Brazilian coast. The ship was transporting crude oil from Curacao to Capetown, with a crew of 37, 3 of whom would perish. At 2310 hrs the unescorted and unarmed tkr I. C. WHITE (Pan 7020 grt) was hit by one of two torpedoes from U-66, while proceeding fully lit and neutrally marked. The U-boat had spotted the tanker already on the morning of 24 September and observed her since then. The uboat skipper, Zapp, asked the BdU for advice after seeing the Panamanian flag and got the answer that it is only allowed to sink the vessel outside of the Pan-American security zone. He attacked the tkrI. C. WHITE after she left the zone because they were transporting oil to a British port. The torpedo struck on the starboard side between #7 and #8 tanks. The explosion threw flaming oil up over the boat deck aft. The ship stopped but continued after about 15 minutes and two more torpedoes had to be fired at 0404 hrs which both hit and caused her to break in two, so that water ran across the deck amidships. At 0530 hrs, a coup de grace missed but the tanker sank anyway at 0740 hrs about 500 miles off Recife.

The survivors abandoned ship in three lifeboats and some rafts. Later the survivors were evenly distributed between two of the lifeboats, which then headed for Brazil. The occupants of one boat were picked up on 3 October after sailing 470 miles by the American steam merchant DELNORTE about 40 miles off Porto de Maceio. The remaining survivors in the other boat were also picked up on 3 October after sailing 500 miles by the American steam merchant WEST NILUS. All survivors landed four days later in Rio de Janeiro from which they were repatriated aboard the American Liner BRAZIL, arriving at New York on 20 October.





_Convoy HG 73_
U-124 sank *Steamer CORTES (UK 1374 grt)* in the SW Approaches. The vessel was on passage from Lisbon to London, via Liverpool with a cargo of potash and cork and a crew of 43, with 42 being lost. There were more survivors from steamer CORTES that were rescued by British steamer LAPWING, but all but one were lost when LAPWING was sunk.





U.124 sank *steamer PETREL (UK 1354 grt)* in the SW Approaches, NNE of the Azores. She was on passage from Oporto to Bristol, with a cargo of Cork and a crew of 34, 23 of whom would be lost in the attack. The master of the ship would be awarded the Lloyds medal of bravery. 






U.124 sank *steamer SIREMALM (Nor 2468 grt)* in the SW Approaches, NNE of the Azores. The entire crew of 28 were lost. The ship was transporting iron ore from Almeira to Barrow when lost. At 2335 hrs the SIREMALM in station #23 of HG-73 was hit aft by one torpedo from U-124 and sank immediately. Corvette HMS HIBISCUS was ordered to pick up survivors, but the master, 25 crew members and two British gunners were lost.





U-203 sank *steamer LAPWING (UK 1348 grt)* in the SW Approaches, NNE of the Azores. 21 crew and three gunners were lost on steamer LAPWING. Nine survivors were rescued. The ship was a straggler when lost , on passage from Lisbon to Glasgow with a mixed cargo of pyrites and cork. During the night of 25/26 Sep 1941, two vessels ahead of LAPWING torpedoed and sunk. LAPWING stopped to launch a lifeboat with six men for rescue work. The boat brought 17 survivors from PETREL and three from CORTES to the LAPWING, then returned to pick up more survivors from PETREL from a raft. In the meantime Corvette LARKSPUR came across the stopped vessel, assumed that it had been torpedoed and set one of her cutters adrift to help the survivors because she had orders to return to the convoy. At 0401 hrs, U-203 fired one torpedo at the corvette lying close to a stopped tanker but it missed, like the spread of two G7a torpedoes fired three minutes later. Apparently these attacks remained unnoticed aboard the corvette while the U-boat left the area at full speed and dived to reload the torpedo tubes.

When U-203 returned to the area, they found the stopped LAPWING again which was just about to recover her lifeboat with the remaining survivors, but before this could be done the ship was hit amidships by one torpedo at 0634 hours and sank within 3 minutes. . Only three crew members from LAPWING, the three survivors from CORTES and one survivor from PETREL survived the sinking and were picked up by the lifeboat, which made landfall at Sylne Bay, Co. Galway on 9 October. But two survivors from CORTESand one survivor from PETREL died of wounds and exhaustion in the boat and the last survivor from CORTES later died in a hospital, only nine crew members from LAPWING and nine survivors from PETREL survived.

After the corvette returned to the convoy, her report of a disabled ship behind the convoy started a salvage operation and the rescue tug Tug ZWARTE was sent out with HMS LEITH as escort with a Catalina aircraft searching the area. The sloop did find one final survivor from LAPWING at the sinking position, but nothing else so the search was broken off in the evening on 2 October.





U.203 on the 26th sank *steamer VARANGBERG (Nor 2842 grt)* in the SW Approaches NNE of the Azores. The ship was on passage from Melila to Cardiff via Gibraltar and Belfast, transporting iron ore, with a crew of 27 aboard. 21 of the crew were to be lost. At 0031 hrs, U-203 fired a spread of four torpedoes north of the Azores and heard four detonations, but made no observations because they had to dive to evade an attack by Coirvette LARKSPUR. Two ships were hit and sunk in this attack VARANGBERG in station #52 and AVOCETA, the ship of the convoy commodore in station #51.

The VARANGBERG was hit by two torpedoes on the port side at #1 hatch and forward of the bridge and sank immediately. The master 19 crew members and one passenger (the chief engineer of SPIND (sunk by U-552 23 August) were lost. The survivors had no time to launch lifeboats and rescued themselves on debris and rafts that floated free until being picked up by Corvette HMS JASMINE, which landed them at Milford Haven on 30 September.





U-203 sank *Liner AVOCETA (UK 3442 grt)* as the convoy was entering the SW Approaches NE of the Azores. She was on passage from Lisbon to Liverpool carrying mail and passengers. Total crew and passengers aboard were 166, with 123 being lost. Forty three crew, four gunners, and seventy six passengers were missing on steamer AVOCETA. Corvette PERIWINKLE rescued the convoy Commodore Creighton and other survivors. Some survivors were picked up by steamer CERVANTES which was later sunk. Surgeon Lt F. Bagot of battleship NELSON was lost in steamer AVOCETA.






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kiel: U-451
St Nazaire: U-74, U-98

At Sea 26 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-575

U-205 reported she had been bombed by an aircraft "with American markings" while shadowing convoy HG-73 and forced to break off patrol and head for France.

30 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer GILLHAUSEN (Ger 4339 grt)* ran aground and was lost south of Krakens,Norway.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
British steamer ORIOLE was damaged by mining off South Bishops, Cardigan Bay. The steamer was towed to Milford on the 27th.

*Med/Biscay
Fishing boat CAPODOGLIO (FI 184 grt)* was sunk by the RAF 16 miles 346° from Marsa Dili.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The Med Flt departed Alexandria at mid morning with BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART, and DDs JERVIS, JUPITER, KINGSTON, KIPLING, HERO, HOTSPUR, DECOY, and RAN VENDETTA to act as a diversion for operation HALBERD being carried out by Fce H 

DD NAPIER departed Alexandria after fueling and joined the Fleet at 1430.

The Fleet returned to Alexandria at 1400/27th.

A convoy with CITTA DE MARSALA, CITTA DE BASTIA, TRAPANI, and SANTAGANTA departed Piraeus for Candia on the 26th, escorted by DD SELLA, TB LIBRA, and AMC BRIONI. Submarine TETRARCH sank *steamer CITTA DI BASTIA (FI 2499 grt)*in the Aegean.
[NO IMGAE FOUND}

ML cruiser LATONA and DDs JACKAL, KIMBERLEY, and HASTY departed Alexandria for Tobruk on Serial 12 of the SUPERCHARGE operation. The ships arrived back on the 26th.

ASW whaler SOUTHERN SEA attacked a submarine contact. Te whaler was later joined by corvettes DELPHINIUM and ERICA, but the search was unsuccessful.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.152 departed Halifax. The convoy was joined on the 28th by DD ANNAPOLIS. The DD was detached on the 30th when relieved by USN DDs BABBITT, BROOME, LEARY, MAYO, and SCHENCK. In heavy weather all the USAN DDs suffered varying degrees of storm damage. The USN group was relieved on 9 October by DDs KEPPEL, SABRE,SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes DIANELLA and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN. SHIKARI was detached on 9 October, the corvettes and the trawlers on 11 October, destroyer KEPPEL on 12 October, and DD SABRE on 13 October. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 14 October.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine P.34 arrived at Gibraltar after departing Barrow on the 16th. En route on the 21st, she was ordered to conduct a diving patrol in the vicinity of 42-50N, 10-40W and look for enemy submarines.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CA EXETER departed Aden.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 27 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1126-1139 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island but does not cross the coast. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no interceptions.

_2143-2153 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the west, drops bombs 25 miles out to sea and turns back. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

_2311-2330 hrs _Air raid alert caused by the return of friendly aircraft.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Operation Substance ships departing: _SS Melbourne Star_ sailed for Gibraltar at 1130 hrs._Port Chalmers _and _City of Pretoria_ to sail in two days’ time with HMS Gloxinia as escort.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _7 Beaufighter. _Departures _4 Hurricane, 3 Wellington. _38 Squadron _1 Wellington attacked Palermo. _69 Squadron _Photoreconnaissance Marsala, Trapani and Palermo. 1 Blenheim patrol eastern Sicilian coast. 1 Maryland reconnaissance Cagliari. _107 Squadron _3 Blenheims on shipping sweep near Zuara. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish laid mines outside PalermoHarbour in a semi-circle covering the south east approach. Wellington bombers created a very successful diversion.

_HAL FAR _Hurricanes 185 Squadron, one Swordfish 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm and two Fulmars performed special escort duty for a convoy of one merchant vessel.


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## parsifal (Sep 26, 2016)

Halder's Diary 26 September 1941


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## Njaco (Sep 27, 2016)

*September 27 Saturday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese forces land paratroops behind the Chinese lines and penetrated into Changsha, Hunan Province, China against strong resistance by Chinese 9th War Area. Japanese troops in plain clothes infiltrated the north gate of the walled city, but failed to complete their sabotage mission. The Chinese counterattacked the paratroops, destroying them, and in an uncharacteristically decisive move, wheeled their forces north of the city, cutting off the Japanese troops in the city. Chinese 9th War Area launched thrusts against flanks and rear of Japanese 11th Army, cutting its line of communications. About 100,000 Japanese troops found themselves surrounded.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Convoy HG-73: German submarine U-201 attacked Allied convoy HG-73 600 miles north of the Azores islands, sinking two merchant ships and the anti-aircraft ship HMS “_Springbank_”; 32 were killed, 201 survived. U-201 also sank SS “_Margareta_” and SS “_Siremalm_”.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The first rains fell on Eastern Front of the European War. Mud began to become an issue for the attacking German forces.

Armeegruppe Nord: Soviet attacks on German 16.Armee in the Valdai Hills.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The Soviet GKO issued the Directive to Organize a Strategic Defense, which proved to be disastrous as it led to over 50 divisions of Soviet troops being trapped at Vyazma and Bryansk in Russia shortly after.

Armeegruppe Sud: Heavy fighting breaks the Soviet defenses in the Crimean Peninsula as the town of Perkov is captured by the German 11.Armee.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 989 adult male, 1,636 adult female, and 821 children, all Jews, were killed in Eysisky, Lithuania for a total of 3,446 people.

HMS “_London_” arrived in Archangel, Russia with Lord Beaverbrook and Averell Harriman aboard.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Operation Halberd: The Allied convoy to Malta is found by air reconnaissance and suffers the loss of one transport. Force H rejoined the convoy at 07:10 hours. Sixteen destroyers formed a bent line screen ahead of two columns of merchant ships. The port column was led by the cruiser “_Kenya_”, followed by “_Ajax_”, “_Clan MacDonald_”, “_Imperial Star_”, “_Rowallan Castle_” and “_City of Calcutta_”. The starboard column was led by the cruiser “_Edinburgh_” followed by “_Clan Ferguson_”, MV “_Dunedin Star_”, HMS “_Breconshire_” and “_City of Lincoln_”. “_Rodney_” took position behind the port wing of the screen followed by “_Prince of Wales_”. “_Nelson_” took position behind the starboard wing of the screen followed by “_Ark Royal_” in formation with the anti-aircraft cruisers “_Euryalus_” and “_Hermione_”. The cruiser “_Sheffield_” took position astern of the merchant ships, while the destroyers “_Piorun_” and “_Legion_” assumed plane guard positions astern of “_Ark Royal_”. Italian aircraft correctly identified “_Ark Royal_” at 08:10 hours and the battleships from Naples rendezvoused with the cruisers from Taranto and were joined by the 8th cruiser division at 11:48 hours. The Italian fleet was faster than the battleships of Force H, but was inferior to the British firepower. Since Italian aircraft had reported only a single British battleship, the Italian fleet received authorization at noon to engage the British formation. Regia Aeronautica was requested to provide increased air cover for the Italian fleet. Regia Aeronautica launched a strike of 28 SM.79 and SM.84 torpedo planes with 20 Cr.42 fighters. The strike was met by defending Fulmars and heavy anti-aircraft fire. Three bombers pressed through the barrage of starboard wing destroyers to launch torpedoes at “_Nelson_”. An Italian torpedo bomber hit “_Nelson_” in the bow with a torpedo. “_Nelson_” slowed to 15 knots, but maintained position in the convoy. Six more torpedo planes and 1 fighter failed to return from the strike. Friendly fire from “_Rodney_” and “_Prince of Wales_” shot down two Fulmars, and a patrolling Swordfish had been shot down by the Italian fighters before the strike ended. The Italian fleet was about 40 miles from the convoy, but decided to return home around 14:30 hours when it learned that the British had two battleships, a carrier and six cruisers at sea. Two more Italian pilots were lost when another flight of ten C.200s ran out of fuel and ditched at sea. In the evening, Force H turned back and sailed for Gibraltar. The merchant vessel “_Imperial Star_” carrying 8,000 tons of war supplies was hit by another aerial torpedo and damaged. Despite being taken in tow by the destroyer HMS “_Oribi_” it had to be scuttled the following day. There was no loss of life.

Unternehmen Užice: The Germans launched Operation Užice. Operation Uzice was the first major counter-insurgency operation by the German Wehrmacht on the occupied territory of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War II. The operation was directed against the Užice Republic, the first of several "free territories" liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans. It was named after the town of Užice, and is associated with the First Enemy Offensive.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Reza Shah Pahlavi departs via Bombay for exile on the island of Mauritius and then in South Africa.

Catroux, Free French Delegate-General, announces independence of Syria. Final Vichy French vessel, “_Colombie_”, departs Haifa with 1415 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Supercharge: Conclusion of naval transport of British 16th Infantry Brigade into Tobruk while Australian 24th Infantry Brigade is withdrawn to Egypt. British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Kandahar_”, HMS “_Jaguar_”, and HMS “_Griffin_” departed Alexandria, Egypt after sundown with supplies for Tobruk, Libya. This would be the final Operation Supercharge supply run for the besieged city. Since September 17, Royal Navy has carried 6308 British troops and 2100 tons of supplies into Tobruk and removed 5444 troops mostly Australian 9th Division, 544 wounded, and 1 POW.

After a lengthy siege, British King's African Rifles capture Wolchefit Pass from the Italians (11 miles North of Gondar, the last Italian stronghold in East Africa). The British 25th East African Brigade accepts the surrender of the Italian garrison at Wolchefit.

Western Desert Force officially redesignated British 8th Army under command of General Cunningham.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The “_Patrick Henry_” is launched from the Baltimore Naval Yard. The 10,000 ton cargo ship is the first of 2742 “liberty ships” which would be launched in the next few years. 14 Liberty Ships were launched today in the United States. They were to be transferred to the United Kingdom via the Lend-Lease program.

The first US Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) class graduates from Fort Benning, Georgia. General Marshall is to address the class but due to observing the Louisiana Manouvres, Brigadier General Omar Bradley takes his place. The reading focuses on leadership and the concept of the citizen soldier in a democracy.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort warned US commanders at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii that the Japanese communication codes were being changed.

German raider “_Atlantis_” departs rendezvous for Vanavana in the Pomotu Islands (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia).

*WESTERN FRONT:* RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Amiens during the day. RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations. Blenheims, escorted by Spitfires, bombed the Amiens rail junction. 21 German and 13 British fighters were shot down. Losses of British Blenheim bombers are not known.

RAF combat reports start describing encounters with a radial engined fighter misidentified as either captured French Bloch 151s or Curtiss Hawk 75s. In reality the aircraft is the new Focke-Wulf Fw 190, making it’s first appearance in combat. On this day the new German fighter encounters the new British fighter, the Spitfire V for the first time and the German aircraft proves itself to be superior in every respect to the upgraded British fighter.

Karl Kaufhold, a seven victory _Experte_ with JG 54, is killed in a flying accident.

U-boat supply ship “_Kota Pinang_” departs France.

Operation Chopper/Deepcut: were two British Commando raids by No. 1 Commando during the Second World War. The raids, over the night of 27/28 September 1941, targeted Saint-Aubin-d'Arquenay in France. 65 men of 5 Troop No1 Commando took part in the twin raid against the coast of Northern France. A mistake in navigation took the two LCAs in Force B (Chopper) to Luc sur Mer, 3 miles off course from the objective of Courseulles and landed them in front of an alerted defense, illuminated by flares and raked by fire. Two men were killed, Pte Elwyn Edwards and L/Cpl Cyril Evans, one badly wounded and an LCA so badly holed that the men had to bail water to stay afloat. The other raiding party - Force A (Deepcut) - landed at St Vaast Bay on the Cherbourg peninsula. A party of 5 Troop under Captain G.A. Scaramanga penetrated inland, got no answer when they knocked on the door of a shuttered house and then ambushed a German cycle patrol.

.


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## Njaco (Sep 27, 2016)

*September 28 Sunday*
*ASIA*:  Light carrier “_Hosho_” became the temporary flagship of Carrier Division 3.

The Second Battle of Changsha continued. Chinese 9th War Area heavily engaged with isolated Japanese 11th Army around Changsha.

*EASTERN FRONT*: General Georgy Zhukov announced to his troops that family members of those who become captured by the enemy would be arrested and shot.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Germans enter Donets Basin (Donbas) industrial region, source of over 60 per cent of USSR coal output.

Armeegruppe Sud: Army Group South occupied a line from: the shores of the Sea of Azov, just east of Melitopol, the Dnepr bend bridgeheads at Zaporozhe and Dneprepetrovsk, through Krasnograd and Poltava, and just east of Romny. At Romny the new ‘border’ with Army Group Centre started, which was now preparing for Operation Typhoon. German 1.Panzergruppe, pushing forward from Dniepr bridgeheads, attacks Soviet 2nd Cavalry Corps around Sumy. German 11.Armee continues attacking in the Perekop isthmus.

Einsatzgruppe C, operating in the Kiev area, stated in their official report that, “The Jewish population was invited by posters to present themselves for resettlement…More than 30,000 Jews appeared; by a remarkably efficient piece of organization, they were led to believe in the resettlement story until shortly before their execution.” 34,000 Jews were marched into the Babi Yar Bulka and massacred.

Allied convoy QP-1, which was consisted of 14 British and Soviet merchant ships escorted by British cruiser HMS “_London_” and four minesweepers, departed Arkhangelsk, Russia at about 1200 hours for Britain.

A conference in Moscow begins. Originally thought of at Placentia Bay in August, Harriman from the US; Beaverbrook for the UK and Molotov meet regarding Lend-Lease and British Aid to Russia. This conference will last through October 1st.

*GERMANY*: The Oak Leaves and Swords to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross award (_Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit *Eichenlaub* und Schwertern_) and Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (_Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und *Brillianten*_) were both established in Germany. The Oak Leaves with Swords clasp was similar in appearance to the Oak Leaves clasp with the exception that a pair of crossed swords were soldered to the base of the Oak Leaves. The first version of the Brillianten was based on the design of the Oak Leaves with Swords clasp with the clasp drilled out to accept the diamonds. This first version was awarded to the first two recipients, Werner Mölders and Adolf Galland.

RAF Bomber Command sends 44 aircraft to attack Frankfurt overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: An uprising against Bulgarian occupation began in Macedonia region of Greece. SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich arrives in Prague, as new commander of Czechoslovakia. Heydrich imposes martial law on 6 districts of Moravia and Bohemia.

Operation Halberd: The Allied Operation Halberd convoy arrived in Malta and began to disembark 50,000 tons of supplies aboard its ships. Despite reports that the Italian fleet had left port, no ship-to-ship encounters took place, although the convoy came under further torpedo attacks from the air with one transport, “_Imperial Star_” hit - but her troops were taken off before she sank. The Italian Air Force lost 21 aircraft to RN Fleet Air Arm fighters and the AA guns of the Royal Navy. The entire population of Malta seems to have crowded the shoreline to cheer as three cruisers - their bands playing and crews lined up as though they had been on a peacetime cruise - led the vitally needed convoy into the Grand Harbour of Valetta. Few convoys have had such a powerful escort: three battleships - HMS “_Nelson_”, HMS “_Rodney_” and HMS “_Prince of Wales_”, the carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_”, five cruisers and 18 destroyers. They were shepherding nine fast merchant ships, totaling 81,000 tons, with 2,600 troops divided among the transports and warships. Admiral Somerville was knighted in recognition of his successful command of Force H during Operation Halberd. It was the second time Somerville had received that honour; and occasioned this memorable congratulatory message from Admiral Cunningham:


> "Fancy, twice a knight at your age."



At 2205hrs U-331 began her attempt to break through into the Mediterranean. Next morning at 0430hrs the boat had successfully completed the passage.

RAF Bomber Command sends 41 aircraft to attack Genoa overnight.

Detached from covering convoy GM 2 - Operation Halberd, RN cruiser “_Herminone_” bombards Pantelleria.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Syria was declared and independent state by the Vichy government.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US Army forces conclude large-scale exercises in Louisiana.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort warned US commanders at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii that the recent Japanese Navy communications changes might mean the preparation of a large exercise or another major action.

Lt John Bulkeley's USN Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3 arrives Manila from the US with six PT boats.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British transferred the airfield RAF Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire, England to the US Army. The airfield would soon house the USAAF 91st Bombardment Group, which would remain until the end of the war.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead and a Rhubarb operation.

.


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## Old Wizard (Sep 27, 2016)



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## Njaco (Sep 28, 2016)

*September 29 Monday*
*ASIA*: Light carrier “_Hosho_” was relieved of the duty of being Carrier Division 3's temporary flagship.

Being rebuffed by Roosevelt three times during September for a call to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Konoye, the Japanese make a fourth attempt stating;


> “. . . if nothing came of the proposal for a meeting between the chiefs of our two Governments it might be difficult for Prince Konoye to retain his position and that Prince Konoye then would be likely to be succeeded by a less moderate leader."



Second Battle of Changsha: Chinese 9th War Area is heavily engaged with isolated Japanese 11th Army around Changsha. Chinese Relief troops arrive at Changsha, forcing the Japanese to retreat.

Eight SBs of the Chinese 1st and 2nd BGs returning to base got lost and all the aircraft made forced landings in the fields. One of the SBs missing was the aircraft of the commander of the 2nd BS, Zhang Tiqing. Eventually it became clear that he had become a traitor and deserted to the aerodrome at Hankou delivering a complete SB to the Japanese. After this the 1st and 2nd BGs had to fill up their strength from the 6th BG.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Allied convoy PQ-1 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland. There is no German attack on this convoy. It will reach Archangel on October 11. The first Allied convoy for the Arctic departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland (having originated from Scotland, United Kingdom) at 1845 hours with 11 merchant ships escorted by cruiser HMS “_Suffolk_”, destroyer HMS “_Antelope_”, destroyer HMS “_Impulsive_”, and four minesweepers. By the end of the year five other convoys had followed it, landing 120,000 tons of supplies at Murmansk, Russia, including 600 tanks, 800 aircraft and 1,400 motor vehicles. It was somewhat embarrassing to the Germans that, between 29 Sep and 31 Dec 1941, all 55 vessels of these first six convoys reached their destination without loss.

Convoy SC-47: Corvettes HMCS “_Sherbrooke_”, “_Chicoutimi_”, “_Matapedia_” and “_Napanee_” departed Sydney, Nova Scotia for Convoy SC-47 to Iceland. Convoy SC-47 arrived safely in Liverpool on 20 Oct 41. The early corvettes did not have adequate endurance to complete the trip across the Atlantic and had to divert to Iceland for fuel and stores before returning with a westbound convoy. This necessitated a complicated system of meeting and hand over points between the groups conducting the escort. It also required more escort groups that, as a consequence, were smaller in number. The smaller escort groups resulted in a weak defensive screen that the U-boats were able to exploit successfully. Successful convoys of this period were accomplished by evasive routing that was possible due to intelligence successes. When convoys were intercepted by U-boats, heavy losses resulted.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Moscow Conference began with representatives of Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union meeting for the first time in the war. Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov, British Minister of Supply Lord Beaverbrook, and American envoy Harriman met in Moscow, Russia to discuss lend-lease aid to the Soviet Union.

Armeegruppe Nord: Adolf Hitler issues an order regarding the future of Leningrad. Adolf Hitler ordered that Leningrad, Russia was to be wiped out by artillery and aerial bombardment. Germany could not and would not feed its population, which was of no use for the future of Germany. German Army Group North deploys 18.Armee facing Leningrad and 16.Armee stretching south through the Valdai Hills.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German Army Group Center deploys 9.Army, 3.Panzergruppe, 4.Armee, 4.Panzergruppe 2.Armee, and 2.Panzergruppe for renewed offensive toward Moscow

Armeegruppe Süd: Soviet resistance prevented the Germans from moving from southern Ukraine into the Krym (Crimea) region of Russia. The attacks by Heeresgruppe Süd (von Rundstedt) to force an entry into the Crimea are halted. German 11.Armee halts its attempt to break into the Crimea. German Army Group South redeploys 6.Armee toward Kharkov, 17.Armee toward Voroshilovgrad, 1.Panzergruppe toward Rostov, and 11.Armee into the Crimea. Stalin authorizes evacuation by sea of Soviet 51st Army from Odessa to the Crimea.

The German Einsatzgruppen massacred somewhere between 50,000 and 96,000 Ukrainians, 33,771 of whom Jews, at the Babi Yar ravine outside Kiev.

Prime Minister General Alois Elias of Bohemia and Moravia is arrested. This comes two days after the appointment of Heydrich as German Governor. He is tasked with wiping out all opposition to the Nazi occupation. Martial law was declared yesterday and hundreds of Czechs have been rounded up, including, today, the puppet premier Elias. He has been sentenced to death.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 139 aircraft to attack Stettin overnight. After sundown, 10 bombers of British RAF No. 102 Squadron were launched from RAF Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, England, to join the bombers in the attack on Stettin. The anti-aircraft fire was reported to be heavy. Another group of bombers took off to attack Hamburg, Germany. RAF Bomber Command sends 93 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

The Stab of ZG 26 is reformed in Stade as Stab./NJG 3 flying Bf 110s with Major Johann Schalk posted as Kommodore.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In a statement to The Globe and Mail, Commander Andrew McNaughton called the Canadian Corps "a dagger pointed at the heart of Berlin," a phrase that made for great copy in the press back home while Canadian forces continued waiting to see front line action.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The TSS “_Zealandia_” returns with the final component of Rabaul's defenses, the 17th Antitank Battery commanded by Captain Gwynne Matheson equipped with eight 2-pounder guns.

50 P-40E’s are received at Nichols Field, Philippines.

In Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, the Japanese consulate sends the following message to Tokyo: “The following codes will be used hereafter to designate the location of vessels: 1. Repair dock in Navy Yard: KS. 2. Navy dock in the Navy Yard (The Ten Ten Pier): KT. 3. Moorings in the vicinity of Ford Island: FV. 4. Alongside in Ford Island: FG. (East and west sides will be differentiated by A and B respectively.”

*UNITED KINGDOM:* Mr. Churchill today told British MP’s about an historic meeting which began yesterday in Moscow between the USSR, Britain and the USA. He told them that although Allied aid to Russia as only now been formally agreed, many desperately needed supplies have already been dispatched. Russia’s relative inaccessibility, hemmed in on all sides by enemies or freezing weather, is a major obstacle.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations.

.


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## Old Wizard (Sep 29, 2016)




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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

*27 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-436
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Bangor Class MSW / Corvette HMCS CHEDABUCTO (J-168)





U Class submarine HMS UNA (N-87)





HDML 1059
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Motor FV FRAM (Faroes 92 grt)* was sunk at Vestmannhavn by the LW. There were no casualties on the vessel.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]
_Convoy HG 73_
*Cam Ship HMS SRINGBANK (RN 5155 grt)* was sunk by U.201 in the SW Approaches. At 0209 hrs fired the stern torpedo at a steamer in the convoy but missed, so the U-boat turned around and fired a spread of two torpedoes at the same ship at 0211 hrs. Lookouts on HMS SRINGBANK on station in the fifth column observed a torpedo passing between her and the LEADGATE in station #41, shortly before the CAM ship was hit on the port side by two torpedoes about 430 miles WSW of Cape Clear. Most survivors from the vessel were rescued by Corvette JASMINE, which went alongside to take off survivors and later scuttled her by gunfire after an attempt to sink her with depth charges failed. One officer and 31 ratings were lost. Other survivors were picked up by Corvette HIBISCUS, which landed them at Gibraltar and by Corvette PERIWINKLE which landed them at Milford Haven.





U-201 sank *Steamer CERVANTES (UK 1810 grt)* from the convoy . The ship was on passage from Lisbon to Liverpool with a mixed cargo of potash and cork. A crew of 40 was embarked, 8 of whom would be lost in the attack. At 0208 hrs, U-201 struck again, as she fired a spread of two torpedoes at a steamer of 5000 tons and a corvette NNE of the Azores, observed a bright flash close to the escort and a steamer sinking immediately. In fact, one torpedo apparently detonated prematurely close to the LEADGATE in station #41 but the other hit and sank the CERVANTES in station #53. The day before the ship had picked up three survivors from AVOCETA after she had been sunk from the same convoy by U-203. Survivors were were picked up by the British steam merchant STARLING from the same convoy and landed at Liverpool on 1 October.





U-201 sank *steamer MARGARETA (UK 3103 grt)* in the SW approaches from the convoy on the 27th. The submarine also reported sinking a corvette and a steamer from the convoy. There were no casualties for the crew of 34 on the steamer. The ship was carrying a mixed cargo when lost, mostly scrap iron and cork. At 2303 hrs, U-201 fired two G7e torpedoes from a distance of 3500 meters at two ships in convoy HG-73 SW of Cape Clear and observed one ship breaking in two after being hit, sinking within one minute and another sinking by the stern. However, only the MARGARETA in station #42 was hit and sunk. Survivors were rescued by Corvette HIBIDCUS and landed at Gibraltar.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-566

Departures
Lorient: U-129
St Nazaire: U-75

At Sea 27 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-75, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-573, U-575, U-576

34 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Submarine TRIDENT sank *ASW trawler UJ 1201 (DKM 446 grt)* (former UJ 126: trawler STEIERMARK) off Rolvsoy Sound, near Oslo).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
Convoy OG.75 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop ROCHESTER and corvettes BLUEBELL, CAMPION, CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, and MALLOW. MSW trawler BURKE and AA vessel ARIGUANI joined the convoy on the 28th. Corvette LA MALOUINE joined the convoy on 3 October. On 4 October, DD LAMERTON joined the escort. DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FURY, LEGION, and LIVELY departed Gibraltar on 7 October and joined the escort on 8 October. Corvette FLEUR DE LYS departed Gibraltar on 8 October and joined the convoy escort. DD VIDETTE joined the escort on 13 October. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 13 October.

On 13 October, CV ARK ROYAL, which was exercising east of Gibraltar, flew off aircraft to provide escort for the convoy.

*Channel*
During the night of 27/28 September, RN LSI PRINCE LEOPOLD, accompanied by MGB.316, MGB.314, MGB.312, landed a Commando unit at St Vaast, near Cherbourg in Operation _Chopper _and_ Deepcut_. DDs FERNIE and VANITY provided covering patrol. On the night of 28th Sep 1941 65 men of 5 Troop No1 Commando took part in a twin raid against the coast of Northern France. One raiding party landed at Luc sur Mer (_Chopper_) and took a number of casualties including two killed, Pte Elwyn Edwards and L/Cpl Cyril Evans. The other raiding party landed at St Vaast Bay (Deepcut) and ambushed a German cycle patrol. There were over 30 Germans killed, but more importantly The force withdrew after obtaining information on a variety of vital issues.




_Men of 5 Troop No1 Commando took part in a twin raid against the coast of Northern France_

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs KANDAHAR, JAGUAR, and GRIFFIN departed Alexandria for Tobruk on Serial 13 of the SUPERCHARGE operation. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 28th and SUPERCHARGE came to an end.

Also sailing on this date was Serial 14. ASW trawler WOLBOROUGH, A 7, A 11, and store ship MIRANDA departed Alexandria. They turned back on the 28th after A 11 was bomb damaged. They sailed again on the 29th and arrived on 1 October.

Store ship TIBERIO also sailed on this date in Serial 15 and arrived at Mersa Matruh. She sailed on the 28th and was damaged in error by the RAF on the 30th. She arrived at Tobruk on 1 October. In this series of operations 6308 officers and men and 2100 tons of stores were carried to Tobruk. 5444 officers and men, 544 wounded, and one prisoner of war was brought from Tobruk.

Submarine UPRIGHT sank *TB ALBATROS (RM 334 grt)* off Messina. DKM U.371 rescued forty two survivors.





Submarine TETRARCH made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in Zea Channel. Later that day, the submarine sank *coastal steamer PANAJOTIS KRAMOTTOS (Ex Gk 120 grt)* with artillery SW of Milos.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.21 made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer.

_Operation Halberd_
Air attacks on the convoy had been in progress since 1300 hrs when a formation of 12 Italian Cant Z-1007 and BR 20 bombers approached from the north at low altitude. Guns from the convoy ships and Fulmars from ARK ROYAL managed to destroy or drive off eight of the raiders; the remaining four attempted an attack without success. 


At 1330 hrs a second wave of raiders attacked out of the sun. Six Z-1007 bombers approached line abreast and despite heavy gunfire from the ships three managed to press home their attack, hitting the NELSON with a torpedo; fortunately her speed was the same as the convoy speed so that she remained with the covering force. A third wave of enemy a/c approached but did not make any attack


BB NELSON was damaged by an aerial torpedo and had her speed reduced to 18 knots, later further reduced to 15 knots. DD ZULU was damaged by splinters from the near miss. Then at 1430 hrs came a radio signal from Malta: two BBs, four cruisers and 16 DDs of the RM were just 80 miles from the convoy and closing fast. Fleet commander Admiral Somerville prepared for an attack BBs PRINCE OF WALES, NELSON, and RODNEY and six DDs were detached to attack these elements of the RM. CV ARK ROYAL also prepared an air strike. After speed of the NELSON was reduced further and she was forced to drop out, CLs EDINBURGH and SHEFFIELD were ordered to replace her. In rapidly deteriorating weather the two fleets missed each other. The RM as a whole was suffering severe shortages of fuel oil at this point which severely affected its operational freedom of movement. For Force H, the prime directive remained protection of the convoy. The prospects of intercepting the RM were judged as slim, and as a result the ships returned to the convoy and at 1900 hrs the main force turned west to return to Gibraltar as planned

On the 27th, *troopship IMPERIAL STAR (UK 12000 grt)* was badly damaged in the narrows after being struck by an air launched torpedo. IMPERIAL STAR was carrying 300 passengers as well as a large volume of supplies – was badly damaged, her engines stopped and her steering gear failed. DD HEYTHROP took off the 300 troops and crew and DD ORIBI took IMPERIAL STAR in tow. However, the 12000 ton merchant ship was too heavy for the DD and the tow line parted. It proved impossible to make headway. IMPERIAL STAR was now low in the water and drifting towards the coast of Sicily and the decision was made to sink her. The remainder of the crew was taken off and ORIBI laid depth charges to sink her. However, despite this and repeated shelling the merchant ship remained afloat and had to be abandoned. There were no casualties on IMPERIAL STAR but three Fleet Air Arm pilots were killed defending the convoy. There were no casualties on the troopship.





The Malta convoy with its close escort of five cruisers and nine destroyers continued its passage eastwards, taking the same route as the last convoy, ‘Operation Substance’, through the Skerki Channel close to the Sicilian coast. As the night skies cleared, Italian bombers relaunched their attacks, singly and in pairs. Approaching low and fast to launch their torpedoes they were difficult to see against the dark sky._Cossack, Kenya, Oribi_ and the merchantman _Rowallan Castle_ suffered near-misses. The convoy ships took evasive action; two collided trying to dodge a torpedo, but another merchant ship was hit. 

BB RODNEY shot down in error a Fulmar of 807 Sqn. Sub Lt P. Guy and Leading Airman Jones were picked up by DD DUNCAN. A second Fulmar of 807 Sqn was also shot down by RODNEY. Lt G. C. M. Guthrie and Petty Officer A. T. Goodman were also picked up by DD DUNCAN.

During the night of 27/28 September, CLA HERMIONE bombarded Pantelleria for five minutes. Steamers CITY OF CALCUTTA and ROWALLAN CASTLE were damaged in a collision.

Steamers MELBOURNE STAR departed Malta at 1130 and arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th. Steamers PORT CHALMERS and CITY OF PRETORIA departed Malta at 1100 on 27September and arrived at Gibraltar on the 30th.

Lt M. W. Watson and A/Sub Lt (A) P. W. N. Couch of the 808 Sqn of CV ARK ROYAL were lost when their Fulmar was accidently shot by by gunfire from BB PRINCE OF WALES. BB NELSON was detached with five DDs to return to Gibraltar at dark on the 28th. She was escorted by DDs DUNCAN, PIORUN, and GARLAND back to Gibraltar. DD ROCKINGHAM and corvettes JONQUIL, FLEUR DE LYS, SAMPHIRE, and ARBUTUS departed Gibraltar on the 29th to join the escort. All arrived at Gibraltar on the 30th. On the 27th, DD DUNCAN picked up the pilot of a Fulmar aircraft accidently shot down by RODNEY.




_HMS SHEFFIELD and other escorts of Operation Halberd_

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine CLYDE encountered U.111 supplying U.68 in Tarafal Bay,St Antao Island, Cape Verde Islands. Submarine CLYDE was missed by torpedoes from U.68 and was narrowly missed when the second submarine attempted to ram her. At 0330, the CLYDE was damaged in a collision with U.67. Submarine CLYDE arrived at Gibraltar on 4 October.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
T/Sub Lt (A) C. F. G. Carr-Gregg RNVR, and Air Mechanic D. V. Blacklaws were killed when their Fulmar of RN Fulmar Flight Dehkheila crashed off Hurguarda in the Red Sea during an a dummy attack on a warship.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 28 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Cloudy.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY SS Port Chalmers_ and _City of Pretoria_ sailed for Gibraltar at 1100 hrs.

_AIR HQ _2 Blenheims on convoy escort; 1 Blenheim anti-submarine patrol. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance Palermo, Cape Carbonara, Sicily, Sardinia, east Sicilian coast and special patrols and searches. 1 Blenheim on anti-submarine patrol. _105 Squadron _6 Blenheims sent to attack Porto Empedocle; 4 returned due to bad weather, the remaining two carried out the attack. _185 Squadron _6 Hurricane fighters and 6 Hurricane fighter-bombers attacked Comiso aerodrome three times, dropping 5140lbs of bombs and setting fire to several buildings and aircraft. _252 Squadron _2 Beaufighters attacked Marsala seaplane base. _272 Squadron _6 Beaufighters attacked the seaplane base at Cagliara. 2 Beaufighters attacked Borizzo aerodrome. 3 Beaufighters on patrol over Trapani against e-boats.

_TA QALI _Sergeants Mess in New Camp taken over.


----------



## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

Halder's Diary 27 September 1941


----------



## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

*28 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS DULVERTON (L-63)





Fairmile B ML 338
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest; U-83
Lorient; U-79

At Sea 28 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-84, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-431, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-573, U-575,

35 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
Convoy QP.1 departed Archangel at 1200 with Dutch steamer ALCHIBA, British tanker BLACK RANGER, British steamers ESNEH, LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE, NEW WESTMINSTER CITY, LANCASTRIAN PRINCE, and TREHATA, and Soviet steamers SEVZAPLES, SUKHONA, ALMA ATA, BUDENNE, MOSSOVET, RODINA, and STARY BOLSHEVIK. Local escort for the convoy was MSWs HALCYON, HARRIER, and SALAMANDER from 28 to 30 September. CA LONDON escorted the convoy from 28 September to 2 October. CA SHROPSHIRE departed Scapa Flow on the 28th escorted the convoy from 2 to 10 October, relieving CA LONDON in 74-55N, 27-30E.

DDs ELECTRA escorted the convoy from 28 September to 9 October, ACTIVE from 28 September to 5 October, and ANTHONY from 4 to 9 October. Trawlers MACBETH and HAMLET of the 73rd MSW Gp escorted the convoy from 28 September to 9 October. Trawler OPHELIA escorted the convoy from 28 September to 5 October. Trawler OPHELIA, escorting tanker BLACK RANGER en route to convoy PQ.1, developed defects and was towed by destroyer ACTIVE to Akureyri, arriving on 10 October.

Soviet steamers SUKHONA and MOSSOVET straggled from the convoy, but arrived safely. The convoy dispersed off the Orkneys on 10 October, the steamers proceeding to their destinations in convoy WN 91. CA SHROPSHIRE was detached 10 October and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 11 October.

DD ANTHONY escorting oiler BLACK RANGER and steamer LLANSTEPHAN CASTLE arrived at Scapa Flow on the 11 October. DD ELECTRA arrived at Scapa Flow on 11 October.

*North Sea*
DD SOUTHWOLD was damaged in a collision with patrol sloop SHEARWATER off Sheringham. Neither ship received more than minor damage. SOUTHWOLD was repaired during refitting at Chatham from 10 October to 7 November. The sloop was repaired at Harwich from 4 to 8 October.

*Northern Patrol*
MSWs LEDA, BRITOMART, GOSSAMER, and HUSSAR arrived at Hvalfjord for escort duty in convoy PQ.1.

Convoy ON.19 A departed Reykavik, escorted by RCN DD ST CROIX and corvettes AGASSIZ, EYEBRIGHT, and PRESCOTT. The convoy was dispersed on 4 October.

*West Coast*
DD OFFA departed the Clyde for work up at Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 29th.

Convoy ON.21 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD KEPPEL. On the 30th, DDs SABRE and VENOMOUS, corvettes DIANELLA and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN joined. DD SABRE was detached on 2 October and DDs KEPPEL and VENOMOUS were detached on 5 October. The remainder escort ships were detached on 6 October after RCN DD ST LAURENT and corvettes BITTERSWEET, CHILLIWACK, COLLINGWOOD, SNOWBERRY, and TRAIL joined on 5 October. The convoy was dispersed on 14 October and the escorts detached.

*Fishing trawler MURIELLE (UK 96 grt)* was badly damaged by a mine eight to nine miles SSW of Morecambe Bay Light Vessel (Nth of Liverpool). The trawler sank in tow, with no casualties.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
DDs NAPIER and JACKAL departed Alexandria to reinforce the Suez escort force. The destroyers passed through the Canal on the 29th.

Submarine TETRARCH damaged steamer YALOVA (Ger 3751 grt) twenty miles south of San Giorgio.The steamer was able to beach herself, but was finished off on 3 October by submarine TALISMAN.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Argonauta class submarine FISALA (RM 650 grt)* was sunk by Corvette HYACINTH off Jaffa in 32-19N, 34-17E.




_Sister ship SERPENTE

Operation Halberd_
On the 28th, light cruiser HERMIONE bombarded Pantelleria. Over 50000 tons of supplies were landed on Malta

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Convoy BP.16 departed Bombay, escorted by Greek cruiser GEORGIOS AVEROFF. The cruiser was detached en route and arrived back at Bombay on 4 October for boiler repairs. The convoy arrived at Basra on 5 October. Convoys BP.17 through BP.40 in April 1942 traveled without escort.

Australian troop convoy US.12B departed Fremantle with liners AQUITANIA , JOHAN VAN OLDENBARNEVELDT , MARNIX VAN ST ALDEGONDE , and SIBAJAK . Steamer SIBAJAK was detached to Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 29 SEPTEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and warm.

_1230 hrs _A convoy of eight merchant ships plus escort arrives at Malta.

_1530-1555 hrs _Air raid alert for two Macchi 200 fighters which approach to within half a mile of the coast, follow the coast line southwards and turn south east at Grand Harbour. Two heavy anti-aircraft guns fire pointer rounds; no claims. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled; no interceptions.

_2221-2340 hrs _Air raid alert for five unidentified enemy bombers approaching the Island separately. Only two cross the coast at Kalafrana and Grand Harbour. Searchlights illuminate one aircraft which is barraged by heavy anti-aircraft guns. The raiders drop bombs in the sea off Grand Harbour and off Tigne and retreat. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Operation Halberd successfully completed, with the exception of the loss of _Imperial Star_in the Skerki Channel; no casualties.

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _12 Wellingtons attacked Palermo. _69 Squadron _1 Maryland on patrol, 1 Maryland photoreconnaissance Taranto. Marylands reconnaissance Pantelleria and westwards, Messina, Naples; Marylands shadowing enemy fleet; one Maryland on patrol. _107 Squadron _1 Blenheim patrol eastern Sicily. 2 Blenheims search for damaged merchant ship. 1 Blenheim patrol Cape Passero. _ 113 Squadron _2 Blenheims at a time on two anti-submarine patrols. 2 Blenheims on anti e-boat patrol off Pantelleria; Sgt Crossley failed to return. 2 Blenheims anti e-boat patrol Trapani. _272 Squadron _2 Beaufighters attack 2 e-boats. 10 Beaufighters attacked a convoy escort.

_TA QALI _344 airmen arrived from home establishment by convoy. Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar, taken over and 15 airmen housed there. 50 airmen are housed in the Manchester Regiment barrack block at Imtarfa.


----------



## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

Halder's Diary 28 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

*29 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS BARBET (AMc-38)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Accentor Class MSW USS DOMINANT (AMc-76)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
N Class DD HMAS NORMAN (G-49)





Flower class corvette HNoMS MONTBRETIA (K-208)





Bangor class MSW/Corvette HMCS MAHONE (J-159)





Bar Class Boom Defence vessel HMS BAROVA (Z-94)





*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-576

Departures
Bergen: U-566
Kiel; U-208, U-374, U-502
St Nazaire: U-71

At Sea 29 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-201, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-573, U-575,

39 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
*Tanker SUPERGA (FI 6154 grt)* was sunk by Soviet submarine SC.211 near Varna in the Black Sea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
Convoy PQ.1 with steamers ATLANTIC, BLAIRNEVIS, ELNA II, HARMONIC, Panamanian NORTH KING & CAPIRA, Belgian VILLE D'ANVERS, BLACK RANGER, GEMSTONE, LORCA, and RIVER AFTON departed Hvalfjord at 1845 escorted by CA SUFFOLK, DDs ANTELOPE and IMPULSIVE, and MSWs BRITOMART, GOSSAMER, LEDA, and HUSSAR.

DD ANTHONY departed Hvalfjord with oiler BLACK RANGER on the 29th and sailed with the convoy. On 4 October, the DD and oiler met returning convoy QP.1. DD ANTELOPE was detached on 2 October to Scapa Flow.

DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow on the 28th for Seidisfjord for refueling from Oiler BLACK RANGER. The DD arrived on the 30th. She departing and joined the recently departed convoy PQ.1 on 2 October, escorting it to 11 October.

Convoy PQ.1 arrived at Murmansk on 11 October at 0240.

An allied conference aboard BB KING GEORGE V between Admiral Commanding, Home Fleet, Admiral Commanding, Western Approaches, Admiral Commanding, Iceland Command, Air Officer Commanding Iceland, US Rear Admiral R. C. Giffen (SO, US Naval Forces in Iceland), and staffs concluded. Admiral Commanding, Western Approaches, which had arrived by air on the 26th, took passage back to England in DD ASHANTI.


*Med/Biscay*
RAN DD VENDETTA and two ML's departed Alexandria for Haifa.

*Tanker FLUVIOR (FI 389 grt) *was sunk by mining at Tripoli.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

*Steamer ILVANIA (FI 487 grt)* was sunk at Port Torres, Sardinia, to unknown cause.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Operation Halberd_
Italian submarines DIASPRO at 0617 on the 29th in 37-32N, 6-45W, SERPENTE at 1642 in 37-22N, 6-16E carried out unsuccessful attacks on Force H. DDs LEGION and LANCE damaged submarine SERPENTE in counter attacks.

*Nth Atlantic*
Submarine TRUANT departed St Johns, NF, on the 19th after refitting at Portsmouth, NH, and had been delayed by engine defects.

Convoy SC.47 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by corvettes CHICOUTIMI, MATAPEDIA, NAPANEE, and SHERBROOKE. Corvette CHAMBLY joined on 1 October and DDs RAMSEY and RICHMOND and corvette ORILLIA on 4 October. DDs BROKE, MANSFIELD, and WOLVERINE, corvette EGLANTINE, and ASW trawler KING SOL joined on 11 October. DDs RAMSEY and RICHMOND and corvettes CHAMBLY, MATAPEDIA, ORILLIA, and SHERBROOKE were detached on 12 October, DDs BROKE, MANSFIELD, and WOLVERINE on 15 October, corvette EGLANTINE on 16 October, and ASW trawler KING SOL on 17 October. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 20 October.


*Central Atlantic*
Submarine ULTIMATUM arrived at Gibraltar from Barrow. DDs AVONVALE and ERIDGE arrived at Suez from Gibraltar, via Capetown. The DDs were held at Suez for duty with Suez Escort Force until 5 October. At that time they proceeded to Alexandria and joined the DesFlot 2 in the Med Flt.

The troopships of convoy WS.11X, less LEINSTER, departed Gibraltar for Freetown, escorted by DDs VIMY and WILD SWAN The troopships were turned over to corvettes WOODRUFF and MIGNONETTE on the 2nd. The DDs, after spending 2 to 5 October at Bathurst, were to join CVL EAGLE off Bathurst on 6 October. EAGLE and sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC, escorted by CL DUNEDIN, sloop BRIDGEWATER, and corvettes ARMERIA and ASTER, had departed Freetown 4 October. DD VIMY was detached and DD WILD SWAN finally met the carrier and sloop. DD CROOME departed Gibraltar on 5 October to join the ships and escorted them to Gibraltar, arriving at Gibraltar on 11 October.

Submarines THORN and TRUANT arrived at Gibraltar after she had departed Holy Loch on the 22nd.

*Sth Atlantic*
CA HAWKINS arrived at Montevideo

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL GALATEA departed Port Said.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 30 SEPTEMBER 1941

_Weather _Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _7 Beaufighter. _Fleet Air Arm _One Fulmar Fleet Air Arm offensive patrol over Catania, Gerbini and Comiso made a machine-gun attack and dropped bombs on Gerbini aerodrome, causing a violent explosion and fire. _38 Squadron _10 Wellingtons attacked a motor transport park in Tripoli. _69 Squadron _Marylands reconnaissance/patrols Catania, Comiso, Augusta, Cagliari, Palermo Harbour, Naples and Messina Harbours. _107 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked targets at Buerat. _272 Squadron _4 Beaufighters attacked Elmas aerodrome and seaplane base.


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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

Halder's Diary 29 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

*30 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS HILDESAY (T-173)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDML 1057
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B MLS 291, 300
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vos[er 70’ Type MTB 221
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
MSW trawler EILEEN DUNCAN (RN 223 grt)* and *MSW trawler STAR OF DEVERON (RN 220 grt)* were sunk by the LW at the River Tyne.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-576
St Nazaire: U-206

At Sea 30 September 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-573, U-575,

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT unsuccessfully attacked German hospital ship BIRKA.

Black Sea/Caspian
LW Stuka dive bombers damaged VMF DDs BEZUPRECHNY, BESPOSHCHADNY and BOYKI in the Black Sea off Odessa during sustained attacks over a six hour time frame. The attacks are in broad daylight and in conditions of ideal visibility. .

VMF DD SOVERSHENNY was mined whilst undergoing on trials near Sevastapol. The DD was repaired.

*North Sea*
DD ECLIPSE departed Rosyth and arrived at Scapa Flow later that day on completion of boiler cleaning and minor repairs.

Submarine SUNFISH, refitting at Tyneside, was damaged by near misses from LW attacks. Temporary repairs were carried out on the submarine at Tyneside from 3 October to 1 November. The submarine was then taken to Portsmouth where repairs were completed on 9 October 1943.

*West Coast.*
DD DULVERTON departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow to work up. The DD arrived on 1 October*.*
**
*Channel*
CA KENT, after repairs and refitting at Devonport, departed Devonport on the 30th, escorted by DD NORMAN. Both ships arrived at Scapa Flow on 1 October. British steamer CEDARWOOD was damaged by the LW off Dover.

*Med/Biscay
Submarine ADUA (RM 680 grt)* at 0350 hrs on the 30th attacked DDs in Force H as it was on its return to Gibraltar, off Algeria.. DD GURKHA damaged submarine DIASPRO in counter attacks Submarine ADUA was sunk by DDs GURKHA and LEGION on the 30th east of Cartagena.




_ADUA under construction in Monfalcone_

*Central Atlantic*
Corvette JONQUIL departed Gibraltar to meet arriving tanker LA CARRIERE, which had not been met by ASW trawlers ERIN and LADY SHIRLEY as planned. The tanker and corvette arrived on 2 October.

*Sth Atlantic*
Uruguayan authorities seized *steamers ADAMELLO (FI 5785 grt)*, and *FAUSTO (FI 5285 grt)* at Montevideo.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Pacific/Australia*
CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore, whilst CL DANAE departed Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 1 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and fresh.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Wellington. _Departures _6 Beaufighter, 4 Blenheim fighter. _Fleet Air Arm _One Fulmar on offensive patrol over Gerbini and Catania aerodromes dropped high explosive bombs on Gerbini dispersal area. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons attacked a motor transport depot in Tripoli. _69 Squadron_Photoreconnaissance eastern and southern Sicily, east Calabrian coast and Tripoli. Patrol of east Sicilian coast and shipping search off Tripoli area. _107 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked shipping and motor transport near Misurata and Beurat. 1 Blenheim attacked a schooner. 1 Blenheim on search for shipping north of Crotone.

_HAL FAR 185 Squadron _11 Hurricanes attacked Comiso aerodrome, 5 carrying bombs and 6 acting as fighter escort. High explosive bombs and incendiaries were dropped on buildings and a dispersal area. The aircraft of P/O Lintern failed to return


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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

Halder's Diary 30 September 1941


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## parsifal (Sep 29, 2016)

Summary Of Losses XXXXXX 1941 (Unfinished)

Allied
Allied Warships




XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)


Allied Shipping




XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)


Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt



Prizes captured




Neutral shipping




( grt Mercantile)



Neutral warships



Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 1215 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXX grt



Prizes taken
None



Cumulative Losses since 9/39
XXXXXX grt Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses


Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),



(XXX grt)


RM


XXXX (RM XXXX grt),



(XXXXX grt)



Axis Shipping
GER


(XXXXX grt)


(FI)




Vichy


(XXXXX grt)


Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)



Captured ships




XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)


----------



## Njaco (Sep 29, 2016)

*September 30 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army, cut off around Changsha, breaks out overnight and begins withdrawing to the north. They suffer serious losses in the retreat to Yoochow. Chinese estimates range up to 40,000 losses for the Japanese, a major victory for the Chinese. Chinese troops at Changsha declared victory at the Second Battle of Changsha after pushing Japanese troops back to the Yueyang region.

Representatives of France and Thailand further defined the boundaries between Thailand and French Indochina per the 9 May 1941 peace treaty.

*EASTERN FRONT:* The end of September is viewed by most historians as the end of Operation Barbarossa. The advance of the German Army into Russia is nearly unparalleled in the history of warfare. In one season, the Wehrmacht had destroyed some 2 million of their enemy and advanced nearly 500 miles on a 1000 mile front. However, despite this triumph of arms, the Germans fell far short of their goals for the campaign. Leningrad was surrounded, but not captured. Moscow was still 180 miles away and Rostov slightly further. The Soviet Army was hurt, but far from destroyed and still in the field. By the end of September, 1360 Soviet heavy industrial plants had been moved from areas that were now occupied by the Germans to the Urals and points east. Russia was beginning its recovery from the summer onslaught. Meanwhile Germany had lost half of their tank strength and nearly 10% of its fighting soldiers.

Armeegruppe Nord: Leningrad’s defenders have stopped the Germans seven miles from the city, within sight of its church spires. Today General Zhukov arrives to take charge of the city’s defenses.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Unternehmen Taifun: Operation Typhoon begins, an attack by German forces on Moscow - "the last battle of the year for the annihilation of the enemy," as Hitler had put it. Field Marshal Fedor von Bock commands 70 divisions of Army Group Center with Günther Von Kluge's 4.Armee and Strauss' 9.Armee. Unternehmen Taifun got an unofficial start when Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe attacked two days ahead of the rest of the operation. Guderian began his offensive at 0635 hours, with his two panzer corps striking the unsuspecting Soviets. The 3.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General W. Model) moved off towards the east at Glukhov, along with it the 4.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General W. von Langermann), the 10.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General F-W von Loeper), and the whole XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) moved into action. To the left was General Lemelsen's XLVII.Armeekorps (mot.) with 17.Panzer Divisionen (Lieutenant General H-J von Arnim) and 18.Panzer Divisionen (Major General W. Nehring) and 29.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Major General W. von Boltenstern). Behind was General Kempf's XLVIII.Armeekorps (mot.), another two Infantry Corps with six divisions, and the 1.Kavallerie-Division (Lieutenant General O. Mengers) for subsequent flank protection. Guderian's left flank was virtually in the air, with the 1.Kavallerie-Division screening a 60km wide sector between his Panzer Group and von Weichs' Second (Infantry) Army. Thus the 2.Panzergruppe was moving towards the north again in a broad wedge aimed at Moscow. Outside the ancient Ukrainian capital of Glukhov Guderian hit the unprepared Operational Group Ermakov and scattered its five divisions, soon creating a 13-mile gap between him and the Soviet 13th Army. The five divisions in Major General’s Arkadii Ermakov’s operational group (three infantry, two cavalry and two tank brigades) had not dug in their troops or artillery. The main Schwerpunkt, Kampfgruppe Eberbach of 4.Panzer-Divisionen, attacked the newly raised 283rd Rifle Division and inexperienced 150th Tank Brigade in the flat terrain near Essman. On the flanks of the Schwerpunkt, 3.Panzer-Divisionen dispersed the 121st Tank Brigade and the 10 Motorized Infantry Division attempted to pin down the two cavalry divisions of Group Ermakov. Due to poor communications and limited reconnaissance capabilities, Ermakov thought his group was being attacked by only a single German corps and sent this faulty information to the front commander, Lieutenant General Yeremenko. The forward panzers break through the Russian 13th Army positions and advance up to 10 miles toward Orel. By nightfall 3.Panzer-Divisionen had its first experience with Katyusha rockets, dogs trained to run under tanks with explosives fixed to their backs, and almost undetectable wooden-cased, antitank mines. This modern battle of Cannae was intended to unroll in two phases. Phase one was to open with a break-through along the Soviet " Western Front " where it was held by the Ninth and Fourth Armies, to the north and south of the Smolensk-Moscow motor highway. Two Panzer groups were to race through the gap—3.Panzergruppe forming the northern and 4.Panzergruppe the southern jaw of the pincer movement. These jaws were to close on the highway near Vyazma, thereby surrounding the enemy forces outside the immediate defenses of the city. Simultaneously, Guderian's Panzer Corps was to strike towards Orel from the south-west, from the Glukhov area in the Northern Ukraine. After driving deep into the rear of Yeremenko's forces the Corps would wheel towards Bryansk. Three Soviet Armies would thus be encircled. Phase two of the operation then envisaged the pursuit of all escaping enemy forces along a broad front by all three Panzer Groups; this to be followed by a drive to Moscow, with either the capture or the encirclement of the city.

Armeegruppe Sud: Kleist’s 1.Panzergruppe attacks east from the Dniepr at Dnepropetrovsk, and easily breaks through the Soviet defensive line. They are headed for Donetsk and Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov. The leadership of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet began to consider evacuating forces in Odessa, Ukraine to the Crimean region of Russia (now also in Ukraine). Italian troops were able to encircle some sizeable Red Army units near Petrikovka. The Italians took more than 10,000 prisoners of war.

Renewed German attacks against Soviet forces on Saaremaa (Osel) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Timoshenko takes command of Soviet Southwestern Front. Stavka began assembling a new 6th Army around Krasnograd.

_Schnellkampfgeschwader_( SKG) 210 receives a new Kommodore when Major Arved Crüger is posted in place of Major Walter Storp. The pilots and crew of III./JG 27 receives a new _Gruppenkommandeur_ when Hptm. Erhard Braune is posted in place of the outgoing Hptm. Max Dobislav. The crew of III./JG 52 also receive a new _Gruppenkommandeur_ when Major Hubertus von Bonin is appointed the _Gruppe’s_ leader when Major Albert Blumensaat leaves the _Gruppe_.

In a dogfight over Leningrad, the _Gruppenkommandeur_ of III./JG 54, Hptm. Arnold Lignitz, loses a wing from his Bf 109 and spins down to earth out of control. Hptm. Lignitz is able to bail out but is killed as a prisoner of war. The _Ritterkreuz_ holder had twenty-five victories and his place as _Gruppenkommandeur_ is taken by Hptm. Reinhard Seiler.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 366 adult male, 483 adult female, and 597 children, all Jews, were killed in Trakai, Lithuania for a total of 1,446 people.

*GERMANY*: British bombers attacked Stettin and Hamburg in Germany after sundown for the second consecutive night. RAF Bomber Command sends 82 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 40 aircraft to attack Stettin overnight.

*MEDITERANNEAN*: Italian submarine “_Adua_” attacked British ships sailing for Malta to Gibraltar (having just completed escorting the Operation Halberd on the previous day) 250 miles east of Gibraltar. British destroyers HMS “_Gurkha_” and HMS “_Legion_” counterattacked with depth charges, sinking the Italian submarine, killing all 46 aboard.

Turkey embargoes chrome exports to Germany.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US General Marshall directs MacArthur to arrange for the “regular use” of British and Imperial air fields at Port Darwin, Rabaul, Port Moresby, and Singapore, for the “emergency use” of fields in the Netherlands East Indies, and to ask the British to develop an additional air field in the northern part of Borneo. At the instigation of Arnold, Marshall offers MacArthur the choice of MG Lewis Brereton, MG Jacob E Fickel, or BG Walther H Frank to head up the expanded FEAF. Sayre writes to MacArthur to complain of MacArthur’s lack of co-operation with the High Commission in civil defense.

War Plans Division develops plans for the stockpiling of ammunition and POL [ petroleum, oil and lubricants] throughout the South-West Pacific.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The RAF withdrew B-17 bombers from service.

Luftwaffe raids on the north-east were carried out by some of the eighty German aircraft that flew over Britain. A major raid on Tynemouth Borough caused sixty-one deaths and widespread damage. The main weight of attack fell on North Shields, to the west of Tynemouth, where some fifty HEs were dropped. The Wesleyan Hall, fortunately unoccupied, was reportedly set on fire by oil bombs. A Rescue Party foreman, who afterwards received the George Medal for his gallantry, was lowered head first into the cellar and succeeded in rescuing 3 people, despite the danger from a broken gas main and the possible collapse of heavy masonry. The south bank of the river got off more lightly. Twenty-eight HEs were dropped at South Shields and one medium fire was started. German bombers attacked the shipyards at Tyneside where the Submarine HMS “_Sunfish_” was badly damaged during the attack. The minesweeping trawlers _'Eileen Duncan'_ and _'Star of Deveron'_ were attacked and sunk, probably during this same air raid. Three bombs fell on Prince Albert Edward Dock. A 1,000kg bomb fell in No.3 dock in Middle Docks, passing through the side of a ship and on to the dock bottom. Another of the same size fell on the west side of the Middle Docks, demolishing the canteen and the Whitehill Point ferry landing stage; it sank the ferry with 4 of the crew on board. The last bombs of this disastrous evening descended on Mayfair Gardens and Harton Cemetery. Of the 2 that fell in Mayfair Gardens, one fell in a garden on the north side of the houses, causing no casualties but damaging windows and roofs. The 2nd scored a direct hit on 2 semi-detached villas which were completely obliterated. 34 bombs fell during this raid, no incendiary bombs were dropped and the NFS was only called out to attend one fire. Approximately 300 people were rendered homeless or were evacuated from their homes.

The detention center in Peel, Isle of Man had its guard forces strengthened after disturbances; 20 arrested British fascists were transferred to Liverpool as another result.

A Junkers Ju 88 was shot down by a Beaufighter 50 miles off the Northumberland coast. The Beaufighter was also hit and returned to base on one engine.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Pierre Laval was discharged from the hospital after recovering from the wounds sustained during the unsuccessful assassination attempt against him on 25 Aug 1941.

RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 41 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight.

Jean "Max" Moulin was smuggled to London to meet Charles de Gaulle, leader of the French Resistance, and the other exiled French leaders. In January 1942 the SOE parachuted him back into France, to set up an organized Resistance movement.

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## Old Wizard (Sep 29, 2016)




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## Njaco (Sep 30, 2016)

*October 1 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army withdrawing to the north under pressure from Chinese 9th War Area. Japanese troops were on the run in Hunan after the collapse of their two-month-long offensive aimed at seizing the provincial capital, Changsha. First estimates put the Japanese losses for the campaign as high as 40,000. The failure to take this vital town on the Manchuria-Canton railway is a setback for the Japanese. Control of Changsha would have made possible the opening of a new route for moving troops and materials to the Malayan and Burmese fronts. The turning-point came four days ago as the Japanese main force, supported by 100 planes, launched an all-out attack on Changsha. By late afternoon a Japanese detachment in civilian clothes had got inside the city. But its backup, an airborne unit which it should have linked up with to destroy the cities defenses, was dropped too far close to the Chinese front line and wiped out. The Chinese troops, under General Hsueh Yueh, encircled the retreating Japanese between the Lao-tao and Liu-yang rivers, inflicting heavy casualties. A simultaneous offensive was launched in Yichang, tying down the only Japanese force available to relieve the fleeing 11th Army. The Chinese Air Force 11th BS (Light) was committed to the battle for Changsha.

The Chinese Air Force 9th BS had finished re-equipping again and was combat ready, completing attacks on Yuncheng (Shanxi Province), Hankou and other cities and regions.

During a long distance training flight to the Jiayuguan region, the DB-3 of the commander of the Chinese Air Force 6th BS, Zhou Shi-Yun vanished with its entire crew.

The Japanese IJNAF 3rd Kokutai moved from Hanoi to Takao, Taiwan.

The Youth Cultivation Volunteer Army was reorganized into 68 cultivation groups in "Manzhouguo."

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: U-552 was attacked by a Hudson aircraft which dropped one bomb and damaged the U-boat slightly.

A straggler from Convoy ON-19, the British steam tanker “_San Florentino_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-94, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Otto Ites, southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 23 died and 35 survivors were picked up by the Canadian corvette HMCS “_Mayflower_” (K 191). The 12,842 ton “_San Florentino_” was carrying ballast and was bound for Curaçao.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Taifun: Germans refocus their attention on the Soviet capital, Moscow (Operation Typhoon), after having isolated Leningrad and destroying the Soviet Southwestern Front around Kiev. They aim to take Moscow before the beginning of winter, precipitating a Soviet collapse and surrender. The German attack includes 1,929,406 troops, 14,000 artillery guns and 1000 tanks plus 1390 aircraft. Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe is first off the mark, having participated in the encircling of Kiev. 2.Panzergruppe scores a clean breakthrough of the Soviet lines around Bryansk, driving 50 miles closer to Orel. The Soviet 13th Army is nearly surrounded. Ermakov's group launches a counterattack in an attempt to close a wedge created by Guderian's forces. His forces are only committed piecemeal and fails. By noon, Lemelsen's XLVII.Armeekorps (mot.) captures Sevsk. After driving east toward Kharkov and paving the way for the infantry units, the 1.Panzerarmee turns south toward Rostov.

Finnish troops reached Petrozavodsk, the capital of Soviet Republic of Karelia, further cutting off Leningrad in northern Russia. Early in morning, troops of Battlegroup Paalu (formed from 1st Division) and Detachment Lagus enter Petrozavodsk in eastern Karelia. In the ravaged city the Finnish troops find, to their immense delight, the liquor distillery’s tank intact and full. An AT-rifle is used to make hole in the tank, and soon the soldiers are boozing happily. As night is falling, streets are filled with drunken soldiers singing loudly and firing their weapons in air. One group takes over the city sports stadium and organizes an armed guard to ensure that nobody disturbs their peace. Several detachments of military police are needed to clean up the mess. East of Lake Ladoga, Finnish Army of Karelia holding line along the Svir with bridgeheads across the river.

At Odessa German forces use gliders to land behind Russian lines. Planning begins for evacuation of Soviet 51st Army from Odessa by sea to Sevastopol. 1.Panzergruppe, 11.Armee, and 17.Armee are pushing forward between Kharkov and Sea of Azov.

The aid conference between Britain, the U.S., and the Soviet Union concludes. An Anglo-American mission, led by Lord Beaverbrook has agreed to boost military aid to Stalin next year. The USA will allocate 1,200 tanks a month to Britain and the USSR between July 1942 and January 1943, and a further 2,000 tanks a month for the following six months. In addition the USA will send 3,600 aircraft to Russia between 1 July 1942 and 1 July 1943, over and above the planes already being sent by Britain. The Soviets will supply Britain and the USA with urgently needed raw materials.

Wilhelm Keitel ordered that, in regards to the hostages the German military had been holding and executing in retaliation of partisan attacks, choice of victims would be important, as well-known victims would have greater effect in keeping the occupied peoples in line.

The Soviet NKVD ordered the release of 51,257 Polish prisoners of war for the formation of a Polish unit under General Wladislaw Anders to fight against Germany. Soviet government begins exiling North Caucasus Germans to Kazakstan.

Majdanek Concentration Camp begins operation. Majdanek was a German Nazi concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin, Poland. Although conceived as a forced labor camp and not as an extermination camp, over 79,000 people died there (59,000 of them Polish Jews) during the 34 months of its operation.

*GERMANY*: The _Ritterkreuz_ is awarded to two _Zerstörerflieger_ for their service in Russia. Oblt. Günther Tonne of II./SKG 210 receives the award for achieving thirteen victories while Oblt. Werner Thierfelder of II./ZG 26 gets the award for his score of fourteen enemy aircraft destroyed in the air and forty-one destroyed on the ground.

German government reports published this month noted that 2,139,553 foreign workers were employed, about half of which, 1,007,561, were Polish.

RAF Bomber Command sends 44 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe and 31 aircraft to attack Stuttgart overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The Italian "M" battalions were established.

*NORTH AMERICA*: U.S. Secretary of the Navy William "Frank" Knox approved the "popular" names for naval combat aircraft: "Avenger" (Grumman TBF), "Buccaneer" (Brewster SB2A), "Buffalo" (Brewster F2A), "Catalina" (Consolidated PBY), "Coronado" (Consolidated PB2Y), "Corsair" (Vought F4U), "Dauntless" (Douglas SBD), "Devastator" (Douglas TBD), "Helldiver" (Curtiss SB2C), "Kingfisher" (Vought OS2U/Naval Aircraft Factory OS2N), "Mariner" (Martin PBM), "Sea Ranger" (Boeing PBB patrol bomber), "Seagull" (Curtiss SO3C), and "Vindicator" (Vought SB2U). Names supplemented the Navy's letter-number designations, which remain unchanged and continued to be used in correspondence.

The U.S. Secretary of War requests that the U.S. National Academy of Sciences begin research on biological warfare.

The first Chinese personnel, mainly recently graduated from flight schools, arrived in the U.S. for training on American aircraft.

Sale of War Savings Bonds to naval personnel was inaugurated on this date. Under the direction of a Coordinator for War Savings Bonds, Supply Corps officers were designated as issuing agents and assigned to 28 major shore activities. Actual sales of the bonds would amount to $61,000,000 - over 50 percent in excess of the predicted sales.

The United States Air Force Band was activated as one of fifty-nine "Air Force Bands".

In Ottawa, Ontario the Agricultural Supplies Board is given power to fix prices during wartime.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: MacArthur vehemently protests Rainbow-5 to War Department. That was the name the Army gave to waging war on Germany, prepared as a contingency plan by then-Major Albert Wedemeyer at the Pentagon in mid-1941. Rainbow 5 proposed shipping a 5-million man army to Europe in mid-1943 to attack and conquer the Nazi empire, and specifically explained that the two-year delay was unavoidable because the needed equipment was simply not in place.

Australian Women’s Army service (AWAS) established.

Horn Island airfield’s second runway was completed as a gravel strip.

25th Infantry Division was activated in Hawaii, and was formed using troops from the Hawaiian Division, a pre-war "square division" (having four regiments of infantry), which had been reorganized and redesignated as the 24th Infantry Division.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British House of Commons voted for the third £1,000,000,000 war credit of year.

King George VI of the United Kingdom granted the name ‘Royal New Zealand Navy’ to the New Zealand ships fighting within the British Royal Navy. The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy becomes the Royal New Zealand Navy and all ships’ names prefixed by HMNZS instead of HMS. The ships affected included the cruisers HMS “_Achilles_” and “_Leander_”.

The British RAF reported internally on Hugh Dowding's (forced) retirement. When Prime Minister Winston Churchill learned of it, he was extremely displeased, and demanded the RAF to find a new position for Dowding. Dowding had originally conceded to political pressure and was preparing his retirement, but ultimately yielded to Churchill's wish and accepted whatever new position the RAF would give him.

General de Gaulle’s French government-in-exile sets up Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française.

Troop convoy WS 12 departs the Clyde for Suez, with WS 12J detaching for Colombo-Singapore.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew sweeps near Boulogne.

Hptm. Georg-Hermann Greiner is posted to the night-fighter unit, II./NJG 1, flying Bf 110s from St. Trond.

Generalmajor Josef Kammhuber, the commanding general of XII Fliegerkorps is promoted to Generalleutnant.

Jewish children in Amsterdam are required to attend segregated schools.

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## parsifal (Oct 1, 2016)

*01 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HNoMS ACANTHUS (K-01)





MA/SB 33,

AA Ship HMS TYNWALD (D-69)





ASW Trawler Y’MUIDEN
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

M Class Submarine VMF M-115




_Unidentified M class submarine_

*Losses*
ON 19 sailed from Clyde at 0030 hrs on Sept. 22, the Liverpool section joining at 1330 that day, while the Loch Ewe portion joined at 1830 on Sept. 23. At 1930 on the 23rd, the route was entirely altered by signal. 2 ships lost touch in the process (EMPIRE CABOT and AGIA MARINA-off Butt of Lewis).

The ships bound for Iceland parted company on Sept. 25, escorted by MSWs. 4 corvettes joined at 1600 on Sept. 27 and previous escort left 58 30N 22 20W. The following day, p.m. Sept. 28, a heavy westerly gale was encountered, increasing in strength during the night. At daylight on the 29th, 17 ships and 1 corvette were in sight, the rest of the ships were missing.

At 16:00 on Sept. 30, 2 corvettes joined. ON 19 was dispersed at dawn on Oct. 7 in 44N 54W.

A Hudson bomber of Coastal Command bombed and slightly damaged U-552.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-124
St. Nazaire: U-69

01 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-205, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-572, U-573, U-575,

36 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*Subchaser UJ-117 (DKM 550 grt (est))* was sunk near Hanko

*North Sea*
RNorN DD DRAUG departed Scapa Flow towing MTB.56 to Bergen for operation BAREFOOT. The MTB sank *tanker BORGNY (Ex-Nor 3015 grt)*, which was in Axis service, as the tanker was making passage to to Trondheim escorted by two trawlers, off Bergen on the 3rd. The MTB returned to the DRAUG which was standing off the port and they returned to Lerwick, arriving on the 4th.




_The crew of MTB 56 lined up on board DRAUG_

*Northern Waters*
CA KENT, escorted by DD NORMAN, arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after repairs. NORMAN arrived to also work up. DD DULVERTON arrived at Scapa Flow to work up.

*West Coast*
British steamer SERENITY was damaged by near misses from LW a/c ESE of St Goven's Light.

Convoy WS.12 with one ship departed Avonmouth on 29 September, 7 ships from Liverpool on 29 September, and 16 ships from the Clyde on 30 September. The convoy rendezvoused off Oversay on the 1st. The convoy was composed of steamers CLAN CAMPBELL, EMPIRE TRUST, HIGHLAND BRIGADE, SARPEDON, PERSEUS, ALMANZORA, EMPIRE PRIDE, LEOPOLDVILLE, STRATHAIRD, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, EMPRESS OF CANADA, NARKUNDA, CITY OF PARIS, ORMONDE, SAMARIA, FRANCONIA, MENDOZA, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, DOMINION MONARCH, HIGHLAND PRINCESS, PRINCE BAUDOUIN, ROYAL ULSTERMAN, CLAN LAMONT, and PERTHSHIRE. Steamer HIGHLAND PRINCESS was detached as convoy CT.4. AMC CATHAY, ML AGAMEMNON, and DDs ASSINIBOINE and SAGUENAY escorted the convoy from 30 September to 4 October. DD SIKH escorted the convoy from 30 September to 5 October. DDs BRADFORD, BADSWORTH, BRIGHTON, LANCASTER, and NEWARK escorted the convoy from 1 to 3 October. CLA CAIRO and DDs WHITEHALL, WITCH, and VERITY escorted the convoy from 1 to 4 October. DD BEVERLEY escorted the convoy on 2 and 3 October. DD BLANKNEY escorted the convoy from 1 to 7 October. CVE ARGUS escorted the convoy from 30 September to 5 October, when she was detached to Gibraltar. CA DEVONSHIRE escorted the convoy from 30 September to 12 October, when she was detached to Freetown. CA DORSETSHIRE escorted the convoy from 12 to 14 October. DD ISAAC SWEERS departed Gibraltar on the 4th escorted the convoy on the 7th. DD GURKHA departed Gibraltar on the 3rd and escorted the convoy on the 8th. DDs WRESTLER, VELOX, VIMY, and VANSITTART and corvettes AMARANTHUS and ARMERIA escorted the convoy from 11 to 14 October, when the convoy arrived at Freetown.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine TALISMAN unsuccessfully attacked a convoy of steamers LAURETTA and ARKADIA, escorted by TB LIBRA, off the Zea Channel. Submarine P.34 departed Gibraltar for Malta. Dutch submarine O.24 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Submarine THRASHER arrived at Malta from patrol in the Gulf of Sirte.

ORP submarine SOKOL arrived at Malta from Gibraltar and patrol supporting Operation HALBERD.

Submarine RORQUAL departed Alexandria for Malta to return to the United Kingdom. The submarine arrived at Malta on the 12th and Gibraltar on the 27th, laying two minefields en route.

MSW whaler SOTRA was damaged below the water line by gunfire at Tobruk. One rating was wounded. The whaler was able to departed Tobruk at 1900/2nd with lighter A 9 and minesweeping whaler SOIKA.

_Operation Halberd_
BB PRINCE OF WALES, CLs KENYA and SHEFFIELD, and DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, ORIBI, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FURY arrived at Gibraltar. KENYA and SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar at pre-dawn 1 October to return to the UK and to search for a German supply ship reported off the coast of Nth Spain.

BB RODNEY, CV ARK ROYAL, CL EDINBURGH, CLAs HERMOINE and EURYALUS, and DDs FRANDALE, HEYTRHOP, COSSACK, LEGION, LANCE, LIVELY, ZULU, ISAAC SWEERS, and GURKHA arrived at Gibraltar on 1 October. Tug ST DAY arrived at 0900. PRINCE OF WALES and DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, and ORIBI departed Gibraltar for the UK, escorted locally by DD LIVELY. CLA EURYALUS and DDs FARNDALE and HEYTHROP departed Gibraltar late on the 1 October for Freetown, escorting steamers MELBOURNE STAR and PORT CHALMERS for Buenas Aires.

*Central Atlantic*
CLA EURYALUS and DDs FARNDALE and HEYTHROP departed Gibraltar for Freetown in company with British steamers PORT CHALMERS and MELBOURNE STAR bound for Buenas Aires. Corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS departed Gibraltar escorting tanker BENEDICK until dark on the 4th.

BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, LIVELY, and ORIBI departed Gibraltar for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 6th. DD LIVELY was detached on the 4th and returned to Gibraltar.

CLs KENYA and SHEFFIELD departed Gibraltar to return to the Clyde, arriving on the 6th. The ships were ordered to search en route for an enemy supply ship off the north coast of Spain.

Convoy WS12, after arriving at Freetown from the West Coast departed Freetown on the 19th, less steamer NARKUNDA. The convoy was escorted by DDs VELOX and WRESTLER and corvettes MIGNONETTE, ANCHUSA, and CALENDULA from 19 to 22 October. CA DEVONSHIRE escorted the convoy from 19 to 30 October. CA DORSETSHIRE escorted the convoy from 19 October to 3 November. AMC DERBYSHIRE escorted the convoy from 30 October to 3 November. Steamers ULSTER MONARCH and ROYAL ULSTERMAN were detached to Takoradi on the 21st. Steamer PRINCE BAUDOUIN was detached the same day to St Helena, arriving on the 24th. The steamer departed the same day and met AMC DERBYSHIRE the same day. The steamer arrived at Capetown with the convoy.

Steamers STRATHAIRD, EMPRESS OF CANADA, DOMINION MONARCH, EMPIRE PRIDE, LEOPOLDVILLE, MENDOZA, CLAN CAMPBELL, EMPIRE TRUST, PERTHSHIRE, and SARPEDON arrived at Capetown on the 29th.

Steamers FRANCONIA, RICHMOND, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, HIGHLAND BRIGADE, PERSEUS, ORMONDE, and SAMARIA arrived at Durban on 3 November, escorted by AMC DERBYSHIRE.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
After arriving at Capetown and Durban on or about the 5 November convoy WS 12 began a series of movements. EMPIRE PRIDE, EMPIRE TRUST, PERTHSHIRE, EMPRESS OF CANADA, and DOMINION MONARCH departed Capetown on 5 November, escorted by AMC DUNNOTTAR CASTLE. On 8 November, steamers SAMARIA, CITY OF PARIS, NIEUW AMSTERDAM from Durban, FRANCONIA, CLAN LAMONT, CLAN CAMPBELL, EMPRESS OF RUSSIA, ALMANZORA, ASCANIUS fromMombasa, MENDOZA, PERSEUS, NOVA SCOTIA from Durban, and DUCHESS OF RICHMOND departed Durban and rendezvoused at sea with the Capetown section. On 8 November, BC REPULSE relieved AMC UNNOTTAR ASTLE. The BC remained with the convoy until 14 November in 5-10S, 34-00E when BB REVENGE joined the convoy. The convoy arrived at Aden on 20 November.

On 17 November, steamers DOMINION MONARCH, EMPRESS OF CANADA, DUCHESS OF RICHMOND, and PERSEUS were detached as WS.12 J in 6-05N, 52-30E. The convoy was escorted by light cruiser GLASGOW to Colombo arriving on 23 November. Steamers DOMINION MONARCH and EMPRESS OF CANADA departed Colombo on 24 November escorted by CL GLASGOW. in 6-14N, 92-00E, steamer AWATEA escorted by CL DRAGON joined the convoy and relieved CL GLASGOW, which in turn escorted steamer AWATEA to Colombo. The convoy arrived at Singapore on 28 November.

*Pacific/Australia*
The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy became the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN).

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 OCTOBER TO DAWN 2 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and cool.

_1155-1220 hrs _Air raid alert for 12 enemy fighters approaching the Island in two formations. Eight Hurricane fighters 185 Squadron and six 126 Squadron are scrambled. 185 Squadron intercept the first formation five north of Gozo, damaging one enemy fighter. The second formation which has positioned itself against the sun immediately launches a counter-attack on the Hurricanes which break off their action at once. One Hurricane’s starboard wing is damaged in an engagement with a Macchi fighter but he returns safely. Sgt Knight attacks another Macchi and damages its tail unit but is then attacked by three others and forced to break off the action. The fighter of S/Ldr Mould DFC is shot down.

_PM _One Swordfish 830 Squadron carries out a search for S/Ldr Mould without success.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 1 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Thrasher_ arrived from patrol in the Gulf of Sirte having carried out two unsuccessful attacks. Much anti-submarine and minelaying activity off Benghazi. Polish submarine _Sokol _arrived from Gibraltar and from patrol supporting ‘Operation Halberd’.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _9 Wellington. _Departures _1 Maryland, 2 Wellington. _69 Squadron 2 _Maryland special patrols.


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## parsifal (Oct 1, 2016)

Halder's Diary 01 October 1941


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## Old Wizard (Oct 1, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 1, 2016)

*October 2 Thursday*
*ASIA*: In response to the Japanese government’s multiple requests for peace talks, the US reiterates its requirement that Japan withdraw its forces from China and Indo-China before any such talks can take place. President Franklin D. Roosevelt rejects Japanese Prime Minister Konoye’s request to meet and discuss Pacific and Far Eastern questions. This would lead directly to the fall of the “moderate” Konoye government.

Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army continues withdrawing to the north under pressure from Chinese 9th War Area. The Chinese Air Force’s 1st and 2nd BG attacked airfields during the night in the ongoing campaign at Changsha.

The Japanese Army of the North China Theater launched the Henan Operation.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine attacks continued against Convoy ON-19. Sailing with Convoy ON-19, the British catapult armed merchant “_Empire Wave_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-562, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Horst Hamm, about 500 miles east of Cape Farewell, Greenland in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 29 died and 31 survivors were picked up by the Icelandic trawler “_Surprise_”. The 7,463 ton “_Empire Wave_” was carrying ballast and was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. A straggler from Convoy ON-19, the British steam merchant “_Hatasu_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-431, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Dommes, approximately 600 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 40 died and 7 survivors were picked up by the destroyer USS “_Charles F. Hughes_” (DD 428). The 3,198 ton “_Hatasu_” was carrying ballast and was bound for New York, New York. At 0709 hours, the Dutch motor merchant “_Tuva_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-575, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Günther Heydemann, in the northern Atlantic Ocean. The destroyer USS “_Winslow_” (DD 359), in screen of convoy ON 20, was detached from U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 to proceed to the assistance of the “_Tuva_”. Although the USS “_Winslow_” found the freighter still afloat, the destroyer depth charged a "doubtful" submarine contact in the vicinity and upon her return was unable to locate any survivors. Of the ship’s complement, 1 died and 34 survivors were picked up by the Canadian destroyer HMCS “_St. Croix_” (I 81). The 4,652 ton “_Tuva_” was carrying ballast and was bound for Tampa, Florida.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Taifun: Operation Typhoon, the German assault on Moscow, begins in earnest as the 3.Panzergruppe (Colonel General H. Hoth) and 4.Panzergruppe (Colonel General Erich Hoepner) and the 2.Armee, 4.Armee and 9.Armee in the north join with 2.Panzergruppe in attacks against the Soviets. 2,000 German tanks advanced against the Russian lines in this the “last, great decisive battle of the war”, according to Hitler, in a communiqué to his troops, broadcast before the battle commenced. Forces have been withdrawn from south and north to boost the German assault, which many generals had wanted to make several weeks ago before Hitler ordered a diversion to capture industrial and coal-mining areas in the south. Bock's main force attacks along the entire front from the Western Dvina to the Desna. 3.Panzergruppe, in heavy fighting advances 5 miles splitting the defenses of the Soviet 19th and 30th Armies. 4.Panzergruppe breaks the Soviet 43rd Army and advances 25 miles, making contact with the second line of Soviet defenses. Meanwhile, the German 2.Panzergruppe under General Guderian was split into two pincers at Sevsk, Russia; the northern pincer moved toward Bryansk while the northeastern pincer moved toward Orel. The operation is lead by tank units and includes substantial air cover. Committed to the operation were bombers, several Gruppen of _Stukas_, two _Gruppen_ of SKG 210 and all of JG 51 and JG 3.

For Leningrad, Unternehmen Taifun has offered some respite. Field Marshal von Leeb has failed to take the city by storm, and his tanks have been assigned to Taifun. Hitler still expects von Leeb to succeed, using artillery and aerial bombardment and the oldest siege weapon, starvation. Hitler says Leningrad “will fall like a leaf.” In Leningrad itself over 4,000 have died in 200 artillery bombardments and 23 air raids in the past month. The first deaths from starvation have been reported.

The Soviet’s begin the evacuation of Odessa, not because of Rumanian attacks on the city, but because the Germans now threatened Sevastopol. The Black Sea Fleet evacuates the Odessa Garrison to Sevastopol completing the task by the 16th of October.

The last of the encircled forces around Kiev are mopped up. Of the 452,700 men encircled, only around 15,000 had escaped. In total, the Southwestern Front suffered 700,544 casualties including 616,304 killed during the Battle for Kiev.

Offensive in the northern direction from Petrozavodsk by Finnish VII Corps (Major General Hagglund) is launched. The aim is to take favorable defensive positions along Maaselkä Isthmus. It continues until December with continuous fighting.

Oblt. Erbo Graf von Kageneck of 9./JG 27 shoots down a Russian I-18 near Pogorjelo at 1406 hours for his fifty-sixth kill.

Boldin resumes position as deputy commander in chief of Soviet Western Front and takes operational command of Group Boldin.

*GERMANY*: The speed of sound is almost achieved by Heini Dittmar at Karlshagen flying the third Messerschmitt Me 163A rocket-powered prototype aircraft. After being towed to a height of 13,125 feet he casts off and starts the motor then loses control when the nose drops. His speed is recorded on the ground as an unofficial world speed record of 623.85 mph, 155 mph faster than the official world speed record. Previous flights showed that the aircraft expended almost all its fuel climbing to altitude. Dittmar said that the Me163 suffered severe vibration and loss of control for a moment and he had thought that he had “had it at last”. Security will prevent the Germans claiming it as an official world record.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Perseus_” sank German ship “_Castellon_” 60 miles west of Benghazi, Libya.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Da Noli_”, “_Usodimare_”, “_Gioberti_”, and “_Euro_”.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: MTB “_Nuoli_” and “_Sisu_” attack enemy ships in Suursaari harbour, without results.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: In Australia the elections result in a new government headed by John Curtin of the Labor Party. The ruling coalition government of the United Australia Party and the United Country Party in Australia falls.

MacArthur chooses Brereton, whom he had known in the First World War, as his Air Commander.

No. 488 New Zealand Fighter Squadron begins arriving in Singapore.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: After sundown, in England, German bombers attacked the Tyneside and Tees-side areas in northern England (50 were killed, 250 buildings were destroyed, shipbuilding and repairing facilities at South Shields severely damaged) and Dover area in southeastern England (10 killed). It is estimated that about fifty bombers took part in attack on South Shields. Many fires were started including one that required twenty pumps to contain it. A fire started by a bomb on Dunn's Paint Store spread to Hanlon's shop, the Locomotive Hotel, Campbell's Lodging House and the Union Flag public house. Tins of burning oil and paint were hurled into the air and started fires in the City of Durham public house, the Metropole Hotel and the Imperial Hotel. With so many fires and so much damage to the water mains, water had to be relayed from the Ferry Landing and the static water tank in North Street. By daylight all the fires were under control, but it was not until midday on October 3rd that the burning gas main outside the Water Company's Offices was extinguished because the stopcock to turn off the gas supply could not be found. One of the heaviest bombs to fall in this raid fell on Queen Street between Station Approach and Mile End Road at 22.05 hours. It demolished all the property on the north side, including Chipchase's Tripe Shop which had remained practically unaltered since 1832, and rear of Moorhouse's Furniture Store in Mile End Road. Many people were buried under the debris of ten or twelve houses.

Two German bombers were shot down by the leader of a Beaufighter Squadron, Wing Cdr D.G. Morris who was later awarded the DFC. Four Nazi airmen were captured at sea and landed at Alnwick. A Dornier Do 217E was shot down and crashed into the sea six miles east of Blyth at 20.30 hours. The crew was picked up by a passing trawler and taken prisoner.

The keel of Britain's last battleship, HMS “_Vanguard_”, was laid down at Clydebank, Scotland.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill orders the planning of a British invasion of Norway.

*WESTERN FRONT*: SS Standartenführer Helmut Knochen orders the systematic destruction of synagogues in Paris. During the night explosive charges destroy six synagogues. One of Knochen’s men, Obersturmführer Hans Sommer, had provided the dynamite and the transport to a small flying squad, who were all members of Eugène Deloncle’s MSR (Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire a Fascist organisation).

RAF Fighter Command flew sweeps near Abbeville and Gravelines.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 1, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 2, 2016)

*October 3 Friday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army continues to withdraw to the north under pressure from Chinese 9th War Area.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: At about 0001 hours, German submarine U-431 sank British ship “_Hatasu_” 650 miles east of Newfoundland; 40 were killed, 7 survived.

A British Walrus reconnaissance aircraft from British cruiser HMS “_Kenya_” spotted German supply ship “_Klara_” 300 miles northeast of the Azores islands. HMS “_Kenya_” closed in and sank “_Klara_”, but did not stop to pick up survivors due to the presence of German submarine U-129. U-129 was accompanying the German support ship.

German bombers attacked and damaged British destroyer HMS “_Vivacious_” in the North Sea. Norwegian tanker “_Borgny_” sunk by Free Norwegian MTB 56 operating from Scapa Flow.

German vessel “_Kota Pinang_” was scuttled to avoid capture by RN cruisers “_Sheffield_” and “_Kenya_”.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Taifun: Operation Typhoon continues as the forces of Army Group Center advance on several axis toward Moscow. The Soviet West, Bryansk and Reserve Fronts are all showing signs of breaking apart in the face of the relentless German attacks. Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe penetrated to the Dnepr east of Kholm'-Zhirkovskii and captured two intact bridges. South of the town a tank battle is raging with approaching Russian tank units. Soviet counterattacks have been ordered but only I.V. Boldin’s mechanized group is able to launch anything like a concerted attack. Soviet Group Boldin counterattacks the German 3.Panzergruppe. Guderian’s 2.Panzergruppe has advanced 120 miles and captured Orel 220 miles south-southwest of the Soviet capital of Moscow. The Luftwaffe will use the Orel airfield as a forward airbase. Another column of 2.Panzergruppe battles Soviet troops South of Bryansk. With 2.Armee, 4.Armee and 9.Armee plus 3.Panzergruppe and 4.Panzergruppe (part of Army Group Center) advancing from the West, Germans are now positioned to encircle Soviet Bryansk Front (3rd, 13th and 50th Armies under the command of General Andrey Yeremenko). 10.Panzer-Division (Fischer) reached Mozalsk, 65 km behind the Soviet front line. The panzer troops encountered and captured unsuspecting Soviet columns moving to the front. As part of the mad dash 12 Russian trucks crashed into the German column just ahead of Fischer’s own vehicle. Divisional staff officers engaged the Russians and took 30 prisoners. German troops capture Tsarskoe Selo, outside Leningrad.

In the morning around Moscow, fighters from JG 51 and JG 54 battle Russian fighters. Several claims are made by _Jagdgeschwader_ pilots, including one for Ofw. Heinrich Hoffmann of 12./JG 51, but it can't be verified as he goes missing in action against the Soviets. He had sixty-three victories for the war.

North of Vyasma, Oblt. Erbo Graf von Kageneck of 9./JG 27 destroys another Russian I-18 fighter for his fifty-seventh victory.

In Occupied Czechoslovakia Mayor Klapka of Prague is executed for alleged anti-Nazi activities.

*GERMANY*: At the Berliner Sportpalast in the German capital, Adolf Hitler announced during a rally that the Germans had captured 2,500,000 Soviet prisoners of war, destroyed or captured 22,000 guns, destroyed or captured 18,000 tanks, destroyed 14,500 aircraft, and since 1939 had expanded Germany by an area four times as large as Britain. He stressed that the Soviet Union had been broken and would never rise again.


> "Today begins the last great decisive battle of the year. In it we will destroy the enemy and, in so doing, England, the instigator of this whole war. For the last forty-eight hours an operation of gigantic proportions is again in progress, which will help to smash the enemy in the East. I am talking to you on behalf of millions who are at this moment fighting and want to ask the German people at home to take upon themselves, in addition to other sacrifices, that of Winter Help this year. We are thus lifting from Germany and Europe the danger that has hovered over the continent ever since the times of the Huns and later the Mongol invasion" - Adolf Hitler.


 Goebbels announces that 1,500,000 children and 150,000 mothers have been evacuated from cities to safer areas.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Talisman_” sank the already beached German ship “_Yalova_” south of Naples, Italy. Dutch submarine O.21 sank Vichy French ship “_Oued Yquem_” off Sardinia, Italy.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Canadian Finance Minister J. L. Ilsley puts price freeze proposals to Cabinet; Mackenzie King skeptical at first.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: British motor torpedo boat MTB56 sank Norwegian tanker “_Borgny_” off Bergen, Norway.

The US Secretary of State Cordell Hull congratulates the Finnish Ambassador Hjalmar Procope for the reconquest of Karelia, but states that continuing the offensive is short-sighted.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Gerow advises Marshall that the Philippine reinforcements had changed “the entire picture in the Asiatic area.” Brereton is summoned to the War Department.

The Fadden Government resigned in Australia after being defeated on a budget vote. Federal Budget was defeated with the support of Independent members. Labor leader John Curtin appointed as prime minister-elect.

RAF Air Marshal Brooke-Popham arrives in Manila for conferences.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The official copy of the British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee Report, written by James Chadwick, reached Vannevar Bush. British researchers reported to their US counterparts that it was theoretically possible that an atomic bomb whose core weighed 25 pounds could produce an 1800 ton detonation. The idea of the atom bomb was born.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris a seventh synagogue, where a bomb had been planted yesterday, but the fuse had failed, is blown up “for safety reasons”, by the Germans.

RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Rotterdam and Antwerp overnight. RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations over the Continent. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Brest overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 3, 2016)

*02 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boats DKM S-63, S-64
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIc DKM U-377





Type VIIc DKM U-590





Acciaio class Submarine RM PLATINO




_Sister ship VOLFRAMIO_

Allied
Avenger Class CVE HMS CHARGER (D-27)




_CHARGER was transferred to the RN on completion but returned to the US Navy on 4 October 1941 just two days after being commissioned_.

Flower Class Corvette HMCS LOUISBURG (K-143)





Fairmile B ML 282
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
_Convoy ON-19_
U-431 sank the *MV HATASU (UK 3198 grt)* after she became a straggler. She was on passage from Manchester to New York, travelling empty with a crew of 47. 40 crew members were to perish in the attack. At 2345 hrs the unescorted HATASU was hit by one of two torpedoes from U-431 about 540 miles NE of Cape Race. The ship opened fire with a stern gun and forced the U-boat to dive, but broke in two and sank after being hit by a coup de grace at 0028 hrs on 3 October. The master, 33 crew members and six gunners were lost. Seven crew members were picked up from a lifeboat after seven days by DD USS CHARLES F HUGHES and landed at Reykjavik.





U-562 sank *CAM Ship EMPIRE WAVE (UK 7463 grt)* after she straggled behind the convoy. She was travelling empty, with a crew of 60 when lost. 33 of the crew would perish in the attack. At 0652 hours on 2 October 1941 the unescorted EMPIRE WAVE was torpedoed and sunk by U-562 about 500 miles east of Cape Farewell. The master, 19 crew members, five gunners and five other DEMS personnel (RDF and catapult operators) abandoned ship in one lifeboat, but they were never seen again after losing contact with the other lifeboat that contained 23 crew members, one gunner, one DEMS personnel and five RAF personnel. The men in the latter boat were picked up by the Icelandic trawler SURPRISE on 16 October and landed at St. Patrick’s Fjord, Iceland. However, one man had died of exposure in the lifeboat and two other men died after being taken to a hospital at Reykjavik.




_Close up of an unidentified CAM Ship_

U-575 sank *MV TUVA (NE 4652 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Reykjavik to Florida, travelling empty with a crew of 35. 1 crewmember would be lost in the attack. At 0709 hrs, U-575 fired three torpedoes at the three ships in convoy ON19A (a subsection of ON-19 moving to joiun the main body from Reykjavik) and heard two detonations on a first ship and one detonation on a second. However, only TUVA was hit aft on the port side and sank in a short time after breaking in two. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and two rafts, but had to left a man behind who was trapped under a piece of debris. The survivors were picked up after about one hour by RCN DD ST CROIX.





U-94 sank *tkr SAN FLORENTINO (UK 12842 grt)* after she straggled from the convoy. She was travelling empty at the time of her loss, with a crew of 58 aboard (23 of whom would perish). She was on passage from Glasgow to Curacao. At 2357 hrs the SAN FLORENTINO was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-94 SE of Cape Farewell. The tanker had been spotted at 1810 hrs and missed by a first torpedo at 2336 hrs, but continued after being hit while firing into the direction of the U-boat.

At 02.49 hrs on 2 October, the SAN FLORENTINO was hit in the bow by a torpedo, sending out radio signals in the clear of her position. She dropped fog buoys and continued. She even proceeded after being hit in the bow by a third torpedo at 04.26 hours and evaded another torpedo 25 minutes later, but broke in two at 0502 hours. The wreck was hit by a coup de grace at 0552 hours, that caused a boiler explosion. The bow remained afloat upright and the stern only sank slowly, so the U-boat fired 34 rounds from the deck gun into it and then left the area. Parts of the wreck were scuttled by gunfire by Corvette RCN ALBERNI. The master, 21 crew members and one gunner from SAN FLORENTINO were lost. 31 crew members and four gunners were picked up by Corvette RCN MAYFLOWER and landed at St. Johns.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-373
Kiel: U-566
Lorient: U-205, U-572

At sea 02 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575,

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
British steamer SOUTHPORT was damaged when she blown off the blocks by LW air attack in the Tyne Dock, South Shields.

CA SHROPSHIRE relieved CA LONDON in 74-50N, 56-00E at 0500 in convoy QP.1. CA LONDON returned to Archangel, arriving after midday of the 3rd.

DD ESCAPADE relieved DD ANTELOPE at 1700 in convoy PQ.1. ANTELOPE arrived at Seidisfjord on the 3rd to refuel. She departed at 1345 for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 4th.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.22 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs BROKE, MANSFIELD, and ST ALBANS, corvette EGLANTINE, and ASW trawlers COVENTRY CITY and KING SOL. DD WOLVERINE joined on the 4th. These escorts were relieved on the 7th by USN DDs DALLS, EBERLE, ELLIS, ERICSSON, and UPSHUR. The US ships were detached when the convoy was dispersed on the 15th.

*SW Approaches*
CL EDINBURGH and DDs COSSACK, ZULU, PIORUN, and GARLAND departed Gibraltar escorting British steamers LEINSTER and CITY OF DURBAN to England. EDINBURGH, GARLAND, and Polish troopship SOBIESKI arrived in the Clyde on the 10th. DDs COSSACK and ZULU were detached en route and met aircraft carrier ARGUS for escort to Gibraltar.

Convoy HG.74 departed Gibraltar escorted by DDs FORESIGHT and FORESTER, CVE AUDACITY, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes ARBUTUS, CONVOLVULUS, COWSLIP, MARIGOLD, PENSTEMON, RHODODENDRON, and VETCH. DDs FORESIGHT and FORESTER were detached and DDs DUNCAN and ROCKINGHAM departed Gibraltar on 4 October and joined on the 6th. Sloop ENCHANTRESS, escort vessel HARTLAND, and corvette VERVAIN joined on the 8th. DD DUNCAN was detached on the 9th. On the 8th, convoy SL.88 rendezvoused with the convoy. DD BLANKNEY and ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN joined the convoy on the 9th and were detached on the 11th. DD ROCKINGHAM was detached on the 12th and sloop ENCHATRESS was detached on the 17th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

*Med/Biscay*
The Med Flt was at sea from Alexandria for exercises. The Fleet returned to Alexandria on the 3rd.

An Italian convoy of *steamers CASTELLON (Ger 2086 grt)* and SAVONA departed Naples on 29 September escorted by TBs CALLIOPE and PEGASO for Tripoli.

n the 2nd, submarine PERSEUS sank steamer CASTELLON 10 miles 311° from Benghazi in 32-30N, 19-09E. Attacks on steamer SAVONA were unsuccessful. Sub UTMOST made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in 37-53N, 12-05E.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarines TRUSTY and UPHOLDER arrived at Malta after patrol off Cape Vito and Naples.

ASW trawler KLO reported being attacked by a submarine off Alexandria. However DDs KANDAHAR and JAGUAR were unable to find any contact. ASW trawler LYDIARD attacked a submarine contact off Haifa. The trawler was joined by DD VENDETTA and corvette HYACINTH, without success. The DD and the corvette returned to port on the 3rd.

A. S. I. S. ship CHURRUCA was sunk due to an accidental explosion at Alexandria. The cargo and the ship were later salved.

_Operation Halberd_
At 0130 on 2 October, light cruiser EDINBURGH and destroyers PIORUN and GARLAND departed Gibraltar for the UK, escorting steamers LEINSTER and CITY OF PRETORIA. They were escorted locally by destroyers COSSACK and ZULU, which then joined aircraft carrier ARGUS and escorted her to Gibraltar.

*Pacific/Australia*
IJN submarine I.61 was lost in an accidental collision with a gunboat off Iki Island, 33-40N, 129-40E. The entire crew of seventy were lost on the submarine. In February 1942, the submarine was salved and broken up at Sasebo.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 OCTOBER TO DAWN 3 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Heavy thunderstorm overnight, with torrential rain.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 2 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Trusty_ and _Upholder_ returned from patrol off Cape Vito and Naples: enemy battle fleet was not sighted.

_AIR HQ Departures _2 Beaufighter. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrol east Sicilian coast


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## parsifal (Oct 3, 2016)

Halder's Diary 2 October 1941


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## parsifal (Oct 3, 2016)

*03 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MTB 71
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At sea 03 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575,

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*North Sea*
DD VIVACIOUS was damaged by LW attacks in the Nth Sea. The DD's steering engine was damaged. VIVACIOUS was repaired at Immingham completing in November.

DD MENDIP, escorting convoy FS.615, drove off DKM S Boats attempting to attack the convoy.

*West Coast*
CV INDOMITABLE (not yet commissioned) arrived in the Clyde to work up.

Convoy OS.8 departed Liverpool, escorted by sloop FLEETWOOD. The sloop was detached off Freetown on the 25th. On4 October, sloops BLACK SWAN and SANDWICH and naval trawler BURRA joined the convoy. Trawler BURRA was detached on the 9th, sloop SANDWICH on the 20th, and sloop BLACK SWAN on the 25th. On the 5th, sloop SCARBOROUGH joined the escort and was detached on the 21st. Corvettes ARMERIA, ASTER, CYCLAMEN, and STARWORT joined the escort on the 20th and escorted the convoy into Freetown, arriving on the 26th.

*Med/Biscay*
Corvette PEONY proceeded to Akrotiri Bay, Cyprus, to act as a Q ship against submarines.

*Steamer YALOVA (Ger 3750 grt)*, which had been previously damaged by submarine TETRARCH on 28 September, was sunk by submarine TALISMAN south of Piraeus.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.21 sank *steamer OUED YQUEM (Vichy 1369 grt)* off Sardinia..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine PERSEUS made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer off Benghazi.

Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta after patrol north of Messina.

*Central Atlantic
German supply ship KLARA (ex-KOTA PINANG, 7277grt)* was sighted north of the Azores by CL KENYA's Walrus aircraft in 42-26N, 24-30W. The German ship was intercepted and sunk by the cruiser.




Presence of submarine U.129 with the supply ship made stopping for survivors inadvisable. Four boatloads of survivors were left in company of the submarine, which picked up one hundred and nineteen survivors. The survivors were transferred to a Spanish tug on the 6th.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 OCTOBER TO DAWN 4 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Storms.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Utmost_ returned from patrol north of Messina. Enemy cruisers were sighted, but_Utmost_ was nearly rammed by a destroyer and could not attack. A 5000 ton merchant vessel was hit off Marittimo. 

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Beaufighter, 2 Wellington. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols east Tunisian coast and three special patrols. _107 Squadron _8 Blenheims attacked Marina di Catanzaro. _ Fleet Air Arm _2 Fulmars on offensive patrol over Trapani and Marsala machine-gunned floatplanes and bombed hangars and slipways. At Trapani a JU 87 is attacked and badly damaged. On the return journey one Fulmar dive-bombed warehouses at Licata.


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## parsifal (Oct 3, 2016)

Halder's Diary 3 October 1941


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## Njaco (Oct 3, 2016)

*October 4 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-129 picked up 119 survivors of German supply ship “_Klara_”, sunken by British cruiser HMS “_Kenya_” on the previous day, 300 miles northeast of the Azores islands.

British anti-submarine trawler HMS “_Lady Shirley_” forced German submarine U-111 to the surface with depth charges 225 miles west of Tenerife, Canary Islands. U-111's crew scuttled the submarine after a brief gunfire exchange; U-111 suffered 8 killed and 44 captured, while HMS “_Lady Shirley_” suffered 1 killed.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Taifun: Hoeppner’s 4.Panzergruppe attacks near Vyasma from the south. Hoth’s forces in the north are still battling the Soviet line between Vyasma and Rzhev. On the right wing of the attack, General Guderian’s forces are approaching Orel and Bryansk. Large numbers of Soviet troops are in danger of encirclement. As Soviet Western Front falls back along the main Smolensk/Moscow road in the face of Army Group Center’s attack, Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe bypasses them to the North while Hoepner's 4.Panzergruppe advances from the South (capturing the cities of Kirov and Spa-Demensk). The German aim is a massive double encirclement, converging on Vyasma, to trap the Soviet Western Front (31 rifle Divisions, 3 cavalry Divisions, 2 motorized Divisions and 3 tank Brigades, under Lieutenant-General Ivan Konev). Three German infantry Armies follow behind the Panzers to fence in Soviet troops for the coming battle of annihilation. Soviet Group Boldin continues with its counterattack against Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe. 3.Panzergruppe, stung by the attacks of Boldin’s tanks, slows the Russian, and continues their advance on a less difficult axis. 4.Panzergruppe completes the destruction of the Soviet 43rd army and shatters the 33rd Army as it advances east. These attacks created a 90 mile gap in the Soviet lines between the Bryansk and Reserve Fronts. The 10.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General F-W von Loeper), in the van of the attack, reached Vyasma. Once again, vast numbers of Soviet troops are threatened with encirclement and Stalin repeats the mistake of Kiev and refuses to allow a withdrawal. The German troops continued to advance toward Vyasma to complete the envelopment.

Finnish Army of Karelia attacks Soviet 7th Army along the Svir River. A Finnish unit refuses to cross Svir under enemy fire. Same event repeats itself following day. Morale is beginning to shake among the troops, because war was to be short.

The fighter pilots of JG 27 have a very successful day against the Soviets. In the morning, Ofhr. Hans Osswald of 9./JG 27 gets his first kill when he destroys a Soviet I-18 south of Andrejewskoye. Later Fw. Erich Wassermann of 7./ JG 27 gets his eighth kill when he downs a Russian SB-2 west of Grodno. But the most victorious pilot of JG 27 is Oblt. Erbo Graf von Kageneck of 9./JG 27 who downs three Russian planes - a DB-3, a SB-2 and a Pe-2 - throughout the day to bring his score to sixty kills. At 1045 hours Ofw. Erwin Sallwisch of Stab/JG 27 destroys two Russian I-18 aircraft then at 1355 hours he destroys two more to bring his total for the day at four Russian aircraft. In the morning, fighters from JG 54 engage several Soviet aircraft. Oblt. Hannes Trautloft of Stab. JG 54 downs a Russian I-26. Oblt. Günther Scholz and Lt. Alfred Pentenreider, both of 7./JG 54 each down a Russian I-18.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 432 adult male, 1,115 adult female, and 436 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,983 people.

In the occupied town of Kovno, doctors, nurses and patients in the Jewish ghetto hospital are locked in the building and it is set on fire. Several people attempted to escape and were shot down.

NKVD notifies Stalin it has obtained copy of British report on atomic weapons.


> "On 4 October I reported to Stalin about the situation in the Western Front and about the enemy penetration of the Reserve Front... and also about the threat of a large enemy grouping reaching our forces' rear area...Stalin listened to me, however, made no decision. Communications were disrupted and further conversation ceased." - Lieutenant-General Konev



*MEDITERRANEAN*: British anti-submarine trawler HMS “_Whippet_” was sunk by German bombing 30 miles north of Bardia, Libya, killing 1. British submarine HMS “_Talisman_” sank French ship “_Theophile Gautier_” in a convoy from Crete to the Greek mainland.

Kriegsmarine U-boats begin patrolling Allied supply routes from Alexandria to Tobruk.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF bombers attack Benghazi.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Jacqueline Cochran, America’s most famous living woman pilot and a "tactical consultant" in Ferry Command Headquarters, has been requesting the US Army Air Corps begin using women pilots in national defense. Cochran submits proposal for a women’s pilot division of the Air Corps Ferrying Command to Col. Olds. Olds disagrees, feeling that she has overstepped her authority, with specifics of how she feels women should be organized and who would be in charge. Today, Cochran goes over Col. Olds and writes Gen Arnold about a previous meeting with Pres and Mrs. Roosevelt, and requests meeting with him.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Norwegians were warned by their German occupiers that they would face starvation if anti-Nazi unrest continued.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Navy awarded a contract to build Dock No. 4 and a 20,000-kilowatt bomb-proof power plant at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Oahu, US Territory of Hawaii.

New Zealand Parliament passed a bill guaranteeing free medical care for all citizens.

.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 3, 2016)

The picture of Ronnie Foster reminds me that Inglis, which was a producer of home appliances, also produced .303 Brownings, one of which we have for our Hurricane restoration.

Reactions: Like Like:
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## parsifal (Oct 4, 2016)

*04 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-159




_U-159 under air attack from a USN PBM Mariner a/c in the Caribbean 28 July 1943. The boat was lost in this attack, with all hands lost. _

Type VIIc DKM U-252
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS KAMSACK (K-171)





*Losses*
*Type IXb U-111 (DKM 1051 grt)* was lost from DC and gunfire attacks from ASW trawler HMS LADY SHIRLEY, with the loss of 8 dead and 44 survivors. Four crew on the trawler were wounded by machine gun fire from the submarine. The commanding officer and five ratings were killed in the U-Boat. Forty five survivors were picked up; one died of wounds. Returning to Gibraltar, the trawler was met by destroyer LANCE on the 8th. The destroyer escorted trawler LADY SHIRLEY into Gibraltar, arriving on the 9th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest: U-563
St. Nazaire: U-101

At Sea 04 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-552, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575,

34 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
CA LONDON departed Archangel and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 9th.

*North Sea*
DD HURWORTH departed the Tyne for Scapa Flow to work up. The DD called at Rosyth and departed on the 5th. DD HURWORTH spent the night at Methil and departed on the 6th. She was delayed by thick fog and anchored in LochEribol on the 7th.

DD EXPRESS departed the Humber for Scapa Flow to work up after long repairs

*Northern Patrol*
BB KING GEORGE V and DDs ASHANTI, MATABELE, and SOMALI departed Hvalfjord for Akureyri (a harbor on the nth coast of Iceland. CV VICTORIOUS, CL PENELOPE and DDs ASHANTI, PUNJABI, and MATABELE in company. The Ships arrived on the 5th. CL AURORA departed Hvalfjord and proceeded to Seidisfjordur (on the east coast of Iceland) arriving the next day.

Submarine P.35 was to support EJ, but was ordered to patrol west of Utsire.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.23 departed Liverpool. The convoy was joined on the 5th by DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, and WATCHMAN, corvettes ARABIS, ARROWHEAD, CELANDINE, DAHLIA, MONKSHOOD, and PETUNA, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN WAVE. DD SARDONYX and the trawlers were detached on the 9th. DDs BROWADWAY and BURWELL and corvettes BRANDON, BUCHTOUCHE, COBALT, and GALt joined on the 10th. Corvette BRANDON was detached later that day with DD MALCOLM and corvette PETUNIA. DD WATCHMAN and corvette CELANDINE were detached on the 11th. Corvettes ARROWHEAD and BUCTOUCHE were detached on the 17th and DDs BROADWAY and BURWELL on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 19th with corvettes COBALT and GALT.

*Western Approaches*
MSW BRAMBLE departed Belfast for Scapa Flow to await the sailing of convoy PQ.2. The ship arrived at Scapa Flow on the 5th.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine THORN departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on the 10th.

On the 3rd, a convoy of Italian tanker TORCELLO and Vichy liner THEOPHILE GAUTIER, escorted by TBs MONZAMBANO, CALATAFIMI, and ALDEBARAN, departed Salonika for Piraeus. Submarine TALISMAN sank *Liner THEOPHILE GAUTIER (Vichy 8194 grt)* in the Aegean in Doro Channel.





Submarine UPRIGHT arrived at Malta from patrol.

Submarine REGENT departed Malta on short notice to intercept an Italian convoy east of Tripoli.

Polish submarine SOKOL departed Malta on short notice to search for a crew of a missing Blenheim. The search was unsuccessful and the submarine arrived back at Malta on the 6th. The aircrew was later rescued off Djerba.

A submarine was reported by aircraft north of Bardia in 33-00N, 25-30E steering towards Alexandria. DDs KIPLING, GRIFFIN, JUPITER, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria on the 5th and were ordered to search the area.

MSW ABERDARE departed Alexandria with twelve torpedoes for the Fleet Air Arm at Cyprus. After delivering the torpedoes, the MSW relieved MSW BAGSHOT at Beirut.

*ASW whaler WHIPPET (RN 353 grt)* (ex-KOS XXI), towing a D lighter, was sunk by the LW whilst on passage to Tobruk.
The whaler was in company with MSW whaler SVANA. Four survivors reached Tobruk in SVANA. The remainder of the crew returned in the D lighter to Mersa Matruh. T/Sub Lt (E) A. Hodgson RNVR, lost on the whaler, was the only fatality in the loss.





CLA COVENTRY was withdrawn from the Suez Escort Force and passed through the Canal for Alexandria. This was in preparation in leaving for repairs at Bombay.

*Sth Atlantic
DD CORRIENTES (Argentine 1375 grt)* was sunk in a collision with CA ALMIRANTE BROWN during fleet maneuvers off Tierra del Fuego.




_Sister ship BUENOS AIRES_

*Pacific/Australia*
RNZN CL ACHILLES departed Suva to search for raiders with RAN CL ADELAIDE and AMC MONOWAI. ADELAIDE was detached on the 6th for escort duties. ACHILLES and MONOWAI returned to Auckland on the 10th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 OCTOBER TO DAWN 5 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Fine, some cloud.

AM Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft heading towards Malta from the north. Eight Hurricanes 185 Squadron are scrambled and circle over the Island. The raiders turn away without crossing the coast and there is no engagement. One fighter of P/O Veitch crashes into the sea one mile from Benghaisa Point. The rescue launch conducts a search and finds only wreckage. It is thought the crash may have been caused by a failure in the oxygen supply.

1547-1610 hrs Air raid alert for 15 enemy aircraft approaching the Island. 13 Hurricanes (two 185 Squadron and eleven 249 Squadron) are scrambled but the raiders retire towards Sicily and there is no engagement.

1613-1620 hrs Air raid alert for the same formation which turns back towards Malta before circling away again.

1747-1758 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft approaching the Island. 13 Hurricanes (two 185 Squadron and eleven 249 Squadron) are scrambled but the raiders turn away before any interception.

0200 hrs Summer time ends. All clocks put back one hour. 

0310-0400 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. One crosses over Gozo, dropping bombs in the sea. The second crosses the coast of Malta and drops 50kg high explosive bombs between on the Safi area causing damage to civilian property and four civilian casualties. Two Malta Night Fighters are scrambled. One of the raiders is spotted by moonlight at 800 yards range but retreats rapidly and there is no engagement.

0512-0523 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches and drops bombs in the sea south of the Island. Searchlights illuminate the raider but it stays away from the coast and guns do not engage.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 4 OCTOBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Upright returned from patrol off Rasocolino, where she sank a small destroyer and sighted two U boats. Regent sailed at short notice to intercept convoy east of Tripoli. Sokol also sailed at short notice to search for the crew of a missing Blenheim. Two Swordfish carried out an anti-submarine patrol for enemy submarines reported in vicinity of Malta, but without result. 

AIR HQ Departures 1 Beaufighter, 4 Blenheim, 1 Maryland. 38 Squadron 11 Wellingtons attacked a convoy in the south Ionian Sea. 69 Squadron Marylands photoreconnaissance Tripoli, patrols central Ionian Sea, east Sicilian coast and special search for a convoy. 107 Squadron 8 Blenheims attacked Zuara Sgt Hamlyn (with Sgt Latter and Sgt Williams) was attacked by Italian CR 42 fighters and ditched in the sea. An air and sea search has been mounted. 830 Squadron Fleet air Arm 7 Swordfish attacked a convoy off the coast of Tripoli leaving two merchant vessels sinking and a damaging a third.


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## parsifal (Oct 4, 2016)

Halder's Diary 4 October 1941


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## Njaco (Oct 4, 2016)

*October 5 Sunday*
*ASIA*: Second Battle of Changsha: Chinese 9th War Area crosses Milo River as Japanese 11th Army withdraws to the north.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: A Blenheim bomber of No. 1404 Meteorological Flight of British RAF Coastal Command attacked German submarines U-563 and U-565 in the Bay of Biscay. A 250-lb bomb missed U-563 at about 1030 hours, and another 250-lb bomb hit the conning tower of U-565 at 1102 hours but it failed to explode.

The Canadian Paterson Steamships Co. merchantman “_Mondoc_” (1,926 GRT) sank in the Caribbean Sea after she struck an unknown submerged object, probably Darien Rock, off the east coast of Trinidad. She was on route from Trinidad to the US Virgin Islands (other sources say Guyana to the British Virgin Islands), with a cargo of bauxite from transshipment. There were no survivors from this incident.

The destroyer USS “_Mayo_” (DD 422), escorting convoy HX 152, after seeing the Swedish motor vessel “_Kaaparen_” show a string of lights for five minutes, thus jeopardizing the convoy, hailed the offender and threatened to open fire if the practice was not stopped.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Unternehmen Taifun: 1.Panzerarmee (von Kleist) reaches the Sea of Azov. Elements of German 2.Panzergruppe are pushing from Orel toward Tula. German 4.Armee captures Sukhinichi. The leading German formations reported that they were only about 100 kilometers from Moscow, Russia. On the same day, Moscow-based Soviet fighters discovered German vehicles as close as 50 kilometers from Moscow. When Moscow Military District's Air Force Fighter Command chief Nikolai Sbytov reported this to his superiors, he was investigated by the NKVD for disseminating false rumors, but he was lucky that Joseph Stalin believed him. Lieutenant-General Ivan Konev, against Stalin’s orders, begins the withdrawal of his West Front at Vyasma. Konev ordered Rokossovski to hand over his sector of the line, take his staff to Vyasma, and with the five divisions he would find there, stop the Germans. Yeremenko finally managed to return to his HQ at Bryansk. Again he tried to get permission for a withdrawal but whilst waiting for a reply he discovered panzers close to his command post and had to flee. He quickly rounded up three tanks, some infantry and several trucks and broke through the Germans. However, members of Yeremenko’s staff had already reported to Stalin that the HQ had been overrun and Stalin, temporarily at least, put Petrov in charge of Bryansk Front. Later in the day, Stalin would order all three fronts guarding Moscow to withdraw. For precaution, Stalin also ordered the Soviet Western Front to withdraw to Vyasma to form a new defensive line under a new commanding officer, Georgy Zhukov, replacing Konev. Stalin recalls Zhukov from Leningrad to replace Konev who he blames for failing to stop the German advance. Stalin considers executing Konev but is talked out of it by Zhukov. Konev will command Soviet forces throughout the war, achieving great success and promotion to Marshal of the Soviet Union by Stalin in February 1944.

Remnants of Soviet forces on Saaremaa (Osel) Island withdrawn to Hiiumaa (Dago) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

The pilots of JG 51 were heavily engaged with Russian warplanes throughout the entire day. The first into action are the fighters of 4./JG 51 who bounce a flight of bombers shortly after 0900 hour. Claims for destroyed aircraft are made by Oblt. Harald Jung, Lt. Herbert Puschmann, and Lt. Horst Walther. At 1017 hours, Ofw. Edmund Wagner from 9./JG 51 gets his first victory of the day when he destroys a Russian DB-3. The second major engagement of the day occurs shortly after 1100 hours when 2./JG 51 and 6./JG 51 come upon another flight of Russian bombers. Kill claims are made by Uffz. Heinz Leber of 2./JG 51 who claims two DB-3s shot down and another DB-3 shot down by Lt. Günter Rübell of 6./JG 51. The next encounter occurs shortly after 1300 hours when numerous fighters from I. and II./JG 51 come across several Russian bombers with fighter escort. Claiming kills from this battle are Lt. Hans Strelow and Oblt. Hartmann Grasser, both of 5./JG 51 who each claim two Russian aircraft. Oblt. Helmut Tangerding of 7./JG 27 gets his eighth kill when he shoots down a Soviet Pe-2.

Field Marshal Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was named the commander of German 1.Panzerarmee. The German 2.Panzergruppe was reorganized as the 2.Panzerarmee. General Heinz Guderian remained the unit's commanding officer. Hermann Hoth took over command of the 17.Armee from Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel. General Georg-Hans Reinhardt replaces Hoth as commander German 3.Panzergruppe.

Plant relocations from Leningrad begin. 92 plants will be relocated before the city is surrounded.

Stalin convenes emergency session of Stavka to deal with collapse of Soviet defenses in front of Moscow. Stavka orders Soviet Western Front, Bryansk Front, and Reserve Front to begin withdrawal during the night. The Russians put German losses in the campaign at 3,000,000 and their own at 1,100,000. General Cherevichenko replaces Tyulenev as commander Soviet Southern Front with 9th Army, 12th Army, and 18th Army.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Swordfish torpedo bombers of British No. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm based in Malta attacked an Italian convoy en route from Naples, Italy to Tripoli, Libya 67 miles north of Misrata, Libya, sinking tanker “_Rialto_”; the 145 survivors were rescued by Italian destroyer “_Gioberti_”.

U-79 is successful in breaking through to the Mediterranean.

*NORTH AFRICA*: British aircraft raid Tripoli during the night. RAF bombers attack Benghazi again.

British military leaders have devised a plan to hit back at Rommel and the DAK. The Allied enclave at Tobruk will be the prime target of Operation Crusader. It was agreed two days ago and despite pressure from Churchill for quick action, General Sir Claude Auchinleck, the C-in-C, wants to build up his supplies before taking the offensive next month. Lt-Gen Sir Alan Cunningham will lead the British campaign at the head of the Eighth Army, formed last month from XIII and XXX Corps. In addition to the British troops, Sir Alan will have Australian, Indian, New Zealand, Polish and Free French forces under his command.

Fritz Bayerlein becomes chief of staff of Afrika Korps.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US and UK naval commanders met in Singapore. Brereton briefed by Marshall, Gerow, Arnold, and Spaatz. Brereton stated “in the event of war it was almost certain to incur destruction of a bomber force put in the Philippine Islands without providing adequate antiaircraft defense”; Marshall responded that he and Arnold were taking a “calculated risk”. Brereton was to state, after the War, that, “[T]he lessons of the War in Europe were being completely ignored in placing a heavy bomber force in the Philippines without adequate protection.”

Allied convoy SC-48 departed Sydney, Australia for the United States.

USN Task Force 5 returns from deployment in southern Philippine waters.

Remainder of 2/15 Punjab arrives from Singapore to garrison British Borneo.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Ulrich Adrian of JG 2 is killed in a flying accident. He had five victories over the Allies.

In Vichy France Petain commutes the death sentence on Paul Collette who attempted to assassinate Laval and Deat.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 4, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 5, 2016)

*05 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Type II DD HMS HURWORTH





*Losses*
U.204 sank *steamer C. JON (Pan 744 grt)* in 48-30N, 13-00W. The entire crew were taken as prisoners of war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr TYNEFIELD (UK 5856 grt)* was sunk by mining in the Suez Canal. Four crew were lost.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes:U-576
St Nazaire: U-552

Departures
Lorient: U-109

At Sea 05 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575,

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
RNoN DD DRAUG and MTB.56 departed Lerwick for Scapa Flow where they arrived later that day.

*SW Approaches*
Ocean boarding vessel MARON was attacked by U.67 in the central Atlantic. The vessel fired upon the submarine, which submerged. Corvettes COREOPSIS and FLEUR DE LYS, which had escorted tanker BENEDICK, were ordered to assist the boarding vessel.

On the 6th, corvette COREOPSIS developed engine room defects and proceeded to Funchal. The ocean boarding vessel and corvette FLEUR DE LYS arrived at Gibraltar on the 8th. Corvette COREOPSIS arrived at Gibraltar on the 10th.

*Med/Biscay*
U-563, whilst outbound was attacked in the Bay of Biscay by CC Blenheim Z7406 (1404 MetFlt RAF/A, pilot P/O Jack Coleman) in a diving attack. The a/c had to circle to lose height and by mistake only dropped one instead of both 250lb A/S bombs on the diving U-563, causing no damage. The Blenheim then proceeded to patrol ahead of the original course of U-563, but instead came across U-565.

U-565, whilst inbound was attacked in the Bay of Biscay by Blenheim Z7406 (1404 MetFlt RAF/A, pilot P/O Jack Coleman). U-565 by the CC a/c while searching for U563 after unsuccessfully attacking the latter U-Boat 30 minutes earlier. A 250lb A/S bomb dropped in a head-on attack actually hit the net deflector and conning tower of the diving U-boat and bounced off without exploding. The aircrew apparently misinterpreted the rapid dive of the U-boat at steep angle and claimed a sinking, but the boat in fact escaped unscathed.

*Tanker RIALTO (FI 6099 grt)* was sunk by British 830 Squadron Swordfish, 80 miles NNE of Misurata. RM DD GIOBERTI rescued 145 survivors. The tanker was from a convoy of steamers VETTOR PISANI, SEBASTIANO VENIER, FABIO FILZI, RIALTO and German REICHENFELS and ANKARA, escorted by DDs DA NOLI, USODIMARE, GIOBERTI, and EURO which had departed Naples on the 2nd for Tripoli and RM TBs from Tripoli CALLIOPE and PARTENOPE.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.559 in operations northeast of Tobruk was attacked by a "friendly aircraft" which dropped three bombs. No damage was done.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.153 departed Halifax, escorted by RCN DD ANNAPOLIS. The DD was relieved on the 7th by USN DDs BERNADOU, DUPONT, LEA, MACLEISH, and SAMPSON and RN corvette GLADIOLUS. The corvette was detached the next day. The USN group was relieved on the 13th by RN DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, and WATCHMAN, corvettes ARABIS, DAHLIA, MONKSHOOD, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and NORTHERN WAVE. Corvette MONKSHOOD was detached on the 16th and the rest of the escorts on the 17th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

Convoy SC.48, departed Sydney CB, by corvettes BADDECK and SHEDIAC. Corvette GLADIOLUS joined on the 8th and corvettes CAMROSE, MIMOSA, ROSTHERN, and WETASKIWIN on the 9th. The convoy was joined on the 16th by USN DDs PLUNKETT, LIVERMORE, KEARNY, and DECATUR from convoy ON.24, DD GREER joined from other escort duties, and DD BROADWATER and corvette ABELIA from Reykjavik. Also joined on the 16th were DDs HIGHLANDER and RICHMOND, corvettes PICTOU and VERONICA, and ASW trawler ST APOLLO. Corvette PICTOU was detached later that day. Corvette GLADIOLUS was lost on the 16th.

The initial escorts, less corvette ROSTHERN were detached, and the US DDs were detached. Corvette VERONICA was also detached on the 17th. On the 17th, DDs AMAZON, BULLDOG, and GEORGETOWN, corvette HEARTSEASE, and ASW trawlers ANGLE and CAPE WARWICK joined. On the 18th, DD BROADWATER was lost. DDs HIGHLANDER and RICHMOND and corvette ABELIA were detached on the 20th, DDs AMAZON, BULLDOG, and GEORGETOWN and corvettes HEARTSEASE and ROSTHERN were detached on the 21st, the ASW trawlers on the 22nd, when the convoy arrived at Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy SL.89 departed Freetown escorted DD BRILLIANT and corvettes ASPHODEL, CLEMATIS, CLOVER, COLUMBINE, and CYCLAMEN to 8 October. On the 6th, DDs VELOX and WRESTLER escorted the convoy for that day only. Sloop WELLINGTON joined on the 8th to 25 October. Sloop STORK joined the convoy on the 9th to 25 October. Escort vessels SENNEN and TOTLAND escorted the convoy on the 21st only. DDs BEVERLEY to 24 October and CROOME for that day only joined the convoy on the 22nd. On the 23rd, DDs KRAKOWIAK and KUJAWIAK to 24 October and VANQUISHER and WITCH to 25 October joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 OCTOBER TO DAWN 6 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and cool.

_0934-1005 hrs _Air raid alert for two formations of three enemy fighters. Only the second formation crosses the Island, passing over Grand Harbour at great altitude. Five Hurricanes 185 Squadron and twelve 249 Squadron are scrambled but are unable to reach the necessary height for interception. The raiders recede northwards with no engagement.

_1511-1542 hrs _With no prior alert, six enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the north, cross the coast at 27000 feet and immediately split up. Two Hurricanes 185 Squadron and twelve 249 Squadron are scrambled but again are unable to reach the necessary height to intercept. Two heavy anti-aircraft guns fire pointer rounds.

_0018-0023 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by the return of friendly aircraft.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Bombay. _38 Squadron _9 Wellingtons attacked shipping in Tripoli Harbour. _69 Squadron_Photoreconnaissance Sicily, reconnaissance Tripoli Harbour area and convoy. _107 Squadron _2 Blenheims searched for Sgt Hamlyn and crew without success. 2 Blenheims attacked railway installations at Catania. _Fleet Air Arm _2 Fulmars on offensive patrol on aerodromes in Sicily. One attacked Trapani aerodrome and Marsala seaplane base. The other attacked aerodromes at Gerbini and Catania, dropping high explosive bombs on the Gerbini dispersal area and both aerodromes were machine-gunned at low level.


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## parsifal (Oct 5, 2016)

Halder's Diary 05 October 1941


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## Njaco (Oct 5, 2016)

*October 6 Monday*
*EASTERN FRONT*: The first snow of the Russian winter fell during the night of 6/7 October. The cold weather set in unusually early. There was no anti-freeze for trucks or tanks. No chains were available for the wheeled vehicles, many of which were soon immobilized. It was still snowing on 12 October. On the Moscow axis, the Soviet position near Vyazma and Bryansk is deteriorating. Rokossovsky made it to Vyazma but only found the local police. Rokossovsky's 16th Army takes command of forces in the Vyazma sector, but 10.Panzer-Division (Fischer) was already nearby. With fuel and ammunition running low Fischer made a quick strike at the city during the evening. The Germans took the airport at 1915 hours. Two hours later the Germans were in the suburbs of the city. Heavy fighting was reported as the Germans clear the city. Rokossovski fled Vyazma just in front of the German panzers. He collected some medium tanks and armoured cars, a squadron of NKVD cavalry, and elements of the 18th (Leningrad) Volunteer Division that had escaped encirclement. This force was strong enough to push through the occasional German units they encountered. They reached the headquarters of the Western Front on 9 Oct. The threat of encirclement of the Bryansk Front has become even more serious as 17.Panzer Divisionen (Lieutenant General H-J von Arnim) reaches Bryansk. Russian 5th Army (Leliushenko) counter-attacked at Mtensk on the Orel-Tula highway. The relatively new T-34s, under a competent tank commander, caused Guderian’s panzer troops some consternation. Colonel Katukov concealed his T-34s in a wood and ambushed 4.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General W. von Langermann) as it passed. At the end of the day many or most of the German tanks had been destroyed. 17.Panzer Divisionen rolls in unexpectedly from the East, surprising the HQ of Soviet General Yeremenko who is wounded but escapes. 2.Panzerarmee links up with German 2.Armee, encircling 2 large pockets of Soviet troops (23 Divisions of 3rd, 13th and 50th Armies). A large pocket of about 100,000 Soviet forces surrender near Kharkov and the Donets river. Eight Soviet Armies are about to be encircled at Bryansk and Vyazma by the surprise maneuver conducted by German 17.Panzer Divisionen. In less than two weeks, the Germans have taken nearly 700,000 prisoners and destroyed or captured 1,200 tanks and 5,000 heavy guns.

The 1.Panzerarmee and 11.Armee succeed in surrounding the Soviet 9th and parts of the 18th Armies north of the Sea Azov. German General Kleist’s right wing reaches Berdyansk, on the Sea of Azoz trapping more than 100,000 Soviet soldiers. The German 11.Armee is attempting to link with Kleist by attacking along the coast.

Georgy Zhukov departed Leningrad for Moscow to take command of Soviet Western Front. General Ivan Fedyuninsky assumed command at Leningrad.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 213 adult male, 359 adult female, and 390 children, all Jews, were killed in Semiliski, Lithuania for a total of 962 people.

Romanian forces claim to have killed 70,000 Soviet soldiers on the eastern front and taken 60,000 prisoners, at a loss to themselves of 20,000 dead.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: German bombers attacked shipping in the Gulf of Suez east of Egypt, sinking British ship “_Thistlegorm_”, which carry aboard, among other items, two steam locomotives; 9 were killed. Australian ship “_Salamaua_”, Norwegian tanker “_Norfold_”, and British ship “_Scalaria_” were also damaged during this attack.

RAF bombers attacked Piraeus.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: An official German statement on Bremen radio by “Lord Haw-Haw” tonight led to the cancellation of plans for the exchange of badly wounded PoWs. Two hospital ships were about to leave Newhaven for Dieppe when the war office telephoned to cancel. No immediate explanation was forthcoming, but the Haw-Haw broadcast spoke of an exchange of 100 Britons for a corresponding number of Germans. Such a man-for-man exchange is barred by the Geneva Convention of 1929, which provides for the exchange of all seriously wounded, irrespective of numbers.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF No. 601 Squadron flying from Duxford in Cambridgeshire, makes its first operation in the Bell P-400 Airacobra, a shoot-up of the French coast.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead operation to Ostend. 4 Hurricane IIb from RAF No. 615 Sqn. flew the Anti-shipping mission off Ostend and encountered flak. There were no casualties.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 6, 2016)

*06 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS DAWSON (K-104)
_



_

*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire:U-10

Departures
Kirkenes: U-576

At Sea 06 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575, U-576

34 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
The first victory for VMF MTBs in the Arctic was achieved by D-3 Class TK-12. She managed to sink with torpedo the coaster BJORNUNGEN (Ex Nor165 grt). The ship was carrying materials for heer, in the construction of rail lines supporting the advance on Murmansk
*



*
_Painting of TK-12_

*Northern Patrol*
On the 6th, BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CL PENELOPE, and DDs ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MATABELE, PUNJABI, and SOMALI departed Seidisfjord for operation EJ.

Sub Lt (A) P. G. F. Dumas and Leading Airman M. S. Eastment in a Fulmar of 809 Sqn were lost in a practice flight on the 6th.

DDs ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow for Scrabser where she embarked the Trade Mission Congress group for Archangel. The DD departed for Seidisfjord to refuel en route. On the passage, the DD developed a defect to her main dynamo. DD NORMAN departed Scapa Flow before midnight on the 6th for Seidisfjord. Both DDs arrived at Seidisfjord just before midnight on the 7th. At Seidisfjord, the group was transferred to DD NORMAN. NORMAN departed Seidisfjord just after dawn on the 8th and arrived at Archangel at on the 12th. DD ANTELOPE departed Seidisfjord for Scapa Flow on the 8th and arrived on the 9th.

*SW Approaches*
BB PRINCE OF WALES with DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, and ORIBI arrived at Scapa Flow from Gibraltar. CLs KENYA and SHEFFIELD arrived in the Clyde from Gibraltar.

*Med/Biscay*
CLA NAIAD and DDs AVONVALE and ERIDGE passed through the Suez Canal en route to Alexandria to operate with the Med Flt.

Submarine URSULA arrived at Malta from patrol south of Messina.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy ST.5 departed Freetown, escottd by sloop MILFORD and corvettes BURDOCK, CROCUS, and MARUERITE. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 11th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Steamer THISTLEGORM (UK 4898 grt)*, carrying munitions, was sunk by the LW in Anchorage F, inner channel Strait of Jubal. Four crew and five gunners were lost on the steamer. Australian steamer SALAMAUA was damaged by German bombing in the same attack. Norwegian tanker NORFOLD was damaged by German bombing at Ras Gharib. British steamer SCALARIA was attacked in the same attack, but was not damaged.











_Some of the cargo aboard the THISTLEGORM when she was sunk. The vessel is a popular diving wreck. _


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 OCTOBER TO DAWN 7 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and cool.

_1946-1957 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island but turns away before reaching the coast.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 6 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula _returned from patrol south of Messina. _Trento_ and seven

destroyers passed north through the Straits out of range, but an enemy report broadcast was never received. _Sokol_ returned having failed to locate a missing Blenheim crew.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Beaufighter, 13 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _Departures _1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _8 Wellingtons attacked shipping in Tripoli Harbour. _69 Squadron _4 Maryland special patrols. _107 Squadron _1 Blenheim searched for the dinghy of Sgt Hamlyn and crew. 4 Blenheims shipping sweep over Gulf of Syria. 

_Fleet Air Arm _2 Fulmars on offensive patrol over aerodromes in Sicily dropped high explosive bombs on hangars and a slipway at Marsala and incendiaries on Licata, plus high explosive bombs and incendiaries on Gerbini dispersal area.


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## parsifal (Oct 6, 2016)

Halder's Diary 6 October 1941


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## Njaco (Oct 6, 2016)

*October 7 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: First Lieutenant Sukeichiro Ito (NCO49) of the 59th Sentai was killed in an accident in the Hankou area.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: U-575 is attacked in the North Atlantic by an aircraft and suffers slight damage from two bombs.

A straggler from Convoy HX-152, the British whale factory ship “_Svend Foyn_” was torpedoed and damaged by the U-502, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Jürgen von Rosenstiel, south of Iceland in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 30 died and 298 survived. The 14,795 ton “_Svend Foyn_” was carrying oil fuel and aircraft and tanks as deck cargo and was bound for Liverpool, England.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.1, under command of Captain Marion Y. Cohen, assumed escort duty for convoy ON 22 at the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point. Although there were no U-boat attacks on the convoy, ships of TU 4.1.1 carried out depth charges attacks on suspicious contacts on October 8 and 9.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The weather on the eastern front turns cold and wet transforming the poor Russian roads into quagmires. A day after encircling 3 Soviet Armies around Bryansk, German Panzers close the Vyasma pocket and trap an even larger number of Soviet troops. The most advanced parts of General Fischer's 10.Panzer-Divisionen penetrated through the slush into the suburbs of Vyazma at 1030 hours and finished off Soviet resistance inside the burning town. 10.Panzer-Divisionen (Panzergruppe 4 advancing from the South) links up with 7.Panzer-Divisionen (Panzergruppe 3) north of the city. Four armies (16th, 19th, 20th, 24th and part of the 32nd Army) are caught in the trap. The weather turns cold, thwarting the attempts by the Soviets to break out. General Lukin of 16th Army took command of the Vyazma pocket and his men fought desperately. Five of the volunteer divisions that survived the October fighting went on to become Guards Divisions – 18th (Leningrad) was the first – but another five were disbanded due to losses. The disbanded divisions were 2nd (Stalin), 7th (Bauman), 8th (Krasnaya Presnya), 9th (Kirov), 13th (Rostokino). Beyond the northern edge of town the men of the German 2nd Battalion, 69th Rifle Regiment, crawled into the abandoned Russian fox-holes. The spearheads of General Stumme's XL.Armeekorps (mot.), followed by 2.Panzer-Divisionen (Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel) and 58.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General W. Hellmich), had thus reached the objective of the first phase of Typhoon. Meanwhile the 6.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General Franz Landgraf) and 7.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General H. von Funck) reached the undamaged Dnieper bridges at Kholm, and likewise wheeled round towards Vyazma. Hoth's tanks linked up with Hoepner's in Vyazma. Hitler now ordered that Moscow must be wiped out by fire and bombardment. General Georgy Zhukov arrived in Moscow from Leningrad in the evening, and conferred with Shaposhnikov, and drove to Western Front HQ, reaching it at 0230 hours the next morning. At Ivan Konev's headquarters in Moscow, Zhukov discovered that there was no information concerning the Vyasma encirclement. He was forced to report to Joseph Stalin that there was no longer a continuous front in the west, and the large gaps could not be closed because the command had run out of reserves. With the creation of the Vyazma pocket the approach to Moscow was open. The military colleges at Podesk produced a scratch force which, together with two or three regiments of artillery and some air defense units held the Germans at a river crossing on the Warsaw Highway. Petrov of 50th Army took ‘temporary’ command of the troops of the Bryansk Front.

German 11.Armee prepares to attack into the Crimea. Major-General F.M. Kharitonov's 9th and Lieutenant-General A.K. Smirnov's 18th Army are encircled near Mariupol. The two armies manage to break out by the 10th of October, but not before Smirnov is killed in action.

Rumanian and Bulgarian warships begin laying defensive minefields off the Bulgarian coast.

Shortly after 1500 hours, Oblt. Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 shoots down a Russian I-16. Five minutes later he destroys a Russian I-18. Gustav-Adolf Langanke of JG 27 with eight victories, is listed as missing in action against the Russians.

In an effort to boost morale in the Soviet Union, Stalin lifted the ban on religion.

In Rovno, Poland, SS men take 17,000 Jews to pits outside the town, ordering them to strip before shooting them dead. Those who refuse to undress have their eyes gouged out.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: The United Kingdom demanded Finland to stop fighting the Soviet Union. Finland, responding to the diplomatic queries from Britain and the US indicates that it is fighting a defensive war to regain territories lost to the Soviets in the 1940 and, although it may seem they are fighting at the side of the Germans, they are fighting for Finland against the aggression of Russia. The Finns stated that;


> "Finland wages her defensive war free from all political obligations, but grateful that she need not fight alone this time … Finland cannot understand how Great Britain, with whom Finland wished and wishes to retain peaceful relations, could regard herself, merely because Finland on this occasion is not alone in fighting the Soviet Union, as forced to treat her as an open enemy."



*NORTH AMERICA*: _The Report on Japanese on the West Coast_ of the United States, often called the Munson Report, was submitted to the administration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt had designated Munson as a special representative and gave him the task of gauging the loyalty of Japanese Americans of Japanese Americans living in California and the West Coast of the United States, many of whom lived on military bases and important manufacturing facilities. Munson found that "_There is some Japanese problems on the West Coast, but it has not yet reached a state in which we should fear them as a country" concluding that there was "a remarkable, even extraordinary degree of loyalty among some of this generally suspect ethnic group, but there were some Issei that remained loyal to their home country, Japan, and its Emperor_." Roosevelt would receive the report on November 7, 1941.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: John Curtin is duly sworn in as the prime minister of Australia. N. J. O. Makin became Minister for the Navy, succeeding W. M. Hughes.

HMAS “_Norman_”, (destroyer), sailed for Sevdhisfjord, Iceland from Australia to transport a British Trade Union Congress Delegation to Archangel, Russia.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Medal citations were awarded for crew members of SS “_Tewkesbury_”. The ship was bombed by a German aircraft. Her defense was so good that the enemy was last seen flying low, with smoke streaming from him. The air crew were picked up later, and the ship is credited with the kill. After the attack, a large bomb of about 250 kilos was found unexploded on the second engine room grating. The vessel was rolling in a North-Easterly wind and sea, and Second Engineer Turner, who was on watch, sat on the bomb to prevent it being rolled off the grating. Second Officer de Neumann at once went to his help. The Master, leaving the Commodore of the convoy on the bridge to attend to navigation, took charge of the disposal squad. The Second Officer and Second Engineer slung the bomb in a rope sling and guided it clear of obstructions, at one point standing on the cylinders to do so. Owing to the darkness and the deep and awkward position into which the bomb had lodged, the whole operation performed with ingenuity and skill without mishap, took over an hour to complete. A second sling was made by the Master and the two Officers and the bomb was dropped over the side. Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was awarded to Captain Theo Pryse. George Medal was awarded to Second Engineer Gerard Llewellyn Turner and Second Officer Bernard Peter de Neumann. Both George Medallists were also awarded Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea.

.

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## Njaco (Oct 7, 2016)

*October 8 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: “_Shokaku_” arrived at Kure, Japan and joined new sister ship “_Zuikaku_” for the first time. She moved around in Kure, Oita, Saeki area in the remainder of the month.

Second Battle of Changsha: Chinese 9th War Area crosses Hsinchiang River as Japanese 11th Army withdraws to the north. Chinese troops arrive outside Yuezhou, ending the second battle of Changsha.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN:* Corvette HMCS “_Camrose_” departed St. John’s for Iceland for Convoy SC-48.

U-83 fired three torpedoes at a convoy escort, but all three missed. U-573 fired three torpedoes at a freighter, but all three missed.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Rain slows the German onslaught. German advances in the northeast are now towards Rzhev and Kalinin and in the south toward Tula and Kaluga. German 16.Armee is attacking into Valdai Hills. The autumn rains begin and the heavy rainfall begins to slow the rapid German mobile advance. The heavy rain created mud that crippled the German Panzers' mobility and held up supplies.

Soviet Army suffers another disaster, this time in the Ukraine. Soviet forces on the Sea of Azov (Northern part of the Black Sea) are on the brink of forcing German 11.Armee off the Perekop Isthmus which links the Crimean peninsula to the mainland. German 1.Panzergruppe reached Berdyansk and Mariupol in Ukraine in an attempt to reinforce the German 11.Armee against Soviet 9th and 18th Armies. 1.Panzergruppe captures Mariupol on the Sea of Azoz, surrounding the 9th and 18th Soviet Armies. Soviet 9th and 18th Armies (100,000 soldiers) are trapped between 1.Panzergruppe, 11.Armee and the sea. The evacuation by sea of the Soviet garrison from Odessa to Sevastopol continues.

In Army Group Center, the battles to close the pincers on Vyazma and Bryansk continue. Elements of 2.Panzerarmee (Generaloberst Heinz Guderian) capture Orel as heavy rain slows the attacks around Moscow. 17.Panzer-Divisionen captures Bryansk. 18.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General W. Nehring) meets elements of the 112.Infanterie-Divisionen (General der Infanterie Friedrich Mieth) (2.Armee), completing the encirclement of the Soviet 3rd, 13th and 50th Armies. The German XLIII.Armeekorps (Heinrici) split Petrov’s 50th Army from the other two encircled Soviet armies. The encirclement is not strong and the Soviets order a withdraw. Soviet 3rd and 50th Army move back in good order while 13th Army fights its way east. 600,000 Soviet troops will eventually be captured along with their equipment. The GKO orders that 1,119 industrial, administrative, and educational institutions in Moscow be prepared for destruction. Zhukov reports by phone to Stalin that Konev's Western Front needs reinforcements at once, then meets with Budenny, commanding Reserve Front.

The Luftwaffe loses another promising fighter pilot when Kurt Lasse, of JG 77 is killed in action. During the war he had thirty-nine kills.

British RAF airmen in Murmansk and Archangel areas in northern Russia began to hand over their aircraft and related equipment to their Soviet counterparts. Stalin authorizes formation of three women's aviation regiments.


> "The chief danger is that almost all routes to Moscow are open and the weak protection along the Mozhaisk Line cannot guarantee against the surprise appearance of the enemy armoured forces before Moscow. We must quickly assemble forces from wherever we can at the Mozhaisk Defense Line." - Zhukov message to the Stavka



*MEDITERRANEAN*: Mussolini calls on the Japanese to pull their weight in the Axis by waging war on Britain.

Just after midnight, German Heinkel He111 bombers from Crete attack shipping at anchor at Safe Anchorage H in the Gulf of Suez. They sink British steamer “_Rosalie Moller_” (carrying 4680 tons of Welsh coal to Alexandria, Egypt, via the Cape of Good Hope) which is awaiting passage through the Suez Canal (2 crew killed, survivors rescued by Australian sloop HMAS “_Parramatta_”).

British bombers from Malta (830 Squadron) sink Italian steamer “_Paolo Z. Podesta_” in a small convoy with a schooner, and two trawlers just leaving Trapani, Sicily, for Tripoli, Libya.

*NORTH AMERICA*: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent Stalin a short message stating that he was;


> "...confident that ways will be found to provide the material and supplies necessary to fight Hitler on all fronts, including your own. I want particularly to take this occasion to express my great confidence that your armies will ultimately prevail over Hitler and to assure you of our great determination to be of every possible material assistance."



*NORTHERN FRONT*: Aircraft from RN carrier “_Victorious_” attacked shipping at Vestfjord.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Colonel John J. Scanlan arrives at Rabaul to take command of all ground forces in the New Guinea Area. Lt. Colonel Howard Carr retained command on the 2/22nd Battalion based at Rabaul.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 7, 2016)



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## parsifal (Oct 8, 2016)

*07 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Barnegat Class AVP USS BARNEGAT (AVP-21)





Allied
Fairmile B ML 278
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient UA
St Nazaire: U-553

At Sea 07 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-553, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-573, U-575, U-576, UA

35 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD LIGHTNING departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to carry out boiler cleaning and repairs. She arrived on the 8th. ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by surveying ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.24 A.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ACTIVE, in the escort of convoy QP.1, took ASW trawler OPHELIA in tow when she developed a defect to her boilers. The DD was ordered to take the trawler directly to Seidisfjord. However, due to bad weather, the ships were diverted to Akureyri where they arrived on the 10th. The DD departed that day at 1230 for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 12th.

*Northern Waters*
CL AURORA, carrying the CinC, Home Fleet, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 7th from Seidisfjord. The CinC transferred his flag to BB PRINCE OF WALES.

*Med/Biscay*
Sloops SHOREHAM and FALMOUTH arrived at Suez from the East Indies to join the Suez Escort Force.

On a patrol over Sicily, a Fulmar of 800 Sqn force landed off Syracuse. Petty Officer A. Jopling and Lt J. S. Manning were rescued and made prisoners of war.

Egyptian lighthouse tender AIDA was damaged by the LW at Zafarana, in the Gulf of Suez. The tender was beached at Zafarana to avoid sinking. There were no casualties aboard the tender.

A convoy of German steamers SALZBURG and TRAPANI, escorted by RM DD SELLA and TB CASTELFIDARDO, departed Suda for Piraeus. On the 7th, submarine TALISMAN unsuccessfully attacked this convoy.

*Nth Atlantic*
At 1617 hrs the Norwegian Whale Factory ship SVEN FOYN, used as a general transport, carrying oil fuel, and a/c and tanks as deck cargo was hit and damaged by U-502. She had a complement of 328, with 30 crew killed or lost in the attack. She was a straggler from convoy HX-152. After being hit ny a torpedo on the starboard side she managed to escape and reached Reykjavik in tow on 11 October, assisted by Corvette HMS SUNFLOWER. On 6 Dec 1941 she was towed for seven days to Liverpool for permanent repairs at Birkenhead, returning to service in May 1942.

CVL FURIOUS arrived at Philadelphia to refit. She returned to England in April 1942

*Central Atlantic*
U-575 was damaged when she was hit by two air launched bombs

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 OCTOBER TO DAWN 8 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_1050-1200 hrs _Air raid alert for some nine enemy aircraft in two formations which cross the coast. 16 Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no interceptions. It is thought the enemy is trying decoy tactics again.

_2051-2135 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach the Island from various directions and drop bombs in the sea without crossing the coast. Two Malta Night Fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and interception is not possible.

_2100 hrs _Surface craft are detected 30000 yards off the coast of Malta and the alert is raised for a possible E-boat attack on Grand Harbour. Coastal searchlights are exposed every 15 minutes and the Royal Navy drop depth charges. Central Infantry Brigade immediately mans all infantry beach and harbour posts in the Grand Harbour area in preparation for an attack. Double sentries are posted on positions. No further incidents take place. 

_2200 hrs _A third formation of seaborne craft is reported.

_2300 hrs _All seaborne craft have left the area. Double sentries are maintained at beach posts throughout the night. Troops are ordered to sleep at their posts.

_0500 hrs Beach and harbour posts stand down; status returns to normal._

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Catalina, 1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Wellington. _38 Squadron _1 Wellington on shipping search. 7 Wellingtons attacked shipping at Tripoli. _69 Squadron _Marylands patrol east Sicilian coast and east Tunisian coast; 2 Marylands on special patrols; photoreconnaissance of Tripoli. _107 Squadron _1 Blenheim searched for the dinghy of Sgt Hamlyn and crew; nothing found. 1 Blenheim attacked a merchant ship off Zuara. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish attacked a merchant vessel off Lampedusa and also Lampedusa Harbour. One Fulmar despatched to attack Comiso and Gerbini aerodromes; the aircraft failed to return to base. Pilot A/PO Arthur Jopling and observer Lt Manning are missing. One Fulmar carried out a search to within four miles of the Sicilian coast without success.


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## parsifal (Oct 8, 2016)

Halder's Diary 7 October 1941


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## parsifal (Oct 8, 2016)

*08 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-507





Type VIIc DKM U-657
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
O Class DD HMS ONSLOW (G-17)





HDML1080, MGB 332, Fairmile B ML 296,, Fairmile B ML 304
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-129

At Sea 08 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575, U-576

34 Boats

U-83 fired three torpedoes at a convoy escort, but all three missed. U-573 fired three torpedoes at a freighter, but all three missed

*OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol*
CV VICTORIOUS, escorted by BB KING GEORGE V, CL PENELOPE, and DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and PUNJABI, launched aircraft to strike at Bodo on the 8th. Two steamers were reported damaged in the air attack. Norwegian steamer HAAKON ADALSTEIN (710grt) was damaged in the attack.

The only casualty in the operation was a slight wounding of one of the air gunners. DD BEDOUIN lost two ratings overboard in heavy weather. A sweep in Vestfjord by DDs SOMALI and MATABELE in Operation EJ was cancelled due to the lack of available DDs and poor weather. An inshore patrol north and south of Alesund by DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, ASHANTI, and ESKIMO was also cancelled.

*Northern Waters*
DD ONSLOW departed Greenock for Scapa Flow to work up. The DD arrived that evening. DD ORIBI departed Scapa Flow at 0900 carrying the CinC Home Fleet to Scrabster, returning to Scapa Flow that afternoon.

RNorN DD DRAUG and motor torpedo boat MTB.56 departed Scapa Flow. The DD proceeded to Grimsby and the motor torpedo boat proceeded to Dover.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.24 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs AMAZON and BULLDOG, corvettes ACONIT, DIANTHUS, and HEARTSEASE, and ASW trawler NOTTS COUNTY. DD GEORGETOWN joined on the 10th. The DDs, corvette HEARTSEASE, and the trawler were detached on the 13th when the convoy was joined by USN DDs DECATUR, GREER, KEARNEY, LIVERMORE, and PLUNKETT. DD KEARNEY was detached on the 14th. The other USN DDs and RN corvettes ACONIT and DIANTHUS were detached on the 15th when the convoy was dispersed.

*SW Approaches*
CVE ARGUS, detached from convoy WS.12, arrived at Gibraltar from the Clyde, escorted by DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and SIKH.

*Med/Biscay*
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and DDs were at sea exercising from Alexandria.

Submarine PORPOISE arrived at Gibraltar. On the 11th, the submarine departed Gibraltar with supplies for Malta.

Corvette PEONY attacked a submarine contact in 34-08N, 35-21E. RAN DD VENDETTA, corvettes DELPHINIUM, SALVIA, and HYACINTH, and two ASW aircraft joined, but no further contact was made. The corvettes were recalled to Beirut on the 10th.

*Steamer ROSALIE MOLLER (UK 3963 grt)* was sunk by the LW in Anchorage H, Suez Canal. Two crew were missing on the steamer. Australian sloop PARRAMATTA rescued the survivors.




_A compositie 3d image derived from dive survey material _

*Steamer PAOLO Z. PODESTA (FI 863 grt)* was sunk by British 830 Squadron attack southwest of Favignana. The steamer was in a small convoy of PAOLO Z. PODESTA, a schooner, and two trawlers en route from Trapani to Tripoli, via Pantelleria.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine RORQUAL laid fifty mines in the Gulf of Athens. RM TBs ALTAIR and ALDEBARAN were lost on this minefield on the 20th.

Submarine PERSEUS arrived at Malta from patrol off Benghazi. Submarine P.34 arrived at Malta from Gibraltar. Submarine THORN unsuccessfully attacked a steamer and a DD in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Dutch submarine O.21 arrived at Gibraltar after patrol in the Mediterranean

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria for Port Said. COVENTRY and RHN DD VASILLISA OLGA passed through the Suez Canal on the 9th en route to India. The CLA provided AA support for steamers NEA HELLAS and INDRAPOERA. After calling at Aden to fuel on the 11th, the cruiser then sailed and rejoined the ships.

Steamers NEA HELLAS and INDRAPOERA joined steamers VOLENDAM and DUNERA at Aden and departed on the 13th as convoy SW 10, escorted by AMC CARTHAGE. CLA COVENTRY departed Aden on the 13th and escorted a Norwegian tanker back to Aden, arriving on the 14th.

COVENTRY departed Aden on the 15th with the VASILISSA OLGA. The CLA proceeded to Bombay for a refit, including fitting a new bow, replacing a temporary bow from her December 1940 torpedoing. The British cruiser and Greek destroyer both arrived at Bombay on the 20th. The Greek destroyer departed on the 23rd for Calcutta for fitting of asdics.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 OCTOBER TO DAWN 9 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Heavy rain in the afternoon.

_Dawn _Enemy aircraft carry out air reconnaissance in the area where surface vessels were detected overnight.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Perseus_ arrived from patrol off Benghazi for docking and repairs. Two small supply ships sunk. _P34_ arrived from the United Kingdom via Gibraltar. 

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Beaufighter, 8 Blenheim. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols east Tunisian coast and 3 special patrols. _107 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked transport on the Misurata-Sirte road. _221 Squadron _2 Wellingtons on special patrols. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _4 Swordfish attacked a northbound enemy convoy of one merchant ship, a schooner and two trawlers. Two torpedoes were dropped hitting a merchant ship which sank.


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## parsifal (Oct 8, 2016)

Halders Diary 8 October 1941


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## Njaco (Oct 8, 2016)

*October 9 Thursday*
*ASIA*:  Yamamoto addresses assembled skippers of the Combined Fleet and warns them to be prepared for war against the Allies. Yamamoto then conducts five days of map exercises in order to study plans for attacking Pearl Harbor.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: By chance U-71 met U-204, U-83 and U-372 some 500 miles off Spain.

*EASTERN FRONT*: There were massive encirclements of Soviet troops from Leningrad in the North to the Sea of Azov on the Black Sea, with the largest pockets in the middle around Bryansk and Vyasma. Coupled with the destruction of Soviet Southwestern Front around Kiev, these cauldron battles (Kesselschlacht) will result in 2 million unrecoverable Soviet losses. However, Stalin knows from his spy in Tokyo (Richard Sorge) that the Japanese have no plans to attack USSR and instead intend to expand South by moving on British and American interests. Stalin transfers troops from the Far East to protect Moscow. Stalin orders twelve divisions (1700 tanks, 1500 planes, 2,500,000 men) from eastern Siberia and Outer Mongolia to come to the defense of Moscow. Soviet reserves move into defensive positions on the direct approaches to Moscow. The Mozhaisk Defensive Line was still incomplete but Zhukov rushed troops into the line to block the gaps. Six rifle divisions, six armoured brigades, ten artillery regiments and machine-gun battalions. Rokossovsky and his men escaped the Vyazma pocket reached the headquarters of the Western Front. Zhukov ordered Rokossovsky to defend 100 odd km at the northern part of the Mozhaisk Defensive Line. There he began to form a new 16th Army from the remnants of Lukin’s old 16th Army, Lev Dovator’s Cossacks, the 316th Rifle Division, a regiment of cadets from the School of the Supreme Soviet, the remnants of the 18th (Leningrad) Volunteer Division, and some artillery and other supporting units. The 316th Rifle Division, under General Panfilov, was up to establishment, was well trained, and fully equipped. As soon as it entered the line it earned the respect of the Germans. 316th Rifle Division deployed on the left flank of 16th Army to the west and southwest of the small city of Volokolamsk. A howitzer battalion of cadets from the Krasin Artillery School in Moscow supported 16th Army’s Cossacks, 316th Rifle Division, and the cadet infantry. Although well trained the artillery cadets had never fired their weapons before they entered combat. They had artillery tractors for their guns but the tractors could go at most 8 km / hour. A detachment of Soviet NKVD troops prevented a company of German Brandenburg 800 Division saboteurs from destroying the Istra Water Reservoir near Moscow. General Artemev assumed command of a newly formed Moscow Reserve Front. Despite the reinforcements the Germans continued to advance. Kaluga, Borodino, Kalinin, Maloyaroslavers, and Mozhaisk fell. Elements of German 2.Panzerarmee began attacking toward Kursk. The 1st Guard Rifle Corp was committed at Mtsensk and temporarily stopped Guderian’s tanks from moving closer to Moscow. The Germans contained Russian attempts to breakout south of Bryansk.

On this dateThe Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 1,169 adult male, 1,840 adult female, and 717 children, all Jews, were killed in Svenciany, Lithuania for a total of 3,726 people.

*GERMANY*: Hitler publicly announced that the war against the Soviet Union is all but over.

Georg von Bismarck was named the commanding officer of the 20.Panzer-Divisionen.

Berlin and Ankara sign a trade agreement.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Germany and Turkey conclude a trade agreement worth 200 million marks. Turkey signs a trade treaty with Germany to supply raw materials in exchange for manufactured goods.

*NORTH AFRICA*: The RAF Desert Air Force was formed.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Dr. Vannevar Bush, head of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, took the British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee Report to US President Franklin Roosevelt. Bush briefs Roosevelt and Vice President Henry A. Wallace on the state of atomic bomb research. Roosevelt instructs Bush to find out if a bomb can be built and at what cost. Bush receives permission to explore construction needs with the Army.

Roosevelt requests Congress to amend the Neutrality act to allow US flag merchants to be armed for self defense stating,


> “We cannot permit the affirmative defense of our rights to be annulled and diluted by sections of the Neutrality Act which have no realism in the light of unscrupulous ambition of madmen. We will not let Hitler prescribe the waters of the world which our ships may travel…The American flag is not going to be driven from the seas either by his submarines, his airplanes or his threats."



*PACIFIC OCEAN*: German raider “_Atlantis_” reaches Vanavana in the Pomotu Islands (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia).

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead and Rhubarb operations. 12 Hurricane IIb from RAF No. 615 Sqn. flew a Roadstead operation over Ostend-Nieuport and claimed two He 59 aircraft destroyed.

RAF No. 601 Squadron mounted a mission with four P-39 Airacobra aircraft, strafing German barges near Dunkerque, France. This was to be the final Airacobra mission with the RAF.

The Vichy Supreme Court indicted Léon Blum, Édouard Daladier, Guy La Chambre, Maurice Gamelin and Robert Jacomet for treason against their duties to the state during the years leading up to France's defeat in 1940. The defendants would go on trial beginning in February 1942 in proceedings that would be known as the Riom Trial.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 9, 2016)

*October 10 Friday*
*ASIA*:  American Military Mission to China, headed by Brigadier General John Magruder, arrives in Chungking to oversee Lend-Lease and military aid. Madam Chiang makes a radio broadcast to America:


> “We are the senior nation in the stand against aggression.”



*ATLANTIC OCEAN: *U-126 sank SS “_Nailsea Manor_” in Convoy OS-7. U-331 damaged HM LCT-18. U-331 was then attacked by 3 fighter aircraft and one of its gunners died.

U.S. Navy Task Group 14.3, under command of Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, comprised of the aircraft carrier USS “_Yorktown_” (CV 5), battleship USS “_New Mexico_” (BB 40), heavy cruiser USS “_Quincy_” (CA 39), light cruiser USS “_Savannah_” (CL 42), and Destroyer Divisions 3 and 16, set sail from Argentia, Newfoundland, for Casco Bay, Maine. Encountering heavy weather en route, the USS “_Yorktown_”, USS “_New Mexico_”, USS “_Quincy_”, USS “_Savannah_”, and destroyers USS “_Rhind_” (DD 404), USS “_Hammann_” (DD 412), USS “_Anderson_” (DD 411), USS “_Sims_” (DD 409), USS “_Mayrant_” (DD 402), USS “_Rowan_” (DD 405), USS “_Hughes_” (DD 410), and USS “_Trippe_” (DD 403) would all suffer damage before the force reaches Casco Bay on October 13.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German Heeresgruppe Süd (GFM Gerd von Rundstedt) ends the battle of encirclement along the Sea of Azov and takes 100,000 prisoners. The German 1.Panzerarmee reached the Sea of Azov. 1. SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) of 1.Panzerarmee is attacking toward Taganrog. German 6.Armee captures Sumy. Soviet 9th and 18th Armies begin to fight their way out of the German encirclement and take up defensive positions around Stalino.

Despite the withdrawal, Soviet 3rd and 50th Armies are once again surrounded in the Bryansk area. This time the encirclement would hold. The trapped soldiers would fight on for two more weeks, but in the end, only 30,000 of the 600,000 would escape. At Gzhatsk (now known as Gagarin, 32 miles East of Vyasma and 40 miles from the main defensive line at Mozhaysk), Soviet 18th and 19th tank Brigades hold up the German spearhead, SS Reich Division which suffers about 500 casualties. The German 4.Armee, straddling the Minsk-Moscow highway, begins its advance on Moscow after a week of regrouping. German 4.Panzer-Divisionen reached Mtsensk, Russia in Oryol Oblast, but it would be held there for many days by stubborn Soviet resistance. Elements of German 2.Panzerarmee capture Mzensk on the road to Tula. All of Army Group Center is now moving in on Moscow. General Zhukov takes command of Western Front with Konev as his deputy, although Stalin originally wanted the latter tried before military tribunal. A new Soviet Western Front was made up of the remnants of the former Western Front, the Southwestern Front, and the Reserve Front. Budenny's Soviet Reserve Front, which was mostly destroyed, is disbanded. Zhukov immediately called for the formation of a new defensive Mozhaysk Line to protect Moscow, Russia, stretching from Tula south of the city to Volokolamsk to the northwest. Defensive fortifications will be hastily built, mainly by civilians. In addition, Soviet 32nd Rifle Division (full-strength Division with 15,000 fresh, well-trained troops) begins arriving at Mozhaysk by train from Siberia.

The German 250.Infanterie Division, also known as the Blue Division, entered service on the Eastern Front. This division was notable as being made up of Spanish volunteers.

Soviet bombers and fighters attack Orel airfield and claim 75 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed on the ground.

German Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau issued the "Severity Order" in which he ordered the annihilation of Bolshevism and the extermination of Jews. Reichenau, the C-in-C of the German 6.Armee today told his men:


> “In the east, the soldier is not merely a fighter according to the rules of war, but also the bearer of an inexorable national idea and the Avenger of all bestialities inflicted upon the German people and its racial kin. Therefore the soldier must always have a full understanding for the necessity of a severe but just atonement on Jewish subhumanity.”


 Hitler likes the wording so much that he is going to have it issued as a model for other generals on the eastern front.



> "The situation of the encircled forces has worsened sharply. There are few shells, bullets are running out, and there is no food. They eat that which the population can provide and horseflesh. Medicines and dressing materials are used up. All tents and dwellings are overflowing with wounded." - Lieutenant-General Lukin



*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 37. The Army is to go on the defensive in Finland, and prepare to capture Murmansk next year. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/37.html He also orders that the following list should prioritize all armament programmes on the home front:
a. Production of aircraft
b. The Flak programme (Luftwaffe and Army)
c. The Flak munitions programme (Luftwaffe and Army)

Adolf Hitler ordered a stop to night intruder operations over RAF airfields in eastern England. 1./NJG 2 who have been conducting successful harrying of returning RAF bombers were consequently transferred to the Mediterranean.

Reinhard Heydrich established a camp-ghetto in Sudetenland in southern Germany (occupied Czechoslovakia) that would later be known as the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp. He recommended the site to be used to house deported German, Austrian, and Czechoslovakian Jews. He placed Adolf Eichmann and Rolf Günther in charge of establishing this camp-ghetto.

RAF Bomber Command sends 78 aircraft to attack the Krupp works in Essen and 69 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Italian submarines “_Saint Bon_”, “_Cagni_”, and “_Atropo_” engaged in transport operations from Taranto to Bardia.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Tank production in Detroit, Michigan, is hampered by an inter-union struggle as CIO members refuse to handle parts made by AFL workers.

The USN decrees that all fleet aircraft are painted flat light grey with all surfaces viewed from above to be painted flat blue grey.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Captain Lester J. Hudson relieved Captain Richard E. Cassidy as Commander, South China Patrol, on board river gunboat USS “_Mindanao_” (PR 8) at Hong Kong, British Crown Colony.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Allied convoy QP-1, which was consisted of 14 British and Soviet merchant ships escorted by British cruiser HMS “_London_” and four minesweepers, from Arkhangelsk, Russia arrived at Scapa Flow, Scotland.

Winston Churchill appoints Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten as Director of Combined Operations, and instructs him to prepare for the invasion of Europe.

The aircraft carrier HMS “_Indomitable_” (92) was commissioned. Her first commander was Captain Harold E. Morse.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft to attack Bordeaux overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 10, 2016)

*09 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-334






Type VIIc DKM U-591
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class net tender USS EUCALYPTUS (AN-16)





Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS TURACO (AMc-55)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS SOUTHWOLD (L-10)






Bathurst Class MSW/Corvette HMAS TOOWOOMBA (J-157)






Fairmile C Class HMS MGB 334
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: UA
St. Nazaire: U-575

Departures
St Nazaire; U-568

At Sea 09 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-553, U-559, , U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-576

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Fishing vessel GUNTHER (Ger 252 grt)* was lost near Gotland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
CA LONDON arrived at Scapa Flow from Archangel. DD OFFA embarked the party carried on the heavy cruiser at 1000 and sailed with them for Scrabster. The DD returned to Scapa Flow that same day.

DD CHARLESTOWN departed Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow to carry out repairs to her oil tanks, arriving on the morning of the 10th.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine PORPOISE departed Troon after refitting on the 2nd arrived at Gibraltar on the 9th.

*Med/Biscay*
Cl GALATEA departed Anchorage H (Towila) for Suez with the survivors of ships sunk. After landing the survivors, the CL passed through the Canal on the 10th for Alexandria.

Sloop FLAMINGO passed through the Suez Canal to return to Alexandria to rejoin the Med Flt.

Submarines UNIQUE, UPHOLDER and Polish SOKOL departed Malta on short notice to intercept a convoy between Pantelleria and Lampedusa. UPHOLDER returned with generator problems.

*Nth Atlantic*
Canadian troop convoy TC.14 departed Halifax with steamers ANDES, AORANGI, CAPETOWN CASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, REINA DEL PACIFICO, and WARWICK CASTLE. The convoy was initially escorted by DD ST FRANCIS from 9 to 12 October, followed by DD RESTIGOUCHE from 9 to 15 October, DDs HARVESTER and HAVELOCK from 9 to 17 October, DD SKEENA from 11 to 15 October, DD BUXTON from 11 to 17 October, DDs HIGHLANDER and BROADWATER from 14 to 16 October, DD SHERWOOD from 14 to 17 October, CLA \ CAIRO and DD MONT from 15 to 17 October. The convoy arrived on the 17th.

*Central Atlantic*
EX-US Coast Guard cutters/escorts TOTLAND and SENNEN arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown escorting Norwegian tankers VANJA and SANDAR.

Corvettes AZALEA and SPIRAEA departed Gibraltar for Bathurst, escorting the 26th Motor Launch Flotilla. Tanker LA CARRIERE departed in company and proceeded to the West Indies. Motor Launch ML.244 later broke down and returned to Gibraltar.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 OCTOBER TO DAWN 10 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Heavy rainstorms.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unique, Sokol _and _Upholder_ sailed at short notice to intercept a convoy between Pantellaria and Lampedusa. _Upholder_ returned with generator problems.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Beaufighter. _Departures _1 Bombay, 1 Catalina, 2 Sunderland, 4 Wellington. _69 Squadron _1 Blenheim and 1 Maryland patrols east Sicilian coast. _107 Squadron _2 Blenheims attacked motor transport on the Homs-Tripoli road. 2 Blenheims on shipping sweep of south coast of Italy. Both failed to return (W/Cdr Harte and F/O Whitford-Walders). _221 Squadron _1 Wellington on special patrol; 1 Wellington in shipping search. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish attacked a southbound convoy of 4 merchant ships and 5 destroyers. 6 torpedoes were dropped and three hits claimed, stopping two merchant ships. The same 7 Swordfish carried out a second attack on two other merchant ships and four destroyers of same convoy. Five torpedoes were released and one hit stopped a merchant ship.


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## parsifal (Oct 10, 2016)

Halder's Diary 09 October 1941


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## parsifal (Oct 10, 2016)

*10 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS ADVANCE (AMc-63)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Indomitable Class CV HMS INDOMITABLE (CV-92)




_“Typical day at the office” - 12 August 1942: INDOMITABLE on fire after being bombed. CLA CHARYBDIS is screening the carrier_

Fairmile B ML 342
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class coastal MSW MMS-53 (J-553)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Project 7 Class DD VMF RETIVIY




_This is an Anshan class DD, one of the Project 7 or 7U DDs passed to the PRC after the war. The torpedo tubes have been replaced with antiship missiles. The ship next to it where you can see the bow is a Luda class, which is heavily based on the Kotlin and Neustrashimmy_ class

*Losses
Steamer NAILSEA MANOR (UK 4926 grt)* was sunk after being torpedoed by U-126. The ship was loaded with a cargo military stores, including mail, ammunition and an LCT as deck cargo. She was a straggler from Convoy OS-7 on passage from Newport to Suez, via Belfast and Freetown. She had a crew of 42, all were to survive the attack. The details of the attack are that at 0543 hrs the vessel was was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-126 and started to list to starboard. The deck cargo was hanging over the port side and a fire broke out in the shelter deck, where the mail was stowed. The crew, aware of the cargo of ammunition abandoned ship quickly before she sank northeast of the Cape Verde Islands. The master, 35 crew members, five gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in and one 12pdr gun and two Hotchkiss and four Lewis machine guns) and one passenger (a Petty Officer in charge of the landing craft) were picked up by Corvette VIOLET, transferred to the British MV CITY OF HONG KONG when they rejoined the convoy later that day and landed at Freetown on 14 October.

The NAILSEA MANOR had been a straggler since 1 October together with the GERRY BRYN and HAZELSIDE when they had encountered bad weather west of Cape Blanco and started to have troubles with their deck cargoes. After the cargo was secured and the weather became better, the ships continued at 10 knots, accompanied by the corvette, which stayed with the ships since they dropped out of the convoy.





The *landing craft LCT 102 (RN 450 grt)* stored in four sections on deck was lost with the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*Steamer KYMA (Gk 3959 grt)* was sunk after striking a mine. On the 11/10/1941 the Greek cargo steamer KYMA was on passage from Montreal to Hull, with a cargo of Grain, 6000 tons & Vehicles, (lorries & trucks) 90 tons, when she struck a mine and sank 1.5 miles, 60 degrees from Humber Light Float in 7 fathoms. The entire crew was rescued.







*UBOATS*
At Sea 10 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-553, U-559, , U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-576

33 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
Sloop LOWESTOFT departed Harwich for Scapa Flow at noon to work up after repairs. The sloop arrived at Scapa Flow just past midday on the 12th.

*Northern Patrol*
The Forces that had participated in Operation EJ returned to Scapa Flow on the 10th, with DD PUNJABI arriving independently.

CA SHROPSHIRE was detached from convoy QP.1 for Scapa Flow, where she arrived at just after midnight on the 11th.

Faroes auxiliary fishing vessel FUGLOYGJIN was damaged by the LW at Klaksvig (Faeroes). The ship sank, but was later salved and returned to service.

*Northern Waters*
CLs KENYA and SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde where they arrived on the 11th.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.25 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD DOUGLAS. The convoy was joined on the 11th by DDs SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA, and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ZENO and VIZALMA. The trawlers were detached on the 13th and the corvettes on the 15th. The DDs were detached on the 16th when relieved by corvettes ALGOMA, CHAMBLY, MATAPEDIA, NAPANEE, ORILLIA, and PICTOU. Corvette PICTOU was detached later that day. On the 19th, RCN DD OTTAWA joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 24th.

*Med/Biscay*
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CLs AJAX and HOBART, and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JUPITER, KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, HASTY, HOTSPUR, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE departed Alexandria to sweep westward. At 1800, the fleet turned back to the eastward. DD JERVIS attacked a submarine contact at 0730 in 31-14N, 29-14E. The DD remained searching for 3 hrs before continuing. The Battle Fleet returned to Alexandria on the 11th.

Landing craft tanks A.2 (Sub Lt E. L. Clark RNVR), A 7 (Sub Lt A. C. Bromley RNVR), and A.18 (Sub Lt L. D. Peters RNVR), en route to Tobruk from Mersa Matruh, encountered U.331 at 0520 near Ashaila Rocks off Sidi Barrani.

U.331 slightly damaged Lighter A.18 in 31-10N, 26-42E. The lighter returned to Mersa Matruh, while the other two lighters continued to Tobruk. Sub Lt G. S. Sinclair RNR, the group navigator in A.18 was wounded.

The lighters registered some hits on the submarine with their pom poms, wounding two men in the forward gun crew, one later died of wounds, and damaging the conning tower.

DDs HERO, NIZAM, and KIPLING departed Alexandria to join the battle fleet. DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, JUPITER, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE were detached from the battle fleet at 1800 to sweep towards Bardia. The DDrs returned to Alexandria at midafternoon on the 11th after an unsuccessful search.

*Steamer CITTA DI SIMI (FI 250 grt)* was sunk by submarine THUNDERBOLT twelve miles from Cape Sidero, Crete.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on the 16th

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.154 departed Halifax escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and corvette AMHERST. The corvette was detached the next day. USN DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, GLEAVES, LANSDALE, MADISON, and SIMPSON joined on the 12th. DD ANNAPOLIS was detached on the 13th. The USN group was relieved on the 19th by DDs DOUGLAS, SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST ZENO. DDs DOUGLAS and SKATE and the corvettes were detached on the 22nd. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

USN CV YORKTOWN, BB NEW MEXICO, CA QUINCY, CL SAVANNAH, and DesDivs 3 and 16 departed Argentia for Casco Bay. Encountering heavy weather, YORKTOWN, NEW MEXICO, QUINCY, SAVANNAH, RHIND, HAMMANN, ANDERSON, SIMS, MAYRANT, ROWAN, HUGHES, and TRIPPE arrived at Casco Bay on the 13th. All ships suffered varying degrees of weather damage.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARON departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol.


*Malta*
BRITISH PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN

The following communications have been approved today by the British Underground Propaganda Committee for transmission via rumour networks, in a bid to undermine morale among Axis troops and civilians:

_Italy for general Mediterranean distribution_
A ship with 500 Italian soldiers on board sailed into Malta and surrendered. They have mutinied and killed their officers.

During the last ten days seven [Axis] supply ships have put into Malta and surrendered. The British show special ignal lights for deserters, who are given the choice of going to India or England.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 OCTOBER TO DAWN 11 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Cooler with some rain.

_1033-1052 hrs _Air raid alert for two formations of six enemy fighters which cross the Island. 13 Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no engagements. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _2 Blenheim. _38 Squadron _6 Wellingtons attacked convoy. _69 _

_Squadron _2 Marylands on special patrol. 1 Maryland on convoy search. Photoreconnaissance of Tripoli. _107 Squadron _2 Blenheims searched for missing Blenheim crews. _221 Squadron _2 Wellingtons searched for convoy. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish carried out two attacks on a convoy of 3 merchant ships, 1 tanker and 5 destroyers. The first lasted from 2208 to 2230 hrs during which the 3 merchant vessels were damaged, 2 seriously. The Swordfish returned to base and refuelled, then attacked the convoy again at 0440 hrs, at the end of which two merchant ships were sunk.


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## parsifal (Oct 10, 2016)

Halder's Diary 10 October 1941


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## Njaco (Oct 10, 2016)

*October 11 Saturday*
*EASTERN FRONT:* The remnants of the old West Front and the Reserve Front are combined to form the new West Front under General Zhukov’s command. Thousands fled Moscow, based on rumors of an imminent German capture of the Soviet capital. To the west, the enveloped Soviet troops at Vyasma suffered a heavy artillery and air bombardment that caused heavy casualties. Soviet troops encircled at Vyasma are ordered to break out at all costs, after having been refused permission to retreat before being surrounded. Instead, they are decimated by German artillery and air bombardment, particularly Stukas. Germans have reduced the Vyasma pocket from 75 x 35 km to 20 x 20 km. Only the 91st Rifle division is successful at escaping. At Bryansk, enveloped Soviet 3rd and 13th Armies counterattacked and break through the weak cordon held by Guderian's 2.Panzerarmee which is exhausted after months of fighting. In the south, German 1.Panzerarmee prepares to advance toward Rostov while 17.Armee prepares to advance toward Voroshilovgrad.

Soviet Air Force aircraft strike Luftwaffe staging airfields along the northwestern, western, and southwestern approaches to Moscow. After Soviet intelligence detects Luftwaffe plans for a major air attack on October 12 targeting industrial complexes, airfields, railroad terminals, and logistical facilities in the Soviet Western Front area, Soviet Air Force aircraft mount a major preemptive strike against German airfields at Vitebsk, Smolensk, Orel, Orsha, Siversk, and elsewhere overnight on October 11–12, followed by another large raid on the morning of October 12. The Soviets claim 500 German aircraft destroyed, although German sources do not confirm that number.

Allied convoy PQ-1, consisting of 11 merchant ships escorted by 7 British warships, arrived in Arkhangelsk, Russia. The first large convoy from England brought 20 heavy tanks and 193 aircraft to the beleaguered Russians. It sailed from Hvalfjord in Iceland on 28 September escorted by the cruiser HMS “_Suffolk_”, two destroyers and an anti-submarine group. Depending on the ice conditions, convoys using this route may have to travel up to 2,000 miles, frequently on stormy seas and in freezing temperatures. Convoys on this route have to take an oil tanker along with them to fuel the escorts. Efforts were made to establish a refuelling base for the route on the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen. Rear-Admiral Philip Vian took two cruisers and two destroyers there on 27 July, but he found it too exposed to German air attack to be safe as a port of call. The second PQ convoy is due to leave next week. By the time it arrives here the winter freeze will have begun. The Russians are hoping to keep the port open throughout the winter, but the Allies are nervous of risking valuable ships sailing hazardously through the narrow channels in the ice. They may have to divert to Murmansk.

The personnel of JG 77 lose another pilot when seven victory Experte Hans Schmeidler, is killed in action. Victorious on the Russian front is 9./JG 52, whose total of kills for the _Staffel_ reaches fifty-nine on this date, making them the most successful of III./JG 52's three _Staffeln_ despite the harsh letter from Reichsmarschall Göring in July. One of 9./JG 52's most triumphant pilots is Lt. Hermann Graf.

Major Günther Lützow, Kommodore of JG 3, is awarded the _Schwerten_ for achieving ninety-two kills over the Russian battlefield.

*GERMANY*: ‘Don’t listen to foreign broadcasts’ the German people are warned today by Goebbels. He is reported by Berlin Radio to have said: “It is not a question of being afraid to hear what they say. It is simply a preventative measure. Germs are treacherous enemies, even of a healthy people.” One result, he adds, is too much grumbling.

RAF Bomber Command sends 27 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Malta-based British bombers of RAF No. 830 Squadron attacked an Italian convoy (escorted by Italian destroyers “_Granatiere_”, “_Bersagliere_”, “_Fucliere_” and “_Alpino_”) 100 miles north of Tripoli, sinking ships “_Zena_” and “_Casaregis_”.

Traveling in disguise with false passport, the Grand Mufti arrives Rome from Iran via Turkey.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Corvettes HMS “_Nanaimo_” and “_Lethbridge_” departed Canada as close escort for the Sydney, Nova Scotia to Liverpool 31-ship convoy SC-49 as far as Iceland. Both ships were Flower-class corvettes. SC-49 arrived safely in Liverpool, on 27 Oct 41.

President Roosevelt wrote to Winston Churchill requesting a gentleman's agreement to share information on atomic research. Churchill would write back in December accepting the request.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: While attacking a RAF Oxford twin-engined trainer over Grantham, England, Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 and his Ju 88 collide with the British aircraft and he and his crew are killed. Lt. Hahn had twelve victories at this time, all night intruder victories over the British Isles.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 11, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 11, 2016)

*October 12 Sunday*
*ASIA*: The American and Japanese Press announced that “_Tatsuta Maru_” would depart Yokohama, Japan for San Francisco, California, United States via Honolulu on 15 Oct 1941.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German motor torpedo boats S41, S47, S53, S62, S104, and S105 attacked Allied convoy FN531 just off the coast of East Anglia, England, sinking British ship “_Chevington_” (9 killed) and Norwegian ship “_Roy_” (3 killed).

The neutral Portuguese steam merchant “_Corte Real_” was stopped for inspection by the U-83, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Werner Kraus, 80 miles west of Lisbon in the eastern Atlantic Ocean at 1400 hours. It was established that they were carrying contraband because most of the cargo was en route to Canada and Australia, so the Germans removed the 42 crew members onto 3 lifeboats and then sunk “_Corte Real_”. U-83 towed the lifeboats for 3 hours toward Lisbon, Portugal before cutting the tow lines. The 2,044 ton “_Corte Real_” was carrying cork, dyes, watches, wine, and canned food and was bound for New York.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock received an order from German Supreme Command: _"The Führer has reaffirmed his decision that the surrender of Moscow will not be accepted, even if it is offered by the enemy."_ Generalfeldmarschall von Bock then ordered an all-out push for Moscow. Germans move toward Moscow on a broad front despite the heavy rains. Many German formations have advanced over 70km in 5 days. On the northern flank of Army Group Center, 1.Panzer-Divisionen takes Rhzev and Staritsa on the Volga north of Zubtov. They were then ordered to take the vital communications hub of Kalinn. On the southern flank, Kaluga, less than 100 miles southwest of Moscow is captured by the Germans. The GKO set up the Moscow Defence Zone and ordered the construction of another defensive line around Moscow itself. Remnants of the Soviet forces still encircled at Vyazma continue to attack east in feeble attempts to escape the German encirclement. Two rifle divisions broke out of the Vyazma pocket in the night through a swampy sector where the panzers could not operate. Lukin then destroyed his heavy equipment and ordered the men in the pocket to escape in small groups. Some reached the Russian lines and others joined the partisans. Lukin was wounded and captured but survived the war. SS Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser’s SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ from XLVI.Armeekorps (mot.) was the only major German Motorized unit that was not involved in the Vyazma fighting and it was ordered to push eastward down the Minsk-Moscow Highway. Since ‘Reich’ was relatively weak in anti-tank capability a Kampfgruppe from 10. Panzer Division was duly dispatched to assist him. The SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) captured Gzhatsk. Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that snow continued to fall amidst the campaign in the Soviet Union. Heavy rain and the subsequent mud forces the Army Group South to call a temporary halt in their advance.

440,000 Moscow citizens, mostly women, children and old men, are mobilized to build defenses in and around Moscow. In four days they would dig 60 miles of anti-tank ditches, 5000 miles of troop trenches and lay 177 miles of barbed wire.

German forces launched an attack against the Soviet garrison on the island of Hiiumaa in the Baltic Sea. Despite being outnumbered and lacking in ammunition, the garrison would hold out for six days.

German 250th Infantry Division of Spanish volunteers was deployed on the River Volkhov near Leningrad, Russia.

11,000 Jews of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine were massacred.

The Bloody Sunday massacre took place in Stanisławów Ghetto. The Bloody Sunday massacre was the single largest massacre of Polish Jews perpetrated by the uniformed police in the General Government prior to genocidal Aktion Reinhardt of 1942. On the orders of Hans Krueger thousands of Jews gathered at the Ringplatz market square for a selection. The Nazi forces (augmented by the Orpo Reserve Police Battalion 133 brought in from Lemberg, and the Ukrainian police) escorted them to the Jewish cemetery, where the mass graves had already been prepared. At the cemetery the Jews were forced to give away their valuables, and show their papers. The shooters ordered the Jews gathered in groups to strip naked and then proceed to the graves. The men of the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo) were the first to open fire, augmented by members of the Nürnberg Order Police, and the Bahnschutz railroad police. The victims either fell into the graves or were ordered to jump in before being killed. Between 10,000 and 12,000 Jews were murdered: men, women and children.

Peter L. Kapitza, one of the leaders of Soviet physics, remarked at an international "anti-Fascist" meeting of scientists in Moscow that the recent discovery of nuclear energy could be useful in the war against Germany and that the theoretical prospects of a uranium bomb seemed promising. The Soviet Union would later launch its own atomic program.

*GERMANY*: 373 RAF aircraft (a new highest total) were involved in operations over Germany – 152 bombers to Nürnberg, 118 bombers, mainly Avro Manchesters from Bomber Command No.5 Group to Bremen (99), and Hüls (90), with 32 on minor operations such as minelaying.. The Nuremberg raid highlights the problems of navigating by dead reckoning with a changeable wind as bombs were reported from Stuttgart, 95 miles west of the target and Lauingen 65 miles away. The crews sent to the other main targets were only marginally more successful.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation CULTIVATE, the relief of the Tobruk garrison, began. With the moon waning, the final phase to replace Australian 9th Division at Tobruk, Libya begins. British cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Hero_”, HMS “_Kipling_”, and HMS “_Nizam_” departed Alexandria, Egypt bringing British 14th Infantry Brigade and 23rd Infantry Brigade into Tobruk and evacuating Australian 20th Infantry Brigade and 26th Infantry Brigade to Egypt. German submarine U-75 discovered them and attacked 35 miles west of Tobruk. The 372 ton landing craft HMS TLC-2 (A 2) was sunk by gunfire by the U-75, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Helmuth Ringelmann. All of the ship’s complement of 16 died. The 372 ton landing craft HMS TLC-7 (A 7) was sunk by gunfire by U-75. Of the ship’s complement, 21 died and 1 survivor was picked up by the U-boat and taken prisoner, whom would be delivered to Germany for interrogations.

Axis Convoy departs Trapani for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Da Recco_” and “_Sebenico_” and a torpedo boat.

*NORTH AFRICA*: A series of relief efforts for Tobruk begin today. During the next 14 days over 7000 troops of the British 70th Infantry Division will be transferred in and almost 8000 Australians will be pulled out. The minelayer “_Latona_” is sunk by a Stuka attack and one destroyer is damaged in the operations.

Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 scored his 24th and 25th kills as he shot down P-40 fighters piloted by Flying Officer H. G. Roberts and Sergeant Derek Scott over Bir Sheferzan, Libya. He also damaged another P-40 fighter on this day.

British breweries sent 35 tons of beer to Tobruk for distribution on Christmas Day. Troops should be able to drink to the longest siege in British history.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Kriegsmarine destroyer “_Friedrich Eckoldt_” rammed, apparently intentionally, by Norwegian vessel “_Vaagen_” and heavily damaged. British vessel “_Glynn_” is heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft and subsequently sinks.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A Dornier Do 217 of 5./KG 2 on an evening reconnaissance flight over the eastern Atlantic, confuses the English Channel with the Bristol Channel. Crossing the north coast of Devon, thinking it to be France, the pilot, Lt. Dolenga uses the two German radio beacons in France to direct him home. What he gets instead are two beacons from "Meacon" spoof transmitters at Newbury and Templecombe. Flying across the length of southern England in the darkness, the crew finally realizes the mistake. But it's too late. Running out of fuel, the Dornier eventually crash lands in an open field at Jury's Gut, near Lydd in Kent. The Royal Air Force secures its first intact example of the Do 217.

After dark, German bombers attacked Manchester, Clayton, Denton, and Oldham in England, causing generally light damage. 23 were killed at Oldham.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Boulogne during the day and another 24 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 12, 2016)

*11 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM M-255
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIc DKM U-209





Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS COURIER (AMc-72)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Accentor Class MSW USS ENDURANCE (AMc-77)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net Tender USS HOLLY (AN-19)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
LCT 132, MA/SB-34
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Motor launch ML.288 (RN 76 grt)* was lost in heavy weather off Hartlepool.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Salamis (Greece): U-331

Departures
Brest, France: U-432, U-558
St. Nazaire: U-73, U-77, U-85, U-101, U-751

At Sea 11 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-85, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-559, U-558, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-576, U-751

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TIGRIS unsuccessfully attacked a German eastbound convoy off North Cape.

Baltic
Estonian steamers (in Soviet Service) EESTIRAND and KAISSAAR, carrying deportees from Tallinn to Leningrad, were damaged by the LW off Wrangel Island.

*North Sea*
British steamer ICEMAID was damaged by a mine off Orfordness near Shipwash Light Vessel off Harwich. The steamer arrived at Harwich in tow on the 12th

*Northern Patrol*
Norwegian motor vessel SILVA was damaged by the LW at Klaksvig (Faeroes).

*Northern Waters*
CA SHROPSHIRE departed Scapa Flow for Sheerness for refitting. The CA arrived at Sheerness, escorted by DDs QUORN and VIVACIOUS, on the 12th, and was refitting at Chatham from 17 October to 16 February 1942. DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for boiler cleaning. The destroyer arrived midmorning on the 12th.

Destroyer ORIBI departed Scapa Flow escorting British steamer LANSTEPHAN CASTLE to the Clyde. Both ships arrived in the Clyde on the 13th. The DD departed the Clyde that day to return to Scapa Flow.

*SW Approaches*
Submarine P.31 arrived at Gibraltar after having departing Dundee on 30 September.

*
Med/Biscay*
RAN DD VENDETTA departed Haifa for Alexandria with a convoy.

An Italian convoy of steamers GIULIA, CASAREGIS, NIRVO, BAINSIZZA, ZENA, and PROSPERINA (ex-French BEAUCE ) departed Naples on the 8th escorted by DDs GRANATIERE, BERSAGLIERE, FUCLIERE, and ALPINO. TB CASCINO joined from Trapani. Steamer BAINSIZZA with defects returned to Trapani.

On the 11th, *steamer ZENA (FI 5219grt)* was sunk by FAA Swordfish of 830 Sqn after being struck by an air launched torpedo south of Lampedusa.





On the 11th, *steamer CASAREGIS (FI 6485 grt)* was sunk by British 830 Squadron aerial torpedo in 34-10N, 12-38E.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine PORPOISE departed Gibraltar with stores for Malta, arriving on the 17th.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.49 departed Sydney CB, escorted by corvette LETHBRIDGE. On the 13th, corvettes AMHURST, EYEBRIGHT, MAYFLOWER, NANAIMO, and PRESCOTT joined and DD ST FRANCIS and corvette KENOGAMI joined on the 14th. DD ST FRANCIS and corvettes EYEBRIGHT and KENOGAMI were detached on the 21st. Corvettes AMHURST, LETHBRIDGE, MAYFLOWER, NANAIMO, and PRESCOTT were detached on the 22nd and corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS joined. On the 23rd, DDs BEAGLE, ROXBOROUGH, SALISBURY, and SHERWOOD and ASW trawler NOTTS COUNTY joined. DD SALISBURY was detached on the 24th. The remainder of the escorts arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on the 27th.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL EAGLE with DDs CROOME and WILD SWAN and sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC arrived at Gibraltar.

ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH and STELLA CARINA departed Gibraltar escorting Norwegian tkr VANJA westwards. The trawlers then joined arriving tkr INVERLEE.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 OCTOBER TO DAWN 12 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and cool.

_0935-1029 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching from the north. First a single raider crosses the coast over St Julian’s Bay, then turns northwards. Then six raiders split into two formations and circle 15 miles off the east of Grand Harbour before retiring northwards. 11 Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not gain sufficient height to intercept before the formation returns towards Sicily.

_1636-1655 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy fighters which fly over Grand Harbour and retire northwards. 9 Hurricanes area scrambled but cannot gain sufficient height to intercept. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

_0251-0319 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by the return of friendly aircraft.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _69 Squadron _1 Maryland shipping search; 3 Marylands on special patrol. Photoreconnaissance Tripoli town and harbour, Trapani and Castel Vetrano. _107 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked shipping in the Gulf of Sirte. F/O Greenhill and Sgt Routh failed to return. _Fleet Air Arm _One Fulmar attacked barracks at Passero, dropping incendiaries and machine-gunning buildings. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Swordfish were sent to attack 2 merchant ships and 1 destroyer southbound off Marittimo. The leader lost contact with the torpedo aircraft, who returned to base with torpedoes. The leader alone located the convoy and attacked the leading merchant vessel; results not observed.

_TA QALI _New airmen’s barrack block taken over.


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## parsifal (Oct 12, 2016)

*12 OCTOBER 1941
Losses*
U-75 sank *LCT 2 (RN 372 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Tobruk to Mersa Matruh, killing the entire crew of 16. At 0005 hrs, U-75 surfaced and began shelling HMS LCT 2 and HMS LCT 7. The U-boat had followed the ships since they left Tobruk and attacked from astern, scoring several hits on both vessesl, but was forced to dive by return fire and due to malfunctions at the 20mm AA gun and MG34 machine gun. At 0124 hours, LCT 2 was hit by a torpedo and lost her bow, but did not sink. The other LCT had been disabled by gunfire and missed by a torpedo that passed underneath at 0149 hours. Uboat commander Ringelmann then decided to finish off both vessels by gunfire, surfaced and shelled the first landing craft that sank in flames at 0234 hrs. They then shelled LCT7 which sank at 0700 hrs.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-75 sank *LCT 7 (RN 372 grt)*. 22 officers and men were lost. These were the commander, one officer, eleven ratings and eight passengers (two officers of the British Army, four Australian soldiers and two Italian prisoners of war). The only survivor (A/PO W.A. Henley, DSM, RN) was picked up the next night by the U-boat and taken prisoner. He was landed at Salamis on 2 November and later brought to Germany.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-83 sank *Steamer CORTE REAL (Pt 2044 grt)* off the coast of Portugal. The entire crew of 42 survived the attack. The ship was on passage from Lisbon to New York carrying cork, dyes wine and food. At 1400 hrs the unescorted and neutral CORTE REAL was stopped for inspection by U-83 about 80 miles west of Lisbon. It was established that they were carrying contraband because most of the cargo was bound for Canada and Australia, so Kraus ordered the crew and passengers (among them women and children) to abandon ship in the three lifeboats. The U-boat then opened fire with the deck gun, setting the ship on fire and finally sank her with two torpedoes at 1654 hrs. When it was noticed that one of the lifeboats was taking on water, the Germans transferred the occupants to the other two boats and took them in tow towards the coast for 3 hours. The lifeboats later landed near Lisbon.






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-431

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-569

At Sea 12 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-85, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-559, U-558, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-751

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Seal*
DKM DD ECKHOLDT was damaged at Tromso in a collision with a Norwegian steamer. The DD was drydocked at Trondheim on the 22nd for twelve days of emergency repairs. The ship then proceeded to Germaniawerft, arriving on 9 November for refit and repair.

German 2nd S-Boat Flotilla with S 41, S 47, S 53, S 62, S 104, and S 105 attacked convoy FN 531 north of Cromer.

*Steamer CHEVINGTON (UK 1537 grt)* was sunk in attacks by the flotilla off Cromer . Seven crew and two gunners were lost on the British steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

S-53 sank *steamer ROY (Nor 1768 grt) (ex-DANAE)* was sunk off Cromer. Three crew were lost on the Norwegian steamer.





Convoy escorts DDs WESTMINSTER, WOLSEY, and COTSWOLD were unable to damage to the German ships.

*Steamer GLYNN (UK 1134 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW 1½ miles 223° from No. 5 Buoy, in the Nth Sea. Two crew were lost on the steamer. The steamer was scuttled by a Royal Navy unit.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
CV VICTORIOUS and DDs BEDOUIN and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde. En route, carrying out night landings, one Albacore was lost with T/Lt (A) J. G. R. Flowers and Leading Airman W. M. James killed. The ships arrived in the Clyde at 1530/13th. NZ Sub Lt L. E. Mitchell RNZN, was killed when his Albacore of 778 Sqn from Arbroath crashed on take off.

CLs AURORA and PENELOPE departed Scapa Flow for Gibraltar, arriving late on the 18th.

DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow to assist Soviet steamer SUKHONA, which been in convoy QP.1 and made a distress signal seven miles north of the Orkneys. ASW trawler VASCAMA escorted the steamer to Kirkwall and the DD returned to Scapa Flow. There was no apparent reason for the distress signal.

T/A/Sub Lt (A) E. H. Archer RNVR, and Leading Airman W. M. James were killed when their Albacore of 817 crashed during night practice near Dunino on a dummy attack on VICTORIOUS.


*Med/Biscay*
Operation CULTIVATE, the relief of the Tobruk garrison, began. Ml cruiser ABDIEL and DDs HERO, KIPLING, and NIZAM departed Alexandria for the first serial of the CULTIVATE operation. ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs HERO, KIPLING, and NIZAM approaching Tobruk on the 12th saw oil and heard cries from the recently sunk LCT 2 and 7, but were unable to search due to being already behind schedule.

BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and VALIANT, CLs AJAX, HOBART, and GALATEA, and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, GRIFFIN, JUPITER, KANDAHAR, HASTY, HOTSPUR, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE departed Alexandria and proceeded westward.

At 1800, the CLs and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, and JUPITER were detached to pass through position 33-00N, 24-30E at midnight and rejoin the Fleet at daylight. At daylight on 13th, the Fleet set course for Alexandria. When a report was received at 1315 of three Italian cruisers and six DDs, the Battle Fleet reversed course westward. No further contact was made with these ships. At 1800, the cruisers and three destroyers were again detached and rejoined at daylight on the 14th. The Fleet returned to Alexandria on the 14th.

RM CLs DUCA D'AOSTA, EUGENIO DI SAVOIA, and MONTECUCCOLI and DDs VIVALDI, MALOCELLO, PIGAFETTA, DE VERAZZANO, AVIERE, and CAMICIA NERA were to lay mines off Benghazi during the night of 12/13 October. However, the operation was cancelled when it was found that the Med Flt was at sea intending to intercept them.

An Italian convoy of steamers BAINSIZZA and NIRVO and German tug MAX BARENDT departed Trapani escorted by DDs DA RECCO and SEBENICO and TB CASCINO. On the 14th, *steamer BAINSIZZA (FI 7933 grt)* was damaged by British 830 Sqn Swordfish torpedo attacks. The steamer was taken in tow by the German tug and later by tug CICLOPE, escorted by TB POLLUCE which had come out from Tripoli. However the Italians were unable to save the ship and she sank the next day.





Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Malta after minelaying operations in the Aegean.

Polish submarine SOKOL arrived at Malta after patrol off Lampedusa

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 OCTOBER TO DAWN 13 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and cool.

_Noon _Two enemy aircraft approach the Island form the north. Two Hurricane fighters are scrambled but the raiders turn back and there is no interception. The air raid alert is not sounded.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Rorqual_ arrived from Alexandria after minelaying in the Aegean en route. The submarine is expected to depart later this month for UK via Gibraltar. _Sokol_ returned from patrol off Lampedusa, having seen an aircraft attack on a convoy at long range.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Beaufighter. _38 Squadron _7 Wellingtons attacked shipping in Tripoli Harbour. _69 Squadron _1 Maryland on shipping search of Ionian Sea; 1 Maryland on special search; 1 Maryland special patrol; photoreconnaissance Trapani harbour and aerodrome. _221 Squadron _1 Wellington on shipping search east Tunisian coast. 1 Wellington on shipping search north west of Tripoli.


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## parsifal (Oct 12, 2016)

*13 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARCLOSE (Z-174)+




_Sister ship HMS BARBICAN_.

HDML 1072




_Sister ship HDML 1234_

Fairmile C MGB 328





MMS I Class Coastal MSW MMS 48
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-372
Lorient: U-85

At Sea 13 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-751

37 Boats

Whilst outbound, U-101 was repeatedly subjected to DC attack from an unidentified twin engine a/c in the Bay of Biscay. The attack caused an oil leak, exposing her to further attacks that afternoon

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by DD LANCASTER, laid minefield SN.24 B.

*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK was at Scapa Flow, after having suffered damage in a training exercise.

During live fire exercises on the hulk INVERLANE, an explosion killed Lt W. J. Van De Kasteele, the cruiser's gunnery officer, and four ratings. The ship's executive officer Cdr A. C. Luce died of injuries on the 20th.

*West Coast*
The Liverpool section of convoy PQ.2, escorted by MSWs SPEEDY and SEAGULL departed Liverpool for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 16th.

Convoy OS.9 departed Liverpool escorted by FFL sloop COMMANDANT DOMINE which was detached on the 24th. On the 14th, sloops EGRET, FOWEY, and LEITH joined the convoy. The sloops were detached on 2 November for EGRET and on 1 November for the other two. Also joining on the 14th were escort vessels BANFF and FISHGUARD which were detached on 1 and 2 November, respectively, and corvettes HOLLYHOCK and STONECROP. Corvette HOLLYHOCK arrived with the convoy on 5 November and STONECROP was detached on 1 November. Corvettes BURCOK, CLOVER, and NIGELLA joined on the 31st and arrived with the convoy at Freetown on 5 November.

*SW Approaches*
ASW trawler LOCH OSKAIG was attacked by a German Focke Wulf aircraft in the SW Approaches. Seven crew were wounded and considerable damage was done to the superstructure by cannon fire.

*Channel*
DD SOUTHWOLD departed Portsmouth for Scapa Flow to work up, arriving on the afternoon of the 15th.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine P.31 departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on the 20th.

DDs NAPIER and JACKAL passed the Suez Canal northbound to return to the Med Flt after being relieved in the Suez Escort Force by sloops FALMOUTH and SHOREHAM.

MTBs 68 and MTB.215 were ordered to patrol off Bardia to intercept a reported submarine.

Submarine THORN departed Malta on patrol and then to proceed to Alexandria.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 OCTOBER TO DAWN 14 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Heavy rainstorm early evening.

_1122-1140 hrs _Air raid alert for nine enemy fighters approaching the Island from the north east escorting a reconnaissance aircraft. When the raiders are still 12 miles from Malta, they split into two; six raiders recede and the remaining three cross the coast over Kalafrana to carry out reconnaissance. Ten Hurricanes are scrambled and the reconnaissance aircraft turns away rapidly. The Hurricanes chase the raiders back to the Sicilian coast but are unable to catch them.

_1444-1500 hrs _Air raid alert for three Macchi 200 fighters which approach from the north east at great altitude and cross the coast over Grand Harbour. Seven Hurricanes are scrambled but unable to gain sufficient height to intercept. 

_0535-0640 hrs _Air raid alert for 24 enemy Macchi 200 fighters approaching the Island. Nine cross the coast, split into two formations and dive down to an average height of 400 feet to launch a machine-gun attack on an area from the Cisk factory right across Luqa and the Safi dispersal area. One bullet hits a Wellington bomber causing slight damage. 

The raiders are engaged at 11000 feet by a heavy anti-aircraft barrage and also by Bofors as well as searchlight and infantry light machine-guns. A Bofors position at Safi hits and damages one Macchi, a Bofors at Luqa hits and damages another two. A third Bofors at Imsierah hits and damages a fourth. A light machine-gun manned by 1st Bn Hampshire Regiment at Safi fires a long burst into another Macchi.

Five Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders as they leave their attack. P/O Barnwell of Malta Night Fighter Unit shoots one Macchi fighter down into the sea but then does not return to base. It is thought his engine may have cut out over the sea. A search is launched. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 13 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Thorn_ left on patrol.

_AIR HQ 69 Squadron _1 Maryland patrol north Ionian Sea; 1 Maryland search for convoy; 1 Maryland special patrol. Photoreconnaissance Tripoli. _107 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked motor transport on the Benghazi Road. _221 Squadron _1 Wellington shipping sweep. _Fleet Air Arm _1 Fulmar bombed and machine-gunned eastern perimeter of Castel Vetrano aerodrome causing three explosions. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish sent to attack convoy of 2 merchant ships and 2 destroyers south of Lampedusa dropped 5 torpedoes leaving one merchant vessel low in the water and on fire.

_KALAFRANA 0025 hrs _Sunderland T9050 landed safely at Kalafrana having lost an airscrew, the controls being also damaged. Captain of the aircraft was F/Lt Milligan of 230 Squadron, with 8 passengers on board.
RNeN submarine O.24 made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea.


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## Njaco (Oct 12, 2016)

*October 13 Monday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese Foreign Ministry sends a message to the embassy in Washington. Part of the message states that;


> “The situation at home is fast approaching a crisis and it is becoming absolutely essential that the two leaders meet if any adjustment of Japanese-U. S. relations are to be accomplished. I cannot go into details now, but please bear this fact in mind.”



The Russian Government incorporated Tangnu-Wulianghai into a self-governing district.

Japanese fighters dropped poison bombs on Yichang.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Soviet army is forced to retreat from Vyazma and resistance in the area is faltering. In the Vyazma pocket, General Rokossovsky and his HQ group fight their way out. General Eremenko was wounded, evacuated, and relieved of command of Bryansk Front. Kaluga, 100 miles south-west of Moscow, fell. German troops captured Kalinin (now Tver) and Rzhev northwest of Moscow. The Soviet 30th Army was encircled and wiped out at Rzhev. The Moscow Raion were ordered to raise another volunteer regiment each but the total was only 10,000 men and they had few arms. Another 30,000 men were added from specialist units of the regular army, conscripts, and members of the ‘Destroyer Battalions’. These were used to form five full strength Moscow Rifle Divisions. 600 women joined these divisions. Reserve divisions were also arriving from the east. West of the Soviet capital, Soviet 18th and 19th Tank Brigades fell back from Gzhatsk (now Gagarin) in the face of heavy German tank and Stuka attacks. Hoepner set up his HQ at Gzhatsk, on the main Smolensk-Moscow road west of Borodino, to direct operations in the forthcoming battle. The Soviets retreat along the Smolensk-Moscow road towards the main defensive line at Mozhaysk, which is still under hasty construction by 250,000 civilians (mostly women). The Mozhaisk Defensive Line was still incomplete but Zhukov rushed troops into the line to block the gaps including six rifle divisions, six armoured brigades, ten artillery regiments and machine-gun battalions. The Soviet 5th Army under General Leliushenko was in the centre of the Mozhaisk Defensive Line. The 32nd Siberian Rifle Division under Colonel Polosukhin, three tanks brigades, and the cadets from a Moscow military college took up positions at Borodino. The Borodino battlefield was 16 km west of Mozhaisk. At noon, German Junkers and Messerschmitt aircraft appeared over the Borodino Field, site of the climactic 1812 French-Russian clash.

German Army Group South is mostly immobilized due to poor weather conditions but German 1.Panzerarmee, advancing along the north coast of the Sea of Azoz, reaches the Mius River opposite Taganrog.

General Fedyuninsky was ordered to plan a breakout from Leningrad by attacking the area south of Lake Ladoga, which was to take place by 20 Oct 1941. However, there are 54,000 German troops well dug in on the swampy terrain.

Stavka orders evacuation of forces from Hiiumaa (Dago) Island to Hango.

The heavy air battles against the Russians takes their toll when Lt. Joachim Hacker, of JG 51, is shot down and killed. The rising pilot of Oberst Mölders _Geschwader_ had thirty-two kills against the Allies.

Odilo Globocnik meets with Himmler to discuss how he was to complete the clearing of the Lublin area for German settlement. As a result of this meeting, Globocnik made the decision to begin construction of an extermination camp at Belzec.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 60 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 39 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.


Hitler comments on the US economy:


> “America can be paid only in gold. A commerce based on the exchange of products is not possible with America, for America suffers from a surplus of raw materials and a plethora of manufactured goods. This gold which the Americans receive in exchange for the labor they supply, they hide it away in their strong-rooms - and they imagine the world will yield to this policy born in the smoky brain of a Jewish thinker! The result is their 13 million unemployed.”



*MEDITERRANEAN*: While being salvaged near Tripoli, the Italian Spica-class destroyer escort _'Pleiadi'_ is sunk by RAF bombers.

The Grand Mufti offers cooperation with the Axis against the Allies in return for independence of Arab states.

*NORTH AMERICA*: A production order was placed for the improved Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighter.

Joseph Rochefort was promoted to the rank of commander, retroactively effective 1 Apr 1941.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Divisions of Finnish II Corps, which was transferred from Carelian Isthmus to Eastern Carelia, start attacking towards Medve'zhegorsk.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Allied convoy PQ-2 departed Liverpool, England.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Circus operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack Arques and Mazingarbe during the day. RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight. The gun camera of a RAF No. 129 Squadron Spitfire captures for the first time the image of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 on film during the flight to Arques. It confirms for the British Fighter Command that the Luftwaffe is introducing a new fighter to combat.

Major Hans ‘Assi’ Hahn of III./JG 2 shoots down his fiftieth airplane.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 13, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 13, 2016)

*October 14 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: “_Tatsuta Maru_” was acquired by the Japanese Navy and was assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan. Her civilian crew was replaced by that from the military.

Konoe's final cabinet meeting, at which it is acknowledged that from the Japanese perspective efforts to negotiate with the US have failed to achieve the desired goals.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-553 encounters convoy SC 48 and summons help. Convoy SC-48 had left Sydney, Australia, on October 5, then traveled up the East coast of USA and entered the North Atlantic through the Labrador Straits.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Temperatures in the Moscow area fall and hover around freezing. Rain and the subsequent mud slow the German advance toward Moscow. The Soviet troops in the Bryansk pocket in Russia were eliminated (50,000 captured), while the Vyazma pocket was within days of the same fate. Germans announce that Soviet resistance West of Vyasma has ended; in reality the Red Army will hold out in small pockets for another 10 days, tying down German infantry. The Soviet defenses between Kalinin and Tula are very stubborn. The German 3.Panzerarmee’s attacks in the Kalinin sector threaten the rear of Soviet 22nd Army, 29th Army, and 31st Army. Kramatorsk falls to the German forces. German 4.Panzergruppe is involved in heavy fighting in the Mozhaisk sector. Guderian’s 2.Panzerarmee is involved in heavy fighting in the Mzensk sector. Rzhev is also captured. The German spearheads are now sixty miles from Moscow as Adolf Hitler ordered that the Soviet capital was to be enveloped, not attacked directly. Meanwhile, in Moscow, Joseph Stalin briefed 23 senior Soviet military and civilian officials between 1530 and 1815 hours on a plan to evacuate the city in an orderly fashion; he ordered four theater groups (Lenin State Theater, Maxim Gorkiy Artistic Academic Theater, Little Academic Theater, and Vakhtangov Theater) to be evacuated first. In a bold move, 1.Panzer-Divisionen raids deeply between Soviet Northwestern and Western Fronts, scattering Soviet infantry formations. They advance 75 miles Northeast from Rzhev to capture the medieval Russian city of Kalinin, 93 miles north-west of Moscow, cut the Leningrad—Moscow railway, and captured the only Volga bridge that was to fall into German hands intact during the Second World War. A small bridgehead on the eastern bank, held by 1.Panzer-Divisionen and Lehr-Auflkärungs-Abt. (mot.) 900, covered the bridge. Thus the cornerstones of the 190-mile-long first line of defenses covering Moscow had been brought down. The centerpiece of this line, however, the barrier across the motor highway some 60 miles outside Moscow, was between Borodino and Mozhaysk. Stalin intended to bring Hitler to a halt. To do this he had hurriedly brought up the best forces he had—a crack unit from Siberia, the 32nd Siberian Rifle Division from Vladivostok, with three infantry regiments and two armored brigades newly equipped with T-34s and KV-2s. There, at Borodino, 62 miles from Moscow, the SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) Reich (SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser) was in position. At Borodino the regiments of Paul Hausser’s SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ and the "Hauenschild Brigade" of 10.Panzer Division had their first encounter with the Siberians. They were tall, burly fellows in long great-coats, with fur caps on their heads and high fur boots. They were most generously equipped with anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, but even more so with the dangerous (and hated) 7.62-cm. multi-purpose gun nicknamed by the German troopers the "Crash Boom." The Siberians fought impassively. The Russians employed their multiple mortars, the "Katyushas," known to the German forces as "Stalin's organ-pipes," which invariably caused havoc by their high-fragmentation effect. The heavy T-34 tanks were used for the first time in massed formations. Since 8.8-cm. anti-aircraft guns were not always available, the infantry often had to tackle the T-34s with high-explosive charges. More than once the outcome of the battle hung in the balance. The casualties suffered by the SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ were so alarmingly high that its 3rd Infantry Regiment had to be disbanded and the survivors divided up between the "Deutschland " and "Der Fuehrer " Regiments. SS-Obergruppenführer Hausser was wounded and lost the sight in his right eye. He would subsequently wear a black eyepatch that would become his trademark. At last a breach was torn through a strong-point held by the Siberians. The two infantry regiments of the "Reich" SS Division, the "Deutschland" and "Der Fuehrer" Regiments, charged through. The infantry regiments of the "Hauenschild Brigade" of 10.Panzer Division were engaged in the same bloody battle. They fought on the battlefields where Napoleon had stood 130 years before them; they stormed the stubbornly defended historic scarp of Semenovskoye. The Siberians resisted in vain. The 32nd Siberian Rifle Division died on the hills of Borodino along with countless young Germans. The great bolt of Moscow's first line of defense on the Moscow highway had been blasted open.

The first substantial snow of the season falls at Leningrad.

Operation Karlsbad begins in the area between Smolensk and Minsk. This was a German operation against partisans in the Orsha and Vitebsk area near the Berezina river in the Belorussian region of the German-occupied western USSR. This would be the first of many operations by the Germans against partisans in Russia. Such operations were particularly important in the Berezina sector as this cut the Moscow Highway between Minsk and Smolensk, and it was along this highway that there moved much of the equipment and supplies needed by the formations of Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock’s Heeresgruppe ‘Mitte’, which was at this time approaching the gates of Moscow.

Soviet transports and warships move to Odessa to begin final evacuation of 51st Army. Soviet transport “_Gruziya_” is damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft off Odessa

*GERMANY*: RAF bombers make their first large-scale night raid on Nürnberg. 80 RAF aircraft attacked Nürnberg but again encountered very bad weather and only 14 aircraft claimed to have hit the intended target. The weather continued to interfere with Bomber Command's activities.

The German Kriegsmarine placed orders for 49 more submarines to be constructed.

Germany announced that all Jews within the 1933 border would be deported; these Jews were beginning to be deported to ghettos in Poland, Byelorussia, and Ukraine.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: German submarine U-206 sank British corvette HMS “_Fleur de Lys_” (Lieutenant A. Collins; escorting Allied convoy OG-75) 60 miles west of Gibraltar at 0336 hours; 71 were killed, 3 survived and were rescued by a Spanish ship.

Italian Defence Chief Ugo Cavallero ordered that plans be completed for the occupation of Malta and that special units be trained to participate in the operation.

Italian vessel “_Bainsizza_” from Axis convoy heading for Tripoli, is attacked by RAF bombers from Malta, heavily damaged and subsequently sinks.

RN Force H departs Gibraltar toward Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA*: British commandos landed by RN submarines “_Talisman_” and “_Torbay_” unsuccessfully raid Rommel's headquarters.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The United States and Argentina signed a trade agreement lowering duties on many imports to Argentina from the United States. The Americans were eager to get the deal signed in order to keep Argentina out of the economic sphere of the Axis.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Arnold writes MacArthur that the heavy bombers assigned to USAFFE were to be used to control not only the sea lanes but to bomb Japan itself. Date of receipt in the Philippines unknown.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead operation.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 13, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 14, 2016)

*October 15 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: Japanese Navy Captain Shutoku Miyazato, Chief Equipping Officer of Battleship No. 1, was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. Raizo Tanaka was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. Rear Admiral Senkichi Ozawa was made the commanding officer of Maizuru Naval Arsenal in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.

“_Tatsuta Maru_” departed Yokohama, Japan for the United States. She carried American nationals who wished to return to the US due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations. She would maintain radio silence throughout the entire journey.

Hozomi Ozaki, a Japanese author, journalist and spy for the Soviet Union under Richard Sorge, was arrested for treason. He was a member of a high-level, policy-planning brain trust that advised the Japanese Prime Minister and was in a position to pass on high-level secrets to Soviet spy Sorge. Ozaki was executed along with Sorge in 1944, his letters to his wife and daughter were published after the war and became a best seller, with a Japanese people struggling to come to terms with the defeat and looking for new heroes from their past, untainted by the crimes of the militarists.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Attack of Convoy SC 48: At 0705 hrs U-553 sights convoy SC 48 and attacks an hour later, torpedoing and sinking British motorship MS “_Silvercedar_” and Norwegian freighter SS “_Ila_” at 1024 hours. Merchant ship “_Silverelm_” attempted to ram the submarine. U-432, U-502, U-558 and U-568, followed by U-73, U-77, U-101 and U-751 converge on the convoy, and one of these boats, U-568, torpedoes and sinks British steamer SS “_Empire Heron_” before being driven off by British corvette HMS “_Gladiolus_”. During this next attempt at 1624 hours the escort HMCS “_Columbia_” [ex-USS “_Haraden_” (DD-183)] attacks U-553 with six depth charges, but none damaged U-553. Two hours later the Canadian escort attacked with a torpedo. More depth charges followed. In the night the boat lost the convoy when it changed course. Consequently, the USN’s Task Unit 4.1.4 (Captain Hewlett Thebaud), comprising 4 U.S. destroyers, is directed to proceed to SC 48’s aid as the west-bound convoy it had been escorting, ON 24, is dispersed. German submarine U-558, en route to attack Allied convoy SC-48, came across and sank Canadian Merchantman SS “_Vancouver Island_” 9,472 GRT, ex-“_Weser_” (German) in the Atlantic Ocean at 2317 hours. There were no survivors from her crew of 65, which included 32 passengers and 8 DEMS gunners. 3 RCN DEMS gunners killed. “_Weser_” was captured 25 Sep 40 off the coast of Mexico by HMCS “_Prince Robert_”. She had been sailing independently when she was sunk. Her relatively high speed of over 15kts, made her a valuable blockade runner for the Germans, and was considered sufficient to render her invulnerable to submarine attack. USN escort group of four destroyers is ordered to proceed to the aid of convoy SC 48. Convoy SC-48 - Convoy Battles - German U-boat Operations - uboat.net

*EASTERN FRONT*: Ten inches of snow falls in the Moscow area. Dirt roads turned to mud. The Germans struggled to advance as few supplies managed to reach the forward troops. The Soviets also suffered, particularly the encircled troops. The Russians in the Bryansk pocket had to abandon their vehicles due to the mud. Both sides found that carts and wagons were much more effective in the mud than motor vehicles. Any breakout attempts were now on foot. The Vyazma pocket was finally liquidated with over 650,000 Soviet prisoners. German losses during the battle of the Vyazma Pocket were not excessive. Colonel General Ruoff’s V. Armeekorps for example, suffered 743 killed, 2,720 wounded and 88 missing during the period 2-14 October (a loss rate of about 7 percent). During the same period, V. Armeekorps captured 19,882 prisoners, 133 tanks, 322 artillery pieces and six Katyusha multiple rocket launchers. At the conclusion of the Vyazma fighting, V. Armeekorps still had almost 80 percent of its personnel. Furthermore, German equipment losses during the Vyazma fighting were negligible. The Germans attacked the Soviet 5th Army at Borodino and took the Shevardino Redoubt in front of the Russian line. Hoepner threw his tanks forward in a giant wedge. The Russians fought back doggedly under their catch phrase: “Moscow is behind us!” The focus of both 3.Panzerarmee and 9.Armee was a little town called Torzhok 160 km north of Kalinin. Extremely heavy fighting was reported in the Kalinn area as Soviet forces launched massive and desperate attacks. Soviet 29th Army counterattacked German 3.Panzerarmee and succeeded in stopping the advance of the Panzer army. Hitler simultaneously committed forces to operations around Leningrad in the north and in the south around Mariopol and the Black Sea in the Ukraine. And the High Command pulled some units and aircraft from Army Group Centre to do this. German 1.Panzer-Divisionen turned northwest, thus away from Moscow, to attack Soviet Northwestern Front from the rear. They were intended to straighten out the Leningrad Front. The Soviet GKO ordered the NKVD, various agencies, and various foreign legations to evacuate from Moscow to Kuibyshev (now Samara). The Lubyanka Prison staff began the evacuation from Moscow, transferring the first group of prisoners to Kuibyshev and Saratov. All diplomatic missions were ordered to prepare to evacuate Moscow. German 6.Armee captures Krasnoploye. Soviet 37th Army is formed under General Lopatin near Voroshilovgrad.

In southern Ukraine, the Soviet evacuate Odessa on the Black Sea, a pocket which has held out behind the German lines for several weeks. Soviet troops set off explosive charges to destroy port facilities and defensive structures at Odessa in preparation of the evacuation of 35,000 Soviet troops from Odessa to Sevastopol in Russia, which would commence after sundown. Two cruisers, four destroyers and many smaller craft are used for the removal. Soviet 51st Army begins withdrawing from defensive positions and boarding ships for evacuation from Odessa. Most units of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet are now based at Sevastopol.

German SS-Brigadeführer Franz Stahlecker of Einsatzgruppe A sent a 130-page report to Berlin, Germany on this date. He reported that, among other things, 71,105 Jews had been liquidated in Lithuania and 30,000 Jews in Latvia, and 3,387 Communists in Russia.

German SS General Hans Frank, the Nazi Governor-General of occupied Poland, issued a general order proclaiming that any Jews leaving the Warsaw ghetto would be liable for the death penalty as would any person who knowingly gave shelter to such Jews. It confines all Jews to the ghettos. The penalty is automatic execution.

*GERMANY*: Hans-Joachim Marseille arrived at Munich-Riem Airfield in Germany to be introduced to the new Bf 109E-7 and Bf 109F4 variant designs.

RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The British submarine HMS “_Torbay_” bombards the Libyan port of Apollonia.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Marine Corps Major James P. S. Devereux relieved Major Lewis A. Hohn as the commanding officer of the Wake Island Marine Detachment. Devereux also took on the responsibility of the island's overall commander.

The new Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, announced that the Australian garrison in Tobruk, Libya would be withdrawn immediately. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in fit of rage, bitterly complained to Beaverbrook:


> "We are at war with almost every country, including Australia!"



The US War Department releases a large number of jeeps, ambulances, trucks and sedans for shipment to the Philippine Army, “subject to the availability of shipping.”

Marshall and Arnold brief Brereton on plans for increased forces and more aggressive action in the Philippines, and dispatch him to take command of growing air assets there.

US Army selected Garbutt aerodrome, Townsville, as a base for supply of the US garrison in the Philippines.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British authorities reported that, in the week ending at 0600 hours on 15 Oct 1941, an estimated 61 people were killed and 69 seriously injured by German bombing.

General McCreery takes command of British Armored Group.

*WESTERN FRONT*: At the Riom Trial, Petain declares that Daladier, Reynaud, Blum, Mandel, and Gamelin are guilty and will stand trial for the collapse of France.

RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb and Ramrod operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft to attack Le Havre during the day. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweeps.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 15, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 15, 2016)

*14 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fiji Class CL HMS TRINIDAD




_HMS TRINIDAD under way on Arctic convoy station. On April 14, 1942, TRINIDAD suffered severe damage at the hands of the LW. Despite her crews efforts to save her the fires raging on the ship could not be controlled. Remaining crew then transferred to other ships and HMS MATCHLESS fired 3 torpedoes at the TRINIDAD sinking her_

Bangor Class MSW/Corvette HMCS THUNDER (J-156)





Fairmile B ML303
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Coastal MSW HMS MMS 27 (J-527)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-204 sank *sailing vessel AINGERU GUARDAKOA (SP 97 grt)* near Gibraltar, killing 2 of the 7 man crew. At 0045 hours on 14 October 1941 the unescorted and neutral AINGERU GUARDAKOA was torpedoed and sunk by U-204 off Cape Roche south of the Bay of Cadiz. As the U-boat was later lost during the patrol the circumstances of this attack are not clear, but it seems the Germans mistook her for a British submarine chaser. At least two torpedoes were fired of which one was seen passing astern by a survivor, who heard a buzz and saw bubbles but thought that it was a shoal of sardines. The ship sank immediately after being hit and the master and four crew members clung to debris until they were picked up the next morning by a fishing boat and taken to its home port Santa Uxía de Ribeira, Spain..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-206 sank *Flower Class Corvette HMS FLEUR DE LYS (RN 925 grt)* just westy of Gibraltar as the vessel was providing escort to Convoy OG-75. At 0336 hrs,U-206 fired a spread of three torpedoes at HMS FLEUR DE LYSabout 55 miles west of Gibraltar. The corvette had escorted the convoy OG-75 to port the day before and was ordered to patrol in the Straits of Gibraltar to search for U-boats that had chased the convoy. One of the torpedoes struck her on port side under the bridge after a running time of 92 seconds, causing the magazine to explode. The ship broke in two and both parts disappeared within a few minutes. The commander, four officers and 65 ratings were lost. Only three ratings, two of them injured, survived the sinking and were picked up after a few hours by the Spanish steamer CASTILLO VILLAFRANCA




Corvettes DELPHINIUM, SALVIA, PEONY, and ERICA and ASW whaler PROTEA rendezvoused off Capa Gata at 0800 and carried out an anti-submarine search of the area.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-123

At Sea 14 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-751

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Aux PV UJ 1709 (DKM 600 grt)* (ex-fishing vessel CARL KAMPF) was sunk west of Lister by RAF bombing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
MSWs HARRIER, HALCYON, SALAMANDER, and BRITOMART departed Archangel for Seidisfjord.

Submarine TIGRIS unsuccessfully attacked German steamers MINONA and TUGELA and Norwegian steamer HAVBRIS in the far north

Baltic
DKM CL KOLN bombarded Russian positions on Cape Ristna.

*North Sea*
DD LIGHTNING departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow on completion of boiler cleaning, arriving later that day.

DD ICARUS departed the Humber for Scapa Flow after refitting, arriving on the 15th .

Drifter FORERUNNER (UK 92 grt) was sunk in a collision in the Thames Estuary.

*Northern Waters*
DD ACTIVE departed Scapa Flow for Hull for refitting, arriving on the 15th

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.26 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs BEAGLE and SALISBURY, corvettes HEATHER and NARCISSUS, and ASW trawlers ARAB and LADY MADELEINE. The escorts were detached on the 20th when relieved by USN DDs BABBITT, BADGER, BROOME, LEARY, MAYO, and SCHENCK. The USN DDs were detached when the convoy dispersed on the 29th.

*SW Approaches*
Ex-US Coast Guard cutters/escorts SENNEN and TOTLAND departed Gibraltar to rendezvous with AMCs WOLFE, MALOJA, and RANPURA in 42N, 28W and escort them to the UK. On the 15th, DD CROOME departed Gibraltar to join the escort.

*Med/Biscay*
ASW whaler SOIKA and tug C 307 departed Alexandria on serial 1 A of the CULTIVATE operation. The tug returned to Mersa Matruh.

*Spica Class TB PLEIADI (RM 620 grt)* was lost at Tripoli after suffering heavy damage from the RAF on the 13th.+




_Sister ship ANTARES_

Submarines UNBEATEN, URGE, and UPRIGHT departed Malta on short notice for an operation off Cape Passero. The submarines returned to Malta on the 16th, having sighted nothing but a hospital ship during the operation.

Submarine UNIQUE unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in 40-26N, 14-20E.

*Pacific/Australia*
RNZN CL ACHILLES relieved RAN CL ADELAIDE which was escorting a liner. ADELAIDE proceeded to Sydney. ACHILLES and the liner arrived at Auckland on the 16th

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 OCTOBER TO DAWN 15 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine and cool.

_1518-1527 hrs _Three enemy aircraft are reported approaching the Island. Ten Hurricane fighters are scrambled and the raiders turn back while still 15 miles from Grand Harbour.

_0312-0422 hrs _Air raid alert for nine enemy aircraft approaching the Island as the same time as Swordfish are heading back to base. Only four raiders – believed to be JU 87 Stukas – cross the coast, one dropping 500kg bombs on land between Rabat and Imtarfa. The remaining aircraft drop high explosive bombs in the sea three miles north of St Paul’s Bay and east of Delimara. Four Hurricanes of Malta Night Fighter Unit are airborne, two at a time, but there are no searchlight illuminations or interceptions. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 14 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unbeaten, Urge, Upright_ sailed at short notice for operation off Cape Passero.


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## parsifal (Oct 15, 2016)

*15 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-88




Neutral
Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS BRAMBLING (AMc-39)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS SUDBURY (K-162)





*Losses*
Convoy SC-48
SC 48 was an east-bound convoy of 52 ships, carrying war materials and sailed from Sydney CB on 5 October 1941 bound for Liverpool It was under the command of Commodore HM Sanders in the MV CASTALIA.

It was escorted by an RCN escort group consisting of RCN DD COLUMBIA, and seven corvettes RCN WESTASKIWIN, ROSTHAM, BADDECK, CAMROSE, SHEDIA, and RN Corvette GLADIOLUS and FFL Corvette MIMOSA. Opposing this force was the wolfpack _Mordbrenner_, which was to have comprised eight U-boats and was in the process of forming south of Iceland in the MOMP. This was the point at which North Atlantic convoys were handed over between the Ocean and the Western Approaches escorts at this stage of the Atlantic campaign.

Allied intelligence became aware of the presence of _Mordbrenner_, and started to divert the convoys then at sea, but a loss of ULTRA on 12/13 October left SC 48 in the dark; and on the night of 14/15 October it was sighted by U-553. At this point in time SC 48 was in some disarray; 11 of its ships, including CASTALIA, were straggling following heavy weather on the night of 9/10 October. COLUMBIA and two of the corvettes, CAMROSE and ROSTHERN, were detached looking for them. A third corvette, SHEDIAC was also separated by the storm and out of radio contact. On 14 October SC 48’s escort comprised just four corvettes; WESTASKIAN, BADDECK, GLADIOLUYS AND MIMOSA.

In the early hours of 15 October Thurmann of U-553 reported his contact to BdU and was ordered to shadow, whilst other U-boats were gathered for the attack. However Thurmann chose to attack that night, and succeeded in sinking two ships, SILVERCEDAR, which lost 21 crew, and ILA, most of whose crew were saved. U-553 was sighted by SILVERHELM, the next ship in the column, which attempted to ram, but failed; U-553 was also sighted by TEAGLE, but she was unable to bring her gun to bear before U-553 escaped.

On 15 October ULTRA was re-acquired and western Approaches Cmd quickly realized a major attack was building; a number of escorts from nearby convoys were diverted to reinforce SC 48. First a force of USN DESRON 13, detached from ON 24; two RN DDs (HIGHLANDER and BROADWATER from TC 14; two RN Corvettes (ABELIA and VERONICA) from ON 25; and a RCN corvette PICTOU, (from Iceland), were sent to reinforce the convoy.

Later on 15 October COLUMBIA rejoined, while U-553 was joined by U-558 and U-568. As U-553 continued to shadow, she was sighted by COLUMBIA, who attacked her, driving her away, but with no damage; U-553 fired a torpedo at COLUMBIA, which missed. During the day U-558 joined, having encountered the ship VANCOUVER ISLAND sailing independently ; she was sunk with the loss of all 73 crew and 32 passengers. Before nightfall U-568 also arrived, and the three boats prepared to attack.

U-553 sank *Steamer SILVERCEDAR (UK 4354 grt)* in the Western Approaches whilst the cargo vessel was travelling with Convoy SC-48. The ship was carrying general cargo, including tanks and a/c. At 0800 hrs entered SC-48 on the surface from ahead between column 7 and 8 and at 0815 hours sank the SILVERCEDARwith the first torpedo, while the second torpedo fired two minutes later missed the intended target but was observed to hit a ship behind it, a claim that is not confirmed by Allied reports. Due to a misunderstanding, the torpedo data computer was no longer set correctly and the remaining three torpedoes were fired with wrong settings. However, the third torpedo missed its target and hit the ILA in station #74 at 0823 hrs. The U-boat then passed ahead of the British motor merchant SILVERHELM in station #83, which unsuccessfully tried to ram her and missed this ship with the stern torpedo. Eventually Thurmann fired the last bow torpedo at Tkt WC TEAGLE in station #103, missing her due to the wrong settings and passed behind her stern to outrun the convoy on its starboard bow. The U-boat had been observed by at least three ships in the convoy but they could not open fire due to the danger of hitting other ships and the two corvettes on the starboard side did not spot the enemy.

The SILVERCEDAR had originally been in station#73 but changed to #72 after the ship ahead of her straggled from the convoy. She was hit by one torpedo on the starboard side, just forward of the engine room and sank after about 7 minutes on an even keel. Both starboard lifeboats had been destroyed by the explosion that had blown off the #3 hatch and much debris into the air, but the crew managed to launch one of the port boats and a raft. The seven men on the raft were soon rescued by the lifeboat, along with three survivors from ILA swimming in the water. Later the lifeboat capsized but all 29 occupants were picked up by FFL Corvette MIMOSA at 0930 hrs. 19 crew members and seven gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one Bofors AA gun and four machine guns) were landed at Reykjavik on 20 October. The master, 17 crew members, two gunners and one passenger (DBS) were lost.





U-553 sank the *steamer ILA (Nor 1583 grt)* (ex german WESER) in the Western Approaches on the first days attacks on Convoy SC-48. The vessel was on passage from Boston to Glasgow via Sydney CB, with a load of steel and some general cargo. A crew of 21 was embarked, 14 were to perish in the attack. The ILA, armed with one 4in and four machine guns, had just evaded wreckage and people in the water from SILVERCEDAR when she was struck on the starboard side amidships by a torpedo and apparently immediately broke in two after a boiler explosion, causing her to sink in less than one minute. There was no time to launch any of the lifeboats and one of the rafts had been destroyed and the other jammed under a davit. Ten survivors kept themselves afloat on wreckage and a capsized lifeboat, but the first engineer soon died of exhaustion. Three of the survivors were rescued by the lifeboat from SILVERCEDAR and were picked up by FFL MIMOSAat 09.30 hrs, which then picked up five more survivors from ILA but one of them shortly thereafter died on board and was buried at sea. RCN Corvette BADDECK then searched the area for 90 minutes and located another survivor on a lifebuoy, unfortunately he died after being rescued and was buried at sea later that day. The master and six crew members were landed in Reykjavik on 20 October.





U-558 sank *MV VANCOUVER ISLAND (Cdn 9472 grt)* whilst she was sailing independently near SC-48. The ship was on passage from Montreal to Cardiff via Sydney CB and Belfast. She was transporting various metals when lost with a crew of 105, all of whom would be lost in the attack. 

At 2154 hrs the unescorted VANCOUVER ISLAND was spotted by U-558, which was searching the convoy SC-48 west of Ireland. Due to her high speed of about 15 knots the U-boat immediately went on full speed to get into a favorable attack position and fired a spread of three torpedoes from about 2000 meters at 2249 hrs, hitting the ship with two of them after 144 seconds. The vessel was hit in the fore part and amidships and stopped but did not sink. Because the U-boat skipper wanted to continue the search for the convoy he fired two coups de grace from more than 1000 meters at 2308 and 2317 hours, hitting the ship fore and aft and causing her to sink fast by the stern. The Germans then observed how the crew abandoned ship in lifeboats after the first hits, but Corvette DIANTHUS sent to her assistance from the dispersed convoy ON-24 did not find any survivors. On 31 October, a lifeboat with the bodies of two officers from the ship was found by a British warship in 56°08N/20°45W. The master, 64 crew members, eight gunners and 32 passengers were lost.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-562
Kiel: U-94

Departures
Lorient: U-38, U-82

At Sea 15 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-751

38 Boats

At 1624 hrs, U-553 dived after being sighted by HMCS COLUMBIA while shadowing SC-48 off its port beam. The DD obtained no Asdic contact but dropped six DCs at the diving spot and then remained in the area to keep U-553 down. At 1815 hrs, the U-boat fired a stern torpedo at the DD, but she managed to evade the attack after a lookout saw the torpedo track. COLUMBIA picked up a good contact and delivered an accurate DC pattern, but U-553 had already dived to 55m (180ft) and suffered only minor damage. In the meantime Corvette GLADIOLUS joined the hunt, but carried out no attacks as the U-boat had already crept away

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
CA SUFFOLK and DDs IMPULSIVE, ESCAPADE, and NORMAN departed Archangel late on the 15th to sweep off the north of Finland then proceed to Scapa Flow. The sweep was cancelled and ships were ordered to return to Archangel. DD NORMAN was detached for the United Kingdom, via Seidisfjod. However, at 2056 on the 17th, NORMAN was also recalled to Archangel, where she arrived on the 19th.

Black Sea/Caspian
In southern Ukraine, Soviet troops lay explosive demolition charges to destroy port facilities and defensive structures at Odessa in preparation of the evacuation of the last 35,000 Soviet troops from the port to Sevastopol. Demolitions are to render the port unusable for nearly 2 years and are very thorough. Demolitions commenced after sundown and last for most of the night.

*West Coast*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and DDs BEDOUIN and ANTHONY departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow. The BB arrived on the 16th, escorted by DDs ORIBI and ANTHONY.

*Channel*
Submarine L.27 made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer off Cherbourg.

*Med/Biscay*
CLA CARLISLE passed through the Suez Canal northbound to rejoin the Med Flt. DD ENCOUNTER arrived in the Canal area to rejoin the Med Flt.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT made an unsuccessful attack on a tanker in the Aegean.

Polish submarine SOKOL made two unsuccessful attacks on steamers in the Gulf of Athens.

*Central Atlantic*
Corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS departed Gibraltar escorting Norwegian tanker SANDAR westwards and then joined arriving tanker VELMA.

Submarine SEVERN departed Gibraltar for Freetown.

Convoy SL.90 departed Freetown esorted by DDs BRILLIANT to 18 October, GURKHA and ISAAC SWEERS to 17 October, and VANSITTART to 20 October, and corvettes ARMERIA to 20 October, ASTER to 18 October, CLOVER to 18 October, CROCUS to 18 October, and CYCLAMEN to 18 October. On the 18th, sloops FOLKESTONE to 6 November, LONDONDERRY to 29 October, and WESTON to 6 November joined.

The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 6 November


*Malta*
X


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## parsifal (Oct 15, 2016)

*16 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-160





Type VIIc DKM U-592





Type VIIc DKM U-703





Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS CHIDDINGFOLD (L-31)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS SLUNA (T 177)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile C MGB 333
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 339
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
Convoy SC-48
As darkness fell on the night of 15/16 October the U-boats attacked again. U-568 attacked and sank EMPIRE HERON, GLADIOLUS counter-attacked, and U-568 was driven off after being attacked again by a CC Catalina of 240 sqn. GLADIOLUS then detached to pick up survivors, but never rejoined the convoy; she was lost with all hands, reportedly by U-568 on the 17th, but more probably on the 16th by U-432.

After midnight on 15/16th, SC 48 made an emergency turn to port, followed before dawn by a turn to starboard, in an attempt to shake off pursuit; this was initially successful, but the pack regained contact in the afternoon of 16th and again closed in.

Also that afternoon of 16 October the first reinforcements arrived, in the form of DesRon 13; this comprised the USN DDs USS DECATUR, KEARNY, LIVERMORE, AND PLUNKETT. These were joined later by A fifth DD USS GREER, Also in company was corvette HMCS PICTOU. As senior officer present Thebaud assumed command of the escorts; however although he had seniority Thebaud had little experience in escort work, and a number of mistakes were made allowing the U-boats to mount a successful attack that night.

By nightfall on 16th BdU had gathered ten U boats for a concerted attack; the three _Mordbrenner_ boats plus seven newcomers, U-101, U-109, U-208, U-374, U-432, U-502 and U-573. During the night of 16/17th the pack attacked, closing in with little interference from the escorts. U-553, sank BOLD VENTURE at about 8pm. U-558 sank TEAGLE an hour later; ERVIKEN was attacked and sunk as she stopped to pick up survivors and RYMwas also sunk as she slowed to do the same. U-432 sank EVROSAND BARFONN just before midnight.

U568 hit and sank *steamer EMPIRE HERON (UK 6023 grt)* (ex-US MOSELLA) in the western Approaches whilst the ship was being escorted in Convoy SC-48. The vessel was on passage from Freeport texas to Manchester, via Sydney CB. She was carrying a cargo of sulphur. Of the 43 crew aboard, all but 1 were to perish in the attack. At 0114 hrs, U-568 fired a spread of three torpedoes at SC-48 SE and hit EMPIRE HERON in station #92 on the starboard side with two torpedoes after 88 seconds, causing the ship to sink fast by the stern. A sole survivor was rescued by Corvette GLADIOLUS astern of the convoy, but he died when the corvette was herself torpedoed and sunk the next night. The master, 33 crew members and nine gunners were lost. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Flower Class Corvette HMS GLADIOLUS (RN 940 grt)* was sunk to an unknown cause either the 16th or 17th October in the battle of SC-48. One source suggests she was sunk on the night of 16/17 October by a stray torpedo from U-553, or U-432. However Bernard Edwards (_Donitz and the Wolf Packs_(1996)) records GLADIOLUS had detached from SC 48 the previous night. At 2130 the night of 15/16 after EMPIRE HERON was hit, GLADIOLUS was detached to search for survivors. At 2200 she signalled she had picked up one man, and was continuing to search. This was her last contact; nothing more is known of her, and there were no survivors from either vessel. Another source speculates she was unstable due to her refit, and overturned during a violent manoeuvre, but the actual cause of her loss is more likely from enemy action. The difficulty here though is that no U-Boat makes an outright claim for her loss.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-67

Departures
Brest: U-202
Lorient: U-84, U-85

At Sea 16 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-202, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-751

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
The final Soviet evacuation ships departed Odessa, was completed at 0510 hours. In the past two weeks, 121,000 troops and civilians were evacuated from the city, along with 1,000 trucks and 20,000 tons of ammunition. Romanian troops entered the city later on this date, capturing the city. 38000 Soviet defenders are to receive the special military award Soviet Medal of Valour for the Defence of Odessa. The Romanians are severely rattled by the tenacious defence of the port, and have taken such severe losses that one of the two active Romanian armies is immediately placed in reserve and will not return to frontline operations until well into 1942. By the end of the year, both Romanian 3rd and 4th armies are out of front line service, in reserve and under rebuild instruction

In the battle for Odessa, the Romanians suffered 17,729 killed, 63,345 wounded, and 11,471 missing. The Soviets suffered 16,578 killed and missing and 24,690 wounded.

Odessa was to be occupied by German and Romanian forces until Apr 1944. During the occupation, approximately 280,000 citizens, mostly Jews, were massacred or deported. After liberation (a death rte of over 50%), Odessa was among the first four Russian cities to receive the honor Hero City in 1945.

*Nort*
British steamer EDENVALE was damaged by the LW off Old Head of Kinsale. h Sea

*Northern Waters*
DDs LAFOREY and LIGHTNING departed Scapa Flow at 1230 to embark passengers and stores in the Clyde prior to transfer to Force H. The DDs arrived at the Clyde on the 17th.

*West Coast*
CL EDINBURGH departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 17th.

Convoy ON.27 departed Liverpool. On the 17th, the convoy was joined by DDs VANOC and VOLUNTEER and corvettes CAMPANULA, GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, HONEYSUCKLE, MYOSOTIS, PERIWINKLE, and SWEETBRIAR. The DDs were detached on the 23rd. On the 23rd, DDs COLUMBIA and SKEENA and corvettes BRANDON, CAMROSE, MIMOSA, SHEDIAC, and WETASKIWIN joined. The original group of corvettes were detached on the 24th. Corvette BRANDON was detached on 1 November and the rest on 2 November when the convoy dispersed

*Med/Biscay*
BB RODNEY, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs COSSACK, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, FURY, LEGION, SIKH, and ZULU departed Gibraltar for Operation CALLBOY. On the 18th, 11 Albacore and two Swordfish of 828 Sqn under Lt Cdr D. E. Langmore were flown off the aircraft carrier to Malta. One Swordfish was lost en route and pilot T/Sub Lt (A) D. M. Muller RNVR, and Observer T/Sub Lt (A) A. S. Denby RNVR were lost. Pilots T/Sub Lt (A) T. G. Davison RNVR, and T/Sub Lt (A) D. J. Dunyan RNVR, and observer A/Sub Lt (A) W. N. Jones RNVR, of 828 Sqn did not depart ARK ROYAL in CALLBOY, but joined the Squadron at Hal Far later.

Force H returned to Gibraltar on the 19th. Also, in this operation, CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and DDs LANCE and LIVELY proceeded to Malta. The cruisers departed Gibraltar at 0515 on the 19th and met the DDs forty miles off Europa Point. They arrived at Malta on the 21st as Force K.

British steamers CLAN MACDONALD and EMPIRE GUILLEMOT departed Malta, independently, for Gibraltar at 1000. Steamer EMPIRE GUILLEMOT returned with engine problems.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.155 departed Halifax escorted by corvettes DRUMHELLER and SUMMERSIDE. The corvettes were relieved on the 18th by USN DDs BAINBRIDGE, OVERTON, ROE, STURTEVANT, and TRUXTON. The American group was relieved on the 25th by DD VOLUNTEER and corvettes CAMPANULA, GENTIAN, HONEYSUCKLE, MYOSOTIS, PERIWINKLE, and SWEETBRIAR. All but corvettes GENTIAN and PERIWINKLE were detached on the 30th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 31st.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 OCTOBER TO DAWN 17 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Storms.

_0407-0428 hrs _Air raid alert for enemy Cant 1007 bombers which approach the Island as Wellington bombers arrive from the UK. At least one bomber crosses the coast before the alert sounds, dropping 500kg and 250kg bombs near Mgarr. Other raiders drop high explosive bombs in the sea off Ghain Tuffieha.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 16 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Truant_ arrived from the USA via Gibraltar. _Clan Macdonald_ and _Empire Guillemot_ sailed independently for Gibraltar at 1000 hrs. _Empire Guillemot_ returned later with engine trouble and remained off Filfla for the night. _Unbeaten_, _Urge_, _Upright_ returned from Cape Passero, having sighted nothing but a hospital ship. Three Swordfish on anti-submarine patrol sighted nothing.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _9 Wellington. _Departures _1 Catalina, 1 Clare. _38 Squadron _16 Wellingtons attacked selected targets in Naples. _69 Squadron _2 Marylands on special patrols. 1 Blenheim patrol east Sicilian coast. _221 Squadron _1 Wellington on shipping sweep.


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## Njaco (Oct 15, 2016)

*October 16 Thursday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese Government of Prime Minister Konoye collapses. Prime Minister Konoye resigns, following Roosevelt’s refusal to grant him a summit meeting and division in the Japanese cabinet over negotiation with the USA. Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni was recommended by Konoe and Tojo as Konoe's replacement because it was generally felt that he was the only person who could control the Army and the Navy and. Emperor Hirohito rejected this option, arguing that a member of the imperial family should not have to eventually carry the responsibility for a war against the West. Following the advice of his Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, Koichi Kido, Hirohito chose Tojo, who was known for his devotion to the imperial institution. Hirohito Emperor summoned Tojo to the Imperial Palace and instructed him to form a new government. Tojo was given one order from the Emperor: To make a policy review of what had been sanctioned by the Imperial Conferences. Tojo, who was on the side of the war, nevertheless accepted this order, and pledged to obey. Tojo was promoted to General in order to assume the post of Prime Minister. Although the decision to go to war has not been finally taken, these changes show the rise of those wishing to go to war.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Attack on Convoy SC 48: The battle to protect convoy SC 48 continues. German submarines U-502 and U-568 re-establish contact before retiring upon arrival of the USN’s Task Unit 4.1.4 (Captain Hewlett Thebaud). Destroyer USS “_Livermore_” (DD-429) sweeps ahead of the convoy, and depth-charges U-553; destroyer USS “_Kearny_” (DD-432), sweeping astern, drops charges to discourage tracking submarines. Later, U-502 and U-568, augmented by U-432, U-553, and U-558 renew attack upon SC 48. German submarine U-568 sank British ship “_Empire Heron_” 400 miles west of Ireland at 0114 hours; 42 were killed, 1 survived and picked up by escorting corvette HMS “_Gladiolus_” (Lieutenant Commander H. M. C. Sanders). Later in the day, however, HMS “_Gladiolus_” was lost from an unknown cause. Early the following morning a very loud explosion is heard behind the convoy, which may have, been “_Gladiolus_” following an attack by U-568, but there is no conclusive evidence of this loss, or any survivors.

The destroyer USS “_Charles F. Hughes_” (DD 428), while escorting Convoy HX-154, rescued the only seven survivors of British freighter “_Hatasu_” (torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-431 on October 2, 600 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Tanks of Paul Hausser’s SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ and the "Hauenschild Brigade" of 10.Panzer-Divisionen continued to attack the Mozhaysk Line at Borodino, the site of the 1812 Napoleonic battle, 125 km West of Moscow (allegedly, Soviet troops are shown 1812 Russian battle standards to motivate them). The Battle of Borodino had become a slugging match with duels between small groups of T-34s and panzers, and multiple barreled rocket launchers on both sides. However, the Panzers lack infantry support and are turned back by Soviet rifle divisions (Feldmarschall von Kluge is resting 4.Armee’s 11 infantry divisions after the battles around Vyasma). By the evening German forces had worked their way around the Russian flanks as airstrikes pounded the Russian positions. Hoepner then threw in tanks and infantry. 30 panzers broke through and headed for Leliushenko’s HQ. General Leliushenko led his HQ staff into hand to hand combat armed with molotov cocktails. Leliushenko was severely wounded and evacuated but his men fought on. But Colonel Polosukhin’s 32nd Division held on for five days before retreating, unbeaten, along the road to Moscow. In Moscow, panic breaks out in the citizenry as they learn that Lenin’s tomb has been moved out of the city to prevent its capture by the Germans. While thousands of civilians continued to flee the city, the Soviet government and diplomatic corps moved to Kuibyshev 1,500 miles to the east; Joseph Stalin, however, chose to stay. Shaposhnikov and most of the Soviet General Staff evacuate Moscow, leaving Vasilevsky in the city to assist Stalin. Later that evening Stalin almost boarded a train to be evacuated but instead resolved to stay in Moscow. With that decision Stalin also recall more of the Siberian divisions guarding the border with Japanese held Manchuria. It would take 3-4 weeks for the Siberians to arrive and to fill the gap. Stalin raised more scratch forces (termed ‘strike forces’) to throw into the front. Workers battalions, armed by Moscow’s own factories, are taking their places in the front line. Over half a million men, women and children complete building new defenses around the city - 5,000 miles of trenches, 60 miles of anti-tank ditches and 177 miles of barbed wire. There is panic in the air as rumors spread that German tanks are in the suburbs. There is no transport; the buses and taxis have been commandeered to take troops to the front. Some officials and policemen, fearful of what will happen to them if the Germans arrive, are fleeing the city, and looters are taking advantage of their departure. General Zhukov, recalled from Leningrad, is working feverishly to organize a new line of defence. He has ordered the setting up of artillery and anti-tank strongpoint to ambush the German Panzers on their approach routes.

The final Soviet evacuation ships departed Odessa, Ukraine at 0510 hours. The last man to leave was Captain Makarenko, the commander of the port. But not before Soviet transport “_Bolshevik_” is sunk by Luftwaffe bombers. In the past two weeks, 121,000 troops and civilians were evacuated from the city, along with 1,000 trucks and 20,000 tons of ammunition. Romanian troops entered the city later on this date, capturing the city. The Romanian and Germans who have been besieging the Black Sea port since August finally marched into the city only to find it empty and burning. All the material that had to be left behind was burnt. The big guns of the 95th Rifle Division were dumped into the harbour. The Romanians, after suffering 98,000 casualties in the siege, are making the most of the Soviet withdrawal:


> “Troops of our Fourth Army marched into Odessa this afternoon. The last nests of resistance are being cleared up in street fighting. The population greeted German and Romanian forces with enthusiasm.” (Michael F. Yaklich)



Despite being stripped of most of its mechanized formations, Army Group North opens a fresh set of attacks east of the Volkhov River south of Leningrad. German Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb of Army Group North launches his offensive toward Kalinin and Tikhvin. German 16.Armee begins attacking toward Volkhovsroy in heavy snowfall.

A large group of Latvian military leaders was executed by the Soviets. The Soviets also executed the wives of Mikhail Tukhachevsky and his fellow accused (and already executed) conspirators. Antanas Gustaitis (b.1898), Lithuanian aviation engineer, was shot to death in Moscow. He had designed 9 ANBO airplanes.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 382 adult male, 507 adult female, and 257 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,146 people. The Jewish population of Lubny and neighboring towns were ordered to report for relocation. The 1,900 Jews who obeyed the order were taken to an antitank trench outside the town and shot.

German Luftwaffe I./KG 4 was relocated to Pskov (German: Pleskau), Russia.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 87 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight. Returning from a raid on Mannheim, Germany, RAF Pilot Officer AJ Heyworth flies a Wellington bomber of No. 12 Squadron Bomber Command 500 - 600 miles on 1 engine (about 5 hours). He flew most of the way on only one engine while the other was aflame.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The Chief of Naval Operations sends the following message to the fleet commanders: _“The resignation of the Japanese Cabinet has created a grave situation X If a new Cabinet is formed it will probably be strongly nationalistic and anti American X If the Konoye Cabinet remains the effect will be that it will operate under a new mandate which will not include rapprochement with the US X In either case hostilities between Japan and Russia are a strong possibility X Since the US and Britain are held responsible by Japan for her present desperate situation there is also a possibility that Japan may attack these two powers X In view of these possibilities you will take due precautions including such preparatory deployments as will not disclose strategic intention nor constitute provocative actions against Japan X Second and third addressees (in the Pacific) inform appropriate Army and Naval district authorities X Acknowledge XX.”_

Stimson asks State Department to arrange with Australians for use of airfields in New Guinea, New Britain, and Australia itself.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Soviet forces begin evacuating from Hiiumaa (Dago) Island to Hango.

German vessel “_Baltenland_” sunk by Soviet submarine SC-323 in the Baltic Sea.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: German merchant raider “_Kormoran_” made rendezvous with supply ship “_Kulmerland_” off Cape Leeuwin, Australia and began to take on fuel and supplies. “_Kulmerland_” has sailed 5000 miles from Japan in 45 days, carrying 4,000 tons of diesel oil and 6 months supply of provisions which will take 7 days to transfer to “_Kormoran_”.

Singapore Prime Minister Brooke-Popham reports to the Australian Advisory War Council that the aircraft at Singapore are superior to those of Japan, and that Japan is preoccupied with launching an attack on Russia, and hence would not be able to launch a large-scale attack to the south for the next three months.

US Admiral Harold Stark, Chief of Naval Operations, sends a message to Pacific commands, warning of "grave situation" created by the fall of the Konoye Cabinet in Japan, that Japan might attack US and British territories.

The destroyers USS “_Peary_” (DD 225) and USS “_Pillsbury_” (DD 227) were damaged in a collision during night exercises in Manila Bay, Philippine Islands.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Vichy France, Former Prime Ministers, Daladier, Reynaud and Blum are all arrested on Marshal Petain’s orders to face charges that they are responsible for the defeat of France. Due to pressure from the Germans, Philippe Pétain announced that he had condemned Blum, Daladier and Gamelin to life imprisonment, long before their trial could even begin. Pétain justified the action under Constitutional Act No. 7 dated January 27, 1941, even though it was illegal to apply it retroactively.

RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweep off Cherbourg during the day. RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 15 aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 16, 2016)

*October 17 Friday*
*ASIA*:Gen'l. Hideki Tojo (1885-1948) became Premier in Japan. He assumes the offices of not only Prime Minister, but also War Minister and Home Affairs Minister. Shigenori Togo is named Foreign Minister and Admiral Shimada, Navy Minister. When the bellicose war minister and most powerful man in Japan, Army General Hideki Tojo, became prime minister, there no longer was a chance of avoiding war with Britain and the United States. The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo sends a telegram to the embassy in Washington, DC, which includes the following: “_The resignation was brought about by a split within the Cabinet. It is true that one of the main items on which opinion differed was on the matter of stationing troops or evacuating them from China. However, regardless of the make-up of the new Cabinet, negotiations with the United States shall be continued along the lines already formulated. There shall be no changes in this respect._”

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Attack of Convoy SC 48: The battle to protect convoy SC 48 continues. SC 48 is the first U.S. Navy-escorted convoy to engage German submarines in battle, but despite the presence of the three modern U.S. destroyers and two flush-deckers—USS “_Decatur_” (DD-341) and HMCS “_Columbia_” [ex-USS “_Haraden_” (DD-183)], and four RCN corvettes, the enemy torpedoes six ships and an escort vessel in a total elapsed time of four hours and forty-seven minutes. U-432 sinks Greek steamer SS “_Evros_”, Panamanian steamer SS “_Bold Venture_” and Norwegian motor tanker MS “_Barfonn_.” U-558 sinks British tanker SS “_W.C. Teagle_”, and Norwegian steamship SS “_Rym_.” U-553 sinks Norwegian steamer SS “_Erviken_” and conducts an unsuccessful approach on destroyer USS “_Plunkett_” (DD-431). The RCN and USN escort vessels immediately began dropping depth charges and continue to barrage throughout the night. America suffers its first war casualties in World War II when American destroyer USS “_Kearney_” (DD-432), escorting Allied convoy SC-48, was damaged by a torpedo from German submarine U-568 off Iceland, killing 11. The “_Kearney_” was illuminated by the blazing vessels and suffered a direct hit from U-568 on the starboard side, but damage control limited flooding to the forward fire room enabling the ship to leave the danger area with power from the aft fire room. Escorted by USS “_Greer_” (DD-145), the damaged “_Kearny_” proceeds to Hvalfjordur, Iceland at 10 knots, arriving 19 October. There she will undergo temporary repairs alongside repair ship USS “_Vulcan_” (AR-5) and get underway on 25 December 1941 for Massachusetts for permanent repairs. In the air, PBY-5A Catalinas of the USN’s Patrol Squadron Seventy Three (VP-73) based at Reykjavik, Iceland, arrive to provide air coverage for SC 48.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Battle of Borodino still raged. Although German and Soviet armor and infantry are evenly matched at Borodino, Soviet 5th Army is worn down by losses of men and tanks. All day and through the night, German Paul Hausser’s SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ and the "Hauenschild Brigade" of 10.Panzer-Divisionen advance slowly along the two East-West roads that run parallel only 2 miles apart (Moscow Highway and Minsk Highway). Soviet 5th Army resists doggedly as they fall back towards Mozhaysk. Villages and Russian defensive positions were captured then recaptured. Masses of Russians trapped in the two Bryansk pockets surrendered. The pockets began to dissolve although isolated troops were still trying to break out on 20 Oct. With the threats to Moscow becoming critical, STAKVA decides to abandon the bulk of the eastern Ukraine and concentrate all fresh and newly formed formations in the Moscow area.

General von Mackensen's III.Armeekorps (mot) had mounted its attack against Rostov, the gateway to the Caucasus with 13.Panzer-Division (Lieutenant General F-W Rothkirch) and 14.Panzer-Division (Major General F. Kuehn), 60.Infanterie-Division (mot) (Lieutenant General Friedrich-Georg Eberhardt), and the SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) “Liebstandarte der SS Adolf Hitler” (Obergruppenfuhrer Sepp Dietrich). The "Leibstandarte.", reinforced by 4.Panzer-Regiment, 13.Panzer-Division, penetrated the outer fortifications at Sultan-Saly. On its left 14.Panzer-Division struck at Bolshiye-Saly. General Remizov, who was defending Rostov with his 56th Army, replied with a strong attack against the flank of 14.Panzer-Division. Mackensen thereupon employed his 60.Infanterie-Division (mot) in a flanking attack to the east, in order to cover his flank.

German 3.Panzergruppe clears last defenders from Kalinin. Stavka creates Kalinin Front under Konev with 22nd Army, 29th Army and 30th Army.

1.SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) ‘Liebstandarte der SS Adolf Hitler’ (Obergruppenfuhrer Sepp Dietrich) of German 1.Panzerarmee captured Taganrog in southern Russia, a port city on the Sea of Azov.

The crews of JG 51 again lose a pilot when Heinz John, with eight kills during his combat career, is shot down and killed.

The first transport of deported Czech Jews departed for various locations in Eastern Europe.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Cultivate: British cruiser HMS “_Latona_” and destroyers HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Havock_”, and HMS “_Nizam_” departed Alexandria, Egypt for Tobruk, Libya. Sailing with Convoy Cultivate, the British steam tanker “_Pass of Balmaha_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-97, commanded by Udo Heilmann, approximately 50 miles west of Alexandria in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea. All of the ship’s complement of 18 died. The 758 ton “_Pass of Balmaha_” was carrying aviation fuel and petrol and was bound for Tobruk, Libya. The Greek steam merchant “_Samos_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-97 approximately 50 miles west of Alexandria. Of the ship’s complement, 31 died and 3 survivors were picked up by the HMS “_Cocker_”. The 1,208 ton “_Samos_” was carrying government stores and was bound for Tobruk, Libya.

Axis Convoy departs for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Folgore_”, “_Fulmine_”, “_Usodimare_”, “_Gioberti_”, “_Da Recco_”, and “_Sebenico_” and a torpedo boat.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Arrangements are completed to transport Moslem pilgrims to Mecca, despite wartime shortages of transportation.

In Syria, the British 2nd Battalion (The Black Watch) were preparing to move to Tobruk and to make way for the 2/2 Australians. G1098 kit (mobilization scale of clothing and equipment) was handed over as the Battalion move was to be with rifles, equipment and small kit only.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Norwegian vessel “_Vesteraalen_” sunk by Soviet submarine SC-402 in Arctic waters. Soviet submarine “_Kalev_” sunk by mine on this date or shortly thereafter.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet, Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, sent two submarines to Midway and two to Wake on "simulated war patrols." Harold Stark informed Kimmel that in his personal opinion that while he expected Japan to take action sometime in the near future, an attack on Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii was not likely.

The USN orders all U.S. merchant ships in Asiatic waters to put into friendly ports. The US began evacuating non-essential personnel from Guam, Mariana Islands.

Colonel H. George, A-4 (supply) under Major General Lewis H. Brereton, Commanding General Far East Air Force (USAAC), sends a request to Hugh Casey, MacArthur’s engineer, to construct housing and messing for one air group at Del Monte, a natural meadow in the Del Monte pineapple plantation on Mindanao.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: At a meeting of the British Defence Committee, Prime Minister Winston Churchill instructs Admiral Pound to plan to dispatch one modern battleship and an aircraft carrier to join the “_Repulse_” in the Indian Ocean.

Anthony Eden informs the British War Cabinet that Britain should expect trouble from Japan in about three weeks.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The German propaganda ministry declared Luxembourg Judenfrei, "Free of Jews".

RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation to Zeebrugge. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on coastal sweep off Cherbourg.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 17, 2016)

*17 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
U Class submarine HMS P-38





Fairmile B ML 54, 347
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Losses*
Convoy SC-48
In the early hours of 17 October more warships arrived; HMS HIGHLANDER and BROADWATER from TC 14, and HMS ABELIA and VERONICA from ON 25. With this reinforcement further attacks were warded off, but the pack remained in contact, awaiting a further opportunity.

At dawn on 17 October the convoy was joined by Western Approaches escort; This was EG 3, comprising DDs BULLDOG, AMAZON, RICHMOND, and GEORGETOWN and RN corvette HMS HEARTSEASE, with two trawlers and a rescue ship. The RCN group departed at this point, being low on fuel; also DesRon 13 left to follow KEARNY to Iceland.

The pack was still in contact, but all further attacks were frustrated by the escort. VERONICA made a determined attack on a contact and claimed a kill, but no U boat loss was confirmed. A PBY Catalina flying air cover also bombed U-558 which was damaged, but continued to shadow until the attack was called off.

U-432 sank *steamer BOLD VENTURE (Panamanian 6595 grt)* from convoy SC.48. Seventeen crew were missing. She was carrying a cargo of cotton, iron and steel, copper and a small amount of wood. Between 0342 and 0346 hrs on 17 Oct 1941, U-432 attacked three ships while moving on the surface between the seventh and eight columns, first hitting the BOLD VENTURE in station #91 with one torpedo. At 0343 hrs, a spread of two torpedoes missed a ship in the eight column but one hit was claimed on a ship beyond which is not confirmed by Allied reports (possibly the GLDIOLUS?). The U-boat then fired its stern torpedo and sank EVROS in station #63.

The BOLD VENTURE, armed with one 4in and two machine guns, had originally been in station #94 but changed to #91 after the ships ahead of her were lost or straggled from the convoy. She was hit by the torpedo on port side aft, setting the cargo of cotton on fire, collapsing the mainmast and breaking off the poop which caused the ship to sink by the stern within 10 minutes. The survivors were picked up after two hours by RCN Corvette WETASKIWIN and landed in Reykjavik on 24 October.






As indicated above, U-432 sank *MV EVROS (Gk 5283 grt)* with the loss of her entire crew of 32. She was carrying iron ore at the time of her loss. The EVROS was hit amidships by the torpedo, broke in two and sank immediately due to her heavy cargo. There were no survivors despite initial reports that two had been rescued, apparently a mistake in name when two men from ERVIKAN were picked up.






U-558 sank *tkr W. C. TEAGLE (UK 9552 grt)* whilst she was on passage from Aruba to Swansea via Sydney CB carrying a full load of oil. She had a crew of 45, 35 of whom would lose their lives immediately and 9 others a short time later. At 0131 hrs, U-558 fired three torpedoes, one of which was aimed at W. C. TEAGLE in station #103 and sank her about 600 miles west of Rockall. The WC TEAGLE was hit on the starboard side aft, caught fire and sank suddenly by the stern after 5 minutes before most of the crew were able to abandon ship. Nine survivors were picked up by RN DD BROADWATER, but were lost when the DD was sunk the next night. Eventually the only survivor was radio operator Norman D. Houston, who rescued himself on a raft, observed ERVIKEN being torpedoed nearby and was picked up by Corvette VERONICA after about 4 hours and landed at Londonderry.





Steamers RYM and ERVIKEN slowed down to pick up survivors from the WC TEAGLE, but in turn were then lost in successive attacks.

*Steamers ERVIKEN (Nor 6595 grt)* was sunk in this series of attacks by U-558. The ship was loaded with phosphate and was travelling from Tampa to Liverpool via Sydney CB. She had a crew of 38 aboard, 22 of whom would perish in the attack. ERVIKEN was hit on the starboard side just in front of the bridge in #2 hold, broke in two and sank within 3 minutes. The ship sank so fast that the crew had no time to launch the lifeboats and the survivors rescued themselves on rafts or clung to debris. After about 3 hours, two men on a raft were picked up by Corvette ABELIA which launched a boat and picked up another man from wreckage, but then lost her boat because it became water logged. At the same time Corvette VERONICA picked up 11 survivors from two rafts and after locating the still drifting wreck of RYM (see below) remained in the area until dawn. Two survivors were picked up by DD BROADWATER, but were lost when the DD was sunk the next night. The survivors were landed at Londonderry, those in VERONICA on 19 October and those in ABELIA on 22 October. The master and 23 crew members were lost





U-558 also sank the *Steamer RYM (Nor 1369 grt)*. After seeing the ERVIKEN being sunk, the RYM immediately tried to reach the convoy again at full speed but was chased by two U-boats: U-558 and also U-432. It was the former that torpedoed and sank the RYM at 0214 hrs. She was carrying a load of timber when lost, and a crew of 21, all of whom would survive the attack. The RYM, armed with five machine guns, was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side between #1 and #2 hatches and broke in two. The forward part was torn away to port and the ship only kept together by the deck cargo of timber with a heavy list to starboard. The bridge and the starboard lifeboat had been destroyed, so 16 survivors abandoned ship in the port boat. The master, the first engineer and three crewmen remained aboard and tried to save the ship. Corvette VERONICA arrived about three hours after the ship was torpedoed, picked up the men in the boat and stayed in the area until dawn. At daylight it became clear that the vessel could not be saved so the five men went aboard the corvette, which rejoined the convoy after scuttling the wreck by gunfire. The survivors were landed at Londonderry on 19 October.






U-432 sank *tkr BARFONN (Nor 9739 grt)* in 56-58N, 25-04W from convoy SC.48. The submarine claimed sinking one more steamer and damaging another. Thirteen crew and one gunner were lost on tanker BARFONN. After sinking two ships in the convoy from within the columns, U-432 spotted BARFONN, and headed towards her and fired the last loaded torpedo at 0400 hrs. The tkr was hit on starboard side in the after part of the engine room, stopped and abandoned by the master and most of the crew in three lifeboats when settling quickly by the stern. The first mate, first engineer and four men remained aboard to attempt to save the ship, but in the meantime the U-boat reloaded one of its torpedo tubes while circling the disabled vessel and fired the coup de grace at 0448 hrs. The torpedo hit on the port side amidships under the bridge and ignited the cargo, illuminating the whole area and causing the tanker to capsize and sink with only the forecastle remaining above water. About 30 minutes later, the master, 22 crew members and one gunner (the ship was armed with one 3in and two machine guns) in the lifeboats were picked up by RCN Corvette WETASKIWIN. Only two of the men who remained behind survived by jumping overboard and swimming to a raft. At 0620 hrs, they were picked up by RCN Corvette BADDECK which continued to search the area until daylight, but no more survivors were found. 13 crew members and one gunner were lost. All survivors were landed at Reykjavik on 24 October.

In the afternoon, the USN DDs LIVERMORE, PLUNKETT and DECATUR passed the area of the night action after they were detached from the convoy and spotted an object that was identified by them as upturned U-boat wreck. More likely this was the capsized bow of BARFONN which was then scuttled by the DDs with 66 rounds of gunfire.





Just after midnight U-568 hit a DD which had stopped to avoid a collision with a corvette; this was USS KEARNY. She was severely damaged, losing 11 killed and 22 wounded, but was saved by effort of the crew. She was detached to Iceland, escorted by DECATUR and GREER.On the 17th. The DD was able to proceed to Hvalfjord under her own power. After temporary repairs at Hvalfjord, the DD sailed on 25 December for Boston where repairs were completed on 5 April 1942.





Corvette GLADIOLUS may have ben lost in these attacks or those of the previous night most likely by by U.558 or U.432.

DDs HIGHLANDER, BULLDOG, AMAZON, GEORGETOWN, and RICHMOND and corvettes PICTOU and VERONICA joined the convoy on 17 September}.

After a successful attack on the convoy, U-558 dived to 90m (295ft) to avoid a DD which approached. Three DCs were dropped at the diving position, detonating high above the U-boat which escaped further attacks by passing under the convoy. The DD was probably USS KEARNY.

At 0530 hrs U-432 was sighted by DD BROADWATER off the port beam of the convoy. The DD’s forward gun was inoperable due to weather damage and the starboard 4in gun jammed when firing a star shell, so she tried to ram U-432, which turned inside the DD, and then quickly dived after attempting to escape at full speed on the surface. DD BROADWATER immediately launched a pattern of five DCs. Although two jammed on the rails, the other three temporarily disabled the rudder controls and the electric motors, forcing the boat down from a depth of 45 metres to 70 m (230 ft).

Although BROADWATER then lost Asdic contact, Corvette ABELIA made contact 30 minutes later, and after dropping five DCs reported oil on the surface at 0803 hrs. She then dropped two patterns of five and eight DCs at 0834 and 0843 hrs. It is also possible that some of the attacks carried out by USS DDs LIVERMORE and DECATUR during that morning were against U-432. These attacks kept the U-boat submerged for the whole morning. On surfacing at 1300 hrs, it was noticed that the contents of a fuel ballast tank had been lost, which would have betrayed their position through a trail of oil. Both compressors were also out of order, and the boat could only reach a speed of 12 knots until repairs could be made.

At 05.49 hrs, in the mid Atlantic, south of Iceland: U-568 was sighted by HMCSPICTOU on the port side of the convoy and tried to escape at full speed on the surface into a rain squall. The corvette immediately pursued U-568, and fired six rounds from the 4in gun, all of which missed. At 0602 hrs, the U-boat fired a stern torpedo, which passed 15ft (5m) to port of PICTOU. After this counterattack, U-568 dived shortly thereafter after turning sharply to starboard. U-568 had reached 40m (131ft) when the first pattern of five DCs detonated at the diving point, and the second pattern of five charges detonated too shallow to cause any damage. No further attacks were carried out because PICTOUs Asdic broke down and HIGHLANDER and WETASKIWIN (who were in support) were unable to obtain a contact. U-568 had already surfaced 45 minutes after the attack, sighted two corvettes, and escaped on the surface.

At 17.00 hrs U-751 was sighted by Corvette VERONICA which was en route to rejoin convoy and was forced to crash dived when the corvette approached. The escort then dropped 34 DCs during five attacks between 1718 and 1753 hrs, observed oil on the surface, and then returned to the convoy because she only had twelve DCs remaining. None of the attacks were accurate and U-751 escaped undamaged. Unknown to both, U-502 was nearby after diving to avoid aircraft and heard the DCs. This U-boat had a problem with an untraceable fuel leak, and it is likely this was the source of the oil observed by the VERONICA.

*UBOATS*
At Sea 17 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-202, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-751

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer PAULA FAULBAUM (Ger 1922 grt)* was lost in a stranding near Stockholm. She was in ballast when lost, on passage from Oskarshamn to Västeras, Sweden.

In the dark evening of October 17, 1941, she headed towards Landsort, south of Stockholm, Sweden. Conditions were poor. She had no pilot onboard. The vessel overshot the lightship signals and went ashore but managed to slip free from her grounding. The steamer was taken to the lee side of the Landsort island. She was leaking badly, but trying to beach the ship seemed to be no option in the rough sea. So she was anchored, hoping that the ship would float till the morning. All of the crew were rescued to the pilot station. The next morning the ship had sunk.





_Sonar imagery of the wreck_

*East Front*
Arctic
Convoy PQ.2 departed Scapa Flow with steamers EMPIRE BAFFIN, HARTLEBURY, QUEEN CITY, HARPALION, ORIENT CITY, and TEMPLE ARCH, escorted DDs ICARUS and ECLIPSE and MSWs BRAMBLE, SEAGULL, and SPEEDY from 18 to 30 October. CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow early on the 18th and overtook the convoy, joining for ocean escort. ECLIPSE and ICARUS refuelled at Seidisfjord on the 20th and rejoined the convoy. On the 29th, MSWs GOSSAMER, HUSSAR, and LEDA from Archangel joined the convoy and escorted it to Archangel, arriving on the 30th.

*West Coast*
ASW trawler OPHELIA, which had been repairing at Akureyri, departed that port for Scapa Flow.

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser LATONA and DDs NIZAM, JACKAL, and HAVOCK, departed Alexandria on the second series of the CULTIVATE operation to Tobruk. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 18th.

U.97 sank *steamer SAMOS (Gk 1208 grt)* and *tkr PASS OF BALMAHA (UK 758 grt)*, which departed Alexandria, escorted by anti-submarine whaler KOS 19, on the 16th, in 31-14N, 28-50E proceeding to Mersa Matrah for Serial 4 of the CULTIVATE operation. Twenty four crew, three gunners, and four British personnel were lost on the Greek ship. The entire crew of the British tanker were lost. The ships were to have joined gunboat GNAT and landing craft tank A lighters A.13, A.17, and A.18 off Mersa Matruh before proceeding to Tobruk. DDs HASTY, AVONVALE, ERIDGE, and DECOY departed Alexandria, joined later by DDs HERO and HOTSPUR, to search for the submarine. After an unsuccessful search, the DDs (less HASTY and ERIDGE) returned to Alexandria on the 18th.




_tkr PASS OF BALMAHA _
[NO IMAGE FOR THE SAMOS]

DDs HASTY and ERIDGE were detached during the night of 17/18 October to sweep ahead of gunboat GNAT and the A lighters. MTBs.68 and 215 joined gunboat GNAT. The gunboat and the A lighters arrived at Tobruk on the 19th.

Armed boarding vessel CHANTALA departed Alexandria to carry cargo to Syria.

Submarines URSULA, P.34, and RORQUAL departed Malta for operations off Kuriat.

Submarine RORQUAL was forced to return to Malta with defects.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.50 departed Sydney CB escorted by corvette SOREL. Corvette SOREL was detached on the 19th when relieved by DD ST CROIX and corvettes AGASSIZ, ALBERNI, ALYSSE, BITTERSWEET, COLLINGWOOD, and WINDFLOWER joined the convoy. Corvette WINDFLOWER was detached on the 20th. DD RESTIGOUCHE joined on the 25th. DD ST CROIX on the 26th, and corvettes AGASSIZ, ALBERNI, ALYSSE, BITTERSWEET, COLLINGWOOD on the 31st. DDs KEPPEL, ROCKINGHAM, SABRE, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA and KINGCUP, and ASW trawler LADY ELSA joined on the 31st. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 4 November.

*Central Atlantic*
Convoy ST.6 departed Freetown, escorted by sloop BRIDGEWATER and corvettes AMARANTHUS, AURICULA, MARGUERITE, and WOODRUFF. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 22nd.

Convoy HG.75 sailing was postponed. Two ASW forces with DDs LAMERTON, VIDETTE, and DUNCAN and of sloop ROCHESTER and the 37th Escort Group of corvettes BLUEBELL, CAMPION, CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, MALLOW, and LA MALOUINE departed Gibraltar to sweep in the western approaches to the Strait.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 OCTOBER TO DAWN 18 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fair.

_1047-1103 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach from the north and carry out reconnaissance. Hurricane fighters are flying into and out of Malta on escort duties so it is not possible for them nor anti-aircraft guns to engage.

_1534-1555 hrs _Air raid alert for a total of seven enemy aircraft which approach the Island in three formations but circle 30 miles to the north. The first two formations remain at a distance, while two Macchi 200 fighters approach Grand Harbour from the north east and cross the coast. Eleven Hurricanes are scrambled at the first alert but, owing to fuel shortages, they are unable to engage the two raiders. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage with one barrage; no claims.

_0012-0019 hrs _Air raid alert triggered by the return of Swordfish aircraft.

_0403-0523 hrs _Air raid alert for seven enemy bombers which approach the Island singly from several directions. None cross the coast; all bombs are dropped in the sea, including one container of incendiaries eight miles offshore to the north east. Four Hurricane fighters are airborne, two at a time, but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 17 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Porpoise_ arrived from Gibraltar and United Kingdom. _Ursula_, _P34_ and _Rorqual_ sailed for operations off Kuriat, but _Rorqual_ returned with defects.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Wellington. _Departures _3 Wellington. _18 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked a factory at Syracuse. _38 Squadron _3 Wellingtons attacked Trapani aerodrome. 4 Wellingtons attacked Elmas aerodrome. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols Syracuse, east Sicilian coast and special patrol. Photoreconnaissances Cagliari, Sicilian aerodromes and Messina Harbour. _107 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked motor transport at Zuara and Sirte. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Swordfish sent to attack a convoy of 4 merchant ships and 4 destroyers. Two merchant vessels were hit and seriously damaged. Despite intense, accurate fire from all ships all aircraft returned safely.


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## Njaco (Oct 17, 2016)

*October 18 Saturday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese arrest Richard Sorge, ending the carrier of one of the most successful and productive Soviet spies in history. He would be hanged three years later. The son of a German engineer and a Russian mother, he was brought up in Germany, joined the Communist Party, and became a Soviet agent in 1928, serving in America, China and Japan under journalistic cover. He then got Stalin’s permission to go back to Germany and become a member of the Nazi Party. He returned to Tokyo as correspondent for a Frankfurt newspaper. Sorge, a craggy-faced womaniser and drinker, soon charmed his way into the confidence of the German ambassador. He also set up a highly-placed ring of Japanese agents, and soon he was sending a flood of economic, political and military information back to Moscow. One of his major coups was to warn Stalin that Hitler was preparing to attack Russia. He gave the precise date for the invasion - but Stalin ignored him.

General Tojo, known as Kamisori [the Razor] retains his portfolio as war minister. It is the first time that Japan has had a serving general as prime minister. One of General Tojo’s first moves has been to extend the deadline for diplomacy to prevent war with the United States until 25 November. This overturns the decision of the last imperial conference, calling for a decision on war or peace with the US no later than 15 October, which divided the Konoye cabinet and precipitated its resignation. General Tojo insisted on being given a “clean slate” on this issue before accepting his appointment from Emperor Hirohito.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Attack of Convoy SC 48: German submarines break off operations against convoy SC 48, but not before German submarine U-101 attacked, damaging destroyer HMS “_Broadwater_” with one torpedo at 0420 hours; 46 crew and 11 previously rescued survivors were killed, 85 crew survived. HMS “_St. Apollo_” scuttled HMS “_Broadwater_” by gunfire at 1541 hours. USN destroyers USS “_Plunkett_” (DD-431), USS “_Livermore_” (DD-429) and USS “_Decatur_” (DD-341), meanwhile, make concerted depth charge attacks on sound contacts with no visible results.

A PBY-5A Catalina of USN Patrol Squadron Seventy Three (VP-73) based at Reykjavik, Iceland, drops a package containing blood plasma and transfusion gear for use in treating the wounded on board the destroyer USS “_Kearny_” (DD-432) torpedoed yesterday. The destroyer USS “_Monssen_” (DD-435) retrieves the package but the gear becomes disengaged and sinks. A PBM-1 Mariner of a VP-74 detachment also based at Reykjavik repeats the operation a few hours later. This time the drop is successful and USS “_Monssen_” retrieves the medical supplies intact.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German Army Group Center is pushing toward Moscow at Mozhaisk, Dorohov, Maloyaroslavets, Borovsk, Kaluga, Tarusa, Naro-Fominsk, and Podolsk. Despite determined resistance from the main Russian line, Mozhaisk is captured by Paul Hausser’s SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ and the "Hauenschild Brigade" of 10.Panzer-Divisionen of 4.Panzerarmee’s XXXX.Panzerkorps (General der Panzertruppen Georg Stumme). Maloyaroslavets and Tarusa on the southern approaches to Moscow are captured by 19.Panzer-Divisionen of the 4.Armee’s LVII.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops A. Kuntzen). Soviet 5th Army has suffered 60% casualties defending Mozhaysk and only 5 weakened rifle divisions and 20 tanks stand before Moscow. The conquered area east of the Dniester is incorporated into Romania and renamed Transdniestria. The 32nd Rifle Brigade finally withdrew from Borodino up the Smolensk-Moscow highway. The Germans pushed them hard but the 32nd blocked the German advance guard. In the evening, a motorcycle battalion of SS ‘Reich’ Division found the Minsk Highway toward Moscow, Russia, 90 kilometers to the east, undefended.

German Colonel General Erich von Manstein launched his 11.Armee against the Perekop Isthmus in Russia but fierce Soviet resistance on a narrow front caused the German advance to proceed extremely slowly. For his thrusts across the isthmus Manstein had lined up three divisions of LIV.Armeekorps (General of the Kavalry E. Hansen). Indeed, there was no room for more formations in the four-mile-wide corridor. Reading from left to right, they were the 22.Infanterie Division (Lieutenant General H. Graf von Sponek), 73.Infanterie-Division (General der Infanterie Bruno Bieler), and 46.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Kurt Himer) and parts of 170.Infanterie Divisionen (Major General W. Wittke). Behind them stood XXX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry von Salmuth) with the 72.Infanterie Division (Lieutenant General Mattenklott), the bulk of the 170.Infanterie Divisionen, and the 50.Infanterie Divisionen (Lieutenant General K. Hollidt). Still on the road, but later to follow the attacking Corps of 11.Armee, was the XLII.Armeekorps (General of the Engineers W. Kuntze) with 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) and 24.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General H. von Tettau). The Fuehrer's Headquarters had made this Corps available to Manstein on condition that its divisions were moved across into the Kuban area from Kerch as quickly as possible, to advance to the Caucasus. Manstein's six divisions were opposed by eight field divisions of the Soviet 51st Army. To these must be added four cavalry divisions, as well as the fortress troops and naval brigades in Sevastopol. Moving towards the front were General Petrov's units from Odessa. Manstein's 11.Armee drives Soviet forces into Sevastopol.

Hptm. Gordon Gollob, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of II./JG 3, destroys nine Russian fighters in a single day.

Lavrentiy Beria ordered the execution of Nikolai Rychagov, Rychagov's wife, and other conspirators. General Ivan Proskurov was executed without trial for relocating his aircraft to safe airfields shortly before German invasion.

British General Wavell in Tiflis to confer with Soviets regarding defense of the Caucasus.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British cruiser HMS “_Latona_” and destroyers HMS “_Jackal_”, HMS “_Havock_”, and HMS “_Nizam_” arrived in Alexandria, Egypt from Tobruk, Libya.

Malta’s air forces are increased with the addition of a force of strike planes flown in from Gibraltar. Eleven Albacore and two Swordfish aircraft of British No. 828 Squadron took off from HMS “_Ark Royal_” (escorted by battleship HMS “_Rodney_”, cruiser HMS “_Hermione_” and 7 destroyers) to reinforce Malta. Their function to continue to harass Axis supply lines through the Mediterranean to North Africa. One Swordfish torpedo bomber was lost en route, however.

*MIDDLE EAST*: In Syria, at 0630 hours the British 2nd Battalion (The Black Watch) (less "D" Coy) and 3 Companies of the Bedfordshire and Herts. Regiment went by RASC transport to Es Zib transit camp arriving at 1400 hours. "D" Coy was to follow on Monday 20th with the Yorks and Lancs. Regt.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF attacks Tripoli overnight with 17 Wellington bombers flying from Malta.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: The unescorted Soviet steam merchant “_Argun_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-132, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Ernst Vogelsang, five miles off the Gorodetzkij lighthouse in the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean. The 3,487 ton “_Argun_” was bound for Iokanga, Soviet Union. At 2017 hours, U-132 struck again. The unescorted 608 ton Soviet fishing steam trawler RT-8 ‘_Seld_´ was torpedoed and sunk by the U-132 in the Barents Sea. Soviet vessel SKR-11 lost this day was possibly sunk by U-132, or perhaps by mine.

British vessels “_Mahseer_” and “_Empire Ghyll_” were sunk by mines in the North Sea.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US 17th Pursuit Squadron transferred from Iba to Nichols, and the 3rd Pursuit Squadron was transferred from Clark AAF to Iba AAF for gunnery training. Forward elements left on October 3, 1941.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Picture Post, the magazine founded in 1938 by Edward Hulton, which has reached a circulation of a million in the last two months, is now a national institution under its editor Tom Hopkinson. It has made its name by its brilliant picture treatment and its hardhitting captions attacking Hitler at the time of appeasement. At home it criticizes military commanders, ineffective weapons and bureaucratic delays in helping air-raid victims. It founded a Home Guard training school at Osterley Park and gave tips on resistance fighting to its readers. Now it is running articles on post-war reforms such as full employment, minimum wages and a national health service. The response has been huge.

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## parsifal (Oct 18, 2016)

*18 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-111
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS EXMOOR (II) (L-08)





Shakespeare Class ASW Trawler HMS ROSALIND (T-135)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer EMPIRE GHYLL (UK 2011grt)* and *Steamer MAHSEER (UK 7911 grt)* were sunk on mines in Barrow Deep (one of the approaches to the Thames estuary), four to five cables from B 7 Buoy. Five crew and two gunners were lost on the steamer EMPIRE GHYLL. The entire crew of steamer MAHSEER were rescued.

[NO IMAGE FOR THE GHYLL]





*Tug ASSURANCE (UK 350 grt (est))*was grounded and declared a total loss at Lough Foyle.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy SC-48
On the night of 17/18 October the pack tried again; all attacks were repelled but U-101 fired on DD BROADWATER, causing her mortal damage; she remained afloat for another 12 hours, but had to be abandoned and sunk.

On 18 October BdU ordered the attack discontinued. _Mordbrenner_, which had never completely formed, was dissolved, the remaining boats being sent west to form a new patrol line off the coast of Canada. The remaining boats were moved east to form a new patrol line, Reiswolf, SE of Greenland.

U-101 managed to sink *Town Class DD HMS BROADWATER (RN 1190 grt)*. 85 survived the attack, but there were 56 of the crew that perished. During the night of 17/18 Oct 1941, U-101 had tried to overtake the convoy but were frustrated after several attempts by the escorts. In the course of this activity, the U-Boat fired a spread of four torpedoes at DD BROADWATER and at 04.22 hrs the DD was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side forward of the bridge and lost its complete bow. The three ASW trawlers of EG 3 were sent to her assistance with ASW Trawler ANGLE going alongside to rescue the survivors and ASW Trawlers CAPE WARWICK and ST APOLLO screening the area but they did not notice U-77 also in the vicinity.

The rescue work proved to be difficult due to increasing sea and wind and the lifeboats and whalers became more and more waterlogged. Some of the men DD BROADWATER remained behind because they thought that the ship could be saved. However, at daylight a crack became visible on the deck abaft the fourth funnel confirming that the back had been broken and the ship was beyond salvage. ASW TRAWLER ANGLE rescued 60 survivors with some being transferred to other ships. ASW TRAWLER CAPE WARWICK took aboard some of these transfers, and also rescued a further 28 men before leaving the area. at 1420 hrs. En route to the safety of port, one officer and two ratings died of wounds. The ST APOLLO stood by the abandoned wreck until she sank by the bow at 1541 hrs, hastened by 4in gunfire from the attending trawlers. Five officers, 40 ratings and eleven survivors rescued from WC TEAGLR and ERVIKEN were also lost.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Trondheim: U-752
Brest; U-203
Kiel: U-571
St. Nazaire: U-93

At Sea 18 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-575, U-576, U-751

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Swedish steamer INGEREN was damaged by British bombing west of Borkum.

*East Front*
Arctic
U-132 sank *MV ARGUN (Sov 3487 grt)* east of Murmansk. The ship was empty at the time of her loss travelling from Archangel to a Russian harbour called Iokanga. At 1320 hrs the unescorted ARGUN was hit on the starboard side at the bow by one torpedo from U-132 five miles off the Gorodetzkij lighthouse. At 1340 hours, a first coup de grace detonated prematurely, but a second fired 20 minutes later hit amidships and caused the ship to sink. The crew and passengers abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were later picked up by the Soviet hydrographic vessel MGLA, which was probably the icebreaker attacked by the U-boat at 1505 hrs, but the G7a torpedo hit the ground.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-132 also sank *ASW Trawler SKR 11 (VMF 557 grt)* in the same area. At 2017 hrs, U-132 fired one G7a torpedo at a steamer of about 1500 grt north of Mys Kachkovskij and reported a hit after 16 seconds and the subsequent sinking of the vessel within 30 seconds. The target must have been the SKR 11 (Nr 70), which was reported missing after the vessel failed to return from patrol at the entrance to the White Sea and was presumed mined between 20 and 24 October 1941.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to escort destroyer depot ship FORTH from the Clyde to Rosyth. The DDs arrived on the 19th. On the evening of the 19th, the DDs and depot ship FORTH departed the Clyde for Rosyth.

The ships arrived off May Island on the 21st. The depot ship arrived at Rosyth that afternoon. DD ANTHONY proceeded to Immingham for refitting, arriving on the 22nd. DD ANTELOPE returned to Scapa Flow.

MSWs FITZROY, ELGIN, ROSS, and LYDD arrived at Scapa Flow on passage to the Faroes for a clearance sweep.


*Med/Biscay*
U.559 attacked at destroyer escorting three lighters in 32-40N, 24-34E.

ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, and JAGUAR departed Alexandria on serial 3 of the CULTIVATE operation. Returning from Tobruk, DD KANDAHAR attacked a submarine off Bardia. ABDIEL arrived back at Alexandria at noon on the 19th. The DDs, after searching for the submarine, arrived back that afternoon.

DDs JERVIS and JUPITER departed Alexandria escorting landing ship GLENROY from Port Said to Alexandria. The DDs and landing ship arrived at Alexandria on the 19th.

An Italian convoy of steamers MARIN SANUDO, PROBITAS, BEPPE, PAOLINA, and CATERINA departed Naples on the 16th for Tripoli, escorted by DDs FOLGORE, FULMINE, USODIMARE, GIOBERTI, DA RECCO, and SEBENICO. TB CIGNO escorted the convoy until Trapani. TB CALLIOPE also escorted the convoy. Steamer AMBA ARADAM joined the convoy from Trapani. TB CASCINO joined the convoy from Tripoli.

On the 18th, submarine URSULA damaged Italian steamer BEPPE near Lampedusa. The steamer was taken in tow by tug MAX BARENDT and arrived at Tripoli on the 21st with DD DA RECCO and TB CALLIOPE.

*Steamer CATERINA (FI 4786 grt)* was badly damaged by British bombing on the 18th and sank 62 miles 350° from Tripoli on the 19th.





The remainder of the convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 19th.

Submarine TRUANT departed Malta for patrol in the Adriatic. Submarine RORQUAL departed Malta on a minelaying operation off the south of Sardinia. After the operation on 21 and 22 October, the submarine arrived at Gibraltar on the 26th

Submarine THUNDERBOLT made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in the Aegean.

Corvettes AZALEA and SPIRAEA were directed that upon departing Bathurst to meet RFA oiler DINGLEDALE and escort her to Gibraltar. Corvette SPIRAEA arrived at Gibraltar on the 26th to refuel, then departed to rejoin the escort. The three ships arrived at Gibraltar on the 29th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CA EXETER arrived at Bombay. She departed on the 22nd for Colombo

*Malta*
828 SQUADRON ARRIVES IN MALTA
A new Sqn arrived to joined the Fleet Air Arm force at Hal Far. 828 Sqn, with 11 Albacores and one Swordfish strengthened the torpedo bomber force at Malta, which had been carrying out successful operations against Axis convoys in the Med.

The reinforcements left the UK under ‘Operation Call Boy’ on 1 October for Gibraltar, where they were transferred to CV ARK ROYAL for transport to Malta. The Carrier sailed under escort for two days through the western Mediterranean and reached a point early this morning from where the aircraft could take off for Malta. A second Swordfish destined for Hal Far which took off from the carrier did not arrive and is presumed lost. The pilot Sub Lt D Muller RNVR, and observer Sub Lt A Denby RNVR were missing, never found

AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 OCTOBER TO DAWN 19 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_1125-1137 hrs _Air raid alert for three Macchi 200 fighters which cross the Island on reconnaissance. Six Hurricanes are scrambled but unable to intercept due to height of raiders. No engagement by Ack Ack guns.

_1522-1553 hrs _Air raid alert for two Macchi 200s which cross the coast to the west of Delimara at great altitude, on reconnaissance. They fly northwards over Ta Qali, turn about over Gozo and fly down the east coast of Malta, then turn over Luqa to Delimara, eventually receding northwards. Anti-aircraft guns fire pointer rounds. Nine Hurricanes are airborne but unable to intercept.

_Night _Seven air raid alerts sound through the night. Two Hurricanes at a time are airborne but there are no searchlight illuminations and no interceptions.

_2046-2120 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy bombers which approach the Island separately from the west and north. Large high explosive bombs are dropped in the sea near Filfla and in the St Paul’s Bay area. A house is demolished at Bur Marrad. Five civilians are killed and one seriously wounded. One soldier of 1st Bn Kings Own Malta Regiment is seriously injured in the ankle and another slightly. According to military authorities, villagers refused help from the Army, saying they preferred to wait for the arrival of the demolition squad.

_2219-2244 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which drops high explosive bombs in the sea east of Zonqor Point.

_2321-2351 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy bombers approaching separately from the north west and north east. The first drops 12kg bombs on land near Mgarr, severing telephone lines, and in the sea off Ghain Tuffieha. The second drops bombs in the sea six miles east of St Thomas’ Bay.

_0117-0137 hrs _Air raid alert for an enemy aircraft which approaches from the north west and drops 25 x 2kg bombs near Bajda Ridge searchlight positions; no damage or casualties.

_0215-0225 hrs_; _0338-0348 hrs _Air raid alert; raids do not materialise.

_0455-0510 hrs _Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the west to within eight miles of Dingli and drops high explosive bombs in the sea before receding westward.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Truant_ proceeded on patrol in Adriatic. _Rorqual_ left for minelaying, and thence to Gibraltar. 828 Squadron of eleven Albacores arrived, ex operation Call Boy.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _Departures _1 Wellington. _18 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked a factory north of Crotone. _69 Squadron _Maryland patrols south eastern Tunisian coast and special patrol. Photoreconnaissances Palermo, Trapani, Taranto and Naples. _221 Squadron _1 Wellington on convoy search. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _6 Swordfish were sent to attack a convoy of 4 merchant ships and 4 destroyers. At least one merchant ship was hit, with fires visible for 10 miles.

_HAL FAR _Eleven Albacore aircraft No 828 Squadron arrived at Hal Far under the command of Lt/Cdr Langmore.

_TA QALI _New airmen’s barrack block taken over.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 18, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 18, 2016)

*October 19 Sunday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-126 torpedoed and sank American freighter “_Lehigh_” 100 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa at 1051 hours; all 38 aboard survived. U-126 had misidentified the American ship as a Greek vessel.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Soviet resistance in the Vyazma pocket collapses as the last remnants of the outer defenses to Moscow are destroyed. Evacuation of Moscow picks up pace with Germans taking Mozhaysk yesterday and the Mozhaysk line crumbling elsewhere. At Volokolamsk, the northwest end of the Mozhaysk defensive line, newly arrived Soviet 316th Rifle Division halted the attack by German 4.Panzerarmee. In Moscow, Lavrentiy Beria advised the Soviet GKO to evacuate the capital "or they will strangle us like chickens", but it was rejected by Joseph Stalin. However, Stalin did order the Politburo (less Stalin, Beria, and Georgy Malenkov) to evacuate. Soviet forces from the Far East command (facing the Japanese in China), begin to arrive in the Moscow area. Stalin announces his intention to remain in Moscow despite the threat from advancing German forces. Martial law is declared in the city and work ordered on three fixed defensive lines around it.

Army Group South advances into the Crimea and is met with heavy Russian resistance. German 11.Armee is attacking through the Perekop isthmus. German 1.Panzerarmee is fighting into Stalino. Taganrog completely falls to the advancing German 11.Armee. With the fighters of JG 3 still involved in Operation 'TAIFUN' in the north, only JG 77 is available to support the movement. The _Geschwader_ is soon outnumbered by Russian aircraft in the skies over the battle and for a short time lose air superiority for the first time during the war.

German troops began rounding up men over the age of 16 in the Serbian town of Kragujevac in Yugoslavia. Of the 2,324 gathered, about 300 of them were students from the First Boys High School.

One of the Soviet ‘strike forces’ raised in mid-October were the 3,000 men of the 35th Rifle Brigade. It included cadets from the Alma Ata machine-gun school and the Tashkent school and veterans from the wars with Japan and Finland. They had ample heavy machine guns, mortars, automatic rifles and grenades. On 19 Oct they began three weeks of intensive training before being sent to the front.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The unescorted British motor merchant “_Inverlee_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-204, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Walter Kell, 30 miles from Cape Spartel, Morocco in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 22 died and 21 survivors were picked up by the destroyer HMS “_Duncan_” (D 99) and the British armed trawlers HMS “_Lady Hogarth_” (4.89) and HMS “_Haarlem_” (FY 306). The 9,158 ton “_Inverlee_” was carrying Admiralty fuel oil and was bound for Gibraltar. In the same region, the unescorted British steam merchant “_Baron Kelvin_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-206, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Herbert Opitz, in the Strait of Gibraltar. Of the ship’s complement, 26 died and 16 survivors were picked up by the Spanish merchant “_Urola_” and the destroyer HMS “_Duncan_” (D 99). The 3,081 ton “_Baron Kelvin_” was carrying ballast and was bound for Melilla, Spain. British corvettes from Gibraltar were dispatched to hunt for this submarine. The U-204 was sunk off Cape Spartel, Marocco by depth charges from the corvette HMS “_Mallow_” (K 81) and the sloop HMS “_Rochester_” (L 50). All of the ship’s complement of 46 died. During its career the U-204 sank 1 warship and 4 merchant ships for a total of 17,360 tons.

*MIDDLE EAST:* At the request of the joint occupation forces of the Soviet Union and Britain, the Afghan government ejects all Axis nationals from their country.

*NORTH AFRICA*: British gunboat HMS “_Gnat_” bombarded a German artillery battery near Tobruk, Libya after sundown.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US President Roosevelt decided to go forward with the development of the atomic bomb.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Elements of Finnish Army of Karelia reach Suna River north of Lake Onega.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Lt. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 is awarded the _Eichenlaub_ for achieving forty-one victories over the Allies.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 19, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 19, 2016)

*19 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MMS I Coastal MSW MMS 74
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-126 sank *SS LEHIGH (US 4983 grt)* off the coast of Sierre Leone. The vessel was on passage from Bilbao to Takoradi with a crew of 44, all of whom would survive the attack. At 1051 hrs the unescorted and unarmed LEHIGH was hit on the starboard side at the #5 hold by one torpedo from U-126 about 82 miles west of Freetown. The ship was stopped and 35 minutes after the hit abandoned by the ten officers, 30 crewmen and four Spanish stowaways in four lifeboats. The radio operator and two other men reboarded the vessel and unsuccessfully tried to send a message before she sank by the stern at 1310 hrs. The survivors in two lifeboats were picked up by two British motor launches of the 17th ML Flotilla. The remaining survivors, five of them injured, were picked up two days after the sinking from the two other boats by DD VIMY.

The LEHIGH was sunk 49 days before war was officially declared against the USA by the Axis, despite the American markings on the ship, which were clearly visible at the time of the attack. The vessel was zigzagging and according to the U-Boats log, the ship was assumed to be Greek. The log states it as only realized the ship was under a neutral US flag after torpedoes had been fired from a distance of about 2500 meters.





U-204 sank *tkr INVERLEE (UK 9158 grt)* in the approaches to Gibraltar, on the Atlantic side of the harbour. She was engaged in transporting Admiralty fuel at the time of her loss. A crew of 43 were embarked of which 22 were to survive the attack. At 0300 hrs the INVERLEE was hit on the starboard side amidships in #16 tank abaft the bridge by a torpedo fired by U-204, while steaming on a zigzag course at 6 knots about 30 miles west of Cape Spartel, Morocco. The tanker was under escort by the RN ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH, and STELLA CARINA and had been so since the 15 October. The explosion blew oil all over the vessel, set the bridge on fire and damaged the steering gear, so she went out of control and took immediately a list to port. As the flames were increasing, the crew of 38 men and five gunners (the ship was armed) stopped the engines and began to abandon ship in the four lifeboats, but the one on port aft was badly damaged upon launch and became waterlogged. The starboard aft boat was launched successfully on the weather side in choppy seas and broke many oars by pushing it away from the ship’s side. At 0313 hours, a second torpedo struck on the starboard side a little forward from the first, probably in #15 tank and ignited the fuel, causing a huge explosion with a terrific flash that was seen by the nearby U-83 and ASW Trawler HAARLEM about 28 miles away. The explosion was so powerful that it blew out the fires and broke the back of the ship, which sagged in the middle with the tops of the mainmast and foremast nearly meeting, the bridge being submerged and the stern about 30 feet out of the water. The fire later broke out again when fuel leaked out of the tanker. Unfortunately the torpedo had hit directly underneath the starboard forward lifeboat that was being lowered and lifted it from the falls, sending the occupants hurling in all directions and killing the men lowering the boat, including the master, the chief officer and the radio operator. Incredibly, the third mate and the helmsman later managed to reboard this boat and rescued several people swimming in the water. The starboard aft boat was washed back on deck and badly damaged when it hit the superstructure, throwing all occupants into the sea except one boy who managed to jump back on deck, walked to the stern and remained there alone until daylight, when he was taken off by an officer from one of the ASW Trawlers now standing to the scene. Naval crews boarded the tanker after rowing to her in a jolly boat. Two other men were later taken off this badly damaged lifeboat by a trawler just before it sank. About 0330 hrs, the last men abandoned ship in the waterlogged port boat and were picked up three hours later by LADY HOGARTH, and STELLA CARINA screened by DD DUNCAN which had also arrived on the scene. In the meantime ASW sweepes for the U-boat had begun during which time 4 more survivors were picked up but the U-Nopat not located. Another survivor was picked up by the HAARLEM. At daylight, the INVERLEE was reboarded when the fire subsided, but she was found so badly damaged that towing operations were impossible and a Catalina flying boat later reported that the wreck was seen to sink at about noon on 19 October. The master 19 crew members and one gunner were lost. The survivors, five of them injured, were landed at Gibraltar the next day and eventually returned to England aboard the CAM ship EMPIRE DARWIN.





Following this sinking, the corvettes of the 37th Escort Group were sent from Gibraltar to carry out an anti-submarine sweep off Cape Spartel and sank *Type VIIc U-204 (DKM 860 grt)*, with all hands. The corvettes of the 37th Escort Group were despatched from Gibraltar to carry out an ASW sweep off Cape Spartel, Morocco after the loss of the INVERLEE. At 2146 hrs, Flower class HMS MALLOW obtained an asdic contact on her starboard quarter and eight minutes later dropped a pattern of seven DCs. After regaining contact, the corvette turned around to carry out a second attack, but the echo became woolly. After passing through a patch of oil approximately 200 yards long and 50 yards broad MALLOW regained contact, but lost it again before another attack could be carried out. At 2221 hrs, Corvette CARNATION obtained a contact after passing through the oil patch which was judged to be a U-boat stationary on the bottom, and dropped five depth charges, but it's doubtful this was U-204 since it was two miles further east. MALLOW then remained near the oil patch until joined by Shoreham class sloop ROCHESTER on 20 October. The sloop eventually dropped five DCs into the patch and observed the amount of oil to increase, which was found to be diesel. Another pattern of five DCs produced a further volume of oil but no other evidence. A day later parts of a G7a torpedo were recovered about eight miles (13km) east of the position of the oil patch. Post war analysis suggests that U-204 was likely very badly damaged or even sunk by the initial attack By the MALLOW and the DCs dropped by ROCHESTER either finished her off or broke up the wreck lying on the bottom.





U-206 sank *Steamer BARON KELVIN (UK 3081 grt)* just east of Gibraltar. The ship was empty and on passage from Lisbon to Melilla via Gibraltar when lost. A crew of 42 was embarked, 26 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 0614 hrs the unescorted BARON KELVIN was hit on port side aft by one of two G7e torpedoes fired by U-206 in the Strait of Gibraltar. The U-boat then fired a stern torpedo and missed the stopped ship, which quickly sank by the stern with a broken back after being struck on port side amidships by yet another G7e torpedo fired at 0627 hrs. 19 crew members and seven gunners were lost. The master, twelve crew members and two gunners were picked up by the Spanish steam merchant UROLA and landed at Gibraltar. One crew member was rescued by DD DUNCAN and also landed at Gibraltar.





*Steamer RASK (Nor 632 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the western approaches. Seven crew and one gunner were lost on the steamer.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Arendal: U-571

At Sea 19 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-575, U-576, U-751

41 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
CA SUFFOLK and DDs IMPULSIVE and ESCAPADE departed Archangel. En route to the UK, they carried out an operation off the north coast of Finland at Svaerholthavet during the night of 21/22 October. No enemy ships were sighted. On the 25th, the three ships called at Seidisfjord from Spitzbergen to refuel. They departed early on the 26th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 27th.

*Steamer ANDROMEDA (Ger 658 grt)* was sunk in Kongsfjord (west of Kirkenes) by "enemy action".
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Chatham for Scapa Flow after refitting of 1 July to 11 October. The CA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th.

*Northern Patrol*
Dutch submarine O.14 and FFL submarine MINERVE departed the Faroes to patrol off the Norwegian coast. Submarine O.14 arrived back at Scapa Flow after the patrol on the 29th.

MSWs HARRIER and BRITOMART arrived at Spitzbergen. A German landing party promptly was evacuated by air from Longyearby.

*Northern Waters*
Sloop IBIS departed Scapa Flow on completion of work up. She proceeded to Kirkwall for direction finding calibration trials prior to going to Londonderry. The sloop arrived at Kirkwall at 1615. Sloop IBIS departed Kirkwall on the 22nd and arrived at Londonderry on the 23rd.

*West Coast*
CV VICTORIOUS and DDs LAFOREY and LIGHTNING departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow. All three ships sustained weather damage during a gale. Off Tiumpan Head on the 20th, the DDs hove to and the CV continued unescorted to Scapa Flow, arriving that afternoon. The DDs joined BB MALAYA which departed Scapa Flow on the 20th.

DD CHIDDINGFOLD departed the Clyde to work up at Scapa Flow. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 20th, having been delayed by weather.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs HOTSPUR, HASTY, HAVOCK, and DECOY departed Alexandria to bombard the military rest camp at Masra Lucch during the night of 19/20 October. Late on the 19th, HAVOCK ran aground with her propellers and shaft damaged. The other DDs escorted her back to Alexandria and the bombardment was cancelled. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria during the night of 20/21 October.

Sloop FLAMINGO departed Alexandria to escort British steamer MANCHESTER PORT from Port Said to Alexandria.

ASW whaler KOS 19, escorting British tanker TONELINE to Tobruk in serial 4 A of the CULTIVATE operation, reported a submarine contact off Alexandria. ML 1023 departed Alexandria with the two ships, but had to return with defects. DD ENCOUNTER and two ASW trawlers joined to search for the submarine, without success. However, the tanker and its escort were unmolested and safely arrived at Tobruk on the 21st.

Submarine TRUSTY departed Malta on patrol off Argostoli.

Submarine URSULA arrived at Malta from patrol

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 OCTOBER TO DAWN 20 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Cloudy.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula_ returned to reload, having hit one merchant ship and sunk another in convoy.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Beaufort, 1 Sunderland, 7 Wellington. _Departures _2 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _18 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked a factory and power station at Licata. _38 Squadron _11 Wellingtons attacked targets in Tripoli. _69 Squadron _1 Maryland patrol Kiniat-Kerkennah; 1 Maryland special search for shipping. Photoreconnaissances Sicily, Taranto, Tripoli Harbour. _104 Squadron _6 Wellingtons attacked targets in Tripoli.


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## Njaco (Oct 19, 2016)

*October 20 Monday*
*ASIA*: Japanese luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” departed Yokohama for Seattle.

New Japanese Prime Minister Tojo makes a speech: “Japan stands at the crossroads of its rise or fall.”

Japanese aircraft carrier IJN “_Zuikaku_” ("Happy Crane") departed Saeki for Sukumo Bay. IJN “_Shokaku_” arrived at Terajima Strait.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Sailing with a small convoy of two tankers and one escort, the British steam tanker “_British Mariner_” was torpedoed and damaged beyond repair by the U-126, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Ernst Bauer, approximately 80 miles southwest of Freetown, Sierra Leone in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, 3 died and 48 survivors were picked up by a British tug. The 6,996 ton “_British Mariner_” was carrying ballast and was bound for Curaçao.

*EASTERN FRONT*:  There is heavy fighting near Mozhaysk and Malayaroslavets in the Moscow sector. The Germans capture Borodino and are now 60 miles from Moscow. Stalin declares a state of siege in Moscow. He appeals to all workers “to keep calm and orderly and to render the Red Army defending Moscow all possible help.” It also says that all enemies of public order are to be handed over at once to court martials and that all provocateurs, spies and other enemies inciting riot are to be shot on the spot. Boldin takes command of Soviet 19th Army.

Soviet General Fedyuninsky launched an attack south of Lake Ladoga with 70,000 troops and 97 tanks in an attempt to break through the Leningrad siege. They make little progress against dug-in German troops on the swampy terrain. German Field Marshal von Leeb makes his own move in the area, heading Southeast from Lake Ladoga to the important rail and road junction at Tikhvin to cut off the supply route to Leningrad.

While Manstein had burst into the Crimea the other Armies of Army Group South, fighting on the mainland, had advanced farther to the east between the Dnieper and Donets. Kleist's Panzer Group, now renamed 1.Panzerarmee, had been pursuing the defeated enemy and was now lining up to attack Rostov. The three fast divisions (60.Infanterie-Division (mot), 13.Panzer-Division and the SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) “Liebstandarte der SS Adolf Hitler” penetrated into the town, which then had 500,000 inhabitants, and pushed straight on to the Don. The 1st Battalion ""Leibstandarte."" stormed across the Rostov railway-bridge and captured it intact. The 60.Infanterie-Division (mot) meanwhile covered the exposed flank of the Corps by a dashing drive far to the east and south-east, and captured Aksayskaya, while units of 13.Panzer-Division vigorously pursued the retreating enemy from the west. Rostov, the gateway to the Soviet oil paradise, was in German hands. Naturally the Soviet General Staff made every possible effort to recapture Rostov from the Germans and to bar Kleist's Panzer Army from access to the Caucasus. As a result of Mackensen turning to the south a gap had arisen between 17.Armee and 1.Panzerarmee, a gap which, in view of the shortage of forces, could not be immediately closed. Here was Timoshenko's opportunity. He struck at the gap and into the rear of III.Armeekorps (mot).

Elements of the German 6.Armee reach the outskirts of Kharkov but stubborn resistance by the Soviet 38th Army prevents the city’s capture.

The German 1st Mountain Division seized Stalino from the Soviet Twelfth Army. The 20th Bersaglieri Battalion forces the Russian the 383rd Rifle Division to abandon the Ukrainian steel manufacturing city of Stalino. The situations for the Soviets became very serious on the northern flank of the 383rd Rifle Division, around the suburban railroad station of Stantsia Stalino, where the Italians were advancing. With the capture of Grishino and Grodovska from the 296th Rifle Division, the Pasubio Division had maneuvered to the north of the Celere Division, thus securing the left flank of the Bersaglieri and cavalrymen. General Marazzini decided it was an opportune time to attack the 383rd Rifle Division's unprotected flank, in the vicinity of Yasinovataya. A reinforced battalion from the 291st Rifle Regiment, under 1st Lieutenant Shcherbak, was sent to the threatened area. The Soviet battalion fought bitterly to prevent an Italian breakthrough and delayed them long enough to allow the "Miners" Division to retreat. Nevertheless, the XX Bersaglieri Battalion captured Stalino Station. Threatened by the Italians to the north, and with Germans vanguards already in Stalino, the Russians had no choice but to abandon the city. Thus the principal armaments-making centre in the Donets area, the most, important industrial region of the Soviet Union, was in German hands.

In reprisal for partisan attacks the Germans executed 2,324 Serbian men and boys in the Yugoslavian town of Kragujevac, including 300 boys who were herded out of the First Boys High School on the previous day. Local German authorities announced that the mass execution was in response to a recent attack that saw 10 Germans killed and 26 wounded. Furious at partisan activity, Adolf Hitler had previously decreed that for every German soldier killed in attacks, 100 civilian would be executed, and for every German wounded, 50 would be executed.

*GERMANY*: The weather continued to interfere with Bomber Command's activities and it wasn't until the night of the 20th/21st, when 284 aircraft were in action, that any sizeable number of missions was flown. On that night, Bremen was raided by 153 aircraft, Wilhelmshaven by 47 aircraft, Emden by 36 and Antwerp by 35 (none of which attacked because of complete cloud cover). The remaining sorties were Gardening and Nickelling.

President Tiso and Slovakian delegation meet with Hitler.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Cultivate: After sundown, British cruiser HMS “_Latona_” and destroyers HMS “_Kingston_”, HMS “_Encounters_”, and HMS “_Nizam_” departed Alexandria, Egypt for Tobruk, Libya, returning in the early hours of the next day. To protect them, British cruisers HMS “_Ajax_” and HMS “_Galatea_” and Australian cruiser HMAS “_Hobart_”, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Griffin_” and HMS “_Jaguar_”, bombarded German coastal guns near Tobruk.

The Italian Spica-class destroyer escorts _'Aldebaran'_ and _'Altair'_ sink after hitting mines in the Aegean.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Aircraft carrier USS “_Hornet_” (Yorktown-class) was commissioned into service commanded by Captain Marc Mitscher.

Canada's Prime Minister William King and war ministers commit two battalions to the defence of Hong Kong.

War games and exercises were held at the Presidio in San Francisco, California.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The United Kingdom and France concluded a Treaty of Mutual Assistance with Turkey.


> “Regarding the Japanese Air Force, which many people, he said, were inclined to discount as a second-rate body equipped with obsolete aircraft and lacking skilful and daring pilots, Air Vice-Marshal Pulford said that he certainly does not underrate its capacity. When it was suggested to him that it might be compared with the Italian Air Force, he pointed out how completely the R.A.F. gained the mastery of the skies of the Middle East even when the Italians possessed great numerical superiority. He thinks that what the R.A.F. has done in the Middle East it could certainly do in the Far East against the Japanese. One of the best Japanese fighters is the ‘O’ naval fighter, but the Brewster Buffaloes at present with the R.A.F. in Malaya and Burma would have no difficulty in dealing with them. The Japanese, he said, have two bombers of the Mitsubishi type, one of which is used by the Navy and one by the Army -they are about equal in performance to the Whitley bomber in the R.A.F. He believes that Messerschmitt 109s are being produced in limited numbers in Japanese factories.” — “The Times”, Oct 20, 1941, p. 4, col. 7



Churchill tells the Defense Committee that he does not believe that the Japanese would go to war with both the United States and Great Britain.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Occupied France the German commandant Lt-Col Karl Holz is assassinated by French resistance members. Fifty hostages are shot in reprisal. A similar incident in Bordeaux occurs, including reprisal shootings, on the 22nd.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft to attack Antwerp overnight.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 19, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 20, 2016)

*20 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-508
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
S (Stalinec) Class Sub VMF S-56





*Losses*
U-126 torpedoed *tkr BRITISH MARINER (UK 6996 grt)* resulting in the tkr’s total loss. The ship was empty at the time, on passage from Freetown to Curacao. A crew of 51 were embarked, 3 of whom would be lost in the attack. At 0554 hrs, the U-boat attacked a small convoy of two tkrs and one escort about 80 miles SW of Freetown and fired one torpedo at each tanker from a distance of 400 meters. The first torpedo struck the tkr aft of the mast in the engine room. The propulsion of the second torpedo failed and it sank to the bottom. U-126 fired a third torpedo, which was a surface runner and missed. The U-boat tried to follow the second tkr, but was chased away by the escort and later by an aircraft.

The BRITISH MARINER was abandoned by her crew, but was later reboarded and towed to Freetown by the Dutch tug DONAU, arrving on 22 October. Three crew members were lost. The master, 44 crew members and three gunners were picked up by the British tug and landed at Freetown.

The tkr was declared a total loss and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), which used her as oil hulk in Freetown harbour. The hulk was finally broken up in 1951.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Unknown: U-559

Departures
Kiel: U-577

At Sea 20 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751

41 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TIGRIS departed Murmansk for Holy Loch, where she arrived on 3 November.

*Northern Waters*
In the early morning hours during a gale, CA LONDON dragged her mooring and hit CA KENT, which in turn also dragged her mooring hitting BB MALAYA. BB MALAYA departed Scapa Flow escorted by DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI for the Clyde. On meeting DDs LAFOREY and LIGHTNING, which had been detached from escort duty with CV VICTORIOUS, DDs BEDOUIN and PUNJABI returned to Scapa Flow. The BB continued to the Clyde with LAFOREY and LIGHTNING. LAFOREY put into Stornoway on the 20th to land a crw member, injured in the gale. The DD put back to sea at later that day and re-joined the BB.

DD SOUTHWOLD departed Scapa Flow to embark the Engineer in Chief at Scrabster and returned to Scapa Flow later the same day. DD CHARLESTOWN departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh on completion of docking and repairs.

*West Coast*
Convoy ON.28 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs SABRE and WESTCOTT, corvettes ALISMA and KINGCUP, and ASW trawlers MAN O.WAR and WELLARD. The trawlers were detached on the 23rd and DD VENOMOUS relieved DD WESTCOTT which was detached. On the 25th, the EG was detached when relieved by USN DDs BERNADOU, DUPONT, LEA, MACLEISH, and SAMPSON. DD LEA was detached on the 30th. The USN TG further reinformed on the 31st by US Coast Guard cutter CAMPBELL and USN DDs BABBITT, BUCK, LEARY, LUDLOW, and SCHENCK. The US forces were detached on 3 November when the convoy was dispersed.

British steamer CORDELIA was damaged by mining off Great Castle Head, Milford Haven. The tanker arrived at Milford Haven on the 20th.

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser LATONA and destroyers KINGSTON, NIZAM, and ENCOUNTER departed Alexandria on serial five of the CULTIVATE operation. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 21st.

Gunboat GNAT bombarded an enemy gun battery near Tobruk during the night of 19/20 October. The gunboat departed Tobruk with the A lighters after dark on the 20th to return to Alexandria.

CLs AJAX, HOBART, and GALATEA departed Alexandria with DDs GRIFFIN and JAGUAR to bombard enemy gun batterys near Tobruk during the night of 20/21 October.

The bombardment was conducted during the night of 20/21 October.

RAN DD VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Singapore and passed through the Suez Canal on the 21st. The DD was refitting at Singapore in December. She departed Singapore on 2 February in the tow of destroyer STRONGHOLD.

*Spica Class TB ALTAIR (RM 620 grt)* struck a mine in the Gulf of Athens,. The torpedo boat later sank in tow. ALTAIR with AMC BARLETTA and TB s LUPO and MONZAMBANO were escorting a convoy of steamers CITTA DI AGRIGENTO, CITTA DI MARSALA, TAGLIAMENTO), and SALZBURG.





*Spica Class TB ALDEBARAN (RM 620 grt)* going to her assistance also struck a mine and was sunk. The mines were part of a minefield of fifty mines laid by submarine RORQUAL on the 8th.




_Spica Class on review pre-war, The first three boats from left to right are the ALTAIR, ALDEBARAN andANTARES._

Submarine PORPOISE departed Gibraltar for Alexandria with stores and personnel.

DD DUNCAN and ASW trawlers ST NECTAN and ARCTIC RANGER departed Gibraltar to provide additional escort for tanker VELMA en route to Gibraltar, escorted by corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS. The Tanker arrived on the 22nd, escorted by the DD and the two corvettes.

*Central Atlantic*
CLA HERMIONE departed Gibraltar to search for a tanker reported by a/c. The cruiser returned to Gibraltar on the 25th without having made contact.


*Pacific/Australia*
RNZN CL ACHILLES departed Auckland to escort a US liner to the Equator. The light cruiser departed the escort on the 27th for Suva, arriving on the 31st.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 OCTOBER TO DAWN 21 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_1101-1137 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which fly down the east coast 15 miles off shore; a fourth aircraft follows on but turns back while still 50 miles away. Five Hurricane fighters are airborne; no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 20 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY P31_ arrived from Gibraltar and United Kingdom. _Porpoise_ sailed for Alexandria with stores and personnel.


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## Njaco (Oct 20, 2016)

*October 21 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: The Foreign Office in Tokyo sends the following message to the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.:


> “The new cabinet differs in no way from the former one in its sincere desire to adjust Japanese-United States relations on a fair basis. Our country has said practically all she can say in the way of expressing of opinions and setting forth our stands. We feel that we have now reached a point where no further positive action can be taken by us except to urge the United States to reconsider her views. We urge, therefore, that, choosing an opportune moment, either you or Wakasugi let it be known to the United States by indirection that our country is not in a position to spend much more time discussing this matter. Please continue the talks, emphasizing our desire for a formal United States counter-proposal to our proposal of 25(?) September.”



*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-123 damaged British armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Aurania_” with a torpedo 400 miles west of Ireland at 0428 hours. A lifeboat launched sank with 2 killed, 3 rescued by destroyer HMS “_Croome_”, and 1 captured by U-123. “_Aurania_” was escorting Allied convoy SL-89 and would be successfully towed to port for repairs. In the evening the boat was attacked by a British Sunderland aircraft with two bombs. U-123 suffered slight damage. At 2200 hours, German submarine U-82 attacked the same convoy, sinking the ships “_Serbino_” (14 were killed, 51 survived) and “_Treverbyn_” (all 46 aboard were killed).

*EASTERN FRONT*: Rain and light snow turn roads in Western USSR to deep mud which hampers movement of wheeled movement of trucks, horse-drawn artillery and wagons and some tracked vehicles. This rasputitsa (quagmire season) and overextended German supply lines begin to slow the Panzer's advance on Moscow. In the south, German 11.Army is attacking through the Perekop isthmus. German 6.Armee is fighting its way into Kharkov. Units of 6.Armee capture Stalino in the industrial Donets Basin. At Kharkov, the workers at the massive Kramatorsk heavy-machine factory finish packing the last of their factory onto rail cars for the journey east. The men unable to find places on the train walk 20 miles to the nearest railhead to find transport there. The Germans were seven miles behind them.

Stalin names General Zhukov, the savior of Leningrad, commander of all military forces in the Moscow area.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 718 adult male, 1,063 adult female, and 586 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 2,367 people. In Kragujevac, Yugoslavia, Germans and local fascist militiamen massacre 2,300 Serbs in reprisal for recent partisan attacks.

*GERMANY*: Quote by Adolf Hitler:


> "....when Russia collapses and England makes peace it would be only a nuisance to have Japan involved",


 regarding Japanese reluctance to join the war versus Russia.

RAF Bomber Command sends 136 aircraft to attack Bremen overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The cruisers HMS “_Aurora_” (Captain W. G. Agnew) and HMS “_Penelope_” (Captain A. D. Nicholl) arrived in Malta and with the destroyers HMS “_Lance_” and HMS “_Lively_” formed a small squadron known as Force K. For some reason Force K always seemed to go to sea on a Saturday.

German submarine U-79 hit British gunboat HMS “_Gnat_” with a torpedo 30 miles northwest of Bardia, Libya at 0334 hours, blowing away 20 feet of her bow but caused no casualties. She loses all power and but is eventually towed back to Alexandria by destroyer HMS “_Griffin_”. Her hull is beached, but repair (consideration being given to welding “_Cricket’s_” bow to “_Gnat’s_” stern) is not possible so she is left beached where she would serve as a stationary anti-aircraft gun platform.

Operation Cultivate: British cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Napier_”, HMS “_Hasty_”, and HMS “_Decoy_” departed Alexandria, Egypt with supplies for Tobruk, Libya, returning with men of the Australian 9th Division in the early hours of the following day.

Vichy French vessel “_Divana_” was severely damaged by British aircraft off Tunisia and beached.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Air Marshal Arthur Coningham takes command of RAF Desert Air Force.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In tests with MAD (Magnetic Airborne Detector) equipment, a PBY Catalina from NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, locates the USN submarine USS S-48. The tests are carried out in cooperation with the National Defense Research Committee.

Arthur H. Compton holds a meeting in Schenectady, NY with Ernest O. Lawrence, J. Robert Oppenheimer, George Kistiakowsky, and James B. Conant reviewing The MAUD Report and the most recent US work. The Uranium Committee discusses Seaborg's contention that he could devise a large-scale remote process to chemically separate 94 (soon to be named plutonium) from uranium. The meeting ends by concluding that an atomic bomb could be made.

Diplomat Averell Harriman, on his return from Moscow, reported to the US President that, “the Russians would fight on no matter what territory may be overrun by the invader.” They “would need substantial quantities of munitions and raw materials.”

*NORTHERN FRONT*: German forces complete conquest of Hiiumaa (Dago) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The following message is sent from the Japanese representative in Davao, Mindanao Island, to Tokyo: “_As an air base for central Mindanao district, 300 men are being managed by Americans, and the ground is now being leveled. An underground hangar and underground oil tanks are planned; however, the material for this is delayed so that building on this is not progressing as planned. Already several times a week planes are flying here, and it seems they are expecting large heavy bomber planes too, very soon.”_

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The Luftwaffe conducted a sharp attack on the North-East Coast. More than twenty-five places were affected in the North. On the Tyne two fires were started at Newcastle, and two people killed, while at Hebburn a first-aid post was damaged and thirteen people were killed. Further down the coast at South Hylton, Sunderland, there were two fatal casualties, while at Ryhope fires were started and a number of houses damaged, three people here were killed and two more lost their lives at New Seaham. On Teesside bombs at Stockton did little damage, but at Redcar, where ten people were killed. Nine of its leading citizens were killed when two HE fell near the Municipal Buildings and destroyed the Zetland Club Headquarters where eighteen of its members were. The dead included the Mayor of Redcar Alderman C. Harris, Mr Arthur Pickering, the chairman of the local bench and Dr Alfred Skirrow Robinson.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew sweeps as RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft on coastal sweeps during the day. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 20, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 21, 2016)

*21 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc U-163





Type VIIc U-253





Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS EDMUNDSTON (K-106)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS THE PAS (K-168)





Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARBRIDGE (Z-222)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BPB 70’ type MGB 21
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML-295
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class coastal MSW MMS-56
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Tug HELEN BARBARA (UK 250 grt (est))* was abandoned and lost in heavy weather in the Nth Sea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SL-89_
U-82 attacked convoy SL-89 and managed to sink two ships from the convoy

U-82 sank the *Steamer SERBINO (UK 4099 grt)* with the loss of 14 of her 65 crerw. She was on passage from Mombasa to Liverpool via Freetown carrying sisal and some other general cargo. She had been part of SL:-89. At 2203 hrs the SERBINO was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-82 and sank west of Fastnet. Eleven crew members and three gunners were lost. The master, 49 crew members and one gunner were picked up by Corvette ASPHODEL and landed at Gourock. 





U-82 also sank *Steamer TREVERBYN (UK 5281 grt)* whilst she was carrying iron ore with a crew of 48 aboard. All 48 were to be lost in the attack At 2231 hrs the TREVERBYNin convoy SL-89 was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-82 and sank in 3 minutes SW of Cape Clear. The master, 35 crew members and ten gunners were lost.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-132
Lorient: U-108

Departures
Lorient, France: U-106, U-129, UA

At Sea 21 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-558, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
CA BERWICK, having completed engine repairs, departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow, where she arrived later that day. DD ELECTRA also departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow. The DD joined DD ANTELOPE and both arrived at Scapa Flow early on the 22nd.

*Steamer HILDA (Ex-SD 1237 grt)* was sunk by the RAF five miles west of Ymuiden.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
MSWs FITZROY, ELGIN, LYDD, and ROSS of the MSW Sqn 4 and MSW trawlers RONALDSAY, CAVA, and CAPE NYEMETSKI departed Scapa Flow for the Faeroes for a clearance sweep. The ships arrived in the Faroes on the 22nd and began the clearance work on the 23rd. On the 24th, MSWs KELLET and SELKIRK arrived in the Faeroes from Aberdeen to assist in the work.

*SW Approaches*
At 0428 hrs, u-123 fired a spread of three torpedoes at AMC HMS AURONIA whilst she was she was sailing as an escort for SL89 in the SW Approaches, on passage from Halifax to the Clyde. She was straggling behind the convoy with a group of four other AMCs and was sighted by the Uboat under the command of Reinhard Hardegan. Of the three torpedoes that were fireed, , two of them hit the AURONIA in the bow and under the bridge. The ship began to flood at the Number 3 hold, causing a list to port that eventually reached 25 degrees. The AURONIA cargo of empty drums acted to keep her afloat, and the captain was able to reduce the list to 15 degrees and get underway again. Meanwhile, other convoy escorts had chased U-123 way from the scene. During the confusion a lifeboat had been launched containing six men, but it swamped upon hitting the water. One of the escorting Hunt Class DDs HMS CROOME, picked up three of the men, but was unable to locate the others. Some hours later U-123 came across the sinking lifeboat, with a single survivor, and took him prisoner. The story of this man is interesting, as he was interrogated by Hardegan and managed to convince the U-boat commander that the ship was lost, influencing Hardegan no to press home his attacks. Meanwhile, AURONIAas escorted back to Rothesay Bay by the sloop TOTLAND, arriving on 23 October. The Germans claimed that she had been sunkm but she was repaired in 1942 and converted to a rpair ship, taking part in the D-Day landings and serving in her role into the Cold War after the RN purchased her outright.




_AURANIA lying in Rothesay Bay on 24 October 1941, after having been damaged in the Atlantic_

*Channel*
MLs MANXMAN and WELSHMAN departed Loch Alsh on the 12th and embarked mines at Milford Haven on the 13th. The ML cruisers departed Plymouth on the 21st and laid minefield HG off Lorient late that night.

*Med/Biscay*
U-79 sank *Insect Class Gunboat HMS GNAT (RN 625 grt)* 30 miles NE of Bardia. At 0334 hrs HMS GNAT was hit in the bow by a torpedo from U-79. The bow was blown away to the 6in gun and the badly damaged ship towed to Alexandria, where she was beached. The ship was declared a total loss, but used as AA platform in the harbour defence until scrapped in 1945.





DDs GRIFFIN and JAGUAR were detached from CruSqn 7 and DDs KINGSTON and NIZAM were detached from ML cruiser LATONA to assist the crippled gunboat GNAT. However, all ships were ordered to turn eastward to avoid threat of air attack during daylight hours. DDs GRIFFIN and JAGUAR were to remain in the vicinity of Mersa Matruh and were joined by DDs ERIDGE and AVONVALE. These DDs contacted the gunboat before sunset.

The gunboat was towed by DD GRIFFIN, escorted by DD JAGUAR and ASW whalers SOUTHERN MAID and KLO. Off Mersa Matruh, the tow was turned over to tug ST MONACE. DDs JAGUAR, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE returned to Alexandria arriving on the 22nd. DD GRIFFIN joined destroyer JERVIS to conduct an anti-submarine sweep ahead of whaler KOS 19 and tanker TONELINE, which had departed Tobruk at dark on the 22nd. The gunboat arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd.

Later, an attempt was made to weld GNAT's stern onto CRICKET's bow, but this was unsuccessful.

DDs JERVIS, JUPITER, and KANDAHAR departed Alexandria to bombard the enemy near Tobruk. The bombardment was completed during the night of 21/22 October.

When U.75was reported by a/c, at 1052 on the 22nd, DDs JUPITER and KANDAHAR were detached to hunt. A further report was received some five hours later. DD JUPITER, short of fuel, was sent into Alexandria. DD DECOY departed Alexandria to join destroyer KANDAHAR in the hunt. Also, sloop FLAMINGO, which had departed Alexandria earlier for Port Said, was diverted to hunt for the submarine. DDs KANDAHAR and DECOY arrived at Alexandria on the 23rd. Sloop FLAMINGO was detached to continue her voyage to Port Said to return to the Suez Escort Force.

ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs NAPIER, HASTY, and DECOY departed Alexandria on serial six of the CULTIVATE operation, returning to Alexandria on the 22nd.

ASW trawler WOLBOROUGH and steamer GEBEL KEBIR departed Alexandria with Motor launch ML.1061 on serial 8 of the CULTIVATE operation. The steamer was damaged by the LW off Tobruk and was towed into harbour by the trawler. Two MLs intended as escorts were also attacked by the LW at dusk on the 22nd, sustaining superficial damage. Both arrived at Tobruk.

RM DDs DA NOLI, ZENO, and PESSAGNO departed Benghazi for Augusta on the 20th after a troop carrying mission. The DDs were attacked early on the 21st, 15 miles nth of Benghazi by submarine.

Submarine RORQUAL laid mines off Sardinia during the night of 21/22 October. The submarine laid ten mines SE of Cavioli Island and 40 mines SE of Cape Ferrato.* Steamer SALPI (FI 2710grt)* was sunk two miles east of Cape Ferrato on this minefield on 9 February.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine UNIQUE arrived at Malta from patrol. Dutch submarine O.24 arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

*Central Atlantic*
CVL EAGLE and CVE ARGUS with DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FURY departed Gibraltar to the United Kingdom. Local escort was provided by DDs VIDETTE and LAMERTON that day only and ZULU and SIKH until 24 October. EAGLE was attacked by U.83 west of Gibraltar on the day of departure.

*Pacific/Australia*
FFL DD TRIOMPHANT departed Suva on the 17th and arrived at Bora Bora on the 21st. The DD was damaged in a very minor collision in harbour. On the 21st, the DD sailed from Bora Bora, arriving at Papeete, Tahiti on the 22nd.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 OCTOBER TO DAWN 22 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_0822-0847 hrs; 1023-1040 hrs; 1328-1342 hrs _Air raid alerts: two for single enemy aircraft which pass close to the coast. On the third alert two enemy fighters cross the Island at 30000 feet. Ten Hurricanes are scrambled at a time but there were no interceptions.

_1835-1901 hrs _Air raid alert for six enemy bombers approaching from the north singly. Only two cross the coast and 500kg drop bombs in the Mosta-Naxxar-Gharghur area and in the sea. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no interceptions.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Unique_ returned from patrol off Naples having sunk a _Citta_ AMS. _Aurora, Penelope, Lance_and _Lively_ of Force K arrived.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Wellington. _Departures _3 Beaufort. _38 Squadron _11 Wellingtons attacked a storage depot at Naples. _69 Squadron _Marylands special patrols; Maryland special search. 1 Blenheim patrol east Sicilian coast. _104 Squadron _13 Wellingtons attacked a storage depot at Naples. _107 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked two merchant vessels north east of Ras Maamoura.


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## Njaco (Oct 21, 2016)

*October 22 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: Japanese Prince Takahito married Yuriko Takagi.

The First air raid exercises are carried out in Tokyo which included its first practice blackout.

IJN “_Kaga_” sailed from Ariake Bay to Hososhima, eastern Kyushu.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-68 sank British oiler RFA “_Darkdale_”, serving as an oil storage vessel (with 3000 tons of fuel oil, 850 tons of aviation fuel, 500 tons of diesel and lubricating oil) off St. Helena in the South Atlantic at 0142 hours. All 37 crew and 4 gunners on board are killed in the explosion but the Captain, Chief Engineer and 4 crewmen are ashore. U-68 had been spotted the day before by a civilian on the island but his report was not taken seriously. “_Darkdale_” was the first British ship to be sunk south of the Equator in WW2.

An aircraft dropped two bombs on U-203 in the North Atlantic; the boat survived but suffered some damage.

*EASTERN FRONT:* German 2.Panzerarmee, resupplied with fuel and ammunition, continued the northeastward advance on Moscow, Russia. German 4.Panzer-Division renews the attack near Mtensk where they have been held since October 10 but they are again held by well dug-in Soviet infantry. The 258.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General W. Hellmich) succeeded, by means of a daring stroke of Major Lübke's 2nd Battalion, 479th Infantry Regiment, in taking Naro-Fominsk on the Roslavl—Moscow main road. A penetration had thus been made into Moscow's second line of defense, 43 miles from the city itself. South of Naro-Fominsk, the 3.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (General der Artillerie Curt Jahn) thrust across the Nara with 29th Motorized Infantry Regiment and gained a seven-mile-wide bridgehead. The 8th Motorized Infantry Regiment, the sister regiment of the 29th, not only repulsed all Russian counter-attacks, but itself mounted an immediate counter-attack and annihilated a strong Russian combat force. They took 1700 prisoners, including 52 officers. They were members of battalions raised in Moscow, or workers' militia, or Ukrainians. Many of them shouted, "Voyna kaputt "—the war is lost—and later they denounced their political commissars who had torn their insignia of rank off their shoulders. Another 20 miles farther south the 98.Infanterie-Division (Lieutenant General Erich Schröck) likewise succeeded in leaping across the main obstacle of Moscow's second line of defense—the strongly reinforced Nara river. On its eastern bank the division swung north in order to clear the big road bridge of Gorki on the highway to Podolsk and Moscow, in co-operation with the 19.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General O. von Knoblesdorff). The 19.Panzer-Divisionen from Lower Saxony had crossed the river north of Gorki and its 27th Panzer Regiment successfully repulsed all Soviet counterattacks. With the capture of Naro-Fominsk and the crossing of the Nara above and below Gorki the last rampart to the south-west of Moscow was breached in three places. The dam built with the sweat, blood, and tears of half a million women, old men, and children, the dam that was to have stopped the German flood, was riddled. But as they were waiting for the German tanks to arrive, the tanks which now had no other obstacles to face except the ragged and half-starved local defense levies, the weather came to their rescue in this sector too. Rain turned the ground into mud. The mud became impenetrable. Field-Marshal von Bock ordered his forces to halt and wait for the ground to freeze hard so that their vehicles could move again.

In the south German 11.Armee is attacking through the Perekop isthmus. Stavka appoints Admiral Levchenko to take command of all Soviet forces in the Crimea.

An explosion at the Romanian Command Headquarters in Odessa, Ukraine killed 67, including Romanian Major General Ion Glogojanu, commander of the Romanian 10th Division, and 51 of his staff (Sixteen officers - twelve being Royal Romanian Army officers and four German Kriegsmarine officers - were killed, together with thirty-five soldiers and nine civilian officials (including a pair of interpreters in German service). The explosion was caused by a time-delayed bomb left by Soviet Coastal Army personnel during the evacuation. Antonescu ordered 100 Jews and Communists would die for each enlisted man and 300 for each officer killed in this explosion.

Romania denounced the Second Vienna Award. This pact, which was forced upon Romania by Germany and Italy on August 30, 1940, awarded northern Transylvania to Hungary.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 123 aircraft to attack Mannheim overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Cultivate: At Alexandria 0345 hours the British 2nd Battalion Black Watch boarded 2 destroyers (“_Hotspur_” and “_Kingston_”) and the mine laying Cruiser “_Latona_”. HQ Coy was aboard “_Kingston_”, with Major Green and a small party on the “_Latona_”, and the rest of the Battalion on the “_Hotspur_”. The Black Watch sailed at 0530 hours. The voyage was recorded as being uneventful. At 1700 hours the fighter escort of 24 Tomahawks was picked up off Sollum. The ships tied up at Tobruk at different parts of the harbour at 2230 hours. After embussing the battalion was driven to the reserve Brigade area around Fort Pilastrino about 4 miles from the harbour.

*NORTH AFRICA*: General Morshead departs by sea from Tobruk to Egypt with Australian forces. General Scobie of British 70th Infantry Division assumes command of Tobruk defenses. 70th Division consisted of 14th Infantry Brigade (1 Beds and Herts, 2 Yorks and Lancs. 2 BW), 16th Infantry Brigade (2 Leicesters, 2 Queens, 2 Kings Own) and 23rd Infantry Brigade (1 Essex, 1 DLI, 4 Border). 32nd Army Tank Brigade under Brigadier A. C. Willison was made up from 1st Royal Tanks, 4th Royal Tanks, and 7th Royal Tanks). There was also a squadron of Armoured Cars operated by the Kings Dragoon Guards.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Final flight of 26 B-17’s under Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Eubank arrived in Hawaii. Lieutenant Colonel Eubank, had received a commendation from the Secretary of War for planning and executing the flight of 21 airplanes from Hamilton Field, Calif., to Hickam Field, Hawaii, on the night of May 13-14, 1941. He was later ordered to an unannounced overseas station, and upon completion of that assignment went on temporary duty at Albuquerque, N.M., pending his assignment to the Second Air Force at Fort George Wright, Wash., in August 1942.

The battleships USS “_Oklahoma_” (BB-36) and USS “_Arizona_” (BB-39) were damaged in a collision in the Hawaiian Operating Area.

Troop convoy WS 11X arrives Bombay en route to Colombo-Singapore from the UK.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The assassination of Colonel Karl Hotz in Nantes, France two days prior brought reprisal deaths of 48 French civilians (mostly communist resistance fighters) with the promise of 50 more deaths if the assassin was not caught. He was shot six times as he walked past the cathedral yesterday morning, two of the bullets hitting his neck. The shooting of a German major in Bordeaux, France brought 100 arrests and 50 immediate executions. German forces execute 27 hostages at Chateaubriant and 20 hostages at Nantes. General Stülpnagel, commander of the German occupation forces, described the killers as “cowardly criminals, paid for by England and Moscow”. So far - after an enthusiastic round-up which netted the prefect of Loire, the commandant of the Nantes gendarmerie and three perfectly innocent policemen - they have not been found. Marshal Philippe Pétain and Admiral François Darlan broadcast an appeal to the French nation calling restraint from any actions against the occupying German troops which could bring down reprisals on hostages. So far 131 Frenchmen have been executed as hostages.

RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Brest and Le Havre overnight.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 21, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 23, 2016)

*22 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-406





Neutral
Benson Class DD USS BRISTOL (I) (DD453)





*Losses
MSW trawler ALDER (RN 560 grt)* was grounded and declared a total loss on the east coast of Scotland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-68 sank the *Fleet Oiler DARKDALE (UK 8145 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic, whilst the vessel was moored at the St Helen anchorage with a load of fuels. 41 of the vessel’s 50 strong crew were to be lost in the attack. At 0142 hrs the DARKDALE was torpedoed and sunk by U-68 while anchored as a storage ship in Jamestown harbour, St. Helena. The tanker caught fire after being hit by a torpedo, exploded and sank. 38 crew members and three gunners were lost. The master, five crew members and three gunners survived the sinking, but only two of the men had actually been aboard when the ship was hit and were rescued by harbour craft after jumping overboard.





Convoy SC-48
SC 48 continued without further loss, the 31 ships arriving at Liverpool on 22 October 1941. The 11 stragglers which had become separated in the storm on 10 October had been gathered up by CAMROSE and ROSTHERN. Led by Commodore Sanders in CASTALIA and with just two corvettes as escort this group was able to make the crossing without interference, arriving in Britain 10 days after the main body.

_Convoy HG-75_
Convoy HG.75 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop ROCHESTER (SO ), CAM ship ARIGUANI, and corvettes BLUEBELL,CAMPION, CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, and MALLOW.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-752
St. Nazaire: U-553

Departures
Arendal: U-571
Kiel: U-133
St. Nazaire: U-74

At Sea 22 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-558, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

44 Boats

An aircraft dropped two bombs on U-203 in the Nth Atlantic inflicting minor damage on the vessel.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD INTREPID departed London for Sheerness after refitting. The DD departed Sheerness on the 23rd and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 25th.

*Northern Patrol*
ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by DD NEWARK, laid minefield SN.24 C.

*West Coast*
BB MALAYA departed the Clyde escorted by DD LIGHTNING for the Clyde to join Force H. DD LAFOREY was delayed for docking to repair weather damage. The BB was joined by destroyers HAVELOCK and HARVESTER for escort. BB MALAYA and DDs LIGHTNING, ZULU, and SIKH arrived at Gibraltar on the 27th. ZULU and SIKH detached from the returning carriers EAGLE and ARGUS to join the MALAYA Gp on the 27th Upon meeting BB MALAYA and DD LIGHTNING, DDs ZULU and SIKH also joined the BB and LIGHTNING and escorted them to Gibraltar, arriving on the 27th. DDs HARVESTER and HAVELOCK were detached from BB MALAYA and joined the carriers. The two carriers and the DDs arrived in the Clyde on the 26th.

*Western Approaches*
Convoy ON.29 departed Liverpool. The convoy was joined on the 23rd by DDs BROKE, BUXTON, VERITY, and WOLVERINE, corvettes BEGONIA, CAMELLIA, EGLANTINE, LARKSPUR, MONTBRETIA and MOOSE JAW, and ASW trawlers BUTE, CELIA, HAMLET, and MACBETH, and KING SOL. DD VERITY, corvette BEGONIA, and the naval trawlers were detached on the 26th. USN DD WILKES and RN corvettes EYEBRIGHT, KENOGAMI, LETHBRIDGE, MAYFLOWER, NANAIMO, and PRESCOTT joined on the 28th. The remaining ships of the original escort were detached on the 28th. DD BROADWAY and corvettes ACONIT, COBALT, GALT, and WINDFLOWER joined on 4 November. The escorts were detached on 5 November when the convoy was dispersed.

*Med/Biscay*
British steamers CITY OF LINCOLN, DUNEDIN STAR, and EMPIRE GUILLEMOT departed Malta on the 22nd to make independent passage to Gibraltar. After being forced to return to Malta on the 16th due to engine problems, Steamer EMPIRE GUILLEMOT was also able to sail on the 22nd for Gibraltar.

ML cruiser LATONA and DDs KINGSTON, ENCOUNTER, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria on serial seven of the CULTIVATE operation. MSW whaler SOIKA's LL sweep gear had been cut in an air raid at Tobruk. The cable fouled on HOTSPUR's propeller. The DD was able to return to Alexandria at reduced speed. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 23rd.

Corvette PEONY departed Haifa with armed boarding vessel CHANTALA and steamer BRITISH COLONEL for Alexandria. Corvette ERICA escorted cable ship BULLFINCH from Alexandria to Port Said. The corvette then departed Port Said and escorted mine carrier GURNA from Port Said to Haifa.

On the 22nd Sub URGE damaged Italian steamer MARIGOLA off the east coast of Tunisia.

*Steamer MARIA POMPEI (FI 1407 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Cattaro.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX 156_
Convoy HX.156 departed Halifax escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS. The DD was relieved on the 24th by USN DDs BENSON, HILARY P. JONES, NIBLACK, REUBEN JAMES, and TARBELL.

*Central Atlantic*
DD GURKHA and RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS departed Freetown on the 15th with convoy 90. After refuelling at Bathurst, the DDs proceeded to Gibraltar, arriving on the 22nd.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RAN CA AUSTRALIA departed Colombo after embarking mines from a lighter in the harbour. She proceeded to Mauritius where she refueled. After refueling, she proceeded to the Kerguelen Islands on 1 November. After searching the various islands by landing party and aircraft, eighteen mines were laid in Gazelle Basin, Long Island Sound, Island Harbour, and Tucker Strait. Crozet Islands were searched on 6 and 7 November. HMAS AUSTRALIA arrived at Durban on 11 November.

*Pacific/Australia*
USN BBs OKLAHOMA and ARIZONA were damaged in a collision in the Hawaiian Operating Area.

*Malta*
RECONNAISSANCE REPORT ON AIRCRAFT IN SICILY
Catania: 62 aircraft including 23 fighters, 32 bombers and 7 JU 52 transport planes.

Augusta: 22 aircraft including 8 Cant 506s and 4 Cant 501s afloat, 6 Cant 506 and 2 Cant 501 on the slipway.
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 OCTOBER TO DAWN 23 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_0714-0735 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach at great height, skirt the east and south coasts, turn eastwards and fly over the Island one mile north of Delimara. Heavy AA guns fire a single barrage at 23000 feet. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled; no interceptions. 

_0859-0925 hrs _Air raid alert for three Macchi 200 fighters which approach from the north at 27000 feet and carry out recon, passing over Grand Harbour, Luqa and Kalafrana before receding northwards. Nine Hurricanes are scrambled but do not intercept. AA guns do not engage.

_1242-1304 hrs _Air raid alert for 12 enemy a/c including Macchi 200s and Breda 65s which approach the Island at 23000 feet. Four Macchis dive down over Imtarfa to 1000 feet to machine-gun Ta Qali aerodrome, wounding two civilians and two RAF ground crew. There is no damage to a/c. HAA at Targa and Ta Qali fire barrages and Bofors engage; no hits claimed. Six Hurricanes are scrambled; no interceptions.

_1656-1718 hrs _Air raid alert for nine enemy fighters with in-line engines approaching from the north. Five Hurricanes are scrambled to intercept. Two of the raiders remain at 17000 feet while the rest dive down to attack the Hurricanes individually at 11000 feet over St Paul’s Island. A ‘thrilling dogfight’ ensues watched by troops on the ground. F/O Matthews is attacked and hit by three different enemy fighters. His Hurricane is hit in the starboard and port wings and also near the glycol tank but manages to land safely. Sgt Owen’s a/c is shot down in flames; he manages to bale out and is rescued from the sea, while S/Ldr Barton and Sgt Branch circle round the dinghy to protect him. Three other Hurricanes fire short bursts at the enemy but make no claims. 

_2236-2330 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy bombers approaching the Island. Only one crosses the coast and drops a large number of 2kg anti-personnel bombs on the Qormi area. The other drops bombs in the sea 30 miles north of the Island before returning to base.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Empire Guillemot, Dunedin Star _and _City of Lincoln_ sailed for Gibraltar at 1000 hrs.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Sunderland. _Departures _1 Flamingo, 1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _18 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked a military barracks at Homs. Sgt Woodburn failed to return. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands special patrols; 1 Maryland patrol Kerkennah-Tripoli. _104 Squadron _1 Wellington attacked Naples. 4 Wellingtons attacked shipping at Tripoli.


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## Njaco (Oct 23, 2016)

*October 23 Thursday*
*ASIA*: IJN “_Kaga_” was relieved as the flagship of Carrier Division 1 of the Japanese Navy First Air Fleet. IJN “_Akagi_” was made the flagship of Carrier Division 1 and departed Yokosuka Naval Yard dock.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: An incredibly strange event befell U-106 on this date. When the replacement watch opened the tower hatch in rough seas they found out that the entire previous tower watch of 4 men had been washed overboard. [Oberleutnant zur See Werner Grüneberg, Fähnrich zur See Herbert Von Bruchhausen, Oberbootsmannmaat Karl Heemann, Matrose Ewald Brühl]

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Soviet attempt to break out of Leningrad, Russia south of Lake Ladoga was halted by the Germans. The German XXXIX.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops R. Schmidt) captures Malaia Vishera in heavy fighting southeast of Leningrad. Meanwhile, 120 kilometers to the east, the German advance on the rail and road junction at Tikhvin continues. General Mikhail Khozin, commanding Soviet 54th Army which is attacking from the East to link up with the breakout, realizes the danger and diverts 2 rifle divisions to defend Tikhvin. Two divisions of the Soviet 54th Army were dispatched to reinforce Tikhvin.

Heavy fighting as German Army Group Center continues to push toward Moscow. After spending an excessive amount of time reconstituting his army around Vyazma, von Kluge moved his divisions up to the front very slowly, despite the pressing need for infantry to support the 4.Panzerarmee. The 258.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General W. Hellmich) launched a series of small probing attacks at Naro-Fominsk but was stopped cold by the 1st Guards Motorized Rifle Division. The 3.Panzer-Division of the German 2.Panzerarmee moves through Bolkhov to outflank Soviet defenses at Mtensk 27 miles away. The road to Tula (the last Soviet defenses before Moscow) is now open. Parts of 3.Panzer-Division and 4.Panzer-Division with Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland (Oberst Walter Hörnlein) were ready to strike across the Suzha north-west of Mtsensk. The river was crossed and the defeated Russian forces vigorously pursued. Chern was taken—only 56 miles from Tula. But then the mud took command here too. The advance was slowing down. That in turn gave the Russian rearguards time to destroy the bridges along the road and to lay minefields on both sides of it. But Guderian refused to be defeated by nature and made a characteristic decision: he united all armor of XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg), parts of the 75th Artillery Regiment and the 3rd Rifle Regiment, as well as the " Grossdeutschland " Infantry Regiment, into a fast vanguard formation under the energetic Colonel Eberbach and instructed them to disregard everything else but go ahead and take Tula.

In the south German 6.Armee and 17.Armee were attacking in the Kharkov sector and German 11.Armee was attacking through the Perekop isthmus.

Soviet Marshal Josef Stalin reorganized the Soviet army command system giving Colonel General Georgy Zhukov command of central zone operations. Marshal Semyon Timoshenko was shifted to southern front while Marshals Semyon Budyonny and Kliment Voroshilov were charged with formation of new Soviet armies.

Oblt. Walther Dahl of II./JG 3 shoots down three Russian aircraft. But other Russian front _Geschwaders_ aren't so lucky. During the day's air battles, JG 52 loses twenty-three victory _Experte_ Ewald Dühn, when he is shot down and killed as is Heinz Schawaller, who has twelve victories flying with JG 53.

Odessa massacre: Romanians continue murdering Jewish civilians in retaliation for the Soviet time-bomb blast yesterday. 19,000 Jews are herded to a square, doused with petrol and burned. Another 20,000 are taken to the village of Dalnik. Groups of 50 are shot in antitank ditches but this is too slow; the rest are locked in 4 warehouses and machine-gunned from outside. The survivors, many wounded, are left until the following day.

*GERMANY*: The German government banned the emigration of Jews.

RAF Bomber Command sends 114 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Overnight, British warships leave Alexandria, Egypt, to shell Axis positions on the Mediterranean coast. British cruisers HMS “_Ajax_”, HMS “_Neptune_”, and HMS “_Hobart_”, escorted by destroyers HMS “_Eridge_” and HMS “_Avonvale_”, departed Alexandria, Egypt and bombarded Bardia, Libya. Meanwhile, also from Alexandria, British destroyers HMS “_Napier_”, HMS “_Nizam_”, HMS “_Jupiter_”, and HMS “_Hasty_” bombarded Sollum, Egypt. All return safely to Alexandria next day.

The first of the two Mesovouno massacres was carried out by the Wehrmacht in the Greek village of Mesovouno.

There was a Heavy Axis air raid during the siege of Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF bombers attack Benghazi and Tripoli.

The 2nd Black Watch Battalion was taking over from 2/15 Australians. An advanced party of the 2nd BW passed on information concerning the whole of Tobruk defences. Unfortunately 3 members of "C" Coy were wounded after stepping on a "money-box" Italian mine.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Finnish forces take defensive positions in front between lakes Ladoga and Onega after heavy action with new Siberian 114th Division.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: “_Tatsuta Maru_” arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii at 1000 hours and disembarked American nationals who wished to return to the US due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations. Two Japanese intelligence agents who carried instructions for the consulate and a supply of radios for civilian spies already in place on Oahu, Hawaii were also disembarked.

German merchant raider “_Kormoran_” completed taking on 4,000 tons of diesel oil and 6 months of supply from supply ship “_Kulmerland_” off Cape Leeuwin, Australia.

USAT Tasker H Bliss arrives in Manila with 10 more pilots for the 24th P.G.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Charles de Gaulle met with leaders of resistance movements, asking them to bide their time and protect the lives of innocents. General de Gaulle asks resistance members to stop murdering German military personnel, to avoid further retaliation against the French populace.

The prospect of shipping British divisions to Russia is abandoned.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft to attack airfields in France in poor weather during the day with poor results. RAF Bomber Command sends 26 aircraft to attack Le Havre, Brest, and Cherbourg overnight.

.


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## Njaco (Oct 23, 2016)

*October 24 Friday*
*ASIA*: Soviets halt aid to Nationalist Chinese government.

Nine Ki-43s of the 59th Sentai flew the first operational mission by this aircraft, a sortie over Henyang.

The three Squadron Leaders of the AVG, Robert Sandell (1st Sq.), John Newkirk (2nd Sq.) and Arvid Olson (3rd Sq.) flew a reconnaissance mission into Thailand for signs of a Japanese build-up, but found nothing.

Japanese aircraft carrier IJN “_Soryu_” departed Yokosuka. Japanese aircraft carrier IJN “_Zuikaku_” departed Sukumo Bay for Saeki Bay and arrived the same day.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Battle of convoy HG-75: German submarine U-563 attacked Allied convoy HG-75 300 miles west of Gibraltar at 0038 hours, damaging British destroyer HMS “_Cossack_” with a torpedo; 159 were killed, 60 survived. At 0636 hours, U-564 joined in on the attack, sinking British ships “_Carsbreck_”, “_Ariosto_”, and “_Alhama_”; 30 were killed, 96 survived. After some successful attacks in the morning against convoy HG-75, U-564 was attacked twice in the evening, first by an aircraft with one bomb and 3 hours later by an escort with depth charges. The boat sustained no damage.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Major Soviet counterattacks fail in the Leningrad sector. After the fall of Mtensk, an ad hoc formation of 4.Panzer-Division under Colonel Heinrich Eberbach (Kampfgruppe Eberbach) moved from Mtsensk, Russia northward toward Moscow, advancing 18 miles to Chern, on the road to Tula. The last remnants of the Bryansk Pocket surrender. German 9.Armee, freed from the operation, moves to support 3.Panzerarmee at Kalinn but fails to jump start the stalled offensive there. German 3.Panzergruppe was heavily engaged in Kalinin sector. In the south German 1.Panzerarmee was advancing through the Donbas while German 11.Armee was attacking through the Perekop isthmus. The Germans rapidly encircle the major Ukrainian industrial city of Kharkov in the Eastern Ukraine. After five days of heavy fighting Kharkov falls to a coordinated attack by the German 6.Armee and 17.Armee of Army Group South. Infantry divisions from 6.Armee and 17.Armee, using horse-drawn artillery and supplies, take Kharkov without any tanks or armored vehicles which have been diverted for Operation Typhoon. However, most heavy industry has been moved East beyond the Ural mountains (over 70 factories dismantled and loaded onto 320 trains) and the city is defended only by Soviet 216th Rifle Division. The Soviet 28th Army withdraws in good order. This city would change hands four times during the course of the war.

The Luftwaffe conducts the last raid on Moscow with only eight airplanes. But the air force is successful in other ways when the Kommodore of JG 3, Major Günther Lützow, shoots down his one hundredth aircraft, becoming the first pilot since Oberst Werner Mölders to ever do so. Like Oberst Mölders, Major Lützow is immediately banned from any further operational flying.

Odessa massacre continues. At 1700 hours, Romanian troops set fire to 3 warehouses at Dalnik containing the survivors, mainly women and children, from yesterday’s machinegunning. A fourth building with the men is left until tomorrow.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Eichmann approves a scheme to gas Jews using exhaust fumes in specially adapted vans.

OKH briefs Hitler on planning for advance to the Caucasus.

RAF Bomber Command sends 70 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 12 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Cultivate: After sundown, British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Abdiel_” and destroyers HMS “_Kandahar_”, HMS “_Kingston_”, and HMS “_Griffin_” departed Alexandria, Egypt with troops and supplies for Tobruk, Libya, returning with troops of Australian 9th Division early in the next day.

*NORTH AFRICA*: The last combat between a Gloster Gladiator and a CR-42 occurs near Ambazzo, when a 3 Squadron RSAAF (Royal South African Air Force) intercepts an Italian fighter.

British vessel “_Empire Guillemot_” sunk by Axis bombers.

The taking over process at Tobruk continued amid air raids albeit well away from the 2nd Black Watch Battalion area. The handing over was recorded by the Australian CO for broadcasting over the Australian networks. Colonel Rusk the CO spoke along with Captain Stirling and Piper Ogilvie played on his chanter. The 2/15 Australians started leaving at 2015 hours for Egypt. Captain Dalrymple became the Divisional, and Lt McLeod the Brigade, liaison officers. D Coy and the rear party arrived.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Franklin Roosevelt hosted Princess Märtha of Sweden (Crown Princess of Norway) at his home in Hyde Park, New York, United States.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: MacArthur requests an additional US $3 million (US $43.6 million in 2008 dollars) to build facilities at Del Monte (Mindanao) and five other airfields.

Admiral Tom Phillips appointed CinC RN Eastern Fleet.

CAPT H. M. L. Waller, DSO and Bar, RAN, was appointed to HMAS “_Perth_”, (cruiser).

*UNITED KINGDOM*: No. 137 Squadron RAF begins operations over Europe equipped with the Westland Whirlwind.

*WESTERN FRONT*: 50 communists were executed by the Germans at Camp Souge, France in retaliation for the killing of German occupation administrator Hans-Gottfried Reimers three days prior, bringing to 100 those killed in the last 24 hours.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on coastal sweeps off Dutch coast while RAF Fighter Command flew sweeps.

.

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## Old Wizard (Oct 24, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 24, 2016)

*23 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-593





Neutral
Elco 77’ type USS PT-63

Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS BOOTLE (J-143)





Elco 77’ type MTB-321
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
_Convoy HG-75_
The convoy was reinforced by DD LAMERTON and DDs COSSACK, LEGION, and VIDETTE sent to assist the convoy. DD COSSACK was torpedoed by U.563 west of Gibraltar late on the 23rd, with the loss of one rating killed. 153 other crew members were missing. Four ratings died of wounds. Incredibly the DD did not sink immediately.

At least 26 crewmembers were taken off the ship as wounded. The survivors were rescued by DD LEGION and sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC. Corvette CARNATION was able to pass a towing line to DD COSSACK with destroyer LEGION standing by.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Salamis: U-79

At Sea 23 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-558, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
VMF SC.323 sank *steamer BALTENLAND (Ger 3724 grt)* in the Baltic.





*Northern Patrol*
MSWs SALAMANDER and HALCYON arrived at Seidisfjord to refuel on the 22nd and departed again on the 23rd for Scapa Flow, where they arrived on the 26th.

MSWs HARRIER and BRITOMART arrived at Seidisfjord at 1800 from Spitzbergen to refuel. They departed and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 25th.

*Northern Waters*
An Albacore aircraft from CV VICTORIOUS did not return from exercises near Rona off Scapa Flow. The crew were lost. In the same exercise, a Fulmar of 800 Sqn from CV INDOMITABLE also failed to return. The crew of this a/c were also lost.

BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs ELECTRA and EXPRESS departed Scapa Flow at 0700 for the Clyde, arriving predawn on the 24th. Vice Admiral Curteis transferred his flag to BC RENOWN. and Admiral Sir Tom S. V. Philips, KCB, raised his flag was Commander in Chief, Eastern Fleet. BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs HESPERUS, EXPRESS, and ELECTRA departed the Clyde at 1500 for the Far East. DD LEGION, after refuelling in the Azores, joined the screen on the 28th. DDs EXPRESS and ELECTRA were detached to Ponta Delgada to refuel. On the DDs' return to the screen on the 29th, DDs LEGION and HESPERUS were detached. DD HESPERUS to return to the UK and LEGION to Gibraltar.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and HOBART with DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, JUPITER, HASTY, ERIDGE, and AVONVALE departed Alexandria to bombard enemy positions at Bardia. NAPIER, NIZAM, JUPITER, and HASTY were detached and conducted a bombardment of Sollum. The CLs, escorted by DDs ERIDGE and AVONVALE, bombarded Bardia. The ships all returned to Alexandria on the 24th.

CLA CARLISLE departed Alexandria to return to the Red Sea for duty in the Suez Escort Force. The ship arrived at Suez on the 25th.

Submarine TRIUMPH sank *caique PANGIOTIS (Ex-Gk 120 grt)* and damaged caique AGHIA PARASKEVA in the Gulf of Petali.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT sank *steamer VIRGINIA S. (Ex-Gk 3885 grt)* from a convoy of steamer VIRGINIA S. and tankers BALCIK and BALKAM, escorted by escort ship ARBOREA. The submarine also claimed damage on the escort, which was not hit.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine RORQUAL laid mines off Cavoli.

Unescorted merchant ships DUNEDIN STAR and CITY OF LINCOLN, en route to Gibraltar from Malta, were attacked without success by RA a/c t off Bone.

*Steamer ACHILLE (FI 2415 grt)* was sunk by British bombing, N.W. of Ustiea,.




.
*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy SC.51 departed Sydney CB escorted by AMC WORCESTERSHIRE and corvettes BATTLEFORD, DUNVEGAN, and SOREL. The corvettes were detached on the 25th when the convoy was joined by corvettes ARROWHEAD, CHILLIWACK, POLYANTHUS, PRIMROSE, SNOWBERRY, and TRAIL. Corvette POLYANTHUS was detached on 2 November and the rest of the corvettes on 4 November. DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, and WATCHMAN joined on 4 November and corvettes ARABIS, DAHLIA, and MONKSHOOD, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN SPRAY. Corvettes ARABISD and MONKSHOOD were detached on 7 November. On 8 November, the AMC, DD SARDONYX, and corvette DAHLIA were detached. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 9 November.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 OCTOBER TO DAWN 24 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_2236-2344 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy bombers approaching the Island. The first drops bombs in the sea without crossing the coast. The second crosses the coast near Grand Harbour, circles round and drops incendiary bombs on the Valletta and Sliema areas before turning out to sea and dropping high explosive bombs in the sea five miles off the coast. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception.

_0422-0525 hrs Raid no 905 _Air raid alert for the approach of four enemy bombers which drop high explosive bombs in the sea 15-30 miles north of the Island. Two bombs are also dropped on Gozo. One raider crosses the coast and drops 250kg high explosive bombs on Senglea and Marino Pinto, damaging the Royal Engineers yard, demolishing the roof of a store and starting a fire which is quickly extinguished. One bomb is dropped close to St Nicola Ack Ack position. The electricity supply in the Marsa area is cut off. Bombs dropped during the raid are reported as being heavier than usual. Two Hurricanes are scrambled; no interception.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. _18 Squadron _5 Blenheims attack a chemical works at Cotrone. _38 Squadron _3 Wellingtons carried out a nuisance raid on Naples. 3 Wellingtons carried out a nuisance raid on Tripoli. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands on special patrols; 1 Maryland on patrol and special search of Tunisian coast. _107 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked a merchant ship. _221 Squadron _1 Wellington on shipping search.


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## parsifal (Oct 24, 2016)

*24 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS AGRESSOR (AMc-64)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMNZS INCHKEITH (T-155)





Mk2 Class LCT 133
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
MSW trawler EMILION (RN 201 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the vicinity of B.6 Buoy, Barrow Deep. There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MSW trawler LUCIENNE JEANNE (RN 264 grt)* was sunk by a mine in the vicinity of B.6 Buoy, Barrow Deep.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy HG-75_
DD DUNCAN departed Gibraltar on the 24th with medical supplies and a surgeon to treat the wounded of HMS COSSACK. DD DUNCAN was to then join convoy OS.9G.

Tug THAMES and corvette JONQUIL departed Gibraltar on the 24th to assist the destroyer. The DD was towed by tug THAMES and escorted by corvettes JONQUIL and CARNATION. *Tribal Class DD HMS COSSACK (RN 1854 grt)* finally sank on the 27th. Corvette JONQUIL took off the last of the crew on the DD. The tug THAMES had been diverted to assist damaged AA ship ARIGUANI, but tug ROLLICKER was en route to assist. DD DUNCAN departed Gibraltar on the 24th and, after providing assistance to the stricken DD COSSACK, refuelled at Ponta Delgada on the 30th. She then sailed to join the convoy OS.9.





U-564 fired a full broadside of torpedoes at the convoy, with the following results:

U.564 sank *steamer CARSBECK (UK 3670 grt)*, Nineteen crew and four gunners were lost on the steamer CARSBECK. She was transporting Spanish iron to Liverpool. 





The *Steamer ARIOSTO (UK 2176 grt)*, the convoy commodores ship was hit by one of the 3 torpedoes that hit the convoy. Of the crew of 45, 6 were dead or missing. The ship was carrying a load of cork and iron ore.





*Steamer ALHAMA (UK 1352 grt)*. . The entire crew of 33 aboard the steamer were rescued. At the time of her loss, the ship was transporting onions, tartaric acid, wines and cork to the UK. 
[NO IAGE FOUND]

The U-Boat also claimed damaging two other steamers. After mounting successful attacks on the convoy, U-564 was attacked twice in the evening, when an an unidentified aircraft dropped one bomb, then three hours later the boat was depth charged by an escort. She was not damaged in these attacks.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Salamis: U-371

At Sea 24 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-558, U-563, U-564, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD MONTROSE departed Sheerness at 0713 for Scapa Flow, via Methil, to work up. The DD arrived at Methil on the 25th and after landing trial parties departed again. She arrived at Scapa Flow later that day.

*Northern Waters*
DD ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster with the Engineer in Chief aboard. After this duty, the destroyer returned to Scapa Flow.

*Med/Biscay*
RM sloop CORRISPONDENTE BETA sighted *steamer EMPIRE GUILLEMOT (UK 6463 grt)* off La Galita Island near Cape Bon. The sloop was able to guide RA bombers to the steamer which was sunk. Ten crew and one gunner were lost on the steamer. Twenty eight crew and five gunners were taken prisoners.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, and GRIFFIN departed Alexandria on serial nine of the CULTIVATE operation. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 25th.

Submarine TETRARCH arrived at Malta from Alexandria with stores and kerosene.

British steamer CLAN FERGUSON departed Malta to proceed independently to Gibraltar. The steamer was attacked by the RA shortly after leaving Malta and was recalled and arrived back on the 25th.

Submarine TRUANT damaged Italian steamer PADENNA (1589grt) off Bari.

Submarine TRIUMPH attacked Spanish steamer ISORA in the Aegean, but no hits were made.
*Central Atlantic*
The Gibraltar section of convoy OS.9 was detached from the main convoy, escorted by sloops LEITH and FOWEY and corvette STONECROP. DD WILD SWAN departed Gibraltar on the 25th to join the convoy. DDs GURKHA and ISAAC SWEERS departed Gibraltar on the 28th to join. Convoy OS.9G arrived at Gibraltar on 1 November.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 OCTOBER TO DAWN 25 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_1015-1026 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which cross the Island at great height. Fourteen Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders retreat before there is any interception.

_1356-1407 hrs _ Air raid alert for two Macchi fighters which approach from the north, cross the coast near Grand Harbour, pass over Kalafrana and turn away to recede northwards – probably on reconnaissance. Seven Hurricanes are scrambled but cannot reach sufficient height to intercept; there is no engagement by Ack Ack guns.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 24 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Tetrarch_ arrived from Alexandria with stores and kerosene. _Clan Ferguson_ sailed independently for Gibraltar.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Maryland, 2 Sunderland, 9 Wellington. _Departures _1 Beaufighter, 7 Wellington. _SD Flight_1 Wellington search for convoy. _18 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked a factory at Licata. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands special patrols. Photoreconnaissance Castel Vetrano and Tripoli. _104 Squadron _4 Wellingtons attacked Naples; 2 recalled due to bad weather. 6 Wellingtons attacked Tripoli. _830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _2 Swordfish searched for missing Wellington; search unsuccessful.


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## Njaco (Oct 24, 2016)

*October 25 Saturday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Battle of convoy HG-75: Italian submarine “_Galileo Ferraris_” attacked Allied convoy HG-75 500 miles west of Gibraltar and was discovered by a British Catalina aircraft. Although depth charges fail to explode, “_Galileo Ferraris'_” is damaged by machinegun fire. British destroyer HMS “_Lamerton_” arrives but is hit with a 4 inch shell from “_Galileo Ferraris'_”. The superior firepower of HMS “_Lamerton_” forces the submarine to scuttle (6 killed, 44 crew rescued). Later in the same day, German submarine U-563 attacked HG-75, but she was driven away by British corvette HMS “_Heliotrope_”.

RCAF Eastern Command makes first attack on a U-boat off Newfoundland.

South and Northeast Greenland Patrols were merged and renamed Greenland Patrol and designated as U.S. Navy Task Group 24.8 of the Atlantic Fleet.

U.S. Navy Task Force 14, under command of Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, formed around the aircraft carrier USS “_Yorktown_” (CV 5), battleship USS “_New Mexico_” (BB 40), light cruisers USS “_Savannah_” (CL 42) and USS “_Philadelphia_” (CL 41), and nine destroyers, departed Portland, Maine, to escort a convoy ("Cargo") of British merchantmen.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.3, under command of Commander Richard E. Webb, escorted convoy HX 156. The destroyer USS “_Hilary P. Jones_” (DD 427) carried out depth charge attacks on a suspicious contact but after spying a school of porpoises ceased fire.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The German drive on Moscow was almost completely halted due to bad weather. The German 78.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General C. Gallenkamp) finally reached Mozhaisk, long after the panzers. Remnants of the Bryansk pocket surrender, with over 100,000 troops from Soviet 3rd Army, 13th Army, and 50th Army killed or taken prisoner.

As German victories had now rendered Nikolai Voznesensky's first war production plan redundant, a new economic plan was published for what was left of Soviet territory in the centre and east of the country. General Golikov appointed Commanding Officer 10th Army as it reforms.

Lt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 shoots down a Russian aircraft. Shortly after 0930 hours in the morning Oblt. Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 downs a Russian Pe-2. Later in the afternoon he adds a Soviet SB-2 bomber to his score.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 1,776 adult female and 812 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 2,578 people. Odessa massacre continues. Romanian troops shell the fourth warehouse at Dalnik building, containing all the male Jews.

*GERMANY*: Erhard Wetzel, an official in charge of race questions for the Ministry of Occupied Eastern Territories wrote Hinrich Lohse, Reich commissioner for the Ostland, suggesting that personnel from the former euthanasia program be allocated to construct gas installations for eliminated deported Jews who are unfit for work.

Ciano and Hitler discuss further Italian participation on the Russian Front.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Cultivate: Overnight, British minelaying cruiser HMS “_Latona_” and destroyers HMS “_Hero_”, “_Hotspur_” and “_Encounter_” leave Alexandria, Egypt, for Tobruk, Libya. At 2105 hours, they are attacked by 10 German Stukas and 2 Italian S.79 medium bombers 35 miles East of Tobruk. HMS “_Latona_”, carrying 1000 Polish troops into Tobruk, is hit by a 500-kg bomb which destroys the engine room (20 crew and 7 soldiers killed). HMS “_Hero_” and “_Encounter_” take off survivors and return to Alexandria. HMS “_Latona_” sinks at 2230 hours when fire ignites the magazine. HMS “_Hero_” is damaged by near misses of 3 bombs (under repair at Alexandria for 4 weeks). 7234 Australian 9th Division troops and 727 wounded have been taken out of Tobruk during Operation Cultivate, and 7138 replacements brought in.

Marshal Rydz-Smigly secretly departs for Poland via Slovakia in an effort to join Polish underground forces.

*NORTH AFRICA*: At Tobruk a Brigade conference was held at 0900 attended by Lt Col Rusk to discuss the Brigade takeover of the Eastern sector. The 2nd Black Watch Battalion was to replace the Queens Royal Regt as the right forward battalion of the sector. Bombing of the town was again taking place in the evening when the rear party of the Australians left. The fortress was now manned by British and Polish troops with a few Czechs.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The US State Department issued a bulletin denouncing German practice of rounding up and executing civilians in retaliation of partisan attacks. US President Roosevelt released a formal statement condemning the reprisal executions carried out by the Nazis in occupied Europe. "The practice of executing scores of innocent hostages in reprisal for isolated attacks on Germans in countries temporarily under the Nazi heel revolts a world already inured to suffering brutality," the statement read.

Aircraft carrier USS “_Hornet_” is commissioned.

US offers initiative to end Finnish participation in the war.

Assistant Secretary of State for Latin American affairs Adolf A. Berle spoke on the Nazi plan for a Church of Germany. Berle said that "It is said that this sort of thing may go on in Europe, but that it cannot affect America. But it so happens that we have long known that the Nazi group in Germany planned to conquer the entire world. It is not easy for Americans to realize that any group of people could seriously undertake world conquest, or that by any possibility they could carry it out. Yet, the fact is that they have planned it; and it is known to everyone who has had any contact with German affairs. The fact also is that they probably can carry it out unless there is resolute determination on the part of the remaining free nations to stop that conquest."

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: A Canadian brigade under the command of Brigadier John Lawson MC sailed from Vancouver, Canada to reinforce the garrison on Hong Kong.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British battleship “_Prince of Wales_” sails the Clyde for the Far East. Admiral Tom Phillips is aboard and will command the newly constituted British Far East Fleet. The new British Far East Fleet is to be created around the “_Prince of Wales_”.

Lord Mountbatten, recalled from goodwill tour of US and no longer assigned to skipper RN aircraft carrier “_Illustrious_”, returns to London to head Combined Operations.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Luftwaffe loses one of its most colorful pilots. With his unit relocated to the Western Front to re-equip with the Bf 109Fs, Oblt. Franz von Werra, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of I./JG 53, suffers engine failure and crashes off the Dutch coast. Von Werra is killed. Oblt. Von Werra was forced down over Kent on 5 September, 1940 and sent to Canada as a POW. He escaped and returned to Germany through the USA and resumed combat flying. His final victory score against the Allies is twenty-one kills. Hptm. Ignaz Prestele is placed as acting _Gruppenkommandeur_ in Oblt. von Werra's place.

RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations over the Continent.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 25, 2016)




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## parsifal (Oct 25, 2016)

*25 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type XB DKM U117






Type IXc DKM U-171





Type VIIc DKM U-437





Neutral
Hornet class CV YORKTOWN (CV-8)





Aloe class Net tender USS SANDALWOOD (AN 32)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Kiwi Class ASW Trawler HMNZS KIWI (T-102)





BPB 63’ type MA/SB 36
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
_Convoy HG-75_
Sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC joined the convoy on the 25th.

While preparing to attack the convoy, U-563 was attacked by one of the escorts, the RN corvette HMS HELIOTROPE. The boat was forced to submerge preventing her attacks on the convoy but was not damaged by the depth charges dropped by the corvette.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-558

Departures
Kirkenes: U-132
St. Nazaire: U-552, U-567 

At Sea 25 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-374, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Northern Waters*
BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN, escorted by DDs ANTELOPE and DULVERTON, departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde having completed her work up after refit. The ships arrived in the Clyde on the 26th. The BB entered dock at Greenock prior to proceeding to the Mediterranean. ANTELOPE departed the Clyde that evening to return to Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 27th.

CA LONDON departed Scapa Flow for the Tyne for refitting. The CA arrived later that day. Cruiser LONDON was refitting from 30 October to 25 January 1942.

*West Coast*
_Convoy OS-10_
Convoy OS.10 departed Liverpool.

*Channel*
During the night of 25/26 October, ML cruisers WELSHMAN laid minefield JX A off St Valery en Caux and MANXMAN laid minefield JX B off St Valery sur Somme in the England Channel.

*Med/Biscay*
ML LATONA and DD HERO, HOTSPUR, and ENCOUNTER departed Alexandria on serial ten, the last, of the _Cultivate_ operation. *Abdiel Class ML Cruiser LATONA (RN 2650 grt)* was sunk by the LW late on the 25th. On 25 October the ships supporting Tobruk operation came under air attack north of Bardia. LATONA, carrying 1,000 Polish troops, was hit in the engine room by a bomb from a Ju87 of I./StG1. This started a fire which soon raged out of control. DDs HERO and ENCOUNTER came alongside to assist and evacuated most of the troops and crew. LATONA remained afloat for a further two hours, before the after magazine exploded, sinking the ship. Four officers, 16 crew members and 7 soldiers were killed.





DD HERO was damaged by a near miss while standing by LATONA and her speed was reduced to ten knots. The DD was later able to increase speed to twenty knots and arrived at Alexandria on the 26th. DDrs ENCOUNTER and HERO took the LATONA survivors to Alexandria. HERO was under repair for four weeks.

This was the last _cultivate_ serial in which 7138 troops had been transported to Tobruk and 7234 troops and 727 wounded were brought back to Alexandria.

CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and HOBART with DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JUPITER, KIMBERLEY, HASTY, NAPIER, and NIZAM departed Alexandria on a bombardment operation. Due to the loss of cruiser LATONA, the bombardment was cancelled. JERVIS, JAGUAR, KIMBERLEY, and JUPITER were detached to assist LATONA and escorted DD HERO to Alexandria. The cruisers, with DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, and HASTY bombarded Bardia prior to returning to Alexandria.

Force K of light cruisers AURORA and PENELOPE and DDs LANCE and LIVELY departed Malta to intercept a convoy of Italian steamer CAPO ORSO, German steamer TINOS, and DD STRALE which departed Benghazi on the 25th. No contact was made and Force K returned to Malta on the 26th. The convoy arrived at Brindisi on the 28th.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT arrived at Malta from patrol.

Submarine TRIUMPH sank *steamer MONROSA (FI 6703 grt)* in the Aegean from a convoy of steamers MONROSA and SANTAGATA, escorted by DD SELLA and TB SIRIO en route from Pireaus to Candia. The submarine was damaged in the counterattack.





Submarine TRUSTY made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in the central basin.

*Central Atlantic*
A British Catalina from Gibraltar damaged *Archimede class submarine FERRARIS (RM 970 grt)* west of Gibraltar. DD LAMERTON, supporting convoy HG.75, was sent to attack the submarine. The submarine scuttled herself as the destroyer arrived on the scene. Forty four survivors were picked up. LAMERTON was damaged by a short of one of her
3. 9 inch shells.





Corvettes COREOPSIS and anti-submarine trawlers ST NECTAN and LADY SHIRLEY departed Gibraltar escorting tankers BRITISH FREEDOM and VELMA and then join tanker COWRIE, which arrived at Gibraltar on 6 November.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 OCTOBER TO DAWN 26 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fine.

_0941-0957 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy fighters approaching the Island at 27000 feet and cross the Island, on reconnaissance. Four Hurricanes are airborne but there is no engagement.

_1152-1245 hrs Raid 909 _Air raid alert for four enemy Cant 1007 bombers escorted by 16 fighters approaching the Island from the north. Only the bombers cross the coast and drop sixteen 250kg bombs on Grand Harbour, including in Kalkara Creek and French Creek. Seven houses are damaged and three civilians injured. A stick of four bombs hits the fuel depot at Fort San Salvatore, causing an intense fire.

A terrific barrage is put up over Grand Harbour. Seven Hurricanes are scrambled and reach 17000 feet to the north east of Grand Harbour where they spot the bombing formation slightly ahead and below. The bombers turn to port and the Hurricanes attack the bomber on the right flank from the stern, damaging it badly and stopping its port engine. One Hurricane engages a Macchi 200 fighter, leaving it with smoke pouring out. The wreckage of one Macchi is later found in the sea. The Hurricane of Sgt E Knight fails to return; a search is in progress. The body of an Italian fighter pilot is later recovered from the sea. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Thunderbolt_ arrived from patrol for docking. _Clan Ferguson_ was recalled owing to her being attacked by enemy aircraft sixty miles west of Malta. She re-entered harbour at 0900 hrs but no serious damage was sustained. Force K sailed to intercept three enemy destroyers. 

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Blenheim. _Departures _1 Clare, 1 Sunderland, 10 Wellington. _S/D Flight _1 Wellington special search. _18 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked barracks at Misurata. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands special patrols. 1 Blenheim patrol east Sicilian coast. Photoreconnaissance south western Sicily. _104 Squadron _3 Wellingtons on nuisance raid of Arab quarters in Tripoli. _107 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked targets on the Zuara-Benghazi road.


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## Njaco (Oct 25, 2016)

*October 26 Sunday*
*ASIA*: IJN “_Soryu_” Arrived at Kagoshima. Flag of Carrier Division 2 moved from “_Hiryu_” to “_Soryu_”.

The Japanese flew a reconnaissance sortie over Kyedaw to perform reconnaissance on the AVG. Five P-40s made a fruitless effort to intercept them.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Battle of convoy HG-75. At 03.54 hours, U-83 badly damages British fighter catapult ship HMS “_Ariguani_” with a torpedo (2 killed, survivors taken off by British corvette HMS “_Campion_” including those rescued 2 days ago from torpedoed steamer SS “_Carsbreck_”). HMS “_Ariguani_” will be towed to Gibraltar, decommissioned, repaired and returned to service as a merchant ship in January 1944. U-71 fires 4 torpedoes at an unidentified escort boat (all miss). The escort then counterattacks with depth charges for 7 hours, severely damaging U-71 which is forced to return to base.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Leningrad Front and Soviet 54th Army swap commanders. General Fedyuninsky, the better fighting general, moves from Leningrad to take command of 54th Army which is now defending against the German advance on the railhead at Tikhvin. General Mikhail Khozin is relieved of 54th Army to take charge in Leningrad (he is familiar with the area having commanded Leningrad Front in 1938).

German Army Group Center continues to push toward Moscow against stiffening resistance. Soviet government declares Tula under state of siege, with emergency measures for defending the city and suppressing unrest.

Hptm. Gordon Gollob, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of II./JG 3 claims his eighty-fifth victory while Walter 'Gulle' Oesau becomes the third Luftwaffe fighter pilot to reach one hundred kills, only two days after the Kommodore of JG 3, Major Günther Lützow, reached his one hundredth. Hptm. Gollob is _awarded_ the Eichenlaub on his return to base.

Pigeon-keepers at Kiev, Ukraine, are executed on the assumption that the birds could be used to carry messages.

*GERMANY*: Tonight the RAF Bomber Command attacks Hamburg with 115 bombers.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Tito meets with Mihailovic without reaching agreement on coordination of resistance operations.

*NORTH AFRICA*: The relief of the Australians at Tobruk ended as the British 70th Division, the Polish Carpathian Brigade and supporting armored units begin to settle in their new positions. At least one ship, the minelayer HMS “_Latona_”, has been lost to Stuka dive-bombers.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Armament officials told the American automobile industry that effective December 15, scarce materials such as chrome, nickel and aluminum could no longer be used for purely decorative aspects of cars.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: Finnish 8th Division of II Corps makes contact with 14th Division west of Lake Segozero.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The submarines USS “_Narwhal_” (SS 167) and USS “_Dolphin_” (SS 169) arrived off Wake Island on simulated war patrols.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew sweep and Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 26, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 26, 2016)

*October 27 Monday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.6, under command of Commander George W. Johnson, screened Convoy ON-28. During the day, the destroyers USS “_DuPont_” (DD 152) and USS “_Sampson_” (DD 394) each carried out two depth charge attacks against suspected U-boat contacts.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German Army Group Center continues to push toward Moscow against stiffening resistance. Germans slowly make progress towards Moscow all along the Mozhaysk line. At the Southeast end of the line, Kampfgruppe Eberbach advances to Plavsk 37 miles from Tula (140 miles from Moscow). At the Northwest end of the line, 4.Panzerarmee finally defeats Soviet 316th Rifle Division at Volokolamsk 68 miles from Moscow (316th Rifle Division is reduced to only 3500 men but has delayed 4th Panzer Army for 2 weeks). In the middle of the line, the 11 infantry divisions of German 4.Armee come to a standstill. Feldmarschall von Kluge lies to his superior Feldmarschall Fedor von Bock, commander of Army Group Center, about the strength of Soviet defenses. Amazingly, von Bock allows 4.Armee to dig trenches and go on the defensive, losing all momentum towards Moscow. Operation ‘Typhoon’ gradually ground to a halt as Russian resistance stiffened and mud set in. Soviet forces launched multiple counter-attacks around Moscow, Russia, trying to blunt the German advance. The attacks are bloodily repulsed but do buy some time for the Russians. German troops were now positioned in the west at Volokolamsk 60 kilometers from Moscow and in the south at Plavsk 110 kilometers from Moscow.

German advances continue with the capture of the city of Kramatorsk, north of Stalino. Erich von Manstein's German 11.Armee broke through the mud and fog on the Perekop Isthmus into the Crimean Peninsula sending the Soviet 51st Army in retreat toward Sevastopol and Kerch.

In a new action Italians win praise from the German High Command for defeating attacks in the Donets Basin and capturing several hundred Russian prisoners.


> "In the Donets Basin an attempt to retard our advance was prevented by Italian troops. The enemy was thrown back with heavy and bloody losses and left several hundred prisoners in the hands of our allies." _German High Command Communique, 27 October 1941_.



On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 946 adult male, 184 adult female, and 73 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,203 people. Jews of Sluzk, 60 miles south of Minsk, Belorussia, are annihilated by Einsatzkommando troops, half of whom are German, half Lithuanian. A black van that stops at the Jewish old people's home in Kalisz, Poland, is loaded with elderly and driven off. The van is specially outfitted to route carbon monoxide into the cargo area.

The destroyer HMAS “_Norman_”, (CMDR Henry Burrell, RAN), embarked a British Trade Union delegation at Archangel, Russia, for passage to England.

Victor Talalikhin, the Soviet Union's first major air hero of World War II, is killed in action during a dogfight with German aircraft.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Tetrach_”, one day out of Malta, hit an Italian naval mine and sank between Sicily and Tunisia; all 62 aboard were killed.

Palestinian leader Amin al-Husseini arrived in Rome for talks with Fascist leaders.

*NORTH AMERICA*: At a Navy Day speech, President Roosevelt, in reference to the torpedoing of the USS “_Kearney_”, said, “Hitler’s torpedo was directed at every American….was to frighten the American people off the high seas - to force us to make a trembling retreat", claiming that the "American spirit" was now "aroused".

The Winnipeg Grenadiers and Royal Rifles of Canada sail from Vancouver, British Columbia, heading to Hong Kong, on the military transport “_Awatea_” and destroyer HMCS “_Prince Robert_”.

The Chicago Daily Tribune dismissed the possibility of war with Japan, editorializing, "_She cannot attack us. That is a military impossibility. Even our base at Hawaii is beyond the effective striking power of her fleet._"

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: USS “_Arizona_” entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, US Territory of Hawaii for overhaul, during which she would receive a mounting atop her foremast for future installation of a search radar.

Admiral Thomas Hart, having changed his mind on moving the US fleet at the Philippine Islands south to combine with the British allies, decided to base his main force in Manila Bay.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Mountbatten replaced Roger Keyes as the British Chief of Combined Operations.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Rodeo operation and a Rhubarb operation.

.

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## parsifal (Oct 27, 2016)

*26 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
None

*Losses*
_Convoy HG-75_
U.84 damaged CAM ship ARIGUANI from convoy HG.75 on the 26th. The submarine claimed sinking two other steamers. DD VIDETTE attempted to take ARIGUANI in tow, but was unsuccessful. The vessel was however able to be taken in the tow of tug THAMES and escorted by corvettes JONQUIL, HELIOTROPE, and CAMPION, the ship arrived at Gibraltar on 2 November.

U.563 attacked Corvette HELIOTROPE on the 26th, but did not damage her. The submarine claimed damaging two steamers like U-84.

U-71 attacked an escort with a four-torpedo spread, which missed. The U-Boat was then depth charged the for seven hours, severely damaging U-71 and forcing her to return to base.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-402, U-434

At Sea 26 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

44 Boats

OPERATIONS
*North Sea*
*Steamer HERTA ENGELINE FRITZEN (Ger 5100 grt)* was lost in a stranding near Hook of Holland.





*
West Coast*
CL TRINIDAD departed Devonport, escorted by DD KUJAWIAK, for the Clyde where they arrived on the 27th. The CL began her pre-acceptance trials.

_Convoy ON-20_
Convoy ON.30 departed Liverpool, escorted corvettes ARABIS, DAHLIA and MONKSHOOD and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN SPRAY.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy OS-10_
On the 26th, sloop BIDEFORD, corvettes FREESIA and VERBENA, and escort vessels CULVER, LANDGUARD, and LULWORTH joined convoy OS10.
.
*Med/Biscay*
CLA HERMIONE was under repair at Gibraltar from 26 October to 7 November.

Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. On the 28th, the submarine departed for Holy Loch, arriving 4 November.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy SL-91_
Convoy SL.91 departed Freetown escorted by DD WRESTLER to 31 October, sloop SANDWICH to 12 November and corvettes ANCHUSA to 12 November, BURDOCK to 31 October, CALENDULA to 12 November, CLOVER to 31 October, MIGNONETTE to 12 November, and NIGELLA to 31 October.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 OCTOBER TO DAWN 27 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Heavy rain in the evening.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Force K returned to harbour having seen nothing after yesterday’s search for destroyers. Submarine _Tetrarch_ sailed for Gibraltar and the UK.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _1 Wellington. _Departures _1 Maryland. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands special patrols; 1 Maryland and 1 Blenheim patrols eastern Sicily. Photoreconnaissances eastern Sicily.


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## parsifal (Oct 27, 2016)

*27 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS HAZEL (AN-29)

Allied
Roberts Class monitor HMS ROBERTS (F-40)





BPB 63’ type MA/SB-35
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 341
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class Coastal MSW MMS-87
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer ANTIOPE (UK 4545 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. One crewman was lost on the steamer.





*Steamer FRIESLAND (Ne 2662 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. 11 crew and two gunners were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*T Class Submarine TETRARCH (RN 1090 grt)*, which had departed Alexandria on the 17th and Malta on the 26th en route to a refit in England, was lost on a mine in the Sicilian Channel. Hger entire crew of 59, plus some passengers hitching a ride back toi England was lost. She failed to arrive in Gibraltar on 2 November and was declared overdue. Her route passed through a known minefield. On Monday 27 she communicated with submarine P-34, , which was in the same area. This was the last contact with the submarine. She is presumed lost to Italian mines off Capo Granditola, Sicily.






_Convoy HG-75_

Corvette CAMPION was detached on the 26th and destroyers LAMERTON and LEGION and corvettes BLUEBELL, CARNATION, and HELIOTROPE on the 27th.

DDs LAMERTON and LEGION proceeded to Ponta Delgada to refuel. LAMERTON then sailed to rejoin the convoy whilst LEGION sailed to join BB PRINCE OF WALES and escort her while DDs ELECTRA and EXPRESS refuelled at Ponta Delgada.

On 27 October, U.564 claimed sinking a steamer in convoy HG.75. Allied sources have no record of such a loss

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Salamis: U-97

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-96

At Sea 27 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

44 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
*MV LOLA (Ger 4500 grt)* sunk by VMF Sub “M-35” near Sulina.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Waters
DD NORMAN departed Archangel bound for the UK with the Trade Union Congress delegation and members of the Russian Labour Delegation.

*North Sea
Steamer GUNLOG (SD 1424 grt)*, whilst working in German waters, was sunk by the RAF off Den Helder.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
Submarine SEALION arrived at Scapa Flow from Portsmouth.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked a German submarine off Augusta.

MTB.68 and MTB.215 laid mines in BardiaHarbour during the night of 26\27 October. 

The MTBs returned to Mersa Matruh after the operation.

*Central Atlantic*
BB MALAYA and DDs LIGHTNING, SIKH, and ZULU arrived at Gibraltar. On entering harbour, the BB rammed steamers HOEGH HOOD, which broke adrift, and CLAN MACDONALD. The BB sustained small holes in her forecastle and lost her sheet anchor. Damage to CLAN MACDONALD was minor, but HOEGH HOOD required six weeks repair.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 OCTOBER TO DAWN 28 OCTOBER 1941

_Weather _Wet and windy.

_0758-0810 hrs _Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft approaching the Island. Six Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders retreat before crossing the coast and there is no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 27 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ 18 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked a railway line north of Crotone. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands special patrols. Photoreconnaissances Augusta and Castel Benito.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 27, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 27, 2016)

*October 28 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: Zang Shiyi signed a document in Nanjing, China that formally recognized Manchukuo's recognition of fellow Japanese-sponsored puppet state in the formal Chinese capital.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Shokaku_” arrived at Sasebo.

During the day the Japanese again flew a reconnaissance sortie over Kyedaw. The AVG again made a fruitless effort to intercept them, even as one of the intercepting pilots, Eriksen Shilling of the 2nd Sq. got close enough to count five aircraft.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Battle of convoy HG-75: At 0500 hours 320 miles Northeast of the Azores, U-432 finishes the attack on convoy HG-75 sinking British SS “_Ulea_” (19 killed, 9 survivors picked up by British corvettes HMS “_La Malouine_” and HMS “_Bluebell_”).

*EASTERN FRONT*: General Winter begins to assist the Soviet defence of Moscow. The German attacks suffer their own weakness, but the soft muddy ground and severe frosts at night damage machinery and weaken the soldiers further. They are not equipped with proper clothing for fighting in these conditions. German 1.Panzerarmee is attacking toward Rostov. Guderian’s forces near Tula make the major effort during this time. These movements make little headway. Volokolamsk further north falls to the Germans. 316th Rifle Division (Panfilov) had been furiously fighting the Germans in front of Volokolamsk since 15 Oct but on 28 Oct, against Stalin’s orders, they abandoned Volokolamsk in disorder. Rokossovski and Panfilov were both criticized for their handling of this battle. 316th Rifle Division then rallied to defend Volokolamsk highway. German 11.Armee pursues retreating Soviet forces into the Crimea.

Six high-ranking Soviet generals and commissars -- Smuschkevich, Shtern, Rychagov, Loktionov, Savchenko, and Proskurov – were executed by Beria's NKVD for treason. Soviet General Grigoriy Savchenko was executed without trial. Nikolai Rychagov, Rychagov's wife, and other accused conspirators were executed by the Soviets near Kuibyshev (now Samara), Russia. General Yakov Smushkevich, commander of the Soviet Air Force from 1939 to 1940 who had overseen its poor performance during the Winter War with Finland, is executed.

34,000 Jews were massacred in Kiev, Ukraine. More elderly Jews from a convalescent home in Kalisz, Poland, are taken away in gassing vans.

By order of the Nazis, the entire population of the Kovno ghetto, some 27,000 Jews, assembled in the main square at daybreak this morning. The SS commander, Rauca, stood on a hillock, his dog by his feet. Eating sandwiches and drinking coffee, he pointed the way for each one with his finger. He sent the younger and healthier people to the left. Young children, the old and the sick went to the right. To the left meant life, albeit in slavery; to the right, death. It is thought that some 10,000 Jews were thus condemned to die.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Mussolini declares that the “coalition of Bolshevism and its European and American Allies” will be destroyed.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Axis forces rehearsed for the planned assault on the besieged city of Tobruk, Libya. Rommel is preparing an all-out assault on the besieged Allied garrison at Tobruk, which is frustrating his plans to move on British interests in Egypt. He cannot afford to leave this threat to his rear and he needs the port as a forward supply base. German and Italian infantry rehearse storming bunkers, engineers plan routes through minefields and artillerymen range targets among the Allied defenses. Meanwhile Rommel plans a 2 week vacation in Italy with his wife Lucie, to celebrate his 50th birthday.

*NORTH AMERICA*: In a meeting between Cochran and General Arnold, Cochran resubmits her proposal. Arnold agrees that Cochran should develop a plan for training women to fly military aircraft. After Gen. Arnold confers with Air Marshall Harris (in Washington to seek American help) Arnold telephones Cochran and tells her that this is a chance to show what American women pilots can do. He requests she direct a group of women to England to fly with the British Air Transport Command.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight.

.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 28, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 28, 2016)

*October 29 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: IJN aircraft carrier “_Shokaku_” departed Sasebo for Oita Bay, stopping at Ariake Bay.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-106 torpedoed and damaged American tanker “_Salinas_” off Iceland.

U-577 was attacked by a Blenheim bomber in the North Atlantic, suffering slight damage. British vessel “_Sarastone_” was sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

The Atlantic Amphibious Force, consisted of both US Army and US Marine Corps units and commanded by Major General Holland M. Smith, was redesignated Amphibious Force of the US Navy Atlantic Fleet.

Convoy SC 52 departs Sydney, Nova Scotia for Liverpool, but turns back to Sydney.

The German commerce raider “_Atlantis_” rounded Cape Horn and entered the South Atlantic. The “_Atlantis_” had returned from the Indian and South Pacific Oceans having spent several fairly fruitless months spent searching for targets having captured only one ship. The “_Atlantis_” was now scheduled to return to Germany.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Kampfgruppe Eberbach of German 4.Panzer-Division reached Tula, Russia, which was about 110 kilometers south of Moscow. The group dug in near Tula to organize an offensive in the next day. Reconnaissance of the Southern outskirts is turned back by Soviet anti-aircraft guns firing over open sights, so Eberbach decides to wait until dawn to attack. Due to Colonel Katukov’s action on 6 Oct it took Guderian’s tanks until 29 Oct to approach Tula. A few regular units and a local volunteer battalion were the only defenders but they managed to hold Guderian and Tula never fell. The first of the Soviet reserves from Siberia take position in the defensive lines west of Moscow. General Vasilevsky was wounded by Luftwaffe attack on Moscow.

In the north, Soviet forces call off unsuccessful counterattacks in the Leningrad sector.

Further South, Manstein’s German 11.Armee has overrun most of the Crimean peninsula and is approaching the regional capital Simferopol and the massive port of Sevastopol, home of Soviet Black Sea Fleet. Soviet government declares all of the Crimea under state of siege, with emergency measures for defense and suppression of unrest. Germans want the Crimea as a base for operations further east into the Caucasus and need to eliminate the Soviet threat to their advance around the Black Sea. Moreover, Hitler wants the Crimean peninsula as a sun-drenched “German Gibraltar” for vacationers after the war. Italian forces defending Stalino, throw back several Russian counterattacks. The official Stefani agency reported today that Italian troops on the Eastern front had been halted and put on the defensive for the past eight days by Russian counter-attacks ...The dispatch said Russian attacks and aerial bombardments were "furious" but added that the Italian troops "never ceded a millimeter of ground.”

15,000 Jews were massacred in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania. Their remains were buried in mass graves at the Ninth Fort.

Oblt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 claims a Russian fighter near Tikhvin while Oblt. Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 claims an IL-2 Sturmovik, his first of the heavily armoured Russian fighter.

General Walter Kuntze was named the commanding officer of the German 12.Armee.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Transport “_Capo Arma_” departs Brindisi for Benghazi escorted by Italian torpedo boat “_Pegaso_”.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF attacks Tripoli overnight with 17 Wellington bombers flying from Malta.

*NORTH AMERICA*: William Stephenson, alias Intrepid, establishes Special Training School 103 near Oshawa, Canada, for training Canadians and Americans for intelligence work. It becomes known as "Camp X".

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Colonel H. George, A-4 (supply) under Major General Lewis H. Brereton, submits a request to Hugh Casey (MacArthur’s engineer) to devise plans as soon as possible for the construction of housing for 339 officers and 2,743 enlisted men at Del Monte airfield, Mindanao.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Winston Churchill visited the Harrow School in London, England, United Kingdom, which he attended in his younger days. In a speech there, he gave the advice;


> "Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."


General Miles Dempsey takes command of 42nd Infantry Division.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Bomber Command sends 45 aircraft to attack Schiphol airfield overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack Brest overnight.

.

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## Old Wizard (Oct 28, 2016)




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## Njaco (Oct 29, 2016)

*October 30 Thursday*
*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-106 damaged oiler USS “_Salinas_” 700 miles east of Newfoundland at 0900 hours. The destroyer USS “_Lea_” (DD 118) escorted the USS “_Salinas_” which would reach port under her own power. The two ships would be joined en route by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCG “_Campbell_” and tug USS “_Cherokee_” (AT-66). While USS “_Salinas_” limped to Argentia, Newfoundland for repairs, U-106 was chased by escort vessels for nine hours, surviving but sustaining serious damage. U-81 was attacked and severely damaged by the Catalina aircraft Z from RAF No. 209 Sqn.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Operation Typhoon halts until the colder winter weather arrives. Kampfgruppe Eberbach of German 4.Panzer-Division began to advance north from Tula toward Moscow at 0530 hours; it was soon turned back by heavy anti-tank fire. Another attempt was made at 1000 hours, again at 1300 hours, and a final time at 1600 hours, inflicting heavy casualties on the Soviets but failing to break through. Tula’s Soviet defenders (Workers Militia and NKVD 156th Regiment) suffer severe losses, mainly to German artillery, but just manage to hold their ground. Army Group Center reports heavy fighting in the Volkolamsk, Mozhaisk and Kaluga areas. Although successful in these battles, the Germans call a temporary halt in their advance on Moscow as Soviet counter attacks, depleted supply levels, and the worsening weather conditions make attack difficult. The deep mud from autumn rains has immobilized the German vehicles. Until winter fully sets in, the soft muddy ground will not allow them sufficient mobility to continue. During the night, Soviet 32nd Tank Brigade arrived to reinforce Tula, and Tula is safe. While fighting will continue at Tula and elsewhere on the Mozhaysk line for the next few weeks, the German advance on Moscow grinds to a halt until the Russian mud freezes over.

German 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) (part of 11.Armee) reached the outskirts of Sevastopol, beginning a siege, which would last for 9 months. After sundown, Soviet cruiser “_Krasnyi Kavkaz_” brought in the Soviet 8th Naval Infantry Brigade from Novorossiysk to beef up the defenses at Sevastopol. Black Sea Fleet moves WWI-era battleship “_Parizhskaya Kommuna_”, cruiser “_Molotov_” and smaller warships out of Sevastopol to safety in Caucasian ports while 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers are left to aid in the defense of the city as floating gun batteries.

Siegfried Freytag of JG 77 scores his twentieth victory. Oblt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 shoots down a Russian ground attack aircraft.

Reinhard Heydrich appointed Siegfried Seidl the commandant of the camp-ghetto soon to be known as the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in occupied Czechoslovakia.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 382 adult male, 789 adult female, and 362 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,553 people.

Allied convoy PQ-2 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.

Marshal Rydz-Smigly secretly arrives in Warsaw to serve in Polish underground forces.

*GERMANY*: German workers are being forced to “volunteer” as much as 25 Reichmark (about £2/1/8d) a week from their wages to pay for Hitler’s war. Those who resist payment are likely to be approached by Nazi Party members in their factories. An illegal underground newspaper, the Suddeutsche Volkstimme, is claiming that this “iron savings” scheme means that Hitler is “extorting nearly six billion marks from the people to pay for armaments.”

*MIDDLE EAST*: First bus convoy of evicted Axis nationals -- total of 180 Germans and 8 Italians -- departs Kabul.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF aircraft attack Gambut and Bardia.

*NORTH AMERICA*: “_Tatsuta Maru_” arrived at San Francisco, California, United States and disembarked non-Japanese passengers who departed due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations, including El Savadorian Consul General Leon Siguenza and Commander P. D. Perkins of the American Foreign Office in Japan. She then embarked Japanese nationals who wished to leave the US for similar reasons, and departed San Francisco.

President Roosevelt extends $1,000,000,000 in credits and interest free loans to the Soviet Union so they can “purchase” Lend Lease supplies and equipment.

Charles Lindbergh spoke to 20,000 people at an America First rally in Madison Square Garden. Lindbergh accused President Roosevelt of using "dictatorship and subterfuge" to draw the United States into the war.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: RAF Hudson bombers have struck a body blow at the German Navy’s supply system in the northern seas. A raid on the Norwegian port of Aalesund is thought to have left six supply ships irreparably damaged. The Hudsons flew through driving snow over the North Sea to find a target lit by moonlight. One pilot described how he hit his target from 30 feet before flying across the town at rooftop height, firing machine guns. He then put incendiary bombs through a factory roof. Norwegians resent occupation more than the raids.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: MacArthur requests recall of Grunert and was appointed Department commander in his stead.

General Gordon Bennett, GOC Australian 8th Infantry Division, formally appointed GOC Australian Imperial Force, Malaya.

In Australia, RAAF selected Woodstock area near Townsville as a suitable site for an airfield.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British cabinet received the report that, in the week ending 29 Oct 1941, 886 ships (including 24 ships flying flags of neutral nations) were convoyed; 113 destroyers (including 24 American destroyers), 117 smaller ships, and 9 anti-aircraft ships were deployed as convoy escorts. During the war thus far, a total of 86,687 ships had been convoyed, of which 451 were lost by enemy action. In terms of goods transported, the report indicated that, in the week ending 25 Oct 1941, 1,435,869 tons of supplies were imported into Britain, which was an increase from 789,286 tons from the previous seven-day period. 262 civilians have been killed and 361 injured in air raids this month.

No. 607 Squadron RAF goes into action with the Hawker Hurricane fighter-bomber known as the Hurribomber. They will take over the ‘Channel Stop’ anti-shipping operations from No. 2 Group.

The first production Avro Lancaster heavy bomber makes its first flight today. It has four 1,280 h-p Merlin XX engines and with its dorsal and ventral gun turrets weighs in at 60,000 lb.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations.

.


----------



## Old Wizard (Oct 30, 2016)




----------



## parsifal (Oct 30, 2016)

*28 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Aloe Class Bet tender USS HACKBERRY (AN-25)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML-057
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
_Convoy HG-75_
U.432 sank *steamer ULEA (UK 1574 grt)* from convoy HG.75 in 41-17N, 21-40W. The submarine claimed sinking another steamer. Thirteen crew, three gunners, and three passengers were lost on the steamer. Nine survivors were rescued by corvette BLUEBELL.





U-106 sank *Steamer KING MALCOLM (UK 5120 grt)* in the nth Atlantic with the loss of her entire crew of 38. She was on passage from Haifa to Garston via the Cape and Sydney CB, transporting a load of Potash. At 0719 hrs U-106 fired a spread of two G7a torpedoes at an unescorted eastbound freighter of an estimated 5000 grt about 630 miles west of Ireland and reported that the ship sank within three minutes after being struck on starboard side by the first one. The second torpedo missed astern as it was fired unaimed by mistake.

The target was the KING MALCOLM which had been in convoy SC-50 but straggled and was reported missing after being last seen on 21 October east of St. John’s, Newfoundland





U-68 sank *Steamer HAZELSIDE (UK 5397 grt)* as she travelled independently, in the Sth Atlantic. 2 men from the crew of 42 were lost in the attack. The ship was outward bound, from Cardiff to Alexandria via Durban, carrying mostly military stores. At 0343 hrs the unescorted HAZELSIDE was torpedoed by U-68 about 600 miles SE of St.Helena. At 0401 hours, the vessel was sunk by a coup de grace. Two crew members were lost. The master, 37 crew members and six gunners were picked up by the MALAYAN PRINCE and landed at Capetown. The master, Charles Knight Evans, was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-206
Kiel: U-578

Departures
Kiel: U-578

At Sea 28 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, , U-202, U-203, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

45 Boats

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*

Baltic
*PV Vp-309 (DKM 350 grt)* sank on a Mine laid by VMF ML TSZCZ 204 during the opening days of the BARBAROSSA campaign
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
MSWs HARRIER and BRITOMART departed Scapa Flow for Grimsby and Hartlepool, respectively, for refitting. HARRIER arrived in the Humber on the 29th, whilst BRITOMART arrived at Hartlepool on the 30th, having put into the Tyne to shelter from bad weather en route.

Submarine SEALION departed Scapa Flow for Murmansk, whilst Submarine P.35 departed Scapa Flow for Dundee.

*West Coast*
_Convoy 0N-31_
Convoy ON.31 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvettes CELANDINE and HEARTSEASE and ASW trawlers ANGLE and ST APOLLO.

_Convoy 0G-76_
Convoy OG.76 departed Liverpool on the 28th, escorted by DD BRADFORD, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes CONVOLVULUS, COWSLIP, MARIGOLD, PENTSTEMON, SAMPHIRE, and VETCH.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-20_
DDs SARDONYX and WATCHMAN joined on the 29th.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy HG-75_
Sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC and corvettes LA MALOUINE and MALLOW were detached on the 29th.

*Med/Biscay*
Polish submarine SOKOL unsuccessfully attacked Italian steamer CITTA DI PALERMO.

Submarine THRASHER sank *steamer ESPERIA (FI 384 grt)* by gunfire northeast off Benghazi.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Midshipman P. A. Brown RNVR, and Sub Lt F. A. J. Smith RNVR, were killed when their Albacore of 828 Sqn failed to return to Hal Far after an attack on Comiso airfield by seven Albacores of 828 Sqn.

Submarine URGE arrived at Malta from patrol off Kuriat. Submarine URSULA arrived at Malta from patrol off Calabria

*Nth Atlantic*
CL CARADOC was refitting at the New York Navy Yard from 28 October to 26 February 1942.

Ex US cargo ships transferred to the United Kingdom EMPIRE PINTAIL, EMPIRE EGRET, EMPIRE FULMAR, EMPIRE WIDGEON, EMPIRE PEREGRINE, and EMPIRE ORIOLE departed Halifax. The convoy was escorted by USN BB NEW MEXICO, CV YORKTOWN, CLs PHILADELPHIA and SAVANNAH, and DDs MORRIS, HUGHES, SIMS, HAMMANN, ANDERSON, MUSTIN, and RUSSELL of DESRON 2. On 2 November, the convoy met convoy CT.5 with steamers DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, SOBIESKI, ORCADES, WARWICK CASTLE, ANDES, DURBAN CASTLE, ORONSAY, and REINA DEL PACIFICO, escorted by CLA CAIRO and DDs NEWARK, CHARLESTON, CALDWELL, BEVERLEY, BADSWORTH, and CROOME.

The escorts traded convoys and the US escort took convoy CT.5 towards Halifax. The British escort took the convoy, designated TANGO, and proceeded to North Channel.

On 3 November, DD WAINWRIGHT, MAYRANT, TRIPPE, RHIND, ROWAN, MCDOUGAL, MOFFETT, and WINSLOW relieved the US destroyer escort for refuelling. The convoy arrived at Halifax on 7 November and the troops carried in convoy CT.5 were transferred to US transports for convoy WS.12X.

_Convoy HX.157_
Convoy HX.157 departed Halifax escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and corvettes BUCTOUCHE and GALT.

*Central Atlantic*
DD GURKHA and RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS departed Gibraltar to meet arriving convoy OS.9G.

Submarine RORQUAL departed Gibraltar for Holy Loch, where she arrived on 4 November.

_Convoy SL-91_
On the 28th, sloops BLACK SWAN, FLEETWOOD, and SCARBOROUGH to 12 November joined the convoy

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 OCTOBER TO DAWN 29 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Much colder.

_0856-0932 hrs _Air raid alert for two Macchi 200 fighters which approach from the north. One crosses the coast, flies over Valletta at 23000 feet and is engaged by three Navy anti-aircraft guns firing on ‘height control’, without result. The second comes within six miles of Grand Harbour then circles, eventually flying over Mellieha Bay. Four Hurricanes are scrambled and the lead fighter sees a Macchi ahead but too far away to intercept. 

_2103-2110 hrs; 2130-2150 hrs _Air raid alerts for four and then two enemy aircraft which turn away before reaching the Island.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 28 OCTOBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Urge_ returned from patrol off Kuriat having sunk one merchant ship and broken the back of another anchored off Kuriat. _Ursula_ returned from patrol off Calabrian coast. No ships were sighted, but a spirited bombardment of a railway bridge was carried out in the face of opposition from two machine guns and two riflemen. The appearance of an armoured car from the local garage, a flying boat and the fact that the gun jammed caused _Ursula_ to withdraw.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _4 Fortress, 1 Maryland. _Departures _3 Fortress, 1 Maryland, 1 Sunderland, 4 Wellington._S/D Flight _Special patrol. _18 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked Buerat el Esun. _40 Squadron _6 Wellingtons carried out a nuisance raid on Sicily. _69 Squadron _2 Marylands special patrol. Photoreconnaissances Tripoli, Catania-Avola and Sicily. _107 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked Buerat el Esun. _828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Albacores sent to carry out a bombing raid on Comiso aerodrome scored hits on hangars and the officers’ mess causing fires visible 20 miles away. Very intense fire light anti-aircraft fire from all directions of the aerodrome; one Albacore failed to return (crew Midshipman Brown and S/Lt Scott).


----------



## parsifal (Oct 30, 2016)

*29 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-355





Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS CHINQUAPIN (AN 17)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
ASW trawler FLOTTA (RN 530 grt)* ran aground off Buchanness. The trawler foundered on 6 November.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SARASTONE (UK 2473 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the western approaches. One crewman was lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ROSLEA (UK 642 grt)* was captured when she ran aground on the 28th during a storm on the Belgian coast. The crew were taken prisoner and this ship was salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest: U-81, U-201
Frederikshavn: U-434
St. Nazaire: U-98

At Sea 29 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

45 Boats

U-577 was attacked by a Blenheim bomber in the North Atlantic, suffering slight damage.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer BARCELONA (Ger 3101 grt)* was lost near Aalesund to RAF bombing attack.







*North Sea*
DD TARTAR departed London for Sheerness on completion of a long refit. The DD arrived that day to embark ammunition and fuel and carry out a tilt test at Chatham before proceeding to Scapa Flow. TARTAR departed Sheerness on 1 November for Scapa Flow.

*Northern Patrol*
FFL submarine MINERVE made an unsuccessful attack on a Norwegian steamer off the Norwegian coast.

*Northern Waters*
DDs OFFA and ORIBI departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to act under the orders of Rear Admiral Minelaying. Both DDs arrived later that day.

MSWs SALAMANDER and HALCYON departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to carry out boiler cleaning and fit out for Arctic service. Both MSWs arrived early on the 30th.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-20_
DDs SARDONYX and WATCHMAN joined on the 29th.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy HG-75_
Sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC and corvettes LA MALOUINE and MALLOW were detached on the 29th.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC-52_
Convoy SC.52 departed Sydney CB, escorted by corvettes BATTLEFORD, DUNVEGAN, and SOREL. Destroyer BROADWAY.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 OCTOBER TO DAWN 30 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Fair.

_0152-0230 hrs _Air raid alert for two unidentified enemy bombers approaching from the north. One aircraft turns back 15 miles from the Island. The second approaches Kalafrana, crosses the coast and turns south, turns again and recedes north-eastwards without dropping any bombs. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there is no interception.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _9 Blenheim, 1 Cathay, 1 Flamingo, 1 Heinkel, 4 Wellington. _18 Squadron _6 Blenheims attacked targets along the Calabrian coast. _40 Squadron _6 Wellingtons attacked marshalling yards in Tripoli. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands special patrols. Photoreconnaissance Catania. _104 Squadron _12 Wellingtons attacked marshalling yards in Tripoli. _107 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked targets at Soverato. 2 Blenheims attacked targets along the Calabrian coast


----------



## parsifal (Oct 30, 2016)

*30 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-378





Type VIIc DKM U-594
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class USS NUTMEG (AN 33)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS DRUMMONDVILLE (J-253)





Fairmile C MGB 335
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML-292
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
None

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kristiansand: U-434
Trondheim: U-132

Departures
Kiel: U-332
Lorient: U-124, U-572
St. Nazaire: U-69

At Sea 30 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-332, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

49 Boats

U-81 was attacked by a British Catalina flying boat (RAF Sqdn 209/Z, pilot Denis E. Ryan) SW of Brest while enroute to cross the Straits of Gibraltar. A Hudson bomber (Sqdn 53, F/O Henry) also appeared and dropped a depth charge. The boat was severely damaged and had to return to Brest. After hurried repairs the boat once more sailed for the Mediterranean.

After torpedoing the large American tanker SALINAS, U-106 was hunted for nine hours by escorts from convoy ON-28 and suffered severe damage. 

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT departed Murmansk on patrol, then to return to the United Kingdom.

*Northern Patrol*
MLs MENETHEUS, PORT QUEBEC, and WELSHMAN, escorted by DDs BRIGHTON, OFFA, and ORIBI, departed Loch Alsh to carry out minelaying operation SN.83 A. DD ONSLOW departed Scapa Flow later in the day to join the force. CL SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow on the 31st to cover the minelaying force.

DD ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to embark a party of military officers taking passage in CL KENYA to Archangel. The DD arrived back at Scapa Flow in the early afternoon.

*West Coast*
Submarine P.35 departed Dundee for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 31st.


*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HG-75_
The convoy was joined on the 30th by sloop LONDONDERRY from convoy SL.90 and sloop ABERDEEN and destroyer HESPERUS on the 31st from the UK.

*Med/Biscay*
On the 30th, steamer MARIGOLA (which had been disabled on the 22nd by HMS URGE) was further damaged by submarine UTMOST gunfire, 2.3 miles 165° from KuriatIsland.

Corvette SNAPDRAGON arrived at Suez from the United Kingdom to join the Med Fleet. The corvette arrived at Alexandria on the 31st.

Submarine OLYMPUS departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Gulf of Lyons.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.157_
USN DDs DALLAS, EBERLE, ELLIS, ERICSSON, and UPSHUR joined on the 30th

_Convoy ON-28_
At 0707 hrs on 30 October 1941 the fleet oiler USS SALINAS (AO 19) in station #14 of the convoy was hit on port side by two torpedoes from U-106 about 610 miles east of Newfoundland. Her circumstances leading to the incident were that She arrived at Reykjavik early in October and departed that port on 23 October, in ballast, for the mid-ocean meeting point where she rendezvoused with convoy ON 28 on 25 October. From there, the tanker moved west to return to the United States. At 0700 (GCT) on the 30th, her position was about 700 miles east of Newfoundland.. Visibility was about 1,000 yards. 7 minutes later SALINAS took a torpedo from U-106. A second torpedo followed, hitting portside at tanks 2 and 3. _Salinas_ settled to near her loaded waterline and remained there.

A submarine was sighted on the surface at 0730, close aboard on the starboard quarter. The U-boat fired three torpedoes, all of which missed — two ahead, one astern of the damaged oiler — then submerged. SALINAS’ stern gun opened fire on the disappearing U-boat. DD USS DUPONT then moved in and dropped a string of DCs on the U-boats estimated position, but no sonar contact was mage.

SALINAS' crew, having suffered no serious injuries (one man was lightly wounded), began to clear the wreckage. DUPONT and DD USS LEARY stood by. At 1150, the oiler's engineering department signaled "ready to proceed", and, at 1155, SALINAS began to move westward with LEARY as escort. USCG CAMPBELL (WPG – 32) rendezvoused with the damaged oiler and her escort on 31 October . Tug USS CHEROKEE joined them on 2 November, but her services as a tug were not needed; on the evening of 3 November SALINAS reached ST JOHNS. The damaged tanker was repaired at Brooklyn and returned to service in April 1942.

*Central Atlantic*
DD WISHART arrived at Gibraltar after refitting in the UK.

Convoy ST.7 departed Freetown, escorted by DD VANSITTART and corvettes ARMERIA and CYCLAMEN. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on 4 November.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 OCTOBER TO DAWN 31 OCTOBER 1941
_Weather _Cloudy and overcast.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Arrivals _3 Blenheim, 1 Catalina, 5 Wellington. _69 Squadron _3 Marylands special patrols; 1 Maryland special search.  Photoreconnaissance Reggio Calabria aerodrome and Tripoli. _828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _3 Albacores attacked the railway junction at Conicalli, with bombs. One failed to locate the target and dropped a bomb on main road east of Palermo. 4 Albacores dropped bombs on the sulphur factory at Licata with good results.


----------



## Njaco (Oct 30, 2016)

*October 31 Friday*
*ASIA*: IJN aircraft carrier “_Kaga_” departed Hososhima and arrives at Kagoshima. IJN “_Shokaku_” arrived at Oita.

Japanese High Command approves Yamamoto's plan for surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-552 attacked Allied convoy HX-156 725 miles west of Iceland at 0834 hours, sinking American destroyer USS “_Reuben James_” (115 killed, 45 survived); USS “_Reuben James_” was the first American warship lost in the Atlantic Ocean in WW2. German submarine U-96 sank Dutch ship “_Bennekom_” 400 miles west of Iceland at 1047 hours; 8 were killed, 46 survived. British sloop HMS “_Lulworth_” counterattacked with 27 depth charges in failure.

German submarine U-374 sank British ship “_Rose Schiaffino_” 120 miles east of St. John's, Newfoundland at 0903 hours; all 41 aboard were killed.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Soviet destroyer “_Bodry_” and other warships shelled German tank concentrations 25 miles north of Sevastopol, Russia. Meanwhile, German dive bombers attacked Soviet warships in the harbor, causing 50 casualties but failing to cause damage to the ships. German 11.Armee captures Alma as Soviet forces withdraw in disarray.

In Leningrad, the air evacuation of 17,614 factory specialists and 8,590 wounded Red Army soldiers is completed.

Solomon Milshtein reported to Lavrentiy Beria that, from the start of the Russo-German war and 10 Oct 1941, 657,364 troops were arrested for falling back without authorization, 249,969 of whom by agents of UOO and 407,395 by agents of NKVD. The majority of them were returned to the front, while 10,201 were executed, 3,321 of whom were executed in front of their units to set an example.

The Luftwaffe launches 45 separate attacks on Moscow.

In the Baltic States, SS General von dem Bach Zelewski reports that “Today, there are no more Jews in Estonia.”

The Poltova Lunatic Asylum was officially handed over to the Wehrmacht to be used as a military hospital. Two-hundred of the inmates were placed in agricultural forced labor groups. They were the lucky ones as the other 600 (along with 137 Jews) were killed.

*GERMANY*: To ease labour shortages, Hitler agreed that Soviet prisoners of war could be used in the Reich, as long as they were isolated from the Home population.

Germany announced heavy taxation increases for tobacco, spirits and champagne effective Monday. State Secretary of the Finance Ministry Fritz Reinhardt claimed that the primary aim of the new taxes was to reduce consumption.

RAF Bomber Command sends 123 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 48 aircraft to attack Bremen overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: It was announced that RAF aircraft operating out of Malta had destroyed 76,500 tons of enemy shipping in the Mediterranean Sea.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Second bus convoy of evicted Axis nationals -- total of 180 Germans and 8 Italians -- departs Kabul.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The US Army established the Umatilla Munitions Depot on 20,000 acres of desert and sagebrush in Oregon.

*NORTHERN FRONT*: German XIX.Gebirgskorps makes another attack toward Murmansk. Soviet destroyers and the first evacuation convoy depart Kronstadt to bring troops back from Hango.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Troop convoy WS 11X arrives Colombo en route to Singapore from the UK.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British 1st Airborne division was formed on under the command of Major General Frederick "Boy" Browning.

The third Tornado prototype aircraft took flight with a 2,210-horsepower Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder engine.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Fighter Command flew a Ramrod operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 32 aircraft to attack Dunkirk and Boulogne overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

.


----------



## parsifal (Oct 30, 2016)

*31 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS CHIGNECTO (J-160)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B HMCS ML 052
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS KERRERA (T-200)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Leninec (L Class ) Submarine VMF L-23




_Sister ship L-4_

*Losses
Tanker BRITISH FORTUNE (UK 4696 grt)* was sunk by the LW one mile 265° from Aldeburgh Light Buoy. Seven crew and a gunner were missing.





*Steamer NICOLAOS PIANGOS (Gk 4499 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. Eight crew were lost.





U-374 sank *Steamer ROSE SCHIAFINO (UK 3349 grt)* off the coast of Newfoundland, well within the Pan American Neutrality zone. She was carrying iron ore at the time of her loss, on passage from Waban to Cardiff via St Johns. The entire crew of 41 was lost I the attack. At 0903 hrs the unescorted ROSE SCHIAFINO was hit on port side by one of two G7e torpedoes fired by U-374 and sank by the stern within 30 seconds about 90 miles ENE of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The master, 36 crew members and four gunners were lost. ROSE SCHIAFINO had originally joined the convoy SC-51 after leaving Wabana and returned to St. John’s when she became a straggler on 27 October. The ship then sailed again independently, presumably to join another convoy at sea, but was sunk shortly after leaving port.





_Convoy OS-10_
U-96 sank *Steamer BENNEKOM (Ne 5998 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was outward bound from Liverpool to Madras via Table Bay with mixed cargo. 59 passengers and crew were aboard, 9 of whom would perish in the attack. At 2247 hrs, U-96 fired four single torpedoes at the convoy from a long range during a full moon night and claimed the sinking of two ships with 13,000 grt. In fact, only the BENNEKOM was hit on the port side amidships i by one torpedo, which had been spotted too late to be evaded by putting the wheel hard to port. The fuel oil in the tank immediately caught fire and was blown over the ship, setting the saloon and accommodation on fire. The men on the bridge were cut off from the boat deck by the flames and all means of communications were disabled as the explosion had wrecked the fore side of the bridge, including the machine gun nest there. However, the men on watch below stopped the intact engines according to orders previously arranged and the crew of 46 men, seven gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in and eight machine guns) and three passengers (British Army personnel) began to abandon ship in fine weather and calm sea. Unfortunately the deck officers were all on the forward deck after escaping from the bridge by sliding down the signal halyards, so the port aft boat and both starboard boats were launched by inexperienced engineers and stewards. The boats pulled away from the burning ship without attempting to rescue the survivors on the fore deck, as the occupants were frightened of the ship sinking and dragging the boats under. Only the port raft capable of accommodating 18 persons was available for these 25 men, because the port forward lifeboat had been destroyed and the raft on starboard drifted away just after being launched. Six men volunteered to swim, so a hatch cover was thrown overboard and they jumped after it. About 2330 hrs, the BENNEKOM began to sag in the middle until the shelter deck was under water and the raft was then launched with 18 men and the master hung on to the grab lines of it. After drifting for one hour they were picked up by HMS CULVER, while the survivors in the lifeboats were rescued by HMS LULWORTH. The BENNEKOMwas seen to sink by the stern about 530 miles west of Cape Clear. Six crew members and three gunners were lost. The 25 survivors aboard HMS CULVER were later transferred to HMS LULWORTH and all men eventually landed at Bathurst on 20 November. 





_Convoy HX 156_
*Clemson Class DD REUBEN JAMES (USN 1215 grt)* was lost on the 31st to attacks from U-552. 115 of the 160 man crew wewre lost in the attack. DDrs VERITY and WOLVERINE and corvettes CAMELLIA, LARKSPUR, and MONTBRETIA joined on the 31st. The American group was detached on 1 November when relieved by DDs BROKE and BUXTON, corvette BEGONIA and EGLANTINE, and ASW trawler KING SOL. The DDs and corvettes BEGONIA and CAMELLIA were detached on 4 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 November. At 0834 hrs, U-552 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a DD and hit it with both torpedoes. The ship hit was the REUBEN JAMES which was escorting the convoy in the US Escort Group 4.1.3 together with with USN DDs BENSON, HILARY P JONES, NIBLACK, and TARBELL. The explosions broke the ship in two, the forward section sank immediately with all hands while the stern remained afloat for five minutes. When the stern sank the unsecured depth charges exploded killing some survivors in the water. USS NIBLACK picked up 36 men (one of them died of wounds on 2 November) and USS HILARY P JONES picked up ten more, but all officers were lost. REUBEN JAMES was the first warship of the US Navy lost in the Second World War.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-81, U-83
St. Nazaire: U-71

Departures
Brest: U-373

At Sea 31 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

48 Boats

While attacking convoy OS-10 on the surface during a full moon, U-96 fired into the convoy at long range, sinking one ship. The British escort sloop LULWORTH gave chase, and after driving U-96 under with gunfire, dropped 27 depth charges. None fell close, and the boat evaded the attack and continued the patrol.

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*MSW M1708 (DKM 750 grt)* sank on a Mine laid by VMF ML TSZCZ 204 during the opening days of the BARBAROSSA campaign
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
DD NORMAN (with the Trade Union Congress delegation and members of the Russian Labour Delegation embarked) called at Seidisfjord on the 31st to refuel and departed on 1 November.

MLs MENETHEUS, PORT QUEBEC, and WELSHMAN, escorted by DDs BRIGHTON, OFFA, ORIBI, and ONSLOW, laid minefield SN.83A. CL SHEFFIELD covered the operation until being detached on the 31st and arriving at Scapa Flow on 1 November. ONSLOW, OFFA, and ORIBI arrived back at Scapa Flow on 1 November.

The MLs, escorted by destroyer BRIGHTON, arrived at Loch Alsh on 1 November.

*Northern Waters*
DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to embark a Russian General for passage to Archangel in CL KENYA. The DD arrived back at 1300. CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID departed Scapa Flow that evening for Seidisfjord to refuel prior to escorting convoy PQ.3.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy 0G-76_
The convoy was joined on the 31st by corvette RHODODENDRON

*Channel*
DD MAORI departed London for Sheerness to embark ammunition and fuel after a long refit. The DD arrived in the early afternoon that day. MAORI departed Sheerness on 2 November for Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 3 November to work up.

Submarine SEAWOLF arrived at Scapa Flow from Portsmouth. The submarine departed that day for Murmansk.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs ERIDGE and AVONVALE departed Alexandria, escorting ocean boarding vessel CHANTALA to Port Said. There they sailed to join the Suez Escort Force. The DDs passed through the Suez Canal on 1 November and joined the Suez Escort Force.

Submarine TRUANT sank *tanker METEOR (FI 1685 grt)* south of Ortona.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy OS-10_
The convoy was escorted by escort ships LANDGUARD (SO 40th Escort Group), GORLESTON, CULVER, and LULWORTH, destroyer STANLEY, sloop BIDEFORD, and corvettes VERBENA and FREESIA.

On 1 November, escort ship GORLESTON and corvette VERBENA attacked a submarine contact in 48-25N, 25-00W

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 31 OCTOBER TO DAWN 1 NOVEMBER 1941
_Weather _Fair.

_0132-0229 hrs _Air raid alert for four enemy bombers, three of which cross the coast and drop 250kg and 500kg high explosives and hundreds of small bombs on Manoel Island, Pieta Creek and Valletta. Two Hurricanes are airborne at 14000 feet. One raider is spotted at 11000 feet and illuminated by searchlights. Hurricane pilot Sgt Mackie dives onto it and delivers two attacks from 50 yards’ range: one from astern, the second from astern and below. One of the bomber’s crew bales out, possibly the rear gunner as there is no return fire. The bomber bursts into flames. The second Hurricane pursues the other two raiders back towards Sicily but is unable to intercept.

_0304-0427 hrs _Air raid alert for three enemy BR 20 bombers, one of which crosses the coast and drops hundreds of small bombs in the area of the Castille in Valletta. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but do not intercept.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER 1941

_AIR HQ Departures _1 Catalina, 1 Cathay, 5 Wellington. _S/D Flight _1 Wellington search for convoy. _18 Squadron _5 Blenheims attacked a factory at Licata._ 40 Squadron _5 Wellingtons attacked Naples and Palermo. _104 Squadron _4 Wellingtons attacked a convoy. 9 Wellingtons attacked Naples and Palermo._107 Squadron _4 Blenheims attacked a factory at Licata. _828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _7 Albacores attacked a railway junction at Canicatti and sulphur factories at Licata, starting fires in both locations.

_TA QALI _15 officers and 247 airmen of 40 Squadron arrived from Luqa. Officers accommodated at Xara Palace, Rabat. 7 Marylands and 3 Hurricanes arrived with 69 Squadron.

During October fourteen patrols were carried out by submarines of the Tenth Flotilla and seven by submarines of the First Flotilla sailing from Malta. During these patrols, twelve ships were sunk and a further four damaged. Of these, the five sunk by the Tenth Flotilla totalled approximately 12,000 tons and the two damaged 10,800 tons. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm made fifteen sorties as a result of which eight merchant ships totalling 48,000 tons are claimed as sunk and five merchant ships totalling 34,000 tons are claimed as damaged. 

828 Squadron, consisting of eleven Albacores, was sent from England to reinforce 830 Squadron. Unfortunately, owing to their lack of training in night flying and particularly night torpedo dropping, they are as yet of no value in this respect. 828 Squadron carried out two bombing raids which were in the nature of night flying training.


----------



## parsifal (Oct 30, 2016)

Summary Of Losses October 1941 (Unfinished)

Allied
Allied Warships




XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)


Allied Shipping




XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)


Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt



Prizes captured




Neutral shipping




( grt Mercantile)



Neutral warships



Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 1215 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXX grt



Prizes taken
None



Cumulative Losses since 9/39
XXXXXX grt Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses


Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),



(XXX grt)


RM


XXXX (RM XXXX grt),



(XXXXX grt)



Axis Shipping
GER


(XXXXX grt)


(FI)




Vichy


(XXXXX grt)


Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)



Captured ships




XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)


----------



## Njaco (Oct 31, 2016)

*November 1 Saturday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese Cabinet conference reaffirms that diplomacy has failed and Japan must go to war. The Japanese Combined Fleet Order No. 1 - the plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Malaya and the Dutch East Indies is issued. It also called for additional radio communications to be generated to make US cryptanalytic efforts more difficult. The Japanese Navy changes all their call signs for its ships and shore installations.

Zhao Chengshou, a Nationalist Party of China general from Wutai County, Shanxi, began to distance himself from the Japanese and the Chinese collaborators.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_” departed Ariake Bay, but returned the same day.

Japanese Navy Captain Gihachi Takayanagi (former commanding officer of battleship “_Ise_”) relieved Rear Admiral Shutoku Miyazato as the Chief Equipping Officer of Battleship No. 1, as Miyazato was being transferred to become the Chief of Personnel for Kure Naval District.

The "North China Political Affairs Committee" enforced the 3rd Public Security Enforcement Movement.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: American PBY Catalina aircraft provided air cover for Atlantic convoy ON 30.

Three US destroyers, screening Atlantic convoy HX 157, carried out depth charge attacks on sound contacts off St. John's, Newfoundland.

German submarine U-68 sank British ship “_Bradford City_” 300 miles off German South-West Africa at 0654 hours; all 45 aboard survived in 2 lifeboats. U-68 accidentally collided with the sinking ship but did not suffer serious damage.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Moscow was becoming a fortress. By November three new defensive lines were taking shape: along the Outer Railway Ring, and along the lines of the ancient concentric fortiﬁcations of Moscow, the Garden Ring and the Boulevard Ring in the very centre of the city. The buildings at each street corner were turned into fortiﬁed machine-gun nests. Machine guns and anti-tank detachments were positioned behind bricked-up windows and on balconies. Although the city transport was working again, many of the vehicles had been commandeered for military purposes. The buses on line No. 21 were taking reinforcements out along the Volokolamsk Highway as far as Krasnogorsk, only ten miles from the front itself. Other buses were being used as ambulances. Trams travelled, nose to tail, carrying volunteers, with guns, boxes of ammunition and ﬁeld kitchens on their platforms. The back of each tram carried a white stripe, so that the driver of the following tram could see it in the dark; but the blackout was broken anyway by the ﬂashes from the overhead lines. Zhukov confers with Stalin about situation in front of Moscow and likely German intentions. Stalin appoints Marshal Shaposhnikov Chief of Staff of the Soviet forces. By the end of November, 65,000 men defend Moscow with the bulk of that force consisting of people's militia and destroyer detachments.

Troops of the German 11.Armee captured Simferopol, Russia. Von Manstein’s 11.Armee lacks enough tanks and air support to take Sevastopol by storm, so they fan out to surround and besiege the city. To the southwest in Sevastopol, Soviet 30th coastal battery (called Fort Maxim Gorky I by the Germans) bombarded the German 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) as they assemble at 1230 hours between Alma railway station and Bazarchik village. Planned German attack on Soviet 8th Naval Brigade is broken up by 68 rounds from the 305mm guns. The 1.Panzerarmee opens a major offensive against Rostov. The plan calls for the attack to take the Germans into the Caucasus Mountains.

The Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front has accumulated 686,000 casualties and is now fielding 2.7 million men on the front. Though German intelligence had the Red Army at a strength of 160 divisions and 40 brigades below 50%, in reality they were fielding 269 divisions and 65 brigades, plus the Stavka reserves totaling 2.2 million men.

Lt. Friedrich-Karl Müller is appointed _Staffelkapitän_ of 1./JG 53.


> "Modern war is a war of motors. The war will be won by the one who produces the most motors. The combined motor production of the USA, Britain and USSR is at least three times that of Germany" - Joseph Stalin



*GERMANY*: A formal statement from Adolf Hitler claimed that the United States "has attacked Germany" and that Roosevelt had been placed before the "tribunal" for world judgment. Germany disputed the American account of the sinking of the “_Reuben James_” and claimed that a German submarine only attacked after American destroyers attacked German submarines first.

General der Gebirgstruppe Rudolf Konrad was named the commanding officer of the German 7th Mountain Division. Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was made the commanding officer of the 9th Staffel in the German Nachtjagdgeschwader 2.

Reinhard Heydrich sends out invitations for a meeting to be held to organize "a comprehensive solution for the Jewish question". This conference was originally scheduled to be held on December 9th, 1941 at 16 Am Kleinen Wannsee but was changed on December 4th to an SD guest house at 56-58 Am Grossen Wannsee.

RAF Bomber Command sends 134 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Italy begins the conversion of the passenger liner SS “_Roma_” into the first Italian aircraft carrier, later named “_Aquila_” ("Eagle"). The conversion will halt in an incomplete state when Italy surrenders to the Allies in September 1943 and will never be finished.

By November 1941, the garrison at Malta now boasted 30,000 men with first class equipment, 80 Hurricanes and 105 assorted bombers (Wellingtons, Blenheims, Marylands, Swordfish and Albacores). Ack Ack defences consisted of 1400 guns. The Island also had a sufficient food supplies for the next five months. Malta had endured 350 bombing raids. Over 2500 houses had been destroyed or seriously damaged. 340 people had been killed and another 680 injured – only the Island’s rock shelters had prevented greater casualties. Throughout the summer of 1941, the Italian air force had employed every type of bomb in their attempt to conquer Malta. At 0132 hours four Axis bombers approached the island. Three crossed the coast and dropped bombs on Lazaretto Creek, Manoel and Valletta. One Cant 1007 was engaged by a Hurricane just before being illuminated by searchlights, burst into flames and was destroyed. A direct hit was made on the Manoel Island AA position killing five members of 7th Heavy AA Regiment, Royal Artillery. During the raids a large number of anti-personnel bombs were dropped. Civilian casualties 2 wounded, 4 killed.

*MIDDLE EAST*: British 9th Army formed under General Wilson in Palestine, Transjordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

*NORTH AMERICA*: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8929 which placed the U.S. Coast Guard under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy for the duration of the national emergency.

US Marine Corps established the 2nd Joint Training Force at Camp Elliot, California, United States under Major General Clayton B. Vogel. It was composed of the US Marine Corps 2nd Marine Division and the US Army 3rd Infantry Division.

War Department reluctantly opens a secret language school at Crissey Field under the 4th Army at the Presidio of San Francisco, with four Nisei instructors and 60 students, 58 of which are Nisei. This was the first class of the Military Intelligence Language School. Military Intelligence Service (MIS). On May 1, 1942, the 4th Army Language School held a small graduation ceremony for about 40 Nisei and two Caucasian reserve officers. Ten students were held back to serve as instructors. The rest were on their way within days to serve in overseas assignments. Before the end of the war, the school, which was renamed the Military Intelligence Service Language School, would train over 4,800 Japanese linguists.

Arthur Compton sends draft copies of the National Academy of Sciences report to Vannevar Bush and Frank Jewett which clearly defines the possibility of creating a bomb out of U-235. Dunning and Booth have made considerable progress in developing a gaseous diffusion process by using brass barriers with the zinc etched out making the material porous. With this process they were able to enrich a considerable amount of uranium. Compton issues the final NAS report, highlighting the importance of conducting further research on the feasibility of a U-235 bomb. The report is delivered to FDR by Vannevar Bush on November 27.

Robert Shivers of the FBI discovers that there is a line from the cooks quarters in the Japanese Council General's office that is not being tapped. The Navy had been tapping all other lines for the last two years. Shivers taps this one missed phone line. The Army determines that the leak in the White House has been plugged and agrees to begin giving the White House Magic information again, but by this time Roosevelt is agitated with the Army to the point that he insists that the Navy be the only service that provides him with intelligence debriefings.

The US extends a lend-lease loan of US$1 billion to the Soviet Union.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The Finnish conquest of East Karelia was completed when the last Finnish offensive commences in the Kestenga sector. The Finns encircle two Soviet regiments and destroy them. Finnish forces had taken Kiestinki (Kestenga) in August 1941, but late in the month the Finnish Infantry Regiment 53 had been encircled by the Soviet forces. The regiment finally managed to break out in early September, taking heavy losses. Finns fought together with the Germans of SS Division ‘Nord’, which performance had been less than stellar. The division was subordinated to Maj. Gen. Hjalmar Siilasvuo’s Finnish III Army Corps (which in turn was subordinated to Gen. Falkenhorst’s German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen) — apparently the only time during the whole war when an SS division fought under non-German command. In September Hitler ordered Falkenhorst to stop attempts to advance and assume defensive stance all along his army’s front. However, Falkenhorst and Siilasvuo both wanted to have another go. Finnish-German forces broke into the Soviet defenses, but 88th Rifle Division (Maj. Gen. Vladimir Solovev) fought back with skill, and Soviets sent reinforcements. After initial difficulties the attack began to make good progress and the defending Red Army forces were encircled.

After sundown, the Red Army evacuated the first group, 4,230 men, of the 28,000 men from the Hanko Peninsula, Finland to Leningrad, Russia via naval vessels. Overnight, Soviet destroyers “_Slavny_” and “_Stoiki_” sail from island of Suursaari in the Gulf of Finland (escorted by minelayer “_Marti_”, 4 T-class minesweepers and 5 MO-class submarine hunters) and embark 4230 troops at Hango. On the return journey, “_Marti_” and T-210 are damaged by mines while submarine “_Kalev_” (captured from the Estonian Navy on August 19, 1940) does not return from covering the evacuation, presumably lost on a mine.

Six victory Experte, Albert Wessel of JG 77 is killed in an accident.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team of the US Navy in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii reported that all Japanese Navy call signs had changed.

US Navy formed the Pacific Escort Force at Pearl Harbor to protect transports and certain merchant vessels carrying troops and valuable military cargoes between Hawaii and the Far East.

HMAS “_Australia_”, (cruiser), arrived at Desolation Island to search for a German raider. The cruiser laid a minefield before departing. Post-war records showed the island had been used by the raider “_Orion_” for a refit, some time before “_Australia_’s” visit.

Japanese marine staff officers Suzuki and Maejima arrived in Pearl Harbor.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A newly issued Typhoon fighter of British No. 56 Squadron plunged into the ground near East Harling, Norfolk, England, , killing Pilot Officer J. F. Deck. Subsequent investigations revealed that he had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning leading to the entire Typhoon fleet being grounded for modifications to cockpit sealing and the fitting of improved extended exhausts, although the problem was never satisfactorily resolved.

CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, RAN, was awarded the DSO for outstanding gallantry while commanding HMAS “_Nestor_”, (destroyer), during Operation Substance, the passing of a convoy from the west to Malta, on 15 December. CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, RAN, was also awarded a Bar to the DSO for the sinking of a German submarine in the Atlantic.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Ramrod operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack airfields in Brittany. RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft to attack Brest and Le Havre overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Oct 31, 2016)

*01 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIId DKM U-214





Allied
Gato Class USS DRUM (SS-228)





Aloe Class Net tender USS MULBERRY (AN-27)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net tender USS PALM (AN-28)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS COLTSFOOT (K-140)





Flower Class Corvette HMS FRITILLARY (K-199)





Fairmile B RCN ML-060
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BPB 63’ type RN MA/SB 37
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.68 sank *Steamer BRADFORD CITY (UK 4953 grt) *in the Sth Atlantic off the coast of Namibia. The entire crew of 45 were rescued when they rowed ashore. The ship was on passage from Mauritius to the UK via Capetown and Freetown, carrying a load of sugar and rum. South African ASW trawlers BLOMVLEI and MOOIVLEI stood by the steamer.

At 0654 hrs the unescorted BRADFORD CITY was hit by one of three torpedoes from U-68 about 300 miles west of Walvis Bay, South West Africa. Shortly afterwards the submerged U-boat collided slightly with its target because they had problems in keeping the depth and came to the surface only 10 metres from the ship. Luckily for the Germans the crew was already abandoning ship in two lifeboats and did not fire at the U-boat, which immediately dived again and only had a bent bow from this encounter. The ship developed a list to port and sank quickly. The crew were then questioned by the Germans and later made landfall near Walvis Bay and were rescued by South African troops.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-563
Lorient: U-564

Departures
Lorient: U-551, U-652

At Sea 1 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

48 Boats

U.552 and U.567 made unsuccessful attacks on convoy HX.156, both claiming damaging steamers.

U.75 was attacked by British aircraft in 33-44N, 24-48E. The submarine received light damage.

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Black Sea
VMF cruiser VOROSHILOV was mined and badly damaged off Fidonissi Island in the Black Sea. The cruiser was repaired at Poti, completing in February 1942.

*North Sea*
British steamer KINGSLAND was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea.

Swedish steamer BRAHEHOLM was damaged by the RAF off the Dutch coast whilst in German waters. One crewman was killed.

*Steamer SIGRID (SD 1093 grt)* whilst in German service was sunk on a mine near Kiel.
Ten crewmen were lost on the steamer. The vessel was bringing in iron ore from the Swedish mines at Lulea . The vessels entry into harbour was delayed by bad weather. Whilst awaiting the arrival of a german Pilot to enter harbour in the rough seas, at around 4 pm, there was a fierce; explosion in the stern at the 3rd door on the starboard side. The vessel; broke in two and sank within 30 seconds with the stern. 10 men; were killed while six men, who managed to cling to the wreckage were rescued by a pilot boat about an hour later. The commander died in; May 1944 of the injuries..





*Northern Patrol*
CLs EDINBURGH and SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord, where they arrived on the 3rd.

*Northern Waters*
CA BERWICK with DDs PUNJABI and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, arriving after midday on that day. CL ARETHUSA, escorted by DD VALOROUS and torpedo school ship LAIRDS ISLE, departed the Tyne to complete refit at Rosyth, where they arrived later that day.

*West Coast*
DD BEAUFORT departed Liverpool for the Clyde, carrying out speed trials en route. The DD arrived just before midnight that day.

DD CHELSEA was damaged in a collision with British trawler CANNING at Liverpool. The DD sustained minor damage.

_Convoy ON-32_
Convoy ON.32 departed Liverpool, escorted by RNZN ASW trawler MOA, en route to the Pacific.

*Western Approaches*
The Admiralty directed that DDs ARROW, ANTELOPE, ACTIVE, ANTHONY, and ACHATES should join Western Approaches Cmd when former Force H DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, and FURY become available to the Home Fleet.

*SW Approaches*
CVE ARGUS and aircraft transport ATHENE departed the Clyde ferrying aircraft to Gibraltar, escorted by LAFOREY, HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER. On the 2nd, a Swordfish of ARGUS' 818 Sqn ditched and its pilot, Lt A. S. Campbell, and crew were picked up by DD LAFOREY

*Med/Biscay*
Rear Admiral Philip Vian assumed command of CruSqn 15 with his flag on light cruiser NAIAD. The Med Flt cruisers at that time were CruSqn 7 (Rawlings) with AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN CL HOBART; CruSqn 15 (Vian) with NAIAD, GALATEA, EURYALUS, and later by DIDO on 31 December.

CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE of CruSqn 7 were transferred to Malta as Force B and arrived there on the 29th.

Force K of CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and DDs LANCE and LIVELY departed Malta and were at sea during the night of 1/2 November. No contact was made and the ships returned to Malta on the 2nd.

The hulk of *Steamer MARIGOLA (FI 5996 grt)*, was sunk 2.3 miles 165° from Kuriat Island. The ship had been disabled on the 22nd October by HMS URGE and further damaged on the 30th by gunfire by HMS UTMOST was finally sunk on 1 November, when submarine UTMOST returned and torpedoed the hulk.






Wellington bombers attacked Italian steamer CAPO ARMA, escorted by TB PROCIONE, en route to Benghazi from Brindisi. The steamer was damaged by the bombing, but was able to reach Benghasi on the 1st.

A Swordfish of 830 Squadron failed to return from an operation in which six Swordfish unsuccessfully searched for a convoy. Sub Lt W. E. Cotton, Sub Lt D. H. Stokes RNVR, and Leading Airman E. A. Robson were picked up by an Italian ship after seven days adrift.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC-52_
Corvettes ACONIT, BUCTOUCHE, GALT, and WINDFLOWER joined on 1 November when corvettes BATTLEFORD, DUNVEGAN, and SOREL were detached.

Lt A. C. Wilkinson with Leading Airman A.G. Gilbert and Leading Airman N. C. Moulden of CL NEWCASTLE were killed when their Walrus of 700 Sqn crashed three and a half miles west of Bermuda on a dive bombing exercise.

*Central Atlantic*
When German raiders were reported as moving into the Atlantic, DDs DUNCAN and SIKH returned to Gibraltar to escort Force H. BB RODNEY, at sea with DDs ZULU, GURKHA, LIGHTNING, and ISAAC SWEERS to meet CVE ARGUS, was ordered to join DDs HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER. Oiler DINGLEDALE, escorted by corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS and submarine CLYDE, departed Gibraltar on the 7th to patrol in position 34N, 30W.

_Convoy OS-10_
On 1 November, DD STANLEY and escort vessel GORLESTON joined the convoy and were detached on 14 November.

_Convoy OS.9G_
Convoy OS.9G, escorted by RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS, sloops FOWEY and LEITH, and corvette STONECROP, joined off Gibraltar by DD WILD SWAN, arrived at Gibraltar.

_Convoy SL-91G_
Convoy SL.91G departed Gibraltar to join SL.91, escorted by corvette CARNATION and with DDs SIKH and VIDETTE, corvette AZALEA, and ASW trawlers STELLA CARINA and LADY HOGARTH. DD VIDETTE and the trawlers were detached on the 6th and the rest on the 8th. On the 2nd, sloop FOWEY and corvette STONECROP departed Gibraltar to overtake the convoy and proceed to England.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 2 NOVEMBER 1941
No air raids.


----------



## Old Wizard (Nov 1, 2016)




----------



## Njaco (Nov 1, 2016)

*November 2 Sunday*
*ASIA*: Hugh Woods and William L. Boyd of the China National Air Corporation (CNAC) made the first flight over the Hump, the China-Burma air supply route.

Prime Minister Tojo and his military chiefs report to Emperor Hirohito that there is no alternative to war.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Kagi_” arrives at Ariake Bay. IJN aircraft carriers “_Shokaku_” and “_Zuikaku_” depart Oita for training cruise.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: A Vichy French convoy of freighters and passenger ships was captured north of Madagascar by British cruisers.

U.S. Navy Task Force 14, under command of Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, reached the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Meeting Point and exchanged convoy "Cargo" for CT-5, eight British transports carrying 20,000 British troops earmarked for the Middle East. Convoy CT-5's first destination was Halifax, Nova Scotia.

*EASTERN FRONT*: 11.Armee pushes Soviet troops to the perimeter of the Crimean peninsula, effectively encircling Sevastopol. German 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) attacks Sevastopol perimeter but is held near the town of Bakhchisaray by Soviet 8th Naval Brigade and shellfire from the 305mm guns at 30th coastal battery (Germans lose 428 casualties, 40 trucks and several armored vehicles). Manstein halts the attack on Sevastopol to consolidate his hold on the Crimean. Nearby, ships of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet evacuated troops from Yalta, Yevpatoria, and Feodosiya, transporting them to Sevastopol. Light cruiser “_Voroshilov_” was damaged by two 250-kilogram bombs from 3 Junkers Ju88s, during this effort flooding a magazine, causing a fire in turret No. 3, and jamming the rudder. Despite this, Black Sea Fleet will continue to operate in and around Sevastopol knowing that the Luftwaffe is fairly weak in the region (most aircraft diverted to attack Moscow).

German troops cut the rail connection between Vologda and Tikhvin. This would close the railhead to Leningrad and extend the cordon 100 miles.

Italians capture Gorlovka on the Eastern Front. Together with the XLIX.Gebirgskorps (General of the Mountain Troops L. Kuebler), the CSIR captured the industrial centre of Stalino on 20 October, whereas 'Pasubio' Division units took the iron and steel works of Gorlovka in the Donets province.

Over 2,000 enslaved Jews from Zagare, Poland attacked their Lithuanian guards, wounding seven. As reprisal, 150 of them were shot on the spot, and the rest were executed later.


Outside Uzice Yugoslavia, elements of Tito’s partisan force and Chetnik forces, both anti-Nazi forces, attack one another.


> "We are now operating in the West [the Western Front] - on the approaches to Moscow. The main thing is that Konev and Budenny are missing all of their armed forces. I received from them only a trace - a headquarters and 98 men from Budenny and a headquarters and two reserve regiments from Konev." - _message from Zhukov to Zhdanov, Commissar of the Leningrad Front_



*GERMANY*: Hitler, now confident of his victory over Russia, shares with Admiral Canaris his plans to “Germanize” Slav cities and site names.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Proteus_” made the first successful radar attack by a submarine as she damaged Italian tanker “_Tampico_” off Andros 50 miles southeast of Athens, Greece. Italian torpedo boats “_Monzambano_” and “_Castelfidardo_” counterattacked and chased off the British submarine. Italian vessel “_Balilla_” sunk by RN submarine “_Utmost_” and Polish submarine “_Sokol_”. RN submarine “_Tetrarch_” lost to unknown cause.

Wellingtons of RAF No. 40 Squadron attacked Castel Benito aerodrome in company with Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron. Four Royal Navy Albacores sent to attack sulphur factory at Licata with good results.

Malta experienced 3 day raids from the Regia Aeronautica Italiana. No damage was done. Two Italian pilots killed in yesterday’s raids were named as Francesco Toscano, Tenente pilot of the aircraft which caught fire during the night raid and Felice Bussolin, Sottotenente, pilot of a Macchi MC202 fighter.

*NORTH AFRICA*: General Blamey departs Cairo for Australia for consultations.

RAF attacks Castel Benito overnight with Wellington bombers flying from Malta.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: First evacuation of Soviet troops from Hanko.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: “_Tatsuta Maru_” arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii, embarked Japanese nationals who wished to return to Japan due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations, and then departed for Japan. She would become the last passenger ship to leave the US before the start of the Pacific War.

Wake Island received reinforcement from the US Marine Corps 1st Defense Battalion in Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. The island's defense now consisted of 15 officers and 373 enlisted Marines.

Canadian C Force infantry brigade reaches Honolulu en route to Hong Kong from Vancouver.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: In Britain the Minister of Food announced an extension of food rationing to include canned meat, canned fish and canned beans to become effective from 17 Nov 1941.

Aircraftsman Charles Leonard Wheatley received the George Medal for gallantry while putting out a fire threatening to detonate high explosive bombs on a crash-landed Manchester bomber.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The RAF flies the last in a long series of sweeps against German shipping.

.


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## Old Wizard (Nov 2, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 2, 2016)

*November 3 Monday*
*ASIA*: Emperor Hirohito attends discussion of war plans with Prime Minister Tojo and top military commanders. The Japanese plan to occupy Rabaul, Bismarck Islands and to transform it into a forward base was presented to Emperor Showa. Chief of the Japanese Naval General Staff Admiral Osami Nagano approved Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku’s draft plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. At 1330 hours Nagumo summoned to “_Akagi_” his commanders at each level and their staffs. Nagumo had decided that the time had come to inform them of the purpose of their long training. And so Tokyo delivered the order to all pertinent Fleet commanders that not only the United States— and its protectorate the Philippines— but British and Dutch colonies in the Pacific were to be attacked. Japan has one good reason for expansion in the Far East: oil. The country has been starved of oil since the USA decided in July, following the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, to extend the licensing of exports to Japan. It was not intended to ban oil exports to Japan, but US officials refused all applications to export oil and gas. With virtually no oil supplies of its own, Japan’s eyes are now firmly set on the oil-rich Dutch East Indies. War was going to be declared on the West.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Shokaku_” arrives at Ariake Bay.

The US Ambassador to Japan, in the first official warning, informs the Roosevelt administration that Japan; “_… might resort with dangerous and dramatic suddenness to measures which might make inevitable war with the United States…it would be shortsighted for American policy to be based on the belief that Japanese preparations are no more than saber rattling._”

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Convoy SC-52 was attacked by several U-boats. German submarine U-202 sank British ships “_Flynderborg_” (3 were killed, 21 survived) and “_Gretavale_” (38 were killed, 6 survived) of Allied convoy SC-52 200 miles northeast of Newfoundland at 0500 hours. At 1828 hours, U-203 attacked the same convoy, sinking British ships “_Everoja_” (all 41 aboard survived) and “_Empire Gemsbuck_” (all 43 aboard survived).

*EASTERN FRONT*: In the Leningrad area, German forces of Army Group North continue to attempt to isolate the city by attacking Tikhvin a railway center 100 miles east of the city. Fighting is fierce and the Soviet counterattacks are ineffective. The Soviet counterattacks will be aimed at some of the strongest German positions. Further south, Kursk falls to German units at the junction of Army Group Center and Army Group South. German 2.Panzerarmee attacked Tula while other German units captured Kursk 180 miles to the southwest to protect the southern flank of the assault toward Moscow. Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that the first cold wave had hit Russia, bringing temperatures to the freezing point.

Allied convoy QP-2 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia.

*GERMANY*: Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 was awarded the silver Honor Cup (Ehrenpokal) in Germany.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: RAF bombers attack targets near Syracuse and Licata, Sicily. Two Hurricanes from RAF No. 185 squadron made an offensive sweep over southern Sicily and machine gunned two moving goods trains, one at Noto, the other at Rosolini.

British submarine “_Utmost_” returned to Malta from special service in Gulf of Hammamet and patrol off Kuriat, where the only target was an MV aground after “_Urge’s_” attack. As unloading was going on, a torpedo was fired (which hit the bottom) and 50 rounds of high explosive were fired accidently. Polish submarine “_Sokol_” returned from patrol of Naples, having obtained hit on “_Citto de Palermo_” and destroyed a 4,000 ton MV off Vito by gunfire.

*MIDDLE EAST*: HMA Ships “_Napier_” and “_Nizam_”, (destroyers), landed troops of the British 50th Division at Famagusta, Cyprus.

*NORTH AMERICA*: A Joint Board meeting is held in Washington. Marshall stated that there would only be enough B-17’s in the Philippines to “have a deterrent effect on Japanese operations.” The Joint Board concurred in opposing the State Department’s hard line towards Japan and advocated the US making minor concessions to buy time.

U.S. Secretary of State Hull released to the press the correspondence of June and September detailing the German refusal to pay reparations for sinking U.S. freighter “_Robin Moor_” on May 21, 1941.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Elements of Finnish Army of Karelia capture Kontupohja north of Lake Onega.

Kriegsmarine ASW vessel UJ-1213 sunk by RN submarine “_Trident_”.

In the Baltic Sea, the Kriegsmarine conducted minelaying operations. Kriegsmarine minesweeper M-511 sunk by mine.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team of the US Navy in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii was realizing that the Japanese were inflating the amount of radio traffic.

The evacuation of women and children from the Pacific islands of Guam, Midway and Wake begins.

HMS “_Indomitable_” is accidentally damaged while training. This carrier was scheduled to join HMS “_Prince of Wales_” and HMS “_Repulse_” as the British Far East Fleet.

Lt. Ashley-Brown, while commanding a boat from HMAS “_Australia_”, (cruiser), found the abandoned French sealing vessel “_L’Esperance_”, grounded on Cat Island in the Kerguelen Group. The ship had been abandoned in a hurry, and a large hole had been blown in her bottom by a German demolition charge. Three graves were found on the beach nearby.

In Australia, RAAF selected Antil Plains area near Townsville as a suitable site for an airfield. Urgent upgrading and sealing of Garbutt aerodrome commenced with Main Roads Commission (MRC) teams working around the clock. Work began on upgrading Cooktown civil aerodrome for completion by end of December.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: General Frederick Browning takes command of British 1st Airborne Division.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 3, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 4, 2016)

*November 4 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: IJN Combined Fleet and Admiral Yamamoto, Combined Fleet's CINC, begin conducting special exercises. The Combined Fleet moved from its regular base off Sakurajima into Bungo Strait, where it posed as the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Nagumo’s carriers moved to within 200 miles of the “Americans” and launched dive bombers and their fighter escort, followed by low-level and torpedo bombers. The planes assembled without an intercom system by means of signals chalked on slates and held up in the cockpits. Later that same day, IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_” arrives at Ariake Bay. At 2145 hours, Yamamoto holds a conference onboard. Date of commencing military operations - 8 December (Tokyo time) - is confirmed; also discussed are recent training and issue of too deep runs of torpedoes after they are dropped, which could lead them to hit the bottom in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. The problem was finally solved by Capt. Fumio Aiko, a torpedo expert at Yokosuka. He made wooden fins from aerial stabilizers and fitted them on the torpedoes. After scores of tests in Kagoshima Bay, 80% of the torpedoes ran shallow enough for the Pearl Harbor waters. Now the problem was to manufacture the improvised fins in time for the attack.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: American cruisers “_Omaha_” and “_Memphis_”, accompanied by three destroyers, sortied to hunt for German surface raiders.

U-81 left Brest, but headed back some hours later after discovering they did not have charts for their operational area.

British and South African naval ships intercepted a Vichy French convoy carrying tin and rubber from Indochina to Germany. The convoy of five ships, escorted by a sloop, the “_D’Iberville_”, was captured by four cruisers. The ships tried to scuttle, but boarding parties took them over and prevented the holds from flooding. The convoy was carrying “supplies for the natives of French West Africa, and for French people in the unoccupied zone”, according to a statement from Vichy. “There was no contraband or material that could be used for war.”

The British RFA oiler “_Olwen_” reported a German surface raider attack in the central Atlantic Ocean. Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic, Vice Admiral Algernon U. Willis, RN, ordered the heavy cruiser HMS “_Dorsetshire_” and the armed merchant cruiser HMS “_Canton_” to investigate. The light cruiser HMS “_Dunedin_” and special service vessels HMS “_Queen Emma_” and “_Princess Beatrix_” were ordered to depart Freetown, Sierra Leone to join in the search. The HMS “_Dorsetshire_” and HMS “_Canton_” parted company, with the former heading southeast and the latter steaming toward a position to the northwest, to be supported by U.S. Navy Task Group 3.6, composed of the light cruiser USS “_Omaha_” (CL-4) and destroyer USS “_Somers_” (DD-381), which are at that time well to the northwest of the reported enemy position. The light cruiser USS “_Memphis_” (CL-4) and destroyers USS “_Davis_” (DD-395) and USS “_Jouett_” (DD-396), near to the “_Olwen's_” position, searched the area without result. The USS “_Omaha_” and USS “_Somers_” searched unsuccessfully for survivors through November 6.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Fighting continues on the Crimean peninsula, as German 11.Armee cleans out the remaining Soviet troops. 170th Division captures the port of Feodosiya on the East side, at the base of the Kerch peninsula, opening the Crimea for the Germans.

Field Marshall von Rundstedt asks for Army Group South to be allowed to halt and rebuild for offensive operations in 1942.

Hans-Werner Paulisch having achieved five victories flying with JG 54 goes missing in action over the front.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Essen overnight.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The British ambassador in America, Viscount Halifax was pelted with eggs and tomatoes by isolationist women demonstrators in Detroit as he was leaving City Hall. Halifax was afterwards quoted as saying,


> "How fortunate you Americans are, in Britain we get only one egg a week and we are glad of those."


The quote was actually fabricated by someone in the British Press Service, but it was widely disseminated in the media and created a burst of sympathy and goodwill towards the British and Halifax in particular.

Lockheed test pilot Ralph B. Virden was conducting high speed dive tests in the first Lockheed YP-38 Lightning, Air Corps serial number 39-689 (Lockheed’s serial number 122-2202). As the airplane’s speed increased, it approached what is now known as its Critical Mach Number. Air flowing across the wings accelerated to transonic speeds and began to form shock waves. This interrupted lift and caused a portion of the wing to stall. Air no longer flowed smoothly along the airplane and the tail surfaces became ineffective. The YP-38 pitched down into an even steeper dive and speed increased even more. As Virden pulled out of the dive, the tail came off. The YP-38 crashed into the kitchen of Jack Jensen’s home at 1147 Elm Street, Glendale, California. Fire erupted. Ralph Virden was killed. The airplane’s tail section was located several blocks away. 39-689 was the first of thirteen YP-38 service test aircraft that had been ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corps shortly after the XP-38 prototype, 37-457, had crashed on a transcontinental speed record attempt, 11 February 1939. It made its first flight 16 September 1940 with test pilot Marshall Headle at the controls. After Virden’s death, Lockheed, the Air Corps and the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) undertook an extensive test program of the P-38.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Second evacuation of Soviet troops from Hanko. Before dawn, Soviet destroyers “_Smetlivy_” and “_Surovy_” evacuated troops from the naval base at Hanko in southern Finland. “_Smetlivy_” was damaged by coastal artillery during the process and would sink en route to Leningrad, Russia, killing several hundred passengers. At the end of the day, Finnish forces occupy the Baltic naval base of Hango, a base Finland was forced to lease to the Soviets as part of the peace accords ending the Winter War in 1940.

Fritz Schmidt, of JG 77, is killed in a flying crash. He had six victories during the war.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: General McArthur, US commander in the Philippines receives a letter from General Marshall indicating that the Congress would “… give us everything we asked for.” However, the tanks, guns and men requested would not be arriving until April 1942.

Major General Brereton arrives on Pan American Clipper to take up his appointment as Commander, FEAF, bringing with him a draft of revised Rainbow-5 calling for defense of entire Philippine Commonwealth. He immediately meets with MacArthur to deliver plans for increased forces and more aggressive response in event of Japanese provocation.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: In Leicester, a woman who refused to sign up for war work with the army ordnance department is fined £2.

The British battleship HMS “_Duke of York_” was commissioned.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb and Ramrod operations. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

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## Njaco (Nov 4, 2016)

*November 5 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: In Tokyo the Japanese government decides to attempt to negotiate a settlement with the United States, setting a deadline of the end of November. The Japanese government sends Saburo Kurusu to Washington to help with negotiations with the Americans on a settlement to the question of Japan’s role in South-east Asia. The US rejects the offer because the Japanese will not repudiate the Tripartite Agreement with Italy and Germany and because the Japanese wish to maintain bases in China. The US code breaking service continues to intercept all Japanese diplomatic communication.

Japanese troops currently occupy parts of China and French Indo-China. To prevent further Japanese expansion, the Netherlands, USA and Britain block exports to Japan, particularly oil. The new Prime Minister of Japan (General Hideki Tōjō), Chief of the Imperial Japanese Naval General Staff (Admiral Osami Nagano) and Emperor Hirohito agree on war if final diplomatic initiatives fail. Japanese leaders will go to war with the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands in early Dec 1941 should diplomatic relations with the US did not improve by 1 Dec. The Japanese Navy are issued secret orders to prepare for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The secret move follows the Japanese decision to carry out a simultaneous attack on Malaya and Philippines to get to the oilfields of the Dutch East Indies. Some commanders were reluctant to attack the Philippines, which are US territory, and bring the USA into the war, and a pre-emptive strike was seen as essential to hamper US defence efforts. However, Japan’s leaders agree that before any attack there should be one last attempt at a negotiated deal on Japan’s role in Far East. If this fails, Japan and the USA will be at war before Christmas.

In the Sea of Japan 200 miles South of Vladivostok, USSR, Japanese passenger ship “_Kehi Maru_” sinks on a Soviet mine 75 miles off the coast of Korea (131 killed from 80 crew and 430 passengers). The incident strains relations between USSR and Japan.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Shokaku_” departs Ariake Bay.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The search for the German raider reported by the British RFA oiler “_Olwen_” the previous day continued. Vice Admiral Algernon U. Willis, the Commander in Chief South Atlantic, informed British ships of the unsuccessful efforts by two light cruisers and three destroyers involved in the search the previous day.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German Army Group North is attacking toward Tikhvin as German 1.Panzerarmee is pushing toward Rostov. A choice had to be made about whether to continue the drive of the Ostheer – the Army in the East – into the depths of Russia. German soldiers had won a great victory in front of Moscow in October, but the need to round up prisoners, stretched supply lines, and the beginning of the autumn mud season – the rasputitsa – had prevented the anticipated fall of Stalin’s capital. One choice was to go into winter quarters, consolidating the military position, refitting units, and putting supply lines in order. The Ostheer had virtually no reserves left, and many of the front-line commanders saw that their troops were exhausted. The men in overall command of the German forces, however, favored a continued offensive. This was based on the assumption that the Red Army was incapable of further resistance.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Four U-boats -- U-81, U-205, U-433, U-565 -- begin moving from France through Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF attacks Benghazi overnight with 24 Wellington bombers.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Cordell Hull had learned, via Magic intercepts of Japanese messages to Kichisaburo Nomura, that 25 Nov 1941 was Japan's final deadline for the decision on war. The US Congress votes to stay in session indefinitely because of the serious situation with Japan.

Marshall and Stark send a six-point memorandum to FDR outlining the position taken by the Joint Board on November 3. FDR is specifically informed that there would be insufficient B-17’s in the Philippines to serve as a “positive threat” to the Japanese until mid-December and that it would be February or March before air power in the Commonwealth was sufficient to be a “deciding factor in deterring Japan”. This memorandum further sets out that a Japanese attack on British or Dutch possessions or a threatening Japanese assault on Siam would lead to an American declaration of war.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Soviet submarine ShCh-324 was lost in the Baltic Sea off Tallinn, Estonia. She had presumably hit a mine. All 38 aboard were killed.

Arndt Pekurinen, the founder and chairman of the Finnish Anti-militarist League, is executed near the front-line in Uhtua after he has for three times refused to wear a uniform and carry a rifle. Pekurinen was a principled pacifist, and it was largely thanks to him that in 1930s there became available a non-military alternative for the conscription. Back then Pekurinen had refused to perform military service, and was sentenced for jail. His case attracted international interest, and because of this pressure a law was made to accommodate conscientious objectors. But this law applied only for peace time. When the Winter War began, Pekurinen went again to jail. In 1941 Pekurinen was ordered from jail to front, where he rather chose to die before a firing squad than carry a rifle.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team in US Territory of Hawaii detected improvements in security of Japanese naval communications and the recall of some of the merchant ships back to home waters.

General Short rewrites the SOP for alerts at Hawaii in the following format:


> Alert No. 1: This alert is a defense against acts of sabotage and uprising within the islands, with no threat from without.
> 
> Alert No. 2: this alert is applicable to a condition more serious than Alert No. 1. Security against attacks from hostile sub-surface, surface, and air-craft, in addition to defense against acts of sabotage and uprising, is provided.
> 
> Alert No. 3: This alert requires the occupation of all field positions by all units, preparing for maximum defense of OAHU and the Army installations on the outlying islands.



General Short names Colonel Walter C. Philips as his new Chief of Staff.

Japanese marine staff officers Suzuki and Maejima left Pearl Harbor.

RN battleship “_Prince of Wales_” arrives at Freetown en route to Singapore.

Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell relieved Captain Herbert J. Ray as Commandant, Sixteenth Naval District and Commander, Philippine Naval Coastal Frontier. Ray had been acting in that capacity due to the illness of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2016)

*02 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS SNOWFLAKE (K-211)





*Losses
Steamer BRYNMILL (UK 9743 grt)* was sunk by the LW four miles 210° from 59A Buoy, East Dudgeon. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MARIE DAWN (UK 2157 grt)* was badly damaged by German bombing twenty miles from Spurn Point. The steamer sank on the 3rd four miles 210° from 59A Buoy, Humber. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing trawler CALIPH (UK 226 grt)* was sunk by the LW 11 miles south of Old Head of Kinsale. One crewman died of wounds.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Hopper barge FOREMOST 45 (UK 824 grt)* was sunk by a mine. She was lost near Barry Road in the britol Channel with the loss of one crew, 8 saved and 1 injured.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy ON-27_
U-208 sank the *Steamer LARPOOL (UK 3872 grt)* in the Nth Atlantic, off the coast of Newfoundland. A crew of 43 was embarked, 26 of whom would lose their lives. The ship was outward bound from London to British Guiana carrying general cargo. At 0526 hrs U-208 engaged at long range, firing a spread of two G7e torpedoes at the unescorted LARPOOL. The target was steaming at 8 knots in rough sea and strong wind about 150 miles ESE of Cape Race. The ship had fallen out of station of the convoy and was by now straggling after she experienced difficulties in the rough weather. She eventually lost contact with the convoy during the night of 28/29 October. One of the torpedoes hit her on port side forward after a running time of 5 minutes and 38 seconds, but had not much effect. Nevertheless, the crew members immediately began to abandon ship, first releasing the rafts and then launching both lifeboats. The master had just put his personal papers in the port lifeboat in charge of the second officer when it drifted away as the painter had parted. He went to the other side and discovered that the starboard boat in charge of the chief officer had already pulled clear, shouting to them to bring it back alongside, but was surprised when the chief officer answered from the after deck. His lifeboat had been filled with water from the engine room discharge, so he and four other crewmen went aft to launch one of the small boats there and eventually abandoned ship together with the master, who ordered all boats to remain nearby in order to reboard her at daylight as he did not believe that she would sink. In the meantime, the U-boat moved closer and fired two more torpedoes as a coup de grace from only 300 meters at 0717 hrs, that struck the drifting LARPOOL on port side again, this time amidships and at the bow, causing her to break in two and sink within 40 seconds.

As the master and chief officer were in the small boat, the starboard lifeboat with 15 occupants was left in charge of the third officer, while the remaining survivors were in the port lifeboat. All boats set sail and soon lost sight of each other, experiencing a very heavy westerly gale with strong wind, very rough sea and extremely cold temperatures. This probably led to the loss of the 19 crew members and three gunners in the second officer’s boat that was reported missing after being last seen by the boatswain on the day of the sinking. The small boat with six men only made little headway, in fact one day there were blown back about 50 miles, but they kept heading for the south of Newfoundland and eventually made landfall near Burin on 10 November. Four crew members died of exposure in the third officer’s boat before ten crew members and one gunner were rescued by RCN Corvette BITTERSWEET after 13 days at sea and landed at Halifax. All survivors suffered severely from exposure, thirst and swollen feet from the icy water in the half-filled boats.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Salamis U-75
St. Nazaire: U-432
Trondheim: U-578

Departures
Kristiansand: U-434

At Sea 02 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

47 Boats

After shadowing convoy SC-42 for a day, U-374 was discovered by the Canadian escort corvette BUCTOUCHE, which dropped six DCs, damaging the U-Boat.

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
Swedish steamer INGEREN was damaged by British bombing west of Borkum. The steamer arrived at Emden for repairs.

*East Front*
Arctic
_Convoy OP-2_
CA NORFOLK, with DDs ECLIPSE and ICARU departed Archangel on the 2nd.

Black Sea/Caspian
Auxiliary ship KAYNAKDERE (Tu 145 grt) (also identified as KARALTEPE) was sunk bySoviet submarine SHCH 214 off Cape Midia. The crew of eight were all rescued.

*North Sea*
British tanker AGILITY and British steamer THYRA III were damaged by German bombing in Great Yarmouth Roads. The tanker arrived at Great Yarmouth on the 3rd.

The steamer was towed to Great Yarmouth arriving on the 3rd.

*Northern Waters*
DD NORMAN (with the Trade Union Congress delegation and members of the Russian Labour Delegation), on passage from Archangel, arrived at Scrabster on 2 November. She then proceed to Scapa Flow arriving later that day.

BB DUKE OF YORK departed Rosyth in company with CA BERWICK and DDs PUNJABI and ESCAPADE for Scapa Flow, carrying out practices en route. DD TARTAR, en route from Sheerness to Scapa Flow, joined this force off May Island. BERWICK returned to Scapa Flow the same day. DD IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow 3 November to relieve DD PUNJABI on the screen which was carrying out trials to the west of the Orkneys. PUNJABI returned to Scapa Flow on the 3rd. later on the 3rd, the BB and her destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow.

DD SOUTHWOLD departed Scapa Flow at midday for the Clyde on completion of a reduced work up. The DD was to carry out boiler cleaning at Greenock before proceeding with convoy WS.12 Z for service in the Mediterranean. The DD arrived on the 3rd and began boiler cleaning as planned.

Submarine P.35 departed Scapa Flow to patrol off Norway.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-20_
DD SARDONYX and WATCHMAN were detached on 2 November when USN DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, GLEAVES, LANSDALE, MADINSON, and SIMPSON joined.

_Convoy 0N-31_
Trawlers CAPE WARWICK and INCHKEITH were detached on 2 November. The remainder of the escort was detached on 4 November when USN DDs BAINBRIGE, OVERTON, ROE, STURTEVANT, and TRUXTON joined.

_Convoy ON-32_
The convoy was joined on the 2nd by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and SKTA and corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE

*Med/Biscay*
ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs carried troops to Famagusta to relieve the troops garrisoned there in Operation GLENCOE. About 250 troops were embarked in each destroyer and three hundred troops and seventy tons of stores were embarked in ABDIEL. The operations called for 11,000 Indian and 3400 British troops to be transport from Alexandria to Famagusta and 15,000 British troops to be transported from Famagusta to Palestine. Forces were divided into three groups for the Operation.

Group A was ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs JAGUAR and HASTY departing Alexandria at 1500 for Famagusta. GroupB was DDs JERVIS, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, and KINGSTON departing Alexandria at 1700. Group C was DD NAPIER, NIZAM, KIPLING, and JACKAL departing Alexandria at 1900.

En route KIPLING broke down on the 2nd. Her troops were transferred to DD JACKAL which took the DD in tow for Alexandria. DD DECOY from Alexandria took over the tow at daylight on the 3rd. DD JUPITER departed Alexandria and took DD KIPLING's place.

Groups A,B, and C arrived at Famagusta at 0730, 1230, and 1630, respectively. The destroyers disembarked the troops and embarked equilavent contingents of troops. The ships departed for Haifa.

The ships of Group A and B arrived at Haifa during the night of 3/4 November. Group C arrived at 1400. All ships disembarked their troops, embarked Indian troops, and sailed for Cyprus at 0730, 1230, and 1630, respectively.

The groups arrived at Famagusta during the night of 4/5 November and sailed again at four hour intervals. They arrived at Haifa at 0400, 0830, and 1200, respectively. They departed again with Indian troops at 0700, noon, and 1630, respectively, on the 5th for Famagusta.

The Groups arrived at Famagusta on the 5th and sailed again with further contingents, arriving at Haifa at 0300, 0800, and 1200/6th. They departed Famagusta after embarking more troops and refuelling.

The destroyers departed Famagusta during the night of 6/7 November and arrived at Haifa on the 7th. They sailed again during the day with the final contingent forFamagusta. Rear Admiral Destroyers re-embarked on cruiser minelayer ABDIEL. Destroyer KINGSTON remained at Haifa with defects and her troops were spread among the other ships of GroupB.

The ships arrived at Haifa at 0300, 0500, and noon on the 8th, respectively. At 1400/8th, the entire force departed for Haifa with minelaying cruiser ABDIEL and destroyers JERVIS, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, JAGUAR, HASTY, NAPIER, NIZAM, JACKAL, and JUPITER. The ships carried out an anti-submarine sweep as they returned to Alexandria, where they all arrived on the 9th.

Minesweeper BAGSHOT sighted a submarine periscope 22 miles 282° from Ras el Tin. DD DECOY and a motor anti-submarine boat were sent from Alexandria to assist. ASW whalers THORGRIM and KOS 19 were sent from patrol.

ORP submarine SOKOL damaged *steamer BALILLA (FI 2469 grt)* northwest of Trapani with torpedoes and gunfire. Submarine UTMOST sank the damaged BALILLA later in the day with gunfire.





Submarine THRASHER unsuccessfully attacked a minelayer off Benghazi.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC-52_
DD BURWELL and corvette COBALT joined on 2 November.

*Central Atlantic*
BB RODNEY, escorted by DDs GURKHA, ZULU, LIGHTNING, and ISAAC SWEERS, departed Gibraltar to meet CVE ARGUS and aircraft transport ATHENE, escorted by DDs LAFOREY, HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER. RODNEY with DDs HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER proceeded to Scapa Flow to return to the Home Fleet. CVE ARGUS, transport ATHENE, and DDs LAFOREY, ZULU, GURKHA, LIGHTNING, and ISAAC SWEERS proceeded to Gibraltar, arriving on the 8th.
*Central Atlantic*

*Sth Atlantic*
Vichy sloop D'IBERVILLE was escorting an unnumbered convoy of steamers *CAP PADARAN (VICHY 8009 grt)*, *BANGKOK (VICHY 8056 grt)*, *COMPIEGNE (VICHY 9986 grt)*, *CAP TOURAINE (VICHY 8009 grt)*, and *COMMANDANT DORISE (VICHY 5529 grt)* intercepted by six South African minesweeping whalers, supported by CA DEVONSHIRE and CL COLOMBO and AMCs CARTHAGE and CARNARVON CASTLE south of the Cape of Good Hope in Operation BELLRINGER. The ships, which departed Madagascar on 25 October, carried 900 tons of graphite and 30,000 tons of rice were taken by the British. Sloop D'IBERVILLE withdrew unmolested.

Steamer CAP PADARAN was immobilised by her crew. She was taken in tow by cruiser armed merchant cruiser CARTHAGE, escorted by minesweeping whaler STELLENBERG and taken to Port Elizabeth.

Steamer BANGKOK was set on fire by her crew and abandoned, with light cruiser COLOMBO and whaler NIGEL taking off the crew.

The other three steamers were brought into South African ports. CAP TOURAINE was escorted by DEVONSHIRE and MSW whaler STEENBERG to Port Elizabeth. COMMANDANT DORISE was escorted by AMC CARNARVON CASTLE and MSW whaler GUN 9 to East London. COMPIEGNE was escorted by CL COLOMBO and MSW whaler NIGEL to East London. The other two South African MSW whalers involved were SOUTHERN BARRIER and TERJE.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 3 NOVEMBER 1941
_0855 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement.

_1201 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Three plus Macchi fighters approached Island from NE split formation and crossed coast just S of Grand Harbour. Heavy Ack Ack engaged by means of barrage and height control fire.

_2216 hrs _ Air raid alarm. Two enemy aircraft approached Island from N and dropped bombs in sea off Tal Qroqq.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ Four Albacores sent to attack sulphur factory at Licata with good results. Submarine _HMS Tetrarch_ under command of Lt.Cdr. George H Greenway, RN has failed to arrive in Gibraltar, having sailed from Malta on 26 October 1941 for refit in the USA. She is presumed lost while passing over Italian mines off Capo Granditola, Sicily.

_HAL FAR_ Two Hurricanes 185 Squadron on enemy ferry service patrol off Panteleria. Two Fulmars, Fleet Air Arm also on patrol off Pantelleria. Nothing sighted. 

_LUQA _ Wellingtons of 40 Squadron attacked Castel Benito aerodrome in company with Wellingtons of 104 Squadron


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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2016)

*03 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-755





Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS BEAUFORT (L-14)





Type II Hunt Class DD HMS WHEATLAND (L-122)





Bangor Class MSW HMCS QUATSINO (J-152)





Thornycroft 55’ Class MTBS HMS MTB 327, 329, 331
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
PV OUZEL (RN 76 grt)* was sunk on a mine one half mile east of Mablethorpe. The entire crew of the vessel were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy SC-52_
The battle for convoy SC-52 began 2 november 1941when U-374 attempted to get into the convoy from astern. The Uboat was repulsed by HMCS BUSTOUCHE. The Uboat was fortcede to dive and dived to over 40m as six DCs followed her down. These attacks caused some minor failures on the Uboat. U-374 continued to dive, until she touched bottom at 93m. By now there were two vessels attacking her. U-374 then utilized a new tactic of remaining on the bottom, with all non-essential gear switched off. This was the first recorded use of the bottoming tactic recorded in the BDU war diary.

The attack was one of the best results for some months in which U-569 claimed she sank one ship, U-202 claimed she sank three ships and U-203 claimed two ships. The allies were lucky that fog radio jamming disrupted the attacks on the convoy cutting the german attack short

*Steamer FLYNDERBORG (UK 2022 grt)* was sunk by U-202 with the loss of 3 crew from a complement of 24. Oon a voyage from Parrsboro, N.S. for London (via Sydney) with a cargo of lumber, was sunk by U-202 that morning between 0450 and 0505 hrs.





*Steamer GRETAVALE (UK 4506 grt)* was sunk by U-202, after the Uboat had fired a spread of torpedoes into the convoy. 38 of the 44 man crew were lost in the attack. On a voyage from Baltimore for Loch Ewe (via Sydney, C.B.) with a cargo of steel and 17 trucks, GRETAVALE was sunk early in the morning hours by U-202. 





U-203 sank *Steamer EMPIRE GEMSBUCK (UK 5626 grt)* as she transported general caro and some machinery, with a crew of 43. The entire crew would survive the attack.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-203 also sank the *Steamer EVEROJE (UK 4830 grt)*, whilst she was part of the convoy. The ship was heavily laden with wheat, and a crew of 43, all of whom would survive the attack. The EVEROJE was struck by a torpedo on the starboard side in #2 hold, blowing off its hatches and beams and destroying the starboard side of the bridge and boat deck. No distress signals could be sent as the wireless set was disabled by the explosion. The master, 35 crew members and five gunners abandoned ship in two lifeboats within five minutes when she developed a list of 15° to starboard. After about 20 minutes, Corvette NASTURTIUM arrived and took the survivors aboard. At 2000 hours, a boarding party led by the chief officer went back aboard, but found the vessel beyond salvage as the boiler and engine rooms were flooded. They recovered the confidential papers, all MGs (the ship was armed), the chronometer and the Aldis lamp and returned to the corvette, which stood by the ship waiting for a salvage tug until the EVEROJE foundered at 1530 hrs on 4 November. The survivors were landed the next day at St. John’s, Newfoundland.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-205, U-565

At Sea 03 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

49 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*
German minelayer KAISER laid mines in the Baltic.

*Steamer ANNELIESE (Ger 726 grt)* was lost on a mine off Dievenow (off the coast of Pomerania.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT sank aux *PV UJ.1213 (DKM 354 grt)* (whaler RAU IV) in Honningsvaag in the Far North of Norwegian waters. German steamer ALTKIRCH was missed in the same attack.




_Near sister M1205_

_Convoy OP-2_
Convoy QP.2 departed Archangel with steamers ATLANTIC , Panamanian CAPIRA, GEMSTONE, Soviet IJORA, Panamanian NORTH KING, BLAIRLEVIS, Soviet CHEYNYSHEVSKI, HARMONIC, LORCA, RIVER AFTON, and VILLE D' ANVERS (7462grt). CA NORFOLK escorted the convoy from 3 to 11 November. DDs ECLIPSE and ICARUS escorted the convoy from 3 to 16 November. MSWs BRAMBLE, LEDA, and SEAGULL were local escorts from Archangel and escorted the convoy from 3 to 5 November.

Black Sea/Caspian
*Coastal vessel KAYNAKDERE (Tu 85 grt)* was sunk by VMF Sub SC-214 in the Sth Black Sea
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CAs KENT, BERWICK, and SUFFOLK, and DDs SOMALI, ASHANTI, MATABELE, PUNJABI, OFFA, and ORIBI departed Scapa Flow for Iceland. KING GEORGE V, cruisers BERWICK, KENT, and SUFFOLK, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI arrived at Hvalfjord on the 5th. VICTORIOUS and DDs ASHANTI, OFFA, and ORIBI arrived independently at Hvalfjord after exercises.

*Northern Waters*
DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow to boiler clean at Rosyth.

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON-33_
Convoy ON.33 departed Liverpool.

_Convoy HG-75_
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 November.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy SL-91G_
Sloop LEITH with corvettes HELIOTROPE and CAMPION departed Gibraltar on the 3rd escorting Dutch steamer TYSA to join convoy SL.91G. DD WILD SWAN was local escort for this movement.

*Channel*
In an attack on a German convoy in the Channel, MGB's claimed torpedoing and badly damaging a DKM MOWE class TB and sinking a 5000 ton ship. There is no confirmation from German sources of these losses. 

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine PROTEUS damaged Italian tanker TAMPICO in the Gulf of Athens three miles south of Mandili Island. The submarine was counterattacked by rm tb s MONZAMBANO and CASTELFIDARDO.

Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked a steamer north of Kuriat.

Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta after a special operation in the Gulf of Hammammet and patrol off Kuriat.

Polish submarine SOKOL arrived at Malta after patrol off Naples.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.157_
On 3 November, the original escort was detached.

_Convoy HX 158_
Convoy HX.158 departed Halifax escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and corvettes ALGOMA, CHAMBLY, ORILLIA, and PICTOU.

_Convoy SC-52_
The escorts, less corvette ACONIT, were detached on 3 November.

*Central Atlantic*
CV INDOMITABLE was damaged in grounding off Kingston, Jamaica. Corvette CLARKIA, escorting the carrier, also ran aground. The carrier arrived at Norfolk on the 12th. INDOMITABLE departed on 12 December. She probablky avoided being sunk in the same action as BB PRINCE OF WALES and BC REPULSE after she had run aground as she was scheduled to transfer to the Far East to support them in that TO The opposing view is that the presence of the carrier may have prevented the loss of the PRINCE OF WALES and REPULSE


*Malta*
Thanks to reinforcements that had been received recent weeks Malta is now well supplied. The garrison now stood at over 30,000 well armed and fully trained men with first class equipment, 80 Hurricanes and 105 assorted bombers (Wellingtons, Blenheims, Marylands, Swordfish and Albacores). The heaviest AA defences consisted of 1400 guns. The Island also has a sufficient food supplies for the next five months.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 4 NOVEMBER 1941

_0607-0646 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Four enemy bomber aircraft approached from N. Bombs dropped in sea off Madliena. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVYUtmost_ returned from special service in Gulf of Hammamet and patrol off Kuriat, where the only target was an MV aground after _Urge‘s_ attack. As work of unloading seemed to be going, on a torpedo was fired (which hit the bottom) and 50 rounds of high explosive were fired. _Sokol_returned from patrol of Naples, having obtained hit on _Citto de Palermo_ and destroyed a 4,000 ton MV off Vito by gunfire.

_LUQA_ Four Blenheims 107 Squadron search for aircraft lost in yesterday’s raid. Six Blenheims 18 Squadron search for convoy; nothing sighted.

_HAL FAR_ Two Fulmars on an offensive patrol Linosa area turned back owing to engine trouble. Two Hurricanes 185 squadron made an offensive sweep over southern Sicily and machine gunned two moving goods trains, one at Noto, the other at Rosolini.


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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2016)

*04 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-509





Allied
KG V Class BB HMS DUKE OF YORK





R-1 class HMS P-511





Flower Class corvette HMS ROCKROSE (K-51)






Isles Class ASW Trawler HMNZS SANDA (T-160)





HDML 1086

*Losses
Sailing vessel BRITISHER (UK 95 grt)* was sunk on a mine just north of West Mouse Buoy, off Maplin (Essex). Both crewmen were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV MADJOE (Ne 249 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. The crew of four, two gunners, and the pilot were all lost on the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest: U-81

At Sea 04 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

50 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
Baltic
VMF DD SMETLIVY was mined off Hango.

*North Sea*
FFL submarine MINERVE arrived at Dundee after patrol off Norway.

*Northern Patrol*
CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID departed Seidisfjord to cover the trawler patrol line west of the Iceland-Faroes minefield.

On the 4th, DDs TARTAR and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord to join the Commander in Chief. The DDs arrived at 6th.

Convoy PQ.3, which these ships were to have escorted, were ordered to remain at Hvalfjord until further notice.

*Northern Waters*
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, arriving after sunrise on the 5th.

*West Coast*
ML cruisers MANXMAN and WELSHMAN departed Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow, where they arrived on the 5th.

DD WHEATLAND departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow to work up. The DD arrived after sunrise on the 5th.

_Convoy SC-53_
Convoy SC.53 departed Sydney, CB escorted by corvettes BATTLEFORD, DUNVEGAN, and SOREL.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-33_
The convoy was joined on the 4th by destroyers BEAGLE and ROXBOROUGH, sloop COMMANDANT DETROYAT, corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS, and anti-submarine trawlers ARAB, LADY MADELEINE, NORWICH CITY, and STELLA CARINA.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy SL-91G_
DD DUNCAN and FFL sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC sailed on the 4th to join the convoy. The DD was en route to Chatham for refit.

*Med/Biscay*
RM submarine DANDOLO damaged French (Vichy?) tanker TARN off Algiers.

An Italian convoy of steamers BOSFORO and German SAVONA, escorted by TB PEGASO departed Brindisi for Benghazi on the 4th. The Benghazi convoy was sighted by British aircraft on the 8th as it left the Adriatic. The convoy was heavily attacked by Malta based aircraft. Steamer SAVONA was damaged in the attack and returned to Brindisi. Steamer BOSFORO and torpedo boat PEGASO put into Navarino. The ships later departed and arrived at Benghazi on the 12th.

RHN DD KONDOURIOTIS departed Alexandria for docking at Suez.

Submarine TRUSTY arrived at Malta after off patrol off Cephalonia.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC-52_
Corvette ACONIT was detached on 4 November before the convoy arrived back at Sydney CB on 5 November.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy OS-10_
Corvette VERBENA was detached on 4 November and the rest on 14 November to Bathurst.

*Pacific/Australia*
RNZN CL ACHILLES arrived at Auckland

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 5 NOVEMBER 1941

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Trusty_ returned from patrol off Cephalonia, having sunk one ship and gathered much useful information.

_AIR HQ 107 Squadron _Six Blenheims Luqa carried out search for convoy._ 185 Squadron_ 2 Hurricanes on offensive patrol over Sicily. A train was successfully attacked and put out of action. Many signal boxes on the railway line between Noto and Cape Passero were shot up. A factory west of Pazzallo was also attacked with no visible results. Weather 10/10 cloud at 6000/8000 feet. _828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ 5 Albacores attacked the submarine base at Augusta. Owing to bad weather only two of the five reached the target. Military barracks were bombed causing a fire. All aircraft returned safely.


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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2016)

Halders Diary 4 November 1941

Having recovered from his injury in a horse riding accident, Halder returned to active duty on this day


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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2016)

*05 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM M-205
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type IXc DKM U-172





Type VIIc DKM U-457





Type VIIc DKM U-658
NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
U Class submarine HMS UNBENDING (P-37)




_Sister ship HMS UNITED_

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-576
Lorient: U-125

Departures
Trondheim: U-578

At Sea 05 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

48 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
*MV TORCELLO (FI 3336 grt)* was sunk by VMF Sub SC-214 Sth of Karaburun Cape.





*Northern Patrol*
CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID were ordered to return to Seidisfjord from Iceland - Faroes patrol. After refuelling, the ships would proceed to cover minelaying operation SN.83B, sailing on the 8th. However, in heavy weather, the destroyers were forced to return to Seidisfjord.

*Northern Waters*
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow with Rear Admiral Destroyers Home Fleet for passage to Scrabster, returning to Scapa in the early afternoon

*West Coast*
CL TRINIDAD departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 7th. DD BEAUFORT departed the Clyde at 1630 for Scapa Flow. The DD arrived on the 7th for work up.

Submarine SEALION arrived at Murmansk from Scapa Flow.

*Med/Biscay*
CruSqn 15 was at sea from Alexandria for gunnery exercises.

ASW whaler KOS 19 sighted a periscope thirty two miles west of Alexandria. The whaler was joined by ASW whaler FALK, corvette SNAPDRAGON, and ASW boat MA/SB 2. DD ENCOUNTER was also sent from Alexandria to assist. DDs DECOY and HOTSPUR joined at daylight on the 6th. The DDs were recalled to harbour after no success was obtained.

Oil patches were sighted in this area on the 7th and destroyers KIPLING and HOTSPUR were sent to hunt in the area. The search continued during the night of 7/8 November. DD ENCOUNTER joined the DDs at daylight and the three DDs were then involved in screening CL NEPTUNE during a practice bombardment at Aboukir. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 9th.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX 158_
The escorts that had been with the convoy when she were detached when relieved on the 5th by USN DDs BUCK, COLE, LUDLOW, MCCORMICK, and SWANSON.

*Central Atlantic*
On 5 November, BB PRINCE OF WALES and escort, enroute to the Far East at Freetown from home waters. The BB and destroyers EXPRESS and ELECTRA arrived at Simonstown on 16 November and Colombo on 28 November.

_Convoy SL.92_
Convoy SL.92 departed Freetown escorted by DDs VANSITTART and VELOX to 11 November and corvettes BURDOCK and MARGUERITE to 11 November and corvette STARWORT to 12 November.

*Sth Atlantic*
USN CL OMAHA and DD SOMERS captured *blockade runner ODENWALD (Ger 5098 grt)*, which had departed Yokohama on 21 August carrying Japanese rubber to Germany, off Recife in the South Atlantic.




_ODENWALD (left) and USS CL OMAHA, South Atlantic, November 1941_

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Armed boarding vessel ARPHA fractured her propeller shaft while laying beacons at AnchorageG (Ginsah) in the SuezGulf. The vessel was beached at Towila. Indian sloop SUTLEJ was sent to assist her. On the 9th, the vessel was refloated and towed by tug CONFEDERATE, screened by sloop SUTLEJ, to Gimsah. ARPHA, in tow of tug CONFEDERATE and escorted by sloop SUTLEJ, arrived at Suez on the 14th.

CL MAURITIUS arrived at Singapore with convoy WS.11X from Colombo.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 6 NOVEMBER 1941

_1049-1106 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Six Macchi 200’s approached from N. and carried out recce of area, GrandHarbour, Delimara and Luqa. Two Heavy Ack Ack positions engaged by barrage, others by Pointers.

_1900 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Several enemy aircraft approached Island, only one crossing coast. Searchlights effected illumination, Ack Ack fired barrages. Bombs dropped in sea.

_2132 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Only one of several aircraft reported in vicinity came over island. Ack Ack fired barrages. Enemy aircraft, a German JU87 piloted by Italians, was hit and crashed on coast East of Dowdall’s Hotel, Marsa Scirocco. Two occupants of machine killed.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Five Albacores bombed Augusta and Licata – dropping 6,000 lbs of bombs and 80 lbs incendiaries.

_HAL FAR_ Two Fulmars carried out patrols of the Pantelleria and Lampedusa region against enemy air ferry service. Nothing was sighted.

_LUQA 18 Squadron_ 8 Blenheims attacked convoy. Sgt Vickers & Sgt Morris failed to return. 1 Wellington attacked convoy. _104 Squadron_ 10 Wellingtons attacked Castel Benito and Mellaha aerodromes. _40 Squadron_ 8 Wellingtons attacked Castel Benito aerodrome.


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## parsifal (Nov 4, 2016)

Halder's Diary 05 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 4, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 5, 2016)

*November 6 Thursday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese military mobilized for war. Yamamoto flies to Tokyo for discussions. General Count Hisaichi Terauchi took command of Japanese Southern Army, which was made up of 4 armies. The Japanese Southern Army was ordered to prepare detailed operational plans for offensive action to secure Southeast Asia. They were to seize all American, Dutch and British possessions in the ‘southern area’ as soon as possible. After simultaneous attacks on Malaya and the Philippines, Lt. General Tomoyuli Yamashita would take Malaya and Singapore with the 25th Army. Lt. General Masaharu Homma was to conquer the Philippines with the 14th Army. General Tsukada was made Terauchi’s Chief of Staff. The South Seas Detachment is formed for operations by the Japanese against Guam and the Bismarck Archipelago. Imperial General Headquarters orders China Expeditionary Army to prepare for attack against Hong Kong with 23rd Army. The Imperial Headquarters commanded the Expeditionary Army to China to divert 4 divisions to the south.

The Japanese Navy practices their second dress rehearsal for Operation Hawaii in mock operations at Kagoshima Bay. It followed very much the lines of its predecessor, but this time a variation occurred. About 80 miles north of the target area the attackers ran into a group of fighter interceptors and an air battle took place at 0900 hours. If Fuchida and his airmen did not achieve surprise in Hawaii, this was what they could expect. They were pleased with the results.

General Rikichi Ando was named the commanding officer of the Taiwan Army.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The unsuccessful search for the German raider reported by British RFA oiler “_Olwen_” on November 4 was not entirely fruitless. U.S. Navy Task Group 3.6, composed of the light cruiser USS “_Omaha_” (CL-4), under command of Captain Theodore E. Chandler, and the destroyer USS “_Somers_” (DD-381), en route to Recife, Brazil, returning from a 3,023-mile patrol, captured German blockade runner “_Odenwald_”, disguised as U.S. freighter “_Willmoto_”, in Atlantic equatorial waters. A boarding party from the USS “_Omaha_” (Lieutenant George K. Carmichael) reached the “_Odenwald_” as the Germans exploded charges to scuttle the ship. The USS “_Omaha's_” sailors, however, joined by a diesel engine specialist from the USS “_Somers_”, prevented the “_Odenwald's_” loss while the cruiser's SOC Curtiss scout-observation planes and her accompanying destroyer screened the operation. The three ships then proceeded to Trinidad because of possible complications with the Brazilian government. In view of the precarious fuel state in the American ships, the USS “_Somers's_” crew ingeniously rigged a sail that cut fuel consumption and allowed her to reach her destination with fuel to spare. This was the first successful action by the U.S. patrols in the Atlantic.

American destroyer “_Madison_”, escorting convoy ON 39, depth charged contacts.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Frostbite began to make its appearance among German troops fighting in the Soviet Union. Although stationary, most are technically still on the offensive and have not dug trenches. The exception is Feldmarschall von Kluge’s 4.Armee in the middle of the Mozhaysk line, which has already gone on the defensive and into winter quarters. In Leningrad, as the temperature drops, shattered underground steam pipes (due to German bombing and shelling) and lack of firewood prevent heating of buildings. Bitter cold compounded by reduced rations will lead to death of thousands of Leningraders.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 340 adult male, 749 adult female, and 252 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,341 people.

Soviet hospital ship “_Armenia_” (a converted liner) evacuates the main naval hospital in Sevastopol with 5498 wounded troops and medics, leaving at 1900 hours for an overnight voyage to safety of the Caucasus ports. The ship is suddenly diverted to Yalta and Balaklava to pick up more wounded as well as military families and well-connected civilians.

Joseph Stalin made a radio address broadcast worldwide declaring that Hitler's "crazy plan" to draw Britain and the United States into a coalition to destroy the Soviet Union had failed. Stalin said that a coalition of the United States, Britain and the USSR was "now a reality" and expressed his hopes that a "second front" would be established "in the near future."

Between 15,000 and 18,000 Jews were taken to the Sosenki forest outside of Rovno and massacred over the next two days.

*GERMANY*: The Grand Mufti arrives in Berlin from Italy.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: A small number of Wellington bombers based in Malta conducted an attack on Naples, Italy after dark.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF attacks Derna overnight with 20 Wellington bombers.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Clarence Tinker was named the commanding officer of the US 3rd Fighter Command.

In a speech at the International Labor Organization, Roosevelt discussed his vision for the post war world, saying;


> “We have learned too well that social problems and economic problems are not separate watertight compartments in the international any more than in the national sphere. In international as in national affairs, economic policy can no longer be an end in itself. It is merely a means for achieving social objectives. There must be no place in the post-war world for special privilege for either individuals or nations."



A committee from the US Academy of Sciences recommends the immediate construction of an atomic bomb.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The Finnish advance into Russia was halted.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team in US Territory of Hawaii continued to encounter a great deal of dummy radio traffic being sent by the Japanese Navy.

In the Philippines, Brereton issues training order directing that all units were to work “maximum hours” and specifying that 40% of all training flights were to be at night. All but one aircraft of Eubank’s B-17 flight had reached the Philippines, the long hold-out being one with a bad engine dead-lined in Darwin.

General Blamey, en route to Australia, arrives in Singapore for conferences with Percival, Bennett, and others.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Luftwaffe loses one its brightest pilots who commits a rookie blunder and loses his life. While on a patrol with III./JG 26 over the Channel, the _Staffelkapitän_ of 8./JG 26, Hptm. Johannes Schmid - who was leading the _Gruppe_ in place of Gerhard Schöpfel who was on leave - takes the flight on a bounce of twenty-four British Spitfires. Shooting down one the British fighters on the first pass, Hptm. Schmid begins to circle the spot where the Spitfire crashed. His wing clips the water and Hptm. Schmid and his Bf 109F crash and sink into the Channel waters. Hptm. Schmid had forty-five victories and is replaced as _Staffelkapitän_ by Karl Borris.

RAF Fighter Command flew Ramrod and escort operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 9 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 21 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

.


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## Old Wizard (Nov 6, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 6, 2016)

*November 7 Friday*
*ASIA*: Japanese Navy conducted a carrier exercise. Yamamoto issued his second secret order setting the tentative date to start hostilities as December 8. Two factors had determined the choice: there would be a full moon, which would facilitate launching from carriers, and it would be Sunday [December 7] in Hawaii. From Yoshikawa’s reports, it had been established that the Pacific Fleet usually entered Pearl Harbor on a Friday and left the following Monday. IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_” arrives at Kagoshima Bay. IJN aircraft carrier “_Shokaku_” arrives at Oita Bay.

The Japanese government communicates a proposal to the US for negotiations for a full settlement of all issues, with deadline of 30 November.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The destroyers USS “_Lansdale_” (DD-426), USS “_Charles F. Hughes_” (DD-428), and USS “_Gleaves_” (DD-423), while in U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.2 escorting Convoy ON-30, made depth charge attacks on a sound contact. The destroyer USS “_Madison_” (DD-425) sighted a bleeding whale soon thereafter, leading to the conclusion that the warships had attacked a large marine mammal.

British merchant ship “_Nottingham_”, on her maiden voyage, spotted German submarine U-74 in the North Atlantic and attempted to ram her. At 2234 hours U-74 counterattacked, sinking “_Nottingham_”. All 62 aboard escaped in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

*EASTERN FRONT*: In Moscow, Stalin pulls off a public relations masterpiece. 7 November was the Anniversary of the October Revolution. To commemorate this, there would be a parade on Red Square. Stalin had withdrawn the equivalent of two divisions from Moscow’s defensive line to conduct the parade. At 0700 hours a special train drew up on the platform. The ﬁrst person to step out was Stalin, followed by members of the Politburo, the Government, and the Moscow city authorities. The applause went on for nearly ten minutes. Kolosova thought Stalin looked thinner and greyer than when she had last seen him at the May Day Parade: the strain of the war was beginning to tell. Despite the risk of German air attack, the annual October revolution parade begins at 0800 hours. Troops, artillery and tanks (mainly new T-34 and KV tanks) rumble through Red Square past Lenin’s Mausoleum (empty) and St. Basil’s Cathedral. They then turn west towards the front lines, going straight into action against the Germans. Then it was Stalin’s turn. The audience in the station sat in complete silence as Stalin spoke simply, deliberately, and with his habitual Georgian accent. He spoke with his usual relentless logic – crude, forceful, and difficult to resist. He began by claiming that in four months of war the Germans had lost four and a half million people, against Soviet losses of 350,000 dead, 378,000 missing and just over one million wounded. These ﬁgures were of course wildly misleading, and even among his listeners there were skeptics who found them hard to believe. But he went on to analyze – objectively enough – why the German blitzkrieg was doomed to eventual defeat in Russia. The Germans, Stalin went on, had grossly overestimated their own strength and underestimated that of the Red Army.

The German Army High Command (OKH) was determined to continue the advance on Moscow in spite of up to 80 Soviet Army divisions in front of them and the weather. Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that his troops were beginning to suffer severe frostbite. German 3.Panzergruppe redeploys between 9.Armee and 4.Panzergruppe. There was heavy fighting around Tikhvin and repeated Luftwaffe attacks against targets in Leningrad.

In one of the great maritime tragedies of the war, Soviet hospital ship “_Armenia_” sinks with over 7000 civilians and wounded soldiers on board. “_Armenia_” leaves Yalta at 0800 hours, against orders forbidding daylight sailing from the Crimea. At 1129 hours, a single Heinkel He111 from KG 26 torpedoes “_Armenia_” (despite Red Cross insignia painted on the deck and sides) which rolls over and sinks in 4 minutes. There are 8 survivors.

In Minsk, about thirteen thousand Jews were taken into Tuchinki and brutally killed there. Thousands of bodies were laid out in trenches that had been prepared in advance. The Jews themselves dug the trenches as part of their forced labor.

*GERMANY*: British Bomber Command conducts nighttime raids on Berlin, Cologne and Mannheim with a total of 380 bombers in the heaviest bombing so far in a single night. The Germans reported minimal damage. 160 British RAF bombers attacked Berlin, Germany. Poor weather contributes to the number of aircraft losses. The Berlin raid suffered not only from cloud obscuring the target, but also at the hands of flak and fighters. 21 aircraft (12.4%) were lost (10 Wellingtons, 9 Whitleys and 2 Stirlings). 55 British planes are sent to attack Mannheim. Seven planes do not return. 43 British planes are sent to attack the Ruhr and to mine waterways. Nine planes do not return. RAF Bomber Command sent 75 aircraft to attack Cologne. RAF Bomber Command also sent 30 aircraft on Rover patrols. Overall, 37 aircraft failed to return, a rate of 9.4%. These losses were rapidly swinging the balance against Bomber Command - indeed, no air force could sustain this amount of losses for any length of time and, in an attempt to rebuild the Command's confidence, less well-defended targets were chosen for future attacks. The RAF is radically reviewing its bombing strategy after German air defenses took a heavy toll of RAF bombers and aircrew. In four months, Bomber Command had lost the equivalent of its entire frontline strength, 526 aircraft, and morale on the squadrons was low. The Kammhüber Line, as it is known to the RAF, is responsible. This is a series of ground-controlled interception “boxes” along the most frequently-used routes; in each “box” a night-fighter waits to pounce, so far with great effect. As a result of the ineffectiveness of raids like this, Sir Richard Peirse will be replaced as head of RAF Bomber Command by Sir Arthur Harris in January 1942.

Popular German film star Joachim Gottschalk kills his family and himself rather than submit to the deportation and probable deaths of his Jewish wife and child.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Attack on Convoy Beta : Convoy "Beta" departs Naples for Tripoli with seven vessels (German freighters “_Duisburg_” and “_San Marco_”; Italian freighters “_Maria_”, “_Sagitta_”, and “_Rina Corrado_”; and Italian tankers “_Conte di Misurata_” and “_Minatitlan_”) escorted by the Regia Marina 3rd Division commanded by Bruno Brivonesi comprising heavy cruisers “_Trieste_” and “_Trento_” and Italian destroyers “_Maestrale_”, “_Fulmine_”, “_Euro_”, “_Gracale_”, “_Libeccio_”, and “_Oriani_” supported by two cruisers and four more destroyers.

*NORTH AFRICA*: RAF bombers attack Brindisi.

*NORTH AMERICA*: After a month of debate, the US Congress amends the Neutrality act to allow the arming of merchants. The United States Senate voted 50 to 37 to amend the Act to allow merchantmen to be armed and permit U.S. ships to enter combat zones.

Dr. Henry Field was summoned to the office of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's secretary, Grace Tully, who "_told Field that the President was ordering him to produce, in the shortest time possible the full names and addresses of each American-born and foreign-born Japanese listed by locality within each state_" and that "_it was to be done by using the 1930 and 1940 censuses."_

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight off Norway.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: In the Philippines MacArthur informs Hart that he will not accept Navy control of patrol flights. Hart requests guidance from Navy Department on mobilization and deployment plans. No answer was received.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: A moderate Luftwaffe force of long-range bombers with a small number of reconnaissance and dive-bomber aircraft, operated on Fri/Sat night over England. More attention was paid to land targets than of late, the Tyne-Tees area receiving the main weight of attack. Many incidents were reported from coastal districts of Northumberland and Durham, but there was some concentration on Sunderland. In Sunderland there was slight damage to the railway and a quay in the dock area, and a temporary suspension of local traffic on the LNER line owing to a UXB. Houses were demolished at Horden, where five people lost their lives, and at Newbiggin by the Sea, where five people were killed. For the first time since the war began, mixed teams of men and women manned anti-aircraft batteries this night.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command Rodeo and Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

German vessel “_Kulmerland_” arrives in Bordeaux from Japan.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 7, 2016)

*06 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-595
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML-055
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDML1054
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-433

At Sea 06 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

48 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic*

*East Front*
Arctic
Submarine SEALION arrived at Murmansk from Scapa Flow.

*Northern Patrol*
CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID were ordered to return to Seidisfjord from Iceland - Faroes patrol. After refuelling, the ships would proceed to cover minelaying operation SN.83B, sailing on the 8th. However, in heavy weather, the DDs were forced to return to Seidisfjord.

CL TRINIDAD departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 7th.

*Northern Waters*
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow with Rear Admiral Destroyers Home Fleet for passage to Scrabster, returning to Scapa that afternoon.

*West Coast*
DD BEAUFORT departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, arriving late on the 7th, where she immediately began work up .

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-32_
On the 6th, the 2 November reinforcements were detached when joined by DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST CROIX and corvettes AGASSIZ, ALBERNIE, ALYSSE, AMHERST, and BITTERSWEET.

*Med/Biscay*
CruSqn 15 was at sea from Alexandria for gunnery exercises. ASW whaler KOS 19 sighted a periscope thirty two miles west of Alexandria on the 5th. The whaler was joined by ASW whaler FALK, corvette SNAPDRAGON, and ASW boat MA/SB 2. DD ENCOUNTER was also sent from Alexandria to assist. DDs DECOY and HOTSPUR joined at daylight on the 6th. The DDs were recalled to harbour that evening and no success was obtained. However oil patches that were sighted in this area on the 7th caused DDs KIPLING and HOTSPUR to be sent again in this area for another sweep. The search continued during the night of 7/8 November. DD ENCOUNTER joined the other DDs at daylight and the three DDs were then involved in screening CL NEPTUNE during a practice bombardment at Aboukir. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 9th.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.157_
DD AMAZON joined 6 November.

_Convoy HX 158_
On the 6th USN DD COLE was detached from the escort.

_Convoy SC-53_
Corvettes DUNVEGAN and SOREL were detached on the 6th when relieved by DD BURNHAM and corvettes ALGOMA, ARVIDA, CHAMBLY, DAUPHIN, and MATAPEDIA.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy SL.92_

Convoy SL.92 departed Freetown escorted bydestroyers VANSITTART and VELOX to 11 November and corvettes BURDOCK and MARGUERITE to 11 November and corvette STARWORT to 12 November.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Singapore with convoy WS.11X from Colombo

*Malta*
OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER 1941

_HAL FAR_ _828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm _5 Albacores attacked naval installations at Augusta and Licata. All aircraft returned safely. _185 Squadron _2 Hurricanes carried out a patrol over the SE corner of Sicily, with four more of the Squadron’s Hurricanes acting as cover. A factory east of Pozzallo was attacked. No opposition encountered. 

_LUQA_ _107 Squadron_ 5 Blenheims were despatched to attack Mellana aerodrome but were unable to locate target. They attacked barracks and M/T depots near Tripoli. _40 Squadron_ 2 Wellingtons carried out a nuisance raid on Naples; another Wellington carried out a nuisance raid on Tripoli.


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## parsifal (Nov 7, 2016)

Halders Diary 06 November 1941


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## parsifal (Nov 7, 2016)

*07 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMNZS KILLEGRAY (T-174)









Assurance Class Salvage Tug HMS JAUNTY (W-30)

Fairmile B ML 307
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

M (Malyutka) class Submarine VMF M-116





Project 7 (Gnevny) Class DD VMF RAZUMNIY





*Losses*
U-74 sank the *steamer NOTTINGHAM (UK 8532 grt)* in the nth Atlantic, with the loss of the entire crew of 62. She was carrying a mixed cargo outbound, including fine malt whiskey from Glasgow to New York. She was a brand new ship, only completed in October 1941. At 2234 hrs the unescorted NOTTINGHAM, on her maiden voyage, was hit in the stern by a stern torpedo from bout 550 miles SE of Cape Farewell after she tried to ram the U-boat. At 2250 hrs, the ship was missed by a spread of two torpedoes because she stopped, but sank after being hit by a coup de grace at 2259 hrs. The crew was seen to abandon ship in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-568

Departures
Kirkenes: U-752

At Sea 07 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-577, U-652, U-751, U-752, UA

48 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer FRAUENBURG (Ger 2111 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Windau.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT made an unsuccessful attack on DKM MSW MRS 3 (Ex-steamer BALI)

*North Sea*
DD ECHO departed London at 0800 for Sheerness on completion of a long refit, arriving later in the afternoon to embark ammunition and fuel.

MSW ALBURY was damaged by a near miss by the LW off the east coast of Scotland. The damage required five weeks to repair.

*Northern Patrol*
CA BERWICK departed Hvalfjord on Denmark Strait patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to act under Rear Admiral Minelaying, arriving later in the afternoon.

DD NORMAN departed Scapa Flow for Wick to embark Crown Prince Olaf of Norway and his staff for passage to Scapa Flow. The DD arrived back at Scapa Flow later that day.

Sloop LOWESTOFT departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN 2 for onward passage to Rosyth. LOWESTOFT had completed work up and was being assigned to Commander in Chief, Rosyth.

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON.34_
Convoy ON.34 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers CALDWELL, VANOC, and VOLUNTEER and corvettes ACANTHUS, GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, HONEYSUCKLE, MYOSOTIS, and SWEETBRIAR.

_Convoy OS.11_
Convoy OS.11 departed Liverpool.

*Central Atlantic*
In operations from CVE AUDACITY, supporting convoy OG.76, the Martlet piloted by Sub Lt (A) N. H. Patterson while landing in heavy seas went over the side. Patterson was picked up by an escort ship.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 8 NOVEMBER 1941

_0540 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Four enemy aircraft approached from N only two crossing coast. First aircraft flew over Mellieha and dropped bombs in sea W of Dingli. A second aircraft came over Zonkor Point and dropped bombs on CorrodinoHeights, was barraged by Ack Ack and damaged.

_2036 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Seven enemy aircraft approached but only two crossed coast. Bombs dropped in sea four miles east of Island and in Msida area. Ack Ack fired two barrages

OPERATIONS REPORT FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _“Upholder” sailed to patrol off Cephalonia, and sank a U boat on the way. Four Swordfish attempted to attack one MV east of Malta but failed to find target.

_HAL FAR_ Two Fulmars, FAA, patrolled the Lampedusa area for enemy air ferry service. They returned to base owing to bad weather. _828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm_ Four Albacores were despatched to attack various targets in Sicily. Two aircraft dropped their bombs on Ragusa Railway Station causing a large explosion and a small fire. One aircraft dropped his load on the Bitumin factory near the railway station. The fourth aircraft dropped his load on factory east of Biscari causing several explosions. Weather clear over target.

_LUQA_ _18 Squadron _ Five Blenheims attacked a convoy. _107 Squadron _ Six Blenheims failed to find the convoy. _40 Squadron_ Eleven Wellingtons attacked Brindisi; ten attacked the railway station. _S/D Flight _ Two Wellingtons sent on ASV shipping search.


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## parsifal (Nov 7, 2016)

Halders diary 07 November 1941


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## Njaco (Nov 7, 2016)

*November 8 Saturday*
*ASIA*: Per the Great Army Instruction No. 992, the Japanese Army and Navy were ordered to coordinate their plans for the opening phases of the Pacific War. The Combined Fleet staff worked hard preparing the Army-Navy agreement and Combined Fleet Operational Order No. 1. The Naval General Staff would issue Navy Order No. 1 with implementing Navy Directive No. 1 the same day. Navy Order No. 1 was brief and to the point:


> “By Imperial Order, the Chief of the Naval General Staff orders Yamamoto Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet as follows:
> 
> 1. Expecting to go to war with the United States, Britain and The Netherlands early in December for self-preservation and self-defense, the Empire has decided to complete war preparations.
> 
> ...


Navy Directive No. 1 from the Naval General Staff was more detailed and ordered Yamamoto to take various measures prepatory to combat. He did. While every branch of the Naval Ministry were working hard and aggressively on the Orders, Yamamoto issued his “Combined Fleet Top Secret Operation Order No. 1”, a bulky 151-page document. It outlined naval strategy for the first phase of hostilities covering not only Pearl Harbor but more or less simultaneous assaults on Malaya, the Philippines, Guam, Wake, Hong Kong and the South Seas. Combined Fleet Operational Order No. 1 was more than a directive for tactical employment of Japan’s naval forces; it presented a long-range strategic plan. The 151-page order also covered thousands of details. In brief, Japan’s territorial ambitions demanded simultaneous action in virtually every corner of the Pacific, including the USSR’s Maritime Provinces. The Combined Fleet document astonished the Operations Section in Tokyo. It went far beyond anything that group had anticipated in case Japan went to war. The Combined Fleet Staff had virtually completed the order before the First Bureau found out how greatly it differed in scope from the Naval General staff’s initial instructions. Nevertheless, the Operations Section did not object strenuously to Yamamoto’s Combined Fleet Order. The conference between the Operations Section and Yamamoto’s staff officers lasted only one day and publication of the order began immediately thereafter. The Naval General Staff printed it, running off 700 copies – an astounding number for a top secret document – with yeomen from the Combined Fleet doing the job.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_” departs Kagoshima Bay.

Japanese Army Air Force 1st Air Brigade (the 1st Hikodan) was ordered to prepare for operations against Hong Kong. PO1c Masayuki Mitsumasa (Otsu 5) and PO1c Ei-ichi Nakasawa (Pilot 48) from the 3rd Kokutai were killed in an accident over China.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: USAAF 12th Bombardment Squadron began anti-submarine operations from St. Croix Airfield in the US Virgin Islands.

US Naval Operating Base established in Iceland. Rear Admiral James L. Kauffman was the first commandant.

Martlet airplanes from HMS “_Audacity_” shoot down two Focke-Wulf FW200s during an attack on Convoy ON-76.

The German commerce raider “_Atlantis_” was given orders to rendezvous first with the submarines U-68 and later with the U-126. These orders would prove to be the undoing of the “_Atlantis_” as the British Intelligence services had begun to reap the benefits of the equipment and code-books from the captured U-110, plus the fact that with their detailed knowledge of the characteristics of the South Atlantic, they had a fairly good idea where supply-ships were most likely to rendezvous with the U-boats.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German Army Group North finally captures Tikhvin south of Finnish positions along Svir, taking 10,032 casualties in the offensive since October 16. At Tikhvin, Soviet 4th Army was on the verge of collapse. With the last reserves of its supplies, XXXIX.Panzerkorps (Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt) battles into and captures the city. Tikhvin is the road and rail junction thru which flows the meager supply of food and ammunition for Leningrad (then carried 50 miles North by road to the small town of Syas'stroy on Lake Ladoga and by barge across the Lake to the besieged city, a hazardous journey under Luftwaffe attack). Leningrad Military District orders a ‘corduroy’ road of logs to be cut through the forest for 200 miles, around Tikhvin to a railhead further East at Zabor’ye. Finns make no attempt to achieve contact with Germans since it would have meant surrender of Leningrad. Winter suddenly arrives during the day and overnight temperatures hit –40F.

The Soviet 49th and 50th Armies launch counter-attacks against Guderian’s forces north and south of Tula.

In order to have a clearer picture of the situation in the Crimea, _General der Jägdflieger_ Werner Mölders borrows a Bf 109 from III./JG 77 and unofficially shoots down a Russian aircraft. Of the Russian Front _Geschwaders_, JG 53 loses Fritz Muschter, who is shot down and killed. He had five victories.

*GERMANY*: At the annual Beer Hall Putsch speech, Adolf Hitler claimed that the war with Soviet Union was effectively won, citing 3.6 million prisoners taken, and by conjecture the Soviet forces must had suffered eight to ten million casualties thus far. In regards to the United States, Hitler noted that the aggressive US President Franklin Roosevelt had ordered American ships to deliberately attack any German submarines they crossed, while Hitler continued to order restraint for German submarine captains; nevertheless, he noted that the submarines would fight back fiercely should they be fired upon.

The Gestapo arrested Bernhard Lichtenberg, the dean of St Hedwig’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. Renowned for his opposition to the Nazis, he used to close all his services with a prayer for the Jews and prisoners in the concentration camps. Most recently, he wrote to the Reich chief physician, Leonardo Conti, to protest against the authorities “euthanasia” campaign of killing mentally defective and incurably ill patients.


> “As a human being, a Christian, a priest and a German,” he wrote, “I demand ... that you answer for the crimes that have been perpetrated with your consent, which will bring the vengeance of the Lord on the heads of the German people.”


Blessed Bernhard Lichtenberg was killed Nov. 5, 1943 on the way to Dachau at the age of 67. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996. In 2004 Yad Vashem recognized Bernhard Lichtenberg as a Righteous Among the Nations.

RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack Essen overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Attack on Convoy Beta : British cruisers HMS “_Aurora_” and HMS “_Penelope_” and destroyers HMS “_Lance_” and HMS “_Lively_” (Task Force ‘K’), were dispatched from Malta to intercept the Axis convoy ‘Beta’ that had just departed from Italy. This convoy , known as the “Duisburg” convoy to the Germans (because the German merchant ship of that name was included in it) and the “Beta” convoy to the Italians, carried 145 Italian and 78 German troops, 389 vehicles, 34,473 tons of supplies, and 17,281 tons of fuel. Regia Marina provides an escort by the 3rd Division commanded by Bruno Brivonesi comprising heavy cruisers “_Trieste_” and “_Trento_” and 7 Italian destroyers. In addition, 64 Italian aircraft (including six seaplanes) plus eight German planes allowed an escort of eight aircraft overhead from dawn to dusk. The British though, attacked at night with the advantages of radar (which the Italians didn’t have) and prior intelligence from Ultra (the British code breaking efforts had cracked the Italian C38m code, which was used for communications between Italian forces at sea and their land-based HQ). Ultra had provided the British with the position and route of the convoy. 200 miles East of Malta, RAF Martin Maryland (RAF No. 69 Squadron), on reconnaissance from Malta, deliberately locates Beta as a cover for Ultra.

Delegates from Communist-led resistance groups form unified Communist Party of Albania, with Enver Hoxha elected Secretary of the Provisional Central Committee.

Malta is subjected to several attacks during the day. At 1155 hours four Italian Cant 1007s escorted by approximately eighteen Macchi’s dropped bombs from Rinella in a long line to just short of Luqa village. No damage or casualties. RAF Hurricanes engaged the Macchi’s with results as follows: 3 Macchi’s destroyed, 1 probably destroyed, 1 damaged. During the attack Macchi 202 fighter pilot Captain Mario Pluda, in command of 73a Squadriglia, 9o Gruppo, 4o Stormo, and fighter pilot Sergeant Major Luigi Taroni were shot down and killed. The RAF lost 1 Hurricane destroyed and one damaged. At 1941 hours three alerts were sounded when a total of sixteen enemy aircraft approached the Island. Practically all bombs were dropped in the sea. One enemy aircraft dropped anti-personnel bombs in the Rabat area.

From Luqa airfield one Blenheim of RAF No. 18 Squadron and one from RAF No. 107 Squadron flew a recce over Kerkennah, Zuara, and Tripoli. Six Blenheims of RAF No. 107 Squadron and six of RAF No. 18 Squadron attacked a convoy off Cape Spartivento. Sgt Hopkinson of RAF No. 18 Squadron and F/Lt Pryor of RAF No. 107 Squadron failed to return. Eleven Wellingtons of RAF No. 40 Squadron and six Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron attacked Naples, Palermo, Catania, Syracuse and other targets.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Axis nationals evicted from Afghanistan depart Karachi by ship for Iraq.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Four Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron attacked Brindisi and Messina.

*NORTH AMERICA*: At the Kaiser Corporation shipyard, the hull for the liberty ship “_Robert E. Peary_” is laid. The ship would be launched in just four days, the record for construction time for one of these vessels.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: 2nd Battle of Munakukkula: Finnish 8./JR 1 defending Munakukkula (Egg hill) base in Lempaala, Karelian Isthmus is assaulted by Soviet forces at 2330 hours. "Muna"-base defended by kers.

Paasonen is overrun in less than five minutes.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: In the Philippines USAAF 3rd Pursuit Squadron receives 25 P-40E’s.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Admiral Darlan threatens to resign unless Petain dismisses Weygand.

Several operations are flown by RAF Fighter Command including a Ramrod operation, a Circus operation (RAF 11 Group Circus 110) and a Roadstead operation. RAF Fighter Command suffers loss of eighteen fighters. Circus 110 was an attack on the Atéliers d'Hellemes works at Lille with 13 squadrons of Fighters taking part escorting 12 Blenheim IVs from RAF 2 Group. The Luftwaffe claimed 24 Spitfires shot down by the Bf 109s of JG 2 and JG 26. Despite the over-claiming, Obstlt. Adolf Galland from Stab/JG 26 reached 95 kills, Hptm. Joachim Müncheberg of Stab II./JG 26 reached 58 kills as did Hptm. Josef Priller of 1./JG 26. It appears no pilot of JG 2 was awarded a kill.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight.

.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 7, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 8, 2016)

*November 9 Sunday*
*ASIA*: IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_” arrived at Sasebo, Japan. IJN aircraft carriers “_Shokaku_” and “_Zuikaku_” arrived at Kure, Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Convoy PQ 3 departs Hvalfjord for Archangel.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.4, under command of Captain Alan G. Kirk, departed Argentia, Newfoundland, to screen the 31-ship Convoy HX-159. This was the first escort task unit that included in its composition a Coast Guard cutter - the USCG “_Campbell_”. The convoy would not be attacked by U-boats although the presence of whales and blackfish resulted in attacks on sound contacts on five occasions through November 13.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The 19,894-strong Soviet Independent Coastal Army, with 10 T-26 tanks and 152 guns, arrived in Sevastopol, Russia from Odessa, Ukraine, bringing the total defense of the city to 52,000 troops, 170 guns and 100 aircraft. 40 kilometers east of Sevastopol, the 11.Armee captures Yalta as it clears the bulk of the Crimean Peninsula.

Soviet armies conduct localized counterattacks at multiple points along the front of German Army Group Center. In the Rostov sector, Timoshenko prepares counteroffensive against exposed northern flank of German 1.Panzerarmee. Meretskov takes command of Soviet 4th Army.

Hungarian freighter “_Ungvar_” struck a mine (previously laid by Soviet submarine L-4) and sank in the Black Sea. Nearby Romanian torpedo boats “_Viforul_” and “_Vijelia_” were also destroyed in the explosion. Soviet cruiser “_Molotov_” bombards German positions around Feodosia.

Heinrich Müller ordered that all Soviet prisoners of war bound to be executed who were not fit to travel to the places of execution were to be killed at their places of imprisonment. This was to avoid allowing civilians the see these malnourished and diseased prisoners as it could damage morale.

The Leningrad Radio Symphony Orchestra performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in a live concert broadcast to London. Near the end of the performance, air raid sirens could be heard over the music. Shortly thereafter, bombs could be heard detonating outside the concert hall along with the rapid fire of AA guns. The orchestra completed the performance without a break.

Mihailovich’s Chetnik partisans continue their attack on Tito’s communist group, weakening organized resistance to the Nazis.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 76 adult male, 77 adult female, and 18 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 171 people.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command sends 103 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

Hitler briefed Nazi leaders in Munich and told them that if the ‘weather god’ saw fit to grant another 10-14 days of favorable conditions his forces would be able to envelop Moscow and cut off the Caucasus. The Führer’s view – at least concerning Moscow – was based on that of his Army commanders, Field Marshal von Brauchitsch (Commander-in-Chief) and General Halder (Chief of the General Staff). Brauchitsch and Halder were eager to strike the final blow that would bring the Soviets crashing down.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Attack on Convoy Beta : Force K made radar contact on Convoy Beta at a range of 8 miles, and maneuvered unseen into perfect attack position (not only down-moon, meaning the convoy was silhouetted by moonlight, but also waiting until Brivonesi’s big ships were on the opposite tack, ten miles away and with the convoy between them and the British). Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the British press home their attacks. At 0100 hours, British cruiser HMS “_Aurora_”, cruiser HMS “_Penelope_”, destroyer HMS “_Lance_”, and destroyer HMS “_Lively_”, intercepted their target and opened fire at point-blank naval range, a mile and half to a mile and three-quarters— on the three nearest destroyers of the close escort.. All five freighters (German freighters “_Duisburg_” and “_San Marco_”; Italian freighters “_Maria_”, “_Sagitta_”, and “_Rina Corrado_”; and Italian tankers “_Conte di Misurata_” and “_Minatitlan_”) and Italian destroyer “_Fulmine_” were sunk with radar gunnery, while damaging destroyers “_Grecale_” and “_Maestrale_”. All were sunk before Brivonesi could come to the rescue. The Italian admiral chased the departing raiders, straddling enemy ships twice at ranges of five-and-a-half to ten miles, but eventually giving up a stern chase against faster vessels. At 0640 hours, British submarine HMS “_Upholder_” attacked Italian destroyer “_Libeccio_”, which was busy rescuing survivors of the night time battle. 704 survivors from the convoy are rescued. An attempt was made to tow her back to port for repairs, but “_Libeccio_” would sink en route. HMS “_Upholder_” also unsuccessfully attacks Italian cruisers “_Trento_” and “_Trieste_”. Count Ciano writes in his diary of the effect of Malta based aircraft:


> “Since September 19 we had given up trying to get convoys through to Libya; every attempt had been paid for at a high price ... Tonight we tried it again. A convoy of 7 ships left, accompanied by two ten-thousand-ton cruisers and ten destroyers....All - I mean all - our ships were sunk."


Exactly a week after the first cluster bomb attack on Valletta, Malta, the hilltop community of Rabat awoke to the same terrifying sight of Thermos bombs scattered throughout the narrow streets. Superintendent Philip Pullicino of the Special Constabulary and his men worked alongside local police and ARP volunteers in a co-ordinated operation to find and guard every single bomb, until Bomb Disposal Officer Lt George Carroll and his Section arrived to deal with them. Working in teams of three, by the end of the day the Bomb Disposal men had dealt with over 80 Thermos bombs in the town.

Overnight five Albacore aircraft from Malta, FAA No. 828 Squadron were dispatched to attack the submarine base at Augusta with good results. A large fire was started amongst the oil tanks. Light Ack Ack was very intense and accurate. Six Blenheims from RAF No. 107 Squadron, five Blenheims from RAF No. 18 Squadron flew a shipping sweep Gulf of Sirte. Nothing was sighted. Three Wellingtons from RAF No. 104 Squadron made a nuisance raid on Naples. Two Wellingtons from RAF No. 104 Squadron made a nuisance raid on Messina. Three Swordfish carried out submarine patrol. Nothing was sighted.

Six air raid alarms were sounded in Malta through Sunday night: at 1941, 2211, 2309, 0027, 0122 and 0210 hours. A total of twenty five enemy aircraft approached the Island but they dropped the majority of their bombs in the sea, mainly thanks to excellent work of the searchlight operators. During the first raid they illuminated a BR 20 Italian bomber, which was promptly engaged by a RAF Hurricane and damaged. In the second raid another enemy aircraft was reported ‘probably destroyed’ by Hurricanes. Just before the second alarm a Hurricane crashed soon after taking off, near Wardia Ridge: the pilot successfully bailed out at 500 feet.

*NORTH AMERICA*: A third National Academy of Sciences report agreed with the British MAUD report that an atomic bomb was feasible. The MAUD Committee report, “'Use of Uranium for a Bomb”, concluded that an atomic bomb was feasible. The report described the bomb in technical detail, providing specific proposals for developing a bomb and including cost estimates. The report concluded that building an atomic bomb would require a large skilled labor force that was also needed for other parts of the war effort. The report also suggested that the Germans could also be working on such a bomb, and so it recommended that the work should be continued with high priority in cooperation with the Americans.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: 3rd Battle of Munakukkula: Finnish 1. and 3./JR 1 start their attack to take back Munakukkula (Egg hill). The assault starts around 0600 hours and is over at 0900 hours. Soviet casualties are estimated to be around 110 KIA, while Finnish losses were counted as 1 KIA and 20 WIA. The companies capture 1 MG, 3 LMG and 25 rifles. Munakukkula ("Egg hill") is a name given to a 70 meter high hill at Soviet part of the Eastern Karelian Isthmus near the pre-war Finnish border.

Third Soviet convoy departs Kronstadt to evacuate troops from Hango.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: In the Philippines MacArthur met with Hart and advises him to “get a real Fleet”. Hart bitterly resented this jab.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Declaring that Britain would support America by declaring war on Japan should the U.S. find herself at war with Japan, Prime Minister Churchill further stated that,


> “… every preparation to defend British interests in the Far East and to defend the common cause now at stake has been and is being made."


The Abwehr, the German military intelligence, believes that a fire bomb attack at a food warehouse at Wealdstone, London was carried out by two of its secret agents who landed in Scotland from Norway seven months ago. In fact, the agents, both Norwegian, have been working for British Intelligence from the day they landed, and their sabotage exploit was carefully contrived to establish their credentials with the Germans. Code-named “Jack” and “OK” by the Germans, but known to the British by the cartoon character names of “Mutt and Jeff”, they are being run by the “Twenty Committee”, so-called because of the Roman numerals of double-cross. The committee, chaired by an Oxford don, John Masterman, was set up last January. Its purpose is to feed information, a mixture of fact and fiction, to the Germans through their own agents. Captured agents are given the choice: work for us or be executed as a spy. Two of the first Abwehr agents parachuted into England a year ago were given this choice. They both chose to live and now, code-named “Summer” and “Tate”, are employed in sending disinformation to their former bosses.

Little damage was done in a bombing incident at West Hartlepool. HE fell in the water at the docks of a North-east town, causing some slight damage to property.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 9, 2016)

*08 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-254






Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS GANANOQUE (J 259)





Bangor Class MSW HMCS NIPIGON (J 154)





Bangor Class MSW HMS POOLE (J 47)





M (Malyutka) class Submarine VMF M-117





M (Malyutka) class Submarine VMF M-118




_Sister ship M-90_

M (Malyutka) class Submarine VMF M-120
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer VICTO (Nor 3655 grt)* was sunk by the LW 1.8 miles 330° from 18B Buoy, Scarborough. Two crewmen were killed on the steamer.





*Fishing trawler CRADOCK (UK 204 grt)* was sunk by the LW fourteen miles NNE of St Abb's Head. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Drifter MONARDA (UK 109 grt)* foundered in the Thames Estuary.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-578
St. Nazaire: U-75

Departures
Kiel: U-574
Kirkenes: U-576
Lorient: U-105
St. Nazaire: U-433 

At Sea 08 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-502, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-574, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

50 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
*Steamer FLOTTBEK (Ger 1930 grt)* was sunk on a mine laid by Russian submarine K.1 on 27 October in Mageroy Sound, near Nth Cape, Norway.






*North Sea*
British steamer GASLIGHT was damaged by the LW two cables SE of S.1 Buoy off Sutherland. The steamer was towed to Sutherland arriving on the 9th.

*Northern Waters*
DD HURWORTH departed Scapa Flow for Loch Ewe carrying sixty bags of mail for BB RODNEY and the DDs on her screen. The DD arrived at 0850 and sailed again at 1050 for Scapa Flow, carry out gunnery firing practices off the Orkneys on the return passage.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-33_
DD ROXBOROUGH was detached on the 8th.

_Convoy ON.34_
Corvettes CHICOUTIM and SHERBROOKE joined on the 8th and SHERBROOKE was detached later that day.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy SL-91_
Sloop FOWEY and corvettes CAMPION, CARNATION, and HELIOTROPE joined on 8 November to 12 November. Convoy SL.91 rendezvoused with convoy SL.91G on 8 November. After reforming, later on 8 November, the joined convoys SL.91 and SL.91G split into SL.91GF and SL.91GS. SL.91GF arrived at Liverpool on 18 November and SL.91 GS on 19 November.

Sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC had been detached from the convoy with defects and arrived at Gibraltar on the 7th. On the 8th, DD DUNCAN departed Gibraltar to proceed to refitting at Chatham.

_Convoy OS.11_
The convoy was joined by DD CLARE, sloops ABERDEEN, ENCHANTRESS, IBIS, and STORK on the 8th. Also joining the convoy on the 8th were corvettes COLTSFOOT and ORCHIS, and escort vessel WALNEY.

*Channel*
DD ECHO departed Sheerness during the afternoon for the 8th for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 10th. En route, ECHO assisted damaged tug BUCCANEER.

*Med/Biscay*
RM submarine DANDOLO sank *steamer CASTILLO OROPESA (Sp 6600 grt)* near Melilla. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine UPHOLDER unsuccessfully attacked a submarine in the central basin

Force K put to sea to intercept Italian convoy Beta in the early hours of the 9th

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.157_
The US contingent of the escort was detached on 8 November when relieved by DDs BELMONT and GEORGETOWN and corvettes HEARTSEASE, RENONCULE, and ROSELYS, and ASW trawlers ANGLE and CAPEWARWICK.

_Convoy HX.159_
Convoy HX.159 departed Halifax, escorted by destroyer ANNAPOLIS and corvettes KAMLOOPS and SASKATOON.

*Central Atlantic*
Lt Cdr J. M. Wintour Rtd of 802 Sqn in CVE AUDACITY was lost when his plane was shot down by a FW 200 attacking convoy OG.76. DD WANDERER of the escort recovered Wintour's body. The Condor that shot down Wintour's Martlett was shot down by Sub Lt D. A. Hutchison.

Corvette SPIRAEA departed Gibraltar to meet and escort Norwegian tanker THORSHAVET to Gibraltar. On the 15th, corvette AZALEA departed to join the arriving ships. All three arrived on the 17th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 9 NOVEMBER 1941

_0937-0955 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two Macchi 200’s approach the Island from the north east, cross the coast over the Grand Harbour area, proceed on to Filfla and recede North. Ack Ack fire a barrage.

_1155-1220 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Four Cant 1007’s escorted by approximately eighteen Macchi’s drop bombs from Rinella in a long line to just short of Luqa village; no damage or casualties. Hurricanes are scrambled and engage the Macchi’s with results as follows: three Macchi’s destroyed, one probably destroyed, one damaged. One Hurricane is destroyed, one damaged. the pilot is landed safely.

_1730 hrs_ Royal Navy Force “K” sailed to intercept a convoy in the Ionian Sea. Five Albacores attacked the submarine base at Augusta. Large fire started.

_1941, 0143 and 0549 hrs_ Three alerts for a total of sixteen enemy aircraft approaching the Island. Practically all bombs were dropped in the sea. One enemy aircraft drops anti-personnel bombs in the Rabat area – no damage.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER 1941

_LUQA:_ One Blenheim of 18 Squadron and one from 107 Squadron on recce Kerkennah, Zuara, Tripoli. Six Blenheims of 107 Squadron and six of 18 Squadron attacked a convoy off Cape Spartivento. Sgt Hopkinson of 18 Squadron and F/Lt Pryor of 107 Squadron failed to return. One Wellington S/D Flight ASV on shipping search. Four Wellingtons of 104 Squadron attacked Brindisi and Messina. Elevn Wellingtons of 40 Squadron and six Wellingtons of 104 Squadron attacked Naples, Palermo, Catania, Syracuse and other targets.


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## parsifal (Nov 9, 2016)

Halder's Diary 8 November 1941


----------



## parsifal (Nov 9, 2016)

*09 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Higgins 70’ type MGB 101, 02, 103, 104, 105 and 106
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Drifter BOY ANDREW (UK 97 grt)* was sunk in a collision in the Firth of Forth. The skipper was lost in the drifter.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tug LETTIE (UK 89 grt)* was lost off St Abb's Head.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-66, U-103, U-502

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-575

At Sea 09 November 1941
U-38, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

48 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
_Convoy OP-2_
Trawlers CELIA and WINDERMERE departed Hvalfjord on the 9th and joined the convoy on the 11th to relieve DDs ECLIPSE and ICARUS. The trawlers escorted the convoy to 13 November.

DDs ECLIPSE and ICARUS had detached from the convoy after the arrival of the trawlers to proceed to Seidisfjord to refuel and rejoined on the 13th.

*North Sea*
Tug BUCCANEER with a battle practice target in tow was badly damaged by the LW off Montrose (East Coast Of Scotland). DD ECHO, en route from Sheerness to Scapa Flow, was ordered to proceed to assist the tug. When the tug drifted ashore, the destroyer was ordered to continue to Scapa Flow. The tug was later salved.

*Northern Patrol*
British minefield SN.83B was laid by MLs MENETHEUS and PORT QUEBEC, escorted by DDs BRIGHTON, NEWARK, CHARLESTOWN, and MONTROSE.

The operation was covered by CL KENYA.

After the operation, KENYA was ordered to return to Seidisfjord to refuel and then join convoy PQ.3 north of Iceland. The cruiser arrived at Seidisfjord on the 12th.

DD MONTROSE arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th after being detached at the Minches.

The Minelaying Force arrived at Loch Alsh during the morning of the 9th.

_Convoy PQ.3_
Convoy PQ.3 departed Hvalfjord with steamers BRIARWOOD, CAPE RACE, Panamanian EL CAPITAN, TREK IEVE, CAPE CORSO, Panamanian COCLE, SAN AMBROSIO, and WANSTEAD, escorted by ASW trawlers HAMLET and MACBETH

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON.35_
Convoy ON.35 departed Liverpool.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.157_
DD DOUGLAS joined on 9 November.

_Convoy ON-33_
DD BEAGLE and the trawlers, less LADY MADELEINE, were detached on the 9th

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine OLYMPUS unsuccessfully attacked Italian store ship MAURO CROCE in the Gulf of Genoa .

Submarine PORPOISE arrived at Malta from Gibraltar with naval stores and kerosene.

Dutch submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Mediterranean.

_Battle of the Duisburg convoy _
(adapted from an article by Vince Ohara)

The losses incurred by the RN in the Eastern Med during the evacuation of Greece and Crete in April and May, 1941 forced withdrawal of the Malta surface strike force. It was not reconstituted until October 21 when Force K, the CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and the DDs LANCE and LIVELY under the command of Captain Agnew arrived at Valetta’s Grand Harbor. As with Mack’s efforts in April, Agnew’s first two attempts to intercept Italian convoys on the nights of 25/26 October and 1 / 2 November failed. And like Mack, he succeeded on the third try, but even more spectacularly.

The Italians knew that surface ships had returned to Malta within a day of the event and fully appreciated the danger they represented. However, the tempo of the North African land war during the fall of 1941 dictated that more, not less supplies be shipped. The Italians still felt they could deploy overwhelming strength with which to discourage force K, and failing that felt they could slip convoys past the British un-noticed. This despite the mounting shipping losses they were suffering over the summer and autumn of 1941.

Consequently an important convoy of seven ships (all of which were to be lost) was organized comprising the following:

*Steamer DUISBERG (Ger 7,389 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SAN MARCO (Ger 3,113 grt)*,





*MV MARIA (FI 6,339 grt), *
IMAGE FOUND]

*MV RINA CORRADO (FI 5,180 grt)*





*Steamer SAGITTA (FI 5,153 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr MINATITLAN (FI 7,599 grt) *
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Tkr CONTE DI MISURATA (FI 5,014 grt)*
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The convoy gathered at Naples. They were loaded with 13,290 tons of materiel, 1,579 tons of ammunition, 17,281 tons of fuel, 389 vehicles, 145 Italian troops and 78 Germans. Supermarina named the convoy Beta, and provided a generous escort. The direct escort consisted of DDS MAESTRALE, (flag of Captain Ugo Bisciani), FULMINE, EURO, GRECALE, LIBECCIO and ORIANI. The distant escort included CAs TRIESTE, flag of Rear-Admiral Bruno Brivonesi, and TRENTO with DDs GRANATIERE, FUCILIERE, BERSAGLIERE and ALPINO. The route took Beta east of Malta bound for Tripoli. Italian doctrine and experience dictated that the principal danger from the night portion of the passage would come from aircraft, that a surface interception was nearly impossible unless the convoy’s exact route and speed were known. The details of Italian planning showed a marked lack of appreciation conferred by radar or night training, both of which they lacked and the British possessed.

The British learned of the convoy through Ultra intercepts of German Air Force transmissions (note: Santoni denies this ever happening). A Maryland recon plane out of Malta "discovered" the convoy on the afternoon of the 8th. Force K sailed from Malta at 1730 and visually located the convoy about 135 miles east of Syracuse at 0039 on the 9th. The convoy was sailing at 9 knots in two columns about a half-mile apart. On the starboard side the order was DUISBERG, SAN MARCO and CONTE DE MISURATA. On the port MINATITLAN led MARIA and SAGITTA while RINACORRADA brought up the rear between the two columns. The distant escort followed about three miles astern, off the convoy’s starboard quarter, sailing at 12 knots. MAESTRULE sailed at the head of the convoy while FULMINE, and EURO guarded the starboard side, LIBECCIO and ORIANI the port side and GRECALE, followed up the rear. Force K was in line-ahead with AURORA leading followed BY LANCE, PENELOPE and LIVELY. After AURORA’s sighting, Agnew maneuvered to a position down-moon of the Italians, putting his ships on the convoy’s starboard quarter. During this evolution, the direct escort sighted the British, but mistook them for the friendly cruiser group.

Once in position, Force K laid guns with radar and opened fire at 0057 from 3,300 to 5,500 yards. The bright moonlight silhouetted the Italian ships adding to the tactical and technological advantages the British already enjoyed. AURORA targeted GRECALE and scored hits with her first three salvos, setting off an explosion, starting a fire and leaving her dead in the water. PENELOPE’s initial salvos hit MAESTRALE. LANCE took on one of the cargo ships and, after obtaining hits from 4,000 yards, shifted fire to FULMINE. LIVELY was the last to open fire at 0100. She hit DUISBERG with her first salvo and followed with five more before shifting her guns to EURO. These initial salvos were deadly and indeed the whole action was characterized by extremely accurate shooting by the British.

AURORA then fired on MAESTRALE. She was making smoke and withdrawing around the front of the convoy to its port side. She ordered LIBECCIO and ORIANI also on the port, the unengaged side, to make smoke. Bisciani then ordered the escorts to gather around him. This order and the DD’s movements supports the suggestion that he believed the attack was coming from the port, not the starboard, side and that he continued to mistake the ships of Force K for CAs TRIESTE and TRENTO. In any case, after issuing these instructions, Bisciani lost his ability to influence the battle further when AURORA shot MAESTRALE’s radio antenna away.

EURO and FULMINE on the right of the convoy had a better appreciation of the situation. They counterattacked the British, but *Folgore Class DD FULMINE (RM 1240 grt)* was quickly hit hard and repeatedly by LANCE and then PENELOPE. She returned fire only briefly before she turned over and sank at 0106, just nine minutes into the action.





EURO, commanded by Cigala Fulgosi, who successfully defended the second Cretan Convoy with TB SAGITTARIO, approached to within 2,100 yards of the British without suffering damage. He had a perfect torpedo setup and was about to launch when MAESTRALE’s orders made him wonder if he was attacking his own cruisers. He turned away, but realized his mistake when first LIVELY and then AURORA and PENELOPE brought him under fire. EURO was hit six times, but the 6" shells passed through her thin hull without causing major damage.

The Italian distant escort was about 5,500 yards from the convoy’s right side (the Malta side) when the action opened. They came up increasing speed to 24 knots as the British sailed away and then circled around the head of the convoy and down it’s opposite side at 20 knots. The Italian cruisers were not slow in engaging the British, opening fire at 0103 from 7,800 yards, but their position was bad and quickly became worse. In effect, the British unintentionally kept the convoy between them and the RM CAs. TRIESTE and TRENTO shot off 207 rounds of 8" and 82 rounds of 3.9" ammunition, but by 0125, they ceased fire, reporting the British were out of range. The British assumed these vessels were more DDs and Aurora returned fire with her 4" guns, but the range was too great for these to be effective.

The convoy ships, meanwhile, believed they were under aerial attack and took no evasive action throughout. From 0110 Agnew proceeded to circle around the head of the convoy and then up its port side, at ranges down to 2,000 yards, picking off merchant ships with gunfire and torpedoes. The British were rather astounded at the way the cargo ships continued serenely on course, almost waiting their turn to be sunk. LIBECCIO and ORIANI with MAESTRALE and EURO of the direct escort withdrew about ten miles to the east of the convoy and regrouped. They then counter-attacked as a unit, firing salvos, but declining to use torpedoes for fear of hitting their own ships beyond the British. It is interesting to compare this reticence with the Japanese action at the Battle of Sunda Strait. The Japanese didn’t hesitate to fill the waters with torpedoes to get at Allied warships attacking transports, sinking four of their own transports as a consequence. The four DDs led by MAESTRALE continued to make smoke and periodically engaged as they came in view, but they failed to seriously challenge the British and suffered only slight damage inflicted by LIBECCIO as a result. Meanwhile the distant escort continued sailing down the convoy’s starboard in the opposite direction.

In effect, the RM CAs and Force K switched places, the first ending up south and west of the convoy by the time the British were north and east. Agnew ordered cease-fire at 0140 as the British passed by the rear of the now destroyed convoy. No new targets were seen, and concerned with the shortages of 6" ammunition at Malta, (PENELOPE, for example, shot off 259 6" rounds) the British shaped course for home at 0205. They sank every one of the cargo ships and tankers and sank one DD and damaged three others. Although on several occasions the British reported they avoided torpedoes, Italian accounts deny that any of their DDs used this weapon. The only injury suffered by the British was splinter damage to LIVELY. A starshell burst overhead and near misses holed her funnel and a steam pipe on the starboard side. To add to the Italian’s misery, the British submarine Upholder torpedoed LIBECCIO the next day at 0640 while she was engaged in rescue work. EURO tried to tow the stricken ship to safety, but LIBECCIO broke apart and sank shortly after.

This battle was one of the most complete victories won by the British during the war. They were out numbered and outgunned by the escort, but application of superior doctrine and technology along with luck and surprise gave them the victory. Both Brivonesi and Bisciani were relieved, although Brivonesi was subsequently returned to command.

DD GRECALE was taken in tow by DD ORIANI.

DDs MAESTRALE, EURO, ORIANI, ALPINO, FUCLIERE, and BERSAGLIERE rescued 704 survivors from the convoy.

*Maestrale class DD LIBECCIO (RM 1417 grt)*, rescuing survivors, was torpedoed at 0640 by Submarine UPHOLDER in 36-50N, 18-10E. The destroyer was taken in tow by DD EURO, but was sunk when she experienced an internal collapse.





Submarine UPHOLDER at 1107 on the 9th, unsuccessfully attacked CAs TRENTO and TRIESTE.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON-20_
The US DDs were detached on 9 November when the convoy dispersed

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy 0G-76_
The convoy was joined on 9 November by DDs VIDETTE and WISHART, which departed Gibraltar on 8 November.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 10 NOVEMBER 1941

_1030-1035 hrs _ Air raid alarm for two Macchi 200’s which carry out reconnaissance of Luqa, Hal Far and Grand harbour areas. Ack Ack fire one barrage.

_1347 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two unidenfied enemy aircraft approach from North, reach the coast near Delimara Point and then recede North. Ack Ack guns engage by barrage fire.

_1709 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Approx three Macchi’s carry out reconnaissance of the Island. No engagement by Ack Ack or Hurricanes.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY: _Force “K” returned to harbour, having sunk one destroyer and damaged two destroyers, and sunk seven MVs No casualties or damage on our side. Five Albacores attacked Augusta with good results.

_HAL FAR: _Overnight five Albacores, 828 Squadron FAA despatched to attack the submarine base at Augusta. Large fire was started amongst the oil tanks. Light Ack Ack very intense and accurate. Two Hurricanes, 185 Squadron despatched on escort patrol. F/O Bailey failed to return to base. Three Swordfish carried out submarine patrol. Nothing was sighted.

_LUQA: _One Blenheim 107 Squadron, one Blenheim 18 Squadron on SF11 Patrol. Six Blenheims 107 Squadron, five Blenheims 18 Squadron shipping sweep Gulf of Sirte. Nothing sighted. Three Wellingtons 104 Squadron nuisance raid on Naples. Two Wellingtons 104 Squadron nuisance raid on Messina.


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## parsifal (Nov 9, 2016)

Halder's Diary 9 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 9, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 9, 2016)

*November 10 Monday
ASIA*: US Navy Asiatic Fleet issued orders to withdraw Yangtze River gunboats and US Marines from China.

Japanese Admiral Chūichi Nagumo put Yamamoto’s plan into effect by issuing his first operational order. There was an understanding that if diplomatic negotiations with America were successfully concluded even at the very last moment, the attack on Pearl Harbor would be called off and the Striking Force returned to a rendezvous point at Latitude 42 degrees north by Longitude 170 degrees east, where it would stay in a state of readiness until further instructions. The Japanese were already weaving a cloak of secrecy around Nagumo’s Strike Force. Every day false communications emanated from Kyushu at the same time and on the same wavelength as during the training period. Moreover, the Navy broadcast daily messages to Nagumo as intended during the cruise to Hawaii. Nagumo issued Striking Force Operations Order No. 1, directing his forces to complete battle preparations by 20th November and to assemble at Hitokappu Bay. Elements of Nagumo's Pearl Harbor Striking Force began departing Kure naval base.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: A troop convoy designated WS-124 sails from Halifax, consisting mainly of U.S. transports carrying 22,000 British troops, with a U.S. escort as far as South Africa. Among the transports are the three premier liners of the American merchant marine (“_America_”, “_Manhattan_” and “_Washington_”), now in Navy service as USS “_West Point_”, “_Wakefield_” and “_Mount Vernon_”, respectively. The convoy is initially destined for Basra. Escort was provided by the aircraft carrier USS “_Ranger_”, 2 cruisers and seven destroyers (and the United States was still technically neutral).

American destroyer “_Ericsson_”, escorting convoy HX 157, depth charged sound contact.

In the North Atlantic, U-109 met the “_Silva Plana_”, a German capture, and escorted it to safe French waters.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German General Erich von Manstein finally felt he was prepared enough to begin a formal assault against Sevastopol, Russia. The 50.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General K. Hollidt) attacked first, capturing Uppa near the Chernaya River, southeast of Sevastopol, followed by the 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) on the next day. On the Soviet side, Vice Admiral F. S. Oktyabrsky (with Major General I. A. Petrov as his deputy) mobilized 52,000 men, of whom 21,000 were sailors, together with 170 guns (some were in modern steel and concrete emplacements), for the defense of Sevastopol.

The Bryansk Front was dissolved. Kalinin Front (Koniev) protected Moscow from the northern flank and Western Front (Zhukov) from the west. Reserves from the Far East joined Zhukov. Rokossovski’s 16th Army was deployed in depth with carefully placed anti-tank defenses.

*GERMANY*: General Walther von Brauchitsch suffered a heart attack.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Flipper: British submarines HMS “_Torbay_” (carrying Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Keyes' group of 28 men) and HMS “_Talisman_” (carrying Lieutenant Colonel Robert Laycock's group of 28 men) depart Alexandria, Egypt, on an audacious mission to kill Rommel. Faulty intelligence leads them to believe that his HQ is at Beda Littoria, 250 miles inside German-held Libya. In any case, Rommel is vacationing in Italy with his wife Lucie to celebrate his 50th birthday.

The Operation Perpetual convoy, escorted by battleship HMS “_Malaya_”, cruiser HMS “_Hermione_”, and seven destroyers, departed from Gibraltar. At the center of the convoy, British carriers HMS “_Ark Royal_” and HMS “_Argus_” were tasked with delivering 37 Hurricane fighters for Malta.

British submarine HMS “_Proteus_” sank German ship “_Ithaka_” off the island of Milos, Greece. Greek submarine “_Glaukos_” damaged German ship “_Norburg_” north of Crete, Greece.

The Italian "San Marco" naval infantry regiment formed a 3rd battalion by drawing three companies from the two existing battalions.

Overnight the Regia Aeronautica showered more anti-personnel bombs on a civilian area on Malta. This time it was Birkirkara, a town now heavily populated with refugees from the Grand Harbour area who had fled there for safety. Yet again, hundreds of Thermos bombs lay in narrow streets and lanes: 142 them were reported as high priority and dealt with by the Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal Section the same day.

Overnight from Malta, five Albacores of Fleet Air Arm (FAA) No. 828 Squadron were again dispatched to attack Augusta. Bombs were dropped near Nafta tank causing small fire and others on the north end of the submarine base. Weather was good and all aircraft returned safely. One Fulmar made a night intruder patrol over Cape Passero but the weather was unsuitable for locating aerodrome. Four Albacores of FAA No. 828 Squadron were dispatched to attack Catania aerodrome. Results were unobserved owing to bad weather conditions. All aircraft returned safely. Six Blenheims from RAF No. 107 Squadron flew a shipping sweep over the Gulf of Sirte. Three Wellingtons of RAF No. 40 Squadron made a nuisance raid on Brindisi. Two Wellingtons of RAF No. 40 Squadron flew a nuisance raid on Naples.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US President Franklin Roosevelt ordered protection for dams, power plants, and other important infrastructure sites.

In Calgary LAC Karl Mander Gravell (b.1922), RCAF, crashed and tried, despite terrible burns and the loss of an eye, to save his pilot. He later died. (George Cross)

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Finnish troops of Group O (Maj. Gen. Woldemar Oinonen) cut the Murmansk railway at Perälahti. This doesn’t seriously hinder the Soviet supply flow, however; Soviets had already constructed a railway further east.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: There were daylight Luftwaffe attacks on Saltburn on Sea, Durham and Bampton (Bempton), where the Bridlington to Scarborough train was hit. Just before dark, the Flying Scotsman was machine-gunned by enemy aircraft at Berwick. Edinburgh reported that the fireman of the train passing Marshall Meadows at the time received a slight machine-gun bullet wound in the arm. A German plane dropped two HEs then machine-gunned the train. Numerous bullets struck the train and several glass panels were smashed in the carriages. None of the passengers injured but the fireman of the second engine was grazed on the left arm by a machine-gun bullet.

A Junkers Ju 88 was hit by AA fire from HMS ‘_Quantock'_ and it crashed into the cliffs at Ravenscar near Whitby at 1740 hours. Two of the crew were killed and two were listed as missing. The two dead were buried at Thornaby on Tees, together with a third airman, presumably one of the remaining crew members whose body was washed ashore at Ravenscar on November 18th.

*WESTERN FRONT*: At Madgeburg, the pilots of I./JG 3 receive forty of the brand new Bf 109F '_Freidrichs_' as they rest up from several long months of battle on the Russian front. Among the _Gruppe's_ pilots are Hptm. Hans von Hahn, Oblt. Robert Olejnik of 4 Staffel, Oblt. Max Buchholz of the 5 Staffel, Oblt. Helmut Meckel and Oblt. Detlev Rohwer. All are _Ritterkreuz_ holders from the Russian campaign.

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## parsifal (Nov 10, 2016)

*10 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Ocean Boarding Vessel HMS LARGS (F-43)




_HMS LARGS was a conversion of the captured Vichy AMC PLUMER, captured By DD HMS FAULKNOR 22 November 1940 Off Gibraltar._
*UBOATS*
Departures
Lorient: U-43

At Sea 10 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

49 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer VOLLRATH THAM (SD 5787 grt)* was sunk on a mine one at the mouth of the River Ems. The crew was rescued and taken to a German port.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
Submarine SEAWOLF arrived at Murmansk from Scapa Flow

*North Sea*
DD ESCAPADE departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow on completion of boiler cleaning. The DD arrived on the 11th, sustaining weather damage en route.

DD PYTCHLEY departed the Tyne for Methil to land trial parties before proceeding to Scapa. Due to bad weather, the DD was ordered to Leith, where she arrived that afternoon.

Examination vessel LONGSCAR was damaged by the LW off Middlesbrough

*Northern Patrol*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Scapa Flow to join the Commander in Chief's force at Hvalfjord. The cruiser arrived on the 12th.

*Northern Waters*
DD MAORI departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde on completion of a short work up. The DD arrived on the 11th.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-33_
DD ST LAURENT and corvettes SNOWBERRY and TRAIL joined on the 10th.

_Convoy ON.34_
Corvettes HIBISCUS, PERIWINKLE, and SWEETBRIAR were detached on the 10th.

_Convoy ON.35_
The convoy was joined on the 10th by DDs KEPPEL, ROCKINGHAM, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA, SHERBROOKE, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers BUTTERMERE, LADY ELSA, THIRLMERE and WELLARD

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OS.11_
On the 10th, escort vessel HARTLAND joined the convoy

*Channel*
Lt E. A. Holloway was killed when his Martlett of 888 Sqn crashed on approach three miles nth of Bishops Waltham, Hants (Hampshire). Martlets at this time were suffering a high loss rate for the RN, due in part to their high performance and also because of their rushed introduction to service

*Med/Biscay*
BB MALAYA, CV ARK ROYAL and CVE ARGUS, with CLA HERMIONE, and DDs LAFOREY, LEGION, LIGHTNING, GURKHA, SIKH, ZULU, and RNeN ISAAC SWEERS cleared Gibraltar for Operation PERPETUAL.
On the 12th, the carriers flew aircraft off to Malta.

BB BARHAM, CL GALATEA, and DDs KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, KIMBERLEY, and JUPITER departed Alexandria to exercise.

Submarine PROTEUS sank *steamer ITHAKA (Ger 1773 grt)* off Milos.






Greek submarine GLAUKOS damaged German steamer NORBURG off Candia.

Submarine UPHOLDER arrived at Malta after parol.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC-53_
USN DD DALE was with the convoy on 10 to 12 November

_Convoy SC.54_
Convoy SC.54 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by corvettes BATTLEFORD, DRUMHELLER, DUNVEGAN, SOREL, and SUMMERSIDE, and MSW NIPIGON.

_Convoy HX.159_
The escort was relieved on the 10th by USN DDs BADGER, COLE, DECATUR, LIVERMORE, and PLUNKETT.

_Allied convoy WS.12X_
Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived at Gibraltar after Western Patrol.

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE arrived at Gibraltar after Western Patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA EURYALUS arrived at Suez from the UK to join the Med Flt. The CLA arrived at Alexandria on the 11th

*Pacific/Australia*
RNZN CL ACHILLES departed Auckland with a US liner for Sydney.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 11 NOVEMBER 1941

_1109-1120 hrs_ Air raid alarm; raid does not materialise.

_1700-1716 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two enemy aircraft (probably Macchi 200’s) approach the Island from the North and carry out reconnaissance. Ack Ack guns engage by immediate barrage as enemy aircraft cross the coast; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER

ROYAL NAVY _Upholder_ arrived, having sunk one submarine (not confirmed) and one destroyer [in the aftermath of the Force “K” attack]. Four Albacores attacked Catania aerodrome. One aircraft machine-gunned Ragusa. Eight Swordfish carried out search in vicinity of Messina without result.

HAL FAR Overnight five Albacores, 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm (FAA) despatched to attack Augusta. Bombs dropped near Nafta tank causing small fire and others on north end of submarine base. Weather good and all aircraft returned safely. One Fulmar made a night intruder patrol over Cape Passero. Weather unsuitable for locating aerodrome. No results. Four Albacores, 828 Squadron FAA despatched to attack Catania aerodrome. Results unobserved owing to bad weather conditions. All aircraft returned safely.

LUQA Six Blenheims 107 Squadron shipping sweep Gulf of Sirte. Three Wellingtons 40 Squadron nuisance raid Brindisi. Two Wellingtons 40 Squadron nuisance raid Naples.


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## parsifal (Nov 10, 2016)

Halder's Diary 10 November 1941


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## Njaco (Nov 10, 2016)

*November 11 Tuesday
ASIA*: Japanese submarine I-68 joined the Advance Expeditionary Force for the Pearl Harbor attack. She departed Saeki, Japan for Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. Ten Japanese submarines of the Third Submarine Squadron departed from Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan for Kwajalein of the Marshall Islands, where they would proceed for US Territory of Hawaii. They sailed at 1111 hours – the eleventh minute after the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

IJN aircraft carrier “_Kaga_” entered the drydocks at Sasebo Naval Shipyard, Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: American destroyer “_Edison_”, en route to escort Atlantic convoy ON 34, depth charged sound contact. American destroyer “_Decatur_”, escorting Atlantic convoy HX 159, depth charged sound contact off the Grand Banks, Newfoundland. The incident was later evaluated as a "doubtful" submarine.

British Hudson aircraft of No. 53 Squadron RAF damaged German submarine U-203 with four depth charges in the Bay of Biscay at 1415 hours.

A straggler from Convoy SC-53, the Panamanian steam merchant “_Meridian_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-561, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Robert Bartels, in the northern Atlantic Ocean. All of the ship’s complement of 26 died. The 5,592 ton “_Meridian_” was carrying government stores and general cargo and was bound for Archangel, Soviet Union.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Soviet forces prepare counteroffensive against German Army Group North in the Tikhvin sector. Soviet armies conduct localized counterattacks at multiple points along the front of German Army Group Center. The Soviet 49th and 50th Armies launch an attack on the German XXXXIII.Armeekorps at Tula. Fighting is very heavy. The Soviet 49th Army's divisions mount a concentric attack and thwart an attempt to envelope Soviet forces around Tula. German 1.Panzerarmee forced to halt its advance toward Rostov. Soviet cruisers and destroyers bombard attacking German forces at Sevastopol.

_General der Jägdflieger_ Werner Mölders again borrows a Bf 109 from III./JG 77 and claims two more Russian aircraft but they are not recorded because General Mölders is under a _Fluverbot_, an order not to fly in combat situations. Instead he donates his victories to his wingman, Herbert Hohne.

German government report published on this date noted there were 700,000 Soviet prisoners of war employed as forced laborers.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: German submarines are all moved to the Mediterranean Sea in support of Erwin Rommel in North Africa.

In Yugoslavia Mihailovic meets with German officers to consider collaborating with occupation forces.

Axis Convoy departs Trapani for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian torpedo boat “_Prestinari_”.

Three RN Albacores were dispatched to Catania but returned with engine trouble without reaching target. Seven Swordfish left to attack a convoy westwards. Three returned early with engine trouble and four failed to return at all.

From Malta Six Blenheims RAF No. 18 Squadron attacked two M/Vs. Two Blenheims from RAF No. 18 Squadron searched for shipping. Ten Wellingtons from RAF No.40 Squadron and nine of No.104 Squadron attacked Naples. Squadron Leader Greer failed to return. 

*NORTH AFRICA*: The battle to push the Italians out of east Africa begins. Allied forces with support from local guerillas attack Chilga to the west and Kulkaber to the south east of the main Italian position at Gondar. The Italians repel the attacks.

Major Ernst Duellberg's BF109F-4 (Trop) is damaged in combat by the Tomahawk of Flt-Lt A. C. Rawlinson of 3 Sqn. RAAF. Duellberg nurses his aircraft back to Ain-el Gazala where it belly-lands and is written off.

2nd New Zealand Division moves from Baggush to assembly point near Matruh - Siwa. This is the first time the entire New Zealand force has been together (20,000 all ranks).

*NORTH AMERICA*: President Roosevelt gave an Armistice Day address at Arlington National Cemetery.


> "Our observance of this Anniversary has a particular significance in the year 1941," the president said. "For we are able today as we were not always able in the past to measure our indebtedness to those who died ... Whatever we knew or thought we knew a few years or months ago, we know now that the danger of brutality and tyranny and slavery to freedom-loving peoples can be real and terrible. We know why these men fought to keep our freedom - and why the wars that save a people's liberties are wars worth fighting and worth winning - and at any price."



American Lend-Lease program expanded to include Free France based in Britain.

Robert Johnson completed aviation cadet training and began his service with the US Army at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Red Army launched an unsuccessful counterattack in the Kestenga sector to reach their encircled comrades, but without result. Finnish General Siilasvuo ordered his forces to start preparing defensive positions. Soviet resistance was stiffening, and the Finnish GHQ was worried about the heavy losses Finnish troops were taking. Attack in Kestenga is halted by secret order of Finnish GHQ, because it is considered not wise to irritate Western allies by cutting the Murmansk railroad.

After dark, Soviet destroyers “_Stoiki_” and “_Leningrad_”, minelayer “_Ural_”, troop transport “_Andrei Zhdanov_”, and three minesweepers departed the island of Gogland (known in Finnish as Suursaari) in the Gulf of Finland for the Hanko Peninsula in southern Finland. After “_Andrei Zhdanov_” was sunk by a mine (7 were killed, 66 survived) and “_Leningrad_” damaged by a mine, the convoy abandoned its mission to evacuate Soviet troops from Hanko and sailed back to Gogland.

German submarine U-580, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Günther Kuhlmann, collided with target ship “_Angelburg_” and sank 33 miles west of Klaipeda, Lithuania by accident. Of the ship’s complement, 12 died and 32 survived. During its career the U-580 sank or damaged no ships.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Lt. Gen. Lewis Brereton, Air Force USAFFE (later, FEAF) Commander, was dispatched by MacArthur on a three-week, 11,500-mile jaunt to Rabaul, Port Moresby, Townsville, and Melbourne, to comply with Marshall's directive of 30 SEP 41 regarding use of airfields in British Empire areas.

The Australian War Memorial was opened in Canberra. General Blamey arrives at Canberra from Egypt.

On her last voyage HMAS cruiser “_Sydney_” departs Fremantle, escorting troopship “_Zealandia_”.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Circus No. 110, the last such operation for the British of the year, is mounted with twelve Blenheims with an escort of Spitfires sent to raid railroad facilities near Lille. Intercepted by the brand new Fw 190s of JG 26, fourteen British aircraft are shot down while the "Abbeville Boys" lose only three of the new radial engined fighters with one pilot killed. Adding to their scores are Obstlt. Adolf Galland for his ninety-second and ninety-third kills, Hptm. Seifert for his twenty-third, Hptm. Josef Priller for his fifty-seventh and fifty-eighth victories, Hptm. Müncheberg for his fifty-eighth and fifty-ninth, the _Staffelkapitän_ of 4./JG 26 Oblt. Kurt Ebersberger got his sixteenth and Fw. Addi Glunz for his eighth.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 11, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 11, 2016)

*November 12 Wednesday
ASIA*: Yamamoto and his entourage, including Ugaki left Tokyo by train for Yokosuka whence they flew to the Iwakuni Air Group, landing shortly after 1330 hours. They immediately sailed to the “_Nagato_” which had sailed there to meet them.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-203, with one engine and aft diving planes damaged by a British air attack on the previous day, arrived in Brest, France.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.3, under command of Commander Richard E. Webb, assumed escort duty for convoy ON 34.

The destroyer USS “_Decatur_” (DD-341), screening Convoy HX-159, twice depth charged sound contacts that were later evaluated as "non-submarine." The destroyer USS “_Badger_” (DD-126), depth charged a sound contact that was later evaluated as perhaps the USS “_Decatur's_” wake. The U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCG “_Campbell_” reported a sound contact and conducted a search which was joined by the destroyer USS “_Livermore_” (DD-429).

*EASTERN FRONT*: Winter comes to the Russian Front as no German units anywhere on the East front record a temperature higher than 5 degrees Fahrenheit. After sundown, the temperature in the Moscow region of Russia dropped to 5 degrees Fahrenheit or -15 degrees Celsius, which was harsh on the troops on either side, but particularly to the Germans who were less prepared to deal with the weather. Impassable mud freezes enough to allow movement of trucks and tracked vehicles. German Army Group Centre prepares to drive 3.Panzerarmee and 4.Panzerarmee in a massive armored punch North of Moscow while Guderian’s 2.Panzerarmee comes from the South. Meanwhile, Soviet General Zhukov has rebuilt the Western Front to defend Moscow, gaining 22 infantry divisions, 14 cavalry divisions, and 11 ski battalions to reinforce the Soviet capital. The Red Army uses its ski troops in combat for the first time. The Soviet 52nd Army counterattacked at Volkhov.

Italian expeditionary corps begins withdrawing from Eastern front lines, ending its combat operations.

Stuka dive bombers of German StG 77 damaged Soviet cruiser “_Chervona Ukraina_” with 3 bombs at Sevastopol, Russia. Destroyers “_Sovershenny_” and “_Besposhchadny_” were also damaged, with the former capsizing at the naval shipyard. “_Chervona Ukraina_” was the only cruiser lost by Soviets in World War Two.

*GERMANY*: Oberleutnant Adalbert Karbe and Hauptmann Heinrich Wittmer of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British aircraft carriers HMS “_Ark Royal_” and HMS “_Argus_” from the Operation Perpetual convoy launched 37 Hurricane fighters to reinforce Malta. In the early morning RAF Blenheims from Malta set out on a special mission, to guide in the delivery of Hurricane aircraft flying off the aircraft carriers. Their mission successfully completed, the aircraft carriers turned westwards along with the rest of the convoy, Force “H”.

U-331 left Salamis with eight members of a special service team on board for the African front in Tobruk.

Overnight, seven Swordfish from No. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm at Hal Far were dispatched to attack a convoy consisting of two merchant vessels west of Pantelleria. Three aircraft returned to base owing to engine trouble; the remaining four failed to return to base.

From Malta five Blenheims from No.107 Squadron (Sqdn) attacked Mellaha aerodrome. Three Blenheims from No.107 Sqdn made a special search for a dinghy. Three Blenheims from No.18 Sqdn flew a special search for dinghies near Malta-Maritimo. One Blenheim of No.107 Sqdn SF 11 was on patrol. One Blenheim from No.18 Sqdn flew a shipping search off Pantelleria.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Luftwaffe bombers attack Cairo overnight, killing 64 civilians.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Finnish vessels laid mines in the Gulf of Finland to disrupt the Soviet attempts to evacuate personnel from Hanko in southern Finland. Third Soviet evacuation convoy abandons its mission to Hanko.

Finland rejects yet another request from the United States to make peace with the Soviet Union. Finland states that her war is defensive in nature, and the Finnish military efforts don’t threaten the US interests. Finland can't fulfill the US demand to retreat behind the pre-1939 border, because such an act would undermine Finnish security. After giving this official answer, the Finnish FM Witting pays an unofficial visit to the US ambassador Schoenfeld. Witting states that Finland won't cut the Murmansk railway or advance to Archangel. All Finnish military operations from now on will be modest in nature.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Gregory Boyington and other new AVG pilots arrive in Burma via ship.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: King George VI opened a new session of British Parliament. His speech from the throne began;


> "The developments of the past year have strengthened the resolution of my peoples and of my allies to prosecute this war against aggression until final victory."



RAF No. 350 Squadron (Belgian) began forming.

*WESTERN FRONT*: General Huntziger, the Vichy war minister, was killed 50 miles north of Nimes, France in a plane accident. He was returning from a mission to North Africa, to consult General Weygand on a possible German bid to use French North Africa. Though Huntziger signed the armistice with the Germans in June last year, he was a staunch defender of French interests against German encroachment and the strongest opponent of Laval’s efforts to open French ports to Germany.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 11, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 12, 2016)

*November 13 Thursday*
*ASIA*: Japanese Admiral Yamamoto gathered his commanders at Iwakuni air base at Yamaguchi, Japan to discuss Pearl Harbor tactics. The commanders in chief of all fleets except the Southern Expeditionary Fleet, with their chiefs of staff and senior staff officers, arrived by sea and land to participate. These included Nagumo, Kusaka, and Oishi as well as Shimizu.

Aboard IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_”, testing was complete on new torpedo modification and drop techniques, with 82% effective hits. Genda believed that the last obstacle to successful attack had been removed. “_Akagi_” departed Sasebo and arrives later that day at Kagoshima.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The unescorted British motor merchant “_Peru_” was torpedoed and sunk by the U-126, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Ernst Bauer, southwest of Cape Palmas, Liberia in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship’s complement, all 50 survived and were picked up by the South African whale factory ship “_Uniwaleco_”. The 6,961 ton “_Peru_” was carrying pig iron, groundnuts, and general cargo and was bound for the United Kingdom.

The German commerce raider “_Atlantis_” rendezvoused with the submarine U-68 southwest of the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic in order for the “_Atlantis_” to transfer fuel oil to the submarine as the “_Atlantis_” was now scheduled to return to Germany.

*EASTERN FRONT*: At a conference held at Orsha in the occupied Soviet Union, German field commanders meet to hear General Halder’s (the OKH Chief of the General Staff) plans to continue the attack on Moscow. The plan involves three infantry armies and three panzer groups. The plan is for Guderian’s 2.Panzerarmee to take Tula, to the south of the Russian capital, and then sweep up behind Moscow to Kolemna. Hoth’s 3.Panzerarmee is to form the northern arm of the pincer with the task of driving eastwards to the Volga Canal and then wheeling towards Moscow while Hopner’s 4.Panzerarmee attacks in the centre. Despite some reservations the plan is agreed upon. German troops fighting near Moscow, were fighting temperatures as low as -8° F (-22° C). Army Group South reports that the heavy frost has set in. Guderian reported that ice was causing a lot of trouble. The cold made telescopic sights useless. Fuel was freezing and oil became viscous. Each regiment of the 112.Infanterie-Division had already lost 500 men from frostbite. The result, said Guderian was a panic which reached as far back as Bogorodsk. Winter in Russia had begun. As the mud freezes, however, the Germans prepared for a new offensive amidst increasing casualties due to weather. Taking advantage of the frost-hardened ground, they launched one of their customary pincer movements in a final attempt to capture the city before the winter strikes the exposed German army with all its severity. The Germans are happy that the frost has made the ground hard enough for their tanks and horses and men to operate, but if they cannot reach the shelter of Moscow within the next few weeks they will be forced to go onto the defensive. The initial reports of the fighting show that it is going to be much harder for them to take Moscow than seemed possible last month when panic gripped the city. Tula has been turned into a strongpoint, and unless the Germans take this communications centre and its airfield they cannot complete their pincer movement. Stalin has put heart into the people of Moscow, and Zhukov has created an effective defence. Further south, German and Romanian troops make an unsuccessful attempt to seize Sevastopol. General Kirill Meretskov attacked German troops at Tikhvin, Russia. German 12.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General J. Harpe) cannot reinforce or supply Tikhvin so General von Arnim organizes his tired troops into a hedgehog defense (small, mutually-defending strongpoints, often hidden, designed to frustrate the movements of a larger army). Soviet General Kirill Meretskov (reinstated after his poor performance against Finland in the Winter War and subsequent interrogation by NKVD) begins an attack with 4th, 52nd and 54th Armies including 3 fresh divisions brought in from Siberia and the Far East.

Soviet cruiser “_Chervona Ukraina_”, damaged by German aircraft on the previous day, sank at Sevastopol, Russia. Her guns would be salvaged to be used on shore.

Obfw. Edmund Wagner of 9./JG 51 is killed in action against Russian Pe-2s. Obfw. Wagner had fifty-six kills with just one victory on the Western Front.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler ordered the German Navy to restraint from attacking American ships, but should German warships be fired upon by the Americans, they were to fire back in defense.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Force K, returning to Gibraltar from Malta is attacked by two German U-boats, U-81 and U-205. German submarine U-81 hit and badly damaged British aircraft carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” in the Mediterranean Sea 150 miles east of Gibraltar; 1 was killed, 1,487 survived. At 1540 hours, the sonar operator aboard the destroyer “_Legion_” detected an unidentified sound, but assumed it was the propellers of a nearby destroyer. One minute later, “_Ark Royal_” was struck amidships by a torpedo, between the fuel bunkers and bomb store, and directly below the bridge island. The explosion caused “_Ark Royal_” to shake, hurled loaded torpedo-bombers into the air, and killed Able Seaman Edward Mitchell. A 130-by-30-foot hole was created on the starboard side and bottom by the torpedo. The hit caused flooding of the starboard boiler room, main switchboard, oil tanks, and over 106 feet (32 m) of the ship's starboard bilge. The starboard power train was knocked out, causing the rear half of the ship to lose power, while communications were severed shipwide. The hole in the hull was enlarged by the ship's motion, and by the time “_Ark Royal_” stopped she had taken on water and begun to list to starboard. The tug “_Thames_” arrived from Gibraltar at 20:00 and attached a tow line to “_Ark Royal_”, but flooding caused the angle of list to increase rapidly. “_Ark Royal's_” complement had been evacuated to “_Legion_” by 04:30 hours and the 1,487 officers and crew were transported to Gibraltar.

Despite the delivery, and the arrival of Monday’s convoy, shortages of essential commodities were becoming a serious problem, with the inevitable increase in prices of both local and imported goods. Even in peacetime, Malta was unable to feed itself from its limited farmland. With thousands of extra military personnel on the Island much-needed supplies could only come by sea – which meant passing through hostile enemy territory. It was decided that special measures were needed and a new government advisory body, with Regional Protection Officers given the job of monitoring fair trading by local businesses. The price of essential commodities was fixed at or near pre-war levels.

From Malta 3 Blenheims of No.107 Sqdn were dispatched to attack barracks and M/T park at Mellaha. All aircraft turned back owing to bad weather.

*NORTH AFRICA*: On the night of the 13th Rommel ordered another withdrawal, and now the animosity between German and Italian broke into conflict. In several cases Germans who had no vehicles stole Italian vehicles at gunpoint, and some German battalions stealthily crept out of the line without bothering to notify let alone coordinate with, the Italians on the flank. The sun had risen before some Italians learned of the retreat. This meant that much heavy equipment was left behind, including precious anti-tank guns, and tens of thousands of Italians began walking across a flat desert swept by a cold wind under the eyes of every pilot in the Allied air force.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Both houses of the US Congress narrowly (the house vote was 212 to 194) repeal the Neutrality Act. The roll was called in tense silence. As soon as it was over, the Speaker, Sam Rayburn of Texas, who immediately before the vote went on to the floor and read a letter from the president urging passage, happily signed it. The president will sign it on Monday. The bill’s history was a notable demonstration not only of the declining, though still formidable, power of the isolationists but also of President Roosevelt’s political skill. Realizing that he did not at first have the votes for revising the Neutrality Act so drastically as to allow American ships to enter war zones, he first sent a bill allowing US merchantmen to be armed to the House. Polls suggested that most Americans were in favour, and the bill was passed by the House by almost two votes to one on 17 October. Then, after making a speech in which he claimed that the Nazis were planning to subjugate Central and South America, he sent the more ambitious bill allowing ships to go into war zones to the Senate, where it passed by 50 to 37. That was close. U.S. merchant ships were now allowed to be armed and enter war zones.

In Canada, the M-1000 Committee for researching biological warfare discusses anthrax, plague, typhoid, and cholera as possible directions for offensive weapons. They even discuss the feasibility of dropping infected rats with parachutes on enemy territory.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: After sundown, Soviet destroyers “_Gordy_” and “_Surovy_” departed Gogland, Russia for Hanko, Finland, escorted by minelayer “_Ural_”, four T-class minesweepers, and four MO-class submarine chasers. En route, “_Surovy_”, T-206, and MO-301 struck Finnish naval mines and were sunk. The remaining ships arrive at Hanko and wait, eventually return to Kronstadt on November 25.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Allied troops established a new defensive line from the mouth of the Muar River to Gemas in British Malaya.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British Air Ministry instructed Sir Richard Pierse, the Commander-in-Chief Bomber Command, to curtail drastically the scale of sorties against Germany, especially in bad weather. The War Cabinet stated the instruction "having stressed the necessity to conserve our resources in order to build a strong force to be available by the spring of next year". The bomber offensive in its present form was to be stopped whilst the future shape and tactics of Bomber Command was debated. With the exception of a few minor raids in the following months this is exactly what happened and, by early January, Pierse had been posted from his position.

In England, authority is given for the establishment of an Airborne Division.

.


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## Old Wizard (Nov 13, 2016)




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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2016)

*11 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Benson Class DD USS FARENHOLT (DD491)





*Losses*
_Convoy SC-53_
Corvettes ALGOMA and BATTLEFORD were detached on the 11th.

*Steamer MERIDIAN (Pan 5592 grt)*, a straggler from the convoy was sunk by U-561 with the loss of her entire crew of 26. Her mixed cargo was of course also lost. At 2335 hrs, U-561 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the MERIDIAN, observed one hit in the bow and heard another detonation at 2341 hrs. The ship was reported missing after being seen for the last time by RCN Corvette CHAMBLY at 1730 hours on 12 November. 
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-374
Lorient: U-107
St. Nazaire: U-73

At Sea 11 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

46 Boats

Whilst inbound a British Hudson bomber (53 Sqn RAF) dropped four DCs as U-203 dived. The U-Boat damaged one engine and the aft hydroplanes. The boat nonetheless managed to reach Brest the next day

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Type VIIc U.580 (DKM 769 grt)* was sunk in a collision with German target vessel ANGELBURG during night excercises off Memel. Twelve crewmen were lost in the submarine. Thirty two crewmen were rescued.





*North Sea*
T/Sub Lt (A)G. Black, RNZVR, was died of injuries after his Swordfish flew into high ground at Durham.

*Northern Patrol*
BB RODNEY and DDs ONSLOW, IMPULSIVE, and ANTELOPE on patrol off the Faroes - Iceland passage were ordered to Hvalfjord. The ships arrived at Hvalfjord on the 12th.

CA KENT departed Hvalfjord for exercises and then patrol in the Faroes –Iceland passage.

*Northern Waters*
_Convoy OP-2_
From the 11th CA NORFOLK detached from the escort and proceeded to Scapa.

*West Coast*
MSW SHARPSHOOTER departed Cardiff for Scapa Flow, arriving during the daylight of the 13th.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.157_
DDs BELMONT and GEORGETOWN were detached on 11 November.

_Convoy ON-33_
On the 11th, the sloop, the corvettes, and trawler LADY MADELEINE were detached when corvettes CHILIWACK, COLLINGWOOD, and PRIMROSE joined.

*Channel*
MSW BLYTH was damaged by the LW off Dartmouth. The damage required sixteen days to repair.

*Med/Biscay*
BB VALIANT, CL HOBART, and four DDs were at sea from Alexandria on exercises.
The 7th Destroyer Flotilla was also at sea exercising.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy 0G-76_
The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 11 November. CVE AUDACITY (part of the escort), was detached on 11 November and arrived at Gibraltar for repairs from 12 November to 13 December.

_Convoy SL.92_
On the 11th, sloop EGRET to 29 November and escort vessels BANFF and FISHGUARD to 1 December joined the convoy.

_Convoy ST.8_
Convoy ST.8 departed Freetown, escorted by sloop BRIDGEWATER, corvettes CLOVER, HOLLYHOCK, and WALLFLOWER, and ASW trawlers KELT and SARABANDE.

*Pacific/Australia*
RAN CL SYDNEY departed Fremantle to escort British troopship ZEALANDIA, which had departed Sydney escorted by CL ADELAIDE for Singapore. CL DURBAN relieved SYDNEY on the 17th. The Australian CL was to return to Fremantle, arriving on the 20th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 12 NOVEMBER 1941

_0545-0604 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two enemy aircraft approach the Island singly. The first drops bombs in the sea ten miles east of Zonkor Point and recedes North. The second aircraft drops bombs in the sea near Salina Bay, then crosses the Island and recedes over Filfla. 

_1147-1158 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One Macchi comes in from the north east at 21,000 feet to within one mile of Grand Harbour and then recedes north. Ack Ack guns fire pointer rounds; no claims. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 11 NOVEMBER

_ROYAL NAVY _ Three Albacores despatched Catania returned with engine trouble without reaching target. Seven Swordfish left to attack convoy to westwards. Three returned early with engine trouble and four failed to return at all.

_LUQA 18 Squadron_ Six Blenheims attacked two merchant vessels. Two Blenheims searched for shipping. Ten Wellingtons 40 Squadron and nine of 104 Squadron attacked Naples. Squadron Leader Greer failed to return.


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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2016)

Halder's diary 11 November 1941


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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2016)

*12 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS ELDER (AN-20)





Allied
Bar Class Boom Defence Vessel HMS BARFORD (Z-209)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

M (Malyutka) Class Submarine M-114
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Cable ship FRANCOLIN (UK 322 grt)* (ex-FARADAY,) was sunk by the LW two miles N 25° E from Haisborough Light House.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer MAURITA (UK 199 grt)* was sunk on a mine at Hilbre Swash, in the Dee Estuary.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-576
Brest: U-203, U-208
St. Nazaire: U-74, U-569

Departures
Kiel: U-375, U-453
Salamis: U-331

At Sea 12 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

45 Boats]

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
Submarine SEALION departed Murmansk for patrol off Svaerholthavet

Black Sea/Caspian
*CL CHERVONA UKRAINA (VMF 8400 grt)* was sunk by bombing at Sevastapool. She was hit three times in the South Bay of Sevastopol by JU87s from II/StG 77, but didn't sink until the next day after her crew was ordered to abandon her. Her guns were salvaged and most of the guns and crew were incorporated into the port's defenses, although two of her twin “Minizini” turrets were added to KRASNI KAVKAZ

She was raised on 3 November 1947, repaired, and used as a training hulk until 30 October 1950 when she became a target ship. On 10 May 1952, CHERVONA UKRAINA was grounded on a spit to serve as a fixed target; by 1980 there was nothing left of the ship above the surface.





VMF DD SOVERSHENNY, under repairs at Sevastapool, was further damaged by LW Stukas.

Soviet steamer KRASNY PROFINTERN was damaged by the LW in the Black Sea.

*North Sea*
British steamer trawler BEN SCREEL was damaged by LW fourteen miles NE by north of St Abb's Head.

*Northern Patrol*
CA KENT arrived at Hvalfjord from Denmark Strait patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DD HURWORTH departed Scapa Flow at 0930 for Scrabster with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Olaf of Norway. The DD returned 1200 and embarked her motor boat. HURWORTH departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to boiler clean prior to proceeding to the Mediterranean.

DD PYTCHLEY departed Leith for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 13th to work up.

*West Coast*
_Convoy WS.12Z_
Convoy WS.12Z departed Liverpool and the Clyde and rendezvoused off Oversay on the 13th with steamers ADRASTUS, EMPIRE STAR, SUSSEX, MATAROA, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, EMPRESS OF ASIA, NARKUNDA, EMPRESS OF JAPAN, AORANGI, ARUNDEL CASTLE, ORDUNA, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, CAPETOWN CASTLE, DEUCALION, ABBEKERK, and RIMUTAKA. Initial escort consisted of DDs WHITEHALL, WITCH, BADSWORTH, VANQUISHER, and EXMOOR from 13 to 16 November.

BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and DDs FURY, FORESTER, and FORESIGHT departed the Clyde on the 12th to join the convoy. They were route via Milford Haven and south of Ireland. On the 13th, the warships arrived at Milford Haven and departed later that day to join the convoy.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.157_
DDs AMAZON and DOUGLAS joined the escort on the 12 November.

_Convoy ON.35_
DDs KEPPEL and VENOMOUS were detached on the 12th.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OS.11_
Corvette COLTSFOOT was detached on the 12th,

*Med/Biscay*
DDs FARNDALE and HEYTHROP arrived at Aden to join the Med Flt. They were sailed for Suez. The DDs had accompanied CLA EURYALUS for most of the passage.

RHN DD AETOS departed Alexandria to transit the Suez Canal, en route to refitting in India.

RHN submarine GLAUKOS sank an *unnamed caique (FI 250 grt (est))* north of Crete with gunfire.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine PORPOISE departed Malta for Alexandria.

During a sweep during the night of 11/12 November, seven Swordfish of 830 Swordfish took off to attack a convoy of two merchant ships and escorts reported west of Pantelleria. Swordfish piloted by Lt P. E. O'Brien, Sub Lt (A) M. Thorpe, and T/A/Sub Lt (A) R. S. Vercoe RNVR, were forced to return to Malta with engine problems. The other four Swordfish were lost when the aircraft ran out of fuel.

Lt Cdr J.G. Hunt, Lt G. M. T. Osborn DSC, and Sergeant M. Parke; T/A/Sub Lt (A) S. W. L. Campbell RNVR, and Leading Airman J. R. Fallon; T/Sub Lt (A) R. W. Taylor RNVR, and P/T/A/Sub Lt (A) F. L. Robinson RNVR,were rescued and made prisoners of war. Lt (A) A. F. Wigram RNVR, and Leading Airman K. D. Griffiths were not found.

Submarine OLYMPUS arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Mediterranean.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.34_
The remainder of the escort was detached on the 12th when joined by USN DDs BENSON, EDISON, HILARY P. JONES, NIBLACK, and TARBELL.

_Convoy SC.54_
The original escort (corvettes BATTLEFORD, DRUMHELLER, DUNVEGAN, SOREL, and SUMMERSIDE, and MSW NIPIGON) were relieved on the 12th by DDs COLUMBIA and SKEENA and corvettes ACONIT, BRANDON, CAMROSE, MIMOSA, SHEDIAC, and WETASKIWIN.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy OS-10_
On 12 November, DD VANSITTART and corvettes BURDOCK, MARGUERITE, and STARWORT joined the convoy and escorted it into Freetown, arriving on 18 November.

_Convoy SL.91GF_
Convoy SL.91GF departed Gibraltar escorted by sloops FOWEY and BLACK SWAN to 18 November, ocean boarding vessel MARON to 15 November, and corvettes CAMPION and HELIOTROPE to 16 November and CARNATION and STONECROP to 18 November.

_Convoy SL.91 GS_
Convoy SL.91 GS departed Gibraltar escorted by DD WRESTLER to 16 November, sloops FLEETWOOD, LEITH, SANDWICH, and SCARBOROUGH to 19 November, and corvettes ANCHUSA, CALENDULA, MIGNONETTE to 19 November.

Corvettes ACANTHUS, GENTIAN, and HONEYSUCKLE to 19 November, and MYOSOTIS to 15 November joined on the 13th. ASW whaler SOUTHERN STAR joined on the 17th to 18 November.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 12 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 13 NOVEMBER 1941

_0034-0129 hrs_ Air raid alarm caused by approach of friendly aircraft.

_0210 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft approaches from the north, drops bombs fifteen miles east of Delimara and recedes. 

_0624-0650 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft drops six bombs in the sea 1½ miles off the Island.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVYPorpoise_ sailed for Alexandria with passengers and stores.

_HAL FAR_ One Fulmar made a night intruder patrol over Gerbini and Catania aerodromes. Bombs dropped on Gerbini revolving beacon but the light did not go out.

_LUQA107 Squadron _ Five Blenheims attacked Mellaha aerodrome. Three Blenheims special search for dinghy. One Blenheim SF 11 patrol. _18 Squadron_ Three Blenheims special search for dinghies Malta-Maritimo. One Blenheim shipping search Pantelleria.


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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 12 Novermber 1941


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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2016)

*13 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-596





*Losses*
U-126 sank *MV PERU (UK 6961 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic SW of Sierre Leone. She sailing independently, with a crew of 50, all of whom would survive the attack. She was transporting a mixed cargo, including pig iron, and ground nuts, from Calcutta to the UK via Capetown and Freetown. At 0042 hrs the unescorted PERU was hit amidships by one torpedo SW of Cape Palmas and sank at 0145 hrs after being hit in the engine room by a coup de grace. The Germans questioned the survivors before leaving the area. The entire crew were picked up and landed at Freetown on 16 November.





*Steamer JOMA (Ne 372 grt)* was sunk by a mine in FalmouthHarbour, Cornwall. Three gunners were lost on the steamer.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-202
Lorient: U-77

Departures
Brest: U-372

At Sea 13 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

44 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*Project 7u (Storozhevoi) class DD SUROVY (VMF 2192 grt)* was sunk after striking a Finnish mine while participating in the evacuation of the Hangö peninsula in the Baltic, the night before the loss of VMF DD GORDY (Leningrad class leader).




_Sister ship Project 7U SMYSHLYONYI_

*Northern Patrol*
CL SHEFFIELD departed Hvalfjord for Faroes - Iceland patrol. DD ECHO departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord to join the CinC, Home Fleet. She was carrying mail for the fleet. The DD arrived on the 15th.

_Convoy PQ.3_

DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID and later CL KENYA departed Seidisfjord on the 13th and joined the convoy on the 14th in 70-30N, 5-00W.

*Northern Waters*
DD BRIGHTON departed Loch Alsh to carry out docking and repairs at Scapa Flow. The DD arrived early on the 14th.

*West Coast*
_Convoy HX.157_
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 13 November.

_Convoy ON.36_
Convoy ON.36 departed Liverpool escorted by DDs BROKE, CHELSEA, and WOLVERINE, corvettes BEGONIA, EGLANTINE, and LARKSPUR.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-33_
Destroyer ST LAURENT was detached on the 13th

_Convoy HX 158_
The remainder of the USN Gp was relieved on the 13th by DDs BEAGLE and ROXBOROUGH, sloop COMMANDANT DETROYAT, corvettes HEATHER, LOBLIA, and NARCISSUS, and ASW trawlers ARAB, KIRKELLA, LADY MADELEINE, NORWICHCITY, and STELLA CARINA. The trawlers, less KIRKELLA, were detached later that day.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy WS.12Z_
DD MAORI was with the convoy from 13 to 17 November. The DD arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th for duty in DesFlot19.

*Med/Biscay*
On the 13th, U.205 attacked a DD and CV ARK ROYAL unsuccessfully. However, also on the 13th, ARK ROYAL was again targeted by a uboat attack (this time by U-81) which on this occasion, finally, (after many attempts) was successful in hitting the target.

At 16.37 hours on 13 Nov 1941, U-81 fired a spread of four torpedoes at BB MALAYA in Fce H as it returned to Gibraltar, and heard two detonations after 6 minutes 6 seconds and 7 minutes 43 seconds. In fact only one torpedo hit CV ARK ROYAL amidships. The carrier was crippled by this hit and was to eventually sink through a combination of poor damager control and inherent weaknesses in the design, most of which were known since prewar days in the RN. 

Following the attack, the escorts delivered a punishing depth charge attack with 130 depth charges counted, driving the U-boat deep and allowing the carrier to be attended to unmolested by further attacks, but the boat escaped.

DD WILD SWAN, tugs ST DAY and THAMES, and motor launches ML.121, ML.130, ML.132, ML.135, ML.170, ML.172, and ML.176 departed Gibraltar to assist.

Tugs THAMES and ST DAY arrived and took the carrier in tow.

BB MALAYA, as well as CVE ARGUS, and CLA HERMIONE and indeed all the other ships in the force were unharmed, and arrived at Gibraltar on the 13th.

Operation APPROACH, carrying stores to Tobruk, began when DDs KIPLING, JACKAL, and ENCOUNTER departed Alexandria on the first serial. Polish General Sikorski took passage in DD KIPLING to inspect Polish troops at Tobruk. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 14th.

DD ERIDGE and sloop FLAMINGO passed through the Suez Canal northbound.

FLAMINGO departed Port Said for Alexandria, arriving on the 14th, whilst ERIDGE was held at Port Said to take part in an ASW sweep the next day.

*Auxiliary ship AGHIOS NICOLAOS (Ex-Gk 150 grt(est))* was sunk on a mine between Dikili and Mitylene. The sailing ship struck a mine and sank in the Aegean whilst under german control off Lesbos with the loss of all four crew.
[NO IMAGE FOUND] 

Submarine REGENT arrived at Malta from Alexandria with passengers, stores, and kerosene. On the 12th, her starboard engine broke down completely and she arrived at Malta with only her port engine operating.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Canadian troop convoy TC 15 _
Canadian troop convoy TC 15 departed Halifax with liners ANDES, CHRISTIAAN HUYGENS, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, DURBANCASTLE, ORCADES, ORONSAY, REINA DEL PACIFICO, SOBIESKI, and WARWICKCASTLE. The convoy was escorted by USN BB NEW MEXICO, CLs PHILADELPHIA and SAVANNAH, and DDs MORRIS, SIMS, HUGHES, MUSTIN, RUSSELL, WALKE, and O'BRIEN on the 13th.

_Convoy SC.54 _
Convoy SC.54 departed St Johns escorted by destroyer BURNHAM and corvettes ALGOMA, CHAMBLY, MATAPEDIA, and NAPANEE.

*Central Atlantic*
ASW trawlers ST NECTAN and LADY SHIRLEY departed Gibraltar escorting tanker COWRIE westwards and then joined tanker WINAMAC for Gibraltar, arriving on the 21st.

_Convoy SL.92_
On the 12th, CA DORSETSHIRE and CL DUNEDIN joined the convoy to 13 November.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
_Australian troop convoy US 13_
Australian troop convoy US 13 departed Fremantle with liners QUEEN ELIZABETH and QUEEN MARY.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 13 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 14 NOVEMBER 1941

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Regent_ arrived from Alexandria with military reinforcements, stores and kerosene. 

_LUQA_ _107 Squadron_ 3 Blenheims were despatched to attack barracks and motor transport park at Mellaha. All aircraft turned back owing to bad weather.

_TA QALI_ RAF vacate Villa Alfano, Lija, and personnel accommodated at ParisioPalace, Naxxar.


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## parsifal (Nov 13, 2016)

Halder's Diary 13 November 1941
(note the developing crisis in the german logistics network) From this day Wagner is reporting no trucks in the divisional parks, everything is being thrown into the army level supply from the railheads. Some are of the opinion that it was from this date that Germany's final defeat can be traced).


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## Old Wizard (Nov 13, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 13, 2016)

*November 14 Friday
ASIA*: IJN aircraft carrier “_Kaga_” exited the drydocks at Sasebo Naval Shipyard, Japan. IJN aircraft carrier “_Shokaku_” was relieved of her status as the flagship of Carrier Division 5. That responsibility was passed to IJN aircraft carrier “_Zuikaku_”.

Japanese liner “_Tatsuta Maru_” arrives at Yokohama with hundreds of Japanese repatriates from Allied nations and Admiral Kondo, former naval attache in London. “_Tatsuta Maru_” then departed Yokohama, Japan.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The destroyers USS “_Benson_” (DD-421) and USS “_Niblack_” (DD-424), screening Convoy ON-34, depth charged a sound contacts. The destroyer USS “_Edison_” (DD-439), en route to the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Meeting Point in U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.1 to screen Convoy ON-35, attacked a sound contact southwest of Iceland.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Stalin ordered Zhukov to launch two spoiling attacks. Rokossovski was ordered to attack at Volokolamsk. Both Zhukov and Rokossovski protested – to no avail. Armies of Soviet Western Front conduct localized counterattacks at multiple points along the front of German Army Group Center. The Soviet 49th Army hits the German XII.Armeekorps and XIII.Armeekorps in the Tula area. Fighting is very heavy.

Elements of 11.Armee close on Sevastopol, cutting the city off from landward communications. On the other side of the peninsula, Kerch is occupied.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler meets grand mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini in Berlin. They agree that German occupation of Palestine and other mandated territories would result in annihilation of their Jewish population of about 500,000.

*MEDITERRANEAN:* British carrier “_Ark Royal_”, within 25 miles of Gibraltar, succumbs to damage done in the earlier U-boat attack and is abandoned to sink. The list of damaged British carrier HMS “_Ark Royal_” reached 45° before the carrier capsized and sank at 0619 hours. Witnesses reported the carrier rolling to 90°, where she remained for three minutes before inverting. “_Ark Royal_” broke in two, the aft sinking within a couple of minutes, followed by the bow. With HMS “_Illustrious_” and HMS “_Formidable_” both under repair in the USA, the Mediterranean Fleet is left without a carrier - a parlous situation since Hitler, desperate to supply Rommel, is preparing to order one Fliegerkorps of bombers from Russia to Sicily - a serious threat to Malta and the Royal Navy.

Operation Astrologer: The British launched unescorted freighters disguised as French, Italian, and Spanish ships with supplies for Malta. Operation Astrologer comprises 2 ships, SS “_Empire Defender_” and SS “_Empire Pelican_”, traveling independently. “_Empire Pelican_” was found and sunk by Italian SM.79 torpedo bombers near the Galite Islands off Tunisia, killing 1. “_Empire Defender_” is believed to have met the same fate. The convoy attempt was the latest in a series of clandestine missions to run supply ships along the North African coast disguised as local tramp vessels. However, with German U boats also known to be operating in the Western Mediterranean, the operation of future such convoys from the British mainland is now in doubt.

Night attack by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) on Brindisi as well as Catania, in Sicily. One Wellington flew a shipping search off Taranto Bay and Straits of Otranto. Two Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron flew nuisance raid on Brindisi. Twelve Wellingtons of RAF No. 40 Squadron and seven Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron attacked Catania.

Axis Convoy departs Taranto for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Pigafetta_” and “_Da Verazzano_”.

There were no air raid alarms or attacks on Malta today.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Flipper: After dark, submarines HMS “_Torbay_” and HMS “_Talisman_” delivered Layforce - 36 (of planned total of 59) British commandos of No. 11 (Scottish) Group under Colonels Robert Laycock and Geoffrey Keyes (son of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes) behind enemy lines in Libya. Their goal is to destroy Rommel’s HQ and “get” the Desert Fox. A large part of the force is unable to land due to horrible weather, but the mission goes forward without them. The commandos get ashore 12 miles from the target at Beda Littoria. Layforce commandos begin moving inland.

Night attacks by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) on objectives at Benghazi, Berka; Bardia and Derna. Aerodromes at Barce and Murtuba also attacked by South African Air Force (SAAF).

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Soviet destroyer “_Gordy_” struck a mine and sank en route to Hanko, Finland. Soviet submarine M-98 struck a mine and sank in the Gulf of Finland, killing all aboard. Soviet submarine L-2 struck three mines in a minefield off Keri, Estonia in the Baltic Sea between 0107 and 0617 hours, eventually sinking, killing 50 of 53 aboard. Moscow announced sinking of five Kriegsmarine transports two in the Barents Sea and three in the Baltic.

A Focke Wulf Fw 200C-4 from 3./KG 40 failed to return from its mission and was believed lost in the sea off Norway. All crew listed as missing in action.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: 750 US Marines in China (Shanghai, Beiping, and Tianjin) were ordered to evacuate to the Philippine Islands. 183 had transportation difficulties and would be imprisoned by the Japanese when hostilities began. In Shanghai, the 4th Marines had been making plans in the event of hostilities breaking out. Colonel Samuel L. Howard, commanding officer since May 14, 1941, gained permission for withdrawal of the regiment. The liners “_President Harrison_” and “_President Madison_” were charted for this purpose. Thousands of cheering people waving Chinese and American flags lined the streets to see the regiment, which had played such an intimate part in community life for over 14 years, parade through the Settlement for the last time. At the dock, members of the Municipal Council, the foreign consuls and diplomatic representatives, the commanding officers of all military units, including the Japanese, and the heads of many civic organizations gathered to bid the Marines farewell. The 4th Marines were finished with Shanghai, their ships bound for the Philippines.

Hart was informed by Navy Department that deployment of the Asiatic Fleet was to be made by him as its commander.

Canadian C Force infantry brigade reaches Manila en route to Hong Kong from Vancouver.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Premier U Maung Saw departs London after failed effort to win promise of independence for Burma.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Denmark joins the Anti-Comintern Pact.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 14, 2016)

*14 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMS WHITEHAVEN (J-121)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML-238
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
After being hit by U-81 the previous day, *CV ARK ROYAL (RN 22900 grt)* finally rolled over and sank. The aircraft carrier sank at 0613 on the 14th. Only one rating Able Seaman E. Mitchell was lost on the carrier.

The loss of this precious ship was both a psychological and actual loss to the RN who desperately needed the carrier in the struggle to control the Med and keep the vital links to besieged fortress Malta supplied and operational.





_Convoy SC-53_
U-561 managed to sink *Steamer CRUSADER (Pan 2939 grt)* in the nth Atlantic. All but one man of the 34 man crew perished in the attack. The ship was a convoy straggler transporting foodstuffs, cotton and iron and steel from Baltimore to Liverpool via Sydney CB. CRUSADER was supposed to sail with convoy SC63 when it departed on the 4th November, but failed to join in fog and was reported missing thereafter. On the 14 November, At 0337 hrs, U-561 spooted the steamer and fired a spread of three torpedoes at CRUSADER, which immediately stopped after two hits and then sank fast by the stern. No survivors or lifeboats were sighted by the U-boat. Edward Barreto from Rio de Janeiro was the only survivor of CRUSADER, held as prisoner of war at Milag Nord and released in 1945. It is not known when and how he was captured as the event is not recorded in the BDU war diary. It is my speculation that BDU, having long since issued orders to not rescue survivors, that U_561 on this occasion made an exception, contrary to standing orders.





*Steamer EMPIRE PELICAN (UK 6463 grt)* en route to Malta, was sunk by the RA ten miles SW of Galita Island. One crewman was lost. Thirty five crewmen and nine gunners were made prisoners of war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 14 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

44 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Eastern Front*
Baltic
*Project 7 (Gnevnyi) Class DD GORDY (VMF 1855 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Naissaari in the Baltic.






*Northern Patrol*
MSW FITZROY departed the Faroes to boiler clean at Aberdeen.

CL EDINBURGH and CA SUFFOLK departed Hvalfjord for Denmark Strait patrol.

DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord to join the force under the CinC Home Fleet. The destroyer embarked mail for the fleet before sailing. ESCAPADE arrived at Hvalfjord on the 16th.

_Convoy PQ.3_
ASW Trawler HAMLET was detached on the 14th and returned with steamer BRIARWOOD, which had been damaged by ice.

*Med/Biscay*
On the 14th, the RHN Submarine GLAUKOS sank a second *unnamed caique (FI 250 grt (est))* north of Crete with gunfire (see 12 November entry).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs HERO, HOTSPUR, and NIZAM departed Alexandria for Tobruk in the second series of Operation APPROACH. The ships returned to Alexandria on the 15th. General Sikorski returned to Alexandria on ABDIEL. DD ERIDGE departed Port Said and joined DDs NAPIER, KANDAHAR, and HASTY in ASW sweep after their return. After an unsuccessful search, the DDs returned to Alexandria on the 16th.

Submarines TORBAY and TALISMAN, which had departed Alexandria on the 10th, landed commandoes on the North African coast to strike at Rommel's Headquarters near Apollonia. The submarines returned to Alexandria on the 23rd. After this and another similar disaster by the specialist commando units in Nth Africa that ended badly, the commandoes were taken in hand by the NZ part timers, farmers mostly, known as the LRDG (Long Range Desert Groups) for further training and co-operation.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON-32_
DD RESTIGOUCHE was detached on the 13th and the rest of the escort, less trawler MOA, on the 14th.

_Convoy ON.35_
On the 14th DD ROCKINGHAM, corvettes ALISMA, SHERBROOKE, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers BUTTERMERE, LADY ELSA, THIRLMERE and WELLARD were detached when relieved by USN DDs DALLAS, EBERLE, ELLIS, and ERICSSON

*Central Atlantic*
Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CLA CARLISLE, DD AVONVALE, and RAN sloops PARRAMATTA and YARRA passed through the Suez Canal and sailed for Alexandria. AVONVALE was recalled to escort landing ship GLENGYLE the following day. DD HEYTHROP passed through the Suez Canal on the 15th and on arrival at Port Said departed with DD AVONVALE escorting landing ship GLENGYLE to Alexandria. DD HEYTHROP arrived from Gibraltar, via the Cape. The CLA and the sloops arrived at Alexandria on the 15th. The landing ship and DDs AVONVALE and HEYTHROP arrived at Alexandria on the 16th.

DD HEYTHROP was assigned to DesFlot2 for duty in the Med Fleet.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 14 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 15 NOVEMBER 1941
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 1941

_LUQA0756-1212 hrs_ One Blenheim 107 Squadron SF11 patrol. _0800-1311 hrs_ One Blenheim 18 Squadron on shipping search. _1350-1804 hrs_ One Blenheim 18 Squadron SF11 patrol. _PM_ One Wellington shipping search Taranto Bay and Straits of Otranto. Two Wellingtons of 104 Squadron nuisance raid on Brindisi. Twelve Wellingtons of 40 Squadron and seven Wellingtons of 104 Squadron attacked Catania.

_TA QALI _Blenheim aircraft No L7887 force landed on the aerodrome. Pilot Sgt Bank and observer Sgt Lowcock uninjured. Sgt WO/AG William Eaton, 114 Squadron, Royal Air Force killed by enemy action.


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## parsifal (Nov 14, 2016)

Halder's Diary 13 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 14, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 14, 2016)

*November 15 Saturday
ASIA*: Prime Minister Tojo reviews the final military plan for going to war. General Homma, commanding 14th Army, finalizes plans for invasion of Philippines with air and naval commanders.



> "As relations between Japan and the United States are most critical, make your 'ship in harbor report' irregular, but at a rate of twice a week. Although you already are no doubt aware, please take extra care to maintain secrecy" - _Message from Togo in Tokyo to Riyoji in Washington, intercept was translated on December 3rd_.



*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: British vessel “_Corhampton_” was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft and subsequently sinks.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.1, under command of Captain Marion Y. Cohen, assumed escort duty for Convoy ON-35 at the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Meeting Point. There would be no U-boat attacks on the convoy, but nearly continuous heavy weather between November 16 and November 25 resulted in 16 of the 26 ships straggling.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Germans begin phase 2 of attack on Moscow (Operation Typhoon) after a three-week lull. The plan is to involve tank forces which are to drive with converging attacks from the north and south of the capital. General Guderian’s 2.Panzerarmee begins advancing from Tula, while the 3.Panzerarmee and 4.Panzergruppe will advance from the north toward the Moscow Canal. The infantry armies on the flanks are to make supporting attacks. Infantry with tanks from 1.Panzer-Division push Soviet 30th Army back from around the Volga Reservoir and Moscow Sea Reservoir, 75 miles North of Moscow. Stalin orders Zhukov to mount spoiling attacks along the entire defensive line, which will only serve to weaken the Soviet defenses but do little to disrupt the German preparations. The Soviets have built up reserves and brought forces from Siberia. They will allow the Germans to advance while building up forces on the outer flanks. Across the Eastern Front, the temperature fell to -20 degrees Celsius, freezing both men and machines. The German offensive was generally slowed to a yard-by-yard advance from this date on.

German Army Group North captures Volkhov while in the south German forces capture Maloarchangelsk south of Orel. Soviet warships bombard German positions around Sevastopol.

Erich Mußfeldt was transferred from Auschwitz Concentration Camp to Majdanek Concentration Camp as the chief of the crematorium.

Luftwaffe opens new series of raids against Moscow, continuing through 5 December. Listed as missing in action against the Russians is JG 51's Walter Schick, with ten victories against the Soviets.

German Luftwaffe III./KG 4 arrived at Pskov (German: Pleskau), Russia.

Moscow announced failure of a German landing attempt on Murmansk coast. 20 boats sunk by Russian fire and two companies of Wehrmacht troops destroyed.

*GERMANY*: Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld was named the commanding officer of 5./NJG 2.

RAF Bomber Command sends 49 aircraft to attack Emden and 47 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Operation Astrologer: Italian SM.79 torpedo bombers sank British freighter “_Empire Defender”_ of the Operation Astrologer convoy near the Galite Islands off the Tunisian coast, killing 4.

Still reeling from the successful Force “K” attack on their convoy, Italian commanders seem to be intensifying their efforts to subdue Malta. The Regia Aeronautica have concentrated almost entirely on night raids since September – and often approached only close enough to trigger the Island’s air raid alarm. Now it seems Italian pilots are ready to attack during daylight hours. At 0612 hours three enemy bombers approached the Island from the East. Bombs were dropped in sea ten miles east of Delimara and anti-personnel bombs at Island Bay Searchlight Station. One enemy aircraft illuminated. No engagement by Hurricanes or Ack Ack. At 1045 hours, a Recce raid by 2 Macchis had the Ack Ack guns fired a barrage.

Units of the 3rd Battalion of the Island’s territorial unit, the Kings Own Malta Regiment, are on the move. A Coy transferred from Qrendi to Pawla and B Coy from Pawla to Qrendi. Armed with machine guns, their task is to defend the shoreline of Malta and Gozo, including manning beach posts. The 3rd Battalion covers the southern area of Malta 1st and 2ndBattalions the north.

*NORTH AFRICA*: A “Special Air Service Brigade” which was formed in the summer has lost 32 out of 55 men in an attempted para-drop in a sandstorm. The targets - Rommel’s airfields - are untouched. The leader - Captain David Stirling, who proposed the idea of the SAS Brigade in July, was retrieved by another special force, the Long Range Desert Group. The LRDG, formed 14 months ago, comprises pre-war desert explorers practicing deep reconnaissance with special vehicles. Stirling wants a partnership with it after this debacle.

Operation Flipper: Colonel Keyes’s commandos shelter during the day. Overnight, they hike 18 miles inland to a cave 1 mile from the target at Beda Littoria.

RAF aircraft attack Gambut, Tmimi, Gazala, and other targets while Luftwaffe aircraft attack RAF airfield at Jarabub oasis in southern Libya.

East African 25th Infantry Brigade advancing south from Wolchefit toward Dancaz east of Gondar.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Saburo Kurusu arrived in the United States.

US 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons, both operating P-40 Warhawk fighters, were assigned to Losey Field in Puerto Rico.

Franklin Roosevelt had lunch with Princess Märtha of Sweden (Crown Princess of Norway) at the White House in Washington DC, United States, followed by a private showing of the film ‘Dumbo’.

U.S. Army GHQ maneuvers began in North and South Carolina. Two U.S. Navy and two Marine Corps squadrons took part in the large-scale war games.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The majority of the encircled Soviet troops in the Kestenga sector managed to infiltrate to safety in small groups — claims that Finns destroyed two Soviet regiments appear to be over-optimistic.

German submarine U-752 attempted to attack Soviet minelayer ZM-93 “_Jushar_” southeast of Murmansk, Russia at 1700 hours, but escorting minesweeping trawler T-889 forced U-752 to dive. At 1849 hours, U-752 fired a torpedo at T-889, sinking her and killing all 43 aboard.

The U-583, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Ratsch, was sunk near Danzig, East Prussia after a collision with the U-153. All of the ship’s complement of 45 died. During its career the U-583 sank or damaged no ships.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The converted passenger liner “_Awatea_” arrived in Hong Kong, carrying 2,000 Canadian troops (the Winnipeg Grenadiers and Royal Rifles of Canada under Brigadier J Lawson) to aid in the defence of the island. Royal Canadian Navy armed merchant cruiser “_Prince Robert_” escorted the troop ship “_Awatea_”. The Canadians will boost the garrison in Hong Kong, but, as Churchill himself has pointed out, two semi-trained battalions are unlikely to deter Japan from war, but will merely increase the numbers of prisoners the Japanese can take. The Canadians seem only too aware of this. “Oh God, another Dunkirk,” Signalman William Allister said when he heard where he was going. “No fella,” another voice added, “at Dunkirk they had somewhere to go.”

Marshall holds a press conference at which he stated that V Bomber Command constituted the “greatest concentration of heavy bomber strength anywhere in the world”; when queried over the inability of the B-17’s in the Philippines to bomb Japan and to return to Clark AAF, Marshall stated that the USSR would allow the airplanes to refuel at Vladivostok.

Codebreakers read message ordering Japanese consul in Hawaii to report USN movements at Pearl Harbor.

HMAS “_Canberra_”, (cruiser), was damaged in a collision with the transport “_Katoomba_”, at Fremantle, WA. HMAS “_Vampire_”, (destroyer), was damaged in a collision with the steamer “_Perak_”, off Keppel Harbour, Singapore. “_Vampire_”, which had just completed a long refit, returned to the dockyard for repairs.

*SOUTH AMERICA*: US Army dispatched troops to Dutch Guiana to protect bauxite mines. This was agreed upon by the Dutch government-in-exile.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Free French Air Force pilots formed the Paris and Versailles squadrons. They operated out of Britain, flying Blenheim and Hurricane aircraft.

The de Havilland Mosquito B.Mk.IV light bomber entered service with RAF No. 105 Squadron at RAF Swanton Morley, Norfolk. It wasn’t until May 31, 1942 that the Mosquito took part in its first operational raid - a raid on Cologne, France.

BBC radio in London announces Mihailovic is commander of Free Yugoslavian Army in the Fatherland.

North East Coast town raided during day. Slight Luftwaffe activity at night. In Yorkshire, a single Luftwaffe aircraft penetrated inland and dropped bombs on Redcar and Scarborough. At the first place slight damage was done to a Works. Gas mains supplying Redcar town were also damaged, and ten people lost their lives here. The only damage reported from Scarborough was to house property. There were no fatal casualties. Two Luftwaffe bombers shot down off East Coast.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The British Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out and offensive sweep over Occupied France by Hurricane bombers and Spitfires. RAF Fighter Command flew a Ramrod operation and a Rhubarb operation.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 15, 2016)

*15 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type 1936 DD DKM Z-30





Type IXc DKM U-173
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type XIV DKM U-459





*Losses
Steamer CORHAMPTON (UK 2495 grt)* was badly damaged by the LW 26 miles NE of Spurn Point. The steamer sank on the 16th in tow two miles 142° from 62D Buoy in the Humber area. The entire crew were rescued.





*Drifter HARMONY (UK 24 grt)* was sunk in a collision off Invergordon.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-573

At Sea 15 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-433, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT departed Polyarnoe and arrived at Blyth on the 30th. The submarine went on to the Tyne for repairs and docking.

U-752 sank *ASW Trawler T-889 (VMF 581 grt)* with the loss of her entire crew of 43. east of the entrance to the White Sea. At 1700 hrs, U-752 fired a spread of two torpedoes at the Soviet auxiliary minelayer ZM-93 six miles southeast of Cape Ostrye Ludki and observed a hit after 2 minutes 5 seconds underneath the bridge, Soviet records state that no hit was achieved and that the torpedo detonated prematurely. It is certain this ship was not sunk or damaged.. Following this attack, U-752 was forced to dive by sustained counterattacks by T-889 . However U-752 was able to evade and once again was able to fire at the ZM-93. T-889 was hit by a torpedo that had been fired at 1849 hrs aimed at her charge. The ship sank in a short time under a great column of smoke. The ML initially attacked the U-boat with depth-charges, returned to search for survivors and then proceeded after nobody was found.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
_Convoy PQ.3_
Trawler MACBETH was detached on the 15th.

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON.37_
Convoy ON.37 departed Liverpool escorted by ASW trawlers HUGH WALPOLE and NORTHERN SPRAY.

*Channel*
DD FAULKNOR departed Portsmouth for the Clyde to carry out direction finding calibration before proceeding to Scapa Flow. The DD arrived in the Clyde on the 16th

*Med/Biscay*
CLAs NAIAD and EURYALUS were at sea from Alexandria for a practice bombardment.

Dutch submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked Italian steamer NINETTOG. in a convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Steamer EMPIRE DEFENDER (UK 5649 grt), en route to Malta, was sunk by the RA eighteen miles south of Galita Island. Four crewmen were lost on the steamer. The rest of the crew were made prisoners of war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy 0N-31_
The American destroyers were detached on 15 November when the convoy was dispersed.

_Convoy ON.35_
USN DD UPSHUR joined the escort on the 15th

DDs ASHANTI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI departed Hvalfjord for an ASW search for a submarine attacked by a USN DD on the 14th.

_Convoy HX.160 _
Convoy HX.160 departed Halifax, escorted by DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
DDs ENCOUNTER and JUPITER departed Alexandria for the Far East, via Bombay. The DDs departed Aden on the 20th. They arrived at Colombo on the 26th. On the 30th, at Colombo, the DDs departed with BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs ELECTRA and EXPRESS to proceed to Singapore.

BC REPULSE departed Trincomalee the same day for Singapore.

*Malta*
Still reeling from the successful Force “K” attack on their convoy, the RA intensified its efforts to subdue Malta. Previously having restricted their attacks to night raids since early September, the Italians began some mass attacks during daylight hours

AIR RAIDS DAWN 15 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 16 NOVEMBER 1941

_0612-0643 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Three enemy bombers approach the Island from the East. Bombs are dropped in sea ten miles east of Delimara and anti-personnel bombs at Island Bay Searchlight Station. No engagement by Hurricanes or Ack Ack.

_1045-1052 hrs_ Air raid alarm for two Macchi fighters which carry out reconnaissance. Ack Ack guns fire a barrage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER

_LUQAAM 18 Squadron _One Blenheim of 18 Squadron on SF11 patrol. _107 Squadron _ Five Blenheims on shipping patrol in the Zante area. _PM 107 Squadron _ One Blenheim took over SF11 patrol. 18_Squadron_ Five Blenheims flew out to relieve their comrades over Zante.


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## parsifal (Nov 15, 2016)

Halder's Diary 15 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 15, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 15, 2016)

*November 16 Sunday
ASIA*: The Japanese carrier fleet exercised in the Kurile Islands. Obsolete Japanese battleship “_Settsu_” began to sail around the Inland Sea in Japan to generate fake radio communication messages at different ports.

Crown Prince Yi Un was attached to the training department of the Japanese Army.

The newly established 54th Sentai arrived from Kashiwa, Tokyo, to Hankou.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Allied convoy PQ-3 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland in stormy weather.

RN battleship “_Prince of Wales_” arrives at Simonstown naval base, South Africa en route to Singapore.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.5, under command of Commander William K. Phillips, cleared Argentia, Newfoundland, to assume escort duty for Convoy HX-160 in the northern Atlantic Ocean between November17 and 28. Heavy seas would cause varying degrees of damage to the destroyers USS “_Mayo_” (DD -422), USS “_Nicholson_” (DD 424), USS “_Babbitt_” (DD 128), USS “_Leary_” (DD 158) and USS “_Schenck_” (DD 159). The convoy would not be attacked by U-boats.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Soviet 30th Army and remnants of 16th Army began crumbling under attacks by German 3.Panzerarmee and 4.Panzergruppe and 9.Armee. Soviet 16th Army was mostly destroyed in an unsuccessful counterattack against German 3.Panzerarmee. As the Russian attacks faltered the Germans launched their own offensive. The German 16.Armee launches a new attack south of Leningrad in the Volokolamsk area. The attack would stall in less than 24 hours due to extremely heavy losses, very stiff resistance and poor weather. At the northern flank of the German line the 9.Armee (Strauss) committed three divisions to clear the area between the Ivankovo Reservoir (aka Moscow Sea) and the Volga Reservoir. Strauss didn’t support the offensive so limited his contribution; he thought he should focus on consolidating the area he already held. 4.Panzergruppe (Hoepner) used fresh forces to attack the boundary between the Soviet 5th and 30th Armies. They outflanked many defenders and got onto the Volokolamsk-Moscow highway. One Russian tank brigade was reduced to two operable tanks. The Germans attacked the left flank of Soviet 16th Army held by Panfilov’s 316th Division and a cadet regiment. German heavy artillery and planes bombarded the defenders. Then the panzers began to roll over the frozen ground. The 1075th Infantry Regiment, 316th Division, held the division’s left flank at a small railway crossing called Dubosekovo. Their job was to stop the Germans reaching the Volokolamsk Highway. The regiment destroyed some tanks and suffered significant casualties themselves before withdrawing, without orders, towards evening. Amongst the defenders was an anti-tank platoon equipped with one machine gun, two anti-tank rifles, and some Molotov cocktails. This incident subsequently got talked up as ‘The Testimony of the 28 Fallen Heroes’. In the PR version the 28 men of the anti-tank platoon, under Commissar Vasili Klochkov, had held off 50 German tanks; one man has fled and been shot by his comrades and the other 27 had died fighting. The truth was somewhat different. The regimental commander had heard nothing of these exploits until told by journalists, several of the men survived: one died in a Soviet hospital, two saw out the war as German prisoners of war, one joined a partisan group formed by soldiers but was subsequent arrested by the NKVD as a deserter, and one returned to the Ukraine and arrested as a collaborator after liberation. 70 miles West of Moscow, General Georg-Hans Reinhardt’s 3.Panzerarmee establishes a crossing over the Lama River along the highway to Klin. Elements of the Soviet 49th and 50th Armies stop an attack by the German XXXXIII.Armeekorps directed at the Moscow-Tula highway.

German forces continue their almost unimpeded advance through the Crimea. Further South in the Crimean, German 11.Armee captured the town of Kerch on the Kerch peninsula linking to the Caucasus.. Soviet Deputy Navy Commissar Admiral Gordei Levchenko was arrested after being deemed responsible for this defeat.

A Catholic Mass was secretly held in a dark aisle between bunks on the second floor of Block 4 at Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

*GERMANY*: Joseph Goebbels publishes in the German magazine Das Reich that _"The Jews wanted the war, and now they have it"_—referring to the Nazi propaganda scheme to shift the blame for the world war onto European Jewry, thereby giving the Nazis a rationalization for the so-called Final Solution. In it he makes one of the clearest implications to date that the Jews are going to be eliminated.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British corvette HMS “_Marigold_” damaged German submarine U-433 commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans Ey, with depth charges 50 miles east of Gibraltar at 2255 hours. After U-433 surfaced, “_Marigold_” continued to attack her with guns. U-433's crew scuttled the boat after suffering 6 killed; the 38 survivors were captured. During its career the U-433 damaged 1 ship for a total of 2,215 tons.

Two Albacores, 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm (FAA) set out from Hal Far, Malta in a desperate search for the crew of a missing Wellington bomber. The aircraft was one of five Wellingtons which left Gibraltar yesterday for delivery to Malta. They were attacked within 100 miles of their destination and one was shot down. The returning FAA search aircraft brought good news. The crew’s dinghy was located and they were picked up by rescue launch.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Flipper: Colonel Keyes’s commandos shelter in a cave 1 mile from the target at Beda Littoria. Their attempt to kill Rommel must be timed to coincide with the launch of a combined infantry and armored attack from Egypt in 2 days (Operation Crusader).

Two Italian supply vessels arrive at Benghazi.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Air Force USAFFE is redesignated the FEAF.

Brereton dispatched by MacArthur on a three-week, 11,500-mile jaunt to Rabaul, Port Moresby, Townsville, and Melbourne, to comply with Marshall’s directive of 30 SEP 41 regarding use of airfields in British Empire areas.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 16, 2016)

*16 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B ML 309, MMS I Class coastal MSW MMS 75 (J-575)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-98 sank the *Steamer JEDMOOR (UK 4392 grt)* in the Western Approaches whilst transporting iron ore from Sydney CB to Glasgow. The ship was part of SC-42 and had embarked a crew of 36, of which 31 would lose their lives in the attack. At 1359 hrs, U-85 fired three single bow torpedoes and one stern torpedo at the convoy SC-42. All torpedoes missed, their tracks were observed by the JEDMOOR. Between 2311 and 2316 hrs that night, U-98 fired four single torpedoes at the convoy NW of St. Kilda and heard two detonations. The Uboat skipper reported one ship sunk and another damaged. In fact, only the JEDMOORwas hit and sunk.. Three crew members were picked up by the Norwegian steam merchant KNOLL and two other crew members by the British steam merchant CAMPUS.





*Trawler FERNBANK (UK 211 grt)* was sunk by the LW 12 miles NW of the Faeroes. Five crewmen were lost on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-558
St. Nazaire: U-553

Departures
Lorient: U-124
Brest: U-371, U-564
Kirkenes: U-451

At Sea 16 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
MSWs GOSSAMER, HUSSAR, and SPEEDY arrived at Murmansk from Archangel.

*North Sea*
Examination vessel MINNA was damaged by the LW near Leith. The vessel arrived at Leith on the 17th.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ANTELOPE departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 18th.

*Northern Waters*
MSWs HAZARD and HEBE departed Greenock for Scapa Flow, where they arrived on the following day.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-33_
Corvette POLYANTHUS joined on the 16th and was detached the next day

_Convoy ON.36_
DD CHELSEA was detached on the 16th when DD BROADWAY joined. BROADWAY was detached later that day. CHELSEA was damaged in a collision with an unknown merchant ship and she too was forced to detach from the convoy. The DD lost six feet of her stern, but was able to reach Liverpool under her own power. The damage was repaired at Liverpool and completed by 14 December.

_Convoy ON.37_
The convoy was joined on the 16th by destroyers BEVERLEY and SARDONYX.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OS.11_
Sloop STORK was detached on the on the 16th.

*Med/Biscay*
_Operation CHIEFTAN_
A Convoy of steamers BLAIRATHOLL, BARON NEWLANDS, SHUNA, CISNEROS, and OTTINGE, and oiler BROWN RANGER departed Gibraltar escorted by DD WILD SWAN, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes CONVOLVULUS, RHODODENDRON, and MARIGOLD. The convoy, Operation CHIEFTAN, was a diversion for Operation CRUSADER in the eastern Mediterranean. A U-boat contact was made by DD WILD SWAN on the 16th. The DD was joined by corvette SAMPHIRE. Corvette MARIGOLD sank the *Type VIIc U.433 (DKM 769 grt)* south of Malaga with a combination of DCs and gunfire. 6 German sailors were killed and 38 taken prisoner in this action.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The convoy proceeded towards Malta, but after nightfall on the 18th, the steamers returned to Gibraltar.

Destroyers KIPLING, JACKAL, and DECOY departed Alexandria on the 3rd serial of the APPROACH operation. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 17th. DD FARNDALE arrived at Suez to join the Med Flt and passed through the Suez Canal.

British MTB.68 and MTB.215 patrolled off Bardia to intercept a reported submarine.

Dutch submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked Italian steamer in convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

An Italian convoy of steamers CITTA DI GENOVA and CITTI DI NAPOLI, escorted by RM DDs PIGAFETTA and DA VERAZZANO, which had departed Taranto on the 14th, arrived at Benghazi.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON-32_
The convoy arrived at Halifax on the 16th.

_Convoy SC.55_
Convoy SC.55 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by corvettes BATTLEFORD, DRUMHELLER, and SUMMERSIDE and MSW NIPIGON

*Central Atlantic*
BB NELSON, escorted by DDs ZULU, SIKH, and GURKHA departed Gibraltar to return to the UK. Also in the gp were CLA HERMOINE, CVE ARGUS, and DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, LEGION, and Ne ISAAC SWEERS. A probable German supply ship was reported by a submarine in 44-00N, 2-00W at 0001 on the 17th. BB NELSON and CLA HERMOINE proceeded to intercept, but no contact was made. The gp was divided on the 17th and arrived back at Gibraltar, less HERMOINE, on the 19th. HERMOINE arrived on the 21st.

_Convoy ST.8_
The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 16th.

*Pacific/Australia*
ML TEVIOT BANK arrived at Singapore.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 16 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 17 NOVEMBER 1941
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER 1941

_LUQA _ One Blenheim from 107 Squadron set out in the morning on SF11 patrol.


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## parsifal (Nov 16, 2016)

Halder's Diary 16 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 16, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 16, 2016)

*November 17 Monday
ASIA*: Japanese Navy Admiral Yamamoto revealed the Pearl Harbor attack plan to the naval leadership. On the flight deck of IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_”, flagship of the IJN Pearl Harbor Striking Force in Saeki Bay, about 100 officers assembled: Nagumo and his staff, all commanders, their staffs and the flight officers. As Yamamoto spoke, it became evident that he had not come to deliver a pep talk.


> “Although we hope to achieve surprise, everyone should be prepared for terrific American resistance in the operation.” He told his listeners. “Japan has faced many worthy opponents in her glorious history – Mongols, Chinese, Russians – but in this operation we will meet the strongest and most resourceful opponent of all….I wish you Godspeed and pray for your success.”


 The crews receive a strict order not to go ashore. All present then adjourned to the wardroom for a farewell party. After sunset, IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_” departs Saeki Bay for the Kuriles.

Foreign Minister Togo said relations between Japan and the US could be salvaged so long as the Americans understand “Japan’s national requirements and her position in East Asia … There is naturally a limit to our conciliatory attitude.” US Ambassador Grew warns that the embassy in Japan is not in a position to warn of an impending Japanese attack and that the government should,


> “… take into account the probability of the Japanese exploiting every possible tactical advantage, such as surprise and initiative."



The Pearl Harbor Carrier Striking Force (Kido Butai) gathered at the mouth of the Inland Sea. It was a formidable armada: six carriers, two fast battleships with 14-inch guns, “_Hiei_” and “_Kirishima_”, two heavy cruisers “_Tone_” and ”_Chikuma_”, a light cruiser, eight destroyers and a train of three oilers and a supply ship. The six carriers held 360 planes: 81 fighters, 135 dive bombers, 104 high-level (horizontal) bombers and 40 torpedo bombers, which had only 30 torpedoes fitted with the new fins. Late in the evening, one by one at irregular intervals, the ships of the Striking Force weighed anchor and headed on separate course for a rendezvous some thousand miles north of Tokyo. IJN aircraft carrier “_Kaga_” was the last ship still in the Inland Sea and embarked 100 aerial torpedoes. Those Type 91 Model 2 torpedoes have just been modified by Mitsubishi at Nagasaki to enable them to be used in Pearl Harbor anchorage’s shallow waters. Once the ship got underway the captain gathered the entire crew on deck to announce their mission.

Nationalist Chinese leader Ciang Kai-shek urges the western democracies to take action against Japanese aggression.

Admiral Decoux's pro-Vichy administration in French Indochina arrests Free French supporters.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The destroyers USS “_Benson_” (DD 421) and USS “_Edison_” (DD 439), screening Convoy ON-34, depth charged submarine contacts in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The 1.Panzerarmee continues its advances near Rostov. Soviet 9th Army and 37th Army counterattacked the 1.Panzerarmee. The German 106.Infanterie-Divisionen (General der Infanterie Ernst Dehner) along with the rest of V.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry R. Ruoff) attacked towards Moscow. This was some 24hrs earlier than it's neighboring Korps, XLVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops H. von Vietinghoff). However, the Soviet 9th and 37th Armies under General Timoshenko, begin a counterattack on the flank of the German drive. The Germans continued to push the 316th Division back. Stalin partially relented to pleas from Zhukov for reinforcements and the 78th Siberian Rifle Division (General Beloborodov) joined 16th Army in the line. The Siberians stabilized the line for three days before 16th Army was forced back again. Soviet attacks by massed T-34s strike the 112.Infanterie-division (General der Infanterie Friedrich Mieth). The Germans break in panic, losing most of a regiment, the first time this has occurred in World War II. At Musino near Volokolamsk, 70 miles West of Moscow, Soviet 44th Cavalry Division (recently arrived from Central Asia) charges German 106.Infanterie-Divisionen (3.Panzerarmee) in broad daylight. 105mm howitzers supporting the German infantry decimate the Russian horsemen (claiming 2000 killed).

Further north, air reconnaissance indicates Lake Ladoga is frozen over. At 0800 hours, teams set out to confirm and mark routes from Kokorevo (on the Western shore near Leningrad) via various tiny islands to the small port of Kobona on the ‘mainland’ side of Lake Ladoga, 18 miles away. Due back at 1700 hours, they finally return at 0400 hours next morning to report the ice on the lake is 10cm thick (half the thickness needed to support a laden 1 ton truck).

German Luftwaffe III./KG 55 received orders to relocate from Kirovograd, Ukraine to Saint-André-de-l'Eure, France for rest and refitting after spending only seven weeks at Kirovograd.

*GERMANY*: Following twelve months of illness, depression and strain at the Luftwaffe's increasing losses on the Eastern Front, Generalluftzeugmeister Generaloberst Ernst Udet, German Director General of Air Armament, committed suicide by shooting himself in the head while on the phone with his girlfriend. Evidence indicated that his unhappy relationship with Göring, Erhard Milch, and the Nazi Party in general was the cause of his mental breakdown. The book The Luftwaffe War Diaries states something similar, that Udet wrote “Reichsmarshal, why have you deserted me?” in red on the headboard of his bed. Udet, Germany's second highest fighter ace of the First World War (behind the Red Baron) with 62 kills, had already lost favour with Hitler after the air force's performance in the Battle of Britain. The official version was that he had died whilst testing a "new weapon" and Jagdgeschwader 3 was named in his honour. Udet was accorded a state funeral at which he was eulogized by Hermann Göring, who described him as his "best friend". Generalfeldmarschall Erhard Milch is promoted to _Generalluftzeugmeister_ in his place.

The Reichskommissariat Ostland was established under Alfred Rosenberg to administer territories taken from the Soviet Union. Hitler appoints Rosenberg, the Nazi ideologist to head the new Reich Ministry for Occupied Eastern Territories. This ministry is new and has jurisdiction over the Baltic states and White Russia. The mission is to exploit them for German economic benefit while ridding them of “undesirable elements” such as Jews and Communists. Rosenberg is the Nazi Party “expert” for racial matters. He will issue orders which involve the extermination of local populations, seizing of all goods and assets from the occupied areas.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Night attack on Naples by the British Royal Air Force (RAF). From Malta Six Blenheims RAF No. 107 Squadron attacked an Axis convoy with good results. Three Blenheims of RAF No. 18 Squadron made a shipping search SF11 patrol. One Blenheim of RAF No. 18 Squadron flew a special search for merchant vessel(s). Three Wellingtons from RAF No. 104 squadron made a nuisance raid on Brindisi. Four Wellingtons from RAF No. 104 Squadron flew a nuisance raid on Naples.

Lt General Dobbie replies to a query from the War Office checking the number of tanks currently on the Island of Malta. He confirms the present holding as six. Four of them are Matildas Mk II, British infantry tanks and the other two are MKIVB Light Tanks. The Matildas were named by their operators after the naval escort destroyers which accompanied them to Malta: Faulknor, Gallant, Greyhound and Griffin. 

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Flipper: British Lieut-Colonel Geoffrey Charles Tasker Keyes’ commandos again shelter during the day. At midnight, they attack Afrika Korps quartermasters HQ at Beda Littoria, which they have mistaken for Rommel’s HQ. As they approached the villa, a sentry who tackled the colonel had to be shot. All surprise was lost. Opening one door they found 12 Germans preparing for a fight. Keyes opened it again to throw in a grenade. He was shot dead. They kill 4 Germans but Keyes is killed and another commando is wounded and captured. Most of the survivors were taken prisoner. Another group of commandos on a diversionary raid a few miles away are nearly all killed or captured. Only 3 commandos are able to reboard British submarines to return to Alexandria. Colonel Robert Laycock and Sergeant Terry walk for 34 days through the desert, returning to British lines on Christmas Day. Keyes would be awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross even though the raid was doomed from the start - Rommel was not even at Sidi-Rafa. The daring raid destroys the facility, but Rommel was not present (he was in Athens at the time).

Early on during their 3rd patrol, German submarine U-331 landed eight commandos on the Egyptian coast to mine the railway line near Daba, 60 miles west of Alexandria. Their mission was to blow up a railway near the coast, but they did not succeed. They would soon be captured before they completed their mission.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US Congress amended the Neutrality Act of 1939, thus allowing American merchant ships to be armed and allowing them to enter war zones. Navy’s Bureau of Navigation directs Navy personnel with Armed Guard training to be assigned for further training before going to Armed Guard Centers for assignment to merchant ships.

Japanese special envoy Kurusu Saburo arrived in Washington DC and met with US Secretary of State Cordell Hull. Ambassador Kurusu told President Roosevelt Germany had not requested Japan to fight.

The German blockade runner “_Odenwald_”, captured by the light cruiser USS “_Omaha_” (CL 4) and destroyer USS “_Somers_” (DD 381) on November 6, was escorted into San Juan, Puerto Rico, by the USS “_Somers_” and turned over to U.S. authorities.

The U.S. Navy's Bureau of Navigation directed Navy personnel with Armed Guard training to be assigned to Little Creek, Virginia or San Diego, California for further instruction. They would then be transferred to Armed Guard Centers at New York, New York and Treasure Island (San Francisco), California for assignment to merchant ships.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: In northern Finland, Maj. Gen. Hjalmar Siilasvuo, CO of the III Corps, orders his corps to halt all offensive operations. Siilasvuo’s corps is subordinated to the German 20th Mountain Army, and had been involved in successful offensive operations, advancing towards Louhi. However, political considerations came to play. Despite Siilasvuo’s formal subordination to Germans, he always verifies his orders with Mannerheim. Lately the Western Allies had put lot of pressure on Finland not to cut the Murmansk railway. Capturing Louhi would achieve just that. On 6 Nov Mannerheim confidentially told Siilasvuo that it is better Louhi is not captured. Siilasvuo naturally could not let the Germans know the true reasons for calling the advance to halt, thus the decision is justified by stiffening Soviet resistance.

Operation Silver Fox: Operation Silver Fox ended in a Soviet defensive victory. Operation Silver Fox (German: Silberfuchs) was a joint German–Finnish military operation offensive during World War II. Its main goal was to cut off and ultimately capture the key Soviet port at Murmansk through attacks from Finnish and Norwegian territory. The initial attack went badly, as the German troops were untrained for Arctic warfare and especially the SS division, merely a former police force, could not deal with the organized Soviet defense. US diplomats warned Finland that a disruption of US deliveries to the Soviet Union would have serious implications. Therefore, Finland was no longer interested in spearheading such an offensive. With the Finnish refusal to be involved in further offensive operations, Arctic Fox came to an end in November and both sides dug in at their current positions. Overall the operation failed in terms of its strategic intentions, as neither Murmansk nor the Murmansk railway at Kandalaksha were captured. The closest the German-Finnish force came to disrupting the Murmansk railway was east of Kestenga, where they were about 30 km (19 mi) away from it, while Dietl's force in the north did not even come close to approaching Murmansk. The German forces, especially the SS-troops, were unsuited, ill-trained, and unprepared for Arctic warfare and therefore made little progress while suffering heavy casualties. On the other hand, Finnish units, especially the 6th Division of the III Finnish Corps, made good progress and inflicted heavy casualties on the Soviet forces.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The cruiser HMAS “_Sydney_”, (CAPT J. Burnett, RAN), handed over the escort of the troop ship “_Zealandia_”, to HMS “_Durban_” in Sunda Strait.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The United States delivered escort carrier “_Archer_” to the United Kingdom, the first of 38 escort carriers that would be delivered during the war under Lend-Lease.

The ration of canned meat, canned fish, and canned beans began in the United Kingdom; this was announced 15 days earlier by the British Minister of Food.

Luftwaffe bombs fell at night in East Anglia and in southwest England.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Mathilde Carre, working with Franco-Polish espionage organization based in Paris, arrested by the Abwehr and subsequently becomes a double agent working for Germany.

The British Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out attacks on targets in North France by Fighter Command. RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation.

.

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## parsifal (Nov 17, 2016)

*17 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
CVE HMS ARCHER (D-78)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS MIDLAND (K-220)





Bangor Class MSW HMS STORNOWAY (J-31)




_HMS STORNOWAY (J-31) seen here on the right entering Harwich._

Fairmile B ML-053, ML-450, ML-451
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDML-1078
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Mk 2 Class LCT 129
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer BOVEY TRACEY (UK 1212 grt)* was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vichy French submarine LE HEROS sank *steamer THODE FAGELUND (Nor 5757 grt)* thirty five miles east of East London. The entire crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Chittagong and Madras to Table Bay and the UK with a cargo of scrap iron, jute and tea (she had departed Chittagong for Madras on Oct. 24th, then left Madras on Oct. 28 for Cape Town). All 35 survived crew survived. The Vichy regime later stated that the attack was in retaliation for the British operation against a Vichy convoy on the 2nd.





*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest: U-562

At Sea 17 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, U-752, UA

43 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer SCHWANECK (Ger 2194 grt)* was lost on a mine near Stettin.






*North Sea*
MSW ROSS departed the Humber for Aberdeen and the Faroes.

*Northern Patrol*
CA KENT departed the Faroes-Iceland patrol for Hvalfjord. CL SHEFFIELD took over patrol of this area and her own area. The CA arrived at Hvalfjord on the 18th.

CL EDINBURGH departed Denmark Strait patrol for Hvalfjord. The CL arrived at Hvalfjord on the 18th. CA BERWICK with DDs ONSLOW and OFFA departed Hvalfjord for Seidisfjord where they arrived on the 18th.

After refuelling, the warships departed Seidisfjord on the 19th to rendezvous with convoy PQ.4 and escort it to Archangel.

_Convoy PQ.4_
Convoy PQ.4 departed Reykjavik with steamers Soviet ALMA ATA, DAY Y BRYN, EULIMA, Soviet RODINA, Soviet BUDENNI, EMPIRE METEOR, Soviet MOSSOVET, and Soviet SUKHONA. Initially, the convoy was escorted by ASW trawlers BUTE and STELLA CAPELLA from 17 to 27 November.

*Northern Waters*
_Convoy OP-2_
On the 17th, DDs ECLIPSE and ICARUS were detached from the escort to proceed to Kirkwall, arriving on the 17th and Scapa Flow later that day.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-33_
Corvette COLLINGWOOD was detached on the 17th,

_Convoy HX 158_
The escorts that had joined on the 13th less KIRKELLA, were detached on the 17th.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART and DDs KANDAHAR, HASTY, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria to bombard the Sollum area during the night of 17/18 November. The bombardment was cancelled due to poor weather. The ships joined the Battle Fleet departing Alexandria on the 18th at noon on the 18th.

Captain H. St. L. Nicolson, Captain DesFlot 2, which had been ashore since damage to DD ILEX, took command of DD GRIFFIN as Leader again of DesFlot 2.

Submarines UPRIGHT and URGE unsuccessfully attacked a convoy in the Ionian Sea.

*Steamers PLUTO (Ne 1156 grt)* and *RHEA (Ne 1388 grt)* were seized by Vichy forces at Algiers.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.331 landed two German officers and seven enlisted men of a Commando group near Daba, sixty miles west of Alexandria, to mine the railway. All nine German Commandos were captured later the same day before any sabotage was done.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.160 _
DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON. were detached on the 17th when relieved by USN DDs BABBITT, LEARY, MAYO, NICHOLSON, and SCHENCK. In heavy seas, the USN DDs all sustain storm damage

*Central Atlantic*
ASW trawlers STELLA CARINA and LADY HOGARTH departed Gibraltar to meet arriving Norwegian tanker PRESIDENT DE VOGUE. The trawlers were reassigned to join the escort of outward tanker THORSHAVET on the 23rd. As a result, corvette VETCH departed Gibraltar to meet tanker PRESIDENT DE VOGUE and arrived back with her on the 25th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 17 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 18 NOVEMBER 1941

_1205-1211 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two Macchi fighters approach the Island from north on reconnaissance.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 17 NOVEMBER

_LUQA 107 Squadron_ Six Blenheims attacked convoy; good results. _18 Squadron _ Three Blenheims shipping search SF11 patrol. One Blenheim special search for merchant vessel(s). _104 Squadron _Three Wellingtons nuisance raid Brindisi. Four Wellingtons nuisance raid Naples.


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## parsifal (Nov 17, 2016)

Halder's Diary 17 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 17, 2016)



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## Njaco (Nov 17, 2016)

*November 18 Tuesday
ASIA*: Japanese luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” arrived at Yokohama, completing her 74th and last round trip across the Pacific.

IJN Pearl Harbor Striking Force departs Saeki Bay for Hittokappu (Tankan) Bay. Five large Japanese carrier submarines, HIJMS I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22 and I-24, each with a midget sub lashed to the deck, departed from Kure Naval Base, Japan for Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. A further nine Japanese vessels sail for Hawaii from Kwajalein. Meanwhile, Joseph Rochefort's US Navy cryptanalytic team reported no Japanese carrier movement.

Japan requested Germany to not conclude a separate peace with any common enemies of the two countries, but did not share its plans to attack the United States. The Japanese Diet secretly approves a “resolution of hostility” against the United States.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Corvettes HMCS “_Dunvegan_” and “_Sorel_” departed St John’s to escort the 46-ship Sydney to Liverpool convoy SC-55 as far as Iceland. Convoy arrived safely in Liverpool on 05 Dec intact.

*EASTERN FRONT*: A Soviet counterattack using the Siberian reservists, near Venev causes heavy losses to one of General Guderian’s infantry divisions. Soviet 52nd Army counterattacks at Malaya Vyshera. Guderian commits additional 2.Panzerarmee forces to recover ground lost yesterday when his 112.Infanterie-division panicked and broke. The new attacks captured Epifan and Dedilovo south of Moscow. The XXXXVII Motorized Corps captures Epifan' and the XXIV Motorized Corps' 4.Panzer-Divisionen takes Dedilovo. 70 miles West of Moscow, General Erich Hoepner’s 4.Panzerarmee attacks with 3 Panzer divisions (over 400 tanks) and 3 infantry divisions from Volokolamsk into the junction between Soviet 30th and 16th Armies. Soviet 30th Army fell back northward to Klin, while Soviet 16th Army was pushed south to Istra, opening a yawning gap between the two. 120 miles south of Moscow, German 3.Panzerarmee was held up at Tula, with its latest attempt to surround the Soviet garrison there foiled by the newly-arrived Soviet 413th Rifle Division (one of the fresh units moved from Siberia for the defense of Moscow). In an act of tremendous heroism, 11 Red Army engineers hold up 20 German tanks near Strokovo.

The teams dispatched on the previous day out of Leningrad, Russia to Lake Ladoga returned to the besieged city at 0400 hours, reporting that the ice on the lake was about 10 centimeters thick, which made light travel possible, but not for heavy equipment such as 1-ton trucks.

Partisan and Cetnik representatives meet without agreement on coordination of resistance operations.

*GERMANY*: Alfred Rosenberg, Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories, tells German journalists at a confidential briefing that the “Final Solution” has begun; a “biological extermination of all Jews in Europe.” No Jew could remain on the continent to the Ural Mountains; they will either be forced beyond the Urals or exterminated. The press is not to write about the extermination in detail, but the reporters could use stock phrases such as the “definite solution” or the “total solution of the Jewish question.”

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Hitler has appointed Air Field Marshal Albert Kesselring as Luftwaffe Commander in Chief South. His mission: to strengthen Axis air forces in the Mediterranean and ensure the protection of convoys supplying the war effort in North Africa. Kesselring transfers to Italy to take command of the situation, bringing his efficient Luftflotte 2 air force. 

To divert attention from Operation Crusader in Egypt, a convoy headed out from Gibraltar, on the pretext of delivering supplies to Malta. The Malta’s Force “K” sailed from Grand Harbour in broad daylight, to create a diversion by heading westwards as though to rendezvous with the incoming vessels.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: Before his own plans to attack the besieged port city of Tobruk can be implemented, German General Erwin Rommel, and Panzer Gruppe Africa are caught surprised when the British under Lt. General Cunningham launch their own attack to relieve the city, code-named “Operation Crusader”. Rommel had 414 tanks, 320 aircraft and 9 Divisions, 4 of which were besieging Tobruk. The Afrika Korps has 180 Mk III and IV tanks with 220 Italian and other German models. Auchinleck’s strength had grown to about 700 tanks, 1,000 aircraft and 8 divisions. The US M3 Stuart light tank has its first trials in action with the British 8th Army, at the start of Operation Crusader. The goal of the offensive is to relieve the garrison at Tobruk and drive the Africa Korps into western Libya. Infantry of New Zealand 2nd and Indian 4th Divisions attack German border positions at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass in order to tie these garrisons down. To the South, the British 7th Armored Division advances 30 miles behind the enemy lines meeting scattered and light resistance from the Germans. Surprise was achieved, and the attack met no serious resistance on the first day. Rommel had dismissed Italian warnings of a possible British attack and destroyed Italian reconnaissance photographs revealing a massive increase in British vehicles and men. Rommel said the Italian warnings were “excessive Latin nervousness.” Luckily for Rommel, General Ettore Bastico, governor of Libya and commander of all troops on the North African Theatre, convinced Rommel not to deploy his armoured units around Tobruk. General Gastone Gambara, commander of the Maneuverable Corps and Lieutenant General Fedele de Giorgis, commander of the 55th Division Savona, placed the Ariete, Trieste and Savona Divisions on alert. The Germans would later call this offensive Winterschlacht. After sundown, British cruisers HMS “_Naiad_” and HMS “_Euryalus_” and destroyers HMS “_Kipling_” and HMS “_Jackal_” bombarded German positions at Halfaya Pass. This British attack disrupts Rommel’s plan to attack Tobruk on the 21st. RAF aircraft attack Tmimi, Gambut, and other airfields as well as attacking Axis AFVs and trucks.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Japanese Ambassador to the U.S., Admiral Nomura Kichisaburo sends the following message to Tokyo:


> “On the evening of the 17th, both of us (Nomura and special envoy Kurusu) went to call on a certain cabinet member and this is what he told us: “The President is very desirous of an understanding between Japan and the United States. In his latest speech he showed that he entertained no ill will towards Japan. I would call that to your attention. Now the great majority of the cabinet members, with two exceptions, in principle approve of a Japanese American understanding. If Japan would now do something real, such as evacuating French Indo-China, showing her peaceful intentions, the way would be open for us to furnish you with oil and it would probably lead to the re-establishment of normal trade relations. The Secretary of State cannot bring public opinion in line so long as you do not take some real and definite steps to reassure the Americans.” Nomura and special envoy Kurusu meet with Secretary of State Cordell Hull at 1030 hours and then sent the following in a message to Tokyo: “In our conversations of today, as a practical means of alleviating the ever worsening front with which we are faced and to quiet the fearful situation, as well as, to bring about a return to the situation existing before the application of the freezing legislation, we suggested the evacuation of Japanese troops stationed in the southern part of French Indochina. During this meeting, Hull brought up the question of the Tripartite Pact between Germany, Italy and Japan, and Kurusu said “. . . he could not say that Japan would abrogate the Tripartite Pact . . . he desires to emphasize that Japan would not be a cat’s-paw for Germany, that Japan’s purpose in entering into the Tripartite alliance was to use it for Japan’s own purposes, that Japan entered the Tripartite Pact because Japan felt isolated.”



Doctor L. A. DuBridge of the Radiation Laboratory reported that the initial design of a 3-centimeter aircraft intercept radar was completed.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Norwegian vessel “_Vesco_” sunk by RN submarine “_Sealion_”.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: In the Philippines MacArthur tasks FEAF to review the “installation and operation of the Air Force as projected.”

Agreement signed extending New Zealand's area of defensive responsibilities to include Fiji and Tonga.

General Bennett departs for Egypt to visit Australian headquarters there.

*UNITED KINGDOM:* The retirement of Sir John Dill as Chief of the General Staff was announced. General Dill was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal and sent to Washington to lead the British military mission there. General Brooke replaces General Dill as Chief of the Imperial General Staff. General Paget is appointed C-in-C Home Forces, in Brooke’s place. These appointments will become effective in December. Brooke comes from an Ulster Loyalist family in County Fermanagh. There is a well-established tradition of having a loyal Irishman as Britain’s top soldier. The list includes Sir Henry Wilson, assassinated by the IRA in 1922, as well as Brooke’s predecessor, Sir John Dill. General Brooke has a passion for innovation in military mobility, mechanization and gunnery. He commanded II Corps of the BEF in the Dunkirk withdrawal. On his return he took over from Lord Ironside as Chief of the Home Defence Forces, becoming responsible for leading resistance to invasion. Now aged 58, he is described by Dill as “a young man” who should have chance to get on.

East Coast town bombed at night by two Luftwaffe raiders.

Winston Churchill delivered a Message On the Eve of the Libyan Offensive :


> “I have it in command from the King to express to all ranks of the Army and the British Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Western Desert, and to the Mediterranean Fleet, his Majesty's confidence that they will do their duty with exemplary devotion in the supremely important battle which lies before them. For the first time British and Empire troops will meet the Africa Korps with an ample equipment in modern weapons. The battle itself will affect the whole course of the war. Now is the time to strike the hardest blow yet struck for final victory, home and freedom. The Desert Army may add one page to history which will rank with Blenheim and with Waterloo. The eyes of all nations are upon you. All our hearts are with you. May God uphold the right.”



*WESTERN FRONT*: The British Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out offensive sweep over North France. RAF Fighter Command flew a Rodeo operation. Luftwaffe fighter ace Adolf Galland scores his 96th victory but is forbidden from flying further combat missions.

.


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## Old Wizard (Nov 18, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 18, 2016)

*November 19 Wednesday
ASIA:* The excavated fossils of the Peking Man were packed up at the Cenozoic Research Laboratory of the Beiping Union Medical College. The US Marines stationed in China, who already received orders to be withdrawn, were supposed to bring the bones back to the United States for safekeeping. During the hurried transit between Beiping and the port of Qinghuangdao, the boxes vanished, and have not been found to this day.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry sends the following message to their embassy in Washington, D.C.: “_When our diplomatic relations are becoming dangerous, we will add the following at the beginning and end of our general intelligence broadcasts: 
(1) If it is Japan-U. S. relations, “HIGASHI;” 
(2) Japan-Russia relations, “KITA;”
(3) Japan-British relations, (including Thai, Malaya and N. E. I.); “NISHI.” 
The above will be repeated five times and included at beginning and end. Relay to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, San Francisco.”_

IJN aircraft carrier “_Kaga_” departed Saeki Bay off Oita, Japan for Etorofu Island, Kurile Islands. IJN aircraft carrier “_Shokaku_” departed the Inland Sea with IJN aircraft carrier “_Zuikaku_” for Hittokappu Bay in the Kurile Islands to join the ships massing for the Hawaii Operation. One submarine of the Support Group, Advance Group, Pearl Harbor Strike Force, HIJMS I-26, departs Yokosuka.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German 2nd Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla attacked Allied convoy FS.650 (59 ships), 10 miles east of Lowestoft, England, sinking tanker “_War Mehtar_” and transports “_Aruba_” and “_Waldinge_”. German torpedo boat S.41 collided with a convoy escort and sank. British destroyer HMS “_Garth_” was damaged by friendly fire during the engagement.

Cruiser HMS “_Dunedin_” is torpedoed and sunk by U-124 in the Atlantic 900 miles off of Freetown. There are 420 casualties, but 72 survivors are found by the US “_Nishama_” on 6 Carley floats.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German reinforcements drove the Russians back another 16 km. 70 miles west of Moscow, German 4.Panzerarmee attempted to penetrate the gap between the Soviet 30th and 16th Armies which were pushed back on the previous day, but stubborn Soviet resistance slowed the German advance in the area of Istra. 16th Army was at risk from encirclement. Zhukov denied Rokossovski’s request to withdraw to the Istra River thus allowing the Germans to take the river at a rush. Soviet General Dmitry Lelyushenko is ordered by Zhukov to take command of 30th Army and hold Klin at all costs – they will delay German advance for 5 days. Istra is defended by 78th Rifle Division from Siberia (fresh troops with a full complement of artillery) and will be held until November 27. The Germans captured Solnechnogorsk, and got to the Leningrad Highway. 16th Army was again nearly encircled. Rokossovski was nearly captured at his headquarters at Kriukovo. The T-34 troop guarding the headquarters went to refuel thus leaving the staff exposed as Germans entered the village. Rokossovski and his staff quickly evacuated. The Germans kept pushing against the 78th Siberian Rifle Division and 18th (Leningrad) Volunteer Division, attacked the Sheremeievo airport, captured the Yakhroma bridge over the Moscow-Volga canal, and reached Krasnaya Polyana. The Russians were offering increasingly stubborn resistance and using fortifications more effectively. They were starting to make use of profuse numbers of mines in their defense, including laying them on potential German lanes of approach. One incident involved tanks of 5.Panzer-Division attacking a Russian stronghold at Denikovo. The Russians had fortified the station building, damaged the road leading to the village and destroyed a bridge, and mined the likely route the panzers would have to take once they left the road. The attacking panzers were ordered to bypass the station, thus cutting off the defenders, and capture the railway line as fast as possible. It didn’t quite play out like that. When the panzers moved ahead of their infantry to positions near the village the Russian artillery began ranging shots. At 1500 hours the Germans were ordered to attack. The German tanks turned off the road when they found the destroyed bridge and ran straight into the Russian minefield. The Soviet artillery also found its range and began shelling the attackers. The Germans then tried to get round the village by driving their tanks and half tracks along a gully. At the end of the day the Russians were still defending the station. Stalin relented again and committed 20th Army, General Vlasov with fresh Siberian divisions, on the right of 16th Army. And by this time Russian aircraft were challenging the German air superiority. The Siberians pushed the Germans back across the canal.

In northern Russia, Soviet 4th and 52nd Armies almost surround Tikhvin, attacking simultaneously from North and South, but German General von Arnim moves up 61.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Siegfried Hanicke) and the Germans hang on to the town, 120 kilometers east of Leningrad. Frustrated by his army's slow advance, General Hoepner (3.Panzerarmee) commits the last of his reserves in the Kalinin area. Soviet 37th Army attacks northern flank of 1.Panzerarmee and defeats XIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry G. von Wietersheim). Meanwhile, near Leningrad, General Feofan Nikolaevich Lagunov drove an American-built M1 Scout Car across the frozen Lake Ladoga and declared it safe to use as a truck route.

Panfilov of 316th Division was killed by a random mortar round. In recognition of Panfilov’s courage the division was subsequently awarded the Order of the Red Banner and the title of a Guards Division.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 6 prisoners of war and 8 Polish Jews were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania.

*GERMANY*: In a meeting Adolf Hitler held with his top military leaders on this date, Hitler no longer talked about ending the war in 1941; instead, plans for Soviet targets east of Moscow, Russia were made for spring and summer of 1942. Hitler orders the Caucasus will be primary objective of 1942 campaign in the Soviet Union.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Maestrale_” and “_Gioberti_”. A second Axis Convoy departs Taranto for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian destroyers “_Zeno_” and “_Malocello_”. Six Blenheims from RAF No. 18 Squadron based at Luqa, Malta carried out a bold attack on one of the Italian convoys attempting to run supplies to Tripoli. This time Malta’s losses were heavy: Flight Sergeant Chester Newsome and Sergeant Harold Macaulay of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Sergeant Roland Walker, Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve, all flying with RAF No. 18 Squadron were shot down. Sergeant Harold Hanson from the Isle of Man was reported missing, along with Sergeant John Woolman and Sergeant William Buck. All three were members of the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve flying with RAF No. 18 Squadron.

The air raids on Malta intensified. At 0545 hours eight enemy aircraft were plotted from Sicily, with only three crossing coast. Bombs were dropped on land near Anchor Bay and the TKM searchlights. No casualties. At 1902 hours five enemy aircraft crossed coast, two of which were barraged twice by Ack Ack. Small High Explosives and incendiaries were dropped on the Madalena and Naxxar area. At 2132 hours a single enemy aircraft approached from south west of Island. Barraged by Ack Ack three times, it dropped bombs in the sea and near Attard.

Naples and Brindisi raided by the British Royal Air Force.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: British General Cunningham is confused by the lack of German response to his incursion into Libya, so 7th Armored Division tanks begin to spread out to secondary objectives. Caught by surprise, the Germans misread the British intent and think that the enemy is attempting to encircle Bardia and send the bulk of the Africa Korps deeper into the trap. British 7th Armored Brigade heads north to attack the Italian airfield at Gambut where Rommel has his HQ. Units of the British 7th Armoured Brigade easily reach Sidi Rezegh, while other units are held up by stiff German defenses. They capture the Sidi Rezegh airfield in the process. This forces Rommel to abandon his own attack on Tobruk to head-off the British threat. The 4th Armoured Brigade engages part of the German 21.Panzer Division and loses heavily. The 22nd Armoured Brigade engages the Italian Ariete Division at Bir el Gubi and also suffers heavy losses. 'Ariete' blunts the British offensive with the 102mm naval guns from a RM warship now mounted on FIAT trucks. 40 British Crusader tanks were destroyed or disabled. While the Afrika Korps and Italian armour clash with British armour in the attack on Tobruk, the skies are empty of warplanes as heavy rains turn the airfields into mud quagmires. But RAF aircraft attack airfields as well as attacking Axis AFVs and trucks. RN destroyers “_Kipling_” and “_Jackal_” bombard targets around Halfaya Pass. HMA Ships “_Hobart_”, (cruiser), “_Napier_” and “_Nizam_”, (destroyers), supported the Battle Fleet in the bombardment of key German and Italian defences in the Halfaya Pass.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The Japanese embassy in Washington DC, United States was instructed that, should war be decided with the United States, Japanese public radio broadcast would include the code phrase "higashi no kaze ame" (“east wind rain”), with the Soviet Union "ita no kaze kumori" ("north wind cloudy"), and with the United Kingdom "nishi no kaze hare" ("west wind clear"). This would be the well known 'Winds Code’. This clear preparation for a likely war was intercepted by the Americans.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Modified Leander class light cruiser HMAS “_Sydney_” (D 48) was intercepted by German auxiliary cruiser, HK “_Kormoran_” 140 miles west of Shark Bay, Australia, with “_Kormoran_” firing the first shot at 1730 hours. Both ships were heavily damaged after the 20-minute battle. The “_Kormoran_” was flying the Dutch flag and going under the name Streat Malakka. It was not until the ships were within a mile of each other that the “_Kormoran_” hoisted the Swastika ensign and opened fire. The “_Sydney_” was hit, her bridge and gunnery director tower badly damaged with the result that (possibly from flooding magazines in response to the turret penetration) “_Sydney’s_” firepower was reduced to half. “_Kormoran_” also hit “_Sydney_” with a torpedo. Both ships are crippled and on fire. HMAS “_Sydney_” steams slowly south-southeast, still ablaze, and is never seen again; all 645 crewmen are lost. German survivors later say that they saw a glow on the southern horizon followed by a bright flash around 2400 hours; this could possibly be caused by the cruiser’s magazines exploding. HK “_Kormoran_” drifts for approximately five hours before being scuttled by her crew with explosive charges; 85 crewmen are lost but 315 make it to Australia where they are held as POWs. Wrecks of both ships were discovered in March 2008, 11 miles apart. The engagement remains controversial to this day.

A ground echelon from US Marine Aircraft Group 21 was dispatched to Midway Island to prepare the island to receive aircraft.

Hart informed senior officers of Asiatic Fleet that the war would be fought from Manila.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British newspaper The Times estimated that 82,000 Polish people had been killed since Poland became occupied.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris, Dr. Michel congratulates the 100,000th French worker to volunteer for a job in Germany. The man, a truck driver, has been presented with a travel kit and a watch.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 19, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 19, 2016)

*November 20 Thursday
ASIA*: Foreign Minister Togo Shigenori sends a message to the Japanese ambassador in Ankara, Turkey, that includes the following:


> “Insofar as Japanese-American negotiations are concerned, in proceeding upon these negotiations for the adjustment of diplomatic relations on a just basis, conferences have been in progress since the 7th. However, there is great disparity between their opinions and our own. In the light of the trend of past negotiations there is considerable doubt as to whether a settlement of the negotiations will be reached. Insofar as we are concerned we have lent our maximum efforts in order to bring about a settlement of the negotiations. However, the situation not permitting any further conciliation by us, an optimistic view for the future is not permitted. In the event that negotiations are broken off, we expect that the situation in which Japan will find herself will be extremely critical. The above is for your information alone.”



All communications are cut to Etorofu Island, Kurile Islands. Tankan Bay is the assembly point for the Japanese naval vessels that will attack Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii.

The Japanese-controlled Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China was upgraded to the status of a Guard District.

Crown Prince Yi Un was assigned to Guangdong Province, China.

The Japanese naval base at Mako in Pescadores Islands, Taiwan was upgraded to full Guard District status.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: One of the ships of Allied convoy PQ-3 struck an iceberg and another developed mechanical problems; both were turned back toward Iceland.

USN destroyer USS “_Nicholson_” (DD-424), with Task Unit 4.1.5, escorting convoy HX-160 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to U.K.), depth charges a sound contact about 195 nautical miles (361 kilometers) north-northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland.

A heavy landing caused the scouting plane of the German commerce raider “_Atlantis_” to be put out of action. This deprived the “_Atlantis_” of any long range spotting, which may have been useful in avoiding the heavy cruiser HMS “_Devonshire_” on November 22.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German 3.Panzerarmee, 2.Panzerarmee and 4.Panzergruppe are all attacking toward Moscow. German 1.Panzerarmee and Soviet 56th Army were battling in Rostov and the city is finally captured. Soviet 37th Army continues attacking into northern flank of German 1.Panzerarmee. The 3.Panzerarmee, after extremely heavy fighting, finally breaks the stubborn Soviet resistance in the Kalinin area and advances 20 kilometers. General der Infanterie von Briesen of LII.Armeekorps is killed at Andrejkawa.

Stavka orders creation of 1st Shock Army.

The daily bread rations in besieged Leningrad, Russia were reduced to 500 grams for military personnel, 250 grams for engineers and technical workers, 125 grams for other workers and children. The situation was hoped to be improving soon, however, as the first successful crossing of the frozen Lake Ladoga was made with horse-drawn sleighs, hoping to bring back food from Kobona. In the morning, Captain Murov takes a convoy of horse-drawn sleighs from Kokorevo (20 miles from Leningrad) via Karedzhskiy Island, arriving in the evening at Kobona on the Eastern shore. Horses and drivers are fed while the sleighs are loaded up with flour, sugar and fat for the return journey.

In Vilnius, Lithuania, 3 prisoners of war were executed as later reported by the Jager Report on 1 Dec 1941. Another massacre took place in Minsk. Seven thousand Jews were killed.

The two crematoria of Auschwitz Concentration Camp were inactivated for servicing. Camp commandant ordered that corpses of prisoners were to be transported to Birkenau (not yet a camp) for burying in mass graves until the servicing was done on 3 Dec 1941.

*GERMANY*: The pilots and crew of I./JG 3 are attached to Bruno Lörzer’s II Fliegerkorps in Russia but are ordered to stay at the airfield at Madgeburg until further orders.

Rashid Ali arrived in Berlin from Italy. The Grand Mufti meets with Ribbentrop.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian destroyer “_Turbine_” and torpedo boat “_Perseo_”. Another Axis Convoy departs Trapani for Tripoli with one vessel escorted by Italian destroyers “_Usodimare_”, “_Saetta_”, and “_Sebenico_”. The Italian ships “_Trieste_” and “_Luigi_”, while escorting an Axis convoy are torpedoed. Six Blenheims from RAF No. 107 Squadron attacked a convoy.

On Malta Coastal defenders of the 3rd Battalion, Kings Own Malta Regiment opened fire this morning on two Italian aircraft as they attempted to cross the southern coast on a reconnaissance raid over the Island. The gunners were taken by surprise as no air raid alarm had been heard to warn them of the incoming aircraft.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: The British Operation Crusader continues. The British 7th Armoured Brigade is still advancing around Sidi Rezegh and the 22nd Armoured Brigade is moving to join up with the 4th Armoured Brigade. The British order the Tobruk garrison to break out and link up with XXX Corp. Rommel, back from his visit to Rome, turns the Africa Korps back to the west to meet the real threat and orders an attack at Sidi Rezegh. The British 7th Armoured Brigade repulsed a counter attack launched by the German 90.Leichte-Divisionen and the Italian Bologna Division. In the afternoon, 15.Panzer-Division finally responds to the concentration of British tanks in the desert but arrives to find only 4th Armored Brigade at Gabr Saleh. The heavier German tanks decimate the thinly-armored American M3 ‘Stuart’ tanks. The Stuarts often explode when hit, due to volatile aviation fuel used to power the Continental R-670 7-cylinder radial engine. 15.Panzer-Division then withdraws back towards Tobruk, followed by the remaining tanks of 4th and 22nd Armored Brigades. After dark, British cruisers HMS “_Ajax_” and HMS “_Neptune_” and Australian cruiser HMAS “_Hobart_” bombarded Bardia, Libya.

The weather lessens and allows some sorties to be flown against the British. During one such sortie the fighters of I./JG 27 bounce a flight of nine SAAF No. 21 Squadron Maryland bombers in an action known as “Black Thursday” to the South Africans. The bombers try to drop their loads and close ranks but the firepower of the Messerschmitts is too much. As the bombers try to dive away, the German fighters pick off the Marylands, one by one. Before breaking off the battle, the fighters of I./JG 27 shoot down four of the bombers and seriously damage the remaining planes. By the end of the day the Luftwaffe has lost two Bf 109s and four Ju 87s with the Allies losing two Hurricanes and two P-40s.

RAF No. 80 Squadron begins using Hawker Hurricane fighter-bombers, the Hurribomber, in the Western Desert.

Reginaldo Rossi, a 24 year-old corporal of the 39th Infantry Regiment ('Bologna' Division), wins posthumously the 'Medaglia d’Argento al Valore Militare', Italy’s second-highest military decoration while fighting off tanks. His Silver Medal for Valour citation reads: "_As an anti-tank gunner, he was an example to all for his discipline and the care and maintenance he took of the units weapons. In the bloody and arduous combat that took place against numerous armoured vehicles, he showed complete and total disregard to the danger present and with absolute calmness, he stuck to his gun that he refused to abandon it, even when he found himself surrounded by the enemy."_ In his hometown Roccagorga in Italy, a carefully maintained monument in memory of this Italian war hero survives to this day.

Six Swordfish from Malta laid mines outside Tripoli Harbour and at same time three Albacores created diversion with bombs and three other Albacores laid mines. During the night five Swordfish, FAA No. 830 Squadron, were dispatched to lay mines outside Tripoli Harbour. The operation was successfully carried out and all aircraft safely returned to base.

Elements of Sudan Defense Force unsuccessfully attack Italian positions at Chilga west of Gondar.

*NORTH AMERICA:* Talks opened in Washington, D.C. between U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull, Japanese ambassador Kichisaburō Nomura and special Japanese envoy Saburō Kurusu. The Japanese demanded that the Americans withdraw from China, lift all sanctions directed against Japan and halt the U.S. naval buildup in the Pacific. The Japanese government offer proposals for a settlement of all issues, with deadline of 30 November. American Secretary Hull rejects the proposals, but prepares a reply which will enable negotiations to continue. This response is not sent after Dutch and British authorities express concerns over the concessions offered to the Japanese in China. The British and Dutch are seen to be acting on concerns expressed by Chiang Kai-shek’s government in China.

North American Aviation’s Chief Test Pilot, Paul B. Balfour, made his first flight in the prototype NA-73X, NX19998. Vance Breese was the free-lance test pilot who made the first seven flights in the new airplane which had been designed as a fighter for the Royal Air Force. Breese claimed to have made a bet with North American executives that Paul Balfour would crash the prototype on his first flight. Balfour took off from Mines Field at about 0710 hours. After about twelve minutes of flight, the Allison stopped running. Balfour was too far from Mines Field to make it back to the runway. He landed in a plowed field west of Lincoln Boulevard. When the tires hit the soft surface, the prototype flipped over. Balfour was not hurt and was able to crawl out of the upside-down wreck. The Civil Aeronautics Board report described the damage as “engine housing broken, both wingtips damaged, tail surfaces damaged, top of fuselage damaged, and other miscellaneous damage.” The NA-73X had accumulated just 3 hours, 20 minutes of flight. Vance Breese won his bet.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The Norwegian government-in-exile officially endorsed the resistance movement Milorg.

Soviet submarines conduct minelaying operations off coast of northern Norway. Three Kriegsmarine transports and a tanker were sunk in the Barents Sea.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: HMAS “_Sydney_” sank some time after midnight from the damage sustained in the engagement with German raider “_Kormoran_”; all 645 aboard were lost. “_Kormoran_”, likewise heavily damaged, was abandoned at 1900 hours and was scuttled three hours later; 81 were killed and 318 survived.

Transport, “_President Coolidge_” arrived with elements of the 27th BG (L) and the 35th PG in Manila. The 5th Air Base Group also arrived in Manila. This group has been sent to the Philippines to support the 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy), the second B-17 group ordered to the Philippines. Navy Department disapproved Admiral Thomas C. Hart’s proposal to keep the Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines but refuses to provide him with further guidance. Hart, commander of the Asiatic Fleet, protests directly to Stark but no response was made. Hart orders the destroyer tender USS “_Black Hawk_” (AD-9) and the destroyers USS “_Alden_” (DD-211), “_Edsall_” (DD-219), “_John D. Edwards_” (DD-216) and “_Whipple_” (DD-217) dispatched to Balikpapan, Borneo, the Netherlands East Indies.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Vichy government dismissed General Weygand from his post as Delegate General in North Africa and Commander-In-Chief of the French forces in Algeria. General Juin appointed Commander-In-Chief of the French forces in North Africa. The Vichy Government retired General Weygand in response to pressures by German authorities.

RAF Fighter Command conducted a Rhubarb operation. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires attacked E-boats off Dutch coast.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 20, 2016)




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## parsifal (Nov 20, 2016)

*18 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-704
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS OAKVILLE (K-178)





RCN ML-050,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 337
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

SHCH (Scuka) Class Submarine VMF SHCH-137





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-84
Kirkenes: U-752
Lorient: U-109

At Sea 18 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-82, U-85, U-93, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-652, UA

40 Boats


*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
*Coaster YENICE (Tu 428 grt)* was sunk by VMF sub SC-215 in the Sth Black Sea. Twelve crewmen were lost on the steamer. Two survivors were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
Submarine SEALION sank *trawler VESCO (Ex-Nor 331 grt)* by gunfire off northern Norway.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRIDENT, on passage from Murmansk to the UK, was directed to patrol off the Norwegian coast.. Submarine TRIDENT departed the patrol area for Blyth on the 25th.

Submarine TUNA, on passage to the Northern patrol area, was directed to patrol in the Norwegian arctic waters.

FFL submarine RUBIS departed Dundee to also patrol off the Norwegian coast

*West Coast*
_Convoy HX 158_
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.

_Convoy OS.12_
Convoy OS.12 departed Liverpool, bound for Freetown.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON-33_
Corvette TRAIL detached from the escort on the 18th.

_Convoy ON.37_
On the 18th, the escort was reinforced with the arrival of DDs SCIMITAR and WATCHMAN and corvettes DAHLIA and MONKSHOOD, and ASW trawler NORTHERN PRIDE.

_Canadian troop convoy TC 15 _
On the 18th, DDs HIGHLANDER, HARVESTER, HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, WESTCOTT, and BLANKNEY, which had been escorting convoy CT 6, joined the convoy and escorted it to arrival on the 21st.

*Med/Biscay*
British operation APPROACH was cancelled with the exception of the sailing of tankers TONELINE and LESBOS which departed Alexandria escorted by RAN sloops YARRA and PARRAMATTA, MSW whaler SOTRA, and two ASW trawlers.
When tanker TONELINE broke down, sloop PARRAMATTA assisted the tanker returning to Mersa Matruh. The tanker sailed after dark on the 19th for Tobruk.

BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CLAs NAIAD, GALATEA, and EURYALUS, and DDs JERVIS, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, NAPIER, NIZAM, KIPLING, JACKAL, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE departed Alexandria to support Operation CHIEFTAN, the dummy convoy intended to divert attention from Operation CRUSADER in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Battle Fleet turned back after dark on the 18th and arrived at Alexandria during the morning of 19 November.

CLAs NAIAD and EURYALUS and DDs KIPLING and JACKAL, which had been detached late on the 18th, bombarded the Halfaya fortifications around Tobruk. 

The cruisers and DDs arrived later at Alexandria.

Force K of CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and DDs LANCE and LIVELY departed Malta to participate in the CHIEFTAN operation. The ships arrived back at Malta during the night of 18/19 November.

British aircraft accidently attacked anti-submarine whaler SOUTHERN MAID, reporting her as a submarine. DDs FARNDALE and ERIDGE departed Alexandria to search for the “submarine”.

Submarine PERSEUS, which had been under repair at Malta, departed on trials, but was forced to return with a defective hydroplane gear.

Submarine THORN unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Aegean. The steamer was later found to be a Turkish Red Crescent relief ship.

An Italian convoy of steamers AMBA ARADAM and BROOK, escorted by torpedo boat PARTENOPE arrived at Benghazi from Brindisi.

ASW trawler SCOTTISH intercepted *fishing ketch BELLE BRETAGNE (Vichy 55 grt (est))* 22 miles 280° from Cape Espichel. The ketch was sent into Gibraltar.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.159_
On the 18th, DD SABRE, corvettes ALISMA and SUNFLOWER, and US Coast Guard cutter CAMPBELL joined the convoy.

_Convoy ON.36_
On the 18th, the escorts were relieved by DD ROCKINGHAM and corvettes ARROWHEAD, BUCTOUCHE, COBALT, MOOSE JAW, NASTURTIUM, PICTOU, and WINDFLOWER.

_Convoy SC.55_
Corvettes DUNVEGAN, KENOGAMI, LETHBRIDGE, and PRESCOTT joined on the 18th.

*Central Atlantic*
CLA HERMIONE was detached from CVE ARGUS, which with escort returned to Gibraltar. The CLA joined BB NELSON to search for an enemy supply ship reported in the Biscay area.

_Convoy SL.93_
SL.93 departed Freetown escorted by DDs BRILLIANT to 23 November and STANLEY to 24 November, sloop BIDEFORD to 10 December, corvettes BERGAMOT and CROCUS to 23 November, CYCLAMEN to 10 December, NIGELLA and ORCHIS to 23 November, escort vessels CULVER, LANDGUARD, and LULWORTH to 10 December and GORLESTON to 1 December, and anti-submarine whaler SOUTHERN PRIDE to 23 November.

*Pacific/Australia*
_convoy 4001_
USN CL BOISE departed Pearl Harbour escorting convoy 4001 of Army transport PRESIDENT GRANT and steamers AMERICAN LEADER, CAPE FAIRWEATHER, JOHN LYKES, and DONA NATI to Manila.

A major component of the Japanese attack plan was to spearhead the attack with her submarines. It was intended that the I-Boats would intercept and attrition the US Pacifica fleet as it sallied forth to undertake its mission in accordance with the plan ORANGE directives. Though the IJN did achieve a measure of success elsewhere, its plans in the central pacific against the US fleet and even the US merchant marine between Oahu and the US west coast were largely a failure.

IJN submarines of SubFlots 1 and 2 departed Yokosuka and Kure on 18 and 19 November for operations in the Central Pacific. Submarine I.26 reconnoitered Kiska on the 25th and during the night of 27/28 November flew her aircraft over Dutch Harbour. On the 30th, the submarine reconnoitered Kodiak.

Submarine I.10 reconnoitered Suva on the 29th by aircraft and was off Pago Pago on 4 December.

From 3 December, submarines I.9, I.15, I.17, and I.25 were in a line north of Oahu.

I 7 was south of Oahu.

I 1, I.2, and I.3 were west of Oahu.

I 4, I.5, and I.6 were east of Oahu.

SubFlot 3 from Kwajalein with I.8, I.68, I.69, I.70, I.71, I.72, I.73, I.75, and I.76 were deployed south of Oahu.

Submarines I.16, I.18, I.20, I.22, and I.24 which carried midget submarines for an attack on Pearl Harbour departed Yokosuka on the 18th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 18 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 19 NOVEMBER 1941

_1100 hrs_ Two Macchi’s approach the Island at great height on a reconnaissance (recce) mission. No air raid alert is sounded. Only one of the aircraft crosses the coast.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER

_ROYAL NAVY _ Submarine _Perseus_ returned with defective hydroplane gear. Four swordfish laid mines in vicinity of Marsala Point, Sicily.

_HAL FAR Night_ Five Albacores, 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm despatched to lay mines off Marsala Point. The operation was successfully carried out and all aircraft returned to base safely.

_LUQA 107 Squadron_ Two Blenheims SF11 Patrol. Six Blenheims 107 Squadron and four Blenheims 18 Squadron shipping search south Ionian Sea. _40 Squadron _ Four Wellingtons nuisance raid Brindisi. Three Wellingtons nuisance raid Tripoli. Three Wellingtons nuisance raid Naples.

_Operation Crusader_
The offensive was to be conducted by two British corps. The British XXX Corps, under Lieutenant General Willoughby Norrie, was consisted of Major General William Gott's British Armoured Division, Major General George Brink's South African 1st Infantry Division (two brigades), and the independent 22nd Guards Brigade. The British XIII Corps, under Lieutenant General Reade Godwin-Austen, was consisted of Major General Frank Messervy's 4th Indian Infantry Division, Major General Bernard Freyberg's New Zealand 2nd Division and the 1st Army Tank Brigade.


On the Axis side, two formations stood in the British offensive's path. German General Erwin Rommel's force was consisted of the German 15th Panzer Division, the German 21st Panzer Division, the German 90th Light Infantry Division, the Italian 55th Infantry Division "Savona", and General Enea Navarini's Italian XXI Army Corps (4 divisions).


The other formation defending Axis territory was the Italian XX Motorized Corps, which consisted of the Italian 132nd Armored Division "Ariete" and the Italian 101st Motorized Division "Trieste" (which was operating as leg infantry at that time as its trucks were needed to restore Ariete’s mobility. A good portion of the Axis forces were near Tobruk as Rommel was planning on launching a major offensive against Tobruk on or around 24 Nov.


Before dawn on 18 Nov, the British Eighth Army advanced southwest from Mersa Matruh, Egypt, with the British 7th Armoured Division at the spearhead; this main column of the offensive crossed the Egyptian-Libyan border near Fort Maddalena and then turned northwest. Meanwhile, the South African Division protected the southern flank, and the British XIII Corps and the British 4th Armoured Brigade held the area west of Sidi Omar to counter a potential Axis counter offensive through that area. The opening phases of the invasion was originally to be assisted by some of the 724 British and Commonwealth aircraft assigned to the operation, but all ground support missions were canceled due to the unexpected bad weather; on the other side of the token, the bad weather aided the Allied efforts by preventing Axis reconnaissance flights from being launched, which could have detected the preparations for the operations. The first day of the offensive no resistance was met.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 20, 2016)

Halder's diary 18 November 1941


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## parsifal (Nov 20, 2016)

*19 NOVEMBER 1941 
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-89





Type VIIc DKM U-408





*Losses*
_Convoy FS.650_
DKM S Boat Flotilla 2 attacked convoy FS.650 of fifty nine ships, which had departed Methil on the 18th and was escorted by DDsWOLSEY, VERDUN, WIDGEON, KITTIWAKE, and trawler KINGSTON OLIVINE, off Great Yarmouth. DDs VESPER, GARTH, and CAMPBELL were nearby as a support force and MGB.87 followed the convoy. DDs HAMBEDON and QUORN were also at sea.

MGB.63, MGB.64, and MGB.67 departed to operate near the German activity, but MGB.63 was forced to return at the start with engine room problems.

Notwithstanding the extensive countermeasures, *tkr WAR MEHTAR (UK 5502 grt)* was sunk by S.104. The entire crew were rescued.





*Steamer ARUBA (UK 1159 grt)* was sunk by S.105. One gunner was missing on the steamer.





*Steamer WALDINGE (UK 2462grt) *was badly damaged by S.41 near 55 A Buoy, Smith's Knoll. One gunner was lost on the steamer. The steamer sank on the 20th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*S-38 Class S-Boat S.41 (DKM 92 grt)* was damaged in a collision with the convoy escort and was in tow returning to port, when intercepted by MGB.64 and MGB.67. The British were able to board the S-boat, but could not prevent her sinking.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DD GARTH was seriously damaged when she was accidentally struck by 40mm gunfire from another destroyer in the escort. GARTH was towed to Harwich.

The convoy arrived at Southend on the 20th.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
La Pallice: U-82
Stavanger: U-654

Departures
Kirkenes: U-578
Lorient: U-95, U-557

At Sea 19 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-93, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-578, U-652, UA

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
_Convoy PQ.3_
On the 19th, Soviet Gerneral Gromov and the Russian Mission was transferred from CL KENYA to DD BEDOUIN for onward passage to Archangel.

*North Sea*
ML MENETHEUS, escorted by DD NEWARK, laid minefield SN.25 A.

Lt Cdr L. C. D. Ashburner was killed when his Roc of 834 Sqn crashed at Eastleigh.

*Northern Waters*
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow for the Northern Patrol and then on to Hvalfjord. DD ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow for Hull to carry out a long refit, arriving on the 20th

_Convoy PQ.5_

MSW HAZARD departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to embark stores. The MSW then proceeded to join the Kirkwall section of convoy PQ.5 for passage to Hvalfjord. The Kirkwall section of convoy PQ.5 departed Kirkwall for Hvalfjord, escorted by MSWs SHARPSHOOTER and HEBE. The Kirkwall section, escorted by the three MSWs arrived at Hvalfjord on the 23rd

*West Coast*
CLA CAIRO, after having escorted convoy BB 101 from Belfast to Milford Haven, suffered a failure of her steering engine. She was able to arrived at Devonport that afternoon for docking which was not completed until early February.

_Convoy ON.38_
Convoy ON.38 departed Liverpool escorted by corvettes HEARTSEASE, RENONCULE, and ROSELYS and ASW trawlers KING SOL and ST APOLLO.

*Western Approaches*
DD CASTLETON was damaged by the accidental explosion of a scuttling charge while at sea on escort duty. The DD was under repairs at Newport until 20 April 1942.

_Convoy HX.159_
The USN DDs were detached on the 19th and DD ROCKINGHAM and corvette KINGCUP joined.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OS.12_
The convoy was joined on the 19th by sloops FOLKESTONE, LONDONDERRY, WELLINGTON, and WESTON and escort vessels SENNEN and TOTLAND.

*Channel*
Submarine RORQUAL laid fifty mines off La Rochelle in minefield FD 34.
*Trawler COLIGNY (Vichy 600 grt)* was lost on the minefield.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine OSIRIS arrived at Malta after patrol off Candia.

Italian convoy A departed Tripoli for Naples with steamers ANKARA and SEBASTIANO VENIER, escorted by DDs MAESTRALE, ORIANI, and GIOBERTI. Due to British naval activity, the convoy in the Messina Strait was diverted to Taranto where they arrived on the 22nd.

ORP submarine SOKOL unsuccessfully attacked an Aviere Class Italian DD at Navarino.

*Nth Atlantic*
USN DD LEARY achieved the first radar contact of a U-boat when she contacted a U-boat on radar. This was the first instance of such a sighting in the USN.

_Convoy ON-33_
Corvette CHILLIWACK detached from the escort on the 19th.

_Convoy SC.55_
The original escorts (corvettes BATTLEFORD, DRUMHELLER, and SUMMERSIDE and MSW NIPIGON ) were detached on the 19th when the convoy was joined by DD ST FRANCIS and corvettes MAYFLOWER, NANAIMO, and SOREL.

*Central Atlantic*
_Allied convoy WS.12X_
Oiler CIMARRON joined on the 19th at Trinidad.

_Convoy WS.12Z_
On the 19th, DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FURY parted company with the convoy in 34-05N, 25-50W to refuel from oiler DINGLEDALE. The DDs then proceeded to search for an enemy merchant ship report.

BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN and DDs DULVERTON and SOUTHWOLD escorted the convoy from 16 to 24 November.

DDs FURY, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER escorted the convoy from 16 to 19 November.

Submarine UNA arrived at Gibraltar from Holy Loch.


*Pacific/Australia
Sailing vessel DEL PIDIO (US 250 grt (est))* was sunk on a mine in a prohibited area at the entrance to Manila Bay. 6 crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Cargo vessel ERIDIO MINDORO (Phil 67 grt) *was sunk on a mine off the coast of Mindoro.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 19 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 20 NOVEMBER 1941

_0229 hrs_ One enemy aircraft approached Island from north. Incendiaries dropped near Mosta at 0245 hrs. No alarm sounded for this raid.

_0545-0646 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Eight enemy aircraft plotted from Sicily, only three crossing coast. Bombs dropped on land near Anchor Bay and TKM searchlights. No casualties.

_1147-1213 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Recce raid by two Macchi’s.

_1902-2007 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Five enemy aircraft crossed coast, two of which were barraged twice by Ack Ack. One aircraft illuminated by searchlights for 6½ minutes. Small High Explosives and incendiaries dropped Madalena and Naxxar area.

_2132-2148 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft approached from south west of Island. Barraged by Ack Ack three times. Bombs in sea and near Attard.

_2203-2230 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft approached Island from west. Small High Explosives and incendiaries near Rabat.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Osiris_ arrived having hit a ship off Candia. Force “K” returned to harbour at 0700 hrs.

_LUQA _ One Blenheim 18 Squadron (Sgt Davies) and one Blenheim 107 Squadron SF11 Patrol. _18 Squadron_ Six Blenheims attacked convoy. _40 Squadron_ One Wellington

_Operation Crusader_
In the morning of 19 Nov, the Italian Ariete Division halted the 22nd Armoured Brigade of the British 7th Armoured Division at Bir el Gubi; however, the 7th Armoured Brigade and the 7th Support Group of the same division were able to advance near Tobruk, capturing the Sidi Rezegh airfield during the process. Meanwhile on the same day, the British 4th Armoured Brigade engaged 60 tanks, supported by 8.8-centimeter guns, of the German 21st Panzer Division on the offensive's northern flank.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 20, 2016)

*Action between HMAS SYDNEY and DKM KORMORAN 19 November 1941*
Off the west coast of Australia, *modified Leander Class CL HMAS SYDNEY (RAN 6701 grt) (*Captain J. Burnett RAN) contacted *Disguised Raider KORMORAN (DKM 8736 grt)*, which for a time was able to maintain her disguise. The German ship torpedoed the Australian cruiser and badly damaged her with gunfire.











On 19 November, shortly before 1600 hrs, DKM KORMORAN was 170 miles SW of Cape Carnarvon. The disguised raider was sailing northwards at 11 knots . At 1555 hrs, what was initially thought to be a sailing ship l was sighted off the port bow of the German ship , although it was quickly determined to be the mast of a warship.

The captain of the KORMORAN (Detmers) ordered KORMORAN to alter course into the sun (heading 260°) at maximum achievable speed (which quickly dropped from 15 to 14 knots because of problems in one of her diesel engines, while setting the ship to action stations. HMAS SYDNEY spotted the German ship around the same time, and altered from her southward heading to intercept at 25 knots

As she closed the gap, SYDNEY requested that KORMORAN identify herself. Communications were initially attempted by signal lamp to repeatedly send the ships coded signal identifiers, but the raider did not have the signal identifier for the ship she was posing to be (the Dutch STRAAT MALAKKA). The KORMORAN chose not to respond. SYDNEY continued to signal for 30 minutes, after which those aboard the cruiser used flags for communication. At this point the CL sent signals requesting a more commonly used “VH” recognition signal ("_You should hoist your signal letters_"), while the signal lamp was used to transmit the message in plain language. After another delay, KORMORAN raised "PKQI"—the call-sign for the Dutch merchant ship STRAAT MALAKKA (but not her security identifier) and hoisted a Dutch merchant ensign. As SYDNEY was approaching from just starboard of KORMORAN stern and 15,000 metres away, the call-sign was obscured by the raider's funnel. DKM accounts vary as to if this was to further the illusion of a civilian ship, a ruse to lure SYDNEY closer, or an error on the signaller's part. SYDNEY did approach closer this time signaling "_Make your signal letters clear_", which the signals officer aboard KORMORAN did by lengthening the halyard and swinging the signal flags around to starboard. By 1635, with SYDNEY now only 8,000 metres away, the malfunctioning engine aboard KORMORAN was repaired, but Detmers chose to keep it in reserve

SYDNEY asked KORMORAN "_Where bound?_", to which the raider responded "_Batavia_". It is SYDNEY then made signals asking for the raider's port of origin and cargo; the Germans said their replies were "_Fremantle_" and "_Piece-goods_" respectively. At around 1700 hrs, Detmers instructed his wireless operators to send a false distress indicating that STRAAT MALAKKA was being approached by a suspicious ship. The message, transmitted at 1703 and repeated at 1705, contained the distress call for a merchantman under attack from a raider instead of a warship (QQQQ, as opposed to RRRR), the latitude and longitude of the transmitting ship, the time per GMT (normal practice was to transmit local time; using GMT was to let DKM know that the ship was actually a raider about to be lost), but such inconsistencies would surely have made the SYDNEY suspicious, yet no opening of the range (the SYDNEY’s most precious advantage) occurred. On the allied side this signal was partially received by thetug UCO ("_QQQQ [unintelligible] 1000 GMT_") and a shore station at Geraldton ("_[unintelligible] 7C 11115E 1000 GMT_"). The Geraldton station broadcast a message to all ships asking if there was anything to report (which was interpreted by the Germans as acknowledgement of their signal), but after no response was forthcoming, ignored it until a report on the signal was forwarded to the Naval Board on 27 November

During the exchanges and distress signal, SYDNEY positioned herself just off the raider's starboard beam on a parallel course, the range now reduced to approximately 1,300 metres from KORMORAN. This was dangerously close. It is not known when or if SYDNEY ever went to action stations but at about this time the germans observed that the main guns and port torpedo launcher were trained on KORMORAN and her WALRUS scout plane had been readied for launch, prompting Detmers to prepare to engage SYDNEY

However KORMORAN’s 4-inch guns were unmanned, and personnel were standing on the upper deck. During her manoeuvre, the Germans observed what they believed SYDNEY to be signaling "_IK_" (the short-form for "_You should prepare for a cyclone, hurricane, or typhoon_"), which KORMORAN ignored. The Germans were unaware that in fact the signal was the first part (the challenge ) to STRAAT MALAKKA’s secret callsign, "_IIKP_": to verify her identity, the ship had to signal back the outer letters under IFF protocols. The Germans observed that the a/c was shut down by 1725, and the catapult swung into the storage position; the two ships were too close for a safe launch, or the SYDNEY preparing for action.

At around 1730, after the raider had failed to reply for 15 minutes, SYDNEY in plain language signalled by light "_Show your secret sign_”; Detmers knew that KORMORAN could not escape.

In response to the cruiser's signal, Detmers ordered that KORMORAN's disguise be dropped, for the Dutch flag to be replaced by the DKM Battle ensign, and for the guns and torpedoes to open fire.

Accounts disagree on which ship fired first, but agree that both opened fire almost simultaneously. The first shots from SYDNEY, a full, eight-shell salvo from the main guns, were reported in most accounts to have passed ove KORMORAN, although some of the Germans said that shells punched through the funnel and the wireless office at bridge level without exploding, and hit the water on the far side of the raider. One analysis claims that this was either a warning shot just over the superstructure, or an attempt to destroy the raider's bridge as a prelude to capture.

With KORMORAN’s opening salvo (which consisted of two shells instead of four because the raider's two centreline guns were slower to decamouflage), the gunnery officer attempted to bracket the cruiser's bridge but failed to hit it, with the shells striking other parts of the ship or missing completely. Two torpedoes from KORMORAN’s starboard above-water tubes were launched simultaneously with the raider's attack, and the close proximity of the target allowed the use of the anti-aircraft and close defence guns to rake SYDNEY, thus preventing the use of the cruiser's secondary weapons.

Subsequent salvoes from the raider were more accurate. The second, three-shell salvo destroyed SYDNEY’s bridge (more than likely killing or disabling the SYDNEY’s commanders) and damaged her upper superstructure, including the main gun director, wireless offices, and foremast. The fourth 5.9 in gun was ready by this time, and all four began to fire: the third and fourth salvoes knocked the cruiser's "A" and "B" turrets out of action before they could fire a second time, and the fifth hit SYDNEY on the waterline in proximity to the forward engine room, although one shell hit high and destroyed the Walrus. It should be noted at this point that the crews for the disguised raiders were among the best in DKM with her gunners hand picked for accuracy.

KORMORAN’s guns were aimed at SYDNEY’s waterline and upper deck during the next three salvoes. After the sixth German salvo, _Sydney_ resumed fire with her aft turrets: "Y" turret fired less than four times with little effect, but multiple shots from "X" turret struck KORMORAN, damaging the raider's machinery spaces, wounding the sailors manning one of the guns,and starting a fire in an oil tank.

Around the time of the eighth or ninth German salvo, one of the two torpedoes fired at the start of the engagement struck SYDNEY just forward of "A" turret and near the ASDIC compartment (the weakest point on the ship's hull), ripping a hole in the side and causing the bow of the cruiser to angle down. After the torpedo strike, SYDNEY turned hard to port: the Germans assumed that the Australian ship was trying to ram them, but the cruiser passed aft. During the turn, the 10th German salvo tore the roof from "B" turret and destroyed "A" turret's housing (this has been confired in the 2008 discovery of the wreck and backed up by the detailed records kept in the KORORAN log).

The main phase of the engagement ended around 1735, with SYDNEY heading south and slowing, while KORMORAN maintained her course and speed. SYDNEY’s main armament was completely disabled (the forward turrets were damaged or destroyed, while the aft turrets were jammed facing port, away from KORMORAN, and her secondary weapons were out of range. The cruiser was wreathed in smoke from fires burning in the engine room and forward superstructure, and around the aircraft catapult. KORMORAN discontinued salvo firing, but the individually firing aft guns scored hits as _Sydney_ crossed the raider's stern.

At around 1745, SYDNEY fired two torpedoes from her starboard tubes (although some Germans reported more). Prior to the torpedo launch, Detmers had decided to destroy SYDNEY completely and ordered the raider to turn to port so four-gun salvoes could be fired: this manoeuvre caused the torpedoes to pass astern of KORMORAN. After completing the turn, battle damage caused KORMORAN’s engines to fail completely, leaving the raider dead in the water while SYDNEY continued to sail southwards at low speed. KORMORAN maintained a high rate of fire despite being immobilised—some sailors claimed that up to 450 shells were used during the second phase of the battle—and scored hits on the cruiser, although many shells missed as the range increased. The raider fired her guns for the last time around 1750, with the range at 6,600 yards, and a torpedo was launched at 1800, but missed SYDNEY.

By the end of the 30 minute battle, the ships were about 11,000 yds apart: both were heavily damaged and on fire.

SYDNEY was proceeding on a SSE bearing, apparently not under control. The Australian warship quickly disappeared from German sight, although the glow of the burning ship consistently lit the horizon until 2200, with some German survivors stating that the light was visible consistently or occasionally until midnight. SYDNEY sank during the night; it was originally thought that the cruiser exploded when fires reached the magazines or torpedo launchers, or took on water through the shellholes on her port side and capsized.

However, after the wrecks was located in 2008, it was determined that SYDNEY was under limited control after the battle, maintaining a course of 130–140 degrees true at speeds of 1.5 knots (2.8 km/h; 1.7 mph). The ship remained afloat for up to four hrs before the bow tore off and dropped almost vertically under the weight of the anchors and chains. The rest of the ship sank shortly afterward, and glided upright for 550 yds underwater until it hit the seabed stern-first.

KORMORAN was stationary, and at 1825, Detmers ordered the ship to be abandoned, as damage to the raider's engine room had knocked out the fire-fighting systems, and there was no way to control or contain the oil fire before it reached the magazines or the mine hold. All boats and liferafts were launched by 2100, and all but one filled: a skeleton crew manned the weapons while the officers prepared to scuttle the ship. KORMORAN was abandoned at midnight; the ship sank slowly until the mine hold exploded 30 minutes later. The German survivors were in five boats and two rafts: one cutter carrying 46 men, two damaged steel liferafts with 57 and 62 aboard (the latter carrying Detmers and towing several small floats), one workboat carrying 72 people, one boat with 31 men aboard, and two rafts, each bearing 26 sailors. During the evacuation, a rubber liferaft carrying 60 people, mostly wounded, sank without warning; drowning all but three aboard. Total German casualties were six officers, 75 German sailors, and one Chinese laundryman

On her cruise, the German ship sank eleven ships for 68,274 tons.

British liner AQUITANIA also rescued twenty six survivors from the German ship on the 24th. British tanker TROCAS rescued twenty four more crewmen also on the 24th.

Two hundred and seventy five German survivors reached the Australian coast in the ship's boats.

After delays, when there was no contact with the CL SYDNEY, RNeN CL TROMP departed the Sunda Straits to follow light cruiser SYDNEY's track.

The loss of the SYDNEY was the most costly (in terms of human life) action that the RAN was to suffer during the war, accounting for more than 35% of the total service casualties for the war. There were many conspiracy theories and suspicions to surface during and after the war, but in reality it was the result of a situation that had been badly misread by the RAN with the consequent heavy losses in life.


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## parsifal (Nov 20, 2016)

Halder's Diary 19 November 1941


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## parsifal (Nov 20, 2016)

*20 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-597
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Folgal Class 58’ USS PT-1, 2
NO IMAGE FOUND

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS BELLWORT (K-114)





Bangor Class MSW HMS RYE (J-76)





Fairmile B ML-461
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 20 November 1941
U-38, U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-93, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-373, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-578, U-652, UA

42 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
_Convoy PQ.3_
The convoy was met by MSWs BRAMBLE, SEAGULL, and SPEEDY on the 20th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK arrived at Hvalfjord from Denmark Strait patrol.

CL SHEFFIELD departed Faroes - Iceland patrol for Scapa Flow after being relieved by CA NORFOLK. SHEFFIELD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st.

*Northern Waters*
Monitor EREBUS departed Sheerness for Londonderry escorted by DDs MEYNELL and WALPOLE, as far as Kinnaird Head. DDs ECLIPSE and CHIDDINGFOLD departed Scapa Flow on the 22nd to relieve the EREBUS escort off Kinnaird Head. Monitor EREBUS and DD CHIDDINGFOLD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.

*West Coast*
DD ECLIPSE was detached to join BB NELSON's screen, but was unable to do so because of bad weather. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.

DD FAULKNOR departed the Clyde on the 20th for Londonderry, where she arrived later the same day for fuel. On completion of fuelling, theDD sailed on the 22nd with DDs NORMAN and ICARUS take over screening duties of BB NELSON from DDs ZULU, SIKH, and GURKHA. NORMAN and ICARUS departed Scapa Flow on the 20th to rendezvous with FAULKNOR and BB NELSON.

DD GURKHA arrived at Londonderry on the 21st. DD ZULU and SIKH arrived at Londonderry on the 22nd. BB NELSON and DDs FAULKNOR, NORMAN, and ICARUS arrived off Scapa Flow on the 22nd. DD NORMAN was detached before entering harbour for the Clyde where she was to boiler clean prior to transfer to the Mediterranean. NORMAN arrived in the Clyde at 0930/23rd.

BB RAMILLIES, escorted by DDs VANQUISHER and WITCH, departed Liverpool for Scapa Flow. The three ships arrived at Scapa Flow on the 22nd.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy SC-53_
DD BURNHAM and the remaining corvettes were detached on the 20th when relieved by DDs CALDWELL, VANOC, and VOLUNTEER and corvettes HIBISCUS, PERIWINKLE, and SWEETBRIAR.

_Convoy ON.37_
DD BEVERLEY was detached on the 20th

_Convoy ON.38_
The convoy was joined on the 20th by ASW trawler CAPE WARWICK.

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE and RAN CL HOBART departed Alexandria with DDs HEYTHROP and AVONVALE, joined at sea by DDs FARNDALE and ERIDGE.

The cruisers bombarded the Bardia area during the night of 20/21 November.

Regina Marina despatched a complex series of convoys simultaneously to provide support and reinforcement to the hard pressed land forces in Nth Africa.

Italian convoy C of steamers NAPOLI and VETTOR PISANI departed Naples, escorted by DD TURBINE and TB PERSEO also in company. The escort was detached on the 21st.

A second convoy of steamers IRIDIO MANTOVANI and MONGINEVRO departed Naples on the 21st, escorted by DD DA RECCO and TB COSENZ.

The convoys were covered by RM CLs GARIBALDI and ABRUZZI, and DDs AVIERE, CAMICIA NERA, GENIERE, CORAZZIERE, and CARABINIERE, which departed Naples on the 21st. CAs GORIZIA, TRIESTE, and TRENTO also departed Naples on the 21st.

CA GORIZIA was damaged by splinters from a British bombing raid on Naples shortly before the Italian ships departed.

A convoy of steamers CITTA DI TUNISI and CITTA DI PALERMO departed Taranto escorted by DDs ZENO and MALOCELLO for Benghazi. This convoy was joined by TB PARTENOPE from Benghazi.

A convoy of tkr BERBERA departed Brindisi escorted by TB PEGASO.

At 2130 on the evening of the 21st, the Naples convoys came under attack by British Malta based aircraft shortly before clearing the Messina Strait.

Force K had sailed from Malta at 1300 with British supply ship BRECONSHIRE and steamers SYDNEY STAR, AJAX, and CLAN FERGUSON, escorted by corvette GLOXINIA to draw out Italian forces in Operation LANDMARK.

The British ships arrived back at Malta early on the 22nd.

BBBs QUEEN ELIZABETH, BARHAM, and VALIANT, CLAs NAIAD, EURYALUS, and GALATEA, and DDs JERVIS, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, NAPIER, NIZAM, KIPLING, JACKAL, HASTY, HOTSPUR, and DECOY departed Alexandria on the 21st to operate in coordination with LANDMARK to simulate an attack on Tripoli to try and draw LW and RA air strength away from Halfaya and Bardia.

At noon, the CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and HOBART joined the Fleet. The four HUNT DDs escorting had been sent to Alexandria. At dark, the cruisers of CruSqn 15 were detached to make W/T reports further to the west to aid in the deception. The Fleet returned to Alexandria at daylight on the 22nd. CruSqn 15 arrived back after noon.

RM CA TRIESTE was torpedoed by Submarine UTMOST on the 21st. The cruiser was escorted by CL GARIBALDI and DD BERSAGLIERE to Messina, arriving on the 22nd.

CL ABRUZZI was torpedoed by a Swordfish of 830 Sqn just after midnight on the 22nd.

LT P. E. O'Brien and T/Sub Lt (A) A. J. Griffith RNVR, of 830 Squadron were shot down. O'Brien was killed and Griffith was rescued by Italian DD PESSAGNO and made a prisoner of war.

The RM CL proceeded to Messina for repairs under her own power and arrived on the 22nd. ABRUZZI, her stern blown off, was escorted by CL GARIBALDI and DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, GRANATIERE, FUCILIERE, ALPINO, CORAZZIERE, CARABINIERE, and TURBINE and TB PERSEO. Despite air attacks on the ABRUZZI force, particularly on GARIBALDI, no further damage was done.

On the 22nd, the Italian convoys, covered by CA GORIZIA and DD AVIERE, were ordered to Taranto in view of continuing attacks. Steamers VETTOR PISANO and NAPOLI were escorted by DD GENIERE to Taranto. Steamer IRIDIO MANTOVANI was escorted to Taranto by DD CAMICIA NERA. Steamer MONGINEVRO was escorted by DD PESSAGNO to Taranto. DDs CORAZZIERE, CARABINIERE, and TURBINE proceeded to Reggio. ORP submarine SOKOL damaged tanker BERBERA on the 21st. Tkr BERBERA and TB PEGASO arrived at Navarino on the 24th.

Submarine THRON unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Aegean. Submarine URSULA arrived at Malta after patrol off Misurata.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.36_
DD ROCKINGHAM was detached on the 20th.

*Central Atlantic*
Sloop STORK arrived at Gibraltar from the UK, escorting steamer EMPIRE BARRACUDA.

DD MAORI and corvette COLTSFOOT arrived at Gibraltar from the UK. The DD had completed refitting at London.

_Allied convoy WS.12X_
On the 20th, USS CV RANGER was detached at 17S, 20W and returned to Trinidad escorted by USN DDs TRIPPE and RHIND. The OC CA QUINCY relieved OC CV RANGER as force commander.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
_Australian troop convoy US 13_
The convoy was dispersed on the 20th. The liners then travelled independently

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 21 NOVEMBER 1941
_0559 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Four enemy aircraft approached Island singly from north, only one crossing coast near St. Paul’s Bay. Ack Ack fired barrage. Bombs in sea.

_0943 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Recce raid by two Macchi 200’s. Ack Ack fired two barrages.

_1606 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Recce raid by two Macchi 200’s.

_2019 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two enemy aircraft approached Island but did not cross coast. Bombs in sea off Madalena.

_2222 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft approached Island from north and crossed coast St George’s area. Bombs dropped Pembroke “C” Range. No damage.

_0157 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft came in from north and dropped bombs in sea five miles north of Naxxar.

_ROYAL NAVY Ursula_ returned from patrol off Misurata, having unsuccessfully attacked a small convoy. Six Swordfish laid mines outside Tripoli Harbour and at same time three Albacores created diversion with bombs and three other Albacores laid mines.

_HAL FAR Night_ five Swordfish, 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm despatched to lay mines outside Tripoli Harbour. The operation was successfully carried out and all aircraft safely returned to base.

_LUQA_ _18 Squadron _ One Blenheim SF11 Patrol. Three Blenheims special search for missing aircraft. _107 Squadron_ One Blenheim SF11 Patrol. Six Blenheims attacked convoy. _104 Squadron_ Five Wellingtons nuisance raid Naples. Three Wellingtons nuisance raid Brindisi.

_Operation Crusader_
On 20 Nov, the British 22nd Armoured Brigade continued its fight with the Italian Ariete Division, the British 7th Armoured Brigade repulsed an infantry counter attack launched by the German 90th Light Infantry Division and the Italian Bologna Division at Sidi Rezegh, and the British 4th Armoured Brigade fought a second tank battle with the German 21st Panzer Division.


In the afternoon of 20 Nov, the British 4th Armoured Brigade engaged with tanks of the German 15th Panzer Division. After losing about 40 tanks during this engagement, the British 4th Armoured Brigade was now down to about 120 tanks; it had begun the campaign with 164 tanks. On the German side, the 21st Panzer Division was temporarily withdrawn for refuelling. At dusk, the British 22nd Armoured Brigade arrived on the scene, but it was too late to assist the British 4th Armoured Brigade. During the night, Rommel withdrew all his tanks northwest in order to launch a major counter attack on Sidi Rezegh.


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## parsifal (Nov 20, 2016)

Halder's Diary 20 November 1941


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## Njaco (Nov 20, 2016)

*November 21 Friday
ASIA*: Japanese Navy acquired luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” for use as a hospital ship. “_Hikawa Maru_” was assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.

The four submarines of the 1st Submarine Unit, Advance Group, Pearl Harbor Strike Force, depart Kure. Each submarine is carrying a “Glen” seaplane (Kugisho E14Y1, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane). On 7 December, these four submarines will be stationed about 70 nautical miles (130 kilometers) north of Oahu, Hawaiian Islands.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The news from all along the front is of furious assaults and desperate Russian resistance. In the north the siege of Leningrad is biting hard. Despite an airborne evacuation there are still too many mouths to feed, and the Germans have cut the communications centre of Tikhvin, 120 miles to the east. In the morning, Captain Murov’s horses and drivers return from Kobona on the Eastern shore of Lake Ladoga carrying much-needed flour, sugar and fat, making the 40 mile round trip across the ice in 24 hours. The ice is 18 cm thick and the Road of Life is now open for the first time since the city was surrounded. Moscow reported a serious situation at Tula, South of the capital, where the Wehrmacht launched a very heavy new offensive. German 4.Panzergruppe and 2.Panzerarmee continued attacking toward Moscow. Tula is still holding out, blocking Guderian’s way to Moscow. Although the Germans are making some progress north of the city, the Russians are fighting with great tenacity. A Siberian division armed with T-34 tanks has also joined the battle near Venev, 60 miles south of Moscow. In the south the Battle of Rostov began. Rostov-on-Don has been captured by von Kleist’s 1.Panzerarmee. However, the German lines were over-extended, and von Kleist's warnings that his left flank was vulnerable and that his tanks were ineffective in the freezing weather were ignored. The Red Army is regrouping in an attempt to reclaim the battered city. Soviet 9th Army and 37th Army continue attacking flank of German 1.Panzerarmee. The fortress of Sebastopol, the last Russian stronghold in the Crimea following the German breakthrough into the peninsula, has also fought off all attempts to penetrate its defences. It is becoming the Russian Tobruk.

German occupation authorities begin halting activities of Ukrainian National Movement and executing some members.

*GERMANY*: Albert Speer, in a meeting with Hitler, requested that he be assigned 30,000 Soviet prisoners to be assigned to force labor parties to build the “new Berlin”. These slave laborers would come in handy for Hitler's "new" Berlin. Speer wanted to begin construction even as the war waged. Despite the drain on resources Hitler agreed. Speer beguiled the Fuhrer with models of a Great Hall for the Chancellery and a grand office for Goering.

The Grand Mufti meets with Hitler to request formal recognition of independence of Arab states.

A state funeral was held in Berlin for Ernst Udet who committed suicide a few days before. His grave at the Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin was destroyed when the Berlin Wall was built right through the cemetery, but it was re-erected in recent years.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Pressed for fuel, Erwin Rommel dispatched Italian cruiser “_Cardona_” from Brindisi, unescorted, to bring fuel to Benghazi. Supply convoys to North Africa are increasing because of the growing supply problems there. Two of the Italian cruisers are badly damaged. British submarine HMS “_Utmost_” attacked and damaged Italian cruiser “_Trieste_” 10 miles east of Catania, Sicily, Italy at 2312 hours. British submarine HMS “_Urge_” returned to Malta from patrol off Cephalonia, having unsuccessfully attacked two escorted merchant vessels at long range. However most searches by British Malta naval forces do not find the unescorted convoy.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with two vessels escorted by Italian destroyer “_Da Recco_” and torpedo boat “_Cozenz_”.

Twelve Wellingtons from RAF No. 40 Squadron and four Wellingtons RAF No. 104 Squadron flying from Malta attacked a convoy. Four Swordfish and four Albacores from Malta attacked a convoy and escort east of Cape Spartivento. Four torpedoes were dropped and one hit claimed on a cruiser and one on a merchant vessel of 7000 tons.

Over Malta, the Italians increase the attacks against the island. At 0713 hours, two waves of six and nine Macchi’s approached the Island from the north-east. Six enemy aircraft with another six providing high cover attacked Hal Far and Ta Qali aerodromes with cannon and machine gun fire, causing very slight damage. One Swordfish was damaged. Heavy and Light Ack Ack, also light machine guns engaged claiming three Macchi 202’s damaged. Hurricanes engaged with one Macchi being shot down in sea, and three damaged. One Hurricane slightly damaged. One Hurricane crashed on Attard-Rabat road. Pilot uninjured. At 0906 hours three Italian aircraft approached the Island and shot a returning Photo Reconnaissance Unit Hurricane into the sea. Pilot was rescued. At 1714 hours seventeen Macchi’s approached the Island. Fifteen Hurricanes were airborne, four of whom intercepted with no observed results. One Hurricane went missing and 1 slightly damaged. At 1850 hours one enemy aircraft approached the Island from the north, crossed the coast at Grand Harbour and went out over Delimara. Bombs were dropped in sea East of Delimara.

Naples, Brindisi and Messina raided by the British Royal Air Force (RAF).

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader - First Battle of Bir el Gubi: New Zealand troops cross the Egyptian-Libyan frontier as part of Operation Crusader, and capture Fort Capuzzo. Cunningham ordered the British 70th Division to break out of its encirclement at Tobruk, which it managed to do after a hard day's fighting. The Italian 'Bologna' defenders at the 'Tugun' strongpoint derail the advance of the British 70th Division from Tobruk. The front was a series of strongpoints and not continuous trench lines. One was the Tugun position held by the Bologna infantry division, anything but an elite formation. The New Zealand Official History states, "_The more elaborate attack on Tugun went in at 1500 hours and gained perhaps half the position, together with 250 Italians and many light field guns. But the Italians in the western half could not be dislodged and the base of the break-out area remained on this account uncomfortably narrow."_ The Official History goes on to comment on the _"...strong Italian opposition at Tugun as part of the reason for the decision to halt the sortie at this time.""_ Rommel orders an attack on the British 7th Armoured Brigade at Sidi Rezegh by both German panzer divisions. The British respond by moving the 4th and 22nd Armoured Brigades toward Sidi Rezegh. The Allied garrison at Tobruk attempted to link up with the main attack force coming from Egypt. A massive clash of armor begins, lasting 3 days, as German 15.Panzerdivision and British 7th Armored Division converge on the airfield at Sidi Rezegh (largest tank battle in North Africa so far). By day’s end, 20 tanks remain to the British brigade. New Zealand 2nd and Indian 4th infantry Divisions bypass German garrisons at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass and march to the guns to support the battle at Sidi Rezegh. Simultaneously, the Tobruk garrison attacks east to link up with the forces coming from Egypt. German infantry block the breakout, holding the Allied troops at the El Duda ridge. The breakout attempt at Tobruk is halted when the expected help from the 7th Armoured Brigade does not arrive. Without armoured support the northward attack by the Support Group failed and by the end of the day, 7th Armoured Brigade had lost all but 28 of its 160 tanks and were relying by that time mainly on the artillery of the Support Group to hold the enemy at arm's length. The South African brigade meanwhile were dug in southeast of Bir el Haiad but had the German armour between them and Sidi Rezegh. However, by evening, 4th Armoured was 8 miles (13 km) south east of Sidi Rezegh and 22nd Armoured Brigade were in contact with the German armour at Bir el Haiad, some 12 miles (19 km) south-west of Sidi Rezegh.

Rifleman John Beeley (b.1918), King’s Royal Rifle Corps, left his company on his own initiative and cleared three gun positions before being killed. (Victoria Cross). Brigadier John Charles Campbell (1894-1942), Royal Horse Artillery, showed brilliant leadership under heavy fire, manning guns himself and refusing evacuation when wounded. (Victoria Cross). 2nd Lt. George Ward Gunn (b.1912) Royal Horse Artillery, led four anti-tank guns facing 60 tanks. When three of his guns were knocked out he fired the fourth himself until he was killed. (Victoria Cross).

Hans-Joachim Marseille was officially awarded the German cross in Gold, but he would not physically receive this medal until 17 Dec 1941.

In East Africa the Allied and local forces renew their attack. In Abyssinia strong enemy positions at Kulkaber and Ferroaber, east of Lake Tana, are heavily attacked. The Italian garrisons surrendered. Prisoners numbered 1,800. Italian garrison at Cirda encircled. The Italian presence in Abyssinia is now confined to the area immediately around Gondar.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The construction of the future Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point began in North Carolina, United States.

The Provisional Tank Group of the 17th Ordnance Company, US Army, is formed under Col. (later Brig-Gen) James R. N. Weaver. It comprises of the 192nd Tank Battalion with four companies utilized 54 tanks, with 36 officers and 552 enlisted men, and the 194th Tank Battalion with three companies utilizing 54 tanks, 36 officers and 374 enlisted men. All the tanks are M3’s.

Battleship USS “_Indiana_” is launched. She is the second battleship of the United States Navy to bear that name. She is of the South Dakota Class, a ship originally built to conform to the 35,000 ton treaty limit (although the 16” guns were not in conformity with said treaties). The South Dakota class (“_South Dakota_”, “_Indiana_”, “_Massachusetts_”, “_Alabama_”) were excellent ships; small and cramped but with very good hitting power and armor protection. “_Indiana_” was scrapped in 1962, and only a few pieces of her remain. Her main mast and twin sets of 40 mm quad AA guns are on the west side of IU’s Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. Some pieces of her teakwood deck were cut into commemorative plaques in the shape of the State of Indiana, one of which sits behind the judge’s bench in Hamilton Superior Court 1 in Noblesville.

New proposals from Japan’s premier, Hideki Tojo, rule out the use of force by both sides and offer withdrawal from southern Indochina to the northern part of the country. In return Tokyo wants the USA to lift its oil embargo, supply Japan with one million tons of aviation fuel each month and help it to acquire whatever oil it needs from the Dutch East Indies. The Roosevelt administration has rejected the latest proposals put forward by Saburo Kurusu, Japan’s special envoy. The secretary of state, Cordell Hull, says that US acceptance would be tantamount to “aiding and abetting Japan in her efforts to create a Japanese hegemony in and over the western Pacific.” Hopes of averting war have been weakened by Japan’s warning that time for negotiations is limited.

U.S. Lend-Lease is extended to Iceland. The United States agreed to pay Iceland for fish and oil sent to Britain.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Joseph Rochefort's US Navy cryptanalytic team in Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii detected the arrival of a Japanese submarine squadron in the Marshall Islands.

Marshall advises MacArthur that Rainbow-5 had been modified to “include ... strong air operations” and authorizing offensive operations; WPO-3 had been suspended. (Received in the Philippines November 22, 1941). MacArthur ordered B-17’s transferred from Clark Field near Manila to Del Monte Field in Mindanao to remove them from the striking range of Japanese aircraft. Brereton reported the aircraft will be moved but this is delayed due to construction at Del Monte and only 17 (some sources say 16 or 18) aircraft were actually moved by the time War breaks out. The FEAF plan was submitted to Sutherland, who opposed the movement of the B-17’s to Mindanao. Persistence of FEAF Chief of Staff, Colonel Francis M Brady, swayed Sutherland and he agreed to a temporary shift of these airplanes to the south. The commander of the 5th Air Base Group reports to FEAF HQ and is told that his unit will be based at Clark Field. He went up to Clark and upon returning, was told to report to Colonel George who asked him to go to Del Monte Field to get it operational. But George warned him that “there were no facilities at all – no hangars, no barrack, no supplies, no nothing.” Within three days, two small interisland steamers had been acquired and the men and supplies were sailing the 800-miles (1287 kilometres) to Mindanao. Several days later, the two steamers arrived and the men and supplies were unloaded and transferred 18 miles (29 kilometres) to the field.

The Navy Department sends the following message to the Commanders of the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets. “Have been informed by Dutch Legation that they have received a dispatch as follows: _“According to information received by the Governor General of The Netherlands East Indies a Japanese expeditionary force has arrived in the vicinity of Palau. Should this force, strong enough to form a threat for The Netherlands Indies or Portuguese Timor, move beyond a line between the following points Davao (Philippine Islands) Waigeo (Island, Netherlands East Indies) Equator the Governor General will regard this as an act of aggression and will under those circumstances consider the hostilities opened and act accordingly. Inform Army authorities of foregoing. Request any information you may have concerning development of this Japanese threat against the Dutch East Indies and your evaluation of foregoing information.”_

Pensacola convoy: USN reinforcement convoy for the Philippines departs San Francisco with eight vessels escorted by cruiser “_Pensacola_”.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The Nederlandse Kultuurkamer (Dutch Chamber of Culture; NKK) is established. Everyone who was involved in film making, art, theatre and dance, literature and music was obliged to join. In a similar way, for example, the unions (“Nederlandse Arbeidsfront” or Dutch Labour Front) and agriculture (“Nederlandsche Landstand” or Dutch Country class) were subjected to Nazification. The Netherlands Nazi Party is the only political party allowed in the country. All non-Nazi organizations are outlawed.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 21, 2016)

*21 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
Fairmile B MLs-298, 446, 457
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class Coastal MSW MMS 82
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Fairmile B ML.219 (RN 85 grt)* was grounded off Stornoway and was declared a constructive total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Drifter ROWAN TREE (UK 91 grt)* ran aground and capsized at the entrance to Lowestoft Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-38
Lorient:U-373
St. Nazaire: U-93

At Sea 21 November 1941
U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-106, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-578, U-652, UA

39 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
*Steamer BESSHEIM (Ex-Nor1774 grt)* was sunk on a mine laid by Russian submarine K 21 on the 10th off Hammerfest. Some sources dispute this, with the claim that the loss was the result of a torpedo attack by RN Submarine HMS SEAWOLF which claimed the sinking of BESSHEIM in her report, near the inlet to Hammerfest. Norwegian diver and historian Frode has made several dives to BESSHEIM, and can confirm that she is ripped up on the port side amidships. She is otherwise fairly intact, resting at a depth of 62 meters. Her final cause of loss remains no clearer however.





_Convoy PQ.3_
The convoy arrived at Murmansk just before midday on the 21st and CL KENYA remained there.

*North Sea*
BC RENOWN departed Rosyth, escorted by DDs ARROW, VIMIERA, and WALLACE, for Scapa Flow where the BC arrived on the 22nd. The DDs were detached and returned before entering harbour.

*Northern Patrol*
DD PUNJABI departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 23rd.

*Northern Waters*
ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to boiler clean. The cruiser arrived at Loch Alsh on the 22nd.

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON.39_
Convoy ON.39 departed Liverpool.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON.37_
ASW trawler NORTHERN PRIDE was detached on the on the 21st.

_Convoy ON.38_
DDs AMAZON and FOXHOUND joined on the 21st

*Med/Biscay*
RM CL CADONNA departed Brindisi, unescorted, carrying gasoline for Benghazi, where she arrived on the 22nd. Early on the 22nd, the CL reported an unsuccessful submarine attack, but there are no details of a submarine.

Submarine URGE arrived at Malta after patrol off Cephalonia.

Dutch submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked a convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON-33_
Corvette SNOWBERRY was detached from the escort on the 21st.

_Convoy ON.34_
The convoy was dispersed on the 21st and the escort detached.

_Convoy HX.161_
Convoy HX.161 departed Halifax escorted by DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON.

*Central Atlantic*
DD WILD SWAN departed Gibraltar for Freetown to rejoin the South Atlantic Command.

ASW trawler SCOTTISH intercepted *fishing ketch PETITE ANNICK (Vichy 55 grt (est))* 20 miles 280° from Cape Espicehl and sent her to Gibraltar, arriving on the 23rd.
(NO IMAGE FOUND]

A Shark of 750 Sqn was lost in the sea while on a reconnaisance exercise from Ponta Delgada (A Portuguese island in the Azores). T/Lt (A) H. V. Hicks RNVR, was lost.

_Convoy WS.12Z_
Destroyers VIMY and VELOX escorted the convoy from 21 to 24 November.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 22 NOVEMBER 1941
Ta Qali in 1941 (NWMA Malta)

_0713 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two waves of six and nine Macchi’s approached Island from NE. Six enemy aircraft with another six providing high cover attacked Hal Far and Ta Qali aerodromes with cannon and machine gun fire, causing very slight damage. One Swordfish damaged. Heavy and Light Ack Ack, also light machine guns engaged claiming three Macchi 202’s damaged. Hurricanes engaged, one Macchi being shot down in sea, and three damaged. One Hurricane slightly damaged. One Hurricane crashed on Attard-Rabat road. Pilot uninjured.

_0906 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Three enemy aircraft approached Island shot returning Photo Reconnaissance Unit Hurricane into sea. Pilot rescued.

_1412 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement.

_1714 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Seventeen Macchi’s approached Island. Fifteen Hurricanes airborne, four of whom intercepted with no observed results. One Hurricane missing, 1 slightly damaged.

_1850 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft approached Island from north, crossed coast Grand Harbour and went out over Delimara. Bombs dropped in sea East of Delimara.

_2230 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Urge_ returned from patrol off Cephalonia, having unsuccessfully attacked two escorted merchant vessels at long range. A second diversionary operation to support the Eighth Army offensive in North Africa, codenamed “Landmark” commenced – a convoy and Force “K” sailed at 1300. Four Albacores carried out A/S patrol south of Malta. Four Swordfish and four Albacores attacked convoy and escort 12′ east of Cape Spartivento. Four torpedoes were dropped and one hit claimed on a cruiser and one on a merchant vessel of 7000 tons.

_LUQA_ One Blenheim 18 Squadron and one 107 Squadron SF11 patrol. One Blenheim 107 Squadron special patrol. One Wellington S/D flight located convoy. Twelve Wellingtons 40 Squadron attacked convoy. Four Wellingtons 104 Squadron attacked convoy.


_Operation Crusader_
On 21 Nov 1941, the Allied garrison at Tobruk attempted a break out, which surprised the Axis forces. By mid-afternoon, the Allied advance from Tobruk had advanced about 5.6 kilometers. It was at that time that the Tobruk garrison learned that the British 7th Armoured Brigade, which was supposed to attack in the direction of Tobruk starting at 0830 hours, had changed its plans due to the unexpected presence of 200 German tanks to the southeast. Instead of a full offensive spearheaded by armor, the tanks of the 7th Armoured Brigade turned to face the new German threat, leaving the attack to infantry. Without tanks, the advance was slow, thus by mid-afternoon the link up attempt was abandoned. Meanwhile, German Panzer troops captured the airfield at Sidi Rezegh in the early afternoon, while fighting in the immediate area continued into the next day with heavy tank losses on either side, though the British saw more tanks lost.


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## parsifal (Nov 21, 2016)

Halder’s Diary 21 November 1941


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## Njaco (Nov 21, 2016)

*November 22 Saturday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: “Operation Z” commences as the Japanese begin secretly to assemble all six of their major aircraft carriers at Tankan Bay in the Kurile Islands for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese First Air Fleet arrives in Hitokappu Bay, Etorofu Island, Kurile Islands. This fleet consists of six aircraft carriers (HIJMS “_Akagi_”, “_Hiryu_”, “_Kaga_”, “_Shokaku_”, “_Soryu_” and “_Zuikaku_”), two battleships (HIJMS “_Hiei_” and “_Kirishima_”), two heavy cruisers (HIJMS “_Chikuma_” and “_Tone_”), a light cruiser (HIJMS “_Abukuma_”) and ten destroyers. This is the force that will attack Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii. HIJMS “_Akagi_” arrives at Hittokappu Bay, the secret assembling point for the Pearl Harbor attack Mobile Force. At 2000, LtCdr Fuchida and Chief of Intelligence Suzuki meet in the conference room. Intel Chief points particular targets on the diorama depicting Pearl Harbor Naval Base and refers present status of warships based there, number of aircraft basing on every airfield and AA defense stations. HIJMS “_Akagi_” operational air group's consists of 18 Type 0 Mitsubishi A6M2 Reisen “Zeke” fighters, 27 Type 97 Nakajima B5N2 “Kate” attack planes and 18 Type 99 Aichi D3A1 “Val” dive bombers.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The British Royal Navy dispatched cruisers HMS “_Devonshire_”, HMS “_Dorsetshire_”, and HMS “_Dunedin_” to the South Atlantic to search for the German armed merchant cruiser “_Atlantis_”. On the way home after 622 days of patrol, the German raider HK “_Atlantis_”, ship 16 known to the British as Raider C, meets the German submarine U-126 to refuel her north of Ascension Island. During that operation, a lookout reports a warship that turns out to be the British heavy cruiser HMS “_Devonshire_” (39) that arrives due to an intelligence report on the rendezvous. “_Devonshire_” fires from 17,000 yards (8.4 nautical miles or 16 kilometers), out of range of the German guns. The second and third salvoes hit the German raider, her magazine explodes and “_Atlantis_” sinks quickly about 328 nautical miles (607 kilometers) northwest of Ascension Island. As U-126 submerges, “_Dorsetshire_” makes off at high speed, leaving it to the German submarine to pick up the survivors. The “_Atlantis_” survivors take to their lifeboats which are then towed behind U-126. Only 7 of the “_Atlantis_” crew of 360 are lost in this action. The raider’s operations in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans have cost the Allies 22 merchantmen of 145.968 tons.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Daylight, by this time in Russia, lasted from 1000 hours until 1500 hours. The German 3.Panzerkorps captured Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia. Germans under Guderian captured the town of Yefremov 290 km south of Moscow. The Russian counter-attacked continuously in an attempt to regain the large well equipped hospital. German 3.Panzergruppe is fighting in Klin and Solnechnogorsk while German 4.Panzergruppe was attacking in Istra sector. German 2.Panzerarmee was heavily engaged around Tula and Venev. Further north as the ice on Lake Ladoga reached 20 centimeters in thickness, 60 trucks made the crossing, aiming to bring back food into Leningrad on their return trip on the next day. The road across the lake was called “The Road of Life”. It was the main artery connecting the encircled city with Big Land.

The Luftwaffe loses one of its most productive and colorful members when the _General der Jägdflieger_, Werner Mölders, is killed. Summoned from the Crimea to Berlin to appear in an Honor Guard at the funeral of _Generalluftzügmeister_ Ernst Udet, Mölders leaves Chaplinka airport in the Crimea in a He 111 with Oblt. Kolbe at the controls. Bad weather forces the He 111 down at Lemberg where they are informed of further worsening conditions between Lemberg and Berlin. General Mölders, against advice from others, continues to Berlin. Over Breslau, an engine quits and Kolbe slowly brings the bomber down. Near the airport the landing gear snags on some cable lines and the bomber crashes. Mölders and Kolbe are killed and the radio operator and Mölders’ aide-de-camp are able to escape the wreckage. He is laid to rest in the _Invalidenfriedhof _at Berlin where Manfred von Richthofen, ‘the Red Baron’, is buried. His official kill total stands at 115 at the time of his death, although he is believed to have shot down another 30 Soviet aircraft for which he received no credit while making unauthorized combat flights during the last months of his career.

The personnel of German Luftwaffe III./KG 4 departed Pskov (German: Pleskau), Russia by rail for a period of rest in Fassberg, Germany. The group's aircraft were reassigned to I./KG 4 for continued use against Soviet positions in the Leningrad area.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Axis Convoy departs Brindisi for Benghazi with one vessel escorted by Italian torpedo boat “_Pegaso_”, but diverted to Navarino (Pylos), Greece. During the night, British torpedo planes attack another German supply convoy bringing supplies to Africa. A Swordfish torpedo bomber of British RAF No. 830 Squadron damaged Italian cruiser “_Abruzzi_” at 0038 hours off Sicily, Italy. The aircraft was shot down in the process, with 1 killed and 1 aircrew taken prisoner by Italian destroyer “_Pessagno_”. A British submarine sinks another cruiser. British naval forces from Malta sortie, but are unable to make contact. Four Italian supply vessels arrive at Benghazi.

Air attacks on Malta continued. At 0408 hours three unidentified bombers approached Island, only one crossing coast, dropping bombs (incendiary) near Ta Qali, causing no damage at aerodrome. In the afternoon twenty Macchi’s approached from north but did not cross the coast. Hurricanes engaged eight miles north east of Gozo, with two Macchi’s destroyed, three probably destroyed, five damaged. One Hurricane sustained very slight damage.

At night four Swordfish from FAA No. 830 Squadron and four Albacores of FAA No. 828 Squadron were dispatched to attack an Axis convoy off Cape Spartivento. One cruiser definitely hit and one merchant vessel of 7000 tons probably hit. Other results not observed owing to bad visibility and strong opposition. One Swordfish failed to return.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: The battle at Sidi Rezegh continues. Overnight Rommel once again split his forces with 21.Panzerdivision taking up a defensive position alongside the Afrika Division between Sidi Rezegh and Tobruk and 15.Panzerdivision moving 15 miles (24 km) west to Gasr el Arid to prepare for a battle of manoeuvre which General Ludwig Crüwell believed would favor the Afrika Korps. This presented a clear opportunity for a breakthrough to Tobruk with the whole of 7th Armoured Division concentrated and facing only the weakened 21st Panzer. However, XXX Corps commander Norrie, aware that 7th Armoured division was down to 200 tanks decided on caution. The British engage the German 21.Panzerdivision and are forced to draw their 7th and 22nd Brigades away from Tobruk. At midday the 21.Panzerdivision struck at the western flank of the British position, over-running the airfield and leaving devastation and confusion by nightfall. In a separate action, the 4th Armoured Brigade engages the 15.Panzerdivision and loses heavily. British tanks attacked the heavier Panzers piecemeal instead of in a concerted manner; consequently, the British are outgunned and outnumbered. The losses are high for the British and the Germans now have superior numbers of tanks (over 170) to the British (less than 150). Brigadier Jock Campbell wins the Victoria Cross for leading 9 tanks into attack, sitting on top of his armored staff car. British tank losses force the British XXX Corp to order an end to their advance on Tobruk. The garrison at Tobruk is also ordered back to their defensive positions. The New Zealand Division, part of British 13th Corps, is moved into position to aid the British. The New Zealand and Italian troops soon are engaged in fighting near Sollum. VIII Corp (Indian 7th Brigade) is able to take Sidi Omar and Capuzzo to the east. The 5th New Zealand Brigade advanced north-east to capture Fort Capuzzo on the main Sollum–Bardia road. The Brigade attacked Bir Ghirba, south of Fort Capuzzo and the headquarters of the Savona Division but was repulsed. The initiative passes to the Germans. Italian cruiser “_Cardona_” arrived at Benghazi, Libya with fuel badly needed by Axis vehicles on the front line. The journey was made without any escorts due to the pressing need.

The air battles resume over the desert and some of the heaviest fighting takes place on this date. The Luftwaffe shoots down thirteen RAF fighters and eight bombers but JG 27 lose five Bf 109s. Most of the British aircraft are lost when they try to protect themselves from the swarming German fighters by forming a defensive circle. But the pilots of JG 27 are able to penetrate the circle and inflict damage on the Allied airplanes. During a large ground convoy escort task, consisting of a column of RAF No.33 Squadron and RAF No.113 Squadron personnel on route for Egypt, a RAF No.113 Squadron patrol on reconnaissance screen duties was attacked by two Bf110s. One of the aircraft was shot down, but the crew was rescued by the other aircraft before an armoured car could reach them. However, during another attack, S/Ldr Wade of RAF No.33 Squadron shot down a Ju-88 and captured the crew.

Six Albacores attacked Tripoli, two with bombs and four with mines. The mines were dropped along the coast west of Tripoli, as aircraft failed to locate correct target. Six Wellingtons from RAF No. 40 Squadron attacked Berka satellite ‘drome near Benghazi.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The Japanese embassy in Washington DC, United States was instructed that the proposal submitted by Japanese diplomats two days prior would be the final proposal. The deadline for a successful conclusion was pushed back to 29 Nov 1941, upon which date, should the proposal be rejected, the war plans would be executed.

US Secretary of State Hull hinted that there might be relaxation of economic pressures on Japan saying that, “… there was a general feeling that the matter could all be settled if the Japanese could give us some satisfactory evidences that their intentions were peaceful."

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Allied convoy PQ-3 crossed the Arctic Circle west of Norway. Later in the same day, German Stuka dive bombers attacked the convoy without success. Two dive bombers were lost during the mission.

Third evacuation of Soviet troops from Hanko.

Soviet submarines conduct minelaying operations off northern Norway.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Navy issued Task Force Ultrasecret Operation Order 1: warships were to proceed to Hawaiian waters in secrecy, with mission to conduct pre-emptive strikes on any potential threats against Hawaii.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin presents a plan to the British to pull Finland out of the war. The British give Finland two weeks time to cease their offensive operations or it will declare war on Finland.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Operation Sunstar: HMS “_Prince Leopold_” travelled across the English Channel with 90 British Commandos of No. 9 Commando on a raid on Houlgate in Normandy, France. The ship also transported four Assault Landing Craft which were used for the landing, four Motor Gun Boats were used to provide cover.

The British Royal Air Force carried out offensive sweep over North France. RAF Fighter Command sweep over Calais. 6 Luftwaffe planes destroyed.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 22, 2016)

*22 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
1937 Class TB DKM T-18





Type VIId (ML) DKM U-215





Type VIIc U-438
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Bathurst Class MSW HMAS DELORAINE (J-232)





MMS I Class Coastal MSW HMS MMS 22 (J-522)




_Sister ship J-557_

Thornycroft 55’ type MTB 328
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Experimental Thornycroft MTB 345 (RN until 1943, then RNorN)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
_
MTB 345 was constructed in 1941, and saw limited service with the RN before being transferred to the RNorN on 16 March 1943. She sailed with the Royal Norwegian Navy for three months in 1943, until captured by German forces on 28 July 1943, during her second mission to the coast of occupied Norway. Two days after their capture, the crew of MTB 345 were executed by the Germans based on Hitler’s infamous Commando Order. Following their capture of MTB 345, the Germans pressed the motor torpedo boat into DKM service, renaming her SA 7. SA 7 was lost in a fire in the Nth Sea in August 1943._

_After the end of the war, the Admiralty investigated the Commando Order killings in Norway, and sought out German officers suspected of involvement. In a War Crimes Trial trial, General Oberst Falkenhorst tried to use the usual defence of “I was following orders” but in fact the evidence suggests he was an enthusiastic supporter of the policy. He was sentenced to death for his role in the Commando Order executions that occurred in Norway during the occupation, including the killing of MTB 345's crew._

_(Security Service, SD) commander Hans Blomberg was even more overt in his support in carrying out the order. He too was placed on trial, found guilty and executed in January 1946 for his role in the killing_

_Admiral Otto von Shrader was also implicated in the murders of the MTB 345 crew but committed suicide in Norwegian custody in July 1945 before he could be brought to trial._

*Losses
ASW trawler ST APOLLO (RN 580 grt)* was sunk in a collision with DD SARDONYX off the Hebrides. DD PUNJABI, en route from Hvalfjord to Scapa Flow, was ordered to proceed to assist. On arrival, the trawler had already sunk. PUNJABI escorted SARDONYX to Loch Ewe. At the Minches, SARDONYX proceeded unescorted to Loch Ewe and PUNJABI proceeded to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 23rd.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Schooner MARIA DI GIOVANNI (UK 255 grt)* with T/Lt A.B. Palmer RNR in command, was lost when she grounded west of Tobruk. Palmer, T/Lt J. Lucas RNR, and the crew were taken prisoner.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient; U-106, U-123

Departures
Kirkenes: U-752

At Sea 22 November 1941
U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-578, U-652, U-752, UA

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Tkr UNO (SD 408 grt)* was sunk on a mine three miles off the entrance to Memel with the loss of a single crewman.





*Fishing vessel GERTRUD KAMPF (Ger 471 grt)* was sunk on a mine near Libau.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*East Front*
Arctic
Submarine SEAWOLF unsuccessfully attacked a steamer three and a half miles from Syltefjord.

_Convoy PQ.3_
The convoy continued to Archangel with local escort only arriving on the 22nd. DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID and MSW BRAMBLE arrived at Murmansk on the 22nd. MSWs SEAGULL and SPEEDY arrived at Murmansk from Archangel on the 24th.

Baltic
*MSW M1706 (DKM 750 grt)* sank on a Mine laid by VMF ML TSZCZ 204 during the opening days of the BARBAROSSA campaign
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
Norwegian steamer BESTUM was damaged by German bombing off Platters near Harwich.

*Northern Waters*
BB NELSON, escorted by destroyers FAULKNOR and ICARUS, departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth. DD ECLIPSE was ordered to leave monitor EREBUS off Duncansby Head and join the escort, but the DD was unable to proceed due to bad weather and returned to Scapa Flow. NELSON arrived at Rosyth on the 23rd. The DDs returned to Scapa Flow, arriving later that day.

*West Coast*
FFL submarine MINERVE departed Dundee for patrol off the Norwegian coast. However, on the 23rd, the submarine experienced mechanical problems and was diverted to Scapa Flow for repairs, arriving on the 24th. MINERVE was able to departed Scapa Flow on the 25th for patrol.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.159_
The Coast Guardcutter and corvette SUNFLOWER were detached on the 22nd.

_Convoy SC.54_
DDs COLUMBIA and SKEENA and corvettes ACONIT, MIMOSA, SHEDIAC, and WETASKIWIN were detached on the 22nd when relieved by DDs BROKE and WOLVERINE and corvettes BEGONIA, EGLANTINE, LARKSPUR, and MONTBRETIA.

_Convoy ON.38_
ASW Trawler ST APOLLO was detached on the 22nd.

_Convoy ON.39_
The convoy was joined on the 22nd by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, SHERWOOD, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ANEMONE, THYME, and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA.

*Med/Biscay*
RNeN submarine O.21 sank *sailing vessel SAN SALVATORE (FI 92 grt)* off Sardinia.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON-33_
Corvette PRIMROSE was detached on the 22nd when the convoy was dispersed.

_Convoy ON.37_
The remaining escorts of the convoy were detached on the 22nd when relieved on the 22nd by USN DDs BUCK, GREER, LUDLOW, MCCORMICK, and SWANSON.

_Convoy SC.56_
Convoy SC.56 departed Sydney, CB escorted by corvettes DRUMHELLER, and SUMMERSIDE, and MSWs GEORGIAN and THUNDER

*Central Atlantic*
DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, LEGION, and GURKHA of DesFlot 19 departed Gibraltar for exercises and to carry out an ASW sweep.

Corvette SPIRAEA departed Gibraltar escorting Norwegian tanker THORSHAVET and then to meet arriving tanker VELMA. On the 23rd, anti-submarine trawlers LADY HOGARTH and STELLA CARINA were ordered to join the outward escort. Corvette GERANIUM departed Gibraltar on the 29th to provide additional escort. On 1 December, the tanker and corvette SPIRAEA arrived at Gibraltar.

_Convoy ST.9_
Convoy ST.9 departed Freetown, escorted by corvettes ARMERIA, BURDOCK, and WALLFLOWER. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 27th.

_Convoy WS.12Z_
DD FORESTER having detached from the convoy proceeded to Ponta Delgada to complete fuelling. She departed on the 22nd and rejoined DDs FORESIGHT and FURY.

Corvette CLOVER escorted the convoy from 22 to 24 November.

*Sth Atlantic*
_Loss of Disguised Raider ATLANTIS_
On 18 October 1941 the commander of the raider ATLANTIS, Kapitan Bernhard Rogge was ordered to rendezvous with the Uboats to refuel them. U-68 was the first to be replenished, some 500 mi south of St Helena and refuel her, then to refuel U-126 at a location north of Ascension Island. ATLANTIS rendezvoused with U-68 on 13 November, and on 21 or 22 November with U-126. OKM (German Naval High Command) signal instruction sent to _U-126_ ordering this rendezvous was intercepted and deciphered by the Allied ENIGMA code breakers and was passed on to the Admiralty, which in turn despatched CA DEVONSHIRE to the rendezvous area.

Early on the morning of 22 November 1941, ATLANTIS was intercepted by HMS DEVONSHIRE. U-126 dived, leaving her captain behind, as he had gone aboard ATLANTIS. At 0840, ATLANTIStransmitted a raider report posing as the Dutch ship POLYPHEMUS. By 0934, DEVONSHIRE had received confirmation this report was false. From a distance of 8.7–9.3 mi, outside the range of ATLANTIS’5.9 in guns, DEVONSHIRE commenced fire with her 8 in battery.

The second and third salvos hit *Disguised Raider ATLANTIS (DKM 7862 grt)*. Seven sailors were killed as the crew abandoned ship; Rogge was the last off. Ammunition exploded, the bow rose into the air, and the ship sank.






The German ship in her cruise had sunk twenty two allied ships for 145,697 tons in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

After DEVONSHIRE left the area amid concerns that the U-boat might attack her. U-126 resurfaced and picked up 300 German sailors and a wounded American prisoner. U-126 carried or towed rafts towards the still-neutral Brazil 930 mi to the west). Two days later the German refuelling ship PYTHON arrived and took the survivors aboard. On 1 December, while PYTHON was refueling U-126 and UA another of the British cruisers seeking the raiders, HMS DORSETSHIRE appeared. The U-boats dived immediately with *AO PYTHON (DKM 3664 grt)* crew deciding to scuttle their ship. DORSETSHIRE again departed without undertaking any rescuer, amid fears of an attack by the U-boats , leaving the U-boats to recover the survivors. Eventually various German and Italian submarines took Rogge's crew back to St. Nazaire






RNZN CL ACHILLES met RAN CL ADELAIDE in Cook Strait and took over convoy VK 21. ACHILLES departed the convoy on the 24th two hundred and fifty miles east of Chatham Island and proceeded to Navulu Passage.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 23 NOVEMBER 1941
_0408 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Three unidentified bombers approached Island, only one crossing coast, dropping bombs (incendiary) near Ta Qali, causing no damage at aerodrome. High Explosive bombs dropped near Dingli.

_0625 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One SM79 and one BR20 crossed coast Mellieha Bay, passed over Island, travelled down west coast and re-crossed Island Dingli area. Searchlights illuminated enemy aircraft near Grand Harbour for period of 2¼ minutes. Heavy Ack Ack fired two barrages.

_0950 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One recce aircraft approached Island. No engagement.

_1553 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Twenty Macchi’s approached from north but did not cross coast. Hurricanes engaged eight miles north east of Gozo, with results as follows:- two Macchi’s destroyed, three probably destroyed, five damaged. One Hurricane sustained very slight damage.

_1943 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft crossed coast Delimara. Bombs on land near Ta Silch and in sea.

_2048 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft approached from north, passed over Gozo and receded north.

_2211 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 22 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _ Operation “Landmark” completed. Convoy and Force “K” arrived in harbour at 0700. Six Albacores attacked Tripoli, two with bombs and four with mines. The mines were dropped along the coast west of Tripoli, as aircraft failed to locate correct target.

_HAL FAR _Night Four Swordfish 830 Squadron and four Albacores 828 Squadron despatched to attack convoy off Cape Spartivento. One cruiser definitely hit and one merchant vessel of 7000 tons probably hit. Other results not observed owing to bad visibility and strong opposition. One Swordfish failed to return (crew: Pilot Lt O’Brien and observer S/Lt Griffith).

_LUQA 107 Squadron_ One Blenheim SF11 patrol. _18 Squadron_ Four Blenheims despatched to attack two M/Vs (merchant vessels) Gulf of Argostoli. _40 Squadron _Six Wellingtons attacked Berka satellite ‘drome near Benghazi.

_Operation Crusader_
On 22 Nov, heavy fighting developed between New Zealand and Italian troops near Sollum, while troops of the Indian 7th Brigade captured Sidi Omar


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## parsifal (Nov 22, 2016)

Halder's Diary 22 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 22, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 22, 2016)

*November 23 Sunday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: Carrier Striking Task Force Operations Order No. 1 is issued stating that the “_*The Carrier Striking Task Force will proceed to the Hawaiian Area with utmost secrecy and, at the outbreak of the war, will launch a resolute surprise attack on and deal a fatal blow to the enemy fleet in the Hawaiian Area. The initial air attack is scheduled at 0330 hours, X Day. Upon completion of the air attacks, the Task Force will immediately withdraw and return to Japan and, after taking on new supplies, take its position for Second Period Operations. In the event that, during this operation, an enemy fleet attempts to intercept our force or a powerful enemy force is encountered and there is danger of attack, the Task Force will launch a counterattack. The second unit, the Midway Bombardment Unit (the 7th Destroyer Division less the 2nd section), will depart from Tokyo Bay around X-6 Day and, after refueling, secretly approach Midway. It will arrive on the night of X Day and shell the air base. The unit will then withdraw and, after refueling, return to the western part of the Inland Sea. The oiler “Shiriya” will accompany the bombardment unit on this mission and will be responsible for the refueling operation.” *_Carrier Division 5 [“_Shokaku_” and “_Zuikaku_”], having the ‘greenest’ aircrews, with no combat, nor extensive, experience [the carriers had just come into service], was tasked with attacking the U.S Army Air Corps land bases, which Genda felt would be easier for the aircrews to handle. The Japanese carriers made a rendezvous at Hitokappu Bay, Kurile Islands, Japan in preparation for the Pearl Harbor attack.

Destroyer “_Yuzuki_” departed Sakaide, Shikoku, Japan, escorting a troop convoy.

The German ambassador in Japan Eugen Ott warned Germany that the Japanese military seemed to be on the verge of a war, its military preparing to move southward. He was not aware of Japan's plans to attack the United States.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Corvette HMCS “_Morden_” departed St John’s to join the 45-ship convoy SC-56 from Sydney which arrived intact at Liverpool 10 Dec 41.

USN Task Unit 4.1.6 assumes escort duty for convoy HX-161 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to U.K.). The convoy will not be attacked by U-boats during its passage.

*EASTERN FRONT*: In the Moscow area, German gains are gradual, but progress is made on a 50 mile front northwest of the city. The German 7.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General H. von Funck), 14.Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Lieutenant General F. Fuerst) and LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein) of General der Panzertruppen Georg-Hans Reinhardt’s 3.Panzergruppe captured Klin on the Moscow-Leningrad highway and pushed south towards Sonechnogorsk further down the highway. The Germans had frontally attacked Klin where Soviet 30th Army had been holding their advance for 5 days and taken serious losses in men and material. Zhukov orders a limited withdrawal of the 5th and 16th Army's which is executed in good order despite the German pressure. Rokossovsky pulled his men back to a final defensive line 35 km from Moscow. General Lelyushenko withdraws 30th Army at the last minute back towards the Moskva/Volga canal. LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) then races 10 miles southeast along the railway line towards the town of Solnechnogorsk, within 35 miles of the Soviet capital of Moscow. Oberstleutnant Decker's combat group, I./Panzer-Regiment 3, moving in advance of the spearheads of V.Armeekorps with parts of the reinforced 3.Panzer-Regiment, penetrated into Solnechnogorsk from the west. The 2.Schützen-Brigade under Oberst Eberhardt Rodt attacked the town from the north-west with 304.Schützen-Regiment. The strong Russian defenses were overcome and more than two dozen enemy tanks destroyed. The bridges over the canal were secured intact. Things were moving again. As a result, General Veiel's Viennese 2.Panzer Division stood 37 miles from Moscow on an excellent road.

As starvation begins to set in at Leningrad, the first attempt to cross the recently frozen Lake Ladoga is made. 60 trucks brought in 33 tons of flour and 2.5 tons of sugars and fats into besieged Leningrad, driving across the frozen Lake Ladoga. This was the first of many over-ice truck runs that would ramp up to bring in 100 tons of supplies each day. The population of Leningrad, however, required about 600 tons of supplies for survival.

Further south Soviet 9th Army and 37th Army threatened to isolate German 1.Panzerarmee in Rostov. Soviet warships bombard German positions around Sevastopol.

German Luftwaffe II./KG 55 departed Kirovograd, Ukraine for Saint-André-de-l'Eure, France for rest and refitting.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Desperate to get deliveries into Libya, the Axis try a new tactic, operating a series of small convoys in the hope that Allied naval and air forces will be too stretched to attack all of them. One such convoy carrying fuel to Benghazi is spotted early this evening by a patrolling aircraft. Within hours of returning to Grand Harbour, Force “K” was back at sea, sailing under cover of thunderstorms towards its prey. RN Mediterranean Fleet sails from Egypt to cover Force “K”. The Royal Navy’s radio operators successfully jam Axis signals which could warn the convoy of the attackers’ approach. By the time the presence of Force “K” is spotted by the Luftwaffe, it is too late. Despite being hit by shells, HMS “_Penelope_” manages to attack two abandoned Italian freighters, igniting cans of precious petrol piled high on their decks.

HMAS “_Napier_”, (destroyer), took off the crew of the transport “_Glen Roy_”, torpedoed by German aircraft near Tobruk. The ship was later beached.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Axis nationals who were evicted from Afghanistan departed Basra for Turkey via Baghdad by special train.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader - The Battle of Totensonntag: The Germans name this day Totensonntag (Sunday of the Dead). Fierce battles continue in the area southeast of Sidi Rezegh. Allied infantry arrive near Sidi Rezegh having covered 50 miles across the desert from the Egyptian border in 2 days. Rommel sends General Ludwig Crüwell with 15.Panzerdivision and Italian Ariete Divisions circling around the British tanks from the South, to disorganize the Allied rear echelons and return next morning. In the afternoon, both German and Italian forces from the Ariete Division stage a direct charge against the British armor which has been reinforced with two South African Brigades. About 160 German tanks and several battalions attack 34 British tanks of the 22nd Armoured Brigade and infantry of the South African 5th Brigade. The Germans lose 70 tanks but the defenders are wiped out. The South Africans of the 3rd Field Regiment, (Transvaal Horse Artillery) were surrounded on all sides by German armour and artillery, subjected to a continuous barrage. They tried to take cover in shallow slit trenches. In many places the South African soldiers could only dig down to around 9 inches [23 cm] deep due to the solid limestone underneath their positions. The Transvaal Horse Artillery engaged German tanks from the 15.Panzerdivision and 21.Panzerdivision, the gunners firing over open sights as they were overrun. This continued until many of the officers were dead and the gunners had run out of ammunition. Many of the gun crews were captured. As darkness fell, those that could escaped back to Allied lines under cover of darkness. The artillerymen of the 3rd Field Regiment managed to save 5 of their 24 guns from the battlefield. They later recovered a further 7 guns. After the battle of Sidi Rezegh, Acting Lieutenant General Sir Charles Willoughby Moke Norrie stated that the South African's "_*sacrifice resulted in the turning point of the battle, giving the Allies the upper hand in North Africa at that time."*_ After a sudden artillery concentration the garrison of Fortress Tobruk, supported by sixty tanks, made an attack on the direction of Bel Hamid at noon, intending at long last unite with the main offence group. The Italian siege front around the fortress tried to offer a defense in the confusion but was forced to relinquish numerous strong points in the encirclement front about Bir Bu Assaten to superior enemy forces. The Italian “Pavia” Division was committed for a counterattack and managed to seal off the enemy breakthrough. Overnight, confused and beaten, British 7th Armored Division withdraws 20 miles having lost 60% of its tanks. Germans take control of Sidi Rezegh. German and Italian losses are high and their numerical superiority is lost. They now have less than 100 tanks. British Captain Philip Gardner led two Matilda tanks in the rescue of the crews of two armored cars pinned under enemy fire at Tobruk, becoming wounded in the process. He was later awarded the Victoria Cross award. The 5th New Zealand Brigade continued its advance south-east, down the main road from Fort Capuzzo towards Sollum and cut off of the Axis positions from Sidi Omar to Sollum and Halfaya from Bardia and its supply route. The 6th New Zealand Brigade Group on the left flank at Bir el Hariga, had been ordered north-west along the Trigh Capuzzo (Capuzzo–El Adem) to reinforce 7th Armoured Division at Sidi Rezegh. The brigade arrived at Bir el Chleta, some 15 miles (24 km) east of Sidi Rezagh, at first light, where they stumbled on the Afrika Korps headquarters and captured most of its staff (Crüwell was absent); no supplies reached either panzer division that day. Later in the day the 4th New Zealand Brigade Group was sent north of the 6th New Zealand Brigade to apply pressure on Tobruk and the 5th New Zealand Brigade covered Bardia and the Sollum–Halfaya positions. Due to heavy British losses, Major General Alan Cunningham, General Officer Commanding Eighth Army, begins to doubt his ability to beat the Panzers and General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Commander in Chief Middle East Command, comes forward to watch the tactical moves closely.

The Italian High Command in Rome, Italy agreed to put the Italian XX Mobile Corps, which included the Ariete Division and the Trieste Division, under Erwin Rommel's direct command.

More heavy air-to-air combat over the Operation Crusader battlefront with approximately sixteen RAF aircraft and twelve Axis aircraft lost. For the day JG 27 scores victories over nine RAF fighters and one Boston bomber but at a cost. Hptm. Lippert, _Gruppenkommandeur_ of II./JG 27 is forced to bail out, breaks both his legs and is captured by the British. Oblt. Gustav Rödel takes his place as acting _Gruppenkommandeur_ of II Gruppe.

Six Albacores FAA No. 828 Squadron were dispatched to lay mines outside Tripoli Harbour. Mines were laid a few miles to the west of Tripoli. All aircraft returned safely. Five Blenheims of RAF No. 107 Squadron attacked landing ground west of B Bu Giarada. Five Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron attacked Benina aerodrome.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Nine Japanese submarines of the 3rd Submarine Unit, Advance Group, Pearl Harbor Strike Force, depart Kwajalein Atoll and arrive off the Hawaiian Islands on 6 December. One of the submarine, HIJMS I-8, is carrying a “Glen” seaplane (Kugisho E14Y1, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane); on 7 December HIJMS I-8 will be stationed about 45 nautical miles (83 kilometers) southwest of Oahu Island, seven of the boats will be stationed about 25 nautical miles (46 kilometers) south of Oahu and one boat will be stationed 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) west of Oahu. Joseph Rochefort reported to his superiors that his cryptanalytic team had detected a Japanese submarine squadron moving into the Marshall Islands.

*SOUTH AMERICA*: US Army troops arrived in Dutch Guiana and occupied the region on behalf of the Dutch government-in-exile in order to protect bauxite mines.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: General Odic, Chief of Staff of French Air Force after the armistice and later Commander of French Air Force in North Africa, rallied to General de Gaulle.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Operation Sunstar: British landing ship HMS “_Prince Leopold_” landed 90 men of British No. 9 Commando battalion at Butte de Houlgate, France. The commandos do not destroy their target (guns at Batterie de Tournebride) or take any prisoners but they capture some secret papers, then reboard and return to Portsmouth without loss.

The Government of occupied Denmark was ordered to join the Anti-Comintern Pact.

The British Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out offensive sweeps over Northern France. Night attack on docks at Lorient, Brest and Dunkirk. RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 53 aircraft to attack Lorient overnight. RAF Fighter Command flew a Ramrod operation with seven fighters lost. RAF 11 Group Ramrod 12 was an attack by 4 Hurricanes IIb/c of RAF 11 Group escorted by 8 Hurricane IIb/cs of RAF No. 615 Sqn. and 12 Spitfire Vbs of RAF No. 315 Sqn. The target was not located so rail-targets were attacked near St. Omer, and a factory near Calais. Attacked by the Fw 190s from 6./JG 26, the RAF aircraft lost 7 machines.

During the patrol a Hudson V bomber from RAF No.608 Sqn. Coastal Command flew over Denmark and followed the railroad from Tarm towards Skjern. South of Skjern it dropped two bombs which fell between the railroad track and the main road without exploding. Apparently the Hudson then struck a telephone pole at 14:41 hours and crashed into the ground. Pilot F/Sgt Russel H. MacMillan RCAF and Pilot F/Sgt George N. Fullerton were killed by the crash while W/Op–Air Gnr. Sgt John Short and Wop/Air Gnr. Sgt. Francis G. Simmonds were brought to Skjern hospital, both badly wounded. Short perished shortly after arrival while Simmonds died at 09:00 hours the following day. The whole crew were laid to rest in Frederikshavn cemetery.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 23, 2016)

*23 NOVEMBER 1941
UBOATS*
Departures
Bergen: U-38

At Sea 23 November 1941
U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-557, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-578, U-652, U-752, UA

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer HEDDA (Sd 1498 grt)* was sunk on a mine north of Borkum whilst in German controlled waters. The entire crew were rescued.





*Northern Patrol*
CA KENT departed Hvalfjord to replace CA NORFOLK on the Faroes - Iceland patrol. CA NORFOLK proceeded to Hvalfjord, arriving on the 24th.

*Northern Waters*
Monitor EREBUS with DDs WITCH and VANQUISHER departed Scapa Flow to carry out practices west of the Orkneys, then proceed to Londonderry on completion. The ships arrived at Londonderry on the 25th.

*West Coast*
_Convoy HX.159_
ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, LE TIGRE, and WELLARD escorted the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy SL.92_
Destroyers FORESIGHT, FURY, and FORESTER departed the Biscay patrol to join convoy SL.92 and then proceed to Londonderry. The DDs joined the convoy on the 24th. On the 25th, DDs FURY and FORESIGHT departed the convoy for Londonderry, arriving on the 27th. They departed Londonderry on the 28th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th to join the Home Fleet. DD FORESTER departed Londonderry on the 29th and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 30th to join the Home Fleet

*Channel*
CA HAWKINS, escorted by DD BLENCATHRA, arrived at Portsmouth from the East Indies. The cruiser was extensively refitted at Portsmouth from 7 December to 7 May.

*Med/Biscay*
Landing ship GLENROY, with supplies for Tobruk, was damaged by an aerial torpedo. She was taken in tow by CLA CARLISLE, escorted by DDs AVONVALE and ERIDGE and beached at Mersa Matruh. The troops on the landing ship were transferred to DD FARNDALE which carried them to Tobruk. DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, KIPLING, JACKAL, and HASTY were ordered to assist the landing ship. Sloop FLAMINGO and tug ST ISSEY departed Alexandria. GLENROY was refloated on the 27th and taken in tow by tugs ST ISSEY and ST MONACE. Escorted by DDs and two ASW trawlers, later reinforced by DD AVONVALE, and later still by DDs FARNDALE and ERIDGE. The landing ship arrived at Alexandria on the 29th.

British tanker TONELINE and steamer GEBIL KEBIR departed Tobruk escorted by DD HEYTHROP, RAN sloop YARRA, and three ASW trawlers.

While RM CL CADONNA was returning from Benghazi, Italian steamer ADRIATICO departed Reggio, unescorted for Benghazi. Italian steamer VINICOLO departed Trapani for Tripoli. Italian steamer BOSFORO, escorted by DD STRALE, departed Benghazi to return to Brindisi.

Italian steamer FABIO FILZI with DDs USODIMARE and SAETTA departed Trapani for Tripoli. DD SEBENICO and TB CENTAURO joined the steamer from Tripoli.

German steamers MARITZA and PROCIDA, carrying fuel for the Luftwaffe and escorted by RM TBs LUPO and CASSIOPEA, departed Piraeus for Benghazi.

RNeN submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked a convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

*Nth Atlantic*
Landing ship GLENROY, with supplies for Tobruk, was damaged by an aerial torpedo. She was taken in tow by CLA CARLISLE, escorted by DDs AVONVALE and ERIDGE and beached at Mersa Matruh. The troops on the landing ship were transferred to DD FARNDALE which carried them to Tobruk. DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, KIPLING, JACKAL, and HASTY were ordered to assist the landing ship. Sloop FLAMINGO and tug ST ISSEY departed Alexandria. GLENROY was refloated on the 27th and taken in tow by tugs ST ISSEY and ST MONACE. Escorted by DDs and two ASW trawlers, later reinforced by DD AVONVALE, and later still by DDs FARNDALE and ERIDGE. The landing ship arrived at Alexandria on the 29th.

British tanker TONELINE and steamer GEBIL KEBIR departed Tobruk escorted by DD HEYTHROP, RAN sloop YARRA, and three ASW trawlers.

While RM CL CADONNA was returning from Benghazi, Italian steamer ADRIATICO departed Reggio, unescorted for Benghazi. Italian steamer VINICOLO departed Trapani for Tripoli. Italian steamer BOSFORO, escorted by DD STRALE, departed Benghazi to return to Brindisi.

Italian steamer FABIO FILZI with DDs USODIMARE and SAETTA departed Trapani for Tripoli. DD SEBENICO and TB CENTAURO joined the steamer from Tripoli.

German steamers MARITZA and PROCIDA, carrying fuel for the Luftwaffe and escorted by RM TBs LUPO and CASSIOPEA, departed Piraeus for Benghazi.

RNeN submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked a convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

*Central Atlantic*
Corvette GERANIUM arrived at Gibraltar, escorting steamer EMPIRE PANTHER, after refitting in the UK.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 24 NOVEMBER 1941
_1022 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement.

_1202 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One Macchi approached from north, skirted Grand Harbour area and receded north.

_1240 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Caused by return of Maryland.

_1708 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Recce raid by two Macchi 200’s.

_1904 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Four enemy aircraft approached Island, only one crossing coast over Mellieha Ridge. Two bombs fell in Mellieha Bay and one on land nearby.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 23 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ Force “K” sailed by Admiralty orders to intercept enemy convoy.

_HAL FAR_ Night 22/23rd Nov. Six Albacores 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm despatched to lay mines outside Tripoli Harbour. Mines were laid a few miles to the west of Tripoli. All aircraft returned safely.

_LUQA _One Blenheim 107 Squadron and one Blenheim 18 Squadron SF11 patrol. Five Blenheims 107 Squadron attacked landing ground west of B Bu Giarada. One Wellington S/D Flight special shipping search. Five Wellingtons 104 Squadron attacked Benina aerodrome.

_Operation Crusader_
On 23 Nov, the Comando Supremo agreed to put the Italian XX Mobile Corps, which included the Ariete Division and the Trieste Division, under Rommel's direct command.

Troops of the New Zealand 5th Brigade advanced toward Sollum, cutting off Axis supply routes from Bardia. Also on 23 Nov, Rommel gathered the remainder of his two armored divisions and launched an attack together with the Italian Ariete Division to cut off and destroy the rest of the British XXX Corps; brutal fighting led to heavy casualties on both sides.


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## parsifal (Nov 23, 2016)

Halder's Diary 23 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 23, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 23, 2016)

*November 24 Monday
ATLANTIC OCEAN*: On her way to rescue “_Atlantis_” survivors, German submarine U-124 sank British cruiser HMS “_Dunedin_” 650 miles east of Natal, Brazil at 1521 hours, hitting her with two torpedoes. 236 were killed; 250 survived the sinking, but only 67 would survive the entire ordeal, succumbing to wounds, drowning, and shark attacks. HMS “_Dunedin_” had been part of a task unit sent to counter a German operation involving four U-boats, an armed merchant raider (“_Atlantis_”) and a supply ship (“_Python_”) against shipping near Cape Town. U-124, which was on her way to rendezvous with “_Python_”, KKpt. Mohr sighted “_Dunedin_” NE of St. Pauls Rocks, 900 miles west of Freetown, just south of the Equator. He fired three torpedoes at extreme range, even though “_Dunedin_” was steaming away at 17 knots and was altering course. Two torpedoes hit, an extraordinary accomplishment, the first striking amidships and the second further aft. “_Dunedin_” capsized and sank in approximately 17 minutes. Before there was “Das Boot”, there was “Grey Wolf, Grey Sea”, a stirring account of the exploits of U-124 written by author E.B. Gasaway (Ballantine Books, 1972 ISBN:345-02533-4). Known by the distinctive ‘Edelweiss’ insignia on her conning tower , commanded first by Ritterkreuztraeger Kapitanleutnant Wilhelm Schulz, and succeeded by his IWO Kplt. Jochen Mohr (RK/eichl.); in her short life, (commissioned 11 JUN 1940) U-124 , a type IXB long range boat, sank 49 ships for a total of 232,887 GRT to become the third most successful submarine to have fought in the Second World War. The ‘Edelweiss’ insignia was an homage to the German Mountain Troops who helped to rescue the crew of the U-64, strafed and sunk by British aircraft in a Norwegian fjord during ‘Operation Weseruebung’ (the invasion of Norway) in April 1940. The crew of the new U-124 was mostly composed of the ‘old salts’ of U-64. When ‘Kaleu’ Mohr assumed command of the boat in mid-1941, a green bullfrog insignia was also added.

German 4th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla attacked Allied convoy FS.654 off East Anglia, England, sinking British tanker “_Virgilia_” (23 killed, 17 survived) and Dutch ship “_Groenlo_” (10 killed).

The destroyer USS “_DuPont_” (DD 152) in the North Atlantic Ocean with U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.6, escorting Convoy HX-161, was damaged in collision with merchant ship “_Thorshovdi_” in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Wehrmacht drove a deep wedge into Russian lines near Klin, northwest of Moscow. Battles raged around Volokolamsk, Mojaisk, Narafominsk and Tula. Russian counter-attacks were successful in Leningrad area and in Donetz sector. Elements of German LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein) advance 10 miles east from Klin to capture the town of Rogachevo and threaten Moscow from the North. To the south of the Soviet capital, Guderian relaunches his attempt to encircle and bypass the city of Tula. XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) (3.Panzerdivision, 4.Panzerdivision and 17.Panzerdivision) charges northeast and captures the road junction at Venyov 30 miles east of Tula. German XLIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry G. Heinrici) on the southern flank of Army Group Center was involved in heavy fighting against the Russian defensive position south of Aleksin. At one point aerial reconnaissance showed a 15 km long Russian column approaching the German flank. The depleted Germans regiments formed a protective screen at the edge of the forest and managed to repel the counter-attack before renewing their own offensive. The German 87.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General B. von Studnitz) was involved in fierce fighting. One company was down to 40 men from 70 two weeks earlier.

Further south, the Soviets begin a counteroffensive in the Rostov sector. German 1.Panzerarmee begins to withdraw from Rostov. Rostov is evacuated by the Germans in the face of again being cut off in the rear. Soviet 9th Army and 37th Army continue to threaten encirclement of German 1.Panzerarmee in Rostov. Field Marshall Rundstedt makes this move in the face of express orders from Hitler to stand fast.

NKVD reports that to date Luftwaffe has conducted 90 raids on Moscow with over 1500 major fires, 400 apartment buildings destroyed, and 1327 people killed on the ground.

The Theresienstadt camp was established in occupied Czechoslovakia to serve as a transit point for Jews en route to concentration camps to the east. Theresienstadt was a town that had housed a Czech military prison going back to the 19th century. It is used to camouflage the extermination of European Jews, by the Nazis who tout it as a “model Jewish settlement.” When the Red Cross visits, dummy stores, cafes, schools and gardens are set up.

"Life Certificates" were issued to some Jews of Vilna. The rest were exterminated.

*GERMANY*: Berlin proposes comprehensive exchange of interned civilian nationals with UK.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: On Malta, an afternoon of panic. At 1345 hours The Kings Own Malta Regiment are carrying out manoeuvres as part of Command Exercise “Victoria” when an urgent message is received from Headquarters. Fifteen enemy warships have been reported 40 miles west of Gozo, on course for Malta. All officers and men are recalled from leave, and all the Island’s defences are fully manned. Sixteen Other Ranks from 3rd Battalion are deployed at Ta Kandia and ten at St Edwards College, plus others at Pawla ordered to provide loaders as above. Two hours later Italian aircraft attack Malta. Ten minutes later nine Hurricanes sent to investigate the possible convoy return to base, having been unable to locate the warships. Despite the lack of a confirmed sighting, the Island’s defenders remain at the ready well into the evening. A report is received from a RAF speed launch engaged on rescue operations that it has sighted ten small craft, identified “E” boats [German motor torpedo boat] about five miles north east of Delimara. The alert level is reduced and the beach defenses are finally stood down. The Island will remain in a state of readiness for another twelve hours.

German vessels “_Maritza_” and “_Procida_” were sunk by RN Force “K”.

U-431 moves into the Mediterranean.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader – ‘Dash to the Wire’: While British tanks reorganize and repair after the battle at Sidi Rezegh, Rommel gambles that the Allied excursion into Libya can be routed by further disrupting the rear echelons and supply lines (a tactic Rommel used so successfully in France last year). His aim is a repeat of Crüwell’s ride around the British yesterday, although on a broader sweep - to swing his Panzers behind the British tanks from the South, scatter the Allied infantry, link up with the German garrisons at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass and then advance into Egypt. Rommel, believing that the British armor has mainly been destroyed in the fighting on the day previous and ignoring the actions of the New Zealand infantry, at 1030 hours, leads the 15.Panzerdivision and 21.Panzerdivision along the Trig el Abd to the Egyptian border. This move becomes known as the “Dash to the Wire” and it causes some concern in the rear echelons of British 8th Army. The Afrika Korps and Ariete division headed for Sidi Omar, causing chaos and scattering the mainly rear echelon support units in their path, splitting XXX Corps and almost cutting off XIII Corps. The offensive was uncoordinated and achieved little. The Germans take losses they cannot afford and their hold on the British armour becomes slack. New Zealand units captured Gambut. Italian garrison at Gialo Oasis, 150 miles south of Benghazi, overpowered by British motorized column. Rommel hoped to relieve the siege of Bardia and pose a large enough threat to the British rear echelon to complete the defeat of Operation Crusader. During the “Dash to the Wire” Rommel and his senior commanders lose touch, and the British rear echelons panic.

Captain Sergio Falletti, a company commander with the 27th Infantry Regiment ('Pavia' Division) is killed while calling down artillery and mortar fire on a strongpoint, during a British attack. The Italian captain is awarded posthumously the Gold Medal of Military Valour for his efforts in containing the British Tobruk garrison. The posthumous citation noted that “_although mortally wounded by machine gun fire, he didn’t hesitate in calling in artillery and 81mm mortar fire on his strong point, now occupied in part by the enemy_.”

Eight Wellingtons of RAF No.104 Squadron and six Wellingtons of RAF No.40 Squadron attacked Bengazi. One bomber failed to return. American S/Ldr Lance Wade of RAF No.33 Sqdn (and later 145 Sqdn) scores his fifth air to air victory to become an ace.

From Abyssinia it was reported that an Italian sortie from Gondar was defeated.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Commander William E.G. Taylor holds a meeting to address the inadequate staffing and operation of the airborne warning system in Hawaii.

The US Government revokes all export licenses for French North Africa while Lend-Lease is extended to Free French.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: RN task force with attached Soviet destroyers unsuccessfully searches for German vessels along northern coast of Norway.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Army commanders across the Pacific are warned of the possible imminence of war. Admiral Harold R. Stark, the USN Chief of Naval Operations, sends the following message to Admiral Thomas C. Hart, Commander-in-Chief Asiatic Fleet in the Philippine Islands; Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet in the Territory of Hawaii; Rear Admiral Charles A. Blakely, commander of the Eleventh Naval District at San Diego, California; Vice Admiral John W. Greenslade, commander of the Twelfth Naval District at San Francisco, California; Vice Admiral Charles S. Freeman, commander of the Thirteeth Naval District at Seattle, Washington; and Rear Admiral Frank H. Sadler, commander of the Fifteenth Naval District in the Canal Zone: “*Chances of favorable outcome of negotiations with Japan very doubtful. This situation coupled with statements of Japanese Government and movements their naval and military forces indicate in our opinion that a surprise aggressive movement in any direction including attack on Philippines or Guam is a possibility. Chief of Staff (of the U.S. Army, General George C. Marshall) has seen this dispatch concurs and requests action addresses to inform senior Army officers their areas. Utmost secrecy necessary in order not to complicate an already tense situation or precipitate Japanese action. Guam will be informed separately.” * Hart relayed the Navy Department message to MacArthur (NOVEMBER 24, 1941, MESSAGE TEXT (STARK TO HART): THE CHIEF OF STAFF IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE ESTIMATE PRESENTED HEREWITH AND REQUESTS THAT YOU INFORM THE SENIOR ARMY OFFICER IN YOUR AREA COLON CHANCES OF FAVORABLE OUTCOME OF UNITED STATES DASH JAPANESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE VERY DOUBTFUL PERIOD THIS SITUATION TOGETHER WITH STATEMENTS OF JAPANESE GOVERNMENT AND MOVEMENT OF THEIR MILITARY AND NAVAL FORCE INTIMATE IN OUR OPINION THAT SURPRISE AGGRESSIVE MOVEMENT IN ANY DIRECTION INCLUDING ATTACK ON PHILIPPINES OR GUAM IS A POSSIBILITY STOP THIS INFORMATION MUST BE TREATED WITH UTMOST SECRECY IN ORDER NOT TO COMPLICATE A TENSE SITUATION OR PRECIPITATE ACTION END STARK). Despite the fact that so many in positions of command anticipated a Japanese attack, especially given the failure of diplomacy (Japan refused U.S. demands to withdraw from both the Axis pact and occupied territories in China and Indochina), no one expected Hawaii as the target.

The US Government revokes export licenses to French North Africa, Spain, and Tangier “_to induce France to refuse open collaboration with Germany.”_

The U.S. grants lend-lease aid to Free France “_for the purposes of implementing the authority conferred upon you as Lend-Lease Administrator by Executive Order No. 8926, dated 28 October 1941, and in order to enable you to arrange for lend-lease aid to the French Volunteer Forces (Free French) by way of retransfer from His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom or their allies, I hereby find that the defense of any French territory under the control of the French Volunteer Forces (Free French) is vital to the defense of the United States.”_

*SOUTH AMERICA*: The United States occupied Dutch Guyana [Surinam] in agreement with The Netherlands and Brazil to protect bauxite mines because, “_The bauxite mines furnish upwards of 60% of the requirements of the U.S. aluminum industry, which is vital to the defense of the U.S., the western hemisphere and the nations actively resisting aggression”._

*UNITED KINGDOM*: During the war, no German prisoner of war escaped from the U.K. Many believe that Luftwaffe Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant or Flying Officer) Franz Von Werra is the most notable escapee but von Werra made his escape in Canada, where he is sent as a POW. (There were 21 POW camps in Canada.) The most audacious attempt is made by Lieutenant Heinz Schnabel and Oberleutnant Harry Wappler today. The two Luftwaffe officers are prisoners in Camp No.15 near Penrith, Northumberland, England, (formally the Shap Wells Hotel). Forging papers that identifies them as two Dutch officers serving in the RAF, they make their way to RAF Carlisle, a flying training base, located 2 miles (3,2 kilometers) north of Carlisle, Cumberland. Without difficulty they enter the station and with the help of a ground mechanic start the engine of a Miles Magister, of which there are 50 parked around the airfield. Taking off, they headed southeast for the North Sea and the Netherlands, a distance of some 365 miles (587 kilometers) to the Dutch coast. Over the North Sea they realize they could not make the Netherlands because the maximum range of a Magister is 367 miles (591 kilometers) on full tanks. Rather reluctantly they decide to turn back and land in a field about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, on the coast. Back at Camp No. 15 again, the two daring escapees are sentenced to 28 days solitary confinement.

A Heinkel He 111H-5 from 8./KG 40 took off from Rennes aerodrome at 13.30 hours accompanied by two other aircraft to look for a convoy that had been reported in the Bristol Channel. While off Lands End a signal was received that a night fighter was in the area so the pilot made for Carnsmore Point, Ireland but en route the crew spotted a steamer that they decided to attack. While attacking the SS “_Great Western_” 27 miles west of Bishop’s Rock at 1000 ft. it was hit in the port engine radiator by AA fire from the ship and the pilot made for home but the engine cut out. Having thrown everything detachable out of the aircraft the crew thinking they were over France decided to land but the pilot was no longer able to keep the aircraft in the air and he was forced to make a belly landing in a field, before crashing into a wall. They had landed at Gwavas Farm, Fithmey, near Helston, Cornwall, England. The difficulty in extracting the pilot and the arrival of “civilians with rifles” prevented the rest of the crew from setting fire to the aircraft. The entire crew were made POWs.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Stirlings of RAF Bomber Command made a successful attack on Kriegsmarine shipping off Dutch coast.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 24, 2016)

*24 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS DEFIANCE AMc-73)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS RED DEER (J-255)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS EDAY (T-201)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B RCN MLs-051, 056, 058, 072, 078,




_Sister ship HMCS ML-114_

HDML HMS 1088
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
_Convoy FS.654_
DKM S Boats S.50, S.51, S.52, S.109, and S.110 of S Boat Flotilla 4 attacked convoy FS.654 east of Orfordness.

S-109 sank *tkr VIRGILIA (UK 5723 grt)* three miles north east of Hearty Knoll Buoy.
23 crewmen, including seven gunners, were missing on the tanker, whilst 17 survivors were picked up by ML.150 and ML.152.





*Steamer GROENLO (Ne 1984 grt)* was sunk by S.52 one and a half miles 28° from 52E Buoy. One crewman was killed and nine crewmen were missing. Another source states that 11 were lost in the attack





British steamer BLAIRNEVIS was damaged by S.51 off Hearty Knoll, 52-20N, 1-59E.
The steamer was beached at Great Yarmouth Roads. She was refloated and towed to London on 16-17 December for repairs. The crew had abandoned ship and ML.150 rescued the crewmen.

DDs WESTMINSTER and SOUTHDOWN both reported sinking German S-boats, but this is not corroborated by German records.

*UBOATS*
Departures
Brest:U-558
Salamis: U-559

At Sea 24 November 1941
U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-453, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-578, U-652, U-752, UA

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
CL KENYA, DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID, and VMF DDs GREMYAHCHI and GROMKI departed Murmansk to sweep for German shipping between Nodkyn and Vardo in Operation AR. The ships shelled Vardo on the 25th, and were back Murmansk later on the 25th.

Submarine SEAWOLF unsuccessfully attacked a convoy of steamers ASUNCION, GRAZIELLA, and WENDINGEN in Syltefjord.

*North Sea*
British steamer ARDENZA was damaged by the LW ten miles SE of Orfordness. The steamer arrived at Great Yarmouth on the 25th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA CUMBERLAND departed Hvalfjord for Denmark Strait patrol.

*Northern Waters*
DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for the Tyne to carry out refitting, arriving on the 25th. DD ICARUS departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord to join the Home Flt, arriving on the 27th.

*West Coast*
_Convoy SC-53_
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 24th.

*Channel*
BB RESOLUTION, escorted by DDs BERKELEY and KUJAWIAK, departed Plymouth for Scapa Flow to work up. The ships arrived at Scapa Flow on the 27th.

Landing ship PRINCE LEOPOLD, escorted by MGB.316, MGB.312, MGB.314, and MGB.317, landed troops on the coast of Normandy in Operation SUNSTAR. The operation was a raid on Houlgate in Normandy, France over the night of 22/23 November 1941. British Commandos of No. 9 Commando took part in the raid their objective was the Batterie de Tournebride on the Butte de Houlgate. The commando group encountered difficulties and were unable to secure the battery or capture any personnel, but did manage to capture some important documents. After information was gained, the ships returned to Portsmouth.

*Med/Biscay*
BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH, VALIANT, and BARHAM and DDs JERVIS, GRIFFIN, and DECOY departed Alexandria to support operations by Force K. Five other DDs were still oiling when the Fleet departed.

The Fleet rendezvoused with DDs FARNDALE, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE in the searched Channel and these DDs escorted the Fleet until relieved that evening 2245 by DDs NAPIER, NIZAM, KIPLING, JACKAL, and HASTY which had completed fuelling.

Force K with CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and DDs LANCE and LIVELY departed Malta on the 23rd to intercept Italian convoys.

Cruisers AJAX, NEPTUNE, NAIAD, EURYALUS and DDs KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, KIMBERLEY, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria to act as Force B, but did not make any contact. Force B swept the coast of Cyrenaica during the night of 25/26 November and arrived at Alexandria on the 26th.

RM SETTIMBRINI was sighted Force K at 0503 on the 25th.

Force K was able to make the Italians order all their convoys into the nearest ports.

However, the German steamer convoy did not receive the order and was intercepted by Force K. On the 24th, both German steamers were sunk and torpedo boat CASSIOPEA was damaged by splinters.

*MV MARITZA (Ger 2910 grt)* whilst carrying urgently needed ammunition for DAK was shelled and torpedoed by CL HMS Penelope and DD HMS Lively and sank 100 miles W of Crete.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*MV PROCIDA (FI 3100 grt) *was also lost in this action.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Force K arrived back at Malta at 0730/25th.

Submarine TRIUMPH sank *tug HERCULES (FI 632 grt) *and damaged German steamer NORBURG off Heraklion.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine OLYMPUS departed Gibraltar with aviation petrol and other stores for Malta.

RNeN submarine O.21 sank *coastal steamer UNIONE (FI 216 grt)* northeast of Troca.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.161_
On the 24th, DD DUPONT is damaged in a collision with Norwegian tanker THORSHOVDI.

_Convoy SC.56_
Corvettes DRUMHELLER, and SUMMERSIDE were detached on the 24th when the convoy was joined by DD RESTIGOUCHE and corvettes AGASSIZ, ALYSSE, AMHURST, BITTERSWEET, CHICOUTIMI, MORDEN, and ORILLIA.

*Central Atlantic*
Submarine CLYDE arrived at Gibraltar after escort duties with RFA oiler DINGLEDALE.

On the 25th, the oiler and corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS arrived at Gibraltar.

*Danae Class CL DUNEDIN (RN 4276 grt)* ( Captain R. S. Lovatt, OBE) was sunk by U.124, north of Pernambuco. Only four officers and 63 men survived out of DUNEDIN's crew of 486 officers and men. U-124’s commander Jochen Mohr, was on its way to rendezvous with the doomed PYTHON when near St Paul’s Rocks, 900 miles west of Freetown, the DUNEDIN was spotted just south of the Equator, Mohr sighted DUNEDIN to his NE sailing a NW course. He therefore hauled out to the west to lie in wait for DUNEDIN. But DUNEDIN’s lookout spotted U-124’s periscope around 1250pm and the Captain changed course to set off in pursuit. But because of U-124’s change of course west, DUNEDIN was now unwittingly pulling away from U-124. When Mohr surfaced again he saw DUNEDIN disappearing into the distance, at least 4,000 yards away. He nevertheless fired three torpedoes. Incredibly, from this distance, two were on target even though DUNEDIN was steaming 17 knots, and was under constant wheel.

The two torpedoes hit within seconds of each other, at around 1326 GMT, the first striking amidships, wrecking the main wireless office, the second further aft, probably near the officers’ quarters. The first hit sent the ship lurching to starboard, the second caused even greater damage dismounting the after 6in gun, and blowing off the starboard screw. Immediately men began to abandon ship, jumping over the side to the Carley floats and any available debris. DUNEDIN turned on her beam ends and sank in about 17 minutes. According to U-124’s war diary, Mohr moved in before Dunedin sank and fired a fourth torpedo, but missed.

Shortly after the sinking, U-124 surfaced and circled the survivors. The U-boat was on the surface for no more than ten minutes before diving but while the survivors waited to see what was intended, and as a spontaneous act of defiance, they sang “There will always be an England”.

In the water, up to two hundred and fifty men from a ship’s complement of nearly five hundred struggled to haul themselves on to Carley floats and anything that would float. Seven Carley floats got away

For the next seventy-eight hours, their numbers dwindled in the equatorial heat. Some men died of their injuries sustained when the torpedoes hit, some died of exhaustion, some went insane, others drowned, and some were bitten and killed by vicious fish. Sharks were an ever-present menace.

When, in the late afternoon of 27th November, the Nishmaha, a US merchant ship en route from Takoradi to Philadelphia, happened upon the six remaining Carley rafts, only seventy-two men were still alive. Five would subsequently die before the Nishmaha reached Trinidad, leaving just sixty-seven out of the original complement





_Convoy SL.92_
DDs BADSWORTH, CROOME, FORESIGHT, and FURY joined on the 24th to 25 November

_Convoy OS.11_
On the 24th, DD BRILLIANT, corvettes BERGAMOT, CROCUS, and NIGELLA, and anti-submarine whaler SOUTHERN PRIDE joined the convoy and arrived with the convoy at Freetown on the 28th.

_Convoy WS.12Z_
The convoy arrived at Freetown on the 24th. The convoy only remained at Freetown briefly. On the 24th, the convoy departed Freetown with SUSSEX, ADRASTUS, EMPIRE STAR, DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, EMPRESS OF ASIA, MATAROA, NARKUNDA, EMPRESS OF JAPAN, ARUNDEL CASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, AORANGI, CAPETOWN CASTLE, ORDUNA, DEUCALION, RIMUTAKA, and ABBEKERK.

*Pacific/Australia*
British troopship AWATEA departed Singapore with 420 crewmembers for troopship EMPRESS OF RUSSIA. The troopship was escorted by CL DRAGON until relieved sometime later by CL GLASGOW. GLASGOW escorted troopship AWATEA until 27 November and the troopship arrived at Colombo on the 28th.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 25 NOVEMBER 1941
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 24 NOVEMBER 1941

_LUQA_ One Blenheim 18 Squadron and one Blenheim 107 Squadron SF11 patrol. _18 Squadron _ Five Blenheims search for M/V (merchant vessel). No sightings made. _107 Squadron _ Six Blenheims attacked MT on roads east and west of Sirte. Eight Wellingtons 104 Squadron and six Wellingtons 40 Squadron attacked Bengazi. Sgt Parker failed to return.

_Operation Crusader_
On 24 Nov, German and Italian tanks sped for Sidi Omar, splitting the British XXX Corps.


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## parsifal (Nov 24, 2016)

Halder's Diary 24 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 24, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 24, 2016)

*November 25 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: In the late afternoon, onboard the IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_”, more than 500 flying officers from all the carriers jammed into the ship’s aviation-crew quarters which had been stripped of all bunks and tables. Nagumo outlined the attack. It was the first time most of them had heard the words Pearl Harbor. As the Admiral spoke, excitement mounted and when he ended, there was a deafening cheer. When the noise died down, Genda and Fuchida detailed the attack on the Pearl Harbor mock-up. Later a ceremonial banquet to the future victory with officers of the other warships, is held on the carrier.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The Canadian Saguenay Terminals bulk carrier “_Proteus_”, an ex-USN collier (10,653 GRT), was lost in the Caribbean Sea. She was on route from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, with a load of bauxite. There were no survivors from the 58 crewmembers that were onboard. The cause of her loss has never been established although sabotage was originally suspected. Rear-Admiral George van Deurs, USN (retired), who served in this class of ship, suggested the colliers were poorly constructed to begin with and that the natural acidity of coal seriously weakened the ship’s plating and frame. It is now generally accepted that both “_Proteus_” and her sister ship, “_Nereus_”, were unseaworthy and broke up in heavy seas.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Situation was very serious in the Klin and Tula sectors of the Moscow front. Stavka is assembling reserve forces for a counteroffensive against Army Group Center, including 1st Shock Army, 10th Army, and 20th Army. 35 miles northwest of Moscow at Peshki, German 2.Panzerdivision (Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel) (4.Panzergruppe) advancing along the railway line from Solnechnogorsk towards Moscow encounters Soviet 146th Tank Brigade sporting new British Matilda tanks (some of the earliest Allied lend-lease supplies to see combat in USSR). Standing on a hill, Oberst Eberhardt Rodt commanding 2.Schützen-Brigade saw through his binoculars three tanks approaching.


> "What type of tanks are those?" he asked his orderly officer. "No idea, Herr Oberst," was the reply.


 The spearhead of I./Panzer-Regiment 3, appeared suddenly from behind undulating ground and opened up at the surprised enemy tanks with its 7.5-cm. guns. Two of the tanks were hit; the third withdrew. When Oberst Rodt inspected the wrecks he was much surprised—British Mark III tanks, which could be effectively opposed even with the German 3.7-cm. anti-tank gun. The infantry divisions of V.Armeekorps were driving along both sides of the great road, southward towards Moscow and south-eastward towards the Moskva-Volga Canal. The canal was the last natural obstacle to Moscow's being outflanked in the north. If it was overcome the northern attacking force - 4.Panzergruppe and 3.Panzerarmee - would have the worst behind them. The Potsdam 23.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General H. Hellmich) headed for the canal via Iksha with 9.Infanterie-Regiment. The division's other infantry regiment, 67.Infanterie-Regiment, and the Reconnaissance Battalion 23 were likewise fighting their way to the canal north-east of Krasnaya Polyana. 30 miles west of Moscow, German 10.Panzerdivision (Lieutenant General F. Schaal) and SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ (SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hauser) unsuccessfully attacked Istra, which was being defended by Soviet 78th Rifle Division fresh from Siberia. The men of that division had a reputation for the fact that they neither took prisoners nor allowed themselves to be taken. In hand-to-hand fighting, with hand-grenades and spades, pillbox after pillbox had to be taken. Lieutenant-Colonel von der Chevallerie seized the bridge of Busharovo with the reinforced 86.Schützen-Regiment, 10.Panzerdivision. The operation was carried out under cover of a thick blizzard. German 10.Panzerdivision’s 7.Panzer-Regiment had no more than twenty-eight tanks left, and the 69.Schützen-Regiment and 86.Schützen-Regiment had shrunk to four weak rifle battalions of 120 men each. Boehringer's artillery battalion was down to one single tractor and ten guns. Nevertheless the remnants of German 10.Panzerdivision fought with spirit. 11.Panzerdivision and 5.Panzerdivision succeeded in crossing the river and the reservoir and forming bridgeheads. Motorcycle Battalion 61 of 11.Panzerdivision, led by Major von Usedom, made a daring rush over the ice of the Istra. The Russians opened up at them with artillery. The air was filled with splinters of steel and ice. But the motor-cyclists fought their way across to the far bank and gained a precarious foothold on the frozen ground. The reservoir itself was crossed near Lopatovo, at its narrowest point. There were some anxious minutes as the men headed for the dam of the reservoir. It must have been wired for demolition. Lieutenant Breitschuh's sappers removed 1100 mines and two tons of high explosive from the reservoir dam. Finally, 100 miles South of Moscow, German XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) launched a new attack. Part of Guderian’s 2.Panzerarmee spreads out from Venyov. 17.Panzerdivision advanced north towards Kashira, while 4.Panzerdivision swings back West to encircle Tula and cut the rail line to Moscow. Units of Army Group Centre continued to nibble their way towards Moscow in spite of all difficulties.

In the face of local Soviet counterattacks, German Army Group North assumes a defensive posture.

On the Black Sea three Soviet tankers and an icebreaker, escorted as far as the Bosphorus by a flotilla leader and two destroyers, depart Batum for the Far East.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 9 adult male, 46 adult female, and 8 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 63 people. Additionally, 1 Polish national was also executed for possession of arms.

German occupation authorities order that Bandera's Ukrainian National Movement must be eliminated.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler met with Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, agreeing on the need for the elimination of the "Jewish element".

In Berlin, Finland signs the Anti-Comintern Pact. Germany invited Finland to adhere to the pact in early November, but there was considerable reluctance in Finland to do so. It was thought that Finnish adherence would worsen the relations with the Western Allies. On the other hand, Finland is very dependent on German deliveries of food supplies, and had just requested 175 000 tons of grain. In the end, the Finnish government decided that joining the pact is the lesser of two evils, because adequate level of food supplies has to be secured for the duration of winter.

Unsuccessful test of Me-262 jet fighter prototype. BMW 003 series turbojet engines had finally arrived in November 1941 and these were installed in the Me 262 prototype but the Jumo piston engine was retained fortunately as it turned out since both turbojets failed just after take-off and the pilot managed to keep the aircraft airborne only long enough to complete a circuit and land. BMW was having problems with its engine, which on bench tests was only giving 573-lb (260-kg) thrust. The compressor blade failures which had caused the engines to seize necessitated a complete redesign, but the Me 262 could not wait and, since Junkers had overcome most of their problems, the Jumo 004A was chosen as the powerplant. As this engine was heavier and larger than the BMW engine the Me 262 airframe had to be modified. The third prototype flew with two 1,852-lb (840-kg) thrust Jumo 004As in 1942.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Another Axis convoy has been spotted steaming towards Benghazi. With Force “K” already engaged in the pursuit of one convoy, Force “B”, consisting of five cruisers and four destroyers, is dispatched to tackle the second. Admiral Cunningham takes to the sea in the flagship “_Queen Elizabeth_”, accompanied by British battleship HMS “_Barham_” and “_Valiant_” as well as eight destroyers. The fleet takes up a strategic position, standing by to support the attacking Forces. The British battleship HMS “_Barham_” is torpedoed and blows up after a magazine ignited in an attack by U-311. Baron von Tiesenhausen in U-331 dived beneath the destroyer screen and fired a salvo of torpedoes at HMS “_Barham_” from a range of a few hundred yards. There were three direct hits, producing an explosion so violent that the U-boat was forced to the surface. After four minutes HMS “_Barham_” rolled over to port and her after magazines exploded and the “_Barham_”, the flagship of the Fleet’s second-in-command, Vice-Admiral Pridham-Wippell, sank. The captain and 858 crew perished. Amazingly, 450 survived.

Italian minesweeper “_Zirona_” damaged by RAF aircraft at Benghazi and beached. German vessel “_Tinos_” was sunk by RAF aircraft at Benghazi. Italian vessel “_Attilio Deffenu_” was sunk by RN submarine “_Thrasher_”.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: Rommel’s “dash to the wire” on the Egypt/Libya border sows much confusion in the British camp. Rear echelon troops turn and run for Egypt and even British 8th Army commander General Cunningham considers abandoning the attack. 15. Panzerdivision set off north-east for Sidi Azeiz and found the area empty but they were constantly attacked by the Desert Air Force. South of the border the 5.Panzer Regiment of the 21.Panzerdivision attacked the 7th Indian Brigade at Sidi Omar and were repulsed by the 1st Field Regt RA, firing over open sights at a range of 500 metres (547 yd). A second attack left the 5.Panzer Regiment with few operational tanks. The rest of 21.Panzerdivision had headed north-east, south of the border, to Halfaya. German General Johann von Ravenstein with 21.Panzerdivision misses 2 huge Allied supply dumps that would have deprived Allies of critical fuel and supplies. Meanwhile, British 7th Armored Division has regrouped and repaired many of their damaged tanks. Instead of panicking at the chaos behind them, they attack the depleted German forces and take control of Sidi Rezegh. Australian troops from Tobruk linked up with advancing New Zealand forces at Ed Duda. By evening, 15.Panzerdivision were west of Sidi Azeiz (where 5th New Zealand Brigade was headquartered) and down to 53 tanks, practically the entire remaining tank strength of the Afrika Korps. The Axis column had only a tenuous link to its supply dumps on the coast between Bardia and Tobruk and supply convoys had to find a way past the 4th and 6th New Zealand Brigade Groups. Overnight, Rommel and Crüwell cross the frontier into Egypt then cannot find their way back through the wire and are forced to hide out until morning as British trucks rumble by.

Captain James Jackson was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for organizing defenses at Tobruk, Libya, where he was killed by a mortar splinter.

The first Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore fighters reached Libya. These Folgores (the most successful Italian fighter to see extensive wartime service) belonging to the 1° Stormo Caccia Terrestre, rapidly established, over the Western Desert, an ascendancy over the opposing RAF Hawker Hurricane and Curtis P-40 fighters.

Following attacks yesterday on Benghazi and the approaches to Sirte, ten more British aircraft from Luqa fly south to continue the offensive against the Afrika Korps in Libya. Five Blenheims attack motor transport on the road west of Misrata and five more strike another road convoy between Homs and Misrata, in an effort to cut supply lines to Rommel’s troops. Harbour at Benghazi was again bombed by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during night. Raids were also made on aerodromes at Benina and Berka.

In East Africa the British forces take Tadda Ridge, 7 miles from the Italian stronghold of Gondar.

Cairo communique announced the entry of Indian troops into Augila, 100 miles of Jedabya.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Henry Stimson noted in his diary that, during a cabinet meeting, Franklin Roosevelt thought Japan was likely to attack the United States in as soon as one week, and it would provide Roosevelt the reason to take the United States into the war. Roosevelt had informed his Cabinet. "_We must all prepare for trouble, possibly soon,"_ he telegraphed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Mr. William C. Bullitt, former United States Ambassador to France, was given the post as President Roosevelt's personal envoy in the Near East.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Soviet patrol vessel CKP-25 rammed German submarine U-578 in the Arctic Sea, causing light damage.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Adm. Harold R. Stark, U.S. chief of naval operations, tells Adm. Husband E. Kimmel, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, that both President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull think a Japanese surprise attack is a distinct possibility.


> "We are likely to be attacked next Monday, for the Japs are notorious for attacking without warning."


At the time he received the "warning" from Stark, Kimmel was negotiating with Army Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, commander of all U.S. forces at Pearl Harbor, about sending U.S. warships out from Pearl Harbor in order to reinforce Wake and Midway Islands, which, along with the Philippines, were possible Japanese targets. But the Army had no antiaircraft artillery to spare.

American submarines “_Triton_” and “_Tambor_” arrived at Wake Island on "simulated" war patrols.

Japanese troop transports en route to Malaya were detected off Taiwan.

The US Navy begins to establish compulsory convoying for merchant ships in the Pacific.

A shipment of 24 crated P-40E’s arrived in Manila.

IJN submarine I-26 scouts Kiska Island of the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific Area.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Air Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, the British RAF Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, informed Oliver Lyttelton, Winston Churchill's Minister of State for the Middle East, that General Alan Cunningham was not confident in winning the battle in Libya. The following day Cunningham was relieved as Eighth Army commander. Neil Ritchie would take his place on the following day.

Widespread but small scale Luftwaffe activity over West of England at night. One Luftwaffe bomber was destroyed.

*WESTERN FRONT*: German Jews in Netherlands were declared stateless.

RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack Brest and 17 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight.

.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 25, 2016)




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## Crimea_River (Nov 25, 2016)

That Barham sequence is one of the most memorable videos of the war.

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## parsifal (Nov 25, 2016)

*25 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-510





Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMZS SCARBA (T-175)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS SHIANT (T-170)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Flower Class Corvette HMS LOOSESTRIFE (K-105)





MMS I Class Coastal MSW MMS 46
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-331 sank the *Queen Elizabeth Class BB HMS BARHAM (RN 310000 grt)* in the Eastern Med as she maneuvered with the Fleet. At 1629 hrs the BARHAM was hit on the port side by three torpedoes from U-331 north of Sidi Barrani. As the ship rolled over to port, her after magazines exploded and she quickly sank. The battleship was sailing with Force A of the Med Flt having sailed from Alexandria to cover sorties by Malta and Alexandria-based cruiser forces against Italian convoys heading for Libya.





*Drifter FISHER GIRL (UK 85 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Falmouth Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Armed patrol trawler JACQUES MORGAND (RN 155 grt)* was sunk by the LW at Falmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-451

At Sea 25 November 1941
U-43, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-552, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-567, U-571, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-577, U-578, U-652, U-752, UA

40 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
German submarineU-578was attacked with ramming and heavily damaged by Soviet patrol ship SKR-25 Briz. The damage is quite heavy, with an hole and leak into the ballast tanks and needed repairs. German sources claimed no damage however. However, U-578 was back in port by the 27th, after only 9 days at sea and spent a longer than normal period in port, suggesting she was damaged and did require considerable repair
*



*
_The attack on U-578 – Soviet contemporary painting _

On the same day there was the first combined British-Soviet naval action: the British cruiser KENYA and the British DDs BEDUOUIN and INTREPID and VMF DDs GREMYASHCHYI and GROMKYI, carried out a raid on enemy coasts, resulting in the bombing of Vardo. No damage on shipping reported.
_
Convoy PQ.4_
Heavy cruiser BERWICK and destroyers OFFA and ONSLOW escorted the convoy from 25 to 27 November. The convoy was to have been met on the 20th, but the warships were unable to locate the convoy.

Baltic
VMF DD LENINGRAD was mined off Hango. She was saved and repaired.

*North Sea*
DKM PV Vp.412 (trawler BREMERHAVEN ) was sunk near St Pol by an RN MTB. The vessel was later salved and returned to service as Vp.805.

*Northern Patrol*
CL SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for Seidisfjord for escort duty with convoy PQ.5. In heavy weather on the 26th, the cruiser was forced to heave to. The cruiser was able to arrive on the 27th.

MSW FITZROY departed Scapa Flow for the Faroes to resume minesweeping duties.

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON.40_
Convoy ON.40 departed Liverpool, escorted by ASW trawlers COVENTRY CITY and LADY MADELEINE

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.160 _
USN DDs escorting the convoy were relieved on the 25th by DDs SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN and corvettes DAHLIA and MONKSHOOD

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OG.77_
Convoy OG.77 departed Liverpool escorted by sloops BLACK SWAN and FOWEY and corvettes CAMPION, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, and MALLOW.

*Med/Biscay*
After the loss of the BARHAM, BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and VALIANT and DDs NAPIER, GRIFFIN, HASTY, DECOY, HOTSPUR, and KIPLING arrived at Alexandria on the 26th. DDs JERVIS, NIZAM, and JACKAL arrived at Alexandria some hours later.

After the loss of BB BARHAM, submarine OTUS was withdrawn from operational duties for use as an anti-submarine warfare training ship.

DD THRASHER sank *AMC ATTILO DEFFENU (RM 3510 grt)* near Brindisi from a convoy of steamers CATERINA MADRE and RESURRECTIO.





Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank *steamer LVII (Ger 250 grt(est))* with gunfire off Cape Malea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.36_
The remaining escorts were detached on the 25th when the convoy was dispersed.

_Convoy ON.38_
Corvette GALT joned on the 24th and was detached on the 25th.

*Central Atlantic*
British troopships ROYAL ULSTERMAN and ROYAL MONARCH arrived at Gibraltar, escorted by DDs WISHART and VIDETTE.

DDs WISHART and VIDETTE with troopships ROYAL SCOTSMAN, ROYAL ULSTERMAN, and ULSTER MONARCH arrived at Gibraltar after departing Freetown on the 17th. The troopships were originally escorted by DD VELOX and corvette CLOVER. The corvette was later relieved by DD VIMY.

DDs LAFOREY, LEGION, LIGHTNING, GURKHA, and ISAAC SWEERS departed Gibraltar and DDs WISHART and BRADFORD departed at 1630 to carry out an ASW sweep. On the 27th, DD LEGION attacked a submarine contact.

_Convoy SL.92_
DD FORESTER joined the escort on the 25th for that day only.

_Convoy OS.11_
DD CLARE and escort vessels HARTLAND and WALNEY were detached on the 25th,

_Convoy WS.12Z_
Oiler DINGLEDALE having refueled DDs FORESIGHT, FORESTER, and FURY on the 19th at sea, arrived back at Gibraltar on the 25th, escorted by corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS.

_Convoy SC.55_
DD ST FRANCIS was detached on the 25th.


*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 26 NOVEMBER 1941
_1647 hrs _Air raid alarm. No engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ Force “K” arrived, having sunk two tankers (CAT). Force “K” sailed again at 1800.

_AIR HQ _ Six Beaufighters heading in from Gibraltar. One is missing.

_LUQA_ One Wellington S/D Flight shipping search (bad weather). One Blenheim 18 Squadron and one Blenheim 107 Squadron SF10 patrol. One Blenheim SF11 patrol. Five Blenheims 18 Squadron attacked MT on road west of Misurata. Five Blenheims 107 Squadron attacked MT on road between Homs and Misurata. One Wellington S/D flight shipping search (very bad weather).

_Operation Crusader_
Rommel ordered further advances on 25 Nov toward Sidi Azeiz, but the column was discovered and attacked by Allied aircraft. At Sidi Omar, the German 5th Panzer Regiment attacked positions manned by troops of the Indian 7th Brigade, which fought off the repeated assaults with the help of their 25-pounder artillery; at the end of the day, the German 5th Panzer Regiment found itself exhausted.


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## parsifal (Nov 25, 2016)

Halder's Diary 25 November 1941


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## Old Wizard (Nov 25, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 25, 2016)

*November 26 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: Japanese carrier fleet departs Tankan Bay, Iturup Island in the South Kuril Islands, for the 3300 mile voyage to attack Pearl Harbour, Hawaii (6 aircraft carriers “_Akagi_”, “_Kaga_”, “_Soryu_”, “_Hiryu_”, “_Shokaku_” and “_Zuikaku_”, 2 battlecruisers “_Hiei_” and “_Kirishima_”, 3 cruisers, 9 destroyers and 3 submarines plus 8 tankers and supply ships). IJN aircraft carrier “_Akagi_”, flagship of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's First Air Fleet, departed Hitokappu Bay in the Kurile Islands leading the Carrier Striking Force ("Kido Butai") in the "Hawaii Operation", the surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. With Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo's First Air Fleet, “_Shokaku_” departed Hitokappu Bay in the Kurile Islands for the Hawaii Operation. Sendai-class light cruiser “_Naka_” became the flagship of Rear Admiral Shoji Nishimura of Japanese 4th Destroyer Squadron. She departed the Terashima Strait near Sasebo, Japan.

US intelligence detected Japanese troop movements in Indochina.

*EASTERN FRONT:* It was a cold hazy day with a temperature of -4 Degrees Fahrenheit as the combat group of 10.Panzerdivision attacked the town of Istra 48 km northwest of Moscow from the north. It was a costly engagement. In the forest fighting which ensued the attackers suffered heavily from the shrapnel of Soviet multiple mortars, but they succeeded in pushing the Soviets—Manchurian units from Khabarovsk—out of the woods and, with a last supreme effort, reaching the northern edge of Istra. The 10.Panzerdivision finally captured Istra but then had to fight off Russian counter-attacks supported by artillery. Meanwhile the battalions of the "Reich" SS Infantry Division had come up. Just outside Istra, in a loop of the river, was the foreboding fortress of that town, guarding its western approaches. The SS Motorcycle Battalion Klingenberg first of all had to burst through a fortified line in the forest immediately west of Istra on the Volokolamsk-Moscow road, held by units of the famous 78th Siberian Rifle Division. The "Reich" SS Division succeeded in capturing the citadel by a surprise assault. The "Deutschland" and "Der Fuehrer" SS Infantry Regiments, supported by the "Reich" SS Artillery Regiment, had broken in from the south and infiltrated into its gloomy, barricaded streets. Hitler's and Stalin's guards, as usual, fought another frightful encounter and gave each other no quarter. The Siberians were eventually forced to withdraw. Istra, the keypoint of Moscow's last line of defense, thus was taken.

South of Moscow, Guderian’s attempt to encircle Tula fails. 17.Panzerdivision is held up outside Kashira only 65 miles from Moscow, while XLIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry G. Heinrici) is held up after capturing Aleksin 30 miles Northwest of Tula. Soviet troops re-opened the Tula-Moscow rail line.

*GERMANY*: Anti-Comintern Pact of Nov. 25, 1936, is renewed for five years by Germany, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Spain, Manchukuo, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Rumania, Slovakia, and Nanking regime in China.

At a meeting in Berlin, Ciano offers Hitler another Italian army corps for service on the Russian Front.

RAF Bomber Command sends 100 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: U-95 moves into the Mediterranean.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Free French General Georges Catroux was placed in control of Syria and Lebanon. Shortly after taking up this post, Catroux announced that France would place Syria and Lebanon on a course for full independence. Allied countries would recognize this independence, although in practice Lebanon was still governed under French authority.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: The German panzer divisions engage in attacks on British positions around Fort Capuzzo and Sid Azeiz. British forces are regrouping in the Sidi Rezegh area and the New Zealand infantry is moving toward Tobruk. Rommel recognizes the gathering of British Armour at Sidi Rezegh and the continued movement of the New Zealand Division toward Tobruk and begins to move his tank forces back in that direction. German and Italian forces fought the New Zealand 5th Brigade en route to Fort Capuzzo, Libya. Meanwhile, Erwin Rommel's staff recalled the troops at Sidi Rezegh, Libya, allowing British 7th Armoured Division to capture the town. Initially furious, Rommel realizes his staff made the right decision in his absence. Lieutenant Colonel H. C. J. Yeo took the British 44th Royal Tank Regiment on a spectacular night attack which broke through the besiegers' lines and effected a link up with the Tobruk garrison. Many had suggested that the attack was impossible, but Colonel Yeo and his men had proven them wrong, and reinforced the matter with a similar operation against Barcia on 1 Jan 1942.

General Cunningham is relieved of command of the British 8th Army. Lieutenant General Neil Ritchie DSO, MC (1897-1983) was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Eighth Army in North Africa, with the British Commander in Chief Auchlinleck overseeing tactical control.

*NORTH AMERICA*: US Secretary of State Cordell Hull submitted the final proposal to Japanese diplomats for readjustment of US-Japanese relations, demanding the Japanese to withdraw all troops from China and Indochina, and with full expectation that the Japanese were not going to entertain this demand in any way.

American aircraft ferry USS “_Kitty Hawk_” was commissioned into service.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The British government presents Finland an ultimatum. Finland has to cease all offensive military operations by 3 December or His Majesty’s Government shall declare war.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: At Pearl Harbor, Joseph Rochefort sent a report for his superiors that his cryptanalytic team had detected Japanese fleet movements and that the Japanese warships were seemingly staging for actions in the South Pacific. Brereton returns to Clark AAF from his tour of Australian sites.

Japanese military leaders confer on Formosa to complete plans for the invasion of the Philippines.

The US 34th Pursuit squadron moves from Nichols to Del Carmen.

The tug “_Sonoma_” (AT 12) sailed from Wake Island with Pan American Airways barges PAB No. 2 and PAB No. 4 in tow, bound for Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sends a message to US President Franklin Roosevelt, reminding him of American responsibility for Chinese interests, and to stiffen his resolve in talks with Japan.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris, an attack is made with a revolver on a German sentry post.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack Ostend overnight.

German raider “_Komet_” reaches Cherbourg en route to Hamburg.

.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 26, 2016)




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## parsifal (Nov 26, 2016)

*26 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-174
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS HALIFAX (K-237)





Bangor Class MSW HMCS MIRAMICHI (J-169)





Flower Class Corvette HMCS WEYBURN (K-173)





*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest: U-561
La Pallice : U-571
St Nazaire: U-133, U-552, U-567, U-577

Departures
Lorient: U-67

At Sea 26 November 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-85, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-562, U-565, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-578, U-652, U-752, UA

36 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Baltic
*Steamer EGERAN (Ger 1143 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Memel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*West Coast*
AMC CAPE SABLE departed Oban for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 27th to work up.

_Convoy SC.54_
Corvette BRANDON was detached on the 25th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 26th.

*Western Approaches*
Submarine P.36 made an unsuccessful attack on a submarine in 47-16N, 3-20W.
_
Convoy HX.160 _
Corvette MONTBRETIA joined on the 26th. ASW trawlers HUGH WALPOLE, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN SPRAY escorted the convoy in Home Waters.

_Convoy ON.40_
The convoy was joined on the 26th by sloop COMMANDANT DETROYAT, corvettes HEATHER and NARCISSUS, and ASW trawler ARAB.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OG.77_
On the 26th, DD HARVESTER escorted the convoy through the day. She was then detached and proceeded to Gibraltar, arriving on 2 December.

*Med/Biscay*
British transport ships carrying tanks departed Port Said for Alexandria escorted by sloop FLAMINGO, corvettes SALIVA, HYACINTH, and ERICA, and RHN DDs KONDOURIOTIS and ASPIS from Alexandria. CLA CARLISLE departed Alexandria and joined the convoy off Port Said. The convoy arrived at Alexandria on the 27th

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.38_
The existing convoy escorts were detached on the 26th when the convoy was joined by DD BURNHAM and corvettes ALGOMA, CHAMBLY, DAUPHIN, MATAPEDIA, and NAPANEE. The convoy was dispersed on the 30th and the escorts were detached.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy OS.11_
Sloops ABERDEEN, ENCHANTRESS, and IBIS were detached from the escort on the 26th,

*Pacific/Australia*
IJN carrier forces for the Pearl Harbour attack departed Tankan Bay. Despite numerous indicators that an attack was imminent, US and Allied forces remained largely ignorant of the impending attack. .

The force was composed of CVs AKAGI and KAGA of CarDiv 1, , SORYU and HIRYU of CarDiv 2, and SHOKAKU and ZUIKAKU of CarDiv 5, with escorts comprising CL ABUKUMA (leader DesDiv 1)with DDs TANIKAZE, URAKAZE, ISOKAZE, HAMAKAZE DesDiv 17; DDs KASUMI, ARARE, KAGERO, SHIRANUHI of DesDiv 18, and AKIGUMO of Desdiv 10.BCs HIEI and KIRISHIMA of BatDiv 1 provided heavy cover , and CAs TONE and CHIKUMA of CruSqn 8 in support and also providing sepalane recon.

Submarines I.19, I.21, and I.23 were deployed to support the force.

The supply train consisted of eight tankers and supply ships.

DDs SAZANAMI and USHIO of DesDiv 7 were detailed to shell Midway Island.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 27 NOVEMBER 1941
_1530 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY _Force “K” arrived at 1730, having failed to intercept enemy merchant vessels.

_LUQA 107 Squadron_ One Blenheim SF11 patrol; one Blenheim SF10 patrol. _18 Squadron _ Four Blenheims attacked one merchant vessel and one destroyer. Two returned due to bad weather. 

_Operation Crusader_
On 26 Nov, German and Italian forces converged toward Fort Capuzzo; by dusk, they met defenses manned by the New Zealand 5th Brigade.


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## parsifal (Nov 26, 2016)

Halder's Diary 26 November 1941


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## parsifal (Nov 26, 2016)

*27 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-598
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
MMS I Class Coastal MSW MMS 60

White 73’ type MTB RN MTB 201
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U-559 sank *Grimsby Class Sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA (RAN 1060 grt)* off Sollum in the Med. On 25 Nov 1941, after having successfully completed yet another supply run to Tobruk, and having returned just returned to Alexandria, HMAS PARRAMATTA in company with HMS AVON VALE departed t Alexandria escorting the ammunition ship HANNE again to Tobruk. About midnight on 26 November the ships were about 25 miles north of Bardia, in a pitch dark and raining night. The HANNE was confused about her route into Tobruk and the sloop came alongside to hail the route by megaphone. While they steamed at about three knots, U-559 fired at 0012 hrs a spread of three torpedoes from a distance of 2000 metres at the merchant and the escort, but missed. At 0046 hours, another torpedo was fired from a distance of 1500 metres at the escort, which broke in two after the hit and immediately sank.

The HMAS PARRAMATTA was hit amidships by the torpedo, which caused an explosion in the magazine. The ship was torn apart, rapidly rolled to starboard and sank. About 30 survivors, including two officers clung to a raft that floated between debris. Two seamen saw a shadow in the distance and decided to take a chance and swim towards it. After three quarters of a mile and near exhaustion they were picked up at 0305 hours by the AVON VALE, which already had rescued 19 survivors from wreckage. She then searched a wide area for the raft and other survivors, but the search was fruitless. However, three other survivors landed at the Libyan coast and were rescued by British troops. 138 men lost their lives, including all officers.

Steamer HANNE safely arrived at Tobruk.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-578
Lorient: U-85

Departures
Kiel: U-131, U-584

At Sea 27 November 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-95, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-131, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-562, U-565, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

36 Boats

*OPERATIONS

East Front*
The first doubts begin to appear in the German command as their final offensive for 1941 in the East grinds to a halt.

Overnight the Germans had firmly secured Istra. By 27 Nov they had also taken Solnechnogorsk and were headed for the Russian outpost at Kryukovo.

But the main German attack was further east and aimed at Krasnaya Polyana, Lobnya, and the Moscow-VolgaCanal. The 7th Panzer Division reached Yakhroma – 58 km north of Moscow – and captured the crossing over the Moscow-VolgaCanal. The Soviet 71st Marine Brigade was flung against the German bridgehead but despite enormous losses the underequipped sailors failed to retake the crossing.

Arctic
_Convoy PQ.4_
On the 27th, MSWs GOSSAMER, SEAGULL, and SPEEDY met the convoy relieving CA KENT, DDs ONSLOW and OFFA, and ASW trawlers BUTE and STELLA CAPELLA, which proceeded to Murmansk’

_Convoy QP.3 _
Convoy QP.3 departed Archangel with steamers Soviet ANDRE MARTI, EMPIRE BAFFIN, HARTLEBURY, ORIENT CITY, Soviet REVOLUTSIONER, Soviet ARCOS, HARPALION, Soviet KUZBASS, QUEEN CITY, and TEMPLE ARCH.

MSW HUSSAR escorted the convoy from 27 November to 9 December and MSW GOSSAMER escorted the convoy from 27 November to 10 December. These MSWs took Russian ships to Kirkwall on dispersal of the convoy. Steamers ARCOS and KUZBASS returned to Archangel with defects.

*North Sea*
DD INGLEFIELD departed the Humber Scapa Flow following her refit. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 28th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK departed Hvalfjord for the west Denmark Strait patrol. CL EDINBURGH departed Hvalfjord for the north Faroes-Iceland patrol area. CA KENT changed to the south Faroes-Iceland area patrol area.

_Convoy PQ.5_
Convoy PQ.5 departed Hvalfjord with steamers BRIARWOOD, EMPIRE STEVENSON, Soviet PETROVSKI, TREHATA, CHUMLEIGH, Soviet KOMILES, and ST CLEARS, escorted by MSWs SHARPSHOOTER, HAZARD, and HEBE.

*Northern Waters*
DD BEAUFORT departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to boiler clean prior to transfer to the Mediterranean. The DD arrived in the Clyde on the 28th.

DD BRIGHTON departed Scapa Flow on completion of docking and repairs. The DD was to rendezvous with convoy DS.17 in position 16½ miles 192° from Skerryvore on the 28th.

DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow to rejoin the Nore Command following her work up. The DD was to provide additional escort for convoy FS.659 en route. At 2200, MONTROSE was ordered to investigate an RDF contact to the east of the Orkneys. This was found to be British fishing trawler PORT ARTHUR.

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON.41_
Convoy ON.41 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvettes CALENDULA, CELANDINE, GENTIAN, HONEYWUCKLE, PERIWINKLE, and ROSE.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON.39_
DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, SHERWOOD, SKATE, and VETERAN were detached on the 27th

_Convoy ON.40_
DDs BEAGLE and BOADICEA joined on the 27th.

*Channel*
DKM Disguised raider KOMET departed Cherbourg early on the 27th, escorted by TBs T.7, T.4, and T.11 and minesweepers M.10 and M.153. The cruiser spent the day in Le Havre and departed that night with the three TBs, five MSWs, and six R boats. Early on the 28th, the Dover Command was involved in attacking the merchant cruiser off Boulogne and Dunkirk as it returned to Germany.

MTB.218, MTB.219, MTB.221, and MTB.56 had departed Dover and proceeded to number 8 buoy. MTB.45, MTB.44, MTB.47, and MTB.48 had departed Dover and proceeded to S.buoy. MGB.14 and MGB.41 had departed Ramsgate and proceeded to V buoy.

En route MTB.221, MTB.56, and MTB.48 developed engine troubles and returned to harbour.

Cruiser KOMET was undamaged, but MTB.219 damaged one of the escorts which was last seen with three R boats standing by.

TB T.4 was damaged by fire from T.12, and a dud fired by one of the MSWs. One of the MTBs caused personnel casualties on the torpedo boat with machine gun fire, wounding four, including the commanding officer. T.7 was also hit by machine gun fire, causing three dead and three wounded.

The German ship arrived in Hamburg on the 30th after a cruise in which she sank 6 1/2 ships (seven sinkings were shared) for 42,959grt).

*Med/Biscay*
CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE with DDs KINGSTON and KIMBERLEY as Force B departed Alexandria on the 27th for duty at Malta, where they arrived on the 29th. 

CLAs NAIAD and EURYALUS and DDs HOTSPUR and GRIFFIN as Force C departed Alexandria in company for cover for the first part of the voyage. They were to sweep off Cyrenaica then return to Alexandria on the 28th.

Submarine PROTEUS sighted a submarine sixty miles NW of Alexandria late on the 27th. However, the reported was delayed and not received until the 28th. DDs GRIFFIN and HERO were sent to hunt in the area, despite the lateness of the report.

Later DDs HASTY and NIZAM, returning from a supply run to Tobruk, joined the hunt.

Submarine UPHOLDER unsuccessfully attacked a northbound tanker off eastern Tunisia.

Submarine TRUSTY unsuccessfully attacked an unescorted tanker off Argostoli.

Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta after patrol off Del Armi.

ORP submarine SOKOL arrived at Malta after patrol off Navarino

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.35_
The convoy dispersed on the 27th and the USN escorting DDs were detached.

_Convoy HX.162 _
Convoy HX.162 departed Halifax, escorted by DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON and corvette COBALT.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy SL.93_

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 28 NOVEMBER 1941

_0049-0129 hrs_ Air raid alert. Two enemy aircraft came in from north and crossed the coast between GrandHarbour and Madalena. Ack Ack barraged on three occasions claiming one enemy aircraft destroyed. 

_1106-1125 hrs_ Air raid alert. Recce raid by two enemy fighter aircraft. Heavy Ack Ack barraged at 24,000 feet.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ _Utmost_ returned from patrol off Del Armi, having sunk _Trieste_. _Sokol_ returned from patrol of Navarino having got two hits on a convoy after they left harbour. Five Albacores attacked Castel Benito aerodrome.

_HAL FAR _ Night 27/28th Nov Five Albacores 828 Squadron despatched to attack Castel Benito aerodrome. Two small fires were started – one on the eastern side and one on the western side of the aerodrome. Weather 8/10 to 10/10 cloud over target. All aircraft returned safely.

_LUQA_ _18 Squadron _ Four Blenheims attacked walled enclosure 11000 yards east south east of Mellaha aerodrome. Two Blenheims on SF11 patrol. One Blenheim search for merchant vessels. _107 Squadron_ Five Blenheims despatched to attack merchant vessels in ArgostoliHarbour. Did not find target. One Wellington S/D Flight on special shipping search. Twelve Wellingtons 40 Squadron and nine Wellingtons 104 Squadron attacked Royal Arsenal at Naples. 

_Operation Crusader_
In the morning of 27 Nov, Rommel withdrew the weakened German 21st Panzer Division from the fighting at the Egyptian-Libyan border, redeployment it at Tobruk to help counter the Tobruk garrison's attempts to break out; en route west, the 21st Panzer Division was harassed by troops of the New Zealand 22nd Battalion, delaying their arrival at Tobruk for a day. The German 15th Panzer Division, however, remained on the offensive. At Sidi Azeiz, the German 15th Panzer Division engaged in combat in the morning against outnumbered New Zealand troops, and captured the position with 700 prisoners captured; Rommel personally oversaw this attack from the front. At this point, the Axis forces were within four miles of the British Eighth Army's main supply base, but this fact was not known to Rommel until later. At noon, the German 15th Panzer Division reached Bir el Chleta, but was halted by the British 22nd Armoured Brigade and Allied aircraft.

By the early afternoon of 27 Nov, it was clear to Allied leaders that the Axis offensive was beginning to lose steam. During that night, however, Rommel knew his tanks could still press on.


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## parsifal (Nov 26, 2016)

Halder's Diary 27 November 1941


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## Njaco (Nov 26, 2016)

*November 27 Thursday*

*ASIA*: Operation Z: Destroyer “_Yuzuki_” arrived at Haha Jima, Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo rejected the American counter-proposal for peace.

US Navy-chartered passenger liner “_President Madison_” departed from Shanghai, China for the Philippine Islands with the 2nd Battalion of the US 4th Marine Regiment.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Allied convoy QP-3 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia and convoy PQ-5 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.

USN destroyer USS “_Babbitt_” (DD-128), with Task Unit 4.1.5, escorting convoy HX-160 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to U.K.), depth charges a sound contact.

A Kriegsmarine supply ship was sunk off The Hague by RAF Beauforts. A Kriegsmarine convoy off coast of Normandy was attacked by Fighter Command, along with shipping at Boulogne and aircraft at Berck.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Soviet Kalinin Front begins counterattacking German 9.Armee on the northern flank of Army Group Center. In the Moscow region, Guderian’s forces have been fighting around Kashira for three days. Further advancement without re-enforcements is not possible. Soviet 1st Guards Cavalry Corps was counterattacking German 2.Panzerarmee near Kashira. Major-General Belov drives back the 17.Panzerdivision relieving pressure on Tula. In their advance toward Moscow under extremely difficult wintry conditions, units of 9.Armee reach the Volga Canal 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of the Soviet capital. Some armed patrols have penetrated the western suburbs of the city and got a good look at the Kremlin. The sound of the guns from the battle raging in front of Moscow can be heard clearly in the capital. The Germans are only 25 miles away. They have broadened the wedge that they have driven into the Russian forces northwest of the city and are claiming to have captured the town of Klin. They are however, still being held at Tula, south of Moscow. They had also taken Solnechnogorsk and were headed for the Russian outpost at Kryukovo. But the main German attack was further east and aimed at Krasnaya Polyana, Lobnya, and the Moscow-Volga Canal. German SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ completed the captured of Istra west of Moscow from Siberian 78th Rifle Division. 37 miles North of Moscow, the 7.Panzerdivision of LVI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry Erich von Manstein)-3.Panzerarmee, reached Yakhroma – 58 km north of Moscow – and captured the crossing over the Moscow-Volga Canal. The 71st Marine Brigade was flung against the German bridgehead but despite enormous losses the underequipped sailors failed to retake the crossing. The Germans are now are facing newly-formed Soviet 1st Shock Army.

In the Caucasus, Soviet 37th Army recaptures Rostov-on-Don from General von Kleist’s 1.Panzerarmee (which has held the city for only 6 days). German 1.Panzerarmee begins withdrawing toward Taganrog. Hitler orders that there be no retreat in the Rostov sector but Army Group South commander Field Marshal von Rundstedt refuses to cancel his orders to retreat back to the Mius River at Taganrog. 1.Panzerarmee begins retreating toward Taganrog as the Soviets reoccupy Rostov-on-Don.

Russian partisan fighter Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was captured by the Germans.

*GERMANY*: RAF Bomber Command conducted night attacks on Düsseldorf, docks at Ostend and Luftwaffe aerodromes. RAF Bomber Command sends 86 aircraft to attack Düsseldorf overnight.

Hitler meets with foreign ministers of Finland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Denmark and Croatia.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: German submarine U-559 sank Australian sloop HMAS “_Parramatta_” and ammunition ship “_Hanne_” 40 miles northeast of Tobruk, Libya at 0046 hours, killing a total of 168.

Twelve Wellingtons of RAF No.40 Squadron and nine Wellingtons from RAF No.104 Squadron attacked the Royal Arsenal at Naples. Five Royal Navy Albacores attacked Castel Benito aerodrome. Five Albacores from FAA No.828 Squadron were also dispatched to attack Castel Benito aerodrome.

RN cruisers “_Ajax_” and “_Neptune_” and destroyers “_Kimberley_” and “_Kingston_” transfer from Alexandria to Malta to reinforce Force “K”.

*MIDDLE EAST*: In Beirut, The Free French General Georges Catroux proclaims Lebanon’s independence.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: New Zealand 2nd Division supported by 90 tanks breaks through the German cordon and links up with the garrison from Tobruk (which has 70 tanks). The 4th and 6th New Zealand Brigades join with forces from the Tobruk garrison at El Duda. Rommel withdrew the weakened German 21.Panzerdivision from the fighting at the Egyptian-Libyan border and redeployed it at Tobruk to help counter the Tobruk garrison's attempts to break out. The German 15.Panzerdivision, however, remained on the offensive. At Sidi Azeiz, the 15.Panzerdivision engaged in combat in the morning against outnumbered New Zealand troops, and captured the position with 700 prisoners captured. Rommel personally oversaw this attack from the front. Tanks of German 15.Panzerdivision and 21.Panzerdivision moved in to counterattack, but Australian and British troops halted it during the day. 21.Panzerdivision runs into New Zealand 22nd Battalion infantry while 15.Panzerdivision encounters British 7th Armored Division (which has three times the number of tanks) at Bir el Chleta 30 miles west of Tobruk. At noon, the German 15.Panzerdivision reached Bir el Chleta, but was halted by the British 22nd Armoured Brigade and Allied aircraft.4th Armored Brigade pummels the extended German column from the side but at dusk the British tanks withdraw south to lie up for the night in a defensive huddle. 15.Panzerdivision uses the respite to continue their move to Tobruk in the dark. During that night, however, Rommel knew his tanks could still press on.

The German Division z.b.V. Afrika is renamed 90.leichte Afrika Division (Major General Max Sümmermann). The famous trio of the 15.Panzerdivision, 21.Panzerdivision and 90.leichte Afrika Division, which are associated with the name Afrika Korps, is thus complete.

The first British SAS operation, planned to see troops parachute deep behind enemy lines and destroy German and Italian aircraft at two airfields in Libya, took place. Strong winds and driving rain caused chaotic conditions, with several soldiers becoming injured as they attempted to parachute and one plane shot down, killing 15 troops and the crew. German pilot Otto Schulz took off, shot down a British Bristol twin-engine aircraft, and landed safely near Gazala, Libya all within three minutes. Several British SAS personnel were killed aboard the Bristol aircraft.

Staff Sergeant Delmer E. Park, US Army Signal Corps ASN 6281980 142nd Armored Signal Company Killed in Action Sidi-Omar, Egypt. Possibly the first American to die with Allied ground forces.

In East Africa, the Allies attack the Italian position at Gondar. After whittling away at the Italian defences for six days the 12 East African Division under the redoubtable Major-General C C Fowkes, began its attack on a broad front supported by the South African Air Force. It moves quickly despite the rugged terrain. At 7,000 feet above sea level - in bitter cold - the King’s African Rifles were advancing through clouds. By midday the battle had been decided, but there was almost a massacre when Ethiopian Patriots got into Gondar before the East Africans. Fowkes had to send in armored cars to rescue the Italian prisoners. Italian General Nasi, decides to ask for surrender terms. The Italian garrison surrendered as the British 12th (African) Division captured two mountain passes overlooking the town. The last Italian forces in Ethiopia have surrendered. After holding out for nine months, aided by the mountains and the rains, General Nasi’s battle-hardened troops were overwhelmed. The British have taken 11,500 Italian and 12,000 native troops prisoner.

*NORTH AMERICA*:


> "I have washed my hands of it and [the situation] is now in the hands of you and Knox, the Army and Navy." - Cordell Hull.



Dr. Vannevar Bush, head of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, forwarded the third National Academy of Sciences report that agreed with the British Committee MAUD report that an atomic bomb was feasible to U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The MAUD Committee report, “'Use of Uranium for a Bomb”, concluded that an atomic bomb was feasible. The report described the bomb in technical detail, providing specific proposals for developing a bomb and including cost estimates. The report concluded that building an atomic bomb would require a large skilled labor force that was also needed for other parts of the war effort. The report also suggested that the Germans could also be working on such a bomb, and so it recommended that the work should be continued with high priority in cooperation with the Americans.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Listed as missing in action is JG 77's Roman Painczyk, who had eight victories in the air over against the Allies.

U-578 was rammed and damaged by Soviet patrol vessel SKR-25.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Secretary of War Stimson, acting for President Franklin Roosevelt, sends a general war warning to all US commands. US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark warned commanders of Pacific and Asiatic Fleets that attacks on Malaya, Philippine Islands, and Dutch East Indies were now a possibility. US Army Chief of Staff General George Marshall warned US Army Hawaii and Philippine Departments that attacks on Malaya, Philippine Islands, and Dutch East Indies were now a possibility. American Admiral Husband E. Kimmel and Lieutenant General Walter Short were sent warning messages advising that negotiations with Japan had reached a stalemate and that Japan might take hostile action at any moment. The Philippines, the Kra Peninsula and Borneo were listed as among the potential sites of a Japanese attack, but Hawaii was not.

General Short, Admiral Kimmel, Admiral Halsey, and staff officers confer about dispatching fighter aircraft to reinforce Wake Island and Midway Island. Admiral Husband Kimmel met with Joseph Rochefort at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii in the late afternoon to discuss possible moves Japan might take should Japan and United States continued to head toward a military conflict. Rochefort believed that the main Japanese thrust would be toward the South Pacific, and the Hawaiian Islands did not seem to be in direct danger for now.

American radio intelligence analysts stationed in the Philippine Islands reported their suspicion that, contrary to the findings of their counterparts in the Hawaiian Islands, the Japanese warships detected to have been recently moved into the Marshall Islands were likely to take actions eastward rather than southward. Also, they concluded that main Japanese carrier force was still at Sasebo, Japan rather than in the Marshall Islands.

Unidentified aircraft spotted at high altitude over central Luzon by Iba radar. All FEAF units placed on alert.

Hart authorizes reconnaissance flights over Japanese troop convoys.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: During a raid on the Blackheath Park District of Dublin, Ireland in search of IRA terrorists, the police arrested Abwehr agent Hermann Görtz who had parachuted into Ireland in May 1940. He had been living in hiding after losing his codebooks and currency escaping the police in an earlier raid. Görtz would spend the remainder of the war in Athlone prison but would then take poison, in 1947, when informed that he was to be deported to the British occupation zone in Germany.

Few Luftwaffe raiders over East Anglia and South Coast by night.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Copenhagen, two days of riots follow the government’s signing of the anti-Comintern pact in Berlin.

RAF Fighter Command flew Ramrod operations.

.

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## Old Wizard (Nov 27, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 27, 2016)

*November 28 Friday*
*ASIA*: The Japanese Foreign Ministry sends the following message to the Japanese Embassy in Washington, D.C.: “_Well, you two Ambassadors have exerted superhuman efforts but, in spite of this, the United States has gone ahead and presented this humiliating proposal. This was quite unexpected and extremely regrettable. The Imperial Government can by no means use it as a basis for negotiations. Therefore, with a report of the views of the Imperial Government on this American proposal which I will send you in two or three days, the negotiations will be de facto ruptured. This is inevitable. However, I do not wish you to give the impression that the negotiations are broken off. Merely say to them that you are awaiting instructions and that, although the opinions of your Government are not yet clear to you, to your own way of thinking the Imperial Government has always made just claims and has borne great sacrifices for the sake of peace in the Pacific. Say that we have always demonstrated a long-suffering and conciliatory attitude, but that, on the other hand, the United States has been unbending, making it impossible for Japan to establish negotiations. Since things have come to this pass, I contacted the man you told me to in your #1180 and he said that under the present circumstances what you suggest is entirely unsuitable. From now on do the best you can.”_

U.S. passenger liner SS “_President Harrison_”, chartered for the purpose, sails from Shanghai, China, for the Philippine Islands, with the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment and regimental staff embarked. “Stirring scenes of farewell,” U.S. Consul Edwin F. Stanton reports to Secretary of State Cordell Hull, accompany the marines’ departure.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Corvette HMCS “_Battleford_” departed for first operational patrol with the Sydney to Liverpool Convoy SC-57 as escort to Iceland. The convoy arrived Liverpool on 15 Dec 41 after 3 ships were sunk by U-130.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Overextended and short of supplies, the German 3.Panzerkorps of 1.Panzerarmee evacuates Rostov-on-Don and withdraws to the Mius river 30 miles (48 kilometers) to the west. Soviet 9th Army and 56th Army attack remaining German elements of 1.Panzerarmee around Rostov. The city was reoccupied by Soviet forces later on the same day. Hitler orders 1.Panzerarmee must halt its withdrawal and hold Rostov. Soviet battleship “_Parizhskaya Kommuna_” and destroyer “_Smyshleny_” bombard German positions around Sevastopol

In the morning the Waffen SS took Vysokovo and continued its advance towards Moscow. German 7.Panzerdivision crossed the Yakhroma bridge over the Moskva-Volga canal 37 miles north of Moscow at 0330 hours, but it would be driven back at the end of the day. The tanks are very exposed and fall back across the bridge at 1000 hours. German infantry hold a small bridgehead all day despite fierce counterattacks from Soviet 1st Shock Army as well as aerial bombing, artillery and Katyusha rocket launchers. By then the assault units were within a 20-mile radius of the Kremlin. The backdoor to Moscow is open but this is the easternmost point of the German advance. The thermometer stood at 26 below zero Fahrenheit. The men had to spend the nights in the open. They put on everything they had—but it was not enough. They had no sheepskin jackets, no fur caps, no felt boots, no fur gloves. Their toes froze off. Their fingers in the thin woolen mittens turned white and stiff. But the frost struck not only at the troops' feet. The oil froze in the machines. Carbines, machine pistols, and machine-guns packed up. Tank engines would not start. In these circumstances it is hardly surprising that Manteuffel's combat group was unable to hold the Yakhroma bridgehead, in spite of the defenders' stubborn resistance, when two Soviet brigades, the 28th and 50th Brigades of the Soviet 1st Shock Army, wearing winter greatcoats and felt boots, attacked them. Their infantry was supported by T-34s, whereas all that the 25.Panzer Regiment, 7.Panzerdivision, had left were some Skoda Mark III tanks with 3.7-cm. cannons and a few Mark IVs with 7.5-cm. cannons. Soviet 4th Army, 52nd Army, and 54th Army began attacking German 18.Armee around Tikhvin.

The Luftwaffe suffers another loss when Oblt. Günther Rall, _Staffelkapitän_ of 8./JG 52, commits one of the cardinal sins of a fighter pilot, much like Hptm. Johannes Schmid of JG 26 on 6 November. After shooting down a Soviet aircraft for his thirty-sixth kill, he watches intently as it crashes, allowing another Russian fighter to sneak up behind him and shoot him out of the sky. Oblt. Rall breaks his back upon crashing and at hospital is placed in a body cast, temporarily paralyzed, and told “_No more flying_”. Months of painful recovery begin.

*GERMANY*: A state funeral was held for Werner Mölders in Berlin, Germany.

Joachim von Ribbentrop met with Hiroshi Oshima in Berlin, Germany, promising that Germany would declare war on the United States should Japan and the US enter a state of war. Ribbentrop, however, did not know Japan was planning on starting the war soon.

Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini arrived in Berlin, Germany. The grand mufti of Jerusalem pledges to cooperate in the extermination of the Jews and offers to enlist Arabs to fight for Germany. Adolf Hitler promises the Mufti of Jerusalem (Hajj Amin al Husseini) that upon German conquest of Palestine, the Jewish population will be exterminated. Britain and Russia are both power bases of Jewry, Hitler said, and he will carry on the fight until the last traces of Jewish hegemony is eliminated. The German Army will in the future break through the Caucasus into the Middle East and help to liberate the Arab world. Germany’s only other objective in the region will be the annihilation of the Jews.

Hitler meets with King Michael of Rumania and Foreign Minister Mihai Antonescu.

*INDIAN OCEAN*: HMS “_Prince of Wales_” and HMS “_Repulse_” arrive at Colombo, Ceylon. They will form the British Far East Fleet based at Singapore. The carrier “_Indomitable_” was scheduled to join them, but was damaged on the 3rd while training in the West Indies.

*MEDITERRANNEAN*: Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring’s _Oberfehlshaber Süd_ and Bruno Lörzer’s II Fliegerkorps are transferred from central Russia to the Mediterranean to begin an assault on Malta. Along with several bomber _Gruppen_, this force also contains all three _Gruppen_ of JG 53 along with II./JG 3. The fighters of JG 53 are led by Major Günther von Maltzahn with Hptm. Herbert Kaminski, Oblt. Freidrich-Karl ‘Tutti’ Müller, Fw. Herbert Rollwage and Hptm. Wolfe-Dietrich Wilcke. The II Fliegerkorps units are based in Sicily. Kesselring arrives in Rome to take up appointment as Commander-in-Chief South.

U-562 moves into the Mediterranean. Twelve Italian submarines were employed on supply missions to Africa through the end of December.

The U-95, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Gerd Schreiber, was torpedoed and sunk in the western Mediterranean Sea, south-west of Almeria, Spain by the Dutch submarine HNMS O 21. Of the ship’s complement, 35 died and 12 survived. During its career the U-95 sank 8 ships for a total of 28,415 tons and damaged 4 ships for a total of 27,916 tons.

Six Blenheims, four from RAF No.18 Squadron and two from RAF No.107 Squadron, attack a tanker in the bay of Navarino. 

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: There is renewed heavy fighting around Sid Rezegh. German tank forces try to destroy the link between the New Zealand infantry and the Tobruk garrison. Aware of the return of 15.Panzerdivision and 21.Panzerdivision towards Tobruk, British 7th Armored Division again attacks 15.Panzerdivision but runs into an anti-tank screen left behind in the wake of the advancing German tanks (a classic blitzkrieg tactic). Despite being outnumbered, 15.Panzerdivision continues moving west towards Tobruk, holding off the British attack. This battle will continue over 3 days resulting in heavy losses to both sides and one of the New Zealand brigades is forced out of the action. Elsewhere, an Italian attack of two motorized battalions near Tobruk saw the capture of a New Zealand field hospital, which resulted in the capture of 1,000 troops and 700 medical staff members. Italian Bologna division is badly cut up in the action east of Tobruk.

In East Africa, Italian surrender terms are accepted and 22,000 Italian troops surrender. Mussolini’s East African Roman Empire has ended.

Eleven Wellingtons from RAF No.40 Squadron launch a heavy raid on Benghazi.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The US War Cabinet meets, deciding to go to war with Japan if Japan attacks British Malaya, as the Philippines and other US interests would be threatened.

Headquarters Western defence Command at the Presidio of San Francisco issues a SECRET message to the commanding Generals of the Northwest Sector, Pacific Coastal Frontier Northern California Sector, Pacific Coastal Frontier Southern California Sector, Pacific Coastal Frontier;


> “It appears that negotiations with Japan have failed....It is desired that Japan commit the first overt act.....take precautions....do not alarm civilians or disclose your intent.....In view of the above, the following measures are to be taken:
> 
> a. Harbor entrance control posted...24 hour manning...
> 
> ...



*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Allied convoy PQ-4 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.

The Finnish 8th Division ends its offensive in the northern part of the Maaselka Isthmus. Also battles in Kestenga cease and a quiet phase begins.

US Secretary of State Hull tells Finland he is not sure to what extent; “


> Finnish policy is a menace to all America’s aims for self-defense” because “. . . every act of the Finnish Government since the delivery of its note has confirmed our apprehensions that it is fully cooperating with the Hitler forces.”



*PACIFIC OCEAN*: The air echelon of US Marine Fighter Squadron 211 secretly flew 12 Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat fighters from Ewe to Ford Island for further transfer to USS “_Enterprise_”. Later on the same day, the USN’s Task Force Eight (TF 8) (Vice Admiral William Halsey), comprised of the aircraft carrier USS “_Enterprise_” (CV-6); the heavy cruisers USS “_Chester_” (CA-27), “_Northampton_” (CA-26) and “_Salt Lake City_” (CA-24); and the destroyers USS “_Balch_” (DD-363), “_Benham_” (DD-397), “_Craven_” (DD-382), “_Dunlap_” (DD-384), “_Ellet_” (DD-398), “_Fanning_” (DD-385), “_Gridley_” (DD-380), “_Maury_” (DD-401) and “_McCall_” (DD-400), departs Pearl Harbor on a mission to deliver the 12 Wildcats, a detachment of Marine Fighting Squadron Two Hundred Eleven (VMF-211), to Wake Island. Halsey approves “Battle Order No. 1” that declares that “_Enterprise_” is operating “under war conditions.” “Steady nerves and stout hearts,” the carrier’s captain concludes, “are needed now.” Supporting PBY Catalina operations will be carried out from advanced bases at Wake and Midway.

Pensacola convoy: USN reinforcement convoy en route to the Philippines arrives at Oahu.

US Navy Commander W. S. Cunningham relieved US Marine Corps Major James P. S. Devereux as the overall commanding officer of Wake Island. Seaplane tender USS “_Wright_” (AV-1) arrives with the ground echelon of Marine Aircraft Group Twenty One (MAG-21) to establish an advance aviation base. 9 US Navy officers and 58 sailors arrived with Cunningham aboard “_Wright_”.

Upon receipt of war warning message from Washington, US air units go to full alert and begin recon patrols toward Formosa. Brereton requests permission to conduct high-altitude photo reconnaissance of Takao in Southern Formosa. MacArthur demurred, citing “the War Department instructions to avoid any overt act” and directed that all Army reconnaissance, including that conducted in co-operation with the Asiatic Fleet, be limited to two-thirds the distance from Luzon to Formosa. MacArthur met with Hart and Sayre at 1530 hours at Sayre’s office to discuss messages received by all three from their respective Departments. Hart and Sayre later stated that MacArthur is buoyant and positive that war would not break out before the beginning of 1942. Arnold cables Brereton to “take steps” to protect personnel and equipment against subversive activities. At 1630 hours Brereton suspends alert but orders all units on war readiness status.

Robert L. Shivers, head of the FBI office in Hawaii receives a message from J. Edgar Hoover stating that "_peace negotiations were breaking down [with Japan] and to be on alert at all times as anything could happen."_ Shivers passed this on to Colonel Bicknell of the Army and Captain Mayfield of the Navy in Hawaii.

During their storm-fraught passage to rendezvous with the river gunboats proceeding from Shanghai to Manila, the submarine rescue vessel USS “_Pigeon_” (ASR 6) experiences steering casualty. Minesweeper USS “_Finch_” (AM 9), which lost both anchors in the storm, stood by to render assistance, and eventually, after three tries, managed to take the crippled ship in tow the following day.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Slight Luftwaffe activity by night over Wales and South West England.

Dutch government-in-exile orders Netherlands East Indies to send two submarines to Singapore under Royal Navy control.

*WESTERN FRONT*: At the Rue Championnat in Paris, a grenade attack is made on a military traffic post. 2 soldiers and a Frenchman are killed and 7 wounded.

.


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## Old Wizard (Nov 28, 2016)




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## parsifal (Nov 28, 2016)

*28 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-164
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Benson Class DD USS ELLYSON (DD-454)





Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS INCHMARNOCK (T-166)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Type VIIc U-95 (DKM 769 grt)* was sunk on 28 November 1941 in the Med East of Gibraltar after being torpedoed by RNeN submarine O-21.Although 35 perished in the attack, O-21 managed to save 12 crewman. The submarine rescued the German commanding officer, three other officers, and eight ratings.The submarine arrived back at Gibraltar on the 28th
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 28 November 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-81, U-96 U-98, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-129, U-131, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-562, U-565, U-572, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

35 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer GERDA FERDINAND (Ger 3727 grt)* foundered north of Stockholm.





*East Front*
Arctic
_Convoy PQ.4_
The convoy escorted by MSWs GOSSAMER, SEAGULL, and SPEEDY arrived at Archangel on the 28th.

_Convoy QP.3_
CA KENT, DDs ONSLOW and OFFA, and ASW trawlers BUTE and STELLA CAPELLA, which had detached from the escort on the preceding day, proceeded to Murmansk, arriving on the 28th. The CA and DDs were bombed unsuccessfully as they entered harbour.

DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID, carrying officers and other ranks of RAF 151 Wing from Operation STRENGTH, departed Murmansk on the 27th to join the convoy and provide escort on the 28th to 2 December at 1400.

CL KENYA, carrying 200 personnel from 151 Wing which had arrived in Operation STRENGTH, also departed Murmansk on the 28th. The cruiser joined the convoy at daylight on the 29th and escorted the convoy to 3 December.

Baltic
*Steamer HENNY (Ger 764 grt)* was lost on a mine near Memel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
ML MENETHEUS, escorted by DD LANCASTER, laid minefield SN.25B.

*Northern Patrol*
BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CA NORFOLK, and DDs ASHANTI, TARTAR, ESKIMO, SOMALI, MATABELE, ECHO, and ESCAPADE departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 30th.

CL EDINBURGH departed the Faroes - Iceland patrol for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 29th. CA CUMBERLAND departed the Denmark Strait patrol, upon relief by CA SUFFOLK, for Hvalfjord, where she arrived later that day.

*West Coast*
DDs FURY and FORESIGHT departed Londonderry for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 29th.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.160 _
Corvette MONTBRETIA was detached on the 28th

_Convoy ON.41_
Corvette PERIWINKLE was detached on the 28th.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OG.77_
Corvette MALLOW was detached on the 28th and corvettes BLUEBELL, CARNATION, MYOSOTIS, and STONECROP joined the escort.

*Med/Biscay*
Force K of CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and DDs LANCE and LIVELY departed Malta to intercept enemy DDs thought to be departing Benghazi. No contact was made and Force K returned to Malta on the 29th.

*Steamer PRIARUGGIA (FI 1196 grt)* was sunk by RAF long range bombing at Benghazi.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC.55_
Corvettes DUNVEGAN, PRESCOTT, and SOREL were detached from the convoy escort on the 28th

_Convoy SC.57_
Convoy SC.57 departed Sydney, CB escorted by corvettes BATTLEFORD, KAMSACK, and SHAWNIGAN, and MSW NIPIGON.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy OS.11_
Corvette ORCHIS arrived with the convoy on the 28th.

*Sth Atlantic*
_Convoy WS.12Z_
The convoy was escorted by DDs SOUTHWOLD and DULVERTON from 28 November to 14 December. BB ROYAL SOVEREIGN escorted the convoy from 28 November to 18 December. Sloop MILFORD and corvettes VERBENA and HOLLYHOCK escorted the convoy from 28 November to 15 December.

*Pacific/Australia*
USN CV ENTERPRISE departed Pearl Harbour accompanied by BBs ARIZONA, NEVADA, and OKLAHOMA of BatDiv 1,CAs CHESTER, NORTHAMPTON, and SALT LAKE CITY of CruDiv 5, DesRon 2 in CL DETROIT, and DDs HENLEY, HELM,BLUE, BAGLEY, MUGFORD, RALPH TALBOT, JARVIS, and PATTERSON of DesRon 4 and DDs BALCH, GRIDLEY, CRAVEN, MCCALL, MAURY, DUNLAP, FANNING, BENHAM, and ELLET of DesRon 6.

The BBs, CL DETROIT, and DesRon 4 were detached out of sight of land for exercises and the carrier with CruDiv 5 and DesRon 6 ordered to Wake Island. On 4 December, twelve Marine aircraft of VMF.211 were flown off to Wake

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 29 NOVEMBER 1941
_1116 hrs_ Air raid alarm; caused by return of Maryland.

_1844-1858 hrs_ Air raid.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER 1941

_AIR HQ_ Six Beaufighters and one Sunderland arrive from Gibraltar.

_Operation Crusader_
For the most of the day on 28 Nov, the German 15th Panzer Division engaged British tanks, succeeding in pushing them back toward the west despite being outnumbered. Elsewhere, an Italian attack of two motorized battalions near Tobruk saw the capture of a New Zealand field hospital, which resulted in the capture of 1,000 troops and 700 medical staff members.


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## parsifal (Nov 28, 2016)

Halder's Diary 28 November 1941


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## Njaco (Nov 28, 2016)

*November 29 Saturday
ASIA*: A liaison conference among the Service Chiefs and Cabinet of the Japanese Government decides that the final proposal from the US is unacceptable. Prime Minister Tojo and his cabinet discuss the diplomatic and military situation in a meeting with Emperor Hirohito. The conference decides that Japan must go to war. Their decision is prepared for an Imperial Conference, with the Emperor, which is scheduled for December. Premier Tojo said American and British exploitation of Asiatic peoples must be purged with vengeance.


> "We have been receiving reports from you on ship movements, but in the future will you also report even when there are no movements" - Tokyo in a message to Honolulu transmitted in the J-19 code, translated December 5th.


*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: The German 4th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla attacked Allied convoy FN.564 off the coast of East Anglia, England, sinking British tanker “_Asperity_” and freighters “_Empire Newcomen_” and “_Cormarsh_”.

German submarine U-43 sank British ship “_Thornliebank_” 240 miles north of the Azores islands at 0411 hours, killing all 75 aboard. The navigator of U-43 was injured by showering debris.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.2, under command of Commander Fred D. Kirtland, accompanied by the salvage vessel USS “_Redwing_” (ARS 4) and oiler USS “_Sapelo_” (Atlantic Ocean 1), assumed escort duty for Convoy HX-162 in the northern Atlantic Ocean.

German raider “_Komet_” was unsuccessfully attacked by RAF Coastal Command bombers.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German forces were within 25 km of Moscow. Fighting at the Yakhroma bridgehead – 58 km north of Moscow – was intensifying. Bock ordered 7.Panzerdivision to abandon the bridgehead and march towards the small town of Krasnaya Polyana, further west and only 32 km from Moscow. Manteuffel had to relinquish his bridgehead so his division completed the evacuation of the Yakhroma bridgehead near Moscow as 45 were killed in an unsuccessful attempt to cross the Moskva-Volga canal. To the south-west the 6.Panzerdivision covered the right wing of LVI.Armeekorps (mot.). The Corps' left wing was covered by 14.Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Lieutenant General F. Fuerst) and 36.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (General lieutenant Hans Gollnick). Twenty miles south of Yakhroma, on the other hand, the situation took a dramatic turn. South of Rogachevo the XLI.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops G-H Reinhardt), which had been brought up from Kalinin, was attacking the canal crossings north of Lobnya on the right wing of 3.Panzerarmee. General Reinhardt’s forces reached the Moscow-Volga Canal and crossed into the Dmitrov area. The fierce Soviet resistance is lead by fresh Soviet Siberian units. But high casualties, many due to frost-bite, were taking their toll. Some companies within 10.Panzerdivision had less than 10 men.

Soviet 9th Army and 56th Army recapture Rostov. German 1.Panzerarmee continues withdrawing behind the Mius River despite Hitler's orders. Other Soviet forces recapture Taganrog.

The British Royal Air Force's No. 151 Wing, which had been conducting successful combat missions in Northern Russia, handed over its Hurricane fighters to Lieutenant Colonel Boris Safonov's Soviet 72nd Air Regiment before sailing back home.

Russian partisan fighter Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was publicly executed by hanging by the Germans.

*GERMANY*: Japanese ambassador in Germany Hiroshi Oshima reported that, on the previous day, Joachim von Ribbentrop had verbally promised a German declaration of war on the United States should Japan and the US enter a state of war.

Hitler meets Spanish Foreign Minister Serrano Suner and Italian Count Galeazzo Ciano. He also meets with Slovakian Prime Minister Tuka. Subhas Chandra Bose meets with Ribbentrop to discuss action in India.

*INDIAN OCEAN*: RN battleship “_Prince of Wales_” and battlecruiser “_Repulse_” depart Colombo for Singapore. Admiral Phillips travels ahead by airplane to Singapore for consultations.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Two covering groups of Italian warships were put to sea for convoy operations. Two Italian vessels departed Brindisi for Benghazi as one Italian vessel departed Taranto for Benghazi. Another Italian vessel departed Trapani for Benghazi. From Greece, one Italian vessel departs Navarino (Pylos) for Benghazi and One Italian vessel departs Argostoli for Benghazi. British aircraft from Malta sank Italian tanker “_Berbera_” and damaged Italian tanker “_Volturno_” at Navarino (now Pylos), Greece.

British Royal Navy Force ‘B’ (cruiser HMS “_Ajax_”, cruiser HMS “_Neptune_”, destroyer HMS “_Kimberly_”, and destroyer HMS “_Kingston_”) under the command of Rear Admiral Bernard Rawlings arrived in Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: The German 15.Panzerdivision started westward south of Sidi Rezegh in the morning. At 0830 hours, 21.Panzerdivision commander General von Ravenstein runs into a 2nd New Zealand Infantry Division roadblock in the desert and is taken prisoner, becoming the only German General in captivity. 15.Panzerdivision arrives back in the vicinity of Tobruk and reinforces German infantry attacking the narrow corridor at the Ed Duda ridge that links New Zealand 2nd Division to the garrison from Tobruk. 15.Panzerdivision swings South of Ed Duda to threaten the corridor from the Southeast, despite heavy shelling by the New Zealanders and British tanks in the desert further South. Italian Ariete Division overran the New Zealand 21st Battalion at Point 175 in Libya. 8th Bersaglieri Regiment captures 1,800 Allied wounded, medical staff and guards, and liberates 200 unwounded German POWs. British patrols reached Cyrenaican coast between Jedabia and Benghazi. In the evening, the South African 1st Brigade was placed under the command of the New Zealand 2nd Division, which launched an attack in attempt to recapture Point 175.

Night raids by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) on Derna and Benghazi. Ten Wellingtons from RAF No.104 Squadron attacked administrative buildings at Benghazi. Five Albacores carried out a successful night raid on the Italian Regia Aeronautica base at Castel Benito near Tripoli. Despite fierce enemy opposition, bombs were dropped among dispersal areas, destroying at least one aircraft and starting fires across the airfield.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Soviet destroyer “_Slavny_”, destroyer “_Stoiki_”, troop ship “_Iosif Stalin_”, and other vessels, escorted by 5 minesweepers, 4 torpedo boats, and 7 submarine chasers, departed Kronstadt, Russia for Hanko, Finland to evacuate troops. German aircraft discovered the force, attacked, and sank icebreaker ship “_Oktyabr_”.

Elements of Finnish Army of Karelia attacking Karhumaki (Medvezhyegorsk) north of Lake Onega. Finland officially reclaims territories lost to Soviet Union in the Winter War.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark directed that defense recommendations made by Major Alfred R. Pefley was to be implemented immediately, consisting mostly of the construction of defensive gun positions on various Pacific islands. Colonel Bicknell briefs General Short that from the analysis of the ABCD Bloc intelligence that if Japan attacked one member of the Bloc then an attack should be expected on the other members as well.

US Marine Corps Major Walter L. J. Bayler arrived at Wake Island with a detachment of Marines from Marine Aircraft Group 21 to set up air base communication facilities.

Unescorted vessel “_William Ward Burrows_”, towing barge, departs for Wake Island with supplies as well as air search radar and fire control radar.

The river gunboats USS “_Luzon_” (PR 7) and USS “_Oahu_” (PR 6) departed Shanghai for Manila. The USS “_Oahu_” was the sister ship of river gunboat USS “_Panay_” (PR 5), which had been bombed and sunk by Japanese naval aircraft near Nanking, China, on December 12, 1937.

The passenger ship “_Lurline_” sent a radio signal of sighting Japanese war fleet steaming east across the northern Pacific.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The British Admiralty's communiqué announced that submarine HMS “_Tigris_” had sunk 5 enemy ships and seriously damaged a sixth and that submarine HMS “_Trident_” had sunk 3 enemy ships and seriously damaged 4 others in the Arctic. Two were transports packed with troops for the Murmansk front.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Two more Wehrmacht soldiers were killed by an explosion in Paris.

.


----------



## Old Wizard (Nov 28, 2016)




----------



## parsifal (Nov 29, 2016)

*29 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-255





Type VIIc DKM U-379






Allied
Fairmile B MLs HMS ML 310, 311
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class coastal MSW HMS MMS 51
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Whaler EGELAND (UK 153 grt)* was lost when she ran aground on the Palestine coast.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

_Convoy FN 564_
The convoy was located then attacked by DKM S Boat flotilla 4. northwest of Cromer. 

S.51 sank *steamer CORMARSH (UK 2848 grt)* a half mile north of 58 A Buoy. The entire crew were rescued.
NO IMAGE FOUND]

S.52 sank *steamer EMPIRE NEWCOMEN (UK 2840 grt)* five miles south of Dudgeon Light. Ten crewmen were lost on the steamer.
NO IMAGE FOUND]

S.64 sank *tkr ASPERITY (UK 699 grt)*while on passage from London to Hull in ballast.. Ten crewmen were missing on the tanker.





MGB.86 and MGB.89 engaged the German ships and MGB.89 was damaged.

_Convoy OS.12_
U.43 sank *steamer THORNLIEBANK (UK 5569 grt)*, whilst on passage from Barry to Middle East via Freetown carrying munitions. A crew of 80 were embarked, all of whom would be lost in the attack. The attack occurred in the in the Central Atlantic, from convoy OS.12, west of Portugal. At 0411 hrs U-43 fired a spread of two stern torpedoes at a ship of convoy OS-12 about 240 miles NNW- of the Azores. The THORNLIEBANK was hit by both torpedoes and blew up in a great explosion. The master, 69 crew members and ten gunners were lost. Debris from the ship fell around the surfaced U-boat and injured a crewman on the U-boat slightly. The next day, the Germans found an 10cm shell without fuze, which had been blown from the torpedoed ship onto the conning tower over a distance of about 1200 metres





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-98
Stettin: U-38

Departures
Brest: U-563
Kiel: U-127
Kirkenes: U-578
Salamis: U-79
St. Nazaire: U-71, U-206

At Sea 29 November 1941

U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-96 U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-131, U-201, U-205, U-206, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

37 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
DD CHIDDINGFOLD departed Scapa Flow to meet Floating Dock XIV on passage up the east coast in tow of steamer EMPIRE LARCH and escorted by trawlers SCALBY WYKE and PRESTON NORTH END. CHIDDINGFOLD was back at Scapa Flow on the 30th.

*Northern Patrol*
CA KENT departed the Faroes - Iceland patrol for Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 30th.

*Northern Waters*
DD INGLEFIELD departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to embark Rear Admiral Destroyers Home Fleet and his staff for passage to Scapa Flow. The DD returned to Scapa later the same day.

*West Coast*
DD FORESTER departed Londonderry for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 30th.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.160 _
DDs SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN and corvettes DAHLIA and MONKSHOOD were detached on the 29th.

_Convoy ON.41_
DD VANOC joined on the 29th

*Med/Biscay*
Italian steamers ISEO and CAPO FARO escorted by RM TB PROCIONE departed Brindisi for Benghazi.

On the 30th, *steamer CAPO FARO (FI 3476 grt)* was sunk and steamer ISEO was damaged by Malta aircraft. Steamer ISEO was escorted by TB PROCIONE to Argostoli.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer SEBASTIANO VENIER departed Taranto escorted by RM DD DA VERAZZANO.

*Steamer ADRIATICO (FI 6338 grt)*, unescorted, departed Argostoli for Benghazi. At 0330 on 1 December, after being sighted by Malta aircraft, the steamer was sunk by Force K fifty six miles north of Benghazi.





Tanker VOLTURNO with TBs ARETUSA and PEGASO departed Navarino for Benghazi. On the 29th, tanker VOLTURNO was damaged by Malta based aircraft and was forced to return to port.

*Steamer IRIDIO MANTOVANI (FI 10,540 grt)* with RM DD DA MOSTA departed Trapani for Tripoli. On 1 December, submarine THUNDERBOLT sighted MANTOVANI which was badly damaged by Malta aircraft. Force K intercepted the now disabled convoy and sank the the wreck of the steamer.





*Navigatori class DD DA MOSTA (RM 1900 grt) *was rescuing survivors when Force K arrived and sank the DD, sixty miles NNW of Tripoli.





These movements were covered by CLs AOSTA, MONTECUCCOLI, and ATTENDOLO with DDs AVIERE, CAMICIA NERA, and GENIERE.

The cruisers were unsuccessfully attacked seventy miles south of Taranto by Submarine UPROAR. This group joined the VENIER convoy on the 30th. On 1 December, the cruisers were again unsuccessfully attacked, this time by submarine UPHOLDER. Steamer VENIER arrived at Benghazi on 2 December.

RM BB DUILO, CL GARIBALDI, and DDs GRANATIERE, ALPINO, BERSAGLIERE, FUCLIERE, CORAZZIERE, and CARABINIERE departed Taranto for support. However, the DUILO group is held up by engine problems on cruiser GARIBALDI and heavy weather.

Around this time supaermarina began to express concerns at the scarcity of fuel oil and how it was interfering with the effective training of forces particular in ASW training

Tanker BERBERA (FI 2093 grt), which had arrived at Navarino on the 24th to avoid British forces, was sunk by the RAF at Navarino. The tanker had already been damaged by submarine ORP SOKOL on the 21st. 

CL GALATEA departed Suez.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC.55_
Corvettes KENOGAMI and LETHBRIDGE were detached from the convoy on the 29th. DD AMAZON joined the convoy on this day.

_Convoy ON.39_
Corvettes ANEMONE, THYME, and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, ST ZENO, and VIZALMA were detached from the convoy escort on the 29th when relieved by USN DDs BADGER, COLE, DECATUR, LIVERMORE, and PLUNKETT and Coast Guard cutter CAMPBELL at the MOMP.

_Convoy HX.162 _
The escorts (DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON and corvette COBALT) were detached on the 29th when relieved by USN DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, LANSDALE, MADISON, STURTEVANT, and WILKES.

*Central Atlantic*
FFL sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC departed Gibraltar to return to the UK.

Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar to patrol.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
British troopship KAROA departed Rangoon with 115 military personnel for Calcutta. The troopship was given cover by CA EXETER and arrived on 2 December.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 30 NOVEMBER 1941
_1057-1106 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One recce Macchi crossed at great height.

_1710-1728 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two recce Macchi’s crossed at great height.

_1937-1939 hrs_ Air raid.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 29 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ Force “B” arrives, consisting of _HMS Ajax_ flying the flag of Rear-Admiral H B T Rawlings Commanding Seventh Cruiser Squadron, with _Neptune, Kingston _and _Kimberley_. Force “K” arrives.

_AIR HQ _Two Wellesleys headed in from Heliolopolis, one crashed in the sea; the crew was saved.

_LUQA 0800-1127 hrs_ One Maryland 69 Squadron special search. _0815-1140 hrs_ One Maryland 69 Squadron SF 10 patrol. _0905-1030 hrs_ One Maryland 69 Squadron photo-reconnaissance Tripoli. Returned owing to bad weather. Two Blenheims 18 Squadron SF 11 patrol. Six Blenheims 107 Squadron attacked shipping in Navarino Harbour. One Wellington S/D Flight special shipping search. Ten Wellingtons 104 Squadron attacked administrative buildings at Benghazi. 

_Operation Crusader_
On 29 Nov, the German 15th Panzer Division started westward south of Sidi Rezegh in the morning. In the afternoon, the Italian Ariete Division overran the New Zealand 21st Battalion at Point 175. In the evening, the South African 1st Brigade was placed under the command of the New Zealand 2nd Division, which launched an attack in attempt to recapture Point 175.


----------



## parsifal (Nov 29, 2016)

Halder's Diary 29 November 1941


----------



## Njaco (Nov 29, 2016)

*November 30 Sunday
ASIA*: Emperor Showa ordered Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to proceed with plans to start the Pacific War, and subsequently Tojo rejected US proposals to de-escalate tension in the Far East. Admiral Nagano and Admiral Shimada assure Emperor Hirohito the Imperial Japanese Navy is confident of victory.

Japanese destroyers “_Akembono_” and “_Ushio_” departed Tokyo Bay, Japan for Midway, where they were to bombard US military facilities when hostilities would begin.

British sources in Borneo report Japanese Naval movements. It is assumed they are bound for Malaysia or the East Indies.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Whitley bombers of No. 502 Squadron RAF based in Northern Ireland, attacked German submarines U-71 and U-563 with depth charges in the Bay of Biscay, damaging U-71. U-206 is sunk in the Bay of Biscay with the aid of ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) radar, by a British Whitley bomber. First, Bletchley Park intercepted an Enigma transmission and was able to locate U-206 in the Bay of Biscay, heading for the Mediterranean. A Whitley VII (Z 9190) of No. 502 Squadron, flying from Chivenor, was tasked to hunt for her. Its ASV radar located the U-boat at a range of five miles, enabling the aircraft to home in on and destroy the sub with its Mk VIII depth charges. This is the first success with ASV radar and marks the beginning of British anti-submarine efforts in the Bay of Biscay.

The U-Boat supply tender “_Python_” was in the process of transferring provisions to the submarines U-68 and U-A when the three German vessels were approached by the heavy cruiser HMS “_Dorsetshire_” (40). The U-A attempted a torpedo attack on the HMS “_Dorsetshire_” but missed with 5 torpedoes. Having noticed the frenzied activity all around the “_Python_” as he approached her, the HMS “_Dorsetshire’s_” commander, Captain A.W.S. Agar signaled to the fleeing supply-ship, demanding her identity. On receiving no reply, he fired two warning shots, straddling the ship, causing the “_Python_” to heave to and its captain to give the order to abandon ship. The “_Python_” was then scuttled leaving 414 men adrift in eleven open boats and seven rafts. Certain that the sinking ship was a naval supply vessel, and fearing a counter attack from the U-Boats, the HMS “_Dorsetshire_” sped away southwards at top speed. Many of the men on the “_Python_” were survivors of the German commerce raider “_Atlantis_” which had been sunk on November 22. Informed of the sinking of the “_Python_”, the SKL notified Admiral Karl Dönitz, who re-directed two further U-Boats, the U-129 and the U-124 to proceed immediately to assist in the rescue effort.

*EASTERN FRONT*: A sudden warming of temperatures in the region around Leningrad, Russia meant a decrease in the ice thickness over Lake Ladoga, which led to the decrease of supplies delivered by ground vehicles driving over ice; only 61 tons of food made its way into the city on this date.

Soviet 1st Shock Army and 20th Army were ordered to begin attacking German 3.Panzergruppe and 4.Panzergruppe. In a bizarre side-show Stalin ordered Zhukov to recapture Dedovsk, 32 km north-west of Moscow, from Hoepner’s 4.Panzergruppe. It seemed he’d confused the town of Dedovsk with an insignificant village called Dedovo. When Zhukov pointed this confusion out Stalin was unrepentant and ordered Zhukov, Rokossovsky (16th Army) and Govorov (5th Army) to oversee the recapture of the hamlet. The three senior commanders duly turned up at Dedovo and passed on Stalin’s orders to the local divisional commander. This rather bemused man sent a rifle company and two tanks to evict the Germans from the two houses they’d captured on the far side of the ravine. 19 miles north of Moscow, patrols from 2.Panzerdivision (4.Panzergruppe) capture the railway station at Lobnya. However, the German attack is petering out in the face of exhaustion, cold, lack of supplies and stiff Soviet resistance. The German 56.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General K. von Schleinitz) had been struggling on foot without supplies through the Russian forest but were nearing the highway at Solnechnogorsk. The German 2.Panzerdivision and 106.Infanterie-Division (General der Infanterie Ernst Dehner) were trying to reach the Moscow-Volga Canal. In their way was the 2nd Moscow Rifle Division at the village of Ozeretskoye. The Moscovites put up a fierce fight but could not hold the Germans. A few kilometres behind Ozeretskoye was the Russian 35th Rifle Brigade was digging in. The brigade was the only other Russian unit between the attacking Germans and Moscow. Their defensive position was carefully chosen. They were digging in between Lobnya and the village of Kiovo, 26 km north of Moscow. They had avoided the low-lying ground to their front where the German tanks would have had full reign. Instead their position had a high railway embankment to protect their flanks. The Lobnya station and outskirts of Kiovo were fortified. Likely approach lanes were heavily mined and covered by anti-tank batteries. German mortar rounds landed around the Russians as they laid their mines. To the South, Guderian’s 2.Panzerarmee is stationary around Tula while the infantry of von Kluge’s 4.Armee has not moved out of trenches in the center.

Marshal Marshal Semyon Timoshenko's armies steadily pursued Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist’s forces towards Taganrog and drove back Hungarian and Romanian troops in Donetz Basin.

General Sikorski arrives to confer with General Anders and meet Stalin and Molotov. Stalin approves Zhukov's plans for Moscow counteroffensive.

The French Legion, comprising Nazi sympathizers from France, arrived at the 4.Armee.

Karl-Heinz Bornemann, of JG 54 is listed as missing in action after having achieved only five victories in the air.

Field Marshal Walter von Reichenau replaced Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt as the commanding officer of German Army Group South in the Caucasus region of southern Russia. Field Marshal Rundstedt is relieved of his command of Army Group South for refusing to cancel his orders for the retreat in the Rostov sector.

The first trainload of Jewish deportees from Berlin arrived at Riga. These Jews are killed on arrival causing some controversy inside the Nazi command. That same day Himmler had sent Heydrich a message on this transport stating, "_Jewish transports from Berlin. No liquidation._" This message was forwarded to Riga, but too late to save the Jews who had arrived there.

Most of Mihailovic's Cetniks agree to serve under Nedic's puppet administration, partly to fight partisans, partly to avoid German attacks, and partly to infiltrate government.

*GERMANY*: The Japanese ambassador in Germany Hiroshi Oshima was informed by his superiors that war with the United States was near, and he was to inform Adolf Hitler and Joachim von Ribbentrop of such news.

German armed merchant cruiser “_Komet_” arrived at Hamburg, Germany after a 516-day, 87,000-mile, circumnavigating journey. She sank 5 ships, captured 1 ship, and shared credit for another two sinkings on this mission. German raider “_Thor_” departs Kiel for France to begin its second patrol.

RAF Bomber Command sends 181 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight. Over 150 tons of bombs were dropped on Hamburg, one of the many targets of Bomber Commands night attacks. Emden, Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Kiel, and Luebeck were also bombed. RAF Bomber Command sends 50 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Malta suffers its 1000th air raid alert of the war. Out at sea, British aircraft from Malta sank Italian ship “_Capo Faro_” and damaged Italian ship “_Iseo_”, which were en route from Brindisi, Italy to Benghazi, Libya. They were carrying fuel and other supplies that were very much needed for the Axis campaign in North Africa. “_Iseo_” turns back to Italy.

With the increase of Axis convoys, RN Force “K” departs Malta in search of Italian convoys. Italian vessel “_Adriatico_”, en route to Benghazi, sunk by RN Force “K”.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: As the Allies Operation Crusader drags on into the 13th day, Rommel has finally succeeded in driving the 6th New Zealand Brigade off the Sidi Rezegh ridge, the scene of the worst fighting yet in the desert war. He is now in an excellent position to disrupt the effective relief of Tobruk garrison - the principal aim of the operation. New Zealand 24th and 26th Battalions were battered by Axis attacks at Sidi Rezegh, Libya. German forces launched a fresh attack on Tobruk, Libya. While Italian Ariete Division holds off British tanks to the South, 15.Panzerdivision forces the New Zealanders off Sidi Rezegh ridge, severing the brief link to Tobruk.

Lieutenant Francesco Coco of the 28th Infantry Regiment ('Pavia' Division), although wounded, leads the remnants of his company in an attempt to retake the ‘Leopard’ strongpoint. For his brave action the Italian officer is posthumously awarded the Gold Medal for Valour.

Heavy night raid by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) on Benghazi. RAF attacks Benghazi overnight with 26 bombers.

The British Royal Air Force (RAF) announced that from start of Libyan battle to midnight on 30 November 1941, 176 Luftwaffe aircraft had been destroyed for certain.

*NORTH AMERICA*: President Roosevelt is hurrying back to Washington by car and private train from Warm Springs, Georgia, where his brief Thanksgiving holiday has been interrupted by the grave situation in the Pacific. It was only yesterday that he left Washington, saying that the policy of the United States towards Japan was one of “infinite patience.”

The first Northrop produced Vultee Vengeance dive-bomber (AN 838) flies today. It will be for service with the RAF in the Far East.

Army GHQ maneuvers in North and South Carolina concluded. Two U.S. Navy and two Marine Corps squadrons took part in the large-scale war games that began on November 15.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: A Soviet force consisted of two destroyers, a troop ship, and other minor vessels arrived at Hanko, Finland to evacuate troops, while another force consisted of troop ship “_Maya_”, 3 minesweepers, 2 submarine chasers, and 1 gunboat departed Kronstadt, Russia for Hanko.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Passenger liner “_President Madison_”, chartered by the US Navy, arrived at Olongapo, Philippine Islands, disembarking the 2nd Battalion (Lt. Colonel Donald Curtis, USMC) of the US 4th Marine Regiment before continuing on to Singapore.

MacArthur orders Fort Mills on Corregidor put on full alert.

US 17th Pursuit Squadron pilots ferry 17 P-35A’s from 3rd Pursuit at Iba to 21st Pursuit at Nichols.

Japanese submarine I-10 launched a scout aircraft for a reconnaissance mission over Suva Bay, Fiji. New Zealand construction forces arrive in the Fiji Islands to build an airfield.

The river gunboats USS “_Luzon_” (PR 7) and USS “_Oahu_” (PR 6) rendezvoused with the submarine rescue vessel USS “_Pigeon_” (ASR 6) and minesweeper USS “_Finch_” (AM 9). They would remain in company until December 3, 1941.

Completing process begun in July at request of Japanese government, final repatriation vessel departs with Japanese residents of Netherlands East Indies.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Winston Churchill sent Franklin Roosevelt a message requesting a conference on the impending war with Japan. Roosevelt would reject the request to avoid appearing like he was taking the United States toward war for the defense of the British Empire.

UK Government delivers an ultimatum to Rumania for withdrawal from Soviet territories.

.


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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2016)

*30 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
SC 497 class SC USS SC 683
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B MLs 308, 443,
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Moorburn Class Mooring Vessel HMS MOORFIRE
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.43 sank *steamer ASHBY (UK 4868 grt)*, straggling from convoy OS.12, near the Azores, according to U-boat net (and other sources). This is inconsistent with the known convoy departure times and position at that date. According to wrecksite eu, “_the British steamship Ashby SS, Capt. T. V. Frank, outward bound in ballast was in the North Atlantic on November 30th, 1941, when she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-43. Capt. Frank, 11 crew and 5 gunners were lost_”. After sinking two British merchantmen from convoy OS-12, U-43 was driven under and depth charged for several hours, but managed to escape unharmed.





*Type VIIc U.206 (RM 769 grt)* was sunk by an RAF Whitley bomber of 502 Sqn west of Nantes. The entire crew of forty six were lost in the submarine. Uboat net states the boat was lost on an RAF laid minefield rather than this particular a/c attack. According to uboat net, U-71 was the target of the depth charge attack on 30 Nov in the Bay of Biscay west of Nantes, by a Whitley from RAF Sqn 502, formerly credited with sinking U-206, was in fact U-71, which escaped unscathed.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
At Sea 30 November 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-96 U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-131, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

36 Boats

U-96, whilst penetrating the Straits of Gibraltar, was attacked at 2235hrs by a British Swordfish a/c. Suffering some damage, the boat dived, surfaced the next morning at 0445hrs, and proceeded to base in France. The much longer and more dramatic stay in the deep described by Buchheim in his novel Das Boote is one of the numerous occasions in this book where the author fictionalized the events he experienced during his time as war correspondent on U-96.

U-563, in the Bay of Biscay, whilst outbound from Brest, France: the boat was attacked by a British Whitley bomber also from 502 Sqn RAF, pilot W.W. Cave, which dropped six depth charges that damaged to boat so much she was unable to dive. The aircraft then strafed the boat, wounding the commander in the shoulder. U-563 reached Lorient on 3 Dec, but was so severely damaged she had to return to Germany to be rebuilt.

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
CA BERWICK, carrying RAF personnel of 151 Wing brought to Russia in Operation STRENGTH, and DD ONSLOW and OFFA departed Murmansk for Scapa Flow. The force was carrying out a search for enemy shipping between Tanafjord and North Cape on 1 December. The operation was later cancelled and the force proceeded to Scapa Flow. Destroyer ONSLOW was detached to Hvalfjord, arriving on 7 December. DD OFFA, having been delayed by weather, arrived at Scapa Flow a few hours later on the 7 December. BERWICK took shelter at Kirkwall on 7 December and arrived at Scapa Flow on 8 December.

*North Sea*
AMC CITY OF DURBAN arrived at Scapa Flow from the Nore to work up

*Northern Patrol*
_Convoy PQ.5_
CL SHEFFIELD departed Seidisfjord early on the 30th and joined the convoy in 70-20N, 5-00W on the morning of the 30th. The CL continued with the convoy to 7 December, when she was detached to Murmansk.

*West Coast*
_Convoy HX.160 _
Anti-submarine trawler KIRKELLA escorted the convoy into Liverpool on the 30th.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy SC.55_
DD FOXHOUND, corvettes HEARTSEASE and ROSELYS, and ASW trawlers AYRSHIRE and NOTTS COUNTY joined the escort for the convoy on the 30th.

_Convoy ON.40_
The escorts (DDs BEAGLE and BOADICEA, sloop COMMANDANT DETROYAT, corvettes HEATHER and NARCISSUS, and ASW trawlers ARAB, COVENTRY CITY and LADY MADELEINE) were detached on the 30th when relieved by DDs COLUMBIA and SKEENA and corvettes ACONIT, GALT, SHEDIAC, and WETASKIWIIN.

_Convoy ON.41_
DD CALDWELL joined the convoy on the 30th.

_Convoy OS.13_
Convoy OS.13 departed Liverpool.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy SL.92_
Corvette MONTBRETIA and ASW trawler MAN O.WAR escorted the convoy on the 30th only.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine REGENT departed Malta to return to the United Kingdom. En route, the submarine damaged Italian steamer ERICO. REGENT arrived at Gibraltar on 6 December and at Devonport on 17 December. She was under repair at Portsmouth until 10 January 1942 when she departed on 16 January for refitting at Philadelphia, arriving on 16 February. She departed Philadelphia and arrived at Halifax on 15 June for repairs. She was forced to return to Philadelphia for further repairs from 2 to 20 September.

Submarine URSULA departed Malta for Gibraltar, arriving on 9 December, and Portsmouth on 30 December after patrol in the Bay of Biscay. She proceeded to Chatham for repairs on 8 January 1942. Arriving on 9 January, she was under repair until 11 April.

Submarine OLYMPUS arrived at Malta from Gibraltar with petrol and stores.

DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, KIPLING, and JACKAL departed Alexandria to intercept convoys sailing from Navarino to Derna. CLAs NAIAD and EURYALUS with DDs HERO and HASTY departed to support the DDs from the east.

Force B of CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE and DDs KIMBERLEY and KINGSTON and K of CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and DD LIVELY departed Malta to intercept Italian forces in the Ionian Sea.

Just before midnight on the 30th, Force B detached Force K to intercept Italian steamer ADRIATICO which was sunk early on 1 December (see previous days entry). DD LIVELY picked up two officers and nineteen ratings from the steamer. RM DD VERAZZANO later arrived from Tripoli and rescued further survivors. Force B arrived back at Malta at 1815 on 1 December. Force K returned to Malta at 0730 on 2 December.

Convoy AT.1 departed Alexandria for Tobruk. The slow section, consisting of steamer ELPIS, tug ST ISSEY towing two lighters, three landing ship tank A lighters, departed Alexandria at 1600 escorted by RAN sloop YARRA, RN sloop FLAMINGO, and two ASW trawlers. RHN DDs KONDOURIOTIS accompanied the convoy was far as Mersa Matruh.

The fast section consisting of armed boarding vessel CHAKDINA and tanker KIRKLAND departed Alexandria at 2130, escorted by DDs HEYTHROP and AVONVALE and an ASW trawler. Both convoys safely arrived on 2 December.

RM submarine TRICHECO attached a Destroyer unsuccessfully.

*Tkr SPERANZA (FI 445 grt)* was badly damaged by RAF bombing at Benghazi. The tkr was scuttled on 23 December.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.24 departed Gibraltar to patrol off Oran.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.37_
The USN DDs that were providing escort to the convoy were detached on the 30th when the convoy was dispersed.

_Convoy SC.57_
Corvettes KAMSACK, and SHAWNIGAN and minesweeper NIPIGON were detached on the 30th when relieved by corvettes ARVIDA, FENNEL, POLYANTHUS, PRIMROSE, SHERBROOKE, and TRAIL.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy SL.94 _
Convoy SL.94 departed Freetown escorted by DDs VANSITTART and VELOX to 2 December and STANLEY to 5 December and corvettes LAVENDER and STARWORT to 2 December.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs EXPRESS and ELECTRA departed Colombo on 30 November and joined BC REPULSE and DDs ENCOUNTER and JUPITER, which came out from Trincomalee. The Ships arrived at Singapore on 2 December.

FFL DD LEOPARD occupies Reunion Island (located in the Indian Ocean) after an engagement with a Vichy battery.

_Convoy BA.8_
Convoy BA.8 departed Bombay, escorted by light cruiser GLASGOW. The convoy arrived at Aden on 4 December. There was no convoy BA.9.

*Pacific/Australia*
RNZN CL ACHILLES met CL LEANDER at Suva. Both cruisers returned to New Zealand.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 1 DECEMBER 1941
[Malta command records on this day that the newer and much faster Macchi MC202 was in widespread use as the main recon type by this time. Its speed and max ceiling made it difficult for the RAF to intercept].

_0835 hrs_ Two Macchi fighters crossed the Island. No damage or casualties; no bombs dropped. This is the 1000th air alert on the Island since the first raid in June 1940.

_0832 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Two recce Macchi’s crossed at 17,500 ft. No engagement.

_1140 hrs;_ _1658 hrs;_ _1725 hrs_ Air raid alarms; raids do not materialise.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ _0500 hrsUrsula_ and _Regent_ sailed for Gibraltar and United Kingdom to refit. _Olympus_ arrived from Gibraltar with petrol and stores. 

_LUQA_ _0724-1110 hrs_ One Maryland 69 Squadron special search Ionian Sea. _0844-0945 hrs_ Photo-reconnaissance unit 2 on reconnaissance Comiso, Gerbeni, Catania, Gela. _1146-1545 hrs_ Two Marylands search B to shadow convoy. _1345-1745 hrs_ One Maryland 69 Squadron SF 6 patrol. One Blenheim 18 Squadron and one Blenheim 107 Squadron SF 11 patrol. Six Blenheims 107 Squadron despatched to attack convoy. Failed to locate target. Six Blenheims 18 Squadron attacked convoy in central Ionian Sea. One Wellington S/D Flight shipping search central Ionian Sea. Two Beaufighters B F Flight attacked motor transport along road east of Misrata.

_Operation Crusader_
On 30 Nov, New Zealand 24th and 26th Battalions were battered by Axis attacked at Sidi Rezegh.


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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2016)

Halders diary 30 November 1941


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## parsifal (Nov 30, 2016)

Summary Of Losses November 1941 (Unfinished)

Allied
Allied Warships




XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)


Allied Shipping




XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)


Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt



Prizes captured




Neutral shipping




( grt Mercantile)



Neutral warships



Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 1215 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXX grt



Prizes taken
None



Cumulative Losses since 9/39
XXXXXX grt Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses


Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),



(XXX grt)


RM


XXXX (RM XXXX grt),



(XXXXX grt)



Axis Shipping
GER


(XXXXX grt)


(FI)




Vichy


(XXXXX grt)


Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)



Captured ships




XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)


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## Old Wizard (Nov 30, 2016)




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## Njaco (Nov 30, 2016)

*December 1 Monday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: Japanese Navy Destroyer Division 7 sailed from Tokyo, Japan sailed for Midway, soon to join the rest of the Midway Neutralization Unit.

At an Imperial Conference held in Tokyo, Japan, the decision was taken to go to war with the United States. According to Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, Emperor Showa, the country's divine ruler, did not utter a single word in response. Prime Minister Tojo and his cabinet make another presentation to Emperor Hirohito about the necessity for going to war. General Sugiyama meets with Emperor Hirohito and explains in detail Japanese military operations which will initiate war. The Emperor signals his assent.

Japanese luxury ocean liner “_Hikawa Maru_” entered Mitsubishi Zosen yard for conversion into a hospital ship; naval surgeon Captain Kanai Izumi took command of the ship.

Japanese Navy changed its communications code.

During this month, the Japanese Army established the Research Department within the Taiwan Army. One of the missions of this department was to develop jungle warfare tactics.

Advance elements of 38th Infantry Division of Japanese 23rd Army begin deploying to border with Hong Kong, moving only at night in order to avoid detection.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: US Marine Corps established a Marine Corps Air Station at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands under Lieutenant Colonel Ford O. Rogers (redesignated from Marine Corps Air Facility, Bourne Field).

Near the Azores at midnight, U-43 misses unarmed neutral American tanker SS “_Astral_” with a torpedo despite a visible US flag painted on the side. At 09.24 hours, 2 torpedoes from U-43 hit SS “_Astral_” which explodes and spreads burning gasoline and kerosene on the water, killing all 37 hands.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Germans tried again to reach Moscow from the north, west and south. The western attack was the most successful, breaching the defences on the Mozhaisk Highway, and reaching Golitsyno. At the urging of Army Group Center commander Field Marshal von Bock, von Kluge finally sends German 4.Armee into action 16 days after the beginning of the renewed advance on Moscow. This delay has allowed Red Army to move troops away from this sector to defend Moscow from the attacks from the North and South. They committed infantry regiments with little armoured support and made little headway. The untried French Legion attacked but disintegrated and had to be withdrawn. Three German infantry divisions and one German armored division advanced along the Minsk-Moscow highway, penetrating through the lines of the Soviet 33rd Army, capturing Naro-Fominsk 43 miles southwest of Moscow. Only the 258th Division broke through the Russian defences but there were no troops to exploit the gap. One of the men of the 258th Division mentioned attacking “battle-hardened Siberian troops, in strong defensive positions, protected by extensive minefields and fortifications” as “an icy blizzard swept across the snow-covered landscape”. The blizzard prevented the Luftwaffe from flying in support and froze the machine guns. Aside from casualties the German divisions were outrunning their supply. In the 6.Panzerdivision few vehicles were still running. Only one or two assault guns had armor piercing shells and none of the tanks. The remaining vehicles couldn’t advance because the Soviets had destroyed the road ahead. The tank crews were fighting as infantry. And Russian resistance was stiffening. Hoepner’s 4.Panzergruppe was fighting for a succession of fortified villages. SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) Reich (SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hauser) found themselves battling the Siberian 78th Rifle Division. The German’s found the Russians “well-armed and equipped – and every man is fighting to the death”. As a result of the German successes that day Stalin released two reserve armies to plug the gaps in the front. In the north the Germans broke through the remnants of the Kalinin Front in the early morning and captured Krasnaya Polyana from Rok. The German heavy artillery were within 20 km of Moscow, and hence within firing range. 6.Panzerdivision were at the outer most bus stops of the capital. A motorcycle patrol from 62nd Panzer Engineer Battalion (2.Panzerdivision) penetrates the flimsy Soviet defensive line and made it to the train station at Khimki, only 18 km from Moscow. This was the high-water mark of the German offensive. At noon the tanks and infantry of the 3.Panzergruppe (Reinhardt) approached the dug in Russian 35th Rifle Brigade at the Lobnya station. German heavy artillery and mortars bombarded the Russian positions before the tanks, half-tracks and infantry attacked cautiously. The defenders noticed there weren’t many Germans in the attacking formations. Their own mortars opened up and inflicted some losses including an armoured car. The Russian infantry waited until the attackers were within 100 m before firing. They concentrated on the enemy infantry. The German tanks tried to retaliate but were constricted because of the railway embankment. Under heavy bombardment the German tanks began to reverse away leaving the dead and wounded behind. Since the beginning of Barbarossa on June 22, German losses are 195,334 killed or missing and 572,000 wounded. Field Marshal Fedor von Bock asks Army headquarters to suspend operations around Moscow. General Walther von Brauchitsch insists the attacks continue.

In honor of the recent death of Ernst Udet, JG 3 is officially designated Jagdgeschwader ‘Udet’ and given a unit badge consisting of a flying letter ‘U’.

SS-Standartenfuhrer Jager submitted a report dated on this day, noting that his Einsatzgruppen, operating in Lithuania, had killed 99,804 Jews in that country to this date. In the same report, the detachment also under Jager sent to Minsk, Byelorussia reported killing 620 adult male, 1,285 adult female, and 1,126 children, all Jews; 19 communists were also executed in Minsk by this detachment.

*GERMANY*: The Japanese ambassador in Germany Hiroshi Oshima was ordered to secure Joachim von Ribbentrop's signature on a document which stated that Germany would declare war on the United States should Japan and US enter a state of war.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Malta-based British reconnaissance aircraft spotted an Italian supply convoy traveling for North Africa. Force “K” from Malta was dispatched to attack the Italian convoy. The subsequent attack 60 miles off Libya saw the sinking of tanker “_Iridio Mantovani_” (with 10,000 tons of fuel) by aircraft and the sinking of transport “_Adriatico_” by cruisers HMS “_Aurora_” and HMS “_Penelope_”. HMS “_Aurora_” and HMS “_Penelope_” were attacked by Italian destroyer “_Alvise Da Mosta_” with torpedoes and gunfire, but the British cruisers fought back, sinking the destroyer and killing 200.

The Battle of Pljevlja was fought in the Italian governorate of Montenegro. Italian military forces repulsed an attack by Montenegrin Partisans. General Arso Jovanović commanded the 4,000 partisan troops which were split into several groups: the Kom, Zeta, Lovćen and Bijeli Pavle detachments, the Piva battalion and the Prijepolje company. The Italian garrison in Pljevlja belonged to the 5th Alpine Division Pusteria; it was led by Giovanni Esposito and had a strength of 2,000 men. The Partisan forces attacked Pljevlja. Simultaneously, the Piva battalion and the Prijepolje Company attacked the village of Bučje, with the aim of cutting off communications between Priboj and Pljevlja. Some partisans managed to penetrate into Pljevlja but, Italian forces began shelling the town and killing the native Serbian population to prevent them from providing support to the partisans. This action hampered the partisan attack, as they failed to capture Pljevlja and retreated with heavy casualties, some 203 were killed and 269 were wounded.

U-96 damaged by RN Fleet Air Arm aircraft operating from Gibraltar.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: German 15.Panzerdivision practically wiped out the 20th Battalion of New Zealand 2nd Division at Belhamed, Libya, but the attack was driven off by tanks of the British 4th Armoured Brigade. Despite this, New Zealand 2nd Division withdraws in the late afternoon. Rommel has pulled off the remarkable feat of breaking up the relief of Tobruk despite being outnumbered 7:1 by the British tanks. The attacking Axis forces were becoming exhausted and many senior officers were killed or captured. Although the British 8th Army has been mauled, it remains ready for combat and, unlike Rommel’s units, it is receiving generous supplies and replacement tanks. As British, German and Italian tank formations clash from all directions in the brutal fight to relieve Tobruk, any resemblance between this battle and traditional warfare has long since disappeared.


> “This is sea warfare,” said one general. “Our tanks are ships that appear and disappear at such speed that often no one knows where their lines are.”


Eduard Neumann and General der Flieger Hans Geisler awarded Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 the German Cross in Gold.

*NORTH AMERICA*: As US-Japan relations rapidly deteriorated, the Japanese Consulate General in California began to destroy its records, as did the Consulate General, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, and the Japan Institute in New York City.

Aircraft carriers USS “_Intrepid_” and “_Yorktown_” laid down. The fourth “_Yorktown_” (CV-10) was laid down at Newport News, Virginia, United States by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. as “_Bon Homme Richard_”.

Fiorello La Guardia, Mayor of New York City and Director of the Office of Civilian Defense, signed Administrative Order 9, creating the Civil Air Patrol. Today the CAP has a youth cadet branch and an adult branch that is involved in search and rescue with private aircraft. During W.W.II, however, its principal duty was patrolling the coast for submarines using the member’s private aircraft.

Roosevelt meets with British Ambassador, Lord Halifax, and indicates the US would enter the war on the British side the British if they were attacked by Japan, but did not explicitly promise this.

US Marine Corps established a Marine Corps Air Station at Cunningham Field, Cherry Point, North Carolina, United States under Colonel Thomas J. Cushman. US Marine Corps established a Marine Corps Air Station at Quantico, Virginia, United States under Major Ivan W. Miller (redesignated from Base Air Detachment 1, Marine Barracks).

TIME magazine declares the German “official announcement” of the death of Ernst Udet was sort of a cover-up, but in a rather (unintentionally) darkly humorous vein: “Colonel General Ernst Udet, Quartermaster of the German Air Force, was killed ‘yesterday’, (Nov. 17) while testing a new type of firearm.” TIME also reported that Berlin radio said he died in an “airplane accident on Monday, the eleventh,” and “reports from Vichy said he was a suicide.”

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: A Soviet force consisted of troop ship "_Maya_", 3 minesweepers, 2 submarine chasters, and 1 gunboat arrived in Hanko, Finland to evacuate troops.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Radio messages sent from Sasebo, Japan using outdated call signs tricked US Navy cryptanalysts in US Territory of Hawaii into believing that carrier “_Akagi_” was still in home waters. Later on the same day, the cryptanalysts realized that all Japanese warships' call signs had changed.

Hart was ordered directly by US President Franklin Roosevelt to form “Defensive Information Patrol” of three ships to be placed in harm’s way. Roosevelt ordered US Navy yacht “_Isabel_” and two other small vessels to be deployed off the coast of Indochina. They were planned to be bait for the Japanese to fire the first shot, should war become unavoidable.

American river gunboats “_Luzon_” and “_Oahu_”, submarine rescue vessel “_Pigeon_”, and minesweeper “_Finch_” set sail from China toward Philippine Islands, under the watchful eyes of a Japanese floatplane and several naval vessels.

US Marine Corps 2nd Defense Battalion and 4th Defense Battalion arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.

Passenger liner USS “_President Harrison_” arrived at Olongapo, Philippine Islands with 1st Battalion of US 4th Marine Regiment recently withdrawn from Shanghai, China. The liner departed for China later on the same day to embark the last US Marines stationed in China. Other elements of US 4th Marine Regiment arrived from Shanghai aboard USS “_President Coolidge_” and disembark. “_President Coolidge_” then sails in convoy with remaining US dependents aboard. Other ships include the USAT “_Scott_”, with the 15th Infantry Regiment, and an escort of the cruiser “_Louisville_” and two destroyers.

In Malaya, British authorities declare a “State of Emergency” following reports of a pending Japanese attack. All British, Indian and Australian forces in Malaya are at battle stations following the declaration of a state of emergency as fear of Japanese invasion grows. Reservists and volunteers have been called up, forcing many offices to close. The decision was taken by the governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir Shenton Thomas, after consultation with the Commander-in-Chief Far East, Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham. They emphasize that the state of emergency does not signify a deterioration in the diplomatic situation. Singapore will also be reinforced by the warships HMS “_Prince of Wales_” and battle cruiser HMS “_Repulse_”.

MacArthur again orders Brereton to relocate all B-17’s to Del Monte to avoid Japanese air strikes. Arnold orders all B-17’s in Hawaii transferred to the Philippines. These orders are never implemented. Marshall advises MacArthur that 100,000 tons of supplies were to be shipped during December and that several million more tons were on the West Coast awaiting shipping.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Hptm. Gerhard Schöpfel, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 26 is promoted to Major.

In a meeting at St. Florentin, Vichy French leader Marshal Petain and Goering reaffirm Franco-German collaboration. The Germans agree to hand over war prisoners and France allows German use of North African naval and air bases.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 1, 2016)

*01 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
P-611 Class sub HMS P-611
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDML 1062
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

75’ Thornycroft type RNorN MTB-57
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Departures
Kiel: U-130, U-134, U-454

At Sea 01 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-96 U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

36 Boats

*OPERATIONS
North Sea*
MSW ROSS was damaged by the LW off the east coast of Scotland. The damage required ten days to repair.

Fishing trawler ST LEONARD No. 1 (UK 210 grt) was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea The crew of ten were all rescued

*Northern Patrol*
CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow to relieve CA CUMBERLAND on patrol in the Iceland - Faroes passage.

*Northern Waters*
DD ECLIPSE departed Scapa Flow to meet AMC ESPERANCE BAY and DD WHITSHED off May Island. On meeting, r ECLIPSE relieved WHITSHED and escorted the AMC to the Clyde, arriving on the 3rd. DD ECLIPSE then returned to Scapa Flow arriving later that evening.

BB RAMILLIES and DDs ESCAPADE and WHEATLAND departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde. The ships arrived in the Clyde on the 2nd. Rear Admiral S. S. Bonham-Carter CB, CVO, DSO, hoisted his flag of Battle Squadron 3 in battleship RAMILLIES in the Clyde.

Destroyer WHEATLAND departed to return to Scapa Flow, arriving before noon on the 3rd. DD ESCAPADE departed the Clyde on the 3rd and arrived mid-morning on the 4th.

All the A class DDs of DesFlot 3 were transferred on this date to the Western Approaches.

RNeN submarine O.14 departed Scapa Flow for Dundee.

*West Coast*
_Convoy SL.92_
ASW trawler ARAB escorted the convoy on 1 December only. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 1 December.

_Convoy ON.42_
Convoy ON.42 departed Liverpool

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy SC.55_
Corvettes MAYFLOWER and NANAIMO were detached on 1 December

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OS.13_
On 1 December, DD ROCKINGHAM, sloops LEITH, ROCHESTER, SANDWICH, and SCARBOROUGH joined the convoy.

*Med/Biscay*
DDs JERVIS, JACKAL, JAGUAR, and KIPLING departed Alexandria on 30 November to intercept three RM DDs reported approaching Derna. No contact was made with the Italian ships, which in fact were RM DDs VIVALDI, DA NOLI, and PESSAGNO, which had departed Derna en route to Benghazi and Suda Bay. JACKAL was attacked by a torpedo bomber sixty miles south of Crete near Derna and was badly damaged.

CLAs EURYALUS and NAIAD and DDs HERO and HASTY, which were covering the sweep by the DDs, closed to assist, but were ordered to maintain the Derna interception patrol. The cruisers and DDs arrived back at Alexandria during the night of 2/3 December. There were no casualties on the JACKAL. The DD arrived at Alexandria, escorted by DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, and KIPLING on the 2nd and was under repair at Alexandria until April. The commanding officer Lt Cdr J. F. W. Hine of DD JAGUAR was accidently killed by a shell burst from JERVIS. A rating on DD JAGUAR was also killed and another rating later died of wounds.

Gunboat APHIS bombarded enemy concentrations and supply dumps near the Bardia - Tobruk road during the night of 1/2 December.

Submarine REGENT damaged Italian steamer ENRICO off Trapani..

Italian submarine ENRICO TOTI reported sinking a Submarine off Zante

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC.57_
Corvette FENNEL was detached on 1 December and DD OTTAWA joined.

*Central Atlantic*
Corvettes AZALEA and COLTSFOOT departed Gibraltar escorting tanker WINAMAC outbound and then to meet arriving tanker CONSUL, arriving on the 9th.

Troopship RANGITATA arrived at Gibraltar, escorted by DDs HURWORTH and EXMOOR.

DDs WISHART and LEGION attacked a submarine target 23 miles 307° from Cape Spartel without result.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 DECEMBER TO DAWN 2 DECEMBER 1941
No air raids. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY 0330 hrs_ Working in conjunction with Wellingtons from Malta Force K sinks Italian merchant ship _Adriatico_ (1976 tons) 60 miles north of Benghazi. _1800 hrs_ Force K sinks destroyer _Alvise da Mosto_ (2125 tons) and tanker _Iridio Mantovani_ (10540 tons), already bombed and damaged by Blenheims from Malta. _Force “B”_ arrived, having had no luck [in pursuit of enemy convoy] and sighted nothing.

_LUQA _One Maryland 69 Squadron SF 1 patrol. One Maryland 69 Squadron photo-reconnaissance Castel Benito, Mellaha. One Maryland 69 Squadron SF 6 patrol. Two Blenheims 18 Squadron SF 11 patrol. Six Blenheims 18 Squadron attacked one destroyer and one tanker 6-7000 tons. Four Blenheims 107 Squadron attacked one destroyer and one tanker 3-4000 tons. One Beaufighter BF/Flt attacked motor transport on road east of Sirte. [RAF Blenheim bombers sank the _Capo Faro_ (3,476 tons).] 

_Operation Crusader_
At 0615 hours on 1 Dec, the German 15th Panzer Division began an assault on Belhamed, supported by large numbers of artillery pieces. The British 7th Armoured Division was ordered to counterattack at Belhamed, and they might had been able to do so successfully given they outnumbered the German tanks, but miscommunications resulted in the British tanks moving into rear positions to cover a potential retreat by the Allied troops. By the end of the day, the New Zealand 20th Battalion was practically wiped out.


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## parsifal (Dec 1, 2016)

Halder's Diary 01 December 1941


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## Old Wizard (Dec 1, 2016)




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## Njaco (Dec 1, 2016)

*December 2 Tuesday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: Japanese carrier fleet refueled in the North Pacific at 42 degrees north and 170 degrees east. Japanese Rear Admiral Matome Ugaki received an order authorizing the Combined Fleet to attack any time after midnight on December 7, Japan time. Based on this order, Ugaki sent a wireless communication with the coded message "*Climb Mount Niitaka*", meaning the attacks were to go forward as planned. At 2000 hours, the code "*Niitaka Yama Noboru 1208*" was issued, indicating that the attack on Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii was to be launched on 8 Dec 1941 Tokyo time, 7 Dec on the other side of the international date line. Finally, at Honolulu, Hawaii, Consul-General Nagao Kita was asked to provide a report regarding the presence of any barrage balloons or torpedo nets.

Japanese embassies in United States, Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, and Philippine Islands were ordered to destroy certain documents and code books.

“Tatsuta Maru” departed Yokohama, Japan for San Francisco, ostensibly for the second repatriation voyage to bring Japanese nationals in the United States to Japan. Her planned voyage would take her to Honolulu and San Francisco in the United States, then Manzanillo in Mexico, followed by Balboa in the Panama Canal Zone.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-43 attacked US tanker “Astral” near the Azores islands just after 0000 hours; all torpedoes missed. At 0924 hours, U-43 attacked “Astral” again, destroying the tanker with two torpedo hits; all 37 aboard were killed.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Red Army reinforcements began to arrive at the front. Small German forces reach the northern suburbs of Moscow and come within sight of the Kremlin, less than 20 miles away. Motorcycle patrols from the German 2.Panzerdivision at Moscow reached Khimki and claimed that they were as close as 10 miles northwest from the Kremlin. The 2.Panzerdivision, however, was unable gather enough strength to exploit the weakly defended lines that the reconnaissance troops discovered. Hitler orders a renewed push by Kluge’s 4.Armee to the west of the city. The weather continues to grow colder with heavy snow and blizzards. To the west, additional Soviet reinforcements reached Naro-Fominsk. A man of the Soviet 71st Marine Brigade noted that masses of new troops, supplies and winter equipment suddenly appeared. The VII.Armeekorps (General of the Artillery W. Fahrmbacher) and IX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry H. Geyer) of Hoepner's 4.Panzergruppe had ground to a standstill along the Moskva-Volga Canal. The IX.Armeekorps made one last attempt to improve its positions. The 267.Infanterie-Division (General der Artillerie Robert Martinek) from Hanover was to make one last attempt to break open the Soviet barrier west of Kubinka by means of an enveloping attack across the frozen Moskva river. In a temperature 34 degrees below zero Centigrade it took hours to start all the vehicles needed to get the men and the heavy weapons into the deployment area. The artillery, on the other hand, put down a massive barrage as in the good old days. But, in spite of it, the move did not come off. The Russians had fresh Siberian regiments in magnificently camouflaged and well-built positions in the woods. As a result, the normally so useful 3.7-cm. anti-tank guns of Brämer's 14th Panzerjäger Company were not much help, even though two troops with six guns had been attached to the assault battalions of Lieutenant-Colonel Maier's combat group. The gun crews were killed. The guns were lost. That was the end. The men had to withdraw again. They simply could not get anywhere. The Germans also noted a dramatic increase in the Russian air activity. The advance of 11.Panzerdivision stalled in the face of Russian bomber and fighter attacks, artillery and rocket fire and tank assaults. In contrast the German were running out of men and supplies. The lucky ones were wearing captured Russian coats and fur hats. To the south of Moscow, another German attack on Tula cut the Tula-Moscow rail line. Guderian gathered the last of his army’s tank strength into two groups for a final attempt to cut off the Soviet 50th Army at Tula. In a day of non-stop fighting the 9.Infanterie -Regiment (Raegener), 23.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General H. Hellmich), captured Spas-Kamenka, just west of the Moscow-Dmitrov highway and 32 km from Moscow. This was as close as they got as they lacked the men, material and motivation to continue. Two battalions refused to advance any further. The Soviets immediately launched strong and coordinated attacks against the exposed German spearheads forcing them to retreat back to their start lines. Both Bock (Army Group Center) and Brauchitsch (Commander in Chief of the German Army) are ill and unable to fully perform their duties. In the evening, Hitler arrives at headquarters of Army Group South to review the situation.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler issued Directive No. 38, ordering reinforcement of the Luftwaffe presence in the Mediterranean. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/38.html

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring is promoted commander in chief of the Armed Forces South in the Mediterranean area (Italy and North Africa) responsible for combat operations in this theatre.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: The Axis attack on Tobruk, Libya that began on 30 Nov 1941 was halted as Axis tank losses reached such a level that repairs must be made before any further operations were possible. Rommel repairs his tanks, having again separated Tobruk from the attacking Allied force, and sends motorized infantry east to try to relieve his garrisons isolated at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass. Heavy fighting in several areas. Rommel’s forces continue the pressure against the Tobruk garrison in fighting around El Duda. British armor is engaged as they attempt to regroup farther south toward Bir el Bubi. They also attempt to send relief to the Axis garrisons at Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass which are still resisting against 4th Indian Division of 13th Corps.

*NORTH AMERICA*: The United States protests the increase of Japanese military forces in Indochina pointing out that Japan is in violation of her agreement with France. The United States accuses Japan of planning further aggression in the region.

15 atomic scientists, including the Soviet spy Klaus Fuchs, arrive from Britain to join the US atomic research project.

First Naval Armed Guard detachment (7 men under a coxswain) of World War II reports to Liberty ship, SS “_Dunboyne_”.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Soviet troops completely abandon the last holdings in the Karelia Peninsula that were seized from the Finns in the 1939-40 Winter War. Soviet troopships “_Iosif Stalin_” and “_Maya_”, along with a number of other warships and transport vessels, departed Hanko, Finland with the last of the 12,000 troops aboard. This marked the final Soviet evacuation from Finnish territory occupied by the Soviet Union at the conclusion of the Winter War.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: At Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Kimmel was briefed of the disposition of the Japanese fleet, with the whereabouts of Carrier Division 1 and Carrier Division 2 (four fleet carriers total) not known. The best American guess was that they were at Kure, Japan. Captain Layton reports to Kimmel that he does not know where Japanese Carrier Division 1 or Carrier Division 2 are, but thinks that they are in home waters.

RN Force “Z” - the British battleship HMS “_Prince of Wales_”, battlecruiser HMS “_Repulse_” and destroyers “_Electra_”, “_Express_”, “_Encounter_”, and “_Jupiter_” - arrive in Singapore on Churchill’s suggestion to act as a deterrent against Japanese aggression. The task force was to also include the carrier “_Indomitable_”, but this ship had run aground in the West Indies and would not be ready to sail before Christmas. They arrive too late to have the planned deterrent effect but the Japanese do note the British naval presence.

US PBY Catalina patrol aircraft reported 20 Japanese transports congregating in Cam Ranh Bay off Indochina. IJN reconnaissance plane spotted over Clark airfield at dawn. Unknown aircraft off Luzon coast tracked by radar at Iba.

American submarine USS “_Trout_” began a "simulated war patrol" off Midway.


> "In view of present situation, the presence in port of warships, airplane carriers, and cruisers is of utmost importance. Hereafter, to the utmost of your ability, let me know day by day. Wire me in each case whether or not there are any observation balloons above Pearl Harbor or if there are any indications that they will be set up. Also advise me whether or not the warships are provided with anti-mine (anti-torpedo) nets." _This message, Army intercept 8007, was not translated until December 30th 1941. A primary reason for this is that it was transmitted in the J-19 code which was considered to be for lower priority messages and therefore got overlooked._



In the South China Sea, nine Free Dutch submarines take position to intercept any Japanese incursion.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: British Prime Minister Churchill's new National Service Bill included compulsory service for women.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Paris, German army doctor Kerscher is wounded by a pistol shot. In the Boulevard Auguste Blanqui there is a bomb attack on the RNP offices.


.


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## parsifal (Dec 2, 2016)

*02 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Neutral
LCT MKV Class USS LCT-390
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
M Class DD HMS MARNE (G-35)





T Class Submarine HMS TURBULENT (N-98)





Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS BRURAY (T-236)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MA/SB 38
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML-301
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

LCI I Class HMS LCI-103
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses*
U.43 sank *tkr ASTRAL (US 7542 grt)* in the Central Atlantic, as she was transporting gasoline and kerosene to neutral Portugal. The entire crew of eight officers and twenty nine men were lost.





U.562 sank *Steamer GRELHEAD (UK 4274 grt)* two miles north of Point Negri, Morocco within Spanishy territorial waters wherere allied escorts could not lawfully go . Two crew were rescued.





U.557 sank *steamer FJORD (Nor 4032 grt*) off Estepona Point, Spain, within Spanish territorial waters. Fourteen crew were lost on the steamer.






*Tkr BRITISH CAPTAIN (UK 6968 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the North Sea near 54 C Buoy. One crewman was missing on the tanker.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


RM submarine CAPPELLINI sank *Steamer MIGUEL DE LARRINAGA (UK 5231 grt)* off the coast of Portugal.. Portuguese DD VOUGA was despatched from Ponta Delgada to search for survivors.





*UBOATS*
At Sea 02 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-96 U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-331, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-565, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

38 Boats

After British aircraft reported a submarine (which was U-558) 13 miles 340° from Cape Spartel, sloop STORK attacked a contact at this location. The hunt was continued with DD BRADFORD and corvette MARIGOLD. U-558 was extensively damaged and had to abort her attempt to pass the Straits of Gibraltar.

*OPERATIONS*
*East Front*
Black Sea/Caspian
Steamer CORDELIA (Ger 1357 grt) was sunk of Konstanza by a VMF submarine
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*North Sea*
Newly commissioned DD MARNE departed Methil for the Clyde to conduct torpedo trials where she arrived on the 4th.

MSW SALTASH departed Sheerness for passage to the Faroes to rejoin the 4th Minesweeper Squadron.

*Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK arrived at Hvalfjord from Denmark Strait patrol. CA NORFOLK departed Hvalfjord for Denmark Strait patrol. CA CUMBERLAND departed patrol in the Iceland - Faroes passage upon relief by CL ARETHUSA. The CA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 4th.

*Northern Waters*
DD SOMALI departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth where she arrived later that day for boiler cleaning. ORP DD BLYSKAWICA arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after a long refit.

*Med/Biscay*
U.205 attacked a destroyer near Alexandria.

DDs NAPIER, GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, and DECOY departed Alexandria to sweep off the Cyrenician coast. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 4th. As DECOY was proceeding to her mooring, she collided with Polish steamer WARSZAWA. DD DECOY's bow was seriously damaged. The DD departed Alexandria on the 15th for repair at Malta, completed on 10 February.

Submarine PERSEUS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Ionian Sea.

Submarine CLYDE arrived at Gibraltar after patrol. She departed again that day to relieve Dutch submarine O.24 on patrol off Oran. The Dutch submarine then proceeded to patrol off Naples.
*
Central Atlantic*
DDs ARROW and BLANKNEY arrived at Gibraltar from the UK, carrying RAF stores, and DD HARVESTER arrived from escorting convoy OG.77 at the start.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
RIN PV NETRAVATI engaged Vichy sloop ELORN near French Somaliland. The Vichy sloop was escorting a submarine northbound from Djibouti. The action had no results and ELORN returned to Djibouti.

*Pacific/Australia*
BB PRINCE OF WALES, BC REPULSE, and DDs ELECTRA, EXPRESS, ENCOUNTER, and JUPITER arrived at Singapore. These ships, along with BB REVENGE and DD VAMPIRE(both in Ceylon) were the British Eastern Fleet.

CL MAURITIUS arrived at Singapore for repairs.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 DECEMBER TO DAWN 3 DECEMBER 1941
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 2 DECEMBER 1941

_0034 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement.

_1848 hrs_ Air raid alarm. No engagement. Bombs in sea.

_ROYAL NAVYForce “K”_ arrived, having intercepted and sunk one destroyer, one tanker and one merchant vessel. Four Albacores left for operations, but returned owing to weather.

_LUQA_ Two Marylands 69 Squadron SF 1 patrol. One Maryland 69 Squadron SF 9B patrol. One Maryland 69 Squadron SF6 patrol. Two Beaufighters attacked petrol tankers and lorries on road between Sirte and Homs.


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## parsifal (Dec 2, 2016)

Halder's Diary 02 December 1941


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## Old Wizard (Dec 2, 2016)




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## Njaco (Dec 2, 2016)

*December 3 Wednesday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: The Japanese carrier fleet tasked with the Pearl Harbor attack turned south after refueling on the previous day, approaching the Hawaii Islands with increased speed. Japanese Navy issued the order to its senior admirals that hostilities against United States, Britain, and the Netherlands would begin on 8 Dec 1941 (Tokyo time). Japanese military officials send the message “*Climb Mount Niitaka*” to Admiral Nagumo’s carrier force, confirming that the operation is to proceed.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: U-124 sinks unarmed neutral American SS “_Sagadahoc_” despite the US flag visible on the side (1 killed). 34 survivors in 2 lifeboats are questioned by the Germans and rescued a week later by Allied merchant ships. SS “_Sagadahoc_” is the 4th and final American merchant ship sunk by U-boats prior to America joining the war.

*EASTERN FRONT*: German 4.Armee was halted at Naro-Fominsk west of Moscow, Russia, thus exposing the flank of the German 2.Panzerarmee, which was assaulting the Tula region south of Moscow. In two days of hard fighting, 4.Armee (Kluge) had suffered terrible losses. The most successful division, 258.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General W. Hellmich), ground to a halt 30 km of Moscow. The Russians let the attacking panzers roll over their positions before emerging again. The lead attackers were surrounded. Kluged ordered his men back. 4. Panzergruppe (Hoepner) had also run out of steam. The German SS Das Reich Division was fighting for the small town of Lenino, 37 km north-west of Moscow. They had captured half the town by the afternoon when Hoepner called off the attack. The Siberian 32nd Rifle Brigade trapped some German tanks. The Siberians constructed a line of brushwood in front of their camouflaged positions then doused the brushwood with inflammables. The Russians lit the wood when the German tanks were across thus separating the tanks from their supporting infantry. The panzers were trapped in a small area in front of the defensive positions. The Russian artillery then opened up and destroyed the tanks. 15 Russian tanks surprised elements of 6.Panzerdivision, 3.Panzergruppe. The Germans were quartered in a village when the tanks emerged from a nearby forest and headed for the village. The surprised Germans ran for their lives. They lost 30 men (including the battalion commander) and abandoned all of their vehicles, artillery and supplies. 56. Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General K. von Schleinitz) were expecting the order to attack Krasnaya Polyana and the Moscow-Volga Canal. But with Russian infantry infiltrating the woods to their flank and increasing enemy air and tank attacks they were instead ordered to dig in. They lay mines and dug trenches – in the middle of a snow storm. The Russians noted the change of German tactics – fortifying the villages and patrolling the roads with armored vehicles. Guderian and others will blame von Kluge’s defensive posture for the failure of Typhoon.

Soviet cruiser “_Krasny Kavkaz_” brings 1000 reinforcements to Sevastopol. Soviet warships bombard German positions in the Crimea.

*GERMANY*: Hitler issued a decree on "Simplification and Increased Efficiency in our Armaments Production" (commonly known as the "Rationalization Decree") in which he chided German firms for failing to adopt the practice of large factories and simple production methods, and ordered the military to simplify and standardize the design of all weapons to make possible "mass production on modern principles".

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Japan asked Italy to declare war on the United States should Japan and US enter a state of war.

“_Scirè_” departed La Spezia, Italy for Alexandria, Egypt with three manned torpedoes on board. U-558 damaged by Fleet Air Arm aircraft operating from Gibraltar.

In Albania, Italians sack Albanian puppet leaders and form new government led by Mustafa Merlika Kruja.

*MIDDLE EAST*: Stalin orders the reconstituted Polish army to Iran and Iraq with the intent of providing these former enemy troops to the British. Despite needing all the troops he could find, Stalin preferred to see the countrymen of a nation he stabbed in the back gone.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: The Axis attempt to reach Bardia in Libya and Sollum and Halfaya Pass in Egypt failed to breach the Allied positions that stood in the way. Rommel’s attempt to reach the garrisons is blocked by Allied infantry and artillery.

Hptm. Lippert, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 27 who was shot down on the 23 November and injured, dies of his wounds in an RAF Egyptian hospital.

*NORTH AMERICA*: President Franklin Roosevelt announced that Lend-Lease aid would be given to Turkey, as the safety of that country was considered vital to American defense.

Roosevelt again meets with British Ambassador, Lord Halifax, and indicates the US would enter the war on the British side the British if they were attacked by Japan, but did not explicitly promise this.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The Soviet evacuation convoy that had departed Hanko, Finland on the previous day sailed into the Corbetha minefield in the Gulf of Finland. One minesweeper was sunk and several other vessels were damaged. The passengers and crew aboard troop ship “_Iosif Stalin_”, which was seriously damaged by a mine, abandoned ship. About 4,000 of the nearly 6,000 that went overboard died in the water.

Finnish Submarine “_Vetehinen_” makes a surface attack on a 7-ship convoy shooting both bow and stern torpedoes. Enemy artillery fire was heavy, no hits on either side.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: At Pearl Harbor, the American intelligence report on the location of Japanese Navy warships had "no information on submarines or carriers". Elsewhere in Hawaii, Consul-General Nagao Kita received orders to burn code ciphers and important papers. This was noticed by the Americans, who also received intelligence that several Japanese embassies around the world were doing the same.

US PBY Catalina patrol aircraft reported 30 Japanese transports congregating in Cam Ranh Bay off Indochina, 10 more than the previous day. Meanwhile, a Japanese fleet departed Hainan Island in southern China for Thailand. Japanese submarines began forming lines in Central and East Pacific.

British intelligence in Manila sends an urgent cable to British intelligence in Hawaii saying: “*We have received considerable intelligence confirming following developments in Indo-China. A. 1. Accelerated Japanese preparations of air fields and railways. 2. Arrival since Nov. 10 of additional 100,000 repeat 100,000 troops and considerable quantities fighters, medium bombers, tanks and guns (75 mm). B. Estimate of specific quantities have already been telegraphed Washington Nov. 21 by American military intelligence here. C. Our considered opinion concludes that Japan envisages early hostilities with Britain and U.S. Japan does not repeat not intend to attack Russia at present but will act in South.”*

Carrier USS “_Enterprise_” began to launch F4F Wildcat fighters of the US Marine Corps for Wake Island.

US Navy yacht “_Isabel_” set sail for the coast of Indochina on Roosevelt's orders. She was planned to be one of three vessels that would attempt to draw first fire from Japanese warships should hostilities become unavoidable. Hart personally briefs Lieutenant John Walker Payne, Jr, Commander of the “_Isabel_” and assigns his ship to the “Defensive Information Patrol”. Payne sails the same day.

American submarine USS “_Argonaut_” began a "simulated war patrol" off Midway.

Brereton returns and is instructed by MacArthur to plan on leaving on 8th December for another trip, this time a 5,733-mile journey to Djakarta, Singapore, Rangoon, and Chunking, to co-ordinate defensive measures with the Dutch, British, and Chinese, and to receive a report on Japanese air activities from Chennault.

The men of the 5th Air Base Group at Del Monte field, are joined by two ordnance companies and a second contingent is due on December 10th with ammunition and 110,000 US gallons (91,594 Imperial gallons or 416,395 litres) of aviation fuel.

*WESTERN FRONT*: In Switzerland, eggs and products based on eggs are rationed.

.


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## Old Wizard (Dec 3, 2016)




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## parsifal (Dec 3, 2016)

*03 DECEMBER 1941
Known reinforcements*
Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS CHARYBDIS (88)





*Losses*
U-124 sank *steamer SAGADAHOC (US 6275 grt)* in the Sth Atlantic whilst she was on passage from New York to Mombasa with a mixed cargo. 1 of the crew of 35 were lost in the attack. At 2147 hrs the neutral and unarmed SAGADAHOC was hit by two torpedoes from U-124 in the South Atlantic. The U-boat had chased the ship for 6 hrs and attacked at dusk because Mohr (the U-Boat skipper) found it suspect when they failed to set lights to illuminate the flag painted on the side, making it impossible to identify the nationality of the vessel in the dark. The torpedoes struck under the bridge and between the hatches #4 and #5 and caused a slight list as the ship settled. She sank by the stern after being hit in the engine room by a coup de grace at 2158 hrs.. Eight officers, 25 crewmen and one passenger abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were questioned by the Germans. The lifeboats later became separated and the men were rescued after six days (for one boat) and seven days (for the other).

When the U-boat passed the sinking position of this vessel two days later the Germans took aboard several barrels and cans of different mechanical oil and grease along with two tyres and two bouys.





*Steamer MACLAREN (UK 2330 grt)* was sunk on a mine in 51-21-21-N, 3-17-17W. Three crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-563
Salamis: U-331

Departures
Brest: U-208
Kiel: U-566

At Sea 03 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-96 U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-562, U-565, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

37 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
The VMF Fleet submarine K-3 had missed with 4 torpedoes the German merchant ALTKIRCH and was then heavily attacked with depth charges by the German submarine-chasers UJ-1403, UJ-1416 and UJ-1708. The submarine touched the bottom and was damaged, being forced to the surface by the damage sustained. The Crew of the submarine prepared to make a last stand and faced in gunfire battle the three enemy ship. The K-3 opened fire with all the weaponry, and 39 shells of 100mm and 47 of45mmwere fired. Enemy SCs were only armed with20mmand 88mm guns and fired 60 shells (of the main 88mm guns) without scoring hits. *UJ-1708 (DKM 470 grt)* suffered a direct hit on the bow at the fifth salvo of the submarine and sunk. The other submarine chasers withdrew (some Soviet sources wrongly claim that also UJ-1403 was damaged). K-3 survived the battle and returned to port for repairs




_VMF Fleet submarine K-3_

*Northern Waters*
ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Loch Alsh and arrived at Scapa Flow that day. Sister ship WELSHMAN departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh and arrived that day

_Convoy QP.3_
The convoy was dispersed on 3 December at 0300 in 73-45N, 19-00E. The British ships proceeded to Seidisfjord. They were escorted from Seidisfjord to Kirkwall from 9 to 12 December by British trawlers MACBETH and HAMLET.

*West Coast*
Landing ship PRINCE CHARLES departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 4th

_Convoy ON.43_
Convoy ON.43 departed Liverpool escorted by DD BROKE.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy SC.55_
DD AMAZON was detached from the convoy escort on 3 December.

_Convoy HX.161_
On 3 December, USN DDs BERNADOU, LEA, MACLEISH, ROE, and WOOLSEY were relieved by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and VETERAN

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OS.13_
Sloop SCARBOROUGH was detached from the escort on 3 December

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine OLYMPUS departed Malta for Gibraltar with stores and personnel. The submarine arrived on the 10th.

Submarine UPHOLDER arrived at Malta from patrol off Colonne.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.163_
Convoy HX.163 departed Halifax, escorted by DD HAMILTON and corvettes KAMLOOPS and SASKATOON.

*Pacific/Australia*
CLs DANAE and DRAGON and DD STRONGHOLD arrived at Singapore to reinforce the Eastern Flt.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 DECEMBER TO DAWN 4 DECEMBER 1941
_2110 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One unidentified enemy aircraft, probably Italian piloted German aircraft off its course crossed the coast near Delimara. No engagement took place as it was thought the aircraft might try and land but it receded north.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 3 DECEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVYOlympus_ sailed for Gibraltar with stores and passengers. _Upholder_ returned from patrol off Colonne, having unsuccessfully attacked returning cruisers and _Mantovani_. 

_HAL FAR:_ No enemy air activity – conditions bad.

_LUQA:_ All operations cancelled (owing to bad weather).


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## parsifal (Dec 3, 2016)

Halder's diary 03 December 1941


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## markriese.creations (Dec 8, 2016)

Njaco said:


> *December 12 Thursday
> GERMANY:* The plan for the Russian invasion is named ‘Fritz’ and given as Directive 21.
> 
> *EASTERN EUROPE:* Hungary and Yugoslavia signed the Treaty of Eternal Friendship.
> ...



I have done a little correction to the name of Castel Benito (not Castel Beninto- as written in origin) because the place was dedicated to Benito (Mussolini). Thet's all.
Thanks. from Italy

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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*December 4 Thursday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: Japanese invasion fleets departed from various locations for their destinations in Malaya and Thailand. The Japanese 25th Army begins leaving Hainan Island in preparation for the invasion of Malaysia and Thailand. Under extremely poor weather and wave conditions, Nagumo’s fleet manages to replenish its fuel stores. The replenishment ships head for the return leg rendezvous point and the carriers turn south for their final run to Hawaii. Nagumo is approx 600 miles from Hawaii and steaming east in heavy seas, about to make a turn to the southeast that will bring him to 200 miles from Oahu. He will do one more refueling from his remaining tanker, leave it behind, and then increase speed to 24 knots. Leading the way are a light cruiser followed in a fan by four destroyers. They have been given orders to sink any ship they see, merchant or otherwise. Following the destroyers three miles astern are three fast Battleships. Four miles to starboard and port of the battleships are the heavy cruisers “_Chikuma_” and “_Tone_” that are to play a key role in Midway a few months later. Three miles behind this formidable group in two parallel columns come the six carriers, with “_Akagi_” in the lead. Bringing up the rear are two destroyers.

*EASTERN FRONT*: On the Eastern Front, temperatures dropped to -31 degrees Fahrenheit (-37 degrees Celsius). In this cold weather, Günther von Kluge ordered German Army Group Center to fall back to defensive positions. The Russians defeated Guderian’s last attempt to surround Tula. Guderian (2.Panzerarmee) and Heinrici (XLIII.Armeekorps) planned the attack on the afternoon of 4 Dec. Heinrici was to break through to join the Eberbach battle group on the highway north of Tula. Only a few kilometres separated to the wings of the German encirclement. However, on the night of 4 Dec temperatures dropped to -30 degrees and the defenders in Tula received reinforcements from the Strategic Reserve. Eberbach had less than 30 operating tanks and these were widely dispersed. The Russians brought up Siberians and a fresh tank brigade to face them – with 70 T-34s. The Germans could hear the engines of the enemy tanks less than 2 km away. The Germans expected to be overwhelmed if the Russians attacked. Regiment 17, 31.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General G. Berthold), was the spearhead of Heinrici’s attack. The men assembled at 2340 hours and, expecting heavy casualties, asked the Chaplain to accompany them to the front line. “The Die is Cast” is the phrase Heinrici used when, at 2300 hours, he and Guderian committed their troops to the final push to encircle Tula. Guderian’s attempt to encircle Tula fails as Kampfguppe Eberbach (2.Panzerarmee) is dislodged from the Tula/Moscow rail line. Guderian too pulls back his forces around Tula which are exposed in forward positions they cannot hold.

At an event at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Joseph Stalin noted to Aleksandr Vasilevsky his surprise that Vasilevsky only had a single Order of the Red Star and a medal on Vasilevsky's uniform. The Soviet leader had expected the general to be better decorated.

Adolf Eichmann appointed Jacob Edelstein, originally from Prague, the chairperson of the Council of Jewish Elders of Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in occupied Czechoslovakia.

*GERMANY*: Hitler concedes that Rundstedt, previously relieved of command of Army Group South, was correct to withdraw from Rostov, and promises the field marshal a new position in the future.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: British submarine HMS “_Perseus_” sank Italian freighter “_Eridano_” 6 miles off Lefkada, Greece.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: British send 4th Armoured Brigade East to counter Rommel’s threat to Bardia and Sollum. This exposes 70th Division's 14th Infantry Brigade from Tobruk which is still holding Ed Duda ridge and they are duly attacked by Rommel although with no success. With Panzer divisions still repairing their tanks, Rommel realizes he cannot simultaneously prevent a Tobruk breakout and relieve the isolated garrisons, so he turns around the motorized infantry heading to Bardia, Sollum and Halfaya Pass and sends them back towards Tobruk.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Curtiss-Wright Corporation opened a new factory complex in Columbus, Ohio, United States.

The firefighting role of the Quartermaster Corps of the United States Army is transferred to the Corps of Engineers. The Engineers acquired fire stations staffed with professional civilian fire fighters and Army acquired fire apparatus as well as the Quartermaster Corps fire apparatus designers, fire apparatus in the procurement stage and the policies and procedures applicable to peacetime.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Carrier USS “_Enterprise_” completed launching F4F Wildcat fighters of the US Marine Corps for Wake Island and set sail for Hawaii Islands, scheduling to arrive on 6 Dec 1941. Later the 12 F4F-3 fighters of US Marine Fighter Squadron 211 arrived at Wake Island. They began daily patrols immediately. Meanwhile, Japanese aircraft scouted Wake Island undetected.

Later this day, American PBY Catalina patrol aircraft reported that the 30 Japanese transports detected on the previous day in Cam Ranh Bay off Indochina were no longer there.

American river gunboats “_Luzon_” and “_Oahu_”, submarine rescue vessel “_Pigeon_”, and minesweeper “_Finch_” reached Manila, Philippine Islands from China. American river gunboat “_Mindanao_” set sail from Hong Kong for Manila, Philippine Islands. American river gunboats “_Wake_” and “_Tutuila_” remained near Shanghai and Chongqing, respectively, to maintain communications with American diplomatic offices in China.

MacArthur orders Brereton to initiate air patrols to north of Luzon and to disperse aircraft. Brereton uses fighters for this mission. Patrols continue to December 8, 1941. Patrols spotted a formation of between nine and 27 bombers over Luzon after dark.

21st Pursuit Squadron at Nichols receives 24 P-40E’s, turns its 17 P-35A’s over to the 34th at Del Carmen. Del Monte Field sufficiently developed to be used by B-17’s.

Intel in DC has been tracking a series of “winds” messages from Tokyo to embassies, and receive a winds message that they, correctly, believe to be the war warning to the embassy, known as the “winds execute message”: “north wind clear”. Hawaii is never informed. Kimmel, Navy Commander Hawaii, receives intel that the local Japanese consulate is destroying all but one code, and is burning documents, but fails to understand the significance of this. The head of RCA, Sarnoff, had agreed to provide the Navy in Hawaii with the coded messages tapped from local Japanese and from the Japanese Consulate phones and messages. Key intercepts were provided on December 3, 4. Rochefort put his best people on it, but couldn't finalize decoding until Dec 10, at which point they realized they had the key info forecasting the attack.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Keith Park was made a companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.

Parliament passes a new national Service Bill. It includes compulsory direction and conscription for female labour. Unmarried women are to be called up to serve in the police, fire services and armed services under rules announced by the prime minister. Those affected are aged between 20 and 30. Married as well as single women up to the age of 40 are to register as available labour which might be directed to industry. Mr Churchill describes the new arrangement as “another installment of toil and sweat”. The age of call-up for men is down to 18 years and six months, while those aged between 41 and 50 are also liable for armed service. Boys and girls aged 16 must register their names as a first step toward uniform, and boys aged 16 are being encouraged to join the Home Guard as cadets. As Mr. Churchill sees it: “We must be careful that our boys do not run loose.” Single women with illegitimate or adopted children, and other special hardship cases, are exempt. Female conscientious objectors can claim exemption even though women do not serve in most combat units. Among men, lay preachers and farm workers are among those whose “reserve occupations” keeps them out of uniform. Yet the potential pool of labour resulting from the new rules will contain nearly 1.7 million single women and 70,000 youths.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*04 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-599
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS LUNENBURG (K-151)





Bangor Class MSW HMCS MEDICINE HAT (J-256)





Bangor Class MSW HMCS MELVILLE (J-263)







Bangor Class MSW HMCS OUTARDE (J-161)





Fairmile B ML-299
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-578
Kristiansand: U-566
Salamis: U-559

Departures
Salamis: U-371
St. Nazaire: U-568
Stavanger: U-654

At Sea 04 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-96 U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-562, U-565, U-568, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer EDITH FAULBAUM (Ger 1318 grt)* was sunk on a mine off Warnermunde, near the mouth of the river Warnow. .[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
DDs ECLIPSE and FURY departed Scapa Flow for the Humber to refit at Hull and Immingham, respectively. The DDs arrived in the Humber on the 5th.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy SC.55_
Corvette HEARTSEASE, trawlers AYRSHIRE and NOTTS COUNTY were detached on 4 December. ASW trawler ST CATHAN joined on 4 December

_Convoy ON.41_
DDs CALDWELL and VANOC and corvettes CALENDULA and ROSE were detached on 4 December when relieved by USN DDs BABBITT, LEARY, MAYO, NICHOLSON, and SCHENCK.

_Convoy ON.43_
Corvettes CAMELLIA and HIBISCUS joined on the 4th.

*SW Approaches*
DDs SIKH, ZULU, HIGHLANDER, and HESPERUS arrived at Gibraltar from Londonderry.

*Med/Biscay*
Submarine PERSEUS sank *steamer ERIDANO (FI 3586 grt)*. On the 4th December 1941 she was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine 6 miles 280° from Cape Dukato, Lefkada Island, Greece..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DDs JERVIS, HERO, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria to patrol off Derna. The DDs returned to Alexandria during the night of 5/6December.

Gunboat APHIS bombarded Derna - Tobruk road early on the 4th.

Submarine P.31 arrived at Malta from patrol off Colonne.

_Convoy AT.2_
Convoy AT.2 departed Alexandria for Tobruk. The slow section was two store ships and three LSTs, escorted by sloops YARRA and FLAMINGO and two ASW trawlers departing at 1600. The fast section was armed boarding vessel CHANTALA and steamer CRISTA and WOLBOROUGH, escorted by DDs HEYTHROP and AVONVALE and one ASW trawler departing a short time after the slow section. The convoys arrived at Tobruk on the 6th. The sloops proceeded to carry out an ASW sweep in the area.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.39_
The USN DDs were detached when the convoy was dispersed on 4 December.

_Convoy ON.40_
The convoy was dispersed on 4 December.

_Convoy SC.56_
Corvette ALYSSE was detached on 4 December,

_Convoy SC.58_
Convoy SC.58 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by corvettes DRUMHELLER, KAMSACK, SHAWNIGAN, and SUMMERSIDE and MSW THUNDER.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy OS.12_
Escort vessel GORLESTON joined the convoy on 4 December and was detached on 6 December.

_Convoy ST.10_
Convoy ST.10 departed Freetown, escorted by DD WILD SWAN, sloop BRIDGEWATER, and corvettes CLOVER, FREESIA, and NIGELLA. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 9th.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Steamer ELLENGA departed Singapore with one naval and one hundred and sixty three miltary personnel. She called at Penang where she embarked three RIN and ninety five military personnel. CL DANAE escorted the steamer to 81E. Steamer ELLENGA continued unescorted and arrived at Madras on the 14th.

*Pacific/Australia*
DD EXPRESS departed Singapore.

Eighteen Japanese transports departed Hainan with 26,640 troops for the Malaya landings. The transports were escorted by IJN DesFlot 3 led by CL SENDAI, DDs MURAKUMO, SHINONOME, SHIRAKUMO, and USUGUMO of DesDiv 12, ISONAMI, URANAMI, SHIKINAMI, and AYANAMI of DesDiv 19, , and AMAGIRI, ASAGIRI, and YUGIRI of DesDiv 20 formed the heavily escorted invasion convoy .

CA CHOKAI (Ozawa) with DD SAGIRI of the balance of Desdiv 20 accompanied the convoy.

A covering force of CAs KUMANO, MIKUMA, MOGAMI, and SUZUYA and DDs FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI, and SHIRAYUKI of DesDiv 11 was provided distant heavy cover in the event that the convoy was threatened by RN heavy units.

Admiral Kondo was in command of the distant cover force for the Malayan - Luzon landings. His force departed the Pescadores with CAs ATAGO and TAKAO of the 1st Division of the 4th Cruiser Squadron, BBs HARUNA and KONGO of the 2nd Division of the 3rd Battleship Squadron, and DDs ARASHI, HAGIKAZE, MAIKAZE, and NOWAKE of DesDiv 4, IKAZUCHI and INAZUMA of the 2nd Group of DesDiv 6, and ASASHIO, OSHIO, MICHISHIO, and ARASHIO of DesDiv 8.

_convoy 4001_
The convoy arrived at Manila on 4 December and CL BOISE was ordered to join the Asiatic Fleet.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 DECEMBER TO DAWN 5 DECEMBER 1941
_1345 hrs_ Air raid alarm. Caused by return of Blenheim.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 4 DECEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY P31_ [submarine _HMS Uproar_] returned from patrol off Colonne, having most probably sunk a cruiser.

_LUQA_ One Blenheim 107 Squadron SF 2B patrol. One Blenheim 107 Squadron SF11 patrol. Four Blenheims 107 Squadron attacked marshalling yards at Messina. Sergeant Kidby failed to return. One Beaufighter BF/Flt attacked motor transport on road east of Sirte. One Maryland 69 Squadron SF1 patrol. One Maryland 69 Squadron SF6 patrol. One Maryland 69 Squadron SF 9 patrol. 

_TA QALI_ Acting Wing Commander Powell-Shedden appointed officer commanding Ta Qali. Malta Night Fighter Unit – No 1435 Night Fighter Flight – formed as separate entity under Squadron Leader I B Westmacott. Establishment awaited. All night operations cancelled – bad weather conditions – no flying. 

_Operation Crusader_
Between 4 and 6 Dec, fighting took place across the front without decisive outcomes. The Allied reserves began to be committed as attrition began to take a toll, but the Allied leadership saw the situation as favorable to them.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

Halder's diary 04 December 1941


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*December 5 Friday*
*ASIA*: Operation Z: Japanese invasion fleet boarded a Norwegian freighter and destroyed her radio. Japanese submarines surrounded Hawaii Islands. Japan announced that recent troop movements in Indochina were merely precautionary.

18 Japanese troop transports escorted by 2 cruisers and 12 destroyers leave Japanese-occupied Hainan Island, China (at the head of the South China Sea). They are carrying 26,640 troops for landings in Malaya. Seven transports depart Saigon carrying 143rd Infantry Regiment of Japanese 56th Division, joining with main body which has previously departed Hainan Island.

The E15K floatplane took its maiden flight. The Kawanishi E15K Shiun was a single-engined Japanese reconnaissance floatplane. The Allied reporting name for the type was "Norm" after Squadron Leader Norman O. Clappison of the RAAF, a member of the Allied Technical Air Intelligence Unit (ATAIU).

“_Irako_” was commissioned into Japanese Navy service with Captain Eisaku Tsuji in command. She departed Kobe, Japan.

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Germans canceled Operation Typhoon during which the lowest temperature dropped to -36 degrees Fahrenheit (-38 degrees Celsius). Hitler called an end to the winter offensive against Moscow and orders some “limited” withdrawals. North and west of the Soviet capital the German spearheads had got to within a few miles of the outskirts of the city. On the northern wing of Army Group Centre, 9.Armee held a 105-mile arc through Kalinin to the Moscow Sea. The divisions of 3.Panzergruppe, which were to have outflanked Moscow in the north, had advanced as far as Dmitrov on the Moskva-Volga Canal. Farther south were the most forward units of XLI.Armeekorps (mot.), poised to cross the canal north of Lobnya. The combat group Westhoven of 1.Panzerdivision, having captured Nikolskoye and Belyy Rast, had reached the western edge of Kusayevo. Adjoining on the right, 4.Panzergruppe held a quadrant around Moscow, from Krasnaya Polyana to Zvenigorod; the distance to the Kremlin was nowhere more than 25 miles. The combat outposts of 2.Panzerdivision were at the first stop of the Moscow tramway. An assault detachment of Engineers Battalion 62 from Wittenberg had got closest to Stalin’s lair by penetrating into the suburb of Khimki, only 5 miles from the outskirts of the city and 10 from the Kremlin. On the southern wing of Hoepner’s 4.Panzergruppe, reading from left to right, were 106th and 35th Infantry Divisions, 11.Panzerdivision and 5.Panzerdivision, as well as the SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.)“Das Reich,”and 252nd, 87th, 78th, 267th, 197th, and 7th Infantry Divisions. Next followed the divisions of Kluge’s 4.Armee. They were 30 miles from Moscow, along a line running from north to south, between the Moscow motor highway and the Oka. Next along the front came Guderian’s 2.Panzerarmee. It had bypassed the stubbornly defended town of Tula and was holding a big eastward bulge around Stalinogorsk. Its armoured spearhead, the 17.Panzerdivision, pointing northward against the Oka, stood before Kashira. On the extreme right wing the 2.Armee was covering the southern flank and maintaining the link with Army Group South. This then was the 600-mile front line along which the German offensive had come to a standstill at the beginning of December – in the most literal sense frozen into inactivity. Men, beasts, engines, and weapons were in the icy grip of 45 and even 50 degrees below zero Centigrade. In the diary of a man of 69th Rifle Regiment, 10.Panzerdivision:


> “We are waging the winter war as if this was one of our Black Forest winters back home.”


Despite this, German Regiment 17, 31.Infanterie-Divisionen, went in at 0100 hours under a bright moon. German artillery fire was sporadic and the cold froze the machine guns. None the less the first German battalion advanced into the Russian held village of Ketri. The Russians then surrounded the first battalion in the village and beat back the second battalion as it tried to relieve the first. As the Russians wiped out the Germans in the village, the Germans outside spent the night lying in the snow. Most of those Germans that survived got severe frostbite. With nothing achieved and Regiment 17 decimated the attack was called off in the morning. Meanwhile, Soviet General Zhukov launched an offensive against German forces northwest of Moscow at 0300 hours. Konev’s Kalinin front opened the offensive attacking the northern edge of the Klin bulge. Guderian's front, the area from the southern bank of the Oka via Tula to Stalinogorsk, became the second focus of the Soviet counter-offensive. The Soviet High Command employed three Armies and a Guards Cavalry Corps in a two-pronged operation designed to encircle Guderian's much feared striking divisions and annihilate them. Red Army has reinforced 3 Fronts (Kalinin Front under Konev, Western Front under Zhukov, Southwestern Front under Timoshenko) with newly-raised “shock” divisions as well as veteran troops moved from Central Asia and Far East, to push the Germans back from Moscow. The two wings of Guderian's Panzer Army, which were to have enveloped the Soviet capital from the south, stood with 17.Panzerdivision before Kashira, about 37 miles north of Tula, with 10.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General F-W von Loeper) at Mikhaylov, and with 29.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Major General W. von Boltenstern) north-west of Mikhaylov. The Soviet 50th Army formed the right jaw of the pincers, and their 10th Army the left jaw. It was a good plan. But Guderian's strategic perception was even better. The temperature fluctuated between 0° C and -40° C. In the grey dawn, the initial Russian artillery bombardment made the relieved pickets of 87.Infanterie-Divisionen (Lieutenant General B. von Studnitz) run for cover. By the Yakhroma, Soviet regiments were already charging the forward lines of 36.Infanterie-Division (mot.) (Lieutenant General Otto Ottenbacher) and next to it, 14.Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Lieutenant General F. Fuerst) between Rogachevo and the southern edge of the Volga reservoir. A Soviet ski battalion broke through in the sector of 36.Infanterie-Division (mot.) and thrust towards the West. The Russians were imitating German Blitzkrieg tactics. Guderian's attempt to achieve a link-up north of Tula between 4.Panzerdivision and 31.Infanterie-Divisionen, with a view to encircling the town finally, had failed. As a result, the 2.Panzerarmee was tied down in heavy defensive fighting. During the night preceding the Soviet offensive, Guderian therefore ordered the withdrawal of his exhausted forward formations to the Don-Shat-Upa line. This movement was in progress when the Russians charged against LIII.Armeekorps and XLVII.Armeekorps (mot.) at Mikhaylov. They encountered only the rearguards, which offered delaying resistance and covered the withdrawal already in full swing. The attackers advanced about 3 km / day for the next four days. The fighting was very serious and resistance stiff. Some headway was made and casualties on both sides were high. Although Zhukov ordered them to maneuver and infiltrate between prepared German positions, too many conducted costly frontal attacks.

German forces still hold Tikhvin 110 miles East of Leningrad (the main railhead for supplies to come by ship across Lake Ladoga) despite continuous attacks since November 12. German defenses start to wither, become isolated and are only able to be resupplied by air. General Meretskov launched a final assault on the German positions in Tikhvin.

*GERMANY*: Joachim von Ribbentrop gave Japanese ambassador Hiroshi Oshima a draft document which noted that Germany would declare war on the United States should Japan and the US enter a state of war.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The German Fliegerkorps II and Luftflotte 2 are ordered, by Hitler, from the Eastern Front to the Mediterranean Sea region. The goal is to disrupt the attacks from Malta against the Axis supply convoys for North Africa.

Warned of impending German attack on his headquarters, Mihailovic disperses Cetnik forces and withdraws to Ravna Gora.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: Rommel continues to confound the British with his unorthodox thrusts and parries. British 4th Armoured Brigade remained in the Libyan-Egyptian border region despite observing the withdrawing of Axis troops, unsure of Erwin Rommel's intentions. Meanwhile, Afrika Korps gets 49 tanks back in action, sending them at dusk to raid 11th Indian Brigade fighting Italian troops near the Tobruk breakout. On the same day, Rommel was advised that supply situation would turn badly soon, and he considered withdrawing to the Gazala Line. Rommel orders the evacuation of the eastern part of the Tobruk perimeter in order to attack the British forces at Bir El Gobi. The attack fails to dislodge the British defenders.

Australian pilot Clive Caldwell, in a Tomahawk fighter, shot down five Stuka dive bombers in Libya. Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 shot down a British Hurricane fighter while escorting Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers south of Bir el Gubi Libya at 1525 hours. It was his 26th kill.

*NORTH AMERICA*: A political storm erupts in the United States when the Washington Times-Herald, New York Daily News, and the Chicago Tribune publish details of plans for mobilization for total war against German and Japan. It was later discovered that the plans were leaked by a Captain in the War Plans Division. The Captain passed the plan to Senator Burton Wheeler (D-Montana), who in turn gave the report to the article’s author Chesley Manly. The Germans gleefully turned the intelligence bonanza over to General Jodl, Hitler’s operations chief, to make necessary adjustments to their plans. The official word to reporters from the Whitehouse was “_Your right to print the news is, I think, unchallenged and unquestioned. It depends entirely on the decision of the publisher and editor whether publication is patriotic or treasonable._”

Knox advises cabinet meeting that the Japanese fleet was at sea. He suggested they were heading south, but Roosevelt suggested that they might be headed north. The reference is presumably to the strike force directed against the Philippines and Malaya, as the Pearl Harbor strike force was under radio silence.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The Germans captured the damaged and abandoned troop ship “_Iosif Stalin_” near the Estonian coast with 2,000 survivors still on board.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: USS “_Arizona_” arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii and was moored at Ford Island. USS “_Astoria_” departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii to join Task Force 12. USS “_Lexington_” departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Islands to ferry US Marine Corps SB2U Vindicator dive bombers to Midway Atoll, leaving no carriers at Pearl Harbor.

Japanese aircraft conducted reconnaissance flights over the coasts of Luzon, Philippine Islands. Radar at Iba picks up contact fifty miles off shore after evening dusk and patrol of P-40’s is vectored in to discover a flight of Zero fighters, which turn north when they spot the American aircraft. During the late afternoon, MacArthur, through Sutherland, directs that FEAF aircraft encountering unknown aircraft in international airspace are to act defensively but, if such are encountered within Philippine airspace, they are to be attacked and shot down.

US Navy officials order all stations in Tokyo, Bangkok, Peking, Tiensin, Shanghai, Guam and Wake to destroy all codebooks and secret files.

The Australian government cancelled all army leave as the prospect of war with Japan grows more likely. Japanese convoys are on the move in Asia, and the only question now seems to be where, not whether, they will strike. Allied forces have been brought to the first degree of readiness. Australian service chiefs have been summoned and the Australian war cabinet has issued orders for emergency measures in the Pacific. However, Australia has the bulk of its army strength - three divisions - in North Africa and the Middle East. So far there is no question of their return, as the war cabinet does not believe that there is an immediate threat to Australia. Meanwhile, John Curtin, the Australian prime minister, is anxiously following the efforts of the United States to negotiate with the Japanese and thereby avert an extension of the European war to the Pacific. The government here wonders whether, if negotiations fail, the United States will take the lead in armed defence against Japanese aggression. Despite the links with Britain and the British base at Singapore, it is the Americans that are seen as potentially the major Allied power in the Pacific.

Visit by Admiral Sir Tom Phillips, commander of the British Far East Squadron. Phillips met with MacArthur and Hart at Cavite. Phillips requests assignment of two destroyer divisions to operate with HMS “_Repulse_” and HMS “_Renown_”. Hart demurs. Hart receives message from Captain John Creighton, USN, his liaison officer in Singapore, that the British had been informed by the US government that the US would enter the war on the British side if one of several possibilities occurred. Hart requested further information from the Navy Department.

“_Isabel_” reaches Camranh Bay, is discovered by Japanese patrol aircraft, and is ordered by Hart to return to Manila.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Britain declared war on Finland, Hungary and Romania.

*WESTERN FRONT*: A suspected German Würzburg radar facility was detected at Bruneval in northern France.

German Major Friese is wounded by two pistol shots from a cyclist on the Left Bank, a fusillade of shots at Germans at the Porte d’Issy and a bomb explosion in Boulevard Blanqui. For the Germans this means not sitting in the cafes’ glass terraces, for Parisians it means body searches, queues and the continual demand for papiers. On the Boulevard Malsherbes there is an attempted assassination of an MSR leader.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*05 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-175





Neutral
Benson Class DD USS EMMONS (DD-457)





Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS CLEOPATRA (33)





Kiwi Class ASW Trawler HMNZS TUI (T-234)






*UBOATS*
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-71

At Sea 05 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-96 U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-372, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-562, U-565, U-568, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

38 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
_Convoy PQ.5_
MSWs BRAMBLE and SEAGULL departed Murmansk on 5 December and joined the convoy on 7 December. They escorted the convoy with MSW SHARPSHOOTER to its arrival at Archangel on 13 December.

Submarine SEALION sank *steamer ISLAND (Ex-Nor 638 grt)* in off northern Norway.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Waters*
DD WHEATLAND departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to embark six Army officers and twenty four other ranks and returned to Scapa Flow later the same day.

DD CHIDDINGFOLD joined the Orkneys and Shetlands command on completion of her work up.

Submarine P.37 departed Scapa Flow for patrol and operation KITBAG.

_(On 9 December 1941 detachments from No. 6 and No. 12 Commandos, and some Norwegians, took part in a raid on the town of Flore in Northern Norway. Embarking on LST PRINCE CHARLES, they set out from Scapa. During the voyage an incident occurred while some of the men were priming grenades for the raid which resulted in six men being killed and another 11 seriously wounded. Nevertheless the decision was made to continue with the raid. In the end, however, due to navigational difficulties the operation was eventually called off when the naval commander was unable to locate the fjord upon which Florø was located)._

*West Coast*
_Convoy SC.55_
The convoy and its remaining escort arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 5 December.

_Convoy SC.56_
DD RESTIGOUCHE and corvettes AGASSIZ, AMHERST, CHICOUTIMMI, MORDEN, and ORILLIA were detached on the on 5 December.

Sloop COMMANDANT DETROYAT joined on 5 December and DDs BEAGLE and MONTGOMERY, corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS,

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.161_
DD LEAMINGTON and corvettes ANEMONE and THYME were detached on 5 December.

_Convoy ON.41_
Corvette HONEYSUCKLE was detached on 5 December

_Convoy ON.43_
DDs NEWPORT and VERITY and corvette ROSTHERN joined the convoy on the 5th.

*Med/Biscay*
Supply ship BRECONSHIRE with DDs KINGSTON and KIMBERLEY departed Malta for Alexandria. CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE and DD LIVELY departed Malta at 2000 to support the operation. DDs KINGSTON and KIMBERLEY took supply ship BRECONSHIRE on to Alexandria.

CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE and DD LIVELY met DDs JAGUAR and KANDAHAR, which departed Alexandria on the 6th, on the 7th. These ships all arrived at Malta on the 8th.

Supply ship BRECONSHIRE, CLs HOBART and GALATEA, CLA CARLISLE, and DDs GRIFFIN, HOTSPUR, KIMBERLEY, and KINGSTON arrived at Alexandria on the 8th.

Submarine THORN was in a collision with cable ship BULLFINCH in Alexandria Harbour. The submarine was under repair at Port Said from 7 to 16 December.

RHN DDs PANTHER and NIKI departed Alexandria to patrol off Sollum. After the patrol, the DDs returned to Mersa Matruh on the 6th. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 9th.

Convoy TA.1 of steamers CHAKDINA and KIRKLAND departed Tobruk, escorted by DDs FARNDALE and ERIDGE, ASW whaler THORGRIM, and an ASW trawler. Three LSTs A lighters departed Tobruk for Mersa Matruh.

*Armed boarding vessel CHAKDINA (RN 3033 grt)* was torpedoed and sunk by RA a/c between Tobruk and Alexandria on 5 December 1941. The ship sailed from the harbour with 380 wounded soldiers on board including 97 New Zealanders. Some officers and medical personnel were also accompanying the wounded. The ship was heading for Baggush, the H/Q of the 2nd N.Z. Division. At 9 o´clock in the morning RA a/c dropped torpedoes, one of which struck the ship in the after hold. It took only three minutes for the CHAKDINA to sink giving the wounded little chance to escape. Casualties were heavy. DD FARNDALE and ASW whaler THORGRIM rescued about two hundred survivors. There were about three hundred British wounded and one hundred prisoners of war on the vessel when it sank. Eighteen New Zealanders (of the 97 embarked) were picked up from the water. All the medical staff, except one, were saved. The FARNDALE reached Alexandria two days later and the survivors admitted to the No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital.





Submarine TALISMAN unsuccessfully attacked a submarine in the Kithera Channel.

U.81 attacked a tanker, escorted by a DD, near Tobruk. The submarine claimed hitting both ships.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy HX.163_
The local escort, DD HAMILTON and corvettes KAMLOOPS and SASKATOON, were relieved on the 5th by USN DDs BENSON, EDISON, HILARY P. JONES, NIBLACK, and TARBETLL.

*Central Atlantic*
Troopship RANGITATA departed Gibraltar for Freetown escorted by DDs HURWORTH, VIDETTE, which was detached to refuel at Bathurst, and HIGHLANDER, which was detached at dusk on the 6th. Destroyer VIDETTE arrived back at Gibraltar on the 18th.

Dutch submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for the United Kingdom.

Dutch submarine O.21 departed Gibraltar for the UK, escorted by DD BRADFORD. The DD was later detached and refuelled at Ponta Delgada prior to joining monitors ROBERTS and EREBUS and corvette FRITILLARY, en route from the UK to Freetown.

Corvette SPIRAEA departed Gibraltar to meet DD STANLEY, escorting steamer CLAN MCINNES, formerly in convoy SL.94, and escort them to Gibraltar, arriving on the 12th.

*Sth Atlantic*
_Convoy WS.12Z_
Corvettes ASTER and MARGUERITE escorted the convoy from 15 December to 18 December, when the convoy arrived at Durban.

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
_Convoy BA.10_
Convoy BA.10 departed Bombay, escorted by BB REVENGE. The convoy arrived at Aden on the 10th.

*Pacific/Australia*
On the 5th, the IJN Malayan invasion fleet was joined by MSWs W.1, W.5, and W.6, a submarine chaser division, ML HATSUTAKA, and two transports from Poulo Condore Island. Also on the 5th, minesweepers W.2, W.3, and W.4 joined the Malayan invasion forces, putting out from Camranh Bay.

BC REPULSE and RAN DD VAMPIRE and RN DD TENEDOS departed Singapore for Darwin. The BC was also escorted by DDs JUPITER and ELECTRA at the start. The BC and DDs were recalled the next day.

USN CV LEXINGTON, CAs ASTORIA, CHICAGO, and PORTLAND, and DDs PORTER, FLUSSER, DRAYTON, LAMSON, and MAHAN departed Pearl Harbour to fly off Marine aircraft of VMSB 231 to Midway. USN CA INDIANAPOLIS departed Pearl Harbour with this group and was detached for exercises off Johnson Island. The planes were not flown off and the force returned to Pearl Harbour.

Norwegian steamer HALLDOR was en route from Bangkok to Hong Kong. She was intercepted by IJN DD URANAMI 75 miles east of Saigon. The steamer was boarded and her wireless equipment was disabled. The Norwegian ship was then allowed to continue, but shortly after her arrival at Hong Kong, she was seized by Japanese forces.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 DECEMBER TO DAWN 6 DECEMBER 1941

_2145-2229 hrs _Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft dropped bombs in sea.

_2201-0533 hours _ Air raid alarm. Bombs dropped Luqa, Hal Far, Ta Qali and other areas.

_0550-0652 hrs_ Air raid alarm.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 5 DECEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY Eddy_ detonated a “Red” mine in position 045 degrees St. Elmo 3/4′. _Breconshire,_escorted by _Kingston_ and _Kimberley_, sailed for Alexandria at 1700. _Ajax, Neptune _and _Lively_ sailed on operations at 2000.

_AIR HQ _From Gibraltar: 18 Blenheims, 7 Beaufighters, 3 Beauforts.

_LUQA 69 Squadron _ One Maryland SF1 patrol. One Maryland SF 9 patrol; one Maryland SF 6 patrol. _18 Squadron _ Two Blenheims SF 2B patrol. Photo-reconnaissance Unit 2 on recce Comiso and Gela. One Maryland on photo-reconnaissance Augusta and Crotone. One Maryland photo-reconnaissance Lybian aerodromes._107 Squadron _ One Blenheim SF 11 patrol.

Two Beaufighters BF/Flight patrol over Pantelleria for protection of aircraft arriving from Gibraltar. One Wellington S/D Flight special shipping search. Ten Wellingtons 40 Squadron and ten Wellingtons 104 Squadron attacked Royal Arsenal at Naples. P/O Hutt [40 Squadron] failed to return.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

Halder's Diary 05 December 1941


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*December 6 Saturday*
*ASIA*: Japanese forces leave Palau bound for the attack on the Philippines. “_Ryujo_” departed Palau Islands for the Philippine Islands. “_Nachi_” departed Palau Islands. Destroyer “_Yukikaze_” departed the Palau Islands. Repair ship “_Akashi_” arrived at Palau Islands.

IJN invasion forces sighted and reported by RAF aircraft east of Kota Bharu, Malaya. Upon notification that Japanese troop convoys are at sea, Admiral Phillips returns to Singapore from his consultations.

38th Infantry Division of Japanese 23rd Army, having moved from Canton area, begins assembling in secret along Hong Kong border overnight.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Destroyer US “_Decatur_”, escorting convoy ONS 39, depth charged suspicious contacts in the North Atlantic off Iceland.

*EASTERN FRONT:* Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive in the Moscow region in Russia at 0600 hours. Zhukov orders the right flank of the West Front to attack 3.Panzergruppe and 4.Panzergruppe in the Klin area. Reinhardt’s 3.Panzergruppe Panzers are on the Moskva/Volga canal near Yakhroma and Soviet 1st Shock Army fixes these with a frontal assault, while Soviet 30th Army (3 rifle divisions and 56 light tanks) crushes the 60 km left flank held by only 2 German infantry divisions. At midday, Reinhardt orders a withdrawal to Klin while Heinz Guderian's 2.Panzerarmee held the areas near Tula south of Moscow. A gap has opened between Guderian and von Kluge’s 4.Armee which General Zhukov is trying to exploit. Soviet 10th Army attacks Heinz Guderian's 2.Panzerarmee. Further South, Soviet 3rd and 13th Armies (Southwestern Front) attack German 2.Army, threatening to outflank 2.Panzerarmee. General Zhukov is in overall command of the effort which includes the North-West Front, the Kalinin Front, the West Front and the South-West Front and 20 Armies. Fresh troops and tanks have been added to the Soviet Kalinin, West and Southwest Fronts. Planned by and under the command of Zhukov, the Soviets intend to cut through the panzer wings of Army Group Center and then to isolate and destroy it. The attacks are making progress as the Germans, battered and exhausted give ground. Field Marshal Fedor von Bock had not yet realized that he was now facing an all-out Soviet counteroffensive.

The log road between Zabor'ye and Lake Ladoga near Leningrad, Russia was completed. Thousands of civilians, pressed into service as forced laborers, had died during the construction of this road in the past month. This opened another way to bring supplies into the besieged city.

Soviet submarine ShCh-204 was sunk by Bulgarian aircraft in the Black Sea 24 miles south of Varna, Bulgaria.

*GERMANY*: Japanese Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo ordered Ambassador Hiroshi Oshima to continue to press Germany to formally agree to declare war on the United States should Japan and US enter a state of war. Oshima was also ordered to avoid any German demands on a Japanese-Soviet war.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: The British submarine HMS “_Perseus_” is sunk by a mine while recharging her batteries on the surface 2 miles off Kefalonia, Greece. One survivor escapes from a depth of 170 feet and swims ten miles to shore. The loss of the RN submarine, HMS “_Perseus_” on an unknown date in very late December 1941, attributed to contact with Royal Italian Naval forces, probably a submarine, was based on Mediterranean Fleet intelligence estimates. However, these estimates came into question in 1943 when the then 33 year old Leading Stoker John Capes showed up at Alexandria via the British consulate in Turkey, claiming to be a survivor of HMS “_Perseus_”. He stated that the ship had been mined on the night of 6/7 December 1941, and that it sank in 170 feet of water with the stern section holding air. He had been in the Petty Officer Stokers mess with several others at the moment of the mining sharing a bottle of rum. He and three others made it into the stern section alive, sealed it off, and after coming to rest on the sea floor in pitch darkness, donned their DESA escape gear and commenced flooding the after spaces in preparation to making a free ascent escape. All four left the submarine, with Capes being last. Before departing, he polished off the remaining rum, and then left through the after escape hatch. He came to the surface alone and then was faced with swimming 7-9 miles to Keffalonia. He did so, met up with Greek partisans, and then spent 20 months with them before successfully reaching Turkey. The other three survivors of the mining did not make it to the surface alive, most probably due to a failure to exhale completely throughout the ascent, which was made, as it turned out, from 20 feet deeper than it was though possible. To say that Capes story was thought to been overly remarkable by many is an understatement. Many did not believe it, nor did they believe Capes was, in fact, himself, though those making those conclusions had to admit that, the crew list being classified, it was unlikely an imposter could have come up with the facts he had. None the less, his statements concerning the location of the sinking did not jive with Admiralty estimates, and many considered him a fraud to the day he died. However, in 1996, Greek divers located HMS “_Perseus_” on the ocean floor, exactly where Capes said it would be. It was in 170 feet of water, and the rear escape hatch was open. Upon looking into the open hatch, the divers clearly saw on the floor below the rum bottle emptied by Capes just before his departure. All of this was photographed. Though Capes had been dead for some 15 years when the sub was discovered, it can truly be said that he had the last laugh on those that doubted his story. It is probably the single most remarkable survival story to come out of WW II.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: Germans abandon the ‘Walter’ and ‘Freddie’ strongpoints without a fight, but the 'Pavia' fights a brave delaying action on Point 157. Elements of German 15.Panzerdivision unsuccessfully attack British 22nd Guards Brigade. General Neumann-Silkow, commanding German 15.Panzerdivision, is mortally wounded. Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 shot down two Hurricane fighters, his 27th and 28th kills, over El Adem, Libya at 1210 and 1225 hours.

*NORTH AMERICA*: As a last attempt to prevent the outbreak of hostilities, President Roosevelt sends a personal message to Emperor Hirohito of Japan. The note states, “*Developments are occurring in the Pacific area which threaten to deprive each of our nations and all humanity of the beneficial influence of the long peace between our two countries. . . . During the past few weeks it has become clear to the world that Japanese military, naval, and air forces have been sent to Southern Indochina in such large numbers as to create a reasonable doubt on the part of other nations that this continuing concentration in Indochina is not defensive in its character. . . the people of the Philippines, of the hundreds of Islands of the East Indies, of Malaya, and of Thailand itself are asking themselves whether these forces of Japan are preparing or intending to make attack in one or more of these many directions. . . . It is clear that a continuance of such a situation is unthinkable."* There is no Japanese reply. The Japanese leaders feel that involving the Emperor is wrong and are resentful of this effort. Later the first 13 parts of a 14 part Japanese message are transmitted. Unknown to the Japanese, US codebreakers will intercept and decode this message. US President Franklin Roosevelt reads the decoded version of 13 of 14 parts of the Japanese reply to the US final offer of peace terms. Roosevelt says;


> "This means war".



The US Navy leadership in Washington DC was warned of the burning of papers at the nearby Japanese embassy.

President Roosevelt authorizes the Manhattan Engineering District. The secret U.S. project to build an atomic bomb, later to be called the Manhattan Project, is put under the direction of the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Vannevar Bush, head of the American Office of Scientific Research and Development, receives Presidential approval for an all-out effort in atomic research. Vannevar Bush and Arthur Compton assigned Harold Urey to develop research into gaseous diffusion as a uranium enrichment method and Ernest Lawrence to investigate electromagnetic separation methods.

http://ia902305.us.archive.org/21/items/WWII_News_1941/1941-12-06_CBS_World_News_Today.mp3

The British Special Operations Executive’s (SOE) Camp X at Whitby, Ontario, becomes operational as Special Training School 103. At the same time, a sophisticated top secret communications relay station (Oshawa Wireless) is established at Camp X to facilitate the critical need for secure wartime transcontinental communications between Canada, the U.K. and the U.S. Hundreds of agents are trained at Camp X between 1941 and 1944. Many of those who train at the Camp receive specialized courses in security and intelligence, some are trained as radio operators and are dispatched to South America by the British Security Coordination (BSC). Others who are trained as secret agents, receive further training in the U.S. prior to missions in Asia or are shipped to Ringway (now Manchester International Airport), Beaulieu (Hampshire now home of the National Motor Museum) and Arsaig (west coast of Scotland, near Oban) in the U.K. before being sent on missions into occupied Europe. One of the students at the camp was Ian Fleming, the creator of Agent 007, James Bond.

The U.S. Army Fourth Air Force participated in an air defense exercise in San Francisco, California. The exercise would continue until December 11, 1941.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Elements of Finnish Army of Karelia finish clearing Karhumaki (Medvezhyegorsk) north of Lake Onega on the Leningrad-Murmansk railroad. By this date the Finnish advance in eastern Karelia is about to stop. The battle for town of Karhumäki (Medvezjegorsk, on northern shore of Lake Onega) is almost finished, and after the battle the Finnish troops dig into defence. The men are very war-weary; there has already been several instances of troops refusing the orders to advance. The men fighting in eastern Karelia feel they’ve been treated unfairly. The troops in Karelian Isthmus has been in defence for almost three months now, whereas they has been advancing and fighting the whole time. After the capture of Karhumäki the Finns are in defence all along the front, and the front-line will remain the same until June 1944. The Finnish leadership, already sensing the possibility of German defeat, adopt ‘wait and see’ policy, hoping in the event of Soviet victory to use the territories captured east of the pre-1939 border to bargain better terms for peace.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Operation Z: Nagumo’s fleet turned southeast. Japanese carrier fleet reached the rendezvous point at 34 degrees north, 158 degrees west, and then began a high speed approach for Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. The crew of his flagship, the “_Akagi_”, hoist the battle flag used by Admiral Togo at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, when the Russians were decisively defeated. IJN Pearl Harbor Striking Force supply vessels “_Taho Maru_”, “_Toei Maru_”, and “_Nippon Maru_” turn back to Japan. At the same time, the 30 Japanese submarines in the Hawaii area began to tighten the ring around the islands. I-74 spotted USS _“Lexington”_, but no action was taken. Five large Japanese submarines lie at the mouth of Pearl Harbor, each with a two-man midget submarine. IJN submarines I-16, I-18, I-20, I-22, and I-24 launch midget submarines for operations against Pearl Harbor. The midget submarines are to enter the harbor before dawn, prepared to attack ships when the aerial assault takes place.

Working on a Saturday afternoon, Dorothy Edgers translated a secret diplomatic message from Tokyo to diplomats in Honolulu. The message requested continuous and detailed information on ship movements, berthing position, and torpedo netting at Pearl Harbor. Alarmed, Mrs. Edgers checked other similar messages waiting to be translated. All had similar request. At 1500 hours she brought this information to the attention of her boss, Lt. Commander Alvin Kramer, USN. After making a few minor corrections to the translation, he told her “We’ll get back to this on Monday.” In less than 24 hours, the reason for the messages would be obvious, even to Kramer.

At Pearl Harbor, Admiral Husband Kimmel told a reporter from the news agency Christian Science Monitor that the chance of a war in the Pacific Ocean involving the United States was slim. Nearby, Vice Admiral William Pye told Kimmel (via intelligence officer Edwin Layton) that war with Japan was inevitable, although Pearl Harbor was not a likely target, thus there was no need to send the battleships out to sea as a precaution. Finally, at Honolulu, Hawaii, Consul-General Nagao Kita sent a cable to Japan that he observed no barrage balloons over Pearl Harbor and he did not believe there were torpedo nets around the battleships. Japanese spy Yoshikawa reported US ship locations in Pearl Harbor. The message was decrypted aboard Japanese carrier “_Akagi_” 36 minutes later.

USS “_Arizona_” began receiving maintenance work by the crew of repair ship USS “_Vestal_”. USS “_Enterprise_” encountered heavy weather which delayed her refueling operation for destroyers and delayed the arrival at Pearl Harbor. Battleships USS “_Oklahoma_” and “_Nevada_” arrived at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Islands.

On Pearl Harbor, many sailors and other enlisted men are enjoying this Saturday night with the “Battle of Music” performed by military bands. The winner was the band from the battleship USS “_Pennsylvania_” (BB-38). Second place went to the band of the Pennsylvania’s sister ship, the battleship USS “_Arizona_” (BB-39).

Hart informs Phillips, when MacArthur suggests that he remain in Manila and have a formal reception there, that Phillips ought to return to Singapore immediately if “you want to see your ships again” as war was imminent. Phillips returns to Singapore in the afternoon. MacArthur orders Brereton to disperse aircraft “as well as possible”, to man all stations full-time, and to increase airfield guards and off-shore patrols. Hart orders Destroyer Division 57 from Balikpapan to Singapore and for it to operate under Phillips’ orders.

27 Japanese troop transports departed from Taiwan, sailing for the Philippine Islands; 400 Japanese pilots stationed at Taiwan were briefed of the attacks to be commenced on the next day. Elsewhere, a Japanese invasion fleet boarded and scuttled a Norwegian freighter.

“_Tatsuta Maru_” was in the Pacific en route for San Francisco, California. Her planned passenger list after arriving in the United States now included employees of the Japanese Raw Silk Intelligence Bureau, the Silk Department of Mitsui and Company, Gunze Corporation, Asahi Corporation, Japanese Cotton and Silk Trading Company, Hara and Company, Katakura and Company, Morimura and Company, Arai and Company, and Shinyai and Company.

US Navy yacht “_Isabel_” was detected by a floatplane from Japanese seaplane carrier Kamikawa Maru off Indochina. “_Isabel_” was later ordered to abort her current mission as bait for first fire and to sail for Manila, Philippine Islands. Shortly after, nearby, a Japanese Zero fighter covering the Malaya invasion force found and shot down a British PBY Catalina patrol aircraft.

Two B-17Cs and 14 B-17Ds arrive at Del Monte Field, Mindanao and since they are expected to only stay three days, they bring very few supplies. None of the barracks have been completed and there are not enough tents to house the air crew so many sleep in their planes. Radio communication with Luzon consists of high frequency radio which is sporadic at best. The only thing the PX has to offer is a single brand of beer called “San Miguel Beer for Convalescent Mothers.”

The Australian 49th Battalion, a Militia unit from Queensland, and elements of the 13th Field Regiment, and base troops arrive in Port Moresby.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: The official wedding ceremony between King Leopold III of Belgium and Lilian Baels was held; they had already secretly wed on 11 Sep 1941.

Britain reluctantly declared war on the country which, only two years ago, she was planning to defend. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union, Finnish forces joined in. For the past five months Britain has been appealing to the Finns to withdraw. Stalin recently stepped up the pressure on Britain to declare war on Hitler’s three little satellites, Finland, Hungary and Romania. They were given a deadline, which expires at midnight. Though Finland - on Finland’s 24th Independence Day - now becomes an enemy, the hundreds of Finnish merchant seamen serving aboard British ships will be offered the opportunity of remaining in service or being interned. Other Finns, along with Hungarian and Romanian nationals, have been ordered to report to the police. Those regarded as unreliable will be sent to internment camps.

*WESTERN FRONT*: Promotions abound at JG 26. Adolf Galland is promoted to _General der Jägdflieger_ to replace General Mölders who died in November. Major Gerhard Schöpfel is made Kommodore of JG 26 while Hptm. Josef ‘Pips’ Priller of 1./JG 26 is appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 26.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*06 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
Type XB DKM U-118





Acciaio class GIADA






Allied
T Class submarine HMS TEMPEST (N-86)





Fairmile B ML-467
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
Steamer GREENLAND (UK 1281 grt)* was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. Nine crew were missing on the tanker.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*P Class submarine PERSEUS (RN 1475 grt)* was mined seven miles off Zante. Only one rating survived and swam to Cephalonia.





_Convoy SC.56_
U-131 sank *steamer SCOTTISH TRADER (UK 4016 grt)* in the Western Approaches with the loss of her entire crew of 43. She was on passage from Philadelphia to Liverpool via Sydney, CB. At the time of her loss she had straggled behind the convoy and was picked off by the U-Boat as a result. About 2100 hrs the unescorted SCOTTISH TRADER, was torpedoed and sunk by U-131 about 300 miles south of Iceland. The U-boat needed six torpedoes to sink the zigzagging vessel.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Lorient: U-47, U-95

Departures
Brest: U-374
Messina: U-562 

At Sea 06 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-558, U-562, U-565, U-568, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

38 Boats

U-375 was trapped by British ASW forces while trying to pass the Straits of Gibraltar. However she managed to retreat to the Atlantic and try again. U-375 was successful in reaching the Mediterranean on 9 December.

U-332 was bombed by an RAF Catalina flying boat of 202 sqn suffering slight damage. The a/c brought in ASW craft but the U-boat managed to slip past them. The boat would be attacked again three days later.

U-79 narrowly missed the BB QUEEN ELIZABETH with a spread of four torpedoes, and returned to base with no results to show for any of the eleven torpedoes fired during the patrol

*OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol*
CA SUFFOLK departed Hvalfjord for patrol in the Denmark Strait. CL ARETHUSA departed the Iceland - Faroes passage patrol for Hvalfjord, refuelled, and departed for Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 8th. USN BBs MISSISSIPPI and IDAHO and five USN DDs arrived at Hvalfjord from patrol in the Denmark Strait.

*Northern Waters*
_Convoy QP.3_
DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID arrived at Scapa Flow on 5 December. CL KENYA arrived at Rosyth on 6 December for repairs and to disemark to RAF personnel.

*West Coast*
DD NEWMARKET collided with Steamer GRENAA at Londonderry. Both ships remained afloat.

_Convoy HX.161_
ASW trawler KIRKELLA joined on 6 December and escorted the convoy into Liverpool, arriving on 6 December.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy SC.56_
ASW trawler LADY MADELEINE joined the escort force on 6 December.

_Convoy ON.41_
Corvettes CELANDINE and GENTIAN were detached from the escort on 6 December.

_Convoy ON.42_
DDs SABRE and SKATE were detached on the 6th.

*Med/Biscay*
CL GALATEA, RAN CL HOBART, CLA CARLISLE, and DDs GRIFFIN and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria to meet arriving supply ship BRECONSHIRE. The ships, supply ship BRECONSHIRE and DDs KIMBERLEY and KINGSTON arrived at Alexandria on the 8th.

Submarine ULTIMATUM unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in 37-56N, 15-39E.

U.81 attacked and claimed damaging a steamer near Tobruk. Allied records don’t support this claim.

Submarine REGENT arrived at Gibraltar from Malta.

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy OS.12_
On 6 December, DDs VANSITTART and VELOX and corvettes BERGAMOT, LAVENDER, and STARWORT joined the convoy and escorted it into Freetown, arriving on 11 December.

*Sth Atlantic*
_Convoy WS.12Z_
Corvettes ASTER and MARGUERITE escorted the convoy from 15 December to 18 December, when the convoy arrived at Durban

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
Steamer ERINPURA departed Madras with 984 Military and twenty naval personnel for Singapore. At 10N, 92-30E, CL DRAGON joined the steamer. The steamer was ordered to Port Swettenham, rather than Penang, and arrived at Singapore on the 12th with DRAGON in escort.

*Pacific/Australia*
CL KASHII (a small training cruiser) with four transports and frigate SHIMUSHU with three transports departed Saigon and joined the Malayan invasion fleet on the 6th south of Cape Camao.

In preparation for operations, Japanese submarines I.55 and I.54 were northeast of Kuantan. Submarine I.53 was north of Anamba.

Submarines I.57, I.58, I.62, I.64, and I.66 were on a patrol line near Tregganu.

Submarine I.57 was northeast of Redang.

During the night of 6/7 December, submarines I.121 and I.122 laid mines at the NE exits from Singapore. IJN aux ML TATSUMIYA MARU laid a mine barrage between the islands of Tioman and Anamba.

Adm Takagi departed Palau with CAs HAGURO, MYOKO, and NACHI of CruDiv 5, CVL RYUJO of CarDiv 4 with attendant DD SHIOKAZE, and the DesFlot 2 with CL JINTSU DDs KUROSHIO, OYASHIO, HAYASHIO, and NATSUSHIO DesDiv 15 with DDs HATSUKAZE, AMATSUKAZE, YUKIKAZE, and TOKITSUKAZE of the DesDiv 16 departed with this force for operations off the Philippines

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 DECEMBER TO DAWN 7 DECEMBER 1941

_2308-0659 hrs_ 18-20 enemy aircraft approached the Island singly from east and south as intruder raids over aerodromes. Bombs dropped on edge of Luqa, near Ta Qali, and Naxxar. Bofors engaged low flying aircraft at approx 2,000 feet. Heavy Ack Ack engaged illuminated targets by height control. Searchlight operators identified two JU88s

The RE Bomb Disposal Officer is called to Luqa on another high priority mission to defuze three unexploded bombs hampering air operations. They are German.

_2056 hrs_ Air raid alarm. 14 enemy aircraft crossed coast, two only dropping bombs, one stick of six north of Rabat and others in sea. The raids were of two kinds: (a) nuisance raids and (b) intruder raids – enemy aircraft following in our returning bombers. Heavy Ack Ack barraged on one occasion only. Searchlight operators identified raiders as Ju-88s.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ Five Albacores attacked Castel Benito aerodrome with bombs and incendiaries.

_AIR HQArrivals_ 12 Wellingtons, 1 Whitley, 1 Cathay and 1 Halifax from Gibraltar; 2 Marylands from 201 Group. _Departures F_our Beaufighters for 108 MU.

_LUQA S/D Flight:_ one Wellington special shipping search. _69 Squadron _Photo-reconnaissance over Catania and Gela, another over Tripoli and Castel Benito. _O_ne Maryland SF 6 patrol; three Marylands special search, including one in Kefalonia area, a second in Zante area. _18 Squadron:_ one Blenheim SF 11 patrol. Six Blenheims attacked barracks at Homs. _107 Squadron:_ one Blenheim SF 11 patrol. _40 Squadron:_ ten Wellingtons attacked Royal Arsenal at Naples.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

Halder's Diary 06 December 1941


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*December 7 Sunday
ASIA*: Without declaring war, Japan launches a series of highly-coordinated attacks on British and American territory (spanning the International Date Line). The opening move is a landing of 5500 troops from Gulf of Thailand to capture the airfield at Kota Bharu on the Northeast corner of British-held Malaya, two hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is followed by several larger landings further up the coast in Thailand, meeting stiff Thai resistance until midday when Thai government agrees an armistice.

12 battalions of Japanese troops attack from the Chinese mainland across the New Territories towards Hong Kong. British defenders are forced to fall back to the Gindrinkers Line, the main defensive line protecting Hong Kong. Japanese occupy the International Settlement at Shanghai. Japanese armored cruiser “_Izumo_” sank British river gunboat HMS “_Peterel_” in Shanghai, China. River gunboat USS “_Wake_” was captured by the Japanese in Shanghai, China.

Light carrier “_Hosho_” departed the Inland Sea, Japan with a large fleet.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: British destroyers HMS “_Harvester_” and HMS “_Hesperus_” sank German submarine U-208 115 miles west of Gibraltar, killing the entire crew of 45.

Canadian corvette HMCS “_Windflower_”, escorting Allied convoy SC-58 off Newfoundland, collided with Dutch freighter “_Zypenberg_” in poor visibility due to fog and sank; 23 were killed.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.2, under command of Commander Fred D. Kirtland, accompanied by the salvage vessel USS “_Redwing_” (ARS 4) and oiler USS “_Sapelo_” (Atlantic Ocean 11), while escorting Convoy HX-162, reached the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Meeting Point. 21 of the 35 merchantmen scattered by the storm encountered on December 1 had rejoined the convoy by this time.

*EASTERN FRONT*: Soviet forces captured Tikhvin, Russia east of Leningrad. Zhukov extends the counter-attack at Moscow, ordering the West Front to attack Guderian’s overextended 2.Panzerarmee in the Tula area. Soviet 30th Army attacked German 3.Panzergruppe at Klin while Soviet 50th Army attacked German 2.Panzerdivision near Moscow. Soviet 16th Army begins attacking on the southern flank of German 3.Panzergruppe. Soviet 1st Shock Army and 20th Army continue pushing forward.

Soviet warships begin ferrying 388th Rifle Division from Novorossisk and Tuapse to Sevastopol.

*GERMANY*: Hitler published his notorious Nacht und Nebel (Night and Fog) decree which allows the Gestapo to dispose of their prisoners without trace. SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler relayed Hitler’s wishes to the Gestapo saying that;


> “_An effective and lasting deterrent can be achieved only by the death penalty or by taking measures which will leave the family and the population uncertain as to the fate of the offender. Deportation to Germany serves this purpose_."


Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, chief of the German Armed Forces High Command, issued similar instructions. This decree replaced the unsuccessful Nazi policy of taking hostages to undermine Underground activities. Suspected Underground agents and others would now vanish without a trace into the night and fog.

After suffering a heart attack, Feldmarschall von Brauchitsch tendered his resignation. The stress of the battle on the Eastern Front has taken its toll. Hitler makes no formal acceptance of the resignation, but Brauchitsch makes no important decisions after this date.

RAF Bomber Command sends 130 aircraft to attack Aachen overnight.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: U-208, trying to enter the Mediterranean, is sunk by British destroyers HMS “_Harvester_” and HMS “_Hesperus_” 115 miles West of Gibraltar (all 45 hands lost).

British vessel “_Chantala_” was sunk by mine off Tobruk. RN sloop “_Flamingo_” was damaged by enemy aircraft while running supplies to Tobruk and taken in tow.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: Erwin Rommel with fewer than 40 tanks operational, ordered his forces to pull back by about 10 miles toward the Gazala Line, abandoning the Tobruk objective. German forces withdraw from the immediate vicinity of Tobruk and take up defensive positions around Gazala. In contrast, British are able to bring up fresh tanks from Egypt. The first siege of Tobruk ends. As the British continue to advance toward Tobruk, the Luftwaffe is forced to give up airfields and retreat. The Italian 'Bologna' Division covers the retreat of the German 90.leicht Division.

On this date, JG 27 and JG 53 leave the airfield at Ain El Gazala, with JG 27 going to Martuba and JG 53 fleeing to Derna. Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a British Hurricane fighter, his 29th kill, at 0930 hours near Sidi Omar, Libya. RAF aircraft begin using the airfield at Tobruk as an advanced landing strip.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Army Intelligence receives the 14th (final) part of the Japanese coded reply to the American ultimatum. The message indicates the Japanese Ambassador will break off relations with Washington at 1300 hours Eastern Standard Time (0700 hours in Hawaii). Admiral Stark, Commander-in-Chief of Navy read the decoded final part of Japan's reply to the American ultimatum. Then the Army Chief of Staff General Marshall reads it, then the President reads it. Army Chief of Staff General Marshall releases a message to be sent to Hawaii and all other Pacific commands, telling them that the Japanese will break off relations at 0700 hours Hawaii time, and to be on alert accordingly. The message is unable to be sent by secure radio, so it is sent via Western Union cable to San Francisco, then RCA commercial radio to Honolulu, and finally motorcycle delivery six hours later at 1158 hours Hawaii time.

Franklin Roosevelt met with Chinese ambassador Hu Shih at the White House in Washington DC, United States, had lunch with Harry Hopkins, and at 1347 hours he was interrupted by a telephone call from Frank Knox, informing him of the Pearl Harbor attack. At 2030 hours, Roosevelt gave a briefing to a small group of Congressmen.

The office of the US Navy Chief of Naval Operations ordered unrestricted air and submarine warfare against Japan.

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: Mannerheim orders Finnish Army of Karelia to halt all attacks and assume defensive positions. Finnish ground operations mostly come to an end, with a total of 75,000 casualties.


*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Operation Z: 360 Japanese carrier aircraft (104 bombers, 135 dive bombers, 40 torpedo bombers, and 81 fighters) attacked Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii, sinking or damaging 8 battleships, 3 cruisers, 3 destroyers, 1 anti-aircraft training ship, 1 minelayer; destroying 188 aircraft; and killing 2,459 (57 of which were civilian) and wounding 1,282 (35 of which were civilian). The Japanese lost only 29 aircraft and 5 midget submarines; 55 were killed and 10 were wounded. Isaac Kidd became the first US Navy flag officer to be killed in action during WW2. pearl

The Niihau incident began when Japanese pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi crash-landed his damaged A6M2 Zero on the Hawaiian island of Niihau after participating in the attack on Pearl Harbor. The local Hawaiians, who were as yet unaware of the attack and could not communicate with Nishikaichi, sent in succession for two locals of Japanese ancestry who agreed to help the pilot to retrieve his papers and escape.

Japanese aircraft bombarded Singapore, Guam, and Wake, while two Japanese destroyers shelled Midway Atoll, causing 14 casualties and damaging much equipment. The commanding officer of the US Marine Corps 7th Defense Battalion at American Samoa ordered his troops to man their positions as he was informed of the attacks on American positions across the Pacific Ocean. He also called the Samoan Marine Reserve Battalion to active duty.

Japanese bombers from Formosa (now Taiwan) bomb US airfields on the main island in the US-held Philippines, Luzon, destroying US Boeing B-17 bombers on the ground (ironically, sent as a deterrent to threaten Japanese airbases on Formosa) along with their Curtiss P-40 fighter support. Having established air superiority, Japanese Navy captures the tiny island of Batan, 120 miles North of Luzon.

One hour after the Japanese attack, Australian Prime Minister John Curtin announced that "_*from one hour ago, Australia has been at war with the Japanese Empire.*_" War would be formally declared two days later. Curtin extends mobilization of armed forces and announces:


> “This is the gravest hour of our history.”



One day prior to the opening of the Pacific War (owing to the International Date Line), the first three Australian Hudson medium bombers arrived at Rabaul, Bismarck Islands. They were under the command of Flight Lieutenant John Murphy.

At about midnight at the very beginning of the day, “_Tatsuta Maru_” was ordered to reverse course.

American steam-powered schooner “_Cynthia Olson_”, under charter of the US Army, was shelled and sunk by Japanese submarine I-26 with no survivors; two US Army personnel were on board.

Advance Party of US 27th B.G. — an incoming unit of A-24 attack bombers — throws party in honour of Brereton at Manila Hotel. Hart and Purnell are present for first part. Brereton telephones FEAF HQ at Neilson Field from Manila Hotel to order that FEAF and all fields and subordinate commands were to go on “combat alert” at daylight. Order was never carried out.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Winston Churchill had lunch with Duchess of Marlborough Alexandra Mary Cadogan and her son Marquess of Blandford John Spencer-Churchill. Winston Churchill was dining at Chequers with the American diplomats John Gilbert Winant and W. Averell Harriman when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack arrived. Churchill realized that the United States would now enter the war and that Britain would no longer have to fight alone. He later wrote of that night, _"Being saturated and satiated with emotion and sensation, I went to bed and slept the sleep of the saved and thankful."_ relieved that the United States was finally in the war, and Britain was no longer alone.

Donald Bennett takes command of 77 Squadron, RAF Bomber Command.

*WESTERN FRONT*: The RAF flew numerous air operations over the Continent. RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft to attack Ostend, 30 aircraft to attack Brest, 24 aircraft to attack Calais, 22 aircraft to attack Dunkirk and 19 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*07 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Allied
MMS I Class Coastal MSW HMS MMS 978 (J-578)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Losses
MV SEVERN TRANSPORT (UK 119grt)* was sunk on a mine in 51-27N, 3-04W. The crew of four landed at Barry.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer WELSH PRINCE (UK 5148 grt)* was sunk by a mine five cables 110°from 59 Buoy, Spurn Point. The entire crew were rescued.





*Armed boarding vessel CHANTALA (RN 3129 grt)* was sunk on a mine as she was leaving Tobruk Harbour. One naval rating and two native crew were killed. A native trimmer died of wounds. Sixteen crew were wounded.





*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Brest:U-558
Messina: U-557

Departures
Kiel: U-86
St. Nazaire: U-573
Stavanger: U-654 (non-op)

At Sea 07 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-69, U-79, U-81, U-86, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-332, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-562, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

37 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
_Convoy PQ.5_
Minesweepers HAZARD and HEBE were detached on 7 December with light cruiser SHEFFIELD and proceeded to Murmansk, arriving on 8 December.

*North Sea*
DD SOMALI departed Rosyth after boiler cleaning for Invergordon. Sloop PELICAN was damaged by LW MG fire from aircraft off the east coast of Scotland.

*Northern Patrol*
CA NORFOLK departed Denmark Strait patrol and arrived at Hvalfjord later that day.

*Northern Waters*
DD SOMALI arrived at Invergordon on the 8th and embarked Anthony Eden, the Russian Ambassador, and a party of ten other delegates. The DD departed at 1130 and arrived at Scapa Flow at 1600. The passengers were then transferred to CA KENT

*West Coast*
_Convoy ON.44_
ON.44 departed Liverpool escorted by ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE and NORTHERN SPRAY.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy HX.162 _
The American group (DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, LANSDALE, MADISON, STURTEVANT, and WILKES) was relieved on 7 December by DDs CALDWELL and VANOC and corvettes CALENDULA, GENTIAN, and HONEYSUCKLE.

_Convoy ON.43_
DDs NEWPORT, BROKE and VERITY were detached on the 7th.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OG.77_
DDs HESPERUS and HARVESTER departed Gibraltar on 7 December and joined the escort on 9 December. DD HIGHLANDER proceeded to the escort after completing current duties.

_Convoy SL.94 _
Corvette STARWORT joined on 7 December to 12 December.

*Med/Biscay*
Sloop FLAMINGO, returning with sloop YARRA to Tobruk after the ASW sweep, in 32-16N, 24-21E was damaged by LW air attacks. The sloop was taken in tow by sloop YARRA and supported by CL HOBART, which had been involved in escorting supply ship BRECONSHIRE from Malta. FLAMINGO arrived at Tobruk on the 8th and sloop YARRA departed for Alexandria. DDs AVONVALE and HEYTHROP departed Alexandria to meet the Australian sloop. The ships arrived at Alexandria on the 9th. FLAMINGO departed Tobruk, in the tow of tug ST MONANCE and escorted by destroyer FARNDALE, on the 17th. FLAMINGO was used, unrepaired, as an antiaircraft defense platform until 5 February 1943. On that date, sloop FLAMINGO, towed by tug AKBAR, departed Suez for Aden. From Aden, the sloop was towed by Egyptian steamer STAR OF CAIRO to Bombay arriving on 26 March 1943. The repairs were completed in February 1944.

British trawler MOY was slightly damaged by German bombing at Tobruk. Gunboat APHIS bombarded the Derna-Tobruk road late on the 7th. Submarine TALISMAN unsuccessfully attacked a destroyer in Kithera Channel. Submarine PROTEUS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in Kithera Channel. Submarine TRUANT unsuccessfully attacked German steamer BELLONA off Suda Bay.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy ON.42_
Corvettes ALISMA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER were detached on the 7th when the convoy was joined by corvettes KENOGAMI, LETHBRIDGE, MAYFLOWER, NANAIMO, and PRESCOTT.

_Convoy SC.58_
*Corvette WINDFLOWER (RCN 990 grt)* was lost in a collision on the 7th with Dutch steamer ZYPENBERG in the fog off the Grand Banks. Corvettes PICTOU and NASTURTIUM were detailed to carry out rescur operations, but the crew suffered heavy casualties, with just 44 rescued





*Central Atlantic*
Destroyers HARVESTER and HESPERUS attacked and sank *Type VIIc U.208 (DKM 769 grt)* on the surface west of Gibraltar. DD HESPERUS reported sighting a man in the water afterwards. The entire crew of forty five were lost in the submarine.





.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS 7 DECEMBER TO 8 DECEMBER 1941
_0127 hrs_ Air raid alarm sounded after bombs dropped in sea south of Ghar Lapsi. Two further raids approached and took over intruder patrols, attempting to shoot up returning Wellingtons [from last night’s attack on the Royal Harbour at Naples]. 

A low level bombing and machine gun attack was made on Ghar Lapsi searchlight station, bombs dropped one mile south of Siggiewi. No damage or casualties. Ack Ack barraged twice, Bofors and Light Machine Guns engaged several low flying aircraft.

Rumours are circulating that Italian Regia Aeronautica pilots are flying German aircraft on missions over Malta.

_0657 hrs_ All-clear sounds. The Island has been on constant alert since 1959 hrs yesterday.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 7 DECEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVY_ Three Swordfish left to attack one merchant vessel west of Malta, but failed to locate target.

_AIR HQ Arrivals _Two Beaufighters, two Wellingtons, one Halifax from Gibraltar.

_HAL FAR_ Four Albacores 828 Squadron despatched to attack Castel Benito Aerodrome. One dropped bombs on Mellaha. Bombs dropped on south side of Mellaha aerodrome causing large column of black smoke. At Castel Benito dispersal areas were attacked and eight medium and one large fire started. Opposition intense but inaccurate. All aircraft returned safely.

_LUQA S/D Flight _ One Wellington shipping search. _69 Squadron_ One Maryland on anti-submarine patrol; one Maryland special search Ionian sea; one Maryland SF 12 patrol. _Photo-Reconnaissance O_ne Maryland Argostoli and Navarino harbours; one Maryland Tripoli Harbour. PR Unit 2: one over Catania and Gela; another over Tripoli Harbour and Castel Benito. _18 Squadron O_ne Blenheim special search Kerkanna area for merchant vessel; one Blenheim 18 Squadron SF 2B patrol. Five Blenheims despatched to attack convoy (failed to locate). _107 Squadron O_ne Blenheim SF 11 patrol; five Blenheims despatched to attack convoy (failed to locate). _104 Squadron_ Six Wellingtons attacked Castel Benito aerodrome. Two Wellingtons attacked Tripoli.

_Operation Crusader_
On 7 Dec, Rommel began to pull back by 10 miles toward Gazala, abandoning the Tobruk front.


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*Pacific/Australia*
_Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbour._
*BB OKLAHOMA (USN 27500 grt)* was sunk at her moorings by IJN carrier based a/c. She was not returned to service. On the day of her loss she was moored in berth Fox 5 in Battleship Row. Outboard alongside BB MARYLAND, OKLAHOMA took three torpedo hits almost immediately after the first Japanese bombs fell. As she began to capsize to port, two more torpedoes struck home, and her men were strafed as they abandoned ship. In less than 12 minutes, she rolled over until halted by her masts touching bottom, her starboard side above water, and a part of her keel exposed.

Many of her crew, however, remained in the fight, clambering aboard MARYLAND to help serve her AA. 429 of her officers and enlisted men were killed or missing

Despite being a total write off, it was necessary to expend considerable resources to remove her from the harbour she was obstructing. Preparations for righting the overturned hull took eight months to complete. 21 derricks ere attached to the upturned hull; each carried high-tensile steel cables that were connected to hydraulic winching machines ashore. The righting operation began on 8 March 1943 and was completed by 16 June 1943. Recovery Teams then entered the previously submerged ship to remove any additional human remains. Cofferdams were placed around the hull to allow basic repairs to be undertaken so that the ship could be refloated; this work was completed by November 1943. On 28 December, OKLAHOMA as towed into Drydock no2 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Once in the dock, her main guns, machinery, and remaining ammunition and stores were removed. The severest structural damage on the hull was also repaired to make the ship watertight. After several months in the dry dock, OKLAHOMA was moved and moored elsewhere in Pearl Harbor. Although there had been initial plans to salvage the ship, she was finally judged beyond repair and was decommissioned 1 September 1944. Her removal was not completed during the war
_




An aerial view of salvage operations on 19 March 1943, with the ship halfway righted_

*BB ARIZONA (USN 29158 grt)* was sunk was sunk at her moorings by IJN carrier based a/c. She was not returned to service. Shortly after 08:00, 10 Nakajima Kates, five each from the carriers KAGA and HIRYU attacked ARIZONA. All of the aircraft were carrying 410-millimeter (16.1”) AP shells modified into 797-kilogram (1,757 lb) bombs. Flying at an estimated altitude of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft). KAGA’s aircraft bombed ARIZONA from amidships to stern. Soon after, HIRYU's bombers hit the bow area.

The aircraft scored four hits and three near misses on and around _Arizona_. The near miss off the port bow is believed to have caused observers to believe that the ship had been torpedoed, although no torpedo damage has been found. The stern most bomb ricocheted off the face of Turret IV and penetrated the deck to detonate in the captain's pantry, causing a small fire. The next forward most hit was near the port edge of the ship, abreast the mainmast, probably detonating in the area of the anti-torpedo bulkhead. The next bomb struck near the port rear 5-inch AA gun.

The last bomb hit at 0806 in the vicinity of Turret II, likely penetrating the armored deck near the ammunition magazines located in the forward section of the ship. It is not possible to judge the exact location of this hit, its effects are indisputable: about seven seconds after the hit, the forward magazines detonated in a cataclysmic explosion, mostly venting through the sides of the ship and destroying much of the interior structure of the forward part of the ship. This caused the forward turrets and conning tower to collapse downward some 25–30 feet and the foremast and funnel to collapse forward, effectively tearing the ship in half. The explosion touched off fierce fires that burned for two days; debris showered down on Ford Island in the vicinity. The blast from this explosion also put out fires on the repair ship VESTAL, which was moored alongside and ablaze. The bombs and subsequent explosion killed 1,177 of the 1,512 crewmen on board at the time, approximately half of the lives lost during the attack. Unlike many other other of the ships sunk, she was so badly damaged by the magazine explosion that she was not thought fit for service even if she could be salvaged unlike many of the other sunken ships nearby. Still, a great deal of effort was needed to clear her from the harbour sufficiently to allow parts of Pearl Habour to again be used for fleet operations.





*BB CALIFORNIA (USN 33190 grt)* was sunk at her moorings by IJN carrier based a/c. CALIFORNIAwas moored at the southernmost berth of Battleship Row and was with other dreadnoughts of the Battle Force. She was struck on the port side with two torpedoes. One detonated below the armor belt at frame 52 (between number 2 turret and the bridge), creating a hole 10 feet high and 24 feet long, destructively deforming the first antitorpedo bulkhead and transverse stiffeners between frames 47 and 60, and holing the second bulkhead with fragments. Watertight integrity had been impaired by preparations for a material inspection; and the ship suffered extensive flooding damage when hit.

The second torpedo detonated below the armor belt and turret 3 at frame 101, causing nearly identical damage. The third and fourth bulkheads were deformed but remained intact at both locations. The innermost fifth armored bulkhead was deflected approximately 1 inch forward and punctured by a fuel line fitting aft. This damage caused by the shifting fuel line aft allowed flooding of the centre motor room through the port thrust block room.

At 08:45, a 551-pound (250 kg) bomb entered the starboard upper deck level at Frame 60, passed through the main deck, and exploded on the armoured second deck, setting off an AA ammunition magazine and killing about 50 men.

A second near miss bomb off the port bow ruptured hull plates between frames 10 and 15 causing immediate flooding of all first platform compartments forward of frame 21, and three compartments on the second platform putting CALIFORNIA down about one meter by the bow. Smoke from fires started by the bomb hit caused evacuation of the forward engine-room at 1000 and ended pumping efforts to keep CALIFORNIA afloat. After three days of progressive flooding, CALIFORNIA settled into the mud with only her superstructure remaining above the surface. When the action ended, 100 of her crew were lost and 62 wounded.

CALIFORNIA had been extensively wrecked and her repair was marginally effective yet as much for prestige reasons as operational requirements, she was raised and repaired.

On 25 March 1942, CALIFORNIA was refloated and dry-docked at Pearl Harbor for repairs. On 7 June, she departed under her own power for Puget Sound where a major repair and reconstruction job was undertaken, including improved protection, watertight compartmenting, stability, AA battery, and fire control system. Her original twin funnels were combined into a single funnel faired into the superstructure tower as with the newer STH DAKOTA class. It would take until 31 January 1944 before she was to emerge ready for action again. It is questionable whether the expense of her reconstruction was worth it. She had had her beam widened such that she could no longer use the panama Canal for trasnsit to the Atlantic, and her speed remained unsatisfactory. She was however an effective bombardment unit.






*BB WEST VIRGINIA (USN 32100 grt)* was sunk in the attack.
Seven Type 91 aerial torpedoes struck the port side of WEST VIRGINIA. One hit the steering gear, dislodging the rudder. At least three struck below the armor belt, with one or more striking the belt itself (requiring the complex replacement of seven armor plates). One or two torpedoes exploded on the armored second deck after entering the listing ship through holes made by previous torpedoes. One torpedo failed to detonate, and was recovered and disarmed by shipyard explosive technicians. The torpedo attack made two large holes, extending from frames 43 to 52 and 62 to 97.

WEST VIRGINIA was also damaged by two Type 99 No. 80 Mk 5 bombs made from 16 in AP naval shells fitted with aerial fins. The first was found, unexploded, in debris on the second deck after passing through the searchlight platform, signal bridge and main deck deck near frame 70. The second bomb penetrated the 4-inch (100 mm) roof of turret three and broke apart destroying one of the turret's two guns, but did not detonate. It destroyed the Vought OS2U Kingfisher floatplane on the turret catapult. The impact knocked a second floatplane upside down to the main deck below, spilling gasoline (which ignited) from its fuel tanks. Burning aircraft fuel injured turret personnel and damaged the remaining gun. WEST VIRGINIA was eventually engulfed by an oil-fed conflagration, begun by the burning ARIZONA and sustained for 30 hours by fuel leaking from both ships.

Port-side torpedo damage caused rapid compartment flooding; prompt counter-flooding by four damage-control parties under the command of Lcdr John S. Harper and early closure of all water-tight doors and hatches ordered by Harper's assistant, Archie P. Kelley, prevented the ship from capsizing. Water damage ruined much of the ship's communications gear and electrics, including its battle-phone batteries.

Captain Mervion S Bennion unaware that Harper and Kelly had begun damage-control efforts, ordered Lieutenant C. V. Ricketts to begin counter-flooding the starboard compartments. Ricketts, delayed at his battle station and AA-gun batteries, arrived to find 30 to 40 starboard compartments already flooded. In his report, Ricketts wrote that he witnessed the flooding of one compartment. He then ordered all remaining starboard compartments flooded and returned to the bridge to help move the captain, mortally wounded by shrapnel. Harper's report on the counter-flooding of "all available voids", as directed, indicated that Ricketts' assistance had been unnecessary.

During the attack's first wave and the counter-flooding overseen by Harper, executive officer Roscoe H Hillenkoetter abandoned ship by jumping off the starboard quarterdeck. Harper was then notified by an officer on the conning tower that the captain was dying, the executive officer had abandoned ship and Harper (as third in command) was now the commanding officer. After confirming that all starboard compartments were flooded, Harper went to the conning tower. Countermanding the captain's dying order for all hands to abandon ship, he ordered repair parties to fight fires fore and aft. Fire hoses from TENNESSEE were passed to WEST VIRGINIA; crews fought fires near turret three and elsewhere on the ship until about 2:00 pm, when Harper ordered the remaining crew to abandon ship. The ship did settle to the bottom but remained upright.

With a patch over the damaged area of her hull the BB was pumped out, refloated on 17 May 1942 and docked in Drydock Number One on 9 June. This enabled a more detailed damage assessment, indicating six (not five) torpedo hits.

During repairs, workers found the bodies of WEST VIRGINIA sailors who had been trapped below when the ship sank. Several were lying atop steam pipes, in the only remaining air bubble of flooded areas. Three were found in a storeroom compartment, where they had survived for a time on emergency rations and fresh water from a battle station; a calendar indicated that they were alive at least until 23 December 1941. Although the remaining crew and shipyard workers were confronted with a monumental task because of the damage to her port side, WEST VIRGINIA sailed from Pearl Harbor on 7 May 1943 to Bremerton and a complete rebuild at Puget Navy yard. During this reconstruction, the cage masts supporting the three-tier fire-control tops, the two funnels, the open-mount 5-inch (127 mm)/25 caliber guns and the casemates with the single-purpose 5-inch/51 caliber guns were replaced by a single funnel and 5/38 dual-purpose guns. On the decks, 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm oerlikon batteries were added. Although the two-ocean naval policy dictated a beam limit of 108 feet for U.S. BBs to traverse the Panama Canal when WEST VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE and CALIFORNIA were rebuilt their beams were widened to 114 feet feet, effectively limiting their service to the Pacific theater. WEST VIRGINIA was finally ready to return to active duty by early July 1944.






*Demilitarised BB UTAH (USN 21825 grt)* was sunk. Shortly before 0800, some crewmen aboard UTAHobserved the first IJN planes approaching, but they assumed they were US aircraft. The Japanese began their attack shortly thereafter, concentrating on the BBs moored around Ford Island of which the UTAH was considered by them to be one. At 0801, the first of two torpedoes struck UTAH, which caused serious flooding. The ship began to list to port and settle by the stern. As the crew began to abandon ship, one man—Chief Watertender Peter Tomich, remained below decks to ensure as many men as possible could escape, and to keep vital machinery running as long as possible; he died in battle and p[osthumously received the Medal of honour for his bravery.

At 0812, UTAH rolled over onto her side, while those crew members who had managed to escape swam to shore. Almost immediately after reaching shore, the ship's captain, Commander Solomon Isquith, heard knocking from men trapped in the capsized ship. He called for volunteers to secure a cutting torch from the badly damaged cruiser RALEIGH and attempt to free trapped men; they succeeded in rescuing four men. In total, 64 officers and men were killed, though 461 survived.

The Navy declared UTAH to be "in ordinary" on 29 December 1941, and she was placed under the authority of the Pearl Harbor Base Force. Following the successful righting (rotation to upright) of the capsized USS OKLAHOMA, an attempt was made to similarly right the UTAH by the same method using 17 winches. Unfortunately as UTAH was rotated, she did not grip the harbor bottom as intended, and slid towards Ford Island. The UTAH’s recovery effort was abandoned, with UTAH rotated 38 degrees from horizontal.

As abandoned, UTAH cleared her berth. There was no further attempt to refloat her; unlike the battleships. She was always of limited military value (though the psychological effects of USN personnel seeing her mangled remains as they entered and left Pearl during the war can only be imagined). She was formally placed out of commission on 5 September 1944, and then stricken from the Navy lists on 13 November 1944. those who perished aboard (some 64 men) were never recovered.






US BB NEVADA was damaged with 57 fatalities and 112 wounded. US BB PENNSYLVANIA was damaged 29 men killed and a further 29 wounded. US BB TENNESSEE was damaged with 5 killed and 24 wounded. US BB MARYLAND with four killed and 21 wounded.

Also damaged were CLs RALEIGH with 7 men listed as wounded., HONOLULU with one wounded, and HELENA 34 killed and 63 wounded including the captain..

DDs CASSIN was damaged 6 listed as wounded., DOWNES (heavily damaged) with 18 killed and 6 wounded and SHAW (also heavily damaged) with twenty four enlisted men killed and 27 wounded.

ML OGLALA was damaged with 5 men wounded, and repair ships CURTISS damaged with 20 killed and 59 men wounded,and VESTAL with seven enlisted men killed and 81 wounded.

DD BLUE had one enlisted man wounded; DD CHEW had one enlisted man killed and one enlisted man missing. DD CRAVEN had one enlisted man wounded; DD CUMMINGS had three enlisted men wounded; DD DALE had one enlisted man wounded; CL DETROIT had two enlisted men wounded; DD tender DOBBIN had four enlisted men killed and three enlisted men wounded; DD JARVIS had one enlisted man wounded; DD MCFARLAND had one enlisted man wounded; repair ship MEDUSA had 2 men wounded; DD MONAGHAN had one man wounded; tanker NEOSHO had three men wounded; submarine tender PELIAS had two men wounded; DD MSW PERRY had one man wounded; DD ML PRUITT had one man killed; repair ship RIGEL had four men wounded; CA SALt LAKE CITY had one man wounded,CA SAN FRANCISCO had two men wounded; DD SCHLEY had one man wounded;DD ML SICARD had one man killed; hospital ship SOLACE had one man killed; aux ship SUMNER had one man wounded, AVS SWAN had one man wounded; AVS TANGIER had five men wounded; DD ML TRACEY had three men killed; tug VIREO had one man wounded; DD depot ship WHITNEY had one man wounded; and DD WORDEN had one man wounded.

A total of 2403 men were killed and 1178 were wounded in Japanese attacks on ship and land targets. The Japanese lost five torpedo bombers, 15 bombers (Val divebombers and Kate level bombing), and nine fighter aircraft, five midget submarines, and fifty five men were killed.

At sea in addition to the ENTERPRISE and LEXINGTON TGs, CA INDIANAPOLIS, which departed Pearl Harbour with the LEXINGTON group on the 5th, with DD MSWs SOUTHARD, LONG, DORSEY, ELIOT, and HOPKINS were off Johnson Island.

CA MINNEAPOLIS with DDs CHANDLER, HOVEY, BOGGS, and LAMBERTON were twenty five miles south of Oahu.

After the Japanese attack, CLs DETROIT, ST LOUIS, and PHOENIX, DDs BAGLEY, PATTERSON, SELFRIDGE, CASE, TUCKER, REID, JARVIS, CUMMINGS, PHELPS, WORDEN, DEWEY, MACDONOUGH, HENLEY, RALPH TALBOT, HELM, DALE, MONAGHAN, FARRAGUT, ALYWIN, and BLUE and DD MSWs TRACEY, TREVOR, and PREBLE departed Pearl Harbour and joined the CA MINNEAPOLIS for search operations. CL DETROIT with DDs WORDEN, PHELPS, and HELM investigated reported Japanese transports of the west coast of Oahu.

Later, CA MINNEAPOLIS, CLs DETROIT, ST LOUIS, and PHOENIX, and 17 DDs searched for the Japanese ships.

Japanese DDs AKEBONO and USHIO bombarded Midway Island. One Navy enlisted man was killed, 3 marines were killed.

IJN submarine I.26 sank *steamer CYNTHIA OLSON (US 2140 grt)* with gunfire one thousand miles NE of Hawaii.. Thirty three crew and two soldiers were lost on the steamer.






_Malaya invasion forces _
The Japanese Malay transport force divided into its respective units. One transport proceeded to Prachuab. Two transports proceeded to Jumbhorn. One transport with CL KASHII proceeded to Bandon. Three transports with frigate SHIMUSHU proceeded to Nakhorn. 17 transports, including RYUJO MARU and KASHII MARU, with the 20th and 12th DesDivs, four MSWs, the submarine chaser division, and nine assault vessels proceeded to Singora and Patani. CL SENDAI, the 19th DesDiv, MSWs W.2 and W.3, submarine chasers, and three transports, including AWAJISTAN MARU and AYATOSAN MARU, proceeded to Kota Bharu. CA CHOKAI and DD SAGIRI joined Kurita's force south of Cape Camao.

_Philippines invasion force_
Japanese forces for the invasion of the Philippines set out. DD YAMAGUMO, TB s CHIDORI, HATSUKARI, MANADZURU, and TOMODZURU, two MSWs, two gunboats, two patrol boats, nine sub chasers, and two transports departed Takao, Formosa. Troops were landed on Bataan Island on the 8th.

CL NATORI, DDs FUMITSUKI, SATSUKI, NAGATSUKI, MINATSUKI, HARUKAZE, and HATAKAZE, three minesweepers, nine submarine chasers, and six transports departed Mako, Pescadores. On the 10th, troops were landed at Aparri. MSW M.19 was damaged by American bombing and run aground. She was later salved.

CL NAKA with DDs MURASAME, YUDACHI, HARUSAME, and SAMIDARE of DesDiv 2, ASAGUMO, MINEGUMO, and NATSUGUMO of DesDiv 4, six minesweepers, nine submarine chasers, and six transports departed the Pescadores

Halder's diary 07 December 1941


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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

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## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*08 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Type IXC U-511




_U-511 was sold to Japan on 16 Sept 1943 and became the ijn RO 500._

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS Fredericton (K-245)





Flower Class Corvette HMS GENISTA (K 200)





Bangor Class MSW HMS TENBY (J-34)





Vosper 70’ Type MTB 58




_Sister vessel MTB 77_

*Losses
MSW trawler PHINEAS BEARD (RN 278 grt)* and *MSW trawler MILFORD EARL (RN 290 grt)* were both sunk by the LW off the east coast of Scotland.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer FIREGLOW (UK 1261 grt)* was sunk on a mine 2.5 miles 312° from 57C Buoy Hearty Knoll Channel, three miles south of Dudgeon Buoy. One crewman was killed on the steamer.





*Steamer GERTIE (UK 341 grt)* was sunk on a British mine two miles northeast of Tuskar Rock Light. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Fishing trawler LORD SHREWSBURY (UK 167 grt)* was sunk on a mine one mile east one half mile south of Chequer Shoal Buoy. The entire crew of ten were lost.

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Salamis: U-79
St Nazaire: U-69

Departures
Salamis: U-559

At Sea 08 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-81, U-86, U-105, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-201, U-205, U-332, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-375, U-402, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-559, U-562, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

36 Boats

*OPERATIONS
East Front*
Arctic
CL EDINBURGH and DDs ECHO and ESCAPADE joined PQ.6 on the 12th in 69-30N, 11-30W. The ships continued with the convoy until the 20th when the escort arrived at Murmansk. They had been bombed at 1230, but no damage was done.

On the 17th, DKM DDs Z.23, Z.24, Z.25, and Z.27 engaged RN MSWs HAZARD and SPEEDY (identified by DKM as as two VMF DDs), which had departed Archangel on the 16th to meet convoy PQ.6 east of Murmansk, fourteen miles north of Cape Gorodetski. SPEEDY received four shell hits and was replaced by MSW LEDA, which departed Archangel that day.

CA KENT and VMF DDs GROSZNY and SOKRUSHITELNY set out from the Kola Inlet to support the MSWs, but the DKM ships had already retired. On the 19th, MSWs LEDA and HAZARD met and convoy and all arrived safely at Murmansk on the 20th.

SPEEDY arrived at Murmask on the 28th. She returned to the UK in convoy QP.4, arriving at Scapa Flow on 14 January. The MSW was under repair in the Thames from 23 January to 22 March.

*Northern Patrol*
DD ICARUS departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow. However, her orders were cancelled and the DD proceeded to Sullom Voe, arriving during the late afternoon of the 9th.

CA KENT departed Scapa Flow with the British Foreign Secretary, the Soviet Ambassador to the UK, and staffs to Murmansk, arriving on the 12th.

CL EDINBURGH and DDs ECHO and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Seidisfjord, to refuel prior to escorting convoy PQ.6..

Convoy PQ.6 departed Hvalfjord during the afternoon with Soviet steamers DEKABRIST, Panamanian EL OCEANO, EMPIRE MAVIS, MOUNT EVANS, EL MIRLO, ELONA, EXPLORER, and ZAMALEK. ASW Trawlers HUGH WALPOLE, CAPE ARGONA, and STELLA CAPELLA escorted the convoy from 8 to 12 December.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy SC.56_
DD MONTGOMERY was detached on 8 December

_Convoy ON.43_
Corvette BEGONIA joined on the 8th

*Med/Biscay*
CLA EURYALUS and DDs HERO and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria to operate off Derna. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 10th.

RM CL CARDONA, carrying gasoline from Taranto to Benghazi, encountered heavy weather and put into Argostoli. The cruiser was able to later depart and arrived at Benghazi on the 11th.

Submarine TALISMAN unsuccessfully attacked RM TB ORIONE. Submarine P.34 arrived at Malta after patrol in the Straits of Messina.

CLA HERMIONE and DDs BLANKNEY, EXMOOR, and MAORI departed Gibraltar and joined DDs LAFOREY, ISAAC SWEERS, and ARROW to search for a convoy off Malaga steering towards Gibraltar reported by an RAF Wellington. LAFOREY attacked submarine U.372 off Europa Lighthouse without result. The British force returned to Gibraltar on the 9th after failing to locate the convoy.

*Nth Atlantic*
Convoy HX.164 
departed Halifax, escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and MSWs MALPEQUE and MINAS. These ships were detached on the 10th when relieved by American destroyers DALLAS, ELLIS, GLEAVES, and UPSHUR

Though not yet at war with the European Axis, the Us took swift action to apprehend many of the Italian ships holed up in US Ports. Italian ships seized in US ports
*MV ADA O (FI 5234 GRT), MV ALBERTA (FI 6131 GRT),MV ANTONIETTA (FI 4423 GRT)*, *MV ARSA (FI 5441 GRT)*, *MV AUSSA (FI 5441 GRT)*, *MV BELVEDERE (FI 6889 GRT)*, *MV BRENNERO (FI 4946 GRT)*, *MV CLARA (FI 6131 GRT)*, *MV COLORADO (FI 5039 GRT)*, *MV CONFIDENZA (FI 6458 GRT)*, *MV CONTE BIANCAMANO (FI 23255 GRT)*, *MV DINO (FI 5592 GRT)*, *MV EURO (FI 4687 GRT)*, *MV GIUAN (FI 5473 GRT)*, *MV GUIDONIA (FI 5060 GRT)*, *MV IDA Z. O. (FI 4035 GRT)*, *MV ICARNIA (FI 4815 GRT)*, *MV LACONIA (FI 5932 GRT)*, *MV LEME (FI 8059 GRT)*, *MV MAR GLAUCO (FI 4690 GRT)*, *MV MONFIORE (FI 5498 GRT)*, *MV MONGIOIA (FI 6113 GRT)*, *MV PIETRO CAMPANELLA (FI 6140 GRT)*, *MV SAN GIUSEPPE (FI 5074 GRT)*, *MV SANTA ROSA (FI 3027 GRT)*, *MV SAN LEONARDO (FI 4657 GRT)*, *MV VILLARPEROSA (FI 6255 GRT)*, *MV VITTORIN (FI 3349 GRT)*,
[NO IMAGES]

*Tkr ANTEO (FI 6772 grt)* and *Tkr RAPALLO (FI 5812 grt)* were seized at Cartagena, Colombia
[NO IMAGES]

*Central Atlantic*
_Convoy OS.12_
Sloops FOLKESTONE and WELLINGTON and the escort vessels SENNEN and TOTLAND. Were detached from the convoy on 8 December.

*Sth Atlantic*
_Convoy WS.12Z_
Corvettes ASTER and MARGUERITE escorted the convoy from 15 December to 18 December, when the convoy arrived at Durban

*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*
CL GLASGOW in the Bay of Bengal encountered Indian escort ship PRABHAVATI towing lighters HETAMPUR and HINGOLI to Karachi. The cruiser identified the ship and lighters as a large Japanese submarine on the surface and sank them. The commanding officer, two other officers, and twenty five ratings were rescued. Of these twelve were seriously wounded. 19 other crewmen were lost. CL GLASGOW arrived at Bombay on the 9th with the survivors.

*Pacific/Australia*
Allied Dispositions in the Far East

*Singapore*
BB PRINCE OF WALES, BC REPULSE, CLs DANAE, DRAGON & DURBAN; DDs ELECTRA, EXPRESS, TENEDOS & RAN VAMPIRE. Gunboats DRAGONFLY, GRASSHOPPER, SCORPION. RAN AMCs MANOORA, KANIMBLA; RAN Ocean MSWs BENDIGO, MARYBOROUGH, WOLLONGONG, BALLARAT, TOOWOOMBA, GOULBURN, BURNIE

Refitting or under repair at Singapore
CL MAURITIUS (with corroded firemain). The cruiser departed on the 15th through the Straits of Malacca and arrived Colombo on the 18th. She departed Colombo on 2 January for Durban, arriving on 15 January. She departed the same day escorting troopship EMPRESS OF RUSSIA for Simonstown, arriving on 17 January. The cruiser departed on 21 January and arrived at Freetown on 30 January. She departed 2 February for Devonport, arriving on 11 February 1942. Repairs were completed on 16 April. DD STRONGHOLD for local defense, RAN DD VENDETTA,

DD ENCOUNTER (bottom "corrugated" from grounding in Med), DD JUPITER (stability problems, ship listed when fuel tanks full), DD ISIS (repairing bomb damage). Submarines ROVER and DOLPHIN (repairing bomb damage).

*Hong Kong*
DDs SCOUT and THANET, both departed Hong Kong 7 December and then Tarakan on the 13th. Gunboats TERN, CICALA, ROBIN, all for local defense. Motor Torpedo Boats MTB.7-12 inclusive, and MTB.26 and MTB.27

Refitting or under repair at Hong Kong
DD THRACIAN for local defense, Gunboat MOTH for local defense

*Shanghai*
Gunboat PETEREL (Lt S. Polkinghorn RNR) for local defense

*East Indies*
BBs REVENGE, after escorting convoy WS.12 to Aden, arrived Trincomalee on the 13th, and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, arriving at the Seychilles 2 January after escorting convoy WS.1 Z, CA EXETER in Bay of Bengal en route to Singapore, arriving on the 10th; AMC CORFU at Colombo, and RANCHI, at Addu Atoll, CA CORNWALL and CL EMERALD were off the west coast of Africa.

Refitting or under repair
CVL HERMES refitting at Simonstown to complete 27 January, CLs ENTERPRISE refitting at Colombo, and GLASGOW departed Colombo on the 6th for Laccadive Islands in Bay of Bengal.

*Australia*
CAs AUSTRALIA and CANBERRA, CL PERTH, AMC WESTRALIA, FFL DD LE TRIOMPHANT, Ocean MSWs SWAN and WARREGO, FFL sloop CHEVREUIL

Refitting or under repair
AMC MONOWAI refitting, DD STUART refitting, DD VOYAGER refitting


*Indian Navy*
Sloops JUMNA , HINDUSTAN, SUTLEJ

*New Zealand*
CLs ACHILLES and LEANDER

*Dutch Navy (based mainly at Surabaya)*
CLs DE RUYTER in Alas Strait, JAVA departed Surabaya on the 7th for Singapore, arriving on the 9th, CLA TROMP in Karimata Strait, and CL SUMATRA refitting at Surabaya, recommissioned with skeleton crew on 27 January and taken to Trincomalee, arriving 15 February. DDs VAN NES in Sunda Strait, VAN GHENT refitting at Surabaya, BANCKERT in Sapeh Strait, WITTE DE WITH in Alas Strait, later under repairs, then manned by crew from DD VAN GHENT, KORTENAER in Lombok Strait, PIET HEIN in Alor Strait, and EVERTSEN in Sunda Strait.

Submarines K.11 arrived Singapore on the 8th from patrol in Karimata Strait, K.12 in Karamata Strait, K.13 Karimata Strait, K.17 departed Singapore on the 6th for patrol off east coast of Malay coast, O.16 departed Singapore for patrol off east coast of Malay coast, K.9 refitting at Surabaya, commissioned 1 March 1942, K.10, K.14 off Kuching, K.15 departed Tarakan 9 December for Surabaya, arriving on the 15th, K.16 Departed Singapore 19 December for patrol off Kuching, O.19 arrived Singapore 11 December from Karimata Strait, departed Singapore on the 14th for operations off Singgora - Kota Bharu area, O.20 arrived Singapore 11 December from Karimata Strait, departed 14 December for patrol in Gulf of Thailand, K.7 under repair in reserve, K.18 under repair at Surabaya, K.8 decommissioned. recommissioned 7 January 1942

*American Navy*
Manila
DesDiv 59 - DDs POPE, JOHN D. FORD, PEARY under repair, DD PILLSBURY under repair, PEARY and PILLSBURY repairing collision damage of 16 October

Submarines (Asiatic Fleet), submarines departed for patrol areas shown

SubDiv 201 - submarines S.37 near Mindoro, S.38 near Mindoro, S.40 off Lingayen Gulf, S.41 near Mindoro

SubDiv 203 - SS PIKE near Hainan, TARPON off Lingayen Gulf, PERCH west of Luzon, PICKEREL, PERMIT west of Luzon, SHARK under repair, then near Lingayen

SubDiv 21 - SS SALMON, SEAL near Vingan, SKIPJACK near Palau, SARGO Gulf of Siam, SAURY near San Bernadino, SPEARFISH off Camranh Bay

SubDiv 22 - SS SNAPPER near Hainan, STINGRAY near Lingayen Gulf, STURGEON near Formosa, SCULPIN east of Luzon, SAILFISH near Lingayen Gulf, SWORDFISH near Hainan

SubDiv 202 - SS SEARAVEN near Formosa, SEAWOLF near San Bernadino, SEADRAGON under repair, SEALION under repair

(SubDiv 203) Olongapo SS PORPOISE under repair

SubDiv 201 At sea– SS S.36 near San Bernadino Strait, S.39 in Sorsogon Bay, Luzon

CA HOUSTON near Iloilo, CL BOISE near Cebu, CL MARBLEHEAD at Tarakan

DesSqn 29 - DD PAUL JONES

DesDiv 58 - DDs STEWART, BULMER, BARKER, PARROTT and DesDiv 57 - DDs WHIPPLE, ALDEN, JOHN D. EDWARDS, EDSALL were at Balikpapan. The ships at Balikpapan departed on the 7th for Batavia, but the orders were changed when the battleship PRINCE OF WALES and battlecruiser REPULSE were lost. They arrived at Singapore on the 11th and departed on the 14th.

*Summary of Operations 
Steamer PRESIDENT HARRISON (US 10,509 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Whangpoo River whilst attempting to evacuate US marines and army personnel from the Shanghai. Renamed the KAKKU MARU, she was in Japanese service until 12 September 1944. on that day she was torpedoed by SS PAMPINITO taking 750 Allied PoWs down with her. .






*Steamer CHEKIANG (US 2172 grt)* was seized by IJN gunboat NISSHO MARU No 12 at Whangpoo River.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer AEGEUS S (Gk 1366 grt)* and *Steamer AENOS (Gk 1521 grt)* which had been sunk during hostilities in the Upper Yangtze in 1938 and beached were seized by Japanese forces. They were used by them during the war.
[NO IMAGES FOUND}

The following ships were seized by Japanese forces in Chinese Waters; *Steamer ANTIGONE (Gk 1372 grt)*, *Steamer APHRODITE (Gk 1101 grt)*, *Steamer ARES S (Gk 1372 grt)*, *Steamer ARGOSTOLI (Gk 1673 grt)*, *Steamer ATHENA (Gk 1445 grt)*, and *Steamer ATTICA (Gk 1405 grt)*.

*Steamers ERATO (Gk 5904 grt)* and *Steamer VALENTINI (Gk 4713 grt)* were seized by Japanese forces at Yokohama.

*Steamer HELIOS (Gk 1922 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at sea in 8N, 107E.

*Steamer SAGRES (Gk 2333 grt)*, which had been detained by Japanese at Chauan Bay since 8 April 1939, was confiscated by Japanese forces.

*Steamers ST QUENTIN (US 3528 grt)*, *Steamer VITORLOCK (US 5030 grt)*, *Steamer FEDERLOCK (US 6607 grt)*, *Steamer ANALOCK (US 6638 grt)*, *Steamer DESLOCK (US 5015 grt)* at Yokohama, *Steamer HATTERLOCK (US 5138 grt)*, and *Steamer MUNLOCK (US 5240 grt)* which had been chartered by the Japanese in May-June 1941, were confiscated by Japanese forces.

*Tugs MEIFFO No. 5 (US 36 grt)* and *MEI KANG (US 40 grt)*, *Tkr MEI NAN (US 364 grt)*, *Tkr MEI YING (US 44 grt)*, and *Tkr MEI YUN (US 274 grt)*, *Steamer FOLOZU (Pan 2486 grt)*, *Steamer MORAZAN (Pan 2984 grt)*, and *Steamer RAMONA (Pan 3513grt)* were seized at Shanghai on the 8th.

*Ferry FATSHAN (US 2639 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Canton and becameKOTO MARU




[CONTD NEXT POST]

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 DECEMBER TO DAWN 9 DECEMBER 1941
_2238 hrs_ Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft passed over Kalafrana and Hal Far. 

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 8 DECEMBER 1941

_ROYAL NAVYForceB_ – also _Kandahar_ and _Jaguar_ and _P34_ arrived. The latter reported having hit with one torpedo a 4000 ton merchant vessel in entrance to Straits of Messina on 5th December. Counter attack by 38 depth charges.

_AIR HQArrivals_ Four Wellingtons and five Blenheims plus one Catalina and one Sunderland from Gibraltar; one Catalina from Aboukir. _Departures_ Ten Blenheims and one Wellington to 108 MU.

_HAL FAR_ Overnight three Swordfish took off to attack one merchant vessel of 3000 tons. Target was not located. All aircraft returned safely. Four Albacores 828 Squadron despatched on a nuisance raid to Catania aerodrome. Time over target 2130-0415 hours. Bombs dropped 4580 lbs High Explosive and 250 lbs incendiaries. All bombs dropped in target area causing two fires, one of which was probably an aircraft. All aircraft returned safely. 

_LUQA69 Squadron _One Maryland SF 6 patrol; one Maryland SF 9 patrol; one Maryland SF 10 patrol. _69 Squadron Photo-Reconnaissance_ One of Tripoli and Castel Benito aerodrome; one PR of Tunis and Bizerte. _18 Squadron _ One Blenheim SF 11 patrol; four Blenheims sent to attack Catania aerodrome. P/O Barclay and Sgt Cuming collided and crashed. Other two aircraft returned with bombs. _107 Squadron _One Blenheim SF 1 patrol; one Blenheim SF 2B patrol. Five Blenheims sent to attack convoy (no sightings made).


----------



## parsifal (Dec 10, 2016)

*08 DECEMBER 1941 [CONT'D]*
OPERATIONS
*Pacific/Australia [contd]
*
Chinese steamers sheltering in the international zone
*Steamer FEI HSING (KMT 625 grt)* and *Steamer HSIN YANGTSE (KMT 1108 grt)* were seized at Shanghai on the 9th.

*Salvage tug MARIE MOLLER (UK 593grt)* and *towing lighter AUTUMNLIGHT (UK 800 grt)* were captured off Ningpo by Japanese forces. The tug and the lighter was taken to Tinghai, Chusan Islands.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer MARY MOLLER (Aus 2698 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces off Ningpo. The steamer was taken to Shanghai renamed KAIKO MARU and into Japanese service. She was sunk by US a/c off Hainan in 1945. .

*Steamer KONG SO (UK 789 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces near Hong Kong.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Salvage tug CARMEN MOLLER (UK 366 grt)*, *towing lighters COTTONLIGHT (UK 438 grt)* and *RUNNINGLIGHT (UK 438 grt)* were captured by Japanese forces south of Amoy. The ships were taken to Amoy and put into Japanese service.

*Tender EDITH MOLLER (UK 645 grt)*, towing *lighter TAIKOO 24 (UK 202 grt)* and steamer *LIEN SHUI (KMT 91 grt)* were captured by Japanese forces south of Amoy. The ships were taken to Amoy.
[NO IMAGES]

*Salvage ship ELSIE MOLLER (UK 1145 grt)* was captured by Japanese forces off Amoy. The ship was taken to Amoy.
[NO IMAGES]

*Salvage tug READY MOLLER (UK 268 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces off Amoy. The tug was taken to Amoy.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KIANGSU (UK 2676 grt)*, ship registered to the China Navigation company but in reality a British owned vessel. The ship was seized by Japanese forces off Amoy. The ship was ultimately lost in Singapore harbor in 1944.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer BEN NEVIS (UK 5356 grt)* was captured by IJN forces in the China Sea outside Hong Kong. The steamer was taken to Hainan Island and the crew made prisoners of war. Renamed GYOKUYO MARU, the ship was sunk by torpedo from USN submarine SPADEFISH November 14th, 1944, East of China
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer SHINHWA (UK 1460 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces off Hong Kong.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamers HSIN CHANG WO (UK 582 grt)*, *KIA WO (UK 1311 grt)*, *KIANG WO (UK 2209 grt)*, *SHASI (UK 1327 grt)*, and *SIANGTAN (UK 1195 grt)*; and *tugs CHANG NING (UK 251 grt)* and* CHENGLING (UK 141 grt)* were seized by Japanese forces at Ichang.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Barges B.1 (UK 477 grt)* and *B.2 (UK 477 grt)*; *hopper barges CHUN PING (UK 426 grt)*, *SHUN PING (UK 289 grt)*, and *TUG 4 (UK 136 grt)* and *TUG 5 (UK 236 grt)* were captured by Japanese forces at Tientsin.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamers KUT WO (UK 2665 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Hankow. Lloyds have the ship surviving the war, enventually being scrapped (the ship was commissioned in 1895) in 1956.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer LOONGWO (UK 3923 grt)*, captured, other details unknown.

*Steamer CHANGSHA (UK 2482 grt)*, captured near Hankow, finally lost to a US mine January 1945.

*Steamer WOOSUNG (UK 3426grt)*, was captured near Hankow. Renamed to simply WOOSUNG MARU, she was lost in February 1943.

*Steamer WUHU (UK 2938 grt)* was captured by the Japanese, other details are not known.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Tugs CHINKONG (UK 250 grt)*, *PATUNG (UK 48 grt)*, and *CHENYANG (UK 144 grt)* and *MV ROOSTER (UK 34 grt)* were seized at Hankow by Japanese forces.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer HSIN PEKING (UK 1204 grt)*, en route Tongku to Hong Kong, was seized off the Yangtze Delta by Japanese forces. The Master of the steamer beached the vessel, but it was later refloated by the Japanese. She was renamed RAKUSAN MARU, damaged august 1945, not repaired. The ship was nicknamed the “pirate ship” in Japanese service

*Steamers BRAMTOCO VI (UK 14 grt)* and *PAOWO (UK 2517 grt)* and *tug MIN WO (UK 287 grt)* were seized by Japanese forces at Hankow.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer KALGAN (UK 2655 grt)*, part of the China steamship co, but working under a British flag, was seized by Japanese forces at Bangkok. Renamed NISHI MARU, 1944 sunk by US air attack in Manila Bay.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Motor boat KIANG SI (UK 28 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Kiukiang.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Lighter MIGHTYLIGHT (UK 399 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at the Parcel Island.

*Welding vessel ANNE MOLLER (UK 20grt)* seized by the Japanese in Shanghai

*Steamer SHENG HWA (Nor 5492 grt)*, *SteamerVEN KOH (Nor 5752 grt)* were seized by Japanese forces in Japan. *Steamer DUKAT (Nor 1350 grt)* was captured at sea. The steamer was sent to Hie Che Chin Bay, north of Hong Kong. *Steamer HAFTHOR (Nor 1350 grt)* was seized by IJN DD URANAMI one hundred and twenty miles north of Khota Bharu. The captain and crew were put in boats and reached the Thai coast in three days. The steamer was renamed NIYO MARU for Japanese use. *Steamer NGOW HOCK (Nor 1329 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces in Camranh Bay
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

*Steamer BEATRICE (Ne 4128 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Yokohama.
*Steamer BOYACA (Pan 2559 grt)* was seized at Shanghai by Japanese forces.
*Steamer CAPTELLA (Pan 2398 grt)* was captured by Japanese forces off Saigon.
*Steamer NEEDWOOD (Pan 2042 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Tsingtao.
*Steamer FOCH (Pan 2894 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Yokohama while discharging cargo.
*Steamer HERLEIK (Pan 1893 grt)* was seized by Japanese forces at Chinwangtao while discharging cargo.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]
*Saint Class Rescue Tug ST DOMINIC (RN 451 grt)* was sunk by Japanese surface craft south of Saddle Island. The tug had been towing vessels *SIANG NAN (UK 46 grt)*, *TUNG KIANG (UK 49 grt)*, and *KAI KOU (UK 56 grt)* which were cut adrift. All the vessels were salved by the Japanese and towed to Shanghai.
_





Sister Ship Destiny_

(Nationality unknown); all seized at Shanghai by the Japanese. Chinese crews were mostly murdered. European crews suffered a varying range of fates

*Steamers HSIN TSEANGTAH (Allied 933 grt)* with a cargo of coffee
*Steamer KINTANG (Alled 435 grt)*, whilst unloading coffee
*Steamer LING KONG (Allied 850 grt)*,
*Steamer SUI TAI (Allied 1816 grt)*,
*Steamer WANTUNG (1061 grt)*,

Coastal steamers and Lighters
*HING SHUI (153grt),SCOT I.(274 grt)*, *SUITING (296 grt)*, *CHISOCO (23 grt)*, *DUNVULIG (23 grt)*, *FENG HUANG (28 grt)*, *KA SOO (57 grt)*, *PING KIANG (75 grt)*, *PURSUIT (30 grt)*, *SENG MAO (50 grt)*, *SUNBEAM (34 grt)*, *TAI SU (30 grt)*, *TIEN ZEANG (14 grt)*, *WINNER (20 grt)*, *WU MING (15 grt)*, *YUAN PAO (63 grt)*, *A. P. C. 1 (53 grt)*, *A. P. C. 2 (53 grt)*, *A. P. C. 3 (53 grt),A. P. C. 4 (53 grt)*, *AVERMIS (300 grt)*, *B. G. O. D. No. 9 (54 grt)*, *HENG KIAN G (38 grt)*, *NEREUS (250 grt)*, *CB B. No. 2 (256 grt)*, *PROTEUS (250 grt)*, *SAN KIANG (32 grt)*, *STYX (300 grt)*, *TETHYS (250 grt)*, *TRITON (250 grt)*, *CROSS (36 grt)*, *WU KIANG (108 grt)*, *barge ACHERON (165 grt)*, *BARANG (54 grt)*, *BEAUTYLIGHT (118 grt)*, *CHERRYLIGHT (39 grt)*, *ECHIDNA (450 grt)*, *AN LEE (8 grt)*, *KWAITUNG (48 grt)*, *I.PING (935 grt)*, *LUKADU (19 grt)*, *LUNG CHONG No 1 (16 grt)*, *TAN KIANG (38 grt)*, *lighters B. G. O. B. No. 12 (39grt)*, *HENG KIANG 5 (350 grt)*, *LETHE (300grt)*, *IV (199grt)*, *VIII (199grt)*, *XVI (199grt)*, *PALANG (199grt)*, *TAIKOO No. 2 (199grt)*, *TAIKOO No. 6 (150grt)*, *TAIKOO A. 1 (97grt)*, *TAIKOO A. 2 (97grt)*, *TAIKOO A. 3 (77grt)*, *TAIKOO A. 6 (288grt)*, *TAIKOO A. 7 (288grt)*, *TAIKOO A. 8 (172grt)*, *TAIKOO A. 9 (170grt)*, *TAIKOO C 1 (150grt)*, *TAIKOO B 12 (45grt)*, *KAI SOO (57grt)*

*tugs EWO IV (982grt)*, *EWO VIII (41grt)*, *EWO IX (47grt)*, and *FUMIN (45 grt)*, *motor boat EWO X (10grt)*, *communications boat PAOSHIH (10 grt)*, *barges G. B. No. 2 and G. B. No. 3 (estimated combined tonnage 600 grt)*

Motor Launches
*DEBEN (15 grt)*, *HARBOUR PILOT (15 grt)*, *KWANG MING (37 grt)*, *LUNG CHONG III (18 grt)*, *MABEL (15 grt)*, *MOLLER LINE No. 2 (4 grt)*, *MOYNA (53 grt)*, *SEA PILOT (6 grt)*, *SHANGHAI PILOT (9 grt)*, *SOY YUN (18 grt)*, and *WINIFRED SAY-YUNG (39 grt)*,

Ocean going Steam Launches
*GUTZHALL (136 grt)*, *LUNG CHONG No. 2 (40 grt)*, and *PLUTO (47 grt)*,

River Launches
*MERRYLIGHT (69 grt)*,

Tugs
*motor tug ANNETTE MOLLER (69 grt)*, *salvage tug CHRISTINE MOLLER (800 grt)*, (undergoing repairs), *salvage tug JESSIE MOLLER (530 grt)*, *tug DIANA MOLLER (252grt)*, *tug MERRY MOLLER (382grt)*, *tug MURIEL MOLLER 969grt)*, *tug MURIEL WOOD (23grt)*, *tug APHRODITE I.(90grt)*, *CHANGLO (248grt)*, *tug HENG CHANG (35grt)*, *tug HU MING (47grt)*, *tug POOTUNG (86 tons)*, *tug TAIKOO (88grt)*, and *tug WATUNG I.(144grt)*, *Ferry DEMETER (63grt)*, *Stores Vessel DOROTHY MOLLER (12grt)*, *Water Boats E. SHUI (91grt)* and *TIEN SHUI (84grt)*, *yachts MIGNON (7grt)*, *THAIS (10grt)*, and *UNDINE (26grt)*, *motor yacht EVELINE (13grt)*, *steam yacht HAVEN (9grt)*, *yacht INGOMAR (3grt)*, *auxiliary yachts JENNIFER (8grt)* and *KERT (20grt)*, *motor boat LOONG MOW No. 1 (21grt)*, *motor oil barges REG. G. B. (57grt)* and *REG. G. B. 3 (60grt)*, *oil barge T. J. 12 (45grt)*, *iron barge SCAMANDER (246 grt)*, *motor sampan M. S. No. 12 (22grt)*, *motor boats MOW YEUN (11grt)*, *RUTH MOLLER (22grt)*, and *TAIKOO YANG (9grt)*, *sailing vessels N. L. No. 32 (54grt)*, *N. L. No. 33 (54grt)*, *N. L. No. 34 (54grt)*, *SHANGHAI RAMBLER (15grt)* and *VALERIE SHANGHAI (7grt)*, *house boat TAI AN (19 grt)*,


USN CA HOUSTON departed Iloilo on the 8th to escort American auxiliary ships to the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). CL USS BOISE and DDs PAUL JONES and BARKER joined early on the 9th. On the 10th, these ships joined CVS USS LANGLEY and oilers TRINITY and PECOS, escorted by DDs STEWART and JOHN D. FORD which had departed Manila. Gunboats TULSA and ASHVILLE also sailed escorted by minesweepers LARK and WHIPPOORWILL. Somewhat later, Submarine depot ships HOLLAND and OTUS and yacht ISABEL also sailed. The ships arrived at Balikpapen on the 14th. On the 15th, CA HOUSTON with JOHN D. EDWARDS and STEWART departed Balikpapen with submarine tenders HOLLAND and OTUS. Oilers PECOS and TRINITY, CVS LANGLEY, and transport GOLD STAR also departed and were escorted by CLs BOISE and MARBLEHEAD.

Japanese transports AWAJISTAN MARU and AYATOSAN MARU were damaged by RAAF Hudsons at Khota Bharu. *transport AWAJISTAN MARU (also known as TAKAO MARU) (Jpn 4282 grt)* (some sources quote the tonnage as 9200 grt)had to be beached as a result of the damage. She was a total loss, but much of her cargo and the soldiers she was transporting made it ashore..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Soon after the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor reached Shanghai, Japanese marines boarded the *river gunboat WAKE (USN 350 grt)*. She surrendered without a shot being fired (the only US Navy ship to surrender during World War II). The gunboat was surrendered after scuttling of the gunboat by the crew failed. The Japanese later commissioned her into their navy, as the TATARA and subsequently gave her to its puppet Reorganized National Government of China based in Nanjing.





*Gunboat PETEREL (RN 310 grt)* was in the same vicinity, stationed at Whangpoo River, Shanghai, as a W/T station for the Consulate. Although Japan had not yet declared war on Great Britain, Japanese marines also boarded the PETEREL to demand her surrender. Her CO Cdr Polkinghorn attempted to stall for time, in order for the demolition fuses to be lit and the code books to be passed down a special chute in order to be burned in the boiler room. When his attempts failed, Polkinghorn told them to "_Get off my bloody ship!_" Incredibly, the Japanese complied and disembarked. Almost immediately the old IJN armoured cruiser IZUMO, the accompanying gunboat TOBA and Japanese shore batteries that had been stationed in the vichy controlled “French Concession” of the port opened fire at almost point-blank range. Despite being outnumbered and hopelessly outgunned, the PETEREL returned fire, using small arms and the deck-mounted lewis guns, the breechblocks of their main armament of 3-inch guns having been removed and taken to the RN dockyard in Hong Kong. The japanese suffered several casualties in this first battle, before PETEREL capsized and drifted from its mooring under heavy fire. The Japanese machine gunned both the surviving Royal Navy and locally recruited Chinese crewmen in the water. They were never buried, left to float in the river. 12 men including the CO were captured (10 RN and 6 chinese were shot in the water) were captured, with 7 of the survivors repatriated in mid 1942.





USN CV SARATOGA departed San Diego, escorted by DDs DENT, WATERS, and TALBOT. The ships arrived safely at Pearl Harbour on the 15th. The carrier was carrying eighteen Marine aircraft of VMF 221 to reinforce the Wake Island garrison.

US Army transports PRESIDENT JOHNSON, BLISS, ETOLIN, and PRESIDENT GARFIELD, en route to the Philippines, were ordered to return to San Francisco.

IJN submarines I.68 and I.69 were attacked south of Pearl Harbour by USN warships.

Interned *Steamer VOLPI (FI 5292 grt)*, *Steamer XXVIII OTTOBRE (FI 4888 grt)*, and *Steamer SUMATRA (FI 4859 grt)* were scuttled at Puket Harbour in Thailand. Though quickly changing sides , the kingdom of Siam (Thailand) was initially an allied nation, resisting the Japanese invasion for a short time. It is likely these vessels were raised and re-used by the Japanese.
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Japanese bombers badly damaged *gunboat PENGUIN (USN 1009 grt)* at Agana, Guam by near misses. The gunboat was scuttled a mile and a half off the beach in deep water.






Japanese transports escorted by the 7th Gunboat Division, 15th Minesweeping Division, and 59th and 60th Submarine Chaser Divisions landed troops at Guam. The landings were supported by IJN CAs AOBA, KINUGASA, KAKO, and FURUTAKA with DDs KIKUZUKI, UZUKI, and YUZUKI.

IJN CL YUBARI, DDs HAYATE, OITE, MUTSUKI, MOCHIZUKI, YAYOI, and KISARAGI, patrol boats P.32 and P.33, and transports KINRYU MARU and KONGO MARU departed Kwajalein for the invasion of Wake Island. The operation was covered by CLs TATSUTA and TENRYU and submarines RO.60 and RO.61. On 8, 9, and 10 December, Japanese shore based aircraft from Kwajalein attacked Wake Island.

IJN MLs OKINOSHIMA, TOKIWA, and TSUGARU with two transports departed Kwajalein. On 9 and 10 December, the ships landed troops at Tarawa and Makin in the Gilbert Islands.

IJN CVL RYUJO launched 13 bombers and nine fighters to attack Davao. The DDs of the DesDiv 15 entered the Gulf of Davao, whilst the units of DesDiv 2 supported these operations.

IJN CL NAGARA and DDs UMIKAZE, YAMAKAZE, KAWAKAZE, and SUZUKAZE of DesDiv 22, CVS’ CHITOSE and MIZUHO of the CarDiv 11, MLs ITSUKUSHIMA and YAEYAMA of the 17th ML Division, and seven transports joined the Takagi force on 9 and 10 December.

IJN submarine I.124 laid mines off Manila. During the night of 8/9 December, Japanese submarines I.121 and I.122 laid mines off Singapore. Submarine I.123 laid mines off Balabac.


Halder's Diary 08 December 1941


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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2016)

*I'M BACK - somewhat.*

*Sorry everyone. I contracted an infection that is so severe I almost went to hospital. I'm upright at the moment and will try to finish this thread.*

*MANY MANY thanks to Parsifal for keeping slots open!*

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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2016)

*December 8 Monday*
*ASIA: *China, having already been engaged in war with Japan since July 1937, formally declared war on Japan and Germany. The Second Sino-Japanese War had been undeclared up to this time despite being in its fifth year. In China, Colonel William W. Ashurst surrendered the US Marine Corps detachments in Tianjin, Beiping, Qinhuangdao (Camp Holcomb), and the American embassy to the Japanese. Japanese forces attacked Shanghai, China, occupying the city and capturing a small US garrison in the foreign section. Japanese Special Naval Landing Force troops captured US Navy river gunboat “_Wake_” before the gunboat's crew could scuttle her. River gunboat HMS “_Peterel_” acting as communications centre for the British Consulate in Shanghai, is boarded by Japanese Naval forces and given an ultimatum. When the ultimatum expires IJN cruiser “_Idzumo_” opens fire and sinks her in the port of Shanghai. US passenger liner “_President Harrison_”, en route to northern China to evacuate US Marines, was captured by the Japanese at Sha Wai Shan, China. She was later refloated and pressed into service as “_Kakko Maru_” and later “_Kachidoki Maru_”. British forces destroy bridges over the Sham Chun River.

70,000 Japanese in French Indochina and Thailand face 88,000 British, Australian, Indian and local Malay troops in Malaya. Japanese aircraft arrive at Songkla airfield, Southern Thailand, to begin air raids on Malaya and Singapore. Japanese troops landed on four beaches in southern Thailand. 143rd Infantry Regiment of Japanese 55th Division (under command of 25th Army) lands at Nakhorn, Bandon, Jumbhorn, and Prachuab. Japanese 5th Infantry Division conducts amphibious landings at Singora and Patani. The Titiwangsa Mountains divide the Malay peninsula, running North-South to the Thai border. The Japanese landings on the east coast of Malaya and Thailand convince the British to mass their defenses east of these mountains to meet the perceived threat; however, Japanese troops at Songkla and Pattani in Thailand cross the peninsula to advance down the Western side of Malaya. Local Thai forces, unaware of their government's agreement to allow free passage to the Burma border, put up a fierce resistance and killed 79 Japanese soldiers. Japanese 18th Infantry Division of 25th Army conducts amphibious landings at Kota Bharu protected by two battleships and six heavy cruisers under the command of Admiral Kondo and attacks Indian 9th Infantry Division. The British defenders under command of General Percival, have 3 divisions in Malaya but almost no tanks. Only one division is not committed to static defensive positions around air fields and possible landing sites. Of the 158 RAF planes, most are destroyed on the ground and the airfield at Kota Bharu is captured intact by the Japanese. RAAF and RAF aircraft attack Japanese invasion fleet and landing barges at Kota Bharu. Japanese transports “_Ayatosan Maru_”, “_Sakura Maru_” and “_Awajisan Maru_” were sunk by RAAF bombers off Kota Bharu. Indian 9th Infantry Division is forced to withdraw from Kota Bharu overnight, leaving undamaged airfield, fuel, and supplies to the Japanese.

The Japanese 38th Division attacks the British colony of Hong Kong with only six battalions and 28 guns. British and Canadian troops begin a retreat to the “Gin Drinkers Line.” British and Canadian garrison at Hong Kong was hopelessly outnumbered and beyond reach of any Allied help. Within less than two days the defenders would be forced to retreat to Hong Kong island itself. Japanese aircraft attack the Kai Tak airport on Hong Kong, destroying or damaging all six Royal Air Force aircraft in the first few minutes.

Chiang Kai-shek orders three Chinese armies from 4th War Area and 9th War Area to attack Japanese 23rd Army around Canton and Hong Kong to relieve British garrison, but no action materializes.

Orders were issued for arrest of all Japanese citizens in Singapore and Malaya and Orders were also issued to seize all Japanese shipping in Singapore harbor. Seventeen Japanese bombers from Saigon attack the city of Singapore leaving 61 dead and 133 wounded.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: Allied convoy PQ-6 departed Hvalfjörður, Iceland.

The destroyers USS “_Niblack_” (DD 424), USS “_Benson_” (DD 421), and USS “_Tarbell_” (DD 143), part of U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.3 escorting Convoy HX-163, depth-charged sound contacts that were later classified as non-submarine.

*CENTRAL AMERICA*: Costa Rica, Dominica, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua declared war on Japan.

*EASTERN FRONT*: On the northern flank of the Moscow front, attacks continue by Soviet 1st Shock Army, 16th Army, 20th Army, and 30th Army. On the southern flank of the Moscow front, Soviet 3rd Army and 50th Army attack while 61st Army assembles to join the offensive. Zhukov’s offensive at Moscow has expanded to include all three fronts on the Moscow axis. Heavy fighting is reported at Kalinin, Klin, Solnechnogorsk, Istra, Tula and Elets. Active and severe fighting was now going on over a front of 175 miles. Most advances were limited to a few miles but some units had penetrated up to 20 miles since the 5th. The Soviet offensive broke through German Armeegruppe Mitte near Moscow, cutting the Klin-Kalinin road. The attacks at Klin were particularly serious for that town was the nexus for all the communication and supply roads for 3.Panzergruppe. Its loss would be a catastrophe for the Germans. Soviet 16th Army attacks Istra causing Hoepner’s 4.Panzergruppe to fall back to prevent being trapped. Soviet 16th Army recaptured Kriukovo and 20th Army retook Krasnaya Polyana and pushed on to Solmechnogorsk. South of Moscow, Soviet cavalry units slice into both flanks of 2.Panzerarmee, beginning to encircle 3 infantry divisions at Livny. German units began making hasty withdrawals to prevent encirclement, abandoning large numbers of immobilized equipment in the process. German Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb of Army Group North pulls back across the frozen Volkhov River.

With fighting in Tikhvin, Hitler allows German 18.Armee to pull back. After contending with serious attacks by the Soviet 4th Army for several weeks, the XXXIX.Armeekorps (mot.) at Tikhvin, withdraws, loosening the cordon around Leningrad.

Hitler issues his Directive 39, plans for abandoning the offensive against Russia and holding until the spring. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/39.html

Chelmno Concentration Camp near Lodz, Poland began gassings. It was the first large camp established for the purpose of mass exterminations. In groups of 80, all the 700 Jews evacuated here from Kolo were loaded into the back of a van. The exhaust pipe led straight into their compartment; the fumes suffocated them all. The van reached a wood where it disgorged its grisly contents. The corpses gold teeth and fillings were extracted with pliers. Their clothes and jewellery having been removed, the dead Jews were thrown into a mass grave. 10,000 Jews are marched out of the Riga Ghetto and taken to Rumbuli Forest where they are executed, completing the systematic execution of most Latvian Jews.

*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler ordered the German Navy to begin attacking American shipping.

Japanese ambassador in Germany Hiroshi Oshima sent a note to Joachim von Ribbentrop, requesting Germany to declare war on the United States. Galeazzo Ciano called Joachim von Ribbentrop to discuss the American entry into the war. Ciano later noted that Ribbentrop was happy with this latest development.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Allied Convoy arrives Alexandria from Malta.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Operation Crusader: Rommel begins the withdrawal from the siege of Tobruk in an orderly retreat. German strength in the area has been reduced to 40 tanks and the 90.leicht Division to the strength of two battalions. Between now and the 11th he will move his units back to Gazala. This shortening of his supply lines will help. The British allow Rommel to make an orderly retreat to the Gazala line. British tank crews are too weary after 19 days of battle and too wary of Rommel’s anti-tank gun traps to pursue. British 7th Armored Division and Indian 4th Infantry Division advancing as Axis forces withdraw.

Multiple bombing missions and heavy air-to-air combat with many losses in the Tobruk - Gazala sector. Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a P-40 fighter, his 30th kill, over El Adem, Libya at 0845 hours.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Roosevelt calls for Congress to vote on declaration of war against Japan. United States Congress declared war on Japan after Franklin Roosevelt's "a date which will live in infamy" speech. Senate votes 82-0 and House votes 388-1 to declare war on Japan. Representative Jeanette Rankin of Montana, a lifelong pacifist, is only member of Congress to vote against declaration of war on Japan. She also voted against war in 1917.

Canada declared war on Japan. 1,200 Japanese Canadian fishing boats are impounded. Japanese language newspapers and schools close.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Presidential Proclamation No. 2525, declaring “_*all natives, citizens or subjects of the Empire of Japan” living in the U.S. and not naturalized to be “liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as alien enemies.*_” Roosevelt appoints J. Edgar Hoover as head of wartime censorship. With Roosevelt's authorization, J. Edgar Hoover orders FBI agents to begin arresting more than 1200 Japanese aliens. All private aircraft grounded and all commercial airlines asked to decline seats for Japanese passengers and refuse to accept packages from Japanese. Roosevelt ordered the Army to cooperate with the FBI in rounding up individual enemy aliens considered dangerous. Late last night American officers at the Mexican border were detaining all Japanese attempting to enter or leave the United States, according to a United Press dispatch from San Diego. The U.S. Treasury Department ordered that the bank accounts of alien enemies and all accounts in American branches of Japanese banks be frozen. This immobilized most of the liquid assets of the entire Japanese American community.

USAAF 1st Air Force assumes responsibility for air defense of US East Coast and begins recon patrols. USAAF 4th Air Force assumes responsibility for air defense of US West Coast and begins recon patrols. US aircraft of Alaska Defense Command flying recon patrols from Anchorage to Kodiak.

Edward Murrow and his wife Janet had dinner at the White House in Washington DC, with Eleanor Roosevelt. The dinner was arranged prior to the Japanese attack, and Murrow had expected the invitation to be canceled, but surprisingly Franklin Roosevelt insisted that the plans be kept. Although Roosevelt was too busy to join them at the meal, he would make sure to meet with Murrow for some time late in the evening.

A thousand volunteers were turned away from the Navy recruiting office in New York City because the staff did not have the facilities or time to process all that were wanting to join up.

Charles Lindbergh released a statement through the America First Committee that said:


> "_We have been stepping closer to war for many months. Now it has come and we must meet it as united Americans regardless of our attitude toward the policy our government has followed. Whether or not that policy has been wise, our country has been attacked by force of arms and we must retaliate."_



San Francisco experienced its first air raid and blackout at 1815 hours. Some people reported hearing aircraft during the blackout. The master power switch at the Presidio was accidentally shut off and the harbor defenses were plunged into darkness. Mayor Angelo Rossi issued this proclamation: _*“To the people of San Francisco. I have declared an emergency in San Francisco. Under the powers conferred on me in this circumstance, I have coordinated all the proper departments of the City and County of San Francisco with the program of the Civilian Defense Council.”.*_

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: The Finnish 4th Division takes defensive positions along southern part of Maaselkä Isthmus. Good defensive positions have been reached on all directions and Marshal Mannerheim and President Ryti decide not to continue attack towards White Sea, because it has become politically unwise, since it has become probable that Germans will lose the war and the US has threatened to declare war if Finns cut the supply of Lend and Lease equipment by taking Archangelsk.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: Admiral Halsey entered Pearl Harbor with his carrier “_Enterprise_”. Upon seeing the extent of the destruction, Halsey said;


> "Before we're through with 'em, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell."



The Malayan Campaign, Philippines Campaign, Dutch East Indies campaign, Battle of Guam, Battle of Wake Island and Battle of Hong Kong began. Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue gave the order to the Japanese Navy Fourth Fleet at Truk, Caroline Islands to begin executing the plans to capture Wake, Guam (Mariana Islands), Makin (Gilbert Islands), Tarawa (Gilbert Islands), and other islands and atolls in the Pacific Ocean. The Japanese attack begins with the capture of Bataan Island and the creation of an airstrip for plane refueling. The main attack begins with massive air bombardment which reduces the American defenses to 17 B-17’s and less than 40 fighters. Most of the planes are destroyed on the ground. In the Mariana Islands, Japanese land-based aircraft from Saipan attacked Guam, damaging various facilities and sinking minesweeper USS “_Penguin_” in Apra Harbor (1 killed, 60 wounded). All Japanese citizens on Guam were arrested. Japanese invasion fleet for Wake Island departed from Kwajalein while aircraft of the Japanese Navy 24th Air Flotilla (based at Roi-Namur, Kwajalein) attacked Camp One, Camp Two, and the airstrip on Wake. Wake is commanded by Navy Commander Winfield Scott Cunningham, and is defended by the First Marine Defense Battalion consisting of 450 men under Major James P.S. Devereux. Additionally, marine fighter squadron, VMF-211 under Major Paul A. Putnam was armed with 12 F4F-3 Wildcats. Japanese aircraft destroyed seven of the F4F-3 fighters as well as a 25,000-gallon capacity aviation gas tank. Meanwhile, Pan American Airways aircraft evacuated Caucasians from Wake Island, leaving airline staff of Chamorro ethnicity behind. Japanese Navy 11th Air Fleet land-based aircraft from Taiwan attacked US Army airfields on Luzon Island, Philippine Islands as well as shipping in Manila Bay. At the latter location, American freighter “_Capillo_” was abandoned after receiving heavy damage. Japanese Army aircraft joined in on the attack on this date also, striking Baguio and Tuguegarao at 0930 hours. North of Luzon, a Japanese force landed on Batan Island and established an air base. Detachment of Japanese 14th Army lands unopposed on Batan Island.

USAAF B-17 bombers at Clark Field on Luzon ordered into the air, but subsequently land prior to Japanese air attack. General MacArthur refuses to allow General Lewis Brereton to send his B-17 bombers to attack Japanese bases on Formosa. Brereton had been trying to get authority to launch these aircraft against the Japanese, but could not get in to see MacArthur, being told by his chief of staff, General Richard K. Sutherland, that the general was busy.

Approximately 200 Japanese aircraft bomb Tuguegarao, Baguio, Tarlac, Clark, and Cabanatuan on Luzon. Despite having received word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor at 0230 hours in the morning, MacArthur's B-17s at Clark Field were still on the ground at 1220 hours pm when Japanese aircraft attacked the airfield. Two squadrons of B-17s and a squadron of P-40s were destroyed on the ground. 54 Mitsubishi bombers and 36 Zeros destroy the 17 B-17’s 55 P-40s, and many other aircraft remaining at the field. Saburo Sakai of Japanese Navy Tainan Air Group, flying an A6M Zero fighter, attacked Clark Field in the Philippine Islands. He shot down one P-40 Warhawk fighter.

I-68 traveled to the entrance of Pearl Harbor to rescue any surviving midget submarine crews. Japanese submarine I-123 mined Balabac Strait in Philippine waters while I-124 mined the entrance to Manila Bay.

Striking Force of the US Navy Asiatic Fleet departed from Iloilo, Philippine Islands for Makassar Strait. The British Task Force “Z” consisting of the battleship “_Prince of Wales_” and battle-cruiser “_Repulse_”, leave Singapore to intercept the Japanese invasion fleet. A note on the “_Repulse’s_” wardroom wall read, “*We are off to look for trouble. I expect we shall find it.*” The warships depart Singapore to prevent further landings from the Gulf of Siam (escorted by destroyers HMS “_Electra_”, HMS “_Express_”, HMS “_Tenedos_” and HMAS “_Vampire_” but no aircraft carrier is available and land-based air support has been destroyed).

The fourth Australian Hudson medium bomber arrived at Rabaul, Bismarck Islands. RAF Hudson aircraft bombed Japanese invasion shipping off Kota Bharu, British Malaya, setting cargo ship “_Awajisan Maru_” afire.

Japanese naval aircraft from carrier “_Ryujo_” attacked seaplane tender USS “_William B. Preston_” in Davao Gulf. The ship escaped intact, but two of the PBY Catalina flying boats she was tending were destroyed. Approximately 20 Japanese aircraft from IJN carrier “_Ryujo_” attack Davao on Mindanao Island.

Civilian Philippines Air Lines commandeered as part of US Army Air Forces, and Pappy Gunn commissioned as captain.

In Australia CMF Units were placed on full time duty. 51st Infantry Battalion, whose role was the defence of the Cairns Area, - the coastal strip north to Port Douglas and south to Gordonvale - moved into Sellheim camp for training.

In Australia all Japanese residents and nationals on Thursday Island were detained behind barbed wire in the Japanese quarter.


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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2016)

_*DECEMBER 8 *continued_
*UNITED KINGDOM*: United Kingdom declared war on Japan. The French government-in-exile in Britain declared war on Japan. The Dutch government-in-exile in Britain declared war on Japan. A special session of parliament was held to hear the prime minister explain Britain’s declaration of war against the Japanese empire. Churchill told MPs that he had intended to time Britain’s declaration to follow America’s, which required the approval of Congress, concluding with:


> "We have at least four-fifths of the population of the globe upon our side. We are responsible for their safety and for their future. In the past we have had a light which flickered, in the present we have a light which flames, and in the future there will be a light which shines over all the land and sea.".


 But then news reached London of a Japanese landing in Malaya. The cabinet at once approved the declaration, which was delivered to the Japanese envoy at 1300 hours. In his broadcast tonight, the prime minister gave a warning that the extension of the war will lead to a shortage of warplanes for the next few months.

The Luftwaffe returns over Britain. Bombs were dropped at isolated points in Yorkshire and many places in the counties of Northumberland and Durham. At Newcastle HEs fell in the Battlefield area killing five people. In addition to private property, a Civil Defence Mortuary was damaged by blast, and there were thirty-two casualties, five of which were fatal. IBs fell in Heaton slightly damaging the Meldon Social Club and a few houses. In the Urban District of Whitley Bay and Monkseaton property was damaged and the casualties included ten civilian and twelve service deaths besides several people injured. South Shields sustained damage to the river jetty and to the offices of the Town Improvement Commissioner in the dock area. At Pelaw fifty yards of colliery railway track was put out of action for a short time. At Boldon two people were killed and eighteen injured.

*WESTERN FRONT*: RAF Fighter Command flies a Ramrod and a Rhubarb operation. Lt. Erich Rudorffer of 2./JG 2 claims his fortieth victory.

.


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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2016)

*December 9 Tuesday
ASIA: *Japanese troops continue to land at Kota Bharu, Singora and Patani. Japanese forces occupy Bangkok.Bitter fighting between British and Japanese troops took place for the airfield at Kota Bharu in British Malaya, while two groups of Indian troops crossed into Thailand to destroy roads and railroads. In Hong Kong, Japanese troops breached a western segment of the British Gin Drinker's Line, which stretched from the Gin Drinker's Bay (Zuijiu Wan) in the west to the White Sands Bay (Baisha Wan) in the east, at 225 High Ground north of Hong Kong Island. Overnight, they breach the British defenses, take 27 British POWs and capture this high ground dominating the Western end of the Gin Drinkers Line.

British in Northern Malaya send Laycol and Krohcol, small columns of Indian troops in armored cars, over the border into Thailand to destroy roads and railway lines. They meet stiff resistance from Thai police units and later from Japanese 5th Division advancing south from Pattani. Japanese 9th Infantry Brigade advancing south from Singora toward Jitra while 42nd Infantry Regiment advancing from Patani. Japanese 56th Regiment advancing from Kota Bharu southward along the coast. Japanese air attack on Butterworth airfield. Under Japanese air attack, RAF begin withdrawing from Kuantan airfield.

Thai government agrees to cooperate with Japan in exchange for continued independence, financial assistance, and delivery of warplanes, weapons, and other military equipment.

Kenkichi Ueda was awarded Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Orchidaceae of the puppet nation of Manchukuo and received a special medal to commenmorate the opening of the National Shinto Shrine of Manchukuo.

Chiang Kai-shek invites representatives of US, UK, and Soviet Union to Chungking for joint military conference about defeating the Axis nations.

*ATLANTIC OCEAN*: German submarine U-652 sank French ship “Saint Denis” 50 miles south of the Balearic Islands at 1400 hours, killing 3. The ship was sunk in a case of misidentification, as she flew the flag of Vichy France.

*CENTRAL AMERICA*: Cuba and Panama declared war on Japan. Cuba declared war, stating "_We consider that this aggression by a non‑American state against the integrity and inviolability of an American state is such a case as is contemplated in declaration No. 15 of the Conference of Habana, by virtue of which all the nations of this continent should likewise consider themselves attacked in the same way and should act jointly."_

*EASTERN FRONT*: The Soviet drive against Guderian’s forces reaches and captures Elets. In the north, under General Meretskov, the Red Army retakes Tikhvin but cannot relieve the siege at Leningrad. The situation inside the city is desperate; rations are below the starvation level. Soviet 30th Army attacked north of Moscow, capturing many trucks and field guns abandoned by the German 3.Panzergruppe. Soviet 10th Army, 13th Army, and 50th Army continue attacking while 5th Cavalry Corps pushes into gap between German 2.Panzerarmee and 2.Armee. Soviet 52nd Army attacking in the Malaya Vyshera sector. Soviet 1st Shock Army captures Fedorovka. Zhukov ordered Red Army units to avoid frontal assaults, bypass German strong points and breakthrough on the flanks. Despite the victories, Soviet logistic situation was extremely poor largely due to the destruction of many vehicles at the hands of the Germans in the past few months. The German 112th Infantry Division manages to halt the 10th Army's advance along the Shat and Don rivers. Further South, Soviet cavalry recapture Yelets and continue the encirclement of German 45th, 95th and 134th Infantry Divisions at Livny.



> "I order: 1. Categorically forbid you to conduct frontal combat with enemy covering units and to conduct frontal combat against fortified positions. Leave small covering forces against rear guards and fortified positions and seek to envelop them, while reaching as deep as possible along the enemy's withdrawal routes. 2. Form several shock groups in the armies consisting of tanks, submachine gunners and cavalry and, under the direction of brave commanders, throw them into the enemy's rear area to destroy fuel and artillery tractors. 3. Strike the enemy day and night. In the event units become exhausted, create pursuit detachments. 4. Protect of forces' operations with antitank defenses, reconnaissance and constant security, bearing in mind that, when withdrawing, the enemy will search for opportunities to counterattack..." - _Zhukov directive to counterattacking forces_.



*GERMANY*: Adolf Hitler arrived in Berlin, Germany at 1100 hours. He decided to declare war on the United States on this date, but decided to withhold the announcement until 11 Dec in order to have enough time to draft his speech.

*MEDITERRANEAN*: Italian cruiser “_Luigi Cadorna_” arrives at Benghazi with fuel supplies.

*NORTH AFRICA*: Multiple bombing missions and heavy air-to-air combat with many losses in the Tobruk - Gazala sector.

*NORTH AMERICA*: Franklin Roosevelt had his first "Fireside Chat" radio address since the United States had entered the war, noting that the Axis powers had been tainted with "a decade of immorality".

Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt, Fourth Army commander at the Presidio, told Angelo Mayor Rossi: “


> You people do not seem to realize we are at war. So get this: last night there were planes over this community! They were enemy planes! I mean Japanese planes!”



US Navy purchased 25 airborne search radar sets for service test in dive bombers and torpedo planes.

In Canada fear of Japanese invasion spreads on British Columbia coast. Government orders blackouts; closes Japanese-Canadian newspapers, schools. At a meeting of the Canadian Cabinet, Prime Minister William King worries that a Japanese assault on the west coast "seemed wholly probable".

*NORTHERN EUROPE*: German submarine U-134 mistakenly sank German ship “_Steinbek_” 20 miles off of northern Norway at 2100 hours; 12 survived.

*PACIFIC OCEAN*: USS “_Swordfish_” became the first US submarine to attack the enemy when she fired on a Japanese ship 150 miles west of Manila. Japanese destroyers “_Ayanami_” and “_Yugiri_” discovered Dutch submarine O 20 twenty miles east of Kota Bharu, British Malaya and attacked her with depth charges from 1100 to 1730 hours. O 20 was finally forced to surface after sundown and was scuttled. 7 were killed during the attack; 32 survived and were captured.

Japanese troops seized Tarawa and Makin in the Gilbert Islands. At Wake Atoll, Japanese Navy 24th Air Flotilla aircraft bombed Naval Air Station on Peale Island and Batteries A and E at Peacock Point. The Japanese Imperial Fourth Fleet (one cruiser, two light cruisers, six destroyers, two transports) heads north to take Wake Island.

Japanese submarines RO-63, RO-64, and RO-68 bombarded Howland and Baker Islands. It was believed that the US Navy had seaplane bases on those islands, but that intelligence was incorrect. Japanese submarine I-10 shelled and sank unarmed Panamanian-flag motorship “_Donerail_” 200 miles southeast of Hawaii; only 8 out of the 40 people onboard survived. Japanese aircraft and submarine I-65 spotted British battleship HMS “_Prince of Wales_” and battlecruiser HMS “_Repulse_”. Torpedo bombers were launched from Saigon, occupied French Indochina, but they failed to locate the ships. Their mission compromised, HMS “_Prince of Wales_” and battlecruiser HMS “_Repulse_” turn south to return to Singapore.

Japanese aircraft commenced the bombing of Manila, Luzon, Philippine Islands. Among the first targets in the capital city region was the US Army airbase Nichols Field. Japanese aircraft bombarded American defensive positions at Guam, Mariana Islands. Saburo Sakai, flying an A6M Zero fighter, attacked US positions in the Philippine Islands in poor weather.

Japanese aircraft attack Alor Star airfield, Malaya. From the two squadron of Blenheim light bombers based there, only one aircraft survived. Its pilot, Flight Lt A. S. K. Scarf single-handedly overcame strong enemy defenses to attack Singora airfield in the north. Attacked by 12 fighters on the way back, he was fatally wounded but landed his Blenheim bomber and saved his crew. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

*UNITED KINGDOM*: Winston Churchill sent Franklin Roosevelt a message requesting a conference on the war with Japan. Roosevelt initially intended to reject this request, wishing to give his top generals more time to research the situation to avoid the British dominating the conference.

It is announced that the Netherlands and Soviet governments have agreed to exchange ambassadors.

A Junkers Ju 88D presumed to have been shot down by Hurricanes of RAF No.43 Squadron, crashed into the sea, 10 miles off Seaham, Co Durham at 10.50 hours. The crew was listed as missing.

The call-up age for men reduced to 18 and conscription for single women between the ages of 20 and 30 for military service or other work was announced.

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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2016)

And at this point, this thread will end. To continue on the Daily reports please check out the previous thread started by Syscom several years ago - which gave me the inspiration for this thread. 

This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago

This day in the war in the Pacific 65 years ago.

It appears that since we went to the new server, we have lost the headers that gave the day's date. In the coming months I will try to correct that on these old threads.

Hope you enjoyed this!

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## Njaco (Dec 10, 2016)

Two extra pics for today.....

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## Old Wizard (Dec 10, 2016)




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## Bertus Kerssies (Dec 11, 2016)

D


Njaco said:


> And at this point, this thread will end. To continue on the Daily reports please check out the previous thread started by Syscom several years ago - which gave me the inspiration for this thread.
> 
> This day in the war in Europe 65 years ago
> 
> ...


hello Njaco and Parsifal,

I enjoyed this thread very much. The threads by syscom are older an maybe not as accurate. Hope you will fill up gaps in it and expand it more? I will look what I have on the Royal Dutch Navy, as well in the European Theatre and the Pacific theatre.

Greetings,

Kerber

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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2016)

*08 DECEMBER 1941 [CONT'D]
Loss Of Force Z*
IJN Adm Kondo with CAs ATAGO and TAKAO, BCs HARUNA and KONGO, and DDs ARASHI, HAGIKAZE, NOWAKE, MAIKAZE, IKAZUCHI, INAZUMA, ASASHIO, OSHIO, MICHISHIO, and ARASHIO proceeded south from Paulo Condore to meet Adm Kurita during the night of 9/10 December with CAs KUMANO, MIKUMA, MOGAMI, and SUZUYA and DDs FUBUKI, HATSUYUKI, and SHIRAYUKI and Adm Ozawa with CA CHOKAI and DD SAGIRI. From the assault area, CL SENDAI and DDs ASAGIRI, MURAKUMO, SHINONOME, USUGUMO, AMAGIRI, YUGIRI, AYANAMI, ISONANI, SHIKANAMI, and URANAMI. CLs KINU and YURA operating between Poulo Condore and Kurita's force was also brought up. IJN submarine I.58 sighted Force Z after midnight on the 10th and made an unsuccessful attack.

RNZN CL ACHILLES departed Suva for Port Moresby to join the BB PRINCE OF WALES group. The CL ACHILLES arrived at Port Moresby on the 11th. With the BB already lost, the CL departed on the 12th for Auckland, arriving on the 16th.

Meanwhile in Singapore, bad weather was preventing any clear picture of Japanese movements in the approaches to the Malay peninsula. Singapore’s first-ever air raid occurred during the moonlit hours of December 8 when 17 Mitsubishi Nell bombers, flying from Indochina, raided the port and did negligible damage to the town and nearby airfield installations. The dockyard was not hit, but the antiaircraft guns of both ships joined in the defense of the city as searchlights sought out the intruders flying overhead in a neat, orderly formation. This impressed the urgency of the situation on Phillips’ mind and reinforced his desire not to get caught dockside as the American battleships had at Pearl Harbor only hours before (December 8 in Singapore was the same as December 7 in Pearl Harbour due to the location of the international date line).

That morning brought news of several Japanese landings at points along the Malaysian coast. Phillips considered his options. At midday on the 8th Adm Phillips convened a meeting aboard his flagship to consult with his staff and the ships’ commanders, but his mind was already made up. Every hour’s delay allowed the Japanese to consolidate their foothold in Malaya, and though his fleet was small, it could still do considerable damage if it managed to catch the Japanese invasion fleet unawares; in among the thinly armored transports, he could wreak unimaginable havoc. He stated that “_We are Going to Look for Trouble_”

He ordered his fleet to slip out after dark to avoid possible Japanese spies on shore. He also arranged with the Malaysian RAF commander, Air Vice-Marshal C.W.H. Pulford, to conduct reconnaissance sweeps the following morning and to have a squadron of Buffalo fighters, designated the “Fleet Defense Squadron,” on call to provide air cover if needed. Phillips was well aware that by entering the Gulf of Siam he was placing himself within range of the considerable Japanese air forces in French Indochina, but he made a calculated gamble that there were no aircraft stationed there with the range to attack his ships and, more importantly, that there were no torpedo-carrying aircraft in the immediate vicinity. Taken in view of the previous night’s air raid, it is hard to understand how he arrived at this conclusion, so sure was he of his fleet’s supremacy. “_We are going to look for trouble_,” Captain Tennant announced to his men aboard the REPULSE echoing the statements of Adm Phillips. “_I expect we shall find it_.”

Accompanying Force Z was a screen of four destroyers: HMS ELECTRA, EXPRESS, TENEDOS, and RAN HMAS VAMPIRE. Course and speed were set so the fleet would arrive off Kota Bahru, the main invasion beaches, in the early morning hours of the 10th. There Phillips planned to make a dash among whatever Japanese shipping could be found there.
*
*


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2016)

Halder's Diary 08 December 1941


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2016)

*09 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis
DKM Type VIIc U-659





Allied
US PC 461 and 462





*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals
Bergen: U-654
Brest: U-201
St. Nazaire: U-402, U-573

Departures
Kiel: U-128
Kristiansand: U-566
Lorient: U-108
Messina: U-557
St. Nazaire: U-74

At Sea 10 December 1941
U-43, U-67, U-68, U-74, U-81, U-86, U-105, U-108, U-124, U-126, U-127, U-128, U-129, U-130, U-131, U-134, U-205, U-332, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-375, U-431, U-434, U-451, U-453, U-557, U-559, U-562, U-565, U-566, U-568, U-574, U-575, U-584, U-652, U-752, UA

37 Boats

U-124 was shelled by the coastal battery at Fort Thornton off the harbour of Georgetown on Ascension Island, but was undamaged.

U-332 was severely damaged from an attack by a British aircraft which forced U-332 to return to France. This was the second aircraft attack in three days.

While inbound to refuel at Vigo, Spain U-575 was located and depth charged. On arriving at Vigo two days later the damage was found to be so severe that the boat returned to France instead of proceeding to the Mediterranean.

*OPERATIONS
North Sea
Steamer MADRID (Ger 8777 grt)* was sunk by the RAF near Den Helder.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Northern Patrol*
US BBs IDAHO and MISSISSIPPI departed Hvalfjord for Boston.

DDs ONSLOW, IMPULSIVE, and ORIBI departed Hvalfjord for Scapa Flow arriving on the 11th.

*Northern Waters*
U.134 sank *steamer STEINBEK (Ex Ne 2185 grt)* in error off Tanafjord. OKM investigated the case of friendly fire and came to the conclusion that Schendel (the U-boat commander) made the incomprehensible mistake to think that is it possible that an enemy convoy sails with course west so close to the Norwegian coast under German control. They blamed the commander with the sole responsibility for this incident and overworked the orders for U-boats operating in the Norwegian coastal waters. However BdU came to the conclusion that mitigating circumstances existed. The commander was not informed about the sailing times or the positions of the German ships in that area. It was the first patrol of the U-boat and commander in the relative new combat area of the Arctic waters.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BB DUKE OF YORK departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde, escorted by DDs FAULKNOR, FORESIGHT, and MATABELE. On the 10th BB was recalled to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 11th, again departing on the same day and arriving in the Clyde on the 12th.

CL ARETHUSA departed Scapa Flow for Sullom Voe, arriving later that day for Operation KITBAG. This was a raid in Norway by British commandos of no 6 and no 12 commando.

DDs INGLEFIELD, INTREPID, and OFFA and LSI PRINCE CHARLES departed Scapa Flow at 0300 for Sullom Voe for Operation KITBAG. The ships arrived at 1400 that day and joined DD ICARUS already there.

CL ARETHUSA departed Sullom Voe on the 11th for Blue Mull Sound in the Shetlands to cover Operation KITBAG.

DDs INGLEFIELD, INTREPID, ICARUS, and OFFA and LSI PRINCE CHARLES departed Sullom Voe for Operation KITBAG on the 11th.

Operation KITBAG was abandoned on the 12th due to low visibility and navigational difficulties. CL ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow on the 12th. The rest of the ships in the Operation arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 13th.

The army units in the operation included detachments from No. 6 and No. 12 Commandos, with some Norwegian soldiers, to take part in a raid on the town of Florø. Embarking on LSI HMS PRINCE CHARLES, an infantry landing ship, they set out from Scapa. During the voyage an incident occurred while some of the men were priming grenades for the raid which resulted in six men were killed and another 11 were seriously wounded, nevertheless the decision was made to continue with the raid. In the end, however, due to navigational difficulties the operation was eventually called off when the naval commander was unable to locate the fjord upon which Florø was located.

_Convoy QP.3_
MSW HUSSAR arrived at Scapa Flow on the 9 December.

*West Coast*
ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Scapa Flow for Milford Haven, arriving on the 10th.

_Allied Convoy WS14_
Troop convoy WS.14 with ships departing Liverpool on the 7th and the Clyde on the 8th rendezvoused for ocean passage on the 9th. The convoy was composed of steamers TROILUS, CITY OF PRETORIA, EMPIRE CURLEW, WARWICK CASTLE, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, EMPIRE ORIOLE (which fell out on the 11th), EMPIRE CONDOR, ORESTES, SCYTHIA, ORONSAY, ANDES, ABOSSO, ESPERANCE BAY, REINA DEL PACIFICO, ORCADES, DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, STRATHALLAN, CAMERONIA, HMS ENGADINE, DURBAN CASTLE, ATHLONE CASTLE, EMPIRE PEREGRINE, HIGHLAND PRINCESS, HIGHLAND MONARCH, EMPIRE EGRET, EMPIRE WIDGEON, EMPIRE PINTAIL, CLAN CAMERON, and HMS CILICIA. The convoy was escorted by antiaircraft ship ULSTER QUEEN and destroyers WESTCOTT, BEVERLEY, SHERWOOD, CROOME, LANCASTER, NEWARK, and WITHERINGTON from 9 to 12 December. DDs NESTOR, GURKHA, and FOXHOUND escorted the convoy from 9 to 13 December. On 3 February, the convoy arrived at Batavia whilst a second portion which had detached on the 22 January, with WS.14B with steamers ORESTES, EMPIRE ORIOLE, EMPIRE PINTAIL, HIGHLAND MONARCH, EMPIRE EGRET, THYSVILLE, SALWEEN, and MENDOZA escorted by CL CERES. The convoy, less THYSVILLE, arrived at Aden on 26 January. Steamer THYSVILLE arrived at Aden on 27 January. WS.14B was steamers NOVA SCOTIA, ESPERANCE BAY, CLAN CAMERON, DUNERA, EMPIRE CONDOR, EMPIRE CURLEW, DILWARA, EMPIRE PEREGRINE, EMPIRE WIDGEON, and ANDES. The convoy was escorted by AMC CORFU and arrived at Bombay on 28 January.

_Allied Convoy ON 45_
Convoy ON.45 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD WANDERER, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, and ROSELYS, and anti-submarine trawlers ANGLE, DANEMAN, and KING SOL. The escort was detached on the 16th when the convoy was dispersed.

_Convoy SC.56_
The remaining escorts were detached from the escort on 9 December before the convoy arrived at Liverpool on 10 December.

*Western Approaches*
_Convoy ON.43_
Corvette ROSTHERN was detached on the 9th.

_Convoy ON.44_
The convoy was joined on the 9th by DDs NEWMARKET and WATCHMAN and corvettes ARABIS, DAHLIA, MONTBRETIA, and ROSE.

*SW Approaches*
_Convoy OG.77_
Escorts were detached to accompany ships proceeding to Portuguese or Spanish ports on 9 December. The escorts detached rejoined the convoy. Sloop DEPTFORD and corvettes VETCH, SAMPHIRE, PENSTEMON, and CONVOLVULUS departed Gibraltar on an ASW sweep on 9 December and joined the convoy on 13 December for additional escort.

*Channel
FV BURGERMEISTER SCHMIDT (Ger 500 grt)* was sunk by the RAF at Brest.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Med/Biscay*
CLs NEPTUNE, AURORA, and PENELOPE and DDs KANDAHAR and JAGUAR departed Malta to intercept a reported convoy. The ships arrived back at Malta on the 10th without making contact.

CLA NAIAD and DDs GRIFFIN and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria to sweep off Derna. At daylight on the 10th, the ships bombarded Derna scoring some hits on a merchant ship in harbour. Withdrawing to the eastward, the ships were taken under heavy air attack. CLA NAIAD sustained some damage from a near miss. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 11th.

RAN CL HOBART departed Alexandria to return to the Pacific. The cruiser departed Aden on the 13th.

RM CLs DI GUISSANNO and BARBIANO departed Palermo with a cargo of gasoline for Tripoli. The cruisers were sighted by Malta aircraft south of Trapani and were forced to return to Palermo.

Submarine PORPOISE badly damaged *steamer SEBASTIANO VENIER (FI 6311 grt)*, returning from Benghazi with 2000 prisoners of war, five miles south of Navarino. Hospital ship ARNO was able to rescue 1800 of the prisoners. Submarine TORBAY sank the steamer off Cape Methene on the 15th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.652 sank *steamer ST DENIS (Vichy 1595 grt)* south of Balearic Islands. At 1242 hrs on 9 December 1941 U-652 passed the unescorted and Vichy SAINT DENIS about 60 miles south of Mallorca, Balearic Islands and intercepted a radio message that reported their position on the distress frequency. The Germans also noticed inadequate neutrality markings and therefore ordered the ship to stop for examination, but instead of sending a boat with the ship’s papers a further radio message was sent, stating that the ship was being attacked by a U-boat and again mentioning their position. Due to this hostile action U-652 hit the ship with a first torpedo at 1401 hrs, followed by a coup de grace ten minutes later. SAINT DENIS sank immediately after being struck amidships by the second torpedo. The crew had abandoned ship after the first hit, but three men were lost.





Submarine URSULA arrived at Gibraltar from Malta.

Submarine SEVERN arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown.

Corvette AZALEA attacked a submarine contact nine miles 280° from Cape Spartel. DD HESPERUS sighted a submarine and attacked it without result. On the 11th, DD HESPERUS attacked a contact five miles 325° from Cape St Vincent.

*Nth Atlantic*
_Convoy SC.57_
DD OTTAWA and corvettes ARVIDA, BATTLEFORD, POLYANTHUS, PRIMROSE, SHERBROOKE, and TRAIL were detached on 9 December.

Corvettes ALISMA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and LE TIGER joined on 9 December.

*Sth Atlantic*
_Allied convoy WS.12X_
The convoy arrived at Capetown on 9 December. The original destination was Basra, but the convoy was ordered to Singapore, via Bombay. The US escorts were detached at Capetown.

*Pacific/Australia*
_Failed attack on Wake Island_
The Japanese set out on the 9th December and approached the island early on the morning of 11 December, and the warships began to bombard the island at a range of 8,200 meters (9,000 yd) at 0530. As none of the six 5’ coast-defense guns replied, rear Admiral, commander of the invasion forces, ordered his ships to close the island, believing that the American guns had been destroyed by the earlier aerial attacks. Encouraging this, the US marine commander Major James Devereux, commander of the USMC garrison, had ordered his men to hold their fire until he gave the order to do so. After the Japanese ships had closed to a range of 4,100 meters (4,500 yd), he ordered his guns to open fire. Battery L, based on Peale Islet, engaged their closest target, the HAYATE, and hit her on the third salvo After a large explosion aft, she broke in half and sank within two minutes

, two miles (3.2 km) southwest of Wake. The location of the explosion makes it probable that the shells struck one of the aft torpedo mounts, or, less likely, the depth charges on the stern. Only one man from the 169 men aboard was rescued. She was the first warship lost by the Japanese during the war. The quick loss of HAYATE and the KISARAGI and the near misses around his flagship CL YUBARI, caused Kajioka to order his forces to disengage.[9]

Japanese forces attacked Wake Island on 10/11 December, *Mutsuki Class DD KISARAGI (IJN 1336 grt)* was lost in the attack. KISARAGI was carrying a large load of depth charges. There were no survivors on the destroyer from a crew of some one hundred and fifty.






*Kamikaze Class DD HAYATE (IJN 1410 grt)* was also sunk in this action






CLs YUBARI, TENRYU, TATSUTA, DDs OITE, YAYOI, and MUTSUKI, and troopship KINRYU MARU were damaged by American aircraft and shore gunnery.

Nineteen men were wounded on destroyer OITE. One man was killed and seventeen wounded on destroyer YAYOI. Five men were wounded on TENRYU.

Also on this day, Wake was hit by 51 Japanese aircraft. Flak damaged a number of aircraft, with Japanese with thirteen airmen killed and thirteen wounded. The Japanese were unable to capture the island. The Japanese forces returned to Kwajalein on the 13th.

*Minesweeping coaster BANKA (RN 623 grt)* was sunk by mining at Tioman. 44 of the crew were lost
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ON.LEE (UK 1026 grt) *was scuttled at Hong Kong. It is unknown if the Japanese salvaged and re-used her.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Japanese submarine I.10 sank *steamer DONERAIL (Pan 4473 grt)* with gunfire. On December 9th, 1941, Japanese submarine I-10 narrowly avoided being rammed by accident by the unarmed Panamanian-flag motorship DONERAIL, 200 miles SE of Hawaii. Initially I-10 crash dived then rose to periscope depth and fired one torpedo at the ship. The torpedo missed so the I-Boat surfaced and began to fire her deck gun, firing 20 shells. One of the shells hit the starboard lifeboat, swung out for lowering, which held the passengers with two women, 4 men and an 18 month old baby. None survived. Of the 36 sailors and 7 passengers, only 24 crew were able to make it for the boats. After an incredible journey of 2500 miles and a 38 day ordeal, the lifeboat made it to Tarawa, Gilberts, but with only only 8 are still alive.







*Steamer GRAN (Pan 1983 grt)* was captured by Japanese forces at Bangkok.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer ISLAS VISAYAS (Pan 516 grt)* was stopped by an IJN naval trawler and ordered to Nampang Island (an island off the Chinese coast mid way between Hong Kong and Hainan) . The steamer was seized by Japanese forces on the 9th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

*Steamer KANTUNG (Allied 1665grt)* and *steamer MACAU (Allied 1665 grt)* were sunk as blockships at Anking Harbour.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2016)

*09 DECEMBER 1941 (Cont'd)*
_Loss Of Force Z_
By 0713 hrs on the 9th Force Z had cleared the Japanese minefield off Anambas without incident, and the crews were allowed to have breakfast, the morning’s “Action Station” being relaxed to “Second Degree Readiness,” all guns loaded but only partially manned. The day wore on with clear blue skies but increasing scattered clouds, and at 1 pm Force Z passed the halfway mark to the anticipated battle area. At this time they were within 360 miles of the Japanese airfields ringing Saigon. Every hour’s steaming took them closer to the enemy aircraft stationed there, but thus far the British ships had still not been spotted. Extremely heavy cloud cover helped hide the British ships from prying eyes all day on the 9th.

It was here that luck began deserting them. Expecting the two capital ships based at Singapore to sail as soon as they received word of the landings, the Japanese had increased aerial reconnaissance and stationed two picket lines of submarines in the waters to the north of the naval base, but they had stationed them close inshore, not anticipating that the British ships might make a wide sweep out to sea on their journey north. During the morning, Force Z unknowingly passed the first of these picket lines without being spotted and had just reached the second, being on the point of eluding them, when the last submarine, stationed at the very end farthest out to sea, caught a glimpse of two ships to the east at their extreme limit of visibility. At first thought to be DDs, it wasn’t long before I-65’s captain had correctly identified them as a KG V-class BB and accompanying BC. The Japanese submarine then settled down to shadow them for as long as possible. Thus Force Z had nearly missed being spotted by a scant mile or two; in fact, Force Z was so far from I-65 that their DDs were invisible to the enemy.

I-65 immediately reported this sighting, but due to an inexplicably complicated signals organization, it was nearly four hrs before the relevant Japanese commanders received the news. Ground crews worked feverishly to arm 126 aircraft—all they had not supporting ground operations—with torpedoes and bombs, while their crews were briefed on the best places to search. Four reconnaissance aircraft were immediately dispatched from Saigon and six floatplanes launched from seven Japanese cruisers in the area. The transports lying off Khota Bharu were immediately turned eastward, out of range of the impending action, so by dawn the British would find an empty harbor if they were to make it that far. By sunset the British ships sailed blindly on, still dedicated to their mission, unaware that by this time their prey had fled, making their presence now pointless, or that they had been sighted and that every Japanese ship and aircraft around was eagerly searching for them.

Soon after sunset Force Z dispatched TENEDOS. Small, it was at the point beyond which it could not steam and yet still return to Singapore, and Phillips would not slow for an at-sea fueling. Unknown to the British, they had been sighted yet again, this time by a floatplane from the cruiser KINU reporting their current course and speed, and soon the Japanese had two more confirming reports from floatplanes. By now Phillips realized he had been sighted, but still continued on his course, unsure of what action to take. Within the hour every Japanese aircraft began converging on Force Z’s reported position, at extreme danger to the Japanese themselves, because by now it was dark with four hours yet to moonrise. Four aircraft were lost during the search due to accidents. More mistakes were bound to happen, and would.

At one point a reconnaissance aircraft, piloted by Lieutenant H. Takeda, flew over the foamy wake of two large ships and immediately banked away unseen to get off a sighting report. Before long 53 bombers were racing to the position from all points, and Takeda circled over the target, awaiting their arrival. As the aircraft began positioning themselves preparatory to launching an attack, Takeda dropped a flare designed to illuminate the target for his comrades, and discovered that he was actually over the IJN CA CHOKAI, carrying Vice-Admiral Ozawa himself, commander of the invasion fleet. Ozawa’s crew immediately spotted three aircraft lining up for attack and frantically signaled her identity to Saigon. Aware of the near-disaster, CHOKAI immediately veered away to the north, all aircraft were recalled, and the search was postponed until daylight.

This minor incident had enormous ramifications; neither side knew that a major nighttime naval engagement had been narrowly avoided. Vice-Admiral Ozawa’s force of six cruisers was steaming south to the latest reported position of Force Z, which was at that time steaming north on a collision course with the enemy fleet. Ozawa had no idea the British were as close as they were; Phillips also had no idea that any Japanese vessels were in the area. At 0630, a half-hour after TENEDOS’s departure, a lookout aboard ELECTRA sighted a flare on the horizon. Startled, Phillips ordered all ships to make an emergency turn to port to pass well clear of the flare’s position, while he pondered what to do.

At this point the two converging fleets were barely five miles apart—at their respective closing speeds they would have blundered into one another in less than 10 minutes. With their superior firepower the British battleships would most likely have blown the Japanese ships out of the water and changed the course of future events. Neither side realized how close they had been to what could well have been one of the decisive sea battles of the war. The accidental actions of one lone Japanese pilot had changed the way things would turn out.

For nearly two hours Force Z sailed north while Admiral Phillips struggled with one of the most difficult decisions of his career. Knowing that his force had been sighted, he understood that all hope of surprise had been lost; still 12 hours from the invasion beaches, his prey were bound to have fled by the time they arrived. At 2255hrs he reluctantly signaled REPULSE that the operation was canceled and that they were changing course to return to Singapore. But precious time had been lost while Phillips wavered; the next 24 hours would tell whether he had delayed too long.

*Malta*
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 DECEMBER TO DAWN 10 DECEMBER 1941

*0112-1045 hrs* Air raid alarm. One enemy aircraft crossed Island from north to south and dropped bombs 200 yards from Civil Hospital, Guardamangia.

*1035-1112 hrs* Air raid alarm. No engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 9 DECEMBER 1941

*ROYAL NAVY* NEPTUNE, AURORA, PENELOPE, JAGUAR AND KANDAHAR sailed to intercept enemy forces at 1830 hrs. Seven Swordfish and five Albacores searched for two enemy cruisers but failed to locate.

*AIR HQ*_ Departures_ 3 Wellingtons, 1 Beaufighter, for 108 MU.

*LUQA*_ 69 Squadron _One Maryland [patrol] Navarino-Patras; one Maryland [patrol] Palermo-Trapani; one Maryland SF 9 patrol; one Maryland SF 6 patrol. _18 Squadron _One Blenheim central Ionian Sea; one Blenheim Kerkennah-Pantelleria patrol. _107 Squadron _ One Blenheim SF 11 patrol. _104 Squadron_ Seven Wellingtons attacked fuel stores depot west of Fort Curgi, Tripoli. Two Wellingtons attacked storage buildings near Castillo, Tripoli. _40 Squadron_ Twelve Wellingtons attacked fuel depot near Fort Curgi, Tripoli. One Wellington S/D Flight on shipping search Maritino-Pantelleria-Kelibia.


Halder's Diary 09 December 1941


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2016)

*10 DECEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements*
Axis


Neutral


Allied


*Losses*

*UBOATS*
Arrivals


Departures

At Sea 09 December 1941


*OPERATIONS
Baltic*

*East Front*
Arctic


Baltic


Black Sea/Caspian


Other


*North Sea*


*Northern Patrol*


*Northern Waters*


*West Coast*


*Western Approaches*


*SW Approaches*


*Channel*


*Med/Biscay*


*Nth Atlantic*


*Central Atlantic*


*Sth Atlantic*


*Red Sea/Indian Ocean*


*Pacific/Australia*


*Malta*
X


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## parsifal (Dec 12, 2016)

Bertus Kerssies said:


> D
> 
> hello Njaco and Parsifal,
> 
> ...




For me I have to go back and correct some omissions and errors in my contributions. Even that, not until a bit of a rest. 

Thanks for enjoying our efforts

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## Crimea_River (Dec 12, 2016)

Standing ovation guys! What the hell are you going to do with yourselves now?!

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## Njaco (Dec 14, 2016)

.

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## Crimea_River (Dec 14, 2016)

Well deserved, but wear your sunscreen!

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## parsifal (Jan 14, 2017)

Loss of Force Z


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## parsifal (Jan 14, 2017)

Halder's Diary 10 December 1941


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## parsifal (Jan 14, 2017)

Summary of Losses


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## markriese.creations (Mar 12, 2017)

Njaco said:


> _Camina Nera_”,


It's not Camina Nera (it has no sense), but "Camicia Nera"!

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## markriese.creations (Jun 8, 2017)

Captain Herbert Kuppish was Captain Kuppish has nothing to do with U-96. Herbert Kuppisch (10 December 1909 - 27 August 1943) was a german naval Officer during World War II and commander of U-58, U-94, U-516 and U-847.
Wikipedia says ...

The right character seems to be Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock


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## parsifal (Jun 8, 2017)

markriese.creations said:


> Captain Herbert Kuppish was Captain Kuppish has nothing to do with U-96. Herbert Kuppisch (10 December 1909 - 27 August 1943) was a german naval Officer during World War II and commander of U-58, U-94, U-516 and U-847.
> Wikipedia says ...
> 
> The right character seems to be Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock



thankyou for the correction. I think you are right. Kuppisch did not have any association with U-96 as you say. According to U-boat net his wartime commands were U-58, U-94 and finally U-847. Kuppisch never reached the rank of captain, though perhaps his DKM rank of Kapitänleutnant is equivalent.

Kuppisch was in command of U-516 for only 6 days in June 1943 and afaik didn't ever take the boat to sea even for training. He was essentially a seat warmer during this period, until taking over command of his last sea posting the type IXD2 U-847. He lost his life along with the entire crew on or about 25 August 1943 in the Sargasso Sea, after being hit by a "FIDO" homing torpedo fired by an Avenger from CVE USS CARD, supported with flak suppression by F4F Wildcats.


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## parsifal (Jun 8, 2017)

I have to get in and finish off my bit of this thread I see.


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## stona (Jun 10, 2017)

F.W.I.W. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock commanded U96 from September 1940 until March 1942. He previously commanded U8 and U5 and would subsequently command U256.
Other commanders of U96 were another recipient of the RK Hans-Jurgen Hellriegel (3.42-3.43), Wilhelm Peters (4.43-2.44), Horst Willner (2.44-6.44) and Robert Rix (7.44-2.45). It's always worth checking dates 

Herbert Kuppisch served on U2, U29, U9 and U23 before assuming command of U58 (2.39-6.40), followed by U 94 (8.40-8.41). He had a brief sojourn, as above, in command of U516 (6.43) before moving to U847 on 7.43 until he was killed a month later. He received his Knight's Cross on 14.5.41.

One cannot fail to be in awe of the effort and sacrifice these men and their comrades made in what proved to be an utterly futile campaign, and at such a dreadful cost.

Cheers

Steve

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## Old Wizard (Jun 10, 2017)




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## v2 (Aug 13, 2017)

Operation Góral (Polish: Akcja Góral) was an action carried out by the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, or "AK"), which involved a heist of over a million US dollars' worth of currency being transported by Nazi German authorities on 12 August 1943. It was carried out in the center of Warsaw by a unit of Kedyw, "Motor", which seized a transport car carrying the money. It was one of the best organized actions of the Polish underground during the German occupation, and it took only two minutes.
The name of the action comes from the "Góral", the popular name for the 500 złoty currency note (which were also known as "Młynarki"). Polish historian Tomasz Strzembosz called this operation one of the most successful resistance operations in occupied Europe.
Following the German invasion and occupation of Poland in 1939, a large resistance network was formed. That resistance required funds to operate, and the resources of the Polish government in exile, delivered through the Cichociemni commando-couriers, were limited. In 1942 the resistance began planning to acquire money from the occupiers by carrying out large-scale robberies.[1] Having learned that a large quantity of money would be moved by the occupiers to the German-established Bank of Issue in Poland, the resistance recruited a number of sympathizers within the bank. Preparations lasted about 14 months.
A cell, codenamed "Motor 30" from the Kedyw formation, led by operative "Pol", was assigned to the operation. The plan was to block the road at a specified location, shoot the German personnel attempting to clear it, and carry away the money. The action was initially planned for August 5, but a miscommunication resulted in the operation not being carried out. Fortunately for the insurgents, a new delivery was planned for the following week. The plan was carried out successfully, with the truck redirected into a small alley, all German personnel, including an escorting vehicle, quickly eliminated (according to one report, the Germans suffered nine fatalities and seven wounded; according to another, six killed and six wounded; only one of the Polish insurgents was wounded and the truck captured. Approximately 50 Polish insurgents took part in the operation, which lasted only about two minutes.
The Polish insurgents obtained about 105–106 million złotys and a smaller amount of German currency, estimated to be worth about one million 1943 US dollars (approximately twenty million of 2010's USD). German investigation efforts, despite a large bounty for informants, failed to produce results, and the Germans were even not sure who had carried out the operations – the insurgents or regular criminals, which led to no reprisals against the civilian population (an otherwise-common tactic used by the Germans to discourage resistance operations).

AK carried out similar operations on other occasions, for example on 1 June 1943 in Siedlce, though they obtained less money

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